WOW!!! Can you believe another year is almost finished?
Pretty soon we’ll be setting our sights on a new year and a new set of goals.
Like the planned Macros for this year, I may want a repeat them next year, then
again something else may strike my fancy. Whatever I do I gotta’ stay
committed, especially when working on that Last
10 Pounds.
Squattage…………….
Have you ever wondered what a years’ worth of deep, deep
squats does to your……ars. I can tell you from experience, it (your……ars) will
get bigger. If you have a tight pair of jeans you like to wear, I guarantee
they will be even tighter once you partake in a Squattage ritual. And your
quads; I had a new pair if slim fit Wrangler jeans at the beginning of the
year, after the Power Macro they were uncomfortably tight in the legs and seat
and after the Endurance Macro, I can’t get them over my…….ars. My waist hasn’t
changed, still a 34 and I’m still using the third notch on my belt but getting
those pants up over my rear is getting to be a chore.
And now for this Sculpting Macro, I’m taking it one step
further, more squats, heavier squats, deeper squats…………….. I will be competing
with Kim Kardashian before long.
This last paragraph is a lead in to a group of compliments I
got from my Club 24 fellow gym rats. They saw me weighing myself on the gym’s
scale, catcalls followed; I came in at 198. So I walked over and asked what
they thought I weighed in at, they were guessing 160 to 185. When I told them
200 they were taken back…………..everyone they knew at 200 had a big belly,
remember I’m a rectangle. Then one of my fellow rats (Justin) said “now I see
it, look at your quads, they’re huge, they’re bulging”. And the one of the
younger gals piped up; “you’re all muscly”. Wow, Ego Booster!!!! We all had a
good laugh; little do they know of my Wrangler jeans issue (LOL).
Week of Rest……………
So during the Endurance Macro, every fourth week was a ‘Back
Off’ week. Still completed some cardio and some resistance routines but
everything was tremendously lighter and slower. I dialed this in because of the
aggressive cardio, four runs and two walks every week and four nights of scheduled
lifting.
So what did I find out about my Sculpting Macro? It is just
as aggressive, just as hectic as my Endurance Macro. After five straight weeks
I was beat so for week six, I just ran the cardio in the AM and limited my
resistance work to two PM sessions. Now these weren’t wimpy sessions; drop set
bench presses and drop set box squats. All at least 80% of one RM. And I can
now state without any doubt, if you’re pushing yourself four days a week
lifting something heavy plus a four to five day per week running program, you
had better schedule in a Rest Week. Every fourth week is probably the easiest
to manage and has the least impact on the overall schedule. So be it, like the
Endurance Macro, the Sculpting Macro is now a three week work and one week rest
routine.
Running Drills…………..
My Sculpting Macro cardio routines have kind of mutated from
what I had originally envisioned. I’m really just running simple up and down
drills (intervals); run fast for a minute, runs slow for a minute, take a 1
minute walk every 5 minutes, stick to 30 minutes then move on to the stationary
bikes (or something else). On the bikes; 20 minutes of low resistance, high
resistance 1 minute intervals. On the mornings that I keep my rums below a
certain threshold, say at or below my 5K pace (10 minute mile), there is no
fatigue or recovery soreness. If I step it up a bit, faster segments (8 minute
mile) or increase the incline on the treadmill, fatigue is still minimal while
completing the run. However, there is generally a bit of recovery soreness to
deal with, especially if I have a scheduled weight session in the evening. What I have to keep
in mind; the purpose of the cardio during the Sculpting Macro is strictly ‘fat’
control. There is no intention of improving endurance or running in general;
just a way to efficiently burn through calories. I have to remind myself every
time I get out there and start running, slow down you’re not training for a
race. You’re training for aesthetics; you’re training for health and wellness.
Sure you are (LOL).
Those Nasty
Gym’s………………
So in June I bought a
simple set of leather gardening gloves for use in the gym. My hands were
getting sore from the cheap knurling on the olympic bars at the gym in
Kentucky. I didn’t want to pay a bunch of money for the fingerless jobs they
sell at most sporting goods stores, just wanted something to cover my hands.
Anyway, after 6 months of daily use these gloves are beat and very, very, very
filthy. When you look at the photo, keep in mind that the only service these
gloves have seen is in a gym. And keep in mind, if you’re not using gloves what
you are wrapping your fingers around. Pretty Nasty!!!
I will trade these in on a new pair of gardening gloves.
Pretty dorkey but my hands are clean and of course, callous free. Maybe if I
cut the fingers off from a new pair……………….maybe not so dorkey?(LOL)
Conclusions…………..
Working hard and getting through the Holiday season, adjusting
diet and workouts as I go. When looking at how you want to present yourself, to
look just a bit better than normal, there is always planning, there is always hard
work. Adjusting your routine to fit the circumstance is just part of the lifestyle
when working on that Last 10 Pounds.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Mark M. Jennings
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