Journal - Wed., 2/23/11

Sleep: 6.5 hours, solid.

BW: 221.0 lbs.

Food:
(12:00)
Cosi steakhouse salad (no cheese, different dressing)
Cosi side chili
3 pieces of pie (not wise)
fish oil
multi

(4:00)
creatine
3-scoop shake

(8:30)
3-scoop shake

(10:30)
chicken thighs with sausage and shrimp over brown rice
small pork chop
2 whiskies

Workout:
(evening)
shoulder prehab
bench, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 195x5
 - 220x3
 - 245x3 (269)
chin-up, BW - 5, 5, 7, 3:00
DB alt. Arnold, 45s, 3x5, 1:00
Pendlay row, 185, 3x5, 1:00

Journal - Tues., 2/22/11

Sleep:  8 hours, barely broken.

Food:
(12:00)
chili
Fritos (160 cals)
fish oil
multi
creatine

(6:30)
chicken thighs, sausage, and shrimp over brown rice
3-scoop shake

(11:00)
sushi
2 whiskies

Workout:
(evening)
power clean, 155 - 3x3, 2:00
deadlift, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 310x5
 - 350x3
 - 390x5 (455)
box squat, 3x5, 1:00
 - 135, 155, 185
good morning, 3x5, 1:00
 - 135, 155, 185

Journal - Mon., 2/21/11

Sleep: 6 hours, solid.

Food:
(12:00)
3-scoop shake
chicken thighs, shrimp, and sausage over whole-wheat pasta
fish oil
multi
creatine

(6:30)
3-scoop shake
2 bowls of chili with a few tortilla chips
2 banana bread muffins (the boys made them)

(8:15)
More fish oil

(10:30)
Rye

Workout:
(morning)
1.5 hours of shoveling

(evening)
Boxing
- heavy bag, 6x3:00
Steam room, 8:00

Journal - Sun., 2/20/11

Sleep:  8 hours, only a bit broken.

Food:
(Refeed day)
(10:30)
4-scoop shake
2 bagels

(12:00)
2 bagels

(1:30)
2 bagels

(4:30)
2 bagels

(6:00)
chicken thighs and shrimp and sausage over brown rice (with some veggies)

(10:00)
.5 cup of mango sorbet (100 cals)

(11:00)
trail mix
2 whiskies

Workout:
(morning)
DB swings, 50x25x8

(evening)
shoveling

Journal - Sat., 2/19/11

Sleep:  7 hours, broken.

BW:  221.6 lbs.

Food:
(9:00)
.5 scoop BCAAs

(12:00)
.5 scoop BCAAs
whole wheat pasta with turkey sausage
3-scoop shake

(1:30)
creatine
fish oil
multi

(6:00)
3-patty burger (Bagger Dave's)
Fries
Sweet potato chips
Beer

Workout:
shoulder prehab
push press, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 135x5
 - 150x3
 - 170x5 (198)
chin-up, BW, 3:00
 - 5, 5, 7
DB alternating bench, 3x5, 1:00
 - 60s, 70s, 70s
Pendlay row, 155, 3x5, 1:00

boxing
 - heavy bag, 4x3:00
 - speed bag, 4x3:00

Journal - Fri., 2/18/11

Sleep: 6 decent hours, 1 pretty broken.

BW:  221.2 lbs.

Food:
(12:00)
3-scoop shake
eye steak
broccoli
fish oil
multi
creatine

(6:30)
3-scoop shake

(8:00)
pork chop
jerk beans and brown rice

(11:00)
Taco Bell - fresco beef burrito and two fresco grilled soft tacos
small amount of mango sorbet
whiskey

Workout:
Recovery day.

Journal - Thurs., 2/17/11

Sleep: 7:00, mixed

Food:
(1:00)
pork chop
jerk beans with brown rice
bagel
3-scoop shake
fish oil
creatine
multi

(6:00)
eye steak
broccoli
cooked spinach
sauteed mushrooms and onions

(11:00)
3-scoop shake
2 turkey sandwiches
whiskey

Workout:
power clean, 150, 3x3, 2:00
squat, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 200x3
 - 225x3
 - 255x3
 - 285x1
 - 325x1
 - 350xF
 - 350xF

Journal - Wed., 2/16/11

Sleep: 6.5 hours, only up a few times before 6:30.

BW: 222.0 lbs.  Good after the splurge yesterday.

Food:
(12:00)
3-scoop shake
pasta with meat sauce
1 piece of bread

(3:00)
fish oil
multi
creatine

(7:00)
pork chop
jerk beans and brown rice
3-scoop shake

(11:00)
whiskey
trail mix

Workout:
shoulder prehab
bench, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 180x3
 - 205x3
 - 230x5 (268)
chin-up, 3x5, 3:00
 - BW - 5, 5, 7
KB swings, 1:00
 - 16 kgx20
 - 24 kgx25x4

Journal - Tues., 2/15/11

Sleep:  7 hours, mostly solid.

Food:
(12:30)
3-scoop shake
chicken thigh with jerk beans and brown rice
apple
creatine

(2:50)
fish oil
multi

(4:00)
Sun Chips (210 cal. bag)

(8:00)
2 helpings of pasta with meat sauce
Whiskey

(11:00)
2 whiskey and sodas
Pita chips

Major Carb craving day.  I should have had a shake before dinner; it might have changed everything.

Workout:
Recovery day

Journal - Mon., 2/14/11

Sleep:  7 hours, very broken

BW:  222.2 lbs.  Given our date on Saturday and the dinner with the neighbors on Sunday, I'll take it gladly.

Food:
(12:00)
32 oz. Zoup chili, sourdough bread

(2:30)
3-scoop shake
fish oil
multi
creatine

(6:30)
2 chicken thighs
Jerk beans and brown rice

(10:30)
3-scoop shake

Workout:
Power clean, 145 - 3x3, 2:00
Deadlift, 3x3, 3:00
- 290x3
- 330x3
- 370x6
Waiter walk, 65, 3, 1:00
Suitcase walk, 90, 3, 1:00

Journal - Sun., 2/13/11

Sleep: 6.5 hours

Food:
(7:30)
2 glasses Gatorade
Nasal decongestant

(9:00)
Small bowl of Heart to Heart cereal with soy milk

(1:00)
red beans and rice with sausage
3-scoop shake

(2:15)
glass of Gatorade
nasal decongestant
fish oil
multi
creatine

(5:00)
dinner at the Oneas'
tapas, baked fish, potatoes, wine, doughnut-like desserts

Workout:
Recovery day

Journal - Sat., 2/12/11

Sleep:  6.5 hours

BW:  220.6 lbs.  I'm not sure if I can believe that.  Let's see if I can hold it.

Food:
(7:00)
Glass of low-cal Gatorade
Nasal decongestant

(10:20)
.5 scoop BCAAs
Beta alaninealanine

(1:00)
.5 scoop BCAAs
red beans and rice with sausage
3-scoop shake
fish oil
multi
creatine

(5:30)
trail mix

(7:00)
movie date night with my wife:
Popcorn
Twizzlers

(10:00)
Grilled salmon
Rice pilaf
2 old fashioneds

Workout:
shoulder prehab
push press, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 125x3
 - 140x3
 - 160x6
chin-up, BW - 5, 5, 7, 3:00
heavy bag, 4x3:00
speed bag, 4x3:00

Journal - Fri., 2/11/11

BW: 223.4 lbs.

Sleep:  6.5 hours, pretty solid.

Food:
(7:30)
glass of low-calorie Gatorade with nasal decongestant

(1:00)
2 beef tacos
rice
refried beans
fish oil
multi

(2:00)
creatine
3-scoop shake

(6:30)
Shrimp
Quinoa and means

(10:30)
2 whiskies
Trail mix

Workout:
Power clean, 140, 3x3, 2:00
Squat, 5/3/1, 3:00
- 185x5
- 220x5
- 240x7
Waiter walk, 60x3, 1:00
Suitcase walk, 85x3, 1:00

Journal - Thurs., 2/10/11

BW: 224.8 lbs.  Surprising

Sleep:  7 hours, awfully broken by kids and my left sciatic.

Food:
(12:10)
1.5 mahi mahi fillets
quinoa and beans
3-scoop shake
creatine

(3:30)
multi
fish oil

(7:00)
Flank steak
Brocolli
Grilled zuchinni
Grilled onions and mushrooms

(10:30)
3-scoop shake

(11:30)
Martini
Mango salsa and tortilla chips

Workout:
Shoulder prehab
Bench press, 5/3/1
- 170x5
- 195x5
- 220x6
Chin-up, BW - 5, 5, 7

Heavy bag, 3x3:00
Speed bag, 3x3:00

Journal - Wed., 2/9/11

I immediately got sick after dinner on Sunday, and was laid up for two days.  I'll get back to the journaling tomorrow on the diet.  But I did lift tonight's, so that is logged below.

Workout:
Power clean, 135, 3x3
Deadlift, 5/3/1
- 270x5
- 315x5
- 350x5 (easy because sick)
Squat, 135 - 5x5
Waiter walk, 60x3
Suitcase walk, 85x3

Journal - Sun., 2/6/11

Food:
(11:45)
Red beans and rice with chicken and sausage
3-scoop shake
fish oil
creatine
multi

(4:00)
Apple
2 pepperoni sticks

(5:30)
Non-dairy hot chocolate

(8:00)
Super Bowl
Large thin crust pizza, no cheese
Root beer

Workout:
Recovery day

Journal - Sun., 2/6/11

Food:
(11:45)
Red beans and rice with chicken and sausage
3-scoop shake
fish oil
creatine
multi

Workout:
Recovery day

Journal - Sat., 2/5/11

BW: 224.6 lbs. (223.8 after gym)

This will be a starting point of sorts.  I'll be shooting for losing five pounds per month.  If I can do that, I'll be where I want to be on the Fourth of July.

Food:
(11:00)
.5 scoop BCAAs
Beta alanine

(12:30)
.5 scoop BCAAs

(2:15)
1.5 fillets of mahi mahi
Quinoa and black beans
3-scoop shake
Fish oil
Multi
Creatine

(4:00)
Apple

(8:45)
Red beans and rice with chicken and sausage
3-scoop shake

(9:30)
2 martinis

(11:30)
2 pepperoni sticks

Workout:
shoulder prehab
press, 5/3/1, 3:00
 - 97.5x5
 - 115x5
 - 127.5x8
chin-up, 3x5, 3:00
 - BW - 5, 5, 8
heavy bag, 3x3:00
speed bag, 3x3:00

Journal - Fri., 2/4/11

Sleep: 7 hours, very poor and broken due to a sick child.

Food:
(12:00)
chicken and rice soup
apple
3-scoop shake
creatine

(4:30)
2 fruit snack bars
fish oil

(9:00)
Thai - sweet and sour pork with white rice
2 small spring rolls
2 bourbons

Workout:
Recovery day

Back on the Horse

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

~ Teddy Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic," speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910.

The best lifting I ever did was for Training Anarchy's strength competition, which ended last October.  For four months, I lifted harder and more purposefully than I ever have.  Since then, while I've been "focusing" on fat loss (with poor results), I've really backed off the intensity in the gym.  Some of that was necessary, as I needed a break, but I am now done with that.  It is time to lift again.

Sometime in October, the APF/AAPF will hold The Wolverine Open.  I think that this will be my first powerlifting meet.  Right now, I want to compete in the 90 kg (198 lb.) weight class.  My goal for the meet is a squat of 405, a bench of 315, and a deadlift of 495.  This is pretty darn aggressive, particularly considering that I still need to lose more than 20 pounds to get to that weight class, but it's time to be aggressive again.

So here goes...

Tomorrow, I start 5/3/1 again.  I've taken my previous PRs and taken a 15% reduction to get the program started.  I'll keep the accessory work minimal, instead focusing on conditioning to drop weight, at least for the next few months.  After that, we'll see what happens.

Journal - Thurs., 2/3/11

Sleep: 7 hours.

Food:
(2:45)
1 bag of whole cashews (starving)

(3:15)
Chicken, beans, hominy, and avocado
Apple
Jello
3-scoop shake

(9:00)
Baked shrimp with chicken and sausage
Whole wheat pasta

(10:30)
Fish oil
Multi

Workout:
Waiter walk - 50, 60, 60
Suitcase walk - 3x85
Complex A, 65 - 3x8, 1:00

Journal - Wed., 2/2/11

Sleep: 8 hours but quite broken by the kids and concern over the storm.

BW: 223.6 lbs.

Food:
(12:30)
baked shrimp with chicken and sausage
whole wheat pasta
almond butter with assorted apple slices, carrots, and celery for dipping
3-scoop shake
fish oil
creatine
multi

(6:30)
3-scoop shake

(8:30)
2 chicken tacos w/ avocado, tomatoes, and olives
Beans and hominy

(10:30)
2 Bourbon and diet ginger ale

Workout:
(morning)
1.5 hours of shoveling snow.

(evening)
Squat, 235 - 3x5
Bench, 235 - 3x5
Chin-up, BW - 3x6

Journal - Tues., 2/1/11

Sleep:  8 hours.

Food:
(12:00)
2 chicken drumsticks
Broccoli
Mixed fruit and berries
Roasted peanuts
3-scoop shake
Fish oil
Creatine

(7:30)
3-scoop shake

(8:15)
1.5 bowls baked shrimp with chicken and sausage
Brown rice

(10:30)
2 Bourbon and diet gingers

Workout:
None - recovery day