Getting to Know Me

As much as I rant on Facebook, and in personal chats and conversations, about how much I hate it here on this deployment to Africa, and cannot wait to return to the bosom of the United States, I am actually beginning to savor, yes savor, my time here. Besides the opportunity to save some money and pay down my ridiculous debts, and the chance to have little distraction preventing me from pursuing better physical fitness, I am also growing, mentally and emotionally, perhaps even spiritually, whatever that means. Yes, the very thing that makes this deployment so deceptively straining and intolerable, the cerebral isolation and boredom, has turned out to be possibly be the very thing that I have desperately needed for some time: to actually listen to the clutter inside my brain, and get to know myself.

It all began a few days ago when it became apparent to me that my battle with depression was getting more difficult. Yes, for those of you who do not know, I was diagnosed by a VA psychiatrist with major depression after returning home from a combat tour in Iraq, 2006. I refused treatment and went about dealing with the sweeping variances in mood due to my diseased thought patterns. I had become somewhat adept at staying ahead of my changing mental states, and did my best to control my behavior so as to not be controlled by my sickness. I did not always succeed at this, and my life was a pathetic mess, but I was functional, I guess. Anyhow, amidst the isolation and boredom I felt my struggle becoming harder and harder, until one night I became very concerned about myself. I have never been suicidal, and never ever think of causing harm to another (unless they deserve it), but I was beginning to wonder if things could eventually get to that point. It was at this time that I decided that my way of "handling" things was not working, and I needed help.

When I spoke to the doctor about my condition, I began to break down. I strained to maintain my composure, apologized for my emotion, and declared that I didn't know why it was so hard for me to come to terms with it. The doctor, who was very kind and understanding, simply asked "a blow to the ego, perhaps?" to which I responded, instinctively, "maybe". I was surprised by this. It was a very honest moment. I didn't try to defend myself and claim that I, Harold McBride, couldn't possibly have an ego! What a revelation that was. I have an ego...and he's a fucking asshole.

Yep, that was a real eye-opener. I faced my ego for the first time in, well, probably my whole life. The defensive spirit I created for myself to ensure that I never have to deal with pain, rejection, loss, emasculation, whatever, was finally exposed, and like the coward he is, he retreated. I won that battle with practically no effort at all. He did not fight, for fighting meant the possibility of losing, much less pain. He just left. And good fucking riddance! That bastard is responsible for me losing friends, lovers, jobs, opportunities and chances at happiness, he has caused great strain in the relationships I have with people who truly love me, and worst of all, he tricked me into believing that he wasn't even there at all, and that I could justify myself because I am a "good guy". What a load of shit!

So here I am. A 42 year-old man with a load of regrets, who seeks redemption and, like anyone else with a vulnerable heart, just wants to love and be loved. Maybe now I'll be able to do these things.

Does this relate to working out as well? I'm glad you asked that, self. No problem, Harold....okay, that was weird. So, anyway, I was at the gym the other night struggling with my squat, which was feeling rather flat, and had been bothering me, when a guy, who I'd seen come in at my regular time before, who is in good muscular shape, solid legs, big traps, and actually does heavy barbell work, came in to workout. He needed to use the power rack, and I was in the middle of my workout, so he asked if he could jump in to do some heavy shrugs, which I, of course, said "sure", and I gave him a hand setting up the bar, and we started talking about lifting. He told me that he used to compete in powerlifting, and I asked him a bunch of questions about lifting, my lackluster squat in particular, and told him that I could not decide if I was over-reaching and needed to take some weight off the bar to get my speed back. He said that I should probably do that, because unless I am going for a 1RM, or an advanced lifter building massive strength gains - like my good friends, Ty Phillips and Jay Ashman, are doing at the Gorilla Pit in Mentor, Ohio - I should be focused on training my skeleton, nervous system, and connective tissues to adapt to the lifts, and perfect my form and technique. Being a novice, older, with not much of a history of sports participation, add years of using drugs, drinking unbelieveable amounts of alcohol (yes, kids, being able to "handle" your alcohol doesn't mean being able to drink an entire liter of whiskey and still walk, it means knowing when to stop, which I didn't), a lazy mental and physical attitude, and other general suckiness, I am not in a position to start adding pounds to the bar as if I were a teenager during a growth spurt.

On the way back to my living area, I ruminated about my goals, and how to approach my workouts in a way that would really move me forward. I realized that my focus was off. My desire, eventually, is simply to get strong, and I do not have any self-imposed limits on that, I just want to get strong! But, for right now, I am at the very beginning, and this rusty, sludge-filled engine needs a good overhaul. I am at around 29-30% bodyfat, by army tape test, which is whatever. I got man-boobs, a gut, and hips, I'm fat...don't need no tape to tell me that. I want to get rid of this fucking fat once and for all god dammit! I know that running helps me do that. I know, I know, I'm not talking about a bunch of long, slow running, that stuff causes me to lose strength and muscle, and I absolutely do not want that, believe me, I figured that one out the hard way. But, speed runs, sprints, and timed runs, help me just as much, and don't cut my strength, and they don't take a fucking week to recover from like a goddamned 5-mile jog does. However, doing this immediately following lifts impairs my recovery, and is counter-productive. I also learned that one through trial and error. So, given my situation, and my goals, I decided to re-vamp my program.

First, I am taking this week to get a good rest. Since I am completely resetting, I want to start fresh, so Monday is when I will commence. I know I stated before that I was doing Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program, and I sort of was. But what I failed to appreciate was that I am just beginning, and I did not follow his prescription for getting my intial working poundages, which is to start with an empty bar (135 lbs. for deadlift) and add 20 lbs. doing sets of 5 until you begin to lose form and/or technique. I must do this to truly know at what weight I should be working with. Like my friend at the gym told me, "when I walk into the gym, I check my ego at the door". Ha! mine totally split the scene.

Being older it takes longer for my body to recover from heavy physical stress, and a high-volume workout of 5x5 on work sets - advice taken from Nikki Ashman, a woman of amazing strength and fortitude, and she's as sweet as they come. Hi Nikki! - is a decent amount of stress for a novice like myself. Therefore, lifting two times a week, instead of three, seems like it may allow me more time to adequately recover and maintain my form and technique as I progress.

As far as the cardio goes, I do not want to overdo it. I also have learned, again through pain and failure, that running the day before squats or deadlifts is a bad, bad idea. Doing this the day after, though, seems to work well, so long as I have at least a full day of rest following, and I get enough protein in my diet.

These changes are really simple. Monday and Thursday are lifting days, Monday being squat, bench press and supersetting sumo deadlift high pulls and chinups; Thursdays are squat, press, deadlift. Tuesday and Friday are cardio days, which, for now, will just be running. I am keeping an open mind, however, about adding endurance work like barbell complexes and HIIT on these days, if it feels prudent. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday are rest days.

Lastly, the most important component to progress: recovery. My very dear friend, Miss Heidi Hill, an absolutely lovely woman, both inside and out, impressed upon me the importance of getting enough protein. At least 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight every day, which, for me, puts me at 180 to 200 grams a day! That's a lot of food! Good thing I have protein supplements. Nothing fancy, just basic whey and casein. A whey shake in the morning, one following a workout w/oats to replenish carbs without going overboard, and casein before bed to keep repair going through the night, has been sufficient. And, as long as I use water and not milk as a base, I lean out just fine. Sleep has been a little difficult lately, but I will continue to take steps to improve that. My workouts being more streamlined will shorten their duration alot, which will allow me to try and get to bed earlier.

This is where I'm at now. I feel like I'm starting my life anew. Like I've been given a second chance. I'm not sure that I deserve it. In my humble opinion, I don't. But, I will take it, and I am not going to waste it. I sincerely hope that I am able to show my family and friends, who are the most deserving and incredible people I could ever imagine, as much love as I can.

Learning

Week two going good so far. The learning process never ends, nor should it. Read a great blog post at Chaos & Pain. The author was, basically, reminding us to not over-think things and move forward, learning as we go along. Excellent advice! I admit, I can have a tendency to over-think, but I've learned to not get bogged down in details, and to accept early failures, and to learn from them. A friend once said to me, while giving me pointers on deadlift form, that ultimately the goal is to just pick the weight up. This is definitely true, even if your form is horrendous, your body will only do what it can, and if you go beyond that, carelessly, then injury will - should - teach you. Sometimes learning is painful.

Still having some difficulty getting to sleep, but seems to be getting better. I'm thinking it may be a combination of things: some jet-lag from leave, the conditions here, and adjusting to a new routine and diet. My weight is reducing slightly and slowly, and feels right. When I first got here, I was around 270 and within a month dropped to 235, but I lost some muscle in the process. I would rather take the time to lose fat while maintaining, and possibly building some muscle, not losing it. So I don't want my weight to come down too much. I'm guessing at 5'11", with a wide frame, at my goals I will weigh anywhere from 200 to 220. Of course, the impatience in me wants to be ripped and big NOW! but I know the changes will come, and not overnight. They will require hard work and dedication on my part.

Tonight my big lifts are squat and bench press. As you already know, I added volume to my workouts, going with a 5x5 scheme for work sets, which requires a little readjustment of my working poundages. Based on last workout and tonight's, I will reset my poundages and drive forward. So far it's looking like my work weights, at the moment, are 115 press, 335 deadlift, 205 squat, 155 bench. The last two are projected, and I will know for sure after tonight's lifts.

The diet feels pretty good so far, and the supplement's seems to be helping, but some of that may just be in my head. One thing I am going to change is having a protein supplement as my last meal of the day, instead of nuts. This is part in due to having to shift my workout lifting time to 1:30 am, just after my work shift. This may actually work to my advantage, as I will be in more of a ketogenic state throughout the day. I did just order some casein, and I am considering where to add that in my diet. I feel the extra protein will be helpful.

New workout time: 01:30 - 03:30

New eating schedule:

12:00
wake, coffee + L-carnitine

16:30
chow
high protein
high fat
no carb
HMB
fish oil

19:30
whole nuts or peanut butter

23:30
chow
high protein
moderate fat
low carb
HMB
fish oil

01:30-03:30
workout

04:00
post-workout shake (whey + casein) w/sugar, lifting days
oats 'n' whey shake, non-lifting days
creatine
L-leucine
L-glutamine
HMB
fish oil
ZMA
alpha lipoic acid
glucosamine
multi-vitamin/mineral

05:00
sleep

Out of the Gate

I find beauty in vulnerability because therein lies love. Sometimes in our drive for self-fulfillment we lose the true meaning of passion. the textbook definition, to paraphrase, is an almost obssessive interest or desire. If this is true, then the deepest of all passion is not in a hot sexual encounter or a fiery love affair, or even in tireless effort given in one's career, artistic endeavor, or even the gym, but is within those who are always there, willing to sacrifice their own dreams and desires for something that is vastly more important to them: the well-being of another. There is no greater passion than to steadfastly place someone else's happiness before your own. Many would say, "ah, well, that's bullshit, what does it matter if anybody else is happy if you're miserable?" but that would be missing the point entirely. A person who depends solely upon self-interest would indeed be un-happy, but the one who strives for another's wellness fills many hearts including their own. No matter how big our lifting total, no matter how low our "Fran" time, no matter how satisfying our sex lives, no matter how much influence or authority we hold over others, we are all at our greatest when we are brought to tears because our heart has been touched, and that can only happen to a willing heart, an open heart, and vulnerable heart.

This is an age when shit-talking is king, and boy do we do a lot of it, hell, it's fun, I enjoy it. But we should never give the silly selfish ideas we banter about too much import, and we should never lose sight of what is most important, and that is the willingness within ourselves to give and not expect in return. Money is only good when being spent, and sex is only good during the act itself, but love is always its own reward. Some may wish that they were Ghengis Khan or Cleopatra, but I would rather be the guy who works his ass off at a job he couldn't give two shits about just so he can come home to play with his kids and hang out with the wife.

And so a new week begins, with a few lessons learned. I mixed last night's protein shake more appropriately, and drank it much slower, and guess what...no tummy ache. Took melatonin again last night, was still rough getting to sleep, but I eventually got there, and I think I got enough to get me through today. I sure wish it was easier for me to get there though. I'm going to work on that. I believe I already posted that I changed my rep scheme, which means I might have to drop the weight I'm using in my work sets, but that's okay, because I will make much better progress in the longer term. I'm also adding 10 min. of warmup cardio and stretching at the beginning of workouts.

I need to start thinking about what I'm going to do when I return from deployment. I plan to take some time off and travel a bit, meet some people I've been chatting with online and such, also visit some family I haven't seen in a long while. But, after all that, life goes on, and I need to consider this and move forward. I have a few possible paths at the moment, the most promising of which is using my GI Bill and finishing my degree while working for a good friend, at the same time assisting another friend establishing a promising fitness facility. I would be dishonest, however, if I didn't admit that the idea of leaving Kansas is alluring, but, at this moment, all of my most feasible options are there, and, hey, life could be much worse.

Sleep Troubles

So I'm at the close of the first week of workouts. Discoveries: the addition of HIIT workouts is very beneficial, and my rep scheme was not well-conceived leaving volume to light, do not overdo it on amino acids or drink protein shakes too fast, melatonin don't do shit for me, wrist straps are necessary for shrugs, and the bar goes up under my junk when I do shrugs (TMI? idk, but it was very unexpected, exciting, and a little awkward all at the same time).

I updated my rep scheme on my post "Zero Hour". I am expanding my warmups and going to perform them with less rest between sets. Also, I am going to a 5x5 scheme for work sets on all major lifts except Deadlift, which is now 1x4 for work set. Also defined schemes for assistance lifts as well.

Started using supplements this week as well. Time will tell if they have any impact or not. The camp store (NEX) did not have any measuring spoons, so I had to use a plastic spoon from the chow hall. Well, I used a rounded teaspoon, as directed, but I think it was a little much. I got a nice little tummy ache after drinking the shake. I also drank it pretty fast, so that may have been a factor, along with all the other supplements all at once. Today, I used a plastic knife to level off the spoon in the mix, so, hopefully, my stomach will be more accepting of today's shake.

Not gonna post lifts until I get into the swing of it, which should be another week or two. I have been having trouble sleeping lately. Tried taking melatonin at the recommendation of another soldier, as I want to avoid sleeping pills, but it didn't do a fucking thing. I think I may need to visit the clinic...fuck!

So Far, So Good...

Two workouts down since last post. Workout A on the 12th, and HIIT with the Rat Cellar on the 13th. only lost 20 lbs. on my squat from the time off, lost a little on my bench too. That was expected of course. I'm a little tight, but not bad, the lifts felt great, and the diet is supporting very well, along with the addition of HIIT training, my numbers will be back to where they were very shortly, and progression will resume. The assistance exercises also felt right on. Building my traps and p-chain will improve my overall strength and power immensely, I can already feel that.



I took an APFT on the 8th. The pushups and situps felt extremely easy, no surprise there. The realy surprise was on the 2-mile run. I have always been a slow runner, except when I was in basic training, but we ran sprints almost every day then. However, I have only ran two times since I have been here, approx. two months at the time, yet I held a pace that would not only have passed me for the event - if only there was an NCO to mark the time - but was also approx. 6 min. faster than when I ran the course only a month prior...yep, no shit, 6 fucking minutes faster!! That, my friends, is why strength is the most important physical attribute to train. Anyone who says anything different is either a liar or a moron.



Squat:

205 x 2 x 3

185 x 3 x 2



Bench:

155 x 2 x 3

135 x 3 x 2



Barbell Rows:

115 x 3 x 3


I feel wonderful, and you should too. You are the only you there is, and that makes you very special. Now go out there and make me some money bitches...

Zero Hour

Alright, it's time to get it on. I've already begun the diet process, tomorrow, Sep 12th, is the first day of workouts. Here is my schedule, which may seem a bit stilted, but having a routine here is not only a good thing, it's pretty unavoidable. If the times seem a bit odd, keep in mind that I work a 12hr shift from 13:00 to 01:00 (1pm to 1am for you civilian types):


Ten-week repeating cycle, first nine days are all ketogenic, >30 g carbs/day (non-lifting days) >40 g carbs/day (lifting days), the tenth day (Saturday) is a carb loading day with no restriction on carb intake. Weeks two through nine follow the same ketogenic limits with a carb-load day every Saturday. Finally, week ten is a complete break from all restrictions.

05:00 (wake)
coffee
L-carnitine

16:30 - 17:00
high protein
high fat
no carb (no restriction on load days)
HMB
Fish Oil

19:00 - 21:00 (workout, Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

21:30
post-workout shake* + carb (quick sugar)
or
evening shake** (non-lifting days)

00:00 - 00:30
high protein
moderate fat
no carb (no restriction on load days)
HMB
Fish Oil

04:00 - 04:30
peanut butter or whole nuts
HMB
Fish Oil

05:00 (bed)
multi-vitamin/mineral
ZMA
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Glucosamine

*post-workout shake:
whey protein
L-glutamine
L-leucine
creatine

**evening shake:
oats & whey
L-glutamine
L-leucine
creatine

Sunday, Wednesday, Friday are lifting days of alternating A/B workouts.

Rep scheme for all major lifts, except deadlift, is two warm-up sets of five (2x5) with empty bar, add weight at decreasing increments for three warm-up sets (1x5, 1x3, 1x2). Five sets of five will then be performed (5x5).

For deadlift, one warm-up set of four, 135lbs. (1x4), add weight at decreasing increments for one set of four, three times (1x4, 1x4, 1x4). One work set of four will then be performed (1x4). Note: these sets are split with alternating mixed grip (2x2 left-hand under, 2x2 right-hand under).

The scheme for the assistance exercises is as follows:

Workout A: two warm-up sets of five barbell rows with an empty bar (2x5), add weight for one set of five (1x5). Work sets are five sets of five (5x5). The plank holds and chinups will be performed as a compound set, plank holds at 35 sec. intervals and chinups to failure with slow negative.

Workout B: the shrugs start with two warm-up sets of five, 135lbs. (2x5), add weight at slightly decreasing increments for one set of five, three times (1x5, 1x5, 1x5). One work set of five will then be performed (1x5). Two warmup sets of ten with empty bar will start the good mornings, add a moderate amount of weight for five work sets of ten (5x10).

Workout A:
squat
bench
barbell rows
plank holds/chinups
30 min. low-intensity cardio

Workout B:
deadlift
press
shrugs
good mornings
30 min. low-intensity cardio

Mondays are HIIT workouts

"For as long as I can remember people hated me. They looked at my face and my body and they ran away in horror. In my loneliness I decided that if I could not inspire love, which is my deepest hope, I would instead cause fear. I live because this poor, half-crazed genius has given me life. He alone held an image of me as something beautiful and then, when it would have been easy enough to stay out of danger, he used his own body as a guinea pig to give me a calmer brain and a somewhat more sophisticated way of expressing myself."

The Plan

Here it is, tweaked, and defined:

Workout:

All workout sessions will begin with 10 min. of light cardio and stretching.

Sun, Wed, Fri are lifting days. Mon will be a HIIT workout (with the RATB's).

Lifting workouts will alternate between an A and B workout:

Workout A:
Squat
Bench
Good Mornings
Plank Holds

Workout B:
Press
Deadlift
Shrugs
Barbell Rows/Chinups (compound set)

At the close of each workout will be 40-60 min. of low-intensity cardio.


Diet and Nutrition:

A carb-cycling plan will be followed after nine initial days of 30g carbs/day. The tenth day will be a carb-loading day, which will happen every seventh day (Saturdays). All other days carbs will be kept to less than 30g/day, on lifting days this will be slightly higher (40g) to account for an induced insulin spike following the workout.

No food will be ingested until at least 3 hrs. after waking. Meals before workouts will be high in fat and protein, and void of carbs, carbs will only be taken following workouts. It's important to note that the purpose for ingesting carbs is not for their energy value, but to induce an insulin spike to effect an anobolic state.

A supplementation schedule will also be followed:

L-Carnitine will be taken in the morning

HMB and Fish Oil will be taken at meals

Protein shakes will be consumed post-workout on lifting days, and in the evening at approx. the same time on non-lifting days.

PWO shake:
100% Whey
L-Leucine
L-Glutamine
Creatine

non-PWO shake:
Oats & Whey
L-Leucine
L-Glutamine
Creatine

At bed a multivitamin/mineral, ZMA, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Glucosamine will be taken.


This plan will be followed for the next seven months, unless changes dictate.

A Brand New Plan

Well, I'm home on leave for a couple weeks. I am still getting my lifts in, but I am being very loose with my diet. It's okay though, gotta live, ya know? I have spent the last month working on the basic lifts prescribed in Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program, and I have been studying about nutrition. From what I have learned in the gym, so far, and from studying and practicing better nutrition, I have designed a program that I will implement when I return to my duty station in Africa.

I've nailed down my goals a bit more as well, and they may seem a little on the conservative side, but that's okay, if I achieve them before the end date I have set, then, guess what? that's right, I'll set new goals. They are as follows:

Squat: 315
Press: 165
Deadlift: 425
Bench: 225

these are all for working sets, not 1RM's

bodyfat: 20%

Right now, I'm working with 215 in the Squat, 130 Press, 350 DL, and 155 Bench, and my bf is 30%. If I continue to progress as I have thus far, these goals are definitely achievable. I have been adding 5lbs. to all my lifts regularly each workout. Though I know that I will stall, eventually, I have also been adjusting my sets and reps, sometimes doing doubles and triples with back-0ff sets, and putting thought into assistance exercises. I will find a way to progress, no matter what.

Here is my workout schedule:

M, W, F, alternating:

workout A:
Squat
Bench Press
Barbell Row (assistance)

workout B:
Press
Deadlift
High Pull (assistance)

I have taken to doing low-intensity cardio (walking mostly) as well. I do this for a long duration, an hr to an hr and a half, for a little extra fat-burn, being careful not to cross the threshold into a more glycogenic pathway by keeping the intensity just above normal. At first, I was doing this on non-lifting days, but, surprisingly, I needed recovery from that as well, and it was hampering my performance, particularly in the Squat, so I started doing it immediately following my lifts, which corrected that. I may even start to do it following my PWO meal, to make sure that I don't miss my window.

That brings me to diet. Ahhhh, diet. I've been combining all the great advice and tips I've gotten from many different sources, and going to try and use it all to my best advantage. I'm also going to start using a little supplementation, very conservative on that though, since I am not a competitor or any kind of professional athlete, just a regular dude who enjoys lifting and wants to get strong and fit. Here's my nutrition plan:

Basic rules: no breakfast, just coffee, my first meal will be no earlier than 4hrs after waking, and no carbs pre-workout.

For the first nine days, beginning on September 8th, I will take in less than 30g carbs/day, and most of them will be post-workout. I will not be using supplements during this time either, this period is to let my chemistry adjust to burning primarily fat as a fuel source.

On the tenth day, I will consume plenty of carbs, still post workout, but the volume will be closer to 60 or even 100g. This will induce an insulin spike in order to increase metabolism.

Then the routine starts:

On all days, I will consume a high-fat, high-protein, no-carb 1st meal; moderate-fat, high-protein, no-carb 2nd meal (pre-workout); post-workout will be moderate to high-carb, high protein, no or low-fat.

This is also when I begin supplementation:

On lifting days, I will have a post-workout shake consisting of whey protein, leucine and creatine. I will also consume something with simple sugar to induce an insulin spike while in a heightened anabolic state.

On non-lifitng days, my last meal of the day will be a shake consisting of whey protein and oats (less than 30g carbs) with leucine and creatine. The leucine will really help here by simulating the effects of an insulin spike without the carbs.

On every Friday, I will consume a larger volume of carbs post-workout. This will likely include a sandwich if either eggs or meat. This is to induce another large insulin spike to keep metabolism high.

Other supplements will include Fish Oil, Fiber, and a multi-vitamin.


Welp, that's pretty much it. I plan to do this throughout the long-ass 7-month stretch I got before I return to civilization. Of course, I will make necessary adjustments as I go along. It is always wise to never stop learning. I feel very confident about this plan. I have already seen some amazing results from what I have been doing so far. The support I have received has been invaluable.

I appreciate any criticism of this plan. I would love to hear what anyone has to say.


NEVER GO QUIET!!!

2 for 1

I had a day of complete exhaustion on Wednesday, so I missed a post, sue me...so I'm going to post both the workouts for the 11th and the 13th here.

I'm starting to experiment with set structure. I am up to 200lb. work sets in the Squat, which dictated that I drop to doubles, followed by triples of 185lbs. a possible caveat may be that I had been walking a great deal that day, and my legs were very worn, so I'm in wait and see mode, but I am still thinking about set structure and volume to keep progress as continual as possible. I also know that not every workout is going to be a PR, and the progress curve will flatten. I accept that, but I will fight it intelligently.

On that note, I am altering the sets of Deadlift to even numbers (4 for warmup, 2 for work) when using an alternating grip, for the purpose of going for heavier poundages with smaller increments, thereby increasing volume slightly, and to ensure balance when using an alternating grip.

I have also incorporated Barbell Rows into my assistance lifts. I am intent upon developing my traps, and the combination of High Pulls, Barbell Rows, and, eventually, Heavy Shrugs, should do the trick. I also am employing the use of doing singles/doubles of Chinups in between sets during assistance lifts. I tried this last night, and I enjoyed it. It kept my muscles loose for the lifts, and seemed to condense time a bit.

Squat:
195 x 3 x 3 (8/11)
185 x 5 x 2

200 x 2 x 3 (8/13)
185 x 3 x 2

Press:
125 x 3 x 2 (8/11)
115 x 5 x 2

Bench:
150 x 5 x 3 (8/13)
145 x 5 x 2

Deadlift:
340 x 2


The new dietary routine seems to be going great. I feel recovery is more complete. I got bored one night, so I put on my ipod and walked the perimeter of the living areas for about an hour, and it felt really good, so I have been doing that sometimes 2 or 3 times in a day. I later read that walking is more condusive to fat loss because the body remains in a lipolytic path (fat for fuel), and does not cross a threshold into more of a glycogenic path (carb for fuel) as would happen even with jogging, which is fine with me because I fucking hate running!! However, that much walking on concrete is a little harder on the old joints than my mentally-challenged ass realized, so I was a little sore. My pussy hurts, hold me...

I go on leave this coming week, and I am fully aware that I will eat like shit during that time. Now, I'm not going to just go off the deep end, but I'm not going to be an anus either, and I will continue to workout while on leave. I'm also visiting the one and only Gorilla Pit to gawk at a bunch of beasts throwing really heavy shit around, sort of like a monster-truck show, except the monster trucks are humans, yea, I know, fucking cool right? Plus, there will be some really hot chicks there too, which makes the world a better place. Hopefully, I will be able to stick around for a day or two and get a chance to have Jay Ashman and Ty Phillips kick my ass at the gym. That would be the highlight of my year right there.

I have been receiving numerous compliments on my leaner self. Don't misunderstand, however, I still have a long road to travel, and I am only part way there. I have no idea what my bodyfat percentage is. Last I checked it was 33%, which was last spring, March maybe? Anyway, I am noticeably much leaner now, which the seven notches I've cut in my belt since June verifies. I still have a decent amount of fat left to destroy, which will happen, but at a slower rate. I am fine with that because when it is gone, it is fucking gone for good this time!

Always remember, you're a winner! If you're a friend of mine it means you're totally awesome, and there is something very special about you, and I will find out whatever that is and exploit it for personal gain. In the words of Jerry Garcia, "Ow, my pancreas!"


NEVER QUIT!!!!!

Still Evolving

After only being able to complete sets of 3 during the Press last week, I got to thinking about doing that for all the lifts, except Deadlift, with the addition of 2 sets of 5 with the poundage backed-off a bit. I did that this workout, and I liked the way it felt. The volume increased significantly, and I could really feel it. So far, I'm holding steady at increases of 5lbs. per workout, except for the Press, which is my weakest lift, and Power Cleans, which I am still learning and developing stronger traps for.

On a not so happy note, my shoulder is acting up a bit, so I may need to have it looked at. I hope it's nothing serious. I don't think it is because I'm not having trouble with it during the lifts.

Squat:
190 x 3 x 3
185 x 5 x 2

Bench Press:
150 x 3 x 3
145 x 5 x 2

Deadlift:
335 x 5 x 1


That's about it. Not much to say really. Was going to do Barbell Rows at the end, but the chow hall was closing and I wanted to get a post-workout meal in during the time window (30min). Should be starting my supplementation next month. Leave in about a week, WOOHOO!!!!

VIOLENCE OF ACTION!!!

I Be Tweakin'

Still working on better form. Squats are feeling good. I started to fall forward a hair during the 4th rep of the last two sets, but corrected the bar path on the 5th rep. I'm still not entirely comfortable with the Press, so I lowered the weight 5lbs., reduced the sets to 3, and tried to concentrate on the starting position and bar path as much as possible. It felt like good work, but I think I will return to sets of 5. Power Cleans will take more time to get them down, so I'm taking a step-by-step approach. First, I am focusing on strengthening my under-developed traps, then I will return to working on the movement from the hang position, after that, I will start to work on full Power Cleans.

Squat:
185 x 5 x 3

Press:
120 x 3 x 3

High-pulls:
95 x 3 x 5


After reading an article by Jason Pegg at EliteFTS, I followed a link to a website by John Keifer, dangerouslyhardcore.com, and, after much reading, I decided to try something new with my diet. I have never been much for breakfast, but I've always partaken because, like most everyone else, I thought it was "the most important meal of the day". I now believe that to be bullshit, along with almost every other bit of dietary advice I have heard of. I also now drink coffee. Basically, what I am doing is having a cup of coffee shortly after waking, and not eating for several hours, my first meals are all protein and fat, saving any carbohydrate intake for the final meal of the day, which is less than 30g (two slices of bread), except on lifting days when I up that to around 40-60g part of which is simple sugar (ice cream, gatorade, pop tarts, that kind of shit). I tried this for the first time after today's posted workout, and I'll be damned if I didn't feel like a million bucks, and I got the most restful night's sleep I've had in a long time!

I'm going to tweak this some more. I will begin to take approx. 40g whey protein post-workout with 5g leucine and 5g creatine, as well as fine tune my diet. I am going to try this for a month or two and see how it goes. I had a positive feeling about it after reading the results of Keifer's research, and when you have guys like Brian Carroll and Jason Pegg endorsing his methods, it's even more compelling. I have a good feeling about doing this, hope it works. I've already lost almost 40lbs. but I'm sure some of that is muscle. I am no longer even paying attention to the scale. I am ONLY concerned with gaining strength and muscle, losing fat, and feeling good.

That's it for now, babies. Be back in three days with another amazingly insightful and entertaining post. I know you can't wait, but you will be rewarded handsomely for your patience, trust me...

ROCK AND ROLL!!!!

My Toast got Burnt

Apologies for the lateness in posting. I was just freaking tired as fuckity fuck. I finally added the crucial element I was missing from my fitness program: HIIT. I started doing metcons with Gene McCreight, aka The RAT, on Tuesday the 3rd of August, and I have been drained and broken ever since, but in a healthy way. My lifting program, ala Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Basic Barbell Program, is on MWF, while I will do the metcons with The RAT on Tue and Thu. I was concerned that I would not have enough energy, or maybe too sore to lift effectively after only a night's rest, but that was NOT the case. my lifting workout on Wednesday the 4th was excellent, increases in poundage all around, and good energy and stamina. Adding HIIT was a very, VERY good idea.

I am also changing how I am posting my workouts. I will only post my work sets, not the warmups, and I will not post total volume. I just thought that was a little much.

I also re-read the Programming section of SS and streamlined my lifting routine. It was taking too long - sometimes 3hrs. - because I was not paying attention to how much rest time I was taking, and I was allowing too big of a jump in poundages from warmup to work sets. I still start with an empty bar, but I am making a much smoother transition now, and getting a better feel for the proper poundages and how much to increase.

Squat:
180 x 5 x 3

Bench Press:
145 x 5 x 3

Deadlift:
330 x 5 x 1

Plank Holds:
5 x 30sec.


Just gettin' better and better. Still got about 30+ lbs. of stubborn, disgusting fat to lose. My percentage now is in the mid-20's. My goal is to be under 15%. I expect to acheive that before the end of this deployment. I am always looking to improve, and I now think about diversifying my diet while sticking to its principles: high fat, moderate protein, low carb. I need to focus more on proper rest, which can be hard to come by here without the help of drugs...for all the internet nazis, I mean the LEGAL kind, gheesh! get a life you guys.

Going on leave in a couple weeks!!! YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!! Though I appreciate the chance to get my shit together without distraction, and having a job is very nice, I really do not like this place, it's like being in prison, but, hey, what better to do in lockup than get yo swole on, right? gotta watch the cornhole though. Anyways, back to leave...I accept that I do not want to maintain the strictness in my diet I am currently following while I am on leave. However, I also do not want to fall apart. So I have given it much thought, and, at first, I decided to just take that time completely off from exercising, but quickly said "fuck that!" Being in the military I have access to the gym at a local air force base, which has a decent weight room, so I will keep with my program, even if only on a maintenance schedule for that time. I will also do a little more moderate-intesity cardio to mitigate some fat gain. The most important thing of all this is that I am the one in control. The fact that I am putting serious thought and consideration into this confirms that the changes I am making are indeed permanent.

I refuse to let myself down anymore.

NEVER QUIT!!!!!

Stall Warning!!

I don't know if I was tired or what, but this workout seemed to take forever, it felt good to do some work though. Being without a spotter, I am very careful to take the sets to the point where I know that I am about to fail. So far, I have completed all the work sets in each workout, but last night I stalled for the first time. I think I handled it well, though. I merely took 5lbs. off the bar and finished the set. I had to do this for the last two reps of the last work set on both the Squat and the Press. Next workout, I will start with the same weight I started with on this one, and keep doing that until I complete all work sets, then I will continue adding weight, as Rip prescribes.

I scaled way back on the Power Clean to stop fucking around and really get a handle on the proper way to do them. I didn't feel comfortable when I did them last week. I was correct in doing this. I discovered that my traps are not developed enough, therefore, after reading more wisdom from the coach himself, I dropped the ab exercises from my assistance exercises, and added High-pulls. I feel confident about this approach.


Squat:

warm up
45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5 x 1
115 x 3 x 1
135 x 2 x 1

work
180 x 5 x 2
180 x 3 x 1
175 x 2 x 1

total: 4,165


Press:

warm up
45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

work
125 x 5 x 2
125 x 3 x 1
120 x 2 x 1

total: 3,155


Power Clean:

warm up
45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

work
115 x 3 x 4
95 x 2 x 1

total: 2,860


High Pulls:

95 x 3 x 3

Chin ups:

BW x 1 x 10


Man, I was beat after that. I went straight to bed afterwards, well, after a shower of course. I'm still a little tired. Got a nagging shoulder too, it doesn't hurt when I lift, but it does later. Well, that's enough of me crying, see y'all later.

KEEP ON ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD!!!!!

End of the first week, and i'm beat!

The first week went well. I'm getting better, I think, at the lifts, and it's going exactly as Rip said it would. I've decided to limit my assistance work to plank holds, chin ups, and building my traps with high pulls, and, later, shrugs. I'm getting a feel for the amount of rest time between sets, depending on the load, keeping my trunk straight and tight, grip postion and thumb placement, and head position. I scraped my shins on the deadlift, I'm pretty proud of that, and on the third rep of my work set, I almost passed out, it felt pretty cool.

Squat:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5 x 1
115 x 3 x 1
135 x 2 x 1

175 x 5 x 3

total work: 4,165lbs.

Bench Press:

45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

140 x 5 x 3

total work: 3,390lbs.

Deadlift:

135 x 5 x 2
155 x 5 x 1
185 x 3 x 1
225 x 2 x 1

325 x 5 x 1

total work: 4,755lbs.

Plank Holds:

5 x 30sec.


I skipped the chins and run because I was really exhausted. I really need this two days of complete rest. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do. Solitary confinement limits recreational opportunities. I do have a laptop though, so I'm going to finish watching the "24" series I picked up. I never watched it when it was on TV. It's okay, so far, some of it's a little far-fetched, but it's a TV show, so what do you expect, god, you're so anal. Anyways, Elisha Cuthbert is a goddess and I would marry her if she asked, but I don't think she will.

That's all for now. Thanks for tuning in. Play nice, kids!

FIGHTING TIRED!!!!

Workout B

Workout B, from Starting Strength. Squats are already feeling better, added 5lbs. to them. Press was a little awkward, and Power Cleans were iffy, but they both felt better as the sets progressed. A little diligent practice will get those going. Was going to do 125lbs. work sets for the Press, but backed off to 120 because the first set was a little too much of a struggle. 120 was just right, the last rep was a bit of a struggle but not the whole set. I was supposed to do sets of 3 reps for the Power Cleans, but was in a 5 rep frame of mind and wasn't paying attention, so I did two extra reps of Power Cleans on the first work set.

Squat:

45 x 5 x 2
95 x 5 x 1
115 x 3 x 1
135 x 2 x 1

170 x 5 x 3

total work: 4,090lbs.

Press:

45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

125 x 5 x 1
120 x 5 x 2

total work: 3,115lbs.

Power Clean:

45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

125 x 5 x 1
125 x 3 x 4

total work: 3,415lbs.

Roman Chair Situps:

body weight x 10 x 3

Plank Holds:

3 x 30sec.


I skipped the cardio tonight. I was beat after all that, plus I wanted to make midnight chow, so I could get in a decent post-workout meal, which I did: eggs, bacon, collard greens cooked in pig fat, pork sausage, and, of course, peanut butter. I feel like a hundred dollars.

I'm starting to like what I see in the mirror. My hips and titties are getting smaller and my muskels are getting bigger. And I swear, my thingy even looks bigger! TMI? maybe, but the fact that I'm talking about admiring a dude here, even though it is myself, is, technically, a little gay, but, then again, I am having sex with him. Why are you looking at me like that? Don't judge me!!

FORWARD MARCH!!!

Workout A

First day of Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program. For the first time, I actually did a workout that I came away from feeling like it made sense. I'm tracking my total workout volume as well to keep me from getting boxed in to only seeing things in terms of reps and sets. Looking at volume also has me thinking about fine-tuning my diet to support the amount of work I actually am doing in a given day.

Squat:

45 x 5 x 2 (empty bar)
95 x 5 x 1
115 x 3 x 1
135 x 2 x 1

165 x 5 x 3

total work: 4,015lbs.

Bench Press:

45 x 5 x 2
65 x 5 x 1
95 x 3 x 1
115 x 2 x 1

135 x 5 x 3

total work: 3,315lbs.

Deadlift:

135 x 5 x 2
155 x 5 x 1
185 x 3 x 1
225 x 2 x 1

315 x 5 x 1

total work: 4,705lbs.

Chin-ups:

body weight x 1 x 10

Good Mornings:

65 x 8 x 3

2 mile run


My confidence is really going up, and it's reflected in the way I'm carrying myself, chest out, shoulders back, taking every step as though I mean it. I even went up to a female today, grabbed ahold of her rear end and said "firm!" to which she quickly ran off to call the authorities, but the phones were down. That's the kind of good fortune a person with confidence has.

Beginning in August, I will be doing conditioning workouts on non-lifting days with Gene McCreight and the RATB's. I am very much looking forward to getting my ass kicked from that. Speaking of Gene, I cannot thank him and several others for their amazing support. To have dedicated professionals, whom I admire greatly, offer so many tips, advice and encouragement makes me want to cry like a little bitch. You all know who you are, and as soon as I get my nerd juice flowing, I will be adding links to your sites.


VIOLENCE OF ACTION!!

Let's Get It On

Hello World! how's things? same here. yea, i hear that. what? no, i didn't hear about that, is she okay? well, that's a relief, is there anything i can do to help? well, you got my number...yea, i gotta go too. okay, great. call me later. alright, see ya

so it's finally time that i get with you kids and your atari remote button controlled television thingies and take a leap into the digital age with my brand new, never before seen until now, amazing and wonderful blog, where i will write down my thoughts for the whole world to see....wow, when i say it like that, it doesn't sound like such a great idea, but good sense has never stopped me from moving forward, and i'll be damned if i'm going to let one, okay twelve, dead hookers ruin my future

if anyone out there actually reads this crap, you are in for a treat, for i have literary tourette's, FUCK!! PENISSSSSS!!! see what i mean? so kick back, light some incense, put a hand down the front of your pants and let the horror caress you in a gently, yet eerily possessive manner...okay, this will go a lot easier if you just RELAX...there, that's much better, shhhh, it's gonna be okay, i just want you to feel good

those of you who know me know that i enjoy lifting heavy objects (well, heavy for me), setting them back down, and doing it again a few times. i also enjoy laughing at people other than myself, saying off-color things at inappropriate times, looking off to the side of one's head while i am talking to them, putting my penis on things, and, of course, da laydeez. and you will find all of that here and more, but most of all, i will be posting my workouts, thereby tracking my progress

i love each and every one of you, you are all special and i am so proud of all of you, you did great out there, now let's go shower...