Yesterday, Friday, I managed to hit pistols twice. I did them on my front porch, which has a very slight downward lean, and focused on cleaning up my bottom position on the left side - good first session, and short but good second as well.
A few words on losing weight - I've got a meet and maybe two coming up and it's time to drop a few pounds.
I weighed 156.2 lbs on Tuesday morning, and this morning I weighed 153.4, about 4 lbs. in 4 days. The first few pounds of losing weight are the easiest - you eat less, and you have less food "in transit" in your system, and this is reflected in your lower body weight. I'm not sure I've done anything at all in terms of changing my body composition or losing either lean mass or fat.
I generally have a small breakfast every day, almost always a few spoons of my homemade almond butter with a small banana. This week, I went to having that every other day instead, and just not having breakfast on the days in between.
Although you might think it's necessary to do a lot of exercise, and perhaps even a lot of cardio, in order to lose weight, this simply isn't true. In fact, I find it easier when I'm taking a back-off week from exercise like I am now.
I am definitely sporting the proverbial love handles, and while I don't like it, I know my history - if I don't eat enough, I tend to get sick. Dieting has to be a well-planned, well-executed, centered, meditative change of direction for me because it's too easy for me to "tough it out" - I do that, but end up trading short term results for longer terms consequences like getting ill.
I'm looking at starting lifting again on Monday, and probably will lift the iron just twice a week while continuing a low volume, almost every day approach to pistols and pushups, and also continuing to have fun playing with skin the cats, front levers, and other things on the rings and on a chinup bar.
My week's goal was to get back under 154 lbs (70 kg) after spending most of the last few months at 155-156, and to recover from overtraining my barbell front squat. Next week, trying to get to closer to 150 while my sister is in for a visit should prove more of a challenge.
The longer term question is whether I want to compete in the IPF internationally, where I'll have to make weight at 66 kg instead of 67.5. I don't generally suffer much to make 67.5 kg but neither do I make it by much. 66 kg, which is 145 lbs., will be significantly tougher unless - and this is the "if" - I decide to keep my daily weight a few pounds lower than my usual 153.
Edit - just did 5 towel pullups in a single set, felt great.
Onward and Upward
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1. How would you structure a BWE program, given that you have no weights, just BWE and kettlebells? (I have bells, rings, dipping bar, ropes)
ReplyDelete2. The cossack sequence you mention every so often, is there a video of it to follow along?
3. Same to stretching. Is there any video or could you explain your philosophy behind it?
4. What diet or eating philosophy do you follow? I am 6 feet 53⁄64 inch and 196lbs with app. 20% BF and want to shrink without losing strength. I need a bit of advice, please. You seem the right guy for it...
1. If you have kettlebells, I'd make those the core of my training. I believe one ought to work to achieve a few key bodyweight moves like the pistol, but then it's enough to keep them on maintenance after that, e.g., just be sure you can still do it, and do whatever training it takes to maintain. I used to keep my pistols good with just one session per week.
ReplyDeleteAn intelligently structured program of high volume kettlebell swings or snatches can help you lose weight - it's worked well for many people. Keep the reps low and work up to a high volume of low-rep sets.
2. The Cossack sequence is mentioned in Pavel's "Super Joints". You can look at my page here, http://www.kbnj.com/flexguide.htm, for a bit more about it. I always recommend everyone get both SJ and Relax Into Stretch.
3. My approach to stretching is like my approach to bodyweight moves - earn your increased range of motion through hard work, then do what you need, which will be much less, to keep it. Relax Into Stretch should be your Bible for this.
4. I follow the Warrior Diet and, in general, think cyclic eating is what leads to good health and good body composition.
Hope that helps you.
-S-