This physique update is long overdue. It’s time to fully commit to this Summer Shred!
I am currently sitting at 155 pounds and have been holding there for the past two months.
It’s been a very productive muscle building phase, which began just before Christmas on December 18th, 2015 when I weighed in at a very lean 146 pounds.
Note: I’m 5′ 6.5″ tall and 40 years old.
My current goal is to achieve the level of shredz that I had on December 18th and reveal the muscle I gained during this building phase.
The goal date is Canada Day, July 1st, 2016.
This will officially kick off the Summer and I’ll be looking the best I ever have.
Trouble is… I was supposed to achieve this goal by May 20th.
No excuses. I simply did not commit myself to the goal.
My Biggest Challenge… Can You Relate?
I found myself to be very disciplined during the week and would let loose for my planned cheat meal Friday evening.
All was good up to this point. But then I found myself over indulging on Saturday and Sunday as well.
All of the hard work and discipline I put in during the week was getting wiped out during the weekend.
What I noticed was that as soon as I considered going off plan on Saturday and Sunday I would justify it by thinking,
“I look good. Why not indulge. This treat won’t hurt.”
I know there are guys who stay even leaner than I do during a muscle building phase. I’m wondering if you can relate to this dilemma or battle in your mind?
What really gets me is that there is something about ‘good’ that just doesn’t sit well with me. It feels like I’m settling for less than my best.
Yes, I look good. Yes, I’m happy with how I look.
But goddamn do I ever love the shredz! I love crazy vascularity.
Being ripped is when I feel most true to myself. Maybe it’s because I grew up a very lean kid and was used to having ripped abs up until my mid 20’s.
I know it’s a look that I could maintain. And from there I could focus on lean gains. But that’s probably not optimal.
If I want to maximize my gains and continue to progress for the long term, I have to accept some fat gain during a building phase.
But what I’ve realized is that I could take it just a tad bit slower and even stay within 5 pounds striking distance from my fat loss goal.
If I was younger and bigger, maybe I could get away with the 10 pounds fat gain. But I’m 40 and a lightweight. Gains come at a much slower pace now and 5 pounds for a guy my size may be very similar to 10 pounds for a guy weighing around 200 pounds.
Training Update
For the past 8 weeks I’ve been following a 3 Day Classic Muscle Building Workout inspired by Tom Venuto in his Burn The Fat Inner Circle.
Tom’s Classic split looks like this;
Day 1: Chest & Back
Day 2: Shoulders & Arms
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Off
I’ve tried many different splits over the decades, but this is one that I’ve never experimented with. I’ve gotta say, it’s one of my all time favourites!
I love that it allows me to train each body part twice per week while still getting my bro on and cranking up the volume. Recovery is exceptional with this split as well.
I made some modifications and inserted some of my favourite light weight muscle building tactics including 8 sets of 8 and Rest-Pause during the first four weeks, along with 100 rep sets and Dropsets during the second four weeks.
Here’s how I structured the plan for the
Day 1: Chest & Back | Focusing on the 6-8 rep range
Day 2: Shoulders & Arms | Focusing on the 6-8 rep range
Day 3: Legs | Focusing on the 6-8 rep range
Day 4: Chest & Back | Focusing on the moderate to high reps including some intensifiers
Day 5: Shoulders & Arms | Focusing on the moderate to high reps including some intensifiers
Day 6: Legs | Focusing on the moderate to high reps including some intensifiers
Day 7: Off
We wrap up this plan tomorrow, then it’s onto a 4 day Body Part Split Routine. I can’t wait! Here’s what the structure will look like;
Day 1: Chest
Day 2: Back
Day 3: Shoulders & Arms
Day 4: Legs
Day 5: Repeat
We take days off as we need them. Typically one day off per week. Occasionally two depending on work schedules and life events.
Accountability
Accountability is something that’s been lacking with me lately. So right now I’m pulling out all the shots and using every form of accountability I can think of.
For one, I’m making my goal public here on my blog.
I have always found that recording weekly physique updates on my YouTube channel is one of the best forms of accountability for me.
I’ll also be calling upon my like-minded peers in the closed group Physique Artist Nation.
And what has me crazy excited is unofficially participating in Tom Venuto’s Burn The Fat Summer Challenge. It’s a 14 week challenge, so the first 7 weeks will be focused on getting shredded and the second 7 weeks will be focused on lean gains.
There’s no better support community out there in my opinion. They’re like family to me.
So that’s it! You see where I’m at. You know where I want to go. You know when I want to arrive there. You know how I’m going to do it.
Although, I guess I haven’t discussed nutrition strategies. I’ll be following the same guidelines I laid out at the beginning of my previous cutting phase Lean To Ripped: A No-Nonsense Fat Loss Plan Of Action.
I’m going to try to get away with as little cardio as possible. Brisk walks with my dog each day and possibly 2 bike rides per week. I’m going to take advantage of NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis) and move as much as possible throughout the day. Simply enjoying life to the fullest.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to share.
Thanks for sharing this journey with me and thanks for the accountability.
Note: Do you want to build a ripped and muscular physique? Do you enjoy the style of workout I shared with you in this post?
If so, I absolutely guarantee that you’ll love the 16 week Aesthetic Muscle Plan, which includes;
- 4 Unique Training Phases
- 21 Killer Workouts
- 8 Advanced Muscle Building Tactics
Get Started With The Aesthetic Muscle Plan Today!
About The Author
Scott Tousignant, BHK is a Physique Coach and Elite Natural Bodybuilder with the UFE.
Scott specializes in helping regular guys sculpt their body into a work of art by pulverizing stubborn belly fat and painfully embarrassing love handles… swapping them with ripped abs, rock hard muscle, and soaring confidence.
The art of molding and chiseling an aesthetically pleasing physique with spectacular symmetry, proportions, and carved out detail is one of life’s most rewarding and fulfilling experiences…
…It’s an opportunity for self growth and self discovery that will impact every area of your life.
Learn more about Scott’s physique-focused training programs:
AMPlify Aesthetic Muscle Gains and Strip Away Stubborn Fat with AMP – Aesthetic Muscle Plan