Wooderson's Training Log: Fat to Fit

[Barry101]

Congrats on the BW weight squat...a milestone! Keep on growl'n!

[FiveByFive]

Workout #43 - A completed September 11, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 260 lbs (112kg)

Squat: 1xBW today. Kinda awesome. On my 4th rep of the 2nd set I let out this mammoth growl/grunt and someone in the gym yelled "Get some!" at me. Kinda funny.

Well done! Great stuff about the growl and get some as well. I always feel the need to let out a grunt on some of the harder reps but i suppress it (except on pullups). Maybe I'll start grunting proudly!

[Wooderson]

Workout #43 - A completed September 11, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 260 lbs (112kg)

Squat: 1xBW today. Kinda awesome. On my 4th rep of the 2nd set I let out this mammoth growl/grunt and someone in the gym yelled "Get some!" at me. Kinda funny.

Well done! Great stuff about the growl and get some as well. I always feel the need to let out a grunt on some of the harder reps but i suppress it (except on pullups). Maybe I'll start grunting proudly!

I constantly grunt like I'm giving birth. Today I'll do 3x5 x 270lbs. It's pushing my upper limits, ans so to get it out quietly is impossible.

[Shaunc]

Don't worry about the grunts. I've been doing that as well on squats as well as they have gotten up in the weights. You gotta get it out.

[Wooderson]

Workout #44 - 'B' completed September 14, 2009 - somehow forgot to update this!

• Squat: 5x5 x 265 lbs (120kg)
• OHP: 3x5 x 130 lbs (60kg)
• Barbell Row: 3x5 x 140 lbs (66kg)
• Deadlift: 1x5 x 225 lbs (106kg)
• Prone Bridge: 3x12
• Cardio: The Bear http://tr.im/v4tb 7x5 x 45lbs (20kg)

- did not do

Was way to burned out at the end to do the Bear.


Workout #45 - A completed September 16, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 270 lbs (122kg)
• Bench: 5x5 x 165 lbs (75kg)
• Inv. Row: 3xF - 12/8/8
• Push Up: 3xF - 13/8/8
• Rev. Crunch 3x12
• Cardio: Crossfit the Bear http://tr.im/v4tb - 2x5 x 45 lbs

Got some of the Bear done today, but I could only muster two sets. Crazy since last week I was doing 7x5 of it. Those extra pounds on the squat must be really doing the job.

[Barry101]

Those extra pounds on the squat must be really doing the job.

Cardio workouts afterwards and on off days have gotten almost impossible for me. My version of the Bear is called hibernation!

Still looking good. Hard workouts!

[Wooderson]

Monthly update here.

[Wooderson]

Workout #46 - 'B' completed October 5, 2009

• Squat: 2x5 +1 x 275 lbs
• OHP: 3x5 x 120 lbs
• Barbell Row: 3x5 x 115 lbs
• Deadlift: 1x5 x 200 lbs
• Prone Bridge: 3x12
• Cardio: 20min Elliptical

Wow... what a difference three (!!!) weeks makes. That's how long it's been since I last did the 'B' workout. I can sure feel it. During the 3rd rep of the first set of squats at working weight I thought I had probably bitten off more than I could chew in trying to jump right back in where I left off. So I reduced the OHP and DL by 15%, the BBR by 20%. On Wednesday when I do the squats again I'm going to drop them down to 250lbs (10%).

I have immediate onset muscle soreness in my groin and inner thighs as well as my calves and hips. I have a feeling i'll have DOS in my hams and quads. Fun times!

From my monthly update thread; i'm really trying to keep that as clean as possible...

Looks like you had fun on your trip. Now it's back to business, right?

I must commend you for doing this. It's tough to put yourself on display in such an aboveboard manner. Keep up the good work. Let us know how you get on following the 8 rules as well.

Fun is not the word for six days spent at a pool bar and five nights spent as some phenomenal restaurants in one of the coolest tiny vacation towns i've ever seen! As for putting myself on display, I believe in a high degree of accountability. I think this helps. It also helps me have a place to document things. And ironically, although this helps me be accountable, why do I care what people think if they wonder why some fat dude is posting progress pics? Those folks are just some blimp on teh interwebz!

For the other guys, thanks for the support.

[Wooderson]

Workout #47 - A completed October 7, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 250 lbs
• Bench: 5x5 x 150 lbs
• Inv. Row: 3xF - 10/9/8
• Push Up: 3xF - 13/8/6
• Rev. Crunch 3x12
• Cardio: Elliptical 30m

Workout #48 - 'B' completed October 9th, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 255lbs (120kg)
• OHP: 3x5 x 130 lbs (60kg)
• Deadlift: 1x5 x 210lbs (106kg)
• Push Up: 3xF - 13/8/6
• Prone Bridge: 3x12
• Cardio: Elliptical 20m

- did not do [/list]

So you'll notice I did not do the BBR. I am moving that to the A workout. I have also reduced the OHP from 5x5 to 3x5. I am also adding IR and PushUps to both A and B routines. I am dropping the Bear altogether for now in lieu of SS cardio.

I'm going to post a new full goals post that ends my 'Mission 1' and begins my 'Mission 2' as I think I am at a distinct new phase of this journey. It's a continuum, but I've got a bit of a new focus. Look for that in the next 48 hours.

[Leanstrong]

Looking forward to seeing your new goals! Why did you drop the bear? Do you feel like SS cardio is more effective for fat loss?

[Wooderson]

Mission 2: Lose Fat and Weight

So quick check in of current progress is here

What I have noticed in the last five months is that while working the SL5x5 I have been losing fat each month, but gaining weight because I have gained slightly more muscle each month than I have lost fat. That's good and fine and I'm very happy about that. I've gained strength and learned basic form. I''ve lost fat and gained muscle.

However, the downside to this seemingly good progress is that I have not been making smart food choices along the way. Fast food, pizza, "dirty bulking" and my natural propensity to drink due to a gregarious personality that typically has me at bars or at dinner with friends have all kept me from losing fat faster.

My first 'mission" found me with what in retrospect were probably unreasonable goals. Some person probably could have hit them, but that would have been one phenomenal human (see first post of this thread for Mission 1 goals). My goals now for this next mission are, between October 1, 2009 and January 31, 2010:

• drop gross weight from 267 lbs to 230 lbs
• drop body fat to 15%
• squat @ 325 lbs
• bench @ 225 lbs
• OHP @ 170 lbs
• BBR @ 200 lbs
• deadlift @ 300 lbs
• hit workout 100
• do 2,925 minutes of cardio on the elliptical

So a bit of commentary about the goals. Dropping 38lbs in four months is not hard. Dropping 38 lbs of fat in that same time period is probably significantly harder. To hit 15% body fat means I am gaining as much muscle as I waste, so I will need to keep my protein intake up. To that end I plan to eat 1gm of protein per pound of lean body mass, or basically 200gms / day. That's in my wheelhouse anyway. I'm going to try to go by the 8 eating rules as much as possible.

All the strength goals are just basic guesses of where I think I can reasonably be in four months. We'll see. They all seem reasonable from where I am currently.

Hitting workout 100 means working out 2.5 times per week on average. That should be pretty easy. The 2,925 minutes of cardio is 48.75 hours, or basically 45minutes every workout + an additional 12 cardio-only days. I've switched from the Bear (basically HIIT) to steady-state for two reasons: it's easier and it burns more fat even if it may not burn more calories. Honestly, I simply think it will be easier to do after all the other stuff than the Bear would be.

One last point: if at any point along the way I hit a goal prior to January 31, 2010, I will revisit my goals.

[Wooderson]

Workout #49 - A completed October 13, 2009

• Squat: 3x5 x 260 lbs
• Bench: 3x5 x 155 lbs
• Barbell Row: 3x5 x 115 lbs
• Push Up: 3xF - 12/7/7
• Inv. Row: 3xF - 12/8/8
• Rev. Crunch 3x12
• Cardio: Elliptical 45m

Workouts remaining in Mission 2: 51
Minutes of cardio remaining in Mission 2: 2,880

So today was my first workout with the new structure. I'm more tired than I have been post-WO in a long time. While I was doing cardio I was thinking that I may drop pushups on one workout and IRs on the other, but I'm going to leave them in for a while and make that decision after a few weeks unless I just get way too run down.

Squats at 260lbs now feels harder than what I recall it being previously. Not otherworldly different, but definitely different.

Tired. Quite tired!

[nburge]

Hey dude, thanks for dropping by my log. Looks like you've set out some aggressive goals and have your game face on. I could learn a lot. I've also been in your camp of doing the workouts and chowing whatever I like, and I need to focus on fat loss too. I do hours and hours of cycling wiht little effect though...

Will be interested to see what the results are, just make sure you get enough sleep and I'm sure you'll nail it! Good result on the fat lost so far too!

[Barry101]

Good job! By my calculations of how long my workouts take, you are likely working out close to 2.5-3 hours? I bet you are tired.

[Wooderson]

Good job! By my calculations of how long my workouts take, you are likely working out close to 2.5-3 hours? I bet you are tired.

Thanks! But nah... with the cardio it's right at two hours.