Firehawk's Powerlifting Journal

[Firehawk]

20 min HIIT + 10 min moderate intensity cardio on the stationary bike today. Pushed it harder and harder, always pushing it more and more, feeling really good.

Calories for tuesday were 2710 (290p, 260c, 53f)
Calories for wednesday were 2720 (330p, 274c, 39f)
Calories for Thursday were 2199 (270p, 145c, 54f)

Weights tues/wed, no workout thurs, still little low on the calories for thurs.

[.V.]

Nice to see you hanging in there with the diet and cardio.

On that light calorie day, were you hungry all day - or did the decrease in carbs and increase in fat over the day before hold you over OK?

I'm actually looking forward to the day when (and it will eventually come as you get leaner) you are saying like I do sometimes, "I just couldn't meet my calorie goals today - too much food".

[Firehawk]

I'll never say that. I have an eating disorder for sure. Too many years of eating 3 combo meals at a time (8000 calories). I'll always have the urges to binge, just going to have to learn to control it.

I'm going strong this week, not planning a cheat meal, but if i feel i cant keep it together over the weekend, then i'll try to keep it contained lol.

[Firehawk]

Diet for today, planned carb / calorie increase day for max effort deads tomorrow and bench sunday.

3242 (333, 249, 98)

Went out with the Godfather today to Chilis for lunch. I got a swiss burger with some fries and a couple nachos. I estimated that whole meal to be around 1300 caloriees. I imagine that's about right. Sure it wasn't "optimal" but it still fit into my scheme. I don't consider it a CHEAT meal but i consider it a less than optimal meal. Gotta live too...its' amazing how fast calories add up.

[.V.]

That they do. But if you need it for the heavy work and control it all the rest of the time...it should be fine. I think 3242 for your day is actually ok since the weight loss, muscle building thing is over time.

I still believe though that as you get slimmer, you'll be suprised at how much easier it gets - from the new habits you learn and from the way your tastes will change.

And you are right you do gotta live too. Enjoy - I think you are doing just fine.

In the middle of a dark night, the food addict will return and rob you of all that you've accomplished. Relapse is not what you do on a "cheat day" it's all the behavior leading up to it. Based on what you honestly revealed about yourself in your last post, cheat days are not good for you in my opinion. Just like an alcoholic can't have just one drink.

Not pleasant to read, I'm sure, but it's the truth.

[.V.]

I think they can be an important part of a lifelong fitness plan. They just have to be planned for and accounted into your weekly or monthly eating plan. I never take them during a cut because I do a high fat, ketogenic cut. However right now with the very low fat I'm eating most days - I specifically plan for a high fat cheat day as part of the plan. Just to make sure I get enough fat into the totals over the course of a month. It may be a chicken meal with the skin on or a big meal at the mexican place including a burrito, an enchalada, and a tamale. As part of a plan - they can actually be beneficial.

[Firehawk]

Last time i cut down to 268, i was only eating 2000 calories or less a day, and i was taking in 7000-8000 calories on my cheat day, yet was still losing 3 lbs a week. I think i for sure was losing some muscle mass doing that. Now i'm eating more, and my strength is still there, i feel much better, and i'm still losing weight.

Definitely not a good idea for anyone to eat 8000 calories any day. I was just pointing out that i'm going to have to struggle with this all my life. I don't think it'll get any easier the lighter i get. At 268 i still had the cravings and could eat just as much at 342. I'd like to believe it would get easier, but in reality, i don't think so.

It's like a smoker that quits. Even though they learn not to go back to it, they still have a small craving to every now and then, and if they give in, it could spell doom. Same thing for me. If i don't binge for long periods of time, the will to want to do it is LESS but its' still there. It never goes away.

If that's what you mean by getting easier, i guess i agree, but it won't really ever stop.

[Firehawk]

ME Leg day

Regular Barbell Deads

135 x 5
225 x 2
315 x 1
405 x 1
445 x 1 tough
475 x 1 6 second pull. Very hard. lol. I got it though.
Not too upset about my deads. I haven't pulled in over 2 months since before the surgery, and considering im cutting, my dead hasn't really gone down much. With a hokie maybe i coulda hit 500 today. My PR of 500 was done with a regular barbell though.

Rounded Back Good Mornings

135 x 10
155 x 10
175 x 10
195 x 6
Have videos of all 4 sets.

BB Shrugs

315 x 6
365 x 6
385 x 6
405 x 6
Good form too, not a half shrug .

DB Pull Thrus

52lb DB x 10
52lb DB x 10
52lb DB x 10

DB Curls

42 x 6
42 x 6

Had a bloody nose this morning, just had to be on a deadlift day didn't it? Didn't go to the gym for this workout, was planning to be at the gym today at 9:30am but coudlnt get the nose to stop bleedin till 11:30 and nobody was there by then. Just worked out at home today.

I think those band speed pulls I did lsat week made a difference. I pulled 315 off the floor faster than i ever have. Next time on speed day i need to put more weight on the bar.

One last comment about the eating part and I'll be done.

I think your honesty is very healthy and the first step to conquering the appetite beast that lurks inside your mind. Most of us have it I believe, it's just that for some of us it's dormant.

I once talked to an older man about fitness, eating and smoking. In our conversations, he shared that he used to be a smoker, tried quitting, started again, quit again, started again, etc., etc. This went on over and over until he figured it out. His failures were attributed to that in his mind he was a smoker that had quit. It wasn't until he redefined himself as a non-smoker that he was able to achieve permanent success.

I think that's a good model for healthy eating for one who has struggled with their weight and eating. Until they no longer define themselves as a fat person trying to lose weight, they'll always struggle with their efforts. While the mirror always tells the truth, the scars from years of being "fat", "chubby", "lard-ass" of whatever one or others called that person remain for a long, long time. And the comfort of food as the "drug of choice" to ease that persons pain is like an addiction that takes 24 hour effort for successful recovery.

Sorry I'm rambling but that is what I believe.

[rangers97]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

ME Leg day

Regular Barbell Deads

135 x 5
225 x 2
315 x 1
405 x 1
445 x 1 tough
475 x 1 6 second pull. Very hard. lol. I got it though.
Not too upset about my deads. I haven't pulled in over 2 months since before the surgery, and considering im cutting, my dead hasn't really gone down much. With a hokie maybe i coulda hit 500 today. My PR of 500 was done with a regular barbell though.

Rounded Back Good Mornings

135 x 10
155 x 10
175 x 10
195 x 6
Have videos of all 4 sets.

BB Shrugs

315 x 6
365 x 6
385 x 6
405 x 6
Good form too, not a half shrug .

DB Pull Thrus

52lb DB x 10
52lb DB x 10
52lb DB x 10

DB Curls

42 x 6
42 x 6

Had a bloody nose this morning, just had to be on a deadlift day didn't it? Didn't go to the gym for this workout, was planning to be at the gym today at 9:30am but coudlnt get the nose to stop bleedin till 11:30 and nobody was there by then. Just worked out at home today.

I think those band speed pulls I did lsat week made a difference. I pulled 315 off the floor faster than i ever have. Next time on speed day i need to put more weight on the bar.

ok you are now shrugging more than i can deadlift. I am not very happy about that, lol.

you definitely made a good point for not deadlifting every week if your strength hardly decreased after your layoffs and all. That is encouraging.

i liked this workout, it was very impressive...you've had a lot of good workouts lately, but this one is standing out to me for some reason :

[Firehawk]

This one really felt the best since i've been back. But then again, i'm a natural deadlifter. I don't mind benching, but i hate squatting. I'm built to deadlift.

i lost a little off my dead before i went for surgery. I got overtrained a little bit near the end there. So i'm not going to cry over 25 lbs. I'll make that up.

[Firehawk]

Originally Posted by pierini

One last comment about the eating part and I'll be done.

I think your honesty is very healthy and the first step to conquering the appetite beast that lurks inside your mind. Most of us have it I believe, it's just that for some of us it's dormant.

I once talked to an older man about fitness, eating and smoking. In our conversations, he shared that he used to be a smoker, tried quitting, started again, quit again, started again, etc., etc. This went on over and over until he figured it out. His failures were attributed to that in his mind he was a smoker that had quit. It wasn't until he redefined himself as a non-smoker that he was able to achieve permanent success.

I think that's a good model for healthy eating for one who has struggled with their weight and eating. Until they no longer define themselves as a fat person trying to lose weight, they'll always struggle with their efforts. While the mirror always tells the truth, the scars from years of being "fat", "chubby", "lard-ass" of whatever one or others called that person remain for a long, long time. And the comfort of food as the "drug of choice" to ease that persons pain is like an addiction that takes 24 hour effort for successful recovery.

Sorry I'm rambling but that is what I believe.

Well what i believe is that i'm always going to be hard on myself. I'm a competitive person and always hard on myself no matter what it is. But when i get down to seeing abs, i'm still going to be extremely critical of myself. It's for sure a disease. I will always want more. I wanted to deadlift 500 for so long, reached it, now i want 600. Then ill want 700, etc etc.

I wish i could just not eat, but i can't. To stop smoking all you have to do is not do it. You can't do that with eating though, you still have to eat. I've always been a person of all or nothing. Either i'm going to do it completely or i'm not going to do it. There's no half way. That's my problem with food. I can't obviously quit eating, sometimes i think that'd be easier lol.

It really is a mental battle every single day. Right now i'm so disgusted with being 298 because this time last year i was 289, so instead of going down in weight i'm HEAVIER. While i got alot stronger, i'm heavier and that bugs me. Ii'm so disgusted with it i'm not in any mood to take a cheat meal today or this weekend. I'm trying to keep that mindset. I'm trying to use those feelings to my advantage rather than get depressed and go order a 20 dollar meal at taco bell.

[Firehawk]

Piereni if you want to say anything to me about diet or whatever, feel free. I dont' mind it. I sometimes start dozing off when i have "my elders" start telling me a story, sortal ike you did this past post (LMAO but i didnt doze), but you know what i mean. hehe

I don't mind hearing ideas, unless they're completely stupid ones

[.V.]

You know dave - the not eating ethiopian look is coming back this year. Doesn't make for strength though. I don't think Kate Moss or Lindsay Lohan will ever be competing at a PL meet.