tenaciousglee vs middle management

[tenaciousglee]

I tried to do a bulk last challenge, and while I enjoyed all the extra calories, I only ended up adding an inch around my belly - not the desired result.  After reading the threads of some fellow bulkers, I decided that I need to be leaner before I try to bulk again.  So this challenge, I'm finally going to get serious about getting rid of my spare tire.

 

Goal 1 - Lose 3 inches around my midsection [+3CON, +2 CHA]

At the end of the last challenge, I weighed 161 lbs with a 36.5" belly, which equates to about 22% body fat according to the Navy BF calculator.  Losing 3 inches should drop me down to about 17%. I'm pretty skinny everywhere else, which is why I was trying to bulk in the first place.  My plan is follow the If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM) diet and drop my daily caloric intake to a deficit so I can burn some fat.

 

Goal 2 - Exercise 5 days a week [+4 STA, +1 STR]

I've tried exercising Monday through Friday on one previous challenge, but I usually fall back to the M-W-F schedule.  I feel like one of the other reasons my bulk didn't result in any muscle gain is I wasn't pushing myself enough.  Unfortunately, I'm nursing a sore wrist which will limit the types of exercise I'm able to do.  My current plan is to do 2 days of low intensity steady state cardio (LISS), one sprint day, and 2 days of lower body/core work while my wrist gets some rest.  If the wrist is feeling better in a couple of weeks, I'll probably try and follow the Dumbbell Division workout from the Rebel Strength Guide.

 

Goal 3 - Make my lunch and lay out my clothes every night before work [+2 WIS, +1 CON]

This is going to be a tough one for me.  It's one of those things that I always say I should do, but I can never keep it up long enough to form a habit.  The perfect thing for a challenge goal, right? The side benefit of this is that I will need less time to get ready in the morning, so I theoretically won't have to get up as early.  Right now I get up at 5 AM to workout and I would love to push that back to 5:30.  Every little bit helps.

 

Grading: 6 week challenge = 30 work days to get it right

26-30 days = A

21-25 days = B

16-20 days = C

11-15 days = D

10 or fewer = F

 

Goal 4 - Read ALL THE POSTS on NerdFitness.com [+2 WIS]

I've been reading NF for about a year now and have loved it, but I keep finding new (old) blog posts as I search for specific topics.  Steve links back to a lot of previous articles when he writes and I would love to be able to read a new post and know exactly what he's referring to without having to jump back.  So, I'm going to start with November 2008 and read everything he's ever posted.  I did a count a few weeks ago and came up with 468 posts through December 2012.  I think I've read all the posts for January and February, and I'll keep reading as new ones come out, so I figure I need to read 12 articles a day to finish them all in 6 weeks.  It's a lot, but I think many of his early posts were short and I'll probably skim any ones that I've previously read.  I plan to make comments here on any articles I find particularly helpful or intriguing.

 

Here are my measurements and attributes for the end of last challenge:

Age: 36

Height: 6'-1"

Weight: 158.2 lbs on 2/22/13

Neck: 14"

Shoulders: 45"

Chest: 38.5"

Biceps: 11"

Waist: 34.25"

Belly: 36.5"

Hips: 38.5"

Thigh: 21.5"

Calf: 13.5"

 

Starting attributes (Level 6):

STR: 13 DEX: 6 STA: 6 CON: 9 WIS: 13 CHA: 10

 

(I'll work on that dexterity next challenge...)

[Chaze]

Man, you and I are like mirror images recently.  I should've just cut and pasted your first paragraph and used it in my challenge thread.  Well, here's to cutting away the fat so we can start fresh and do it right next time!

 

 

[tenaciousglee]

Week 1, Day 1 - Slow and Steady

 

30 minutes uphill on the treadmill - 1.5 miles

 

Lunch made/clothes picked out - 1 for 1! Made for a less stressful morning and I got up 15 minutes later than usual.

 

I started reading some early NF posts yesterday and am currently halfway through February 2009. (27 posts read)

 

And in the ultimate test of IIFYM, the Girl Scout Cookies I ordered arrived this morning...

 

ETA: read some more posts on my lunch break

[tenaciousglee]

Week 1, Day 2 - Legs and Core

 

Squat - 3 sets of 10 with 25# sandbag on my shoulders

Bicycle Crunch - 3 sets of 40

Bulgarian Split Squat - 2 sets of 8 each leg, 30# first set, 20# second set

Superman - 3 sets of 10

Wall Sit - 3 sets of 30 sec

Side Plank - 2 sets of 30 sec each side

Wrist Curl - 10 reps of 5# each wrist

Reverse Wrist Curl - 10 reps of 5# each wrist

 

I kept the weights pretty low today since I was trying out some new exercises and wasn't sure what I'd be capable of.  I also need to work on my balance for the split squats.  Hoping to work up to pistol squats.

 

Goal 3 - 2/2 on lunch and wardrobe prep!

Goal 4 - Read through March 2009 and into April. (40 posts read) I've enjoyed reading Steve's early stuff because I can see his writing style evolve.  I also found this article on burning calories helpful.  I'm very dependent on my treadmill or RunKeeper app to tell me what I've burned and had no idea how to approximate lifting and bodyweight exercises.

[PippinPDX]

Good work starting off! I like your NF post-reading goal ... I'll keep an eye out for interesting bits of info as I follow your challenge thread.

[leighanne1941]

Great start!  I love finding an awesome blog and going back to read from the beginning

[tenaciousglee]

Week 1, Day 4 - Legs and Core

 

Lunge - 2 sets of 8 reps per leg with 2-15# dumbbells

Crunches - 2 sets of 30

Glute Ham Raise (GHR) - 2 sets of 5 with piss poor form

Vertical Knee Raise - 2 sets of 8

Bench Jump - 2 sets of 10

Plank - 2 sets of 50 seconds

 

I overslept yesterday morning because I stayed up too late on Tuesday, so I missed my sprint/interval workout.  I somewhat made up for it last night by chasing/playing with my daughter and two other kids for a good 20 minutes.  There was definitely some sprinting, lunging, lifting, and even a little parkour as I vaulted the couch a couple of times!

 

Still going good on prepping for work the night before.  I didn't have to be into work as early this morning, so I started to tell myself I could just pack my lunch and pick out my clothes in the morning, but I didn't want to break the streak. 4 for 4, baby!

 

I am halfway through May 2009 for my blog backlog goal. 62 articles read.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 1, Day 5 - LISS Cardio

 

30 minutes uphill on the treadmill @ 3 mph = 1.5 miles & 287 calories burned.  I also watched an episode and a half of Big Bang Theory on DVD.  Made the time fly by!

• My weight is down to 157 lbs and I'm hoping my waist is down as well.  I'll take measurements on Sunday night.
• 5 for 5 on exercising if you count Wednesday night's horsing around (which I do). Who says a workout has to be work?
• 5 for 5 on packing lunch and picking out clothes this week! It's really made a difference in reducing my stress level in the morning.
• I'll update on my blog reading after lunch. Update: Finished May 2009. 72 articles read. I like the last one on looking like Brad Pitt in Troy.  I had previously read some of the other celebrity workout posts (Ryan Reynolds & Daniel Craig) but I hadn't read the Troy one yet because I didn't remember Brad Pitt looking all that amazing in that movie.  Ironically, Steve said he didn't agree with what he had found online for Brad's training, so he gave his own method of achieving that look.  The part that caught my eye was that Brad went from 160# in Fight Club to 185# in Troy.  That's what I want to do! So, I'll book mark this one for sure.  One step at a time, though.  I need to get my BF% down to the mid teens first.

[riotgrly]

Wow. Your challenges make me tired. Especially that lay out clothes thing. I canNOT ever get myself (or the KIDS) to do that one reliably, and it would be so helpful!!

But seriously, they do sound hard. Sheesh. But now I'm curious and have to look up the IIFYM diet....

 

Good luck to you!!!! Sure I'll run into you at Trashmore sooner or later!

[Annavi]

Hey!!! Just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing great!

[basscrack]

Awesome goals. Pretty excited to see what interesting old tidbits you find in the NF archives! Will definitely be following your challenge. Also, great first week!

 

Wow. Your challenges make me tired. Especially that lay out clothes thing. I canNOT ever get myself (or the KIDS) to do that one reliably, and it would be so helpful!!

But seriously, they do sound hard. Sheesh. But now I'm curious and have to look up the IIFYM diet....

 

Good luck to you!!!! Sure I'll run into you at Trashmore sooner or later!

Trashmore? As in Mt. Trashmore in VA Beach?

[tenaciousglee]

Trashmore? As in Mt. Trashmore in VA Beach?

That's the one! My profile pic is from the playground. I think there's about a half dozen of us NF rebels in Hampton Roads.

[leighanne1941]

Awesome work!  Keep at the evening routine, takes 60 days to establish one.  Thanks for the Troy link.  I hadn't read that post and it was a good one

[basscrack]

Including me! I'm in Norfolk. I used to run with a friend of mine out at Mt. Trashmore.

[Librarian of Doom]

Great work so far this challenge!!! 

[tenaciousglee]

Wow. Your challenges make me tired. Especially that lay out clothes thing. I canNOT ever get myself (or the KIDS) to do that one reliably, and it would be so helpful!!

But seriously, they do sound hard. Sheesh. But now I'm curious and have to look up the IIFYM diet....

 

Good luck to you!!!! Sure I'll run into you at Trashmore sooner or later!

 

Laying out the clothes really is helpful.  My wife has always been good at it.  She always makes my son's lunch the night before and gets my daughter to pick out her clothes before going to bed.  It was about time I got on board with the rest of the fam!

 

Let me know if you have any questions about IIFYM.  I've had a little bit of a hard time finding reliable consistent info on it.  There's a guy named Waldo here on the boards that is a big time proponent and he has had amazing results and always gives detailed descriptions of his philosophy.

 

As for Trashmore, I can't wait for some warm weather to get the kids back out there!

[tenaciousglee]

Hey!!! Just wanted to let you know that I think you're doing great!

 

 

Awesome work!  Keep at the evening routine, takes 60 days to establish one.  Thanks for the Troy link.  I hadn't read that post and it was a good one

 

 

Great work so far this challenge!!! 

 

Thanks to you all! It's always motivating knowing others are watching my progress.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 2, Day 1 - LISS Cardio

 

30 minutes uphill on the treadmill at 3 mph = 1.5 miles

 

• Lost an inch on my waist since the end of last challenge! Most of my other measurements stayed pretty consistent, which is great because I've lost about 5 pounds in that time frame and I was afraid I'd lose inches elsewhere, too.  Hoping the pattern holds and I'm planning to start lifting bigger on my leg days to build up my thighs and calves.
• Still going strong on the AM workouts.  I caught up on a lot of sleep this weekend.
• Still keeping up with laying out clothes and packing lunch.  Glad for leftover pizza and chili from last week.  I also ironed several shirts last night to hopefully get me through this week and into next!
• Finished June 2009 this morning.  I got a little behind this weekend, but had a cushion from last week.  90 articles read.  Really enjoyed the 100th post, the one about circuit training, and Steve's response to the increased site traffic. It's no wonder Nerd Fitness has gained such a great following.

[tenaciousglee]

Including me! I'm in Norfolk. I used to run with a friend of mine out at Mt. Trashmore.

 

Nice! We'll have to plan a meet-up when the weather gets warm and do something fun on the beach!

[riotgrly]

Sounds like you've done great!!! That laying out clothes, WHY is it such a drag, that's what I can't figure out But good for you, 5am is too early to be up!!

I was hoping to get to Trashmore to run this weekend but life intruded and I wound up running in the neighborhood.

Interested by the fact that there seem to be several of us "locals" on here. Keeping that in the back of my brain for later....

[tenaciousglee]

Week 2, Day 2 - Legs and Core

 

Sandbag Squat - 12x25#, 10x30#, 8x35#, 6x45#

Bicycle Crunch - 40, 50, 40

Bulgarian Split Squat - 2x12x20#, 2x10x30#

Superman - 10, 10, 10

Wall Sit - 3 sets at 35 seconds

Side Plank - 2 sets each side at 35 seconds

 

I worked at trying to increase my weight or hold time over last week.  I can probably go higher on the squats, but my knee was feeling a little wonky, so I wore a brace and didn't push too hard.

 

Work prep streak is still going, but it is getting harder. I spent half an hour last night making mashed cauliflower with the hopes of bringing some for lunch, but my wife wanted to use it for dinner tonight and the recipe didn't make enough for both.  I still managed to pull something together.

 

Finished July 2009 today for the blogs and into August. 112 articles read.  The first one in August was 13 tips for guaranteed weight gain for skinny nerds.  I'll be heading back to that one once I get rid of my belly.  I'm really enjoying this part of my challenge.  I was afraid I wouldn't get anything out of the posts geared toward weight loss, but they're all motivational regardless of the theme.

[KingZora]

Glad to hear your challenge is going well!

 

I have only started reading new articles... or ones that apply to specific things I am working on, you should post your favorites as you read them, I'd be interested in seeing what comes up.

[PippinPDX]

Nice job staying on track! Reading about your mashed cauliflower dinner makes me want to roast some, it's such an underrated and delicious veggie.

 

Have a great week 2!

[lyranedara]

Looks like you're doing great so far! Anthony Mychal is doing an incredible series of articles about clean bulking. It might be something to look through when you're ready to bulk again.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 2, Day 3 - Sprint Intervals

 

5 min warm-up

30 sec sprint (as fast as 5:12 min/mile, as slow as 7:14 min/mile - need to work on consistent pace)

90 sec jog

repeat for 10 minutes

6 min cool down

 

21 minutes total, 2.05 miles

 

8 for 8 on clothes and lunch!