PaulG Keeps Cutting

[PaulG]

It has been a very long time since I've completed an NF challenge -- almost four years. But now I find myself back in the saddle in several ways.

 

Without further ado, some specs:

 

Male

199.8lb

6'0"

14.8% bodyfat

 

 

And some goals!

 

1. Cut to 12.5% bodyfat. It's been a long trip down from my all-time high at 25% bodyfat this last March. And yes, I know that's not exactly a tough weight to be, in the scheme of things -- 

but I showed no signs of stopping the weight gain, so I had to get things back in line. And once you start doing bodyweight exercises again, every pound of fat is just a little extra weight you don't need. So my goal is to hit 12.5% and then start in on a controlled bulk. At my current rate of loss, I should hit my goal about 2-3 weeks in.

 

2. Achieve a hands-back 1-Leg L-Sit (7-second hold). I've been back at training for a couple months, but still haven't worked L-sit training back into my workout. This is a big weakness I need to shore up, as L-sits help a lot with shoulder strength and core strength. I could use more of both. So I'll be working these back into every workout, starting today.

 

3. 3x3 3x8 Pain-Free Pike Push-ups. My return to workouts was sadly marred by a flare-up of impingement in my left shoulder. I've been working myself out of it, doing lots of home PT, and adding push exercises back into my routine (slowly). Eventually I want my headstand push-ups back, but this will be a good, conservative step toward that.

 

4. Get a new apartment!

I'm in the process of moving out of a shared apartment and into something new, and I've got until the beginning of November to lock a new place in. That makes this challenge perfect for tracking my progress toward that. I plan to start by contacting at least 3 properties a week.

[Jonesy]

Welcome back to the NF challenges! 

 

Solid looking challenge, awesome job letting your injury heal and good luck searching for a new apartment.  

[Teancum]

Following for some inspiration of my end goal lol

[WhiteGhost]

Following!

[Twilight]

Welcome back to the challenge board!

[raptron]

CHALLENGE LAAAND.

 

Are your L-sits on the floor?

[PaulG]

Thanks, all!

 

3 hours ago, raptron said:

CHALLENGE LAAAND.

 

Are your L-sits on the floor?

 

Probably not this challenge; not with them being hands-back. Right now the most I can do on the floor is a hands-forward L-sit for a couple seconds, but it's hard on my shoulder, so I'm going the hands-back route with a couple of trainers underneath my hands. The trainers are just 4x4s we use for jumping and precision training, so the 3.5 inches or so of clearance should allow me to work through the progressions.

 

Eventually, yeah, I hope to be able to depress my shoulderblades far enough to do them on the floor.

[Yuen]

Good luck Paul!

 

I've been away for a bit too... did you ever get your muscle up? You were working on it pretty hard the last time I was keeping up regularly..

[Chimichanga]

Glad to see you here.  I really appreciated the advice you gave me re: push exercises.  Following along!

[PaulG]

1 hour ago, Yuen said:

Good luck Paul!

 

I've been away for a bit too... did you ever get your muscle up? You were working on it pretty hard the last time I was keeping up regularly..

 

Never quite got the clean MU I was going for. I think part of it was that I just kept getting heavier, another (bigger) part was lack of consistent training. I really wanted the brass ring that was wall headstand push-ups, and I wound up getting those instead.

[PaulG]

As I sit here, I'm having a double of the delicious drink that Dave Arnold dubbed "Tea Time":

 

 

I made the Darjeeling-steeped, milk-washed vodka myself. It's tasty and foamy when you shake it into a cocktail. It's hard to convey just how strongly it tastes of tea -- but it's not bitter or astringent at all, just refreshing. Definitely a new favorite cocktail of mine.

 

What else is going on? Well, I worked out today, despite my illness. And now I'm thinking I may have to update my pike push-up goal, as it seems to have come close to my grasp today.

 

 

Workout Log 9/16/17

 

- Still feelin' sick and gross.

 

Warmup

 

Hollow Hold - 30s

Planche Lean - 25s

Reverse Plank - 30s

Hanging L-sit 14s

Assisted Ring Support Hold (11) - 10s, 5s

German Hang (15) - 10s, 10s, 10s

Knee Fingertip Plank - 13s

Wrist Pushups - 6

Dorsal Pushups - None

Fingertip Dead Hang - 24s

Wall Slides - 8

 

 

Ring Rows

9 ^b-x, 10 ^b-x, 8c2 ^a-y

 

 

Feet-Elevated Push-ups

6 ^a-e, 8 ^a-x, 8 ^a-x

 

 

Pistols

4/4 ^a-e, 4/4 ^a/b-e/x

 

 

False Grip Chin-ups

4 ^b-x, 3 ^b-y, 3 ^b-y

 

 

Pike Push-ups

3 ^a-e, 4 ^a-x

 

 

Deep Step-ups

5/5 ^a-x

- Stopped not because I reached failure, but because I got nauseous.

 

 

Tuck L-Sit

5s ^c-e, 5s ^b-x, 6s ^a-x

- Felt good to get back to these. Pushing yourself forward with the hands back is HARD, though.

 

Cooldown

 

IRs - 5x10x2

 

Ex - 10x2

 

L 5x6x2

 

Y 5x6x2

 

T 5x6x2

 

- No stretching right after, leaving that for tonight. We'll see how my left shoulder feels after a night's sleep, too -- it's hard to tell if I tweaked the shoulder until the day after.

[Chimichanga]

Full body three times per week?

[PaulG]

52 minutes ago, Chimichanga said:

Full body three times per week?

 

That's the idea, yep. I've done an upper/lower split in the past, mostly because pistols are a huge time and energy sink. But I like the extra practice and the progression boost I get from full body workouts. I'll probably switch back once I start stalling.

 

Sunday and today are rest days, but I may crack and do a little open gym training tonight. Waist is sitting at 31 7/8", putting me at about 15.1% bodyfat. My cut resumes today after taking the last week off to help me get over a cold.

 

I thought my 3x3 pike push-up goal was a decent one, but my shoulder feels great and I just about blew my goal out of the water last workout. Time to be a bit more ambitious -- I think I'll try for 3x8 instead.

[Jonesy]

5 hours ago, PaulG said:

I thought my 3x3 pike push-up goal was a decent one, but my shoulder feels great and I just about blew my goal out of the water last workout. Time to be a bit more ambitious -- I think I'll try for 3x8 instead.

 

That's a pretty big jump! 

 

[WhiteGhost]

10 hours ago, PaulG said:

That's the idea, yep. I've done an upper/lower split in the past, mostly because pistols are a huge time and energy sink. But I like the extra practice and the progression boost I get from full body workouts. I'll probably switch back once I start stalling.

I just switched to a upper/lower split this challenge, had been doing full body 3x/week before.  I changed to this because I wanted to be able to start working on pistols while I am also continuing with MUs

 

10 hours ago, PaulG said:

I thought my 3x3 pike push-up goal was a decent one, but my shoulder feels great and I just about blew my goal out of the water last workout. Time to be a bit more ambitious -- I think I'll try for 3x8 instead.

Go for it!

[PaulG]

20 hours ago, Jonesy said:

 

That's a pretty big jump! 

 

 

Thanks. I think it will prove pretty conservative -- if I can do 3x3 now, and I add only 1 rep per workout, I should make it just in time. With me just starting a movement I used to be good at, I should be able to add 2-3 reps per workout if my shoulder stays solid.

 

Cutting news and retrospective: Waist is down to a hair above 31.75", weight is 199.67lbs. I've finally dipped below 200!

 

I'm happy to have hit the sub-200 mark, but I'm even happier that it took as long as it did. As I retain more weight even as I get skinny, I'm starting to see how much lean mass I've truly got these days. For just about all of my weight loss I've been sitting at 169-170 lbs of LBM. The longer it sticks around, the more of it is likely to be muscle rather than just retained water. And the more muscle mass, the better, in my book.

 

To put my body in some perspective: when I finished my last bulk and cut cycle -- the last time I was paying attention -- I had about 165 lbs of lean mass.

 

When I started my first-ever real cut in 2014, was 172 lbs and had about 145 lbs of lean mass.

 

When I was just out of college just seven years ago, I was 155 lbs at about 15% bodyfat and couldn't gain weight.

 

Now I'm fifty pounds heavier at the same bodyfat%. Barring crazy muscle loss, I'll likely never weigh as little as 170 lbs again, let alone 155. I'll probably hover between 180-200 for the rest of my active life.

 

That's way more than I ever hoped to accomplish. A couple years back I confided on my daily log my ultimate vanity goal: to one day be 175 lbs at 10% bodyfat. It looks like I've overshot even that. When I someday do get the 10% bodyfat brass ring, I'll probably be ten pounds heavier.

 

In the meantime... 14.85% and counting.

[Willard Watts]

4 hours ago, PaulG said:

Cutting news and retrospective: Waist is down to a hair above 31.75", weight is 199.67lbs. I've finally dipped below 200

 

Congratulations! Keep it up. 

[WhiteGhost]

Your progress is super impressive!

[Teancum]

That's incredible! 

[PaulG]

Thanks guys! I'm happy looking back on the last 6 years, but I've got a long way to go.

 

Workout Log 9/19/17

 

- Just did a parkour class, including lots of under-bars and front/back flip work. Altogether I did 2 hours of practice before even starting on my strength workout. Not actually feeling tired, but I have a feeling my tank is partially tapped nonetheless.

 

Warmup

 

Hollow Hold - 30s

Knee Planche Lean - 25s

Reverse Plank - 30s

Superman Hold - None

Hanging L-sit 9s

Knee Fingertip Plank - 13s

Wrist Pushups - 6

Dorsal Pushups - None

Fingertip Dead Hang - 24s

Wall Slides - 5

Wall Handstand - 15s

 

- First warmup practicing handstands! Forgot how much they wake up the upper traps.

 

 

Ring Rows

9 ^a-x, 9 ^a-x, 7c1 ^a-y

 

Pike Push-ups

4 ^a-x , 3 ^a-x , 3n1(4s) ^a-y

- 3x3 officially passed. Woot!

 

Pistols

3/3 ^a-x , 2/2 ^a-x  

- Front flips and runs have killed my pistol performance. Much more than I thought they would, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

- Cut them off early, started having some mild patellar twinges in the 2nd set.

 

False Grip Chin-ups

5 ^a-x , 4 ^a-x , 3c0.5 ^c-y

- My last cluster rep was only a partial win, didn't get the rings up to pec level -- just mid-neck.

 

Feet Elev. Push-ups

8 ^a-e , 9 ^a-x , 7 ^a-y

- Hey, this was actually tough! What do you know, my pushing strength sucks. Actually not too sad about this, I'd be way sadder if my pull strength was weaker than my push.

 

Cooldown

 

IRs - 2.5x10x2

 

Ex - 10x2

 

L 5x6x2

 

Y 5x6x2

 

T 5x6x2

 

- Nothing else done, the whole evening being spent at the gym finally caught up with me. I'll stretch in front of the TV. Also, forgot to practice L-sits. Fail.

 

- One other note: I think I'll be leveling up with rows next workout.

[Twilight]

Look at you go!!

[Chimichanga]

Damn, dude.  Impressive body transformation.  I have a goal of 160 lb. at 10% but I don't have enough knowledge yet to know where I actually stand.  Got to cut down to see what I'm working with now.

 

So... you got a key for your training short hand?

[raptron]

Haha, yeah. If you are landing low on the fronts, it'll use a LOT of quads. S'basically conditioning already.  

 

 

[PaulG]

Hey guys, it's been quite a while and you know what that means... WORKOUT LOG CATCH-UP TIME.

 

Workout Log 9/21/17

 

- Feeling sore. Have a feeling I might have some backsliding this workout.

 

Warmup

 

Hollow Hold - 30s

Knee Planche Lean - 25s

Reverse Plank - 30s

Superman Hold - None

Hanging L-sit 9s

Scapular Push-ups - 7

Asstd. Ring Support (11) - None

German Hang (16) - 10s, 10s, 10s

Knee Fingertip Plank - 13s

Wrist Pushups - 6

Dorsal Pushups - None

Fingertip Dead Hang - 24s

Wall Slides - 5

Wall Handstand - None

Front Flip Practice - 5

 

- Bad news. On my fifth flip, I tucked and rotated... then suddenly found myself looking up at the ceiling, wondering "why did I stop turning? This is bad." I landed on my back -- no big deal, I was on an air trick mat -- but when I stood up, I realized I'd strained a muscle badly, something that runs between my left shoulder blade and spinal erector. I think it may have been my rhomboid or my low/mid trap.

 

No matter what, I was not going to be able to do rows or any other strength motion, so I called it. Within fifteen minutes my back had stiffened until I couldn't turn my head without extreme pain. That was a hell of an awkward drive home.

 

More details later, but this took 4 days to fully heal.

 

 

Next workout...

 

Workout Log 9/25/17

 

- Tired from training, a little slow as I'm in a different gym than I'm used to.

 

Warmup

 

Hollow Hold - 30s

Knee Planche Lean - 25s

Reverse Plank - 30s

Superman Hold - None

Hanging L-sit 9s

Scapular Push-ups - 5

Asstd. Ring Support (11) - 5s, 4s

German Hang (16) - 10s, 10s, 10s

Knee Fingertip Plank - 13s

Wrist Pushups - 6

Dorsal Pushups - None

Fingertip Dead Hang - 24s

Wall Slides - 8

Wall Handstand - None

 

- Having some impingement twinges when I try the ring supports, so instead I saved myself for some shrugs on the P-bars later.

 

 

Ring Rows

9 ^a-x , 9 ^a-x , 8 ^a-z

 

Pike Push-ups

4 ^a-x , 4 ^a-x , 4 ^a-x

 

Pistols

5/5 ^a-e , 5/5 ^a-x , 4/4 ^a-x/y

 

False Grip Chin-ups

5 ^a-e , 5 ^a-y , 4 ^b-z

 

Tuck L-Sit

7s ^a-e , 6s ^b-x , 4s ^a-x

 

 

Cooldown

 

P-Bar Dip Shrugs - 3 sets

Wrist Extensions - 12.5x10

[PaulG]

Hot damn, it's been a while since my last real update. Let's bullet point the last week or so, so I can catch y'all up.

 

- Pulled a neck muscle during my workout on 9/21 -- I think probably just about everything connecting my left shoulder blade to my spine. Good times. This didn't fully feel better until... well, it still doesn't feel absolutely 100%, but I was able to resume working out on Monday 9/25.

 

- Big update: for the next two weeks, I am not living in Seattle. I got a big promotion recently, and so on Saturday I was shipped off to the National Conference Center in Virginia for training (a wonderful place with some memorable Yelp reviews). I'm here for the next two weeks, until 10/6. Around thirty people are here from all over the country for similar training.

 

It feels like college: I know almost no one, the rooms are tiny and grubby-looking, and it's tough to find a decent drink. At least they have a half-decent gym, albeit one without a real pull-up bar or a squat rack: I'm hanging my gym rings from the smith machine.

 

The hotel (or is the word dormitory?) comes with free complementary breakfast and dinner, which is making my diet goals more difficult... and I don't have much time with myself, which is presenting challenges for my apartment hunting goals. I'll post a more detailed update on my progress tomorrow, but for now, I'm catching up with today's workout log.

 

Workout Log 9/27/17

 

- Yawning through my warmup

 

Warmup

 

Hollow Hold - 30s

Knee Planche Lean - 25s

Reverse Plank - 30s

Superman Hold - None

Hanging L-sit 9s

Scapular Push-ups - 5

German Hang (16) - 10s, 10s, 10s

Knee Fingertip Plank - 13s

Wrist Pushups - 6

Dorsal Pushups - None

Fingertip Dead Hang - 24s

Wall Slides - 10

Wall Handstand - 15s, 20s

 

- First warmup I've done two sets of handstands!

 

 

Ring Rows

10 ^a-e , 9 ^a-x , 7 ^a-z

 

Pike Push-ups

4 ^a-x , 4 ^a-y , 4n1(5s) ^a-z

 

Pistols

5/5 ^a-y/x , 5/5 ^b-x , 4/4 ^a-x/y

 

False Grip Chin-ups

5 ^a-x , 4c1 ^b-y , 2c1 ^a-z

 

Tuck L-Sit

5s ^a-e , 7s ^a-e , 8s ^a-x

 

P-Bar Dip Shrugs

5 ^a-e , 5 ^a-e

 

P-Bar Dips

3n3(4s) ^a-e , n4(5s) ^a-x

Last set was actually negatives, which I think I'll be continuing with from now on.

 

Cooldown

 

 

- Gah. Almost everything is stalling, I feel exhausted, my shoulders have been sore all day... this cut may be finally getting to me. And I've still got plenty to go. At least I'm starting to work my way toward dips -- though I don't have good equipment for other push exercises I've got parallel bars again. I think I'll keep going with dip negatives. That, and L-sit work is gradually improving.