Brazen's Rebuild Log

[Brazensol]

Should have done this from the start. Maybe by posting this it will keep me motivated to stay the course. I found an old bod pod from July 2012. I then weighed 214.505 pounds and 34.5% body fat. Yikes! Over the holidays I got as high as 219 pounds! Yikes x2.

Stats: As of today except bod pod which was done on 25 April.

Age 51 (old enough to know better but still young enough to try it anyway)
Height 70 inches
Weight 201 pounds
Body Fat 27.6 (bod pod calculated)
Waist 40 3/4
Chest 44 3/4
Thigh 23 3/4 (I know - chicken legs)!
Calf 15 1/4
Bicep 16 3/4

Current diet macro; 200P/200C/75F for a total of 2,275 calories/day.

EDIT: new macro; 200/150/75 for total of 2075.

Current exercise; 18 miles/day (5 or 6 days a week) biking (road) in the morning. Weightlifiting 3 days/week. Currently doing back/chest twice one week and shoulders/arms once and then alternating the following week. Will start working on my chicken legs as soon as the children get out of school the first of June. This is too give my legs a chance to get used to the cardio (only been biking for 3 weeks now). Also usually go hiking 2 or 3 times a month. Most hikes are 6 - 10 miles with ~1500-2500 foot elevation changes with most hikes starting at ~8000 feet. I can definately feel the lack of O2!

Will post picks very soon.

Any other relevant info I should include?

[Brazensol]

Managed to gain a pound or so today. Must be water.

[Brazensol]

Still hanging at 201.2. Cutting calories to 2075. I will bust through 200 pounds! Changed thyroid meds from armour to cytomel and synthroid. May switch back since the last two days I have been less than energized. Guess I'll give it some time and see how I adjust. My mood is worse too.

[Brazensol]

Finally hit 20 miles on my bike today (21 actually)! Averaged 13.25 mph and took a bit over 1 1/2 hours. Might cut that down to one hour and push for more speed. Feeling somewhat more energetic than yesterday.

[951thompson]

Your doing too much cardio bud, a hour and a half is way too long. 5-10 mins of HIIT would serve you much better (twice per week) too much cardio is bad and is probably the reason why you are not losing.

[951thompson]

What does your diet look like?

[Brazensol]

Your doing too much cardio bud, a hour and a half is way too long. 5-10 mins of HIIT would serve you much better (twice per week) too much cardio is bad and is probably the reason why you are not losing.

I think you might be right. Don't think I'm quite ready for HIIT yet but have been doing some sprints while riding.

[Brazensol]

What does your diet look like?

Yesterday's macros were 180g protein (a bit short of my goal but I just wasn't that hungry yesterday), 154g carbs, 62.5g fat with 15.4 of that saturated fat. Total of 1667 calories. If you want to know what I ate:

Breakfast; 3 eggs and coffee

Pre exercise
and while riding; creatine and carb drink

Mid morning; protein bar

Lunch; Chicken with pasta and a salad

Afternoon; protein bar (usally only one a day but I needed to eat something

Dinner; Ceasar Salad and a hamburger (wasn't home)

Snack; I usually have a protein shake with some blueberries but just not very hungry last night.

[Brazensol]

And thanks for taking the time to read and respond!

[951thompson]

I think you might be right. Don't think I'm quite ready for HIIT yet but have been doing some sprints while riding.

Just do sprints on your bike/exercise bike you will burn double doing 5 mins of sprints then doing moderate intensity.

[951thompson]

Yesterday's macros were 180g protein (a bit short of my goal but I just wasn't that hungry yesterday), 154g carbs, 62.5g fat with 15.4 of that saturated fat. Total of 1667 calories. If you want to know what I ate:

Breakfast; 3 eggs and coffee

Pre exercise
and while riding; creatine and carb drink

Mid morning; protein bar

Lunch; Chicken with pasta and a salad

Afternoon; protein bar (usally only one a day but I needed to eat something

Dinner; Ceasar Salad and a hamburger (wasn't home)

Snack; I usually have a protein shake with some blueberries but just not very hungry last night.

You're not eating enough, 180g is fine, you should shoot for 2100 cal. Eat most of you carbs around training, pre and post workout. 100g pre (2hours before), 100g post (around 1 hour after)

When you workout make sure you go to failure on your last set of each exercise. (failure=until you can't push out another rep)

Do HIIT cardio twice per week, maybe go for a walk if you feel like doing cardio on other days (once or twice per week) (just don't do moderate intensity cardio)

[Brazensol]

My actual target for calories is 2075. Just so happens the day I gave you totals for I was just not very hungry. Probably due to a change in my thyroid meds. Yesterday I hit 2074 calories.
Surprised myself with the weights yesterday. After the 21 mile bike ride I kind of expected to have a slightly down session. Instead I increased either weight or reps (or both) in most all sets!

[Brazensol]

Finally busted through the 200# barrier! Only took a week to do it...

[Brazensol]

Weighed in today at 203.4! WTH? I've been drinking 100+ oz of water/day. This is weird. I know it's not muscle though I wished it were! I realize weight can/will vary one day to the next but this seems a bit ridiculous. Is creatine a big retainer for water? I'm taking 12-15 grams a day.

[Brazensol]

Dropped back below 200, 199.8, so going the right direction. The fluxuations will drive you nuts so perhaps time to weigh in once a week. Monday mornings best? Still finding it hard some days to eat to my daily calorie goal of 2536.

[MACKATTACK]

First off stop weighing yourself so often. I would do every Sunday weigh ins. And if anything I would do photos and a physique log instead of a number.

[Brazensol]

What is a physique log? Measurements like chest, bicep etc.?

[Brazensol]

Couldn't resist the scale. Good news though; 198.6!!! The only reason I'm weighing daily is I have a computed weight loss bases on calories consumed and exercise calories burned. Trying to see if my TDEE is accurate. I think right now it is high and have adjusted it down to 2275/day.

[twitz]

What is a physique log? Measurements like chest, bicep etc.?

Nice job starting a log Brazensol

You will drive yourself mad weighing yourself everyday. If you must, do it at the same time every morning.

If you included your pics and updated measurements (every few weeks), people here would be able to determine if you're heading in the right direction. It's hard to tell by a daily scale weight.

Also, if you included your workouts, people would be able to make suggestions. Are you still training chest/back 2x's a week? You gotta start hitting the legs

Good work starting your log, keep it up!

[Brazensol]

Thanks twitz!

I do need to post pics. Doubly so since I said I would! Right now I am alternating back/chest with shoulders/arm. I do one body part once one week and twice the next. Legs start as soon as my oldest son gets out for summer break. I just started biking about a month ago and thought it would be good to get into that before hitting the squat rack but I am now looking forward to it (getting sick and all that goes with it)! When I start legs I will only one workout one muscle group per week except for maybe abs and calves?

I will post new measurement update ~15 May. And I will post those embarrassing pics soon...

[Brazensol]

Finding it so easy to go over daily fat cals while coming up short on protein and carbs. Do good fats (nuts, seeds, fish like salmon, etc) really do a lot of harm. I think I'm doing ok with the saturated fats (averaged 18.8 grams/day for the week) or is this still too high?

I'm on a 40/40/20 diet with a total of 2220 calories.

[gbrice75]

Personally, I'd worry much less about minute details like saturated fats, and concentrate more on variables that *really* make a difference, such as working on your diet plan to hit your target caloric and macro goals without going over one.

[Brazensol]

Thanks! Fats are hard for me to stay on target (over). Second is carbs (under). Protein seems easiest to nail.

[Brazensol]

Here's my current shoulder/arm routine;

Behind the neck barbell press 4 x 8-10 @ 140 lbs
DB front raises 3 x 8-10 @ 30 lbs
DB seated lateral raises 3 x 8-10 @ 20 lbs
DB reverse fly (flat bench) 3 x 8-10 @ 15 lbs
Barbell shrugs 3-8-10 @ 215 lbs

I alternate the db work so I am only doing 2 sets of db work per workout (eg front raises and laterals one workout and laterals and reverse fly the next workout and then reverse fly and front raises the next)

Lying tricep extensions 3 x 8-10 @ 100 lbs
Cable pushdowns 3 x 8-10 @ 170 lbs

Preacher curls 3 x 8-10 @ 65 lbs
DB seated curls 3 x 8-10 @ 25 lbs

When I can do all three sets at 10 reps I increase the weight.

I am working around some long term chronic tendonosis in my right forearm (currently using TB-500 and slowly improving) and shoulders hurt a bit from time to time (started 5 grams of msm about a week ago and may already be feeling some improvements).

[Brazensol]

Heres my back/chest workout;

Pulldowns? (stand facing weight stack and pull down roatating only at the shoulder)
3 x 8-10 @ 220
Lat pulldowns to the chest 3 x 8-10 @ 170 lbs
DB flat bench pullover 3 x 8-10 @ 70 lbs
DB one arm rows or seated rows if my tendonosis allows; db rows 3 x 8-10 @ 50 lbs or seated rows 3 x 8-10 @ 120 lbs
Roman chair 3 x 20 with 15 lbs additional weight

Bench press 4 x 6-8 @ 215 lbs
DB incline press 3 x 8-10 @ 65 lbs
Flyes 3 x 12-15 @ 15 lbs (this seems to be hardest on the tendonosis so I try to take it easy)

Starting legs on 6 Jun! Somehow D-day seems so appropriate for this... I will then be working each muscle group once per week. Except abs and calves (2 x week).

[Brazensol]

Forgot to add cardio;

Biking 5-6 days a week 45-60 minutes at moderate pace (13-15 mph average).

[Brazensol]

Bit of a scare last night doing lat pulldowns. Last three reps of the last set I felt my forearm getting tweeked and like an idiot I finished the set. Got to learn when to stop. Iced it 20 minutes when I got home and slept with a brace (to help keep my arm extended) and this morning there seems to be no lasting damage. Whew.

Otherwise a good lifting session even though I did not feel much in the mood when I got to the gym. I've often found those nights yield the best workouts. Wonder why that is? Still under 200 pounds!

[Brazensol]

First day riding with the heat over 85 degrees. Probably overdid it a bit. Managed 13.5 miles @ 14.7 mph pace. Felt a bit chilled about an hour after my ride and knew I pushed it a little too hard for the temp. Got to keep reminding myself I'm not 30 anymore... Still felt really good during the ride itself. Even had to run back to the house half way through to tighten up a loose pedal. Didn't even think about calling it quits. Just retorqued the nut and headed back out. I will be glad when the kids are on summer break and I can ride earlier in the morning before the sun bears down too much.

[Brazensol]

Guess I should throw in some stats from time to time.

Yesterdays numbers;

Weight: 199.0
Protein: 156.7 grams
Carbs: 149.6 grams
Fats: 47.4 grams
Total calories: 2315 (133.8 under goal)

[Brazensol]

Fifteen miles at 15+ mph! Starting to see the changes in the mirror. And I'm liking it!!

[Brazensol]

Great night lifting last night! With one caveat... I tweeked my elbow tendonosis a bit on front db raises. It's feels better this morning than I thought it would so not a complete setback.

On the other hand I increased weight/reps on virtually all sets. Also got in a 15 mile cardio bike ride in the morning.

Total cal's for yesterday: 2443.

Will post pics this weekend at the latest.

[Brazensol]

Hanging out at 198#. Think I'll try cardio 2x/day on non lifting days. Tendonosis it doing very well. Rode 12.5 miles today but the wind was a bear.

[Brazensol]

Hit a new low. 196.6! Going to cut calories to 2200 on a 40/40/20 macro split and see if I can speed things up a little bit. I think my trip to the bod pod next week is going to make me happy. Picking cardio up to 15 miles/day and doing a light 2nd cardio in the evening on non lift days.

[Brazensol]

I never did write down my goals.

For now I'd like to get down to 15% bf and shoot for the following measurements:

Chest ~~46"-47"
Arms ~~17 3/4"-18"
Thighs ~~26 1/2"+
Calves ~~16 1/4"

I'd also like beat my personal best on the bench press which was 305# back in 1988-89 when I weighed around 175#'s and ~12%-14% body fat (measured by calipers). I might be able to hit 275# now but not to sure about that. I never tried a max squat or deadlift so anything I do on these will be personal bests...

I feel stoked so wish the old man luck!

[Brazensol]

Did a 19 mile ride today. Legs were very fatigued from yesterday's 16 mile ride with winds at 22 mph gusting to 28.

New bathroom scale says I'm down to 22.3% bf! I think it's a bit low (but I can hope, no?). Probably closer to 24.5% or so. Still, down from 34.5% is none to shabby!

I still got to get those damn pics posted...

[Brazensol]

Thought it about time I posted a before pic... It's not pretty.







Currently...

[Brazensol]

double post

[GirlyGymRat]

Nice progress.


Btw. Everyone looks their worst when seated.

[gbrice75]

Great job Braz!!

[Brazensol]

Nice progress.


Btw. Everyone looks their worst when seated.

I hear ya! I was a bit depressed when I saw the pic. I certainly don't feel that fat but there it is... lol