So here's a list of things I did to lose 3% body fat with no muscle loss in a month:
0.1 lb muscle loss, ~7lb of fat loss
There's alot of method and techniques I used to get here, mostly around building better habits. Here are what those habits are, and how you can reproduce it for yourself:
Checking in
-
Dexa scans once a month to start out and analyze results scientifically on fatloss%
- do it at the end of a cut and halfway in it
- before you start a new workout routine
- Dexa scan is an MRI machine that checks how much fat is in your body in different regions
-
Weekly progress pic to check in with self
- take pictures at same angles everytime
- do it in the morning
-
Weekly measuring of body sizes
- this gives a bigger picture of whether I'm losing fat or not (e.g. smaller abdomen)
Working out
example of notetaking for workouts on sets
- Pyramid sets upward during workouts. For lower power lifts near one rep max, 5-10 lb increments. Upper body at 2.5-5 lb increments
- Allow 3-5 mins recovery on big 3 lifts between sets
- Perfect breathing techniques on eccentric and concentric loading
- Check in with body. If I couldn’t do a warmup set or got overly fatigued from it, skip workout
- Increase total number of warmup sets to reduce injuries
- Checking if new strength numbers were met from previous workouts
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Write down how every set went in a workout.
- I use shorthand notations like
ls
for lastset,ms
for midset,fs
for first set,bs
for best set etc. - I write a lot of notes here, more than I think I'll need
- I'll add levels of exertion of effort for each set.
- I'll write down if I need to go down a level or up next time.
- I also add notes on dates of when I worked out (to be implemented)
- More data is better
- I add the notes from my phone while working out to a google spreadsheet, based on program I'm on
- I run a FIND/SEARCH to see what my last sets were for that specific exercise. E.g. "helms row" for instance
- I use shorthand notations like
Recovery Habits
- Improve sleep hygiene with better practices and melatonin
- Yoga for strength and meditation
- Stretch regularly before a workout and foam roll it out
- Before a deload period, I went for one max PRs and hit to failure
- Being aware of stress levels and solutions to remedy it
- Get into the habiting of moving a lot and not sitting stand for too long
Macro dieting
tracking weight changes over time
- 2000-2200 calories daily on workout days
- A little more calories on recovery days
- Deload week, I did maintenance 2500 calories
- Do macro nutrient tracking every so often, and calculate calories per meal everytime I qcook
- Chicken Egg Rice Broccoli just works
- Eat about 500 calories before a workout, should be high in carbs and protein
- Eat 30g protein / meal max, but eat 4-6 times in a day
Dealing with Hunger Pangs and desire to eat out
- Only plan ~1500 calories a day, fill the rest however I wanted (junk food, beef jerky, alcohol etc)
- Postworkout, do half casein half whey protein
- Creatine and vitamins
- Nighttime, do all casein protein
- Add starchy vegetables that are filling and low cal, broccoli. Add eggs into diet. 35-45 % protein intake daily at ~200g
- Drink lots of water during before after workout, and also have a habit of drinking a post nighttime smoothie too with more water
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