Old Man Skinny’s Journal

A week on the new workout schedule–weights every day, targeting mostly one muscle each time, and on the new nutrition plan–more carbs and fat (35% protein, 40% carb, 25% fat).  It’s too new to know whether it’s going to produce results, but I’m game.  The goal is just 5 months away, so now’s the time to bulk, Bulk, BULK if I’m going to have any lats or quads or guns to flex on the stage the next time I dawn my posing trunks in public.

I have no urge to be a competitive runner.  The only reason I go hit the pavement is for the cardio effect–keeping the metabolism high.  I do enjoy the surge of energy and the fresh air running in the neighborhood, but that only lasts for 20-30 minutes.

Well, my little community of Syracuse, Utah held a "Turkey Trot" fun run Saturday–1 mile walk for adults, 1 mile run for kids, and 5K run for adults.  I haven’t "raced" in many years, but I thought it would be fun.  Joanie did the walk with a neighbor lady.  I did the run.  I started at a pace just under my HIIT sprint pace and just made myself stick to it.  When I started feeling like I was going to give out, I just took slower, longer strides.  I was thinking that if I could come in with a 30-minute time I’d be satisfied–that would be under a 10-minute mile.  Well, I was pretty shocked to hear, "25:31" when I crossed the finish line.

Okay, I promise NOW to cut back on the cardio so I don’t burn up muscle.

Being a celiac has presented a few hurdles that I’ve figured out how to jump.  Here are some recipes I’ve developed/modified to fit my nutrition requirements.  They are lower in bad fat, sugar, and simple carbs–higher in nutrient-rich grains/flours and even protein.

Chocolate cake that’s mostly nutritious

French toast that is more protein than carb

Pancakes/Waffles that give the equal carb/protein content that I’m usually looking for at breakfast after my workout

A pretty complex bread recipe, but I bake it as my staple.  The flours are even more nutritious than whole wheat or oats

Yet to come–my muffin recipe and a great cornbread recipe.

In the meantime, take your favorite recipe–exchange a lot of the tapioca flour or corn starch (which are both like eating straight sugar, nutrient wise) for more nutritious flours like quinoa, soy, garbanzo, millet, sorghum, buckwheat.  Substitute fruit puree (like applesauce) for the liquid fat.  Substitute cottage cheese for the solid fats (butter, lard, shortening).  Use Splenda for the sugar.
Being Gluten Free doesn’t mean we have to give up nutrition OR good food.

Now I really look forward to it.  My first year of weight lifting I really ignored my legs.  I figured all the running I was doing was keeping me in shape down there.  WRONG!  It’s taken a long time, but now I can see what steady work on legs can do.  My pics don’t show even as much as I’m seeing now in the mirror.  I think getting back to carbs after the competition really put some definition and fullness in the bigger muscles.

I used to be really afraid of squatts.  I do have to be careful even now about too much weight because of a tendency to pinched nerves causing my legs to go numb.  But squatts are my basic lift on leg days now.  I think my legs are so long that I’ll never be able to get really well defined quads and hams and calves, but I sure can see improvement.

I’ve tossed care to the wind.  I’m still a sun lover.  So there I am baking in the sun or in the "oven."  Am I just laying there?  No way!  What a waste of time.  Here’s the routine–a 20-minute time in the tanning bed–divide it into 5 minutes on each side, kind of like grilling those chicken breasts.  Do a great ab/lower back workout while you soak in those UV rays.
On your back–flex pelvis up and raise legs for lower ab crunches.  Do 20 and then hold for a count of 60.  Now ab vacuum for 60 seconds.  Bridge on heels and shoulders for 60 seconds.  Crunch shoulders forward for upper-ab target–20 reps and hold.

On your right side, left arm up over head like an oblique crunch pose (to get the pit tanned), right leg forward, left leg back–tilt pelvis and raise legs to the side, targeting obliques.  20 reps and hold for 60 seconds.  Vacuum left side and hold 60 seconds.  Bridge on right shoulder and sides of feet, lifting right side off bed to target right obliques.  Hold 60 seconds.  Crunch left shoulder/head toward hip–20 reps and hold.

On stomach, hands to side–arch back and raise legs/shoulders off of bed (or do one leg at a time).  Move hands to side of head and bridge on forearms and toes.  Raise butt up and vacuum abs for 60+ seconds.  While bridged, alternate leg lifts.

On left side–repeat what you did on the right side.

That workout will leave enough sweat on the bed to let the attendant know you were there!  Granted, there’s not much range of motion, and you should do a more thorough ab workout in a couple of days, but it beats 20 minutes of boredom.  I’m old enough now that I’m avoiding anything remotely resembling my lying rigid in a coffin.  Warn the mortician that I’m likely going to do a few sit-ups on the embalming table just as a muscle reflex.

A month ago I used the tanning time to practice posing.  You can do a lot of muscle flexing and isometric holding just lying there in the sun.

So that was my morning–a 2.5 mile run ending at the tanning place; workout during tan; a 1 mile run home; and then a 1.5 mile jog with my wife.  I earned my breakfast (protein pancakes–great recipe–I’ll post it sometime).

I love Monday.  Hit the bench press for 5 sets–one warm-up and the rest at my body weight of 155.  Churned out sets of 10, 8, 6, and 6 reps and then dropped twice to really fatigue those muscles.  Then on to 3 sets of machine fly superset with body-weight dips.  Moved on to delt and triceps exercises–3 sets each of military press, db side raises, overhead tri extensions and cable pushdowns.  Finished off with sets of rotator cuff exercises–both inner and external rotation.  All that in just over an hour.  Thank goodness for the boost of energy from my pre- and during-workout shakes and then the 3XL (iSatori’s great creatine product) to finish off.  Home to 9 egg whites and whole grain toast.  Great way to start the week!

Six out of seven days we get up and my wife’s first question is, "What do we do for exercise this morning?"  It’s a given.  You can count on one hand the Mon-Sat. workouts we’ve missed in a year.

But Sunday is the day off from the gym.  The body gets a rest but the spirit gets its workout.  Today was no exception.  I really do enjoy attending church, but today added a touch more intensity to the spiritual workout.  I spoke in the main worship service, what we Mormons call Sacrament Meeting.  The assignment was a ten-minute sermon on, of all things, technology–how the Lord’s hand can be seen in the development and use of technology to build His Kingdom.  I’d be glad to share more if anyone is interested here on the blog or by email.

Then it was fun to sing with the "ward" choir and attend a Sunday School class and a priesthood quorum meeting.  All in all, a "workout" for sure.

You’ve all seen bodies that weren’t well proportioned–all upper body and no legs, or huge traps and no delts.  Well, neglecting the spiritual exercise can do the same to my soul.  So I stick with the daily prayer, scripture reading, service to others, and loving words to keep my life in balance.

Our church congregation (we Mormons call it a "Ward") covers about a half square mile.  To run in front of every house is a distance of about 2.7 miles–just what I need for a 30-minute run.  I’ve made myself a map, showing each house and who lives in it.  Just before I head out, I review the map and concentrate on learning a couple of new names.

As I run, I mentally go over the names of the people.  Today a half-dozen were out working in their yards.  It was fun to wave or take a second to stop and shake a hand.  "Good morning, Mrs. Taylor," or "how are you doing, Jim?"  If I don’t know them, I stop and introduce myself.

It doesn’t cut into my workout–my heart rate stays high, but it sure puts a smile on my face and gives me a chance to interact with a few more fellow humans than I’d otherwise be able to.

I’m the guy who’s ground his own whole wheat flour from the whole grain and oat flour from oat groats.  I baked my own brown/oat bread.  Then I was diagnosed with celiac disease–my immune system was triggered by the gluten to attack the lining of my small intestines.  NO MORE WHOLE WHEAT OR OATS.  No more barley, or malt.  No more rye.

My world has not come to an end because I’ve discovered EVEN BETTER grains and flours.  Try quinoa, millet, brown rice flour, sorghum, soy, garbonzo, amaranth, buck wheat.  They all have great protein and fiber content.  I’d share recipes if you are interested.

For several years now I’ve tried to do at least one of my 3 weekly cardio sessions in the pool.  I’m there for maintaining/raising my metabolic rate, so heart rate is the goal, not speed of the laps.  I "super set" laps with pool-side ab exercises, making the workout like a HIIT session.  The heart rate stays at 85% or better, but the ab work lets my other muscles rest so that I’m not burning the muscle mass.  And WHAT A WORKOUT!  I feel totally drained after the 30-40 minutes.  My reward is seeing the pump in the locker room mirror.