Came crawling back ....

c - 13

The title of this Thread reflects how i'm feeling typing this thread, I had a journal here before and got some excellent advice, made some progress and threw it all away. I knew this was coming but I ignored it, left it slide to the wayside time and time again and justifying eating crap foods and not exercising. Now its happened, i've peaked my highest weight of my life - 16 Stone. To say i'm unhappy is an understatement.

I've never been thin by any stretch of the imagination but the realisation of how much weight I added came when I saw some pictures of myself from over the christmas period, I couldnt believe how much my gut was protruding, and I didnt like it.

So by the 1st of September 2008 I want to be down to 13 Stone,I make that to be about 1.1 Lbs of weight lost per week which I think is a reasonable amount.

I know what to do and how to do it because I have lost the weight before and then slipped back to my bad habits. Its just trying to stick to it has always been my main problem.

I will be taking some photos later tonight to track this and use as a tool to drive myself. I have my starting weight lifting plan to get me back into the swing of things picked out (from T-Nation, which I will attach to the post), I know my strength is down too so starting back will be a bit shock for me so i'm trying to mentally prepare myself for that too.

My two main downfalls I think I have identified correctly as -
(1) Drink - Not only the drink itself but the fact that I crave fast food after drinking, then when i'm hung over I eat all around me.
(2) Job - My job involves a lot of travelling my diet goes to pot when I travel due to firstly not eating when I travel and then eating too much (out with clients and so on) whilst I am there. Access to a gym can also be an issue depending on where I am located but I will look into a bodyweight program that I can adapt to myself.

Also just to mention its loosing the fat I care mostly about I dont care about increasing muscle size, I would like to gain strength but its not the top priority. At the moment i'm angry with myself for letting this happen so i'm going to use the anger to push myself.

I have a body fat calipers at home but cant use it very well, probably because of too much excess fat but ill give it a go and post up the results here. Ill also put up some pictures tonight, or at the very latest tomorrow morning.

Heres my previous journal -
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055022621

My Fitday Log -
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=c+%2D+13

And my Details -
Age: 23
Current Weight: 16st
Height: 6ft
Smoker: No
Drinker: Usually once per week (Will be cutting this completely to start at least)

Background:
At the moment I'm working as an engineer so its a fairly inactive job, sitting all day. Surf usually one a week for a couple of hours, maybe more conditions permitting.

Would like to work out in the mornings but tried it before and it doesnt work for me as it involves getting up at about 5AM (i'm in work for 7.30) so I tend to workout in the evenings instead.

Goals:
Take Before Pictures
Measure Initial Body Fat
To decrease my body fat
To increase fitness levels and functional strength
To Increase my water intake
Try cut bread completely out of my eating (this has always been a major one for me, I eat way too much bread)
13 Stone by 1st September (Or as close as possible with acceptable body fat levels)

Plan:
See workout plan attached for initial eight week plan. I will hopefully add some additional work to this on the off days after the first fortnight.

Advice, workout suggestions, tweaks, pointers and abuse are all welcome.

I want to make this work, I know I failed miserably before but I want to change that.

Attachment not found.

c - 13

So today went off to a bad start.

I woke up late for work and missed breakfast as a result. I'm not going to make excuses, its my own fault for being a lazy bastard and sleeping it out.

So in a bit of a rush I grabbed some plain cooked chicken fillets from the fridge and some fruit. That will do for the lunch hopefully.

Water has been got into the office fridge for myself.

Dinner this afternoon will have to depend on whats there when I get back, it wont be anything bad anyway most likely meat of some form and vegetables.

Tonights proposed lifting is as follows -

Flat Bench Press (3 x 5)
Pull Ups (3 x 5)
Standing Military Press (3 x 5)
Front Squat (3 x 5)
Hammer Curl (3 x 5)
Standing Tricep Extensions (3 x 5)

Looking at it written like that it doesnt seem like very much but I have a feeling its going to kick my ass. I'm also sure that the weight used is going to be disgracefully low.

Can anyone advise if there is anything that I can add/remove/replace on that list or even something completely different ?

Thanks for reading.

Pj!

Best of luck c -13. Hope it all goes well for ya.

celestial

Good luck dude.

Simple formula is:

heavy weight training
cut out junk
restrict grains (bread, pasta, rice etc..)

Do that and you will get results. There is no problem with maybe one takeaway every two weeks or so but my advice to you is to cut out all junk food from this point on. You'll actually do yourself a huge favour by doing this from the nights-out perspective as you will lose the taste for fatty and/or sugary junk like take aways and naturally crave stuff like mash+meat as 'cheats'.

Also the before and after pics are a must. I should post mine up too.

walt0r

Good luck, mate. Now's the time...

c - 13

Thanks guys and best of luck to you in your own endevours too.

As I said I would heres the photos, it disgusts me a little to look at them because i'm way fatter than I should, used and want to be.

Faint of heart look away now
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff82/adamc13/P1030057.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff82/adamc13/P1030058.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff82/adamc13/P1030059.jpg

Massive love handles. flabby gut and a spare type, all of which I want rid of.

Dinner today consisted of Piece of steak mixed frozen veg and a small amount of mashed potato (but probably still more than I should have had).

Todays workout went as follows -
Flat Bench Press (3 x 5) - 40KG on all sets - probably could have taken more weight on all but the last set
Pull Ups (3 x 5) - 2+1+1+1, Assisted 2+2+1, Assisted 2+1+1+1 - Found these very hard was never very good at them anyway though so thats nothing new.
Standing Military Press (3 x 5) - 15KG E/H on all sets
Front Squat (3 x 5) - 40 KG on all sets - form very bad I think, struggled on last set a bit but I think this could have been more to do with form than the weight
Hammer Curl (3 x 5) - 10KG E/H on all sets - Left arm lagging badly compared to right
Standing Tricep Extensions (3 x 5) - 7.5KG on all sets - Struggled with the form on the last set & a half on both arms, left arm noticably worse than right.

Overall, found it tough enough, feel I could have increased the weight on some but dont think it would have been a good idea for first time back.

As an aside I never realised my back was that hairy, i'd always thought it was relatively clear, who'd have thunk it ?

Oh and having a spot of bother finding those calipers, will post up what I gather body fat % to be if/when I find them, in the meantime if anyone feels they could hazard a guess, i'm sure its quite high ?

c - 13

Okay found the calipers and a measuring tape I dont have anyone to take some of the measurements so the amount I take will be restricted. I'm going to use the calculators on this site (anyone know the accuracy of this ? it shouldnt mater too much if I use the same one consistantly though I would think ?).

http://www.linear-software.com/online.html

Ill do as many of the methods available as I can and post my figures then take an average of all of them and use that as my "official figure".

Screenshot of all figures entered into the calculator is shown below and figures returned are as follows -

Tape Measure Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 34.05%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 76.26
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 147.74

Durnin/Womersley Caliper Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 24.67%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 55.27
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 168.73

Parrillo Caliper Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 22.00%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 49.27
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 174.72

Jackson/Pollock 4 Caliper Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 18.85%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 42.22
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 181.78

Jackson/Pollock 3 Caliper Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 17.85%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 39.97
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 184.03

Jackson/Pollock 7 Caliper Method
Returned Bodyfat % - 20.39%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 45.68
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 178.32

Average BF % = 19.7 ?
Average Lbs of body fat = 44.1 ?
Average Lbs of lean body mass = 147.83

No way can that be right it looks way too low to me, I'm not very ood with the calipers so I think that may have had a lot to do with it ...

I'm going to just use the Tape measure method % and use that method the whole time (I know the formula is the least accurate but my measurements would have been the most accurate out of all of them).

So as of this point I am taking my body fat % as the following -
Returned Bodyfat % - 34.05%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 76.26
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 147.74

Attachment not found.

c - 13

First weekend over with -

Didnt record all food taken over the two days bacause I wasnt really at a computer, overall food intake was pretty good but I probably ate a little too much yesterday I would think.

Exercise consisted of
Saturday
Surfing 2 - 3 Hours
Sunday
Surfing 2 - 3 Hours

Arms a bit sore today.

Todays weights will be as follows -
Deadlifts (2 x 8)
Incline Bench Press (2 x 8)
Horizontal Rows (2 x 8)
Hack Squats (2 x 8)
Front Dumbell Raise (2 x 8)
Leg Curls (2 x 8)

BossArky

c - 13 wrote: »

Todays weights will be as follows -
Deadlifts (2 x 8)
Incline Bench Press (2 x 8)
Horizontal Rows (2 x 8)
Hack Squats (2 x 8)
Front Dumbell Raise (2 x 8)
Leg Curls (2 x 8)

You may want to include the weight lifted so that you can track if you are getting stronger.

c - 13

BossArky wrote: »

You may want to include the weight lifted so that you can track if you are getting stronger.

Will do BossArky, ill make another entry to the journal when I complete the lifts as prescbed this evening.

SUNGOD

hiya just a post to say good luck ,i recently lost three stone so i know how hard it can be ,for me i didnt really bother with weights or gym i just ran whenever i could but whatever works for ya , i know where your coming from with the drink not just the calories in the alcohol but the chips and kebabs on the way home nightmare, i cut drink out completely hard but worth it for results ,only for the short term till you at least see results and then introduce it back in slowly.someone once told its easy, exercise more eat less (and i wanted to kill them) what i mean is just try keep it simple good luck

c - 13

Thanks for the advice SUNGOD

Lifting tonight went as follows -

Deadlifts (2 x 8 @ 50KG) - Either weight was too light or I was exhibiting bad form because this seemed a bit too easy
Incline Bench Press (2 x 8 @ 50KG (second set broken into 5 +3)) - Couldn’t find pegs for my bench so had to substitute flat bench
Horizontal Rows (2 x 8 @ 30 KG) - Substituted upright Rows, found them exceptionally hard
Hack Squats (2 x 8 @ 30 KG) - First time trying these properly so used a fairly low weight, couldn’t get technique on these right at all
Front Dumbell Raise (2 x 8 @ 7.5KG)
Leg Curls (2 x 8 @ 20KG) - Limited weight because duw to weak bench and weight plate size restrictions the bench couldnt hold more

I think I need to buy more weight. I'm looking at a 140KG Oly set on Irish lifting. Ill have to see how the credit card is feeling come the end of the week ...

c - 13

No muscle fatigue at all today, think I may have been too lenient on myself last night.

Just bought 140KG Oly set from Irish lifting and 40 KG extra plates. Lets see if these can help me progress ...

r3nu4l

Nice one C-13!

You've reminded me to take some photos myself... I'll be pinning them to the cupboard door rather than posting them

c - 13

Hey r3nu4l, posting those pictures was the toughest part for me to be honest, but in retrospect its hardened my resolve to meet my goals so I can post those sought after "After pictures"

Hail 2 Da Chimp

Fair play for posting the pic's C-13, just one thing, I didn't notice any cardio being mentioned. Are you planning on losing all the extra weight through diet aloone? As you've stated this was your main goal.

Best of luck!

c - 13

Your right Hail 2 Da Chimp, I havent done any cardio at the moment, I was going to do purely lifting but the more I think of it the more I wonder if it will help with the fat loss ? Maybe ill try integrate some HIIT into my plans.

One week tomorrow since I started, ill be checking the weightin the morning so hopefully there's going to be a difference. Ill try leave it until the end of the first month to check the body fat again.

Weights arrived from fitness Ireland this morning, should be a workout in itself hauling the whole lot out of the house and into my place !

Planned lifting for tonight is as follows -
Seated Military Press (2 x 15)
Power Clean (2 x 15)
Flat Bench Press (2 x 15)
Pull Ups (2 x 15)
Bicep Curls (2 x 15)
Side Dumbell Raise (2 x 15)

BossArky

c - 13 wrote: »

Planned lifting for tonight is as follows -
Seated Military Press (2 x 15)
Power Clean (2 x 15)
Flat Bench Press (2 x 15)
Pull Ups (2 x 15)
Bicep Curls (2 x 15)
Side Dumbell Raise (2 x 15)

How about trying more sets, less reps per set, and a slightly higher weight per rep?

e.g. Lets say you are currently doing Seated Military Press with 2 sets of 15 reps on 15kg dumbells per arm.

Instead, do 3 sets of 10 reps at 17.5kg per arm. Overall this means you will be lifting more, which means you'll probably burn more calories and build more muscle. The current reps just seem a bit high.

Maybe even go for 4 sets of 8 reps at 18kg per arm. Now you are lifting 2 reps more in total, and 3kg more per rep per arm. Hopefully that makes sense.

celestial

BossArky wrote: »

How about trying more sets, less reps per set, and a slightly higher weight per rep?

e.g. Lets say you are currently doing Seated Military Press with 2 sets of 15 reps on 15kg dumbells per arm.

Instead, do 3 sets of 10 reps at 17.5kg per arm. Overall this means you will be lifting more, which means you'll probably burn more calories and build more muscle. The current reps just seem a bit high.

Maybe even go for 4 sets of 8 reps at 18kg per arm. Now you are lifting 2 reps more in total, and 3kg more per rep per arm. Hopefully that makes sense.

Great advice. Go heavier bit by bit with the weight. You should be getting fatigued by around 8-10 reps max.

c - 13

Well to cut a very, very long story short I didnt get to do my lifting last night because I didnt get home until all hours after my car decided to die completely on me due to flooding :mad:

On the positive side of things however I stepped on the scales this morning and i'm down about 5 lbs. I know that since this is the first week and all that this is higher than usual but i'm still happy with it all things considered.

You guys are right too, the program i'm following is a variation of one from T-Nation. I forget the specific article but it was directed towards mixing the routines up as much as possible to promote strength/growth.

I want to look into something else but ill follow this one untilI can decide on a new routine. If anyone has any sugestion please fel free to let me know

c - 13

Just to report I havent lifted anything all weekend, I tweaked my back Friday afternoon moving furniture so i'm trying to return to normal first. Very annoying but i'm afraid ill do more damage if I try lifting.

BossArky

In a few weeks when your back is feeling fine it may be wise to include some deadlifts or rows into your routine to strengthen your back

c - 13

Tell me about it, I know exactly what went wrong though, I was moving a dishwasher and the other guy let his end fall so I stupidly tried to take the whole weight. I was fine until I woke up saturday.

Stupid mistake to make. I'm hoping ill be aright in the morning though, I dont like this. I suppose its giving me time to research a new routine at least ...

c - 13

Back is feeling better today thank god. I used my time off yesterday productively though. I researched a new routine and have settled on the following one, its a four week duration program incorportating both cardio and lifting - 10 X 3 for Fat Loss - Chad Waterbury

I also built myself a primative squat rack using some old scaffolding lying around the shed. Theyre currently being stress tested at the moment, if theyre still staning when I get home theyre good to go.

Tonights lifting (from above program) -
Weight Training
Exercises:
Deadlifts
Chin-ups
Barbell Front Squats
Dips
Sets: 10
Reps: 3
Rest: 45 seconds between sets
Load: 75% of 1RM (10 repetition maximum)

Ill have to try work out what my 1RM is first and scale down accordingly.

Fat-Burning Booster
Exercise: Cycle Sprints
Method: Low intensity pedaling for 60 seconds followed by 30 seconds sprinting
Duration: 10 minutes

Ill have to change this to Jog/Sprints due to the lack of an exercise bike at home. I'm sure this doesnt make a huge difference.

c - 13

First day of this yesterday -
Weight Training
Exercises:
Deadlifts (75KG)
Chin-ups (B/W Only)
Barbell Front Squats (50KG)
Dips (B/W Only)
Sets: 10
Reps: 3
Rest: 45 seconds between sets
Load: 75% of 1RM (10 repetition maximum)

Ill have to try work out what my 1RM is first and scale down accordingly.

Fat-Burning Booster
Exercise: Cycle Sprints
Method: Low intensity pedaling for 60 seconds followed by 30 seconds sprinting
Duration: 10 minutes

Comments -
Tough enough going for me while it lasted, I think my front squats need work, my wrists started to get sore after the first 4-5 sets and that made the rest hard to finish off, is this down to holding the bar wrong or is it normal I wonder, I usually prefer back squats and try to skip front ones.
The cardio was a bit of a disaster I got exactly half way throguh it before developing a stitch that forced me to stop on that. Ill improve on this next time round.

Tonight -
Rope Jumping
Duration: 10 minutes

This should be hilarious, my coordination when it comes to skipping is terrible. Ill probably spend more time with the rope wrapped around my legs than actually jumping.

c - 13

Well completed the 10 Minutes skipping last night, in the end I had to just do the jumping part as I kept time with the rope due to nearly breaking my neck tripping over the rope. Got it dont though.

Today: Rest day.

Muscles are a bit sore today which is good. Makes me feel like i've been doing something.

Checked the scales this morning 15 Stone 6 Lbs.

Total loss so far of 8 Lbs, which I guess isnt too bad for two weeks.

c - 13

Tonight -
Back Squats (10 X 3)
Bent Over Rows (10 X 3)
Romanian Deadlifts (10 X 3)
Standing Military Press (10 X 3)
Walk/Sprint (60s/30S) (10 Mins)

c - 13

Still at it, checked scales only down 1lb, bit dissapointing but its going the right direction at least - total loss 9lbs.

SUNGOD

9lbs is great wouldnt worry about how much though, as ya said yourself as long as your going in the right direction thats the important thing anyway good stuff keep it up

c - 13

Thanks for that SUNGOD, I know the scales isnt the be all and end all but its the easiest way to keep track on a weekly basis, next thursday is the day I do the first BF% comparison since I started so that will tell all really. I am noticing a difference myself though, t-shirts a bit looser and so on.

c - 13

Originally -
Returned Bodyfat % - 34.05%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 76.26
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 147.74

Now -
Neck - 40 cm
Abdmen - 110cm
Returned Bodyfat % - 30.97%
Returned Lbs of body fat - 67.21
Returned Lbs of lean body mass - 149.79

Comments ? Is this a reasonable decrease for a month ? Least its going the right direction anyway.

Weight seemed to stay static this morning although I didnt have my glasses on so I may have crept up a pound or so. Ill try check again tomorrow morning.