No magic pill - Page 48

Lost Dog · 10-03-2009, 12:11 PM

Why do you need a layout/plan to IF? You just do it.

You don't need to follow a split that hits the same things each day that week (m/t/f). Just have an A/B and pick the letter that wasn't the last one you did. If you're crunched for time, hit the mobility, the push, the pull, the leg, then do anything you have time for after that.

Mobility stuff
Pull, Snatch or Clean or Chins
Push, Jerk or Press or Pushup
Leg, Pistol or Squat or Lunge
Misc stuff like the ab wheel, curls, cardio, tire flips, sledgehammer, or sprinting

I think the first few exercises take care of 80-90% of the workout. The rest isn't always worth stressing about unless you have specific needs that need to be addressed.

Phaedrus49er · 10-03-2009, 12:22 PM

That's the allure of IF for me: no plan, just do it. I also wouldn't have to hit certain workouts on certain days like CKD. Whenever I know I won't get a workout it, I usually make sure to at least get in some SMR and trigger point therapy, perhaps some flexibility as well. I know it's not major work, but I'm finding that if I spend as much time on regeneration as I do on typical training, I'm much less prone to tweaks or worse. Running, unfortunately, is still out of the question until I can figure out the right "shoe" and surface combination. I haven't attempted an all-out sprint since March as even just messing around with the dogs in the yard catches my foot just right. I want to run SO BADLY :/

Phaedrus49er · 10-04-2009, 05:28 AM

So, just for kicks, I'm attempting a 24-hour fast that started around 6:30pm yesterday. Combined with an interval workout that pretty much HAS to get done, this should be interesting.

Aoife · 10-04-2009, 10:13 AM

that just sounds silly.

Lost Dog · 10-04-2009, 11:10 AM

Phaedrus49er · 10-04-2009, 11:41 AM

Man, I think a 24-hour fast is something I'll have to work up to. That "condensed window" format might work better for me, for now anyway. At any rate, I didn't feel much of a NEED to eat until now, just hunger pangs that went away pretty quickly. Plus, I just put together a really yummy chicken noodle soup, so that was a little torturous

RedLefty · 10-04-2009, 12:10 PM

Who cooks during a fast?

Lost Dog · 10-04-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

Man, I think a 24-hour fast is something I'll have to work up to. That "condensed window" format might work better for me, for now anyway. At any rate, I didn't feel much of a NEED to eat until now, just hunger pangs that went away pretty quickly. Plus, I just put together a really yummy chicken noodle soup, so that was a little torturous

It took me a couple of weeks to work up to a long fast. Week one until late lunch, week two it was dinner, week three even later. I'm sure I could have pushed it faster.

I'm not looking for 24 hour fasts, either. When I do them now, I always start off with no food in the morning, and go until dinner or later dinner at the latest.

I almost never train in the morning, so I often IF until a couple of hours before training, have a meal, train, then eat more for the remainder of the day.

Phaedrus49er · 10-04-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedLefty

Who cooks during a fast?

The girl is sick and requested soup, anything but vegetable, and there are no quick-pickup options that aren't laden in salt, so I just made it from scratch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

It took me a couple of weeks to work up to a long fast. Week one until late lunch, week two it was dinner, week three even later. I'm sure I could have pushed it faster.

I'm not looking for 24 hour fasts, either. When I do them now, I always start off with no food in the morning, and go until dinner or later dinner at the latest.

I almost never train in the morning, so I often IF until a couple of hours before training, have a meal, train, then eat more for the remainder of the day.

This piqued my interest as I was reading more about it, starting and ending fasts with supper so that you never go a full waking day without food, and like you, I pretty much don't train in the morning, so food in the evening makes more sense.

Phaedrus49er · 10-04-2009, 07:50 PM

hip PNF x 5/side
ankle glide x 5/side
shoulder PNF x 5/side

rowing intervals - 6 x 500m, 100m RI @ ~2:50
--intervals 1 & 6 @ ~2:20
--intervals 2-5 @ ~2:10

rowing intervals - 5 x 100m @ ~1:50, 50m RI @ ~2:50

circuit x 3, 60RI
--TGU x 5/side @ 12kg
--DL twist x 6/side @ 12kg
--knee hug x 10

Notes:
--Bleh. Wobbled between drowsy and drunk today. No alcohol, just from finally eating. My eating window today was 12:30p-6:30p. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but another attempt will be made with (hopefully) similar parameters.
--My vacation that's supposed to start on Thursday was thrown into serious doubt yesterday. I took the Harley in for a 15,000-mile service (a planned expense), only to learn that my tires wouldn't make it to inspection (next July), and it wasn't a sure thing that they'd pass right now, so I bit the bullet and got new tires (an unplanned expense double that of the planned one). That was supposed to be my vacation money (room, transit, food, etc)--airfare is already paid, and since it was mostly frequent flyer miles (used before canceling that credit card), I'd only be out about the $130 I paid to keep from having to take an overnight flight two days later than I wanted. I'm totally on the fence about throwing the rest of the trip on another (much lower-interest) card since I don't envision spending more than $300 for everything else on the trip. I'm giving it until Tuesday since I'd have to cancel the room reservation then.

Phaedrus49er · 10-05-2009, 07:38 PM

hip PNF x 5/side
ankle glide x 5/side
shoulder PNF x 5/side

1-arm KB snatch, 60RI
--3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg (per side)

1-arm KB jerk, 60RI
--3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg, 3 @ 18kg (per side)

SUPERSET
1-arm KB floor press, 0RI
--5 @ 18kg, 5 @ 18kg, 5 @ 18kg, 5 @ 18kg (per side)
+
scap pull-up, 60RI
--10 @ BW, 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW

SUPERSET
wall squat, 0RI
--60sec @ BW, 60sec @ BW, 60sec @ BW, 60sec @ BW
+
squat jump, 90RI
--10 @ BW, 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW, 10 @ BW

1-arm KB swing, 30RI
--15 @ 18kg, 15 @ 18kg, 15 @ 18kg (per side)

Notes:
--So far, so good on IF. Went until almost 1pm today, which was easy considering how busy work was. The only thing I could've used earlier than 10am was coffee, but it made for a quick and swimmy morning

I'm going to have to leave my feeding window open a little longer today since I wasn't able to get my calories in this afternoon, but it's a good run-up to (maybe) vacation since, as with all vacations, I tend to eat way less than usual to (a) save time and (b) save money.
--I'm totally going to jinx this, but my foot's felt pretty good this afternoon. That is all.

Lost Dog · 10-05-2009, 10:37 PM

You don't have to "get your calories in." That's sorta the point of IF. To eat less, dude.

Phaedrus49er · 10-06-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lost Dog

You don't have to "get your calories in." That's sorta the point of IF. To eat less, dude.

Well, duh, dude

I don't think I'm supposed to be in PSMF territory, though.

Lost Dog · 10-06-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

Well, duh, dude

I don't think I'm supposed to be in PSMF territory, though.

You're missing the point, I think. You have higher days and lower days. On lower days, you're burning more fat. On higher days, you're maintaining or building muscle. If you force yourself to eat, you've missed an opportunity to lose fat. Unless you're just about the convenience of IF.

As long as your weekly average is good, then you're good.

Phaedrus49er · 10-07-2009, 05:19 AM

Undulation? WTF?

Yeah, I'm just trying to get used to the condensed-window schedule right now--if that works, great; if not, I may try the early/late setup, but if nothing else, the convenience and, let's face it, the cost savings are well worth it, body comp aside.

Lost Dog · 10-07-2009, 07:02 AM

At the bottom of this blog, there's some info and a challenge on IF (you have to sign up for the ebook, though). I haven't read it yet, so I'm just saying it's there, not that it's good.

Phaedrus49er · 10-07-2009, 07:49 AM

Cool, thanks. I'll see if I can throw it on my BlackBerry for the flights tomorrow. Aside from what (embarrassingly) little I've read about IF here, I've only really seen introductory information on Mark Sisson's and Michael Eades' blogs, enough to see some preliminary study reports and different protocols. Matching my intake to my activity level will be a decent challenge since I never really know what the day is going to bring.

Lost Dog · 10-07-2009, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaedrus49er

Cool, thanks. I'll see if I can throw it on my BlackBerry for the flights tomorrow. Aside from what (embarrassingly) little I've read about IF here, I've only really seen introductory information on Mark Sisson's and Michael Eades' blogs, enough to see some preliminary study reports and different protocols. Matching my intake to my activity level will be a decent challenge since I never really know what the day is going to bring.

Unfortunately, it's just the intro. You get a chapter or so every few days via email links.

Phaedrus49er · 10-07-2009, 09:25 AM

Yeah, I see that now, but at least I signed up with one of my spam-only email accounts (the intro didn't look too good anyway, just an e-book version of a supplement website).

Phaedrus49er · 10-07-2009, 06:02 PM

hip PNF x 5/side
ankle glide x 5/side
shoulder PNF x 5/side

circuit x 5, 30RI
--squat thrust x 30sec
--jumping jack x 30sec
--split shuffle x 30sec
--squat thrust x 30sec
--jumping jack x 30sec
--mountain climber x 30sec

circuit x 3, 60RI
--ab wheel rollout (from knees) x 5
--Superman x 10
--Grey Cook woodchoppers x 5 per direction (4)

Notes:
--After reading more on the structure and purpose of burpees, I've decided that what I've been doing have not been half-burpees but, in fact, squat thrusts. Burps would at least include the push-up at the bottom, which I have not been doing (of course, the "ee" part would be the jump, as in "WHEEEEEEE!!!"). Same for split shuffles--split jumps implies a near-maximal effort while what I've been doing has been more of, well, a shuffle (not of the truffle variety).
--I made it until 3:15pm today before eating, and my window will effectively close about 9:15pm tonight since I have to get SOME sleep before flying out at 6:30am tomorrow. The headaches are going away, and I know when to expect the hunger pangs, so I can head those off with coffee, tea, and/or activity.
--This is my last workout until I get back from Portland. At least I finished out a four-workout week of sorts. I'm noticing a little lifting and rounding of the shoulders, so I think (p)rehab is going to starting coming back into play a little more, even if it means scaling back the work portion of the workouts. On the bright side, unless I'm forgetting something, today was my foot's first pain-free day (outside the workout) in quite some time. I'm hoping that the inserts my doc gave me will fit my old sneakers so that I can wear those while I'm walking around this weekend. Peace out!

RedLefty · 10-08-2009, 09:07 AM

Have fun and don't watch Hostel before you go!

Phaedrus49er · 10-13-2009, 06:21 PM

In short, one helluva trip. Lots of firsts:

--Missed a flight. Continental didn't send me an email telling me my flight was leaving fifteen minutes earlier than my itinerary said, so I missed check-in, which was fine because they put me on a better flight (one layover instead of two) and got me out there an hour sooner. W1n.
--Set foot in Texas. Houston, specifically. Granted, it was for a "sprint" through IAH to catch a connection ("sprint" meaning waiting on the tram for the most part).
--Set foot in Oregon. Portland, of course, and all the firsts that went along with it: Mt. St. Helens (on approach), Mt. Jefferson (from afar), and Mt. Hood (up close and personal); several new and beloved breweries (Rogue was actually a letdown--I kinda like Deschutes now); the Columbia and Williamette rivers (of Oregon Trail fame--yes, the game); Powell's bookstore (I came, I saw, I came); and others that I'm forgetting, I'm sure.
--Flew first class. All the way back to Charlotte, which made the nearly two-hour delay out of Portland much more enjoyable (snow in Minnesota was the problem). I even managed to start and end a book.

I walked a LOT, and I drank a LOT, not necessarily in that order, but the downtime reminded me of awhile back when I was trying to balance Mark Verstegen and Ross Enamait with some Grey Cook thrown in. Not sure how I fell out of that, but I noticed some tweaks that shouldn't've been there (left shoulder, left knee, upper back) since I got out of my (p)rehab-heavy routine. I also resolved to bro it up on my arms and back--how I'm going to do that on IF, I don't know, but I need to balance the aesthetics as well as the athletics somehow.

Speaking of walking, the foot was a minor hindrance. I think pushing through the initial pain either warms it up or numbs it with endorphins because I was without pain more than with (didn't have the doctor-prescribed insoles, either). Weird.

Not much coming of this log this week as I get re-adjusted back to my home time zone and try to come up with a way of doing everything I want/need in a semi-timely manner.

LisaS · 10-13-2009, 06:51 PM

welcome home.

Lost Dog · 10-13-2009, 08:03 PM

Phaedrus49er · 10-13-2009, 08:38 PM

I'm bringing this post over from what I was going to write in LD's log, but it got into some stuff I think would be more appropriate to vent here (and also not tarnish the reality TV discussions over there

).

LD asked what I needed in response to my comment about being behind on kettlebell stuff. My answer: a change. A routine would be nice, but SOMEthing different would be welcomed; some kind of measurable/visible progression would be nice, too. Not that Ross' stuff hasn't done me a world of good, but I'm on my third go-round of Infinite Intensity, so it's a little stale. I tried adapting Core Performance for having no Olympic weights, and while it's doable, it's also a little uninspiring. The last major milestone I hit was performing pistol squats, and that's been awhile. Shoulders continue to limit my upper-body stuff, though my ab wheel rollouts have improved (compared to when I first started).

Frankly, I could use some motivation, some energy, which I'm curiously without over the past month or so. I don't feel like I'm progressing anymore (or even in which direction I should be progressing); instead, I'm just spinning my wheels, going through the motions, not regressing, but not getting better, either. Hell, even just walking around Portland was nice--the change in activity was nice, and while I do have a bicycle (that needs some brake work done) and a C2 rower, but I think a lot of my enjoyment came from being in a new place and every corner being a fun discovery. That's not to say I want to do "cardio" or anything, but it was just different. I also mentioned the noticeable tweaks that I know how to address--it's just actually addressing them. Just getting off the couch would be a start, unlike tonight when I had (a) some (p)rehab I could've done, (b) a new book I could've started, (c) laundry I could've folded, and even (d) an email I could've sent that never got sent.

I've toyed with listing the equipment I have available and letting people here make up stuff on-the-fly for me to do (within reason, meaning gobbla can't participate). That'd be all well and good, but it wouldn't guarantee that I'd actually do the routine that day--this IF stuff is doing a number on my energy levels. Not that I'm rundown or anything, but I certainly don't have a fire burning, and an early-afternoon cup of coffee is rarely an option with how work likes to crank up around then.

I do know I've been thrown off a lot of my routine with the not-so-recent change in jobs, which I can tell is still affecting me a little in logistics as well as occasionally odd hours. It's also a little frustrating that they haven't offered me the permanent job yet (damned thing still hasn't even posted, meaning there is ZERO progress there; I'm technically still temp help, and while the pay is good and the payoff would be great, it's still not a sure thing, which is what I dealt with in radio, and I keep blowing off the youth fitness guy waiting on this answer--speaking of which, my YFS2 exam is due in three weeks, I haven't touched the stuff in three MONTHS, and the guy has my textbook in a part of town that's nowhere near on the way to anything else I do).

/vent (for now)

Katydid77 · 10-13-2009, 08:48 PM

I think you feel 'in transition' without knowing where you are going.

Not bad, just unsettled. Like that feeling that something is coming but you aren't sure what.

Your discussion of your flight makes me miss the West *sigh* I haven't been out there in years.

Ogedei · 10-14-2009, 08:26 AM

I can empathize with you man. I have the same issues a lot, and I haven't gone through a program several times until I find it stale. That is some good staying power. Although I think Ross might be getting some of my cash for his books.

I have in a lot of ways struggled with goals. Initially the goal was to lose my excess bulk. I am happy with how that goal has gone: Check. Then I needed something new: Fishy is pretty inspirational and I did a short triathalon: check. That was a few years ago now. I went back to school. It took a lot of my time for a couple of years, training was sparse, even finishing and coming back to the real world training has been somewhat sparse and bursty, as my log here can attest to.

Spinning your wheels and making no progress sucks, but on the other hand, having a lot of grip and hurtling down a dark road with an unknown destination isn't always cool either.

Do you know where you want to go or what you want to do with your training? Do you just want to get stronger? Do you want to apply it to something? Do you want to do KB competition? Strongman? Powerlifting? Something else?

I think if you can answer these questions and know what path you want to walk, figuring out how to walk it will be a lot easier.

Oh and I think you should make a special trip to get your book. 3 weeks ain't much time.

Anyhow just my 2 cents.

Phaedrus49er · 10-14-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ogedei

I can empathize with you man. I have the same issues a lot, and I haven't gone through a program several times until I find it stale. That is some good staying power. Although I think Ross might be getting some of my cash for his books.

I have in a lot of ways struggled with goals. Initially the goal was to lose my excess bulk. I am happy with how that goal has gone: Check. Then I needed something new: Fishy is pretty inspirational and I did a short triathalon: check. That was a few years ago now. I went back to school. It took a lot of my time for a couple of years, training was sparse, even finishing and coming back to the real world training has been somewhat sparse and bursty, as my log here can attest to.

Spinning your wheels and making no progress sucks, but on the other hand, having a lot of grip and hurtling down a dark road with an unknown destination isn't always cool either.

Do you know where you want to go or what you want to do with your training? Do you just want to get stronger? Do you want to apply it to something? Do you want to do KB competition? Strongman? Powerlifting? Something else?

I think if you can answer these questions and know what path you want to walk, figuring out how to walk it will be a lot easier.

Oh and I think you should make a special trip to get your book. 3 weeks ain't much time.

Anyhow just my 2 cents.

I really hate that I've reached the staleness point with Ross because I absolutely love his stuff, and my conditioning has improved dramatically since I've been doing his programs despite the haphazard breaks I take. Mobility is still good for the most part, though it could use a little more attention. I'm always interested in getting stronger, and I think my creative juices have dried up for doing that with the stuff I have, though I know it's possible. On the other hand, it might do me some good to do bro stuff since it's been probably, oh, eight years since I've done any dedicated hypertrophy work, and goodness knows my back and arms could use it. Of course, I'm always concerned about my shoulders, which I do work on, but like in other areas, I never really seem to make any progress on fixing them. I'd love to get up to Indy or Boston to have some seriously smart people look at them, but that's a little out of the question right now.

I think competition of ANY kind would be nice, one for the motivation, and two for the social aspect--I've even been trying to see how my foot would hold up with dancing again (not well, but some NSAIDs during prep time would get me through). Strongman would be a little more feasible than the other stuff right now given my equipment, but if/when I land the power rack et al, I'd definitely be interested in powerlifting. Ya know, just SOMEthing, and being at home, Westside and the like would be more available. The problem with most competitive types I've met around here is that they're assholes, plain and simple. I'm pretty chill UNTIL game time, but all these people seem so keyed up 24/7. Not a fan. Writing that sounds like martial arts would be of interest--the calm, quiet intensity and focus--but I'd be damned picky about who I studied under, and again, no one around here has impressed me (most of the places I've visited resemble a Rex-kwon-do mentality rather than Mr. Miyagi) *shrug* I really just want to see some progress somewhere, especially since it's been awhile (to me). If I had to enumerate what I want to do, the first things that come to mind are, in no particular order, to fix my shoulders (seated correctly, no more popping or impingements), arm and back hypertrophy, and get back on the (p)rehab-heavy bandwagon. The catch is that I don't want to regress in my conditioning.

Lo and behold, the guy and I just exchanged emails as I was in the middle of writing the above--we tend to be on the same time cycle for contact, which is nice--and I'm going either tomorrow or Friday to trade books and just catch up. By the way, Keith, let me know which book(s) you're looking at. I could part with one or two since I really don't use them.

RedLefty · 10-14-2009, 02:54 PM

Some old PostSecret for you:

Edit: Whoa that pic came out big. Oh well, enjoy the flowers. They look delightful.

Miss Deadlift · 10-14-2009, 03:39 PM

With your log title you got my attention, don't know really why..it must be the word "pill", however no pills are made anymore, we make tablets instead. Want a magic tablet?

Anyway I also see your situation, I also like more to have some competitive goal but don't like to deal with people I don't like, don't really want to do consessions about one thing to get better at the other etc.
You could still try the powerlifting, not all the lifters can be assholes. At least not in my experience. But I know what you mean by some of them being keyed up.
Olympic weightlifting has more of the "quiet intensity and focus" you want, but if you want to be competitive in that there must be huge amounts of technique training...