C6 Locker Room

[Maritimer]

Goal for next post on Feb. 3:

-est. spreadsheet and imput recent lifting stats. Thanks, Brooke, for sending me yours.
--have three diff. menus plan to alternate with nutrient counts.
--five days of seven with one gallon + of water.

That'll do for now.

Yep, Brian, rest. I tried lifting a bit in my basement yesterday, stubbed my toe trying to move around with this leg restraint on, and jarred my bad knee. Spent an hour on the couch letting the pain go. Stupid. No more of that.

You all be good out there in lifting land. See you in seven.

[trixter747]

Originally Posted by Maritimer

I tried lifting a bit in my basement yesterday, stubbed my toe trying to move around with this leg restraint on, and jarred my bad knee. Spent an hour on the couch letting the pain go. Stupid. No more of that.

Rest, rest, and rest more. An injury will generally only be about 2/3 healed once the pain subsides so there is still a fair risk of injury. Take it easy, dial in the diets, and put the focus to the rest of the lifestyle while the body recovers.

I got my hooks yesterday and I'm quite excited to try them out. The last two nights left me with significantly less sleep and I didn't set my early alarm to take the NOS-FX far enough out from the workout, so today has been a slow resting morning. Most likely I'll shuffle the lifts up to try and get 3 good sessions in this week. We'll see.

As for the hooks, what I'm most happy about is how the strap around the wrist provides a very comfortable rigid support where as the strap tends to constrict and put more pressure in one area. The wrap is a couple inches wide so the added surface area will be nice.

[PulgasStrongMan]

Take it easy Maritimer ... glad to hear you got a good intake of water going. That will help in a number of areas including shedding body fat.

Lifting straps, eh Adam? ... you take it easy too dude. I so hosed myself big time several months ago with a set of those.

This week for me has been kinda hit and miss in some regards. I have my mother visiting from Iowa this week and it has kinda thrown off my workout and diet some. Eating out more than I like and rushed workouts have unfortunately been the fare.

Took it pretty easy on leg day this week because a tendon on the inside of my right knee was bugging me a bit and my knee was slightly swollen for a couple of days... sad to say, but I think it was the sumos the week before. It was the only thing that I did different on leg day that I could point a finger at. This week I swapped sumos out for some light, slow moving deads [85-135 lbs] and those felt good. I get so much more winded doing deads as opposed to squats. No side effects and the knee was not bothered. I'll make those a regular and slowly increase the weight and see how it goes. The stance there with the toes angled out on sumos is apparently not something that I can tolerate. Oh well ... gave it a try.

I was suppose to get the back and tri workout in this morning, but ran out of time. Got abs and the agility ladder routines done on the front end of the workout and then looked at the clock and hung my head. Crap! I had to bolt and get to my day of business... I didn't want to try and rush though that workout. I'll get it in tomorrow.

I didn't have a chance to do the major revamp of the workout I had hoped this week, but I did move the 5 x 20 sets to 3 x 35 and that was a scream on Chest and Bicep day. I'll keep at that and keep looking for ideas for a new scheme in the next week or two.

Once the parental unit is on a flight back to the frozen plains hopefully I'll have some time to get back to the NASM course as well. Gotta get back in the groove with that.

Any of you guys see the movie "Burn After Reading"? Odd movie with the "F" bomb being dropped wayyyyyy too many times, but Brad Pitt playing the dumb blond trainer was quite funny.

That's all the news here ... continue to be relentless.

[digger711]

Wel guys for all the leads I've had, I'm still out of work...so I had to cancel the gym membership. I have a few more weeks until it's done but I'm thinking I'm going to pull out of the challenge in terms of my strength goals and pull up a chair and watch instead. I'll still be doing BW stuff at home as best I can but until I get a new gig it's best to cut this out of the budget.

In doing my 5x5 I've had some pretty good success bench and squat getting back to what they were at the last 5x5 I did Dec 06--however that was in a 3-D smith machine and this time is no support so I'm very happy with that. I think I'll just concentrate on diet in my time off and get that six pack to come out.

[trixter747]

Originally Posted by PulgasStrongMan

Any of you guys see the movie "Burn After Reading"? Odd movie with the "F" bomb being dropped wayyyyyy too many times, but Brad Pitt playing the dumb blond trainer was quite funny.

Saw that when it first came out and thought it was a waste of time. Brad Pitt got a couple chuckles out of me at his character's expense, and gotta laugh at George Clooney only caring about retrieving his Liberator (which they sell on bb.com, by the way, heh) when he leaves. Overall though I didn't see what all the hype was about. Not my niche for humor I guess.

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by digger711

Wel guys for all the leads I've had, I'm still out of work...so I had to cancel the gym membership... I'll still be doing BW stuff at home as best I can but until I get a new gig it's best to cut this out of the budget.

Really sorry to hear about that Dave. You could be surprised at the progress that you can continue to make just doing the body weight stuff and keep'n the diet dialed in. Pull ups, push ups, even dips [if you can rig up some kind of way to do them], lunges, squat jumps, etc., will still have you sprouting muscles bro if you set yourself up a regime of workout times and stay consistent with it.

Don't considered yourself a spectator ... your still in the game dude.

Originally Posted by trixter747

Saw that when it first came out and thought it was a waste of time. Brad Pitt got a couple chuckles out of me at his character's expense, and gotta laugh at George Clooney only caring about retrieving his Liberator (which they sell on bb.com, by the way, heh) when he leaves. Overall though I didn't see what all the hype was about. Not my niche for humor I guess.

Frankly, it is not a movie that I could actually recommend, but Brad Pitt and George Clooney [in spots] did make it work watching. Dark comedy is not my cup of tea either.

Did the shoulder and trap workout this morning and it went quite decently compared to other workouts this week where it felt a bit tough to get in the groove. Been eating out nearly daily this past week with company visiting, which I am not tickled about, but I have kept at in the gym even though emotionally there were not any great buzzes to revel in, so the extra carbs have been put to good use. The scale showed me up a few lbs this morning from last week we'll see if I get to keep those lbs when the diet gets back on track. Kinda doubt it ...

I majorly rearranged the shoulder workout this week. It is a workout where I have been doing the same exercises for a bit too long and I need to get more focused and inventive there. I think I need to flip some things cardio wise too and head back to the Stairmaster and Treadmill for some jogs as well. The agility ladder has been cool, but it is getting a bit old doing it nearly every day the last few months.

I'll throw this coming week's workout up on my blog over the weekend as well as the diet with a lean toward more carbs and less protein.

Cool!
Brian

[beefyemt]

Brian

What did your shoulder workout look like?

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by beefyemt

Brian

What did your shoulder workout look like?

Shoulders/Traps

Core:
2 sets of 120 Ball Crunches [10 lb of weight on the forehead while doing them]

DB Clean Ups 4 sets of 15 [Starting Light 15lbs to end the last set Heavy 40 lbs] ... DB on the floor, squat down, pick it up and press it overhead while standing straight up from a squat postion [that would be the cardio part of the workout!].

Standing DB Press while standing on a half foam roll 2 x 15 [working on balance ... light weight]

Seated Front to Side Lift 2 x 15 [seated, lift the DBs straight to the front, then slowly swing them to the side and lower]

Military BB Press 2 x 15 [usual there]

DB Shrugs, 2 x 15 [move the shoulder to the ear ... no rotating of the joint... one side at a time].

3 x 35 Set:
Incline Rear Delt Cable Maneuver [While seated on an incline bench, cables crossed overhead using D-Rings, arms straight, move the D-Rings toward the floor].

Took a little over an hour to do.

That would be it ... Cool!

[beefyemt]

Thanks bud. I have been looking for some variations here and it looks like you have plenty!

Originally Posted by PulgasStrongMan

Shoulders/Traps

Core:
2 sets of 120 Ball Crunches [10 lb of weight on the forehead while doing them]

DB Clean Ups 4 sets of 15 [Starting Light 15lbs to end the last set Heavy 40 lbs] ... DB on the floor, squat down, pick it up and press it overhead while standing straight up from a squat postion [that would be the cardio part of the workout!].

Standing DB Press while standing on a half foam roll 2 x 15 [working on balance ... light weight]

Seated Front to Side Lift 2 x 15 [seated, lift the DBs straight to the front, then slowly swing them to the side and lower]

Military BB Press 2 x 15 [usual there]

DB Shrugs, 2 x 15 [move the shoulder to the ear ... no rotating of the joint... one side at a time].

3 x 35 Set:
Incline Rear Delt Cable Maneuver [While seated on an incline bench, cables crossed overhead using D-Rings, arms straight, move the D-Rings toward the floor].

Took a little over an hour to do.

That would be it ... Cool!

[PulgasStrongMan]

Hey guys!

Just threw up the coming week's workout and a rearranged diet on my blog for those interested.

Pretty stoked about the coming workout ... should be intense.

Cool!
Brian

[PulgasStrongMan]

I was pretty tripped out yesterday at the energy I had in the gym. The new workout went great. I got done and felt like I could have done more - a good thing. The medicine ball moves I added in were really cool. More DOMS in the pecs this morning than I have had in a long while.

One of the diet changes I made was a doubled up the carbs in the early morning breakfast and took out the protein portion. We'll see if the energy is sustained when I undertake the leg workout this morning.

Cool!
Brian

[trixter747]

Originally Posted by PulgasStrongMan

One of the diet changes I made was a doubled up the carbs in the early morning breakfast and took out the protein portion. We'll see if the energy is sustained when I undertake the leg workout this morning.

About how many carbs does that bring you up to for breakfast?

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by trixter747

About how many carbs does that bring you up to for breakfast?

I went from 30g of carbs and 32g of protein [1/2 cup of oatmeal [dry] and one scoop of SciVation protein powder] to 54g of carbs and 10g of protein [the protein is what is in 1 cup of plain oatmeal [dry] before cooking. I nixed the protein powder that I usually mix in with it in an effort to swap ratios around toward more carbs].

Plain oatmeal is a bit bland, but I'll trade taste for the extra energy.

Did legs this morning and again there was a good deal more juice in the batteries. I was surprised too when I nearly got done with the workout and realized my stomach was not growling at me to get to my gym bag for the usual swig of liquid aminos. Still did the aminos - and will continue to do them - I just didn't seem to need them to keep my stomach from rumbling.

[PulgasStrongMan]

The back workout was really a good one this morning. WOW ... way tougher than the leg workout as far as drain. The thing that surprised me too is my lats were actually a bit tight from the deads I did the day before on leg day. For some reason I never equated much involvement of the lats doing deads. Dah! I was quite pleased with that because I was really not using much weight [95 the first set and 145 the second 2 x 15]. I'm going to keep at the deads and just go easy and be slow to increase the weight and see what happens over the coming weeks.

I did the 2 x 15 of pull ups and it was pretty intense. Actually got a full 15 on the first set and the second set I got to 11 [different grip than the first for variety] and the "low batt" light was flashing. NICE!

Should sleep good tonight!

Pics next week ... just got a new camera and it should be easier to do some vids of some of these medicine ball moves I have been doing too. The one I did today for tris where you are basically doing a push up with your hands on a medicine ball instead of the floor was really cool. As well as the one where you have your toes balancing on a ball while doing a plank ... great core and balance exercise.

[trixter747]

Ugh, what a week... On top of getting situated at the new place a girl at work quit on a whim and I've had to pick up extra shifts to cover her hours. So I haven't been to the gym since Monday and am not happy about it. Today and tomorrow we have to finish moving the last few odds and ends before turning in the keys and then it'll be back to a regular schedule again. I don't feel good about so much time off the last 2 weeks and my diet's been crap. Some ground is going to have to be made up...

[beefyemt]

Keep at it guys! Don't let set back get you down. You will always have those things happen!

Quick update. The fat is really flying off now. Abs are becoming visible and the veins are popping. My metabolism is raging. I have been at 1800 calories for about 4 weeks (down from 2000). No carbs other than a few green veggies and my one cheat meat per week. I am lifting 6 days a week and doing 25 min cardio per day.

The hard part is work as been 60 per weeks and I have upped my training time so I have become a stranger to my two little kids. Working to find a balance here. Might have to quit working lol.

Sounds like a busy time for everyone. Keep it going!

[Maritimer]

Got an okay to return to gym--only upper body, nothing standing up (no more than bodyweight on my knee).

Started using Flexsolate straps. Can really feel the isolation.

Wed to Wed 5 of 7 days of minimal 1 gallon of water.

Keep well everyone. Still resting more than I'd like to be.

[beefyemt]

Way to keep after it! What are Flexsolate straps?

Originally Posted by Maritimer

Got an okay to return to gym--only upper body, nothing standing up (no more than bodyweight on my knee).

Started using Flexsolate straps. Can really feel the isolation.

Wed to Wed 5 of 7 days of minimal 1 gallon of water.

Keep well everyone. Still resting more than I'd like to be.

[SweetNightshade]

Haven't updated in a while. Thought I'd check-in.

During my depression I took a good long look at why I was depressed. Truth is, I wasn't happy with my life. All my focus was going towards school and work and I simply wasn't feeling fulfilled. So, I had to acknowledge that I have responsibility for my life and change everything that is in my power to control. It only makes sense that the way I approach exercise changes along with my new methods.

When I was little, I would come home from school and explore the military base on my bike for three hours straight, every day. I was a stick. I just took my first bike ride in years, and it lasted 15 minutes. At first, it was a bit of a shock to me. I wondered if the bike chains were sticky. I was checking gauges and tires. Then I slowly started to become aware of everything that is involved in a true bike ride. I can last for an hour, more if I push it, on a stationary bike. But a stationary bike doesn't require balance. It doesn't give you wind or hills to work against. It doesn't need much momentum to get started either. The stationary might make me sweat buckets, but it doesn't make my lungs whistle.

This put everything into a very real focus for me. I feel that using my exercise time to count calories burned is, right now, a misuse of my energies. I am instead choosing to focus on the big picture - my overall health. If I ride my bike every day, the toned body will come along as a natural side-effect. So, with that said, I am officially changing my end-of-March goal from an inches goal to an endurance goal.

By the end of March, I want to be capable of riding my bike for a full 45 minutes without getting winded.

[beefyemt]

Originally Posted by SweetNightshade

Haven't updated in a while. Thought I'd check-in.

During my depression I took a good long look at why I was depressed. Truth is, I wasn?t happy with my life. All my focus was going towards school and work and I simply wasn?t feel fulfilled. So, I had to acknowledge that I have responsibility for my life and change everything that is in my power to control. It only makes sense that the way I approach exercise changes along with my new methods.

When I was little, I would come home from school and explore the military base on my bike for three hours straight, every day. I was a stick. I just took my first bike ride in years, and it lasted 15 minutes. At first, it was a bit of a shock to me. I wondered if the bike chains were sticky. I was checking gauges and tires. Then I slowly started to become aware of everything that is involved in a true bike ride. I can last for an hour, more if I push it, on a stationary bike. But a stationary bike doesn?t require balance. It doesn?t give you wind or hills to work against. It doesn?t need much momentum to get started either. The stationary might make me sweat buckets, but it doesn?t make my lungs whistle.

This put everything into a very real focus for me. I feel that using my exercise time to count calories burned is, right now, a misuse of my energies. I am instead choosing to focus on the big picture - my overall health. If I ride my bike every day, the toned body will come along as a natural side-effect. So, with that said, I am officially changing my end-of-March goal from an inches goal to an endurance goal.

By the end of March, I want to be capable of riding my bike for a full 45 minutes without getting winded.

You sound very upbeat and energized! Makes me wish I had a bike. Keep up that energy and you will achieve whatever goals you set!

[SweetNightshade]

Thanks for the support! =)

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by trixter747

Ugh, what a week... Some ground is going to have to be made up...

You'll do it and I'm sure show us all up in the process. A bad week is not going to thwart all the progress you have made, eh?

Originally Posted by beefyemt

Keep at it guys! Don't let set back get you down. You will always have those things happen!

Quick update. The fat is really flying off now. Abs are becoming visible and the veins are popping. My metabolism is raging. I have been at 1800 calories for about 4 weeks (down from 2000). No carbs other than a few green veggies and my one cheat meat per week. I am lifting 6 days a week and doing 25 min cardio per day.

The hard part is work as been 60 per weeks and I have upped my training time so I have become a stranger to my two little kids. Working to find a balance here. Might have to quit working lol.

Sounds like a busy time for everyone. Keep it going!

We'll see if you are able to better your last progress pics bro. Look forward to seeing you pull it off.

Originally Posted by SweetNightshade

Haven't updated in a while... When I was little, I would come home from school and explore the military base on my bike for three hours straight, every day. I was a stick. I just took my first bike ride in years, and it lasted 15 minutes. At first, it was a bit of a shock to me. I wondered if the bike chains were sticky. I was checking gauges and tires. Then I slowly started to become aware of everything that is involved in a true bike ride. I can last for an hour, more if I push it, on a stationary bike. But a stationary bike doesn't require balance. It doesn't give you wind or hills to work against. It doesn't need much momentum to get started either. The stationary might make me sweat buckets, but it doesn't make my lungs whistle.

There is something philosophical in that comparison you made between a stationary bike and a real bike that is striking: Stationary bike you don't move forward or cover any groud and there are not any challenges [no wind to fight against, no hills and no need for balance]. Defiantly get out on your real bike more and skip the stationary bike, eh?!

Be relentless out there!
Brian

[SweetNightshade]

Originally Posted by PulgasStrongMan

Defiantly get out on your real bike more and skip the stationary bike, eh?!

Definitely. Went for another ride today, and I took my little brother with me. It was a great chance to reconnect to him. I'll be moving out in August, so that's real important to me. It's also a chance for me to help him get in shape. Once my tire pressure was adjusted, it was a little easier for me, but definitely still a challenge, and I had to take some breaks (those hills are killers!). Chris on the other hand, well... kid has to build up his lung strength. We're both asthmatics, so I think it's even more important for us to fit in progressively harder cardio.

The best part though, was that it was the first time I've really had fun working out since I was a kid. I mean, don't get me wrong. There's a singular sort of victory one feels from pumping some major iron. But when I was out on the trail with my brother today, I would have loved to continue for hours if I could.

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by SweetNightshade

Definitely. Went for another ride today, and I took my little brother with me. It was a great chance to reconnect to him. I'll be moving out in August, so that's real important to me. It's also a chance for me to help him get in shape. Once my tire pressure was adjusted, it was a little easier for me, but definitely still a challenge, and I had to take some breaks (those hills are killers!). Chris on the other hand, well... kid has to build up his lung strength. We're both asthmatics, so I think it's even more important for us to fit in progressively harder cardio.

The best part though, was that it was the first time I've really had fun working out since I was a kid. I mean, don't get me wrong. There's a singular sort of victory one feels from pumping some major iron. But when I was out on the trail with my brother today, I would have loved to continue for hours if I could.

Cool stuff ...

[trixter747]

Felt good to get back in the gym today, but cripe I'm weaker! I'm realizing now just how spoiled I've been from the various supps the last couple years. Pull all that out for the NOS-FX testing (even though I can still be using creatine and such if I wanted to) it really has shown me the difference they make. In a way I'm anxious to get the log finished so I can start back up, but at the same time I know its good to be giving it all a rest, particularly avoiding most all caffeine.

Switched up to doing mostly 3x10 with rest pausing for the sets to be in more of a pump rep volume. So far its working well and still able to get the workouts finished in just over an hour. Today's lineup:

Dead Hang Lat Pulldowns
Close Grip Seated Rows
Hammer Iso High-Rows
Seated Machine Shrugs (3x15 on these)
Close Grip Bench Press
Dumbell Lying Tricep Extension
Reverse Grip Cable Extension

Total strength significantly down (ie, -40lbs on lat pulldowns), but still good mind-muscle connection to feel the right ones being worked. Getting the diet back in check will help things, too. Lotta food to prep tonight...

[PulgasStrongMan]

Hey Adam - and everybody else!

You tell me ... does it look like leaning more towards the carbs is doing any thing at this point?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Clkop_0hNl8

Here is another vid of me doing some incline curls too ... forgot to add this one:

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

[PulgasStrongMan]

Glad to hear you are getting back at it bro ...

Originally Posted by trixter747

Felt good to get back in the gym today, but cripe I'm weaker! I'm realizing now just how spoiled I've been from the various supps the last couple years. Pull all that out for the NOS-FX testing (even though I can still be using creatine and such if I wanted to) it really has shown me the difference they make. In a way I'm anxious to get the log finished so I can start back up, but at the same time I know its good to be giving it all a rest, particularly avoiding most all caffeine.

Switched up to doing mostly 3x10 with rest pausing for the sets to be in more of a pump rep volume. So far its working well and still able to get the workouts finished in just over an hour. Today's lineup:

Dead Hang Lat Pulldowns
Close Grip Seated Rows
Hammer Iso High-Rows
Seated Machine Shrugs (3x15 on these)
Close Grip Bench Press
Dumbell Lying Tricep Extension
Reverse Grip Cable Extension

Total strength significantly down (ie, -40lbs on lat pulldowns), but still good mind-muscle connection to feel the right ones being worked. Getting the diet back in check will help things, too. Lotta food to prep tonight...

[trixter747]

Originally Posted by PulgasStrongMan

You tell me ... does it look like leaning more towards the carbs is doing any thing at this point?

Looks like your arms and shoulders are a bit fuller, some good vascularity even with the blurry video. 2nd vid though I think a bit of a tan would help, heh. Hard to see any definition in it.

[PulgasStrongMan]

Originally Posted by trixter747

Looks like your arms and shoulders are a bit fuller, some good vascularity even with the blurry video. 2nd vid though I think a bit of a tan would help, heh. Hard to see any definition in it.

I agree about a tan ... that would be good if I am going to start doing silly things like throwing off my tank top and attempting to do "instructional/motivational" videos like that one. Gotta start some where, eh? Maybe I'll get an Under Armour shirts or something similar to keep the glare down

Thanks for looking them over. We'll see how things look in a few weeks as the new diet takes hold and I figure out more about the new gizmo [camera].

Cool!
Brian

[PulgasStrongMan]

Hey Adam ... I have been doing leg extensions for quite a while for the FST 7 set. Any ideas on what to swap that out with that would be specific to the quads?