Work Out, Pig Out:
A Year of Losing Fat, Gaining Muscle, and Eating Lots of Ice Cream
My new book is slated for release on Amazon Kindle in mid-July.
It’s a monthly chronicle of all the crazy diets and workouts I explored throughout 2014, the highs and lows and all the ice cream in between.
Get Your Copy of “Work Out, Pig Out”
6 June 2015 Saturday
Workout #12
12:20 P.M.
Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total
5 press – 24 kg – L&R
5 press – 24 kg – L&R
3 chins
3 chins
3 chins
5 Goblet squats x 40 kg
5 Goblet squats x 40 kg
Ab wheel – 5, 5
Loaded carries – 32 kg up/down stairs
15 swings x 88lb. t-handle
between main sets – 11 sets
In 2010, I got fat.
OK, maybe not quite as fat as I’d gotten in 2008, but close.
In 2008 I was barely a year into barbell lifting and following Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program as well as StrongLifts 5 x 5. With chasing ever heavier squats I was doing the GOMAD (Gallon of Milk a Day) program and ramping my body up to a record weight of 252 pounds.
Like many Americans, I lost my job later that fall. Unlike many Americans, I used my unemployment time to get in the best shape of my life, up to that point. Working out with self-directed CrossFit metcons and barbell work mixed with intermittent fasting, I dropped down to around 211 pounds and felt great, thought my girlfriend (now wife) thought I looked too skinny. It wouldn’t be the last time I’d hear that complaint.
After completing my 40-Day Workout plan between February 16 and April 16, I was ready for a break, both mentally and physically. The daily grind of morning cardio, my crazy busy job, then a workout over lunch to break up the day, was wearing on me something fierce by the end.
Add in the physical toll from my ill-advised, five-week experiment with 250 daily swings with ever heavier kettlebells (32kg, 36kg, 40kg – when Dan John suggests using 24kg, use 24kg) and throw in some family issues towards the end (sure, why not?), and my wife and I were ready to leave Chicago for the beaches of Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos.
I used to have nice hands. Soft and smooth, free from nicks and rough spots and callouses. Except for summers playing baseball, I didn’t do much physical activity with them unless my dad asked me to help work on a car or build a garage or shed.
I eventually worked as a dishwasher for a year in my first two jobs at 16. Dish soap was not their friend. Neither was chopping onions. The stench from that lingered for days.
I was also into bicycling but always wore gloves to keep my hands from going numb, and padded the crap out of the handlebars.
My newest piece of gym equipment arrived and I’m surprised the UPS guy didn’t suffer a hernia when he unloaded it from the truck.
92 pounds is what the label said thought the Bulldog actually weighs in at 88 pounds or 40kg.
I’ve been doing 250 swings per day since February 16 and started off with a 32kg. I bumped up to 36kg a couple weeks ago and that was even starting to get light but was the biggest I could go with adding a Kettlebell Buddy to the 32kg bell.
Now with the Bulldog in the house I can even go up to 44kg if I want to. From there it would be on to the Beast – a 48kg colossus, but I can’t seem to find where Punch/Art of Strength makes one that size. I’ll just have to see if I can get one of these monsters made for me.
I must apologize for the lack of posts recently. I’ve been busy writing my first Kindle book this month. After pounding out 29,000 words over the course of a week the real work of editing came into play.
Plus, I got sick just in time for the New Year and was down with a hacking cough for two weeks. There must be something in the Florida air that mixes into a noxious brew once I get back to Chicago as the same thing happened after our Labor Day trip.
Not fun.
I have some great posts lined up and will be getting them online this weekend.
405# deadlift on Christmas Eve at L.A. Fitness
10:00 A.M. EST – Christmas Eve
Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total
Workout A
Deadlifts – 405 x 1
(10:00 rest after warmup of 185 x 5, 245 x 4, 275 x 3, 325 x 2, 365 x 1)
Bench Press – 225 x 2 x 5 sets (warmup of 135 x 5, 185 x 5)
Neutral Grip Chins – 5, 5
TGU – 1L & 1R x 24kg
So this was the workout I’ve been training for since I started this blog. I’d wanted to hit 405# (4 plates per side) for a long time as my all-time max of 380 had stood since 2008. Weighing in at 225 means I’m still way below a 2 x BW deadlift to even think about being down the block from the neighborhood of strong but it was still a cool accomplishment. Having to use crappy hex plates at a globo gym wasn’t ideal but at least I was only going for a single so didn’t have to worry about how it landed.
Globo Gym Workout – Kettlebells & Deadlifts #19
Yes, that’s sunshine, something Chicago hasn’t seen much of the last few months.
10:30 A.M.
Simple & Sinister Warmup
Goblet Squats – 5 x 16kg
Hip Bridges – 5
Pumps – 5
Halos – 5L & 5R x 16kg
Three rounds total
Workout B
Kettlebell Swings – 10R/10L x 5 rounds x 24kg one-handed swings (:15 on / :30 rest)
Turkish Getups – 5L & 5R x 24kg
Snatches – 10R/10L x 5 rounds x 24kg – 100 total (:30 on/1:00 rest)
Neutral Grip Chinups – 3 x 3 sets (2:00 rest)
Waiter Walks – 5 rounds – alt hands – 24kg
New Gear Day – Rogue Kettlebells – 32kg & 24kg – basking in the Florida sun!
With the number of times we visit my wife’s family in Florida each year I finally broke down and had some kettlebells shipped to their house leading up to our Christmas visit. Once you’ve worked out in your own well-equipped home gym it’s tough to go down to the local L.A. Fitness, though we always end up there anyway.
Plus, I tend to eat quite a bit more than usual as her mom is always cooking up awesome food so it’s a nice bonus to wake up and grab a kettlebell for a quick workout while my wife is getting ready.