Am I Still Fat?

[PowerManDL]

The answer is yes.

But not as fat as I was a month ago.

A Brief Summary

For those that don't know me, I'm a fat kid that used to be a skinny kid but really prefers to be a fat strong kid. I'm also the Internet bully of the fitness industry; Leigh Peele especially hates me but can't help laughing at how funny I am.

Right now, my goal is two-fold:

1) Preserve/develop strength in my favorite lifts
2) Stop being fat

I started out at a hefty 214 lbs at 5'9, which means that most insurance companies consider me a huge fat health risk. I'm probably legally dead to some of them.

I spent two weeks doing Lyle McDonald's PSMF diet, which got me down to a hair under 200 lbs.

Right now, after getting 600ish grams of carbs yesterday, I'm sitting right at 200, which is a happy medium on my frame. Estimating that the BF% has dropped from ~20% to ~14%. The end goal will be ~10%.

I use the ~ a lot because I like to be precise.

Current Plans

Anyways, I'm switching away from the PSMF for a bit because it sucks to be on. I'm moving to more of a carb-cycling/intermittent fasting style of eating which tends to work well for me as a balance between lifting good and body composition.

Strength-wise, I'm doing a program adapted from Steve Justa's Rock, Iron, Steel. This particular plan is set up as follows:

Day 1 - 2-board Press, Front Squat
Day 2 - 2-board Press, Deadlift

I'm alternating between these on a MWF schedule. The pressing will be done for 12 singles each time (3x/week). Squats and deadlifts will each be done for 25 singles (every other session). Working weights for both are supposed to be ~70%, with 10 lbs added to the pressing and 20 lbs to the FSQ/DL each week. After three weeks you test new maxes and start over at 70% of those.

At the end of the workout I'll throw in some goodness for the upper back and the gun show.

For a little history, I'm using 2-boards since my shoulders are a wreck. Scap and thoracic mobility was utter crap, which I've been fixing since the summer. I can actually press again without shoulder pain, but I don't want to risk it w/ full ROM bench.

Friday's session:

2-board Press, 12 singles/195 lbs
Deadlift, 25 singles/315 lbs
Chinups, 3 sets of ISO holds, 3 positions for 6s each
BB Curls, 2 sets

I started conservative, since I'm really out of shape and a workout like this will wind you but good. The pressing weights were too light, while the deadlift was probably on target for my conditioning, even though the weight itself was light-ish. I was going on semi-conservative maxes of 275 on the 2-board and 455ish on the pull, so this coming week I'll up the weights.

Diet-wise, non-lifting days will be keto-ish, with protein and some fats only. M and W will have 200-300g of carbs, while Friday will load up with 500-700g, mostly to support the workouts and recovery.

I hate cardio tons, but I might do some on off days*.

* This means I won't be doing any cardio.

Other than that, lets open the betting pool on how long I'll actually maintain this journal.

[SpacecityPaula]

Matt:

You crack me up.

[Frank.S]

wait,

25 singles?! holy shit.

[PowerManDL]

Ya. It gets you breathing hard for sure.

[Cynic]

You have no history of journaling here, so any bets are risky, but I'll still be following this log as close as possible.

Good luck Matt.

(I'm starting to feel anti-social with you starting up a log)

[PowerManDL]

I bring out the angry in anybody.

[RacerBill]

Originally Posted by Frank.S

wait,

25 singles?! holy shit.

x2!

[RedLefty]

You may be the one person I don't rag on in their log. Maybe. As long as you don't go through some kind of wussomorphosis.

Your workout and diet intrigue me.

[PowerManDL]

The deadlifts were easy. The front squats, maybe not so much. I PRd at 315 on those, with a moderately difficult but not quite true 1RM, not too long ago.

70% is going to be ~225. For 25 singles. Monday will be pain, oh yes.

[fitzy21]

looks intense man

this will be fun to keep up with

[GqArtguy]

Originally Posted by PowerManDL

The deadlifts were easy. The front squats, maybe not so much. I PRd at 315 on those, with a moderately difficult but not quite true 1RM, not too long ago.

This is the power of the OMEGAWAVE!!!!

How long are you resting in between singles?

[PowerManDL]

No set time, but as briefly as possible. I end up kinda clustering things, doing a few with very little rest then resting a bit longer. Usually just long enough to get my wind back, though.

[PowerManDL]

Nothing of real interest over the weekend.

Diet plan on non-lifting days is shaping up to be nice, which is strange because historically diet is the worst thing for me to stick to. It's been a good four weeks now of being "consistent enough", which may be some kind of record.

Yohimbine HCL + caffeine in the AM, for whatever good that may or may not do, then kicking in with protein and fats later in the day; staples have been protein powder (a nice MPI/whey blend I have here), tuna, almonds, low-fat string cheese, and my favorite mix of 8oz ground beef and 3 whole eggs with a little coconut milk.

Lots of fluids, mostly in the form of green tea, but I must confess I'm really loving my sugar-free Rock Star or Red Bull in the AM.

Tomorrow's going to be the 2-board/Front Squat single-rep jamboree, complete with a small carb refeed. As planned that will be some oatmeal, honey, and an apple preWO, and some low-fat Velveeta shells N cheese for postWO, along with the requisite pre/postWO protein intake.

The next three weeks should be somewhat less miserable anyway.

[Lost Dog]

Are you following a calorie plan or just taking a shot at it? Other than your carb-fests, of course.

[PowerManDL]

Nah. I just keep a ballpark of protein intake really. The rest falls into place.

On the carb days I do similar, keep a running tally to keep it within some boundaries, but I don't really go nuts with measuring things beyond that.

[trainerty]

Well shit, you got a journal. Definitely keep an eye on this in the background. Good to see what you are up to.

Best of training to ya'

[PowerManDL]

Gracias.

Lifting today:

Face pull and scap mobility warmups
2-board press, 12 singles/205
unilateral and glute activation warmups

went through the front squat warmups, but some recent thoracic issues were really acting up, so I ditched these in favor of back squats

Fronts, 2 singles/225, Back squats (high-bar OL), 10 singles/225

Finished up with more face pulls, 4 sets of rows, and 2 sets of overhead shrugs.

Not what I wanted to get by a long shot, but I wasn't about to hit all the reps with the neck/midback pain from racking the fronts.