Training and Self Assesment

What better way to forget death week than with a review of healthy and unhealthy habits. Now is the time to review my last training plan (here) and lay out a plan for the next several weeks.

Work Out

My goal was to maintain strength while I dieted off a little blubber. Specific attention was to be directed at forearms and keeping Lori active. I was too lazy to design my own plan so I used the advanced routine from this article. Keeping in mind that I try to keep gym visits to 60-minutes, this routine was way to time consuming. My guess is that it would take close to 2-hours to complete. My solution was to chop it up and do half a session a day, three days a week. I tossed in some extra forearm work and hit the park with Lori on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Overall, my workout consistency was excellent, but my heart wasn’t in the routine.
Grade: A-

Nutrition

My plan was to slightly reduce carbohydrate intake and create a mild caloric deficit (-150 kcal/day) in an attempt to see some abs. I started at 170-lbs and ended at 167-lbs. Before I started, I even had a body fat analysis (Bioelectrical Impedance method) that placed me at 10%. I should get another test performed to see where I’m at now… should, but probably won’t. I kicked ass on this plan. I can see a dramatic increase in definition in my shoulders and chest, but my abs are still being shy. The meal templates I’ve been developing truly make life easier. I noticed that my progress stalled after three weeks, so I’ve used the last couple days as a re-feed period.
Grade: A-

Sleep

I was shooting for 8-hours a night. I did all right, but we bought a new ps2 game (Dynasty Warriors 4) and it does cut into sleep on some nights.
Grade: B

New Plan

My workout plan is multifaceted attack, Monday is a max strength day, Wednesday is for smaller assistant muscles, and Friday is clean&jerk day. Hopefully, I can ensure current strength levels while increasing my caloric deficit. Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for taking Lori to the park. Fridays are set up with the specific goal of introducing Sherry to the clean&jerk. Whenever I do clean&jerks Sherry finds something else to amuse herself. If I break down the lift into smaller motions, perhaps I can win her over to one of the best exercises ever.

Monday
1. Squat 5@50%, 3@70%, 1@100%
2. Deadlift 5@50%, 3@70%, 1@100%
3. Bench Press 5@50%, 3@70%, 1@100%
4. Pectoral Flies 5x5
5a. Leg Curls 5x5
5b. Leg Extensions 5x5
6a. Reverse Crunches 3x10
6b. Crunches 3x10
7. Vacuum Contractions (Horse Stance) 3x30-sec

Tuesday
Park with Lori
Sprinting

Wednesday
1a. Standing Barbell Curls 3x10
1b. Skull Crushers 3x10
2a. Declined Dumbbell Curls 3x10
2b. Overhead Triceps Extension 3x10
3a. Dumbbell Motorcycles 3x10
3b. Dumbbell Wrist Curls 3x10
4a. Hip Abductors 3x10
4b. Hip Adductors 3x10
5. Calf raises 10x10 (with 10-second rests)

Thursday
Park with Lori
Hackey sack

Friday
1. Dead Lift 3x8
2. Hanging Cleans 3x8
3. Cleans 3x8
4. Jerk 3x8
5. Clean&Jerk 3X3
6. Cyclones 3X10
7. Single-leg Back Extensions 3x10

These routines may exceed my 60-minute standard, but it’s easier to cut stuff out as opposed to adding new pieces.

Hopefully, my recent re-feed will normalize my hormone levels and allow for more fat loss. I am planning a generic daily menu. Meals can be replaced with other substances as long as the kcals, protein, fat, and carbs remain comparable. I am attempting a caloric deficit of about 300-kcal/day, which should put me at 2,300-kcal/day.

6:30AM: 1-cup Raisin Bran, 0.5-cup-milk, 1-serv whey protein
8:30AM: 1-cup cottage cheese, 0.5-cup pineapple chunks
10:30AM: 4-oz ground beef
12:30PM: 2 eggs, 1-serv whey protein
2:30PM: 2.5-serv whey protein, 0.5-tbs flaxseed oil
5:30PM (post workout): 1-serv whey protein, 1-cup milk
7:30PM: 4-oz chicken breast, 1-head of broccoli
9:30PM: 2.5-serv whey protein, 0.5-tbs flaxseed oil

This menu results in 2,300-kcal, 70-g fat, 125-g carbohydrates, and 300-g protein. For non-workout days (Sun, Sat) I’ll switch the 10:30AM meal with the 5:30PM meal. If fat loss doesn’t resume by next Monday then I’m going to replace all dairy products with other substances.

Once again, I'm going to try to work on sleep. I'm gunning for 8-hours a night, minimum. Sleep usually is the first thing to suffer when life starts to get overwhelming, so for the next four-weeks I'm going to plan on hitting the ol' bed at 10:00PM and waking up at 6:00AM.

In a month or so I shall look back and see how this all pans out.
...and so it was written, shenry at 7/07/2003 10:46:00 AM.
...and so it was appended with .