Training
HIIT Cardio:
a. 4 min skip
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy
c. 8 x 40 sec effort/20 sec easy
d. 4 min skip
Stretch 20 min.
Comments
***Just to give an indicator of where I am starting at (please note, that I may or may not comment on all the factors listed below in each 'update') . . .***
Sleep - Time and Quality: This has been one of the bigger issues for me, as I either have NOT been sleeping at all, or, when I do, sleeping for excessively long periods of time. My sleeping patterns have been out of whack since I arrived in the United States last July, turned inside out and back to front and everything else in between, and right now, the last few weeks, my body has settled into falling asleep between 0400-0600 and waking between 1200-1400, which is definitely far from ideal, and needs to be changed as soon as possible. I will be aiming to be waking/getting up at 0400 and falling asleep/going to bed between 2300-0000, a little different from my New Zealand schedule of waking at 0315-0330 and going to bed between 2030-2230, but close, and doable.
Mental Focus and Clarity: My mental focus and concentration have been largely affected by my energy levels and stress manageability. I have had to be on the ball for the most part, and this should improve greatly now that I am again using stimulants (i.e. BLACK CATS).
Energy: The last few weeks has seen me gradually get more energy - mostly due to the Anadraulic State GT and T-911 that I used two weeks prior to now. Before that, I barely had the energy to do anything, and any exertion I did make caused a compounding fatigue for days afterwards. Now that I am using stimulants again, I should 'wake up' and have the energy to get through the day as I should and need to.
Mood/Aggression: You don't want to know. However, my mood has been up and down and all over the place the last few weeks, due to many factors, and now that I am back training on a regular basis(albeit differently), I know that it is going to improve.
Stress: Whilst I am not going to be able to chemically see what is going on with my cortisol levels in my body re blood tests (since I am unable to get bloods done this time around - I miss New Zealand, where I was able to get - and having - bloods done weekly), I know my body well enough that I can tell what is going on by my physical appearance. Right now, I am so stressed that my cortisol levels are the highest they have ever been, and this is apparent through the changes that have occurred in my midsection over the last few weeks - although I have lost bodyfat overall, I have actually GAINED in my 'tyre', an indicator of cortisol.
Libido: My body reacts when my head does not. Usually, my libido is high, but over the last few weeks, the lack of training and not good high stress and circumstances have meant the fast on and off switch re desire. Back training again, and using several supplements that have shown to have profound effects in increasing libido might see a return to my 'normal' state.
Joints: Over the last few weeks, my left wrist has been giving me quite a bit of pain - the fact that I have started being active in a job that requires a lot of strain and pressure on my wrists has definitely affected this. And not just in my left wrist - which I broke in two places early last year - but also in my right wrist, and clicking, popping, and everything you can think of re pain, has been occurring on a regular basis in both . . . My knees are also bad - both of them, and bending/squatting, etc. is very painful . . . On top of that, I have perpetual issues with my lower back, from a back injury in 2004 that left me with crushed cervical vertebrae and a scoliosis to my right side. I pretty much have to 'click' my back back into place on a daily basis, relieving the pressure between my vertebrae . . . I stopped using any products for my joints a few months ago, but if this continues, I may start back on Osteo-Sport again.
Endurance: My endurance has suffered hugely - which is expected after so long not training. Drive should put an end to any issues here.
Strength: Despite my lack of resistance training, my strength has not actually suffered too badly - when it has, it is more due to issues that I have been having with my wrists. I'm also NOT training for strength. However, I DO lift as heavy as I am able for the sets/reps that I set myself each training session, so this should improve as I go along.
Quality of Training: I have only managed 2-4 training sessions over the last few weeks - and the ones that I HAVE done taking quite a bit out of me. HIIT has not been as explosive as it should be, albeit as fast as I have been able to make it. Resistance training has seen me lower my recovery time, in an attempt to make my sessions more intense, and that has been fine, although shorter than usual. Over the next few weeks, I expect this to improve significantly, where I am pleased with EVERY session that I do.
Recovery: I have suffered after almost EVERY session that I have completed over the last few weeks. The lack of IGF-2 in my supplement regime is a factor, as well as the fatigue. This will noticeably get better over the next week, and after that, I should be fine.
Pump: It's very easy to get a pump going when I am resistance training. My training over the next few weeks will not really be high enough reps to elicit a huge pump, but a hard pump should be got nonetheless some days.
Vascularity: Vascularity of late has been good. Regardless, I can see blue lines through my chest and legs at any time, and when training, ropes appear on my arms. As I get leaner, it will get even better.
Muscle Hardness/Density: The lack of and decreased resistance sessions have made a difference here - I definitely know when I am NOT training, as my muscles lose their hardness (and definition) throughout the day. It will be interesting to see what FREE TEST does here.
Body Composition and Look: Currently, I am the biggest that I have ever been in my life. Also the most uncomfortable. NOT training affects this factor the most, and training again will make a drastic difference in my physique in no time at all. I usually maintain 108-110 pounds at 8-10% bodyfat, but because of the last 13 weeks, I am embarrassed to admit that I start this phase at 124.6 pounds and 14.3% bodyfat.
Overall Sense of Feeling: This has been like the tide - high and low - over the last few weeks. Right now, I see myself as being at one of the lowest points I have ever been at in my life - and mentally, it is probably the lowest. However, when you hit the bottom, the only place to go is UP. I have great motivation, the best support crew, and a willpower and determination that will see me get back up, reach to where I was, and climb PAST it. My strengths became my weaknesses, and I learnt from that - yes, everything happens for a reason, even if we do not see it at the time - and now I am going to turn those weaknesses around, back into strengths, but different this time, so that I cannot fall like this again. There are major turning points and crossroads in everyone's life - this is one of mine.
