Apple Cleanse

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and while I did workout, I also ate and drank like an idiot for three days. So, I decided to go on a 48 hour apple cleanse, which began last night at 5pm. I have done this before after holidays and have had success. It's very simple..eat literally nothing but apples for 48 hours. Drink water. Some coffee is allowed. There are no limit as to the amount of apples you can eat- you just can't eat anything else. If you are going to workout, keep it light.

At 5pm Sunday night, I weighed 228 pounds, which is the most I have weighed in quite some time.
9am Monday: 224
5pm Monday: 223
9am Tuesday: 219
5pm Tuesday: 219

I did workout tonight and probably went a little above "light", but didn't go crazy. Here's what I did:

12 neutral grip pull ups
1 mile run in ~8:00
.20 walk cool down
.75 mile run in 6:00
1:00 regular plank
Pulley Crunches: 150/20, 150/15
10 neutral grip pull ups

I was definitely more tired at the conclusion of this workout than I would have been had I performed the same workout under normal eating conditions.

I am definitely hungry, but I like the results. I also realize that a lot of the weight loss is simply due to the fact that the initial weight gain was due to an inordinate amount of eating and drinking in that three day period. Just stopping that alone would result in weight loss, whether or not I did an apple cleanse. The apple cleanse is simply a challenge to put me in the right mental framework.

At the conclusion of the cleanse tomorrow, I will have turkey and broccoli prior to my Strong 15, Week 4 night of overhead presses.

Strong 15, Week 3: Hex Bar Deads; Zerchers, Pull Ups, Biceps

Strong 15, Week 3: Hex Bar Deads
200/5, 235/4, 275/3, 315/2, 350/1, 365/1, 375/1, 315/3, 315/3

Zercher Squats
bar/10, bar/10, 135/5, 185/3, 235/5, 235/5, 240/5, 240/5, 240/5
    * Good 5X5 session.

Neutral Grip Pull Ups
9, 8, 7, 7, 7

Concentration Curls
25/15 each arm, 25/10 each arm, 25/10 each arm (short rest)

* Yesterday, I ran in the Ashenfelter 8K for the second year in a row. Due to all of my training, it went much better than last year. 

Strong 15, Week 3: Overhead Press; Planks, Chest, Pull Ups, Triceps, YTWs, Cardio

Strong 15, Week 3: Overhead Press 
bar/20, 83/5, 93/4, 108/3, 118/2, 143/1, 148/1, 153/1, 128/14 (14RM)

Planks
1:00 regular, 1:00 yoga, 1:00 regular, 1:00 yoga, 1:00 regular

Hammer Strength Bench Press
97/20, 187/8, 187/8, 207/4, 207/4, 207/4

Hammer Strength Incline Press
238/7, 238/6, 238/6

Neutral Grip Pull Ups (bodyweight)
8, 7, 8, 6, 7, 6, 6 

One Arm Pushdowns (Double Pulley)
45/15 each arm, 45/15 each arm, 45/15 each arm

DeFranco YTW's
10/7,7,7; 10/7,7,7; 10/7,7,7

Cardio
2.5 miles this morning...empty stomach, right out of bed... much more difficult this way. I am running an 8k on Thanksgiving morning. I will definitely need to eat something beforehand or I will never last.

Friday Workout

Hammer Strength Bench Press
97/15, 97/15, 147/10, 187/5, 187/6, 187/6, 187/6

One Arm T-Bar Rows (shout out to On/Apron for the recommendation)
50/10 each side, 75/7 each side, 75/7 each side, 75/7 each side

Hammer Strength Incline Press
188/15, 238/6, 238/5, 278/1 (just for fun)

Abs
Yoga Planks: 1:00, 1:00, 1:00
Pulley Crunches: 150/30

One Arm Reverse Pushdowns (Single Pulley)
20/15 each arm, 20/10 each arm, 20/10 each arm

* It's funny how with Hammer Strength machines, the incline movement is a lot easier than the flat movement. Floor Presses were starting to aggravate my shoulder, so I am going to mix in Hammer Strengths & the Smith for a while in my never ending quest to figure out what to do for chest. I've never really used the flat machine before, so we will see how it goes. Felt fine tonight.

* Thanks to On/Apron for suggesting the one arm T-Bar rows. This solves the problem of the dumbbells not being heavy enough for Kroc rows. Thank you, sir!

Strong 15, Week 2: Hex Bar Deads; Zercher Squats, Curls

Zercher Squats
bar/20, 138/5, 188/3, 238/8 (8RM)
          * Good 8RM. I could have done 9, maybe even 10, but I wanted to save something in the tank for deads, which I had to do second tonight because someone was using the hex bar.

Strong 15, Week 2: Hex Bar Deads
185/5, 235/4, 285/3, 325/2, 375/1, 405/1, 415/1, 335/3
          * I found a Strong 15 Excel sheet from a few years ago and discovered that I've been programming too heavy. So, next week, you will see the weights drop dramatically.

EZ Bar Curls
45/30, 1:00 rest, 45/20, 1:00 rest, 45/15, 1:00 rest, 45/12, 1:00 rest, 45/12

Back & Cardio

Kroc Rows
75/10 each side, 90/10 each side, 100/10 each side, 130/6 right side, 130/2 to 120/4 left side
     * 120's are the heaviest dumbbells in the gym. I tried holding a 10 pound DB with the 120. It worked OK on the right side, even though it was very awkward. I was not as successful with it on the left side, so I just abandoned ship. I wish there was a practical remedy to this issue.

Barbell T-Bar Rows
100/12, 125/7, 135/6, 150/4, 150/4

Shrug Machine

360/10, 360/10, 360/10

Cardio
3 mile run 

Strong 15, Week 2: Overhead Press; Incline Smiths; Pull Ups

Strong 15, Week 2: Overhead Press 
bar/20, bar/15, 93/5, 113/4, 133/3, 143/2, 153/1, 158/1, 163/1, 143/10 (10RM)

Incline Smith Machine Press
135/20, 185/10, 205/7, 215/5, 225/3, 225/3, 225/4

Neutral Grip Pull Ups (bodyweight)
7, 6, 6, 6, 7, 6, 6

Planks
1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00

DeFranco YTW's
10/7,7,7; 10/7,7,7; 10/7,7,7 

Cardio (yesterday)
3 mile run, followed by basketball 

Strong 15, Week 1: Hex Bar Deads; Zercher Squats (9RM)

Strong 15, Week 1: Hex Bar Deads
     466 plug in weight.
     185/5, 235/4, 285/3, 325/2, 375/1, 395/1, 410/1, 325/3

Zercher Squats
      bar/20, 133/5, 183/3, 233/9 (9RM)
          * 233/9 was brutal....after the 8th rep, I felt like I might pass out, but I fought for another rep. I had to lean on the bar and eventually sit down for a bit to catch my breath.

Single Pulley Pushdowns
55/20, 55/15, 55/12

Back & Cardio

Kroc Rows
70/10 each side, 90/10 each side, 100/10 each side, 120/12 each side
     * 120/12 is a rep PR. I can do the set straight through with the right hand, but I lose the grip around the 7th or 8th rep lefty. So, I have the put the dumbbell down and reset. 

Neutral Grip Pull Ups (bodyweight)
10, 8, 7

Barbell T-Bar Rows

100/10, 125/5, 125/6, 125/6

Shrug Machine

360/10, 360/10, 360/10

EZ Bar Curls

80/15

Cardio

I played basketball for the first time in over three months. It felt great to be out there again.  

Strong 15, Week 1: Overhead Press; Floor Press, Cardio

I'm going to run Strong 15 again for OHPs and deads.

Strong 15, Week 1: Overhead Press 
    188 plug in weight.
    bar/25, 95/5, 115/4, 135/3, 145/2, 155/1, 160/1, 165/1, 135/13 (13RM)

Floor Press
     bar/20, bar/15, 135/10, 155/10, 185/5, 205/4, 205/5, 205/4

Hammer Strength Incline Press
     188/13, short rest, 188/10, short rest, 188/6

Pulley Crunches
     150/30

Cardio
     2 days ago: 27 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill.
     yesterday: 28 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill.
     tonight:  27 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill.

Hex Bar Deads, Zercher 1RM (Video), Chest, Cardio

Hex Bar Deadlift
135/10, 225/5, 315/2, 365/1, 405/1, 435/1

Zercher Squat
bar/15, 133/5, 183/3, 223/1, 253/1, 283/1, 308/1 (PR) 

Video: 308/1

Hammer Strength Incline Press
188/15, 188/12, 218/7

Pushups
25

Cardio
20 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill- pretty difficult after doing heavy deads & squats.  

Back, Curls, Cardio

Kroc Rows
70/10 each side, 90/10 each side, 100/10 each side, 120/11 each side
     * I think 120/11 is a rep PR. I still struggle with the left handed grip.

Chins (bodyweight)
10, 7, 7

Barbell T-Bar Rows

100/12, 125/8, 135/6, 140/6

Shrug Machine

320/10, 360/8, 360/9

Poundstone Curls

42/63

Cardio

25 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill.  

OHPs, Zerchers, etc.

Overhead Press
bar/25, 93/5, 133/5, 153/2, 163/1, 173/3 (3RM), 133/12 (12RM)
      * Both RM sets felt really strong.

Zercher Squats
bar/20, 133/5, 183/5, 223/3, 243/1, 263/3 (3RM)

Pulley Crunches & Neutral Grip Pullups Super Set
120/20 PC, 10 PU
130/20 PC, 7 PU
130/20 PC, 7 PU

Pushups
25, 20, 15, 15