Run fat boy, run

So the week before break I was having my regular mentor meeting with Pudgy Powers and like always we started arguing. This time it was over Jumbo's ability to run a 5k, I said it was impossible and he said he could run it backwards and sleeping, so we set a date, April 21st, where we would go for a five kilometer run together and I could laugh in his face when he couldn't do it. I may or may not have forgotten about it and no showed on Thursday leaving him by himself. I asked him if he ended up running without me and his exact words were "God no why would I ever do that." So today I'm hanging out with some buds in the library playing a fierce game of hangman and Super Size walks in talking smack. He's all "Where were you Thursday cupcake" "5k is nothing" "I haven't run is years because I'm fat and out of shape" you know regular trash talk he also made a few jokes at the expense of one of my teachers who shall not be named. I was starting to get upset because he thinks he can actually run 3.2 miles in one burst with no walking breaks or Burger King rest stops so I put down an official challenge if he can run a 5k I will give him 20 dollars. He upped the stakes by saying he could run it in 25 minutes, that's right the human blob said he could run 3.2 miles in 25 minutes, that's three straight 8 minute miles with an extra .2 added on for fun. This is a man whose diet consists of no breakfast, a double order of school lunch, and maybe some fast food for dinner, child please. So we set a date for Friday after school I told him to make it 6 o'clock because I need to get my lift in but our plans were foiled by the stupid Ithaca relays who think they are all that and can ruin a wager between an overweight out of shape AP and a fit and active young man. However my buddy Riley informed us of an actual 5k race that is going on this weekend and is timed and everything which will save me the effort of timing all three of his 16 minute miles, so that will be nice. But plus size Powers says he has things to do which is false unless he is getting gastric bypass surgery which might be a good option for him, but I am going to try and get him to do it because he really needs to start getting exercise or else he is going to die young, fat, and alone. I will update everyone on how badly he fails this task as soon as I can and if he pukes I will be sure to post pictures.

Spring Break

AW MAYNE it has been a while since I have done one of these. I apologize for the break in action but this has been a crazy week, I have been going H.A.M. for the last few days so it has been hard to update.

This week was odd because we didn't have school all week it was tougher for me to get into the weight room but I persevered and found ways to workout. The weight room was open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday early in the a.m. so I had to wake myself up to get in and workout. I made it down Monday and Friday but was unable to workout Wednesday morning Tuesday was a long night and I needed my sleep. On days where I couldn't lift it took it upon myself to get some exercise because I feel like a big fat fatty when I don't do anything so I made myself go running. For most people this isn't a huge deal but I HATE long distance running, it is one of my least favorite forms of exercise because is sucks. But I blocked out the hate of it on Tuesday, and Wednesday I laced up my sneakers, put my earbuds in and went running. There is a nice loop in my neighborhood that is about three miles, mostly uphill, and it takes me about 25 minutes to run that. The fact that I am so slow is also probably a big reason I don't like running. I was surprised that I was sore on Wednesday morning, my calves were tight and so were my quads but that also probably because Tuesday night was a hardcore rave, ask Mrs. Gergely she was there. Instead of going to the gym on Wednesday I went for another run and felt great right after. Once you start to get in better shape things like running aren't that bad and once you do it enough you start to like it. This happened to me with sprint I was forced to run so many for football that eventually I started to enjoy them and get better and better. So hopefully the same thing will happen with running, because running outside is way better than cardio inside, also you can do it at home instead of having to go to the gym.

I am excited for the upcoming week because it means I get to back to school and get back to my regular schedule which I prefer have. I like it when we have school because it helps me do the things I need that I would miss if I was at home.

Halfway update

I figured since the marking persiod just ended and we still have a little time left to work on our projects before the presentations are due I should do and update on what I am looking forward to doing for the rest of the year.

Unfortuanatly we only have something like 32 days of high school left, a bummer I know, and in those 32 days there is a lot to get done. I have to continue working on my WISE project, I have to keep dpoing work for other classes so I can graduate, keep your fingers crossed, and I have to get ready for my presentation at the end of the year. JP the AP has be hasseling me lately about getting my plan for the presentation ready so last Friday we got a basic outline filled out so I know what I'm looking to do. After beining in half of the english department we figured out we needed a creavie aspect of the presentation and I decided on making a powerpoint. Now I know my last English powerpoint didn't go so hot, mostly because I did it in about 20 minutes, but this one is going to be good I promise.

But before I can get to that point I still have to keep working on my project in order to get to the end result I want. There are a few thing left on me that I need to work on so in a short list here are most of them. First I need to keep working my shoulders hard. I have never really done shoulders as much as I should have but a little more than a month ago I realized this and started hitting them twice a week, Wednesdays and Fridays. I have noticed good strength gains since then which means they are growing, so I just have to keep it up. Next is I want to get rid of the remaining fat on my midsection. There is still  a patch of body fat that is covering my lowers abs and I want to get rid of that in order to bring out the definition of my abs and obliques. Third I want to widen out my lats. They are getting there but aren't as far along as I would like to see them. I need to focus more on standard grip pull ups for them to really start popping. Lastly I want to get more separation in my quads. They are starting to get cut up but I want them to get grainy and hard. I just need to keep my cardio up and frequent in order to get this. Pretty much what I need to do I keep my cardio high my calories low and my workouts intense. If I can get all three of these things right I should be in great shape when it is time for my presentation.

Red Flag

Hopefully this is my last red flag ever, I passed last week and the week before that I got a D which is passing so lets hope I'm done after this one.

How much time did you spend on your project this week?

This week I have spent eleven hours on my project. Nine of them being hands on and the other two doing research.

What did you do that was hands-on?

I picked things up and put them down. Also I moved heavy things from one place to another different place then moved it back again.

What research did you do?

  Research done this week was real. I ready a bunch of words about nutrition and High Intensity Training. I became very learned from this

Did you meet with your mentor?

Not yet but I am meeting with he who shall not be named on Friday.

Do you have at least three journal entries?

Yes I do.

Were you in class this week?

I was in class on Monday and will be there on Thursday.

How do you think your fulfillment of the requirements were this week?

My fulfillment of the requirements this week has been excellent. I have done a bunch of hands on work and have also done a bunch of reading  for my next research post which will be released soon.

What are your plans for next week?

Continue to on my path to fitness, like Goku when he is killed by Raditz in the first season of DBZ and then have to go to the after world and has to travel Snake way in order to train with King Kai and save the world from the Saiyan invasion. I'm pretty much Goku.

Class post

7 things I want to accomplish in the next week
1.) Lift five times
2.) Do cardio at least three times at 20 minutes each session
3.) On cardio off days make sure I am doing abs
4.) Learn at least one new lift or variation of a lift
5.) Continue trying H.I.T.
6.) Run outside at least once
7.)Keep going steady on my research

5 things I should talk to about my project
1.) Dr. Andrew Getson
2.) Personal trainer at Island Health and Fitness
3.) Norm
4.) Lou Ferrigno
5.) Arnold Schwarzenegger

3 things I should talk to my mentor about
1.) My end of WISE presentation
2.)The patented rules to prominence
3.) How to be a successful person

7 things I want or need to know more about
1.) High Intensity Training
2.) High Intensity Interval Training (It's different than High Intensity Training)
3.) Research on former and current bodybuilders
4.) Look up new exercises
5.) Fun easy nutritious meals
6.) Quick healthy snacks
7.) Shoulder workouts

Progress update 4/10/11

Well this is my second full progress update so far and I have to say that everything is going nicely. I am continuing to get leaner and leaner while my strength increases which means I am gaining muscle. The fat is coming off well and I am noticing major improvements all over the place.

 

I just took my body fat measurements and I am currently at 10% body fat which is great. I started the project at 14% so a loss of four points is huge. This feeling is very rewarding and lets me know all of my hard work is paying off.

My weight is currently at 182 the same as it was last month. I'm not very concerned about my weight not going down because what matters are the results in the mirror and those continue to show up. The reason my weight has maintained at 182 is while I'm losing body fat I am also gaining muscle.

So far I am very satisfied with my results but I am not completely happy. The project is going quicker than I had expected it to but that is a positive thing. Some things that have helped me the most so far have been dietary changes. I am not on a strict diet but when I am eating I think about what is in the food, if it is good for me, if it has too many carbs or not enough protein. Also bringing in my lunch has been a very good thing. Now I am able to rely on good nutritious food that I made to fill me up instead of changing, not always there school lunch. That has been great.

Powers patented rules to promonence

This has been the first regular meeting Red Hot Chili Powers and I have had in quite some time, like three weeks.  This one was notable because Donny Mills was out of town on Thursday and Friday leaving none other than J-Boogey in charge of the school. He ran that ish like a boss during those two days, so much so that President Obama gave him the key to the world over the weekend. It happened, I was there.

Rule #1 A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with bricks others have thrown at him.

This rule is along the lines of what doesn't kill you makes you stronger although getting rocked in the face with a brick would be a bummer. But once you get out of your coma and out of the hospital, go through rehab to learn how to walk again, and learn masonry no one can stop you.

Rule #2 The key to failure is trying to please everybody.

Failure and success are much closer than you would expect. All it takes to become one or the other is a few small things and trying to please everybody by spreading yourself to thin is a surefire way to fail. After a while you cannot keep up with the weight of everybody pulling at you and you are bound to rip.

Rule #3 The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people

This is one of Jabroni Jumpping Jarrets favorite rules, in fact he likes it so much that in the beginning of the year he gave Riley and I each a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" so we could become popular. It didn't work. But I got the message he was trying to send which was that if people like you and get along with you it makes everything easier and more things will go your way.

Rule #4 Don't confuse fame with success. Lindsy Lohan is one; Elizabeth Dole is the other.

Now adays it is so easy to become famous that you need no certain talent or ability, getting punched in the face or falling down is all it takes. So if you see a famous person don't assume they are successful because you never know they may have just been in the right place at the right time.

Rule #5 Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.

This is my favorite rule of the week mostly because it has to do with self determination and will power. The only thing holding you back is yourself all of the other reasons you give your self are excuses if you really want to do something there is no wrong just do it.

Red Flag

How much time did you spend on your project this week?

This week I have spent around 12 hours on my project this week.

What did you do that was hands-on?

Rippin' and tearin', muscle fibers that is. Also lots of cardio which is not very fun.

What research did you do?

I did tonz o research this week. I did research for my supplement post my post yesterday and for any upcoming post on nutrition that is in the works.

Did you meet with your mentor?

Not yet but I am meeting with The incredible AP on Friday.

Do you have at least three journal entries?

I think so, this might be my fourth. I'm not super sure and its way to much work to look it up.

Were you in class this week?

I was in class on Monday and will be there on Thursday.

How do you think your fulfillment of the requirements were this week?

My fulfillment of the requirements this week has been excellent. I have done the most research this week than ever before and am also posting about it more often.

What are your plans for next week?

To keep on keepin' on.

Backaggeddon

Today was back day and as you can see for the title it was a doozy. I started out like I always do with some pull up variations. I did a couple of sets of 15ish reps maybe a little more, not bad seeing as how when I started this project I was hitting four on a good day. Next I hit up some T-bar rows going with a pyramid of four sets each of eight reps going from one plate to two to three and finally four each with no rest in between. I did this pyramid three times total which was challenging. Next up was barbell rows with a wide grip in order to give more isolation to the lats. In order to go wider you have to drop the weight because you are isolating a muscle group making it weaker than if you were doing a more inclusive compound movement. Still I went heavyish making the last set difficult. Next on the list was standing upright rows. While the upright row is also a great shoulder exercise it is also great for targeting the traps. I did this for 5 sets of 12 with minimal rest. After this I was winded so I took a breather while I loaded up the bar for one of the most difficult lifts out there the hang clean. In stead of doing cleans straight through I like to vary it up so for my first set I did 12 reps of a basic clean. For my second set I did a progression, which consists of a shrug, a high pull, and a clean. I did that progression six times through. For my final set I did four power cleans from the ground. After this I was exhausted and had to take a quick break. Once I was back in action I did some shrugs a quick 4x8 which was surprisingly tough. I think it was the combination of being deep into my back workout and heavy weight that made it difficult but it sure was fun. Once I crossed off shrugs I was almost at the finish line, only one thing stood in my way, reverse flys. I quickly busted out four sets of eight and was done, except I decided to see if I couple preform any pull ups. I got two. So yeah I was pretty much exhausted. Once I got done with back I did some quick biceps, incline curls, alternating arms curls and some quick preachers nothing to wirte home about. Once I was done with the fun stuff I had to hop onto the elliptical to start burning away my excess calories. I spent twenty minutes on there and burned 250 calories almost exactly.

NO WHEY!!!!!

For the fitness enthusiast such as myself you know that while a solid diet cannot be supplemented there are things that you can add into your diet to assure you are meeting the requirements your body needs in order to do what it is you are asking of it. I am not a huge fan of all of these special supplements that the kids use these days that promise to "Get ripped fast" "Get huge" "SHREDDED SIX PACK AND LOTS OF BODY OIL" but that doesn't mean I am against all supplements. If you read any articles anywhere about supplements the first thing they will tell you is that you cannot replace a good well rounded diet and that is spot on. Without the basic nutrition building blocks you are throwing your money away. A good multi vitamin cannot replace eating fruits and veggies. Creatine can't make up for eating lucky charms for breatfast, pizza for lunch, and burgers for dinner. Without eating a wide variety of healthy foods you cannot get big and strong it is as simple as that. However if you eat your broccoli, pick a salad instead of fries, and consciously chose healthy foods filled with vitamins minerals and other good natural ingredients supplements can be a valuable asset for someone trying to improve themselves.

The reason I am bringing this up is because I recently spent some time (an hour and a half) on bb.com looking for some new protein powder. I was doing this because my tub is almost out and the price rose from 28 bucks to an outrageous 35 dollars and I was not having any of that so I spent the rest of my night looking for cheaper alternatives that fit my needs. I finally settled on SciVation whey, a ten pound jug for 70 bucks. I realized while I was buying it that I'm not actually saving any money than if I had stuck with my current powder but oh well variety is the spice of life. It can't hurt to try new things, especially from a trusted brand like SciVation. Also I had a coupon for 10% off and I saved money by not having to order two five pound containers sepratly so over all I saved about 15 dollars, not bad. Especially if I had gone to GNC or Vitamin World, I don't get why anyone would buy anything there, everything is marked up at least 20%, but thats a different story.

I only take three supplements they are whey, a multi vitamin, and creatine. I take Optimen by Optimum Nutrition which I find to be a very good mutli. For 24 dollars I get two months worth of pills which are very easy to take, three a day, and help to ensure that I am getting all of my vitamins and minerals that my diet my lack or help to make sure I go above and beyond my daily value of essential nutrients. The creatine I take is micronized creatine by Higher Power Nutrition. For 15 bucks I got 500 grams (great value) which will last me approxamatly 1000 years so if my math is correct that like a dollar a week! Amazing I know. Creatine is naturally produced by the body but not in lager amounts a good source is red meat but buying it is much more efficent and easier. What creatine does for the body is it aids in the production of ATP which I like the bodys gasoline required for movement and physical activity. While you exercise you use ATP for energy and eventually you run out the creatine lets you produce more and replenish lost ATP fast so you can do more work in less time leading to more muscle hypertrophy and eventually more gains. Also with extended use (2-6 weeks) it can make muscles harder, more defined and larger, which is always a good thing.

Time in regards to supplementation is vary important. Professional bodybuilders are meticulous about there dosage amounts and times because there is a best time for everything. I will avoid going into depth about feeding and fueling your body and save it for another post but will stick to the best times to take your supplements. For someone like myslef

Apon waking while you are eating your breakfast this is the best time to take your multi. Getting it in the morning is also easier to remember and will help ensure regularity which is key. Taking about 20-25 grams of protein beofre you lift is advised because it minimizes muscle lose while lifting and gives your body something to use immediatly to help repair fibers. Taking 5 grams of creatine with your protein is recommended because if helps provide your muscles with more energy which will enable you to train harder. Once you are done working out as soon as possible you should take around 50 grams of protein to aid with growth. Whey is ideal in this situation because it is absorbed very quickly. Also another 5 grams creatine will help in your recovery.

It's really late and I need my eight hours minimum in order to be at optimal levels tomorrow so I'm going to end it there and if there is anything I missed I will go back and address it in a later post.