*Ten Weeks of Roasting and Grilling* Filet's AF 10-Week Challenge

[Lumberjack5.0]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

Thanks a lot! I think that is the case, muscle is def gained slowly but surely, at the same time fat is dropping slowly but surely.



And how is your new meal plan coming along?

You have extremely high standards For someone who was not fat to begin with to lose that much weight and still gain ANY muscle is awesome. Read that again and be happy

You didn't do some dumbass starvation diet, where all you lost is water/muscle. And you didn't do some dumbass no-lifting, treadmill-only routine where you lost muscle; you did it right.

My mealplan has been effective thus far, but it needs fine-tuning. Basically I've been making the vast majority of my own meals. But I'm not measuring anything. The next phase will involve <gasp> planning and calorie counting.

[SFork]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

Thanks for stopping by! I will keep working....Here are some cliches and reflections that never fail to help me as trite as they may be:

1.Staying consistent is key to success.
2. Discipline is the tool for consistency and constancy that ultimately culminate in whatever you tag as "success," i.e., reaching your personal goals. Discipline is something our parents were supposed to cultivate in us, so our ability to be disciplined is a great reflection of how successful our parents were as parents, but only to a point. Once you are a grown-up, you can't make excuses with the shortcomings of your rearing. You have to take responsibility and work on cultivating what may be dormant or has never been cultivated in you.
3.Giving up is always the easy way out.
4.Losing focus and motivation, if not reversed quickly, are the first signs for your downfall and failing to achieve your goals.

So, keep a paper journal if you have to, if "mental journal" is not sufficient:
--Find what makes you loose focus and motivation
--Find what makes you gain focus and motivation
--Put them on an imaginary battle field and see who wins and why; take a note of your thought process

No one likes defeat, and losing an easy battle is always a good way to get pissed off at yourself So, get pissed at yourself rather than feel sorry for yourself

Michael Jackson has allegedly spent 200,000 on a motivational guru recently. I don't have $$$ for motivational gurus... I'd rather spend my $$$ on chicken breast and be my own guru

But volunteer motivational gurus are ALWAYS welcome

What helps me eat right when I am home on a day off from the gym is wearing my favorite gym cloths around the house. What I helps me eat right when I am out... I always eat right when I am out.

Damn this got me all pumped up to wear my workout clothes around the house. Oh wait, I already am...

Good job staying motivated! When we going to see some updated pics?

[FiletMignon16oz]

Originally Posted by SaladFork

Damn this got me all pumped up to wear my workout clothes around the house. Oh wait, I already am...

Good job staying motivated! When we going to see some updated pics?

No pics until the end of the challenge, which is in about a month
When exactly is the HH challenge over--I need to check that.

[SFork]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

No pics until the end of the challenge, which is in about a month
When exactly is the HH challenge over--I need to check that.

6 weeks left~

[*Bunny*]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

No pics until the end of the challenge, which is in about a month
When exactly is the HH challenge over--I need to check that.

End of the Day January 5th will be 10 full weeks.

[Kano]

Keep it up. You can do it !!!!!!!!!!!

[FiletMignon16oz]

Good diet today. (althought was able to slip in two really nasty hershey kisses from a batch that someone "generously" left for grabs at work

Good shoulder and triceps workout.
(Note: BTN 45 lb bar next time??; short+2x5)

12/01/2008

Cal. 1,457 (165 g protein; 140 g carbs)

39/32/29

[FiletMignon16oz]

I love this video:

YouTube - Mikhail Koklyaev

[itsallgenetics]

videos are a great way to motivate yourself

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/02/2008

Cal. 1,434 (152 g protein; 105 g carbs)

43/29/28


WO: quads (hack squat 25+5+5(x2)... and leg extensions 90-75-60x1x5-7) (was in the gym for 45 min); adductor (70)

Some cool ideas

T-Nation.com | Exercises You've Never Tried #13

The Fit Show Season Three

[FiletMignon16oz]

I had an Eureka moment: I need to build strength before I try to gain mass...

Am I wrong? I've got to try something...I just don't feel strong enough, ligaments, joints the whole thing. Trying the hypertrophy road without that, calls for the emergency room and a painful old age...I am either joining a cross fit gym or doing something on my own first, but need to figure out something. It's like building a house...You can't mess around with the base. A friend recommended getting in touch with this guy...So, I don't know about separation by X-mas...But there will be some more strength building. I will probably talk to my oly girl when I see her. Seems more credible than some person I've never met...

Core program • SpiderStamina.com

All these % ages and calculations, that seems really burdensome for a ....25 minute workout! This guy is all natural freak...Never goes above 5% of BF.

[Lumberjack5.0]

The info provided is pretty good IMHO. That seems like a lot of volume/workload; if you implement that plan be very careful to start low and build. Also, it may alter your caloric needs.

My vote: talk to your Oly coach But I'm heavily biased.

BTW, I'm of the opinion that strength gains and hypertrophy are very closely related. The best stimulus for growth is to add weight to your lifts incrementally over a period of time. Of course, here again diet matters; strength can increase via neural adaptation (basically, improving the efficiency with which your body fires the muscles). So if you're dieting to lose fat, you may gain strength yet not see much in the way of hypertrophy.

It's quite a balancing act

Also, your connective tissue will strengthen along with your muscles. Give it a couple months of consistent lifting and I would guess that you'll feel better. Again, start slow and build to avoid problems. It's said that muscles gain strength more quickly than tendons adapt to that strength. There are things you can do for sore ligaments. I am a fan of prehab, which is a technique used to flush your joints with lactic acid. This has restorative properties. To prehab, you perform a single-joint exercise with a light weight till your muscles BURN with lactic acid -- usually 50+ reps. I like tri pushdowns for elbows, and db raises for shoulders.

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/03/2008

This is what my diet should never look like:

Cal. 2,202
Fat: 111.6
Carbs: 115.2
Protein: 140.7

26/20/45/9

Did some high volume workout including pull throughs, the predecessor (hopefully) of pull ups (legs are resting on a big ball while I am trying pull my torso up on a barbell placed on the squat rack, ghetto reverse hypers in 3 alternative locations of my gym one of which was a massage table. Can't wait to wake up so I can eat 2 eggs and 1 cup of egg whites and then eat clean for the rest of the day. I am starving but given my caloric intake today from the Choco Fest , I can't eat anything. At least I know that I want to add a new snack item:

cocoa beans....Deliciously amazing and brown!

The Alchemist's Notebook - Cocoa Beans

I want to make my own, real, chocolate mass from scratch some day (a bet it is a lot easier than gaining muscle mass).

[FiletMignon16oz]

My new sweetener. Given that splenda and the like are pure poison, I am going with this if I am dying to put a sweetener in my coffee.

Glycemic Testing of Agave Nectar

[FiletMignon16oz]

You may think you are eating yams but think again....

The Sweet Potato vs. Yam Debate on “Weekend America” (which one do you use?) : Zoe Bakes

(This chef, Zoe, makes amazing cakes and the most incredible wedding cakes. Thank God she lives in Minneapolis because I am in love with her cakes.)

The difference is huge because the GI index of sweet potatoes is medium and that of yams is low.

Yam's GI= 37; Sweet Potato's GI=61; Glycemic Load 13 and 17, respectively.

I think I am going to stick with pumpernickle bread at GI 41 and GL 5.

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/04/2008

Cal. 1,504 (proteins 154 g; carbs 149 g)

36/34/30

Rest

[Elle]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

Reality check: I am not training for the Olympics
This is more for fun and other benefits....no hard plans of any sort whatsoever.

I totally understand where you are coming from. I really only consider myself my only competition. Most of all that's what this challenge is helping me with.

If we keep going at this for a loooong time, like years, that is when we'll really enjoy the benefits! I've changed a ton in a year but you're right, it's just chipping away every day making the right choices one at a time.

It's tedious but worth it, huh?

Good job.

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/05/2008

Cal. 1,402 (133 g protein; 107 g carbs)

39/29/22

Oly lifting

[FiletMignon16oz]

Cool Link. The table in green makes a neat shopping list:

The Glycemix Indexes Table


Chickpea and Turnip Stew with Ethiopian Spices | Fatfree Vegan Kitchen

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/06/2008

Oly Weightlifters recycle 4 main exercises over and over. That way, catabolism is prevented and the adaptation is achieved in the most efficient way for their purposes. Until the mid 70s, the lifters lifted in the realm of 60 tons per day (60,000 kg cumulatively poundage). The coaches were not happy with the results, so they switched to less volume, slower speed, but more weight, closer to the max, and the results were tremendous. Their am training consists of (not sure if I translate this correctly) snatch-clean-snatch; their pm routine is clean-snatch-clean. Now, the lifters lift between 5 and 6 tons per day (5,000-6,000 kg) (10,000 decrease in total poundage).


Oly lifter DO NOT USE THE DEAD LIFT in their training routine.


Adrenalin is major part of the chemical formula of getting big and gaining stregth. Thus, training in a highly motivational environment is HUGE for gains purposes. Simulated competitions--> a huge part of Oly lifters training!!!


YouTube - Norik & James: Two Distinct Styles of Lifting

[Big Sky Guy]

Hmmm...your personal conclusion should be FUN TO WATCH!

[itsallgenetics]

Originally Posted by FiletMignon16oz

12/06/2008

I had no clue that the Bulgarian Oly Weightlifters recycle 4 main exercises

Personal Conclusion: working out in small outfits at the gym=many guys staring at you, naturally drawn audience=more adrenaline=huge gains=MUST TRY!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Raw footage of explosive power:

YouTube - Bulgarian Weightlifters in Sicily

Now compare. This is a cool video because it has slow mo and it really shows what's going on:

YouTube - Norik & James: Two Distinct Styles of Lifting

hahahha pics?

[FiletMignon16oz]

I wear comfy cloths in the gym and don't like the looks much. Unless it's hot, I don't find I need to wear little gym cloths

[itsallgenetics]

what happened?!

[FiletMignon16oz]

12/06/2008

Body weight 131 lb

Went to a X-mas party and was super good. Ate hummus, snap peas, tomatoes, and broccoli. I didn't feel even the slightest temptation to eat other junk but still...

Call 1,277 (carbs 103.0; protein 116.8)

36/32/32

Did rehab (shoulder/quads) and overhead routine per V. with rubber bands