Daily News Archives

April 2008

04/30/2008 - Good progress so far, but the most difficult part is yet to come.
04/29/2008 - Time to dial in the six-pack.
04/28/2008 - Huge water weight loss this morning.
04/27/2008 - Weekly measurements.
04/26/2008 - Up at 4:00 AM.
04/25/2008 - Eating an elephant; What could you do in two months?
04/24/2008 - 4:30 AM, and pressed for time.
04/23/2008 - Weight is still coming off, maybe no changes this week?
04/22/2008 - Broke another toe; Visible progress in my abdominal area.
04/21/2008 - Likely changes to my diet; Crazy schedule this week.
04/20/2008 - Weekly measurements.
04/19/2008 - Almost 4 weeks, good progress; Stalls.
04/18/2008 - Blood test/check-up results.
04/17/2008 - Awesome increases in strength/muscle endurance; New tricep photo.
04/16/2008 - The sad state of the supplement industry.
04/15/2008 - 6% and my monthly photos; May 2008 "100 Challenge" open for entry!
04/14/2008 - Willpower test yesterday.
04/13/2008 - Weekly measurements, awesome progress!
04/12/2008 - Weekend plans and temptations?
04/11/2008 - Blood work this morning; Awesome APT sale.
04/10/2008 - Do you want it badly enough?; New progress photo.
04/09/2008 - All or nothing.
04/08/2008 - After a stall, now weight is dropping rapidly; AtLarge sale!
04/07/2008 - Lean mass? Fat? Muscle? What's the difference?
04/06/2008 - Weekly measurements.
04/05/2008 - Two weeks of 100% dedication and counting; DHL SUCKS!
04/04/2008 - Change to split; Why has the scale not moved?
04/03/2008 - Leg day; Destabilized scapula?
04/02/2008 - Cardio day; Pain in upper back; No cravings.
04/01/2008 - New workout progress photos; Monthly photos.

April 30, 2008

I'm a little over five weeks into my cutting program, and I have stuck to my plan of no cheat meals and no alcohol. I'm proud of myself for that, and it has paid off in the form of significant fat loss progress in the space of just a few weeks.

While I'm happy with my progress thus far, this is not the time to rest on my laurels; the most difficult portion of my cut still lies ahead! Right now I'm getting myself mentally prepared for the second half of my journey, and I'm doing that by focusing on my goals and recognizing my progress to this point.

Tomorrow I'll be posting my monthly progress photos. The perfectionist in me always hates to post pictures that show my body in less than peak condition (heh, you'd think I'd be used to that by now!), but another part of me is happy to finally have the chance replace my horrible photos from April 1st with something--anything--else! I know my May pictures will be far from my best, but I expect them to be a few steps in the right direction.

Hey, this is your last chance to get in on the May "100 Challenge", which starts tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM sharp! Check out the details immediately below...

April 29, 2008

My scale weight went back up a little this morning, and this slight increase in water weight falls right in line with the hypothesis I presented in yesterday's update concerning my historically "dry" Monday morning weigh-ins.

I'll be posting my monthly progress pictures on Thursday, and I expect to see a fairly significant improvement over last month's photos, which were my worst in a long time. Looking in the mirror I can clearly see a change for the better with regards to my overall "X" shape, but my abs are still not really popping yet. Of course I just dropped below 10% body fat a couple days ago, and my abs don't look too defined until I get closer to 8% body fat. From this point forward almost all my fat loss is going to come directly from my mid-section, so the next couple of months should be quite rewarding (but difficult!) By June my abs should be looking pretty darn good, and by the beginning of July I expect to be at 6% body fat and sporting a tight six-pack.

April 28, 2008

This morning I'm down to a 2008 cutting low of 188.6 pounds! That's two pounds less than my previous light weight of 190.6 pounds (this past Wednesday). I looked at my weight history, and three out of the last four Mondays have shown fairly significant and sudden drops in scale weight. I'm pretty sure I know why this keeps happening on Mondays, and I believe it is a combination of several factors...

First of all, I'm fairly carb sensitive, and on weight training days (4 out of the 5 weekdays), I'm eating a higher amount of carbohydrates. These carbs are likely causing a certain amount of water retention. On the weekends I'm eating very few carbs (aside from grapefruit and veggies, I'm consuming just 1/2 cup of brown rice each day), and this is likely allowing my body to shed excess water weight.

Also, I'm doing cardio on Saturdays and on Sundays. With more time available to me on the weekends, I tend to favor LISS cardio; there is a lot of sweating involved.

Finally, I think my overall sodium intake is reduced and my water intake is increased on Saturdays and Sundays. These are not things I do consciously, but just products of my weekend meal plans and schedule. Both of these things help reduce water weight.

So I think I was wise to not change anything yesterday. Based on yesterday's body fat and tape measurements I'm clearly still losing fat at a pretty good clip.

Actually, I would like to change my weekly measurement day from Sunday to Monday, but Lisa (I need her help for the 7-point body fat caliper skinfold test) and I are both so pressed for time on Monday morning that it's not always possible to take my body fat readings. I like to perform at least three readings to ensure the results are as consistent and accurate as possible, and I don't like to rush the process.

Anyway, stuff like this is why I enjoy tracking my progress in such great detail. I find it fascinating to study how my body reacts to various conditions and foods. The more you know your own body the better equipped you you are to control it and change it.

April 27, 2008

It's Sunday, and once again time for my weekly tape measurements and body fat reading!

Before I discuss my measurements, I'd like to suggest to those of you who are not already doing so that you set aside one day each week to weigh yourself, take soft tape measurements and obtain a body fat reading. It's important that you take all of your measurements at the same time and in the same physical state each week. Consistency is the key. I prefer to take my readings first thing in the morning in a fasted state, right after I go to the bathroom.

A couple of tools that I feel are "must-haves" for checking fat loss and/or muscle gaining progress are a good soft tape (I use the MyoTape) and a 7-point body fat caliper (I use the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Caliper). BIA "body fat" scales and the like are horribly inaccurate in my experience, and should be avoided. Why not invest in some quality tools? The expense for the items you need is negligible, and once you have them they'll last you for many years.

On to my measurements...

My scale weight over the past week has not really changed. This morning my weight is 191.6 pounds, down just .2 pounds from last week's 191.8 pounds. As I frequently mention, scale weight alone is not an accurate indicator of fat loss (that's why I feel the tools I mentioned at the beginning of this update are indispensable), so let's not make any snap judgments about this week's progress until all the available data has been examined.

My body fat measurement this morning is 9.6% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Caliper), down from last week's 10.1% reading.

Moving on to my tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape), over the past week I've lost a quarter of an inch from my waist and my thighs. All other measurements are the same as last week.

Putting everything together, it looks like I lost a pound of fat, and gained almost a pound of lean mass. This lean mass is likely nothing but water weight. Earlier this week my scale weight was down to 190.6, and I have been carrying a little extra water since then. This is an expected fluctuation, well within the norm. My tape measurements--a quarter inch loss from each my waist and my thighs--backs up the new body fat reading.

Today's measurements are perfect examples of why the scale alone doesn't cut it. As I've said before, the scale is a useful, but very blunt instrument in our body composition toolboxes.

OK, with only a pound of fat loss this week, my progress seems to be slowing a bit, but is still quite good. I'm going to continue for at least another week with no changes to my diet.

April 26, 2008

I've had to get up very early a few times this past week, and now it seems that my internal alarm clock is stuck at 4:00 AM. Why can't my internal clock adjust to the DST change that quickly?!

Actually, I sort of like being up this early. It's so quiet and peaceful, and I feel like I've gained a couple of "free" hours. I'm not going to fight it. I suspect my internal clock will gradually adjust back to my normal wake-up time of 6:00 AM. If it doesn't, then I guess I'll just be going to bed even earlier than I normally do!

There are still a few more days to get in on this month's "100 Challenge". Summer is coming up fast, and these challenges are very useful for keeping your goals front and center, and holding yourself accountable. Why not give one a try? Signing up is fast, easy and 100% free. Details are immediately below...

April 25, 2008

April sure is flying by in a flash! As I think back over the past 5 weeks of my cut, I can recall several times that I was very tempted to go off my planned diet or skip a workout. I'm very pleased that I have not wavered from my self-imposed cutting "rules". Focusing on one day at time instead of looking at the whole stretch of time is what makes this level of consistency possible for me. I try to never think thoughts like, "Oh, man, I've got another 7 or 8 weeks of this ahead of me!" I try to always focus on the positive: "Look how far I've come, and the excellent progress I've made so far! Today is another opportunity to further that progress and continue to improve."

Those of you who have been procrastinating and are now thinking things like, "Bah, it's too late! I'll never get in shape by summer!" are making a big mistake. If you were to start today, you could make a tremendous amount of progress in just two months. How much progress? Well, with hard work by the end of June you could realistically lose 14, 16 or even 20 pounds of fat and bloat while considerably improving your health, strength and overall fitness level. Two months is not a lot of time, but it could change your whole life! Just look at the progress I made between January 6, 2003 and March 6, 2003. You can do it, too!

April 24, 2008

I like to get up pretty early, but not this early! It is 4:30 AM as I type this, and I'm very pressed for time. I've got a 5:30 AM appointment, and I still need to shower, get dressed and make the 30 minute drive. I probably should have got up at before 4:00 AM, but I couldn't bring myself to set the alarm that early. Actually, this is the first time I've used an alarm clock in years! I had to test the alarm clock last night to make sure it actually worked. I always wake up at 6:00 AM on my own, and if for some odd reason I don't wake up on my own the dogs never let me doze past their breakfast time of 6:00 AM sharp! My dogs' sense of time (as it relates to their meal times) rivals that of the finest Swiss-made timepiece.

OK, I'd better wrap this up. Tomorrow's update will likely be brief, too: my schedule this week is completely nutty.

April 23, 2008

I've been speculating about the need to change my diet around for a couple of weeks now, and I was almost certain that I would need to make some adjustments this weekend. Now I'm not so sure about that, because the fat is still coming off and my workouts have been awesome. This morning I weighed in at 190.6 pounds, which is a cutting low for this year. I'm fairly surprised by this, as I'm eating the exact same diet now that I was eating 4 weeks ago at 199.8 pounds. I'm not complaining! I guess I'll see how the remainder of the week plays out, take my measurements this weekend and make a decision about any possible changes then. I'm not going to change a thing so long as I'm still making progress!

Looking a little further ahead, once I hit 8% body fat I'm probably going to switch to the exact same carb-cycling diet that Mastover came up with for me last year. That style of dieting requires a heck of a lot of discipline (I remember once last year, deep into my cut, I cracked and ate about 137 pounds of Mexican food), but I really feel like the carb-cycling approach is optimal (at least for me) when it comes to hitting those mid-range single digit body fat numbers while preserving as much muscle as possible.

Cardio time! Have a great day...

April 22, 2008

I manged to break one of my toes yesterday by slamming it into one of the kitchen nook chairs. It's very swollen this morning, and it is starting to turn a rather nice shade of purplish-blue. It hurts pretty bad to walk on the toe, but that's not going to affect my ability to train. About the only exercise I think I'll need to avoid is backyard lunges. I've been doing walking lunges for a few months now, so it's time for me to move to something new anyway.

I'm definitely starting to notice increased definition in my abdominal area. The changes are slight, but noticeable. The increased definition is most visible first thing in the morning when I'm completely fasted. I'm still at ~10% body fat right now, so the most drastic changes to abdominal area are still to come. I think I have about 2 more months of cutting, give or take, before I'll reach my goal of 6% body fat.

I've got a very full day ahead, so I'm going to get the show on the road. Thanks for stopping by--have a great day!

April 21, 2008

Yesterday I posted my weekly measurements and summed up my progress over the past four weeks. I'm very happy with my fat loss progress and my strength gains over the past month, but I need to start preparing to adjust my diet. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm reluctant to cut my calories until I really need to, so I think I'm going to focus on making some changes to the foods I eat. I will probably replace the eye of round steak and salmon with cod and other lean protein sources like crab claws and shrimp. I think I'm going to start incorporating 96% lean ground beef back into my diet, too.

My schedule is going to be very weird this week, so there will likely be some very short morning updates. I'm also going to have to get my workouts in at odd times to accommodate this week's schedule, but I'll get it all done.

I have to get the day rolling--I'm already running late. Have a good Monday!

April 20, 2008

It's Sunday, and that means that it's time for my weekly tape measurements and body fat reading...

My scale weight over the past week has dropped two full pounds, moving from 193.8 pounds down to 191.8 pounds. That's a very solid net weight loss for the week, but let's see how that breaks down in terms of lean mass and fat...

My body fat measurement this morning is 10.1% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers), which is exactly the same as last week's body fat measurement. I'm somewhat surprised by this reading, but we got the same reading multiple times so I'm going with it. I'll come back to this subject after I talk about my tape measurements.

I lost a quarter of an inch from each my waist, my hips and my thighs. All other measurements are the same as last week.

So, if I lost a quarter of an inch from my waist, hips and thighs and had no reduction in size in my arms, calves, chest and forearms, how did my body fat reading stay the same? There could be any number of reasons that would explain this morning's body fat reading, but the most likely explanation is simply inaccuracies/variations with the body fat test. Because my tape measurements show clear evidence of fat loss and no signs of muscle loss, I'm going to chalk up this week's stagnant body fat reading to human error with last week's test. Hey, it happens. I do believe that this week's reading of 10.1% is accurate, as we performed the test several times with the exact same result each time.

I'm going to continue this week with no changes to my diet and training, but I expect that next weekend I'll need to make some changes to my diet. Of course I'll post my revised diet any time changes are made.

Today is the one month mark (well, four full weeks) of my 2008 cut. Over the past four weeks I've lost exactly 8 pounds and reduced my body fat from 12% to 10.1%. That's 4.6 pounds of fat loss, and 3.4 pounds of lean mass loss. I started my cut pretty bloated, so I'm confident that the lean mass I lost was nothing but water. My tape measurements back this up: over the past four weeks I've reduced my waist by a full inch, reduced my hips a half inch and reduced my thighs 3/4 of an inch. My arm and chest measurements have slightly increased.

April 19, 2008

Tomorrow will complete the first four weeks of my 2008 cut, and I'm very happy with how things have been coming along. Going the past month without any cheat meals has been challenging at times, but the results have been worth it. I think this extra strict cutting regimen and sense of structure is just what I needed after coming off a few very lax months. I'm responding well, and that's keeping me highly motivated.

When my progress stalls--and eventually it will--that will present a new challenge. I'll need to stay on target and make adjustments while saddled with reduced motivation brought on by lack of progress. It really sucks when you are working your tail off any nothing seems to be happening, but stalls are part of the game. Plateauing is one of the toughest mental challenges to overcome while cutting.

Tomorrow I'll be taking my weekly body fat and tape measurements, and I expect to find that I'm now below 10% body fat. As I drop further into the single digits I'll need to adjust my diet and perhaps training. I don't know if I'll need to make any adjustments tomorrow, but I expect that within the next week or so I will need to change some things around. I'll probably be eliminating the eye of round steak, and will start eating more fish (such as cod and orange roughy). I want to avoid reducing my calories as long as I possibly can. I also want to avoid increasing my cardio until I start to close in on my goal of 6% body fat. I know from experience that dropping from 8% body fat to 6% is much more difficult than dropping from 10% body fat to 8%, so the idea is to keep lots of "tricks" in my bag for as long as possible.

Enjoy your Saturday!

April 18, 2008

I've got the results of the blood work from my "annual" checkup (which, as it turns out, hasn't very annual at all!), and overall I'm very pleased.

First, a bit of history. Everyone in my family has relatively high total cholesterol numbers, and that's the genetic hand I was dealt. So, ever since I started my transformation back in 2003, the goal has always been to have a favorable HDL/LDL ratio, perform lots of cardio and strength training exercise and not engage in any activities that are known to increase risk of heart disease, such as smoking.

The last blood test that I had before I started my transformation was back in 2001. At the time, my total cholesterol was 238 (I'm sorry, but I don't have the HDL, LDL or Triglyceride numbers). When I started my transformation in January 2003, I was considerably heavier than I was when that blood work was done, and I was still smoking pot daily (I'd already stopping smoking cigarettes). It stands to reason that my cholesterol numbers were far worse in 2003 than they were in 2001. I wish I had those numbers.

About a year into my transformation (December 2003) I had my cholesterol checked again. At that time I'd dropped 55 pounds of fat and lowered my body fat percentage from 30% to around 9%. I also completely gave up smoking weed nine months prior (March 2003). My total cholesterol was down to 181 (LDL 106, HDL 57 and Triglycerides 90). That's a .54 HDL/LDL ratio.

My new numbers show improvement in some areas (HDL and Triglycerides), and a slight increase in my LDL. My total cholesterol is 194. My HDL ("good" cholesterol--higher is better) is 61, which is an improvement over my 2003 reading. My LDL is 117, and that's a little higher than it was in 2003. My Triglycerides have also improved since 2003 and dropped from 90 to 82. My HDL/LDL ratio is .52--about the same as it was in 2003. The higher that ratio the better. Anything above .40 is considered good according to my doctor. I attribute the increase in LDL to the fact that I'm at a slightly higher body fat percentage (10.1%), and the less than stellar diet I ate while on hiatus for the move and also while on vacation. I expect my LDL numbers will continue to fall as I get further into my cut.

All my other blood tests were within "normal" ranges, and my doctor told me that my overall level of health and fitness is "outstanding".

April 17, 2008

This week I've had the most dramatic increases in strength since my post-move return to training. Over the past month I've slowly been building my strength back, and I have been very happy with my progress, but this entire week has been absolutely phenomenal!

I added 10 pounds to all of my chest and tricep exercises yesterday, and I increased the number of reps that I was able to do last week on every single exercise. Not only is my strength up, but my muscle endurance has skyrocketed. When I finished my first set of flat bench presses yesterday I had to double-check the plates; the set felt so easy that I thought I'd made a mistake in loading the bar. Clearly I'm seeing the effects of muscle memory here.

Some of you may have noticed that I did my chest/triceps workout on Wednesday instead of Tuesday (which is my normally scheduled chest/tri workout day). Sometimes I swap my Tuesday strength training workout and my Wednesday cardio workout if I feel I need a little more recovery time after Monday's back workout. I've done that the past couple of weeks, actually.

I took a new tricep shot yesterday and put it in my journal.

I'm late for breakfast, so I'd better wrap up. I'm going to need the fuel--it's leg day!

April 16, 2008

You know, most of the major players in the supplement industry irritate the living crap out of me. Yesterday there was a thread on the forum asking about MuscleTech's "Anabolic Halo" product. As most people who get into weight training quickly learn, MuscleTech is one of the worst offenders when it comes to overblown claims, high prices and marketing that would make the most audacious used car salesman turn bright red with embarrassment. Unfortunately many people who are new to training and don't know better get sucked in by the multi-page glossy ads that dominate most muscle mags. These new trainees spend small fortunes on worthless, over-hyped products offered by companies like MuscleTech. The claims and the hyperbole spewed forth by these unscrupulous companies are so over-the-top that their marketing material reads like a parody of the supplement industry. I wish these ads were a send-up, but they are not. Go read the thread. It's impossible not to cringe. These guys don't care about you and your goals; they'll happily take your money and laugh all the way to the bank.

I don't believe that all supplement companies are bad, but you have to be very careful to separate the wheat from the chaff. I've been approached by quite a few supplement manufactures who wanted to advertise on this site, and with the exception of AtLarge Nutrition (who offers a small line of solid products that do what they claim to do), I've turned them all down.

If you want to lose fat or gain muscle, what you really need to do is have your diet and training in order, and work your butt off. Some supplements are helpful (I personally find protein powder, EFAs, BCAAs, a multi-vitamin and joint support supplements to be useful), but the vast majority of them are garbage. Be careful what you spend your money on and--most importantly--what you put in your body.

April 15, 2008

I've been tossing around the idea of not taking monthly pictures while I'm cutting down to 6% body fat. I was thinking it might be cool to follow up my terrible April 1, 2008 pictures with dramatic 6% body fat pictures. I'm guessing that I'll reach my goal of 6% body fat about the same time as I did last summer, so I expect that my July 2008 pictures will be my 6% photos.

Calm down. I was just thinking out loud. I'm not going to skip my next couple of monthly pictures, because I know I'll never hear the end of it from some of you. Actually I'll probably get some stern emails from a few people who didn't make it past the first paragraph.

I've decided to start opening the "100 Challenges" for entry mid-way through the month. This will give everyone who wants to take part at least two weeks to get their official post up. Details for the May 2008 challenge are immediately below today's update.

Registration for the May 2008 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on May 1, 2008 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the May 2008 "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part!

April 14, 2008

Yesterday Lisa and I had her family over for dinner and a movie. Warding off the temptation to join them in a cheat meal was a lot tougher than I thought it would be! About an hour after my 3:30 PM protein shake everyone else was enjoying a variety of different cheeses, crackers and wine. I was starving to death, and the food looked soooo delicious and tempting. I focused on my goals and switched my mindset from "I really want this food!" to "I want my abs back!" I didn't eat so much as single bite.

The next test came at dinner time. I always do the cooking, so last night I prepared a casual (but tasty!) meal of grilled cheeseburgers and grilled red onions served on toasted seseme seed buns with kettle chips on the side... for everyone except me. I had a lean turkey patty served on a plate (no bun) and veggies. Again, not so much as a single morsel of food off my planned diet.

I'm frequently asked how I can go weeks and months without a cheat meal. The answer to that question is actually fairly simple and boring, and it boils down to two things: self-discipline, and taking it one day at a time until the goal is reached. I think the trick--if there is such a thing--is adopting the proper mindset before starting. If you decide to cut body fat like I choose to (it's not for everyone), you have to go into it knowing that there is no "door #2", no wiggle room and no "just this one time". All those things are slippery slopes, and once you lose your footing you're going to have a very tough time getting it back.

I'm enjoying this year's cut--I really am. I feel great, I feel strong and I feel disciplined. With no cheat meals, each day brings me one step closer to my goal. Why take a step backwards when I can use that energy to go forward? That's my attitude!

April 13, 2008

What an excellent week of fat loss progress this has been!

First, my scale weight over the past week has dropped from 195.2 pounds to 193.8 pounds, which is a 1.4 pound net weight loss.

My body fat measurement this morning is 10.1% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers), down from last week's 10.8%. That means that this past week I lost approximately 1.5 pounds of fat, and gained a negligible amount of lean mass. That's textbook fat loss, and I'm very happy with these numbers.

As for my tape measurements, I'm also extremely pleased with those numbers! Normally my waist is the very last area of my body to start losing fat, but this morning my waist measurement is down to 31.75 inches--that's a 1/2" reduction from last week's measurement of 32.25 inches! My thigh measurement decreased 1/4" from last week, and all other measurements stayed the same. Actually my arm size slightly increased again this week, but still not quite a quarter of an inch (they are just shy of 16.75 inches, cold/no pump).

Considering I'm still making very good progress, there will be no adjustments to my diet or training this week.

Have a great Sunday!

April 12, 2008

Tomorrow Lisa and I are having family over for a movie and dinner. This event will may be a test my willpower, as everyone but me will be having cheese, crackers, snacks, wine, big juicy steaks and dessert. I will be sticking 100% to my planned diet and I will not consume any alcohol.

I say tomorrow may be a test of my willpower, but actually I don't think there's going to be all that much temptation to stray from my usual diet. I'm feeling great about my progress, and lately my cravings for junk food have been few and far between. Also, I've completely lost any desire for alcohol, so that aspect won't be a problem at all.

Tomorrow will mark three weeks of 100% dedication to my 2008 cut: there have been no missed meals, no meals off my planned diet, no missed weight training sessions, no missed cardio sessions and I have consumed no alcohol. My progress has reflected this dedication; my strength is up, and the fat is coming off. Tomorrow I will take my weekly tape and body fat measurements. I'll be below 10% body fat very soon (if I'm not already). 6%, here I come!

I'm going to do some LISS cardio this morning, then wash the car and go get my hair cut. This afternoon I'm just going to relax and not do much of anything at all.

Have a great day! I'll be back tomorrow with my weekly measurements...

April 11, 2008

I'm very excited about taking my measurements this Sunday. This morning I noticed some very definite fat loss progress in my mid-section. While my mid-section is always the last part of my body to shred up (and still has a long way to go), it's nice to see even a little improvement in that area!

This morning I have to go have blood work done for my annual checkup. I hate having blood work done because I have to be fasted and the wait is always a long one. I get grumpy without my breakfast. Oh well, at least I am allowed to have my coffee! I thought about asking my doctor to have the lab check my testosterone (it's never been checked before), but decided against it since I've not exhibited any symptoms of low "T". Next year I'll be 40 years old, so maybe I'll have my "T" levels tested just to satisfy my curiosity.

I'd better get on the road because I'm already starving to death. I'm taking a protein shake with me so I can eat as soon as I'm done!

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April 10, 2008

People sure are fired up about getting in shape for the summer right now! I see this sort of thing every year once the weather begins to warm, but this year is different for some reason... maybe more people than usual are making their plans public. I don't know for sure, but I like it! It's very healthy to surround yourself with like-minded individuals when you are trying to reach a difficult goal. I know I'm inspired when I see others working hard towards their goals; it makes me want to do better, too.

Some people write to me and they say, "I've tried and tried and I just can't make it happen." You know what? This is a black and white issue: work hard and stay committed to your plan and you WILL succeed. People tell me all the time that they want to see drastic, rapid changes. That's fine (so long as you are being intelligent and safe about your fat loss), but you've got to earn those changes by making health and fitness a priority in your life. The bottom line is this: those who want it badly enough will work hard, reach their goals and enjoy this summer feeling confident and happy with how they look; the rest of you, quite simply, won't. Which group will you be in this summer? The choice is 100% up to you. Are you prepared to do what it takes to finally have the body you've always wanted? This is not a chance drawing where you might get what you want. If you want it, you can have it. What happens from this day forward is 100% up to you.

As for my progress, I'm feeling great! My arms are the first body part that starts to show definition and vascularity when I'm cutting down, and it's nice to see that they are beginning to slice up a bit. I took a new progress picture yesterday and posted it in my photo journal.

Speaking of inspiration, the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 took place on November, 10 in Clearwater, FL, and will be broadcast on April 12th from 5:00PM to 6:00PM on NBC. You can check out the trailer here.

Breakfast time. Have a great day!

April 09, 2008

I feel incredibly positive about my cutting progress so far this year, and my motivation and drive are as high as they have ever been. Even though I'm in a caloric deficit and losing fat, my strength and endurance in the gym are both increasing with each and every workout. Clearly muscle memory is playing a significant role in my strength gains (I'm still not even close to my past personal bests), but I also believe that my 100% "clean" diet, my enthusiasm, my regular sleep habits and total abstinence from alcohol have all combined to create extremely fertile ground for progress.

I think a big part of the reason I thrive whenever I choose to adopt an "all or nothing" approach is because I can't stand the thought of running on just five cylinders when I know I could just as well be running on all eight. Almost anyone who's ever embarked on a cut or bulk will tell you that seeing progress is an absolute rush! Tangible results help keep our motivation levels high and reward us for our hard work. When I know I'm doing everything in my power to reach my goal, the progress comes faster and more regularly than it otherwise would. My attitude right now is, "If it's not helping me reach my goal, then it's hurting me."

I'll admit that adapting to a rigid, cheat meal-free diet and an excuse-free training schedule takes some serious grit--especially for the first couple of weeks. However, for me the rewards quickly outweigh any desire I have to slack off. I liken my "all or nothing" approach to a snowball rolling down a mountain: that snowball may not start off as much at all, but if it is able to survive long enough to gain some momentum it's going to quickly grow stronger and faster. Before long, that little snowball is all but unstoppable!

So, I guess what I'm really saying is that I'm a large ball of rolling frozen water.

April 08, 2008

It's fascinating how our bodies work. Fat loss is definitely not a linear process; progress almost always happens in fits and burst. After 7 days at basically the same weight (195.x pounds), yesterday my scale weight dropped to 194.4 pounds and this morning it dropped yet again to 193.6 pounds.

Over the past 15 days my diet and training have both been in perfect adherence to my 2008 cutting meal plan and my current training program, so it's not like I made changes in those areas to force this recent progress. This is just the way our bodies work. Making rash change to your program every time your progress stalls is counter-productive; doing so will usually create more problems than it solves. The real keys to making progress are consistency and patience. Plateaus are quite normal, and something that we all have to learn to cope with. The temptation to drop your calories (or worse--give up) once a stall is encountered is a strong one, but you've got to resist. Stay on track and the fat will almost always begin to come off again. In general I'd start to look at making a change only after more than a week with absolutely no change in tape and/or caliper measurements.

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April 07, 2008

This morning I weighed in at 194.4 pounds: almost a full pound less than yesterday, and a new low scale weight (by almost a pound) for this year's cut. Clearly I didn't lose an entire pound of fat in just 24 hours, so what gives? Read on...

Sudden, relatively "drastic" drops and rises in scale weight are very common. Our body weights will fluctuate quite a bit every day based on all kinds of factors, such as how much unprocessed food is still our systems and how much water we are retaining.

Yesterday when I reported my weekly results (195.2 pounds @ 10.8% body fat), that represented a fat loss for the week of 1.4 pounds and a lean mass gain of 1 pound. Notice that I was very careful to use the term "lean mass" and NOT "muscle". The unprocessed food and water I just mentioned? All are considered lean mass. Just remember than fat is fat, and everything else (water, waste, undigested food, muscle, bone, skin, your brain, your toenails--every part of your body but fat) is considered lean mass.

There was a post on the forum yesterday that used the terms "lean mass" and "muscle" interchangeably. As I just explained, this is incorrect, but a very common mistake. Anyway, the author of the thread was wondering how I could gain "muscle" at nearly the same rate as I was losing fat. Well, the simple answer is that I didn't! This morning's scale weight shows that in actuality I lost 2.2 pounds of fat last week, but some of that fat loss was simply being obfuscated by a bit of water retention (water that was correctly reported yesterday as lean mass).

Thanks to the original poster of the aforementioned thread for bringing this valid concern up. I hope this helps clear things up for those of you who were confused by yesterday's measurements!

April 06, 2008

My scale weight this morning is 195.2 pounds, and that's just shy of a 1/2 pound net body weight loss for the week. This past Friday I wrote about scale weight at length, and today my tape and body fat measurements will support what I wrote on Friday. Let's go over my findings...

First of all, my tape measurements were very encouraging! Over the past week I've lost over 1/4" inch from each my waist, my thighs and my hips. My arm and calf measurements both increased slightly (not quite a 1/4") while my chest and forearms are about the same.

My body fat measurement this morning is 10.8% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers), down from last week's 11.5%. That means that this past week I lost approximately 1.4 pounds of fat, and gained 1 pound of lean mass.

This just goes to show that scale weight alone is a very poor indication of progress. In light of this morning's results, I will not be making any changes to my diet or training. My progress has been good!

April 05, 2008

Yesterday's weight training workout capped off two straight weeks of awesome progress. My strength is increasing, my energy levels are high and my motivation is very strong and growing with each day. My diet over the past two weeks has also been 100% spot-on: I've not missed a single meal, there have been no cheat meals, and I've not eaten so much as a single bite of anything off my planned cutting diet. I've also been sleeping better than I've slept in months, and part of that is probably because I'm completely abstaining from alcohol.

Speaking of alcohol, last night after PWO meal #2 I was struck by the desire to relax with an alcoholic drink. I was further tempted because Lisa stopped on the way home from work and picked up a couple bottles of red wine. Lisa poured herself a glass of wine, and I could smell it across the room. The funny thing is, once I smelled the wine my craving vanished! The wine actually smelled bad to me (not "bad" as in the wine had turned; "bad" as in completely unappealing).

I honestly feel that I have done everything in my power over the past two weeks to maximize my progress. It feels very satisfying. While I've had some pretty intense cravings, it gets a little easier each day. Weekends always present an extra challenge, as I normally would be having a cheat meal tonight. Actually today my planned diet calls for eye of round steak and broccoli for meal #5, and that's going to be awesome!

I normally wouldn't post this kind of thing here, but I'm so irritated by what happened that I wanted to take advantage of the fact that thousands of people read this page every day and spread the word. Before you think about using DHL for your shipping needs, look what I captured on my security cameras yesterday afternoon. Real professional.

I've got some gardening to do this morning, and this afternoon I'll be doing HIIT. I might try and work a movie or two in as well. Should be a nice day!

April 04, 2008

Yesterday I decided to make a minor change to my current weight training split: I've moved calves from Thursday (quads and hamstrings) to Friday (delts, traps and now calves). The reason for this change is mainly to better balance the volume and length of those two workouts. As always, my current and past training information can be found on my training page.

I received an email yesterday asking why my weight has been flatlined all week, and if I was already planning to make a change to my cutting diet as a result. I think scale weight is a common concern--especially among beginners--so I'd like to talk about this subject a little bit...

My scale weight was 195.4 pounds on Monday, and today it is basically the same: 195.2 pounds. Does this mean I'm not losing fat? Maybe yes, maybe no. The scale can be useful, but it is by far the most blunt instrument in our transformation toolboxes. A standard scale does not know the difference between lean mass and fat; it can only give you the total of both. If you are relying solely on your scale weight to determine your progress, then you are only viewing a very small swatch of the information available to you. Soft tape measurements, photographs, the mirror, how your clothes fit and body fat calipers (I use the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers) are light years beyond the lowly scale when it comes to tracking body composition changes; these basic tools and methods should be utilized by everyone who is serious about tracking their progress.

Returning to the original question, do I need to make a change to my cutting diet already? The answer is that it is way too soon to tell. This Sunday I'll take tape measurements and a body fat reading, and will evaluate things from there. Even though I'm cutting, it is very possible that I've been adding lean mass while losing fat over the past couple of weeks. Muscle memory is a very real thing, and my nutrition and training have both been 100% spot-on. Also, I've been taking creatine and that's certainly causing some lean mass gains in the form of water. This past week I've noticed increased definition in my abdominal area, and my clothes are feeling looser. Also, stalls are normal when cutting. These are all things that I will take into consideration before making any changes.

OK, time for me to get to work. Happy Friday!

April 03, 2008

You know that sort of scared/excited feeling when you are on a roller coaster heading up the tallest hill just before the fastest drop? That's not too far from how I feel when I wake up in the morning on leg day. I've always said that if you are not a little scared on leg day then you're just not working hard enough. I hope the afternoon rains hold off long enough to allow me to get some backyard walking lunges in...

In yesterday's update I mentioned a reoccurring pain in my upper back that recently flared up after my last couple of chest workouts. It seems I'm far from alone, as I heard from quite a few of you who have experienced the same sort of pain. I received a lot of helpful suggestions, but the one that kept coming up over and over was a professional massage. I love the sound of that! Even if it doesn't correct this specific problem, it sure can't hurt.

As for the specific cause of the pain? I think Chicanerous may have nailed it: destabilized scapula. Check out his very helpful post here.

I'm going to head for the kitchen and start fueling up for my leg workout. It's going to be a killer: I'm feeling awesome this morning.

April 02, 2008

It's Wednesday or, as I like to call it, the "eye of the storm". Wednesday is the only weekday that I don't train with weights, and it's a nice chance to take a breather between workouts. I've decided that for today's cardio I'll be doing an afternoon HIIT session. Over the past week I've already noticed an improvement in my cardio fitness level, and I want to continue to build on that by doing at least two HIIT session each week and also by keeping my weight training rest intervals brief.

Yesterday I worked my chest and triceps, and unfortunately it seems that I've once again aggravated a nagging injury I've been dealing with for awhile now. I've got this pain in my right upper back. It's difficult to pinpoint where exactly the pain is because it's so deep. It seems to be just to the left of my right lat, but I can feel it all the way up into my trap and neck when I move my head. I don't know if it's a pulled muscle or a pinched nerve or what, but it's annoyingly painful. Benching seems to cause the problem to flare up, and right now it's the worst it's been. The pain not debilitating like my shoulder injury was; I can still lift, it's just very uncomfortable. I've thought about going to the doctor but I have a feeling he's just going to give me drugs (which I don't want) before referring me to a sports doctor (don't get me started on that subject). Chiropractic care is an option, but I've had less than positive experiences with those guys, too. I'm mainly posting this to document it. I am going to continue to train and work through it unless it gets worse.

This week has been remarkably smooth so far with regards to cravings. I've not been craving alcohol or junk food at all--and Lisa has slowly been finishing off the leftover junk food from our vacation right in front of my eyes every single night. I think I'm just so happy to be back to my normal diet and training schedule that junk food seems to have lost its luster. I'm thankful for that, because it makes my job easier!

I'd better get to work. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!

April 01, 2008

My workouts just keep getting better and better! Before my vacation I felt like I was climbing a mountain with no shoes on my feet, and now I feel like I'm barreling down the other side of that mountain, picking up speed and power with every passing second. This is the feeling I was struggling to find before my vacation, and now that I've got it back I feel unstoppable again. I'm so happy right now.

Something I've always done over the years is take lot of workout and post-workout pictures to sort of photographically chart my progress. While my monthly progress photos are a useful tool, the workout photos are generally more interesting and more focused. I haven't really taken any workout photos so far this year, so last night I decided that it was time to start doing that again. You can expect to see new photos on a more regular basis once again now that I'm back in the swing of things. Yesterday's workout photos can be found in my photo journal. Here's the direct link.

My monthly progress photos are also up this morning. The title of this month's photos might be "Dude, where's my abs?" Yeah, these are my worst monthly photos in a long time. Consider them my "before" pictures for this year's cut. With no cheats, a clean all-natural diet, no alcohol and no missed workouts, I guarantee that next month's photos will be markedly improved.

As an aside, I finally got the monthly photo lighting and camera position worked out so they are much closer to the conditions present at the old house. So, from a purely technical standpoint, these new photos are better than last month's!

I'm very excited about the progress I'll be making over the next month. Stay tuned...

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