Malley

Sounds good. You will do fine. Just keep a close eye on your sugar intake. Alot of people dont realize all the sugar they eat. Best of luck.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Thank you very very much for your help and wisdom It is much appreciated!

Do continue to drop by occasionally!

On a completely different note - i brought tuna and cottage cheese mixture into uni today to have for lunch and forgot it was in my bag. Now my gym stuff smells like tuna. That got me a couple of looks i tell you. . . . . .

SamEaston

Wednesday 3rd May - 153lb

Training - Weights Pull

Seated Row: 47 kg 7/7/6
Low Cable Row: 35kg 6/5/4
Upright Row: 20kg 7/5/5
Assisted Chins: -10kg 6/5/4 Normal grip
Assisted Chins: -20kg 4/4/4 Wide Grip
Shrugs: 16kg 10/10/10
Bicep Curl: 16kg 8/6/7

Obs: I was feeling very weak all the way through this session, failing much quicker than normal. I was also quite de-motivated, couldn't really be bothered going to the gym at all, and was actually close to talking myself out of going - for me that is quite unheard of!

I've decided to take tomorrow off, and im going to rethink my diet strategy, as the 5 days on / off thing isn't really working for me at the moment. Oh, and tonight im going to have a really huge meal, not including any junk at all, but just lots of steak and veggies, especially sweet potato cos i love em!

Macros: 2500kcal / 179g CHO / 195g Protein / 109g Fat

SamEaston

Thursday 4th May - 154lb

Okay, feeling a bit better today. Im still taking the day completely away from the gym, and doing the sprints i was supposed to do today at the end of my workout tomorrow.

As a result of not working out today, i have endeavored to keep my cals way low.

Macros: 1550kcal/ 161g CHO / 88g Protein / 48g Fat

I know the protein is too low for today, but i really wanted the extra carbs to see me through for tomorrow.

Malley

I have noticed doing sprints seem to really enlarge my calves! Not only that it just peels away the fat! Nice work!

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Friday 5th May - 152.8lb

Training
Weights - Push
Shoulder DB Press: 20kg 8/8/6
Lat Raises: 14kg 10/8/7
Front Raises: 14kg 8/7/6
Assisted Dips: -10kg 8/7/5
DB bench Press: 16kg 12/12/12
Pec Dec: 35kg 9/7/6
Skullcrushers: 16kg DB 12/11/10

Cardio: Treadmill
1 min sprint, 1 min rest X 5
1 min sprint, 2 mins rest X 5
avg HR 169bpm (87%), max HR 177bpm (91%)

Obs: During my weights session i was feeling kinda weak, even though i managed to get reasonable numbers up. Overall, i was pleased with the workout, but still felt like it was a task to finish it.
Then i had to do my sprints. god, that was not easy! As you can see, my heart rate was up to 91%, and 87% on average. I was completely knackered after this, but on the flip side, i found it was much easier to get mu heart rate up to a sufficient level doing the cardio after resistance training than if i had just gone to the gym specifically to do sprints.

I went home after this and ate some cottage cheese and veggies

Macros: 1700kcal / 180g CHO / 130g Protein / 37g Fat

Malley

I would drop the front raises and peck deck. Your really doing well hitting your front delts with bench and dips. And as far as peck deck does, well if you cut it to 1-2 sets thats plenty. Especially while on a caloric deficit.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

That makes sense, but i feel that im not getting much benefit at the moment from the Bench Press, thats why im kind of overdoing it at the moment with the front raises. I've just recently started doing bench press, using DB's, and im having to use a much lower weight than i thought because i find it difficult to stabilise it. So im using a low weight on the bench to get the form down and bring the stabilisers up to par, and then hitting the front delts properly with the front raises.

Do you think that's still too much? I understand what your saying about the pec dec!

SamEaston

Saturday 5th May - 152.6lb

Training - River
45 mins UT2 paddling - some practise starts and high rate bursts.
avg HR 127bpm (65%)
Boat derigging and unloading - we're racing tomorrow!

Obs: Today is a low intensity day because we're racing tomorrow, but im still keeping the carbs quite high, although i need to try to raise my protein levels a bit more! Energy wise i feel okay, its hard to tell really though when you just do low intensity stuff.

Macros: 1690kcal / 184g CHO / 102g Protein / 42g Fat

SamEaston

Sunday 6th May - 152.6lb

Racing - Wallingford Regatta
1 x 1500m race (6 mins)

Obs: I hate summer races like this because they're so short, and if you have a straight final, like we did today, you end up eating more than you meant to and not really doing very much! Anyway, we lost our race to a bunch of schoolgirls - pah! Im going to pull their pigtails next time i see them . . . . .

Macros: 1580kcal / 165g CHO / 78g Protein / 52g Fat

NB: I've noticed that my fat loss has begun to plateu, so i've dropped the calories a bit more. I do feel like im going to die of hunger though

SamEaston

Monday 7th May - 152.2lb

Day off training! Although i did walk to uni and back which is 30 mins each way!

Its a bank holiday here in Blighty, so hope you're all having a lovely day! If you're at work, don't worry, so am i!

Macros: 1590kcal / 166g CHO / 102g Protein / 40g Fat

NB: Im trying to keep my caloric intake very low at the moment to burn off another 10lb of fat for the summer. However, im feeling like a bit of a drip sometimes, for example, on the way to uni, i was getting hot flushes and feelling dizzy, and sometimes im staggering, like im drunk or something. Its probably the low cals, but its a bit concerning - and i don't like feeling weak.

Also, im thinking of food ALL THE TIME. Its driving me insane

Malley

Looks like your on the right path to drop those pounds before summer! Keep up the hard work.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Tuesday 8th May - 153lb

Training
Weights - Legs

Leg Press (to warm up) 45kg 20 55kg 20 65kg 20 75kg 20 (narrow and wide foot placing)
Leg Press: 115kg 12 125kg 12 135kg 10
Deadlifts: 36kg 8/8/8
Hip Abductor: 30kg 12/12/12
Hip Adductor: 26kg 12/12/12
Seated Calf Raises: 20kg 12/12/12 30kg 7/7/5
Standing Calf Raises: 40kg 12/12 42.5kg 10/10
Leg Extension: 42kg 9/9/8

Leg Press: This was tough today because i made sure i paused at the bottom, without relaxing, for a second. My back was against the back rest and my butt almost completely off the seat, so felt it good in my glutes!

Deadlifts felt good, gonna take it up to 3 x 10 next week

Abductor and Adductor, again felt good. With the abductor, pausing at full extension is tough but works well, so im gonna increase the weight for both of these next week.

Leg extension- this was a killer. Took a look at Duncans (Donuts!) journal. Very interesting stuff in there with regards to time under tension etc, so decided to incorporate some of his ideas into my workouts with immediate effect. And got immediate results! I was in agony after my 4th rep, pausing at full extension was excruciating and lowering under control almost impossible. HR was at 165bpm at one point (about 85% of max)!

Stonking workout though!!

Then, did 30 mins X trainer, just to finish my sorry ass off!
resistance 10, level 12 - avg HR 151bpm (78%)

Macros: 1660kcal / 139g CHO / 175g Protein / 30g Fat

Obs: Again, had a strange experience on the way to uni, feeling faint, dizzy etc. Hot flushes (no, im not going through the menopause!), but in contrast, felt really good in the gym and had a fantastic workout.

I have cereal every day and i thought i would keep it until just before my workout, as it is probably the highest carb meal of my day, and im wondering if that was the reason i felt so good? Anyway, im going to do that every day now!

Still constantly thinking of food. I don't know how long i can keep this up. I watched my flatmate eat a huge plate of spagetti bolognese with the most beautiful foccacia i have ever smelled while i ate 200g Cottage cheese

Had a dream last night that i was eating an ice cream and woke up licking my hand

Tragic

Malley

Dont sweat it. It comes and goes (the cravings). Eventually everything will be fine. Try eating the things you like now and then in small servings.

By the way in your picture you look like Ashley Judd.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Who's Ashley Judd?

Is she pretty?

SamEaston

Wednesday 9th May - 152lb

Training
Weights - Pull

Seated Row 42kg 8/8/8
Upright Row: 20kg 8/8/8
Assisted Chins: -10kg 5/5/5
Assisted Chins: -20kg 8/7/6 Wide Grip
Shrugs: 16kg 10/10/10
bicep Curl: 16kg 10/7/6

Cardio:
Treadmill 30 mins sprints 3 mins on 3 mins walking
max hr 173bpm (89%) avg hr 148bpm (76%)

Obs: Strong workout today. Am especially pleased with the upright rows as i find it hard to increase reps onthese for some reason. Not only did i get more reps today, it felt good and i squeezed for a good second at the top! Shrugs were also tough today, but again, i felt them working!

Legs are still sore from yesterday, especially my butt! Cardio helped them a bit i think!

Macros: 1655 kcal / 135g CHO / 165g Protein / 32g Fat

SamEaston

Okay, so in preparation for sprint season for rowing, in particular Womens Henley and the National Championships, the Auriol Kensington Rowing Club women are going on TRAINING CAMP!!! YAY!!

So, i need suggestions on low-cal, high protein and transportable food to take with me. Im going to take my whey protein, which i can mix with water, and im taking tins of tuna, which i can open and eat on the day and don't need to refrigerate them. Im stuck for other things though. . .

Im cutting at the moment, so i'll be looking to take in slightly less cals than im burning off, and might need to keep the carbs higher than i am at the moment for the four days to make sure i have enough energy to train 4 times each day.

So, any suggestions? I'd be glad to hear 'em!

Malley

Rowing is so interesting to me. Not to many people do it in the US so we dont hear about it often.

I will take some beef jerky with me from time to time. Hard boiled eggs, um.....I dont know.

www.crossfit.com

Malley

Oh yeah and Ashley Judd is very attractive.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Sweet!

SamEaston

Thursday 10th May - 152lb

Training - Cardio
Rowing Machine - Sprints (3 min rest intervals)
1 min, 2 mins, 3 mins, 3 mins, 2 mins, 1 min
splits ranged btw 1.50/500m to 1.56/500m on the last one
30-34spm avg hr 165bpm, max hr 178bpm (92%)

Obs: This was a tough workout today. Short and sweet though, which is its only redeeming quality. My legs were shaking all the way home and my core muscles were shot to bits! Knackered!!

Macros: 1580kcal / 118g CHO / 134g Protein / 51g Fat

Im dealing with the lack of food a little better now, i seem to be getting into the swing of it. However, i am having a cheat meal on Friday night from my favourite Indian restaurant, Lamb Korma . . . . . i've been thinking about it all week and i can't wait. Im gonna inhale it in 2 minutes flat!!

Have a lovely weekend, im going out to the dancing tonight so hopefully will rave off my korma!!

SamEaston

Hello, to one and all!

Here's what my weekend looked like. . . . .

Friday 11th May - 150.8lb

Weights - Push
Shoulder Press: 20kg 13/9/8 +8 from last week!
Lat Raises: 14kg 11/8/7 +1
Front Raises: 14kg 8/8/7 +2
Bench Press: 16kg 12/12/12
Assisted Dips: 10/7/6 +3
Skullcrushers: 16kg 10/10/8 +2kg
Pec Dec: 9/7/4 -2

Obs: Workout felt amazing today, beat my reps/weights almost every time from last week so im well impressed! Especially because im taking in so few cals!! YAY!!

Macros (roughly!): 2130kcal / 188g CHO / 144g Protein / 48g Fat

My korma was amazing! I ate it before my flatmate had finished his, and just stared at his plate, drooling till he was done!!

Had a boogie, worked up a sweat, and tried not to think about how much im gonna weigh when i get on the scales tomorrow morning!!


Saturday 12th May - 152.4lb (its all korma!)

Day off Training today, feeling a bit fat and naughty so had a walk to Oxford Street and home which took about 2 hours - felt a bit better then!!

Macros: 1410kcal / 125g CHO / 130g Protein / 30g Fat


Sunday 13th May - 151.4lb

Training on the river
Session 1 -
60 mins UT2 paddle, 20-22spm
avg hr 130bpm (65%)

Session 2 -
30 mins technical outing, rowing in pairs, preparing for the catch and accelerating through the finish.

Macros: 1390 kcal / 132g CHO / 118g Protein / 27g Fat

This day was quite tough because i wanted to keep my cals very low due to having a relatively easy session on the river. Im a third of the way through the weight i want to lose, so im getting there!!

SamEaston

So, i've just been looking through my food diary and i thought i would share my progress with you all.

On 17th April, i weighed in at the heaviest i've ever been at 157lb. Of course, i am carrying a fair amount of muscle, but there was an awful lot of fat covering it up, and i was feeling pretty miserable.

So, over the last 3 weeks, my primary objective has been to lose the gut, aiming to lose 17lb, to get down to 140lb by the summer (in Britain, summer is a relative term!!), say mid-end of June.

So here is my progress:

17th April - 24th April = 157lb to 154lb (-3lb)
25th April - 30th April = 154lb to 152.6lb (-1.4lb)
1st May - 7th May = 152.6lb to 152lb (-0.6lb)
8th May - 14th May = 152lb to 149.2lb (-2.8lb)

That's 7.8lb overall! That means i've only got 9.2lb to lose, then i can post some pics of my new bod!!

On a seperate note, i got a Polar heart rate monitor for Christmas, and when i got it my resting heart rate was 61bpm, which i think is okay anyway. So i tested it again last week and it is now 48bpm!! Its amazing!

Anyway, better get to the gym if im gonna continue burning this fat off!!

SamEaston

Monday 14th May - 149.2lb

Legs
Leg Press Warm up 12 reps each 10kg from 65-105kg
Leg Press: 115kg-12 125kg-12 135kg-11 140kg-7
Deadlifts: 36kg 10/10/8 (+4 reps)
Hip Abductor: 33kg 9/8/8 (+3kg)
Hip Adductor: 29kg 9/7/6 (+3kg)
Seated Calf Raises: 20kg 12/12/12 30kg 10/9/7 (+7 reps)
Leg Extension: 42kg 9/7/6 (-4 reps)

30 mins Erg - UT2 (60-70% hr)
6331m , avg split 2.22.5/500m
avg HR= 140bpm (72%)

Macros: 1670kcal / 148g CHO / 141g Protein / 44g Fat

Malley

Haha....I would never worry about the last exercise being weaker, matters fact it may be a tell tell sign to stop before that last exercise. Or maybe try some negatives only on those last exercises. Just a thought.

www.crossfit.com

SamEaston

Thats a good idea! By the time i get to the end, im pooped!!

Tuesday 15th May - 150.2lb

Treadmill - 2 mins @ 11km/hr, 2 mins @ 5.5km/hr
Avg HR 150bpm (77%), Max HR 180bpm (93%)

Obs: I hate doing this, but look how high my heart rate got!! I was just about to pass out! Did a good deal of stretching before and after this and it felt better. My legs aren't so sore now after legs yesterday, so i know its time to change my program around in a couple weeks!

Macros: 1380kcal / 130g CHO / 112g Protein / 36g Fat

Im still playing around with the amount of carbs and protein each day, i find that if i don't have the extra carbs, i feel lacklustre and demotivated in the gym - and that aint good.

I have my 2k test for selection for the top womens boat at my rowing club tomorrow and im shitting it! Oh well, just have to see how it goes . . .

Malley

Are you cooling down properly? Make sure you do that! Let your body regulate its temp and get oxygen back to the places it needs to go.

www.crossfit.com