~Hey gang! I wanted to start this journal back up now that I have the time to devote to it on a regular basis. Thing lately have been extremely hectic. Over the last week or so, I've been spending long hours in the tax office getting it ready for the upcoming traffic of tax season. All last week, my wife and daughter were with me, which meant that time with them was much more important than getting to the gym since I won't be seeing them during the week (only weekends) for almost four months! So, needless to say, training was a little sporadic. But, I've since settled in, got the office ready to roll, and even hit the gym yesterday evening for a great leg workout. From here on out, I will be implementing my multi-year offseason approach to bring yet another all-time best physique to the stage. I have been sizing myself up against the top naturals in the sport that I want to compete against this next time around, and boy do I have my work cut out for me! But, again, that's why I love this sport! I'm excited to see how some of my ideas and approaches this time around work as I move towards my goals.
I have been off of just about ALL supplementation for the last couple of months. I had been taking a multi-vitamin, vitamin d3, and vitamin c...that's it. As of yesterday, I started taking all of my staples again. Those include:
Breakfast
2 NOW Foods ADAM Multi-Vitamin
2 NOW Foods Vitamin D3
1 NOW Foods Vitamin C
3 Nature's Best Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc
6 Scivation Essential EFA
3 Primaforce MAX CLA
1 Primaforce Alcalean
3 Primaforce Pro Liver
1 Primaforce Idebenone
3 Primaforce Elastimine
3 Primaforce Cissus
Pre-Workout Meal
1 Primaforce Alcalean
3 Primaforce MAX CLA
Pre-Workout
2 scoops Scivation Xtend
4 scoops Scivation Quake 10.0 (whoa - taking this for the first time in 2 months had me FLYING)
Final Meal
6 Scivation EFA
3 Primaforce MAX CLA
3 Nature's Best Calcium/Magnesium/Zinc
1 Primaforce Idebenone
3 Primaforce Elastimine
3 Primaforce Cissus
3 Primaforce ZMA
3 Scivation Knockout
I can already tell how much better my body feels now that I'm taking everything again. That along with my nutrition should have me gaining some nice size and strength here before too long! My legs feel like death from yesterday...it was the first time lifting legs in over a week and a half or so, so I took it easy on the volume and just went by feel. I did some max effort work on Barbell Squats along with a drop set as my final set (talk about getting your heart rate up!). I also did some leg presses supersetted with some Hack Squats. Now that I am back in Terre Haute, the hack squat machine they have available is very different from the one I had been using at LA Fitness. This particular machine has the support pads located at the lower back in stead of the shoulders. Very weird feeling, but I will make it work. I followed up with some Dumbbell Walking Lunges...they only have Dumbbells that go up to 100s, so I did some hypertrophy sets of 12 with them. I then finished up with some abductor/adductor work. The volume was decent, the intensity was high...everything felt good. It will take a little bit to get back in my groove, but I don't think it will take long.
I will start taking some videos very soon! I can't wait to hear all the you-tube tough guys tell me how bad I suck LOL. Hope everyone had a great holiday and new years!
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Well, I got a 426 hemi here, 3/4 cams, nitro boosters, I can get 'er up to as good as 155! Never do, though, of course, unless I'm chasing a cute chick in a Ferrari! Haha! I guess I was goin' about... 65, tops."
Close Grip Cable Lat Pull-Downs
90psX15
100psX10
110psX8 drop 90psX8
Hammer Strength Military Press
2ppsX15
2p+35psX8
3p+10psX6 drop 2p+10psX6 drop 1p+10psX6
Low-To-High Cable Flys
30psX15
30psX12
30psX12
~Nothing like a good upper body pump to get back into the swing of things! I amnow back in Terre Haute full time and lifting at the new recreation center on the campus of ISU. Some of the machines are quite different, so the weights that I will be using will reflect either lower or higher numbers depending on the type of machine. They have a lot of hammer strength iso-lateral stuff, which is nice, but the cable machines they have are a little outdated...plus the dumbbells only go to 100s, so I will have to adjust accordingly. My overall strength seems to be just fine and very close to what it was before I started prep, but my endurance is still playing catch up Anyway, I am holding a very solid 225ish right now and I feel fantastic! Strength PRs....here I come!!
Topic Of The Day - Mind/Muscle Connection
One thing I wanted to briefly talk about today is the mind/muscle connection with any lift that you are doing. One thing that always amazes me as how many times I see people in the gym doing an exercise and clearly not using the intended muscle group(s) for that lift. As I have gotten older, and hopefully much wiser, I have definitely learned the importance of lifting every set of every exercise with purpose and making it all count. I was once victim of the gym ego and only cared about how I was perceived in the gym and how much weight was on the bar. But, now I understand that in order to get maximum muscular development, the mind/muscle connection is VERY important. For instance, for anyone that knows me and has seen me in person, I have rather large forearms/arms. The problem with that is that when I do back/pulling movements, if I don't concentrate really hard on using my back and pulling back with my elbows, my forearms/biceps will take over and do themajority of the work - taking the emphasis off my back (where I really need it). So I've taken measures to try and reduce that as much as possible - one of which is using straps. I've found that by locking in my grip with straps, I can focus more on my elbows pulling, rather than my hands. The result? Much more focus on the intended muscle group.
Bottom line - anything you can do to help connect you with the exercise and the mind/muscle connection, the better...even if it measn dropping the weight and working more on form and tempo. One of the hardest things to do in the gym is to leav the ego at the door - but if you want that great looking well developed physique, that's exactly what you need to do in order to achieve it.
Movie Quote Of The Day
"So I jump ship in Hong Kong, and I make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long, into a ten-thousand foot crevasse, right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga... gunga, gunga-lagunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."
~What can I say...it just feels good to be back in the gym consistently and in my routine! i'm feeling better by the day, and Ihave a feeling I will be busting out some new personl bests here before too long. I've noticed some slimming up as well with my nutrition in check...I love how tight my stomach feels during the day when I eat well! Today is an off day from training, but I might go in and do a little HIIT...you know, for the kids i'm just so excited to be back in the gym that I don't know if I can stay out of it right now lol. That, and my legs could use a little loosening up - they are still tight from the last leg day I did!
Topic Of The Day - Gym Etiquette
Now is the time in the gym for all the New Year's resolution-ists and spring break-ers to come out of hiding and completely swamp the gym for the few weeks or months that these people even consider going. One thing that really irritates me is that these people, because they don't live the lifestyle and think they can just show up for a few weeks and change the way they look, don't understand proper gym etiquette at all. For instance, I will have all of my stuff surrounding a particular machine or setup, and as soon as I step away to grab a drink of water, someone comes in and starts removing weight. It never fails. Then, it's like I'M the **** for telling them that I'm not finished. Give me a break. the gym was filled with so much douche last night that I can still smell Summer's Eve. It's re-donkulous. Any way, a few more weeks, and hopefully I won't have to interact with these dingle-berries anymore.
Oh yeah, and if one more obese college kid tries to ask me how much I bench, I'm going to kick them right in the taint...
That is all.
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, ****less, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey **** he is! Hallelujah! Holy ****! Where's the Tylenol?"
Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Pull-Downs
3ppsX15
3p+35psX12
4p+25psX8
5ppsX6 drop 3ppsX10
Barbell Shrugs (1 full second pause at top and bottom) Superset Dumbbell Reverse Incline Rear Delt Raises
315X15/25X12
405X10/30X10
405X10/30X10
405X10/30X10
~Hopefully this is a sign of things to come. I don't know if it has been just a mental block or what, but it always seems that I cruise along just fine on rack deadlifts until I put on 7 plates on each side. It seems like every time I do that, I can't get that first rep up and going. Most of it is my fault in the way I do the lift. I have to be really careful on any explosion stuff that involves my glute/high hamstring at all because of a college injury that still gets tweaked every now and then to this day. So I can't just explode up with the weight, I have to gradually increase the pull up to my max pull to make sure I don't tear anything. For some reason, the weight just came right up and I pounded out 8 reps with a weight I had yet to get off the bar before lol. I was going to keep going, but I didn't expect to do those reps with that kind of weight, so by that time I had already done quite a bit of work and was gassed. Next time for sure! I actually wanted to do deadlifts from the floor, but after sitting at a computer doing taxes all day, and not getting to the gym until late, I just did the rack deads instead. Still working to get my groove back, but things are settling in quite nicely right now...
Topic Of The Day - Balance
This is actually a very important topic as it pertains to the lifestyle of a bodybuilder, competitor, etc. One of the hardest things to do in life is to maintain a good and healthy balance between all facets of your life. Think about it, usually the really rich people have a lot of problems in other areas of their life because of how lopsided their lives are. That's because there are a lot of sacrifices that they have to make in order to acheive AND maintain that status. The same goes for everyone else...everything we do has an opportunity cost attached to it. So the big question is, what is it that you are willing to sacrifice in order to achieve your goals - whether it be with your physique, your financial stature, your relationships, etc.? Ultimately, you get to choose this balance and where you spend your time and effort.
I see a lot of younger kids on these boards that are very serious and very enthusiastic about the path of either getting into tip top shape, competing, etc. And, at this point in their lives, they probably have the ability and time freedom to devote to that goal without sacrificing much in order to achieve it. I was one of those guys not too long ago. I was able to prep whenever I wanted, train whenever I wanted, and pretty much devote my time to competing, getting a pro card, winning a pro show, you name it. But now that I have a daughter and a family, how much is my time really worth? The more time I try to devote to my personal endeavors, the less time I have to spend with my wife and family. So where do you draw the line?
One thing that really helps is having a wife that also lives the healthy, active lifestyle as well. That enables us to go to the gym together (now with our daughter because our gym has a Kids Klub), even though we are doing our own thing as far as our workouts are concerned, we are still not spending time away from one another. So that is a huge plus. Also, because my wife competes, she understands the importance of the consistency of the nutrition and training. Because of that, we are able to spend more time together while still being involved in a sport and lifestyle that can be very selfish at times. We grocery shop together, cook together, eat together, etc. Whereas, I do know of some couples who don't simply because one is trying to live the lifestyle while the other doesn't care to.
As this pertains to bodybuilding specifically, the thing is, the stage will ALWAYS be there. If you compete for the right reasons, it is much easier to maintain balance in other areas of your life. I think that is mainly because you know you aren't competing against anyone but yourself, and as long as you are making an effort to make yourself better, then no matter when you compete or who it is against, you are going to win no matter what. You can have this lifestyle "supplement" your life instead of taking it over and consuming it. And, honestly, that's where you draw the line. Once bodybuilding/competing starts ruining relationships, or costing you promotions or positions at a company, or disconnects you from your spirituality, that's when it's time to reconsider what your goal and purpose is with the sport. There are much more important things in life than having 7 strangers collectively think you have the best package on stage at a particular contest. And honestly, it's your opinion of yourself that happens to be the only one that truly matters. If you can look in the mirror everyday and like what you see and enjoy your life with the people you surround yourself with, then that is what it's all about. For the most part, we all probably got into this industry and sport becaue of our own insecurity issues (I know I did). But, once we can finally grasp the concept of being secure with ourselves, and start doing things for the right reasons, it's amazing how much better all of these other facets of our lives become.
Balance - it can be a difficult concept to grasp and put into action, but once you find it, you life will be filled with joy and true happiness.
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Do you know what a duvet is? It's a blanket. Just a blanket. Now, why do guys like you and me know what a duvet is? Is this essential to our survival, in the hunter-gatherer sense of the word? No. What are we then? We are consumers. We're bi-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don't concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy's name on my underwear. Rogaine, Viagra, Olestra. Martha Stewart. F*ck Martha Stewart. Martha's polishing the brass on the Titanic. It's all going down, man. So f*ck off with your sofa units and Strinne green stripe patterns..."
Barbell Incline Press
135X20 - Warmup
185X15 - Warmup
225X10 - Warmup
275X8
295X6
315X4 drop 225X8 drop 135X10
Life Fitness Machine Flys
190X15
205X12
220X10
235X8 drop 160X8
Incline Smith Machine Press (2 second pause at bottom)
225X10
245X8
265X6
275X4 drop 185X6 drop 135X8
Low Incline Flys
75X12
80X10
85X8 - TOAST!
V-Bar Push-Downs
67.5psX20
77.5psX15
87.5psX12
97.5psX10
Stack+25X8 drop 97.5X8
DB Skull Crushers
50X15
60X10
70X8 drop 45X8
Close Grip Decline Press
135X15
185X12
225X10
275X8 drop 185X8
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Janice, I apologize to you if I don't seem real eager to jump into a forced, awkward intimate situation that people like to call dating. I don't like the feeling. You're sitting there, you're wondering, "Do I have food on my face? Am I eating? Am I talking too much? Are they talking enough? Am I interested? I'm not really interested. Should I play like I'm interested? But, I'm not that interested. But, I think she might be interested? But, do I want to be interested? But, now she's not interested? So all of the sudden, I'm getting, I'm starting to get interested." And, when am I supposed to kiss her? Do I have to wait for the door? Cause, then, it's awkward. It's like, well, goodnight. Do you do like that ass-out hug? Where you like, you hug each other like this and your ass sticks out cause you're trying not to get too close? Or, do you just go right in and kiss them on the lips? Or don't kiss them at all? It's very difficult trying to read the situation. And, all the while, you're just really wondering, "Are we gonna get hopped up enough to make some bad decisions?" Perhaps play a little game called "just the tip", just for a second, just to see how it feels. Or, ouch, ouch you're on my hair."
~I didn't have a whole lot of time to get this workout in, so I did the best I could and kept the workout moving to squeeze as much in as I can. For about the next month-month and a half or so, I pretty much will just have to do the best I can with what I have to work with. Tax season is in full blown force right now, therefore I am busy and sitting at a computer screen from 10-12 hours a day lol. So the real trick right now is trying to maintain where I am at until we settle down and I have much more time to devote to a consistent schedule for both training and nutrition. After tax season, I will be attacking the gym with an intensity beyond anything I've ever had before. I have set the bar extremely high for myself now, and for me to continue the trend, I have to put in a lot more work to bring an even better, all-time best package to the stage next time. I'm really looking forward to proving some paradigms of mine by praticing what I preach and showing the noticeable differences that they will make. So, for now I will bust out what I can, and then after tax season, the steroid-like gains will be pouring in...
Topic Of The Day - Muscle Group Frequency
One of the things that never quite sat right with me when looking at most workout splits was the fact that most of them are created to try and coincide with a work week. What I mean by that is, for the most part, a lot of workout splits rotate every 7 days and most lifters associate days of the week with certain muscle group pairings and they ultimately end up hitting all muscle groups with the same frequency and then trying to find the right volume for their "sweet spot" routine to balance out right for them. Now, I do realize that most people do not desire to compete at the elite level of natural bodybuilding, but I do believe that the advanced lifter needs to create their workout split without succumbing to trying to fit it into a 7 day work week, mostly because the volume/intensity that an advanced lifter probably needs to continue to make gains is going to be more than the average, intermediate lifter.
Typcially, if you are on the advanced level, you are living the bodybuilder "lifestyle" and will always find a way to get a workout in no matter what day of the week it is. So instead of looking at days as Monday, Tuesday, etc., you should look at days as Day 1, Day 2, etc. and allow your workout split to focus on certain frequencies for certain muscle groups. That way, you can really break everything down and design your workout split to focus on what needs to be brought up in order to achieve the desired look that you want. One of the HARDEST things to do as a natural bodybuilder (or any physique enthusiast for that matter) is to NOT try and bring EVERYTHING up at the same time. Even if you could ultimately do that, theoretically, you are still going to have the same flaws of proportion and symmetry that you had before lol. Sometimes you just have to prioritize your focus in certain areas to get the right balance and right look...and that is a very difficult thing to do mentally. We are so used to pushing ourselves day in and day out, that sometimes we forget to strategize our offseasons to bring out the best look. Think about it...how often to you look forward to working out your best muscle groups? I know I always do
So when putting together your workout split, think about possibly setting it up without a 7 day work week in mind. Think about where to focus your frequency, volume and intensity and to what muscle groups. Try to rotate as many exercises that you can in and out of your routines. Focus on one intensity technique for a few weeks, then switch it up to a different. Your body is the most adaptive machine on the planet and it will adapt to just about anything you throw at it. Keep it from adapting...keep it GROWING!
Movie Quote Of The Day
"You must be out your god damn mind! Joe Louis is the greatest boxer that ever lived! I'll be with you boys in a minute. He was better than Cassius Clay, he was better than Sugar Ray, and that new dude, what's his name? Mike Tyson? Looks like a bulldog; he was better than him too."
"Vait a minute. Vat about Rocky Marciano?"
"Oh, there they go. There they go, every time I start talkin 'bout boxing, a white man gotta pull Rocky Marciano out their ass. That's their one, that's their one. Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano. Let me tell you something once and for all. Rocky Marciano was good, but compared to Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano ain't ****."
"He beat Joe Louis' ass."
"That's right, he did whoop Joe Louis' ass."
"Joe Louis was 75 years old when they fought!"
"I don't know how old he was, but he got his ass whooped."
"Joe Louis had come out of retirement to fight Rocky Marciano the minute he was 76 years old. Joe Louis is always lying about his age. He lie about his age all the time. One time Frank Sinatra came in here and sat in this chair. I said Frank 'you hang out with Joe Louis, just between me and you, how old is Joe Louis.' You know what Frank told me, he said "Hey, Joe Louis is 137 years old." A hundred and thirty-seven years old!"
"Oh. Man, you lying, you ain't never meet no Frank Sinatra."
Lovin the topics of the day. Good stuff man. Balance is such a hard one. I have a successful career, go to school for 2 masters half time, working out, and keeping up with the supplement company I work for makes for a lot of missed meals and workouts. Gotta remember what's important though.
~Do you ever have one of those days where you just look enormous in the mirror? Like for whatever reason, you just look huge relative to what you normally do? What is that? Today I felt like an absolute beast in the gym - I can't really explain it. I didn't do anything different...nutrition was the same, the supplements are still basic, etc. Who knows. Whatever it was, everything just clicked today. I hoep this momentum carries forward...I'm gonna need a solid year and a half of this kind of working out if I'm gonna step back on stage against the best in this sport! I really wanted to deadlift today, but Ican still slightly feel the strain in my back and I didn't want to risk it...plus, my legs are still tender to touch, even from 3 DAYS AGO! So, it was probably a wise decision to hold off anyway. But, I am definitely looking forward to the next deadlift day...that's for sure!
Random Life Talk
It doesn't always have to be about weights and supplements in here, does it? My brother is over in Afghanistan right now. For those that don't know me, my brother is my best friend. I am extremely close to my family, and nothing is as important to me as they are. So, watching my brother deploy back in December was a very hard thing for me to go through. I am not the type of person that shows a lot of emotion, and even when he left, I didn't show very much, but after he was gone I ended up spending almost an entire day weeping. Anyway, he gets back to the States here in June and I have planned to take a little mini vacation with just the two of us down to Orlando, FL to hit up what used to be called Universal Studios. Some of you know that I am a movie FREAK (my brother is too), and the last time we went on a trip together was to Universal and Islands of Adventure to hit up roller coasters and movie rides. So this is something I am really looking forward to and am really anxious for him to get back. He hasn't seen much of his niece yet either, so I know he's gonna want to spend some time with here and hang out as much as he can before he heads back to DC for work.
My brother and I always used to say that one day, if we ever ended up living in the same area when we got older, we would both buy into a little "mini mansion" where my family would live in one wing, his in another, and we would share common living areas like a living room and kitchen. How cool would that be? Maybe one of these days...
Movie Quote Of The Day
"This suit is really cramping my Hardy Boys. It's no mystery. And, it dosen't really allow my dice to roll...and by dice I mean testicles...speaking of testicles, let me get a beer."
Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral Shoulder Press
3p+25ps RP 8X5X3
Barbell Shrugs
455X10 (2 second hold at top)
455X10 (2 second hold at top)
455X10 (2 second hold at top)
Cable Lateral Raises Superset Reverse Pec Deck
27.5X12 SS 145X12
30X10 SS 160X10
32.5X8 SS 175X8
Seated Machine Lateral Raises
150X10
160X10
170X8 - most I've ever done on this machine!
Barbell Upright Rows Seated Dumbbell Shrugs
~The stress fracture in my wrist still SUCKS but I manage to hold the weights in my hands in ways that cause the least amount of pain. I really wanted to do heavy dumbbell military presses, but they only go up to 100s at this gym, so I opted for something else.
On a side note, there is something that I am taking in my pre-workout mix that is making me feel really...swole...for lack of a better term. I don't know if it's any one thing or the combination I'm doing, but this last week has just been insane and it isn't something I've felt up to this point. I'm going to fiddle around with a couple of things and see if I can pinpoint it...
Random Life Talk
My daughter took the CUTEST picture today and it absolutely melted my heart!
I hope everyone had a good St Patty's Day!
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Am I a drug dealer? No, I am not. Thank you for asking, though. Is there anything else I can help you with? Perhaps you'd like an 11-year old prostitute sent to your room? We can do that. Or, maybe we can off someone for you. Huh? How's that sound? I've got it...why don't we start small? Would you like a fresh towel? Maybe you could roll that up and smoke it. By the way, Cheech, that credit card you guys gave me last night was maxed out, so don't go spending all your cash on needles and guns just yet."
BB Bench Press
315 RP 8X5X3 drop 225X8 drop 135X12
Incline Smith Presses (2 second pause at bottom)
245X12
285X8
345X5 drop 235X5 drop 185X5
Machine Pec Deck Flys
265X12
280X10
295X8 drop 195X8
DB Incline Flys
80X10
90X10
100X8
Standing Calf Raises
StackX10 - Sporto Tempo
StackX10 - Sporto Tempo
StackX10 - Sporto Tempo
Plate Loaded Seated Calf Raises
3ppsX8 - Sporto Tempo
3ppsX6 - Sporto Tempo
3ppsX5 - Sporto Tempo
Arms
EZ Standing Curls
170X7
180X4
BB Decline Close-Grip Bench Press
315 RP 8X5X3
DB Hammer Curls
90X8
100X5
DB Skull Crushers
55X12
65X10
75X8 drop 45X8
HS Preacher Curls
85X15
95X12
105X8
115X8 drop 70X8
Cable Rope Pushdowns
140X15
160X12
180X8 drop 120X8
~Playing a little catch up here and posting a couple days worth of workouts in one shot. I'm back to seting PRs again thankfully and this offseason is starting to really get rolling. There comes a point in time when things seem "effortless" for lack of a better term. When everything just seems to be clicking and you are liking thelook in the mirror, the strength in the gym, etc. Probably the biggest variable I have changed this offseason has been food source control. It is amazing to me how much better I just feel every day and day to day. No ups and downs, no energy then tired, just feeling really good right now is all I can say! I've got some strength goals I am really eyeing at the moment for a few lifts, so I'm anxious to see how things progress in the next few months!
I've also got a few things in the works right now that I am really excited about, but I'm not going to say anything until I know for sure (don't wanna jinx it lol), so if all goes well, I'll have some great news for anyone who follows me at all
Movie Quote Of The Day
"It all comes down to this roll. Roy Munson, a man-child, with a dream to topple bowling giant Ernie McCracken. If he strikes, he's the 1979 Odor-Eaters Champion. He's got one foot in the frying pan and one in the pressure cooker. Believe me, as a bowler, I know that right about now, your bladder feels like an overstuffed vacuum cleaner bag and your butt is kinda like an about-to-explode bratwurst."
~Today was a big mental boost for me! I actually went in today thinking I was going to do back, and I was mentally preparing to give deadlifts absolutely everything I had to see where my strength was at with that particular exercise. So, I made sure that I nailed my nutrition all day, got my vitamins in, had my pre, during, and post workout nutrition ready to go, you name it. So, as soon as I closed the office down, I popped in my iPod and started getting ready.
I was going to go by feel and let my body dictate what all I was going to end up doing today. So with deadlifts, I began. I didn't really do too much with the lighter weight/warmups as I wanted to make sure I had enough juice for the heavy stuff. So I started off with some stretching, foam rolling, and started adding the plates. Once I got up to the 405 lbs. mark, I wasn't going "all out" rather I was leaving a little left in the tank so that I could see how heavy I could get up to. Low and behold, I eventually got up to 6 plates per side (by this time I had a small audience in the gym lol) and got a very smooth single rep. I think by this time, I could have definitely gotten 2 reps and possibly even 3, but I decided to stop and give an even 600 lbs a try. It was SLOW rep at the start from the bottom, but when I got to about the knees, the weight flew right up. I feel like I can't explode right off the floor with the weight because of an old injury I had where I tore my hamstring right off the glute tie in. Ever since then, I mentally can't explode from the bottom like I used to (squats, deadlifts, etc.) because there have been times when I've tweaked/aggravated it by doing so. But, finally breaking 600 lbs was a HUGE barrier for me and I am really excited that I finally did it! I didn't use a belt, but I did use versa grips straps. I would love to be able to grip the bar without them, but for those who know me, my hands are pretty small and I have stubby fingers...so without them, even though my actual grip strength is really good, I just can't grip the bar with that kind of weight without losing the grip before my lift is done.
Anyway, after the deadlifts, like I said, I was going to hit some back, but my biceps were still smoked from yesterday, so I called an audible and just decided to proceed to bash the hell out of my legs with a quad focus! I broke another barrier on the Hammer Strength Linear Hack Press where I worked all the way up to 6 plates per side, and still pounded out 12 reps out of god knows where lol. It's a very awkward setup with the support pads being at the lower back, so I haven't been able to use the kind of weight that I normally can on the normal hack squat, but today was just a day where I busted through any mental limitations I had previously put on myself
All in all, it was an awesome day!
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Pig Pen, when I want advice about a good 'Planet of the Apes' film, or maybe how to get the resin out of my bong, I'll come to you...ok? But, I am not gonna take romantic advice from somebody who cannot spell romantic or advice...or bong."
Highlights
DB Military Press: 100X18 - PR!
BB Shrugs (2 second hold at top): 500X8 (3 sets)
Machine Lateral Raises: 205X8 - PR!
DB Reverse Incline Raises: 35X15
Reverse Pec Deck: 190X12
Straight Leg Calf Raises (V-Squat Machine): 7ppsX12 - Sporto Tempo
Seated Calf Raises: 3p+25psX5 - Sporto Tempo
~Yesterday was a MUCH needed day off! I also think that's why my partner bailed on me is because he is still probably recovering lol. Hell, even my legs are still pretty inflamed, but I'm sure they will be ready to go by the time my next leg day comes around. I actually wanted to do either chest or back today, but my workout partner bailed on me, so I just went with a little shoulder, trap, and calf work. I kept the tempo going and the rest between sets pretty short and got this one done in about an hour...worked up a great sweat too! The dumbbells only go up to 100s, so I decided to see how many times I could press them for seated military presses since I didn't have a workout partner/spotter. I ended up doing it 18 times before finally failing on the 19th rep...which, a little bit of help and I could have had another solid rep, but oh well.
I had to use a belt for the Barbell Shrugs...since I squeeze and hold the weight at the top of the movement for 2 counts, it's a killer on the lower back towards the end, so as a just in case, I threw the belt on.
The rest of the workout was pretty straightforward...just kept it moving and got my work done.
Random Life Talk
My wife surprised me yesterday and drove down from Indy to spend the day, night and better part of today with me! I ended up playing hooky from work and took th wife and daughter out to eat and spent the day just out and about with the both of them. It was just the best surprise ever lol. The one bad thing about tax season is that I only see them on the weekends until the end of April, so this was a pleasant surprise to say the least. My wife even commented today at how "smitten" I am by my daughter...when actually, I am honestly smitten by the both of them! Being a daddy is one of the greatest feelings a man can get...that, and picking up 600lbs off the floor for the first time
Movie Quote Of The Day
"Now, you're telling me that you are so ingrained with white trash DNA, that your facial hair actually grows in on its own all white trashy like that?"
Barbell Incline Press: 315X7 PR!
Machine Pec Deck Flys: 305X8 (Entire Stack) PR!
Smith Low Incline Press (2 second pause at bottom): 325X5 drop 235X5 drop 185X5
Low To High Cable Flys: 90X10 PR! (for this particular machine lol)
Back
Highlights
Seated Machine Lat Pulldowns: StackX10 drop 180X10 PR!
Seated Machine Close Grip Rows: StackX12 drop 200X10 PR!
Seated Machine Pull-Overs: 3p+25psX8 PR!
Machine Close Grip Pull-Downs: 250X10 drop 165X10 PR!
Hyperextensions: 125X15 PR!
~ Had an INCREDIBLE chest workout yesterday...I was able to take off of work early and head up to Indy so that I catch a workout in with some of the old workout crew. We always feed off of each other and usually push each other to new levels - this workout was no different! I'm starting to find my groove with my nutrition, training and supplementation as the personal bests just keep on coming. I think the last video I took a couple of years ago of me doing incline press was when I tried 325 for 2 reps...I pretty confident I can at least get a good solid 5 reps on my own now. 3 reps, 2 years....hey, as long as I've been training, I'll take it!
For my back workout, I learned something...I need to save the machine work until AFTER I do the Hammer Strength Iso-Lateral (plate loaded) movements or barbell movements because it appears now that when I am fresh early in the workout, I can use the entire stack the machine has to offer with relative ease. I started off with them today because I had to fly solo and wasn't sure about doing any max effort work by myself, so I decided to just do some hypertrophy/volume work today in an all out blitz. Next time I do that, I start off with Hammer Strength from now on
I actually had a "semi" rant that I was prepared to type up today for the topic section of my journal, but it started to get really lengthy, and I need to cut this short so I can get back to spending time with my wife and daughter. When I update my journal from Terre Haute again, I'll spend time typing out what I want to say, so for those interested, stay tuned - it involves the food source vs. IIFYM debate
Movie Quote Of The Day:
"Let's think about this for a sec, Ted. Why would somebody put a guarantee on a box? Hmmm, very interesting. Here's the way I see it, Ted. Guy puts a fancy guarantee on a box 'cause he wants you to feel all warm and toasty inside. You figure you put that little box under your pillow at night, the Guarantee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter, am I right, Ted? The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy; well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser, and your daughter's knocked up. I've seen it a hundred times."
"But why do they put a guarantee on the box?"
"Because they know all they sold ya was a guaranteed piece of sh*t. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will, I've got spare time...but for your sake, for your daughter's sake, why don't you buy a quality product from me?"
Rack Deadlifts: 675 RP 10X5X3 - PR!
Barbell Bent Over Rows (Pendlay Style From Floor): 315X14 - PR!
~Strength is still slowly climbing, which is nice! On chest day, when I was doing incline barbell presses, I had a a 6th rep similar to the one in a video I have on youtube where I did 325 for 2 reps with some help on the second rep. So, in a couple of years, I've beenable to add ~5 reps to my incline barbell press. That may not seem like much, but hey, I'll take it! Also, on the Pendlay style barbell bent over rows, my form was much tighter than the video I have on youtube where I did 6 reps, and I still managed to more than double that effort - so the back is getting better! I thought Iwould try a rest pause on the rack deadlifts just to see, and holy geez, it is VERY difficult to regroup mentally and physically (especially with the core) to pull that off with that kind of weight. After that set, I was instantly soaked with sweat, like my body was saying "Welcome to the workout!" Anyway, I added in some hypertrophy accessory work on the pulldown side (also getting better) and I'm starting to love the Hammer Strength pull over machine! I've got an arm day scheduled with some of my big boys in Indy, so I'll see if I get the video camera out and get a shot of a PR set!
Life Happenings
So...I've got some really exciting things in the works right now that I will soon be able to announce. It finally looks like some things that I've been working hard towards are going to finally come together and come to fruition, and possibly at the same time. I'm not going to say anything just yet, but things are looking really good right now, and hopefully soon I might be able to give away a little teaser
Movie Quote Of The Day:
"The teacher asked me what was the capital of North Carolina. I said Washington, D.C. She said, "No, you're wrong." I said, "You got a lumpy butt." She got mad at me and yelled at me and I pissed in my pants and I never did change my pee-pants all day. I'm still sittin' in my dirty pee-pants."
~ Wow, what a difference it makes being back in Indy with my normal workout crew! The intensity was phenomenal and my arms are extremely heavy today! Believe it or not, I actually received a PM the other day claiming that I supposedly "make up" my numbers in my journal lol. So, I thought what better proof than a couple of videos from the workout last night! The standing barbell curls were a strong one for me yesterday. I really felt like my form was even better than the last video I took (where I got 11 reps for a PR) right before I started prep. I ended up getting 13, but the 14th rep was SO CLOSE! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get it up unless I used a whole lot more than just biceps lol. The skull crushers feltsolid as well. The form was a little sloppy for my taste, but I chalk that up to it being the first time I have ever attempted that weight before. My buddy actually started recording a rep late, so I was able to get 5 solid reps with a little help on the 6th one. I was going to lower the weight slowly, but my spotter didn't know that, so he took the weight from the top of the rep. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the videos!
Movie Quote Of The Day:
"He’s climbin' in your windows, he’s snatchin' yo people up tryin' to rape 'em, so y’all need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband cuz they’re rapin' err'body out here."
Anyway, I am holding a very solid 225ish right now and I feel fantastic! Strength PRs....here I come!!
i'm just so excited to be back in the gym that I don't know if I can stay out of it right now lol. That, and my legs could use a little loosening up - they are still tight from the last leg day I did!
