AxelB's running, lifting and kicking log

How are you measuring your Body fat?

Travess

 

I do a 3 point calliper test, usually I do it 3 times in a day, and test a few days later.

I used to use body fat scales, but I realised that they are close to useless.

 

Yup - Our scales have that function, but I've been too doubtful to ever use it.

Travess

 

Okay, so I spent a fair amount of time at work last night (read: less time than I'd have liked, but WAY more than my managers were happy with) looking in to this.

So (if you don't mind me picking your brain?) which points to measure? Do use a specific app., or online resource to input and calculate your results? and (if it matters) what make of callipers do you use?

Travess

 

For men the usually 3 measurement points are on the chest, about an inch the side of the belly button, and thigh between knee and hip.

If you have someone who has used them it can help show you how to use them. Good quality calipers help, as the cheap plastic ones bend and give inaccurate reading.

These days I use jefit app as it is easy to enter the measurements in, and it logs the results.

I will go for 3 readings before exercise, or on a rest day, with some time apart (10-30 minutes) and put the average in.

Even with this their can still be some inaccuracy, but it's the most accessible method to get a regular reading.

 

Cheers for the info - It appears (as it is with most things) to be more in-depth than I had originally thought. There is a sports therapist/nutritionist in my town, who offers body fat checks (among other things) so I think I might look into getting a proper base reading done.
That should also give me an idea of how the measurements are accurately taken.

Travess

 

It's fairly easy to get the hang of it, especially when someone has shown you how is done.
I've been using the caliper method for 15 years regularly, except around Christmas time

You also get to a point where you know what parts of your body looks like at certain levels of body fat (everyone's is very different) so over time you can certainly tell within 1-3% where you are even without a test.

I found this video a good summary into perception of body fat on people, as they ran hydrostatic weight test, which is considered one of the most accurate tests.

 

Fantastic video axelb, thanks for sharing, especially as someone who is mindful of their calorie intake, but possibly not mindful enough of the amount of calories that I take on board during training days...

Travess

 

Weekend of resting was a weekend of garden work

It was dry and we were well overdue going to our allotment to start it all again.

Saturday involved 1 hour of carrying plants in pots, followed by 30 minutes of digging.

Lunch
Bacon and brie panini

Snack
Banana loaf

Dinner
Beef burger with pulled oumph (soya based product) and fries

evening snacks with movie
wine,
Crisps, chocolate, Nik naks
vodka

Total 3166kcal (net 2842kcal)

Sunday

More allotment work, about 2-3 hours of digging, hammering, carrying plants.

Lunch
Ham sandwich,
Crisps,
Cake

Dinner
Plaice wraps with cucumber, tomato, salad, sweet corn, olives, carrots, cheese.

Evening
Fruit tea; one of the nicest fruit teas I've had!

Total 1797kcal (Net 1290 kcal)
I wasn't tracking my intake, and realised in the evening it was far under my planned amount, so I added more for Monday's intake

 

Monday

Started with a bigger morning meal to make up for yesterday

Yoghurt
Smoothie;
Protien, milk, peanut butter, sesame seeds, banana

Toast with peanut butter.
Mocha
Tea

Snack
Orange juice
Coffee

Running:
Intensity week, so today is 9 miles with 6x 3 minute intervals.
My aim was to hit about 180+ bpm for the intervals, then bring it down to 150 during the rest period.

Total 9.14 miles 91minutes 1509kcal 159bpm avg

Lap 1 6'53" avg pace, 177avg HR
13 min rest
lap 2 7'09" avg pace, 176avg HR
12 min rest
Lap 3 7'08" avg pace, 175avg HR
7'30 min rest
Lap 4 7'17 avg pace, 177avg HR
12 min rest
Lap 5 7'15 avg pace, 175avg HR
7'30 min rest
Lap 6 8'41" avg pace, 166avg HR

I was drained by the last interval, but it felt great to run near my race pace again.

Finished with 20 minutes stretching,
It was hard on my legs trying to push the side split after running, got down to about 8 inch from floor on side split.

Post workout
Protein shake

Lunch
Avacado on peanut butter on toast
Tea

Snack
Banana bread

5 minutes shadow boxing

Dinner
Chipolata with mash and beans

Evening workout
Bench
20kgx5, 40kgx5, 60x5, 70x3, 75kgx12(amrap)

High bar squat
20kgx5, 40kgx5, 60x5, 70x5, 80kgx5

Curl
20kg 3x15

No back work as it had plenty of use at the weekend.

Post workout
Tuna mayo

Fruit tea

Total 2913kcal (net 1167kcal)

 

Hmm, I was wondering for a whole, what is the banana bread you log so often? Is it something you make at home? I've seen a few recipes for something like that and I am still deciding whether to try as I am a bit afraid of the taste. It is sweet, so a bit like a dessert, right? Would you recommend it (taste-wise)?

 

The one I have is not home made, but I have had home made banana bread. It's very tasty and filling.

It's like a fruit loaf if you have tried that, quite dense and moderately sweet.

 

Hmm, sounds quite good. I guess I really won't know until I try So try I shall!

 

Tuesday

Breakfast
oats with raspberry, chia seeds, banana

Tea

20 Minutes bag work - 128BPM avg, 201 kcal
Worked at a lower pace, focused on high low techinques, and switching during punching, angling off for upper or low hook.

5 minutes stretching

Lunch
Chicken/bacon ceaser wrap with sweet potato crips and marshmallow bar

Dinner
Went to new Lebanese restaurant and got lots of things
Lamb chops, grilled halloumi, falafel, long grain rice, mutabal dip, flat bread, olives.
With a glass of wine.
total 3329kcal (net 3080)

Wednesday

Breakfast
oats with banana, chia seeds, raspberry
breakfast smoothie
toast with peanut butter
coffee

snack
orange juice
coffee
Reese's nut bar


Running

8.3 miles 1h19min
163 bpm Average heart rate 1354 kcal
1 mile warm up followed by 2.5 mile at 175bpm - this was hard on my legs, fatigued from Monday 8'30"min/mi avg
then back to 150bpm for 12mins
3mins @170bpm avg 8'30"
10mins @150bpm
and then the last 15mins @171bpm 8'52" min/mi avg.
Legs felt tired trying to pick up the pace.

5 minutes shadow boxing
working high/low hand combinations

Lunch
2 toasties with ham, salami, cheddar

5mins shadow boxing

Dinner
Halloumi, aubergine, oranges, spinach.

2653kcal (net 1150kcal)

I checked my mileage compared to last 2 years, a bit lower, but this year I have been doing longer runs for the sessions. Intake and net is about the same for the last 2 years, and weight is about the same.
I feel like I have lost my high low combinations in sparring and in general - this probably comes from a combination of pad work and my double end bag are all at one height, so recently I have been working a bit on combinations with level changes.

 

Thursday

2 mile run 20mins 311kcal 152bpm avg HR
Felt sore in the legs so had an ice bath after.

Lunch
Cheese, ham, salami toastie
Apple bread

Snack
protien smoothie

kickboxing 1 hour.
The usually calesthenic warmups
a bit more focus on stretching today, side splits down to 8 inches by the end.

Paddle work. Working on coming back after they attack.
The pad holder attacks with turning kick, back off, then follow with turning kick.
Pad holder attacks with side kick,
Back off and follow with jab, then spinning back kick.
Final drill, pad holder throws turning kick, back off then throw turning, then spinning hook kick.

Finished with combo on the pad, 10 times each side holding the chamber out:
High turning, hook
Side kick.

Sparring kit on and worked the same pad drills against each other.
Picked up the pace if the drill by moving around and switching randomly.

Finished with a few rounds of sparring.


Dinner
Battered cod and chips

Total 1854kcal (net 1208kcal)

 

Friday

Breakfast
Oats with banana, raspberry and protien Powder
Coffee

I had a task to take bags of bark chipping to the allotment.
This took about 30 minutes to load in my car and carry 4 bags weighed under 30kg each about 100m to our plot.

Snack
Orange juice
Reese's nut bar

10.3 mile run 1h40m 1619kcal 156bpm avg 9'47"min/mi avg pace.

My legs felt fatigued, but the pace was good considering. Probably mostly due to weight loss.

Lunch
Cheese, ham, salami toastie

Tea

Family Kickboxing 1 hour.
I was very sore so I took it easy. Mostly the kids hand drill syllabus and calesthenic based games.

Dinner
Tuna nicoise
2 craft beers
Crisps.

Total 2534kcal (net 560kcal )

 

560 net calories? Clearly not enough beer!

Travess

 

I had more beer in the fridge, but I fell asleep before I could drink it

I'm making up for the intake today with extra food.

 

It's always good to have a clear reason to absolutely gorge...

I've got 7 hours of training to look forward to tomorrow, closely followed by 3+ hours at the cinema, that latter of which will involve copious amounts of Popcorn, jellied sweets, and a bottomless Pepsi (not to mention a jumbo hotdog, with all the trimmings) which I'll now be able to enjoy guilt free...

Travess

 

From Friday:
Average weeks weight 85kg bf ~12.5%

Food average for the week 2578kcal gross, 1580kcal net average per day.

3 weeks left until my race, so I plan to lose about 3kg by then, which is on target.

I checked against last 2 years plans and my running pace is way below, but everything else on track, so I'm butnot expect and personal best at the 10k, but I'll still give it what I've got.

The only improvement over the last 3 years race training is I haven't had bronchitis, which I normally have 2-3 times by this point in the year.