Old Man Skinny’s Journal

This has been a lot of fun, being the Over-40 Amateur of the Week (#144).  Getting email and comments from people all over the world is sure a boost to my self esteem.  Many of the comments have been from guys just younger saying that if I could do it so could they.  That’s humbling to be seen as a role model.

The most fun has been as a result of posting it on my facebook page.  Many friends and extended family don’t know about "the hidden life" of Mike Packham.  They’re surprised to see a new side to the sedate, family-oriented, musical, church-going old man.

Well, next week it will be back to normal as the fame passes to someone else.  But it will remain a motivation to me to live up to the standard set by the rest of you fine folks on BB.com.  Next April I’ll make you all proud with a new set of photos from the next competition.

A WEEK’S WORKOUTS

I’ve journaled the workouts, hoping that you could see if I was getting the ideas right for bulking/muscle-mass development with the goal of a competition in April.

Leg press

90X15

180X12

270X8

270X8

270X6

270X6

Seated Calf

90X15

115X12

140X8+

160X5 (new weight for me)

160X5

Front Squat—BB

BarX15

50X5

Ham Prone Curl

#9X8

#10X6

#11X4

#11X3 drop drop

Leg Extension—each leg first pronated then supinated

#8X8p 8s

#9X8p 8s

#10X6p 6s drop

Seated Adduction/Abduction

110X12 ad  110X12 ab

120X8 ad  140X8 ab

140X6 ad drop  160X8 ab

BB Standing Military Press

BarX15

20X8

30X8

40X4

50X3

50X3

40X5

40X6

BB Rev.Close-Grip press

BarX15

20X8

30X8

40X3

30X6 drop

Rev. Fly deck

115X15

160X8

175X8

205X4

220X2

160X 6,6,6 partial reps, and drop

DB Side raises

@20X8

20X8

20X8

Forearm EZ bar curls resting on quads

3 sets palms up

3 sets palms down

Ab workout

Preacher EZ Bar

10X15

30X8

40X6

50X1

50X1

40X6

40X5 drop

Incline DB curls

@30X7

30X7

30X7

Standing Alternating DB curls

@35X3

35X3

35X3

Hammer DB curls

@20X8

20X8

20X8

Reverse Cable curls

#4X8

#4X8

#5X8

#6X5

Donkey Calf on press machine

#13X12 pronated X12 supinated

#15X12 p X12 s

#16X8 p X8s

Tibia curls on press machine

#11X8

#12X8

#13X6 drop

Dips on parallel bars, elbows held in close to body

Body weight X15, X12, X10, X10, X10, X10

EZ bar bench laying overhead extensions

20X10

30X6

30X6

Cable triceps extension with rope

#10X6

#10X6

#12X3

#12X3

#11X6

#11X8

Single arm Rev. grip cable triceps extension

#4X10

#5X6

#4X10

Cable overhead extension with rope

#10X3

#10X3

#9X7

#9X7

Forearm EZ bar curls

3 sets rev. grip

3 sets reg. grip

Standing DB forearm curls, db hanging to sides

3 sets curling in

3 sets lifting out

Incline BB Bench Press

70X12

90X7

90X6

#11X3 (machine)

#13X1 drop (machine)

90X6

90X6- drop

Fly deck

190X8

205X6-

205X6

220X4-

235X3- (new weight for me)

235X2

130X6 X6 X6 (partials)

Decline BB Bench Press

70X8

90X8

100X4

100X4 drop

Rotator cuff cable pulls

4 sets with each arm on different planes and both inward and outward resistance

Wide-grip Lat Pull-downs

#8X15

#16X8

#16X8-

#18X3

#19X2

#17X6

#17X5 drop drop

Close-Rev. Grip chin-ups

Body Weight X10

X9

X8

X8

Machine row palms facing in

115X10

145X8

175X6

205X1 drop

Cable straight-arm pull over with rope

#10X15

#12X10

#14X7 drop drop

BB Shrugs, bar in front, reg. grip

140X10

190X5

190X5 drop drop

BB Shrugs, bar behind

90X10

140X10

140X10

DB shrugs palms facing in

@65X12

75X8

80X8

BB Squat

90X14

140X8

140X8

270X6 on press machine

270X6 on press machine

140X8

140X8 drop

Front BB Squat

BarX15

20X10

40X8

40X8

DB lunges

@30X6

30X6

35X6

Prone ham curls, machine

#10X6

#10X8

#11X6

DB deadlifts

@30X10

@35X6

Abduction

130X12

140X10

140X10

Adduction

100X12

120X6

130X8
To work on hand grip strength, I bought some V-spring hand grips and have been doing sets while I drive and watch TV–several sets in a wrist positions.  I can tell that I’m getting stronger there.  In fact I’m going to have to start using both grips in one hand to get the reps down to the 6-10 range.
With body fat going up along with the body weight, I’m not convinced that there’s been too much muscle mass development.  So it’s thrown my whole mindset into a doubting mode.  Where do I still need to change things?  Would you take time to comment?
Thanks,

Skinny

After 2 weeks of extra carbs, no cardio, and 6 weight workouts a week, I am up to 165 pounds @ 8% body fat.  That’s 10 pounds heavier than my contest weight the middle of Oct., but just 2% up on body fat.  I think it might be working.

I’m a veteran teacher of 33 years in the classroom.  The last few years I did it as a bodybuilder.  ShotNbeer (aka PaBuilder), you ask for help as an administrator in a school.  Yup, your situation is a little tougher than the classroom teacher, but don’t give up.  Make a plan and WORK YOUR PLAN.

Here’s what I’d do as a teacher.  Some of this may work for you.

Night before–pack insulated lunch bag with baggie of frozen brown rice, one of some veggie (beans, broccoli, etc.) and a grilled chicken breast.  I’d cook up a week’s worth of brown rice and freeze it in serving size bags.  I’d grill a week’s worth of chicken and freeze it too.  I’d boil several dozen eggs. peel them and put a serving (how many whites/yolks fit my nutrition requirements) in storage containers.
Fill a shaker bottle with a serving of protein powder and dry milk (for the carb) to fix as mid-morning snack

5:30 AM up, dress, mix shake to drink in car on the way to the gym.  Toast bread and grab fruit and hard boiled eggs to eat after the gym.
6:00-7:00 Workout
7:00-7:15 Shower and dress at gym
7:15-7:45 Drive on to school eating toast, fruit and eggs
8:15 start school
10:00 (or whenever a class break was) dash with shaker bottle to drinking fountain, shake up the shake and guzzle it as the kids were coming into class.  Some years I’d have a prep period mid-morning, so that was great, but the between-classes worked fine too.  The kids even asked about it and it gave me a chance to talk about good food choices.

12:30 lunch (or whenever lunch break was–some years my assigned lunch time was early, so I’d do prep stuff then and eat my lunch on my prep time later in the afternoon.  No matter what my schedule was that year, though, I was able to make it work by tweaking things like a half-shake mid-morning if my lunch was early and then finishing it mid-afternoon) microwave the thawed rice, chicken, and veggies (or whatever leftovers I had brought).

3:00 School out–head to the faculty room for a quick snack.  I took my own blender to leave on the counter.  I had a box on a shelf labled "Packham’s Pantry–Help yourself, but beware!, it’s healthy!"  In it I had jars of protein powder, powdered milk, oat flour (before I was diagnosed celiac), cans of green beans, corn, tuna fish, and dried fruit.  I’d blend up something quick with ice from the fridge, or if I was staying late I might have the tuna/beans/corn meal.

3:15 Back to the classroom to work with students, do prep, etc.

5:00 Head home where I’d have control over 2 more meals.

My success was only possible if I PLANNED AHEAD by fixing things over the weekend or on a night when I could cook.

Just put it a little higher on your priority.  A student can sit for five minutes while you drink a shake or gobble a chicken breast.  Let him/her sweat it out while you get the nutrition you need to keep you stable.

I’m a firm believer in the 6-meal-a-day nutrition plan, both for bulking and cutting.  I’ve been doing it day in and day out for nearly 8 years, so I KNOW it can fit in to any lifestyle.  I did it while I was teaching.  I did it while I was a technology consultant on the road a lot.  I do it on vacation.  And I do it now as a retiree.

The goal–keep the blood sugar/insulin level as straight-line as possible so that the body gets no spikes or valleys in its supply of nutrients.

My day looks like this:

7:00 Wake up (yes, that’s later than most of you working folks, but there are some perks to being retired.) Bathroom stop and then weigh in

7:10 Take morning meds (old folks tend to need more) and ISA-Test (iSatori’s T-booster)
7:30 Pre-workout shake–simple carb like grape juice and some whey protein plus BCAAs and glutamine–the amounts depend on whether I’m cutting or bulking

7:50 Workout

7:20 Mid-workout shake–more grape juice and whey protein, BCAAs and glutamine

8:50 Post workout creatine

9:15 Breakfast–protein and lots of high complex carb.  Again, amounts depend on cutting/bulking.  3 fish oil capsules
12:00 Lunch–complex carb, protein, good fat, veggies, 3 fish oil capsules
2:30-3:00 Shake–complex carb, protein, 3 fish oil capsules
5:30-6:00 Dinner–protein, good fat and a little carb

9:00-10:00 Snack–fat-free cottage cheese, fat-free/sugar-free plain yogurt, ground flax/nuts.

When I want to cut I shoot for 8-10 calories per pound of target body weight with a ratio of 50% protein, 20% fat, and 30% carb.

When I am bulking I shoot for 15-18 calories per pound of body weight with a ratio of 30% protein, 20% fat, and 50% carb.

All I can do is have faith that so many of you can’t be wrong!  Weight training every day, focusing mostly on just one major muscle each workout–I’ve never done done it.  I’ve always been a 3-split man with days off in between for cardio and abs.  But I’m putting it to the test.  So far, the extra carbs and no cardio have NOT increased my body fat, so there’s hope you’re all right.