The past 3 weeks of contest prep have been phenomenal, and the modifications to my diet since the last “Contest Prep 2017” update netted me a total body fat loss of 5 lbs. On February 14, at 82 days out, I was 175.2 lbs. As of March 5, at 62 days out, I am 170.0 lbs.
At this next, and arguably most crucial stage of contest prep, satiety during dieting is of utmost importance and will be my primary focus. Therefore, I will be switching to all whole foods moving forward until my contest on May 6. This is a much earlier switch to completely whole foods compared to my prior contests, but I feel that my body functions and feels optimal using entirely whole foods as fuel.
I have removed the protein powder from my diet as I find that the equivalent caloric value of 1 scoop of protein powder is not nearly as satisfying as, say, the equivalent serving of chicken breast or egg whites. The switch to all whole foods will be a phenomenal adjustment in terms of dealing with the inevitable hunger during the third phase, and I am now hitting my stride in terms of hitting my macros 90% of the time.
I am proud of my progress as I have not been this lean (at 170.0 lbs., I am approximately 9.5%-10% body fat) during my contest prep at such an early stage. I have been losing a consistent 1.5-2 lbs. of fat per week, and I am ahead of schedule with greater focus than ever. The reason that I know that I am losing body fat, as opposed to muscle, is because my strength levels have not declined one iota.
As far as adjustments, I will now be implementing the advanced dieting protocol known as “carbohydrate cycling.” The idea is to cycle my carbohydrates between predominantly “low carb” days with an intermittent weekly “refeed,” or “high carb day,” in order to keep my metabolic furnace burning and upregulating the hormone leptin, which is a gatekeeper in burning fat—especially the last 5-6% of body fat that I still need to lose in order to be contest shredded.
The carbohydrate cycling protocol that I will be using during this phase is 5 consecutive days of low carb dieting, interspersed with 1 high carbohydrate day. This means that I will be having 1 refeed per week.
In addition, it is time to increase the intensity during the 3rd phase, as I will finally be making slight modifications to my cardio routine compared to my first 6 weeks of contest preparation. I have outlined both my diet and cardio adjustments below.
As always, the goal for the third phase is to stay compliant to the new macronutrient ratios. However, I am well-aware, and accepting, of the power that hunger can bring in this crucial phase of contest preparation.
61 Days Out From Competition Day – The Adjustments
Personal Statistics
- Height – 5’9”
- Weight – 170.0 lbs.
Macronutrient Breakdown for the Third Phase Beginning 03.06.2017
Low Carbohydrate Days
- Protein – 216-220 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 115-120 grams/day
- Fat – 20-25 grams/day
High Carbohydrate Days
- Protein – 216-220 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 185-190 grams/day
- Fat – 20-25 grams/day
Total Weekly Calories – Approximately 11,400 calories
Macronutrient Breakdown for the Second Phase Beginning 02.13.2017
- Protein – 216-220 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 153-155 grams/day
- Fat – 53-55 grams/day
- Total Calories – Approximately 2,000 calories
Macronutrient Breakdown for the First Phase Beginning 01.23.2017
- Protein – 235-240 grams/day
- Carbohydrates – 173 grams/day
- Fat – 83-85 grams/day
- Total Calories – Approximately 2,400 calories
Food
- Steel Cut Quick Oats
- White Potatoes
- Spinach (This is a “free” food – I do not include the macronutrients from “greens” in my daily allotment)
- Green Bell Pepper (This is a “free” food – I do not include the macronutrients from “greens” in my daily allotment)
- Liquid Egg Whites
- Chicken Breast – Boneless, Skinless
- Whey Protein Powder
- Natural Peanut Butter
Spices
- Iodized Sea Salt
- Black Ground Pepper
Condiments
- Stevia Sweetener
- Louisiana Hot Sauce
Supplements
- Coffee/Tea
- Creatine
- Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)
- Glutamine
- ZMA, as needed, to aide in sleep and recovery
Adjusted Cardio Routine Beginning 8 Weeks Out From Competition
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- 5 times per week
- Duration: 14 Minutes, Postworkout
- Modality: Stairmaster
- Method:
- 2 minute warm-up at 35% maximum speed
- 10 Iterations of the following
- 20 seconds at max speed
- 40 second cool-down at 35% max speed
- 2 minute cool-down at 35% maximum speed
Low Intensity Steady-State Training (LISS)
- 2 time per week performed shortly after waking-up, while drinking coffee
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Modality: Treadmill on an Incline
- Method:
- Set treadmill to an Incline of 15 and a speed of 2.7
- Sustain for 45 minutes, ensuring heart rate stays at approximately 130-135 beats per minute or less
Cardio Routine Since Beginning the Cut 14 Weeks Out From Competition
- High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
- 4 times per week
- Duration: 12 Minutes, Postworkout
- Modality: Stairmaster
- Method:
- 2 minute warm-up at 35% maximum speed
- 8 Iterations of the following
- 20 seconds at max speed
- 40 second cool-down at 35% max speed
- 2 minute cool-down at 35% maximum speed
- Low Intensity Steady-State Training (LISS)
- 1 time per week performed shortly after waking-up, while drinking coffee
- Duration: 30 minutes
- Modality: Treadmill on an Incline
- Method:
- Set treadmill to an Incline of 15 and a speed of 2.7
- Sustain for 30 minutes, ensuring heart rate stays at approximately 130-135 beats per minute or less
Dallas, TX – February 2017