My pro debut is officially starting tomorrow! Today, Robin and I are having a pre-prep barbecue. I’ll be tracking my macros, so it’s not a complete cheat day. We even forgot to oil the grill! No worries, we’ll make it work. We’ve got burgers ready to go!
I’ve been tracking calories and protein until now, but my coach, Eric Helms from 3DMJ (3D Muscle Journey), wants Robin and I to track our individual macros. So, tomorrow marks the start of precise macro tracking. Today is my last day of just monitoring calories and protein. I just wanted to warm up the grill! Looks like the burgers are about done.
Here’s my plate: an extra-lean ground beef patty (210g) with a small amount of goat cheese (10g), ketchup, mustard, a Bud Light Lime, and some watermelon for dessert. We also have some asparagus on the grill.
It’s day one of my official prep. My current weight: 163.427 lbs.
For breakfast, I had oatmeal with a touch of maple syrup (just 5 calories per tablespoon!), 100g of blackberries, and some flavored water. We’ve been using calorie-free flavor enhancers; my favorite is the MiO lemonade, but we’re out, so orange Kool-Aid it is! It’s actually pretty good. I also take my supplements: 3,000 IU of Vitamin D, two 1200mg fish oil capsules, and a multivitamin. And here’s my award for Best Overall Male Open Lifter at the NSPL Provincials a couple weeks ago. I don’t think I mentioned it yet, but Robin and I broke all the provincial records here in Nova Scotia! Squat, bench press, deadlift, and total – we hold all eight records in the 52kg class for Robin and the 74kg class for me. Pretty exciting!
I’m reviewing Coach Eric’s plan. Both Robin and I are super excited to be working with Eric Helms and the 3DMJ team. They’re doing incredible work. My main goals for this prep, as outlined by Coach Helms: achieve shredded conditioning and have a successful pro debut. Pretty straightforward, yet challenging! Meal two will be chicken fajitas.
Here’s meal two: chicken fajitas with cheese, mixed vegetables, and some grape juice. Coach Helms wants me to do AMRAP testing this week for my accessory lifts. I know my one-rep max for squat, bench, and deadlift, so this week is about finding my 3-5 rep max for seal rows (new for me!), weighted chins, front squats, Romanian deadlifts, and overhead press. As you can see, I’m testing out the seal row setup. It’s a bit makeshift! Next up: weighted chins.
My current macros are 175g protein, 275g carbs, and 55g fat for six days a week, totaling around 2300 calories. On my one refeed day, I bump up to 2900 calories with 425g of carbs. These might seem low, but they’re working for me. I’m losing weight, hitting new lows every other day, and I’m not feeling overly hungry or energy-depleted. So far, so good! I’ve also started doing face pulls with my foot on the upright for counterbalance. This allows me to use more weight safely and effectively.
Post-workout, I had a protein shake and some chocolate-covered pretzels. Now, I’m having my homemade Chipotle: rice, chicken, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and avocado salsa, all mixed together. It reminds me of the Chipotle we had in New York, which I miss! I’ll have some orange slices for dessert.
Here’s the final meal of the day: a nutritious, high-protein, high-fiber superfood (as some might say!). On day one, I overshot my protein by 25g and undershot my carbs by 25g. I’m so used to just tracking calories that hitting specific macros again took some adjustment. Overall, a decent first day back. Tomorrow, I’ll aim to be within 5g of each macro target. That’s all for today. See you tomorrow!
