Lol's New HST Log

Thu 08/01/08

Did a calliper test this morning.

3-site skinfold measurement using Accumeasure 3000 Calliper:
For age 43, bw 185lb, chest 4.5mm, abdominal 6.5mm, thigh 10.5mm, I get around 7.8% bf with a lean body mass of ~170.5lb.

If I really am 7.8% bf with a lean body mass of ~170.5lb then I'm really chuffed. I've used figures that are slightly larger (I added 0.5mm to each one) than the readings taken.

if I use the 'exact' readings taken, I get 7.3% bf and 171.5lb lbm which would indicate that I have lost very little lean body mass while dropping a few more pounds of fat.

Right now I am in a glycogen depleted state so my lbm might actually improve a bit once I carb up in a few days time.

It is quite possible that these figures are wildly out. I still don't really have much in the way of quad definition. My genetics seemingly dictates a fairly even covering all over my legs.

As an aside, it might be interesting to note that skin thickness over the body is apparently not even. A surgeon who was operating on me last year was telling me about the thickness of the skin on my lower back as he was removing a chunk. Apparently, it's quite thick there on most people. I wonder how thick it is on my legs? It's certainly pretty thin over my bis.

Then there's the whole issue of intracellular water storage, water in fat cells etc. I only know what I've read over at bodyrecomp. So much to learn...
 
Unless you're going to be wearing a bikini at the beach this summer, I wouldn't sweat the not so ripped quads!
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Darn nice cut Lol.
 
Fri 09/01/09

BW: 182.5

Flaming heck! This is the lightest I've been in ages.

It's the last day of my modded PSMF. I've gone from 192 to 182.5 from 30/12/08 to today - 11 days in total. Hopefully, at least half of that is water weight along with around three pounds or so of fat. I'm going to start back on the carbs now, before my workout (30g carbs + 40g whey + 5g creatine) and I'll treat things as if I'm at the end of the low carb UD2 weekly cycle so I'll go into a tension workout. I have a mate's stag night tonight so I'm going to have a desert! Yipee!  
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To be honest, I could have been stricter with my diet (having a ready supply of whey would have helped - it's arrived now!) but I did a pretty good job of keeping my fats and carbs under 50g a day whilst keeping protein in the high 200s and sometimes getting over 300g.

I found the hardest thing was keeping fats low as I'm supp'ing with around 8-10g of fish oil for EPA and DHA to begin with and then even lean protein sources tend to have some fat which adds up when you have to get ~350g protein daily. Next time I will ensure that I have enough whey to top up my protein to get 2 x lbm in pounds each day.

I have done some gentle cardio pretty much on every non-training day. Usually 30 mins. I did this more to warm myself up than for the extra calories used; my deficit was already large enough.

@Bax: quad definition will have to wait until my next cutting experiment later in the year. For now I need to get back to some decent loads.
 
nice work LOL

bf% is always a tough nut to crack, so many diff. variables such as age, where you store your fat, how much and where you keep the most muscle (evident once the fat is gone) etc etc. its real tough to be objective in a dieted down state.  this is why BB is such a tough sport, unless your competing there is no real finish line. you might have had wgt or % or time goals to start but they mean little once you finally get "there" since things never look or work out as planned.

anyway youve done well. your pics look quite good and youve really made some progress. not much you can do about the legs. ive trained with guys who have won some wgt classes and overall shows whose legs didnt really come in until the final week of prep= zero carbs, no sodium etc for a few days and then a mild carb or fat load for the show. not really the lengths you need to go to.

the nice part is once youve gained some mass (and the know-how to do it) and now lost the fat (while learning how to keep most of the muscle) youve really got a good handle on what its going to take to go "up" again realistically (fat can be limited but not avoided). as long as you have the discipline and willpower.

again congrats. nice work indeed.
 
LOL
btw
i have read stubb. fat sol. by lyle and put it into practice.

its good stuff and does work. imo its harder to do if your cardio shape is lacking but the benefit could be higher. i was in pretty good shape when i did them and i really had to kill it in order to feel like i was working b/c they are quite short. lots of info about fat in general in the book.

personally i would make sure you have a week long period of maint. (with some carbs) if youve been dieting for a while. i havent followed your log in detail so im not sure if youve already done this.

you wont really gain much at maint (but you will gain h2o with the addit of carbs so your wgt will go up) but youll be better set up physically/mentally to make further progress. the protocols are tough and draining not to mention work/lifting/ life etc. so keep an eye on your energy. i did them while IFing so its not quite the same. my off days were low cal/carb and did some protocols on those days but i was eating over maint. and generous carbs (all around w/o) 3x a week so i never really got drained long term.

good luck
 
<div>
(Lol @ Jan. 08 2009,6:19)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">If I really am 7.8% bf with a lean body mass of ~170.5lb then I'm really chuffed.</div>
&quot;chuffed&quot;...? Translation, please.

I'm reminded of the quote (variously attributed to George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, or Churchill) :

&quot;Two peoples separated by a common language&quot;.
 
Fri 09/01/09

In the end I only had time for a really brief workout as I had to get ready for the stag night.

Squats: 10 x 60kg, 2 x 10 x 110kg, 10 x 120kg (264lb)

Strangely, the final set @ 264 didn't really seem much harder than the previous two sets @ 242, which had both been pretty tough. Maybe the carbs had had a bit more time to kick in and work their magic by then? Anyway, I was glad I nailed that last set.

EZ-bar Curls: 15 x 51kg (112lb) - so much easier, not having done any back work beforehand.

Dips: 40 x bw - just for the pump.

After that, my veins were popping out all over my upper body. Not quite like Mike Watson yet though.  
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I'll aim to get the rest of my workout in tomorrow.

===============================

TR: 'chuffed' is to 'very pleased' as pound is to dollar (ie. almost equal!)

BJ: Thanks mate. Your thoughts are much appreciated as always.

I'm going to be taking a break from regular weight training this coming week and will endeavour to eat at maintenance after my 24 hour carb-up. (I'll be doing lots of cardio type exercising as I have a week of swimming and cycling; that'll mean that I'll get away with eating a bit more than regular maintenance levels as I'll be burning a shed load of extra cals through activity.)

If I get inspired by Lyle's RFL handbook (once it arrives) I may give it a shot sooner rather than later.

Q: Did you or any of the guys you've trained with ever experiment with EC stacks whilst on a cut?
 
<div>
(Lol @ Jan. 09 2009,10:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Q: Did you or any of the guys you've trained with ever experiment with EC stacks whilst on a cut?</div>
yes

i used them with UD2.0. i have mixed feelings about them. lyle recommended 20mg eph. with 200mg caff. at least 3x a day for &quot;demonstrable&quot; results.

i did the 20/200 e/c once a day and felt serious appetite suppression as well as energy. i was too nervous about the amounts (3x a day) to try more. im no coffee or tea drinker........ ever so 200mg of caf. had me rolling.

these days i use caff. on occasion for serious fasted AM hikes or big w/o days if im dragging but otherwise i stay away from just about all supps (except protein). not hating on any i just prefer to go &quot;as is&quot;. its hard to screw that up.

good luck
 
<div>
(Lol @ Jan. 09 2009,10:25)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Q: Did you or any of the guys you've trained with ever experiment with EC stacks whilst on a cut?</div>
Yup, when I was trying Lyle's Rapid Fatloss Diet, I would take 25mg of ephedrine (that's the available amount in Bronkaid tablets) in combination with two Excedrin tablets (65mg caffeine per tablet) and a cup of coffee. That made an approximate total of 200 mg of caffeine.

It was a bit uncomfortable at first -- making me feel fidgety. However, that passed quickly enough, once I became used to the regimen. I started with one serving of EC stack per day, gradually working my way up to three hits per day.

There were two noticeable effects:
1) the appetite suppression aspect worked better and better the longer I took it, and
2) I lost several pounds over the space of five days.

I suspect it would have worked even more effectively had I been able to continue my diet for the full ten days, but somehow life manages to interfere with the best of my plans. I intend to introduce the EC stack back into my diet once I get my training rolling along again.
 
Doing a quick Google search I found this:

In the US, Bronkaid type tabs:

Ephedrine HCL 25mg
200 Tabs
1 Bottle - $79.99 or about £53 GBP

Then in the UK:

Ephedrine 5mg Pills
Buy 1-Month's Supply 210 x Tablets for Only £90 with FREE P&amp;P
Buy The Full 3-Month Supply for Only £250 with FREE P&amp;P (SAVE £20)

So that's effectively £0.01/mg in the US and £0.09/mg in the UK. Typically extortionate UK prices. Hmmm. I probably need to widen my search.

Apparently, ephedrine is a prescription only drug in the UK but I might be able to get some as I was asthmatic as a kid and still have a Ventolin inhaler for emergencies.
 
12/01/09

Typical; on what was supposed to be my first day of holiday I started coming down with a coldy bug. I decided to do a workout before heading off.

Squats: 10 x 60kg, 5 x 110kg, 3 x 130kg, 2 x 5 x 140kg (308lb) - these were much easier than they have been for a while despite not feeling 100%.

BO Rows: 10 x 51kg, 5 x 71kg, 5 x 5 x 91kg, 3 x 5 x 101kg (222lb)

Dips: 20 x bw; 20 x bw+25kg (55lb); 8,7,5 x bw+45kg (99lb) - shorter rest than normal

Kipping Pull-ups: 30, 20, 20

Felt a bit better after that; my week off starts now.
 
Sun 19/01/09

So, I'm back after almost a week without lifting. I felt under the weather the whole time and everything finally came to a head on Friday night when I got low temperature shakes, aching joints etc. followed a few hours later by overheating and sweats. Anyway, by morning it had passed over but I felt pretty beaten up the whole weekend. Thankfully, it hasn't gone to my chest so I should feel a lot better in a week's time if I take things easy this week. First week of 15s should be doable. and will be a nice way to ease back into things.

What I have to decide upon now are my goals for the next few months. I probably ought to try to get back to lifting my old PRs while gaining as little body weight as possible so that my strength to weight ratio is improved. This will mean being a lot more careful with my total cals and macros; I don't want to balloon right back up to 224lb again. (If and when I get back up to that body weight I want to be a whole lot stronger.)

I ate pretty well last week (an understatement) and I have definitely slapped some fat back on in that time. My shoulder has improved but not completely healed – I am now taking this stuff along with my regular omega-3 and multi-vit supps in the hope that it might help a bit. My hips and knees are feeling good to go so I hope to get a good run at deads and squats this cycle.

The fun starts again tomorrow.
 
<div>
(Lol @ Jan. 18 2009,9:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">First week of 15s should be doable. and will be a nice way to ease back into things.
...

I am now taking this stuff along with my regular omega-3 and multi-vit supps in the hope that it might help a bit.</div>
Sounds like you had a bit of flu. You may get a surprise when you get back to lifting. There is a thingy called post-viral fatigue than can sap your strength much more than you would expect from a simple SD.

I started taking some of that glucosamine-chondroitin too. My doctor told me to double the dosage. Apparently it's really good stuff.
 
Mon 19/01/09

Time for a new cycle.

Goals: to try to get my strength levels back to where they were in May '08 and then on to, hopefully, some new PRs - at a lower body weight than previously. I am anticipating that this will take a few cycles.

BW: 193lb

Week 1

15s, w/o 1:

Squats: 10 x 60kg, 10 x 80kg, 2 x 15 x 100kg (220lb) - these felt great

Parallel-grip Chins: 2 x 15 x bw

Dips: 35 x bw, 2 x 30 x bw+10kg (22lb) - left AC joint twinged a bit

EZ-bar Press: 2 x 15 x 41kg (90lb)

I will only be training 3 x weekly (at least to begin with), so all my joints should benefit from the additional rest.
 
Wed 21/01/09

15s, w/o 2:

Deads: 15 x 60kg, 10 x 110kg, 15, 10 x 140kg (308lb) - hook grip for last two sets. Breathing pretty hard after the 15 rep set but I still had a fair bit left in the tank.

DB Press: 20 x 16kg, 2 x 25 x 26kg (57lb)

BO Rows: 15 x 41kg, 25 x 61kg (134lb), 20 x 71kg (156lb)

EZ-bar Upright Rows: 2 x 25 x 41kg (90lb) - these were pretty rough on my left AC joint. I hope I haven't done too much too soon.

Pretty high reps for most sets as I'm after a good burn for a decent amount of lactic acid production.

My copies of Lyle's The Stubborn Fat Solution and The Protein Book arrived today so I have lots of new bedtime reading.
 
Fri 23/01/09

15s, w/o 3:

Squats: 10 x 60kg, 20, 10 x 110kg (242lb) - got to 15 reps and decided to do another 5 for extra fun.

Dips: 30 x bw, 2 x 25 x bw+20kg (44lb) - only just managed the second set

Pull-ups: 20(MS) x bw+10kg (22lb) - first time I've done regular pull-ups for quite a while. Really pleased that my right arm held up ok. M-time was pretty short, 5-10 secs.

Decided to save direct shoulder work until tomorrow. Dips were already pretty hard on them.

I've really got to try to increase my chinning and pull-up strength over the next few months. I'm going to give Max-Stim a shot for back work and see how I get on.


The Stubborn Fat Solution was a fun read. Now I am all set for a shot at ~5% body fat (and some quad cuts) the next time I diet down... if I can stick with it!
 
Mon 27/01/09

BW: 194.5lb

Week 2

15s, w/o 4:

EZ-bar Press: 15, 15, 10, 10 x 46kg (101lb)

Front Squats: 10 x 60kg, 5 x 80kg, 2 x 16 x 90kg (198lb) PR

I'm pretty sure that is a PR, if my records are correct. I was actually going to try to match my old 15RM but managed to go one better - twice! This bodes well as I still haven't fully recovered from the bug I had a week or so ago. I think there is more to come.

BO EZ-bar Rows: 10 x 46kg, 20(MS) x 81kg (178lb) - MS style, so complete deload between reps.

DB Flyes: 15 x 26kg (57lb), 20 x 21kg (46lb) - thought I'd try these in place of benching to see if they are kinder on my shoulder; it still complained. First set was a bit sloppy too so dropped the weight for the second set. I haven't done any flyes for quite some time so now I have a better idea of the load to work with.

Dips: 30 x bw
 
<div>
(Lol @ Jan. 26 2009,9:50)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Front Squats: 10 x 60kg, 5 x 80kg, 2 x 16 x 90kg (198lb) PR</div>
AWESOME!! That's got to be a confidence booster!! Great start to your new cycle.
 
29/01/09

15s, w/o 5:

So it's end of year tax week over here which means my routine is messed up this week.

Never mind. I've managed a few bits and bobs and I've been doing some shoulder rehab every day when I've taken a break - lots of rotations of various kinds with light weights (or no weights) to get the area really warmed up. Also, experimented with some foam roller stuff of the homemade-try-out kind. I think I can see the point in this now.

Power Cleans &amp; Jerks: 10 x 60kg, 3 x 5 x 70kg (154lb) - got to get back into these for the summer. I'd like to better 100kgs this year. These were pretty easy - more metabolically taxing than anything else. All reps done back to back (ie. no rest between reps) and bar lowered under control from overhead to floor, ie. not dropped!

Chins: 10 x bw, 20 x bw+15kg (33lb) MS style - decided to risk/test some chins with hands fully supinated. I was careful to start each rep with slightly flexed arms but I lowered to full extension (somewhat carefully) at the end of each rep.

Kipping Pull-ups: 25 x bw - great lat and forearm pump after those

Bench: 15 x 60kg, 15 x 70kg, 2 x 15 x 75kg (165lb) - probably a little premature but I wanted to see how these felt following all my shoulder rehab work this week. Actually, when the loads are light like this, it's a bit hard to tell but they didn't feel too bad which, I hope, is promising.

Might get a chance to hit the squat rack later tonight.
 
Hey Bax, thanks man. I have always found it interesting that my 15RMs are a lot closer to my 1RMs than I would like them to be, so it will be interesting to see whether my strength is actually back on track with some heavier lifts too. Ripp mentions in PP that it's very difficult to use a formula to accurately estimate a 1RM, even if using a known 5RM, as people vary so much.

I'm naturally a skinny guy and I think I may have a preponderance of slow and 'medium' twitch fibres in most of my muscle groups, rather than the fast twitch variety that I wish were there. My brother was a pretty darn good middle distance runner in his younger years and I always remember my pop weighing around 175lb at 6'3&quot; tall. I've been fighting against the inclination of my genes for the past three years and I will continue to do so, but it's getting harder to make a difference and age isn't on my side either. Still, it's a good challenge and I am up for it. A 500lb deadlift and a 400lb squat are still possibilities, but a 300lb bench seems to be drifting away from me.
 
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