// PROGRESSION RULES
Add weight the session after you hit the top of every rep range with clean form. Rest 2–3 min on big lifts, 60–90 s on accessories. Effort: stop 1–2 reps shy of failure, take the final set to the edge. Deload every 6–8 weeks: same movements, half the sets. Log every load in your phone right after the session. What gets measured gets grown.
// THE PHYSIQUE MATH
Chiseled isn't built in the gym alone. It's this program + the 500–750 kcal deficit + protein anchored at every meal. The muscle gets built under the bar; the definition shows up as the body fat drops. Labs confirm it first. The mirror follows about 8 weeks behind. Trust the order.
// ONLY HAVE 4 DAYS?
Run D1–D4 and skip Engine day. Bolt the HIIT block (8 × 30 s hard / 60 s easy) onto the end of Legs B, or run loop sprints Saturday morning. The four lifting days are the non-negotiables.
// YOU'VE ALREADY PROVED THIS
You've kept the Mediterranean base highly consistent. That's the hardest habit in this whole protocol and it's already yours. This page just sharpens it for the recomp phase.
+ GREENS
FIRST
SMART CARB
Olive oil over everything. Protein goes in your mouth first at every meal — it blunts the glucose response of everything after it.
EAT FREELY
Olive oil · salmon, sardines, mackerel (3×/wk) · chicken & turkey · eggs · Greek yogurt · lentils, chickpeas, black beans · spinach, kale, arugula · broccoli, cauliflower · peppers, tomatoes, cucumber · berries · almonds & walnuts (small handful) · avocado · herbs, garlic, spices · black coffee, tea
LIMIT — EARN IT
Whole grains: ½ cup cooked, best post-workout · fruit beyond berries: 1 serving · cheese: sparingly · 85%+ dark chocolate: 1–2 squares
OFF THE PLATE — 8 WEEK WINDOW
Refined carbs & added sugar · alcohol (zero) · liquid calories · fried & processed food · anything eaten after 8 PM
// PROTEIN TARGET
Aim for 0.8–1 g per pound of your goal bodyweight, split across your eating window. This is what protects the muscle while the deficit strips the fat. If a meal doesn't have an obvious protein anchor, it's not a meal yet.
// TIMING
16:8 window — kitchen closes at 8 PM sharp. 10-minute loop walk after every meal — it blunts the glucose spike within days. 2–2.5 L water daily. Your apartment loop and that pool aren't amenities, they're equipment.