Project X
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So after two years on the previous thread, I felt the title was no longer appropriate as it sounds too resigned; too defeatist. And its the first day of Spring! So here we are with a new start.<br />
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Almost a year ago I put up a thread titled “THE GOALS†(<a class='bbc_url' href='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/37436-the-goals/'>http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/index.php/topic/37436-the-goals/</a>). In that thread I expressed the following as a long-term goal:<br />
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<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote' data-author="NTA" data-cid="319673" data-time="1350901010"><p>
what I want is to be lean and hard. Body fat somewhere in the 10-12% range. Decent muscle, but not bulging. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine style, perhaps...<br /></p></blockquote>
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I’ve been hovering in the low-mid 90s for the last few months, still carrying enough body fat to feel uncomfortable with it. I realistically think I could lose another 10kg in strict weight terms and, all going to plan, that will all be fat.<br />
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The name of this title is a reference to the Marvel character Wolverine - the Weapon X Project - this the thinking is more relevant to Hugh Jackman’s preparation for the movie role. He’s got more time and money to get ripped, but he’s older than me so that is my advantage :)<br />
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<strong class='bbc'>The goal therefore is simply to lose body fat while increasing athletic performance. </strong><br />
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Any other positive effects (e.g. weight loss) are happy by-products. The time set is 10 weeks.<br />
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Measurement is by my recently purchased body fat calipers, as well as tape measure for chest, waist, hips every week. I’ll step on the scales, but only so I’ve got a weight to plug into my exercise app and keep track of kg of fat lost. It will largely be a product of what I’ve learned the last two years, but taking it to another level.<br />
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The food will comprise as much unprocessed content as possible. It will still challenge the willpower on a big scale because the wife surrounds herself and the kids with savoury snacks, chocolate, biscuits, and all sorts of other sugary crap. This is Calories In. <br />
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Exercise (Calories Out) will be things I like doing so I don’t get bored. Running is good for my endurance, clears my mind, and prepares me for the flee-from-zombies scenario. Aiming for a couple of hours a week minimum. To that I’ll throw in the odd bike ride on weekends and maybe the occasional commute when school duties allow. This covers the cardio stuff.<br />
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For strength/body shaping, I’ll be using the Shift Weight workout from Search4Hurt as it has been fun so far. I’ll throw in sprints once per week and some circuits at home to cover the other muscle groups. This should be high intensity for as long as I can stand it.<br />
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Karate is a set thing every Tuesday evening, so that isn’t going to shift even if my son gives up on it. Good for the body and mind, and helps turn me into a finer killing machine ;)<br />
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Getting enough rest is the final part of it, to ensure I can get up and go again, and avoid illness which has been quite a bastard this year for some reason.<br />
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So here we go.<br /> -
<p>So Day 0 with minimal exercise or diet restraint in the last couple of weeks:</p>
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<p>93.6kg, Chest 107, Waist 98, Hips 103, Caliper suprailiac 20mm = 23.2% BF</p>
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<p>Is Father's Day here so won't be as hard core as you'd imagine. Still, I'll be sticking to water and healthy stuff as much as possible. The 2 kg I lost in the last weight cycle is back, but that will fall off once I get going again.</p> -
Yeah the heat is something I forgot after 12 years in Northern Europe. Wanted to Go 10km but had to stop after 5. It was only 9:15am!!!! Felt like I'd been doing spinning in a sauna.<br><br>
Good luck for the next 10 weeks. Are you doing the treat meal/day thing? -
Not sure about the treat meal thing, though psychologically it's still important not to be a food Nazi. So yeah I guess it will happen. Family events, night out with the wife. It's life.<br /><br />I think to get the results I'm after, it will be a case of clamping right down on sugar as a priority. Overall intake won't matter so much if I get that bit right, but I'm not about to go all Atkins or anything. A lot of literature is supporting HFLC - to much to ignore.<br /><br />The main thing is to shift focus to smaller meals more often, and keep up weight training, to help get the Resting Metabolic Rate sorted out.<br /><br />My RMR shows my maintenance level is 2177 (calculation here: http://m.wikihow.com/Increase-Your-Metabolism) so I'll be looking to go well under that, staying away from sugar to the best of my ability.<br /><br /><br />
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<p>Cheers for that link Nick. Hadnt seen much RMR before. The number equates pretty close to my BMR though 2388 vs 2393.</p>
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<p>I see you are looking at alot of the same things I am doing diet wise. Sugar is the number 1 issue. Gotta manage that and be strong on any cravings etc. The smaller meals more often is an easy transition as like as you prepare well and arent on too much of a fixed schedule.</p> -
Quick heart starter in the garage before work:<br /><br />5 pull ups concentrating on form<br />10 Arnies @ 14kg<br />10 bent rows @ 50kg<br />10 deadlift @ 50kg<br /><br />Three lots of that, untimed, then ten pushups to finish.<br /><br />The sore neck held up OK which is the good news. The bad news is I'm bloody useless at morning weights!<br />
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Lunch time power walk with a couple of the ladies at work - 2.62 km in 26:51. Not the fastest but at least they're keen. I shall be their pilot whale for future walks and lead them to fitness.<br /><br />Run morning with a few fartleks thrown in - 3.01km in 15:15.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="388329" data-time="1378075195">
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<p>Quick heart starter in the garage before work:<br><br>
5 pull ups concentrating on form<br>
10 Arnies @ 14kg<br>
10 bent rows @ 50kg<br>
10 deadlift @ 50kg<br><br>
Three lots of that, untimed, then ten pushups to finish.<br><br>
The sore neck held up OK which is the good news. The bad news is I'm bloody useless at morning weights!</p>
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<p>Same pal, I can't lift shit in the morning. Need a coffee and a feed before even considering it.</p> -
Eating today was awesome.
Breakfast: plain oats with a teaspoon of cinnamon and one of honey. Milk, coffee, and a banana.
Lunch 1: last night's burrito chicken around 11am
Lunch 2: bbq 500g of beef patties, plus three eggs and green salad around 1330 hours. Coffee around 2pm. I love work from home day
Dinner: meatloaf and green salad, plus a couple of chips.
Lots of water on the meantime. My metabolism should have no complaints!
Karate tonight. Really felt the heart going during kata practice for grading this weekend. Sweated like a bastard too.
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So last few days catch up!<br /><br />Walking at work a couple of times with the ladies for 3km a hit. Dragging them upwards into the 6+ km/h range. they both like and hate me for this :)<br /><br />Karate grading today - sweaty like a mofo! Couple of good hours of training, kata, and kumite. Some decent contact in there.
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[quote name="NTA" post="388163" timestamp="1377985509"]
93.6kg, Chest 107, Waist 98, Hips 103, Caliper suprailiac 20mm = 23.2% BF
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91.7kg, Chest 106, Waist 96, Hips 103, Calliper suprailiac hasn't changed but then I don't really expect it to, week to week
A good start.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="389420" data-time="1378675243">
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<p>5km in 27 min even. Pants.<br><br>
Time to ditch the long sleeve gear - it is in no way that cold any more</p>
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<p>And you can't deprive all the ladies in your area the NTA gun show bro!! </p> -
<p>I hadn't thought about my public - good point!</p>
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<p>Its not technically exercise, but its effort: painted the garage wall last night. Painting fucking sucks. Mentally I find it shit boring and frustrating. Needless to say I don't do it that often.</p> -
<p>This garage thing has been keeping me busy, so not much time to work out. But at least its achieving <em>something</em>.</p>
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<p>Only dedicated exercise the last two days has been karate Tuesday and a walk at lunch time with the work wenches - 3km in 28:39. Not great pace but they're getting better.</p> -
It's definitely on the books, but this week has been a bit interrupted. I do a set of five when I'm walking through the garage - have relocated the bar a bit higher and further from where the wife parks her car. Makes me stretch for it.<br /><br /> I'll probably start doing some gulp pull up burpees again as part of new timed work outs. Pull ups definitely going to stay part of my future
