7/11/21
I suggest you read the JM Blakeley articles on weight gain and weight loss.
But first something said to me on the pf gym floor :
“You powerlift?”
“No. I go to planet fitness.”
We’re at pf of course, the kid saying it a short muscular and lean (a very good build) 18yo, and his buddy a short burly had played football lineman 19yo with a massive neck.
(Both were very well built, especially factoring in their age.)
My buddy said some compliment about me being big after the initial exchange, and I had a good conversation with the two aforementioned.
Talking about “man strength” and how one naturally gets leaner, a more quality build at the same bodyweight as they age assuming they trained consistently during that time.
Earlier in the session between sets of seated row my buddy and I talked food some.
I’ve been living on microwaveable chicken. He said he had some chicken last night, which is strange for him – he eats mostly vegetarian.
It clicked right then for me how he struggles to get in 3000 calories.
At 5’10” and a lean 200lbs he rarely eats meat, I’d guess vegetarian five days a week.
A quart of milk and two scoops of whey powder isn’t going to up his vegetarian calories enough.
What he needs is some bacon cheeseburgers and frozen pizzas.
I’ve noticed that my fasting at work through the day, then before gym/after work meal (optional), and my daily nighttime meal is coming out to a similar calorie level.
Of course I’m losing weight – 3000 calories isn’t high with a highly physical job, and a staunch refusal to not go to the gym daily.
I train every day.
It’s pf, so it’s volume, even if I’m doing my lazy sets of 7 on the seated row.
I realized that right now I perform better with higher calories.
So I upped calories by supplementing this with my late meal…
J.M. Blakeley talks of Hershey’s bars.
Me?
I use twix, dutch apple pie, or donuts depending on the craving.
Since taking care of my grandma a few years ago I’ve been grocery shopping daily or nearly so.
I buy what I crave for a day or two at a time.
Right now it’s the laziest of healthy meals.
Microwaveable chicken (I found some that is 100% meat with zero soy/tvp added), recently I discovered ready rice/90 second rice, and have been putting off making bacon by buying decent amounts of the precooked kind that costs something silly like 6x as much.
Chicken sandwiches or just on the plate depending on how lazy I’m being and/or how badly I feel I should take in some good good saturated fat/butter which is always slathered on the bread.
I do wonder what true meal prep, making the time, putting in the effort (it’s not), would do for me.
Right now my eating is fairly low calorie and clean minus the recently added candy calorie upper.
I felt and to myself looked flat.
That’s why the candy addition.
Upping the calories I’m stronger again.
I say up the physical effort to counteract any overeating.
I actually have trained arms.
I added in regular leg work.
Putting my philosophies into play.
I looked at what the job is, realized arm specialization wouldn’t have any downside, and realized it was time to squat – even if that’s in the smith machine…
Persistence & Tenacity