Martinpanduh

Off day today but I got to put in a 24 minute run on the treadmill, rounded out to about 4k or something. I know, isn't that kind of slow? My 5k best time (on a road trail) was 21++ minutes but I used to run so much more back then. Eh, I dunno. Did 22 minutes of 10kph and put in 2 minutes of 12kph at the end. Winded by the end of it all. I rested for about 15 minutes and I was trying to figure out if I could put in some chin ups (5x3) or do the Bear (5x5), I attempted both and they both fell through. My body's still sore from the heavy weights I did yesterday, I'd rather not risk failing my main workout tomorrow so I just decided to call it a day. I hope I made the right decision. On the weight front, it's still fluctuating like crazy. Monday I was at 206lbs. Today I'm at 203. So I finally just said "FU IT" and I measured my "waist" (if you could call it a waist) and lo and behold, it's only 38 inches now from 40 inches a month ago. I hope that's progress. I call it my "waist" cause even though it measures a size 38, I really do get to wear size 34 jeans. Whatever. See you guys tomorrow!

You're doing great! Your dedication is inspiring hahaha, I can't wrap my head around doing 10 burpees, let alone 250.

That's super cool, always love hearing about other rowers! It was huge part of my life, so sad it's over now but I don't think I'm willing to subject myself to all that pain again hahaha. It was worth it, at any rate. Anyway, just had another debaucher-ous weekend. Well it wasn't that bad but I had a lot of liquid calories (read: beer) and I had a little too much nuts, mindless eating and all that during a family lunch. Cripes, I really need to watch it. Weighed myself again this morning and it's still at 206lbs I swear! It's not moving. At least at the end of the day, I'm keeping up with my strength goals and I'd still like to believe I'm getting firmer in all the right places. So today was Workout A of the StrongLifts 5x5. Squat: 5x5 165lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) getting heavier, I'm starting to think I need to extend my 1 minute rests in between. Bench Press 5x5 100lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Doable, difficult, but doable. Barbell Row 5x5 100lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Yikes, starting to feel the strain. All for today! I'll try to get in a 24 minute run tomorrow and put in a Bear 5x5 for good measure, missed those. Goodluck to everyone this week! Make it happen!

I am in total agreement with this, ever since I switched to Paleo (well 95%) that's the first thing I noticed. I'm less hungry between meals and I feel so much more energetic. I always thought it was due to the protein (to some extent, I guess it is) but I guess it's also equally due to the amount of fat I'm consuming. Okay thanks guys, good to know!

@Plex and Alethea, Yes I am gunning for strength gains and I basically feel trimmer. I don't trust the scale so much but I do wish it would cooperate HAHA for my ego's sake. At any rate, that's very good to know then. I mean with regards to the fat content in meats, I mean at least now I know I'm not overdoing anything.

SO FREAKIN COOL! HAHAHAHA I wish someone would do a girl's combo, super cool.

Not to sound totally ignorant but, I know you need a good chunk of fat in a healthy diet but as people who follow the Paleo diet, do we really need to find extraneous sources of fat other than the natural oil in meat? Like I feel like all the meat/meat-based stews/soups are super high in fat already. It can't be good for your calorie numbers--specifically for me who's aiming for weightloss with Paleo, I've cut out all the carb but the scale just doesn't seem to respond. I'm starting to suspect it's the oils I consume... I don't really know, thanks in advance for the enlightening!

Thanks for the advice Dawsy, luckily I've yet to confront the possibility. At any rate, Workout B again today. Squat: 5x5 160lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) manageable but already tough. Overhead Press 5x5 60lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) difficult! Deadlift 1x5 175lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) doable still, I surmounted the grip pain by just looking past it. Amazing how mental toughness really plays a role. After that I did some 3x4 reps chin ups. My arms are still throbbing. Thanks and goodluck to everyone this week!

Keep us posted on your progress! THUNDERCATS HOOO hahaha.

As far as I've read on StrongLifts, one is supposed to progress to 3x5 or some other similar (but lesser reps) variation when one hits the maximum weight using 5x5. I'm not at all sure but I think in my case, I'm still at the lighter stages as far as the squat is concerned. I'm currently at 155+bar when my body weight is 200lbs+, so far it still feels pretty manageable. From previous experience, I know I can hit 5x5 with 200lbs + bar so I think I have a long way to go. As for bench and the overhead press, I dunno, kinda heavy already. I'm scared for the day I'll plateau in these exercises.

Congrats on the baby! Looking forward to keeping up with you this challenge

Hey Miriad! How are you doing with your goals? I can totally relate with your goal of doing a 500m row in 1:45 minutes. I wish I had access to a rowing machine now, it's just not so common here in my country. Anyway, not kidding, I lost 50lbs back then because of constantly going to the rowing machine. But I used to do more long distance workouts like 30 minutes or 42 with negative splits and varying speeds. I used to be a Varsity rower, back in my heyday I think I could crank out a sprint of 1:17~1:21 but generally that's just that, an anaerobic sprint: good if you're going for HIIT I guess but practically inefficient since a race is at least 2000m. On that note I think that goal is super doable, let us know what happens!

Are you doing StrongLifts 5x5 also? Goodluck with your goals and keep us updated!

Let's do this gang! What about "Scoobies"? HAHA!

Workout A today! Squat: 5x5 (155) 175lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) grossly overestimated the weights on the bar for this one. I was just supposed to do 155 but I miscalculated. This seems to happen to me a lot, wtf math skillz. It was heavy all right. Bench Press 5x5 95lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Wuhoo, I genuinely feel the strength from previous workouts facilitating this press. It wasn't easy but, it was just right. Barbell Row 5x5 95lbs + bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) Doable but difficult already. Felt sore from yesterdays run, tomorrow is going to be an off-day for me and then Friday I resume. Looking in the mirror, I still have a long way to go both in terms of losing my belly/roundness AND gaining some definition. I look big, that's for sure but I need to cut down. Hopefully this workout + the running will bring me closer. Cheers all!

LOL I LOVE THE SATURDAYS. I guess mine would be Chris Redfield from Resident Evil 5 HAHAHA even though he looks like he got 'roided up, I dunno, I just want to look as sex--I mean menacing as he does. http://nerdfitness.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=156&stc=1&d=1296560765 Or Daniel Craig from James Bond. I'm not actually gunning for super mass like them but yea, like I said, I like the look of them.

Scales are crazy. I go to the gym, I weigh myself and it reads 203 pounds. I run for 20 minutes, lift some weights, change and then it says I'm 206lbs. I guess it's all the water I drank or my body going the Hulk on me. Hahaha either way, I just go on the scale for fun. I do not take it seriously, neither should you!

Off day today! Went to the gym to put in a 22 minute run (like yesterday), this time I put in two minutes of 12kph with 20 minutes at 10kph. Hahaha "sprints", I'd like to think. Before that, I put in my 3 sets x 4 reps CHIN ups, sorry not pull ups, I keep mix matching these terms. As for diet, I ate some beef and a LOT of cauliflower for lunch. I love cauliflower, any downsides to this? It says it's 14 calories per half cup. I don't think anyone can go wrong there. As for life goals, I'm almost done with 1/4 finished garments! This one is super cool and it's for my sister, it's not perfect but it looks pretty damn HOT. Cheers.

Share the recipe! It looks delicious, I wonder if they have goat around here though. I love game-y meats.

Me too, and especially since you'll be in range if anything comes up! Goodluck!

Workout B today! My legs are toast! I went good on my new goal of increasing my run capacity by 2 minutes each time, I went 10kph for 19 minutes then 12kph for the "last" minute then I added 2 more minutes of 10kph for cooldown. 22 minutes all in all. As for the weights: Squat: 5x5 150lbs + bar (I did a total of 10 sets of 5 with varying weights, including warmup) so getting there. Yikes. Overhead Press 5x5 55lbs+ bar (Total of 7 sets, warm up etc.) difficult but still doable. Deadlift 1x5 175lbs + bar (Total of 3 sets, varying weights) doable but yes, grips are starting to strain. As for diet, I drank soda today (fail, no choice) but I did well everywhere else so no big. Cheers y'all! Can't wait for our squad assignments.

Great resource indeed. Goodluck with your goals Army! Any diet plans to ensure your below-220 goal?

Goodluck on your goals! What's the 7 weeks to 50 pull ups plan? Hahaha share!

I definitely think I have the pounds to lose *looks at stomach*, but yea I know what you're talking about hahaha. I'll try to be more alert (more-so than now) on the calories in, and to think I had a glass of soda last night--FAIL! Can't wait to hit the gym tonight. Also about slopers, haha funny you mention clothing sizes. A sloper is basically a pattern made out of card stock, making rendering new patterns so much easier. It's like a template for a given size. Let's say I need to make a dress and a shirt for a size 6 person, I whip out the sloper and I trace it out twice. The fit is already there on the paper, now all I have to do is add the design. It's like a master pattern really. Intricate stuff to make I tell ya.

Name: Martinpanduh About Me: My name is Martin, I'm 22 from the Philippines. I think this is my fourth challenge now? Either fourth or fifth, I'm not entirely sure. It's been a great ride so far and I hope this community grows with all of us along with it. I used to be a varsity rower for my university, pretty serious but we'd only place within South East Asia (height handicaps are a serious barrier, like most sports). Rowing used to be a big part of my life, before I started it 4 years ago. I was 250lbs and seriously sedentary. I joined the team, eventually became the captain and lost 50+ pounds in the process. At my lightest, I was 193lbs standing at 5'10. Right now, I'm hovering over 204-6 and have been struggling ever since. Though some of it (I'd like to think) is muscle I've put on (compared to me back then, I wasn't very muscular compared to the me now, except for my legs). So here we are at the present day, I'm 206 pounds, without a boat or a rowing machine in sight, switched to Paleo and chugging along to my ultimate goal weight of 180lbs! For proof (and epicness) of my previous exploits, I posted that video. I guess for Crossfit enthusiasts, you'll recognize that thing as a rowing machine. This was during our best season in Malaysia, this was taken during a 2000 meter four-person relay, fastest time to finish wins. We went into this thinking we were just going to play around but we ended up felling giants! Literally. Incidentally, around this time I was at my lightest. 2009 SIGH. Oh and if you watched it, please excuse my face and my incredibly short shorts HAHA. I'm the one who's seated and okay, winks right at the very start. Anyway! On to my goals! - Continue my StrongLifts 5x5 Program. At current standing, I am at 145 + bar Squat and 170 + bar Deadlift etc. Basically I just want to hit the bar I set last challenge of not missing a single 5x5 session (3 times a week) in the next 28 days. - Increase cardio capacity: currently I run for 20 minutes at a speed that leaves me panting at the end of it all. Around 10kph/12kph if I had to put a number on it. My challenge this month is to increase my running capacity from 20 minutes to 30 minutes. I plan to do this by running at least twice a week and putting in an extra 2 minutes each time. By my 6th run, I'd easily make my target! - Increase proficiency in body weight exercises: in-between workouts of my StrongLifts 5x5, I try to put in some Pull-ups to accelerate my arm muscle growth. Right now I can do three sets of 3 pull-ups, looking to increase this in the incoming challenge to 4x3 then eventually 5x3 whenever I hit the gym. Ultimately, I want to be able to do 5 pull-ups in a set. - The inevitable, lost some weight and eat healthier: so like I said, I'm 206lbs and I don't know if this is setting the bar a little too high but I'd like to hit 200 or at least 202 for this challenge. I'm actually already eating very healthy (95% Paleo with a lot of fruits and greens) but I feel like I'm consuming a lot of extra calories through healthy vices like chocolate and dairy products. Must stop/keep it to a minimum. Overview of Fitness Goals: I plan to continue my StrongLifts 5x5, eat healthier and try to increase my cardio capacity to induce weight loss. We can do this gang! Life Goals: My current situation is basically this: I'm living with my Grandmother, intern-ing for her in her custom-made clothing business and am freelancing graphic design on the side. Basically, I'm unemployed and supposedly focusing on learning everything my Grandmother has to teach me. I realize that this is a very ideal situation for someone who wants to learn how to design/pattern draft clothes. But I feel like I'm procrastinating half the time because I'm not going to lie, pattern drafting is serious business. I'm learning a lot but I feel like I could pick up the pace instead of lounging around my Grandmother's house half the time. Time to set some concrete goals: 1. Make 4 complete and finished outfits, from pattern to actual garment. (Working on one right now!) 2. Make a women's sloper, men's sloper and pants sloper from scratch. (Going to work on this tomorrow! SWEAR) 3. Produce a sketch at least twice in one week. All for now! Whew, felt like I wrote a novel this month hahaha. Keep me posted and let's hit our goals together <3 P.S And on a totally unrelated and extraneous note, I seriously need to learn how to drive. Maybe I should enroll in a driving school again. Must look into this.