Krishna · March 28, 2026
Check back after each DEXA scan to update progress.
Mar 29 – Apr 11 · Do not try to build fitness. Execute.
Pre-workout meal (2–3 hrs before): 3–4 rotis or 200g rice + light dal. No heavy fat. 30 min before: 1 banana + 4–5 dates. This is a race-length effort — fuel it properly.
Note times for each station. This data tells you where to focus pacing on race day.
Pacing: Run at 75–80% effort. This is a dress rehearsal, not max effort. Runs 1–3 especially — go conservative. Your calf pacing strategy for race day starts here.
You will be sore from the simulation. That's fine. Do the mobility, walk, hydrate. No gym.
Pre-run protocol is non-negotiable: Foam roll calves + IT band (60s/leg) → ankle circles → hip flexor stretch → 15 glute bridges → 2 min easy walk. Then run.
If calves feel tight, back off to 2km. Do not push through lockup. You have a race in 10 days.
Morning mobility only. No gym.
Morning mobility only.
Same session as Saturday, but all weights at 60%. Keep the stimulus without accumulating fatigue before race day.
Keep the legs moving. Do not go harder or longer — race is in 4 days.
No sled. No ski erg max effort. No rowing hard. Movement patterns only. 20 minutes cap. This is a feel-good session, not a workout.
Morning mobility only. Hydrate well today. Sleep early.
Carb-load dinner tonight: 4 rotis + rice + dal + curd. Extra carbs, moderate protein, minimal fat, minimal fibre. Top up glycogen. Sleep by 10pm.
10 min morning mobility only. No gym. Walk if restless.
See the Race Day section for full fueling, strategy and station guide.
April 11, 2026 · Open Men · Target: sub-110 to sub-120
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Night before (Apr 10) | High carb dinner: 4 rotis + rice + dal + curd. Low fat, low fibre. Sleep by 10pm. |
| 2–3 hrs before race | 3–4 rotis or 200g rice + light dal. No heavy fat or fibre. |
| 30 min before | 1 banana + 4–5 dates. Quick carbs only. |
| Between stations 4–5 | 1 electrolyte drink (ORS packet) or sports drink. Not just water — you need sodium. |
| Within 90 min after | High carb + protein meal: rice + dal + paneer or eggs. Do not skip this. |
The format is 8×1km with station rest between each. You are not running 8km straight. Your calves can handle 1km intervals — the simulation on Mar 29 will confirm this. Start the first 2 runs conservatively (don't burn out early). The sled push (station 2) is the hardest — break it into passes, don't rush. Wall balls (station 8) are last — by this point just finish them unbroken if possible.
Mandatory. 50% weights, 50% volume. No running. Full recovery.
Phase 2 baseline measurement on Apr 19: InBody scan at a gym (~₹500, good enough for tracking trends) + tape measure waist/hips/chest + Sunday fasted weight. Take progress photos. DEXA if budget allows but not required.
April 19 – August 14, 2026
Two legs sessions per week is non-negotiable. Tuesday + Saturday. These fix the calf lockup. If life gets in the way and you can only do two sessions in a week, these are the two. Not push, not pull. Legs.
Monday walk is aerobic base work, not optional. One 30–45 min run/week is not enough Zone 2 volume for meaningful adaptation. The walk is the second aerobic session that makes Phase 2 actually work.
| Week | Dates | What |
|---|---|---|
| Deload 1 | May 12–18 | 50% volume, 50% weight + diet break (eat at maintenance ~2,300 kcal) |
| Spain | May 19–31 | Complete write-off. No tracking. Natural diet break. |
| Deload 2 | Jun 28–Jul 4 | 50% volume, 50% weight + diet break (eat at maintenance ~2,300 kcal) |
| Deload 3 | Aug 4–10 | 50% volume, 50% weight + diet break (eat at maintenance ~2,300 kcal) |
At the top of every hip thrust rep: squeeze glutes hard and tuck pelvis. This directly trains the APT correction, not just strength.
Pre-run protocol every single time — no exceptions: Foam roll calves + IT band (60s/leg) → ankle circles → hip flexor stretch → 15 glute bridges → 2 min easy walk. Skipping this is how you get calf lockup.
| Period | Distance |
|---|---|
| Apr 19 – May 11 | 4.0km → 5.0km |
| May 12–18 (Deload) | 3.0km |
| Spain (May 19–31) | None |
| Jun 1–2 (Restart) | 4.0km ← start here, not 5.5km |
| Jun 3–28 | 4.0km → 6.0km |
| Jun 29–Jul 27 | 6.0km → 7.5km |
| Jul 28–Aug 14 | 7.5km → 8.5km |
MAF formula: 180 − 23 = 157 BPM ceiling. Whatever pace keeps you at or below 157 BPM is your pace. Right now that's probably 8:00–8:30/km. Walk-jog intervals are valid. The pace number does not matter — the HR does.
The grey zone trap: Running at Zone 3–4 every session builds neither aerobic base nor top-end power — it just accumulates fatigue. You've been doing this. Every run must be genuinely below 157 BPM or it's wasted effort.
MAF test every 4 weeks: Run 3km at exactly 157 BPM and record your pace. As the base builds, pace at the same HR improves — expect 45–60 sec/km faster by month 3–4. This is how you know it's working.
If calves lock up: stop, walk, foam roll, resume. Do not push through lockup.
Why this matters: Research shows 3+ hours/week of Zone 2 is needed for meaningful aerobic base adaptation. One 30–45 min run/week is not enough. This walk is the second aerobic session that makes the Thursday run actually compound over time.
Diet stays at rest day calories — the walk doesn't justify training day intake. No special prep needed. Just walk.
The pelvic tilt drill is new — lie on back, press lower back into floor, hold 5s. This teaches correct pelvic position and helps the APT over time.
Phase 2 · April 19 – August 14
Protein minimum applies every day. If rest day sample meal plan falls short, add 1–2 boiled eggs or 100g extra curd to hit 150g.
| Source | Protein | How Often |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs (whole + whites) | 6–7g/egg | Daily |
| Whey protein (1 scoop) | 25g | Daily |
| Milky Mist Skyr 225g | 27g | Daily · one at lunch, one at dinner |
| Paneer | 18–20g/100g | 3–4×/week |
| Tofu | 8g/100g | 2–3×/week |
| Soya chunks/granules | 52g/100g dry | 3×/week in sabzis |
| Rajma / Chana | 15g/cup | 1–2×/week each |
| Moong / Masoor dal | 14–18g/cup | Daily |
| Greek yogurt / curd | 10g/100g | Every meal |
| Tempeh | 19g/100g | 1–2×/week (health stores) |
| Source | Why | How Often |
|---|---|---|
| Brown rice | Slower digestion than white | Replace white rice 3×/week |
| Ragi (finger millet) | High calcium, slower GI, very Karnataka | Ragi mudde or roti 2×/week |
| Jowar roti | More fibre, lower GI than wheat | 2×/week |
| Quinoa | Complete protein + carb | 2–3×/week instead of rice |
| Sweet potato | Better glycemic response, filling | 2×/week (boiled or roasted) |
| Oats | Already using — keep it | Breakfast |
| Poha | Light, easy to digest | 1–2×/week breakfast |
| Bajra roti | Good micronutrient profile | 1–2×/week |
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts. Fill half the plate at lunch and dinner with these where possible.
Palak (spinach), methi (fenugreek), moringa/drumstick leaves, amaranth leaves. Rotate daily. Moringa 2×/week in dal — exceptional micronutrient profile.
Zucchini, capsicum, mushrooms, bitter gourd (karela 1×/week for blood sugar), ridge gourd, bottle gourd, drumstick pods in sambar, French beans.
Cucumber + tomato + onion + lemon + pinch of salt. Zero calories, high volume, fills you up.
| Meal | What | Kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-workout 9am | 1–2 multigrain toast, minimal ghee | 150 | 5g |
| Post-workout 11am | 40g oats + 150ml milk + 1 whey scoop + 1 banana + 10g walnuts + 1 tbsp chia seeds | 480 | 38g |
| Lunch 1:30pm | 2 jowar rotis or 80g quinoa + dal with soya chunks + sabzi + salad + skyr 225g | 620 | 48g |
| Evening 5pm | 1 whey scoop + 1 apple or guava | 200 | 25g |
| Dinner 8:30pm | 2 rotis or 80g rice + tofu bhurji / 100g paneer / egg curry (3 eggs) + green veg + salad + skyr 225g | 500 | 40g |
| Total | 1,950 | 156g |
| Meal | What | Kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast 9am | 3–4 moong dal chilla + 100g curd + 1 fruit | 380 | 25g |
| Lunch 1:30pm | Rajma rice (80g rice + 100g cooked rajma) + sabzi + salad + skyr 225g | 580 | 45g |
| Evening 5pm | 1 whey scoop + 1 fruit | 200 | 25g |
| Dinner 8:30pm | 2 ragi/jowar rotis + dal + palak sabzi + 150g curd + salad + 2 boiled eggs | 590 | 55g |
| Total | 1,750 | 150g |
| Supplement | Dose | When |
|---|---|---|
| Creatine monohydrate | 5g | First half of day — not after 2pm |
| Fish oil | 1 cap | With food |
| Whey protein | 1–2 scoops | Post-workout + evening |
| Magnesium glycinate | 300–400mg | Before bed — helps sleep quality |
| Vitamin D | TBD after blood test | Get tested before May |
Non-negotiables and how to handle when things go wrong.
If life gets in the way and you can only do 2 sessions in a week, those 2 are Tuesday Legs and Saturday Legs. Not push. Not pull. Not run. Legs always wins because it's the only thing fixing the root problem.
One missed session does not become two. If you miss Tuesday legs, Saturday legs happens regardless. The pattern of one → two → eleven days stops here. One missed session is a blip. Two is a pattern.
If you miss multiple sessions, do not try to figure out "where you left off" or make up missed work. Pick up the current week's scheduled session and continue forward. Doubling up doesn't recover lost stimulus — it just fatigues you.
Fasted. Sunday morning. After using the bathroom. Before drinking anything. Same day, same time, every week. Mid-week weights after heavy food or cheat meals are noise — ignore them.
Every single run starts with: foam roll calves + IT band (60s/leg) → ankle circles → hip flexor stretch → 15 glute bridges → 2 min easy walk. Skipping this is how you get calf lockup. The calf lockup is a glute/hip flexor problem — activating those muscles before running is the fix.
Maximum 1 per week in Phase 2. Best on a training day, ideally post-workout — when insulin sensitivity is highest and your body can use the extra carbs. Worst timing: rest day, evening, doing nothing.
3.5–4 litres of water per day. This directly affects fat loss, calf cramping, and recovery. Not a nice-to-have.
You're at 6–7 hours. Below-average metabolic rate + poor sleep = elevated cortisol = belly fat stays. Try to hit 7 hours minimum 5 nights per week. No screens 45 min before bed. Magnesium glycinate 300–400mg before bed. Creatine (and any caffeine) not after 2pm. Even 30 extra minutes consistently will make a visible difference in the lower belly over months.
The APT correction is built into the plan — hip thrusts + hip flexor stretching + core work. Add the supine pelvic tilt drill to morning mobility daily (lie on back, press lower back into floor, hold 5s, 15 reps). At the top of every hip thrust, actively squeeze glutes and tuck the pelvis. Expect 8–12 weeks of consistent work to see visible posture change.
As fat drops in Phase 2, the gynecomastia will temporarily look more prominent before it looks better. The fat around it reduces but the glandular tissue stays. This is not regression — it's the expected progression. Do not let it derail you at weeks 6–8 when it might look worse in the mirror.
Complete write-off. No tracking, no training, no guilt. Walk everywhere — you'll get 8–12k steps naturally from sightseeing. When you return June 1, start the run at 4km regardless of how Spain felt. Not 5.5km. 4km. Build back over 2 weeks.
Rest fully. No "light workout" when sick — it delays recovery. Resume on the current week's schedule when genuinely recovered. Do not try to make up missed sessions from the sick week.
MAF formula: 180 − 23 = 157 BPM. That is your aerobic ceiling for every Phase 2 run. Right now your Zone 2 pace is probably 8:00–8:30/km. Walk-jog intervals are completely valid. The pace number is irrelevant — the HR is everything. Do a MAF test every 4 weeks: run 3km at exactly 157 BPM and record your pace. If the pace is improving, the base is building. If it's not, something is off.
Zone 3 (152–164 BPM) is the worst place to train. It's too hard to recover from and too easy to build anything useful. Seiler's research shows this is exactly where recreational runners spend most of their time. Every run you do in Zone 3 instead of Zone 2 delays aerobic base development. If your HR drifts above 157 on a Thursday run, slow down or walk until it drops back. There is no benefit to staying at 162 BPM "because it feels fine."
You're currently at 5–6k. Getting to 9–10k adds ~200–250 kcal to your TDEE daily without any formal training. That's the equivalent of tightening your diet by 200 kcal. Split it across office breaks — 10 min walk morning, 10 min after lunch, 10 min evening. Does not require a dedicated walk session.
Deload weeks are not just training reductions — they are intentional diet breaks at maintenance (~2,300 kcal). Add back the 2 rotis at dinner and both skyrs every day. This blunts adaptive thermogenesis: your body has been suppressing its metabolic rate during the deficit, and 2 weeks at maintenance resets it. Without this, fat loss progressively stalls across a 17-week phase.
Current: ~69kg, ~21% BF → fat mass ~14.5kg, lean mass ~54.5kg. Target: 14% BF by Aug 14 → need to lose ~5.6kg of pure fat while keeping lean mass. Active deficit weeks: ~13 (Phase 2 = 17 weeks minus 4 deload/diet break weeks). Rate needed: 0.4–0.45kg/week.
This is achievable but the margin is tight. There is no room for extended unplanned surplus weeks. Spain is a natural diet break. Everything else needs to execute. The only thing that has ever stopped this from working is inconsistency.