gsop_3

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Today's W/O

usual warm-up

squats: 5x5 - 111kg (244.2 lbs.)

Bench: 5x5 - 85kg (187 lbs.)

deads: 1x5 - 115kg (253 lbs.)

BTW, my meals are usually as follows:

breakfast - 1 cup dry rolled oats, handful of dry goji berries, pea protein (40g), brown sugar cinnamon. Add hot water, mix and eat. vitamins - DoubleX multi, vit. D (4,000 IU.), 5g spirulina and 2.5g chlorella tablets

snack - homemade protein bar, almonds, or protein drink

lunch - school cafeteria (stir fry veggie and tofu dishes, rice and porridge, fruit) 5g spirulina 2.5g chlorella. Sometimes I eat a salad instead.

afternoon snack - another protein drink or more almonds

dinner - cafeteria (same as lunch)

night snack - more almonds, oatmeal or protein drink.

Thinking of adding cardio to the end of the workouts to speed up fat loss but not sure if it's necessary right now. Would it cut into my recovery ability and slow my strength gains??? The way I see it, I'm making strength and size gains and staying relatively the same weight while my stomach fat is going down (though still no six-pack) SO I must be losing fat and gaining muscle. Does that stand to reason??

Yesterday's W/O:

same warmup as last time

Squats - 5x5 109kg (239.8 lbs.) The last rep on sets 4 and 5 were near failure (didn't take big rests this time)

Bench - 4x5 85kg (187lbs)

(Would have done 5x5 barbell rows but ran out of time and had to pick up my daughter from school. ...next time for sure!)

measured thighs today - 62cm (24.5")! 1.5 cm (> 1/5") growth in 9 days! I'm quite amazed! I'm now about 81kg - so that's 1 kg bigger and obviously most, if not all, has been gained on my legs. Feeling super strong and stoked to see these gains!

Today's W/O:

1.25km warmup on treadmill, 10 minutes stretching with focus on the psoas and glutes, then...

Squats - 5x5 107kg (235.4 lbs.) The first set was the hardest and got easier after that! hmmm...

OHPress - 5x5 60kg (132 lbs.)

Deads - 1x5 115kg (253 lbs.)

I took BIG rests between squat sets - 3-5 minutes...Just wanted to make sure I could get all of the reps on the last set. (the stronglifts 5x5 program suggests taking up to a 5 min. rest as the weights get between 1.2-1.5x body weight) good? bad? any thoughts?

Sweet action! I'd be interested in at least 3kg (3 x 2.2lb bags).

This week I changed from Thu/Sat/Mon. to Mon/Wed/Fri for the next 5-6 weeks, so I didn't get the usual two days off yet...not till Saturday/Sunday now and I've planned a mountain climb for Saturday. I did a short mountain climb (well, more of a brisk charge) on Tuesday and have decided that it's not a good idea to do when I only have one day of rest for the legs - squatting three times a week 5x5 and increasing weights every workout.

Wednesday's weights (1-12-2011) - before the workout my left knee had some discomfort that quickly disappeared after squatting! hmmmm...

ten minute warm-up on treadmill @ 8km/hr followed by stretch -my hip flexors (psoas??) are super tight from all of the squats

Squats - 104kg 5x5 (actually easier than the previous two workouts)

Bench - 82kg 5x5 (still relatively easy)

Inverted rows - body + 15kg 3x5 (still too easy)

I've decided to switch to barbell rows since those are better for the back anyways. I'll start out at 45kg to get a feel for it and practice good form then increase steadily from there.

January 8th, 2011 - So, it's been a while since I've posted something...Been sick, busy teaching etc. Any ways, I've been consistent with lifting but I've changed over to the Strong Lifts 5X5 and I'm seeing great results and I like the linear thinking of the program for beginners. ..since I am at the beginner level. I began somewhere in the middle and have steadily increased for to date and I'm in the middle of my fourth week. My weights are as follows:

Squats: 100kg 5x5 - the first time it felt difficult to finish the last rep.

Deads: 100kg 1x5 - still easy

Overhead Press: 55kg 5x5 - close to stalling

Bench: 80kg 5x5 - still easy but feeling heavier.

Inverted Rows: body + 14kg - easy

Pull/chin ups: body + 9kg (pulls are harder than chins)

My body weight is at 80kg and my thighs have increased from 57cm to 60.5 cm since September - most of which has happened in the last month alone! I've pretty much accomplished the 12-week goals of the program and plan to continue seeing increases in my weights, though not without stalling along the way.

That is so cool! So people just put in their veggies, I assume in a very large pot?, and wait for them to cook then dress them with the condiments how they want? Is that how it works? I LOVE this idea

Yes that's exactly how it works! So easy and a great atmosphere with friends. put in the veggies/tofu, take them out and eat! the broth at the end with fresh noodles is tops! Let me know if you try it and what you think of the results!

Just curious...is there a reason for soaking the beans for four hours? Or can I just dump them into my pressure cooker and get the same results??

*Note: I currently use a pressure cooker and get beans done in about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Check out this link at naturalnews.com about a compound in grapefruit (and other citrus fruits) that helps burn fat! Has anybody else read something similar? Do you intentionally consume grapefruit for this purpose? If so, what results have you noticed - if any...?

http://www.naturalnews.com/029684_naringenin_grapefruit.html

Today was the first try at deadlifts and I'll tell you what! - my hams, gluts and lower back were screaming and I nearly heaved bile! I had to lay on the floor for a few before getting out of the gym and getting to dinner...carrying my 2 1/2 year old daughter. I used 110Kg (242 Lbs) and got 12 reps the first set then 9 and 7. I found it was rough on the hands and think I need some type of glove or strap when doing these to save the skin on my hands as I increase the weight. As for the rest:

bench - 70Kg 9,6+,6;

Shoulder press - 40Kg 8,8,6+ (I tried these sitting and standing and found standing easier) Is that normal for standing shoulder presses to be easier than sitting? If so, why? is there some way that the form is more difficult or more strict while sitting? Either way, I enjoyed not being able to raise my arms above my head afterward.

Pull ups I got 8,5,3 - a bit weaker than last time...felt like I didn't have enough energy in the muscles as we lifted late afternoon...just before dinner and didn't eat much (a PB&J) mid-afternoon. Sipped a protein shake during the first half of the workout...good? not good?

So, I can't attach a .xls file..I guess this will have to do...as of last Saturday 8/28/2010

Chest press 3 sets X 6-10 reps

actual reps: 8+ 7+ 5+ 13 9 7 6 4 4,3,2 2,1

weight: 60Kg 60Kg 70Kg

Shoulder Press 3 X 6-10

actual reps: 6+ 7 4+ 9 4+ 4+ 4 4 2

weight: 40Kg 40Kg 40Kg

Pulldown 3 X 6-10

actual reps: 20 7 7 9+ 5 3

weight: 36Kg 48 48 78Kg - body

Squat 3 X 6-10

actual reps: 10 10 10 13 10 10

weight: Amanda-54Kg 60Kg

Hamstring Curl 3 X 6-10

actual reps: - - - 16 16 12

weight: -- 30Kg

body weight: 79Kg 78Kg 21% BF

All sets to failure (but not intense failure) or 1 rep shy of failure. As soon as I can do 10 on the first set, I will jack up the weight. last time, was too soon. It was supposed to be a rest day and didn't rest long enough and therefore hadn't recovered fully. Lifts were weak and UN-profitable.

Chinese hot pot is the BEST! We eat it all winter here and warms ya to the core!

we use an electric hotplate with a pot of boiling water. Everyone sits around the pot and adds the veggies/tofu they want then takes them out when they want to eat it. Usually accompanied by a small dish of peanut/sesame sauce with the option of minced garlic, chili pepper oil, sesame oil or aged salty tofu (a red cube of paste). SO, after the veggies/tofu are ready, take out and dip in the sauce and enjoy! Hot pots can last hours if your not careful! always end with a bowl of delicious broth and perhaps some hand-pulled noodles.

The usual list of items:

sweet potatoes

frozen tofu (my favorite)

spinach

cabbage

shitake mushrooms

regular firm tofu

romaine lettuce

large green onion (to flavor the pot)

fresh ginger slices (to flavor the pot)

Sichuan peppercorns (to flavor the pot)

radishes

endive

canola greens

mustard greens

dandelion greens

turnips

rutabaga

noodles - wheat or rice starch (to signal the end of the meal)

they don't usually use carrots or celery here but it would be a great addition!

The simplest recipe for tofu I know of (here in China) is diced with chopped chives and some toasted sesame oil (salt to taste). Though, I do have to say that tofu in China is TOPS! you can just eat it straight up and it's great! Tastes nothing like what we have in the States. There's also an endless variety of tofus and recipes...as I research and test some more, I'll add them to the thread.

One thing to mention that I usually do with any tofu is press out as much water as I can unless it's being scrambled or put into a blender drink...

Ok, so today was supposed to be a rest day but I was so stoked to lift, we went in to "the office" after a dinner of pinto beans and homemade pea protein bread (a VERY dense loaf! LOL).

WOW! really guys, it's important to rest as much as you are supposed to. I could tell the muscles didn't get the recovery they needed before I damaged them again. I upped the weight on my bench by 10 kilos tonight and still got 6 reps on the first set but really felt the difference in weight and lack of full recovery. We also decided to change to a split today so we only did the flat bench and barbell shoulder presses. I also decided that I would do set after set until I couldn't even do one rep...I got to the 8th set and couldn't even get the bar off the rack! Of course that also meant I was too tired to hit the shoulder press very well. I only got 4,4,2 with the same weight that I got 9,4,4 last workout.

The good news is that we enjoyed a protein drink made with frozen blueberries, papaya and coconut milk and a few drops of vanilla extract...totally hit the spot! the mix for the drink was one cup of coconut milk, 1cup of frozen blueberries (could have used less), 1/2 cup frozen papaya, 80 grams protein powder and 1/2 cup of water (room temp), teaspoon or so of vanilla extract - throw it all in the blender and hit it til it's done! Makes two drinks...half of everything for one person unless you like large drinks...just don't used 80 grams of protein for one person!!! shouldn't have to say it but ya never know!

I learned something about my body tonight...give it the recovery time it needs and save it for the right time! I'm just not used to the higher energy level that I'm having and felt I HAD to do something with it. Any thoughts or suggestions on what you've read are appreciated!

New beginnings for my wife and I.

Today marks the second workout day of our program and my 9th day of Veganhood. My weight has dropped from 83 Kg to 78 Kg so far with 21% BF. I hope to stabilize soon and begin adding pounds/kilos. The goal is to be 90 Kg - but that is long term from now. I'll need to eat like a horse!

We are doing a simple full body, high intensity workout every 4 days for 6-8 weeks with the intention of changing to a 3-day, 2-part split routine after that. We have improved in all areas from the first workout. It's amazing how incredibly sore my legs were after the first workout. In fact, even today they were tender going into the routine - 4 days later!

The routine is as follows:

Chest press 3 sets X 6-10 reps (flat bench press - barbell)

Shoulder press 3 sets X 6-10 reps (sitting barbell press)

Lat Pull-downs/pull-ups 3 sets X 6-10 reps

Squats 3 sets X 6-10 reps

Hamstring Curl 3 sets X 6-10 reps

All sets are being done to failure (or one rep short of failure) and NOT intense failure or drop sets. Once 10 reps are achieved on the first set, the weight is bumped up the following W.O.

The first workout, we never made it to the hamstring curls...ran out of muscle juice! the whole body burned with lactic acid and I dry-heaved after the squats. Today, we made it through the routine but the hams were on FIRE!!! As mentioned earlier, we did make progress in all areas - I am putting together a spreadsheet which I will attach in a follow-up post for accountability and good book keeping.

in response to the questions about China...We've been here for 3 years and loving it! The food is great, though at times a little salty. It is relatively easy to be vegan here but more difficult to be a Raw Foodist due to sanitation issues and overuse of pesticides. Currently, we are attempting to seek out a local grower that is willing to provide organic produce. We are in Qingdao which is the city that hosted the sailing events for the 2008 Olympics. Thanks for the interest! we appreciate the warm welcome! questions are always welcome!

New Vegan here. I have been vegan for a total of 6 days! Previously, I had been vegetarian for 2 1/2 years then went back to eating meat for 3 years. Then, recently stopped again and decided that vegan is the way to go. My health and conscience has suffered from eating animals - due to laziness...enough is enough!

My wife and I teach English in China and are seeking to transform our bodies. We were in great shape when we got married - I was heavily involved in sports and my wife was a dance major in Uni.

**Looking for mutual support, encouragement, knowledge and delicious recipes!

Currently, my main protein source is a LOT of beans, nuts and tofu and pea protein drinks - (not so delicious).