Newcomb's Battle Log

Hi, I'm Newcomb (intro here) Here's may battle plan:

Stats:

Permanent: Male, 5'8 (b. 1987)

Start 5/13/14: 230lbs, 43" waist (belly button)

Current 5/18/14: 224lbs, 42.1"

Goal 12/31/14: 190lbs, 34" waist

Strength:

I had been doing Stronglifts for a while, but after the "hiatus" with the kids, and since finding Nerd Fitness, I've modified it similar to the example in an NF article. Mostly I try arranging the lifts to minimize adjustments on my rack in-between. For each lift, I do one warm-up with the bar, one warm up with 40% of the working weight, then five sets at the working weight. Alternated Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday:

Workout 1:

Squat

Overhead Press

Row

Workout 2:

Deadlift

Bench

Pull-Up (working my way through bands)

Once I get to full 5x5 on a weight, I add 5 lbs. I'll hold a lift based on benchmarks from ExRx. For instance, I'm at the Novice level for bench, row, and almost press, so those weights will stay until deadlift and squat catch up. 

I also do a PLP variation in the evenings; I do three sets, working my way up to 3x12 on each of chin-up, push-up, and lunges in a circuit. I track my workouts with JeFit.

Running:

I basically go through the C25K routine but jog/run instead of walk/jog. When I get to the end, my 30min at the "higher" pace becomes my "slow" pace next time around (ish). I track it (ish, it's an iphone app) with Map My Run. Sometimes I'll also bike to work, but with night school and little ones, that's not always an option.

Nutrition:

I'm diabetic, so avoiding excess carbs and sugar is important, and I tend to do well. I went to sugar-free sodas and then dropped them completely. Though, if I'm over at my mom's house on the weekend with the kids, I might have a can or bottle of Coke. The other trap I have is that when we do get takeaway; I used to be in a habit of just getting the burger/chicken sandwich and not get fries and a drink; maybe even ditch the bun. Lately, however, I'll get the whole meal and fries/onion rings. I need to cut that crap out.

Normal day of eating: work out at 6:00am, sipping on BCAAs, then whey, banana, and a mini-omelette I've pre-baked for the week (inspired by a NF Article). For lunch (at work), I've pre-grilled chicken breast and frozen veggies. Sometimes I'll cave to eating out with co-workers and maybe I'll make a good choice if I do, but lately it's been my previous mentioned fast food habits. Dinner is where I struggle. My wife usually makes pretty good dinners, but I'll over eat. Especially if there's a pasta or bread or something as a "side". Or we'll be very busy and it will be takeaway. Sometimes I'll get smart and box some leftovers before the meal; but I'll pack way too much to eat at once later. Weekends I'll do my normal breakfast, but I'll fast at lunch or we have meals with my mom (she lives next door and takes care of the kids when she can). Saturday nights my wife and I do Chinese as our weekly "treat", but, again, I get pretty crappy at the "moderation" and saving enough for later. Before bed I'll have some casein. Generally I'll track my nutrition on Livestrong's MyPlate; but I'm not always super diligent about it.

External Tracking (I'm posting/linking as I go, too):
Nutrition: MyPlate

Lifting: JeFit

Running: MapMyRun

Well, today was a good day, kept to my meals, didn't over-eat at dinner (steak and veggies). There was a cake at work for birthdays; I passed on it. Biked to work and back for the second day in a row, and made it up a steep freaking hill on my mountain bike. Really need to get a road bike.

I'm not running this week because it's bike to work week here, and I happen to have the week off of school. So two 5 mile bike rides each day (one mostly uphill) should do for my "cardio". Got to bed on-time yesterday. Did sneak a chocolate kiss and m&m topped mini-pretzel on my tea run this morning, not the worst choice, but not the best either.

Switched routine back, so doing press/row again (doing press and row after dead-lift was not cool; going to put bench and pull-up on DL day). Got another rep on shoulder press, and it's okay, 105 is where I'm supposed to be, so only need to add reps for 5x5. Row/Bench/Press(ish) are sitting where they are until DL and Squat catch up.

Exercise Name

Might be over-doing it with the biking this week. Getting really tired. Tomorrow is the last of bike to work week and my "spring break", so I'll be back to just running every other day next week. Next year I'll probably invest in a decent road bike, and gradually work up to daily commutes.

Yesterday I only got 1,000 calories. Generally, I account for my morning meal, whey, lunch, and evening casein, then have some "play" with dinner, but I wasn't feeling it at dinner. As long as it doesn't become a daily thing I guess I'm okay.

Hey! Just read your intro thread and thought I'd stop by to say Hi and check out what you're doing.

I'm half asleep right now so not going to say much, but I'll be back to check on you, don't worry.

It looks like you have a nice structure and a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Good luck.

Hey! Just read your intro thread and thought I'd stop by to say Hi and check out what you're doing.

I'm half asleep right now so not going to say much, but I'll be back to check on you, don't worry.

Howdy! Just doing my thing for now... good to know I've got someone checking in on me.

It looks like you have a nice structure and a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Good luck.

Thanks!

So glad tomorrow is last biking day, but at least I'm not lifting in the morning.

Ate more today, two servings at dinner. Plus I watched the kids while my wife had a Dr. appt., and she picked up Wendy's for lunch on the way home; I opted for just the spicy chicken sandwich. Shoulda stuck to my packed lunch, but at least I went with no fries/soda and stayed within my calories and macros. Progress!

As long as you keep making "better" choices, remember it's all about playing the long game, and changing for good, not just in the short term. There's no point being as strict as Hell if you then can't keep it up.

Final bike-to-work week trek today; I made it all week! Even that godforsaken hill on the way home... it was brutal there at first, and didn't get a whole let better over the course of the week, but I did it!

Had to portion-control some "suddenly pasta salad" for dinner. My wife is working on health too, or trying anyway; and I've been trying to communicate how boxed, well, anything, but especially pastas/rices are pretty much just carb-heavy calorie bombs. In the meantime, it's still on me not to overeat it. At least she mixed in some leftover shredded chicken breast. I noticed she picked up a couple pints of Ben and Jerry's today (one of them my favorite Americone Dream)... I do have a few calories to spare yet today, but we'll see if I can resist, or at least portion-control.

Well, limited myself to just one serving of the ice cream; there are freaking FOUR 300-cal servings in those stupid pints! Suck it, empire, you didn't catch me this time! Came in under cals and meeting macros, so boom. Missus picked up some cheese nips for the kids, I can never stop myself from nibbling on those... and now I have all weekend to practice self discipline in not taking samples.

At 9:30 I was about to pack it in... but I got the itch to take on Shadow Broker in ME2 on Hardcore... and now here I am at quarter to midnight.Got it done, though... now I just ("just") need to do the whole of ME2 on Insanity and that'll close out the first two installments. I should be able to keep it to one short mission per play session.

Yaaaayyy! Way to go! A trick I used to use when there was temptation was to set myself a limit - "you can't have one today, but if there's any left you can have one tomorrow". It's surprisingly effective.

Today's Lifts:

Recorded for form check... maybe I'll have that up later in that forum.

While form check videos are cooking, I took some pictures of my weight room (I call it my Forge) while I was at it and posted that here.

Hmm... That link for your photos took me to someone's old challenge thread...

Ps. Meant to say, very nice numbers there. That's a LOT of iron you're moving.

Hmm... That link for your photos took me to someone's old challenge thread...

Ps. Meant to say, very nice numbers there. That's a LOT of iron you're moving.

Weird. It works for me. It should go here: http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/gallery/album/1141-my-forge/. If nothing else you can go to my profile and then gallery, I guess.

Thanks, sometimes I actually think my numbers are kinda low, then I remember the benchmarks are for guys at my weight; but with a much larger percentage of that weight being muscle. Just going to keep moving forward for me anyway. It is pretty cool when the "total weight lifted" on my app at the end of the session is over 10,000, which I suppose is technically OVER 9,000!!

Well, portioned out two meals of the Chinese takeaway tonight, but still got a hefty meal for the remainder. May have overdone a little, but I was a good boy all week; and tomorrow's a light fasting day.

As for form check; had a heck of a time getting my camera connected, used to have a 4-pin to 6-pin firewire cable, but had to use a 4-pin to a box before the 6-pin to the PC, then find my freaking capture software, then realize the angles weren't that good. Meh, maybe next time. I think I have form locked in pretty good, but it couldn't hurt to get a second opinion at some point.

That's an sweet setup you've got there. Very impressed (and jealous!)

While form check videos are cooking, I took some pictures of my weight room (I call it my Forge) while I was at it and posted that here.

I love how organised this is, so jealous.

That's an sweet setup you've got there. Very impressed (and jealous!)

I love how organised this is, so jealous.

Thanks! It's been a long work in progress. Started with my old bench my mom had stored from high school, had to buy a new bar and weights, then I've just been adding as I go.

Stat update: 224lbs, 41.5" waist. Down quite a bit. Kept nutrition locked last week, and all that freaking biking. Don't think I should keep up that pace, but still an encouraging bump at the start. Gonna have to figure out progress bars at some point.

Oh! Also, this week I had my annual bloodwork done; my A1C (long-term diabetes indicator) is 5.1, which is normal. Like, normal for normal people. Last time was 5.2, so nice to know I'm still doing awesome!

I blew the whole "fasting" thing yesterday. I brought the kids over to my mom's for lunch, and I had planned to drop and run; but then she offered some of her leftover honey chicken, and, well. I don't know, mom and food with me, it's like... I just eat. I noticed that when my sisters and their husbands were around a few weeks ago. We called it "regressive pull" when I worked at camps; being surrounded by kids makes you act more like a kid, and being around people from your childhood gets you in a similar mindset. Need to mind that better.

Otherwise, ran this morning. Took it easy after a week not running, but biking twice each day. Also breaking in some vibrams. I'm not crazy about the toes, but I think I like the minimal sole.