Buckfever's General Progress Log

8/23/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 4.25 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4.25hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4.25 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8+"
Pack 2-7/8"

Measurement wise about the same but visually more of the tube is occupied. I’m not going to try the smaller tube again, I’m quite sure that we’ll pack this one eventually. I wonder how long it takes before a plateau is reached in the tube. Anyway there are 2 tracks I want to consider once getting there. At some point I do want to give the 2 X 5 minute sessions with slightly higher pressure a go. And after we have clearly plateaued I want to explore what the lowest pressure is that will maintain the expansion and if the lower pressure actually improves EQ. That’s down the road some, but that’s what I’m thinking.

I probably should read some pumping journals.

Weight: 180.2 @ 18.6%

Meal plan is on point but I’m not getting enough protein. I got a package of sirloin burgers to up the protein intake since I’ll put in the weights this weekend.

Working on the hydration and I need more sleep. Been buying a new vehicle and I do find that process stressful, hasn’t helped.

My face is starting to tighten up and look better. My face does not look as good when I’m fat. That’s the thing about leaning up. You just got to get it going and then the positive changes pull you.

8/24/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 4.25 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4.25hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4.25 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8"
Pack 3"

Same pattern a little less length in the tube but a bit more packing. So now the packing is getting into the area of the small indentation from the injury and I have to say that while I got into the use of the extender to deal with that, it appears that the pumping is having more of a corrective effect on it than the stretching. The traction did more to correct the age related shortening and now the pumping seems to be completing the job. The girl is in Europe for a few weeks so no EQ measures, but anecdotally bringing up the erection to get into the tube, is quite good. I suspect a decent proxy.
I’m definitely done with the smaller tube, this is going well and I don’t want another injury.

Weight: 179.2 @ 18.6% bodyfat

Sticking with the meal plan is paying dividends, but also even though I’m not lifting weights I am getting in the aerobics and here having a little time off I’m keeping very active with house projects which is helping burn off some calories.

I’ve always liked a meal plan for keeping trim. Never cared for counting calories.

So this is it:

Morning a cup or 2 of Coffee and then after that I switch to decaf.
4:30 1 Fruit
5:30 2 starches, 1 fat, 2 proteins, 2 vegetables
6:30 Desert (400 grams) Usually ice cream and small piece of pie or cake, I weigh this to make sure I don’t over do it.
7:30 2 starches 1 fat 1 protein 1 vegetable This meal is 2 slices of fiber bread, kale mix, 2 slices of Cheddar and light mayo. I cook this into a panini.
8:30 Lemon water with stevia To hydrate.

I’m not hungry at all ever and the weight is drifting down.

The only thing missing right now is the upper body strength training, I’m tightening up but the muscles are deflating. Probably start tomorrow and I have a pack of sirloin burgers thawing. I don’t know if it is true or not but I do think that the red meat does something with the lifting so I do rotate that in as a protein.

I slept from around 9:30 to 5 yesterday straight through and I think it’s a function of the physical activity. I think there needs to be a balance between the physical and the mental activity for there to be a release for a better balance. Making it a priority of being more physically active is the answer, easier said than done.

Yesss…

Some time on FDA.gov can be enlightening. It turns out that those calorie charts and the information printed in the nutrition boxes on food packages is, essentially, a big fat lie. That’s why the charts change so often. Vendors are allowed to "estimate" calories instead of, like, feeding them to mice and weighing them, or some other lab work.

Carbs are much easier to test than calories, and *might* be correct. Though the FDA doesn’t actually have a procedure for determining carb quantities, at least that I could find on their web site.

What equipment do you have for upper-body training?

I have weights at home, but I like going to the gym.

SHIT! Petechiae formation.

I’ll lower the pressure tomorrow to a max of 4mm/hg letting it drift down to 3.5 and see if that is tolerated. Too bad because we were on a roll, but there’s no hurry.

Everybody is different, but your pressures aren’t very high. I don’t get petechiae until I’m over 12, sometimes 14, and even then not always. But I rarely go over 12 based on published experimental data that says more than that is not likely beneficial for growth stimulus and above 14 might be detrimental.

If you are taking any medications or supplements that interfere with platelet or clotting function it will make petechiae easier to get. Common culprits are NSAIDS, like aspirin or ibuprofen, and moderate dose fish oil supplements. There are others but something to consider if it remains an issue. I just wondered if you might be taking ibuprofen or another NSAID since you’ve been having hamstring issues.

BTW, erectile internal pressure is about 3-4 inHg, so most experimental data points to a sweet spot for promoting growth to be around 11, and around 7-8inHg for EQ benefits. So it might be worth optimizing your capacity to use more vacuum if you can condition to do it.

Your post made me curious. I’m on Crestor and doing a quick search conforms the correlation. I’ll just have to navigate it best I can.

8/25/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 4 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8+"
Pack 2-7/8"

So limited the pressure to no more than 4mm/hg, the length was a little more than the last session but packing was a little less although it was more uneven so can’t be so sure about that. Not as profound a difference as I was anticipating, if any. I think the thing with this is to see if this pressure allows progression through time. So I’ll stick with this and see the impact on the red dots.

I do want to explore increasing the pressure some but knocking down the duration to 2 sessions now that I’ve had some time in the tube and exploring the impact on the petechiae.

Weight: 178.4 @ 18.5% bodyfat

The definition is starting to come in now. Yesterday I only managed to walk twice, i bought a new SUV and that took a block of time, stressful too but it went smoothly. Shockingly got a great deal which makes me wonder how well the economy is doing.

I’ve got enough of the house projects handled now so I’ll make the workouts a priority again starting today. Mapping it out I have 5.75lbs of fat loss to go. The Sirloin burgers should be thawed so will add the red meat today as we start the weight training. I’m not going to have that much red meat, maybe just once a month a package of sirloin burgers, but I do want some in there.

8/26/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 4 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 4 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8+"
Pack 2-7/8"

About the same. Petechiae though persistent appear improved we will see the next few days and then decide next steps. Pretty clear that 4.5mmhg is more effective than 4 in terms of progression but we’ll see in the next couple days, if the 4 gives any progressive expansion.

Weight: 179 @ 18.4% bodyfat

Weight keeps drifting down. We got about 5.5lbs of fat loss to go. Yesterday got 14 flights on the sledding hill with the 40lb vest took around 32 minutes. I need to work up to 20 flights to get 45 minutes of aerobics 3 times a week. I hit the gym and did the upper body in about an hour, just basic movements strength and stamina need to come up. Right now thinking twice a week upper body. I also walked twice, short 1.3 mile walks. I’ve got the major projects done at home so now the fitness takes priority. Meal plan is working out great.

8/27/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 3.125 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 3.125 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 3.125 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8+"
Pack 2-7/8"

I did not get the resolution of the red dots that I was looking for, slightly better but not clearing up at a fast enough rate. The gauge from 0 to 5 has 8 increments so for today pulled it back one increment which is 3.125mm/hg. The measures were pretty much the same as yesterday maybe a hair more length and a bit less packing. I’m going to give it 3 days at this level and see how the red dots go from here.

Weight: 178.8 @ 18.4% bodyfat.

Definition of the abs is coming in and the fat behind the obliques is shrinking. Yesterday walked twice. Need to keep the activity level up and we’ll see how I respond to the weights. The bodyfat suggests that I need to drop 5.5 more lbs, but if I can gain a little muscle maybe I don’t have to drop that much. But whatever it takes I can always gain back the muscle later. We’re going straight to ripped.

What device do you use to estimate your BF%? I’m looking for a better one than my $40 impedance scale.

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I’m using an Ozeri impedance scale. What I did was when I got it, I took the BF measures before and after Hydrostatic bodyfat testing at University of Illinois and the normal setting was exactly the same. I’m not pretending that it is all that accurate but over the years I know that at 16.8% on that scale I have ripped abs with that clearly defined V on the lower abs and a visible vessel running down the lower abs, but a little fat behind the obliques, This year I want to take it to 15.8% to tighten that area behind the obliques.

My issue right now is because I haven’t been lifting for a while, the shape isn’t there.

8/28/2024

1.93"X9" tube

5 minutes @ 3.125 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 3.125 hg
2 minute rest
5 minutes @ 3.125 hg

Tube down length position: 7-3/8+"
Pack 2-7/8"

Pretty much the same, I suspect that 3.125mm/hg is a maintenance level. Improvement of the red dots so we’ll keep it here.

Weight: 178.2 @ 18.1%

Sticking with the meal plan and the increased activity levels and we continue to lean up. Just got to get the workouts in. Under 5 pounds of fat to go now.

We had bad winds here yesterday and I Iost a tree. Took out a part of my fence fortunately fell on the lawn of my neighbors back yard so no structural damage. Neighbor was cool though. One more thing I got to deal with. It’s always something

8/28/2024

Well the red dots are persisting. I think I need to stop to let them heal. I’m going to give it 10 days. We’ll resume on the 7th and restart with very light pressure, thinking 2.5in/hg.

This is going to turn into a fitness journal.

Thanks. I’m not thinking mine is very accurate, but I figure it would be stable in the inaccuracy. Unfortunately Ive been wondering if mine isn’t tracking very closely, but maybe it is just wishful thinking that my recent trimming up should register more of a drop in BF% with my scale.