BergMuscle's Mass Monster Journal

[bamazav]

Great job on the Cholesterol. My journey started for the very same reason. Enjoy this last week, the kids await.

[BergMuscle]

Moderate Upper Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm Up
15 Chins/40 push-ups/20 BW squats
15 Pull-ups/35 push-ups/20 BW squats

Flat DB Press/DB Rows supersets
60/85, 60/85, 60/85, 60/85
30-45 second rests

Bent Elbow Front Raise
35, 35, 35, 35

Skullcrushers/Zottman Curls supersets
75/25, 75/25, 75/25, 75/25
Rounds of kick techniques on heavy bag between sets

Cool Down
10 minutes hand/foot combos on heavy bag
75 push-ups
1 minute plank
40 BW squats

Hot and humid - even in the enclosed basement with doors closed. I just keep thinking how working up a serious sweat is good for me in the long run. I was a soggy mess by the end of this routine - and I trained in the morning before the day got really hot.

[BergMuscle]

Moderate Weight Lower Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm ups
15 pull-ups/40 push-ups/20 BW squats - 2 sets

BB Hack Squats/SLDL supersets
155/135, 155/135, 155/135, 155/135
40-60 second rests

Single Calf Raise
70, 70, 70, 70
20 second calf stretch between sets

Crunches DB on chest
15, 15, 15, 15
Rounds of punching drills between sets

Cool Down
10 minutes hand/foot combos on heavy bag
75 push-ups
1 minute plank
40 BW squats

That one minute plank at the cool down may not seem like much, but it's really tough after a full session.
Majorly hot and humid again today. Trained in the morning, closed basement - still hot and sweaty.

My wife had a bad day with her MS yesterday. She was able to get a hold of her neurologist, who is tied up with hospital cases this week, and got some new meds that seem to be relieving some of her most severe muscle cramps. The hot, humid weather is very, very bad for people with MS; the disease is basically heat-triggered. Saying prayers for cooler temps and good responses to the new drugs.

[BergMuscle]

Heavy Bag Day

75 push-ups
30 minutes punch & kick combinations
75 push-ups
1 minute plank

Done!
Ridiculously high humidity today. Super sweaty and beat. Felt really good.

[BergMuscle]

Light Upper Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm Ups
15 chins/40 push-ups/20 BW squats
15 pull-ups/35 push-ups/20 BW squats

Incline Flies/Carlman Pulls supersets
35/40, 35/40, 35/40, 35/40
30 second rests

Bent Elbow Side Raises
20, 20, 20, 20
60 second rests

Incline DB Curls/1-hand Push-downs supersets
20/40, 20/40, 20/40, 20/40
Rounds of kicks on heavy bag between sets

Cool Down
10 minutes kick/punch combos on bag
75 push-ups
1 minute plank
40 BW squats

Heat and humidity not quite as bad today. This is my third week of this split; still feeling it out to decide how long it will stick around.

[BergMuscle]

Light Upper Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm Ups
15 pull-ups/40 push-ups/20 BW squats
15 pull-ups/35 push-ups/20 BW squats

Sissy Squats/Single Leg Curls supersets
5/30, 5/30, 5/30, 5/30
30 second rests

Seated Calf Raise
115, 115, 115, 115
Punch drills on heavy bag between sets

Knee Raises
BW, BW, BW, BW
Punch/kick combos on heavy bag

Cool Down
75 push-ups
40 BW squats

Stressful day with my wife's MS having good and bad periods. Can't wait to see the doctor on Tuesday. Going back in to school tomorrow to see the new room I have to transform into a resource room. Both looking forward to and a bit dreading the challenge.

[BergMuscle]

Moderate Upper Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm Ups
15 chins/40 push-ups/20 BW squats
15 pull-ups/35 push-ups/20 BW squats

Flat DB Press/DB Rows supersets
60/85, 60/85, 60/85, 60/85
30-45 second rests

Bent Elbow Front Raise
35, 35, 35, 35
60 second rests

Skullcrushers/Zottman Curls supersets
75/25, 75/25, 75/25, 75/25
Rounds of kicking drills on bag between sets
Zottmans done quick up, pause, slow down to hit my biceps harder

Cool Down
10 minutes punch/kick combos
75 push-ups
40 BW squats

Back at work getting prepped for the new school year. Gotta get used to training late afternoon/early evening again.

We saw my wife's neurologist today. She doesn't think Rachel is having an MS relapse; she's thinking Rachel sprained the ankle of her bad/affected leg and since the nerves are already messed up and she doesn't move it completely correctly she's been aggravating the injury and causing muscle cramps. At least now we have a clearer plan of action to get her well again.

[BergMuscle]

Moderate Lower Body Antagonist Supersets
Warm Ups
15 pull-ups/40 push-ups/20 BW Squats
15 pull-ups/35 push-ups/20 BW squats

BB Hack Squats/SLDL supersets
155/135, 155/135, 155/135, 155/135
30-45 second rests

Single Calf Raise
70, 70, 70, 70
20 second stretch between sets

Crunches DB on chest
15, 15, 15, 15
30 second rests

Cool Down
75 push-ups
40 BW Squats

The heat and humidity are starting to bother me, especially since we have no AC at my school (at least not in the classrooms) and no real air circulation in my new room. I decided to keep this one short and to the point with nothing extra.

[BergMuscle]

Been gone from these boards for quite a while. My wife started having more and more health problems in August and into September. On September 30 she was diagnosed with lung cancer - stage IV - which had moved into her stomach and liver and metastasized into her pelvis and right shin. She had a series of plateaus and declines, including breaking that damaged shin bone, over the next three months.

We had a good Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, although she was on home hospice care by the later part of December and we had turned our bedroom into a hospital room. We celebrated Christmas and New Year's in there.
She started a serious decline on January 2 and passed away on January 9. Her funeral was this past Wednesday, January 18.

I finally went back to school Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday this week and working on creating my "new normal". I was still lifting for a while but had a lot of interruptions, including the first two weeks of January (being a "surviving spouse" is actually a lot of work for the that first week or so).

I am back working out and I'll be back here soon. I've got a lot of support from my friends, my church, and the school where I teach.

Peace.

[storm1507]

So sorry to hear Berg.

[ironwill2008]

Been gone from these boards for quite a while. My wife started having more and more health problems in August and into September. On September 30 she was diagnosed with lung cancer - stage IV - which had moved into her stomach and liver and metastasized into her pelvis and right shin. She had a series of plateaus and declines, including breaking that damaged shin bone, over the next three months.

We had a good Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, although she was on home hospice care by the later part of December and we had turned our bedroom into a hospital room. We celebrated Christmas and New Year's in there.
She started a serious decline on January 2 and passed away on January 9. Her funeral was this past Wednesday, January 18.

I finally went back to school Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday this week and working on creating my "new normal". I was still lifting for a while but had a lot of interruptions, including the first two weeks of January (being a "surviving spouse" is actually a lot of work for the that first week or so).

I am back working out and I'll be back here soon. I've got a lot of support from my friends, my church, and the school where I teach.

Peace.

I just now found this post, Dan. I'm very sorry for your loss.

I hope you can find your way back to the gym; believe me, it'll do you a world of good.

[bamazav]

Not sure how I missed all this. I am so sorry Dan. I pray you are doing well now.

[mirroroferised]

I really hope you're doing okay Dan!

[BergMuscle]

So sorry to hear Berg.

I just now found this post, Dan. I'm very sorry for your loss. I hope you can find your way back to the gym; believe me, it'll do you a world of good.

Not sure how I missed all this. I am so sorry Dan. I pray you are doing well now.

I really hope you're doing okay Dan!

Thanks, guys. I've been lifting regularly (in my basement gym) since shortly after Rachel's passing. Honestly, I'm getting pretty jacked - and loving it.

My plate has been full with my full-time and part-time teaching jobs along with all the cleaning/reorganizing/etc. that happens when a two-person home becomes a one-person home. And the person who is gone owned way more than 50% of the stuff.

On my to-do-for-my-mental-well-being list is to start logging here again, as well as reconnecting with like-minded guys like you.

Plus I wanna show off my buff muscles.

Peace and brotherly love.

[ironwill2008]

Hey, Dan. It's good to see you back here, and good to see you're dealing well with some of life's tougher breaks.

[BergMuscle]

The routine I've been doing since mid-March is a push/pull split. I try to train two days in a row followed by a day of rest (sometimes life causes me to have two rest days - but I try not to train 3 days in row to allow for muscle recovery time). Each muscle group gets hit twice a week.

I do two exercises per body part. The first exercise is done with fairly light weight working the 12-16 rep range, doing 1-2 sets per body part. The second exercise uses heavier weight for 3 sets of 6-8 reps. The idea is to work both the fast twitch and slow twitch muscles twice a week using the lighter weight/higher rep sets to induce some muscle fatigue before heavy/lower rep work. I don't track the number of reps, but I count as I lift. When I can do 16 rep light sets or 8 rep heavy sets with good form over a couple of workouts I increase the weight.

The only exceptions are traps, calves, and abs. Traps and calves get 3 sets of one exercise in the 8-10 rep range. Abs get one light set and 2 heavy sets. Smaller muscle groups and they get indirect work on other stuff.

This is working well for me. Overall, my muscles are bigger with better shape, form, and (dare I use this word) tone. I looked really good shirtless on the beach in FL last month and I'm still making gains. (Sounds a bit like bragging, but I'm very, very pleased with what I see in the mirror.)

And, yes, one way that I'm dealing with the loss of my wife is to get ****ing jacked. Better than eating and/or drinking my way into being a fat ass with a bad attitude.

[BergMuscle]

Push Routine
Warm Up
15 Pull-ups/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats - 2 sets

Chest
Incline Flies
35, 35

Flat DB Press
65, 65, 65

Shoulders
Bent Elbow Side Raises
20, 20

Bent Elbow Front Raises
40, 40, 40

Quads
Sissy Squats
5

BB Hack Squats
175, 175, 175

Triceps
1-hand Push-downs
40

Skullcrushers
85, 85, 85

Calves
Single Calf Raise
75, 75, 75

Cool Down
20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats

Since I trained yesterday (my pull routine) I'll rest the iron tomorrow.

And maybe I'll have time to get caught up on other guys journals.

(Nice to be journalling again.)

[bamazav]

Great to see you back. That said, jackness doesn't exist unless there are pictures to prove it. (I make no claims, hence no pics, you on the other hand....)

[BergMuscle]

Great to see you back. That said, jackness doesn't exist unless there are pictures to prove it. (I make no claims, hence no pics, you on the other hand....)

Planning on posting pics soon. And I am on the road to getting jacked. Not totally there yet, but a hell of a lot closer than I've ever been.

[BergMuscle]

Pull Routine
Warm Up
15 Chins/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats
15 Pull-ups/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats

Hams
Single Leg Curls
30
SLDL
145, 145, 145

Back
Carlman Pulls
40, 40
DB Rows
85, 85, 85

Traps
Carlman Shrugs
40, 40, 40

Biceps
Incline DB Curls
20
Spider Curls
70, 70, 70

Abs
Knee Raises
BW
Weighted Crunches DB on chest
15, 15

Cool Down
20 BW Squats/20 Knuckle Push-ups

I really enjoy this routine. And my biceps are the biggest and fullest they've ever been. (Yeah, I'll do pics soon - when the rest of my life slows down just a bit more.)

[BergMuscle]

Push Routine
Warm Up
15 Pull-ups/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats - 2 sets

Chest
Incline Flies
35, 35

Flat DB Press
65, 65, 65

Shoulders
Bent Elbow Side Raises
20, 20

Bent Elbow Front Raises
40, 40, 40

Quads
Sissy Squats
5

BB Hack Squats
175, 175, 175

Triceps
1-hand Push-downs
40

Skullcrushers
85, 85, 85

Calves
Single Calf Raise
75, 75, 75

Cool Down
20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats

In a way it's rather repetitive doing the same routine every other WO, but the semi-uncounted reps mean that I always make it a challenge whether I've feeling really strong or working hard just to get it done. (I count but don't track and push for "just one more"; only make sure I'm always in my target zone.)

Personal schedule will have me taking at least two, maybe three, days of rest. Actually that is good as my left shoulder is bothering me a lot. I'm making lots of little adjustments for it on all the chest and shoulder work. I've been wearing lidocaine patches, which I learned about when Rachel was prescribed them for the cancerous lesions in her shins. They help a bunch, but some rest will be good as well.

P.S. Thursday night I have a fencing class. Yes, you read that right. I did some in college - very briefly - and I thought I'd try some new stuff now that so much of my life has been abruptly changed on me.

[BergMuscle]

Pull Routine
Warm Up
15 Chins/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats
15 Pull-ups/20 Knuckle Push-ups/20 BW Squats

Hams
Single Leg Curls
30
SLDL
145, 145, 145

Back
Carlman Pulls
40, 40
DB Rows
85, 85, 85

Traps
Carlman Shrugs
40, 40, 40

Biceps
Incline DB Curls
20
Spider Curls
70, 70, 70

supersets with
Abs
Knee Raises
BW
Weighted Crunches DB on chest
15, 15
just to save a bit of time

Cool Down
20 BW Squats/20 Knuckle Push-ups

I ended up with a 3-day break just because my schedule didn't give me enough time to lift on Thursday or Friday. My shoulder appreciated the rest (although it's still sore and I'm still wearing a lidocaine patch). Biceps and lats got particularly swole today.

[mirroroferised]

Great to see the consistency back in here bud.

[BergMuscle]

I decided about a week ago that it was time to switch things up again. I'm now doing a variation on an X-Rep routine called either "Antagonist Supersets" or "8-10-8". The core of it is 3 sets of supersets; the first done at a 1-6 tempo (1 second up, 6 seconds to lower) for 8 reps followed by 30 seconds rest. Next are 10 reps of each exercise done at very quick tempo, like "pump-up" reps. After another 30 seconds the last set of 8 reps is at a 1-1 tempo - 1 second up, 1 second down. It's more challenging than it sounds, especially if you push the poundage just a bit.

Today happened to be leg day.

Warm Ups
2 sets BW Squats - 20 reps each

Single Leg Curl/BB Hack Squat 8-10-8
30/170
30/170
30/170

SLDL/Sissy Squats 8-10-8
145/10
145/10
145/10

Seated Calf Raise 1-3 tempo - 20+ reps
135
135
135

Single Standing Calf 1-3 tempo - 8+ reps
75
75
75
*for non-8-10-8 sets I go for the target number of reps plus whatever else is in the tank.

Normally I'd do ab work here, but I've had a tight (maybe pulled) ab muscle bothering me and it's just starting to feel better so I decided not to push it too much.

Cool Down
20 BW Squats

And a couple of hours later I went for a swim in the local pool. Not lap swim or exercise, just having fun and practicing a few strokes - but mostly just fun.

[bamazav]

your plan sounds interesting. I am considering moving to a BB type plan after my August powerlifting meet. I am curious to see what you think after you have run this a few weeks. How is life otherwise?

[BergMuscle]

All of these sets are 8-10-8 supersets (see yesterday's post).

Torso Day

Warm Up
15 pull-ups/20 knuckle push-ups/30 second plank - 2 sets

DB Row/Flat DB Press
75/40
60/30
75/40

Seated DB Press/Undergrip EZ bar Rows
25/70
20/70
25/70

Incline Flies/Bent Elbow Side Raises
25/20
25/20
25/20
Gotta remember to up the first and third sets (the 8 reppers) to 30# next time.

Cool Down
20 Knuckle Push-ups/30 second Plank

This is actually kinda my "Day #1" of this routine although that doesn't matter much except for counting how long since I changed routines. This is the start of my third "cycle" thru and I usually have a rest day every 2-3 days, so it's been about 2 1/2 weeks so far.

And so far so good.

[BergMuscle]

your plan sounds interesting. I am considering moving to a BB type plan after my August powerlifting meet. I am curious to see what you think after you have run this a few weeks. How is life otherwise?

I've done a variation of it before, but I like what I tweaked out this time better. I've got 3 "days" of routines (torso, arms, legs/abs) and I'm just starting my "3rd time around", so my muscles should be giving me some feedback soon.

IRL, I'm doing OK. Getting used to being a widower. Making changes in my home, daily life routines, and lifestyle to suit where I'm at today. I enjoy preparing decent meals for myself and of course my muscles need to be "buffed" frequently so I'm staying pretty healthy. Got lots of friends and lots of local summer activities, plus two cats who need a lot of attention these days.

[BergMuscle]

I'm back to doing Grage's Arm Superset Blast (not sure I've got the name right - there's an article on bb about it that I'll link up later). It's basically sets of bicep/triceps supersets done for 15, 12, and 10 reps with about a minute rest between supersets.

Arm Blast

Warm Up
15 Chins
15 Wide Grip Pullups

Straight Bar Curls/DB Extentions
55/30
55/30
55/30

Incline DB Curls/Single Hand Pushdown
20/40
20/40
20/40

Reverse Grip EZ Curls/Skullcrushers/Kickbacks
50/70/30
50/70/30
50/70/30

I love how this gets my guns pumped. I've shared it with a friend or two and gotten good feedback.

Didn't make the pool today. Maybe tomorrow.

[BergMuscle]

This is the arm routine I've just gone back to doing:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/str...age%20superset

[BergMuscle]

Leg Day 8-10-8 rep/set scheme

Warm Up
2 sets - 20 BW Squats

Single Leg Curls/Hack Squats 8-10-8
30/170
30/170
30/170

SLDL/Sissy Squats 8-10-8
145/10
145/10
145/10

Seated Calf Raise 1-8 rhythm 15-20 reps
135
135
135

Standing Single Calf Raise 1-8 rhythm 6-10 reps
75
75
75

Knee Raises
BW

Weighted Sit-ups plate on chest
10
I only did one set of each of these since my pulled/cramped ab muscle is still not 100%. The good thing is it only hurt today when I tried these exercises. I'm doing lots of planks to help it along.

Cool Down
20 BW Squats
30 second planks (which I need to add to the warm up - note to self )

Hoping to squeeze in a torso session tomorrow during a busy Saturday.