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    V4V 2013 body comp log

    I probably should have started a log 12 months ago but instead I've been posting in the BBV, in other people's logs and in the Health and fitness thread as the mood struck me.

    I don't apologise for it because I got great help and support from everybody but I should know better. Thanks for the patience folks and nobody told me to fuck off which was very decent of you all.

    I'm not really posting here for comment but more so to keep myself accountable to what is a much harder goal to track then simple weight loss. I of course welcome comments but that's not the reason for the thread.

    My health and fitness goal is as follows;

    To improve my body composition over time for the truly long term, in a manner I can sustain within my overall lifestyle, and without putting myself at excessive risk of injury.

    I shared my primary health and fitness goal for 2013 in the health and fitness thread on 10.01.2013.

    So I finally got around to having an iDxa scan done in UCD for €95.

    Very simple and straightforward process.

    The results were fascinating as well. My overall bodyfat percentage is 26.6% (plus or minus 0.5%). They gave me a break down by area and all sorts of other stuff but for my purposes at this stage that’s all I needed. He also confirmed my bone density was pretty good which I already suspected (plenty of milk and cheese eating all my life).

    What that percentage means is that basically I’m still slightly obese. Here’s the Wikipedia page on the subject of bodyfat but obviously everyone is individual.

    Basically in a nutshell I have 23.098kg of fat and 63.612kg of muscle. (The remaining 3.49kg is bone and blood etc). So in order to get to 16.6% body fat I’ll have to go to something like 15kg of fat and increase the muscle to 75kg!!!

    16-17% is my aspirational long-term goal.

    If I was to get down to 16.6% purely by losing fat I’d have to drop ~12kg which would have me at circa 12st 4lb which is pretty light and skinny for a guy with my build and not something that appeals to me.


    This time last year I was 116kg and now I’m 90.2kg. Therefore if you assume my muscle mass didn’t increase over the course of the year (it did but this is to establish a lower bound) then my body fat was 48.898kg. Therefore my bodyfat percentage was at least 43.5%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    And the truth is it was probably more like 51% (57.51/ 112.51). What a scary thought.

    In summary I guess it’s a case of lot’s done plenty more to do!
    I have specific physical targets and challenges set out in my mind as markers for myself but they are just markers the body fat scans are the true test and the primary goal for 2013.

    I'm not a fan of weighing or measuring food, or stressing about my diet or training program. My approach is to listen to my body and to try to adapt long term habits and behaviours that are both productive and sustainable for me and my body/mind. I couldn't manage a food log for more then a week or stick to a program for more then a few days as life gets in the way so I have to do what will work for me.

    Since the post above, I've gotten back to a pretty strictly primal diet except I'm probably overeating dark chocolate in the evenings. My average carb intake is not at the lowest it's ever been (one meal a day seems to have a carb portion at the minute) but it's improving. For example I had sweet potato yesterday and I'll be having a banana today. But by keeping conscious of it I am keeping it relatively low and making informed choices coupled with trying to have those carbs post training sessions.

    I'm occasionally doing 16 hour intermittent fasting on days I'm not feeling hungry in the mornings (typically not training days).

    The IF isn't planned but since I've brought these back in I feel a good bit sharper and less like I'm overeating which I have felt somewhat since I started back working with the structure that puts on my day and my eating habits/social situations.

    When I wasn't working I tended to have a large brunch or a large meal in the evening and some smaller meals around those and I was straying into IF without really noticing. I've needed to bring this back in consciously as I felt I was unconsciously overeating when not particularly hungry due to portion sizes outside of my control and because I was concerned about slumping at a time when I couldn't eat food.

    My exercise consists of ~5 hours of walking/hiking per week. 1 or 2 short swim sessions a week to stretch the body out after a hard session and 3 bodyweight strength/HIIT type sessions per week. The workout sessions have gotten stronger over the last few weeks and I'm beginning to get into a steady training rhythm every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

    Unfortunately I'm spending ~50+ hours a week sitting in the office and ~15 hours at home watching sport/tv per week. I try to spend time standing up watching tv ironing etc but I've been a bit lazy about it. This is an area I need to address as much as possible as this can add a lot to the party in an imperceptible way.

    Anyway since the 10th of January my weight has gone up to 91.6 kilos. My body looks and feel stronger/tighter so I'm not complaining but it's weird to see the scales go up after the relentless push down in 2012.

    My plan is to keep going until June/July and then have another scan done to check on progress.

    My intention is to try and do an update here once a week as a log and to keep myself honest.
    Last edited by V for Vendetta; 08-02-13, 11:21.
    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

    #2
    So week 1 update.

    Walked for about 4 hours both weekends and trained BW/freeweight stuff Monday, Wednesday & Friday. No swimming as it was a pretty busy week.

    I pushed very hard on Monday and Friday but Wednesday was by necessity a shorter but still pretty decent session.

    I intermittent fasted 5 out of the last 9 days (16 hour fasts). Surprisingly comfortable except one day when I had a bit of a headache and it was distracting so I had some grapes and cheese and then my regular lunch. Leangains seems to swear by the IF method and by measuring macros etc. I'm prepared to really give the IF a go as my body feels good on it but strictly measuring my food isn't realistic for me at the minute. I'm trying to be mindful of portion size and stop eating once full rather than overeating just to keep any muscle gains as lean as possible. This area needs work.

    In the back of my mind though I do feel I can lose excess fat or go on a cut for a few months if needs be over the summer once I have a certain level of strength built up. I really don't want to drop to sub 13 stone before I begin to build strength/muscle so I'm hoping to combine some fat loss with muscle growth at once. If I get heavier and stronger and need to lean out a bit later on then so be it.

    I downloaded and started to read Starting Strength & The Primal connection.

    I want to finish and digest SS and Practical programming and then begin a barbell program in April. At that stage I'll have been doing 3 solid months of BW/Freeweights at 3 times a week and I'll be strong and stable enough to begin the SS program I feel.

    I could probably start now but I'm not in a rush and my gym setup isn't great for lifting so I need to be organised before I start in there, or else develop my setup at home....

    Having done quite a bit of research (more to do obviously) I acknowledge that I'm incredibly weak and yet from a relative position 12 months ago I've come an awful long way. I actually take great comfort from this knowledge as I know that it's very possible to make massive improvements over the remaining 10.5 months of the year and that in itself is a huge motivator.

    If I was massively fit and strong I'd only be able to add maybe 10% strength in a year but from my very low base I could probably add 200% in extra strength over the course of the year which is mind blowing and very motivating....
    Last edited by V for Vendetta; 18-02-13, 08:59.
    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

    Comment


      #3
      Massive help for starting strength is to improve your hip flexibility. If you've been sitting in an office for 10 years this won't be good.

      Try sitting in a squat position for 1/2 minutes per day. Try some of the hip flexor exercises on mobilitywod . This will allow you to make progress quickly. Something I've found my housemate (complete newbie) getting frustrated with is his inability to squat deep, simply because he doesn't have that flexibility. If I'd thought it through better, I would have had him doing flex exercises before starting the program.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Emmet View Post
        Massive help for starting strength is to improve your hip flexibility. If you've been sitting in an office for 10 years this won't be good.

        Try sitting in a squat position for 1/2 minutes per day. Try some of the hip flexor exercises on mobilitywod . This will allow you to make progress quickly. Something I've found my housemate (complete newbie) getting frustrated with is his inability to squat deep, simply because he doesn't have that flexibility. If I'd thought it through better, I would have had him doing flex exercises before starting the program.
        I've been doing that for the last 12 months with the trainer Emmet and I've made good progress with it. You're dead right I was totally inflexible when I started. I had the old man groans and everything going getting out of a chair!!
        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

        Comment


          #5
          I had a busy week last week. I only managed two gym sessions but they were good ones.I walked 5+ hours at the weekend and managed to IF 4/7 days.

          I really feel like I'm making progress. Feeling strong and visually seem to be getting smaller on the stomach and my weight is static so that's probably overall good.

          I spoke to my PT about strength training to get his views and he suggested that my prior back issues (in my youth I popped a disk and a hip bone) and my office sedentary job might be an issue for lower back barbell squatting at the minute.

          He feels I should explore doing some alternative type squats and he gave me a book to read for ideas as to what I can do when training at home or in the gym given the available equipment.

          I appreciate his views as he's always taken a safety first approach and I have no desire to injure myself and weighted lunges and free weight squats are taxing me plenty at present....

          He had me squatting using a trap bar doing 65kg*6 as part of a set and it was pretty comfortable but that's not available in my gym.

          Any suggestions/ideas/thoughts/comments are very welcome. Youtube videos or links even better.
          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

          Comment


            #6
            Pistol squats. ( One legged no weights)
            Squat Jumps. (Vertical jump onto a wooden box / platform)
            Prowler Pushing - though this probably a strain on the back more as less 'homogenous' exercise as a squat.

            I imagine the advice I gave Lloyd might win out though, do broomstick sessions, no weight squats with perfect form. You will hurt yourself if you do things your body is certainly not capable of, the trick to training is to do things that your body is almost capable of. Do the squat programme that's detailed in Stronglifts 5x5. (3 sessions of squatting a week, starting with an empty bar, add 2.5kg to the bar every session you complete {complete = 5 sets of 5 reps with perfect form}). This means that when you reach a weight that you might actually struggle with, that you've built up a muscle memory, a routine and form that are nailed in, and that you perform the lift as safe as possible.

            baby steps

            Comment


              #7
              I'm one year primal this week. An amazing year of progress.

              18 stone 2lbs to 13 stone 12lbs at end November 2012, and now up at 14st 6lbs. My bodyfat percentage is definitely less then the 26.5% it was at the beginning of January and I can't wait to get another Dexa scan done in July to find out my official progress for 2013. Guesstimating I'd say I'm around 24%.....

              I only managed two gym sessions this week. Good sessions but life/work is interfering with my attendance at the gym and I'm not making the time to do a strength session at home but instead preferring to get a good hike in. The nice spring weather is irresistible. I need to keep making the effort to lift/pull as I can see and feel great progress.

              I managed 6 hours of walking over the week.

              I was 4/7 days on the Intermittent Fasting which seems to be the sweet spot for me. Monday, Tuesday & Thursday I do 16 hour fasts and then I seem to eat on Wednesday and Friday and get another one in on either Saturday or Sunday depending on what's on and how I'm feeling.

              Feeling pretty sharp on it overall with the overfull feeling gone away and I'm experiencing nice hunger pangs on occasion. I'm also much more attuned to when I'm feeling full so I'm much less likely to overeat mindlessly....

              Hopefully it's all contributing to a leaning out process and improving my body's overall performance from a nutritional harvesting and resilience perspective.
              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by V for Vendetta View Post
                I'm one year primal this week. An amazing year of progress.

                18 stone 2lbs to 13 stone 12lbs at end November 2012, and now up at 14st 6lbs. My bodyfat percentage is definitely less then the 26.5% it was at the beginning of January and I can't wait to get another Dexa scan done in July to find out my official progress for 2013. Guesstimating I'd say I'm around 24%...
                That's an amazing transformation V. Well done.obviously have the diet nailed down. How's the strength training going?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by Mellor View Post
                  That's an amazing transformation V. Well done.obviously have the diet nailed down. How's the strength training going?
                  Thanks Mellor. I've followed your log for a long time and it helped to open my eyes. The altered diet and the gradual introduction of exercise and knowledge has delivered big time. I never would have believed what was possible without going to extreme efforts if I hadn't lived it myself. Also paying it forward to friends and family without shoving it down their neck is very rewarding.

                  The strength training is improving. I'm lifting heavier freeweights and doing harder bodyweight exercises but I'm coming from a very low base. I'm probably a few months away from a serious lifting program but I'm building my body up and improving the flexibility and core strength to try and keep myself injury free.

                  I actually see this whole program as a 36 month thing to get to a future stable body shape and comp with 12 month steps. It's amazing to think on that timescale and to step away from the short term thinking that seems to infect a lot of peoples thinking.
                  Last edited by V for Vendetta; 06-03-13, 14:07.
                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I managed to fit in 3 sessions in a hectic week. The session on Friday was very weak as I was just wrecked from work and other commitments which lead to a few late nights.

                    Only managed ~3 hours of walking over the course of the week. 5/7 IF more by accident then design.

                    I ate ice cream and creme anglais on Thursday evening and it wasn't a good idea. My body just rejects too much sugar and any grains pretty violently at this stage it's very unpleasant. I seem to react more strongly then others so it seems that living a 90/10 primal life is just impossible which is a good thing in the long run but makes it hard on certain social occasions. Still no fucking choice it seems.

                    I took it pretty easy over the weekend and tried to get plenty of sleep and take a physical break. I'm feeling pretty good today so hopefully that's a line under it.
                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                    Comment


                      #11
                      3 training sessions last week. IF 6/7 days. It's actually getting easier and it was never too difficult.

                      ~4 hours walking. Poor weather and time poor.

                      The weight is staying steady but the body is continuing to change. All good.

                      Continuing to do my research on strength training.
                      ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Only 2 sessions last week and only ~3 hours of walking. Had a bit of a cold later in the week so that threw me off a bit.

                        6/7 days of IF.
                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                        Comment


                          #13
                          2 training sessions and 5+ hours of walking. 5/7 days IF.

                          These bank holidays are making it too easy to lose my training routine but I'm training for life not living to train. I did manage to get a good session in with the hex/trap bar during one of the sessions above which I was pleased with.

                          I managed to lift 75kg*6, 80kg*6 and 75kg*6 with decent smooth form (weighing 92kg). It was challenging but I have more in the tank. I also did some free weight benchpresses which were fun.

                          I'm hoping to slowly build up my technique with the major lifts over the next 3 months by working on my form with my PT and I should then be able to really go for strength training in the second half of the year in a primarily self directed manner with good technique, a decent knowledge level and a good core body strength to reduce injury risk. Also I'll do a revised bf% before I commence full on strength training just so I can track the impact.

                          I did overeat on the bank holiday weekend as we ate out three evenings this week. At least it was 90% primal overeating!! Lot's of fish, steak, veggies, dark chocolate and cheese. There were a few sugar filled desserts and a few cases of eating when already pretty full but with the quality of cooking and food on offer I indulged myself!! If this is going off the bandwagon I'll take it.
                          Last edited by V for Vendetta; 02-04-13, 08:17.
                          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                          Comment


                            #14
                            3 training sessions. 6/7 days IF. 5+ hours walking.

                            Weight creeping up. Hopefully it's all good.
                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                            Comment


                              #15
                              3 training sessions. 6/7 IF days. 5 hours walking.

                              Rolling along nicely.
                              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Very pleased with myself this week. My schedule was in tatters but I still managed 3 good sessions and 5/7 IF days and 5+ hours of walking.

                                When the week is messy I certainly have plenty of excuses to miss a session or two but not letting that happen was pleasing.

                                The decent weather over the weekend certainly helped to encourage the walking.

                                Despite eating a lot of pig meat on Friday night and a huge chicken and bacon curry feast on Sunday my net weight is staying steady and I'm continuing to lean out. Intermittent fasting is working so well for me (combined with primal eating) I feel like it's the key to taking me to the next level.
                                Last edited by V for Vendetta; 22-04-13, 10:42.
                                ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by V for Vendetta View Post
                                  Very pleased with myself this week. My schedule was in a tatters but I still managed 3 good sessions and 5/7 IF days and 5+ hours of walking.

                                  When the week is messy I certainly have plenty of excuses to miss a session or two but not letting that happen was pleasing.

                                  The decent weather over the weekend certainly helped to encourage the walking.

                                  Despite eating a lot of pig meat on Friday night and a huge chicken and bacon curry feast on Sunday my net weight is staying steady and I'm continuing to lean out. Intermittent fasting is working so well for me (combined with primal eating) I feel like it's the key to taking me to the next level.
                                  When we gonna see some ab pics?

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by SICKPUPPY View Post
                                    When we gonna see some ab pics?


                                    You'll see them on fight night Mick! You have to pay to see!!
                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      A great article in praise of walking.
                                      ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Rinse and repeat.

                                        3 * training sessions. In addition to BW stuff I'm working on the leg press machine, DB bench presses and goblet squatting. I'm coming along nicely at these exercises. I need to make the move onto deadlifts and squats next.
                                        The gym is very busy in the evening but in the mornings or at the weekends I like to try out new exercises to get comfortable doing them.

                                        I'm introducing one new exercise a week at the minute and adding it into the mix for 8-10 reps * 3 sets at a comfortable weight. Slowly, slowly catchy monkey.

                                        5/7 IF days.

                                        5+ hours walking.

                                        I've definitely leaned out a bit more over the last few weeks.

                                        Most boring log ever Delighted with it.
                                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          With the IF do you end up eating less overall those days or how does it work? I often do 16 hours without eating unconsciously but never took much notice of whether I got any benefits from it or not so would be interested to hear more about it.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by Keane View Post
                                            With the IF do you end up eating less overall those days or how does it work? I often do 16 hours without eating unconsciously but never took much notice of whether I got any benefits from it or not so would be interested to hear more about it.
                                            The first thing to say Keane is I don't weigh or measure my food so I have no stats to back up anything I say.

                                            On training days I definitely eat more protein after I break the fast. I naturally seek out more protein and I allow myself more carbs the meal before training or the meal after training. No rules to it but it just feels right.

                                            On non training days I wouldn't be as hungry, so I just eat less (smaller dinner portion typically and don't bother with fruit or full fat yoghurt afterwards).

                                            The big thing about IF for me is I was overeating without the IF routine due to work & social reasons. Now I eat lunches with clients and have dinner at home without any feeling of bloatedness or of being overfull.

                                            I've leaned out quite a bit over the last 6-10 weeks and my weight has gone up by ~5lb so that seems like good progress but nothing will be confirmed until I do another Dexa scan in July.

                                            I'd love to be ~20% bf by July. That would be big progress towards my 2013 goal.
                                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              Originally posted by Gimmeabreak
                                              what is IF
                                              Invitro Fertilisation obv. (or else intermittent fasting, you decide)
                                              "We are not Europeans. Those people on the continent are freaks."

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Maybe it was already mentioned but there is a decent documentary on BBC called Eat, Fast and Live Longer. It challenges some Paleo thoughts (the excessive meat ones) and looks at extreme fasting and more reasonable, manageable fasting. I haven't tried any IF yet but know fasting isn't as hard as it sounds. Keep busy, drink water - the cravings will pass.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Originally posted by RoadSweeper View Post
                                                  Maybe it was already mentioned but there is a decent documentary on BBC called Eat, Fast and Live Longer. It challenges some Paleo thoughts (the excessive meat ones) and looks at extreme fasting and more reasonable, manageable fasting. I haven't tried any IF yet but know fasting isn't as hard as it sounds. Keep busy, drink water - the cravings will pass.

                                                  I hate this paleo = more meat assumption. For me paleo = healthy fat > carbs. The somewhat increased protein intake is for muscle growth for those who want it but not a purely paleo thing.

                                                  IF is easy on a paleo/primal diet as your body is very efficient at getting energy from your fat stores so you don't tend to feel hungry like a carboholic would.
                                                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                  Comment


                                                    #26
                                                    Only managed 2 training days last week. Busy times. I did get in 8+ hours of walking though. 5/7 IF days.

                                                    Getting wisdom teeth removed this week so ill be happy to get in 2 sessions this week as well. Life rolls on.
                                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                    Comment


                                                      #27
                                                      I also attended the girls u14 66kg national boxing championship final on Saturday to pick up some tips from my cousin. She won a cracking fight 6-5. Smiling through a bloody nose at the end. Inspiring.
                                                      ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                      Comment


                                                        #28
                                                        Originally posted by V for Vendetta View Post
                                                        Only managed 2 training days last week. Busy times. I did get in 8+ hours of walking though. 5/7 IF days.

                                                        Getting wisdom teeth removed this week so ill be happy to get in 2 sessions this week as well. Life rolls on.
                                                        Well I only managed to train once last week and got no teeth removed!

                                                        I did do plenty of walking.

                                                        I'm thinking of trying to trim my weight over the next 6-7 weeks prior to my next scan as I'd like to be ~14 stone and ~20% bf% to make sure I achieve my 2013 goals. 1 lb a week of fat loss over the next 7 weeks should really lean me out and make sure I hit the midway target. I need to be careful that I don't lose the muscle I've put on thus far this year.
                                                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                        Comment


                                                          #29
                                                          3 training sessions. 5/7 IF days. 8+ hours of walking (even got some lovely sunshine). A good week.


                                                          For the sake of comparison in a few months time I'm going to write up what my training sessions consist of at the minute.

                                                          Warm up

                                                          Foam rolling, shoulder dislocates, calf/tendon stretches and raises, dynamic leg stretches and hip stretches and some plank work to fire up the body. This takes about 10 minutes.

                                                          Main work

                                                          I've worked on improving my technique on the leg press and dumb bell bench press over the last while as I wasn't very happy with my form initially. I'm going to start upping the weight very slowly over the next few weeks as I feel the technique has come on a bit.

                                                          I'm going with a 5 * 4 schedule starting with a comfortable weight and then upping it for the next 2 sets and repeating the heaviest weight on the last set. Right now it's 94kg, 104kg, 112kg on the leg press (I have done >150kg on the leg press but that was poor form and stupid) and 15kg and 17.5kg on the dumb bell bench press.

                                                          I also do 5 * 4 on the goblet squat (this is reasonably comfortable as I'm not rushing to lift at my max yet - 20kg, 22.5kg, 25kg at the minute), dips (with 12kg assistance so ~80kg net) 6*3, and then some bicep curl & shoulder press @ 10kg * 10 * 3-4 sets interspersed with some bridging exercises.

                                                          I also do some trx rows interspersed with 25 second side plank holds if I have the time and am really feeling it.

                                                          This takes about 40 minutes.

                                                          Cool down

                                                          A bit of Foam rolling and stretching. 3 minutes max

                                                          I also hit the sauna, steam room & jacuzzi within 24 hours of a training session plus get a walk in to loosen out.

                                                          It'll be interesting to see what I'm doing by August/September. I'm going to introduce the deadlift and barbell squat and probably drop the leg press and goblet squat as I do that. I should probably do some incline dumb bell presses as well....
                                                          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                          Comment


                                                            #30
                                                            Only 2 training sessions. 8+ hours of walking and 5/7 IF days. Not terrible but not a great week. A lot of life stuff going on but that's just excuses.

                                                            I'm hoping to really go hard for the next 5-6 weeks so I need to up my performance and not miss training sessions.
                                                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                            Comment


                                                              #31
                                                              3 good training sessions. 5+ hours walking. 5/7 IF days. Apart from a 24 hour period without sleep due to GAB & RDIII a pretty good week. On holidays this week so the intention is to get 2 training sessions in and plenty of walking and activities. Roll on.
                                                              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                              Comment


                                                                #32
                                                                I only managed one training session this week on holidays. Poor form not getting a second one in but there you go.

                                                                I did manage 4/7 IF days and 20+hours of hiking.

                                                                We had an excellent break so feeling recharged and refocused.
                                                                ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                                Comment


                                                                  #33
                                                                  3 * Training sessions. 5/7 IF days. 4 hours of walking. I wake up with a nice dull ache in my legs, core and arms most days so my body is feeling it anyway.

                                                                  My weight isn't dropping very quickly, stubbornly stuck between 14st 5 - 6 lb at the minute. I really want to push it down to 14st 2 lb in the next 3 weeks so I'm going to have to get serious about it. I feel I'm leaning out but the scan in a few weeks time will be the true test.
                                                                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                                  Comment


                                                                    #34
                                                                    2 training sessions. 3 hours walking. 5/7 IF days. Lost a few days with a head cold and decided not to be an idiot and rested.
                                                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                                    Comment


                                                                      #35
                                                                      2 training sessions and a partial set. 7/7 IF days including an 18 hour fast at the weekend (proceeded by loads of lovely pig cooked on a spit). 10+ hours of walking.

                                                                      No net weight loss but it's hard to get too worked up about it. Gone up to 40kg*5 on the goblet squat, 22.5 * 5 (so 45kg total) on the db bench press and 130kg * 6 on the leg press. Progress. Doing sets of Australian rows on the trx, and assisted chins to complement all the pressing.

                                                                      I have to bite the bullet soon on deadlifting.....
                                                                      ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

                                                                      Comment


                                                                        #36
                                                                        Why so hesitant on deadlifting? It's awesome!!

                                                                        No shame in starting real light off plates and working on technique for a period!
                                                                        "Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally." - John Maynard Keynes

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                                                                          #37
                                                                          Originally posted by LuckyLloyd View Post
                                                                          Why so hesitant on deadlifting? It's awesome!!

                                                                          No shame in starting real light off plates and working on technique for a period!
                                                                          That's all it is Lloyd. The gym can be very busy and grabbing a bar and going with very light weight while I admire my form in the mirror feels a bit awkward. I had hoped to do a bit of work with my brother on it first as he has a lot of good experience from his UL days but we haven't been able to arrange time to do that.

                                                                          I'm going to start this week in the gym anyway. I have done a bit with a trap bar and that was fun but it's not quite a deadlift and that was sometime ago.

                                                                          I'm unbelievably patient these days. I've been working on goblet squatting technique for months and only beginning to increase the weight over the last 6-8 weeks. I'm in no rush at all as I'm only 16 months into a 36 month plan.
                                                                          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                            #38


                                                                            So I had another scan. My muscle weight has gone up a small bit but no change in bf%.

                                                                            Unfortunately its clear that I'm eating at a maintenance level and not with a calorie deficit. I'm a bit disappointed obviously but I'm glad I had the scan as it would have been very easy not to go ahead with it as I had a sinking feeling that the results weren't going to be great.....I'm stronger and more flexible and I feel I'm making progress fitness wise, but the reality is that I've plateaued on the bf% front and dropping bf is my fitness goal for the year.

                                                                            I'm eating all the right things I feel but all the easy gains from eating correctly and with a calorie deficit for 18 stone me have now been eroded. I'm going to have to get focused on the diet side of things again.

                                                                            The gas thing is people are always telling me not to get any thinner and that I'm looking well etc. etc. The reality is I'm still miles away from my hoped for end point. It's scary how incorrect our perception can be due to the rising obesity all around us.
                                                                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                              #39
                                                                              3*training sessions. 5/7 IF days and 7+ hours of walking. Trying to keep the calories consumed a bit lower is proving to be a bit of a challenge. Lot's of lovely fresh foods around at the minute!!
                                                                              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                #40
                                                                                Originally posted by V for Vendetta View Post

                                                                                So I had another scan. My muscle weight has gone up a small bit but no change in bf%.

                                                                                Unfortunately its clear that I'm eating at a maintenance level and not with a calorie deficit. I'm a bit disappointed obviously but I'm glad I had the scan as it would have been very easy not to go ahead with it as I had a sinking feeling that the results weren't going to be great.....I'm stronger and more flexible and I feel I'm making progress fitness wise, but the reality is that I've plateaued on the bf% front and dropping bf is my fitness goal for the year.
                                                                                What is the weight now? Was it the BF% that was unchanged or the fat kg?
                                                                                IIRC you went to mid 13 stone to adding some mass back on around March/April. Past the initial grace period, its hard to ass mass and reduce fat. In fact adding mass without increasing bf% is a good result.

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                                                                                  #41
                                                                                  Originally posted by Mellor View Post
                                                                                  What is the weight now? Was it the BF% that was unchanged or the fat kg?
                                                                                  IIRC you went to mid 13 stone to adding some mass back on around March/April. Past the initial grace period, its hard to ass mass and reduce fat. In fact adding mass without increasing bf% is a good result.
                                                                                  My weight went up by 4 pounds. From 14st 2.6lb to 14st 6.6lb. 2.5 lbs of muscle and 1.5 lb of fat added roughly. The bf% barely moved. It didn't seem like very much for 6 months work.

                                                                                  My low was 13st 12lb at end November last year. I just need to cut more to get the bf% down and try to keep the muscle and then worry about adding mass later. I think I was subconsciously worried about being very thin at 13st but I don't think that will be the case in reality. All my adult life weighing 16.5+ stone has distorted my perception and it takes a long time to undo that.

                                                                                  I'm going to try to target 1lb-2lb a week fat loss for the next few months and see how that goes.
                                                                                  Last edited by V for Vendetta; 09-07-13, 09:24.
                                                                                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                    #42
                                                                                    So 3*weight sessions. 10+ hours walking. 5/7 IF days.

                                                                                    Loving the weather and all the fresh great foods at the mo.
                                                                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                      #43
                                                                                      You doing any cardio stuff at all like rowing machine or the likes other than the walking?
                                                                                      Looking for full or part time poker and betting writers. PM if interested.

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                                                                                        #44
                                                                                        Originally posted by ianmc38 View Post
                                                                                        You doing any cardio stuff at all like rowing machine or the likes other than the walking?
                                                                                        No. I might do some interval sprint stuff either up hills or on a rowing machine in time but nothing more than 10 minutes including breaks if/when I do.
                                                                                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                          #45
                                                                                          Tough week. A lot going on and the hot weather was draining.

                                                                                          Still managed 3 * weight sessions, 8+ hours of walking and 4/7 IF days. Feeling weak once or twice so had to eat a bit more then I wanted. Still not going to do anything stupid for the sake of rushing things.
                                                                                          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                            #46
                                                                                            3*weight sessions, 8+ hours of walking and 4/7 IF days. Training is going well but life is screwing up my diet a little bit at the minute.
                                                                                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                              #47
                                                                                              3*weight sessions, 8+ hours of walking and 4/7 IF days last week.

                                                                                              I really feel like my various lifting techniques are making progress. I also got a good tip for a personal weightlifting trainer that I'm going to follow up on in a few weeks to keep up the progress on technique.

                                                                                              The goblet squat is the shit though. Lifting 47.5kgs * 5 really works everything very well! Calves, thighs, glutes, core, arms, shoulders. It's unreal efficiency!!

                                                                                              I've dropped 4lbs in a month and am back eating with a slight calorie deficit on a regular basis. It actually feels great to be back on it now that I've got my mind refocused on losing fat.
                                                                                              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                #48
                                                                                                2*weight sessions, 8+ hours of walking and 5/7 IF days last week.

                                                                                                Unfortunately I couldn't squeeze in a 3rd session this week but that's life.
                                                                                                ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                  #49
                                                                                                  2*weight sessions, 8+ hours of walking and 4/7 IF days last week.

                                                                                                  I'm up to 50kg on the goblet squat now and I'm getting pretty comfortable with my deadlift technique so I'm going to start bringing that up from 45kg by 5kg a week. Slow and steady.

                                                                                                  I'm going to play some ultimate frisbee tonight. Hopefully it'll be the start of a once a week thing as it would be a nice to build in a once a week sprint type workout.
                                                                                                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                    #50
                                                                                                    Weak. Feeling a bit under the weather this week so I only managed 2 weight sessions (1.5 really). I did manage to get in a good session of ultimate which was excellent. I'm looking to get involved in a once a week walk-up game if I can in either Bushy or Herbert park.

                                                                                                    Lot's of walking at 10+ hours and 4/7 IF days. I'm back eating maintenance calories though the last two weeks so I need to try harder for a slight deficit this week. If it was easy everyone would be doing it.....
                                                                                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                      #51
                                                                                                      Ultimate is an awesome sport. Played competitively in college. Great exercise and tons of fun.
                                                                                                      "Worldly wisdom teaches that it is better for reputation to fail conventionally than to succeed unconventionally." - John Maynard Keynes

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                                                                                                        #52
                                                                                                        Originally posted by LuckyLloyd View Post
                                                                                                        Ultimate is an awesome sport. Played competitively in college. Great exercise and tons of fun.
                                                                                                        Lots and lots and lots of sprinting. Great fun and played with a great attitude.
                                                                                                        ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                          #53
                                                                                                          3 * weight sessions. 10+ hours walking. 5/7 IF days. All in all a good week.

                                                                                                          Finally feeling 100% back to myself after two weeks of a malingering cold. Kinda funny these days when I get a cold. I tend to be able to keep going but I'm lacking strength so I'm left with that weird feeling of why can't I do more...
                                                                                                          ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                            #54
                                                                                                            2 * weight sessions. 12+ hours of walking. 5/7 IF days. A busy week work/social wise so happy enough.

                                                                                                            I'm down at 14 stone even now so that's 7lb lost since 1 July (of just fat I hope). I need to drop 14lb of fat over the next 15 weeks to reach my sub 17% bf% primary goal so that's going to be challenging....

                                                                                                            I've found myself a new weights coach and I'm hoping to start working with Paul from this Saturday. I had a great initial consultation with him and I think we're both on the same page. This should give me the proper technique on a range of compound lifts over time and the confidence to push myself a bit harder/quicker on my own in the gym over the remaining 4 months of the year. I'm a bit off track in terms of my primary goal for 2013 but it's not irretrievable and I've certainly made some nice sustainable progress over the last two months.

                                                                                                            My strength and fitness goals are roughly on track but they probably weren't challenging enough. Next year will be more about those types of goals which will be fun. I'm not waivering in my primary goal though for this year as that's a sure fire way of achieving nothing.
                                                                                                            ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                              #55
                                                                                                              3 * weight sessions. 4/7 IF days. 12+ hours of walking. In bits after session on Saturday with my new PT. He's pretty happy with my squat technique and he's going to take me through the other major compound lifts and ancillary techniques bit by bit. He's not rushing things and yet bringing me along already.

                                                                                                              He has me doing some lower weight and slowing down the movement, in particular on the negative phase, and doing more reps and a deload set as the final set. The muscles were certainly worked out!

                                                                                                              Why is it you never push yourself as hard on your own......
                                                                                                              ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                                #56
                                                                                                                3 * weight sessions. 4/7 IF days. 10+ hours of walking.

                                                                                                                I did an arms, chest and back session with Paul during the week. Very interesting and a real eye opener. My arms were so weak afterwards that typing was painful!!
                                                                                                                ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                                  #57
                                                                                                                  2 * weight sessions. 5/7 IF days. 12+ hours of walking.

                                                                                                                  Very tired this week with a lot going on so I skipped my third session and opted for some R&R in the Jacuzzi instead. Wise move I reckon

                                                                                                                  Paul wants me to consider upping my protein even more by having a shake immediately following my workouts. Other than that and adding some zinc to my diet he's pretty pleased with how things are going. Arms and back exercises are proving tricky. I guess I was neglecting them.....
                                                                                                                  ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                                    #58
                                                                                                                    2 * weight sessions. 5/7 IF days. 12+ hours of walking.


                                                                                                                    Rinse and repeat from last week. I'm struggling to fit in a third training session with college at the minute two evenings per week and toastmasters being very busy.

                                                                                                                    I'm really focussing on quality training and sleep recovery along with a clean nutritionally diverse diet and it's amazing the progress I've made already. I'm down ~2% bf lost according to the Poliquin biosignature method that Paul uses with calipers etc, and visually I notice a decent difference over the 4 weeks I've been training with him (in particular on my face, back and pecs). It shouldn't be water loss either as I'm really only cleaning up the 10% of my diet that was a little poor (i.e. cutting down the dark chocolate treats and upping my protein and making a stronger effort to eat diverse foods over the course of the week). Obviously the Dexa scan in January will be the real test but if you're making progress on a consistent measuring basis then it's generally good.
                                                                                                                    Last edited by V for Vendetta; 07-10-13, 08:55.
                                                                                                                    ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                                      #59
                                                                                                                      3 x training sessions. 8 hours walking. Eating very clean and IF 4 days.

                                                                                                                      More walking would be nice but I have to earn a living too....
                                                                                                                      ‘IF YOU had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan

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                                                                                                                        #60
                                                                                                                        Originally posted by V for Vendetta View Post
                                                                                                                        3 x training sessions. 8 hours walking. Eating very clean and IF 4 days.

                                                                                                                        More walking would be nice but I have to earn a living too....
                                                                                                                        Running will give you more bang for your buck mate.

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