Post: #1

Hi guys,

Five weeks from now, I'm going on a beach vacation for Christmas. I want to look my best! I need some help getting there.

I've always struggled with body composition. Prior to a shoulder injury a few months ago, I was reasonably strong (295 squat, 405 DL and 225 bench) but I didn't look very good. I had a thick upper back and thick legs but was fairly shapeless and carrying too much fat. I was 175 lbs. I'm 5'9 tall.

I had to take some time off the gym so my strength and weight have dropped a bit since then. I'm currently sitting at 165 lbs. I've leaned out a bit but I'm still too "shapeless".

What can I do in five weeks to look my best for my upcoming vacation? I realize that five weeks is a fairly short time so I'm not expecting dramatic changes but I'm sure a noticeable difference is possible.

I don't drink much alcohol to begin with but I'm going to cut that right back to next to nothing. Right now, I probably eat too much wheat so I'll try to cut that out. I already follow IF but that's just because I never eat breakfast. I usually have two coffees in the morning and eat my first meal at noon. One thing that I'm going to try is sprinting once or twice a week.

Any tips would be great.

Post: #2

IF with a 6 to 8 hour feeding window: Shorter is better.

Make sure you sleep well and try to leave as much time as possible between your last meal and bedtime.

Cut back where possible on carbs, though unless you're going 'Very Low Carb' and into ketosis / liposis you'll want to have ~100g per day as being in a state of almost-ketosis is bad (source)

If you're having carbs, don't have a predominantly carbohydrate meal as your first of the day. (source)

Sprints are great, it'd be good if you can get out there 2-3 times a week and do sets of hard sprints. Bodyweight exercises are good if you can't get to a gym - you might be able to find somewhere to do pullups too.

Post: #3

You need to start thinking like a bodybuilder not a powerlifter.

What shape do you want?

Post: #4

Posted a long post about shoulder routines, then reread the OP and saw that he had a shoulder injury.

Looks like it's time to get some sleep.

I recommend this book

http://www.amazon.com/The-Rapid-Fat-Loss...0967145643

and whatever exercise you can do injury free.

If you're at all interested in some of the more off-beat methods of physical development, I can give you some ideas via PM.

Post: #5

Tan. Either a tanning bed or melanotan-II

Post: #6

Thanks guys.

I'm already weakly adhering to IF. It's noon and I haven't had anything yet to eat. I don't always follow this but I'll try to be more strict. I definitely need to reduce my carb intake and maybe eat less wheat. I often seem to have a mildly bloated mid-section.

As for shape, you're right. I need to start thinking like a body builder. When I got into weight training, I started with following programs like Starting Strength which have a strong power lifting focus. I guess I've never really moved beyond that. I don't know the exact shape that I want. I just want to look good, proportional. I would prefer a lean build. I don't want to be overly bulky. I definitely don't want to weight more than 170 lbs now because I'm a fairly serious mountain biker and carrying the extra weight makes a big difference.

My shoulder injury isn't too bad now. I can pretty much do everything without pain except standard bench press. That one kills me. Incline and decline bench are fine, same with dumbells.

Post: #7

Do you cardio?

Post: #8

(11-12-2014 08:45 PM)one-two Wrote:  Do you cardio?

This time of year, not really at all. I was riding my mountain bike probably 6 hours a week during the summer which really helped me lean out.

Post: #9

A few dot points for you:

* Keep lifting weights
* Move around a lot more, daily - doesn't have to be "cardio" exercises, walking is more than fine even at your weight (I'm the same)
* At the end of each weight session, roll a pair of dice (phone app available). Do that many minutes of a certain conditioning exercise of your choosing. My list as an example: burpees, KB snatches, KB swings, fast rowing, rope skipping
* Drink lots of water, say about 3 litres a day. Break it up into multiple small glasses and ensure you have to get off your butt to go get it, if you have a desk job.
* Skip lunch too on non-training days (or non-intense training days), but remember to eat a bit more the night before.