Saturday, January 24, 2015

The beginning of a journey

So since distance running is out of the question for a while, working out as if I were preparing for marathons doesn't make much sense. That will only make sure that I don't run them for a while. But what I can do, is get shredded, put on some muscle and torch some flab. Keeping in line with my new year's resolution of getting at the atheltic 70 kg build with 6% body fat, I have cut down about 1.5 kgs to 84 so far this month and also brought down the fat % from 27 to 25. With about 11 more months to go, I have 14 more to go. What I also know from past experience, is that once you are lean, it becomes more difficult to shred, just like a mature economy can't grow at 20% pa. 

So instead of cutting down about 1.3kgs (=14/11) every month, I have set my aim at cutting 2/month for the next 3 months, and also bring down BF to 15, losing almost 3.5% a month. And then, i'll re-calibrate my efforts to reach a stage which might look similar to the guy in this video


He he, just kidding. This guy is a professional, and if want to be where he is, I'll need a complete overhaul in my lifestyle, besides some expert coaching. But as they say, aim for the moon, if you miss, you'll hit a star.


The next 6 weeks are going to be full of HIITs, with an occasional run thrown in on some days. A sample of it for the next 2 weeks looks like this.

10 x 10 Pushups
10 x 10 Quick Squats
10 x 10 Weight Swings (Barbell or a plate)
10 x 10 Lunge jumps ( 5 on each leg )
10 x 10 Dumbbell ab crunches
10 x 10 Burpees
10 x 10 Incline dumbbell swings
10 x 45s Plank
10 x 30s High Knees.

The above workout is based on the principle of German Volume Training (GVT) and a bit of experience I gained from my tenure at the Parkour community in Chennai. 10 quick reps, 10 sets with minimal rest in between. I've tried to reduce dependence on gym equipment, so that in case I am travelling, my workouts don't get disrupted. How often will I do these, a week? Well, it depends. I'll listen to my body. If it says enough, then that's it, I'll call it off. But if it smiles for more, then well, I might do it 10 times a week! I do realize, that nearing the end of the next 6 weeks, I might be doing these every single day and then some more, if not just doing them like 3 days a week now.

That is 40% of the picture. The other 60%, of course, is the diet. What do I eat? How often do I eat? After reading a lot of books, blogs, articles and papers, I've reached a fair conclusion, that I have to cut down carbohydrates, increase protein intake, and increase my fat intake as well. Very counter-intuitive, right? I know! The first time I read it, I thought it was nuts too! But well, research has proven it, and I simply plan on putting it to use. And more importantly, stay away from sweet stuff, like ice-creams, candies or anything with added sugar. So far, I've cut down sugar from my tea, avoided ice creams, and stayed away from chocolates. And from now on, I plan on preparing some of my meals myself, so as to be sure of what's going in.

It's a long road ahead, and I know that it's going to be an uphill journey. Everytime that I might feel like giving up on the routine or the idea of being fit, I will simply remind myself of how my life had changed when I had once lost 24kgs from being at 96 to a super lean 72.

I'll keep posting updates, meanwhile, I hope I am not imposing, if I want to know what you all are up to!
One last word, if you too have some goal this year, it'll surely help if you have a partner to train with you. I am lucky to have 2 partners with me.

Happy being-fit, folks!

Frustration Vent

It has been 7 months into my job. A wonderful wonderful company. I have everything that a person could ask for. And yet, here I am, feeling like I don't.

From the past few weeks, I've been facing severe bouts of crankiness. I tend to get really really aggressive, and in a Robing Hood sort of way. I see people misbehaving, littering, taking other people for granted and I feel like smashing their heads into pulp. I get angry, for no apparent reason and yet, for the state of every single thing around me. These are the times I really wish nobody came around me for their own sake. I feel like roaring onto the crowd to fire up every single mediocre ass into what he should be doing instead of benchwarming.

After some introspection, a few things seem to surface on the behemoth of this chaos. I feel that each one will probably take a post of it's own. I plan on venting them out, before I go nuts. Till then, I'll try finding a way to cool down. Deep breathe.