DISCUSSION
It's been three weeks since my competition. Leading up to the competition was 19 weeks being back at training.
The week after competition I had an "easy" week - well, easy for me, with only two resistance sessions and five cardio sessions. I DID consider it my "week off", determined never to have another COMPLETE week off ALL training after everything I've been through the last year.
The second week post-competition I trained as usual re Maintenance training - even if the training was done backwards through the week re days.
The third week post-competition saw only THREE training days (two resistance sessions and three cardio sessions), and counts even more as a "week off" than the first week post-competition.
The last three days have been NO training at all for me - this is the longest I have been without at least doing SOME training for the last 22 weeks! Three days' break from training is definitely NOT fun on my body, hitting home more than ever the importance of DAILY, INTENSE training for me, with at least 2-3 days of training before taking a one day break.
My primary goal for this period was "one month maximum to lose 1% bodyfat . . . and ~2 inches from each my hips, and thighs". Over the last three weeks, progress towards this goal has NOT happened, going backwards instead, and my body composition has actually INcreased due to the lack of dieting and training, as well as stress.
It seems that NOT taking time off from training has been detrimental to my body, and it has forced some off (no excuse, I know, but it has contributed towards my "regression"). However, the good thing about this is that the damage is not as bad as it could have been, and from NOW, the "one month maximum" CAN STILL be used to reach my initially set body composition goal of getting as lean as possible.
BODY STATISTICS
Now:
* Body Composition of 10.1% bodyfat
* Body Mass of 122.2 pounds (although this is irrelevant next to body composition)
* Resting Pulse of 32 beats per minute
I feel like I am back to square one, especially with the bodyfat and weight gain - just goes to show how such a little time can make such a difference. It probably doesn't help that I was getting pretty lean when it happened, making it almost "rebound", and not well. Trust me when I say that an extra 15 pounds on someone of my height is NOT a good thing (and my body certainly HATES me for it!) - every pound may as well be 10 pounds, because that's how it makes me feel, not to mention that now anything over 9.5-10% bodyfat makes me feel obese (yes, I know I have issues).
The first thing to do is to get back below 9% bodyfat, then 8% bodyfat, and then LEANER, with the eventual focus to maintain 8-9% bodyfat once I achieve the lowest level of leanness I possibly can.
TRAINING
Because a week-pre-competition is meant to be followed for 7-10 days pre-competition/photoshoot only and not for prolonged periods of time, I am returning to a more manageable Maintenance training schedule.
Monday: HIIT Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes + Shoulders
Tuesday: 20 min Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes + Arms
Wednesday: HIIT Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes + Full-Body
Thursday: 20 min Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes
Friday: HIIT Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes + Full-Body
Saturday: 20 min Cardio + Stretch 20-30 minutes + Upper Body
Sunday: Day Off
My training does not stay the same re exercises, order, sets, reps, or weight used, each week, but varies. I always lift as heavy as I can for the reps I set out to do each session, and I use 30 seconds to 1 minute recovery between sets/supersets/trisets/giant sets.
I do not do any specific work for my legs as my lower body overwhelms my upper body. If I train legs, I gain muscle mass despite what I do and more muscle in my legs is NOT what I want or need.
I train first thing in the morning, since this is the most effective for me.
For any given week training can be changed and adapted, based on how my body is feeling, recovery, etc.
NUTRITION
As I have mentioned, I am NOT a "dieter". Dieting does NOT work for me.
It's about listening to my body on a daily basis and adjusting my nutrition (as I do my training) as required. Over the last few months, it has also been about NOT consuming foods that I am sensitive and intolerant to - as I get older, the list gets longer - and for my HEALTH and fitness, I now have to take this more seriously and stick to it.
I still have 5-6 meals daily, 2-3 hours apart.
I also drink 1-2 UK galleons (a UK galleon is 4.54 litres) of water a day, with the only other liquid that I consume re drinks being herbal or green tea.
SUPPLEMENTS
Three products that make it so much easier to maintain relative leanness:
I'm starting Alpha-T2 back up today.
Also adding Shred Matrix back in from now.
CreaPure has still not arrived, and my NeoVar Recomped is likely to get here before it, so I am just going to go back to using NeoVar Recomped - especially since I have come to realize how valuable it has been in maintaining my leanness.I apologize for the last three weeks - they have certainly not been anywhere near my best and very uncharacteristic of my usual drive and passion - and from now on, it's time to get back on my feet, renew my determination and discipline, and JUST DO IT!
