2007-Back on the slam!

[indianajohn]

Tomorrow I start back on my routine. This is not because it's the new year and I have x,y,z resolutions that I will forget before the first week is up...I have been sick as a dog for the past two weeks. My three year old son is in his first year of pre-school, so he is bringing home every strain of sniffle this side of the Mississippi. I have gone through the flu in every exciting stage from runny nose to unmentionable digestive issues. I am also a retail manager at a large department store, so the shopping holiday combined with being sick has caused my lifting to stop. I am feeling well enough tonight, so Monday will be arms day #1 like before.
I am a novice builder at this point. I'm 31 years old, I am 6', 215 lbs, but I still have a gut. I am trying to integrate different forms of cardio into my schedule, so that my lifting will be enhanced by losing fat. I have plenty extra, so this will be a challenge. Here is my routine:
Monday-Arms#1
Tuesday-Shoulders
Wednesday-Legs
Thursday-Arms#2 and Back
Friday-Shoulders and Chest
Sat, Sun-off.
I try to jog and do crunches, but this past month got the best of me. I am mainly doing this for two reasons. I want to be healthy and I want to prove to MYSELF that I can do this. I'm tired of feeling like a pale blob and it doesn't feel bad getting hit on in public, now that I'm several months into my mission. That's the long and short of it. Pics are on the way and I will be starting a workout journal on here as soon as I can figure it out. Any feedback is welcome and of course if I can share what I have learned so far, that would feel good also. Later on...

[indianajohn]

Monday's workout:
It went very well today! I was so dehydrated from this damn cold, that my cottonmouth begged for water during my workout. I had drank two glasses of water in 10 minutes. The rest of my workout felt very good! Arms day#1 consists of:

Barbell Curls
Reverse Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls
Cross-body Hammer Curls
Lying Tricep Extensions
Tricep Kickback
Tricep Press
Concentration Curls
Bent-over Two Dumbell Row

I do 4 sets of each, twelve reps each set. I lifted 50 lbs. on the barbell and 15 lbs. on everything else. I used this website to look up the excercizes, and I've tested out the ones that I think would be successful for me and if they're not, I drop them. I've settled on 45 different exercizes that cover all of the major muscle groups. I only do excercizes that utilize free weights. The gym in my town is not always open when I'm ready to workout, and I can't afford a mega-home gym. I own a basic $50 bench that I purchased at Wal-Mart and it has everything I need (preacher attachment, leg press, adjustable seat...etc.)
Today is also the first day I drank an entire gallon of water in about 2 weeks, which means *drum roll* MY PEE IS CLEAR AGAIN!!! To stay hydrated is not only good for bodybuilding, but it's good for basic health reasons. When one doesn't get enough water, the body retains it, which can cause it to become contaminated which won't be as efficient as fresh water when the body uses it in the future. Don't go crazy-one gallon is enough. It takes time for your bladder to get used to this, but that will pass. My voice is coming back today also, so life is good!
Tomorrow is Shoulders day#1.

[indianajohn]

Tuesday is shoulders #1. It consists of the following exercises:
Cuban Press
Inclined One-Arm Lateral Raise
Front plate raise
Reverse plate curls
Barbell Shrug
Seated Dumbbell Press
Front two dumbbell raise
Arnold Dumbbell press
Front alternating dumbbell raise

It was a good workout! I continue to feel a good pump as I get back into everything! I lifted 50 lbs. on the barbell and 15 pounds on the dumbbell. I do 4 sets of 12 of each exercise. I focus on form and work at a steady pace. I don't fly through my workout, but I don't "negative" train either. I don't waste any time in between sets or exercises so as to keep my heart rate up. Tomorrow is legs day-the most grueling and intense day of all of my workouts. I will feel this for days!

[indianajohn]

Wednesday is legs day and consists of :
Barbell full squat
Barbell squat to a bench
Leg extensions
Lying leg curls
Standing barbell calf raises
Romanian deadlift
Dumbbell lunges
Plie dumbbell squat
Iron cross (So far, my all time favorite exercise)

That howling and barking you hear is not a pack of wild rabid wolves, but my quads and hamstrings! After a few weeks, I'll get used to it, but holy cow, even walking, especially down the stairs, sends pain like electrical shocks through my legs. It is, however, a good pain and something my legs must go through if I want to progress the way I want them to. My legs are my strongest asset right now in terms of bodybuilding. Even considering how out of shape I am, they are still "muscular" looking. All of my life, my legs were and still are out of proportion to the rest of my body. I hope the rest of my muscle groups will wind up looking half as good as my legs do. Tomorrow is arms day #2.

[indianajohn]

Thursday is SUPPOSED to be arms day#2. I worked until 9:30 and I apparently felt that it was a good reason to not give a flying crapola! I got home from work and I allowed the daily grind to totally put me off lifting. I choked, wiffed, sissy-swung, bologna fried, dead fished...you get the idea. Maybe tomorrow I can muster up the courage to get my big-girl panties on and melt some flab...

[indianajohn]

Friday is supposed to be shoulders day#2, but it will have to be arms day#2 since I didn't have a good Thursday. Arms day #2 consists of:
Preacher curl
Reverse preacher curl
Zottman curl
Preacher hammer curl
One arm preacher curl
Bench dips
One Arm Dumbbell row
Bent over barbell row

Another great workout day, but my legs are still recovering. I soaked in the bath after today's workout in water as hot as my body would tolerate. It has helped a great deal in that I'm moving around a little better. We'll pick up again on Monday, since I don't lift on the weekend, so more posts to follow.

[indianajohn]

Back at it...again. After going through a second round of antibiotics caused by my viral throat infection coming back new and improved and trained on how to beat low level medicine, I am now ready to go again! I know one is supposed to work out, even if they feel crappy, but that infection took the wind out of my sails. I've also adjusted my workout regiment. I've narrowed my exercises down to 42 and I spread them out over 6 days, not 5. I only do three sets instead of 4 at 12 reps each. After lifting, I will do several sets of ab and oblique crunches. I will also introduce some form of aerobics into the mix 3 days a week, except I don't own a treadmill or exercise bike and there is a lot of ice and snow on the ground. I thought about buying a set of those tote rubber dress shoe covers, and use them on my running shoes. I'm still workin' on that one. The frowny-face at the top represents my newly driven attitude. I have some time to make up and it's time for me to get angry and get some work done. Between the holidays, inventory, corporate visits and nasty weather, it's time to, "Do it-to it!"