The TFP Health Club

Still got the extra 8 lbs. Strength is climbing. Eventually I'll reach the tipping point where I have enough muscle and I'm doing enough cardio to start losing some weight. Not really ready to stop eating shit, though I know that would cause me to immediately start losing weight.

 

My diet has been fucked this week. Not hitting my macros at all. I'm on the fence about eating what my macros tell me or going back to dieting so I can lose this last bit of body fat. I need to find which end of the eating spectrum I'm on and fucking stick with it.

4 workouts in a row and I'm feeling good. I'm eating good food (I basically live off of chicken, broccoli, sweet potatoes and rice) but I flip-flop between gains and calorie loss.

I eat and eat and eat and I'm still 600 calories under my macros.

Sigh.

 

I use nerdfitness and I've seen that workout. I couldn't do that if my life depended on it. Plus while I want to walk as a Spartan, I don't need to bulk up to twice my size. Just drop my body fat and hit the gym hard. I'll bulk but not like those guys. I'm a small dude and I'll never reach a huge size like a lot of body builders.

I just need to get a diet down pat and just stick to it. Hell, I've been thinking about two workouts a day (later, much later). I'm ready to do this, just don't know the fine details of my diet.

I'm a level 8 Monk on nerdfitness and it's awesome.

 

Bench pressed 235x6 today. Easy to regain strength and muscle you have previously attained.

 

I tend to think it's mostly psychological.

The "big brass balls" theory, IIRC.

 

I did 4x115 bench. Felt good. I can't wait to stack a 45 on each side.

 

I believe there is a neuromuscular efficiency created by repeating the same movements over and over again. My bench press, squats, and overhead press all have their own groove. Even if I haven't really done them in a year my form isn't going to change. It's like all the time I put in swimming. If I jumped in the pool I could haul ass with good technique for about 25 yards before I fell apart. But in 3 weeks I could be doing 1600 yards in a workout. The foundation of technique is there. Plus, a lot of strength is created by leverage in the muscle belly. Working out creates greater carb storage in the muscle. Every gram stored brings in about 4 grams of water. This swells the muscle and creates leverage internally. When I stated earlier that I gained about 8 lbs, I knew that most of that was really carb and water gain. It changed my strength, but I didn't gain 8 lbs of muscle.

 

There is something to be said for muscle memory both physically and psychologically.

 

You taking before/during/after pics? Do it. It's good for the LOLz.

 

I have first day of diet pictures and the day I started strength training pics. I'm waiting for a good weight lifiting progress pic to make a collage.

 

I'd take pictures but right now I'd need a wide angle lens to fit in the frame.

 

Doing the classic split routine of chest shoulders and triceps, back and biceps, and legs. Plus a fair amount of short but intense cardio. Today was chest day. No barbell bench because I need to get my right shoulder up to snuff, and dumbbells help with that. So dumbbell bench press was 90 lb dumbbells for 7 then 6 reps, and 85 for another six. Bodyweight dips was sad, one set of five reps. Standing barbell overhead presses went ok, 115 lbs for 8 then 7, then 105 for 7. So strength is ok. Still getting up to older levels.
My squats and deadlifts are sad, but mostly because I had not been doing them for so long (years for deadlifts ) that I don't want to rush and get injured. So lighter weights laying the foundation, and adding 20 lbs or so a workout. They will be up in a month or two.

 

One skill I have gotten back quickly is the ability to sweat profusely. Too bad that isn't really an indication of success.

 

I was on strattera for a few weeks trying to medicate my add. Aside from other issues, it also caused me to sweat profusely. I was taking it while snowboarding on a 5 degree Fahrenheit day. I was sweating so much that I ended up unzipping the side vents in my jacket. It took a while to realize how chilled my core was getting even though sweat was pouring off of me. I finally went to a lodge on top of the mountain and stayed in there for almost an hour. Even after that time when I put my hands on my sides and lower back (where my vents opened) my skin was still extremely cold and clammy. My limbs felt fine, but my core was extremely chillled.

 

Don't remember sweating more on strattera, but I'm real good at sweating anyway.

 

High point today, running a mile on the treadmill. Going to have to wean away from running on the treadmill and go outside. I don't like running outside where people can see me. I don't like being that fat guy plodding along with his head hanging low. But running outside makes you a much more accomplished runner. The variety of terrain is very important for creating more balanced abilities.

 

And keeping the boredom at bay. I can't do treadmills unless I cover up the timer and use my tablet to watch a TV show or something.