Hey everyone. So I am going to be honest and blunt. There are times we let very controllable factors in our life get the better of us and this past year has been a great ( or not so great , depending how you look at it) example of that. This log is to keep my honest, because its been 3 days and I thought it was managable but tonight have realized that the little extra effot put into this log may give me that little push to stay committed.
My Story:
I was chubby, then one day got fat (16 y/o 189 lbs), then got skinny (130 lbs), then got skinny fat (18 y/o 140lb). Then I came to college and gained 30 lbs in 2 months ( 165 lbs) ...you can imagine it wasnt the best 30 pounds. My next year i hit 185 and this past year have been hovering between 200 and 205 (age 20).
There have been some decent muscle gains and some strength gains to match, but its just too much fat to justify it. I attribute it mostly to my binge-eating, which occurs often at night and sometimes the middle of the day. Also to my lack of doing any actual cardio (regularly) in the past year. Also to my heavy smoking. You can imagine i've been hurting in the gym, that is, if I was going regularly at all being sick or lazy half the time.
Ive recently quit smoking cigs (i cant believe i ever did) but still smoke Hookah.
Im taking 6 weeks to kick my ass and try and get back the athleticism I threw away....
The Plan:
Work outs are based on (with excercise/rep scheme alterations): The Waterbury Summer Project
The last phase is the first phase from my old program/log: Leaning Out w/o Cutting
i wont list the work outs now since the program is 3 phases, each lasting 2 weeks and each work out is only repeated once.
The diet is going to be kept simple, because the problem is, if its not practical and simple, I wont pull it off...diet is always my weakest link.
The goal is to go grocery shopping each weekend (im a very health conscious shopper) and then eat ONLY whatever i can from the kitchen, excluding 3 meals a week which would be out (social meals).
My grocery list is about the same every week:
2% milk, naty pb, ww bread, deli turkey, roast beef, chicken breasts, part skim mozzarella cheese, almonds, apples, bananas, blueberries, broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, ww pasta, baby spinach, wheat thins or sun chips (for the snack food cravings) +or - some items.
Its sad that being a 20 year old male i have to reminisce about when i could go jog 10 miles, or hell, even 4. Or when I could eat for a family of 4 and not gain weight because of my intensity in the gym.
Six Weeks used to seem short, but not right now....
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Diet thus far has been O.K (great during the day, temptation at night when others order pizza or chinese).
Typically:
Breakfast - peanut butter and ww bread or banana + milk
Lunch - ww turkey or beef sandwich + cheese tomato lettuce
Lunch 2- some meat + apple or berries+ almonds
Dinner - after work out: ww pasta and chicken
off day: chicken or fish with any nuts cheese or anything in the fridge
Last meal: baby spinach, broccoli tomato cheese meat
Notes: last night i had some pizza and wings because no one ate them after ordering them.
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Little Sis is coming into town this weekend, but glad i got my work out in. Hopefully it wont throw my diet off with taking her out and entertaining her and all.
3x12 @ 14rm 70s rest
A1 romanian deads
185
A2 situps
45
B1 inc db bench
50/60/50
B2 cable flys
50/40/30
C1 db upright row
35/30/30
C2 lunges
95/85/85
D1 db external rotation
10
D2 db pullovers
40
The inc bench and cable flys superset is KILLER. my pecs were so beat i could barely keep the bar behind me for lunges. which by the way, showed me i need alot more single join work for some stability, i may do a bit more weight next time, as long as i dont fall over hahah. Another lesson in the problems of neglecting lower body training for a while.
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Hey Faraz, it's been a long time, man. Good to see you back focussed on your health and making some changes in your life. You're a young guy and have a long, healthy life ahead of you if you get this sorted out now. Good for you for making yourself accountable. Best of luck with getting back to where you were. Have you set some specific short-term/long-term goals for yourself so you can measure success?
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Thanks k-court. It is good to be back, certainly helps my focus and motivation when im stopping by a fitness forum on a daily basis.
Most of the goals set are short term , being that im doing a 6 week program (could be 8 but i want to make it interesting).
-Sitting at about 200 lbs now, i want to be sub 190. Dont care if its 180 or 189, as long as I do it right, i should be happy with the results (fat/muscle loss ratio).
-The other goal is to be able to run my old work out around the DC monuments (3.3 miles) in 30 minutes. No aesthetic goal here, just a side goal to keep me doing cardio/ HIIT.
-Lastly, i want to regain some strength levels, ive lost alot of quad specific strength and need to bring my deads bench row milit press up to where it was 2-3 months ago (strength peak).
Basically, i just want to be active and reingross myself into the fitness world.
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Sounds good, Faraz. Now execute the plan. (And avoid those damned pizzas, won't ya? )
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Haha, i avoided the pizza but had alot of munchies last night ( a small box of choc covered peanuts, lots of trail mix). Im not stressed about it right now, its my sister's weekend here and we had the munchies. Esp since my late night diet used to be general tso's chicken and pizza. Its a start.
Day 5
Fri March 27
hiit 30sec/90 sec rest 18min
2.25 miles
I have to say, i feel great after HIIT, and although no real body fat changes, i can see my body recover from those binge eating days and regain some muscular form.
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Last night had pizza with beef brocc chicken and mushrooms, good stuff , but unneccessary. honestly, im taking a cheat deal per day with my sister her. got her eating healthy during the day though.
Today's work out was supposed to be 3 circuits for 2 min sets each for deadlifts, bench, squats, rows at 25% of 1RM but i wasnt up for it so repeated the first work out. Some numbers the same, some a bit lagging, the squats thankfully got better without any hamstring pain.
4x6 @ 8RM 60s rests
A1. cleans
135
A2 reverse crunches
10
B1 std alt db shoulder press
35/40x3
B2 1-arm db row
65
C1 squats
155/155/185/185
C2 BB bench
155/155/165/175
D1 dec bench plate load machine
230/230/260/260
D2 db external rotation
15
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Day 7 and 8 Sun and Mon: no cardio, two off days(only supposed to be one). Diet is ok, recovering from the weekend and doing what I can with diminshed groceries .
Day 9
Tues, April 1
4x6 @ 8RM 60s rests
A1. cleans :135x2/155x2
A2 reverse crunches : 15
B1 std alt db shoulder press 40's
B2 1-arm db row : 70's
C1 squats: 185
C2 BB bench:
155x2/175/185
D1 dec bench 155/175/185/155
D2 Free motion Lat Pull down: 120x2/100 each hand/120 each hand
Felt like a pretty good work out, challenged my self with the benching, and dec bb is much more effective (or so it felt) then the dec machine bench. Glad the squat number stayed constant, hopefully itll start jumping up fast. Could have done more on the milit press and lat pull down. And damn do Cleans kick my ass!
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
Hang in there on the squats. The weight will start coming for you.
Question, is the free motion lat pulldown done with cables? I'm wondering if that is something I can sub for on my wide grip lat pulldowns when the machine is being used, which seems to be quite often. I might have a better chance of getting on the cables than I do the machine. I've been considering that or working on my pullups instead.
Kept up with only 2 lifting sessions last week and 2 cardio sessions, so fell one short on each. over all not bad, glad i didnt fall off. Had my first non hiit cardio too, felt good.
Back in the gym today and excited to post the weights later.
Beachplums- yeah by free motion lat pull down i meant cables. its basically a bench with a weight stack and two cable extensions close enough that i can put single handles on them and simulate a lat pull down. i like it better than the bar bc it allows me to get a deeper pull without having a bar stop at your chest, as well as allows me to turn my hands inwards and outwards. By this i mean i start in a palms facing away position and at the end of the contraction am in a palms facing me and then back in reverse.
__________________
"Obsession is a word that lazy people use to describe the Dedicated."
I might have to give that a try. I don't mind using the bar, but there is usually a ton of people waiting to use it, whereas the cable extensions are usually open. Thanks for the info.
Reversing Self Destruction --- 6 weeks
(And avoid those damned pizzas, won't ya? 
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