After my initial weight loss down to 203, back up again, and now down again, I've stayed pretty steady in the 201-202 range the last week or so.
The big difference I've noticed is my running workouts are going so much smoother, being able to maintain hard efforts better and going on longer than usual runs.
A majority of my runs are 1.5 to 2.5 miles, many times they are interval efforts in those distances.
A favorite of mine is 4/4/4, going 4 minutes easy, 4 minutes hard (think 5K pace) and 4 minutes easy. This gets me around 1.55 to 1.6 miles total, but the hard effort is what does the trick. Sometimes I'll add a little more and just make it a round 2 miles at the end of the run.
I have been mixing up speed interval runs with easy pace runs, such as what I've done on Monday and this morning.
Monday's run was 4/4/2/2, meaning 4 minutes easy, 4 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy, 2 minutes hard. It condenses a lot into a little bit of time, and this little 'trick' is what got me in great shape years ago.
I had a very busy summer of training athletes around the clock, so early morning runs were my only choice of time for getting in a workout. I read up on interval training and played a lot with interval sessions of short durations. I knew it went against the grain of conventional, long distance training programs, but I noticed when I returned to coaching the XC kids that summer, my times were better than theirs, even on less distances totaled per week.
My weight loss has now brought me back to feeling like I did a long time ago with my running performance. I feel I could knock out a good 5K time from a few years ago, when I was running the best that I ever ran.
My diet is still sticking with the basics of protein shakes for lunch, nuts and fruit for breakfast, and a good sized dinner with minimal snacking in the evenings.
The Achievable Body's program in the end has helped me out greatly, paired up with my running and biking workouts. The weight has stayed off and I should be dipping down under 200 shortly.
Take a good look at this program by visiting The Achievable Body's page today!
#WinTheDay
Coach Rick
More than just some at-home workouts - find solid programs and products to help you with your fitness goals!
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Fat Loss 7 Day Plan Results
Last week, I started up a 7 Day Extreme Fat Loss diet/exercise plan from The Achievable Body's extra offering.
The previous week, I started the 4 day detox plan at 209, dropped down to 203 after 4 days on it. After a weekend of reloading up on carbs, I went back up to 208.5 and 18.3% body fat.
I hit the workouts as scheduled until the last 3 days. Honestly, I did 3 of the 4 strength workouts and became really wiped out from them, becoming very sore. I scaled back and still stuck to the diet, changing the exercise plans to a KB Swings workout in place of the final strength routine, then following it up with an interval run on Saturday, plus an easy run on Sunday.
Weight and body fat percent changed a bit. I went down to 205 and 18%. Sticking to the same kind of diet plan (basically more sensible eating), I'm doing running workouts in the morning plus a bike ride on Monday afternoon. I'm now down to 203 and 17.5%. That's a 5.5 pound drop in weight since the start of the 7 day plan until today, which is roughly 10 days of time. It computes from 38 pounds of fat to 35 pounds.
I'm feeling lighter on my workouts, it is amazing how some small weight loss makes a difference on how you feel. My goal is to get to under 200 by the end of the week. I want to keep the momentum going.
The detox was quite the fluctuation, looking back at the numbers, but it didn't take long for the rebound in weight to go away either. One of the biggest changes is the bloated feeling I would have mostly every day. I think cutting back on pop has been a big part of it, essentially limiting it to the weekends now. I know the detox greatly reduced that.
If you're interested in this plan, take a look at why Vegetables on Fridays are Stupid. :)
Yes, you read that correctly.
http://tinyurl.com/wscab
The previous week, I started the 4 day detox plan at 209, dropped down to 203 after 4 days on it. After a weekend of reloading up on carbs, I went back up to 208.5 and 18.3% body fat.
I hit the workouts as scheduled until the last 3 days. Honestly, I did 3 of the 4 strength workouts and became really wiped out from them, becoming very sore. I scaled back and still stuck to the diet, changing the exercise plans to a KB Swings workout in place of the final strength routine, then following it up with an interval run on Saturday, plus an easy run on Sunday.
Weight and body fat percent changed a bit. I went down to 205 and 18%. Sticking to the same kind of diet plan (basically more sensible eating), I'm doing running workouts in the morning plus a bike ride on Monday afternoon. I'm now down to 203 and 17.5%. That's a 5.5 pound drop in weight since the start of the 7 day plan until today, which is roughly 10 days of time. It computes from 38 pounds of fat to 35 pounds.
I'm feeling lighter on my workouts, it is amazing how some small weight loss makes a difference on how you feel. My goal is to get to under 200 by the end of the week. I want to keep the momentum going.
The detox was quite the fluctuation, looking back at the numbers, but it didn't take long for the rebound in weight to go away either. One of the biggest changes is the bloated feeling I would have mostly every day. I think cutting back on pop has been a big part of it, essentially limiting it to the weekends now. I know the detox greatly reduced that.
If you're interested in this plan, take a look at why Vegetables on Fridays are Stupid. :)
Yes, you read that correctly.
http://tinyurl.com/wscab
Friday, April 22, 2016
4 Day Detox Results
I'll be real with you, these are my real numbers and real results.
I'm happy, shocked, but most of all, feel a heck of a lot better than I did 4 days ago!
I started on Monday with The Achievable Body's 4 Day Detox, weighing 209, 18.3% body fat.
That breaks down to 171 lean mass, 38 in fat.
Over the course of the 4 days, I've steadily dropped weight, but saw a slight increase in fat mass. I kind of expected this since the diet is pretty low in carbs and combined with my runs and bike rides, I'd burn off a lot of carbs in those workouts in general. After 2 days, I was 206 and 19%, losing 4 in lean mass and gaining 1 in fat.
After day 3, I was down to 204.5 and 19%. Fat was relatively the same at 39 pounds.
Day 4 was the big one, as I'm now down to 203, and a drop in fat too at 18.4%. Final numbers are 166 and 37. That's 5 pounds in lean mass and 1 pound in fat, even after a slight gain midway from 38 to 39. I know the first 2-3 days on this, I was eliminating a lot of this weight as well, if you know what I mean. I think that was a lot of the weight that was lost overall. Let's face it, 'that' weight isn't fat, it is waste. Couple that with the fact that the bloated feeling is down considerably, it explains what mostly happened on this diet.
Was this diet easy? Actually, yes!
Fruit & nuts, veggies or a smoothie, lean meats and greens to end the day. It took some discipline, but it was worth going through.
No crazy shakes or mixes or pills to take either, all food-driven.
I reported on my Winning Side Consulting page on Facebook that I struggled a lot with a speed workout on Wednesday. I basically felt a lot lighter (bloat around the waist is really reduced through this) and the weather was great...however I felt very low on energy without eating quite as much as I'm used to. I felt the energy was down, during my run.
On Thursday, I opted for a 10 minute HWR routine, finishing it off with 100 swings of the 40# kettlebell. It was just the right amount to work me, but not wipe me out.
I felt great enough this morning to attempt a 1.5 mile easy run to get my day started, ended up going for 2 miles at an easy pace. It's amazing how you feel after just a 6 pound drop in weight!
I can see why this detox is not a long-term thing. But I love the fact that most of all, the bloated feeling I have is virtually gone now. It really helped fix that up.
I also eliminated pop during this time, and I think that helped greatly as well. It's amazing how much better you feel after you've been used to about a pop each day, sometimes more on the weekends.
I think we have so many goofy things added to our foods, over a while, these bloated feelings just happen. Sometimes you have to just clean the body out for a few days and this 4 Day Detox did just that.
If you want to find out more about this Detox plan and also get a great diet & exercise package to go with it, then you have to check out The Achievable Body.
If you want special coaching to go along with it, directly from me, sign up today for $9.99 a month at WinningSideConsulting.com.
Coach Rick
Winning Side Consulting
I'm happy, shocked, but most of all, feel a heck of a lot better than I did 4 days ago!
I started on Monday with The Achievable Body's 4 Day Detox, weighing 209, 18.3% body fat.
That breaks down to 171 lean mass, 38 in fat.
Over the course of the 4 days, I've steadily dropped weight, but saw a slight increase in fat mass. I kind of expected this since the diet is pretty low in carbs and combined with my runs and bike rides, I'd burn off a lot of carbs in those workouts in general. After 2 days, I was 206 and 19%, losing 4 in lean mass and gaining 1 in fat.
After day 3, I was down to 204.5 and 19%. Fat was relatively the same at 39 pounds.
Day 4 was the big one, as I'm now down to 203, and a drop in fat too at 18.4%. Final numbers are 166 and 37. That's 5 pounds in lean mass and 1 pound in fat, even after a slight gain midway from 38 to 39. I know the first 2-3 days on this, I was eliminating a lot of this weight as well, if you know what I mean. I think that was a lot of the weight that was lost overall. Let's face it, 'that' weight isn't fat, it is waste. Couple that with the fact that the bloated feeling is down considerably, it explains what mostly happened on this diet.
Was this diet easy? Actually, yes!
Fruit & nuts, veggies or a smoothie, lean meats and greens to end the day. It took some discipline, but it was worth going through.
No crazy shakes or mixes or pills to take either, all food-driven.
I reported on my Winning Side Consulting page on Facebook that I struggled a lot with a speed workout on Wednesday. I basically felt a lot lighter (bloat around the waist is really reduced through this) and the weather was great...however I felt very low on energy without eating quite as much as I'm used to. I felt the energy was down, during my run.
On Thursday, I opted for a 10 minute HWR routine, finishing it off with 100 swings of the 40# kettlebell. It was just the right amount to work me, but not wipe me out.
I felt great enough this morning to attempt a 1.5 mile easy run to get my day started, ended up going for 2 miles at an easy pace. It's amazing how you feel after just a 6 pound drop in weight!
I can see why this detox is not a long-term thing. But I love the fact that most of all, the bloated feeling I have is virtually gone now. It really helped fix that up.
I also eliminated pop during this time, and I think that helped greatly as well. It's amazing how much better you feel after you've been used to about a pop each day, sometimes more on the weekends.
I think we have so many goofy things added to our foods, over a while, these bloated feelings just happen. Sometimes you have to just clean the body out for a few days and this 4 Day Detox did just that.
If you want to find out more about this Detox plan and also get a great diet & exercise package to go with it, then you have to check out The Achievable Body.
If you want special coaching to go along with it, directly from me, sign up today for $9.99 a month at WinningSideConsulting.com.
Coach Rick
Winning Side Consulting
Sunday, April 17, 2016
The Achievable Body
I've had a lot of success from doing programs created by Craig Ballantyne and Mike Whitfield. Mike has had a wonderful effect on the fitness industry as Trainer of the Year, twice, and as the "Finishers Guy".
Now, he has a new program that is also very affordable and worth taking a look at.
It is called The Achievable Body, a no-nonsense approach for fat loss.
I just bought it yesterday, reviewed the programs, videos and guides that I purchased.
I'm starting up the 4 Day Detox (which doesn't have anything fancy as a part of it, like I said, very "no nonsense"!) on Monday. I like the fact I don't have to take a special concoction of pills on this detox. It is going to be a lot of real foods and basically some protein shakes along with it.
There is also a 7 Day Rapid Fat Loss program, to help amp up my efforts after the detox.
I needed a good 'kick' and plan to follow, and this is just what is needed for me.
Something simple, no-fluff, and easy to follow.
Take a look at this very affordable program NOW and help it get you out of a stalemate to jumpstart your efforts!
Coach Rick
Now, he has a new program that is also very affordable and worth taking a look at.
It is called The Achievable Body, a no-nonsense approach for fat loss.
I just bought it yesterday, reviewed the programs, videos and guides that I purchased.
I'm starting up the 4 Day Detox (which doesn't have anything fancy as a part of it, like I said, very "no nonsense"!) on Monday. I like the fact I don't have to take a special concoction of pills on this detox. It is going to be a lot of real foods and basically some protein shakes along with it.
There is also a 7 Day Rapid Fat Loss program, to help amp up my efforts after the detox.
I needed a good 'kick' and plan to follow, and this is just what is needed for me.
Something simple, no-fluff, and easy to follow.
Take a look at this very affordable program NOW and help it get you out of a stalemate to jumpstart your efforts!
Coach Rick
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Another Double Kettlebell Day
I've had a decent past few days of workouts, mainly doing double kettlebell work and also getting a run outside in during the morning.
I'm mainly trying to balance out a cardio day then a kettlebell or bodyweight circuit day.
For example, last Saturday was a 10 minute Home Workout Revolution workout, Sunday was a 7 mile ride on the indoor bike, Monday was a double KB day of cleans, cleans & presses, and jerks. Tuesday was the first run I've been on in quite a while, and this morning was another double KB day.
Even the double KB workouts are following the 20/10, or 30/30 workout patterns that are found in the HWR series.
Weight loss is starting to come again with this kind of sequence of workouts.
I know some people love to bash cardio workouts, but I feel strength workouts of the KB and bodyweight nature help make you stronger for the cardio workouts.
I'm still a big believer in the effects of kettlebells on running performance. I feel this all will add up and help me once the spring weather improves and more outdoor workouts can happen.
Want to learn more of how the HWR system can help you find, create, and fit in brief workouts into a busy schedule?
I know you want to find out more, so take the action now and discover a wonderful program that has more workouts than programs 2-3x the cost of HWR.
Home Workout Revolution is your next solution!
I'm mainly trying to balance out a cardio day then a kettlebell or bodyweight circuit day.
For example, last Saturday was a 10 minute Home Workout Revolution workout, Sunday was a 7 mile ride on the indoor bike, Monday was a double KB day of cleans, cleans & presses, and jerks. Tuesday was the first run I've been on in quite a while, and this morning was another double KB day.
Even the double KB workouts are following the 20/10, or 30/30 workout patterns that are found in the HWR series.
Weight loss is starting to come again with this kind of sequence of workouts.
I know some people love to bash cardio workouts, but I feel strength workouts of the KB and bodyweight nature help make you stronger for the cardio workouts.
I'm still a big believer in the effects of kettlebells on running performance. I feel this all will add up and help me once the spring weather improves and more outdoor workouts can happen.
Want to learn more of how the HWR system can help you find, create, and fit in brief workouts into a busy schedule?
I know you want to find out more, so take the action now and discover a wonderful program that has more workouts than programs 2-3x the cost of HWR.
Home Workout Revolution is your next solution!
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Double KB Work Is Intense!
The last couple of weeks I've been doing Double KB Cleans and Jerks. My only equal pair of KB's are 35's and it is pretty well taxing after 10-15 minutes.
My routine is pretty basic:
5 reps of Clean & Jerks, rest until the 1 minute mark, do another 5. I basically do 5 reps at the top of each minute.
5 reps will take me around 25 seconds to do, so I rest 35 seconds. It is pretty close to a 1:1 work/rest ratio.
I have also tried doing 10 double cleans per minute, for 10 minutes, then doing 5 double jerks every minute for 5 minutes.
It is a very intense routine, and it keeps the workout short, brief, to the point, and on-task.
It only appears to be 15 minutes but it feels like a solid 30 minute session.
I've always gravitated towards single KB work and just alternating arms, but with double kettlebell workouts, you definitely feel the effects of loading two equal weights in each hand. Your abs, back, and hips can really become more engaged versus single KB stuff.
I can definitely see myself sticking with this for a while because its a great switch for me and is just what I need for a new challenge.
===========
Coach Rick
Home Workouts Plus
http://tinyurl.com/hwrevsale
http://occupyfirstplace.com
My routine is pretty basic:
5 reps of Clean & Jerks, rest until the 1 minute mark, do another 5. I basically do 5 reps at the top of each minute.
5 reps will take me around 25 seconds to do, so I rest 35 seconds. It is pretty close to a 1:1 work/rest ratio.
I have also tried doing 10 double cleans per minute, for 10 minutes, then doing 5 double jerks every minute for 5 minutes.
It is a very intense routine, and it keeps the workout short, brief, to the point, and on-task.
It only appears to be 15 minutes but it feels like a solid 30 minute session.
I've always gravitated towards single KB work and just alternating arms, but with double kettlebell workouts, you definitely feel the effects of loading two equal weights in each hand. Your abs, back, and hips can really become more engaged versus single KB stuff.
I can definitely see myself sticking with this for a while because its a great switch for me and is just what I need for a new challenge.
===========
Coach Rick
Home Workouts Plus
http://tinyurl.com/hwrevsale
http://occupyfirstplace.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Back at Home with the Kettlebells
The workouts lately for me have been all at home. I've done a couple runs outside when it was nice enough out, but a large portion of my workouts have been inside.
Kettlebells have been the norm, along with some bodyweight routines of the HWR nature. I'm adding more to the mix on the kettlebell side. After completing 10,000 swings in January, it was time to get after the other power exercises like cleans, clean and presses, and snatches.
I've kept it short in the 10-15 minute range on these exercises.
Cleans were done for 10 minutes in the 20/10 format, 10 per side on every 20s work, 10s rest pattern.
Clean & Presses were done with a single kettlebell, 5 reps per 20 seconds, following the 20/10 pattern again.
Snatches were done with 5 per side as well, getting 10 total every minute, following the 20/10 pattern too.
This morning's workout was a Double Clean & Press, doing 5 reps at the top of every minute. I did this for 10 minutes to start, and felt another 5 would be fine to shoot for. After 15 minutes of it, it was time to end it. I used the two 35# kettlebells I own for this routine. 35's are the only pair of kettlebells I own.
Double C&P's get taxing in a hurry. They are great calorie churners, from what I've seen the experts say. I believe them when they say that, too!
Getting back into the HWR routines has been going well for me, too. It feels good just to move your own bodyweight around and not worry about heavy weights swinging around each and every day.
There is a lot you can take from the HWR style of workouts. You can apply the same principles to kettlebell routines with some basic kettlebell exercises, mixed in with bodyweight ones.
See what you can do with the Home Workout Revolution here:
http://tinyurl.com/cbhwrevsale
---------
Coach Rick
Home Workouts Plus
Kettlebells have been the norm, along with some bodyweight routines of the HWR nature. I'm adding more to the mix on the kettlebell side. After completing 10,000 swings in January, it was time to get after the other power exercises like cleans, clean and presses, and snatches.
I've kept it short in the 10-15 minute range on these exercises.
Cleans were done for 10 minutes in the 20/10 format, 10 per side on every 20s work, 10s rest pattern.
Clean & Presses were done with a single kettlebell, 5 reps per 20 seconds, following the 20/10 pattern again.
Snatches were done with 5 per side as well, getting 10 total every minute, following the 20/10 pattern too.
This morning's workout was a Double Clean & Press, doing 5 reps at the top of every minute. I did this for 10 minutes to start, and felt another 5 would be fine to shoot for. After 15 minutes of it, it was time to end it. I used the two 35# kettlebells I own for this routine. 35's are the only pair of kettlebells I own.
Double C&P's get taxing in a hurry. They are great calorie churners, from what I've seen the experts say. I believe them when they say that, too!
Getting back into the HWR routines has been going well for me, too. It feels good just to move your own bodyweight around and not worry about heavy weights swinging around each and every day.
There is a lot you can take from the HWR style of workouts. You can apply the same principles to kettlebell routines with some basic kettlebell exercises, mixed in with bodyweight ones.
See what you can do with the Home Workout Revolution here:
http://tinyurl.com/cbhwrevsale
---------
Coach Rick
Home Workouts Plus
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