Sunday, February 09, 1986

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Phase Two
Objectives
: Increase cardiovascular performance while maintaining muscle bulk obtained through strength training.
Routine (tentative): Swim once a week. Track (threadmill) once a week. Track (urban) once a week. Strength training, maintenance cycle (6 reps @ 90%, full compound circuit) once a week.


Ρhase One

Completed. Body weight raised from 45kg to 65kg.
Prelude
(6 months): Upped calorie intake from about 1400-1600 a day to 2200 a day. Body weight rose from 45.5kg to 55kg.
Week 1-2. Sessions 1-6
: Began compound exercises and a bit of track to train major muscle groups.
Weeks 3-4. Sessions 7-12
: Introduced full set of isolation exercises to complement compound exercises. Each session lasts about 1hr40min. Christmas and New Year break: Burnout/overtraining. Fell sick and didnt train for 8 days.
Weeks 5-6. Sessions 13-18
: Separated upper and lower body isolation exercises (alternate sessions) to reduce strain on body. Session time also reduced to 1hr. Dropped cardio totally. Stretching in between sets introduced. Compound exercises performed during all sessions.
Weeks 7-8. Sessions 19-24: Continued training regime. Compound on all sessions with isolation exercises on alternate sessions.
Weeks 9-10. Sessions 25-30: Deadlifts introduced. First free weights exercise. It replaces the dumbell walking lunge. Can feel hamstrings stretching and hip stability markedly improving.
Weeks 11-12. Sessions 31-36: Previous routine continued. Introduced second free weights exercise: bent over rows.


Ρᴙᴏᴊᴇᴋᴛ Я.А.Ϻ.™ Core Indicators
Initial vs Current (sets x reps x weight)
Squats: 2x8x15kg - 3x8x65kg
Pull Ups: 2x12x43% - 3x8x75%
Chest Press: 2x12x30kg - 3x8x50kg
Seated Row: 2x12x30kg - Bent Over Row: 2x15x20kg
Shoulder Press: 2x12x30kg - 3x8x60kg
Dumbbell Lunge: 2x8x5kg - Deadlifts: 3x8x27kg

Ρᴙᴏᴊᴇᴋᴛ Я.А.Ϻ. Focused Indicators
Hyperextensions: 2x8x0
Biceps: 2x8x5.6kg - 2x8x9kg (per side)
Triceps: 2x8xll.15 - 2x8x18.25lb (both sides simultaneously)
Superior Deltoids: 2x8x10 - 2x8x30kg
Pecs and Anterior Deltoids: 2x8x35 - 2x8x42.5kg
Posterior Deltoids: 2x8x21 - 2x8x42.5kg


Principles
1. Compound: Full range of compound exercises during _all_ sessions.
2. Balance: If a muscle is worked, the opposing muscle must also be worked to preserve muscle balance.
3. Temperance: Completely dry day before and day after each session.
4. Form: Proper form to be observed during all exercises. No locking of joints between reps. No use of momentum.
5. Recovery: Sessions on alternate days. Isolation exercises for each body part performed on _alternate_ sessions. Few days rest every two weeks (6 sessions).
6. Nutrition: 2200 calorie target for off days. 3000 calorie target for training days.

Sustenance
Target 2200-2500 Calories per day, approaching 3000 on session days. Carbs from various sources depending on mood (couscous/rice/pasta/bread/noodles). Roughly 80g of protein a day. Red meats at least twice a week. Major protein sources include light (2%) milk, full cream yoghurt and lean chicken meat. Significant daily serving of leafy greens such as salads (50g), choy sum, spinach or bok choi depending on availability. Daily fruit serving equivalent to two medium (tennis ball) sized stone fruit consumed between meals. No supplements.


4 comments:

  1. lol..

    I prefer to believe in Nike

    _Just Do It_

    :p

    ReplyDelete
  2. Prelude (6 months): Upped calorie intake from about 1400-1600 a day to 2200 a day. Body weight rose from 46kg to 55kg.

    You do realize this is all fat. maybe a little muscle but mostly fat you've added.

    Biceps: 2x8x5.6kg - 2x8x6.8kg

    How do u get weights that equal to 5.6 and 6.8? Focus your arms more..If that's your max rep..you seriously need more meat on your arms.

    Roughly 80g of protein a day

    This is not enough at all. It's supposed to be 1 g / pound or 2g / kg. 80g of protein is what I get from my protein powder alone or my dinner.
    http://www.my-calorie-counter.com/Calorie_Calculator.asp
    To gain one pound per week, you might increase your required calories by 500 per day.
    (500 calories X 7 days per week = 3500 calories)

    So 6 months which is 24 weeks which is 24 extra pounds. 24 extra pounds is roughly 11 kg. 11kg is about how much weight you've gained isn't it? Since you run before and after, burning calories, it'll be lower so 9kg like what you said.

    Going to the gym is useless unless you take protein before and after exercising. Within 30 minutes or else all your training will be useless.

    You notice in the mirror that you look bigger compared to when you first started but all that is mostly fat gained, sorry to say.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Titus Tang: _Just Do It_
    ezra: Nah.. I "Just Did It".

    anathema.3: How do u get weights that equal to 5.6 and 6.8? Focus your arms more..If that's your max rep..you seriously need more meat on your arms.
    ezra: 12.5 and 15lbs dumbbells. Agreed.

    anathema.3: Roughly 80g of protein a day. This is not enough at all. It's supposed to be 1 g / pound or 2g / kg. 80g of protein is what I get from my protein powder alone or my dinner.
    ezra: I assert that it is enough for a healthy diet. My goal is to look healthy, not particularly buff. I have not come across an authoritative source that reccommends that much protein. Many people mistakenly claim 1g/lbs when it is actually 1g/kilogram. It is unfortunate that the myth persists - although it may be true for bodybuilders who are trying to be as buff as possible.
    To other readers: To put things into perspective, 80g of protein can be found in roughly ten large (64g+) eggs. It is not the weight of meat that is consumed, but the protein content of it.

    anathema.3: Going to the gym is useless unless you take protein before and after exercising. Within 30 minutes or else all your training will be useless.
    ezra: Hmm, this is possibly true later on. If I start noticing a plateau in my gains, I will definitely consider pre/post workout supplements/food.

    anathema.3: You do realize this is all fat. maybe a little muscle but mostly fat you've added. You notice in the mirror that you look bigger compared to when you first started but all that is mostly fat gained, sorry to say.
    ezra: I'm quite convinced it is not. Dont mean to blow my own horn, but I do have a six pack, which means that I am acceptably lean. To recover from anorexia does require a bit of fat to be regained, in particular visceral fat (white fat that coats and lines internal organs) - it is not omental (beer belly) fat. It is also not fat around the butt and hips. Overall it did give me a much more healthy silhouet.

    It simply was not healthy for me to start strength training when severely malnourished. The risk of injury is just too great. So I fattened up first. THe 46-55kg period was not spent in bed btw, I still played my usual sports (track, badminton, pingpong) and maintained a moderately active lifestyle throughout. This strengthened me generally - eg. hip and shoulder stabilizers.

    I am now 62kg with a BMI of 20.5 --> Quickly approaching healthy.

    It was when I pushed from 55kg-60kg+ that I really noticed myself getting bigger physically and my figure more toned and defined. I am quite convinced that it was muscle gained during that period as I noticed real increases in my strength.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "I assert that it is enough for a healthy diet. My goal is to look healthy, not particularly buff."

    Or getting fatter, not muscular, is also looking healthier. You want to have a V shape / wings. Where your stomach is the narrowest and your upper body is wider.

    "Dont mean to blow my own horn, but I do have a six pack, which means that I am acceptably lean."

    Every skinny guy has a 6-pack. Everyone has a 6-pack. It is just the amount of fat on your stomach that determines if you have one or not.

    You should be increasing the weight you lift every week almost. It shouldn't be the same.

    *copied from a site*
    You DON'T need to supplement with protein if you're getting enough quality protein in your food in your regular diet. You also don't need to supplement if you are able to get your protein conveniently and when your body needs it (especially after a workout).

    If you can get enough protein and get it when your body needs it, there's no need to supplement with it! Food sources of protein are absolutely fine and you can build and support muscle with them.

    But here's the big "BUT!"

    Food sources are good for daily protein requirements BUT you SHOULD supplement with protein if you're not able to get enough quality protein in your diet WHEN your body needs it.

    The very best example of this is after a hard workout. Protein supplements are easily digested by your body and very convenient to simply drink after a workout. This is the time when your body needs protein the most and getting it to your muscles quickly is a top priority. Food sources of protein are just not digested as quickly as supplements for post-workout use. Supplements are an easy way to make sure your body has the protein it needs after a workout.

    Bottom line: if you train with weights, your body is breaking down protein and you need to provide it with extra protein to help rebuild. Though the exact amounts that different sources recommend varies widely between 0.7 grams per pound of bodyweight (140 grams for a 200 lb person) to levels as high as 2 grams per pound of bodyweight (400 grams for a 200 lb person)


    At the moment, you're taking 0.58g of protein / pound. I don't know where you got the 1g of protein/kg but it's wrong. Ask any buff guy in the gym and ask them how much protein they take per day. Also, fat makes you look more defined when you are skinny. Take a lean muscle test or something. See how much of your body is muscle and take one a month later. Do the same for fat %.

    ReplyDelete