Fitness Update, March 2025
I need to increase strength and stamina and lose visceral fat. I've been working out three times per week for the past few weeks with mixed results.
Welcome to the first of my monthly physical fitness self-assessments. Like the rest of this blog, I am writing this mostly for my own benefit and if it happens to also be relevant to someone else, well then that's a bonus.
I specifically need to lose visceral fat. According to my smart scale's BIA, I am 32% body fat (less than 20% is normal for men) and my visceral fat rating is 15 (less than 12 is normal for men). Obviously, these measurements are all estimates and should be treated as such, but I think my level of visceral fat might actually be higher than the scale suggests. I don't have a lot of subcutaneous (pinchable) fat yet my waist is still 40 inches, which gives me a waist-to-height ratio of 0.56 (less than 0.5 is normal for men and greater than 0.6 is dangerous). I also get reflux after eating and it's difficult to breathe while tying my shoes, which both indicate an abdominal pressure issue, which supports the hypothesis of a high amount of visceral fat.
My strategy is twofold. First, to mimic activities that I actually do on the fire ground so I perform better on calls. Second, to raise my BMR and NEAT so I burn more calories throughout the day and hopefully lose a little weight. And since visceral fat is the most metabolically active type of fat, it should be the first to go, right? 🤞🏼
So for the past few weeks, I've been working out three times per week at the gym at the fire station. One day, legs and core: farmer carries, squats, deadlifts, stair machine, moving around on my hands and knees. Another day, upper body: bicep curls, lat pull downs, tricep pull downs, bench press. On the third day, cardio: 20 minutes of treadmill alternating between 3 and 5.5 mph every 30-60 seconds. Every session I wear a 30-pound weight vest (roughly the weight of my air pack and turnout gear).
I've also been eating out way less; down to about once per week from 5 or more. But some friends and I get together every Wed night to play board games and this has aways been a weak spot for me. I eat and drink way more than I should—charcuterie and bourbon are my kryptonite. But if I stick to the plan the rest of the week then this shouldn't be too bad, right? 🤷♂️
I have definitely noticed some improvements in my strength and stamina. These activities don't kick my ass as much as they used to when I do them in the wild. So from a performance perspective, the exercises are working. 💪🏼
On the other hand, there hasn't been much change in my physique. Still 230-235 pounds, still a 40-inch waist, still looking chubby. 🫤 I may have to rethink my stance on game night. I could also do a better job at getting my daily step count up. More NEAT only works if I maintain a certain level of non-exercise movement every day.