thinking I may need to cut down on the peanut butter…

…I might have been overdoing it with 1-2 tbsp for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, etc.  I am going to try to limit it to 1tbsp a day in my protein shake and eat a handful of almonds with my other meals. 

Today’s Workout (10/08/2013)
Warm-up
Upper body stretch
Jump rope x 100 singles
Jump rope x 100 single foot alternating every two
Jump rope x 50 double unders
Lower body stretch
20 Muay Thai kicks alternating legs every 5
400 meter run @ 1:16 (with turn around) … felt like I was smoking it…legs and lungs got heavy at the half way point
PVC stretch
5 PVC OHS
5 chest to bar chin-ups
5 PVC good mornings
5 burpees
5 sit-ups
5 ring dips
5 toes to bar

Annie
50-40-30-20-10
double-unders
sit-ups
9:25
sit-ups were done without abmat, unanchored, with straight legs / fingers to toes
ALMOST completed all of my double-unders unbroken.  one trip-up at rep #42 on my set of 50…GRRR!!!

Standing barbell curls @ 75 x 8,8,8

Today’s Nutrition (thus far)
Breakfast
Western omelette with bacon instead of ham
Grits
2 pieces of white toast

Lunch / Post workout (1200)
8oz chocolate almond milk
1.5 scoops ALN vanilla Nitrean+
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter

Snack
8oz water
2 scoops ALN fruit punch Results (1400)
little bit of chicken thighs and rice (1500)

Yesterday’s Workout (10/07/2013)
Warm-up
Upper body stretch
Jump rope x 100 singles
Jump rope x 100 single foot alternating every two
Jump rope x 50 double unders
Lower body stretch
10 Muay Thai kicks 5 each leg
400 meter run @ 1:24 (with turn around)
PVC stretch
10 OHS @15lbs
10 chest to bar chin-ups
10 good mornings @15lbs
10 burpees
10 sit-ups
10 ring dips
10 toes to bar

Military Press
47.5 x 5
60 x 5
70 x 3
82.5 x 3
95 x 3
105 x 4, 3, 3 (the last thing I have recorded is 105 x 5, 4, 3 from 9/12/2013 – has it really been that long?  I know my back forced me to take some time off, but looking back on my notes just makes it seem like its been forever.  either that or my notetaking sucks!)

Friday’s Workout (10/04/2013)
Warm-up
Upper body stretch
Jump rope x 100 singles
Jump rope x 100 single foot alternating every two
Jump rope x 50 double unders
Lower body stretch
10 Muay Thai kicks 5 each leg
400 meter run
PVC stretch
5 OHS @ 15lbs
5 chest to bar chin-ups
5 good mornings @15lbs
5 burpees
5 sit-ups
5 ring dips
5 toes to bar

Squats
92.5 x 5
115 x 5
137.5 x 3
160 x 3
182.5 x 3
205 x fail (all in my head – psyched myself out), 1, 1, 1 (trying not to push too hard with my back issues).  I don’t believe it’s the last time I did squats, but the last time I can find recorded is from 9/11/2013 – 195 x 5 x 1.  We shall see what I do next time; go down or stick to the prescribed weight…

my cardio / conditioning has gone to sh!t!

seriously, how did I allow this to happen?!  all throughout today’s workout, I couldn’t help but feel like I’ve got a little too much excess body fat.  hopefully, I just had a bad day, or just had a bad night of eating.  and I thought I ate pretty well last night; I did however feel beyond full afterwards.  I weighed in @ 184.6lbs before bed, and 179lbs after my workout this afternoon. 

Today’s Workout
6 rounds for time of:
400m run
25 burpees

4 rounds in 27:17 > > > and I was dying!!!   I took a lot of breaks.  I can’t wait to ice my back when I get home and pop an aleeve…

Today’s Nutrition (thus far)

Breakfast
5 scrambled eggs
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch
pre-workout
8oz water
1 scoop ALN BCAAs

post-workout
8oz chocolate almond milk
1.5 scoops ALN Nitrean+ Vanilla
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp peanut butter

8oz water
2 scoops ALN Results

Snack
1 apple
1 tbsp peanut butter

Dinner
TBD

Yesterday’s Nutrition

Breakfast
5 scrambled eggs
1 banana
1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch
8oz chocolate almond milk
1.5 scoops ALN Nitrean+ Vanilla
1 frozen banana
1 tbsp peanut butter

8oz water
2 scoops ALN Results

Dinner
Asian takeout
spicy  (sushi) combo – tuna & salmon
stir fry with chicken, shrimp, veggies, white rice, & garlic sauce
I felt like I ate way too much afterwards…lead to a food coma and a few extra lbs on the scale…

awesome return workout yesterday

still doing the damn thing…when I can…in between home, work, school, injuries, and government shut-downs…

I was forced to take about (another) week off due to some reoccurring back issues.  I keep managing to “strain” my back (2 out of the 3 times, I wasn’t even working out).  I’ve been spending a good amount of time in my chiropractor’s office lately, and I just bought a 320 count bottle of Aleeve from Sam’s Club over the weekend.  So, its been chiro, ice, aleeve, repeat.  I am still afraid to squat and deadlift…which really sucks because my lifts were all increasing pretty nicely, or so I thought.  and, after my shoulder had been feeling so much better, I went and did a push-up intense workout and messed it all up. 

With all that said, yesterday was my first workout back, and it felt grrrrEAT!  I am also getting back to eating clean (or at least trying my hardest).  I would say paleo, but it’s more of a modified paleo.  I am including white rice, peanutbutter, chocolate almond milk, and a few supplements.  While I don’t plan on eating them all the time, I did have a little bit of white potato in last night’s beef stew.  I did good last night though, and passed on some m&m cookies.  weekends are going to be tough since I recently ditched the beer and started drinking crown & coke instead.  I feel so much better (less disgusting) after drinking crown & coke than I do after drinking beer.  I hate that I started drinking soda again, but its been a much better alternative to drinking beer.

weighed in this morning @ 180lbs

Yesterday’s Workout

Warm-Up
upper body stretch
jump rope 100 normal, 100 single foot alternating every 2, 50 double-unders
lower body stretch
400 meter run
pvc stretch
10 over head squats @ 45lbs
10 chest to bar chin-ups
10 good morning @45lbs
10 burpees
10 sit-ups
8 ring dips (so weak)
10 toes to bar

Bench Press
75 x 5
92.5 x 5
110 x 3
127.5 x 3
147.5 x 3
165 x 3+ (5)
165 x 3+ (5)
165 x 3+ (5)

Dumbbell Skull Crushers
15 x 15
20 x 12
25 x 7

Yesterday’s Nutrition

Breakfast
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana
4 scrambled eggs

Lunch
1 scoop ALN BCAA pre-workout

post-workout shake:
8oz chocolate almond milk
1.5 scoops ALN protein
1 frozen banana
1.5 tbsp peanut butter

2 scoops ALN results in 8oz water

Dinner
2 bowls beef stew
1 tbsp peanut butter

Evening Snack
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 banana

A7X – Hail to the King

 

if you are on the fence about purchasing Avenged Sevenfold’s new album “Hail to the King,” I say it’s well worth the money (and I can’t remember the last cd I purchased).  My favorite songs thus far are “This Means War” and “Requiem.” 

 

What are you training for?

http://johnwelbourn.powerathletehq.com/2011/01/25/what-are-you-training-for/

some valuable information I wish I would have learned and applied a long time ago…

an emphasis on rest

my workout routine has been a pretty consistent one day on, one day off.  I think I’ve finally found a good balance between strength, metcon, and rest.  a full day’s rest in between workouts should not prohibit any use of the same muscle groups that may occur from time to time between strength and metcon workouts.  in other words, if I do a squat / bench strength workout on Monday, I can do a WOD consisting of either squat or bench on Wednesday after giving my muscles adequate rest; whereas a strength day followed by a consecutive metcon day utilizing the same muscle group would be counterproductive without adequate rest.  I think that all makes sense.  also, a two-day on, one day off approach only heads one extra workout a week.  while I do feel like a lazy lima bean by not doing something everyday, I think I may be on to something with this rest theory.  after all, gains aren’t made during workouts, they’re made when your body is resting.  I have even been sleeping in and working out in the evenings.  I feel pretty good.  I do miss the energy and alertness that accompany a first thing in the morning workout, but I don’t miss waking up at 0530!  I have also not been staying up all night doing homework like I used to (which I really should be because I am behind, and I have been playing catch up all semester).  I have also incorporated some assistance biceps and triceps work which I believe I’ve gone without for far too long.  I am a big advocate of functional fitness and all, however there are some areas I’d like to build up.  diet is doing alright; still needs some work.  I should really just strive for clean eating throughout the week with somewhat relaxed standards on the weekend…or at least Saturday…that’s a lot more realistic than trying to eat clean for a month, or months at a time.

 

“tighten it up!”

tore a blister open something awful during those 150 toes to bar.  as a result, Monday’s workout was not very fun.  also, I either hurt my back during Monday’s squats or it’s hurting because I’ve been trying to correct my posture.  either way, its been uncomfortable and it forced me to sleep in this morning.  that, and the blister that keeps tearing every time I move my hand.  today’s workout was terrible!!  I don’t miss running, and boy was it hot outside during my lunch break; would have been a much better workout for the AM.  I had a serious sweat going, that’s for sure.  I’ve put on a few pounds; I’m currently weighing in at 178lbs.  I’m still convinced it’s all going to my midsection.  I need to tighten up my diet a little,  and then I’ll post a pic for comparison (when I’m having one of those “confidence boosting, satisfying mirror reflection days,” which seem to be far and few between as of late…that’s what I get for eating things like pizza for dinner last night, and pancakes for breakfast this morning…I won’t even mention this past weekend’s menu…  where has my discipline gone?).

“Klepto”

my marker is dying…my OCD almost got the best of my by forcing me to re-write everything.  I  probably would have if I wasn’t so exhausted.  just when the soreness in my abs was fading…  

rearranged my space

 

Klepto kicked my butt!  I had this one planned for a while, and I had been dreading it ever since.  It had been a while since I did a metcon that lasted as long as Klepto did…good times!  my abs were sore for days after Klepto.

too dang skinny!

Thursday 04/18/2013
CFWU @ 5 / 45 x 3 (I was increasing my reps after each successful week of training, but I have since come away from that idea because my warm-up was turning into…well, more than a warm-up)
Press
45 x 5, 55 x 5
65 x 3, 70 x 5
80 x 5, 90 x 5+ (7) kicked my @$$!

I pulled Tuesday’s workout from the main page.  It looked awesome…on paper.  Man, did it knock me on my @$$!  I figured I would struggle with it, but I had no idea it would be that awful.  10 rounds quickly changed to a 20 minute AMRAP.  My conditioning sure ain’t what it used to be!  I felt all kinds of weak afterwards, and just sat around for a good while afterwards.  It had been way too long since I had done a metcon.   

I have been wanting a drum set for so long.  We finally gave in and purchased a set as the boys’ (and my) Easter gift.  I am hopeful that at least one (if not all) of them will really get into playing.  I wish I could quit school and focus all of the time and attention on playing (learning to play) the drums.  It would be much more rewarding and far less stressful; relaxing / stress relieving in fact.  I’m loving them…wish we would have bought them a long time ago. 

the wife and I went and got new tattoos together this past weekend.  I got Popeye on my bicep because well, “I am what I am.”  I got him on my bicep because of the animations (like tanks) they would show in his biceps after he ate some spinach.  I am very pleased with the artist’s work.  It’s healing up nicely and is currently in the itch like hell phase.     

I haven’t taken any progress pics in quite a while (since abandoning everyday metcons).  sure, all those metcons were helpful in losing weight, but along with the weight I lost size and strength.  sure, I had visible abs and my cardio was great, but I was withering away…not cool.  so, I’ve changed things up a bit to follow 5/3/1 four days a week with 2 metcons a week (3 days on, 1 day off).  I need to put on some size and strength.  I’m too dang skinny!  my weight is up a few pounds; currently 173 from 167, but my diet hasn’t been the cleanest (it hasn’t been the worst either).  I had three beers and at least 4 brownies the other night with my wife for example…gotta live right???  hopefully, it’s not all going straight to my midsection (which I’m sure it is).  so, I need to lift more, eat more, and sleep more.  which has been difficult this semester between getting sick and late nights spent working on meeting assignment deadlines.  I’m taking a Science class right now that’s kicking my @$$!

last couple of days