The Final Stretch…………….

We are into the last month of the 2017 Power Macro. We’ve lost fat, gained performance, streamlined diet, sorted supplements and just plain improved how I feel. With the exception of that nasty little cold in the first weeks of March., I have exceeded my own expectations……….and the bar isn’t that low. Basically, I think I am finally figuring out where I should be diet, exercise and supplement wise to gain on that Last 10 Pounds.

On the note of attaining Normal in my quest of a healthier me; it is allowed and preferred to exceed that expectation.

 

“No man has the right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. It is a shame for a man to grow old without seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”

 

This is a quote from Socrates (yes, that ancient Greek guy). This is what I have been pursuing over the last 10 years. I have not only been searching for a healthier me, a normal me but a better me…………and the challenge continues.

 

Cell Phone App’s……………….

Let’s face it, if your over 60, smart phones and smart phone applications are a learning experience and can be underappreciated. I have recently got on the bandwagon and started using Under Armor’s ‘Record’ fitness app to track workouts, activities, meals and sleep. The Activities function actually links to Apple’s general health app (came with the iOS) and is basically a smart pedometer. The Workout function logs general workout categories and general workout duration (time). The Sleep function provides general tracking of bed time, sleep duration and wake time. And finally the Diet function gives three choices, light, medium and heavy eating.  So using this app throughout the Power Macro what have I learned.

 

• My sleep is consistent, throughout the week I go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. On weekends, I get to bed later and sleep maybe an hour longer. Sleep duration is generally 6 to 7 hours. As I have noted in older blogs, if I lay around in bed any longer, I end up with a sleep hangover. This just verifies I have pretty much takin control of my sleep.

• My diet is more consistent than I had expected. A good deal of that comes from packing my lunch every day. Where it deviates is in the evenings and on weekends. On weekends I try for one large meal and snacks. However, the snacks may be ‘not as healthy’ as what I would want…….e.g. cure that sugar craving.

• My exercise routines are on the money for this Power Macro…...as far as meeting the expectation I set for myself……executing my planned activities. There are no random rest days thrown in or missed workouts. I am competing with myself to execute my plan.

• My activity as collected by the iPhone pedometer was the biggest surprise. During the work week I generally walk approximately 2 to 2.5 miles a day. If it happens to be a cardio day, that increases to close to 5 miles. On weekends, especially on the first day off, I’m lucky to walk a half a mile. This is a rest day for sure (LOL).

Tracking habits has made me more aware of what I eat, how I sleep, how much I move plus reinforces my perception of my workout routines. Things that need work are diet consistency and weekend activity. Maybe I need a plan for those also (LOL).

 

Where Did The Weight Go…………..

Over the last several weeks I have noted a loss of weight; down from hovering in the 190 to 194 range to less than 190……as low as 188 to 185. This is not an issue of water weight either, just flat dropped a few pounds. And other than tracking what I eat, I really have not modified my diet. I have been more active at work (the daily excursions) and I have reintroduced ‘limited’ running to my workout schedule but not to extent that for greater than 9 months of maintaining a consistent weight to suddenly loosing. Don’t get me wrong, I look my best and feel my best at 187 pounds but the drop was unexpected. The biggest changes in the last several months are supplements. We doubled the D and the Zinc, we halved the niacin, we went to straight magnesium, and we changed the fish oil from pills to liquid.

I’m thinking it is a combination of the liquid fish oil (almost 100% Omega 3) and the D, Zinc, Magnesium combo. Based on Dr. Google, there are existing studies and anecdotal reviews that say both Omega 3 and D are key in losing the fat. Both of these are also essential in glucose/insulin metabolism. I wonder………..I wonder if after all these years of farting around with 1200 mg fish oil capsules that only contain 360 mg of Omega 3, they really do or…..don’t. Also I wonder if I am just flat deficient in vitamin D. So here’s a future experiment, drop the D for a few weeks and the drop the Omega 3 for a few weeks and see what happing.

 

Either way, I’m not complaining. If my workout routines are at the same intensity and I am not paying a lot of attention to diet……and I lose weight…...without losing strength or upsetting……those masculine feelings, I’ll accept. The big question, will it fix that suprailiac fat. You know those love handles, my unicorn.

FYI, the liquid fish oil brand is Natures Answer, Liquid Omega-3. It contains 1150 mg of Omega 3 per teaspoon; I do 3 to 4 teaspoons per day, 4600 mg. If I took 12, 1200 mg fish oil capsules, I would get my 4350 mg Omega 3 but ingest 14,400 mg of total fats. 14 grams of fat is 100 calories. Maybe that’s the deficit I’m looking for (LOL).

2017 Power Macro KPI’s…………

And since this is the end of the 2017 Power Macro, the following data needs to entered of my KPI’s;

Skinfolds
Pec	6	Calculated BF = 10.7 Realistic BF (+4) = 15
Ab	8
Thigh	10
Body fat calc is from ExRx and is Age Corrected to 62.

Body weight has dropped from a 190/193 average to a 185 low. Weight loss was not the goal; it has always been fat loss.

And finally the comparison between Casey Butt’s, Your Muscular Potential, and where we’re at, at the end of the 2017 Power Macro;

	5’9” Average Joe (15% BF)	5’9” Mark Jennings (16 Sculpting)	5’9” Mark Jennings (17 Power)	5’9” Chiseled Athlete (10% BF)
Chest	38.7”	43.5	43	45.5”
Bicep	13.1”	15	14.5	16.7”
Forearm	12.1”	11.5	11.5	13.3”
Neck	15.3”	15.5	15.5	16.3“
Waist	33.5”	36	35	30.3”
Hips	41.0”	40	39	38.0”
Thigh	22.1”	24	23.5	24.8“
Calf	14.3”	15.5	15	16.4“
Torso Shape	Inverted V à	Rectangular à	Rectangular à	Positive V à

 

From the measurement standpoint you can see there was an improvement in the waist and hips, these dimension dropped. However, a reduction in size has impacted all areas. Again, the focus of the Power Macro was not losing weight or girth, just get stronger.

Endurance Macro Plan………….

For this year’s Endurance Macro, I will go to a 6 day lifting routine(s), lighter with more reps per set; go for the burn, work through the pain. This will mean faster out of the hole, e.g. explosive, with no more than 1-minute recovery periods between sets. The exercises will be focused on major muscle groups……chest, back, legs and extremities. I will be working ‘down the rack’ routines to failure.

	Week 1		Week 2		Week 3		Week 4
	AM	PM	AM	PM	AM	PM	AM	PM
Monday		Upper		Upper		Upper
Tuesday		Lower		Lower		Lower		Upper
Wednesday		Extrem		Extrem		Extrem
Thursday		Upper		Upper		Upper
Friday		Lower		Lower		Lower		Lower
Saturday	Extrem		Extrem		Extrem
Sunday		Rest		Rest		Rest

 

Type	Exercises
Upper	Main Show 1 – Weighted Pull Ups; 4 Sets X 2, 4, 6, 8 to Failure (Min TBD/set) Supplement Round 1 – Standing Land Mines, Straight Arm Pulls. Main Show 2 – Weighted Dips; 4 Sets X 2, 4, 6, 8 to Failure (Min TBD/set) Supplement Round 2 – Land Mine Rows, Rope Handle Heavy.
Lower	Main Show 1 – Front Squat; 4 Sets X 4, 6, 8 to Failure (Min 18 Reps/set)) Supplement Round 1 – Kneeling Back Squat; 4 sets X 8, Heavy Main Show 2 – Smith Hack Squats (Feet Forward) 4 Sets X 4, 6, 8 to Failure (min 18 Reps/set) Supplement Round 2 – Leg Curls 4 Sets X 8, Heavy
Extremity	Main Show 1 – Down the Rack Barbell Curls plus Bent Over Supplement Round 1 – More Curls, Heavy Main Show 2 – Standing Calf Raise/Toe Raise Supplement Round 2 – Seated Calf Raise

So after the first week, specifically the extremity workout, my calves were crying for 3 full days. Wow, were they that out of shape? As for Pull Ups and Dips, the additional weight really, really fatigues the hell out of you. I guess this is what I’m looking for…..maybe?

Summing It Up………….

When you can shift around your routine and feel the weaker muscles actually providing input to your routine, it makes you stronger overall. And if you can show progress in weight loss and strength gain, you are definitely gaining on that Last 10 Pounds.

 

MMJennings