4 Hour Body Experience: Ground Zero

     As mentioned in the previous post, I recently read "The 4 Hour Body" by Tim Ferriss and have implemented several of the principles discussed by Ferriss in to my training and dieting regime.  The following is not ver betum what is prescribed by Ferriss, but an adaptation of what I learned from his book and infused that knowledge with previous practices I have found to be effective.  I have spent the last two weeks or so fine tuning and experimenting with different concepts in order to organize a plan for an up coming Jiu Jitsu tournament on March 3, 2012.  This is also an attempt to shed a few holiday pounds and get back to my competition weight as the summer Jiu Jitsu season approaches.  Below you will find detailed descriptions of the plan I am following and data that I am tracking throughout the next 50 days.  Much of the data that will be recorded and that which is prescribed below is strictly for reference purposes.  For example, there is a lot of math found in my diet plan, but I DO NOT make those calculations daily, rather I print the spreadsheet and stick it to my refrigerator; thereby referencing while I am cooking my meals for the day each morning.

     Training Schedule:
Monday - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Technique - 2 hours
              - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Sparring - 1 hour
Tuesday - Boxing - 2 hours
Wednesday - Strength and Conditioning - 1 hour
Thursday - BJJ Technique - 1/2 hour
                - BJJ Sparring - 1/2 hour
Friday - Boxing and/or Yoga - 1 hour total
Saturday - Strength and Conditioning - 1 hour
Sunday - Yoga - 1 hour
Weekly Total Recreational Activity - ~10 hours
*Any variations will be detailed in my weekly reports

     Strength and Condition:
Current Stats (tested Week of 1/2/2012):
          Deadlift - n/a
          One Hand Kettlebell Snatch - *elbow injury
          Turkish Get Up - 70#
          Overhead Squat - 160#
          Clean and Jerk - 160#
Goals (to be tested Week of 2/20/2012):
          Deadlift - 160# x 160 reps in 23 min
          Turkish Get Up - 120# x 1 (each side)
          One Hand Kettlebell Snatch - 53# x 160 reps in 10 min
          Overhead Squat - 200#
          Clean and Jerk - 200#

     Diet:

Daily Intake (1500 Cal)
Protein	160g	640 cal	42.70%
Fat	62g	558 cal	37.20%
Carbs	75g	300 cal	20.00%
	Veggies	4 x 4g	16g	64 cal
	Fruit	1 x 15g	15g	60 cal
	Other	5 x 5 g	25g	100 cal
Meal	Cal	Protein	Fat	Carb
1 - 10 am	316	32	12	20	Fruit
2 - 1 pm	296	32	12	15	Veg
3 - 4 pm	296	32	12	15	Veg
4 - 6:30 pm	296	32	12	15	Veg
5 - 9:30 pm	294	32	14	10	Veg
	1498	160	62	75
		42.70%	37%	20.00%

Diet Notes:

• Meal 1 = post workout meal
• Sleep - Bedtime = between midnight and 1 am; Wake up between 7 and 8 am
• Upon Waking Up - Drink 500ml of ice water, 90 sec of exercise (to be documented), Breakfast within one hour
• Before Bed - 30 min or ice on body
• Coffee - add Saigon or Cassia cinnamon to stimulate insulin sensitivity
• Tea - drink green tea throughout the day
• Juice - see CHEAT DAY section

Supplements:
Whey Protein - one scoop used in one meal per day
Universal Animal Flex - joint supplement; one pack per day
Equate Men's One Daily - multivitamin for general health and rounding of nutrients


Tips and Tricks:

• Sugar Free Jello Pudding with Whey Protein
• Sugar Free Jello to quench sweet tooth cravings
• Salad Dressing Recipe - mustard, vinegar, sweetner
• Sweet Onion Sauce Recipe - Vinegar, sweetener, minced onion, basil
• Teriyaki Sauce Recipe - soy sauce, minced onion, parsley, garlic, ginger
• Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe - sweetener, Worcestershire sauce, ginger, garlic, vinegar, mustard

Cheat Days:

• Monday and Friday
• Regular Meals for most of day w/ Cayenne Pepper and/or hot sauce
• 6 hour binge period near end of day
• Grapefruit Juice and Green Tea at each cheat meal
• Start with fast sugars and graduate to slow starches
• 90 seconds of exercise prior to each cheat meal
• 90 seconds of exercise within 90 minutes after each cheat meal

    Data Tracking:

1. Cold Showers / Ice Baths - Procedure followed will be documented in weekly reports.  Data will also include body temperature before and after as well as water temperature at its coldest point.  Weekly averages of those figures will also be recorded.
2. Weight - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking.  Starting weight is 176.5 lbs with a goal of 160 lbs.
3. Body Mass Index - Calculated Weekly on Monday upon waking, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking.  Starting BMI is 27.64
4. Percent Body Fat - Calculated Weekly on Monday upon waking, after going to the bathroom and before eating or drinking.  Starting PBF is 7.5 with a goal of less than 5.
5. Resting Heart Rate - Calculated Weekly on Monday upon waking.  Starting rate is 60 beats per minute.
6. Blood Pressure - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking.  My blood pressure for this week has not been taken at the time of this post, but historically has run a bit high; somewhere around 140/70.
7. Neck Circumference - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking.  Starting circumference at widest point without flexing is 16.5 inches.
8. Chest Circumference - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking.  Starting circumference at nipple level, without flexing or inhaling, is 41 inches.
9. Waist Circumference - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking.  Starting circumference at navel level without "sucking it in" or flexing is 31.5 inches.
10. Hip Circumference - Measured Weekly on Monday upon waking.  Starting circumference at top of hip bone level (typically where I wear my jeans, semi-sagging) is 31 inches.
11. 90 Second Exercise Sessions - Details will be recorded with the date, time, and description for Cheat Day sessions.  Daily Morning Sessions will also be documented by date and description, loosely following some of the routines prescribed by Paul Wade in "Convict Conditioning" (See Link HERE).

Other Notes:
     If you have payed close attention to the goal weight and body fat numbers you may have noticed that the percentage of weight I am striving to loose is greater than the percentage of fat (converted to pounds of weight) that I am seeking to loose.  This means that some of my weight loss will have to come from lean body mass.  This is something that many strength coaches, conditioning gurus, athletes, and trainers alike will voraciously tut-tut me about.  However, in my particular circumstance it is not as beneficial to me to be as big and strong as I can while keeping a low percentage of body fat as it is to be as strong and powerful as I can be at ~160 lbs.  The IBJJF weight class that I compete is 167 lbs.  This is the athletes weight while wearing their gi (uniform) and belt.  My competition gi weighs about 2.8 lbs and I would prefer to be well fed and hydrated while competing; hence the buffer of a few pounds.  If you are curious about the loss calculations, I have included those below.

• 176.5 - 160 = 16.5 lbs reduction in body weight
• 16.5 = 9.35% of 176.5
• 7.5% - 4.9% = 2.6% reduction in fat
• 9.35% reduction in body weight - 2.6% reduction in fat = 6.75% reduction in body mass
• 6.75% of 176.5 = 11.9 lbs less lean body mass
• THEREFORE - overall strength and power may proportionately decrease by 6.75%.  An important calculation at the end of this process will be to my pound-for-pound or strength per weight ration.  If the ration stays the same, for my purposes, there is no harm in losing lean body mass.  However, it can usually be implied that a reduction in lean body mass will procure a proportionate reduction in the body weight to strength ratio.  I will seek to defy the mathematics by decreasing total body mass (reductions in both lean body mass and body fat percentage) while increasing my body weight to strength ratio.

Thank you for reading.  Please make endeavors of your own and continue to read these posts as it helps keep me publicly accountable on this quest.