Daily News Archives

August 2007

08/31/2007 - New Favorite Things item: Blendtec Total Blender.
08/30/2007 - My photos on CNN.
08/29/2007 - Random thoughts on my upcoming bulk.
08/28/2007 - Weekly stats; Will it blend?
08/27/2007 - Awesome new recipe; Back day!
08/26/2007 - Day off; Interesting article on sleeping.
08/25/2007 - Good workout yesterday, and a good night of sleep!
08/24/2007 - Sleeping poorly this week.
08/23/2007 - Starving this morning; Yesterday's chest workout.
08/22/2007 - School, training and diet; Huge APT sale!
08/21/2007 - Back workout; Deadlift progress; September "100 Challenge"; AtLarge sale.
08/20/2007 - Weekly measurements; Day off from work, but not from working out!
08/19/2007 - Last night's cheat meal; Revisiting an old recipe; Cilantro shrimp follow-up.
08/18/2007 - Are you happy?
08/17/2007 - Improve your quality of life in three simple steps.
08/16/2007 - Is fear of injury holding you back; New dips/incline bench PRs; New pictures.
08/15/2007 - Drink water!
08/14/2007 - Why are some workouts better than others?
08/13/2007 - Weekly measurements; Maintaining 8% body fat now; Off from work today!
08/12/2007 - Cheat meal last night after all; Aches and pains.
08/11/2007 - No cheat meal tonight; I'm trying a new shrimp recipe; Saturday plans.
08/10/2007 - HIIT or LISS feedback; Forum software upgrades; Long weekends!
08/09/2007 - Which is best, HIIT or LISS?
08/08/2007 - Good back workout yesterday; Grapefruit.
08/07/2007 - I skipped yesterday's workout (making it up today!); Eating properly on the go.
08/06/2007 - Back from vacation!
08/05/2007 - No update - on vacation.
08/04/2007 - No update - on vacation.
08/03/2007 - No update - on vacation.
08/02/2007 - No update - on vacation.
08/01/2007 - No update - on vacation.

August 31, 2007

I got my new Blendtec Total Blender a few days ago, and it was worth every last penny.

The first thing I made in the blender was my 4th meal: 75g of Nitrean, 1/2 cup raw oats, 16 ounces of water and lots of ice. I threw all the stuff in the blender, put the lid on and hit the "Smoothie" button. The blender automatically speeds up and slows down to make sure everything is mixed, and then stops when it's done. The blender only ran for about 15 seconds, and I thought "There's no way all that ice is crushed!" There was not a single ice chip left, and the mixture was perfectly smooth and consistent. My old blender took forever to crush ice, and even then there were always a few large chunks of ice.

Just for fun, I put a bunch of ice in the blender and hit the "crush ice" button. It didn't just crush the ice, it literally turned it into powdered snow. I'm serious, I made a snowball out of it. You can make snowcones with this machine. Check out this video:

How about turning granulated sugar into powdered sugar?

During my workouts I sip on 4 scoops of lemon Xtend in water. Wednesday I put all that in the blender along with a bunch of ice and made an awesome lemon slushy. It was great!

The blender also comes with a very nice 246-page recipe book. The book is full color, has lots of pictures and is printed on glossy pages. It's packed with all kinds of recipes, from drinks to bread (you can make dough with this blender). There are quite a few healthy recipes, too.

For more information and lots of fun and interesting "Will it blend?" videos, check out the Will It Blend? website.

This blender has definitely earned a spot in my Favorite Things thread!

August 30, 2007

CNN called last week and they conducted a fairly lengthy phone interview with me. I tried to focus on providing what I felt were solid, easy-to-digest tips and information that would help inspire and educate those who were looking to improve their health. Considering the amount of time I was interviewed I expected at least a somewhat informative article to appear as a result. Nope. Everything I said (and, presumably, the other men who are featured said) was reduced to a few photo captions and a couple of bullet points at the top of the page. They didn't even provide a link to JSF or any other web site for further reading. Providing all those inspiring photographs without any real information to help others strikes me as a big tease. It's a shame, really. Anyway, here a link to the article: Readers show us their guns.

August 29, 2007

I'm really starting to get excited about my upcoming bulk! I think with hard work and careful attention to my diet I'm going to make solid improvements to my overall symmetry while keeping fat gain to an absolute minimum. I'm always learning, and one thing I've learned is that excessive fat gain during a bulk is extremely counter-productive for me. This year's bulk will not be as "dramatic" as some of my past bulks when it comes to overall size and weight gains, but I think after I finish my bulk and then cut back to 6% body fat or so the net retention of my bulking gains will be higher than any previous bulk & cut. Of course another nice thing about having less fat to lose is I won't have to cut for six months like I did this year! That was a long time to diet, and it was not much fun. I think after this bulk I'll be looking at around 3 months of dieting to get back to 6% body fat.

I haven't talked about a bulking plan with Mastover yet, but I plan to bring up something new (to me) that may be worth giving a shot: 3 weeks of bulking followed by a week of cutting. Repeat. Many people have had great success following a plan like this, and have seen good gains with minimal fat gain. I'm always looking to try new things, and this would definitely be a new approach for me. Stay tuned!

August 28, 2007

I'm a day late, but this morning I've took my weekly measurements and body fat reading...

I did put on a little fat over the past week. My waist size has increased slightly (1/4 of an inch) and my body fat reading is 8.3% (as measured using a 7-site pinch test with the FatTrack PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers from the JSF Amazon Mall). All my other measurements remained the same.

This Saturday night I'm going out to dinner, but I think after that dinner I'm not going to have any more cheat meals for the entire month of September. I'll be starting my 2007 bulk in about a month, and I don't want to be above 8% body fat going into this bulk. One of my goals on this bulk is to not get above 12% body fat at any point. It's going to be a clean, slow and controlled bulk. My main focus on this bulk will be to bring up my lagging muscle groups: rear & side delts, traps and chest. I'm sure I'll put on size in other areas, but I'm going to attack my weakest areas with new exercises and different techniques. More on that over the next few weeks...

I use my blender a lot--at least twice every day. Most blenders seem to have trouble with ice, and they eventually burn up and die with regular use. I put ice in all my protein shakes, and I've destroyed 3 or 4 blenders over the past few years. I'm tired of buying new ones, and this time I decided to do something about it. I'm sure most of you have seen some the "Will it blend?" videos, which (for the uninitiated) is a very effective "viral" ad campaign for Blendtec blenders. For example:

...and my personal favorite, the destruction of a brand new iPhone:

These blenders are not cheap, but they are amazingly powerful and designed to withstand years and years of use and abuse. I decided to bite the bullet and order one yesterday. It will be here in a few hours. I'm looking forward to trying it out! It easily turns ice into snow, so it should make amazing protein shakes. I'll post my thoughts after I've had a chance to use it for a few days. For more cool videos, check out the Will It Blend? website.

August 27, 2007

OK, I think Lisa and I have the Spicy Grilled Cilantro Shrimp pretty well tweaked to our liking, and so this morning I posted the recipe. Last week Lisa suggested adding some sun dried tomatoes to the dipping sauce, and she was right on the money: the tomatoes added a very nice flavor and bit of tang to the sauce. You may want to adjust the red pepper and jalapeño if you like more or less heat. This is a very healthy and absolutely delicious way to prepare shrimp: it's packed with protein and healthy fats.

I really love cilantro and, because it's sold in big bunches, there is usually plenty left over after making a recipe that calls for it. One of my favorite things to do with extra cilantro is to chop some up and toss it in with my egg whites along with some garlic and cumin. That's how I prepared my eggs this morning and they were awesome!

Lisa was in a rush this morning and didn't have time to help me take my weekly body fat reading. I'll be sure to get it done tomorrow and post the results. I think I may have added a little fat this past week. I had an extra cheat meal or two.

It's Monday, and that means it's back day! My back workout is my favorite workout, mostly because I love deads. I'm also really enjoying the weighted wide-grip pull-ups I've been doing lately. When I first started training back in 2003 I couldn't do a single body weight pull-up, so it feels great at 194 pounds to have to chain plates to my body in order to provide myself with a worthy challenge.

I know Mondays can suck, but don't skip your workout! Get in there and train like you mean it!

August 26, 2007

I've got the entire day off: no work to do, no training, no cleaning and no projects. I'm also feeling very well-rested this morning. Last night I slept like a baby for the second night in a row. I'm glad that the fairly brief (but unpleasant) run of restless nights appears to be behind me.

Speaking of sleep, this morning I (quite coincidently) came across a very interesting article on the subject. I found it to be an informative and interesting read, and thought some of you might, too.

I'm going to get off this computer and go enjoy my day off. Have a great Sunday!

August 25, 2007

I must have caught a second wind or something yesterday, because I didn't feel tired at all in the afternoon. After 3 nights of broken sleep, I really thought I'd be dragging my butt into the gym! Instead I felt pretty energetic, and had a very good workout. I think my healthy diet is what made the difference. I firmly believe that adopting a healthy, all-natural diet is the number 1 thing you can do to lose fat, gain muscle, have more energy and feel great.

Speaking of sleep, I slept great last night! I only woke up once, and I fell back asleep almost immediately. What a relief. I really needed a good night of rest. I'm the type of person who doesn't function too well without a solid 7.5-8 hours of sleep each night.

Today's going to be a typical Saturday for me: morning cardio followed by a thorough house cleaning. After that, I'm going to make a trip out to our new home and check on construction. The block masons laid up the walls earlier this week, and yesterday the lintel inspection was passed. The lintel concrete may have been poured yesterday afternoon, and that means the carpenters will start the big job of installing the second floor framing and the roof trusses. It's really starting to look like a house now! As always, I'll be updating my new home journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) with new pictures and information when I return. I'm glad I decided to start a journal: documenting the building process has been a lot of fun so far, and is proving to be a very educational experience.

August 24, 2007

Whenever I have a lot on my mind I sometimes have a difficult time falling back asleep after waking up in the middle of the night. It's been like that the past 3 days, and I'm starting to feel the effects. I usually wake up around 1:30 AM for a quick trip to the bathroom, and for the past few nights it's taken me until after 3:00 AM to fall back sleep. For some reason my mind always starts racing, and I lie there thinking about all sorts of random crap. I do my best to clear my head, but sometimes it's difficult. I find that white noise helps. I imagine that I'm on a long, boring plane trip or laying by a waterfall. Another problem is we desperately need a new mattress. When we move to our new home we're getting all new bedroom furniture, and I will be sparing no expense when it comes to the mattress and boxspring!

Tonight I'm going to stop drinking water about 2 hours before bed. This is going to be hard, because I drink water constantly and I feel parched without it. I just want to see if I can sleep the night through without needing to urinate. I'll probably wake up anyway out of habit!

Today is leg day, and leg workouts are always brutal. I'm feeling pretty tired, but I'm going to push through and have a great workout anyway. I find that even if I'm feeling lethargic as long as I push through the initial stages of my workout I'm fine; the adrenaline and endorphin rush provide a massive natural energy boost.

Time for me to get to work. Happy Friday!

August 23, 2007

I'm absolutely starving this morning for some reason! I decided to skip my fasted LISS cardio this morning, and instead will do a HIIT cardio session this afternoon. That's yet another advantage to doing a couple different styles of cardio: I can switch them around at will to best fit my schedule and mood. I love doing afternoon HIIT workouts: they really get my blood pumping and provide me with a nice mid-day energy boost.

My chest workout yesterday was excellent, and I broke the personal records that I set last week for weighted dips and incline bench press. The strange thing is my flat bench press, while improving each week, is lagging behind. I've been stuck at the same weight for a few weeks now, but slowly improving the number of reps I can do with that weight. I think I might shake things up a bit and switch to some dumbbell work for flat bench.

I've got to sign off and get to work--lots to do today!

August 22, 2007

I know many of you have already returned (or will soon be returning) to school/college, or have kids that are back in school this month. These can be hectic times: busy (and often unpredictable) schedules, increased demands on your time and the temptation to skip workouts & fall back on convenience foods. I encourage those of you who are faced with these challenges to invest a little time to plan--you don't want to let your health and fitness slide. Good health is your rock-solid foundation for success during these busy times!

Plan your meals and workouts around your schedule, and always be sure to have easily transportable and consumed "emergency" meals ready to go for those times when your schedule unexpectedly changes. Protein powder, nuts, pouches of tuna or chicken, raw oats, fruit and good protein bars are examples of foods that are easy to transport, don't require refrigeration and can be quickly consumed.

There are quite a few students and parents on the JSF Forum who are very successful when it comes to balancing their school work, kids, jobs, personal life, diet and training. If you need some advice in any of these areas, please don't hesitate to create a free account and ask for help. Where there is a will, there is always a way.

Our good friends over at APT Pro Gear are running a fantastic special right now: Free 12" wrist wraps and 15% off your entire order! APT's gear is professional quality stuff, and I use it every single workout. I love their wrist wraps, their lifting straps and their exercise bands (just to name a few of the products I regularly use!) To get your discount and free straps, just place your order and use the discount code "WRAPS" when checking out. Also, be sure to include which wraps you want in the comments section (specify by name from this list).

August 21, 2007

Yesterday's back workout was another excellent workout! I improved on every exercise over last week. My deadlifts are still not where they were last year when I was bulking, but I'm narrowing the gap every week. I was about 20 pounds heavier than I am now when I hit my deadlift personal record in late 2006, but I have to admit that it irritates me to not be closer to that mark than I presently am. I guess that's my competitive side; those pointed edges always seem to be peaking through. There's nothing wrong with that, but I have to resist the urge to pile on more weight than I'm ready for. My rule of thumb is to add 10 pounds each week to deads (as long as I get 3 sets of 6 completed with good form the workout prior).

Man, whey prices (and dairy prices in general) just keep climbing. It's affecting all of us who purchase protein powder, and it's certainly affecting the manufactures that produce it. AtLarge Nutrition (along with every other manufacturer of protein powder) is again forced to raise their prices simply to offset the costs of producing their products. Their existing stock is, of course, not affected by this latest price increase. Right now is a very good time to stock up before the prices go up again. Also, they are running a 10% off sale, so this is as good as it gets. Check out the details below.

I've opened the September "100 Challenge" for entry. Details are immediately below this update.

Registration for the September 2007 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on September 1, 2007 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 September 2007 "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!

AtLarge Nutrition - 10% Off Sale, and a message from AtLarge Nutrition

You may be aware that the price of whey protein worldwide has seen some dramatic increases recently.

Because of this, we are forced to raise the price of Nitrean protein very shortly. We would like to stress that this is due to a large increase in price for raw materials, thus a higher manufacturing cost for us.

We will always strive to keep our prices competitive and to help ease things on everyone, we wanted to give all existing customers a chance to purchase Nitrean at its current price ($42.95) for a limited time, after which we will be raising the price.

So, up until Sunday August 26th 2007, we will be discounting all orders placed by 10%!

If you have been waiting to try some AtLarge Nutrition supplements or simply want to stock up on your current supplement supply - do so now and save 10% on your order!

Simply place your order as normal and when you get to the payment information page, you will see a box labeled "Discount Coupon". Enter the following coupon code to receive your 10% discount: 10percent

- AtLarge Nutrition

August 20, 2007

It's time for my weekly measurements. I seem to be maintaining my body fat level quite well, and my strength keeps going up. No complaints here!

My tape measurements pretty much all stayed the same, as did my body fat reading. This morning my body fat reading is 7.9% (as measured using a 7-site pinch test with the FatTrack PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers from the JSF Amazon Mall).

Today is the second in my series of three 3-day weekends, which I'm taking to make up for the time I had to work during my vacation. Except for this afternoon's workout (it's back day!) I don't have any specific plans for the day. After my workout I'm going to drive out to the new house and check on construction. The slab was poured on Friday, so the block masons should start laying up the walls up today. I'll update my new home journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) with new pictures and maybe some more video when I return.

August 19, 2007

Last night's cheat meal was awesome: I prepared 96% lean ground beef burgers on the grill along with grilled Vidalia onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard and melted Swiss cheese served on toasted sesame seed hamburger buns. I also had a piece of garlic bread and a handful (OK, two handfuls) of kettle chips. Along with the meal I drank a really good glass of red wine. As cheat meals go, that's not too bad. I enjoyed it far more than a greasy pizza, that's for sure! Instead of desert, I munched on some pistachio nuts while I watched a DVD with Lisa and the dogs. It was a nice, relaxing evening. I slept very well last night, and woke up feeling only slightly bloated. I hate how bloated and groggy I feel after a "heavy" cheat meal (like pepperoni pizza), and it's been quite awhile since I've had something like that.

Tonight for meal #5 I'm going to make salmon, and I'm going to use a recipe (simply called "Broiled Salmon") that I've not prepared in years. That version of broiled salmon was a staple in my diet when I was first losing weight back in 2003. For awhile there I was eating that recipe 2 times per week. It's really good, but eating that same recipe for months on end made me kind of tired of it. Now that's been a few years, I'm looking forward to having it again.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the cilantro shrimp I mentioned in last Saturday's update turned out fantastic! I'll be having that recipe again this week. I may try finely dicing some sun dried tomatoes and adding that to the dipping sauce. I think they would add a nice visual touch, and would further enhance the flavor. I think that recipe is good on it's own, but it's also a great base for experimentation. Give it a try and see what you can come up with!

Today is my day off from everything, and I'm looking forward to it: The house is clean, the car is washed, the yard work is done, I have no training today and no work to do. Nice!

August 18, 2007

As a whole, I think this past week of training has been one of the most satisfying and productive of my "career". Every workout was memorable, several personal records were broken and after each workout I walked out of the gym knowing I put everything I had into each rep. Nothing--and I do mean nothing--compares to the feeling.

Before my transformation I relied on drugs to feel good, but any pleasant feelings that those drugs provided were fleeting and hollow. Like everyone else, I've got concerns, worries, problems and stress in my life, yet I am usually able to walk around above all that stuff. I'm not saying that I am unaffected by it all; what I'm saying is that hard work and self discipline have their rewards, and those rewards run far deeper than having a "good" body. As I mentioned in yesterday's update, eating right, getting plenty of rest and training hard are the things that provide me with a rock-solid foundation for the rest of my life. I truly believe that those three things are the "secrets" as to why I'm genuinely happy with my life right now.

I'm nearly 39 years old, and I was just reading the other day that statically speaking this is the age when many men are at the lowest point in their lives. I don't think it has to be that way. Face facts: time marches on, we get old, we die--no exceptions. You can dwell on that sobering reality, or you can squeeze every last drop of life out of the time you have been given.

August 17, 2007

I am in an exceptionally good mood this morning! I feel like I'm on top the world, and I think there are several reasons for that...

First, I've been eating very clean all week long. Eating clean always makes me feel energetic and happy. I love the taste of so-called "cheat" foods, but they seem to have a profoundly negative effect on my overall wellness in the days following their consumption. It's interesting how we often crave the things that are not good for us.

Second, my weight training workouts this week have been incredibly good. I've broken several personal records this week, and it's very satisfying to feel strong and powerful after all those months of cutting and struggling through some very tough workouts with no fuel. The "snowball effect" is in full-force: each time I have an excellent workout, it provides me with confidence, excitement and motivation for the next one. It's a great place to be, and I want to keep it going. Tonight is leg night, and I feel like a caged animal right now. This feeling will continue to build all day, and I know that when I step into my gym this afternoon I'm going to have one of the best leg workouts of my life. If you walk into the gym with that kind of confidence, you simply can not have a bad workout.

Another huge factor in how I'm feeling this morning is that I'm well-rested. Sleep is important to me. In fact, it's critical. If I don't get enough sleep, it affects everything I do. Some people can get by with less sleep, but I simply must have 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep each night or I'll feel terrible the next day. I wake up at 6:00 AM each morning, so I make sure that I'm in bed by 10:00 PM at the latest every night.

Of course today is Friday, and that's always a mood-booster for most of us. Additionally, I've got another 3-day weekend coming since I had to work over my vacation.

To sum up: eat clean, train hard and get plenty of sleep. Seems simple--and it is--but how many of you are actually doing all those things with consistency? Try it for a month and see if your quality of life doesn't markedly improve.

August 16, 2007

As many of you know, I've been building my strength up since I finished cutting at the end of June. The strength training program I've been using is very similar to MAX-OT, and it's been working very well (you can check out my training page for details). Even though my shoulders have problems, I never worry about injury when I'm training. I'm not saying that I don't ever think about the possibility of my shoulders blowing out on me, because I do. But when I'm about to perform an exercise I clear my mind of everything except the task in front of me. I believe that if you are overly concerned about injury when you lift or play sports, then you're subconsciously placing limits on yourself, and perhaps even increasing your chances of sustaining an injury. That said, I do everything I can to avoid injury, including plenty of warm-up sets, stretching and practicing good form.

Yesterday's chest and side delts workout was one for the books! I broke two personal records: incline bench press (for reps) and weighted dips (for reps). Chest workouts are particularly hard on my shoulders--especially weighted chest dips--and I was using more weight on those dips then I'd ever used in my life. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about the health of my shoulders, but I did my best to block those counterproductive thoughts out right before each set. Instead I focused on the mechanics of the lift, my power and my strength. My shoulders didn't protest in the least bit while I was performing the exercise, and this morning they still feel great. I think all the hard work I've put into strengthening my rotator cuff, improving my posture and strengthening my core has really helped.

It's been a long time since I posted any new pictures, so last night a took a few before and after my dips. Here are my goofy new pictures. I'm hamming it up, as usual.

I've got some cardio to get done, so I'd better get moving now. Train hard!

August 15, 2007

I was talking to an acquaintance yesterday, and was surprised when he said "I drink plenty of water every day because I drink lots of diet soda." I told him that diet soda is not the same as drinking plain water, but he insisted that it is the same because it's made of "mostly water". I tried to explain that the caffeine was actually acting as a diuretic, but nothing I said could convince him that drinking soda is not the same as drinking fresh water.

Before my transformation started in 2003, I never drank water. My only fluid intake was soda, coffee and alcohol, all of which are diuretics. So how did I survive? Our bodies are great at adapting to adverse conditions, and I guess the little water I did get through foods was sustaining me. Of course my overall health was horrible back then. So can you survive on nothing but soda? Sure, but I don't know for how long, and you're definitely creating far from optimal conditions if your goal is health and/or fat loss.

When I stopped drinking soda and switched to water it was very difficult, but over time I came to love water. Now nothing refreshes me and quenches my thirst like water. I drink about 1.25 - 1.5 gallons per day. Other than coffee in the morning and the occasional alcoholic beverage, water is all I ever drink.

Wow, I'm out of time--it's 2 minutes to 9:00 and after almost 5 years of updating this site by 9:00 AM without fail, I don't want to be late for the first time today. Have a great day, and drink your water!

August 14, 2007

When I woke up yesterday morning I was feeling especially positive and energetic, so I had a feeling my performance in the gym was going to be above average. Sure enough, my back workout was incredible! It was one of those workouts in which the weights felt light and my recovery between sets seemed to take half as long as normal. Everything just sort of clicked into place. If you've been training for any length of time, you know exactly what I'm talking about: there's good workouts, there's great workouts, and then there's... this!

Whenever I have an incredible workout I always try to analyze why. It's tough to pin down the specifics, though, and I think that's because there are a large number of factors that all need to be in sync.

Here are some of the things that may have had something to do with my performance: I had a great night's sleep Sunday night. My diet has "perfect", and I'm eating plenty of healthy, all-natural foods. I was off from work yesterday, which definitely boosted my mood. Yesterday morning I saw several posts on the forum that I found very inspirational. I also read some motivational bodybuilding articles over the weekend, and that sort of "primed the pump" because I was looking forward to Monday's workout all weekend long. Finally, I think my overall good mood, being off from work and the motivational material/posts all helped to provide me with an extremely positive mental attitude heading into the gym.

There's that old cliché again: "Positive mental attitude". Yeah, I know, but it's so true. Sometimes when I'm pissed off about something it helps me tear into the weights and have a great workout, but I don't think I've ever had a workout on the same level of yesterday's workout when I was not in a positive state of mind. That's something to think about...

Train hard--I'll see you tomorrow!

August 13, 2007

I decided to move my weekly measurements from Sunday back to Monday. This change is because my body fat reading, scale weight and tape measurements are inaccurate on Sunday, thanks to water retention from Saturday night's cheat meal.

This morning my body fat reading is 8.1% (as measured using a 7-site pinch test with the FatTrack PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers from the JSF Amazon Mall).

8% is the body fat level that I want to maintain until I start my bulk on October 1. As I said at the end of my cut, maintaining 6% body fat is not practical for me. Maintaining 6% body fat is safe (for men) and quite possible, but it requires an ultra-strict diet. My diet is already pretty strict, but giving up my weekly cheat meals for the rest of the summer is not something I'm interested in doing. I may not be quite as ripped as I was on July 1, but 8% body fat is still very lean, and low enough to maintain a nice 6-pack.

I'm off from work today! I'm going to eat breakfast, go run some errands and then come back home this afternoon for my back/rear delts workout. I feel excellent this morning, and I'm looking forward to an brutal workout. After my workout I'm going to take a drive out to the new house and see how things are progressing. I'll update my new home journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) when I get back.

August 12, 2007

Even though Lisa was not home to enjoy it with me, I changed my mind and decided to go ahead and have my cheat meal as scheduled last night. I was really craving a good hamburger, so I grilled one using 96% lean ground beef. I ate the burger on a toasted sesame bun along with grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, spicy brown mustard and a slice of melted white American cheese. I also had a couple handfuls of kettle chips on the side. The meal was delicious, and really hit the spot!

I'm really looking forward to my upcoming bulk, which will start on October 1, 2007. I am enjoying my summer strength building program, but these extremely heavy weights are starting to take a toll on my old body! My shoulders, wrists and left hip have all been protesting and causing me some discomfort due to old injuries. I've been able to train while keeping those old injuries in check, but that's largely because I normally train for hypertrophy using moderately heavy weights for 10-12 reps per set. This summer I've been going very heavy for 4-6 reps per set, and my body is starting to protest. I'll never be a powerlifter, that's for sure! Anyway, I may transition to a higher rep/lower weight program before my bulk starts if I feel like it's necessary to avoid injury.

I'm off to have breakfast now. Enjoy your Sunday!

August 11, 2007

I'm going to skip my planned cheat meal tonight. Lisa has to attend a meeting this evening, and I'd rather wait so we can indulge together. Maybe we'll go out for lunch tomorrow or something.

Tomorrow night I normally prepare salmon for dinner, but instead of salmon I've decided to try a new shrimp recipe I found. It's basic grilled jumbo shrimp served with a cilantro dipping sauce. Cilantro sauces are very popular in South American cuisine, and excellent on most seafood. The sauce I'll be using is similar to the sauce that I put on my Cilantro Salmon. Just like the cilantro salmon recipe, I'll use cilantro, garlic, olive oil and lime, but some fresh chopped jalapeño and a little fresh ginger with be added for a bit of a kick. I'll serve it with some broccoli and maybe a little brown rice.

Ahhh, it's Saturday! It's been a long week, and it feels good to be caught up with my work and off for three days. I think I'm going to wash the car and then take a drive out to the new house. Construction has been proceeding at a breakneck pace, so I'm eager to see what's been accomplished since I was last out there on Thursday. I'll post some new pictures, information and maybe some video in my New House Construction Journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) in a little while.

August 10, 2007

I appreciate the feedback I received concerning yesterday's update ("HIIT or LISS?"). A lot of beginners really seem to worry about which form of cardio is "best", and all the debates just muddy the waters and cause some of you a lot of confusion. I hope my article helped cut through the muck and simplified thing a bit. I also want to point out that while cardio is an excellent way to burn calories and keep your cardiovascular system in peak form, a PROPER DIET should be your #1 priority when it comes to fat loss. Focus on getting your diet in order, train with weights and add a few cardio sessions each week. When I cut down to 6% body fat this summer, I only did cardio 3 or 4 times per week, and I did a mix of HIIT and LISS. Overdoing cardio for fat loss purposes is counter-productive and a waste of your time.

The forum software upgrades that I mentioned on Monday morning didn't get done this week. This was my first week back from a two-week vacation, and I've been extremely busy. None of the updates are security-related or in any way critical, so I've decided to put them on the backburner until things settle down a bit. I'll make another announcement when I'm ready to perform the upgrades.

Speaking of work, I'm finally almost caught up. Because I had to work around 20 hours over my vacation, I'll be taking 3-day weekends (Saturday - Monday) for the next three weeks. I was a little annoyed having to work during my vacation, but these long weekends are going to be pretty nice!

August 9, 2007

One of the longest running debates in the fitness community is over the "best" cardio style for fat loss. I still receive emails practically every day asking "Which is best, HIIT or LISS?" There's always an active cardio debate or two going on in the forum, and I honestly don't understand why. Well, that's not entirely true. I do understand why people ask the question: those who are new to fitness obviously want to maximize their efforts and achieve the best results in the quickest amount of time, so they simply want to know what style of cardio is "best". Fair enough.

First, I need to define HIIT and LISS for those who are not familiar with the terms.

"HIIT" is short for High Intensity Interval Training. HIIT cardio sessions are typically fairly brief (around 10-20 minutes, but they can also be longer or shorter) and utilize intervals of varying intensity. For example, one of my HIIT workouts is 16 minutes long, and for that 16 minutes I alternate between 45 seconds at a moderate pace ("active recovery") and then 45 seconds going all out. If you really push yourself, it's an incredible workout. HIIT is also great for improving your cardiovascular system. You won't burn a tremendous number of calories while actually doing HIIT cardio, but what you will do is give your metabolism a huge boost which will last a day or two. During this time--the "afterburn"--the metabolic boost will burn a whole lot of calories. HIIT can be potentially catabolic (which means it can burn muscle), so in my opinion it should not be done in a fasted state.

"LISS" stands for Low Intensity Steady-State. A typical LISS session might be 30-50 minutes long, and it's best to do it in a fasted state. During a LISS cardio session, a steady pace is maintained the entire time. Generally you want your heart rate to be around 65%-75% of your maximum heart rate. You can get a rough estimate of your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Using that formula, my max heart rate is estimated to be 182, but in reality it's around 193 (I know this because I reach 193 BPM during my HIIT workouts). You'll burn more calories during a LISS session than you will during a HIIT workout, but there's not much of a metabolic boost once you are done.

So, which is "best"? After nearly five years of training, I've come the conclusion that both forms of cardio should be used. Each has its advantages, and using different kinds of cardio will also keep your body from adapting to what you are doing. I honestly believe the answer is that simple.

Academic types could tear into most of what I've written above and debate just about every point for weeks on end. Personally I'm not into that end of things. Debating these things might be exciting for some, but frankly I find it boring and tedious. I do know what works, though, and it's not because I read scientific journals. It's because I actually perform the work and see results.

August 8, 2007

I'm glad I waited until yesterday to do my back workout. I thought seriously about doing the workout after I finally finished working on Monday night, but it was 8:00 PM and I was totally spent. Doing heavy deadlifts when you're mentally and physically exhausted can be dangerous. I wound up having an excellent workout yesterday--my strength is really coming back fast now.

How many of you like grapefruit? I'm sure a couple hands went up, but probably not many. I always hated grapefruit, but during my last cut I was told to eat it, and so I did. I also was not "allowed" to use any kind of sweetener on my grapefruit. At first I didn't really like it, but over time I actually came to love grapefruit. Now I eat it by choice, and that's something I never expected to happen! Every morning I have either grapefruit or pineapple. I purchase ruby red grapefruit. I think the red grapefruit taste better than white grapefruit and they also tend to have little to no seeds. Grapefruit is extremely healthy and a fantastic way to start your day. Grapefruit is also an excellent food to consume while on a fatloss diet: I got down to 6% body fat this summer and ate grapefruit every single day. In fact, in the week leading up to my July 2007 pictures I ate grapefruit six times per day.

I'm off to work now. Thanks for stopping by!

August 7, 2007

Have you ever returned to work after a vacation and after just one day back at the job you feel like you need another vacation? That's the kind of day I had yesterday. I started off the day with a large number of tasks that I wanted to accomplish, but in reality most of my time was spent putting out fires. Now I'm even further behind than I was yesterday. I was working downtown all day yesterday, and I have to admit that I missed my workout. When I got back home I had to work until around 7:30 PM just to get to a stopping point.

I normally never miss a workout for any reason, but after two weeks off from work I felt like an exception was in order. I think I made the right choice. That said, I'll be making up yesterday's back/rear delts workout today. I love my back workout, and there's no way I'm going to skip it.

Despite yesterday's crazy schedule, my meals were spot-on. I packed a cooler and ate each meal on time. A lot of people struggle with their meals, but if you plan ahead and adapt your diet to your working environment it's not that difficult to eat right. Of course sometimes things spin out of control, so quick "backup" meals should always be available to you. For example, I always keep a shaker with some Nitrean and a baggie full of almonds in it ready to go. I've always got water, so as long as I keep that shaker close by I can have a quality protein/fat meal prepared and consumed in a minute or two. Another excellent quick food is raw oats. Raw oats are surprisingly tasty, and an excellent source of carbs. Protein bars are another option, just make sure to select a brand that is not loaded with crap ingredients and sugar (many are).

Well, it's 8:30 so I'd better start trying to make a dent in this huge list of tasks I've got to accomplish this week. Have a great day!

August 6, 2007

I'm back from my two-week vacation, and I sure had a lot of fun! I'm fully rested and recharged, and eager to get back to my regular schedule. It feels like I've been away for much longer than two weeks, probably because so many things happened during that time. Let's jump right in and get up to speed...

First and foremost, I want to talk about my diet and training while I was away. My diet was actually very good: I had two extra "cheat" meals, consumed alcohol on several nights, and ate a couple of unscheduled snacks. Other than that, I stuck to summer diet perfectly.

I performed all my scheduled weight training workouts, and every single one of them was memorable. My strength has been increasing rapidly, and my energy levels are exceptionally high right now. I walked away from each workout feeling very satisfied with my performance and level of effort. I'm not saying the workouts have been "easy", but having plenty of fuel (food) as compared to when I was cutting makes a huge difference.

I also did all my cardio workouts but one--I skipped Saturday morning's 45-minute LISS session.

This morning I went ahead and did a complete set of measurements, weighed in and took my body fat reading. My weight only increased 1.2 pounds over the past two weeks, and my body fat went up just slightly from 6.9% to 7.7% (as measured using a 7-site pinch test with the FatTrack PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers from the JSF Amazon Mall). As I said back when I finshed cutting, I expect my body fat to rise to about 8%, which I'll then maintain until my bulk starts on October 1, 2007. I'm actually a little surprised that I'm still below 8% at this point (but I'm not complaining!)

Returning to the subject of my vacation, it was nice to not have any special plans and just sort of play things by ear. I found the lack of a structured schedule very relaxing, and was just what I needed. Unfortunately there were several issues at work that required my attention, and I wound up putting in a little over 20 hours over the past two weeks. I'll be taking long weekends for the next three weeks to make up for that!

One of the big highlights of the vacation was that the builders broke ground on our new home! This is a very exciting time for me and Lisa. We've been having a lot of fun watching our new home begin to take form, and it's happening so fast! We may be moving in less than four months. Of course the closing date can be delayed depending on how fast construction proceeds; weather and material availability (among other things) can delay the process. Actually, I hope things are delayed enough to push the closing until January 2008: I really don't want to move a week before Christmas.

My New Home Construction Journal (an upgraded forum membership is required) is turning out to be incredibly detailed. I've been making trips to the job site every single day, and I've been posting tons of information, photos and videos documenting every stage of the construction. I hadn't planned to be so meticulous, but as it turns out I'm really enjoying keeping up with the journal. If you are at all curious about how a home is constructed and the process of buying a new home, I think the journal is worth checking out.

In other news, the forum software will be upgraded sometime this week. I'm not sure which day I'm going to perform the upgrades, but I'll try to do it in the early morning hours. I expect it will take 1-2 hours to complete and test the upgrades. I'll make an announcement here when I decide on a time.

I think that about covers everything for this morning. Thanks for stopping by--it's great to be back!

August 1 - August 5, 2007

No update - on vacation.

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