The Jungle Book: Jaguarr's 2007 Journal

[jaguarr]

Hi Folks,
Time to get my '07 journal set up:

Configuration
I work quite a bit of periodization into my split, changing things up every two to three weeks to keep my muscles from "learning" my routine. I like the assortment of exercises that I work with, so this approach lets me keep using them without them becoming stale. So, I'll run two to three weeks of say 6x3's, switch to 3x6's and do the same, and so forth with other configs including 3x8's and 4x10's. This approach has definitely helped keep things fresh and prevent my body from adapting to my routine. I also tend to use some different rep/set ranges on certain lifts where I've found something different to be more effective, such as using more reps and sets on calves and lats for example. In addition, I've found using slow negatives and pauses at the bottom of lifts to bring good success, so I try to incorporate those where I can as well.

There are a couple of guidelines that I use in every workout that drive what I am doing with my gym time. The first is the objective of beating my log book each and every single time I touch the iron. Whether it's more weight or more reps, the goal is to do better than the last time I was in the gym doing those exercises. The second is to keep my workouts on a very specific time schedule and use rest time to it's maximum benefit. The prevailing theory is that 60-90 second rest time between sets maximizes growth. 30-60 seconds maximizes strength. So, I keep my rest times at around 60-90 seconds on most lifts. The exception to this is when I am doing 6x3 configurations, where I'll keep them at around 30-45 seconds. The driver for that is the second part of my timing for workouts and that's keeping workouts as short as possible. After ~60 minutes, the body starts to go catabolic so I shoot for the 60 minutes or less mark on most lifting days. Again, 6x3 days can sometimes go slightly over this.


Before Each Workout

I feel a proper warmup is essential to get my body in the "mood" to lift. Before I start lifting in earnest on each workout, I use the following approach.

Jumprope
I use the jumprope as a warmup tool, jumping rope at a medium pace for 45 second sets with a 30 second break inbetween those sets for roughly 5 minutes or so. It gets the blood moving and the oxygen flowing.

Eliptical (aka "The Epileptical")
Lately I've been using 10 minutes of medium pace for a warmup in place of the jumprope. I've been liking this approach quite a bit and will use it more often than the jumprope most likely Depends on whether I want to shake up some boredom with the rope or not.

Abs
Weighted Murderball (Swissball) Crunches
Weighted Crunches and/or Weighted V-Ups
Roman Chairs And/Or Hanging Leg Raises
The Ab Wheel Of Doom

I do the abs routine before every workout, two weeks on and then take a week off from it before going back to it. I tend to do select one or two of the ab exercises above and run them in a 3x25 configuration with a bit of extra weight where needed.


The Workout

And now on to my current split. I alternate between a chest/bi's, legs/shoulders, back/tri's 3 day split, and a chest/tri's, legs/shouldres, back/bi's 3 day split. I'm currently using the more push/pull oriented version. One thing that I do during some workouts is 30 second stretch of the targeted muscle group from multiple angles and then 10 second hard flex after each segment/exercise. That is to say, after I finish all of say my Incline DB Presses, I'll stretch the chest muscles out real well and then flex them for a full 10 seconds. This helps keep the muscles flexible and fills them with more blood to help maximize growth (at least that's the theory). Here's what I do currently. All exercises are listed in the order in which they are performed.:


Day 1: Chest & Tri's
- Incline DB Press OR Incline BB Press
- Flat DB Press OR Flat BB Press
- FlatFly
- Close Grip BB Bench Press OR Reverse Grip BB Bench Press
- Weighted Dips
- Cross-Bench DB Pullovers

- 15-30 minutes of cardio on Elipitical after lifting when I'm up for it (I'm STILL bulking, so heavy cardio's not a big focus for me at the moment) and then 15 minutes of proper full body stretching afterwards.

NOTES: I've been strictly a DB Press kind of guy for over a year now. I initially started this because of shoulder issues. Power Hooks have helped me to press some pretty strong weight and my shoulders are doing great as a result. I am thinking of rotating some straight bar benching back into my routine just to see how it goes with the shoulders. I am anticipating that I'll probably have to back my weight off a bit, at least initially, while I feel these out so that I don't FUBAR my shoulders.


Day 2: Off
Cardio if I get the itch.


Day 3: Legs & Shoulders

- ATG Squats
- Weighted Donkey Calf Raises OR Standing Calf Raises
- Leg Extensions (optional)
- Leg Curls OR SLDL's
- 1 Arm Shoulder Press
- BB Shrugs
- Standing Side Lat Raise
- Rear Delt Rows

- 15-30 minutes of cardio on Elipitical after lifting when I'm up for it and then proper full body stretching afterwards.


Day 4: Off
Cardio if I wanna.


Day 5: Back & Bi's

- Lat's Giant Set (usually 2x10 on each exercise):
* Shoulder-width Grip Pullup
* Hammer Grip Sternum Pullup
*Rack Chins
- Rack Pull Deadlift
- BB Rows, T-Bar OR DB Rows
- Standing DB Curl OR Straight BB CUrl
- Concentration Curls OR Weighted Chins
- Reverse Grip BB Curls and Forearm Curls in Supersets

- 15-30 minutes of cardio on Elipitical after lifting when I'm up for it and then proper full body stretching afterwards.


Day 6 & 7: Off

Rest. Rinse. Repeat. It ain't fancy, but it's solid, rooted in compound lifts and works for me. I'm looking at adding a cable attachment to my PowerCage and if/when I do, I'll probably be changing this up slightly to allow for some new movements.


Goals

My goals this year are very simple. One; get bigger. Two; get stronger. Three; put a little more focus on dropping the BF percentage I'm carrying (roughly 14%) than I have in the past 18 months.


Diet
My diet consists of a lot of protein (fresh chicken, turkey, fish, beef, eggs, & whey and casein shakes), lots of fresh veggies and fruits, complex carbs (oatmeal, yams, brown and wild rice, whole wheat pasta), and good fats (EVOO, Flax, fish oil). I eat almost no processed flour or sugars, have no caffeine intake other than an occasional cup of green tea, and drink roughly 1-1.5 gallons of water per day. I put the focus at about 55% protein/ 30% carbs/and 15% fats though I will pretty much reverse the fat and carbs percentages if I'm carb cycling which I do occassionally.

Currently, I'm being treated for low testosterone through the use of the HCG drug Novarel, which allows the continued production of sperm whereas straight testosterone replacement therapy does not. I will be switching to regular testosterone sometime in the coming months as I can't stay on the HCG therapy forever and the intended result of doing so is looking less and less likely though we haven't completely given up hope. When I make the switch, I will probably see a marked improvement in my strength, body composition and energy levels (which are already better than they were prior to my HCG therapy).

Supplementation

My current supplement/vitamin list looks like this:

Vitargo (Waxy Maize Starch)
Scivation Xtend
Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold
Optimum Nutrition Casein
Higher Power Glutamine 1000
NOW ZMA
NOW Glucosamine/MSM
NOW Adam Mutli-Vitamin
Fish Oil Caps
Twin Labs Vegetarion B-12 Dots

And, I just started a trial with some hyuralonic acid. Glucosamine is basically a precursor to it, so using it skips the conversion step in the body. It feeds and lubricates the joints and ligaments, only 20 times more efficiently than glucosamine. It doesn't survive the gut very well, though, but Jarrow has patented a formula that enables hyuralonic acid to survive the digestion process. It takes awhile to kick in and I've only been on it for a couple weeks, so I'll have a better idea on whether I'll continue this one in maybe another four weeks or so. I know guys who swear by this stuff, even though it's a little pricey. I'm also considering doing a trial with a green tea supplement because of the antioxidant properties it carries.

All in all, though, the food I eat is really where the bulk of my spend goes.

And, so, that's about it. If there are any questions or thoughts about what I'm doing, they're welcomed. I'm more than happy to share what I've learned from so many of the folks here as well as continue to learn more and more about how to make what I do more effective and efficient. I have greatly enjoyed the camaraderie, support, exchange of information and ideas, humor and bouts of insanity this forum has offered over the last couple of years and that is why I continue to keep my lifting journal here. I wish each and every one of you a fantastic and productive year full of joy and success, not only in the gym but in all aspects of your life.

Cheers,
jag

[Gunn27]

About bloody time!

[kimsquit]

*subscribed*

~ Chris

[ChocoChick]

Looks very well thought out, Jag. Good luck with it all.

[dbx]

Good luck in 07', Jag. Looks like you've got a great plan.

[eddied27]

Sorry.....had to subscribe!

Looks like a solid routine jag.....looking forward to seeing some impressive work from ya.

Take care.....Ed

EDIT: jag....one question: you talk about resting 30-60 seconds to maximize strength. I've usually seen rest of >2minutes on strength programs dependent on the the lift. I'm assuming you're not going to failure on the 6x3's which is why you're keeping rest at 30-60 seconds. Do I have it right?? Curious.......

[jmc53]

Originally Posted by eddied27

EDIT: jag....one question: you talk about resting 30-60 seconds to maximize strength. I've usually seen rest of >2minutes on strength programs dependent on the the lift. Curious.......

What he said! ^^^
Good to see you back on page 1.

[Mr. Someday]

You wanna know the answer to all 3 of those goals Jag? I know you already know it, you just don't want to hear it!!!

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio

[\S/]

On board!

[StlBarbie]

BIG WAVES BIG CAT!!!
Can't wait to follow along!!!

[GREENFEATHER]

I missed you... no homo !!

[Chubby Mom]

Hi Jag good to have you back

[justtryn]

Hey Jag! Great to see you've got your new journal going. I like what you've got planned. Should set you on the road to continued growth. The Mrs. uses hyuralonic acid as well for her knees. Seems to get some benefit from it, as well. Onward!

[BoiseLifer]

Hey Jag! Good to see you back. How are the sinuses?

[GSCampbell]

Blah, Blah, Blah! :d

[joed]

What Mongo said, but less eloquently.

[jtroster]

Welcome back Jungle Cat.

[Flynn]

Hey Jag, Happy New Year. Btw, good detail. Let's see how long it holds - j/k .

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by MachineGunn

About bloody time!

Originally Posted by kimsquit

*subscribed*

~ Chris

It'll be like the copy of the crappy newsletter your neighborhood home owners association puts out that you don't even really read, won't it? :sadbutforgingonanywaysmiley:

Originally Posted by chocolategirl

Looks very well thought out, Jag. Good luck with it all.

Thanks, chocolategirl!

Originally Posted by Smokey The Bear

Good luck in 07', Jag. Looks like you've got a great plan.

Thanks, bro! I've gotten to where I've learned what does work for me and what doesn't. Just a matter of doing it and trying new things every now and again as well.

Originally Posted by Beast

Sorry.....had to subscribe!

Looks like a solid routine jag.....looking forward to seeing some impressive work from ya.

Take care.....Ed

EDIT: jag....one question: you talk about resting 30-60 seconds to maximize strength. I've usually seen rest of >2minutes on strength programs dependent on the the lift. I'm assuming you're not going to failure on the 6x3's which is why you're keeping rest at 30-60 seconds. Do I have it right?? Curious.......

Yeah, the >2 minutes thing is pretty common with power lifting type routines and some other programs and is definitely strength focused, but I've always read the 30-60 second rest as being more geared towards strength than mass building. Glad to you have you on board!

Originally Posted by The Thunder From Down Under

What he said! ^^^
Good to see you back on page 1.

I slipped to page 2 again. I'm so embarrassed. :embarrassedsmiley:

Originally Posted by Mr. Smooth

You wanna know the answer to all 3 of those goals Jag? I know you already know it, you just don't want to hear it!!!

Cardio, Cardio, Cardio

You know what? I do know it and cardio has been sort of the big missing ingredient from my magic recipe. I do some, and I've gotten much better about it the last couple of months, but not nearly to the extent that I need to be. Thanks for the reality check and reminder, Steve.

Originally Posted by Youngblood

On board!

We'll make ye stand on the poop deck, ye scurvy dog! Sorry...>I don't know where the hell that came from.

Originally Posted by Bionic Barbie

BIG WAVES BIG CAT!!!
Can't wait to follow along!!!

Barb, it's always a pleasure to have you in my journal. Your enthusiasm and support is such a big boost for me and everyone else around here to give it our all. Thank you.

Originally Posted by GREENFEATHER

I missed you... no homo !!

My brotha from anotha motha!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Not At All Chubby Mom

Hi Jag ! good to have you back

Thanks! It's still going to be pretty busy for me at work for awhile, but I'll do my best to keep up with ya'll!

Originally Posted by Cookie Monster

Hey Jag! Great to see you've got your new journal going. I like what you've got planned. Should set you on the road to continued growth. The Mrs. uses hyuralonic acid as well for her knees. Seems to get some benefit from it, as well. Onward!

Thanks, Mark! After the holidays and some crazy business travel last week ( I didn't get TOO far out of line with my diet, but I didn't really get to work out like I prefer to), I'm ready to get dialed back in and start pounding the iron again. Is JT2 using the Jarrow brand of hyuralonic acid or a different one? Has it worked well for her?

Originally Posted by BoiseLifer

Hey Jag! Good to see you back. How are the sinuses?

Thanks, man! The sinuses are doing great! How about yours!? You healed up and hitting the weight hard and heavy again?

Originally Posted by Mongol

Blah, Blah, Blah! :d

Oh, it's always about YOU, isn't it?

Originally Posted by Mean Joe Green

What Mongo said, but less eloquently.

Oh, it's always about Mongo, isn't it!?

Originally Posted by The Mad Scientist

Welcome back Jungle Cat.

Thanks, Joel! Looks like you're still wailing away on the iron in your journal! Keep up the good work!

Originally Posted by The Mighty Flynn

Hey Jag, Happy New Year. Btw, good detail. Let's see how long it holds - j/k .

If I tell ya'll what I'm doing up front in great detail then I don't have to explain anything later on.

Hitting chest & tri's tonight after work. I also ordered my lat tower option for my power rack today. Looking forward to doing some tri pushdowns, cable rows, lat isolation and other fun things with it. Whoo!

Alright, back to work for me. It's still insanity around here.
jag

[justtryn]

Originally Posted by jaguarr

Is JT2 using the Jarrow brand of hyuralonic acid or a different one? Has it worked well for her?

She's using NOW brand. I think it's been working pretty, well, although the cold weather seems to be bothering her knee a little bit.

[jaguarr]

Originally Posted by justtryn

She's using NOW brand. I think it's been working pretty, well, although the cold weather seems to be bothering her knee a little bit.

Check into the Jarrow brand. They've developed a formula that survives the gastric process and delivers the good stuff into the system more efficiently. BB.com doesn't carry it, but maybe if enough of us write in and ask them to start offering it (and why it's better than the other brands), they will.

jag

[Chi_town]

Hey Jag !

Nice to have you back Bud!
Kick some ass in 07.

[pastorgbc]

I like the periodization and I am starting to see some of the benefits of that myself. It is actually by accident with the holidays affecting my normal schedule and my having to move things around to make sure I get everything in.

I'll be interested in how your supplementation is working for you Hep-Cat. I'm trying some of the adaptogens right now (rhodiola and ginseng) and I do find they are holding the stress down.

Hang in there and welcome back.

Ray

[\S/]

Originally Posted by jaguarr

We'll make ye stand on the poop deck, ye scurvy dog! Sorry...>I don't know where the hell that came from.

jag

LOL have you been watching PotC? ahahaha

[=M=]

Hyvaa iltapaiva, Jag!

Great to have you back.

[StlBarbie]

So looking forward to the CHEST/TRI summary ....... as always, we will be picking our jaws up off the floor!!
Hope you have a GREAT DAY BIG CAT!!

[mom24boys]

(((((JAGGIES)))) big hug, I missed you Hows things in the Jags household and with Mrs Jags?

[jaguarr]

Answering Reader Mail

Originally Posted by Chi_Bacca

Hey Jag !

Nice to have you back Bud!
Kick some ass in 07.

Thanks, brotha! The holidays are behind me and the business travel will hopefully be light the next couple of months so I can knuckle down on the lifting and the diet. Good grief is it hard to get enough to eat when you're on the road!

Originally Posted by Sugar Ray

I like the periodization and I am starting to see some of the benefits of that myself. It is actually by accident with the holidays affecting my normal schedule and my having to move things around to make sure I get everything in.

I'll be interested in how your supplementation is working for you Hep-Cat. I'm trying some of the adaptogens right now (rhodiola and ginseng) and I do find they are holding the stress down.

Hang in there and welcome back.

Ray

Heya, Ray! The periodization is something I worked in awhile back to keep my routine from getting stale. I'm really liking what it's doing for me. The supplementation all seems to be working very well for me at the moment. I'm past the dabbling with designer supps and seem to be turning to only what I need and things that are tried and true for the most part.

Originally Posted by boyscouT

LOL have you been watching PotC? ahahaha

Originally Posted by Queen Of The Thong

Hyvaa iltapaiva, Jag!

Great to have you back.

Hyvaa iitapaiva?? Greenie!!!! Can you get in here and translate for your woman?

Originally Posted by Bionic Barbie

So looking forward to the CHEST/TRI summary ....... as always, we will be picking our jaws up off the floor!!
Hope you have a GREAT DAY BIG CAT!!

LOL! I don't know how much jaw will hit the floor, but thanks for the words of encouragement, Barb!

Originally Posted by Lisa

(((((JAGGIES)))) big hug, I missed you Hows things in the Jags household and with Mrs Jags?

Thanks, Lisa! Big hugs your way as well! Things are great here in the jungle. The puppies are growing like weeds and all is well now that the holidays and their associated stress are past and we're finally digging into the new year.

The Workout

Preface: Kept rest times between 75-90 seconds. Did 30 seconds of stretching of the targeted muscles after each round of sets in an exercise, followed by 10 second muscle group contractions/flexing of the worked muscle group. Man does that burn!

Warm Up: 10 minutes on the "epileptical"

Murderball Crunches - 3x25 w/25# plate on chest

Incline BB Presses - W/U - 135x8/ Working Sets: 205 - 3x6- So, it's been a year and a half since I did any pressing with the barbell. After being forced to use a smith machine last week during my business travel, I decided that I liked the change as it really does hit the muscle group in an entirely different way from the dumbbells and I think it's time to shake things up in the pec department a bit. My only concern about using the barbell, and the main reason I switched over to DB's to begin with, was that my shoulders would hold up as they have given me trouble with BB presses in the past. They held up fine during these, tonight.

Flat BB Bench - W/U - 135x8/Working Sets: 225x6/230x6/235x6 - So, a couple of observations about these, tonight. One, I discovered that I'm a little bit gunshy on these. Probably from them causing so much pain in my shoulders when I last did them regularly. My form was also a little iffy, having not done any of these in ~18 months. I'm mildly disappointed with the weight I was moving on these tonight. I wanted to keep things a little lighter and I discovered that I was really struggling on the last couple of sets. Hopefully I'll see some rapid improvement. I do plan to keep these in the mix for awhile. The pump and the working of the muscle I got tonight was excellent and seemed to hit some places the DB's really don't. I'm gonna have sore boobies tomorrow.

Flat DB Flies -65x6/70x6/65x6- PB! (each DB) - Very nice stretch on these tonight.

Reverse Grip Bench - 205x6/210x6/215x6 - Not too shabby considering I was off from them for a couple of weeks.

Dips -Bodyweight + 95x6/95x6/95x6 - Kept the weight backed off a bit in favor of form, tonight.

Cross-Bench DB Pullovers - 95x6 -- My tri's were fried by the end of these.

After that, I cranked out 15 minutes of cardio (yeah, I know it's not enough for what I need to be doing, Steve, but it's a start! :-D ). I got my Vitargo and BCAA's while I stretched out and put weights away. A whey shake is beckoning to me right now with dinner close behind.

Total lift time: 45 minutes. (not including warm-up/abs/cardio)

So, a solid workout, all in all, considering I don't really count what I did last week working out. I definitely hit the muscle groups I was aiming for. I've got some catching up to do on my bench, but it will come. At least the shoulders held up well. We'll see if they're sore tomorrow or not.

Have a good night, folks!
jag

[=M=]

Good afternoon, in Finnish...hey, I'm still trying to learn it, so I gotta practice on people who don't speak it. That way I don't resemble a butthead!

[jmc53]

Jag, as a fellow shoulder-issue-type-guy I would struggle with the large jump in weight from your warm-up weight to the first working sets (more so at the flat bench weights where the jump is 90 lbs.). Have you considered slipping an intermediate warm-up weight in there, around 175 to 185?
Damn impressive dips.