Cut Complete - Need advice on programming for "Phase 2"

W

walknlight

New member
Hi ladies! I am reaching out because I could use some advice on my "Phase 2" or next steps. Warning: Long post...

History:

I started a pretty aggressive cut on July 7, 2019 and got to basically my goal weight by Oct. 26, 2019. During my cut, I followed IF (intermittent fasting) + CICO + HPLC (high protein, low carb). During my cut, just about all of my weight lost was fat (Dexa scan in photos). I only lost 7/10 or 0.7 pound of muscle.

My workout schedule is as follows:
  • M & F: 60 min. Lower body (Legs)- with a personal trainer + 30 min LISS
  • T & R: 60 min. OrangeTheory (HIIT cardio)
  • W & Sa: 60 min. Upper body on my own + 30 min. LISS
  • Su: Rest
Results:

My results were great. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Stats: F/45, 5'-2", SW: 136.2 CW: 114.6 GW: 115

Here are my pics, including my DEXA scan (which was taken before I got to goal).

Next Steps/Goals:

So, here is the part where I am looking for advice, because WHAT NOW??? I am currently reverse dieting to get closer to TDEE. So, here is what I want to happen...

What I would ultimately like, is to lose 2-2.5% more body and just tighten everything up. I don't want to bulk, but if I gained 3 pounds of muscle and lost 3-5 pounds of fat, yeah, I would be totally cool with that. I am not interested in having my scale weight change very much, if at all ;)

I do not want to be "ripped" or "jacked" nor am I interested in dead lifting 300# (I have already been through that phase in my life). I want to take what I have and just make it tighter, if that makes sense. Less jiggle when I move, more compact? Just a tighter / smoother / leaner appearance. I hope that this makes sense.

Advice Needed:

Sooooooo, I am in search of a lifting program that will help me meet my goals. I can no longer afford to meet with my PT 2x week. I have 8 sessions left in my package and I am going to drop down to 1x per week and then I am going to have to stop.

I am looking at and considering Thinner, Leaner, Stronger as I have seen that recommended here a lot. But is there another program you would recommend based on my aesthetic goals? Which, let's be real- my goals are 100% about look. Any advice on programs or programs you have had success with would be greatly appreciated. I would like a program that incorporates upper body too, I enjoy a (4) day split.

TLDR:

What lifting program would you recommend based on my goals of just "tightening up"?
 
@walknlight Just want to chime in and say AWESOME WORK! You look fabulous and I love that you're over 40 too (like me;-)) I'm loving getting into the best shape of my life over 40!!

I'm doing strong curves (r/strongcurves) but I don't think that's what you're looking for (it's very lower body focused and I add in upper body as well). I definitely think that lifting (not so much cardio) is where you should be focusing. All about building lean muscle mass. And diet is a huge part of that, especially after a dramatic cut. I focus more on slow body recomp because I don't think I could do such a drastic cut.

What does your trainer say? Any suggestions on his/her end regarding a continuation of your fitness goals?

We are a work in progress I guess! I'm 41/F SW: 130ish CW: 120 (need to do a DEXA scan or similar to get my BF)
 
@jahrooshshalom Thank you! I can honestly say I have never felt better at 45. Outside and inside :)

I looked at SC and it is definitely not what I am looking for. I am going to focus on more lifting, total body. I am slowly increasing from my cut and am working toward a slow recomp now that I am a better weight for my frame.

DEXA scan was the BEST thing I did for myself. The first one was especially a wake up call. I had no idea I was carrying such a high percentage of fat. I knew I was "softer" than I had been in years past, but I figured that since I was still in an acceptable weight range for my height, it couldn't be that bad. It was. ;) It's what kicked me into gear (albeit, 3 months later LOL). But it did. It made me reassess what I was doing and make the much needed changes.
 
@walknlight I am going to invest in a DEXA for sure. I've been relying on (the notoriously unreliable!) body scans at the gym....lol

Good luck on your lifting....it's so funny that it took me so long to discover that I actually enjoy lifting and that it's great for my fitness (and I consequently almost never do cardio purposefully anymore;-)) I definitely get lots of cardiac exercise biking and walking.

Here's to being over 40 and fit!!
 
@walknlight Look into Starting Strength to put on some muscle. Super simple, super effective. Basically, you'll squat, bench or overhead press, and deadlift three times a week - adding ~5lbs to your lifts each time. Maybe you can use your last few sessions to get your form down and then keep at it yourself afterward since the program only involves those movements.

Edit: Congrats on your weight loss, btw! I'm 130 trying to get down to 120 and your progress is so inspiring. Thank you for your diet/nutrition tips!
 
@walknlight Have you considered barre? I’m your same stats, except I weigh 125. Barre has leaned me out considerably, especially in my thighs, core, and upper arms/shoulders.
 
@walknlight Honestly, it sounds like you’re already doing what you need to do. I would change to less of a calorie deficit, you’ll lose fat slower but it’ll be easier to sustain. A couple things to think about:
  1. Diet - depends on your metabolism and body type but generally 1-1.5g protein per lb body weight. No more than 1/3 fat. The rest carbs. Try to get vegetables in with every meal and snack.
  2. Cardio - you already do cardio 5 times per week, alternating LISS like jogging and HIIT like bike, sprints, stair master.
  3. Weight training - this one is more of a recent discovery for me and may be more for my specific body, but it’s worth mentioning. I recently did a month of bodyweight and light (25lb) dumbbell weight training. I did a lot of circuits i.e. 6 different squat variations all in a row for 20 reps, performed twice with a break in the middle for squat day. I actually lost weight after a plateau this way. While I know I lost some muscle, I did notice I looked slimmer and more toned than when I do weight lifting like normal.
 
@walknlight CPT and nutritionist here. Not practicing any more with clients but considering I still lurk the sub and these questions pop up every now and then, here’s my 2 cents.

First of all, congratulations on completing your cut. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished!

Focus on lifting. I would actually consider dropping the OTF in favor of keeping your trainer around and lifting at a higher volume (goal of hypertrophy).

Now that you’re done cutting and focusing on recomp, you’ll want to keep adding to the muscle base you just unveiled, which is accomplished through resistance training and proper nutrition.

Cardio, esp. HIIT cardio, is an excellent tool for fat loss. It will not “tone” you. What will give you that appearance is adding muscle. Now that your cut is over, I would ease away from so much cardio and replace it with more volume in the weightroom.

You’re already doing the right thing by reversing slowly & carefully. Keep an eye on the scale as you do this and don’t be afraid to stay a bit under your maintenance for awhile if you’re gaining weight. Give your metabolism a runway to speed back up again.

If you truly can’t afford to keep your trainer around or just aren’t interested, I would recommend Layne Norton’s PHAT template, which can be modified to your goals and how many days per week you’d like to train. It’s a great mix of making sure your strength base is increasing whilst focusing on higher volume accessory work. You definitely do not need to have powerlifter type goals to see results with this program - in fact I think he wrote it more for physique focused athletes.

Good luck to you!
 
@paladin6 Thank you so much for this. I will definitely look into the program. And more lifting is what I thought was the right move.

I am only adding 20-25g carb (roughly 100 cal) every 1-2 weeks for my reverse. Taking it nice and easy, slow. I'm in no rush because I've done the "jump in the deep end" version after a cut and it was a dumpster fire.
 
@paladin6 Yes, that's what I'm doing. 1 g of protein per body pound and as carbs go up, fats are going down so that my caloric increase is roughly 80-100 every 1-2 weeks.
 
@walknlight You already mentioned OTF so not sure if you’d be willing to switch - but might I suggest F45? To my mind it’s the perfect combo of cardio and weights - the cardio days absolutely slaughter me and the strength days combine everything I love about lifting heavy. The music is great, community is super and the best part is every workout is different but still incredibly challenging.

I would say it is by far one of the best workouts I’ve tried over the past 9 or so years (and I’d like to think I’ve “done it all” - my fitness journey has included phases of spinning, long-distance running, 2 rounds of Insanity, crossfit, stronglifts 5x5, about two years of using the FitPlan app workouts, Olympic weightlifting with a PT and cardio boxing).

Check out the r/F45 sub and look into that “challenges” - by the sound of your discipline and goals I feel like you would fare really well on one. I haven’t done a challenge yet but they’re basically a local/global competition to lean out as much as poss and they give you a ton of meal plan support to stay on track with the program for 8 weeks.
 
@walknlight First off, great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Just add more exclamation points, cause there are a lot of them for the work you put in).

For what you're talking about, I'd drop most of the lifting and do spin classes, then do light accessory work on your trouble areas and to maintain current levels. Spinning seems to create the very tight, hard but small muscles you seem to be looking for. Also it seems like your upper half is "done" and just needs maintenance.
 
@dawn16 Thank you!!!! It was a lot of hard work.

Huh, I wouldn't have thought of spinning... you are giving me something to think about, for sure. And I am pretty happy with my upper body. It is really my stomach and thighs/hips that I am still not quite satisfied with. And you can tell from my DEXA that is where all the fat likes to be ;)
 
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