Back On The Wagon - 2010

[strester]

After falling off the wagon of health and spending the last few months partying, drinking, smoking, eating, and now being sick for two weeks ... I've realized that I have let all of my gains from the past few years go to sh!t ... time to get back on the wagon and get my priorities back in focus

Current Supplementation:
Get Diesel DTP
CL Orange Triad
Adam Liver Detox
NP Green Tea Extract
USP Prime
IBE Formex
ATW Whey
Xtend

Current Stats:
Height: 5'll
Weight: ~210lbs.
BF%: somewhere between 20% and depressing

Workout:
3-day Legs, Push, Pull split
Cardio in the mornings
Various activities on the weekends (hiking, mountain biking, basketball)

Diet:
I don't have a set diet in place like I once had ... currently I'm just cutting out all the fast food, beer, chicken wings, pizza, and nachos while trying to just stick to the basics of a solid diet. I baked a ton of chicken to eat this week, got lots of veggies, salads, fruits, whey shakes, etc.

 

[strester]

3/29 - AM

It's been 4 days without a smoke ... and I haven't gotten any rage ... so far so good

Woke up early before work and got some light cardio in ... this will increase over time, but I'm just starting off with a mild morning workout for the first week or two to get back in a steady regimen

ArcTrainer - 5min warmup, 15min working
Treadmill - 15min 3.5 -4 interval @ 3 incline

Now I know just how out of shape I am ... this workout actually produced a decent sweat ... Leg workout tonight after work.

 

[lilnardey]

Good job on getting back into it.

 

[strester]

Good job on getting back into it.

appreciate it ... one day at a time

 

[strester]

3/29 - PM

Leg workout tonight ... low weights, just trying to get the muscle memory working and make sure I can still hold form

Squats: 95x8, 115x8, 135x10,8,6
Leg Press: 290x6,6,6
SLDL: 95x6,6
Standing Calf Raises: 200x6,6,6

destroying a plate of chicken and veggies then off to bed

 

[strester]

3/30 - Cardio/Abs

Legs weren't as sore today as I thought they would be ... I guess all that stretching I did yesterday helped

Slept like a rock and missed my morning cardio. Hit the gym after work. Took a shot of CL Purple Wraath pre for the extra energy boost and drank water during the workout.

ArcTrainer - 15min low intensity warm-up
Leg Raises (Roman Chair) - 3x15
ArcTrainer - 25min interval (med-high intensity)
Stretching - Quads, Hams, Calves

 

[strester]

3/31 - AM

Only slept for about 7 hours, but felt very well rested ... to make things even better this morning, I was going through some old supplement tubs in a cabinet and found a sealed large tub of Orange Xtend that I completely forgot I had ... 4 scoops in a water bottle and off to cardio

ArcTrainer - 10min warmup
Treadmill - 3.0 at interval height (3.0-18.5) for 25min

Calves started getting pretty sore around the 25min mark, so ended the treadmill and did some deep stretches

still no smoking, and no real cravings ... the thought of a cigarette has crossed my mind a few times, but nothing to the extent of mood swings or overeating to compensate

 

[strester]

3/31 - PM

Energy was a bit crazy with dosing 3xDTP the last two days, so modified it from 2/3/1 to 2/2/2 ... this was pretty good, but noticed I was sweating a bit at the office, similar to when I was taking 3 mid-day ... based on Chuck Diesel's input here, I'm going to try going 2/1/3 the next couple of days and see how that goes

Push was today ... took a shot of Purple Wraath and hit the gym ... again, these are low weights because during this week and next my focus is on muscle memory and getting my form back

DB Bench: warmups, 75s x 6,6,6
Dips: bodyweight x 8,6,5
Standing BB Press: 95x6,6,6
CGBP: 135x6,5,4

 

[strester]

4/1 - Off

Figured I would give myself a rest today, but ended up out in the 85 degree weather this afternoon doing about 3 hours of yard work when I left the office... regardless, I was staying active, instead of sitting on my butt killing beers ... cooking up some chicken now then going to bed ... gonna hit cardio in the morning

 

[lilnardey]

Keep at it!

 

[strester]

4/2 - AM

Morning cardio

Treadmill: speed 3.0 interval incline (3.5 - 19.0) for 30min

Deads are tonight, so killing a cup of oatmeal mixed w/ a scoop of protein then off to work

still no cigarettes ... think I'm on day 8 or 9 now ... kinda lost track ... that's a good thing, IMO

 

[strester]

4/2 - PM

Pull Workout...

Deadlift: 135x8, 185x5, 205x3, 225x6,6,5
Bent Over BB Rows: 135x6,6 155x6
Pull-ups: bw x 5,3,2
CG Pulldowns: 100x5,5,5
BB Curls: 45x6, 65x6, 75x6, 80x5

 

[strester]

4/5 - AM

Morning cardio

ArcTrainer: warmup 5min on manual

Treadmill: speed 3.5 interval incline (3.5 - 20.0) for 25min

1/2 cup of oatmeal for breakfast w/ one scoop of protein ... off to work

 

[strester]

4/5 - PM

Legs ... remembered my flat Nike Free Trainers this time ... world of difference noticed during squats (below parallel)

Squats: 95x8, 135x6, 155x6, 175x6
Leg Press: 290x8,8,8
SLDL: 115x6,6,6
Standing Calf Raises: 100x8, 200x6,8,4

got some sort of second wind during 2nd working set on calf raises, but was zapped after that ... took everything I had in me to get that final 4th rep

 

[strester]

4/6 - Off

Stayed up late watching the game ... GO DUKE!!! ... and slept in ... had to knock out some errands and bring some work home w/ me so no cardio for today ... I'll make up the day this weekend since I'm not going out of town

 

[strester]

4/7 - AM

Morning Cardio

ArcTrainer: warmup 10min

Treadmill: speed 3.5 interval incline (4 - 21) for 15min

Stationary Bike: interval (3-9) for 10min

 

[strester]

4/7 - PM

Push Workout ... lots of energy for this ... weights/reps increased and I can feel the form coming back to what it used to be

DB Bench: 40x8, 50x6, 60x3, 80x6,6,6 (very slow/controlled descent; explode up)
Dips: bodyweight x 8,7,6 (failure on all sets)
Standing BB Press: 95x6,6,4
CGBP: 135x8,6,4

Was able to get in and out and finish the workout between 45min and 1hr (with stretching included)

 

[strester]

4/8 - AM

Morning Cardio:

Treadmill: warmup @ 3.0 for 10min

Treadmill: 20min interval running; 0 incline @ 3.0 - 8.0 speed

not exactly HIIT for most, but this was definitely a shock to my system ... i was breathing heavy and sweating big-time ... had enough energy to keep running, but due to a slight pigeon-toe of my right foot my shin splints started acting up

I'm gonna stick w/ the running and see what I can do about my foot, because I really have been feeling great ever since I got off the treadmill

 

[strester]

4/9 - AM

No cardio last night ... got home from work, protein shake, passed out on sofa ... woke up about 3 hours later, had another shake then passed out again until this morning ... felt fantastic when I got up

Morning Cardio:

ArcTrainer: 5min warmup

Treadmill: 10min interval run/walk (3.5 - 8 speed & 0 - 21 incline)

Stationary Bike: 10min @ level 14

Right shin was still feeling a little tight from yesterday's run, so I was forced to go low-impact on the stationary bike ... would have preferred to keep running for another 10-15min ... I really think there is an issue w/ my shoes

For breakfast I killed some lean ham, 2 whole eggs, 3 egg whites, whole wheat toast w/ a tbs of natty pb

can't wait for deads tonight

 

[lilnardey]

Do you have access to a pool? Swimming is one of my favorites for cardio, and it can really be useful if your shins start hurting.

 

[strester]

Do you have access to a pool? Swimming is one of my favorites for cardio, and it can really be useful if your shins start hurting.

The Gold's Gym I go to is rather small, and has no pool ... my family still lives in VA Beach and have a pool so I'll be heading down there often this summer for the cookouts and swimming ... good tip, btw! also, since they have a pool and only live 5min from the oceanfront, I pretty much have my choice of swimming options in the next month or so

I used to be an avid mountain biker, taking the bike in for a tune-up this weekend and plan to incorporate that more my workouts ... I also have the speed ropes from Buddy Lee ... I want to see if that causes the shins to hurt as well ... if not, since I'll just be bouncing on my toes, then I'll know for sure it's the shoes ... I was using my Nike Free Trainers the other day and there is little support (I use them mainly for deads and squats so I have a flat footing), and think the lack of support in the arch was the culprit

 

[lilnardey]

Yep very possible. I wear Asics, they give really good support. Swimming helped give me really good improvements on my running distances and times.

 

[strester]

4/9 - PM

Good Pull workout tonight ... skipped BB Curls at the end because I just didn't have anything left in the tank ... I'm going to do some ab and arm work on Sunday

Deadlift: 135x8, 185x5, 205x3, 225x1, 245x6,5,5
Bent Over BB Rows: 155x8,6,6
Pull-ups: bw x 4,3,2 ... grip was killing me and left my straps at home :irked:
CG Pulldowns: 100x6,6,4

 

[lilnardey]

lol I hate it when my grip gives out

 

[strester]

4/10; 4/11

Woke up early Saturday and shot some hoops for about an hour, then spent the rest of the day outside working on the yard ... definitely stayed busy ... ended up not eating enough because I had a few drinks while watching the UFC fight and ended up w/ a pretty good headache on Sunday ... decided to go ahead and just take the day off since I my lower back was still a little sore and I was dehydrated ... looking forward to getting back into the gym Monday morning and will try out my Asics running shoes and see what happens w/ the right shin

 

[strester]

4/12 - AM

Was really dragging @ss this morning, despite almost a full 8hrs of sleep :yawn:

Morning Cardio:

ArcTrainer: 5min warmup

Treadmill: 20min at constant intervals every minute; incline range 0 - 21, speed range 3.0 - 8.0

kept things constantly switching every 60 seconds to prevent my body from adjusting ... killed some non-fat yogurt mixed w/ cinnamon and whey then headed off to work ... legs tonight

 

[strester]

4/12 - PM

Hit the gym for Legs tonight ... took a bottle filled w/ CL's Purple InTrain and got to work...

Squats: 95x8, 135x6, 155x4, 175x6,6,4
Leg Press: 290x6, 300x6,6
SLDL: 135x6,6,6
Standing Calf Raises: 100x8, 200x8,6,6

Increased either weight or reps on all exercises since last week ... good workout overall ... walking is gonna be a b!tch tomorrow

 

[strester]

4/13 - PM

Slept in this morning ... and it felt gooooood ... didn't have much of an appetite today and struggled to even eat all of my lunch

After work I downed 2 RPM, grabbed a bottle w/ Xtend in it and hit the cardio...

ArcTrainer: 10min warmup on manual

ArcTrainer: 20min on Hill setting

Treadmill: 20min interval (3.0 - 3.5 speed & 4 - 24 incline)

By the end of all this, I was a sweaty mess and still wasn't out of breath ... my calves are swole-the-f#ck up right now ... whey+creatine shake right after

 

[strester]

4/14 - PM

Legs needed a break, so slept in and skipped cardio this morning

Push Workout ... 2 RPM pre and Purple InTrain during ... went up again on lifts ... really liking this simple compound legs/push/pull split

DB Bench: 50x8, 60x4, 75x3, 80x1, 85x,6,6,4
Dips: bodyweight x 10,8,6 (failure on all sets)
OH Press: 95x6, 105x4,3
CGBP: 45x8, 95x6, 115x4, 135x6,5,4
Cable Pushdowns: 90x10, 100x8, 110x5

decided to do some extra triceps work at the end ... I had received my Fat Gripz in the mail the other day and wanted to try them out ... grip giving out has always been an issue for me ... really gotta give these accessories a thumbs up ... I tend to have wrist problems on CGBP; none tonight ... these things are awesome ... didn't get to use them on the pushdowns because the only available bar was too thick w/ the existing padding on it

 

[lilnardey]

Looking good man, notice any reduction in weight yet?

 

[strester]

Looking good man, notice any reduction in weight yet?

I'll check the gym scale tomorrow morning ... but I can see positive changes in the mirror which is usually my main way of tracking progress whether I'm bulking, cutting, or recomping

 

[lilnardey]

Nice!

 

[strester]

4/15 - PM

Didn't get to hit the gym and weigh myself this morning ... my phone died overnight and that's what I use as an alarm clock ... was almost an hour late to work, but slid in through the back door ... I'll wait until Monday morning and then weigh myself ... that should be about a full three weeks so far and a good milestone to see where things are

I decided to up the intensity and increase my pre to 3 RPM, grabbed a bottle w/ Xtend in it and hit the cardio...in the past I have used up to 5 RPM pre cardio/lift so I'm quite familiar with its effects*

ArcTrainer: 5min warmup on manual

ArcTrainer: 20min hill program

Treadmill: 20min interval (3.0 - 3.5 speed & 4 - 24 incline)

Elliptical: 15min cardio program; 3min cooldown

Epic cardio session compared to what I've done previously since starting this log ... up to an hour and still wasn't feeling over it (thanks RPM) ... things are getting better each day in the gym ... whey+creatine shake right after

noticing a little acne increasing on my face ... back and shoulders are still clear

* yes, it is spelled correctly ... effect(s) is the noun ... affect(s) is the verb :study:

 

[strester]

4/16 - AM

Morning cardio

Elliptical: 25min w/ interval 1min sprints

Felt really good this morning and right after my workout ... it's been a few hours and I'm really starting to drag right now ... hoping to get out of this funk and do my Pull workout tonight ...

 

[strester]

4/19- AM

Morning cardio

ArcTrainer: 20min on Hill Interval program, level 2

Missed my pull workout on Friday and didn't do anything on Sat or Sun ... got hit really hard w/ some lethargy ... Friday after work I came home and took a power nap ... that nap ended up being about 4 hours when I woke up @ 10pm that night ... not sure what it was, but at least I'm back at it again this morning ... squats tonight

I was able to hit the gym scale and bf% monitor today ... weight is sitting around 210 still, but I can see positive changes in the mirror so I'm perfectly fine w/ my weight not changing ... the bf% monitor must be completely screwed up ... said I was at 24% bf ... even if the numbers are messed up, as long as they go down every couple of weeks, I'll know things are going right

 

[lilnardey]

Thats good. I'd rather notice a difference in the mirror than on the scale. Im not sure what kind of body fat monitor your using but I use a caliper and its pretty accurate.

 

[strester]

Thats good. I'd rather notice a difference in the mirror than on the scale. Im not sure what kind of body fat monitor your using but I use a caliper and its pretty accurate.

it was a digital monitor at the gym ... I'll look into some calipers

 

[strester]

4/19 - PM

Leg workout ... took 2 RPM pre and a bottle filled w/ CL's Purple InTrain during ...

Squats: 115x8, 135x5, 155x4, 175x1, 185x6,5,5
SLDL: 135x8, 145x8, 155x8
Leg Press: 340x8, 360x8,8
Seated Calf Raises: 135x10, 145x10,8

went up in weight on everything ... swapped out seated calf raises for standing this week ... felt strong in the gym, a totally different mindset from the lazy feeling I had over the weekend

no gym in the morning on 4/20 ... sleeping in to rest and recover

 

[lilnardey]

Nice workout!

 

[strester]

4/20 - PM

Hit the cardio after work ...

Elliptical: 20min Hill Interval level 2
Treadmill: 20min interval 3.0, incline 4-29

Still had a ton of energy when I got home, so hit the lawn for another two hours ... yard looks good, I feel good ... good workout overall

 

[strester]

4/21 - PM

Push Workout

DB Bench: 50x8, 60x4, 70x3, 80x1, 90x6,5,3
Dips: bodyweight x 10,10,6 (failure on all sets)
Overhead Press: 95x6,6,4
Straight Bar Skulls: 45x10, 65x6, 85x4

 

[lilnardey]

lol ya my lawn is a full day workout, and it needs love about twice a week now

 

[Deeerdre]

lol ya my lawn is a full day workout, and it needs love about twice a week now

:bryce:

 

[lilnardey]

:bryce:

:djparty: ohhhhh snap, now its a party lol

 

[strester]

lol ya my lawn is a full day workout, and it needs love about twice a week now

must be that time of year ... mine is already looking to have another cut this weekend ... the joys of home ownership

 

[strester]

4/23 - PM

Pull Workout

Rack Pulls: 135x8, 185x5, 225x5, 275x4, 295x6,6,6
Bent Over BB Rows: 155x6,6,6
Pull-ups: bw x 5,3,2
CG Pulldowns: 120x5,4
BB Curls w/ Fat Gripz: 45x10, 55x8, 65x8

went out of town to visit family and wasn't able to get any cardio in over the weekend ... back in the gym tonight for legs

My aggression has gone through the roof recently ... the littlest things piss me off for no reason ... I've even started being less conversational at work for fear that I might snap on a co-worker ... don't plan on cutting anything back yet because I love the workouts I'm having

 

[strester]

4/28 - PM

Some personal things came up and I wasn't able to hit the gym for a few days ... finally was able to make it back and hit up some cardio

ArcTrainer: 10min manual, warmup
Elliptical: 20min Random Program, level 2

I was out of breath for some reason ... didn't do much, but was gassed

 

[strester]

4/29 - PM

Push Workout

DB Bench: 50x8, 60x4, 70x3, 85x2, 90x6,6,4
Overhead Press: 105x6,6,4
Dips: bodyweight x 12,10,9 (failure on all sets)
Seated Calf Raises: 145x10,10,10
Straight Bar Skulls: 65x8, 85x6,4

Added in some calf raises since I missed my leg workout this week ... went up on reps or weight on all exercises