Going on beach vacation in 4 weeks - help!

[coreJack]

Who cares what women think really...

Since I'm not willing to put my sex life on hold while strength training, I do.

You're 36. Fuck what the young girls want. It's most likely not you anyways.

2 out of the last 3 girls I've slept with are in their early 20s, so yeah, I still care what the young-ins think.

[coreJack]

OK, I've read some of Lyle's stuff. RFL sounds a bit too extreme, and I don't think I can eat such a protein rich but low fat diet. Plus, it seems like a lot of guys need stimulants to get by on that diet. And I don't need to lose a lot of fat - just 5-7lbs. Using some of the concepts Lyle advocates, here's what I'm thinking:

Meals: Protein+fat source (eggs, steak, chicken, fish, pork) and veggies (no carbs)
Milk: Only with breakfast and during workouts (8oz with breakfast every day, 8oz with 3x/week workouts)
Supplements: Daily multivitamin, fish oil capsules
Workouts: 3x/week (so no reduction in frequency)
Sets/reps: instead of 3x5, drop to 3x3 (or 2x3 if I find myself dragging)
Intensity: maintain same weight on bar for lifts I find heavy. Continue progression for lifts I find relatively easy.

In summary, reduced carb diet, with slightly reduced workout volume with no reduction in intensity, with the goal of shedding about 5-7lbs of fat (3-5% of total bodyweight) over 4 weeks, while maintaining strength. Thoughts?

[EJLouis]

Since I'm not willing to put my sex life on hold while strength training, I do.

2 out of the last 3 girls I've slept with are in their early 20s, so yeah, I still care what the young-ins think.

Ah OK. Didn't fully appreciate the short term goals of your vacation. Maybe "nineties small" (not used despairingly) and abs are the way to go for you considering your target audience.

+1 Lyle's Body Recomp

[coreJack]

Ah OK. Didn't fully appreciate the short term goals of your vacation. Maybe "nineties small" (not used despairingly) and abs are the way to go for you considering your target audience.

+1 Lyle's Body Recomp

LOL, yeah, young women will be out in large numbers where I'm going.

[Mr.City]

How I predict this vacation turning out

[slughammer]

...In summary, reduced carb diet, with slightly reduced workout volume with no reduction in intensity, with the goal of shedding about 5-7lbs of fat (3-5% of total bodyweight) over 4 weeks, while maintaining strength. Thoughts?

If you are not looking to progress your lifts, you should be able to make at least one day a recovery day (80% intensity). Just going off what I'm doing right now. I box tues and thurs, so I'm now lifting Sat and Mon. Sat is my "heavy" day 3x3. Mon is my recovery day (80% intensity 3x3). I was having recovery issues doing the 3 day 3x5 plus the 2 days boxing. By backing off I have started adding weight to the bar again.

[coreJack]

Yeah, I can't do RFL. Just had a 1/3lb burger with cheese, onions and side of spinach drenched in olive oil (no bread). And I'm still sorta hungry. If this was an RFL meal, I'd be hungry for sure.

[PVC]

You've got 4 weeks left until your vacation. I don't know exactly what your program looks like...but in 4 weeks on SS your squat and deadlift could be 60 lbs heavier, press and bench press could be 30 lbs heavier, and you could have some more muscle mass.

How long is your vacation anyway? Is it worth pissing away a month of training for a week of looking scrawny instead of skinny-fat?

I know I'm probably not going to convince you, and I might be coming off as an asshole in the process of trying. It's just that I've been in the same boat as you before - 150 lbs, and afraid of gaining weight because of how you'll look with your shirt off - and trying to be "thin" has always proved to be a poor decision for me, both short term and long term.

[coreJack]

You've got 4 weeks left until your vacation. I don't know exactly what your program looks like...but in 4 weeks on SS your squat and deadlift could be 60 lbs heavier, press and bench press could be 30 lbs heavier, and you could have some more muscle mass.

I'm not squatting temporarily - long story, it's in my log, so I'm missing out on the benefits of that.

How long is your vacation anyway? Is it worth pissing away a month of training for a week of looking scrawny instead of skinny-fat?

It's a week. You make a good point. Maybe once I lose the muffintop (but no visible abz), that will be good enough. But the muffintop is pretty ugly, even with a t-shirt on.

I know I'm probably not going to convince you, and I might be coming off as an asshole in the process of trying. It's just that I've been in the same boat as you before - 150 lbs, and afraid of gaining weight because of how you'll look with your shirt off - and trying to be "thin" has always proved to be a poor decision for me, both short term and long term.

Thanks for the insights. Truth be told, the idea of cutting back my training doesn't appeal to me. Perhaps I'll drink more milk than I planned, and just cut back on non-milk carbs.

[Mr.City]

Yeah, I can't do RFL. Just had a 1/3lb burger with cheese, onions and side of spinach drenched in olive oil (no bread). And I'm still sorta hungry. If this was an RFL meal, I'd be hungry for sure.

I don't think you know how RFL works. It's basically taking in enough protein to preserve LBM and eating plenty of fibrous veggies. Once you got enough lean protein, you're done eating for the day. The first day or two sucks, and you basically live from cheat meal to cheat meal, but you eventually settle into a grove. An EC stack, made of no doze and bronkaid, makes you feel right as rain. I'm on day 11 and I'm down 15 lbs. I squeeze my weightlifting belt one notch tighter than even before.

If you want this shit fast, you are going to pay for it.