Fitness Mission 101 Public Update
Monday, July 19, 2010:
Category 6 - Lifting (Deadlift): (Example)
52. 170 lbs. 3 x 8
The goal of my Monday routine is a record deadlift and I think I'll be able to up it by 10 lbs. a week for a while. I may even be able to get to my 200 lb. goal within the next 3 weeks. I am iffy on whether I can get to my current weight (see below) but I should be able to get close. Still, because the deadlift carries a high risk of injury when performed poorly, and because this weight is certainly challenging, I'm going to take it slow and not skip any steps.
I also weighed in and did a body fat percentage test - 223 lbs./29.1%. The body fat percentage part is a serious dissapointment that is reflective of a recent trend.
On the other hand, given the serious accuracy issues with this kind of measurement when hydration is not kept constant (see the section labeled 'Bioelectrical impedance Analysis'), and my impression that I have been poorly hydrated, I'm going to make some corrections but I will not go overboard.
Possible plans to make sure more of the weight I lose is fat and not lean body mass:
1. Incorporate some High Intensity Interval Training; and
2. Eat better
Eat better, however, is complicated. First, my suspicion has been that I eat too little rather than too much. While I average close to 2,000 calories per day my baseline intake should apparently be higher (2,500-3,000 depending on whom one believes), and that is not even accounting for the exercise I get.
On the other hand, a lot of people underestimate how much they eat and the higher calorie ranges (for maintenance) tend to be in the context of athletes/bodybuilders. So maybe I don't need more.
Additionally, I have some other options:
1. Consume protein and/or carbohydrates within 1 hour of weightlifting or within 1 hour afterwards.
2. Increase my protein by eating my meat (particularly chicken).
3. Nutritional periodization/Carb cycling.
4. Improve the quality of the foods I do eat (such as by further cutting soda and/or increasing fruit & vegetable intake).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010:
After yoga I took my first attempt at HIIT. I went to the track above my gym. It is 1/28th of a mile. My plan was to sprit 2 times around the track (exertion phase) and then walk 2 times around the track (rest phase). Each of those would be 1 HIIT interval.
The goal was to make the 'rest phase' very leisurely because one of the things I've read about HIIT training is that the gap between exertion and rest should be maximized and that most people don't go hard enough during the exertion phase and don't go slow enough during the rest phase.
Overall, I managed to do 10 HIIT intervals (40 times around the track) in about 25 minutes. Next time I'll try to beat that.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010:
Category 8 - Lifting (Goblet Squat): (Example)
70. 85 lbs. 3 x 8
I managed my insanely difficult Wednesday routine and even managed to hit a new record on the Goblet Squat. I think that'll be it for a while though - unlike the deadlift I don't think I have very much more short-term upside on this lift until I gain more strength.
Thursday, July 22, 2010:
Just kept it to yoga. I was sore enough that I thought another round of HIIT would be pushing my body too much. I may have to ease up to 2x per week with the goal of eventually getting to 3x per week.
Friday, July 23, 2010:
Not all of my record attempts result in success. I was previewing a new Friday routine, but it was a complete flop. Not only did I fail at 150 lbs. bench, but also at 140 lbs. bent over row. In fact, most of the exercises I selected were outside of my ability to perform (including 'reverse' pushups - i.e. pulling yourself up to a bar from a hanging pushup position, which is surprisingly difficult). The only 'new' exercise I'm going to keep is the push press.
Monday, July 26, 2010:
Category 6 - Lifting (Deadlift): (Example)
53. 180 lbs. 3 x 8
Standard Monday routine. Still think I have some room to grow here. Also weighed in at 226. WTF is with my severe weight fluctuations?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010:
Skipped yoga to play board games. Yay!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010:
Category 8 - Lifting (Goblet Squat): (Example)
71. 90 lbs. 3 x 8
72. 95 lbs. 3 x 8
I decided to make my insanely difficult Wednesday routine less insanely difficult by actually following the outline and making sure the 'medium' Goblet Squat is actually medium (50 lbs.). In fact, it is actually pretty close to my 'light' weight (40 lbs.). Still, it seemed to accomplish the purpose of warming up easier.
When I got my weights out, I forgot that last week's record was 85 lbs. and not 90 lbs., so I grabbed the 95 lbs. dumbbell. By the time I was done with my 'light' squats, I realized the mistake but decided to give it a shot and it worked. While I may have surrendered a little on the depth of my squats, I still think I was at or below 90 degrees. All in all, a success.
Elapsed Time Since June 11, 2010: 49 days (4.895%)
Total Completed: 14 of 101 (13.861%)