Steve's 08 Journal - 18 by 16

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by jacked in MI

Good for you Steve!

As hard as your family works and trains, it's great to see you all take some time away from it, if only for a day, and have fun as a family.

-Jeff

Yeah, you can't beat spendign the day at the beach. We are goign again this Sunday after church for easter.

Originally Posted by jediweed

Steve - awesome accomplishment here -- your journal is excellent and it's great to see the improvement in all aspects! Keep going strong and working hard -- life is good when you feel good and healthy!

Thanks JW.

Originally Posted by smallguyjoe

Hey Steve, whatta ya think of Jet Fuel?

I took about half a bottle in my 1st 6 months of training and I felt pretty fricken crappy about an hr after taking it. Well, actually I took 1 in the AM and had no ill effects, but then I took 2 in the afternoon before my weights and about an hr after the weights I felt AWFUL! Hahahaha I hated that stuff

I gave the bottle to my bro-in-law and he didn't notice and crappiness, so I guess it was just me. But, I know for sure that it was the Jet Fuel b/c it was the only change at the time and the crappy feeling happened everytime, same time... and it stopped once I stopped takin it.

Anyway, just wondering...

I like the stuff (JetFuel) although I can only handle 1 - 2 pills. Janet takes it to but she gets up to 4 - 6 pills by after about a month on the stuff. I never really feel bad per say but if I take too much, I get really weirded out. That is strange that you felt bad after your workout. Good call on stopping taking it.

[sbgerber]

I have been in Seattle the past three day. Took the red eye back last night and plan to hit Golds tonight with my wife. I think it is chest and tri day for her.

[sbgerber]

It felt good to get back on schedule with the diet, supps, and training today.

I hit Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders plus about 6 sets of ab work. I pretty much went for volume by keeping the weights lighter and the pace fast. I got in about 6 chest exercises, 4 tricep exercises, and finished with 4 shoulder exercises. I trained with my wife for the first half of the workout, she was only hitting chest/tri with a little less volume. Overall a solid effort. I'll be sore tomorrow. I have a 2hr ride tomorrow afternoon with my daughter and then she has a 105k race on Saturday. I might hit the gym later in the day Saturday. Sunday, after church, we are hitting the beach.

Here is another "wife" vid from our workout this evening. We do pushdowns with 3 different grips, this is the V grip(normally followed by rope and then one arm reverse).

[sbgerber]

I hit biceps on Friday and Back w/ Traps today. Both workouts I did in the garage. I like training at home when I can.

For biceps I mainly did EZ Bar curls. I also added in some DB work. I only have 45s or 20s so the DB work is a little limited. I finished with blasting the forearms with Reverse curls, DB wrist curls, and CoC work. A solid workout. Bis are still a little sore.

Today I hit back pretty hard. I basically did three types of rows and superset'd shrugs into the mix. I used an EZ Bar for BB rows. EZ Bars work good and you can use several different grips. I also did some high rep DB Rows and tried out some heavy T-Bar style rows (45lbs Bar jammed in corner) using a Tri Rope for the grip. Those felt good, I like it better using the rope grip then the V Handle grip (of course, I do not have a v handle anyway).

Tomorrow I plan to hit Chest and Delts at Golds. I think I have a couple hours cycling on the schedule too.

I should have a good week with both diet and training this week as I am not traveling.

Later, Steve

[xquick]

garage workouts are hardcore, nice stuff Steve. Hope all is well with your wifes contest prep

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by xquick

garage workouts are hardcore, nice stuff Steve. Hope all is well with your wifes contest prep

The good thing about garage workouts are you end up waisting very little time cause it is just you in the garage with the IPod blasting. Thanks bro, they are fun.

The wifes contest prep is going good. Thanks for asking. I handle her training which is the easy part. She pays a trainer for the diet. That part is going well too but she is a stress ball about it cause she wants to be ripped today but she still has 11 weeks to go. The guy won the USA Middleweight Title a few years back so he knows the diet part well, I think she is learning to trust him but it is hard I guess when it is you first ever cut and it is all very new to her.


--------

Chest and Delts tonight! I decided my focus is going to be on chest and delts for the next few months, I lack width and thinkness up top, my arms are fine (for now) and back is ok (for now) but I think I look narrow up top cause I do not have caps on the ends or chest width from the front. "Focus" is relative, that just means that I will make sure I do not miss any chest and delt workouts and might increase the volume alittle.

[sbgerber]

I had a 1hr 15mins easy ride this evening with my daughter, she just had to spin the legs out from the race over the weekend and be ready for a race tomorrow evening so it was nothing too hard.

Came home to some home made 93% lean burgers , I had two with a slice of cheeder, no bread. I then made up a couple bottles of Creatine, Liquid Amino, L-Glutamine, and BCAA mix and hit the gym.

Solid workout. The goal was to get big pumps and alot of burning. I went to Planet Fitness which always limits my DB work cause they stop at 60lbs ... however, it actually workout out just fine.

Multi Angle DB Presses
Flat - 60 x 10
#1 - 60 x 10
#2 - 60 x 10
#3 - 60 x 10
#4 - 60 x 10
#3 - 60 x 10
#2 - 60 x 9.5 Failure
#1 - 60 x 10
Flat - 60 x 9.5 Failure

Life Fitness Shoulder Press
about 20 sec. between sets
5 sets x 80lbs x 15 reps

Pec Dec
about 20sec. between sets
4 sets x 90lbs x 15 reps

Giant Sets - DB Laterals - Side/Front/Bent
20 x 10 / 15 x 6 / 15 x 6
25 x 6 / 20 x 5 / 20 x 6
25 x 6 / 20 x 6 / 20 x 6
20 x 6 / 20 x 6 / 20 x 6

Indepentent Arm Cable Upright Row
60 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 8
80 x 6 Drop 60 x 3

Normal Cable Upright Row
160 x 6 Drop 140 x 2 Drop 120 x 2 Drop 100 x 3

Multi Height Cable Cross Over - Low to High
30 x 10 (started around knee level pulling up and together)
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10 (finished about ear level pulling down and together)

Overall, solid workout, I came home and downed a 50/50 Whey/Casien shake.

Train hard everyone. - Steve

[xquick]

good to hear her contest prep is going well. There's no doubt that putting the diet part in someone else's hands (so long as they are trustworthy of course) is the best thing to do. If someone just gives you a plan it's easier to stick to it and not fudge numbers/cheat. I can relate as well, I'm dieting for the first time ever and I got some help from a trainer, and I too want to be ripped now, but the progress will come, just gotta take it slow.

That is a monster workout tonight after the light ride. Love the improvisation with the lighter dumbbells. Great volume. What have you been using for your casein, ON 100%? Ultra Peptide? (two of my favorites) or some other one?

[jacked in MI]

Great looking back with a solid V going on Steve!

Impressive size, shape and symmetry through out. -Jeff

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by xquick

good to hear her contest prep is going well. There's no doubt that putting the diet part in someone else's hands (so long as they are trustworthy of course) is the best thing to do. If someone just gives you a plan it's easier to stick to it and not fudge numbers/cheat. I can relate as well, I'm dieting for the first time ever and I got some help from a trainer, and I too want to be ripped now, but the progress will come, just gotta take it slow.

That is a monster workout tonight after the light ride. Love the improvisation with the lighter dumbbells. Great volume. What have you been using for your casein, ON 100%? Ultra Peptide? (two of my favorites) or some other one?

You are smart to get a trainer too. ARe you just trying to get ripped or do you have something coming up.

I take ON Gold Whey and ON Casein.

Originally Posted by jacked in MI

Great looking back with a solid V going on Steve!

Impressive size, shape and symmetry through out. -Jeff

Thanks Jeff, it is funny, I feel like I am going backwards cause I am back to my Nov. 07 weight .... and my Sept. 07 weight! It's all good thou as I am having fun with it... well, not too much fun, dieting sucks.

[sbgerber]

So I ordered two tubs of Purple Wrath (yeah, I know have 4+ lbs), not for myself, but for my 15yr old daughter. She cycles and races at the National level and I am always looking for good supps for her that are safe, stimulant free, and UCI legal. HOLY DISGUSTING, I can pretty much drink anything but there is no way I can expect her to drink that stuff. Have these guys at CL ever heard of a product called SPLENDA!. Wow, Purple Wrath might be the worst product I have ever tried (that was suppose to have a flavor, straight CEE is pretty bad too BUT it is plain, not advertised as a Tangy Grape). Ok, I am done with my rant. On the postive side, I know have a recovery drink for my self (as I said, I don't really care about taste if it works)! On the negative side, the search continues for a product like Purple Wrath... that doesn't taste like Purple Crap. Maybe that is the "Wrath" part of the drink.

[xquick]

Originally Posted by sbgerber

So I ordered two tubs of Purple Wrath (yeah, I know have 4+ lbs), not for myself, but for my 15yr old daughter. She cycles and races at the National level and I am always looking for good supps for her that are safe, stimulant free, and UCI legal. HOLY DISGUSTING, I can pretty much drink anything but there is no way I can expect her to drink that stuff. Have these guys at CL ever heard of a product called SPLENDA!. Wow, Purple Wrath might be the worst product I have ever tried (that was suppose to have a flavor, straight CEE is pretty bad too BUT it is plain, not advertised as a Tangy Grape). Ok, I am done with my rant. On the postive side, I know have a recovery drink for my self (as I said, I don't really care about taste if it works)! On the negative side, the search continues for a product like Purple Wrath... that doesn't taste like Purple Crap. Maybe that is the "Wrath" part of the drink.

Dam steve that's too bad you didnt like the taste. Perhaps you should have waited for the new lemonade purple wraath to come out. Try Scivation Xtend, my favorite flavor is apple than orange

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by xquick

Dam steve that's too bad you didnt like the taste. Perhaps you should have waited for the new lemonade purple wraath to come out. Try Scivation Xtend, my favorite flavor is apple than orange

Atleast I ended up with a good product for myself!!! ... but that was not the point. Xtend seems like a good option, I might request a sample from them for her first to see if she likes it.

yeah, lemonade might taste better, personally, I just think they forgot the heavy does of sucralose needed.

[mrdead]

Originally Posted by sbgerber

I had a 1hr 15mins easy ride this evening with my daughter, she just had to spin the legs out from the race over the weekend and be ready for a race tomorrow evening so it was nothing too hard.

Came home to some home made 93% lean burgers , I had two with a slice of cheeder, no bread. I then made up a couple bottles of Creatine, Liquid Amino, L-Glutamine, and BCAA mix and hit the gym.

Solid workout. The goal was to get big pumps and alot of burning. I went to Planet Fitness which always limits my DB work cause they stop at 60lbs ... however, it actually workout out just fine.

Multi Angle DB Presses
Flat - 60 x 10
#1 - 60 x 10
#2 - 60 x 10
#3 - 60 x 10
#4 - 60 x 10
#3 - 60 x 10
#2 - 60 x 9.5 Failure
#1 - 60 x 10
Flat - 60 x 9.5 Failure

Life Fitness Shoulder Press
about 20 sec. between sets
5 sets x 80lbs x 15 reps

Pec Dec
about 20sec. between sets
4 sets x 90lbs x 15 reps

Giant Sets - DB Laterals - Side/Front/Bent
20 x 10 / 15 x 6 / 15 x 6
25 x 6 / 20 x 5 / 20 x 6
25 x 6 / 20 x 6 / 20 x 6
20 x 6 / 20 x 6 / 20 x 6

Indepentent Arm Cable Upright Row
60 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 8
80 x 6 Drop 60 x 3

Normal Cable Upright Row
160 x 6 Drop 140 x 2 Drop 120 x 2 Drop 100 x 3

Multi Height Cable Cross Over - Low to High
30 x 10 (started around knee level pulling up and together)
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10 (finished about ear level pulling down and together)

Overall, solid workout, I came home and downed a 50/50 Whey/Casien shake.

Train hard everyone. - Steve

Definitely a solid workout, bro!

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by mrdead

Definitely a solid workout, bro!

Thanks Dead! How are you doing? Are you recovered yet or is that still a slow process? Any plans for an 08 show?

[xquick]

Originally Posted by sbgerber

Atleast I ended up with a good product for myself!!! ... but that was not the point. Xtend seems like a good option, I might request a sample from them for her first to see if she likes it.

yeah, lemonade might taste better, personally, I just think they forgot the heavy does of sucralose needed.

sounds good. so you just gunna deal with the bad taste and use it for yourself intraworkout?

[sbgerber]

I had a good workout tonight. The goal was to keep a very fast pace with little rest. I am hoping to burn a little extra fat during the workout since I am so carb depleted and I was able to keep my HR up over 115 bpm pretty much the entire workout. I had a real good sweat going too. Overall the workout lasted 1hr 20mins and I got in a total of 44 sets. I know that is alot but the goal was a good burn and not so much on lifting max weights, although I did go as heavy as I could for the rep ranges I was working with.

Diet update: All is good on the diet. I am still running about a 50p/40f/10c. However, every 3 days I add in a small amount of carbs in the morning in the form of Oats, brown rice, or sweet potato. When I do that, the ratio changes to about 45/40/15 +or-. I am also dropping calories on one day by about 300. On those days I am only getting in about 2100. Between the three different diets (which are pretty much the same with the exception on a small amont, 30 grams of carbs on one day, and dropping from 7 to 6 meals on another day), my daily calories range from 2600 - 2100 or so. I am startign to see a difference finally in the mirror and especially first thing in the morning when I wake up. I still have another 10 weeks of cutting. I am hoping to see 180 by the end but not sure.

Wide Parallel Grip Lat Pulldown

145 x 8
160 x 6
160 x 6
160 x 6
160 x 7 failure

EZ Bar OH Tri Ext

40 x 15 too light
70 x 8
70 x 8
70 x 9
70 x 10 failure

Close Grip Lat Pulldown

160 x 10
175 x 6
190 x 6 failure
175 x 6
160 x 7 failure

Tri Rope Pressdown

60 x 10
70 x 10 big burn, too pumped for the rest of the sets, strength left me as I was not resting more than 15 secs.
70 x 6 form failure
50 x 8 form failure
50 x 8 form failure

Seat Medium width grip Cable Rows

100 x 10
115 x 10 burn
115 x 8 ff
115 x 8 ff
115 x 8 ff

V Handle Tricep Pressdown

130 x 10
150 x 3 Drop 120 x 3
120 x 7 Drop 90 x 4
100 x 10 ff
100 x 10 ff

Seated Indy Arm Cable Rows

85 x 10
100 x 9 ff
100 x 9 ff
100 x 10 ff
115 x 6 ff

Straight Arm supported hanging leg raises

BW x 25 f
BW x 20 f
BW x 15 f

Crunches

BW x 15 x 3 sets

Hypers

BW x 15 x 3 sets

Well, that was it, 44 sets in 1hr 20mins. Not much rest between any of the sets. You can see my weight dropping off but I got really good burns and I will be sore tomorrow for sure. I was really happy with the leg raises, they are tough but I am getting much better at them. If you have never tried supporting your body like a dip and then doing leg raises straight out from that position, I highly recommend it!

Train hard everyone. - Steve

[sbgerber]

Originally Posted by xquick

sounds good. so you just gunna deal with the bad taste and use it for yourself intraworkout?

Man, I tried tonight, it was horrible. I think I am just going to shoot it quick before I workout and shoot it quick after. I like drinking lots of liquids during a workout and I can't have that messing it up. My favorite mix is 5 grams BCAA plain, 5 grams L-Glut French Van, 5 grams Creatine Mono Plain, 10 - 15 grams Liquid Fruit punch Aminos, and two splenda plus 16oz cold water. I drink two during a workout (32oz), plus I fill an empty with water and drink that too. I use to use Gatorade Powder instead on Liquid Aminos but since I changed my diet, I dropped the sugar. Sounds like alot of junk but when you are eatting only 10% carbs and that 10% all comes from Almonds and Peanut Butter and other misc sources ... it tastes really good!

[sbgerber]

I had a 2hr 40min ride this evening. I only had to ride for 1hr 15mins of it. After that, I drove the SUV and my duaghter and another kid motor paced for another 1hr 25mins. She finally broke the speed limit this evening... hit 47mph! ouch.

That was it. I'll hit the gym tomorrow evening, biceps and traps I think. Today was a carb day so I had one packet oats this morning ... and then cheated at 4th meal and had two small sweet potatoes with chicken. Other than that, diet was cool, weight is steady at 193 - 194. I am about to eat a chicken breeast topped with 4 whole eggs and flax oil. I am starving right now... eggs are still boiling.

Oh, and we have a new cat! 13 weeks old. My girls named him Titan after the American Gladiator guy. Full name, Titan Budders, Budders being the nick name of our previous cat Feilds who passed away last November.

[sbgerber]

Been super busy traveling with my girls and with work. Training is going really good. I have a new split, I'll post it later this week. I stopped my cut and am just training and eating and not really caring too much. Weight is back over 200+. I am pretty caught up in helping my wife with her contest prep and that is alot of fun and really motivating to me cause she is really getting fit. Overall, life is good. Keep training hard everyone.