Leaning down - diet start

To begin my new diet, I am going to start kind of slowly.  Macro-wise, I will be fairly close to what Shelby had me do in January.  Shelby had me on 6 meals a day, at 40p + 20c + 10f each, for a total of 240p + 120c + 60f.  I have discovered that I do better keeping my fats and carbs separated (and I prefer 5 meals a day), so I will be doing the following:

Meal 1: 50p + 40c
Meal 2: 50p + 30f
Meal 3: 50p + 40c (pre-workout)
Meal 4: 50p + 40c (post-workout)
Meal 5: 50p + 30f
Totals: 250p + 120c + 60f

On lifting days, I will add in two shakes:
intra-workout:  25g BCAA + creatine + beta-alanine
post-workout:  Surge Recovery

This will start me a bit higher than Shelby had me at (due to the shakes), and that is ok, as I was 25# lighter then.

Cardio - I will do a bit of cardio at the end of my workouts (~10 minutes), provided I finish before Wendi does.  I will hold off on morning/daily cardio at least until the first week is over.

Diet considerations

At the beginning of August I was 185# @ 32.625".  I am now up to 210.25# @ 36.0".  So I have gained 25.25# and 3.375".  During my previous Shelby diet, I lost an average of 5.5# per inch.  I am hoping to reduce that to 3#-4# per inch.  But even at 5.5#, to lose the gained inches will take about 18.5#.  Leaving about 6.75# of lean mass gain.  Which would equate to about 1.3# per month gain.  Not great, but not too shabby.  And again, if I can diet slowly and keep my mass up, I will have an even better ratio.

2011-12-25 Check In [210.25 @ 36.0]

Mass:  210.25 (+4.75)
Waist:  36.0 (+0.75)
Arm:  16.75 (+0.25)
Thigh:  25.0 (+0.125)
Calf:  15.125 (+0.125)

Yeah, so.....This last week's diet was "eat like shite, randomly, and have way too many restaurant meals".  This did not do good things to my physique.

My stated goal was to continue mass gaining until February, and then start leaning out in March.  However, I had a cut-off limit of 36" for my waist.  So, I am revising my plan.  Step 1:  stay (mostly) on diet this week.  Step 2: Weigh in again next week.  Step 3:  If my waist is back under 36", continue mass gain for another cycle.  However, if my waist is at or above 36", I will begin leaning out.
-----------------
Right-o.  I have come to a decision.  This coming week I will continue on the mass-gain/relaxed eating schedule.  I have two more core workouts (legs & shoulders), and then my deload days.  I am going to compress the deloads into two days (Mon - Legs,  Tues - shoulders, Thurs - deload back & chest, Fri deload legs & shoulders).

Next week I will begin leaning out.  I am going to take it quite slowly, to preserve as much muscle mass as possible.  Perhaps even add a tiny amount.  My lifting routine will go from higher rep hypertrophy to lower rep strength work.

End goal - Get my waist as lean as possible (probably around 30").  So, I am going to say I have about 6" to lose off of my waist.  When doing the Shelby diet, I lost about 5.5# for every inch off of my waist. I am hoping to improve that ratio, so that I lose less mass per inch.  I would love to drop my waist the 6" and only lose about 20#.  Which would put me at 190# and lean.  Not great, but a good base.

2011-12-17 Check in [205.5 @ 35.25]

Mass:  205.5 (+2.75)
Waist:  35.25 (+0.25)
arm:  16.0 (--)
thigh:  24.875 (+0.25)
calf:  15.0 (--)

The mass gain is nice, the waist gain is not.  However, I am not very surprised.  Ginormous meal at Famous Dave's on Sunday, increased food intake, and no cardio.

To help minimize the waist gain, I will do cardio at least twice this week.  Really I will.  *wry grin*

Anyhow, I have made a deal with myself that I will continue gaining mass until one of the following occurs:
A) March comes around.  Which would give me 10 weeks, enough time to finish two more 5/3/1 cycles
B) I hit 220#
C) My jeans no longer fit (probably another inch or so on my waist)

Last year, doing the Shelby diet with Wendi took me from 207.0# & 36.5" waist down to 178.5# & 31.375" waist.  I do not have my other measurements from the start of the diet, but at the end my arm was 15.75", thigh 23.0", calf 14.375", chest 41.25".

I am not certain whether or not I will contract Shelby for a fat loss cycle again.  I am seriously considering it, but it depends upon finances.  If I cannot afford him, I will probably pick up some of his e-books, just to have as a reference.

2011-12-11 Check in [202.75 @ 35.0]

Mass:  202.75 (+0.75)
Waist:  35.0 (+0.125)
Arm:  16.5 (-0.125)
Thigh:  24.625 (--)
Calf:  15.0 (--)

So, up a tiny bit on mass & waist.  The waist I believe is just bloat (feels like it).  So, increasing food again.  Last week's diet was roughly:
meal 1, 3, 4:  40p + 60c
meal 2,5: 40p + 30f
intra-workout:  25g BCAA
post-workout:  Surge Recovery
with some random extras tossed in (ex:  cheese on sandwiches, fruit, etc).
Also, Sunday evening I pigged out at Outback (1 loaf of bread, a chicken finger, small chicken quesadilla, side salad, french dip + fries, 1/2 an order of chicken flatbread).  Tuesday was dinner at Coopersmith's (onion rings, Shepard's pie).

So, prospective diet for this week:
meal 1,3,4:  50p + 60c + 10f
meal 2,5:  50p + 30f
intra-workout:  25g BCAA + 1 scoop SWOF (if I run out of SWOF, waxy maize)
post-workout:  Surge Recovery
So, adding in 50p & 30f per day

And if I get hungry/feel crashed, I will eat more.  Mass gaining is not as clear cut a process as fat loss.  Ah well.
===============
Axe the prospective diet.  The increased meal size make me feel unpleasantly over-full.  So instead, on workout days I will have an additional 40p + 60c meal.  With four of those over the week, that will give me about 3200 kCal more, which is in line with a 1# increase.

Also, it will add to calorie-cycling more.  Lifting days will have 90p + 110c more than non-lifting days.  So prospective diet:
All Days:

meal 1, 3, 4:  40p + 60c
meal 2,5: 40p + 30f

Lifting days
meal X: 40p + 60c (sometime before final meal of the day)
intra-workout:  25g BCAA
post-workout:  Surge Recovery

2011-12-04 Check in [202.0@ 34.875]

Mass:  202.0 (+2.0)
Waist:  34.875 (--)
Arm:  16.625 (+0.125)
Thigh:  24.625 (+0.125)
Calf:  15.0 (--)

Not too bad.  Gained 2#, with no waist increase.  So, I am going to stick to my current diet.
Meal 1:  40p + 60c
Meal 2:  40p + 30f
Meal 3:  40p + 60c
PWO shake:  25p + 50c
Meal 4:  40p + 60c
Meal 5:  40p + 30f

Honestly, I go over with the protein a bit, so the meals fall between 40-50p, depending upon what I am eating.

This week (Mon & Wed) will finish off my deload.  Friday I will begin my next cycle.  Instead of swapping out most of the exercises I had planned, I am going to just change the order around (ex:  Military press, then biceps, then DBOH, etc) to give myself more rest.  I will probably stick to a 4-day per week rotation, unless I get bored and kick it up to 5 days.  Main restriction:  no deadlifts Monday or Wednesday, unless I go to the gym later than usual.  Yoga happens 4-5pm on those days, and I make a lot of noise when doing deads.

Bands, down time, and stuff

Last night I played around with bands on my bench press.  Monster mini bands, doubled up.  I have learned a few things:
1.  Do not do band work to start the session if I have a lot of volume to do.  Band presses burn me out too much
2.  I need to do more band work to force my stabilizers to get stronger.
3.  I need to pick up some short bands.  The full-size bands suck for benching, and having to double them up adds way more tension than I wanted.  This will have to wait for EliteFTS to have another sale and/or free shipping deal
4.  Bonus - short bands are good for deadlifting.  Just step into the bands and pull

This is my scheduled deload week.  And I really need it. I am utterly fragged.  My energy levels are good, my mental attitude is fully engaged in lifting, I have minimal if any soreness, but my muscles are trashed.  So I am going to be taking it easy this week. Lifting Wednesday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday.

When I start my new cycle next Friday, I will probably stick to a four day per week rotation.  Probably Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  Rather than my chaotic 5-6 day/week schedule.  And on my off days, as I will be twitchy, I will just do cardio and/or chop wood.

Golden Ratio

My theoretical "golden ratio" (aka - ideal) proportions based upon Steve Reeves & other stuff.

Snagged from John Romaniello:  http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_to_look_freakin_awesome

Base measurements

Wrist:  7.0"

Waist:  31.0" (estimating, based upon previous states)

Knee:  14.0"

calculated numbers (how much I need to increase to get there)

Arm:  17.625" (+1.125)

Calf:  17.625" (+2.625) - yes, I have scrawny calves

Neck:  17.625" (1.875) - neck similarly skinny

Shoulder:  50.0" (+2.0)

Thigh:  24.5" (+0.0)

Chest:  46.5" (+3.5) [not mentioned, my goal is waist * 1.5]

So, yeah, lots of work required.  More food!

2011-11-27 Check in [200.0 @ 34.875] - Maintenance Level

mass:  200.0 (--)
waist:  34.875 (--)
arm:  16.5 (+0.125)
thigh:  24.5 (-0.25)
calf:  15.0 (--)

Not really any change this past week.  So, I have found my maintenance levels with lifting 4-5 times per week with no cardio.

Meal 1:  40p + 40c
Meal 2:  40p + 20f
Meal 3:  40p + 40c
PWO Shake:  25p + 50c
Meal 4:  40p + 40c
Meal 5:  40p + 20f
Totals:  225p + 170c + 40f (+/- a bit)

So, as I am in the quest to gain more mass, I will be increasing my intake slightly.  New goals:

Meal 1:  40p + 60c (add 20c)
Meal 2:  40p + 30f (add 10f)
Meal 3:  40p + 60c (add 20c)
PWO Shake:  25p + 50c
Meal 4:  40p + 60c (add 20c)
Meal 5:  40p + 30f (add 10f)
Totals:  225p + 230c + 60f (add 60c & 20f)

2011-11-20 Check in [200.0 @ 34.875]

Mass:  200.0 (-0.5)
Waist:  34.875 (--)
Arm:  16.375 (+0.125)
Thigh:  24.75 (+0.375)
Calf:  15.0 (--)

Overall, I am not disappointed with the above numbers.  This is after a week of pigging out, including way too many restaurant meals when Megan was here, and then a 1/2 week of controlling my diet.  So, being pretty much where I was two weeks ago counts as progress (last week I would have been much worse off).

I have gotten through five workouts of 5/3/1.  These were supposed to be done over 8 days, I did them in 5 (no days off).  Still, seems to be going pretty well.  High rep assistance work for bodybuilding purposes, including 20-rep overhead tricep rope extensions (these are evil).  It seems to be going well.

I am going to stick with my current meal plan for another week, and see how it goes.  Plan is as follows:

Meal 1:  40p + 40c
Meal 2:  40p + 20f
Meal 3:  40p + 40c
PWO Shake:  50c + 25p
Meal 4:  40p + 40c
Meal 5:  40p + 20f

Totals:  225p + 210c + 40f (~2100kCal based on primary macros, probably closer to 2500 with the incidentals tossed in).

I am not being uber-rigorous with my amounts (+/- 5-10g per meal), but the above is pretty close to where I am.

Starting 5/3/1...

Tomorrow I will begin 5/3/1 with a bodybuilding emphasis.  Four day rotation, five days a week (Tues & Sat off).  The reason for changing my routine is that I was plateauing on a lot of things.

MAXES - 2011/11/09

Bench:  235#
Squat:  365#
OHP: 145#
Deadlift: 425#

I am not displeased with those numbers.  On June 23, I had 245/335/135/415.  I used straps on the deads in June, none today.  My squats are likely higher than the 365, but when I maxed out a few days ago I did a lot sets to get up there [4x45/95/135/185/225/255/275/295/315; 1x335/355].  Also, this is the first time I have lifted heavy since June, and the first time I have really benched anything or done any deadlifts since I broke my wrist in early September.

All in all, not too bad

2011-11-06 Check in [200.5 @ 34.875]

Mass:  200.5 (+0.25)
Waist:  34.875 (--)
Arm:  16.25 (+0.25)
Thigh:  24.375 (-0.25)
Calf:  15.0 (--)

Odd results from last week, but nothing distressing.  My lifts have all been going up, so I am improving, even if my measurements are funky for this week.

Happy thing:  I hit 355# on a squat.  And I am reasonably certain that I could have hit 375# if I had not dialed in so slowly.  I did sets of 4 at:  45,95,135,185,225,255,275,295,315; and then singles at 335,355,375 (fail).  And my weakness is that my upper back rounded forward when I was in the hole.  Still, not too embarrassing.

2011-11-02 Routine Success

Currently, my "diet" and training routine seem to be working rather well.  Mild mass gain, small waist reduction, increased strength, and I am still enjoying my lifting routine.  I am not being very hard-core at the moment.  I eat mostly on-plan & I lift at least 4 days a week, but I am not killing myself in any way.  So, current plan is to continue what I am doing until I stop getting good results.

2011-10-30 Check in [200.25 @ 34.875]

Mass:  200.25 (+0.75)
Waist:  34.875 (-0.125)
Arm:  16.125 (+0.125)
Thigh:  24.625 (--)
Calf:  15.0 (--)

Small changes this week, but that is ok.  If I can keep my waist going down a little and my mass going up a little every week, I will be happy.  If I can gain about 4-5# and drop about 1/2 an inch off of my waist over the next month I will be quite content.  I'd even be ok with maintaining mass while dropping my waist, or maintaining my waist while gaining mass.  Just so long as the waist does not go up and my mass does not go down.

Workout-wise, I seem to be not so much in a program-ADD mode, as in a "figure out what works for me right now" mode.  I am on a 4-5 day rotation:  Chest, Back, Legs, Shoulders+Arms.  And depending upon how my days go (ex:  I cannot lift on Saturday due to gym hours), I will throw in a total body or conditioning workout between my shoulder & chest days.  I am also trying to do at least a bit of conditioning (currently elliptical sprints) at the end of some of my workouts.

2011-10-23 Check in [199.5 @ 35.0]

Mass:  199.5 (+1.75)
Waist:  35.0 (+0.625)
Arm:  16.0 (--)
Thigh: 24.625 (--)
Calf: 15.0 (--)

Obviously, I am not happy with these results.  However, I cannot be terribly surprised.
Workouts:  1/2 on Sunday plus a 3 mile hike, 1 on Monday, 1 on Tuesday.  No cardio to speak of
Diet: Very inconsistent, plus several very bad meals.  Wednesday night (1am) had Wendy's.  Thursday night had a lot of bread.  Friday night had Rodizio's.  Saturday had Del Taco and Wendy's.  Granted, these were due to social things (Wednesday:  Thorn of Gesthemene, Thursday: Janna&Jade, Friday: Jon&Laurell, Saturday: Five Finger Death Punch).

Anyhow, I need to fix this up.  I am going to be lowering my intake a bit (and being more careful with it), getting all of my workouts in, and doing cardio & abs at least a few times.  My hope for cardio is to do it pre-breakfast on days when I don't have any morning work.  And if I have the energy/time, I will do some after lifting sessions.  If I can reduce my waist without dropping mass too quickly I will be happy.  Well, I will be happy with waist reduction in general.  I just do not want to drop 10# to get back to a 33" waist.  That would erase all of the mass gain I have had.

Diet for this week:
Breakfast, pre, post-workout:  40gP + 40gC
other two meals:  40gP + 20gF
Peri-workout:  Surge Recovery immediately following lifting

We'll see how this goes.

2011-10-16 Check in [197.75 @ 34.735]

Mass:  197.75
Waist:  34.375
Arm:  16.0
Thigh:  24.625
Calf:  15.0

My waist is growing larger than I would like it to.  However, my thigh and calf are larger than they have been since I started cutting fat 16 months ago.  And I am leaner than I was at that point.

Anyhow, I will actually control my diet a bit.  Mostly by actually measuring my intake and not just eating randomly sized portions.  I will also add in a bit of cardio.  If that doesn't work, I will cut out wheat again (yes, I know, it is bad), and add in more cardio.

Last week is when I started high rep squats.  It looks like they work well, so I am going to continue them.  However, the new hypertrophy program I was on courtesy of CT was killing me.  I had no strength or endurance, and was having hypoglycemic crashes after every workout regardless of food intake.  I am going to try out a workout that is based more upon what I have found works for me.  Mostly in the 8-10 rep range.  I will be going back to a fairly standard five day split (chest, quads, back, shoulders, hamstrings).  Although I will some extra quad work on my hamstring days.  Progression will be either straight weight (for a few exercises), or volume then weight (ex:  week 1 - 4x8, week 2 - 4x10 with same weight, week 3 - 4x8 with more weight).

2011-10-13 Crashing out

I do not believe that my crashes are simply due to the workouts.  I crashed out last night even without exercising.  I do not know why I am running down so much in the evenings.

2011-10-12 general update & notes

1.  For the three weeks before D*Con, when I switched from fat loss to mass gain, I had great results following CT's Indigo plan.  The supplement, combined with the high-volume lifting, worked really well
2.  Immediately following Con, I broke my wrist, which greatly limited me.
3.  A month after the wrist issue, I got food poisoning.  Wasn't able to eat or exercise for a week.  Killed me
4.  I have worked out three times since the food poisoning.  Each workout has left me utterly drained, and my strength levels are extremely low.  I have crashed out each time.
5.  I have one more bottle of Indigo, and I hope to have some decent progress on it.
6.  I have started going to the gym again, due to the weather

2011-10-09 Check In [193.0 @ 34.0]

Mass:  193.0 (-5.75)
Waist:  34.0 (-0.75)
Arm:  16.0 (-0.25)
Thigh:  23.875 (-0.5)
Calf:  14.75 (-0.125)

This week sucked.  I contracted a nasty case of food poisoning on Monday.  I was completely unable to eat for over 48 hours, and spent the rest of the week eating once or twice a day.  Saturday was the first day I had three meals.  I normally have five.

2011-10-03 Check in [198.75 @ 34.75]

2011-10-03 check in & general status

Mass:  198.75 (+1.5)
Waist:  34.75 (+0.75)
Arm:  16.25 (+0.125)
Thigh:  24.375 (--)
Calf:  14.875 (--)

Yes, a day late.  I forgot to weigh in yesterday.

The mass & waist gain is unsurprising.  My diet has sucked, I have not had energy or stamina to work out, and I felt somewhat bloated this morning (not sure why, but my guts were unhappy).

On the upside, my leg workout just kicked ass.  HFSW went really well (everything was insanely easy).  Even the DB bench press I was able to to stop-reps (pause in the fully stretched position, then drive up).

Quad work:
Ramping Leg press - everything was explosive.  Until I got near my max weight the sled actually left my feet.  Plus, I went heavier than last time.

Lunges & hack squats - Actually hit failure on these.  My last set of hacks I only got 7 reps, rather than 12.  The dead-stops below parallel are killer

Leg extension & bodyweight squats - For the squats, my quads were so fried that I focused on glute & hamstring based movement.  Bonus feature - doing the squats like this (mid-stance, pure posterior chain) meant I felt NOTHING in my knees.  Usually my stopping point in squats is that the side of my knees give out.  This is not due to bad form, but rather because I have had surgeries on both knees.  I also am a quad-dominant squatter.  Even in a wide-stance power squat my lower quads & knees take a beating.  I am going to have to work on the mid-stance posterior squat form more.  If it works well with a bar on my back, I might just have to completely revamp my technique to do it this way.

Also:  All praise be to TrueProtein's Geraniamo.  I was REALLY dragging this morning, much like I have been the entire past week.  I downed some Geraniamo before my workout, and I was flying.  I guess I just needed the energy boost.

2011-09-25 Check In [197.25 @ 34.0]

Mass: 197.25 (+5.0)
Waist: 34.0 (+0.5)
Arm: 16.125 (+0.125)
Thigh: 24.375 (+0.375)
Calf: 14.875 (--)

My increased waist & mass are not surprising. I have been unable to exercise properly due to my wrist. And I always find it hard to be focused on my diet when my workouts are crap. This coming week I am planning on being much more rigorous.

Diet [note: fats are approximate]
Base - 250gP + 200gC + 50gF = 2250 cal
Peri-workout: 50P + 110gC
Workout days total: 300gP + 310gC + 50gF = 2900 cal

Pre/Intra workout - 2 scoops Mag10, 2 scoops SWOF, 1 scoop Anaconda
Post workout - 2 scoops Surge Recovery (I feel better when I have it)

Workouts:
I have found what I can do without pain, so I will be following the below routine (at least for the next two weeks). Sadly, I cannot continue CT's plan (stupid wrist):

High Frequency Strength (daily)
A. DB Bench Press - 3x4
B. Wide-stance Squat - 3x4
C. Seated DB OHP - 3x4
Still following CT's HFSW guidelines. Same weight/reps all week. Every week, add ~10# to the lift.

Ramping work. Work up to a max set of 8, then do 2-3 extended (rest-pause) sets.
Non-ramping work - add a set each week

Chest:
A. Ramping - DB Bench Press
B. Superset - Squeeze Press 5x10 / wide grip bench 5x10 [add a set each week]
C. Other work - depends upon my wrist. Flys, dips, etc

Quads:
A. Ramping - leg press
B. Superset - short-step lunges 5x10 / dead-stop hack squats 5x10
C. Superset - Leg extensions 5x10 / bodyweight squats 5xMaxReps

Back:
A. Ramping - seated DD-grip row
B. Superset - Straight-arm pulldown 5x10 / low pulley rope row 5x10
C. Straight sets - Supinated pull downs - 5xMaxReps (if my wrist can take it)

Shoulders:
A. Ramping - High-incline DB Press
B. Straight sets - 1-hand DB OHP 5x10 [full set, switch arms, rest]
C. Other work - depends upon my wrist. Lateral raises, front raises, etc

Hamstrings:
A. Ramping - Hamstring curl
B. Superset - Long-step lunges 5x10 / Band good mornings 5xMaxReps
C. Straight Sets - Bulgarian squats 5x10 [not a hamstring movement, but at least something]

2011-09-18 Check in [192.25 @ 33.5] + Beard start

Mass:  192.25 (-2.0)
waist:  33.5 (+0.25)
arm: 16.0 (--)
thigh:  24.0 (-0.125)
calf:  14.875 (+0.125)

The mass and waist changes, while upsetting, are not surprising.  Between DragonCon and hurting my wrist, I really have not been able to lift in nearly three weeks.  I was doing lots of quad work (leg press, hack squats, lunges, leg extensions, bodyweight squats, pistols, jumps) and conditioning, but the volume (combined with weather shifts) made my knees hurt to the point where I could barely walk.

My wrist is not yet back to normal, but hopefully it will be good enough to start lifting again tomorrow.  my plan is to slightly change my routine.  I will be continuing the hypertrophy program that CT gave me originally, but I will be changing the order a bit.

I am planning on 6 days per week, depending upon my energy levels
Monday - Friday I will do my base workouts.  If I have the time, I will also do the listed spec workout

Monday - Chest base, chest spec
Tuesday - Quads base, quad spec
Wednesday - Back base, back width spec
Thursday - Shoulders base
Friday - Posterior base, back thickness spec
Saturday - shoulder spec (as main), arms Spec
Sunday - Conditioning

Conditioning will either be interval sprints on the exercise bike or running.  Done when I have time (if I cannot do a spec workout, then conditioning will be done on those days)

---------------
Unrelated to lifting, I am going to be growing my beard out for a while.  Unlike last time, I have a plan.
1.  keep goatee & sides trimmed, but let my cheeks grow out.
2.  Once cheeks & sides are the same length, let them grow.  Keep goatee trimmed until cheek & sides catch up
3.  I will keep the center of my mustache and my neck trimmed.  Mustache - so I can eat.  Neck - because it itches and I don't like it growing

2011-09-11 Check in [194.25@33.25]

2011-09-11  Check in

Mass:  194.25 (+3.5)
Waist:  33.25 (+0.125)
arm:  16.0 (--)
thigh:  24.125 (+0.125)
calf:  14.75 (--)

These measurements are in comparison to two weeks ago.  In the intervening time, I have been on vacation where dieting & exercise was really not possible.  Yes, yes, I could have made time and packed food.  But Labor Day weekend is the one time a year when I completely relax and just have fun.  Also, while gone I only had a single 6-capsule dose of Indigo a day.

When I got back, I resumed my lifting schedule.  Which was promptly derailed by screwing my wrist up when re-racking the bar after overhead pressing.  *sigh*  So I got through my chest workout and I came up with a quad workout yesterday.  But that is all I have done.  Hopefully I will be able to lift again in a few days.

So for two weeks, I have not exercised, followed a proper diet, or otherwise done anything right aside from taking Indigo.  Therefore, I am far from displeased with my results.  So if I can resume working out and dieting correctly, I should have really good results.

2011-08-28 [190.75 @ 33.125]

Mass: 190.75 (+0.75)
Waist: 33.125 (+0.25)
Arm: 16.0 (+0.125)
Thigh: 24.0 (+0.25)
Calf: 14.75 (--)

Not up much today. The waist gain I am attributing to bloat from last night (had Mexican food). So that should go down a bit.

I am going to be conservative with my food intake this week, as I am going on a trip from Wednesday until next Monday. My food intake will be sporadic (and not very healthy), and my ability to exercise will be very limited. I will also be shifting to 6 tabs of Indigo a day while gone, as my supply is running low. I should have enough to last me until next Wednesday, when I will hopefully have more Indigo delivered.

2011-08-21 Check In [190.0 @ 32.875]

Mass:  190.0 (+1.25)
waist:  32.875 (+0.125)
arm:  15.875 (--)
thigh:  23.75 (--)
calf:  14.75 (+0.25)

Considering I skipped half of a lifting session, barely did any cardio/conditioning, and had a crappy diet (ate out a couple of times), I am not displeased by my results.  I need to buckle down on my food intake, actually do my cario & abs, and probably eat a bit more.

I know that it will not happen, but if I am able to continue gaining an average of 2# per week while adding 1/8" to my waist (or less), then by the end of my Indigo run I will be around 205# with about a 34" waist.  The last time I was that heavy, my waist was nearly 37".

2011-08-14 Check in [187.75 @ 32.75]

Mass: 187.75 (+2.75)
Waist: 32.75 (+0.125)
Arm: 15.875 (--)
Thigh: 23.75 (+0.25)
Calf: 14.5 (-0.25)

So far, so good. Since last Saturday, I am up 2.75#, but only 1/8" of an inch on my waist. Considering I have nearly doubled my carb intake as of Wednesday, that is very encouraging. The calf difference I do not understand, but my calf tends to bounce between 14.5" - 14.75" randomly.

My meal frequency has decreased. With how much more I am eating, I do not desire food as often as before, and I occasionally realize that it is nearly time for sleep and I still have another meal to eat. I am currently eating five times a day, plus peri-workout nutrition. Depending on how things go, I might switch to a 4 meal plan, and just increase amounts for each.

Also, I am really enjoying the new hypertrophy routine CT has me on. The workouts are not as lengthy as the fat loss routine, and I find that the total-body start (bench/squat/ohp/deadlift) combined with bodypart focus is ideal for my mindset. I have always disliked pure bodypart focus, but I have never found a full-body routine that I can do every day without burning out. The moderate amount of sub-maximal total-body lifts seems to be perfect.

2011-08-06 Check in [185.0 @ 32.675]

Mass: 185.0 (-2.0)
Waist: 32.675 (-0.375)
Arm: 15.875 (+0.125)
Thigh: 23.5 (--)
Calf: 14.75 (--)

I have been on Indigo for 16 days at this point.

I am not displeased with my progress this week. I had hoped to be about 175# with a 31" waist at the moment. I was on track for that in mid-July, but the large excision I had on my ribs severely impacted my progress. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

I had more carbs (and food in general) this week than last week. Even though I am dieting, I had a couple of meals out (a friend was in town). And I consumed more overall. I also skipped my OHP workout this week so that my delts would heal. The only addition I have is that I am doing conditioning every morning, alternating Abs Shredder sprints with steady state on the exercise bike.

Based upon my progress, I am going to increase my carbs more this week. My peri-workout nutrition will stay the same for now, I am going to add in more carbs at other meals.

2011-07-31 Check in [187.0 @ 33.0]

2011-07-31 Sunday - Check in

Mass:  187.0 (-1.5)
Waist:  33.0 (-0.25)
arm:  15.75 (--)
thigh:  23.5 (--)
calf:  14.75 (--)

No appreciable change since Wednesday.  Subjectively, my shoulders and arms are looking better, but there is no real way to track that.  And seeing how my primary goal at the moment is to reduce my waist/lose fat, I am a bit irritated.  Ah well.  I have been on Indigo for 10 days, and some people require a couple of weeks for it to take full effect.

2011-07-24 Check In (188.5 @ 33.25)

2011-07-24 WEEKLY WEIGH IN
(since Sunday) [Since Thursday]

mass:  188.5 (+4.25) [+0.25]
waist:  33.25 (+0.675) [+0.125]
arm:  15.75 (--)
thigh:  23.5 (--)
calf:  14.75 (+0.25)

The minor mass & waist gain since Thursday I am discounting.  It is likely water weight due to creatine loading.  This week will be the true test for how Indigo & Thib's workouts affect me.

The gain prior to that is due to my incision.  I did not exercise at all, and my diet was way off (overate a LOT).  The diet was because I heal much faster if I overeat.

2011-07-21 - Indigo Begins

T-nation log (where I will keep most updates):
http://tnation.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_indigo_2/daven_joins_the_fray#bottom

Mass:  188.25 (+3.0)
Waist:  33.125 (+0.5)

I am attributing the mass gain primarily to bloat.  Due to my surgery that happened on Monday, my diet has kind of sucked, and I have not been able to exercise at all.

In addition to Indigo & the peri-workout Surge Workout Fuel/Mag10/Anaconda, my supplement regimen is as follows:
Morning (with Indigo dose #1):  1.25g ALCAR, 1.25g L-Tyrosine, 1.25g Chochamine, 200mg caffeine, 2.5g creatine, 2.5g beta-alanine
30 minutes pre-workout:  2.5g ALCAR, 1.25g L-Tyrosine, TrueProtein's Geraniamo (if I need an energy boost)
~10

Indigo experiment

I broke down and have acquired Indigo 3-G (t-nation.com, not available in the store, have to call directly).  I will be keeping a very detailed log of my experience.  Workouts, food intake, how I feel mentally & physically, and weekly measurements with progress photos.  Kind of like how I was under Shelby Starnes (still the best fat-loss coach there is).

I ordered a six-week supply (the max I could get), which should be here in a couple of days.  I will begin the supplement on Monday, which will take me until the week of D*Con.  Based upon the results other people have been posting about it, I fully expect Indigo to help me shred fat while possibly gaining some muscle, and also permitting my nutrient intake (especially carbohydrates) to increase.

Now, my sole goal over the next 6 weeks is fat loss.  I want my waist to shrink as much as possible so that my abs are apparent.  Due to the nutrient repartitioning effects of Indigo, many people are noting a work-capacity increase.  Which is something I am in dire need of.

With that in mind, my proposed routine changes are as follows:
1.  Indigo
2.  Add in my Mag10 analogue during lifting
3.  Start PLP again.  Beginning at 10 reps, this should take me up to about 50 reps by the end of the six weeks
4.  Try to push through my entire workout on deadlift/shoulder days.  Squat/chest/back days I seem to be fine on.
5.  Add in cardio as needbe.

My basic diet at the moment is:
non-lifting days:  180gP + 75gF + 60gC (~35gP per meal, 30gC on my two carb meals, 25gF on my non-carb meals)
lifting days:  200gP + 40gF + 150gC (35gP per meal, 30gC in carb meals, 20gF in non carbs.  Workout shake is about 20gP + 60gC)

Now, depending upon how things go with Indigo, I might ramp my carbs up.  Which would be awesome.  Adding in MORE food while losing inches is a dream state.  Kind of like gaining mass while losing inches.

My food/supplement/workout timing will follow the basic template below:
LIFTING DAYS
7:00am - Indigo dose #1, green tea extract, caffeine, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine, Chochamine (I take all of that aside from the Indigo already)
7:15am - take dog on walk (usually about a mile)
7:30am - PLP
8:00am - Meal #1 (contains carbs)
11:00am - Meal #2 (no carbs), vitamins, fish oil (7.5g)
2:00pm - Meal #3 (carbs)
3:00pm - Indigo dose #2
3:30pm - Geraniamo, Acetyl-L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine
4:00pm - Workout + shake (Surge Workout Fuel, my Mag10 analogue)
5:30pm - Indigo dose #3
6:30pm - Meal #4 (carbs)
8:30pm - Meal #5 (no carbs)

NON-LIFTING DAYS
No workout shake, and meal #3 will not be carby.

so, 5 meals per day, rather than my usual 6.  I have been experiencing issues getting all six meals in a day.  Plus, the five meal set up works better with Indigo dosing.

Monday - 5-star squat & Chest/back

first off:  new lifting platform is awesome.  yay.

Workout was bloody brutal.
Squats - four rounds of triples
Chest/back:
1.  Single wave (7/5/3) for bench & vgrip row
2.  3 sets of bodyweight dips & pullups
I had no juice left for anything else.

Oy.

5-star body-building

Mix of 5-star complexes (legs) and bodybuilding (upper body)



Day 1:  squat + chest/back
Day 2:  shoulders/arms + deadlift
Day 4:  chest/back + squat
Day 5:  deadlift + shoulders/arms

SQUAT - ramp up with front squat

1. top-half squat x3-5

2. front squat x3-5

3. speed squat x5 @50% max (~185#)

4. DB jump squat x8-10 @15% bodyweight (~25#)

5. vertical jump x8-10 

CHEST/BACK

A1. Flat-bench wave (7/5/3)

A2. V-grip row wave (7/5/3)

B1. dips @ 3x8-10

B2. pullups @ 3x6-8

DEADLIFT

1. rack pull x3-5

2. deadlift x3-5

3. hang power clean x2-3

4. DB swing x8-10

@20% bodyweight (~35#)

5. broad jump x8-10

SHOULDERS/ARMS/ABS

A1. OHP Wave

A2. Swiss Crunch @ 3x10-12

B1. seated DB OH (1.5 rep) @ 3x6-8

B2. BB Curl @ 3x8-10

C1. Tricep Pushdown @ 3x8-10

C2. Leg raise @ 3x10-12


Progression:
week 1
  5-stars:  4 rounds of triples
  waves:  one wave
  others:  lower end of given reps (3xN)
week 2:  4x4, one wave (+ weight), higher end of range
week 3:  5x3, two waves, higher weight (bottom of range)
week 4:  5x4, two waves, higher end of range
week 5:  6x3, three waves, higher weight (bottom of range)
week 6:  6x4, three waves (+ weight), higher end of range
week 7:  6x5, three waves, higher weight

2011-07-09 checkin [186.5 @ 33.0]

Mass:  186.5 (-4.0)
Waist:  33.0 (-0.25)
Arm:  15.75 (--)
Thigh:  23.5 (--)
Calf:  14.5 (--)

My waist needs to drop faster, but it should go down smoothly (I hope).  Currently 8# and 1.625" away from my leanest.  Which comes out to just about 5# per inch.  If that is my actual ratio, and I can drop 2#/week, I will be able to drop about 15# over the next 7.5 weeks, which would translate into about 3".  Giving me a 30" waist at around 170#.  Which is what I have previously estimated I need to do.  So, my goal is attainable, but will be difficult.

On the upside, the loss is from Tuesday (yay dropping bloat).

Weekly loss goals:  0.375" - 0.5" off of my waist each week, which is about 2-2.5# (going by my above ratio)

Wednesday - no lifting

Post-mole removal, I cannot lift.  If I feel up to it, I will do some cardio later today.

My traps are pretty sore from yesterday, but that is not surprising.

Tuesday - Wave-load deads

Lifted in the morning today, as I have a doctor appointment this afternoon to remove a mole (no lifting after that).

My rotation is going to be:  deads, bench, off, squats, military press, off, off.  This way, I will not get fragged from the squats/OHP and then have to lift again two days later.  Deads & bench days don't cause as much cumulative fatigue.

Anyhow, lifting went well.  Made it through nearly everything, no real issues.  The only thing that I did not get all the way through was hamstring curls.  My biceps femoris apparently cramp easily from them.

2011-07-05 Restart Diet [33.25 @ 190.5]

So, the past week and a half killed my progress.  I should be around 180# and <32", but I rebounded a lot.  I have eight weeks until Con, so I get to kick my ass a lot.  About 20# to lose in eight weeks, so about 2.5# per week.  Very tough, but I should be able to handle it.

Thursday - aborted deadlifts

Meh.  Got through my first two sets and then called it.  No energy, no strength, no drive.  I probably could have forced my way through the workout, but I don't care enough right now.

Going to do cardio instead.

Wednesday - Shoulders

My shoulder/tricep routine seemed to work fairly well.  My delts were burning by the time I was finished with my DB pressing.  The 1-hand arnolds and lateral raises wear brutal.  So, a win overall.

PRE-CON LIFTING CYCLES

Weeks:
06/26 to 07/10 (three weeks):  Wave-loading Bodybuilding split

07/17 to 08/21 (six weeks):  5-star modified
Day 1:  5-star squat + chest/back
Day 2:  shoulders/arms + 5-star deadlift
Day 4:  chest/back + 5-star squat
Day 5:  5-star deadlift + shoulders/arms

The reason for mixing in the bodybuilding upper body:
1)  the 5-star chest routine was not working for me
2)  I won't gain any muscle, but this should help me prep for Josh's workouts
3)  I prefer it
4)  the squats & deads should kick my pulse up high enough

The actual exercises for the upper body I have not planned out yet, but I am thinking of something along the lines of either 5/3/1 or wave loading for the pressing.  For the pulls I would just do ramping sets.  Exercises done in an alternating fashion to increase speed/energy expenditure.

Tuesday - 1.5 miles @ 10:42

Short run today, just 1.5 miles (to the end of the road & back).  Clocked in at 10:42.  Not too shabby.

Monday - Squats & Abs

It was actually nice outside (read:  no blazing hot), and I did not have any work to do, so I decided to lift in the late morning (11:30am-ish).

Squats went fairly well.  I have not done wide-stance squats in a long time, so I went fairly light on them.  But they felt fine, aside from some tightness in the front of my hips when I was in the hole.

Front squats were done with no lockout.  Not really difficult, so I need to ratchet them up next week.

I skipped jump squats & hang crunches.  Just got worn down.  Ah well

Sunday - Chest & Back

Workout went fairly well.  I had a significant strength drop-off, but that is common for me.  The only change was that I did straight reps for decline bench, and changed the incline press-to-fly to 1.5 rep incline press (neutral grip).

This cycle I am doing stimulant/supplement free (aside from protein shakes).  I am also going to be sticking to my diet as much as possible, aside from this coming weekend (parents in town).

Saturday - Bodybuilding cycle

I have gotten somewhat burnt out on 5-star stuff.  So for the next 3-4 weeks, I will do a higher-volume bodybuilding cycle.  I have about 9.5 weeks until D*con.  So if I do a cycle of BB, I will be able to go back to 5-star for 5-6 weeks.

Plan for this week (if I can stick to it):

exercise:

1.  every day:  pre-breakfast cardio (just on the bike)

2.  Sunday morning (pre-beer fest):  chest & back 

3.  Monday - squats & abs

4.  Tuesday - Run

5.  Wednesday - OHP & triceps

6.  Thursday - deadlifts & biceps (yeah yeah, I want pretty arms)

Chest 

Diet:

carbs peri-workout ONLY.  No lifting = no carbs.  Post-run can have carbs as well.

Surge WOF only for leg days.

No Geraniamo this week.  It has not been having a noticeable effect recently, so I need to cycle off of it.

6 meals per day (Surge is not a meal)

each meal:  30-35gP

carbs:  30-35g

Fats:  15g

Sat/Tues:  210gP + 90gF

Sun/Wed:  200gP + 60gF + 60gC

Mon/Thurs:  200gP + 60gF + 60gC + 64gC (SWOF)

2011-06-25 Check in [189.0 @ 32.75]

Checking in today (Saturday) because this is the Estes Park Scandanavian festival & Ft. Collins Brew Fest weekend.  i.e. - diet will be fucked.

Then again, my diet sucked this past week.  Cracker Barrel, Famous Dave's, and Camachos.  Also my lifting sucked.  Bodybuilding chest Tuesday, run Wednesday, maxes Thursday.  So really, way too much junk food and no exercise.  Is it any wonder my results fucking sucked?

Mass:  189.0 (+3.5)
Waist:  32.75 (+0.25)
Arm:  15.75 (--)
Thigh:  23.5 (--)
Calf:  14.75 (+0.25)

Next week won't be any better.  I am going to do my check in on Friday, as Wendi's dad and my parents will be here all weekend (which means no exercise and a craptacular food intake).

Thursday - maxes

Oly Squat - 335#
Bench - 245#
Deadlift - 415#
Total:  995#

I had absolutely no drive or energy for my planned 5-star workout (day #2 for that.  Meh).  However, I felt decently strong, so I decided to go for my raw total.  Ok, I cheated and used straps for the deads.  My grip/palms are not up to par.

Olympic squat - high bar, close stance, quad dominant, upright torso.  I am not displeased with this number.  I have squatted vastly more in the past, but that was with a power squat (low bar, wide stance, etc).  I have to travel much further on the oly squat, and it is not nearly as strong of a motion.  Also, aside from some speed squats at 185#, I have not done any back squats for a long time.

Bench - Beat my last max by 20#.  Again, not earth shattering.  My best ever was 275#, right before I trashed my shoulder.  225# went up smoothly.  245# was a grind, but I got it.

Dead - Meh.  I had 415# the last time I tested my maxes a few months ago.  I have had a lot of practice since then, but all at light weights (315#-ish).  I am pretty sure I could have gotten 425, but I was just out of gas by that point.

Note to self:  take more rest between early sets, less near the end.  The rest period before my final deadlift made me dread going back to the bar.  If I had gone again without the rest, I probably would have gotten the 425#.

Overall:  995# total.  Damn it, so close to a grand.  Ah well, gives me something to strive for next time.

Note:  Bodyweight around 185#.  So percentages are:
Bench:  1.33 - ~35# to hit 1.5x (275#)
Squat:  1.8 - ~35# to hit 2.0x (370#)
Dead:  2.25 - ~45# to hit 2.5x (465#)

Those should be possible by the end of the year, especially once I start training with Josh.

Run - 36:26

Two weeks ago (last run):  37:51
Today:  36:26

Last time, I did interval sprints up 17, and then ran/walked the rest.
This time, I did not sprint at all.  My run:walk ratio was 4:1.  Run four poles, walk one.

Not a great improvement, but I shaved 1:25 off of my total time.  My per-mile average went from 9:28 to 9:07.  I am still far off of my 30:00 goal, but I am not doing too badly.

Plan for next time is to increase the run:walk ratio to 5:1.  I might do some sprints as well if I feel up to it.
Ten weeks until D*con.  I wonder if I can get my way down to 30:00 by then.  Hmm...that, plus abs, will make me the most fit I have really ever been.

Tuesday - Chest & back

I am very glad I did not attempt squats today.  Absolutely no energy, everything felt incredibly heavy, and the entire session I kept thinking "isn't it over yet?  I have been out here for so very long."

So, yeah, lifting was shite today.  Pretty much everything was a grind.  I dropped a few reps from some of my sets, and generally sucked.

Monday - failure

So, no real exercise today.  No dieting.  This will not go well for my results.  Get to be extra vigorous the rest of the week.

WORKS: Rough Diet/Exercise Outline

Wanted to make a note of this:

My general diet & exercise routine seems to be working quite well.

Diet - targeted carbs.  I generally restrict my carbs to breakfast and peri-workout.  5-6 meals per day.
Protein:  ~30-40g/meal
Carbs:  ~30-40g/meal (breakfast, pre & post-workout)
Fats:  ~20g/meal (non-carb meals)

For heavy workouts, I have Surge WOF.

Lifting:  CT's 5-star complexes.  Squats & OHP (Mon & Thurs), Bodybuilding chest & back (Tues), Deadlifts (Fri).  I do some form of cardio (running, bike, hiking) on my non-lifting days.

2011-06-19 Check in [185.5 @ 32.25]

Mass:  185.5 (-1.0)
Waist:  32.25 (-0.375)
Arm:  15.75 (-0.125)
Thigh:  23.5 (-0.125)
Calf:  14.5 (-0.25)

Not too bad.  The arm/calf/thigh decreases are not unexpected.

My waist has been decreasing about 1/4" per week for the past four weeks of the diet.  I have lost 1.25" off of my waist and 6.5#.  The mass is not important to me, but the waist is encouraging.

For comparison:
2010-10-10:  186.0# @ 33.0"
2011-01-16:  185.75# @ 32.75" (same on 2011-03-13)

So I am about 1/2" smaller while being roughly the same mass.  I don't know if this will continue, but I can hope.

Anyhow, if I can keep up the approximate 0.25" per week decrease, I should just around 30" by September. Or if I have abs before then, all the better.

Saturday - hiking

No formal exercise today, just a five mile hike.

Friday - Deads, sort of

Got through three rounds of deads.  Felt great, flew through them.  Round #4 - picked up the bar for rack pulls, and had to call it.  I had absolutely no strength left.  Not sure why.

However, I still had energy to burn, so I went jogging to find Wendi & Leika.  They were about .75 miles away by the time I caught up to them.

Thursday - Squats & some OHP

Squats went well.  Got through everything, no extreme exhaustion, no missed reps.

OHP - Got through two rotations.  On the third set of pin presses, my elbow went "Oh hell no".  so I stopped.  I'd rather get through everything, but I am not going to get upset over it.

Wednesday - mid-week weigh in

The weigh-in this morning was odd.  I am up 0.25#, but my waist is down 0.375".  Which is fine by me, I don't actually care about my mass.  Heavier is good, provided my waist keeps going down.  But this, dear (non-existent) reader, is why mid-week weigh-ins are never canon.

This afternoon I am planning on going for a run.  Wednesday = no lifting = cardio time.  However, depending upon work levels, I might just use the bike instead, as it lets me get back to the computer faster.

--So, due to being utterly fragged, I did not exercise at all.  However, this was my final night pulling dual-duty jobs.  So I should be back to normal tomorrow.

Tuesday - Cardio & Chest/back

Did fasted cardio this morning. I had the free time before I had to begin work, and I was having trouble getting myself moving.

This afternoon I will either do 5-star deadlifts or my modified Chest & Back workout.  My chest workout will be along the lines of:
A) DB bench press, wave loading (7/5/3/7/5/3)
B)  Decline bench, 1.5 reps.  3x6-8
C1) Incline DB press.  3x8-10
C2) Incline Flys.  3x10-12
D) v-grip cable rows:  3x10-12
E) pullups - 3x6-8
F) Fat-gripz barbell curls - 3x8-10

==============
I opted for the chest/back workout.  Went pretty well.  Not nearly so energy intensive as 5-star complexes, but felt good.

Monday - Squats & 1/2 OHP

Squats went ok.  But I only got through half of my OHP.  Forgot my Surge WOF, and the heat just drained my energy.  But not too bad overall.

2011-06-12 Check in [186.5 @ 32.625]

Mass:  186.5 (-1.25)
waist:  32.625 (-0.25)
Arm:  15.875 (--)
Thigh:  23.625 (+0.125)
Calf:  14.75 (--)

This is including the fact that yesterday's diet was messed up due to Sheep & Wool.  Breakfast was ok.  Then beef jerky around 11:00, burger & fries around 12:30, more jerky around 3:00, steak + shrimp + rice + sweet potato + rolls around 4:00, protein powder & peanut butter around 8:00.

I am back to exactly where I was on Dec 26, 2010.  Same waist, same mass.  Only difference is that my thigh is up 0.375" and my calf is up 0.25".  Squats & running apparently have helped a bit.   On Oct 10, 2010 I was at 186.0 & 33.0.  So really, not much actual change over the past 6-8 months.  Ah well.  This time I will get lean and then actually improve my physique, rather than just regressing.

I am currently 8.0# and 1.375" away from my leanest.  At my current rate, that will take around another 6 weeks to achieve.  And if I can keep up this rate, I should hopefully be fully lean by the end of August, which is my goal.  Ten weeks, about 2.5 inches off of my waist, probably will drop me to around 172#.  Granted, I would rather get there early so I can play with things a bit to peak for D*con, but what will be will be.

Saturday - Chest

Summation of the HSS-100 workout:

1.  My anterior delts were screaming from the start.
2.  I really like the wave loading DB bench press (7,5,3,7,5,3)
3.  Decline bench is awesome for me.  Especially the 1.5 rep style
4.  DB press + band sucks.

I am going to try the next week as follows
Mon - Squats & OHP 5-star
Tues - Dead 5-star
Thurs - Squat & OHP 5-star
Fri - HSS-100 chest

Friday squats & OHP failure

Got through squats, no problem.  Did one cycle of OHP and called it for the day.

Due to work stuff, I was two hours late in working out.  Which meant it had been nearly three hours since I had last eaten.  Energy was just gone.

Thursday - LISS

I attempted to lift today.  It did not work out.  The weather shift combined with the side job dragged me out.  I went through one squat circuit, and I just felt off.  Joints aching, no energy/focus, etc.  Instead, I did 30 minutes on the bike.  I will lift tomorrow.

Wednesday - Run: 37:51

Went around the block.  Interval sprints up 17, walk/jog on 76, run/walk down 15 & 74.

Time:  37:51
Average/mile:  9:28

My eventual goal is 30:00 for the entire course, which would be 7:30/mile.  Not a great pace, but acceptable.  Especially as running is not my preferred mode of exercise.

Musings

Chest workouts
CT stated that 5-star chest workouts don't work for some people.  I seem to be one of those.  I did have a lot of pec soreness my first week or so on 5-star, but that is probably because I had not benched in years.
Due to the fact that I can barely make it through the bench workouts, I am going to transition my training to the following:
Day 1:  5-star Squats & OHP
Day 2:  5-star Deadlift
Day 3:  Chest A & back
Day 4:  off (no lifting, running/cardio)

Day 4:  5-star Squats & OHP

Day 5:  Chest B & back

Day 6:  off
Day 7:  off

Yes, I will only be hitting deads once per week.  But the dual squat & back workouts should make up for it.  I am still performing OHP before chest, as it fits well with the squats.  And the squat workout is the most energetic cycle I have.

On off days I will perform at least some cardio.  Bike, running, etc.

Chest workouts will be based on HSS-100, which I have had great success with before

Chest A
A. DB Press - 7/5/3/7/5/3 - Rest 90s
At top, squeeze pecs
B1. Decline Bench - 3x6-8 - Rest 0
Double contraction
B2. Double-postion Band Fly - 3x8-10 - Rest 90
8-10 high position (face), then 8-10 low position (groin)
C. DB Band Press - 3x10-12 - Rest 60
D. Band punch - 100 reps

Back A - hold top position on all rows
A. Seated rows - 5x10-12
B. 1-hand rows - 2x12-15
C. Zottman curls - 4x10-12
====================================
Chest B
A. Bench Press - 5x5-max-max - Rest 120
Rest-pause.  5 reps, pause, max reps, pause, max reps
B1. Incline DB - 3x8-10 - Rest 0
double contraction
B2. Incline fly - 3x10-12 - rest 90
squeeze at top
C. Incline press to fly - 3x10-12 - rest 60
5 second eccentric
D. Incline DB press - 100 reps

Back B
A. Pullups - 50 reps
As many sets as needed, always stop before failure
B. Cable pullovers - 3x10-12
C. EZ Curls - 3x6-8

Mag10
BioTest's Mag10 seems really nifty, but expensive.  Via TrueProtein, I can make a custom mix of Casein Hydrolysate, Citruline Malate, and L-Leucine.  For about 1/2 the price of Mag10.

Tuesday - Bench & back

Got through four cycles of benching, barely.  After each cycle, I did chinups & hammer curls.  My downfall for benching cam from my anterior delts and triceps.  They failed pretty quickly.  Not surprising, due to my overhead work.  The chins & curls helped keep my forearms and biceps pumped, which made the speed benching safer (gave a better buffer on the way down).

Once I get to an acceptable degree of bodyfat, I am going to transition to more of a chest-centric routine for a while.  Probably HSS-100 or something similar.  It worked quite well in the past for me.

Monday - deads & stuff

Made it through all five cycles of deadlifts.  Overall, not bad.  The rack pulls sucked a bit, but everything else went quite well.  The worst part is that my delts were so fried from yesterday that they were screaming the entire workout.  Thus, I have put off benching until tomorrow.

Sunday - Squats, OHP, Fighter practice

So, I was stupid.

I did my Squats & OHP workout.  Went very well.  Increased my weights slightly (based upon my notes from my last workout), dropped back to three reps for the primary exercises (lockouts & full range lifts), and went up to five circuits per movement pattern.  The only thing I went "down" in was my speed DB OH press.  I dropped to 20# from 25#, because the 25# was too much for pure speed.

I made every rep at the desired weight, was dripping sweat at the end.  So, the workout went very well.  Took a while, but that is fine.

The stupid part was that I finished my lifting around 14:00.  SCA fighter practice begins at 15:00.  Got down there around 16:00.  I could barely move my arms, and I had no endurance at all.  I sucked majorly.  Hopefully I will improve dramatically over the coming weeks.  Must remember:  no lifting before fighting.

2011-06-05 Check in [187.75 @ 32.875]

Mass:  187.75 (-1.0)
Waist:  32.875 (-0.375)
Arm:  15.875 (--)
Thigh:  23.5 (-0.25)
Calf:  14.75 (+0.25)

I am finally back under 33".  Hooray.  I am still 1.5" & 10.25# from my leanest, which was at the beginning of November.  And I probably have to get at least 1-2" below that to be fully lean.  So, looks like I have my work cut out for me.

The calf increase is not surprising.  Running is hell on my calves, and I went around the block twice this past week.  Note:  "around the block" is a four mile trek.

For running progression, I am not too concerned with my time, more with my endurance.  I am planning on running at least once a week, hopefully twice.  Each time I run, my goal is to increase my run to walk ratio.  Going by power line poles, I was at roughly 2:1 my first run and 3:1 the second time.  I did not have a constant ratio, and my stride/speed changed at times.  But I am aiming for adding another segment to each run.  So go to 4:1, 5:1, etc., until I can do at least three miles non-stop.

Randomly, I hit my stride best after about two miles.  So mile number 3 is the easiest for me.  Number four is not horrible, I just get tired by then.

Lifting-wise, starting up again today.  Back to 5-Star, with higher weights, five cycles, and starting at three reps.  This should take me up until parents start arriving, which would give me a deload week while they are around.  Works out pretty well that way.

Friday - still no lifting

This was supposed to be a deload week.  It has turned into a weight-free week.  Meh.  Instead, I have been doing cardio (bike & running) and some pullups/pushups/etc.

@13:30 - Ran around the block again.  I am trying to increase my run to walk ratio.  Today I mostly was aiming for a 3:1 proportion.  Based on the power line poles, which are mostly equidistant.

Thursday - lazy

Due to starting the new HP contract & the side gig today, I did not work out as much as I had hoped.  Instead, I just did 30 minutes on the bike and 100 pushups (25 before bike, and then 25 every ten minutes).  Meh.  Lazy.

Wednesday - sore

Day after running - feel like hammered hell.  A large part is due to getting repeatedly struck in the head by Kai.  Kind of feels like the after-effects of a long night of headbanging.  Whiplash/flu-like symptoms.  The running has caused my abs & legs to be very sore, and overall I feel rather beaten down.

I must remember that I suck at running, and that it causes me more soreness than lifting.

Tuesday - more running

Took the dog on a jog this afternoon (around 2:00pm, I believe).  Just a single mile.  Would have been 1.5 miles, but we met a snake and turned back.
After the jog, I did some hang snatches and a few front squats.  No drive for anything more.

At 17:30 I went for a run around the block.  4 miles, 39 minutes.  Some jogging, some sprinting, some walking.  I really need to improve my straight running ability and decrease my time.

Overate today.
Had a double serving of chicken fingers with meal #4.  Meal #5 had a protein bar tossed in.  Meal #6 I added some slivered almonds to my rice goo.

Also - wrangled Kai.  Got kicked in the head.  Don't feel so hot right now.

monday - running & stuff

Went for a run today.  Only about 2.5 miles total.  Well, jog/walk/run, at various times.  I am really out of shape for road work.  Meh.  Plus, I had forgotten how much it kicks my ass.

Food wise, I have been very bad today.  Had quite a bit of apple sauce, and a long food.  Curse you, beans and flour tortilla.  Ugh.  Must remember not to do that, regardless of the convenience factor.

@22:30 - I did some LISS on the bike this evening, as well as 6x8 pullups (various grips), and a bit of ab work.

2011-05-29 Checkin [188.75 @ 33.25]

Mass:  188.75 (-3.25)
Waist:  33.25 (-0.25)
Arm:  15.875 (+0.125)
Thigh:  23.75 (0)
Calf:  14.5 (0)

Nothing major this past week.  My diet is not extremely rigid, but seems to be working.  Workouts progressing as well

Main principles:
1.  6 meals/day
2.  Breakfast & peri-workout:  ~30gP + 40gC
3.  Other meals:  ~30gP + 20gF
I also have carb meals if I am feeling really drained.  Some days I have 2-3 carb meals, some days I have 4-5.
4.  Surge WOF during workouts
5.  Geraniamo, 1.25g L-Tyrosine, & 2.5g ALCAR thirty minutes pre-workout
6.  5-star circuits.  Squats + OHP, Deads, Bench + Back.  Each twice a week

Starting today I will be taking a morning dose of caffeine, green tea, chocamine + glucoronolactone, L-tyrosine.  Hopefully this will help me wake up better.

This week is deload.  So cardio (need to start using the X-vest for walks and use the bike), some lat & bicep work, and low volume/weight for other exercises.

Saturday - deads

Did my deadlift workout today.  Went decently.  Nothing major to report.

Next week I will be doing a deload.  Back/bicep work, cardio, and very low volume on the other stuff.  Then I will restart the 5-star with more weight and another circuit.

Friday - Bench & Back

Well, that kind of sucked.  I have absolutely no endurance today.
Cycle 1 - 5 reps
Cycle 2 - 4 reps
Cycle 3 - no gas at all

I did some back & bicep work, but nothing impressive.  I'll try deads tomorrow.

Thursday - Squats & OHP

Did my squats & OHP workouts today.

Squats went well.  Left patella was a bit funky on one cycle, but it worked itself out (I think I just had my knee in  a bad position).  

OHP - was going very well.  had lots of strength, especially on pin pressing.  However, on my third cycle I missed the pins on the left side, so I had an "oh fuck" moment of juggling the bar.  After getting it racked, I stopped the workout so as not to injure my delt.

Overall, pretty good day.  Just hungry.

Tuesday - bench & back

I seem to have trouble benching after a deadlift session.  On Friday, I am going to bench first and see how that goes.  But seeing how I did not bench yesterday, I am going to do that workout today, along with some back/bicep work.

If this works well, I might continue in a similar vein.
Monday - Squats+OHP
Tuesday - Deads
Wednesday - Bench + Back
Thursday - Squats+OHP
Friday - Bench + Deads

@12:30 - Did chest workout.  Tried a different bench technique (shoulders shrugged, elbows tucked).  Kept my shoulder from twinging, but killed my triceps.  My chest barely felt anything.  I'll have to keep experimenting to find a way to stress my chest but keep my shoulders happy.

Also did some pullups, rows, and bicep curls for the fun of it.

Monday - Deads (early)

I did my deadlift workout very early (started at 09:30), due to needing to take Wendi to get her tattoo.

I made it through three rounds, rather than four.  I was just out of gas.  Ordinarily I have at least three meals in me before lifting.  Today I had one (larger than normal, but still).  Putting off benching until tomorrow.

Also, in the evening (around 19:00), I picked up 20 bales of hay.  Which counted as a bit of GPP.

2011-05-22 Check in [192.0 @ 33.5]

Yeah, not surprising that my measurements suck this week.  Had Youngs twice (Wednesday & Saturday), and did not hit all of my workouts.

This week I am going to rigidly adhere to my diet and workout at least four times.  Single sessions for each if possible.  But I will start with lower body each time.  If I make it through all four rounds of lower body, I will go to upper body.  I might need to drop the rack lockout for bench day.  It seems to fuck with my shoulder.

This week is sets of 5 for main movements, so 20 reps total.  Next week is adding weight and dropping back to three reps.  However, I am going to increase to five cycles, so I will start out at 15 reps, then 20, then 25 (this first series I was at 12, 16, 20).  For my third series (providing all goes well), I will again up the weight, but move up to six cycles.

Friday - Deads

@13:30 - Not as productive a session as I wanted.  I started with deads, and only did three rounds.  My mid back was starting to get twingy, and I also wanted enough juice to do my bench workout.  Yeah, about that benching thing....

I felt fine during warmups, but my first lockout caused my right shoulder joint (clavicle tie-in) to scream.  So I wimped out.

Thursday - Squats & OHP

I only did a single session today.  It went rather well.  I did squats, followed by OHP.  Four cycles of squats, and then three of OHP.  I was just running out of steam by the end, which is why I cut my workout short by one cycle.  Strength existed, just no more endurance.  Still, I am fairly happy with it.  Tomorrow I might try the deads & bench in a single session.

Wednesday - cardio & pain

My traps & neck are still messed up.  So I am not lifting at all today (fuck).  Did one light session of SS cardio earlier, will probably do another soon.

mid-week weigh in sucked.  Back up to 190#.  I don't know what was going on Sunday.  Down 7# in a 1/2 week, then back up 5 a few days later.  *sighs*

Tuesday - no go

My neck & traps are jacked up.  Tried to lift, failed mightily.  Ah well

Monday - Shoulders & Squats

Yesterday I crashed out majorly, even including a cheat meal.

Woke up this morning with very stiff/sore traps.  I blame the cat, as I was cuddling her most of the night and my arms were not in a good position.

@13:00 - Shoulder workout went pretty well.  Had to drop weights a little bit at the end, but not bad overall.

@17:15 - Squat workout was "eh".  Got three cycles, rather than the desired four.

• My energy levels were very low
• my shoulders/neck are still really tight, which made setting up difficult
• my left knee twinged on my third round

Due to the above, I opted not to push my limits.  Also, this workout is a bitch.

2011-05-15 Check in [185.0# @ 33.25"]

MEASUREMENTS
Weight:  185.0 (-7.0)
Waist:  33.25 (-0.5)
Arm: 16.0 (no change)
Thigh:  23.75 (no change)
Calf:  14.675 (-0.125)


Dropped seven pounds, but most of that is water weight and/or bloat.  My waist is still way too large.  In the middle of March I was at 185.75, with a 32.75" waist.  Ah well.  Hopefully that will tighten up rapidly.


As a note:  if I drop more than about 3# this week I will increase my food intake.  The 7# drop includes the fact that I only worked out for half of the week and had a couple of restaurant meals.  My food levels might be too low for starting out.

Saturday - deads

I got through two whole rounds of the deadlift workout.  I had zero energy.  And I also dropped weights.  Deadlifts I only used 315# (rather than 365#), and power cleans I used 135# instead of 155#.  The DB swings at 35# were a joke, however.  Meh.  Hopefully I will do better on Tuesday.

Friday - Bench & Deadlifts

OVERVIEW
Bench workout - good.  Endurance failed, but otherwise good.
Deadlifts - no-go.  Too late, too long between meals.

@12:15
Bench workout went rather well. Started running out of muscular endurance on my last set (had to drop weights, lost a few reps).  Chest definitely feels it, but my shoulders are fine (no pain at all).  Also, I remembered to stretch afterwards (go me!).

@20:00 - Could not do the deadlift workout.  Tried, and I barely got through the warmups.  I'll try again tomorrow.  I am blaming my failure on going to town this afternoon.  My meal schedule got messed up, I was kind of crashed out, and I did not get to start my deadlift workout until 19:45, way too late.  I just had no juice

Thursday - START 5-STAR

OVERVIEW OF DAY

• Squat workout - tough, but not bad.  
• Need to start Top-Squats from j-hooks to prevent back injury
• Crashed @ 13:30, due to not eating soon enough after squats

LOG

@12:30

Just did the squat portion of CT's 5-Star complex.  Only four cycles.  Holy hell I was dripping sweat and huffing.  Made it through, and the only thing I had to lower weight on was my final set of top-squats (dropped from 335# to 315#).

For the top squats - the first rep is tough, but once I get set at the top it is pretty easy to keep going.  I do let the bar rest on the pins between reps (no bouncing), but I am able to keep the proper tension between reps.  I'll need to practice my first rep set up so it is not so brutal.

Overall, the workout went quite well.  Just about 30 minutes, including warm ups and rest periods.  Each cycle (lift, set up next exercise, etc) took just about 4 minutes.  Add in the 60ish seconds between cycles, and that gave me about 20 minutes of lifting with 10 minutes of warm ups.  Not bad.

This afternoon, I will be doing the overhead press workout.

NOTE - Start the top squats from j-hooks.  Reason:  lower back is twinging now, and I am willing to bet it is due to that first top-squat rep.  Yes, this will require moving the hooks between exercises.

@14:00 - I crashed hard around 13:30.  Wobbly, could not talk well, etc.  So even including Surge WOF and Recovery, I only have about an hour after lifting to consume food.

Monday - starting diet again

Today I begin a sixteen week diet cycle, peaking in early September. As I have noted previously, I need to drop about 25#.  Should not be overly difficult.

My current plan is roughly:
1.  start rudimentary carb cycling - High carb days when I lift, low carb the other days
2.  add in fat burner supplements
3.  add cardio on non-lifting days
4.  replace two High days with Medium days
5.  add cardio on lifting days
6.  reduce intake on all days (high, medium, low)
7.  increase cardio (more sprints, longer sessions, etc)
8.  reduce intake

I will progress through the stages as necessary.  When fat loss slows down, I will go to the next stage.  Hopefully this progression will get me to where I need to be without reducing my food too much.  I'd rather add more exercise than cut my diet more.  Granted, my schedule will depend upon work, but this should suffice.