I lost 8.5lbs in 3 days! My Summer Get Lean Program: 10 Day Re-shock Update

The start of the 10 day re-shock module has started with a low cal / low carb day followed by a 36 hour fast.

 In the last 3 days, I have lost 8.5lbs (Water) and an inch off the waist and have tightened up alot.

Water retention is the final thing that keeps you from seeing muscle after the fat is gone. Still have plenty of fat to lose but less than before.

So I'm working all the angles to get the body to react. Hormone response and leptin level adjustments are big factors with the fasting and carb manipulation.

I'm half way through the 36 hour fast with lots of coffee and water. Energy levels are good, hunger not too bad.

Still a work in progress. But I'm doing better than I was doing yesterday. Stay tuned.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

My Summer Get Lean Program: Update

Switching things up with the get lean program. Going to do Carb Cycling (hate it), Calorie Cycling (high / low cal) and Intermittent Fasting together for about two weeks to mix it up. Also going to attempt some 24 and 36 hour fasts. Should really suck but should really rip the fat off if I can hang. Also going to try high intensity interval training mixed with low intensity steady state cardio. So today is Low Cal / Low Carb day 1. We shall see... Stay Tuned. If you want to try this program, let me know.

Eric Dempsey
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

My Summer Get Lean Program 2013: Week 3 Update

So week 3 was rough as expected. My back was sore from last week's deadlift mishap. Workouts were light. Food was only on track part of the week. Progress was stalled. Actually went up a pound and a percent in bodyfat. Not too happy about that but I expected as much.

Things are better with food now, water has been increased with the hot weather.

Back is doing better so workouts are now picking up. Hoping to make up for this delay next week.

When you have a bad week, you shake it off and do better the next week. Life has a say in how things go, so you have to roll with it and step forward. That is the plan. Never Quit.

Stay tuned.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

My Get Lean Program Summer 2013: 2 week update

Two week update: This 2nd week was rough. I had my daughter with me for 4 days and that was a challenge to stay on track with her. She will be 5 next month and she is not following my get lean program at all. I did get her to workout a few times and she is adorable.

Then on Friday, I made an amateur mistake while deadlifting and strained my lower back. -Not with technique, but with how much weight I tried. So week 3 will be interesting as I hobble around healing up. Food will have to be extra good as my workouts will be mild. 

Stats to date: As of tonight, I'm up 1 lb, down 2.3% bodyfat and down 3/4 in on the waist. Nothing dramatic but I am noticing changes. Shorts are falling down. I feel much tighter. See a little more definition in the abs. So slow and steady in the right direction.

Never quit. Find a solution. Keep going.

More next week.

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

My Summer 2013 Get Lean Program Update: 5 Days In

So 5 days into my get lean program and not a great start! Food was decent, calories were close, macronutrient ratio was about 75% but I made some tactical errors and water was about at 75%. Workouts were decent but not as much as I wanted. Intermittent fasting was fairly on track.

Weight stayed the same, lost 1.7% bodyfat and lost 1/4 in from the waist. I guess for 5 days it's not a bad thing but I know I can do better. I did manage to pull off 305lbs on the bench press after not benching heavy for almost a month so that was a surprise.

What did I screw up with the food? I violated some basic paleo principles and I ate a big can of baked beans! After not having any kind of beans for a long time, baked beans in a large quantity jacked my system up. My body doesn't like baked beans anymore at all. I used to love them a long time ago. They immediately caused me to swell up like a balloon, retain water and feel like crud. Never again!

After I ate all the baked beans, I knew I screwed up so I went super clean and cranked up the water, to try to salvage the rest of my efforts and immediately started feeling better and losing water.

Some types of food, you can get away with occasional splurges, some types, you can't. So the big items that I have to avoid are legumes, starchy carbs, bread, milk and cheese.

That temporary setback really woke me up and set me straight. Now I'm refocused and plan to hit this next week harder. And I'm going to do some old school bodybuilder cardio to ease into the cardio phase of training - I hate cardio. But I want more results so I'm going with the proven old school methods. We shall see how it goes.

I'm still looking for someone to do the get lean program with me. Someone serious who wants to see abs soon. I will offer a super personal training deal to the right candidate.

I'll check back in with you soon.

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Summer Get Lean Program Is On!

So after the last couple of months closing down the Columbus studio and moving everything back to the Salem Garage and setting that all back up, I was stressed and slacked on my nutrition and workouts. I'm all weak and fat again so it's time to start another 8 week summer get lean program.

Posted is my current fat pic as of 14 May 13. Stats are 215lbs, 23.6% body fat (BEI) and a 40in waist.

Goals are to maintain or gain lean body mass (muscle), decrease body fat percentage by at least 2% and lose 1-3 inches from the waist. Also want to get more cut and have better AB definition. 

Strategy / plan: Intermittent fasting with FitRanX Training for the Level 4 test with added HIIT cardio. Passing the level 4 test will be an added goal. 

If you want to join me on the quest, let me know. Ladies, you can do this too. A lot of people say "oh you are a guy, it's easy for you". Well, no it's not. I'm 44 and have my share of injuries. It takes a lot of work whether male or female. Younger is easier obviously. I'm looking for three people to do this adventure with me. Who wants to get lean?

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

My Get Lean Program Winter 2012 Is Over: Now For 2013

My 5th week of my Winter 2012 Get Lean Program didn't go as planned as I had my baby princess Abby with me. The 4 yr old angel convinced Daddy that we deserved more cheat meals than planned :) So I broke down and agreed. We had a great time together. I ended up maintaining my numbers and I'm ok with that.

When you embark on a get lean program, you have to clearly identify your goals. The purpose of my get lean programs are to show the average Joe / average Jane that you can achieve and maintain a healthy body composition and performance level using my program without going to fitness competitor / bodybuilder extremes.

I could have done better and more and achieved greater results. But I would have had to put in way more time, money and energy into doing that which of course would have impacted other aspects of my life. What was my goal? I wasn't going to a fitness model photo shoot or a fitness competition.

I was simply wanting to be as lean as I could maintain while operating within my normal daily life and to start the new year off at a good place as far as performance and body composition. I succeeded in my personal goal. I raised my PR's / 1 rep maxes back to pre- shoulder injury levels without causing further damage and was able to remain as lean as I could afford to while maintaining my normal daily life.

People don't realize how much work it takes to get in real shape and to get really lean. It takes time, money, dedication and alot of constant work in the kitchen and gym. When you are overweight / out of shape, it is actually easier to make big progress. As you get in better shape and leaner, it gets harder and harder to make noticeable progress.  That's just the way it is. And your goals drive you to keep pushing to break the inevitable plateaus that naturally occur. 

So now as we begin 2013, I am in a place where I can plan and start off in a position where I'm not starting from scratch. I believe fitness is a yearlong, everyday, every year lifestyle that doesn't have social rules. Stopping before new year's day and then making some big plans to undo the deliberate lazy neglect under the guise of a new year's resolution is a ridiculous concept to me but it is the social norm. I will never agree with the norms of society. 

So when you make goals / resolutions for this year, make sure that they are progressive, retainable and contribute to a lasting lifestyle change. Use the S.M.A.R.T. concept and get the most bang for your buck as you make exercise and nutrition improvements. Starting and stopping, falling off the wagon, backsliding, are all signs that your plan wasn't well thought out and wasn't sustainable in your normal life. If you can't do it long term then you have to question it. Nothing good in life comes quick, easy or cheap.

I will embark on many more get lean adventures to keep myself in the healthiest, best shape possible. But I won't be going to any crazy extremes. Think about your goals and ask yourself what it is that you really want and really need to be healthy and fit. The cover of a magazine is not usually in that equation. What progress I have made, although not earth shattering, can be maintained year round. Keep that in mind as you plan for your goals. It's the long term that counts not the quick fix. Stay tuned and Happy New Year!

Eric
Dempsey's Resolution Fitness

Get Lean Program Winter 2012: Starting Week 4.

I'm in the 4th week of my winter 2012 get lean program. My boxer shorts kept falling to my feet because they are just way too big now. So I had to go buy all new smaller ones. I'm back down to 207. My lightest weight in about 20 years. That's down 3lbs in like 5 days - not really cool but I guess that is a sign that the program is working.

The intermittent fasting is still kicking and I'm eating everything in sight during my feeding window. I've tracked a few days of my calorie intake on my fitness pal. If you use my fitness pal, friend me on there and I can help you with your plan. I just joined recently.

Tracking your numbers even for a couple days, really shows you alot. I was coming up way short even when I thought I was eating like a mad dog. So I ate more, way more and I actually went over a few times. But it was really difficult to eat too much when the foods were clean. My fitness pal calculations come up short when I compare it to the calorie programming that I use but it is a good ball park guide to show you where you are at and where you need to go.

So when you think you are doing good and eating enough - usually you are not. That's your brain telling you that you are good so you can start to plateau. Remember the difference between I think and I know. I thought I was eating the right amounts but in reality I was way short. I can't afford to stall now with all the work I have done. That's how you need to think as well.

My workouts have been heavy and getting better. I got 305lbs on the bench with the sling shot after a year off of heavy benching. I'm still working on mobility and flexibility after my last odd back injury which left me really tight and sore for the last few weeks. But it's coming along.

The plateau monkey is chasing me down and I'm trying to stay one step ahead without breaking myself. Stay focused and remember that your brain will try to stall your progress. Plateaus are normal and ok, you just need to plan for it.

We'll see how my numbers look later in the week. Keep at it and I'll have more for you soon.

Eric

Dempsey's Resolution Fitness