Contest prep starting this Sunday 6/9 is going to have to be strict. In numbers and in intensity. For fat loss to happen, I need to do things right - which means lots of planning.
I'm glad to say that at this point in my fitness journey, I'm not completely clueless about what to do with my contest prep - I can only hope that what I plan is actually going to work.
Like I always say, "Be patient. Be Consistent. Just Relax." Always needing to remind myself.
This week (at 13 weeks out from the INBA) is my transition week. I've reduced calories (gradually) and I'm trying to get used to monitoring my caloric intake daily on MyFitnessPal.
I've taken my life and the hectic nature of it, and its inhabitants, into careful consideration: While everything on the list must be checked off, and every number met and not exceeded, I have created a plan that allows for every week's goals to be completed with flexibility.
How am I doing this?
Setting A Weekly Calorie Goal
I am monitoring my caloric intake for each week - which means I allot myself a number I must meet by the end of each week (my example: Saturday nights).
Setting a weekly calorie goal - as opposed to a strict daily goal - allows me to eat according to training intensity as well as rest/light days. It also prevents me from getting stressed if I go over my calories, let's say, post-resistance training. I am satisfied whether it is a rest/cardio day or a training day.
My personal daily caloric intake, for example, must approximately be 1550/day for fat loss to occur. That makes a total of 10,850 for the whole week. As long as I meet 10,850 by Saturday, I'm good.
Carb Back-Loading
I'm still carb-back loading, just on a smaller scale - seeing as I am afraid to stall on progress by switching to Carb Nite and cutting carbs out 6x/week. Disclaimer: This is my personal experience, Carb Nite works wonders for a lot of people, especially those with higher body fat percentages. Maybe someday down the line I'll try it, but I've learned time and time again that my body likes to cycle carbs. I did Carb Nite for 3 weeks, but I've been carb back-loading since February, and it's now June and my results have been stellar.
I will be staggering ULC & back-load days so it's on/off/on/off from carbs. My carb back-loads will just fit my macros so I'm still within the fat loss guidelines I've set for myself, and will be taking place only on post-training days. Which means...
Training & Cardio
I also will be alternating my days between training and cardio - for now. Weight day, cardio, repeat. I do not like doing this for some strange psychological reason, but I need to give my body proper rest because I will be increasing the frequency of training for each body part.
The glutes and legs part is already covered - I already train them multiple times a week. I will be training my arms, shoulders, and back twice each per week at varying intensities. So a lot of my training days are going to consist of as many compound moves as possible so I am hitting multiple muscles simultaneously, and not spending hours and hours in the gym.
The reason for the increase in frequency is because frequency is a key component for muscle growth, not just volume alone. The more it's used, the more the muscle will grow. With adequate rest periods in between sessions, of course.
Work hard, but more importantly, work smart.
I will be re-adding HIIT into my routine as well. I cycled off it for two weeks now, to give my body some rest from the high-intensity workouts. It will either be in the form of sprints, Tabata, plyo, or other made-up circuits I wish to do.
Flexibility
The most important component to my success (besides commitment & consistency) with this 12-week prep is this very concept.
Everything needs to be done, but when it gets done is something I've let be the variable. Life throws so much at us that it's rare to set a solid, unyielding plan for a week and not have something try to get in the way of its completion.
Scenarios? If friends want me to come over and have a fiesta one day, I will plan a heavy training session before I go to the party so I can eat carbs. If, for some reason, I can't make it to the gym that day, or I absolutely cannot work out that day, then I will consider it a rest day and adjust my intake for that day. If for some reason I cannot go to the gym for a couple days in a row (as was the case this week) I will plan a lot of compound moves and high-volume exercises on fewer days to make sure I train every part of my body adequately, and meet the intensity I need. If I eat too much one day, I can scale it back the next day and it will even out. If I eat too much for the week, I can add an extra session of cardio or do more sets/reps in my next training day.
The goals are pretty much set on a weekly basis, and must be met by the end of each week.
I have prepared for life to throw my plans for prep out of balance. This adaptable plan will hopefully get my to my contest goals. I gotta peace out though, but this is pretty much what the next 12 weeks are gonna look like.
My ultimate goal is to minimize the risk of insanity and burn-out as much as possible, all while promoting a healthier life and a better, stronger, sexier body and outlook on life!
Remember people, there is only one you, take care of it!
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