We Actually Made Progress……….

I can say without a doubt; this Endurance Macro has been very successful, more so than last years. Even though I curtailed running or pretty much anything that even looks like cardio, as far as fat loss and general lower extremity improvement in strength and flexibility, it has very much paid off. And, no more Niggly Hip pain (other than the occasional ’ouch’ from being out of position…..or catching a fall). As you will see from this macro’s Key Performance Indicators, we’ve actually improved the front squat effort; from a standard fare 95, 105 lbs range to 135 lbs, plus and………..it felt like it was an overnight improvement, not something you had worked to improve over a long period. And I have also completed a couple of single rep back squats at 225, ass to grass. Now that’s not to say I’m any stronger or need further glut work, it’s just saying that I have made improvement in that one move, the front squat, with some carry over into my back squat. However, any way you look at the outcome, it brings me closer to gaining on that Last 10 Pounds.

The Apprentice…………..

Because of the new job, I have lost my apprentice; our schedules are just too different. There may be the occasional co-workout on Fridays or weekends but the two day per week consistency has vaporized. I truly miss her; I have a gut feeling that even though there was no……uhm……personal attraction, there was a certain male, female intimacy that working out together does inspire. For myself, all I can say is that like riding a motorcycle or using a chainsaw, I think there is an improvement in……….those masculine feelings………..when working out with the opposite sex. And over the long term I think this had improved my personal results. And like the last time I worked with this apprentice, she has dropped any routines that would maintain her own improvements. I wish her luck in managing normal.

 

Bragging Rights……………

As mentioned in the lead-in plus in previous posts, because of a Niggly Hip issue, I have pretty much limited my leg routines to Front Squats over the last 7 months. My best so far is 2 sets of 5 reps at 165, then I need to ditch weight or lose a rep to get in 4 sets. What’s really obvious is the mirror check improvement of my thighs and hips; my legs have a nice lean appearance that any 30 year-old (and some 20 year olds) would be envious of. Now I understand why, way back in the 1960’s and 1970’s, Vince Gironda (www.ironguru.com) had said that back squats were a waste; if you want a classic leg look you need to concentrate on exercises that isolate the quads. And front squats with a 2 to 4 second count at the bottom really, really work. Maybe not as well as the sissy squats that Vince advocated but I’m impressed. I had also spent a number of hours working the TFL and the gluteus medius with banded side abductions. And most recently I have started kneeling squats and posterior biased abductions. All of this in an attempt to engage the upper gluts and that small part of medius the is above the gluts (just below the love handles) plus grow the ham’s. And I’m thinking that all of these details are paying off in a better backside shape.

One last note on kneeling squats; you can really load up here (in excess of 225 lbs) and get a great pump. So do several sets of medium weight front squats (lots of reps) then do a couple of sets of heavy kneeling and you WILL feel the pump.

Key Performance Indicators……………….

KPI’s for the month of September. No improvement but there is progress.

September Best
Exercise	Sets	Reps	Total Weight Moved
Front Squat (Sup)	4	8	3,840    (120*32)
Back Squat (Sup)	4	8	5,600    (175*32)   9,440 Total
Pull Up	4	8	----------
Bench	4	8	5,440   (170*32)
Dumbbell Bench	4	8	3,840    (120*32)  9,280 Total
One Arm Row	4	8		1,760    (55*32)   Each Arm
Masculine Feelings (Scale 1 to 10) = 9
Cardio; None, just the Tuesday and Thursday whole body***
Notes; Lower 3 exercises completed as a superset; Front Squat, Back Squat and Pull Up. There is 4 minute spread between the start of each set. In that 4 minutes you complete the 3 exercises plus just enough rest to allow heart rate to settle out. This set is like an extended Sprint; very, very whole body. All squats are Deep, Ass to Grass Squats. Any rest or lag is at the bottom. Calculated Squat 1RM – Front 150/Back 217.   Upper 3 exercises completed as a superset; Bench, Dumbbell Bench and Rows. There is 90 second rest between sets. The objective is not additional weight but minimal rest. All are neutral grip Bench Presses. Calculated Bench 1RM – 207.   ***Suspended all cardio this period.

Even though we started out with a Niggly Injury that shut down any cardio, I have made progress. Specifically, my squat performance, front and back, is on target. I will be shifting from a front biased squat to back squat during the upcoming Sculpting Macro to see if I can engage more of the gluts. I will also be looking more at hip thrusters, kneeling squats, donkey kicks and whatever to literally………..bring up the rear.

And since this is the end of the 2016 Endurance Macro, the following data needs to part of my KPI’s

Skinfolds
Pec	7	Calculated BF = 11 Realistic BF (+4) = 15 to 17
Ab	8
Thigh	10
Body fat calc is from ExRx and is Age Corrected to 61. The end of the 2015 Sculpting Macro 12.6 Calculated. End of Endurance Macro, maybe a 1 to 2.5% change (12.6 to 11).

The biggest change during this Endurance Macro is the weight loss. From just over 200 lbs (maybe 202) down to 192. I suspect a large part was caused by dropping creatine from my supplement list. But 8 pounds of water weight? WOW!!!

Skinfold; muscle was preserved and again, a small amount of fat was lost. There was NO jaw dropping change in physique, just good management of what I have. And finally the comparison between Casey Butt’s, Your Muscular Potential, and where we’re at, at the end of the 2016 Endurance Macro;

	5’9” Average Joe (15% BF)	5’9” Mark Jennings (15 Sculpting)	5’9” Mark Jennings (16 Power)	5’9” Mark Jennings (16 Endurance)	5’9” Chiseled Athlete (10% BF)
Chest	38.7”	42.5	42	42	45.5”
Bicep	13.1”	14.5	15	14.5	16.7”
Forearm	12.1”	11.5	11.5	11.5	13.3”
Neck	15.3”	15	15.5	15	16.3“
Waist	33.5”	36	36	35.5	30.3”
Hips	41.0”	40.5	41	40	38.0”
Thigh	22.1”	23.7	24	23.5	24.8“
Calf	14.3”	15	15.5	14.75	16.4“
Torso Shape	Inverted V à	Rectangular à	Rectangular à	Rectangular à	Positive V à

From the measurement standpoint you can see the effects of creatine. All of the numbers have pretty much reverted back to the pre-Power Macro values. So I guess if you want to pump up a bit, get water and nutrients to the muscle, go on a creatine cycle. Still the big difference is weight. From last year’s (2015) transition from Endurance to Sculpting, I was at 197, this year we are at 192.

And to me what makes this delta stand out; this year…………no cardio, maybe there is no reason for my body to carry excess fat……..maybe?

 

Planning This Year’s Sculpting Macro……………

This year for the Sculpting Macro I will be working on my back; lats and traps and rear delt’s. There will be lots of pull ups and slow, slow drops. I will work these like I did front squats. Start out light and gradually work toward weighted reps. For chest work, we will go back to guillotine presses, narrow grip presses and dips. For the legs, I will be sticking to front squats, back squat combos plus kneeling squats. And I’ll include some of Vince Girondo’s Thigh Squats……with the Burlesque Bump (hips first). And for the mid-section, those abs and oblique’s, we’ll include some weighted pulley twists and wood choppers.

As far as cardio, since my job has finally gotten me off of my butt and puts me in the field, I will be spending at least 1 or 2 hours a day walking, climbing and whatever I need to on the construction sites. I will hold off on running for a bit longer. I did get my bicycle fixed so maybe Sunday hill sprints………………

Last year’s Sculpting Macro was all over the place. Hitting same muscle groups with different exercises on different days. I don’t think it worked as well as concentrating on specific exercises. For this Macro I will stick with sequential days of the same exercise, like I did with the front squat routines. I think this really develops the central nervous system connection to the muscle you are interested in developing.

	Week 1		Week 2		Week 3		Week 4
	AM	PM	AM	PM	AM	PM	AM	PM
Monday	Walk	Upper	Walk	Lower	Walk	Upper	Walk
Tuesday	Walk	Lower	Walk	Upper	Walk	Lower	Walk	Mixed
Wednesday	Walk	Mixed	Walk	Mixed	Walk	Mixed	Walk	Mixed
Thursday	Walk	Lower	Walk	Upper	Walk	Lower	Walk	Mixed
Friday	(Bike)	Upper	(Bike)	Lower	(Bike)	Upper	(Bike)
Saturday
Sunday	Bike	Mixed	Bike	Mixed	Bike	Mixed	Bike

 

Type	Exercises
Upper	Main Show - Guillotine and Narrow Grip Press plus Neutral Pull Up with L-Hold (Minimal Rest). Supplement Round 1 – Weighted Dips (Weight Belt), Scull Crushers, Lateral Raise (12-15 lb) Supplement Round 2 – Lat Pull or Wide Grip Pull Up, Cable Face Pulls
Lower	Main Show – Front, Back, Gironda Squat Mix (Pyramid-30 minutes), Abduct/Adduct plus Neutral Pull Up with L-Hold (Minimal Rest). Supplement Round 1 – Kneeling Squat, Weighted Calf Raise (Weight Belt) Supplement Round 2 – Cable Twists or Wood Choppers
Mixed	Round 1 - One Arm Bent Row (Barbell Heavy) or Bench Rows, Squat Curls plus Drag Curls Round 2 - Push Overs (Barbell Heavy) plus Bent Curl Finish – Cable Curls, Tricep Pulls

 Conclusions…………

Staying active over 60 is an issue with most people. There seems to be this generalization that staying fit in middle and old age is more of a curiosity than a priority. To live a normal life and be a contributing member of any society, you need to be fit. You need to manage your health. If you’re not strong enough to hold your own, you will become a burden to others. If you can walk, run, engage in sports or just go lift……you will benefit, you will gain on that Last 10 Pounds.

MMJennings