The New Year

Hello 2012

Matt, Chris, and I started the training year with a high intensity conditioning session on January 1st.  It was 30 degrees, wet as hell, and the tires were filled with ice.  A pretty mild January day in New Hampshire haha.  I lost track of the rounds, but about 5 of the following:

~25 yard prowler sprint down

~450 pound tire flip back

~60 pound sled drag down and back

We basically did this in a continuous fashion until we were all in a semi-catatonic daze.  It was a great way to set the tone for the new year.

Where I’m Going from Here

In May I’ll be working at a law firm in the heart of Washington D.C. just a few blocks from the White House.  I feel extremely fortunate to have a solid position lined up at this point.  Many people in my class are shut out, and its really awful.  I want to take this opportunity to be the best person I can be – in all regards.  Many times in my life I’ve thought to myself “well I could do better” or “I could attain this” if I “really tried my hardest.”  I was a lazy sloth, but hey no worries. I could do better if I really wanted it.  Fantasizing what could be is no way to go through life.   The past couple of years I’ve done a pretty good job not regretting my "life performance."  Not perfect, but pretty good.  Certainly better than the past. I want to do better.

Its time to walk the walk.  I don’t want to go to D.C. a "big and strong" person.  I’m already a big strong person.  I can walk into any bar or party confidently knowing I’ll be the strongest person in the room.  I don’t say that to brag.  I know I’m relatively pathetic compared to many people dedicated to the iron.  I just say it to explain my perspective.  I don’t want to walk around the humid summer streets of D.C. in a suit sweating my ass off.  I’m sure some of most powerful attorney’s in the country will understand that even though I’m a disgusting sweaty 250 pounds, its cool because I can almost deadlift 600 pounds. Right.  I have a lot more to me than just being “big” and “strong.”  So I squat a lot.  Whoopdy fucking doo.

My number one concern is losing fat.  Its time to stop talking about it, and just fucking do it.  Who do I want to be?  Do I want my outward appearance to define me?  That is what happens when you are fat.  People see that first. Before this turns into a full completely homo/emo post, I’ll say most people wouldn’t call me fat.  I do fine with women.  I outrun and mow down almost anyone on the football field.  Still, I’m not satisfied.  For too long I’ve told myself, “if I really try to stick to a diet I’d have no problem leaning down fast.”  Yet I don’t do it.  Its weak and lazy.  Its even more pathetic when you think about what I actually need to lose to look good.  Basically 20-25 pounds.  I easily have 200 pounds of lean mass.  This shouldn't be hard or complicated.  Stop being a pussy.

Instead of seeing a “big strong person,” I want people to first respect me for my mind, personality, character, and passion.  Then it would be cool if they thought, wow he looks like he is in great fucking shape.  No one cares what I deadlift.

How I’ll Get There

I’ll be using the Strength-Accumulation version of CBL for diet.  I’m going to try to do it exactly as laid out in the book.  I haven’t earned the right to make significant changes. (Gabe has).  I’ll be going through the 7-10 day low carb intro period. I’m going to do all the “after-market add-ons” as well.  Once I’m lean, then I can adjust and optimize to fit my lifestyle.  I’ll post the full diet details later.  I’m not going to seriously start the intro period until I’m back in St. Louis on Jan. 8^th.

Alcohol is out.  I was out with Matt tonight at a Japanese restaurant, and I proudly exclaimed “I had no alcohol last night!”  I explained that it had probably been 2-3 months straight where I had some form of beer/wine/whiskey every evening.  I went on to hedge this by saying “well I’m sure I just forgot to drink something one of the nights, but I just can’t remember when.”  Matt basically laughed in my face and commented how that pretty much sums up my pathetic alcohol consumption.

To be clear, I basically have 2-5 drinks a night (bottles of beer or glasses of wine).  That is usually spread over 3-4 hours.  I’m not drinking to get drunk, and in fact I don’t get drunk at all (most of the time haha).  I just enjoy it.  I like working hard all day, smashing shit in the gym, having a big meal, and then cracking a bottle of wine at 9pm to read/post training stuff and watch tv.  I rarely get drunk on weekends anymore either.  I’ve grown out of it.  Still, this is a poor habit.  It’s a waste of calories.  It promotes the storage of fat.  It lowers testosterone.  It’s a drain on the bank account.  Alcohol impedes my goals.  Thus, it has no place in my life on a regular basis. (I’m not going “dry,” but will limit drinks to one night per week like a normal person).

Training

Training is the last section of this post because I feel it’s the least important.  I only have one option.  Get stronger.  When I lift, its fucking hard, heavy, and intense.  That certainly isn’t changing because I’m losing fat.  I hope no one thought I was leaving the iron because of what I wrote above.  No way!  Everything about lifting is fucking awesome.  

I'll be following Mike Tuchscherers's Reactive Training System ("RTS").  Its an advanced routine that I'm ready for after years of full body barbell training.  I've been doing more frequency based training, so I'm primed for some intensity based training (RTS can actually be setup for either style)    In short:

• Mesocycles are a 3 week volume phase, followed by a 3 week intensity phase.
• 6 upper body and 6 lower body lifts are used
• Rep protocols are random depending on how I feel.  Either 8x2; 6x3; 5x5; or 4x6 in the volume stages.  Lower reps during intensity.
• Rate of Perceived Effort ("RPE") is used to auto-regulate volume. 
• The RPE system allows one to estimate when sufficient stimulus is reached in an individual workout by using "fatigue" as a killswitch.
• RTS can be applied to any template.  I'll be using the basic template from the book as a starting point.
• RTS allows for ridiculously complex programming.  There are many layers I'm not even worrying about at this point... And I won't need for at least a year.

I'm starting with the 4 day upper/lower template. I'll also be adding in 2 KB workouts and 2 boxing sessions per week.  I'll be busy, but I'm ready.  I can handle the work capacity.  Like I said, there is only way to go.  To get better in the gym, it takes more and more effort. Thats what I intend to do.