Alex_uk: 40 years in the making

[alex_uk]

@T3hPwnisher

there is just one tiny walled in section of your grocery store labeled “health food

Haha totally true, just thinking if the biggest supermarket around me there two aisles that would basically be fresh fruit and veg and meat, maybe a 1/4 of the freezer space for frozen fruit veg and meat that leaves probably 20+ aisles of “food” that is largely devoid of real value and mostly just calories - there’s as much space dedicated to fizzy and sugary drinks and alcohol as there is the fresh nutritious food. Crazy when you actually stop to process that, the reality is that store would benefit the community if it was a tenth of the size…

@T3hPwnisher

what do I eat for breakfast” and seeing them look aghast when you answer with “meat”. Or when Dan John says “A salad”. A salad for breakfast, taboo. Pancakes for dinner? Winning. Go us, haha.

Haha totally and even when breakfast is a full English (bacon eggs sausages beans tomatoes mushrooms and often a hash brown and toast) everyone will tell you how unhealthy that is and recommend cereal.

@T3hPwnisher

just wrote about this in my blog: when you get your nutrition really dialed in, your “failures” are other people’s successes. These days, “cheating” would be a protein bar for me. In 2019, I was eating 4 of those a day AS a “solid nutrition plan”, haha.

Just read the blog, great paradigm shift and so important for the seemingly large demographic within the fitness and strength community that are obsessed over the details. The thing I realise longer I go on this journey, the granular details matter so little, there’s a few overall principles, but it’s just time effort and consistency, it’s liberating - endless experiments in training and eating styles and most of it will work, massive variety and you’ll still get to the destination as long as you put the time and effort in (and don’t do abjectly stupid stuff, and even then it’s good learning… As long as you learn).

[alex_uk]

Week 2 update - weight 199. I was 199.5 five days ago so this is very disappointing, it’s weird because I weigh daily and there has been zero fluctuation for the last 4 days, normally I bounce around.

I know weight loss isn’t linear, but it’s only my second week in and I’d be expecting more steady weight loss at this stage, particularly given that I’ve not changed anything apart from adding in a little extra activity in the form of walking (and maybe even a small reduction of calories by switching to casein).

I’m wondering whether my HSM is too big, although I’d have thought that to be unlikely because they’re not calorie dense meals and I’m having only 600 calories a day outside of that, but maybe I just need to be a little more portion controlled.

Frustrating, think I’ll give it to 2 more days and see before I adjust, hopefully it’ll start coming down again, otherwise this is just pointless exercise in self-flagellation (particularly without even having a cruise to go on!).

[alex_uk]

FM W4 d1 bench 5s

Poundstones: 20kg X 100 - 75 unbroken, 15, 10 slower more bi focused than just cranking numbers today, right elbow still isn’t happy.

Conditioning:
Sandbag over shoulder: 50kg X 6 X 10 sets emom (first set was 8 but knew that pace wouldn’t work today*)

Bench: 62.5, 72.5, 82.5kg x 5, 92.5kg x 15

Dizzy at the end reps of top set.

Gs1:
DB Inc (middle): 35kg x 12 x 3 - beat last week, real effort to get it so close to failing it; 0rir as the cool kids would say.
Lat pulldown: 90kg X 10 x 3 sets
HB raises: 10 x 3 sets - very controlled
Pinwheels: 12.5kg x 8 x 1 set - elbow told me where to go, I listened.

SS2:
Chin ups: 10, 5, 2
Dips: 15, 8, 2

Back to back no rest between sets, had to really push myself mentally to get the work in today, so made a deal with myself that do gs1 then just do a SS and go back to back to failure, just to get it over and done.

*Physically I’m fine, but mentally I’m off, bad sleep and feeling low, happens, not sweating it but not in the right place to destroy myself. Before it gets mentioned I don’t think it’s diet related, it’s not uncommon for me, particularly this time of year.

[T3hPwnisher]

@alex_uk

bad sleep and feeling low, happens, not sweating it but not in the right place to destroy myself. Before it gets mentioned I don’t think it’s diet related, it’s not uncommon for me, particularly this time of year.

This, I believe, explains this

I know weight loss isn’t linear, but it’s only my second week in and I’d be expecting more steady weight loss at this stage

Hard training and poor sleeping can be a recipe for inflammation and high levels of cortisol, which can results in numbers not changing as a result of water retention among other issues.

More bro-science here, but keep this in mind; bodyfat is a PRECIOUS resource for the body. Bodyfat is a key for survival, and the body REALLY likes bodyfat for that reason. Energy on reserve? Yes! Insulation from the cold? Yes! And we are ideally a “fat burning” species, so the body really likes storing up bodyfat when it has a chance, whereas we have just a finite amount of carbs we can store in our body in the form of glycogen.

So when we’re in a “survival state” (one where we are sleeping poorly, stressed out, high cortisol), the body will NOT want to shed fat. It will fight to hold onto it as hard as possible. When we move out of survival, the body is more willing to part with that fat. When it perceives that we are in abundance, stress is low, nothing is trying to kill us, and winter has passed, leanness comes with it.

[alex_uk]

Very good point, not sure how to mitigate the stress because it’s not emotional type stress, I’m generally pretty good at dealing with that type of thing, it’s the physical stuff that I can’t really get away from.

Having said that I can almost certainly work on the bed time routine and ensure that I’m seeing myself up for the chance of a better/longer sleep, which probably give a huge mitigation.

[T3hPwnisher]

If nothing else, you don’t need to mitigate the stress: you just need to understand it’s impact.

I’ve written before about how I tend to get sick when I’m in a famine phase. When I get sick, it manifests by losing leanness, pretty much for what I’ve outlined above: my body goes into survival, and is no longer thriving. The first time it happened, I panicked and tried to “famine harder” to resolve it, and that just spiraled. Now, I’ve learned to just lean into it and stick with the plan. Inevitably, when I get healthy again and eat well, I get leaner.

You’re still setting the stage for a rebound here. Even if currently the body isn’t giving up pounds, it’s getting primed.

[alex_uk]

@T3hPwnisher

you just need to understand it’s impact

Helpful framing of the issue, hopefully I can mitigate to some extent if not

@T3hPwnisher

You’re still setting the stage for a rebound here. Even if currently the body isn’t giving up pounds, it’s getting primed

That’s great news and I just need to avoid the aforementioned spiralling by trying to famine harder!

[simo74]

@alex_uk

92.5kg x 15

thats a whole lot of reps. Nice work mate

[alex_uk]

FM W4 d2 - squats 3s

Conditioning: emom 10 mins alternative minutes:
Burpees x 8
KB to over head: 24kg x 3 e/s

Squat: 60, 80kg X 5, 95, 112.5kg x 3, 122.5kg x 10

Unsurprisingly - highlighted by rep 5. I can now get my lever belt on and do it up whilst wearing a hoodie - not sure I could even get it on over a hoodie before this, quite the waist size drop in just over 2 weeks.

Gs1:
Reverse lunge: 20kg DBs x 8 x 3 sets
GHR: 10 x 3 sets
Ab rollout: 10 X 3 sets
Arnold press: 20kg X 10 X 3

Was going to drop the shoulder work for today, but then… I didn’t.

KB somersault squat: 24kg x 25, 26
Lying cable ham curl: 50kg x 17, 17
Hands back raises: 8, 8 really slow and focused
DB lateral raises: 10kg x 10 x 2 sets brief pause at top.

Was going to drop this as well…then I didn’t.

Fasted coming into this (11am just schedule didn’t want to come in with a stomach full of shake either), 25g of hbcd and some electrolytes during. Took over 90 mins, dragging myself through this, mostly mental I’d say, but I’m sure my body is also trying to stop me expanding cals and slowing me down.

Dropped a lb this morning - not surprised, but good to see, staying the course, think I’ll be done by the end of this week, I’ll assess again but max of one more week after this.

Going back to the stress, life threw some extra personal crap my way, it’ll be fine, more noting this to give myself the mental break if the scales stay static and I don’t see results.

Daily walk is still happening, even last night late cold and wet got it done, did it this morning in the nice dry and sunshine.

@simo74

thats a whole lot of reps. Nice work mate

Thanks, I am pleased to see that my pressing strength isn’t dropping off a cliff despite the weight loss.

[alex_uk]

The Mrs: “you should stop losing weight, your shoulders look like they’ve lost size.”

Well that’s one extra paranoia to add to the body dysmorphia list, thanks!

Tongue in cheek (my comment not hers, she was serious, even told me that my shoulders were her equivalent of boobs for me) but pretty sure I’ll call it at the end of this week. Watched a video about fat loss by Dr Mike, he made a point about doing it for a period then coming back to it at a later date and not having to do it all in one hit, similar to the feast and famine in a way, makes sense.

[T3hPwnisher]

@alex_uk

but pretty sure I’ll call it at the end of this week. Watched a video about fat loss by Dr Mike, he made a point about doing it for a period then coming back to it at a later date and not having to do it all in one hit, similar to the feast and famine in a way, makes sense.

I like this thought process. You’re not in a situation where you got overly fat in the first place: you don’t need a long fat loss phase. More just a reset.

[atlas13]

@alex_uk

by Dr Mike, he made a point about doing it for a period then coming back to it at a later date

FWIW, I am a huge advocate of this. Having dropped 70+lbs, no way I could have done it in one go. When I would get strict, cut calories, and be good to go for 8-15 lbs, and then hit a hard wall. Then I’d spend weeks making no progress, cut calories more and more with waning results, until ultimately unsustainable, and which case I’d binge like crazy and I do half my progress.

I started doing it like phases instead. Cut until the cut got hard, again that 8-15lbs. Once I had to really cut calories hard to see progress, I’d instead boost calories to around maintenance, maybe gaining 2-3lbs back (which, at the calorie levels I was at, was almost certainly water/sodium), and then maintaining for a month or so, and going again.

[alex_uk]

@T3hPwnisher

you don’t need a long fat loss phase. More just a reset.

Indeed, whilst I always want to be leaner, got to remember why I’m doing what I’m doing and not let the objective become it’s own purpose in isolation.

@atlas13

FWIW, I am a huge advocate of this. Having dropped 70+lbs

That’s crazy work, I follow the journal but didn’t realise how far you’d come, I know you weren’t saying this for props, but massive well done to you!

@atlas13

When I would get strict, cut calories, and be good to go for 8-15 lbs, and then hit a hard wall.

Probably me now, I’m somewhere around then 8-10lbs lost (which for me is around 5% total bodyweight), even my undies are lose around the elasticated band, so I’ve done this period well and I’d hazard a guess I’ll potentially return to this method at some point, but now it’s time to get back to gaining, primed and ready to grow!

Updates on various things: walking keeping up my daily habit, got to pretty much 10pm last night after doing all of the millions of jobs I needed to get done and realised I hadn’t got out for the walk yet, dark, raining, exhausted no excuses - got something in, only a quick walk round the block. Up at 6am today for an early morning prayer meeting, ditched the car 2 X 1 mile walks that I really pushed the pace on.

Elbow sleeves arrived yesterday they fit well (sbd, not cheap but I’ve been very impressed with my knee sleeves so figured quality was worth it, plus UK made not some sweat shop job). Pretty sure every pressing session will now end like this:

Considering using a Continuous blood glucose monitor for a few weeks when I’m back gaining, I’m just intrigued to see how I eat and how it impacts my BG and what impact my training and sleep have. I love being my own science experiment.

[alex_uk]

@alex_uk

w3 d3 ohp - 3s

Morning weight 199.5 - getting real now

W4 D3 ohp 531 - morning weight somewhere around 197/8.

Poundstones: 20kg x 100 - 60 unbroken, 20, 10, 10 - the elbow sleeves increased the tension and occlusion significantly more painful in the muscles, elbows felt ok.

Conditioning:

Emom squats +2 every round till failure:
80kg X 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 3

That is diabolical, typical Alsruhe - thanks for that one @boilerman that’s a killer, basically runs easy until around set 4, then it’s just a mixture of legs starting to moan (full on screaming by the end), and lungs just starting to struggle, ending it gasping, probably doesn’t help I’m fasted. Puts Pwns insane squatting into perspective.

Ohp:
40, 50kg x 5, 55kg x 3, 60 x 8

Dizzy near the end but that’s a performance drop off, another sign the cal restriction has run it’s course. Dropped to the floor to ensure I didn’t pass out at the end, precaution and recovery more than anything, stood up and smashed my head on the bar…

Gs1:
Seated db ohp: 30kg x 10, 10, 10
Chin ups: 8 x 3 sets
Hands back raises: 8 x 3 slow and focused
DB btn Tri ext: 10kg x 15 x 3 sets

Called it there today, work beckons. Good session, don’t love morning training, but got a blood donation later and need to get cals in asap.

[alex_uk]

@alex_uk

but got a blood donation later

Or not:
“you eaten enough today”
“Yup”
“What did you eat last”
“Protein shake”
“And before that?”
“… Protein shake and carbs”

No Bueno.

[alex_uk]

This evening I decided to do some LISS aiming for zone 2, on a bike at the station, the bike is a spin bike and isn’t ideally suited for the task (seat is torture!) 35 mins was enough, warm, lightly sweating, not out of breath.

I also made overnight oats, I’m not sure I’ve ever looked forward to eating oats for breakfast more, roll on tomorrow morning and the end of this short phase of restricted eating, roll on the gains!

[alex_uk]

Alright ending the calorie restriction today! Morning weight 195! Total lost somewhere between 9-11 lbs, in 19 days.

This is my relaxed before photo from the Transformation log:

This is my relax photo from this morning:

And a little flex (I am awful at photos, flexing and posing):

What I’ve learned: being hungry sucks, I love gaining more than losing, but I can endure and drop weight fast. The V-diet (or adjacent in my case) is very straightforward and works and means I’m not having to diet for long spells or count calories or worry about anything, just do the shakes and eat the meal.

Things that are staying: daily walking and extra general conditioning, daily walks aren’t a health or fitness thing in my mind, to borrow a Pwn phrase it’s about reclaiming my humanity, I was not designed to do 4 hours a week of work in the gym and sit for the other 164, even my daily walks aren’t enough but I’ll build whilst working with my time/lifestyle constraints. The conditioning I’m trying to sneak in as much as possible, Thursdays after Fire service drills works well, get in either some HIIT style or LISS, get my usual 10 mins HIIT style every gym session need to try and sneak in some extra time over the weekends I’m sure I can squeeze 30-45 mins on the rower at least once over a 48 hour period.

Not taken any more bloods, because it’s only 19 days, but blood pressure and pulse look to be trending in the right direction and I’d guess hba1c would have and probably cholesterol. I’ll keep up the black coffee and green tea (side benefits of saving money on oat milk) supplements I’ll keep up with berberine and omega 3 the rest can just end when I run out (green tea and forskolin).

Overall positive experience that’s been an unpleasant challenge!

[simo74]

Either that is a mirror from a country fare or you have the longest torso ever. Either way, looking good mate.

[alex_uk]

Haha it’s an accurate mirror, I do have an unnecessarily long torso (6’2), need more meat on the frame now, might it look a little less fairground!

[Cyrrex]

This was more or less exactly what I was thinking. I have always considered him a circus freak, but for all kinds of other reasons.