Weight Loss and Healthy Living

This journal period details my strategy for using holistic sets during my cutting phase. Not only do I describe the idea behind this type of training, but include a detailed workout plan that has all of the exercises and weights I would be using.


5/15/2003

The workout strategy is for the first 5 weeks. To recap how this challenge will work, I am going hard and heavy the first 5 weeks, then taking 1 week of active rest and maintaining weight, then another 6 weeks dropping.

What drives my design of the first week? I want to maintain high intensity as I am, as I have continuously made gains by stretching out my recovery per muscle. I don't want to stay in the low rep range, however, so I'm doing a type of training coined by "Dr. Squat" (Fred Hatfield) as holistic sets (I like to affectionately refer to them as hellistic sets). This is unique training - it is a core component of all ISSA training, but I rarely see it used. It works on the premise that you activate your fast twitch fibers first. All muscle is composed of fast and slow twitch fibers. Fast twitch generate incredible force for a short period of time, but are easily damaged. Slow twitch can last longer and aren't as easily damaged, but they can't handle the same load. Holistic training rapidly fatigues the fast twitch muscles, then, unlike conventional training, which just terminates the set, they move onto the slow twitch and stimulate those as well. The result:

(1) further inroads of fatigue into the muscle, possibly resulting in greater hypertrophy
(2) greater metabolic impact, i.e. calories burned, recovery demands, etc.
(3) sufficient volume to illicit hormonal response
(4) transitional fiber activation

The transitional fiber activation is the key. You have fibers that are neither fast nor slow twitch. They are reserve fibers - I like to call them bear fibers. If you are out of shape and walking through the woods, and a bear comes lumbering out, then these fibers activate to let you run like there's no tomorrow. As these fibers are the most highly succeptible to damage, they are usually broken down then cleaned up by cortisol after they are used. However, if you can reduce cortisol levels after activating these fibers, they will fuse with other fibers and become fast twitch fibers! So you can actually CREATE more fast twitch fibers with this process. The main way to avoid cortisol after training is through steroids. Of course, since that's not an option, there is other hope - it appears that downing a post-workout shake sufficient high in carbohydrate and containing glutamine can also limit cortisol after training. So my goal would be to damage those transitional fibers, recover, and allow the fusion.

This training isn't done for long periods of time as it taxes your central nervous system and could quickly lead to overtraining. I will be training each muscle 3 times using this method over a 5-week cycle. The reps are 5-12-40 with minimal rest (only enough to switch to the next weight/exercise) then all weights are dropped 5% and it is repeated twice, so the total volume in a given workout is almost 180 repetitions for one muscle. I will be training 3 times a week to allow extended recovery. I will perform 3 HIIT sessions along with a running session on Saturdays for 4 days of cardio. One HIIT will be followed by arm-burnout, which is basically a few sets to failure on biceps and triceps and maybe some cardio work, too.

Here is the program ... note that each group of 3 sets designates a workout, so the left is the first workout and the right is the third and last workout. I drop 5% weight between mega-sets (since I have PlateMates I can get within 2.5 pounds of the weight listed) and then increase 5% weight from one workout to the next. On the 5th week, I will be doing HIIT with 6.6, 7.6, 8.6, 9.6 mph cycles with a high point of 10.6 mph.

The next post will contain the table!

				Sets			Sets			Sets
Area	Reps	Exercise	1	2	3	1	2	3	1	2	3
Hamstring	5	Stiff-legged dead-lift	260	247	235	273	259	246	287	272	259
	12	Dead-lift	210	200	190	221	209	199	232	220	209
	40	Leg curl	45	43	41	47	45	43	50	47	45
Quad	5	Squat	260	247	235	273	259	246	287	272	259
	12	Squat	210	200	190	221	209	199	232	220	209
	40	Leg extension	105	100	95	110	105	100	116	110	104
Back	5	Pull-ups*	218	207	197	229	217	207	240	228	217
	12	Narrow-grip rows	175	166	158	184	175	166	193	183	174
	40	Two-armed rows	30	29	27	32	30	28	33	31	30
Chest	5	Flat bench press	225	214	203	236	224	213	248	236	224
	12	Dumbbell bench press	70	67	63	74	70	66	77	73	70
	40	Flyes	25	24	23	26	25	24	28	26	25
Shoulders	5	Military press front	130	124	117	137	130	123	143	136	129
	12	Military press back	105	100	95	110	105	100	116	110	104
	40	Arnold press	30	29	27	32	30	28	33	31	30
			* subtract body weight fordifference to add
			M*	T	W	R	F**	S
		Week 1	Ham	Quad	HIIT: 6.2	Back	HIIT	Run
		Week 2	Chest	Shoulder	HIIT: 6.3	Ham	HIIT	Run
		Week 3	Quad	Back	HIIT: 6.4	Chest	HIIT	Run
		Week 4	Shoulder	Ham	HIIT: 6.5	Quad	HIIT	Run
		Week 5	Back	Chest	HIIT: 6.6	Shoulder	HIIT	Run
			* HIIT plus workout listed
			** HIIT plus arms burn-out

5/16/2003

Well, I down to 208 today. Yesterday and today are active recovery before I really jump into it on Monday. Tomorrow will still be a decent run. Yesterday looked like this:

Training: REST

Nutrition:

Supplements:
1tbsp flaxseed oil
1000mg fish oil
50mg Niacin (B3)
1 tablet "The Bridge" multi-vitamin
4 tablets TwinLab multi-mineral
2000mg Vitamin C
400IU Vitamin E
4 tablets Ginkgo Biloba
100mg Panax ginseng

Morning:
8oz organic 100% natural pear juice

Breakfast:
1 apple
1 pear
1 orange

Early meal:
2 cups green beans
1 Ann's Texas Burger vegetarian burger
1 carton EdenSoy soy & rice milk blend

Lunch:
Clif Bar (chocolate brownie)

Afternoon meal:
1/2 sprouted grain bagel
1 container soy yogurt
2 cups green beans

Dinner:
11 organic whole wheat crackers
1 sprouted grain bagel

Late evening:
8oz red wine (Rioja, 13% alc. by vol.)

Calories: 2084
Fat: 36g (3g saturated) 15%
Sodium: 1780mg
Potassium: 2910mg
Carbohydrate: 357g (42g fiber, 83g sugar) 66%
Protein: 63g 12%
Alcohol: 0.8 oz (8%)
Water: 101 oz

That's a wrap!

5/18/2003

I couldn't be more stoked!!! This is the start of it all .... I can't wait!!!! Had a wonderful dinner with my wife last night .... pasta prima vera (a vegetable dish) rolls without butter (we got olive oil to dip them), tossed salad, and chocolate for dessert. YUM! Calories are going to be tight with my goals, but I'll be hanging in there. I can't WAIT to demonstrate what can be done over 12 weeks with determination.

Here are the beginning stats:

Resting Heart Rate: 40 bpm
Waist circumference (taken at widest point): 38.5"
Biceps circumference: 15.5"
Weight: 209
Sum of umbilicus and suprailiac: 40mm
Blood pressure: 140/73 (standard cuffs generally put me several points high)
Estimated body fat: 19%

Goal is 6% (around 180 pounds) in 12 weeks.

Keep it green, everyone! Today is budgeted 1700 calories and no exercise. Tomorrow will be more calories with extra exercise. 5 weeks to 195, maintain my weight for a week, then 6 weeks to 177. I'll settle for heavier weights as long as the body fat drops, so coming in heavier than 180 will be fine by me!

Jeremy

5/19/2003

Yesterday's eats:

Supplements:
1tbsp flaxseed oil
1000mg fish oil
50mg Niacin (B3)
1 tablet "The Bridge" multi-vitamin
4 tablets TwinLab multi-mineral
2000mg Vitamin C
400IU Vitamin E
3 doses thermogenic: 20mg ephedrine / 200mg caffeine from natural, herbal sources

Breakfast:
1 orange
1 apple
1 pear

Lunch:
1 Ann's vegan burrito
10 Paul Newman's unsalted round pretzels

Early snack:
1 piece Ostrich jerky (like a SlimJim but with Ostrich meat)

Late afternoon snack:
1 Clif Bar (Chocolate Brownie)

Dinner:
5oz raw lean ground beef (free range, sirloin cut)
1 cup steamed broccoli
8oz soy milk

Late night treat:
1oz organic Belgian dark chocolate

Calories: 1695
Fat: 70g (17g saturated) 35%
Sodium: 1380mg
Potassium: 2780mg
Carbohydrate: 211g (30g fiber / 40g sugar) 48%
Protein: 76g 17%
Water: 93 oz

Keep it green!

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