Happy Thursday!
So, in 81 days, I will step onto a stage and be judged whilst wearing no shirt (at least I get to wear shorts).
There’s nothing like getting shredded the wrong way to teach you about getting shredded the right way.
While I didn’t completely screw up the first time I got lean, I made some mistakes that made the process worse than it had to be.
With the benefit of that hindsight, here are some of the main focus points as I prepare to be judged on stage with no shirt on (and good things to focus on for anyone who wants to get lean).
Keep calories as high as possible
Obviously I will be in a calorie deficit — the only way to drop fat is with a calorie deficit.
The number of calories I’m able to eat will most likely get lower throughout prep because of metabolic adaptation.
To try to mitigate the suck, I’m starting with the highest number of calories I can have while still dropping fat at a reasonable rate (~1% of my body weight per week).
On training days, I’ll be having around 2500 calories.
I’ll have a bit less on my 2-3 full rest days.
The lower calories will come from a reduction in carbs.
This is essentially “carb cycling.”
You don’t have to limit carbs on days you don’t train, but I prefer to do it this way.
It means I can have substantial carbs in all 3 meals leading up to my workouts on training days while keeping my weekly calories in check.
I will only reduce my weekly calories if I hit a plateau.
There’s no need to rush to an extremely low number of calories if you can make progress with more calories.
(Reminder on metabolic adaptation and how much it sucks)
Eat MORE than enough protein
I will be eating beyond 1 gram of protein per lb of body weight per day.
I need to ensure I have enough protein to spare how catabolic this cut gets.
I’m starting at around 180 lbs and will finish probably in the low 160s, but my protein intake will be ~200 grams per day.
My top protein sources are:
Lean ground beef
Chicken breast
Ground turkey
Greek Yogurt
Egg White
White Fish
Salmon
High Volume Eating
I’m all for flexible dieting, but when hunger gets real, it’s not the time to be “fitting in” too much high-calorie food.
I want to eat as much volume as I can while keeping my calories low.
Sweet potatoes, chicken breast, green veggies, berries.
High volume = less hunger.
I get bags of frozen mixed berries from Costco. 200 grams of berries is a substantial bowl, and it’s less than 100 calories.
Berries are a true fat-loss hack.
Train the same way
This is HUGE.
Your training shouldn’t change when you enter a cut.
Your MINDSET toward training should also not change.
I see this way too often — someone enters a calorie deficit and basically accepts that their training will be miserable for the duration of the cut.
How miserable would these 12 weeks be if I accepted I was not going to make any gains because I’m dieting?
Screw that.
I’m still going to be pushing to increase the weights and reps.
Progress will inevitably slow down, but I’m not going to accept that I can’t make any progress.
Keep Training Specific
Less is more.
Prep is not the time to start adding extracurriculars like lots of running, boxing, or jiu-jitsu.
Those things are all fantastic, but save them for a gaining phase when you have better recovery capacity.
All my recovery capacity is going to be allocated toward maintaining my current muscle and strength.
No room for anything else.
Prioritize Recovery
I’m going to be giving myself a 9-hour sleep window every night.
I’m sticking to my bedtime. I will say no to things that would cause me to miss that bedtime.
Sleep is 100% crucial here and not something to take lightly.
In addition, I’ll be eating as many nutrient-dense foods as I can and supplementing any gaps.
I’m particularly focused on minerals: magnesium, sodium, potassium, and calcium.
Walk as Much as Possible
Walking is another component of recovery, and it’s also arguably the best movement for fat loss during a prep.
It’s low impact and not strenuous on joints.
It aids recovery instead of putting you further in debt, and it also burns energy.
My daily average step count will be 15k+ per day.
Hydrate Properly
I’ll be drinking 1 gallon of filtered water per day.
I’ll also make sure to get enough electrolytes.
I’ll salt my food, eat potatoes & yams (for potassium) and supplement with magnesium.
Don’t Cut Fat Too Severely
This is one of my biggest takeaways from my first prep
I cut my dietary fat by WAY too much, and I ended up eating less than 40 grams of fat per day
Drastically cutting fat while in a calorie deficit is the recipe for how you neuter yourself as a man,
I wish I didn’t know this from experience
New rule: Fat does not go lower than 50 grams per day
My top fat sources are:
Whole Eggs
Salmon
Avocado
Olive Oil
Thanks for reading - hopefully that provides some insight if you’re looking to get lean this summer.
Content I’m Enjoying
This is a fantastic podcast from the elite nutrition coach Dan Garner.
Dan has a wealth of knowledge and is full of actionable insights for anyone looking to improve their health.
Thanks for reading.
Who else has plans to get lean for summer?
Let me know what your plan is and I’m happy to help if I can.
Talk soon,
Colin