esqinchi

Monday, September 9, 2013: Mixed Bag Day - had a bit of time, so just picked some random stuff that came to mind, totally at random... 0. Warm Up - 3 Minutes Jump Rope 1. Stability Ball Pushup to Pike x 12 2. Triple Situp x 10 3. 3 for 3 (see previous post) x 8 @ 35lbs* 4. Standing Arnold Press x 12 @ 25lbs* 5. Hanging Leg Raise x 15 6. Standing Tricep Press x 12 @ 35lbs - Rest 60 Seconds - 7. Repeat #1 x 12 8. Straight Leg Reverse Crunch x 15 9. Diamond Pushups x 20 10. Repeat #4 x 12 11. Repeat # 5 x 15 12. Pushup Plank x 60 seconds (Plank starting pushup position, hold 10 seconds, lower to finish pushup position, hold ten seconds, return to start, repeat) 13. Bruce Lee Curls x 12 @ 25lbs* 14. Hammer Curls x 12 @ 25lbs* Felt pretty good at the end of this long circuit, though it was nothing special. I wanted to get one in today so I don't have to train Tues/Weds/Thurs. I feel like I crap out on my Thursday training by going for three consecutive days. Soup for dinner (Roasted Yellow Pepper Bisque from Veganomicon), and I'm freakin starving! Here's the recipe: http://beetsandpetitesyrah.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/roasted-yellow-pepper-and-corn-bisque/ Also did some vegan cornbread on the side - ain't nothin wrong with cornbread! Do any of you have the Veganomicon book? It's one of the best we've come across in our culinary travels.

Saturday, September 7, 2013: Weekend Warrior Day Slept in this morning (til 8:00), which was awesomely refreshing. Made it to the gym before 9:30, and found that there were only five barbell clips available. Apparently many of them either broke, or were stolen over the last month. Employee there said "we should have some in by next month." Dude, next month?!? It's only seven days into September!!! WTF. Also noticed the usual suspects of total morons and assclowns with bad attitudes were there today. I swear, one day when I am rich, I'll have my own gym. No ab crunch stations, no people dropping weights in front of signs that say DO NOT DROP WEIGHTS, no people doing shoulder press on a bench in the squat rack, no people doing only deadlifts in the squat rack, no people lifting too much weight for their level of advancement and looking like idiots. Anyhow, enough of the complaining... 1. DB Bench - 3 x 12 @ 65lbs each hand 2. Overhead Press - 3 x 12 @ 55lbs 3. Assisted Pullup - 3 x 12 @ 45lbs assistance (so approx. 120lbs of weight lifted) 4. Front Raise (a/k/a Driving the Bus) - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs 5. Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs (are these ever not the biggest bitch of all time?) 6. Side Lunge - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs 7. Decline Bench - 3 x 12 @ 105lbs 8. Assisted Dips - 3 x 12 @ 45lbs assistance (120lbs weight lifted) Was going to add three sets of twelve of both Medicine Ball Slams and Standing Arnold Press, but felt like I have been pushing myself too hard lately; plus it was damn near 11:00am, and I don't want to spend my whole day off in the gym. Decline Bench felt pretty easy, probably could have added at least another ten pounds, maybe fifteen. I want to run through my mental catalogue of exercises and try not to repeat so much week by week.

Hey neighbor, what part of the city do you live in? You might try Charter Fitness on Belmont (my gym). It's usually not that busy during the day, but can be around the regular rush hour times. The good(?) news is that there is an XSport just down the street, which seemed to draw away a lot of the jerks milling around. That being said, there are some not-so-great people remaining. Hey, it's cheap ($19.99/mo) for Chicago. Chris

Friday, September 6, 2013: CORE DAY! Really though, who doesn't love core day? About an hour before training I treated myself to an awesome kale/spinach salad, with a ton of toppings like lentils, kidney beans, peas, carrots, peppadew peppers, olives, and such... Core Circuit: Repeat twice. 0. Warmup: Jump Rope 5 minutes 1. Sit Up V Up x 20 2. Side Plank w/ Rotation x 15 each side 3. Pike on Stability Ball x 15 4. Incline Leg Raise x 12 5. Flutterkicks x 15 6. Decline Situp x 15 @ 25lbs 7. Jacknife x 15 @ 25 lbs 8. Side Bridge x 15 each side 9. Reverse Crunch x 15 Felt really tired after the first set - probably too much jumprope. I feel like I should add more cardio to my workouts. I also feel like I should maybe take a rest week; keep training, but lower weights/reps to get some active recovery in. I have been trying to walk to and from the train every day, which is about .6 mile total. That's not much, maybe 20 minutes in all, or less, but it is better than nothing I suppose. I'll hit it again tomorrow with upper body. Have a good weekend everyone!

No worries man, I'm glad things are going well. I took a couple days off here to rest up, as I have been under a lot of stress lately, and probably overtraining/undereating. I played soccer from when I was 6 to 18; love the game. However, I seriously doubt I'd have the stamina to do a full 90. Is yours professional, for fun, college, or high school? I always played left side defender. What about you?

What kind of lentils are those? The Pardina (Spanish) lentils have the most protein, from what I have discovered. Your diet might be a little carb heavy, especially with the rice + bananas + sweet potatoes. However, if your training is cardio heavy, that might not be a bad thing. If it were me (who does 90% weight training), I would swap 1 cup of brown rice for another cup of lentils. Maybe try to find some more inexpensive greens to add in, other than cabbage. Is this a picture of what you eat in a single day, or over the course of a week? If it's a week, then I think you might be seriously calorie deficient - but I'm willing to bet this is a single day of eating. What is your height, weight, gender, etc.?

Tuesday, September 4, 2013 Worked with trainer tonight, all upper body. Pretty decent workout that I am sure I will feel tomorrow. I kind of fell of the wagon taking the HMB supplement. I had to take 12 caps per day, which is ridiculous, and I always forgot. Plus, I kind of like feeling sore. Speaking of sore, my legs are screaming after Monday's training; especially inner thigh. Here's the training, separated by sets: Warm Up - 5 minutes treadmill walking, 5 minutes foam rolling on the legs. 1. Hammer Strength Incline Bench - 3 x 12 @ 130lbs 2. Incline Row - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs* 3. Reverse Curl to Shoulder Press - 3 x 12 @ 60lbs (w/ EZ Bar) 4. 3 for 3 Kettlebell Pushup to Rows - 3 x 8 @ 35lbs* (that's 3 pushups, hop in, three rows) 5. Bent Over Lateral Raise - 3 x 12 @ 20lbs* 6. Close Grip BB Bench - 3 x 12 @ 105lbs 7. Supinated Curls - 3 x 12 @ 30lbs* (* Denotes each hand) Came home and had some soup for dinner (corn chowder w/ potato; added some lentils for extra protein). Approx. an 1800 calorie day. Feels good to be back on the diet after a three day bender of beer and junk food. I gained four pounds over the weekend, but I am certain the majority of that is water. I tend to really hold on to water weight, which is really annoying. I felt kind of bloated all day, with a bit of a distended belly. Sometimes I wonder whether I will ever lose this tummy I have, or if it will always be there from a combination of my past obesity, and now my growing age. Any tips on dropping the belly fat without losing much strength would be awesome. I've considered going to the doc for bloodwork, and then possibly a nutritionist. Would a nutritionist be able to help much?

Hey, thanks for your response. I've been keeping my calories below my maintenance level in order to drop some pounds (trying to get down to about 160). I'll admit I am a bit lost on my macros with respect to fat loss, without muscle loss. I would really like to cut my body fat % down to the 8 - 10% range; or at least until I can see some definition in my abs. Any advice you might have would be appreciated. Thanks for the info on NEAT. I do sit at a computer all day, so I will take your tips and apply them as often as possible. I definitely notice that my legs get very agitated toward the end of the day; such that my concentration on work is nearly impossible. I usually mitigate by standing at my desk, but I should take your advice and walk around for a bit. I trained legs yesterday at home, and noticed that I was pretty sore this morning, so I walked to the train instead of catching the bus like normal. Thankfully, it was nice and cool out. Thanks again for the info!

Monday, September 1, 2013 Lower Body Day Drank all day on Sunday, which was nice. Got to spend some quality time with my wife - finally. We have tough schedules, and rarely see two days in a row together. Tried to do three sets of the routine below, but felt absolutely horrible in the middle, so I had to cut back to just two sets of each. 0. Jump Rope - 3 minutes 1. Front Squat - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs 2. Side Lunge - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs 3. Pullups - 2 x 10 4. Stability Ball Pushup to Pike - 2 x 12 5. Angled Lunge - 2 x 12* @ 50lbs 6. Burpee to Deadlift - 2 x 12 @ 70lbs 7. Stability Ball Leg Rollups - 2 x 20 8. Straight Leg Jacknife - 2 x 15 @ 25lbs Really thinking about going raw vegan for a while. I hate straying from my diet for more than one day, or one meal really. It makes me gain a ton of water weight (4lbs since Friday night), digestion gets all messed up, heartburn today, and generally feeling terrible. I feel like I need a vacation - and to whine less.

Saturday, August 31, 2013 Upper Body Day 1. BB Bench - 3x12 @145lbs 2. Upright Row - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs 3. Overhead Press - 3 x 12 @ 55lbs 4. Seated Close Grip Angled Lat Pulldown - 3 x 12 @ 105lbs 5. Low Row - 3 x 10 @ 120lbs 6. Wood Choppers w/ Rope Attach - 3 x 12 @ 50lbs 7. Squat - 2 x 12 @ 225lbs 8. Deadlift - 2 x 12 @ 120lbs Felt really tired after the first two lower body sets here, and kind of gave in to my body screaming at me for rest. Honestly feeling kind of burned out on training at the moment. Had some average vegan pizza for dinner, and a few beers. Cheat meals always make me focus more on my diet, to the point where even though I am straying, I feel like I am mentally scolding myself.

Friday, August 30, 2013: Day of Rest! Judge said to go home early (I clerk for a judge in Chicago), so I took her advice and hit the bricks! Came home to take a nap, and to make this awesome salad below. Can you spot all of the ingredients? Here's a hint: Spinach, broccoli, english peas, green olives, garlic, peppadew peppers, carrots, beets, pickles, soybeans, a shake of vegan parmesan, and a tablespoon of Trader Joe's soy sesame ginger dressing. Demolished in minutes! Off to bed! (or maybe some video games )

Thursday, August 29, 2013: Another core day, this time with the trainer. Good circuit - some of it brutal. 1. Squat/Lift/Press x 20 @ 90lbs (basically a barbell with weights on one end, stand at the end w/ weights, other end wedged in corner. Holding the bar, squat, lift to the chest, flip the grip, press above head, lower, flip again, squat) 2. TRX Knee Drivers x 20 each side 3. Side Plank on Bosu x 60 seconds* 4. Stability Ball Pushup to Plank x 15 5. Resistance Band Log Lifts x 20 6. Straight Leg Jacknife x 20 @ 25lbs 7. Plank Walk on Floor Ladder (brutal) x 60 seconds (Plank, down on each elbow, spread each leg, return legs, return to plank on hands, shuffle to next rung, repeat) 8. Decline Medicine Ball Tosses x 20 @ 12lbs Repeat twice. Honestly, I hate floor exercises like the plank walk. They are just so taxing. On the other hand, I loved the resistance band log lifts - it's just brute strength from the whole body. After this I went home and had some more soup. Probably didn't eat enough yesterday, but I did snack on some of that vegan cake from the day before, so I probably made up for it. I would love to take Saturday off as I haven't been sleeping very well this week due to some weird cough I've had (with no other sickly symptoms), but I haven't done legs at all this week, and would feel remiss if I skipped the opportunity. We'll see though, because this morning I felt like I could sleep all day.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013: Core day. Did a nice circuit at home, as follows: Warm Up - Jump Rope 3 minutes Circuit - (Round1 / Round2) 1. SitUp Vup x 20 2. Side Plank w/ Rotation x 15* / Stability Ball Pike x 15 3. Side Bends x 20 @ 35lbs* 4. Flutter Kicks x 15 5. Incline Leg Raise x 10 6. Jacknife x 15 @ 25lbs 7. Hanging Leg Raise x 15 8. DB Plank x 75 Seconds Soup for dinner. Watched my coworker research how to "get fitter and thinner" online. No need to ask me for advice!

It's probably your increased protein intake. I noticed the same thing when I went from consuming about 60g per day, to 160g per day. Plus, the protein shakes have always messed me up. Maybe try switching your protein powder to a different type?

Tuesday, August 27, 2013: Hot as hell out today, and with humidity to make me think I'm stuck in Satan's nutpouch. Sorry for the vulgarity... Did a killer set tonight with my trainer, came home to whip up a nice tempeh curry - see below... Upper Body Circuit Round 1: (fight!) Stability Ball DB Press - 2 x 12 @ 60lbs* Renegade Row w/ Rotation - 2 x 12 @ 20lbs* Sumo Squat to Lateral Raise - 2 x 12 @ 20lbs* 212 Dips (a/k/a NY Dips, a/k/a East Coast Crab) - 2 x 15 (2 count down, 1 count hold, 2 count up) TRX Curls - 2 x 15 Rest 90 Seconds Round 2: (fight!) TRX Pushup to Pike - 2 x 15 T-Bar Row - 2 x 12 @ 90lbs + Bar Stability Ball Military Press - 2 x 12 @ 30lbs (started @ 40lbs for 10, but that was just too damn heavy) TRX Overhead Tricep Extension - 2 x 15 Squat to Hammer Curl - 3 x 12 @ 30lbs* (* indicates weight in each hand) Arms were shaking like Jell-O at the end of those tricep extensions. It was good to get back to work after a couple days off. Still feeling really hungry all the time, despite eating a little bit more. Dinner was great! (I ate while I typed this out) Here's the recipe + Macros Tempeh Tumbler 6 oz flax tempeh from Trader Joe's - cubed 4.9 oz asparagus - chopped 2.3 oz orange bell pepper - chopped Organic Pea Shoots - handful or less Rooster Chili Garlic Sauce - a lot Trader Joe's Red Curry Simmer Sauce Directions: Chop it all up, toss it in a pan, simmer until cooked through, throw it in a bowl, garnish with pea shoots, scarf. Calories - 381.5 Protein - 34.83 Fat - 19.92 Carbs - 25.73

Alton Brown (Food Netwok) did an episode of Good Eats on leeks. Specifically, he used them to make "onion" rings. I guess leeks do not have the sulfur content of onions, and therefore they will not pull away from the batter used to coat them. He spent a long time talking about how deep frying is not as bad when done properly. In all, they looked awesome, but I will admit I haven't tried them. Hey, look... I found the episode! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIHmdlJTA4M

Great work! I remember the first time I could do a pullup... Pretty sure I paraded around the house in victory!

I bought a whole bunch of protein from truenutrition.com, which does make great stuff. I've had the gemma pea protein, the rice protein, the potato protein . . . Lately though, I found that even a little bit of that stuff gives me terrible gas. Sorry to be rude, but it is unbearable. Lately I've tried to focus on getting more protein from whole foods. Have you tried Pardina Lentils (green lentils)? They are 30% protein, coming in at an amazing 26g per 3.5oz dry. Combine that with some peas, and you have a low calorie, fiber rich, high protein meal that is pretty tasty.

Sunday, August 25, 2013: So I'm writing this on Sunday, not because I was too hungover to train yesterday, but because I trained like a badass (despite a hangover) yesterday, and forgot to make the entry Anyhow, yesterday I did kind of a mixed circuit of giant sets; some weights, some cardio, some bodyweight. I tried to focus on chest, core, shoulders, biceps and legs. Here's what I can remember: Jump Rope 3 minutes Situp V-Up - 1 x 20 Triple Situp - 1 x 10 (so, 30 total situps) Stability Ball Pike - 1 x 20 Standing Arnold Press - 3 x 12 2 25lbs* Bodyweight Pushups Three Ways (Standard, Diamond, Pistol Grip on Pushup Bar) - 3 x 20 (60 total, 20 of each) Overhead Tricep Press - 3 x 15 @ 35lbs Incline DB Press - 3 x 20 @ 35lbs* Angled Lunge - 3 x 12 @ 25lbs* Curls Three Ways (Bruce Lee Curls/Cross Curls/Seated Incline Curls) - 3 x 12 @ 25lbs* Mountain Climbers - 30 Seconds Burpees w/ Tuck Jump - 30 seconds That finisher set really killed me, but I felt so much better afteward; especially considering all the junk food I ate over the last couple days... Saturday night included - a delicious spicy seitan sandwich, seasoned waffle fries, chips & guacamole. Man, it was awesome. No beer on Saturday, just Thursday and Friday of last week. I am actually looking forward to a dry spell. Woke up this morning and had put on three pounds since Wednesday; probably all water weight. Good news is that my bodyfat % stayed put and I flexed in the mirror this afternoon and noticed the outline of my top two abs, AND that the outline of my serratus anterior was coming in! Really stoked to see that, especially when I'm feeling bloated. So, I had a great weekend with my wife, my friend, had some beer, cut loose a little. I honestly think it was time to take a small break from the diet. I needed perspective, and to consume some extra calories for a bit. Also, I slept in today until almost 10:00am - something that hasn't happened in years, even when I was unemployed. I hope you guys have a badass week!

Looking svelte man. Nice V! I have noticed the same thing regarding metabolism ripping through whatever I eat. I started adding more calories throughout the day, and I actually feel hungrier than ever. What gives???

Wednesday, August 21, 2013: Did a quick workout today as I needed to clean this place up before company arrives tomorrow. Will be taking the next two days off to drink a bit, but will try really hard to eat properly (best laid plans...?). Turned into sort of a full body circuit today, with the following: Jump Rope 2 Minutes Pull-Ups 3 x 12 Pushups on Stability Ball 3 x 15 Repeat the Following Twice DB Press on Stability Ball x 20 @ 70lbs DB Overhead Press on Stability Ball x 15 @ 50lbs DB Fly on Stability Ball x 20 @ 70lbs Side Lunge x 12 @ 35lbs (each leg) Walking Lunge x 12 @ 50lbs (each leg) Front Squat x 12 @ 70lbs SitUp V-Up x 20 Jacknife x 15 @ 25lbs Having company is fun, but also a bit of a pain in the ass; especially when you have such a strict routine. Maybe this is a good thing because I feel like I've been dragging ass lately. Nice dinner tonight though... 5oz Beyond Meat 2oz Peas 4.2oz Green Beans Sriracha! Macros: 303.86 cals, 39.9g protein, 5.72g fat, 9.24g carb. Until Saturday! (or Sunday if I'm still hungover)

Thanks for the tips. Maybe I should post a picture and have people guess?

Hey, good! Thanks for the comment. I'm not really sure about my bf% as of late. I have a scale at home that apparently measures it, but I'm not sure how accurate it is... Compared to that read by the Omron, my home scale is usually abouty 2% off. About a month ago I checked on the Omron, which read 18%, but at home read 20%. Home still reads 20%, but the "water composition" reading is up to 59.6%. Long story short, do you have a bf% measuring tool you would suggest? There is the Warrior Digital one on Amazon for pretty cheap, but I wonder about its accuracy...

Tuesday, August 20, 2013: Trained with trainer tonight. Did a lot of bodyweight/movement exercises including the following, all for time (30sec - 60sec): Jump rope 2 min, HighKnees, Squat to Shoulder Press w/ Rotation, Reverse Lunge w/ Row, Burpee/pushup/deadlift combo, TRX Iron Cross, HighSide Plank, Mountain Climbers, Low Plan w/ Rotation + Leg Lift . . . the list goes on, and I can't remember them all. It was good to break away from the heavier lifting, which I honestly found boring as all hell. I much prefer high intensity training with weights. It is much more in line with my goal to remain compact, lean, and cut. Speaking of lean, let's talk about the awesome dinner I made when I got home! 4oz Chorizo seitan, 6 oz fresh greenbeans, 2 fresh peas, sprinkle of organic pea shoots on top - MAN was this tasty with some garlic powder and sriracha! Here's a pic, and a macro breakdown.... 289.36 calories, 35.58g protein, 27.2g carb, 3.772g fat, YEAH!

Jan 2012 I weighed 248 (5'7")... August 2013 I weigh 163 (still 5'7" dammit ) The biggest amount of weight loss for me came from juicing. You should check out Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. I juiced my ass off, literally. I drank about four to five 32 oz juices per day (all fruits/veggies). I would also eat a medium sized salad midday for a little bulk. I did this religiously for about four months, and lost approximately 65-70lbs. Going from 180 to 163 was the hard part. But hell, even then, I was busy building muscle, and eating solid foods again. As far as your training, I think everyone should start small. If your frame is such that you might injure yourself starting off with hill sprints, then obviously try something with a little less impact; bicycle, swimming, step-climber, walking, etc. Always incorporate some weight training. The reason for this is that once you start losing weight rapidly, mainly from cutting your calories, you'll lose some muscle mass at the same time. Plus, adding muscle only fuels your fat loss. Greatest of luck to you!