a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

Hi Andy, hope you start feeling better and get back. I'm privately cheering for you.

[CF-OC_gal]

Hang in there Andy! This too will pass.

Remember you are a beast!!!

[.V.]

Thanks P, you are always an encouragement.

Brat, you too. Beast not though. I'm down to 190 now. Not eating tends to make the muscle go away and the softness return. I so wish I could get my appetite back, but it's just not there. I'm having to force everything down.

I did get 6 meals down yesterday though and 3 of them were actual, real, whole food. Today, I've had two so far, taking another shake in 20 minutes then starting on some real food.

Did have a nice workout today too.

[CF-OC_gal]

Andy you and I should start a club, the:

"I don't feel like eating but I have to" club!

[.V.]

12-24-2006
5x5...mostly
Squat.......65, 85, 115, 125, 135, 145, 155, 165
Dead........None
Bench.......120, 130, 140, 150, 160
Row.........120, 130, 140, 150, 160
OHP..............70, 75, 80, 85, 90
Cable Crunch.....75, 80, 85, 90, 95
Pullup...........35, 40, 45, 50, 55

Well, I'm still twitching here and there. It caused a bit of a problem when I was moving the bar from one side of the uprights to the other to switch from rows to bench, I twitched while the bar was held out from my body and got a spasm in my lower back. Instead of pansying out and pulling the pin, I kept going and worked through it this time. I feel pretty decent now. I hope I'm walking tomorrow.

I heard the awfulest noise ever, grunting, groaning, crying sounds. Then I realized it was just me squatting 145. That's kind of sad really, but I did get two more sets after that. These damn legs suck. I'm only squatting 5lbs more than I bench and row.

At least I got out of cooking the big dinner I always do for my family and my inlaws every Christmas eve. I just don't feel up to it so the devil, I mean my mother in law is going to do it for me.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by Brat

Andy you and I should start a club, the:

"I don't feel like eating but I have to" club!

Good idea. Check the new sig.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Good idea. Check the new sig.

: Thanks for that!

[gcs118]

Your pull ups are still rather strong, +50 for five reps after all those sets before it? sheesh

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

Your pull ups are still rather strong, +50 for five reps after all those sets before it? sheesh

Yeah, the legs are the problem these days - upper body somewhat cooperative, that and the weird twitching that happens anywhere at random...quads, hams, tongue, lips, traps, delts...who knows what will twitch, spasm, or simply fail to work or when. Had some real fun a couple of days ago when my diaphragm wasn't wanting to work right. Had to actually think, "breathe in" and "breath out" and stay awake for a full 30 hours to do it. If I got distracted by something else, I'd get a little blue looking.. That led to some extra days off for sure.

If my legs keep thier current crap up, soon I'll actually be the joke that benches more than he squats.

[.V.]

Note, there is a definite learning curve to changing programs. As I progress with 5x5, learning what works and what doesn't work so well for me, I've realized it's time to tweak things a bit.

I like the Heavy, Light, Medium repeating cycle for the big four. Yeah, I know, powerlifters call it the big three. But I've got the four primary exercises that I do so I call it the big 4 even though none of them are actually big right now.

Here's what I'm going to be doing for a bit...the next tweak in the plan.

Squats, Bench, Row will be 5x5 with HLM progression...
i.e. have a Heavy day, next time will be a light day, then a medium day (using the previous heavy day's weight).

Deads will be 5x5 ramped sets using a linear progression.

Workout 1:
Squat 5x5
Row 5x5
Bench 5x5
Cable Crunch 3x8-10

Workout 2:
Squat 5x5
Dead 5x5
Overhead Press 3x4-6, Max OT style progression
Pullups 3x4-6
Cable Crunch 3x8-10

Workout 3:
Squat 5x5
Row 5x5
Bench 5x5
Curl 3x4-6
Skull Crusher 3x4-6

I've added some direct arm work for the 2nd half of my training cycle. I hadn't planned to, but as my bench approaches the point where I was getting pinned before, one day of arm work isn't going to do any harm. The tricep work may actually help out a little. If the arm work helps with the strength progression, I'll keep it. If it hinders, I'll drop it. No mirror muscles being done here anymore. KF workouts will as before, be done on off days 2-3 times a week.

Note, forced down 5 meals so far today. If I'm awake at 11:30, I'll have one more.

You guys can hire me. I'll show you how to eat.

Good workout Andy. I think you are back in the saddle.

[.V.]

Thanks P. I never actually left the saddle, just trying not to fall out of it lately.

About the eating. Who'd have ever thought I'd be unable to eat or maintain, let alone gain weight. I didn't think it was possible. I just don't have an appetite lately and forcing every bite or drink is getting very tiresome. I've even tried "dirtying up" the diet a bit, based on Dave's reccomendation. It seemed like a good idea, but pizza, cookies, candies, icecream, burritos, even good Italian cooking...none of it appeals to me. I've tried it all. There is no longer pleasure in food or anything else really. My training isn't fun anymore, but it is goal oriented, I'm getting closer to my goals, keep getting a tiny bit stronger in spite of my body telling me it doesn't want to. I keep getting a bit faster and more powerful with my KF workouts each time even though my body tells me not to do them. I'm even punching the boards again to get back to the bone recompositioning I used to do. I think they are still pretty hard from the old days of board training because I've used my arms for prybars a few times at work and they didn't break. The knuckles' skin has gotten rather tender though. Apparently the bag gloves weren't a good investment after all. But that's getting better too.

That sounds like something Firehawk would suggest.

I think a better idea is to go on a fast for a day or two, limiting yourself to water and soup broth, then ease back into real food. Only downside is that you'll lose about 5 lbs. although it would be the best 5 lbs. you could lose.

Hang in there. I'm privately cheering for you. I'll eat a couple extra homemade tamales for you on Christmas Day.

[CF-OC_gal]

You guys can hire me. I'll show you how to eat.

You know for common people who "watch their weight" you would call a day without food a fast.

For people like me, it would be called a day I got side tracked having fun so I forgot to eat. I think, "Oh well, I'm not hungry so I'll wait until tomorrow!" If the mind is preoccupied, I won't hear or feel the hunger and I'll be full enough after a few bites. When the mind is really quiet, like when sleeping, I hear the hunger loud and clear!!

Andy you are working at it, dealing with it. That's the spirit. The highs in life would not feel so good if we don't allow ourselves to really feel the lows. Don't overdo it on the dirty diet either. If you really are in the same chapter of my club then a real pigout is for the "new recruits". Us lifetime members know that too much of a good tasting thing gets boring real fast!

[.V.]

The "dirty up" didn't last long. It seemed like a good idea because I'd be eating foods I have really loved in the past, and getting closer to my caloric needs without having to eat every 10 minutes. Ok, every 2-3 hours.

The problem is, I didn't want those foods either. If I'm going to have to force it, I'm going to stick with forcing the "clean" foods.

Just remembering with each sip or each bite, I'm that much closer to accomplishing what I have to do.