Greg's Log - or... How I'm Kicking Type II's Ass

[greggerd]

I think I'll start up a log, a place to park my daily toils, and my randomness.
A bit of background first is needed I think so you get where I'm coming from.

I'm 52 and I started lifting weights again in Nov 2009 after not touching one since 1979 (my senior year in HS)... So for those 30yrs in-between, I drank and smoked and pretty much ate whatever I pleased... This despite watching my Dad struggle with his DM, and dealing with his quintuple bypass as well... Yeah, I wasn't getting the message I guess...
You know what's next right?
Yep...
In my early 30's I was started on two meds for high BP...
In my early 40's I was started on two meds for high blood sugars...
Hi I'm Greg and I'm a Type II diabetic...

After some time on the BS meds my numbers were still trending up. in 2008 I decided to start hitting the cardio hard... I got fitter (relatively speaking) but my A1C's were still trending upwards. Wth? Maybe I was pre-dispositioned to this and there was nothing I could do. The Doc says to get the belly fat off!
But no matter how much treadmill/stepper/dynamic exercises I did it stayed put.
For several years I had a very bad right shoulder, in March 2009 I decided to get it fixed. I had a sizable tear in the cuff as well as some issues with the clavicle and acromion bones being separated and actually crossed over each other... no wonder I had impingement issues! After 5wks in a sling I was allowed to start therapy... I followed the advice, but I also did thousands of reps on the Freemotion cable machine, working, working, working...
I rocked my rehab in weeks vs. months and was released on my own recognizance... On my own I moved to DB's as well as other machines.
It felt good to "work out"... In Nov 2009 I decided to try and relearn lifting.
I switched gyms from the "big box" gym to a local "club" gym, Sean Harley's IThinkFit Gym here in Omaha.
For the next year I attended the 3-day/wk weight training class. Boy it was rough setting the ego aside and start from scratch! At 49 I was 2x's the age of the other dudes. But I did and guess what? I started getting strong, started seeing my inner athlete come out... but even better... my BS numbers changed.
Mid Jan 2010, just 10wks after starting my Doc halved the dosages and could not believe my progress "whatever you're doing, keep it up...".
In Aug 2010, he dropped the Actos and Metphormin altogether! BOOM!

Bored yet? Hope not... read on...
So now what? I'm off meds... Diet is of extreme importance now!
In Dec 2010 I decided to step it up, see how far I could take it.
I started PT 2x's per week with Harley + 3 days on my own (5-day split). By June I was ready for my 1st show. I had a great time showing off my progress and placed 3rd in my Masters 50+... I was far from being pro status but I was psyched at the response I got from fellow competitors, etc...
I added one more show in Nov 2011 and placed in both 40+ and 50+ divisions...

2012 I had planned to do even better and add more shows... but, best laid plans and all that... My Dad's health deteriorated, he had been on dialysis now for a while but now not responding well, many trips to the ER, etc...
He passed in July 2012 from complications of his poor management, renal failure and a host of associated ills. I had kept up my training and diet, but no way was this at show prep level... He was always proud of me for turning my health around, I promised to keep it up and be there for my own Grands.
Now for the "silver lining", also 2012 was a great year for telling my story about kicking Father Time in the grapes and reversing my Type II through weight training and diet. Several websites ran the story, I hope you may have seen one or two...

So, there it is... Feel free to ask me anything, I have no secret formula just work hard and keep my nutrition in check... I continue to tweak both always!
I'm not the most muscular nor am I the most ripped up, but my drive to get there will always be... You fellow oldsters that are at that level, know your my inspiration and my goal...

Ok, enough of that, let's show some work...

Greg

[greggerd]

As of the 1st of Feb I've been doing a 4-day split...
Yesterday (Monday) was Leg Day #1:
(from JEFIT app)

Session #1:

Narrow Leg Press
570
Set 1 : 180x10
Set 2 : 270x10
Set 3 : 360x10
Set 4 : 450x8
Front Squat Machine Squats
520
Set 1 : 180x10
Set 2 : 270x10
Set 3 : 390x10
Hack Squat
432
Set 1 : 180x10
Set 2 : 270x6
Set 3 : 360x6
Leg Extensions
316.67
Set 1 : 190x10
Set 2 : 220x10
Set 3 : 250x8
Standing Leg Curl
126.67
Set 1 : 80x10
Set 2 : 100x8
Set 3 : 100x8
Lying Leg Curls
114
Set 1 : 90x8
Set 2 : 90x8
Set 3 : 90x8
fitness ball leg curls
N/A
Set 1 : 0x20
Set 2 : 0x20
Set 3 : 0x20
Standing Calf Raises
333.67
Set 1 : 182x25
Set 2 : 182x25
Set 3 : 182x25
Set 4 : 182x25

[greggerd]

Recently I started "2 a day's"... Lifting at 7am + cardio over lunch or in the evenings...

Monday Session #2:
Some light sprint intervals + stair work outdoors
Running
N/A
Calorie : 878 CAL
Distance: 4 mile
Speed : --
Lap/Rep : --
Duration : 01:02:00

[greggerd]

Today's morning work: Chest/Back

Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
285
Set 1 : 155x10
Set 2 : 185x8
Set 3 : 205x8
Set 4 : 225x8
Dumbbell Incline Fly
80
Set 1 : 30x10
Set 2 : 40x10
Set 3 : 50x10
Set 4 : 60x10
Cable Lower Chest Raise
80
Set 1 : 30x10
Set 2 : 50x10
Set 3 : 60x10
One Arm Cable Lat Pulldown
228
Set 1 : 90x10
Set 2 : 120x10
Set 3 : 160x10
Set 4 : 180x8
Wide Grip Seated Row
152
Set 1 : 100x8
Set 2 : 110x8
Set 3 : 120x8
Straight Arm Push Down
80
Set 1 : 50x10
Set 2 : 60x10
Set 3 : 60x10

[Mac]

Welcome to RX Greg. Glad to have you here logging! You've made excellent progress.

I started back lifting again at age 50 and wonder why I let so much time go by without getting back to the weights.

[greggerd]

Thanks for the welcome...
Now, now... no "shoulda, coulda, woulda's" are allowed, Haha!
The important thing is we're doing it, and proving WRONG those who would say you can't grow after a certain age... or... you can't fight the inevitable... It's just plain BS

[greggerd]

I would be remiss if I didn't also let you all in on my diet... Here it is.
It will not always be a BB'r diet per se. But it's what I have to deal with in order to:
A. Be healthy
B. Keep my BS level throughout the day

I track my macros of course (esp carbs); My last lab work, yes I still need to do that, showed a high creatinine level (urine) so... you guessed it, Doc hates whey Iso of course, suggests strongly I back off temporarily until the next round so it will seem stupid low!
Good news though, I can increase my carb intake (doubled!) providing its split:
6 "meals" = 3 meals + 3 snacks
60g each meal + 15g each snack = 225g Carbs/day (woo hoo!)

So, broken down it looks like this:
95g Protein (380 kcals)
225g Carbs (900 kcals)
60g Fat (540 kcals)
that's 1820 total kcals/day

Timing is typical of most probably:
Meal #1 - 6am (also pre w/o)
weights at 7am
Meal #2 - 8:30am (also post w/o)
cardio at 11am
Meal #3 - 12:30pm
Meal #4 - 3pm
Meal #5 - 6pm
Meal #6 - 9pm

Thoughts? please, I'm always "tweaking" this so don't hold back.
I don't drink, don't smoke, what do I do? (apologies Adam Ant)
Pretty much the same stuff everyone else eats...

[greggerd]

I did park some before/afters if you are interested...
http://forums.rxmuscle.com/showthrea...58#post1911458

[mrky03]

Welcome aboard! I would starve on that! Lol

[greggerd]

Exactly right? I'm used to more like 3400/day when trying to grow... And all protein as I am basically a "carb-a-phobe"... 225g is scary to me...
Well like I said, it isn't going to always look BB'r correct, but in order to make the Doc happy and stay off the meds it's her way or... lol

thx for the welcome!

[greggerd]

Just back and cooling down from a brisk walk over lunch in-between meetings...
Fyi... I use a HR belt and the "Digifit" app on my phone.
Aren't gadgets fun?

Dist: 3.25
Dur: 50min
Avg BPM: 122
Max BPM: 150
Avg Pace: 15:27
Cals: 564
40% from Fat

700 from this AM + 564 from my walk = awesomness

[greggerd]

Cardio training... Personally, I get bored on a TM or a stair mill...
Waaaaay back I was a sprinter, damn good too, so I incorporate it into my cardio.
I get some LISS in every other day or so, but when i do my HIIT I have two options.

1. Track Day! I hit the local High School track and bust out some 100m, or 40's on the infield.
I still have some disillusion of grandeur I think...

2. Stair work! I do the following routing 2-3x's per week. There's a trail right outside my office
door and about 1.75mi to the north this is what is waiting for me:

stairs.jpg

The routine breaks out like this...
1.75mi of sprint intervals @ about 18min
Then 20min of as many sprint up/walk down's I can
Then it's the 1.75mi grind back to the office, 20min tops

In this power hour I can easily burn over 1K...

Bonus: My office now smells of VICTORY!
and no co-worker wants any part of that...

[greggerd]

Because I'm so productive at work today... I'll post up one more gem...
This last Sat was the IFBB Omaha Pro & NPC Duel of Champions here.
Guest posing by:

branch1.jpg

Big Branch Warren...
Good show! Lots of friends were in it... Of course I yelled the loudest for all the boys and girls in the "Masters" classes.

[greggerd]

I hadn't given my shoulders a proper workout yet this week. Normally throw in a couple of exercises on my "Upper" day... Thought I'd do it today:

Stand Military Press - 4sets
Seated "palms in" One Arm DB Press - 3sets
Front Plate Raises - 3sets
SS w/Bb Front Raises - 3sets
DB Lat Raises - 6sets (incl drop sets)
Cable High Rear Delts - 3sets
DB Bent Over Rear Delts - 3sets
Low Pulley Row to Neck - 3sets

They were loving me after all that...

[greggerd]

And gentle readers... back from one hot ass cardio session outside...
Run/Stairs/Run...
As laid out above; just a lot more sweat

730cals this AM + 985cals just now... no excuses