YellowJacket: Long Term Planning.

[Yellowjacket]

I'll fill this in later but here is the gist of it.

1) Main Quest:  Fat loss.  Trying to get the bodyfat percentage down to reasonable levels.  I want this to be a long term goal so I'm limiting my rate of loss to approx 1lbs per week.  I'm also continuing to manipulate my diet so that I can maintain my rate of fat loss until I become reasonably lean.  I understand that to get ripped a specialized diet is required but I'm nowhere near there yet so I am going to use the minimum amount of restriction and depletion possible to still get results.  Because I have been lifting for some time, scale weight loss is fairly useful for determining progress.  i.e.  if I am dropping more than 1lbs of scale weight per week, I need to eat more.  As the long term depletion / fat loss sets in, I expect less and less gains to my LBM.  So I'll be starting from around 250lbs and I expect that I'll be in the neighbourhood of 244lbs by the end of the challenge.  

Nutrition:  Fruits, and nuts are somewhat restricted.  Dairy is considerably restricted.  All processed foods and refined sugars are entirely out.  I eat healthy meats, eggs, fish, veggies, etc.  

2) Side Quest:  Flexibility and Squat / Deadlift from.  This is long term so I'll keep at it just like in my last challenge.  (I did 'light' weight rack pulls the entirety of the last challenge to target my lower back and reprogram the top of the deadlifts.  I may start incorporating light weight deadlifts right off the floor now)  My right shoulder also started acting up near the end of the last challenge.  I may go back onto a more traditional bodybuilding programme.  I've added size with TORQ but I think my body needs a break from this level of intensity.  I'm on my second week of my partial layoff.  

**update** on my side quest plan here.  I did 220lbs x 5 for rack pulls yesterday so I'm going to try and increase that 10lbs each back workout until the end of the challenge.  So my starting weight will be 230lbs.  I do realize this is well below my PR but I'm specifically interested in working on form and strengthening the lower back.  I'll also be performing light weight deadlifts but the rack pulls will help me strengthen the back and continue perfecting the top portion of the lift. Obviously, the long term goal here is to deadlift 405lbs which is 20lbs away from my previous PR of 385.  I just don't want injuries and I think I can lift more with proper form!

3) Life Goal.  This one is easy but I need to keep taking action steps to start building my music career, even while in school.  
 

Bonus points.

 

i.  Make more progress on Thesis.

 

ii.  Do SOMETHING each day toward my research project.  

[wildross]

Subbing to follow the resident musician/warrior....

[Donar]

YJ, you know I will be following!

[Yellowjacket]

Subbing to follow the resident musician/warrior....

Nice!!!  Maybe I'll be lifting some bigger weights this challenge.  I'm trying to assess where my body is at and the 2 week partial layoff has been helping.  My right shoulder was bugging me at the end of last challenge so I think I'll be moving away from TORQ for a couple of cycles.  I need to change things up this time around.

 

 

YJ, you know I will be following!

Awesome.  This should be fun.

I am thinking of trying something similar to your approach to training this time around.  Maybe a slightly higher rep range, but I don't want to hit my max effort right away this time around.  My intensity has been balls to the wall for two challenges so far.  Not that I dislike my training style, but I want to change things up to keep progressing and avoid unnecessary injuries.

I haven't been counting calories this week as part of my layoff but I'm sticking to my menu mostly and I'll lock everything down again starting next week.  It's just good to take scheduled breaks instead of unscheduled ones!

[Stronkey Kong]

I remember seeing how far you got last challenge.

 

I'm subbing. Get it!

[AshPS]

Sub'd! Been in the hospital the last week, just got home and trying to get caught up. And need to start my thread. Looking forward to following!

[Yellowjacket]

Alright, Brahs and Femmes, it's time to get down to business.

 

My training layoff is finished today and the training is going down starting tomorrow.  My weight is currently approx 252.5lbs which is probably all puffy gain from eating as much dairy as I could fit in my tummy.   See, I've been working so hard but I've also learnt that constant work without regular breaks will cause long term burnouts so I'd much rather take the slow route here.  

I haven't fully planned my new training protocol yet but I do know that TORQ / high intensity has taken its toll on me physically.  My right shoulder was maybe a workout away from an injury at the end of the last challenge so I've been taking it really easy so far.  I think I'm going to do more of a standard approach to training this time around, especially for the chest and shoulders.  Back I'm not so worried about.  Arms, well, I think I want to keep cooking them.  One can never have too small arms!  

Plans I do have:
Going to start 5 x 5 rack pulls with a target weight of 230lbs.  Going to add 10lbs per week until the end of the challenge.  Yes, I'll be nowhere near my max but that doesn't matter.  The important thing here is to really nail the form down and really work on activating my lower back.  
I'll probably do something similar for squats with a target weight around 200lbs for the end of the challenge.  Again, the goal is specifically to keep drilling form.  

I know I've complained about Torsion last challenge.  I noticed something weird today while walking down the stairs.  I always turn my feet / hips while walking downstairs because my feet are longer than the stairs.  Maybe it's related?  


Legs are the big stick point here.  Doing all the squat reprogramming and remedial deadlift work for my lower back is very much not hypertrophy training.  Because of school and other obligations, I don't have the time to do what I really need to i.e.  Go to a proper pro gym once a week and torch my lower body.   Maybe I should schedule a couple of leg workouts there in advance so I can at least maintain some of the mass I put on in the first challenge.  Well, I've got basically 4 weeks until the term is over so it might not be so much of a problem after this challenge.  


For diet, I'm not sure where to go.  The 2,800kcal has been great for the last while but I'm not sure whether to up that a bit and try and gain more size or cut into it a bit and go for more fat loss.  The summer seems so far away.
Any ideas?  
I was finding the lower carbs / keto works quite well for dropping fat but it makes me look more flat, causes my workouts to suffer a bit, and causes burnout quite quickly.  Extra carbs make life more livable but the results are not so dramatic.

For now, I'm starting in at 2,800 kcal / 200g protein per day and I'll take it from there.  I suspect that I'll drop a bit more weight off this week than usual as I cut my dairy back way down and start monitoring my calories again.  

Thanks everyone for the encouragement / input.  I'll be sure to have end of challenge pics once again!

LETS DO THIS!

[AshPS]

Whoo hoo Yellowjacket! Sounds like a good plan!

 

I wish you a much successful journey!

[AshPS]

Got my thread up.

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/39868-ashps-working-my-way-back/

[Yellowjacket]

Got my thread up.

 

http://rebellion.nerdfitness.com/index.php?/topic/39868-ashps-working-my-way-back/

Git 'er done!!

This morning waist was still around 39.5 inches.  This is measuring around the fat 'bump' below the navel.  Of course slightly above the navel is considerably smaller but we're trying to be somewhat honest here!!

Monday is universal chest day!!!   

First day of new program.  So, since I'm doing straight sets in the 8 - 12 rep range, I am doing 8 sets for my chest workout.  

The good news is that my right shoulder doesn't feel so bad.  Everything is pretty solid.  The insane burn / pump from TORQ doesn't happen but that's ok, it's time for a break.

Incline bench press: 

120lbs x 12 reps

140lbs x 10 reps

160lbs x 8 reps.  Not so bad yet.

 

Supine dumbell press

60lbs x 8 reps

60lbs x 8 reps

60lbs x 8 reps.  Easy cheesy.

 

Flyes.

30lbs x 8 reps

30lbs x 8 reps.

I had to work to feel the flyes since I managed 35lbs for 30 reps about 3 weeks back already.  But this is at the end of the workout so it will get harder as I raise the weight.  My goal for this challenge will be to make small progress each workout so I'll be adding weight / reps at the next one.  

Abs.  3 double sets with 30 seconds rest in between.  

Nutrition has been an Oats and Eggs breakfast and a post workout recovery shake so far today.  I started the workout early because I think I can schedule my day better this way.

Oats and Eggs breakfast:

1 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup raspberries

3 eggs

1 tbsp butter.  (IN this case I had some onions and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese.  Think trace amounts of cheese here)

Post workout recovery shake:

4 tbsp cocoa powder.

2 scoops muscletech whey protein plus

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp natural peanut butter.  

For my fellow guitarists, Mesa Boogie just announced a really cool new amp!

http://www.mesaboogie.com/Product_Info/Rectifier_Series/Rectoverb_25/Rectoverb_25.html#gpm1_1

It is a variant on the Mini Recto but the trim looks way cooler.  I particularly like the combo!  

 

[Jefro]

Awesome start! I am interested to see how you like the new approach to the weights.

[Yellowjacket]

Awesome start! I am interested to see how you like the new approach to the weights.

 

Thanks!

Strictly speaking, the lifts aren't anything new for me but the approach perhaps is.  I suspect I won't have as many aches and pains or at least that is the idea so far!  I'll come back to TORQ but I want to make sure I'm used to something else by then.  TORQ is an awesome program for anyone coming off of a strength cycle looking to add more mass!

[AshPS]

Good work Yellowjacket! Glad to hear the shoulder is doing good!

 

Would you suggest drinking that post workout shake anytime? Looking for some easy to consume calorically denser foods since I am eating in small amounts and not many meals as yet.

 

PB is a good idea if I can keep it down, haven't tried it yet. Found I can handle 1 boiled egg at a time. Protein shake was difficult but kept it down. No appetite so it's hard to think of things. I'm not paleo so the range is wider. I am avoiding dairy, pastas and breads.

 

Anyway, got any ideas?

[Yellowjacket]

Post workout shake has way too much sugar to drink anytime.  You're going to want a different protein, first of all; something that digests slower and doesn't disrupt your hormonal balance due to sugar.   Then you have to add slower digesting things to the protein.  Peanut Butter or almond butter would be good.  If you must have it sweet, look into various fresh or frozen fruit options.  

It's best to have a blend of whey protein concentrate, isolate, and casein but when I do searches for Whey protein, the market is always aimed squarely at post workout recovery  i.e.  it is rapid digesting and causes blood sugar to spike.   This is the very reason that processed foods are making us fat which is why we 'should' avoid them.    

The alternative is to make a fruit smoothie.  You can fiddle with the recipe but here are some ideas.

 

1.  Get the Astro Belkin 6% fat yogurt.  It has no sugar added to it and it is made with skimmed milk, cream, and bacteria culture

2.  Buy a frozen berry pack.  Raspberries, blueberries, black berries, strawberries,  these are all slow digesting (Low glycemic index) sugars which are great for this sort of thing.  

3.  I have not done so, but you can try this with cottage cheese too.  I don't know how it would impact flavour but it would definitely raise the amount of protein.

4.  Get a juicer if you do not have one already.  You can add one juiced orange into this as well.

 

5.  A simple whey concentrate / casien blend should be ideal for this.  Don't get one of the post workout ones with sugar added.  The cheaper whey concentrates don't have all the fancy stuff added to them.  Add one scoop for an extra c.a. 13 - 15g of protein on top of what is in the yogurt and possibly cottage cheese.

6.  Lastly, count all the calories you are putting into your blender.  It should not exceed 500kcal.  

Blend this all together and enjoy.

[bluekiwi1]

Rawr!  Rawr!  YAY YAY!  I found you!  Good Luck!

[Yellowjacket]

Back Day!!!

While I aim for 8 sets on chest day, I aim for 16 sets on Back day.  I also try to hit the back from as many angles as possible.
 

Rack Pulls:

I'm really liking this exercise.  Thanks to Beatnik Joe for posting about this.  I'm using this to rebuild the top of my deadlifts and I try to lift with perfect form both on the concentric and eccentric phase.  At the bottom of each rep, I rack the weight and then reset my form to make sure my posture is aligned and my shoulder blades are together.  While one typically does not lower a deadlift, I lower the weight as additional practice for what my lift should look like.   Each rep in its entirety is a practice run of the top of my 405lb deadlift that I WILL get sometime in the not so distant future.  Next workout I will attempt 240lbs for 5 reps.  Shouldn't be a problem.
 

120 x 5

180 x 5

200 x 5

220 x 5

230 x 5

 

Barbell rows:

Trying to hit the back from as many angles here as possible.  Focusing on squeezing the shoulder blades together.
 

140 x 10

 

dumbbell rows

Focus on stretching and contracting the traps.

 

60 x 10, 10

 

Pulldowns.

Focus on squeezing the lats the entire time

70 x 12, 10

 

db pullover

60 x 6

 

straight arm pulldown

Squeeze the lats.

40 x 9

 

parallel grip rows
Squeeze the shoulder blades together.

90 x 8

 

UH grip rows

90 x 8

 

DB shrugs

I was really trying to keep my chin down and my neck flat.  People have a tendency to stick their chin out while doing this exercise, I think that's a bad idea.
 

60 x 8, 8, 8, 8

DONE!  The whole workout took approx 60 minutes.  It's slower than TORQ which I don't like but with TORQ there are so many reps that is easy to focus on getting all the reps done.  Trying to survive 30 reps is painful!  With the lower rep range, I can really focus on feeling the target muscle working!!!  

Nutrition:  BIG breakfast today.

 

4 eggs

3 slices of ham

spot of cheese.  (Seriously about a tablespoon or less)

1 cup oats with cinnamon

1 cup raspberries.

 

Pre workout
Banana

 

Post workout

2 scoops whey protein plus,

5tbsp cocoa powder

1tbsp honey

1 tbsp peanut butter.  

and here we are!  

[CourtnieMarie]

hi! i like to look at your foods.

 

[Yellowjacket]

Great.  I should really put up some more recipes this challenge!!!

[Yellowjacket]

OK, another recipe!  This is for a post workout meal.

 

1lb of grass fed free range beef.

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp oregano

2 tbsp basil

a bay leaf

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

4 mushrooms diced  (optional)

1/2 green pepper diced and maybe a finger chili diced  (optional)
8 tomatos chopped (Or a can of diced tomatos)  The chopped tomatoes are more expensive but they taste infinitely better.

1 can of tomato paste  (Add additional tomato paste for a more tomato-ey sauce)
1/2 cup of locally produced cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.  (the store bought stuff is not what you think it is)

if you want a fuller taste, add a tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  

 

1 spaghetti squash and some washed organic baby spinach!
A brick of real parmesan cheese.

Dice and Sautee onions in Olive Oil.  Use a medium heat so that the oil does not burn. c.a. 10 min.
Turn the head down to min.

Add minced garlic cloves, peppers, and minced mushrooms. c.a. 5 minutes

Brown beef.  (I'd thaw it out first if it is frozen)

Add tomatos and spices.  (Red wine vinegar counts as a spice.  Alternatively, you can use white vinegar or even lemon concentrate if you want)

Simmer on stove.  I always suggest starting with the meat sauce and letting it simmer on a low heat for some time.  30 minutes is acceptable.  45 min - 1 hour is better since the flavours can really blend together.

Cook Squash.  When it is cooked and prepared, it should vaguely resemble noodles.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-spaghetti-squash-178036
 

Cover your plate in spinach.  Add the squash underneath that and then put the meat sauce on top of it.  Grate parmesan cheese to taste on top of that.

This is a great dinner meal but it has a lot of carbs so it should be used for a post workout feeding.  

 

[CourtnieMarie]

Great.  I should really put up some more recipes this challenge!!!

yes you should!

[AshPS]

Yay for recipes!!!!!!!

 

And thank you on the smoothie info. much appreciated!

 

Awesome job on the workout!

[CourtnieMarie]

yum! that looks like my pasta sauce minus the mushrooms and squash. i just dump it over spinach and call it a day

[AshPS]

Ask and it shall be given! lol

 

Ok, I LOVE that. (nodding) Thanks!!!

[Yellowjacket]

Hey, have you guys seen these things!?

Sprouted grain tortillas

http://www.foodforlife.com/products?tid_1=15&tid=All

 

Sprouted grain breads  The cinnamon raisin one is fantastic!
http://www.foodforlife.com/products?tid_1=8&tid=All

These are breads and tortillas that respect one's blood sugar and they are another carb I will use pre or post workout. 

Oh, a neat life hack I saw on Elliot Hulse's channel.  To eat a can of straight tuna, just add balsamic vinegar.  Get a good quality one and it will make the tuna taste MUCH better!!!  
 

 

Yay for recipes!!!!!!!

 

And thank you on the smoothie info. much appreciated!

 

Awesome job on the workout!

The workout was fun.  Doing some bigger rack pulls is making me feel like a warrior again.  The rest of the workout is light weight but throwing around heavy weights doesn't sculpt a back nicely.  It's really feeling the back work that is important!!  

In other news, a craft show is happening this weekend in Alberta.  Luckily, we have left over stock from the last one and my wife's parents are going to run our booth as well as theirs.  Will report back on this.  We have colouring books for sale in addition to the fancy crayons we make.  It would be tempting to take orders if anyone is interested..  I guess this would mean sending around our catalogue  XD

[AshPS]

I love that idea on the tuna! Seriously doing that.

 

Nothing like heavy weights to make you feel like a warrior.

 

Sooooo looking forward to being back there.