My current situation
My current situation can be briefly summarized as follows.
The last two years I have struggled with some non-gym related injuries including a separated AC Joint with shoulder tendonitis and a torn hamstring (very high up near the glute, and which I’ve re-torn twice). As a result, I’ve been half-assing it in the gym and am not really where I want to be. I have become a lot weaker as a result of being unable to train properly and every time I look in the mirror I feel myself slowly becoming skinny-fat. Both injuries continue to restrict my training, but I can basically work around them with the exception of being unable to deadlift at the moment.
I’ve been based in Japan for the last three months (since the start of June).
When I came to Japan I weighed 162.8 lbs.
In the three months from June 12 to Sep 11 I slowly cut down to 153.1 lbs [average weight over the course of a week]. During this period my average caloric intake was 1870 kcal – around 380 kcal below my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) which, through trial and error, I have calculated to be around 2,250 kcal.
(I also took a diet break of around 10 days around the end of July where I ate @ around 2,400 kcal per day).
The last week I went to Ishigaki Island [Related link: Gyms in Okinawa]. I took a week off my diet and basically ate like an idiot, fully enjoying the buffet breakfasts and dinners at the resort. While I thoroughly enjoyed the holiday, I now feel bloated and the hard-earned definition I had just a week ago seems long gone. I was down to 151.3 lbs on the morning I left, and weighed 156.6 lbs on the morning I came back.
My progress over the last three months looks like this (weight in kg). [Notice the big spike up because of my holiday]
I’m now going to finish the job and get back to being RIPPED again!
I’m primarily doing this to motivate myself, but I also hope that this log can be of benefit to others aiming to get ripped.
The Diet
The basic plan is to cut more aggressively – around 1,700 kcal per day.
I intend to do this by eating around 1400-1450 kcal for three days in a row, then doing a refeed of around 2300 kcal every 4th day. This averages out to around 1,650 kcal per day, giving me leeway to have a few drinks on the weekend (or binge drink once or twice a month). It also works for me personally, as I can eat low calories for around three days in a row before my performance at the gym starts to suffer.
For the first week or two I might keep refeeds at once a week instead of once every 4 days. Will make a judgment based on how I feel during the given week.
Macro goals are as follows:
Protein: At least one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. So around 140 grams or more.
Fats: Around 0.3-0.4 grams of fat per pound of lean body mass. So around 45-55 grams. I’ll keep fats very low on workout days, and eat more fats + less carbs on non-workout days.
Carbs: Whatever I need to fit my kcal goal after eating the required protein and fats.
Training
Will be doing a basic Push – Pull – Legs split. Training frequency will depend on my schedule. But I basically plan to be at the gym 3 or 4 times a week. I also have to factor in that my regular gym is closed on Sundays (and I’m usually too cheap to pay the daily rate to use another gym).
I’ll track my weights for the major lifts.
Supplements
Creatine, Fish oil, ZMA, Pre-workout (Xtend [1 scoop] + Citrulline malate [6g] + beta-Alanine [4g] + Caffeine [1g])
Cardio
None at the moment. The round trip to my gym is a leisurely 6 mile bicycle ride if that counts as cardio. If my hamstring gets better, then I might join a kickboxing gym for a few sessions a week. (I’ve done various martial arts on and off for many years, but haven’t trained the last 2+ years)
The Goal
Keep cutting until I’m ripped. Physique contest-ready type ripped! Then slow bulk and gain back mass and strength.
I estimate I’ll be happy with where I am at around 145 lbs. That means I have to lose around 10 lbs from where I am at the moment. I want to get there by the end of this year (another 3 months).
Current measurements (9/18) – taken first thing in the morning
Age: 34
Height: 5’8″ (171.8 cm)
Weight: 155.3 lbs
Chest: 38.2″
Bicep: 13.8″
Waist (2″ above navel): 30.6″
Waist (navel): 31.2″
Waist (2″ below navel): 31.7″
Thigh (flexed): 21.7″
(Note that I will do all waist measurements tensed, but not “sucking in” my stomach. Chest measurements will be done relaxed with empty lungs [i.e. not inflating my chest])
Starting “Before” Pics:
