tenaciousglee Learns His Lesson

[tenaciousglee]

It's been 3 years since I first discovered Nerd Fitness.  I've done 18 six week challenges.  Surely, I've learned something in that span.  One of the first lessons I learned from Steve was the importance of tracking.  I've tracked measurements, calories, and workouts, and taken plenty of pictures.  However, I've consistently neglected the equally important step of analyzing my results.

 

As I look back on 3 years of work, I don't "feel" like I've made much progress.  I don't even really look like I've made much progress.  But there are more ways to measure progress than just the scale or the mirror.  Since I have so much data strewn about various platforms, I figured it's time to buckle down and analyze, so I'm making that the theme of this challenge.

 

• Goal 1: Analyze my data, comparing weight highs/lows, visual progress, measurements, diet, and exercise routine.
• Having 18 challenges to review, I will aim for analyzing 3 per week, but I may end up switching to a month-by-month or quarter-by-quarter system.

Things I already know:

• I want to build muscle.  Progressive overload can help.
• I want a bigger chest and bigger arms, but I'm limited by not having a barbell.  Dips can help.
• Goal 2: Weighted Dips - go from 3x5x5# to 3x5x30#
• I am not genetically inclined to build muscle.  Creatine can help.
• Goal 3: Daily weight gain shake and creatine.  6 cups (48 oz) of water a day.
• My core strength needs work.  Hollow body holds can help.
• Goal 4: Hollow body hold practice 3 days/week
• Consistency is key to making progress.
• I am more consistent with my workouts when I stick to 3 a week.
• I have workout ADD when I don't see immediate results.
• I will workout 3 days a week - 1 for High Intensity Training, 1 focused on core work, and 1 focused on Dips progress

I was going to post an inspiring picture of the old "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" quote, but apparently the internet can't decide who gets credit for it.  So if you know of a good one, send it along.

[tenaciousglee]

Here's a snapshot of my weight over the last 3 years from My Fitness Pal. As you can see, I've been all over the place.

[Phayze]

Looks good, T! Data analysis is the not so glamorous part of the whole "let's do science to it!" thing, but I have a feeling it's going to pay off.

[tenaciousglee]

Oh man, took last week off due to snow and 2 sick kids.  Got lots of extra sleep, but it was tough to get up and workout this morning.  Especially knowing that I would be staying home with one of the sick kids today.  But, I persevered and got up.  Now I'm sloshing my way through my creatine loading phase.  The New High Intensity Training book I read says to load with 4x the standard dose and then superhydrate.  So, I'm trying to down a gallon of creatine-laden water today.  I've already surpassed my daily water goal of 6 cups.  I also had a shocking revelation when I went back and re-read the chapter on creatine.  Apparently caffeine can inhibit the absorption of creatine, so the book recommends no coffee, tea, or soda - for two weeks!  Not sure I'll be able to handle that.  Luckily, I was able to catch a short nap this morning while my son watched the LEGO movie.

 

Also started my data analysis yesterday.  I'm leaning toward six-month chunks because that also breaks up the last 3 years into 6 even units.  May wind up being a wash either way.

 

That's all for now.  Back to work/parenting.

[tenaciousglee]

Apparently, there's more than one way to creatine load.  Glad I consulted the internet about the caffeine-creatine issue.  I should be okay to still have my morning cup of joe.  I should probably cut back on my overall caffeine intake anyway.

[Mikroftt]

Sounds like the internets are helpful

 

If there is one thing I struggle with, it is knowing the right thing to do and still not doing it.  And I totally use excuses like "I am not seeing results yet" as an excuse not to keep going or do something different.  But I am learning to be more patient.  Good things come to those who continue to put forth the effort.  You will see the results!  Keep it up!

[tenaciousglee]

Core day yesterday.  Several rounds of Hollow Body Hold practice, L-sit practice, ab wheel roll outs and toes-to-bar (while watching Agent Carter).  Ab DOMS today. Hurts so good!

[Ryuu1011]

Your my fitness pal data looks almost exactly like mine xD only I've floated between 150-170. If your having trouble bulking the problem could just be the amount of calories you're eating, you may want to compare the spikes in your weight with the calories that you were eating at that time (if you were using MFP to still track them, I tend to stop tracking and that's when my weight spikes >_<) to see what your surplus/ deficit was. It could be you've just got to eat a lot more while still working out a decent amount to put on muscle. Check out this article it may help. I'd also poke around some more on Kinobody I'm a fan of his site and like his philosophy, and they have been working well for me so far. 

 

also found that quote for you You have two options:

[tenaciousglee]

Your my fitness pal data looks almost exactly like mine xD only I've floated between 150-170. If your having trouble bulking the problem could just be the amount of calories you're eating, you may want to compare the spikes in your weight with the calories that you were eating at that time (if you were using MFP to still track them, I tend to stop tracking and that's when my weight spikes >_<) to see what your surplus/ deficit was. It could be you've just got to eat a lot more while still working out a decent amount to put on muscle. Check out this article it may help. I'd also poke around some more on Kinobody I'm a fan of his site and like his philosophy, and they have been working well for me so far. 

 

 

 

I think I can account for all the peaks and valleys on my weight chart.  The first peak was a result of me reading the Rebel Strength Guide and saying "I need to eat more".  So, I gained 8 pounds in 3 months or so and wound up adding an inch or two to my waist.  Not ideal.  For the rest of the story, you'll have to stay tuned as I analyze and report each week!

 

And thanks for the links to Kinobody.  I've said before that I love reading about working out way more than I like actually working out.  It doesn't help with my workout ADD, though.  I need to remind myself that the best workout plan is the one you stick to - and consistency is key to seeing results!

[tenaciousglee]

Two hour delay for work today due to the snow, but I still got up at my normal time and worked out!

 

Dips - 3x5x5#

Pull-ups - 5x5#, 3x5#, 2x5# (harder than I expected)

Suspended Push-ups - 3x5 (just as hard as I expected)

Overhead Press - 4x70#, 5x60#, 6x50#

Hollow Body Hold Practice with legs at 45 degrees - 10 sets of 10 sec work, 30 sec rest

 

 

Spent some time last night looking over my first 4 challenges.  I think for my tracking/analyzing I'm going to note my maxes for each month (or challenge) in things like push-ups, pull-ups, dips, bench, squat, deadlift, OHP, and row.  I've changed up my routine several times (almost every 6 weeks), but those standard exercises always remained included somehow.  Looking back now, I of course wonder how far along I'd be if I had just stuck with them and continued to progress through the years, but oh well.

 

Still going strong on the goal 3.  Weight gain shake 5 days in a row, creatine-loading plus a gallon of water every day, too.  I'll be glad when the loading phase is over and I can go back to 6-8 glasses of water a day.  The New High Intensity Training says to load for 14 days, whereas the creatine bottle says 4-5 days.  I think I may stop after 7 days.  I need to go back and consult Brad Pilon's ebook "How Much Creatine?", but I'm pretty sure he said you don't even need a loading phase.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 1 wrap-up:

 

>Goal 1 - Looked through my notes for February through August 2012 - I had forgotten how many different workout routines I started and gave up on.

>Goal 2 - Weighted Dips - 3x5x5#, bumping up weight this week

>Goal 3 - Daily weight gain shake and creatine - 7/7, also drank a gallon of water each day.  Decided to stop my creatine loading phase at 6 days.

>Goal 4 - Hollow body hold practice - Wed, Fri, Sun - forgot about it (put it off) on Sunday until bedtime, so I was doing HBH at 11 PM, but I got them done

>Lesson learned - I don't need as much caffeine as I thought to get through my day!  With all the water I was drinking, I didn't have room for my usual Coke (or two) in the afternoon.  I also found that I slept more soundly.  I may also have just worn myself out from shoveling snow several times last week...

[Mikroftt]

Which version of dips do you do?  Legs forward? Backward? Rings? Chair?  I haven't been doing them lately but I do military push-ups with my burpees so that is like doing a dip, right?

[Phayze]

Nice! Week one went down hard. ^^

Snow shoveling with certainly work as a sleep aid - I've been ready for bed every since I finished digging out my car this morning.

[tenaciousglee]

Which version of dips do you do? Legs forward? Backward? Rings? Chair? I haven't been doing them lately but I do military push-ups with my burpees so that is like doing a dip, right?

I've got a dip/pull-up station (Power Stand?) and I sort of try to lean forward and tuck my knees a bit. I've read that's how you hit the chest better.

[tenaciousglee]

Been comparing measurements since I first started tracking them in June 2012.

 

Started with a 37" belly circumference and about 26% body fat, taking an average of several calculation methods.  Weighed 159.6#.

 

As of March 1, 2015, my belly circumference was 35.5" (but it's been as low as 33.25") and my BF% is about 21%.  Weight is 160.2#, about half a pound heavier.

 

Now, if I just looked at weight, I'd say I haven't really changed in 33 months of trying.  But considering my BF% dropped by 5%, that actually means I've lost 8 pounds of fat and gained 8 pounds of lean body mass!!!

 

I'm getting ahead of myself a little because as you can see from my weight chart, there's been a ton of fluctuation, but I'm excited for the reminder that even though my weight is the same as 3 years ago, I'm in better shape today!  I obviously know I'm in better shape, but it's still nice to see the numbers.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 2 recap

 

>Goal 1 - Analysis - didn't get through my 2nd 6-month period, but can play catch up pretty easily.  Just need to start devoting a set time to it each day.

>Goal 2 - Weighted Dips - 3x5x10#, moving up to 15# this week

>Goal 3 - Daily Weight Gain Shake and Creatine - missed Saturday just because I forgot in the morning and went out of town.  I made it a double on Sunday, though I'm not sure if that counts for anything.

>Goal 4 - Hollow Body Hold practice - Hit it on Wednesday and Friday, forgot on Sunday.  5/6 for the challenge so far.

 

Lesson learned - I need to be intentional about setting aside time to review my data.  Per my previous post, I also learned the value of looking at multiple points of data when comparing my progress through the years.  I had just been tracking my measurements in a spreadsheet, but not really comparing them to previous measurements, only checking to see if I was getting closer or further away from my goals.  I would sometimes compare this month's results to last month's, but I really got a kick out of seeing the changes as viewed along a broader spectrum.  I'm thinking I want to add my historical measurements to MyFitnessPal so I can see some more charts.

[Ryuu1011]

DO IT! ALL THE CHARTS! Who doesn't love a good chart... or maybe that just my data nerd showing through. XD 

[Phayze]

We need a graph that displays the direct correlation between personal happiness and an increase in graphs.

[tenaciousglee]

We need a graph that displays the direct correlation between personal happiness and an increase in graphs.

That's meta. Mobius graph?

[tenaciousglee]

Ugh. Been fighting a cold all week. Plus the time change has thrown off my sleep. I slept through my Wednesday workout, though I still did my HBH practice. I think I'm going to pre-emptively cancel/postpone tomorrow's workout in favor of cold medicine and sleep. I'm working from home tomorrow, so if I feel better, I may sneak in some dips and HBH at lunch. Good night!

[tenaciousglee]

Slept through Wednesday's workout, though I still fit in 6 minutes of hollow body hold practice.

 

Slept through Friday's workout as noted above, but made it up today.  Sort of.  I did my 3 sets of dips, 3 sets of sandbag clean and press, and my HBH practice.

 

Now, I'm in my recliner, hoping to crunch some numbers and maybe build a chart.  Lazy Saturday.

[tenaciousglee]

Week 3 wrap-up

 

>Goal 1 - read through my first 9 challenges, so I'm on pace for review, but I'm a little behind on analysis.  I'm tracking which routines I was doing, how long I stuck with them, and what my max lifts were.  I also want to analyze changes in my body comp with my calorie intake.  I also started tracking what I was reading during that time.  Definitely shaped my decision making and led to lots of program hopping.

>Goal 2 - Weighted Dips - 3x5x15# - these were tough, but got through them

>Goal 3 - Shake and Creatine - 7 for 7 with at least 6 cups of water a day

>Goal 4 - Hollow Body Hold practice - 3 for 3, 8 for 9 for the challenge

 

Lesson Learned - during the challenges I was reviewing this week, I was actively trying to slim down so I could start bulking from a lean base.  I combined calorie restriction with cardio.  I rotated through regular jogging, sprint intervals, and low intensity steady state walking.  I think I had the best results with the LISS, so I may throw that back in as the weather starts to warm up.  I'm definitely in bulk-up mode, but I'm hoping that some walking could help to limit the fat gain around my midsection.  I know it was always a staple of Waldo's routine whether he was cutting or bulking and he stayed lean.

[Phayze]

Nice! You're killing your missions and learning your lessons like a boss!

I think I've said this before, but to heck with all that "skinny dudes shouldn't do cardio" crap. If you like it, do it!

[tenaciousglee]

Not much to update so far this week, but I did have a quick personal health assessment done today for my health insurance at work and got my BP, cholesterol, and BMI stats taken.  I last had it done 2 years ago and since then my total cholesterol has gone down, my good cholesterol has gone up, and my weight is up 8 pounds (which is of course what I'm after).  My blood pressure is also up, but not at a worrisome level.  The nurse told me to keep doing whatever I've been doing! Yay!

[Phayze]

Nice! Was the nurse attractive? I've heard stories that being tested by attractive nurses often results in high BP.