Week 12 Measurements & Photos

I'm half-way to Ryan Reynolds! Woo hoo!

I meant to post these measurements and photos last week when I took them on March 29, 2011, but I've been having trouble syncing my pics and I been too busy to write. Nevertheless, I'm back in action. I've decided to start posting measurements every two weeks instead of weekly now because I'm not seeing any macro changes in body composition at this stage. In fact, my weight and measurements have really stabilized. Notice I didn't say they "plateaued" because when I put on clothes or look in the mirror I'm still seeing incremental progress. So, I'm still happy with my progress and continue to feel motivated to push forward.

Without further ado...the measurements and photos:

Week 10 Measurements

The first few weeks of Phase 2 of my workout routine have been a lot of fun. I'm 5 sets of 5 reps for 2 exercises per body part. I take between 45 seconds to a full minute between sets and I'm shooting to lift much heavier weights than I did in Phase 1. It's crazy...I've really seen my strength jump! I've also seen some weight gain and muscle growth...slower than in Phase 1, but still progressing. My diet has really tightened up and I've moved to a completely paleo/primal eating style. (I'll do a separate post on that soon!)

Here are the measurements:

Weight = 194 (up 4 pounds)

Neck: 16.5 (up .5 inch)

Upper arms: left = 15.5; right 15.5 (up 1 inch)

Shoulders: 49 (no change)

Chest at nipples: 41 (no change)

Waist at navel: 31.5 (no change)

Hips at widest point: 39.5 (no change)

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23.5; right = 23.5 (up .5 inch)

Total inches: 254.5 (up 2.5 inches)

Week 9 Measurements

My measurements for this week didn't change a bit from last week. That includes my weight as well.

I think that this is to be expected because I've transitioned to Phase 2 with a focus on hybrid muscle growth and muscle toning or density. The funny thing is that I can see in the mirror that although my overall size is not changing too much, my muscles are beginning to look thicker and fuller. I also notice that I'm seeing tiny reductions in my remaining body fat that are starting to create increased muscle definition. I think this is a good transition that will keep me from getting that stringy look I see in guys that have lost a lot of weight but failed to increase muscle density (to me they look like they melted their fat and all that's left is beef jerky). Instead, my fat reduction will expose well-formed, lean muscles that have a healthy look, but not bulky.

Week 7 & 8 Measurements and Pics

My Week 7 measurements did not reflect much of a change from the prior week. In fact, the only changes I saw were a 1 pound weight gain from 192 to 193 and a half inch loss on my hips at the widest point from 40" to 39.5".

Week 8 marks the close of Phase 1 of my Visual Impact Muscle Building Program! I think I'm at a decent peak for muscle growth and I'm excited about changing it up and focusing workouts that blend growth and strength gains to increase muscle density. My final measurements for Phase 1 show a few small but significant changes from last week. Here they are:

Weight = 190 (down 3 pounds!)

Neck: 16 (no change)

Upper arms: left = 14.5; right 14.5 (no change)

Shoulders: 49 (up 1 inch!)

Chest at nipples: 41 (up .5 inch!)

Waist at navel: 31.5 (no change)

Hips at widest point: 39.5 (down .5 inch)

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23; right = 23 (no change)

Total inches: 252 (up 1 inch)

I'm encouraged by the fact that I have consistently gained in my chest, shoulders and arms while losing in my waist and hips. That's the direction I need to go!

Last week I made a shift to a "primal" or "paleo" diet that completely eliminates grains in favor or increased intake of organic fruits, vegetables and meats. The result is 3 pounds of weight loss. Can't argue with that! (A side benefit is that I LOVE the food!) I'll be posting some primal recipes in the coming days so you can see how amazingly tasty this style of eating can be. (Another side benefit is that it's MUCH easier to eat out at restaurants and at so

cial gatherings...as opposed to eating vegan or vegetarian.)

Oh, and of course, the pics! These turned out a little blurry because two of the light bulbs over my mirror just burned out.

Week 6 Measurements

I thought this cartoon was funny. The sign in the background says "Fishing Club," but it could just as easily read "Fitness Club" and that guy standing up could be flexing his limp noodles! Judging by the beers and body types of these guys, they're going to need a lot of imagination to look fit!

Only a few more weeks until I transition to Phase 2! So far, all the numbers are going the right directions so I'm feeling good about my progress.

Here are my measurements for Week 6:

Weight = 192 (down 2 lbs. from last week...I've stayed within the low 190s for most of this phase, which is comfortable. I think if I push in the next few months I could get down to 185. That's that lowest weight I can remember reaching as an adult...and that was a long time ago!)

Neck: 16 (down .5 from last week)

Upper arms: left = 14.5; right 14.5 (no change)

Shoulders: 48 (no change)

Chest at nipples: 40.5 (no change)

Waist at navel: 31.5 (down .5 from last week...This has been a consistent reduction and the one that has always stood between me and the Ryan Reynolds 6-pack. Wait! Does he have an 8-pack?! I've got a lot more work to do!)

Hips at widest point: 40 (back down .5 from last week)

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23; right = 23 (somehow I lost .5 on my left and gained .5 on my right...I guess balance is good.)

Total inches: 251 (down 1.5 from last week)

Anita and some co-workers have started commenting on the fact that my face seems to be slimming down and getting more angular. I've also found that my pants are getting just a little loose. The changes are subtle, but that's the best kind of progress...slow and sustainable. The best part is that I'm eating healthy foods that I like with the occasional splurge and I'm only really putting in 3 hours of gym time each week plus one night of soccer and yoga whenever I feel like it. That's a lifestyle that I think I can continue...even when baby number 2 arrives in May.

Week 5 Measurements

I can see the end of Phase 1 looming on the horizon...just a few weeks away!

Here are my measurements for Week 5:

Weight = 194 (up 3 lbs. from last week...maybe it was all that Super Bowl food)

Neck: 16.5 (up 1.5 from last week)

Upper arms: left = 14.5; right 14.5 (both up .5...first growth I've seen here)

Shoulders: 48 (no change)

Chest at nipples: 40.5 (no change)

Waist at navel: 32 (down .5 from last week...slow and steady wins the race!)

Hips at widest point: 40.5 (up .5 from last week)

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23.5; right = 22.5 (no change)

Total inches: 252.5 (up 2.5 from last week)

Week 4 Measurements & Pics

One month down...five to go! Watch out Ryan Reynolds, here I come!

After a whole month, I'm feeling pretty good about my results so far. Here's the run down of measurements:

Weight = 191 (that's down about 9 lbs. from my starting weight)

Neck: 15

Upper arms: left = 14; right 14

Shoulders: 48 (up 1.5 from last week)

Chest at nipples: 40.5 (up 1 from last week)

Waist at navel: 32.5 (down 1 from last week)

Hips at widest point: 40

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23.5; right = 22.5

Total inches: 250 (up 1.5 from last week)

Measurements are one thing, but let's do a little visual comparison. In the left column are my Day 1 photos and in the right column are my Day 29 photos. It may be wishful thinking, but I think I see a little more definition and a greater contrast between my shoulder width and waist size. Still a long way to go, but I'm on the road.

Week 3 Measurements

Week 3 has come and gone. During the week, I completed all my workouts, buckled down on my diet a bit and even included a 24-hour fast. The numbers show some progress:

Weight = 196

Neck: 15 (down .5)

Upper arms: left = 14; right 14

Shoulders: 46.5 (down 1)

Chest at nipples: 39.5 (down .5)

Waist at navel: 33.5 (down .5)

Hips at widest point: 40 (down 1)

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23.5; right = 22.5

Total inches: 248.5 (down 3.5)

I'm happy to see movement in the numbers! I wasn't expecting the shoulders and chest to reduce, but I'm guessing that some of that reduction may either be a variance in my measuring technique or some fat loss in my back. (I've realized from my photos that I carry more fat in my back than I do on my belly. Good for fooling folks into thinking I'm fit...unfortunately, it even fools me some times.)

Week 2 Measurements

I have completed the first two weeks of Phase 1! My weight has stayed the same at 199 pounds, but my muscles have grown slightly and my strength has increased too. That means that I must be trading fat for muscle.

I don't have measurements from Week 1, but I'm sure that missing one week of data won't diminish what I accomplish in the long run. Hopefully, the way my clothes fit and what I see in the mirror will be proof enough of my success (if not, the airbrushing of my final photos should take care of the rest...right Kevin?). Nevertheless, I'm curious to see how my weekly measurements change.

Here are my first batch of measurements in inches:

Neck: 15.5

Upper arms: left = 14; right 14

Shoulders: 47.5

Chest at nipples: 40

Waist at navel: 34

Hips at widest point: 41

Legs mid-thigh: left = 23.5; right = 22.5

Total inches: 252