2012-12-16 Check in [212.5 @ 37.0]

Mass:  212.5 (-2.25) 214.00 (-0.75)
Waist:  37.0 (-0.25) 37.125 (-0.125)
Arm:  16.625 (-0.125) 16.75 (--)
Thigh:  (25.25 (-0.125) 25.375 (--)
Calf:  15.375 (-0.125) 15.5 (--)

[edit] Weighed in again on Sunday.  What a difference one day makes.  1.5# and a solid loss on my waist (the -0.125 drop recorded Saturday was iffy)

So, not much change this week.  Experiment starting today (Saturday/Squat day):  Same amount of food, but offset by one day.  Only other difference - I will still be consuming Surge post-workout.  So I will have 50g of carbs on some of my "Low" days (although I will not have those 50g on my back-feed days)

Previously:
Sat / Squat / High Carb
Sun / Vert / Medium
Mon / off / low
Tues / leg press / high
Wed / off / low
Thurs / horiz / med
Fri / off / low

Now:

Sat / Squat / Low
Sun / Vert / High
Mon / off / Med
Tues / leg press / Low
Wed / off / High
Thurs / horiz / Low
Fri / off / Med

Theory - carbs the day after I lift.  
Reasons:  1) I get hungry the day after I lift; 2) lifting on low-carb days might help burn more fat
If this doesn't work, I will add in cardio

2012-12-09 Check In [214.75 @ 37.25] - 3 meals out

Mass:  214.75 (+3.25)
Waist:  37.25 (-0.125)
Arm:  16.75 (--)
Thigh:  25.3756 (+0.375)
Calf:  15.5 (+0.125)

This week was not diet-compliant.
Wednesday - Youngs & dessert from Perkins
Thursday - Subway
Saturday - Coopersmith

So the fact that my waist is stable is a good thing.
Remember - I did zero cardio this week.  So if I can actually stick to my diet this coming week, I should have really good results

2012-12-02 Check In [211.5 @ 37.375] - post-low carb week

Mass:  211.5 (-4.25)
Waist:  37.375 (-0.375)
Arm:  16.75 (--)
Thigh:  25.0 (-0.375)
Calf:  15.375 (--)

So, break-in low-carb week & lifting dial-in is over.  The mass drop is about what I expected.  Normally on a low-carb week I would drop a bit more, but this week had quite a bit of non-compliance.

• Wednesday - lunch at Noodles & Co
• Thursday - lunch at Famous Dave's
• Friday - Catered lunch at office

So, considering the above, I am not displeased.  I believe the minimal waist reduction is partially due to being a bit grumbly-tumbly this morning.  The thigh reduction is odd, but I think last week's measurement was a bit erroneous.

This week I begin the actual carb-cycling part of the carb-cycling diet.  I have no idea what kind of progress I will make, but we shall see.  So long as I don't gain any mass/waist size and my energy levels are good, I will call that a win.

Basic plan:

• Sun - Med
• Mon - High
• Tues - Low
• Wed - Med
• Thurs - Low
• Fri - High
• Sat -Low

Meal macros (in order):  P+F+C

• High:  40+0+0 | 40+0+50 | 40+0+50 | 40+0+50 | Surge  | 40+0+100
• Med:  40+10+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+0+50 | Surge  | 40+0+50
• Low:   40+20+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+20+0 | 40+0+0 |

Also - no cardio this week.  I want to see what the diet + lifting alone will do

2012-11-25 Check In [215.75 @ 37.625] - START CarbCycling

Mass:  215.75
Waist:  37.625
Arm:  16.75
Thigh:  25.375
Calf:  15.375

Today I begin my prolonged leaning cycle.  This week I will be going low-carb to kick start, thereafter I will begin carb cycling.  Workouts will start with Shelby-style bodybuilding for six weeks.  Four sessions a week.  I will be tracking my exercise on Fitocracy.

Diet:

• Sun:   240p + 100f + 0c
• Mon:  240p + 100f + 0c
• Tues:  240p + 100f + 0c
• Wed:  240p + 100f + 0c
• Thurs: 240p + 100f + 0c
• Fri:     240p + 100f + 0c
• Sat:    240p + 100f + 0c

CO Lifting Plans

Current thoughts:

November - move back to CO.
Week of 11th - just get acclimated, lift a few times, do some easy cardio
Week of 18th - some cardio, maybe a bit of lifting at home if time permits
Week of 25th - begin Shelby rotation.  Six weeks, should end Jan 5th
Week of Jan 6th - begin Catanzano Variable Training (details below) - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_variable_recovery_training_system

With a 4-day per week lifting average, this should take about 15 weeks (end of November - mid-March)

Shelby Rotation - 24 sessions

Exercises

• Day 1 - Pulldowns, Dips, hammer curls, smith machine calves
• Day 2 - OHP, Squats, Rope Overheads, ab wheel
• Day 3 - Yates rows, floor press, BB curls, seated calves
• Day 4 - Seated DBOH, RDL, Skull crusher||JM press, reverse crunch

Schema

• Week 1 - 120s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 3x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 3x8-10

• Week 2 - 90s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 4x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 4x8-10

• Week 3 - 90s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 5x10-12
  Day 3 & 4 - 5x8-10

• Week 4,5,6 - 180s rest
  Day 1 & 2 - 3x8-10
  Day 3 & 4 - 3x5-7

Progression

• Weeks 1,2,3:  constant weight.  Try to hit more reps per set on weeks 2 & 3 (along with more sets)
• Weeks 4,5,6:  increase weight.

Loading Parameters

• X RM for the first set of each exercise on Week 1, 4, 5, 6
• Aim for the top of the rep range.  If you drop to the bottom of the range, reduce weight for the next set. 
  

Variable Training - 36 sessions

Cycles (will be longer than one week)
Keep exercises the same throughout the 3-cycle rotation (can change for second rotation)

  Rest

• Main exercise - 90s
• Accessories - 60s

  DAY 1

• Main - Vertical pull
• Accessories - biceps x2, standing calves

  DAY 2

• Main - Vertical push
• Accessories - triceps x2, seated calves

  DAY 3

• Main - Squats
• Accessories - quads, hams, abs

  DAY 4

• Main - horizontal pull
• Accessories - biceps x2, standing calves

  DAY 5

• Main - horizontal push
• Accessories - triceps x2, seated calves

  DAY 6

• Main - deadlifts
• Accessories - quads, hams, abs

Main Lift progression:

• Cycle 1:  10x10
• Cycle 2:  8x8
• Cycle 3:  6x6
  ...increase weight...
• Cycle 4:  10x10
• Cycle 5:  8x8
• Cycle 6:  6x6

Accessory progression

• Cycle 1:  3x12-15
• Cycle 2:  3x10-12
• Cycle 3:  3x8-10
  ...increase weight...
• Cycle 4:  3x12-15
• Cycle 5:  3x10-12
• Cycle 6:  3x8-10
  
• Calves - Catanzano recommends one set.  Use a 20RM, then rest-pause up to 50 total reps.  Reduce number of pauses to get to 50 reps

Loading Parameters

• Main lift - choose X RM (ex: 10RM on 10x10 day).  Use for 2 sets (will drop 1-2 reps on second set).  Drop weight a bit for next 2 sets, repeat.  If more than 3 reps are dropped between sets, stop the exercise
  
• Accessories - Start at top of range.  If reps drop below range, lower weight for next set

Regulation

• If you do a lower number of repetitions with the same weight used previously for that particular set/rep scheme or if a slight increase in load results in a significant decrease in reps (below the prescribed rep number), then you haven't sufficiently recovered and should not perform that exercise that day.  If it happens right off the bat with the main exercise, then don't work out. Skip the training session altogether.  However, if it happens on any of the accessory exercises, just skip that exercise for the day.

2012-10-14 Check in [213.3 @ 36.75]

Mass:  213.3 (+0.6)
waist:  36.75 (+0.25)
arm:  16.75 (--)
Thigh:  25.125 (--)
calf:  15.25 (--)

Not happy, but not surprising either.  My diet has been non-existent.  I was in CA for a couple of days, so travel killed me again.  And the week preceding the trip I ate a lot of junk.

I am going to attempt to follow the Carb-Nite (yes, "nite" rather than "night" annoys me too), rather than Carb-Backloading way of eating for a while.  at least until my waist gets back under 36.0".  Same concept, but only one day of carb refeeding, rather than on every lifting day.

Conceptually, this is very similar to Joel Marion's original "Cheater's Diet" that I was a guinea pig for several years ago.  Low carb throughout the week, then a heavy shot of carbs to reset leptin levels and shock your body.  I just need to ensure that I actually eat a sufficient amount throughout the week so I am just going low carb, not starvation levels of food.

2012-10-06 Check in [212.7 @ 36.5]

Mass:  212.7 (+0.7)
Waist:  36.5 (+0.625)
Arm:  16.75 (+0.125)
Thigh:  25.125 (+0.125)
Calf:  15.25 (+0.125)

Not much of a change.  The waist increase I will attribute to bloat from dinner on Friday night (went out with Alicia and Sean).  This is including a 2-week span of not eating correctly (went to CO), and not lifting enough.  So, not too bad.  Probably need to increase my intake a bit.