tenaciousglee and the sandbag of destiny

[tenaciousglee]

Greetings, all!  My name is Greg and this will be my 7th challenge.  I'm 36 and a husband and father of two.  The short version of my story is that I'm a lifelong skinny guy looking to build strength and bulk up.  After finding Nerd Fitness, I have decided to make it my destiny to finally get in shape and stop looking like a skinny kid!  For this specific leg of my epic journey to buff-ness, my goal is to get in shape for a trip to Jamaica that my wife and I are taking in exactly 6 weeks!!!  So, here are the quests I will undertake in search of the LGN/Beach Body:

 

Quest the first: Get Lean (+2 CHA +2 CON)

I was able to drop 2 inches off my belly last challenge and I would like to shoot for 2 more this time.  By the Navy Body Fat Percent Calculator, I'm currently at 19% and losing 2 inches would get me to 17%, which is considered 'fit' as opposed to 'acceptable'.  Last time I used a combo of eating below my caloric maintenance level, walking on the treadmill 2x a week (Low Intensity Steady State Cardio), and strength training 3x a week.

 

This time I am planning to bump up my calories as well as my strength training and I will switch out the LISS cardio for sprinting and interval running to burn some fat.  I am also going to try and limit the number of servings of grains/pasta/rice/potatoes I have each day.  I follow the If It Fits Your Macros diet, so I'm going to shoot for 1g of protein per pound of body weight each day, and then balance my fat and carbs to hit my calorie goal.  I use My Fitness Pal to track my calories.

 

Quest the second: Get Strong (+4 STR)

I made some good strides last challenge regarding building strength.  I focused on basic leg/push/pull lifts using sandbags.  I will continue that this time by following the Barbell Battalion workout from the Rebel Strength Guide, only substituting sandbags for barbells.  I found this blog on sandbag workouts and it has been helpful for learning the sandbag versions of the basic lifts (squat, deadlift, push press).  My goal is to follow the Rank One workouts as prescribed for 6 weeks, increasing the weight in my sandbag by 5 pounds each session.  At that rate, each of my lifts (including weighted pull-ups) will increase by 40 pounds.

 

Quest the third: Get Loose (+4 DEX)

My dexterity has been lagging behind according to my RPG attribute points, so I'm going to add one day of yoga/flexibility/mobility to my weekly routine.  Gotta get bendy if I'm going to hang loose in Jamaica!  I currently plan to use the Yoga DVD included in Tony Horton's Ten Minute Trainer, but I'm open to additional tips for increasing flexibility.  I've looked in to the MWOD videos, but haven't tried them yet.

 

Quest the fourth: Get Organized (+3 WIS)

I actually have about 4 different things I'd like to set as my "life goal" for this challenge, but I'm having trouble picking one as more important than the others.  I'm going with organizing my desk and papers at home because it is part of a previous challenge goal that I failed to achieve.  So, my goal is to clear all the papers off my home desk and create and maintain an organization system for the mail at home.  My wife and I get a lot of mail and it tends to stack up in the kitchen until the stack eventually gets moved to my desk.  My current plan for incoming mail is to sort it into 4 categories: To Pay, To Follow-Up, To File, or To Read.  My wife gets a lot of medical journals and I get a couple of magazines and we never can get through them all!  I have files for the stuff on my desk, I've just been terrible about filing since our second kid came along - 19 months ago.  It's way past time to get it under control and keep it that way.

 

There you have it.  I take measurements on Sunday nights, so I will add my starting measurements on Monday.  I also plan to use calipers as well as a tape this time, but probably not every week.  We'll see what some extra data can tell me!

[turbo_tortoise155]

Hey! Love the name and the title of this thread *chuckle*

 

Your goals look good! I also use mfp to track my calories. It has lost me 13lbs so far.

 

Using sandbags for weight seems interesting to me. I'm doing body weight circuits right now, but I do need to start adding weight. Sandbags may be a cheap alternative to buying weights or joining a gym (although I feel that is in my future at some point).

 

I recently cleaned my desk up at home and used a similar system only with fewer categories. They were "Do Now", "Do Later", and "Pending". Do Now - within the week, Do Later - within the month, Pending - in process. Now I'm in the process of picking a day a week where I tackle my Do Now box and a day a month I tackle my Do Later box.

[tenaciousglee]

Thanks for stopping by!  Sandbags are definitely a cheap alternative to buying weights.  I got hooked after reading this NF post from last summer.  There's also a variety of sandbag workouts over at MyMadMethods.com and Sandbag Fitness.

 

Thanks for the tip on desk clean-up.  I find I'm pretty good at putting everything in piles and then pretty terrible about actually doing anything with the piles.

[turbo_tortoise155]

 I find I'm pretty good at putting everything in piles and then pretty terrible about actually doing anything with the piles.

 

Yes! This = Me

[Thilde]

Love this challenge!  Your goals look awesome.  I use MFP for food tracking too and I find it super useful.  I have an unofficial goal this challenge of finally cleaning out my darn closet, which has become the repository for everything that doesn't have another place to go.  I love the three piles idea turbo_tortoise mentioned.  Someone else on my thread also mentioned doing a full clear-out...like, take everything out of the closet (or your desk) until it's totally empty, then add back in only what you need, and sort the rest into piles to dispose of, give away, etc.  I haven't started that project yet but I'll probably do a combination of both methods.

 

Good luck on your challenge!!  Having a Jamaica trip at the end must be an awesome motivator!  Excited to see your progress.

[Wild Wolf]

Great challenge goals man! Do this for the long run as well, w/ 2 kids, you wanna be around for there..well, EVERYTHING lol. And the wifey will appreciate a sexy bod from the hubby! They always say they love you the way you are..then you get 6-pack abs, a chiseled chest and a v-shape torso..and the WHOLE GAME CHANGES

 

You're gonna rock this goal and have a blasty blast in Jamaica!  

 

P.S. I wanna watch the Pick of Destiny every time I see your name pop up!!!! Effin love that movie!

 

WOLF

[tenaciousglee]

Let the Challenge Begin!

 

Starting stats:

(tape measurements are from the end of last challenge)

Height: 6'-1"

Weight: 154 lbs

Neck: 14"

Shoulders: 45"

Chest: 39"

Biceps: 11"

Waist: 32.75"

Belly: 34.5"

Hips: 38"

Thigh: 21.5"

Calf: 13.5"

 

Calipers -
Chest: 15 mm

Abdomen: 20 mm

Suprailiac: 20 mm

Thigh: 12 mm

 

Body Fat - 

15% per Jackson/Pollock 3 point test

23% per Accu-measure 1 point test

19% per Navy tape measure test

I'll go with an average of 19%

 

This morning's workout:

Push Press - 5x5x60# sandbag

Back Squat - 5x5x85# sandbag

2 minutes rest between all sets

[pwallace]

subbed! lookes like you have some great goals man. Oganization is the pits but it is amazing how much your life will improve and how little it takes to stay organized after the first push. Tony is the Man when it comes to Yoga. I still hate Yoga and I think it is oen of the worst forms of exercise ever (mainly because I am tight and it is tough for me to do and I really should do more of it) BUT Tony does an awesome job with it. Keep up the hard work man, can't wait to hear how you are going

[turbo_tortoise155]

And the wifey will appreciate a sexy bod from the hubby! They always say they love you the way you are..then you get 6-pack abs, a chiseled chest and a v-shape torso..and the WHOLE GAME CHANGES

this made me laugh!!! end of comment

[leighanne1941]

Great goals!  I read somewhere that there are two types of people: pilers and hiders.  It sounds like you are a piler just like me

[lyranedara]

Such great goals this challenge! I guess you saw the workouts Matt posted on Breaking Muscle as well? Looks like so much fun! Good luck.

[tenaciousglee]

subbed! lookes like you have some great goals man. Oganization is the pits but it is amazing how much your life will improve and how little it takes to stay organized after the first push. Tony is the Man when it comes to Yoga. I still hate Yoga and I think it is oen of the worst forms of exercise ever (mainly because I am tight and it is tough for me to do and I really should do more of it) BUT Tony does an awesome job with it. Keep up the hard work man, can't wait to hear how you are going

 

I agree with you on the organization.  I had a "conquer the clutter" goal a couple of challenges ago and was able to clear out my email inbox at work and my personal email, but couldn't tackle the desk.  I really love having my work inbox clear, though my personal email is starting to pile up again... But it is easy to zero it back out thanks to having a system in place.

 

Great goals!  I read somewhere that there are two types of people: pilers and hiders.  It sounds like you are a piler just like me

 

I don't think I could be a hider.  I would know the mess was still there - somewhere.

 

Such great goals this challenge! I guess you saw the workouts Matt posted on Breaking Muscle as well? Looks like so much fun! Good luck.

 

I started following Matt on Twitter (@sandbagfit) after finding his blog and saw the Breaking Muscle posts.  It's great to find someone who is so dedicated to using sandbags.  Depending on how successful I am with the Rebel Strength Guide workouts this challenge, I will probably switch to the workouts in Matt's book starting in June.

 

Workout catch-up:

Tuesday, 4/16 -

5 minute warm up

10 minutes of 30 sec sprint + 90 sec jog

5 minute cool down

2 miles total

 

Wednesday, 4/17 -

Chin-ups - 4 sets of 5 and 1 set of 4 with 15 pounds in a backpack

Deadlift - 5 sets of 5 with 70# sandbag

 

The RSG calls for pull-ups, but I switched to chin-ups because my back is already in pretty good shape while my arms could use some help.  I couldn't finish that 5th chin-up on the 5 set, so I'll stay at 15# on my next workout.

[Huntress]

Wow, these are awesome goals, and I love your attitude. The sandbags are a very cool idea I haven't heard much about before so I'll be following along this one with interest. Good luck

[Huntress]

p.s. and your username and challenge name are excellent!

[tenaciousglee]

Wow, these are awesome goals, and I love your attitude. The sandbags are a very cool idea I haven't heard much about before so I'll be following along this one with interest. Good luck

 

p.s. and your username and challenge name are excellent!

 

Thanks! I am enjoying the sandbags.  My favorite thing about them is how cheap they are to make.  I'd love to have a set of barbells to really build some muscle, but even used sets are expensive when you factor in the bench, bar, and plates.  Plus, I tend to get ahead of myself when it comes to my workouts.  I have 150 pounds of sand and I can't lift that much yet, so I don't need to worry about upgrading until I get there!

 

I need to keep reminding myself that it's a long process.  When I was looking in to following the Barbell Battalion with sandbags, I checked with Vic (who co-wrote the RSG with Steve) and he said it depended on my starting point, but it might be tough to get deadlifts and squats heavy enough with a sandbag to build strength.  I figured I'd keep upping the weight till I am out of sand (or room in my bag) and then re-assess.  I had a plan in place to add 5 pounds each session to my lifts, but I think next week I'm going to add 10# or maybe add 5# to each set until I can't complete 5x5.  This is one of those times when I wish I had an exact equation for fitness.  Eat this much + lift this much x 6 weeks = so many pounds of muscle gained and pounds of fat burned.  Until that equation is created, it's a matter of trial and error patience.

 

Goal report:

Thursday, 4/18 - Get Loose

10 min yoga with Tony Horton with 2 min warm-up and cool down

 

Friday, 4/19 - Get Strong

Push Press - 5x5 x 65#

Squat - 5x5 x 90# 

2 min rest between sets

 

Get Lean:

Hitting about 2700 calories a day.  Hoping to fuel my muscles for growth without adding to my waistline.  Doing so-so on limiting grains/potatoes/pasta.  Planning to add some finishers after my M/W/F workout next week.

 

Get Organized:

Still haven't started yet, but I plan to get 4 boxes this weekend and clear my desk completely, pre-sorting the junk as I clear.

[leighanne1941]

I feel the same way about getting ahead of myself.  The husband regularly says "I can't start until..." and one of those untils is until we have enough weight.  I just figure I will go at the dumbbells until I can lift all we have easily and then decide to either get more weight or invest in a barbell.  That point is a long way off though

[turbo_tortoise155]

hey! Looks like you are killing it so far. I know what you mean about getting ahead of yourself. I'm always like.. ohh I totally need more weights or a gym membership or exercise bands etc etc, but truthfully I can barely do what I'm already doing!!! Why complicate stuff? It IS fun to get new equipment.. its almost kind of motivating, but if you don't need it.. you don't need it.

 

I hope your weekend organization plans went well! Looking forward to your desk before and after pics. =)

[Huntress]

Sounds like you are making pretty good progress! I was having similar thoughts myself tonight. I'm interested in powerlifting - my dream is to be able to deadlift twice my bodyweight - but I only have access to barbells once a week at the moment. Just gotta remember that for my current level of strength, I can still make decent progress with kettlebells and dumbbells. 

 

Ah, I think we all want that equation but we'll be a long time waiting for it, and have to carry on in the meantime.

 

About the carbs, would you consider just hiding them away in a storage cupboard for the rest of the challenge, or even tossing them out? Mine are at the bottom of my pantry behind a bunch of other stuff and so there's way less temptation to reach for them.

 

Let us know how the organisation plans go!

[faille]

Hey there, thought I would stop by since you have been so kind to cheer me along on my challenge!  I just noticed you are a "gungan" ranger - I guess I know why you responded to my thread now lol!  

 

Your goals look good, and with such a sweet reward at the end, mon!  Considering the meaning of the term "sandbagging it", I find it amusing that your challenge has you using them in the completely opposite fashion

[tenaciousglee]

I feel the same way about getting ahead of myself.  The husband regularly says "I can't start until..." and one of those untils is until we have enough weight.  I just figure I will go at the dumbbells until I can lift all we have easily and then decide to either get more weight or invest in a barbell.  That point is a long way off though

 

 

hey! Looks like you are killing it so far. I know what you mean about getting ahead of yourself. I'm always like.. ohh I totally need more weights or a gym membership or exercise bands etc etc, but truthfully I can barely do what I'm already doing!!! Why complicate stuff? It IS fun to get new equipment.. its almost kind of motivating, but if you don't need it.. you don't need it.

 

I hope your weekend organization plans went well! Looking forward to your desk before and after pics. =)

 

 

Sounds like you are making pretty good progress! I was having similar thoughts myself tonight. I'm interested in powerlifting - my dream is to be able to deadlift twice my bodyweight - but I only have access to barbells once a week at the moment. Just gotta remember that for my current level of strength, I can still make decent progress with kettlebells and dumbbells. 

 

Ah, I think we all want that equation but we'll be a long time waiting for it, and have to carry on in the meantime.

 

About the carbs, would you consider just hiding them away in a storage cupboard for the rest of the challenge, or even tossing them out? Mine are at the bottom of my pantry behind a bunch of other stuff and so there's way less temptation to reach for them.

 

Let us know how the organisation plans go!

 

Thanks for the responses about not getting ahead of myself.  Glad to know I'm not alone.  (A common theme of NerdFitness, no?)  One of my concerns was that I'm not pushing myself hard enough, so I modified my deadlift strategy this morning.  Instead of doing 5 sets of 5 reps and increasing the weight each workout, I did 5 reps and then added 5# with each set.  I figured I would hit a max more quickly this way.  If/when I get to the point that I'm using all my sand (150#) or my bag won't hold any more, I'll go back to 5x5 of the same weight.

 

Monday, 4/22 - Sandbag

Chin-ups: 5x5 x 15# (got the last rep on the 5th set I missed last week!)

Deadlift: 5 reps of 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 pounds

 

Other than bringing home a box from work on Friday, no organization happened.  I had a fun weekend, though.  Date night Friday night (dinner and a concert), movie on the couch Saturday night (after yardwork and installing a new microwave during the day), and then more yardwork, a trip to the zoo, church and cooking for this week's lunches on Sunday.  I will clear off the desk this week, tonight or tomorrow.

 

Regarding the carbs and getting lean, I don't think I need to hide them.  It's not really a willpower thing, more of a failure to plan.  I want to hit a certain number of calories each day and carbs always seem like an easy way to get there.  Besides, I did good for the most part - some tortillas, some Triscuits (the new brown rice and sweet potato kind), oatmeal - 2 or 3 servings a day.  I'm still on the fence about whether or not I need to cut carbs at all.  I took a quick measurement of my belly last night and it may have gone up a 1/2" or so in the past two weeks, but I'm not worried.

[tenaciousglee]

Hey there, thought I would stop by since you have been so kind to cheer me along on my challenge!  I just noticed you are a "gungan" ranger - I guess I know why you responded to my thread now lol!  

 

Your goals look good, and with such a sweet reward at the end, mon!  Considering the meaning of the term "sandbagging it", I find it amusing that your challenge has you using them in the completely opposite fashion

 

I gotta support my fellow Gungan!  I had this pic in my signature back when we were allowed to put pics in signatures.

 

Also, I added getting up early to my routine months ago and I know it's hard.  I tried working out at night after my kids were in bed, but I was usually exhausted.  Now I try to get in bed by 10:30 and be up by 5:30.  It definitely helps to sleep in my workout clothes and have my shoes next to the bed so I can get up and go.

 

And I thought about using "sandbagging" in my challenge title, but I couldn't pass up the 'sandbag of destiny' title.

[surge_supra]

As a female, I wish it was possible to sleep in a full workout gear. That would make mornings much easier lol

[tenaciousglee]

Workout update:

 

Tuesday, April 23 - Run

2.68 miles, 26 min, 30 sec w/ 4x100 yd sprints

I ran to the local high school (about a mile from my house) so I could do some sprints on the track.  Unfortunately, it was cold-ish and a little rainy.  I figured I'd tough it out and felt pretty good about my run.  Once I got home, I started feeling a little weak and that continued on through work.  I ended up leaving early and hitting the sack.  I ran a fever most of the night and skipped work today.  My fever/aches/chills have come and gone today.  So, no lifting today.  I may do some yoga later on and switch up my Wed/Thurs routine, but I'm not sure I'll be up for lifting tomorrow, either... Being sick sucks!

[surge_supra]

Ughh!! Feel better! That was still a great run and sprints after that? Geez!

[tenaciousglee]

Ughh!! Feel better! That was still a great run and sprints after that? Geez!

 

Well, technically, the sprints were in the middle... I ran to the track, sprinted 100, walked 100, repeated for two laps and then ran home.

 

So, I went to the doctor yesterday after 2 days of persistent fever.  Diagnosed an infection and rx'd an antibiotic.  Told to stay home from work at least one more day.  So, I skipped my lifting again today, but I just did a 20 minute Tai Chi for Beginners workout I found on Hulu for the mini challenge.  And now I'm going to tackle my desk organization.  No need to waste the day!