3rd Blog: How did this PT lose 10kg in 12 weeks?

Hey everyone! It’s Rick, your personal trainer, and I'm excited to delve deeper into my recent 12-week transformation. As you know, I set out to lose 10kg, and I'm thrilled to share that I exceeded my goal, dropping from 100kg to 89.85kg. But more importantly, my body fat percentage plummeted from 21% to a lean 12.85%. This wasn't just about the numbers on the scale; it was about optimizing my body composition and understanding the science behind it. So, let's break down the specifics of my program and the rationale behind my high-volume, high-rep training approach.

The Foundation: Two rules, Healthy food and a Macro managed Caloric Deficit

Rule 1: Threw out ALL the rubbish: processed foods, sweets, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, fast food, fizzy drinks and anything that is essentially created in factory's. Sorry but it all went, not even a pack of crisps came near my mouth.

Rule 2: Creating a macro managed caloric deficit is the cornerstone of weight loss. My body needs a certain amount of calories to maintain its current weight, a value known as total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). To lose weight, I needed to consistently ensure my calorie intake was lower than my TDEE.

My Specific Deficit

To achieve this transformation, I maintained an approximate daily deficit of 900-1000 calories, achieved through a combination of dietary adjustments and increased physical activity. This deficit, combined with my specific training program, is what allowed me to not only lose weight but also significantly reduce my body fat percentage. In order to do this you must be able to hold onto muscle.

My Nutrition Strategy: Fueling for Fat Loss

My approach to nutrition was not about deprivation, but about making smart, science-backed choices.

1. Macronutrient Distribution (Specifics)

I focused on a balanced intake of macronutrients, prioritizing protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates.

• Protein: I aimed for approximately 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (around 200g daily). My sources included lean meats, fish, eggs and plant-based options like lentils and beans.

  
  

• Healthy Fats: I included sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil in moderation, aiming for around 60-70g daily.

  
  

• Complex Carbohydrates: I opted for whole grains (oats, quinoa, brown rice), fruits, and vegetables, carefully timing my intake around my workouts to fuel performance and recovery.

  
  

2. Calorie Cycling

I incorporated slight calorie cycling, with higher calorie days on training days and slightly lower calorie days on rest days. This helped manage hunger and prevent metabolic adaptation.

3. Hydration

I drank at least 3 liters of water daily, starting my day with a large glass and carrying a water bottle with me.

4. Mindful Eating

I practiced mindful eating, paying attention to hunger and fullness cues, eating slowly, and savoring my meals.

My Training Program: High Volume, High Reps, and Focused Splits

My training regimen was designed to maximize calorie expenditure, build lean muscle mass, and boost my metabolism. The key was a high-volume, high-rep approach, combined with a specific weekly split.

Weekly Training Split:

• Monday: Legs (Focus: Quads & Glutes)

  • Leg Press: 4 sets of 30, 25, 20, 15 reps (Supersetted with Plyometric Exercise)

  • Barbell Deadlift: 4 sets of 30, 25, 20, 15 reps (Supersetted with Plyometric Exercise)

  • Machine Deadlift: 4 sets of 30, 25, 20, 15 reps (Supersetted with Plyometric Exercise)

  • Stiff Legged deadlift: 4 sets of 30, 25, 20, 15 reps (Supersetted with Plyometric Exercise)

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• Tuesday: Chest & Back

  • Similar high-rep, high-volume approach with exercises like bench press, dumbbell press, incline/decline, rows, pull-ups, and dumbbell flyes.

    
    

• Wednesday: HIIT Sprints & Arms

  • 2-minute HIIT sprints on the treadmill (Alternating high intensity with rest)

  • Bicep curls, tricep extensions, hammer curls, etc. – all with high reps (15-30 reps per set)

    
    

• Thursday: Legs (Focus: Hamstrings & Glutes)

  • Squat variations (front squats, goblet squats, Bulgarian split squats) with high reps (12 - 6)

    
    

• Friday: Back & Shoulders

  • Similar high-rep, high-volume approach with exercises like lat pulldowns, t - bar rows, chest supported dumbbell rows, shoulder press, lateral raises, and rear delt flyes, face pulls and focusing on improving posture (and muscle imbalances) at the beginning of the year

The Science Behind High Reps and High Volume:

This training approach, while demanding, is rooted in several scientific principles:

Increased Time Under Tension (TUT): High-rep training significantly increases the amount of time your muscles are under tension. This prolonged tension leads to greater muscle fiber recruitment and metabolic stress, which are key drivers of muscle hypertrophy.

1. Metabolic Stress and Muscle Growth: High reps induce a significant build-up of metabolites like lactate and hydrogen ions within the muscle. This metabolic stress triggers anabolic (muscle-building) signaling pathways, promoting muscle growth.

2. Enhanced Calorie Expenditure: The sheer volume of sets and reps burns a significant number of calories during the workout. This contributes to the caloric deficit necessary for fat loss.

3. Improved Muscular Endurance: High-rep training improves the endurance capacity of your muscles, allowing you to perform more work over time.

4. Fat Oxidation: Studies suggest that high-volume resistance training can enhance fat oxidation both during and after exercise. The increased energy demand forces the body to tap into fat stores for fuel.

5. Muscle Pump and Nutrient Delivery: The high volume of training creates a significant "muscle pump," which increases blood flow to the muscles. This enhanced blood flow delivers more nutrients to the muscles, aiding in recovery and growth.

6. Plyometric Exercises: The inclusion of plyometric exercises (like jump squats, box jumps, and lunges) supersetted with my strength training further amplified the calorie burn and improved explosive power for the half marathons and marathons.

To Summarise:

The reason behind the strict training plan was to complete 6 tasks:

• Lose weight and lose it fast

• Improve fitness for half marathons and marathons

• Correct posture and muscle imbalances

• Don't lose any muscle tissue despite drastic weight loss

• Reset metabolism and hormone balance with clean eating

• Create an environment for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy

Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy?

Here's a breakdown of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and how it relates to rep ranges:

• Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: This refers to the increase in the volume of the sarcoplasm, the fluid-filled space within muscle cells that surrounds the myofibrils (the contractile parts of the muscle). It involves an increase in non-contractile elements such as glycogen, water, and other cellular material.

  
  

• Rep Ranges and Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy: Training with moderate to higher repetitions (typically in the 15+ range, and even up to 30) with moderate weight is a cornerstone of sarcoplasmic hypertrophy training. This type of training forces your muscles to work for longer periods, depleting glycogen stores and encouraging the body to store more glycogen over time, leading to an increase in the size of the sarcoplasm. Sets performed in this manner usually last for 60-70 seconds, with rest periods of 2 minutes.

  
  

• Myofibrillar Hypertrophy: The other primary type of muscle growth is myofibrillar hypertrophy, which involves the increase in the size and number of the myofibrils themselves, leading to increased strength and density of the muscles. This type of hypertrophy is typically stimulated by lifting heavier weights for lower repetitions (e.g., 3-6 reps).

  
  

• Balance: For comprehensive muscle development, it's beneficial to incorporate both lower and higher rep ranges into your training to stimulate both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

So here you have it. Leading from the front, I had to get the best results and inspire people that especially at the age of 40, anything is possible. You just have to make that agreement with yourself and not break the contract. Was it hard at times? Yes of course but my why was stronger than any excuses or bullshit that I could have fed myself. More on psychology next article!

Hope you're enjoying these articles, have a great week and see you same time next week!

Rick PT