At this point, you’ll recognize that you need a rest day, but you also need to reevaluate your progress after you’ve shifted into Phase Two. You’ve dropped calories down to 13 per pound of bodyweight. If you’ve had to adjust lower to improve fat-loss results, then you can drop calories another calorie per pound of bodyweight for the day. In other words, if you were consuming 12 calories per pound, then you can drop down to about 11 calories per pound, making the shifts in equal balance of the macros on the nutrition chart you’re following. However, my basic recommendation is that you consume 13 calories per pound of bodyweight for the next week. We’ll be dropping calories again for the last two weeks of Operation Aesthetic.
One question I often get asked is: how much should I adjust my sodium (salt) intake at this point? My answer is that you shouldn’t adjust it at all. I’ll give you recommendations for that on Day 53. You should only reduce sodium over the last few days on a fat-loss program when your goal is to drop water and look as good as possible on stage or in photos. Reducing sodium too early only makes it more challenging to look shredded at the end of a fat-loss program like Operation Aesthetic. So, keep your sodium intake moderate for now.
Just as you did during the Rest and Recovery days during Phase One, you have plenty of things on your to-do list for today. It’s especially crucial that you monitor these after a week of reducing calorie intake during Phase Two. Here’s your to-do list for today.
DAY 35 TO-DO LIST:
Each full rest day—the 7th of each week—comes with bullet points you need to complete. So think of that as your workout or discipline on Operation Aesthetic.
Weigh yourself upon rising. Don’t put too much stock in how much you weigh, but record this in your diary. Your weight is more important as a way to calculate other metrics of success on this Trainer series than it is a primary marker.
Take photos of yourself. Wear the same clothes you used for your beginning photos. Then take photos in the same setup at the same time of day as you did for your “before” photos. It’s important that you remove all variables other than your progress from your weekly photos. Take shots from the same angles in the same way as you did during your “before” shots.
Read through your journal and make sure it’s up-to-date. Now that you’re into Phase Two of Operation Aesthetic, recording every set, rep, weight, and exercise should be second nature. And so should keeping track of every food and the quantity of each. In addition, make sure you record each of the Kaged Muscle supps you’re taking. This will help you evaluate the exercises, nutrition strategies, and supplements that work best for you going forward on this program and the next one you follow.
Get in your cheat meal at the end of the day. Even during Phase Two, you’ll still consume a cheat meal that’s equivalent to about 4 calories per pound of bodyweight. However, if you weighed 200 pounds at the beginning of this program and you’re now down to 190, you’ll cut your cheat meal by about 40 calories. That’s easy enough to do if you’re eating a hamburger and fries—just cut the carbs a bit. Keep the protein and fat at the same level as before. Remember that this meal will help you refuel for the upcoming week, and legs are up tomorrow.
Even in Phase Two, this is the only day of the week where you won’t perform your 2 25-minute sessions of steady-state cardio, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything to support muscle growth. You can include an active-rest activity. This can be anything from a walk in the park with the kids and/or your significant other, a yoga class that emphasizes mobility for both recovery and greater range of motion, or a passive activity such as a massage, a soak in a hot tub, or a session in steam room. As you get closer to the end of Operation Aesthetic these recovery strategies become more important.
FAT-FRYING SUPPS: HYDRA-CHARGE®
When you’re dieting and following a challenging training program, you need to replenish valuable electrolytes and minerals that you lose through sweat. To help stay hydrated I sip on Hydra-ChargeÒ throughout the day. Staying hydrated is vital to both your workout performance as well as your recovery when you’re dieting. Hydra-Charge provides key electrolytes, including calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. It also contains freeze-dried coconut water and is combined with SPECTRA, which contains a blend of fruit, vegetable, and herbal extracts for antioxidant support.*
FOR BEST RESULTS: While you can sip on it throughout the day, I recommend getting in a dose before, during, or after workouts, or at any other time to support general hydration. I go with at least 2 servings a day.
