Weekly update plus 1st week results for a new person joining the program!

This last week was so much fun, not only because I switched phases for my training sessions which keeps things nice and fresh, but also because I have a friend who has started the program. I'll put my updates below, but I am also going to show off my friend's progress.

As for me, my measurements are as follows (Note that I am down to 17% bodyfat, that's more than 5% down since the beginning!)

 

	5.7.18	6.25.18
Weight	274.6	277.4
Neck	17.5	17.5
Shoulders	58.5	59.5
Chest	51.5	52.5
Waist	44-47.5	41.5--45
Glute	46	45
Quads	27.5	27.5
Calves	18.5	18.75
Biceps	19	19.25
Forearms	14.75	15.25
Fat%	22.25%	17.00%
Lean mass	213.50	230.24
Fat mass	61.10	47.16

And here is my friend's results after just one week. As for his background, he works in an office setting and hasn't been active in a gym for a while, but he has been weekend-warrior active participating in sports and such fairly regularly. In any case, take a look at his numbers and I think you will be pretty impressed. (A note about the fat percentage here is that instead of using calipers we are using Dave Draper's body fat calculator, available on Dave Draper's website.)

	6.19.18	6.25.18
Weight	239	236.4
Neck	16.25	16.25
Shoulders	50	52
Chest	47	49
Waist	44--46	43.5--44.25
Glute	46	46
Quads	21	22.25
Calves	15.5	16
Biceps	15.75	16
Forearms	12.75	12.75
Fat%	22.25%	17.00%
DD Fat Range	32.17%	29.54
Lean mass	162.11	166.57
Fat mass	76.89	69.83

Phase 1 is complete, here are the results!

Saturday was the last day of phase 1, the first six week cycle in my new program, and I am very happy with the results I achieved. My goals for this cycle were absolutely obliterated, and I exceeded even my best expectations -- all while not killing myself over diet. This isn't to say I let myself eat whatever I wanted, quite the opposite. But I did find a way that was manageable, allows for cheat days/meals and still produced great results without feeling like I was chained to a wall. As for the lifting part of the program, it was great as well. I'll post my overall workload volume so you can get an idea of just how much work went into this. But first, let me compare my initial measurements from May 7th, with this morning's measurements.

	May 7th	June 18th
Weight	274.6	275.8
Shoulders	58.5	59.5
Chest	51.5	52.25
Waist	44  —  47.5	41.25  —  45.25
Glutes	46	45
Quads	27.5	27.5
Calves	18.5	18.75
Biceps	19	19.25
Forearms	14.75	15.25
Body Fat %	22.25%	17.5%
Lean Mass in pounds	213.5	227.53
Body Fat in pounds	61.1	48.27

From the numbers above you can see I dropped 12.83 total pounds of fat and added 14.03 pounds of lean mass. That’s quite a feat in six weeks! Moreover, you can see that my waist has dropped while major muscles have grown – I even produced results in my calves, which are my most stubborn muscle group.

Now, let’s compare work-loads to show the volume increase:

	Week 1 volume in pounds	Week 6 volume in pounds
Workout 1A	20,145	49,591
Workout 2A	14,970	36,840
Workout 3A	31,053	62,363
Workout 1B	21,225	51,234
Workout 2B	17,536	37,220
Workout 3B	36,832	66,179
Total Volume	141,761	303,427

You can see that by week six I had more than doubled my total work load, which shows good development in terms of output.

The next six weeks are going to shift focus a bit, but I am excited to see what they bring!

Results after four weeks

This is going to be a short post because I am super pressed for time with two book releases coming up. However, I just wanted to say that I am loving my program so far. In exactly four weeks of training I have achieved the following results:

Dropped my total body fat percentage from 22.25% to 19%

Cut 9.08 pounds of fat

Increased lean mass by 8.28 pounds

Cut 3.5 inches off my waist

Added a quarter inch to my quads and biceps

Increased my total weekly workload from 142,000 pounds up to 202,400 pounds.

It's fantastic.
Measurements as of June 4th were as follows:
Weight 273.8 lbs
Neck 17.5
Shoulders 59
Chest 52
Waist 41.5 -- 45.75
Glutes 45
Quads 27.75
Calves 18.5
Biceps 19.25
Forearms 15
Lean Mass 221.78 lbs
Fat Mass 52.02lbs
Total Body Fat Percentage 19%

(If I pump up my arms during a good workout, I am up to 20.25 inches!)

Got another 1.5 weeks until the first phase is finished and then I move onto a different 6 week lifting cycle. So excited to see what happens by the end of this program!
 

Week 3 done!

Still seeing good progress on the program, however, this week I decided to test a couple of things related to diet. The main idea I have been working with is cutting out processed food, refined sugar, and eating only at specific times and those have shown to be very effective this far. For this week however, I experimented with "failing" the diet. So for two days I ate outside the specified time parameters, and for three days I allowed myself to eat sugar. On one day, I allowed one meal of fast food.

Overall, the results were as expected in that it slowed my progress. I only lost .6 pounds of total weight this week. However, it was still surprising to see that I was able to lose .8 pounds of fat and still increase lean mass by .2 pounds.

This week will be extremely strict, following the exercise and diet plan to the letter, and I should be able to see much better improvements by Monday June 4th.

In any case, my total volume for weight lifted in week three was 206,191.8 pounds, which is 28,342.6 pounds more than the previous week.

And here are the measurement results compared with last week:

Total Lean mass this week is 220.2 Total fat weight is 54.2. (Last week total lean mass was 220, and total fat weight was 55.)

	5.21.18	5.28.18
Weight	275	274.4
Neck	17.5	17.5
Shoulders	58.75	59.25
Chest	52	52
Waist	43-46.5	42-46
Glute	45	45
Quads	27.5	27.5
Calves	18.5	18.5
Biceps	19.25	19.25
Forearms	15	15
Body Fat%	20%	19.75%

Also, for those of you who like to keep up with my fiction writing, I just released book 9 in The Dragon's Champion series:

Click here to check it out!

Week 2 of New Program

I'm feeling pretty good about the results so far. The diet part is easier than other programs I have used in the past and the workouts continue to improve with each session. Below I'll give my pre-program measurements and the measurements I took this morning which will help paint an overall picture for the results. As for the workouts, I'm not ready to detail them yet, but I will see that in Week 2 I lifted 36,088.6 pounds more than Week 1. (Week 1 total= 141,760.6  Week 2 total = 177,849.2 lbs.)

Elbow is still feeling good, which is one of my main concerns since I am just coming off of rehab for an injury in the elbow -- but so far everything is going well.

As you'll see in the chart, I have made increases in muscle size for my shoulders, chest, biceps, and forearms, while taking down my total fat percentage and peeling a solid inch off of my waist. (The two numbers for that measurement represent a flexed (sucked in) and relaxed measurement to get a full picture.) I have added 6.5 pounds of lean mass while dropping 6.1 pounds of fat in only two weeks! Not too shabby if I say so myself.

Anyone interested in the program specifics yet? ;)

		5.7.18		5.21.18
Weight		274.6		275
Neck		17.5		17.5
Shoulders		58.5		58.75
Chest		51.5		52
Waist		44-47.5		43-46.5
Glute		46		45
Quads		27.5		27.5
Calves		18.5		18.5
Biceps		19		19.25
Forearms		14.75		15
Fat%		22.25%		20%
Lean Mass		213.5		220
Fat Weight		61.1		55

Designing and testing a new 20 Week Program

I have been working with several new programs over the last couple of years since coming back from a long layoff from competitions. Each program has a specific goal, and so far the results have been great. Not only have I been able to smash personal records and win championships, but I have been able to open up possibilities that I had previously thought were out of reach. More than that, I have been able to help several others with their own goals along the way, and that has been one of the most rewarding parts.

Fast forward to today and I am currently testing what I think will be my capstone program. It's versatile enough that anyone who is healthy enough to engage in lifting should be able to significantly benefit from the program. I took a four week break between my last program and starting this one, and already the results in one week have been astounding, but first let's examine what brought me to this particular program.

Since 2016 my main goal was to build up my strength, and I frankly didn't worry about diet too much, or when I did try to keep an eye on it, I would falter in a week or two. So, naturally I have gained a lot of weight along with my strength, hitting a lifetime high weight of 285. That's almost 100 pounds more than my senior year of High School when I took 6th in Washington state and then took a break from competing in powerlifting.

I recently went in for my annual physical and got the news that my cholesterol was high, which isn't really a shocker given how I was eating, but the main point is I decided it was time to do something more sustainable. What good is lifting a truck if I die of heart disease? That's why I am doing this particular capstone program, it is the first time that I am working from both angles in a specific, methodical approach to not only drop the unhealthy fat weight, but also to correct the damaging effects my previous bad habits have caused.

My intention here, after running through the 20 week program myself, is to create a book and video series that anyone can use to start the same program, which will not only help people lean out while building muscles and strength, but also introduce a healthier way of life that should show other improvements as well. I will include my own blood test results as well to show how this program has affected me. (The book will also include all of my favorite programs, including my competition prep routines, so even advanced lifters should find something fun to use.)

Already, I have seen great results in the first week.

I have been using a blend of speed lifting techniques (which I will detail more fully in the book), and in only 1 week I have gone from weighing 274.6 up to 276.4. That's right, I am happy about gaining weight during this program. Why? Well, because the scale never tells the full story. My measurements week over week have shown that I have taken 3/4 of an inch off my waist. My total body fat percentage (calculated by skin fold tests with calipers) also improved, going from 22.25% down to 20.5% meaning that while I gained 1.8 pounds overall, I LOST 4.435 pounds of fat.

What's even better is that I have been steadily increasing the amount of weight lifted during each session, so my muscles are responding well. Additionally, I have not lost size on my arms, chest, or shoulder measurements (I've actually increased muscle size). My total lean mass at the beginning of this new program was 213.50. As of this morning, only one week later, my lean mass is up to 219.7 pounds.

So, on to week 2. I'm excited to see the end results!


Week 1 Total poundages and times for workouts (each workout has a paired counterpart each week, the B sessions are compared to A sessions to track progress):

Wkt1A  15 minutes -- 20,145 lbs.
Wkt2A  18 minutes -- 14,970 lbs.
Wkt3A  28 minutes -- 31,053 lbs.
Wkt1B  14:40 Minutes -- 21,225 lbs (1,080 more lbs, 20 seconds less time.)
Wkt2B  18 minutes -- 17,536 lbs (same time, 2,533 more pounds.)
Wkt3B  32 minutes -- 36,832 lbs (5,779 more pounds, 4 additional minutes.)

Almost hitting a lifetime goal!

I seriously need to stop promising to update things each week. Every time I do, it seems like a lot more time goes by before I get the chance to come back to the blog. I'd apologize, but honestly, you guys should be used to it by now right?

Anyway, I hit a pr on the Bench this week. Got 385. Today I went for 405. Didn't get it, BUT I did go down until it was only about 3 inches off my chest, and then I pushed it back up nice and smooth. I had the safety pins in at the normal height too, so if my muscles had given out I wouldn't be stapled to the bench, but I also didn't want any false support like you get when you do partial reps with the pins set higher than normal. Judging by the speed with which it went up (veeeery slowly) I'm guessing it will be a couple weeks yet before I can put 405 up properly, but I am still super stoked. I mean, that is a lifetime goal for me. So to be sooooo close is super exciting.

I won't be competing this saturday, too much work to catch up on. So, I am hoping there is another meet where I can still qualify for this year's state competition, otherwise I will have to miss it, and that would bum me out because I really wanted to start a winning streak.

Also, full disclosure, I have totally messed up my diet. So I gained about 8 pounds and I am sure almost all of it went to my dang waist. Stupid food. Stupid sugar. I swear it's like trying to quit crack or something-- it is soooo hard for me. I'll do good for like three weeks and then a holiday or birthday comes up and I'm like, oh I'll just have a small piece of X-treat. Then the next day I'm like, well, maybe one more day with a cheat snack won't kill me.

THEN BAM! I'm eating junk food nearly every day. Seriously. Stupid will power is not there for me.

Heck-- you know what, let's go see what my waist is right now. I know it's the middle of the day and I have eaten a bunch of food so it's not as accurate as first thing in the morning, but who cares? I'm screwed anyway right?

Let's go...

Well -- that was bloody depressing. Across the navel measurement was 48.5" relaxed and 44" flexed (fully sucked in...)

Well... crap. I knew I ate a bunch of junk food... but I didn't think I had eaten THAT much.

And weighed in at 278.6 ....

yuck.

Well, that goes to show you if you don't take control, write down what you eat, and do your meal prep while taking measurements to make sure you stay on track... you could REALLY blow it.

That's it. I started this post all happy about my strength... and now I'm all mad about my waist.

Stupid food.

But, you know what they say about hitting rock bottom: you can only go up from here!

Giving away a FREE Kindle Paperwhite to kick off some of my books!

Hey everybody, it's the first post of 2018, and I wanted to do something special. So...

I'm giving away a FREE Kindle Paperwhite. No purchase necessary to enter or win, just click on this link and follow my amazon author page to enter:

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/8427576e8d43d169

Feel free to share this on your social media as well. This give-away is kicking off 2018 and gearing us up for the new releases I have coming out this year.

First up is Dominion: Seeds of Alliance

This exciting tale comes out on January 20th! Click here to view more about it.

Then on January 25th, I am releasing Epic Farm Boy -- which has been more fun to write than I expected. Hope you enjoy it as much I did, and get a couple of laughs out of it.

Click here to read a preview of this fun, satirical take on all your favorite fantasy tropes!

And there is much more to come in the next several weeks, so stay tuned in for the announcements.

Have a great 2018!

Grizwold and Graves' Curious Halloween Carnival

Yesterday was amazingly fun! (And hard...) I was hired on to perform as an old style strongman at a fun carnival that had a late 1800's-early 1910 feel to it. I was by far not the best act there either-- they had aerialists doing tricks on hoops or silks hanging from the ceiling, floor acrobats, singers, dancers, FIRE dancers, magic shows, and even a bird show. It was pretty freaking cool.

As for my performance, for the first three hours I did barbell curls, Hammer curls, and challenged people to arm wrestling contests and some tried to escape from a hold I put them in. (No one escaped from the hold... and the only person to beat me at arm wrestling was a tiny stone-faced two year old named Troy. When he came up and put his little arm on the table, it was the cutest thing I ever saw, so I am proud to say he beat me handily!)

Somewhere along the way I was asked to show one trick for the crowd. So I had one of the aerialists lie down on the ground and grab my hand with hers while hooking her ankles around my forearm. I then curled her up from the ground with one hand, and then turned my arm over and pressed her up over my head and held her there for a few moments while people took pictures. (she weighs 115 pounds by the way).

Then, after three hours which amounted to something in the ball park of a couple hundred reps of 105 pound barbell curls, 10-15 155 pound curls, another 20 145 pound curls, 1 rep at 195 pounds, and somewhere around 20 hammer curls ranging from 60-100 pounds... it was my turn to perform.

So... we opened up with a big king cab ford f-350, and not the new plastic models, but an old one made with steel. We then loaded the truck with fifteen people. I then ran with it for 50 yards, pushing it as fast as I could. I have to say, it was harder than any kind of sled work or cardio I had ever done.

But, that wasn't good enough. So then we put the truck on a hill and I pushed it uphill for another 30 yards. I am not ashamed to admit that my legs were burning those last several yards.

Then we moved inside where I challenged people to a curl-off. I then curled 105 pounds plus forty pounds of chains, then lifted it up overhead and did reverse grip tricep extensions. I continued working up until I got to 195 pounds. I missed the first attempt, getting it only 2/3 the way up (I was pretty tired.) but then I gave it one more shot and curled it all the way up.

After that I arm wrestled two adults at the same time, and then challenged people to escape from the hold again. It was a ton of fun, but I was pretty exhausted by the time it was over. So, today I am taking it easy. I'll get back on my regular workout routine next week though. In the meantime, here are a couple fun pictures and short video snippets.

Check out this campaign for adaptive training equipment!

An old friend of mine owns a gym and is raising money for adaptive training equipment so he can focus on wounded warriors and others with physical challenges. Take a look at the campaign please and pass this around. Here is what Zack has to say about his goal:

Why do I keep posing this annoying gofundme? Because I believe it's my calling. Many of you know and some don't. I've carried a gun for 17 years before I got hurt in Baghdad 2 years ago. After 2 surgeries I am told I won't ever be able to do those kind of jobs again, this crushed my soul, like more then I can put into words. I have no other passion, I don't feel value unless there is a chance I am in harms way protecting people. Then it happened. An injured/amputee vet rolled into the gym asking for help. And I found a new passion that didn't involve a gun or a crappy place in the world. I found something I love..... where I get to be in gym, figure out different ways to work around obstacles and help people both mentally and physically. With the help of Melanie Medlock, Brad Anderson and John Gendron we have developed programs for Adaptive Athletes and started something big. There is very few places in the US that specialize in Adaptive training... But Freedom Training Center is one of them. We are a small owned business and need your help. Please share this post... 100 Bizillion Percent of proceeds go towards Adaptive equipment to help these athletes out!!! Thank you in advance for your contributions, your thoughts and your prayers...

www.gofundme.com/FreedomTrainingCenter

--Zack Medlock
Freedom Training Center

An Ode to Coach U.

Today a dear friend and mentor of mine has passed away after a hard fight with cancer. Coach U. was the weightlifting teacher at my high school. He was also the powerlifting coach there. All you had to do was step foot inside the gym and you knew you were in hallowed ground. The shelves on the front wall were lined with trophies. State championships and regional meets were all lined up in gold and silver for any newcomer to see. Looking up at the ceiling, particularly above the bench-press area, you would find motivational quotes taped up. Determination, gumption, integrity, focus. Those are all good descriptors of the qualities brought out by the Blacksmith Shop, as the gym was called.

But it was more than that. Coach U. made the gym a proving ground for all merits. Along with the external competitions, Coach U. taught us to strive against ourselves. To bring out the best that we could be. Along the walls were posters and placards that listed various records and challenges. The names of those that broke records got to go up there, along with the date and weight lifted. But perhaps more valuable were the personal challenges issued by Coach U. to his students. I know he worked with many others, but I don't know what their challenges from him were as those were personal between them and Coach U.

My challenge was laziness. Not in the gym. No, ever since seeing Arnold in Conan the Destroyer, I knew I belonged in the gym. But Coach caught me being lazy in my other classes. Without anyone asking him, he looked into my grades. He pulled me aside one day in his class and asked me why I wasn't showing the same dedication in my academic pursuits as I was in the gym.

He didn't lecture me. He didn't chastise me. He didn't threaten to kick me off the powerlifting team. He simply asked, "Why?"

Of course, I had no answer. I hung my head a bit, and a well of shame rose up in my chest. Seeing that, Coach U. then issued a challenge to me. There wasn't much time left in high school, and there was nothing I could do about the grades that had already been listed, but I could do something about the last term of senior year. So, he told me that he expected to see me work harder, and bring my grades up. He didn't nag on me about my grades, but as I worked to bring them up, I know he continued to check in on me. Coach U. truly embraced the spirit of the gym, and applied it to all aspects of life. His was a mantra to always do your best, in all things and in all places. And anyone could tell just by looking into his twinkling eyes and bright smile that he lived that mantra to the fullest. He was one of the finest men I have ever known or called friend.

While my high school career was a disaster in terms of grades, I was able to carry his lesson forward. I think he would have been proud of my performance in college. I know he was happy to see me return to powerlifting as well. I still think of him, cheering and coaching from the side, as I go in to train or compete.

While I am happy that Coach U. no longer suffers the pain of his cancer, his is a loss that I will feel for a long time, as will countless students he has lifted up through his years of teaching and serving.

Until we meet again Coach.

Coach U. left front. Picture from Washington State High School Championship