Cappy's From Fit to Fitter and Faster - TT style

[cappuccino]

Howdy y'all! If you've been watching my other thread, you'll know that I completed my last program written by Craig Ballantyne and now it's on to a new one.

I'm soo excited! I'll be doing many new things these 12 weeks...front squats, oh squats, step-ups (not new, but JP and Dale can thank Craig ), pull-ups, keeping tempos, and much more. Stay tuned for the excitement.

The focus has shifted from fat loss to improving 5k times and of course continued strength and body comp improvements. So on the running/HIIT side, I'll be doing various types of intervals. The first four weeks include 3min (Kaiser is probably falling out of his chair here ? ) and 30 secs intervals + a 40 min run on weekends the first 4wks.

Feel free to chime in for workout comments / questions / encouragement / butt-kicking . I do want to keep this one much more on topic than the last one, but of course keep it fun too.

Here's to another great 12 weeks!

[ninja]

What are Oh Squats.

Does this mean no espanol?

[cappuccino]

Week 1, Stage 1

Last week was my rest week, and coincidently I caught a terrible cold / sinus infection. Although I was glad that it was timed with my rest week I was frustrated that I was only able to work in about 2 2mile walks and a couple of chin-ups all week.

Today I was still zonked from this cold so I finally went to the dr. A shot, horse antibiotics, decongestant, nasal spray, and cough syrup later (sadly the days of a $10 copay are gone ), I'm hoping to have this wacked in a day or two. Sooo this week I'm figuring will be a little light. Did check with the dr. and he said it was ok to workout. I was getting serious cabin fever..when I was alert, I was tired of being tired!

Plus I was too excited about my new program to wait another day!

Monday February 7th

general & specific warm-up:
bodyweight squats;push-ups, planks, + warm-up sets of first superset

front squat: 65x8;75x8;75x8
eccentric pull-ups: 5x3

This was my first ever front squat, so it is taking a little getting used to. Significantly less weight, but after the second set I didn't feel like it would be smart to move up. Plus I'm working on keeping tempo, so that adds a little bit more to the mix.

Pull-ups went well, I was glad there were only 5 for 5 secs [img]smile.gif[/img]

DB Split Squats: 30x8;40x8;50x8
pushups: 10x3

Again split squats are new, so I started low, that's total weight. I'm supposed to do as many push-ups as I could, and 10 was the max today.

Something about the way Craig pairs things has a way of humbling me [img]smile.gif[/img]

core workout

Today was fun, and I'm sure extra challenging from the cold. Thought I was dumb a couple of times during the workout for actually doing it. However, later in the day, my body felt much better, although my head continued to be stuffy. We'll see how this day looks later in the week. Might not count this week towards my 4 in this stage.

And since I'm borrowing Kaiser's title format (just to make him confused on which log it is ) I'll also start adding in my calories, but only in the format I keep it in.

Cals consumed: 1981
macros: 45% C / 34% P / 22% F
65g sugar - 15g from PWO, 8 from choc chips [img]redface.gif[/img] , rest mainly from fruit. I don't track the fat breakdown...yet

Using the Katch-Mcardle formula, I'm estimating my total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is 2,224 kcals, so I had a wee bit of a deficit, although I was over my target of 1885 kcals.

[cappuccino]

Originally posted by nbjjku:
What are Oh Squats.

Does this mean no espanol?

Overhead squats, but that's not till stage 2, senor

[Kaiser]

Congrats on the new log and the new workout C.

Now my 'serious-only' comments:
-you really should lick this thing. Jeez, one week and still weak.

-I like the food logging. [img]smile.gif[/img] What's your goal? Maintenance? Do you have a macro goal as well?

-do you find that front squats hurt your wrists? They do mine, which don't extend back far enough.

-Pushups. I think I found THE challenge event I want to do with you. [img]smile.gif[/img]

-I'm honored that you've taken your title after mine. You haven't updated your sig line since I did mine though.

[cappuccino]

Here's your "serious" answers
The drugs are already helping, although now I think the antibiotic is upsetting my stomach.

I've been shooting for about 250cals below maintainance. Originally 50c/30p/20F, but I've upped the fat some and lowered the carbs slightly. Protein was high today since I went ahead and ate the whole pack of tuna at lunch and there was quinoa on my salad.

No wrist problems on the front squat, but it was harder to hold as much weight, since I believe my arms were doing some of the work.

Bring on the push-up challenge, as long as we can race afterwards!

yeah, I'm slow on the sig line. Still applies, though.

[ninja]

Are you changing the diet besides the cutting, or are you just trying to eat less?

On a side note, you gave me your illness. I feel like my head is a giant balloon.

[cappuccino]

I'm not changing my diet, I'm just logging again to see what I've been up to. Been kinda playing with the macros for the past few months.

sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Get thee to a dr.

[md11hydmec]

Good luck on the new workout Capp. When you do the intervals, are you running for 30 or 45 secs and then walking for a total of 3 minutes? As far as the chocolate, its tough to give that up. I'll allow myself some as a treat if I've managed to stick to eating well and got my exercises in. That way I won't crave it!

[Q.]

Originally posted by Kaiser:
-do you find that front squats hurt your wrists? They do mine, which don't extend back far enough.

Sorry if this is O/T but I used to do front squats with my arms crossed and the bar resting on the inside of shoulders. My wrists wouldn't go back far enough either but the other method works GREAT! No stability problems whatsoever. Of course, I'll never do proper cleans that way.

Back to Cappy's new workout...

[cappuccino]

Hey MD! I'm actually doing two types of intervals, one that I did today - 3 min work and 3min rest and another where I'm doing 30sec sprints and 90 sec rests. [img]smile.gif[/img]

I don't worry too much about the chocolate, it's a small dose of satisfaction. 70 cals, I don't go hog wild. It's dark chocolate and it's good for you, but of course I've got to stop making it an evening a habit. I bet I would like the unsweetened type as well, maybe I should switch.

Q - the crossed arms give you more stability? I felt ok with how I did them monday, but I'm sure my form can only get better....

[cappuccino]

Tues Feb 8th

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today was an outdoor interval day, but I probably shouldn't call it HIIT, due to the 3min intervals???

6 3min intervals with 3min rests

warm-up 2-3 mins w/o GPS signal
4:06 mins 736 meters @ 4:56 pace

Intervals:
1 - 682.0meters(.42miles) 4:24 km pace (7:05/mi)
2 - 693.1m (.43mi) 4:20/km (6:58/mi)
3 - 663.2m (.41mi) 4:31/km (7:17/mi)
4 - 657.2m (.41mi) 4:34/km (7:21/mi)
5 - 645.5m (.40mi) 4:39/km (7:29/mi)
6 - 577.8m (.36mi) 5:12/km (8:21/mi)
Total interval distance: 2.43mi 4.56km

Cool down walk:
4:56min 453m (.28 mi)

My goal is to keep all the intervals the same length. Did decently well for the first 4, by 5 and definately 6, I was ready to be done. Actually I was just running the home strech on the last one. Next time will be MUCH better because my head will have cleared from all this yucky sinus infection.
Got to run better when you can breathe, right??

Anyway, I'm thinking I should be keeping a 6:30/mi pace for 3mins. Today I was figuring I should be less than a 7min mile, but was only close on first two.

Oh yeah, I got some sun today while I was out. My cheeks are red still [img]smile.gif[/img]

And calories:
consumed: 1856
44% c/ 33% p / 23% f
56g sugar, 99% from fruit--no chocolate or PWO today

Running made me hungry!!

[Q.]

Originally posted by cappuccino:
I don't worry too much about the chocolate, it's a small dose of satisfaction. 70 cals, I don't go hog wild. It's dark chocolate and it's good for you, but of course I've got to stop making it an evening a habit. I bet I would like the unsweetened type as well, maybe I should switch.

Have you tried Sugar Buster's Fudge Bars? We keep a box or two in the freezer all the time and usually have one after dinner. 55 cals and very tasty! I think I recommended these to JP at one time but I never heard back if LR stores carried them.

Originally posted by cappuccino:
Q - the crossed arms give you more stability? I felt ok with how I did them monday, but I'm sure my form can only get better....

I wouldn't say more stable but, since I can't bend my arms back far enough to rest them on my shoulders, this at least allows me to do front squats. Here's some pics I found that kind of show this.



I haven't ever used their product - just borrowed the pics - but here THEIR WEBSITE in case anyone is interested.

[cappuccino]

Haven't tried those bars. Are they ice-cream type bars?? I'd probably prefer the dark dark plain old chocolate though. And I'm weening myself back off of it.

Thanks for the pics. I've actually seen that blue thing and JP's place. Never thought it was for the front of the shoulders. And I had imagined you crossed your arms and kept your wrists the other way. That makes more sense.

[Kaiser]

Q do your shoulders get tired holding the bar like that?

[BjsAust]

I used to do front squats like that (without the blue thingy, just resting on my shoulders), it took basically no strength/energy from the shoulders/arms to hold it up. It sits so close into the body that its basically just supported by your trunk rather than you holding it up.

Hmm, that doesnt make sense, but the short answer from my experience is no, your shoulders dont get tired.

I'm sure theres reasons to hold them the way most peopld do, but I cant remember them offhand.

[Q.]

Originally posted by cappuccino:
Thanks for the pics. I've actually seen that blue thing and JP's place. Never thought it was for the front of the shoulders. And I had imagined you crossed your arms and kept your wrists the other way. That makes more sense.

Not sure what you mean by "the other way" but I don't think how you hold your wrists matters much. The bar rests fairly well between your shoulders and neck and, as long as your arms are up high enough, it stays in place.