XFatMan’s Dan Alexander Peaking Program

Saturday, March 15, 2008

I have gained some weight this week. Since I’m very stubborn with my diet, I’m positive that it’s not fat. My caliper readings also confirm this. It might come from the rope jumping sessions, which give me some really hefty soreness in my calves and some slight soreness in my arms.

Next week is the last week on this program, so I think I need to increase my calorie intake a little. For my off-week, I need to have figured out maintenance level. Right now, I’m on 11 calories per pound of bodyweight, so next week, I’ll go up to 12. Perhaps I need to go up to 13 for my off-week, but let’s see what happens next week.

Ah yes, I also did 20 x 30 seconds rope jumping with the usual resting / stretching intervals.
 
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(XFatMan @ Mar. 15 2008,07:52)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Right now, I’m on 11 calories per pound of bodyweight, so next week, I’ll go up to 12. Perhaps I need to go up to 13 for my off-week, but let’s see what happens next week.</div>
I have been doing 10 calories per pound of bodyweight for about six months. It's gotten me to ju-u-ust about where I want to go. I'm right at 10% and have been since the first of the month.

Since then I've gone to about 13 calories per pound of bodyweight, mainly because I've upped my protein from 1 gram per pound to 1.5 grams per pound.
 
Do you have any calorie cycling method? I follow a complex calorie cycling method, which is not always so great. On certain days, I can only get 8 calories per pound of bodyweight - oh hunger! On other days, I need to eat as much as 14 calories per pound of bodyweight.
 
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(XFatMan @ Mar. 15 2008,12:22)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Do you have any calorie cycling method? I follow a complex calorie cycling method, which is not always so great. On certain days, I can only get 8 calories per pound of bodyweight - oh hunger! On other days, I need to eat as much as 14 calories per pound of bodyweight.</div>
I try to have a high carb meal every third day. It helps to keep my thyroid on an even keel.

Sometimes, when I notice that my weight loss has stalled, I'll increase my calories for about a week, before dropping back down to 10 per lb.

I don't deal well with hunger. When I get hungry, I tend to find myself at 1:00 am with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- 300 calories, high carbs, and very little protein! I think it is safer (for me) never to allow myself to get very hungry. That's why God made green beans -- you can eat them until your jaws get tired...
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I try to have a high carb meal every third day. It helps to keep my thyroid on an even keel.</div>
I'll try a simpler calorie cycling method from next week on. I'll have fewer calories on two consecutive days and then increase calories for one day. For example, at 158 pounds I would eat an average of 12 calories per lb of bodyweight, like so:
Mon 1738 (11 cals / lb bodyweight)
Tue 1738 (11 cals / lb bodyweight)
Wed 2212 (14 cals / lb bodyweight)
Thur 1738 (11 cals / lb bodyweight)
Fri 1738 (11 cals / lb bodyweight)
Sat 2370 (15 cals / lb bodyweight)
Sun 1738 (11 cals / lb bodyweight)

I hope that works better than my complex cycling method.

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Sometimes, when I notice that my weight loss has stalled, I'll increase my calories for about a week, before dropping back down to 10 per lb.</div>
Yes, I do the same thing. After about 6 - 8 weeks on a strict diet, I eat a week at maintenance level or close to it - even if it costs some progress. I think our bodies need some time off even from diets.

<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I think it is safer (for me) never to allow myself to get very hungry.</div>
I have observed that I tend to eat much more when I get hungry. That's why I want to change the calorie cycling.
 
Sunday, March 16, 2008

… and the changes …

Neck 15.4 in. (+0.2 in.)
Biceps 12.8 in. (-0.2 in.)
Forearm 11.2 in. (+0.2 in.)
Waist 31.9 in. (-0.2 in.)
Hips 37.6 in. (+0.2 in.)
Calf 15.0 in. (+0.2 in.)
Bodyweight 157.2 lbs. (-0.2 lbs)
Body Fat Percentage: 15.7% (-0.4%)
 
My long-term goal is never to become a fat weakling again. I will drop my body fat below 10% by the end of 2008 so that I can start my first bulking cycle by January 2009.
 
Monday, March 17, 2008

Final showdown – Part 1

At the beginning of this program, my 1RM Flat Bench Barbell Press was 76 Kg / 168 lbs or 0.96 x my bodyweight. It was supposed to go up to 82 Kg / 180 lbs, but on a cutting cycle, that’s a bit difficult to do. At 78 Kg / 172 lbs, I struggled to get the bar up. So that’s my new personal best at 6 Kg / 13 lbs less bodyweight. This corresponds roughly to 1.1 x my bodyweight. Seen from this angle, the result is good.

The Barbell Squat surprised me a little. The only squat rack at the gym doesn’t provide any safety, so you should only lift weights that you can safely bring up and rack. There’s no room for errors. Now, at the beginning of this program, the squat was at 52 Kg / 114 lbs, or roughly 0.65 x my bodyweight. The lift was supposed to go up to 64 Kg / 140 lbs. My new personal best is 74 Kg / 164 lbs, or approximately 1.05 x my bodyweight.

Although my new personal best for the Barbell Squat is a good improvement, I don’t think it’s a good weight. I can bench press more than I can squat. I have to admit that I started squatting much, much later because I didn’t know better. But I really want to improve this lift so any advice on this is very, very welcome.

I’m now in the condition to use boxing rounds for my jump rope sessions. Let me start with amateur rounds of 2 minutes followed by 1 minute rest. I’ll begin with 5 rounds and work my way up to 12 rounds. Then, I’ll switch to 3-minute rounds.

Tomorrow I’ll do the Overhead Press and the Deadlift.
 
You will eventually hit 1.5 bw on your lifts because you are regimented and determined. Your thoroughness will see you through the problem spots if it doesn't slow you down a bit, but that can be a good thing, conditioning the body against injury.
I don't know how you're doing the squats. I hope the low weight is due to ATG form, but get checked out and make sure you're not imbedding some bad habits. (I'm sure you've read up on this) All these strength conditions will improve vastly when you bulk. From your earlier post, I don't see why your cut is going all the way into next year. Man, that's a long time to cut, especially after all you've been through, but I understand your goal. Let's not forget that muscle burns fat too...adding a bit would be an advantage at some point. We're in the dark out here with no pics, so our opinions really don't weigh much.
laugh.gif
(hint)
 
Yes, I do ATG squats. I know that my form isn't perfect, so I'm re-reading the squat section in Starting Strength. But I'm sure I already have eliminated some bad stuff for good.

I'd love to bulk because by June 1, 2008, I will have completed two years of cutting - really not so funny. But then again, during the next hot season here, which is from September to March, I want to take my damn shirt off.

I'm really curious about my Deadlift. I think I'll go to the gym in the afternoon again ...
 
XFM,

You have gone this far with cutting, so you can continue on through the Brazilian winter! Perhaps when it comes time till July or August, you could try a slow bulk, so you can prevent the gain of unwanted adipose tissue!

-Colby
 
My thought was to go down to 10% first. Many people say that the lower your body fat is, the better is the lean mass gain during a bulking cycle. Once I get to 10%, I will never again let it go over 12%. And of course, there will only be slow bulks.
 
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(XFatMan @ Mar. 17 2008,10:20)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">My thought was to go down to 10% first. Many people say that the lower your body fat is, the better is the lean mass gain during a bulking cycle. Once I get to 10%, I will never again let it go over 12%. And of course, there will only be slow bulks.</div>
I have the same goals... once I hit approximately 10% body fat, I want to stay under 12% at all times.
 
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(XFatMan @ Mar. 17 2008,06:40)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">The Barbell Squat surprised me a little. The only squat rack at the gym doesn’t provide any safety, so you should only lift weights that you can safely bring up and rack. There’s no room for errors.
...
I’m now in the condition to use boxing rounds for my jump rope sessions.</div>
A lot of the problems with the squat are mental. Having a solid power rack to work in helps a lot. Even if I screw up and do an accordion lift, just collapsing under the weight, I've got the crosspins to catch the bar (though with much clatter...!). All I need do is crawl out and unload the bar, and start over again. Having to work without safety bars may be giving you some minor mental reservations.
...
I was boxing for my cardio until I blew out my shoulder. It works very well, and is way more fun than jumping rope!
 
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(TunnelRat @ Mar. 17 2008,12:53)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I was boxing for my cardio until I blew out my shoulder. It works very well, and is way more fun than jumping rope!</div>
Rope jumping is as fun as you make it. I'm pretty good at it, including most tricks. Whenever I jump rope, I get quite an audience peeking into the gym. I'd prefer real boxing, too, but there's no option near here. You know, I live in the middle of nowhere ...
 
Final showdown – Part 2

I was much too curious to wait until tomorrow, so here we go:

My Overhead Press was at 46 Kg / 102 lbs (0.58 x bodyweight) and should have gone up to 52 Kg / 114 lbs, which corresponds to 0.72 x of my current bodyweight. This is exactly what I was able to do, and I’m very happy with this.

And now – the Deadlift. At the beginning of this program, it was at 82 Kg / 180 lbs, which corresponds to 1.03 x of my bodyweight at that time. It should have gone up to 92 Kg / 203 lbs, which corresponds to 1.29 x of my current bodyweight. I was able to lift 120 Kg / 264 lbs, which is 1.68 x my current bodyweight – 28 Kg / 62 lbs more than planned. There’s no need to ask me whether I’m happy about that.

So, the program is finished. I loved it, really. The only thing that I missed was a bit more direct back work. In my next program, a 10x3 routine that Tim has outlined for me, I will use the big six; Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift, Overhead (Military) Press, Bent-Over Row, and Power Clean. The program looks tougher than the one I have just finished. But well, I never wanted a walk in the park anyway.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank all who contributed for the helpful comments and suggestions. With so much help and motivation from you guys, the program was much easier to follow and to complete, and I can only recommend online journals here. I could even cure what I thought to be a chronic calf injury because someone, I think it was Colby, gave me an on-spot “treatment”. Sure enough, I will open a new thread for this new program, but right now, let me have some time off.
 
I have a set of York Barbell stands that I use for my curl bar...but I was using them for squats before building the rack. I didn't have a problem with the squat itself since I'm not afraid to abort if necessary (damn the floor; I'm gettin' outta the way!) but getting the bar back into those little cradles would just wear me out!
 
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