Chris' Training Log

[Magnus]

I think that I may be cutting too far back on the carbs. I have been really tired this week. I mean like falling sound asleep at my desk. The funny thing is that I have been sleeping better at night this week than I have in a really long time.

The only other thing it might be is I missed a good bit of sleep this weekend. I am gonna stay the course over another week or so. I have a long weekend so I will try to catch up on some sleep. If I can do that, and still am not feeling any better by next week, I am going to have to revamp.

I am pretty sure that eating smaller meals more times per day would probably help this problem. However, that is hard to do with work. Oh, well. I figure something out.

One thing I have found when doing the low carb diets is that if I cycle in a higher carb day once or twice a week it goes much better. When bigger guys like us, that have been eating hundreds of grams of carbs everyday drop too far, it turns us into zombies, because our metabolism just slows to a crawl. I usually have a small cheat meal on Wednesday and a decent cheat day on Saturday. Hope it helps. Stay with it man, you are doing awesome.

Thanks buddy. Zombie is the perfect word for it. I will have to try that.

Lol, I have a relative who was doing low carbs for a long time...she pretty much lost it, and last I knew, she still couldn't look at an egg

[huntca]

Breakfast - Granola Bar

Lunch - Turkey on wheat, Some kind of cheese popcorn crap my wife said I could eat

Snack - Granola Bar

Was feeling blah when I got home and wanted to deadlift so I made me some wheat toast with peanut butter.

Still felt like crap, but I dead lifted anyway.

Was supposed to be 2 sets of 6 @ 330 pounds.....turned into:

-Warmup

-330# - 1x3, 1x3, 1x4

-290# - 1x3

Just really wasn't feeling it. Well, actually I was, and it was HEAVY!!!

Tried to do some gripper stuff:

Right - #2 - Parallel Sets - 2x10, 1x8, 10 BFN's

Then I said screw it.

Dinner: Left over steak, scrambled eggs w/ cheese, two tortillas. And a glass of chocolate milk!

Edit- I am ashamed to post such crap.

Edited September 4, 2009 by huntca

[huntca]

Falling behind.....yesterday:

Breakfast - Granola Bar and Beef Jerky

Lunch - Turkey on wheat and pork skins

My wife brought some tamales home from work, so I had three of them. Pretty small tamales. Not too bad.

Supper - Small chili and small burger from Wendy's.

[huntca]

So, I fell off the wagon this weekend. Had a family get-together last night. At an all you can eat buffet. (The Devil!) Then a huge lunch today and pizza for supper. I am very disappointed in myself for letting myself go over the weekend. However, I will be back to it tomorrow. Maybe I didn't negate too much of my progress.

In other news, I have decided that the Russian dead routine will not work for this redneck. I do not have enough of a base to start something that intense. Also, I feel that the heavy weight/low rep scheme will not be conducive to my losing weight. I feel that because I am just starting out, even a low weight/high rep scheme will cause me to see some strength gains. Also, I have a bad habit in that I like to compare myself to others instead of "competing" against myself. This is a bad thing and something I need to make a conscious effort to avoid. I think I will try to find a plan that incorporates the low weight high rep stuff. Or, possibly create my own. Maybe something of a circuit, to increase my cardio as well as my strength.

I don't know if any of you have ever, or have ever known someone who suffers from depression, but it is a huge pain in the butt. I can tell you from experience it is real, and not something you can just "snap out of", as most people would like to think. It affects you mentally and physically. The worst part about it to me is that you know that you are depressed but there is nothing you can do. Sure, there are medications, but not the route I want to go. I will also admit that I do not suffer from severe depression. I seem to have "cycles". I may go months before getting depressed, then when I do, it may last a few days, maybe a week. Then I might go another few months or it may be back in a few weeks. But, I am using it as an excuse. And, that is something I refuse to do from this day forward.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

Edited September 7, 2009 by huntca

[The Natural]

Chris, you don't need something like a Russian program if you're a deadlift novice. It really need not be more complicated than this:

(train deadlift just once a week)

Day 1

Warm ups, then one hard set of 10

Day 2

Warm ups, then one hard set of 7 (with a higher weight)

Day 3

Warm ups, then one hard set of 5 (with a still higher weight)

Day 4

Warm ups, then a set of 10 reps, with 10 pounds more than you did three weeks before

Day 5

Warm ups, then a set of 7, with 10 pounds more than you did three weeks ago

Etc.

In between DL workouts, do leg presses or hack squats (if you can't do barbell squats), bench, overheads, and all that other stuff. So you might have something that looks like this

Monday, deadlifts/seated rows (or some type of row)

Tuesday: 20 min of cardio

Wednesday, bench/military

Thursday: 20 min of cardio/hack squats/leg press

Friday: OFF

Saturday: cardio/accessory work (address a lagging body part)

Sunday: OFF

-Rex

[Sher]

So, I fell off the wagon this weekend. Had a family get-together last night. At an all you can eat buffet. (The Devil!) Then a huge lunch today and pizza for supper. I am very disappointed in myself for letting myself go over the weekend. However, I will be back to it tomorrow. Maybe I didn't negate too much of my progress.

In other news, I have decided that the Russian dead routine will not work for this redneck. I do not have enough of a base to start something that intense. Also, I feel that the heavy weight/low rep scheme will not be conducive to my losing weight. I feel that because I am just starting out, even a low weight/high rep scheme will cause me to see some strength gains. Also, I have a bad habit in that I like to compare myself to others instead of "competing" against myself. This is a bad thing and something I need to make a conscious effort to avoid. I think I will try to find a plan that incorporates the low weight high rep stuff. Or, possibly create my own. Maybe something of a circuit, to increase my cardio as well as my strength.

I don't know if any of you have ever, or have ever known someone who suffers from depression, but it is a huge pain in the butt. I can tell you from experience it is real, and not something you can just "snap out of", as most people would like to think. It affects you mentally and physically. The worst part about it to me is that you know that you are depressed but there is nothing you can do. Sure, there are medications, but not the route I want to go. I will also admit that I do not suffer from severe depression. I seem to have "cycles". I may go months before getting depressed, then when I do, it may last a few days, maybe a week. Then I might go another few months or it may be back in a few weeks. But, I am using it as an excuse. And, that is something I refuse to do from this day forward.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

You've got the right idea - just get back on the horse as soon as you can to minimize the impact and keep going. It's what you do most often that will determine long-term success. Life-time habits don't get replaced easily (short of A Clockwork Orange -type methods of course... )

You're doing great - keep it up!

[Guest Bullitt]

Jeesh, I go outta town for one weekend and... Just kidding bro. It happens. No use beating yourself up over it (easier said than done, I know). Sherrie is absolutely right. Just get back at it. On weekend of overeating will not mean anything 6 months from now. 0. This is a journey. Enjoy it and know that if you stay with this, you will be rewarded at the end. There will be some pot holes & speed bumps, but nothing that can stop you if you really want it.

[huntca]

Rex - Thanks man. I will implement what you have said.

Sherrie - I appreciate all of your help and support! You have no idea how much you help!

Mike - Stay your butt at home dude. This is all your fault! Seriously though, I appreciate you as well! All of you guys are a great supprt group!

9/8/09

Breakfast - In a hurry - Tablespoon of Peanut Butter - Surprisingly, I wasn't hungry.

Lunch - Roast Beef & Cheese on Wheat, Popcorn things - the wife says they are OK. (might be arsenic infused)

Also, on Mike's help and guidance I went by Micheal's yesterday and picked me up some leather wraps. I got two sets. The first are super soft sueded pieces that are really stretchy, only about 3-1/2" by 8" (going off memory - not good) and the second set is about 4" by 10" or so. Anyway, when they are both wrapped together they are between 1-1/4" & 1-1/2". Won't work for the SS List (still a long way away) but they aren't super fat either.

Long story short: With the new wraps I got two 60d and a g5 in no time at all. I have got to get me some more steel. Until then I am just gonna bend away on the 60d's. I have a good size box and always get more of them.

[huntca]

Supper Last Night: Baked Pork Chops, Purple Hull Peas and two slices wheat bread

9/9/09

Breakfast - Granola Bar, Diet Drink

Lunch - Roast Beef and Cheese on Wheat, Pork Skins, Water

Dinner - Baked Cube Steak, Green Beans & Salad, Crystal Light

Bent a 60d this afternoon before grippers. Need to lay off for a couple days. Since I got the leathers I have bent alot more than I am used to.

Grippers:

Right

#2 - 1x21 Parallel Set Reps

#2 - 10x2 Parallel Set Reps

#2 - 10 BFN

#1.5 - 2x4 CCS

Left

#1.5 - 1x5 Parallel Set Reps

Tug #5 - 2x10 I&M

Tug #4 - 2x10 R&P

The back middle part of my hand, between my knuckles and the top part of my wrist was killing me during this. Almost like a bone bruise right there. Don't know how else to describe it.

Right

#1.5 - 2x5 CCS

#2 - 15 BFN

Not as much volume as usual but I was happy about the 21 straight reps on the #2. Also, I am starting to add in more CCS work. I would like to cert on the #3 by the end of next year...........still have a long way to go.

[bencrush]

Sounds like it's time to rotate between DU and Reverse...or any other style besides DO until you heal up a bit.

[huntca]

9/10/09

Breakfast - Granola Bar

Lunch - Turkey on Wheat, Pork Skins, Pickles

Supper - Wendy's - Small Chili, Small Burger.

[Sher]

Mutual support it seems - you've got me thinking better quality food these days.

Edited September 11, 2009 by xengym

[huntca]

9/11/09

Breakfast - Granola Bar

Lunch - Roast Beef on Wheat, Pork Skins, Pickle

Dinner - Chicken Quesadilla, Taco

Grippers

Right

Tug #6 - 10x2 - I&M

Tug #5 - 10x2 - R&P

Tug #5 - 15x2 - I&M

Tug #4 - 15x2 - R&P

Left

Tug #5 - 10x2 - I&M

Tug #4 - 10x2 - R&P

Tug #4 - 15x2 - I&M

Tug #3 - 15x2 - R&P

Right

#1.5 - 5x2 - CCS

#2 - 8x3 - MMS

#1.5 - 8x1 - CCS

Left

#1 - 10x3 - MMS

#1.5 - 10x2 BFN

#2 - 6x1 BFN

My left hand is really giving me fits. Not only is it a lot weaker than my right, it seems to stay sore all of the time. I am going to start trying to get higher reps on the #1 and then many BFN's with the harder grippers. We will try that for a while. Also, I got to thinking about when I first bought the #1. That was the only gripper I had. So, I carried it with me everywhere. Whenever I would think about it, I would just pull it out and hit anywhere from 1-3 sets of 10 reps on both hands. I would do this sometimes twice a day sometimes 6 or 7 times a day.

Edited September 12, 2009 by huntca

[huntca]

Had some highs and lows this weekend. Saturday morning I was good. Lunch Saturday was great, but I was bad....Chinese. Dinner was ok, grilled burgers. I had two though. Breakfast I was good Sunday. Lunch was at church. Gumbo, jambalaya and etoufee, i.e. tons of rice. Chili for dinner. Saturday night I started feeling bad. Yesterday and today I woke up feeling like 20 lbs of smashed butt-holes in a 10 lb sack. (That's not good.)

Big thanks to Wade! I ordered the #3 and the #2.5 Friday and they got here today. Awesome service!!! I just wish I felt better. But, I did have to try them out. After a slight warm-up with the trainer, I got the #3 fairly close, and the #2.5 for 8 MMS reps. Later the wife wanted to see the #3. So, I got it closer than it was before. Won't be long.

I just really didn't feel up to a workout tonight. The wife says, "I know you must not feel well. You got new grippers and you aren't even playing with them!"

I hope I am over whatever this crap is by the weekend. I really want to go to the Showdown this weekend. And, if I have any symptoms whatsoever, I am not going to go. Not for me, but I don't want to expose Paul's kids, not to mention everyone else. Let's hope I am 100% by Friday.

Edit: Forgot my meals today.

No breakfast today.

Lunch - Chicken strips, wasn't really hungry, but knew I would be starving by the time I got off.

Dinner - Grilled steak and salad.

Edited September 15, 2009 by huntca

[Guest Bullitt]

Had some highs and lows this weekend. Saturday morning I was good. Lunch Saturday was great, but I was bad....Chinese. Dinner was ok, grilled burgers. I had two though. Breakfast I was good Sunday. Lunch was at church. Gumbo, jambalaya and etoufee, i.e. tons of rice. Chili for dinner. Saturday night I started feeling bad. Yesterday and today I woke up feeling like 20 lbs of smashed butt-holes in a 10 lb sack. (That's not good.)

Big thanks to Wade! I ordered the #3 and the #2.5 Friday and they got here today. Awesome service!!! I just wish I felt better. But, I did have to try them out. After a slight warm-up with the trainer, I got the #3 fairly close, and the #2.5 for 8 MMS reps. Later the wife wanted to see the #3. So, I got it closer than it was before. Won't be long.

I just really didn't feel up to a workout tonight. The wife says, "I know you must not feel well. You got new grippers and you aren't even playing with them!"

I hope I am over whatever this crap is by the weekend. I really want to go to the Showdown this weekend. And, if I have any symptoms whatsoever, I am not going to go. Not for me, but I don't want to expose Paul's kids, not to mention everyone else. Let's hope I am 100% by Friday.

Edit: Forgot my meals today.

No breakfast today.

Lunch - Chicken strips, wasn't really hungry, but knew I would be starving by the time I got off.

Dinner - Grilled steak and salad.

Nice job on the #3 bro. rest up and feel better for this weekend!

[Guest Bullitt]

Haven't posted in a while big guy. What's up? How was the Steel Slayer contest?

[huntca]

Haven't posted in a while big guy. What's up? How was the Steel Slayer contest?

Everything is going good. Weight was down to 340 this morning.

The Showdown was awesome!!! I ended up not competing. I just wasn't real comfortable because I had no idea really where to start. But, I learned a heck of alot. And met some awesome people. It is great to put a face with a name from the board. Know what I mean? Everybody was cool as heck. I am not gonna try to name names, because I know I will miss somebody. Paul was a great host. Thanks again buddy. I really appreciate you letting me crash at your place!

There was an awesome display of strength going on in that garage on Saturday. I think almost everyone that was there got some type of PR. Eric ran a great contest. Couldn't have asked for more. There was so much trash-talking and BS going on. My sides are still sore from laughing. You couldn't have gotten a better group together if you tried. Great to see all those "Griptards" united. Man, I would be here all day trying to list everything.

Then we had the UFC party at Paul's. Great time, lots of folks and some pretty good fights. Like I said, everyone was super nice, I felt like I had known everybody for years instead of hours. I got to become an honorary member of the DFW Garage Crew. I was also deemed an honorary Brazilian. Thanks Mark.

My personal highlights were closing Eric's #3. I closed it twice. But, I could not do it on video so that super sucks. But, Casey and Ted saw it, so it psyches me up. I got the double hub cert. I think Sherrie and Paul both got that on vid. I also pulled 5 dimes right and left, but again no video. There were several witnesses on that, Paul & Eric saw that one. Paul also wrapped a 515(?) Bastard that was cut to 6-1/2" for me and I got it to 90 degrees. I think I could have finished it if he would have wrapped it to begin with. I had wrapped it and about killed myself and had barely wobbled it. That just shows how much wrapping has a part in it.

Congrats to you at the comp. Awesome job buddy! And that Bastard too. You the man!!!

I can't say it enough. Awesome time!!! Thanks to everybody for making me feel like a part of the family. Eric did great with the comp. Thanks again to Paul!

Edited September 21, 2009 by huntca

[Sher]

I so enjoyed meeting you, Chris. Glad you got to come over this way. Thanks for the UFC commentary too - that was fun! (Honorary Brazilian too?? ) I'm really glad you had a good time. Now that you've had a pass, NEXT time you're signing up for sure! I have so much video - I just kept shooting until the battery gave up. haha! I know I have your double hub (way to go!). I'll check out the footage and make sure we get it uploaded.

Btw, I checked back and you're well under your first weight goal of 350! Congrats, Chris! You're only 15# from the second one of 325 too. Keep up the good work!

[huntca]

I so enjoyed meeting you, Chris. Glad you got to come over this way. Thanks for the UFC commentary too - that was fun! (Honorary Brazilian too?? ) I'm really glad you had a good time. Now that you've had a pass, NEXT time you're signing up for sure! I have so much video - I just kept shooting until the battery gave up. haha! I know I have your double hub (way to go!). I'll check out the footage and make sure we get it uploaded.

Btw, I checked back and you're well under your first weight goal of 350! Congrats, Chris! You're only 15# from the second one of 325 too. Keep up the good work!

Thanks Sherrie. You are an awesome lady! I am super glad I got to come over too! You have no idea how much your keeping up with my log means to me. I am already trying to plan another trip and I am definitely competing next year!

Good luck in your lifting comp next month. Be sure to give me an update as to how it goes. And, I want you to destroy that #1 for me next time I'm over. I KNOW you have it in you!!!

[cemery]

Yep, I witnessed Chris hammer the 3 twice, maybe three times. I also saw him pull 5 dimes L and R. He is a natural. Good to meet you bro.

[huntca]

Yep, I witnessed Chris hammer the 3 twice, maybe three times. I also saw him pull 5 dimes L and R. He is a natural. Good to meet you bro.

Awesome to meet you too man! I see you must not have gotten into too much trouble.

[Paul Knight]

Metroplex Mayhem at Metroflex II is coming up in Jan ... you will be competing .....

don't think next year means next Sep .... get to work!

[Bossie 308]

Nice to meet you Chris !!! Keep training hard bro you are a Beast !!!!

[huntca]

Nice to meet you Chris !!! Keep training hard bro you are a Beast !!!!

Great to meet you dude! Glad you could come down. You are the Beast! No pain whatsoever! You need to post some pics of how jacked up your hands are. That's just wild man.

Edit: Gonna add this in right quick.

Yesterday:

Breakfast: Spoon of Peanut Butter

Skipped lunch b/c of work.

Dinner: I made up for lunch....the wife picked up pizza.

Edited September 22, 2009 by huntca

[Bossie 308]

Haha Thanks Chris !!! I just posted some pix in my gallery....