Healthy Strong: April 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Week 7 Day 2

Week 7 Day 2

5'7"
196.6lbs
24.4% BF

Age 35

Workout A

Squats: 95x3 / 135x3

190 - 5X5

Bench - 45x5 / 95x3 / 135x3

145 - 5X5

Rows -

115 - 5X5

Dips -

Bodyweight + 15lbs: 10/10
+20 - 5/5

Oh yeah!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Week 7 Day 1

Week 7 Day 1

4/28/08

Age 35

5'7"
197lbs

Squats: 95x3 / 135x3

185 - 5/5/5/5/5

OHP - 45x3 / 65x3

80 - 5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift -

165 - 1x5

Pulls: Bodyweight

2/2

Friday, April 25, 2008

Week 6 Day 3 Finally!

Week 6 Day 3
April 25, 2008
5'7"
197lbs
24.4% BF
Age 35

Workout B

Squats: 95x3 / 135x3

180lbs - 5x5
Whew!

OHP - 45x5 / 65x3

95 - 5/4/
Stalling again have to deload to 80lbs for monday.

Deadlift-

160lbs 1x5

Pulls - bodyweight
3/2

Feels good to get this week done.
It was hard, but the kids cooperated and I am 17lbs from bodyweight squats.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Week 6 Day 2 (New)

Week 6 Day 2 - 4/23/08

5'7"
197lbs
24.4% BF

Workout A

Squats: - 95x3 / 135x3

175 - 5x5
Form has improved

Bench Press - 45x3 / 95x2 / 135x2

160 - 5/5/5/3/0

3rd stall - reducing to 145 next session A

Row: - 95x3

110 - 5x5

Dips: BW+15lbs
10/10/10

Loving it again.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Week 6 Day 1 (New and Improved)

OK Peeps, Scotty's back! Thanks for all of the motivation.

Let's call this week 6,Day 1 - I'd like to overwrite the previous week 6.

5'7"

198lbs

24.5% BF

Squats:

170 5x5

OHP: 95 - 5/5/5/5/4

Damn stall - next time I'll get it.

Deadlift: 155 - 1x5

Piece of cake

Chins: Bodyweight - 4/4/2

About 4 minutes of running in the yard and some burpees.

Home with the kids all week - trying to lift during naptime.

Back to counting cals and macros.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Week 6 Day 2

This day was a wash...felt a pop in my lower back during first set of squats. Laid down for a few minutes and then finished up. Couldn't budge 100lbs on OHP. My mind is not in it. Losing my job and my wife's current health conditions are on my mind. I know it gets better from here, but this is what happens when you start feeling untouchable. I am taking the rest of the week off and will resume next week. I will deload by 10% and start there. I hope my mind gets better. I am taking a job with less pay and we are worried about finances. I haven't felt this down in ages.Scott

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Week 6 Day 1

4/14/08 8:00pm
Don't like working out at the end of the day.

Re-did the same weight from Friday (the day I was FIRED!)
My life is a mess right now - cannot accept a great job because of three kids in daycare. Can't make the numbers work.Looks like I will be home with the kids. There goes my great exercise schedule - right out of the window!

Squats: 45x5 / 95x3 / 135x3
165 - 5x5

Bench: 45x5 / 95x3 / 135x3

160 - 5/5/5/5/4 (Total stall on 5 of 5 - had to drop on safety - I only got my right side back up on the hook. I will try this weight one more time then I will deload if I cannot.

Rows:

105 - 5x5

Dips (+15)
10/10

Post WO was a double whey shake, but half milk/half water.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

What is the right Physique?

This morning was as annoying as a morning could be. My usual routine on a lifting day consists of:

Up at 4:30
Getting ready
Glass of water
stretches
GO GO GO
Whey Shake with water
Getting the family ready for the day

Today was a bit different because I had to take my 2 week progress photo and get a body fat % reading.

My reading was 24.5% - down only .5% - Kelly was not impressed. Her skepticism and general attitude is a real downer. She only sort of supports me as long as she agrees with the methods. If she thinks I am eating too much - never mind if it is totally clean food - or if she feels I am not getting cardio, then she lectures me and complains that she doesn't notice any changes in me.

Well - I am sick of it!!!! Screw her - I am going to do what I think is right, then rub it in her face when she finally notices something. My big problem is this Goddamn gut and love handles. They will not budge.

Anyway - the real reason for this post: what physique is the right one?

I went to John Stone Fitness (http://www.johnstonefitness.com) and his blog is a real motivator. But there is a period of time where he gets to looking good, then he just looks gross. I think he needs some body fat. He is too damn lean - so he looks like a doctor's model of the human musculo-skeletal system. I would be happy with bigger arms, chest and shoulders - a nice strong back and NO gut or love handles. Not much to ask, right?

Well, if by week 12 there is little change, I am doing something wrong.

Keeping the faith!

Scott

Week 5 Day 2 4/9/08

2 week progress photo

I realized today that I should switch the schedule around and work more on the B workout.

Age 35
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 200lbs
Body Fat# 24.5% (This is based on the sup. reading as recommended by the accumeasure.)

Squats: 115x2 / 135x2 / 145x1 / 155x1

160: 5/5/5/5/5

Press: 45x3 / 65x1 / 85x1

95: 5/5/5/4/5 - I stalled on the 5th of 4, I guess I was tiring, but came back for a full 5th set.

Deadlift:

150lbs 1x5 (I Love these)

All in all good morning.

Will do 20 minutes of HIIT in about 1 hour.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Week 5 Day 1 4/7/08

Week 5 Day 1

4/7/08

The weekend was beautiful - yard work kicked my ass, I was sore today but trained through and I am no longer sore.

I forgot my log, so I don't have my warmup weights.

Age 35

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 199.6lbs

BF% (20-21%?) New reading on Wednesday

Squats: (Getting nice - a little more of a challenge)

155 - 5/5/5/5/5

Bench Press:

155: 5/5/5/5/4 - I could not get that last one up! I will on Friday I am sure.

Rows:

100 - 5/5/5/5/5

Dips (+15lbs)

10/6/3 - I was pretty tired by the time I got to my dips. I could do more fresh out of the gate.

No pic today - will post with new BF% reading.

Friday, April 4, 2008

End of Week 4: 4/4/08

Age 35
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 199-202 (I will now put the variations less to greatest)
BF# 21%

Squats: 115x3 / 135x2 / 145x1

150lbs: 5/5/5/5/5

Bench Press: 45x10 / 115x2 / 135x2

150lbs: 5/5/5/5/5 - I will now only progress in increments of 5lbs

Barbell Row:

95lbs: 5/5/5/5/5

Dips:

Body weight +10lbs: 10/8 - WOW!

Cardio: 15 minutes of HIIT Running.

Getting the wife interested - maybe this summer she will start to train.

Awesome day!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

What I did and so can YOU!

It is a simple equation really. Wanting+doing=results. What used to happen went like, Wanting+thinking+procrastinating+excuses=no change or worse. I am not an author, I am not anything special. I am a 35 year old guy who, since I can remember, has always had man-boobs and love handles.

My family has a history of less than perfect hearts and cancer. So, do I stay overweight and risk leaving my kids fatherless before they themselves are parents? The answer was simple, the actions taken were not as easy. Like most of us who are overweight, I had a lot of advice from a lot of people. Some told me about the calorie deficit. Some about the Carb Demons, some about the Atkins, the graprefruit, the cabbage soup. blaa blaa blaa. Do you know what works - universally? Whether you are morbidly obese, slightly overweight or skinny fat - your progression to your perfect body is generally the same.

Getting healthy means that first you must throw out the habits that got you here in the first place. No more pleasure eating, crutch eating, or boredome eating. Unless these three events take place at the right time and consist of the right foods. Now, this isn't to say that for the rest of your life this will be the case, at least at first it will be. Here are my three rules to getting healthy:

Eat clean. Nothing processed - no nitrates - refined sugars - white flour, etc. Eat only whole grains, lean meats and lots of vegetables. Fruits are good too. I say vegetables first because of the fiber and filling potential. They fill you up but have little to no sugars (as compared to fruits). No more Diet Colas, no more sugary drinks with a sweetener. Think! This is common sense. Do you think there were fat cavemen? Granted they had to run and walk everywhere and were far more active, but the body works the same. You need protein and fat and carbohydrates. You need vitamins and minerals. You need water. Lots of water. Water water WATER! I just gulped a bunch after writing that sentence. These are the basics. You needs will vary depending on your goals, and the research is yours to do if you are serious. Most importantly - don't starve yourself. Eat 5-6 smart meals per day and not to soon before bed. If you consume too few calories your body will burn muscle and store the fat for later. Eating three hours apart will boost your metabolism. Oh, I almost forgot, this will not happen overnight. Nothing does! Be patient and you'll get there.
Become active. Slow to start and increase it progressively. Cardio and weight training. Building muscle is good for your health. Muscle burns fat - fat just sits there on YOUR ass waiting to get burned. The more muscle built, the more fat burned - at rest. That is why trainers tell you it is harder to get rid of the spare tire than it is to keep it gone. Explore whatever suits you, but get active. It is good for your heart and therefore good for everything else. Remember, I am just a guy - see a doctor before you try anything.
Get enough sleep. The majority of us are up early and in bed late. Get 8 hours of sleep if you can. If that means missing Letterman, buy a DVR or something. Nothing is free, especially a nice physique.

So that is all I am going to write. The most important part is that YOU have to WANT to do this and then DO. Follow through, don't let anyone or anything stop you from realizing your dream.

Thanks,