#369 Postby vegansludge » Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:47 pm
03.19.12
5/3/1: Cycle One, Week Two, Day One
Interlude: The Future
NUTRITION
Since January, I have kept my calories at a flat 2,000 with static macros of roughly 56/150/225 which, around mid February, finally pushed me to 123-5lb range depending on all the well-known variables (hydration, sodium, food intake, etc.).
I failed to mention in this log, despite writing it down in my paper journal, that, upon starting 5/3/1 I would do weekly weigh-ins on the same day and with relatively similar circumstances (hydrated, with a pre-work out meal, and after my session). Last Monday, I weighed in at 125; today, I weighed the same.
As always, I went back-and-forth about how to approach this situation and deduced that I need to do two things, in the following order: first, recalculate my estimated caloric needs since quite a few factors have changed since I “reset” them in January. Secondly, I need to “bite the bullet” and buy a BodyMedia - not only find my “true” maintenance but also to, once and for all, shed my Former Fat Kid anxieties. If I know, instead of guess, my maintenance and can, therefore, know, instead of guess, how much I need to be eating to gain, there won't be any need for anxiety, fat gains will be kept to a minimum, and strength will continue increasing steadily without having to take three weeks to asses if a calorie bump is enough/too much ... however, until then ...
Recalculated maintenance is, in fact, approximately 2,000 calories. Guess what that means? Intake is going to be 2,200 for the next three weeks to “verify” this new estimation and will continuously be adjusted until I can afford the BodyMedia.
Macros will be a lot like they are now (0.45xBW for fat; 1-1.6gxBW for protein, fill the rest in with carbohydrates) but I might mess with the ratios a bit if I find the increase in carbs hard to stomach.
EQUIPMENT
When I first started squatting at my parents’ house, more often than not, I did so barefoot. I was born flat-footed and with an extra bone in each foot (I do not kid) so finding shoes for any specific “athletic” endeavor has always been a chore, from the time I played peewee basketball up until to my brief stint as Cardio Kid last summer. So, when I started StrongLifts 5x5, I would alternate squatting in my Chuck Taylors and without any shoes at all. As the weight got heavier, squatting barefoot always felt better.
However, as much as I wish I could have continued lifting sans-shoes, moving my sessions from my parents’ garage and into a commercial gym requires a little bit more discretion and adherence to “sanitary” practices. So, I went back to lacing up my Chucks before each session. For a while, this was all well and fine. Then my dear friend Osgood-Schlatter decided to remind me that he’s permanently set-up residence in my knees and, though he doesn’t make his presence known often, when he does, it is not at all pleasant.
Oh, yeah, I have Osgood-Schlatter disease. For those of you don’t know, the simple way to this is simply the fact I have bumps on my knees that hurt quite a bit from “overuse” – one of the key activities that exacerbate this pain is, you guessed it, squatting.
Now, I have neglected to “divulge” this bit of information about myself largely because I often forget about it – after years of skateboarding, I started attributing my knee problems to bashing them against concrete, plywood, and stairs rather than some “mysterious” disease I was diagnosed with at the age of 11. Fast-forward 12 years and throw in some self-education about fitness and health, weekly heavy squatting and, soon-to-be-introduced, intense conditioning, and, well, my concern for addressing the condition properly has increased quite a bit.
In fact, the reappearance of good old Osgood prompted me to take a good look at how much effort I was really putting into my program outside of just lifting. Turns out, I’ve been a pretty piss-poor job making sure that I’m as healthy as I should be in order to perform at my best.
So, over the next few months, I will be acquiring things that I already should own or, in the very least, be in the process of owning - a foam roller (which I ordered today with the last bit of Amazon giftcard I forgot I had), squatting shoes and knee sleeves (to keep Osgood happy) and maybe even some compression socks for the hell of it.
GOALS
To be achieved within a year
100lb overhead press
125lb bench press
250lb deadlift
200lb squat
For reps.
Compete.
"When in doubt, squat and run hills." - Jim Wendler
IRON MNTN //
LOG
There's really no secret to it other than knowing my caloric needs and filling them however I want each day - that's the beauty of "following" IIFYM.
