VOcean724's Motivational Workout Journal

[VOcean724]

This is my second attempt at a journal..and this time I'm trying something new!

I have decided to create a motivational journal to inspire others to continue to press on with their training and to set goals and eventually meet them with success. The messages will be simple, and I will also include a brief synopsis of how my workout went that day.

I hope all of you will be able to take something from this journal--whether it be the incentive to start a new workout program, a challenge to take your workouts to the next level, or perhaps just a simple message that you can apply to your everyday life.

As with any forum on BB.com, this forum is meant to be an open place where beginning and advanced bodybuilders alike can come to share advice and
motivate others.

I have found a great mental and physical reward through bodybuilding, and I have great aspirations for 2009, the year in which I take my training to a whole new level. I wish all of you the success in the New Year and hope you enjoy the journal!

[VOcean724]

Today's Message: Hold Your Head High

Face it, every once in a while we all need a little extra motivation to complete our workouts. Some days we have incredible workouts that give us such a great pump and other days it's just a challenge to get into the proper mindset. Take my workout today, for instance. For the entire 90 minutes that I was in the gym, my head was just not in the right place. The gym is basically my second home, so this is quite RARE for me! I didn't lift as much as I wanted to, the vibe in the gym was really low-key, and I even almost fell down (literally)--but I got right back up.

I was once told to remember that it's not about how hard you fall--it's about how fast you get up. This simple message is so true, especially when it comes to bodybuilding. Not every workout is going to be amazing. Not every set is going to be simply perfect. But, it is those who keep at it by going to the gym without letting these little negatives get in their way who acheive the most success in the long run.

Even though today's workout was not great, I made sure that I kept going and finished it. And when I look back on today's workout, I will not remember that I did not lift as much or that I almost fell down--I will remember that I held my head high and pressed on.

Rock On, Be True, & God Bless,

Vince

[doobz0326]

Amazing Vince!
I need your journal man! keep posting often and much! I am subscribed and will read whatever you post! Your good at checking my perspective and get me back in the center and in the game! Its ironic you post on 'falling down and getting up." You see I could not lift or sports until a few months ago , dibilitating life long physical condition that was healed that involved mis firing muscles and lots of falls...ask me for details if you want ..... I am still getting used to pushing through my limitations and your journal is like a splash of cold water to keep me pressing on. Keep in touch and check out my journal too . I am glad we are friends

Marc

[VOcean724]

"I am still getting used to pushing through my limitations and your journal is like a splash of cold water to keep me pressing on."

Thanks for those kind words Marc...glad you enjoy it already!

[VOcean724]

Today's Message: Pushing Through Our Limitations

For today's post, I will build on Marc's reply above. In his reply, he talks about how he has had to deal with some physical limitations which have greatly affected his training capabilities. That got me thinking about myself--I too have some limitations that I must take into account with my training.

Today I had one of the best leg workouts I've had since I started my new bodybuilding program on Nov. 23, 2008. It involved nothing too crazy, just basic exercises--leg extensions, squats, lunges, leg curls & calf raises. (By the way, you just can't beat those lunges!)

This was especially rewarding since my right leg is slightly longer than the left, enough so that I am required to wear a 1/2 inch-thick heel support in my left shoe at all times. I can walk around barefoot just fine, but I basically have a slight "limp" when I walk. Several people noticed that my gait was a little strange, so I went to get things checked out and sure enough I had an imbalance. Thankfully, the heel support improves my posture and walk just fine.

Because of the imbalance, however, I have to stay away from a couple of exercises in order to prevent a major spinal injury. This mainly affects my lower body training. I cannot do any leg presses because it's too much pressure on the spine. Also, I must use the hack squat machine for my squats because the barbell also puts too much pressure on the spine. The hack squat machine is much better because it allows my back to rest on the pad, while still executing the same squatting motion with the lower half.

Even though I have some setbacks when it comes to my lower body training, I don't let it get me down in any way. My legs may not become as developed as many of you because of my limitation, but the most important thing is that I can still exercise my legs in other ways.

All of us have limitations, setbacks or injuries that force us to take our training down a notch sometimes. But its not about the amount of setbacks we have, its about how we push thorugh them to come back bigger & stronger than ever.

Rock On, Be True & God Bless,
Vince

[VOcean724]

Today's Message: Do Extra Reps

Typically, I workout 6 days a week. I usually take off on Sundays & also take a break from the strict diet, in order to keep the metabolism in check. On Thursdays, I usually do only abs & cardio, (because I'd much rather do that than nothing!) So that's just what I did today.

One of my exercises were those fantastic hanging leg raises to make those lower abs burn. I was going to do 20 reps for the first two sets and 15 reps for the last two sets, with a 30-second rest in between sets. (I like to keep it moving pretty quickly). This exercise is one of the more challenging ab exercises for me to execute, so I decided to make a small change. For the last two sets, I upped the reps from 15 to 20--just spur of the moment. I also added a few more reps throughout today's ab sets just to take it one step further.

Yeah, it wasn't really something huge or drastic to add a few more hanging leg raises, but the point is I decided to go for it. Perhaps we could apply more reps to our lives in other ways--hold the door open for people, say please and thank you more often, give advice to those who you feel may need it--whether it's inside the gym or not, take some time to do extra reps.
Not only will you feel good, but the other person will too.

...I definitely recommend it for hanging leg raises!

[VOcean724]

Today's Message: Little changes lead to bigger results

I must admit--I let a few lazy reps sneak into a few of my arm sets today! And once the set was complete, I totally knew I could have finished out a bit better than I did. It's those little things in my workouts that I try to take notice of & correct for the future.

Otherwise, though, I had a great arm session today. What gave me such a good pump today was the fact that I shortened my rest periods in between sets. Typically, I used to break for around a minute to recover in between sets. Now, in order to keep a good pump going, I am shooting for a 30-45 second rest in between. Even a little tweak like this can make such a difference in the overall result of the workout.

See what little things you can change in your workout or in your life that can result in a greater positive outcome. For example, maybe you eat really clean, but you can't live without a piece of candy every day (not speaking personally). I think most of us agree that it's good for the mind & body to throw in a cheat meal here and there, but if you must have this fix every day, try and cut it down to two days a week..then one..and then maybe you won't need it at all. Ultimately, little lifestyle changes like this could have a big impact. Perhaps big things do come in small packages!

Have a great weekend everyone! I will resume posts on Monday.

Rock On, Be True, & God Bless,

Vince

[VOcean724]

So its been a while since I posted to this thread...I am going to try and keep up with it a little more now and I am going to include my workout for the day.

This is my current training split:
Mon=Chest/Abs; Tue=Legs; Wed=Back/Abs; Thu=OFF; Fri=Delts/Abs
Sat=Bis & Tris; Sun=OFF

Come about April/May, I will do abs everyday...I think we all know why! But for now, especially since I am in a bulk phase, hitting the abs only 3x a week should suffice. And definitely no additional cardio right now--those calories are precious for an ecto like me!

I am still getting back into the swing of things after a long weekend trip with no workouts..so taking it a bit easier for the rest of this week. I also have been doing a few less sets with a secondary isolation exercise thrown in there (temporarily).

Wed 2.18.09--Back/Biceps/Abs

BACK/BIS

1) Seated cable rows: 15 reps @ 85; 12 reps @ 90; 10 reps @ 95..2x10 dropsets at 90/85; 15 reps @ 85

2) Lat pulldown: 15 reps @ 75; 12 reps @ 80; 10 reps @ 85..2x10 dropsets @ 80/75; 15 reps @ 75

3) Iso-lateral row machine: 15 reps @ 110; 12 reps @ 120; 10 reps @ 130..2x10 dropsets @ 120/110; 15 reps @ 110

4) DB Bent-over row: 15 reps @ 25; 12 reps @ 30; 10 reps @ 35..2x10 dropsets @ 30/25; 15 reps @ 25

5) Preacher curl machine: 15 reps @ 40; 12 reps @ 45; 10 reps @ 50..2x10 dropsets @ 45/40; 15 reps @ 40

ABS

1) 3x30 Cable crunches @ 45

2) 3x15 Vertical bench straight leg raises

3) 3x20 Hyperextensions w/twist at top

Message: Don't get so hard on yourself if you miss a few days in the gym. Sometimes it's necessary to take a break from it all and come back feeling refreshed and more motivated than ever!

Rock On, Be True & God Bless,
Vince

[VOcean724]

Thu 2.19.09--Legs

1) Single-leg extensions: 20 reps @ 35; 15 reps @ 40; 12 reps @ 45..2x12 dropsets at 40/35; 20 reps @ 35

2) Single-leg seated curls: 20 reps @ 40; 15 reps @ 45; 12 reps @ 50..2x12 dropsets at 45/40; 20 reps @ 40

3) Hack squat: 20 reps @ 90; 15 reps @ 110; 10 reps @ 130..2x10 dropsets at 110/90; 20 reps @ 90

4) Walking plate lunges: 1 set of 20 steps (10/leg) w/25s in each hand; 2 sets of 16 steps (8/leg) w/35s in each hand; 1 set of 20 steps (10/leg) w/25s in each hand

5) Seated calf raises: 20 reps @ 80; 15 reps @ 90; 10 reps @ 100..2x10 dropsets at 90/80; 20 reps @ 80

Message: As you can see, I like to throw a lot of dropsets into the mix..it really fatigues the muscle well and gives me a great pump. Doing that last set the same as the first also helps to burn out the muscle as much as possible. If you find that you're bored with the straightforward sets that increase in weight as you go, try some dropsetting or supersetting to mix it up. Always keep those muscles guessing!

Rock On, Be True & God Bless,
Vince