My college Routine - advice wanted

[Hellawulf]

Its been a while since I've been on but currently I'm 6'2", 188 pounds. I'm also currently doing Ju Jitsu 3xs a week, Yoga once a week, swimming 12-20 laps 3xs a week then going to the gym and doing push ups, pull ups, and sit ups then running 1.5 miles trying to get progressively faster (increasing .1 mph per week), and doing Bill Starr's 5x5 workout routine.

This means that I'm powerlifting, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and doing those cardio routines one Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with yoga on Tuesday nights, and Ju Jitsu (which is probably the most intense cardio I can possibly think of) on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.

Also Ju Jitsu takes a heavy physical toll on your body, the class that I'm in is pretty hardcore and I currently have a black eye, and bruises from head to toe.

My diet plan consists of drinking a protein shake and eating a small bowl of Special K for breakfast, trying to sneak in some snacks such as an apple, Bear Naked Granola and nuts, or a South Beach diet bar between breakfast and lunch, then for lunch eating a stoufer's dinner (the reason for which is because I have absolutely no time in my day and because after reading the nutrition labels, they actually seem to have a pretty good ratio of proteins/fats/carbohydrates), taking a protein shake right after my workout, then again munching on some Granola, fruits and nuts before dinner in which I eat another stoufer's dinner. Then right before bed I eat a can of tuna, with some wheat thins and some carrots and drink a casein protein shake.

I try to get 8 hours of sleep a night, but usually get in the 6-7 range. Also, I try to take a 20-25 minute nap each day.

Between being a Biochem major with a minor in biomedical physics, a part time teacher and tutor, the VP of an Honors society and my workouts I don't have any time to cook or even prepare food. So that's typically about the best I can do. I've cut out sweet foods and junk foods (i.e. burgers, hot dogs, and pizza - with the exception of a burrito on Mondays, Moe's Mondays!). I also take a vitamin in the morning, and before my lifting sessions I drink an NO-xplode. What do you guys think?

I'm just feeling really worn out a lot of the day, and my body feels really banged up, but I'm trying to train for Air Force Special Ops. I've worked my way into this, starting off just working out, then adding in the cardio routine, then the yoga, and now the ju jitsu, do you think eventually my body will just get used to this and I won't be so worn out?

 

[_cato_]

What do you estimate your calories and macros at?

 

[shibs]

Damn bro that's a lot of work for what you're eating and the rest you're getting, it's no wonder you're always exhausted lol I don't think anyone could do that. You're not eating nearly enough to keep up with that routine. Sorry man but I don't see what you can do to get your energy up with that schedule without dropping something :\

 

[ramnares]

Damn bro that's a lot of work for what you're eating and the rest you're getting, it's no wonder you're always exhausted lol I don't think anyone could do that. You're not eating nearly enough to keep up with that routine. Sorry man but I don't see what you can do to get your energy up with that schedule without dropping something :\

Exactly what he said. You're overworking your body and no amount of eating is going to help that. You either need to start sleeping like sleeping f**king beauty or drop something from your routine. You've got to figure out what's best for you to drop. If you're serious about AF Spec Ops then the swimming and running are a must but made worse by the bjj three times a week (in terms of intense cardio).

 

[Hellawulf]

Advice appreciated. I'm struggling to get between 2200-2600 calories a day, dont have the time or money to eat much more than that and still stay within healthy food. I like some of the physical results I've been seeing the last few weeks though... as in I'm cutting really quickly, my weight hasn't dropped to dramatically (192--->186) but my legs have started to cut up nicely, and I'm starting to develop some decent look in my chest and abs. Obviously I'm not only in this for the physical attributes, but they are a plus.

 

[_cato_]

Given your level of activity, your maintenance levels are probably around 3000 a day. So if you're estimating your intake right, you aren't too bad off in that regard, though obviously you'll continue to lose weight. That said, if your lifts are stagnating and decreasing then the deficit is probably too severe.

As these guys have said, your "worn down" feeling is probably more due to lack of sleep and just pure volume of intense exercise. I know personally if I am doing a 5x5 and squatting 3x a week while also running 3+ days a week my legs tend to be in a constant state of worn down soreness. And what I just described doesn't really compare to the amount of work you're doing, not to mention I was getting more food and more sleep. As far as sleep, I'm sure you already know, but you really need to be getting 8 hours minimum, 9 or 10 even better.

You should really focus your goals in one or two areas. I think most people tend to find maximizing fitness in military-type training and also weight training at the same time to be difficult at best, given that the two are somewhat opposed. You're doing that in addition to swimming (depending whether you are counting this as part of your military training), JJ and yoga. Given the goals you stated, I'd advise dropping the JJ at least and see how you feel after 1-2 weeks.

 

[miked8c]

Ditto

Fitness type training while powerlifting is like asking your body to sit and stand at the same time. You need to pick, if your going the military route(sounds more important than starting powerlifting regimen), and your serious, than I would stick with the fitness body weight stuff. You'll be fighting your body's natural tendencies the entire time and will probably end up just burning out rather than making gain if you go for both.

Not trying to be a downer, I am absolutely impressed with everything you manage to get done in a day.

 

[captainahole]

You need to increase you food intake and saying that you don't have time to cook or whatever is crap.
Pick up a cheap rice cooker, cook a pot once a week and there's your carbs,
Most grocery stores now have roasted hot fresh chickens for a steal of a price. I purchase them regularly. Strip the chicken, throw the meat into a zip bag and same as a cup of rice and you are ready to go.

 

[Bucszilla]

You need to increase you food intake and saying that you don't have time to cook or whatever is crap.
Pick up a cheap rice cooker, cook a pot once a week and there's your carbs,
Most grocery stores now have roasted hot fresh chickens for a steal of a price. I purchase them regularly. Strip the chicken, throw the meat into a zip bag and same as a cup of rice and you are ready to go.

What he said...

Always make your meals in advance and have it ready to go so when you're ready you don't waste any time whatsoever. Also, add another scoop or two of protein to your morning protein shake with oats and flax oil.

I would also drop the powerlifting regimen and just do the basic bodyweight movements that the military focuses on (ie pullups, pushups, dips, deadlift and many different ab routines)

 

[Hellawulf]

Can you become addicted to being sore? It's almost like a comfort to me now... haha, I know it sounds weird, but its like I don't feel right going to bed at night if my body doesn't feel like its completely drained of energy...

As for the chicken and rice cooker idea, that sounds interesting. So I'd only need to cook it once like on a saturday, then I could eat it all week?

Also, spec op training is heavy endurance during boot camp, but afterwards (from what I've been told) it is supposed to be like football training (lots of power and agility), which is why I've been trying to go for both... After reading most of ya'lls post I'm definately not ignoring the advice, I'll try to step up my sleeping into the 8-9 hour range and see what I can do about increasing calories, but I'm going to keep at this and see where it takes me. I say that because yesteday at the gym, even though my body was really sore I hit the highest weights on Incline Bench and Squat that I've done in a long while.

Thanks guys!

 

[Hellawulf]

Update:
Its been a few weeks now, and for the first couple of weeks, my body faired nicely, then I posted my orignial post starting the third week, and that week was killer. My entire body felt sore every day. I was half assing it in the pool, at Ju Jitsu, and even at Yoga. My lifts felt harder than they should and I platued that week, not being able to left more on incline bench, military press, or deadlift. Then I took the weekend completely off, pretty much sleeping and eating the whole weekend, came back at it lighter last week, only going to Ju Jitsu twice, only swimming on two cardio days, and only running and bodyweight training on one cardio day. I ended up hitting a PR on deadlift and Incline Bench (and increased weight on squat), didn't get the military press up though. This week I'm doing my full cardio routine again, but I'm not doing Ju Jitsu due to exams (though I may go friday after my workout depending on how I feel). I hit a PR today again on Deadlift and a new one on Military Press. We will see how friday goes if I can get one on Bench and Squat.

Big Question though: I've been kinda thinking bout that beach shape, and I'm tired of being strong, but not looking like it. I'm hitting the same bench as other guys at the gym with biceps twice my size and well developed chests. Hitting Deadlifts with almost a hundred pounds more and squats of equal weight (except I do full squats whereas many of them do half squats) and compared to them I look like to pilsbury dough boy. By no means am I fat, I'm actually kinda skinny, but I have very slight development of my chest and arms and I want more. Since I won't have access to a gym this summer when I go home, I was thinking about doing P90x and just cut out fat and build up some good enduracne, then go into a true weight gaining stage come fall. I've decided to stay for a fifth year in college to work on a minor, so that gives me 3 years before I'll be in the Air Force, so I figure I still have plenty of time. What do ya'll think?

 

[ramnares]

I think a bit part of your lack of muscle development has been the fact that you've been over training. You're not going to see the same muscle development as those guys because of the intense cardio. You've been doing swimming, bjj, and running. Now think of guys out there swimming competitively or running marathons, none of them have insane muscular definition right? Well I think it's the same for you. If you're really looking for that 'beach' shape you should probably cut back even further on the swimming and running and concentrate on a solid lifting routine and just the bjj for cardio. Or you can lift on 3 non-consecutive days and do bjj and HIIT for a couple days. Just my 0.02.

 

[ExtraMile]

if I remeber correctly OneBreath helped you with a pretty decent tranformation to get a "beach body" about a year ago, I remember you decreasing your bodyfat percentage while also gaining lean muscle. Why not look back in your old training log to what you were doing then and do the same? That would at least be a start...

 

[Hellawulf]

Ok, so now I'm getting into a new mode for the summer. I'm training officially for a fight club now thereby doing 5x5 Mon, Wed, Fri, and HIIT on Tues, Thurs, Sat, while starting up this CKD diet. (Which is pretty much what I did that summer, except I wasn't on the CKD diet, I was just trying to eat some healthy foods)

 

[moya]

you need to eat more... time is one thing, buy saying you dont have extra money for more food is rediccuolous when you are spending money to drink 3 shakes a day and a NO explode before the weights...
food is much more important than supplements... and IMO, which i will probably get blasted for, eat some pizza and burritos if you are trying to get some size... as active as you are you will end up gaining more muscle than fat...