Hi Jordan,
I’m writing with a question.
After the birth of my second daughter in April, I started training again.
I went through the Beginner Template, then the General Strength and Conditioning, and now I’m halfway through The Bridge.
Since the end of June, I’ve been tracking my weight.
My weekly average has gone from 70.2 kg to 72.5 kg now.
My waist has gone from about 89 cm to 91 cm.
From a dietary standpoint, I consume 1.6 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day, and I follow a healthy diet (lots of fiber, plenty of legumes, low fat and from healthy sources).
I don’t track calories precisely, but my standard diet had been maintenance (weight stable for a long time). Now I’ve been eating more, adding a few slices of whole-grain bread and a post-workout with gofio (toasted cereal flour) and whey.
However, I’m starting to see myself looking a bit too soft around the midsection, and I was wondering if I should reduce my calorie intake.
Looking forward to your thoughts, thanks again for your great work.
PS 36yo, height 177 cm
1 Like
Luigi,
Thanks for the post and congrats on the new addition. I don’t think that a 2-cm increase in waist indicates an issue after gaining ~2.5-kg in weight, though I also think gaining that much weight in 6-weeks is probably a bit much for most folks. I don’t see a reason to reduce Calorie intake, though I would probably change your training. The General S/C 1 program is far better suited to you than The Bridge, and I think the conditioning is important.
My 0.02.
-Jordan
Hi Jordan, quick update. I’ve just finished The Bridge with 30 minutes of conditioning three times per week. It went really well—I managed the volume without issues and saw estimated max increases of 12 kg on the squat and RDL (which I used instead of the deadlift for convenience) and 5 kg on the bench press. I’ve now moved to maintenance calories, with bodyweight stabilized at 72.5 kg and waist circumference steady at 90 cm, measured as per the instructions on the site. I’m planning to move on to Hypertrophy 1 now. Do you have any suggestions on how to handle calorie intake?
Best regards, and keep up the great work.