Rugby Offseason + V-Diet = ?

Diet and Nutrition
1

Finally took the plunge and order the supps i’ll need for a month of V-Diet. Rugby season is finished, my body fat % isn’t where it needs to be and my body hasn’t reacted well to attempting to cut fat AND add LBM at the same time. I feel as if it has inhibited both by trying to do them at the same time.

So the next month is going to be focused on losing fat. My overall plan is to drop as much weight as possible and starting to cleanly add weight again. Haven’t crunched the numbers yet (i’m a finance guy, its what I do). But here’s what i’m weighing as of right now and goals. I’ll update the night before I start as well.

Weight: 220.6 (seriously? I’ve gone from 207 to 221 in less than two weeks!!!)
BF%: 15.8

Diet Goal: sub 200 lbs
BF%: sub 10%

After the diet, i’m planning on taking the next months to reload and want to add clean weight, keeping the BF around 10% and getting back up to 220ish. Not sure how thats gonna happen yet, trying to go one thing at a time.

I realize these SOUND a little ridiculous, but here’s my POV. Not even two weeks ago I was 207, it’s just been a rough last two weeks (I dont want to get into it, but suffice it to say it has been a bit of a life altering shock and I’ve been a bit numb since it happened. Discipline had gone out the window.) I have no doubts that this garbage weight will FALL OFF pretty quick.

I’m pegging May 10 as my start date. The date is significant because June 10 marks my graduation from business school and I think it would be a good graduation gift to myself. Another motivator is the fact that I really can’t afford food outside of the supps I ordered, so I have no choice but to succeed!

The next few days will be spent eating everything that is left over in my apartment so I have nothing lying around that I might crack and snack on. I’ll post workouts and everything so everyone gets all the gory details.

Lifting will be three full body’s a week, want to include some Cosgrove complexes but I think Tabata might be too DOMS inducing for the low cals.

Other than that,some swimming, dog walks and the fact that I walk and take the train EVERYWHERE in Denver, should handle the bulk of my other cardio needs. NO rugby training of any type (touch, 7’s, etc).

Here’s what i’m taking:
Metabolic Drive
Grow! Whey (already have it, putting it to use adding to the 1st shake of the day to help with ending catabolism)
BCAAs leftover, between shakes
Flameout
Flaxseeds; will toss them in the blender and add to some shakes to avoid shitting my brains out.
HOT-ROX Extreme
Power Drive; already have it, gonna use it during my ALL IMPORTANT last month of biz school in case I get cloudy, as I am ridiculously swamped the next month.

I think thats it (ISNT THAT ENOUGH?!). I’ll share some more good stuff as I get closer to start date. Feel free to hit me with suggestions, craving warnings and everything else. Thanks y’all…to paraphrase Captain Tenneal from MXC…GET IT ON!

2

Hey, there, sledge2!!! Good goals (want to be lean & mean and look good), good timing (off season) and good approach (Velocity Diet) to dropping the weight that’s slowing you down on the fireld. If you were willing to refine your goals just slightly, though, you wouldn’t have to lose as much weight as you think. Instead of losing as much weight as possible, why not drop 14 pounds of dead weight (i.e., fat)? At 206 pounds and 10% body fat, you’d have the same amount of LBM as you do now.

Another thing, too, is that a lot of the weight you gained in the last two weeks is going to be water weight that is quickly lost. My point, really, is that things aren’t quite as desperate as you might think.

The Velocity Diet, though, is likely to have some unexpected benefits. It will put you back into the groove of eating to hit your numbers, and it will give you a new-found appreciation of your more healthful carbs.

The next few days will be spent eating everything that is left over in my apartment so I have nothing lying around that I might crack and snack on.

Nothing wrong with that if it’s generally more healthful in nature. But if it’s garbage food, donate it to another starving student and upgrade what you’re eating a bit. There isn’t any benefit to prolonging bad eating habits.

For training, strength training would be a good choice, as it’s not as glycogen dependent/demanding.

Good luck, and I look forward to hearing about your results!

3

i’m doing the same type of thing since my season ended earlier than expected due to a bad ankle injury. i have been on the get shredded diet for a week and a half and i love it. i can still eat chicken and stuff but im shedding fat like crazy.

i went from 225 to 219 since i started. the only problem is losing my lower body strength since i havent been able to lift lower body in 6 weeks. good luck with the v diet. ive done it before and the first week is the hardest.

dont start chewing tobacco while on either cuz i did and it was hard as hell to stop. what was the best way for you to rehab your ankle cuz i tore a ligiment and have a hairline fracture? hopefully my boot will be coming off soon but what can i do once its off to get back to full strength?

4

Terry: Oh no bro, situation isn’t dire by any stretch of the imagination. I think my writing comes off like that when I post at 1am! I’m really looking to saw off every little pound I can extract. I’d like to get sub 10% (partially because i’ve never done that before) as there is the inevitable fat gain when you start bulking.

Regarding the food in my apartment, i’ve been a big precision nutrition proponent since I bought it as a new years gift to myself. My fridge is stocked with spinach bags and other assorted veggies, omega 3 eggs, some beef and the like. No garbage in my place, unless you include the year old cereal boxes in my pantry.

And PN has been excellent and had contributed greatly to my BF drop up to this point (being in season doesnt hurt either). I’m taking a very long term view of this, and i’ve always carried this extra 15-20lbs that makes the difference between being a pretty good Super League player and being an NA4/international player. I’m looking at it as step 1 in a LONG process.

5

Brian: Shugs said that he overbought fiber supps, so I think i’m going to invest that in a case or two of gum so I dont miss masticating as much. That seems to have been a HUGE complaint with a number of blogs i’ve read. I’ve got some Greens + sitting around too so that might go in a shake too just so I can taste something else, even thought it tastes like death.

Regarding the ankle bro, i’ll throw out a few ideas that our physios used for mine. Mind you, playing on my bad ankle WAS NOT a good idea and I think there may be surgery somewhere down the line for me as a result.

However, when you don’t have any other specialist hookers on the roster, you make due. Plus I had my ankle strapped in what amounted to basically a soft cast every training and match. And how much ass does that boot suck?

I’m not sure about the hairline fracture, as mine was merely a bad sprain, but I did a TON of circles on a wobble board barefoot. standing on both feet and standing on just the bad foot, balancing and holding a chair.

A good one is to stand on the bad leg barefoot again and bend down to touch the ground with the opposite hand (think of a single leg RDL) do that directly in front of you (12:00), 45 in both directions (10:00 and 2:00), 90 degrees in both directions (9:00 and 3:00) and try doing it 45 degrees behind you (so at about 4:00 and 8:00 if you think of it as a clock).

I would do those with both feet even as you heal, as it’ll improve balance and its a good way to work the tiny little muscles in your feet.

Another good one is to stand on one foot, barefoot again, and have someone toss a med ball (NOT a heavy one, the heaviest I ever used was 8 lbs) or a rugby balls (or whatever ball your sport entails, I used a pass developer med ball, regular rugby ball and med balls).

It works if you throw off a wall, but not as well. They should make you reach in all different directions and heights. This is again one of those that I would say you could do all the time, just to keep things healing, strong and healthy.

I hope those make sense; if not PM me and i’ll try and explain further.

If i come across any others, i’ll be sure and post them to you brother, take care and good luck with the healing process. Depending on how far along it is, i’d recommend a bucket and ice for anytime you’re sitting down. I bought a regular bucket and had my foot in that thing and filled with ice every time I was sitting at the computer. It hurts like a bitch but it helps immensely.

6

5/8

Supps just got here and God bless the Fed Ex guy because this box is enormous, weighs 30 lbs and he didnt use a cart.

One great thing about living in Denver: I placed the order around midnight on Sunday night/early Monday morning and it shows up Tuesday at 2pm.

Gotta go buy some baggies and more shakers, still pegging May 10 as start date with June 6ish as a finish date (28 Days)…might try to go 30, which would put me right at graduation day, but my mom will be in town and i’ll need to be able to eat a solid meal or two…I should have 2/3 of a jug of MetaDrive leftover at day 28, which allows for almost exactly 2 days worth of shakes…

One day I have circled on the mental calendar: May 18 we have an end of year mixer at DU for students and faculty; its at this very upscale hotel downtown, all suited up, hot biz schook women, etc. Basically its an excuse for everyone to get pissed up. Its a really good time but avoiding booze and food that night is going to be a challenge…in a weird way, i’m kind of looking forward to it.

Just talked to a friend from DU. She asked me if I was coming to this Gala thing. I said probably, but 40 bucks is a bit steep for something where im not gonna eat or drink. And she FLIPPED. “Not eating or drinking?? Why the hell not?” So I told her about the V Diet, dropping weight, training, etc and she kinda of laughed. “You can make an exception for that night”. And if it were any other time, I would. But it isn’t.

So I said “Actually, no I can’t. That’s the point.” Did NOT go over too well. This is also someone who doesn’t see why I would ever want to play rugby for the Eagles since it takes up so much time training and traveling and I miss partying on the weekends. Sweet girl, love her to pieces, but she DOES NOT GET IT. Just funny to see how people react to the lifestyle. People either think its great that I spend the time training and working or they think its a waste of time. I’ve noticed in the last few months that, within my circle of friends from business school (and really, when I think about it, probably 90% of my friends in general) fall into the “thinks its stupid” category than the “supports” category. This realization was disappointing on a number of levels!

Wow, sorry about the rant y’all. Now i’m really off to buy baggies and shakers…

7

Day 0
Bagging all the HOT-ROX, Flameout, BCAAs and vitamins is a PAIN in the ASS! But supps are set, 2 baggies per day, containing BCAAs, Flameout, HRX and a multi-vitamin.

I plugged my meal plan into my Blackberry last night so I get alarms for evey time I need to drink a shake or take some supps. Here’s what my days are looking like:

Training Days
630: Rise
645: 2 HRX and BCAAS
730: Shake 1 (Green+, 1.5 scoops whey, 1.5 scoop Metabolic Drive, vitamin)
1030: Shake 2 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, Flameout)
130: Shake 3 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal)
300: 2 HRX
430: Surge+Creatine+BCAAS, vitamin
730: Shake 5 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal, Flameout)
1030: Shake 6 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal)

Non-Training Days
630: Rise
645: 2 HRX and BCAAS
730: Shake 1 (Greens+,1 scoop whey, 1 scoop Metabolic Drive and vitamin)
1030: Shake 2 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, Flameout)
130: Shake 3 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal)
300: 2 HRX
430: Shake 4 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal, vitamin)
730: Shake 5 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal, Flameout)
1030: Shake 6 (2 scoops Metabolic Drive, 2 tsp flaxmeal)

Here’s where i’m at this morning:
Weight: 214
BF%: 15.58%

I’m revising my goals for the next 30 days. No outcome goals here:

  1. 100% compliance in meals.
  2. 100% comp;iance in training sessions
  3. ATTACK the training sessions

I am glad that these 6 lbs of carb/water weight came off in the last few days. Hopefully dropping those lbs pre-V will give me more time for REAL fat loss rather than dropping water the first week or so.

8

Last solid meal for awhile: Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bol and a diet coke…here goes nothing…

9

Just a quick word: one scoop of Metabolic Drive chocolate and one scoop of Metabolic Drive banana is he greatest shake known to man…too bad I only ordered one jug of banana…

10

Forgot to post this yesterday.
Wednesday training, first day in the gym in about 4 weeks

Iso DB Push Press 40x3 50x3 55x3 65x3 70x3
RDL 135x5 185x5 205x5 225x5 245x5 235x5
DB Row 60x12 60x12 60x12 65x12
Elbow Out Ext 25x12 30x12 30x12 30x12

Circuitx4
Pendulum x10
Saxon Bend 75x10
Bicep Curl 75x10
Swiss Ball Rev Hyper x10
Band Pull Apart x20

11

Trying a new approach to my training. Since i’m trying to repair some injuries (bad ankle, sports hernia, bruised ribs) I’m reworking my training around Alwyn Cosgrove’s 7 Keys to Athletic Success article. I’ve been slacking on the non-lifting aspects.

Friday training
Foam Roller

Str Leg Hip Crossover x15
Scorpion x15
Hand Walk x15
Lateral Lunge x10
Forearm Lunge x10
Backwards Lunge and Twist x10
Sumo Squat x10
Fire Hydrant Lunge Series

Swiss Ball Y,L,T,W and Pushup Plus x10
Swiss Ball Rev Hyper 3x10
Front Bridge Hold 3x45s
Monster Walk 45lbs 3x10

Box Jump Series 5x3
Overhead Squat 95x5 95x5 95x5 115x5 95x5
Palms In DB Press 45x10 55x10 55x10 55x10
Neutral Grip Pulldown 120x10 130x10 140x10 130x10

Cosgrove Complex 65x3
Snatch DL x6
Snatch Pull x6
Upright Row x6
Pwr Snatch x6
Lunge 6+6
Push Jerk x6
Jump Squat x6

Stretch and Roller

I haven’t done a snatch or an overhead squat in about a year and a half and it shows. I MISS that stuff. My ovehead squat really sucks now: best ever full snatch (ass almost hit the ground) is 195lbs and now I can barely overhead squat half that!! Gotta get some shoes (my Adistar’s got stolen from the fitness center at Univ of Denver!) and really get back into the Oly lifting work again. Feeling beat and I thoroughly enjoyed my Surge afterwards.

12

5/12: Day 3

Foam Rolling and Band Traction, 2 walks with the dog in Wash Park

Yesterday was tough, today has been much easier. Last night I was craving a Chipotle burrito BAD, like I could actually taste it. And my sleep has been totally shitty, despite the ZMA use. Might need to invest in some nyquil or something because this 4-5 hrs/night shit isnt gonna cut it. I’ve resisted temptation to step on the scale; if I were weighing in daily, I might become even more fixated than I already am. Haven’t had problems with shakes, but I AM running out of ideas for flavor mixes. And the Grow Whey mixes like shit, so I bagged the idea of adding that to the AM shake.

On another note, my shit is basically nonexistent. The flaxmeal isn’t quite “doing the job”, if you get my drift. Its a bit of a shock taking a big healthy #2 one morning and then then next morning NOTHING. Messing up my morning routine…hahaha. Thinking i’m gonna invest in some chewable fiber caps at the store…thank God for the self checkout aisle! One more delightful side effect has been my positively RANCID breath. A shitload of gum is gonna be a requirement.

Other than that, steady as she goes. I’ve been feeling REALLY thirsty in general though, which seems a little counterintuitive. Haven’t had any problems with hunger pangs yet, so maybe this is hunger manifesting itself as thirst?

I’m feeling a lot better about this after reading Dan John’s post Half a Year after V Diet. I think i’m on the right track with this “fat loss before hitting a big training cycle” idea. The more I can take off the better, as it leaves me more room to add good weight from training this summer.

13

Day 3 continued…

Seems like every neighbor I have is BBQing right now…and driving down the street today I smelled McDonalds a full 5 blocks before I passed it. The V Diet is giving me super-smell powers!

14

I have seen the face of the antichrist, and its name is Greer…something.

I flipped on the tv this morning (545am Sunday) to find an infomercial for MOTIONLESS EXERCISE! IT EXISTS!! I read about it on Olesya’s Atomic Kitten but I thought she was just using it as a metaphor. This whole time I thought it was just hoax, and if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes, I wouldnt believe it.

But let me play Devil’s Advocate for a little while; and this person IS the Devil, 666 tatooed on her forehead. While it’s a sad and disgusting commentary on the mindset in this country, I suppose anything that gives older, morbidly obese women some hope and does take a few inches off of them can’t be ALL BAD. I might be crucified for saying it, but there it is.

You can make a great case for blood work changes, bone density increases and a million other positive changes for older obese women through TRAINING, or even just working out or WALKING once or twice a day. But, if this nonsense does drop a few lbs, maybe adds a few months to their lives and maybe delays diabetes, can it really be all bad?

I am reminded of a quote from on Dan John’s V-Diet blog. I’m not sure who posted it, but it was something to the effect of “I know I do not currently possess the dedication and discipline for the V-Diet”. I think that takes a great amount of self awareness; i’m not sure I agree with it (there isn’t anything special about V-Dieters; simply the desire for change overcomes desire for the “same old thing”) but nothing wrong with it.

Is this any different? Many of the women in these commercials look like they’re in their 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s. They have gone through life without breaking much of a sweat and never met a bucket of KFC they didnt like. After 40-60 years of total lack of discipline in their lives, they simply do not possess the ability to change, nor the desire. In these instances, ANYTHING is better than nothing.

I suppose its like the huge guy from Supersize Me that has gastric bypass. He was drinking multiple two litre’s of soda A DAY. He went to work and literally went temporarily BLIND from all the sugar is his blood. It’s an easy way out, but maybe it extends life by a little while.

Don’t get me wrong; these women ARE NOT US. They are NOT T-Nation, and they SURE as FUCK aren’t our MWA Vixens. When I see these commercials, i’m still reminded of Sgt Hartman calling Gomer Pyle a Fatbody.
It disgusts me that they make about a dozen references to “wasting money with gym memberships” in a 1/2 hr infomercial.

BUT, these people are trying to get the most amount of progress from the least amount of work. I would call that “training efficiency”.

But this could just be the V Diet fucking with my head…hahaha…incidentally, the first commercial after the infomercial ended was for BREYERS DOUBLE CHURN ice cream…WOW

15

5/13
Good day and welcome to Day 4

Actually today was really easy, I went for a two hr walk in the morning, cleaned my apartment, did some work for class, applied for a job, cleaned out my truck and washed my “dishes” (shakers)…nice little Sunday…didnt have time for Bed Bath and Beyond or Home Depot though…

Craving of the Day: Strawberries was a big one, but I got a craving real bad for sashimi too…I think sushi is gonna be my solid meal on Thursday, maybe a sashimi appetizer and one roll…although I really think it might be easier if I just went with no solids for a month…

also, I am barely shitting anything and its always first thing in the morning, I havent crapped during the day since Thursday…

16

Your results sound on track with the same thing that happened to me on the V-Diet. Basically you get super smell for any food within a few blocks. Stick to it though, after the first few days you start to see eating food as being to much work. Good luck.

17

Thought you were referring to my sensitivity to infomercials at 6am!!

Not craving really at all (thankfully), but I definitely am more aware when food is around…i was contemplating not doing a solid meal a week because I was afraid the cravings would be too much but i’m probably scrapping that…plus i’ve been readin Dan John’s blog and he mentions a bunch of times to just LET THE DIET DO ITS WORK…

18

Wow…I hate my apartment complex…upstairs neighbors are blasting music and boozing on a Sunday night…different world here…they’re drinking and all I can think about is training tomorrow…

do they not understand that I haven’t slept more than 5 hrs in a night since I started the V Diet?

Wow…i’m 26; am I the “cranky old man” in this complex or what?

19

5/14 AM
Good day and welcome to Day 5

Stepped on the scale, figured i’d try and not do it daily but itd be nice to see where i’m at…207.

Eh…i’m not sure if I expected more in 5 days or what, I think i’m disappointed mostly because I was already as low as 207 in the last couple weeks. still about 25 days to go, so no worries…and i feel like there are a couple pounds worth of shit stuck in my guts…

off to walk

20

5/14 Training
Foam Roller

Mobility
Hip Crossover x10
Scorpion x10
Rev Scorpion x10
Hand Walk x10
Gate Swing x10
Forearm Lunge x10
Sumo Squat x10

Injury Prevention
Hip Pop x10
Iso Hip Pop x10
Single Leg Raise x10+10
Opposite Arm/Leg x10+10
Superman x10
Physioball Y,T,W,L Pushup x10 ea
Fire Hydrant series

Core
Hanging Leg Raise 2x8
Side Pillar 2x45s
8lb Med Ball Dynamic Russian Twist 2x25

Plyo/Resistance
Seated Box Jumps (stolen from Travis Mash) onto a 39in box 5x3
Par.Box Squat 185x5 225x5 245x5 265x5 285x5
Close Grip Bench 135x5 155x5 175x5 185x5 185x5
Parallel PullUp supposed to be 10x3 but became 7x3 then 5x2 to get 31 rep volume

More Foam Roller and Stretching

This lift took longer than usual (around 75-90 minutes) because my rest periods were around 2-3 minutes rather than the usual 60-90s…the heavy assed work crushed me energy-wise and i’m thinking of pounding a Power Drive before class so I can stay awake…