Westside and Crossfit: do you really think you can pull that off?!?

[SasaAndWendy]

No, when I worked out early, I made sure to have some casein just before bed (usually greek yogurt) and then I hit the gym empty. I ate as soon as I got home, usually around 7:15. I've read that this stimulates the most fat burning, not just during the wo, but all day long. It definitely worked for me, although the irony is that I learned about it as a "method" after I stopped doing it! Initially, I was just doing it because it worked for me.

That's interesting - I never thought of it as a method either until I read it here. It's exactly what we do as well; up at 5am, in the gym by 5:30am. Protein shake after lifting days at around 6:15am, breakfast around 7am. We eat dinner about 4pm and then go for a long walk. That's a fast of about 14 hours. I think I'll try the casein before bed to see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the information!

[righter]

I end up doing leangains naturally. He only recommends a 14 hour fast for women, which I do naturally in that I eat dinner at 6 and don't have breakfast until 8. I am plenty lean but, as I said, this is just how I naturally eat. I do sometimes have an apple and almond butter at around 8pm, which brings my fasted window down to 12 hours. I do note that Berkhan is not a fan of Fast 5.

I have to say that, overall, I think what and how much you eat is far more important than when. Yes, if you are looking to dial in the last couple of oercentage points in an already-lean physique, it might be helpful to do a bunch of timing tweaks. But for most people, I think leanness can be obtained by eating the right foods and not too many of them.

I'll be curious to read your throughts/progress on the programs.

I am the same way. I'm not much of a breakfast person, so i end up eating my first meal after the gym, around 11 a.m. It comes out to be about a 15 hour fast. Sheesh. I didn't realize it was that long until now! Sometimes I will have a shake before I go to the gym, though, especially if it's late morning.

I can say that I already question my thoughts on Fast 5 for a heavy workout day. But I am not going to overthink any of this right now as I need real world experience to work with. I will try it both ways.

Getting to the 16 hours was difficult yesterday, so I just need to settle into a routine and then getting to 19 should be easier. I know calorie restriction will be much easier as there won't be time to eat. I know that is not the healthiest approach mentally/emotionally, but when you break it down to simply skipping breakfast and a snack, is really not that tough.

Finding a way to get ~ 250 G of protien in the window is the challenge!

It'll be interesting to follow your experience with IF. I have read about it on the boards in several threads, but not in the journz.

Luck with it.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/13/12- Made it to noon again. Would have gone till 1 PM, but had to get a bunch of chores done and was not going to eat out.


New Gym at 4 PM- trying out the back after the injury Mon

Warm- with narrow and wide high pull down and narrow low row (felt this the most so chose not to do them)

Pullups- (rest only enough to lift Gen up for hers)
12, 8, 6, 4, 4

Gen was 8, 6, 6, 6, 4

Narrow Grip Pulldowns- kept light and higher reps
100 x 15, 15, 12
90 x 12

Gen worked with 55

Pullovers- light again as I haven't done them in a year
80 x 10 x 3

Gen had rarely done them and her shoulder was limited - 17.5 x 10 x 3

Curls- (standing preacher as the spinal erector cannot handle the leverage of weight away from the body) light as it has been about a year
30 x 12, 12, 8

Gen did 15's

Core work-
Hollow rock

Completely happy with how the back felt in this workout. Should be able to go back to Crossfit next week. Later in the night the R shoulder told me stories of not liking the pullovers. Noted.


IF- 1 big meal at noon and a small high protien pwo meal at 5:30 and a decent snack at 8:30

I will have to use prot powder to supplement as we are not capable of keeping enough protien cooked every day with a paleo eating wife, a 15 YO boy and an 11 YO girl that all tend to want a protien with their supper and lunch the next day. I am seeing us picking up 2 full rotisserie chickens and making double protien to add to meals ... which will be an interesting challenge with certain dishes to keep the proper moistures and flavors. This is where I see using prot powder in various ways as a dessert.


Example 1st meal today (Sat) 8 Egg whites, 2 wholes, 10 genoa salami slices, 1/4 tomato diced, with parm cheese sprinkeled on top. Ate 3/4 of the batch with a banana and will use the rest as a snack.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

A little CC skiing


Going my way?




Why we do it...




The easy stuff




I'm telling ya...what I gotta deal with every day!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/15/12

Gym

Warm- Roller, kicks, squats

Box Squat- Speed day (not sure how the back will hold up)
225 x 3 x 10 sets
275 x 3 (just trying it our)

Gen did 95x3x10 and then worked to a max 3 with speed of 155 (her max squat is 205)

Hamstring- plate load
35x20x3 (haven't done these in a year...wow)

Gen did deads- we worked technique
135x3x3 sets

I tried several reps and could tell I wasn't going heavy.

Leg Press- plate load
6 plates x 20, 20, 15 rest x 3 sets (haven't done these in a year...pain training)

Ran at 5.0 on the treadmill for 1/2 mile...1st real running since the achilles injury. Was in new shoes as well, so I called it there as I was starting to loose form...trying to stay mid-foot with stride. Gen ran 1.5 in 10 min.

Not real sure what to think about the back. No bruising as has happened in the past, but definitely injured as I could not hold weight away from the body without pain. So, no deads, good mornings or heavy squats for a few weeks and we should be good to go.


IF- waited until after church and had a chicken chimi and eggs with tomato, a piece of ciabata bread, banana and peanut butter at 1 PM
2nds meal was PWO as 1/2 a rotissere chicken, a handful of kettle chips and a piece of cheesecake at 8:30 PM

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/16/12 Couple day layoff for Round 2





Love the look of the bear crawling out of the color





Done





Artists rendering





Gen wanted a pic of all the tatts our friend has done on me

[ChocoChick]

Nice tattoos. Nice smile, too.

[erinlee01]

Definitely watch the back! I worked out through some minor pain and now my right leg is numb (sciatica). I think the pain was easier to deal with.

My husband is itching to get out cross country skiing, but no snow! We got maybe 3" the other day which is not enough to do anything with. Definitely an odd winter here!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Nice tattoos. Nice smile, too.

Thank you very much E. Wife says the smile is better when I am not such a fat-face! Onwards with the IF

Definitely watch the back! I worked out through some minor pain and now my right leg is numb (sciatica). I think the pain was easier to deal with.

My husband is itching to get out cross country skiing, but no snow! We got maybe 3" the other day which is not enough to do anything with. Definitely an odd winter here!

EL- I expected to get some bruising, but apparently the tear was much less severe than we thought. Gen could see and feel where the muscle was pink and inflamed the day of and after, so I am pleasantly suprised with how little it has bothered me.

I had a snort bout of sciatic pain a couple years ago...lots of hip and IT stretching solved it for me. Foam roller of the whole hip-leg and continued stretching (put leg up on desk with ankle to center and knee out...laying calf on the desk to stretch the hip) has kept me out of the chiro office. I hope yours settles as easily!

Several inches of the white stuff last night and it continues today. Dry and crystalline, so it's gorgeous out!


IF Update- Did not IF on Monday, just ate normal (5 smaller meals) with the tattoo that day. Indulged in one treat on the way home to nurse my tender shoulder blade. Some sort of amazing chocolate and coconut square and a banana!

Tues- Noon 2 servings of eggs and sausage casserole and a banana, snack of more egg bake, supper of venison, onions and potatoes, snack of protien powder mixed with ANPB.

No hot-cold flashes today, so that is progress with insulin mgmt. Will go to at least 2:30 PM today as I have meetings. Feel fuller at bed and stomach a touch distended in the AM due to larger meals in the afternoon/evening, but still see abs.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/18/12 Gym

Shoulders is really the only thing I could do with the ink work.


Warm- internal and external rotations and bar work


Overhead Press
45x15, 15
95x10
115x5
Push
135x5
155, 175x3
195x3

New shoes left me a touch off balance a few times and the low back was getting touch and go so shut it down...damn happy with that.


Cable External Rotations
3 sets 15


Jump Rope
5 sets of 50 w/30 seconds of rest b/w


Bent Over Lateral Raise
30x15, 15, 12


Jump Rope
5 sets of 100 w/ 30 seconds rest b/w


Row for 5 min


Cool- Basic stretches


The past month has been a bit of a change of pace with the holidays, a couple trips for ink and the ding I took to the back affecting the typical workouts vs CFit mix....so I went for a little mix of both today.

Gen, of course, was doing double unders and lifting hard. She even hopped in a plate load shoulder machine that I could not get in with the fresh ink. And when we were done she ran on the treadmill like a boss and did a Kbell, heavy ball, treadmill circuit (at least that what she says she did as I went home and cooked supper)

[erinlee01]

That's awesome that you guys workout together. My husband got me started, but our schedules don't mesh. Hopefully now that he gave me a home gym we'll be able to do more together.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

EL- This is the most we have been able to hit the iron together in awhile!



Couple stress filled days at work. Have a couple people heading out of state for training and needed a rental car...no exact stated policy on how far they can take the rental car over the weekend. And a separate situation where there are accusations about the professionalism of a couple of our inspectors at a site. Lots of meetings to sort out the details and make decisions.

Add in a foot of snow and 0 deg and a lot of people getting their cars stuck and semester tests this week at the HS and we have been distracted. Gen headed to a women's retreat at Chico this weekend....jealous, but will go X-Country skiing with the youngest in the AM!


1/20/12 Gym

Warm- Arm swings, external rotations, bar work

Bench- Speed work
225x2x10

DB Snatch
40x5
60x5
70x10

Back did not like it

DB Push Press
75x10

Went and rolled back and legs

Hollow Rock
25, 20, 15

Plate Incline Press- hit front delts mostly
1P x 10 x 3 sets

BBell Tri Extensions
65x10x3

Cable Press Down
10 x 3 sets

Done with that!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/23/12 CFit

Warm- Row, pushups, ring row, ring dips, 1 min squat position, hip stretches

Skill- 2 rounds, 1 minute each exercise with 15 seconds rest b/w and 1 minute b/w rounds
Triplet of Pushup Position KBell Row, Pushup to Dips on Parrallets, Wall Ball Side Slams

WOD- 4 rounds
10 wall ball
14 hands off pushups
16 jumps over the BB bar
12 Deads (40% max) 185#

17 minutes...pretty slow as everyone else got 6 rounds before I got 4. I took the deads slow and steady to protect my back, but truly I was quite gassed by the end. I was excited about doing the wallballs unbroken each time and the bar jumps did not cause any achilles issues!

IF is going well. Still working on getting the protien I need without 2 shakes. Did not cook Sunday as I went out to the ranch to watch the football games with my FIL. And tonight I went straight from CF to a meeting and then home to eat and shower and visit with Gen, so no time to cook tonight.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/24/12 Gym- quick hitter as I needed to pick up the boys from drivers ed.

Warm- hurdles, rev-hurdles, air squats, soccer kicks

Squats-
135x10x2
185, 225 x 5
275x3
315x5x3 sets

Good Mornings
135x10x3 sets

Roller legs as my L hammie was acting up.

Back felt great! Got distracted as I moved into working sets with squats as Gen got in a conversation with a fitness competitor and we talked about her upcoming comps in Seattle and the Emerald Cup in Colorado, some of the people we knew in common, and the new physique class.

Gen did box squats up to 165x3 and kept speed. Not sure what she did after as I needed to get the boys.

Done in 45 min

[erinlee01]

Nice quick workout!

Boys in drivers ed - I'm only a few years away from this and already am having nightmares about it.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Nice quick workout!

Boys in drivers ed - I'm only a few years away from this and already am having nightmares about it.

Wife and I are both aware of the power of a quicky- haaaa!


Thankfully, our son is by far the most cautious of our 3. Our oldest finished drivers ed, inherited an older car from grandpa and summarily totalled it a couple weeks later. Thank God for air bags!

There were many crazy moments raising her and we are thankful she lived to see 21. She is getting married this summer at the family cabin, so everyone is excited and busy getting ready to celebrate.

[ChocoChick]

[Gen did box squats up to 165x3 and kept speed.

You'd better stay on her good side... she is strong! Are you sure you can't convince her to journal here?

[SasaAndWendy]

When/where is the contest in Seattle? That sounds like something we'd like to see!

[erinlee01]

Wife and I are both aware of the power of a quicky- haaaa!


Thankfully, our son is by far the most cautious of our 3. Our oldest finished drivers ed, inherited an older car from grandpa and summarily totalled it a couple weeks later. Thank God for air bags!

There were many crazy moments raising her and we are thankful she lived to see 21. She is getting married this summer at the family cabin, so everyone is excited and busy getting ready to celebrate.

My older son will be the over-cautious grandma driver, I am sure. I might not let my younger son get his driver's license until he's out of the house. He's crazy!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

You'd better stay on her good side... she is strong! Are you sure you can't convince her to journal here?

She is strong for her weight and has good lines! She would have been a good figure competitor if she had not have the surg to move her lats.

I wish she would log Elise! But alas, her free month in the gym is almost over, part of why we are going there more than CF. Then I think she is going gym hopping with her sister for the next month until is is nice enough outside to do outdoor stuff.

Once life settles later this spring, I am hoping to carve out time Thurs night to open up the CF to a open lift evening, and coach from 5 - 6:30. That way Gen will get at least 1 night a week to get under some weight.

When/where is the contest in Seattle? That sounds like something we'd like to see!

I will ask her, I believe it is the Tanji Johnson Figure in Vancouver on 3/31/12 and then the Emerald Cup in Bellvue on 4/20/12

My older son will be the over-cautious grandma driver, I am sure. I might not let my younger son get his driver's license until he's out of the house. He's crazy!

We are in the same boat with the youngest....like an episode of Fear Factor!

[ChocoChick]

Once life settles later this spring, I am hoping to carve out time Thurs night to open up the CF to a open lift evening, and coach from 5 - 6:30. That way Gen will get at least 1 night a week to get under some weight.

You're certified as a CF coach? How did I miss this?! I bow in awe.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

You're certified as a CF coach? How did I miss this?! I bow in awe.

Hahaha, the only bowing I endorse are Goodmornings or SLDL! You can get some good functional strength out of those!

I have the PL Cert, not the full glory Training Cert



1/25/12 Gym

Warm- wide pull downs, front and reverse arm swings

Pullups-
14
9
8
6 with a slight kip

Gen did kipping for sets of 10


DB Row
40, 80 x5
100x10, 8, 8

Gen did 20's as she still has days where it takes time to get connected to where the muscles are.


Cable pull down- Narrow & Neutral
160x12, 8
140x10

Gen did sets with 60


Core Work-
Hollow Rock
Some chair with a bosu ball to do "L-ups"

Went and grabbed groceries and rX and ate with the kiddos while Gen ran intervals with burpees and pullups

[SasaAndWendy]

I will ask her, I believe it is the Tanji Johnson Figure in Vancouver on 3/31/12 and then the Emerald Cup in Bellvue on 4/20/12

I assume this is Vancouver, BC and not Vancouver, WA? (I looked on Tanji's site but couldn't find it.) The timing for the Emerald Cup sucks (lol at it being on 4/20)! We'll be down in Santa Rosa during that time. Please post any other Pacific NW dates, though. I'd hope we'd be able to make something this year!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

Contest Dates are here ->>> http://www.npcnewsonline.com/contestdates.cfm

★ Tanji Johnson Figure 3/31/2012 at Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA Bohm Productions 360-887-8558 WEB: www.northwestbodybuilding.net

[SasaAndWendy]

Contest Dates are here ->>> http://www.npcnewsonline.com/contestdates.cfm

★ Tanji Johnson Figure 3/31/2012 at Skyview High School, Vancouver, WA Bohm Productions 360-887-8558 WEB: www.northwestbodybuilding.net

That's awesome! Vancouver, WA is literally right over the bridge from us. Putting this one on the calendar now. Thanks for the other link as well.

[Big_Sky_Guy]

You are welcome!

We were excited to meet local folk who are good enough to compete in what we would consider a regional shows with Tanji's name and the Emerald Cup!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/27/12

Couple rows of shingles blew off the roof last week in a wind storm. On inspection it looks like the shingles did not seal down properly as we could slide our fingers under many shingles with no real effort. We stripped off T-Locks in 2009 and went with these architecturals as they were supposed to be the best thing since sliced bread. They were nailed down properly and had three seasons to seal, so there is something wrong with the compound. Going to have to have a rep from the shingle company get out here ASAP as I need to get my roof dried back in.

Having the contractor over pushed us late for a workout, so it was more like a date night at the gym!

Warm- arm swings, press downs, bar work

DE Bench
225x2x10

Gen did 75 x 5 for the first 1/2 and then 85 x 2 as she was working on how everything should feel in her hands, shoulder blades and tris

Face Pulls
70x15, 12, 12

Gen did 25-30

DB Floor Press
80x15, 12, 10

Gen did 20-25

Couple friends came in that are prepping for BB and Figure, so we got distracted catching up with them. Rollered and talked while they warmed up. They were on a date night as well!

Pushups
40, 17, 12

Gen did sets of 10

Gen benching...she had more consistent form by the time we got to doubles







And me working on bar speed. No one lifting off so the shoulders get a little forward to start. Gen is better at lifting herself off than I am!

[Big_Sky_Guy]

1/29/12 Gym for an hour in the mid-afternoon as Gen went skiing. My L hammie is slightly strained, so it was smarter for me to stay in controlled environments!

Warm- various forms of kicks, foam roller, air squats, bar work

DE Box Squats-
245x2x10 sets

Roller work

Bulgarian Split Squats-
20's x 5
40's x 10 x 3

I now remember why these suck! I was having to wait b/w legs to catch my breath and get the heart rate down

Leg press- narrow feet to NOT engage the hamms
100's x 25, rest pause 10 seconds, 15 more, r/p 10 more x 3 sets

Pain trainin!

Cool- More roller work, 4 way hip stretches and hip flexor work as they were the tightest at the beginnin of the session

Off to get the son from his cousin's place and get back home to cook supper.

[erinlee01]

haha! I love it when people try Bulgarians for the first time. They are probably the one exercise that kicks my ass the most.

[ChocoChick]

Nice videos! I have a love/hate relationship with Bulgarians. I need to work them back into my rotation.