I have been slowly cutting down since June and plan to keep cutting until either late December or January (really just depends on my level of conditioning). So far, from June up until now (Nov 3), I have dropped around 24 lbs (206 to 182). I think another 10 lbs and I will be right at the level of leanness that I want to be at before transitioning to a gaining phase #Gainsville #BulkSeason lol
Current Macronutrient Intake
Regular days (Sun-Fri): 65f 200c 225p ~ 2285cals
Refeed days (Saturday): 85f 450c 175p ~ 3265cals
Overall Weekly Intake ~ 68f 236c 218p ~ 2425cals
*I try to intake at least 15-30g of dietary fiber each day for overall digestion & gut health*
I hit my macronutrient goals through whatever I feel like eating for that day. I don’t pay too much attention to meal timing as it is highly irrelevant to body composition. So some days I’ll have 3-5 small meals, other days 1-3 bigger meals. It just depends on whatever fits my schedule on that given day. What IS highly relevant to body composition is if you are in a caloric surplus or deficit. That and the breakdown of how much of each macronutrient you are intaking.
WHAT meal timing is relevant to is gym performance. So if I am ever feeling sluggish I try to have some type of carb source about ~45-60mins before a workout. Usually a ham or turkey sandwich 🙂
Supplements
Nothing fancy here just whey protein, creatine, a multivitamin & fish oil. I really don’t believe many supplements are necessary. If I had to go to a bare minimum I would simply say a multi & fish oil are the only essential supplements. Only reason I use whey is because I’m not too hungry to get all my protein through food sources. And creatine, it keeps you looking a little fuller (atp stores/water retention in muscles) plus provides a little more ‘oomph’ to the workouts, but nothing groundbreaking. Though interestingly enough, creatine has been found to help/improve cognitive function in vegans (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21118604), so this may be something that none meat-eaters want to supplement with.
Training
Really there is no one perfect training routine. The best routine is the one you can stick to and that you enjoy doing. I have done Upper/Lower Splits, PHAT, PPL, Brosplits & etc. There are many different routines out there; I am currently doing a 5-day low frequency high volume split.
Currently it looks like this:
Mon – Legs
Tues – Back
Weds – Chest
Thurs – OFF
Fri – Shoulders
Sat – Arms
Sun – OFF
*I didn’t list how many sets I do because a lot of my training is based off auto-regulation. So some days volume may be higher and other days a lot less. It really depends on how you are feeling that day.
**Rep Range during my workouts are anywhere between 6-15 reps. Some days I feel like going heavier so I’ll stay around 6-10 and other days I feel like chasing a pump so I’ll stay around 10-15. Also, it goes without saying that if I can hit the top range of the rep range easily I bump up the weight until those last few reps are grinders!
Cardio
Real simple just 4 sessions of 45 mins LISS (low intensity steady state cardio). I try to do two of my cardio days on my off days and the other two sessions after a lifting session.