2013-08-30 SE Bench

Did some tack and floss work on my shoulder with a barbell. Seemed helpful, should probably keep it up.

Warmup - Various rolling, usual activation stuff

Bench -

45x5x3

95x5x2

135x5

170x3x7

I seem to get a boost from closer foot position. I'll experiment more here.

Press -

45x5x3

85x5x2

115x4, 4, 4, 4, 3 (4F)

Actively building torque off the bar and the floor helped a lot here. CG starts next week.

Pulldown -

120x10

Much better than last time but still worrying.

Straight-Arm Pulldown -

45x10

30x10

40x10x2

Sticking with these for a while.

Face Pull -

20x12x5

Curl -

Small +5x10x5

Conditioning -

7000m in 52:20

Took the Yohimbine after second Press set.

2013-08-28 ME Bench

Good and bad.

Warmup - Comprehensive (upper rolling)

Bench -
45x5x3
95x5x2
135x5
165x5

2-Board -
185x3
195x3
205x3
210x3
220x2, 1
Getting interrupted by conversation really throws me off. Talking needs to stay outside of the gym in future.

DB Bench -
65x6, 6, 4 (5F), 4 (5F), 4
When I failed, it was sudden and hard to predict. I think this is a result of improving my scap control, though.

Pulldown -
120x8
Started getting pain in the front of my shoulder. Damn.

Pull-Ups -
3
Still

Curl -
Small + 10s x10, 10, 10, 10, 10

More Diet and Training Thoughts

I just read these two articles:

http://articles.elitefts.com/nutrition/nysc-undercover-should-we-avoid-eating-at-night/

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/nysc-undercover-anabolic-breakfast/

I don't trust any single piece of work, but these are pretty interesting. It also meshes with part of this:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2013/08/reflections-on-2013-ancestral-health.html

The "eat while it's light, not while it's dark" thing sounds nice, but I can't see it catching for me until my thirties.

Off of those I'm adjusting the refeeds somewhat - regular breakfast, then focus on low-fat for the rest of the day.

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-thoughts-on-cold-training-biology.html

This also looks like a good point.

http://gregnuckols.com/2013/08/19/optimizing-thyroid-function-for-fat-loss-and-health/

The second one here concerns me; I'm fine with cyclical keto right now, but this backs up my plan to add carbs to all of my training days.

Final note, from here:

http://mythicalstrength.blogspot.com/2013/08/today-i-am-going-to-discuss-idea-that-i.html

I may start throwing in a "jesus fuck" workout every month or so after my meet. I can't decide if I should pick it based on how I'm feeling or just flip a coin.

I'm also not going to erg after my squat workouts for now - I don't want to tire myself out for the second upper day.

2013-08-25 Deadlift Day

I've been doing a full-on keto run for going on the last week now; according to my ketosticks I actually am in ketosis at this point, but I'm going to hold off on refeeding until Sunday (and then binge, at least post-workout).

This one is actually a repeat of the last deadlift day from 3 weeks ago, but I decided to use it to get back in the game after taking time off.

Warmup - Comprehensive (only UB rolling)

Deadlift -
135x10
185x10
225x10
275x5 (hook) (2pl, 1m)
335x8+4 (strap) (2pl, 1m), +1 (hook)
Not feeling as solid, probably because of the break. If I don't get the reps I want when I hit full-range, I'll probably only up 10lbs instead of 20.

DB Row -
40x10x5
Getting better evenness, but I'm going to repeat this.

RDL -
225x10x5 (straps)
Had to put the last two down after rep 7 to recover my grip. I still need to work on keeping these strict.

Rollout -
10, 10, 10, 7, 5

Band BTN - Mini, 12x2
Band PA - Mini, 12x2
Band ER - Micro, 15x2
Face Pull - 10lbs, 12x2

Erg - 5000m (35min)
Took my Yohimbine about 45 minutes in advance (right when I started the RDLs).

Upcoming Culinary Stuff

1) Actual curries
2) Coq au Vin made with chicken leg confit (in duck fat). I think sous vide/confit has potential here, though it'll probably need some edits.
3) Actual pastries. I've been making and eating a lot of straight chantilly cream recently for a temporary bump in fat intake; it's probably time I expanded that.
4) Mexican. For now I only have a small tortilla press (thus limited to tacos...and chili), but I can work from there. The larger one is another $25 but ships faster, so I can work with that one I can have the cash spare.
5) Burger Night #2, using the stuff mentioned previously. I'm looking forward to this one. Incidentally, I may try replacing the bacon with thin-sliced salt pork (similar flavors - and I can home-smoke if I want to - but can be sliced square). I'm also looking into getting more griddles (and getting rid of the old one). The plan here is $5 cover with 4oz and 8oz burgers, homemade buns (spongy for 4oz, stronger for 8oz), cheese that I've either Hestonized or melted, poured into thin layers, cooled, and cut into slices, bacon/salt pork, onions, pickles, and mushrooms. Possibly homemade ketchup.
6) This: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/seattlefoodgeek/sansaire-sous-vide-circulator-for-199
Once this is available for full sale, I'll probably just sell the Sous Vide Supreme and buy two.

I still need to sell and replace the roasting trays, lasagna pan, and the nonsticks.

Roasted Curry Chicken with Onions, Garlic, and Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 Large Onion (or several shallots)
1 Chicken Breast, Skin-On (wing optional)
5 Cloves Garlic
Curry Paste (personal preference)
Button Mushrooms
Butter

Spread the curry paste on both sides of the chicken and marinade uncovered in the fridge, overnight.

Dice the onion and slice the garlic and mushrooms. Put chicken in the oven, skin-side up, and preheat to 400F. Add butter to a skillet and soften the onions until caramelized. Flip the chicken skin-side down; add butter to a separate, larger pan and sautee the mushrooms over medium-high heat. When the mushrooms are lightly browned, flip the chicken skin-side up again and add butter. Add garlic to the onions, cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to the mushroom pan and sautee another 2-3 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven; slice once flat and then diagonally across the grain. To plate, form the vegetables into a bed, pour on the liquid from the pan, and lay the chicken on top, retaining its original shape. Finish by pouring on the contents of the chicken pan.
---
Possible changes:
A large quantity of garlic paste would probably work just as well

In trying to keep with a curry theme I'm thinking go with garlic and ginger pastes and some actual spices. I'm going to make some personal spice blends at some point.

Also, the marinade will work better if it's mixed with yogurt (goat milk varieties should work as well).

Diet Update

These come along a bit more often than I'd like at this point.

I'm almost out of protein powder and ready to drop the PSMF layout in favor of something less stressful. I'm basically fully over to an IF approach (which, again, is mostly to facilitate the yohimbine). Things are back to a very Jamie Lewis-type CKD, with calorie cycling, fat loads, and a single carb refeed. For now I'm integrating a full fasting day (currently planned for Saturdays), though I'll be taking that out as I get leaner.

The weekly layout (disregarding this week and possibly next, as my training's gotten a bit thrown off and I'll be out of town from Sat to Sat):

Monday (Erg) - Low-Calorie
Tuesday (ME Bench) - Fat Load
Wednesday (Erg) - Low-Calorie
Thursday (Squat) - Medium
Friday (SE Bench) - Fat Load
Saturday (Low Intensity) - Fast
Sunday (Deadlift) - Carb Refeed

Outlines/Macros:

Low-Calorie:
160g Protein, max 25g Carb, 100g Fat for 1650kcal at roughly 40/5/55
Large (high protein, fat, fiber) breakfast; moderate meal pre-training, small (fruit and protein) post-training
Salad and leanish meats; fibrous fruit after training. Pork Chop with Apple stands as a good example.

Medium-Calorie:
160g protein, max 25g Carb, 150g Fat for 2100kcal at roughly 30/5/65
Large (high protein, fat, fiber) breakfast; large meal pre-training, small post-training
Salad and fattier meats, with a major emphasis on beef, pork, and fattier fish.

Fat Load:
160g protein, max 25g Carb, 200g Fat for 2600kcal at roughly 25/5/70
Large (high protein, fat, fiber) breakfast; large meal pre-training, small post-training
Salad and good fat sources (fattier meats, dairy, nuts). Slightly higher emphasis on saturates.

Refeed:
200g protein, 600g carb, 70g fat for 3800kcal at roughly 20/65/15
Small (protein, carb, fiber) breakfast, medium pre-training brunch. Medium (protein, carb, fiber) meals throughout the day following training.

I'm looking to up my intake of eggs and organ meats around this; I can get Calf Liver at Berkeley Bowl for about $4/lb. It's actually pretty low in fat, which could mean that Liver and Onions just hit the menu for refeed day. Macadamias and some form of coconut fat are also on the priorities list, though it'll be annoying to get these at a reasoanble price.

For some random weird stuff that I found reading Meadows' work, I'm going to try consuming cranberry and lemon juice; he suggests lemon in warm water early in the morning, and cranberry at 4oz in 28oz water at least once per day. Given the health benefits of green tea I'm inclined to just make some tea in the morning and squeeze in a lemon. The cranberry's a bit more frustrating, but I can always just eat the berries themselves.

Serrano and Mendelson suggest a 30:60:10 balance on Sat:Mono:Poly, but I'm not too stressed there.

The salad part is a big deal here; I need to make sure I'm getting in the fiber and the micronutrients, and some carb intake won't hurt. Fruit post-cardio should also be helpful. All days will have a reasonable intake of fish oil (ideally keeping the w6:w3 ratio roughly 1:1).

This will probably get thrown off again once I get my bike and start cycling everywhere, but that should be in a good way. I'll probably be riding at least an hour every day (excluding Saturday), which will make a strong contribution regardless of intensity (N.B.: Once I've got the erging up to an hour, that puts me at around 15-20 hours of exercise per week; pretty respectable). For the Yohimbine I'm currently at 10g on waking, 7.5g 1.5-2 hours before eating, and 5g every hour in between. This worked today.

Other general notes:
1) Hammer out a regular 8-hour sleep schedule. This should be easier now that lab's off-limits at night. I'm looking to hit 12-8.
2) Massage should be important for general maintenance and relieving stress. Fortunately I've got Jenny and Tammy to keep me going there.
3) Meditation should also help manage stress. I'll probably switch this to the evenings, and possibly add a second session after a while.
4) Somewhat further from the ordinary, but I'm going to make a concerted effort to limit my contact with Steph and Hannah. They're both negative influences on my mood, and are the only big emotional drains on my time in lab. Not screwing up is important; not letting them affect me is also very big.

I'm going to sleep early and long while in Washington to try to get things back under control.

2013-08-02 SE Bench

Warmup - Comprehensive, sans lower body rolling

Bench -
45x5x3
95x5x2
135x5
165x4x5
Hellish after the conditioning, but fairly solid overall.

Press -
45x5x3
80x5x2
115x1, 4, 4, 3, 4, 3
Yells helped a lot here. I suspect I'll be using them a lot throughout this cut.

Pulldown -
130x8, 6, 6, 6, 6
Somewhat harder than Tuesday.

Face Pull -
20x12
25x10, 10, 9, 10
Not really pausing at the "top."

EZ Curl, light bar -
+0x10
+20x10
+30x10, 10, 5
Sticking to +20 in future.
Fairly sure the heavier bar is equivalent to +10.

Nihari (Pakistani Curry) - Draft

I got this recipe from Anum in lab, and I'm making it for her Ramadan dinner. I've got the original recipe at the bottom; mine's based on some variations (and heavily informed by http://rasamalaysia.com/nihari-recipe/2/). I've got some mild changes based on Western techniques; we'll see how the modifications go.

Ingredients (per 4)

Nihari Masala:
2tbsp fennel seed
2tbsp cumin seed
4 green cardamom
1 black cardamom
8 cloves
15 black peppercorns
1tsp ground ginger
1/4tsp ground nutmeg
1/4tsp ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf

Finely grind ingredients together in a blender or mortar and pestle; reserve. Makes a fairly large amount. Incidentally, this is probably a decent garam masala.

Stew (per 4 servings):
2lbs Beef Shank (Halal, if desired)
Ghee (and tallow, if desired; avoid Lard if going Halal)
3 Large Onions
Ginger
Garlic
Red Chili
2 sticks cinnamon (1in each)
1 Bay Leaf
Kosher Salt
3tbsp Flour (Wheat, Rice, Arrowroot, etc.)
1tsp+1tbsp Nihari Masala (above)

Cut the meat into 2-inch cubes; reserve the bones for the stock.

In a pressure cooker or heavy dutch oven, heat tallow or ghee to medium-high, moderately brown the meat and bones on all sides, and reserve.

Finely mince ginger, and grind with water to make 1.5tsp paste. Repeat with garlic, in the same amounts. Finely dice one onion, and finely mince half of the chili. Heat ghee in pan over medium heat; add the onion, lightly salt, and sautee until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger pastes, chili, and 2tsp nihari masala, and sautee 1 more minute. Add 1tbsp flour and cook 2 more minutes, then add the meat and stir until thoroughly coated. Add 5 cups water and the bones and bring to simmer; add 1 cinnamon stick and the bay leaf in a bouquet garnet. Cover and bring the pressure cooker to full pressure, or bring to a high boil and tightly seal the lid with dough (some of which should cover the inside lip) and weigh down with something very heavy, then bring to a high boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook until the meat is fork tender but not disintegrating. Chill overnight to let the flavors infuse; in the morning, skim off any surface fat.

Finely dice the other onion, mince the remaining chili, and make another 1.5tsp ginger and 2tsp garlic paste. Remove the meat from the pot and discard the bouquet garnet and the bones; reserve the stock, reducing or diluting as necessary to reach 4 cups. Heat ghee over medium-high and add the remaining Nihari Masala, and one stick cinnamon. Once the spices are lightly toasted, sautee the onion until lightly browned; add the chili and sautee until the onions are moderately browned; then add the ginger and garlic and sautee 1 more minute. Deglaze with 1 cup stock and reduce until dry. Return the meat to the pot and brown again on all sides, reserve 1/2 cup of the remaining stock, and add the rest to the pot. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

To the side, whisk together the remaining flour and stock. Add to the pot and simmer covered for another 10-15 minutes, checking every 5 to ensure that the stock hasn't reduced too far. Season to taste and let stand 10-15 minutes, ensuring it remains warm.

*Might work with the marinade still on

To Garnish:
Lemon
Cilantro
Ginger
Mild chili peppers

Peel and julienne the ginger; remove the seeds and top from the chilis, cut in half lengthwise, and thinly slice. Moderately chop the cilantro.

Cut the lemons into halves and lightly spritz the curry with one half, reserving the rest to serve on the side. Alternate bands of the ginger and overlapping lines of the chilis, then sprinkle cilantro over the top to form a light bed. Spritz with the lemon again and serve with roti.

(Presentation is up to you, but some variation of this is how I'd do it)

Quoted from Anum:
"you must obtain 2 lbs beef shank from the halal grocery store (i go to indus foods on san pablo & berkeley way -- talk to the butchers in the back).  wash the meat and cut it up into chunks (~2 inch cubes).  dice an onion.  saute the onion in some olive oil in the pressure cooker, and add the meat.  stir it to make sure the meat doesn't stick to the pot.  then, add 2 spoons each of minced garlic and ginger, 1 spoon of salt and 1 spoon of cayenne powder.  let this cook briefly, then add 4-5 cups of water and close the pressure cooker.  let it cook in there for 20 minutes on high after the thingy begins shaking, and then take it off the heat and let it release slowly.  then put it back on the heat and add 1 spoon garam masala, 1 spoon cumin and 2 spoons ground fennel.  stir and cook further for 15 minutes, adding more water if you think it is necessary given the curry to meat ratio.  then, dissolve 2 tsp flour in 1/3 cup water.  when the curry is boiling, add in the flour solution slowly, stirring all the while.  cook 10 more minutes on low heat.  some oil will float to the top which I am sometimes moved to remove but it's not necessary.  let me know if any of this is unclear! also, if you don't have some of these spices, I can give you those cuz you probably don't want to go out and buy ground fennel that you'll never use again.

this dish is usually eaten with rotis and topped with cut up cilantro, chilis and lemon."

2013-08-01 Squat

Erging yesterday completely murdered this. I think I know what happened to my bench on Tuesday.

Warmup - Comprehensive

Overhead Squat -
45x5x3
95x4x2
Harder than usual; my back's shot from yesterday.

Squat -
135x5
185x5
225x5
260x4x5
These were very unpleasant.
Yelled before each one, which helped a lot (as usual). Technique was questionable due to tiredness.

DB Row -
40x10x5
This one actually felt a bit better.
Probably see how this feels come dead day and possibly hit 45s next week.

GHR -
5x5
Harder than last week.

Rollout -
10x5
Repeat on deadlift day to see if it sticks. If it does, I'll go back to alternating with heavy front squat holds.

PU Retraction - 12
DB Protraction - 12 (double for right)
DB Retraction - 12 (double for left)

Felt dead, left early.

Diet Note

Today I didn't get off work until about 8pm, and found myself needing to consume a lot of shakes in a fairly short period of time. Having done so I feel a tad nauseous, so I'm making a personal note here (which also serves as advice for anyone copying me): You only need to get ~0.82g protein per pound of bodyweight. I probably should have stopped at 7 shakes, which would have left me feeling fine.

Live and learn.