Running with the Demon- my long, long journey to the stage.

[NaturalPursuit]

Thanks man, it is hard getting back on a plan after a layoff but I think what helped me is that I didn't slack at home. It was a different environment so transitioning back wasn't that bad because it was still my normal routine while I was at home. I'm still really motivated which kind of surprises me because that's what I struggle with most. That's why I'm glad to have this log and everyone from team demon looking out for me.

GLAD to hear your motivated brotha! If you dont enjoy something then your not gunna go far with it...keep up the good work!

[curjo]

Yesterday was arm day, diet was on plan and everything is getting back to normal. There will be another weight update tomorrow and I'm hoping to drop another 2lbs to bring my actual weight gain to around 7lbs. I can live with that number. New short term goal is to get into the 240's by the new year.

Seated db curl
30x10
30x10
30x10

Superset with lying db extension
20x10
20x10
20x10

Ez bar curls
65x10
65x10
65x10

Superset with rope extension
50x12
50x12
50x12

Skull crushers
45x10
45x10
45x10

Wide grip bb curl
40x12
50x10
60x8

Felt weak on the initial db curls but then everything else felt fine. Legs are brutal yesterday and today from Wednesday. I really pushed them and I hadn't trained them for two weeks so its catching up to me!

[offroadatv200]

Thanks man, it is hard getting back on a plan after a layoff but I think what helped me is that I didn't slack at home. It was a different environment so transitioning back wasn't that bad because it was still my normal routine while I was at home. I'm still really motivated which kind of surprises me because that's what I struggle with most. That's why I'm glad to have this log and everyone from team demon looking out for me.

Love that the motivation stayed. The hardest part about being away for a week is the rebound when you get home but you seemed to tackle that head one. Great job man!
Dont you just love working legs after taking some time off them?

[curjo]

Love that the motivation stayed. The hardest part about being away for a week is the rebound when you get home but you seemed to tackle that head one. Great job man!
Dont you just love working legs after taking some time off them?

Oh ya! My legs are still fried three days later!

Yesterday I missed my shoulder workout due to a flat tire. By the time I got it changed and ran the errands that I had to do it was time for bed. Diet was still perfect. I don't really ever have a problem with that since I pack everything for the day the night before, if it isn't in my lunchbox, it doesn't get eaten.

[Ccm644]

Oh ya! My legs are still fried three days later!

Yesterday I missed my shoulder workout due to a flat tire. By the time I got it changed and ran the errands that I had to do it was time for bed. Diet was still perfect. I don't really ever have a problem with that since I pack everything for the day the night before, if it isn't in my lunchbox, it doesn't get eaten.

Shows a good leg workout!

I like that if it isn't in my lunchbox, it doesn't get eaten

Well done for preparing your food the night before, it helps alot and is a fantastic way to keep on track

[curjo]

Weight: 255.8 -4

Very happy with my weigh in today. That makes me only up 5lbs since my trip. If I could only lose 13lbs every week lol!!! Had to get up early today to get to the gym and get back home to take my daughter to ballet. Workout felt great despite not working back for two weeks straight.

Wide grip lat pull down
105x10
105x10
105x10

Superset with db rows
70x10
65x10
65x10

Bent over row
60x12
70x10
80x8
90x6

Dead lift
135x12
155x10
175x8
195x6

Straight arm pulldown
45x12
45x12
45x12

OHP bb
70x10
70x10
70x10

Superset with side lateral raises
10x10
10x10
10x10

Through in some shoulders at the end since I missed them yesterday.

[curjo]

Here's my last set of deads. Need some critique on my form.
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81bc5c70.mp4

[NaturalPursuit]

Great job on the weights and workouts! I'll have to watch that DL later bro

[Ccm644]

Here's my last set of deads. Need some critique on my form.
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81bc5c70.mp4

Im not expert my confidence on my deadlifts have gone

1st rep was pretty good and as you went on your back bent more or curved.
I would say slow it down a little and keep your chest up (showing the world :P) and lower your legs a bit more on each rep keeping your back more upright

Hope that helps a little

[curjo]

Thanks for the advice, anyone else care to comment?

Yesterday I went to a very disappointing Bears game. We did eat out and I kept it pretty clean. I'm sure I was under my cal goal for the day though as I was away from the house for 12 hours and you can't take any food into the stadium so all I had was my almonds, oats and whey in the morning. Ate out at buffalo wind wings and had 4 wings, 3 jalapeño poppers, 10 pita chips with artichoke dip, 4 grilled chicken tenders, and a grilled chicken salad with no dressing, cheese or croutons. Then at home I had my yogurt and two tablespoons of natty peanut butter. So I could have skipped sampling the appetizer tray that my wife wanted but I didn't. Overall though I don't think I did too bad. I won't be doing that again anytime soon though. I do have my last Bears game of the season in two weeks but I'm gonna make smarter decisions then. Chest is on tap for today, bring it on!!

[NaturalPursuit]

chest up more but looked good man! Takes a while to hit form on the big 3 but once you do it feels great!

[curjo]

I'll definitely try that next deadlift day, I think I tend to bend a little more to clear my knees since I'm a little tall. Ill try to keep the chest up and scrape the knees more I the way down. Thanks.

[demonwareltd]

Here's my last set of deads. Need some critique on my form.
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...ps81bc5c70.mp4

Honestly I didn't think it was all that bad. Just need to be cautious as the set wears on that you don't start rounding your back. Focusing on keeping your head and chest up is a good way to counter this. Also, focus on getting your ass down low when starting the rep and EXPLODE with those legs at the bottom of the movement.

One other thing....the fact that you simply walked the barbell into the rack when you were done blew my mind at first Time to throw some more weight on that deadlift bar!

[curjo]

Honestly I didn't think it was all that bad. Just need to be cautious as the set wears on that you don't start rounding your back. Focusing on keeping your head and chest up is a good way to counter this. Also, focus on getting your ass down low when starting the rep and EXPLODE with those legs at the bottom of the movement.

One other thing....the fact that you simply walked the barbell into the rack when you were done blew my mind at first Time to throw some more weight on that deadlift bar!

Lol! You'll see the weights go up pretty quick on my squat and deadlift. My weak spot is my lower back which is why I'm asking for tips on form. I know my legs could easily handle more on squats I'm just trying to minimize injury on my injury prone lower back. I'm going to take a video of squats tomorrow to throw up and get a critique.

[TakedaShingen]

I'm glad you posted a vid of the LAST set of deads. It's certainly easier to keep good form when you're fresh. Not so much when you're not.

I thought the deads looked solid. Like everyone else said, chest up.
When I first started Deadlifts, I made a conscious effort to keep my chest up and shoulders back. This kept that arch from occurring through the set. Now, let's see some weight on that bar...you didn't struggle even a little. You're sandbaggin lol.

[curjo]

Last set of squats, form kinda fell apart. The last few reps were killer. 215x6
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4fcb627e.mp4

Btw I'm still at the gym lol!

[demonwareltd]

Last set of squats, form kinda fell apart. The last few reps were killer. 215x6
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4fcb627e.mp4

Btw I'm still at the gym lol!

First off, way to grind those reps out. The form looked fine to be honest, exception being you really had to use your low back those last few reps. It's also never a good idea to wiggle around with your feet like you did on that last rep. Can be dangerous with heavy weights on your back, especially when tired. Squat form is one of those things that is so individual that as long as you are not doing certain things like coming too far forward with your knees, you are okay.

You seem to be sitting back a good bit which is right. How do they feel to you? How far apart are your feet during your reps, I couldn't tell?

[curjo]

First off, way to grind those reps out. The form looked fine to be honest, exception being you really had to use your low back those last few reps. It's also never a good idea to wiggle around with your feet like you did on that last rep. Can be dangerous with heavy weights on your back, especially when tired. Squat form is one of those things that is so individual that as long as you are not doing certain things like coming too far forward with your knees, you are okay.

You seem to be sitting back a good bit which is right. How do they feel to you? How far apart are your feet during your reps, I couldn't tell?

Those last few I could definitely feel I was using my lower back too much but I got through them. My feet are about shoulder width apart with my toes pointed out. I shimmied my feet because my feet were pushing against the side of my shoes pretty hard . I know it's something that I shouldn't do.

Well now ill do an update of Mondays chest day. Overall I hate chest day as I feel like such a wuss. Tried to up my bench by only 5lbs and I still couldn't get all the way through the last set without a break. Really frustrating.

Bb bench
120x10
120x10
120x10

Superset with flat fly
20x10
20x10
20x10

Incline db press
35x10
40x10
40x10

Superset with incline fly
15x10
15x10
15x10

Assisted dips
-130x8
-130x8
-130x8

Chest press machine dropset to 40reps x2

Next is my leg workout from yesterday. Felt good overall.

Squat
155x12
175x10
195x8
215x6

Hack squat
110x10
110x10
110x10

Stiff leg deadlift
75x8
75x8
75x8

Leg extension
105x15
105x15
105x15

Lying leg curl
100x12
100x12
100x12

Seated calf raise
70x15
80x12
80x12
90x10
90x10

Standing calf raise
135x15
185x12
185x12
225x10
225x10

[curjo]

Weight: 254.8 -1

Well down 1lb since Saturday and only up 4 since before my trip. Hopefully another two solid weeks and ill be back to where I was. Maybe hit the 240's by Christmas.

[demonwareltd]

You have to remember that supersetting with flyes after your bench sets really does a number on your strength. I honestly don't think I'd be able to put up much more than you do after 3 supersets.

[curjo]

I guess that might be true Stan but I still feel like a wuss!!

Well I'm up in the Dells with my family and missed a few meals yesterday. We spent so long at the waterpark that by the time I got back there was no way that I was able to pound that much food! Today ill try to get them all in though. Already did my workout today with the crappy equipment at the gym here. Just a generic cable machine so I did a few sets of cable curls, single handed then double handed. Then did some triceps extensions and push downs. Then on the treadmill which I probably don't even need because there are so many stairs at the waterpark it's ridiculous.

[curjo]

70 steps to the top of the slide that we've been down about 20 times today. I think I got my cardio in!

[demonwareltd]

70 steps to the top of the slide that we've been down about 20 times today. I think I got my cardio in!

That's awesome. Nothing better than having fun while getting lean

[offroadatv200]

You have to remember that supersetting with flyes after your bench sets really does a number on your strength. I honestly don't think I'd be able to put up much more than you do after 3 supersets.

I agree with stan. After supersetting both flat and incline with flys i would probably be using the 3 pounders!

[curjo]

Well I was good with my diet until today, a piece of pizza, a bag of popcorn, and a mini York peppermint patty. There might be a burger in my future as well tonight. Glad to have this be my last vacation days for a while. So much easier to follow my diet when I'm working 12+ hours a day.

[curjo]

Not a very good weekend and I only have myself to blame. We'll see where I settle on my Wednesday weigh in.

[curjo]

Well I'm back on track and don't plan on stopping for quite some time. Diet was perfect yesterday. It's so much easier when I'm working, I have my set times that I eat and have everything that I need with me, in fact I'm at work so long that I only have one meal at home during the week and its my bedtime snack. Anyway yesterday was chest day and I had to use 25's for my flat chest flyes due to someone using the 20's. This really killed me for my inclines.

Flat bb bench
120x10
120x10
120x10

Superset with flat db fly
25x10
25x10
25x10

Incline db press
40x10
35x10
35x10

Superset with incline db fly
20x10
20x10
20x10

Assisted dips
-120x8
-120x8
-120x8

Machine press dropset to 40 reps x 2

[offroadatv200]

Not a very good weekend and I only have myself to blame. We'll see where I settle on my Wednesday weigh in.

Dont blame yourself man. This is something i have recently been working on as well. You cant thrive on what you have already done, use it as a tool to smash the gym your next session. Youre doing awesome, keep up the work!

[curjo]

Dont blame yourself man. This is something i have recently been working on as well. You cant thrive on what you have already done, use it as a tool to smash the gym your next session. Youre doing awesome, keep up the work!

No I really do need to blame myself. I don't blame myself for cheating and gaining some weight on my trip to Jamaica but if I would have stuck to my plan the last two weekends I would already be back down to my pre vacation weight. Instead I'm getting further away. Not what I'm wanting to do. I have lofty goals for myself and I'm not gonna get there without 100% dedication. I'm also handcuffing Stan as there is no real way for him to know if what we are doing is working with me screwing it up so often. /rant

[TakedaShingen]

No I really do need to blame myself. I don't blame myself for cheating and gaining some weight on my trip to Jamaica but if I would have stuck to my plan the last two weekends I would already be back down to my pre vacation weight. Instead I'm getting further away. Not what I'm wanting to do. I have lofty goals for myself and I'm not gonna get there without 100% dedication. I'm also handcuffing Stan as there is no real way for him to know if what we are doing is working with me screwing it up so often. /rant

This, in my view, is a positive outlook. It shows accountability, and that is a plus. When I lost almost 70lbs, I remained accountable and realized that my actions affect my outcomes, and with that came a new me. I worked hard, stayed on track and in 14 1/2wks, I'll be stepping on stage. Your goals are not "lofty." They are as real as you want them to be. Will it be a long road? Yes. Will you struggle? Yes. Will it all be worth it? You bet your fkn ass it will be!!!

Keep on it man. You're doin good work. I like stopping in here and checkin how it's all goin. Keep it up, and always strive to be the best you can be, each and every day.