Don’t Have a Keg…

On the surface my weigh in this week looks great, I seem to have lost 5 lbs! But the truth is that most of that is probably "water weight" as for a couple reasons I’ve not really been eating this week. One, work is tough right now - in at 8:00 am home by 9:00 pm - but it always is this time of year and I’ve been lucky to get dinner in let alone lunch and my other two scheduled snacks. Also, the workout is non-existent as well. I know there are those who say just get up earlier and get the workout in but I find if I don’t get 7-8 hours of sleep I just end up totally crashing in a couple days. And, almost predictably, because I am pushing so hard right now (stress, etc) my Crohn’s has kicked in so even when I eat it’s in small amounts.

So, I expect a couple pounds at least to come back on as I get back on a regular eating schedule. Just one more week and my schedule should get back to normal after we get all the students moved in.

So, a blog or two ago I was complaining that I suddenly seemed weaker and wasn’t able to bench what I expected. Then I got a comment from another bodyspacer (shout out to Woulduwithme!) who said I shouldn’t feel to bad, after all I’m still probably in the upper percentile of men aged 48 who can bench 250 for reps. Well, naturally, I had to go and find out if that’s true. So, I was off to the internet…

The truth, as best as I can figure from my research, is actually somewhat surprising for me. When asking "how much can the average man bench" the short answer turns out to be no one really knows because the average man doesn’t do bench presses. This is hard to believe on Monday’s at the gym of course when it seems that every guy in town is waiting for a bench, but I’m sure it’s true. So, from the few studies that have been done I’ve found that among those men who do bench press the stats look something like this:

Pounds the average 175-pound man (aka : average weight, average height is 5′9 1/2) can bench press at one time:

Age: 20-29 - 180 lbs

Age: 30-39  - 158 lbs

Age: 40-49 - 143 lbs

Age: 50-59  - 128 lbs

Age: 60-69 - 116 lbs 

Note: taking an average from this gives the result that the average male, ages between 20 and 69 can bench press 145 lbs.

So, from the above I am way above average ranges, not only for my age group but for all age groups! Of course I’m above average height (in North America at least) and well above average weight as well. But, even at my weight, the fact that I can bench press more than I weigh - by about 40 lbs based on my current max bench - also puts me well above the average man who cannot bench his own bodyweight. Of course, at least one article I read said that to be considered strong a man should be able to bench 1.5 times his body weight. In my case that means I need to get my bench back up to 345 lbs - in which case I should just go for my old max of 350 lbs. Or, I suppose, better yet, get my weight down to 200 lbs and then I only need to get back to a 300 lb max!

Sounds like a new goal for the fall to me. Onward!

Odd readings this morning. My weight is up slightly, but I’m used to that on occasion, but my bodyfat % is way up! I know that the bodyfat reading isn’t accurate, but generally I can use it to track if my bf is increasing or decreasing. But to jump from 21% to nearly 25% in a week (and I took several readings to be sure)? I wish I knew what would cause this - there’s just no way that my body comp changed that dramatically in a week. As Alice observed it’s "curisouser and curiouser."

Last bench workout - great.

Tonight’s bench workout - not so great.

After moving back up to some heavy weights on Monday, I could barely get 240 up today and failed pretty much entirely at 250. My training partner continues to gain ahead of schedule however. Ah well, focus on my accomplishments and not his…

I only have three workouts left with this routine. I may move back a weight so I can finish strong and complete the prescribed lifts at least.

Funny the difference a day or two can make. And I felt real good going into the workout tonight, too. Oh well, tomorrow is another day…

Last night’s workout went great - back to 270 lbs on the bench and I can feel 300 + just around the corner - okay within two months or so. Feels good to be lifting heavy again though I’m having some trouble refocusing on my diet. I’ll get there though.

No significant change in weight or bodyfat, etc. But that’s not surprising as I didn’t do a good job of hitting the gym this week and due to work issues it will be a struggle for the next three weeks or so. I think I’ll be concentrating on keeping my diet in check and cardio for a few weeks just to see if I can jump start my weight loss again. Though I’ve lost about 10 lbs over the course of the year, I really need to lose more. Of course, I’m really more interested in losing bodyfat than weight per se.

Because I am in a great mood and my family is tired of listening to me babble on. I’m in a good mood because I feel pretty good today. My gut has been bothering me on and off all week - to the point of causing me to lose sleep twice, which makes me cranky in the morning - I think my Crohn’s has been active due to stress, from work, and from a change in the weather (ayep, there’s a storm a comin’). Weight is staying good this week, I’m resisting the urge to splurge on food though my stomach feels good, maybe I’ll compensate with a little extra time on the bike tonight.

That’s all - looking forward to some good lifting tomorrow and over the weekend!

Haven’t had much time at all to blog this week, partly because I’m catching up at work and partly because I wasn’t feeling well earlier this week - jet lag is mostly to blame I think. But, I did get two training sessions in, though one was without my training partner as he and his family are off on vacation now. The bench program is still on track - but without my training partner I have continue my break. But, our workout this week demonstrated that neither of us lost strength while I was on vacation and, in fact, we have actually gotten stronger! Interestingly enough my partner’s strength still increased more than mine, while he was claiming not to have worked out for the two weeks I was gone. If that’s true the rest certainly did him some good - as did my period of what I would call "active" rest. Though I wasn’t doing the specific training I was used to I certainly did a lot of other activities of a different nature.

Results from my weigh in are for the most part still encouraging. My weight continues to move downward, though at a snails pace. I expect to see better results as I readjust to normal life and get my diet back on track. Most measurements are within what I would call normal variances - so no significant growth but no significant "shrinkage" either (and none of us want shrinkage, right guys? Haha).

Today’s training will consist mostly of overdue yardwork and housework! Until next time - take care everyone.

I’m home again and it appears that I actually lost a little weight and bodyfat on my trip. Not bad for a vacation. I haven’t checked my other stats as I’m just too darn tired from jet lag and going back to bed!

Tried yet another new activty today while finishing up my vacation in Hawaii - SNUBA. What’s SNUBA you say? Well it’s a combination of snorkeling and SCUBA. You don’t require any certification and don’t go as deep as with SCUBA, but you have an air supply (which floats on the surface) so you can go down as far as 25 feet which, of course, is superior to snorkeling where you are pretty much limited to the surface. Anyway, great fun and if you are ever on the "big Island" I have to recommend taking a SNUBA session with Big Island Watersports - my instructor/guide was Bula and did an excellent job with our group. He also has an album coming out next month under his name. In addition to being a surfer/diver - and my guess is part-time bodybuilder from his physique and how quickly he was able to guide me to the nearest gym (no fitness center in my current hotel) - he’s a rythm and blues artist. Seems that everyone I’ve met here in the islands does one thing, but really wants to do something else. Not too much different from back home, but, I digress…

Anyway, cardio is going well due to the hiking I’ve been doing. Lifting is behind and I need to catch up today and/or tomorrow. Depending on how tired I am from the swim today - but I’m itching to get back into an actual gym so I think I’ll be making a trek down the block to see if I can find the one that Bula recommended.

By the way, I also need to work on my tan a little. I’m noticing that the tan I’ve gotten really is making my muscles stand out more - cool!