The 'first to 90kgs" challenge...

mrthingyx

mrthingyx

mrthingyx

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This isn't anything official, so don't get excited...

I've just challenged my dad to lose around 7kgs of weight, whilst I have to gain around 5kgs of weight in three months (before I visit him on holiday).

My dad has had a long history of failed attempts at weight loss, as he enjoys his food and doesn't do enough exercise. He's 5'7 and has weighed around 105kgs (he used to be a rugby prop so is pretty broad with it).

Last time I heard, he was hovering around the 95-97kg range with a doctor-requested target of 84kgs for his size/frame. Practically, this isn't going to happen.

As such, I thought it would an entertaining idea to see if he can get into a program of sustained weight loss to take him down to 90kgs, whilst I bulk up to the same weight.

I'm currently sitting at around 84.5kgs, at 6'0, having gone back to the gym after a rather unpleasant car accident in November last year. Since going back to the gym at the second week of February, I've managed to put on somewhere between 1.5 to 2kgs throuh a combination of strength-focussed training (6x4, 4x6, 3x8 three-day split of big core lifts) and a rather comical diet.

Diet can comprise (or any variant on a theme of):

Breakfast: peanut butter toast (2 slices), 2/3 boiled eggs/porridge.
Snack: sesame seeds/pumpkin kernels, pint of 'oat' milk;
Lunch: beef lasagne with mixed veg (no, I have no idea why the office canteen does that), and an extra chicken quarter;
Snack: apple/nuts/whatever is to hand (can occasionally include crisps or fruit bars! ZOMG!), pint of regular milk;
Dinner: Chicken in tomato-based sauce, with veg, and white (!) pasta;
Snack: fruit of some description or Weetabix.

I'm aware my diet isn't the leanest (too much fat), or most optimal in terms of balance (I'm pretty sure I have too many carbs in there) EDIT: Feel free to post changes to the diet - I'm not turning into a monk, as I have to eat with my family and two kids, but practical things will be thrown in!. One of the reasons I haven't put my routine down is because I'm not too worried about changing it, either (we have an on-site strength and conditioning coach).

This is mainly for those of you who were/are interested to have a laugh at my expense as I desperately attempt to get my dad's weight down. I'm thinking of updating this thread on a weekly basis, but if nobody is interested will just post the end results up.

As a starter for ten, I'll even try and get a picture of myself up at some point...

Anyway, my dad has agreed, and the challenge is on!

This is going to hurt...
 
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Ho-kay... let's see if I can manage this.

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And

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As you can see, the challenge will be not letting the remaining 5kgs go to my tummy...

Still, back to the gym tomorrow for:

Back squats, chin-ups, dumbell chest press, yadda yadda...
 
Update...

Oh, well - a 'clean' weigh-in last night had me at 85.3kgs... which may seem like good news.

However, I now have a horrific cough which means I can't get my core bracing or breathing right so no gym this morning. Which, amusingly, makes me feel even worse.

My dad was down to 98kgs and is already moaning about the routine, but is adamant he will get to 90kgs in time for my June trip to Cyprus...

Roll on Wednesday...
 
FOR THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED...

Well, first update for a while...

Due to a period of fasting (I'm a Baha'i - we fast from sunrise to sunset from 2-20 March), weight gains have stagnated simply because I've not been eating or sleeping properly. I had high hopes of doing an 'intermittent fasting' type regime, but that fell flat on its face once sleep deprivation (5/6hrs most nights) and not managing to cram all the food needed into my diet.

As such, a clean weigh in yesterday took me to 85.6kgs. So taken as an average over time, pretty much nothing.

My dad, on the other had, has had two weekends on the trot of hotel stays, meaning he suspects much weight gain. But nothing official - my mum is disappoint.

What IS interesting is that the IF principle seems to have done something, as I feel like I've shed some of the 'bulk' whilst I've kept up my training programme, so I now feel more dense (interpret how you will) than previously.

Also, don't train when sleep deprived as this WILL result in injury: toward the end of the fast, I had to drop weight and then abandon a training session entirely as I just couldn't perform the lifts safely without straining deep muscles.

And on a side note, power cleans are a truly epic lifting exercise. Love them. Everybody should do them. Even my kids.
 
My strength routine with current totals in kgs:

Monday (6x4)

- clean from hip (57.5)
- front squats (82.5)
- dumbell press (30)
- pull up
- barbell roll-outs
- weighted plank (35)

Wednesday (4x6)

- clean from hip (55)
- deadlift (92.5)
- bent-over row (62.5)
- dumbell shoulder press (24)
- Turkish get-ups (20)

Friday (3x8)

- rear foot elevated split squat
- reverse lunge (front squat barbell grip - 50kg)
- chin ups
- weighted push-up (25)
- inverted row
- candlesticks
- weighted deadbugs.(8)


This is having gone from a stronglift 5x5 routine. The trainer has suggested starting with this and checking what works at 6 week intervals. Strangley, Friday hurts the most...

Feel free to critique - advice is always welcome.
 
It certainly feels like it: hurts a lot more than a straight-up 5x5 routine.

For the pull ups, rows and presses, I'm using FatGripz, too... Just to make sure everything burns. If it ain't hurtin', it ain't workin'.

The guy working with me on this has introduced me to the awesomeness of foam rollers, too - don't know why nobody at previous gyms has mentioned them.
 
Clean weigh-in this morning at 86.5kgs, although not sure what will happen this week as it's my first back after a "soft" week of training (half reps to ease off on the strain).

And no, I only had two mini eggs and two cornflake cakes over this past week. :D
 
Just in case anybody was wondering...

A clean weigh-in for me is second thing in the morning before breakfast.. after a visit to the bathroom and without clothes.

If I could put on 6kgs of lean muscle in 3 months, I think I'd be of significant interest to the athletic community. As is, I'm up against it for even stodgy muscle.

Anyway - enough posting. More eating.
 
Clean weigh-in on Sunday evening had me at 87.3kgs. With a gut full of water and food, it hovers around 88.3-6kgs, depending.

With around 7 weeks to do, 2.5kgs is looking pretty challenging!

A week off real training (with plenty of eating) certainly makes a huge difference, however - deadlift went up from 95kgs to 105kgs in a single set. A lesson as to the importance of recovery if ever there was one!

Also, to gym freshers like I once was, getting your diet right is unbelievably important. For me, this means more of pretty much everything, as without the right protein/fat intake, the DOMS doesn't go away quickly, and without the right mix of carbs the day before, pushing each of the sets becomes REALLY tough.
 
Oh, happy happy joy joy...

Over the weekend I had an arm-wrestle with my brother (knowing full well that they can be dangerous, but it was his idea), and I now have a Grade 1 tear in the longer of my bicep tendons, accompanied by deep tissue sweeling.

Which means leg work-outs are all that's happening for the next week or so (as I went for a gym technique update yesterday - physio was not impressed).

Oh, well - looks like I'll be getting to 90kgs by the doughnut route, after all. :D

Still, last time I had a clean weigh-in (Thursday last week, IIRC), I was sitting at 87.9kgs... with a bit lof luck, the rest period will let my muscles and nerves recouperate, ready for a gear shift in the next couple of weeks...
 
They're good for you in certain ways, and bad in others...

I know drinking full-fat milk gets my cholesterol up nicely, but I get a reasonable amount of calcium, protein, water from it.

To be completely accurate, I have a litre of almond milk ready to go... two days ago, it was some hemp milk, and before that it was some random Oatly drink or whatever.
 
It was probably more to do with my massive lack of exercise + high dairy + high meat diet shortly after my car accident (straight after which my cholesterol reading was taken), but easier to blame it on milk. :)
 
Right - first update for a while...

The torn bicep has meant that I've been off the gym for nearly five weeks.

Because of some additional swelling and mobility issues, the physio was also worried about a SLAP tear, meaning nothing apart from recumbent cycling in that time period. Which is pants.

Mercifully, my weight has remained reasonably consistent at around 87.4kgs - dropping around a kilo in the period mecause of the reduced diet.

Last Friday was therefore my first time back in the gym to build back up and essentially hit the big muscle groups as hard as possible (within reason) to set off a tidalwave of DOMS over the weekend. It worked.

Anyway, will keep this updated for those who are interested.
 
Well, a change in diet and training intensity has done some interesting things...

  1. Protein is up (additional 3 scrambled eggs in the morning, bigger lunch;
  2. Making sure my creatine cycle is working properly (i.e. doing the 15g/day consistently);
  3. Slightly higher carb intake with some 'instant oats'...

I couldn't tell you the macros from that, but anyway: through talking with the SnC coach, I determined I wasn't really hitting the workout regime hard enough and so have been cranking the weight levels, too (DOMS has been horrific for the past three/four weeks). The net result was a relatively clean weigh-in last night at 91.1kgs. :eek:

I suspect a lot of it is retained water from the creatine, and some added podge, too, but it looks like something's worked, anyway.

So, what now? I've reached 90kgs (a short cut would probably take me to 89kgs quite quickly), but part of me is looking at 95kgs now... :(

When will it end? If anybody's interested, I'll keep this thread updated with progress, but I'm actually quite happy with how it's looking at the moment: it's wierd because my body shape hasn't changed significantly other than:

- MASSIVE gluts and quads (i.e. even my baggy jeans are getting tight);
- as described by my physio: monster traps.

So, good changes, I guess. Onwards and upwards, however! More weight! More food!
 
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