Lift, Eat or Die!: 2013

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Training Recap 9/9-9/11: Bench and Squat

9/9/2013 - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

Weight - 220.6

Bench Press - 135x10. 185x10, 225x10, 275x8, 315x5, 375x9+3+3
Scott DB Press - 60x12, 70x12, 80x12, 90x9 supersetted with Laying Incline Lateral DB Raise - 4x12
Gironda Barbell Swing - 85x4x12 supersetted with Fwd DB Raise - 4x10
Bodyweight Dips - 4x20 supersetted with Incline DB Lateral Raise - 4x15
Tricep Preacher Extension - 4x20
Cable Tricep Kickbacks - 4x20

9/10/2013 - Back/Traps/Biceps

Weight - 219.8

(Single Arm) (T-Bar) (Dead Stop) Rows! - 70x10, 90x10, 135x10, 180x10, 225x10 supersetted with Barbell High Pulls - 105x4x15
Wide Grip Pullups (bar to low chest/abs) - 5x10 supersetted with Barbell Shrugs - 275x4x15
Racing-Dive Rows - 4x20 supersetted with DB Shrugs - 4x20
Wide Grip Lat Flys - 2x25 supersetted with Kelso Shrugs - 2x25
Reverse Grip Bicep Curls - 65x12, 85x12, 105x12
Preacher Hammer Curls - 45x12, 55x2x12
Standing EZ Bar Curls - 100x10, 90x12, 80x15

9/11/2013 - Legs!

Weight - 219.6

Back Squat - 135x10, 185x10, 225x10, 275x8, 315x8, 365x5, 405x3, 475x8+3+3
Toe Lever Hack Squat - 90x15, 140x15, 180x15, 270x15
Frog Hack Squat - 180x15, 230x15, 270x15
Walking Lunge - 110x3x20 steps
1.5" Deficit Deadlift - 135x5, 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 495x5
Single Leg Quad Extensions - 2x25
Laying Hamstring Curls - 2x25

Probably could have had 2 more, but I seriously felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Training Recap 9/2-9/4: Deload Week!

9/2/2013 - Chest/Triceps

Reverse Grip Bench Press - 135x20, 185x20, 225x20, 275x5, 315x17
Wide Grip Incline Collar Press - 135x20, 185x20, 225x20, 245x20
Decline DB Flys - 60x4x20
Cable Fly - 4x20
Incline V-Bar Tricep Pushdown - 3x20
Incline Rope Tricep Pushdown - 2x20
Incline Underhand Tricep Pushdown - 2x20
Cable Tricep Kickbacks - 3x20

9/3/2013 - Back/Traps/Biceps

Weighted V-Bar Pull Ups - +25 x15, x12, x12, x12 superset with Rope Lat Flys 4x20
Wide Grip Behind the Neck Pull Ups - 4x8 superset with Wide Grip Lat Flys 4x20
Supported T-Bar Row - 90x20, 135x20, 135x20, 145x20 superset with Barbell Shrugs 225x4x20
Seated Cable Row - 4x20 superset with Cable High Pull 4x20
Barbell Reverse Grip Curl - 65x12, 85x12, 90x12, 90x12
EZ Bar Spider Curl - 60x15, 60x15, 80x15, 80x15
2 DB Preacher Curl - 35x3x15

9/4/2013 - Legs!

Weight - 217.4

Back Squat - 135x10, 185x10, 225x10, 315x10, 365x5, 405x20
Toe Hack Squat (Lever) - 90x20, 110x20, 180x20, 270x20
Walking Lunge - 60x2x50
Barbell RDL - 135x15, 185x15, 225x15, 275x15
Single Leg Quad Extension - 3x20
Seated Calf Raise - 3x20
Single Leg Hamstring Curl - 3x20
Standing Calf Raise - 3x20

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Training recap 8/26-8/28! Floor Presses and more Squats!!!

8/26/13

Chest/Triceps

Floor Press - 135x15, 185x15, 225x10, 275x10, 315x5, 365x14+4+2
Wide Grip Bench Press - 225x15, 275x15, 315x14
DB Fly - 60x3x15
DB Pullover - 70x3x20
Cable Fly - 3x20
Weighted Pushup - +45 x3x20
DB Tricep Extension - 60x12, 70x12, 75x12, 80x12
Reverse Grip EZ Bar Tricep Pushdown - 3x20
Single Arm Pushdown - 3x20

8/27/13

Back/Traps/Biceps

V-Bar Chin Ups - x20, x12, x10
Narrow Lat Flys - 3x20
V-Bar Lat Pulldown - 150x15, 185x15, 200x15, 245x10+6+6
Wide Lat Flys - 3x20
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 150x15, 165x15, 185x15, 200x15+10+10
Upright Row - 85x2x12, 105x2x12
Single Arm DB Row - 125x3x15
DB Shrugs - 100x3x20
Reverse Grip Barbell Curl - 65x12, 85x12, 105x10, bar - "21"
Preacher DB Hammer Curl - 40x2x15, 45x15
Spider EZ Bar Curl - 50x3x15

8/28/13

Legs!

Weight - 216.6

Squats - 135x12, 185x12, 225x12, 315x10, 365x3, 405x3, 455x11+2+2
Toe Hack Squat - 135x15, 185x15, 225x15, 275x15, 315x15 drop set 225x5 drop set 135x10
Good Morning off pins - 135x12, 185x12, 185x12
Walking Lunges - 110x3x36
Single Leg Quad Extension - 3x15
Laying Hamstring Curl - 3x20
Seated Calves - 3x20
2 Leg Quad Extension - 3x20
Standing Single Leg Hamstring Curl - 3x15
Standing Calves - 3x20

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Recap on Training 8/22, 8/23, 8/24

8/22/13

Weight - 213.8

Shoulder/Triceps

Smith Military Press - 135x15, 185x15, 225x15, 275x10+4+2
DB Arnold Press - 70x12, 80x12, 90x12, 100x9
DB Lateral Raise - 7x15
Triceps Press on the Leg Press - 2 plates x15, 4 plates x15, 6 plates x12
Barbell Triceps Extension + Close Grip Press - 95x3x15+15

8/23/13

Weight - 213.8

Back/Traps/Biceps

Weighted Chin Ups - +25 x15, +25 x15, +25x15
Barbell Shrugs - 135x15, 225x2x15, 315x2x15
Wide Grip Behind the Neck Pull Ups - 4x20
Laying Cable Shrugs - 4x20
Single Arm Bent Barbell Row - 45x12, 90x12, 135x12, 180x10+6+6
DB Shrugs - 100x15, 110x3x15
Seated Underhand Cable Row - 4x15
Barbell Upright Row - 95x4x15

Reverse Grip Barbell Curl - 65x10, 85x10, 95x10
Reverse Grip Preacher Curl - 50x3x12
DB Spider Hammer Curl - 40x3x12

8/24/13

Weight - 215.6

Legs

Front Squat - 135x10, 185x10, 225x10, 315x10+4+4
Lever Hack Squat Facing In/Out - 6 plates x10+10, 10 plates x10+10, 14 plates x10+10, 16 plates x12+12
Walking Lunges - 110x4x36
Single Leg Quad Extensions - 3x20
Standing Calves - 3x20
Deadlifts - 135x10, 225x5, 315x3, 405x3, 495x1, 545x1, 600x1
Single Leg Quat Extensions - 3x20
Single Leg Ham Curls - 3x20
Standing Calves - 3x20

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Training 8/21/13 - Leg Day!

8/21/13 - Heavy legs

Weight - 211.6

Back Squats - 135x15, 185x15, 225x15, 315x5, 365x5, 405x5, 435x12+3+3
Linear Hack Squat - 315x15, 405x15, 585x15, 765x10+5
2 Stop Leg Press - 8 plates x15, 12 plates x15, 20 plates x15, 24 plates x45
Walking Lunges - 100x3x36 steps
Single Leg Knee Extension - 3x20
Standing Calve Raise - 3x20

Monday, August 19, 2013

Monday 8/19 - Chest Day!

Heres a quick log of today's chest workout!

Weight - 211.6

Close Grip Bench Press - 135x15, 185x15, 225x12, 275x12, 315x6, 335x10+4+2
Wide Grip Incline (bar to collar bone) - 135x12, 185x12, 225x12, 265x10
Pec-Deck Flys - 4x20
Wide Stance Pushups with 5-1-5 tempo - x8, x6, x5, x5
Neutral Grip EZ Bar Incline Tricep Extensons - 95x15, 125x15, 175x10
Incline Rope Pushdowns - 3x20
Overhead V-Bar Cable Tricep Extensions - 3x20
Bodyweight Dips - 2x30

Friday, August 9, 2013

Log for workouts on 8/8 and 8/9/2013 and brief thoughts on training

8/8/2013

Upper Push (Chest/Front and Side Delts/Triceps)

Barbell Shoulder Press (alternating in front and behind each rep) 135x16, 155x10, 185x8, 135x20
DB Arnold Press - 60x12, 70x12, 80x12, 90x10
DB Flys - 50x4x20
DB Pullovers - 70x4x20
DB Lateral Raise - 40x12, 50x12, 55x10, 60x10
Barbell JM Press - 135x20, 155x20, 185x2x15
Cable Kneeling Overhead Tricep Extensions - 4x30
Cable Single Arm Tricep Extension - 2x20

8/9/2013

Bodyweight - 210.2

Upper Pull (Back/Rear Delts/Biceps)

Single Arm BB Landmine Row - 45x15, 90x12, 135x8, 180x6
Neutral Close Grip Lat Pulldown - 145x15, 180x12, 200x12, 220x12+8 (rest pause 20s), 285x8+5+4 (rest pause 20s)
Neutral Close Grip Lat Pulldown with Side Twist - 120x12 each side, 140x12, 180x12
Wide Grip Lat Pulldown - 120x15, 140x15, 180x15
Lat Flys - 3x20 narrow grip, 2x20 wide grip
Bent Bar Preacher Curls - 75x15, 125x2x10
DB Preacher Curls - 40x15, 40x15, 45x12
DB Spider Curls - 30x15, 35x15, 40x15
Bent Bar Reverse Curls - 55x3x18

This is a major deviation from the training I have done in the past in regards to overall training volume. Since I started working I did only 3-4 exercises for 1, maybe 2 work sets. As I have grown older I feel that I have pretty much plateaued and it is difficult to stimulate growth. Every time I try to do higher volume workouts I tend to throw all the volume on the major lifts (bench, squat, deadlift) and really end up with minimal gains while it lasts and worst case I end up hurt. What I am trying to do with my training is two things: first I want to increase the overall training density of my workouts by dramatically increasing the volume of accessory exercises. I feel that this is important because although my core generally wears out first during the major barbell lifts, my arms and legs can still do more work. It seems somewhat counter productive so simply stop working out after the only core has been taxed to the max. Secondly I am trying to increase the number of work sets I do for each exercise.

Most people understand that when you lift you should gradually increase the load for the exercise you are doing. You start with a warm up set and then increase the weight for your next set. Repeat this two or three times and you end up with a weight that you struggle to complete your set with. After this one difficult (see: work) set most people then move on to the next exercise, or maybe they do something fancy like a drop set to get a pump. I'm beginning to feel that this is a mistake for more advanced lifters and does not result in adequate stimulation for growth. I'm going to try to do at least two, sometimes 3 work sets per exercise going forward. We will see if my hypothesis is correct as I have never been able to break 200 pounds of lean mass (after doing a body composition test).

I'm also going to throw in cluster sets for the core lifts (bench, squat, deadlift) and rest-pause sets for high-load accessory exercises (ie lat pulldowns, close grip presses). My definitions of training jargon may not be 100% in line with the rest of the community, but in my head a cluster set is a series of low rep sub-max sets with short rest in between (something like 450 pounds on squat for 4 sets of 3 with 45 seconds rest). A rest-pause set is similar to a cluster, except the sets have much less time between them, almost to the point where it is one long set that you just unload your body briefly in between sets. Also with clusters I choose to use lower rep ranges (3-5) than with rest-pause (5-15) which matches up with my goal for each. I want to use clusters to help develop strength, while rest-pause help with hypertrophy.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Return to (B)Logging!

It's been a while.... A lot has happened over the last few months with training, work and other things that have pretty much put the blog on the back burner.. Less time to cook - not to mention an unexpected "get shredded" contest at work - has minimized my ability to make what I would normally eat. The last 2 months have been mostly baked chicken, sweet potatoes, oatmeal and egg whites! Not to say that I'm suffering...

Training-wise the Sheiko experiment failed for me (or I should say I failed IT) much as in the first time I experimented with Sheiko in college. I'm not sure what exactly it is, but I have an idea that the relentless deadlifting from week to week has something to do with it. Short story, I am a strong puller, but have always had problems when deadlifting with frequency (ie high intensity pulls each and every week). I thought that maybe this time around it would be different, but it was not so and my back has suffered. I did not compete in the USAPL meet I had set my sights on because of nagging injuries. Now however, I'm back in charge of my lifting and things are going well.

Heres a log of training today:

8/7/2013
Weight - 209.2

Squats - 135x12, 185x12, 225x10, 275x10, 315x10, 385x12+5+5 (rest 30s cluster set)
Hammer Linear Hack Squat - 315x15, 405x15, 495x15, 585x15, 675x10+5 (rest 5s without racking)
(The Hammer LHS falls somewhere between a leg press and a squat in terms of relative ease)
Straight Legged Barbell RDL - 135x15, 185x15, 225x15, 275x15, 315x15
Walking Lunges - 100x3x40
Single Leg Quad Extensions - 4x15
Laying Ham Curls - 4x15
Seated Calf Raises - 4x15
Double Leg Quad Extensions - 3x20
Seated Ham Curls - 3x15
Standing Calf Raises - 3x15

There should be a USAPL meet in Mass in late November/December, but the official date has not been announced. The goal is to get to 219 bodyweight by that time and put myself in position to best my personal records from last fall! Also I'll be looking to put up some videos of anything notable during the workouts and of course start logging my meals again. There will be a healthy twist to the menu though! I'm looking to gain as much muscle as possible with minimum fat gain, therefore the food choices will be somewhat limited but I hope more informative than artistic...

See you next time!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Sheiko #37 W2D1 - Impromptu Sub-max test

3/4/13

Weight 213.2

It's week 2 of #37 and everything is going pretty well. The elbow tenderness that forced me to reverse grip on bench press is gone completely, but I will continue to bench underhand for the rest of this cycle. Squats are going extremely well, with just a small recurrence of hip flexor tightness that reverberates pain throughout my right lower back region. After hitting 90% on squats and bench in week 3 of routine #29 I decided that I need to test my maxes to see how far they have gone upward (if at all). I don't really want to mess with the program too much though and won't go for a true 1RM. Instead I'll do something I picked up from when I interned for Boston College Strength and Conditioning and do a sub-max test!

Sheiko #37 has 5x2x80% for squat and bench on day 1. Instead, I'm going to adjust this to:
1x2x80%
1x2x85%
1x2x90%
1x max reps x 90%

If I complete more than 3 reps at 90% I'm going to up my training max numbers by 10 pounds (http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html).

The results are below in video!

Squats x 5 reps (and still had 1 or 2 more in the tank, but my back was yelling at me)

Bench Press x 5 reps

Monday, February 25, 2013

Eggplant fritters, Ensalada a la almoraina, Ensalada piparrada, Chicken Tagine with Eggplant, Olives and Raisins

Today's dinner was a birthday party for a family friend. Unique challenge is that she doesn't eat beef or pork! I've been feeling like making a return to Mediterranean/North African cuisine so I collected a few recipes out of a Spanish cookbook (Food and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas) and looked up some Moroccan recipes online.

Eggplant fritters
Ensalada a la almoraina
Chicken tagine with eggplant, olives and raisins
Couscous with sliced almonds
Ensalada piparrada

Eggplant fritters

1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced across thinly
Flour for dredging
1 egg beaten, milk added
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Honey and dates for dressing

First arrange the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Mix the flour and salt and pepper together. Dip the sliced eggplant in the egg and milk mixture, then lightly dredge in seasoned flour. Fry in hot oil until crispy brown. Remove from oil and place over paper towels to drain. Dress with honey and dates.

Ensalada a la almoraina

1 head of escarole
3 roma tomatoes, cleaned and diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted (dry pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes)
Oil cured black olives
Soft-boiled eggs, 1 per person

Blend the tomatoes, garlic and half of the olive oil in a food processor until smooth. Add the rest of the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to mixture and blend again. Arrange the leaves of escarole on each dish and speckle with olives. Spoon dressing over the leaves and sprinkle toasted cumin seeds. Top with the soft-boiled egg and serve.

Chicken tagine

3 pounds chicken quarters, skin removed
2 large eggplants, cut in to 1" cubes
2 red onions, sliced thinly
1.5 cup Spanish olives with pimento
1 cup raisins
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 tbsp Spanish paprika
2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp cloves
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1/2 tbsp salt
bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped finely
bunch of fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley. chopped finely
Butter for frying

Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt, let sit for at least 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Preheat oven to 300 (I like making stews in the oven rather than stove top). Take half of the spice mix and rub over chicken quarters. Heat butter in a dutch oven. Brown all sides of the chicken over medium-high heat then remove and set aside. Add onions and fry for 5-10 minutes. Add minced garlic and continue to fry for additional 5 minutes. Add eggplant, olives and raisins and continue to cook. Add water and bring to boil. Add remaining spices, cilantro and parsley, stir well, then add chicken. Cover and place in oven, cook for 30 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered or until the liquid has taken a thicker consistency.

Couscous
2 cups broken wheat (I prefer the texture of broken wheat to couscous)
4 cups water
dash of salt
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
2 tbsp butter

Add the water, wheat and salt to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat and cover. After all the liquid has been absorbed and wheat is al dente, add butter and almonds and mix well. Let stand partially covered for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Ensalada piparrada
1 English cucumber, diced
4 roma tomatoes, diced
1 large green bell pepper, cut to 1/2" pieces
1 red onion, diced
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together well and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Sheiko #29 Recap

So here is the end of Sheiko routine #29, just finished week 4 on Friday evening. The reason I wanted to try Sheiko training is because I wanted to perfect my technique on the three competition lifts and I have to say that the routine is providing a means to achieve this goal. I also needed to periodize my training so that I don't hurt myself going for maxes every week because I'm bad at keeping a leash on myself O:-

The program has definitely been a challenge both physically and mentally. The repetitive nature of the workouts and amount of work done on squats and deadlifts is enough to drive many people away, and with some of the lifts clocking in at over 2 hours my mental fortitude has been tested. Also having to squat while exhausted has been an interesting and torturous task. However, I feel more confident with my lifts and am looking forward to starting the second phase of training tomorrow.

The next step is Sheiko #37, which is very similar to #29 except there is a 10% increase in volume across the board. If you complete 29 you will do 981 lifts combining bench, squat and deadlift. In 37 that number goes up to 1110. In addition I'm going to add in 2x3x90% in week 2, and 2x2x95% in week 4. If I can get more than 3 reps in week 2 or more than 2 reps in week 4, I'm going to increase my maxes. Trying to outperform the reps allows me to test if I have made any improvements without actually having to max out. Also, elbow problems in my right arm are frustrating the hell out of me. I'm dropping my max down 25 pounds and switching over to reverse grip for the next phase to see if this will help as the pain is only when my hands are turned over (pronated).

So here's wishing for the best - 12 weeks out from the next meet!

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Pot-eu-feu - Sunday Dinner 2/17/13

Today was a cold and dreary February day, a perfect setting for a classic French one-pot meal! Pot-eu-feu is a traditional boiled dinner made with various cuts of meat and vegetables. Put together a basic charcuterie (mixed olives, white wine salami, cornichons with grainy mustard, and French bread with seasoned marrow) for appetizer and a roasted beet and arugula salad to complete the meal.

Pot-eu-feu

3 pounds beef chuck roast
1.5 pounds beef brisket
3 pounds oxtail
1 pound beef neck bones
1 chicken quartered
10 carrots, peeled and cut in chunks
10 red potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 large white turnips, peeled and quartered
8 stalks celery, cut in chunks
3 large yellow onions, 1 cut in half with skin still on, 2 peeled and quartered
3 leeks, trimmed and split
1 green cabbage, rinsed and quartered
10 quarts water
12 whole cloves
1 head garlic, cut across
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
6 bay leaves

First place the meats in a large stockpot. Bones and oxtail on the bottom, followed by the chuck roast and brisket, then with chicken quarters. Cover with cool water and bring to boil over high heat. As the water comes to boil, scummy foam will collect at the surface. Use a fine wire strainer to skim the foam off and discard. Lower the heat and continue to boil gently for about 20 minutes. Stud the two onion halves with the cloves and add to pot once water has been skimmed clear.

Cover pot except for about an inch opening, and allow to cook until meats are tender - about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. In the meantime prepare the vegetables.

Once the meats are done remove from the pot and place in a baking dish covered with aluminum foil, or something else to keep warm. I put it in the oven on 160 degrees to keep warm while the veggies were cooking. Next add all of the vegetables to the stockpot and bring back to boil. Reduce heat to cook gently for about 40 minutes.

Once the preparations were finished I served the broth with vegetables as a first course, followed by the meats with grainy mustard and cornichons as a second.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Sheiko Experiment Part I - #29 W1D1

Ouch. That is all I have to say about what transpired in my first Sheiko workout.

Boris, I'm sorry that I doubted you, just don't hurt me - ok? Boris? ..............

Bench Press -all reps paused
1x5x205
2x4x245
2x3x285
3x5x305

Squat - all reps paused
1x5x265
2x5x315
5x5x370

Close Grip Bench Press - all reps paused
1x5x205
1x5x245
4x4x285

Dumbbell Fly
5x10x60's

Standing Good Morning
5x5x225

Duration: 1hr 45m

When I printed off the "beginner" Sheiko workout #29 I looked at the numbers and, like many before me, said to myself that this would be quite easy and I'm not sure if I would feel anything. Boy was I wrong! I did not touch higher than 75% of my max on bench or squat and my body is so freaking sore today I can hardly believe it. Thank you smolov (Manhaven Project) for giving me a heads up. I assumed that the "accumulation of volume" would be felt after a few weeks, not the first workout! I'm sure that this is a sign of things to come and it most certainly will only get harder as the weeks progress. I can do this. I can do this.

Sunday Dinner 1/27/13 - Piccata!

1/27/13

Pork piccata
Spaghetti with lemon cream sauce
Insalata Suzanne

No pictures today! My computer died last week and I'm waiting for a replacement, actually I'm getting an upgrade for the first time in 8 years!

Pork Piccata

3lbs center cut pork loin, sliced thinly and pounded flat
1 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
High quality olive oil
1 cup sherry
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup capers
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped roughly
Salt and pepper
flour for dredging
butter for frying

At the grocery store I picked out a 3 pound center cut pork loin roast and asked the butcher to cut it in to 1/2 inch chops and run it through the cube machine twice. The cube machine is an apparatus that tenderizes the meat by running it through two gear-like blades, and the result is often the famous "cube steak." Most of the time these steaks come from tough cuts of meat and are therefore run through the machine several times. With small chops or a more delicate cut of meat one or two times through is more than satisfactory, and it saves you the trouble of pounding the meat flat at home.
First mix some all purpose flour with salt and pepper to dredge the chops in. Next heat a mixture of olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Dredge the chops one by one and fry, then remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Once all of the meat is cooked scrape out any burned bits of food from the pan, but try to leave anything brown - that will enhance the flavor of the piccata sauce. I added a bit more olive oil for frying, then added the diced onion and garlic. That will deglaze the pan, and allow the onion to fry for 5-10 minutes. Next add the wine and allow to reduce down for an additional 5-10 minutes. After the contents of the pan has achieved a creamy consistency add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, chopped parsley and capers. Cook briefly, about 5 minutes, cover and remove from heat.

Spaghetti with lemon cream sauce
1 lb spaghetti
1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup high quality olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

I love this sauce, it is the second time I have made it this year. So easy!

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest and set aside while pasta is cooking. Grate cheese and add salt and pepper. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and add back in to pot. Next add the liquid mixture, cheese, and heavy cream in to the pot and mix very well with the pasta. Allow to sit, covered for a few minutes to allow sauce to thicken and stick to pasta. If sauce is too thin, you can always reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water to add back in, the starch will thicken nicely.

Insalata Suzanna

Mixed greens
Hot house tomato, sliced
red wine vinegar
high quality olive oil
salt and pepper
shaved parmigiano reggiano

A throwback! Louisville favorite. Just a plain mixed green salad :)

Smolov Conclusion - Skills Test

1/25/13

Weight - 209

Today was an extremely busy work day, had clients running back to back from morning to night. Didn't eat a thing prior to working out, but still felt really good going in to this mock meet. I decided to max out bench press and deadlift as well as the squat so I had accurate numbers for my next phase of training. It was a successful session, and a great ending to the Smolov Experiment.

Squat - 525, which is a 25 pound beltless raw personal record

Bench - 405, went up semi-easily and very acceptable within the context of not having pressed at all for the last 6 weeks. Elbow felt good as well.

Deadlift - 585, also beltless PR

Now that I have these numbers I will be using them for training percentages, with the next step being the Sheiko Experiment (http://www.manhavenproject.com/sheiko-training-plan/)! Boris Sheiko is a Russian powerlifting coach who has come to fame by bringing elite competitors to the international stage regularly over the past 20 years. Sheiko wrote a book on powerlifting and also released a number of meticulously designed programs that he has used to prepare a number of lifters of varying skill. I will begin #29, which is an introduction to his training regimens, which could be summed up by one word - Volume. This will be a great deviation from anything I have done in the past 6 years as a powerlifter. My training in the past has been heavily influenced by powerlifting and strength coach guru Louie Simmons (Westside Barbell Club) and Ivan Abadjiev (Bulgarian national olympic weightlifting coach) and manifested by my frequent use of Intensity (High load, >85% of an absolute 1 rep max) during training sessions. As I developed this style granted me great results, and I broke personal records left and right for several years.

Since my injury in 2008 I have had substantial difficulty in maintaining this style of lifting for extended periods of time without incurring injury in some point or another. This is what leads me to the Sheiko experiment. Sheiko uses a variety of sub-maximal loads (50-85% of true one rep max) with differing set-and-rep prescriptions to stimulate the body without exposing it to such high loads that injury is a high risk. Another characteristic of this training is that each training day is a whole body lift and the competition lifts comprise the bulk of the program. That means every day there will be squatting, bench pressing and deadlifting with room for little else. The repetitive nature is similar to Smolov in that the body must accustom itself to these movements and become very efficient. At least, that is the idea.... Several elite American lifters (Wade Hooper, Eric Talmant) have used these workouts as the basis for their success and I am willing to give it a try - just to see what happens.

Oh and by the way, I've picked a new meet. Actually two. The first is the Orange County Powerlifting Championships on May 17 in Pine Bush, New York and is a USAPL sanctioned meet. USAPL (USA Powerlifting) is one of the most accredited powerlifting organizations in the country, and this will be my first time lifting for them. The second meet is the Vermont Powerlifting Championships in November sponsored by 100% Raw Powerlifting.

Cheers!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Smolov Week 3 Recap

This week was a doosy! Definitely felt like I was beat up and spending my nights in a grungy garbage dumpster somewhere all week, culminating in a nasty cold/sore throat at the end of the week. I guess this is what Smolov does best though, challenge your fortitude and ability to recover! After 5x7x405 on Thursday I was really dreading the final training days of this workout. Knees, hip flexors, low back all extremely tight and cranky. Luckily no pulls/strains/sprains though. 7x5x430 wasn't too bad during the actual lift but afterward I felt like death! Got a much needed 12 hour sleep binge Saturday night though and went in to the last workout 10x3x450 feeling pretty good. Got some timely squat tips from a very insightful friend at the gym and just beasted the last workout. Can't wait to recover this week and kill test day on Saturday, which we will do a mock full powerlifting meet. I was planning on just squat testing, but the guys over at ManhavenProject (http://www.manhavenproject.com/powerlifitng-blog/ - who have a great pool of knowledge and experience concerning the Smolov squat routine and Sheiko powerlifting routines - see volume based weight lifting) suggested that I test the deadlift too. I also decided to test bench press because I need to have an accurate number following the 4 week layoff because of my bum elbow. Looking forward to giving the Boris Sheiko inspired powerlifting routines a try starting with #29 next week!

Final week of Smolov recap:

Tuesday -
4x9x385

Thursday -
5x7x405

Saturday -
7x5x430

Sunday -
10x3x450

Video of W3D4 set 6 of 10 (apologies for the terrible camera angle)

Monday, January 14, 2013

Smolov Week 2 Recap

Smolov pt II

Second week of the Smolov squat program has been a success. I'm definitely starting to feel the challenges of the workout after making a few changes. I underestimated my squat max by 15 pounds (485) because I was unsure if I had the conditioning to make it through the whole program. After week one being a breeze and the first two workouts of week 2 also being quite easy I readjusted my max by 10 pounds (495) to make it more challenging. That little doctor definitely worked. The last two workouts of week 2 were a real challenge!

Tuesday
4x9x365

Thursday
5x7x385

Saturday
7x5x415

Sunday
10x3x440

I also started working in some light upper body, as my elbow is feeling much better now. This week I will be adding in some additional pressing and upper body pulling on Tuesday and Thursday to make sure I can hit my stride after I finish this part of the squat workout.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

New Years Post - First Training Post of the year - Smolov Week 1 Recap

Due to a string of injuries my training has been changed somewhat.. My right elbow has been thoroughly messed up for a few weeks now so I'm finally taking some time off from upper body movements. For the next 4 weeks I'll be doing a specialized squat program as described here: http://wkak.net/SmolovFAQ.htm
The routine has a reputation for being brutal towards the end, and I only plan on doing the first 4 weeks of the 13 week program. Hopefully this will help my squat out, and address what I feel is the weak link in my powerlifting total.

The past week of training went as such:

Tuesday -
4x9x340

Thursdsay -
5x7x365

Saturday -
7x5x385

Sunday -
10x3x415

New Years Post - First Entry for 2013! - Food

I hope that everybody had a great holiday season! Things have been pretty wild and I have had a hard time keeping to my normal schedule. Both brothers have been back home from college and have been helping with the cooking and with Christmas and New Years parties I haven't had to make very much! Here's a recipe for a little something I had to whip up for dinners during the week:

Ragu Bolognese

Macheroni al Forno

Ragu Bolognese

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 lbs ground pork

1 lb ground veal

1 large white onion, diced

6 carrots, diced

6 celery stalks, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 28 oz cans of tomato puree

2 cups red wine

Fresh Rosemary, minced

Fresh Thyme, minced

Parmigiano Reggiano rind

salt and pepper

butter for frying

Heat butter in pan, fry onions for 7-10 minutes. Add carrots, celery and garlic, cook for additional 5-10 minutes. Add meat and brown in pan. Add red wine, tomato puree and bring to boil. Add herbs, salt and pepper, bring to boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for about 45 minutes.

Macheroni al Forno

2 lbs pasta, cooked until al dente

Besciamella

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all purpose unbleached wheat flour

2 cups milk

1 cup grated cheese (pecorino romano and/or parmigiano reggiano)

Salt and Pepper

Fresh ground nutmeg

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat, add flour and whisk until smooth. Keep stirring over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add milk and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Reduce heat and stir often until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper, freshly grated nutmeg to taste.

Put the cooked pasta in a baking dish, mix in besciamella, then ragu bolognese, top with more bolognese and grated cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Total Fat 149.67g
Saturated Fat 36.01g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 1677.5mg
Sodium 4184.12mg
Total Carbohydrate 590.32g
Dietary Fiber 61.75g
Sugar 44.16g
Protein 463.97g

	Intek Protein Evolution (Chocolate) – 1 1 Scoop	160 cal
	Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites – 1 cup	133 cal
	Quaker Oatmeal Old Fashioned Oats – 1 cup	300 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 1 tbsp	100 cal
	Food For Life Ezekial Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin – 1 1 Muffin	160 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 1 tbsp	100 cal

	Ezekiel 4.9 Sesame Bread – 2 1 slice	160 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 1 tbsp	100 cal
	Honey – 1/2 tbsp	32 cal
	large Egg – 3 large egg	210 cal
	Jambalaya – 1 cup	472 cal

	Rice, white, long-grain, regular, cooked, unenriched, without salt – 1-2/3 cup	342 cal
	Chicken Breast Boneless/Skinless Grilled – 10 oz	300 cal
	Ezekiel 4.9 Sesame Bread – 2 1 slice	160 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 1 tbsp	100 cal
	Honey – 1/2 tbsp	32 cal
	large Egg – 3 large egg	210 cal

	cliff bar protein builder lemon – 1 package	270 cal
	Intek Protein Evolution (Chocolate) – 1/2 1 Scoop	80 cal
	Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites – 1 cup	133 cal
	Quaker Oatmeal Old Fashioned Oats – 1 cup	300 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 1 tbsp	100 cal

	Quaker Oatmeal Old Fashioned Oats – 2 cup	600 cal
	Egg Beaters 100% Egg Whites – 1-1/2 cup	200 cal
	Organic peanut butter crunchy – 2 tbsp	200 cal

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Daily Nutrition Facts

Meal 1

Lunch

Afternoon Snack

Dinner

Evening Snack