Weigh in: 194 lbs
Last week I did at least 3 eighteen hour fasts (can't remember because they are so much like my regular routine). At least one of these was on a bike commuting day. That is to say, I rode to work (15 miles), worked a full day, worked out a few times throughout the day, and rode home on no calories. Just coffee, water and tea. It really wasn't that difficult. I was definitely hungry when I got home but the rides felt very good.
7:30 AM - 8:45 AM - bike to work, 15 miles, one hour and 15 minutes
Exercise round 1 (9:15 AM):
Dips - 20
Squats - 40
Pull-ups - 8
Push-ups - 30
Exercise round 2 (10:45 AM):
25 v-sit crunches
See how long it takes to do 20 pull-ups: 2 minutes
See how long it takes to do 100 push-ups: 4.5 minutes
See how long it takes to do 15 assisted pistol squats on each leg: 1 min 45 sec
Exercise round 3 (12:15 PM):
Parallel bar knee raise - 10
One arm body-weight row - 6 each arm
One arm incline push-up - 6 each arm
Split squat - 3 each leg
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM - bike home, 15 miles
It's clean Monday, so I had a dinner of mixed nuts, lentil soup, veggie burger, and chick pea salad. Finished eating by 8:00, so tomorrow I'll have lunch at 2:00 and that'll be 18 hours.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
The Push/Pull/Squat Superset Pyramid Fat Burner
I chose three total exercises, one from push and one from pull and one from squat. Then I decided squat needed more so I added another. I chose a difficult pull, an easier push, and one of each for squat. I did each exercise as a superset, started with a warmup type of rep count, started with the hardest, doubled the reps for the easier ones, and then rested for as brief a period of time as I could handle. For the next round I added one rep to the hardest and doubled that for the easier ones, again with as little rest as possible. Rinse. Repeat.
So, for chinup to Russian pushup to alternating leg backward lunge to regular squat, it was, respectively,
Chinup, Russian pushup, alternating leg backward lunge, squat:
3, 6, 3, 6 = 18 reps
4, 8, 4, 8 = 24 reps
5, 10, 5, 10 = 30 reps
6, 12, 6, 12 = 36 reps
7, 14, 7, 14 = 42 reps
8, 16, 8, 16 = 48 reps
9, 18, 9, 18 = 54 reps
10, 20, 10, 20 = 60 reps
For a total of 312 reps.
My new Fitbit tells me this was 20 minutes, 151 calories, and average heart rate of 111. That is 70% fat burn (whatever than means).
Lunch was approximately 17 hours after my last calorie from last night, and was a large mixed green salad with sauerkraut, olives, and vinegar and oil, 4 scrambled eggs, and two small baked potatoes with butter.
So, for chinup to Russian pushup to alternating leg backward lunge to regular squat, it was, respectively,
Chinup, Russian pushup, alternating leg backward lunge, squat:
3, 6, 3, 6 = 18 reps
4, 8, 4, 8 = 24 reps
5, 10, 5, 10 = 30 reps
6, 12, 6, 12 = 36 reps
7, 14, 7, 14 = 42 reps
8, 16, 8, 16 = 48 reps
9, 18, 9, 18 = 54 reps
10, 20, 10, 20 = 60 reps
For a total of 312 reps.
My new Fitbit tells me this was 20 minutes, 151 calories, and average heart rate of 111. That is 70% fat burn (whatever than means).
Lunch was approximately 17 hours after my last calorie from last night, and was a large mixed green salad with sauerkraut, olives, and vinegar and oil, 4 scrambled eggs, and two small baked potatoes with butter.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Done With "Steak" and Eggs, Next Adventure Is Eighteen Hour Daily Fast, All Day Body-Weight Calisthenics
I've concluded that the Steak and Eggs diet is a great way to shed water and to learn to hate steak and eggs. It's fine, and I have no doubt that it works and worked for bodybuilders. But it's not suitable for a 51 year old who likes variety and food adventure and has no interest in competing in a contest. I lost 9 pounds in the 1.5 weeks that I endured this diet. I also never ate steak, so maybe my mileage varied because I did not follow it to the tee. But man, what a miserable way to torture yourself for dubious gain. I would guess that the water weight loss would eventually morph into fat loss, but I have neither the gumption nor the drive to find out. I do really want to make myself understand and remember that the ultra low carb approach just really isn't the best one for me. I think it's best for those with a lot of body fat, particularly sub-cutaneous as opposed to visceral, and with blood sugar / insulin issues. Certainly for people with a lot more at stake (so to speak) than I have.
But my mission has not been dropped, dammit. I'm more fired up than ever to lose weight and width and the gut and the bloat. And I think I may be settling on a two-week cycle approach. Try it for two weeks (if you can) and see how you feel.
I'm going back to familiar territory, but I'm going to hit it harder. This feels right.
The one "radical" dietary move that I've made over the last few years of looking into this, and stuck with, is fasting. But, although I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a meal before noon in this time period, I have never really pushed it. But it feels great and I love it and it feels positive and natural (unlike "steak" and eggs every day). So in terms of diet I am going with a longer fasting window - 18 hours. Generally that will mean for me no calories before 3:00 PM and often more like 4:00 or 5:00 depending on what happened the night before. The rest of my diet I will not really worry about. And on the weekend I will certainly not eat before noon, but won't worry about the window size. This will be a great experiment because it's not foreign to me, I know I will feel great, and I will have an opportunity to see what fasting alone does for my body composition.
I also seem to have merged into a two week cycle on exercise. I used to torture myself because I thought I was supposed to find the final answer in all this experimentation and stick with that until the sun sets. Body-weight training or weights? Body part splits or whole-body? Days off or not? To failure or not? It's hard to avoid this kind of questioning, but if you have an active mind and like variety, then you are playing a losing game sure to heighten your confusion and misery if you try to find the one final answer and then stick with it and only it without wandering. Maybe the answer is "yes" to all these questions. Maybe the answer is never say never. Don't sell your weight bench. (I do the same thing with musical equipment and guitar playing, but that's another story.)
So for these two or so weeks I have a renewed interest in fasting and in body-weight training, whole body all day every day, and progression to more advanced movements. The advanced movements are the muscle-up, the one-arm push-up, the one-arm pull-up, the front lever, the L-sit, the pistol squat, and maybe some day some hand-stand and back-bridge stuff (although I've never tried any portion of either of these and they intimidate me.)
9:00 AM - A Grand Century
But my mission has not been dropped, dammit. I'm more fired up than ever to lose weight and width and the gut and the bloat. And I think I may be settling on a two-week cycle approach. Try it for two weeks (if you can) and see how you feel.
I'm going back to familiar territory, but I'm going to hit it harder. This feels right.
The one "radical" dietary move that I've made over the last few years of looking into this, and stuck with, is fasting. But, although I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a meal before noon in this time period, I have never really pushed it. But it feels great and I love it and it feels positive and natural (unlike "steak" and eggs every day). So in terms of diet I am going with a longer fasting window - 18 hours. Generally that will mean for me no calories before 3:00 PM and often more like 4:00 or 5:00 depending on what happened the night before. The rest of my diet I will not really worry about. And on the weekend I will certainly not eat before noon, but won't worry about the window size. This will be a great experiment because it's not foreign to me, I know I will feel great, and I will have an opportunity to see what fasting alone does for my body composition.
I also seem to have merged into a two week cycle on exercise. I used to torture myself because I thought I was supposed to find the final answer in all this experimentation and stick with that until the sun sets. Body-weight training or weights? Body part splits or whole-body? Days off or not? To failure or not? It's hard to avoid this kind of questioning, but if you have an active mind and like variety, then you are playing a losing game sure to heighten your confusion and misery if you try to find the one final answer and then stick with it and only it without wandering. Maybe the answer is "yes" to all these questions. Maybe the answer is never say never. Don't sell your weight bench. (I do the same thing with musical equipment and guitar playing, but that's another story.)
So for these two or so weeks I have a renewed interest in fasting and in body-weight training, whole body all day every day, and progression to more advanced movements. The advanced movements are the muscle-up, the one-arm push-up, the one-arm pull-up, the front lever, the L-sit, the pistol squat, and maybe some day some hand-stand and back-bridge stuff (although I've never tried any portion of either of these and they intimidate me.)
9:00 AM - A Grand Century
- Body-weight squats x 40
- Russian push-ups x 30
- Knee raises x 20 (hanging from a bar is preferable but I have nothing to hang from so I did them while sitting on a bench and doing a modified crunch at the same time)
- Pull-ups x 10 (VERY challenging)
11:30 AM - A Big Fifty
- Dips x 20
- One-arm rows (Australian pull-ups) x 10 each arm
- Relaxed non-working leg split squat x 6 each leg (similar to a Bulgarian split squat or shrimp squat except that the non-working leg is relaxed and bent at the knee rather than being pulled back by the hand as in a shrimp squat or top of foot resting on a bench like Bulgarian split squat; both of these tend to aggravate my foot)
- Knee raises on dip bar x 14 (could have done more here but wanted everything to add up to 50)
I didn't bring any food to work today and I'll be here until at least 4:30 PM. I have some sunflower seeds in the car so I'll likely break my fast with them around 4:30 but won't have any kind of "meal" until well after that.
1:15 PM - The Big Ten
- One-Arm "Incline" Push-Up (on weight bench) x 3 (VERY difficult)
- One-Arm Pull-Up x 3
- Assisted (Minimally) Pistol Squat x 3
- Parallel Bar L-Sit and Hold (5 seconds) x 1
3:00 PM - The Miscellaneous 44
- Diamond push-ups (strict form) x 20
- Bicep curl/row x 12
- One leg dead lift x 10
- L-sit hold on bench (10 seconds) x 3
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Revisiting Bodyweight Calisthenics and Serious Doubts About "Steak" and Egg Diet
Weigh In: 193 lbs - 2 down from yesterday.
I haven't done body-weight only whole body for a long time and that's what I used to do exclusively. I miss it. I want to see where I stand after all this weight-lifting.
Body-weight squats: 40 (on tired legs)
Russian push-ups: 30
Some time later...
Dips: 18
Pull-ups: 10
Assisted pistol squats: 6 on each tired leg from doing legs yesterday
Very happy with this so far. These are the standards I was regularly doing before the weightlifting and my form was good. Could have done more. I would like to get back to building upon this.
I am realizing that there are three some problems with the "Steak" and Eggs diet. First, it's horribly painful. I don't think I can handle another meal. This is for young, obsessed people. Second, I don't think it's a good way from someone like me to lose weight. By "someone like me" I mean someone who is naturally more slim than not and doesn't store a lot of body fat easily. I really think the fluctuations I've seen are entirely in water weight and not in body composition. Third, it's antithetical to an approach that could become permanent.
You've got to be realistic with what you eat. You have to live in the real world and not overthink your diet. I don't think you can vilify entire macro-nutrient groups.
I haven't done body-weight only whole body for a long time and that's what I used to do exclusively. I miss it. I want to see where I stand after all this weight-lifting.
Body-weight squats: 40 (on tired legs)
Russian push-ups: 30
Some time later...
Dips: 18
Pull-ups: 10
Assisted pistol squats: 6 on each tired leg from doing legs yesterday
Very happy with this so far. These are the standards I was regularly doing before the weightlifting and my form was good. Could have done more. I would like to get back to building upon this.
I am realizing that there are three some problems with the "Steak" and Eggs diet. First, it's horribly painful. I don't think I can handle another meal. This is for young, obsessed people. Second, I don't think it's a good way from someone like me to lose weight. By "someone like me" I mean someone who is naturally more slim than not and doesn't store a lot of body fat easily. I really think the fluctuations I've seen are entirely in water weight and not in body composition. Third, it's antithetical to an approach that could become permanent.
You've got to be realistic with what you eat. You have to live in the real world and not overthink your diet. I don't think you can vilify entire macro-nutrient groups.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Starting Week 2 of "Steak" and Eggs Diet - Leg Day
Weigh-In
195 lbs. That means I gained back 4 of the 5 pounds I lost last week. And yes, I still realize this is probably all water.
This weekend was a horrible free-for-all. I'm not sure 51 year olds get to do "cheat days". I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I never ate before noon but did have a lot of junk and beer. I was on the road the whole weekend and it was very stressful. I managed a very quick chest/back workout on Saturday and a pretty good single-super-set arms yesterday.
Leg Day:
Bulgarian Split Squat - body-weight x 16, 20 lb dumbbell x 12, 30 lb dumbbell x 8
Calf raises
I'll stop posting my beverages because it's always the same: coffee, tea and water.
Today's lunch is sausage links, roast beef, and 4 fried eggs. One of my goals before end of week is to actually eat steak at least once on the steak and eggs diet.
I am going to give the "steak" and eggs diet one more week and then move on. I think I will be doing two week samples of various diets to see which one feels the best and gives the best results. So far I know that's NOT going to be the steak and eggs diet. This is rough.
I think a big part of my problem is that I read about these diets and workout plans with the eyes of a young person. I need to realize that most of the people whose videos I watch and articles I read are at LEAST 20 years younger than me. I am starting to understand that most of these drastic things are for people who can adapt quickly.
I am pretty sure the best plan in the end will be one of moderation. Boring!
So I just don't think (at this early juncture) that extremes like cheat days and total elimination of one macro-nutrient group are advisable for anyone older than, say, 35.
But I'll keep at it so I know for sure.
I would vow to only watch workout and diet videos at read articles by extremely fit people 50 and older, but there are precious few of those people! THAT'S the problem I'm trying to fix here.
Two other ideas I have for two-week diet trials: one-meal-a-day fast every day and eat whatever I want for dinner, and the Whole30(5/7) (Whole 30 week days, weekend free for all.) I'm also thinking about a variant of eat-stop-eat and also the "bro" diet. The former would be "normal" eating most days with one or two 24-hour fasts per week. The latter would be frequent eating, so I'm not too excited about going there.
195 lbs. That means I gained back 4 of the 5 pounds I lost last week. And yes, I still realize this is probably all water.
This weekend was a horrible free-for-all. I'm not sure 51 year olds get to do "cheat days". I ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. I never ate before noon but did have a lot of junk and beer. I was on the road the whole weekend and it was very stressful. I managed a very quick chest/back workout on Saturday and a pretty good single-super-set arms yesterday.
Leg Day:
Bulgarian Split Squat - body-weight x 16, 20 lb dumbbell x 12, 30 lb dumbbell x 8
Calf raises
I'll stop posting my beverages because it's always the same: coffee, tea and water.
Today's lunch is sausage links, roast beef, and 4 fried eggs. One of my goals before end of week is to actually eat steak at least once on the steak and eggs diet.
I am going to give the "steak" and eggs diet one more week and then move on. I think I will be doing two week samples of various diets to see which one feels the best and gives the best results. So far I know that's NOT going to be the steak and eggs diet. This is rough.
I think a big part of my problem is that I read about these diets and workout plans with the eyes of a young person. I need to realize that most of the people whose videos I watch and articles I read are at LEAST 20 years younger than me. I am starting to understand that most of these drastic things are for people who can adapt quickly.
I am pretty sure the best plan in the end will be one of moderation. Boring!
So I just don't think (at this early juncture) that extremes like cheat days and total elimination of one macro-nutrient group are advisable for anyone older than, say, 35.
But I'll keep at it so I know for sure.
I would vow to only watch workout and diet videos at read articles by extremely fit people 50 and older, but there are precious few of those people! THAT'S the problem I'm trying to fix here.
Two other ideas I have for two-week diet trials: one-meal-a-day fast every day and eat whatever I want for dinner, and the Whole30(5/7) (Whole 30 week days, weekend free for all.) I'm also thinking about a variant of eat-stop-eat and also the "bro" diet. The former would be "normal" eating most days with one or two 24-hour fasts per week. The latter would be frequent eating, so I'm not too excited about going there.
Friday, February 10, 2017
Legs - All Day Muscle (and Fat) Blast, Day 5 of "Steak" and Egg Diet
If you've never heard of it, you should Google the all day muscle blast.
6:30 - Black Coffee
water, water, water
Weigh In: 191 lbs - no change from yesterday
8:20 - Dumbbell deadlift squat with 50's - 15 reps
20 second stationary bike sprint
9:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs - 15 reps
20 second stationary bike sprint
10:00 - Cable hack squat with 110 lbs - 12 reps
Calf raises (finally remembered)
20 second stationary bike sprint
10:15 - Black coffee
water, water, water
11:00 - Cable hack squat with 110 lbs, 12 reps
Calf raises
20 second stationary bike sprint
12:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs, 10 reps
Calf raises
Stationary bike sprint - 20 sec
12:20 - Meal 1 - 1/2 lb ground beef, 5 scrambled eggs
1:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs, 10 reps
Calf raises
Stationary bike sprint - 20 sec
2:40 - Calf raises
Goblet squat - 50 lb dumbbell, 10 reps
Stationary bike sprint, 20 seconds
Tonight I will break my carb fast. This weekend I will continue to delay the onset of eating but will eat whatever I want. Plenty of junk.
6:30 - Black Coffee
water, water, water
Weigh In: 191 lbs - no change from yesterday
8:20 - Dumbbell deadlift squat with 50's - 15 reps
20 second stationary bike sprint
9:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs - 15 reps
20 second stationary bike sprint
10:00 - Cable hack squat with 110 lbs - 12 reps
Calf raises (finally remembered)
20 second stationary bike sprint
10:15 - Black coffee
water, water, water
11:00 - Cable hack squat with 110 lbs, 12 reps
Calf raises
20 second stationary bike sprint
12:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs, 10 reps
Calf raises
Stationary bike sprint - 20 sec
12:20 - Meal 1 - 1/2 lb ground beef, 5 scrambled eggs
1:00 - Cable hack squat with 100 lbs, 10 reps
Calf raises
Stationary bike sprint - 20 sec
2:40 - Calf raises
Goblet squat - 50 lb dumbbell, 10 reps
Stationary bike sprint, 20 seconds
Tonight I will break my carb fast. This weekend I will continue to delay the onset of eating but will eat whatever I want. Plenty of junk.
Day 4 of Steak and Egg Diet, Shoulders and Arms Workout
Weigh In: 191 lbs (down 5 lbs from 4 days ago)
9:00: a few stationary bike sprints
Shoulders and Arms (12:30 PM):
Seated military press machine: 100 x 8 slow negatives, 90 x 7, 80 x 10
Cable curls: 80 x 8, 70 x 9, 60 x 14
Cable tricep push-downs: 70 x 7, 60 x 9, 50 x 15
1:00 Meal 1 - Pork roast and 6 fried eggs
8:00 Meal 2 - Chicken strips, salad
9:00: a few stationary bike sprints
Shoulders and Arms (12:30 PM):
Seated military press machine: 100 x 8 slow negatives, 90 x 7, 80 x 10
Cable curls: 80 x 8, 70 x 9, 60 x 14
Cable tricep push-downs: 70 x 7, 60 x 9, 50 x 15
1:00 Meal 1 - Pork roast and 6 fried eggs
8:00 Meal 2 - Chicken strips, salad
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Chest and Back, Day 3 of the Steak and Egg Diet
Incline Dumbbell Press
Lowest incline: 75's x 12, 70's x 8
Next incline up: 70's x 7
One Arm Dumbbell Row
75's x 15 (this was easier than I thought it would be so I went up in weight on the next one rather than down)
80's x 12
75's x 10 (slow negatives)
7:00 Black coffee
9:30 Black coffee
water, water, water
1:00 Meal 1: 1/3 lb ground beef, 5 eggs
5:30 Snack: Cheese omellete, salami and olives
7:00 Meal 2: Pork roast and broccoli bathed in olive oil
I don't have access to a reliable scale but I can tell you that my pants feel pretty darn loose.
Lowest incline: 75's x 12, 70's x 8
Next incline up: 70's x 7
One Arm Dumbbell Row
75's x 15 (this was easier than I thought it would be so I went up in weight on the next one rather than down)
80's x 12
75's x 10 (slow negatives)
7:00 Black coffee
9:30 Black coffee
water, water, water
1:00 Meal 1: 1/3 lb ground beef, 5 eggs
5:30 Snack: Cheese omellete, salami and olives
7:00 Meal 2: Pork roast and broccoli bathed in olive oil
I don't have access to a reliable scale but I can tell you that my pants feel pretty darn loose.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Progress Report: Day 1, 51 Year Old Does "Steak" and Eggs Diet
I'm one day in and I'm still not skinny! Dang it!
Seriously, though, I feel like a hundred bucks. I really do. It feels less horrible when I tie my shoes, I'm less foggy and my mood is pretty good.
Yesterday:
Lunch - a few strips of bacon, 4 small sausage patties, 4 eggs fried in olive oil. (Already taking liberties.)
Snack - salami
Dinner - chicken, kale sauteed in olive oil
Drink: two cups of black coffee and a green tea with dandelion (detox)
Debauch - 2 glasses of red wine
Yesterday's exercise:
Cable lateral raises
Dumbbell military press
Cable curls
Cable tricep push-downs
Cable crunches
So far for me "steak" includes bacon, sausage and chicken, and "butter" includes olive oil, and "coffee" includes tea and red wine. Ok, you gotta make it your own.
I may also take liberties with the cheat "day" and make it more like a day and a half so it blends in better with what the rest of the family is doing for the weekend. But my cheating will be fairly mild. Mainly beer, some processed carbs, and some "clean" carbs. Very little sugar. I hate sugar.
Today's vital statistics:
Same height, can't measure the gut, weight 193. I don't want to read too much into this but that's three whole pounds lighter than yesterday. Water, bloat, whatever - I'll take it.
Today's exercise:
Farmer's walk - something like 10 times across the (small) gym and back with two 50 lb dumbbells. I'm using this as a "fat burner". The limiter here seems to be my forearms and upper back.
Since I'm at work I like to use the gym and do things that I can't do when I'm home. Same thing at home - I like to do things I can't do in the gym (ring calisthenics, pull-ups, weight vest stuff, barbell stuff). Today I'm doing legs and I have access to leg curl and leg extension machine but no barbell. I do have cables so I will do pre-exhaust with leg curls and leg extensions and then do some kind of hack squat with the cables. Then I'll probably finish with goblet squats and lots of body-weight, pause-at-the-top calf raises. . The extensions and the cable squats tend to tweak my knees so this will be ill-advised knee day I suppose.
If I find myself with a few minutes and some energy I may do some brief stationary bike sprints. I put the resistance up to 15 and go for as long as I can (maybe 45 seconds to a minute) five to ten times.
Seriously, though, I feel like a hundred bucks. I really do. It feels less horrible when I tie my shoes, I'm less foggy and my mood is pretty good.
Yesterday:
Lunch - a few strips of bacon, 4 small sausage patties, 4 eggs fried in olive oil. (Already taking liberties.)
Snack - salami
Dinner - chicken, kale sauteed in olive oil
Drink: two cups of black coffee and a green tea with dandelion (detox)
Debauch - 2 glasses of red wine
Yesterday's exercise:
Cable lateral raises
Dumbbell military press
Cable curls
Cable tricep push-downs
Cable crunches
So far for me "steak" includes bacon, sausage and chicken, and "butter" includes olive oil, and "coffee" includes tea and red wine. Ok, you gotta make it your own.
I may also take liberties with the cheat "day" and make it more like a day and a half so it blends in better with what the rest of the family is doing for the weekend. But my cheating will be fairly mild. Mainly beer, some processed carbs, and some "clean" carbs. Very little sugar. I hate sugar.
Today's vital statistics:
Same height, can't measure the gut, weight 193. I don't want to read too much into this but that's three whole pounds lighter than yesterday. Water, bloat, whatever - I'll take it.
Today's exercise:
Farmer's walk - something like 10 times across the (small) gym and back with two 50 lb dumbbells. I'm using this as a "fat burner". The limiter here seems to be my forearms and upper back.
Since I'm at work I like to use the gym and do things that I can't do when I'm home. Same thing at home - I like to do things I can't do in the gym (ring calisthenics, pull-ups, weight vest stuff, barbell stuff). Today I'm doing legs and I have access to leg curl and leg extension machine but no barbell. I do have cables so I will do pre-exhaust with leg curls and leg extensions and then do some kind of hack squat with the cables. Then I'll probably finish with goblet squats and lots of body-weight, pause-at-the-top calf raises. . The extensions and the cable squats tend to tweak my knees so this will be ill-advised knee day I suppose.
If I find myself with a few minutes and some energy I may do some brief stationary bike sprints. I put the resistance up to 15 and go for as long as I can (maybe 45 seconds to a minute) five to ten times.
Monday, February 6, 2017
What Happens When a 51 Year Old Man Tries the Steak and Eggs Diet?
I'll let you know!
Call it what you want and Google it to your heart's content. Strictly speaking it's the diet that 50's bodybuilder Vince Gironda advocated for burning fat, and it's the "diet" that informed the 70's "golden era" bodybuilders. Taken literally the diet advocates two meals of steak and eggs cooked in butter per day and nothing else but black coffee and water. Generalized it's a ketogenic or "very low carb" diet... Atkins, anti-diabetes, lots-of-other-names. To the purist, when I say steak and eggs I mean steak and eggs. To the generalist it means I can eat what I want as long as I keep the carbs as low as possible. Somewhere in between were the golden era bodybuilders who reportedly ate cheese omelettes and hamburger patties and such.
I'm a generalist but I think the purist's path is warranted here. I don't think there's anything magical per se about steak and eggs (except that maybe the nutritional value may be as high as you can achieve when eating just two foods per day), but the focus is clear and it grabs and holds the attention. So I like it.
Also hidden in this approach are other benefits, such as intermittent fasting, which isn't mentioned necessarily but is unavoidable on two meals a day. I already do this, so I like it.
But I'm just enough of a generalist to say that I am going to try this but when I say "steak" I mean "meat" and when I say "eggs" I mean "eggs". And maybe some greens thrown in for fiber.
Oh, and there's one "cheat" day free-for-all per week where you are encouraged to eat whatever you want whenever you want (hello beer, I missed you so.)
I'm going to try it, and report it here. And if I can get the nerve up, I may even take some pictures, knowing full well that these words lack potency without visual proof.
I'll keep lifting as intensely as I can and will ride the bike to work when I have the energy.
The vital stats:
51 year old male, roughly 6 feet tall and weighing 196 lbs. Muscular but flabby in the midsection. "Slim" looking to the untrained eye. (By the way, I have gained 9 pounds since I started lifting weights rather than only strict body-weight calisthenics and slacked off on riding my bike to work. I know some of this is muscle but plenty is flab.)
My waist size is 33" at the hips but way horrible yuck yuck the farther up you go. So that reading is more like 39" or more at mid belly. I hate this! Thanks a lot beer and stress and poor sleep and lack of self control!
Goals: get the weight down and the belly measurement way down. They can go as far down as they want to as long as my strength is not compromised and I am happy.
I'll keep you posted.
Call it what you want and Google it to your heart's content. Strictly speaking it's the diet that 50's bodybuilder Vince Gironda advocated for burning fat, and it's the "diet" that informed the 70's "golden era" bodybuilders. Taken literally the diet advocates two meals of steak and eggs cooked in butter per day and nothing else but black coffee and water. Generalized it's a ketogenic or "very low carb" diet... Atkins, anti-diabetes, lots-of-other-names. To the purist, when I say steak and eggs I mean steak and eggs. To the generalist it means I can eat what I want as long as I keep the carbs as low as possible. Somewhere in between were the golden era bodybuilders who reportedly ate cheese omelettes and hamburger patties and such.
I'm a generalist but I think the purist's path is warranted here. I don't think there's anything magical per se about steak and eggs (except that maybe the nutritional value may be as high as you can achieve when eating just two foods per day), but the focus is clear and it grabs and holds the attention. So I like it.
Also hidden in this approach are other benefits, such as intermittent fasting, which isn't mentioned necessarily but is unavoidable on two meals a day. I already do this, so I like it.
But I'm just enough of a generalist to say that I am going to try this but when I say "steak" I mean "meat" and when I say "eggs" I mean "eggs". And maybe some greens thrown in for fiber.
Oh, and there's one "cheat" day free-for-all per week where you are encouraged to eat whatever you want whenever you want (hello beer, I missed you so.)
I'm going to try it, and report it here. And if I can get the nerve up, I may even take some pictures, knowing full well that these words lack potency without visual proof.
I'll keep lifting as intensely as I can and will ride the bike to work when I have the energy.
The vital stats:
51 year old male, roughly 6 feet tall and weighing 196 lbs. Muscular but flabby in the midsection. "Slim" looking to the untrained eye. (By the way, I have gained 9 pounds since I started lifting weights rather than only strict body-weight calisthenics and slacked off on riding my bike to work. I know some of this is muscle but plenty is flab.)
My waist size is 33" at the hips but way horrible yuck yuck the farther up you go. So that reading is more like 39" or more at mid belly. I hate this! Thanks a lot beer and stress and poor sleep and lack of self control!
Goals: get the weight down and the belly measurement way down. They can go as far down as they want to as long as my strength is not compromised and I am happy.
I'll keep you posted.
Friday, February 3, 2017
HIT The Mike Mentzer Way (for Real): Upper Body
Chest:
Cable fly with 40s x 8 (slow, squeeze palms together and hold)
Immediately to incline bench with 170 (the stack) x 4
Immediately to Russian push-ups x 4
= 1 set, 16 reps
Back:
Cable straight arm pullover with 40s x 8 (man, this is a lower abs killer!)
Immediately to lat pull-downs with 140 x 4
Immediately to body-weight row: 5
= 1 set, 17 reps
Triceps:
Cable tricep push-down: 35's x 6
Immediately to a lighter weight: x 5
Immediately to diamond push-up: x 5
Biceps:
Cable curls: 35 x 8
Lower the weight x 4
Lower the weight x 4
Lower the weight x 4
Cable fly with 40s x 8 (slow, squeeze palms together and hold)
Immediately to incline bench with 170 (the stack) x 4
Immediately to Russian push-ups x 4
= 1 set, 16 reps
Back:
Cable straight arm pullover with 40s x 8 (man, this is a lower abs killer!)
Immediately to lat pull-downs with 140 x 4
Immediately to body-weight row: 5
= 1 set, 17 reps
Triceps:
Cable tricep push-down: 35's x 6
Immediately to a lighter weight: x 5
Immediately to diamond push-up: x 5
Biceps:
Cable curls: 35 x 8
Lower the weight x 4
Lower the weight x 4
Lower the weight x 4
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Upper Body
Today's Effort (always emphasizing the negative):
Incline dumbbell press: 65's x 16, 12
Superset ring dips to Russian pushups: 5, 7
Bent dumbbell row (chest against incline bench): 65's x 12, 10
Superset ring pullup to ring body-weight row: 6, 8
Lying tricep extension (skull crusher): 55 x 14, 65 x 10
Superset diamond pushup to ring tricep extension: 8, 9
Barbell curl: 65 x 14 (elbows unhappy)
Dumbbell cheat curls emphasizing the negative: 45's x 6
supersetted to ring bodyweight curls: 12 or so
Incline dumbbell press: 65's x 16, 12
Superset ring dips to Russian pushups: 5, 7
Bent dumbbell row (chest against incline bench): 65's x 12, 10
Superset ring pullup to ring body-weight row: 6, 8
Lying tricep extension (skull crusher): 55 x 14, 65 x 10
Superset diamond pushup to ring tricep extension: 8, 9
Barbell curl: 65 x 14 (elbows unhappy)
Dumbbell cheat curls emphasizing the negative: 45's x 6
supersetted to ring bodyweight curls: 12 or so
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)