~*~ PHASE THREE~*~
Options
getsveltEagain
Posts: 1,063 Member
Phase 3: Burn Unwanted Fat, Save Hard-Earned Muscle
Let the fat burning fun begin!
By this stage of the program, you're no stranger to hitting the weights with intensity, and you have quality muscle to show for your efforts. Now, in Phase 3, the training goal changes from muscle building and fat burning to strictly fat burning, while preserving as much muscle as possible.
You worked hard for that muscle. You want to keep it even while burning blubber. Why not add even more muscle even while burning fat? Simply put, it's difficult to continue to grow while simultaneously creating the sort of calorie deficit needed to burn fat. We're not drastically reducing calories. However, to create enough of a deficit, we are increasing the intensity of the workouts by adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT), plyometrics, super-sets and active rests.
Some of you might be familiar with those terms, some not. In either case, I'm including a glossary of terms at the end of the write-up for this phase. Just scroll down to the bottom as needed! The information will be refreshed on each day's program as well, just so you don't forget.
I'm excited for this phase to begin! It's intense, but with the finish line now in sight, you can do it!
WEEKS 9 & 10: TRAINING
The Phase 3 workouts emphasize techniques designed to enhance the cardiovascular benefits of training. As a result, you'll often use a lower weight for higher repetitions.
Several notes to keep in mind:
1.Equipment-wise, I recommend purchasing a jump rope. You will use it often.
2.These workouts are more intense than before, so if you have any joint problems, please respect your limitations. Don't perform any exercises that cause pain.
3.I recommend taking 1-minute rests between sets during this phase, except as noted. If you need more time, please take it.
4.These workouts should take an hour to an hour and half to complete, depending on the traffic at your gym.
WEEKS 11 & 12: TRAINING
For each circuit, perform the allotted number of reps for each exercise consecutively. Rest 3 to 5 minutes before repeating the routine twice more.
After completing the entire circuit, choose an option for cardio to perform for 30 to 40 additional minutes. Aim for medium intensity. This means breaking a light sweat and exercising at a rate where you could still converse with someone, though you'd rather not.
In contrast, high intensity would force you out of that comfort zone, and it can only be maintained for short durations, anyway. As an upper limit, keep your heart rate beneath its maximum capacity (220 minus your age).
So for me, it would be 220 minus 35 (years) = 185.
HEART RATE CALCULATOR
We're in the home stretch, so it's important not to miss these workouts. That way, when you reach your goal date, you'll have leaned out as much as possible.
Glossary of Phase 3 Terms:
■Superset: Perform the first exercise and then immediately do the next exercise. Only then do you take the 2-minute rest in between before repeating again.
■Active rest: Do the first exercise, and then instead of resting, perform the active-rest movement (for example, jump rope). Immediately repeat the first exercise.
WEEK 9 NUTRITION
Week 9's nutrition plan is basically a continuation of Week 8's.
WEEKS 10, 11 & 12: NUTRITION
Beginning on the first day of Week 10, you'll be "carb cycling," a process that you will continue to follow through the end of the program.
Carb cycling takes the macronutrients (the proteins, fats and carbs) of your meals and manipulates them to reduce body fat to very low levels, with as little muscle cannibalization as possible.
Here's the theory: Because carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel, cycling those carbs - eating lower amounts some days, higher amounts other days - confuses the body by not giving it a constant and dependable fuel source. When we reduce the intake of carbs on lower carb days, we'll replace those calories with protein and healthy fats. That way you'll have an adequate number of calories and maintain as much muscle as possible as you continue to exercise.
This technique isn't for the faint of heart; following it to the letter takes discipline. You'll need to count and weigh every meal, taking care to consume the proper portions of macros from day to day.
This carb cycle will last only 3 weeks. Any longer and you might lose too much hard-earned muscle.
So here's how it works:
To determine your carbohydrate requirements, take the lower number of calories you determined at the start of Week 7. For example, my calorie range was 1300-1800 calories, so the number I'll use for the carb cycle will be 1300.
LOW-CARB DAY:
Only 20% of your calories will be from carbohydrates.
HIGH-CARB DAY
We'll again use the total daily calories that we determined for Week 7 (the lower number), only this time, 50% of the calories consumed will come from carbs.
Let the fat burning fun begin!
By this stage of the program, you're no stranger to hitting the weights with intensity, and you have quality muscle to show for your efforts. Now, in Phase 3, the training goal changes from muscle building and fat burning to strictly fat burning, while preserving as much muscle as possible.
You worked hard for that muscle. You want to keep it even while burning blubber. Why not add even more muscle even while burning fat? Simply put, it's difficult to continue to grow while simultaneously creating the sort of calorie deficit needed to burn fat. We're not drastically reducing calories. However, to create enough of a deficit, we are increasing the intensity of the workouts by adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT), plyometrics, super-sets and active rests.
Some of you might be familiar with those terms, some not. In either case, I'm including a glossary of terms at the end of the write-up for this phase. Just scroll down to the bottom as needed! The information will be refreshed on each day's program as well, just so you don't forget.
I'm excited for this phase to begin! It's intense, but with the finish line now in sight, you can do it!
WEEKS 9 & 10: TRAINING
The Phase 3 workouts emphasize techniques designed to enhance the cardiovascular benefits of training. As a result, you'll often use a lower weight for higher repetitions.
Several notes to keep in mind:
1.Equipment-wise, I recommend purchasing a jump rope. You will use it often.
2.These workouts are more intense than before, so if you have any joint problems, please respect your limitations. Don't perform any exercises that cause pain.
3.I recommend taking 1-minute rests between sets during this phase, except as noted. If you need more time, please take it.
4.These workouts should take an hour to an hour and half to complete, depending on the traffic at your gym.
WEEKS 11 & 12: TRAINING
For each circuit, perform the allotted number of reps for each exercise consecutively. Rest 3 to 5 minutes before repeating the routine twice more.
After completing the entire circuit, choose an option for cardio to perform for 30 to 40 additional minutes. Aim for medium intensity. This means breaking a light sweat and exercising at a rate where you could still converse with someone, though you'd rather not.
In contrast, high intensity would force you out of that comfort zone, and it can only be maintained for short durations, anyway. As an upper limit, keep your heart rate beneath its maximum capacity (220 minus your age).
So for me, it would be 220 minus 35 (years) = 185.
HEART RATE CALCULATOR
We're in the home stretch, so it's important not to miss these workouts. That way, when you reach your goal date, you'll have leaned out as much as possible.
Glossary of Phase 3 Terms:
■Superset: Perform the first exercise and then immediately do the next exercise. Only then do you take the 2-minute rest in between before repeating again.
■Active rest: Do the first exercise, and then instead of resting, perform the active-rest movement (for example, jump rope). Immediately repeat the first exercise.
WEEK 9 NUTRITION
Week 9's nutrition plan is basically a continuation of Week 8's.
WEEKS 10, 11 & 12: NUTRITION
Beginning on the first day of Week 10, you'll be "carb cycling," a process that you will continue to follow through the end of the program.
Carb cycling takes the macronutrients (the proteins, fats and carbs) of your meals and manipulates them to reduce body fat to very low levels, with as little muscle cannibalization as possible.
Here's the theory: Because carbs are the body's preferred source of fuel, cycling those carbs - eating lower amounts some days, higher amounts other days - confuses the body by not giving it a constant and dependable fuel source. When we reduce the intake of carbs on lower carb days, we'll replace those calories with protein and healthy fats. That way you'll have an adequate number of calories and maintain as much muscle as possible as you continue to exercise.
This technique isn't for the faint of heart; following it to the letter takes discipline. You'll need to count and weigh every meal, taking care to consume the proper portions of macros from day to day.
This carb cycle will last only 3 weeks. Any longer and you might lose too much hard-earned muscle.
So here's how it works:
To determine your carbohydrate requirements, take the lower number of calories you determined at the start of Week 7. For example, my calorie range was 1300-1800 calories, so the number I'll use for the carb cycle will be 1300.
LOW-CARB DAY:
Only 20% of your calories will be from carbohydrates.
HIGH-CARB DAY
We'll again use the total daily calories that we determined for Week 7 (the lower number), only this time, 50% of the calories consumed will come from carbs.
0
Replies
-
Week 9
Day 57 Quads & Calves
Day 58 Back, Arms, Abs & Sprints
Day 59 Chest, Shoulders, Abs & Sprints
Day 60 Hamstrings, Glutes & Calves
Day 61 Back, Biceps, Abs & Sprints
Day 62 Shoulders, Triceps, Calves & Sprints
Day 63 Rest0 -
I feel like I should have been wearing my heart rate monitor this whole time. I just started wearing it for phase 3 because I knew it was going to be difficult to "guess"
It takes FOREVER to get through these workouts!
Helpful tip, download the HIIT training app on your smart phone and make a new setting for it for the sprints, 30 seconds on 30 seconds off for 30 minutes. It makes it much more simple to follow along when you get to that part.
Additionally... the exercise when you are in pushup position with your legs on the exercise ball... is miserable. I dont know anyone who can actually do that!0 -
I am so frustrated b/c I am pretty much off the program. With my current healthy issues, I am just taking it easy. Still lifting, but not really following the program. Once I find out what is going on and start getting proper treatment, I might restart at Phase 2.0
-
I feel like I should have been wearing my heart rate monitor this whole time. I just started wearing it for phase 3 because I knew it was going to be difficult to "guess"
It takes FOREVER to get through these workouts!
Helpful tip, download the HIIT training app on your smart phone and make a new setting for it for the sprints, 30 seconds on 30 seconds off for 30 minutes. It makes it much more simple to follow along when you get to that part.
Additionally... the exercise when you are in pushup position with your legs on the exercise ball... is miserable. I dont know anyone who can actually do that!
Thanks for the tips!!!0 -
I am so frustrated b/c I am pretty much off the program. With my current healthy issues, I am just taking it easy. Still lifting, but not really following the program. Once I find out what is going on and start getting proper treatment, I might restart at Phase 2.
Take care of yourself first and foremost!!! You can start over/back where you were when things straighten out
I will be doing week 8 again this week since I only did two or three of the workouts. So I will be a week behind the original schedule.0
