Forever Cutting (My Road to 10%)

[kureransu]

by the looks of it, if he hits it twice without fail he goes up a bit.

When I did it i always ended up going down. i'd be like 255,255,255,235,225,205 lol

[TheNormalMan]

Jason, how do you choose your bar weights through so many sets to accurately predict you can still do 5 reps of 255? For me, doing so many early reps would put my final sets all over the map in regards to rep volume.

by the looks of it, if he hits it twice without fail he goes up a bit.

When I did it i always ended up going down. i'd be like 255,255,255,235,225,205 lol

I've been lifting on and off for almost 10 years now. I'm pretty in tune with my body, my strength levels, and how I'm feeling mentally and physically on most days.

That said, there's always lots of factors that affect my ability to lift on any given day and what I think I can handle.

I always start out lighter and work my way up. My first couple sets are just to see where my body is at to determine how heavy I think I can push myself.

I've got enough injuries and tweaks that still haunt me years later, that going heavy right from the start is not a priority for me.

I'm much more interested in seeing how my body feels first before I start throwing heavy weight around. Just takes time and practice to learn what you can do. At last it has for me.

[kureransu]

I've been lifting on and off for almost 10 years now. I'm pretty in tune with my body, my strength levels, and how I'm feeling mentally and physically on most days.

That said, there's always lots of factors that affect my ability to lift on any given day and what I think I can handle.

I always start out lighter and work my way up. My first couple sets are just to see where my body is at to determine how heavy I think I can push myself.

I've got enough injuries and tweaks that still haunt me years later, that going heavy right from the start is not a priority for me.

I'm much more interested in seeing how my body feels first before I start throwing heavy weight around. Just takes time and practice to learn what you can do. At last it has for me.

i can't wait to see what i look like when i hit the 10 year mark of lifting. I'm going to hit 6 years in january!

[TheNormalMan]

i can't wait to see what i look like when i hit the 10 year mark of lifting. I'm going to hit 6 years in january!

You'll be twice the beast you already are, without a doubt.

I wish I could say I had been consistent these last eight to nine years of lifting, but sadly I can't.

Most of my weight training has been marked by period of six months on/six months off type so never really saw what I'm capable of.

Hopefully I can stick with it long term for once.

[TheNormalMan]

October 24, 2014

Arnold Blueprint (Week 3, Day 5)

Thoughts

Tried to add some LISS cardio in today at the end of my weight session, but just couldn't do it. I get too bored and can't even focus on doing it.

Gonna try again tomorrow and force myself to do it again. Guess I'll just keep forcing it till it sticks, as much as I hate it.

Well weight went back up again today. I am going on two months of not losing a pound on the scale now and it's really starting to annoy me.

I'm going to give my current nutrition macros one more week and if I don't see a decent drop by the end of next week, I'm going to run a 3 week RFL run prior to Thanksgiving.

I am still in fat loss mode. I want results and I am not getting them.

I thought I would be happy going slow and trying to recomp like I suppose I technically am right now, but this is not what I'm in the mindset for now.

I want to lose fat and not take this slow and steady. I'm not wired for slow and steady and it's wearing me out mentally trying to grind it out like this.



Workout

Shoulders, Arms

Arnold Dumbbell Press
5x40, 5x50, 5x50, 5x55, 5x60

SUPERSET: Barbell Push Press/DB Front Raise
15x45/ - , 5x95/5x20, 5x115/5x25, 5x115/5x25, 5x135/5x25, 5x135/5x25, 5x135/5x25

SUPERSET: Rear Delt Flyes on Incline Bench/Upright Row
5x15/5x65, 5x20/5x85, 5x20/5x85, 5x20/5x85, 5x15/5x85, 5x15/5x85

Barbell Curl
10x45, 5x65, 5x85, 5x85, 5x95, 5x95, 4x95 (fail)

SUPERSET: DB Incline Curl/Concentration Curls
5x25/5x15, 5x25/5x15, 5x25/5x15, 5x25/5x15, 5x25/5x15, 5x25/5x15

Close Grip Barbell Bench Press
25x45, 5x135, 5x155, 5x185, 5x185, 5x185, 5x185

SUPERSET: Triceps Pushdown/One-Arm DB Triceps Extensions
5x100/5x15, 5x120/5x15, 5x130/5x15, 5x130/5x15, 5x130/5x15, 5x120/5x15

Decline Sit-Ups
1x20, 1x15, 1x15



Nutrition

1600 Calories
140 Grams of Protein

[Groce]

I don't understand how you haven't lost for 2 months when you're on 1500-1600 cals, it should be flying off you at those cals - I am the same about going slow and steady too, wish I could just do a moderate 500 deficit but I get impatient as fuark

[TheNormalMan]

I don't understand how you haven't lost for 2 months when you're on 1500-1600 cals, it should be flying off you at those cals - I am the same about going slow and steady too, wish I could just do a moderate 500 deficit but I get impatient as fuark

I haven't been lost for the last two months because I haven't been consistently eating 1500-1600. I just started that this week with any amount of consistency.

It was much more on an average daily basis prior to that.

[TheNormalMan]

October 25, 2014

Arnold Blueprint (Week 3, Day 6)

Thoughts

Not really in the mood to comment on anything. Nothing to say.



Workout

Legs

Front Barbell Squat
8x135, 9x135, 9x155, 6x165 (fail), 8x135

Barbell Deadlift
8x135, 10x185, 6x225, 4x255

Barbell Lunge (Smith Machine)
8x70, 9x90, 8x90, 8x90

SUPERSET: Leg Extensions/Leg Curls
11x160/11x110, 12x170/10x120, 12x180/10x130, 10x180/10x130, 10x180/10x130

SUPERSET: Standing Calf Raise (DB)/Seated Calf Raise
10x55/12x140, 10x55/12x140, 10x55/10x140, 12x55/12x140, 10x55/10x140

Kneeling Cable Crunch
20x120, 20x130, 18x130



Nutrition

1700 Calories
130 Grams of Protein

[TheNormalMan]

October 27, 2014

Arnold Blueprint (Week 4, Day 1)

Thoughts

Definitely ate too many carbs today. Was having a ravenous craving for them after drinking a bunch of beer yesterday for some reason.

Think I'm starting a three week run on RFL next week no matter what happens this week. Going to do more 3 week cycles this year. I feel I'm ready mentally again.

Tired of not seeing results (I know I keep saying this) and I want to get close to my goal.



Workout

Chest, Back, Abs

Flat Barbell Bench Press
10x135, 10x185, 8x225, 4x275, 3x295, 2x315, 1x335

Barbell Incline Bench Press
18x135 (fail), 11x155 (fail), 10x155 (fail)

SUPERSET: DB Flyes/DB Pullover
17x35/14x45 (fail), 15x35/15x45, 12x35/12x45

Chin-Ups: Wide Grip
1x7, 1x5, 1x4, 1x6

SUPERSET: Bent Over BB Rows/Two Arm DB Rows
18x95/15x20 (fail), 15x95/15x20, 12x95/8x20 (fail)

Hanging Leg Raises (Supported)
1x20, 1x18, 1x15



Nutrition

2500 Calories
150 Grams of Protein

[stingray72]

I bet that 335 x 1 sapped your strength for the Incline bench. (Am I right?) I found for me that whatever I can bench with moderate intensity for 2 reps bench wise i can typically bench 15 pounds more for a single at most.

[TheNormalMan]

So I crashed hard last week and just kind of ended up taking a week off from watching my nutrition or working out.

But that's over and done with. I got four more weeks of the Arnold program and I'm kicking phase 2 off today and getting my ass back to the gym.

Also going back on a slightly modified RFL program and going to be cutting hard until Thanksgiving.

Tired of being tired. Tired of not seeing results. Tired of being last place in my own life.

[GravyVeins]

So I crashed hard last week and just kind of ended up taking a week off from watching my nutrition or working out.

But that's over and done with. I got four more weeks of the Arnold program and I'm kicking phase 2 off today and getting my ass back to the gym.

Also going back on a slightly modified RFL program and going to be cutting hard until Thanksgiving.

Tired of being tired. Tired of not seeing results. Tired of being last place in my own life.

C'mon man, let's power down below 200 lbs! A few of us (me, you, AJ) are right there. I'm ready to stop stalling and start kicking more ass too.

[Groce]

So I crashed hard last week and just kind of ended up taking a week off from watching my nutrition or working out.

But that's over and done with. I got four more weeks of the Arnold program and I'm kicking phase 2 off today and getting my ass back to the gym.

Also going back on a slightly modified RFL program and going to be cutting hard until Thanksgiving.

Tired of being tired. Tired of not seeing results. Tired of being last place in my own life.

RFL again?

[ajdawson]

You've got this dude. You had a bad week but that happens, I've had a few of them over the past month as well. But you can get on top if it and continue to kick ass.

[kureransu]

So I crashed hard last week and just kind of ended up taking a week off from watching my nutrition or working out.

But that's over and done with. I got four more weeks of the Arnold program and I'm kicking phase 2 off today and getting my ass back to the gym.

Also going back on a slightly modified RFL program and going to be cutting hard until Thanksgiving.

Tired of being tired. Tired of not seeing results. Tired of being last place in my own life.

don't try rfl with the blueprint.

[stingray72]

Yeah i binged recently one day for about 2800 calories of surplus and after a few days im back where I was plus i added a little deficit. Honestly just forget how much you were over and begin again its better mentally that way.

[TheNormalMan]

C'mon man, let's power down below 200 lbs! A few of us (me, you, AJ) are right there. I'm ready to stop stalling and start kicking more ass too.

Yup, I've been stalled around here for over two months now. Getting sick and tired of it and I have no one to blame for it but myself.

Hoping to break the barrier well before this year is over.

RFL again?

Modified version, yes.

I'm tired of not making any progress so I go with what works.

You've got this dude. You had a bad week but that happens, I've had a few of them over the past month as well. But you can get on top if it and continue to kick ass.

Thanks man. That's the plan. Hardest part is staying on the horse long enough to see real results.

don't try rfl with the blueprint.

Doing a modified version. I like the Blueprint too much (as hard as it is) to stop after only four weeks on it.

I'm adding in an extra 200-300 calories or so worth of carbs before/after/during my workout to keep myself going.

Doing RFL as by the book would be a terrible idea on the Blueprint but I know my body well enough at this point to know what I need to eat/consume to keep myself properly going.

Yeah i binged recently one day for about 2800 calories of surplus and after a few days im back where I was plus i added a little deficit. Honestly just forget how much you were over and begin again its better mentally that way.

If this had been a one time issue, I'd have been ok with it, but I've been on/off for the last six weeks.

Time to just focus my intensity super strict for short periods of time now and see how much progress I can make by the end of the year.

[Gen1GT]

Keep your eyes on the prize! Sometimes you need a break, but you got this! Start a new log if you have to,

[TheNormalMan]

Keep your eyes on the prize! Sometimes you need a break, but you got this! Start a new log if you have to,

Lol Gen, you and your new logs.

Like I mentioned before, sticking to this one until I hit my goal no matter how long it takes.

Sometimes taking time off logging helps too but I plan too be much more consistent this month.

I find that the more active I am on the forums, the more accountable I find that it holds me.

That being said, I'm looking forward to pushing hard this month and getting some awesome results.

[kureransu]

How many times have you done RFL?

[TheNormalMan]

How many times have you done RFL?

This will be my 2nd run of it and only for 3 weeks as a cat. 2.

I'm not even counting my 3-4 day failed attempt from a month ago.

[Compy386]

You can do it!

[TheNormalMan]

You can do it!

Thanks Compy!

I gotta get this going. Can't let you beat me to 200 at this point!

[kojiiko]

Not heard from TheNormalMan or Compy386 for a while? Anyone know whats happened to them? They changed IDs?

[Gen1GT]

They're off the map for the holidays I bet. Jason, where are you????

[TheNormalMan]

Started a new job about six weeks ago and I've been really busy.

Wasn't really making any progress forwards or backwards so wasn't really motivated to post much or even use my computer much at all.

Things have slowed down at work and I'm hoping to get back into a consistent routine again with both my workouts and nutrition again.

Good/Bad news is I haven't gained or lost anything in the last 2-3 months. Still hovering around the mid 210s give or take depending on water retention.

But I didn't even come close to making my goal of sub 200 and sub 20% bodyfat by the end of this year though.

Hoping to change that in the coming weeks and months.

[BellaValerina]

Nice to see you journaling still through the years. Most people go thru phases in their life (fat, skinny, fit, back to fat, etc). You're still actively perusing your dream and that is very admirable. Keep going strong!

[sa7soon]

And IN. A lot of you brahs are in the same boat as me! Keep up the great work, and don't sweat the stalling, happens to the best of us. Just get back on track and push forward!

[TheNormalMan]

Long Post

Despite the timing of these posts, these are not New Year's Resolutions in a sense that a lot of people decide to change explicitly on January 1.

I've had a lot of time to think long and hard in recent months about my fitness goals, my professional life, my personal life, and everything else I want to accomplish in my life still.

To be honest, I feel like I've been spinning my wheels in almost all areas of my life for the last couple years.

My weight and fitness levels have been in a constant battle with each other for as long as I can remember. I'm in a constant influx and change between making progress and then doing enough damage to revert back to where I was before and oftentimes going back even farther.

In the last three years, I've yet to get under 200 pounds or even under 20% bodyfat which have been longstanding goals of mine for as long as I can remember. These numbers represent mental barriers that I've been battling with since I first began this journey to get back in shape almost a decade ago.

I'm not setting a time frame for myself this year in regards to hitting these goals, but I am going to hit them for once in my life.

I'll be honest, I'm a mess right now. Mentally and emotionally, I'm just exhausted for some reason and I think this has played a large factor into why I let myself fall short of my goals in 2014.

My persona life is a mess. There's a girl I'm interested in, and at first, she was into me too, but I think I've said and done most of the things to drive her off even though I'm still into her.

Having limited dating experience makes this tough for me to know what to say in the right situations and how to properly convey what I'm trying to say yet not sound like an idiot.

I really want to focus my time this year on improving my social relations and having healthy relationships in my life again that can help me grow in the direction I want to go in.

The other major thing I'm going to pursue wholeheartedly this year is my interest in becoming an online fitness author.

I meant to start a blog last year, but time and energy got away from me and I never formally created one like I wanted too.

I am going to my fitness career goals a reality this year.

It's time for the grind of my life to begin.

Time to live my life the way I want to live it.

I'm tired of standing on the sidelines of my life.

The time for change begins now.

[Gen1GT]

Awesome Jason! There are some things in life you can't control (like girls), but one thing you can control is your health and fitness. Taking it by the horns will give you back your power over your life.

Might I recommend this:
http://www.amazon.com/7-Habits-Highl...fective+people

This book single-handedly allowed me to transform my life, providing direction for me to take care of my life, improve my relationships and reach my goals. There are no magic pills, but Stephen Covey shows you how you are in control of your emotions, intellect and life.

Here's a great video to summarize them:
*****://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2L9WR1ay2c