Build Me - An Ongoing Journey

Sunday 4/12/09
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Measurements:

Body Weight: 149.40lb Change: -1.40lb
Lean Mass: 137.45lb Change: -0.53lb
Percent Fat: 8.00% Change: -0.50%
Body Fat: 11.95lb Change: -0.87lb

Progress Pictures:







Thoughts and Opinions:

This is good. This is very good. I was excited for the picture-take today because I definitely knew that I looked leaner. In my excitement I almost forgot about the weigh in. And what a mistake that would have been! I am official reporting a weekly drop of 0.5% body fat and 1.4 pounds! I’m ecstatic!

Not only is this seen through the quantitative measurements of a scale, but in my pictures I believe there is a definite increase in definition. My stomach looks flatter and more defined. My muscles seem to pop with more intensity when flexing. Overall everything just looks better. This really is the highlight of the week for me to see these results. I am now more motivated than ever to keep going. I can’t wait for next week’s weigh in!




This concludes Entry #129 Sunday Morning Edition.
 
Sunday 4/12/09
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Diet:
9:30am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
6 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Caribbean Jerk Pork Soup [extra pork]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Caribbean Jerk Pork Soup [extra pork]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x53 [breaking parallel]
SIT-UPS:
1x61


That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a perfect diet today and despite a overall trend of laziness and lethargic behavior I had a decent workout at night as well. Of course you can’t really consider testing my maximum pushups and sit-ups a real workout, but I still felt like I made considerable strides.

My sit-ups didn’t change much, but my pushups saw massive improvement. The numbers obviously don’t show that. But this video should . As you can see, or at least I hope you can see or I’m becoming way too biased as a self-judge, my form has improved significantly. By keeping my eyes looking straight ahead I was able to go further down and after examination of the video it seems that I successfully broke parallel with nearly every rep (my form did break down on some of the later movements). I also have considerably straitened my slouching to where it is now near nonexistent (again except for the break downs as I approached failure). The only thing that I think really still needs some considerable tweaking is I feel like my shoulders are shrugging slightly, which they shouldn’t do. I still haven’t encountered a good method to prevent this, but I’ll keep trying. Until tomorrow, good night.



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #129.
 
Monday 4/13/09
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Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
1 plate Deli Ham (Mustard)
11:55am:
1 small Apple
1:45pm:
1 small Apple
1 bowl Deli Ham
1 bowl Vegetable Minestrone Soup [potatoes removed]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
5:20pm:
3/4 bowl Okra, Tomatoes, Onions, and Broccoli
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [a little extra turkey and rice]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
last 0.2 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:33
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11.5-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12.5-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
2x30 (1min rest)
1x20 [failure]
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)



That was the workout.



The Day:

There was an egg crisis this morning at the dining halls. To compensate for my protein fix I just had some additional ham which I estimated would make up for the 80 calories from the egg whites. Similarly a lack of hardboiled eggs occurred during lunch at Sage Dining Hall, where I was forced to eat due to time constraints and it is the dining hall that offers no self-serve deli section for sandwiches. I compensated by using again deli ham that I could still get by the griddle. Despite these setbacks I still think my diet was fairly good today.

I had to use a different model treadmill during my gym session today since the one I normally use was taken and the other of similar type was making a disturbing amount of noise. Like I’ve said before I believe that my normal treadmill offers a slight slight decline so this new one gave me an equally slightly slightly harder workout. I ended up having to breathe harder and thereby use my mouth, but that’s a good thing. It just means I pushed myself harder.

I focused even more on pushup form today, but for some reason I couldn’t quite get my lower back right. I think I was a little more than usual wiped out from the morning’s workout. Either way I definitely know that I did improve my movement since I ended up failing on the last set on the 20th rep. I took a video of this all for both my critical thoughts and yours. Tomorrow I will be posting it.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #130.
 
Here's some more pushup vids I took from last night. Things are looking better and better.







Tell me what you think.

I took some good vids of me lifting today as well and will post those when I get a chance.
 
I took some new lifting videos today during my standard full-body workout on tues/fri. My camera started to run out of battieries though so I wasn't able to record every movement. Instead I chose to get on film what I thought were the lifts that I have been trying to improve my form the most with.

To start we have my squats:





The only thing I noticed here was I wasn't quite going as deep as I should. I do think though that since last time I fixed the slight rounding of my back in the hole as well as the slightly extreme lockout I did at the top of the lift. If you see anything I missed (which you probably did since I'm not exactly an expert on these mattes) please let me know.


After squats I did deadlifts:







These are still a huge issue for me. I tried taking a narrower stance, it didn't seem to help. I tried all these visualizing techniques such as thinking of it as "tug of war", driving through my heals, pulling back, etc... None of that seemed to work. I still am slightly rounding my lower back as it seems to lift upwards before my shoulders. I can't figure out how to fix this issue. If I use lower weights the problem goes away, but then the lift itself isn't doing much for me. As soon as it becomes difficult though, the problem comes back. Please please, any advice?


Last I have my knuckle pushups:







I think out of all my lifts these have improved the most. On the first set I still had a slight sag in my back, but I fixed that up on the 2nd and 3rd tries. I also have been really trying to break parallel, which I feel like I succeeded in doing. This along with a various amount of other minor techniques have made my pushups into my pretty much ideal idea of what they should be. Of course due to all this the actual movement became much harder and as you can see I wasn't quite able to complete my 3 sets of 10 as I failed on both my 2nd and 3rd sets.


As usual, tell me everything.

Thanks,
Michael
 
Tuesday 4/14/09
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Diet:
7:40am:
2 small-medium Apples
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Barley and Bean Soup [a little extra beans]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:25pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Bean and Vegetable Soup [extra beans]
1/2 bowl Sautéed Squash, Zucchini, and Cherry Tomatoes
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x130 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
1x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x8 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x5 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

There isn’t much to say here. My workout was pretty much described in the above post along with the videos. My diet today was fairly average though I may have eaten a tad too much for dinner. I have to watch that last meal carefully; it’s always the easiest one to screw up on.

I’m still interesting in hearing comments with the videos above. So, if you have anything to say… good or bad… Please Say It!

Until then, good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #131.
 
Wednesday 4/15/09
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Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Spinach, Kidney Beans [more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth and vegetables only]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Kidney Beans [more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth and vegetables only]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 90+rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
1x30 (1 min rest)
1x16 [failure] (1 min rest)
1x15 [failure] (1min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

Today has been incredibly busy so despite much news, I must be brief. I broke my goal at last! Today on the elliptical I successfully stayed above 90 rpm on my sprints, finally topping my long lasting personal record. I also burned a staggering 403 calories in the 20 minute process. And so as that goal is finished with, a new one takes its place. 95rpm! I can’t wait.

At night my pushup numbers may seem surprising and disturbing at first glance. But there is a good reason for the early failures. I couldn’t film myself today because of the still existing battery issue for my camera. Instead I had to focus on my form by “feeling it”. I think I overcompensated and probably dropped lower than was required. Also on the first set I had my hands position at a wider stance than normal. All of this lead up to me failure quite early. I don’t mind though, it just means I pushed myself. Failing 3 times a week is probably a bad thing though so if this continues I’ll most likely end up lower my reps to something more reasonable.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #132.
 
Thursday 4/16/09
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Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites [a little yolk slipped through] with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
1 bowl Vegetable Soup
8 Egg Whites
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans [more than usual], a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Italian Dressing)
5:25pm:
1/2 bowl Sautéed Peas, Mushrooms, and Zucchini
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Tomato Vegetable Soup [contained some kind of grain]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.13 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
0.07 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10.5mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:32
ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ 65rpm, 1resistance
6.5min @ 70rpm, 1resistance
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
1x30 (1min rest)
1x15 [failure]
1x14 [failure]
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

My run today was slightly easier as I was back on my normal treadmill (which as I told you I believe has the slightest hint of a decline). As I closed in on my 2 mile time I found myself having some extra energy in storage. I ramped up the speed to 10.5 and finished off what I had left in me. This increase netted me a new personal record one second faster than my last. I am proud as always of this achievement.

Afterwards the full motion elliptical was taken so I hopped onto the normal one as a replacement. A little past halfway through the 20 minutes on the machine the full motion option opened up and I took the opportunity to switch. It’s amazing how different the workout is between the two machines.

At night I struggled again with my pushups. I think the message is clear. With this new emphasis on going below parallel on the elbows and maintaining strict form my ability to pump out the 30 reps has significantly decreased. Next week I will be switching to what I think is a decent goal of 20 reps for 3 sets. I am looking forward to being able to progress with the confidence that I am progressing with what no one can deny is a true pushup.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #133.
 
Friday 4/17/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
1/3 bowl Grits
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread with 2 Egg Whites, Deli Ham (Mustard)
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham, Onion, Green Pepper (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Pear
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Clam and Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Shaved Carrots (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Clam and Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm, 1resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
1x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x8(failure) Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x4(failure) Knuckle Pushups
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest



That was the workout.



The Day:

The day started with a disappointing breakfast. Sage Dining Hall had no fruit and no oatmeal. To compensate I had 2 slices of whole wheat bread and a little grits. I may have overeaten slightly because I had to add some protein to go along with the bread. Also I wasn’t too fond of the grits and am not even sure why I made the decision to eat them in the first place considering they’re very high GI. I ended up having a slightly smaller than normal lunch to make up for all of this.

Maybe it was the breakfast, maybe not, but whatever it was my workout was slightly off today. I wasn’t feeling as strong as I normally do and actually in all honesty was slightly frightened by many of my lifts. I did my best anyway though and for most of the movements I pushed out my standard numbers. I did have to decrease the weight on bench though. I think it was too high anyway at 130 because my last two days with that weight have been iffy at best and I noticed my form was breaking down. I’d rather push 125 with perfect form.

My knuckle pushups had similar results to that of my normal pushups. As my form is increasing in perfection my past capacity of pumping out many reps with lesser form is simply not possible to maintain. I will be decreasing these reps just like I decreased my normal pushup reps. I’m going to try out 3 sets of 8 and see how that goes.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #134.
 
Saturday 4/18/09
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Diet:
9:10am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Barley Vegetable Soup [extra barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

Nothing really to report today. My diet was strong. For activity it was a standard weekend rest day, but I did do some walking to and fro around campus besides homework all day. Tomorrow I will be weighing in and taking pictures. I’m excited to see my progress. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #135.
 
Sunday 4/19/09
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Measurements:

Body Weight: 148.80lb Change: -0.60lb
Lean Mass: 136.45lb Change: -1.00lb
Percent Fat: 8.30% Change: +0.30%
Body Fat: 12.35lb Change: +0.40lb

Progress Pictures:








Thoughts and Opinions:

The numbers were just OK today. Apparently it would seem that I dropped some weight, but gained some body fat. The differences are slight though; my guess is more along the lines that I simply didn’t change much this week. I think my dinners and lunches have been slightly too large. I’ll work on limiting them down some more. Despite this though I still do contend that I feel leaner and from my pictures do in fact look leaner. From this I gather that I am heading still in the right direction and for the most part should continue with what I am doing.

But hey, that’s just my thoughts. Tell me what you think.




This concludes Entry #136 Sunday Morning Edition.
 
Sunday 4/19/09
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Diet:
9:15am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
2/3 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra beef and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x51 [failure]
SIT-UPS:
1x57 [failure]


That was the workout.



The Day:

I’m slightly annoyed at myself over my diet today. It started out well, I had good intentions, but I think I may have enjoyed the beef vegetable soup a tad too much. I have to watch myself carefully with these soups. Sometimes I get carried away spooning the portions from the bottom with all the extra meat.

I saw small numbers again for my pushups tonight. I don’t care though. I brought myself all the way to the edge of failure and I did it with focused form. If those numbers reflect that then so be it. I can’t ask for more. I am proud of my achievement and yes I consider it an achievement. In my mind the fact that I can still pump out a number that only slightly decreased from last week compared to a form that significantly increased is a sign of personal achievement.

I am disappointed though with my sit-ups. For some reason my number decreased slightly. I don’t think my form changed any and I’ve seen no signs of strength loss. I really have no explanation for this. It must have been a bad night. Let tomorrow be a good morning.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #136.
 
Monday 4/20/09
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Diet:
7:45pm:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:50pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed, extra chicken]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
8 Egg Whites
2 small Apples
5:20pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed, a little extra chicken]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11.5-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30? (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

My day started off normal. I had a good breakfast, followed by a good workout. Quickly after my workout though things took a not so pleasant turn.

It must have been something in the eggs, or the ham, or maybe the apple, or though improbable the oatmeal. Whatever it was, it resulted in bad digestion. I had the runs through most of the day along with some slight feverish symptoms. I’m just glad this all happened after my workout as I broke another personal record today so whatever it was definitely didn’t hinder my performance. Along with my new running record of a 13:30 2 mile I also hit a personal best on the elliptical machine by burning 353 calories. Now it is the end of the day and I think the sickness has pretty much passed through my. I’m glad it seems to only have been a one day episode.

My pushups and sit-ups weren’t affected either by the sudden strike of illness. As said I decreased my reps for the sit-ups to 20. I found this to be much more manageable, in fact possibly too much so. I will continue the week at 20, but wouldn’t be surprised if I up it to 25 next week. After all, I still do want to push myself here.

I got some new lithium batteries for camera and took videos of the pushups for review. I will post the sometime tomorrow and bring along my comments with how I did on them then. Here’s some foreshadowing though: I did awesome.

My sit-ups were good as always. I focused on not using the “bounce” from the ground to get myself up. This made the entire movement that much more challenging, but I was still able to complete everything up to standard. If you noticed I put a question mark after the 30 on my workout log. This is because on my last set I had a mental lapse in counting and possibly ended up doing 1 or 2 extra reps. The more the merrier! Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #137.
 
I have some new pushup videos from last night. As you can see below I think my form has dramatically increased. I still do think that my back could perhaps be a tad straighter. I'll work on this by continually focusing to keep my abs tight and up against the abdominal wall. I also still do think that I could go a little lower on some of the reps and I will also continue to work on this. Overall though I believe my focus on form has paid off. I did have to decrease the reps down to 20 instead of 30, but it was well worth it. Now I can truly say I am doing proper pushups and if I progress I know it is with honesty.










But hey, maybe I am being too positive. Tell me what YOU think.

-Michael
 
Tuesday 4/21/09
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Diet:
7:15am:
2 small Apples
1 small Pear
1 bowl Cream of Wheat
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham, Green Pepper, Onion (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [a little extra beef and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [mostly broth]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
2x8 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x6 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

I may have eaten a little too big of a breakfast this morning. I’m not sure. It was tough to estimate how many calories were in the cream of wheat and some of the yolk in my eggs did slip through. Overall though I don’t think it made that much of a difference.

It was raining this morning and that may have been the reason. Or maybe it was my mind being preoccupied with the test that I had to rush over to right afterwards. My workout was all over the place today. I tried implementing the suggestion with my squats by thinking of the movement as lifting my traps upwards. I think this did help with some of the good-morning like motions I was making earlier on some reps. For some reason though I just couldn’t get a nice burn in my muscles. I mean I pushed myself to the edge, but I just wasn’t getting that awesome feeling of utter fatigue by the end.

The highlight of my workout today, which made up for the lack of concentration and mood, was definitely my deadlifts. Suddenly the motion just clicked. I was able to lift the 170 pounds in a fluid movement this time without letting my hips rise first and my shoulders lag behind. I just wish I had time to video it all just to make sure what I felt was correct was actually correct. Oh well, there will be other opportunities for that.

I failed again on the knuckle pushups, even after decreasing the reps down to 8. Next time I will decrease it again to 7, which should provide the right balance.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #138.
 
Wednesday 4/22/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Diced Ham (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 91+rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x20 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

It is late and I don’t have much time to write down my thoughts. I will be brief.

I had a good HIIT session today and almost broke my next personal goal of achieving 93+ rpm on the sprints. If it weren’t for a few brief seconds on two intervals I would have made it. I’ll get it next time. I can say though that I did hit a nice 404 calories burned and also stayed above 91 rpm on the sprints, which though isn’t goal achieving is record breaking.

I tried some new tips today regarding my pushups. I put my hands slightly further back to see how that would change-up the motion. I took videos of all of this and will describe more of what I thought there. I’ll post that hopefully sometime tomorrow.

I also took some new advice for my sit-ups. I read that if I visualize using my abs to bring my pelvis upwards instead of my shoulders that it would create a better burn and a better workout. This was definitely the case. I thought this slight trick made the entire movement much more productive towards my end goals.

Now I have to sleep. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #139.
 
Here are the pushups last night. I tried to take some advice from someone who offered it and put my hands a little further back. I think this ended up causing me to dip and slouch my back again. I'm not sure if that was the culprit, but it definitely is noticeable. The workout itself was still good though. I think I am going to go back to my previous hand placement anyway; it just feels more natural.

Tell me what you think.







Thanks,
Michael
 
Thursday 4/23/09
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Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium-large Apple
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham [slightly more than usual] (Mustard)
1:50pm:
1 small Apple
1 small-medium Pear
1+ bowl Chicken Pasta Soup [extra chicken and pasta]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
8 Egg Whites
5:25pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans [a little more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Onion Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12.5-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)



That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a fairly good workout today. I hit my previous record for running on the dot. I also surpassed my record of 253 calories on the elliptical by burning a greater 255. I was even able to hit 16cpm on the sprint at the end which for me is a big accomplishment simply because of how difficult it is just to sprint at 15cpm on these full motion ellipticals.

For lunch the dining hall had a shortage of kidney and garbanzo beans. I had to change things up a bit and get my carbs in different form. I ended up eating on extra small piece of fruit and eating some extra pasta in the soup. I’m not sure if this entirely made up for the deficit, but it should help. Overall though, it’s just one meal – not that big of a deal.

I was able to capture some more videos of my pushups and because I have some time I should be able to upload those along with a quick personal critique a little after this post. Until then, good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #140.
 
So for my first two sets of pushups I felt like my lower back was still sagging. But I couldn't figure out why. I tried sucking in my abs, lifting my hips, keeping my core tight. None of that seemed to work. Finally, as you can observe on my last set I believe I determined the issue. I was simply putting my feet too far back. Once I brought them forward a little bit my entire body created a nice straight line and it lead to an awesome third set. Agreed? Tell me what you think.
 
Friday 4/24/09
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Diet:
7:20am:
3 small Apples
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread with a little Deli Ham, 2 Egg Whites (Mustard)
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham [less than usual], Onion (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Lentil and Vegetable Soup [extra lentils and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
7:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Lentil and Vegetable Soup [extra lentils and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~78rpm, 1resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest

That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a pretty good workout today even though my breakfast was somewhat disappointing as there was no oatmeal so I had to substitute a little extra fruit and some bread in for the carbs. Despite this, I was able to stay mentally focused for every lift which really helped to isolate and contract the proper muscles for each movement. I think I can increase my weights on a few lifts, but for now will be keeping them where they are. I want to really make sure my form is down perfect before going up again. Also classes are almost done and I don’t want to try anything new since I’m going to be switching gyms soon when I arrive back home. Oh, one last thing regarding my lifting today… I decreased the reps as I said I would on the pushups from 8 to 7. Finally I was able to complete them without failing. I’m glad I found that sweet spot.

At first I thought I overate for both lunch and dinner. As time passed though I think it was more of a bloated feeling than an overly full feeling. Whatever it was, I probably made up for it in being a little overactive beyond my normal in the afternoon.

After lunch I spent most of the day working on sailboats and finally later on getting to sail. None of this work was exactly strenuous, but it did get me moving about. I’m sure that as the hours passed by the calories definitely started to add up. It’s nice to get those extra bodily expenditures in when you’re not even trying.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #141.
 
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