The HYPERplasia Challenge! BassPlayer's Cut! [Archive]

BassPlayer

08-28-2003, 10:00 PM

Finally got back to the gym yesterday and today. I've been using my elbow as a crutch to stay out of gym. Well, no longer! /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I'm using the next few days to slowly get back into the gym and to analyze my (hah!) diet.

Yesterday was warmup / stretching followed by 30 minutes on the elliptical. Tried to keep my heart rate around 140bpm the whole time.

Today was (a light) leg day.

Smith squats warmup + 2 sets, 10 reps, 40 lbs. <-- light weight I know but I want to go easy to start

Leg Extensions warmup + 2 sets, 10 reps, 70 lbs.
Calf Raises 2 sets, 10 reps, 90 lbs.
Hamstring Curls warmup + 2 sets, 10 reps, 50 lbs.

I've got my fingers crossed that my elbow will be ready soon so I can do upper body work. Otherwise I'm stuck with doing cardio and lower body only.

**DONOTDELETE**

09-01-2003, 07:13 AM

BassPlayer

09-01-2003, 10:56 PM

Here are my measurements:
Code:<hr /><pre>
1 2 3 Average
pectoral 9 8 5 7.3
midaxillary 22 26 20 22.67
tricep 24 18 26 22.67
subscapula 24 20 26 23.33
abdomen 26 26 28 26.67
suprailiac 36 38 36 36.67
thigh 28 26 29 27.67
Total 169 162 170 167
Body Density (Db) 1.04 1.05 1.04 1.04
BF% 23.96 23.16 24.07 23.73
Weight 243 243 243 243
Fat lbs. 58.22 56.27 58.49 57.67
LBM 184.78 186.73 184.51 185.33
</pre><hr />

I wasn't able to format the numbers too well, but you get the idea. I took 3 measurements at each spot using the 7 spot formula.

BassPlayer

09-01-2003, 11:01 PM

I've done 30 minutes of cardio each day for the last 3 days (Sat., Sun., & Mon.). My elbow still keeps me from doing upper body exercises so I can only do lower body, and I'm only doing those exercises once a week. Until my elbow heals, the only other thing I can do is cardio, but at least that gets me back in the gym.

MaxC

09-03-2003, 12:40 PM

Hey BassPlayer--this is the 3rd day--how is it going? What are your goals for the challenge? Best of luck to you!

BassPlayer

09-04-2003, 11:39 AM

Hey MaxC!

Thanks for the encouragement!

Yesterday was my birthday so I had a cheat meal (ice cream sundae). I just started school again this week so I've been focused on getting into learning mode again.

I've been punching in my diet at fitday.com and know I have some work to do to get my p/c/f intakes to the 40/30/30 level. I have some Optimum Nutrition Natty Whey on order that should get here today. I will be using that for my protein requirements in meals 2 & 4 (doing 6 meals/day).

I will be picking up and trying to stomach oatmeal by the weekend. I haven't tried oatmeal since I was a kid but I remember not liking it at all. Hopefully some milk and cinnamon will cure that.

My best time for gym workouts are the weekends so all of my weightlifting will be happening on Sat./Sun. I've been doing 1/2 hour to 45 minute walks during lunch and will be adding stationary bicycle HIIT sessions in the morning next week.

I believe at this point the most effective thing I can do is get my diet in order. I'm not getting anywhere near enough protein and way too many carbs and saturated fats, according to fitday. I will have a new diet by next week which should get me back in the race to drop some poundage.

I don't have specific goals beyond eating healthier and getting workouts to be a normal part of my life. I'd be happy if I dropped 20 pounds (of fat) in the next 3 months and I think that is an attainable goal, once I understand my body better. By that I mean things like knowing what my maintenance caloric intake is, making mind-muscle connections and learning what workout strategies (number of reps/sets per muscle group, etc.) have the most effect for me.

BassPlayer

09-08-2003, 10:13 PM

OK, here are my second week's measurements.

pectoral 12
midaxillary 22
tricep 14
subscapula 28
abdomen 26
suprailiac 36
thigh 28
Total 166
Body Density (Db) 1.045
BF% 23.62
Weight 245 (up two pounds?)
Flab 57.86
LBM 187.14

Not a good showing for the first week, but I'm not worried about it. For the first time in my life I've put together a diet plan. I started it yesterday and I'm hoping the changes will make a difference. I punched in what I ate today over at fitday.com and my p/c/f in calories came out to 39/32/29 with a total of 2,067 calories. For my first real try at a 40/30/30 diet I came really close. Now it's all about dedication and sticking the course.

I did my first upper body workout in ages yesterday. My elbow hurts when I'm doing normal everyday things, but it didn't bother me at all when I was lifting. Hopefully it'll stay that way.

For Chest I did:
3 sets isolation bench press (machine)
2 sets incline db bench

For Back I did:
3 sets lat pulldowns
2 sets seated rows (machine)

For triceps I did:
2 sets cable pushdowns

For biceps I did:
2 sets incline db curls

My arms are pathetically weak. /forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif Not being able to exercise them since last Spring has taken its toll on them. I will hit them again (prob. Wed.) so they get their own special day. I will do shoulder and neck on Wed. as well.

I need to do lower body, I'll do that Friday evening. I'm looking at db lunges, smith squats, leg extensions, hamstring curls, calf raises, and whatever other torture I can come up with before then. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif I'll hit abs sometime during the week.

So, that's my plan. If anyone is interested, this is my diet plan:
Breakfast:
1/2 cups oatmeal, 2 packets splenda, some cinnamon
1/2 cups 1% milk (for the oatmeal)
2 scrambled eggs
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Natty Whey (liking this stuff)
creatine & glutamine
multivitamins

midmorning snack:
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Natty Whey
creatine
1/2 cup cottage cheese
pepper and/or broccoli

lunch:
whatever I had for dinner the night before (cooking double portions)
4 oz. salmon
rice

midafternoon snack:
1 scoop Optimum Nutrition 100% Natty Whey
1/2 cup cottage cheese
pepper and/or broccoli

dinner:
4 oz. skinless chicken breast
green beans
1% milk

evening snack:
dry roasted peanuts

BassPlayer

09-11-2003, 09:57 AM

Last night I did legs. I was very time constrained so I didn't get to do near what I had envisioned so I'm bummed about that. Maybe I'll hit them again on Saturday, but I don't know if that's bad or not.

On the plus side, I was able to push more weight. I don't know if this is because of my dietary changes or the fact that I didn't start out with Smith Squats. /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif Probably the lack of squats. Anyway, these are my figures.

Leg extensions - warmup plus 80x10, 100x10, 120x10
Hamstring curls - warmup plus 60x10, 80x6 (too heavy), 70x6 (burned my legs on previous set, wasn't able to do 100% contraction on last set)
Standing Calf Raises - 90x10, 105x10 <- it was really hard getting full contractions on this set

Like I said, I was very time constrained. I had my first lab in my Linux programming class and I ended going over class time to finish the project and that cut into my gym time.

I think I'm going to do bis/tris shoulders and traps at home tonight. I have dbs and an EZ curl bar so I should be able to come up with at least 2 exercises per muscle group, even if it's only db curls and EZ curls. Although I could use the different angles on the EZ bar. Yea! Didn't think of that.

BassPlayer

09-11-2003, 10:03 AM

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the diet's going well. I forgot to pack whey in my lunchbox yesterday so I had to run to GNC during lunch to get a couple of protein bars. They had way more calories than a scoop of ON, but I had (not my choice) a very small piece of chicken breast with dinner so I think the calorie piece was minimized.

Today's lunch is chicken and rice (rice-a-roni, all I've got for now) and dinner is steak (with worcestershire and A-1, yum yum!) and veggie medley. I've been eating the same breakfast and snack meals.

BassPlayer

09-12-2003, 11:30 AM

Just a quick note. I tried doing an arm workout last night and my elbow was giving me fits. I don't know what to do. Guess I'll call the Dr. again.

It's a letdown to have my diet in good shape and the desire to be in the gym again, only to have my body put the brakes on. My wife noticed I didn't use my elbow brace, so I'm going to try again either tonight or tomorrow with the brace and see if that helps. I hope it does because I believe I am starting to see results from my new diet. Of course, Sunday's measurements will let me know if I'm seeing real results. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BassPlayer

09-13-2003, 06:58 PM

Kinda weird, being just about the only person to post on this thread! Oh well, it is a journal, so here are some facts from today. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

This morning I did upper body stuff. I did:

Chest:
Seated Bench Press: warmup + 110x10, 130x10, 150x6
Incline Db Bench: warmup + 35x10, 35x10, 35x9 <- better than last week.
Pec Deck Flyes: 30x10, 40x10, 50x10 (guess 30 was a warmup)

Back:
Seated rows: warmup + 60x10, 60x10, 70x10
PullDowns: warmup + 80x10, 100x10

bi's and tri's:
I did a set of weighted dips (not the kind you're thinking of, the kind where the higher the weight, the easier the dips are to do) just to see
how far away I am from doing unassisted dips.

Did supersets for bi's & tri's

French Press 20x10, 20x10, 20x8 (20 + bar)
Db Bicep Curls 15x10, 15x10, 20x10

Cable Bicep Curls 30x10, 40x10, 50x10
Cable Tricep Pushdowns 40x10, 50x10, 60x10

It took me about 90 minutes to do everything. I went about 90 minutes after breakfast, and I had a shake as soon as I got home. The shake was 8oz 1% milk + 1 scoop ON Natty Whey + creatine + glutamine. Had creatine and glutamine in my breakfast shake as well.

Tomorrow is leg day. I may try and do shoulders and traps as well since I haven't hit them at all yet. I thought I could do upper / lower body splits, but I can't get it done in 60 - 90 minutes. So, I have to figure out where to fit shoulders, traps, and abs.

BassPlayer

09-13-2003, 07:06 PM

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I had my cheat meal (if you can call it that) for this week. It was a 20 oz. Starbuck's coffee with 6 sugars + 1/2 & 1/2, and an M&M's cookie. Yum, yum. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

This is the only food outside of my diet plan that I've eaten this week so this is quite the accomplishment for me! Now that I've had my cheat, I can get back to the serious stuff (I grossed my wife out by mixing a can of tuna with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese).

I know I've lost weight so that will motivate me to buy more healthy stuff when I go grocery shopping later tonight.

BassPlayer

09-14-2003, 01:34 PM

Today was leg day! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Smith Squats warmup + 50x10, 70x10, 90x10
45degree Leg Presses warmup + 270x10, 360x10

Supersets of
Leg Extensions 100x10, 110x10, 120x10 + hold on last rep of sets
Hamstring Curls 60x10, 70x10, 80x9.5 /forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Standing Calf Raises 105x10, 105x10, 120x10

Worked out about an hour after breakfast (which consisted of 1/2cup 1minute oats + 1/2 cup 1% milk, 2 eggs scrambled and 1 scoop ON Whey with 1/2 cup H2O + creatine + glutamine). Post workout I made a shake consisting of 1 cup 1% milk + 1 scoop whey + creatine + glutamine.

An hour after the post workout shake I had 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 2 tbsp natty pb. A little after the game starts I'll be having a salad made with spinach leaves, broccoli, tomatoes, zucchini, and a 6oz. package of Bumblebee Pink Salmon. I don't know if you guys have seen these "tear open and use" packages of tuna and salmon, but this stuff is much better than canned. At least, the tuna is by far, today will be the first time I've tried the salmon.

I'm psyched at how easy it's been to change my diet and get my p/c/f in order. I can eat the same stuff for long stretches, so that helps as well. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Measurements will come tomorrow.

President Wilson

09-15-2003, 05:32 AM

Tearin it up BassPlayer! great Job. The supersets look great as well

BassPlayer

09-15-2003, 08:40 PM

Hey, a visit from the Prez! /forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I think I'm solid with the diet, and I can get 2 good days at the gym. Now I've got to find a way to squeeze in a 3rd day and I'll be all set!

I also have to figure out how to do these darn measurements correctly. I lost a pound from last week, but I can't get good solid measurements on my thigh and ab / suprailiac areas. Here is what I recorded:

pectoral 10
midaxillary 24
tricep 18
subscapula 30
abdomen 24
suprailiac 36
thigh 44
Total 186
Body Density (Db) 1.04031882
BF% 25.81567351
Weight 244
Flab 62.99024336
LBM 181.0097566

As you can see, by comparing to last week's measurements, I somehow gained 5 lbs. of flab and lost 6 lbs. of muscle. That just can't be!

I know my diet is much better than it was two weeks ago so I'm giving it another week before I try to modify my calories. I don't know what I would cut if I needed to drop some calories. I guess I would shrink my cottage cheese portions, but I don't know what else to do other than that.

BassPlayer

09-16-2003, 12:45 PM

This is what my diet is turning out to be:

p / c / f / cals

Breakfast: (static)
1/2 cup quick oats - 5 / 29 / 1 / 133
1/2 cup 1% milk - 4 / 6 / 1 / 51
2 eggs - 13 / 1 / 11 / 155
1 scoop ON Natty Whey - 22 / 5 / 2 / 120
Totals: 43 / 41 / 14 / 459

10:00 snack (static, but do I need to add carbs?)
1/2 cottage cheese - 15 / 3 / 5 / 110
1 scoop ON Natty Whey - 22 / 5 / 2 / 120
Totals: 37 / 8 / 7 / 230

Lunch: (varies, this is what I have today)
Salad, including:
2 cups spinach leaves - 2 / 2 / 0 / 13
1 avocado - 3 / 13 / 27 / 279 (wow, just looked this up)
1/2 cup broccoli - 1 / 2 / 0 / 10
3/4 tomato - 1 / 3 / 0 / 14
4oz. chicken breast - 34 / 0 / 4 / 183
1/2 zucchini - 0 / 0 / 0 / 1
1tbsp. salad dressing - 0 / 2 / 7 / 68
Totals: 41 / 22 / 38 / 568

3:00 snack (static, but suggestions welcome)
1/2 cottage cheese - 15 / 3 / 5 / 110
1 scoop ON Natty Whey - 22 / 5 / 2 / 120
1 bell pepper - 1 / 8 / 0 / 32
Totals: 38 / 16 / 7 / 262

Dinner 7:00 (changes daily, but mostly on in meat selection)
8oz. steak - 66 / 0 / 18 / 447
1cup mixed veggies - 5 / 23 / 0 / 107
Totals: 71 / 23 / 18 / 554

Grand Totals:
230 / 110 / 84 / 2,073

I'm 6'0" tall, weigh 244, and have bf% = 25.82.

I almost think my setup above is closer to maintenance than cutting. I'm going to see what I weigh next Monday morning, and if I didn't lose 2 lbs. I think I'll drop 250 calories from what I'm eating.

I'm still trying to figure out how to get to the gym on days other than Sat. & Sun. Since I haven't been able to go more than twice a week, I haven't done any cardio at all. I do go for walks during my lunch break, but that just doesn't compare to a HIIT session or even 30 minutes on the elliptical.

MaxC

09-16-2003, 12:57 PM

Those look like really good food choices. Based on how your body is responding I'd recommend a few things: Try 6 meals a day instead of 5 and try cutting your total intake by 200-300 calories a day. Ditch the 1% milk and go with skim, or skip milk entirely. Drink lots of water and get religious about the cardio/HIIT. I am trying to practice what I preach. Keep cutting and stay strong!

BassPlayer

09-16-2003, 02:37 PM

Hey MaxC! /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Dumping the 1% will drop 51 calories per day, and I don't usually have avocado which has a whopping 279 calories!

How close to sleep-time can one actually eat? I usually hit the hay between 10 - 10:30, can I get away with eating at 9:30? That would be less than 3 hours after dinner, but I'd be willing to save a portion of dinner for a late evening snack.

I use cinnamon and Splenda to sweeten my oatmeal? Is the splenda an issue? I use 2 packets (could probably drop to one). I also use 2 packets in my coffee. I don't like equal or saccharine, and I wouldn't want to use plain sugar.

I think I'm doing good in the water department, but I'm stepping it up a notch. I'm trying to add more water during breakfast and during the workday. Without counting the water I use in my ON shakes, I'm over a gallon / day.

I know I have to get cracking in the HIIT department. Basically I'm trying to convince myself that I CAN get up at 4:30am to go to the gym. It just hasn't worked yet LOL. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BassPlayer

09-16-2003, 02:41 PM

I forgot to add, I'm taking about 5g of creatine and 5g of glutamine in my 10:00 shake on non-workout days. On workout days, I take those amounts both pre and post-workout.

[edit]
Originally, I wrote 7.5g of creatine but I can't read labels it seems. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif I've been taking 5g.

MaxC

09-16-2003, 05:32 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Hey MaxC! /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Dumping the 1% will drop 51 calories per day, and I don't usually have avocado which has a whopping 279 calories!
The sugars in milk aren't helping you on a cut--you don't drink much, so it's not a big issue. 

How close to sleep-time can one actually eat? I usually hit the hay between 10 - 10:30, can I get away with eating at 9:30? That would be less than 3 hours after dinner, but I'd be willing to save a portion of dinner for a late evening snack.
 You could go with a slow digesting protein right before bed--I think 30 mintes before is fine. go with 250 or less calories--maybe lowfat cottage cheese or a whey shake. Remember that you are fasting overnight, but you want your metabolism to keep working, processing food as you sleep. 

I use cinnamon and Splenda to sweeten my oatmeal? Is the splenda an issue? I use 2 packets (could probably drop to one). I also use 2 packets in my coffee. I don't like equal or saccharine, and I wouldn't want to use plain sugar.

 Perfect 

I think I'm doing good in the water department, but I'm stepping it up a notch. I'm trying to add more water during breakfast and during the workday. Without counting the water I use in my ON shakes, I'm over a gallon / day.

I know I have to get cracking in the HIIT department. Basically I'm trying to convince myself that I CAN get up at 4:30am to go to the gym. It just hasn't worked yet LOL. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Getting up that early really is tough. are you doing your weight workout in the early AM? You could do a brief HIIT session from home (run in the dark /forum/images/graemlins/cool.gif) as soon as you wake up on non-weight days. It is a minor time commitment that way.

Remember this is not merely a battle-- IT IS A WAR--AND YOU WILL WIN

BassPlayer

09-17-2003, 08:54 AM

I've been doing my weights on the weekends, after breakfast. Basically I get to the gym between 9 & 10am. The problem is I need at least 1 more gym day so I can focus on lifting, instead of "How much more stuff can I fit into an hour?".

I have dbs and an EZ bar at home. I'm thinking about doing bis, tris, shoulders, traps and abs at home. This way I can focus on the larger muscle groups while I'm at the gym. This might be the plan because I can't see myself getting up at some early hour with my schedule the way it is. Although doing HIIT in the morning might work, especially since it doesn't take much time.

What are your feelings about doing HIIT before breakfast? Would it be better to slug down a protein shake before running? So far I've done all of my cardio in the gym so actually running will be quite a shock in itself /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif.

Thanks for all your help, MaxC.

MaxC

09-18-2003, 10:51 AM

[ QUOTE ]
What are your feelings about doing HIIT before breakfast? Would it be better to slug down a protein shake before running? So far I've done all of my cardio in the gym so actually running will be quite a shock in itself .

[/ QUOTE ] I usually drink about 12-16 ounces of water mixed with a packet of Emer'gen-C (1 gram of vtamin C plus other essentials) before I do that early AM cardio session. I think many here would say to eat or drink a shake to make sure you have fresh fuel to use for the workout. In my case that would unsettle my stomacgh too much to do Cardio immediately after. I am doing 15 minutes at the most and then eating breakfast or downing a shake. You could experiment to see what works best for you.

Deep313

09-18-2003, 06:13 PM

For Breakfest are you just eating whites or yolks too. get red of the yolks to get red of some fat and cals if you want.

BassPlayer

09-19-2003, 09:39 AM

Deep313,

Thanks for the input. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Actually, for the last 2 days, I have changed breakfast to the following: (p/c/f/cals)

1/2 cup Quick Oats - 5 / 29 / 1 / 133
1/2 1% milk - 4 / 6 / 1 / 51
2 scoops ON Natty Whey - 44 / 10 / 3 / 240
Totals - 53 / 40 / 5 / 424

Old Breakfast was - 22 / 36 / 13 / 339

So I've upped the protein and reduced fat, but carbs went up a touch. Total calories are up 85 but that's because of the protein spike. I didn't crunch the numbers until now, but I figured reducing the fat amounts would help me.

Also, because of my crazy schedule, cooking the eggs caused breakfast to take too long, so I needed to switch what I was doing.

I tried to make the oats without the 1% milk and I just couldn't do it. The oats tasted like wet cardboard. Since this is the only milk I have, this will have to be OK. If I need to drop carbs somewhere else I will.

Do you guys think my breakfast change is a bad idea? I'm thinking that the increase of calories is OK because it's due to my increased protein intake. Does that make sense?

I really appreciate you folks for dropping by and helping me out. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

MaxC

09-19-2003, 11:21 AM

[ QUOTE ]
1/2 cup Quick Oats - 5 / 29 / 1 / 133
1/2 1% milk - 4 / 6 / 1 / 51
2 scoops ON Natty Whey - 44 / 10 / 3 / 240
How does ON whey taste? 
Totals - 53 / 40 / 5 / 424

Old Breakfast was - 22 / 36 / 13 / 339

So I've upped the protein and reduced fat, but carbs went up a touch. Total calories are up 85 but that's because of the protein spike. I didn't crunch the numbers until now, but I figured reducing the fat amounts would help me.

Also, because of my crazy schedule, cooking the eggs caused breakfast to take too long, so I needed to switch what I was doing.

I tried to make the oats without the 1% milk and I just couldn't do it. The oats tasted like wet cardboard. Since this is the only milk I have, this will have to be OK. If I need to drop carbs somewhere else I will.

I take it those are instant oats? Do you cook in water and then add the milk? I agree 1/2 cup of milk is no big deal, but if you have time you might switch to regular slow-cooking oats. I put mine on the stove and then take a shower, so they are ready when I am. If I'm in a real hurry, I just blend raw oats into my whey shake. 

Do you guys think my breakfast change is a bad idea? I'm thinking that the increase of calories is OK because it's due to my increased protein intake. Does that make sense?

You need to make sure you are taking in less calories than your base metabolic rate--that is there is a level at which you will just maintain--identify that level and take in less calories. For my cut, I've gone from 2 scoops of whey to 1.5 scoops. That helps get the total calories down a bit. 

I really appreciate you folks for dropping by and helping me out. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

BassPlayer

09-19-2003, 01:12 PM

MaxC,

I like the taste of ON 100% Natural Whey. There are two types, and I've only tried this kind. I have a shaker cup, I throw a scoop on top of ~8oz. water, shake it up and chug it down. Nice and chocolately. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As far as the oats go, I throw 1/2 cup oats + 1/2 cup of 1% milk into a bowl and nuke for 1:30. Then I take it out, throw a packet of splenda and a bunch of cinnamon on it and mix. Tastes better than I thought it would. I made it one time using 1/2 cup water instead of 1/2 cup 1% milk and I thought I was eating cardboard. Even the Splenda and cinnamon didn't help.

BassPlayer

09-23-2003, 02:22 PM

I'll post my measurements this evening. I stayed at the same weight (244) for a week, so I'm cutting out 2 1/2 cup servings of cottage cheese to see if that helps me to drop weight. If not, who knows, I may actually need to raise my caloric intake. This is my first real attempt at diet control, so this is all new and a learning experience for me.

I somehow mangled my back at the end of last week so I wasn't able to hit the gym this weekend. I'm going to try hitting it during the week, but that'll be tough with my crazy schedule. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking with it.