Return to Form

Pump and run today. Weighed in at 182 (cut an easy eight pounds from last night). Got 23 reps at 180. Not my best, but since my focus has been 5/3/1, I have not been training for muscle endurance. 5K was under 27 minutes. Also not bad for my training, but still roughly 6 minutes worse than my best 5K time. Now on to vacation, where I will do my best not to undo the last 2.5 months of hard work.

That is a great result after some hard work. Nice job.

Thanks jjackrash.

Sprint triathlon done. Faster than the previous year, not quite as good as two years ago. Weight was around 185. Due to life really getting in the way of training, I have not lifted at all since since my pump and run in June, did not swim or bike in the month leading up to the tri and my diet has been awful. My weight has stayed around 190, but my guess is that I lost quite a bit of the strength gains I made in April-June.

Aside from the Warrior Dash and possibly the Tactical Strength Challenge in September, I will focus on competing in my first powerlifting meet since 2007 this upcoming December. I like the 5/3/1 method and will probably stick with it through the contest. Once I get back in the gym, I will gauge my 1RMs and hopefully not be too far off from where I was in June.

I would love to say that over the last four and a half months I stayed true to my goals, got down to 165 lbs and absolutely crushed my raw PRs at the December powerlifting meet. Unfortunately, I stopped training altogether since July, blew up to 230 lbs (my alltime high) and look like the fat sloth that I have been since my last post. I have no one to blame but myself for my lack of commitment and focus.

So…let’s try this again. I rebooted my training and diet on December 1. Same deal as last go around. Since then I am down to 213.5 (from 230) and I have resumed 5/3/1. I am contemplating running a marathon at the end of March and the Tough Mudder in April. I will try to post once a week, hopefully updating my strength gains and weight losses.

Current short term goal is to simply eat clean and exercise regularly through Christmas and New Year’s Day. If I can get down to 205 by the end of the month, I would be pleased.

Was good up until Christmas. Took off January. Back on track in February. Weight down to 197 (from 230 on November 30). Ruled out doing a marathon as I have no time for long distance training (and little desire to push myself in that manner). Still doing the Tough Mudder Pennsylvania on April 9. Also committed to doing a number of pump and runs and the same triathlon as last summer. Possibly two raw powerlifting competitions this summer as well. Trying a variation of Westside to increase both muscle strength and muscle endurance. 5/3/1 worked overall, but I did not build sufficient muscle endurance for the pump and runs and the sprint triathlon last summer. Diet is basically as provided in the following: Refined Physique Transformation

Current stats:
20 reps at 175lbs
29:15 5K
S:330
B:285
D:355

Short term (by May 31) goals:
25 reps at 175lbs
Sub-27 minute 5K
S:360
B:300
D:400

Longer Term (by August 15) goals:
30 reps at 185lbs
Sub-24 minute 5K
S:375
B:325
D:450

Hopefully I will post once a week to track my progress.

Good week (seventh week in a row). Diet was great and my weight is down to 195. Can really see the loss of fat. Sufficient cardio (~10 miles). Lifted only two days, but that was due to the need to recover after pushing hard in my DE days.

Last two weeks were decent for diet and training , although I allowed myself to have a two day bender last weekend (eating massive quantities of junk and drinking beer). Weight this past Monday morning was 206. Back down to 196 tonight. Need to be more consistent working out. Tonight I ran a 5k at a decent clip.

Despite the scale stagnating the last two weeks, my clothes are fitting better and my musculature is becoming more pronounced. Two good weeks of diet and training until the Tough Mudder. Hoping to be under 190 for that competition. Had to bail on a pump and run next weekend due to childcare issues, but I have plenty of other comps lined up for the next couple of months.

Weight down to 195, but I seem to have plateaued a bit. Stepped up the cardio last week in advance of the Tough Mudder this weekend (~16 miles jogging). Although I had hoped to be under 190 for the race, I think it will serve me well to increase my calories this week for the extra energy I will need for the event. Probably going to add 500 calories/day. Still running a caloric deficit, but my body will appreciate the additional energy. Tonight I will try to get in my DE leg day and get my DE upper body day in tomorrow. Then only light cardio until the race.

DUDE!

I’m late to the welcoming party.

Welcome.

Ran the Tough Mudder yesterday. Weighed approximately 190. 11 miles up and down a ski mountain with 20 crazy obstacles. Took approximately 5 hours (lots of back-ups at obstacles). Sprained my ankle 2 miles in and kept going. Crippling leg cramps at mile 9 (right before carrying the log up one of the very steep ice and mud covered hills), but kept going. Managed to be among the proud few I saw who was able to complete the “Funky Monkey” obstacle at mile 8.5 without falling in the water (approximately 15 feet of inclined monkey bars, followed by 15 feet of declined monkey bars, with some bars greased and hands were wet and covered in mud).

Having to eat a habanero pepper as part of one of the obstacles was a nice touch. Much harder than the Warrior Dash. Anyone can do that race (old, obese and infirm). The same cannot be said of the Tough Mudder. Not looking forward to the aches and pains when I wake up in the morning. When I sprained my ankle, my first thought was not that I would not be able to finish; rather, it was “Will I still be able to squat and deadlift on Monday?”

Sounds tough! Congrats on finishing!

Pretty rough post-Tough Mudder DOMS in my lower legs and abs. Found out that the race shut down the Funky Monkey obstacle shortly after I made it through as another competitor fell from the bars and broke their leg in three places.

Congrats on the race! Sounds really exhausting, impressed you made it all the way.

Weight at 190.5, which is not great but not awful given the fact that failed to lift or do any cardio all week as : (1) I was recovering all week from serious DOMS and a sprained ankle from the Tough Mudder, and (2) I was incredibly busy at work. Diet was good, but without the exercise, the weight won’t go down. Had hoped to exercise tonight but did not get home (where I workout) until after 10 p.m. and I aggravated the ankle sprain stepping in a ditch. Hopefully I can have a good week going forward and the Easter Bunny will not try to persuade me to indulge in his decadent treats.

Back at it once again. Ballooned back up to 230 just after Thanksgiving 2011. With the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, my diet has been excellent since and I am back down to 204. Just finished Cycle 1 of 5/3/1 and excited about starting Cycle 2. Current estimated PL maxes: SQ: 335; B: 290; DL: 350. Trying to get at least 30 minutes of steady state cardio 4 times a week. Contemplating adding some kettlebell work to build muscle endurance. No idea what my 5K time is currently, but I would guess it is greater than 30 minutes. Hope to post an update on a weekly basis.

There you are! Welcome back.

Down to 199 (from 230). Nice. Diet still immaculate. Feeling stronger in my latest 5/3/1 cycle. Not getting the cardio I want in, but I am getting decent sleep. Contemplating competing in the next Tactical Strength Challenge in May, but I would need to get my weight down around 175, my pullups reps and deadlift max up to 20 and 425 respectively, and step up the kettlebell endurance training. Perhaps a tad ambitious with those goals, but why not aim high?

Weight down to 198.5. Diet still great. Finished all but my deload for my second 5/3/1 cycle. Feeling strong. My guess on 1RM would be S:345 B: 300 D: 360. Still struggling to get quality cardio time, but I managed to get a timed 5K in on the treadmill. Without pushing hard, I ran an easy 33 minutes. Plenty of room for improvement.

Weight down to 197. Diet on track. Noticeable strength gains in my third 5/3/1 cycle. Still struggling to get the cardio in, but I’ll step that up once my weight loss starts slowing down. The month or so will be difficult as I will be incredibly busy at work, but so long as I keep my diet clean and do the basic 5/3/1 lifts, I should continue to make progress.

Signed up to run the Tough Mudder for the second time in October. I will definitely need to step up the cardio for that.

As a treat for not straying off my eating plan, I made a modified version of Shugart’s Pumpkin Cake. Made with almond flour, coconut flour, butter, eggs, baking powder, Splenda and canned pumpkin, it was awesome. Three ounces are roughly 350 calories, but well worth it. Low carbs (good carbs mostly) and high in fiber. The only problem is I want to eat the entire thing. Shugart’s version on the Velocity Diet page calls for frosting, but since I do not like frosting on cake in general, no loss.