Chest and Triceps!
Well lets get down to business right away here...
Pics of the day:
Sheena Lee...
Vanessa Blouin...
Music Video to get things rolling:
[youtube]xSLa08J6rv4[/youtube]
The Workout:
10 minutes of stretching
5 minutes on elliptical
Flat Bench:
20 reps@135lbs
15 reps@225lbs
1 rep@365lbs
1 rep@385lbs
2 sets of 10@250lbs
8 reps@275lbs
4 reps@300lbs
Tricep Pressdowns:
3 sets of 15@115lbs (30 second rests)
Incline Cable Pec Flyes:
4 sets of 10
Behind the Neck Overhead Tricep Presses using EZ Curl Bar:
4 sets of 15@95lbs
Hammer Style Grip Close Grip Chest Presses using 60lb DB's:
4 sets of 15
Seated Tricep Pressdowns (Modified Dips more or less):
3 sets of 12@285lbs (Max Machine Weight)
Abs
End of workout...
Thoughts on Workout: Well this workout was pure slaughter on my upper body in general. Honestly Once I put up the 1 rep of the 365 on the bench I was hungry for more so I said F*ck it and went for the 385 just to see if I still had it in me. Albeit putting up the 385 took something out of me I still got the job done...F*ck Yeah!!!! That alone had me pumped through the workout in the mental sense, as in the physical sense...about half way through the workout I swelled up like I was the incredible hulk and the pumps stayed with me for quite long while after the workout. I can definitely be happy with this workout.
Workout Rating: 9.5...I got up 385lbs on the bench...I'm only 20lbs off of my 405lb PR so needless to say I have maintained my strength fairly well for being limited with my diet and funds so I can't complain.
Workout Music Video:
[youtube]V4UcDh3EvMQ[/youtube]
Thoughts of the day: Well the day was pretty good actually. First I had my interview with the district manager in regards to me getting the opportunity to be a store manager for a video store...I could end up making more than I thought so yeah I was pretty happy as the interview went very well and I feel pretty confident about getting the position. Beyond that my softball game was fantastic...I hit a triple, and then sure enough I blasted off and put one way out of the park (somewhere in the neighborhood of 350-360ft), and then I hit another triple, and then I got greedy...I almost put another one out but the defense was playing me right at the fence...so an uneventful fly out. Finished 3-4 and we won...so the game was great. Beyond that I had other BS to deal with, but eh the day overall was great...thats what matters to me.
Supplements:
Upon waking: 4 DRIVE, 4 IGF-2, 1 Lipo-AM, 1 cap of a new supplement product that shall remain nameless for the time being
Post-Cardio: 4 NeoVar: Recomped, 1 cap of a new supplement product that shall remain nameless for the time being
Pre-workout: 4 DRIVE, 1 Lipo-AM, 4 IGF-2, 1 cap of a new supplement product that shall remain nameless for the time being
30 mins later: 4 NeoVar: Recomped!
Post-workout: 4 Neovar: Recomped, 1 cap of a new supplement product that shall remain nameless for the time being
Pre-Bed: 4 IGF-2, 2 Lipo-PM, 1 cap of a new supplement product that shall remain nameless for the time being
Scientific Talk: Nettle Root...Nettle root or whole plant has been used in traditional folk medicine as an astringent, a diuretic, and a tonic herb. Internally nettle has been employed to treat anemia, uterine hemorrhage, excessive menstruation, hemmorhoids, arthritis, rheumatism, gout and skin eruptions. Topically, preparations of nettle have been employed to relieve arthritic pain, gout, sciatica, neuralgia, hemmorhoids, sclap and hair problems, burns and insect bites and stings.
Though nettle?s therapeutic activities aren?t completely understood, the plant contains a variety of antioxidant compounds which protect cells and enhance tissue health. The plant contains a number of anti-inflammatory compounds, which may account for its multiple uses for treating inflammation. The plant is also rich in minerals of value to skin and hair, which may explain its beneficial uses for both. Nettle also contains diuretic agents and phytochemicals which help to control bleeding.
Nettle root contains a number of beneficial phytochemicals which appear to influence the function of the prostate, interact with sex hormones, slow the growth of prostate cells, fight prostate cancer, and reduce inflammation.
Studies involving a total of over 15,000 men with BPH have found significant improvements in prostate size, nighttime urination, urination frequency, urine flow, and residual urine.
A double-blind placebo-controlled study of 50 men over 9 weeks found a significant increase in urination volume and urine flow rate.
In another double-blind placebo-controlled study, treatment of 67 men with nettle produced a 14% improvement in urine flow and a 53% decrease in residual urine. Lastly, a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 40 men found a significant decrease in frequency of urination after 6 months.
Nettle Root can be used to help with...Alzheimer?s disease, arthritis (leaves), asthma, baldness (leaves), bladder infections, bronchitis, bursitis, cough (leaves), gingivitis, gout, hives, kidney stones, laryngitis, multiple sclerosis, PMS, enlarged prostate (roots), sciatica, and tendonitis.
Now to add to value of this plant...
3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran (A.K.A. Divanil as named by Designer Supplements and used in their great past product ActiVate and new version ActiVate Xtreme) is the specific extract from the plant that offers the most benefit as far as sports supplementation goes. To make it plain and simple...Divanil helps unleash more free testosterone in the blood stream and in a nutshell that is what every aspiring athlete or bodybuilder wants because it means better strength, power, endurance, fat loss, muscle density/hardness, etc. For more on 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran please take a look at these studies and draw your own conclusions. Needless to say...I will state my personal opinion and say that this substance is damn effective.
The studies...
1: Z Naturforsch [C]. 1997 Nov-Dec;52(11-12):834-43.Links
Interaction of lignans with human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
Sch?ttner M, Gansser D, Spiteller G.
Lehrstuhl Organische Chemie I, Universit?t Bayreuth, Germany.
Lignans bind to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The lignan with the highest binding affinity is (+/-)-3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran. In a double Stobbe condensation--without use of protecting groups--a wide variety of lignans with different substitution pattern in the aromatic and aliphatic part of the molecule was synthesized. These lignans were tested in a SHBG-binding assay which allowed to deduce the following relationship between structure and activity: 1) (+/-)-diastereoisomers are more active than meso compounds 2.) the 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy (guajacyl) substitution pattern in the aromatic part is most effective 3.) the activity increases with the decline in polarity of the aliphatic part of the molecule.
Sch?ttner M, Spiteller G, Gansser D.
Lehrstuhl f?r organische Chemie, Universit?t Bayreuth, Germany.
The natural lignans (-)-3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran (1), (-)-matairesinol (2), (-)-secoisolariciresinol (3), (+/-)-enterolactone (4), (+/-)-enterodiol (5), and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) (6) reduce the binding of 3H-labeled 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) to human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). (-)-3,4-Divanillyltetrahydrofuran (1) has the highest binding affinity (Ka = 3.2 +/- 1.7 x 10(6)M-1) of all lignans investigated so far; the reversibility of its binding and a double reciprocal plot suggest a competitive inhibition of the SHBG-DHT interaction. Increasing hydrophobity in the aliphatic part of the lignans (butane-1,4-diol-butanolide-tetrahydrofuran structures) leads to higher binding affinity. In the aromatic part, a 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy substitution pattern is most effective for binding to SHBG.
Sch?ttner M, Gansser D, Spiteller G.
Lehrstuhl Organische Chemie I, Universit?t Bayreuth, Germany.
Polar extracts of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) roots contain the ligans (+)-neoolivil, (-)-secoisolariciresinol, dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol, isolariciresinol, pinoresinol, and 3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran. These compounds were either isolated from Urtica roots, or obtained semisynthetically. Their affinity to human sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) was tested in an in vitro assay. In addition, the main intestinal transformation products of plant lignans in humans, enterodiol and enterolactone, together with enterofuran were checked for their activity. All lignans except (-)-pinoresinol developed a binding affinity to SHBG in the in vitro assay. The affinity of (-)-3,4-divanillyltetrahydrofuran was outstandingly high. These findings are discussed with respect to potential beneficial effects of plant lignans on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Thats the end for this update.
Cheers everyone!