Consistency. It's not a pizza topping.

07/15/08

Training

A1 1-Legged Box Jump 29"x3x2, 28"x3x6
B1 Extended ROM Step-up 50x10x3
C1 45 Deg Hyperextension 20x12x2, 20x11
D1 Cable Crunch 145x15, 145x12, 145x10, 130x17

Thoughts

Changed up the box jumps so I wouldn't wreck my **** for no reason. They're now what they're supposed to be, take off from one leg, come down on both, step off onto mat. Got a lot better very fast. I think what I'll do is add an inch a week or so and just keep doing that until I run out of inches.

Step-ups were good. The extended ROM provided the extra difficulty, weight increases next time.

Added a bit of ROM to the Hyperextensions as well (which I did today 'cause that damn she-hulk tricked me into doing wrist rolls on the wrong day). And a fair amount of reps.

That 15 lbs really made a difference in difficulty on the crunches. Gonna leave it there for a while and perfect my form, get the momentum out of there.

And the posture work is coming along really well. Really well. :) But I gotta remember to live it; not just do the extreme version at the gym.
 
Herro yourself Christi. How it do? :D
 
uhh i believe its what it do.
haha.
I"m good today. i had some kfc..took the skins off and got salad..i did eat the biscuit though..oopsies.
 
Glad you're doing well, Christi. Be sticky! :D

Announcement: I will not be updating this journal for some time, as it has become temporarily obsolete. For those of you interested in following my progress, you may go here. I'll still be around, though. Sup. :)
 
Supees

Hola amigas. Amigos also. I've decided to resurrect my little journal here to put my rambling thoughts in so as not to clog up the other which I think should be more for posting stats/pics, general updates and shooting the ****, while this is about my quest for consistency, not just in behavior, but in successful manipulation of body mass!

It's been a few months of crazy endurance training and a few lbs of fat lost and muscle gained (though nowhere near as much as you'd expect for what I was doing, you have no idea haha) and I'm now at something of a crossroads:

[Focus] said:
But yeah, so far I'm thinkin' if I decide to make the change (last one, until late August, for realzy this time :action:) I'mma take a page outta Rapid Fat Loss and drop it down to just the three full body workouts a week (M, W, F) with a 5-hour (which I'll interpret as 3 meals) re-feed on I think Friday. Real clean, though. Bowl of oats and a few slices of bread with a serving or two of fruit and a few tbsp of almond butter in addition to regular intake. No free meal and no periworkout drinks at all throughout. I'm quite sure now that those things work way too well for me. It's a problem, haha. Also, hard (>75% mhr) bike/run on Sunday to help with getting glycogen back down for Monday.

Intake

200g protein from lean meat
unlimited high fiber veggies
3 x 1200mg (glucosamine, chondroitin, etc)
3 x 750mg 98% green tea extract
1x Men's 1 A Day Multivitamin
3 x 500mg calcium carbonate
4 x 7g fiber supplement (3.6g fibre, 3.4g sucrose)
10 x 1g fish oil cap (180 EPA:120 DHA)
3 x 200mg caffeine + 24mg ephedrine

Don't really care if I lose lean mass over the next few months, but it's doubtful I will with strength, endurance and EC all up in the mix. Very doubtful, given my history.

Might sound a little harsh (when do my plans not haha - rather than ask me why I'm making it so hard ask my over-clever body imo) but If I could manage weeks at ~800 calories and the kind (and quantity, oh the quantity) of training I was doing, this will be a vacation. Also, every 6'ish weeks, a two week maintenance re-feed for health and sanity.

The process should I think also be very useful in allowing me to figure out a proper basal metabolic rate, which I don't quite have as yet. I've found it surpassing difficult to do so with too much caloric "traffic" and so much of it new/different.

Gotta go party hard and sleep on it, and then we'll see, but I figure it's a much better plan than 'exercise like youre possessed by a demon and eat as little as you can with the 80 billion units of hunger this creates or waste weeks and months guessing at how many calories you're really expending as it constantly changes'.
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[Focus] said:
And after another night's sleep on it, it would appear I'm much more excited by the prospect of standing in front of the mirror looking fierce than I am crossing that finish line. Kinda retarded but whatever the idea is to be happy and optimally healthy now and a beast later. I'm almost sure I'll do it next year or the one after when it makes more sense for me personally. But, I'm PUMPED UP for just picking a moderate (lol because "moderate" only in comparison to trying to go from obese and sedentary to slim super endurance athlete in a year) but effective plan and sticking with it until it does. I'm thinking 6 months without missing a workout, going off diet, OR, and this is key, changing the the method in any significant way. In the last 6 or so I've been pretty close to # 1 and #2 which is a huge improvement from before but #3... I think not. All this spastic jumping about isn't very good science, and when you're in my situation, it would appear brute force attacks are not the order of the day.

To this end what I would do is just track calories and get medieval. Like before except with the realization that it's not humanly possible to do so beyond a certain point. Can't go under the essentials (200g protein, vitamins, minerals etc, 10g essential fats) proposed in the previous post so if I'm not seeing a 2 or more lb "loss" (factoring in the average of two modes on my Tanita, which has in the past been remarkably accurate -- +/- 0.5% of every skinfold assessment and no this is not normal usually bioimpedance is way the hell off haha -- every day in addition to weight) each week, I'll increase activity, within reason. Judging from before and uh, general notions of human capacity, over about 10 hours of strenuous exercise a week on this intake isn't something I'll be able to sustain without some serious drug assistance.

If I can't average 1-2 lbs of fat a week in 6 months of honest, consistent hard grinding, well, then, tbh, I'm gonna seriously consider liposuction; while I'm there I can get deez nips evened out. :rofl: Sorry if I'm a bad role model, kids. :sad3: It would be so easy to go ex machina on that **** at this point. But, I wanna be able to say it was all me, all the way, and that if I could do it, anyone can, so.

Anyway, this should work just fine. My resolve and knowledge of my[/]i] body are 卍解 strong now (Bleach, yeah buddy! Haha that show is so terrible), just need less intensity and more patience + tech. That period of low-tech was a nice break but I much prefer recording and adjusting everything assiduously. I mean I've had all these fancy toys sitting around gathering dust. How sad and lonely they must be. Don't you worry little Garmin and little Excel, daddy's coming home! :bncry: :action4: Maybe. Gonna mull it over just a little more and then very likely decide to ditch the endurance stuff for now.
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Now that we're past all that (whew), let's talk about what I'm not gonna bother to do, which is recording everything I'm doing and such this time around (I has spreadsheets for that there's no real point in posting it here too unless someone's dying to know). What I'll put here is probably weekly updates of weight and bodyfat, calorie numbers, overall changes in physical performance, my thoughts thereof, and what I intend to do about it for the week (not having to make any changes being of course the measure of success).

Okay, good talk.
 
And you know what else..

I know it's dumb but I'm kinda tempted to experiment with a circuit style machine strength routine during these few months. I know, I know, but it just looks like so much fun. Plus y'know mild fear of breaking myself with free weight during these severious depletion workouts I'm planning on.

This bodyweight.. ish stuff is somewhat complicated but also fun. Well, not really. If I could do pull-ups it would be a straight non-issue. Currently subbing pendlay rows and DLs/variations. Plus not having to go to the gym some days is nice when you're as antinotgettingyourwayconstantly as I am (BAH @ new years rush). I seem to be making more progress with pushups than I was with benching, too. I guess what I'm saying is either way it will be nice to get all "grrrr argh!" on the weights again.

That's also my way of letting y'all know I'm definitely saying "eff the Ironman" for now. What helped decide it for me was the strength training. I don't mind not being able to bike and run all day (though I pretty much can for as much as 4 straight hours as recently as yesterday, haha, much good it does me -_-) anywhere near as much as I mind not being able to do a friggen pullup or having goo for arms, core and chest, so, that's what my training prioritization should reflect yeah? Yeah.

Who's excited? Me! :D

Currently pondering exercises, order, sets and reps. Will prolly post again with info re: training template.

Hope everybody's havin' a rockin' weekend. :)
 
[Focus] said:
I know it's dumb but I'm kinda tempted to experiment with a circuit style machine strength routine during these few months. I know, I know, but it just looks like so much fun. Plus y'know mild fear of breaking myself with free weight during these severious depletion workouts I'm planning on.

This bodyweight.. ish stuff is somewhat complicated but also fun. Well, not really. If I could do pull-ups it would be a straight non-issue. Currently subbing pendlay rows and DLs/variations. Plus not having to go to the gym some days is nice when you're as antinotgettingyourwayconstantly as I am (BAH @ new years rush). I seem to be making more progress with pushups than I was with benching, too. I guess what I'm saying is either way it will be nice to get all "grrrr argh!" on the weights again.

That's also my way of letting y'all know I'm definitely saying "eff the Ironman" for now. What helped decide it for me was the strength training. I don't mind not being able to bike and run all day (though I pretty much can for as much as 4 straight hours as recently as yesterday, haha, much good it does me -_-) anywhere near as much as I mind not being able to do a friggen pullup or having goo for arms, core and chest, so, that's what my training prioritization should reflect yeah? Yeah.

Who's excited? Me! :D

Currently pondering exercises, order, sets and reps. Will prolly post again with info re: training template.

Hope everybody's havin' a rockin' weekend. :)
Click to expand...

Good for you. You are sorting things out "within"......yourself that suites "your best interest". Sort it out, baby!

Being over 40 (not that this was the major crumb that decided it), I established long ago, that I need not want to be strong/powerful...and not able to run a block and get winded. Therefore I decided on being well-rounded. I didn't then...(and still do not) want to be that powerful strong person (benching 600lbs, squatting 750), and look back seeing this person puke, as I continue chasing a suspect in a crime several blocks. So I regress, to benching over 300lbs (Front Squatting in excess of 300lbs), and able to run a few miles. Far superior in my opinion. I can play flag football with my younger sons, without gassing out, and give my younger son's a run for their money on "working weights" at the same time. This is too cool. If I had a choice, the well-rounded person is my backup.

Well-rounded = cool.


Best wishes,

Chillen
 
What to do, what to do...

I'm reminded of some words from John Higgins ages ago.

John Higgins said:
I like to see a beginner start working out on a complete program: standing press, rowing, squats, bench press, some form of deadlift, upright rowing, db press, and curls (or reverse curls). One set each at first, the work up to three sets, increasing the weight between sets. After making some progress most lifters should go on a program of a limited number of heavy exercises, something like: standing press, power clean, squats, and bench presses, doing 5X5 with the training weight in each exercise.
Click to expand...

Interesting that this turned out to be almost exactly my progression when I finally got down to it. I feel, however, that I moved on too soon.

To start this round of crash dieting (when will I ever learn!? lol) I think I'll go with just two sets of 10 reps each, as something of a much-needed break. After a few weeks of that I'll bump it up to 3 and we'll see from there. Weights will be static. 60s between exercises, one full revolution as a set. Three to ten minutes between sets (until my I've caught my breath basically).

Something like

Diamond Push-ups
Deadlift
Military Press
Bent-over Row
Lunges

Nice and simple. Little odd in that there are two "horizontal" pulls and no "vertical" but meh for now. Leaving squats off the menu for a while, for convenience. Deadlifts and Lunges/BSSes in the same workout will suffice for the time being as far as torturing myself goes. Slow and steady reps. Talkin' 2-1-2, exaggerating the eccentric ("negative"). No worries about periodization, fancy explosive stuff or adding weight every week. Strictly preserving lean mass. If I can maintain what I already have (strength or lean tissue, or both), I'll be more than satisfied, but even if I can't, I'm not to care this time. Focus is officially completely off performance until the body fat's visibly 8-10%.

Prolly throw in 3x each of crunches or similar and curls after the whole thing just 'cause I think I'd miss them if I didn't at this point. XD

Alright then, campers, next update should be roughly a week from now with starting trends and thoughts. And by "thoughts" I mean probably me raving about how much more I am enjoying my life. :p
 
Chillen said:
Good for you. You are sorting things out "within"......yourself that suites "your best interest". Sort it out, baby!

Being over 40 (not that this was the major crumb that decided it), I established long ago, that I need not want to be strong/powerful...and not able to run a block and get winded. Therefore I decided on being well-rounded. I didn't then...(and still do not) want to be that powerful strong person (benching 600lbs, squatting 750), and look back seeing this person puke, as I continue chasing a suspect in a crime several blocks. So I regress, to benching over 300lbs (Front Squatting in excess of 300lbs), and able to run a few miles. Far superior in my opinion. I can play flag football with my younger sons, without gassing out, and give my younger son's a run for their money on "working weights" at the same time. This is too cool. If I had a choice, the well-rounded person is my backup.

Well-rounded = cool.


Best wishes,

Chillen
Click to expand...

Thanks C~meister. I totally agree. In action now as well as in principle. :action12:

I don't regret the last few months or anything. I've made a looot of progress as far as being able to chase people all through the neighborhood goes, haha. I just feel like enough's enough as far as that goes. Now I gotta work on being able to get over that fence. :rofl:
 
[Focus] said:
Thanks C~meister. I totally agree. In action now as well as in principle. :action12:

I don't regret the last few months or anything. I've made a looot of progress as far as being able to chase people all through the neighborhood goes, haha. I just feel like enough's enough as far as that goes. Now I gotta work on being able to get over that fence. :rofl:
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Oh........Focus........the ultra-wise one.......peaking above the fence:

funny-pictures-owl-eyes-fence1.jpg



Recognizing and filtering your inner cause, produces.... no barriers.

It enables one to jump hurdles, leap fences, and penetrate walls to arrive at destination full of hope and personal prosperity.

Oh, wise one. Peaking over that fence. It will only take a small amount of inner civil defense.


Best wishes

Chillen
 
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Chillen said:
Recognizing and filtering your inner cause, produces.... no barriers.

It enables one to jump hurdles, leap fences, and penetrate walls to arrive at destination full of hope and personal prosperity.

Oh, wise one. Peaking over that fence. It will only take a small amount of inner civil defense.


Best wishes

Chillen
Click to expand...

Damn straights, sir. When desire and action are in alignment, success is just a matter of time. This is the science of happiness!

Also I've realized that I'm far too chatty to limit myself to a once-weekly update when I have more free time (aka "now" :p), so I'm gonna go ahead and babble endlessly about my experience.

Just a little ways away from my first workout on the new template. And am, of course, already feeling the hunger. I figure it's going to suuuck for a week or so while my body freaks out in anticipation and then realizes we're done with massive expenditure and calms down. Then it'll be just the "regular, workable" hunger of category 2 starvation. :rofl: But so easy by contrast. I took a day off yesterday and am already amped the **** up to move some weight. I can barely sit still.

Just to make sure it'll be doable, I did a couple of practice barefoot DLs with lightly loaded dumbbells and discovered.. I'm really flexible now. I hadn't really been paying attention, but I guess all that deep squatting and general attention to form has paid off. I can pretty much grab two dumbbells sitting on the floor with my feet shoulder width apart and pointed straight ahead and drop my butt nearly to the ground with my back straight, then move almost straight up. Cool. :action8:
 
Haha I remember this thing

Astute readers will recall a few months ago I made a little web calculator of my own that includes 3 daily exercise types and quantities, factors in TEF, and uses the most accurate formulas available. And by "my own" I mean stole and optimized. :costumed:

is what it says when I plug my info in now (I like to err on the side of caution on the bodyfat number I put in and round height down and such - but come to think I should go get a new assessment done in May before the second round of Rapid Fat Loss). I haven't looked at the exercise formulas in a while but I suspect they inflate the "BMR" result somewhat. Current deficit is theoretically just over 2500 calories but likely far less in practice.

A lot of this phase of diet experimentation is for me about determining just what my output is at a "maintenance" level of activity and at the same time having a look at what my body does in terms of composition with a large deficit in the absence of significant amounts of strenuous endurance exercise. Also forgoing "ideal" periworkout nutrition (y'know, fast protein and carbs, 1:2), which I have never done; strong suspicion that this will make a large difference for me in terms of fat loss without actually affecting my recovery (which seems to be very good regardless of what I do in terms of energy balance - its performance that fluctuates accordingly).
 
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tsilcyc said:
Is this calculator located on a public server?
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On one of my personal domains, yeah. I intend to provide a link eventually, to it and the rest of the site, once everything's organized and bolted down.

If anyone's curious, though, I'll be more than happy to punch in info and capture what it spits out. I have entirely too much free time for the remainder of this and the next quarter.
 
[Focus] said:
If anyone's curious, though, I'll be more than happy to punch in info and capture what it spits out. I have entirely too much free time for the remainder of this and the next quarter.
Click to expand...

It was after all originally developed for something like this. It's not just a calculator but what I consider a concise but thorough explanation of energy balance aimed at beginners who may or may not be interested in the finer details.
 
I have sooo much energy. :action8: It is my curious situation that I have now to talk myself out of doing more. It's always something. :rofl:
 
This is Focus speaking:

I am in diet and fitness for me.

Not what others think my goals in fitness should be.

You see, I agree that fitness is unique to me.

I disagree to flee from thee.


The admission fee is implementing diet and fitness to a tolerable degree.

This is the method I choose to obtain inner-being jubilee ; it sets me free.


I agree and disagree with my wants of the self.

I will never put this on the shelf.


Through this agreement, I will not breach my self and bring fraudulent Intent.

For this, I will bring a most dramatic and natural event.


I am a hired gun, I won battling the bullets of one and this will never be undone.

:beerchug:

:)


Best wishes,

Chillen
 
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