Body Sculpting – Week 42

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
2. Do full body workout before & after meals
3. Continually be on the lookout for a 20-lbs kettlebell
4. Replace white carbs with beans
5. Do myotatic crunch & cat vomit exercise 2X/week
6. Add the following routine before breakfast, 3X/week:

1 set: 20 2-legged glute activation raises from floor

1 set: 15 flying dogs, one set each side

1 set: 50 kettlebell swings (start with weight of no less than 20 lbs)

Well it’s been a bit of a juggle, making sure I add the following workouts to my normal exercise routine (chest & back day, abs day, legs day, just cardio/rest day):

• one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
• full body workout before & after meals
• myotatic crunch & cat vomit exercise 2X/week
• kettlebell routine before breakfast, 3X/week

I feel like I’ve been constantly checking and re-checking my food/fitness journal to make sure I’m doing the right workouts on the right days, hehe.

The workouts/actions I think will really produce 6-pack results though, are the following:

• full body workout before & after meals
• myotatic crunch & cat vomit exercise 2X/week
• kettlebell routine before breakfast, 3X/week

I left out the love handles workout because I think the other three workouts are more compound (whereas the love handles workouts would be isolation workouts); and, from what I’ve read, compound exercises produce better results than isolation exercises.  So, I’m going to cut those love handles workouts from my weekly routine.

I also think doing a full-body workout right before meals will really help produce a 6-pack, as the science behind it really makes sense – if you stimulate your muscles, the calories you ingest are channeled more towards your muscles, so says Timothy Ferriss from The 4 Hour Body.

When I’m at home, and not at the boyfriend’s house, I do pretty well about replacing carbs with beans & legumes, since food is included in the rent.  So far, it’s been great, because I feel full and not as heavy.  I applied for food stamps yesterday, so I’m planning on using that money to buy beans, legumes, and spinach for when I’m at the boyfriend’s house, among other food.

Next week:

1. Do full body workout before & after meals
2. Continually be on the lookout for a 20-lbs kettlebell
3. Replace white carbs with beans
4. Do myotatic crunch & cat vomit exercise 2X/week
5. Add the following routine before breakfast, 3X/week:

1 set: 20 2-legged glute activation raises from floor

1 set: 15 flying dogs, one set each side

1 set: 50 kettlebell swings (start with weight of no less than 20 lbs)

Body Sculpting – Week 41

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Read more of “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
3. Do full body workout before & after meals

Well I think I’ve read all desired sections of “The 4-Hour Body”, which basically includes the following:

• how to maximize weight loss/muscle gain
• how to improve quality of sleep

There’s a lot of information to process, and some of it is a bit unorthodox (i.e., no fruit in his prescribed, “The Slow-Carb Diet”, a plethora of supplements).  But Ferriss does a great job at reassuring the reader that, yes, some of these tips/ideas may sound bizarre, but Ferriss follows up with supporting evidence and explanations (lots of in-depth explanations for those who really want to know the science behind his gospel).

Here are the most useful tips I gleaned from “The 4-Hour Body”:

• Doing full body strength training exercises (pullup, pushup, air squat) right before eating (to better channel calories to muscle instead of fat) and about 90 minutes after eating
• Replacing white carbs (bread, rice, pasta) with beans
• One binge day per week (to offset metabolism)
• Kettlebell swing (for fat loss/muscle gain)
• Myotatic crunch (for more defined abs) 2X/ week
• Cat vomit exercise (for more defined abs) 2X/week
• Philips goLITE (for better quality sleep)
• Nightwave Pulse Light (for better quality sleep)
• Before breakfast, 3X/week:

1 set: 20 2-legged glute activation raises from floor

1 set: 15 flying dogs, one set each side

1 set: 50 kettlebell swings (start with weight of no less than 20 lbs)

Below, I’ll go into more detail on each of the above areas:

I have already replaced a lot of my carbs with beans, and they have proven to fill me up very sufficiently.  I probably need more fiber & protein in my diet anyways, so I’ll most likely stick with this change to my diet.

Remembering to exercise BEFORE eating has proven to be tricky, as I’m usually raring to eat before every meal.  But like any habit, it just takes practice, and I’m getting better at remembering every day.  Like I said in a previous post, I think this habit will coincide nicely with my goal of doing a full-body exercise once a day.  I had been wondering how to break up the reps throughout the day, and this book gave me a pretty great suggestion.

Binge day sounds like an awesome idea, though I still do eat some carbs throughout the week, so I probably won’t go overboard on carbs on binge days.  But the concept of offsetting your metabolism sounds fairly logical, so I will toy around with this.

I’ve been wanting to get a kettlebell for a while now, so this book just strengthened my resolve to get one.  However, I never would’ve started out with a 20-lbs kettlebell, so I’m glad this book recommended I get a 20-lbs one.

I’m excited to start doing those two ab exercises (myotatic crunch & cat vomit), as I can’t tell you how frustrating it has been to see that extra bit of tummy fat everyday.

I had thought about using the Philips goLITE, or some variation of a light therapy appliance, but again, Ferriss’s explanations just strengthened my desire to actually buy one.  Along with the Nightwave Pulse Light, I’m excited to start falling asleep and waking up easily, and feeling refreshed.

And I’m glad I decided to write a post today, because I nearly forgot about doing one of those love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform, hehe.  I will do that in about an hour, after I have digested my dinner.

Next week:

1. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
2. Do full body workout before & after meals
3. Continually be on the lookout for a 20-lbs kettlebell
4. Replace white carbs with beans
5. Do myotatic crunch & cat vomit exercise 2X/week
6. Add the following routine before breakfast, 3X/week:

1 set: 20 2-legged glute activation raises from floor

1 set: 15 flying dogs, one set each side

1 set: 50 kettlebell swings (start with weight of no less than 20 lbs)

By July, I will have six-pack abs!!!

 

Body Sculpting – Week 40

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Read more of “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
3. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
4. Keep doing one full body workout everyday; make it a habit

Been reading more of “The 4-Hour Body” and it’s been great but overwhelming at the same time.  The author, Ferriss, has some conflicting advice about weight loss/muscle building with that of the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”.  Namely, that you only need to eat 4 meals per day, and that Ferriss promotes this diet where most carbs are replaced with legumes.  So, I’m a little torn about which advice to follow.  One piece of advice that I know I WILL try, is where Ferriss recommends doing some sort of strength training exercise immediately BEFORE eating, and then 1 hour AFTER eating.

Also, in Ferriss’s diet, he advises having one binge day a week, in order to offset/charge your metabolism.  This sounds pretty logical and fun, so I’m experimenting with that.

I made a new commitment:

By July, I will have a six-pack

Hold me to it, everyone!

I have not been doing any of the love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout.  I keep forgetting.  So I will do it this week.

I have been getting better at doing one full body workout.  In fact, I’m going to do it before and after eating, like Ferriss advises.  I worry that if I’m not fatiguing my muscles, I’m not building them.  So I’ll just make sure to fatigue them before and after eating.

Next week:

1. Read more of “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
3. Do full body workout before & after meals

Body Sculpting – Week 39

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Read “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform every other day
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
5. Continue experimenting with doing different full body workouts

I know this post is a bit early, but I’ve actually been trying to get back to posting on Sundays or Mondays, so it’s more consistent with a standard week.

Started reading “The 4-Hour Body” and it’s very well-written and entertaining.  The author, Tim Ferriss, writes in a very rapid-fire, concise manner and is definitely very engaging.  So far, one of the biggest hooks he has introduced is that of the Minimum Effective Dose (MED).  For example, “To boil water, the MED is 212 degrees F.  Higher temperatures will not make it ‘more boiled’.  Higher temperatures just consume more resources that could be used for something else more productive.”

Along these lines, Ferriss claims that his book is chock-full of such MEDs for different areas of health & exercise.  Exciting, but the too-good-to-be-true voice whispers in the back of my mind.  I’m excited to learn more about it, regardless.

Keep forgetting to read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”.  I think I’ll be devoting more time to reading “The 4-Hour Body” since I have to return it to the library soon.

Well, I did one of the love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform the other day, and my obliques were still burning two days afterwards.  So I might not be able to do these love handles workouts every other day; perhaps I’ll just do them 2-3 days after my normal ab workout, so I don’t overwork my core.  But it felt good to feel that burn on my obliques!  6-pack, here I come!

Been running out of steam about eating five meals a day, but turns out “The 4-Hour Body” also promotes this lifestyle, so I’m thinking I should revisit this possibility and see what I can do to make it work, if only for a week.  I think this will definitely be an easier transition once I have more money and can afford to buy an adequate amount of complex carbs & proteins.

Been experimenting with doing different full body workouts everyday, and so far, my body is fairly exhausted after doing my normal morning cardio + strength training, and just one full body workout later in the day.  So I think I’ll just stick to that routine.

Next week:

1. Read more of “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform 2-3 days after core workout
3. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
4. Keep doing one full body workout everyday; make it a habit

Body Sculpting – Week 38

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Read “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Try out and monitor results of different workouts from Kozak Sports Perform
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
5. Continue experimenting with doing different full body workouts

Well it’s been 3 months since I posted any pics of my progress (or lack thereof), so here they are:

7/25/2011

8/23/2011

9/28/2011

11/8/2011

1/12/2012

4/25/2012

Damn.  Looking at all these photos, I don’t see any major progress.  ARGH!  So frustrating!  Though I don’t want to get frustrated, since I know that doesn’t help anything.  But at the same time, I find it difficult not to be a bit disappointed.  I thought adding strength training to my routine would help produce noticeable results, but not so.  At least, not yet.  Sigh.

Read just a bit of “The 4-Hour Body”, but wanted to finish reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which I did!  Hoorah!  Very good book.  I highly recommend it.

Chipping away at reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”.  I’m finding that I forget to read it since it’s an ebook.

So far, I’ve only been trying out the “The Ultimate 10 Minute Cardio Workout At Home” from Kozak Sports Perform, though I’ve been eager to try the following workouts:

“Amazing Spiderman Workout”.

“How to Lose Your Love Handles Workout”

“Get Rid of Love Handles Workout”

I feel like if I can just melt away these love handles and excess tummy fat, my six-pack will be visible.  But I’m not sure if I should focus more on strength training or on workouts specifically targeted for getting rid of love handles.  So here’s what I’ll do – Do one of the above love handles workouts once every other day, while still doing my strength training.

Blah.  This 5 meals per day thing is really difficult to manage, especially since I can’t afford to buy all the food I need to constantly be eating the recommended protein & complex carbs prescribed by the author of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”.  Plus, it’s hard to keep to this diet when I’m at my boyfriend’s place.

So far, I’ve only managed to do one of John Stifferman’s strength training workouts every day.  I’ve mostly been doing pullups, dips, and deadlifts.

Next week:

1. Read “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Do one of two love handles workouts from Kozak Sports Perform every other day
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
5. Continue experimenting with doing different full body workouts

Body Sculpting – Week 37

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Read half of “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Try out and monitor results of different workouts from Kozak Sports Perform
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day

Haven’t been able to read any of “The 4-Hour Body”, since I’m still trying to get through The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

Haven’t read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”, so will do that today.

Was at my boyfriend’s house the majority of last week, so I didn’t do the “The Ultimate 10 Minute Cardio Workout At Home”, since that involves dumbbells.  I have, however, been experimenting with doing one of John Sifferman’s 5 workouts for strength training.  So far I’ve done the Pyramid Workout and 100 Reps in as Little Time as Possible Workout for dips, handstand pushups, and pullups.  Today I’ll do one of Sifferman’s 5 workouts for planks with leg lifts; probably the Personal Record Workout.

Next week:

1. Read “The 4-Hour Body”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Try out and monitor results of different workouts from Kozak Sports Perform
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day
5. Continue experimenting with doing different full body workouts

Body Sculpting – Week 36

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Look into doing another physical challenge
2. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

Well, I do not do very well at eating 5 small meals when I’m at my boyfriend’s house on the weekends.  I think this is because I feel like I’m not spending quality time with him (meal time = social time), so I end up just going back to eating 3 large meals per day.  But, I do really well at eating 5 small meals when I’m at home!  Along the same lines, I think this is because I’m usually alone when I eat the majority of my meals.  Hmm, what’s the solution?  I think I’m going to bring a container of cooked steel-cut oatmeal with me to my boyfriend’s house this weekend, so I can at least eat a hearty breakfast and maintain some part of my regular meals.

I looked into other workouts and found this great YouTube page: Kozak Sports Perform.  I found this specific HIIT workout which I really enjoyed doing two days in a row now: “The Ultimate 10 Minute Cardio Workout At Home”.  They have some other really great workouts that I’m looking forward to trying out.  Two things I really love about their vids:

1. Their sporadic motivational phrases (“The exhaustion is all in your mind!”, “Remember your motivator!”, “Think of how happy you’ll be once you have a 6-pack!”)
2. The dubstep music – it really hypes me up

I’m also going to do 2-3 full body workouts throughout the day.  When I had a job, I would do 3 sets of a full body workout during breaks (i.e., handstand pushups, pushups, dips, lunges, planks, etc), on average 3 times during the day.  But after reading John Sifferman’s blog post about “My Top 5 Favorite Pullup & Chinup Workouts”, I’m going to use the same 5 workouts for different full body exercises, to see if that will produce better results (more muscle, faster weight loss).

Here is a list of some full body exercises I can do:

• Pushups
• Handstand pushups
• Dips
• Planks w/leg raises
• Pullups
• Deadlifts (if I have the barbell or free weights)
• Lunges
• Burpees
• Leg lifts
• Air jacks
• Lunge + curl w/dumbbells
• Bent over rows
• Dumbbell posterior swing

If you guys can think of other full body exercises that you enjoy, please share!

I haven’t read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”, but I DID check out the book “The 4-Hour Body”, by Timothy Ferriss, thanks to Noel’s recommendation; thanks, Noel!

I’m a little skeptical of this book, since Ferriss’s other famous book, “The 4-Hour Work Week”, received mixed reviews.  But glean as much as you can from anything, I say, so I’ll skim through it and glean as much as I can.  It’s a pretty big book though, so we’ll see how fast I can skim it!

Next week:

1. Read half of “The 4-Hour Work Week”
2. Read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Try out and monitor results of different workouts from Kozak Sports Perform
4. Continue experimenting with 5 small meals per day

 

 

Body Sculpting – Week 35

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
2. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

Woo-hoo!  Been reading more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”!  Current thing I’m learning is that eating 5 small meals throughout the day doesn’t have much of a fat-burning effect, unless each meal consists of the following:

• Lean protein
• Complex carbohydrate

Good to know.  I’ve been including almonds in my morning/afternoon meals, to ensure I at least am eating protein.

I’ve been entertaining the idea of starting a new physical challenge, like the “How to Rapidly Increase Your Pullup Numbers in 3 months or Less“. Will look into that this week.

Next week:

1. Look into doing another physical challenge
2. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
3. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

 

Body Sculpting – Week 34

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
2. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

Well I haven’t read more of “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”, but I DO have excuses!

I got a temp job last Tuesday, so I’ve been really busy and haven’t had a lot of time.  Though I don’t want to make excuses for myself.  I swear I will read and finish this ebook by the end of April; this has taken too long.

Been adjusting more to eating 5 small-portioned meals everyday.  It helps having a full-time job with scheduled breaks (though I don’t like being constricted like that otherwise).  Like I said earlier, I realized that I enjoy eating large dinners, so I’ve been eating less for my 3 lunch meals to balance that out.  So far I feel pretty good about it, though at times I still get frustrated at the slow progress.

I definitely have more definition in my core, which I attribute to my spaced out meals and new exercise routine (where I work different muscle groups on different days).

Next week:

1. Continue reading “Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle”
2. Eat at least 5 small-portioned meals everyday

Web of Goals

Little experiment which could greatly benefit everyone involved – Why don’t we tell each other our goals?  I’m not just talking about New Year Resolutions; what are our goals for the month?  The year?  The next 5 years?  Our life, in general?

The more people we tell about our goals, it makes sense that we create more resources/possibilities with which to achieve our goals (this could be labeled “networking”, but this little thing I’m going to start is much more proactive, I feel).

So let’s help each other out; even if we can’t help each other make progress on or achieve a specific goal, won’t we have a more enriched friendship from knowing our deepest goals and desires?

So I’ll start this thing – I’ll list my  top 5 goals, and the background or specs about the goal.  This could be your reasons for wanting this goal, and how this desire was born in the first place.  The reason for doing so is because I’ve found that it’s much more inspiring to know where a person is coming from and the reasons why they want something, as opposed to them simply stating their goal out of the blue.  Then your turn.

Goal 1) To have an awesome writing job(s) by March 22nd, where I work part-time and make $3,000+ per month

Background: I love to write.  I love money.  I love having a flexible schedule where I only work part-time, so that I can dedicate my time to other hobbies in life, and thus enrich more facets of my life.  For example: traveling, learning languages, modeling, graphic design, watching & reviewing film, playing video games, spending quality time with friends & family, reading, doing sporadic things.  I would love to write about those topics.  I know this is a possible goal, because I’ve talked with successful writers with the same situation (even better in some cases).

Goal 2) To have a monthly income of $10,000 by February 2013

Background: All my life, I’ve been poor.  The word “poor” is different for everyone, and I know tons of people can say they have been way more poor than me, but for me, I’ve always felt limited in life because of my limited finances.  My immigrant parents worked hard to ensure we had enough food and went to good schools, but money was always tight and I could see it on their faces and feel it in their energy constantly.  So I’m just sick of being limited by money. I want to be making $10,000 per month so I can buy my parents a house and ensure they don’t have to work another day in their lives unless they want to; I want to be able to buy things I want and do things I want anytime without having to check my bank account; I want to help others achieve financial abundance by donating to and setting up charities with which I align – LGBT/equal rights, children in developing countries, green energy, teaching languages & foreign culture in school, organic food, and much more.

Goal 3) To have a slim, toned body with a six-pack and V-cut stomach

Background: I was a butterball when I was a kid – I had moobs.  But one day I made a goal of being slim, and I’ve been committed to that goal ever since.  It’s been a road full of trial & error, frustration, and achievement, and I’ve come so far.  Each time I reach a physical goal, I create another, higher one.  Now my goal is to have a slim, toned body, because I find that sexy and graceful.  Plus, as a part-time model, I want to use my whole body to express and invoke a whole range of emotions in my photography.  Plus, I want to feel sexy.

Goal 4) To visit family in Ireland this summer with sister and mom.

Background: My dad’s family is in Japan, my mom’s in Ireland.  I want to have an enriched, deep connection to my Japanese & Irish relatives.  My family and I didn’t go last year because we didn’t have enough money, but I don’t want that to ever be a limiting factor again.  I want to visit my relatives in Japan and Ireland every year, at least once.  And I would like my younger sister, mother, and brother and his wife to join me, as I feel this will only enrich and strengthen our family bonds.

Plus, with so many of my Irish relatives popping out children, I feel a big sense of urgency to get to know and bond with these new family members.

Goal 5) To be living with Dustin in a place we both love by February 2013

Background: I want to live with Dustin because we make each other very happy and we love each other.  We want to see each other everyday, so we can make each other smile, laugh, support each other, and finally have a place of our own.

Now your turn!  What are your top 5 goals?  I want to know.  We, your friends, want to know.  Heck, even people you don’t know want to know your goals!  Let’s help each other.