January was definitely a “wow!” month with regards to my workouts. I don’t think I have worked so hard before and have fun at the same time! Surprisingly (touch wood) my knee cooperated through out. And because of that, I decided to really take it easy this last week of my rotation.

I am actually taking the rest as scheduled. This means, no walking, no stretching, no low impact activity—just rest! There are a couple of reasons for this.

First of all—my knee of course—which acts up unpredictably. Secondly, as mentioned earlier, the workouts in January were extreme and so I wanted to give my body a real break. The third reason is that I am actually seeing very slow results—mainly thanks to low energy during my cardio workouts, so I decided to take it easy completely.

My energy is excellent when lifting weights – heavy, moderate or light. I actually get pumped and sweat buckets but for whatever reason, my cardio workouts take everything out of me.

Of course one of the reason is that these are no nonsense workouts from Cathe Friedrich (then again, they all are from her collection of DVDs) but also because of poor nutrition. I am not eating enough – or not eating right.

I mean come on—when one is used to rewinding Plyometrics workout from P90X and adding additional 30 minutes to the routine does say something about my fitness level. Yet, lately, things have been on the ‘mediocre’ side. My energy has dissipated and the motivation to jump that much higher has vanished.

For a long time, I suspected that I was not eating enough. Then I thought, I was not eating enough carbs. Later I convinced myself that the morning cardio workouts are not for me and then finally I decided to ask the experts! (bravo eh!) instead of coming up with maybe’s and perhaps of why my performance is lacking.

So, I asked the experts (Cathe Friedrich and Tom Venuto) and voiced my concerns via their forum and email. Get this—they both took time off their busy schedule to offer some suggestions. Thank you both graciously!

And based on some of their suggestions—I am attempting a new “EER” eating and exercise rotation.

So—firstly: Shorten out all workouts to maximum of 45 minutes—30 minutes preferred. This is my personal suggestion and—am doing this to note any and all changes in my performance and my body’s reaction to lesser time.

Secondly: Split the workouts to 2xper day – no cheating. In the past, if I couldn’t fit in a morning workout then I would do a 70 minute Cathe tape or a 90 minute PlyoX DVD.

The new routine (2xleg workout with moderate weights. 1xupper body with heavy weights. 1x cardio interval. 4x regular cardio) has been prepared based on Cathe’s suggestions so I have big hopes from the workouts in February. (Thanks Cathe!) . The new routine will ensure I workout 30-45 minutes per workout and have a nice balance of cardio & weights every workout day.

Thirdly: Move all my cardio workouts to after 11:00 a.m. This allows me to eat enough carbs before and after my workout which is what that will ensure high energy output during my cardio work.

Fourthly: Add more good carbohydrates in my diet. If I want to propel higher then I need to fuel my body with foods that will help me perform (Thanks Tom!). I don’t have to go crazy on carbs but my current intake is almost zilch.

Finally: Increase my caloric intake. (Thanks Tom!) The 1200 – 1500 is too low especially because I am exercising with extreme workouts.

I generally drink 3-5 liters of water per day anyway and that was appreciated by all and the water intake should remain in the range.

Again, if you are not familiar with my goals then the #1 goal is to reduce body fat from my current 27% (if my BF scale is accurate) so I can achieve my ultimate goal—a nice 2-4 pack on my abdomen. What’s strange is that while my clothes size has dropped, my weight has not. I look bulky rather than defined and so the body fat has to be shredded to at least 20% (that is my personal number/goal).

I am wondering how increasing my carbs will help me do that (get lean) but as Tom mentioned, if I want high performance then a little extra carbs may just be what my body needs to help me perform efficiently.

Download and enjoy February rotation!