Review Phase 1

I originally tried to cover my thoughts on this in my workout post, but it was getting a bit cluttered so I decided to reflect a little more in a proper post on the subject.

The first question to answer: Was this Phase a success?

At this rate I'll be the strongest twig in the world.

Yes

• I lost weight
• Lifts are still going up
• My face looks leaner
• It wasn’t difficult

No

• 66% of the weight I lost was lean mass
• My torso still looks like shit, shit on sticks, because my legs are tiny

So, yes!

After the first couple weeks I dropped the obsessiveness I thought was implicit with dieting to a low body fat percentage. I know I’ve been favoring carbs pretty heavily, as per my strength goals, but I think that I’ve been too “oh I’m at maintenance today I don’t need so much protein” devolved into not eating much protein ever. There aren’t really a lot of protein foods I enjoy that I can eat on a regular basis, so I just… don’t worry about it.

But now I’m worried about it.

What worries me about continued lean loss is if it’s really only coming from muscle.

I like training fasted, I’m pretty used to it by now. The day of my workout I’m rarely hungry, though, and I think that’s contributed heavily to lean catabolism. (However, I do consider “the day after” to be post-workout as well, and I DO eat substantially on this day.) In combination with my PWO cardio dabblings, I really should not be surprised.

The second question to answer: Given the results, what’s the goal for the next phase?

I really liked how much fat I lost. I do NOT like how much lean mass I lost. So that’s what I’m going to change.

If lose half as much lean mass in Phase 2 as I did Phase 1, and lose the same amount of fat, I will just BARELY lose more fat than lean mass. That’s the direction I want to go in. I want to lose at least two pounds of fat, and less than that of lean mass.

So if I lose 2lbs of fat and 1.999lbs of lean mass, Phase 2 will be a success.

Final Question: What is being changed?

Just two meals added to my routine:

1. A protein-in-water shake before I leave for a workout (it will probably muck up the effects of my preworkout EC. I don’t know, and will find out.)
2. A cup of cottage cheese or some eggs in the last meal of the day, training or not.

I know next-to-nothing scientifically about the protein requirements of anything. I’m still not going to try to hit some calculated protein target per day. That has made me fatter in the past, as I slowly trend to paying attention to those grams rather than total calories. This seems like an easy thing to fix, but I’ve fucked it up frequently enough to not want to risk it.

But I don’t see the value of STARTING with too much.

One thing about difficulty: I can’t think of any immediate complaints, because I don’t constantly worry about it. If there’s one major pro to all of this, it’s that the mental load is relatively minimal.

Yes. This is minimal for me.

Popularity: 1% [?]

It’s All In The Wrists

Well I just got home from lunch with pops, who picked me up from the gym.

I had an apple and a protein bar pre-workout. Probably close to 300kcal.

Getting Right to It:

This is the first time I've been sub-18% in over a year.

Body Weight: 159lbs.
Fat %: 17.7%

Fat Weight: 28.143lbs.
Lean Mass: 130.857

Deadlift:

1. 1×4 @ 200lbs. (LU)
2. 1×4 @ 180lbs. (LO)

Getting there. Next week should be my last at 200lbs, haha! Following this, a personal trainer I had never met before (Andy, in case I mention him in the future) seemed interested in my program. He wasn’t trying to shove a new program down my throat, so we were able to talk for a bit.

And then he taught me how to power clean. I have a new friend.

Chin Ass:

1. 1×2 @ 124lbs. lifted (35 off)
2. 1×5 @ 99lbs. lifted (60 off; going to increase this set next workout)

Horizontal Row:
3×5 @ 75lbs. ~ Getting increased again next workout.

Cable Crunch:
3×5 @ 50lbs. ~ Increasing next workout as well.

Big ol’ carby meal PWO: Bagel in the car (plain, just wanted some fast carbs because I was feeling light-headed… very glad I brought it with me); swiss steak with mashed potato and corn at the restaurant. Today’s maintenance day, though, and so I still have enough calories for dinner!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Fasted-State Workout

All right everybody. Fasted workout is a blast.

I was a bit worried about weighing myself this afternoon (got to the gym a little later than I would have liked, but oh well) because fasting has left me a little… deficient in the fiber category, let’s say.

Last night I supplemented some fiber as well as some magnesium. Got rid of a week’s worth this morning. Felt like a workout in itself

I weighed in a 163lbs. and 19.5% bodyfat. I suspect a lot of water loss here, and it does edge my lean mass closer to 130 than 135, but I’m not worried. I’ve had carb-depletion phases in the past that have done the same thing to me.

All my lifts went up, so maybe I’m just optimistic for that reason. Bodyweight go down + lifts go up = Happy Eric!

Dynamic Warm-up
I warm up for upper and lower back independently (I don’t do a warm-up on the rows), but before I do my first warm-up set with deadlifts, I do 20 shoulder circles and 20 leg swings, each limb.

Deadlift

1. 1×2 @ 200lbs. (left under)
2. 1×3 @ 180lbs. (left over)
3. 1×4 @ 160lbs. (left under)

Chin Assist

1. 1×5 @ 50lbs. offset
2. 1×4 @ 60lbs. offset (I don’t think I’m jumping down far enough)
3. 1×6 @ 85lbs. offset (this felt like enough but I was FINISHED)

Horizontal Row
3×5 @ 70lbs.

No cardio today. Dad was nice enough to go out of his way to take me to the gym after mom ditched me this morning, and I didn’t want to him waiting. Nor do I like to spend more time than I have to in the gym after deadlifting, so… heh

While I was getting a breather at the chin station, I overheard this (ERC = me):

…so then I did my chins.

And my girlfriend called to ask me to help her with her training when she gets her car. I have no idea how people, who have no idea what my training schedule is, still manage to call me with fitness concerns while I’m dealing with my own. Story for another time.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Upper/Lower Body Split

Ughhh…

I feel like I’m speaking heresy. But I’m “using a four-day upper/lower body split, in combination with an hour of cardio daily, to lose fat.”

It’s in quotes so people can mock me when I go back to a pure workout for real men.

Today I found out I can’t make PRs in squats and deadlifts after four days of low-carb/low-calorie dieting. Who knew?

Stats
Total Weight: 164lbs.
BF%: 17.8
Fat: 29.192lbs.
LBM: 134.808lbs.

Today was a… lower body… legs day… UGH THIS SOUNDS SO STUPID.

Squats: 1 x 5 @ 200lbs.
Deadlifts: 1 x 2 @ 170lbs. (failed to lift 205lbs workset)
Hack Squat: 1 x 5 @ 45lbs. (first time doing this)
Leg Curl: 1 x 5 @ 75lbs. (making up for FAILURE deadlifts, only not really, surprisingly painful)

I did five minutes on a treadmill before I remembered the walk I have to do tomorrow. Love ya Sarah!

Some more rage: I’ve lost less than a pound of fat per month for the last three months.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Birthday Goal

Goal Statement: By my 20th birthday I will have visible abs.

Start: July 27th, 2009
Deadline: January 27th, 2010

Measurements

• Height: 5′ 9″
• Weight: 163.8lbs.
• Upper Arms (mid-bicep): 10.5″ (both arms)
• Waist: 33.5″; 34″; 35.75″ (two inches above; at; and two inches below navel)
• Hips: 38.75″
• Thighs: 24.5″; 25″ (right/left, measured directly below buttocks)
• Body Fat Percentage: 19.5%

Specifics

• 1400-1500 calories per day
• 6 meals per day
  1. Breakfast (320 calories): Bagel with slice of lowfat cheese
  2. Snack (140 calories): Protein shake
  3. Lunch (300 calories): Turkey on whole wheat with light mayo
  4. Snack (140 calories): Another protein shake
  5. Dinner (300 calories): Microwaveable meal
  6. Snack (180 calories): Protein bar
• Drink 1 to 2 gallons of ice-cold water per day
• Workouts are brief and intense, 1 set of 8-12 for the following exercises:
  1. Crunch
  2. Leg Curl
  3. Leg Extension
  4. Palms-up Pulldown
  5. Bench Press
  6. Oblique Crunch

Popularity: 1% [?]