Out of Office Reply

Hi,

I will be on vacation from Oct 1, 2009 until Oct 16, 2009. I will try to update by blog whenever I can and upload pictures should I be taking "bloggable" photos. But watch out for film photographs when I come back, I am bringing 5 rolls of film for my trusty old school film camera.

I am also hoping to continue my workouts despite being on vacation in a different country.

For concerns, gossip or general conversations leave messages in my blog or facebook page.

Thanks,

Allan

Fitness Log #12

Day 11: Sept 28, 2009

Squats - 5x5@70kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@40kgs

Deadlifts - 1x5@80kgs

Chin-ups - 3xF(15, 8, 6) @Bodyweight only

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

The workout sucked! In a good way... the weights are starting to add up and the exercises almost destroyed me. The mental aspect of trying to do the exercises properly is starting to manifest itself. There were times I wanted to quit, but good thing Jason was there so I couldn't chicken out.

Not exactly though... we chickened out on the 45kg OHP so we scaled it down to 40kgs. Our first set at 45kg was very hard and doing it for 4 more was going to be impossible.

Squats are definitely getting heavy, form may have been compromised a bit so we are sticking to that weight for now. Same thing with deadlifts.

Fitness Log #11

Day 10: Sept 25, 2009

Squats - 5x5@65kgs

Bench Press - 5x5@40kgs

Inverted Row - 3xF(20, 15, 15?) @Bodyweight only

Push ups - 3xF(40, 30, 20?) @Bodyweight only

Reverse Crunches - 3x12

Squats are definitely getting heavy. Form was compromised a bit, but still ok. Jason and I plan to go up to 70kgs next week and stay there for a while and keep good form before proceeding. 70kgs is approximately bodyweight for both of us anyway.

Patience on bench press again, still a bit light.

Minor change on the inverted rows, increased the height of the bar a bit making pulling my chest to the bar a little harder. I can't quite remember the number of reps I do for both the inverted rows and push-ups. Perhaps adding weight should be in order for the next workouts? I seem to be consistent enough in reps that additional weights can be a new challenge.

Fitness Log #10

Day 9: Sept 23, 2009

Squats - 5x5@60kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@40kgs

Deadlifts - 1x5@75kgs

Chin-ups - 3xF(15, 10?, 8?) @Bodyweight only

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

Performed all exercises with no shoes.... not because I wanted to but because I left them at home. I have read articles about the benefits of doing squats (and pretty much all exercises) barefoot. They actually felt great! I was firmly planted to the floor and easily performed the exercises. I was cautioned by the gym staff about being barefoot but only careless people get weights dropped on their feet. Besides if a 25Kg plate falls on your foot, do shoes matter?

I was a little overwhelmed with the OHP, I decided to jump the weight and match Jason (in fact I was supposed to do workout A). But it felt good, the weight was just on my limit (failure came at 5th rep on 4th and 5th set).

Yeng joined us and it is nice to find out how a girl matches up with the program. Her squats went fairly well (could probably improve on the form), same with the OHP. Deadlift form was good considering it was her first time. Forget about pullups though... hehehe

Milk intake is not as much as I would have expected, kinda slacking off a bit. But I make it a point to drink around 3 glasses a day.

Fitness Log #9

Day 8: Sept 21, 2009

Squats - 5x5@55kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@30kgs

Deadlifts - 1x5@70kgs

Chin-ups - 3xF(8, 6, 4) @Bodyweight only

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

Squats was not perfect but the weight was still not a problem so progress is still ok. OHPs where good, getting heavier now but still ok.

Deadlifts were better than before. 70kgs was easy, time to increase weight

I think I should have done pull-ups now instead of chin-ups... oh well.

Minimal milk intake for the day.... will drink a couple more glasses in a bit. I think I am growing a gut with this diet though, which is a little worrying... I don't want to look skinny-fat. I will stick with it for a month or so more and see what happens.

Additionally, while I get a decent workout (I do sweat and breathe heavy) I immediately feel that the workout was not 100% I am tempted to increase the intensity or add more exercises.

On a different note, I saw Des (former ARPT teammate again) and (Manyak) Danny texted me about an ADMU marathon (for athletes, alumni, etc only) on December 6 to celebrate Ateneo's 150 years. It's either a 3K or a 10K run... doesn't matter, I have enought time to train.

Fitness Log #8

Day 7: Sept 19, 2009

Squats - 5x5@50kgs

Bench Press - 5x5@35kgs

Inverted Row - 3xF(20, 15, 15?) @Bodyweight only

Push ups - 3xF(30, 20, 20?) @Bodyweight only

Reverse Crunches - 3x15

Again, squats felt excellent despite the beating I got from the yoga session. I'm up to 50kgs now and I'm very excited on going heavier... slowly of course

Bench press is still on the light side for me but I will stick with the progression for now. Have to keep my patience on this one.

Was not satisfied with my performance on the inverted rows and push ups. I think I could have done better on both. I guess this is where a good gym buddy comes in to push you further.

On another side note, live fire exercises finally pushed though with a few Oracle friends and my war buddies. Shot only a couple of mags and quite satisfied with my shots. I definitely would want to go back and shoot a few more rounds.

Fitness Log #7

A few days ago, I heard news that there was going to be a yoga/pilates/taichi session here at the office that was going to be instructed by a colleague of ours. While I have tried out a few sessions of such a class at my gym, it has been quite a while since I did any sort of stretching/balance routine I decided to join them.

I already knew that my flexibility and balance needed improving but this class reminded me of it. I was sweating and shaking through most of the poses and routines. At certain points I was actually just using my strength to get me through the tracks instead of focusing on the stretch and balance. Now my right oblique is a little sore, and my knee feeling weird from the stretches and poses. And I will still be continuing the Stronglifts 5x5 program later today... good luck to me.

In any case, I still plan to continue attending the classes as long as it is on offer (hey, its free and it fits my schedule). It should help me in the 5x5 program and my overall fitness. Strength, flexibility and milk... its the way to go.

Fitness Log #6

Day 6: Sept 16, 2009

Squats - 5x5@45kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@25kgs

Deadlifts - 1x5@70kgs

Chin-ups - 3xF(12, 8, 6) @Bodyweight only

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

Squats felt excellent on third set and onwards, I say I probably have gotten the technique pretty much covered. Weight is starting to get heavier so I'm excited for the next couple more weeks.

Overhead press will now increase by 5kgs per cycle, the weight right now is ok. Felt some weirdness on the left elbow but didn't bother me on the 4th and 5th set.

Might stick with 70kgs on the deadlifts, form might get compromised.

Left my daily allowance of milk, good thing there was leftovers here in the office. Will drink the rest before I sleep tonight.

On a different note, I saw Des (former ARPT teammate again) and (Manyak) Danny texted me about an ADMU marathon (for athletes, alumni, etc only) on December 6 to celebrate Ateneo's 150 years. It's either a 3K or a 10K run... doesn't matter, I have enought time to train.

Fitness Log #5

Day 5: Sept 14, 2009

Squats - 5x5@40kgs

Bench Press - 5x5@30kgs

Inverted Row - 3xF(20, 15, 10) @Bodyweight only

Push-ups - 3xF(30, 30, 20) @Bodyweight only

Reverse Crunches - 3x12

Getting a little heavy on the squats now, nice thing is that I feel good about squatting deep. Knees still bother me a little, proper warm up next time out is probably in order. Bench press was boring, I'm used to going heavier with more reps but again form is the key and I concentrated on the chest working more than the triceps.

Need more work on the Inverted rows, drop in power is evident after first and second sets. I might need to push more on the pushups despite getting decent numbers, I could have pushed to 35/40 on the first set.

On the GOMAD side, I am now a little more comfortable in finishing an entire liter of milk a day. Might consider bumping up consumption next week.

Fitness Log #4

Day 4: Sept 11, 2009

Squats - 5x5@35kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@22.5kgs

Deadlifts - 1x5@65kgs

Pull-ups - 3xF(14, 8, 6) @Bodyweight only

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

Personal Note: I will not workout in ABS-CBN ever again (well not while doing 5x5). They don't have olympic bars.... and I mean not a single one. So all the number above should be taken with a grain of salt as I didn't know the weight of the bar and had to compensate with additional weight.

My knee was feeling pretty weird recently, with some form of discomfort on all parts of my right leg (from calves to butt), so I opted to wear my knee brace during the workout. Everything felt good, except for the approximation of weight, also learned a few crucial lessons in doing the exercises.

For squats, avoid letting the knees from spreading apart and concentrate. For Pull-ups, lead with the chest.

On the GOMAD side, went to the grocery for my weekly supply of milk (consumed approximately 500ml as of now, will drink more before going to bed). Aside from the milk I also bought a bunch of goodies: lychee jelly, chocnut, choco coins, flat tops and choco frosties cereal. These will be my stash at work :)

Fitness Log #3

Day 3: Sept 10, 2009

Squats - 5x5@30kgs

Bench Press - 5x5@25kgs

Inverted Rows - 3xF (15, 12, 8?) Bodyweight

Push-Ups - 3xF(20+, 15, 10?) Bodyweight

Reverse Crunches - 12,10,8

Early solo workout, was at the gym at 6am. Had Mickey-D's for breakfast.

Decided to add 5kgs instead of normal 2.5kgs, I could handle the weight and form was not compromised. Zoned out for a bit, was probably still sleepy.

Bench press was very light for me, concentrated on the form more to get the most of it, will continue to add 5kgs everytime same as squats.

Inverted rows was also new to me, it was a bit painful on the palms, but relatively quite ok.

Could probably have pushed more on push ups from 20+ on first set to 10? on the last is pathetic.

Abs still hurt, probably from all the exercises engaging the core. Form could improve as number of reps.

Finished 250ml of milk after workout. Bought another liter of milk for the day's consumption.

Lesson learned: NO FUCKING EXCUSES! I could have concentrated and pushed more on the exercises (squats, rows and pushups). Lack of workout partner should NOT hinder progress. Early workout not an excuse. Need to eat more and drink lots of water for recovery.

Personal reminder: NO FUCKING EXCUSES! Will go drink water now...

Fitness Log #2: Day 2

Day 2: Sept 8, 2009

Squats - 5x5@25kgs

Overhead Press - 5x5@20kgs

Deadlifts - 5x1@60kgs

Chin-ups - Bodyweight only. 3xF(15, 12, 10?)

Prone Bridges - 3x30sec

Felt good on form and weight on squat. Overhead press was new to me, but felt good as core also engages when pressing. Jason and I made a mistake on the Deadlifts, should have been 1 set of 5 reps, form was ok though and weigh was good. Chin-ups were ok as well, with Jason spotting on last few reps.

Started GOMAD, failed to finish 1L of milk. Stomach not used to ridiculous amounts of milk. Still need to eat more on top of that.

Fitness Log #1: Day 1

They say that a fitness log will keep you on the chosen path of fitness, and after searching the internet on the effectivity of the Stronglifts 5x5 program I must say I am impressed. Therefore I introduce you to my Fitness Log series.

You should expect the following details everytime I post one:

1. Done after every workout or physical activity.

2. Details of workout

- Includes sets, reps, weights

3. Diet

- Highlights on food intake only (number of times and approximate volume)

4. Should include pictures. Front, back and side.

- Done as soon as I wake up every morning of every workout day (for consistency)

- No flexing of muscles. Standing tall (ie chest out a little)

5. Thoughts on any of the above item

These should give me no excuses in deviating from the "Plan" and the "Goal".

So let's get started! Unfortunately I am starting late, so no pictures yet just details and thoughts.

Day 1: Sept 3, 2009

Pseudo start to 5x5. It was actually a leg day workout from my previous program but performed full squats and deadlifts as per 5x5 requirements.

Squats - Forgot the sets and reps, but went deeper that I normally did. Last set was 60kgs partial squats (but deeper than 'normal') at approximately 8 reps

Deadlifts - Last set was 50 (or 60) kgs at 6 reps

Leg Press - 12@100kgs, 10@140kgs, 10@160kgs

Box jumps - 12@18inches. Sample for Jason/Manny only

Chin-ups/Pull-ups - Bodyweight only. Showed Jason tecnique and proper spotting only.

Initial though was it was not a good workout. Ivan, Jason, Topeng, Daryl, Manny and I were rotating on the squats and deadlifts part. Took too much time with not enough lifting. Got a good feeling during the leg press, hence the increasing weights. Had a decent pump after the chin/pull-ups session though.

Legs felt beat for the next few days, therefore deciding to do Stronglifts 5x5 using full squats and concentrating on form rather than weight.

Going Mad

As per the website shared by Ivan, I am now starting the GOMAD diet. It stands for Gallon Of Milk A Day. And yes it is mad.

So today, in fact after publishing this entry, I will drink my first liter. I'm starting with 1 liter of milk a day and progress to a gallon so that my digestive system has time to react with the sudden influx of lactose.

I, along with Jason (and Yeng?), will go serious on the 5x5 workout from the same website. It starts slow but should increase my overall strength in time. I hope this routine works.