Public Mortification

[OITW]

An update, having nothing to do with strength.

Turns out the elliptical score wasn't very good at all. The Navy uses a calculator that takes the calories burned but then factors them against your weight to determine your comparable run time. When I first started using the elliptical, I had run scores that fell into the Excellent category. Now a comparable calorie burn only scored me as Fair. So I dl'd the calculator and played with it, and discovered that while the heavier you are, the more calories the elliptical credits you with burning, but the heavier you are, the more the Navy calculator works against you. The difference between my old Excellent and my current Fair is the 30 pounds I gained! Sonuvabitch! The system is absolutely biased against size and strength.

Then I found out that I only get re-weighed if I do the whole PRT again. So I get weighed and taped again on Tuesday AM, and do the test again on Wednesday AM. So yesterday I did some reading on the elliptical, and found that to get the calorie numbers up you have to stay upright, on your heels, without leaning over, and keep the resistance as high as you can stand it. I got on the machine yesterday afternoon to work on the technique, and added a dozen calories to my previous test score. Whoopee.

On the good front, I weighed 235 yesterday, and expect to be below 225 by the next weigh-in. All of which weighs in my favor.

The only thing strength related I've done is put my cage together. It needs some mods, and the local vocational center has said they're willing to do them for me, no word on costs although I said I'd pay reasonable expenses. Maybe someday.

[OITW]

The new pads I ordered for my GHD from York, which I started trying to get in January, finally arrived a few days back. They are now an injected molded very firm foam, a little harder than their old pads, but actually comfortable. They changed the inner tubing that goes with it as well, and they now roll very easily, so grips must be maintained while climbing on and off. They are also narrower, but I added a 1/2kg weight from a 1" bar on either side, works perfectly to hold them in place. So GHD work resumed yesterday, just back raises and 2 sets 10 reps GHSitups.

If not mentioned earlier, the C2 PM3 monitor came in early last week, so now that machine is a full up round, too.

And the local voc/tech center said they'll modify my cage, so in a few weeks that should be 100% as well.

On the weight loss front, progress. Yesterday I grabbed the Inzer L belt I couldn't fit into a week ago (I was at least an inch, maybe 1.5" from the last holes), and managed to get it on. It was tighter than I'm comfortable with, but I didn't suck my gut in to get it on, either. That's a major milestone of success in losing my gut.

Today stood on the same scale that said I was 235 on Thursday, it said 233 now. Weigh-in is Tuesday AM, so with luck I'll be below 230 by then. This is by following the outlines of Schaeffer's partitioning diet, keeping the total calories low (2500 at most), dropping lifting for the duration but walking a mile in the evening, occassionally running up and down a soccer field tossing a rugby ball with my son, and by rowing a lazy (2:20/500m pace) 1,000m every morning.

Next up is to plan out what happens after the PRT make-up on Wednesday. Calories will have to increase, iron will get added back into the schedule, and given the results so far, I'll gladly pay John for consult.

[OITW]

Obscenities fail me. I stood in line for an hour, watched one fat (belly over by three or more inches) guy after another pass because they have no muscle, hence they are under the weight limit.

Stood on the scale. 229 lbs, a 9 lb drop in two weeks. Looking good. Different guy doing the taping. The EXACT SAME measurements, 16" neck 40" waist. Yet I know I've lost size around the midriff because I can fit into the Inzer betl again. No use arguing, it's just plain hosed up.

[Robert Callahan]

bureaucracy at its best...

Can't you demand a more precise way of measuring body fat? Calipers or submersion or something?

[OITW]

Nope. There used to be that option, but it went away when the BCA waiver took effect--score an overall "excellent" in the actual events, and you could be waived up to 26% bodyfat. The waiver goes away in four days. I have "options," but they're all at the discretion of senior officers who have competing interests to consider.

I should add that it is DoD that mandates the measurement of bodyfat as the means of determining body composition, not the services, although the services are allowed to select their own means of making that measurement.

All this has led me to contemplate writing a "sticky" about SS and military service. The reality (of the Navy at least, but really all services, judging from other posters here) is that if you follow SS to its logical conclusion, you will run up against the BFA. Planning for that from the beginning is wise, and the sticky would lay out the considerations.

You didn't answer my email--you've been quiet, all is well on your end?

[OITW]

Okay, I'm over it.

Between today's chaos, tried to squat. Worked up to 75kg+30lbs=195lbs for my final warm-up set, which I stretched out to 5 doubles. Upped the ante, did a set of 5, no big deal. I just wanted to get the muscles re-acquainted with squatting after so long not under the bar, not eating and losing weight. Will add ten lbs per set next two without problem.

Also, resumed creatine a week ago, and I have to say it really seemed to help, even though these were nowhere near very heavy.

I wanted to press, but the new rack is too close to the garage lights, they will have to be moved somehow (the electrician left no slack in the wiring) before I can resume the press in the garage. I'll do the press tomorrow morning at work.

Early reps I clearly saw my feet roll onto their sides toward the heel as I concentrated on knees out. I think I pushed my feet out a little wider as I went along, I noticed the rolling went away as the weight got heavier.

[OITW]

0530 Bkfst - 4 eggs, egg whites, 1/4 cup cheese
8 oz cranberry juice
shake - protein (35g, carnation instant breakfast, 10oz 2% milk
vitamins and fish oil
coffee (3 shots espresso in 1/4 cup 2% milk)

0715 Unit PT (various crunches and push-ups)

0730 Squats
45x5x2
95x5x2
145x3
195x2
205x5x3 Not too hard. This represents a 25lb drop from my last 5x3 sets, about normal for a "cutting" period like I just did. I think had I followed wossname diet guru's advice to keep lifting throughout, I would have lost less strength. Will add 10lbs to next lift, possibly once after that before returning to 5lb gains.

Press
45x5x2
75x5x2 (mistake to add so much, threw off my warm-up progression)
85x3
90x2
95x5x3 Might have done better if I hadn't gooned the warm-up progression, this was hard but do-able. 100 might have been possible otherwise. Even though this is in the 15-20% loss range, to be expected, it sucks given the press is such slow gains.

PWO Bottle of Isopure, 20oz water with 40g protein, nothing else.

Snack 1000 3-4 oz mixed nuts

Lunch 1330 200g Teso Piri-piri chicken 270 cal 2g fat 11g sugars roughly 60g proteins (chicken estimates vary wildly)
with one small apple to keep up the carb/protein mix

1700 1/4lb hamburger, 50g protein shake w/ tsp coconut milk powder

1900 3x 1/4lb hamburgers, 1/2cup flat beans

2100 30g protein shake

[OITW]

Bkfst 0630

4 egg omelet, 1/4 cup cheese, cooked in olive oil
shake - protein (35g, carnation instant breakfast, 1tsp cocounut milk powder) vitamins and fish oil
coffee (3 shots espresso in 1/4 cup 2% milk)

1030 6-8oz steak (reheated leftover, yum)

1330 8oz roast beef and a banana

1930 14-16 oz some kinda steak, green beans of some sort, cuppla baby corns, small serving of spaghetti con vonghole (heavy on the vonghole)

I woke up at 0330 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. I came home and fell dead asleep this afternoon for two hours. No PT today.

[OITW]

0630 Walked two miles dodging slugs and snails

0730 3 egg omelet plus egg whites, 1/4 cup cheese, cooked in olive oil
shake - protein (35g, carnation instant breakfast, 1tsp cocounut milk powder) vitamins and fish oil
coffee (3 shots espresso in 1/4 cup 2% milk)
8oz cranberry juice

1030 100g MOL mixed nuts

1330 8oz roast beef, apple

1530 Man from local vo-tech came around, they're going to take my cage as a teaching project, make it taller, shallower, give it more holes and realign a support to make squatting inside the cage easier. He's thinking of picking it up Mon morning and having it back to me Mon afternoon--this could be very cool.

1545 Coffee, sweet espresso and milk with a tsp demerara sugar

1630 Bench press, first time in months
45
65
85
105
125x5x3, surprisingly easy. I probably could have forced 135, will try for that next time.

Then ran to mow the lawn before the rains returned (this is England), I'm sure that counts as aerobic something.

Returned to do a tabata on the C2, accidentally did an extra round because I did the settings wrong to start, but ended up with 720m over the 8 done correctly. I pulled damned hard, but wasn't at all pukey (felt it, never did it) or blitzed like I was in the past after tabatas.

PWO shake: 40-45g protein (I just dumped the bin into the blender), 2tbsp coconut milk powder (mmm, sweet fat), and 5g creatine.

Rereading the EAS package (it was a different variety than I usually order), I compare the size of the scoops, and the scoop I've been using is 50% larger than the scoop in the bag, so for every protein shake I've been getting a minimum of 40 grams and generally closer to 50.

2000 breaded chicken cutlets, about 2 breasts worth

Finished off a bottle of gluehwein I've had out here, one mug.

1030 50g protein shake from the sampler pack. Tip: avoid anything that says "coconut" in its flavor.

[OITW]

0730 Bkfst - 4 eggs, egg whites, 1/4 cup cheese
8 oz cranberry juice
shake - protein (45g, carnation instant breakfast, 10oz 2% milk
vitamins and fish oil
coffee (3 shots espresso in 1/4 cup 2% milk)

Missed snack

1230 8oz turkey breast, banana

Squat
45x5x2
95x5x2
145x3
195x2
215x5x3