An ORIF (open reduction internal fixation) procedure on an ankle… my first time observing the process of plating a broken bone with screws. Very fascinating.
Surgery 6-10-13
Sever arthritis is clearly noticable in the knee joint when you can go in there arthroscopically and see the joint. The cartilage is very fuzzy instead of waxy looking
Tuesday 6/11/13 Meeting an IFBB Pro
Fantastic day with nutrition… for the most part. I knew, or thought, I was in for a hardcore training session tonight so I stocked up on 40g of carbs during breakfast at 7:00. https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51b6f5cc7e2c8d1576001287
I did not feel sharp after eating this. I hate feeling “full” in the morning. This loaded me down and I felt somewhat lethargic until I took an espresso 2 hours later. I had salmon and vegetables when I got hungry for lunch around 2:00. I went and looked at some apartments in ATL and just passed out on the way home at 5:00. I was planning on getting home earlier and making a solid preworkout meal with moderate carbs… but I didn’t get home until 5:30. Being very frustrated with no healthy meals prepared, I slammed down some oats and protein powder.
TODAY I WAS ABLE TO MEET A LONGTIME ROLE MODEL OF MINE, MARC LOBLINER!
Marc is an IFBB Pro bodybuilder and runs the TigerFitness YouTube channel. Previously his videos have been all about training, supplements, and diet for bodybuilding. Recently, however, he has incorporated his personal philosophical view on life, which I find very inspiring. Marc exemplifies BALANCE with everything in life: family, bodybuilding, and diet. Marc continues to post some of the best fitness videos on YouTube in my opinion and I wish him the best with his family.
Well, the session turned out to be more of a Q&A than a hardcore workout. I went with my buddy Truman and we both felt like we could still handle another workout. We came home and smashed:
Giant Set:
Kettlebell Swings: ~40lb x 25 reps
Powercleans: 105lb x 5 reps
Barbell Rows: 105lb x 5 reps
We completed 3 total sets with 1:30 rest in between sets. I felt great afterwards. So great, that I had another meal to supplement my gains.
https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51b7cb3d7e2c8d15760012c4 – Just cottage and whey and cocoa for a good night’s sleep.
36 Hours in NYC… No I Did Not Eat Pizza
First and foremost, I went to NYC to visit their outstanding medical facilities. Some of which include Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Weill Cornell Medical School, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and more, which I wrote all about here!
I definitely could not have conquered NYC without their lovely MTA transportation. Thank you!
I absolutely LOVED visiting the NYC pubic library!
I honestly could spend all day in here. Amongst the vast amount of books and literature in this place, I heavily admired the artwork throughout.
Just let me pose on the stairs real quick: 
I really enjoyed spending the weekend with my parents, together, which is a rare treat for us.
Times Square
On the plane, ready for any dangerous chemicals
I LOVE NEW YORK!
New Lifting Routine per 4-Hour Body
So this week I have been going through the motions for the most part. Looking back on most meals this week, I increasingly find myself stuffing my face with huge veggie meals…. just like I did during the school year. I think this is beneficial for my work schedule… I really do. I am doing a 17/7 intermittent fasting diet on some days… where I eat only from 1:00-7:00 each day. I only do this when it is convenient of course. I like the challenge. But if I am not scheduled to work and am at home trying to work in the morning THIS DOES NOT WORK. I am not self-disciplined enough to ignore my hunger when I know healthy foods are awaiting just downstairs. That is why IF works best when I have busy mornings. I do believe fasting has tremendous benefits.
FITNESS:
I went to the gym Wednesday (6/5/13) after work and completed my first workout via Ocamms Protocal. I am starting to treat the gym as my laboratory, strictly controlling variables. I have never been precise in logging my workouts over the past couple of years but I wanted to start so I can analyze quantitative data.
PULLDOWNS:
85×5
90×5
100×5
120×5
140×4
120×5.8 reps 1:23
OVERHEAD PRESS:
55×5
60×5
65×5
70×4.8
60×7.5 reps… 1:42
Warmed up with some functional movements… Typically I will only do one set to failure but since I am just beginning this protocol I needed to calibrate my standards. I am EXCITED TO FINALLY start analyzing my workouts like I do my research!
July 1st Weekend & Wellness
Friday I worked from 8:00-5:00. No workout and nothing particularly eventful happened today.
Saturday was GLORIOUS though. I had the whole house to myself all day, a rare treat. I had a copious amount of time to devote to self-meditation and introspection. Among other things, introspection and solitude is what I most look forward to on the weekends after a long week’s work. I had some glorious meals on this day, breakfast and dinner… as well as a late night craving. I’m getting progressively better at cutting out the liquid meals and chocolate treat cravings. Finally….
Today, Sunday, I went to church with the family. Almost always fashionably late, we walked in and found a back row seat. This has always bothered me… I don’t understand why my family is stubborn to get involved in church. Especially my brother… He has never been particularly religious and continually pokes fun at the church we go to. I shouldn’t be the one to judge him though, as I often find myself getting less and less involved with “church” as academic endeavors consume a majority of my time. This is NOT to say I have lost any faith thought! I still believe in a higher Power. There is definitely no way around it. C.S Lewis verifies this argument in the opening chapter of his book, Mere Christianity. Aside from church I had a great day watching Grey’s Anatomy, reading medical articles, books, and researching my trip to Boston for this upcoming weekend! Meals, Meals, Meals, were solid, but I had a splitting headache until I settled down for the night.
FITNESS:
I have been consistently using my home made kettlebell whenever I have the urge to exercise. I probably total 150 reps throughout each day.
My weight is looking good too! More on fitness in another post..
Home Made Kettlebell! Best Idea Ever!
Okay, so I am reading Tim Ferriss’ 4 Hour Body right now and I realized how beneficial a kettlebell workout is. The gym I go to doesn’t have kettlebells so I was out of luck there. Online I saw them going anywhere from $25 for a 10lb bell all the way up to $90 for the 53lb bell I need.
Tim Ferriss includes in the book a home made option for the kettlebell:
1 = 3/4″ x 12″ nipple which will make the shaft
2 = 3/4″ x 4″ nipples which will be the handles
1 = 3/4″ “T” Fitting that connect the shaft to the handles
1 = 3/4″ Floor Flange
1 = 3/4″ Spring Clamp (For safety, I drilled a hole with a drill bit and put utilized a plate and bolt to stop the weights)
A grand total of $25 spent at Home Depot and the end product? 
Being the son of a complete and total handyman (airplane mechanic, stay in the garage all day, guy) I had my father weld the piping together at the handles and base. Pictured here is 25lb + 10lb plate= 35lbs … plus the contraption itself, totaling around 39lbs.
I have slapped on 35lb+10lb plates ~ 49lbs… The piece still holds together nicely and I have no need to go heavier in weight.
Want a graceful illustration? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yev6xc0vSQ
Can I only use it for one exercise? Of course not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrON_uR3C0Y
05/30/2013
What great morning today was. I had a solid breakfast: https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51a7312c7e2c8d1576000d40
I had to be at work earlier than usual to see all patients because Dr. Powell had a funeral to go to in the afternoon. I came home around 1:00 and ate a radical lunch of liver and vegetables: https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51a790507e2c8d1576000d5c
I knew I was SATISFIED after eating this, but OF COURSE I went and made a chocolate shake: https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51a798787e2c8d1576000d5f
According to this sleeping app I use, Sleep Cycle (I love it!), I had 62% sleep quality last night, which is my lowest ever. I did not feel it at work. Around 2:00, after eating, I felt lethargic. I wanted to blame it on my lunch meal but that was solid. I ended up falling asleep at 5:00 for an hour.
I WOKE UP AND GOT THEM KETTLEBELL SWINGS! Followed by dinner: https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1/eatings/51a7fc5f7e2c8d1576000da7 Why do I keep making liquid meals? Probably because they are very customizable and I can blend a wide variety of foods that would taste wild by themselves.
– Thursday
05/29/2013
When only scheduled to work a half day at work I need to make a precise agenda of what I want to accomplish before going in. I had plans to get up around 8:00, make sure breakfast was ate by 9:00, and be at the gym by 11:00 to start swinging kettlebells. This did not happen.
I woke up around 7:00 and had this:
I felt on point with this cinnamon coffee. This was an ideal breakfast. However, I believe I was in the kitchen for at least 25 minutes, which is not ideal.I REALLY want to cut that down to about 10-15 minutes if possible. Will work on that…
So this is where the day went wrong, I was still planning on going to the gym at 11:00 (maybe catching a small p shake bc I woke early) but FORGOT I had to deal with financial aid at school… took about an hour.
Skipped the workout and had this for lunch around noon:
A little too much food at this meal…. actually not really.. I remember looking for something else to eat after this but didn’t end up getting anything…
Work was fantastic as always. Check out my other blog “A Premed’s Journey” for that info.
I got home at 6:00…. read for about an hour out of my prized Harvey Cushing biography and then made dinner (AKA Meal #3):
Fascinating, I know. Follow me on dosIQ for daily pictures of meals… I can not always write a food journal every day but I can take a quick pic. DosIQ is really simple… The app on iPhone is a little sketchy but I probably use it more than Instagram. There website is flawless for a food journal though. My Page: https://www.dosiq.com/anewsam1
KETTLEBELL SWINGS IN THE MORNING
05/28/2013
I had a great day in the clinic all day. I am finally working proficiently…. Almost.
Nutrition was down today. I had what seemed a terrific breakfast of eggs, spinach, peppers, bacon, and nuts. I then had some ocra and salmon for lunch with some lentils. This turned out to be a gooey, tasteless mess. My meal was too big when I got home from work around 6:00. I should have had a quick (QUICK) meal the and then a small fatty/protein meal before bed.
In the morning I will be eating breakfast and throwing around kettle balls at the gym for the first time. I can not wait to finally try these out! I am not following a plan as of tomorrow because I am so scatterbrained tonight. Will post ASAP after workout tomorrow!
ANewsam 