OWE14: W3 WOREP

I started the week out feeling a little sick and it's stuck with me. The combination of over-training and under-eating is started to take its toll on my strength.

D15: Rest

D16: Run

• .50mi/4:03, .25mi/2:02, .25mi/2:04 .50mi/4:24

Today, again, I failed during my run. My goal was to hit 3 sets of 2 laps each under 4:10. That's a pace of 12:30 for a mile and a half. My first set went well but on my second set, I just couldn't complete the second lap so I stopped, walked around, caught my breath and then hit the second half of it. I almost didn't perform my 3rd set but I dug down a little and knocked it out. 

I need to decide if I want to change my mile and a half goal from 12:30 to 13:00. But, more importantly, what I really need to do is learn to run at a metered pace. I was 7 seconds fast on my first .5mi, almost right on during my 2 .25mi laps and 14 seconds behind on my third lap. It was my 4th time running on the track since I started Op Waist Elimination nonetheless I should have been able to hit 3x .50mi runs today. I may be in trouble in Feb. 

D17: Push-Ups

• Push-Ups 20x5 sets

D18: Run & Chest/Tri

• Bench: 170x5, 205x3, 240x1, 255x5/4 sets
• 15:00 on treadmill @ 1.0% incline

Once again the temperature wasn't very much above 35 degrees. Instead of the rower today, I opted to run on the treadmill at a 1% grade. I started out at 6.7 mph (9:30/mi) and kept it there for 10 minutes before backing off a little to 6.2 mph to catch my breath and speeding up 7.2 mph to finish the 1.5. My time was 13:36 when the meter read 1.5mi. I walked the rest off at around 3.5 mph and my quads felt like they were going to explode by the time I was done. They quickly cramped up when I jumped off the machine.

I don't think it was a mistake to run on the treadmill. I know it's no substitute for the track. I put the grade to 1% to compensate for the difference. At the end of the day, I think it was more relevant to my goal then hitting the rower would have been.

D19: Squats/Abs & HIIT

•   Squats: 215x5, 255x3, 300x1, 320x5/2sets

I wanted to knock out 2 more sets of squats today at 320 but my legs were still trashed from the treadmill the night before. They were so shot, in fact, that I ditched all assistance work and finished with some cardio on the Arc Trainer just to get some blood in and out of them aiming to be able to run on the track in the following few days. 

D20: Delts/Bis & Low Intensity Cardio

• AxlePress from Rack: 123x3, 153x3, 183x3, 213x3, 228x5

Like yesterday, I was hampered by my sore quads so I stripped the bar after my 1 'heavy' set of Axle Press. One of my last workouts of 2013, I clean a 255 pound axle and knocked it out for 6 solid reps. There's no way I could have done that today. 

D21: Run & Abs/Back

• Run: Nonstop around track, 20:00

This morning was my D21 weigh-in... 253.0. Being much lighter than the first few times I ran, I decided to shoot for an endurance run and held a even pace of 20 minutes on the track today. I intentionally ran in the 6th lane so that I wouldn't be counting or attempting to pace laps. My legs were still sore from the treadmill run, it was windy, I didn't want to do this today. Every step past the 15 minute mark was a personal victory. 

I was supposed to hit Deads today after my run but my knee felt tweaked. The last thing I need is to blow it out while prepping for a fitness test. 

Week 3 Assessment
This week was the turning point in Operation Waist Elimination '14. The combination of over-training and under-eating has begun to take its toll on my strength and overall health. The first 16/17 days was pretty enjoyable and it was easy to hit the gym for these aesthetic-based slimming and trimming workouts. From this point on, it's all about using hatred of the AFI 36-2905 to fuel my training fire.

My 'heavy' sets in the Big 4 were completed at around 75% of my max. I should knocking these out for 10, 12, even 15 reps...   But I'm not and my pride is starting to suffer. Earlier in the week I found out that my test will be on Feb 13, 2014. I've really got to dig in and endure the final 17 days of this crash-cut. 

Goal tracking chart:

D18: 1.5mi in 13:36 on Treadmill at 1% incline
Not sure if that's comparable to running on a track but, it was better than not running at all - I hope

Week 4 Projection
I do not want to take a mock test again, well, not just yet. Being within 3 weeks of the actual test it would be a good idea to at least test all the components throughout the next week. Waist measure will be tough. For the 42" in the chart above I used a myo-tape. I won't have an accurate idea of where my 'Air Force Waist' is at until the day of the test. 

Airpower~!!

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OWE14 D11-20: 258.0-253.0

D01 - 01.06.14: 274.0
D11 - 01.16.14: 258.0
D21 - 01.26.14: 253.0

Today's goal was to come in between 253.0 & 248.0 pounds. After 20 day of Op Waist Elimination '14, I'm down 21 pounds: 

D21/1130: 253.0lbs Bodyweight

Goal for D31 (02.05.14) weigh-in: Bodyweight to be somewhere in between 248.0 & 243.0 pounds. I'll be surprised if I make it. I haven't seen a 240something on a scale since August of 2013. This week next 10 days is going to make the difference between passing and failing the test.

-Airpower!!

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OWE14: W1/W2 WOREPS

It would be very tedious for me post, and time-consuming for you to read every rep of every work completed over these 38 days. I think it's important to mention what muscle groups I completed on a daily basis or where/why rest days were taken  in addition to that I'll highlight, and comment on where necessary, where my weight of effort fell. 

Strength wise I'll be reporting main reps completed on the big 4: Bench, Squat, Dead and Axle Press as well as any exercise done for the express purpose of improving my 1.5 mile run time or Push-Ups/Sit-Ups for the impending fitness test. That should give us a decent starting point and keep these reports relatively short.

D01: Legs/Abs & C2 Rower

• Squats: 255x10/4 sets, 255x12
• 500m Rows @ Level 7, 6 reps
• 1:48, 1:45, 1:47, 1:46, 1:45, 1:44

I had wanted to hit to track today but the high in San Angelo was not much over 30 degrees and I didn't want to get sick so I settled for a Concept II Rower workout in lieu of running 6 laps (.25 miles each) with a rest in between each lap. It was comparable but a lot different as the C2 Rower beats my joints up a lot less than lugging 270+ pounds around the track.

D02: Chest/Tris

• Bench Press: 205x10/4sets, 205x12

D03: Back/Bis

D04: Air Force Physical Training

• Push-Ups: 30
• Sit-Ups: 30
• 3 laps on running track

Today at PT we had a mock PT test and my performance was shameful, to say the least. I would have failed every component that I tried out today. In terms of specifics, I'm 16 reps below my Push-Up goal, 18 reps below my Sit-Up goal and when I heard the timer say '9:01' as I finished my 3rd lap (.75 mile) I just stopped and walked off of the track, sometimes you do fail. I didn't need a mock PT test to know that I'd fail a real PT test and it wasn't really a 'wake-up call' as I was already well aware of my current state of fitness it was, however, sobering.

D05: Low Intensity Cardio Work

D06: Run & Back/Lats

• 1.5mile Run: Completed in 14:42
• Dead Lifts: 225x3, 275x3, 305x5/10 sets  

Today's run was a victory over D4's run when I ran 3 laps and quit. I needed to get my benchmark today so I could see how far I am from my goal and how much I need to improve. Over the course of the run I slowed down 5 times; 1 to tie my shoe, 
3 to walk and catch my breath and finally for a pastrami sandwich. Just kidding about the sandwich but I did fantasize about The Woody Allen served by Carnegie Deli. This 'run' was completed in 14:43, 2:13 longer than my desired end state goal of 12:30. It's a toss-up between if it will be most difficult to cut my run time or Air Force waistline.

D07: Delts

• Axle C1/PR: 123x3, 153x3, 183x5/10 sets

D08: Run & Legs

• Timed .25mi laps on track: 1:59, 1:55, 1:50, 2:03
• Squats: 235x5, 265x5, 290x10, 290x10, 290x12

My target lap time is 2:00/.25mi. That would give me an overall 1.5 mile run time of 12:00. That's 30 faster then ym end state goal but the theory here is like on that old Elementary School Lunchroom Poster; "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." The goal toady was to try to learn and get comfortable with a 8:00/mile pace. I should have run 6 total laps but I just didn't have it in me.

D09: Chest/Tris

• Bench Press: 190x5, 215x5, 230x10, 230x10, 230x11

D10: Back/Bis

D11: Air Force PT & Lower Body

• Run: 15:00, chugging along 
• Dead Lift: 275x5, 315x5, 345x3/10 sets

Today's PT session was good. My goal is to run twice a week minimum, always on Thursdays because that's when PT is. If the PT session doesn't satisfy my run goal for the day, I have to do extra. Today, the fragged session was in line with my run goal. The run goal was all about increasing my endurance. I went to the outside lap and chugged along for 15:00 non-stop and a pretty even pace. Admittedly is was a slow pace, but and even pace none the less.

D12: Delts/Tris

• Axle C1/PR: 125x5, 165x5, 205x3/10 sets

D13: Rest

D14: Rest

Weeks 1 & 2 Assessment
Overall, a good two weeks. No missed workouts and no short-changed workouts. I'm improving on the running endurance what I need to work on in the coming weeks is learning a run at an even pace. During my fitness test in '12 I was measured at a 34" waist, which meant max points and that had I metered my run, I would have come in with a total score of above a 90. That year my first lap was sub-1:40, much faster than my target, I threw up 3 times on the second lap and almost ended up failing the damn thing. I need to make sure that doesn't happen this year. 

Goal tracking chart:

Airpower~!!

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OWE14 D1-10 Results: 274.0-258.0

On D1 (01.06.14) I weighed in at 274.0 pounds of bodyweight, My goal at the outset of Op Waist Elimination '14 was the same as it is every time I'm on the Rapid Weight Loss program; to lose half a pound to a pound a day. I got on the scale the morning of D11... 258.0

D11/0515 - 258.0 pounds Bodyweight

I'm down 16 pounds of bodyweight in the first 10 days of the crash-cut. That's an average of 1.6 pounds a day, it's a little faster than it should be but, I'll take it.

With the training split I've put together for this round I haven't noticed a significant loss of strength yet but... It's coming. All and all I'll be prepping for the fitness test, and only on the RWL program for a total of 38 days. I'm hoping that the strength loss isn't too drastic.

My best recent overhead (Axle Clean/Press) was 303 Mid-Nov '13. Because overhead is my weakest area I'll only be tracking that in terms of strength loss. If at the end of this thing I can still put up 270 (around 90% of my max) I'll consider it a victory. When push comes to shove and I have decide between smashing weights and grinding out cardio, for the next 30 days, cardio' going to win. 

To recap...

Day 1: 274.4

Day 11: 258.0

I have no desire to continue losing over a pound a day and eventually it will slow down, hopefully I won't hit a wall in the next 10 days and I can stay within the 'half a pound to a pound a day' target range.

Goal for D21 (01.26.14) weigh-in: Bodyweight to be somewhere in between 253 & 248 pounds.

-Airpower!!

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OWE14: Starting Stats & Desired Endstate

Starting Stats

Last known Body Composition:

12.20.13- BW 265.20 @ 24.0% = 201.68 FFM / 63.53 FM

Last Bathroom Scale Weight:

01.06.14- BW 274.0 w/ 43" Air Force Waist

Mock Fitness Test Component Scores:

12.16.13- Push Ups: 38/Sit Ups: 40/1.5 Mile Run: 3/4Mi in 9 minutes, then I spit the bit and walked off the track.

If I were to be given an Pop Quiz PT Test - which I've heard is possible - at any point in the year, save the two weeks before my actual test, I'd fail it hands down. Why? Because while I'd like to own a Mr. America Physique I want even more to posses Herculean Power. As times goes on I inch ever closer to having the best of both world but I usually end up training more for Power and less for looks.

As long as I've been in the service I've heard the quip, "The enemy doesn't care how fast I can run a mile and a half." My personal version of that would be; "The Iron Mind Axle doesn't care how small my waist is." I've had conversations with numerous people, both military and civilian, about how silly some components of the test are but, at the end of the day, the standard is the standard. While rewrites and revisions come down the pike all the time, the waist tape and run probably aren't going to go away over the course of my career.

I've reached an acceptable - not ideal - balance of training like a wrecking ball and pounding calories like there's no tomorrow for the majority of the year and taking a little time off, a 'Ronadan' if you will, 6-8 weeks every now and then to focus on beating the AFI 36-2905. For most of my tests, expect the one I failed on 08.04.2007, I've managed to pull it off:

R.A. Strahan's Air Force Physical Health Assessment History

In recent history I've made some mistakes that I don't think I can recover from and that's going to play a role in my desired endstate, which I'll get to in a few paragraphs. I want to talk for a minute about how crash-cutting and my Body Transformation from '07, has become a gift and a curse.

I had not run since my last test on 02.27.13. A few days before the two week end of year break period we had a mock PFA which I failed, miserably, disgracefully even.I was barely able to complete 3 laps (3/4 mile) on the track. You'd think that I would have looked at the red flag for what it was and knowing my next test would be in Feb '14, gotten things in gear. Did I? No! 

Instead I decided to enjoy the little break time that I had with my wife and family, and enjoy it I did. From 12/23 to 1/6 I lived like I was going to die. I didn't lift a weight, didn't put my running shoes on once and indulged in all the fatty food I wanted to the tune of a 9 pound gain over the two weeks. Now... the 16,000 dollar question... Why?

Here it is... The gift and the curse of getting results is knowing that you can get results. This is not my first rodeo with crash cutting and beating the tape. I've done this many times and I have confidence in my ability to throw the discipline throttle into overdrive and do what needs to be done. At this point it's a little late in the game to shoot for a 90 but I am confident that I can pull at least an 80 out despite my current state, in about 6 weeks from now.

Desired Endstate

I've set some conservative goals this time around with the overall goal of achieving an 80 on the test.

Goals for Feb 2014 Air Force Physical Fitness Assessment

A 12:30 Mile and a half, 37.5" Waist, 46 Push Ups and 48 Sit Ups would give me a total score of 82.3 points. I have a little flexibility should something go wrong with either the run or waist and I may even come in above my goal on the Push Ups and Sit Ups.

What it'll mean to achieve these goals is;

- Double my current max run distance and shave probably close to 3 minutes off of it

- Slash 5.5" off of my Abdominal Circumference measure (a reduction of 25-30 pounds of body weight)

- Add 8 reps to my current Push Up max

- Add 8 reps to my current Sit Up max

In order to do this I'm going to have to reorient my food intake, change my training routine and start hitting the track to align every aspect of my physical efforts towards losing half a pound to a pound a day, decreasing my waist and increasing my muscular endurance. This will be no easy task but, as I said above, I'm confident in my abilities.

With the main goal of scoring an 80 I may not have to get as drastic as I have in the past. In the past I've always shot for a 90 and ended up sacrificing much more Fat Free Mass than I'd like to and post test it takes a while for the strength to return.

I plan on competing in Texas's Strongest Man in April In San Antonio in the 265 class. As a secondary goal - which isn't nearly and measurable as the primary goal, I'm going to try to keep as much strength and Fat Free Mass as possible. I'll plan to start out that way and keep a close eye on my markers to make sure I'm losing enough as the coming weeks unfold.

Progress Reporting 

I've come to accept that I'll probably never be able to document any body transformation efforts or strength follies as well as I did in 2007. For instance, I did get on the scale on 01.06.14 to see that I was 274 pounds, I neglected to get a photo or video of it or take a "before pic". But also, in the end neither of those actions would have a direct impact on getting me around the track faster. 

It begs the question; 'if it doesn't have a direct impact on goal achievement, why blog or document progress at all?' The answer is two fold. 1) On some level it keeps me accountable to the passerby that's kind enough to 'like' a post, share one of my vids or offer the occasional words of encouragement. 2) Through the years I've been able to motivate a fellow Airman or two to take responsibility for their state of health and save their own career here or there by 'beating the tape'.

I plan on posting a weekly roll-up of exercise activity - nothing too in depth, at the very least just some numbers on the Big 4 and what I've been doing on the track. Also, a scale check about every 10 days, adding Body Composition Analysis tests when I can make and appointment over at the BodPod.

The parameters of the game have been laid out. The board is set. Pieces are now in motion; here we go...

First Bodyweight Benchmark Goal;

BW on 01.06.14: 274.0

BW goal on 01.16.14: 269.0-264.0 (.5 lbs to a pound a day)

Also... Get on the track and knock out the whole 1.5 mile in one shot to get an actual time to improve on.

Let the cut begin.

Airpower~!!

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OPERATION: WAIST ELIMINATION 2014 CONOP

2013 was a mixed bag for me strength wise. On one hand I placed 3rd at NAS Pol/Fire/Mil Nationals, broke and retired the NAS HWT Conan's Wheel Record, and finally hit a 300+ pound overhead press. On the other, 2013 was the first year since I started competing in NAS that I did not qualify for Nationals. 

23NOV13: 303 Axle Press
Olympic Gym, San Antonio, TX

Not that in mattered because just after Halloween in '13 I packed up the Stronghold of Strength and headed to Texas for another stint of military training at Goodfellow AFB. I left home after NATs would have been but with everything going on, I wouldn't have been able to properly train for it. 

Admittedly, I didn't do much expect smash weights, pound calories and get fat from the time I competed at PFM NATs until about a month after I finally got all set up in San Angelo. A series of setbacks and a list of things that needed to happen had my focus on matters more pressing than my overhead and sometimes, I just get lazy.

What are you going do? Life happens and when you're training on the fair-weather split in the off season you've got to let it take it's toll on the routine and suffer the consequences. 

When I returned from Thanksgiving break, I got back on the Holy Grail Diet and stayed on it until year end break; like before saw legit results of simultaneous fat mass loss and fat free mass gain (measured by the BodPod).

The problem is, I found too many excuses, missed too many workouts, got too lazy and grew far too fat in the off-season; I've backed myself into a corner. I have an Air Force Fitness test in Febuary and in the days of downsizing, I need to downsize my waist before the Air Force downsizes me. 

Aside from the impending waist measure and mile and a half run, even though I've marked some decent numbers, I'm not strong enough to justify my bodyweight and I'm carrying around little more fluff than I'd like to. 

This happens every year, an epic battle between amateur strongman Ronald A. Strahan and the big, bad AFI 36-2905. Every year since I got the first piece of paperwork for failing a PT test, I suck it up, put hammer down and cheat on the Air Force Physical Fitness Test. It's not the 365 fitness life that they want me to live but the crash-cut way of life, the life they DON'T want me to live, hasn't failed me yet going back to '07:

Again, like in '07, my strength is not on par with my bodyweight, again, like in '07, I've got to shape up or get out. I've tried some different things during the cuts since '07 but I've learned what works the best is what worked back then.

I test sometime in February of '14. It's time to turn my back on pounding weights and smashing calories and once again pursue a high-rep training, a six lap run and a streamlined midsection on par with a late 50's/early 60's Mr. America. For the amount I run my mouth, it's probably for the best for my long term health. If I didn't join the USAF and have to conform to the fitness standard, I have no doubt that at some point in my life you'd see rescuers cutting the wall off of my house to get me to the hospital.

From now until D-Day... It's goodbye strength and self-respect / hello vanity workouts and cardio.

I'll be back with updates and results...

Airpower~!!

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