Body by Science - review and training log

[OliverFoster]

Date: 28/11/10

Chest Press - 100 lbs X 9 reps

Lat pull-down , narrow grip with 2 sec. ab clench:
137.5lbs + loose weight X 7.75 reps

Shoulder Press - 87.5 lbs X 5.25 reps

Smith Machine horizontal pull-ups 4.5

Leg Press - 430 lbs X 9.5 reps

Date: 5/12/10

Chest Press - 100 lbs X 10.25 reps

Lat pull-down , narrow grip with 2 sec. ab clench:
137.5lbs + loose weight X 7.5 reps

Shoulder Press - 87.5 lbs X 5.25 reps

Smith Machine horizontal pull-ups 4.5

Leg Press - 430 lbs X 10 reps

Comments:

Progress still slow. Diet has been erratic. I dipped under 160lbs but am now back at about 163lbs. I felt a small abdominal strain on the second to last rep on leg press - need to be more careful about form.

[OliverFoster]

Date: 12/12/10

Chest Press - 100lbs + loose weight X 8 reps

Lat pull-down , narrow grip with 2 sec. ab clench:
137.5lbs + loose weight X 7.75 reps

Shoulder Press - 87.5 lbs X 4.5 reps

Dumbell Rows (gym was busy) with 50lbs - slow to failure

Leg Press - 440 lbs X 8 reps

Comments:

Increased chest press and leg press weights a little and was pleased enough with how I felt on the new weights.

I traveled for a few days this week and picked up a head cold with sore throat and cough. I am sucking lozenges which is not part of my diet.

Separately, I bought a Tanita body scale at Target to try to determine my body fat percentage. I am comfortably under 165lbs as noted in previous posts; height: 5'10 3/4"; chest: 42" approx; waist: about 33 1/2" before eating. The scale makes you program in info before using - age, height to the 1/2", activity level. The activity level input setting is causing me problems. You have to choose between moderate low intensity activity and trained athlete - I forget the exact term they use for trained athlete but they define it as doing hours of high-intensity training each week. Because I didn't fit into either category I used the different user feature and entered myself separately in each category. When I weigh myself as someone who engages in regular low intensity exercise (not true) it shows my body fat percentage as 17.8%. When I weigh in as s/o who does tons of high-intensity training (not true) it measures my body fat at 10.2%. I'd like to think I am am 10.2% but am not sure. At 17.8% I don't think you could have very visible abdominals.

Has anyone tried these body fat scales / can anyone shed any light on this?

[OliverFoster]

I haven't posted since December. Its our busy season and I feel like there's no time. I have been keeping up at the gym though. Diet was loose through January (far more processed carbs than needed). Weight is now about 165 lbs and waist a shade under 34". About this time last year I was about 2 weeks into cardio / weights and probably weighed a little under 190 lbs so all is fine and looking forward to the year ahead. Another reason I haven't posted is that I haven't changed my weights. I have been focusing on getting to failure on the exercises with good form and breathing - slack jaw, no breathing hitches - rather than focusing on the numbers. When I focus on numbers of reps there's too much temptation to work a little momentum into the weak part of a repitition, especially when I train alone. Have a look at renaissanceexercise.com - interesting stuff. Overall I feel I have made some slow progress. I feel stronger on chest press, doing around my previous max repetitions (posted here) with what I now consider to be very clean form - I am close to going up a weight. On leg press I'm up to 10 reps with 440 lbs, again with main focus on form. Now doing slow chin ups instead of lat pull-downs to change it up and enjoying it. I will get back to posting each workout if I feel like I am losing my way.

[OliverFoster]

Since posting last I have had a hernia operation (remember the abdominal strains on the heavy *** to heel leg press?). That took 6 months to get back from. I have gradually pulled back from functional alcoholic to occasional social drinker, taken an interest in open water swimming and have been intermittent fasting for about a year. I am basically off wheat and corn and have cut way back on dairy and sugar (although I eat quite a lot of carbs)..

My weights program is similar but I now do squats with light weights -currently 50 lb dumbells very slowly and carefully. I do a 2nd session mid week of multiple squats and chin up super sets.

My current weight is 155lbs - a pre op low of 152lbs. My waist is somewhere between 31" and 32". I guess my bodyweight is a nightmare scenario for most here given that i topped put at about 195lbs but I really dont think i have lost strength. Funny thing about losing body fat is that there is way more there than you think. Anyone who has really got down to mid single digit bf % will know what I am saying. You also have to lose a bit on your measurements.

Anyway I feel good about my overall health at this stage.

Wish the very best to you all in your training.