Today I return to eating more normally as I try to focus on stripping off that fat and keep the progress motoring along.

Day: 32 of 77
Date: 12/06/2013
Workout Day: 23
Weight (lb): 166.6 (5.2 lb loss)
Body Fat %: 15.2 (1.2% loss)
Health: Sore quads, hamstrings and hip 7/10

Yesterday’s rest has definitely helped my back. It still feels a little sore, and I’m quite tentative around it, but I’m confident it’ll be fine soon. However the DOMS from the squats and hamstring curls is still there in full force 2 days later. I was certain that I would hit the gym hard today, and NOT receive any more injuries!

My plan for food was to keep it lower calorie and lower protein, and as usual let the fat look after itself from the meat. This sounds a bit low for many people but with protein and fat stores in good supply I’m not worried about muscle/organ catabolism. With my recent higher calorie and protein causing me to put on some muscle (mainly on my back I believe), I think I need a return to a phase of solid fat burning, and I expect this return to the traditional lower calorie food to do that. I’m considering a few days of fish and green veg, which I know would help but I would hate immensely. UP’s Glenn Parker did many weeks of that and successfully got shredded but I don’t know if I have the stomach for it.

The training did go well, with the focus on chest and arms today. Fortunately I have a dip/pullup belt so I could make the prescribed dips and chin-ups a lot more difficult. Today I added 12.5kg to the chin-ups and managed the 5/5 with good form and correct tempo. I expect to do 15kg next time. I am really enjoying this microcycle with its greater intensity. The barbell roll-outs were tough but really loosened up my back which now feels a good deal better.

One of the key programming methods in play with the 12 Week Body programme is the use of periodisation, a philosophy that many (e.g. Ben Pakulski) subscribe to. The idea is that the body gets used to patterns and learns to accommodate them with the least effort possible. This applies to many things including food and training. At first a diet or exercise of some kind will give you some gains but then afterwards it will stop working. There is a phrase worth remembering:

“Everything works, but nothing works forever.”

A low carb diet brings great results at the start which tail off near the end as insulin sensitivity increases and fat stores diminish. A heavy weights regimen brings good gains at the start but these then tail off as the muscles become neurologically adapted to the lifting patterns, which reduces the effort and therefore stress on the muscles.

So with Nick prescribing these cycles of different training styles, I’m keen to follow suit with the diet and adjust the fuel mixture a bit to prevent any plateaus. I firmly believe that the body adapts to change and a jolt is often what’s needed to get back into an accelerated gear. Watch this space to see how the progress goes over the next few days and weeks.