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Project Heavygan: Eat Plates To Move Plates


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It's pretty cool we both are taking the same journey. Being big & strong all year round  being the goal! not just 8 months of the year

 

The parallels in our stories are pretty uncanny. What you said about looking "unhealthy" when you were doing all the cardio and overtraining definitely rings true for me. I recently came across the photo I attached from my family reunion last September and was pretty surprised with how bad I looked even though I thought I was finally starting to look "fit."

 

Comparing that photo to the most recent photo I've posted ... I'm glad I've finally gotten my shit together, to say the least.

 

I do have to also say I'm infinitely grateful that you've been so supportive and helpful with everything. You definitely put things into perspective and lit a fire under me to put my money where my mouth is. So, thanks, mate.

 

Now, off to test my bench 1RM before coming home to a big pot of chili and some peanut butter sandwiches.

Sept11.jpg.6aece80f5785d376a76dc42a55db1724.jpg

Something like 116lbs?

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Bench and squat testing went really well, putting up those sessions in a couple of hours. Working on re-formatting how I log to reflect the change in my training and my attitude towards it (yes, I'm one of those people) while also working on reformatting my main blog, too.

 

Yesterday/today brought about the most intense hunger post-work out, even though both times as soon as I was finished, I slammed a protein shake. Within the next 45 minutes, I was ravenous. Felt pretty awesome.

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03.05. 12

5/3/1: Week Zero, Day One

 

NUTRITION

58/172/191

 

PROLOGUE

Nail biting, jimmy legging, knuckle cracking – at one point or another I did them all. When I got older, I trained myself to, first, stop being so anxious and, second, stop fidgeting so damn much. As it would happen, I simply traded old habits in for new ones, creating certain routines, patterns, rituals to perform when particular tasks must be undertaken. Some people might find this superstitious, maybe even obsessive compulsive, but, at the time, I found them comforting. They insured a sense of control over situations that appeared dependent upon factors outside myself.

Over time, I realized how inane these practice were – things like wearing a particular shirt for “good luck” during presentation or listening to a specific album on my way to a job interview wouldn’t make a damn bit of difference if I didn’t deliver the goods. And while “free will” is a muddy subject and, after years of arguing with my very Catholic (but also very understanding) mother about it, I’ve long abandoned its debate, I will say this: once I began believing (if not proving) I was the only thing controlling my life, I didn’t need the routines, the rituals, the patterns. And I became more successful. And the only thing I could attribute my successes to was myself. Not my shirt or my choice in music.

What does this have to do with yesterday’s session? Well, for the first time in a long time, I was equally, if not more, nervous about training as I was anxious to hit the iron. While this says a bit about how my focus shifted while running PHAT, I think it speaks volumes about how 5/3/1 is already shaping up to be a game changing program. More on that in a bit, though.* The real reason for the tangent is that, when I woke up yesterday, I found myself slipping into nervous, ritualistic tendencies.

I woke up and, after second guessing my already outlined session goals, proceeded to map my day out for “optimum” results from overanalyzing what I was going to eat for breakfast and pre-work out as well as when would be the best time to hit the gym, taking into account crowd and psychological factors. As I stood in my kitchen, peering into the cabinet that holds both my Cap’n Crunch and my rice cakes (…), it hit me. My target numbers were set. I just needed to fucking do the damn thing and do it right.

So, I put my big kid (sweat)pants on, slammed two peanut butter sandwiches, took my vitamins, went to the bank to deposit my check, and descended upon an empty gym.

 

TRAINING

Warm-up: Five minute treadmill walking with 4% incline and hill sprints at 7.5% incline.

 

Squat

55x5

85x5

115x5

125x5

135x12 (+3 above parallel)

Testing went well as the 189lb 1RM is pretty ideal since it gives me a nice margin for error going into 5/3/1 – I’d rather underestimate my max and build a legitimate foundation for progress than overestimate it only to become unstable in later cycles. Each rep felt great and I paid careful attention to breathing technique and elbow placement, two areas I used to neglect despite their importance. The only negative thing about these sets is that I’ve come to find depth to be extremely inconsistent, largely because of discomfort in my hip joints – some sets/reps I’ll have no problem going ATG, others with the same weight have me struggling to even hit parallel. Started doing hip flexor stretches in between sets, looking into getting a foam roller, will probably starting doing goblet squats occasionally.

 

Hanging bent leg raises

10x5

 

Good mornings

45x15

 

Back raises

2x10x10

2x10x25

My first attempt at good mornings was pretty fruitless. I took a video of them and realized my back was rounding a bit too much and I’d like be able to go a bit further with them to get more bang for my buck. Switched to back raises to start building toward GMs.

 

Leg press

180x15x2

90x15x2

I wanted a little extra pump and the plates were already loaded. I shouldn’t have been surprised that these felt about 100lbs heavier after testing my max.

 

Dumbbell side bends

40x10

45x10

 

Cool down: Cycling, 20 minutes, 4.4 miles

Added 20 minutes in post-work out to start conditioning myself to cycle back-and-forth to my new job work/the gym once the weather is consistently good as they’re across the street from one another and only 2.5 miles from my apartment. An easy way to get warmed-up and cool down and save on money and fossil fuel dependency.

 

AFTERWARD

All in all, I was pleased with how the session went and even more pleased with the fact that, ten minutes into cycling, and I was ravenously hungry. I practically chugged my shake as soon as I got off the bike and, by the time I was home and showered, I was hungrier than before so I made a pretty generous stir-fry of red cabbage, bok choy, onions, peppers, carrots, celery, and topped it with some of the best tofu I’ve fried to date. That went down the hatch pretty quickly and, about two hours later, I was hungry again – cue peanut butter and waffle sandwich and soy ice cream. I’ll attribute the increase in appetite to the re-introduction of cardio which only worries me slightly – increased appetite is a good thing for someone whose hunger “pains” are infrequent but, once I’m cycling almost six miles a day, I’ll have to make sure I’m still eating more than I’m burning, especially once summer rolls around. I guess I’ll just have to start eating more …

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How long after do you take in carbs once you have worked out? Really you should have some along with the shake like instant/oats you've blitzed up. I use maize starch but even a couple of banana are good. Something easily digestible.

 

I'm going to try the ice cream Idea post workout after my break

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Is your new job a vegan place? Are you still gonna be a whole foods?

 

It's not a vegan place by any means but it's definitely extremely vegan friendly. I won't be at Whole Foods any more but it's a change I needed to make for a number of reasons.

 

the legs rock, the food pic is to die for! I have shared I am OCD about being small and lean, but your motivation along w/ a few others here keeps me there...and like you its 365! (or I try) Keep it up! Thanks you!

 

Thank you for the kind words! The great thing about this forum is the encouragement, support, and inspiration that everyone gives each other and I'm extremely flattered that anyone sees this log as helpful since it's done so many great things for myself.

 

How long after do you take in carbs once you have worked out? Really you should have some along with the shake like instant/oats you've blitzed up. I use maize starch but even a couple of banana are good. Something easily digestible.

 

I'm going to try the ice cream Idea post workout after my break

 

I usually shoot for carbs within the hour after working out. It's been easier to just mix my "shake" (protein + water) right at the gym, eat a meal that's pretty carb-hefty within the hour, wait a little bit till the hunger kicks in again, and then eat some more.

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That's cool, I usually do 2 scoops protein 50g starch with supps then I also eat within the hr...

 

For some reason I'm not eating much pasta atm, I always go through Phases on not liking something. Though 2 cups of rice go through me rather fast now. Same as veggies not eating many but I'm loving loads of salads again. 

 

I still swear by eating a pizza; be it veggie/vegan once a week. It's handy for me coming off my last night shift as I sleep a few hrs but get up as to get back into sleeping during the night.

 

With the toppings or a side salad it's a good meal. I love making the base with seeds mixed in. It can be fat, carb heavy but it also gives me a huge energy boost coming off nights. As I'm finishing in the morning I'll go right to the gym & to bench, sleep a few hrs then get up. So it also allows me to grab some/catch up on calories.

 

I cook with tofu for the first time in ages recently, reminds instantly how crap it is & why I don't use it. Just a poor selection over here....

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For some reason I'm not eating much pasta atm, I always go through Phases on not liking something. Though 2 cups of rice go through me rather fast now. Same as veggies not eating many but I'm loving loads of salads again. 

 

I still swear by eating a pizza; be it veggie/vegan once a week. It's handy for me coming off my last night shift as I sleep a few hrs but get up as to get back into sleeping during the night.

 

With the toppings or a side salad it's a good meal. I love making the base with seeds mixed in. It can be fat, carb heavy but it also gives me a huge energy boost coming off nights. As I'm finishing in the morning I'll go right to the gym & to bench, sleep a few hrs then get up. So it also allows me to grab some/catch up on calories.

 

I cook with tofu for the first time in ages recently, reminds instantly how crap it is & why I don't use it. Just a poor selection over here....

 

I definitely know what you mean about going through phases of wanting/not wanting to eat certain foods - I do it all the time. I wasn't really eating much tofu because I'm really particularly about the kind I buy and I couldn't find the brand I'm pretty loyal to (Twin Oaks - co-op/independently owned, greatest texture ever) but when I made it the other night, damn.

 

I eat a pizza every Friday or Saturday night - it's a ritual in my apartment, actually. We do the dough from scratch and change it up depending on how we feel (sometimes its whole wheat, sometimes we through some seeds in there, too), sometimes even the sauce, and load it up with whatever toppings we feel like. Great pre or post-work out food, most definitely.

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....I recently came across the photo I attached from my family reunion last September and was pretty surprised with how bad I looked even though I thought I was finally starting to look "fit."

 

Comparing that photo to the most recent photo I've posted ... I'm glad I've finally gotten my shit together, to say the least....

 

I think the best part is how strong you feel in day-to-day life, as compared to before. Comparing myself as a fat, lazy vegetarian to a (less fat) exercising vegan, the strength difference is ridiculous.

 

You are making great progress. Keep eating those plates!

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03.06.12

5/3/1: Pre-Cycle, Week Zero, Day Two

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“No, milk, no. Milk is for babies. When you grow up, you have to drink beer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pumping Iron

 

NUTRITION

52/142/225

 

PROLOGUE

“Productivity” is such a relative term. Some people measure it monetarily – “I completed x and will receive y for doing so.” Others see it more systematically – “Accomplishing x allows me to now do y which will let me down z eventually.” Me, I like to look at more philosophically – “I’m going to do whatever letter of the alphabet presents me with another alphabet to choose from.” With that said, yesterday was a fairly “productive” day. And I spent the first half of it in sweatpants.

Before one o’clock I was able to get the ball-rolling on “re-launching” my main blog, edit some writing, outline an article, clean up my apartment, and catch up on some article/study reading I’ve neglected for the past two weeks. Around two, I started making chili, an act I find to be one of the most satisfying, yet torturous, endeavors on the face of the planet.

Chili, as you may know, is often called a “simple” meal. I vehemently disagree. Yes, anyone can throw beans, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spices into a pot, let it cook, and call it “chili.” It takes dedication, improvisation, and commitment to make chili. One does not “cook” chili, they create it – carefully choosing the “base” (will it be vegetable broth or tomato sauce?) tasting it as it simmers (is there enough heat? does it need some sweetness?), adjusting the spices accordingly (a dash of pepper here, a shake of cayenne there), and incorporating their own touch (insert “secret ingredient now). Making chili is a process and, when done right, an art-form.

So, after an hour in the kitchen, I was ready to let me canvas dry – i.e. let the chili simmer for a few hours – I sat down to have a pre-work out snack and check my email. I eventually got sidetracked and ended up compiling article links to read later in the evening. While doing so I came across the Simply Shredded perma-link to Pumping Iron and, needless to say, before I knew it, it was the dreaded “5:00-6:00 p.m. gym window.” Remember Monday’s overanalyzing of “optimum” testing circumstances, I said to hell with it and headed to the gym. All the gym-bros could come at me, just not the rack.

 

TRAINING

Warm-up: Two minute treadmill walking and sprints, 100 jump ropes

Damn DOMS from squatting Monday.

 

Bench press

45x6

50x5

60x5

65x10 (+2)

60x15

I’m not sure what happened here. On the third warm-up set of 60, I remember thinking how light the bar felt and, for a split-second, contemplated continuing to rep the weight and use it for testing. Retrospectively, this would have been the better plan but I decided, perhaps foolishly, that since 60 felt light, I could set a pretty nice PR with 65 while testing my max. This would have been the case had my ass not come off the bench for the last two reps. To be fair, it wasn’t much, maybe a quarter of an inch, but I refuse to cut corners with this program. The last set at 60 came out of nowhere. I was a little pissed off about the previous set and wanted to, at the very least, finish benching on a good note with 3 reps with perfect form. Once the bar started going up, though, it was like the first set after warming up – form was tight, the bar felt light. Probably the result of adrenaline/being pissed so I pretty much bunked this testing. Either way, the “average” estimated 1RM from the last two sets is 89lbs which sounds about right.

 

Assisted dips

70x10x2

80x10x2

 

Assisted pull-ups

90x10x2

 

Assisted wide-grip pull-ups

90x10x2

Even though I didn’t do this yesterday, I’ve recently started doing sets of pull-ups and dips in between benching and I’ve seen huge increases in strength as a result. Lots of rep increases here.

Incline dumbbell bench press

20x10

15x10

12x10

After all of the benching, pull-ups, and dips, these were a bitch despite light weight. I pushed through, though, because I’m planning on using them as an assistance lift and I wanted to test what weight I should be working with.

Face pulls

40x10

50x10

60x10

70x10

This was my first attempt at face pulls so I actually did a few reps with 30lbs but it seriously felt like I was pulling air. The next two sets felt the same. It wasn’t until 60lbs that it started to feel like I was doing something but neither that set nor the set of 70lbs was a problem. In fact, I could have went heavier but, again, no sense in rushing my progression and now I know where to start.

 

Tricep pushdowns with rope

80x9

70x10

60x10

50x10

I did these in between the face pull sets mostly because the set-up was perfect the go back and forth between the two. Pretty light weight but more difficult than usual because everything prior.

 

Wide-grip lat pulldowns

50x15

Just for the lat pump and to segway into cooling down.

 

Cool down: Cycling, 25 minutes, 4.94 miles

 

AFTERWARD

I can’t lie, during the drive home from the gym, I mentally berated myself for a good five minutes regarding my bench performance. How was it possible for me to have gone all out on 65 if I was able get 15 reps at 60lbs afterwards? Then I remembered two things. One, I don’t have a spotter and, because of this, I’ve always practiced restrain with the lift, often leading me to lift my ass from the bench when I get anxious about potentially dropping the weight onto my chest. Two, bench has always been a hit-or-miss lift with me and while I could have been smarter about testing it (i.e. going with my gut on the first set of 60), I shouldn’t be bummed about a low 1RM – it is means there is much needed work to be done. Challenge accepted.

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I am also a supporter of a locally produced tofu here in So Cal....higher protein. You intensity about berating yourself...omg...i am reading your workout while salivating (is that cinnamon with a melted vegan spread?) thinking, "self,...get your lazy a$$ to the gym"

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What is on that bagel?

 

One is peanut butter sprinkled with cinnamon, the other is pumpkin fruit butter.

 

I am also a supporter of a locally produced tofu here in So Cal....higher protein. You intensity about berating yourself...omg...i am reading your workout while salivating (is that cinnamon with a melted vegan spread?) thinking, "self,...get your lazy a$$ to the gym"

 

Yeah, the Twin Oaks tofu is 11gs of protein instead of the 6 most other brands have. The fat is higher but, for me, that's a good thing. I'm always on the low-end of fats.

I always read your log but I'm bad about commenting - you should never call yourself "lazy." You bust ass, day in and day out.

 

Whenever I work a night from now on I demand you train so I can read an update

 

Don't beat yourself up to much over the benching. Two so called bad reps from 12 isn't something to

Be annoyed over....

 

My update for today won't be as colorful, training-wise, since today was a full on rest day but I have some cool things to talk about concerning my new job and how training will be a lot more "set" since there are only two possible shifts for me to have, though the days won't be as uniform.

 

I think the reason I was annoyed was because, not even two weeks ago, I put up 65x10x3 pretty easily but my form wasn't as great. I'd almost say my bench form is the best of all my lifts so I don't even want to call it my 'weakest' even though it's extremely light weight.

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03.07.12

5/3/1: Pre-Cycle, Week Zero, Day Three

 

NUTRITION

56/187/210

 

VIGNETTE

Recent entries could lead one to speculate that I am, by ‘nature,’ a nervous person. Despite this not being true, this one is no different. Yesterday I started my new job and, while I wouldn’t call it “glamorous” (restocking beer, cleaning tables, and running drinks isn’t necessarily living it up), the position entails working at an extremely well-known, -loved, and –established business with a pretty top-notch reputation, locally and nationally. Coupling that with the fact that I have zero experience in the area and the over-used phrase “the pressure is on” might have came to mind once or twice yesterday.

Since I wasn’t scheduled for training until 5:00 p.m. I was left with a substantial amount of “free” time beforehand. As it so happened, yesterday was also a rest day so I had to find something other than the iron to keep me preoccupied. Luckily, I had a lot of work to get done on my blog and my poetry and since my lunch for the day had already been made (left-over homemade chili with a peanut butter sandwich), before I knew it, I was so immersed in my writing that I had to scramble to get my things together to head to work.

When I got there, everything went quite a bit smoother than I anticipated and I think I can safely say this new endeavor is exactly where I want to be right now – great establishment, people, and atmosphere, the work is challenging in a way I’ve never been exposed to before, and it’s a good foundation for some of my bigger, and loftier, life goals.

What it isn’t great for, however, is food intake – my shifts are short (either six hours or seven hours, tops) and there’s not a lot of time to take lengthy food breaks. In fact, I’ll more than likely never be able to eat while I’m on the clock because things are always moving. This wasn’t an issue for the first four hours of my shift - I’ve always been one of those people who, when there’s work to be done, it gets done and I pay little attention to anything else.

As the night started to wind down, it suddenly hit me: I was ravenous. For the next hour, I kept checking the clock to see how long until I’d be able to get home and eat, whereas before acknowledging the guttural noises coming from my abdomen. After that initial hour, I still had one more left and, by the time I got home at 11:45 p.m., my hunger had waned into exhaustion. The day’s early anxiety, bust-ass mentality, and lack of food seemed to hit me all at once: I just wanted to go to bed to do it all over the next day.

I took one glance at MyFitnessPal account and realized this was insane. Because I hadn’t known how long my shift was going to be (I assumed since I was training it would be shorter than usual), I ate half my daily calories beforehand – giving myself enough room to either have a big dinner and dessert or two smaller meals once I got home.

Five minutes before midnight and I had 1000 calories left to eat. Six months ago, I would have made a half-hearted attempt to do this, scarfing down 5-600 and calling it a night. Not anymore. I managed to throw back 1,021 calories worth of tofu, mini-waffles, peanut butter, cereal, and flax milk within an hour.

In the eternal struggle that is Sarah D. vs. Food … Sarah D. came out victorious.

 

TRAINING

Off

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03.05.12

5/3/1: Pre-Cycle, Week Zero, Day Four

 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0nn0iI5Am1r3mlz8.jpg

-Henry Rollins

 

NUTRITION

58/150/200

 

PROLOGUE

Yesterday morning was simple: caffeinate (crush), peanut butter (kill), gym (destroy).

 

TRAINING

Warm-up: Back raises and leg extensions with light weight.

 

Deadlifts

65x5

95x5

115x5

135x21

I don’t even have words for how pulling these felt or how beastly I felt afterward.

 

65x10

70x10

75x10

Took a wider stance with these and it made all the difference in terms of hip flexibility and depth. Most certainly could have went heavier but I knew it wasn’t necessary after all the deads.

Seated leg curl

60x10

70x10

80x10

 

Back hyperextensions

10x10x2

25x10x2

 

Dumbbell side-bend

45x15x2

 

Cool down: None, had to get home to eat before work.

 

AFTERWARD

In the back of my mind, I've always thought I favored deads because, when I took strength and conditioning in high school, power cleans were my favorite lift but I've been afraid to return to them for some reason and the rush I get from pulling a heavy dead was the closest I thought I could come to cleaning a lot of weight. This session, however, tells a different truth: I favor deads because they are my strongest lift and, because of that, I get a pump from them like no other. To be honest, the buzz I got when I hit the 20th rep could have been rode out straight through 25 but I left them in the tank. Form would have started slipping soon enough if I kept pushing it too far and that wasn't necessary when I've been aiming for low 1RM estimates all week ... 229 is what counts as "low" these days, if you didn't know. Because I just got the memo yesterday at 2:00 p.m. when I pulled those deads.

Hunger, as per the usual, was extremely high yesterday; I showered at the gym, dashed home to make myself waffles topped with peanut butter and home-made raspberry protein ice "cream" served with a side of spicy-pumpkin tofu, and headed off to work sore, full, but content.

And, after reading veggiesasquatch's log the other day when he mentioned what he had for breakfast (oats and peanut butter), I decided to use late-night 'bowl' to bring back an old favorite of mine with a new twist: the peanut butter "cookie" oatmeal: 40gs of oatmeal cooked with just enough water, once finished, pour in 1 tablespoon of syrup, let it cool for a bit, stir in 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein (adding in water/milk if it gets too dry), swirl in some peanut butter, add any toppings you'd like (as you can see from the photo, the new "twist" was the Cap'n Crunch) and then enjoy. Tasted a-may-zing.

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