Day #21 - Week 3 Evaluation

Matt's Evaluation Week 3:

Weight: 190.2 lbs (same as last week)
Body fat%: 10.33%
Body fat lbs: 19.65 lbs
Lean lbs: 170.55 lbs
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 5, Abdominal - 16, Tricep - 9, Subscapular - 11 (up 1mm), Suprailiac - 8 (down 1mm), Midaxillary - 8 (down 1mm)
Circumference measurements (inches): Bicep - 14.5, Flexed Bicep - 15.75 (down .25 inches), Chest - 41 (down .75), Waist - 35.5, Calf - 15.25, Thigh - 23.5 (up .25 inches)
*Note: Waist measurement is around the broadest part of my waist; right below the belly button where I carry all of my fat. It is my goal to reduce this measurement significantly. 

Relaxed Pose

Relaxed Side Pose 

Flexed Pose

Analysis:
Trend continues to be slow but positive. This week I began to notice some increasingly visible vascularity right over my hip bone, just below my waist line. My suprailiac measurement decreased slightly, which is consistent with what I've seen. My pinch in the subscapular went up 1mm, but it could be measurement error. I'm trying to be as honest with the numbers as possible, so if it goes up, that is what we use. The only measurement I feel is way off is the chest, but it is possible that because I'm sick (caught a little cold), my lung capacity is reduced. I would expect this measurement to go back up next week. Overall, a decent eval considering I haven't done that great on food this week. One week to go to see if I can reach my initial goal of 10% in 4 weeks.

Leigh's Evaluation Week 3:

Weight: 119.6 lbs (up .2 from last week)
Body fat%: 24.45% (up .3% from last week)
Body fat lbs: 29.24 lbs (up .41 lbs from last week)
Lean lbs: 90.36 lbs (down .21 lbs from last week)
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 11 (down 1mm), Abdominal - 26 (up 2mm), Tricep - 20 (up 2mm), Subscapular - 14 (down 1mm), Suprailiac - 16, Midaxillary - 19
Circumference measurements (inches): Bicep - 10.5, Hip - 37, Waist - 31 (up .25 inches), Calf - 13, Thigh - 20

No photos again this week. Leigh is sick, feeling a lot worse than me, so she didn't want to take photos. We'll get them next week.


Analysis:
This eval makes a little more sense to me. I think the measurements were a little off last week and this week is more of a correction. Also, Leigh is dealing with female issues this week, so she feels a little "bloated." I still think she'll lose a few pounds and be down closer to 117 on her next eval. 

Today's Workout:

I've got a little cold today, so I debated even working out. As I expected, I was a little weaker than last week. I don't think I'm losing any strength, just under the weather slightly. anyway, instead of going into all of it, I was only able to get 10 reps of 100lbs on the first set. I've been getting 11, and almost 12. Aside from that I wasn't off by much.

Scripture for the Day:

Proverbs 13:18 - "Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored."




At church today (Journey Church in Millbrook), the message today was about how taking just a little bit of time each day to do something worthwhile has a cumulative effect. This is an investment in something important. At the same time, avoiding the things we should pay attention to has a cumulative effect. This concept applies to your spiritual walk, finances, exercise, relationships...you name it. We should be disciplined to invest time each day in things of importance. What is one area you can invest in each day?

Day #20

Not really sure if I can even count today as a fasting day. I broke the fast this morning at about 10:45am to get some food in before the wedding we had to shoot. Lunch was pretty healthy, but then it went downhill at the wedding. As far as the junk food goes, I probably ate 5 cookies, some cake, a fried chicken finger, some fatty sausage. For dinner I cleaned it up a bit. I'm eating 2 chargrilled sandwiches from Chick-fil-a, but I did decide to treat myself to an icedream. I will finish things off with a Casein protein shake, but probably won't get done eating that until 10:15-10:20pm...way past my 8pm window! At least I worked out today, and walked around for 9 hours at the wedding. Chances are I am still calorie neutral...maybe even had a slight calorie deficit.

Today was leg day, and I ended up having a pretty decent workout. When I woke up this morning, I wasn't sure if I was even going to be doing squats today because my back was a little sore from the deadlifts I did yesterday. I initially started off thinking I was going to go lighter, but ended up being able to lift more than I expected.

Squats:
235lbs - 8 reps
275lbs - 8 reps
315lbs - 6 reps
325lbs - 3 reps

Front Squats:
145lbs - 8 reps
155lbs - 8 reps
165lbs - 6 reps
185lbs - 4 reps

Front Standing Overhead Shoulder Press:
95lbs - 8 reps
115lbs - 7 reps
125lbs - 5 reps

Barbell Shrugs:
275lbs - reps not tracked. Did 3 sets

Scripture for the day:

Philippians 2:5-8
“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Day #19

After leading Boot Camp this morning, I got in a quick back workout at the Heritage gym. Unfortunately, I only have about 30 minutes to get in a workout, and I don't move particularly quick when I'm working out at Heritage, so I only got 3 things in. Here is what I did this morning:

Wide Grip Pull Ups:
Body weight + 25lbs - 10 reps
Body weight + 25lbs - 8 reps
Body weight + 25lbs - 7 reps

Heavy Lawnmower Dumbbell Bench Row (one arm at a time)
90lbs - 12 reps
90lbs - 12 reps
90lbs - 10 reps 

Deadlifts:
135lbs - 8 reps (warm up)
247lbs - 8 reps
315lbs - 6 reps
337lbs - 4 reps


I was pumped after doing the deadlifts this morning. Feels awesome to be lifting heavier weight and not being afraid of it. 337lbs is the most I've ever lifted, and got it 4 times. On Monday I'll lift again. Going to try for 350 plus. I never thought I would enjoy deadlifts. Crazy.


If I still continue to see positive trends with body comp measurements, then it will be hard to convince me that Intermittent Fasting is not all it's cracked up to be. I haven't been eating nearly as clean as I should. I have had at least 1 really bad meal every week since I started, and I'm still finishing off all that frozen yogurt we have left over from the Boot Camp celebration party...so I pretty much eat a bowl every evening. I could be eating so much better...so if I'm still dropping body fat % with that in the mix...I'll be pretty impressed. Tomorrow we are shooting our final wedding as Nexis Photography. We have to be at their venue at 12, so I'll break the fast early tomorrow and eat around 10:30 or 11am. Flexibility with this program is important for adherence, and an hour or two here or there on occasion isn't going to hurt anything.

Scripture for the day:

Ephesians 4:32 - Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.


Colossians 3:13-14 - Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Day #18

Had a decent, although very short chest/triceps workout today. I haven’t done a real bench press in probably going on a year and a half. The gym I workout at has dumbbells, but no flat bench…and to be honest I think dumbbells are a better anyway because of the additional stabilization required. It also requires proper proportion in both sides of your body, whereas a barbell bench press can allow you to compensate for a weakness on one side. However, the gym at Heritage (where we do our Boot Camp) only has dumbbells up to 75lbs…so I needed something heavier. After not doing a bench press in so long, I figured it would feel different and be a challenge…but I still expected to be able to lift more than I did. Oh well…as long as I’m not losing strength on my dumbbells I can deal with having to build up on the bench again. Here is what I did today:

Bench Press:

135lbs – 8 reps (warm up)

185lbs – 10 reps

225lbs – 4 reps

207lbs – 8 reps

Incline Dumbbell Press:

75lbs – 10 reps

75lbs – 10 reps

75lbs – 8 reps

75lbs – 8 reps

Dips:

Body weight + 45lbs – 12 reps

Body weight + 45lbs – 10 reps

Body weight + 45lbs – 10 reps

Body weight + 45lbs – 8 reps

I took 10g BCAAs before the workout, and 10mg Yohimbine immediately after, then I followed my regular schedule until I ate at lunch.

Salvation…can it be lost?

I know that this is a subject that many Christians may disagree on, but my brother Steve and I had a good conversation about it this morning so it has been on my mind. The conversation came about because a friend of Steve’s believes that salvation can be lost, and he laid out his case (in a loving way) to his friend on why he believes in “once saved, always saved.” I think the scripture is clear on this issue, but anecdotal experience may have convinced some believers otherwise. What I mean by this is they see a person who professes salvation, but yet at some time later “falls away” and either never, or no longer demonstrates the Love of Christ and the fruit of the Spirit. It might appear that this person has “lost” their salvation. I disagree with this assertion, primarily based upon scripture. Here are just a few verses, and some of my comments.

Ephesians 4:32 “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  Paul speaking to other believers said that they were sealed (already done) for the day of redemption (eternal life) by the Holy Spirit of God. This sounds like a guarantee if there ever was one.

John 10: 27-29 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” Notice that Jesus says “I give” present tense, not “I will give” them eternal life. They already have it. Also note how no one can snatch them out of His Father’s hand. Could our salvation ever be in a more secure place?

I think another big problem is that we have a natural ego-centric view of the world. We always feel like we need to do, or we can do something. This is the hang up many people have with salvation…they feel like they have to “do” something to merit it. Scripture is very clear that the work necessary to pay for my and your salvation has already been accomplished. We couldn’t do a thing to earn our salvation, what makes us think we can somehow do something to lose it?

I would submit that those who have “walked away from the faith” either 1) Were never truly saved in the first place. They may have made a false profession, or may not have truly put their faith and trust in Christ. 2) Are indeed saved, but are living in rebellion and disobedience. If this is the case, they will have grieved the Holy Spirit (see Ephesians 4:32 above) and will likely have conflict in their heart over the decisions they are making.

So what is the take away from all of this? If you have put your faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and have accepted Him into your heart as your Savior, and your Lord…then your salvation is secure. That my friends is freedom and assurance. Praise the Lord!

Day #17

New Vascularity!

I noticed some increased vascularity right over my hip bone that I know I didn’t have before. That tells me I’ve reduced body fat in that area and my veins are becoming more visible. Another thing that could be due to is the Yohimbine, which is supposed to help increase blood circulation around the stomach and can help mobilize fat from that area. It appears to be working.

Got up at 4:14am and went to Boot Camp this morning! I really didn’t do everything during camp because I was still helping lead a little bit, but I got in a decent workout, and then did a quick leg and shoulder workout on my own. I took 10g Xtend BCAAs before Boot Camp at 5:25am, then before my leg and shoulder workout I took 10g Amino Energy BCAAs. The gym where we run Boot Camp doesn’t have a free bar rack (yet) so I did squats on a bar attached to cables that lock out if you take your hands off the bar. This is more “free weight” than a Smith Machine track, but I’m still not 100% sure that the bar is 45lbs on its own. Regardless, I’m going to post the weight I did assuming the bar is 45lbs:

Squats:

135lbs – 8 reps (warm up)

245lbs – 10 reps

275lbs – 9 reps

315lbs – 4 reps

315lbs – 4 reps

Front Squats:

145lbs – 10 reps

165lbs – 8 reps

175lbs – 4 reps

I alternated taking my Yohimbine (10mg) and BCAAs (10g) every hour until lunch at 12pm. Had a pretty good lunch, but ended up eating more fat grams than I needed to. I decided to get a footlong melt at Subway instead of a Turkey and Ham. Wish I wouldn’t have done that because my fat content would be half what it is for the day so far. Here is lunch – 1590 calories, 215g carbs, 90.5g protein, 44g fat. Afternoon snack was: 830 calories, 121g carbs, 40g protein, 14g fat. Dinner...too tired to look that up right now, but I'm going to guess with my smoothie that I just ate, 1,200 calories, probably 200 carbs, 40g protein, and 10g fat.

Scripture for today:

Matthew 6:25-34

  ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?

   ²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I've been a little stressed at work lately with some urgent staffing needs...and I really needed this passage of scripture. Maybe it will speak to you too.

Day #16

12:55pm Update:

Today is a rest day...no working out for me. However, I did get up at 4:15am this morning to get ready for Boot Camp! We are kicking off our 4th Boot Camp session this week, and we have 82 campers and counting as of this morning. If you are interested in some information about our Boot Camp, go to www.nowbootcamp.com.

All I took this morning was 10mg of Yohimbine at 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:15am. Just finished lunch. Since today is a rest day, I'm slightly decreasing my calories. So, instead of a massive lunch, I ate about what I normally would have if I weren't fasting with just a few extras thrown in. So, a 6 inch subway turkey and ham sandwich w/ lettuce, tomato, spinach, a few chips, some yogurt, a whey protein shake (extra) and a banana (extra). For afternoon snack, an apple, muscle milk, mozzarella stick, and a bagel (extra). For dinner, we have turkey spaghetti w/ whole grain pasta. I'll finish things off with a casein protein shake w/ milk before my feeding window closes at 8pm. This should provide me with a slight caloric deficit today, so hopefully I'll be burning some more fat. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow...I'll be able to "do" the Boot Camp workout, and then do a leg and shoulder workout after that.

God's is Sovereign

I wasn't planning on writing much today, but I just received some very sad news. A long-time Caddell employee named Cherry, after 60+ years of being a single lady, married a man named Ted not even two years ago. Cherry's retirement has been long planned and scheduled, and was supposed to be taking place this Friday. However, Ted started experiencing some health issues and after multiple tests, he has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Ted's father died of the same disease. I don't have the full details yet, but I know pancreatic cancer is aggressive. To say this is tragic, is to understate the situation. What was supposed to be a bitter-sweet retirement week for Cherry, has become anything but sweet. In times like this, our natural instinct is to try to understand why something like this could happen? If the person it happens to is a "bad person" we can somewhat justify it in our minds. But when it is a kind, compassionate, and genuine person like Cherry, we have a hard time grasping that. Why would God, who is control of all things, allow such a tragic circumstance? Cherry was retiring this week, and she and Ted had made plans to travel, and do all the fun things that come along with retirement. Why would God bring this man into Cherry's life, only to pull him away after such a short time? Why now?

The story of Job came to my mind. If you don't know the story - here are the cliff notes...Matt style. Job followed God with all his heart, and God blessed Job and made him very wealthy. God then allowed tragedy to strike Job's life. Job lost EVERYTHING, his family, his possessions, even his health. Job's friends proclaimed that Job must be living in sin...for that is the only explanation for why God would do this to him. Job finally gets up the courage to confront God and ask why he is being punished? Basically, he tells God...this isn't fair, so why are you doing this to me? ...and then God answers. Here are just a few short verses, the full conversation takes place over multiple chapters:

Job 38: 1-11
¹ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: ² “Who is this that obscures my plans 

   with words without knowledge? ³ Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? ⁶ On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone— ⁷ while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? ⁸ “Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it and set its doors and bars in place, ¹¹ when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 40:1-2
 ¹ The LORD said to Job: ² “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”³ Then Job answered the LORD: ⁴ “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. ⁵ I spoke once, but I have no answer— 


...WOW! Job answered the only way a mortal could. Do I know why God allows bad things to happen to good people? No...I don't. However, I know that God is sovereign, is loving, and is in control of all things. What a comfort it is knowing that while I'm not in control, God is. Would you really want it any other way?

Please take a moment today to pray for Cherry and Ted.

Day #15 - Week 2 Evaluation

8:45am Update:

Alright, catching up from yesterday...here is the week 2 evaluation:

Matt's Evaluation - Week 2

Weight: 190.2 lbs (down 2lbs from last week)
Body fat %: 10.49% (down .45% from last week)
Body fat lbs: 19.94 (down 1.09 lbs from last week)
Lean lbs: 170.26 (down .91 lbs lbs from last week)
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 5 (down 1mm), Abdominal - 16, Thigh - 13 (down 1mm), Tricep - 9, Subscapular - 10, Suprailiac - 9, Midaxillary - 9 (down 1mm)
Circumference measurements (Inches): Bicep - 14.5, Flexed Bicep - 16, Chest 41.75 (down .25 inches), Waist - 35.5 (down .5 inches), Calf - 15.25, Thigh - 23.25 (down .25 inches)
*Note: Waist measurement is around the broadest part of my waist; right below the belly button where I carry all of my fat. It is my goal to reduce this measurement significantly.

Relaxed Pose

Relaxed Side Pose

Flexed Pose

Analysis:

Weight drop was pretty big, but I think it is just a fluctuation of food/water. Reason being, I weighed this morning and was back up to 192.2 lbs. Not really sure what my actual weight loss is now...I'd guess maybe a half pound or so? Over several measurements I'll be able to determine what my true weight is. The good news is I am continuing to trend down in body fat, and in circumference measurements around my waist. The  fat loss is slow,  but that is how I need it to be if I'm going to maintain my lean weight. I've been able to maintain or increase strength at the gym, so I'm really happy about that. Finally, when comparing the photos from this evaluation to my initial, I can see some fat reduction around my love handles. It is subtle, but it's definitely there. I'd guess that is where the majority of the 1 inch that I've lost around my waist has come from since my abdominal pinch test has not changed. All in all, good progress after 2 weeks. Hope to see similar progress again this week.

Leigh's Evaluation - Week 2

Weight: 119.4 lbs (up .4 lbs from last week)
Body fat %: 24.15% (down 1.19% from last week)
Body fat lbs: 28.83 (down 1.33 lbs from last week)
Lean lbs: 90.57 (up 1.73 lbs from last week)
Pinch test (millimeters): Chest - 12 (up 1mm), Abdominal - 24 (down 1mm), Thigh - 19 (down 3mm), Tricep - 18, Subscapular - 15 (down 1mm), Suprailiac - 16 (down 3mm), Midaxillary - 19
Circumference measurements (Inches): Bicep - 10.5, Hips 37, Waist - 30.75 (up .25 inches), Calf - 13, Thigh - 20 (down .5 inches)

No photos for Leigh this week. Will catch up and get them next week.


Analysis:
Leigh continues to drop body fat % at a much faster rate than expected, but has actually increased her weight. There are a few possibilities here, because I don't really think these numbers are telling the story correctly. #1 - Leigh's true weight has actually decreased, but on eval mornings she's been heavier. Throughout the week Leigh has fluctuated anywhere from 117 up to 119.4. There is a phenomenon some people call the "woosh" effect, which is more common in women, where body weight holds steady despite diet and exercise, and then seemingly overnight, you see 2-3 lbs of weight loss all at once. This is most likely due to fluctuations in sodium/water intake. Not sure if this is happening with Leigh or not, but I'm still expecting to see a drop in a few pounds at the next eval. #2 - My initial measurements were off, and I over-estimated Leigh's body fat %. It is reasonable to expect that if Leigh has dropped over 2% body fat by this point, she would have also lost some weight loss. If weight doesn't drop soon, it's possible the initial measurements were off. #3 - Leigh really is putting on lean muscle fast. Leigh has been lifting heavier at the gym, and getting better protein intake than normal. It is possible that this change in routine has spurred on some quick lean mass gains. Future evaluations will reveal what is actually taking place. Overall, Leigh's progress is looking really good, and the area she is seeing the most changes are her legs. Going to keep having her focus on squats, and deadlifts!

Today's Workout:

Had a solid workout this morning. Maintaining or even increasing strength again. Here is what I did today:


Wide Grip Pull-Ups
Body weight + 25lbs - 9 reps
Body weight + 25lbs - 7 reps 
Body weight + 25lbs - 7 reps 
Body weight - 11 reps 

Lat Pull-Down w/ Handles
160lbs - 12 reps
175lbs - 10 reps
175lbs - 10 reps 
175lbs - 8 reps

Seated Bent Over Dumbbell Row (both arms at same time)
55lbs - 10 reps
55lbs - 10 reps
50lbs - 10 reps
50lbs - 10 reps 

Heavy Lawnmower Dumbbell Row (one arm at a time)
100lbs - 12 reps
100lbs - 12 reps 
100lbs - 12 reps 
100lbs - 12 reps  

Hanging Chin-Ups (full range of motion)
Body Weight - 9 reps
Body Weight - 9 reps
Body Weight - 7 reps
Body Weight - 6 reps 

Cable Concentration Curl (single arm)
40lbs - 12 reps
40lbs - 10 reps
35lbs - 8 reps
Dead Lifts
225lbs - 8 reps
295lbs - 6 reps
315lbs - 5 reps 


I am really enjoying the heavy deadlifts, something I've always avoided in the past. I can still feel some room to grow there, so each workout I'm going to try to push the weight up, and stick closer to the 4-6 rep range. Took 10g BCAAs at 5am, 10mg Yohimbine at 6:15am, 10g BCAAs at 7am, 10mg Yohimbine at 8:15am, and will take the following before lunch at 12pm: 9am - 10g BCAAs, 10:15am - 10mg Yohimbine, 11am - 10g BCAAs.

Scripture for the day:

Matthew 5:33-37 ³³ “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵ or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶ And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷ All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."


I was thinking about this passage in the context of following through on commitments. How often have we told someone we are going to do something, be somewhere, etc...but then don't follow through? When that happens it can cause others to question our commitment...maybe even our integrity. When we don't follow through on things, the next time we have to "add" a little something so that people believe that "this time" we really mean it. So that is when we "promise" or "swear" that we are going to do something. If we are men and women who consistently do what we say...this is unnecessary. Simply let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Now, take that a step further, beyond the commitments we make to others. How about the commitments we make to God in prayer? This is a convicting thought, because I know that I've made promises to God that I haven't upheld. I pray that I can be consistent with the things I've committed to do before God.

Day #14

9:20pm Update:

Verse for the day:
Psalms 18:46 "The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock! Give honor to God my Savior!"

BUSY DAY!
Did do our 2 week eval today, and saw some more encouraging results. However, had a few things going on at church today, and then spent the day doing yard work...no time to update the blog with results. I will post eval results tomorrow.

Day #13

1:25pm Update:

On the way to the gym this morning I saw a bumper sticker that said the following: "The party in hell has been cancelled due to fire." I kind of chuckled to myself thinking it was clever, but then immediately afterwards began to think past the clever sticker about the reality of the place we call hell. It is certainly no laughing matter. If you believe in God, you probably also believe that hell exists and it is a real place...the scriptures tell us so. I've had conversations with people, even friends, who believe that because God is a good and loving God, He would never send a "reasonably good" person to hell. Unfortunately, while these people rightly realize that God is good and loving, they fail to realize that God is also righteous and just. He has set the record straight on who will go to heaven, and who will go to hell. Here is the verse that came to my mind after seeing this bumper sticker:


Matthew 13:49-50 "So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


Those who are not righteous before God will be cast into hell, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. That certainly doesn't sound like a party to me! So you might be saying to yourself..."ok, so no problem...all we have to do is be righteous right? I'm a pretty good person...so I gotta be at least close." I've got some unfortunate news for you there...the Bible also tells us in Romans 3:10 that "there is none righteous, not even one." So does this mean we have no hope? Are we all destined for eternal destruction in hell? Believe it or not...the choice is yours...and yours alone!


You see, God, because He is a good and loving God, sent His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, so that you could be righteous before God. I Corinthians 5:21 says: "He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." Another verse that speaks the good news of the gospel is John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."


The gift of salvation is available to all mankind...but you have to accept it. Have you??? 

Legs!

Myself, Leigh, and my brother Steve ran a 5k this morning. Leigh and I ran it fasted, and seemed to do pretty well. Leigh really pushed it, proud of her for not giving up. I took 10mg Yohimbine before the run. Afterwards, I was contemplating whether or not to do my leg workout at the gym...after all, I knew fasted training after the 5k would be a challenge. Ultimately, I decided to go ahead and do it, just see how I felt once I started lifting. I took 10g of my Amino Energy BCAAs and hit the gym. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to still lift the same weight, I just purposefully didn't do as many reps because I could feel fatigue setting in. I also did a bit of shoulders, but not tracking weight on that just yet. Afterwards 10mg more Yohimbine, 30 minutes later 10g BCAAs, and then once more on both of those before lunch at 12. Had a pretty good lunch (about 1350 calories, 250g carbs, 22g fat, and 66g protein). Here is what I did in the gym for legs. 

Squats (free weights)
135lbs - 8 reps (warm up)
235lbs - 8 reps
265lbs - 8 reps
295lbs - 6 reps
315lbs - 4 reps

Front Squats (free weights, full range of motion)
145lbs - 8 reps
155lbs - 8 reps
165lbs - 6 reps
175lbs - 4 reps

Last Saturday night I ate a big Red Robin Cheeseburger...I might have to do that again tonight :)

7:45pm Update:

Change of plans. I looked up the fat content of the Red Robin burger I ate last week...holy lard monkeys! Burger and fries together had nearly 100g of fat. That is twice the amount of fat you should have in a day...and probably well over the saturated fats. So...I made my own burger at home. Used lean ground beef, whole wheat bun, turkey bacon, 2% cheese slice..etc. Just for fun, I even put a fried egg on it. Probably had about 1/4 the fat content of the Red Robin burger...and did it taste just as good????


No...of course it didn't. That is why the Red Robin burger has over 80g of fat! :)

Day #12 - My New Commitment

9:20am Update (Big Update):

My New Commitment:

While preparing for the gym this morning, I checked my Facebook feed and saw a post from my brother Steve that really hit me. It encouraged me, challenged me, and convicted me all at the same time...and it made me think about a way to focus on those things that are of most importance. I definitely believe in the importance of exercise, nutrition, and health...and I think that people who downplay the importance of these things are making excuses. However, serving my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is of much greater importance...after all, the scripture in I Timothy 4:8 says: "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Does that mean I should quit exercising, and eat whatever I want as long as I'm passing out tracks and doing devotionals...absolutely not. The scripture says bodily discipline is profitable in this life...but obviously not in the life to come. I firmly believe that as Christians, we should serve Christ at ALL times and in everything we do...not just when we are doing "things" that we rank higher on a spiritual chart. Godliness should be obvious in all areas of my life, and it shouldn't be something I "put on" on Sundays. I should be able to serve Christ in all areas of my life, including bodily discipline. Our bodies are a testimony to the Lord, therefore we should take care of them...but there is a line that should be drawn. If obsession with exercise or any other area of my life hinders my relationship with Christ, or damages my testimony, I need to fix that.

Ok...so I'm being a little wordy here, so it's time to get to the point. My new commitment going forward is this: every day that I update the blog, I'm also going to post a passage of scripture as well. I have no plan for which passage I'll post each day, other than not posting the "daily verse" that I get each morning on my Daily Bible App (unless it really speaks to me)...that would be lazy. I have no idea how many people are actually reading my blog, but I truly hope that this will encourage, challenge, and convict you like my brother Steve's post this morning did for me. Thanks Steve...I'm very proud of you!

So, for today, I'd like to share the passage Steve shared that really spoke to me:

Acts 20:19-24 (the Apostle Paul speaking)
¹⁹ I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. ²⁰ You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. ²¹ I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

 ²² “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. ²³I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. ²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Wow...just wow! This is the man who persecuted those who followed Christ...and look how God used him. Praise the Lord! Now the hard part...am I willing to face persecution to testify to the good news of God's grace?

Finally got my head right:

Got a REALLY good back workout in this morning, and finally got my head right with deadlifts! For the longest time...and really even until very, very recently...I have avoided some of the most beneficial full-body compound movements like squats and deadlifts. I suppose I shouldn't say I avoided them, because I did them, but I definitely didn't push myself to lift heavy. I would do weighted squats on a Smith Machine (bar on a track) which really doesn't provide the full benefit of a free squat. When the bar can only move straight up and down and can't tip side to side, you don't have to stabilize it. Smith Machine squats are better than no squats...but man, I don't think I could ever go back to the Smith Machine now that I'm doing free weight squats. There are A LOT of other muscles involved in doing a loaded free weight squat, especially the lower back and core muscles. Deadlifts are a similar story. I would lift via Smith Machine, and now that I'm doing free weight deadlifts, I actually think the Smith Machine might have a higher potential for injury due to the restricted path of the bar. Anyway, I've never challenged myself on weight until very recently...so I finally feel like I've got my head right and I'm pushing to increase weight and go heavier. Case in point. On Monday I did deadlifts as follows: 205lbs - 8 reps, 225lbs - 8 reps, 245lbs - 8 reps. Today I did deadlifts as follows: 225lbs - 8 reps, 275lbs - 8 reps, 300lbs - 4 reps. I've got something left too...so I am going to keep pushing the weight up.

Got up this morning just after 4:30, took 10g BCAAs w/ 5g Creatine (which I've been taking for about 2 weeks now, just forgot to include it on the blog...been taking 2,000mg fish oil every day too...details, details) and hit the gym around 5am. Here is what I did for my back/biceps workout:

Wide Grip Pull-Ups
Body weight + 25lbs - 9 reps
Body weight + 25lbs - 7 reps
Body weight + 25lbs - 6 reps
Body weight - 11 reps


Lat Pull-Down w/ Handles
155lbs - 12 reps
170lbs - 10 reps
170lbs - 10 reps 
170lbs - 9 reps


Seated Bent Over Dumbbell Row (both arms at same time)
55lbs - 10 reps
55lbs - 9 reps
50lbs - 10 reps
50lbs - 9 reps


Heavy Lawnmower Dumbbell Row (one arm at a time)
100lbs - 12 reps
100lbs - 12 reps 
100lbs - 12 reps 
100lbs - 12 reps 


Hanging Chin-Ups (full range of motion)
Body Weight - 10 reps
Body Weight - 7 reps
Body Weight - 6 reps
Body Weight - 6 reps


Biceps Curl w/ Straight Bar (5 second negative)
70lbs - 9 reps
70lbs - 7 reps
60lbs - 8 reps
60lbs - 8 reps


Dead Lifts
225lbs - 8 reps
275lbs - 8 reps
300lbs - 4 reps 


After the workout I took 7.5mg Yohimbine, and 30 minutes later took 10g BCAAs w/ 5g Creatine. Just for the ease of not having to mention Creatine every time, I take 5g pre-workout, and 5g post workout only on my lifting days. Took 7.5mg Yohimbine at 8:15am, and 10g BCAAs again at 9am. The rest of the schedule until lunch is as follows: 10:15am - 10mg Yohimbine, 11am - 10g BCAAs, 12pm - lunch!!!

Day #11

8:15am Update:

Leigh went to the gym this morning, so since I couldn't get my work out done this morning, I am going to go at lunch today. Today is chest/triceps day, and the fitness center here at work only has dumbbells up to 50lbs, so I won't be tracking the workout. However, I can still get a really good workout in with lighter weight by modifying movements to make the lifts harder, and go REALLY SLOW through the range of motion. The eccentric (negative) phase of muscle contraction can produce just as much, if not more hypertrophy (growth) as the concentric. So, if you are slinging weights around at the gym, and not resisting the force to keep your movements controlled...you aren't benefiting yourself as much as you could. I remember probably 2 years ago trying to curl 45lb dumbbells, thinking I was really doing something. I would sling them up, and let them fall back down. I'm much stronger now, but haven't done a curl with anything over a 40lb dumbbell...and most of the time I'm using 35's, 30's, and 25's. Keeping the tension on the muscle through the entire range of motion is the way to go.

This morning all I'm taking is the Yohimbine on an every other hour schedule (7am, 9am, 11am), and then will take some BCAAs at 12pm and do a short 30 minute workout. Lunch will begin immediately after the workout. I brought slightly less food today than yesterday. Hoping to trim just a few calories today, then load back up heavy on the calories again tomorrow.

Day #10

9:00am Update:

Bagels are Awesome!

No, I didn't have a bagel this morning...but I had one yesterday. I haven't really been on a big bagel kick before, but by fate, I am now a believer in the power of the bagel! My mom bought a 6-pack of blueberry bagels for $1.36 at the store the other day. For some reason or another she decided she didn't want them and gave them to me. I figured, what the heck...I'll take some free food. I looked at the nutritional values, and I was impressed. 245 calories, 52g carbs, 9g protein, and only 1g fat (0 saturated fat). That is exactly the kind of food I'm looking for during my feeding window...high carb, good protein, low fat. The key is toasting them, and then not putting any junk on them like butter, powdered sugar,or cream cheese, etc. So, next time you are at the store, take a look at the nutritional values of some bagels, you might just find yourself a new favorite food item that won't kill your grocery budget.

Leg workout:

I had another good leg workout this morning. Got up at 4:40am, was at the gym just after 5am. I did a few shoulder presses and hamstring curls, but I'm primarily interested in tracking my squats to ensure I'm progressing with my load. For the most part, I went up 10lbs from my last workout. Here is what I did this morning:

Squats (free weights)
135lbs - 8 reps (warm up)
235lbs - 12 reps
265lbs - 10 reps
295lbs - 8 reps
315lbs - 6 reps

Front Squats (free weights, full range of motion)
145lbs - 10 reps
155lbs - 10 reps
165lbs - 8 reps
175lbs - 4 reps


Immediately after the workout (6am) I took 7.5mg of Yohimbine. At 7am I took 10g BCAAs. Oh yes, and I got the Watermelon Madness flavor of the Xtend BCAAs in yesterday...IT-IS-AWESOME! 7.5mg more Yohimbine at 8:15am. And now it's almost 9am, so time for another 10g...really digging the watermelon flavor!

5:00pm Update:

Ate plenty of food again today...maybe more than I needed to. Lunch was a banana, protein shake, a foot long subway roasted chicken on wheat w/ lettuce, tomato, spinach, cheese, and a very little bit of light mayo, also had some yogurt and granola. For afternoon snack I had an apple, muscle milk, mozzarella stick, 1 large blueberry bagel, and 1 small cinnamon bagel. For dinner, I'm going to eat 3-4 chicken tacos w/ beans (black and refried) cheese, guacamole, and lettuce. I probably should skip the frozen yogurt for dessert, but we have so darn much of it left over from our Boot Camp party I'm trying to make use of it. I'll probably finish it all off with a casein protein shake w/ skim milk. If I can burn fat eating all that food...then there is definitely something to this I.F.

Day #9

11:30am Update:

Today is a rest day...which means no BCAAs, just water and some Yohimbine. Lunch time in 30 minutes, and I'm ready for it! I am going to try to consume less calories today than yesterday, but probably not by much. I'm planning on tweaking things a little each week depending upon results, so it's possible next week I'm eating much less on resting days, and back up to eating like crazy on training days. I'm also going with more of a high volume training approach, which is different than what many people do while on I.F. However, I really enjoy the training...so as long as I feel it is productive I'm going to stick with it.

Learn something new everyday.

If you haven't followed what I previous posted about Yohimbine, you are about to be lost here. Anyway, I suppose this makes sense, but it clicked in as I was reading a little more today. Insulin cancels out the alpha-2 inhibitor effect of Yohimbine, and that is why it is useless to take unless fasting. I have been corresponding my Yohimbine supplementation with my BCAA supplementation to make it simple and easy...well...turns out I've most likely been rendering it useless, because insulin levels will raise when the BCAAs are consumed. That means I'll need to stagger when I take the Yohimbine and BCAAs. Furthermore, the utilization period of Yohimbine's a2-inhibiting effect is 30 minutes or so (according to Berkhan with no further research...hope he's right) So, my new supplementation schedule on early morning fasted training days will be as follows:

5:00am - 10g BCAAs
5:00am - 6:00am - Training
6:00am - 7.5mg Yohimbine
7:00am - 10g BCAAs
8:15am - 7.5mg Yohimbine
9:00am - 10g BCAAs
10:15am - 7.5mg Yohimbine
11:00am - 10g BCAAs
12:00pm - FOOD!

This might sound like micromanaging, and I guess it is...but it should be fairly simple for me to keep up with. I'm already doing a similar schedule, now I just have to remember to take the Yohimbine about an hour or so after the BCAA supplementation and I should be good to go.

Day #8

8:10am Update:

Week 2 is underway! Got up this morning at 4:40am, got to the gym just after 5am for a back and biceps workout. Before the workout I took Amino Energy, after the workout I took the Xtend BCAAs. So far I feel like I'm either increasing my load, or at least not decreasing. Here is what I did today:

Wide Grip Pull-Ups
Body Weight - 12 reps
Body Weight - 9 reps
Body Weight - 8 reps
Body Weight - 8 reps
(next week I may add some weight - 10 or 25lbs)


Lat Pull-Down w/ Handles
150lbs - 12 reps
165lbs - 10 reps
165lbs - 9 reps
165lbs - 8 reps


Seated Bent Over Dumbbell Row (both arms at same time)
50lbs - 12 reps
50lbs - 12 reps
50lbs - 10 reps
45lbs - 10 reps


Heavy Lawnmower Dumbbell Row (one arm at a time)
100lbs - 12 reps
100lbs - 12 reps
100lbs - 12 reps
100lbs - 12 reps


Hanging Chin-Ups (full range of motion)
Body Weight - 10 reps
Body Weight - 7 reps
Body Weight - 6 reps
Body Weight - 5 reps


Biceps Curl w/ Straight Bar (5 second negative)
70lbs - 9 reps
60lbs - 8 reps
60lbs - 8 reps
60lbs - 8 reps


Dead Lifts
205lbs - 8 reps
235lbs - 8 reps
245lbs - 8 reps

While I don't feel that my overall strength has been affected by working out in a fasted state, my workout endurance definitely has. I can tell as I get later into the workout that I am more out of breath, and feel like my muscles are tired. This is completely normal because burning fat for fuel is a less efficient source of energy than available carbohydrates. I'll take my BCAAs just after 8:30am and 10:30am today with 7.5mg of Yohimbine. Lunch at 12pm, and I brought a little less food so I won't completely stuff myself. I have a banana, protein shake (24g), turkey and cheese sandwich on 100% whole wheat, multi-grain wheat thins, and yogurt with some natural granola. I am going to try to keep my protein high, and my fat low. Hopefully I'll see some noticeable changes this week!

9:00pm Update:

Pretty good day...ate less than last week, but ate until I was satisfied, not stuffed and feeling like I'm going to explode. I am going to try to eat slightly less calories tomorrow since it is a rest day...and then hit legs hard on Wednesday morning and bring the calories back up. Calorie cycling...essentially eating more on days I lift weights, less on days I don't. The concept is allowing more calories for recovery and building muscle on the days I lift. Don't know how much that will help me toward my goals, but going to give it a go. Until tomorrow!

Day #7 - Week 1 Evaluation

It's been one week, time to check the progress and see how things are going! I'm fairly pleased with this first week because my initial goal was to start off with a 14 hour fast, and only do that Monday - Friday. I ended up being able to do the full 16 hour fast each day, and was able to continue through the weekend. Adherence to the program was my #1 goal, and thus far it hasn't been a problem. My #2 concern is/was how much food to eat. One of my primary concerns was not being able to eat enough calories to maintain my weight, but after my weigh-in today that hasn't been a problem. In fact, I have a pretty good idea as to the volume of food I need to eat now, so I should be able to dial that in better this upcoming week. Finally, I wanted to be able to maintain my strength in the gym, and I've been able to do that as well. First, I'll post the evaluation results, then I'll post my workout progress for the day.

Matt’s Evaluation – Week 1

Weight – 192.2 lbs (down .2lbs from last week)

Body fat % - 10.94% (down .31% from last week)

Body fat lbs: 21.03 lbs (down .61lbs from last week)

Lean lbs: 171.17 (up .41lbs from last week)

Pinch test (millimeters): Chest – 6, Abdominal – 16, Thigh – 14, Tricep – 9 (down 1mm), Subscapular – 10 (down 2mm), Suprailiac – 9 (up 1mm), Midaxillary – 10.

Circumference Measurements (Inches): Bicep – 14.5, Flexed Bicep – 16, Chest 42.00 (up .25 inches), Waist 36 (down .5 inches), Calf – 15.25, Thigh 23.5.
*Note: Waist measurement is around the broadest part of my waist; right below the belly button where I carry all of my fat. It is my goal to reduce this measurement significantly.

 Relaxed Pose

 Relaxed Side Pose

 Flexed Pose

Analysis:

It appears that progress was made, although very small. Measurements can always contain some error, but I feel like we were pretty dead on. Just a slight body fat % decrease, and very small if any circumference changes. I probably ate much more calories than I needed to, therefore slowing down my fat burning potential. I plan on eating slightly less this second week, and hopefully dropping .5 to 1 lb of body weight. Oh yeah, and I didn't really eat healthy every day...need to clean that up some. While I like being around 192, if I want to hit my goal of 8% body fat and maintain all of my lean mass, that means I'll weigh 186lbs. Therefore, I don't need to be overly concerned about dropping a little weight, as long as I'm working out properly and in-taking enough protein to maintain my lean mass.


Leigh’s Evaluation – Week 1

Weight – 119 lbs (see analysis notes)

Body fat % - 25.34% (down 1.31%)

Body fat lbs: 30.16 lbs (down 1.55lbs)

Lean lbs: 88.84 (up 1.55lbs)

Pinch test (millimeters): Chest – 11 (down 1mm), Abdominal – 25 (down 1mm), Thigh – 22 (down 2mm), Tricep – 18 (down 2mm), Subscapular – 16 (down 1mm), Suprailiac – 19 (down 1mm), Midaxillary – 19 (down 1mm).

Circumference Measurements (Inches): Bicep – 10.50 (down .25 inches), Hips 37 (down .25 inches), Waist 30.5 (down .25 inches), Calf – 13, Thigh 20.5.

  Relaxed Pose

  Relaxed Side Pose

 Flexed Pose

Analysis:

Leigh has been weighing in at 117 most of the week, then when she stepped on the scale this morning she was at 119, so that is the weight we used. Weight fluctuates constantly based on what and when you eat, what and when you drink, and for women, multiple other factors. I think her eval numbers make a lot more sense if she has actually dropped the 2 lbs. Overall, it looks like she had some good fat loss. We'll see what the eval tells us next week and that will give us a better picture of what is going on. Thus far we are both encouraged, and will be tweaking the diet more intelligently in the upcoming week.

Matt's Chest and Tricep Workout:

Dumbbell Bench Press:

100lbs - 11 reps

100lbs - 9 reps

100lbs - 7 reps

95lbs - 8 reps

95lbs - 6 reps

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press:
80lbs - 9 reps
80lbs - 8 reps
75lbs - 10 reps
70lbs - 10 reps


Decline Cable Fly:
55lbs - 8 reps (crappy form)
45lbs - 10 reps
40lbs - 10 reps
40lbs - 10 reps


Reverse Grip Bench Press:
135lbs - 12 reps
145lbs - 11 reps
155lbs - 8 reps
155lbs - 8 reps

Triceps Assault (Dirty Dave's 4 movement skull crusher...painful!)

75lbs - 7, 7, 7, 7 reps
75lbs - 7, 7, 7, 7 reps
75lbs - 7, 7, 7, 7 reps


Rope Pull Down & Weighted Dips
Not tracked

Nutrition was not clean today, going to try to do better on that in week #2.