Creation of an Explosive Mofo - My Training Journal :)

[coolcolj]

Hmmm, I can't figure out my body, I actually feel pretty decent today!
Waking pulse is back down to it's lowest (55) and I'm barely sore at all.
Bodyweight is 207lbs straight out of bed in shorts and t-shirt waist is 36inches.

My waist hasn't budged much from 36inches, nor has my bodyweight over the last month. Granted I've been eating more carbs, but things have stagnated on the fat loss front, hitting my setpoint it seems.

I'm starting my deload/power/speed block, which will go for the next 3-4 weeks. I won't be doing much energy work, maybe just some walking, and the training frequency will be much lower and higher intensity. I need to get under 200lbs ASAP, so now would be the perfect time to do something like the Velocity Diet

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=563877

I've done something like this in the past, where I just ate chicken breast and lettuce, drank gallons of water and then carbed up/pigged out every 4 days for 3 weeks. And it certainly works, without any muscle or strength lose and I felt like a million bucks, mainly because I'm carb intolerant.

But this one doesn't have the carb ups and uses protein powder which simplify meal prep a lot!
I'm not gonna do it excactly the same though. Will not be using any of the supplements he is taking, just a multivitamin and loads of fishoil.
I will still eat my usual breakfast cereal+whey in the morning which adds about 50g of carbs, and also post training. Then some slower release combo protein powder for the other meals to keep me feeling full (whey is too fast) which will add about 10-15g of carbs. I'll have raw nuts at each meal and some veges here and there, which take care of the fibre and top up the carbs to about 100-120 grams. Plus at least one meal a day will have meat instead of the protein powder.
I tried one day like this last week and it seems to feel ok.

Hopefully this will drop me down to 195lbs or so after the 3-4 week block, then I'll go back to my usual stuff, and new microcycle. I'll get back on it on the next deload block to take me back down to 185lbs hopefully. I should be lean enough then, if not, I guess down to 175-180lbs...
After that I'll drop most of the energy work and concentrate on strength and speed/power work. A double bodyweight 14inch grip bench will be much easier as well and I'll be ready to fly vertically and horizontally

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Your journal is always entertaining to read. It's got a lot of detail in regards to your training, and helps people to understand how and why you do the things you do. Thanks for keeping one - it's definitely helpful for many.

 

[coolcolj]

Your journal is always entertaining to read. It's got a lot of detail in regards to your training, and helps people to understand how and why you do the things you do. Thanks for keeping one - it's definitely helpful for many.

thanks and that's the idea




I did a 15min brisk walk yesterday afternoon, and also some walking in the morning with a large tub of protein powder I just bought

bodyweight in shorts and t-shirt - 206.5lbs waist just under 36 inches
---------------------

Well I started my new diet, at least up to the last meal which was a pigout at a family gathering, but my bodyweight and waist is slightly down, and I need to transition across anyway...
Funny seeing my bodyweight drop down during the day as opposed to it rising when I eat normally

Looks like yesterday was slightly below maintenance for a rest day, and that's probbaly the most protein I have eaten all year! Around 1.5g for each pound of lean bodyweight - for that reason I may even add muscle and get stronger, but I'm not doing much strength or hypertrophy work in the next 3-4 week block in any case.

first time I've actually sat down and worked out exactly how much I'm eating - eating mostly protein powder which makes it easy

I had 8 meals yesterday, most of em 1.75 hours apart. And lots of cold water!

5:30am - Cereal (180) + whey (117) + Oat milk (107) = 404 calories
4.5+27+3.5 = 35 g of protein
3.6+0.2+5 = 8.8g of fat
30+1.5+15 = 46.5g of carbs

8:30am to 5:30pm - 3 Whey serves, 3 Protein blend serves
702 cals, 162g protein, 1.2g fat, 9g carb
each had 7 almonds - 49 cals, 2g protein, 4g fat, 1.4g carb
and some lettuce/veges - not much of each at a guess, say 50 cals, 1g protein, 30g carbs ?
total -

last meal was a pigout - a tiny steak, 4 barbacue sauages, half a plate of chips, some veges - guessing 1000 cals, 60+g fat, 40-60g protein, 100g carbs

fishoil - 2 caps each meal, 16 total, about 200 total calories?

---------------------------------------

so total for first 7 meals is - 1205 cals, 200g protein, 12.8g fat, 85.5g carb

not including the fishoil - 2 caps each meal, 16 total, about 200 extra calories
and 10+ grams of fat ?

then the last meal blows it tight up to around
2200 cals, 240-260g protein, 80-100g fat, 185-200g carbs

so with a clean meal in place of the last meal I'm good to go!
Keeping the calories around 1600 for non training days and 1900 on training days. On training days I have another serve of cereal+whey+oatmilk after training which bumps up the calories, protein and carbs as needed.

so maintenance is around 2300-2500 calories I guess

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Question for you: Do you still use that tap tester thing? I saw recently you mentioned your RHR upon waking, and I know you used to use the tap test as another method to check your fatigue. I've noticed that after laying off for two weeks and being able to only hit 16 periodically with 2 seconds, and also after my girlfriend and I finally stopped fighting so much (lots of bullshit going on) I'm able to hit 18 all throughout the day - waking, mid-day, night time. I guess it does work, 'cause I've been feeling better on the whole lately.

I still don't get exactly how it works. Or, I do...but only very basically.

 

[coolcolj]

no, cause I don't want to wear down my keyboard
And I find them taxing in their own way, especially my finger muscles!

I didn't find as much of a correlation for me, even when I'm fatigued my reaction times and tap speed can still be very fast

The best way would be an Omega Wave device, but I can't afford one
http://www.omegawavesport.com/

 

[coolcolj]

Tuesday 4th October - Cycle 3 Get Lean+Maintain Strength - Week 5 DELOAD - Day 2 - Lower + Upper Power - Microcycle 4

Time to get my body to turn on the muscles fast! Power and force absorbtion emphasis. I've also changed my approach - in the past I paid to much attention to barweight, now I'm focusing on feel and form. If I can't snap and brake the bar in a blink of eye without muscling it up then its too heavy. I'm putting the same respect into these lifts as I would with high altitude drops and depth jumps. Use only what my body can handle, and then stop the sets when I sense and form brake down and fatigue no matter how small.

Workout went well, diet didn't didn't make much of a difference, apart from the hunger pains The extra protein boost seem to make me feel different. And lower carbs meant less pump and bloat which seems to enhance power.
3.5 lbs lighter than the last time I jumped in the gym, and jump is well up!

Bodyweight at gym - 208.5lbs
Workout time - 1 hour 30 mins
Workout rating - 8/10

Warmup

1) dynamic swings etc
2) back extension BWx6 + 6 twisting to each alternate side
3) situp complex on swissball
4) warmup complex with 30lb bar - RDL onto toes with shrug, military press, explosive good morning onto toes, snatch grip behind the neck partial press, hang powercleans, powerjerks - 10 reps each, except cleans and jerks, 5 and 3 reps respectively
5) 1min ISO at the bottom of a narrow full squat position, holding until my heels get close to the floor
6) 4 sets of 15 ankle hops

7) did a few altitude drops off 6inches and bodyweight drop squats, then 3 sets of 3 vertical jumps, going higher and harder each time.

Did 2 maximal jumps,
one standing - NEW PR!! boom popped the ceiling panel up 3+ inches, at least an inch higher than the last time I jumped in the gym.
one step jump - NEW PR!! boom eyes level with the ceiling - So only 7 more inches before I can touch my head on the raised ceiling area!

All the jumps felt effortless, hardly any dip compared to before, and did not feel as muscled up like a month ago, Always seems to be the case when I unload from heavy squatting.
Also on one of the later standing jumps, where I was showing a guy I know there how I can now pop the ceiling panel up, I jumped my highest of the day 4inches over the ceiling! Make me giddy thinking about how much higher I'll get when I'm under 190lbs!

clip - right click and save first to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_StandingJumpPR_25August05.mpg


Rotating Sets between each exercise

Resting 1 to 1.5min on warmup sets and then 3 mins between each exercise

Jumps - did a standing jump before each set of each exercise. Once the jump becomes hard and muscled or lower I stop everything

Drop/Reactive Squats - in Sneakers

Warmups - fullsquat bar x5, Reactive squat (early reps controlled) - BARx12, 70x5, 95x3, 115x2

medium stance to hamstrings at parallel position - 55% of (85% BW+1RM)
Rotation 1) 135lbs x 3
Rotation 2) 135lbs x 3
Rotation 3) took me 3 attempts on the jump to get above the ceiling so stopped here

Same weight as used at the end of the last microcycle, perfect weight.
Smacked up my upper hammies like nothing!

clip - right click and save first to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_ReactiveSquat_135_2x3_4Oct05.mpg


Barbell Jumpsquats

continous
Rotation 1) 25lbs x 4
Rotation 2) 25lbs x 4

feels like 3-4inches away from ceiling on these

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Rotating Sets between each upper body exercise

Resting 1.5 mins on warmup sets and then 2.5 mins between each exercise

14 inch Grip bench - shoulder blades tucked - no arch or leg drive

Warmups - Bar x12, drop catch style - bar x 5, explosive 95lbs x 8, 135x6

controlled down, explode up, then the rest controlled down in the first third, frefalled down at halfway down and snap up 2inch off the chest. Using a smooth rhythmic approach
Rotation 1) 155lbs x 4
Rotation 2) 155lbs x 4

had to work quite hard at the reversal

clip - right click and save first to avoid errors
http://www.members.optushome.com.au/blitzforce/Movies/CCJ_DiveBomb14inchGripBench_155_2x4_4Oct05.mpg

Chest Supported 45 degree T-Bar Rows - Overhand grip

warmups - explosive - 30lb in dumbells x 12, then 25lbs x8, 45x8

explode up, freefalled down and abruptly brake 2-3inches from full extension
Rotation 1) 70lbs x 4
Rotation 2) 70lbs x 4

Fried my mid back!

 

[coolcolj]

Had trouble sleeping last night, body was buzzing from the workout, and diet I guess. Don't feel too bad though, and I don't feel drained like I normally am after this type of workout, and hardly any soreness? Things may change later today though...maybe all that protein helps recovery...

I didn't think I'd drop any weight since I felt like I ate so much late in the day - went to bed weighing 94.4kg 208lbs. When I get up, stand on the scale and it reads....

in shorts and t-shirt 93.3kg 205lbs waist 35.75 inches
in underwear - 92.9kg 204.5lbs

down 1.5lbs from yesterday morning and waist down 1/4 inch!
And I really do look and feel leaner. Zero "cardio" and 1/4inch off the waist each day sounds good to me - 200lbs here I come!

That's pretty much the rate of fat loss I had before on this type of diet, but back then I ate real food which was hard to get a gauge on actual calories and protein/carb amounts. Less food prep make the hunger pains from protein powder worth it though

Anyway yesterday I pretty much ate like the first day, but with some changes. I ate 10 almonds per protein shake meal, instead of 7.
I replaced one of the protein shake meals with Steak and veges before my workout. And post workout I had cereal+whey+oat milk in place of another, then had another shake meal. After that the last meal of the day was steak and lots of veges.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Wait a second, your meals mainly consist of whey protein shakes? Sounds like what I used to do all the time! Have you found yourself able to gain weight doing that in the past, or have you not tried?

Why did you choose to do this? For the sake of conveinence? How far apart are you meals? I ask 'cause whey protein is fast-absorbing, but people exaggerate that point a little too much - besides, fiber slows digestion a great deal.

 

[coolcolj]

read what I posted further up it details exactly what I'm eating and how far apart
Plus a link to the diet, but I have modified it as written above. I take whey at breakfast (with the cereal) and after training, then the other shakes use a protein blend of differnet types to get a longer sustained release and its more filling.

I have no problems gaining weight and putting on muscle - if I want to, but that's not what I want right now

I only started doing this a couple of days ago to lean up. Been stuck in a rut eating clean with energy work, I got from 220lbs to 208lbs like that over 6+ months, but now it's time to blitz my way down under 200lbs
Most people who did this diet drop at least 10lbs in a month, with most in the 15+lb range, without any loss in muscle mass. Some even gain size and strength due to the large amount of protein, but since I'm not actually doing much direct strength and hypertrophy work right now, that probably won't happen with me

And yeah it is helpful, when your having 6+ meals a day, not having to cook meat for every single one
Plus it is more exact when your trying to figure out protein and calorie numbers. Also the fat levels are way lower like this vs eating meat.

And tons of ice cold water helps with 8 calories burnt per glass, due to the fact your body has to heat it up to body temp.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I don't think the tons of ice water thing is going to make much of a difference. You can probably burn as much straining on the bowl, provided you don't eat your fiber.

Also, you know you don't need six meals a day, right? That whole eating every three hour thing is a myth. Your body needs an excess (or defecit) or calories to grow or lose weight, respectively. You also need adequate protein. Once these requirements are fulfilled, nothing much matters. Of course, if you call out the extreme of one or two meals a day, then there could be problems, but the original three meals a day thing will work fine. I find myself sticking with four and it works wonders. I eat every 5-5.5 hours or so. Each meal has about 1200 calories, not to mention a quick pre- and post-workout shake, one with creatine (pre) the other with dextrose (obviously, post).

Anyway, don't listen to me - you're doing fine on your own! Good luck dropping to 200 lbs. I'd recommend a great way to drop fat while retaining (or possibly gaining) muscle mass and strength, but I don't think the diet could coincide with your training.