Month: August 2012

More talk of diet – can I simplify?

/ hsoi / 4 Comments

So yesterday I started fiddling with my workout and I’m happy about it. My legs are sore this morning and I haven’t felt that in ages. 🙂

The next part to bring in line is diet. I have been thinking about carb cycling since it seems all the rage and makes a lot of sense. The difference I’m attempting this time around? Doing the math. I want to calculate out the numbers, the macros, the ratios, everything, and make myself strictly follow them.

So I started doing numbers.

I started looking at the numbers that would come from Shelby Starnes’s take. At my current bodyweight of 240#, it would work out to:

High Days
Protein: 240g-300g
Carbs: 480g-720g
Fat: zilch

Medium & Low Days
Protein: 300g-360g
Carbs: 120g-360g
Fat: 36g-84g

Gee… that sure seems like a lot of carbs on the high days, but isn’t that the point? It’s a lot more protein than I figured, a lot less fat too.

Now if I start looking at Christian Thibaudeau’s take:

BMR: 2238
Calories per day: 3680 (moderate activity level)

but I want to lose weight, so shave 20% and that’s 2834 kcal/day.

Protein: 360g
Carb: 375g (high), 300g (med), 225g (low)
Fat: 29g

Somehow that seemed more reasonable and straightforward.

But then I started doing the math to break things down per meal. Plus I looked at the way they wanted you to ingest. Basically with 6 meals a day and front-loading the carbs in the morning, especially true since I work out in the morning.

The one that floored me? With Thibaudeau’s recommendation to get 50% of your carbs post-workout, that means on my high day I go and lift then come home and have to ingest 187.5 grams of carbs. How in the hell am I supposed to do that? That’s like 14 apples, 3.5 cups of uncooked oatmeal… how am I to eat that without vomiting? or resorting to something ugly like eating fast food? 🙂  Maybe there’s a way, but I just can’t see trying to do this without wretching.

As I’ve been reading, this guy “Scooby” keeps coming up. I read some of his stuff, and one interesting thing is he says carb cycling is not for someone like me. He says for someone in my boat, it’s better to just curb portions, jack up the workload, drink water. Which frankly all makes sense to me. I plugged into his calculator various values. Granted, a lot of it starts out the same as Thibaudeau’s because they use the same basis upon BMR. I pick a macro ratio of 40/40/20, and get some basic results. It comes out to getting about 40-50g of protein and 40-50g carbs per meal. Fat just keep minimal and it’ll work out.

And gee… that seems so much simpler. But fundamentally the same thing. The only difference is I’m not gorging myself like Takeru Kobayashi, everything is spread out; and that every day is the same instead of having high/medium/low days.

Hrm.

I’ve been down this road before and failed. After enough time my body screams at me and off the wagon I go. And that’s part of why carb cycling appealed to me, because there was a chance to recharge and acknowledgement of that need. But another difference from before vs. now is here I’m wanting to really measure things out and work to stick to it. And who knows… maybe I’ll adjust macros some so I get a little more carbs. Or maybe I have a “high day”. I don’t know.

But really, one key factor I need, apart from numbers, is simplicity. If it’s too complicated I’m not going to be able to stick with it. Not just because of myself, but I need Wife’s support in this as she’s the primary food preparer and deliverer. If I can say something simple like “40-50g each of protein and carbs per meal” then that greatly facilitates life for her and thus her ability to support me. That’s vital.

This is all stuff I started working, reading, calculating, and thinking on just in the past 12 hours… so it’s all still fresh in my head and no firm choices made. But this may be where I’m going. Time to let it simmer.

 

2012-08-20 Dry Fire Practice

/ hsoi

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 2, Day 1

Basic routine

  1. 20 reps of Wall Drill, from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO
  3. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO
  4. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H
  5. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO
  6. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

 

2012-08-20 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 13, Squat 2

/ hsoi

I called an audible on the way out the door, and I’m happy about it.

“Week 2”

  • 3 reps – Squat (working max: 290#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x115
    • 1x5x145
    • 1x3x175
    • 1x3x205 (work)
    • 1x3x235
    • 1x4x265 (PR os sorts
  • Asst. #1 – Squat
    • 5 x 10 x 135
  • Asst. #2 – Leg Curl
    • 5 x 10 x 70
  • Foam Rolling

As you know I’ve been thinking about a major program change, wanting to focus on shedding the fat I’ve built up. There’s the diet side of things, then there’s the work side of things. This is about the latter.

Right now I follow “option 1” of the Wendler 5/3/1 2x/week setup. But that’s been proving to be difficult. First, it just takes a long time in the gym because there’s 2 main lifts per day. Second, I think because it’s 2 main lifts, it’s a big energy drain. Maybe a younger me could have handled it, but I have to adapt to what my body will allow. Sure I could eat like mad, get lots of sleep, but right now those (well, eating) are bit counter to what I need. So I’ve been thinking about keeping 2x week but using the BBB template: 1 main lift, 2 assistance with one being the main lift for 5×10.

That was the audible I called on the way out the door. I’ve been thinking about it and figured why the heck should I keep waiting around to try it. I didn’t reset the program… didn’t start over at 5 reps or whatever. Basically just keep doing this cycle as-is but now spread it out. So weights are the same, just different days and content.

I felt quite good. I didn’t feel like I had to really keep energy in reserve to make it through. It was time to squat, I squatted. I didn’t know what weight to use for the assistance work… I figured 50% but I didn’t know nor really care what the value was. I figured pick 135 because it was simple enough, tho probably on the lighter side… and it’s always smarter to go light. Now that I’m home and can look at numbers, 50% would be 145 and I can do that.

The trick here tho is all assistance work is done quickly. Strict form — which I really need work on, and thus all this extra time on that exercise will be a HUGE boon. Deep squats (I videoed a set to ensure I was breaking parallel). And only about 90 seconds of rest between sets. I want to get my heart pumping. That’s part of this.

I forgot to note when I started the workout, but I could tell it ran shorter… at least 20 minutes, which is significant for me in the morning. And later on if I deem I want to do something like 15 minutes on the treadmill post-workout, then I do have the time.

And hey… I had one hell of a pump in my legs today. I felt wiggly and wobbly as I left. And you know what? I missed that feeling. Sure it’s more of a working the muscle than working the movement feeling, but gee… I stated some time ago in terms of desire for more volume, to feel more pump, more work. And gosh, I got it. Plus I hope this won’t lead me down the road of too much work that’s too hard to recover from. If anything, I expect it’ll be better in that regard.

So here I go. Next up tho… getting the diet tightened up. I need to run numbers and will be calculating that this week.

Sunday Metal – Twisted Sister

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

I don’t know what to say…. I mean, Twisted Sister covering The Shangri-Las “Leader of the Pack” it’s not a bad cover in and of itself… but well, I guess just don’t take it too seriously and enjoy it. 🙂

2012-08-18 Dry Fire Practice

/ hsoi

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 5

Movement

  1. 10 reps of wall drill from press out 2H
  2. 10 draws stepping right, 3/4 speed, 2H
  3. 10 draws stepping left, 3/4 speed 2H
  4. 10 reloads stepping right (reload on the move), 3/4 speed 2H
  5. 10 reloads stepping left (reload on the move), 3/4 speed 2H
  6. 10 reps wall drill from press out 2H

My first “missed” day. Should have happened yesterday (Friday), but that morning I had the thought of going into work early and then being able to leave early (and practice when I got home). The best laid plans… didn’t work out. Day ran very long. So of course, had to make it up as quickly as possible, so here the next day I did it.

Gotta remember … what shot is the easiest to mess up? The first shot. What’s the most important shot? The first shot. This session is all about “first shot”, because that shot after the reload? That’s a first shot. You can’t allow yourself to get in a hurry after the reload to get the gun back out there… else you risk rushing and blowing that first shot. Be mindful, and that’s also why the 3/4 speed in this is very useful.

I also love practicing movement like this. It’s simple, but it always makes me remember Tom Givens’ name for it: a “what the fuck” moment.

sleep

/ hsoi

apparentlyt my body craved (more) sleep.

who knew.

edited: speaking of sleep….

Sleep made an awesome band promo picture.

And if you need something to do for the next hour, here’s Sleep’s “Dopesmoker”

Um… they didn’t work, but I know something that does.

/ hsoi

A man goes to the Family Research Council’s offices in Washington DC and starts shooting.

DC Mayor Vincent Gray doesn’t get it.

…a Herndon man who purchased a firearm on Aug. 9 and brought it “into our city,” Mr. Gray said Thursday on NewsChannel 8.

“He would not have been able to do that in the District of Columbia,” Mr. Gray said,

Not have been able to do what in “your” city? Because it looks like he certainly did. Now I grant, after reading Emily Miller’s trials in obtaining a handgun in Washington DC it’s a tough thing to do, but not impossible. Regardless, this man didn’t seem to care about any laws.

We already have laws on the books that prohibit murder.

We already have laws on the books prohibiting assault.

We already have lots of laws in the books that make it difficult for people to obtain guns and other weapons. Heck, we have laws that can make it difficult to obtain just about anything and everything. I mean, drugs like meth, cocaine, heroin… they’re all banned, but that hasn’t seemed to stop much.

“We don’t need to make guns more available to people,” Mr. Gray said. “There are irresponsible people, there are people who have mental health problems, and the easier access they have to guns the more likely we are to predispose innocent victims, like yesterday, to the use of the guns.”

Actually we do need to make guns, training, and a better mindset available to more people. Why? Because the reason this particular situation didn’t get bad was because someone was willing to fight back. Granted, the extreme cases of someone really hell-bent on causing harm are going to do what they’re going to do. But the vast majority of criminals – petty or large-scale – only do what they do due to lack of opposition. Consider many that do the mass shooting spree stuff… once the cops show up, they commit suicide. They don’t want opposition, they want easy targets. Most criminals wanting to mug someone will hit up the person with their nose stuck in their iPhone as they walk down the street, not the guy with his head up walking like the baddest lion on the plains. Why do most burglaries happen on weekdays between 10AM and 3PM? Because most folks aren’t home thus the burglar won’t face opposition. Why does the rapist attack the woman walking alone a night and not the group of women walking around together? They just want a quick score, not a righteous fight. Consider where many crimes happen — in gun free zones, in places where it’s promoted to curl up and die. It’s rare to see crimes in MMA gyms, police stations, NRA conventions. Why might that be the case?

I don’t disagree with Mayor Gray, that irresponsible people, people with major problems, should be better managed and helped with their problems. But we must remember, someone bent on destruction will do whatever — law will not and do not stop them. I recently read a story where a mass killing occurred via arson, with the arsonist using 2 gallon milk jugs filled with gasoline, and matches. Are we going to ban the corner grocery store? Are we going to require background checks and waiting periods and monthly rationing to fill up our SUV’s? I mean, if grandma’s got a cold, we’ve got laws to make it difficult for her to get a decongestant. We can’t travel in this country any more without being considered a possible terrorist. Why are we looking at addressing symptoms instead of addressing root causes? I grant because it’s easier to make yourself feel like you’re doing something if you can pass a law and ban some talisman of evil… but it doesn’t solve the problem, and typically only makes matters worse.

Mayor Gray, you have lots of laws. Washington DC still makes it immensely difficult for law-abiding people to live their lives. Your laws didn’t stop this from happening. No, what stopped this was a person willing to fight back and stop the madness before it became a tragedy.

If you want to do something to help, Mr. Gray, why don’t you enable good people to fight?

2012-08-16 Dry Fire Practice

/ hsoi / 2 Comments

Following the TLG 4-week sample dry fire routine.

Week 1, Day 4

Basic routine

  1. 20 reps of Wall Drill, from extension 2H
  2. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, SHO
  3. 5 reps of Wall Drill from extension, WHO
  4. 20 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, 2H
  5. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, SHO
  6. 5 reps of Wall Drill from press-out, WHO

More fundamentals. Like I said, probably my favorite routine…. cause I can’t get enough work on it.

2012-08-16 workout – Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 13, Deadlift/Press 1

/ hsoi

This diet thing… making me think about program changes.

“Week 1”

  • 5 reps – Deadlift (working max: 355#)
    • 1x5x145 (warmup)
    • 1x5x180
    • 1x3x215
    • 1x5x235 (work)
    • 1x5x270
    • 1x8x305 (rep PR)
  • 5 reps – Press (working max: 160#)
    • 2x5x45 (warmup)
    • 1x5x65
    • 1x5x80
    • 1x3x95
    • 1x5x105 (work)
    • 1x5x120
    • 1x8x140 (rep PR)
  • Asst. #1 – DB Rows
    • 3 x 10 x 85
  • Asst. #2 – Pulldown abs
    • 3 x 12 x 110
  • Foam Rolling

As mentioned previously, I’m starting to toy with the carb cycling stuff. Nothing necessarily formal, but trying things like denying myself carbs after lunchtime (until breakfast the next day), measuring out my carbs to see “oh, that’s what 1 cup of brown rice looks like” and so on. Just things to get a handle on the function of things so when I start carb cycling I can know better what to do… and if I can do it.

So the past couple days have been low on carbs and I think it showed this morning. Sure I set rep PR’s, but I really had to grind and just felt flat all workout long. I also cut the assistance work short for three reasons: 1. I felt flat and pooped 2. didn’t want to overdo things if this diet thing is going to cut into recovery, 3. time. I started late today and gee… part of why I went to 2x week was time, but this program of 2 main lifts and then enough assistance work just takes too long… like 1:15 to almost 1:30, which is too much especially when you incorporate the walk to and from the gym.

So if there’s going to be energy issues… if there’s going to be time issues… it starts to reinforce my desire to try a BBB-like protocol when I officially hit the diet (starting next cycle, so 3 weeks from now). It’ll still be 2x a week, but like “option 2” of Wendler’s 2x week program, it’ll be a 6 week cycle with week 1 doing Squat and Bench, and week 2 doing Deadlift and Press, then you go to the next “week”. Yeah it takes longer but so what? My primary goal isn’t strength or mass, it’s fat loss. So I do the one main lift; repeat lift at lower weight, more reps, less rest between sets; then one more assistance exercise. That cuts the total number of sets per workout almost in half, it’ll be a lot less time too because rest between sets won’t be 5 minus (other than the 1 main lift), I only have to focus on one big lift instead of two. Yeah, I think that might work out better for me in a lot of ways.

Just thinking aloud tho… nothing is settled.

More things I’ve learned about Jenkins

/ hsoi / 1 Comment

At the day job, I’m still working with Jenkins and our build system. I’ve written about some things I learned at the onset, and now I’d like to add some things I’ve learned since then.

Plugins

Be mindful of them. There’s a great many out there that can help you solve things, but they seem to also bring much risk. For example, Jenkins was going belly-up at least a couple of times a day. I’d look in the system console and see some plugin that I wasn’t even using (just had installed) was somehow causing memory failures, throwing an exception, and Jenkins went stupid and had to be restarted. Once you figure out what plugins you need, uninstall every other plugin. Keep your system as minimal and tight as possible to avoid introducing risk or uncertainty.

Backups

I had to write a lot of custom scripts (some bash, a lot of ruby). These files I can keep in our version control system. But Jenkins files themselves are harder to do. Make sure you have a backup strategy. Make sure you run it often while you work. Working on a Mac and using Time Machine is useful… make a change, screw up, easy to revert.

Updates

Don’t apply an update unless the changelog shows it directly affects you. For example, the git plugin was just updated to fix a regression that prevented using env parameters in the branch name — I need that, so I upgraded that plugin. This goes back to the plugin issues I mentioned above… and if you screw up, it goes back to my backup issue I mention above. 🙂

Planning

Do your best to plan your jobs and pipeline. Figure out the abstract ideal that you want. Then figure what Jenkins can offer to get you there. You might find plugins, but you might also have to write your own scripts and other management.

Then, don’t be afraid to revise and revise again, even starting over if you have to.

DIY

I wanted to use a lot of plugins, because they’re supposed to make it easy, right? Well, it depends. The Xcode plugin is supposed to make it easier to do xcodebuild-based, builds. And in theory it does, but our needs are different and so I just have to get dirty with our own scripts.

The email-ext plugin is really cool, but I couldn’t get it to understand and bring in a bunch of env vars and do other bits of logic processing that we needed. So again, scripting to the rescue. Net::SMTP to the rescue.

CodeSign problems

I noticed from time to time that I’d start a build and eventually xcodebuild or ‘xcrun PackageApplication’ would fail:

“There are no valid public/private key pairs in the default keychain”

It seems this would happen after rebooting the machine (and Jenkins started up via the launchd stuff). I could manually use launchctl to unload then (re)load and things might be back to normal, but that’s annoying.

I found this post at stackoverflow.com, and adding the “SessionCreate = true” key/value to the launchd plist seems to do the trick.

But then further down things failed out. Despite the codesign command line tool being granted special Keychain access, it still hated life:

<path to build output app>: User interaction is not allowed.

Uh…

So I found this and added a:

security unlock-keychain -p "" login.keychain

in the custom ruby script before invoking xcodebuild and PackageApplication.

BTW, I don’t have the passwords encoded into the script. Remember the use of the .netrc file? Use that.

Speaking of .netrc… it seems curl doesn’t like a .netrc where newlines separate entries… it wants everything on one line.

Passing Data to Downstream Jobs

Using Jenkins’ parameterized build mechanism, I was able to pass parameters around. I’d have the main build job, which would then use the promoted builds plugin to allow me to move the build through a pipeline, like to promote to QA, then promote to the App Store, or whatever. But there’s a lot of information from the main build job that I want the downstream jobs to have so the jobs can be properly named, emails can be properly formatted, version control tags set up, whatever. I found the easist way to do this was at the end of the main build job to use a little ruby scripting, create a Hash with all the things I cared to preserve, use YAML to preserve it to file, make sure the build job archived and fingerprinted that .yml file, and moved that “config.yml” file along with the rest of my archives and promotions. Then it’s simple enough to load and look up key/values out of the config.yml file in the later job scripts.

Tagging Git

One of the downstream jobs is a “deploy to the Apple app store” job. Certainly when we do that we want to tag our github-hosted repository with info about the build so we can know what was deployed. Trouble is, at that phase of the build pipeline we don’t have source code. So we can’t just “git tag” then “git push”. What to do? Use the github v3 API. In that config.yml file I was able to preserve the SHA hash of the code we used, so that’s all we need.

At first I thought to use the Tags API, but as I played with that it didn’t work. Even if I could create a tag, it wouldn’t show up in the Tags area of my git GUI app SourceTree. In fact, it started to give errors about refs. So I started to play with the References API and tried things like:

$ curl -XPOST --netrc https://api.github.com/repos/:user/:repos/git/refs \
-d '{"ref":"refs/tags/MyTestTag","sha":"be43262431c7a4b9db67a23d37f51e7901b9845c"}'

and lo… that seemed to work.

Is that enough? Is that correct? I don’t know. I’m not an expert on the low-level plumbing of git. I have contacted github support, but as of this writing have yet to hear back.

The Journey Continues

That’s all that I have for now.

It’s a lot of work to set up a build system, but it’s rather satisfying to do it. I still have a long ways to go. Right now we just have the basics for building and deploying to help our general workflow. It still needs lots of work for validations, testing, continuous integration, and other good stuff like that. One step at a time.