Off Season Week 3 - Climbing Update 12

12/17 - 12/23/2012

Notes:
         Hey folks, we've got some interesting analysis and changes this week.  To be honest, if you've been following this blog then you know that I've been trying a high carbohydrate diet as recommended by Eric Horst in his climbing guides.  I embarked on this journey as an attempt to validate myself as a truly open-sourced and open-minded athlete.  However, I jumped on the scale the other morning out of curiosity and much to my dismay it read 180 lbs.  Now, this is not terrible as I am still pretty lean (exact measurements not taken).  However, my goal is to be losing mass for climbing (in an attempt to increase strength:weight ratio).  It is fair to say that I've given the high carb diet a good solid try for a couple months.  Now, I will not go on bashing high-carb diets, but I will take a few paragraphs to explain some possible explanations for my weight gain.

• CarboHYDRATES - Part of the function of carbohydrates is to HYDRATE your body.  It is in the molecule's nature to retain water.  Thus, part of my weight gain could have resulted from added water retention from the high carbohydrate intake.  This is also true of many people who go on low-carbohydrate diets, only in reverse.  A significant amount of weight can be lost from reducing water retention and typical this is the initial result of beginning a low carb diet.
• Decreased Cardiovascular Activity - There is no doubt that climbing has opened a whole new challenge for my body.  However, I simply do not have the same caloric burn or cardiac elevation that I do when fighting (or training therein).  This decreased "activity" level results in less energy being burned during workouts.  Another thing to consider in this category is that for the last month (not quite) I have been on break from school.  This means that my no-workout related activities have also decreased.  I am not riding my bike 10 miles per day to commute to school, I'm not walking around campus, and I'm largely stagnant other than moderate activity levels while working.
• Holiday Boredom and Stress - Emotional eating is real.  The chemicals in our brain can directly relate to our appetite.  In other words, some people take comfort in food.  Why?  Well, carbohydrates increase serotonin (happy chemical) production in the brain.  Many people also eat when they are stressed.  These both have been the case for me over the holiday break from school.  Boredom from in-activity levels and stress from having too much time on my hands to over-worry about my career, bills, schooling, health, family, etc...

Target Ketogenic Diet

           A diet that I have found effective in the past is called a Target Ketogenic Diet.  Now, Ketones are energy particles created from fat sources that your body uses when carbohydrate sources are not available.  Low-carbohydrate diets force your body to run on ketones, hence, they are ketogenic.  I would advise this type of diet for persons who are largely sedentary.  However, for intense exercisers, a slightly different approach needs to be taken to fuel and recover from those grueling workouts.  The trick is to not say "no" to carbs, but to control them and control your body's resulting insulin levels.  This is done by allowing some carbohydrates when your blood sugar is low and energy is needed.  For example; first thing in the morning, about an hour before your workout, and immediately following your workout.  Some reference material can be found below: 

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark86.htm

http://www.4hourlife.com/2011/06/01/targeted-ketogenesis-exercise-and-the-4-hour-body-slow-carb-diet/

Target Ketogenic Diet Setup:
Goal Weight - 160 lbs
Total Calories - 14 to 16 x bodyweight = 14 x 160 = 2240 calories
Protein - 1:1; grams:lbs - 160g / day = 640 calories
Fat - 0.5:1 grams:lbs - 80g / day = 720 calories
Carbs - Total Calories (2240) - Protein Calories (640) - Fat Calories (720) = 880 calories / 4 = 220 grams / day
*50% of carbohydrates to be consumed pre/post workout (25% each) = 55g pre-workout and 55g post-workout; remaining 110g spread through other 4 meals of the day (6 meals total) for 28g carb each meal.
** 1 cheat / refeed day per week :  Mostly carbohydrates to refuel glycogen supplies.

Sticky Diet (starting 12/21/2012):
Pre-Workout - 60g Starch
Post-Workout - 40g Starch
                          20g Protein (whey)
Breakfast - 30g Starch
2 x 20g/c Fruit
4 x 5g/c Vegetables
2 x 20g/p Fish
2 x 20g/p Poultry
1 x 20g/p Red Meat
1 x 20g/f Nuts
Supplements - Whey Protein (MetRx Natural Whey 1 scoop / day)
                        Joint Supplement - 3 packs per week (Universal Animal Flex)
**1 Cheat / Refeed day per week to replenish Glycogen supplies (mostly carbs)**

Training Log:

Monday:
Shadowboxing -
Hangboard -> 20 second rounds w/ 1 min rests:

• 2 hand, 4 finger unassisted hang x 2
• 2 hand, 4 finger assisted hang x 3
• 2 hand, 3 finger assisted hang x 2
• 2 hand, 4 finger assisted reps x 3

Tuesday:

Wednesday:

Shadowboxing - 5 x 5 min rounds @ 1 min rest

• Movement only, no punches
• Full boxing combinations
• Kicking combinations only
• Kick-Knee-Punch combinations

Hangboard - all w/ 2 hands, 4 fingers, assisted hang

• 1 x 1 min @ 1 min rest
• 3 x 40 sec @ 1 min rest
• 3 x 30 sec @ 1 min rest
• 3 x 15 sec @ 30 sec rest

Thursday:

Yoga - Freestyle, randomly selected poses and transitions

Friday:

Hangboard - all w/ 2 hands, assisted, 2 sets of each x 30 sec @ 1 min rest

• 4 fingers
• 3 fingers
• index and middle fingers
• middle and ring fingers
• ring and pinky fingers
• 4 fingers (single set)

Shadowboxing - 3 x 6 min @ 1 min rest:  Rounds = Boxing, Kicking Combos, Full Thai

Saturday:

50/40/30/20/10 reps of each, no rest, all sets back to back

- push ups

- air squats

- bent over flies

- standing reversed leg lifts