Imbrication

[Imbrication]

All right it's about time I started my own journal. I am not new to lifting; I've been lifting for almost 10 years. However, in the past year and half I've had a major backslide. A combination of personal problems, work, and just plain laziness has gotten in my way. I continued to work out in that time, but the dedication and my diet just wasn't there. Now is a time to get refocused. My main holy, holy goal is to reduce my bodyfat. It certainly needs it. Right now it's really high, around 29% or so (yikes!).

An example of my current diet is:

Pre-workout meal: 1 eziekal english muffin, 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites

Post-workout meal: 1 scoop of whey, 1 cup of soy milk, 1 tbsp of peanut butter, and .33 cup of oats.

Meal #3: 0.5 cup of oats with blueberries, 1 tbsp flax seed, and 3 egg whites

Meal #4: 0.5 cup of plain, fat free yogurt, 1 scoop of whey, 0.5 cup of raspberries

Meal #5: 5 oz of chicken breast, 2 cups of green beans

Meal #6: 1 cup of cottage cheese

Calories = 1622
P:C:F 46%: 30% : 24%

My workout includes 3 lifting sessions and 2 sessions of hiit. The weight workouts are spread out every other day with hiit days, and rest days between.

Day 1:

Deadlifts
Pulldowns
back-hyperextension
one-arm rows
1 set of barbell curls

Day 2:
Squats
SLDL
Lunges
Calf Raises

Day 3:

Bench Press
Dips
Shoulder press
Close gripped press


If anyone has any suggestions about improvements to my diet or workouts please feel free to suggest away.


Thanks

[Jennifer-Lynn]

Welcome Aboard!!!!

[Helene]

Originally Posted by Imbrication

All right it's about time I started my own journal. I am not new to lifting; I've been lifting for almost 10 years. However, in the past year and half I've had a major backslide. A combination of personal problems, work, and just plain laziness has gotten in my way. I continued to work out in that time, but the dedication and my diet just wasn't there. Now is a time to get refocused. My main holy, holy goal is to reduce my bodyfat. It certainly needs it. Right now it's really high, around 29% or so (yikes!).

An example of my current diet is:

Pre-workout meal: 1 eziekal english muffin, 1 whole egg, 4 egg whites

Post-workout meal: 1 scoop of whey, 1 cup of soy milk, 1 tbsp of peanut butter, and .33 cup of oats.

Meal #3: 0.5 cup of oats with blueberries, 1 tbsp flax seed, and 3 egg whites

Meal #4: 0.5 cup of plain, fat free yogurt, 1 scoop of whey, 0.5 cup of raspberries

Meal #5: 5 oz of chicken breast, 2 cups of green beans

Meal #6: 1 cup of cottage cheese

Calories = 1622
P:C:F 46%: 30% : 24%

My workout includes 3 lifting sessions and 2 sessions of hiit. The weight workouts are spread out every other day with hiit days, and rest days between.

Day 1:

Deadlifts
Pulldowns
back-hyperextension
one-arm rows
1 set of barbell curls

Day 2:
Squats
SLDL
Lunges
Calf Raises

Day 3:

Bench Press
Dips
Dumbell press
Close gripped press


If anyone has any suggestions about improvements to my diet or workouts please feel free to suggest away.


Thanks

Hi and Welcome!

Your diet looks pretty good, the only suggestion I would make is to remove the peanut butter post-workout. Post-workout you want a fast absorption of nutrients and fat slow down absorption. I would just add more oats instead (0.5 cups?).

I didn't know Ezekiel made english muffins!! I wan't some! I have the regular bread, the low carb bread and the tortillas but never saw the english muffins at my natural food store

So you are maintaining you muscle mass but want to lose fat? It's pretty much all in the diet but I would also add maybe 1 more session of cardio, maybe a 30 min moderate session. How long does you hiit sessions last?

You seem to have the training part pretty well under control. Good compound exercices. The only thing I would remove or replace is back-hyperextension on day 1. I don't see the need for those especially since you do deadlifts, maybe add pullups? You don't do any shoulder exercices?

Hélène

[Imbrication]

Thanks Helene and Jennifer-Lynn! My hiit sessions are usually 20 minutes. I typically run and it's usually outside. I can't stand treadmills, as soon as I step on time stands still. For the second half of this past year I was doing way too much cardio (5 days a week). So I scaled back a lot, but maybe it was too much. I'll add in a longer run (45 minutes) and see how it goes.

I do work shoulders, I miss typed before. I usually do shoulder presses on my upper body "push" day. I've been debating whether I should add lateral rasies back in. I dropped them out a month or so ago. Superfluous exercises began to creep into my workout, so I scaled back. I would love to be able to add pull ups in, but I can't do them on my own, and my gym doesn't have an assisted pull up machine. I could work on just doing negatives and then build my way up, because there are pullup bars in the power racks and on the cable machine. However, considering I was once told I couldn't do steps ups on the bench because that could damage the equipment (eye roll) I don't know if that would work. I currently go to my university gym which is great because it's free, but it's the suckiest gym I've ever attended. I hate to pay for something that I get for free. Particularly when for the most part I'm pretty low maintenance equipment wise.

As for the peanut butter, you make a good point Helene. I'll drop the peanut butter from the shake and maybe grab a spoonful before bed.

[Imbrication]

Today I did 20 minutes of HIIT running outside. It was beautiful outside, although still a little cold (damn New York winter). I just about wiped out on a patch of ice in a shady area, but the rest of the run was good.

Meal 1: Ezekial english muffin

Meal 2: Ezekial english muffin, one hard boiled egg

Meal 3 (Post Workout): 1 scoop of whey, 1/2 cup of oatmeal.

Meal 4: 1 cup of fat free yogurt, 1 scoop of whey, 1 cup of raspberries

Meal 5: 6 oz of chicken, 2 cups of green beans

Meal 6: 0.75 Cottage cheese, 20 almonds

1651 calories
P:C:F: 40%:34%:25%

[terracotta]

There are some special shoes that will let you run on ice.. they are called "ice bugs" I know someone who has them. They are really cool.

[Imbrication]

Today I did an upper body push day.

3 sets Benchpress
3 sets Press
3 sets Dips
3 sets Close Gripped Press
2 set lateral raises

It was a pretty decent workout.
Today was the day for my cheat meal. I didn't go too crazy. I made some tacos with extra lean beef, and some cheese. I also had a Cadbury egg (darn Easter season).

[jeni5.0]

could you post a link about 'icebugs'- those sound cool.

[Imbrication]

I don't know if these are kind of what terracotta was talking about. I've thought about buying them, but hadn't quite done it yet.

Ice Joggers

[Imbrication]

Today was my leg day. My legs got a preliminary work out, because I had to dig my car out first thing. I backed off a little today on squats to check my form, but boy did they kick my ass. My legs were pretty much done after that, but that's why I love them.


Squats:
1 set 6 reps 65 lbs
1 set 5 reps 65 lbs
1 set 6 reps 60 lbs

SLDL
1 set 10 reps 75 lbs
1 set 10 reps 85 lbs
1 set 6 reps 90 lbs

Reverse Lunges with dumbells
1 set 10 reps 10 lbs
1 set 6 reps 15 lbs

Calf Raises with Smith Machine
1 set 10 reps 65 lbs
1 set 8 reps 85 lbs
1 set 8 reps 105 lbs

[Imbrication]

Ah a day off. My legs are a little sore today. I'm a little disappointed in myself. Last night I indulged in some less then great food. I always have such a hard time the day after my cheat meal. I don't want to cut it out, because I think it helps keep me sane and my body guessing. I'm definitely going to forego the sugar. I'm like a hard core drug addict with the stuff, just a little and my body wants more. I start feeling terrible (tired, shaky)and the only thing that will help is more sugar. Scary stuff.

[WannaBeModel]

HA! I was the exact same way. I don't cheat anymore for that exact reason. Sugar is my vice! I love to cook and bake, but there is no one else here to eat it. I just stay away...try it, it might work for you. I no longer have cravings.

[Imbrication]

Originally Posted by WannaBeModel

HA! I was the exact same way. I don't cheat anymore for that exact reason. Sugar is my vice! I love to cook and bake, but there is no one else here to eat it. I just stay away...try it, it might work for you. I no longer have cravings.

I think that's the route I have to take. During the week my typical diet is virtually sugar free. I guess sugar is just one of those things that makes my body go wacky.

[Imbrication]

Oy. This week has been super hectic. My lifting went pretty well this week, up until day that is. I hate my gym. It's awful, but it's free. Today was my leg day, so I stroll in ready to work. Unfortunately my gym has two power racks that are used for squats and presses. And of course two guys had apparently set up residency in them. At first I was going to just wait until they were done, but they both planned to do a billion sets (jerks!) and of course they were doing presses, so I couldn't work in. I had to go about my workout without my squats. Then at the very end of my workout they finally finished up. So in the end I got my squats in, but they got put last in the shuffle. Sigh....I hate it went things don't go as I've planned. I might switch my leg days to Saturdays just because most of the undergrads don't drag their butts out of bed before noon, so I can lift in peace. I'm so tired of that gym. I'm tired of it being crowded and I'm tired of the lack of equipment. However, a grad student salary doesn't exactly many extracurriculars. I deal for now, but I'm definitely going to try and make other arrangements.


My diet for today:

Meal 1 (pre-workout):
1 ezekial english muffine (I'm addicted)
1 hard boiled egg

Meal 2 (Postworkout):
1 cups of oatmeal
1 scoop of whey

Meal 3:
1 ezekial english muffin
6 oz of tuna
2 slices of reduced fat provolone cheese
1/2 tsp of curry powder
(a yummy, yummy tuna melt like concoction)

Meal 4:
6oz of chicken
2 cups of green beans

Meal 5:
1 cups of cottage cheese

Calories: 1583
P/C/F: 51/24/24

Little low on the carbs today, but the oatmeal that was supposed to be meal 3 just didn't taste right, so it got nixed.

[Imbrication]

Went to the gym to do my hiit this morning. I don't usually do my cardio on a treadmill, but I just need a little extra push. I only did 15 minutes, because I was worn out. That just proves to me that I'm not pushing myself hard enough outside. It's a little different when you have to run a certain speed or you will fly backward off the treadmill into the wall.

My diet today:

Meal 1 (pre-workout):
1 ezekiel english muffin
1 hard boiled egg

Meal 2 (post-workout):
1 cup of oatmeal
1 scoop of whey

Meal 3:
1 ezekiel english muffin
6 oz of tuna
2 slices of low-fat provolone

Meal 4:
6 oz of chicken
.5 cup of green pepper
.5 cup of red pepper

Meal 5:
.75 cup of cottage cheese
1 cup of green beans

Calories: 1531

p/c/f: 48/25/27

My carbs have been a little low lately. I need eat more berries.

[Imbrication]

Yesterday was a back day.

Deadlifts
95 x 7 reps
95 x 8 reps
105 x 5 reps
105 x 5 reps

Lat Pulldowns
100 x 7 reps
100 x 4 reps
90 x 8 reps
100 x 4 reps

Barbell Row
50 x 8 reps
60 x 6 reps
60 x 5 reps

Barbell Curls
35 x 8 reps
40 x 3 reps

Hammer Curls
15 x 8 reps
3 x 3 reps

[Imbrication]

Today was a cardio day. I did 20 minute of HIIT on the elliptical trainer with a 5 minute warm-up and cool down.

[Imbrication]

Today was a chest day:

Inclined Bench Press
8 x 55 lbs
6 x 60 lbs
5 x 60 lbs

Bench Press
5 x 75 lbs
6 x 70 lbs
5 x 70 lbs

Dips between 2 benches
10 x body weight
6 x 15 lbs
6 x 15 lbs

Arnold Press
8 x 15 lbs
8 x 15 lbs
8 x 20 lbs
8 x 20 lbs

Close Gripped Press
6 x 55 lbs
6 x 55 lbs
7 x 55 lbs

Lateral Raises
8 x 10 lbs
6 x 12 lbs
6 x 12 lbs

My diet:
1532 calories
P/C/F: 42/30/28

[MsJewels]

Originally Posted by Imbrication

Today I did 20 minutes of HIIT running outside. It was beautiful outside, although still a little cold (damn New York winter). I just about wiped out on a patch of ice in a shady area, but the rest of the run was good.

Oooh - be careful with that! A friend of mine who is an avid outdoor, all-season runner took a nasty spill a few weeks ago and broke her leg in two places! Needless to say, she's missing this marathon season...

Nice to see another journal starting up.

[Imbrication]

Oy. My first day back to the gym after being sick and the end of last week and most of this week. Today I did chest/tri.

Benchpress
7 x 75
4 x 80
6 x 75
5 x 70

Inclined Press
5 x 60
6 x 55
7 x 55
4 x 60

Dips (between 2 benches)
8 x bodyweight
6 x 10+bw
5 x 10+bw

Close Gripped Press
8 x 55
8 x 60
8 x 60

I'm definitely feeling it this morning. The break was probably good for my body, but man it always messes with my head a little. I can just feel myself getting really anxious when I haven't been able to work out. I guess it's just my drug of choice.

[MsJewels]

Originally Posted by Imbrication

I guess it's just my drug of choice.

I love that - I'm going to use that when I'm getting hassled about not drinking when we're out.

Glad to see you're back - This is such an awful time of year for sicknesses. Everyone seems to have a cold or some virus. I've managed to avoid it so far! Yay!

[Imbrication]

Oh my I have been so bad about posting this journal. This week was fine for the most part. My diet was fine, lifting was fine, cardio was okay. I'm just feeling blah this week. It's spring break at my University yet it snowed this week. Yuck. Then my advisor tells me he is taking a job at another university. He'll still be a co-advisor on my dissertation work, but it sucks anyway. Blah, blah, blah. I need some sunshine and warm weather. Summer, where are you?

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by Imbrication

I don't know if these are kind of what terracotta was talking about. I've thought about buying them, but hadn't quite done it yet.

Ice Joggers

Nope.. these are more advanced then that. You can read all about them here:

http://www.icebug.se/launch.asp

There available in canada so I imagine you can get them in the US. I think they are expensive. But it's better than falling and breaking something.

Quoted from the site:
" The BUGrip® technology features “smart” studs. The studs are long wearing carbide tip steel studs that react independently to the pressure exerted by the user and the resistance from the ground, thereby providing exellent all round traction:
On slippery softer surfaces (for example ice, wet grass, mud) the studs remain protruding and "grip" the ground.
On hard and solid surfaces (like asphalt or concrete), the studs are pushed into the outsole at every step; the rubber then makes contact with the ground and provides non-slip friction.
On hard, uneven surfaces and/or mixed hard soft surfaces (for example stones and rocks) some of the studs are pushed in while others remain protruding, the effect being that a combination of studs and rubber makes contact with the surface.

WHY DOES THE TECHNOLOGY EXIST?
The BUGrip® technology was developed by triathlete Sid Kastner. After falling once too many times during his winter training in Montreal, Sid decided that he had had enough of slipping and accidents. There were no shoes on the market that satisfyingly addressed his problem, but since Sid is not only an Ironman and World Champion – but also quite entreprenurial and the owner of a factory – he did not simply stay on the couch awaiting spring. Sid started experimenting together with this technicians, developing soles that were road/ice tested by himself. After nearly ten years (and a few more falls) he had a concept that worked.
Enter ICEBUG®, a Swedish footwear company. Together with leading multisport athletes we started developping the MultiRun line and during field testing we quickly noticed that the technology was not only very useful to provide traction and safety in winter, but also worked very well for trail running and other outdoor activities, particularly when conditions are wet and slippery.

CAUTION: Products with BUGrip® are not recommended for indoor use, as they may damage floors and cause slipping. "

[terracotta]

oh, and you are doing some kickass workouts there!

[Imbrication]

Okay those Ice Bugs are way cool. They will definitely be on my list of things I have to buy for winter. Thanks for the suggestion terracotta!