Weighday. I went through my SLVi3 session. found a PR in squats and was comfortably at the top end of my powercleans and overhead press.

As is usual on weigh day I also did a 20 minute run.

The scales came in at 193 pounds. Now I'm officially overweight again. I'm 8 pounds above my lightest last year

So what's gone wrong? I've been doing bodyfat measurements and have noticed my weight creep up since November.Hand in hand with this weight increase has been a marked increase in strength (up about 10% on all major lifts). My squats have broken records and are still increasing. The mirror is telling me that my quads are getting bigger.

I rough analysis from bodyfat measurements tells me that the 8 pounds I have put on over the last 4-5 months is made up of 5 pounds of muscle and 3 pounds of fat. These figure square with my strength increases. My diet has been fairly tight - although I have been eating a few more mixed nuts ( major source of fat in my diet which I need) and possibly been a bit careless about greek yogurt. (good protein source and refreshing).

There are bits of my body that are now sticking out - more muscle based although I do have a covering of fat around my abs.

So what to do? The weight gain is no disaster. The SLVi3 programme was designed to build muscle slowly - and that is what it has done. However I'm mindful that my speed running has dropped a little and i'm also due skiing in a few weeks. The programme is about performance not bodybuilding (although I seem to have entered a bulk cycle). There is wisdom at this stage in maximizing my cardio vascular ability over the next three weeks for skiing and taking the opportunity to shed maybe 4 pounds. So - I'll do 20 minutes running a day on top of the SLVi3 programme. With a day off a week. I'll cut back on nuts and greek yogurt. I will also weigh in two weeks with a goal of two pounds lost.

Maintenance is far more challenging than weight loss ever was. There is a constant fight with your body. Targets become more diffuse and less satisfying to hit and timescales for visible improvements extend over months rather than weeks.