Me

2014-09-17 training log

/ hsoi

Man, you go up 10 lbs and everything feels different.

So I felt that I made good progress at the prior weight in model 1, so time to bump up the weight. I bumped up the “working max” by 10 lbs. and then recalculated everything. Interesting that all the calculated weights only went up 5 lbs except for the 1 rep weight. But even just going up that small amount added a larger workload. So the 5×5 went slower. That’s how it goes.

Or it could be today was that plus just being off. I felt sluggish getting out of bed. Work’s been stressful, maybe that’s in play. Who knows. I wouldn’t chalk today up as a -10% day tho; still a good 80% day… but just not all mentally there this morning.

In related news, I keep feeling stiff in my legs. Sitting all day in front a computer, I reckon. I’m making an effort that every day I do some bodyweight squats, at least 10 reps. I do some simple stretching, like just standing up straight and reaching up to the sky, holding that for a while and just relaxing into it. It feels more yoga-like than “athletic stretching” (for lack of a better way to describe it), but it feels good and my body is feeling better doing it. Just take the dog out back in the afternoon, and while she runs about, just stand on the back patio and do these stretches and squats. Feels good.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

  • Squats (model 1)
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 150 x 5
    • 175 x 4
    • 205 x 3
    • 225 x 2
    • 260 x 1
    • 180 x 5
    • 180 x 5
    • 180 x 5
    • 180 x 5
    • 180 x 5
  • Deficit Deadlift (model 1)
    • 275 x 3
    • 275 x 3
    • 275 x 3
    • 275 x 3
    • 275 x 3
  • Leg Press
    • 165 x 20
    • 165 x 20

2014-09-15 training log

/ hsoi

Well, maybe today was better… I don’t know. I don’t quite feel like I’m treading water, but today’s progress wasn’t much over last week. Still, a bit of progress is still progress, so I’ll give it a little more time to see how things go, else I’ll switch up to “model 2”.

I did opt to make one change. I swapped close-grip bench presses in and behind-the-neck presses out. I don’t have problems getting the bar off my chest nor through the mid-way point, but it’s after that point, which is perhaps a triceps weakness. So hey… how about some close-grips instead. If a little extra triceps work can help me there, I’ll take it.

Oh, I am going to make an effort to pause all my warm-ups. I was reading John Phung’s “A Very Important Letter to my 14-Year-Old Self”, which reads like a letter I’d write to my own 14-year-old self, and one thing he wrote:

Pause your warm ups at the bottom position. It’s an easy way to sneak in paused work into a training session.

Geez… duh! Yeah.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

  • Bench Press (model 1)
    • bar x 5
    • bar x 5
    • 115 x 5
    • 130 x 4
    • 155 x 3
    • 170 x 2
    • 190 x 1
    • 170 x 8
    • 170 x 8
    • 170 x 8
    • 170 x 8
    • 170 x 6
  • Machine Flies
    • 85 x 10
    • 85 x 10
    • 85 x 10
    • 85 x 10
    • 85 x 10
  • Close-Grip Bench Press
    • 95 x 12
    • 95 x 12
    • 95 x 12
    • 95 x 12
  • Hammer Curls
    • 30e x 10
    • 30e x 10
    • 30e x 10
    • 30e x 8

2014-09-12 training log

/ hsoi

I just don’t look forward to back day. It just feels like a bunch of assistance exercises. I dunno… maybe all the time spent doing 5/3/1 and how every day involved a major movement then assistance work. Who knows… maybe I’ll try to get back to that somehow, but if I do, I suspect I may need to also get back to a more 5/3/1-style split so there’s a bit more recovery time in there. Or could be as simple as putting squats on Monday, bench Wednesday, and deadlift Friday, but I dunno…. I’ll think about it.

And today, I also changed it up a bit. I realized that hyperextensions aren’t really doing anything more than following what Paul wrote in the eBook. I figured what I could actually use more of would be some shoulder work. Not like delt work, but things say for the rotator cuff and other shoulder health things. So today for lack of a better thing, I did face pulls, but I’ll be looking into what I need most. Should be more useful for me and my shoulders.

Other big thing was trying to think more about pulling from my back. That is, from the elbows to my hands? They don’t exist. All pulling comes from the back muscles working to pull at the shoulder, to pull the elbow. The elbow only moves because the back muscles moved it — no biceps, no forearms. At least, that’s the way I visualized and tried to move.

Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

  • BB Rows
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
  • Wide, Neutral-grip Lat Pulldowns
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
  • Barbell Shrugs
    • 155 x 20
    • 155 x 20
    • 155 x 20
    • 155 x 18
    • 155 x 18
  • Face Pulls
    • 40 x 15
    • 40 x 15
    • 40 x 15

    • The De-fattening Project – Month 1

    / hsoi

    One month ago I started on a concerted effort to lose weight. Time to check in and see how the first month went.

    Background

    It’s actually been a little longer than one month, maybe 6 weeks? I don’t recall the actual day I stepped on the scale and saw 265 lbs. But I do distinctly remember feeling ashamed of myself for getting to that point — never have I weighed so much. It’d be one thing if it was all muscle, but it’s not. I didn’t take a precise body fat measurement, but if you Google around for “body fat estimator pictures” I used those and figure I’ve got at least 30%, maybe 35% body fat. That sucks. I know precisely what got me here: stress eating, comfort eating. And over time, it adds up. I’ve tried fat loss before, with varying success but it never took. But it’s kinda like when I quit smoking cigarettes some 16-17 years ago: quitting is easy, did it hundreds of times – sticking with it is the hard part! But there just comes a tipping point, and it sticks. I’d like to believe I’m at that point with my weight. I’ve tried so many things, so many techniques, solutions, programs, etc… and nothing has really worked. But I also think, in part, it’s because I wasn’t at the tipping point. Again, I’d like to believe now I’m there.

    I had been thinking about getting help with the weight loss for some time, because I figure it can only help. I know the value of having a teacher/mentor/coach in other areas of life, so why not here? One big reason is there’s an overload of information out there about eating, weight management etc., and you get analysis paralysis. Having someone to help me sift through the chaff to find the wheat would be useful. So I settled on Renaissance Periodization because they have a solid reputation for both success and the use and application of science! If you want a taste, take an hour and watch their YouTube Nutrition Videos Playlist. Science! What’s great as well is that Nick Shaw and Dr. Mike Israetel make all this knowledge digestible for normal people, without talking or dumbing down.

    When I officially started with RP, I weighed in at 261 lbs. So, I’m measuring my weight loss both from my worst, and from when I started with RP.

    One Month of Results

    This morning I weighed in at 250 lbs. So that’s 15 lbs from my worst, and 11 lbs. from RP. I will take it!

    I am working on fast weight loss, as fast as is healthy. I know this may seem a little fast for that, but some of the initial loss was simple bloat. When you factor that out, I’m averaging about 2 lbs. a week, which is about as fast as one wants to go. I’ve still got a long road of many months ahead of me, but if I can keep up this rate of progress I’ll be quite happy. That seems quite do-able, if you look at RP’s list of testimonials, as most of their clients lose at about that rate.

    I decided to take pictures on a monthly basis. Comparing my start to now? You can see a difference. It’s slight, but it’s there. I won’t post any pictures yet, but once I have a good “after” picture, I’m sure I’ll post something.

    I cannot quite say if I’m losing muscle mass and/or strength. But so far my weight-room results are saying that I am not. It’s still to early to say for sure, but the trend so far is that I’m at least holding fast and maybe increasing a bit. I can live with at least maintaining because then at least I’m not losing. Time will tell.

    All in all, I’m pleased. Yes, I’d love to have overnight results, but I know that won’t happen. So long as I can keep on this rate of progress tho, it’s the best I can hope for.

    Commentary

    Certainly I have to stick to the program, including parts I don’t like. That’s one reason I think I’m at the tipping point, because I’m willing to do the work needed, including work I hate. Like having to do cardio 4x week. It’s light cardio but still anything that isn’t “squat faster, for more reps” is cardio I don’t like. But you want something bad enough? You do what it takes to get there. Besides, if you look at the numbers, it’s obviously a contributing factor. If the little calculator on the elliptical is to be believed, I burn maybe 500 calories a session, so that’s 2000 cals a week, and that adds up.

    Sometimes eating gets to be a mechanical chore tho. Must eat at certain times, in certain measured amounts. But again, if success comes from following the program to a “T”, then so be it. To Wife’s credit, she’s being very supportive and working to help find ways to make meal-time less boring and repetitive for me, yet also not a major inconvenience to the whole family. I’m thankful for that support.

    The low/no-carb days can be hard to get through sometimes. What helps is lots of veggies to fill you up, and it’s great that I can have diet sodas. I’m not much of a soda drinker any more, but if a little sweet fizzy water helps me get through the day, so be it. I also like that it’s not as restrictive of a diet as say all of Kiefer’s CBL/CN is; so if I want a Diet Hansen’s soda, fine. BTW, I’m finding the Hansen’s sodas are simply awesome tasting — almost better than “regular” sodas. Their Ginger Ale tastes excellent. But this makes sense. If you watch RP’s nutrition videos, you’ll see that what matters most at this point is calories in vs. calories out, the macronutrients, and perhaps timing… and things like food composition are so unimportant for someone in my position. So eat fruit and be happy. That helps so much towards success.

    Many months still head. It’s not easy, but I know it’s going to be worth it.

    2014-09-10 training log

    / hsoi

    Today was pretty damn good.

    Sleep proves itself yet again. I woke up earlier than usual (bathroom) and figured it was too early, but lay down and get another 45 minutes. I got another 90 minutes. Annoyed because I felt behind schedule for the day (and it hadn’t even started), but I know in the end my body needed it. It likely contributed to a good day in the gym.

    Squats went up solid and fast every time. Going to bump up the weight for next week.

    Deficit deads, I’m glad I dropped the weight. I’m able to focus more on technique and ensuring I really get down in the starting position and “squat the weight up” as the saying goes. I’ll stay at this weight for at least another 1-2 weeks to make sure I find the technique groove. But today felt good.

    Just cannot complain with today.

    Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

    • Squats (model 1)
      • bar x 5
      • bar x 5
      • 145 x 5
      • 170 x 4
      • 200 x 3
      • 220 x 2
      • 250 x 1
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
    • Deficit Deadlift (model 1)
      • 275 x 3
      • 275 x 3
      • 275 x 3
      • 275 x 3
      • 275 x 3
    • Leg Press
      • 165 x 20
      • 165 x 20

    2014-09-08 training log

    / hsoi / 2 Comments

    I’m really not sure what to make of this.

    It feels like I’m treading water. Some bench sessions are better, some are worse, but if you average them out, it’s treading water. Meanwhile squat/deadlift and back work seems to be progressing.

    I still think it’s too soon to REALLY tell. I want to give it a couple more weeks at least and see what happens. I mean, the others may be progressing merely because they were “too light” when I started, by comparison to how bench work started. So again, it’s just too soon to tell.

    But I also thought that it may be just how it is for the coming months, while on the RP diet. Thing is, I have to change perspective. I mean, if I’m losing weight (fat) but everything in the gym remains the same? Then at least I’m not losing any strength, which is important. I mean, I don’t really expect to gain (I’ll take it if I get it tho), but to maintain? That’s good. And so, if I do continue to just tread water then so be it; it means I’m at least keeping my strength. I just expect it’ll get really boring, so I’ll probably want to change things up merely to combat boredom.

    That said tho, what I am thinking about is switching the bench to basebuilding model 2. So if I do change something in a couple weeks, it would likely be that.

    Otherwise, today was just a day.

    Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

    • Bench Press (model 1)
      • bar x 5
      • bar x 5
      • 115 x 5
      • 130 x 4
      • 155 x 3
      • 170 x 2
      • 190 x 1
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 4
    • Machine flies
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
    • Behind the Neck Press
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 9
      • 85 x 7
    • Hammer Curls
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10

    2014-09-05 training log

    / hsoi

    It was a day. Not much else to really say.

    I did drop the weight on the hypers, because I really focused on moving purely by contracting my posterior chain muscles, really squeezing, and feeling it all. Hurt for sure. 🙂

    But anyways, things just chug along.

    I will say, I don’t feel like I’m getting enough work on my back. Like I need just one more thing… maybe some cable rows or something. Or maybe rear delt raises. Or maybe some stuff for shoulder rotation. Heck, could be as simple as doing 5 sets instead of 4. Dunno. Just thinking out loud.

    Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

  • BB Rows
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
    • 145 x 8
  • Wide, Neutral-grip Lat Pulldowns
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
    • 130 x 8
  • Barbell Shrugs
    • 145 x 20
    • 145 x 20
    • 145 x 20
    • 145 x 20
    • 145 x 20
  • Hyperextensions
    • BW x 10
    • BW x 10
    • BW x 10
    • BW x 10

    • 2014-09-03 training log

    / hsoi

    Much better today than last week.

    Squats are moving well. I think it’s time to bump the weight up, but I’m going to stay here for one more week, see how it goes, then I’ll move it up 10 lbs.

    During deadlifts, I realized I was starting with my weight forward on my toes — the different positioning from the deficit. Relative to my legs, my back is very strong, so doing things like sitting back more put me into a deeper “squat” to start and really changed the pull. Consequently, I dropped the weight down (just did simple plate-math) and that seems like it might be a more productive thing for me for a while — less weight, deficit, and really focus on “squatting the weight up”. No question from the floor is where I need some work because once things get past the knees it’s no problem. My hamstrings reminded me they need work. 🙂 So I’ll stick with the lower weight for a while, keep my big toe lifted up to force me back on my heels more, allow for the deeper starting position, and work from there.

    Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

    • Squats (model 1)
      • bar x 5
      • bar x 5
      • 145 x 5
      • 170 x 4
      • 200 x 3
      • 220 x 2
      • 250 x 1
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
      • 175 x 5
    • Deficit Deadlift (model 1)
      • 315 x 3
      • 315 x 3
      • 315 x 3
      • 275 x 3
      • 275 x 3
    • Leg Press
      • 165 x 20
      • 165 x 20

    KR Training 2014-08-30 – DLG-E Quick Hits

    / hsoi / 2 Comments

    This past Saturday was an especially good one for me. KR Training was holding two classes: Defensive Long Gun Essentials and Skill Builder. But it was a slightly different day for me.

    I was Dad, in addition to assisting.

    Oldest was a student in the DLG-E class. You see, all this summer, Oldest has been “chore boy” at the KR Training ranch, mostly doing a lot of the lawn mowing (it’s a lot of acreage to mow). Karl gave him a slot in the DLG-E class as a bonus for all his hard work this summer (thanx, Karl!). Oldest is just starting down the road of formal firearms education. Sure I’ve showed him things and we go shooting when we can, but I firmly believe in the benefits of formal education and schooling. Plus, sometimes kids listen to others better, or at least differently, than their parents.

    How’d he do? Fine. There’s certainly things for him to work on, but it seems he did well in the class. He certainly had a lot of fun and got to experience new things. One of which was going through the shoot house.

    I did run the shoot house, and we did something different: we had verbal interactions. Instead of just using visual cues for target discernment, students were encouraged to interact with the photorealistic targets: “Stop!” “Show me your hands!” or whatever command they wanted to try. Then I would react in whatever way was appropriate, to help the student learn about the importance of making decisions.

    What came out of this? While “bang bang” is fun, it’s just one — and arguable a minor — skill to master compared to others, such as threat management, or as SouthNarc calls it “Managing Unknown Contacts”.

    As coincidence has it, Claude Werner was just on Ballistic Radio talking about this very thing. As I write this, I haven’t listened to that episode yet, but given the write-up, it seems quite relevant.

    The other thing I recommend folks look at is anything from Craig “SouthNarc” Douglas regarding the topic of “Managing Unknown Contacts” (MUC). If you don’t get a chance to study with Craig, see if you can find a copy of his “Practical Unarmed Combat” DVD as it covers some basics of MUC. And yes, SouthNarc is coming to KR Training in March 2015 for his ECQC course.

    Side note: one student in class (my friend Rog) was running a pump shotgun. He was shooting some Winchester PDX, both their buck and slugs. He had an extremely difficult failure to extract with a slug (probably a combination of a hot slug and dirty chamber — I put the muscles to good use and was able to eventually clear the chamber). The buck claims to have tighter patterns, and it is tighter than cheap buckshot, but it just cannot compete with Federal Premium FLITECONTROL buckshot. I wish Federal was paying me (or giving me free ammo) for all the promotion of their product, but alas they are not — we just have witnessed the performance and nothing can come close. Said it before, say it again: Federal Premium 12 gauge FLITECONTROL 00 buckshot, low recoil (1145 fps, vs 1325 fps)  if you can find it, and 8 (vs. 9) pellet if you can find it.

    The weather was great! Things are getting unstable here in Texas, with some rain finally coming down, but the predictions for more changing every hour. The morning looked like it might come down, but it just got better as the day wore on. Couldn’t have asked for a finer day, weather wise.

    Plus I got to spend more quality time with my son. He’s not just Oldest, but certainly getting older. Time is precious.

    Alas, I didn’t get to stay for the Skill Builder class as Oldest had somewhere to be. But hey… I couldn’t ask for a better day. 🙂

    2014-09-01 training log

    / hsoi

    Not quite sure what to make of today.

    Overall it was an alright session. But I feel like I’m stuck. Is the protocol not working (e.g. I need to switch to model 2?)? Is it because of the diet and I’m just not progressing? Or maybe because I did push much harder during the initial sets that I just didn’t have it left in the tank towards the end? Hard to say right now. But today was what it was.

    I know during my bench sets I was pushing faster, more explosively than I had before. So I know that took something more out of me. And when I did the BHP’s, I decided to increase the weight when I was planning this session but looking back I should have backed off on the weight given how the benching went. I did that on the curls and it was about the same tho as last week so… that’s why I wonder was it actually my work? or am I perhaps treading because of the diet? It’s just going to take some time to determine.

    Speaking of diet. I hit my first plateau. I’ve been losing at a rate of about 1 lb. every 3-4 days, and I didn’t change weight between this past Thursday to Sunday, so Nick @ RP made a small adjustment that drops me down by about 500 calories a day, which is about right. Basically dropping my fat intake on my off days. All makes sense, and I expect I should be back on the losing train.

    I’m having good days and bad days on the diet. Basically it’s a willpower issue. But again, the way the RP diet is set it’s helpful. I mean, the ability to have fruit is a godsend. And with no micro-management of things like artificial sweeteners, yeah, I’ll have a Diet Hansens soda now and again. Some artificial sweeteners give me a headache (tried a couple Coke Zero’s back at the old day job and it never ended well), but the Diet Hansen’s are working well for me. It’s still an adjustment to not eating “a lot” of food, due in part to eating more frequently (thus you need smaller meals) but the lack of carb sources on the off-days also cuts down on the fullness feeling. Sometimes the food is getting boring too, but I’m looking for more ways to help with that.

    Granted, this is a hell of a first-world problem. Still, relative to me it’s different and a challenge.

    And while I got really down on it this past weekend, I spent some extra time looking at myself in the mirror at the gym today. I saw my shirt bulging where it shouldn’t bulge, and that I pissed me off. But I also saw such potential, like while curling I’ve got these pumped up pecs and delts and tris and bis, and holding dumbbells at your side, it really makes the arms and shoulders stand out. I can envision how awesome things will look — I just have to keep carving away the fat.

    So… motivation. Determination. Just a matter of sticking to it.

    Based upon Paul Carter’s Basebuilding

    • Bench Press (model 1)
      • bar x 5
      • bar x 5
      • 115 x 5
      • 130 x 4
      • 155 x 3
      • 170 x 2
      • 190 x 1
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 8
      • 170 x 7
      • 170 x 5
    • Machine Flies
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
    • Behind the Neck Press
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 10
      • 85 x 9
    • Hammer Curls
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10
      • 25e x 10