Sweetnlow’s BodyBlog

Now that I have a routine in place, I need to put together my nutrition plan so that I stay on track.  Knowing the caloric and macronutrient needs for my BMR is critical to achieve my muscle building goals while maintaining, and losing body fat.

I use this formula to calculate how to make each of my 6-8 meals per day.  I have a small cooler that I pack with my daily meals so that…

1. I don’t get too hungry

2. Make excuses to eat from the vending machine or from the junk left over from business meetings in the break room …pastries, pizza, chips

3.  Most importantly I keep on track with my goals, feed my muscles, and maintain/increase energy throughout the day.

Ok, here goes….get on the scale only once a week!  Don’t obsess about weight on the scale, it’ll drive you crazy and may make you want to curtail your meals.  Do the formula, figure out what your needs are and just make sure you are not gaining body fat and all will be alright!!

I weighed in at 112 lbs yesterday so that is my body weight.  I use the OMROM body fat monitor and found that I am at 20% body fat.  This tells me that my current body composition, body fat ratio (body weight x body fat percentage) is (112 - (112 x .20) = 89.6)

the basic formula is:  body weight - body fat percentage = pounds of fat

body weight - pounds of fat = pounds of muscle

add a zero to the end of pounds of muscle to get your BMR

But this is not enough to determine your caloric needs.  You need to find your additional activity multiplier to add to the Basal Metabolic Rate.  The BMR is strictly your basic calories needed for your body to function and trying to calculate only for this will set you up to STORE FAT!  I work at a desk all day, but I workout at least 5 times a week so a basic formula to add for additional calories is:

EXTREMELY PHYSICAL = .9 (Office job and workout hard 6x week)

VERY PHYSICAL = .6 (Office job and workout hard 5x week)

MODERATELY PHYSICAl = .4 (Office job and workout 3x week)

Use this as a multiplier to the BMR you’ve just established.  Mine looks like this:

112 (body weight) * .20 (body fat percentage) = 22.4 (pounds of fat)

112  (body weight) - 22.4 (pounds of fat) = 89.6 (lean muscle mass)

900 (lean muscle mass (rounded up) + zero added to end) = BMR

900 (BMR) * .6 (activity multiplier) = 540 (additional calories)

900 (BMR) + 540 (additional activity calories) = 1440

Now I know what my caloric, macronutrient needs are PER DAY.  All I need to do now is figure calories per meal so that I can pack my cooler to have my food available in the proper balance when I need it.

My next post will be about how to determine each meal so that it is in PERFECT balance with all of my caloric and macronutrient needs.  I have to take into consideration nutrition timing because timing is everything.  Pre and Post workout meals are critical. 

Like right now I am about to go to the gym but about an hour ago I had 5 egg whites and some Maltodextrin (easily digestible carbohydrates).  Along with this meal I had some Creatine for energy and muscle growth and development.

I found an excellent article on bodybuilding.com about this very topic.  I refer to it like a bible…taking into consideration how I know my own body responds to certain supplements and nutrition, this is an excellent resource.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek37.htm

HAPPY FOURTH!

I did a leg workout yesterday that was really extreme.  Apparently I haven’t been pushing myself hard enough.  I workout alone and so I suppose I have gotten very comfortable pushing the weight that I am accustomed to.  Well yesterday a trainer at my gym had apparently seen enough of my half-efforts and jumped in to push me a little.  This is what my routine looked like yesterday:

 I did "seated" squats where I squated just far enough to barely sit on a bench - 100 lbs x 10

Parking lot lunges - 100 yards with 20 lbs ez-curl

lying leg curls - 40 lbs  15 x 4

leg extensions - 40 lbs 15 x 4

glute kicks (mule kick) 50 lbs 15 x 3

ABS:

lying leg lifts 25 x 3

6 lb medicine ball leg lifts 10 x 3

crunches 15 x 3

roman chair straight leg lifts 15 x 3

It doesn’t look like I’m going to be contest-ready by the April SNBF show THIS year.  There is one later in the year that I may try to shoot for.
According to my calculations, I have 22% body fat and 81.9 LBM.  With these numbers, I will not be able to achieve the fat loss needed to compete in five weeks. 
This being my first attempt at a competition, I didn’t have all of my facts and figures together that I needed to gauge the preparation time.  I had some well-meaning friends tell me that they would help me out with this stuff and then they bailed (for whatever reason).  So my FIRST lesson in all of this is to lean on no one and not to waste precious time waiting on others.
So now that I have determined not to shoot for the April show, I can now calculate my cutting phase.
 
LBM x goal BF% = lbs of fat on contest day
81.9 * .10 = 8.19
LBM + lbs of fat on contest day = total contest weight
81.9 + 8.19 = 90.09 (WOW, that seems REALLY light)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Current weight - contest weight = fat loss goal
105 - 90.09 = 14.91
I am figuring that I can safely loose approximately 1 lb of fat per week so that gives me about 15 weeks to allow for my cutting phase.
BMR = 820
Formula for figuring additional calories:
  .9 = Extremely Physical (office job and workout HARD 6 times per week)
  .6 = Very Physical (office job and workout HARD 5 times per week)
 .4 = Moderately Physical (Office job and workout 3 times per week)
BMR * Activity level = additional calories
820 * .6 = 492

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE:

BMR + additional calories = total caloric intake

820 + 492 = 1312

To break this down into macronutrients, and assuming that I will consume six meals per day:

102g (or 408 calories) from Protein source (approx. 31%)

175g (or 700 calories) from Carbs (approx 53%)

23g (or 204 calories) from Fat (approx 15%)

Ok, so I’ve been "training" for an upcoming figure competition and have been increasing the weight and decreasing the reps (somewhat).  I have been eating VERY clean, eating six meals throughout the day, and yet I am gaining weight rather than losing weight.  Over the past few months I have gone from 100 lbs to 106.  In three days time I have lost 3 of those six pounds, which I assume was water weight.  But in order to be competition ready I need to lose more fat and I’m struggling in this area.

 I do not really understand the whole process of eating plenty of calories, yet losing bodyfat.  I have found that I need to eat 1200 - 1400 calories In order to ensure that I have enough fuel for growth and yet remain in a fat deficit. 

Focusing on fat loss while keeping/increasing muscle.  Every couple of weeks, reducing the rest times and increase volume.

 Day 1 … Shoulders & Arms (Monday/Thursday)

Modified Compound Superset:

Wide Grip Upright Rows 3 sets x 10-12 reps (60 seconds rest)

Military Press 3 sets x 10-12 reps (60 seconds rest)

Rear Delt Rows (on t-bar row machine)

Modified Compound Superset:

E-Z Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Lying E-Z Triceps Ext. 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Modified Compound Superset:

E-Z Preacher Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Tricep Dips 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Superset:

Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (no rest)

Reverse Wrist Curls 2 sets x 15-30 reps (no rest)

Day 2 … Legs (Tuesday/Friday)

Modified Compound Superset: 

Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Lying Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Modified Compound Superset:

Wide Stance Squats 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Standing Leg Curls 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Superset:

Adductor 2 sets x 12-15 reps (no rest)

Abductor 2 sets x 12-15 reps (no rest)

Superset:

Calf Press 4 sets x 15-20 reps (no rest)

Seated Calf Raises 4 sets x 15-20 reps (no rest)

Day 3 … Chest & Back (Wednesday/Saturday)

Modified Compound Superset:

Incline Barbell Bench Press 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Wide Grip Pull-up to Front 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Modified Compound Superset:

Chest Dips 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Close Grip Pull-up 4 sets x 10-12 reps (90 seconds rest)

Superset:

Dumbbell Shrugs 2 sets 10-12 reps (no rest)

External Rotations 2 sets x 15-20 reps (no rest)

Superset:

Hanging Leg Raises 4 sets x 20-25 reps (no rest)

Crunches (with Swiss ball) 4 sets x 20-25 reps (no rest)

Keeping the muscles guessing again with another routine which is just a variation of the 5×5 workout that I’ve been doing.  This routine focuses on using heavy weight and only one multi-joint, compound movement per bodypart.  With the help of this routine, I have learned to think differently about my workout ideals.  I thought that I would turn into some sort of behemoth if I trained heavy.  Not only that, but I would do 5 - 6 different exercises per body part!!!  I was seriously over training and not getting the best out of my efforts.  It is so difficult for me to do just one exercise per bodypart per workout, but I have been amazed at the effects it has had on my muscles.  Not only am I learning something, but I think my muscles are too!  Doing things differently has been a good thing.  When I start my 12-week out training I will get back to do 3-4 select exercises per bodypart but for now, I will train this way and get the size that I need.

All of these exercises are performed in a superset with 5 reps and 5-6 sets.  I do cardio 3 - 4 times a week for 30 minutes.

 Day 1 Chest and Abs

30-degree incline DB Bench Press 50 x 5

Janda Sit-ups (I usually just do a reverse crunch without using my hands on the bench) 12 x 6

Day 2 Quad Dominant Legs and Calves

Squats 110 x 5 (reverse hack squat…ALL THE WAY DOWN)

Calf Press 90 x 5

Day 3 Back and Triceps

Supine-grip Pull-ups 5 x 6

Dips 5 x 5

Day 4 Hip Dominant Legs and Shoulders

Deadlift 50 x 5

Standing DB Military Press 40 x 5

I have reached a plateau in my training and needed something to "shake" things up.  I looked on bodybuilding.com to find a new workout routine. 

 Last week I started the 5 x 5 which is an overall workout for everyother day.  This routine is designed to build mass and strength.  5×5 indicates the number of reps x sets.  Since I am not going for mass, I have added more reps (10).  I am hoping that this will jump-start my muscles after doing this for about 4-6 weeks.

Monday:

Reverse Hack Squat - 70 x 10

Bench Press (w/dumbells) - 20 x 10

Barbess Rows - 40 x 10

Accessory exercise: weighted incline situps 15 x 10

Accessory exercise: tricep extension 15 x10

Wednesday:

Reverse Hack Squat - 70 x 10

Military Press (w/dumbells) 25 x 10

Deadlifts 40 x 10

Pull-ups 5 - 10

Accessory exercise: bicep curls (w/curl bar) 35 x 10

Accessory exercise: reverse crunch 25 x 5

Friday:

Reverse Hack Squat - 70 x 10

Bench Press (w/dumbells) - 20 x 10

Barbess Rows - 40 x 10

Accessory exercise: weighted incline situps 15 x 10

Accessory exercise: tricep extension 15 x10

CHEST 

Chest press (Smith Machine) 3 sets of 65 x 12

1 set of 75 x 10

Push ups (with feet on exercise ball) 4 x 15

Chest flys 50 x 12 (4 sets)

TRICEPS

4 sets each

Kick backs 15 x 12 / Kick back pulses (at Apex) 10 x 12

Tricep overhead extensions with cable rope 50 x 12

Tricep extension with cable rope 50 x 12

Tricep pushdown 50 x 12

ABS

Kick outs (no hands on bench) 4 x 25

Cable cross-over with rope 40 x 10 (3 sets each side)

reverse crunch (no hands on bench) 4 x 12

v-crunch (no hands on bench) 4 x 12

Roman chair leg lifts with 15 lbs weight held with feet 4 x 10 (OUCH!!!)

CAN’T MAKE TIME FOR CARDIO AGAIN DAMMIT!!!

11/23/06

AM

Protein bar (Triple Threat)

Post workout:

Protein Shake

Mixed green salad with grape tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers, Teriyaki chicken and trail mix with Balsamic vinagrette.

One legged squats (on Smith Machine) 45 x 4

One legged dead lifts with dumbell 20 x 4

Leg Press 70 x 2/90 x 2

Reverse Hack Squat  70 x 3/90 x 1

Leg curls 50 x 4

The ‘**** me’ machine 45 x 4

Abs:

reverse crunches/kick outs/v-crunch (all over) 25 x 4

cable pull over (obliques) 25 x 4