I said I would post before and after pictures and I am a man of my word. I am posting these pictures to show not just the transformation and how quickly I can go from in shape to fat and vice versa, but to show those who like to say that I am "always" in shape, that they are wrong - very wrong. I have even had people tell me how I must have an awesome metabolism to stay so lean all of the time. lol
Let me be very clear and tell you that I have a very average metabolism and when I do not diet and I do not work out, this is proved by how quickly I turn into just a normal, untrained fat guy with no resemblance to someone who has worked out for over 30 years. I have to do everything right to be lean. When I go to get into contest shape, it is even more difficult. The only reason I am leaner than most people who train at my age is because I am very strict with my diet in the off season. My off season diet would seem like a prep diet to most people with the exception of my Skipload days.The pictures that are posted below were taken at the start of the 12-week phase and every 4 weeks until the end of the 12-week phase.
My scale weight at the start of the 12-weeks was 222.5 and ended at 218.5 for a total weight loss of only 4 pounds. I got as high as 229 in the pictures taken only 4 weeks into the 12-week phase (the second set of pictures from the left).
My strength is at an all-time high even though I was in a caloric deficit for this 12-week phase. Obviously, I am excited about what my strength and size will do as I move out of this leaning phase and into a size phase for 2019.
I did ZERO cardio during this current 12-week phase.
I only made one diet change and that was after the pictures were taken 4 weeks into the 12-week phase. I was progressing, but not as much as I feel I could have been. The diet change was subtle and detailed in my coach log at that time, as was the starting diet, as well.
I Skiploaded every weekend for the entire 12-week phase. Most Skiploads were all day on Sundays, but toward the end of the 12-week phase, they would start the night before and then go all day Sunday. The Skiploads were also detailed every week as to what types of foods I ate for the Skiploads.
I had 2 DEXA scans done during this 12-week phase with the first one being done at 4 weeks in and the last one done at the finish of the 12-week phase. I wish I had done the first DEXA scan at the start of the 12-week phase, but I didn't think about doing it until I was 4 weeks in. The DEXA scans are posted below but here are the main points:
The DEXA scans say I was 14.3% at 4 weeks in and 8% at the finish of the 12-week phase.
The measurements that stood out the most were the android and gynoid percentages between the 2 DEXA scans.
android at 4 weeks in - 17%
android at 12 weeks - 7%
gynoid at 4 weeks in - 25%
gynoid at 12 weeks - 10.3%
The gynoid area alone (hips/glutes/upper thighs) is where I carry a lot of body fat (obviously) and this change was incredibly pronounced during the last 8 weeks of the 12-week phase dropping roughly 13% in that time.
However, though I cross-checked the numbers repeatedly and they add up and make complete sense on paper with no discrepancies, I do not believe for one second that I am 8%. DEXA has typically always been very accurate even when I have done them as far back as 2004 when I did them monthly for contest prep. My wife's DEXA scan was pretty much dead on, but mine I do not believe is correct. I have my condition as being roughly a true 10% - not 8% - despite what the DEXA says.
I will detail my plan for the next phase but my primary focus will be to maintain this body fat level as close as I possibly can while gaining muscle tissue during 2019. As much as my goal will be to maintain this body fat level, I accept that my body fat is likely going to have to go up to optimize muscle growth but I am still going to control it as much as I possibly can, fighting for the leanest gains possible.
I will continue to do DEXA scans to show the contrast in muscle tissue growth vs. body fat levels and see how accurate those future DEXA scans will be.
I will obviously be incredibly tight and detailed with my nutrition and will post my plans for diet, training, supplementation, etc, here in my coach logs. I am quite transparent with what I do and I don't keep secrets or even pretend there are any. Because I provide a lot of information in detail, if you have questions about what I am doing, please reference my past coach logs before messaging me. I like to answer questions, but I am not as excited about answering questions if those answers have already been given in the detailed information I provide in my past coach logs.
I appreciate anyone who follows my coach logs either in the past or into 2019. Thank you.
