The math doesn’t lie—it was a good month! On the last day of December I was 197.6 pounds, and on January 31 I’d dropped to 186.8, for 10.8 pounds lost for the month and 35.2 lost overall since November 3, 2011!
In December I lost slightly less (9 pounds), so what did I do to improve my number this month? Read on.
Ironically, the more weight I lose, the harder it is to lose weight. My heart is getting more efficient, and it has less body to move with each passing week. Additionally, it was getting used to the same exercise every day. I was also concerned that as the pounds were dropping off, some of the loss might be muscle.
Solution: more intense routines, more variety of routines, and more protein.
I’m now alternating between cardio and weights every other day, and doing more types of weightlifting. From week to week I’ll switch between heavy weight days (80-90% 1RM) with fewer reps and mid-weight days (65% 1RM) with high reps. I’m doing barbell, EZ curl, dumbbells and machine exercises. I’m using the solid bench some days and the balance ball on others. My speed of lifts can be varied from day to day: fast lifts with slow lowers, or slow lifts up and down. Anything to prevent my muscles from becoming complacent. I’ve even started carrying weight while walking the treadmill (35 pounds at the moment, which is equivalent to what I’ve lost in weight since starting this program).
I’m seeing results; much more so than last month. My strength has been creeping up again, exceeding the amount I was able to lift 10 and 20 pounds ago, and in some cases, 35 pounds ago. My upper body is getting noticeable definition, and my arms are bigger with visible triceps.
My protein intake has been slowly increasing, from 100g+ a day to over 150 g a day, with a desired target of 1 g per pound of body weight. It’s hard to get that much some days, but I try.
I’ve received some criticism from well intentioned people that the only way to get big is to lift ultra-heavy weights with few reps. I think I’ve read more than enough evidence on both sides to understand that this isn’t completely true, and that the risk can seriously outweigh the potential benefit. There is a sweet spot of moderately high weight which stimulates the muscle fibres and encourages growth with protein that is well below the point of risk from injury. I intend to stay in that zone, in the interest of keeping my back and shoulders intact.
Building size and seeing steady gains doesn’t take relentless heavy weights.
Some links of interest:
Bust Out of Your Rut – Men’s Health
Are low reps (1-6) better than high reps (8-12) for muscle growth? – Exercise Biology
Break Through Your Fitness Plateau – Men’s Fitness
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