being strong is your duty

• Neutral-Grip DB Press: 30 4x10
• Flye: 15 4x10
• DB Bench Press: 35 4x10
• Floor Press: 30 4x10
• Close-Grip Bench: 95 4x10
• Guillotine Press: 75 4x10
• Band Flye/Chest Press: 4x20

• Deadlift: 165x3, 185x3, 215x3
• Diamond Push/DB Press: 35 5x10
• Band Face Pull: 2x20 ...then my band broke:(
• Floor Press: 35 5x10

Something to be said for dropping your weights back and practicing strict form. Thankfully i tend towards being something of a fast learner, so now that i've got that feel for the form i can start to bring the weights back up a bit. Fun fun. Being sorta tired helps too, i will concede. Need to do more cardio, the light 45 minutes 3 days a week aren't really working as well as the heavy 90 minute 5 times a week. Really i need to get the martial arts training back up to the levels i have planned for this phase...gah...that's going to be interesting.

Today doesn't really qualify for 2 full lifts, the evening session was more of a half session...but that does mean I have some good additional fodder for tomorrow's lifts.

The 5 hours of sleep i got last night that i thought served me pretty well actually didn't. Seriously, i am DONE drinking. I keep saying that but i think i mean it this time...one beer and a shot of vodka and i'm done? Even on...2300 calories? I'm just a lightweight now sadly. And now i'm totally conflicted about 1100. haha no i'm not, privatized alcohol sales FTW. Not that i'm going to be buying more alcohol, if this week is any indicator.

Blah...

such is the fate of

• EZ Bar Curl\Reverse: 75\65 4x10
• Cable Curl\Rope Extension: 70\140 4x10
• Band Overhead Curl\Tri Push: 4x20
• Cable Wrist Curl Pro\Sup: 50\50 4x10
• DB Shrug\Overhead Shrug: 60\105 4x10
• Band Swimmer Pull\Y Flye: 4x20

Body, or maybe just tastebuds are starting to revolt against liquid foods, which is probably a good thing. I suppose while today's modern packaged conveniences make it easy to count calories, it's probably still not a good idea to eat insane amounts of certain types of packaged foods, but then how else are you going to buy yogurt and cottage cheese? I know, it's a good question, isn't it?

Gotta say i'm diggin the whole carb-based full look you get after doing heavy high rep stuff. Upper body's lookin...well, better than it was a little while ago. This is the sort of thing that chases away carb phobia for sure. And yes, part of the reason i train is to look good, so stuff it.

Now then, off to consume a low-fat hi-carb lunch...Hellz yeah.

settle it on the platform, EA and Actiblizz

• Squat: 165x3, 185x3, 215x6
• Good Morning: 155 5x10
• FoB Split Squat: 75 5x10
• Situp: 5x15
• Back Raise: 5x20
• Preacher EZ Wrist Curl Pro/Sup: 35 4x10
• Lat/Front Raise: 20 4x10

Alright as much as i'd love to comment about the whole EA Actiblizz thing, sadly I'm not allowed to have a public opinion about the games industry anymore, but that's fine. There are other things to talk about. I'll just leave it at the subject heading and we'll (not) go from there.

Fatigued from small amounts of sleep and still my numbers go up. I like calories. Man I like calories. I think i'm actually even developing a bit of an aversion to liquid calories, but I'm thinking that has more to do with the taste than the fact that they're liquid vs solid, tho I will admit Trader Joe is slowly whittling away my resolve. Buffalo Chicken meatballs with bleu cheese? Gaaah...Maybe this weekend for the higher calorie day.

To paraphrase Mark Rippetoe, "train as hard and as much as your recovery will allow". To this i would add, "and FUCK the sound barrier". Target/Optimum/what the hellever heart rate is just an excuse to not train hard. Avoiding overtraining is just an excuse to squat less. Don't tell me you have to do your 5th arm day because you already squatted once this weak...err week...no weak is good.

Bro Scieeeence!!!

bro science!

• Military Press: 75x3, 85x3, 95x6
• Incline Press: 105 5x10
• Good Morning: 135 5x10
• Bent Delt Raise: 20 5x10
• Rope Extension: 130 5x10
• Hammer Curl/DB Extension: 30/25 4x10
• Neutral Grip Pulldown/OH Cable Extension: 140/80 4x10

Today was the kind of workout everyone needs to have every once in a while to remind you of why you train. Numbers went up, was still pretty hard, but man it felt awesome. Movements felt clean, everything was solid. Hopefully it's the increased calories kicking in, was getting a little phobic there. Gotta admit, i was looking a little soggy after this last week of no...ahem...steady state cardio. Ah well...must believe in the process.

Back to the mats sometime this week, definitely nervously excited about that. Capoeira last wk kicked my ass, but that's just unfamiliarity. We'll get it back...

Short update today, sorry, i'm not all writey right now...will try to do better next time.

white cats in the snow

• Bench Press: 125x5, 135x5, 155x8
• Diamond Push: 5x10
• DB Press: 35 5x10
• Band Face Pull: 5x20
• Pushup: 5x15
• Hammer Curl/DB Extension: 25/25 4x10
• Neutral Grip Pulldown/OH Cable Extension: 140/80 4x10

• EZ Curl/EZ Reverse: 75/65 4x10
• Cable Curl/Rope Extension: 70/140 4x10
• Band Overhead Curl/Band Overhead Press: 4x20
• Cable Wrist Pro/Sup: 40/40 4x10
• DB Shrug/OH Shrug: 55/95 4x10

So i'm becoming more and more a fan of fasting, even if it's just once a week. Maybe once i've gotten really, really lean (i mean like REALLY lean), I may think differently about it, but i suppose that all depends on how i end up eating once i 've gotten really, really lean (i mean like REALLY lean). I may just like it because it gives me a somewhat legitimate excuse to not eat food, which is always a plus, yeah, yeah i know, OMG MUST EAT 6 TIMES A DAY OR YOULL START DIGESTING YOUR MUSCLES THEN YOUR ORGANS AND YOULL HAVE NOTHING LEFT BUT FAT AND YOUR METABOLISM WILL BE SO LOW ALL YOU CAN DO IS SLEEP!!!!...whatever.

Alright this is going to sound weird, but i think i'm actually afraid of low intensity cardio. Let me contextualize that a bit. By low intensity cardio, I mean fasted 45 minute fast walk with no weights. Now, i've usually defined low intensity cardio as 90+ minute fast walk with at least 5 lbs on each ankle. But, then i've never done true fasted cardio, so maybe that's the missing key? I dunno, i mean for this next phase I'm doing all sorts of things differently (low-fat, hi carb, GASP!!), so maybe another change is good. That and i guess it gives me another excuse to fast, hehe. Seriously, i hate food.

No really, i hate food. I think that's why i like cooking so much, it's this whole self-loathing kinda ehhh...ok, i'm no good at being emo. Dammit.

operation apex predator

• Deadlift: 155x5, 175x5, 205x8
• Barbel Shrug: 205 5x10
• DB Row: 55 5x10
• Situp: 5x15
• Dragon Flag: 5x15
• EZ Bar Wrist Curl Pro/Sup: 30/30 4x10
• Lat Raise/Fr Raise 15/15 4x10

Three things i realized today:

1) Salt is awesome. Redmond Real Salt is freakin wicked. I understand what the princess meant by I love you as much as salt. Seriously, TJ 96/4 Beef Patties are not the same without it.

2) While i've enjoyed the week away from cardio (not really), man i'll be glad to get back to it. I'm actually looking forward to some morning fasted cardio, a nice 45 minute jaunt around downtown Redmond. Maybe weighted, maybe not, but probably so. Yeah...walking...f yeah.

3) I've been chewing my food alot more recently, thanks to this article on TMuscle and it's crazy how it prolongs your meal...obvious i know, but i'm used to inhaling my food. This is almost a workout in itself. Not sure how i feel about this phenomenon, as it sorta goes against the whole me hating food and now i'm keeping it around longer. Ok that's just weird.

I'm not sure if it's a problem that i was motivating myself through my dragon flags this afternoon by imagining even harder variations and thinking to myself "Well, at least it's not THAT hard". Sorta weird when i think the main reason for wanting to lose weight is so i can do pullups again. No seriously, i love pullups and dips, i know that's bizarre, but what can i say? If you know me, you know this is not the most bizarre thing i've ever said.

Sweet potato fries...i thought i'd mention em.

I think i've found the optimal calorie level to still lose weight, be able to gain strength, and sleep. I'll know more by mid october I guess...

Blah, going to read stuff and sleep some. Yeah, reading!

one man squadron

• Squat: 155x5, 175x5, 205x8
• Good Morning: 125 5x10
• Barbell Split Squat: 65 5x10
• Situp: 5x15
• Back Raise: 5x15
• EZ Bar Wrist Curl Pro/Sup: 30/30 4x10
• Lat Raise/Fr Raise 15/15 4x10

Thinkin i may superset situps and back raises next time, gotta say I really dig that stuff. You know, it's weird, you don't really register the effects of fat loss until you do something that requires you to generate power, then all of a sudden you realize your control is TOTALLY gone because you're expecting to compensate for one thing and all of a sudden...ehh, you don't have to do it anymore:-D Granted after cutting you don't have the same amount of strength either, so maybe that balances it out a bit. I dunno, whatever. Am totally looking forward to getting some strength back over the next 2 months, while hopefully continuing to lose weight.

I will admit vanity is playing a huge part in the continued fat loss effort. Seeing myself in the mirrors at capoeira tonight was pretty cool, not cuz i look hot or anything (i don't), but being leaner just makes all your movements nicer looking. Current eating plan puts me in about an 8000 calorie deficit, so a little over 2 lbs a week in ideal conditions. 20 more pounds in 10 weeks is pretty fair i think, also given that i'll be in crunch for the next 3 months or so, i should be good. I refuse to gain crunch pounds, and I'm not giving up training for crunch. Sorry, just not happening.

Trader Joe Just Chicken and 96/4 Beef Patties. The Hi-Carb Dieter's best friends.

Anyway, I figure if i can set myself up for one more good cut in December, rockin. If i can be under 210 be December (har har, of course i will be, i'm just kidding), I don't have to do a full cut, i can just cut till i hit a good visual point. All about the visual assessment at that point.

Ok, at this point i'm just thinking out loud, soooo...signing off, until next time. Go play some Reach and quit reading my blog. Well i mean, do both, you know play Reach AFTER you read my blog.

...and still the search goes on

• Military Press: 65x5, 75x5, 85x5
• Incline Press: 105 5x10
• Good Morning: 125 5x10
• Bent Delt Raise: 20 5x10
• Rope Extension: 120 5x10
• Hammer Curl/Lying DB Tri Ex: 30/25 4x10
• Neutral-Grip Pulldown/Overhead Cable Extension: 130/80 4x10

Wow, how long has it been? Rhetorical(?) question, i mean i could just look at the last time i posted and i'd know exactly how long, true? True. Ah well. Short story long, like most people do from time to time, i lost my way for a bit (i know, i'm human, shocking). At some point I figured, you know, now that I'm over the shoulder injury I can just hop back in and i'll lose the weight over time, but i tell ya, that whole being fat neurosis of mine i'm still not over, and truth be told, i'll never get over it. "Son, my ego is writing checks my body can't cash" (thank you Netflix!), which is the real reason i haven't posted anything for months. It sucks not being able to watch your numbers go up, but them's the breaks of cutting, yeah?

I've been trying to do serious low calorie cuts for a while, decided this time i should just take it seriously and do it the right way. Missed being on the mats, missed being in the roda, hell, missed having my lifts go up, but in retrospect (and in the mirror), i don't miss the 20+ pounds i've lost over the last 2 months. So this is the interesting part, last time i successfully did a massive low calorie cut, i didn't have the best plan for coming off of it, so that's where I am now. I figure at 220 (yeah i got back up to almost 250, disgusting), i should be able to hit 2100 cals or so and toss some martial arts training back in.

I'm going to try some carb cycling too, but i think i'm going to try topping out at something low like 1g a pound on high days. So that means a 2400 calorie day at around...230g carbs and minimal fat? Should be fun. Will take it easy this first week, i'm not going to be so naive as to say or think "The Shoulder Feels Better Than Ever!" because honestly it doesn't, it still feels like shit in the wrong conditions. Thankfully mobility, stretching, and of course my ever present lacrosse ball and PVC pipe are seeing to "wrong conditions" being less and less.

Blah...and now off to buy supplements. Skippy.