@08:00 - Today is day #2 of 5/3/1, and I will concentrating on squats.
I did not sleep very well. Woke up at 3:00am, and never really fell back asleep. Just dozed a bit. Ah well.
In terms of workouts - I had forgotten that I have my tattoo on Feb 21st. If I work out four times a week, then I will only get through my first two weeks of lifting before the tattoo (3x5, 3x3). However, if I do a two-on,one-off cycle (Sun,Mon, Wed,Thurs, Sat,Sun, etc), then I will be able to get in almost all of my workouts for the first cycle (I will miss out on my 5-3-1 day for deads/back). So, I think I am going to try that out.
@08:15 - On reflection, 2-on/1-off will only get me one extra workout. With my normal schedule (Sun,Mon,Wed,Fri) I will have nine more workouts before my tattoo session. With the 2/1, I will have ten more. So, meh. I am on a leaning cycle, I need my recovery & cardio time
@13:30 - Meal #2 was at 12:00. I am now dizzy from hunger, so I am going to eat meal #3. Meal #4 (carby) will occur before I lift, which might not be for a while, as an electrician will be coming by to give an estimate for running a 240v line under the house.
@14:00 - just ate, still hungry. I guess 5/3/1 kicked up my metabolism a bit.
My Geronimo and ALCAR just arrived, so I will be starting those today.
Geronimo - energy booster for lifting
ALCAR - Acetyl L-Carnitine (aka - Carnitine L-Tartrate/CLT): Helps with muscular recovery. Will be taking a hit before every exercise session (cardio & weights)
@21:30 - At 15:30 I took my second shot of Metabotrop & Cognitrop. At 16:00 I took a single scoop of Geronimo and some ALCAR. The workout went pretty well. Got through everything, no problems with energy or strength throughout. I did get a bit head-spinny during my RDLs, but that is not an issue. I also was able to isolate my hams much more than usual. yay for technique progress.
I am wiped now. After the workout I ate and cooked a lot. No more food tonight, so I will just be kind of dead.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday - Shoulders - Start 5/3/1
@15:00 - Today I switched to Jim Wendler's 5/3/1.
Reasons:
1. I was stagnating on my previous program (triple drop sets, 6-8 reps per exercise)
2. I was not having any fun lifting
3. No fun = no motivation to hit the gym
4. I have wanted to try 5/3/1 for a while, and this seems like a good time to transition. The first month/cycle will get me used to it, and I can continue it once I start adding more food in (or if I continue to lean out)
5. I miss being able to test my strength levels.
Today was shoulders.
3x5 strict military press, at 65%,75%,85% of my sub-max (sub-max = 90% of 1RM). I am wimpy, so my weights are low (1RM = 135#)
4x8-10 lat raise
4x8-10 1-hand arnold press (much harder than you would think)
4x8-10 tricep pushdown
4 sets of 1-hand overhead carries (about 40' per carry)
This workout felt better than any I have done in quite a while. And I could really feel my shoulders working by the time I got to the arnold presses.
========================
Diet/Cardio updates: Due to my pathetic results this past week (I had no positive changes at all), I will be adding in cardio on my non-lifting days. Shelby actually gave me a choice between dropping my carbs or adding cardio. Hmm...let me think...I am already down to 60g of carbs a day. Now, would I rather drop that to 40g or less or add in some cardio sessions? Such a difficult decision. *snort
Reasons:
1. I was stagnating on my previous program (triple drop sets, 6-8 reps per exercise)
2. I was not having any fun lifting
3. No fun = no motivation to hit the gym
4. I have wanted to try 5/3/1 for a while, and this seems like a good time to transition. The first month/cycle will get me used to it, and I can continue it once I start adding more food in (or if I continue to lean out)
5. I miss being able to test my strength levels.
Today was shoulders.
3x5 strict military press, at 65%,75%,85% of my sub-max (sub-max = 90% of 1RM). I am wimpy, so my weights are low (1RM = 135#)
4x8-10 lat raise
4x8-10 1-hand arnold press (much harder than you would think)
4x8-10 tricep pushdown
4 sets of 1-hand overhead carries (about 40' per carry)
This workout felt better than any I have done in quite a while. And I could really feel my shoulders working by the time I got to the arnold presses.
========================
Diet/Cardio updates: Due to my pathetic results this past week (I had no positive changes at all), I will be adding in cardio on my non-lifting days. Shelby actually gave me a choice between dropping my carbs or adding cardio. Hmm...let me think...I am already down to 60g of carbs a day. Now, would I rather drop that to 40g or less or add in some cardio sessions? Such a difficult decision. *snort
2011-02-06 - Sunday Checkin [183.0@32.125]
CURRENT WEIGHT: 183.0
LAST WEEK’S WEIGHT: 182.75
CURRENT CARB ROTATION:
Meal 1,4,5: 40gP+10gF+20gC
Meal 2,3,6: 40gP+10gF
CURRENT CARDIO: none
HOW TRAINING/STRENGTH GAINS ARE GOING:
Unknown. As mentioned on Wednesday, I did decently last Sunday and Monday. However, I have not had a strength workout since then (see deviations)
ANY DEVIATIONS THIS PAST WEEK:
Supplementation: I did my creatine load this week, and now I am on standard dosage (5g/day, taken in the morning).
Training: Due to house issues and taking Wendi to the airport, I was unable to go to the gym on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I wound up doing cardio (30 minute steady state) and some light dumbbell work at home. Between dealing with the home-repair guys continually and my general lack of energy I did not make it into the gym.
Diet: On Wednesday evening I had an unscheduled and undesired cheat meal. Between dealing with the house issues and taking Wendi to the airport, my meal schedule was thrown off. I neglected to bring a meal with me to consume after dropping Wendi off. On the way home from Denver I stopped at a Subway. Reason: I had not eaten for over five hours, and it would be another hour and a half before I was home. I was too crashed out to make it back, thus the Subway visit.
I weighed myself and measured my waist every day since Wednesday. Thursday I was up four pounds due to the Subway meal & water retention. I have slowly dropped back to about where I was. I am still up 1.25# since Wednesday, but my waist has remained constant.
DETAILED MEASUREMENTS
Weight: 183.0 (+0.25)
Waist: 32.125 (no change)
Arm: 16.0 (no change)
Thigh: 23.125 (no change)
Calf: 14.25 (no change)
PHOTOS: No photos. Wendi took the camera on her trip.
OTHER NOTES:
I have been in a horrid mood the past few days. Partially due to hunger, partially due to house issues (including the fact that there are very loud blowers drying out the floors/walls and I no longer have access to my stove).
I have also been utterly lacking in motivation/energy. Again, I think this is mostly due to the house issues and the stress that comes with them. To counter-act this, I am planning on upping my Metabotrop and Cognitrop dosing. I am currently taking 1 serving of Metabotrop and 1/2 serving of Cognitrop in the middle of my day. I am going to change to taking the same dosages, but doing it twice a day (pre-breakfast and pre-workout). My Geronimo and ALCAR should arrive this week, so I will start on those as well.
LAST WEEK’S WEIGHT: 182.75
CURRENT CARB ROTATION:
Meal 1,4,5: 40gP+10gF+20gC
Meal 2,3,6: 40gP+10gF
CURRENT CARDIO: none
HOW TRAINING/STRENGTH GAINS ARE GOING:
Unknown. As mentioned on Wednesday, I did decently last Sunday and Monday. However, I have not had a strength workout since then (see deviations)
ANY DEVIATIONS THIS PAST WEEK:
Supplementation: I did my creatine load this week, and now I am on standard dosage (5g/day, taken in the morning).
Training: Due to house issues and taking Wendi to the airport, I was unable to go to the gym on Wednesday. Thursday and Friday I wound up doing cardio (30 minute steady state) and some light dumbbell work at home. Between dealing with the home-repair guys continually and my general lack of energy I did not make it into the gym.
Diet: On Wednesday evening I had an unscheduled and undesired cheat meal. Between dealing with the house issues and taking Wendi to the airport, my meal schedule was thrown off. I neglected to bring a meal with me to consume after dropping Wendi off. On the way home from Denver I stopped at a Subway. Reason: I had not eaten for over five hours, and it would be another hour and a half before I was home. I was too crashed out to make it back, thus the Subway visit.
I weighed myself and measured my waist every day since Wednesday. Thursday I was up four pounds due to the Subway meal & water retention. I have slowly dropped back to about where I was. I am still up 1.25# since Wednesday, but my waist has remained constant.
DETAILED MEASUREMENTS
Weight: 183.0 (+0.25)
Waist: 32.125 (no change)
Arm: 16.0 (no change)
Thigh: 23.125 (no change)
Calf: 14.25 (no change)
PHOTOS: No photos. Wendi took the camera on her trip.
OTHER NOTES:
I have been in a horrid mood the past few days. Partially due to hunger, partially due to house issues (including the fact that there are very loud blowers drying out the floors/walls and I no longer have access to my stove).
I have also been utterly lacking in motivation/energy. Again, I think this is mostly due to the house issues and the stress that comes with them. To counter-act this, I am planning on upping my Metabotrop and Cognitrop dosing. I am currently taking 1 serving of Metabotrop and 1/2 serving of Cognitrop in the middle of my day. I am going to change to taking the same dosages, but doing it twice a day (pre-breakfast and pre-workout). My Geronimo and ALCAR should arrive this week, so I will start on those as well.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Friday - more cardio & messing around
I had absolutely zero drive today. Let's hear it for depression. *rolls eyes*
So instead of hitting the gym, I did another bout of cardio. Weight-wise I did some high-rep curls and low-weight DB rows. Nothing strenuous, but worked on trying to really feel the muscles.
High-rep curls alternated with hammer curls = very effective at making my biceps & forearms give out
1 hand rows, pulling back to the hip rather than up to the chest (DB arcs backwards) - felt my lats a lot
2-hand db rows with a squeeze at the top - ditto
So instead of hitting the gym, I did another bout of cardio. Weight-wise I did some high-rep curls and low-weight DB rows. Nothing strenuous, but worked on trying to really feel the muscles.
High-rep curls alternated with hammer curls = very effective at making my biceps & forearms give out
1 hand rows, pulling back to the hip rather than up to the chest (DB arcs backwards) - felt my lats a lot
2-hand db rows with a squeeze at the top - ditto
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday - Push Day
@07:00
Weight: 181.75 (-1.0)
Waist: 32.25 (+0.125)
I am attributing the waist gain to a bit of bloat from the creatine. But I am still down a pound since Sunday.
No workout, due to random shit.
Weight: 181.75 (-1.0)
Waist: 32.25 (+0.125)
I am attributing the waist gain to a bit of bloat from the creatine. But I am still down a pound since Sunday.
No workout, due to random shit.
Thursday - makeshift workout
I was unable to go to the gym, as I was waiting on the restoration people to show (they didn't). Instead, i did 30 minutes of steady state on the bike and then some shoulder work.
1-hand Arnold presses (surprisingly effective delt-smasher), lat raises, rear delt raises. Nothing major, but at least something.
Side note - no hunger issues at all today.
1-hand Arnold presses (surprisingly effective delt-smasher), lat raises, rear delt raises. Nothing major, but at least something.
Side note - no hunger issues at all today.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Tuesday - Off day
@10:00 - No lifting today. A bit of stress from the water pipe bursting, but that is not related to exercise.
I was not full of Death Hunger when I woke up. But between morning chores (animals, wood, etc) and the plumbing issues I did not finish breakfast until 2.5 hours after I woke up. I am really hungry again, but that is probably residual.
@11:30 - two meals down, still bloody hungry.
@22:00 - hungry. Not deathly so (yet)
I was not full of Death Hunger when I woke up. But between morning chores (animals, wood, etc) and the plumbing issues I did not finish breakfast until 2.5 hours after I woke up. I am really hungry again, but that is probably residual.
@11:30 - two meals down, still bloody hungry.
@22:00 - hungry. Not deathly so (yet)
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