Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Day 245 Video: M3 Kick-Off & The Last 110 Days...

In Part 1 of this Day 245 video I talk about what happenned since the end of Mission 2 and why I had to disappear for a while.

In Part 2 I'll discuss my goals and accountability structure for Mission 3 that started 15 days ago.

Day 245: Kriistina, You Nailed It!

G'day,

As I discussed yesterday's Day 244 blog post I had been frustrated at my lack of progress since I started Mission 3.

Seeking answers to this predicament I then made an amazing discovery while re-reading Mission 2 Training and Nutrition Log.

The Responses

I then invited you guys to try and guess what this "amazing discovery" was and got the following responses.

Kristiina said...
Hi Adam,

I'm really going to take a wild guess and have a few option, so here goes:

1. Your nutritional cycle that helps with the metabolism?
2. Your TDEE has changed?
3. The amount of cardio?
4. Not enough sleep, since you seem to be awake also during the night :-D

Like I said completly out of the blue guess lol

Though I have to say that you are doing a great job and the progress is visible every single day. Amazing!

July 10, 2007 1:02 PM


Jamie said...
I would also say more food and less cardio.

July 10, 2007 3:14 PM


Anonymous said...
just going back to the 'why' aspect...the reasons being strong enough to push you harder/focus???

Kel.

July 10, 2007 6:23 PM


Anonymous said...
Karlos:
your not eating good fats?

July 10, 2007 6:53 PM
Before I discuss the answer I would just like to thank Kriistina, Jamie, Kelly and Karlos for taking the time to write a response and participating in this discussion. The factors you bought up are all valid points and could quite be the "missing link" for any number of people on a fat loss journey.

There Is No "Magic Bullet"

This is because it's the little things (like those mentioned above) that truly count while on a physique transformation mission. Eating right and working out are a given for anyone who wants to transform their body in a short period of time. However, it is quite literally those extra daily efforts (as little as 5% more) that compound over time and enable you to make a truly stunning transformation.

Yes, its true. There is no "magic bullet." In reality, the "magic bullet" is the combination of mindset, weight training, cardio and nutrition all executed with precision...day in, day out.

With all that said, let's get back onto the topic at hand! What was the "amazing discovery" I made yesterday? Who was the closest to guessing the correct factor?

Kriistina, You Nailed It!

Your comment regarding TDEE and cardio was spot on!

Since I started Mission 3 I have continued the same style of cardio that I had been doing on Mission 2. When I say the same style I am talking about Hybrid Cardio which is my "custom built" cardio program that I fine-tuned over those first 136 days.

Needless to say I have become very attached to this form of cardio due to the results I got from my first two missions. However, there was one small problem with this approach, my body ain't the same as it was back then!

Let me explain, I computed my 14 days of Mission 2 cardio calorie expenditure goals when I was at around 9% bodyfat (on my way down to 6.5%) with the explicit intention of not overdoing cardio in order to preserve muscle.

N.B. It wasn't until the final 14 days of Mission 2 while on my "cutting phase" that I went insane with cardio in order to burn off the last layer of fat to get that six-pack, i.e. I did 16 hours of HIIT cardio in the last 4 days!

My Error Of Judgement

The problem is that I started doing the same form of cardio for Mission 3 that I had been doing for the start of Mission 2. Of course, since it is now my priority to burn off that extra 5 kg's of fat (rather than to increase muscle) for the first phase of Mission 3 my caloric expenditure targets through cardio must be re-formulated. I can't just "copy and paste" my Mission 2 cardio plan and expect it to work the same as before.

In light of this "revelation" I have since adjusted my Mission 3 cardio plan with new caloric expenditure targets that are in line with my current condition and future goals. I have upped the intensity, frequency and duration of each cardio session so that I am now meeting the specific calorie output required on a daily basis.

As simple as this sounds, this was my "amazing discovery." It is a little embarrasing to admit that I made such a mis-calculation publicly but I have been telling the truth (as I see it) since I started this blog on Day 1, and I'm not about to stop now.

Lessons Learned

I guess there are few lessons here that I (perhaps you too!) can take away from my incorrect cardio formulation.

The first is to keep an accurate Training and Nutrition Log that details your exact plan each and every day. Over time you will find (like I did) that this is an extremely valuable resourse to refer to. Having a detailed log will allow you to make extremely accurate formulations in your future missions while similtaneously enabling you to make corrections to your current plan.

The second is to be aware that you need to continually analyze and adjust your training and nutrition plan as your body changes over time. The caloric intake and expenditure formulations you make at 20% bodyfat will be vastly different to the ones you make at 10% bodyfat.

The third is to not be afraid to change a "winning formula." Even though you may have had success previously following a specific plan don't be scared to change it up. As an example I did signicantly change up my cardio routine from Mission 1 to Mission 2. Often times, it will actually be necessary to change up your routine because if you don't your body will adapt to that plan and your progress will cease (or go in reverse).

Just take a look at this picture slide below to see what happened to me 7 years ago when I continued to follow the same routine (Body for Life) for 10 months straight. As you can see I lost a heap of muscle between June 2000 and October 2000 because my body adapted to BFL.


Well, I think that explains my "amazing discovery" pretty well!

So, what about you? Have you made any "amazing discoveries" on your physique transformation journey? Do you have any advice you could give people who are just starting out? If so, I invite you to leave a comment to this post, and I'll "feature" your story in tomorrow's blog post.

Peace,
Adam Waters, NESTA-CPT

P.S. Here are my Day 245 pics for July 11, 2007 for Mission 3: Phase 1 - Day 15 of 60

P.S.S. I did incorporate my new cardio plan today and believe it or not I think I can already see a difference in my face from yesterday.