Getting In Shape: Advanced Fitness Plan

By now you should have a grasp of the basic exercises, the ones that work for you and the ones that don’t. You should also be in the habit of tracking at least your protein intake through the day. If you feel you are not ready for this plan be sure to check out the Intermediate Plan or even the Beginner Plan. Gaining mass might have been relatively easier in your first couple month, as some refer to as ‘noob gains’. This is where hard work and dedication are needed the most, you will have to fight for each additional pound of muscle. This is what separates the average from the great. Yes, it will be hard, but it will be worth it.

On top of the supplements suggested in the Intermediate Plan (multivitamins, fish oils (omega 3 6 9), & whey protein) you can look into adding creatine and BCAAs to your stack. BCAAs will be extremely useful if you are working out first thing in the morning, or any other time where you are in a fasted state. Again, you should opt out of getting a pre-workout, stick to using creatine, BCAAs, and caffeine for when you need that extra push. There is also nothing like some good music to get you pumped and in the mood.

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It is time to start tracking your calories! I use a combination of My Fitness Pal and old school pen & paper. Calculate your BMR and adjust according to your goals, if you are looking to maintain use the number as is,  if you are looking to bulk or cut add/subtract an additional 300-500 calories. When deciding your macro splits the most common ratio is 40% Protein – 40% Carbs  – 20% Fats.  I have found that 50C – 25P – 25F works best for me (making sure protein is always at least .7 g/lb), so try out different numbers and see what works for you. Keep in mind a single carb or protein contains 4 calories while a fat contains 9 calories.

You might hear a lot about cheat days, everyone needs a day off/treat. However if you are cutting at 500 calories for 6 days of the week, you are in a 3,000 calories deficit for that week. On the seventh day, your ‘cheat’ day, you consume an additional 2,000 calories, which might seem like a lot but once you start tracking you will realize how easy it is, you are ending your week only in a 1,000 calorie deficit. Was it really worth it? A cheat day should be closer to eating at maintenance than eating in a surplus. To put things into perspective 1 pound requires a deficit of roughly 3,500 calories. And of course don’t forget your daily 2L of water.

This will be a PPL (Push Pull Legs) work out, for best results complete twice a week to hit each muscle twice a week. Either P P L P P L Rest… or  P P L Rest P P L Rest… would be ideal. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea adding a seventh day dedicated to cardio. Warm up sets are not included so be sure to add extra sets where needed. You can adjust the rep count to match your goals, reps here are geared towards a combination of both strength and hypertrophy. Finally, don’t forget to leave your ego at the door before entering the gym, lift weights heavy enough to give you that burn but light enough for you to control. Lets get right down to it!

Reminder: Tomorrow is not the perfect day to start. This weekend is not the perfect time to start. Monday won’t be the perfect day either. The only perfect day is TODAY.