[R_H]: 3 Weeks to go.

[[R_H]]

It's time to start a journal of my own.

I have 3 weeks to go until my physical fitness test, and until then I want to increase my core strength and do as much HIIT as possible (I have to do a beep test).

Jan. 8 2009

Bodyweight
181.5lb

Warm-up
- Dips: 1x10 (pain/soreness after the first set, wanted to do 3 sets)
- Crunches: 3x10
- Chin-ups: 8, 5.5, 5.5 (last two sets I didn't make it all the way up on the 6th rep)
- Back extension: 3x10

Workout

Squats
- 88lb: 1x5
- 132lb: 1x5
- 154lb: 2x5

HIIT
- 4minutes @ 6.25mph
- 20s @ 9.7mph
- 40s @ 7.5mph
- 20s @ 9.7mph
(Felt sick, so I switched to walking)

Cable crunches
- 66lb: 1x15
- 99lb: 3x15
- 140lb: 1x5

Weighted chin-ups
- 22lb + BW: 1x3

To do
- No HIIT after squats.
- Add BW squats into warmup.
- Improve number of chin-ups in each set.

Questions
- What else should I add (lifts etc.)?
- Should I keep the cable crunches or go back to declined weighted situps (high reps, w/11lb or more)?


Jan. 9 2009
- SORE
- Walking up stairs wasn't fun.

Bodyweight
179.7lb

Finally under 180lb. I'm going to try to get my weight down to 176lb by the end of January.

[[R_H]]

Jan. 10 2009
- Still sore, not as bad as yesterday.
- Did two beep tests today, one right before lunch, and the other one
two hours ago

Bodyweight
180.2lb

Beep Test 1
- Lvl.3, Shuttle 3 (2min35s, 360m)

Beep Test 2
- Lvl.3, Shuttle 8 (3min15s, 460m)

Both times I had to stop because I felt sick to my stomache, I've never felt like that before during a run. Oh well, at least my second result improved.
I want to get up to Lvl.12, Shuttle 12...in three weeks.:eek:

[Dkalban]

What is this fitness test for?

[[R_H]]

What is this fitness test for?

It's part of the draft, along with medical and psychological tests.

[Dkalban]

oh right, you Swiss are required by law to serve in the army for a short while.

[[R_H]]

oh right, you Swiss are required by law to serve in the army for a short while.

Yup. As of the 4th of February 2009, I'll be a recruit in the Swiss army (finally got the date of my recruitment). The pay is **** though, 4 CHF per day of service for a recruit. Then after graduation (3 days actually, the 29th of June) I report for basic training.

[ZenMonkey]

I bet something like crossfit would have you meeting your goals asap.

How does the test work? Do they test VO2 max?

[[R_H]]

I've finished eating for the day.

Mueslix cereal: 146cal, 2.9g fat, 24.7g carbs, 4.9g protein

Whole wheat linguini: 338cal, 1.2g fat, 68g carbs, 13g protein

Ground beef, lean, cooked: 103cal, 6.8g fat, 0g carbs, 9.8g protein
(part of the sauce)

Tomatoes, cooked, from canned: 26cal, 0.2g fat, 6g carbs, 1.2g protein
(part of the sauce)

Peas, green, cooked: 105cal, 2.5g fat, 15.8g carbs, 5.4g protein

2 Proteinshakes: 293cal, 1.2g fat, 2.4g carbs, 68g protein

Banana: 105cal, 0.4g fat, 27g carbs, 1.3g protein

Tablespoon cream cheese: 51cal, 5.1g fat, 0.4g carbs, 1.1g protein

Kiwi fruit: 46cal, 0.4g fat, 11.1g carbs, 0.9g protein

3 Tablespoons peanut butter: 240cal, 20.6g fat, 8.0g carbs, 10.2g protein

Total: 1453cal, 41.2g fat, 163.3g carbs, 115.8g protein.

I definitely need to start eating more, going to ramp up to at least 2000cal a day.

[[R_H]]

I bet something like crossfit would have you meeting your goals asap.

How does the test work? Do they test VO2 max?

The problem with doing Crossfit, and the WODs, is that I have to learn quite a bit of the stuff, and I don't have much time (or any trainers/coaches to support me). I really want to concentrate on my core strength, and my cardio. For my core I'll do squats, deads, declined situps (weighted of course)/crunches and maybe good-mornings. I've looked around for an OLY or PL club/team, but the only one I could find in the region is across the border in Germany (and a hour each way by train).

A score is assigned to the time the recruit manages in the beep test. The whole physical tests has 125 points, 25 for each exercise. For example, to get 20 points in the beep-test, I would have to endure 12min15s.

[[R_H]]

Jan.11 2009

- Woke up fairly late this morning. (Got a bit more than 9 hours of sleep)
- Did some stretching and BW squats before lunch.
- After lunch, went for a run (1.7miles, 15min47s)
- Half way into the last (third) lap, my left calf started cramping up, and my
stomache couldn't decide from which end it wanted to empty itself. I took
ten or fifteen second breather and finished my run. Not fun, it's been at least
a month since I've run for distance.
- I can't wait to hit the gym on Tuesday. I might go running again Monday
evening, if it isn't too cold/too dark.

[[R_H]]

Jan.11 2009

- Done eating for the day

Mueslix cereal (100g); 356cal, 7.1g fat, 60.2g carbs, 12.1g protein

1 whole wheat bun: 126cal, 2.0g fat, 21g carbs, 5.5g protein

0.5 Tblsp Cream cheese (in bun): 25cal, 2.5g fat, 0.2g carbs, 0.5g protein

2 Cheese omelets: 299cal, 22.4g fat, 4.8g carbs, 19.8g protein

150g cooked green peas: 152cal, 3.7g fat, 22.7g carbs, 7.8g protein

1 raw Kiwi fruit: 46cal, 0.4g fat, 11.1g carbs, 0.9g protein

100g white rice: 130cal, 0.2g fat, 28.7g carbs, 2.4g protein

100g cooked steak: 252cal, 15.0g fat, 27.3g protein

Total: 1386cal, 53.3g fat, 148.9g carbs, 76.2g protein

- Need to eat more, and I need to get more protein in my diet.

[[R_H]]

Time for another update. I didn't have any time to update my journal yesterday, I went to the gym in the afternoon, went home and had dinner, and then went to check out the boxing club.


Jan.12 2009

Bodyweight: 178.9lb
Totals: 1059cal, 41.8g fat, 105.1g carbs, 62.4g protein


Jan.13 2009
Bodyweight: 180lb
- First time back in the gym since last week, which was awesome.
- Left Pec is still not at 100%

Warmup

Dips: 2
Chins (10kg): 4.5/3.5/3
Crunches: 3x10
Back extension: 3x10

I then stretched (butterfly, lunges etc.) and then I went up and did cardio.

Cardio
- same distances and speeds as a beep test, incline @ 2.5%
- I ran for 8min41s

Then I stretched again and did Goblet(?) squats with a 31lb dumbell (1x10) before doing squats.

Squats
Bar: 1x5
88lb: 1x5
110lb: 2x5, 1x3
132lb: 1x5

I didn't go up with the weight any more because my shoulders were getting sore (even though I was stretching them between sets) and because I was already tired from running. On Friday I won't start as low, and I won't do as much at 110lb (no idea why I did so much). It was kinda disappointing that I didn't get up to 70kg again.

I then switched to deadlifting.

Deadlift
132lb: 1x5
176lb: 1x5, 1x2

I could barely squeeze out those two extra reps. It was tiring. I need to clean up my DL technique a bit (last time I DLed was in November). Hopefully I'll be able to get my DL back up to 220lb.

Situps
- highest decline setting on the bench
22lb on chest: 3x15

In the evening I went to take a look at the boxing club. It was weird going from kung-fu stance to the boxing stance, but it was fun and a great workout.


Questions, comments?

[[R_H]]

Update time. Weight's been a little bit weird lately, Wednesday afternoon I was under 178lbs, but Thursday morning I was up at 180lbs again. :confused:

Jan. 16 2009

Warmup
Crunches: 2x10
Back ext.: 3x10

Chinups
33lb: 1x2
22lb: 1x2

Chinups were crappy. My lats were still sore, and my forearms weren't up to the task. (Tuesday I went boxing after working out, and on Wednesday I played badmington). Oh well, I know I can better than that.

On the other hand, squats were better. I narrowed my stance a touch, and that seems to have improved my squatting.

Goblet squats
33lb: 1x5

Squats
bar: 1x5
132lb: 1x5
143lb: 2x5
154lb: 1x5
165lb: 1x5 (last two or three reps were only to parallel though)

I'm happy with my squatting, I squatted more reps than on Tuesday, and more importantly, heavier than on Tuesday.

Deadlifts were also better than on Tuesday

Deadlifts
132lb: 1x5
154lb: 1x5
176lb: 1x5
198lb: 1x5

Situps
declined, 15kg: 3x12

Surprisingly, my legs weren't all too sore this morning (hamstrings a bit), but I'm not feeling the deadlifts or the situps.

Goals for next week are to get my squat up to 176lb (if only to parallel), dead lift to 220lb, increase the situps to 4 sets of 12 (or more) and of course improve my chins.

[[R_H]]

Update time!

Got my protein supplements in the mail yesterday, which is awesome. Yesterday I forgot my spare clothes (except a T-shirt), so I had to work out in my street clothes - squatting and deadliftling wasn't that fun.

Warmup
Crunches: 3x10
Back extension: 3x10
Pushups (feet elevated): 2x10
Pullups: 6,7,7 (Didn't manage to get the 8th rep in on the last set)
33 lb Goblet squats: 1x5

Squats
bar: 1x5
143lb: 1x5
154lb: 1x5
176lb: 1x5
187lb: 1x3 (last rep was to parallel)

Very satisfied with my squatting, 22lb more than last Friday.

Core
Situps, 33lb on chest, decline bench: 2x15, 1x10
Cable crunches, 70lb: 2x5

Military press
bar: 1x5
88lb: 1x4

That was weak, need to look at technique some more, and press more.

Deadlift
154kg: 1x5

My pants were bothering me at this point, and I didn't want to burst a seam (they were definitely strained :P).

Pullups (between sets)
8x3

Would have ran, but didn't want to get my pants too sweaty.