Start Phase VII
90912 (Sunday #83) –
Wake 188 even!
The mirror seems kinder, or maybe it’s my eyes. Looking back at the goals set at the beginning of this journey it seems they need to be revised.
I’ve already gained 8 pounds since June … not that I’m mad about this. The upside is, I’m stronger, plus added cardio is in the mix.
What’s coming during Phase VII;
GX classes start again. Just two land classes and two water (not IN the water, not ME anyway). I’ll be able to get to the Y twice if not three time a week. I probably should do Insanity on Wednesdays before the pool at Temple. It’s a good body charger.
Measuring day comes during this phase as well, on or around day 90 and the end of the current six week session and that means break from lifting at least. Maybe run and/or yoga for a week.
What do I expect? I’m looking for that muscle build/fat burn combo that was alluded to … if not promised … by the research. (The article I read. Oh yeah and Insanity!)
Keanne (masseuse) agrees with the mirror; upper body looks thicker and she could feel more muscles in the legs. Assessment: One of many benefits to the massage.
The thing about this “break day” is that I woke up too early, like 6AM and was tired by 1PM and stayed tired b/c I didn’t have ay activity planned (after brunch w/ Andee) besides the massage. Even after that I came home and slept. I “deserve” these days, but I still feel guilty about them.
Come stronger tomorrow then cardio classes begin for REAL!!
91012 (Monday #84)
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| I've realized that nearly all the muscles in back are bigger and thus stronger than all the muscles in the front. The back development almost makes up for slow front development. Almost. I look better walking away (91012) |
I’m wondering is the resistance in the scale (the electric charge) can be picking up the extra muscle?? If you’ve been following for a while you know I don’t trust this scale.
Insanity plyo – made it further, felt stronger, max HR still 180 BPM – pushed through. Didn’t do every bit of everything, but I’m getting there. Everyone in the video takes unscheduled breaks. I still want to get the whole thing, with as short a recovery period as possible.
Recovery shake and supps. Didn’t sleep afterwards, but still tired. I want energy for the Y this afternoon.
YMCA – Maximum Legs day!!
Squats sets of 5 reps: 135; 225; 315 (5, 3 rep sets); 205 two deep sets of 5. (leg raises and stretches in b/w)
Calf raises: 205 3 x 10 – 12
Leg Presses/calf press – 270 (bar wt not included) x 12; 360 x 8; 360 x 10; 410 x 8
45` Push out – no wt. 3 sets of 10 – 12
Shin Flex – 50 lbs. 3 x 25 – 16
Leg Curls – 5 reps – maxed at 210 – started low.
Single Leg extensions – 105 to 135 lbs. 8 – 5 reps. (left leg was lacking, but made it)
Cable work with pull bars. Single leg pull backs (maybe need a pic for this) More like lower ab work.
Stretch and go…. About 2 hrs. Got the anabolic stuff out of the way in about 60 mins.
It was a STRONG SESSION!! Must be a combo of the rest, mind, food, temp.. who knows. I wish I could plan these kinds of days.
91112 (Tuesday #85) AM – Work: Don’t know what I’ll do today if anything. GX starts at temple. Maybe upper body, straps work.
Woke 188.5 18.5% 56%
Protein shake, turkey burger & tomato.
I was actually getting nervous on my way to Temple, but once I got things organized I worked them… just as I envisioned in my mind. Many regulars from last year. Then aqua Box. I left with an energetic high.
Chicken, spinach, peppers & shrooms for dinner. Better eat that apple!
91212 (Wednesday #86) AM – Work; rest or dumbbells shoulder work? Did I develop my shoulders with dumbbells… 10 lbs? Let’s keep the regimen going nonetheless. Db work & leg (hamstring) stretches.
Why do my digits cramp up @ Temple but not home or at the park?
Wake: 188.5 23.5 53 (new low, at least no error message)
Bad sleep, too much noise. I need to build the “sleep room”
Body is righteously sore. Aqua tonight at Temple.
That sluggish feeling was sludge backed up. Seems like a 10 hr period between ACV and elimination. The class went well. I wonder if intense exercise stimulates the GI tract? I’m worn out by Wednesday. Gx season got the body feelin’ different.
91312 (Thursday #87) AM – Work; Straps & spring bar, just bending it trying to get stronger in different ways.
Wake: 188.5 21.5 low hydration, better sleep, used ipod. Got to make the sleep room.
Is this measuring day?
GX YMCA – Dinner with mom.
Hardly broke a sweat in class today. Maybe I didn’t go as hard. Soreness went away. Had steak & shrimp, double order of veggies at Applebees.
91412 (Friday #88) Wake 189.5 *25.5% 58%!! (*normal) Up early, travel day.
Moved measurement day ahead two days as I will be out of town on day 90.
All numbers are up, significantly!!
Top……97.5 (don’t mind this b/c it includes the back)
Mid……93
Bot……96
Und……97
Wt was 192 at time of measurements. (just had dinner out a few hours ago). Somehow I don’t feel like I added weight or the cms added are fat.
Pants still fit fine. Noticing contours in abdominal areas, but don’t notice belly fat diminishing. I’m going to stick with the strategies however because I am stronger or at least lifting more than I was in June and my endurance is up. I need to get on the track and in the pool. Perhaps I’ll do this on break week.
“92212” is one month on this type regimen.
Re-wake: 191 5AM reset scale to “athlete” I noticed a widely different calculation on the scale between the “normal” and “athlete” settings when it comes to body fat measurements.
Example: Normal reads 25.5% Athlete reads 17.5% a difference of 8%!! Makes me wonder what is meant by “athlete” and maybe I am wrong. I was measured at 24% with calipers in May of this year. Maybe that’s closer to the truth. I can’t imagine with visible muscularity and lean arms and legs I’m carrying 48 lbs of fat on me. If I burnt half of that I’d be at 165 lbs, which would put me in normal range, but I don’t think I’d be as strong.
As an experiment I’m going to switch the scale from athlete to normal every two weeks (a full exercise phase), continue training and eating and track results.
91512 (Saturday #89) Wilmington, NC
Wake, push ups, twists, squats, lite stuff to get going. Watch sunrise on beach.
Attend wedding, shoot pool… carbs weekend.
91612 (Sunday #90) Wrightsville NC AM travel day – heading back to Philly today. May workout this eve. Been burping since yesterday or day before, just noticed. I don’t usually burp much. Food & GI no doubt. Get back to routine. It would not have been a good idea to measure today. I don’t think Friday was any better. My guess is the meal threw the measurements off…. Oh well. Maybe I’ll improve in the next 45 days.
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| 90 day weight chart June 19 - September 14 The results speak for themselves. |
Went for a nap last night and 12 or so hours later – up at 6AM. Got to re-adjust the clock, get back into form. No shakes or supps since Fri or Thurs. This was a good mini break. The bod will metabolize & get back to where it needs to be.
AM – Insanity Plyo: Made it thru w/ some breaks and modifications. Well worth an hour of my day. HR was lower, could be that the day was cooler (70` inside) or I didn’t work as hard or preferably the heart is stronger and arteries are clear and wider. 27 BP10 was peak measured. Didn’t feel like sleeping afterwards either. Recovery was quick, but I did sleep a lot last night so that could be the reason.
Dropped two this morn + insanity took me down to 188. Took the Meta last night also.
YMCA – Max Legs!!
Special Forces – 115 lbs, rack, 8s took about 10 minutes cruised thru at a slow pace. Max HR 186 BPM, good sweat.
Inverted Leg Press + calf press (Smith) 320 lbs 3 sets alternate press and calf 10-15 secs break. Drop 50 lbs and repeat. Stretch legs.
Shin flex 55 lbs…. go for 20+ reps each time (3x)
Leg Curls – start low, full curls work to 195 (didn’t make full curls)
Leg extensions, single leg 75 lbs, left leg is very weak here.
Recovery with Wt Gainer, chocolate peanut butter. Tried to sleep afterwards (for work) but couldn’t. Had to settle for rest. UGH.
White fish and squash, shrooms, yellow pepper & zucchini for dinner.
Feeling lac of sleep and exercise at work. Need the adjustment to kick in.
91812 (Tuesday #92) AM – Work: Update Goals
Previous Goals:
Stated Goals: June 19, 2012
1. Reduce Torso by 8 – 10+ inches around measured areas
2. Reduce weight set point to <180 (Ideally 173 – 175 consistently)
3. Significantly increase flexibility.
4. Continue to increase SPACERB items (Strength, Power, Agility, Coordination, Endurance, Reflexes, Balance.)
5. Reduce Body Fat % & BMI, increase muscularity.
Starting Torso Measurements: I want everything below the solar plexus in the 80s cm range.
Solar Plexus (Top) 96 cm
Six Pak (Middle) 87 cm
Navel (Bottom) 91 cm
Waist (Under) 94 cm
Start Weight: 182.5 lbs.
So far these goals have been a miserable failure. Probably because I changed what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it half way from there to here. This doesn’t mean that by June of this year I won’t hit these goals. I think I should make some performance goals. But first… let’s see what changed and how dramatically.
Torso Measurements:
Solar Plexus increased by 1.5 cms, this isn’t a big deal. Means my back got wider and I can see that in the mirror.
Six Pack increased by 6 cm – this is like 2.5 - 3 inches, which I don’t get, unless the muscle has thickened, which is the most optimistic scenario.
Navel area increased by 2 cm, about an inch, no big deal unless it’s fat.
Waist increased by 3 cm about an inch.
Weight up a dramatic 7 lbs.!! I like to believe based on what I’ve been doing it’s all muscle, but even the scale is shooting back some higher average body fat numbers. I have a tendency or habit of switching up several times during a given year. I know how to lose the weight I’ve gained, because I’ve done it before. It’s all diet based. But I’d also lose strength. I want to build a strong, muscularly thick body, so I’m going to stick with this strategy, which I’m not even a month into yet. I think I’ll be better able to evaluate it after another 90 days. (90 day wt chart 61912 – 91612)
Update Goals: September 18, 2012
1. Build a Muscle Building, Fat Burning Machine2. Increase Bench Press & Squats, Leg Press w/o Injuries
3. Get my mile back to 10 mins or less
4. Conquer Insanity Plyo & others, inc Park workout.
5. Continue to increase SPACERB items (Strength, Power, Agility, Coordination, Endurance, Reflexes, Balance.)
6. Significantly increase flexibility. (This is hard to measure, but I feel I’m improving)
And we’ll see what the body does in response! Take that boddy!
Meanwhile, I feel tired and my upper thighs feel like they want to cramp up, from deep squats (Spec Forces). I’m going to put some real size on my thighs!!! Stretch these pups today.
AM – Work:
Managed some stretches. Was tired. Meta before bed.
Wake 188 19.5% 55.5% Cool breezy.
GX at Temple today. Class sized doubled, wow! My legs feel annihilated – I like this word. They feel like they are growing bigger and stronger, upper thighs lower butt mostly. Protein after GX, pork for breakfast, banana post GX – pork for dinner/shrooms, squash, zucchini. Got an apple for tonight. Should measure my legs and shoulders everything else has increased maybe these too.
It’s amazing how fast I get hungry just eating meat and veggies. No trail mix yet this week. Got turkey pepperoni n cheese. Don’t like this turkey pep.
91912 (Wednesday #93) AM – Work: Sittin around reading and being sore… and lovin it. But it’s hard to move. I need to throw back more water.
Little bit of shoulder work with the 10s
Wake 186.5 20 55.5% didn’t feel dry 4 hrs sleep wha? Tried to get more but no way. Did some wake up stuff, kb, balance air .squats. Looks like I dropped 5.5 lbs from my 192 peak last week. If my eyes don’t deceive me I’m getting more defined, is this working? Protein drink, p-nut butter, banana, tuna salad w/ tomatoes n cucumbers GOOD!!
Aqua today, may need a nap after. Legs righteously sore, like walking slow sore, hence today’s mini-work.
92012 (Thursday #94) AM – Work: recovery Thursday, letting the muscles recover. Had to catch a nod at the gig. Dropped 2 good ones – no training.
Wake 187.5 19.5% 55.5% - fluctuating again. GX @ the Y, lift tomorrow? Maybe something at work tonight.
GX-YMCA participated, Got Wrecked!! Made some lamb, spinach, peppers and shrooms dinner. Good stuff.
Started Saw Palmetto, Resveratrol (supplement regimen)
At work – got chills, cats sneezing on the bus.
92112 (Friday #95) AM – Work: One month from Montreal, my body should have adjusted by now to this hi-protein lo-carb strategy. My wt peaked at 192 before coming back to 186.5 a day ago. I’ll flip the meal plan this weekend, maybe a pizza, some beer??
92212 (Saturday #96) 187.5 30.5% 49.5%
woke up at 7AM closed my eyes for a minute and it as 10. Hello Autumn (my favorite season) Really worked the triceps yesterday! and the core way more than usual. I should probably do this more. I'll get better results. Ever since i realized ab work doesn't reduce belly fat i've slacked off. That was a long time ago. Have to force myself not to train today - so I'll go shopping.
Got caught in the rain, but didn't train. Ate carbs, mac & cheese, but didn't get my pizza slice.
This is the end of phase 7 (VII): My weight, inches, strength and endurance are all up. I can still wear a size 34 pant - even though 34 comes in different sizes. Go figure.
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| Phase 7 weight chart, from the last two weeks. Sept. 9, 2012 - Sept 22, 2012. I know I am anal, but that which gets measured, gets accomplished! *The blue line is actual weight. Green is trending. Sometimes they match up. |
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