Nap for my Back

There was a time in my life when I thought sleeping was a huge waste of time. I had so much to do, so much to fit in, and sleeping just ate into that. 


I have since learned (a long time ago) that sleep and rest are just as important to building muscle as the actual lifting, in fact, without proper sleep, your efforts in the gym may actually be more detrimental.


In a world of "bigger is better, more is better" this is often forgotten- people go to the gym and train and train and neglect the other half that is necessary- the rest and rebuilding.


I needed to change my training split, I have to add a second Back day in since I have a competition coming up. I have found adding a second Back day gives me the wide back, impressive shoulders, and well developed rear delts and biceps that all help me place well.


I was discussing it with Roy and told him the only thing I think I can do is eliminate my second hamstring morning on Thursday and add in the Back. I hated to do it as we have been working on legs and really making progress, but I have to get that second day in.  


Then I had an idea and I sent him a private message on Facebook. "What if I trained back on Wednesday morning instead of doing my conditioning? I would still see you in the evening for my quad training. It's not unheard of in the Bodybuilding world to lift twice in one day - it's done all the time." 


He messaged back: "Yes, but in the Bodybuilding world Jay Cutler goes home and naps for a few hours before training again at night, I don't think you can do that."


I thought about it and decided I could easily do that. I cannot sleep a few hours, but I can get a good 30 minutes in. We decided to try it and see how I did.


Wednesday morning I trained back and biceps, my usual session. It felt good to add a second day in. Off I went to work and plotted my day.


I have my own office, complete with a door.  At 11:15 I shut the door, closed the blinds and everyone knows that means "stay away" (I change in my office to run stairs at lunch, so the closed blinds is nothing new).

I have a big, long body pillow that I laid out under my window, and although laying in the sunny window would feel great, sort of like a cat, I decided I needed to close the blind and make it dark.

I slipped the pillow under my desk, it would make it a bit darker and cozier; I had my light wool blanket too.

I set the alarm on my phone for 30 minutes, that is all I would really need, and all I could fit in. Much to my surprise, I fell asleep almost immediately (I did notice the wall clock is very loud though). 


I awoke suddenly- I had forgotten one key thing- turn my office phone off! Damn, someone called and needed to talk to me. Luckily my alarm would sound in only 5 minutes, so I didn't lose too much rest time.

I folded my pillow in half, tucked it under my desk out of sight and got back to work. I left at 5:00 and headed off to meet Roy. I told him I napped and felt great- I was ready for a brutal quad day. He seemed intrigued.

I killed it. I felt rested, I felt strong, and excited. I love new things, and this would allow me to fit all my training in and develop the legs and back simultaneously.

The only question now is how many days a week do I nap? I could really get used to this!

Week 8 to Competition (week two of diet)

Week two of the diet and I have 8 weeks to go. My weight is right where it was last Sunday, 125. I am not concerned, it dropped down lower (124.6) and is now back up, I do fluctuate and in looking back at my previous years posts this is exactly what happens each time. Plus, never forget that it takes time to put bodyfat on, so it also takes time to take it off!

I am pleased with how I am coming along though, my skin seems to be tightening up and although I am at the same weight, I look better. I feel like I look more muscular, and regardless of whether I am or not, I appear more muscular and that's all that matters! This leads me to believe I am not losing the weight too quickly, because when I lose it fast, my hard earned muscle comes off with the fat. I was afraid at first that this new diet was way too low in calories for me but I found I could manipulate it a bit by adding in beef instead of fish on occasion, or 1 Tbsp. peanut butter in a post training shake on a particularly rough day.

It only means I make a few adjustments since every competition prep is different, it's never exactly the same. I will add in a bit more cardio, not much, but I will not be reducing calories any further.

I see my waist coming in still, and quads coming out! Perfect! Roy and I have started in on the medial delts again they pop quickly on me. It's not that they disappeared, they just haven't been a focus so with only a little attention, they come right out.

The back is already starting to show more detail, I am training Back twice a week again. The glutes make me smile, the tie in looks fairly tight and smooth so when the bodyfat is gone it should all look fairly impressive.

The fat in the lower abs is still there, but that is to be expected.  Whatever you do, don't get all worked up if you go a week without much change. The body strives to maintain a state of homeostasis, so you have to make periodic adjustments to diet and energy expenditure. 

I do like how the hip abductor looks, the roundness of the glute and the tightness of the abductor form the small 'indent" on the sides (as opposed to flabby saddlebags), you can see it better in the first picture at the top. 

Just gotta practice posing again, it is never easy. I need to concentrate on holding the shoulders evenly, I tend to have one lower than the other, taking these pictures helps me to see where I need improvement and each week just gets beter and better!

Monday Morning Motivation

"Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success." 

~ Brian Adams

"Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself."

~ Robert Collier 

"The Dream is not what you see in sleep, dream is which does not let you sleep."

-Abdul Kalam

"It takes time to succeed because success is merely the natural reward of taking time to do anything well."

~ Joseph Ross

"The poor man is not he who is without a cent, but he who is without a dream."

`Harry Kemp

"Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else."

~ Les Brown

Food Intolerances (Fitness Blog World post)

Above is a picture of my vegetables I would prepare for a few days worth of meals. Quite a bit huh? 

I think that depending on your regular diet, you may or may not notice the effects that individual foods have on your system. For instance, someone who eats a diet comprised of fast food, packaged goods or highly process foods probably would not notice if one or two items actually caused issues with their system or physique as quickly as someone who eats a fairly regimented diet. I say that because I believe anyone who eats a great deal of packaged foods probably doesn't feel very good most of the time anyway. 

I don't eat many packaged foods and whenever I do, I swell slightly as I am fairly sensitive to large amounts of sodium. Typically when we go to a restaurant, before the meal has ended I need to remove my wedding ring because my fingers are starting to swell. Let's hope I never lose it!

In the past year or so I had been having difficulty with my stomach. Something was causing it to bloat and become hard, so hard you could touch it and it felt like it might pop, I looked pregnant at times. I didn't have gas, but was quite uncomfortable and this might last a few days then subside.

I visited the doctor, I thought I might be allergic to something. I explained my situation, but he wasn't really helpful Although I do like my doctor quite a bit, he believes that I am a bit of a "special individual" in that my diet and exercise are very extreme compared to the general population, especially for someone my age. 

We talked about it, he prodded my stomach, yes indeed it was hard and swollen. He thought perhaps I should see a gastroenterologist, I wanted to see an allergist for a food sensitivity test. We couldn't agree. He suggested I was eating too many vegetables. I suggested he was nuts. We never agreed.

I decided to do my own 'elimination diet" of sorts. I know that a few basic items never cause me any problems so I stuck to those for a while. Brown rice, egg whites, oatmeal, asparagus, chicken breast. That was basically it for a while. I eliminated my supplements and meal replacement drinks, even whey protein. Anything that might be causing an issue went.

I slowly added back in some foods. Mushrooms were the first to come back, I love them and I had no problems. I slowly added foods back in. I kept track of every single thing I ingested, along with the time of day to see when I would react. This is really important, if you don't write it down you may never really know what caused it. Then I added back in bell peppers.

Bingo!

My stomach got hard, it swelled, it felt uncomfortable, I looked bloated. It passed and I waited a while longer. I ate bell peppers again. The same thing happened.

I used to eat 1 to 2 cups of sautéed bell peppers almost every day, that's a lot of peppers. I would mix all colors and add some poblanos too, I love, love, love peppers.

I have come to realize that I can eat a very small amount of peppers, but not a cup at a time, I have had to virtually eliminate them from my daily diet.

I am not allergic, when you are allergic you have an acute reaction. There is a difference between an allergy and an intolerance.

I have known for over 20 years that I am lactose intolerant, pity my poor family when I finally break down and decide I want to have an ice cream- I won't go into details of what happens, but last time I had an entire ice cream cone (actually I have it in a cup), which I think was about four years ago, I walked down to the ice cream store (they went too, they take every opportunity to have an ice cream) and halfway home I was doubled over in pain, David had to go get the car to bring me home. I don't eat ice cream much now. Maybe a bite or two with a lactaid tablet and I am fine.

So far these are the only things I have discovered, but your body changes. Things that never affected me might affect me soon. If you are having any issues, I first suggest that you start a detailed food diary, either online or in a book. Keep track of condiments- many foods have soy products and so many people cannot tolerate large amounts of soy, you would be amazed what it's in! Here is a list of other names or products that may contain soy. It is also possible that you are allergic to MSG. Take a look at this list of other products that also contain processed free glutamic acid, the ingredient that causes MSG reactions, frightening! Then eliminate packaged foods and sick to foods that you believe you tolerate well. Slowly add foods back in. 

Learn to eat more whole unprocessed foods and it may be easier for you.

Please visit the 26 other talented writers at Fitness Blog World who are all writing about this same topic today. Official post time is 8:00 p.m. EST.

Keeping Occupied on the Diet

My dinner, well it's not at a time when dinner is for normal people, it is my 4:00 meal. "Butt loads" of spinach (the technical term would be 3 cups), shrimp, a very small amount of cucumber, balsamic vinegar and 1 TEASPOON of olive oil.

Water, glutamine and supplements.

I won't buy these little shrimps again- Whole Foods had them on sale "large peel 'n eat shrimp"....large by whose standards? They were rather tiny by the time I warmed them. I like the BIG HUGE ones, they are like small lobsters, and well worth the price.

The boys are gone so I am reading one of my cooking magazines and bookmarking all of the wonderful things I will eat when the diet is over. It's a masochistic game I seem to play every time I am on a diet. Most people dieting don't want to go anywhere near pictures of fine foods, but this is my favorite time. I thinks it's a way of testing my own resolve and determination.

I never seem to have time to read my magazines, at least not until I am on a diet. Odd isn't it? 

I am not joking when I say I get almost every gourmet cooking magazine published. See the stack in my living room? I have a lot to read in the next 8 weeks don't I? So for the next few months I will go through all my magazines, mark the recipes that sound good and show them to David and Cooper. The promise of great food also helps them through my diet, since I don't cook for them during my diet as much as I normally do.

Virginia stopped by the other day "Oh boy you sure have a lot of magazines!" she said. Actually the hobby of looking at the foods and plotting what I will make really does help me, it's a carrot dangling at the end of a rope and the rope is just out of reach. I know that eventually it will all be mine for the taking. I think you see this same behavior in most competitors, perhaps the execution is a bit different, they dream of the pancakes, the waffles, the chips. I am not a pancake, waffle or chip gal. I am a braised lamb shank with fingerlings gal, or a spiced beef and crisp salad gal, I am a perfectly roasted chicken gal (and yes I like the skin).

I dream, and I imagine and in the end, I make some of my dreams, not all, but some of them come true.

This is what I was reading as I enjoyed my salad. And what did I find that I plan to make in 8 weeks?


Chicken Alambre

Keema Beef Curry

Curried Cauliflower Soup with Coconut and Chilies

Roasted Cornish Hens with Morels and Leeks

Poached Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese Sauce

Can you tell I enjoy full flavored foods? And if anyone makes any of these dishes, please let me know what you think, I woud love to hear how they turned out!

Foam Rolling

Do you have a foam roller? If not, I urge you to get one. I have owned one for several years, and there are times when it gets little use, and times it gets a great deal of use. Lately it has been one busy little beaver!


I bought mine from Perform Better but I am sure they are available in many different locations. It is important to keep in mind that you get what you pay for though. You can get some very inexpensive rollers, but the foam has cells that can compress and the roller will not maintain it's hardness or shape, it will end up flattening or squishing.


I chose the Elite Molded Foam and have been happy with it.




Last week I went to see Roy on Wednesday for quad training, I knew I had been sore and tight but it didn't seem too bad to me. With my first squat he started shaking his head and said "oh no, no, you are really tight." 


OK...so what the heck am I supposed to do about it now?

Roll

I stretched, I rolled, I rolled more. I found spots that really hurt, and then made sure I didn't move from the spot until the pain subsided. Sometimes it hurts so much I want to cry, or I have to stop rolling. But when I am done, it feels oh so good.


I stretched and rolled for 30 minutes, I guess he had a lot of time for me that night. he even had me use a small dowel on my left quad, and I found a spot there, I pushed and rolled it.


The following day, that spot was tender, like I had released an adhesion, it hurt, and rolling was not really an option, that would bring tears to my eyes, so I used a wooden dowel that I keep at my desk.


For the next few days I rolled twice a day, my quad is fine now, everything is fine now, but it took lots of rolling




Perform Better has this instructional manual online so you know what to do with your roller! Or you can watch a video if you are more visual. 





I am not promoting Perform better, it happens to be a site that I like and have ordered several items from.

Lunch Containers

Seems like I am always in search of the "perfect" food containers. I eat several times a day, I am always toting food everywhere I go, and I have an aversion to those disposable plastic containers.

My search is over! I just found these 3 cup Pyrex leak proof storage containers at Target. They are glass, my preferred material, and the lid has a great seal that ensures no liquid spills out, even when tipped. There is a vent on the top to pop the whole thing in the microwave and the lid is BPA free! 

The whole thing can go in the dishwasher. Above you can see one open with my meal- 4 ounces tilapia, 4 ounces Soo-Foo and 1 cup broccoli. Above it is another with the lid on.

I bought four of these and David immediately tried to claim one. Sorry- no way! I told him I would go buy more so he could use some too.

They can be used in the refrigerator for left over storage or for lunches on the go, the size and shape are absolutely perfect! 

Below I have one on my food scale, another reason why I like glass, I can weigh my food right into the container I choose to use for my lunch.

Seriously- go get some of these containers!