Log - Wed., 12/30/09

Workout:

5/3/1

press (RM test) - 135x6
pullups, BW - 5x2
dips, BW - 3x6
chins, 150 - 3x10
shoulder triad, 5s - 3x12

Comment:

According to my records, that's a PR on the press - barely.  Calculated using Wendler's formula, that amounts to a 162 1RM.  Last time I did 5/3/1, I topped out at a calculated 160.  Still, I think I did 140x5, and maybe even 145x5, many months ago.  Either way, I'm pleased with where I am.

Log - Mon., 12/28/09

Workout:

5/3/1

cleans, 135 - 3x3
deadlift - RM testing - 315x8(!)
lunges, 30s - 3x12

running

1 mile at various speeds, trying to find good settings for my running workouts.

Log - Tues., 12/22/09

Workout:

5/3/1

(2:00 rest between sets)
power cleans, 135 - 3x3

(3:00 rest between sets)
squat, 5/3/1 prep.
 - 125x5
 - 145x5
 - 165x5

(1:00 rest)
BSS, 25s - 2x12

Running:

6.0 pace, 1.5 miles

Comments:

Today was my first day doing back squats in the Vibrams, and I must say, I liked it.  Granted, this was intended to be a fairly easy, get-back-into-squatting day, and it was.  But I felt balanced and in control throughout the sets, something I haven't felt .. maybe ever.  Now, it could be the Vibrams, and I think some of it was that.  But I think the unilaateral leg work I did really paid off.  This emphasizes the importance in continuing that work.

The BSSs, the unilateral work I had selected for today, were more challenging than I expect.  I'm still having more problems with balance and control on that lift than I am moving any weight, and those balance-and-control muscles were pretty fatigued.  I think I'll dial down to body weight for now, and start at 3x8, working up to 3x15 and then adding weight.  I want to master this exercise, as it seems incredibly useful.

The running was boring, but went fine.  It's a reminder that running really isn't a leg exercise, as the squats really didn't seem to have any impact.  I could really feel that a 6.0 mph pace is too slow, though, so I'll have to work on that.  I can tell the biggest challenge with a 3-mile run will be boredom.

Log - Mon., 12/21/09

Workout:

5/3/1

3:00 rest
press - 90x5, 105x5, 115x5

1:00 rest
pullups, BW - 4, 2, 2
dips, BW - 12, 8, 6
chins, BW-70 - 8, 8, 8
shoulder triad, 5s - 12, 12, 12

Comment:

Well, I have some weight adjustments to make on the accessory work, as other than the pullups, I want everything to be 3x12-15.  I can't believe how hard my hands were shaking on the shoulder triad's last set with only 5-lb. dumbbells.

Log - Sat., 12/19/09

Workout: 5/3/1

power clean, 135 - 3, 3, 3
deadlift
 - 210x5
 - 240x5
 - 275x5
lunges, 45sx12, 30x12, 30x12

running
6.0 pace, 1.5 miles

Comments:

I was loving all of the unilateral work in the TBT program I was doing, but I was missing doing the big lifts.  So, I decided on the ultimate compromise - I'm going back to 5/3/1, and am going to be sure to incorporate a lot of the unilateral stuff as accessories.

For my leg days, I'm limiting myself to cleans, the big lift, and then one accessory (BSS on squat day).  Then, after a few moments of walking around and shaking my legs out, I'll finish things off with an easy few miles on the treadmill.

Today through the 23rd, I'm doing a dry one at heavy-ish weight, but certainly doable weight, and shorter running distances.  Basically, I want to see if the plan I have is workable.  Then, the last week of the year, I will do the same program, except where I currently do the big lift for 3x5, I'll take a tested 1RM (probably shoot for something in the order of a 5RM and calculate from there.  At that point, I start 5/3/1 on Monday, January 4, 2010.

Log - Sat., 12/12/09

Workout: TBT

straight sets, 3x8, 1:30 rest

BSS, 45s
step-ups, 45s, 35s, 35s
DB bench, 70s
DB rows, 65s
Arnolds, 45s
SA chins, 75

Log - Fri., 12/11/09

Comment:

This is getting frustrating.

I am enjoying the TBT work I am doing a great deal.  The focus on single-limb work has greatly increased my flexibility, which seems somewhat strange but feels fantastic.  I'm also hitting parts of the body that haven't been hit in awhile, and that feels terrific.  I can't wait to get to the gym each day, and after a full eight-week TBT program, and really considering heading back to 5/3/1 with a bunch of single-limb accessory work.

And then ... work hits.  I'm billing 12-14 hours a day right now, 6-7 days per week, right up until Christmas.  This morning, I had to choose between going to work with only four hours of sleep (to work likely 12 hours), or get another hour and skip the gym.  I can see that happening on and off until Christmas.

So, I think I'll have to do what I can while work is like this, and then after the holidays, settle back into a real routine.  It's frustrating, but sometimes this is what my work dictates.

Log - Tues., 12/8/09

Weight: 223.4 lbs.

This is not good.  Fat loss is going to become a primary goal come January 1.  I actually meet with a GI specialist on the 15th, and highly suspect I'll be forced to go Paleo.  Even if not, that may be the direction I take.

Workout: TBT

straight sets, 3x5, 1:00 rest

Bulgarian Split Squats ("BSS"), 50s
step-ups, 50s
DB bench, 70s
DB rows, 70s
Arnolds, 55s, 50s, 50s
single-arm ("SA") chins, 60, 70, 75

Comments:

Due to both the length of time that I'd been doing the previous set of exercises and some wrist pain I've developed, I think from curling, I decided to change up the exercises and start a full 8-week cycle of TBT.  I'll do it exactly as prescribed, except that I will select many exercises from outside Waterbury's recommended stuff.  (I don't really think this is an issue - he just recommends what he thinks has proven itself best for hypertrophy, but isn't opposed to some of this stuff.)  So, I'm doing a lot of dumbbell and single-limb moves right now, which is really helping me feel more athleticDuring the second half, however, I plan on tryig to incorporate as many of the big lifts as possible (and if I switch gyms, I can do that, as they'll have more than ONE FREAKIN' BARBELL).

Log - Sat., 12/5/09

Workout: TBT

straight sets, 3x15, 2:00 rest

lunges, 45s
SLRDLs, 30s
DB press, 45s - 15, 12 - 35s - 12
DB rows, 45s (50s being used elsewhere)
DB skulls, 25s - 15, 15, 12
DB curls, 25s

Log - Fri., 12/4/09

Workout: running

3.37 miles in about 30:40.

Comments:

It was very cold and brisk this morning - my first real run in freezing temps.  Since the ground was dry, I still went with my Vibrams.  My "barefoot" stride is becoming instinctive and improving, as a result.  Man, am I loving this.

Log - Thurs., 12/3/09

Workout: TBT

straight sets, 4x8, 1:30 rest

lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 45s
DB press, 55s, 2x8, 1x6, 50s, 1x3
DB rows, 65s
DB skulls, 35s, 3x8, 1x6
DB curls, 35s

Log - Tues., 12/1/09

Workout: TBT

straight sets, 4x5, 1:00 rest

lunges, 60s
SLRDLs, 45s
DB press, 60s (3x5, 1x4)
DB rows, 70s
DB skulls, 40s
DB curls, 40s

Comments:

I like the higher volume for this two-week round.  I am also feeling stronger on most of these lifts, particularly those that I haven't done in quite a long time (or, in the case of the SLRDLs, ever).  That brings in the problem with dumbbells - it's hard to do a small increase in load when 5-lb. jumps amounts to more than a 5% jump, and often 10%.  So, I'm staying where I can get all or nearly all of the reps for now.  Still, pretty happy.

Log - Sun., 11/29/09

Workout:  TBT

alternating sets, 2 x 15, 2:00 rest

lunges, 45s
SLRDLs, 30s

DB press, 45s
DB rows, 50s

DB skulls, 25s
DB curls, 25s

Log - Sat. 11/29/09

Workout: running

3.37 miles in 29:26.  First time I could say I pushed it, and I'm fairly pleased with the time.  Already I feel as if I could knock another 1-2 minutes off of that.

Log - Wed., 11/25/09

Workout: TBT

alternating sets, 3x8, 1:30 rest

lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 40s

DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s

DB skulls, 35s
DB curls, 35s

Log - Mon., 11/23/09

Workout: TBT

antagonistic sets, 3x5, 1:00 rest

lunges, 60s
SLRDLs, 45s

DB press, 60s
DB rows, 65s

DB skullcrushers, 40s
DB curls, 40s

This was a much easier workout.  Part is that my body is adapting to this program, and part is due to the fact that the rest times are essentially doubled for each exercise.  I wish I could adjust the weights accordingly, but I think a 5-lb. increase for each dumbbell would have been too much.  It was still a hard workout, just nothing like Saturdays.

Log - Sun., 11/22/09

Workout:  running

3.37 miles in 31:20.  That might be the fastest I've done it in - I could be wrong, but I think I've been around 31:30 - and I did push it a little bit more, but only a little.  I figure if I run mostly this distance 2-3 times a week through the winter, with occasional longer runs thrown in, then by spring my feet will be ready to add the miles necessary to get to a half-marathon in either August or October.  Still loving those Vibrams.

Log - Sat., 11/21/09

Workout:  TBT

all 2x15, 2:00 rest

lunges, 45s - 2 x 15
SLRDLs, 30s - 2 x 15
DB press, 45s - 15, 14
DB rows, 55s - 2 x 15
DB skullcrushers, 25s - 15, 13
DB curls, 25s - 2 x 15

Comment:

I decided to man up and stick with the SLRDLs, just lowering the weight so that I could do them right.   My back still hurt a bit, but this time it was clearly all in the muscles, the sort of pain I am doing this to encourage.  It's amazing how hard sets of 15 really are if properly loaded - it has been a long time since I worked in that rep range.

Log - Fri., 11/20/09

Workout: running

2 miles in about 17:50. Just working on form. Felt good.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Log - Thurs., 11/19/09

Workout: TBT

all 3x8, 1:30 rest

lunges, 55s
SLRDLs, 55s, 40s, 40s
DB press, 55s
DB rows, 65s
DB skullcrushers, 35s (8, 8, 6)
DB curls, 35s

"tabata" jump rope

Those SLRDLs really hurt and twist my lower back.  I think I may have discovered one of the problems with my squat - my lower back feels really weak.  Given that, I may sub good mornings going forward.  That would take the twist out (as it would not be a single-limb move) until I got a bit more lower back strength, and then move back to this move later.  Just an idea.

Log - Tues. 11/17/09

Workout: TBT

all 3 x 5, 1:00 rest

lunges, 65s
SLRDLs, 60s
DB press, 60s
DB row, 65s
DB skullcrusher, 40s - 5, 5, 4
DB curl, 40s

The weights are from memory, as I don't have my log with me. I think they're right, though.

Log - Tues. 11/10/09

Workout: running

2 miles, no watch, great classic rock, in my Vibrams on a cold, dark night. In a word, exhilarating. I could have run for miles.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Log - 11/9/09

Workout: TBT

all 3x5, 1:00 rest

lunges - 55s

single-leg RDLs - 55s, 60s, 60s

DB press - 50s, 55s, 60s

DB rows - 60s, 65s, 65s

lying DB tri extensions - 40s

DB curls - 35s, 40s, 40s

This felt great.  It would have been better had I gotten all the weights right the first time, but that's not a huge deal.  I was in and out in about half an hour, hit everything, and felt great.  And my shoulder isn't giving me any problems at all. 

Log - 11/8/09

Workout:  Running

About 5 miles in 47:50 on an amazingly-warm and beautiful November day in Michigan.

Log - 11/4/09

Workout: modified TBT

All 3x10, 1:00 rest

Lunges - 30s
Single-leg RDLs - 30s
DB press - 35s, 40s, 40s
DB row - 45s
Triceps extensions - 20s
DB curls - 25s

I had very sore glutes and hams from the previous workout on what is intended as a light or deload week. So, I reduced some weights.

Running Naturally

I used to love to run.

I started running in about seventh grade, when I was pressured by my Dad to join the track team. I wasn't fast by any stretch, so I always felt that any chance I had was to be found in the distance events. Over the course of my seventh grade season, until I quit due to injury, I found I wasn't so good at those, either.

However, during the summer before eighth grade, I really wanted to get in some kind of shape for football, and decided to bike down to the track most mornings for a two-mile run. Before I knew it, running two miles in 15:00 was a breeze. From then on, I ran long distances regularly - even as a football player - and it was easy. My stride was natural. I was never injured. By my senior year, when I ran a 5:06 1600m (still stings, as I know had I focused on that event, I'd have broken 5:00) and a 11:03 3200m, running felt effortless and free. I loved that feeling.

Then I lost it.

I went to college. I ran less. I got heavier. My knees started to hurt. My hips started to hurt. So, I bought heavier, more cushioned, more supportive shoes. (I'd always worn lightweight shoes before.) And my knees got worse, and my hips got worse, and it all became a lot less fun.

A few months ago, I read Born to Run, by Chris McDougall. I'd read articles by him and others on these general topics before, but this was the first time I'd seen it all put together. (And in a very fun read, too.)

The general theme of the book is that homo sapiens are designed to be distance runners, and our biomechanics are such that do that distance running best in as natural an environment as possible. Really, the only unnatural part of our current running environment is the shoes we wear. (As a side note, it's not concrete or asphalt, as we've been running on much harder granite trails for millennia, apparently.) Modern running shoes are a very recent invention; prior to the last fifty years or so, we ran in light leather slippers, basically, or barefoot. And we didn't have nearly the number or severity of running injuries we see today. Part of this book explores the reasons for this, and comes back to largely blaming the shoes.

These shoes were largely the product of a desire to change our natural running gait by allowing us to "stride out." The proponent of the jogging boom (Lydiard?) thought that if people could land on their heels, they could take longer strides and run more efficiently. The first modern running shoes were designed to allow this heel strike, which you could never do in leather slippers. The problem, we now know, is that this heel strike takes us outside the way our body is designed to run. The cushioned shoes, which make it more difficult for our sensitive feet to sense the ground, actually force us to step down harder, sending more force up through our joints, joints that are now in an unnatural and dangerous position due to this new running form incorporating heel strikes. When your body acts in an unnatural way, the risk and incidence of injury increases dramatically.

I was hooked. It made too much sense. I am, after all, an aerospace engineer by training - operating the human running machine within the confines of its intended use seemed logical. However, I was not about to start running barefoot. It takes a long time to get your feet conditioned for such abuse (or reconditioned - if we never put on shoes in the first place, we'd probably be fine). It seemed somewhat dangerous, particularly as I do most of my running on concrete or asphalt (and broken Michigan roads, at that) to be running around barefoot.

One of the people discussed in the book - Barefoot Ted McDonald - often runs in Vibram FiveFingers. I'd seen these crazy shoes before, and thought they were nuts. They looked like something aimed at hippies with $100 burning a hole in their pocket. They are basically a thin rubber slipper for the bottom of your foot - no padding, no arch support. There's enough rubber to make sure you won't cut your foot, and it's designed to flex where your foot flexes. There are five separate pockets, one for each toe. They're weird. The idea of using them as running shoes seemed ludicrous, whatever Barefoot Ted might say. Nevertheless, after reading Born to Run, I was intrigued enough to experiment.

So, I started running the 1.25 miles to the high school track, which surrounds a nice artificial football field. Once there, I'd strip off my shoes and socks, and at normal running pace, run 100-yard repeats on the field. As I did this, the strangest thing happened.

My form changed. My hips came forward. My stride shortened, but became lighter and quicker. I started landing, first without my heels touching at all, and then as I relaxed into the form that came naturally, with a rolling ball-to-heel landing that left my entire foot on the ground ready to propel me forward, but without the shock of a heel strike. My knees stopped hurting. My hips stopped hurting.

Even when I ran back afterwards, I tried to maintain that naked running form. It took more of a concious effort, but when I did it, it felt wonderful.

I bought my own Vibrams, some black KSOs, shortly thereafter. I started out running to the track in regular shoes, running a mile in the Vibrams, and then running home. Before long, though, I was out running two, three, or even five miles on my neighborhood's broken streets in the Vibrams. And my knees don't hurt, my hips don't hurt, and I haven't looked back.

Do I think that switching to Vibrams is the answer for everyone? No, not necessarily. Nor do I think running shoes are a problem for everyone. But this experiment made running fun, natural, and easy for me again, and if you have any curiosity about this at all, I recommend you go find a nice grassy field, and go for a run.

Log - 11/3/09

Workout: running

3.37 miles, about 33:00.

Since this was only about ten hours after some lifting, this was easy, slow active recovery.

Log - 11/2/09

Workout: modified TBT

all 3x10, 1:00 rest

lunges, 40s
single-leg RDLs, 40
DB bench, 40s
one-arm rows, 40
DB press, 25s, 30s, 35s
curls, 20s

The lunges felt great - I'm still feeling them. I can weight almost everything else heavier, probably much heavier. However, I need to skip the bench going forward for awhile, and learned very quickly (after about two reps) that I have to do the same on even the pulldowns. So, I'll likely try a few dips to see how that treats my shoulder, and otherwise will move toward isolation bicep and tricep work for the short term.

Goals

I have been spending some time thinking about it means to be in shape, to be the sort of athlete I want to be at this stage in my life. What should a 32-year old trial lawyer and father of three be able to do in order to call himself fit and strong, while also having a well-balanced life? This is what I've come up with so far.

• I need to be reasonably strong. This means I need to be able to be able to bench press 225 lbs., squat 315 lbs., and deadlift 405 lbs. (I'm well above the bench, not there on the squat, and probably approaching that on the deadlift - I might even be able to do it.)
• I need to be reasonably fast. Not in a sprint, but over the course of a mile. I'm trying to figure out a good goal for me to run a 1600m in - 6:30?
• I need to be able to go forever. For this, I think I need to run a half-marathon in a reasonable amount of time. Again, what does that mean - 9:00 pace?

I'm looking to accomplish all of these things in one 24-hour period next year, mostly likely around the Detroit Marathon (so that I could do the mile and lifting nearby). I'd run the mile around noon one day, lift that afternoon, and then run the half the following morning. I just need to figure out where I want the running measurables.

Update

It has been quite awhile since my last post. This has been due to two things; the happy arrival of my third son (currently a 4 1/2 month old bruiser!) and uncertainty. I'll address these in turn.

Working Out Since My Last Post

First, it has been a challenge working out since my third son was born, but one I have largely met with success. I originally lifted twice or even once a week, as time permitted, but moved up to consistently getting three days in. Most recently, I've been doing Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program to get my strength back up, with mixed results but a lot of fun. Generally, I'm pleased with where I'm at in the strength department, with my squat (with less-than-perfect form) at 220 for 3x5, my deadlift at 320 for 5, my bench at 230 or 235 for 3x5 and my press at 130 for 3x5. I've also finally graduated to power cleans, as I've reached the point where I'm working out with 135 (my gym does not have bumper plates, so I had to do hang cleans until I got to that weight). Finally, I've been hitting the chins and pullups hard, with good progress in that embarrassing department. I'm pleased.

The only downer is a hurt shoulder. My right shoulder is really acting up, and bench and chins - chins in particular - seem to really aggravate things. A narrower grip helped some on the bench, but I need to give my shoulder a rest.

The other big development has been my purchase of some Vibram FiveFingers KSOs for running. I admit to being very skeptical when I first heard about them as a running shoe, but reading up on barefoot running, I became very itnerested in trying it. I started running to the local high school football field and running barefoot on the turf there. Something weird happened.

My feet no longer hurt. My knees no longer hurt. My hips no longer hurt.

I've now been running for a few months in the Vibrams, distances up to five miles, and almost entirely on concrete or asphalt. And my knees and hips feel great. My feet are adjusting, but all I am getting are muscular soreness and adjustments - the rest feels terrific.

So, that's where I am now, physically. Mentally . . .

Where Do I Go From Here?

I feel as if I'm at a crossroads in my lifting. I have always had a "performance" approach to lifting. I wanted to get stronger so I could play football better - if it didn't help me be a better quarterback, I didn't do it. (Granted, I made poor choices in making those selections based on a horrible lack of knowledge, but that's another issue.) Even mor recently, now that sports are done, I have continued to lift for performance - to bench more, to squat more, to press more. I have done this because there has seemed something "right" in that mentality, and something "wrong" about the mentality of those who lift in order to look good naked.

However, in my two recent shoulder injuries (my left shoulder also gave me problems earlier this year), and in other ways, I am starting to see signs that my approach is flawed. Oh, it's not flawed if I want to really see how strong I can get, but I realized something the other day.

I don't.

I want to be strong, and I want to be stronger than I am, but I also want to be healthy. By healthy, I mean I want to be in balance (symmetrically strong, if you will). I want to be flexible. And I don't want my joints to hurt. I am not in this for competition, so I do not want to be injured (to the extent I can avoid it). Pushing as hard as I have on strength, particularly in the upper body, has to lead to some injuries that are simply unacceptable to be me with my life and my goals where they are.

And, dammit, I want to look good naked.

I do not yet know where this leads me. I am going to take a week and think about it. I need to rehab some, anyway, so I'm going to do three full-body workouts this week. Each exercise will be done for three sets of ten reps, moderate weight, with about 1:30 rest in between sets. If the DB bench press hurts my shoulder, I'll skip it entirely. The exercises will be:

• lunges
• single-legged RDLs
• DB bench press
• DB one-arm row
• DB press
• pullups/lat pulldowns

If you think this looks similar to a Chad Waterbury Total Body Training program, you're right. With this, some jump roping, and a few runs, I should find some time to think about what I can, and what I want to, do next.

The Plan

Tonight, I plan to start the lifting routine I'll use for the next few weeks. It's loosely based on items I've gleaned from both Mark Rippetoe and Chad Waterbury.

First, I'll jump rope to loosen up, then stretch.

Then, I'll squat according to the protocol in Starting Strength. This is the lift I am most concerned about gaining strength on.

Then, I will do a 3 x 15 workout, 1:00 rest, for each of the following exercises: alternating DB bench press; one-arm row; alternating DB shoulder press.

Finally, I'll do a Chad Waterbury ladder on the assisted chin-up machine for four cycles. This means I find my 10RM weight, and do sets of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 1, etc. When I do four cycles, I'll have done 60 reps. This should help my upper-body strength immensely

If I have time, I'll finish with 10 minutes of cycle sprints, 1:00 easy, :30 sprint, etc.

Log: Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Today was a rest day, and I did not work out at all.

I also did not eat very well. Of course, I had my usual healthy lunch and breakfast, but I had two servings of Twizzlers as a snack at the office, and we all ate ice cream for dinner. I actually don't feel bad about the ice cream - it's a nice treat for all of us on the nights we go to the library - but if it happens more than once every two weeks, it'll become a problem.

A Fresh Start

One of the things I have wanted to focus on is giving myself fresh starts, getting back on the wagon when I fall off, and not giving in to becoming a lazy couch potato even when other priorities in my life overtake fitness. That's what I need to to do right now - refocus.

The first thing I am going to do is give myself a break, as I need. Mentally, physically, emotionally, I am worn down. I'm edgy, I'm cranky, and I'm acting out. I've gone too long without a break from anything, and I can feel myself spiraling into a funk. (I'm avoiding using the word "depression" because I don't think I'm medically Depressed - with a capital "D". I'm just depressed, or in a funk, and these lift in time.)

This break will not mean that I stop doing anything at all. To the contrary, my goal is to leave this break feeling healthy, strong, and as light as possible. I expect this break to last about six weeks.

The break is coming - and, in fact, is largely brought on by - the imminent birth of my next son. That will turn my life upside down and destroy any semblance of a schedule for awhile. It will make it hard to get to the gym regularly, or to track my eating accurately, or any of the stuff that I have been doing. So, I'm not going to worry about most of it.

Instead, I plan to eat healthily, the way I've been eating when I have been tracking food, and minimize cheats. I plan to drink a lot of water and little alcohol.

I plan to lift as often as possible, with the only goal of improving my squat (which I will do following the Starting Strength template). I otherwise plan to use lower weights and higher rep schemes to work on form and range of motion, tiring my muscles without punishing my body in the way that heavy weights do. I'll probably use a lot of dumbbells, just to mix things up.

I also plan to log this stuff here, to the extent it's logged, but not anywhere else for awhile. My point in doing this just to refresh myself, get hungry for the strength training that will come when our schedule settles down, and hopefully help me lean out a bit in the process.

Log: Monday, June 8, 2009

Body Comp.

- 220.6 lbs.
- 22.4 % body fat
- 54.4 % hydration

Workout:

(all 3 x 5 with 1:00 rest)

- squat, 185 - 5, 5, 5
- bench, 205 - 5, 5, 5
- clean, 105 - 5, 5, 5
- barbell row, 155 - 5, 5 - 135 - 5
- barbell tricep extension, 65 - 5, 5, 5
- barbell curl, 65 - 5, 5, 5

Fat Loss Report

I have now completed Waterbury's 10 x 3 for Fat Loss, with good but not great results. I attribute any shortfall less to the program and more to my own performance.

The program, for a fat-loss program requiring only two days of lifting per week, was fun. I like the heavier work that could be done with a 10 x 3 format. I liked the cycle sprints after the lifting, something I may keep. I liked jumping rope, which I also hope to keep up. I kept increasing many of the weights I was using, which also led to a sense of accomplishment, particularly when doing things such as heavy deads (305, I believe, was my last work set weight) that I had trouble believing I could do.

The challenge, as expected, was my diet. I generally did okay, and doubt that I ever ate over maintenance, but I fluctuated quite a bit, between 2300-2800 calories on most days. (For comparison, I estimate my maintenance to be 3300.) As a result, my weight loss was only about three pounds - not the 6-8 I had hoped for.

That said, weight loss is not my goal here; fat loss is. That's been hard for me to quantify, as my Tanita scale has that all over the place, with measurements from 21-25% and fluctuating by as much as 3% within a few days. Clearly, that is not accurate, and something else is affecting the numbers (hydration?).

Still, I look and feel leaner. My suits fit worse - the pants and jackets are too big, and my jeans won't stay up without a belt. I am also stronger - I do not doubt that I have gained some muscle. So, to that effect, I certainly believe that I have lost some fat in this process. I just have more to go.

Would the program have been better with an ever stricter diet? Yes. In fact, simply stricter adherence likely would have produced even better results. But, all in all, I am happy where I am right now.

Next, I have to decide what to do for the next four-to-six weeks while our life adjusts to the impending birth of our new son, due in about one week.

Shugart's Phoenix Theory

This is a great read.

Phoenix Theory: The Psychology of Physical Rebirth
by Chris Shugart

Change of Plans - Fat Loss

I belong to a training website - I call it my online locker room - called Training Anarchy. I recently posted my goals for the end of the year up there. They were:

1. 15% body fat or less;
2. bench = bodyweight;
3. squat = 1.5 x bodyweight; and
4. dead = 2 x bodyweight.

For posting this, I got chewed on a good bit, with the general tone of the response being, "You've been talking about your fat loss goals for months, and what have you accomplished? Shut up, and do something about it." First, I was pissed, and I think I even got defensive, although I tried not to. But, I'd raised my bench press a ridiculous amount in the past few months - who are these guys to give me grief?

But, of course, they were right. I kept saying that fat loss was my primary goal, but even if I ate right for a few weeks or otherwise talked the fat-loss talk, I was chasing strength goals, albeit not with my whole heart. (Otherwise, I'd have been eating even more.)

I think my aversion to fat loss comes from the very beginning of when I started lifting. I lifted for one reason, and one reason only - performance on the football field. I didn't do curls, because I was a quarterback, damn it. I lifted functionally, and it paid off. I didn't care if some of my friends had six-packs or large arms. I could squat a lot (with terrible form, but I didn't know better and either did my coaches), and my chest, shoulders, and triceps were strong enough that I could effortlessly throw a football 40 yards on a line with a quick, compact motion. I could run over most linebackers in the conference running the option (although I was still slow as dirt).

Anyway, to me, function always meant strength. I am now starting to realize that needs to change, and for two reasons. The first is that I need to live a long time. I have boys to support and future grandchildren to play catch with. From what I've read, there's no better way to increase the odds I'll miss all of that than to carry a spare tire around my middle.

Second, my job requires, in a sense, a bodybuilder's mentality. No, I'm not taking steroids and wearing flip-flops to the gym, but a big part of my job is what a jury thinks of me when they see me stand up in front of them in a suit, and I want them to think I'm James Bond with a beard. Right, now, they might thing I'm James Bond undercover in a fat suit, but that does not have the same effect.

Both of those things say I need to change my mentality and ht fat loss first. Do I need 8% body fat and a rippling six-pack? No way. Heck, my wife wouldn't even like me if I were that skinny. But, I do need to get to a healthy body fat % first. From there, I'll build the rest of my strength. I'm guessing that's about 15%, but we'll see when I get there.

How will I do it? I'm starting this first, which is Waterbury's 10 x 3 for Fat Loss. We'll see how it goes, and then I'll evolve from there.

Current Status: Strength

Here is my current status on the five primary lifts.

1. Squat - Last work set, 185 lbs., 3 x 5. Calculated 1RM of 216 lbs.
2. Bench - Last work set, 230 lbs., 3 x 5. Calculated 1RM of 268 lbs.
3. Press - Last work set, 130 lbs., 3 x 5. This was a reset. My 5RM when I stalled out was 140 lbs., for a calculated 1RM of 163 lbs.
4. Clean - Last work set, 125 lbs., 5 x 3. Calculated 1RM of 137 lbs.
5. Deadlift - Last work set, 305 lbs., 1 x 5. Calculated 1RM of 356 lbs.
   

Getting Started

Hopefully, this is my only post about "getting started," but somehow, I doubt that it will be. After all, I've fallen off my various wagons - diet, exercise, spiritual - many times in the past. One of the things that I need to make a guiding principle here is that every time I fall off, I need to get right back on. So, forgive me if this is not my last "getting started" post. Don't forgive me if I fall off, yet fail to make a new "getting started" post.

This seems a particularly good time to start over.

First, I was in a trial until late March. During that time, I had no time to work out, and my diet was terrible. If there was a good thing about it, I felt like my diet was terrible. I could feel it throughout my body. I felt sluggish, loose, weak. My brain and my digestive track weren't functioning correctly, or at least not optimally. I was taking poor care of my body, and for once, I heard my body telling me that.

Since then, I went back to lifting pretty consistently, although the other work like HIIT was fairly inconsistent. Still, I made great strength gains, particularly on the bench press (my last work sets were 230 lbs. at 3 sets of 5 reps). Still, my diet was good but not great. I had a lot of great days, would fall of the wagon for one meal, and then write off the rest of the day. It was not good.

Then, I hurt my shoulder. Thankfully, it isn't the joint. In fact, I am pretty certain that it is an inflamed tendon of the pectoralis major. This is good because rest, heat, and ice have, I think, healed it. I'll know a bit on Monday.

So, here's the plan. Sunday, I'm back to eating good. Good means lots of protein, lots of fruit, lots of veggies, and as much as possible "clean." I won't be perfect, and I can accept that, but that standard I will hold myself to is this: "When a good, clean choice is available, I will make it over a worse, less-clean alternative." That should be a good start.

I'll also be back to lifting. I'll be doing bare-bones Starting Strength, meaning no accessories (chins or dips) this week, just to give the pec a little more rest. Instead of bench press, I'll do lighter dumbbell presses to add some stabilization work. My squats, press, cleans, and deads will be the same. Hopefully, my pec will feel good enough after two sessions with the dumbbells to do a real bench session the next week, and keep going from there. If so, I'll be adding accessories.

I'm also going to renew my focus on interval work, either on the elliptical or maybe on a track. We'll see, but I need to get that sort of work in.

I'll be trying to post here more often, more of a journal than a workout log (although I'll post status reports, too.)

For now, I have four goals for the end of the 2009. They are:

1. body fat at 15% or below, per my Tanita scale;
2. bench press my body weight;
3. squat 1.5 x my body weight; and
   
4. deadlift 2 x my body weight.

I'll need to explore how realistic they are, but I think the answer is, fairly. Number 1 needs to happen. I've already met number 2. Number 3 is a ways off, but can get there if I work pretty hard at it. Number 4 is also a ways off, but doable.

Workout Log - Wednesday, April 1, 2009

It was nice to get into the weight room this morning. My work set weights were:

• squat, 150 - 5, 5, 5
• press, 130 - 5, 5, 5
• hang clean, 100 - 3, 3, 3, 3, 3
• chin, BW - 4, 3, 2

My chins were terribly weak. A friend of mine on Training Anarchy, AQS, suggested that he always does his chins/pulls first on clean days, because his cleans destroy his ability to do his chins, but not vice versa. I think I'm going to have to try that.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

So far, I'm off to a roaring start.

First, last night my wife picked up some non-dairy ice cream for me to try. I know better - know better - than to sit down in front of the TV with a whole pint. Instead, I need to dish out a scoop and leave it at that. I didn't do it. When I looked down, the pint was gone. I simply cannot do that any longer.

I also skipped my planned tabata workout last night, but that was at least for a better reason. Some good friends who live far away called to tell us they have a baby on the way. We talked for nearly an hour, and I must say, I couldn't be happier for them. That made for a late night, but I'll take that trade-off any day.

The boys then slept terribly last night - up often with crying, lost pacifiers, etc. They're just getting used to not being in cribs, and while they've generally done well, it is certainly an adjustment. So, I slept in past my workout time this morning, but still got a tabata session in before work. I still hope to do the Med Ball 200 and some ab work tonight.

James Bond, suburbanite

Another part of my personal quest is to become a man in the way I present myself to others. This is particularly true with my wife.

Somewhere in the years after we started dating and probably before we were married, I relaxed around my wife much more than I should have. My language grew worse. My humor is too often crude. There are too many times when I am downright disgusting.

Now, I have no desire to remove these things from my life in their entirety. After all, I like crude jokes, sometimes like talking like a sailor, and am sometimes disgusting. But, I need to learn to control that and keep it in the appropriate environment, such as either alone or at a poker night with my buddies. Not with my wife. Not with my family. Not at work.

In fact, it's sad to think that I'm better behaved at work than I am in front of my wife.

So, part of my goal and my personal journey is to become more the gentleman, more James Bond. This is important if I want my boys to grow up to be this way, and I do.

There's no dramatic conclusion to this; it's just something that needs to happen.

And so it begins...

Tomorrow, my quest begins for real.

Last week, we won our big trial - three weeks of intense trial preparation, two and a half weeks of intense trial work, little time for exercise, none for lifting ... it was quite a trying time. And now it is over. Since the trial ended, I have lifted twice, and had one HIIT session. I've found my old ab wheel, and have eaten pretty good about 75% of the time. Now, I'm ready to start getting ready.

By getting ready, I mean preparing for the birth of baby 3. I have twin boys who are about 28 months old. In mid-June, my third son will be born. My previous goal was to never let this child see me over 200 lbs. That may or may not be reasonable - it's probably just doable at this point - but I've been gaining so much strength and muscle in the last few months on my weightlifting program, I am less focused on that goal than I am on getting my body fat down quite a bit. In other words, I'm willing to take longer getting down in weight in exchange for the strength gains I'm realizing. So, I may be 210 or 205 when he gets here, but if I've got my squat back and am otherwise feeling in great shape, then I know I am moving in the right direction.

So, how will I get there? What is my plan? Well, it's four-fold:

1. Diet. I know that my diet is the biggest factor in my body fat, as it is in everyone else's. The good news is that I know what I need to do in order to get to a healthy body fat percentage. I need to eat as clean as possible (lean meats, fruits, veggies, only whole grain carbs), and I need to eat fewer calories than I burn each day. If I do that, I will get there.

Also, my body already knows this. I can tell when my body is craving the right foods, and eating them makes me feel better. So, when my brain or old habits kick in to suggest a Taco Bell run or having a second drink or something like that, I need to remember what I'm doing all of this for, and what I have to do in order to get there. My body will truly be happier even in the short term if I do it right. The long-term benefits cannot be questioned.

2. Strength training. I've recently become a huge fan of strength training. I've lifted for years, but now I'm really getting into the idea of lifting for pure strength. If I do that, size, body fat, etc. will follow. So, I have focused on the program set forth in Coach Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength for the past few months, and that will be my plan going forward. I will lift three times a week, alternating between two workouts for an ABA BAB schedule. The two workouts are:

Workout A:
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Dips 3x_

Workout B:
Squat 3x5
Press 3x5
Power clean 5x3
Chins 3x_

I like the focus on squats, because my squat used to be a personal point of pride. In high school, I squatted 405 lbs. as an option QB, more than anyone else on my team. However, I did it with poor technique - in hindsight, I also probably wasn't going below parallel, as my high school football coach taught us that 90 degrees was the goal. In the process of squatting like that for years, I destroyed my knees. I have now been working on learning correct form for a year, and have started first with bodyweight, then the bar, and have slowly worked my way back up. My knees feel better than they ever have. It'll take months before I'm back in the 225-lb. range (for my 3x5 work weight), but that's where I'm headed.

3. HIIT. I also am a big believer in interval training for fat loss, and now I plan to get more serious about it. So, my goal is to get in at least two HIIT sessions each week. There's no magic here - these aren't exciting workouts, or particularly a lot of fun (at least for me), but they work.

4. Extras. I also plan on, if I can get my workouts done in the mornings, adding a little exercise at night. It won't take long, or shouldn't. For weightlifting days, I think I'm going to try to do a tabata session after the kids go to bed (like air squats or squat thrusts), followed by some ab wheel work. For HIIT days, I want to do a medicine ball route called the Med Ball 200. I want to eventually get it up to the Med Ball 400 by doing it twice, but let's start with something manageable and see where I end up. That should give me good abdominal work on those days, but I can always throw in some ab wheel if I need to.

Now, to stay true to all of this, I need to follow the same inspiration that got me to start this blog, the idea of becoming strong dust. I don't say this in planning to be preachy to anyone, but I really believe that my faith can be a huge asset in this endeavor. After all, I believe we've been given perfect bodies that know what they need to be healthy, and that making the right choices (order a salad, go to the gym, and yes, every now and then have that big piece of birthday cake) will make me happier both in the short and long term. Frankly, while I enjoy eating a donut, I don't like how I feel five minutes later. So, why do it? Staying tuned in to my body, a body already perfectly designed for this, will be a huge asset.

There's another aspect about using faith as a guide that I like. I am Roman Catholic, a faith that focuses heavily on the idea of redemption, reconciliation - second chances. My faith teaches that everyone may find paradise, no matter what has gone before, by sincere reconciliation. God doesn't just based on a whole life's worth of work, but how you finish the journey. This is important to remember, because it's so easy to eat terribly or skip an HIIT workout on the 5th, and just say, "Oh well, I'll get back on track next week," or even "next month." The better way is to get back on track immediately, as if the morning never happened. That's what I need to do, and what I plan to do.

This post has been rambling, for which I apologize. I plan on being more focused in the future, and while I will try to log my workouts here, I will also try to document the spiritual and personal journeys I plan to make at the same time (and which I will detail more later). Hopefully, those who read will find something of interest to them here.

Introduction

John Gesselberty, a fellow weightlifter and gifted motivator, finished one of his training log entries on, I believe, Ash Wednesday by saying:

"'Remember man that thou art dust, and unto dust thou shalt return.' True, but, this man is going to be strong dust."

Those two words - Strong Dust - have stuck with me ever since. I cannot now sum up all the different meanings that I have ascribed to that phrase in the weeks since I first read it, but they all relate to health - spiritual, physical, mental - and a sense of not only a desire but a duty, a responsibility, to become become the strongest dust that I can. I feel it is something I owe to myself, my wife, my children, my community, and my God.

This blog will be my journal of my journey as I try to become stronger every day, with the goal of being able to proudly proclaim, "I am Strong Dust."