I have taken a break from training while I get my bearings and figure out my new schedule. I really hope the new schedule also retains some flexibility.

It has been an interesting couple of weeks around here. There have been a lot of things happening at work that have require much more of my attention.

Down 8.2lbs to 272.4

The best laid plans...

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

That basically sums up the last three days of last week for me. Due to some unforeseen circumstances my great plans for attaining my goals went awry. I suppose that is to be expected considering I am not in charge of anything anyway.

There were some unexpected things at work that prevented me from working out and that caused me to put on a lot of miles in the car. Seat time is not good for weight loss or muscle building. We also ended up taking care of some nieces and nephews, a task not on the agenda either. Couple that with agravating a hamstring I pulled last week and the plan pretty much fell apart. All that amounts to a total net weight loss of 6.4lbs. I had been at 10lbs on Thursday. I just need to adjust my diet to make up for the changes when these thing happen.

Weighty Matters

I have been formulating a theory about weight loss and weight training. The preface was a question that has been rolling around in my head for a while: If I loose the 40-50lb overweight will that translate to increased weight on the bar and how?

Here is what I have discerned so far. (Mind you, I don't have documentation and foot notes. I really don't have time to put that much into it. I just do a lot of browsing and scanning of pertinent articles and try to reach a logical conclusion.)

Weight loss would translate to increased poundage on the bar in such lifts as the squat and the dead lift. These lifts require the lifting of your full body weight as well as the bar weight. Pounds of body weight lost(if significant fat loss) could affect an increase in the amount of ponds lifted by as much as 80% of the total pounds lost. If I lose 50lbs that weight loss could translate to an additional 40lbs I could add to my squat and dead lift. But pounds lost is not the only factor.

When a person experiences significant fat loss due to healthy diet and exercise, that also improves cardiovascular health and energy. Improved cardiovascular health has two effects: it improves energy as the body is less taxed by the excess weight; and it allows for improved muscle recovery and growth as the cardio system does not have to support the fatty cells and tissue.This may mean an added 3-5% of additional output while weight training.

Factoring these two things together, if my 1rm squat is 400lbs, I lost 50 pound of fat, and that fat loss translated to 40lbs(80% of 50) of output I could squat 440lbs 1rm. Add to that another 3% for cardio health and we're looking at 453lbs(440x1.03) or another 13lbs of additional output.

The thought of that makes me want to set the computer down and go run a few laps around the block!

Goals

Goals are important and I preach that to others but I am terrible about setting my own. It isn't actually in the setting of goals as much as in the planning. Weight loss in a big one for me. I have a goal in mind but haven't sat down to plan how to attain the goal. So hear goes.

My goal weight is 230lb.
My goal schedule is August 1.
Time to goal weight is 4 months
Total Weight loss goal is 50lb
Avg weight loss goals are 12.5lb per month
or 3.13lb per week.

Plan:
Follow the skinny for life rules

Stick to training diet - 3g creatine in gatorade pre training, 1 scoop whey pre training, 3g creatine post, 2 g whey post, 1 scope whey late AM, 1 scoop whey mid pm, 1 scoop whey in milk PM.

Dial up the intensity - Early warm up, intense heavy lifts, cardio b/n sets, 3 days of HIIT, 2 days steady state cardio.

Gotta Crank it Up

I have gradually been doing worse and worse at my discipline outside of the weight room. It is affecting my discipline in the weight room. Discipline is a major issue. Not getting to bed at a decent time and then getting up at 5:30a to train is not a good combo - training has suffered.

Diet has suffered also. Last week I kept off 3.4lb. Not great but its a start. This week if things continue I will put the 3.4lb back on and then some. I forgot to mention that I weighed in a little over a week ago at 380lb. That doesn't concern me too much as I know it is almost entirely muscle gains. The problem is that the 35lb I had to lose to make light-weight has become 50lb - Not good!!

Intensity is down too. That is really bad. If I am to reach my goals for the year the intensity level has to be that of a true athlete. Right now I'm training like a has-been athlete trying to regain his college youth - so cliche! I really have to crank it up a couple of notches. Sure would be nice to have a training partner with similar goals. God is my training partner and who better to push me to my goals!?!