LET'S GET THIS MUTHA STARTED!!!

[natty texan]

All right, tri's & shoulders tonight...

Rope Cable Pushdowns
42.5x15
50x12
50x10

EZ Bar Skullcrushers
55x15
60x12
65x12

Reverse single cable pushdown
15x10
10x12x2

Front/Side/Back DB Raises
15x12
17.5x12
20x12
Shoulders still feelin' last workout (esp. anterior)

Pussed out on doing any more shoulder; was underfed today. Swear I'm gonna be the first fatass anorexic lol. I've been counting up my calories and a lot of days I'm not hitting 1500. Not good, except the man-boobs are going away pretty quick (phew!).

Calf Raises
150xfailure x3 sets

15min. on rowing erg, 30min. on elliptical btw(balls to da wall mang).

left knee was feelin' off today; kinda stiff and not right. therapist was wrenchin' on me yesterday and think that's why. Could also be cuz I haven't eaten much of anything today and was dehydrated until I chugged half a gallon of water. OopS!

Tomorrow's another day...thinkin' I'ma make chili this weekend. Yee har!

it's yeehaw.

good work on the skull crushers. that's a good amount of weight for just getting back in this.

this is just a random suggestion...but you might get a better pump if you turn your sets around. do the heavy weight first, and the lower weight last... blow it out the window if you'd like

 

[heywood]

Appreciate the input, I was only doing it that way because my tricep tendons don't feel real good if I don't warm them up first. I agree with you on that one.

 

[natty texan]

Appreciate the input, I was only doing it that way because my tricep tendons don't feel real good if I don't warm them up first. I agree with you on that one.

yeah...maybe you should do an over all warm up before you start lifting?

like 5 minutes of cardio and some of those preworkout stretches in the video's i sent you then go through your entire routine with very light weights and only one set.

 

[heywood]

yeah, I need to go over those stretches again and try to put together a routine for every day; I've been struggling with consistency.

 

[natty texan]

dont worry... you're not the only one.

i hate having to warm up. i always want to skip it, but i never lift well on days i don't warm up.

 

[heywood]

yeah, I actually have no problem with the warmup I just am careful not to wear myself out with it. Def. helps with the pump tho; my forearm pumps have been getting painful on bicep days...might have to buy some taurine as well.

 

[natty texan]

i'm not very excited about having to take a supplement to get rid of pumps....

 

[heywood]

true, but you can't mess with the leg day! it's sacred!

 

[natty texan]

true, but you can't mess with the leg day! it's sacred!

true dat...

if it keeps me from having to sit down every 5 minutes i'll grin and bear it...


i hate sitting down at the gym.

 

[heywood]

All right, Leg Day!

Bosu squats w/8lb medicine ball
60x3sets

Squats
95x15
115x12
95x12
Decided to tone it down with the weight; no need to set me back with the knee even tho I wasn't feelin' any discomfort. It's been real tough not to go up in weight...I'm champing at the bit!

Leg Press superset w/calves
90x12, 25
140x12, 25
140x12, 25

Leg Extensions (one-legged)
30lbx12(held for 4-5secs, s-l-o-w motion)

Decline bench crunches (steep bench, about 45deg.)
3 sets burnout (about 25 or so, maybe more)

Cable Oblique lifts
50x15
57.5x15
57.5x15

Decent workout, intensity was hard to find tho...I hate working out in an overcrowded gym. It was a frickin' zoo in there tonight and was tripping over people and getting frustrated for a little while. Main reason why I didn't do any walking lunges; couldn't even go into the aerobics room as there was a class going on.

Had another weird popping feeling come out of the knee on the decline bench; I don't think much of it anymore because afterwards I usually end up with increased range of motion Something going on with the fibula interfering with my range of motion and when I get on the decline it's moving it out of the way (not sure if this is 100% true, but I ain't payin' for another MRI).

Kinda funny, was trying to protect my knee by going to the leg press but I actually feel like the squats were better for the knee (more functional of a movement). Wish I could just wrap the knee and go up in weight but gotta be patient...

 

[heywood]

All right, I'm gonna take a page from snagency and post my dinner tonight mainly cuz it looks so frickin' awesome:

lofat lasagna, sweet potatoes, broc w/apple cider vinegar and the coup de grace, a buffalo meat steak with a side of horseradish!

 

[heywood]

post dinner report: gawd I wish bison meat wasn't so damn expensive! for an 8oz steak it's 254 cal. & only 38 cal. from fat! uh-oh, already feeling it:

 

[Random181]

That looks heavenly


edit: ahh now you made me feel well hungry haha

 

[heywood]

That looks heavenly


edit: ahh now you made me feel well hungry haha

thanks! It was good, but I can't afford to have that quality of meal all the time tho

 

[natty texan]

thanks! It was good, but I can't afford to have that quality of meal all the time tho

you know i thought a while ago, about buying a ranch and raising buffalo and shipping it mail order to people with dry ice...at a good price...

they have a few companies that do that but they're massively expensive.

 

[heywood]

gotta love whole foods for something

would you have been natty rancher then?

 

[heywood]

Another note: I woke up in the middle of the night to drain myself and got on the scale...192.5 wtf??? I've been weighing a consistent 197 or so; guess staying away from white sugar, white flour and alcohol really helps you lose weight:duh:

looked in the mirror this morning and it's true: I'm shrinking. I'm planning on going on an all-out cut until I get down to 185 or wherever I'm down to about 10% bf, then reassessing what my body needs. If anybody has anything to add here; I've never really done anything like this with goals in mind so I would appreciate the input. Do you guys think I should try to cut down to 180, or go on a lean bulk at 185 and then lean down again afterwards?

All I care about is no more :donut:

 

[Random181]

Depends on your goals, if you wanna be cut for summer then defo cut, if your plans are more long term (aka not the upcoming summber but next years) then bulk till the end!

 

[heywood]

Depends on your goals, if you wanna be cut for summer then defo cut, if your plans are more long term (aka not the upcoming summber but next years) then bulk till the end!

yeah, I'm leaning towards the cut just to see how low I can go while still adding muscle (might try a natty test booster near the middle/end of cut to keep the muscle wasting down to a minimum).

as far as bulking is concerned, I probably will try my best to stay away from dirty bulking for a long while; I put on fat way too easy and I need to watch that tendency.

I think that the high-intensity cardio I've been doing is def. helping; I noticed the days after my last torture session I started to look more jiggly but the biggest difference has been not drinking alcohol. That sh*t adds fat like no other. Last time I stopped drinking for a couple/few months I got down to 182 or so from 195.

 

[Random181]

Good luck then! btw you are lucky to just have problems affording meals like that! I can barely afford to eat my base calories right now:15:

 

[natty texan]

gotta love whole foods for something

would you have been natty rancher then?

naw hahah it probably woulda been...texdacowboy

 

[natty texan]

I will add this, if you're not looking to be a bodybuilder, I think you should get down to a body weight, body mass/fat index you're comfortable at, and slowly over time working on gaining muscle.

the healthy way in other words. It takes longer but in the long term it's certainly the best and healthiest for you. That way you can be on a lean mini bulk year round

 

[heywood]

I will add this, if you're not looking to be a bodybuilder, I think you should get down to a body weight, body mass/fat index you're comfortable at, and slowly over time working on gaining muscle.

the healthy way in other words. It takes longer but in the long term it's certainly the best and healthiest for you. That way you can be on a lean mini bulk year round

I agree. My body's also going thru a lot of changes right now due to rebuilding muscle lost in my leg...went to get a knee brace fit today and the lady fitting it was blown away that the bad leg's quad was only 1/2" smaller than the good leg. I was pretty proud.

Now for the tough part; the calf. I've been beating up on them for a little bit and I'm gonna have to destroy them on a regular basis to get them back to where they were (really only the left one; the right one is the same size as before).

As for the lean mini bulk you are talking about; what do you recommend as a way to do this? Do you just mean eating approx. 100-200 extra calories every day and continuing my training routine?

 

[natty texan]

I agree. My body's also going thru a lot of changes right now due to rebuilding muscle lost in my leg...went to get a knee brace fit today and the lady fitting it was blown away that the bad leg's quad was only 1/2" smaller than the good leg. I was pretty proud.

Now for the tough part; the calf. I've been beating up on them for a little bit and I'm gonna have to destroy them on a regular basis to get them back to where they were (really only the left one; the right one is the same size as before).

As for the lean mini bulk you are talking about; what do you recommend as a way to do this? Do you just mean eating approx. 100-200 extra calories every day and continuing my training routine?

well i mean, get to where you want to be at, definition wise, then slowly increase your food, so you're just putting on lbm with minimal fat gain.

 

[heywood]

yeah kinda figgered that, just sometimes hard to quantify things for me...it's so easy to fall off the wagon :lol:

 

[heywood]

de-str0yed. :684:

did back tonight...

Wide Grip Pulldowns
85x12
100x12
120x10

Wide Grip Lat Pushdowns
40x12
55x12
45x12

Hammer Strength Mid Row (weight is per side), movement is mirrored, not one side @ a time.
45's x12
55x12
65x12
70x12

One Arm Rows
50x12
60x12
70x12
Was starting to feel beastly. Hadn't done 70's in a few years, felt gooooood.

Romanian Dead Lifts
95x12
115x12
135x12
The back is finally starting to feel well enough to push the weight up slowly. The lower back pump was insane tho.

And then, the cardio:
45mins on the elliptical, every 5 mins switching directions. According to the machine, 680 kcals and I was cashed in after that. It was hard to drag my a$$ home; I'll sleep good tonight.

Def. making up two bottles; one bcaas & crystal light and the other just h2o was a good idea. Sipped on the bcaa mix while I lifted and dug into the water during and after the cardio.

Here's hoping tomorrow hurts.

 

[natty texan]

good job on movin the weights up.

and congrats on your back getting better.

keep pushing hard!

 

[heywood]

good job on movin the weights up.

and congrats on your back getting better.

keep pushing hard!

thx man, I 'preciate it. I'm a hurtin' unit today, might go for a bike ride to open up the legs a bit.

 

[suncloud]

post dinner report: gawd I wish bison meat wasn't so damn expensive! for an 8oz steak it's 254 cal. & only 38 cal. from fat! uh-oh, already feeling it:

buffalo is also very high in creatine

if your main goal is to drop some fat, make sure you're subbing out your fast carbs for slow carbs - you're probably doing this already. anything that can lower GH levels are bad for a cut. this is especially important in all things from post-workout till bedtime.

pre workout - when your GH levels haven't become elevated yet, the quality of carbs don't make much of a difference.

 

[heywood]

buffalo is also very high in creatine

if your main goal is to drop some fat, make sure you're subbing out your fast carbs for slow carbs - you're probably doing this already. anything that can lower GH levels are bad for a cut. this is especially important in all things from post-workout till bedtime.

pre workout - when your GH levels haven't become elevated yet, the quality of carbs don't make much of a difference.

thanks for that; it's probably the biggest hole in my knowledge to be able to know what kind of food to eat when. I know some of the basics, but that's it so far. Gettin' there tho.

 

[heywood]

well, it looks like I'm gonna be going back to work...

I doubt that I'm going to have too much trouble working out, but it's gonna have to take a back seat for a little bit while I get acclimated to working on a construction site again (waking up at 4:30 every morning and busting my a$$). Expect the log to be updated perhaps a little less than it has been, but it's by no means goodnight mr. chips.

Wish me luck, it's gonna be tough gimpin' around with a bum wheel for a while but I'm excited to be making money again!

Cheers and thanx for the support so far!

 

[Random181]

Glad you got the job man! good luck with it

 

[heywood]

Glad you got the job man! good luck with it

Thanks! I'm def. excited, but man is it going to be tough getting used to waking up at 4:30 every morning again!

Better than being unemployed by more than a fair amount!

 

[heywood]

Workout last night: Chest & Bi's

Low Cable Flyes
10@12
15@12
10@10

High Cable Flyes
15@12
20@12
20@10

DB Incline Bench
35@12
40@10
45@8
Coming along, I haven't done 45's in a while...think that I'm going to have to start a power cycle as I'm starting to feel like certain weights are too easy until I get to 6-8 reps, and then the endurance runs out.

Straight BB Curls
60@12
65@10
70@10

Pinwheel Curls
20@12
20@12
25@10
Weak, weak and more weak. That's what I get for having monkey arms. Feeling like the high rep sets are starting to run their course, and aren't making the muscles grow much anymore but I might just be getting impatient.

EZ Bar Reverse Curls
55@12
60@10
65@10
Almost painful pump again, don't need to do much with the forearms...I've looked like popeye since I was a teenager. They do start to hurt when I do the reverse curls...like they're gonna explode.

Overall, it was a decent workout but had a hard time keeping focus. Lot of things going on right now and I'll be happier in a month or so when things are a bit more settled. As much as I love change routines help keep ya grounded or so I guess it goes.

 

[heywood]

Thought I'd do a little summary review of how I'm doing about 7 weeks into this whole deal:

Training is going how it's going, I'm still in noob gain territory for another couple months at least so I'm not going to say more than I think things are going along okay except I need to start pushing myself harder and maybe doing some lower rep sets soon to throw a wrench into my body's comfort level.

Supplementation is going okay, I do feel like I'm wasting money and will start going thru and probably start buying more bulk supps and doing my own capping. Certain supps are going to be more worth it later when my body is in a better rhythm and I would like to see if I can mimic some of them with bulk supps.

Nutrition is still a thorn in my side, mainly because I gotta get back to work. I've been sleeping in too much and my day isn't regimented enough; that's changing this week tho. It's not that I don't know what to eat, it's more that I don't have enough to do to keep me busy when I'm not at work and I sit in front of the 'puter too much. Just a hunch, but when I get back to work I'll bet my weight is gonna go down quick. I'm going to have to work hard to keep it on 'cause I'll be burning 3-4000 kcals/day vs. 2000 or so now.

 

[natty texan]

okay i've said this often...
why bother with capping? it's a little harder on your stomach when it's breaking down lots of caps...

just drink it

 

[heywood]

okay i've said this often...
why bother with capping? it's a little harder on your stomach when it's breaking down lots of caps...

just drink it

'cuz it's hard to do that stuff when you're at work. Besides, I'm a wuss...no desire to suck down some nasty powder just for sport

 

[heywood]

All right, last workout before I go back to work!

Tri's & Shoulders

Seated Military Press
75@12
85@10
95@6
75@10
Yeah, I know...I'm weak at this one. I felt good tho thru this, like I'm getting much stronger as time goes on.

Dips, bodyweight only
12, 14, 11
Getting much better at these. I'm pretty impressed, when I started back in the gym doing these 6 weeks ago I couldn't do any more than 4 or 5.

EZ Bar Skullcrushers (w/close-grip press burnout each set)
55@12
60@10
65@7

Shoulder Flyes (front, side & back w/same weight)
15@12
17.5@12
20@10

Shrugs w/machine, weight is ea. side
45@20
60@20
70@20

Calves on standing machine
180@20
195@20x2

40 minutes cardio on elliptical, machine said 625 kcals expended.

Notes:
Felt stronger, I have been improving my strength pretty much every workout unless I am underfed on the day. I am starting to feel like I could make big weight jumps and go for lower reps, but I'm resisting that urge so I don't rupture or tear anything. I think I'm going to have to take a careful approach to this stuff and focus on warming up/form more than anything since I depend on my body for my livelihood. Nothing wrong with building a brick wall one course at a time; you end up with a stronger wall in the end.

 

[natty texan]

good job.

good luck at work.

 

[heywood]

good job.

good luck at work.

Thanks mang, it went fine. Gonna be tough to get used to working again; pretty much a given I'm gonna be waking up at 4:15-4:30 every morning now...but it means I get an early afternoon, off at 2:30!

Only got 4 hours sleep last night, gonna sleep easier tonight! :684:

 

[natty texan]

haha nighty night



didn't mack strong retire last year?

 

[heywood]

so...wanted to elaborate on my supplement experience so far:

I usually don't have very good results with the money I put into supplementation, but I have to say that usp labs stuff isn't bullsh*t as skeptical as I've tried to be. Not every one of their products works for everyone and I understand that but my recovery has been very good...

As well as the pumps, they have been almost painful at times. I am sitting here flexing in my chair and can't really remember the last time my arms *felt* so full (probably when I was 18-19 and in college). Last night at the gym I was looking imposing even tho a lot of it's extra fat still. My vascularity has been better lately and my general mood has been much better.

So far I've been taking pretty much all of usp's stuff except prime which I've decided to order to see if it works like the other supps they offer. I haven't had all the same results they say I should, but that's common with herbal extracts. The most common effect I've had with all the supps they offer is more energy, even if it's not a claimed effect. I can't take Powerfull before bed because it keeps me up! Hell, even Supercissus (bulked, of course) gives me a good rush of energy.

Ratings so far of the supps:

Supercissus: A (I'm recovering from knee surgery and I'm feeling no pain from squats these days)

Anabolic Pump: B- (I tend to experience more "anabolic dump" symptoms these days and it's starting to cramp my style but I haven't given up on it I think some of it is diet related)

Recreate: A (this thermogenic is a good supp, and is formulated for people who don't tolerate stims well. Myself, I could use more stim sometimes because I adapt to substances too quickly)

Powerfull: A (I def. noticed an increased feeling of well-being on this supp as well as the beginning stages of alpha-male. I have been recovering really well lately with very little doms even when I throttle myself in the gym which I attribute mostly to this)

Jack3d: B+ (I do like this stuff, it's just a bit strange to pay more than $1 per serving on something that you have to add ingredients to in order to complete it. I understand usp's desire to pare down the ingredients to a more manageable level but I'm starting to feel like I'm running a pharmacy with all the different powders I add to drinks all the time. As far as the results, I get a great sense of focus with this stuff along with extra pumps due to dosing it with extra creatine)

I haven't tried my bulk pslin yet, but that's next along with the Prime I just ordered. I might drop ap for a little bit to get my gut in check but either way it has helped with the "muscle fullness" feeling that is for sure.

Other than these *high dollar* supps I have been taking:
Cod Liver oil (morning only)
Fish Oil (rest of the day)
Multivitamin
Whey Protein
BCAAs (intra-wo)
WMS (only when needed for insulin spike)
ZMA/Glucosamine (at bedtime)

 

[natty texan]

try taking some bcaa's at night when your body is repairing it's muscle...it'll give it something it doesn't have to break down to build with...

 

[heywood]

I'll try that...thanks. I haven't done much work with taking supps at bedtime except zma/glucosamine.

 

[buster0371]

subbed

 

[heywood]

subbed

welcome on board, buster!

 

[heywood]

well, 2 days back at work...I am worked; literally!

not used to waking up so early, and not used to going 100% focus all day long. I weighed myself this morning at 197, and then weighed myself after work...193. I am def. using up quite a few calories and can feel it in my body.

I was going to try to go to the gym today, but instead I'm going to go canoeing. Usually those workouts are about 2 hours, so I will get a good workout just not an anaerobic one. Will have to do that tomorrow, going to have to figure out how to schedule my workouts...but don't want to lose this week to being too much of a puss to lift after beating my body into submission all day.

 

[heywood]

well, went canoeing...it was a brutal workout.

15 sets of 6 minutes on, 1 minute active recovery (still paddling, just not as hard)

It's fun to do, I might start relaxing a bit on my back and shoulder workouts for a bit to avoid overtraining. It was also one of those postcard days in Seattle, about 70 degrees, sunny and out on the water. Don't need to say much more than that.

I'm off to bed, hopefully I can sleep.

 

[natty texan]

I'll try that...thanks. I haven't done much work with taking supps at bedtime except zma/glucosamine.

i don't know if you still have or want to take glucosamine but i've seen a few studies recently that have showed all it's really doing is making your pee expensive....

 

[heywood]

Well, it's been an interesting week...def. been getting worked by my new jobsite. Haven't really been able to get to the gym due to a complete lack of energy after work and not much time from getting home to sleeping (usually about 4 hours).

I thought the weight would start melting off when I went back to work due to moving around all day and I was right. I started the week around 195 and this morning weighed in at 189. I have lost a ton of weight and I can see it; I look thinner.

I guess I shouldn't be losing weight this fast, but I don't care: even if I'm losing a little muscle along with the weight I'm losing and that's what matters. Mainly it just means that I'm doing a heavy cut to start out my working schedule and will start building up more muscle once I acclimate to work.

Now it's time to go to the gym!