Recovery questions

Stats:
42 yo
more than 10 years experience
5'11
195lbs
15%bf

Some facts:
About one year ago I was strong, big upper body (my legs are naturally big), looking somewhat good (not like a porn star but good) and with a belly that was too big to be good: 214 lbs, 17% bf 5'11", 41 yo.

I saw that that was bullshit and I had to deal with my food addiction first.

My weight has fluctuated down to 194 (12%bf)

September 05 I completely cut the sugar, then in October I addressed junk food: gone.

Nowadays I have no cravings and been able to completely clean up my diet without being neurotic about it

Right now I eat mostly Paleo: some rice here and there, milk on my tea and wheat when I have dim sum only. Booze only on weekends: 3 cocktails and 1 bottle of wine for the total.

Sleeping consistently between 22:00 and 6:00 (I have been battling cortisol issues for years)

My down fall still is the big quantities of food eaten too fast and excessive caffeine consumption (the need to be "ON" all the time)


I just jumped in my scale and am at 195 lbs and 15% bf (using bioimpedance only as a tool, I know that it sucks)

Well, I look like someone that exercises; good not great.

My routine:
Wendler 5/3/1 4X a week plus 9 or 10 fitness classes a week (Spinning and Bootcamp) and some volume work here and there.
The breakdown is:
Mon - Deadlift + 2 Spinning classes
Tuesdays - Bench + Bootcamp and Spinning
Wednesdays - 2 Spinning at lunch and Spinning + Bootcamp during the evening
Thursdays - Rest
Fridays - Squat
Saturdays - Spinning and Press

My goals:

1 - Drop body fat to single digit
2 - Get rid of a roll of fat under my belly button (cortisol)
3 - Increase muscle mass in my upper body


My problems:
I obviously am dropping mostly muscle instead of FAT
Even though I modulate the intensity of my work outs while teaching, it still is quite a lot of volume and it is interfering with my energy levels, for my personal work outs
My recovery sucks and I can't keep doing consistent volume work in terms of weight training
I need to take or teach at least one more class a week (even more cardio)

Supplements - right now I am taking:
ZMA
Fish oil
Vitamin D
5-HTP
AOR Ortho adapt (just started this blend of adaptogens)
2 or 3g of L Tyrosine when I need to do intellectual work for long periods of time

Questions
1 - What are your thoughts on BCAAs?
2 - Post work out shake?
3 - Other supplements?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by warlock

Stats:
42 yo
more than 10 years experience
5'11
195lbs
15%bf

Some facts:
About one year ago I was strong, big upper body (my legs are naturally big), looking somewhat good (not like a porn star but good) and with a belly that was too big to be good: 214 lbs, 17% bf 5'11", 41 yo.

I saw that that was bullshit and I had to deal with my food addiction first.

My weight has fluctuated down to 194 (12%bf)

September 05 I completely cut the sugar, then in October I addressed junk food: gone.

Nowadays I have no cravings and been able to completely clean up my diet without being neurotic about it

Right now I eat mostly Paleo: some rice here and there, milk on my tea and wheat when I have dim sum only. Booze only on weekends: 3 cocktails and 1 bottle of wine for the total.

Sleeping consistently between 22:00 and 6:00 (I have been battling cortisol issues for years)

My down fall still is the big quantities of food eaten too fast and excessive caffeine consumption (the need to be "ON" all the time)


I just jumped in my scale and am at 195 lbs and 15% bf (using bioimpedance only as a tool, I know that it sucks)

Well, I look like someone that exercises; good not great.

My routine:
Wendler 5/3/1 4X a week plus 9 or 10 fitness classes a week (Spinning and Bootcamp) and some volume work here and there.
The breakdown is:
Mon - Deadlift + 2 Spinning classes
Tuesdays - Bench + Bootcamp and Spinning
Wednesdays - 2 Spinning at lunch and Spinning + Bootcamp during the evening
Thursdays - Rest
Fridays - Squat
Saturdays - Spinning and Press

My goals:

1 - Drop body fat to single digit
2 - Get rid of a roll of fat under my belly button (cortisol)
3 - Increase muscle mass in my upper body


My problems:
I obviously am dropping mostly muscle instead of FAT
Even though I modulate the intensity of my work outs while teaching, it still is quite a lot of volume and it is interfering with my energy levels, for my personal work outs
My recovery sucks and I can't keep doing consistent volume work in terms of weight training
I need to take or teach at least one more class a week (even more cardio)

Supplements - right now I am taking:
ZMA
Fish oil
Vitamin D
5-HTP
AOR Ortho adapt (just started this blend of adaptogens)
2 or 3g of L Tyrosine when I need to do intellectual work for long periods of time

Questions
1 - What are your thoughts on BCAAs?
2 - Post work out shake?
3 - Other supplements?

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Just looking at your plan layout. That is a lot of cardio. ALOT. Too much in my opinion. I would focus more on your diet and have patience. Think about how long it took you to get the weight there, it won't be gone over night

Quote:

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Originally Posted by muskate

Just looking at your plan layout. That is a lot of cardio. ALOT. Too much in my opinion. I would focus more on your diet and have patience. Think about how long it took you to get the weight there, it won't be gone over night

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That is not my plan it is my work schedule. I actually teach all those classes

How many g of protein do you take every day ?

If you have to do that much cardio every week and you wanna loose weight, doing low-carbs/ketosis is out of question for sure.

Eric

I agree ^

I would do a high protein high carb, lower fat diet with that much cardio and activity. Emphasis on carbs being around the workouts

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TT Eric

How many g of protein do you take every day ?

If you have to do that much cardio every week and you wanna loose weight, doing low-carbs/ketosis is out of question for sure.

Eric

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No ketosis here
My diet is clean but not 100% recorded
I eat pretty much what I want and keep the starches for before an after activity
Always have a few good chunks of meat a day

You might notbe eating enough but I think it would be are to say without seeing your diet.Post it.

If you are not recording it then maybe you should start. weighing your food issomething else you might need to do so that you know exactly what you'reputting in your body.

it's tough at our age to drop those nasty unwanted pounds and build lean mass. A above I'd revisit your overall macro and make sure you are getting enough calories in daily. as far as supplements go I'd drop the ZMA and 5-HTP unless you are taking them pre bed to improve sleep. I don't see a big need for BCAA supplementation unless you are working out fasted and drinking it intra. PWO shakes are far from essential if your daily calories are being met but for convenience you could look into something like CL's Gold Feast. If you are looking for a thermogenic and don't have any HPB issues an EC stack is the best bang for the buck you can get. if you are looking for something without stimulants look into something like Ergobolic.

^ Why dropping ZMA ? The more activity you do the more you need magnesium as it's involved in each muscular contraction, with his level of activity he needs magnesium, a lack of magnesium often lead to cramps also, I agree ZMA should be taken before bed, it could help sleep well yes, but also because it's needed to produce hormones like testo, which are released in the first few hours of sleep. BCAA can be needed to spare muscle when you have high levels of activity like him. IMO PWO shake are very useful, it help stimulate muscle synthesis, shut down/lower cortisol which he need a lot with all the cardio he does. And also I would not recommend Ephedrine, as it's adrenals are already pretty stressed, it could only worsen it with ephedrine.

Eric

ZMA will not help boost test levels. BCAA's may be helpful if he is training fasted. Ephedrine is very safe providing he doesn't have any underlying conditions and is taken in reasonable amounts and is incredibly effective. I do agree with you about his overall protein intake.