Well, its a few days after my birthday and for a gift to myself, I went out for a 10K jog. And, I have also recently seen two substantial personal bests; a 270 pound 1 RM bench press and a 400 pound 1 RM Squat. Now these are calculated 1 RM’s; the actuals were 215 X 8 on the bench and 320 X 8 in the squat rack. So at 57, being able to jog 6 miles plus being able to move a substantial amount of weight, I feel pretty good about myself. However, I do have one beef; I’m still working on that Last 10 Pounds.
Key Performance Indicators
Over the last several posting I have been talking up Key Performance Indicators (KPI) as a means to measure progress and as a guide to make program changes if progress is not seen. KPI’s really do work, especially if progress is slow. And as you age, you will find progression to any new physical goal, be it weight-loss or cutting a few seconds off of your 5K times to stacking an extra 5 pounds on the bar, is frustratingly sloooooow.
As an example of slow; it has taken me 3 months of work to move my Bench Press ‘Calculated’ 1RM to Bodyweight Ratio from 1.3 to 1.4. This is only an additional 10 pounds on the bar. And the way I got there wasn’t just throwing additional weight on; it was working at lower weights to get the Total Weight Moved from 11500 lbs per bench training session to 12860 lbs per bench training session. That’s right folks, in one warm up set and 3 drop sets (double sets, about 20 minutes worth) you can move a substantial load. And by monitoring the change in Total Work, you can gage when you can add to the top end weight to improve your 1RM. Now this routine is not anything new, it’s actually a form of Volume Training, lots and lots of reps at 60 to 75% of your 1RM in any single training session and working right up to the point of failure.
Previously, just adding weight and completing a fixed number of sets and reps, I would feel VERY uncomfortable as I approached a new max load (a new 1 RM). These higher intensity lower rep workouts just did not work for me and I bet any of the older guys reading this may agree; you need the volume not maximum intensity. By concentrating on jacking up the total workload or Total Weight Moved per workout, when I finally do add weight to improve that 1 RM, I feel very confident that I can handle it, no anxiety and more importantly, no injury worries.
Even though it’s a slow progression, this training strategy is working, not only for bench presses, but for squats, cleans or any other core lift you want to include. And the reason I know this training method works for me is the KPI’s I use to track progress. Wright It Down or you’ll lose track of where you’ve been and where you’re going.
Again, the Key Performance Indicators I use are;
· Weight,
· Waist size at the navel,
· Core lift ‘calculated’ 1RM to bodyweight ratio,
· Core lift Total Weight Moved, and
· Total Cholesterol / HDL ratio (<2.5) and LDL / HDL ratio (<1) at 10 mg daily statin dosage.
If you want more information on the Drop Set or Volume Training methods I use during my workout routine, there is a downloadable version in the Documents and Standards in the upper right of this Blog Page. If you need help developing your own KPI’s, just leave a comment against this Blog and I’ll get back to you.
Intermittent Fasting
As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I have undertaken an ‘Intermittent Fasting’ routine two days per week; on Sundays and Thursdays. On these days, I do not eat from 9:00 pm (after dinner) until 4:00 pm the next day. Now a 2 day a week, 19 hour fast doesn’t sound like much but it allows me to eat just about anything I want the rest of the week. And, I think it is the major reason that my total body fat levels have dropped to the 15% range or less. However, once you reach that new fat/lean equilibrium, even if you’re workouts include fairly heavy resistance training combined with a good weekly cardio routine (mix of intervals and slow runs), don’t expect to loose much total weight after the initial drop. When I started this routine, I was at 200 pounds and probably in the 22 to 24% fat range. I dropped a good 12 pounds initially but have been sitting at the 187 pound mark for over 8 months. I haven’t given up the quest for another 7 to 8 pounds but, I feel awfully good at this weight and if I can continue to make strength gains without gaining total weight (again KPI’s), I can live with it. Why? Because I know deep down that for every new muscle fiber developed based on strength gains, another glob of fat bites the dust.
Folks; the bottom line is ‘Intermittent Fasting’ works without any negative health affects. In fact if you are prone to any number of middle age metabolic conditions that define a pre-diabetes condition, e.g. insulin resistance, high cholesterol (like the majority of us), then intermittent fasting should be a tool in your arsenal toward better health and fat loss. It just plain works.
Added Sugar
Outlined in my original posting, A Book Is Judged By Its Cover, I hade a short paragraph on the White Food, e.g. rice, potatoes, wonder bread and of course, sugar. Since that posting I have had a change of heart as far as additional sugar is concerned. I had originally posted “keep any additional sugar under 40g per day”. That’s ADDED SUGAR folks, not starch that converts to glucose like found in a potato or the natural fructose you get when you eat an apple or an orange or even the lactose from a glass of milk, what I’m talking about is good old fashioned white sugar (sucrose). My latest dietary advice to you; strive for as close to ZERO as you possibly can when it comes to Added Sugar. And, if you see added ingredients like corn syrup, fructose or High Fructose Corn Syrup, get as far away from that product as you possibly can.
Corn syrup, concentrated fructose (fruit juices) and High Fructose Corn Syrup have no place in a human diet. These forms of processed sweeteners are not only concentrated (any fiber is removed) but they are not metabolized the same; your insulin response is muted along with reduced hormonal triggers (leptin) that tell your body that you’re full and to stop eating. These sweeteners are Designed To Make You Fat!!!!
Now good old fashioned white sugar (50/50 glucose and fructose) is almost as bad but it has its place, you just have to know when and how and Not Overdo. For example, to spike your insulin and allow your muscle cells to uptake amino acids (proteins) after a good hard workout (resistance or cardio), you need a fast acting (high glycemic index) carbohydrate and a protein source. The ratio of carbs to protein should be in the neighborhood of 3 or 4 to 1. An 8 glass of chocolate milk has about the right ratio; it’s just a matter of getting the added sweet stuff from sugar and not corn syrup. To date, the only chocolate mix with ‘sugar’ that I have found is Nesquick® powder. All of the rest have some variation of a corn based sweeteners. And, if you add a scoop of protein powder to your Nesquick® and your 8oz glass of milk, you have your own variation of Muscle Milk®. However, at 13g’s of added sugar, that’s pretty much it for the rest of the day.
So for the next 2 weeks, I want you to read the labels, find the added sugar amount and Write It Down. Once you have a total, divide that by 14 and that will be your daily Added Sugar intake. I bet its closer to 100g’s than not, mine was. Generally you’ll find the added sugar content on the nutrition label, under the Total Carbohydrate heading. Once you figure out what, when and why you’re taking it in, make a change and reduce it, get it under that 40g mark or better yet, as close to zero as you possibly can. You’ll be amazed at the changes in you’re workouts, your sleep and your waist line. And the reason for the 14 day average, some days those M&M’s or that piece of blueberry pie is just irresistible, so if you loose control one day, there is always the next to regain lost ground.
Last note on Added Sugar and a fun fact or just something to think about - if you were to eat 40g’s of sugar each day over the course of a year, that’s the equivalent of eating 32 pounds of the white stuff. That’s one hell of a lot sugar and with only 50% of it having any metabolic value.
Nesquick® is a registered trademark of Nestle Corporation
Muscle Milk® is a registered trademark of Cytosport, Inc.
Supplements
As posted previously, I am pretty satisfied with the meds and supplements I take. These include a Fish Oil, a general Vitamin, B6, B3 and B12 plus meds (Lipitor, baby aspirin and omeprazole). In my opinion, they all do their job. Additionally, the sports related supplements I consume include whey protein and BCAA’s. And as stated in earlier posts I have been searching for a ‘T’ booster to get me back into at least the ‘low normal’ range for this essential hormone.
As far as boosting ‘T’, I’ve started out with Tribulus Terrestris. This concoction is made from the same plant that brings us ‘Goat Heads’ (thorns) and seems to be the most recommended with the least side effects listed. And, I’ve started out cycling this hormone booster. Why cycling? The more than several web articles I reviewed recommended either an 8 week on 4 week off cycle or once every 7 day trial. I’m trying my own variation; Friday and Saturday doses then the rest of the week clean. I’ve also started cycling BCAA’s. Now cycling BCAA’s has an interesting story line….
BCAA’s also affect the neurotransmitters associated with brain function, specifically how serotonin is metabolized. From what I have read on the subject, BCAA’s reduce the brains uptake of tryptophan and its cascading production to serotonin. In layman’s terms, if I translate this correctly, this effects your perception of fatigue and allows for extended max performance periods. In this respect BCAA’s would be a good thing however, disrupting the natural equilibrium of serotonin causes mood changes that may be different for different individuals. In my case, it seems to work as a mood booster. I found this out quite accidentally by letting my stash run dry and the local health supplement store I use being out of stock. After a week of laying off the BCAA’s, I had an overwhelming feeling of gloom and doom, e.g. a perpetual rainy day grogginess. My job performance was impacted as was my general attitude toward daily chores around the house and even basic grooming habits, not to mention a performance drop in my workouts. It took a second week to finally feel myself again. Keep in mind that I had been supplementing with BCAA’s for over 4 months straight prior to this.
Now I cycle; 60 days on and 2 weeks off. The first iteration of this cycle was pretty successful, at least I knew what to expect. And the grogginess, it came as predicted but only lasted a couple of days. I could plan around it, nothing stressful.
So the moral of the story is, Write It Down; what you take, when you take it, how you feel, any improvements noted and any negative effects noted. With the exception of vitamins and protein powders, I would have to highly recommend supplement cycling. This way your body has a chance to recover from the additional compounds and you won’t be dependant on something that isn’t a positive to your overall health goals.
And as far as the Tribulus, I’ll keep up my minimalist cyclic dosage and see if there is any impact on ‘T’ with my next blood work.
Summary
So for all those out there that really give a crap about how to keep healthy and make progressive and beneficial change, the key is Performance Indicators and documenting what you are doing; Write It Down.
Be the best you can be by knowing where you came from.
MMJennings
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