InstantGravity

Tested my maxes on Dec 5. EXERCISE---- GOAL - START - CURR. 1RM - % BENCH PR.____227___175_____235_________ DEADLIFT_____292___225_____320________ POWER CLN___195___150_____ 205_________ SQUAT_______312___240_____305_________ CURL_________175___135____ 175__________ Quick update. Math coming later

O_O It... it is GLORIOUS!!! *Saving to harddrive*

No problem 2

Think of it like a journey rather than a destination. Just because you reached your goals is no reason to stop improving. Keep going, and see how far you underestimated your abilities.

Human wastes have a few problems. First of all, as was stated before, toxins, chemicals, heavy metals, and the like bioaccumulate upwards on the food chain. We have already seen in rivers recieving treated waste streams of fish spontaneously changing genders because of residual medications leaving people's bodies, like metabolites from prozac. We have to determine whether or not chemicals like this can be effectively removed by particular plants. For example, certain swamp plants are actually poisonous; not because they produce poison, but because they uptake certain chemicals and heavy metals in the environment to the point that they carry toxic amounts. Selenium and molybendum are being excellent examples. Ideally, wastewater treatment plants should feed specific fields that are set up with either algae, terrestrial plants, or plankton that uptake the chemicals and substances. If the chemicals are simply converted, great. For instances like heavy metals, the organisms can be harvested at regular intervals, cold destroyed through mechanical processes, and subjected to centrifuges to strip the heavy metals out. The organic material could be used for ethanol or as compost ingredient*. *Given that many phytoplankton have a high silica amount, it might be counterproductive to use as compost / fertilizer. Certain companies are already utilizing reclaimed water from wastewater treatment plants and reclaimed waste sludge as fertilizer. One such company in Florida is called Greenedge, where they take a biosolid product that is anywhere from 93-98% dry, and will use it for any place that isn't being used to produce crops.

Also, a picture of a kitten deadlifting a weight while wearing a chef's hat lopsidedly would ... purrfectly ... sum up this thread.

I think people call fully-grown cats "kittens", for the same reason some people pray to "Baby Jesus". As far as plateauing, back in the Marines I did something eerily similar to stronglifts. When I did a de-load, I would always do the last set of my (at the time 6 sets for 5 reps) as a set to failure. You don't have to actually fail though, just on that last set just keep going until you don't think you could do one more safely or properly. Also, I would supplement the basic big exercises with exercises that work the supporting muscles more thoroughly. Just on days that you have the extra time and energy. Example: When I would hit a wall with my bench, I would look at where I am failing. If I can't get the weight off my chest, I would do dumbbell chest flys or dips to strengthen the pectoral muscle group. If I could get it off my chest easily but it would stick halfway, I would assume the triceps are at fault, and I would do either barbell tricep extensions, pushups, or dips. Same thing with bent over rows. If it feels like it is my back muscles failing me, I will do wide grip pullups, or wide grip inverted rows. If it is the biceps and delts, I'll go with chin ups, standing barbell curls, or standing rows. In my eyes, that is the beauty of using moves like squats and deadlifts. They are compound moves, and if you know what perfect form feels like, then you can analyze where the most difficulty in the lift is coming from and tailor your supplemental exercises to strengthen them. For example, here is my workout for later on today.: Squats: 275 lb / 5 sets / 5 reps* Power clean: 180 / 1-5 sets / 5 reps (helps my squat and my overhead press, + part of my 6 week challenge) Overhead press:115 / 5 sets / 5 reps* Deadlift: 275 / 1-2 sets / 5 reps* * = last set is to near failure. This is totally up for debate, and this has worked historically / is currently working for me now. Your mileage may vary, and you won't hurt my feelings if you or anyone else thinks it is bad advice. I think you meant... wait for it... Tri-furcation. Ok, I apologize for the lack of satisfying conclusion to that. You may return to your regularly scheduled programming without incident. And we won't speak of that again Alright. CatsPaw, you are kicking ass and taking no names because you left your pen at home, but that's ok because you are good with remembering faces. We have 11 days left, and you've already accomplished a lot and inspired a lot more. Great job!

Whew, finally got it right.

My name is Christopher, and it has been 40 days since my last Taco Bell "Surrounded by various wrappers, depleted sauce packets, and shame" binge. I did sort of have a slip, though. I had an instant pizza in my freezer that I cooked and ate in a single sitting. I started to feel bad til I actually looked at the nutritional information. It was a medium sized, wheat thin-crust Buffalo chicken pizza. 18 grams of protein per serving, 330 calories per serving, and 1 serving = 330 calories., 1320 calories = roughly half of what I need to be eating to meet my goals per day. So, I simply calculated my nutritional needs left plus what I already ate, worked out afterwards, and stopped feeling guilty about it. Just carried the f*&k on. Everything went better than expected. Bumped up my protein intake with a really delicious protein shake. I take it in between meals so that I can hit that magic 1 gram per pound target. And I have salmon pretty much every other day. And chicken. And eggs. Now to pick up the vegetable side of things... Tested my maxes on Nov 22. EXERCISE---- GOAL - START - CURR. 1RM - % COMPLETE --- GROWTH FROM CHALLENGE BENCH PR.____227___175_____225_________99.11%________28.57% / 50 LB DEADLIFT_____292___225_____295________101.03%________31.12% / 70 LB POWER CLN___195___150_____185_________94.87%________23.33% / 35 LB SQUAT_______312___240_____285_________91.34%________18.75% / 45 LB CURL_________175___135____165__________94.28%________22.22% / 30 LB My hard work is paying off. I look better, I feel stronger, and I AM stronger. According to the data, I am overall 24.80% stronger. I think with numbers like that, I could technically consider myself "levelled up" to level 2: But on December 5, I'm going to test my unaccomplished maxes first to conserve energy. I'm going to fully hydrate before each lift, (being dehydrated even by 1 percent can affect your performance by 15 %!)and I'm going to properly stretch and warm up before attempting the goals, psych myself up, and attempt them. I will allow myself an hour between each attempt, and I will record and recalculate my progress for them. 11 days. The home stretch. Let's ALL finish STRONG!!!!!!

This thread is pure, unfiltered awesomeness. 191 proof. Continue nutting skyward unadulterated.

Also, I have a new theme song for this challenge.

Hello, my name is Christopher, and it has been 31 days since my last McRib. Technically, that isn't true. The McRib just came back out, but since it has been 31 days since any fast food at all. Sloooooowly inching down the weight lower and lower. I'll probably make the 10 pound goal, but just barely. 6/10 pounds down. I don't count the weight unless I am fully hydrated, which makes it harder to achieve, but a more meaningful weight loss. - I have been living off of steam-bags of vegetables, and steam-bags of salmon and tilapia. And protein shakes made with skim milk to make that 200+ grams of protein necessary for muscle repair and building, and to make sure that all my weight loss is just fat. Not water, definitely not muscle, just fat. - This is pretty much my 2nd day of living paleo. It isn't bad at all. A little expensive for a beginner, especially for a bachelor with a crappy cooking skillset. As I learn more and more, I'll get better and better and cheaper. - I stopped counting the canteens I drink, because I am always drinking water these days. Especially when working out, I easily go through a gallon and a half. So... WATER DRINKING MISSION: ACCOMPLISHED!!!! - I'm using the 5 x 5 method for reaching my strength goals, and I realize that while it is an excellent method of stead progression, that so long as I stick with it, I won't reach all of my goals in time. And really, that is fine. I'm coming to the conclusion that goals are an excellent tool to shoot for, but it is the journey to them, where we lay down all the bricks for the foundation of where we stand to reach our goals, that is what is really important. Having to swallow my pride and hop down to 50% of my ability allowed me to correct issues with my lifting technique that gave me injuries long before. Also, this was an interesting thing of note: In 5 x 5, whenever I have to de-load, I also pick up another compound exercise for each exercise, that works the supporting muscles for the moves that I need. I am finding that it actually increases my overall strength for a certain move, and I won't have to de-load again for a long time. Continuing to explore this further. On December 5, I'm going to break up my day into X number of workouts, spaced 4 hours apart each, giving enough time to recuperate strength and rest. X = number of exercises I haven't met my goals on yet. Likely, it will be just the squats and curls. I will spend a good amount of time stretching, and warming up, and preparing to attempt the goal lifts.

I was going to make a supportive comment, but now I'm a little bitter because I'm drooling all over my shirt because of your food pictures. Way to keep kicking ass even as stuffed up as a build-a-bear.

Hi, my name is Christopher, and it has been 29 days since my last Cheddar Jalapeno poppers from Arby's. And God do I miss them. Weight is hovering at the halfway point to my goal. That's fine for now. - Bench max is now @ 215!!!!!!!!!!!! Only 12 pounds away! - Curling 145 now. - I eventually said "screw it", and stacked 295 on the bar and tried deadlifting it. It took a lot of stretches, and warming up, and water, and psyching myself out, but dammit I got that sucka up! DEADLIFT MISSION: COMPLETE!