I'm paid to be the guy with the answers.
People part with their hard-earned dollars in exchange for me to tell them how to exercise, eat, and sleep, and it's an honor to have my knowledge held in such high esteem.
Coming from a military background, I'm a firm believer in the creed, "a good leader leads from the front." In the strength and conditioning context, that means a good trainer's physique should always reflect the benefits of what he or she teaches. In my mind, to do otherwise is both disrespectful to the client and a huge knock on the trainer's credibility.
I feel pretty alone in that regard. The strength coaching and fitness industry is overrun with armchair coaches who can't get their clients, much less themselves, in even fairly decent shape. You can't judge a book by its cover, but I know an out-of-shape fat bastard when I see one.
Enough with the name calling and finger-pointing; this article entails my personal regimen that I used to go from 191 lbs and 8% body fat to 183 lbs and 4.6% body fat in less than six weeks.
When I consult with physique competitors, I usually recommend a six-week contest preparation. Without fail, I always get a look of bewilderment and skepticism, peppered with a touch of mild amusement.
Six weeks is much less than the standard pre-contest recommendations of 12-16 weeks that you read about on the web or in muscle magazines (catalogs). Trust me, six weeks is plenty of time for an athlete that isn't fat to get into contest or photo-shoot shape. With apologies to the contest prep gurus out there who charge by the month, it shouldn't take a quarter of the year to get ready for a show--unless you're too damn fat to begin with.
That's an important point that bears repeating: If you compete, then you're a physique competitor; if you're a physique competitor, then look the part. Don't get fat in the off-season and then try to convince yourself that you gained muscle, or tell yourself that "It's unhealthy to be that lean all the time" bodybuilding bullshiznit.
Bulking-up will not improve your physique; it will make you bulky. If that's what you want, great – just don't delude yourself that you need to do that to add size, and please, don't try to convince me, either.
So what do I consider ideal body fat standards for athletes? Male physique athletes should maintain less than 8% body-fat and females less than 11%, at least from spring to fall; winter is the only time you have the right to look a little more "normal" and enjoy holiday food and festivities without turning every turkey dinner into an infomercial for Tupperware and OCD medications.
Which brings me back to six weeks: It's plenty of time for an athlete with 8% or 11% body fat to get under 5% or 9% body fat. For many, 8% and 11% body fat may be their ultimate goal, but for a true physique competitor or trainer, that's your job. They should never allow their body-fat to rise above 10% and 13%, respectively.
On June 21st, 2010, after looking at some photos of myself, I came to the realization that I was slipping below the standards I'd mentioned above. Fortunately, I didn't have to search long and hard for the reasons why; I'd been so busy lately that my own training had fallen to an average of three days per week, and the photos were the slap upside the head that I needed.
Although this wake-up call was all the motivation I needed to get back into it, I decided to throw a little extra napalm on my motivational fire by entering an upcoming drug-tested bodybuilding show, the INBA Texas Classic, which was to be held on July 31st. That gave me six weeks to get myself looking not just respectable, but contest-ready. I had my work cut out for me.
It was a tough six weeks, but I'm pleased to say I won the overall open. Granted, there were only six total competitors in the open division, but it certainly wasn't a cakewalk by any means – and I wasn't the only guy who brought their A-game. Still, at 38-years-old, I was able to reach the level of conditioning required to win without the use of illegal substances such as steroids, hGH, ephedrine, or clenbuterol in only six weeks!
How did I do it? I hit the targets necessary to sustain consistent fat loss.
According to Dr. Mauro DePasquale, the five targets for fat loss are as follows (DePasquale, 2008):
If you hit all the targets, accelerated fat-loss will occur; if you miss a target your progress will hit a wall.
The following nutrition program is nothing new. It's my variation of a phase-shift diet that combines the protocols, research, and teachings of Dr. Mauro DePasquale, Gary Taubes, Loren Cordain, PhD, and the late Dan Duchaine; nutritional giants who's broad shoulders we have the luxury to stand upon.
My diet plan is based on the following principles:
The following menu is based on my training and work schedule. I followed a low carbohydrate diet for 3 days, followed by a high carbohydrate, high-calorie day.
The following routine is similar to what I used during my six-week contest prep.
The goal of this particular program was to bring up my hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, although my routine changed throughout the pre-contest training process.
| Exercise (Tempo) | Sets | Reps | Rest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Podium Deadlift (3111) | 4-5 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| A2 | Walking Lunge - Barbell (2010) | 4-5 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 3 minutes after A circuit is complete | ||||
| B1 | Squats - Back Barbell - heels elevated (30X0) | 3-4 | 8 | 60 sec. |
| B2 | Glute-Ham Raise (21X0) | 3-4 | 6-8 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 3 minutes after B circuit is complete | ||||
| C1 | Leg Curl - prone - 1-leg, foot plantar-flexed (2010) | 3-4 | 8 | 45 sec. |
| C2 | Single Leg Calf Raise – holding a DB (2011) | 3-4 | 12 | 45 sec. |
| Exercise (Tempo) | Sets | Reps | Rest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 15 degree Incline DB Press, neutral grip (3011) | 4-5 | 6-8 | 60 sec. |
| A2 | Pull-ups – shoulder width grip (2110) | 4-5 | 6-8 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 2 minutes after A circuit is complete | ||||
| B1 | 10 degree Decline DB Chest Press - neutral grip (2110) | 3-4 | 8-10 | 45 sec. |
| B2 | Bent-over DB Row-neutral grip (21X1) | 3-4 | 8-10 | 45 sec. |
| Rest 2 minutes after B circuit is complete | ||||
| C1 | 60 degree Incline Curl, palms up (2010) | 6 | 6 | 45 sec. |
| C2 | Barbell Front Raise, wide grip (2020) | 6 | 8 | 45 sec. |
| Exercise (Tempo) | Sets | Reps | Rest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Front Squat-heels elevated (30X1) | 4-5 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| A2 | Step-up, DB (21X0) | 4-5 | 8-10 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 3 minutes after A circuit is complete | ||||
| B1 | Goodmornings (3011) | 3-4 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| B2 | Romanian Deadlift – DB (2010) | 3-4 | 10 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 3 minutes after B circuit is complete | ||||
| C1 | Back Extension - round low back (2011) | 3-4 | 8-12 | 45 sec. |
| C2 | Donkey Calf Raise (2111) | 3-4 | 12 | 45 sec. |
| Exercise (Tempo) | Sets | Reps | Rest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | Rack Deadlift + Shrug - barbell above knee (2111) | 6 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| A2 | Dips - Chest, weighted (3020) | 6 | 6 | 60 sec. |
| Rest 3 minutes after A circuit is complete | ||||
| B1 | DB Push-Press (21X1) | 8 | 8 | 45 sec. |
| B2 | EZ Bar Reverse Curl (2010) | 8 | 6-10 | 45 sec. |
I recommend a 30-45 minute walk 4-5 days/week, 30-45 minutes after dinner. Yes, this is a geriatric training method, but it works. Laugh all you want at your old neighbors walking in their fleece sweat suits; they're on to something.
Others benefits of light evening cardio include:
Isn't early morning high-intensity intervals on an empty stomach best?
Absolutely...if you want to lose muscle mass. Although low intensity cardio is not the most efficient way to lose fat, it's the least catabolic for physique competitors.
Why the gap between rising and breakfast?
I recommend a short fast in the morning to further the mild ketosis that occurs during sleep (when on low carb). Digestion is much more efficient when you're mildly hungry. Never force-feed during a fat-burning phase; it's counterproductive.
Does this diet work only for physique competitors?
Heck no. This diets works for anyone. Please note that jumping right into this if you're not used to a low carb approach could be challenging.
Why dark chocolate M&Ms?
Dark chocolate M&Ms have a superior blend of phytonutrients that help shuttle carbs into the muscle. Especially the green ones.
Just kidding. What can I say, I like dark chocolate M&Ms. Organic dark chocolate would be a superior choice, but during a carb-up, it doesn't really matter.
How do I sprint?
You start by reading this article Then you go to the track and run. It's pretty simple (for our purposes).
What did you do on your strongman day?
The strongman day consisted of energy system complexes:
Or
Make no mistake, I've no delusions of taking a run at the 202 Olympia this year, or any year for that matter, but when it comes to building muscle and losing fat, I do like to at least look like I know what I'm talking about. They say that, "Self-mastery is the first step to being a good leader."
If you've got six weeks, then you too can follow my lead and get into the best shape of your life.
Now who's with me?
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