Rugby Offseason + V-Diet = ?

Nutrition
41

Day 18
5/27

Feel MUCH better today. I think the sodium from the chinese lunch really killed me. Spending the day at a coffee shop working on projects for school.

The changes are ridiculous between now and from pics I took with friends in Seattle at the beginning of May. My face is chiseled (i’ve always had square jaw, but always had 1.5-2 chins). I feel like there is still quite a bit of subcutanous fat to drop but its always a work in progress.

I splurged on some organic tri-tip that i’ll be grilling up tomorrow at a friends bbq. That’ll be my last solid meal until the diet is over, so i’m gonna savor it. I’m thinking of ordering an entire cow from him, so i’m gonna try it no marinade, no A-1 or anything to see how flavorful the meat is…and if the fat profile that he gave me is correct, its closer in fat ratios to fish than regular beef!

I’ll throw in a weight tomorrow before I head to the Memorial Day BBQ…i’m hoping for sub-200!

42

5/28 (Memorial Day)
Day 19
Wt 199.2

Nice…finally cracked 200 and with 9 days still to go, i’m thinking 194 is doable but we will see. The weight really did stall out hard there for almost a week.

I’m using Memorial Day to remember the 15 lbs of me that used to be here just 19 days ago (and the 22lbs that used to be here 28 days ago); it will NOT be missed and I WILL forget about it…

Plan for Memorial Day is project work for a couple hours this morning, training session, short stay at a BBQ followed by more work on this project.

I’m packing a bunch of shakes to take to the BBQ so I can be relatively vigilant, although that tri-tip is gonna be awesome. Is that weird to be drinking shakes at a Memorial Day BBQ? Frankly I don’t care; i’m not about to blow this thing with only 9 days left. I just hope that isn’t insulting to my gracious BBQ hosts or anything. Although considering two of them are vegetarians, I doubt it’ll be a big deal. Might be one of those things where I go chug a shake in the kitchen instead of carrying it around and answering questions all day.

I posted this before in Danny John’s thread but I think it bears repeating:

“Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are.”

43

5/28 Workout

Warmup Crap
Fitball Crunch 25x10 25x10
Cable Abs 140x10 140x10
Hip Crossover w/Swiss Ball x10+10 x10+10

Seated Box Jump 5x3

Hang Clean 135x3 155x3 175x3 (easy wt, bad form)
Box Squat 185x3 225x3 255x3 285x3 315x2 (easy)
DB Row 70x6 80x6 85x6 85x6
Front Military Press 95x6 115x6 115x6 115x6

Cosgrove Complex 75-85-95
RDLx6
Clean Pullx6
Bent Rowx6
P Cleanx6
F Sqtx6
Push Pressx6
B Sqtx6
GMx6

44

5/29
Day 20
Wt: 198.8

Let me say that the meal yesterday was awesome and went on for a little longer than I meant. I don’t mean in total consumption but in terms of eating span.

As usual, there was a shit ton of food. My gracious hosts cooked up an awesome chicken kabob with onion and red and yellow peppers. The marinade was awesomel soy sauce, thai chili, sesame oil. Easy and had just enough heat to grab ya by the booboos.

So I mauled a couple of those and then had my 8 ounces of tri-tip medium rare, with an easy olive oil/salt/pepper rub and it was EXCELLENT. I’m definitely ordering some more meat from these guys (www.gnlbeef.com). Really tasty, not shilling just telling it like it is. They’ re supposed to send me an updated fat profile that i’ll post on here.

Add a couple more kabobs to that and I polished off a bunch of strawberries and blackberries for dessert. Actually broke down and went for a chocolate chip cookie that someone had brought. Luckily, who ever brought them is a TERRIBLE cook because I couldn’t even bite through the thing because it was so hard. Got bailed out on that one.

I didn’t do the math on the cals so I just had a regular shake and then before bed had a shake with only one scoop instead of two. Back to normal today with only 8 days left until graduation as well as completion of this madness.

Heard quite a bit of “You’ll just gain it all back when you start eating” yesterday. Uh no I won’t. Here’s the thing: my nutrition is based on Precision Nutrition. I chart times I eat and my compliance is in the 90-95% range.

My issue is with calorie intake that isn’t consistent. Plus I had been holding this extra bellyfat for a couple years and just couldn’t get it off, even with PN. Now its on its way out and whatever is left over should drop off with summer training.

Really excited for summer, got some really excellent ideas for training. I can’t really explain it as a style (ie Westside, Olympic, etc) except that it’ll be MINE. It’s gonna contain some Westside, some Olympics, some Strongman and its gonna be awesome. That’ll be for a permanent thread or possibly a new blog.

45

Day 21
5/30
Wt: 199.0

Ok, so 190 is out as a target but 195 is still in my sights. Quick post today as i’m off to format and turn in my next to last project in biz school: a thirty stock portfolio of long/shorts with a 2 page write up for each one. Add in a Title Page and a summary of positions and i’ve made a 65 page project in 6 days!

I’m also totally running out of things to write about, as i’ve had to get a little overly focused on school and the stock market at the expense of training and rugby. I finish my education Monday, June 4 at 8pm.

After that, i’m planning on spending a couple days just watching rugby and catching up on all the rugby i’ve missed (Heineken Cup, Super 14, Tours, etc). Can’t think of a better way to celebrate being done…a couple days at the bottom of a bottle might be fun but not in the cards and not really my cup of tea anyways. I’m out like a fat girl playing dodgeball…

46

[quote]sledge2 wrote:

Can’t think of a better way to celebrate being done…a couple days at the bottom of a bottle might be fun but not in the cards and not really my cup of tea anyways. [/quote]

And you call yourself a front rower?

heh, j/k congrats on the diet success and finishing school. I keep reading this thread hoping to get inspired to give the v-diet a spin myself. Getting close, but I can’t help but think about how much I love food and beer.

47

[quote]m0dd3r wrote:
sledge2 wrote:

Can’t think of a better way to celebrate being done…a couple days at the bottom of a bottle might be fun but not in the cards and not really my cup of tea anyways.

And you call yourself a front rower?

heh, j/k congrats on the diet success and finishing school. I keep reading this thread hoping to get inspired to give the v-diet a spin myself. Getting close, but I can’t help but think about how much I love food and beer.[/quote]

Shit bro; at this rate, i’m gonna end up in the centres! Back row is out, as my tackling is shit. I have really gimpy shoulders and I get stingers really easily (was getting about 1-2 a week from Jan to April!), so I was kind of a bitch during the season with tackling.

Slapping some more muscle on the traps and shoulders is a priority, as I miss the feeling of really cutting someone in half. I figure the GPP sledpulling, sledgehammer training and things like that this summer will really help.

I miss food and beer too my friend, but dropping this much weight this fast is worth it! It’s 28 days. Its helpful that the season just ended and there aren’t any big social events or anything planned, helps me stay on point with the diet (and finishing school).

The only thing I can say is DON’T think about it. Took me as long to start as it did because I was thinking; “end of school, lots of work, last chance to party with friends, can’t do this at the same time, blah blah blah”. Thought really is the enemy with this. Just my unsolicited opinion there bro.

48

Workout from Wed, 5/30

Warmup Stuff
TKE 2x20
X Band Walk x4

Hanging Leg Raise x10 x10
Saxon Bends 75x10 80x10
Side Med Ball Throw 8lbx10 8lbx10

3 Pos Snatch 85x3 95x3 115x3
Hang Snatch 135x2 (form improving)

Front Squat 135x10 165x10 185x10 195x10
Bench 135x10 135x10 135x10 135x10
Cable Row 120x10 130x10 130x10 130x10
DB Snatch High Pull 20x10 30x10 40x10
Hammer Curl 30x10 30x10
Iso Shrug 40x10 50x10 60x10

Bench endurance is bad…once I get past 5-6 reps I just lose my shit. Never been a very good bencher but holy crap that’s bad.

49

5/31
Day 22
Wt: 198.4

Homestretch time with both school and the diet. Still disappointed at all the rugby i’ve missed, and I need to dig up Churchill Cup matches and see my boys on the Eagles. Too many matches to see and too little time right now.

I’ve been thinking through some ideas for GPP, as I get really bored just pulling sled. My thoughts are to have this Tues, Thurs, Sat for the first 4 weeks after the V and then move ahead to schedule where i’m training twice a day, one GPP session and one weights. I’ll post my ideas when I get some time. Feel free to toss suggestions.

Beatdowns at Red Rocks
Spinning Classes
Sledgehammer
Strongman
Sled
Rugby fitness (boooooo)
Speed/Agility
Tabatas and Cosgrove Complexes (more for the end of lifting days)

Shit, late for class, got a 70 page project to turn in…i’m out like a guy walking a poodle in San Francisco…

50

You’ve got stacks of rugby to watch! Do you record it from TV or what? If you need an invite for Aussietorrents I’ll sort you out.

51

Regarding the lifting and training i’ve been thinking about: here’s my stream of consciousness thoughts…this might get a little long but my brain has been working on overdrive lately and its finally relaxed a bit:

Planning on doing double dips on SMWF where i’m doing some kind of GPP or speed/agility work in the morning and then having a normal lift in the evening. I’m leaning towards that right now, as its consistent with my thoughts for High-Low sequencing (thanks James Smith) and allows me to really work the Olympic lifting aspects. So my week would look something like this:

S: AM GPP, PM Lift
M: AM GPP, PM Lift
T: Injury Prevention/Off
W: AM GPP, PM Lift
T: Flexibility/Injury Prevent/Off
F: AM GPP, PM Lift
S: Off

GPP comes first. I’ve noticed that my afternoon lifts are much more productive when I do the GPP in the morning; Martin Rooney once said that it has an effect of priming the body.

Regarding the lifts, they’re kind of an amalgamation of conjugate periodization and Olympic training. I’m doing full body work every day, but with an emphasis. So Sundays would be a Speed Upper type day, but i’ll still do some lower body stuff; it’s just not the focus for the day.

I was thinking back to when I was just doing western periodization and full body workouts 4 days a week on top of playing 7’s one day a week. At one point I got to where my last set of 6 of full squats was 365 and I was doing sets of 10 front squats at 255. After that I started on conjugated with a powerlifter friend. My maxes obviously shot up but I feel like I lost out on some of that endurance and the base I had built. I think maybe that’s been because I got away from the full body lifts and got to upper/ lower splits. Plus I forgot i’m training for rugby, not for PLing. The Oly lifts are great and I miss competing in Oly meets; too bad I need to buy some new shoes now! I think nothing but good stuff can come from this plan. Just glad I settled my nutrition and shed this weight first.

I’m also using Travis Mash’s article listed at
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/next_stage.htm

for some ideas and some tricks. I stole his seated box jumps and i’ve gotten to a point where I actually jumped OVER the 39" stack of boxes i’ve been using. Can’t wait to be hitting the new training center. They have real equipment instead of using this horseshit from 24 hr fitness. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the place, but I need a platform and some space for the Ply work. That and a trainer asked me not to perform snatches. Didn’t give a reason, just would prefer if I didn’t “for the safety of yourself and the other members”. I even asked if my form looked bad (first time snatching in 2 yrs, I figured he mentioned it because my form was shocking) and he said “I don’t know; i’m just asking you not to do them” Gee thanks jack…

So I figure a 2 days of sprints/agilities and a couple days of different GPP like sledgehammer, sleds, etc will chew up my weeks. Not trying to kill myself in those sessions but trying to promote some growth and improve general conditioning. I’d be happy not to touch a rugby ball all summer outside of a couple local 7’s tournaments or something.

I’d like to get some guys together and start doing Strongman Saturdays, with some tire flipping, car pushing, farmers walking, zercher walking, keg tossing and whatever else we can think of. We did that during rugby pre-season for a couple weekends and had an absolute blast with it. It’d make for some great pics to go on the website too. Not sure how feasible that is yet but if anyone checking out this blog lives in Denver, Boulder or the area and would be interested, drop me a PM.

Jesus Mary and Joseph that’s a rambling post…time to stop and get back to work…currently resisting the urge to go train right now (HOT-ROX are kicking my ass as I type, probably contributing to the length of this post). 6 days before back to real food. I wish I could say I can hardly wait, but i’m almost sad to finish. Seeing a new cut every couple days really is like crack, you get addicted…

52

6/1
Day 23
Wt 198.2

Feel like I’m playing Beat the Cock, I mean Clock with the end of the diet. 195 is gonna be a challenge as I only have a couple of workouts left in this cycle. Mondays and Fridays have been complex days, with today being a particularly nasty one for 5 sets.

I had entertained the thought of Tabata front squats, but I my recovery is still piss poor and it isn’t worth the potential annihilation this close to the end.

Up at 5 this morning as usual, was pleased to find the 2007 USA v Saxons and USA v Scotland A Churchill Cup matches in my queue (daveirl, you’re my hero bro). Been watching my clubmates putting in some work against the Saxons. I’m biased but I think the scoreline flatters the Saxons a bit.

One major thought springs to mind watching the matches:

1: If I have REALISTIC thoughts on wearing the national colors, I have a LOT of work to do.

That decision was already made when I started the V Diet. It is at least one, maybe two steps backwards in the grand scheme of things. I mean, I weigh around 87kg currently and my lifts are shit! That’s fullback weight for fuck’s sake!! What the hell is a hooker doing at 87kgs?

Making progress; something that, in hindsight, I haven’t really done since I blew out the two discs in my back in 2005. Sure I’ve trained hard but WHO DOESN’T. Haven’t really had a good direction with things.

I’m at Point A and I want to get to Point D; I’ve been trying to go straight there as opposed to finding Point B and Point C first. I guess that’s always been a quality of mine; not taking shortcuts but always wanting to move straight to the advanced aspects instead of working my way up. I suppose I’ve been doing the little things right but doing the BIG things wrong.

Had a good long think about it, mostly centered on “Can I REALLY do this or is it a pipe dream?” I’ve never been a “sport as a hobby” type. If its a pipe dream or a hobby, there’s nothing wrong with that; but I spend an inordinate amount of time and money for a hobby.

If its a serious endeavor, I need to start treating it as such. REALLY treating it as such; in hindsight talk has been my forte while results have found me wanting. I suppose that may sound harsh; we are all our own worst critics. Optimism always reigns supreme but, in reality, results count.

I suppose I should distinguish a difference. An issue for me has been getting TOO focused and wound up with rugby. To the point where the game isn’t fun anymore. I suppose I’ve been searching for the optimal mental area where I am focused but not TOO focused; tunnel vision but still able to see the forest through the trees.

I’m not sure if these long “thoughtful” posts come off as pompous, humble or something in between; would hope for humble but I fear pompous. A very good stock trader who has been a mentor for me (whether he knows it or not) has an excellent saying that is applicable for the sporting world (and really for life in general!):

“If you don’t stay humble, the market will do it for you”

OK…enough existentialism or whatever the hell this gibberish is…training time…will post workout later…

53

[quote]sledge2 wrote:
I suppose I should distinguish a difference. An issue for me has been getting TOO focused and wound up with rugby. To the point where the game isn’t fun anymore. I suppose I’ve been searching for the optimal mental area where I am focused but not TOO focused; tunnel vision but still able to see the forest through the trees. [/quote]

I really can’t say much about your rugby career. I don’t know squat about the game. It just looks like a bunch of guys playing tackle the man with the ball. But I do know it’s easy to become too focused on stats and numbers in any given sport.

The best players are never the most gifted athletes or even the ones with the most raw talent. The best players are a fusion of mind and body. Their ability to access the situation as it stands and to exploit it to their teams advantage are what sets them apart from the rest of the field.

So what I’m saying is I’d be more concerned with your abilities out on the field than in the weight room. Babe Ruth was a fat slob. Wayne Gretzki was a skinny guy playing a sport where size and power matter.

Joe Montana wasn’t exactly an physically imposing presence, etc. If you’ve got it together out on the field then don’t give up. If you don’t extra effort in the weight room probably won’t be enough to catapult you to the professional level at the stage in the game that you’re at.

54

Yeah Khronos, I know what you’re saying. PLing and Strongman training sure as hell aren’t playing rugby and nothing replaces on field performance, thats for sure.

Training 6/1

Warmup Stuff

Standing Abs 140x12 140x10
Side Pillar 1 min x2 each side

Standing Box Jump 40" box 7x2
Front Jerk 135x3(split) 135x3(squat) 155x3(split) 155x3(squat) 175x3(split)
Pull Up 42 reps various grips and sets
GM 95x10 95x10 115x10 115x10
Rack Shrug 135x10 185x10 205x10 205x10

Complex 85x3
Snatch RDL x6
Snatch Pull x6
Upright Row x6
Power Snatch x6
Lunge x6+6
Push Press x6
Jump Squat x6

My grip went to hell during 3rd set of complex, had to cash it in before I killed someone.

55

Just a thought, but don’t forget, the guys playing for us in the Churchill cup and NA4 (neither of which I’ve seen yet. Feel free to pass on the aussietorrents invite if you could) have already had several camps with Thorburn and the Eagles coaching staff (several of whom have worked with high level teams in New Zealand, including the All Blacks I believe). I’d bet a lot of those guys (players) have gotten a lot better and learned a shit ton just training with really top level coaches over the past few months.

Secondly, I think you’ve got yourself in a pretty good position to make a lot of progress this summer. You just dropped a bunch of weight, so your endurance and speed should be up a bit (or easily improved at least). You said earlier that your tackling isn’t great… Well, it’s summer, get out there and play some sevens.

That should help you build your open field tackling abilities (without having to worry about getting flattened by a 300lb prop), improve your passing and running etc…(i.e. all the skills that makes a more complete player but aren’t necessarily worked much by front rowers in the regular 15s season), and help keep the fat off while you build some size. It will also give you a break from scrum and lineout training which has probably been drilled week in week out for the past few months.

I dunno, I’m bored at work and sort of rambling. Just trying to give a different perspective on things. I’ve been thinking a lot about this stuff lately as I’m in a similar boat. Just finished spring season, trying to drop some fat and really build some muscle over the summer. No serious aspirations for the Eagles on my part though, already 25 and I only started playing rugby last year. But I still plan on being the best damn division 2 player I can be.

Cheers,
Jay

56

Day 24
6/2
Wt: 196.6

Eager to get done, no big moments of clarity today as I’m swamped with work, but I only have 3 days of business school left, so gotta keep my head down and keep swinging.

Those good mornings are crushing my hammies today. Hadn’t done a GM in about a year and the weight was just absurd, as I used to do sets of 10 at 185. Work in progress…

Jay: Yeah they’ve been through a TON of camps bro. At the one in San Diego, they just ran sprint on the beach for two hours straight. Mike Cron (who is a scrummaging genius I’ve had the honor of meeting a few times) really worked them on the finer points of scrummaging so things are coming together.

PM your email address and I’ll see what I can do about the aussietorrents invite.

Just think my non-rugby training has been crap and led to these injuries. My training has slacked off as I’ve gone to a higher level; not exactly recipe for success! So we will see what happens; maybe it makes a difference and maybe it doesn’t. For once, I’m trying to enjoy the journey instead of focusing on the destination.

57

Day 25
6/3
Wt: 196.4

Swamped with school, nothing to talk about for once!

DID have a wicked craving for Chipotle burrito bol last night…

58

Day 26
6/4
Wt: 195.0

Happy to get to goal of 195…now I’m looking at 193-194, little too busy right now with school to be too excited. Busy formatting 28 pages on why Yahoo should buy Second Life…its really thrilling let me tell you…this time tomorrow I will be completely finished with my MBA…now if only I can avoid having a heart attack between now and then!

Will post workout later as the gym is calling my name…

59

DONE with business school…good stuff…

Workout

Usual Warm-up Stuff

Hanging Leg Raise x10 x10 x10
Front Pillar Hold 1 min 1 min 1 min

Snatch DL 135x5 155x5 165x5 175x5 185x5
all easy, just getting back into the groove
Bench Press 135x10x4 superset w/
DB Row 65x10x4
Arnold Press 40x10x4 superset w/
Pulldown 140x10x4

No Cosgroves today, I was swamped with classwork…

Must admit, celebrated my MBA with two sliders and a Blue Moon…my thought is to either go pull some sled or do some complexes tomorrow to make up for the food…playing “make up” doesn’t work and I don’t advocate it ever…but come on; two years of constant business school bullshit, I think I earned a beer and two shitty hamburgers…still two days left on the V and I plan on completing them flawlessly…

I’m still planning on being below 195 come Thursday morning…

60

Makeup workout for the one beer and the sliders yesterday

Usual warmup
Neck work (bridging, posting, static holds)
Lots of Rotator Cuff work

Complex x5
RDL x6
Clean Pull x6
Bent Row x6
Pwr Clean x6
F Squat x6
Press x6
B Squat x6
GM x6

Wt: 65
Wt: 85
Wt: 95
Wt: 105
Wt: 115

never used that much weight ever…my grip got a whupping today…no idea on bodyweight, i’ll check it Thursday morning…