It's been a merry ol' four weeks! The eventual weigh-in saw me a few kg lighter, but looking much better than I had for a while! I think the Intermittent Fasting really helped maximise insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, etc. and allowed me to smash down a little more food than conventionally acceptable when 'cutting'.
This was by no means a competition prep diet. For me, it was a caloric deficit which allowed me to consolidate and maintain the gains I had made (muscle wise) over the last year while trimming the fat away. I feel thoroughly ready toΒ recommence my physical transformation into the 90kg beast I one day wish to become!
Perhaps the best thing to come out of the shred was a greater degree of flexibility around training. For the longest time, I believed that heavy resistance training was the only way to gain and preserve muscle. However, thanks to the two bulging disks in my spine, I have been forced to undertake some less-than-conventional methods of training including kettlebell work & body-weight exercises. The result .... pure and unbridled feelings of awesomeness! Vascularity is on the rise, and I haven't lost any size. Please note, for you nay-sayers, that emerging research is actually suggesting that the intensity of the workout is the controlling factor in muscle gain, rather than weight. I recently read a study that compared 90%1RM efforts to failure with 30%1RM efforts to failure in individuals, only to find that while the 30% group were able to do around 30 reps before they failed, this greater volume of training and intensity gave them comparable anabolic responses to the 90%1RM group.
This is of particular consolation to me as I am unable to either Squat or Deadlift (my 2 favourite exercises). Instead, I've become an avid fan of hand-stand pushups, plyometric squats, clap push-ups, leg raises and a number of other movements that do not load my spine.
To February ... AND BEYOND!
Over the weekend I'll be retooling my diet, slowly re-introducing carbohydrate sources over the coming weeks, as well as increasing caloric intake! I'll also be looking at my workout routine & reconstructing my 3 gym-based training sessions to take advantage of more body-weight work (as I'm currently experiencing a flare up in my lower back). The plan will look something like this -
Tuesday - Kettlebell & Conditioning Work
Thursday - Kettlebell & Conditioning Work / Karate
This will hopefully provide the stimulus I need to maintain if not grow over the coming 2 - 3 weeks while I re-establish my lower back functionality.
After that, the sky is the limit. But I do intend to stay with a full-body program for at least another 4 weeks. Having changed some of the exercises, I will essentially be starting fresh and thereafter I'll look to see whether my body can take heavier resistance work!
I'll be keeping you all updated on my progress!!