Make me Bionic!

[Blackah]

"Steve Austin-Astronaut. A man barely alive. We can rebuild him, we have the technology to build the worlds first Bionic Man... better than he was before, better, stronger, faster.."

Yep - that's me!

I hoping this journal will help keep me on track for the rest of the year and into 2010. I've hoping to run in the London Marathon 2010 and I reckon I'll need to be virtually bionic to do that, especially as last year I could hardly run for a bus!

I'll post journal daily.

[Blackah]

Weight: 131lb
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories
Current Body fat percentage reading: 10%
Training Phase: Cutting

Ist entry...

Weighed in today at 131lbs

I've managed to pick up a very, very, very slight cold!

I think this is the slightest cold I've ever had!

If I think about it I feel a little bit ill. If I don't think about it then I feel fine.

And how is everyone else doing in household?

They're all really sick!

Funny that!

I used to pick up a bad cold / cough every time one of children brought one back from nursery like some sort of anti-gift device, but when I'm in the sort of shape I'm now approaching they hardly seem to touch me.

Just another benefit of keeping in shape!

I had a really good leg session this morning. deadlift sets were feeling really easy and I was just beginning to think that I really was becoming bionic when I realised I had complete miss-read notes and had forgotten to put about 20kg of plates onto the bar. I guess I was a little less clear headed than normal. So I put the correct weight setting back and didn't feel quite so bionic after all!

Until tomorrow!

[RK19]

first things first, i think you need to eat more...alot more. 1200 calories when your already lifting weights is baaaaad. what do you eat in a day and whats your current lifting plan look like?

[Heelus]

132lbs @10%BF and cutting ? What the hell are trying to do ...

[swanso5]

sentiments exactly

www.uponlinetraining.com

[Blackah]

Thanks for all the posts guys! I wasn't expecting such a response.

Firstly I'm VERY small for a guy. I'm only 5'5'' so 1200 calories is only just under 10 times current body weight (130lbs) - so fairly standard for cutting. Also, if I'm honest, I'm lucky in that wife cooks all evening meals so 1200 is only an estimate. It probably varies between 1200 - 1300 with the idea of loosing only between 1 - 2lbs each week.

Secondly I'm only doing what I did last year. I'm happiest with myself both in terms of health, overall fitness and visual appearance when I'm 8% body fat. I would post some pics of progress last year and this but I can't work out how to do it.

training is quite intense but not as bad as last year. I lift weights for around 40 minutes 4 times a week and run between 3 - 4 miles three times a week. I know I should have a day off but I only have mornings before work to train - and I enjoy it all too much!

Thanks again and I hope this allays some of your concerns.

[Blackah]

Weight: 130.5lb
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories
Current Body fat percentage reading: 10%
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 130.5lbs

I still have a slight cold but it only seems to be making brain a little fuzzy. diet and training is still progressing as normal.

I had another "fuzzy brain" moment this morning when doing Closed Grip EZ Bar Curl. The very first lift and I thought, "Hey! Either right arm has become incredibly bionic over night or left has become incredibly un-bionic!"

Of course it was neither - I had missed out a plate on the left hand side of the bar! Good Grief!

The weird thing was that, after correcting the mistake, I lifted the bar and it wobbled again, as if it was still unbalanced. I had to put everything down to triple check. The weights were now correct so I took a minute to balance thinking before starting over.

I think the imbalance from the first lift made right arm automatically expect the same imbalance the second time around and so over-compensated for an expected imbalance that simply wasn't there. Strange!

Anyway, I'm hoping I'll be OK for by normal aerobic weekend. I feel absolutely fine now but I know from experience that even a minor cold can negatively impact aerobic training.

Until tomorrow!

[swanso5]

I'm happiest with myself both in terms of health, overall fitness and visual appearance when I'm 8% body fat.

your not giving yourself a lot of leadway mate

you won't lose much actual fat with 7 sessions a week and only 1200cal's a day either...if you start too low then what do you do? you're already training everyday and you certaintly can't decrease your cal's anymore...

www.uponlinetraining.com

[Blackah]

I'm happiest with myself both in terms of health, overall fitness and visual appearance when I'm 8% body fat.

your not giving yourself a lot of leadway mate

you won't lose much actual fat with 7 sessions a week and only 1200cal's a day either...if you start too low then what do you do? you're already training everyday and you certaintly can't decrease your cal's anymore...

www.uponlinetraining.com

Thanks again for posting Troy! I've been cutting for just over a month now from 134.5 at 12% BF. I've just reduced calorie intake down from 1300 to its present level and have also introduced 3rd aerobic day all to help keep things on track.

I'm currently loosing just over 1lb a week whilst making good gains in strength and endurance.

I know it's not easy to get sub 10% body fat levels but it is very possible. I'm following the same plan as I did last year when I got down to 122lbs with a 25.5 inch waist. I now have more muscle mass so I'm not expecting to be quite that light this year.

You can view the pictue I took of myself at that point last year on profile page here:

http://fittracker.shapefit.com/index.ph ... id=Blackah

I'm still making good gains in strength and endurance and plan to combine monthly Carb Up weekends with normal 6 meal a day plan and continued increases to weights and running distances (at weekends) to keep metabolism running as high as possible.

I'm expecting to hit target at 8% body fat in 6 - 8 weeks time.

Thanks again!

[Blackah]

Weight: 130lb
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 10%
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 130lbs

It's been a week since I started monster, 3-day Carb Up May Day Festival Weekend and I've finally shed all the retained water to arrive back at the weight I started at. Now will be the test to see if it's paid off! Will it have boosted metabolism enough to enable me to continue loosing weight whilst maintaining strength and muscle mass, or will it have been the biggest, most unnecessary pig out since Emperor Nero said, "I'll just have a sandwich thanks!"

Last night I was having serious doubts as to the wisdom of going for scheduled run this morning. nose was running faster than I thought I could and legs still hurt from Thursday's Leg set. Well I went anyway and, although it wasn't personal best and I did leave a trail of slime in wake, I survived the 3 mile treck with an attempted sprint to finish.

I'm hoping to have persuaded the wife to no cheat meals this weekend. She still likes to produce what I can only describe as "food " at the weekends but she's being a little more understanding to the severe trauma I suffer when having to say no to such erotic food.

Until tomorrow!

[swanso5]

3 days of carb upping won't increase your metabolism long term, ecspecially when you back it up with 1200cal's a day

www.uponlinetraining.com

[Blackah]

3 days of carb upping won't increase your metabolism long term, ecspecially when you back it up with 1200cal's a day

Thanks for posting again Troy! I really appreciate it.

You're right of course, a 3 day carb up is a very short term . If I did it every day do you think it would become a long term solution?

plan for maintaining metabolism whilst cutting is a little more complicated than stuffing face once a month. In a nutshell here's what I've been doing:

Spreading calorie intake as evenly as possible across 7 meals a day.
Eating a squeaky clean, high protein, low saturated fat diet.
Lifting a gradually increasing amount of weight four days a week.
Lifting on each muscle group only once a week.
Gradually increasing aerobic training from a starting point of one day a week (back in April when I first started), to two days and now up to 3 days a week.
Gradually increasing the distance I run on those aerobic days.
Reducing calorie intake by about 50 calories a day every two weeks.
Carbing up at the end of each month.

I had a very sucessful cut last year going from a very fat 146lbs with 16% body fat down to 122lbs and 8% body fat following this exact same diet and training plan.

I don't seem to be able to upload any more pics on this website but you can view the full animation of 2008 transformation along with current pic on the following website page http://www.BionicFiles.com/0342

As I said before I am very small for a guy so the calorie intake for someone of size looking to go sub 10% body fat isn't far off the recommended 10 x "Your Body Weight" in pounds.

I didn't mention last time that I'm now 40 years old and unfortunately metabolism isn't running as high as it was when I was 20, so I have to use every trick in the book to achieve sub 10% BF whilst maintaining current muscle mass.

Thanks again Troy - I hope all this helps to explain current cutting plan and thought process.


Today's Journal

Weight: 130lb
Daily calorie intake approx: 2000 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 10%
Training Phase (temporary): Maintenance

Weighed in today at 130lbs

I really hate being ill!

It's even worse when I've told everyone in this journal how incredibly amazing I am because family got really ill but I survived. Well after updating journal yesterday it hit with the full force of a nuclear sneeze. The slight illness I had been entertaining for the last few days turned out the be just the appetizer and I now have head fully submerged in the main course.

Am I feeling a little conceited... arrogant even?

Well yes!

I'm definitely not even thinking about going for a run this morning and am back on maintenance diet until I recover. I guess the real test will be how long this will keep me out of the gym for. Typically it's around a week but I am really hoping that it won't be that long this time around. In fairness I am already feeling much better than yesterday so I'll see how a Chest & Tricep workout looks tomorrow morning.

Until then!

[swanso5]

- increasing carbs doesn't neccesarily increase metabolism, increased cal's will though...honestly you should search "g flux" by jon berardi and tailor your training and eating like that...basically you train more then you eat more so your cal needs are higher as you energy expenditure is higher so therefore metabolism is higher...no starvation
- when going low carb then high fats is esential otherwise your cal intake is too low (such as yours)
- you also can't eat less and train more, you'll break down sooner rather then later
- i'd train each "movement" (not muscles) twice a week at least
- you might have lost 4% bf but you alos lost a lot of muscle last yr...muscle increases/maintains metabolism

[Blackah]

- increasing carbs doesn't neccesarily increase metabolism, increased cal's will though...honestly you should search "g flux" by jon berardi and tailor your training and eating like that...basically you train more then you eat more so your cal needs are higher as you energy expenditure is higher so therefore metabolism is higher...no starvation
- when going low carb then high fats is esential otherwise your cal intake is too low (such as yours)
- you also can't eat less and train more, you'll break down sooner rather then later
- i'd train each "movement" (not muscles) twice a week at least
- you might have lost 4% bf but you alos lost a lot of muscle last yr...muscle increases/maintains metabolism

Hi Troy

Can I ask you, as politely as possible, to stop posting your advice on journal.

I joined this forum for motivational and moral support. If I wanted advice I would have asked!

Also your advice seems to go against just about every recent article written about cutting and weight lifting.

And finally I said I was on a low SATURATED fat diet - not a low fat diet.

Thanks.


Today's Journal

Weight: 130lb
Daily calorie intake approx: 1200 calories over 7 meals a day
Current Body fat percentage reading: 10%
Training Phase: Cutting

Weighed in today at 130lbs

Well voice sounds like a Triumph Bonneville, head feels like it's in a crash helmet sitting on a Triumph Bonneville and legs feel like jelly wobble but I did Chest and Tricep workout anyway!

You should have heard the mental debate I had with myself whilst lying in bed trying to make the decision. Again it's were routine just kicks right in and you find yourself getting up and doing it whether you feel like it or not.

Not the greatest workout in the world - I only did three sets of each instead of four - although I ended on a strong note with a very normal 4 set Butterfly Bench Press and Tripep Curl.

It also allows me to get right back on cutting diet.

I'm fairly certain I'm not going to be going for a run on Wednesday but as long as I can keep up weight training I'll be very happy.

Until tomorrow!

P.S. For those of you who prefer 2 wheels to 4, a Triumph Bonneville is a motorcycle, very popular in the 70s and I believe being made by Triumph in the UK today.

[swanso5]

Also your advice seems to go against just about every recent article written about cutting and weight lifting

so??