16 week challenge summary

Week 1 September the beginning

Week 4 (left) , Week 8 (right)


Week 12 (left) , Week 16 (right)

Final Stats:
Age 35, 8% Bodyfat, 155lbs, waist 30 inches.


New goal: Bulking up by gaining another 3-7 pounds of muscle then getting cut and ripped for the summer : )

End of Week 15

Almost done folks. Posting final results at the end of this week.

End of week 14

Getting closer and closer to the end of the challenge :) I'm sure everyone is working hard towards the finish line. I'm currently working on getting more cut by doing that extra interval training in on the treadmill. Also working on adding some mass by doing more weight training at the gym and eating more. So far, it is working well. It is a great how interval training is getting easier and easier as the weeks go by. My heart rate doesn't go up as much anymore.

Posting pics at the end of the challenge in a couple of weeks. Hopefully there is a dramatic change in abs and overall muscle mass & definition by then.

I've been looking at the other blogs and everyone is doing great! It is amazing how a simple change of lifestyle can transform our bodies in a short period of time. Great job guys!

End of Week 13 pics

Still looks almost the same as week 11 except I noticed the abs stick out just a little more. Abs are not flexed in this pic. Also got a bit bulkier since I have been eating more. Gained 3 pounds since week 11, now at 153 again.

End of Week 11 Pics

Jiu Jitsu bruises

abs flexed




Weight is down to 150lbs. Bruises healed up a bit and decided to post some pics. Noticed the body is more slender and less bulky. I think I might have lost some muscle mass but getting more cut. The added HIIT workouts plus Jiu Jitsu training is working wonders. 5 more weeks to go. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

This is the routine that has been working for me so far:

Sunday - Workout with weights at the gym followed by HIIT (treadmill)
Monday - Martial Arts (Jiu Jitsu includes 20-30 minutes of intense grappling so its also HIIT)
Tuesday - Resistance Training at home with some ab work
Wednesday - Marial Arts again with 20-30 minutes of intense grappling
Thursday - Resistance Training at home with ab work
Friday - Workout with weights at the gym followed by HIIT (treadmill)
Saturday - Rest, ahhhhh

End of Week 10

Body fat is still the same at 9.7% It is tough to lose those last 3-4% BF. Been doing more HIIT, 4x a week instead of 2-3x. Even though BF is still the same, i notice getting more cut which I think is because of added Jiu Jitsu. On my 3rd week of Jiu Jitsu which is putting a lot of bruises on my chest, arms and legs due to grappling. Thought about posting pics but the bruises are too ugly, it looks like I have a disease or something. The bruises look like large spots and lines. I look like a mix of a cheetah and a zebra. LOL. Anyway, i'll post pics when bruises go away. Only 6 more weeks to go.

End of Week 9

Bruised up chest from Jiu Jitsu


Don't mind the basket. It's not mine. hehehe


Weight 152 lbs Ht. 5'6" Age 35


Body fat 9.7% Goal is about 6-7% BF


I joined a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club this week and had 2 sessions so far. It is like HIIT when going all out with a grappling partner. I'm winded out by the end of a 1.5 hour session. Great addition to overall fitness and conditioning. When i was done, i lost a lot of water weight and saw defined abs and obliques, it was great. Wearing that Gi uniform really makes you sweat a lot and lose water. Need to drink more water and eat more now to avoid losing muscle.



I measured body fat again and went down another 1mm on the caliper. I could not believe it but that puts me at 9.7% body fat! Wow I feel great about that!!

End of Week 8

No new pic : ( Had a busy weekend took a vacation at Disney with the fam so the diet was a little bit messed up. Tried the best i could to eat clean but the breakfast buffet killed me. lol. I'll try to post a new pic soon.

End of Week 7 Pics

front
back
obliques

Still the same weight at 151 lbs. Although i was trying to gain some muscle weight by doubling the scoops of my protein drinks. Hopefully i gained some muscle, it is hard to tell. Body fat is down to 11.7% Ate lean and clean again the past week. And worked hard on HIIT. Almost half way there. Keep up the good work to my AB groupmates!!

End of Week 6

Can't believe it is going to be week 7 already. Ate very healthy the past week (had very low bad fats and ate a lot of protein), except today which will be my cheat day for the week. Went to a party so I had potato salad, a slice of cheese pizza, and two fish tacos in corn tortillas. Bad but not too bad. Despite all that bad food for a day, my body fat has gone down to 13.7% Noticing more cut in body. Weight is 151lbs and lost another inch of my waistline in 2 weeks. Worked extra hard on the abs.

I wasn't going to post a pic every week, but decided to do it anyway. A weekly pic is a good motivator for myself (so i can work harder to show improvement for the next week). Also a good motivator for the six-pack challenge group.

End of Week 5, getting ready for halloween

Got the 300 costume in the mail friday, so I decided to try on the helmet and bracers, LOL, something to compare progress between now and halloween time.

Weight is 152 lbs. Body fat went down to 15.7%. I notice arms are getting bigger but i don't notice any other weekly changes. I'll post another pic probably at halloween instead so hopefully there is more of a difference.

Diet throughout the Challenge

Here is my typical daily diet during the Challenge and even after the challenge ; )

Breakfast:

2 Slices of 100% whole wheat bread
6 Thin slices of Turkey or Roast Beef cuts 99% fat free
1 Slice of low fat cheese
Mustard
(Above 4 made into a Sandwich)
1 Piece of Fruit
Protein Shake

Lunch:

1 Serving of Salmon
1 roll of bread
Salad with dressing on the side. (if dressing is non low fat, use sparingly)
Iced Tea

Dinner:

1 Serving of chicken breast no skin, marinated and cooked in the pan with a little olive oil
Broiled vegetables
6 egg whites with salt, pepper, garlic powder cooked in a pan
1 Whole wheat tortilla or 1 Slice of whole wheat bread or 1 cup cooked brown rice
Water or Iced tea to drink

Snacks in between main meals:

I have a variety of snacks that i take to work or have some stock at home. I choose one of these to eat:

Instant Oatmeal
1 serving of Almonds (about 28 pieces)
1 piece of Fruit
1 protein bar (about 190 calories)
1 Protein Shake
a serving of beef jerky
1 whole wheat sandwich with turkey or roast beef or peanut butter
serving of Peanuts

* Once a week, typically on Sunday, i eat 1 guilt free, "bad for you" meal. hehehe. It's a reward to myself for eating well during the week. I eat anything I want for either lunch or dinner. Could be 2 slices of pizza, a nice juicy burger, a dozen chicken wings, ice cream...etc. Then back to working out and eating right for the week.

Getting ready for week 5

Sunday Sept 30 2007.

I did some interval training today and went swimming at the gym. Did 5 minutes of warmups. Then 5 sets of: 2 laps medium and 1 lap super fast with very little rest in between (about 10 seconds). Then 5 minutes of cooldown laps. Felt great!

I plan on doing intervals again on Wednesday but will run this time. I find that it works better for me to alternate swimming and running for intervals. Swimming, I noticed, gives me good upper body muscle tone while burning fat. Interval running is a great overall fat burner.

End of Week 4 Pics

Weight is 153 Still. I just bought a caliper so I was able to measure body fat. it is at 17% . Hoping to get 12% or 13% by the end of the challenge so the abs will show more :-). Proper diet is the key.

End of Week 4(taken Sept 29). Did 4 days of resistance training and 2 days intervals. Not sure if there is any difference from week 4 although I do feel stronger this week.

Six Pack Challenge

I signed up at Arnel Ricafranca's website http://www.iwantsixpackabs.com/ . I found his site back in June/July, through a video from Youtube.


His Website is a great motivation for me since I was about 20lbs overweight and not feeling so well while eating junk food, soda, and other bad stuff. From June until Semptember, I lost almost 15-18 lbs of fat, using tips and some of the workouts in his program.

Arnel and Joe then posted a challenge. The SIX PACK challenge group is at http://groups.google.com/group/arnels-6-pack-attack?hl=en . There are over 100 participants in this challenge from all over the world! I'm not going for the prize in this challenge. I'm in it more for a better lifestyle and overall health, plus a six-pack would be nice too. :)

My stats in June 2007:

Age 34
Height 5'6"
Weight 170lbs
BMI 26.0

My Stats at the beginning of the six pack challenge Sept 1, 2007:

Age 35
Weight 153lbs
BMI 24.0


Week 1 (Sept 1): Weight 153lbs.