Day 90 - Yes!

From 230 lbs (104.3 kg) to 185 lbs (83.9 kg) for a 45 lbs (20.4 kg) loss in 3 months. Beyond that, strength and flexibility that I haven't had in ages, not to mention a physical aesthetic that has me spending far too much time staring at myself.

I could hardly be more thrilled with my results over the past three months. Forget the freakin' numbers, the tale of the tape is the real story here:

Day 1 Front

Day 1 Side - Looks like a smirk, as if to say... this seems silly

Day 1 Back

Day 90 Back 

Day 90 Front

Day 90 Arms - I fuckin love this shot... might have to make a poster out of it or get Patrick to swap out my goal photo of Hugh Jackman.

Day 90 - Uhhhhhhh, simian pose?

Its always funny how no one is ever smiling in the Day 1 photos. It definitely wasn't deliberate... maybe its a subconscious thing like your body is just projecting how unhappy it is.

Altering or Shopping, that is the question... and these are just the pants

Obligatory

I can honestly say that I never cheated when it wasn't out of necessity due to circumstance. And then, just barely. No salt, ever. No sugar, ever. I didn't even touch olive oil even though it was allowed in moderation. I was laser focused on burning up as much fat as possible over the course of the project. I knew I had a load to lose, but had never been particularly motivated to do so since I wore my weight fairly evenly around my body. It wasn't all on my belly or all in my face. It was everywhere so it never really looked particularly like I was massively overweight. And let's face it, living in the US, comparing yourself to the masses (and I do mean that, in every sense) doesn't exactly set the bar very high. Of course, the latest before and after pics beg to differ, but my perspective at the time was, well, I'm not that overweight, and when I have clothes on no one can really tell, so what's my impetus to lose weight?

But the reality was that I was doing a massive disservice to myself having to lug all that weight around. 45 freakin' pounds. That's really hard to imagine. Not to mention that I'm fortunate enough to live in a part of the country where you are really missing out if you don't spend part of your life outdoors. Being overweight and generally lacking energy meant that I wasn't ever taking advantage.

Massively arduous at times, and I never felt like I ever mastered the skips, but on balance I have so much more to be proud of physically, let alone the knowledge to build on as a basis for continued health and strength. The next challenge will be in remaining true to what we've learned, not letting myself relax back into old patterns of food and inactivity, and generally making PCP a part of my life and not just a blip on the screen.

So, huge thanks to everyone involved, and what sort of blog post from me would it be without a list of some sort?

1. All the Pucksters (and honorary Pucksters Tracy, Conny, and Kevin): I feel like we really lucked out, or Patrick performed some sort of black magic to get us all together. We totally gelled as a group, through literal thick and thin. Everyone made an effort to stay involved, stay in touch, provide encouragement, respond to blog posts, post pictures in a timely fashion, and provide commentary and entertainment throughout the process. I admit I had no idea just how much I would look forward to the social aspect and you guys never disappointed. Just wish we could be there for the big HK reunion to witness the actual clash of the PCP titans! Anyway, thank you guys so much! It definitely wouldn't have been the same doing this in a vacuum...
2. The largely unsung hero Chen: what can I say, never a peep, but given the 80% diet/20% exercise formula, Chen may have had the largest physical impact on us of all. 
3. Patrick for putting it all together, providing constant and timely feedback and having the unenviable task of herding all the cats, and teasing more out of us than we know we are capable of. How you manage the workload is beyond me!
4. My brother, PCP alum and musclebound showboat Alexander. What can I say, he set the bar by doing what we all thought sounded a bit crazy at first but absolutely rocked it and had just crazy results. Thanks to him for getting us into PCP and providing that first tangible taste of what was possible.
5. And of course Kim! Through all the veggie farts during the aptly named "push-through" portions of 8MA, motivating me out of bed, providing feedback on my skipping, genuinely delighting in the little food experiments, and putting up with my likely overbearing militant attitude to the whole thing. You look like a million bucks! Muah!

My only regret: not being able to find a suitable blue and white spandex outfit for my final photos out on the lawn...

Day 89 - Pain don't hurt

Well, that's not entirely true... Penultimate day and just wrapped up the workout. Supersets were a real mixed bag:

1. Jumprope: First set were kind of crap. My knees were kind of "giving out". Very wobbly. It was weird and not at all familiar. Even moreso considering that the second set was pretty darn good... back into the 100s sans trip up. I foresee a long road ahead though before the jumprope and I are proper friends.
2. Legs: Pah! 5 sets of 24? No problem! Well, little "problem"... my knees were making a truly awful crunchy clicky sound. I bounded upstairs to demo it for Kim and she looked horrified and disgusted (she's good at that... I give her plenty of reason to practice though, to be fair). Still, was able to kill these, no flopping around or energy issues.
3. Back & Chest: Sweet mother of pearl... these were excruciating! Staying true to the 20 second delay between sets was done, but it was killer. I was a bit disappointed not to be able to get back to at least 8 proper pull-ups again, at least for the last proper PCP workout, but I do feel like I squeezed every last ounce out of this superset. To the point where I nearly faceplanted on the last pushups as I was at my absolute limit.
4. Biceps, Triceps and Shoulders: Talking with Kim afterwards it seems we had a similar experience with this... masochistic here, but I think I could have stood to have more triceps reps in this superset if it was meant to be up to major burn and failure. Maybe 18-20, rather than 15. I presume that cycling through the other exercises plus the between sets delay meant that they were getting a significant rest vs. the tricep specific workouts from before... Curls, were likewise not too bad, but again its probably my one strong suit. Shoulders on the other hand. I started off with a tighter band and quickly realized that was a mistake and had to transition back down to a lighter resistance. Throughout PCP, shoulders have been probably the one muscle group that burns all the way through each exercise, every time. I'm not complaining though as they have been doable, and being able to stay in the burn for that long has really meant I've packed on some serious muscle there.
5. Abs: Failure on these is a really weird thing... First off, I am admittedly terrified of hurting myself on V-sits. Specifically my back. Maybe its because I don't have the voice of 8MA's Spandexo in the background telling me that he will never hurt me. Whatever the reason, great trepidation accompanied each set of v-sits throughout PCP, even though there has been a sea change from my early beached whale (see what I did there?) iteration of the exercise to now doing 30 odd in a go (as always a precipitous dropoff in the subsequent sets). Still, improvement is improvement, so I'll take it. As mentioned, Planks are likewise an odd failure exercise. Not sure I ever made proper friends with that particular pain and general awkwardness. Again, vast improvement (1min 45sec, no prob) but I have that nagging feeling I left a little in reserve...

I feel like Kim and I have been utterly spoiled being a day behind everyone else... you guys have had to test out all the fresh horrors that Patrick had in store well before us, and scramble to get the food and diets in order the day of... Anyway, thanks for making our lives so much easier during PCP! Suckers!

Day 88 - Oh la la

Today
Lovin' the local farmers market... fill a massive bag full of as many veggies as you like for $10! So we cycled home with 6 squash, 2 cucumbers, 2 jalapenos, 6 chili peppers, a bag of roasted chili peppers, some number of fresh beets, and 8 tomatoes. We also picked up a bag of fresh peaches, one of which I am enjoying as I write this... Oh, and one more thing that is just soooooo Colorado: there was a yoga competition going on at the outdoor theater space adjacent to the marketplace. Seriously. A yoga competition. Strikes me as a peculiar thing to be a competitive sport, but what do I know... I think Kim was itching to get up there and show off her chops though, so it certainly brought out the competitiveness in her.

Apropos of absolutely nothing PCP, on the ride home we saw a B2 Stealth Bomber fly over and turn to the horizon and just vanish. Never seen one before so it was really mesmerizing. I think they were having an air show at the local municipal airport (which until very recently had a B-17 that you could get rides in, but went down in Illinois. Thankfully it didn't injure anyone but the airframe was a total loss - click here for some phenomenal photos of that plane) as we also saw formation of biplanes buzz over later in the day. Always mean to check out the air show each summer and each summer we forget that its happening!

Anywho, a local took a pic of the B2 doing a flyover of Boulder. Pretty surreal:

Also, we headed out to do a little shopping for clothes... a nice new tie for the wedding, a new summer shirt, as well as some new belts with notches I can actually use to keep my saggy clown clothes from falling off me. Tried on a few other shirts as well, and found that I was enjoying time spent in the changing room without my shirt on more than with the potential new shirts. Kim and I chatted about coming back to the store to do our final photos in the changing rooms since the lighting was so good! I don't know that they would take too kindly to that though... I told Kim that I even felt slightly guilty because I was spending so much time just checking myself out instead of concentrating on the whole clothes shopping experience.

Going to try and recreate the light situation for the last day photos and see if we can't better emphasize our gains than we have with the previous photos which are honestly a bit flat. Key seems to be better overhead lighting as opposed to the very soft light we've had in the bedroom for all the previous photos. Sure to be a trying experience for Kim dealing with my lighting experiments but I bet she'll be glad for the results...

When we got home we decided to do a closet purge to begin the process of figuring out what to do with all the clothes that no longer fit. Almost all my pants will have to be taken in significantly. Some, so much that I wonder if it will even be possible. I'll take a picture of it tomorrow but I have a stack of pants almost knee high that will need to be altered. Not before the obligatory thumb out massive pants pic on day 90!

Workout

1. Jumprope: Slept in a bit this morning so, again, I wonder if this is having an effect or just more ammo for the sleep theory of the previous issues with the jumps, but they were actually pretty decent. Plenty of trip to be sure, but now they were more like every 300 or so rather than every 50 or less. So that was a nice way to start the day...
2. Back and Chest Supersets: Couldn't manage my 8 pullups unfortunately, but still got 7 in... Still don't think I am going low enough on the chest dips but they remain quite awkward and I get a weird clicking in my shoulders so that's always a little worrying. Pull downs were good n' tough right through, but standing ovations were way too easy. I moved farther and farther out to increase the tension, but past a certain point it was kind of silly as it would have been too awkward to even do the motions.
3. Biceps and Triceps Supersets: Two of my stronger muscle groups... I have to admit I barely touched burn on either of these. It was there, just not until the last couple of reps of the last few sets. The last two tricep dips sets definitely ended quite hard though.
4. Abs Supersets: Can manage about 25-30 v-sits now for the first set and the first plank set seems to go on and on and on... I even threw in the leg lifts for shits n' giggles. And then, per the usual, it all faded quite fast in the subsequent sets. Still managed a decent 10-15 v-sits in the ensuing sets though.
5. 8MA: was really afraid that I wasn't going to be able to do these right after the supersets but it really wasn't all that bad. It might be that I am getting to that robotic point with 8MA where, like Patrick said, my body knows the motions too well now so its not really stressing the muscles like it should. Patrick, perhaps you should make an 8MA v2.0 YouTube video, eh? In doing the ad workout homework, it does seem like we've covered a good 90% of the common ab workouts so even if I did change it up, they seem like they are mostly variations on the same core (no pun intended) themes. Still, I think my Kung Fu sit ups could use a bit more work. Would be pretty sweet to be able to get the legs a bit higher and actually be able to hold it for a 5 count.

Day 87 - A weight has been lifted. 45 lbs (20.4 kg) to be exact...

Today
Getting back onto a better schedule as I am over a considerable workload hump so I think that has helped all around. Sometimes I am running just a shade behind on the snacks though...


I weighed myself first thing in the morning and saw a shocking 185 lbs looking back at me... that's 45 lbs (20.4 kg) from my 230 lbs starting point. I'm gaining back about 8-10 lbs as the day wears on, but still, I'll take it! So, while it make have taken a while to get rolling, a 1 lb loss for every two days over the course of PCP (assuming I don't put on 10 lbs of muscle in the remaining days, not that I would mind if it all showed up in my chest and abs) is at the rough mental target I had set. 


I don't know how people are measuring their body fat, but I can actually look at my arms and see the slight rise in veins over my biceps. Love it!


Am curious to know what the role the super sets are playing in the grand scheme... Lean muscle production, I presume, given the high reps and rapidity of the exercises. But that's just a guess.


Workout
Got more sleep last night and I think it helped... 

1. Jumprope: Little bit better... I slowed down my pace, so between that and getting some proper sleep, I think those may have helped.
2. Creep: Did these the "advanced" style all the way through!
3. Floorjump: Oddly not too bad after the creeps. I was dreading them, but it was honestly not nearly as bad as expected.
4. DaVinci: Freakin' brutal as always
5. Forward Shoulder Raise: ditto
6. Chicken Wing: I don't find these nearly as hard as the latter two shoulder exercises. Still difficult, but doable.
7. Shoulder Fly: These are great. There is definitely a burn point for each of the last two sets around 18 and its a real struggle to get to 25.
8. V-Sits: Can do a fair number of these before failure for the first set... subsequent sets take a nosedive.
9. Side Crunches: So I don't really feel these much anymore, which is not immodesty speaking, but more like an excuse for stopping at 50 because it doesn't burn so there doesn't appear to be a failure point. Which is weird.

Day 86 - Thuper Thets are Thuper!

Today
Still having a tough time getting to sleep... not sure why. Just lay there for hours. Very tempting to molest Kim, but I don't think she would appreciate it just to alleviate my boredom.

Workouts
Like a lot of the folks that precede us out in Asia, I found that the super sets, while taking just as long as the normal workouts, at least feels like it goes by really quickly.

1. Jumpropes: Meh... being super tired in the morning is probably not helping. My legs feel leaden. Tired of hearing me complain about skips yet? I sure am...
2. Back & Chest: Hey, I actually managed 8 reps for the first set of Pull-ups! The rest were as incline pull-ups, but still... Not certain I am going deep enough on the chest dips, but they still feel a bit awkward. Pull downs and standing Os weren't bad...
3. Biceps & Triceps: Dig 'em. Actually not as hard as regularly truth be told... before, I think the reps were more, as well as biceps following biceps and triceps following triceps made them quite difficult.
4. Abs: So, I can do more v-sits in the first set if going to failure, but then the subsequent sets fail out pretty quick. Same goes for plank... I didn't time it but the first one seemed to go and go before failure... subsequent ones in predictable set over set decline.
5. 8MA: oh yeah!

Day 85 - Almost good

Today
Decent energy, no doubt fueled in part by liberal doses of coffee. However, I could not for the life of me get to sleep last night so my schedule continues to be off kilter.


Workout
I read this story, possibly apocryphal, about when Tom Cruise was studying swordplay with a Japanese master in preparation for The Last Samurai. When asked by a reporter about how Tom had fared in his studies, the master replied, "almost good". That's probably the most diplomatic way to tell someone they are terrible at something... not even good. That is how I feel about my skips now... but its an oddly positive way of putting it, and that reflects how I felt about today's skips. Almost good.

1. Jumprope: ibid... see above.
2. Pistol Squats: Tough, but barreled through them... Right leg definitely far stronger than the left.
3. Floorjumps: First four sets weren't too bad... got a little out of breath, and was shaky on the last set, definitely a little wobble trying to get up.
4. Forward Shoulder Raise: Brutal, just brutal. Even doing the minimum reps per set is beyond me. I have to stop momentarily and then do the final few.
5. Chicken Wing: I don't find these quite as bad. Last set is quite difficult, but at least the reps are doable.
6. Shoulder Fly: Holy smokes... these are tough. I am maxing out at around 25-30 depending on the set. Nice and clean though with tension throughout. My shoulders always want to rise up during these though...
7. V-sits: Ridiculous. First two sets are doable. Third one is so-so. And the last two sets are messy. I simply can't do all of the reps with clean form. I stop when it gets too bad as I'm a bit gun shy on the ol' back.
8. Side Crunches: I like these... I get a very different sensation on my left than on my right though. Not that one feels more strong than the other, just that the motions are quite different feeling.
9. 8MA: Bien sur!

Day 84 - Now that I got that out of my system

So, frustration with skips definitely peaked today and I admit I Hulked out and punched a few spare tires in the garage (where I skip). It feels like forgetting how to walk... after doing so well earlier in the program. I think I'm a pretty patient guy too but I am getting so incredibly pissed I feel like I could crush the grips of the jumprope in exasperation. Will keep at it, but if I am to make this a daily routine post-PCP I presumably need to do at least 10 minutes without tripping up every 50 skips or so as that would basically destroy the whole point of the exercise.

Not all negative nelly of course... pics look good. Not much change over the past few weeks, but that doesn't detract from the overall progress. Will be interesting to see if there are any noticeable changes over the final remaining days.