Daily News Archives

March 2008

 

03/31/2008 - Good week of progress; Mindset for success; 2008 cut training info.
03/30/2008 - Weekly stats; Beating temptation.
03/29/2008 - I'm feeling great; Are you ready to get in shape? Here's how.
03/28/2008 - 2008 Cut meal plan posted and discussed.
03/27/2008 - Time to get serious: no cheats, no alcohol, no missed workouts.
03/26/2008 - Eye of round steaks; No more cheat meals?
03/25/2008 - The break did me a lot of good: awesome workout!
03/24/2008 - Back from vacation; Cutting diet reboot.
03/23/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/22/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/21/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/20/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/19/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/18/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/17/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/16/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/15/2008 - No update - on vacation.
03/14/2008 - On vacation; Phase 2 of landscaping complete; AtLarge sale!
03/13/2008 - Leg day; Phase 2 of landscaping project starts today!
03/12/2008 - I just realized how completely burnt I feel.
03/11/2008 - Still not in the grove; Shoulder; Landscaping photos.
03/10/2008 - Weekend recap; Today's training plan.
03/09/2008 - DST RANT.
03/08/2008 - Bad John! Cleaning day.
03/07/2008 - Live your life to the fullest!
03/06/2008 - FIVE YEARS DRUG-FREE!
03/05/2008 - Can't get in the zone this week; Taking a week off starting March 15th.
03/04/2008 - Tips for working out when you don't feel like it.
03/03/2008 - Alternating deadlift workouts; Fun weekend.
03/02/2008 - 0 for 2 on pizza as a cheat meal lately.
03/01/2008 - Monthly photos are up; Improvement needed.

 

March 31, 2008

It's been a very solid first week of progress: my body fat level is 11.5% (measured yesterday), and this morning my scale weight is 195.4 pounds. Last Monday (the first day of my cutting program, and the day after my vacation ended) my scale weight was 199.8 pounds. A loss of 4.4 pounds is about what I expected for the first week. Some of that weight loss was water, but a pound or two was certainly fat. Actually the weight loss might have been more, but I started taking creatine again last Monday. So I've probably added some water weight associated with the creatine.

There were some definite dietary temptations over the weekend, but I never even came close to succumbing. My resolve is very high, and that resolve grows every time I notice even a little bit of progress. In reading your emails, some of you seem completely fascinated (and even perplexed) that I would choose to cut with no cheat meals, no alcohol and no deviations from my planned diet. The reason I like to cut this way is mostly psychological. When I'm cutting I love waking up feeling lean and un-bloated. That awesome feeling is a reminder of what I'm doing, and it really inspires me for some reason. When I'm cutting and choose to eat cheat meals, the morning after an indulgence I always feel bloated, crappy and less motivated. Then I spend half the next week shedding the added water weight (and, of course, some fat gain), and my cravings for more junk are usually much stronger. When I flip the "no cheat" switch on, my mindset changes. Sure, I get intense cravings like everyone else, but when those cravings hit I just think about how good I'll feel the next the morning if I ignore them, and how good my body will look when I'm at a shredded 6% body fat.

Notice I said when I reach 6% body fat, not if. You see, one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when they are trying to reach a fat loss goal is that they don't really believe what they are trying to do is possible. I mean, on a certain level they know it is possible because they have seen others do it, but that's not even close to good enough. Unless you honestly believe in yourself 100% you are doomed to fail. For me, it's never a question of if I'll reach my goal, because I know I will reach my goal; it's as certain as the sun rising in the morning. That's the sort of mindset you have to adopt if you want to succeed.

Yesterday I updated my training page with my 2008 cut training split and principles. It's pretty similar to what I did for last years cut, but there are a few changes...

 

2008 Cutting Schedule

March 24, 2008 - ?

Monday: Weight training: back & biceps
Tuesday: Weight training: chest & triceps
Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)**
Thursday: Weight training: quads, hamstrings & calves
Friday: Weight training: delts & traps
Saturday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)**
Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted AM) or Stationary bike, 12-18 minutes (HIIT, PM)**

 

**The HIIT workouts progress in difficulty over the weeks. Here's the schedule:

Week 1: 12 mins per session--30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 2: 14 mins per session--30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 3: 16 mins per session--30 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 4: 14 mins per session--45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 5: 16 mins per session--45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 6: 18 mins per session--45 seconds all out, followed by 45 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 7: 16 mins per session--45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.
Week 8: 18 mins per session--45 seconds all out, followed by 30 seconds at moderate pace.

 

2008 Training Principles

March 24, 2008 - ?

 

March 30, 2008

The first week of my cut has been spot-on, and I'm very pleased to be off to a good start. This morning I took a complete set of tape measurements, and a body fat reading...

My waist is 32.5" right now. While not horrible, I guess, it's still pretty high for me. In July 2007 (@ 6% body fat) my waist size was 30.25", and my aim this go-round is to get my waist to 30.25" or even 30". As always, my complete current measurements can be found on my stats page.

I also took a 7-point body fat reading this morning, and was surprised that it's below 12%. The official result is 11.5% (as measured using a 7-site pinch test with the fat track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers from the JSF Amazon Mall).

Yesterday was a day filled with temptations. First of all, Saturday is my normal cheat meal day, so I was fighting that craving. Especially when Lisa had wine with dinner and then started eating ice cream for dessert. Yeah, there is some left over junk food and alcohol from our vacation (wine, beer, pizza, ice cream, chips). I knew that those foods would be around when I decided to forgo cheat meals, and that weird side of me that I can't explain was actually excited about the extra challenge that having those foods in the house would present. Don't ask me why that is. I guess part of me enjoys the test of my willpower. When I get in this mode it's like turning on a switch. I know in my heart that I can not and will not falter. It's black and white for me. That "machine" mindset is my secret weapon, I guess.

Lisa and I were out running some errands yesterday, and we passed our favorite Mexican restaurant twice. We both looked at each other and said the restaurant's name out loud. Our words were dripping with longing. Lisa knows me very well when I'm in this mode, she knew that the chances of me actually pulling in to the parking lot were about equal to my purposely driving us off a cliff. She likes that about me, though. :)

No morning cardio for me today. Today I'll be doing an afternoon HIIT session, which I'm looking forward to. My cardiovascular fitness level is in need of a boost, and HIIT is a great way to do that. Enjoy your Sunday!

 

March 29, 2008

Spring is here, and the prospect of warmer days seems to be affecting just about everyone in a very positive way. The mood on the forum right now seems to be especially energetic and upbeat. It's really cool to see so many people enthusiastically working towards getting in shape for summer. Believe me, I'm feeling it, too! This past week has been awesome: every workout has been better than the last, for the first time in months I've been looking forward to training again and my diet has been perfect. It's so nice to go to bed each night feeling positive and energetic instead of bloated from junk food and half-drunk from alcohol (as was the case so often over the extended move and while on vacation).

Over the past few months I was drinking too much alcohol and eating like crap much of the time. I didn't workout consistently, and when I did workout it was forced and not very enjoyable. I actually found myself struggling to break out of those destructive patterns because, as we all know, being lazy can be very addictive. Taking a week off from everything made a huge difference, but that was not enough. I think the real turning point that put me back on track is when I publicly committed to getting back down to 6% body fat by following a very strict diet with no alcohol.

Sometimes it helps to put your goals in writing and then fly your mission up a flagpole for all to see. It's like telling the world, "Yeah, I'm going to do this and absolutely nothing is going to stop me!" Most people enjoy a challenge. I think that's why JSF forum members who keep active journals tend to stick around and see their goals through compared to those who sort of meander around for a few weeks with no real plan, and then disappear back into their bag of Doritos. Believe me, getting in shape is every bit as addictive as being lazy, and it's a hell of a lot more rewarding. All you have to do is have a firm goal and a solid plan, and then take it one day at a time. If your diet and training are in order and you stay dedicated, you will see results fairly quickly. Those results will fuel your desire to keep working hard.

The JSF Forum can help educate you, provide you with support, answer your questions and keep you accountable in a fun and friendly atmosphere. If you are ready to make a change in your life, I encourage you to create a free account and begin your journey today! A good place to start is by reading the "sticky" threads in the Beginner's forum (the threads that are "stuck" at the very top).

You can make the choice to change right now if you want to, or you can go on being unhealthy and unhappy in your own skin. Just imagine for a moment looking back on this day in a few months as a completely different person. Sound far-fetched? It's not. People do it all the time. I did it. You can do it, too, but you are the only one who can make that choice.

A couple more quick notes, and then I have to go do my cardio...

First, I want to mention that yesterday's workout was outstanding! I tore into the weights like like a starving man would tear into a juicy steak. I found myself only taking 45 seconds rest between sets because I was so completely fired up. Man, there really is no feeling like being in the zone while lifting weights.

Finally, if you missed it and are interested, I posted and discussed my cutting diet yesterday.

Have a great Saturday!

 

March 28, 2008

As I mentioned yesterday, I've decided to get serious about my 2008 cutting program. I saw some posts on the forum and received some emails from some of you who read yesterday's update and were inspired to make some big changes of your own over the next few months. I applaud each of you, and wish you success; work hard, and you will find it!

I spent some time this morning entering my cutting diet into spreadsheet form. It can be found here. This morning I'd like to discuss what I'm doing diet-wise, and why I'm doing it...

First of all, I will not be having any cheat meals or any foods that are not part of my planned diet--period. I also will not be drinking any alcoholic beverages during the course of this cut. The only things I'll be drinking are water and black coffee.

When I was cutting down to 6% body fat last year I learned a lot from Mastover--the mastermind behind my 2007 cutting meal plans. This year I've taken what I learned from Mastover and changed some things. One thing that will not change is I will be eating a 100% all-natural diet (save protein powder, which is a processed food item). Those of you who have been visiting this site for awhile know that I'm always experimenting and changing things up. Experimentation is the only way we can learn what works best for us.

The first major change is that I've decided to step away from a low carb/refeed-style diet (at least for now--that may change as I get closer to my goal of 6% body fat). Instead, I've centered my diet around training and non-training days. On training days I'll be eating some carbs pre-workout, and again post-workout (PWO meal #1 and PWO meal #2). I will also get a few carbs in the form of fibrous veggies (pretty much nothing but broccoli) and fruit (grapefruit). On non-training days I'll be eating some carbs with meal #3 (1/2 cup of brown rice), but other than that my only carb intake will be broccoli and grapefruit.

Last year I ate a lot of cod. I even had cod for breakfast, and after awhile I started to dread getting up in the morning and wanted to punch cod. I like cod, and I still eat it, but I will only be eating it occasionally this go-round. I want to see how much of a difference it makes.

I've made some changes with regards to my supplements, too. Basically I've eliminated many of the supplements I took last year, and simplified things. I won't be taking Mass Aminos or Lean Out this time. Those supplements were very expensive, and I want to judge for myself if the expense was worth it by trying a cut without them. My supplement intake will be fairly basic: a multivitamin, an EFA oil blend, joint support, creatine, glutamine and BCAAs.

I'll be doing a mix of HIIT and LISS cardio on non-training days. Basically I'll decide on that day what I feel like doing, but I will do both styles every week. As I get closer to my goal I will probably increase cardio and will likely do double sessions (AM LISS and PM HIIT).

It looks like I'm out of time, so I'd better wrap this up. More tomorrow. Happy Friday!

 

March 27, 2008

Yesterday's workout (pecs and triceps) was my second workout since I returned from my vacation, and it was another excellent, very intense training session. I finally feel like myself again: for the first time in months I am genuinely looking forward to my training sessions, I'm feeling positive and energetic, I'm eating clean and I'm having very productive workouts.

OK, yesterday I mentioned that I was giving some serious thought to eliminating my weekly cheat meal while I'm cutting. Well, that's exactly what I've elected to do, effective immediately. The more I thought about it the more I realized that it was the right thing for me to do. For the past 4 months or so I've been very lax with my diet, and now it's time to get serious. After my workout yesterday I stripped off my shirt and was not real happy with what I saw. I'm going to take a body fat reading and tape measurements this weekend, but I'm pretty sure that I'm at, or above, 12% body fat right now. As you'll see when I take my monthly pictures on April 1st, this is the softest I've looked since early 2007 (after my 2006 bulk). I know exactly what I need to do to get back to "beach shape": strict dieting, no alcohol, no cheat meals, no missed workouts and no missed cardio sessions. Over the past five years I've taken this "extreme" approach twice before: my initial fat loss phase, and last year's post-bulk cut. The results of those two cuts speak for themselves, and I will do it again now. You can mark my words on that. Those of you who have been visiting this site for any amount of time know that if I say something like that you can take it to the bank. The nice thing about this time, though, is I don't have nearly as much fat to lose as I did the other two times. I think that with two months of strict, hard work I'll be back to 6% body fat. I'm very excited and amped about this personal challenge. For the next couple of months my diet and training will be taking center stage in my life.

I am doing this for me, but also I hope that those of you who are working towards building your best "beach body" will be inspired by my example. I promise, I won't let you down. Wanting a good body and actually having one are two very different things. While the "all or nothing" approach is not for everyone, no one can argue that it gets results. If results are what you are after, I encourage you to dig deep and give a maximal effort for the next couple of months. I'll certainly enjoy the company. :)

 

March 26, 2008

Yesterday was another solid day for me. I felt energetic and positive about my renewed cutting program, I had a couple of great cardio sessions and I shed a little over 3 pounds of water bloat left over from my vacation. I know the scale weight reduction was just water, but I was glad for it. I hate how puffy I look and feel when I'm bloated like that; water weight really shows in my face and my mid-section.

For dinner last night I had grilled eye of round steak and a huge plate of broccoli. I have to thank Mastover for turning me on to this cut of meat last year while he was assisting me with my cutting diet. While eye of round steak will never have the texture of fillet mignon, I think the taste is outstanding. Also, while many feel that eye of round is a very tough cut of meat, I've found that if it is prepared properly it's not too tough at all (or maybe I'm just used to it!)

I prepare eye of round steak by coating both sides with lots of fresh ground pepper and then letting the steak sit at room temperature (covered) for about an hour. I add a little salt just before putting the steak on the grill. Eye of round is very lean, so the grill must be super hot to get a nice char and lock in the juices. I cook each side (turn only once!) for 3-4 minutes, depending on thickness. This cut of meat is best when prepared fairly rare; if you cook it too long it will get very tough. Once the steak comes off the grill, let it rest for 4 minutes or so before digging in.

Not only is eye of round relatively low in fat, it's a great source of protein and is really inexpensive compared to other cuts. Lean steak is also a welcome change from all the chicken breasts and fish I normally eat! I purchase my eye of round in big cuts at Costco and then cut the individual fillets myself.

I'm putting some serious thought into eliminating my weekly cheat meal from my cutting diet. I've already decided to eliminate alcohol completely while I'm cutting, and the weekly cheat meal may be next to go. I always seem to do better when I adopt an "all or nothing" approach. It seems like the cheat meals do more harm than good because I feel stronger temptations to go off my diet during the week when I have them. More on that later, I'm late for breakfast and I'm starving!

 

March 25, 2008

Some of you may recall that in the weeks leading up to my vacation I often lamented that my workouts felt very "forced". No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't seem to get in the groove of things. It was very frustrating. As it turns out, I all I needed was a break. Yesterday's workout (back and biceps) was one of the best workouts I've had in recent memory, and was easily my best workout so far this year. As the time for my workout approached I found myself looking forward to getting in the gym instead of feeling like I "had" to workout.

That week off from everything sure seems to have done me a lot of good.

So, I had a great workout yesterday, but I felt a little more winded that usual. I started off with four rapid-fire (1 minute rest) sets of burnout deadlifts, and my lungs were on fire by the time I finished. After the deads I moved to close-grip low-rows. I was surprised by how much my legs were shaking from fatigue.

As an aside, in my old gym I had to pretty much stop doing low rows because there was not enough room to perform the exercise correctly (the dumbbell rack behind the low row station prevented me from having full range of motion). Yesterday was the first time I've done low rows in the new gym and it was very nice to finally be able to do them correctly!

I'm going to give my shoulders a little break (my right shoulder has been bothering me as of late) and wait until tomorrow to do my chest workout. This morning I'm going to get some LISS cardio in, and this afternoon I might do some HIIT just for fun. :)

 

March 24, 2008

I'm back from my vacation, and the past nine days played out even better than I imagined they would. Lisa and I had a wonderful time hanging out with my mom and her best friend, there were very few work-related "emergency" interruptions, we enjoyed perfect weather, ate a lot of great food, watched movies, played games, took trips--just what we needed after the past year, which has been very stressful. I love my life, but it was nice to take a break from everything and just... chill out!

I feel more relaxed this morning than I've felt in a long, long time. I really needed that time off, and I'm glad that I took it.

I didn't workout or follow any kind of planned diet last week; I ate what I wanted, and drank what I wanted. While I enjoyed the break from my usual diet and training, I can really see and feel the difference. I'm just shy of 200 pounds this morning, and around 12% body fat. I'd say around 4 or 5 pounds of that weight is bloat and water, so I'm going to wait a couple of days to take tape and body fat measurements.

As I mentioned before I left for my vacation, I'm going to reboot my cutting program and start from scratch. After the move I never felt fully committed to my cutting program, and I think it's because I needed a break. Now that I've had a chance to recharge my batteries, I feel more than ready to get down to business. I'm going to be very dedicated to my cutting program, and will be dieting down to 6% body fat again this year. I'll be following the same low carb/refeed diet that I used last year for my cut, and I'll be following the same training schedule. I will not be taking the "lean out" supplement this year (I'm not sure how effective it was, and so I want to see how I do without it this year). The supplements I will be using are as follows: AtLarge's "Nitrean" protein powder, multi-vitamin (Universal's "Animal Pak"), UDO's Choice oil blend caps, BCAAs (Xtend), Creatine, Glutamine, and Glucosamine/MSM/Chondroitin

I love this time of year: summer is coming, and you can feel it. This feeling always motivates me to get serious about my fatloss diet and shed away the winter pounds. Beach season will be here before you know it!

I've got a lot of catching up to do today at work, so I'd better get breakfast going and get started. I enjoyed my time off, but it sure feels great to be back!

 

March 15, 2008 - March 23, 2008

No update - on vacation.

 

March 14, 2008

It's vacation time! The past year has been a heck of a ride, so Lisa and I are very excited about finally having some time to relax and unwind. My mom and her best friend are en route from Texas, and will arrive at our home tomorrow around noon. It's always fun when my mom comes for a visit, and Lisa and I are both excited about her seeing our new house for the first time.

Speaking of the house, Phase 2 of the landscaping was completed yesterday, and Phase 3 started this morning. I've got some photos of Phase 2 here. The sun was on its way down when they finished, so the pictures are a little dark. Once Phase 3 is done (early next week) I'll take a bunch more photos and post the completed project and the final time lapse animation of the entire construction from start to finish in my journal.

MARCH 21 EDIT: Here are the new photos and animation.

I'm not going to be training this week, and I'm going to eat whatever I like. This week is all about relaxing and enjoying myself with no restrictions. I need this right now. When I return I'm going to reboot my cutting program and get down to 6% body fat for the summer.

Before I sign off, I've got a couple items to go over...

First of all, the April "100 Challenge" is now open for entry. Summer is coming, so join up and get fired up about building your beach body! Details are immediately below this update.

I saved the best news for last: an exclusive AtLarge 10% off sale for JSF members and visitors! See the details below this update.

OK, I that about wraps it up. I'm going to get today's work done as quickly as I can, pour myself a drink, kick back and start doing, oh, nothing! See you again on the 24th!

Registration for the April 2008 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on April 1, 2008 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the April 2008 "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part!

 

AtLarge Nutrition - JSF Exclusive Sale!

It's time again for another JohnStoneFitness.com sale!

JSF has always been a great supporter of AtLarge Nutrition. From time to time we like to reward that support by offering its members exclusive sale events.

Starting today, Friday March 14th, 2008 and running through Wednesday, March 19th, all JSF members are eligible for a 10% discount. That is 10% off of the total cost of their order to include shipping!

If you have not yet tried our new product RESULTS™ now is the perfect time!

To take advantage of this offer simply type JSF in the discount coupon code section during the checkout process.

From all of us at AtLarge Nutrition, LLC, thank YOU for your support and business!

 

March 13, 2008

Ever since I started doing part of my leg workout outside, the weather on Thursday has been outstanding. Actually there was one rainy Thursday, but it magically cleared up in time for my workout. Today is forecast to be sunny with highs in the upper 70s. I know it sounds a little silly, but taking part of my leg workout outside has really been a cool experience. Lately I've been waking up on leg day excited about my workout, and I always check the weather forecast as soon as I get on my computer. I'm actually a little surprised by how much I've enjoyed this seemingly small change. I'm still thinking about putting a squat rack back there, but I doubt my neighbors would appreciate it. As I've mentioned before, I tend to grunt and yell. Not on every rep, and not on purpose, but when I'm pushing hard at the end of a tough set, yeah.

My landscape designer is full of surprises these days! The other day he surprised me by showing up a couple weeks early to do Phase 1 of the big landscaping job (photos), and last night he called me to go over his plans for Phase 2. He sounded more excited about this next phase than I've ever heard him before. He promised that Phase 2 is going to be even more dramatic and beautiful than the first phase. He waited until the end of the call to let me know that he's coming over with his crew TODAY to do the job! He said it might take two days to complete the work, but there's a chance it will be done today. As soon as he's done I'll get some pictures up in my New Home Journal, and I'll also put them in my public photo journal. If you are interested in the actual plants and trees he's be using, I put them in my New Home Construction Journal. Here's a direct link to the post (an upgraded forum membership is required).

Tomorrow is my final day of work before my vacation! I can't wait!

 

March 12, 2008

I've been looking forward to my upcoming vacation (which starts Saturday!), but this morning it just sort of hit me how much I really need it. I feel completely burnt. It's been almost exactly one year since Lisa and I started the long and often very stressful process of not only buying a new house, but also selling our old house in an absolutely horrible market. The actual move was a massive undertaking, and since then I've pretty much spent every waking hour working (both my job and around the house). I've had precious few moments available to really relax, and I've not had a nice extended block of time to chill in a long while. So, this Friday will be my final update for a week. I'll be back on Monday the 24th, rested, relaxed and recharged.

I really think the reason my workouts have felt so forced lately is simply because I'm tired. I'm not talking about the kind of tired that comes from lack of sleep; I'm talking about the worn-down feeling that comes over time. Yes, it's time for a real vacation, and I'm going to live it up with no restrictions. I'm not going to train, I'm not going to work and, while my diet will be mostly healthy, I'm going to eat whatever I like. I think this is exactly what I need right now, and I'll bet I come back feeling more rested and relaxed than I've been in a long, long time.

 

March 11, 2008

My back and biceps workout yesterday was good, but not great. I still don't have that awesome feeling of firing on all cylinders that I spoke of last week, and it's a little frustrating. At least I'm moving some decent weight around again, and I'm forcing the intensity since it's not coming on its own. I'm slowly building the momentum back up to where it was before the move. That takes time, I suppose.

Today is chest and triceps day, and yeah... my right shoulder is still bothering me a little. The interesting thing is I'm starting to think that cleaning and polishing (the cars, the stainless steel appliances, etc.) is what's aggravating my shoulder more than anything else. When I perform those tasks I can really feel it. I'm going to try and focus on using my left arm to do those sorts of things, but that feels very unnatural because I'm right-handed.

Yesterday I was all excited because phase one of the front landscaping was set to be completed. Well, it's done and I'm very happy with how it came out. As always, I put the pictures in my New Home Construction Journal, but I also put the pictures in my public photo journal. They can be found here. Before you click, I need to give everyone fair warning: if you are buried in snow right now you might not want to click on that link. It's spring time here in Central Florida, and if you are freezing your butt off right now these pictures might be more irritating than entertaining.

I feel like doing cardio this morning for some reason. I think I'm going to go get a 40 minute ride in before work. Have a great day!

 

March 10, 2008

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I spent most of Saturday cleaning, but yesterday was a lot of fun: Lisa's parents took us to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch (I had Fajitas, of course). After lunch Lisa and her mother went to the movies, while Don and I came back to the house so he could check out the new Xbox 360. Video games sure have come a long way over the years!

Our new landscaping was not scheduled to go in until the end of the month, so I was surprised on Saturday morning by a call from my landscape designer asking if he could come that very day! This guy has a Nationally syndicated radio show and he does some TV for local news stations; with all that exposure he is always booked solid for months in advance. Also, apart from his morning radio show, he never works on Saturdays, so that call was a most unexpected and very pleasant surprise indeed! This is the same guy who did the landscaping at our old place back in 2005, and we became friends after that. He knows that my that my mom is coming to stay with us next weekend, and he said he decided to surprise us by getting the landscaping done before she arrives. He and his crew got about half of the big project completed on Saturday, and they'll be returning today to finish the job. Actually there's a section on the side of the house that will not be completed for a couple of weeks, but the rest of the front will be done today. He's bringing several big (16-20 foot) Queen palms and the Magnolia tree today, so it should be quite a dramatic transformation!

Today I'll be working my back and biceps, and I've decided that I'm going to go heavy on the deads again this week. I was planning to perform a more cardio-oriented deadlift session (4 rapid-fire burnout sets @ 225 pounds w/ 1 minute rest between sets), but I'm in the mood to load up the bar and move some real weight, so I'm going to go with it.

I'd better wrap this up, I've got a lot of work to do today. Enjoy your Monday!

 

March 09, 2008

Time for another DST rant. Today's update is sponsored by lack of sleep and disorientation.

I really hate the Daylight Saving Time change. Hate it. HATE IT. HATE IT! My internal clock is very accurate--I know when it's time for a meal, when it's time to go to bed, when it's time to workout and I wake up at almost the exact same time each and every morning without ever setting an alarm. The downside to having such a precise sense of time is that I always have an extremely difficult time adjusting to the DST change. My internal clock is going to be screwed up for weeks.

Oh, we're not moving on to another subject. I'm still getting warmed up...

Of course there are literally dozens of watches, clocks, computers and random devices such as the water softener, the alarm panels, the security camera DVR, the sprinkler system, the microwave, the coffee maker, the oven and on and on and on... all of which need to have their times changed manually. It was bad enough before, but now that DST has been extended all the legacy devices that are (um, I mean were) DST aware are completely screwed up four times per year!

We're in DST mode for eight months of the year, so why not just leave it like that all year long?!

You know, I could continue ranting and describe the all nasty things I'd like to do to the morons responsible for perpetuating DST (and screwing it up worse than it already was), but I think I'm just going to go get another cup of coffee and get my cardio done. BANG!

 

March 08, 2008

I sort of had a cheat meal last night, which I shouldn't have done because Lisa's parents are taking us out to eat tomorrow. I grilled a lean turkey burger, which is not bad at all, but I put it on a hamburger bun along with a slice of swiss cheese. I also had a handful of Doritos, and that's a food I rarely eat. I didn't really enjoy the Doritos, and last night I was reminded why I don't eat them: too salty and chemically tasting!

Next week I'll be eating clean, but on Saturday the 15th I start my vacation. My mom will also arrive in town on that day, and she'll be staying with us all week long. I know my diet will not be the greatest while my mom is in town. There's no way I'm turning down the rare chance to eat her awesome cooking again!

So, in all likelihood my fat loss progress this month will probably be close to nil, but I'm not worried about it. At just over 10% body fat I don't have that much fat to lose to reach my goal of 6 or 7 percent body fat, and it's still early March. I know I'm technically cutting right now, but my main concern at this moment is continuing to build my strength back up. Even though my diet is not as clean it should be, I'll be using the extra calories to fuel some productive weight training workouts!

Well, I'd better wrap this up; Lisa and I have a big day of cleaning ahead. Joy.

 

March 07, 2008

I want to thank everyone who took the time to contact me about yesterday's update. Many of you wrote to congratulate me for celebrating five years of 100% drug-free living (thank you!), but I also received quite a few emails and PMs from people who are struggling to overcome their own addictions.

Some of you asked me for very specific advice. Unlike that egotistical jackass Dr. Phil, I'm not comfortable dispensing advice when I'm clearly not qualified to do so. Addiction is a very complicated subject, and there's a real possibility that something I say--even with the best intentions--could do more harm than good.

There are essentially three areas on the subject of addiction that I feel "qualified" to talk about: openly discussing my own experiences with addiction, describing how I managed to overcome those demons and strongly encouraging others to do whatever it is they need to do to rid their lives of drugs and other destructive behaviors. Some of you will be able to find the answers on your own (and, of course, with the support of those around you), and some of you will need assistance from qualified professionals. Be honest with yourself and do whatever it is you need to do. Overcoming addiction is very difficult, but the rewards are great. The past five years have been the best years of my life--no contest.

Life is so short. Think about that for a second, because it is not just an expression. When I was 20 years old life seemed as if it would go on forever. When we are new we feel invincible, but that's just an illusion brought on by lack of perspective. George Bernard Shaw famously said, "Youth is wasted on the young". Man, isn't that the truth!

No, I promise that I'm not having a mid-life crisis! I simply want to encourage everyone reading this to live their life to the fullest. You'll never get today back again, so make it count!

 

March 06, 2008

There are three dates that relate to my health that will always be very important to me: on November 1, 2000 I quit smoking, on January 6, 2003 I started on a fitness journey that continues to this day, and on March 6, 2003 I was finally able to quit drugs forever.

I can't believe it's been five years since I've done drugs. Drugs were part of my life every single day for more than a decade, and learning to live without them was very difficult. As many of you know, marijuana was my daily "go-to" drug: for well over ten years the number of days that I was not stoned could be counted on one hand--and I did not abstain on those few days by choice, I simply ran out and could not get more. Running out of weed is a nightmare for a chronic.

Even though I was mostly a pothead, I also went through periods of fairly heavy cocaine use, as well as LSD.

Drugs had a very strong hold on me for a long, long time. At some point--I'm not sure exactly when--I'd pretty much resigned myself to being a pothead for life. This was because I honestly couldn't imagine willingly going through a day without being stoned. People who smoke occasionally simply can't understand just how powerful the mental addiction to marijuana can be for some. I guarantee that there a quite a few people reading this update who smoke daily and don't know how to stop. Many of those people are stoned right now. Five years ago I sure would have been (and yes, it's 8:30 in the morning as I type this).

So how did I finally rid my life of drugs? When I began my transformation on January 6, 2003 I was still smoking pot daily. Like I said, I had simply accepted the "fact" that I would smoke pot for the rest of my life. As I started to get in better shape I slowly began to feel healthy again, and I liked it! Years of fat started melting away, my confidence was beginning to return and I felt really good after a workout. In fact, I started to realize that I felt better after a workout than I did stoned out of my mind. In early March 2003 I decided that I could stop doing drugs if I really wanted to. I'm not going to lie, it was tough; It's scary facing life sober after countless years of drug abuse. I began to focus my attention on the brand new healthy lifestyle I'd adopted; I got rid of all my pipes, papers, bongs, screens, pipe cleaners and ashtrays; I stopped hanging around with people who did drugs. The first week was pure hell, but after that it started to become easier. A month later and the desire was all but gone. I couldn't believe it! From that day forward every aspect of my life began to improve.

A little over five years ago I was fat, unhealthy, drug-addicted, negative, under-achieving and unhappy. Getting off drugs, adopting a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine not only changed my life, it saved it. I honestly believe that with every fiber of my being.

Of course that's just my story. There's absolutely no shame in getting help if you need it. The important thing is that you do something, and that you do it now.

 

March 05, 2008

I've had a couple of pretty good workouts so far this week, but both workouts have been due to sheer force of will rather than being in "the zone". I really don't like it when I can't find my groove in the gym. I've put quite a bit of thought over the years as to why some workouts "flow" better than others, and I've never been able to come up with a good answer. There are probably way too many dynamics at play to pin it down. My diet has been great, I've been getting plenty of rest, my stress level has not been any higher than normal and my strength is up... still, my workouts this week have felt forced. That's not to say my training has not been productive, and that's what really counts! I've found that as long as I keep grinding away, suddenly one day everything will click back into place--like someone turned on a switch.

I'll be taking a week off from work and from updating this site on March 15th. Unlike the time I took off for moving, this will be a REAL vacation. Lisa is also off from work that week, and my mom and her best friend are coming to town to stay with us. It will be very nice to relax and spend time with my family. I'll not be taking any time off from working out that week, but I will relax my diet somewhat. My mom is too good a cook to pass up any opportunity to enjoy one of her home cooked meals!

I've got to go get my cardio in now. Thanks for stopping by!

 

March 04, 2008

Yesterday was one of those days when I just didn't feel like working out. I felt sort of tired and not very motivated to lift, so I had to force myself to shake the weekend cobwebs off and get my butt in the gym.

Everyone has days when skipping a workout is tempting. When I'm feeling like that, I have a few tactics that I use to make sure I don't take the easy way out...

The first thing I do is immediately stop thinking that skipping the workout is even an option. If you keep thinking along the lines of "Maybe I should skip this one...", then you are leaving that door wide open. Slam that door shut by telling yourself that you are going to do this workout and that skipping it is not going to happen.

Something else that helps me is to put on music. Music often helps get me fired up to lift. I workout at home, so I can crank the music up as loud as I want. Portable MP3 players are a great option if there are people around you.

It also helps me to think about my goals. I've been doing this long enough to know that hard work and consistency really do pay off. Going to the gym is never a wasted effort. Working out is the vehicle that takes you from point "A" to point "B"--there are no shortcuts. A missed workout is a missed opportunity to get closer to your goal. In this game if you're not moving forward then you are moving backwards.

Working out does wonders for the body, but it's also great for the mind. You know that awesome endorphin rush and incredible feeling that only comes after a hard workout? Reminding myself that the incredible post-workout high is just 45 minutes away definitely helps get me going. Add to that the satisfaction you'll feel for doing something you really didn't feel like doing and you're going to feel pretty dang good when it's all over.

I hope some of these tips help. Keep training hard!

 

March 03, 2008

Today I'll be working my back and biceps. Last week I went with a fairly light weight (225 lbs) for my deads and did four rapid-fire "burnout" (each set to failure) sets. The minute of rest between each set went by in a flash, and by the time I completed all four sets I was drenched in sweat and completely out of breath. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor, but I'd bet anything my heart rate was in the upper 180s or lower 190s. If you want to try this please be aware of your form at all times. It's easy to let your form slip when you become fatigued and that can lead to injury--even with relatively light weight.

I think I'm going to alternate my heavy deadlift routine with the cardiovascular oriented deadlift routine for awhile. I think there are benefits to both, and the break from going very heavy every week is probably a good thing, too. Today I'll be doing three sets of very heavy deads, 6-8 reps per set.

I hope everyone had a good weekend! I sure did. This was the first weekend in a long, long time that I didn't have tons of projects and things to do. Other than the weekly house cleaning I didn't do anything that would be considered even remotely productive, and it felt great! I can't believe we're finally settled into the new house and there's just not all that much left to do. Looking around, I'm pleased with how much Lisa and I have accomplished over the past two months. While the work was (for the most part) enjoyable, I am glad it's behind us.

I'm late for breakfast, so I'm going to wrap this up. Train hard--summer is coming!

 

March 02, 2008

I tried to have my cheat meal on Friday night, but Lisa and I don't seem to be having very good luck with pizza these days. Last week the pizza from Costco was terrible, and this week we ordered from a local pizza joint that is normally very reliable and tasty. Without going into all the gory details, it took almost 2.5 hours and 4 phone calls before our order arrived. The pizza and wings were both stone cold and nasty. They gave us the order for free and a $20.00 credit, but the whole ordeal really screwed up our plans on Friday night. I'm starting to get the feeling that I'm not supposed to be having pizza, even as a cheat meal!

So we decided to have our cheat meal last night, and this time I took matters into my own hands. I made a couple of awesome burgers on the grill and enough french fries to feed an entire baseball team. Everything turned out great, and I got my junk food fix for the week.

Today I'm going to make some turkey burgers on the grill for lunch, and tonight I'll be preparing some of that wild sockeye salmon I picked up at Costco last weekend. I'll be using my Cilantro Salmon recipe. I can't wait!

Lisa and I blew off the house cleaning yesterday, so we've got to get going on that now. After that, we're relaxing. Enjoy your Sunday!

 

March 01, 2008

This morning I took my first set of monthly photos since November 1st (and the first set since moving into the new house). As expected, these are far from my best photos: I've added some fat and lost some muscle. Still, considering how horribly I ate and how little I worked out for almost two months, I'm surprised they are not even worse. I know that with hard work in the gym and dedication to my cutting diet I'll be ripped and ready for the beach in no time!

While I'm not too proud of how I look in this months photos, the most disappointing aspect is the actual quality of the pictures. I found a good place to take the photos (the empty bonus room upstairs), but apparently I need to spend some more time trying to replicate the conditions I had at my old house...

For starters, there is not enough light in that room. Even with the flash, this month's photos are grainy as a result. I'm going to purchase a ceiling fan with a light kit and install it next week. That will solve the lighting issue.

The other problem is that I had the tripod too far away. The distance from the camera combined with the poor lighting made for blurry, yet grainy, photos. Next month I'm going to move the tripod in another 3 feet or so.

I'm going to order the ceiling fan & light kit this weekend, and I'll spend some time over the next few weeks making sure that next month's photos are much, much better--both from a physique and from a technical standpoint! :)

 

Back to comments index

 


 

All documents and graphics published on this site are copyright © 2003 - 2010, John Stone Fitness LLC.
Web design and development by Sverre Sjothun

 

 

Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional

AtLarge Nutrition

Welcome! This site is updated each morning by 9:00 AM EDT.         Facebook Facebook     Twitter Twitter