elzools journal and request for kicks in the bum

[elzool]

Morning folks,

Since all the other kids are doing it and I couldn’t find any other appropriate place to start a journal, I figured I’d do it here.

I’m not a girl, but I’ll post a pic anyway if I can find some.

I’ve reposted this paragraph from another post of mine to sum it up:
Last year at this time I was 249lbs and started the south beach diet. I lost 40lbs on that over 5 months and started eating better than I ever had before. Felt better but knew I could do more. I started off working out in January after being quite sedentary the last ten years. Went to LA Fitness and signed up for a year with a trainer. At that point I was still a Male and 5'11" but I weighed 204 and had 25%bf.

At this point I’m down to 18%b/f. and weigh in at 188.

I’m eating approx. 2400 calories a day at a 40/40/20 ratio.
I drink about 2 gallons of water a day on workout days and maybe 1.25 gal a day on the three days I don’t workout. After each workout I have an ON Choc drink(23g protein).

I’m looking to gain strength, but not bulk up too much, mainly get a little bigger arms and that’s it. Just so they are a bit more proportional to my legs.

Working off a new routine from dbflgirl I’m doing the following:

Monday - Chest and Triceps
Bench press
Incline press alt. with decline press
Flys or cable cross-over
Dips
Skullcrushers

Tuesday - Legs
Squats
Leg press
Extensions
Curls

Wednesday - Off

Thursday - Back and Biceps
Deadlifts
Pull-Ups
Barbell rows
Barbell curls
Hammer curls

Friday - Shoulders
Military Press
Lateral raises
Front raises
Rear raises

That said, here are a few pictures and next up I’ll post my workouts from yesterday, today & some questions.

-elz

[elzool]

Thursday June 30, 2005
Legs still hurt from doing them Tuesday
Did 5 minutes of warmup on a treadmill @ 4.5mph/incline 3

Back & Bicep
lb/rep
Deadlifts 70/15, 70/15, 70/15
Pull-Ups, Assisted 88/12, 94/10, 94/8
Barbell rows 50/15, 50/15, 50/15
Barbell curls 50/12, 50/12, 50/9
Hammer curls 20/15, 20/15, 20/15

Ate 2460 calories

[elzool]

Friday July 1, 2005
Woke feeling off today, but hit the gym anyway.
Did 5 minutes of warmup on a treadmill @ 3mph/incline 3

Shoulders
lb/rep
Military Press 50/12, 50/10, 50/7
Lateral raises 10/15, 10/12, 10/10
Front raises 15/15, 15/12, 15/10
Rear raises 10/12, 10/10, 10/8

Came home, bad tummy problems.
Had protein shake(23g)
Had white beans (14g protein)
Nothing but water for the last 4 hours as my stomach is just too rumbly tumbly and not doing too well.

[elzool]

Questions:
About barbells… does it matter if I use a straight or ez bar?

Does wrapping an mp3 player around my upper arm constrict it too much when doing upper body?

[kimsquit]

At that point I was still a Male and 5'11" but I weighed 204 and had 25%bf.


um...so you're no longer male? :confused: (not that there's anything wrong with that)

From the photos it sure looks like you've made fantastic progress - congratulations!

I've been told that curling with the straight bar places more emphasis on the outer head of the bicep, while the EZ curl bar offers a more even distribution.

For myself, I find that curling heavier weights with the straight bar places too much strain on my forearms and wrists.

Again, congratulations!

:)

[jaguarr]

Looks like the beginnings of a great journal, and you seem to have made quite a transformation since last year, already. Congrats and keep up the hard work! That being said, you've got some freaky-ass eyes, man! :D

jag

[mom24boys]

wow looks like some good progress..and hey you must just be a little related to the black circle gang hehehe...yea i see a little resemblemnse just in the eyes though *grin*

[elzool]

Thanks for all the kind words folks. It's certainly a great motivator.

As far as the bar goes, I guess I'll alternate between the two and see what happens.

[GameDayDog]

hahaha... These guys don't notyce the little thyngs...

Hahahaha.... You're a funny dude... In the gym picture with the baby on the balance beam... he also put little black circles over not just the babies feet... (thys forum has one helluva foot fetish) ... but also over the faces of the pictures in the background.. hahaha.. Now that's funny... and great attention to detail... :D

Peace..~G

[elzool]

hahaha... These guys don't notyce the little thyngs...

Hahahaha.... You're a funny dude... In the gym picture with the baby on the balance beam... he also put little black circles over not just the babies feet... (thys forum has one helluva foot fetish) ... but also over the faces of the pictures in the background.. hahaha.. Now that's funny... and great attention to detail... :D

Peace..~G

I did that just to see if anyone would catch it.
Nice one

[jaguarr]

I did that just to see if anyone would catch it.
Nice one

I did notice it, but the one with the eyes was the one that stuck with me while I was posting. LOL! You're going to fit in just fine around here.

jag

[joed]

Welcome Elz: that's a lot of weight to lose in a year. Way to go.

[ChocoChick]

Wow - amazing transformation!

It's time to start putting on some muscle. I don't think you need to lose any more weight.

Cute baby, from what I can see. How old is she (he?)?

[GSCampbell]

Fantastic work. You should be proud!

I'm also glad to see that you have taken time out of your schedule to help members of the 5/7 club learn gymnastics :D (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist that one)

[joed]

Good one GSC.

[elzool]

My son is a proud member of the 5/7 club. The doc says that about 15 more years on hgh and he should see some improvement... time will tell.

What a weekend, spent most of Friday and all Sat sick with some weird bug. Ate maybe 1100 calories boths days.... if that.

Today, felt much better.

Monday, July 4th, 2005
Chest and Triceps

Warmup
Treadmill - 5 Mins @ 4mph @ 3.5 incline

Bench press
20/15, 25/15, 25/15

Incline press
25/15, 25/15, 30/8

Cable cross-over
40/14, 40/11, 40/8

Dips
88/15, 94/10, 94/7

Skullcrushers
None, no bars available

What can be done in place of these in the future?

[ChocoChick]

Skullcrushers
None, no bars available

What can be done in place of these in the future?

How about a triceps extension? http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBTriExt.html

Or triceps pushdown http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/CBPushdown.html

Your gym has no bars for skullcrushers? [scratching head]

Question: Why are you doing so many reps? If you can do 12 and still keep going, the weight is too light. Better to up the weight so that you can barely squeeze out 12, imo. And then once you can do 3 of 12, up your weight again. You might then only get 12 on the first set, 10 on the 2nd and 8 on the 3rd, but that's fine. Just work your way back to 12 and then increase again. Lather, rinse, repeat. :)

[elzool]

The gym had no bars out as they wee closing early for the 4th and are closed the rest of the week for refurbishing.

Those two look easy enough to replace should I ever need a substitute, thanks.

I dunno why I do so many... probably thats what I was originally taught and still haven't changed my thinking yet. Guess I'll up the weight and decrease the reps today. Who knows.. this might just work!

[ChocoChick]

Generally speaking you can expect:

strength but not much hypertrophy with reps of 1-5;
maximum hypertrophy and some strength with reps of 6-12
endurance with little strength or hypertrophy with reps of 13+

Now there are exceptions to this... periodization routines, 20 rep squats, pyramids, shocking techniques, etc., etc.

But IMHO, reps in the range of 6-12 are the place to start and the staple to return to. Within that range, you may need to experiement to see what works best for you. For instance, I was doing sets of 6 reps, and I got pretty strong but not as much growth as I wanted. So I switched to sets of 8 reps and starting getting more growth.

In case you're interested, here's an article that touches on some of the physiology behind the rep ranges: http://www.freedomfly.net/Articles/Training/training29.htm

[elzool]

Generally speaking you can expect:

strength but not much hypertrophy with reps of 1-5;
maximum hypertrophy and some strength with reps of 6-12
endurance with little strength or hypertrophy with reps of 13+

In case you're interested, here's an article that touches on some of the physiology behind the rep ranges: http://www.freedomfly.net/Articles/Training/training29.htm

You Rock!

Even more so once I figured out what hypertrophy was.

That explains so much more than you would think it would.
Since I'm looking mainly for strength and a little size it seems as if doing no more than 5 reps would be what I am looking for. Possibly alternating, doing 5 reps one week, then 12 reps the next week for maximum hypertrophy and repeating?

Or should I just stick with 12 like you initially suggested?

It's still a little confusing to me, but now at least it makes a little more sense.

[ChocoChick]

Gee, thanks! :)

The rep range really depends on your goals. Do you want to increase the size of your muscles (hypertrophy) or just get stronger? Everyone wants to be cut, but that's mainly in your diet.

I'm not sure about your every other week idea. It might work. Another way to go at it is to stay in the 6-10 rep range until you have the size you want, and then cut over to a strength-only protocol. It's not as though you can get too big -- you have a mirror and once you see that you are as big as you want to be, you can adjust. (At my gym last week, one of the trainers was asking a new guy whether he wanted to put on muscle or not and he said, "Oh, I don't want to be one of those big hulking types" and I thought, "Gee, I wish it were that easy!") Anyway (I digress!) the point is that nothing can happen unless you make it happen, so you're not going to wake up with Arnold's body one morning out of the blue.

[elzool]

oh sure, think logically

makes good sense to me, thanks!

[elzool]

Tuesday, July 5th, 2005 8:20pm - 9pm
Legs
Squats
40/8, 40/8, 40/8

Leg press
120/8, 120/8, 170/8

Extensions
60/8, 75/8, 75/7

Curls
80/8, 80/8, 90/6

Went to 8 reps today based on feedback from dbflgirl. I took my last weight I did at 15 reps and increased it. Next week it will be more interesting starting at the higher weights and seeing if I can still do eight whole reps.

[elzool]

First day doing new heavier set of eight reps on upper body... that was harder than I thought.... but in a good way.

Doing heavier weights hurt my back quite a bit .... ok, so it's fine now, but having had back problems all my life, I'm always leary of putting too much pressure on it or straining too much.


July 7, 2005 Thursday 5:30am-6:30am
Back & Biceps
5 min warm-up
Treadmill 4.5mph incline 3

Deadlifts - This is where I felt the most pressure on my back... so I backed off the weight a little. Warmed up with 30/6
70/8, 70/8, 70/8

Pull Ups, Assisted - Warmed Up with 88/6
106/8, 118/8, 124/6

Barbell Rows - Again, fear of throwing my back out held me back a bit weight wise. Warmed Up with 30/6
70/8, 70/8, 70/8

Barbell Curls - By this point my lower back hurt, so I again, held back on the weight. Warmed up with 40/6
50/8, 50/8, 50/8

Hammer Curls - Warmed up with 20/5
30/5, 25/8, 25/8

Came home, had a handful of vitamins and a few new supplementals that my wife recommended and a protein shake.

As of now I'm taking a multivitamin, glucosamine/chondroitin w/ msm, chromium picolinate and l-glutamine.

It's funny, she's an nurse(LPN) and studying for her RN right now and studying up on nutrition. So now after I read about alllllll these supplements, good, bad and indifferent she'll get through studying and tell me, well, since you are lifting, using more muscles fast twitch, slow twitch,hypertrophy, eating more protein you ought to take these even though some haven't been 'proven' by the medical establishment to work. It's nice to see that in some of her textbooks in addition to stating while not scientifically proven, XyZ has had good results in the athletic community and had these benefits.

Any other little supplementation that I might be lacking in? She also mentioned Calcium as I am mid thirties but I didn't have any.

[jaguarr]

You might look into some fish oil caps. One of the best supplements around, IMHO. I also keep extra Vitamin C in my supplementation to keep my immune system boosted since heavy lifting can really impact that. It seems to work very well in conjunction with the L-Glutamine and helps speed my post workout recoveries.

Keep working your way up with those deadlifts. I hadn't done them in years, and I was having a lot of lower back soreness. When I started back into them, I thought I was going to die for a few weeks from the pain I was in, but then those muscles started growing and getting stronger and my lower back pain is completely gone. So, stick with 'em. You'll be glad you did.

jag

[elzool]

Man that's nice to hear about your back.. hopefully mine will do the same. At least it's not as bad as it was when I first started working out several months ago.

Vitamin C - Check
Fish Oil? Ok, I'll do it, does it smell at all?

[jaguarr]

Fish Oil? Ok, I'll do it, does it smell at all?


Not really. Once in awhile I'll get a little whiff of it when I open the bottle to get some caps, but it's never very strong. And, every so often I'll get a burp that has a bit of a fish oil taste to it, but not very often (not a pleasant thought to share, I know, but at least you're informed). Me and the Missus get big bottles of the stuff at Costco for cheap.

jag

[ChocoChick]

Barbell Curls - By this point my lower back hurt, so I again, held back on the weight. Warmed up with 40/6
50/8, 50/8, 50/8

Check your form on this one. Barbell curls don't involve the back unless you are swinging your upper body back and then forward to "assist" your biceps with the movement. Your traps act as stabliziers, as do your shoulders, but your back really shouldn't be involved. Your elbows should be tight to the sides of your body and your torso should not move. Keeping your knees slightly bent will take stress of your back.

Barbell curls (I don't like this video so much): http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/BBCurl.html

Another look: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exerpop.php?Name=Barbell+Curl

Not video but decent: http://www.fitstep.com/Library/Exercises/Standing_barbell_curls.htm

Dumbbell incline curls (another option but I like standing bb curls better): http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/DBInclineCurl.html

[elzool]

Thanks for the pointers dbflgirl but in my case, I believe it was just residual pain built up from the deadlifts and barbell rows. I think if I were to have started with the curls first there wouldn't have been any problem at all with pain.

I've already written myself a note to start with curls next week just to check this, but I'm pretty sure it'l be pain free.

[ChocoChick]

I've already written myself a note to start with curls next week just to check this, but I'm pretty sure it'l be pain free.

Sounds like a good check. And I know you know not to make a habit of starting with curls, right?

[elzool]

Nope, I had no idea, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me right?

[ChocoChick]

LOL! Sorry - I didn't want to bore you -- or, worse yet, offend you -- with information you already know.

Anyway, you always want to work from larger muscle group to smaller. The biceps assist on a host of back movements, so if you start with biceps, they will tire and then you won't get a good workout on, say, pull-ups, because your bicep will give out before you can really work your back. So, on back/bicep day, you work back before biceps. On chest/tricep day, you work chest before tricep. If you work shoulders with chest, I recommend switching what you do first, since the shoulders really assist with things like bench press.

Someone recently wrote a good post about this (I think maybe it was GDD?) and explained it well. Let me see if I can find it...

[GameDayDog]

The guy in thys thread was trying to shake his routine up... He wanted to know if it was a good idea to do his exercyses in reverse order... Here's the post that DBFLGyrl... (The Newest Member of Thee Alphaz) ... was refering to...

Pitching in.. to insure proper form on those barbell curls, place your back against a wall as flat as possible and perform the exercyse... ;) ...

Welcome to my infamous 3 sets of 8 routine...

Peace..~G

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=6175912&postcount=2731

[ChocoChick]

Thanks, GDD. :) I was searching but apparently not on the right keywords because I didn't find it.

[elzool]

Thanks to both of you. No need to worry about offending me, I'm vitually unoffendable.

Makes perfect sense though. I'll try a few curls next week first just to check the back, but I'm certain that todays was just from all the others causing the initial pain.

[elzool]

Is it time for me to add ginko biloba into my supplements?

The little man(21month old) had me up a few hours between 2am and who knows when so it threw my day off. No gym this am, have to go tonight and now I'm trying to record what I ate this am which I usually keep track of at that time and I can't for the life of me remember what I was eating.

I didnt know I was that tired at that point....

I rmeember sitting down... a fork... it was cold... might have been brown rice..... tuna?

I need a nap before I workout tonight

[elzool]

My wife let me know it was brown rice, tuna fish and pineapple
At least she remembered.

I've just been looking at another thread and wondered how much protein, carbs and fat I should be getting per day.

I'm looking at 2400 cal/day

By my calculations I should be getting:

240g Protein 40%
240g Carb 40%
53g Fat 20%

or is my math messed up?

How do I know how much fiber to get in?

[ChocoChick]

Your math is good :)

Try this ratio and see how you do. Do you have energy? Are you happy with how your body is changing? Etc. If not, tweak it. But give it a decent shot (2 weeks minimum, 6 would be better unless something awful is happening) before you make any conclusions.

As for fiber, I think dietary guidelines are for a minimum of 25 grams a day, which is pretty easy to achieve if you are eating complex carbs and fobrous veggies. Fitday will figure this for you, too.

[elzool]

I've got energy and am happy with the ways its changing. So I think the ratio I'm on is good for now.

I'm using Calorieking.coms Diet Diary to keep track of everything and it does fiber as well and already had me set at 25, but the initial settings for everything else were off, so I thought I'd better ask now.

Thanks!

[elzool]

Whee, I hate working out in the evening.

July 8, 2005 Friday 9pm-9:45pm
Shoulders
5 min treadmill 4mph Incline 3

Military Press
50/8, 60/8, 60/7
next time I'll be starting at 65

Lateral Raises
Left 15/8, 15/6, 15/5
Right 15/8, 15/5, 15/7

Front Raises
Left 20/8, 20/8, 20/7
Right 20/8, 20/8, 20/5
next time I'll start at 25

Rear Raises
Left 15/8, 15/7, 15/7
Right 15/8, 15/7, 15/7
next time I'll start at 20

/rantOn
If I see one more couple kissing or chatting in the gym I'm gonna smack em with a 10lb plate. Too many people cloggin up the gym with socializing... it's not a frakkin nightclub... go home!
/rantOff

[elzool]

July 11, 2005 Monday
5:50am-6:35am
Chest & Triceps

5 Min treadmill warmup

Bench Press
warmup 15/5
30/8, 35/8, 35/8

Decline Press
warmup 15/8
35/6, 35/8, 35/6

Cable Cross Overs
warmup 30/8
50/8, 60/8, 60/8

Assisted Dips
warmups 76/8
94/8, 100/8, 100/8

Tricep Extensions
warmup 15/8
30/8, 30/7, 30/7

I can't believe how much better I felt working out this am after waking up 2 hours ahead of working out and eating. Usually its something as soon as I get up and I'm working out 30+ mins later. This time I actually felt like I had more in me to work with. That was pretty cool.

[elzool]

I hate to say I've been bad on my nutritional intake, but I think I may have done too much.

I had one cookie from Paradise Bakery today... I think I'm paying for it now. Massive rush type sensation and a lovely bit of naseua. I think I can learn to stay away from sweets if this is what they are going to do to me now that I've been away from things like this for so long. One cookie... come on, I've been good... apparently my body wants me to stay that way.

I figured... hey, it's just a cookie..... uhhh not anymore apparently.

Next up, a real healthy type dinner of sausage, pasta and olive oil.... ok, so it's ground sausage that I grilled over a 200 degree fire to 160 internal and rendered a boatload of the fat out of it. At least I tried too. I'm sure my body will tell me if there is still too much in there. Hopefully not in a violent way though.

[Lilac66]

"Kick"
Haha, well you requested it:)

Welcome to the board. Looks like you're already settling in pretty well. I'm a newbie here, too.

I can so relate to the cookie episode! I had some angel food cake and a whole lot of other junk awhile ago and ended up in the same predicament. Makes ya think twice the next time, lol.

If you are really dying for a cookie, try eating just a part of it. A quarter or a half might do. The other day, I had a craving for candy, and one small tootsie roll and two root beer candies cured it:) Another thing that might help is to have a little protein with that cookie.Cuts down on the rush a bit.

Keep up the great work:)

[elzool]

Sad thing is, is that I wasn't dying for the cookie. It was presented to me and I thought, oh, no big deal, it's just one cookie. I'll burn off those calories with my 11 mile bike ride this evening.

No Dice!

Sure I burned off the calories, but man that cookie tore me up.

Next time I'll think 3-4 times about it before I just 'have a cookie'.

[elzool]

Poop!

Silly old people dying off in the middle of the night ruined my workout.

My wife is a hospice nurse and was on call last night and had multiple deaths to attend. I actually felt sorry for myself at 5:15am when the alarm went off and I couldn't go workout. Then I realized my wife had been gone since 8:30pm last night and still wasn't home.... that and I wasn't the one who died or a member of the family whose loved one died.

That put me in my place.

I think I'll go workout tonight and make certain to smile at everyone I see throughout the day as that will eventually be me one day.

Play nice everybody

[elzool]

July 12, 2005 Tuesday 7:30pm
Legs

Warmup - 6 Mins 4mph Incline 3.5

Smith Machine Squat - No appropriate sized d/bs to be found
70/8, 70/8, 70/8

Leg Press
180/8, 180/8, 180/8

Leg Curl
70/8, 70/8, 70/6

Leg Extension
75/6, 75/5, 75/4
Boy those did me in.

Went in at night again.... I really have to stop doing that. Not only is it frustrating in trying to find d/b's, plates, benches and machines that are open, but the people at that time of day just irritate the heck out of me.

Right knee hurts a bit this am, seems to be better than when I woke up, but it feels funny.

Can't help but wonder if I overdid the leg presses. Time will tell I guess.

Finished the night off with a protein drink after working out and a while later some brown rice and a can of tuna fish. Damn you GameDayDog

[GSCampbell]

July 12, 2005 Tuesday 7:30pm
Legs

Warmup - 6 Mins 4mph Incline 3.5

Smith Machine Squat - No appropriate sized d/bs to be found
70/8, 70/8, 70/8

Leg Press
180/8, 180/8, 180/8

Leg Curl
70/8, 70/8, 70/6

Leg Extension
75/6, 75/5, 75/4
Boy those did me in.

Went in at night again.... I really have to stop doing that. Not only is it frustrating in trying to find d/b's, plates, benches and machines that are open, but the people at that time of day just irritate the heck out of me.




Good workout elzool!

I am so glad to hear someone else say this about the difference between night and day. I am sure it is a gym-specific thing but I am a morning workout guy and I always find a lot more posturing, posing, and other irritating behavior when I have to go at night. I mean no offense to those who work out at night. As I say, I am sure it is specific to my gym but I always feel this way when I am forced to go in the afternoon/evening. Maybe it's me :D

[elzool]

Nope it's not just you, I'm right with you on that one. I see some serious people there at night, but it's just not the same crowd as in the am. I don't feel like I'm any better than they are, some look like they could take me down in a heartbeat, but the majority of them are there just hangin' out.

Oh well, no more evening visits for me if I can help it.

[ChocoChick]

Good workout elzool!

I am so glad to hear someone else say this about the difference between night and day. I am sure it is a gym-specific thing but I am a morning workout guy and I always find a lot more posturing, posing, and other irritating behavior when I have to go at night. I mean no offense to those who work out at night. As I say, I am sure it is specific to my gym but I always feel this way when I am forced to go in the afternoon/evening. Maybe it's me :D

Oh, I agree! My gym is like a bar at night -- everyone is chatting and primping. At 6am, the only people there are people who really want to be there and that's only about 6-8 of us. :)

[jaguarr]

Can I just say again, for the record, that I love working out at home? :D

jag

[GSCampbell]

Oh, I agree! My gym is like a bar at night -- everyone is chatting and primping. At 6am, the only people there are people who really want to be there and that's only about 6-8 of us. :)

Same with me. There are about two or three of us who are there at 5:00 waiting for the guy to open up and then another 10-15 folks who you always see early. It just seems like everyone gets in, does their work, and gets out. I love that.

[elzool]

Well, after all the oatmeal recommendations in my first post a few weeks back I finally bought some. Steel cut oatmeal. I have no desire to eat it as cereal, so like I've seen here, I think I'll throw it in my protein drinks... if I could figure out how much to use, I'd be set.

Too many choices at the grocery store for oatmeal; instant, quick, pre-chewed and steel-cut. Hopefully I bought the right kind. I know it'll up my calories and that's not a bad thing.

[ChocoChick]

Steel cut is good. I think they have roughly double the calories as old-fashioned oats (and also take longer to cook). I understand you don't want to cook them but I'm thinking (guessing) that since they take longer to cook, they may also be harder to digest raw. So you might want to start with a small bit and increase.

I actually like cooked oats with cinnamon. :)

[jaguarr]

I actually like cooked oats with cinnamon. :)

Me, too. I have a cup (before cooking) of organic, rolled oats with cinnamon and a tiny bit of brown sugar every morning along with my protein shake. Sometimes I have a banana with that as well. Breakfast of champions (of what, I'm not exactly sure, but that's another story). :)

jag

[elzool]

First day with the oats... felt weird in the shake, but I chugged it down and it worked fine. The ones that I didn't just swallow were quite chewy.... now I see why they take so long to cook.

Felt like I was really lacking any drive today. I wanted to go to the gym, but when I got there I just didn't feel like I could do anything. I went through the motions and lifted the weights... just wasn't into it.

Oh well, did fine anyway.

Thursday July 14, 2005 5:45am
Back & Biceps
Warmup 5 Mins Treadmill 4mph, 3.5 incline

Deadlifts
60/8, 70/8, 70/8

Pull Ups
118/8, 118/6, 118/8

Barbell Rows
80/8, 80/8, 80/8

Barbell Curls
60/6, 50/8, 50/8

Hammer Curls
30/8, 30/6, 30/8

No backaches today, must have had a bad back last week when I did these.

You think I'll get enough protein in tonight for dinner if I only eat half?

[ChocoChick]

No backaches today, must have had a bad back last week when I did these.

Glad to hear it :)

[Mr. Someday]

Can I just interject here and offer my humble $.02 about oatmeal for a second?

Listen, I see people recommending various types of oats that take time to prepare and add complexity to one's food preparation for the day. Keep it simple people...especially for the newbies!! It is hard enough making small changes in one's diet when you are starting out. Quaker 1-minute oats are just fine...they take no time whatsoever to prepare and with a little Splenda and cinnamon, are an EXCELLENT source of carbs. I think sometimes we all have the propensity to split hairs on our diets. There is a huge difference between breakfast at McDonalds and a cup of Quaker 1-minute oats, but there will be no recognizable difference between the latter and oats that need 20 minutes of prep time. Like I said, whenever possible, keep it simple. Alright, my oatmeal rant is over.:D

[jaguarr]

^^^ I agree with you, Mr. S. Oats is oats, mostly. Just don't try to shave your balls while you are eating the oats. Let's be safe out there, people! :D

jag

[GSCampbell]

^^^ I agree with you, Mr. S. Oats is oats, mostly. Just don't try to shave your balls while you are eating the oats. Let's be safe out there, people! :D

jag

Yep - that can get confusing. The next thing you know you're shaving the oats and eating your . . . . Doh!

[jaguarr]

Yep - that can get confusing. The next thing you know you're shaving the oats and eating your . . . . Doh!

Actually, if I were that flexible, I would never leave the house...

jag

[Mr. Someday]

^^^ I agree with you, Mr. S. Oats is oats, mostly. Just don't try to shave your balls while you are eating the oats. Let's be safe out there, people! :D

jag


I've gotten so good at it, I don't think that would be a problem!!:D

And as far as the oats go, I am not including Quaker instant packets...those are a whole different animal and are loaded with sugary carbs. If you are cutting, they have no place in your diet IMO.

[jaguarr]

No me, man. I want to be able to FOCUS when I've got sharp, metallic objects near my boys like that! :eek:

Yes, the packets in the different flavors are full of additives and sugars. I think we should say that as long as you're dealing with some form of whole oats without any extra crap added in, you're probably in pretty good shape.

P.S. - Sorry to hijack your thread for our own amusement, elzool. Good job on the workout! Dinner looks tasty and loaded with protein, though I don't know if all that bacon is such a good idea...

jag

[GSCampbell]

I've gotten so good at it, I don't think that would be a problem!!:D

And as far as the oats go, I am not including Quaker instant packets...those are a whole different animal and are loaded with sugary carbs. If you are cutting, they have no place in your diet IMO.

Yep, even the "lower sugar" varieties are like eating a Snickers bar. Mmmmmmm . . . Snickers bar.

[elzool]

No worries, hijack away
I'm easily entertained.

I bought McCann's Original Steel-Cut Irish Oatmeal (http://www.mccanns.ie/pages/products.html) not knowing if one was any better than another, but from what I gather I could've just bought the big tub of Quaker Oats and saved money?

I don't want to cook the oatmeal either, so the smaller the pieces the easier it is to swallow with my morning shake.

As for the bacon, it's all coming off before we eat. It's just a good way to let the roast cook at a lower temperature for a longer time and have the fat just baste the meat the whole time so I don't have to touch it at all. After it hits 120 I'll pull it from the grill, take the bacon off and cover the roast in foil. Then I'll let the fire rip up to 600 or so and once the internal temp of the roast stops climbing around 130 or so 15-20 minutes later I'll throw it back on the grill naked(w/o the fat) and let it brown up a bit.

Slice and serve.

I've eaten calf fries before.... they were shaved and served without oats.

[mom24boys]

your roast looks yummy..can i come by for dinner? LOL

[elzool]

Sure, come on by, it's a 4 bone, 10lb standing rib roast (aka: prime rib) and it should be done in about three hours. Figuring that it's already been on for three hours and usually takes six.

byob

[mom24boys]

****hmmmm*** dont think i can get there from here in 3 hrs. *sigh* and I'd have to stop and drink my bottle on the way LOL you can post me the recipe though.

[GameDayDog]

Too many choices at the grocery store for oatmeal; instant, quick, pre-chewed and steel-cut. Hopefully I bought the right kind.Well, nobody else will say it.. but thys guy's comical... I wanted to see if anyone else notyced he said - PRE-CHEWED - hahaha... :D

Peace..~G
I notyce everythyng... :)

[ChocoChick]

Well, nobody else will say it.. but thys guy's comical... I wanted to see if anyone else notyced he said - PRE-CHEWED - hahaha... :D

Peace..~G
I notyce everythyng... :)

I noticed. I just chose not to comment. :) Ewwwww!!!

[jaguarr]

I noticed. I just chose not to comment. :) Ewwwww!!!


What she said.

jag

[elzool]

Well, nobody else will say it.. but thys guy's comical.
I have my moments.

Two others have asked for the recipe and it's not mine. I just adapted it for my grill.

Good Eats Dry Aged Standing Rib Roast (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_17372_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html)

[ChocoChick]

Cool looking grill. Charcoal?

[elzool]

Cool looking grill. Charcoal?
Thanks & always charcoal.... sometimes chunks of hardwood too... just depends.

It's made by a company called Kamado (http://www.kamado.com).

[ChocoChick]

Thanks & always charcoal.... sometimes chunks of hardwood too... just depends.

It's made by a company called Kamado (http://www.kamado.com).

I agree on the charcoal bit. I don't get it about gas grills. Oh, sure I get that they are sleek and sexy and easy... but nothing tastes like a charcoal grill... We like to add different woods, too. And since we live in Hurricane country and are guaranteed to be without power for many days each summer, we get to cook all sorts of things on the grill, including things you might not ordinarily think of cooking on the grill :D

[joed]

...Oh, sure I get that they are sleek and sexy and easy... but nothing tastes like a charcoal grill...we get to cook all sorts of things on the grill, including things you might not ordinarily think of cooking on the grill :D

DBFL, you're stimulating & scary at the same time. How do you do that?

[elzool]

I like the ease of just turning a gas grill on, but I'd never ever go back to one.
Charcoal starts inside of a few minutes with my mapp torch and I'm ready to go within maybe ten.

I've cooked things like bread, veggies, pie, biscuits, desserts and pizza on mine. Meats and fishies as well of course.

Wouldn't trade it for the shiniest stainless model out there.

Tonights roast was fantastic btw.

[ChocoChick]

We were boiling water for coffee and pasta last summer when our power was out. :) I really want an adobe oven for things like bread and pizza. Oh wait, I don't eat bread and pizza any more. :mad:

I bookmarked the website you listed. Did you order from them and have yours shipped or are you in California?

[someday]

it's after midnight, mr. s' snoring is keeping me up, it's been a low carb day...... i pop in here and what do i see? a roast covered in bacon.......perfect way to end the day :( dieting sucks!

[elzool]

We were boiling water for coffee and pasta last summer when our power was out. :) I really want an adobe oven for things like bread and pizza. Oh wait, I don't eat bread and pizza any more. :mad:

I bookmarked the website you listed. Did you order from them and have yours shipped or are you in California?
You could always just throw a pizza stone onto your grill and try it... if you still ate that stuff that is.

I bought a used Kamado on ebay in 2000 from a guy in Burbank, CA and drove out there from Phoenix. In 2003 I experienced several areas of tiles falling off. I called the Kamado company and told them about it and they said, well, even though you didn't buy it directly from us, we'll still honor the lifetime warranty. You just have to get it to us. At this time their factory was still in Sacramento, CA. So I loaded it up and took it to them. A week later they called and said it would be cheaper to build me a new one than to repair mine so they replaced it for the cost of shipping only. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

[elzool]

it's after midnight, mr. s' snoring is keeping me up, it's been a low carb day...... i pop in here and what do i see? a roast covered in bacon.......perfect way to end the day :( dieting sucks!
To make you feel better I'll tell you it was terrible.

But it really wasn't... it was fabulous.
Sorry you couldn't have any.

[elzool]

Felt much better this AM than yesterday.... still don't know why I was so out of it yesterday.. oh well.

Ok, on with the show.

Friday July 15, 2005 5:45am
Shoulders

Military Press
warmup with 30lbs
60/8, 60/6, 60/8

Lateral Raise - Hurt right shoulder on last one of 2nd set.
L 15/8, 15/8, 15/8
R 15/8, 15/8*, 15/0

Stretched right shoulder a few mins.

Front Raises
L 15/8, 20/8, 20/8
R 15/8, 20/8, 20/7

Rear Raises
L 15/8, 15/7, 20/8
R 15/8, 15/7, 15/5

Protein shake with oats before and shake after as well.
So far today I have 783 calories left to eat, 18g of protein left, 100g of carbs and I haven't even had dinner yet. I had a handful of raw almond slices earlier so my fats are used up... but at least it's from nuts.

[elzool]

Woke up with a numb right thumb this am. My right shoulder still hurts a bit from whatever happened during lateral raises last Friday. Still numb now 9 hours later... hopefully that goes away soon.

Monday July 18, 2005
Chest & Triceps

treadmill warmup 5 mins 4mph 3.5 incline

Bench Press
warmup 15/8
L 35/8, 35/8, 35/7
R 35/8, 35/8, 35/7

Incline Press
L 35/5, 35/8, 35/7
R 35/5, 35/8, 35/7

Cable Cross Over
60/8, 60/7, 60/6

Dips, Assisted
100/8, 100/7, 100/6

Tricep Extension
30/6, 30/7, 30/8

No Mas

My locker was taken today and that kept bothering me throughout the workout... I may need to seek counseling if it continues. Either that or stop watching Monk.

[ChocoChick]

Either that or stop watching Monk.

:D

[jaguarr]

LOL! You better watch out, or next thing you know, someone will be using your towel at the gym. Good workout, man.

jag

[GameDayDog]

Adrian Monk is the man... hahaha... I hum his theme song from the fyrst season everytyme I wash my hands... I have the fyrst season on DVD over here... and fortunately, they just started airing the fyrst season of Monk over here... so I'm getting a double dose of the old episodes...

His old nurse... Sharona Fleming ... was a total hottie anywayz... she could've been my nurse anytyme... but they alwayz played down her sexiness... I haven't seen any episodes with the new assistant yet... I only learned about the changes because I searched the net to see when it comes on television over here...

Peace..~G
I need Chappelle Show Season 2 & Aqua Teen Hunger Force Season 3 DVD's!!!

[elzool]

Loves the Monk. Have the first two episodes this season Tivo'd and have yet to watch them.

Today I woke up to my alarm clock and couldn't turn it off. I say couldn't as the numb thumb I had yesterday spread and now I had two numb fingers as well. I decided to call off the gym this morning and went back to bed.

After a few hours of moving around, the finger numbeness is gone and only 3/4 of the thumb remains. Damned pinched nerves

Went into the gym over lunch to do Legs.
Forgot my notebook so I had to guess at weights I should use... looks like I redid last weeks weights on some and increased on others.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Legs

Squats
40/8, 40/8, 40/8

Leg Press
180/8, 180/8, 180/8

Extensions
70/8 - After this first one I noticed my legs shaking so hard I backed off the weight a bit wondering what the heck I'd done.
Followed by 50/8, 50/8

Curls
70/8, 80/7, 80/5


Legs were like jelly after the first set of Extensions for some reason. Still a little wobbly now and it all seemed to be triggered by the 70.

At least I have a desk job so I'm not walking anywhere, but I think I'll take a 10 min break here soon and go hit the treadmill for a while just to get things back in place.

If someone ever used my towel I'd just let them keep it or throw it away. I couldn't bear to touch it. Oh come on, it's not like I'd not be able to look at it. I just wouldn't want it anymore.

[elzool]

I hate eating on days when I go in to the office. It's always a dilemma as to what to eat when lunch rolls around. If I was a smarter man I'd bring my lunch.... might have to start doing that.

Today I had thoughts of going to Chipotle (http://www.chipotle.com) but quickly rethought that and the only decent thing I could think of was getting a nice mahi mahi taco from a local taco shop. For eating out over lunch I usually feel stumped for a quick meal out.

Any lunch ideas for chain restaurants or franchise type food establishments?

I never would've thought lunch could be this difficult.

[namtrag]

Elzool

If your thumb and forefinger keep getting numbness, please get you c5-c6 vertebrae checked out. My thumb was numb, and I had tingling in my triceps, and shoulder blade and it turned out to be a bulging disk in my neck which irritated the nerve going down to my thumb. I hope that's not what you have, just wanted to alert you to it.

Mike

[jaguarr]

Elzool

If your thumb and forefinger keep getting numbness, please get you c5-c6 vertebrae checked out. My thumb was numb, and I had tingling in my triceps, and shoulder blade and it turned out to be a bulging disk in my neck which irritated the nerve going down to my thumb. I hope that's not what you have, just wanted to alert you to it.

Mike


That's a very good thought and worth investigating. Good catch, namtrag!

jag

[elzool]

Well I was going to have a friend come over and work on my shoulder as shes a massage therapist. Should I hold off on that for now?

[jaguarr]

Well I was going to have a friend come over and work on my shoulder as shes a massage therapist. Should I hold off on that for now?

Not at all. Massage and chiropractic treatment go hand in hand as far as I'm concerned. Certainly won't hurt to have her work on your shoulder. Well, it might, but maybe you're into that sort of thing...

jag

[elzool]

Elzool

If your thumb and forefinger keep getting numbness, please get you c5-c6 vertebrae checked out. My thumb was numb, and I had tingling in my triceps, and shoulder blade and it turned out to be a bulging disk in my neck which irritated the nerve going down to my thumb. I hope that's not what you have, just wanted to alert you to it.

Mike
Thanks for the info Mike! I started to respond yesterday and we had a power failure so I forgot to go back and do it again.

Last night I saw a friend of mine that is a massage therapist and she worked on my shoulder and back for an hour and while it felt good then, it hurts now. Not like I didn't expect that, it's just painful. Hopefully whatever voodoo she did will help this work itself out. If it's still here at the beginning of the week I'll go see my MD and get a referral.

No more upper body til next week for me, so I think I'll make today and tomorrow extreme treadmillicious. Burn some serious calories that a way for a change. I just wish it would cool down here so I could get back on my bike. 114 is just too hot for a ride.

[elzool]

Not that anyone aside from myself would be too interested in this, but the other day when I thought I wanted Chipotle I looked over their website for nutritional info and couldn't find it. I wrote them then and today they sent me a pdf with all the nutritional facts on the individual items on their burritos.

The burrito I was going to have would've had a 13" tortilla, Carnitas, corn salsa, and black beans and would've contained:
Protein - 50g
Fat - 23g
Carb - 99g

Not quite as bad as I thought it would be, but still not somewhere I should be eating at every week.

[elzool]

Still no workouts since last Tuesday as the thumb and index finger on my right hand are tingly. I called my acupuncturists office today and found out he is out all week. Then I called the two people they are referring to and they are both well over an hour away form here. I can go see my regular doc this week, but I'm thinking all she'll do is write me a prescription for muscle relaxants and tell me to see my acupuncturist next week.

Poop!

Guess I'll go do legs tomorrow as normal.

Anyone know how to find a new acupuncturist aside form randomly visiting them and hoping for the best?

[elzool]

I bought an xl shirt on ebay a few weeks ago and it arrived last week. Nice shirt by a manufacturer called Nat Nast (http://www.natnast.com/). I put it on and it was huge. I then realized most all of my shirts are cut big, relaxed fit. I then went to Nordstroms over the weekend and found out that shirts by this manufacturer are cut to fit like a well fitted shirt should be and in them, I wear a MEDIUM.

A frakken medium? I haven't worn that since grade school.
Apparently I'd lost more weight than I'd thought. Stepped onto the scale this moring for the first time in a while and am down another 5 pounds. Weirdness. Eat like a horse, stuffing myself, drinking 2 gallons of water a day, massive amounts of both solid and liquid protein and I lose five pounds.....
I wish those b/f calipers would get here, now I really want to know what it is.

[ChocoChick]

.
Apparently I'd lost more weight than I'd thought. Stepped onto the scale this moring for the first time in a while and am down another 5 pounds. Weirdness. Eat like a horse, stuffing myself, drinking 2 gallons of water a day, massive amounts of both solid and liquid protein and I lose five pounds.....
I wish those b/f calipers would get here, now I really want to know what it is.

I told you so! :p

Congrats!! :)

[mom24boys]

WTG..congrats on the weight loss.

[joed]

Another 5? Any of your friends still recognize you?

[jaguarr]

You're another one of those remarkable success stories on the forum, elzool. Keep up the good work!

jag

[elzool]

I told you so! :p

Congrats!! :)
Yes, yes you did and I can't thank you enough. Thank you. I'd rep you again but it still tells me I can't.

Now if you tell me to drink the Magic Kool-Aid® I may stop short of doing that, but anything else and I won't even question it.

Thanks mom24boys, joed & jag. It's funny how a little encouragement makes your goals so much easier to reach.

Yes my friends still recognize me, but I was told yesterday that I'm making one of them look bad and am no longer allowed to stand next to them in photos. :)

Found an acupuncturist that is partially covered by my insurance, so I'm going to see her this afternoon. If she cures me I think I'll still give my upper body a week off jsut to let things heal a bit more. At that point it will have been two weeks since I did upper body... hope thats enough time as I can't stand not getting back in there.

[elzool]

When will this damned thing heal?

The short story: I was doing lateral raises July 15th and hurt myself. A few mornings later I woke with a numb right thumb and partially numb index finger.

I had acupuncture, deep tissue massage, a visit to my doctor, another visit to my regular chiropractor/accupuncturist and still.. nothing.

It's a month later and I still have tinglies all over my thumb and on the last digit of my index finger. Tomorow I go for an x-ray...

I was told by both my dr and chiropractor to not even do legs until this is better as when I do legs it hurts in my shoulder. So, no working out for the last month, just daily treadmill jaunts... damn thats not a lotta fun.

Anyone have any suggestions as to how to heal this mutha?

-elz

[ChocoChick]

Elzool! I've been wondering about you. I am sorry to hear you are injured. What exactly is wrong? And how/why does it hurt your shoulder when you work legs?

Sorry... I have no advice except to see another doc. :(

[jaguarr]

I was wondering where you'd gotten off to, man. That's a bummer about the injury, no doubt about it. Sounds like giving it the time it needs to heal is what your doc's advising, and sometimes that's really what it takes. :(

jag

[namtrag]

I swear dude, those are the same symptoms I had with my c5-6 bulging disk. Numb and/or tingly thumb and forefinger. I also had the tingling up higher, like in the triceps and shoulder blade area, but it was mainly the thumb. Your doctor didn't even bring up a cervical spine issue? My family doctor figured it out based on my symptoms and sent me to get an MRI the same day.

I hope it's not a vertebra problem, but better safe than sorry.

By the way, congrats on the additional weight loss!

Mike

[elzool]

Thanks for the kind words folks.

What's Wrong: The thumb on my right hand feels like it's asleep, all tingly and such. The last digit(tip) of my index finger feels the same way as does a small bit of the palm of that hand. Sometimes, if I move just right I get a large tingly shock like sensation throughout that arm as well. Not too often, but it occurs a few times a week.

My legs affect it whenever I lie down on my front or back side and put pressure against it or anywhere in that neighborhood.

Ok, it's had a month to heal... that's enough time and I don't like this slacking off feeling. The treadmill is getting old really fast.

My doc has me going for x-rays today and if that shows nothing, which it probably wont as it's probably a soft tissue injury, she said that an mri would be next.

I hate to ask as the answer may not be good, but what happens when you have a bulging disk anyway?

-elz

[jaguarr]

^^^
Heya, elzool. It's really hard to say what's wrong and how long it will take to heal or even how to rehab it if the doc's haven't pinpointed exactly what the issue is. I'd say it's well worth going through the X-Ray (which I agree probably won't reveal much, but a lot of places require it prior to an MRI), and then hopefully through the MRI process, because I believe that may help you and your doc really figure out what the issue is. I'd be pressing for the MRI right out of the gate rather than the X-Ray first if your doc will go for it (many won't, unfortunately). There's that missing piece of data of specifically what's going on with you to cause your symptoms that you really do need, IMHO.

Keep us posted!
jag

[elzool]

Compressed disk.
c5-c6 area I believe she said
That's the culprit.

I'm being sent for a cat scan next week and to see a neurologist.

They also said there was an old fracture at the base of my skull... I forget what the name of the bone was, but its one that holds your head up. Nothing to worry about, but she thinks that may have a lot to do with why I've always had neck and back problems.

I just wish I knew how I did it.

-elz

[jaguarr]

^^^
Were you a headbanger in high school? Rock n' roll ain't pretty, as I've heard it said. At least you know what the issue is, though, and can now start working on dealing with it. That's definitely the important part, man.

jag

[elzool]

Quick recap:
Hurt myself in July of 05', didn't heal til' 4 months later(Dec 06) but was told to rest for 60 days(Feb 06), got sick from 3 year old in pre-school from Feb - November 06' Getting ready to hit the gym the following week after being well for the first time in a long time I hurt my back and found out I had a severly bulging disk. That passed a month later and I wanted to make certain it was still good so I gave it 30 more days.

More info on my ordeal is here:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=18340001

Two weeks ago I started the treadmill four days a week and today I started using weights for the first time in 18 months.

As I didn't want to end up getting back surgery this week, I've decided I'll take baby steps the first few weeks and slowly progress from there.

Monday Feb. 5, 2007
Chest & Triceps

Treadmill warmup 5 mins 4mph 3.5 incline

Bench Press
L 5/8, 5/8, 5/8
R 5/8, 5/8, 5/8

Incline Press
L 5/8, 5/8, 5/8
R 5/8, 5/8, 5/8

Cable Cross Over
20/8, 20/8, 20/8

Dips, Assisted
20/8, 20/8, 20/8


Let's see, from where I was at back in July of 2005, I'm lifting 15-30% of what I used to. Hopefully I have no pain today or tomorrow and can keep going. I don't care if I look silly lifting these tiny things, I just want to keep going without pain. If it takes a year to get back to where I was, I'll keep looking silly until then.

[elzool]

Woke up a few minutes before the alarm went off and started my day knowing I was not going to hurt myself today if I just took it slow.

Yesterday anytime i turned my head, bent over, etc I was afraid I was going to hurt myself. Today, I'm not as afraid, but cautious nonetheless.

Started off at 5am with 20oz of water, a protein drink(6oz milk+31g of ON Whey powder+40g Uncooked Oatmeal=36g protein) and my vitamins.

Vitamins include:
Multi Vitamin
Vitamin C
Chromium Picolinate
MSM w/ Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Fish Oil
L-Glutamine
Kre-Alkalyn

Today at the gym, we're featuring legs.

Hit the treadmill for 10 minutes @ 4mph on a 3.5 incline.

Squats
5/8 * 3
Five pounds! Five little pounds and it burned.... I'm such a wuss

Leg Press
20/8 * 3
I'd have done 10 had I been able to find the plates. Just being cautious

Extensions
10/8 * 3
These I felt like I had control over, might increase lb next time.

Curls
10/8 * 3
Did ya know you could only do 10 pounds? The eight year old next to me just shook his head in dismay.

Came home, had another protein drink like the one above and another bottle of water. Followed that up with some leftover chicken parts that I stripped of skin.

I hobbled out of the gym like a little old lady today from these tiny weights but felt great for having been able to do it. I forgot how good this could feel. Man I hope I don't hurt myself.

Wonder how long I'm going to be saying that?

[ChocoChick]

Hang in there, Elzool... it will come back. I just reread a bunch of your old posts here, and you have the ability to make it happen again. :)

[elzool]

Thank you dbflgirl !

That was great to wake up to and think about as I hobbled around the house like an old man.

The squats yesterday hurt me.

Yesterdays food went down a lot easier once I found out more about what I should and shouldn't be eating.

1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked

WORKOUT

McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked
1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Fruits, Fresh: Apples w. skin, raw, edible portion
Pork: Fresh, loin, center loin (chops), bone-in, lean only, broiled
Vegetables, Fresh: Squash, summer, zucchini, boiled, drained, no salt
Beef: Top Round, broiled, lean only, trimmed to 1/2' fat
Vegetables, Fresh: Sweet Potato, baked in skin, no salt, edible portion
Green Giant: Vegetables, Frozen: Broccoli, Chopped
Fruits, Fresh: Banana, edible portion
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Nuts: Almonds, raw, unblanched
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free

Who knows if I'm doin' it perfect, but I am trying to get back on track

Today I was planning on taking off, but I went in and did 30 minutes on the treadmill for 30 mins @ 3mph to try and walk off this soreness.

My legs felt like noodles afterwards.

Two hours later and they feel a lot better

[elzool]

Menu for Feb 7... not necessarily in this order
Rice: Brown, long-grain, cooked
Vegetables, Fresh: Broccoli, boiled, drained, no salt
Chicken: Thigh, meat only, roasted
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
1% Milk w/ ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked
Banana, edible portion
Beef: Round (Top, braised), lean only, 1/4' trim
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Fruits, Fresh: Avocados, Californian, raw, edible portion
Smucker's: Nut Spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free

[elzool]

Today I woke early again, nice to get outta bed before the alarm goes off.

After doing some reading in the nutrition forum, I added a banana to my pre and post workout drinks

I felt better several hours after my workout compared to the last few days... was it the banana? who knows

Feb 8, 2007
Back & Biceps

warmup
Treadmill 10minutes @ 3mph
Hey!, my legs still are a hurtin' from tuesdays squats

Deadlift
10/8 * 3

Barbell Rows
20/8 * 3

Pullups
20/8, 20/5, 20/3

Barbell Curls
20/8 * 3

Hammer Curls
5/8 * 3

My form was all over the place on the Barbell rows for some reason. Watched a video and think I have it back under control again.

Favorite meal combo lately has been broccoli, brown rice and chicken mixed together in a bowl and heated, darned tasty.

[elzool]

Yesterday Meals

1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked
Banana, edible portion
Banana, edible portion
Rice: Brown, long-grain, cooked
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Rice: Brown, medium-grain, cooked
Vegetables, Fresh: Broccoli, boiled, drained, no salt
Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich w/ Lettuce and Avocado, no condiments on it
Smucker's: Nut Spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked

[elzool]

Why I keep waking up early I don't know, maybe I'm just that excited about getting back into this finally.

Friday Feb 9, 2007
Shoulders

w/u Treadmill
3mph @ 12 minutes
Legs are still a bit sore... finally found out what doms mean today, I have the doms.

At least I'm not hobbling like an old woman with a broken hip anymore.

Military Press
20/8 * 3

Lateral Raises
5/8 * 3

Front Raises
5/8 * 3
Didn't Suck

Rear Raises
5/8 * 3

This is the same workout I did when I initially hurt myself 18 months ago... Front Raises specifically. I was a bit nervous about the front raises, but got through them. Course, with only 5 lbs/hand, it wasn't too hard.

[elzool]

No workouts on the weekend

Friday Meals
McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal - Uncooked
Banana, edible portion
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
1% Low-Fat Milk
1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
Banana, edible portion
Beef: Top Round, broiled, lean only, trimmed to 1/2' fat
Rice: Brown, medium-grain, cooked
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Fruits, Fresh: Apples w. skin, raw, edible portion
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Garden of Eatin': Taco Shells: Tortillas, Whole Wheat
Guacamole
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Fresh Express: Salads: Garden Green & Crisp w. Double Carrots


Saturday Meals - Out shopping today, hard to eat :(
EggBeaters: Egg Substitutes: Egg Whites
Guacamole
Mission: Bread Products: Flour Tortilla, Low-Carb Whole Wheat (10'), Club Pack
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Rice: Brown, medium-grain, cooked
Fish, Fresh: Salmon, chinook, smoked
Dole: Salads: Fresh Discoveries, Classic Romaine
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
Smucker's: Nut Spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
Protein Shake
Protein Shake
Protein Bar

Sunday (today)
Vegetables, Fresh: Asparagus, raw
Vegetables, Fresh: Spinach, raw, edible portion
Rice: Brown, medium-grain, cooked
EggBeaters: Egg Substitutes: Egg Whites
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
Smucker's: Nut Spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy
Beef: Brisket (braised), lean only
Fruits, Fresh: Apples w. skin, raw, edible portion
Top Round
Dole: Salads: Fresh Discoveries, Classic Romaine
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Lucerne: Cottage Cheese: Fat-Free
Polaner: Jams: Sugar Free, Raspberry Preserves, gluten free
Smucker's: Nut Spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Creamy


Finally starting to get the hang of eating I think. At least I'm more accustomed as to what to eat.

Tomorrow morning, back at the baby weights for another week.

[elzool]

Feb 12, 2007
Chest & Triceps

Treadmill 10 mins @ 3.5mph @ 3.5 incline, yes, the leg pain is gone... only to return tomorrow after squats again I'm sure

Bench Press
5/8 * 3

Incline Press
5/8 * 3

Cable Crossover
20/8 * 3

Dips
20/8 * 3

Tricep Extensions
5/8 * 3

Meals today sucked
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
1% Low-Fat Milk
ON Instantized 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate
1% Low-Fat Milk
Top Round
Rice: Brown, medium-grain, cooked
Chicken: Breast, meat only, roasted
Chevys Fresh Mex: Tacos: Grilled, Salmon, no Tamalito, Rice, Sour Cream or Guacamole
Chevys Fresh Mex: Sides: Black Beans, no Cheese or Pico de Gallo