W6J5 - W2D5

I have become increasingly obsessed with losing weight.  I should not - it's just happening.  I'm getting stronger, which is good.  I'm getting smaller, which is good.  I'm not losing weight, still good.  My brain is telling me conditioned that losing weight is better.  Most of the time I'll agree with that summation.  As I've mentioned in previous blog entries I've been obsessed with weight since 1997 when the Army told me at 189 I was overweight and I needed to lose weight.  So 18 years later, what am I thinking?  Lose weight.

My goal for the year is to be able to do one single, solitary, pullup.  Nothing more.  My secondary goals are to be small enough to fit back into stormtrooper armor so I can troop as a TK again.  My terciary goal is to be able to do more bar work and planches etc.  That goal has got to be easier to accomplish when there isn't a bowling ball (ok fine multiple bowling balls) on your belly button to keep you from being able to bend the ways you should to accomplish some things... like touching your toes (which I can do).

I am thinking that in addition to my current taping I'll add caliper measurements as well.  That way I can add these to scoobys doc and see what's happening from a fat loss perspective.  I mean, clearly, when I look down there is a difference in size.  As well, I've tried on shirts that are XL (I currently wear an XXL) and those XLs are barely tight.  My pants are falling off.  My underwear is falling off.  Taping measurements show these size losses.  So I'm clearly getting smaller.

Today's workout:
chest press 12-25 - 12 both sets but a steep angle (almost a plank)
50 jumping jacks both sets
tricepts overhead 12-25 - 12 both sets.  steep like the chest press
50 jump ropes both sets
mid back row 12-25 - 12 both sets
biceps curl 12-25 - 12 both sets.

first set time 7 min
second set time 7:30 min

I went with half of what I did last week.  I didn't feel the muscle tiredness I did last week.  I still felt like I got a good workout, but not an excellent one.  Next time I do any of these I'll up the reps to 15-21 and see how that does.

Again, before my workout I attempted a pullup from three different hand positions.  I wasn't able to lift 270 pounds.  I was able to hold the jump-and-hold for 5s without dropping.

I need to figure out a workout to do before and after work and something that emphasizes the pull up every hour.  Maybe 5 mins of pullup bar work or 5 mins of parallette work or evern 5 mins of inverted planks with the TRX.  I don't know yet.  All three of those options sound really good to me.  I'd like to be able to hold myself up on the parallettes.  I also realize that may take some time because at 270 I have to build up that muscle strength and be able to lift me.

W6J4 - W2D4

I am only slightly sore.  I've been feeling hungry since I am not having anything but juice.

I did two of the four sets I wanted to do today.  I did adjust my intake so that I had the protein and aminos 1.5 hours before my workout and my juice a half hour before.  I did have more energy - I also felt quite tired.

side plank 3x10 L1 both sets - I dropped to L1 from L2 b/c I wasn't able to hold L2 the last time without a lot of issues.
hip press 10 L2
Inverted row 10 L2
Pike 8 L1 - I did these on my elbows not realizing that I should have done them as a pushup.

W6J3 - W2D3

Today I tried a variation on my normal routine.  I made my juices for the day, had the first, then coconut water, then about 10-10:20 I decided to have the protein and amino acids.  Then at 12:20 I started my workout.  I noticed after the first workout I was about out of energy.  I then remembered that yesterday I had my juice before working out.  So tomorrow I'll do about the same thing with protein and amino acids, then have the juice about 11:30.  That should give me enough energy to push through.

Today was the Day 2 workout - Feel Good Full Body TRX Workout (Lower).  I did 2 sets with some difficulty.

Again, before I started I attempted a regular pullup with bar - I pulled myself up about a half inch to an inch... so another foot and I'll be to the top of my head.  I was able to hold myself up slightly longer than yesterday.

In between my two sets today I used the parallettes to push myself up and hold myself in a plank (with my heels on the floor).

I'm wondering if I should start off my day with 50 jumping jacks and 50 jump ropes and 3 sets of lifting and holding on the parallettes.  I'll think of and come up with a routine I can do 2x a day or something simple I can do for a few minutes every hour; maybe some planks, push ups, reverse planks, and attempt to do some planches, or even some inverted pushups (like with the TRX).

Abducted Lunge (12-25 each leg) - 12 each leg both sets
Jumping Jacks (50) - 50 both sets
Lunge (12-25 each leg) - 12 each leg both sets
Jump Rope (50) - 50 both sets
Balance Lunge (12-25 each leg) - 12 each leg both sets

I didn't time the first set, but the 2nd set took 7:54:36

I felt wiped after 12 each leg.  I'll increase that over time.

W6J2 - W2D2

Today's workout came after 2 days of rest from a workout.  I lifted and moved boxes all this weekend, but I didn't do an actual workout.  I felt the soreness in my triceps and my body seemed to have relaxed some.  My lower back still hurts.

I attempted a pullup before my workout (like I do before every workout).  I was able to lift myself slightly off the ground, but not high enough to do a chinup/pullup.  I then jumped up and did a hold for a few seconds.

I did 4 sets of Circuit A of the Pull Up Program and I timed it so I'd know how long the sets were taking.  They felt like they took an hour in the past, but my actual workouts all took only about 7-8 minutes a piece.

Squat Row                                           15 each
PullUp                                                   6 L1 each
Body Saw                                              8 L2 (sets 1-3) 8 L1 (set 4)
Low Row - Curl - Y Fly                      12 L2 each

By the 4th set of pullups I was able to pull myself up once as an actual level 1.  Before that it was an almost level 1 where I needed more help from my legs.

On the body saws I was able to do the L2 where my elbows were on the floor and feet in the TRX.  In the 4th set I started at L2, but my lower back finally couldn't hold me up so I did them on the floor.  Once my back is stronger I'll be able to do the L3s like I like.

Times
set 1 (unknown)
set 2 - 7:24:02
set 3 - 7:10:05
set 4 - 7:52:48

W5J7 - W1D6 -- W6D1 - W2D1

Day 35 no Coke!  As a reminder, for the last 35 days I've also only had juice that I've made, water, vegan protein shake, or BCAAs.  I've not ingested any other liquids.

I have had a lax week when it comes to food.  I forgot about the first few days hunger parts and this week (week 6) I'm not going to eat solid foods.  I've been lax the last few weeks in terms of what I'll eat and I've been eating other solids like olives, cauliflower, etc.  I think it's time for me to get back to all liquids (especially juice) where I felt better.

In the last 5 weeks, I've felt fantastic.  I have some occasional brain fog which I attribute to the fact that I've been hitting some insomnaic nights and am tired during the day.  I probably need a day to just sleep, but I have so much to do.

One of the big things I've noticed is my lack of 'O' in OCD.  When I was in Iraq I was diagnosed with OCD where my 'O' was 9, and 'C' was like a '6' - then I started taking Zoloft and that dropped from 'O' to 4, and 'C' was like an '8' - which was ok for me.  I needed to "just do stuff" and zoloft helped with that a lot.  I've noticed that juicing and veggies (and most notably lack of Coke) has given me more of a 'C' than the 'O' - I'm able to drop things a bit more easily in my brain and "just do stuff".  An example of this was Thursday I decided I wanted to clean my office and organize it so when the shelving is built I'll be able to put my collectibles on the shelves, have room to workout, work, have the projector set up, and the flight simulator I'm building.  I accomplished most of that.  Last weekend, I accomplished cleaning up the kids playroom (mostly by moving stuff into my office.  This weekend, I accomplished a large scale separation of boxes that I need to go through and throw stuff away and the collectibles.  The "trash" boxes are in the toy room stacked neatly.  My plan is to go through a box a night while my wife and I relax and watch TV - If I just do one (office) box a night I should be done in 4 weeks.  While none of that is related to juicing, it does provide some evidence of the juicing affecting my brain - for the better.

I just finished moving everything around in my office and the playroom so it's much neater and now I can visualize what's left to do.

measurements:
weight: 273.6
neck: 16
chest:42.5
bellybutton:48
hips:51
thighs: 31.5

A slight increase in weight and size.  The sizes, I think, are up because I measured myself and didn't have my wife measure me.  The weight increase is from a week of constipation.  I'm sure my actual weight is less than 269.  My weight this morning was 271.8.  I've probably got 2 pounds of water in me.


Of other note, yesterday I made some new parallettes.  The original ones I made were out of 3/4" pvc pipe.  I didn't break the pipe, but I did break one of the pvc elbows.  So these new ones are made out of 1 1/2" pvc (following this tutorial: http://journal.crossfit.com/2003/09/really-cool-homemade-parallett.tpl).  I did not get end caps because that seems like a waste to me.  I can see where it would keep "bugs" from getting in, but I could do the same thing with some duct tape.

W5J6 - W1D5

I was not feeling well at all last night.  I woke up feeling much better this morning.  However, I feel extremely tired - like energy has been sucked out of me and I've used all of my muscles - not like it's late at night and i'm sleepy.  Though I didn't get to bed until after midnight, so that could be part of it.

My muscles are a little sore.  I'm ready for today's workout.

I felt like today's workout was fairly easy.  I didn't have a chance to finish it.  I may do so later.

I plan to start moving my office out so I can clean everything then set it up how I want - so I may skip the last half of the workout and just count the heavy lifting as part of a workout.

TSpine Rotation - 2 each side
TRX Wall Slides - 15 both circuits
Squat YFly - 15 both circuits
Overhead Squat - 15 first circuit
PullUp - 8 first circuit.

I really need to start working out a little bit sooner so I have enough time to complete the workouts.

W5J5 - W1D4

This morning I woke up again with some vertigo.  I've had several bouts of vertigo during the day - including right now (post workout).  My wife has been sick for 3 days and I hope that I don't have what she's got, but we'll see.

Todays circuit is the upper circuit of the Feel Good Full Body TRX Workout.

Chest press outside grip - 25 L2 each set
Jumping Jackgs - 50 each set
Triceps Overhead Extension - 25 L2 each set
Jump Ropes - 50 each set
Mid Back Row - 25 each set
High Knees - 1 min each set
Bicep Curl - 25 each set

I skipped the 1 min sprints.

I don't feel really well.  I think I may have picked up the flu from my wife.