4 Weeks Out - Locked In
I'm finally starting to feel like things are moving the way I want them to.
My weight is down to 206.6 lbs, and for the first time this prep I've had a few weeks of pretty consistent weight loss.
I've been getting all my meals and cardio in, and this week I got every workout in that I wanted to.
I'm pretty locked in at this point.
I am starting to feel a little more hunger and fatigue, but overall I still feel good and I'm happy with how training is going.
Current Status
Division
- Men's Physique
- Classic Physique
Weeks Out
4
Current Weight
206.6 lbs
Starting Weight
216.4 lbs
Weekly Change
-1.4 lbs
Phase
Prep
Weekly Check-In Photos
Front
Side
Back
What Changed This Week?
The biggest thing I'm noticing now is that the hunger and fatigue are starting to creep up a little.
It's nothing too bad yet.
I'm still getting everything done and I still feel good in the gym.
I have noticed my cardio changing though.
Earlier in prep I was doing more runs and using the stair stepper pretty regularly.
Lately I've been doing mostly incline walks on the treadmill.
I'm still getting all five sessions in, but I know I'm not pushing quite as hard during an incline walk as I would running or doing the stair stepper.
I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing as I get deeper into prep and recovery becomes more important, but I also don't want every cardio session to slowly become easier just because I'm getting tired.
This week I'd like to get at least one or two runs or stair stepper sessions back in and keep the incline walks for the rest.
Training Is Still Strong
One thing I'm really happy about is that I haven't really lost much strength.
Hopefully that's a good sign that I'm holding onto most of the muscle I want while the weight comes down.
I'm still pushing hard when I'm actually doing my sets.
The biggest difference is that everything is taking me a little longer.
I might sit for an extra minute between sets or take a little longer before moving on to the next exercise.
It's nothing major.
I can just tell I'm not recovering quite as quickly between sets as I was earlier in prep.
As long as my strength stays where it is and I'm still able to train hard, I'm not too worried about it.
Finding Some Balance
One thing I've always struggled with when I get deeper into prep is letting it take over everything else.
It's really easy for me to stay home and focus completely on training and food.
I did get out and do something social one day this week, but it was pretty quick.
Part of the problem is honestly just poor planning on my end.
I haven't been meal prepping as often as I should.
Instead I'll cook a meal, eat it, and then a few hours later I'm back in the kitchen cooking again.
That ends up taking up way more of the day than it needs to.
If I actually had everything cooked and ready to go, I could pack my meals and leave without having to think about when I need to be home again.
It's still possible to have somewhat of a normal life during prep if I'm prepared for it.
I just haven't been doing a great job of that lately.
At the same time, there's only a month left.
I know the balance isn't going to be perfect at this point.
This Week's StageLab Recommendation
Recommendation
Reduce calories to 2310 per day.
The good thing is my weight is finally moving consistently.
I'm down another 1.4 lbs this week and I'm getting closer to where I need to be.
StageLab still has me a little behind visually though, and at four weeks out there's obviously not a ton of time left.
So calories are coming down again this week.
I'm going from 2450 to 2310.
Protein is staying at 227 grams.
Carbs are coming down to 210 grams.
Fat is dropping to 63 grams.
I'm fine with the change.
I'm only 4.6 lbs above the Classic Physique cutoff now, so I'm feeling pretty confident about making weight.
I'm more concerned with making sure I'm actually lean enough when I get there.
The weight has finally started doing what I want it to do, so hopefully this next drop in calories keeps that going.
My Thoughts
Four weeks out is usually where I really start thinking about the finish line.
There's still enough time to make a noticeable difference, but there's not enough time to waste weeks anymore.
I'm feeling pretty good about where things are going right now.
The weight is moving.
I'm still strong.
I'm getting all my cardio done.
The diet has been on point.
The only thing I'm really starting to notice is that everything requires a little more effort than it did a few weeks ago.
I'm a little hungrier.
I'm resting a little longer between sets.
I'm choosing incline walks more often than runs.
Nothing is falling apart.
I can just tell I'm getting deeper into prep.
That's expected.
For now I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing and try to make the next month as close to perfect as I can.
Current Plan
Calories
2310 kcal
Protein
227 g
Carbs
210 g
Fat
63 g
Cardio
5 x 25 min
Training
7 days per week
What Happens Next
This week I'll start the lower calories and see how my body responds.
I want to get one or two harder cardio sessions back in instead of doing incline walks for all five.
I also need to get back to actually meal prepping.
That should make it easier to get out of the house a little more instead of spending half the day cooking and thinking about my next meal.
Other than that, nothing really changes.
Keep hitting the diet.
Keep training hard.
Get all five cardio sessions done.
There's only a month left now.
The countdown has definitely started, and I'm just trying to get as close to perfect as I can before show day.
Current Snapshot
Weight: 206.6 lbs
Starting Weight: 216.4 lbs
Weeks Out: 4
Phase: Prep
Classic Physique Weight Limit: 202 lbs
Current Recommendation: Reduce calories to 2310 per day.
Current Focus: Keep the weight moving, maintain strength, stay consistent with cardio, and make the most of the final four weeks.
Next Update
Prep Files #16 - 3 Weeks Out