Build Me - An Ongoing Journey

mcFreid · 04-19-2009, 11:34 PM

Sunday 4/19/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:15am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
2/3 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad, Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra beef and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x51 [failure]
SIT-UPS:
1x57 [failure]

That was the workout.

The Day:

I’m slightly annoyed at myself over my diet today. It started out well, I had good intentions, but I think I may have enjoyed the beef vegetable soup a tad too much. I have to watch myself carefully with these soups. Sometimes I get carried away spooning the portions from the bottom with all the extra meat.

I saw small numbers again for my pushups tonight. I don’t care though. I brought myself all the way to the edge of failure and I did it with focused form. If those numbers reflect that then so be it. I can’t ask for more. I am proud of my achievement and yes I consider it an achievement. In my mind the fact that I can still pump out a number that only slightly decreased from last week compared to a form that significantly increased is a sign of personal achievement.

I am disappointed though with my sit-ups. For some reason my number decreased slightly. I don’t think my form changed any and I’ve seen no signs of strength loss. I really have no explanation for this. It must have been a bad night. Let tomorrow be a good morning.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #136.

mcFreid · 04-20-2009, 11:36 PM

Monday 4/20/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45pm:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:50pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed, extra chicken]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
8 Egg Whites
2 small Apples
5:20pm:
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [most noodles removed, a little extra chicken]
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
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
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11.5-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13.5-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30? (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

My day started off normal. I had a good breakfast, followed by a good workout. Quickly after my workout though things took a not so pleasant turn.

It must have been something in the eggs, or the ham, or maybe the apple, or though improbable the oatmeal. Whatever it was, it resulted in bad digestion. I had the runs through most of the day along with some slight feverish symptoms. I’m just glad this all happened after my workout as I broke another personal record today so whatever it was definitely didn’t hinder my performance. Along with my new running record of a 13:30 2 mile I also hit a personal best on the elliptical machine by burning 353 calories. Now it is the end of the day and I think the sickness has pretty much passed through my. I’m glad it seems to only have been a one day episode.

My pushups and sit-ups weren’t affected either by the sudden strike of illness. As said I decreased my reps for the sit-ups to 20. I found this to be much more manageable, in fact possibly too much so. I will continue the week at 20, but wouldn’t be surprised if I up it to 25 next week. After all, I still do want to push myself here.

I got some new lithium batteries for camera and took videos of the pushups for review. I will post the sometime tomorrow and bring along my comments with how I did on them then. Here’s some foreshadowing though: I did awesome.

My sit-ups were good as always. I focused on not using the “bounce” from the ground to get myself up. This made the entire movement that much more challenging, but I was still able to complete everything up to standard. If you noticed I put a question mark after the 30 on my workout log. This is because on my last set I had a mental lapse in counting and possibly ended up doing 1 or 2 extra reps. The more the merrier! Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #137.

mcFreid · 04-21-2009, 01:52 PM

I have some new pushup videos from last night. As you can see below I think my form has dramatically increased. I still do think that my back could perhaps be a tad straighter. I'll work on this by continually focusing to keep my abs tight and up against the abdominal wall. I also still do think that I could go a little lower on some of the reps and I will also continue to work on this. Overall though I believe my focus on form has paid off. I did have to decrease the reps down to 20 instead of 30, but it was well worth it. Now I can truly say I am doing proper pushups and if I progress I know it is with honesty.

YouTube - 4 20 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 20 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 20 09 pushups3

But hey, maybe I am being too positive. Tell me what YOU think.

-Michael

mcFreid · 04-21-2009, 10:46 PM

Tuesday 4/21/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
2 small Apples
1 small Pear
1 bowl Cream of Wheat
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham, Green Pepper, Onion (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [a little extra beef 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, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [mostly broth]
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
3x5x125 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
2x8 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
1x6 [failure] Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest

That was the workout.

The Day:

I may have eaten a little too big of a breakfast this morning. I’m not sure. It was tough to estimate how many calories were in the cream of wheat and some of the yolk in my eggs did slip through. Overall though I don’t think it made that much of a difference.

It was raining this morning and that may have been the reason. Or maybe it was my mind being preoccupied with the test that I had to rush over to right afterwards. My workout was all over the place today. I tried implementing the suggestion with my squats by thinking of the movement as lifting my traps upwards. I think this did help with some of the good-morning like motions I was making earlier on some reps. For some reason though I just couldn’t get a nice burn in my muscles. I mean I pushed myself to the edge, but I just wasn’t getting that awesome feeling of utter fatigue by the end.

The highlight of my workout today, which made up for the lack of concentration and mood, was definitely my deadlifts. Suddenly the motion just clicked. I was able to lift the 170 pounds in a fluid movement this time without letting my hips rise first and my shoulders lag behind. I just wish I had time to video it all just to make sure what I felt was correct was actually correct. Oh well, there will be other opportunities for that.

I failed again on the knuckle pushups, even after decreasing the reps down to 8. Next time I will decrease it again to 7, which should provide the right balance.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #138.

mcFreid · 04-22-2009, 11:37 PM

Wednesday 4/22/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 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, Diced Ham (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Vegetable Soup [extra vegetables, potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min 91+rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x20 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

It is late and I don’t have much time to write down my thoughts. I will be brief.

I had a good HIIT session today and almost broke my next personal goal of achieving 93+ rpm on the sprints. If it weren’t for a few brief seconds on two intervals I would have made it. I’ll get it next time. I can say though that I did hit a nice 404 calories burned and also stayed above 91 rpm on the sprints, which though isn’t goal achieving is record breaking.

I tried some new tips today regarding my pushups. I put my hands slightly further back to see how that would change-up the motion. I took videos of all of this and will describe more of what I thought there. I’ll post that hopefully sometime tomorrow.

I also took some new advice for my sit-ups. I read that if I visualize using my abs to bring my pelvis upwards instead of my shoulders that it would create a better burn and a better workout. This was definitely the case. I thought this slight trick made the entire movement much more productive towards my end goals.

Now I have to sleep. Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #139.

mcFreid · 04-23-2009, 07:57 AM

Here are the pushups last night. I tried to take some advice from someone who offered it and put my hands a little further back. I think this ended up causing me to dip and slouch my back again. I'm not sure if that was the culprit, but it definitely is noticeable. The workout itself was still good though. I think I am going to go back to my previous hand placement anyway; it just feels more natural.

Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 22 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 22 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 22 09 pushups3

Thanks,
Michael

mcFreid · 04-23-2009, 11:15 PM

Thursday 4/23/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium-large Apple
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham [slightly more than usual] (Mustard)
1:50pm:
1 small Apple
1 small-medium Pear
1+ bowl Chicken Pasta Soup [extra chicken and pasta]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
8 Egg Whites
5:25pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Mixed Beans [a little more than usual], Garbanzo Beans [a little more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Onion Soup
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
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12.5-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

I had a fairly good workout today. I hit my previous record for running on the dot. I also surpassed my record of 253 calories on the elliptical by burning a greater 255. I was even able to hit 16cpm on the sprint at the end which for me is a big accomplishment simply because of how difficult it is just to sprint at 15cpm on these full motion ellipticals.

For lunch the dining hall had a shortage of kidney and garbanzo beans. I had to change things up a bit and get my carbs in different form. I ended up eating on extra small piece of fruit and eating some extra pasta in the soup. I’m not sure if this entirely made up for the deficit, but it should help. Overall though, it’s just one meal – not that big of a deal.

I was able to capture some more videos of my pushups and because I have some time I should be able to upload those along with a quick personal critique a little after this post. Until then, good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #140.

mcFreid · 04-23-2009, 11:27 PM

So for my first two sets of pushups I felt like my lower back was still sagging. But I couldn't figure out why. I tried sucking in my abs, lifting my hips, keeping my core tight. None of that seemed to work. Finally, as you can observe on my last set I believe I determined the issue. I was simply putting my feet too far back. Once I brought them forward a little bit my entire body created a nice straight line and it lead to an awesome third set. Agreed? Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 23 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 23 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 23 09 pushups3

mcFreid · 04-24-2009, 11:41 PM

Friday 4/24/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:20am:
3 small Apples
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread with a little Deli Ham, 2 Egg Whites (Mustard)
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham [less than usual], Onion (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small-medium Pear
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1+ bowl Lentil and Vegetable Soup [extra lentils and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
7:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Lentil and Vegetable Soup [extra lentils and vegetables]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~78rpm, 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
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest

That was the workout.

The Day:

I had a pretty good workout today even though my breakfast was somewhat disappointing as there was no oatmeal so I had to substitute a little extra fruit and some bread in for the carbs. Despite this, I was able to stay mentally focused for every lift which really helped to isolate and contract the proper muscles for each movement. I think I can increase my weights on a few lifts, but for now will be keeping them where they are. I want to really make sure my form is down perfect before going up again. Also classes are almost done and I don’t want to try anything new since I’m going to be switching gyms soon when I arrive back home. Oh, one last thing regarding my lifting today… I decreased the reps as I said I would on the pushups from 8 to 7. Finally I was able to complete them without failing. I’m glad I found that sweet spot.

At first I thought I overate for both lunch and dinner. As time passed though I think it was more of a bloated feeling than an overly full feeling. Whatever it was, I probably made up for it in being a little overactive beyond my normal in the afternoon.

After lunch I spent most of the day working on sailboats and finally later on getting to sail. None of this work was exactly strenuous, but it did get me moving about. I’m sure that as the hours passed by the calories definitely started to add up. It’s nice to get those extra bodily expenditures in when you’re not even trying.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #141.

mcFreid · 04-25-2009, 11:31 PM

Saturday 4/25/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:15am:
2 small-medium Apples
1 small Pear
2/3 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:00pm:
1 Hamburger Bun [guts removed]
2 Vegetarian Burgers [high protein, low fat, low carb]
1 Cheddar Vegetarian Burger [medium protein, medium fat, medium carb]
2-3 Sun chips
8-10 Peanuts
10-15 Grilled Asparagus Spears [cooked with some oil]
Tomatoes and Onions
5:20pm:
1 bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [extra beef]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

--

That was the workout.

The Day:

Today was the RPI Sailing Club Cook-off. We went up to the lake and spent the afternoon grilling outside on a beautiful Saturday while having a nice time out on the water sailing some 420s. It was a great day. Obviously I had to make some diet choices as this wasn’t the normal meal plan for me. I think I did a fairly good job at eating cleanly. In the end I probably should have skipped the cheddar vegetarian burger and the few sun chips. But still, I think I handled myself well given that there wasn’t much food to begin with.

For the rest of the day I spent my time working on schoolwork and studying for my upcoming tests. Tomorrow will be a data report day so be in tune for a special Sunday Morning journal entry. I’m curious to see my week’s results. Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #142.

mcFreid · 04-26-2009, 08:40 AM

Sunday 4/26/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:

Body Weight: 148.80lb Change: +0.00lb
Lean Mass: 136.90lb Change: +0.45lb
Percent Fat: 8.00% Change: -0.30%
Body Fat: 11.90lb Change: -0.45lb

Progress Pictures:

Thoughts and Opinions:

I’m fairly happy with my numbers this morning. I’m not losing weight quite as fast as I would like, but I am definitely heading in the right direction. This week it seems I maintained my weight, but lost a decent 0.3% body fat which both increased my muscle mass and decreased my fat mass.

Despite a sunburn from sailing yesterday and the day before, I think my pictures look pretty much the same as last week. There may be some slight increases in muscle definition but it’s tough to tell.

To kick up the pace a little I’m going to try and decrease my calories just a tad for this upcoming week. Next Sunday we’ll see if that makes any difference. For now though, as always, tell me what you think.

This concludes Entry #143 Sunday Morning Edition.

mcFreid · 04-26-2009, 11:34 PM

Sunday 4/26/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:15am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
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, Mixed Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Chili [thin, no beans]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:30pm:
1 large bowl Lettuce Salad with Steak (a little Balsamic Vinaigrette)
2 Fillets Almond Crusted Chicken Breast (a little thick Cream Sauce)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x42 [failure]
SIT-UPS:
1x61 [failure]

That was the workout.

The Day:

Most of my day was spent inside. I had an abundant amount of work to finish up before Monday (most of which I still have to do) because of the time spent sailing earlier on Friday and Saturday.

Later on in the evening I met my mother and sister for dinner. I thought I got a healthy dish for my entrée, but it turns out that the sub-par restaurant poured this disgusting thick sauce over it. I scraped off as much as I could and did my best to maintain good nutrition. After finishing the meal I realized that the dinner was not that large. I seriously considered heading back to my dining hall on campus afterwards, but am glad I made the good cutting choice and pushed myself away from that option.

At night I hit failure on purpose with my pushups. My numbers keep going down, but that doesn’t bother me. I feel like I am getting stronger, it’s just my form continues to improve alongside it. I took videos of the pushups. If I have time later on I’ll post them, but there isn’t much to report.

As per routine I also hit failure on my sit-ups. I hit my normal of 61 reps. I’m a little annoyed that this isn’t increasing since I definitely feel like I am getting stronger. I’ll give it some more time though; maybe it’s just in a short-term lull waiting for a sudden spike.

Tomorrow I have an exam. I’m gonna kill it. Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #143.

mcFreid · 04-27-2009, 11:41 PM

Monday 4/27/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
1:30pm:
1 medium Apple
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup [a little extra chicken, most noodles removed]
1+ large bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, a little Cottage Cheese (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
8 Egg Whites
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Asian Chicken Vegetable Soup [a little extra chicken, extra vegetables]
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
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:28
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11.5-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

Today was a good day. In both nutrition and fitness I performed to my best expectations. During my run I was forced to use the more difficult treadmill (slightly higher elevation default than my normal one). I did not compensate though and decrease the intensity of my run. Instead I kept it just as I did last workout. Obviously this combination made the entire routine more intense and I ended up having to breathe my mouth instead of just my nose. In the end though it all lead up to a new record mile time that I am proud of achieving.

At night I’m not sure what it was but both my pushups and sit-ups seemed more difficult. My only guess is that it was due to the excessive heat we’ve been having and my dorm room is not air conditioned. That may have sapped some energy out of me. Either way I did my best and still was able to complete all the reps (though I think my form did break down slightly on pushups on the last set – videos will be posted tomorrow).

Besides the usual fitness and nutrition I also aced the test I had to take today. And I will leave it on that very good note. Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #144.

mcFreid · 04-28-2009, 08:14 AM

Here are some recent push-up sets. The first one I went to my failure while the other 3 are doing sets of 20. I still think my form does not need some fine tuning. I seem to be able to get it perfect sometimes, but not keep it that way. I'll keep working at it. Also I took the advice of someone on the boards and started out in the down position so that I could correctly position my hands. This actually made the lift harder since I think I had my arms too forward before. But hey, the harder the better!

Let me know if you see anything.

YouTube - 4 26 09 pushupsMaximum

YouTube - 4 27 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 27 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 27 09 pushups3

mcFreid · 04-28-2009, 11:44 AM

I was finally able to take some time today and record all my lifts. I think every single movement shows tremendous progress. Tell me what you think.

SQUATS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 squats1

YouTube - 4 28 09 squats2

YouTube - 4 28 09 squats3

DEADLIFTS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 deadlifts1

YouTube - 4 28 09 deadlifts2

YouTube - 4 28 09 deadlifts3

BENCH PRESS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 benchpress1

YouTube - 4 28 09 benchpress2

YouTube - 4 28 09 benchpress3

DB SHOULDER PRESS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 dbshoulderpress1

DB ROWS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 dbrows1

KNUCKLE PUSH-UPS:
YouTube - 4 28 09 knuckepushups1

YouTube - 4 28 09 knuckepushups2

YouTube - 4 28 09 knuckepushups3

mcFreid · 04-28-2009, 11:34 PM

Tuesday 4/28/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites [a little yolk slipped through] with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium-large Apple
5 Pickle Spears
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Barley Soup [a little extra beef and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Barley Soup [extra beef and barley]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
5min @ ~78+rpm

3x5x155 BB Squat
1min rest
3x5x170 BB Deadlift
1min rest
3x5x125 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
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30sec Knee Raises
30sec rest

That was the workout.

The Day:

Today’s workout was really an emblem of form. For every lift I tried really hard to make sure that I did it with mental focus and perfect posture. I took videos of this all as posted earlier. I feel like at last I have reached the level where I can comfortably increase my weights (and I am ready for an increase) without worrying about how it will affect my ability to stay structured. As I mentioned earlier though since college is coming to a close and I will be switching gyms soon I don’t want to make changes right now. I will hold off increasing the poundage until I am working out at my new gym. This will be in less than two weeks.

There’s this pipe that runs along the ceiling of the hallway outside my dorm. It’s grippable and if I jump up I can grab onto it. And so, with this, I find out that my training has been worth it. I finally achieved a pull-up! I went from going to none just a few months ago to now doing three in a row and I bet I could do even more if I wasn’t pre-exhausted from my earlier lifting today. Now whenever I walk through the hallways I’m going to jump up and pump out a few. I think they call it “greasing the groove”. Now I have a groove to grease! I am so happy.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #145.

mcFreid · 04-29-2009, 11:27 PM

Wednesday 4/29/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
1 small-medium Pear
1 small-medium Apple
1 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats [sweetened, runny]
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Black Bean Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
2 small Apples
1 bowl Black Bean Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

ELLIPTICAL:
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 1 resistance
2 min @ ~69rpm, level 2 resistance
16 min @ 1:15 min ~91+rpm, 45 sec @ ~68rpm, level 3-10 resistance (increasing each interval)
TREADMILL:
10 min @ 4mph, 6% incline

PUSHUPS:
3x20 (1 min rest)
SITUPS:
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

I was annoyed with my breakfast this morning. Unknowingly I took a spoonful of the oatmeal and found out it was sweet. I ate the rest of it anyway just to get my standard calories in, but it tasted worse and most certainly wasn’t better nutritionally.

A little after the morning meal I was off to the gym for my workout. I didn’t achieve up to my standards on the elliptical. For a very brief second I dipped under 90rpm on the sprints and unlike last time I wasn’t even that close to breaking my 93+rpm goal. These small under performances made me burn a total of 399 calories in the 20 minutes. I’m a little frustrated that I didn’t break the 400 mark like I have been for the past weeks. Oh well though, not every day can be a good day.

Later on in the day I faced another meal discrepancy. For dinner the salad bar vanished and was replaced with a cheese and bread station. I substituted what would have served as some additional healthy fats (from the olive oil) and healthy carbs (from the garbanzo beans and vegetables) with another bowl of soup and a little fruit. It wasn’t ideal, but I made it work.

At night I took videos of my pushups. I’ll post them tomorrow, but I’ll report the results now. On the first set I noticed my back was taking its slouched form that I thought I had gotten rid of. I fixed this on the next two sets. It annoys me that I still have to take videos to keep my form in check. But, I have patience. In the future I know that eventually it will just come naturally to me. I also noticed that I still wasn’t quite hitting parallel and that my neck was drooping (most likely from me looking down instead of ahead). I will continue to focus on making improvements for this core movement.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #146.

mcFreid · 04-30-2009, 07:49 AM

Here are my most recent pushup videos. On the first set I started to slouch again, but I quickly fixed that on the second two. I still notice myself sometimes not quite breaking parallel but just nudging it. I also noticed my neck craning forward on the last set. I think if I look ahead instead of down it will help that. Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 29 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 29 09 pushups2

YouTube - 4 29 09 pushups3

mcFreid · 04-30-2009, 11:39 PM

Thursday 4/30/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:50am:
1 small-medium Apple
1 small-medium Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans [more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
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, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans [more than usual] (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
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:

TREADMILL
5min @ 8.6mph
4:00min @ 8.7mph
2.0min @ 9.0mph
~1.5min @ 9.5mph
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:30
ELLIPTICAL
5min @ ~70rpm, 1resistance
5min @ ~75rpm, 1resistance
5min @ ~80rpm, 1resistance
4min @ ~85rpm, 1resistance
1min @ 100+rpm, 1resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

It is late and I will be brief. During the gym today I was forced to use the standard elliptical instead of the full motion. I upped the intensity to a decent level, but I still don’t think it compared to the distress the full motion machine puts my body through. Oddly enough it did report me as burning 75 calories more than the other elliptical, but that doesn’t mean much. Truth is the other elliptical is harder, simple as that. And for that reason I prefer it.

I took videos of my pushups again and will be uploading them tomorrow along with some commentary. Stay tuned for that. Until then, good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #147.

mcFreid · 05-01-2009, 07:46 AM

Here are my latest pushups. It's an obvious pattern now that my first set always seems to be the one lagging behind in terms of form. Once I get in the groove of how to properly execute the movement though I see dramatic improvements. I look forward to the day when every set is perfect without me even worrying about it. Meanwhile I tried to go deeper and look ahead instead of craning my neck down. I think I did make some progress in both of these areas, especially on the last set. Tell me what you think.

YouTube - 4 30 09 pushups1

YouTube - 4 30 09 pushups2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MK7IDyhVFg

mcFreid · 05-01-2009, 10:24 PM

Friday 5/1/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:45am:
2 small Apples
1 small Pear
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Seafood Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed, extra seafood]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:20pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
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 @ ~78rpm, 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
3x7 Knuckle Pushups
30sec rest
3x30secx Bicycle Crunches
30sec rest

That was the workout.

The Day:

At first my mind wasn’t really there. But I changed that. It’s a great a feeling to realize you have true control over yourself. I made myself focus on the task at hand, and that made all the difference. I excelled with all of my lifts and made myself feel the burn on every single motion. It was glorious.

Later on for lunch and dinner I was pleasantly surprised to see a new item on the menu. My dining hall had stocked a new kind of whole wheat bread that contained extra fiber and a little less calories. The best part though is that this was true whole wheat bread in that the ingredients didn’t contain any of that enriched stuff and no high fructose corn syrup.

For some reason after the lunch with the new bread I felt oddly bloated. It passed very quickly though. Maybe it was the seafood? Besides that my diet was dead on today.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #148.

mcFreid · 05-02-2009, 11:06 PM

Saturday 5/2/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:20am:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:20pm:
1 small Pear
1 small Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Chicken Noodle Soup
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5 Pickle Spears
5:25pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
15-20 Carrot Strips
1 bowl Hearty Tomato Soup
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 back today. My diet was fairly normal, though the salad bar section did lack the standard canned beans. Also disappointing was the no longer available real whole wheat bread. I’m back now to eating the next best thing which is bread still made with whole wheat flour, but it contains high fructose corn syrup as well.

I do want to mention real quick that I have been doing what I mentioned a few post ago in that every time I walk through my dorm hallways I jump on the horizontal pipeline on the ceiling and pump out some pull-ups. I feel like I am getting better every day. It’s great.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #149.

mcFreid · 05-03-2009, 08:23 AM

Sunday 5/3/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Measurements:

Body Weight: 148.40lb Change: -0.40lb
Lean Mass: 136.97lb Change: +0.07lb
Percent Fat: 7.70% Change: -0.30%
Body Fat: 11.43lb Change: -0.47lb

Progress Pictures:

Thoughts and Opinions:

I saw some awesome numbers on the scale and fat analyzer today. The combined measurements made the perfect result. I increased my lean mass while decreasing my body fat and weight. What more can you ask for!

My pictures today also show some increased leanness. I particularly see it in my relaxed pose as my stomach is beginning to show everyday increasingly more definition. I am just so happy that my work ethic is giving me the results I want. I can say confidently that it will be the right thing to continue. And so, I will continue with it.

This concludes Entry #150 Sunday Morning Edition.

mcFreid · 05-03-2009, 11:24 PM

Sunday 5/3/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
9:20am:
1 small Pear
1 medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
12:25pm:
1 medium Apple
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
~10+ Carrot Strips
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [a little beef, potatoes removed]
1 slice Whole Wheat Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
5:25pm:
~10 Carrot Strips
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little olive Oil)
1 bowl Beef Vegetable Soup [a little beef, potatoes removed]
1 slice Sourdough Italian Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)

That was my diet.

The Workout:

PUSHUPS:
1x43 [failure]
SIT-UPS:
1x65 [failure]

That was the workout.

The Day:

Today marks the 150th milestone of my journal entries. I can’t believe it’s been 150 days already. Time really does fly by. If I look back now to what I was compared to what I am I can’t help but smile. I’ve come so far. I can’t wait to see who I will be on journal entry #300.

For the first time at college I experienced a shortage of whole wheat bread. Ironic that this happens on the last few days left that I eat at the dining halls. I had to instead make my sandwich with sourdough Italian bread. I opted for the smallest slice possible. The calories for the slice are the same as that of the whole wheat bread, though nutritionally it is most certainly not idea. In the end though it’s just one meal and won’t make a noticeable impact on my nutrition.

At night I tested my new maximums for pushups and sit-ups. I saw increases in both and am glad for it. It’s about time. I also took a video of the pushups to verify my form. Besides not going quite to parallel on some reps it was near perfect. I’ll post that for your guys’ review as soon as I get a chance.

I have two finals tomorrow and I’m going to destroy them. Good night.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #150.

mcFreid · 05-04-2009, 03:50 PM

Here's my latest video of me attemping my new maximum for pushups. I did break it by the way. My only real complaint I noticed of my self is that I seem to just hit shy of parallel on a good deal of reps. I'm going to really have to try and focus on making sure that I am lowering my self all the way. I have to admit it is tough to do this while also testing my maximum since I feel so driven to get in as many reps as possible. Hopefully if I keep trying it going parallel will become like a habit in that it will feel completely wrong and akward not to. Anyway, I've said enough. I'm much more interested in what you have to say. Tell me what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws04_6jhohQ

n88tr · 05-04-2009, 04:15 PM

Hey there, long time no chat.

Been watching your videos. Nice squat videos, form looks really good and deep, happy to see that.

I was wondering about your bench videos though. I see you putting the bar some distance from the rack and then doing some horizontal motion with the bar, it going back near the rack as you get to the top, then it slides back over your chest on the negative. Why don't you just go straight up and down?

mcFreid · 05-04-2009, 04:17 PM

Hey n88tr,

Nice to hear from you! Thanks for the compliments. For the bench press I'm not sure why but it just feels more natural when I tuck my elbows in to lift the bar up and down in a "J" motion. Before when I had my elbows flared (and was told to correct this) it was more up-down. Do you think it's an issue?

-Michael

mcFreid · 05-04-2009, 11:27 PM

Monday 5/4/09
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Diet:
7:15am:
1 small Pear
1 small-medium Apple
3/4 bowl Cooked Rolled Oats
5 Egg Whites with Deli Ham (Mustard)
11:10am:
1 small Pear
1 small Apple
~10+ Carrot Strips
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, a little White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Chicken Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
1 slice White Bread with Deli Turkey, Lettuce, Tomato (Mustard)
4:50pm:
1+ bowl Lettuce Salad with Cucumber, Green Pepper, Garbanzo Beans, White Beans (Red Wine Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, a little Olive Oil)
1 bowl Lentil Vegetable Soup [potatoes removed]
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
0.10 miles @ 10mph
0.10 miles (until 2.0 mile) @ 11mph
-> 2.0 mile in 13:29
ELLIPTICAL [full motion]
5min @ ~11-12cpm, 2resistance
5min @ ~12-13cpm, 4resistance
5min @ ~13cpm, 6resistance
4min @ ~13-14cpm, 8resistance
1min @ ~15-15.5cpm, 8resistance
TREADMILL:
10min @ 4.0mph, 6%incline

PUSHUPS
3x20 (1min rest)
SIT-UPS
3x30 (1min rest)

That was the workout.

The Day:

For today and the rest of the week I will be able to eat early. I enjoyed the dining halls opening at 7am for today and I’m sure will enjoy it for tomorrow and the following days after. The dining hall schedule isn’t the only routine change though.

I had to have my work out later in the day at around 9:20am instead of the standard 8:30. This is just for today though (though Thursday will have a similar situation) because I had a final at 8 in the morning (a final I dominated I might add). As for the actual work out I would say the intensity level was slightly above average. For some reason though even with the intensity only being slightly harder I ended up sweating like a fat hog. Maybe it was extra humidity in the gym area? I’m not sure what. All I know is I came out of there drenched. And in a way, that was comforting.

I had to have an early lunch to fit in my final at 11:30am. It worked out though since I had an early breakfast. For consistencies sake I also decided to go with an early dinner. Anyway, the lunch was standard except for the bread. Yet again they didn’t have my beloved whole wheat. Even worse this time was that the sourdough (which I found out is actually low GI by the way) was gone. I was screwed with the standard white bread. I took the smallest piece I could possibly find, which I must say was very small. Again though, it is a measly 90 calories of a high GI food – not that big of a deal.

Both my pushups and sit-ups were fairly standard tonight. I may have ended up doing one extra sit-up on the second set because I lost count. I also filmed my pushups as I always do. I’ll post the videos tomorrow probably. One thing I noticed is the inverse relationship with my depth and my back slouching. It seems I can’t get both to get better at the same time. I’ll keep working at it though. The videos really help as I can assess myself after each set.

That was the day.

This concludes Entry #151.

n88tr · 05-05-2009, 08:06 PM

I think it's fine as long as you can control the weight, then it's not an issue.

So where are you at now, still cutting along?

mcFreid · 05-05-2009, 08:19 PM

Yup. I can't count my calories because of the whole college dining hall thing, but I'd estimate that I'm cutting barely below maintenance. I seem to be losing around 1/2 a pound a week. Good news is that I'm also dropping around .3% bf a week so definitely in the right direction.

Thanks for checking in,
Michael