8/31/05

BWT 307#

Feeling pretty lean today, although I was a bit sluggish at the gym. Diet is 1,500 Cal and no dinner. I am still a bit carbed up from going out to dinner on Monday.

I found a notice posted for a research study looking at the effects of aerobic conditioning on sedentary males. Compensation includes $100 plus 4 months of a free gym membership. I will have to see if I qualify or if I am too large or not sedentary enough.

Seated OHP: 200#x3x3x3x3x3x3

Cable curl: 100#x5x5x5x4x4

I am trying to do these real slow, the way I imagine a bodybuilder would. Lots of TUT.

Deadlifts: 310#x3x3x3

My legs were really weak on these, so they ended up being more like SLDL’s. Hopefully I will have more strength in them next week.

Precor Longpull: 180#x5x5x5

8/30/05

BWT 310#

I went out to dinner last night at the “Bar at the Modern”, so my weight is way up. I will probably be back down 4# tomorrow. Back to 1,500 Cal today.

8/29/05

BWT 307#

Not a bad start to the week weight wise, since i am still carbed up from Saturday. I can even see the difference in carb loading in my arm measurement(~1/2” difference between Friday and Sunday). I might be able to dip below 300# this week, although it will be a couple of weeks before I am legitamately below 300.

Pressing went pretty well; I actually completed the ladder with 215#, but it was hard enough that I will stick with this weight for a few more sessions. I am definitely starting to appreciate the “Hardgainer Round Table” mantra of waiting to increase the weights until you “own” the weight. I just never appreciated it until I started emphasizing speed in my lifting.
If I can complete a ladder with 220# by the end of September, I will be doing well. I probably need at least 10# more on my press to have a chance at a BWT press by the end of the year.

Seated OHP Ladders: 215#x1/2/3/1/2/3/1/2/3

A little slow and shaky on the last rep of the last triple, but it was definitely progree to complete the whole ladder at 215#. Next week I will try to do it again with more pop.

Cable curl: 100#x7x6x5x5x5

Cybex Reverse Fly: 157.5#x5x5x5

Cybex Pec Deck: 262.5#x5x5x4

This is the stack plus the extra 7.5# weight. I am trying to do these slow to maximize TUT (time under tension).

No weighted speed walk today, because I had to get into the lab early. What a pity.

8/26/05

8/26/05

BWT 304#

Didn’t feel 100% today, which is probably the diet catching up with me. I took care to avoid failure on the pressing.

I am definitely going to try really hard to get under 300# by the first. It should be doable; I am so close now I could make by sweating it off.

Seated OHP: 235#x1x1x1 230#x1x1x1x1

Cable curl: 100#x7x7x7x7x5

Incline press: 245#x2 (too heavy) 230#x3x3x3

Front Squat: 100#x3 140#x3x3x3x3x3

I am still working on improving my flexibility. I want to be able to properly rack the bar and hit rock bottom on these before I start adding weight.

8/24/05 PM

Diet
coffee (240), yogurt (190), banana (90), corn (210), beef(600), chocolate (150)

Total 1,480

Not bad. And if the 15 Cal x BWT rule holds true; today should be good for another loss of 14 oz. of fat. Another week and I should be dipping below the 300# mark for the first time in adulthood. If my lean bodymass is really 225# than that would make me 25% bodyfat, which isn't completely terrible, and is considered by some sources the dividing line between overweight and obese. Of course, the BMI chart classifies me as obese until I crack the 250# mark. Hopefully I will get that lean, and i will cease to be adding to America's obesity epidemic, by anyone's measure.

8/24/05

BWT 304.4#

Ah, another day, another 20-year low in my bodyweight! The difference is even greater if you consider that I was carrying a lot less muscle the last time I was at this weight. I was encouraged by my success to try on some "skinny jeans" and I am just about ready to start wearing the 42"x32" Levis' I bought at Walmart with my shirt tucked in. These are the smallest of the 42" waist jeans i purchased a few weeks ago.

My workout is postponed until tomorrow to accomadate my wife's schedule. An extra rest day now and then probably won't hurt, anyway. Overtraining can be a major issue on a restrictive diet.

8/23/05

8/23/05

BWT 307#

Diet
coffee (240), yogurt (190), banana (90), corn (210), beef(600), chocolate (150)

Total 1,480

I am still hopeful that I will get below 305# this week and make a run at 300# by September 1st. I can feel the mental fog setting in that I interpret as my brain being fueled by ketone bodies as I burn fat, so I am expecting to be down again for my weigh-in in the morning. Tomorrow it is back to the gym for my midweek lifting session.

8/22/05

8/22/05

BWT 309#

Good start to the week weight-wise. It looks like I have a chance at hitting 304# before we go out to dinner on Saturday night.

Seated OHP:215#x1/2/3/1/2/3 210#x1/2/3

I dropped down to 210# for the third ladder, because i felt that the second triple at 215# was near my limit.

Cable curl:100#x7x7x7x7x6

Cybex pulldown:305#x5x3x3

Cybex Pec-deck:255#x5x5x5

I did these to work my chest instead of the benchpress, because my triceps were feeling pretty fried from the OHP Ladder.

Weighted walk: 110# Barbell 0.5 mile (fast walk ~3mph).

The 110# BB is the heaviest fixed weight barbell in the gym. I decided to only carry the barbell until arm/shoulder discomfort set in and work on extending the distance I carry the weight. I then speedwalked the remaining 0.5 mile with no weight.(7laps with BB/5 no weight). Hopefully my flexability or circulation will improve and I will be able to do the 0.5mile with little or no discomfort.

8/21/05

BWT 312#

Diet: coffee(240), cottage cheese (220), hamburger patty(270), Chili(540), carrots(30), 1 oz. pub mix(130), 3 chocolates (140).

Total 1,770

Maybe these food choices are not the most health conscious, but the main thing for me is to keep my calorie count well below the 4k mark, so that I am losing weight. The chocolates are going to be my “treat” this week. I made them last night using almonds I toasted and then enrobed in Valrhona “Taniriva” milk chocolate I tempered and then poured into molds with two almonds ion the center of each chocolate. A small piece of really high quality chocolate makes the treat worth the calories IMHO.

Hopefully, I can get my weight to dip below 305# this week, which will give me a chance of getting below 300# by September 1st. That would be a big milestone for me and should get me close to 25% bodyfat, which would be a HUGE deal. I wouldn’t really consider myself obese at a sub 25% bodyfat, but merely overweight. Unless I shed a large amount of muscle I will always be extraordinarily heavy, but, even now, I am less fat than alot of the people I see walking down the street. I am sure that less than 1% of the population weighs more than I do but a considerable percentage do LOOK fatter than I currently am.

Back to the gym tomorrow where I continue my strategy of “heavy” lifting combined with little or no cardio. The only real cardio I am doing is the speed walking with the 110# barbell. IMHO, it is more productive to keep my metabolism fired up by weight training rather than try to burn fat off with cardio. One thing I am hoping to avoid is the pitfall of becoming “skinny fat” by losing a large amount of lean body mass. My other, and bigger, worry is that I will end up with a bunch of excess skin when I am down to my goal weight.

8/19/05

8/18/05

BWT 306# Bodyfat 27% BMI 37.3

Diet
coffee(240), lowfat yogurt(190), macaroni&cheese (600), hamburger(250), pickle(5), pringles(160), strawberries (200)

Total 1,645

8/19/05

BWT 307#

Seated OHP:235#x1x1x1x1x1 230#x1x1

These were a bit of a grind. It will probably be a while before I up the weight.
Cable curl:100#x5x5x5x6x7

These are coming along nicely.

Incline press:240#x3x3x3

The last two sets felt more explosive than the first. This was probably because there is so much overlap with the OHP. I will increase the weight 5# next week.

Front squat: 100#x3 120#x3 140#x3x3x3

Last week I tried holding the bar on my delts with my arms crossed and I ended up with some rather sore delts. This time I tried racking the bar as best I could, and it actually felt alot better. I still need to improve the flexibility in my wrists so I can get my elbows higher.

8/18/05 PM

Diet
coffee(240), lowfat yogurt(190), macaroni&cheese (600), hamburger(250), pickle(5), pringles(160), strawberries (200)

Total 1,645

Part of my grand strategy for dieting is not to eat anything at all after lunchtime, so that should do it for today's calories. Nothing but water for the rest of the day. I figure my basal metabolic rate is ~4,200Cal so I should be able to manage to lose 3-5#/week even with a bit of cheating on the weekends.

I bought another two pairs of 42" waist pants yesterday, and I must say that it is pretty sad that a 300# man can buy pants in a regular store, but in America today a 42" waist is merely above average. It is great for me, though, that I no longer have to pay a premium price for pants because they had to come from the "Big&Tall" store.

I have been cleaning out my wardrobe as I have dropped weight in an effort to prevent backsliding. Pretty soon the "poor" will be getting a shipment of not-very-worn size 44" pants and the last of my XXXLT polo shirts. I will probably never fit into an XLT shirt because of my weightlifting, but I think I can see myself with a 38" waist.

8/18/05

PM Grip

Gripinator R77.5#x5x5x5x5x5
L70# x5x5x5x5x5

Diet
coffee(240), Gatorade (125), lowfat yogurt (190), macaroni&cheese(600), pringles(300), home made chocolate icecream (300)

Total 1,515

8/18/05

BWT 306# Bodyfat 27% BMI 37.3

This is the lightest i have been since I was 18 years old in 1983.

I am still feeling pretty energetic, and my lifting isn't feeling too bad considering that I am living on about 1/3 of my maintainance level of calories 6 days of the week. Common wisdom among lifters is that I should be losing a pound of muscle for every pound of fat, but that just doesn't seem to be the case. I suspect that this does not become a problem until we start approaching an "optimal" bodyfat percentage and the body becomes willing to sacrifice muscle to retain fat. Am I actually building muscle on this diet? Probably not, but i can certainly retain what muscle I have and maybe make some modest strength gains by improving my neuromuscular efficiency. If everything works out according to plan I should be both light enough and strong enough to press my bodyweight overhead by year's end.

8/17/05

Diet
coffee (240), bagel (400), lentils and rice (600), potatoes (300), cake (400)

total 1,940

Target is ~1,500 a day, so I would have made it without that piece of cake.

8/17/05

BWT 309#

Moved down another notch on my 42” belt. Only one hole left.

Seated OHP: 200#x3x3x3x3x3x3

Cable curls:100#x5x5x5x5x5

These are done standing between two cable set ups and doing a "double bicep" pose. Great isolation exercise.

Deadlifts: 310#x3x3x3

The form was a bit rough. I will stay at this weight until I am pulling more smoothly.

Precor Long Pull:180#x5x5x5x5x5

This is a sort of seated cable row.

8/16/05

8/16/05

BWT 312#

Diet:

coffee (240), bagel (400), lentils and rice (600), potatoes (300), cake (400)

total 1,940

8/15/05

BWT 313#

Not too bad, considering my carbohydrate fest on Saturday.

Seated OHP:215#x1/2/3/1/2/2 210#x1/2/3

These are done with an Olympic bar seated in a Power rack. 215# was a bit slow, 210# was nice and quick.

Cable curl:100#x7x7x5x5x5

Benchpress: 265#x3x3x3

Weighted walk: 100# barbell 0.5 mile. Aproximately 3 mph pace.

Diet: 1,500 Cal