Inching back (Saturday... feelin grits)

Saturday, at hotel in Philly, got a really quick one in but felt like death. Gym was cold, so maybe that had something to do with it, but my lungs were on fire. Did not accomplish much (although ended up nice and sore - legs and butt - the next day anyway).

skretched a little, samson style...

3 rounds of cindy (just 3, should be a warm up not a workout)

• 5 pull ups
• 10 push ups
• 15 squats

DB Circuit - kept it light with 40lb

• DB snatch x 5/side
• DB bench press x 5/side
• DB row x 5/side
• DB lat raise x 10
  

Ideally I would have wanted to finish 3-4 rounds and then finish the workout with high rep DB swings and some core work. But only completed two rounds before was feeling kind of rough. I was pressed for time and had to wrap it up, but that was just a rationalization/excuse for not finishing a 3rd round -- I should have sucked it up and cranked out one more as fast as I could.

Density training to hit rep goals

http://www.weight-lifting-workout-routines.com/workout-routine-3.html

Pick an exercise that you would like to improve. Exercises that require little or no set-up time work best, pull-ups, pushups or kettlebell snatches are all excellent choices. Simply double the volume of your goal repetitions. For example, if you want to be able to perform 20 straight pull-ups, double that number to 40. Perform 20 sets of 2 reps in 20 minutes. You must start each set at the top of each minute. When this set and rep scheme becomes easy, move onto the next level, which would be 3 reps every minute for 13 minutes, and so on and so on…. It should look like this over the weeks. • 20 sets of 2 reps for 20 minutes • 13 sets of 3 reps for 13 minutes • 10 sets of 4 reps for ten minutes • 8 sets of 5 reps 8 minutes • 7 sets of 6 reps for 6 minutes • 6 sets of 7 reps in 5 minutes • 5 sets of 8 reps in 5 minutes • 4 sets of 10 reps in 4 minutes • 3 sets of 13 reps in 3 minutes Eventually, you will be able to accomplish your desired goal of 20 repetitions. Do this routine only twice per week. You may however, use Density Training for two separate workout routines. Not only does Density Training accelerate your progress and improve your numbers, it allows you to carry out more work in less time. That is power.

'4-Hour Body' Version of "Slow-Carb" Diet - Day 3/4

Jan 1 was a Saturday and therefore my "cheat/binge day -- pancakes for breakfast, nandos with bun and rice for lunch, chinese food for dinner... Since then, only two full days on the diet, and I've lost maybe 4lb (my guess is water weight). Progress reports will be more valid every week, at least 2-3 days after cheat days.

After reading around on the tubez, it seems that the main criteria for defining a slow-carb diet is a low glycemic index, so therefore there is a lot of variation in prescribed diets.

Carby foods with high GIs spike insulin response and rapidly increase blood sugar, causing energy bursts followed by periods of lethargy. Carby foods with low GIs -- or "slow carbs" -- will cause slower, more sustained increases in blood sugar and energy. Pretty simple.

Interestingly, some of the "root vegetables" that are such staples in a Paleo diet have very high GIs. Beets are high and parsnips are through the roof! I was liking the idea of 'em, and had nibbled some beets during my egg pickling, but it's time to stay away from 'em!

Many low-GI foods that are permitted on some slow-carb diets are not permitted in the 4-Hour Body diet -- for example, low-GI dairy like yogurt, low-GI grains like rolled oats and low-GI fruits such as grapefruits. Since my goal is to avoid fructose six days a week, I am fine skipping out on certain "slow carbs." My cheat days might include lots of fruit eating -- especially to compensate for vitamin C and fiber (mostly vitamin C).

Legumes

I've introduced beans as Tim Ferriss suggests, but I did not check GI of specific beans in making my decisions about which ones to make my staples. I went with the highest protein beans like black beans and kidney beans... and while they don't have very high GIs (prob around 53 and 52 respectively, if canned, and lower if dry), lentils (29) and lima beans (32, frozen) and even green beans (super low at 15 according to one site) have lower GIs. It will be worth checking the protein on those compared to black and red beans.

Chick peas have a low GI even when canned (42), and since canned beans are 1) easier to prepare and 2) when rinsed, less prone to make you gassy, it's good to find canned beans that are low GI. Only problem with chick peas is caloric density is a little bit over the top and it's easy to eat too many (same thing with almonds)... that will upset weight loss goals. If I want to go with dried beans, soaked, prepared and then eaten over a few days, that might be the best Rx. Black and Red should be fine in that case.

Green peas are okay -- relatively low GI, but not very low... like carrots. Both green peas and carrots have GI of just under 50, so are fine to eat maybe 1-3 times a week, but it might be good not to go making carrots my go-to snack I guess.

Based on more research into GI, protein, fiber, etc, here are some foods to emphasize:

• Lentils
  
• Lima beans
• Most other beans, dried, but light on chick peas
• Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, onions and red peppers - GO CRAZY (they all have a very low GI of about 10)
• All peppers have low GI
• Other veggies with nice low GI include snow peas, string beans and spinach (which is, of course, bursting with other nutrients)
  
• Cauliflower -- low GI at 30 and high in fiber
• Eggs -- egg whites and cage free or organic whole eggs
  
• And, of course, meats -- mostly beef (grass-fed when possible) and chicken (free range or at least organic when possible)... AND tuna fish (one can has about 26g of protein and at least 20g of protein per meal is like most important part of diet.
  

After Month 1, consider adding some low-GI, low or no-sugar yogurt and/or kefir if you feel you want it.

Lunch time.

UPDATE: Looks like I was a little too intuitive about my understanding of glycemic index, thinking, "if 'low' is good, the 'really low' or even nonexistent must be better!" However, after a little more reading, it seems at least, that a low glycemic index is what to look for in itself -- "low" being defined as 55 and under on the 100-point scale. Everything mentioned in this post would therefore be "low" and more than permissible in whatever amounts I want (tinned beans, carrots, etc.).