Training Log - Up to August 21 2009 + Composition Progress + Ramadhan/Next Posting Training

For the most part, training continued like usual. The only thing worthy of note was that I remembered incorrectly my parameters for my front squat day last Thursday, leading to some major muscle fatigue from too much weight, especially when added with the single leg squats yesterday. My right glute is painfully sore, as well as both of my adductors. My left glute isn't sore, but it's feeling especially week.

Ramadhan, added with next posting, presents itself with problems to have my usual 4 week training cycle. I'll get another week of training during/after exams (which will be max effort), with the holidays as built-in complete deload. After that, there'll be only 2 weeks before another break secondary to the Raya holidays. After that, there'll be 6 weeks left before another holiday. This means that I'll have to alter my training to get the most out of the time available.

Training will continue after Tarawih prayers, with studies before breaking fast and after training. The gym closing at 12 every night for the fasting month helps with that purpose. Diet will continue like my last Ramadhan: light breakfast, heavy breaking with 1 whole chicken + veges. Added carbs will be according to my training schedule as is currently. The problem is with setting the parameters.

For the 2 weeks before Raya, I will train by my normal increase in overload (+ 5 kg for lower body, 2.5 kg for upper body) or by increased 90% 1Rm based on next week's training, as I'm planning on breaking all of my PR's, hopefully at least 15 kg for deadlift, 5 kg bench press, 10 kg front squat, and 5 kg shoulder press. Whichever is bigger will determine my training parameters.

Week 1 will by a high week, with Week 2 max effort week. Since there is no medium week, I'm not comfortable with adding weight after the Raya break. Here's the breakup for the next 6 weeks after Raya before the next post-exam break*:

Week 1: Medium - Using the same loading parameters as the 2 weeks before Raya

Week 2: High

Week 3: Max

Week 4: Delaod

Week 5: High - Usual increase in training parameters

Week 6: Bodyweight circuit

Week 7 (Post exam): Restart High-Med-Max-Deload Cycle, with same parameters as week 5

For pre-Raya, I will set my reps to default 5/3/1 (medium/high/max). For post-Raya, I will add 3 reps to all final sets (8/6/4). No PR attempts during max weeks for this period (surgical posting).

1st day of Ramadhan is an interesting time to measure by composition progress. I've just finished my Medium week, and had an extraordinarily large refeed yesterday: 2 regular pans of pizza, all to myself. I'm not too surprised though, as I've missed 2-3 proper dinners this week, replacing them with just a small amount of dark chocolate + protein powder. Added with my plan of no carbs post-training for Medium week, and extreme hunger was the result. 1st pan finished on the drive back to the hostel, the 2nd finished about 15 minutes later.

Nevertheless, the results are very interesting. These are taken about an hour ago, in which for sahur before fasting I ate my usual b'fast of 33 g of Toblerone (dark chocolate variety), and 2 scoops (instead of 1) of protein powder, along with almost 2 liters of water (yes, being a heavy sweater, I can drink that much without problems). Here they are:

Weight: 84 kg

Neck: No change (15 in)

Arms: No change (14 in)

Forearms: No change (12.5 in)

Chest: No change (41 in)

Waist: + 1 (39 in)

Hips: No change (41 in)

Thighs: -1.5 (23 in)

Calves: + 1 (16.5 in)

Impressions:

I've lost weight while increasing strength, but with a change in my fat distribution - less subcutaneous fat, but more visceral fat. The increase in visceral fat (shown by the waist) was not surprising, considering that training during elective posting was literally stress-free, compared to training during the studying period. The amount of subcutaneous fat loss is pretty big; loss of 1.5 in to each thigh is a lot, considering that my lower body strength continues to increase disproportionately to my upper body. That means that there was a whole lot of fat there to begin with! The same impression is what I get as well from the fact that my chest-arms-forearms-hips are stronger yet the same size; more lean mass, less subcutaneous fat. Adding 1 inch to my calves is just icing on the cake, despite no direct calf training.

Overall, I'm happy with the steady progress, and so I'll keep my current regime of training for strength, dieting for fat loss.

*I'm considering whether I can insert bodyweight circuits into the Raya break at my grandmother's place; the only issue is whether I can find a place to do chinups or at least upright rows. If it's possible to do that, I'll do the circuits then, and have the post-exam week as a complete deload.

By the way, happy fasting during the month of Ramadhan, and all the best for the first exam of final year to the IIUM medical students. Having exams during the 1st week of fasting is not fun, but it's an interesting challenge.

EDIT: I forgot that there is no break after block 2 exams. Parameters changed to reflect that.