Finishing 2010 with volume

[teamfatboy]

True, you're right, 31.2g in 100g cooked... my mistake [TFB goes off to re-calculate]

Yes, I've been through that with my coach, and we agreed to monitor closely how I do on 500-cal deficit. Rest assured, in the past coach has seen too much of Mr Snarly to tolerate it if I get (more) irrational than is acceptable.

But, did I mention that the 500-cal deficit is a rolling-average? Over the course of a week, the actual deficit will vary thru a 300-cal range. So, in that respect we're achieving that 'not more than one day' that you mentioned.

[Chillicat]

Wow, that really does look like a diet. It looks less than what I'm eating, and I'm way shorter than you! I think I'll be scared to talk to you at the gym in case you are so hungry you try to take a bite

[rose]

LOL, watch out Miss Cat. Try not to look too tasty! Om nom nom :pfft:

[teamfatboy]

Mmmmm tasty triceps...

But CC's safe in shiny-land for the moment...

If I get hungry, there's plenty of hi-carb new-years-resolution bunnies... not as tasty as easter bunnies but needs must when the devil writes your diet!

[Grover]

If I get hungry, there's plenty of hi-carb new-years-resolution bunnies... not as tasty as easter bunnies but needs must when the devil writes your diet

I think you may find the fat content of these bunnies will not do your diet any good!

Good stuff TFB the main thing is that you have worked out a plan to start with, no matter how hard it maybe!

Couldn't you just do more cardio?

[teamfatboy]

Good point Grover...

The volume of cardio (and the qty of carbs) will always be 'on the table' at the four-weekly reviews, depending on how lean-muscle-mass and bodyfat are changing.

I've definitely got the capability to add in more... a couple of years back I was doing two 40-min sessions per day, six days/week. Once before breakfast on an empty tum, the other last thing at night. Throw in some ZMA and I slept like a babe!

[Grover]

I've definitely got the capability to add in more... a couple of years back I was doing two 40-min sessions per day, six days/week. Once before breakfast on an empty tum, the other last thing at night. Throw in some ZMA and I slept like a babe!

And what was the result BF wise then?

don't know so much about last thing at night though.

[teamfatboy]

And what was the result BF wise then?

don't know so much about last thing at night though.

The last time I hit that much cardio, I was able to chunk away at BF quite happily, with negligible impact on lean muscle mass. In fact, over the total programme (nine weeks) I managed a slight gain in lean muscle at the same time as BF was reduced.

As for cardio last thing at night - good, keeps the metabolism firing at "daytime" levels longer... therefore more energy consumption. Or so the story goes

[teamfatboy]

Weds 27 Jan

SLDL 7x4 100, 100, 120, 120, 140, 140, 15? - nope, 140s again

DB Bench 7x4 28s, 28s, 33s, 33s, 35s, 35s, 38s

Upright row 7x4 40, 40, 40, 50, 50, 50, 55

Done! Man it was hot in there today.... two bottles of water gone before I left the building.

Diet - exactly as yesterday.

[drizzt]

Done! Man it was hot in there today.... two bottles of water gone before I left the building.

Heck yeah! Had a cold shower afterwards and I was still hot once I got out. Couldn't get away from it, was actually really nice to get back to the office air conditioning

[teamfatboy]

Question: How do you define "fitness" ?

Do you measure your fitness in bodyfat, in 'aerobic capacity', strength or in other ways ?

Trying to reconcile my current training with the potential adverse impact on especially aerobic capacity...

Put simply, I'm burning calories lifting heavy things, not running around the place, and I'm not sure just how comfortable I am with the impact on my CV system/ capacity.

Views?

[bigdogbob]

Fitness in my mind is the complete balance of the package....being able to lift heavy(ish) things well and still be able to run around the place well too!

Looking damn fine whilst doing it of course :pfft:

[teamfatboy]

Thanks, Nessie... in my mind a fate worse than death would be to end up looking like one of those seedy, skinny-fat types, lean as a rake, but unable to string two sprints together....

Thursday 28 Jan

SM Narrow-stance squats 7x4 - 80, 80, 100, 100, 120, 120, 120

BB Standing Overhead press 7x4 - 30, 30, 35, 35, 40, 40, 45

DB single-side row 7x4 - 35s, 35s, 40s, 40s, 45s, 45s, 51.

The SM squats were good, knees and ankles touching, tried a set of 140s but felt like lower back would blow-out. Still, give me a coupla weeks :nod:

The Overhead press was good, altho I'm a bit confused as to the difference between a push-press and an o'head press. I'll go hunt me some videos... and the set of single-sided rows with the 51 was a bit manky... but once I've mastered that, it's onto the big-boy weights :grin:

Another two-bottle day up there today, nice and warm. Watched all the fans in their black t-shirts streaming into the stadium, cooking nicely in the Wellington sun :grin:

[runveerun]

Fitness seems to be typically measured by 'aerobic capibility' meh I think it should be the whole package, I think something like crossfit would make you all round 'fit' ie: cardio and compound stuff.

In the ACDC note, there are alot of people out there today in their new ACDC tees it's quite a bonding experience by the looks of it!

[Chillicat]

Question: How do you define "fitness" ?

Do you measure your fitness in bodyfat, in 'aerobic capacity', strength or in other ways ?

Trying to reconcile my current training with the potential adverse impact on especially aerobic capacity...

Put simply, I'm burning calories lifting heavy things, not running around the place, and I'm not sure just how comfortable I am with the impact on my CV system/ capacity.

Views?

That's a really good question and I don't think I can answer it. I'd probably say that there should be an element of all three of the above - but then again, it might depend on the individual and being fit for that person's needs/sport/whatever.

Body fat, for example, is an interesting one - there are plenty of people about who look pretty fat (I've got a few group excercise instructors in mind here), but who kick arse doing cardio classes, not only doing all the moves, but calling instructions constantly throughout. Their bodyfat doesn't seem to be relevant when it comes to doing what they need to do.

My sister is another example - about 170cm and around 75kg. She's the kind of person (not wanting to be overly mean, but being honest) that you'd look at and think 'she could do with dropping about 10kg or so' (ok, well I would think that, maybe the rest of you are not as mean and judgemental as me!). What you can't tell from looking at her is that she just graded and passed her 4th dan black belt in karate, and you have to be pretty bloody fit to get even a plain garden variety black belt, nevermind 4th dan. She doesn't look muscular, has a bit of a gut, but her CV fitness would be way higher than mine and with all the training she did for the 10 months leading up to her grading I'd consider her to be a lot fitter than me, though I prefer looking the way I look bodywise.

So for me I think it's about being fit for your own needs, and I wouldn't say that the same criteria or level of acheivement in terms of BF, CV or weight lifting would apply to everyone necessarily. Though there's probably some kind of baseline for each to be considered fit.

I'm not entirely sure I'd consider myself 'fit' though. I walk around the place a lot, but if I'm walking up a hill I can't talk at the same time. Part of that is due to my lung capacity from baby pneumonia, but most is due to me just hating cardio and not working hard enough to build cardio fitness. People think it's funny that I struggle to walk and talk yet go to the gym 5-6 days a week. So I guess I'm only semi-fit!

[rose]

Put simply, I'm burning calories lifting heavy things, not running around the place, and I'm not sure just how comfortable I am with the impact on my CV system/ capacity.

Defining fitness... Being able to run across the street, or take the 10 flights of stairs without having to stop, when the lift's out at work, without dying. Beyond that I don't really care. I prefer to think of "fitness" in terms of practical applications, and longer term. Mind you, I'm a fit person so perhaps that's why CV fitness doesn't concern me. If I was "unfit", I'd likely do something about it.

More important to me is being strong enough to do things for myself, without having to rely on others, in case I have to. If my motorbike falls over in the middle of nowhere because I didn't put the stand down properly, will I be able to pick the bike up by myself? Or will I have to wait until the next car comes along? What if I'm off-roading by myself and there are no knights in shining armour? :pfft:

I see strength as a major part of being independent and healthy in old age. In my opinion, the more strength and muscle you carry into old age, the better your quality of life is going to be. I don't want to be old and weak. Strength training also has unseen benefits, such as bone health. Muscle strength and bone density is crucial for being a happy old person, so I'd sacrifice being able to run a marathon.

I went for a run last night, my usual route up Mt Vic. It was the first one in a few weeks, and I found I hadn't lost any fitness. I didn't get puffed more than I normally would, nor am I sore today. Reflecting on that in order to answer your question, if that hadn't been the case and the run had rooted me, I'd probably be more concerned. The only cardio I'd done over those weeks was walk to work and home from the gym. Fast walking though, none of this stroll in the park shit :grin:

[runveerun]

I did cardio for the first time today since the marathon in November I nearly keeled over and died. (that might be an exaggeration) but it was alot of effort for a very short lived 10 mins!!! But I know I'll get it back :pray:

[teamfatboy]

Saturday 30 Jan

Deadlifts 6x6 [warm-up 2x 15x 60kg] 100, 100, 100, 110, 110, 110.

SM CG Press 3x12 - 40, 40, 40.

Chins 3x12 with far too much assist.

Been away from deadlifts too long. My form was appalling when I tried a set at 120, so I'll be aiming to complete 6x6 good form at 100, before moving up. Happier with the CG Press, all the way down 'til it depressed the tum (back flat on bench), pause and go. But it was so damn hot in there I kept sliding on the bench. As for the chins, 'nuff said. But they'll come right once I stop faffing around and pay attention to meal timing and composition. After all, I want to be doing them unassisted by Xmas :shock:

[rose]

Assisted?

[runveerun]

Assisted?

OH LOOK AT THE PINK ELEPHANT OVER THERE ROSE!!!

AAAA YOU MISSED IT BUT KEEP LOOKING OVER THERE IT MIGHT BE BACK IN A MIN!!

(I'll keep her busy TFB and you can go and hide somewhere FAR FAR away!)

[teamfatboy]

Assisted?

Yes, oh observant one, assisted... what, I should tell porkies in my own journal?

Sure, I could crack out a couple of clean, no-herky-jerky chins, but ze plan calls for three sets of 12 reps... not eighteen sets of two with a few minutes rest in between

If I'm still doing them assisted several months from now, feel free to come round my place and beat on me...but no excuses, Ma'am, I will do better :salute:

OH LOOK AT THE PINK ELEPHANT OVER THERE ROSE!!!

AAAA YOU MISSED IT BUT KEEP LOOKING OVER THERE IT MIGHT BE BACK IN A MIN!!

(I'll keep her busy TFB and you can go and hide somewhere FAR FAR away!)

LOL thanks Vee - I think the elephant might have got sunburned yesterday sitting waiting for the second ACDC concert.

[rose]

Assisted?

Yes, oh observant one, assisted... what, I should tell porkies in my own journal?

No no no, no porkies, assisted by what? Man or machine? :grin:

[teamfatboy]

Gym's got a couple of combination dip/chin assist stack machines.

Kneel on the pad, which is linked to the stack, the pad takes some of the load.

I can aim to reduce the assist steadily, just as if I were increasing the load, a la 5x5 or whatever.

[rose]

Have you tried doing unassisted negatives instead? I am a firm believer in the assist machines not assisting you one little bit. Similar concept to doing lat pulldowns til the cows come home and still not being able to do a pullup. Even starting with chinups, pulling yourself up an inch unassisted for 10 reps a few days a week, is brotifically proven more likely to help you get to that end of year goal. As always, just my two cents worth based purely on bro-shit science ala Mr Gable, Stronglifts and practical application. Bro :grin:

[teamfatboy]

Fair point.

Achieving unassisted chins is just what I'm calling a motivational goal - my primary actual goal this year is to a) burn fat and b) in doing so, develop the muscle groups to increase lean muscle mass.

Being able to grab the chin bar, knock out an effortless dozen with good form will give me some satisfaction, but.

So, if swapping to unassisted negatives will contribute to the primary goal, rather than just making me good at chins, I'll look to swap them.