Endurance, Endurance, Endurance………….

So how does this year’s version of the Endurance Macro stand up to the previous two years………..instead of heart pounding out of breath aerobic anaerobic supersets, the 2017 Endurance Macro is a lot more anaerobic, going for the pump, target muscle fatiguing sets. Will they work as envisioned, only time will tell? In my quest for the perfect fat fighting, love handle blasting, improved strength and living healthy exercise routines, that goal of gaining on The 10 Pounds is as always just within reach!

 

This year, instead of grinding out super sets of opposing or complimenting exercises, it is strictly down the rack……..work to almost failure, ditch weight and keep going. Like drop sets but 3 to 4 bouts of the same exercise. For example, front squats start out at 195 X 2, then drops to 145 X 4 and then 95 X 6. This gives me a 12 rep set with a mean density loading of 128 lbs per rep. This is a bit greater than what we saw during the last Sculpting Macro (126 lbs/rep) but lower than what we saw during Power Macro (185 lbs/rep). The difference comes in form of more reps at a medium weight……e.g. the pump. And yes, there is a definite pump…..lots of lactic acid…work through the discomfort. And I have set a new front squat PR this last month; 2 reps at 205, WOW! The goal is to increase the total number of reps, go to a 4^th set or increase total weight. Any of these will increase density.

 

I’m not sure if any of this improves endurance, but I’m calling it that anyway (LOL)!

 

Reestablishing The Vision…………

Every now and then, one must recalibrate their vision or goal. For years, my goal has been achieving ‘normal’. Call it overachieving or what have you, I have reached and exceeded that goal. Lately, my goal(s), my vision has become a bit fuzzy……..do I continue to just manage normal, do I continue on the path of being in really, really good shape for my age or do I work on other aspects of physique and conditioning? I am not really interested in competing against others or collecting compliments from my peers, although the ego boost is phenomenal. As I get older, I have become more concerned with general health, joint flexibility and keeping my innards as healthy as my outer appearance. How can this be accomplished? What is the secret to aging well? What is the definition of fitness over 60?

If you listen to XM radio, I am sure you have heard of Doctor Radio. During one of their guest sessions, there was Dr. who stated that heavy lifting should be avoided. Long distance running should be avoided. I disagree, I think you should challenge yourself and lift as heavy as you are physically able too, run as far as you are capable of. I am NOT talking competition power lifting; I am talking about a challenging weight. I am not talking about daily marathons; I am talking about a quick jog around the block, a 5K every few days. If you are over 60 and at a ‘normal weight’, you should be able to squat and press your own body weight, e.g. squeeze out a few reps for a set or two, at least one workout during the week. Again, if you are at a ‘normal weight’, you should be able to run a couple of miles or at least make it up several flights of stairs without heaving for breath. At 60 plus, it’s recovery from the intensity, from overreaching, at ‘any weight’, that limits your ability. Making yourself sick or overdoing anything in an unprepared state is damaging. I personally cycle heavy with lighter and take that fourth week off to allow sufficient recovery. I have changed my running style and goals to allow my ‘niggly’ hip issues from impacting my cardio health. What I have learned in the last two years, macro cycling my workouts? You need that fourth week off……..no matter how old you are; 20 or 60, or what shape you’re in, it doesn’t matter. Recovery allows you to continue and improve. And while we are on that subject; old doesn’t mean death. I have been seeing a 10-fold increase in the number of runners in the morning on my way to work, older runners, thin and……not so thin, outside getting into the action. I like to see that; it means people are taking fitness seriously……..older people trying to improve their health, no matter what Dr. Radio says. However, there is one caveat, if you are NOT at a ‘normal weight’, you need to diet down and lose the flab before you start lifting heavy or pounding the pavement. You need to ride a bicycle, join a gym and use the elliptical or stair master if you are overweight, you need to get to a ‘normal weight’ or your journey may end sooner than you think.

The new vision……be strong, be healthy, be an example to others as to how a 60 plus year old can manage health and………look like an Adonis (LOL).

With this new vision, I need to update my original Blog, the entry that started it all, A Book Is Judged By Its Cover…………(LOL)

Weight Loss……………

As stated in my last entry, I had noted the scale drifting on a negative slope. In the last few weeks the weight loss has substantially slowed or at least the dramatic change has subsided. In a 3month period, went from 193 to 182. I was thinking that it was the change in supplements; specifically, the Magnesium or the additional vitamin D. To see where we’re at, I stopped all supplements the 3^rd week of June. I will wait for my weight to stabilize or start to increase, then one at a time, reintroduce my base supplements…….starting with just fiber and working my way through the list until I bump into the one that is causing the weight shift.

I’m thinking it’s the magnesium actually, it has a tendency to ‘clean you out’ and that has been an issue most recently. The fiber supplement keeps you regular but the magnesium just liquefies everything……it pulls a tremendous amount of water into your colon…..I’m wondering if the 10 pound delta is really just water weight. However, I won’t know until I go through the sequence. I will keep you posted on this front.

Old Friends…………

I was invited to dinner on the last day of June; one of the managers that I had worked for in Taiwan was in town. I have not seen this individual since 2015; his name is Gerry Orazem. This guy has one of those personalities that whatever pops into his mind comes out of his mouth. After the handshakes and hugs Gerry gives me the once over and the first thing he says is; “damn Jennings, you look good, really good!”. Yes, over 60 doesn’t mean you have to have a pot belly, chicken legs and clothesline arms…….you can still attain and manage a proportioned physique, an inspiring physique, one that draws compliments and sets an example. This encounter is an example of the new vision……maybe.

And at the little Club 24 gym I go to, one of the regulars (Steve), that also spends considerable time in the squat rack, was teasing me about my gloves…..yep those dear skin garden gloves….. and made the comment; ‘dainty protected hands with the body of a rock’…..WOW! Two ego boosters in a month.  

Vince Gironda 8X8 Sets…………..

During my recovery weeks I still hit the gym at least 2 or 3 days and generally just limit the time and loading. I found that if I slack off on the fundamental motion(s) of the exercises associated with a particular macro, I start to stiffen up. Squats are a good example…….I need to get into the position, get stretched to manage a good return to the exercise the following week. This last recovery week, to keep my front squats up to par, I completed a bout of 8X8’s (8 reps for 8 sets) with nothing more than a 30 second rest between sets. The loaded weigh was 125, pretty much the same as weight as the mean density weight I have been training with; minus 3 pounds. So immediately after 64 reps in approximately a 10 minute period, you will be breathing hard, your heart will be pounding and your body will be fatigued. This is a great alternative to the ‘down the rack’ routines I have been fussing with during this Endurance Macro.

These 8X8’s are another of Vince’s secrets to burning the fat and shaping the body. I will probably include these in the next Sculpting Macro.

 

Be Good, Be Well and Gain on that Last 10 Pounds.

 

MMJennings