Thoughts on how to overcome "The wall"

[DAVIDHARDY]

Here lately I've been noticing that it is a bitch for me to try and get my heart rate up to 120. It seems like just a month or 6 weeks ago, I could walk on the treadmill at 3MPH and 6 incline and be in the 115-120 range(fingers on pulse, not the retarded machine). This morning, I got on the treadmill for a 30 min session and walked at 3.5 on a 7 incline and my heatr rate was barely pushing 90! If I got on the stepper back then, forget about going past level 4; that would send my heart rate into the 135+ range! Now, I have to step it out at 7 just to hit 120bpm. Outdoor walks at a moderate pace used to do the trick as well, but now I look like a damn race walker out there with the fast pace and arm swing just to achieve 115bpm! This is frustrating the hell out of me! I am having to haul ass on the elliptical as well! Now I truly understand why it is that people have to increase their cardio to such high daily totals deep into the prep. It seems like ONCE YOU ARE "IN SHAPE", it's a bitch to REALLY GET INTO SHAPE lol.

I'm up to 2.5 hours a day at 5.5 weeks out and I'm wondering if I'm gonna have to keep going higher in the insuing weeks due to my cardiovascular conditioning. I'm using a keto diet, so HIIT is out of the question unless I go for a TKD approach and drink some gatorade or something preworkout, but I ain't risking that shit this close. What are some tips that y'all use to get the heartrate back up? I was thinking about splitting my cardio up during a 60 min session by swapping back and forth from machine to machine when I'm only doing cardio(no weights). Like the stepper for 15 min, elliptical for 15, treadmill for 15, and back to the stepper for another 15. I was also thinking about intermingling my cardio and weight sessions together. Say I'm doing back. Do 30 min of cardio, then do back thickness, then 30 more cardio, then back width. By doing that, my heart rate will be up from cardio headed into weight training and since I don't take long breaks unless I'm deading or squating, it will stay up during the 1st weight session. Then it will remain elevated for the final cardio session and throughout the last portion of the weight training session as well. Plus, I've read studies that suggest that strength is better when you take breaks like that, so I will be able to maintain even more strength, or even possibly get stronger, which is EXTREMLY beneficial during prep. I'm just brainstorming trying to figure out ways to get the most out of my time instead of having to increase the time even more.

Thoughts on my theory to break through that "wall" that we all eventually hit?

[DAVIDHARDY]

i WENT AND DID AN HOUR OF CARDIO TODAY ON MY LUNCH BREAK AND i SPLIT IT UP...damn caps was bass ackwards again lol. Anyway, I split it up with 20 min stepmill, 20 min treadmill, and 20 min elliptical. Psychologically, it was easier to complete. The most time I ever saw left on the machines was 19 min, so that was something to look forward to. Also, my heart rate was in fact easier to keep elevated this way. I'll keep reporting back and letting y'all know if this continues to be the case vs. just using one piece of equipment for the entire 60 min.

[FoodFreak]

Here lately I've been noticing that it is a bitch for me to try and get my heart rate up to 120. It seems like just a month or 6 weeks ago, I could walk on the treadmill at 3MPH and 6 incline and be in the 115-120 range(fingers on pulse, not the retarded machine). This morning, I got on the treadmill for a 30 min session and walked at 3.5 on a 7 incline and my heatr rate was barely pushing 90! If I got on the stepper back then, forget about going past level 4; that would send my heart rate into the 135+ range! Now, I have to step it out at 7 just to hit 120bpm. Outdoor walks at a moderate pace used to do the trick as well, but now I look like a damn race walker out there with the fast pace and arm swing just to achieve 115bpm! This is frustrating the hell out of me! I am having to haul ass on the elliptical as well! Now I truly understand why it is that people have to increase their cardio to such high daily totals deep into the prep. It seems like ONCE YOU ARE "IN SHAPE", it's a bitch to REALLY GET INTO SHAPE lol.

I'm up to 2.5 hours a day at 5.5 weeks out and I'm wondering if I'm gonna have to keep going higher in the insuing weeks due to my cardiovascular conditioning. I'm using a keto diet, so HIIT is out of the question unless I go for a TKD approach and drink some gatorade or something preworkout, but I ain't risking that shit this close. What are some tips that y'all use to get the heartrate back up? I was thinking about splitting my cardio up during a 60 min session by swapping back and forth from machine to machine when I'm only doing cardio(no weights). Like the stepper for 15 min, elliptical for 15, treadmill for 15, and back to the stepper for another 15. I was also thinking about intermingling my cardio and weight sessions together. Say I'm doing back. Do 30 min of cardio, then do back thickness, then 30 more cardio, then back width. By doing that, my heart rate will be up from cardio headed into weight training and since I don't take long breaks unless I'm deading or squating, it will stay up during the 1st weight session. Then it will remain elevated for the final cardio session and throughout the last portion of the weight training session as well. Plus, I've read studies that suggest that strength is better when you take breaks like that, so I will be able to maintain even more strength, or even possibly get stronger, which is EXTREMLY beneficial during prep. I'm just brainstorming trying to figure out ways to get the most out of my time instead of having to increase the time even more.

Thoughts on my theory to break through that "wall" that we all eventually hit?


I understand your concern. Here are a few things that I think (some more than others have been confirmed via research and other anecdotal evidence):

KETO DIETS:

-They DO slow your metabolism down via thyroid down-regulation (t4 stops converting to T3 as efficiently)- this is due to very low insulin as well as a few other things. This is usually compensated for by a once-per week cheat meal. I've seen bigger guys (pro's like mike liberatore manage 2 cheat meals per week. His metabolism is fast to begin with and this helps keep it fast).

The problem here:

I dont think (from my own experience) that once a week is enough to keep t3 elevated for more than 1-3 days. thus making the weeks worth of progress less efficient. Sure we can compensate by doing hours of additional low intensity cardio (to burn fat calories) but how inefficient is that?

Also consider that Dave as well as many pro's and other guys have alot of success on this diet while using T3 (and clen etc) but the T3 eliminates the problem of down regulated thyroid. Then the once per week cheat meal only serves to spike insulin and create a glycogen surplus for the next weeks worth of training. Using something like guggulseterones can help this issue naturally, I'd recommend 75-100mg daily.

What I am trying now at 8 weeks into the diet, 215lbs 5'8 and 6% bf is this:

weight training 2 days on 1 day off for 45 mins.

On training days, follow weight training with 25g carbs from gatorade or pedialyte with 25g BCAA. wait a few minutes, then perform 15-20 mins HIIT cardio.

On NON training days, I perform 0-60 mins of Low intensity fasted AM cardio.

why and how this is working:

HOW:
-I get 25g trace carbs from my diet, so the additional 25 isnt enough to kick me out of ketosis especially becuase of the timing (post workout and pre HIIT)- they get used up right away. The HIIT is great for stimulating fast-twitch fibers and KEEPING METABOLIC RATE ELEVATED POST-CARDIO which is NOT seen with low intensity cardio. On my NON training days, I do the Low intensity cardio in the AM which directly burns fat calories, while my metabolism is still elevated all day from the previous evenings HIIT session (I train in the evening).

WHY:
-after about 6-8 weeks in true ketosis with no T3 supplementation the thyroid will undoubtedly slow. those with faster metabolisms may have less of an issue here and the once per week cheat meal may be enough to keep it elevated.. but this doesn't work for me and Im sure alot of other people as well. that's why its so hard to "get in shape, once your in shape" after about 8 weeks of keto dieting.

-the body prefers homeostasis, thus after some time it adjusts metabolically to the weight loss by slowing metabolic rate. Combine this with the other physiological reasons for metabolic slowdown (thyroid conversion) on a keto diet and it becomes obvious that the only way around it is hours of additional Low intensity cardio...which is okay, i suppose, however inefficient in my eyes. HIIT cardio keeps the body guessing, so does a PWO-PRE HIIT shake and mini-insulin spike on training days, thus up regulating t3 conversion and challenging other homeostasis- causing mechanisms.

P-V days:

These can be saved for those last few weeks when in true ketosis, to allow for a tool in case there is some stubborn fatty deposits. benefit of this (metabolism still up since these last 4-6 weeks function like the first 4-6 weeks of a typical KETO diet, so the P-V days will work even better if they are in fact needed)

Some Examples:

-Toney freeman does a true keto diet, however instead of taking 16+ weeks to get in shape as the metabolism slows using Low intensity cardio, he did higher intensity cardio with OXYGEN. This is one way to provide the surplus of oxygen needed to burn fat at higher intensity cardiovascular output levels.

-Evan centopani dieted in true ketosis and did well, however he then tried keeping carbs in until 4-6 weeks out for 3 of the meals (breakfast pre and post workout). The carbs helped keep his metabolism elevated, and then 4-6 weeks out, drop into true ketosis while the metabolism is stille levated and he say the type of progress we all rave about for the FIRST 4-6 weeks of our keto diets. (This is how I intend to transition into a contest next time around instead of jumping right into true keto).

-Dave P himself diets on 100g carbs or more until 4-6 weeks out when its time to peel off that extra little bit.