TM's Journal to reach 200 lbs.

[BoiseLifer]

I am in my 11th week of transforming my body. I will be finishing up a 12 week program this weekend. I will be posting finishing photos sometime this weekend. After completing, I will be starting my new program, monday April 3rd, to reach 200 lbs and maintain a bf of 10%. Currently I am at 173 lbs. and 10-11% bf.

In this initial program, I have made all of my newbie gains (10 lbs of lean muscle and just under 20 lbs. of bf lost). That means my goal of adding 27 lbs. of lean muscle will be a bit more challenging. I am up for it. =) Somewhere in the next 6 months I plan on doing a 20 rep squat program, from somewhere between 4-8 weeks.

More to come...

[jaguarr]

Cool! Welcome aboard! We're here to help, cheer you on, offer advice and then derail your thread with off topic pictures to make ourselves laugh. :D

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Cool! Welcome aboard! We're here to help, cheer you on, offer advice and then derail your thread with off topic pictures to make ourselves laugh. :D

jag

Perfect. That's why I chose this forum. You guys seem like a fun off the wall crowd. =) I'm looking forward to the journey.

[joed]

...You guys seem like a fun off the wall crowd. =) I'm looking forward to the journey.

Welcome to the nuthouse BL. Here's the first step of your journey off the wall:


{joed doing his best to make the new Idaho guy wonder what he may have gotten himself into here}

[Hibiscus09]

Great progress so far! Good luck to you!

And welcome!

[someday]

welcome!

we have a great group of people here, but we would be doing you a disservice if we let you think it's possible to gain 27#s of lean muscle in 12 weeks. even if you have some special supplement help......that goal is unattainable!

contrats on your recent accomplishments..... keep up the good work!

[jtroster]

Welcome. The more journals we have here the harder we have to work to keep on the first page;)

[Gunn27]

Welcome aboard. I look forward to following your quest, especially as it is almost identical to mine. My ultimate goal is also to get to the 200# mark at around 10% bf, currently 172 lbs. I'll race you there... :D

Good Luck!

[BoiseLifer]

WOW! What a great welcome!! Thanks everyone, this is gonna be fun! Yeah, I didn't plan on hitting 200# in 12 weeks. he hee. More like 12 months is what I was thinking.

Gunn, you are on! I will be tracking your progress closely. =)

ps- Love the surfing image!

[BoiseLifer]

One thing I am planning on adding to my schedule at some point are 20 rep squats. I was thinking of doing them starting on monday, but I feel I need to work up to something like that. I would like to do some light to medium weight squat, deadlift and lunge work for about 3 months then I will switch up to the 20 rep squat program. That will give me enough time to physically and mentally prepare myself for them. From what I have ready, it is quite possible to add 10-15 lbs of lean mass in 8 weeks time. We will see. I will be doing them for somewhere between 4-8 weeks, depending on how much pain in can tolerate. =)

Once I start my workout logs, you will see that about 95% of my exercise will be done using good ol' school compound exercises. IE - Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, Standing Military Press, Pullups, Bar Dips. I think this is THE best way to add mass, bar none. 200 lbs. here I come!

I can't wait to get started!! =)

[BoiseLifer]

Well, 1 more day of this dreaded cutting diet. I will be glad to get on a nice bulk/maintenance diet where I have a little more freedom in what I eat. =) Pics are on saturday, hopefully all this is worth it!

[Gunn27]

Well, 1 more day of this dreaded cutting diet. I will be glad to get on a nice bulk/maintenance diet where I have a little more freedom in what I eat. =) Pics are on saturday, hopefully all this is worth it!You are going to have healthy head start on me! I am going to continue my present course of bringing my bf down another 2-3% points and then probably stay in that range thru the summer. Once September rolls around I will be moving into the "bulking" phase; I am begining to despise that word, LOL.

Last year I learned the hard way how NOT to bulk up, and as a result I will be doing things a lot more carefully and slowly this time around. Having said all that, the challenge is still on. :D

[BoiseLifer]

You are going to have healthy head start on me! I am going to continue my present course of bringing my bf down another 2-3% points and then probably stay in that range thru the summer. Once September rolls around I will be moving into the "bulking" phase; I am begining to despise that word, LOL.

Last year I learned the hard way how NOT to bulk up, and as a result I will be doing things a lot more carefully and slowly this time around. Having said all that, the challenge is still on. :D

Hey Gunn!! Yeah I hear you, I am going to go more into a maintenance phase with a slight bulk ring to it. Is that possible?? lol

Glad to hear from you and I look forward to the healthy competition! =)

[BoiseLifer]

Well, I have to say, I am VERY pleased with my 12 week results! YIPPEE!! On to my quest to reach 200 lbs., which starts monday!! =)

I ended up at a lean 170 lbs. and about 9-10% bf. I started at 180 and 20% bf 12 weeks ago.

[ChocoChick]

Great job.

I am sure there are lots of folks here who'd like to know more about the program you used to get these results (hint,hint). :)

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks dbflgirl!

To answer you, I was doing a 5 day split, with 30 minutes of low impact cardio afterwards. These all started at 6:00 am on an empty stomach. I was sipping a whey mix with Xtend during my workouts and cardio. The diet was high protein, high fat, with veggies and carbed up every 3rd day.

Well, tomorrow I am back in the gym, I am pretty excited. I haven't worked out since Tuesday of last week! I am starting to feel withdrawals I think. haa haa

[justtryn]

Hey there BL - welcome to the forum. Nice to have another Idaho boy on-line with us! Great progress pics!

[batteryrequired]

Hey there....great job on the transformation. Glad you decided to join our group. Plenty of information to be found by many people in here. Lots of advice from many people who have been in the trenches and have actually accomplished their goals. Good luck and happy lifting! :)

[jaguarr]

Looks like you're making great progress, man! Congrats!

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and great feedback! I am LOVING this forum already, I am very glad to be here. I enjoy the more mature crowd here, that is for sure. Hopefully I can add a little bit to help make things better and inspire a few people along the way. =)

Well, on to bigger and better things!!

Today at 6:00 pm

Bench Press:
20 x 65, 12 x 95, 8 x 115 ::warmups::
5 x 205, 5+1 x 185, 6 x 165, 8+1 x 145

Incline DB Press (ea. hand):
8 x 55, 12 x 45, 9 x 50, 6 x 60

Pek Dek (drop sets):
12 x 90, 12 x 75, 15 x 60

Pushups (to failure):
15 x bdy x 2, 7 x bdy

Crunchs:
200 x bdy x 1

Cardio:
30 mins of low-med impact cardio

I was supposed to go light and rest this week, but I couldn't help myself. =) Felt really great to get back in the gym today. I felt a lot better than I thought I would after that crazy diet last week. I haven't done actual bench presses for a couple of months (usually db presses) and I got a personal best of 205 so that was pretty cool.

I am really excited to be on this new program and can't wait to see the results of gaining some muscle.

Tom

[BoiseLifer]

Well I pretty much BONKED on my leg workout today. I really didn't have the strength and energy that I usually do. I think my body is telling me to follow my original plan and REST this week. hee hee

With that in mind, I am going to finish out the week with light cardio in the am and some light weight, high rep workouts to finish out he rest of my body (shoulders, back and arms).

Squats:
20 x 95, 12 x 115, 8 x 135 ::warmups::
8 x 225, 8 x 205, 12 x 185, 10 x 165, 10 x 135

Stiff Legged Deadlifts:
20 x 45, 15 x 95

Leg Press:
12 x 225, 10 x 315

Very Bonked at this point, didn't even get to cardio. ha haa =)

[Gunn27]

Good idea listening to what your body is telling you. Nice workout though. :)

[BoiseLifer]

Good idea listening to what your body is telling you. Nice workout though. :)

Thanks Gunn,
Yeah, I am surprisingly sore today from yesterdays workouts. Nothing new to report today as I took a complete rest day. I just think that water dehydration for my pics had a bigger impact on my strength and energy levels than I though. Plus it's been 12 weeks of grueling workouts so I guess a few days is ok. I have a real hard time taking days off by the way...feel so guilty.

I do plan to get up tomorrow and do some low impact cardio just to keep the blood flowing. 6:00 am appt. with the elliptical machine. =)

[BoiseLifer]

6:00 am

3 sets each of light weights for back and shoulder. Wasn't planning but just couldn't walk right by the weights and not lift a few. haa ha
- Also, I threw on 135 lbs. and did 4 reps of standing military press, which would be a new personal best. =)

30 mins of low impact cardio on the elliptical to finish things out.

[BoiseLifer]

Well, I spent the weekend in Sun Valley, unfortunately I was sick so we didn't get a chance to ski or anything. =\ But at least it was fun lounging around and watching tv all day in top rated accomodations.

I found a great sale on Whey Protein Isolate and picked up about 10 lbs. today, along with 2 bottles of green tea extract. Both of these come in handy on a training day.

Anywayzz...I am back in the gym tomorrow morning after a week off. I feel pretty rested up and am eager to start pumping the iron again. I will be hitting back and calves tomorrow morning. My back seems to be slightly behind so I will be paying special attention on back days.

Exercises tomorrow will be:

Deadlifts: 20, 8, 6, 4
Bent Over DB Rows: 12, 8, 6, 4
T-Bar Rows: 12, 10, 8

Seated Calf Raises:
20, 10, 10, 10

25 mins. low impact cardio afterwards.

Again, this is a bulking stage, so I will be eating gobs of food as I try to pack on muscle while keeping my bf down.

[BoiseLifer]

6:00 pm

Today was a GREAT workout after a week off! When I started with my Incline DB Press, after my warmup set, I grabbed the 70# db's and my wife Laura asked me..."Aren't those a bit heavy for you"? I was like, "well probably, but I need to start doing heavy weights now, so I can build muscle. I think I can probably crank out 4 reps". Next thing you know, I'm cranking out 12 reps of 70# db's (140# total)!! I couldn't believe it, I have never done that much weight in my life, let alone 12 reps, lol. Then my next set, I did 80# db's for 6 reps!! So I was very happy about that. =)

Anyway, enough rambling...

Incline DB Press:
20 x 25#, 12 x 70#, 6 x 80#, 8 x 70#, 7 x 70#

Bent Over BB Rows (smith mach):
20 x 45, 15 x 95, 15 x 115, 10 x 135, 6 x 155

Flat DB Press:
8 x 80, 8 x 70, 6 x 60

Bent Over DB Rows:
12 x 35, 10 x 50, 6 x 60, 4 x 70

::really spent at this point::

Pek Dek:
12 x 90, 8 x 105, 12 x 75

Rear Delt Mach:
20 x 30, 15 x 45, 12 x 60

[jtroster]

Way to go on those presses. Sometimes we need to just grab a weight and go with it. A lot of my personal bests are done that way.

[joed]

...Next thing you know, I'm cranking out 12 reps of 70# db's (140# total)!! I couldn't believe it, I have never done that much weight in my life, let alone 12 reps, lol. Then my next set, I did 80# db's for 6 reps!!

It is kind of amazing what you (we) can do if you just try it.

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks guys for the encouragement! Yeah, on the personal bests, I just have to be careful and not lift too much to where I hurt myselft or pull something. I am not 20 anymore. =)

Anywayzzz...been super busy at work so haven't had time to post much the last few days. Still getting the workouts. Although I don't feel the normal energy this week for some reason. I'm not sure if I have a sinus infection right now or maybe allergies. I got a decent shoulder workout in yesterday, and legs the previous day. I will take today off and hit again friday for abs, calves and biceps.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[justtryn]

Good job on the pb's! Keep up the good work! :D

[jaguarr]

Yeahhhhh, PB's, baby!!!!

http://www.personalcare.org/content/items/9108/pb2003spring_thumb.gif

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Yeahhhhh, PB's, baby!!!!

http://www.personalcare.org/content/items/9108/pb2003spring_thumb.gif

jag

Ha haa! I like it. =)

[Gunn27]

I’m a little slow catching up this week…. great work on the PB’s, excellent!! :)

[BoiseLifer]

I’m a little slow catching up this week…. great work on the PB’s, excellent!! :)

Thanks Gunn!!

Well, I finally got my BFL story written and will be sending it out tomorrow. I really wasn't planning on it initially but I think I have a pretty solid chance of getting noticed.

Also I found out this week that I will be featured here on bb.com as transformation of the week for my 12 week transformation!! GREAT NEWS...I was very excited to hear that! =) Should be up sometime in the next few weeks I imagine.

No workouts today or this weekend...resting up for monday.

[BoiseLifer]

Well,
Mondays workout was good. Did Chest and Tri's.

Tuesday I hit all back and some calves. Both were solid workouts, nothing to write home about. It will be interesting to see where my strength goes now that I am on more of a bulking cycle. I will be taking in 3600 calories on weights days and 2600 on non-weights days.

Stay Tuned...

[jaguarr]

Expect your strength levels to go up if you're feeding your body more calories. :)

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Expect your strength levels to go up if you're feeding your body more calories. :)

jag

Thanks for the visit Jag! I feel honored to be visited by one of the "fledgling old farts". ha haa

Anyway, I wanted to post monday and tues workouts while I have a few minutes here at work to breath. =)

Monday (Chest & Tris):

Incline Press:
15 x 95, 10 x 135, 8 x 155, 2 x 185

Bench Press:
14 x 115, 10 x 155, 4 x 185, 1 x 205 ::was hoping for 4 reps but didn't quite happen:: =)

Cable Cross Over:
14 x 40, 10 x 60

Skull Crusher: 15 x 35, 9 x 55, 2 x 65 ::I still like the DB version of these better::

Close Grip Press:
15 x 65, 15 x 85, 10 x 105

Bench Dips:
30 x bdy

Crunchs:
200 x bdy

25 mins of low impact on the elliptical. hovered around 140 hrpm

Tuesday (Back and Calves):

Deadlifts (really starting to love these...even over squats):
20 x 95 x 2, 10 x 135, 6 x 185, 4 x 225

T-Bar Rows (first time ever):
15 x 45 x 2, 6 x 90, 5 x 100

Bent Over DB Rows:
12 x 35, 10 x 40, 10 x 45

Seated Calf Raises:
20 x 50, 15 x 70, 12 x 90, 11 x 95

Today I was going to hit legs but I may go Shoulders and Bi's because my calves are still pretty sore from Tuesday. We will see, depends on how the ol' body feels this afternoon. =)

Has anybody tried the famed 5x5 workouts? I have been drawn to them lately as I really believe in doing compound stuff right now, in order to get the mass I need. Maybe add concentration stuff later on after I hit my goal weight...I doubt it though. =) Compound exercises rule in my book. =)

[BoiseLifer]

I was having trouble the last 2 weeks with being real tired during my new afternoon workouts. Today, I went ahead and ate a bowl of oatmeal about 45 mins and 1 cup of instant coffee and that did the trick!! I felt GREAT!! No yawning and tiredness like before. So I think I just wasn't getting enough calories before my workouts.

Anywayzzz...

Standing Military Press:
20 x 65, 9 x 115, 5 x 135, 3 x 140 ::PB:: yeah! =), 10 x 95 ::to failure::

Front DB Raise:
12 x 17.5, 10 x 20, 8 x 22.5, 4 x 30

Side DB Raises:
20 x 10, 14 x 12.5, 12 x 15, 12 x 20

Ez-Bar Curls: ::I hardly ever work biceps so this is a new setup for me
14 x 55, 10 x 75, 8 x 85, 4 x 105 ::PB::

Cable Bicep Curls:
12 x 60, 8 x 100, 6 x 120, 4 x 140

Crunchs:
200 x bdy

No cardio today, ran out of time. I have to go back to work tonight as we are slammed. =)

[joed]

...Crunchs: 200 x bdy...

What is it with you & Kaliman??? You guys are scarin' me. Seems that ever since dbfl started that thread about poochy abs everyone is working like crazy on them. Wait'll GSC sees this, he'll be runnin' for cover.

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks for visiting Joed! Although, I have been doing crunchs like that for some time now. It is more of a post workout cooldown than anything. Really relaxes me after a good solid workout.

Alright here goes. I will be starting Bill Starr's 5x5 program this monday. I am VERY excited to see what kind of results I get. I am a huge fan of compound lifts so I figure what better workout to do than this one! =)

I am 5'10, 174, around 11% bf.

Starting Lifts -
Squat: 215 x 5
Bench: 205 x 5
Row: 145 x 5
Deads: 205 x 5
Military: 125 x 5

Mondays workout will be:

Squat:
5 x 100, 5 x 125, 5 x 149, 5 x 174, 5 x 199

Bench:
5 x 95, 5 x 119, 5 x 143, 5 x 166, 5 x 190

Row:
5 x 67, 5 x 84, 5 x 101, 5 x 118, 5 x 134

-obviously these will have to be rounded to the correct weight. Also, I will do 2 sets of easy warmups before each lift.

2 sets of weighted hypers:
4 sets of weighted situps:

[joed]

I'm curious to see what your reaction will be to the new routine. I assume you're not going to make any major changes to your diet. Maybe I missed it but do you have any time frame for it?

[BoiseLifer]

I'm curious to see what your reaction will be to the new routine. I assume you're not going to make any major changes to your diet. Maybe I missed it but do you have any time frame for it?

Hey Joed,
No, I am simply going to be following a standard bulking diet. Nothing more than eating as much as I can but trying to keep it healthy food, not McDonalds or anything like that.

I am going to follow this program for a full 12 weeks or as long as I am making solid progress. Right now my squats are behind everything else for some reason. I am guessing it is because my back is behind. I am expecting this to change pretty quick though, as this regimen calls for plenty of squatting. =) 10 years ago before I got injured, I was putting up some pretty solid numbers in the squat rack. I am excited to get back to that. I will just have to be more careful this time around and make sure I am stretching plenty so as to not get injured again.

[Gunn27]

Looks like a solid program TM, good luck with it.

I’m curious, how many calories are you consuming now, and, how has your food intake changed since you reached your b/f goal? I ask because I am adding calories back in now even though I am still “cutting”.

[GREENFEATHER]

Welcome and congrats on all of the pb's!! It's always good to get them and push you into new territory.

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks Gunn and GreenFeather!!

Well, today was one of them blah workouts. Not sure if it was due to lack of water today or poor diet but I didn't have any energy to get it done how I like. I just felt real creaky and the muscles just weren't into it. Not sure if anybody else has experienced this type of workout day? Not something I want to repeat. Here's to hoping tuesdays workout improves.

Also, I realized my squats, I have set a bit high so I will have to adjust them. I set my max correctly but they weren't for full "ass to the grass" squats; which is what I did today. I am also wondering if 8 reps might be better? I guess I just have to get used to the lower rep set up. I always have done 6-12 reps.

Anywayzzz...here is todays workout:

Squat:
20 x 45 ::wup::, 10 x 100 ::I know was supposed to be 5:: teehee, 5 x 125, 5 x 50, 5 x 175, 1 x 200 ::was a bit off, will have to adjust my 5 rep max::

Bench:
5 x 95, 5 x 115, 5 x 135, 5 x 155, 5 x 185

Row:
45 x 20 ::wup::, 10 x 65, 5 x 85, 5 x 100, 5 x 115, 5 x 135 ::this is another exercise I will have to get used to, don't really feel like it is working me very well. Is there a substitute that anybody would suggest?::

Extras:
5 x 25# pullups 1 set
5 x 25# chinups 1 set
20 x bdy incline situps

no cardio.

[BoiseLifer]

Based on todays unfulfilling workout, I have adjusted the 5x5 program a bit. These numbers are based on how I feel my body gets the best workout for that particular exercise. For example, I really feel I respond better to higher rep/lower weight for squats...at least for now. So I have changed rep #'s accordingly. Please let me know what some of you more experienced veterans think, I am all ears. =)

[joed]

...I am all ears. =)

I hope this isn't one of them...

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=9616275&postcount=1038

[jaguarr]

Based on todays unfulfilling workout, I have adjusted the 5x5 program a bit. These numbers are based on how I feel my body gets the best workout for that particular exercise. For example, I really feel I respond better to higher rep/lower weight for squats...at least for now. So I have changed rep #'s accordingly. Please let me know what some of you more experienced veterans think, I am all ears. =)

I've adapted some of my exercises based on the same principles, actually, so I don't see any issues with what you're doing. Give it a go for a month or so and see if you start to get results you're looking for.

jag

[BoiseLifer]

I hope this isn't one of them...

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpost.php?p=9616275&postcount=1038

Gaahh!! How did that find its way out of my photo album and onto the internet?? ha haa

[BoiseLifer]

I've adapted some of my exercises based on the same principles, actually, so I don't see any issues with what you're doing. Give it a go for a month or so and see if you start to get results you're looking for.

jag

Thanks Jag! I think I am just going to return to the workout that I started last week. It was working and I have responded well to that type, so I figure...if it ain't broken don't fix it! I will save this 5x5 for another day another time.

So tomorrow, I have back and calves scheduled!

[BoiseLifer]

Just when I was feeling down due to my back problems, I pop on and find out that I got "Transformation of the Week" posted!! WOW, how exciting. I am just in awe. This morning I was soo frustrated and feeling bewildered due to an old injury flashing it's nasty teeth. Now I am geared up and ready to get back to things full force...well, maybe not full force yet. I am going to do some swimming in the am's and light weight cicruit type training in the afternoons until my back has recovered.

Here is the link if anybody wants to check it out:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/trans68.htm

[jtroster]

Fabulous!

[Gunn27]

Excellent and fully deserved. Congratulations on your new found fame. :)

[jaguarr]

Congratulations! Will you sign my t-shirt!? :eek:

:D

(You earned your place in the sun. Enjoy it.)

jag

[joed]

That's terrific. What a job you've done!

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks everyone! Now if I can just get back into the groove. The back thing really threw me out of sync. I am going to start my am workouts again tomorrow. I really liked getting them out of the way early and have more energy in the mornings also.

Have a great week everyone!

[BoiseLifer]

Just Catching up, from Tuesday:

Got a nice back and chest workout in today:

Flat DB Press:
20 x 30, 12 x 40, 10 x 50, 12 x 60 x 2, 6 x 60

Cable Cross Overs:
15 x 30, 15 x 35

Lat Pulls:
20 x 35, 15 x 55, 12 x 70, 12 x 85

Pull ups:
6 x bdy x 2

Pushups:
40

Yesterday:

Time for some journaly type thoughts and reflection on the last month. =) I just fell a bit of weight lifted if I get this stuff written down.

Well, last month was a trying month overall. After coming off of the post pic week and water depletion, I had a hard time getting back into the groove. Then I had the back issues, which I think were caused from the water depletion. In spite of everything, I do feel really great about still being in the saddle. It was a tough month but I stuck with things, even though results have been mixed, I am still in the game. I am not sitting on the couch and throwing up my hands, after a few bumps in the road.

My back pains seem to be subsiding and workouts are getting back to normal. I have put on some lbs and bf I think, but I also think I put on some muscle.

For todays workout: Shoulders

Standing DB Press:
20 x 25, 12 x 35, 10 x 45, 7 x 50, 6 x 40

Side DB Raises:
12 x 15 x 2, 15 x 10

Front DB Raises:
12 x 15 x 2, 15 x 10

Rear DB Raises:
15 x 7.5 x 2

Reverse Pek Dek:
25 x 30 x 2, 15 x 45

Leg Press Calf Raises:
30 x 90, 25 x 160, 25 x 180, 25 x 250

10 mins. of stretching afterwards.

Great workout, felt pretty good! =)

[joed]

That's an interesting connection you made between your back prob & water depletion. Wonder if anyone else here has experienced that?

[BoiseLifer]

You are absolutely right Joed. That water depletion was something I don't want to experience again. I will probably never do a water depletion like that again. It just took too hard of a toll on my body and too long to recover from. My back is doing better, but I still need to get more stretching in to increase my flexibility in the hams.

As far as my bf, there is no doubt I have probably put a tad bit on, as well as rehydrated.

Anywayzz...I have been putting up siding today and some gardening so I am sure I burned plenty of calories. =) I am making a retaining wall in the front of the house with some old large stones I came across from the neighbors old fireplace he tore out. =) I can't wait til it's done. I am going to make it so it has plants and groundcover growing out from the rocks...should look pretty cool and very natural. Maybe I will take a pic and post it. =)

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[BoiseLifer]

Hit Legs Today, high reps and low weights:

Squat:
50 reps x 45 lbs, 20 x 45, 30 x 95 x 3

Bulgarian Squat:
15 x 25 lbs x 2

Leg Curls:
12 x 60, 10 x 70, 10 x 70, 12 x 80, 12 x 70

Seated Calf Raise:
20 x 50 x 2, 15 x 70 x 2, 20 x 70

Tomorrow is UpperBody:

Deads:
20 x 45 x 2, 15 x 95 x 2

T Bar Rows:
15 x 90ish x 2

Bench Press:
12 x 135, 10 x 145, 8 x 155, 6 x 185

Cable Crossovers:
12 x 40-60 x 2

Pushups:
40

Military Press:
12, 10, 8, 6

Side Lateral DB Raise:
12, 12

Dips:
15, 15

Tricep Ext w/Rope:
12, 10, 8, 6

[RioGringo]

We've chatted back in forth on other threads and this was the first chance I got to read your journal ... AWESOME !

[BoiseLifer]

We've chatted back in forth on other threads and this was the first chance I got to read your journal ... AWESOME !

Thanks Eric! =)

Well, I must say, I had a smokin' upperbody workout this afternoon. It feels good to be back. I also decided to go ahead and try the Nitric Oxide supp. I took that before the workout. I'm not sure if that was the reason the workout was soo good, or probably just added to it I am sure. I do feel that I had a freakin' amazing pump from taking it though. My muscles felt like they were going to burst out of my skin. =) I went ahead and took a couple pics and posted them I was so psyched. ha haa. Too bad I am so freakin' white though...oh well those are the cards I was delt. =) I also had plenty of energy and put up some good weight, so all in all I am happy.

I will start taking the Anagen next workout. I guess I just wanted to feel like I was back for good before I started popping these expensive supps. =) Will be interesting to see the results. =)

Workout:

Lat Pulls:
25 x 55 lbs

Pull Ups:
9.5 x bdy, 6 x bdy, 10 x bdy, 6 x bdy

Total Back Row: (didn't like this much)
20 x 90

Bench Press:
15 x 115, 10 x 135, 10 x 185, 6 x 205

Cable Cross Overs:
15 x 40, 8 x 60

Standing Military:
20 x 45, 15 x 65, 11 x 95, 6 x 115

Tri Pushdowns:
15 x 60, 12 x 80, 10 x 100

Bar Dips:
15 x bdy, 10 x bdy

Pushups:
20 x 2

[jaguarr]

Nice workout, whiteboy! :D

jag

[RioGringo]

... Too bad I am so freakin' white though...oh well those are the cards I was delt. =) ...

LOL :D

My wife says that I don't get brown, I only turn red ;)

I'm slowly trying to change my pigment :(

Great job! What is your weight at? Saw 174 almost a month ago, takes a while to put those pounds on.

[BoiseLifer]

Haa haa, you crack me up Jag! =)

Eric,
I am still around 175 lbs. as I haven't really started bulking yet due to the back stuff. Although, I feel I am back so I'm gonna start hitting it hard now.

Here's the pics I thought I attached yest. =) Sorry if I blind anybody...I really need to think about getting some kind of a tan. I know they have those lotions now.

[RioGringo]

What is your body fat % ?

Great Job !

[joed]

Your arm looks like it has an Idaho baking potato inside of it. You're doing terrific.

[BoiseLifer]

What is your body fat % ?

Great Job !

Hey thanks Eric! You know, I haven't measured my bf since the beginning of April so I am not for sure. I am guessing it is somewhere around 12% since I can kind of see my abs. I know I put a bit on since I finished...haven't really been doing any cardio for over a month. I guess it's time to start up again.

[BoiseLifer]

Your arm looks like it has an Idaho baking potato inside of it. You're doing terrific.

Thanks Joed! Appreciate the visual. =) I am not as bad off as I thought I was after the last month.

Have a great weekend!

[BoiseLifer]

Legs and Lower back Tonight

Squats:
20 x 45, 30 x 95 x 2, 20 x 135,

Deadlift:
12 x 135, 10 x 205

Bulgarian Squat:
15 x 25 x 2

Leg Curls:
12 x 70, 10 x 80, 8 x 90, 12 x 70

Calf Raises:
20 x 70, 15 x 80, 15 x 80, 20 x 50 (drop set)

Stretch Hypers:
25 x bdy x 2

10 mins stretching, 40 minutes of cycling

[Gunn27]

Nice workout, squats and dead's in the samwe workout = HARDCORE! :)

[jaguarr]

Nice workout, squats and dead's in the samwe workout = HARDCORE! :)


Yeah, no ****! :eek: Killer workout, bro!

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks guys!

Yeah, that workout was deceptively tough. That was the first time I had done squats and deads in the same workout. I am surprised at how sore my back was. I always thought that deads mainly worked just the lowerback and a bit of legs. I was sore pretty well up into my upper back also...and I onld did 2 sets!! =)

Well, it's been interesting the last couple weeks. Yesterday I got to work at 7:00 am, took a break at 5:00 pm to go workout, came back at 7:00 pm and worked til midnight. whew! Hopefully it slows down soon. But as long as I get a workout in, I won't go stir crazy. =)

Chinups (slow):
10 x bdy, 8 x bdy, 6 x bdy x 2

T Bar Rows:
15 x 35, 8 x 70

Incline Press:
12 x 95, 10 x 115, 8 x 155, 6 x 165

DB Side Laterals:
12 x 17.5, 10 x 20, 8 x 22.5 x 2

Rear DB Flys:
25 x 10, 15 x 15

Bar Dips:
15 x bdy, 20 x bdy, 12 x bdy

Tri Pushdowns:
16 x 30, 15 x 40

Solid workout today, got rid of some work tension so I am happy about that. I have an appointment with a Sports Doctor to check my back out and try and find out a permanent solution to what is going on. I asked the Chiropractor the other day but wasn't convinced with his "theory".

[jaguarr]

Deadlifts are the "all over exercise". Heh! :D Those things hit every muscle in my body it would seem.

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Deadlifts are the "all over exercise". Heh! :D Those things hit every muscle in my body it would seem.

jag

Yeah deads are great. I just have to get used to doing them low reps, which is recommended.

Well, I have been thinking and one thing I am going to start experimenting with is this.

Instead of using the tread to warmup before workouts...why not do squats?? I mean, it hits the whole body and I am ALWAYS sweating afterwards. So...maybe a set of 50 squats with maybe the bar?? I think it will help with my flexibility also.

Today I have an appt. with the Sports Doc. Hopefully that all goes well.

I will let everyone know how it (Squats and Doc) goes.

[jtroster]

Its always better to warm up using a motion that is similar to your working exercises. I like to warm up for front squats by using just the bar and doing one or two sets of 20 ATG reps. Then I load the bar for my working sets.

[jaguarr]

I generally start with some jump rope and then move on to my ab exercises as part of my warmup, and then do some lighter sets on compounds to ease into them before hitting the heavier weight.

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Great workout this afternoon.

Hit Chest/Shoulder/Tris

This is a whole new type of workout for me. I am working with Iron Addict and expecting great things. I am doing a modified version of the WestSide workouts. Very different that what I have done in the past.

I do max testing next week so we will see where I'm at. As soon as I can find my measuring tape, I am going to post my size stats.

Tom

[joed]

Man I've been wondering where you were. Modified or not, Westside is sure to add mass to your scrawny self. JK. BTW, how'd the appt with your sports doc go last month?

[BoiseLifer]

Man I've been wondering where you were. Modified or not, Westside is sure to add mass to your scrawny self. JK. BTW, how'd the appt with your sports doc go last month?

Thanks Joed!

One thing about the westside workouts that im trying to get used to is the low volume. But Wesley assures me they work so I am going on his knowledge. =)

Sports Doc appt:
Well, it went GREAT! I got xrays of my back and it was normal. So he sent me to the physical therapist. Wow, what a smart lady she is. She explained everything to me that I have been wondering for years. Basically I need to strengthen my core area and increase my flexibility in hams. Also the upper back issues stem from my posture at work.

Last I went in there hurting like usual and she said that my upper back area was stiff and tight. So she grabbed a couple of tennis balls and had me massage the area with them. Basically I was doing trigger point massage with the balls. WOW! Talk about surprised. It hurts like hell but got rid of the pain. I was stunned and very happy.

So now I am excited because I know the whys and hows of my back issues and what to do when they arise without going to the chiropractor each time.

YIPPEE!! =)

[jaguarr]

Hey, that's great news that you've found someone who can show you how to alleviate your own back issues! Looking forward to watching you turn into a BEAST on Westside!

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks Jag!

Well, today was my deadlift day and it went great! I got a pb (245 x 3) so all is good. I think I am getting stronger.

I also picked up some battle scars from my deads so I'm proud of that. ha ha =) I ripped into my chins from the barbell and also left some blood on it after finishing. I felt obligated to grab a spray bottle and wash it off for the next person.

I can't wait to see where I'm at in another month. Sometimes I can't believe that is me when I see myself in the gym mirrior. I'm like, who is that big freakin' dude!!?? Well, big to me anyway. =) Today I weighed in at 179 lbs. whatever that means, I don't know what my bf is so who knows. =) It's probably around 12-14% I am guessing. Not too worried about bf right now though as I am just trying to pack on the muscle.

I also picked up some 1.25 lb plates to use in increasing my weights weekly, so that should help tons.

I'm Out.
Tom

[BoiseLifer]

Well, I got some serious cardio in today, in the form of home imprvement. ha haa. We mixed our own cement to make a bunch of those cobblestones for a patio we are building. Talk about hard work, I am sure I burned around 1k calories today, as we were at it from sun up til sun down. I think it will be worth it when all said and done. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Tom

[BoiseLifer]

Quick report today, short on time. AWESOME workout though tonight.

PB of 225 x 3 Decline BB Press, and 70 x 8 x 3 for DB Press. Wohoo!! =)

[joed]

WTG on the decline press. Mixing cement & a couple days rest will do it every time.

[jaguarr]

Ahhhh....there you are! I guess I'll have to call the Search & Rescue guys and tell 'em it was a false alarm. :o He even comes back flashing PB's at us, too! :cool:

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks for stopping by Jag and Joed!! =)

Anyway, had a great workout today again, after taking yesterday off from the weights. Although I did get almost 1 1/2 hours on the bicycle just commuting around town, so I would consider that some good cardio.

I have decided to bike to the gym from now on. It is a good 12 minute ride from my house so I am perfectly warmed up by the time I get there so I can jump right in! =) This way I'm saving gas, saving time AND getting in shape! =)

Today was Bench day with Tri's, Shoulders and abs. Really starting to get the hang of this westcoast style workouts. And my weights are increasing weekly so that is GREAT news.

My working set of bench press was 5 x 190# x 3 sets (short pause at chest each rep). I will do 192.5 next week. I got some new 1.25 plates to take with me so I can increase my weights little by little each workout.

Tomorrow are deads. yippee! =)

Have a great holiday all! =)
Tom

[BoiseLifer]

Well, I'm getting ready to go hit the deadlift workout today. I'm just sitting here getting mentally ready. I will be hitting the 250 lb. mark today as I reach my work sets, so I'm pretty excited about that.

I think I might post some pics tonight just to see where I'm at. I haven't really been concentrating at all on 'cutting' so I'm not expecting anything pretty. Although my lifts continue to increase so hopefully I am showing some muscle adding on.

Well, Hope all is well!
Tom

[BoiseLifer]

Well, today was just a GREAT day in the gym! I was going for shooting for 250 lbs x 3 reps in deadlift for my last work set and the last 3 sets ended up looking like this:

225 x 4 x 1 ::goal was 190::

285 x 4 x 1 ::goal was 250::

205 x 8 x 1 ::goal was 190::

WOW!! Boy am I excited. As you can see I blew my PB's out of the water. I'm not sure what to attribute the strength from. But I will take it. =)

Monday is Bench day should be interesting.

[Gunn27]

Wow, great progress on the Dead's. You really did blow away the PB's!!

[BoiseLifer]

Wow, great progress on the Dead's. You really did blow away the PB's!!

Thanks Gunn, yeah I was really surprised at the increase!

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

I am just now getting psyched up for chest day today. That will be after I work on the retaining wall outside though. Yesterday we finished up the cobblestone patio we were working on, in came out real nice. Boy do those things take up time though.

I am really excited again, really getting back into my workouts. I don't think there will be much 'visual' change though for a few months, as I am doing a bulk, but my strength is really going up. My plan is to bulk for another 4-6 months then cut down to around 7%. I am hoping to be at around 190 lbs after the cut...we will see.

[BoiseLifer]

Here is my progress after 3 weeks of Westside workouts. My strength has gone up and I think I am seeing some good muscle growth too. Can't wait to see where I'm at in another 6 months!

[jaguarr]

You're definitely making good progress, man. Keep up the hard work!

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks Jag!

Well, if my muscle gains continue at the pace of my strength gains, I will be in GREAT shape. Today, I continued blowing Pb's out of the water but tthis time in the form of decline benchs. The end of my sets looked like this:
Decline Bench Press: 225 x 3 reps 245 x 3 reps

DB Bench Press: 80 lb. db's x 8 x 2 80 lb. db's x 5 x 1

[BoiseLifer]

Hello Everyone!!

Had a solid workout today. Didn't hit my goal squat of 245 x 5 at the end of my work sets, I was only able to squeeze out 2 I didn't want to risk bad form and injury just to get them done so I dropped down the next set to 230 and was able to crank out my 5 reps.

I AM up 15 lbs. from last week so that is the important thing, increasing my weights each week. My last set I finished out at 195 lbs x 10 (last week was 165 lbs x 10), not bad considering a couple months ago that was my max.

Barbell Curls I did 10 reps of 80 lbs. not bad.

I'm really starting to feel strong more muscular. I will be taking pics again this weekend and post to compare from last week to see where I'm at. This afternoon I weighed in at 182.8 but I am sure I am carrying 2-3 lbs of water weight.

Tomorrow is cardio day, which will be fulfilled by continuing the stone retaining wall that I started last weekend. I may do a light jog along the river for a change of pace. Sunday is Bench day then next week I will be maxing out with ME's. It will be the first time of doing those for me.

[joed]

Good wo's TM. You don't have a twin do you? On my outdoor walks this week I passed a guy twice now that looks just like you.

[BoiseLifer]

Good wo's TM. You don't have a twin do you? On my outdoor walks this week I passed a guy twice now that looks just like you.

No twin...that I know of anyway. ha haa. Maybe I do, I have been accused of that several times in the past. =)

Where are you located?

[Hibiscus09]

Hi TM! :) Seems I disappeared out of your journal at page one -- I can be such a slacker at times. I missed the photos you posted on April 1st. Happy April Fool's Day, by the way. :p Great photos! That is an awesome transformation you've made. I'm impressed!

Oh -- and very cool being picked for a bb.com transformation article!

Happy Fourth of July, also. :D

Finally, as to the pigment issues -- I'm a whitey also. I don't sun my buns often because I don't have the patience for laying out in the sun -- plus, it just gives me wrinkles, more freckles and an increased chance for melanoma -- no tan. I do get airbrushed every once in a while. It's pretty cool -- insty tan! :)

Happy Saturday and nice job on all the workouts you've done since I last visited. :p

[joed]

TM, a few of us are in and around the mile high city/Boulder area. How's that stone retaining wall coming? Have a good wkend.

[BoiseLifer]

Great to see you Hibby! Thanks for stopping by. =)

Joed, I have a brother that lives in Denver, but I doubt you are seeing him as we look nothing alike...I mean, we look nothing like brothers.

Well, I was scheduled to hit chest today and boy I wanted to. Although I must've slightly pulled something doing Squats on friday as I still feel it today. Nothing huge, grant you, just enough to know I need to be careful how I move or it is something that could feel much worse. Hopefully IA will forgive me for missing a workout today. I will just have to hit it tomorrow. =) I did make a huge dent yesterday in the retaining wall, so I know that burned at least 500 calories or so. Hopefully I will have that done soon.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

[BoiseLifer]

Wohoo!! Great workout today!! Seems the weights just keep going up and up. Today it was a short and sweet workout in prep for ME's this week.

After hitting my worksets in bench press I ended with:

3 sets of 205 x 5 reps ::PB:: That's right, 15 lbs. above what I did last time and last time I remember writing that the weights felt right.

So now I will take tomorrow off for the weights and hit some cardio. Wednesday I will be maxing out deads and squats.

I'm out. =)

[BoiseLifer]

Well, today I did my ME for Deads. I didn't get the 3 reps at the end that I was gunning for but in reality I think I was expecting a bit much.

End of worksets looked like this:
245 x 5 x 1
275 x 3 x 1
315 x 1 x 2 ::PB:: (like I said, I was shooting for 3 reps but that was more than I should have tried for. Last week I got 285 x 3 so I am right on schedule I think. I probably could have got 295 x 3 no doubt, maybe even 300, but not 315.

Tomorrow I will do ME on squats in the afternoon. Then Sunday or monday, Bench and Back maxes.

[Gunn27]

You're making great progress, great to see the weights going up!

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks Gunn! I am just trying to catch up to you. =)

Well, here are my measurements since week 0 (June 12th) of this 12 week rotation. I am quite happy with the growth, especially in the chest:

Week 0 - Week 5, Weights/Measurements:

179 lbs. -->> 181 lbs.

Neck: 15.25 -->> 15.75
Chest: 39.5 -->> 40.75 (I am guessing this is mainly back growth)
Biceps: 13.5 -->> 13.75
Forearms: 11.5 (no change)
Hips: 37.25 -->> 36.75
Waist: 37 -->> 36
Thighs: 23.12 (no change)
Calves: 15.75 (no change)

[BoiseLifer]

I finished out my bench and Upper Body Max day today. Seems I am 2.5 lbs from my 3 month goal (after only 5 weeks), a weight which I haven't lifted in over 10 years!

Here's how this afternoon went down when I hit my final max sets:

Bench Press:

225 lbs x 1
250 lbs x 1 ::was thinking I was gonna stop here but this went up fairly easy::
262 1/2 lbs x 1 ::PB::

Wide Grip Lat Pulls:

105 lbs x 3 ::easy::
135 lbs x 3 ::easy::
180 lbs x 5 ::good max, pretty hard::

I feel AWESOME about todays weights, 300 bench here I come! =)

[BoiseLifer]

Finished out with a max of 265 squat. Kinda disappointed, I was hoping for more but oh well. Lot's of room to improve. =)

195 x 3
235 x 1 ::easy::
265 x 1
275 x 1 ::missed:: I think I could have probably got this but I set the safety bar too high and hit it coming down and that threw my momentum way out of wack...grr.
185 x 20 ::threw this last set in to get a feel for 20 rep squats. =)

[jaguarr]

I'm seeing some PB's and some growth stats in here. Excellent! :cool:

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Yeah, thanks Jag. Now I just have to decide on when to go in and get the schnauzer taken care of. I was able to locate a quality Doc here in Boise. =) I will keep you updated.

[BoiseLifer]

6 week photo. I'm getting ready to hit chest, back and some arms here, in another hour so I'm trying to get mentally pumped. =)

I'm not seeing as much change as I thought I would, considering my strength gains, but I think it's because I am carrying a little bit more padding. ha haa

[maidenfan]

Nice job on the WSB routine. A buddy and I did a WSB bench routine for about one year (a few years back) and we both put 20lbs on our bench.

[BoiseLifer]

Well, I am still here. Been awhile. I have been out sick for a couple weeks due to some crappy flu bug. YIkes. Haven't been that sick in awhile. Back to business tomorrow morning though.

Anywayzzz...enough about me. =)

If anybody needs a lift of adrenaline, IE-inspiration, check out this great video. It left me speechless and tearful all in one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjPrL3n63yg

[BoiseLifer]

Ouch, down to the 3rd page. =)

Just had my sinus surgery this morning and generally feeling like crap. ha haa (same procedure that Jag had done) I can't wait to get this anesthesia out of my system, I can tell you that. I haven't felt this nausaus in awhile. I am going to try and be back in the gym by next friday. Have to take a week off, orders by the Doc. And a good one he is. I will probably start out with a real light weight workout, nothing to serious. Just enough to get the blood flowing and the muscle re-awakened. Then just go by what the ol body tells me.

Have a great weekend all!
Tom

[joed]

Been wonderin' where you were tm. Hope your recovery goes as well as jag's has; enjoy the wkend.

[jaguarr]

Congrats on the successful surgery, Tom. You've got PM, but I'll reiterate what I told you there to let your body rest and heal. It's dumping anesthesia and trying to repair itself. It needs rest more than anything else. Pushing it with exercise too soon is going to get in the way of that. I waited a good 10 days before I started doing bodyweight exercises only like pushups and pullups and took care to keep my head above my heart while I was doing them. I didn't even touch actual weights for three weeks after my surgery, and I was VERY careful to not do anything that would put pressure on the sinuses as that could potentially burst some of the sutures that were in there. The first week is the worst, and then it gets better. Just listen to your body, make yourself eat (the anesthesia kills your appetite) and get plenty of water in you, and sleep as much as possible (easier said than done since you have to sleep propped up). Heal fast. It will have been worth it, I assure you. :)

jag

[BoiseLifer]

Thanks Joed and Jag,
Appreciate the support. I sent you a pm jag. Yeah, the only thing different I can see between us is I haven't lost my appetite really at all. ha haa I guess that is a good thing. Although I still have very little taste, except for sweets and salts. When did your taste buds start kicking in again?