Journey to single digits

[PressingMatters]

Hello all

This training journal is to record my journey to single digit percentage body fat. I've got close before (the pic in my avi is probably the closest), but never legitimately single digits.

I started off my cut somewhere just north of 20% a few months ago around 88-89kg. I'm 81kg now at 12.something % body fat.

Here are the calliper measurements I've had along the way (not the same scales as my regular bodyweight measurements are based in) :

6-Jun-18: 87kg, 19%
19-Jul-18: 84.9kg, 16%
30-Aug-18: 82.5kg, 13.1%

I've just come off a 9 day diet break, so I'm physically and mentally ready to kick on.

Training is 5 days per week (3 upper and 2 lower body, nSuns programme). No specific cardio, but I walk to work 4 days per week (5.5km/3.5m).

My diet is pretty flexible. I generally intermittent fast. At the moment I'm targeting around 2050kcal/day with at least 180gm of protein. Carbs and fats vary depending on whether I'm training that day. I try to keep most of my carbs around training sessions.

I'll get around to uploading a progress pic later.

Monday 24 September 2018

187p, 131c, 87f, 2066kcal

No training except my walk to work.

[PressingMatters]

Tuesday 25 September 2018
BW: 81.0kg/178.6lb
183p, 186c, 59f, 2013kcal

Upper training

1 Bench Press: 77.5x8, 90x6, 3x102.5x4, 95x5, 90x6, 85x7, 77.5x18
2a Press: 40x5, 47.5x3, 5,7,4,6,8
2b Strict BB Row: 5x80x5
3a Facepull: 3x110lbx12
3b DB Lateral Raise: 3x12.5x10
4a Rope pushdown : 3x90lbx10
4b DB Hammer Curl : 3x15x10

Weights in kg unless specified. Pausing the first rep on bench and doing all overhead reps from a dead stop as I want to improve my 1RM. A bit low energy this session but fortunately it was a lighter session (getting used to the lower cals again after the diet break).

Squats tomorrow

[PressingMatters]

Wednesday 26 September 2018
BW: 80.3kg/177lb
189p, 173c, 66f, 2053kcal

Lower training

1 Squat: 92.5x5, 105x3, 117.5x6, 110x3, 105x3, 97.5x3, 92.5x5, 85x5, 80x10
2a RDL: 80x5, 102.5x3,5,7,4,6,8
2b Leg ext.: 125lbx10, 140lbx10, 155lbx10, 2x140lbx10
3a DB Rear felt fly: 3x8x12
3b Cable crunch : 3x140lbx12

Squats are high bar and with a close stance. I had surgery to repair a torn labrum and fix an FAI impingement earlier this and I haven't got full ROM back yet.

[PressingMatters]

Thursday 27 September 2017
BW: 80.3kg/177lb
176p, 182c, 71f, 2081kcal

Walk to work plus upper training

1 Press : 50x5, 57.5x3, 65x4, 60x3, 57.5x3, 55x3, 50x5, 47.5x5, 45x10
2a CGBP with bands: 65x3,5,7,4,6,8
2b chin up: 5xBWx11
3a Ez bar curl : 3x30x12
3b Chest press machine: 3x155lbx10
4 Facepull: 2x120lbx15

[PressingMatters]

Whoops, computer explosion meant I haven't been able to update. I can't be arsed typing this out on my phone. Now using a work computer

Friday 28 September 2018
BW:81.2
167p, 164c, 78f, 2032kcal

Saturday 29 September 2018
BW:81.2
195p, 125c, 100f, 2182kcal

Sunday 30 September 2018
BW:80.7
178p, 186c, 70f, 2092kcal

I trained on Saturday and Sunday but I can't be bothered recording it. From this week I've decided to tweak my stragegy (actually just reverting to something that's work for me in the past). I'm going back to training 4 days per week, with higher calories and carbs (low fat) on my training days and moderate fat and low carbs and cals on non-training days.

Monday 1 October 2018
BW:80.3
182p, 89c, 86f, 1861kcal

Tuesday 2 October 2018
BW:79.8 (a big whoosh the last couple days, looking noticed leaner in the mirror too)
188p, 216c, 69f, 2249kcal

Training
Walk to work

1 Squat (low bar, belt)
100 x 6
112.5 x 6 @7
125 x 6 @8.5
2 x 120 x 6 @7,8.5

2 Paused Bench Press
80 x 6
100 x 6 @7.5
105 x 6 @9.25
2 x 100 x 6 @8,8.5

3 OH Press (no stretch reflex)
40 x 10 @6
3 x 45 x 10 @7,9

4a Facepull
2 x 110lb x 15

4b Hanging Leg Raise
2 x 8

4c DB Curl
2 x 17.5 x 10

[PressingMatters]

Wednesday 3 October 2018
BW: 79.8
184p, 67c, 96f, 1872kcal
Walked to work

Thursday 4 October 2018
BW;80.2
190p, 247c, 55f, 2252kcal
Walked to work

Training

TnG Bench Press
95 x 6@7
105 x 6@
110 x 6@9
3 x 105 x 6@8,8.5,9

Deadlift
140 x 6@6
160 x 6 @7.5
175 x 6@9
165 x 6@8.5

Smith squat (hack style)
60 x 10
65 x 10
70 x 10
65 x 10

Chin up
3 x 12

[PressingMatters]

Update omnibus:

Nutrition
Friday 5 October 2018 - 188p, 130c, 66f, 1869kcal
Saturday 6 October 2018 - 233p, 405c, 104f, 3494kcal (my birthday)
Sunday 7 October 2018 - 179p, 218c, 70f, 2229kcal

Training

Saturday 6 October 2018

1 Olympic squat
100 x 6
110 x 6 @7.5
117.5 x 6 @8.5
2 x 112.5 x 6 @8,8.5

2 4ct Pause Bench Press
80 x 5
90 x 5 @7.5
100 x 5 @9.5
2 x 92.5 x 5 @8,9

3 Incline DB Press
22.5 x 10
3 x 30 x 10


4a DB Rear Delt Flies (facedown on bench)
2 x 8 x 10

4b Plank (alternating lifts opposite arms and legs)
2 x 5

4c DB Curl
2 x 20 x 10

Then I went for a 4.5hr walk.


Sunday 7 October

1 Illegal WG Bench (feet up)
85 x 8 @7
95 x @8.5
3 x 90 x 8 @8,8,9

2 Good Morning
60 x 8
70 x 8
80 x 8 @7.5
90 x 8 @9
2 x 85 x 8 @8,8.5

3 BB Row (loose)
80 x 12
3 x 100 x 12

4 Chin Up
BW x 10,10,15

[PressingMatters]

Monday 8 October 2018
BW: 80.0kg
192p, 86c, 82f, 1859kcal
Walked to work


Tuesday 9 October 2018
BW: 80.0
179p, 256c, 56f, 2256kcal
Walked to work

Training
High fatigue week

1 Squat
110 x 5
120 x 5 @7.5
130 x 5 @8.5
5 x 120 x 5 @7-8

Got some solid work in. Despite doing my 120 sets on a timer, I wasn''t fatiguing a lot. Squat is feeling great. It's a nice feeling to continue to add weight on to bar while losing weight on the scale.

2 Competition bench press
100 x 5 @7.5
110 x 5 @9.5
3 x 102.5 x 5 @8-9

3 Overhead Press (paused)
4 x 40 x 10

4a Facepull
2 x 110lb x 15

4b Toes to bar
2 x 10

4c EZ bar crul
2 x 32.5 x 12

[PressingMatters]

Wednesday 1O October 2018
BW:80.0
181p, 81c, 89f, 1858kcal
Walked to work

Donated plasma in the afternoon.

Thursday 11 October 2018
BW: 79.6
186p, 245c, 57f, 2249kcal
Walked to work

Training

1 TnG Bench Press
95 x 5 @6.5
105 x 5 @ 7.5
112.5 x 5 @9.75
3 x 102.5 x 5 @8-9

Very tough. Probably feeling the effects of the plasma donation.

2 Deadlift (pause just off the floor)
120 x 4
135 x 4
4 x 145 x 4

Not really an exercise to record RPEs for. The goal was more to get really tight reps in.

3 DB Bulgarian Split Squat
3 x 20 x 10 (each side)

4 WG Pullups
3 x BW x 10

Tough session overall. I probably need to eat more cals around plasma donations.

[PressingMatters]

Friday 12 October 2018
179p, 85c, 80f, 1824kcal

Callipers update:

6-Jun-18: 87kg, 19%
19-Jul-18: 84.9kg, 16%
30-Aug-18: 82.5kg, 13.1%
11-Oct-18: 79.95kg, 11.6%

So I lost ~1.6kg of fat and some LBM over the last 6 weeks. I don't think any of that was muscle mass loss as my performance in the gym is still maintaining or getting better. The rate of fat loss was lower than I was expecting/hoping for, but considering I had a 1.5 week diet break, it's not that surprising.

I've scheduled another calliper reading in 5 weeks. Assuming I hold my LBM and lose 300gm of fat/week, I will break the 10% barrier. At that point I will reassess whether I keep losing weight or switch into a lean bulk. The Southern Hemisphere summer is coming, so I would like to be pretty lean for the New Year holiday period. That might influence me to keep the diet going until mid-December. However, if my gym performance suffers too much I might switch to a lean bulk. Decisions, decisions...

[PressingMatters]

Nutrition

Saturday 13 October 2018
177p, 65f, 230c, 2223kcal

Sunday 14 October 2018
187p, 54f, 250f, 2258kcal

Monday 15 October 2018
189p, 71f, 106c, 1856kcal

Tuesday 16 October 2018
182p, 54f, 253c, 2280kcal

Training

Saturday 13 October 2018

1 Olympic Squat
100 x 5 @6
115 x 5 @7
125 x 5 @9
4 x 117.5 x 4 @8

2 4ct Pause Bench Press
85 x 4 @6
95 x 4 @7
105 x 4 @9.5
2 x 97.5 x 4 @8-9

3 Incline DB Bench
22.5 x 12
3 x 30 x 12

4a Concentration Curl
3 x 12.5 x 10

4b Alternating arm-leg lift plank
3 x 6 (each side)

Sunday 14 October 2018

1 Illegal WG Bench (feet up)
85 x 10 @7
90 x 10 @9.5 (a bit uneven on the bench put me off)
3 x 85 x 10 @8-8.5

2 Good Morning
80 x 6 @6
90 x 6 @7
100 x 6 @9
3 x 92.5 x 6 @8

3 BB Row
80 x 10
100 x 10
3 x 110 x 10

4 Chin Ups
2 x BW x 10
BW x 18

Tuesday 16 October 2018

Training at a new gym with much better equipment. The only issue is they don't have a specialist bench bench press, but I can work around that.

1 Squat
120 x 4 @6
130 x 4 @7
137.5 x 4 @8-8.5 (wow, easy)
135 x 4 @8

2 Competition Bench Press
100 x 4 @7
107 x 4 @8
113 x 3 @9
108 x 4 @9.5

A bad bench session. I think I'm pretty fatigued from the high volume last week. I won't repeat that level of volume while in a caloric deficit.

3 Press (pause on each rep)
45 x 8
2 x 50 x 8 @8-9

4 Farmers Walk (weight per hand)
57 x 30m
67 x 30m
77 x 30m

Fun to have access to this kind of equipment again. I love how farmers hit the traps and core. I will keep this in reguarly (along with some prowler/sled on the weekend)

[HahaRaptor]

Good stuff man! How long is your intermittent fasting window? How long have you been doing IF? Do you feel adapted to it yet?

Consistency is the key to excellence

Keep it up

[PressingMatters]

Good stuff man! How long is your intermittent fasting window? How long have you been doing IF? Do you feel adapted to it yet?

Consistency is the key to excellence

Keep it up

Thanks man. I've actuality been intermittent fasting since 2012. I don't even think about it now or keep a strict window. I don't eat breakfast and eat lunch at a normal time. On average it might be an 8 hour window? But in the weekends it will often be shorter if I go out for brunch.

[PressingMatters]

Nutrition

Wednesday 17 October 2018
185p, 72f, 116c, 1867kcal

Thursday 18 October 2018
192p, 48f, 248c, 2280kcal

Friday 19 October 2018
187p, 91f, 123c, 2368kcal (a few calories from g'n'ts in there)

Training

Thursday 18 October 2018

1 Bench Press
100 x 4 @6
108 x 4 @7.5
115 x 4 @9
112 x 4 @9

2 2ct Pause Deadlift
120 x 3
140 x 4
2 x 150 x 3

3 Front Squat
60 x 8
2 x 80 x 8

4 Pullup
3 x BW x 10

Saturday 20 October 2018

1 Olympic Squat
121 x 4 @6
127 x 4 @7.5
132 x 4 @9
2 x 127 x 4 @8.5

2 4ct Pause Bench
98 x 3 @6
103 x 3 @7.5
108 x 3 @9
2 x 104 x 3 @8-9

3 Incline DB Press
24 x 10
2 x 32 x 10

4 Prowler
3 x 120 x 30m


My life took a crazy turn last week and I went from being shoulder tapped to a new job in 3 days. I'm going from a job where I had a nice work life balance to one where I may have to pull crazy hours in a very high pressure environment. It's too amazing an opportunity to turn down so I'll just have to deal with it. Training and eating may suffer, but I'll do my best to stay on track.

[PressingMatters]

Progress pic. Still a wee way to go.



And my top set if squats today