My First Boot Camp of 2012

I have made it a habit to do our 14-day low carb boot camp about once every 6 months, and just finished my first one of the new year. I figured that 1) I had been coasting a bit for the last 6 weeks or so and needed a jump start, and 2) most of the participants in our 2012 Ultimate Challenge are beginning the competition with it, so I should refresh myself on what to expect. Here’s a quick layout of all of the “extras” (for the basics of the boot camp itself, click here):

Supplements

For the most part, I stayed with the basics – multivitamin, zinc, magnesium, high doses of fish oil, and HCL.  I also added Insulinomics and Glucose Disposal to address insulin resistance (I swapped out Glucose Disposal for Fenuplex after the first week because I ran out).  I also followed up each training session with a post-workout shake with 40g New Zealand whey, 2tbsp glutamine, 1tbsp glycine powder, and 1-2tbsp Primal Greens (a powdered greens superfood) to keep post-workout cortisol at a minimum.  I also added a couple of capsules of magnesium to my post-workout shake on days when I had to train later in the day.

Cardio

None.  I did absolutely no cardio whatsoever for the entire 14 days.  If you are going to do cardio, keep it high-intensity intervals and 20-30 minutes max.  I have found that cardio raises cortisol more than it helps with fat loss so I do better with just staying low-carb instead.

Training

We recommend either full-body training sessions or a combination of upper- and lower-body exercises (i.e. quads and back in one workout, hamstrings and chest/shoulders in another), 3-4 times a week.  I stayed with what has worked for me in the past, German Body Comp for Athletes.  I made a few adjustments based on equipment availability but other than that stayed true to the program as written.  It was a bitch.

Tips for Success

I started the boot camp at 12.5% bodyfat, was down to 10.3% after the first week, and finished at just over 9%.  I added about 3.5lbs of lean mass (maybe muscle, maybe fluid, but not fat) and lost about 5lbs of fat.  There are a few things that will make or break your success on this thing:

1. Keep protein intake high.  Eat animal protein every time you eat, and eat as often as possible.  My protein intake averaged just under 400g per day at a bodyweight of 155-160lbs.
2. Eat vegetables at every meal.  On top of keeping you full, veggies have a high thermic effect – meaning they take more calories to digest than there are in the food to begin with, due to the high fiber content.  Your body has to go to bodyfat to make up the difference.
3. Prep your meals in advance.  Since eggs aren’t allowed on the boot camp, I used variations on burger patties for my breakfast and snacks to get me through.  Every few nights we would prep 1-2lbs of ground turkey, beef, chicken, or sirloin into 3-4oz patties and I would just grab two of them with some nuts or cucumbers for a quick meal.  Without the planning I would either have not eaten or have had to turn to crap just to get something in me.

One interesting note – last night I had a cheat meal after finishing the 14th day, and had pizza, breadsticks and ice cream with my boys.  About two slices into the pizza, I got a splitting headache that lasted the rest of the night.  Expect your body to reject unhealthy food after it’s over.