How to Get 4% Body Fat Competition Ready

The information I am sharing that works for me may work differently for everyone, much of the program I am going to talk about depends on your current body fat and how your body responds to low fat situations.

Cutting down to super low 5% body fat will be much easier if you are already at a fairly low body fat percentage, I would say at least under 10%. For people that are in the 15-20% body fat ranges I would advise you to get down to around 10% and stay there for a while to allow your body to get used to lower body fat levels as this will help getting down to sub 5% body fat levels tremendously as your body will fight you less along the way.

At 3-4 months out from a competition, start to increase your workout regularity and workout intensity. I generally start ramping things up at around 3 months out. Put in as much time and effort as you possibly can.

NOTE: Refrain from cardio, if you want to burn more calories then do another weight training workout or simply eat less food.

2-3 months out start cutting some calories from your diet but allow room for carbs to replenish your glycogens as you will need this glycogen energy for your workouts for strength, endurance, recovery and to avoid injuries. I personally generally start cutting 2 months out since I am usually between 7-8% body fat year round.

How much you calorie cut depends on how aggressive you need to be? I usually cut around 1000 calories from my diet which should allow for around 2 pounds of fat loss per week.

How many calories I burn versus how many I eat:

• My base metabolic daily rate is around 2300 calories.
• My two per day workouts usually add another 1000-1200 calories per day.
• My daily calorie output is around 3300-3500 per day.
• So I need to eat 2300-2500 calories per day to be 1000 calories under my base rate.

My macros are usually something like:

• 200 grams of protein (800 calories)
• 50-75 grams of fat (400-600 calories)
• 200-300 grams of carbs (800-1200 calories)

I find my body adjusts to calorie intake more than others so I generally do not lose as much weight as some people will during the initial cut, perhaps because I am already at a fairly low body fat percentage and my body goes into a protection or conservation mode?

Example of not losing as much weight as my calorie deficit should have allowed for:

At the beginning of my last cut I was around 195 pounds, 6 weeks later I was only around 190 pounds, I should have been closer to 185 pounds but I also gained muscle which does offset this figure somewhat. I was not eating clean during my cut so some of it may be because of additional water weight gained?

Around 2 weeks prior to computation date I usually start my high protein low carb diet consisting of mainly white fish with low carb and low sugar vegetables. Usually I eat mostly sole fish and vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, peppers, sprouts. I do add some spice and I like to add garlic and if calories allow I will throw in a bit of salsa to the fish. For breakfasts I go with an egg whites mixed with vegetables to make an omelet, again I may add in a little bit of salsa for flavor. I will also have the occasional chicken breast as a break for the fish.

Even when eating 4 fairly large meals of this high protein, low fat and carb food each day I only take in around 1500 calories of mostly protein and fiber with very low fat and almost no carbs. I will lose at least 5 pounds in around 7-10 days time using this diet plan. Some of it will be water but most is fat, the fat literally melts off of me while I do this diet plan which is very similar to a Bernstein diet plan that is geared at placing the body in a state of ketosis. (Using fat as fuel and not blood sugar or carbs).

At 1 week out I start to water load (pretty much as much water as I can stand, I just drink and pee all day long) and clean up my diet a bit in terms of salts but I can have a little salt in my diet.

At around 3-5 days prior to competition I start adding in carbs in the form of rice and sweet potatoes. Around 300-500 grams per day adding a little more each day. This is to fill out the body again and restore your glycogens, the amount of time required is different for everyone, I need a bit longer than some people.

At 2-3 days before competition I cut out as much salt as I can from my diet. That means no more got sauce, soya sauce, some spices…

The day before competition I stop water loading and only drink small amounts of water with each meal, the evening before the competition I only have sips of water.

On the day of competition it’s go time, I have a fatty steak in the morning with some sweet potato, I will chow down on rice cakes, chocolate bars, wine gums and peanut butter before the completion, but not so much as to get bloated or full felling. Only sips of water up until the show.

The day before competition this year I was around 185 pounds (not dehydrated yet), I probably walked on stage at under 180 pounds dehydrated. I would guess this year I was sitting around 4.5% body fat which is about as low as you want to go for men’s physique.

To give you an example on who quickly I was able to refeed my body after the show. The following weekend after literally eating completely out of control all week long, I was 198 pounds at 6.4% according to the InBody body Composition Analyzer I was tested on while attending TheFitExpo in Anaheim. I am now hovering close to 200 pounds and still retaining a 7% body fat percentage according to my Skulpt Aim so this is proof that while cutting a person can gain muscle if the cutting process is done right.

So in summary to achieve a 4-5% competition ready body you need to do the following:

• Start your cut already somewhat lean, (10% or under is best)
• 3-4 month out, ramp up your workout loading and intensity. Train to gain!
• 2-3 months out, start cutting calories from your diet, I suggest 1000 calories per and then adjust if needed as you near competition time.
• 2 weeks out, switch to a high protein low cab and low fat diet consisting of mainly white fish, egg white, some checked breast and none sugar vegetables.
• 1 week out start water loading, as much as you can intake.
• 3-5 days out add back in some carbs in the form of rice and sweet potatoes to restore glycogen levels.
• 2-3 days out cut out as much salt as possible.
• 1 day out cut back on water, on the evening before only sips of water.
• Day of competition only sips of water and chow down on high sugar and none bloating food, some fat is also good like peanut butter and a nice small piece of steak in the morning.

NOTES: Refrain from cardio, do more weight training if need be or eat a little less. Make sure to get enough carbs in your diet to replace glycogen loss during workouts.

That’s all it takes to get down to 4-5% body fat, pretty easy right!

Tani Preview - Your New Favorite Underwear

Looks like I may just have a new career as a men's underwear model! I recently was approached by the public relations department over at Tani USA to try out and review some of their super high end men's undergarments. I have been enjoying my 2UNDR men's underwear (with Joey Pouch) I reviewed earlier and have to say, a good pair of underwear just makes you feel... well more comfortable and as corny as it sounds more relaxed and confident. Nothing digging into you and a super soft feeling where it really matters.

Getting back to Tani USA and their line of men's undergarments, if you want the absolute best fabrics and quality construction then you will not be disappointed by Tani's products. Here is some background info on Tani.

YOUR NEW FAVORITE UNDERWEAR

You expect quality from the things you purchase. You appreciate craftsmanship, innovation and performance. We do too. That’s why we work with only the finest fabrics, innovative knits and finishes to make our collection of underwear, undershirts and loungewear. It’s a level of comfort, fit and function unheard of and unmatched in the category. Designed with a clean, modern aesthetic for a timeless appearance and a smooth, sleek profile, we make men's underwear like nothing you’ve ever put on. So don’t be surprised when you’re reluctant to take it off.

SETTING A NEW STANDARD

Our singular mission is to set a new standard in luxury men's underwear.  We aim to create the worlds best and most comfortable undergarments that change the way you think and feel about men's underwear.

WE DO NOT COMPROMISE

When you make the very finest products in a very particular category, it’s simply not an option. To design and create our collections, we source fabrics around the world that are both rare and newly innovated. We employ unique knitting technologies to produce the finest, softest and smoothest fabrics. And the quality of its performance must be as high as the quality of its feel.

SOPHISTICATION THROUGH SIMPLICITY

Our prevailing aesthetic is pure. There are no hidden pouches, panels or gimmicks. Design is streamlined, classic with a nod to modernity. We want the first thing you put on in the morning to be comfortable, uncomplicated and complementary.

At Tani, we make luxury men's underwear for those who understand the distinction between fashionable and fashion, and for people whose expectations are as high as our own.

Welcome to your new favorite underwear.

There's a ton more info about the Tani line of products over on their website covering things like Fabric, Form and Function so go read up some more if you're interested.

Still Hitting Those PR's - Always Pushing Forward.

I haven't shared a PR (Personal Best or Personal Record) with you guys in a while and probably because I rarely go for any singe rep PR's since for me at my age it is a bit risky in terms of getting an injury and what's the point really, just so I can say I bench "X" amount of weight.

I prefer to measure my Personal Bests with how many reps I can do at a certain weight and usually that weight is more than many people my age can even do 1 reo for, not to brag but just to put it all in perspective.

So here are a couple Rep PR's I got in the last couple of days:

Yesterday was Deadlift day and I was not into it at all starting out but as we progressed with the workout I was starting to feel pretty good and the weight was moving well. We had programmed reps of 5 starting out at 225 pounds and working our way up sticking to 5 reps per set. Here is how it turned out... 

• Set 1 - 225x5
• Set 2 - 275x5 Reps
• Set 3 - 313x5 Reps
• Set 4 - 363x5 Reps
• Set 5 - 403x5 Reps
• Set 6 - PR of 453x8 Reps

We also programmed in 5 Strict pull-ups in-between sets and finished off with 3 rounds of straight leg Barbell Deadlifts at 225 pounds x 10 reps again with 5 pull-ups in-between. View my Heart Rate Info for this workout!

My next PR was today in Bench Press, again I generally refrain from going under 3-5 reps at a time since it usually leads to a peck or shoulder injury but my bench has been getting stronger so today we did our warmup and then loaded 245 pounds on the bar for 4 sets of max rep Bnech Press. I was kind of surprised at my results!

• Set 1 - 245x14 Reps
• Set 2 - 245x14 Reps
• Set 3 - 245x13 Reps
• Set 4 - 245x12 Reps
• Total of 53 Reps for 4 sets at 245 pounds

At the end of the workout I performed three rounds of what I call Fly-Presses, this is where I start out doing Dumbbell Chest Flies and then switch to Dumbbell Bench Press. I used 50 pounds per arm for 8-10 reps per set per movement. View my Heart Rate Info for this workout!

How Important Are Your Genetics - GetFitOver40

In this YouTube video titled "How Important Are Your Genetics" I talk about how your genetics play a big part in your health and fitness journey.

The most important point I want to make in this video is that we are all different and unique and we should not be comparing ourselves to others around us. At least in terms of wishing we had this attribute or that attribute that someone else may have. This kind of thinking will only lead to disappointment because often there may be little we can do to achieve a certain genetic feature that another person is blessed with. You too will have genetic advantages in certain areas and the goal is to work with those advantages and also work even harder on areas that are genetically not our strong points. As long as you are making small positive improvement over time you are doing it right!

Specifically when weight training, some people have a genetic muscle makeup that responds to lifting weights really well, it's almost like they don't even need to try and they get stronger and more muscular, and then others work super hard in the gym but only see very slow progress in their strength and muscle gains. And the way our muscles grow is also determined by our genetics, not just which areas grow faster and larger but also how those muscle shape and attach to the surrounding muscles. There is very little we can do about the shape of our muscles as this is almost exclusively a genetic feature but we can work harder on those areas that are slow to grow to create a more balanced look. This is what body building is all about.

Another big roll in genetics is the placement of our body fat, some people put body fat all on their kegs and but while others put it all on their upper body or even just their belly region. Some people put very little weight on their face and then others seem to gain a lot of weight in their neck and cheek area. The only way to create equality in how body fat is stored would be to reduce it to extremely low levels so that it becomes none relevant but this is very hard to do and not practical for most people as we generally need some body fat on us to be healthy and feel energetic and healthy.

Genetics also determine to a large degree how our bodies will wear over time. Some people even at very young ages can get arthritis and/or even other diseases like diabetes and heart disease that can change drastically their ability to perform even moderate exercises. While some people seem to be healthy and strong even into their elder years.

At the end of the day we are who we are with our individual strengths and weakness. Make the best of what you have and if you want to compare yourself to anyone, compare yourself to the person you where a month ago or a year ago or even 10 years ago. If at the end of the day you are moving forwards and not backwards then you have nothing to complain about!

Age is Just a Number - GetFitOver40

In this YouTube video titled "Age is Just a Number" I talk about how your age really effects your ability to do pretty much anything physical.

Some people look at me and wonder how at 46 I can be in better shape then most people in their 20's? I ask what is stopping me from being in better shape then people half my age, is it my age? And if it is my age how does my age factor in to all of this?

The preset notion is that as we get older our bodies get weaker and more run down, and yes there is some truth in this but why does this happen? Sometimes genetics play a roll and even some very young people can end up with the short end of the stick and receive some disease that effects their health and ultimately effects their physical condition which can put limitations on what they can do in terms of exercise. As we get older the possibilities of sickness, disease and injury are more prevalent than a person much younger. But if we take care of ourselves through health, nutrition, fitness and being kind to our bodies, then we don't open ourselves up to the effects of aging as much.

There are also people in their 50's, 60's, and 70's that are still running marathons or doing power lifting or biking or what ever it is they enjoy doing physically. So yes if your genetics are on your side and you take care of your body then age becomes just a number, not the determining factor in what you should be capable of doing.

On the other side of the coin, a limiting factor may be time, perhaps you work 60 hours per week and come home to family duties at the end of the day that leave you beat tired with no interest in doing anything physical, but then again this has nothing to do with age? Anyone can be in this situation at any point in their lives. Perhaps it again is simply understood that younger people have more free time so they can use that free time to achieve their fitness goals more effectively.

One last point I want to make is the excuse factor. At any age a person can have an injury, physical disability or responsibilities that make achieving their physical goals harder than for others. Perhaps this happens a bit more as we get older. If it is important to you, you will find a way to make it happen, there is always something you can do even if it's not your fist choice, there is always at least a little bit of time in your day that you can commit to health and fitness.

I guess my point here is that age does not determine what you can do, other factors are much more important, and even if age has caught up with you and put limitation on your life, you still have options and choices that include health and fitness. You may be surprised at how you can turn things around just by making some small positive mental commitments to make your health and fitness a priority in your life regardless of age.