Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Thursday 31/07/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
18:10
1 chicken breast, 2 salmon pieces, garlic mushrooms (mushrooms, mushed up garlic, olive oil), tomatoes, peas, sugar snap peas, green beans, spinach
Snacks
2 apples, cashew nuts/raisins, pear, nectarine, 2 tangerines
Workout
Rest day so just 8 minute abs workout (as video I posted in another thread)
Notes
Woke up this morning (thurs) and for the first time in a while felt strong and on top of the world (even though workouts have been improving everytime and so on for about a month I've not felt like i've been making much headway). That said, roll on Saturday and some extra carbs.
You will probably have seen it on TV but if not Morrison's are doing 4 Tuna in Brine for £2 at the minute, 6 per customer (per visit I suppose) so you might want to stock up.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Friday 01/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
18:40
300g light cottage cheese, tin tuna, salad
21:00 post workout
300g light cottage cheese
tin tuna drained, rinsed, mixed with olive oil
2 dry cream crackers
Snacks
2 apples, banana, tangerine, pear, handful cashews/raisins
Workout
DB one-arm bent over row
32kg DBs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
DB upright row
22kg DBs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
DB alternate curls
18kg DBs - 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Bench/chair dips
60, 50, 50, 50, 50
8 minute abs routine
As usual all 5 sets for each exercise were done consecutively, 60-90 seconds break between set
Notes
Same weight as last pull day and will keep the same for 1 more session I think.
Sets 2 and 4 of the curls were hammers instead of the normal type.
Had a couple of crackers post-workout as a treat.
__________________
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about half past dead
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Man, bet that 2 cracker treat was like heaven!!
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Saturday 02/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
12:00
Bagel (no butter etc), tin tuna (drained/rinsed/mixed with olive oil)
18:00
2 chicken breasts, sweet potato bake, green beans, spinach, sugar snap peas
Snacks
banana, apple, tangerine, pear
Workout
6 mile run
Notes
Probably the best 6 miles i've done since I can remember, wasn't burying myself but just felt good (abs work helps me when running i've noticed in the past as will the weight loss).
Happened to weigh myself today and was shocked to see the needle go under 12 stone. Panicked a bit I have to say.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Sunday 03/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
09:30 Post workout
300g light cottage cheese
1 chicken breast
12:00
Bagel (no butter etc), tin tuna (drained/rinsed/mixed with olive oil)
18:00
Roast beef, cabbage, carrots, peas, parsnips, gravy, 2 roast potatoes
apple pie and cream
Snacks
banana, apple, tangerine
Workout
At a gym
Notes
Went with a friend to a gym as he had a free pass for the day (only the second time i've ever worked out in a gym). Did different exercises to my normal ones and obviously used the muscles in slightly different ways so when I got home the "burn" I was getting would have made me look like a Ready Brek kid on an infra-red camera. Ten lengths in the pool to warm down was a nice change.
I've been building up to having a week off from the weights, and today highlighted I have got a slight strain/problem in one of the muscles in my left arm so now would seem a good time to take the breather.
I might carry on posting the journal over the week although it will obviously just be my boring diet and "abs as per video posted before".
Better mention my non-standard tea - went to someone's house so didn't have my usual pile of roast potatoes as I would have done in the past, but fancied some apple pie and so had some.
Week with no alcohol so far which is testing to say the least, but it has coincided with some bad night's sleep so that makes you think "imagine how much shitter i'd feel if i'd had some ale" which helps.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
While i'm having my week off I decided I would take stock of where I was at and where I want to go in the short-term and medium-term and I think i've come up with a plan.
After the week off I'm going to start on an 8-week program with the workout based around one of Chad Waterbury's. It's not too far from what i've been doing with what Alwyn Cosgrove calls "undulating periodicty" built into it. You basically do 6 exercises per workout, 4 of them compound exercises, and you alter reps/sets/exercise order/rest period/exercises over the 8 weeks (I will post a link up to it if anyone wants full details - it's on T-Nation). I will try to do this with a similar calorie intake to now for the 8 weeks and this will take me to the start of October which is when I had decided I would change from a below maintenance calorie intake (I posted before on this).
After the 8 weeks I am thinking I will do 2-4 weeks stabilizing (so at maintenance calorie levels) and during this period I will take stock again and i'm thinking will probably start a period of clean bulking (not stupidly above maintenance, maybe 200-300 calories at first).
Anyway that's how I see things at the minute, I know everyone has their own approaches and thoughts on ways of doing things so feel free to throw in any alternative views and so on.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
sounds interesting yet involved. have you written up the specific plan yet? if so id be interested to see what it will involve.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Here's the link on T-nation http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=508031 , I'll be doing my plan this week and will post that up if you want. These type of routines always look complicated on paper and sound complicated when you mention them to people (I read an article Cosgrove had written with a similar plan and it took a good few reads to sink in), but I don't think they'd be too bad to follow with a bit of planning and preparation.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
I've done that routine twice. It's a bit of a pain when you're doing the antagonistic routine cos you have to do the following for example:
Shoulder press for 1 set followed by bench press for 1 set --- X 3
It means you're jumping about the gym (especially if you're using barbell for bench) and if you're using dumbells at home you're constantly shuffling the weights on and off so it takes forever.
That said, I did see some great improvements with it.
It will possibly start up the great full body Vs. Split system too :D (I know Zippy does splits).
From the article:
1) They train every major muscle group three times each week.
2) They keep intensity levels sufficient without overindulgence.
3) They choose a training volume that can be maintained along with the stressors of life.
4) They execute compound, multi-joint exercises that have been shown to produce the most hypertrophy.
5) They keep each training session as brief as possible.
6) They allow at least 48 hours of recovery between workouts.
Which I feel is good advice for anyone.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
As part of this i'm going to reassess my kit at home and see what I may need to buy with an eye to the future. I already have 2 sets of DB bars so it's the plates that are the more limiting factor, and obviously if you are on a day where you are only resting 30 seconds between sets you have to be sharpish to get them changed over.
As an off-shoot to this I was reading some more articles on T-Nation about shoulders and shoulder problems and anyone doing any bench-pressing might find the bit on form interesting if they haven't seen it before ( http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1053531 ) .
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Ahhh, i recall having read that some time ago. An evolution of the Starr 5x5 routine.
Id be willing to give that a try tbh, but the 6 exercises per session isnt to be laughed at.
Quote:
Week 1
Workout 1
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Load: Choose a weight that forces you to near-failure for the last rep of the last set.*
*This is the recommended load for all workouts.
Workout 2
Sets: 3
Reps: 8
Rest: 90 seconds between sets
Workout 3
Sets: 2
Reps: 15
Rest: 120 seconds between sets
4 compound exercises and 2 single joint exercises per session.18 sets in all then. A typical day i try and aim for has 4 exercises and 3 sets and im totally burnt out thereafter. This isnt for the feint hearted!
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Just a brief report, day 4 of no exercise and I now feel like shit. Extremely tired, a bit down, very little spark. You wouldn't think it, but it's going to be harder doing 5-7 days like this than it ever was doing last week's low calorie week with normal workouts.
Roll on weekend.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Thursday 07/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
07:00
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
12:00
3 small bread, marmite
18:10
50g brown rice, homemade curry (1 chicken breast, cabbage, spinach, peppers, sugar snap peas, runner beans, onion, mushrooms, garlic, ginger, chilies, tomatoes, spices)
20:30 post workout
300g light cottage cheese mixed with tin tuna drained, rinsed
Snacks
2 apples, banana, tangerine, pear, handful cashews/almonds/raisins
Workout
DB Bench Press
2x22kg - 5, 5, 5
DB Seated Shoulder Press (supine grip)
2x15.5kg - 5, 5, 5
DB Squat
2x22kg - 5, 5, 5
DB Straight Leg Deadlift
2x22kg - 5, 5, 5
DB Lying Tricep Extension
2x10.5kg - 5, 5, 5
DB Standing Calf Raises
2x22kg - 5, 5, 5
All sets for each exercise were done consecutively, 60 seconds break between sets
Notes
The missus said that if I didn't do any exercise she would kill me because of my mood and so I started on the 8 week program tonight.
Because of using new form for the press and doing new exercises I wasn't sure what weights to use so the first few workouts are going to be a bit hit and miss I think.
Kept my elbows tucked in on the press (as mentioned in a previous post) and made for a more controlled effort.
Altered the way I do the shoulder press after doing reading some articles that suggested you might get a better workout doing each shoulder separately, so did a set on the right and then a set on the left and then had the 60 seconds break.
Could obviously have squatted/dead-lifted/calf raised more but it's too easy to get injured by rushing to a heavier weight when you aren't used to exercising a particular group of muscles.
The lying tricep extension was an interesting one even though it's an isolation exercise. Lay down with the 15.5kg, partly out of not wanting to be bothered changing what I had on the bars and partly because with standing extension I would be doing 18/19.5kg, and there was no way I was going to be able to do 3x5 with proper form or without hurting myself. Dropped the weight to what was about right in the end and while doing the exercise was definitely aware my triceps were doing something !
Got through the workout quickly (that's part of the point of it), almost felt too quick to me, and was left feeling I had lifted way too light or done it incorrectly. Took my protein, and then 10 minutes later the muscles being exercised in a different way kicked in and I felt tired and felt like i'd done a bit ! (Morning after can still feel I did something)
The workout calls for a load increase of 1.25% - 2.5% every workout (isn't clear whether this means total load ie mass x sets x reps, or just the mass), but either way that means that by the end you should be at 135-182% of your starting load (as calculated using a compound interest calculator), which gives you some sort of yardstick to use if you are that way inclined.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Friday 08/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
3 pieces milk roll with marmite
12:00
Large fruit salad (strawbs, melon, grapes, nuts, raisins)
18:10
2 chicken breasts, sweet potato, salad
Bottle of wine
Snacks
2 apples, banana, tangerine, pear, nectarine
Notes
Broke the alcohol break a couple of days early but for some reason really didn't enjoy it.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Saturday 09/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
3 pieces milk roll with marmite
08:35
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
12:00
300g light cottage cheese , salad
large fruit salad
17:00 post-workout
300g light cottage cheese
17:40
Chicken, sweet potato, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli
Snacks
banana, pear, small piece of carrot cake (pissing down all day so we had been baking again)
Workout
07:30 7 mile run
16:00
DB One Armed Row
2x27kg - 8, 8, 8
DB Seated Shoulder Press (semi supine grip)
2x15.5kg - 8, 8, 8
DB Front Squat
2x14.5kg - 8, 8, 8
DB Bench Press
2x22kg - 8, 8, 8
DB Hammer Curls
2x17kg - 8, 8, 8
DB Donkey Calf Raises
8, 8, 8
All sets for each exercise were done consecutively, 90 seconds break between sets
Notes
Hip was very sore 25 minutes into the run, obviously a shoe/knee/gait thing but ran through it and did a better time than last week.
As this Waterbury thing demands, exercises in a different order, different rest periods, different sets etc, you basically don't know if you are coming or going !
Did the shoulders a side at a time again and it really did make for a better effort.
Am wary about any leg stuff because so far I haven't been doing any and also because I had been running and have some things coming up I want my legs to be right for. For anyone who isn't sure the DB front squat is done with you holding the DB on your shoulders and feels very different to having a bar across your shoulders.
Did the press lying on the floor this time, elbows nicely tucked in again (I'm a bit of a convert to that style so inevitably someone will end up posting info that shows it's not as good !).
Last exercise was supposed to e GHR (glute ham raises) but the improvised way of doing these with my ankles under a chair and a child sat on the chair didn't work so I had to switch quickly and chose the donkey raise (as the kid was already there thought I might as well use them). To be honest they were a bit too light to make them worthwhile.
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
Sunday 10/08/08 (times and quantities are roughly correct)
06:30
50g Porridge made with 300ml liquid (half water, half semi-skimmed)
3 pieces milk roll with marmite
12:30
Barm with tin of tuna
18:10
Chicken, salad, 50g plain couscous
2 cans Strongbow
Re: LilacHarryQuinn Progress Journal
LilacHarryQuinn has left DF so I'll close this thread.