[mcFreid]

Wednesday 4/01/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Mixed Beans (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey and Rice Soup [a little extra turkey and rice]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Mixed Beans (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey and Rice Soup [extra turkey and rice]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 89-93rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I am slightly disappointed today with my gym workout. For the last few weeks I have been able to use the same elliptical machine and it has allowed me to keep track of my performance improvements. Today I had to switch. I still used the same model, but for some reason each of the 4 identical ellipticals behaves differently. The one I used today didn’t necessarily provide more resistance (in fact it may have even been less) but for some reason I found it harder to move at higher RPMs. This change prevented me from achieving my goal of 90+ rpm that I was so hoping for this week. Oh well, there is always more weeks to come. The machine also clocked me in at 364 calories compared to last week’s elliptical reporting of 398 calories. Of course this is irrelevant. In the end I worked out as hard as I could and I can’t ask for more than that.

At night I tried a different hand position with my pushups. I found out that I was pointing my fingers upwards but actually the neutral position is to point your hands side to side so that the fingers point outward. I did this and though it felt awkward (most likely because I was so used to the previous position) it made the entire movement somewhat easier. I think eventually I’ll transition to this “normal” position entirely (including my knuckle pushups during my lifting sessions). I also tried to keep my abs more tight to obtain better back posture during the motion. I’m not sure how well it worked out though since I wasn’t able to record tonight (my dorm room was full with people while I was going through the movements). Hopefully tomorrow night I will be able to get another video up so that I, as well as you, can critique the changes I have made to my pushups.

Afterwards I executed the sit-ups, which have definitely gotten easier. I was watching this military video on sit-ups today and noticed that they keep their feet closer together (sometimes even touching). I tried this out and I think it helped somewhat. For some reason though my tailbone began to hurt again today. It wasn’t too bad so I worked through it and finished up all my reps for each of the 3 sets. I will watch for that in the future though. I’ve rubbed it raw before and it cut out my sit-up routine for a week. I don’t want to go through that again.

I will end the day with the fact that I had a perfect and delicious diet. Check it out and good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #118 .

[jdawg21]

hey dude, dedicated log! took me forever to read the whole thing, but i did, because i really wanted to get a true view of what yur doing. i've noticed that their is a pattern of ppl telling u that u need more protein and u telling them y it's just not feesable in yur sitch. bottomline, is that for a guy around 150-160lbs and looking to get bigger yet stay lean or get leaner, u(dare i say it) need more protein,but now hear me out, u need a gram and a half of protein/lb bodyweight and u wont even absorb all of that! see, protein actually boosts your metabolism, and decreases belly fat. your body expels fat when it has excesses of protein. and that protein can only be fully absorbed when consumed frequently in small amounts. though that doesn't seem possible for you right now, so what you need to focus on is nutrient timing. this will help burn fat while bulding muscle. for instance. do cardio before eating in the morning but after coffee and consume all of your fruit after your workout as this is when your glycogen stores will be depleted and all the sugar will go to muscle replenishment. also do cardio after weights and thn all the calories burned will be pure fat. and your muscles DO need more isolation, please, believe me, i AM a personal trainer, and i'm letting u know because i want to see you really enjoy the results of yur pics. if u isolate yur muscles with, say, a 4 or 5 day split of both weights and cardio and you fully fatigue yur muscles with sets of 4 of about 4 diff excersizes, for each muscle in arms, 16-18 for back/chest, and 20 for legs, this will stress them enough that they will have to grow to adapt to a short and extremely intense load. see, it's not about the time in the gym, which needs to be short, specific and intense; it's about the hours and hours of in between time that is supposed to be spent resting ( or at least not further fatiguing yourself) for u to gain size and keep off fat you have to create an environment in your body where yur muscles have to adapt and they feel that it is a safe time to do so because of the frequent availability of food and rest. your body is too stressed from cardio and not challenged enough by weights so it's holding on to fat and is unwilling to make muscle. so the answer is diet, and seeing as yours is unable to be changed you simply have to change timing. avoid fat right after workouts because they slow carb absorbtion and increase workload on your stomach at a time when u need fast absorbing carbs and all of your body's work (meaning blood focus) on recovering and forcing nutrients into those muscles, not digesting! ingest fat in the morning with oats as the fiber will help to break down fat and that combination will give u consistent energy. consider the first half of the day to be about bulking except for morning cardio. and consider the second half, after post workout meal, to be about fat loss or maintenence; and as u increase muscle lbs yur overall bf% will go down. if u can't change the timing of nutrients at all then change workout times. i honestly want to see you change drastically to a Fight Club type body( as that seems to be the general physique u seem to be drawn to) just realize that yur muscle will only get harder, bigger, and stronger, when they are healthily fed and full of glycogen; and, unfortunately, cardio depletes all of that and stresses them to the point of getting smaller, so just think of the morning as a 1hour window, before eating, for pure fat burning cardio, and then again 1/2hour after weights and before carbs as another pure window. and then get carbs immediatley to quench yur toasted muscles, especially because they will absorb anything and everything that is carbs and protein that u throw at them. SO, big breakfast, big post workout meal and teeny tiny all lean protein and no fat/no carbs dinner and then all night and first thing in the morning u will lose fat and only minimal muscle and in the morning you can torch your fat with cardio till it falls off in piles. k, have i repeated myself enough? lol! i hope u understand that i respect your efforts, and am taking that into cosideration when offering advice based on science and experience. i'll check back for your response and wil offer further advice. btw 3 things: good post! sorry for the long schpeel! (wait..who am i kidding? i'm a novice compared to your schpeeling!) j/k! and i want to say that, I don't want you to be or get discouraged or negatrive as it sometimes seems u do when u post pics, but to be honest you Should be seeing more results at your level of bf%, and especially if your an endo(as they grow muscle very easily) the and i'm telling you that u will get results if u try this! i hope it helps.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 4/2/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
2 medium Apples
1/2 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [contained some raisins, but I removed most]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:50am:
1 bite Apple
1/2 bowl Spanish Rice, Whole Wheat Pasta (Marinara Sauce)
1 bowl Chicken Orzo Soup [extra chicken]
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese [more than usual] (Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
5:30pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, 3 Egg Whites (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Minestrone Soup [contained beans, pasta, and beef]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.5mph
4:30min @ 8.6mph
~3min @ 9.0mph
last 0.2 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:45
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12calories per minute, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
5min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

My workout today was nearly identical to Monday’s. I decided not to increase my running speed (though I did start slightly earlier on my 9.0mph run) because I didn’t want to go forward on my progress too much that I plateau before I reach my true potential. I will most likely increase it next week though. I made strides in a different way instead. For the full-motion elliptical I was able to break the 250 calorie mark in 20 minutes. That is a new record and I left the gym happy for that.

My diet today was fairly good. I am slightly concerned over lunch since I wasn’t able to find any pure sources of protein for my salad (such as hardboiled egg whites) and instead had to use pure cottage cheese. The cottage cheese offered in the dining halls is 4% fat so my concern is over the fat intake since it could easily have raised my total calories eaten without me noticing. Besides that though, it was decent enough.

At night I worked some more on my form. I wasn’t in the mood to bother with filming, but I do feel like I made some improvements. I tried to really focus on tightening my abs during the pushup movement as well as tucking my elbows in somewhat. The reps felt harder and I hope it is because of these changes. For my sit-ups I restricted some of my motion and didn’t come up quite as much as I usually do. I mean I was still going up to maybe 90% so it was a good burn, but just not quite the same. I didn’t do this just because I was lazy. Like I mentioned last night my tailbone got slightly sore from the motion and I still felt it today. I didn’t want to risk making it worse and hindering me from doing sit-ups entirely so I stopped moving before the pressure would orient itself on that area. The sit-ups did end up being slightly easier than normal for this reason. But, better being safe than sorry so I am happy with my decision.

Tomorrow I won’t have time to lift and film so I’ll just be lifting. I’m going to bring a sheet with me with all of the improvements and changes I should make for each lift. I’ll let you know how it goes and hopefully next Tuesday I will have the additional minutes to include some videos as well. Here is a copy of the sheet for those who are curious. I also want to know if you think I left anything out. Good night.

Squats:
• Don't step back so far
• Keep elbows vertical (elbows pointed down)
• Don't let back round in hole (keep chest up)
• Don't push hips forward at end to lockout, instead keep butt out like initial position
• Don't go too far below parallel
• Keep hands closer together to get a better shelf and to keep back tighter
• Look straight ahead
• Keep core tight
Deadlifts:
• Bring chest up before butt
• Lean back when pulling
• Make sure to stay balanced
• Keep chin more down
• Narrower Stance
• Starting position as if you are sitting down
• Make sure to get a good grip once in starting position
• Keep chest out and shoulders back
Bench:
• Bench at nipple line or below
• Arch back more and drive in through legs
• Stay tight
Dumbbell Rows:
• Go slower on the negatives
Pushups:
• Keep elbows slightly tucked



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #119.

[islander]

Nice mcFreid. Try some sit ups on the decline bench may give ya a bit more padding. Looks liking your really buckling down on form, lots of great replies here and in the other thread!

[mcFreid]

Hey Islander nice to hear from you. I actually do the situps along with the pushups at night on cardio days. I do them in my dorm room which has a rug floor, but I put a folded towel underneath my tail bone for additional cushioning. I'm not sure why it suddenly started to hurt again.

[mcFreid]

Friday 4/3/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:20am:
1+ bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Seafood Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey [more than usual], Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:30pm:
3/4 bowl Broccoli with a little Couscous and Eggplant Stew
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Seafood Vegetable Soup [mostly broth]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm, 1resistance
3x5x150 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x165 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x40 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest



That was the workout.



The Day:

I’m not sure why but it must have just been one of those days. I simply wasn’t feeling it in the gym. It’s too bad too since this is the day I wanted to work on improving my form and yet I was struggling mentally in simply doing the lifts. It could have been because of the lack of fruit in the morning (Sage Dining Hall that opens at 7:00am instead of Commons at 7:30am never has good apples), but that’s just a guess. By the end I still did succeed in completing all the lifts, but I think my form worsened if anything. I did try and implement the changes recommended, but some really didn’t work out. For instance I tried narrowing my grip and keeping my elbows pointed down on the squats, that didn’t work. I couldn’t find a comfortable position with the bar and it made the entire movement more awkward. There are a few other examples as well. Truly though today was not an accurate day to make any judgments. Therefore I will try again fresh on Tuesday and hopefully with a camera as well.

My knee is still bothering me. It’s getting annoying and I think when I come back home in a little over a month I’m going to get it checked out by a doctor. It’s not that bad but I just want to make sure everything is OK. I tried feeling around to see if anything seemed unusual. The only thing abnormal was that on the top left of the knee cap if I pushed down where there is a soft spot right on top of the knee it feels like there is a bruise there. I don’t see any bruise, but that is what it feels like. Anyone have any idea of what all this could be?

I ended the day with a disappointing choice in diet. I have no idea why but I made the impulsive decision to get some couscous and eggplant stew. There was no call for it. I mean it was a small mistake and won’t make much of a dent in my results, but I do regret it. My focus is on not making those impulsive jumps in the future.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #120.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 4/4/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:20am:
2 medium Apples
2/3 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
1 100 Calorie Instant Oatmeal Packet
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
2 small Hot Peppers
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1+ bowl Country Chicken Vegetable Soup [extra chicken and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
5 Carrot Strips
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1+ bowl Country Chicken Vegetable Soup [extra chicken and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

In the morning I decided to test out the instant oatmeal packets offered at my dining hall. Sometimes the oatmeal quality is really bad and I was curious to see if I could use these packets as a replacement. The additional benefit is that I could take them with me to the other dining hall on days that oatmeal is not even offered. Disappointingly, it appears that this is not a decent enough solution. The first problem is that the instant oatmeal packets are not pure oats and do have some sugar added (though from the nutrition facts it seems marginal). The second problem is it tastes like ****. Maybe not this semester, but possibly later on in college life I will just go out and buy a big tub of instant rolled oats and just bring packets of it with me to the dining halls. For now though, I’ll just stick to what is offered.

I stayed in mostly today doing Data Structures and Algorithms lab homework. I’m excited for tomorrow as I’ll be weighing myself and taking progress shots. I hope to see improvements in both guides. I also have a soccer game tomorrow so it will be nice to get out and play some ball as the weather starts to get warmer (though today was pretty dismal). That’s all for today: good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #121.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 4/5/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:

Body Weight: 150.80lb Change: +0.40lb
Lean Mass: 137.98lb Change: +1.42lb
Percent Fat: 8.50% Change: -0.70%
Body Fat: 12.82lb Change: -1.02lb

Progress Pictures:





Thoughts and Opinions:

At first I was disappointed. I wasn’t too happy with the fact that through my cut I somehow managed to gain weight. But then I thought about it. I gained a measly 0.4lb so it could have just been fluctuations of the daily variety instead of real weight gain. And yet, I dropped a huge 0.7% body fat. This is not something to be disappointed about! When I took a few minutes to digest it all I realized I made the ideal transformation this week. I shredded over a pound of pure fat and gained nearly a pound and a half of muscle. Clearly I am doing the right thing. And now I am very satisfied, very happy. I will not be making any major changes to my lifestyle except for possibly eating slightly slightly less (I’m thinking about taking the calories out of my daily soup intake as well as some out of the salad toppings – less beans, less dressing, etc..). But, overall, you won’t see many changes in my daily journal. And why? Because what I’m doing is working. It’s working!

As for my progress shots, I don’t see much change. I may be a little leaner in my relaxed photo, but that could just be imagining things. It could also be because I’m feeling leaner these days so I’m envisioning myself as looking leaner as well. But hey, if I’m feeling leaner I can only assume that eventually that will translate to looking leaner as well, no?

Overall it was a good morning. I made substantial progress in my goals towards a mean lean fighting machine. The key now is to keep with it. And that… That is what I do best at!




This concludes Entry #122 Sunday Morning Edition.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 4/5/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:15am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Light Italian Dressing, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Lentil Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Lentil Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x70 (69 in 1min)
SIT-UPS:
1x61 (45 in 1min)


That was the workout.



The Day:

Like yesterday my diet was spot on today.

At night I performed my pushups and sit-ups to test my new maximums and hopefully to break some records. For pushups I filmed this procedure as well (though it seems I put the camera a tad too close). And though I did perform better than last week I don’t feel like some of my last reps should count since I wasn’t going quite low enough. I also tried to keep my abs tight and mentally push them against my back. Most of the time I found myself losing focus on this though and thereby let my form suffer. When I did get it right I could tell and that was a good feeling as it allowed me to get a better idea of what I should be striving for. Overall I felt like my form did improve slightly.

Here’s the video:

YouTube - 4 5 09 pushupsMaximum

Five minutes after I tested myself on the sit-ups. In this case I did see a realistic improvement in my reps till failure (though my pace stayed the same clocking in a 45 in 1 minute). At least I can happily say that if I’m not improving with the pushups I am improving with the sit-ups.

And I leave myself with that good thought, that nice improvement. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #122.

[mcFreid]

Monday 4/6/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [thick]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
1 bowl Chicken Rice Soup [extra chicken, a little extra rice]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Grain Salad, Cottage Cheese, 6 Egg Whites (Various Dressings)
5:40pm:
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [extra turkey and rice]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.5mph
4:00min @ 8.6mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
last 0.2 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:39
ELLIPTICAL
5min @ 70rpm, 1resistance
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~12-12.5cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~12.5-13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

I felt good today. First I woke up to the pleasure of no knee pain. It seems that the symptoms have completely dissipated. I also woke up to a feeling of excitement for cardio, which is rare. I had a nice breakfast with some decent oatmeal for once. Everything was just falling into place.

Following breakfast I had a really good workout where I broke my personal record yet again for the 2 mile run by making at most a 13:39 mile. I say at most because actually I don’t quite remember if it was 13:35, 36, or 39. I decided to play it safe and officially record 39, but it could in fact have been even faster. The only annoying thing at the gym was that the full motion elliptical was occupied for the first 5 minutes after my run. It wasn’t a big deal though as I just hopped on the one of the other elliptical machines until the occupant finished up.

At night I had a really nice pushup and sit-up session. I found myself with more strength in both areas. I focused on keeping my abs tight during the pushup as well. With the help of my camera I think the change did give a noticeable benefit to my form, though it is still not ideal. Tomorrow when I have more time I’ll post the videos. As for tonight, I must go to sleep as the morning brings in two exams that require a nice night’s rest beforehand. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #123.

[mcFreid]

Here the new pushup vids from yesterday. Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 6 08 pushups1

YouTube - 4 6 08 pushups2

YouTube - 4 6 08 pushups3

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 4/7/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
1+ bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil)
1 bowl Turkey Chili [extra turkey]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Chili [dry, extra turkey]
1 small plate London Broil Steak, Black Bean Salad
1 Slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey [less than usual], Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x130 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
3x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest

That was the workout.



The Day:

Despite a fruit lacking breakfast I had a really nice workout today. I increased by 5 pound increments almost all of my big compound movements as well as the DB Bent-Over Rows. Surprisingly it was not in any of these motions that I failed in. Instead it was the shoulder presses that ended up bringing me to the edge as I couldn’t complete the 8th rep on the last set. The knuckle pushups had a similar conclusion on the 9th rep. I take this as a message that I am seriously pushing myself with the other lifts. I feel like I am getting stronger, and that is a good feeling.

My form also improved somewhat. For the deadlifts I finally think I’m getting somewhere as I really focused on lifting with my shoulders before my butt while also leaning back. It’s still not perfect, but I think it’s getting there. I just wish I had time to take some videos to get a more accurate means of measurement.

The squats though for some reason had some form issues. During the last set I couldn’t prevent myself from distributing a tad too much weight towards the front half of my feet. I’ll have to carefully watch that from being taken too far. Usually I am really good staying on my heels, but today it was tough. Maybe it was the extra weight.

During the bench press I tried to push through my legs to drive some of the upward force. This helped to lift the bigger weight. I also focused hard on the idea of squeezing the pecs instead of simply lifting the bar upwards. This helped to stimulate the muscles. I am very happy with the strides I am making here as well since I always felt that the bench press was one of the few lifts that I could never get proper muscle stimulation in the right places. This time I stood up after the 3rd set and really felt it in my pecs.

For the rest of Tuesday I just took in my protein in its normal forms and went to class. It was a good day.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #124.

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 4/8/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1 small cup Chicken and Onions
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Shaved Carrots (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
5 Pickle Spears
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey [a little more than usual], Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL [Version 1]:
2min @ 150-160stm, 1resistance
2min @ 150-160stm, 2resisstance
ELLITPICAL [Version 2]:
1min @ 150-160stm, 2resistance
6min @ 1:15min 200+stm, 45 sec @ 150-160stm, 3-5resistance (increasing each interval)
ELLIPTICAL [Version 3]:
12 min @ 1:15 min 89-93rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 5-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x30 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

My workout today was disappointing. It was just a horrible chance of luck that on my HIIT day all the ellipticals that I normally use for HIIT were taken. As you can see from the data above I tried various machines before finally being able to obtain my standard elliptical and complete the rest of my HIIT. I did my best, but the entire time it was awkward to jump from machine to machine and I feel like my overall intensity suffered because of it (though my calories burned probably increased since I spent an extra 10 minutes just switching from elliptical to elliptical). Still though, the differences between today and a normal Wednesday probably won’t affect me much and I am satisfied with myself that I completed the workout and more even with the obstacles in front of me.

I think I may be having a little too much deli turkey on my sandwiches. For these last few lunches and dinners I felt like when the next meal came, or when sleep was right around the corner, I didn’t have any hunger in me. My guess is the over abundant amount of turkey. I’m going to try cutting back just a little bit and see how I feel as a result.

I really enjoyed my pushups today. My form is definitely improving. I filmed the movements yet again and when I post the updates tomorrow you will see what I mean. For now though I can tell you with a good amount of certainty that my lower back is getting straighter and my shoulders are starting to trend away from that “shrug” feel. I also had a nice 3 reps of sit-ups as I focused on my abs to up the intensity. I’m happy the day ended like this after a rough start. Good night.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #125.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 4/9/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
2 small-medium Apples
1- bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [apple flavored, runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:40pm:
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [extra chicken]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese, 6 Egg Whites (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil, a little Red Wine Vinaigrette)
5:20pm:
1 bowl Mushroom Barley Soup
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Bean Salad (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
last 0.2 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:33
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x30 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)



That was the workout.



The Day:

My morning started off with a disappointing breakfast. I had the oatmeal like I always do, but I was in for quite the surprise. I am not exaggerating when I say that it had both the consistency and flavor of microwaved applesauce. It was absolutely, dreadfully, gross. But, at least I can say that my diet for the rest of the day went well. And so did my workout.

I wasn’t planning on breaking another personal record today, but I did anyway. I thought my new standard was to run at 8.6 and then increase to 8.7 miles per hour. Turns out I was off by .1 and I actually was supposed to run at 8.5 and 8.6. Well, that didn’t seem to matter. I plowed through the run and hit a nice 13:33 2 mile time. Next week I’m going to try increasing this again to 8.7 and 8.8. I truly want to push myself.

At night I videoed my pushups as it seems to be becoming part of my routine. I know I said I would post the videos from last night, but I haven’t had the time today. Tomorrow I should definitely be able to post those promised earlier and the ones taken today. I focused on my depth for the 3 sets this night and did see some improvement (it was especially noticeable that the reps were more difficult because of this). My lower back slouch seemed to show itself again though as my mind turned towards improving my downward motion. I will keep cracking at this though. The videos are really helping and I feel like I will have it down in no time. My sit-ups went well as usual and I am still feeling a really nice burn with a near failure rep on the last set. As long as I can keep that I don’t think I will be changing the intensity much besides maybe slowing my cadence down to get even more of that well-loved stomach contraction. I am though still feeling some pain in my tailbone. Sometimes it’s there, others it’s nonexistent. I just wish I could find out what exactly is causing it. Is it some certain position that I am in on only some of the reps? It’s really annoying me since I want to fix it, but can’t figure out the source. Any ideas?



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #126.

[mcFreid]

I made a stupid blunder today in managing my pushup videos and ended up deleting my ones from last night. I still do have the videos from Wednesday night though and that should help give you guys a gauge on my progress with form. Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 9 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 9 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 9 09 pushups3

[mcFreid]

Friday 4/10/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
2 medium Apples
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham, Onions, Green Pepper (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Pear
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Seafood and Vegetable Soup [extra seafood and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1/2 bowl Lightly Crusted Tilapia
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Seafood and Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey [less than usual], Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm, 1resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x130 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
2x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x4(failure) Knuckle Pushups
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

I was happily surprised to see Sage Dining Hall have edible apples this morning. Along with the fruit they actually had a decent consistency oatmeal and some extra side condiments such as onions and peppers for my eggs. It all turned into a very nice and satisfying breakfast to preclude my workout.

I had an awesome workout today. I pushed myself to the edge on pretty much every lift. I just wish I had time to have filmed it all. I tried to imagine myself pulling more back instead of up with the deadlift and I think this did help with my form some (though without a video it is tough to tell).

As I said I did push myself to the edge on all my lifts and I even failed on one, the pushups. For the
pushups I noticed after watching my videos why I can’t seem to mentally go lower. It is because I am looking down and sticking my neck below my chest level. This is causing the illusion of the ground being closer than it actually is. At the gym today I looked straight ahead and this proved to make the lift incredibly more difficult (especially after destroying my chest on the bench press). With this change I doubt I will be able to keep up my maximum on Sunday nor my 30 reps on cardio nights. But, it isn’t about the numbers it’s about strength and performance, and for that reason I welcome this new hardship.

I also want to mention that I don’t think I will be increasing my lifts next week. I have to recognize that I am cutting after all and can’t expect strength increases to be a regular occurrence (though I still strive for them). Today I truly felt my limits and I am positive that adding extra weight will only cause serious form breakdowns or early failure. Instead I will be keeping the lifts where they are at and focusing more on form. Hopefully the week after I will be able to increase them yet again.

That was the day.




This concludes Entry #127.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 4/11/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:20am:
1 Emergen-C Packet
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Vegetable Soup [extra turkey and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Noodle Soup [extra turkey and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

I woke up feeling sore and lean. It was great. I felt achy everywhere; my shoulders, my chest, my abs, my quads, my lower back. Ah, it really is pure bliss to get that feeling (I’ve been sorely missing it for awhile now). I also slightly decreased the size of my dinner last night which made me feel nice and lean this morning. The combination is awesome.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #128.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 4/12/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:

Body Weight: 149.40lb Change: -1.40lb
Lean Mass: 137.45lb Change: -0.53lb
Percent Fat: 8.00% Change: -0.50%
Body Fat: 11.95lb Change: -0.87lb

Progress Pictures:







Thoughts and Opinions:

This is good. This is very good. I was excited for the picture-take today because I definitely knew that I looked leaner. In my excitement I almost forgot about the weigh in. And what a mistake that would have been! I am official reporting a weekly drop of 0.5% body fat and 1.4 pounds! I’m ecstatic!

Not only is this seen through the quantitative measurements of a scale, but in my pictures I believe there is a definite increase in definition. My stomach looks flatter and more defined. My muscles seem to pop with more intensity when flexing. Overall everything just looks better. This really is the highlight of the week for me to see these results. I am now more motivated than ever to keep going. I can’t wait for next week’s weigh in!




This concludes Entry #129 Sunday Morning Edition.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 4/12/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:30am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 medium Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
6 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Caribbean Jerk Pork Soup [extra pork]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Caribbean Jerk Pork Soup [extra pork]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x53 [breaking parallel]
SIT-UPS:
1x61


That was the workout.



The Day:

I had a perfect diet today and despite a overall trend of laziness and lethargic behavior I had a decent workout at night as well. Of course you can’t really consider testing my maximum pushups and sit-ups a real workout, but I still felt like I made considerable strides.

My sit-ups didn’t change much, but my pushups saw massive improvement. The numbers obviously don’t show that. But this video should YouTube - 4 12 09 pushupsMaximum. As you can see, or at least I hope you can see or I’m becoming way too biased as a self-judge, my form has improved significantly. By keeping my eyes looking straight ahead I was able to go further down and after examination of the video it seems that I successfully broke parallel with nearly every rep (my form did break down on some of the later movements). I also have considerably straitened my slouching to where it is now near nonexistent (again except for the break downs as I approached failure). The only thing that I think really still needs some considerable tweaking is I feel like my shoulders are shrugging slightly, which they shouldn’t do. I still haven’t encountered a good method to prevent this, but I’ll keep trying. Until tomorrow, good night.



That was the day.




This concludes Entry #129.

[mcFreid]

Monday 4/13/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
1 plate Deli Ham (Mustard)
11:55am:
1 small Apple
1:45pm:
1 small Apple
1 bowl Deli Ham
1 bowl Vegetable Minestrone Soup [potatoes removed]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
5:20pm:
3/4 bowl Okra, Tomatoes, Onions, and Broccoli
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Turkey Rice Soup [a little extra turkey and rice]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
last 0.2 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:33
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11.5-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12.5-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
2x30 (1min rest)
1x20 [failure]
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)



That was the workout.



The Day:

There was an egg crisis this morning at the dining halls. To compensate for my protein fix I just had some additional ham which I estimated would make up for the 80 calories from the egg whites. Similarly a lack of hardboiled eggs occurred during lunch at Sage Dining Hall, where I was forced to eat due to time constraints and it is the dining hall that offers no self-serve deli section for sandwiches. I compensated by using again deli ham that I could still get by the griddle. Despite these setbacks I still think my diet was fairly good today.

I had to use a different model treadmill during my gym session today since the one I normally use was taken and the other of similar type was making a disturbing amount of noise. Like I’ve said before I believe that my normal treadmill offers a slight slight decline so this new one gave me an equally slightly slightly harder workout. I ended up having to breathe harder and thereby use my mouth, but that’s a good thing. It just means I pushed myself harder.

I focused even more on pushup form today, but for some reason I couldn’t quite get my lower back right. I think I was a little more than usual wiped out from the morning’s workout. Either way I definitely know that I did improve my movement since I ended up failing on the last set on the 20th rep. I took a video of this all for both my critical thoughts and yours. Tomorrow I will be posting it.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #130.

[mcFreid]

Here's some more pushup vids I took from last night. Things are looking better and better.

YouTube - 4 13 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 13 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 13 09 pushups3

Tell me what you think.

I took some good vids of me lifting today as well and will post those when I get a chance.

[mcFreid]

I took some new lifting videos today during my standard full-body workout on tues/fri. My camera started to run out of battieries though so I wasn't able to record every movement. Instead I chose to get on film what I thought were the lifts that I have been trying to improve my form the most with.

To start we have my squats:

YouTube - 4 14 09 squats1

YouTube - 4 14 09 squats2

The only thing I noticed here was I wasn't quite going as deep as I should. I do think though that since last time I fixed the slight rounding of my back in the hole as well as the slightly extreme lockout I did at the top of the lift. If you see anything I missed (which you probably did since I'm not exactly an expert on these mattes) please let me know.


After squats I did deadlifts:

YouTube - 4 14 09 deadlifts1

YouTube - 4 14 09 deadlifts2

YouTube - 4 14 09 deadlifts3

These are still a huge issue for me. I tried taking a narrower stance, it didn't seem to help. I tried all these visualizing techniques such as thinking of it as "tug of war", driving through my heals, pulling back, etc... None of that seemed to work. I still am slightly rounding my lower back as it seems to lift upwards before my shoulders. I can't figure out how to fix this issue. If I use lower weights the problem goes away, but then the lift itself isn't doing much for me. As soon as it becomes difficult though, the problem comes back. Please please, any advice?


Last I have my knuckle pushups:

YouTube - 4 14 09 knucklepushups1

YouTube - 4 14 09 knucklepushups2

YouTube - 4 14 09 knucklepushups3

I think out of all my lifts these have improved the most. On the first set I still had a slight sag in my back, but I fixed that up on the 2nd and 3rd tries. I also have been really trying to break parallel, which I feel like I succeeded in doing. This along with a various amount of other minor techniques have made my pushups into my pretty much ideal idea of what they should be. Of course due to all this the actual movement became much harder and as you can see I wasn't quite able to complete my 3 sets of 10 as I failed on both my 2nd and 3rd sets.


As usual, tell me everything.

Thanks,
Michael

[mcFreid]

Tuesday 4/14/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
2 small-medium Apples
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Beef Barley and Bean Soup [a little extra beans]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:25pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Red Wine Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Bean and Vegetable Soup [extra beans]
1/2 bowl Sautéed Squash, Zucchini, and Cherry Tomatoes
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x130 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x10x25 DB Shoulder Press
30sec rest
3x10x30 DB Bent-Over Rows
30sec rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips (triceps version, straight)
1min rest
1x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x8 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x5 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest


That was the workout.



The Day:

There isn’t much to say here. My workout was pretty much described in the above post along with the videos. My diet today was fairly average though I may have eaten a tad too much for dinner. I have to watch that last meal carefully; it’s always the easiest one to screw up on.

I’m still interesting in hearing comments with the videos above. So, if you have anything to say… good or bad… Please Say It!

Until then, good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #131.

[islander]

still say ditch the air or gel shoes, you look so unstable, if your drive threw your heels and into mush were is the stability coming from. Still also say point your toes straight and drop your ass down more bending more at the knees, you can do this while keeping a nice straight back.

[mcFreid]

Hey islander!

'haven't heard from you in awhile.

Yeah I'm hearing left and right about the shoes. As soon as I get a chance (once summer starts probably) I'll go out and get a proper flat solid sole pair for lifting.

You said keep toes straight? I've always heard angle your toes 15-30 degrees so that you knees track across them.

I'll try going lower this Friday, my next lifting day.

Thanks,
Michael

[mcFreid]

Wednesday 4/15/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Spinach, Kidney Beans [more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth and vegetables only]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Kidney Beans [more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Light Olive Oil Vinaigrette)
1 bowl Italian Wedding Soup [broth and vegetables only]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~68rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 90+rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
1x30 (1 min rest)
1x16 [failure] (1 min rest)
1x15 [failure] (1min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

Today has been incredibly busy so despite much news, I must be brief. I broke my goal at last! Today on the elliptical I successfully stayed above 90 rpm on my sprints, finally topping my long lasting personal record. I also burned a staggering 403 calories in the 20 minute process. And so as that goal is finished with, a new one takes its place. 95rpm! I can’t wait.

At night my pushup numbers may seem surprising and disturbing at first glance. But there is a good reason for the early failures. I couldn’t film myself today because of the still existing battery issue for my camera. Instead I had to focus on my form by “feeling it”. I think I overcompensated and probably dropped lower than was required. Also on the first set I had my hands position at a wider stance than normal. All of this lead up to me failure quite early. I don’t mind though, it just means I pushed myself. Failing 3 times a week is probably a bad thing though so if this continues I’ll most likely end up lower my reps to something more reasonable.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #132.

[mcFreid]

Thursday 4/16/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:40am:
1 medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
4/5 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [slightly runny]
5 Egg Whites [a little yolk slipped through] with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:45pm:
1 bowl Vegetable Soup
8 Egg Whites
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans [more than usual], a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Italian Dressing)
5:25pm:
1/2 bowl Sautéed Peas, Mushrooms, and Zucchini
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Tomato Vegetable Soup [contained some kind of grain]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.13 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10mph
0.07 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 10.5mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:32
ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ 65rpm, 1resistance
6.5min @ 70rpm, 1resistance
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
1x30 (1min rest)
1x15 [failure]
1x14 [failure]
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)


That was the workout.



The Day:

My run today was slightly easier as I was back on my normal treadmill (which as I told you I believe has the slightest hint of a decline). As I closed in on my 2 mile time I found myself having some extra energy in storage. I ramped up the speed to 10.5 and finished off what I had left in me. This increase netted me a new personal record one second faster than my last. I am proud as always of this achievement.

Afterwards the full motion elliptical was taken so I hopped onto the normal one as a replacement. A little past halfway through the 20 minutes on the machine the full motion option opened up and I took the opportunity to switch. It’s amazing how different the workout is between the two machines.

At night I struggled again with my pushups. I think the message is clear. With this new emphasis on going below parallel on the elbows and maintaining strict form my ability to pump out the 30 reps has significantly decreased. Next week I will be switching to what I think is a decent goal of 20 reps for 3 sets. I am looking forward to being able to progress with the confidence that I am progressing with what no one can deny is a true pushup.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #133.

[mcFreid]

Friday 4/17/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
1/3 bowl Grits
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread with 2 Egg Whites, Deli Ham (Mustard)
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham, Onion, Green Pepper (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Pear
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Clam and Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:45pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Shaved Carrots (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Clam and Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~77rpm, 1resistance
3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 BB Bench Press
1min rest
3x5x35 DB Shoulder Press
1min rest
3x5x30 Assisted Pull-Ups
1min rest
3x6 Dips(chest version, leaning forward)
1min rest
3x5x25 Assisted Chin-Ups
1min rest
1x10 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x8(failure) Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x4(failure) Knuckle Pushups
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest



That was the workout.



The Day:

The day started with a disappointing breakfast. Sage Dining Hall had no fruit and no oatmeal. To compensate I had 2 slices of whole wheat bread and a little grits. I may have overeaten slightly because I had to add some protein to go along with the bread. Also I wasn’t too fond of the grits and am not even sure why I made the decision to eat them in the first place considering they’re very high GI. I ended up having a slightly smaller than normal lunch to make up for all of this.

Maybe it was the breakfast, maybe not, but whatever it was my workout was slightly off today. I wasn’t feeling as strong as I normally do and actually in all honesty was slightly frightened by many of my lifts. I did my best anyway though and for most of the movements I pushed out my standard numbers. I did have to decrease the weight on bench though. I think it was too high anyway at 130 because my last two days with that weight have been iffy at best and I noticed my form was breaking down. I’d rather push 125 with perfect form.

My knuckle pushups had similar results to that of my normal pushups. As my form is increasing in perfection my past capacity of pumping out many reps with lesser form is simply not possible to maintain. I will be decreasing these reps just like I decreased my normal pushup reps. I’m going to try out 3 sets of 8 and see how that goes.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #134.

[mcFreid]

Saturday 4/18/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:10am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Barley Vegetable Soup [extra barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:40pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans (Low Calorie Light Italian Dressing)
1 bowl Chicken Soup [extra chicken]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.



The Workout:

--


That was the workout.



The Day:

Nothing really to report today. My diet was strong. For activity it was a standard weekend rest day, but I did do some walking to and fro around campus besides homework all day. Tomorrow I will be weighing in and taking pictures. I’m excited to see my progress. Good night.


That was the day.




This concludes Entry #135.

[mcFreid]

Sunday 4/19/09
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Measurements:

Body Weight: 148.80lb Change: -0.60lb
Lean Mass: 136.45lb Change: -1.00lb
Percent Fat: 8.30% Change: +0.30%
Body Fat: 12.35lb Change: +0.40lb

Progress Pictures:








Thoughts and Opinions:

The numbers were just OK today. Apparently it would seem that I dropped some weight, but gained some body fat. The differences are slight though; my guess is more along the lines that I simply didn’t change much this week. I think my dinners and lunches have been slightly too large. I’ll work on limiting them down some more. Despite this though I still do contend that I feel leaner and from my pictures do in fact look leaner. From this I gather that I am heading still in the right direction and for the most part should continue with what I am doing.

But hey, that’s just my thoughts. Tell me what you think.




This concludes Entry #136 Sunday Morning Edition.