# XFatMan going to < 15% body fat ...



## XFatMan (Dec 26, 2007)

*General*

I consider myself a beginner without any sound knowledge. My idea is to post what I???m doing, get some feedback from people who know more than I do and then adjust my plan accordingly. So please, feel free to criticize. All your suggestions are welcome.

*My Goal*

My goal is to reduce my body fat percentage from currently 22.2% (December 21, 2007) to anything below 15% by June 30, 2008. 

*Diet*

My diet is so simple that it hurts and starts from scratch. I have taken out most if not all junk food, so it???s comparatively clean. I will slowly dial into the diet and begin with 14 calories per pound of bodyweight during my off week (December 24 ??? December 30). To ensure that my body can???t adjust to a given number of calories, I will use a complex zigzag method. At this point, I won???t even mention macronutrients as I need to get this simple diet going first. 

*The Workouts*

I???ll be doing three full-body workouts per week with different exercises for each workout. Since I want to stick to the same workout routine until June 2008, I have based my choice of exercises mainly on preference. They???re mostly compound exercises that will allow me to work the entire body each workout.

The number of repetitions varies. One week I???ll do 4 ??? 6 repetitions and 9 ??? 12 repetitions the following week. 

The number of sets varies even more. If I can do the minimum number of planned repetitions without reaching technical failure, I will add another set. Otherwise, I???ll go to the next exercise or hit the locker room. There will be one week off for each six weeks training.

Workout 1

Barbell Overhead Press
Chest Dips
Bent-Over Barbell Rows
Close Grip Bench Press
Barbell Squat

Workout 2

Lateral Raises
Flat Bench Barbell Press
Pull Ups
Barbell Curls
Barbell Deadlift

Workout 3

Barbell Upright Row
Inclined Bench Barbell Press
Straight Leg Deadlift
Dumbbell Lunges
Hanging Leg Raises

*Cardio*

I???ll be doing cardio every day except on Sundays. It would be fine if I could lose one pound per week, which means that I need to create a 3500-calorie deficit per week.

Walking is my preferred cardio exercise. Since I hate walking on treadmills, my cardio will be done outside. If I can???t go walking for any reason or if time is very short, I will jump rope in the gym. I will do as much cardio as necessary to get to my 3500-calorie deficit per week. During off weeks, I will reduce my calorie intake so I can maintain my weight ??? or almost so ??? with only 30 minutes cardio per day.

*Measurements*

I don???t care much for measurements. But others love them, so they???ll go here. Most if not all measurements will go down due to the currently high body fat percentage and some muscle loss on the way. I don???t really care because I prefer to measure things by looking into the mirror. And I believe that you should take measurements seriously only if you have reached a decent body fat percentage, something like 12% for men.

Neck 15.7 in.
Biceps (not flexed) 13.6 in.
Forearm 11.4 in.
Chest 41.7 in.
Waist 34.8 in.
Hips 38.0 in.
Thigh 22.8 in.
Calf 15.2 in.
Body Weight 172.2 lbs.
Body Fat Percentage 22.2%
Fat Weight 38.2 lbs.

*Supplements*

I strongly believe that most supplements are rubbish. However, I will try out anything at least once. If it???s useful, I???ll recommend it.

Creatine works fine if you take it correctly. But it makes only sense to me when you???re bulking. That won???t happen so soon, I guess.

Something that I can really recommend is ZMA. It gives you some weird dreams at the beginning, but they disappear after a couple of days. ZMA makes you sleep better and consequently you???re more relaxed and recover faster.

The best fat loss supplement I know is the Brazilian herb Guaraná. Native Brazilian tribes use this herb to treat obesity. It also makes you more alert and boosts your power. Just take care that you don???t take it with Coke or alcohol ??? unless you don???t want to sleep for the next two or three days. Since I???m living in Brazil, this is one is pretty cheap, 50 grams cost about $2 and is good for about a month. It doesn???t really dissolve in water and the taste is truly horrible, but I really want to lose some extra fat.

That???s it for now. Next post will be after my first workout on December 31, 2007.


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## XFatMan (Dec 31, 2007)

*Week 1*
Monday, December 31, 2007:

First off, I have started drinking a good amount of water. As a rule of thumb, I???m drinking one oz. per pound of bodyweight. The funny thing is that on the first day, it seemed so horribly difficult. On the second day, it was easy. For the first time in ages, I felt thirsty ??? after having drunk 176 oz. of water. Hello, anybody got that? Aw c???mon, I???m really not kidding.

My weight went up and down during the Christmas week, but that didn???t surprise me much. With mainly light to moderate cardio and no lifting, 14 calories per pound of bodyweight was slightly above maintenance for me. From Thursday on, I was on 13 calories per pound of bodyweight to limit the damage a little, and the weight went down again.

I???ll start my 6-month program with 12 calories per pound of bodyweight. That should bring good results right from the beginning. Since I have finally bought a speed rope, I will do more rope jumping than walking. The reason is that right now, one hour walking would burn off 480 calories ??? 2 x 20 minutes rope jumping would burn off about 640 calories.

Before I begin, let me list my new measurements. All of them are taken daily and averaged over the past week. For the sake of simplicity, I???ll list only the ones that have changed.

Chest 41.5 in. (-0.2 in.)
Waist 34.6 in. (-0.2 in.)
Hips 37.8 in. (-0.2 in.)
Body Weight 174.3 lbs. (+2.1 lbs)
Body Fat Percentage 21.9% (-0.3%)
Fat Weight 37.4 lbs. (-0.8 lb)

Workout 1 (4 ??? 6 repetitions)

Barbell Overhead Press (6, 6, 6, 3)
Weighted Chest Dips (6, 3)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows (6, 6, 6, 5, 3)
Close Grip Bench Press (6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 4, 3)
Barbell Squat (6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 3)

I have managed to establish a new 1 RM for each of the exercises done today.

Cardio: Rope Jumping (20 x 30 seconds at about 100 rpm, 30 seconds rest) in the morning. It???s pretty exhausting, even more so after 6 sets of squats. I need to build a basic condition first before I go into higher speeds. My goal is to get to 200 rpm. Since the gym is closed in the afternoon, I have planned to walk for 30 minutes.


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## XFatMan (Dec 31, 2007)

I have canceled my afternoon cardio because Johnny-Come-Quickly has paid me a visit. I'm just happy it came up - or down if you will - after my squats this morning. Squatting with the runs ain't that funny, right? So I thought before I get into the *Gone With The Winds *thing, I'd better stay home - at least for today.


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## katt (Dec 31, 2007)

Good choice ... lol    


Happy New Year!


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## Biggly (Dec 31, 2007)

Sounds like you've got a good plan there!

You say you want feedback, yes? Couple of points - first I'm curious how you come to such high calories for walking? 

The formula I use in my software, 174lbs x 60 mins, comes out to 365 calories? 480 would be a 'speed walk'. May I ask what formula you're using?

You say you are not keen on measurements until already lean - but I find them most motivating when NOT lean, as you can glow over your progress and differences are easy to measure. In contrast the difference between say 15% and 14% bodyfat is much trickier!

I'm sure I could nitpick on some other points but not really, sounds like a great system for all-round development, including cardio health.

I'll be watching closely 


B.


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## XFatMan (Dec 31, 2007)

Hmm, how I got to those number of calories? Here: Bodybuilding.com - 600 Exercises: How Many Calories Are You Burning? And yes, that kind of walking is like walking as fast as I can. I put the weight in using Kg, perhaps a conversion thing. Most people convert Kg to lb by multiplying by 2.2 - but it's actually closer to 2.3.

Well, if you can nitpick on some other points, let me hear. I am eager to learn.


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## Biggly (Dec 31, 2007)

Well not a nitpick but a question - you say you're going down to 12 cals pr lb of bodyweight - are you referring to gross bodyweight or lean mass?

At lean mass that would be about 1650, which will feed the mass you have while starving the fat cells. Pretty extreme though if going for 6 rep lifting. However at 174 x 12 we're talking 2088, which may be a little high for ripping, may be a little low for heavy lifting. You might want to try a mid-point, say 1900 - but the important bit is what kind of lifestyle do you lead?

For me, keyboard potato, I need to either go below 2000 or serious low carb to cut fat, as an average. If you're walking around a lot at work or performing physical labor you could easily be needing 400 or 500 more. 

OK maybe I am nitpicking but to me "12 calories per lb of bodyweight" seems a tad simplistic. Your body composition and lifestyle could make a big impact on that. I did notice you'd already tried 13 but was that working out in the same way?

Not a criticism, just curious. As I said to someone earlier, if you're changing something it's best to change one thing at a time. If you're changing your workout AND your calories it can get muddy fast.

For example if the workout system doesn't work out (I love saying that..) is it because the system is poor for you - or because you reduced your calories?

Don't get me wrong, you're already putting 60% more thought into it than the average gym rat and I think you're going to get good results. I just like to tinker and improve stuff 


B.


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## NordicNacho (Dec 31, 2007)

workout looks solid the only thing I world do different for myself

is add

HIT Sprints

and I love epedra on a cut it just makes it so much easier for me

I did this work out for a while and it worked great for me

TESTOSTERONE NATION - Real Fast Fat Loss


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## XFatMan (Jan 1, 2008)

Biggly said:


> Well not a nitpick but a question - you say you're going down to 12 cals pr lb of bodyweight - are you referring to gross bodyweight or lean mass?



The number of calories refers to my bodyweight, not lean weight ??? that would be much too hefty for the start. 



Biggly said:


> At lean mass that would be about 1650, which will feed the mass you have while starving the fat cells. Pretty extreme though if going for 6 rep lifting. However at 174 x 12 we're talking 2088, which may be a little high for ripping, may be a little low for heavy lifting. You might want to try a mid-point, say 1900 - but the important bit is what kind of lifestyle do you lead?



The number of calories I have chosen is a good starting point and I will adjust it according to how successful it is. I don???t want to lose much more than one pound per week. I have six months to get to my goal, that???s probably enough.



Biggly said:


> OK maybe I am nitpicking but to me "12 calories per lb of bodyweight" seems a tad simplistic. Your body composition and lifestyle could make a big impact on that. I did notice you'd already tried 13 but was that working out in the same way?



At 14 calories per pound of bodyweight, I was gaining weight - and I was doing cardio. At 13 calories per pound of bodyweight, I was losing a little due to the cardio I was doing. 13 calories per pound of bodyweight is my maintenance point, so I can start at something slightly lower without being too harsh.



Biggly said:


> Not a criticism, just curious. As I said to someone earlier, if you're changing something it's best to change one thing at a time. If you're changing your workout AND your calories it can get muddy fast.
> 
> For example if the workout system doesn't work out (I love saying that..) is it because the system is poor for you - or because you reduced your calories?
> 
> Don't get me wrong, you're already putting 60% more thought into it than the average gym rat and I think you're going to get good results. I just like to tinker and improve stuff



No, no, I am sure I???m not changing things too quickly. I???ve been lifting for some time, and I never liked the typical routines where you work a muscle once a week or something like that. I have followed this routine, which is actually my own concoction, for quite some time. I just added Barbell Curls and Hanging Leg Raises as I felt they became necessary. And if my workout doesn???t work out, have a little patience. At some point, I expect the 4 ??? 6 rep range to become a little difficult. But adjusting the rep range is just a detail.




NordicNacho said:


> workout looks solid the only thing I world do different for myself is add HIT Sprints and I love epedra on a cut it just makes it so much easier for me
> 
> I did this work out for a while and it worked great for me
> 
> TESTOSTERONE NATION - Real Fast Fat Loss



Thanks. When I walk, I usually add sprints every now and then, especially uphills. But generally, I prefer rope skipping because that brings me to or near 95% of my MHR (180).

Thanks for the link. Somehow, I'm doing everything this article suggests. Was a good read - especially to see that I'm doing things the right way.

Well, thanks for the feedback, guys. It certainly helps to know that people who know more than I do criticize what I'm doing. That's essential for success.


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## XFatMan (Jan 1, 2008)

*Tuesday, January 01, 2008*
I???m a bit stiff today, especially in my shoulders, traps, and hamstrings. But I expected it to be much worse because I had been off for about ten days. I think the insane amount of water I???m drinking is helpful on that part. I???m almost drowning. There???s no place like the bathroom, really.

Looks like Johnny-Come-Quickly had a go ??? I mean off of me. So I did 35 minutes of walking in the morning and another 35 minutes in the late afternoon. Tomorrow???s another lifting and rope skipping day.


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## XFatMan (Jan 2, 2008)

*Wednesday, January 02, 2008*

Workout 2

Lateral Raises (6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 4)
Flat Bench Barbell Press (6, 3)
Pull Ups (2, 2)
Barbell Curls (6, 4)
Barbell Deadlift (6, 6, 4)

I???m not a friend of isolation exercises, but both the Lateral Raises and the Barbell Curls have their reason. I do the Lateral Raises because I believe it helps to cure a condition I have in my elbows. My elbows hurt a little after doing this exercise, but it was much worse in the past. So I really think it???s been helpful. Perhaps I should do more repetitions for lactic acid to build up, which in turns aids the healing of tendons. Although it's not my goal right now, could I have an opinion on this?

The Barbell Curls are there because my biceps is plain weak. It???s the part I find most lagging, so I???ll do some curls to see if it brings something.

Yeah, the number of Pull Ups is ridiculous, I know. I can certainly do more reps, but I would have to sacrifice form. Since I???m just competing with myself, I bet that I can beat that soon.

Before I forget, I have established a new 1 RM on the Flat Bench Barbell Press and the Barbell Deadlift. The funny thing is that I always manage to get to new 1 RM after a week off.

Cardio: Rope Jumping (20 x 30 seconds at about 100 rpm, 30 seconds rest) in the morning. Another sessions will follow in the afternoon.


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## Biggly (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep, some high reps and acid will toughen you up - but not if it's an actual joint pain.

This is your own blog so I won't go on about me but I feel where you're coming from regarding the stiffness.. 


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 3, 2008)

*Thursday, January 03, 2008*

I???m pretty sore in my biceps and forearms. That must be from the Barbell Curls. My lower abs are just a little sore from the Deadlifts. 

I did one rope jumping session in the morning and another one will follow in the early evening. As usual, it was 20 x 30 seconds with 30-second rest intervals. The speed is slowly going up. Right now, I???m at 104 rpm on average.

The worst thing about today that I am on my lowest calories for the week. I know I will feel hungry. Average daily calories this week is 2088, but today it???s only 1566. Well, I knew it wouldn???t be a walk in the park, right?


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## Biggly (Jan 3, 2008)

Just try and keep your food spread out during the day - 1600 calories goes a lot further like that!



B.


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## Witchblade (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks good. I'd do more pulling and less pushing though. Maybe a bit more leg work too to balance things out.


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## XFatMan (Jan 3, 2008)

Witchblade said:


> Looks good. I'd do more pulling and less pushing though.


Thanks. Do you have a specific reason for your suggestion. If yes, what exercises would you recommend?



Witchblade said:


> Maybe a bit more leg work too to balance things out.


Do you think I'm doing too little leg work? Sorry if this sounds like a dumb question, but the Squats on Mondays make me almost puke, and so do the Deadlifts and the Lunges. And they say that bodybuilder do too little for the heart - must be because they haven't done Squats, Deadlifts, and Lunges.


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## Witchblade (Jan 3, 2008)

If you work hard enough on the lower body exercises, your program can be balanced, but you're doing quite a lot more upper body work than lower. Also, you're doing, in a glimpse, 2 more pushing exercises than pulling. Too much pushing work often leads to bad shoulder health (eg. internally rotated humeri).


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## XFatMan (Jan 4, 2008)

*Friday, January 04, 2008*

Workout 3

Barbell Upright Row (6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6)
Inclined Bench Barbell Press (6, 6, 6, 6, 4)
Straight Leg Deadlift (6, 6, 6, 6, 4)
Dumbbell Lunges (6, 6, 4)
Hanging Leg Raises (6, 6, 4)

The Barbell Upright Row is a new exercise for me. I???m obviously starting very light on this to learn the movement; that???s why I was able to do 10 sets. Actually, I could have done another 20 sets, but I think for the learning purpose, that???s enough.

I was surprised about the Inclined Bench Barbell Press. Last time, I was barely able to do three sets.

The workout took me an hour. That???s something I didn???t like. But as weights increase, I will be able to do only a couple of sets. So I hope I can get down to 40 minutes or less. I hit a new 1 RM for the Inclined Bench Barbell Press.

My cardio was a bit difficult due to the Dumbbell Lunges. Boy, do they work your quads and butts! But I managed to do 20 x 30 seconds rope jumping with 30-second rest intervals. And my top speed has gone to 106 rpm ??? acceptable for a beginner. In the afternoon, another session will follow.


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## katt (Jan 4, 2008)

Wow !  That's alot of upright rows even with light weights.!

Gotta give you kudos for doing cardio after those lunges... I haven't gone there yet..


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## XFatMan (Jan 4, 2008)

katt said:


> Wow !  That's alot of upright rows even with light weights.!
> 
> Gotta give you kudos for doing cardio after those lunges... I haven't gone there yet..



Yeah, now, 12 hours later, I can feel each set of upright rows.

Skipping rope after lunges isn't exactly a walk in the park. But boy, I want to lose half a ton of body fat until June 30. That's the only way to go, I guess.


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## XFatMan (Jan 5, 2008)

*Saturday, January 05, 2008*

Hmm, my lats are sore. I didn???t get that. My hamstrings are a little sore, too. But my abs ??? Oh, my Lord! It seems like Hanging Leg Raises are much more effective than I had thought.

I shortened the rope a little because I have heard that this can improve speed. Well, I can see that it can turn much faster, but I haven???t found the ideal length yet. I???ll try a bit more. My cardio was as usual ??? 20 x 30 seconds with 30-second rest intervals. My top speed went up to 108 rpm.


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## Biggly (Jan 5, 2008)

I'm not surprised you're sore, 10 sets of anything is a killer workout!

With the hanging leg raises is it just the abs or the leg extensors too? I've heard they hit the abs differently from raising the upper body but I've usually found it hits the top of my legs as much as my abs?


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 5, 2008)

Biggly said:


> I'm not surprised you're sore, 10 sets of anything is a killer workout!
> 
> With the hanging leg raises is it just the abs or the leg extensors too? I've heard they hit the abs differently from raising the upper body but I've usually found it hits the top of my legs as much as my abs?
> 
> ...


Just my abs are sore, so it seems I'm doing this exercise correctly. But boy, do the abs get hammered with this one.


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## XFatMan (Jan 6, 2008)

*Sunday, January 06, 2008*

It???s time to average my measurements. I???ll just list the measurements that have changed since last Sunday.

Biceps (not flexed): 13.4 in. (-0.2 in.)
Forearm: 11.2 in. (-0.2 in.)
Chest: 41.1 in. (-0.4 in.)
Waist: 34.6 in. (-0.2 in.)
Thigh: 22.6 in. (-0.2 in.)
Body Weight: 172.9 lbs. (-1.4 lbs.)
Body Fat Percentage: 21.7% (-0.2%)

That???s about what I expected, so I don???t really have a reason to grumble. I???m not worried about the loss in size because I know that most of it is fat. This week, my average daily calorie intake was 12 calories per pound of bodyweight. Would it be wise to drop to 11 calories per pound of bodyweight for the next week or should I go another week with 12?


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## Biggly (Jan 6, 2008)

It's inevitable that some fraction of the smaller size is due to losing lean mass but not enough to worry about at this stage. I wouldn't go any lower on your calories though until you actually stop losing weight. Push your body too hard and it'll push back - never fight your body, just coax it along.

I think you're doing great as you are 


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, Alan. I was in doubt and thought that going down with the calories would speed things up. On the other hand, it would also speed up loss of lean mass and that in turn would lead to loss in strength, slower metabolism, etc., etc.

I think you???re right. It can???t hurt to go with 12 calories per pound of bodyweight for another week because the weight and body fat I have posted are the week???s average values. The best result is 74.6 Kg / 171.5 lbs. at 21.4% body fat ??? not bad at all. I think I???m just a little impatient ??? a typical beginner, right?


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## Biggly (Jan 6, 2008)

Nah, the typical beginner buys a dumbbell (just the one) and does what he's seen on TV. Not much happens, so he buys a magazine, thinks "Holy shit!" at some of the monsters in there, then promptly trots of to buy TurboRippedOff, with diabolical enzimes, cos Harry Huge eats it. He then follows the latest split, splintered and deeply-cracked routine before discovering the next one, then the next one, and then he gives up. 

You're waaay ahead of that game. 


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 7, 2008)

*Monday, January 07, 2008*

Workout 1

Barbell Overhead Press (12, 10, 6)
Chest Dips (7, 4)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows (12, 6)
Close Grip Bench Press (12, 8)
Barbell Squat (12, 12, 8)

That was a pretty short workout. It was something between 35 ??? 40 minutes. As the weights and number of repetitions increase, the number of sets drops dramatically. That???s exactly what I thought would happen. 

My calculated 1 RM increased on all exercises except for the Chest Dip, where it went down. The Chest Dip is one of several exercises I???m still learning, so I???m not worried about that at all. First I???ll worry about form, then the rest.

My cardio exercise was a bit difficult for two reasons. Reason number one was that I had shortened my rope too much. Since I need pliers to adjust the length, I just went on with that below-average cardio workout. It was 20 x 30 seconds with 30-second rest intervals. However, I tripped so often that my average speed was something around 80 rpm. I have learned the lesson and will not listen to the self-appointed experts anymore who insist that ropes need to be shortened to match the person???s height.

The second reason was that I had just finished with the Barbell Squats. Next week, I???ll try rope skipping after Squats again. If it???s too hefty, I???ll switch to walking in the morning and continue with the rope in the afternoon.


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## XFatMan (Jan 7, 2008)

Oh, Lord! I went to the gym for my second jump rope session this afternoon. About three minutes before the end of the session, I sprained my right calf. I read this is a very common injury, but it heals very quickly if you rest because it's a very vascular region. Well, looks like cardio has had it this week. What a pain. And I just found the right technique to go over 120 rpm. What a pain!

I went home immediately, put some ice on the region and took some anti-inflammatory pill. I just hope I did the right thing. Would I be very wrong to add Calf Raises to my program to strengthen them so it won't happen again?


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## Witchblade (Jan 7, 2008)

Calf raises could help or aggravate the problem, depending on your lower leg alignment. Make sure you train all functions of the lower leg equally, warm up properly and progress into all-out jump rope training. Starting too heavy could result in a number of foot/lower leg problems, such as shin splints.


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## XFatMan (Jan 7, 2008)

Thanks Witchblade. So perhaps adding calf raises right now might not be the best idea. 

I'll have to give cardio a break this week anyway. That's so annoying. Well, better 6 days off now than 20 days later.


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## Biggly (Jan 7, 2008)

I'd give it more than 6 days, plus you'll be irritating it just walking around. "Quickly" is relative, I'll usually allow such an injury 4 weeks before any real speed or weight. You might get away with 2 weeks but 6 days is pushing it.

Probably utterly irrelevant but I recall one guy who broke a small bone in his foot, which pressed a nerve and caused pain in his calf. His calf was fine, his foot was the problem.

Calves are a pain to train, built more for endurance than anything, so skipping is good for em, just give it time to recover.


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 8, 2008)

*Tuesday, January 08, 2008*

Yesterday, I immediately read up on that kind of injury to make sure I???m doing the right thing. According to all info I got, 1 ??? 2 weeks recovery is about right.

Today I woke up 98% pain free. Perhaps I can do at least most lifts tomorrow. We???ll see. I think jump rope is out this week and light walking only if there???s no pain at all.


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## Biggly (Jan 8, 2008)

As a general rule of fum (GROF):

Flesh/skin cut: 2 weeks
Deep cuts: 3 weeks
Muscle/tendon tearing sprain: 2 to 4 weeks
Snapped: Surgery
Ligament: 5 weeks
Bone, clean break: 6 weeks
Bone, compound: 8 weeks

That's playing safe. Me, I like safe.


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 8, 2008)

Biggly said:


> That's playing safe. Me, I like safe.
> B.



Me, too. If only I were twenty years younger - I'd have the required time, too.


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## Biggly (Jan 8, 2008)

If you were 20 years younger you'd recover quicker 



B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 9, 2008)

*Wednesday, January 09, 2008*

Workout 2

Lateral Raises (12, 15, 8)
Flat Bench Barbell Press (12, 5)
Pull Ups (3, 2)
Barbell Curls (7, 4)
Barbell Deadlift (12, 8)

I went up to 15 reps on the second set because I wanted to see if I could squeeze out a new 1 RM on that exercise. And except for the Barbell Curls, there???s a new 1 RM for all exercises. This cycle has started very well with new 1 RM on each workout. It???s not exactly my goal, but it won???t hurt, either.

I???m pretty week on the Pull Ups. Is there anything I can do to improve? The trainer said the best thing to do to improve is to do this exercise each workout. What do you guys think?

On the Barbell Deadlift, I???m sure I could have done more. But I didn???t want to be too hard on my injured calf, so there were just two sets.

Sure enough, there will be no cardio today. My calf needs more rest.


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## Biggly (Jan 9, 2008)

I just take a long rest between sets on pull-ups. As long as you can manage 6 reps you're OK the first set, then rest however long it takes to get at least 4 on the 2nd.

Don't do any other bicep work, you won't need it!

As you lose weight and gains strength they get easier and easier 

I've never yet managed a 1 arm pull-up...



B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 9, 2008)

Do you mean I should ditch the Biceps Curls altogether? I mean I'm doing them intentionally after the Pull Ups so they don't mess up my Pull Ups.


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## Biggly (Jan 9, 2008)

I really wouldn't bother to be honest, if you've done enough pull-ups, lowering yourself fairly slowly with 'time under tension' of at least 40 to 60 seconds, you don't need any more. 

If you can't squeeze out enough reps hop off a stool and do some negatives. Pull-ups are a fantastic exercise. I noticed myself visibly growing after starting them.


B.


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## XFatMan (Jan 10, 2008)

*Thursday, January 10, 2008*

Boy, am I sore in my chest! I???m a little sore in my lats and biceps as well. Right after the Flat Bench Barbell Press, my triceps feel like they were blasted. Curiously, they hardly ever get sore.

I was thinking of doing cardio today. Then I stretched my injured calf slightly and it was clear that it would have been too early. At least my professionalism is greater than my eagerness. So, another day without cardio goes by ???


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## katt (Jan 10, 2008)

One of my favs are negatives for pullups!  Those really helped me out!


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## XFatMan (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks for the suggestions, Biggly and katt. I'll definitely start with negatives for the pull ups.


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## XFatMan (Jan 11, 2008)

*Friday, January 11, 2008*

Workout 3

Barbell Upright Row (12, 12, 6)
Inclined Bench Barbell Press (12, 7)
Straight Leg Deadlift (12, 12, 8)
Dumbbell Lunges (15)
Hanging Leg Raises (7, 4)

That was a pretty short workout ??? something around 35 minutes. And on all exercises ??? except the Hanging Leg Raise ??? I got a new 1 RM. For the second consecutive week, I got new 1 RM on most exercises and in every single workout. This is right now the best training cycle I can remember. That can???t go on forever, but I???m happy about any new personal bests.

I know I shouldn???t have done this, but yesterday evening, I tried jumping rope. It was okay, but I stopped after five minutes because I don???t want to push it. Instead, today I started walking again. Nothing wild, just to keep the machine running. It was pain free, so in the afternoon, I???ll have another go. Walking actually seems to be good for my calf as I can stretch it every now and then. I guess I???ll stick to walking for some time and then slowly get back to jumping rope. Before that, I need to find out what exactly happened and why as I don???t want it to happen again. So, cardio today will be 2 x 35 minutes walking at about 3.5 mph. I felt safe at that speed and will remain there at least for the rest of this week.

Ah yes, before I forget: I started with a couple of negatives for the Pull Ups. I???ll do them with a little more frequency ??? won???t hurt, I hope.


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## XFatMan (Jan 12, 2008)

*Saturday, January 12, 2008*

The funny thing is that from the first day without cardio on, my bodyweight and body fat percentage remained absolutely the same ??? although I cycle calories. Yesterday, I did 2 x 35 minutes walking and both are going down again. Today, there will be only one hour walking at a safe pace.


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## XFatMan (Jan 13, 2008)

*Sunday, January 13, 2008*

Today I need to average the measurements from the past week and show up with any changes since last Sunday. I found the results not bad ??? but a bit weird ??? for almost a week without cardio but on a cutting diet of 12 calories per pound of bodyweight:

Biceps 13.6 in. (+0.2 in.)
Chest 41.3 in. (+0.2 in.)
Hips 38.0 in. (+0.2 in.)	
Thigh 22.8 in. (+0.2 in.)	
Body Weight 174 lbs. (+1.1 lb.)	
Body Fat Percentage 21.4% (-0.3%)

I have definitely gained weight and size, but the body fat percentage went down. And how! That???s much more than I would have expected. I can surely continue with 12 calories per pound of bodyweight for another week. I???m curious to hear any comments, suggestions, ???


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## NordicNacho (Jan 13, 2008)

cool that great news greating bigger and leaner.  I can't cut without cardio it just makes it easier and puts me in a better state of mind


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## XFatMan (Jan 14, 2008)

*Week 3*

My goal for this week is to get from currently 21.4% near 21.0% body fat by Sunday. What I need to do to get there is to lower my calorie intake from 12 calories per pound of bodyweight to 11 calories per pound of bodyweight and maintain my cardio workouts. Let me have a go at that.

*Monday, January 14, 2008*

Workout 1

Barbell Overhead Press (6, 5, 4)
Weighted Chest Dips (6, 4)
Bent-Over Barbell Rows (6, 4)
Close Grip Bench Press (6, 6, 4)
Barbell Squat (6, 6, 4)

I???ve hit new 1 RM for all exercises for the third consecutive week. Wow! That feels so great. You can also see that as the weights are really getting up, the number of sets I can do within the planned rep range is getting much closer to something normal-looking.

Since my calf is still injured, I???ll have to make do with walking. However, it???s much better now after some cool suggestions from P-funk here: http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/training/86510-tight-calf-muscles.html. I???m using a tennis ball to massage the area. And it???s a really, really good trick.

I did one hour of walking at around 3.5 mph in the morning, and another hour will follow in the early evening.


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## XFatMan (Jan 15, 2008)

*Tuesday, January 15, 2008*

Yesterday morning after training, I did a one-hour walk at around 3.5 mph. In the early evening then, I walked another hour at around 4.0 mph. That did make me feel the injured calf, so I have to go at a slower pace â?????? at least this week.

This morning, I walked for an hour. As long as I donâ??????t try to go over 3.5 mph, my calf is fine. Iâ??????ll take another one-hour walk in the evening then.


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## Burner02 (Jan 15, 2008)

XFatMan said:


> Iï¿½m pretty week on the Pull Ups. Is there anything I can do to improve? The trainer said the best thing to do to improve is to do this exercise each workout. What do you guys think?


does your gym have a gravitron machine? you knoe, Megatron's nice cousin? 
ok...not that funnny...but the caffeine hasn't kicked in yet...
The gravitron machine (assissted pull-up machine)
If you have one of those, you can use that and each workout, use less and less weight till you can do sets w'out the machine. That's how I started, and will have to go back till i get strength back...


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## XFatMan (Jan 16, 2008)

Burner02 said:


> does your gym have a gravitron machine? you knoe, Megatron's nice cousin?
> ok...not that funnny...but the caffeine hasn't kicked in yet...
> The gravitron machine (assissted pull-up machine)
> If you have one of those, you can use that and each workout, use less and less weight till you can do sets w'out the machine. That's how I started, and will have to go back till i get strength back...


My gym is so good that I'm lucky to have a squat rack. And boy, you have to see that one. But it's the only gym around, so I shouldn't complain.

*Wednesday, January 16, 2008*

Workout 2

Lateral Raises (6, 6, 6, 4)
Flat Bench Barbell Press (6, 2)
Pull Ups (3, 2)
Barbell Curls (4, 4)
Barbell Deadlift (6, 6, 4)

There was a new 1 RM for the Lateral Raises, the Flat Bench Barbell Press, and the Barbell Deadlift. The Flat Bench Barbell Press was at or very near my limits. Then again, Iâ??????m not a weight lifter, so who cares?

After the workout, I walked for an hour. It was possible to walk at about 4.0 mph without any pain in my calf. I wonâ??????t jump rope for the next two weeks or


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## XFatMan (Jan 16, 2008)

Ha, ha, ha! Somehow, the last sentence was cut off halfway. I don't know why you're not allowed to edit your own posts, but well, here's the complete paragraph ...

After the workout, I walked for an hour. It was possible to walk at about 4.0 mph without any pain in my calf. I wonâ??????t jump rope for the next two weeks or so, until my calf is all right. Iâ??????ll walk for another hour in the early evening, as usual.


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## XFatMan (Jan 17, 2008)

*Thursday, January 17, 2008*

Cardio was okay, as usual. Thereâ??????ll be another one-hour session in the early evening. Today will be a bit hefty, calorie-wise. My daily average is 1914 calories this week, and today is the lowest calorie intake of the week, 1392. Well, in compensation, I will be able to have 2436 on Sunday.


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## Biggly (Jan 21, 2008)

Sounds like things have been going well 

How's the leg now?



B.


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## Biggly (Jan 28, 2008)

Are you OK? Hello?


Where'd he go?


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