Whoo! Hoo! That's been a barrier that I haven't been able to get past. Unfortunately, I have a pig roast at my house today. But, I'll also be super active. My goal is to eat at maintenance or slightly below. That will allow me to eat 3000-3500 calories and not go into a surplus. So, If I keep my head I'll be fine.
Congrats! You are working so hard to get to your 'number'. Lord knows, you sure deserve it!
Enjoy the pig roast!
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If you weren't born drop dead gorgeous, be thankful for the opportunity to develop character first.
Weight: 174.4 Water: Tons! Sleep: 6 hours Dietary Compliance: Eh? I did well on Saturday during the pig roast, but not so good yesterday. I likely ate at a small deficit on Saturday, and I ate at a surplus yesterday. I probably ended the weekend at a total of 500-700 calorie surplus. Most, of the weight gain was from water I'm sure.
Hey Chad, I wanted to drop this into your training log. It's one of many articles by Lyle McDonald. I don't disagree with your premise, and this article might give you some additional insights.
I've been having more and more second thoughts about my goals. I'm having a conversation on a thread in the Training Forum that I'll post a link to.
I picked 165lbs. as a goal because I believed that this would put me at 12% body fat. That may or may not be true. But I believed this was important because of things that I'd read stating that nutrient partitioning was superior at 12% and below. I'd also read that nutrient partitioning begins to favor fat at or above 15% body fat. So, my goal has been to get down to 12% and to not get above 15%.
But, Lou is making some awfully good points. And of course, I'd like to eat some calories. But, I feel like if I abandon the goal now I'd be copping out. Oh, how I'd love to stop this diet. But, I feel like it would be wrong to abandon my goal this close.
Am I just being stubborn?
I've been dieting in some fashion for 18 months. I have done refeeds....or at least cheat days...but that is a long time. Am I doing myself damage by being in a deficit for so long? At the same point and time, would it be awful to abandon my weight loss goal just six pounds shy?
Hey Chad, I wanted to drop this into your training log. It's one of many articles by Lyle McDonald. I don't disagree with your premise, and this article might give you some additional insights.
I didn't even see this until after I just posted. Thanks SoonerMark99. I'm looking forward to reading some of those....I've read some of it. but not as much as I should.
I didn't even see this until after I just posted. Thanks SoonerMark99. I'm looking forward to reading some of those....I've read some of it. but not as much as I should.
Weight: ? Water: Very little Sleep: 6.5 hours Dietary Compliance: Very poor. Binged!
Exercise
One Arm Hang Clean - 4x5 each side at 45lbs.
Pistol Squat - 4x6 each side with 15lbs. This is a PR!
One Arm Overhead Press - 1x8 each side at 40lbs. 3x6 each side with 45lbs. This is a PR!
One Arm Standing Cable Press - 1x10 each side at 40lbs. 1x8 each side at 50lbs. 1x6 and 1x5 each side at 60lbs.
Notes
Yesterday was an awful diet day. I went overboard. That's why I didn't bother to weight myself today. It seems like the days when I don't get much sleep, or the sleep is often interrupted that I have compliance issues.
But, talk about improved performance. Everything I did today was better. Better form, heavier weights, etc. Almost everything was a PR!
Weight: 170.2 Water: 1.5 liters Sleep: 7 hours....woke up late. Dietary Compliance: Very good.
Exercise
Hang Clean - 4x3 at 115lbs. This is a PR! (Perhaps a sad PR, but a PR nonetheless)
Deadlifts - 4x6 at 285lbs. This is a tie with my previous PR! I'm planning on beating that in the next two weeks.
Session was cut short for kid related reasons. I'll have to finish up after work tonight. The cleans were a challenge. Adding ten pounds made a huge difference. The deadlifts are always a challenge, but more mentally than physically. I know that I can do them....so the only reason not to be able to do 285 for 6 reps is if I chicken out!
Weight: Didn't weigh myself. After eating at a surplus I don't see the point. Water: None Sleep: 6 hours with several interruptions. Dietary Compliance: It was a weekend. I didn't do awful on Sunday, but I usually eat at a deficit, however small, on Saturday. And I don't think I achieved that this weekend. So, all in all not very good.
Exercise
Hang Clean - 5x3 at 115lbs. Noticed that form is starting to break down. I was trying to pull it with my arms. I caught it and corrected on the later sets.
Overhead Press - 6x6 at 95lbs. This is a PR! This has been my weakest movement, but today I added ten pounds with no problem. I feel like I'm making big progress on this movement. Later, I struggled to get through the squats and bench press, but felt like I could have done more on this exercise.
Front Squat - 6x6 at 145lbs. This is a PR!
Bench Press - 6x6 at 165lbs. This is a PR!
Notes
Being full of glycogen rocks!
I'm contemplating making a slight modification to my dietary plan. I don't want to abandon my goal of getting to 165lbs. However, I do feel that what I'm doing (severe deficit followed by a binge) is going to take forever. I mean I've been on a diet for 18 months! I've had refeeds, but 90% of the time I've been in a deficit.
I haven't made a decision yet, but I'm thinking about eating at maintenance (or a slight deficit, around 2600 to 2800 calories) on a few of my weight training days. And eating at a much more severe deficit on just two or three days that I'm not weight training. That would give me the calories I need around my lifting but allow for weight loss. I probably won't lose as fast, but I'll get better workouts. And if its going to take 8 weeks to get to 165lbs. .....why not let it take 12 weeks, but at least get better lifts in the meantime.
That's my thought. I'll let it germinate, and figure out the details of how it will be done before I make any changes.
Ugh! I hope never. My training partner hasn't mentioned it so far this week. I know that he was supposed to pick up the DVD's this weekend. I haven't brought it up.
You won't get anywhere discussing anything with Fred Hahn. I tried using my real lift example of fat loss and he came back with "how is 7 lbs of fat loss and 8 lbs of muscle loss optimal" When I reposted that my waistline shrunk by 4" and strength levels were consistent (basically calling him on his statement), he replied, "I didn't say you, I just said it wasn't optimal". At least he's not like Drew Baye, the HIT second in command to Dr. Darden. A friend of mine that trains high level athletes once got into a discussion with Mr. Baye and was called stupid and dumb several times for simply presenting studies. My friend wasn't arguing against HIT, he was just saying HIT was just 1 tool and it works for a brief time, then you need to change. My friend stopped discussing, and Drew Baye declared victory in the thread.
You won't get anywhere discussing anything with Fred Hahn. I tried.....
Thanks! I'm surprised that I'm still making PR's despite being on a deficit and having trained like this for several months now. I can't wait to see what will happen when I add calories....which will be soon. I'm thinking that I'm coming to the end of my body's tolerance for this low calorie thing. 18 months and over 70lbs. and I think I'm done for a while, even if I'm a few pounds shy from my goal. I never really wanted to walk around at 165lbs. anyway.
As for Fred, I hear ya. When someone is that entrenched in their philosophy, no matter what that philosophy might be, they create blinders for themselves that neither you, nor I, will be able to tear down. I don't even know why I chimed up.
Deadlifts - 5x6 at 285lbs. This is a PR! I've never done 5 sets before....and the extra set was tough!
PM Session
Pull Throughs - 3x20 at 90lbs.
Single Arm Cable Row - 2x6 at 80lbs., 3x8 and 1x7 at 70lbs. each side.
Lat Pull Downs (too rainy for outside pullups) - 1x3 at 170lbs., 1x4 at 160lbs. 2x6 at 150lbs. 1x7 and 1x6 at 140lbs.
Notes
Diet's over!
I'm going to eat at what I think is my maintenance calories for a few weeks. I'm going to weigh myself once per week and see if I can get a good read on what my maintenance level is. Once, that is established I'll add about 200 calories per day and continue to weigh once every week or so. I'm shooting for no more than a 2 pounds per month gain. I'll also be taking measurements every few weeks. I'm hoping for a gain in my thighs and chest and arms, with (hopefully) no change in my waist!
But, exercise is going to be interesting. I'm hoping to continue what I've been doing with a few changes. However, I have a training partner who really wants to do the P90X program. I'm not keen on the idea, but we've been lifting for months and months, and pretty much doing what I want to do. So, its time to suck it up and do something that he wants to do for a few weeks....even if it isn't in my plans.
Here are some before and and after photos. I had no pictures of me at my largest weight of 245lbs. The first two pics are the "biggest" pics I have. In those I'm about 235lbs.
Before
January 2008 at about 235 to 240 pounds.
Xmas 2007 at about 235lbs.
July 4th 2008 at about 215lbs.
Now, below is a picture from exactly one year later!
After
July 4th 2009....right after doing a triple at 340lbs. on deadlifts. I was 171 pounds that morning!
Here I am at about 172 at a family dinner.
Here I am at about 176 (I was on a refeed) on Staycation at the Philly Zoo (notice the poor squat form!)
Linear Mode
