Want to quit feeling like crap and improve diabetes...

[Adam Levine]

First, my basic stats:
Age 47
Weight 193
Height 5'10"
22% body fat by Navy method. BIA machine and visual are very close to reporting the same number.

Why I'm Here:
About 6 months ago, I had a bad doctor's appointment:
- High Cholesterol
- Sleep Apnea
- Diabetes
- Acid Reflux
- Obesity
- Fatty Liver

So, I was sufficiently scared into action. I've never been particularly active, so I took the general advice of get more activity and lose weight. Went on an 1800-calorie diet, and joined the local gym, which happens to be a boxing gym, doing primarily cardio-boxing and bootcamp-style endurance training classes, going nearly every day for months.

I lost about 50lbs and am in much better shape. But, it came at a high price:
- Felt like total crap. Aches everywhere, no energy.
- Several overuse injuries, which at my age, don't heal fast
- Lost 8-10lb of muscle, I think mostly in my legs (boxing is a mostly upper-body thing)
- I didn't get stronger. Although I could run faster and do more, there was no exercise or action that I could do that I couldn't have done when I was 50# heavier.

So, I took a month off the exercise (but not the diet), did some research, and decided weightlifting was my best bet:
- A weightlifter's diet is remarkably similar to a diabetic diet (lower carb, high protein, small meals throughout day)
- Muscle processes insulin/blood sugar.
- It just looked easier - no grueling endurance workouts, and if you do it more than 2-3 times per week at my age, it becomes counterproductive.
- I'm still adding a few short cardio intervals, but not many.

So, it looked like an alignment, equivalent benefit for much less work. Started on that with some dumbell training, not knowing what I was doing, then picked up Mike Matthews "Bigger, Leaner, Stronger", which is based on barbell training and mostly made sense. But, the program there was a bit vain for my taste, focusing on aesthetics, and encouraging you to diet down to 10% body fat. At my age, that's just stupid. I've been married for 21 years, my wife loves me no matter what, and I've got nobody to impress - just my blood glucose levels.

Mike recommended Mark's SS program, which in many ways was more to my temperament. Fewer exercises to learn, not focused on appearance, it's all about strength. So, I'm just starting to give that a shot. I'm going to go with a twice per week strategy due to my age, and add in a few intervals for cardio (maybe 2-3 sprints at the end of each workout).

My starting entries are a bit of a hodgepodge, as it's a mix of Mark's and Rip's programs. However, I'll be going to a more traditional SS plan next week.

[Adam Levine]

7/11/2018 - First time Bench Press
Incline Barbell Bench Press: Warmups plus 95x6, 100x6, 105x4
Flat Barbell Bench: 105x6, 115x6, 125x5
Standing Dumbbell Tricep Press: 45x2, 40x5, 40x5
Row Intervals: 3,30sec,3 min rest

7/14/2018 - First time deadlift
Barbell Deadlift: Warm up plus 135x5x3
Deadmill Intervals: 27sec, 3 min rest, 20 sec, 3 min rest, 17 sec

7/16/2018
Incline Barbell Bench Press: Warmup + 105x5x3
Flat Barbell Bench Press: 125x5, 125x6, 135x4
Standing Dumbeell Tricep Press: 40x5x3
Row Intervals: 2x30sec, 3 min rest

7/17/2018
Barbell Deadlift: Warm up + 155x6, 175x6, 185x5
Barbell Row: 85x6, 95x6, 115x6
Wide Grip Chin-Up: 1, 0(fail), 0(fail)
Barbell Curl: 65x3, 55x6, 60x4
Deadmill Intervals: 1x27 sec

7/18/2018 - First time overhead press
Incline Barbell Bench Press: Warm up + 85x10, 85x9, 85x8
Standing BB Overhead Press: 45x12, 45x12, 60x6
Side Lateral Raise: 10x6x3
Deadmill Intevals: 30sec, 3 min rest, 27 sec

7/19/2018 - First time weighted squat
Squat: Lots of practice with empty bar, warm-up + 135x2, 125x6, 125x6

Next week, a more SS-type plan.

[carson]

Your journey was long a circuitous but you did arrive at the proper destination. Build strength systematically and safely. Starting Strength properly done will do the trick. Your early lifts are indeed a hodgepodge but when you start the real thing you will see progress. Go find a Starting Strength coach early on. You will avoid mistakes and injury.

[Mr. Bingley]

great work and i salute your drive and willingness to work through some tough situations. However, I think you can bump it up to 3 days a week. try a tuesday/thursday/sunday routine, you can do it. Follow the SS program.

[carson]

When do you plan to start the SS program for real? Read the book and find a SS coach. Don't do a SS like program, do the program. After you finish the novice linear progression then experiment. But you will regret it if you don't Do The Program.

[Karl Schudt]

Welcome, Adam!

I love that song "Moves Like Jagger."

[Adam Levine]

I'll start logging here weekly on Mondays. Here's last Sunday (7/22)

Sunday, 7/22
Getting bearings workout... I'll restart next workout...
Squat: 125x2, 120x4, 120x2 - I'll restart next workout with practice at 45, I'm clearly doing something wrong... Less weight and form felt worse than last workout...
Bench: 135x6, 135x4, 135x6 - I'll restart next workout at 125, 135 may be too high a start weight for me
Deadlift: 185x5
3 minutes of bodyweight core exercises (as my workout ended, a cardio-boxing class was starting their "core" round, so I joined in on that - was not planned)
Deadmill Intervals: 1x30sec, 1x25sec

Going to restart next week using official SS app.

-->Adam

[Adam Levine]

Week of 7/23

Monday, 7/23
LISS: 60 minute stroll

Thursday, 7/26
Squat: A ton of 45s. Did warmups like three times trying to figure out how to get the app to increase workset weight.
Press: 60x5x3 (got app to work)
Deadlift: 175x5
Intervals: 2x30sec, 4 min rest, deadmills

Friday, 7/27
50-minute cardio-boxing class

Saturday, 7/28
LISS: 80 minute stroll

Sunday, 7/29
Squat: 95x5x3 - Feeling better about form, I think I'm ready to start progression
Bench: 125x5x3 - Ready to start progression
Deadlift: 185x5 - +10lbs
Intervals: 2x30sec 3 min rest
LISS: 60 minute stroll

Diet Stats:
Average calories/day: 1,788
Average protien/day: 200g
Average carbs/day: 175g
Average fat/day: 35g
Supplementation: 2,000 IU of Vitamin D per day

Body Stats:
Age: 47
Height: 5'9.7"
Weight: 191.9lb, (average morning weight during week, to reduce effect of daily fluctuations and sensor noise)
Neck: 17", up 1/2"
Waist: 37.5", down 1/2"
Body Fat (by Navy Calculator): 20.4% - Down 1.6%
LBM (by Navy Calculator): 153lb - up 3lb, that's gotta be wrong and we'll see if it corrects in future weeks. 3lb/week is impossible, doubly so on my diet.
Average morning/fasting blood sugar:110

-->Adam

[Arlene Dukes]

Your average calories seem to be a little low for your height and weight. I'm 4'9'' and 110 lb but my daily calorie intake is around 2k if I workout. Maybe you can check out the Myfitnesspal app to calculate the approximation of calories you need daily. Because I think that your average calories per day is just the calories you need when your body is at rest.

[Adam Levine]

Your average calories seem to be a little low for your height and weight. I'm 4'9'' and 110 lb but my daily calorie intake is around 2k if I workout. Maybe you can check out the Myfitnesspal app to calculate the approximation of calories you need daily. Because I think that your average calories per day is just the calories you need when your body is at rest.

Thank you.

You're absolutely right - I'm not doing the program right yet, and am on a weight loss diet. My diet will severely hinder progress - I might not be able to get ANY progress on this diet, and I'm OK with that.

I plan to go on a bulking diet after I hit 17% body fat. Until then, I'm concentrating on improving technique and getting used to lifting in general. That way, when I'm ready to eat, I'll be ready to do the program.

I also love MyFitnessPal - I've been using it for about 5 months now and have lost over 50lb thus far. I even coughed up for premium so I can track my macros and not eat my activity.

-->Adam