The ABC Challenge: BigFour's 'cut'

OK, I ordered the calipers on Monday, hopefully they'll be waiting at home for me after work today. I also plan on taking other body measurements (don't get smart /forum/images/graemlins/blush.gif)and tracking those during the challenge. My goal is to be a lean, mean, cut mofo by the spring.

I'll also try to put in my cardio/weight workouts and my diet if I get a chance. Of course, any comments/suggestions for improvement are very welcome.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

OK, I got the calipers and had my wife help me with the measurements. Tell you the truth, I think something went wrong, but here are the measurements:

pectorals 9.00 mm
subscapular 15.00 mm
tricep 5.00 mm
suprailiac 3.66 mm
midaxilla 8.00 mm
abdominals 13.33 mm
thigh 10.33 mm

Plugging that into the 7 pt bf equation, I get 10.69%

I'm 5'9", 180 lbs....pretty good physique. I'm 41 yrs old.

I didn't expect a number that low. I thought it would be more like 13-14%, but hey, that's what I got. Anyway, I guess what really matters is that I'm determined to exercise and eat right over the next 12 weeks (and beyond). I'll try to get my wife to help me retake the measurements every week or so over the next twelve weeks. I'm also gonna ask her to help me with other body measurements, like chest, thigh, bicep, etc. I'll try to post these soon.

I know this is a contest, but I'm not competing with anyone but myself on this, so I'm not gonna worry too much about the body fat numbers. And hey, maybe they are accurate after all. Who knew?

Monday Jan 6:

It's been a couple of months since I've worked out, so I'm going to start off a little light on the weights, to break my body back in. I expect to go up within a few weeks pretty much to where I was in October (crossing fingers)

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill, a preprogrammed fat burning exercise, called Fat Burn 2, which varies the incline over time. Max incline 5 degrees, speed 4.5 mph

Abdominals/Legs-

I've got this thing which is supposed to promote proper form when doing crunches, I'll call it a crunch bar.
25 crunches straight up
25 crunches with lower body turned to the left
25 crunches with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 15 on both sides

not sure what to call this, I take a wide stance hold a dumbell in one hand and bend to that side, keeping my lower body stationary, I'll call them weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 10 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 82.5 lbs

leg curls
3 @ 10, 44 lbs

Tue, Jan 7:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable inline), 30 min
max incline 5 degrees
speed 4.5

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs (hard)

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms (note: left shoulder pain)

Wed, Jan 8:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 5 degrees
speed 4.5 mph

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 88.5 lbs

pullups
3 @ 5

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 34 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 170.5 lbs

Also -

incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs


The last three days workouts are a routine I developed last year. I know that the split isn't perfect, but I try to balance the time I spend each day working out, with a job, a home, a wife and 4 kids, it's not easy find the time. However, the pullups were a new addition to the routine. I decided to put them in when I was on the treadmill, cause I didn't think I was getting enough work done on my back. Next week, I'll do either the reverse grip curls or the dumbell flies on arms/chest day.

Any suggestions on how to improve the split, adding or replacing exercises, are welcome. The thing is, after cardio, I try to limit the workout time to about 45 minutes.

[Lumina20]

Hey, how come you do your cardio first? I only ask because most people do it afterwards so that they won't be as tired when they do their lifting and I thought I heard that it was better for fat loss if done afterwards. Anybody know???

[oes]

Hey Bigfour, I got a question about wednesday's DB flys. Is this for chest? If so I would move it to chest day right after wide grip bench presses.
Good luck with the cut. /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: Lumina20:</font><hr> Hey, how come you do your cardio first? I only ask because most people do it afterwards so that they won't be as tired when they do their lifting and I thought I heard that it was better for fat loss if done afterwards. Anybody know??? <hr /></blockquote>

I've heard/read theories on both sides of the cardio first/last debate. I could be wrong on this, but my instinct tells me that for fat burning, it's better to do the cardio first, so that your heart rate is up in the fat burning range when you start weightlifting. I guess you could accomplish this with a 5-10 minute cardio before weightlifting. When I'm less concerned about the fat, and more interested in putting on muscle, I do the weightlifting first.

One other thing about doing the cardio first: I like weightlifting MUCH better, so if I tell myself I can't lift until after the cardio is done, it forces me to do it. I'm afraid that if I waited until after weightlifting, I'd be tired and with my time constraints I'd be more tempted to blow the cardio off.

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: oes:</font><hr>

Hey Bigfour, I got a question about wednesday's DB flys. Is this for chest? If so I would move it to chest day right after wide grip bench presses.
Good luck with the cut. /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

<hr /></blockquote>

Thanks, oes...I'm going to do that. I've wanted to do flys and benchpress on the same day all along, but as I said earlier, I needed to break up the workout to be roughly equal times each day. (The only exception is legs/abs day, which takes about 15 minutes longer.) However, since I added the pullups to the back workout, I'll move the DB flys workout up one day.

[oes]

No problem, thats what were all here for. /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Tuesday, Jan 14:

I'm a little pissed. I got off to a good start, working out last Mon, Tue, and Wed, but after taking Thursday off, I've been so friggin busy, that I couldn't do a thing Fri-Mon. Well, I finally had a chance to workout Tue., hopefully I can get at least 2 more in this week. At least the routine seemed easier than it did last week, so I know my body is beginning to respond.

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 6 degrees
Speed 4.8 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
25 straight up
25 with lower body turned to the left
25 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets (a lot easier, will increase reps next workout)

side leg raises
3 @ 15 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 10 lbs (increase weight next workout)

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 82.5 lbs (easy, increase next workout)

leg curls
3 @ 10, 44 lbs (easy, increase next workout)

p.s. will try to talk my wife into helping with the bf measurements sometime over the next few days

Feeling strong now! Workout went good last night, beginning to feel the pump again.

Wed, Jan 15:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 6.5 degrees
speed 5.0

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs (hard)

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms (note: left shoulder pain)

Also, weighed myself this morning, looks like I might have lost a few lbs, down to 177.

Thu, Jan 16:

****, this feels good. I love the feeling I get working out, and I love knowing I'm getting back into shape.

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 6.5 degrees
speed 5 mph

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 88.5 lbs

pullups
3 @ 5

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 34 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 170.5 lbs

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Friday, Jan 17

Cardio
45 minutes on the treadmill, manual program
max speed - 7 mph
max incline - 8 mph

Having a hard time getting the little woman to help with the caliper measurements. I'll keep trying.

Well, I got some new measurements. Good news and bad news. The bad news is the bf% went up a little. The good news is it didn't go up too much, and considering I was suspicious about the first set of measurements, these measurements make me feel like at least I'm in the right ballpark. Here they are:

pectorals 9.66 mm
subscapular 15.00 mm
tricep 6.66 mm
suprailiac 3.33 mm
midaxilla 8.66 mm
abdominals 10.66 mm
thigh 11.00 mm

That works out to a bf of 10.79%.

Also, took some other measurements:

neck: 16.25
chest: 41.25
bicep: 13.75
forearm: 11.75
waist: 34
thigh: 22.5
calf: 15

Monday, Jan 20:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 6.5 degrees
Speed 5 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 15 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 85.25 lbs (easy, increase next workout)

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

p.s. For the first time ever, I bought cottage cheese over the weekend for my evening snacks. It sucks! Gotta either figure out a way to spice it up a bit, or just get used to it. I'll have some tonight with fresh ground pepper.

[CheezitMan22]

how could your bf go up?

jease the body is wierd lol

Yeah, I know. I'm a little suspicious about the caliper measurements. My wife is helping me. She's doing the best she can, but the numbers could be off a little. Not that I'd do any better mind you. Like I said before, at least the bf numbers aren't that different.

Tue, Jan 21:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 6.5 degrees
speed 5.0

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs (third set was very hard today, not sure why)

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms (right arm easy, left hard)

I think I may have hurt my shoulder a little doing the tricep extensions. Hopefully, it won't get in the way of my shoulder/back workout Wednesday. I've had this problem with my shoulder for a while doing this exercise. Must be from an old injury. I don't even feel like the exercise is that critical to my development, so if this continues, I'll probably try to find another exercise to work the triceps that doesn't put as much stress on the shoulder.

Also, tried the cottage cheese with pepper last night. It still sucks.

Wed, Jan 22:

Had the day off of work, so I was able to get my workout in early. Although I felt some discomfort in my left shoulder, it really didn't inhibit the workout.

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 6.5 degrees
speed 5 mph

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 88.5 lbs

pullups
2 @ 5
1 @ 6 (will try 3 sets of 6 next time)

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 34 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 170.5 lbs (easy, increase next time)

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Weighed myself after the post workout shower, down to 175 lbs. That's about 5 lbs since the beginning of the month.

[oes]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: BigFour:</font><hr>

Also, tried the cottage cheese with pepper last night. It still sucks.


<hr /></blockquote>

Amen bro. I cant do cottage cheese /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Great job, looks like your going at it with a vengence.

Thanks, oes, I'm trying.

Your words of encouragement (and sympathy about the cottage cheese) help a lot.

[Venom]

How's it going BF? Good results? /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Need any help. /forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Hi, venom. Things are going pretty well, thank you. I've been working out regularly since the beginning of the year. And for the most part, eating right. One thing about eating though, I eat whatever my wife cooks for dinner, in the interest of keeping peace in the house. We've got 4 kids. Between that, what's on sale at the store, and her time constraints, my cut isn't her biggest priority. Sometimes it's pizza, sometimes it's pasta, or chinese food,etc. Besides the dinners, though, I think I'm eating pretty clean. I have lost about 5 lbs in the last three weeks. At the same time, I can tell from my workouts that I'm getting stronger. The body fat numbers haven't shown any progress, but at least the two measurements were consistent, and both were under 11%. I think the problem may be in the margin of error for the measurements. Maybe the next measurement will show a drop. We'll see.

Thanks for the offer for help. I'll definately let you know.

[Venom]

[ QUOTE ]
We've got 4 kids. <hr /></blockquote>

/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif How do you even train!!!!!! /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

That's brutal, but you are certainly blessed. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif Well good luck on the challenge, and if you need any help just ask. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: venom:</font><hr> [ QUOTE ]
We've got 4 kids. <hr /></blockquote>

/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif How do you even train!!!!!! /forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

That's brutal, but you are certainly blessed. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif Well good luck on the challenge, and if you need any help just ask. /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif <hr /></blockquote>

/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif It's not very easy to find the time, but excuses are too easy to use. So I make the time.

And you're right, I am blessed. Thanks for the support, Venom. I'll definately take you up on your offer if the need arises.

Hey, come to think of it, can you babysit for us tonight? /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Saturday, Jan 25:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 6.5 degrees
Speed 5 mph (will increase incline/speed next workout)

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 15 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs (increase next workout)

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 88 lbs

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

First time this year I got four full workouts in in one week! Yeah, baby!

[Venom]

[ QUOTE ]
Hey, come to think of it, can you babysit for us tonight?
<hr /></blockquote>

/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sun, Jan 26:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms (right arm easy, left hard)

Mon, Jan 27:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2

Tue, Jan 28:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2 mph

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 88.5 lbs

pullups
2 @ 6
1 @ 4 (about an inch away from 5, maybe next time)

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 34 lbs (will increase next workout)

standing rows
3 @ 10, 176 lbs (will increase next workout)

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Weight down to 173½. That's about 6½ lbs since the beginning of the month. I'm also getting stronger, so I think that means I've lost some fat. Hopefully it will show up in the next body fat measurements.

Wed, Jan 29:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.0 degrees
Speed 5.2 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 15 on both sides (increase next workout)

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 88 lbs

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

My wife and my 14 yr old son have started working out now. This stuff is contagious!

[oes]

Hey BigFour!!! Man, you are doing GREAT man!!!

Go!! Man, Go!! ...... /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks, OES. I don't know about great, but I'm definately off to a good start for the year. I've been working out pretty regularly since last April, only taking a couple of months off at the end of last year. And I really do feel like I'm in better shape than I've been in since I was in my twenties (I'm 41 now). Now if I could just do someting about the grey hairs that are popping up on my chest /forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Sat, Feb 1:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 60 lbs (increase next workout)

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms

I was working out when I heard about the shuttle disaster on the radio. That sucks big time. I thank God for my life, and my family. Sometimes it's easy to take stuff for granted. But not today. God bless those people, and their families, and all the people involved with the shuttle program.

[oes]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: BigFour:</font><hr> Sat, Feb 1:


I was working out when I heard about the shuttle disaster on the radio. That sucks big time. I thank God for my life, and my family. Sometimes it's easy to take stuff for granted. But not today. God bless those people, and their families, and all the people involved with the shuttle program. <hr /></blockquote>

Amen bro.

Mon, Feb 3:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2 mph

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 88.5 lbs (increase next workout)

pullups
2 @ 6
1 @ 4 (about an inch away from 5 again, maybe next time)

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 40 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 181.5 lbs

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Wed, Feb 5:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.0 degrees
Speed 5.2 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 18 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 88 lbs

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

[Scott B]

Hey BigFour, I thought I'd drop in and see how you're doing. Pretty darn good I'd say. What kind of treadmill are doing cardio on? It sounds like it might be the same as the one I use. I've always used the manual setting but I like the looks of what you're doing.

Have you ever posted pix? I ask because we're simalar in age and you're not to far ahead of me in lifting weight and man, with bf near 10%, well I'd like to see what to aim for. Another interesting thing is our measurements are really close I'm just shorter though. Anyway I like the looks of your workouts so I'll be checking in.

Have a good day.

Thurs, Feb 6:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 65.5 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 20 lbs both arms (increase next workout)

Finally, I get to increase the weight on my tricep extensions! My left shoulder usually wimps out on me when I do these, but I felt no pain today, so I'll increase the weight a little next workout, and see how it goes.

Hey Scott, thanks for stopping by. And thanks for the kind words and vote of confidence in the other thread today. I appreciate it. By the way, my name is Frank.

My treadmill is a ProForm 725ex. I bought it a few years ago as a gift for my wife (pretty smart, eh?). Actually, it started acting up on me last summer. That 'forced' me to go to the park to run, much more enjoyable than the treadmill. But the weather's been pretty brutal here in NJ this winter, so I've been dealing with the treadmill. I scheduled a service tech to come do a repair, they're a little hard to find. Thankfully, he came by and fixed it this afternoon. The front roller went bad. Thank goodness it's working alright now, I darn near fell off the thing several times in the past few weeks.

I like the pre-programmed settings. That way, I don't have to worry about changing incline and speed every few minutes, I can just veg out, listen to music, and jog.

As for the pix, yeah, I posted a couple in January, I think it's on the third page of the members pictures forum by now. But don't look to me as your goal, I've seen your pics, your doing fine, bro. And as for my body fat numbers, well, I don't know how accurate they are, I really don't put much faith in the numbers I got. My wife takes the measurements for me, I write them down and do the calculations. Before we took any measurements, I thought my body fat % was around 12-13. But she's taken two sets of measurements, and we've gotten pretty similar numbers, so I don't know what to make of it. One member looked at the pics and I think he estimated my bf to be around 14-16, so who knows. The main thing is I'm trying to eat right, and work out pretty regularly, so I know I'm on the right track.

Thanks again for stopping by. And good luck with your bulk.
Talk to you later.

I got new measurements this morning. Part of me doesn't even want to put these down. I've been skeptical all along about the body fat numbers I've been getting in the past, and these are my third set of measurements. I think my wife has been pretty consistent with the way she's been taking the measurements. But this set shows a really dramatic difference. Here they are:

pectorals 6.00 mm
subscapular 12.66 mm
tricep 2.66 mm
suprailiac 3.66 mm
midaxilla 5.66 mm
abdominals 7.33 mm
thigh 9.33 mm

That works out to a bf of 7.98%! (That can't be right /forum/images/graemlins/confused.gif)

Also, other measurements are:

neck: 16.5
chest: 42.25
bicep: 14.25
forearm: 12.0
waist: 34
thigh: 22.5
calf: 14.75

These measuremnts show a pretty good change too.

Like I said above, I am skeptical about the caliper numbers. I really expect that at 8%, I'd be so frickin ripped, which I'm not (I'm only a little frickin ripped /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif). And I don't think the changes from earlier measurements are realistic for one month. But I have been serious about this cut, and I'm trying to do the measurements right. Bottom line is I'm in a hell of a lot better shape than I was at the beginning of the year.

Sat, Feb 8:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.0 degrees
speed 5.2 mph (increase speed/incline next workout)

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 94 lbs

pullups
3 @ 6 (finally!)

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 40 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 181.5 lbs (increase next workout)

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Felt strong today. Big difference in the pullups, I hope the next time I do them, I have the same results.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

I didn't have time to work out Sun or Mon, now I'm leaving for a day and a half business trip to Chicago. So I won't be able to get a full workout in till Thursday at the earliest.

Well, I'll try to make the best of it, find the exercise room in the hotel I'm staying at tonight, and do something!

I really wanted to work out yesterday, but it just didn't happen. Now I gotta take 4 days off in a row, minimum.

Shoot!!

OK, I'm real nervous. I didn't get a chance to workout when I was in Chicago, and when I got home it didn't happen either. So I've been 'off' a little over a week. I've got to make sure I get back into the groove, or all the work I've done so far will be undone. It seems hardest to start up again after a long layoff, so wish me luck, gang.

Sun, Feb 16:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.5 degrees
Speed 5.3 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 18 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 88 lbs (increase next workout)

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

All in all, not a bad workout, considering the layoff. I was suprised that the cardio wasn't harder.

Arghhhhhhhh! I don't like to make excuses, but come on! 2 friggin' feet of snow! I spent most of the day shoveling, I feel like I moved a mountain, one shovel at a time. I was afraid to work out before I shovelled, thinking I might not have the strength to do the job afterwards (good call, believe me). And I couldn't even walk straight by the time I was done shoveling, so working out was, of course, out of the question.

You know what? I'm counting the shoveling as a workout.

Mon, Feb 17:

Cardio and full body workout (6+ hours)-

I beat the blizzard of 2003! Who needs a snowblower!

[Scott B]

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: BigFour:</font><hr> You know what? I'm counting the shoveling as a workout.

Mon, Feb 17:

Cardio and full body workout (6+ hours)-

I beat the blizzard of 2003! Who needs a snowblower! <hr /></blockquote>

Dude, that is more then fair. 6 hours of shoveling!!!! You are going to feel that tomorrow.

Wed, Feb 19:

I'm still pretty wiped from all that shovelling on Monday, but I'm feeling a lot better than I did yesterday, and I haven't been working out enough lately, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The weird thing is, I didn't really feel the negative effects during the weightlifting, but I couldn't hack the cardio - go figure.

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 18 min
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3

Manual, 12 min
max incline 10 degrees
max speed 7 mph

(That manual part wasn't as hard as it looks, mostly I just kept moving. When I had the energy and the wind, I upped the incline/speed for a little while. The only reason I switched to manual was that I couldn't hack the normal program. But I wanted to do 30 min.)

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 65.5 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 24 lbs both arms

All in all, pretty happy that I was able to work through the soreness and get in a full workout.

Thur, Feb 20:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3 mph(25 min.)/3.5 mph (5 min.)

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 94 lbs

pullups
2 @ 6
1 @ 4

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 40 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 184.25 lbs

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I still don't think my body has recovered yet from Monday. The cardio is still knocking the sh%t out of me. I was a little weak on the pullups as well, but that may be because I haven't done them in a while. Well, anyway, at least I got 3 solid workouts in this week, besides all the shovelling. So the hope is that next week, I'll be back up to speed.

[oes]

[ QUOTE ]
BigFour said:


I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I still don't think my body has recovered yet from Monday. The cardio is still knocking the sh%t out of me. I was a little weak on the pullups as well, but that may be because I haven't done them in a while. Well, anyway, at least I got 3 solid workouts in this week, besides all the shovelling. So the hope is that next week, I'll be back up to speed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I know what you mean, It took me about 4 days to recover from my bathroom remodeling ordeal, and still havn't worked out in the last week /forum/images/graemlins/mad.gif But you are doing an awesome job!!! You are my inspiration! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif I admire your dedication. Thanks bro, for your encouragement and contribution to ABC!!
/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
oes said:
You are my inspiration! /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, OES. I hardly consider myself an inspiration to anyone. But hey, if it works for you /forum/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Wed, Feb 26:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.5 degrees
Speed 5.3 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 18 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

Not a bad work out. I was able to finish the cardio, but it really wiped me out. I've been pretty inconsistent with getting workouts in since the trip to Chicago. I've got to get back on track.

OK, cue the 'Rocky' music. I felt like an animal today, pumpin' the iron like it was kid stuff.

Thurs, Feb 27:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3

(The cardio was still pretty hard, but it was easier to get through than yesterday.)

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 165.5 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 65.5 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 24 lbs both arms

Not sure why, but this whole weightlifting workout seemed pretty easy today. Normally, I only feel that way with one or two exercises, so I make a note to increase the weight for the next workout, but I'm not gonna go up on anything just yet. This might have been an aberration, I'll wait to see what I feel like next time I work my chest/arms. It might just be that my muscles have gotten used to the same routine, I don't know. I've never been really good at mixing it up. But I've been thinking about it lately, so I might change things up in a week or so. We'll see.

I just took a few new pictures of myself, 8 weeks into the cut. There's a link in the Members Pictures forum. I figured I'd make note of it here in case anyone reading this wants to see how I'm doing. There are some pics from about 2 weeks into the cut to compare the newer ones to.

Fri, Feb 28:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3 mph

Cardio was a lot easier to get through today....finally!

Back -

Behind neck press
3 @ 10, 94 lbs

pullups
3 @ 6

dumbell pullovers
3 @ 10, 40 lbs

standing rows
3 @ 10, 184.25 lbs

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
3 @ 10, 60 lbs

Since I posted the progress pics, I've had a couple of questions about what I'm eating, if I'm taking any supplements, etc. So far in this journal, I haven't addressed that, except for noting that I'm not too crazy about cottage cheese. The reason is that I'm almost embarrased about my diet. Although I do try to eat right, I don't count calories, so I have no idea how many I'm consuming in a day. And although I have a pretty good idea of which foods contain protein/carbs/fat, I really have no idea how many grams of each I'm eating in a day. One thing I'm pretty sure of is that I'm probably not getting near enough protein. I have NEVER taken any supplements, but I've thought about it to get my protein intake up. So I may try something in the future, but not anytime real soon. Well anyway, here's an example of what goes in BigFour's stomach on a typical day. (oh oh, speaking of myself in the third person, not a good sign...)

Wake up with a cup of espresso, gulp down a glass of orange juice before I leave for work.

10:00 a.m. - 2 hard boiled eggs, cup of sliced grapefruit, 8 oz orange juice

12:30 p.m. - bowl of soup (whatever they've made in the cafeteria), a spinach salad with all the fixins, and 2 slices of either Italian or whole wheat bread. Water for drink.

3:30 p.m. - Dannon yogurt with a handful of Grape Nuts mixed in. Water for drink.

Dinner - Whatever I or my wife prepares, whenever it's time to eat. The time varies a lot, especially due to my kids various activities. Our meal selection is more taste driven (what everyone will eat) then bodybuilding driven. If I plan on working out after dinner, I'll drink water with my meal. Otherwise, I'll have a glass or two of wine.

9:30 p.m. or so - Bowl of granola cereal, or 2 peanut butter sandwiches, or a scoop of cottage cheese.

I drink a good deal of water each day, particularly at work...probably between 32 and 64 oz., depending on the day.

Well, that's it. The only other thing I would add is that I don't eat any junk, sweets, etc. Except occasionally on the weekends, if my wife and I go out, or have an at home 'ristorante' meal, or if I go over my parents for Sunday dinner. I try not to let my bodybuilding goals interfere with these occasions. I figure, one splurge a week won't hurt me, as long as I'm consistent during the week and I commit myself to this for the long haul.

Comments or suggestions from anyone who knows more about nutrition that I do are welcome.

Wed, Mar 5:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.5 degrees
Speed 5.3 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 with lower body turned to the left
30 with lower body turned to the right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 18 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 20

squats
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

leg extensions
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs (increase next workout)

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

Thurs, Mar 6:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
3 @ 10, 30 lbs

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 65.5 lbs

preacher curls
3 @ 10, 90.75 lbs

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 24 lbs both arms

I increased the bench press weight today. Actually, it was unintentional, but I mangaged to get 3 sets of 10 up, so I guess it worked out OK. I'll keep it at 171 lbs for the next workout.

[a-folov]

I couldn't help but notice that you do 3 sets of everything, usually 10 reps. I would really suggest that you mix it up once in a while, maybe with some volume training or super-intense HIT-style lifting before your body finds the routines stale. Especially on a cut, shocks like these do a lot of good.

Hi afolov, thanks for the advice.

Yeah, I know what you mean....I'm either too lazy or just a creature of habit I guess, because I rarely mix things up with my routine.

But I've been thinking about it for a while now, and you're little push might have been just enough to get me to finally do something about it.

I'll try over my next few workouts to get out of that 3@10 rut, shock my body a little. Stay tuned, I'll let you know how I made out.

Fri, Mar 7:

I tried something different today. I decided to do every set to failure. What pain! What a pump!

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 on treadmill (variable incline), 1/2 hr
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.3 mph

I'm gonna increase the cardio a little next time.

Back -

Behind neck press
94 lbs: 18/10/7

pullups
8/6/5

dumbell pullovers
40 lbs: 17/11/9

standing rows
184.25 lbs: 19/13/14

Also -

reverse grip curls (curlbar)
60 lbs: 18/11/12

Those reverse grip curls hurt more than anything else! That's probably because my forearms were already totally pumped before I even got to these. In fact, when I was doing the pullups and the standing rows, failure occurred when my grip gave out more than anything else.

Definately a decent workout today. My goal was to shock the muscles. Mission accomplished.

By the way, Yu.....I'll try to get some updated bf measurements soon. Hopefully this weekend.

I don't know, I just don't get it. I got new measurements this morning. I know that the cut is working, the difference is pretty noticable. I think you can see it in the pictures I posted. But these numbers are going in the other direction. Well, I've always been skeptical about the numbers I've posted in the past, so maybe these are the most accurate ones. Well anyway, here they are:

pectorals 8.66 mm
subscapular 15.33 mm
tricep 4.66 mm
suprailiac 4 mm
midaxilla 7.66 mm
abdominals 11.66 mm
thigh 13 mm

I'm 41, and my weight has stayed the same, 173 lbs. this morning.

Using these numbers, my estimated bf is 10.79%....I think that sounds about right, based on my appearance. The problem is, you can't really compare this number to the numbers I've gotten in the past.

Well, even if I don't win the challenge, maybe I can get an 'honorable mention' based on the progress pics I posted.

Also, other measurements are:

neck: 16.375
chest: 42
bicep: 14
forearm: 12
waist: 33.5
thigh: 21.5
calf: 14.75

These measuremnts are considerably less than the last time, further evidence that the cut is working, I think. Well, I guess I just shouldn't worry too much about the caliper measurements, as long as I'm doing the work.....and it's paying off.

Tue, Mar 11:

Cardio - 1/2 hr on the treadmill
Fat Burn 2 (variable incline)
Max incline 7.5 degrees
Speed - 25 min @ 5.3 mph / 5 min @ 5.5 mph

Abdominals/Legs -

Crunches wi/bar
30 straight up
30 lower body turned left
30 lower body turned right
3 sets

side leg raises
3 @ 18 on both sides

weighted side bends
3 @ 25 on both sides, 14 lbs

reverse crunches
3 @ 25

squats
171 lbs
2 @ 10 / 1 @ 15 (increase weight next workout)

leg extensions
93.5 lbs
reps - 20/13/11
I did each set of these to failure (increase weight next workout)

leg curls
3 @ 10, 46.75 lbs

The last two workouts I've been pushing myself more. It seems that I haven't increased the weights enough over the last two months. I'll fix that.

Wed, Mar 12:

Cardio -

Fat Burn 2 (variable incline) on treadmill, 30 min
max incline 7.5 degrees
speed 5.5

Chest/Arms -

bench press
3 @ 10, 171 lbs

Incline dumbell flys
30 lbs
2 @ 10
1 @ 18 (increase weight next workout)
Last set to failure

seated dumbell curls
3 @ 10, 40 lbs each arm

curl bar
3 @ 10, 65.5 lbs

preacher curls
90.75 lbs
reps - 18/13/10 (increase weight next workout)
each set to failure

dumbell tricep extensions
3 @ 10, 24 lbs both arms

[Scott B]

[ QUOTE ]
BigFour said:
I don't know, I just don't get it. I got new measurements this morning. I know that the cut is working, the difference is pretty noticable. I think you can see it in the pictures I posted. But these numbers are going in the other direction. Well, I've always been skeptical about the numbers I've posted in the past, so maybe these are the most accurate ones. Well anyway, here they are:

pectorals 8.66 mm
subscapular 15.33 mm
tricep 4.66 mm
suprailiac 4 mm
midaxilla 7.66 mm
abdominals 11.66 mm
thigh 13 mm

I'm 41, and my weight has stayed the same, 173 lbs. this morning.

Using these numbers, my estimated bf is 10.79%....I think that sounds about right, based on my appearance. The problem is, you can't really compare this number to the numbers I've gotten in the past.

Well, even if I don't win the challenge, maybe I can get an 'honorable mention' based on the progress pics I posted.

Also, other measurements are:

neck: 16.375
chest: 42
bicep: 14
forearm: 12
waist: 33.5
thigh: 21.5
calf: 14.75

These measuremnts are considerably less than the last time, further evidence that the cut is working, I think. Well, I guess I just shouldn't worry too much about the caliper measurements, as long as I'm doing the work.....and it's paying off.

[/ QUOTE ]

BigFour, I'm having the same problem with numbers too, execpt mine go in the other direction. I keep coming up with 15 - 16% bf and when I look at your pictures we're not that far off from each other. You've got a little more muscle but our measurement are so simalar. For instance my chest measures 41" - yours 42" my upper arms 13.75, your 14 and our waist measurement are alomst the same. There is no way we're 5% point a part. Which brings me to the conclusion that the mirror is our best indicator, that and the way our cloths fit.

Your program looks solid and the results are right there before your eyes - this constant measuring crap is for the birds.

[ QUOTE ]
Scott B said:
BigFour, I'm having the same problem with numbers too, execpt mine go in the other direction. I keep coming up with 15 - 16% bf and when I look at your pictures we're not that far off from each other. You've got a little more muscle but our measurement are so simalar. For instance my chest measures 41" - yours 42" my upper arms 13.75, your 14 and our waist measurement are alomst the same. There is no way we're 5% point a part. Which brings me to the conclusion that the mirror is our best indicator, that and the way our cloths fit.

Your program looks solid and the results are right there before your eyes - this constant measuring crap is for the birds.

[/ QUOTE ]

Scott - yeah, I agree; the mirror and the way your clothes fit are good indicators, and probably even a more appropriate measuring stick for most people.

As for the calipers, if the measurements are taken properly by an 'expert', I expect the numbers would make a whole lot more sense. I really think it's a matter of technique.

Well, I'll do one more set of caliper measurements right at the end of the 'challenge'. But the bottom line is, anyone who has participated, whether bulking or cutting,.....and stayed the course,....has won already. After all, that's what the 'challenge' was always about anyway. I'm pretty sure Yu will say something like that when it's done.

In case anyone's watching:

I haven't been able to get any workouts in for a while. My schedule has really heated up, and I haven't been able to adjust yet. Among other things, I'm coaching my kid's baseball team, and it's gonna take a lot of my free time.

Here's my week so far (besides work of course): Monday - teach CCD, then church group meeting, Tuesday - baseball team meeting, Wednesday - baseball team practice, Thursday (tonight) - coach's clinic, Friday - not sure, I can't remember right now, but I'm sure something's going on.

I'm not making excuses, just stating facts. I'll have to make some kind of readjustment. Maybe start getting up @5:00 a.m. or something. Never been a morning person though, so I'm not looking forward to it.

I'm definately a little pissed that this had to happen so close to the end of the challenge. But I've gotten a lot out of it already, and I do enjoy my other activities, so I suppose I shouldn't complain. Besides, I've still been able to eat right (uh....except for the pizza party after the team meeting), so it's not a total loss.

eh....I'll work something out.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

OK, final results (taken April 1) - not much different from the last measurements, I guess my wife and I are getting better at this:

Weight 174 lbs

pectorals 8.66 mm
subscapular 14.66 mm
tricep 4.66 mm
suprailiac 4 mm
midaxilla 7.66 mm
abdominals 11.33 mm
thigh 12.66 mm

bf = 10.58%

Congratulations to all! I really enjoyed this, and I got a lot of motivation from it. Especially on those days when I didn't feel like working out, or eating right, I thought about the 'challenge', and how I didn't want to embarrass myself.

Thank you, ABC members!