New Body by New Years?

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 7, 2011 at 9:10pm

Funny you should post this - I am reading a new training program this week, starting next Monday - not because it's a Monday but because it's an 84-day "thing" and next Monday is 84 days from my birthday :)

 

It's Adam Waters' RTP - I remember when Adam was just starting out and was asking me for guidance and help. Now he's provided me with a copy of the very program he used to get in shape back in 2006/07 84 days before his own birthday :)

 

Accountability is a HUGE thing in any quest for a new goal. With the wave of new members these past few days, I agree that it would most likely help everyone to see our challenges and ways to overcome them.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Tom Mortensen on November 7, 2011 at 10:53pm

I am of course in. Accountability works wonders for keeping you on the right track, and making it public even more so.

 

As posted under the blog post ***Challenge*** I missed my target for end October. Having analyzed the reasons behind, I found out that I changed strategy, while I was in pursuit of my goals. It is never wise to change strategy without adjusting the goals accordingly.

 

So my overall target for January 1st 2012 is to be 198lbs and fat percentage of 9.9. I will continue to follow Vince Del Monte's "Maximize Your Muscle" program, but make adjustments to allow for 2-3 cardio sessions per week. Cutting out cardio, was my mistake during October, and it will not happen again.

 

Lastly let me say to those just starting here, that while you may see some ambitious goals and some not so ambitious, it is not the exact figures that count. It's taking action that counts. No matter how many workout programs or diets you read, they will lead to nothing at all, unless followed up by action. So make a commitment, make it public, don't be shy, after all you are among likeminded people.

 

Fine iniative Meredith!

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 8, 2011 at 3:32am

Like-minded for sure Tom, and "like-bodied" too. 

 

Even those of us who now may look like we have it all under control, or look the way some newbies think they can only dream of - we've all been (very) overweight and know how it feels to wonder, doubt, worry "is this going to work, or is it just one more "failure" in a long line of"?

 

However, "control" is not really the best term. Remember M-Power ;-) "you control nothing, you manage everything!" We do not "have control" at all :) but we've learned how to manage distractions and temptations, using a wide range of tools provided largely by Jon.

 

One thing he "preaches" is that Massive Why. Funny thing is, Adam has that concept in the first part of his program also, he calls it the Powerful Reason Why (PRW) but it's the same thing.  You have to sit down with yourself and find the real, underlying, powerfully motivating reason why you want to get rid of the excess fat.

 

And they both agree: this can be a painful process, because the truth often hurts. But once you have that WHY, you've a third of the-way to success. Set powerful, written goals, and you're at 2/3. The last 1/3 is accountability and keeping your nose to the grind-stone so to speak, compliance.

 

It's also true what they both say: knowledge in itself is useless. Applied knowledge is the real power.

 

You can read all the training programs you want and never use them; you can know "all" there is to kow about nutrition and keep eating burgers; you're only "as good" as your application of the knowledge you gain.

 

This forum has gained 25 new members over the past 2 days! A warm welcome to all of you, and I sincerely hope at least 20 of you will be posters and not just lurkers :) you've come to the best place for support and sharing, so ask and share!

 

I had a mini-goal for this coming Saturday (Christmas party) but we've decided not to go as they start it at 18:00 and Joe's only done working at 17:00 - 8 hours on your feet dealing with customers and straight to a party? Doesn't "compute" :) so we'll have his dad over for supper instead - and be in charge of the menu!

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Permalink Reply by Markku Niilo-Rämä on November 8, 2011 at 10:19am

Where is the "like" button ;).. Excellent writing, Sarah!

 

My progress so fall has been weight: 98.4kg to 94.8kg with body fat of 20.4 to 20.0 (the body fat is probably inaccurate but..)  11 chin ups 92.5kg bar bell bench press.

My goals for the next 8 weeks are 92kg weight, 95kg bp, 12 chin ups and the new thing is to run 25min non-stop.  I love to run and I ran a marathon when I was 25 and weighed 69kg.. (I am 184cm or 6'1 tall)  

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 8, 2011 at 4:07pm

Thanks :)

 

Feeling nice and sore from yesterday's workout :D this morning I barely felt my pecs, nothing else; and I was a bit disappointed (understatement). Later on in the morning I started feeling that sore tightness in the triceps :) but I was sitting all day - training class for work - and didn't use any other muscle than all those required to speak (loads to move the tongue!). However, when I left the class and had to go down stairs ... ouch :) yes, I did do leg presses and leg extensions yesterday, lol No leg curls, they only have the lying curl machine and I won't use that; will have to add in Romanian DLs. I also did calf presses on the leg press but made sure to stretch the calves after - so not sore, and I also "just" used 200 lbs (a bit under 100 kg).

 

Back in the gym tomorrow after class ... I prefer training in the morning, but class starts at 7 am and I have to leave home at 6 as it is, so I'll go to the gym at 15:00 and get back home for 16:15 or so. Friday will be before work though - class over and I don't start till 10:30 that day, so it's a 9:00 workout on my calendar!

 

Checking on a house that's for sale on Thursday after class .... inside is gutted, so it might be too much (money, not work) to get it nice again, I'll see.

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 9, 2011 at 3:25am

Slightly more sore this morning ... always works that way for me, it's "worse" the second day after a good workout.

 

I've arranged my schedule at work so that I'm off Wednesdays for client training - except this week with the work classes I have to attend ... up at 5:00 three days in a row to sit and have my head filled with accounting stuff for 8 hours straight ...

 

I'm still hitting the gym at work before leaving this afternoon :) !! I'll be tired going in, and still sore from not being able to move much at that desk, but I'm going!

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 9, 2011 at 3:31pm

Interesting workout today ... I kept the load for the leg extension and did more reps on set one, same on set two (as Monday) and "died" on set three after 4 reps! Yet I had to add 20 lbs to the leg press to feel like I was pressing something and ... same scenario!

 

On the other hand, the chest press I had to halve the load!! Half!! Wow. Everything else went fine, the back inset superset I kept the load and increased the reps.

 

I do know one thing - ok, already knew it but it's confirmed: I don't like working out later in the day! Lol, I'm not really a morning person but when it comes to workouts I just get seem to get more out of them in the morning.

 

And I know something else too: early to bed tonight, I'm bushed!

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Permalink Reply by JBF Mentor Tom Mortensen on November 10, 2011 at 4:28am

During the month of October I realized that every now and then you have to shock your muscles into growth, at least at my age (54). Until now I trained under the assumption that given my age, I needed more rest between exercising a muscle group than younger people. And since the accepted norm was once a week for each muscle group I would most likely need more than that. I did however stick to the one week, but muscle growth has been very slow for the past year.

 

Following the MYM program to the letter, during October I trained each muscle group every 3rd day, with a rest day thrown in every 7th day. Apparently this shocked my muscles into action, and I experienced the best muscle growth in months or even years. I don't think I would be able to do more than a month before going bakc to a more "relaxed" regime, but still it's yet another tool in the box.

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Permalink Reply by Markku Niilo-Rämä on November 10, 2011 at 5:35am

I have realized the same thing myself.. The program that I'm following now has the ideology.. you train the same muscle group two times a week. At this time I'm doing cluster training.  

 

For example I train my chest on monday and thursday, on monday I do clusters and thursday PYRAMID cluster with my chest.  

The style is different (monday more reps, less weight, thursday fewer reps, more weight and the exercises are different).  So maybe the key is to shock the system more often with different types of exercises.  If you just do the same body part twice a week with the same exercises it might not work so well.. 

So, you need to find a good program and know your body..

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 10, 2011 at 4:44pm

Absolutely. If you look closely at all of Jon's writings, he's not sticking solely to 7MM either. In fact, both he and the other "gurus" tell us to switch programs from time to time.Fabrice's 1 Rep Muscle was on the "menu" for a while, as I said above, I will be trying 84 days of RTP (Real Time Physique) starting Monday to see what that's about ...

 

What I try to do, is roughly 3 months' cycles -3 months (including 1 week off) 7MM, 3 months something else, 3 months 7MM and the last 3 months another different program, so that I end up with 3 programs in a year.

 

Interesting side note: though I was sore when I went to the gym yesterday afternoon, I trained through it, and today I'm fine. Just a very slight tenderness in the upper pecs.

 

Other nice update: since getting back to the gym and watching my nutrition a bit more since last weekend, I was able to tighten the belt one notch today :)

 

(the house-hunt I mentioned? That gutted house ... no. There is literally nothing there but the outside walls and the roof!. Saw two more, one useless - too noisy and visible renovations needed plus probably hidden ones! The third one ... possible!)

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 14, 2011 at 6:25pm

OK - Day one of RTP Mission 1 - part 1 - base camp.

 

Chest press - 6 sets, max 20 reps set one and decreasing each set, 20 sec rests.

Reverse grip pulldown for the lats - same scenario

Tricep pressdown - 4 sets only

Calf press - also 4 sets.

 

I overestimated my capacity on the chest press. Though I did get 20 reps on the first set, and the subsequent set was a mere 9 as per estimate before hand; I quickly dropped to 3 and 2 reps on sets 3 and 4 and was incapable of getting another set :)

 

The pulldown was as bad - but in reverse. I got 3 sets of 20 and then 16, 12 and 10 - next week it's 10 lbs up.

 

Triceps - spot on. 20, 10, 8 and 7 reps. I can keep that weight for another week.

 

Calves - well the program said standing calf raises, but the gym doesn't have one. I opted for a calf press on the leg press machine, believing it was my only option. In the middle of set 4 I realized I was looking at a seated calf press machine :) may change; or not. Either way, I am doubling the weight on the press next week: got 4 sets of 20!

 

My question is - what to do with the chest press. Do I keep the weight and work up to getting 6 sets, or do I drop the weight a tad so as to get the 6 sets right away (like I'm supposed to)?

 

I should also have done abs, but ran out of time. This was all after work, and I was picking Joe up from his job half an hour after finishing the workout - half an hour's drive to get there!

 

Update on legs/shoulders/biceps tomorrow.

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Permalink Reply by JBF Coach Sarah on November 15, 2011 at 5:58pm

As promised, update day 2:

 

Leg press machine - 6 sets planned as per the program - I got 20-20-20-18-12-12 reps, which is not bad. I can keep the load for another week on that one.

 

Leg curl - 4 sets on the program - only got 12 reps on the first so I dropped the load and got 12-8-7 on the next three. I would think that with that second, lower weight I should get 20 for the first set next time.

 

Military press - again 4 sets - this one was good with 20-8-5-4 reps.

 

Bicep Db curls - 4 sets - not as good, 15-5-5-5, but I'll keep the weight for next week anyway, should get 20 and still 5's thereafter :)

 

I did do abs today - Janda-curls and supine ball rolls (one of David Grisaffi's exercises).

 

From there it was off to work for 7 1/2 hours :)

 

One thing I ve noticed in this gym (as in most others!): I', alone in carrying a note-book with a program in it!

True, yesterday there were 3 guys doing the P90X program following the program on their laptop, so that would count - except it would have been good if they noted the weights they used and the actual reps if they didn't quite manage to follow the program.

One other man just walked around seemingly doing random exercises - I'd seen him there before and he was just as whimsical then.

Other than myself, there was one more female in the weight room - no idea if there was anyone in the cardio section upstairs, I still haven't been up there :) - she had no program either, but was texting a friend between sets ... 'nuff said. But hey, she was at least using the weights (machines)!

 

Tomorrow is 30 minutes steady-state cardio, and the weather forecast suggests a brisk walk up Mt Pelion (see my photos from September) and down through town before coming back.

 

And now ... some useless entertainment: "The Biggest Loser" :) silly, but you get a bit "hooked" once you start watching. I won't get the whole episode (as usual) as I have to go get Joe for 9 p.m.

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