The Workout Plan: Part two of this plan. For muscle shaping, defining, and fat loss.
How to work it: Perform days 1-3, then repeat days 1 & 2 for a 5-day workout split. Burn phase will include “drop sets” just like in Build, but also introduces “compound sets” (2 exercises in a row with no rest), and “tri-sets” (3 exercises done in a row, with no rest). Cardio may also increase, slightly, if desired.
Weights: Begin every weight session with a 5-10 minute dynamic warmup and 1-2 warmup sets (using lighter weight). Select a weight that presents a struggle for the last few reps. Remember to log your weight selection, being sure to increase weight whenever possible. If you can do 2-3 more reps than specified with your chosen weight, your weight is too light, and it is time to increase. You must push yourself for maximum results, every set should be challenging. There must be at least 48 hours in between repeating a specific day. Do not perform Day 1 exercises, two days in a row, for instance. End 5-10 minutes of stretching, while the muscle is still warm to prevent injury.
Rest periods: 30-60 seconds (higher reps = shorter rests, low reps = longer rest) for weighted moves, no longer than 30 seconds for core tri-sets.
Cardio: Increase cardio by one, high intensity, 30 minute session in week 3, and again in week 4. When performing cardio and weights on the same day, opt to do weights first (this doesn’t include the warm-up done before weights). If including more than 2 cardio days, choose to lower intensity every other session to reduce leg swelling. Be mindful, though, that the amount of cardio that you intend on doing is figured into your food allowance. Try not to use cardio to do the job that can be done with proper eating. Learn to appreciate cardio and what it can do for you (aid in recovery, heart/mental health), but don’t unnecessarily abuse it.
Food: To truly get the most out of this or any workout routine, the food intake should match the nature of the workouts. During Burn, eat below TDEE (maintenance), for optimal fat burning (if doing a reset, stay at TDEE). The EM2WL weight loss calculator (set goal at “lose fat -15%”) will give you an idea of your best calorie range for losing fat, while maintaining muscle. Attempt to eat 1-1.5g of protein per lb of body-weight (i.e. 150-225g for 150lb person) or 35% of your calorie intake, and sufficient carbs (around 35-40% of your total intake), mostly surrounding your workouts. (If diabetic, insulin sensitive, etc., eat carbs as per doctor/nutritionist orders).
**Want this plan to last longer than 4 weeks? Repeat “Burn” for or up to 4 weeks (4 workouts per week), max. Then move back to 2-4 weeks of “Build” or similar program.**
*Drop set – on final set rep until failure, reduce weight by 25% and go to failure again.
More of a visual person? Check out the “at-a-glance” options for Day 1,Day 2 and Day 3.
Because Burn has been abbreviated into a two week “Kickstart” version, the training frequency is much higher. To adapt this routine to a busier lifestyle, you can choose to make it into a 3 day split: do days 1-3 once each week, for up to four weeks.
I remember when I was pregnant with each of my beautiful children I would always go through the pregnancy telling myself that when I deliver I am going to drop the weight and drop it quick. I would be itching to get back to working out after the six week mark and boy I started restricting calories almost immediately after getting home with my little ray of sunshine. Oh how I wish I knew then, what I know now. It was so bad…my first pregnancy I opted to stop nursing after only six weeks because the weight wouldn’t come off. Thankfully, for the rest I nursed much longer, but just resigned myself to waiting until after nursing to see any losses.
Even when nursing we will dramatically cut calories in efforts to make the scale move. It is even more detrimental when nursing because not only will the body go into starvation mode, you risk lowering your milk supply as well. The funny thing is, women that tend not to “diet” while nursing, following a non-restrictive diet tend to lose weight during their nursing phase. A full-time nursing mom burns approximately 500 calories per day, so if she is consuming healthy foods, eating regularly and feeding on demand weight loss is usually inevitable. Just adding a minimal amount of exercise will increase weight loss, for example going on a walk for a mile or two while pushing your precious cargo a few times per week.
It is so important not to restrict calories the first two months after delivery. Your body needs time to heal and you also need to establish an adequate milk supply for your little bundle of joy. Now, once you are past that point, yes you can start to restrict calories a little, but it shouldn’t be substantial. Here are steps/guidelines for successfully losing weight while nursing:
Calculate your TDEE, BMR, using the appropriate activity level
Subtract no more than 15% from TDEE for your cut value
You have your cut value which includes your activity level, but it doesn’t take into account the numerous calories burned to produce the milk. If you nurse full time, then you need to add back in 500 calories and for part-time nursing mommies calculate the number of ounces you believe are being consumed and multiply it by 22. For example, if your cut value is 1800, then as a full time nursing mom you would consume a total of 2300 calories per day.
Try to shoot for 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat
This is truly the time when you are “eating for two” and not the time for VLCD (very low calorie dieting). Relax in knowing that the benefits of breastfeeding extend well beyond just basic nutrition, but you are providing wonderful health benefits as well to your wee one. Oh, and let’s not forget about the priceless bonding that takes place. This is the most precious time, enjoy it, the weight will come off. Take it slow. Listen to your body, if you’re hungry then your body is telling you it needs fuel, so fuel it.
A common thread that I find as I engage on different fitness/diet forums, and even conversations with friends and family, is randomness. One particular area of confusion seems to be with fat loss and training goals. I often have women (and a few men!) tell me that because they are in a fat loss phase they don’t need to lift weights, or at least not heavy ones. For some reason there has been a general consensus over the years, that the only way to “cut” is to ditch the heavy weight and move to strictly circuit routines and 3lb Barbie weights, while OD’ing on cardio. While the addition of a little cardio can certainly assist in fat burning, I think that somewhere along the line confusion has set in as to methods on how to cut (aka shed fat).
When cutting, you won’t purposely be lifting lighter (I hope!), though, you may lighten the weights (slightly) on occasion to accommodate for moving faster in certain workouts, when applicable. It is harder to lift heavy during circuit work (if you choose to incorporate such workouts), but that does not mean you drop the 30# and head for the 3#. Because cutting is all about the eats, a person who is in a caloric deficit for any length of time may begin to lose strength, thus having to lower the poundage. This is, again, only as low as necessary to complete the amount of reps, yet still hitting failure toward the end of the set.
Many men (and some women!) even take it a step further and NEVER want to cut, feeling it will undo all of their muscle building efforts. They’ve heard that muscle loss comes with cutting territory, and they fear it almost as much as the ladies fear the fat gain that comes with bulking. While this is true, it is the same that I addressed in the post on fat gain when bulking, these “side effects” are minimal when done correctly, and neither will “undo” the other unless we go too “extreme” in either phase (meaning grossly over eat in bulk w/minimal activity or grossly under eat in cut w/too much activity). If we are careful not to hit extremes, there are only a few tweaks here and there needed that will allow us to receive benefits from both phases.
It’s the extreme combo of cardio/deficit eating that will possibly cause muscle catabolization. Muscle is extremely hard to build on women, so we have to take extra care when doing the things that oppose muscle growth (i.e. eating in a deficit, doing excess cardio). It’s basically the equivalent to eating cheesecake and a diet coke, or a salad w/a milkshake (or any of the other quirky things that we do where one thing we’re doing is cancelling out the other)… So when you’re in a mode like that, getting lean while sparing as much muscle as possible, is the goal.
OK, enough rambling…back to the training goals…
As I began to truly focus on my goals, my bulks got progressively longer each year, because I was realizing that my body was willing to let go of more muscle than I wanted/had (I realized that I didn’t have nearly as much as I assumed, but that’s another ramble). So my training goal became to build as much muscle as possible, so that when I added in the cardio/deficit, I wouldn’t lose as much. But I also chose to keep lifting the same, regardless of the mode (not exactly the same, but more on that later). So assuming that one had a similar goal, doing that, plus eating properly (and getting enough protein) will aid in keeping the muscle you’ve built, until you head into your next muscle build mode.
Your changes should come from your eats whenever possible, cardio comes second. Remember this:
Building muscle requires eating at a *slight* surplus, lifting heavy, and going easy on the cardio
Losing fat requires eating at a *slight* deficit, lifting heavy, and burning more calories than you’re taking in
Maintenance requires “maintenance” calorie eating (obviously), lifting heavy, and enough cardio to stay healthy/maintain your current physique
As you can see, the only factor they have in common is the lifting. Everything else is total opposite, that’s why we need to choose which one is the most important, and go with that. Once we switch to another phase, we have to keep in mind to not look for the effects/benefits of a phase that we are not in. So, when building muscle, it’s inevitable that you will gain even *slight* amounts of fat along w/it since you’re eating in surplus…when burning fat, it’s inevitable that you could lose *slight* amounts of muscle since you’re eating in a deficit- they’re just two opposite ends of the spectrum- but *slight* does not mean all.
Think of it as getting your hair trimmed, you trim some, so that it will grow longer, and healthier. You’re not cutting it all off, just enough to keep it healthy. So if you wanted to grow your hair out, you’d let it grow a lot, trim a little, & repeat, until it was at the desired length, right? So the best thing is to use each phase to our advantage, get in, and get out (unless it’s a phase that we choosing to linger in for whatever reason – like maintenance…)
So pick your fitness cycle, as if you’re heading to the salon. What are you going for? Are you headed for growth (just need a little trim, just enough to get the splits)? Are you looking for a shock, whatever the cost (new color, chop it all off)? Or are you just getting regular maintenance / upkeep (good deep condition, color touch up, wash & style)?
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Q: I’m seriously getting discouraged. I’ve tried EVERYTHING, and it doesn’t work. Even the things that you’ve said. I feel like I’ve been stuck since the holidays. I originally had my cals set at 1200, I was losing ok until the holidays then I hit a serious plateau after falling off the wagon, w/my holiday eating. I tried to get right back on track in Jan, but the scale wouldn’t budge. So I added a bit more cardio to see if that would help. After a couple weeks I got frustrated, and the extra cardio was making me SO hungry. I kept reading about people upping their cals, and since I was starving, and it seemed to make sense, I upped mine to 1400. February, I read your posts about bulking, and figured since I wanted to gain some muscle, and wasn’t seeing results w/low cals, I’d just focus on muscle building. So I upped my cals to 2300 and started lifting heavier in addition to my 60 minutes of cardio 5xs a week, which, after a week, I saw you tell someone that that was too much cardio, so I cut back. But I kept lifting heavy like you said. I was hoping to see some good muscle definition, but I just felt like I was getting bigger. After 2-3 weeks I couldn’t see any of my muscles, even the ones that I could see before. So I couldn’t take it anymore , I had to add the cardio back in, because, I think I need more than most people. Plus I know that you just don’t like cardio, so that’s your reason for not doing it. I also just really felt like I was eating WAY too much, and had to drop my cals, but I only reduced them to 2000, nothing crazy. I also decided to try out Paleo, because a lot of my friends are seeing success with it, to see if it would help me break my plateau, and with Paleo, I find it harder for me to get in more than 2000 cals. But in March, the weather just started getting so warm, that I dropped my cals to start my cut. I just couldn’t take bulking anymore, and I HAVE to get the weight off and start losing weight, I really wanna be able to rock tank tops and shorts this year. So I set my cals at 1600, and switched to higher rep weight workouts, and I read that HIIT cardio is better for weight loss, so I’m doing that now. But now I just saw that low-intensity cardio is actually better for fat burning? I’m just so confused and getting frustrated with it all! NOTHING is working!!
A: Wow! That was a mouthful, girl, lol. I certainly feel your frustration, it can be tough when you’re trying to find the key that will make it all click for you. And you certainly have tried it all…
all.at.once.
Your body doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going. Seriously, hun, not to knock your willingness to try new things, tweak here and there to find what works for you, and even listen to me (bonus points for that one)…but, you have to pick a plan and stick with it. Your consistency with any one program is key to finding out if it will work. But trying out 18 different things at once, and not giving any of them enough time, will only keep you in a cloud of confusion…with nothing to show for your efforts, including losing weight.
When you add in too many things at once, you have no idea which thing worked/didn’t work. Be wary of changing certain eating and workouts aspects at the same time, if they are both a change to your current routine. Say you’re currently doing no cardio, yet lifting weights 3 times a week and you decide that you’d like to see how your body would react to a larger deficit. You elect to lower cals or add in cardio. Pick one. Doing both at the same time, not only brings on a myriad of other issues that I’ve already written about, but confuses you when/if you see a drop on the scale that week. Which caused the drop? Less food? The cardio? Both?…Or worse, was a drop prevented due to the combo?
Also, consider not doing too many changes with your food at once. A few examples would be:
raising/lowering cals,
eliminating entire food groups (meat/dairy/grains),
changing macros considerably (low carb, low fat),
fasting
If you did them all at the same time, how will you have any idea which is working/not working? Suppose you only needed to change one of those things, but…because you start seeing results, you have to keep them all changed, because no one thing was pinpointed. So, now you put yourself in the position to either have started something that you can’t finish– setting yourself up for failure because it’s just too hard– or resign yourself to living a life of unnecessary deprivation.I know that it’s hard because there is just SO much info out there, and we’re constantly inundated with what others are doing that’s “working” for them, but that doesn’t change the basic tenant of fat loss. Consistency. There will always be a plethora of methods, techniques, and waves of thought that will pique your interest, but that does not mean that you throw all caution to the wind and jump on every bandwagon that comes your way…especially all at once.Yes, you should be willing and prepared to change your current regimen if it’s not working. Yes, you should be willing to listen with an open mind when someone presents an aspect of health/weight loss/training that is completely different from what you’ve been doing (especially when it is backed by sound research). Yes, your regimen should be ever changing, like the seasons of the year. Long enough to enjoy, yet ending just as you’ve become acclimated, with the promise of return in it’s due time.
But…
It should not be like a celebrity marriage, ending before it even begins. Doomed from the start because there are way too many outside forces involved, with the “newest” thing just awaiting the opportunity to catch your eye and lead you astray.
We all need to take the time to become in-tuned with our bodies and understand what action leads to what result. This ONLY comes from taking time with each individual change to understand the bodies reaction to it, see if it leads in the desired direction. Yet at the same time realizing that quick fixes will NOT last forever. So, when you hear something that sounds interesting, and you’d like to give it a try, take a moment and evaluate:
How long have I been doing what I’m currently doing?
Is what I’m currently doing working?
How does this “new” thing differ from my “current” thing?
How long is it taking other people to receive results using this new method? (max and minimum amount of time) And what are those results?
How much time am I willing to dedicate to this method?
What changes, relative to my weight/height/body composition/bodyfat % am I hoping to see?
How will I feel if I put in 4-6 weeks with this method and receive/not receive the results that I want? (Remembering that some changes require longer commitments than others)
If I find that this plan/method/idea works, for me/I’d like to give it longer than 4-6 weeks, how will I incorporate it in with other things that I’ve found to “work” for a fully comprehensive, personalized to me program?
Allowing yourself the time and thought process such as this, will not only help to steer you from the “lose 10 lbs in 10 days” nonsense mentality promoted by mass media, but will help you to be more prepared for adapting your regimen to different methods that you find yourself wanting to try. Giving yourself guidelines ahead of time, will also aid in keeping you committed and calm with your new changes, instead of second guessing yourself within a week, running to a new “tweak” or compounding on the current one. It will also help you to evaluate, how/if to incorporate it in with other changes that you’ve found that work. You may find many things that “work” along the way, but is not necessary to try/attempt them all (especially all at once). It is also, of the utmost importance, to always have the elusive “trump card.” In the dieting industry, these are known as “stubborn fat loss” methods. Don’t dive into these too soon in your journey, as “stubborn” means that you should already be fairly lean (as in visible abs), and are trying to get the last vanity pounds to move (as in competition or photoshoot lean). These techniques are NOT for the general fat loss community with lots of fat to lose.
In the game of fat loss, you NEVER want to throw all your cards on the table, from the jump.
Keep things fresh, always have a plan, but…always have another trick up your sleeve.
Q:How many weeks should you cut or bulk? I’m so confused as to how low and high I should go. How do I figure it out? I still have a lot of body fat on my thighs that I need to get rid of. I want to build my upper body but think I need to get rid of some of my fat first. Help! What do I do first?
A: When you’re first starting, your Bulk Cut Cycle length can be shorter, until you become more familiar/trusting in the process. I often suggest trying a month of each to start (alternating). As you become more comfortable with bulking, the longer time you can spend in it, the more progress you’ll see. Right now, I do it based on seasons. It’s more convenient for me to bulk during the holidays/cooler months, etc.. It’s much less “mental” for me then, LOL. So, my bulk runs 3-4 months, minimum, right now.
Cutting should be closely monitored and you should try your best not to undo your efforts from your bulk. That’s why I recommend alternating at first. During your cut keep protein levels consistent, cardio moderate (until close to the end), try to let the food do the work, and don’t slash the calories all at once. Give yourself wiggle room as you hit plateaus. My cut is usually during spring, never lasting more than my bulk in length (12-16 weeks is typical). I lose as slow as possible (~.5lb/wk), to prevent muscle loss.
During your bulk, take the opportunity to get your cals as high as possible, without overdoing it (200-300 cals over maintenance is a decent starting point). If you bulk for an extended period of time and find your body adapting to the higher calorie level, try raising them a bit higher to see how your body handles it. This will allow for a metabolism reset, allowing you to cut/maintain at higher levels than before. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to cut/maintain at more relaxed cal levels. Because you are lifting exceptionally heavy during your bulk (with lower reps) your body will be able to put those cals to proper use (vs having to budget them as when you’re in a deficit). A basic way of seeing how much you should eat during your bulk, to start, is to use the EM2WL calculator set to “gain muscle.” Women can gain a max of around .25lbs of muscle each week, so this will supply just the right amount of surplus to make sure minimal fat is gained. You can also use that as a reference for how long to bulk for (i.e. say you’re not willing to gain more than 5lbs, plan the bulk for ~10 wks/5lbs, whichever comes first). Even though it seems oxymoronic, because muscle takes up so much less space than fat, you can usually get quite far along in your bulk before the gain is noticeable. More women notice it on the scale before seeing the “gain” on their bodies. But the scale is usually enough to scare us, and make us wanna run, lol.
So, once familiar with the process, you may be better off bulking until you “feel” bulky (aka jeans get too tight, lol), then cutting a bit — and repeating as necessary. You’ll notice that the more you bulk, your cut doesn’t last as long as you planned, because most of the “weight” is muscle, and looks completely different (which is why the scale can’t determine your goals). I’m the same size as my previous “fat” weight, but about 5 sizes smaller, for reference.
Also, it’s perfectly acceptable to start your bulk before reaching “goal” weight. I did. I never have figured out what “goal” was. After so many bulk/cut cycles, my weight vs clothing size doesn’t even make sense anymore, lol.
Q: So I’ve been tossing around the idea of bulking to build muscle, and it’s got my mind spinning, lol.. That just seems crazy. Not there mentally yet… I have lost SO much weight, and the thought of putting on more just doesn’t sit right w/me yet, I guess. I know that you believe that you have to build muscle before you can cut/define it, but I honestly beg to differ, as I’ve never “bulked” and I know I see muscles. I’ve been doing most of the other things that you usually talk about: not starving myself (1800+ cals for deficit), lifting really heavy, moderate cardio here and there. And, because I’m still in a slight deficit, the scale keeps going down!
But most of all, I have gained so much definition…I would hate to lose what I have by going into a bulk…I am starting to get a headache with trying to figure out what I need to be doing. My goal is not so much the weight loss, as it is fitting back into my size 4 and looking toned, you know. I am almost there…I got on my smallest 6’s so I know I am a hair away from my 4 slacks…at that point, I just want to be cut you know what I mean. So, is there a loophole in your “eat at surplus to gain muscle” argument, or am I missing something/the exception to the rule?
Cutting w/higher cals + heavy lifting = amazing results
A: A bigger person actually carries a larger amount of muscle mass,* naturally (the bigger the person, the more muscle). This is due to the fact that regular everyday movements (i.e. getting up out of a chair, pushing yourself out of bed in the AM, picking up your child) are essentially strength training movements (squats, tricep press, deadlift/bicep curl) due to the extra mass on the frame adding “weight” to the movement. The problem is there also is an extremely high ratio of fat covering that muscle (as a person who has been “bulking” – eating at surplus/lifting in low reps with high weight– might develop some fat along with the muscle).
So because you started this journey at such a high weight, and have kept weight training in the mix, technically what you’ve been doing is “cutting.” You’re just doing it properly by eating right (1800 cals to lose is AWESOME, btw) and keeping heavy weight training involved. This is more ideal than the person that just slashes cals to the bare minimum, and ODs on cardio (who would plow through their muscle store a bit more quickly).
Keys to remember:
to build muscle (aka bulk) = eat at slight surplus, lower the reps, up the weights, cardio optional
to lose fat while maintaining/defining muscle (aka cut) = eat at a slight deficit, continuing to lift heavy, adding in cardio as needed
So what you’re doing now, is what I recommend for most people starting from a much higher weight. Eating just under maintenance, but still lifting heavy and consistently (cutting) until getting down to a more comfortable weight range (or until newbie gains cease), before beginning bulk/cut cycles. The exception to this is if a person has gone into starvation mode from starting this path on a “biggest loser” mission (hours of cardio/huge calorie deficit), and has hit a plateau. I would recommend that person to do a metabolism reset/mini bulk before resuming cutting at much a slower rate (less cardio/higher cals than before).
You’ll know when the time comes to bulk, when you’ve ceased getting any beginner gains. But, as long as you’re getting the definition, etc that you seek, you’re fine. It’s hard to describe until it happens, but you just know.
The exception to this, would be the completely sedentary obese person, who, do to non-movement has experienced extreme muscle atrophy.
Weeks 3 & 4: BURN
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