I thought it was time to give a bit of an update on my nutrition and training. As I mentioned last week, I will be competing in the amateur strongman competition being held at the Toronto Pro Super Show on June 1st inside the Metro Toronto Convention Center. I currently weigh-in at a whopping 180 lbs, and although I don’t really want to get any bigger, I need to get stronger for this contest. With that in mind, here are the changes I’m making:
Nutrition
Protein: up from ~250 g per day to ~300g per day, mostly in the form of supplemental whey protein.
- Why? 250 g has proven to be a good level to maintain my current muscle mass. Increasing the amount, especially post-workout, should theoretically help improve muscle recovery and growth. Studies have repeatedly shown that whey protein is the best protein for strength and mass gains.
Fats: decreased slightly on workout days.
- Why? My current diet already provides me with an adequate number of calories; as I am increasing protein, another macronutrient must be reduced. Carbs are far too valuable for muscle repair and growth, so fats are the odd man out. I still eat plenty of fat in my diet, especially on non-training days, so this decrease on training days is not a concern.
Carbs: less crap, more high quality.
- Why? I’ve been pretty sloppy lately with my carb consumption, pretty much allowing myself to eat anything post-workout. I’m going to dial this in, eating higher quality foods, hoping it leads to higher quality results.
Dairy/wheat: Out.
- Why? Well I hardly ever eat wheat to begin with because it has little-to-no value, so it is out. You all know how much I love dairy, but I’ve realized that it gives me skin problems (dairy has this effect on many people), so it is out. Once a week I will likely have a big cheat meal, and this meal is likely to include pizza, which will be the only exception to this rule. Pizza is amazing. Leave me alone.
Intermittent Fasting: Out; Carb Backloading: In.
- Why? I’ve been playing around with both techniques for a while. I haven’t come to a complete conclusion on IF, but it is currently my belief that this is a good strategy to implement if you want to stay small and lean, but certainly not a good strategy if you want to optimize strength and/or growth. I have been following carb backloading for a while now, and I fully believe it is an excellent strategy for staying lean, and now without the additional IF component, I believe I can use it to gain strength and likely a bit of mass. Time will tell.
Supplementation: Creatine is back!
- Why? When I wrote up my Supplements 101 piece on creatine a few weeks ago, I mentioned that I may give the supplement another shot (in the past, I received no benefit, despite the overwhelming literature that creatine helps with strength). Well, with my upcoming contest, this was a no-brainer. I will be supplementing ~20 g per day in my post workout shake.
Here is a sample training-day diet of the things I put in my mouth:
7 am: coffee with coconut oil and cinnamon
8:30am: black coffee, 4 extra strength fish oil caps (~2.5 g total omega-3 fat)
9 am: 4 eggs, 2 servings veggies (usually broccoli, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts), whey protein shake
10:30 am: black coffee
12 pm: chicken/fish, 2 servings veggies
2 pm: green tea
3 pm: whey protein shake
Workout ~4 pm
Post-workout shake: 90 g carbs, 25 g protein, 20 g creatine
Within 2 hours post-workout: 2-3 servings of fruit, whey protein shake w/oats and blueberries, sweet potatoes/white potatoes/rice/beans/lentils
Dinner: chicken/fish/beef/eggs, 2-3 servings veggies
Before bed: whey protein shake, 4 extra strength fish oil caps (~2.5 g total omega-3 fat)
Notes: Some avocado and/or almonds/walnuts/pistachios may sneak in there on occasion (these are heavily included on my non-training days). When I cook, I use nothing but coconut oil. Alcohol will be limited to extremely special events; no “casual” drinking.
If you don’t, you’re probably dead.
Training
I’m not going to detail my entire workout log, but here is the general idea:
Weights 4x per week. Squats, overhead press, front squats and deadlifts are my respective primary movements on these 4 days. I will be squatting minimum 3x per week.
- Day 1: Squats, bench press, box squats
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- Day 2: Clean and jerk, overhead squats, deadlift variations, overhead lockouts
- Day 3: Front squats, squats, box front squats
- Day 4: Deadlifts, front squats with a pause, events training (specifically for the competition: axle deadlift, 1-arm dumbbell press, log clean & press and stones)
In the end, I’m hammering the primary lifts and the movements that will make me strongest and have the greatest carry-over to the upcoming competition. I looked at my programming and removed anything that I deemed inefficient. If I find that I’m doing something inefficient with this program as I go along, I will remove it and re-focus my time on something that will make me stronger. Remember how I keep saying that squats are important? Don’t tell me I don’t practice what I preach…
Yoga: At least once per week. I’d like to get in 2 sessions per week, but it all depends on my schedule. Strength training takes precedence. If I miss a yoga class, I will at the very least spend some time working on mobility and soft tissue work at home.
Sleep: 8 hours per night, and more whenever I get the chance. No excuses.
Note: I have been squatting 3-4 times per week for about 2 months now, and my body feels great. I was unsure how my body would react to such punishment, but I’m happy to report nothing but positive results.
So there you have it; my plan to get jacked and strong, while staying lean and athletic in preparation for my upcoming competition. I’m confident that these minor changes will lead to great results, and I intend put on a clinic on June 1st.
If you have any questions or comments about my nutrition and training, or if you’d like input on your own, don’t hesitate to send me a message!
- DW
