I hate cardio but I'll love being lean

[Unicron]

Before I even begin to write out my routines, schemes and goals I would like to make it quite clear that I am not a fitness buff, a football fan, a metrosexual, a meathead or even a bodybuilding fan. Though I do have an affinity for the Arnold era of bodybuilders that time has come and gone and we'll never see that kind of comraderie in this subculture again.

I had some passing interest in powerlifting and strongman competitions but my knees will never let me compete at the level I'd like to compete at.


I used to be a weight obsessed lifter, meaning that my interest in weight lifting lay solely in my ability to move large amounts of weight. I might be a little self-righteous about what I have accomplished but when considering most people who lift as much as I do use drugs to get there I feel entitled to some of my arrogance.

Criticism and critiques of my routines are meaningless to me. Not that I know entirely what I am doing, but I have been lifting on and off for close to 14 years now.

There isn't an exercise I haven't performed at least once in my lifting career.


However, I have always fallen short of one idealized goal. That is I have never been ripped. I have never been able to get my bodyfat percentage lower than 15%. I simply want to be able to take my shirt off at a beach without feeling that I am too fat to go topless.


Currently my stats are as follows:
Age: 29
Height: 5'9
Weight: 236lbs
Upper Arms: 19
Forearms:15
Calves: 19
Thighs: 24
Waist:36
Chest:50


My Best lifts:
Flat Bench:
500 x1
405 x 7
315 x 17
225 x 36

Deadlift:
600 x 1 (after only 6 weeks of training, I ultimately ended up hurting my knee from deadlifting and haven't been able to get anywheres near this weight since)

Squat:
500 x 1 (I did this as a teenager before all the problems with my knees. Who knows what I could have done if I had been able to stick with it. I rarely ever trained with squats)


My current training schedule:

Week 1. 3 workouts/ 4 cardio
Week 2. 4 workouts/3 cardio

Training Style: DC with added emphasis on increasing weight on compound movements (deadlifts and flat bench).


Diet: High Protien low carb. I keep it pretty simple and keep the calories under 2600.




Current Progress: I have managed to lift consistently over the past three months. My overall muscularity has improved dramatically since the new year and my bodyweight has gone down though not dramatically.

Up until recently my focus was on adding lean muscle mass. This three month bulking cycle has yeilded fantastic results. The first 6 weeks I made it to the gym 3 times a week, the last 6 weeks I have been going upwards of 4 times a week. Furthermore I have taken two 4 day breaks to recover from potential overtraining and am never opposed to taking a full week off if it enables me to properly recover.

I have had my share of injuries over the years and I am neurotic about preventing them so I have no problem taking time off to recover.


As for how I intend to reach my goal? It's really pretty simple, stick to the diet and DO THE CARDIO.

I have never been able to consistently do cardio. However my view on cardio has changed. My father died this year of heart disease so it puts me right into the risk pool for developing it as well. I view cardio as just another measure of strength, that is cardiovascular strength. While my strength is impressive I'd be more impressed if I could carry the same muscle mass while increasing my overall physical endurance. Everytime I spend 45 minutes on an eliptical machine or bike I see it as putting change in the bank, adding hours to my life.

Whereas before I never had the motivation to follow through on cardio I now have a limitless supply of motivation.


Onto the journal......

[Unicron]

Here is what my diet looks like (more or less):

Meal 1. 4 Eggs, 1/2 cup homefries, 1 cup broccoli

Meal 2. Protien shake, 1 slice bread, 1 tbsp All Natural Peanut Butter

Meal 3. 8 ounce Pink Salmon, 1 cup Cottage cheese

Meal 4. Protien shake, carb drink, 1 slice bread

Meal 5. 8 ounce tuna fish, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup grape juice, 1 slice of bread, 1 cup broccoli

Meal 6. 1cup cottage cheese, 1 tbsp All Natural Peanut Butter



This is in essence what my diet looks like. I like to keep it simple as it keeps me focused. Every 7 days or so I add one big carb meal to keep my metabolism speedy. Furthermore two days out of the week I cut my carbs in half.



SUPPLEMENTS:


Up until this week I have kept my supplements to a minimum. I have been using GNC's sports formula multivit and I've been taking 4-8 grams of EFA's daily since I came back in January.

I'd buy protien shakes from GNC after my workouts but that was it.


Now that I am reducing my carb intake by 80 percent and increasing my protien intake by 100 percent I will start taking a creatine supplement to make sure my ATP levels are up.

For the most part I think supps are useless with the exception of multivits and efa's. I have seen how these supps effect bloodwork so I feel confident they're effective. The protien powder is great but really, I feel protien powders are only useful before and after a workout otherwise you're wasting your money downing it through the rest of the day. Whey protien is too fast acting to be useful for a snack. Really, supplementing is about taking items in concert with your activity and keeping a steady flow of nutrients running through your body.


I will NEVER use an N0 product, what a ****ing waste of money. If you have to use an N0 product just buy Argenine powder and take it 5 times a day. You'll save hundreds of dollars.

And thermogenics?!!? They are the biggest rip off going. If you're just taking thermo's without doing any cardio you're increasing your risk of heart disease without utilizing the "benefits" of a thermo. Otherwise a simple cup of coffee from Mcdonalds would do the same trick.

If it isn't apparent already, I'm highly critical of bodybuilding fads (be them training fads, nutrition fads, diet fads and supplement fads). I have been around since before Creatine hit the scene in 93. I remember Cybergenics, Ultimate Orange, HMB, Vanadyl Sulfate and all the other fad supps from the early to late 90's. Then Muscle Tech came along and blew the doors off the fad factory with their ever growing lineup of useless supplements. Buy that **** if you want to, I rarely if ever took supplements and I benched 500lbs and I can tell you Muscle Tech and EAS had nothing to do with it.


So without further ado, my supplement list:

AM: 2 Multivit, 2 EFA

PreWorkout:Protien Powder, Creatine

After Workout: Protien Powder, Creatine

PM: 500mg Magnesium, 100mg Zinc, 200mg B-6, 2g EFA, 3g CLA

[Unicron]

3/19/07

Flat Bench:
225 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 15
315 x 12
225 x 20

Wide Grip Chins:
BW x 15
BW x 12
BW x 12
BW x 10
BW x 8

Standing BB shoulder Presserformed quickly
135 x 20

Seated Rows (Row Machine) performed slowly, deliberately
270 x 12
270 x 12

Upright Rows: performed slowly
60 x 20

Bent Over Barbell Rows:
135 x 20
135 x 15
135 x 15


3/20/07

Leg Extensions:
110 x 20
180 x 15
200 x 15
200 x 10
200 x 10

Seated Leg Press:
225 x 30
225 x 30

Stiff Legged Deadlifts:
225 x 20
225 x 15

(my leg workouts will improve as soon as my quads get stronger, my bad knees make me leery of going heavy on leg presses, squats and deadlifts)

45 minutes cardio

[Unicron]

3/21/07


Flatbench:
135 x 20
315 x 10
315 x 14
405 x 1
225 x 15

Wide Grip Pull Ups
BW x 15
BW x 12
BW x 10
BW x 8
BW x 6


Bent Over Barbell Rows:
225 x 15
225 x 12
225 x 8
135 x 20


Side Laterals:
20 x 20

Tricep Kickbacks:
35 x 15



I love how everyone insinuates that if your arms are over 18 inches that you must use steroids or how "the pharmecueticals (I) take will catch up to (me)" .. yeah you ****ing douchebags if you can't do it then he must be juicing.

[Unicron]

3/22/07


45 minutes cardio - added 100 grams of carbs to diet to help with constipation from all the protien 'loading'. I also take bromelade for joint inflamation but it has been helping me digest all the peanuts, toasted almonds and cottage cheese I eat.

I'd say so far the only thing I don't like about going high protien is the lack of regularity in ****-taking.

It used to be I wake up, take a dump, wait 30 minutes take another dump and then call it a day.

Now I wake up, I have to drink a ton of water and a coffee just to get the juices flowing so that I have to go.


However, for as full as I often feel (which I don't seem to be getting the sugar lows that I used to when dieting like this) I can see that my body is losing water and there are the faint signs of muscle seperation in my physique.

When this starts to happen it keeps me motivated. 5 days in and I can already see signs that things are working out.

Now what am i supposed to do about drinking?

Firstly, I don't drink beer. Never have and probably never will. I never developed a taste for it. I do however drink a lot of wine and clear alcohol.

The wine will make you retain water, for a second afterwhich you dry out completely because wine, like coffee is a diuretic. But wine has too many calories, vodka on the other hand is better for dieting. Less sugar than wine, less calories than a guiness.

[Unicron]

I had perhaps too much to drink tonight, too little to eat but... I got my ****ing cardio in. Three hours of non-stop dancing to Punk/80's and New Wave burned about 3000 calories. It'll take days to dry the hat I was wearing.

[smellslikeshoes]

Wow your doing some serious reps on some of those lifts. Out of curiosity what have you been mixing your vodka with? Ive been drinking it with diet coke, but I hate coke (and get made fun of for drinking diet) and was wondering what other people use.

[DallasLynx]

Really throwing some heavy weights around in here man. Nice job!

As far as the booze try to find something you like to drink straight up and forget about the mixers. In the end you'll drink a bit less b/c most people can't gulp straight drinks and you won't have to worry about the cals of mixers. You might have to find a high quality Vodka to drink it like that, but in the end you'll drink less b/c it isn't mixed, so it all evens out.

[Unicron]

Originally Posted by smellslikeshoes

Wow your doing some serious reps on some of those lifts. Out of curiosity what have you been mixing your vodka with? Ive been drinking it with diet coke, but I hate coke (and get made fun of for drinking diet) and was wondering what other people use.

Depends on who's my bartender. If it's one of the better bartenders in the area I get a goose and cran. A seabreeze should look clear-pink, not red, as it should mostly be vodka. But if I get a ****ty bartender it's goose and tonic. There are no calories in tonic water. I'd drink alcohol straight but I'd end up over doing it.

[Unicron]

It's the end of the week and I went in for my weigh-in:

Last Week: 236lbs
This Week: 230lbs



Not bad, not bad.


I think for the most part I dropped water weight by converting over to the high protien, low carb diet. Some of this was legitimate fat loss but I would put my estimate lower to perhaps 1lb of fat.


We'll see how next week goes.


I have to admit, this diet keeps me feeling fairly good. I have yet to really spike my carb intake as I haven't yet felt the lull of going carb depleted. I did up my carbs this past thursday by ordering a bowl of rice noodles at my favorite Thai restaurant, however i ordered it mostly for the roughage and meat that came with the meal. The carbs were a bonus!


I can see the weight-loss most in my face, arms and my inner thighs.


I really got to do something about these legs to get them growing. I purchased some knee wraps over the weekend in hopes that they will stabalize my knees for some heavier leg exercises. I'd really like to get my squat and deadlift back up. I took quite a bit of pride in that 600lb dead.

[Unicron]

3/26/07


Flat Bench:
225 x 20
315 x 8
365 x 5
225 x 10


Wide Grip Chins:
BW x 12
BW x 10
BW x 8
BW x 6
BW x 6
BW x 5

Seated Close Grip Rows:
200lbs x 15


Bent Over Barbell Row:
225lbs x 8 x 8 x 6 x 5 x 5 (all done with 15 seconds rest between exercise)


One Armed DB Curls on Preacher: (performed over 2 minutes, each exercise focused strictly on the motion and flex until absolute failure, I could go heavier but I really feel that I can get the muscle stimulated deeper with lighter weight and increased reps.)
45 x F
45 x F
40 x F
40 x F

One Arm Lateral Raises:
20lbs x 20 x 20

Tricep Pressdown:
150lbs x 20 x 20 x 20 (30 second rest)

Standing Push Press:
135lbs x 15
135lbs x 15

20 minutes running


I got a great sweat today at the gym.


Yesterday, deciding that I had stayed true to my diet I decided to give myself a break. Originally I planned on upping the carbs but instead I made some chili with a pound of hot sausage and a pound of bacon. I ate what should have lasted the week... in one day.

So, though I didn't really get a ton of carbs I did overeat and it felt GREAT!

[Unicron]

Incline Smith Machine Bench Press:
250 x 15
250 x 10


Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x 15
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 7
BW x 6


Bent Over Barbell Rows:
225 x 8
225 x 8
225 x 7

Side Laterals:
20 x 25
20 x 25
20 x 17


Overhead Tricep Rope Extension:
150 x 25

One Arm DB preacher Curls:
75 x 10
75 x 6

[daYDreAmErX]

I'm subscribed

I doubt you eat only 2600 cals and I think your protein intake is not that high. My 0.02 !!!

Did you have any good bench routine in the past ?

Have a good day !

[Unicron]

I don't know why you'd doubt that I eat only 2600 cals.

As for the bench routine I always kept it pretty simple, I kept the reps low and the weight high. I'd do a 5 x 5 pyramid routine on Monday and then on Friday I'd pyramid to a max over the course of 5-8 sets though my reps would be lower, in the 1 - 3 range.

Furthermore you can't be a good bencher without a strong back so heavy rowing (barbell rows, seated cable rows, t-bar rows, one-arm DB rows) to failure will help you develop overall lifting strength and power.

Also, I don't do a ton of exercises for chest. I never do more than two exercises, flat bench or smith machine incline. The smith machine incline I'd do on Monday, and every other monday the Smith Machine work would be performed before the flat bench.



So here is an example of a routine:

Monday:
Flat Bench 5x5 up to 90% of max no less than 85%
Incline Smith Machine x 2 sets of 6 (at 90-85% of max)
Side/Front/Rear DB laterals x 2 sets (21's)
Seated DB french Press (very heavy, I'd go as high as 200lbs) x 2 sets of 5-8


Friday:
Flat Bench x 5-8 sets and 1-5 reps.
Seated Row x 2 sets
Standing Push Press x 2 sets
Overhead tricep cable extensions w/ rope x 2 sets


At the time I was a big fan of Dorian Yates training routine. So after the benching I'd only do 2 sets of whatever exercise was next, but again I would go very very heavy.

[Chicken Arms]

How strong were you when you first started lifting? I'm just curious if a guy like me could ever become this strong

[Unicron]

Originally Posted by Chicken Arms

How strong were you when you first started lifting? I'm just curious if a guy like me could ever become this strong

That's a good question.


I was first introduced to weightlifting when I was 14. At the time I was barely able to bench press 135lbs. I quit lifting immediately. It was too embarrassing.

Two years later I lost a fight. The first time ever. I was so motivated to do something about I got into weightlifting. Initially I was using a universal machine and within 2 months I had outgrown all the weight. The weights didn't go very high, maybe 170lbs on the chest press and 130lbs for the pulldown cable.

I switched to free weights once I became too strong for the machine.

At that age (16) I weighed 215lbs. I had always been a "bigger" kid. In that my hands are very big, my feet are a size 13, my arms were big for a kid who never lifted weights so on and so forth, keep in mind I'm only 5'9. But, I wasn't like that freakishly huge kid that seems to be in everyones high school. And furthermore, I wasn't an athlete in the least. So I was as raw a weightlifter as anyone starting out.

Initially I used wieder principles after having devoured arnolds weightlifting encylopedia. I did every fancy exercise there was to do and tried every routine I read in bodybuilding magazines. Six months in I was benching 275lbs and had outgrown the hometown gym I was using. I got a membership at balleys and it was there were I started to meet people who could actually bench over 300lbs. Being young and competitive it only motivated me more, by now I was getting a reputation in school for being one of the stronger kids and I was in a competition with another kid to see who could bench 300 first. I always made a point of lifting in the high school weight room once every few weeks just to rub it in the football players faces. However, my big benching numbers didn't develop until I came across a 13 week program that I was able to break 275lbs.

The program is very similar to my "example routine" that I posted earlier in this thread. It emphasized a 5x5 type pyramid routine and a biweekly max out every friday. Within 8 weeks of using the program I busted out 315 a full week before I turned 17.

By the time I was 18, using more or less the same routine and this time losing massive amounts of weight I weighed 190lbs and was able to bench press 365lbs.

And there I stayed for what felt like years.

I tried everything I could to get through the platuea and even considered steroids when I got some advice about throwing in incline smith machine bench presses for three weeks, and putting them ahead of my flat bench. So I tried it and what do you know I was able to add 15lbs to my bench.

By this time I started reading about westside and learning about speed reps and rack lockouts. I dabbled in some of the powerlifting routines utilizing way more singles and triples and really focused on getting my triceps and back stronger. And then one day in June of 1996 I was able to benchpress 405lbs for the very first time. I maxed out at 435lbs by the time summer was through that year. Then, I got a girlfriend and I stopped lifting.

6 years later of on and off lifting I buckled down. At this time I was living in Round Rock Texas, in a hotel, without a cell phone, without a car and working for dell computers. I relied on the hospitality of others to get me to and from work.

Well, since I was so isolated and very stuck I decided to improve my well being. Years of working for computer companies made me bloat up to 285lbs.

The golds gym I joined was a mile up the access road and I walked or ran that every day to and from the gym in the middle of texas during the middle of summer.

There I met a crew of powerlifters. By now I had been reading up on H.I.T. and DC, I was well versed in westside and all the popular strength training methods.

It was there that I developed something I called "ceiling training". Where in you train at your strength ceiling or 95-100 percent of your max for no more than 1-3 reps. When I first came back I could barely bench 315 for 3.. by the time I left I was benching 455 for 3.

Anyway, after a long summer of ceiling training by the following winter at age 25 and a weight of 237lbs I benched 500lbs raw.


I know this is the long answer to your question but it's a good question worthy of a good answer.

As you can see it took me years to bench 500lbs. Could I have done it sooner had I tried harder maybe, but you gotta figure that injuries happen and that always always impedes progress. Everytime I took a lay off from the gym it was because I was injured. And then I'd get used to not lifting and so I'd take upwards of two years off from the gym. I'd come back and I'd be stronger than the last time I left. It took years of progressive resistance training to get strong.

I seem to be more of an exception than the standard as it doesn't seem that there are many people who get this strong naturally. But having lifted so long and having been to so many gyms I have met a lot of people who over the course of time I have watched grow into very strong people. Some have used steroids and yes they get bigger faster but it doesn't mean they get significantly stronger. In fact the juicers were always weaker than all the natural guys I knew at the same bodyweight, I figure thats why they juiced.

Anyway, can you be this strong?

I don't see why not. If you told me when I was 16 I would be able to benchpress 500lbs by the time I was 25 without steroids I'd think you were out of your mind. But you know, sometimes strength just happens! It just takes patience. I don't feel like I did anything super special to get this strong I'd just try to progressively increase the resistance. You know, add another 2lbs this week to the weight and see how long I can continue to add weight to the bar over several weeks. Once I got to the point I couldn't progress like that anymore I'd take a breather and come back two weeks, sometimes two months or even two years later and improve upon my previous best.

So the short answer is yes, you will be able to be very strong if you don't get frustrated, it doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't happen when you switch to a new routine. It happens over years through lots of trial and error, be patient and train smart and you can be as strong as your genes will allow.

[Chicken Arms]

Thanks for answering my question i really appreciate it. When I started last year I was extremely weak, but I've made slow progress. Not as much as I hoped but I'm getting there. Right now I'm doing 5x5, and my squat goes up pretty steady, but I only get to do deads and military's once a week. And my bench press barely moves. I want to get stronger faster, maybe by working with lower reps on friday, and I wish I could do deads and military's more often. But I know they always say not to **** with the programs... I'm still tempted to. What do you think?

[Unicron]

Well, it's hard for me to give you an opinion about your progress because I haven't seen you train.


I feel fairly confident that almost any routine will work for beginners so long as they keep challenging themselves by not settling for what they think they can lift. So, if you're benching say 155lbs and you can do 8-10 reps easily then it's time to increase the weight 10lbs or 20lbs or 30lbs or however much you have to increase it to drop the reps down to 5 at max effort.


Legs, for most people, grow easily. They may not come out all pretty and **** like a bodybuilder but they will grow muscle easily. Same with deads. The bench press is as much about proper benching form to get your max lift as deadlifts or squats. You have to have a stable base, or strong "core muscles" to keep you steady through the lift. Since you're so new to the game I'd bet your core strength isn't as honed as it will be say two more years from now.

Another aspect of any compound lift is your mental approach. It takes real focus to create enough emotional intensity to release the adrenaline that will help your lift by 10-30lbs. The way I can best explain how you develop intensity is by using a fight comparison. I don't know how many fights you have been in and I don't know how you were raised, but I was raised not to fight with anyone. Thanks mom... anyway there came a point as a teenager where I had to start defending myself or I'd get walked all over. And probably the toughest thing for me to overcome was to muster the anger, adrenaline and will-power to actually punch someone in the face. In essence I had to overcome the morality issue of hurting someone else by allowing the intensity of my rage to overtake me and give me the impetus to actually throw the punch. The point where it clicked, that moment, it's the exact same feeling you get when you decide to lift intensely.

In application to bodybuilding: for years I had half-assedly performed back routines, and I never really quite progressed the way I wanted to. It seemed my rows and my lat pull downs were weak for someone my size. At 245lbs I should be doing more than 200lbs on the row machine and 200lbs on the lat pulldown machine. So one day, on the rows I upped the weight from 200 to 250lbs and I fueled my intensity by taking up the challenge of the new weight, I had realized that though I had performed this exercise many times I never really pushed myself as far as I could go. A particular song came on the radio before the lift, I can't remember what it was, but anyway, it made me emotional (probably something to do with women) and angry... hearing the song I became overwhelmingly sad/frustrated/angry...I huffed and puffed and I barked when I pulled that weight to my chest, not just once not twice but 12 times and I had a more in me!!

Holy ****... that was intense. And that's when I got it... yeah, it was intense. It was the most intense lifting I had done to that point because it seemed so effortless despite my expectation for the weight to "feel" heavy. And the blind rage required to move that weight was almost identical to the feeling I had when I decided to hit that kid (and for the record I hit him so hard that I was accused of stabbing him in the eye as his face was so mangled from that one punch... I was in 7th grade.) I exceeded my expectations by making the ALL OUT EFFORT to exceed my expectations.

(Since then I've done lat pulldowns with as much as 320lbs for 6 reps. And seated cable-rows with 350lbs)


So, my advice, don't switch the routine, just increase the effort and do what you can to develop intensity.

(another intensity trick I'd use, when I was young and still chivilrous and romantic, I'd think about my girlfriend at the time in a life or death situation, like, I'd have to push this weight off my chest or she will die.. usually that got my "psyched" enough to get the number I was shooting for, be it reps or one rep max)


Again, sorry for a long-winded response.

[Chicken Arms]

That makes alot of sense to me. Lately my intensity has been sort of low. Almost like I'm watching somebody else lift the weights. I'm gonna have to start getting more psyched up and just unleash hell!

Thanks alot for all your advice

[Unicron]

4/2/07

25 minutes cardio


Flat Bench:
225 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 13
405 x 1
365 x 3


Incline Smith Machine Bench Press:
225 x 10
315 x 6
315 x 6
225 x 11


Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x 15
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 6
BW x 6


Standing Push Press:
135 x 15
135 x 5
225 x 3
135 x 10

That 225 was a lot harder than I was expecting it to be. I shouldn't put this exercise 4th in my routine if I am going to go that heavy.

Bent Over Barbell Row:
135 x 12
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 5
225 x 5
135 x 10


Side Laterals:these are performed deliberately to get a pump in my shoulders. Since I have changed the arc that I do the laterals at my side delts have finally begun to grow. There is only 30 seconds rest between sets.
20 x 25
20 x 23 failure
20 x 15 failure

Overhead Tricep Rope Extension:
150 x 15 failure

Standing Tricep rope pressdown:
150 x 18 failure

Standing One Armed DB overhead tricep extension:
50 x 15
65 x 8
75 x 6
50 x 10

Seated One Arm DB Isolation Preacher Curl:
75 x 8
75 x 8
50 x 17 failure



Todays workout was a bit extreme. I didn't make it into the gym since last wednesday so I had a lot of work to fit in before I go back again tomorrow.

An hour later and my arms are still swollen from the pump. I don't normally do so much arm work but now that I am thinning out I can see what parts of my arms need developing. My biceps in particular need work. And my Triceps while very large still need better development of the outer head. They don't match my biceps or my shoulders.

Also, my upper chest needs better development. I keep saying I intend to put my inclines before my flat bench but my ego won't let me. However, after getting such a good pump in my upper chest today I think I can let the flat bench slide.

I wish our gym had a T-bar so that I could row that instead of the machine we have. There isn't enough space in the gym for me to throw the olympic bar into a corner and perform a make shift T-bar row.

Also, I'm not doing my cardio. It's such a painfully boring thing to do I try to supplement my cardio with walking through downtown and at our huge mall for an hour everyday but the low intensity stuff is not the same as real cardio. I'm not making my heart as healthy as I could.

In time in time... it's a habit that is going to require nurturing to make it second nature.

[Unicron]

4/3/07


Leg Day



Squats: I know I said I wouldn't be doing them but I can't resist, I'm just using very low weight for multiple reps and sets.

135 x 25
135 x 20
135 x 19
135 x 16
135 x 14

It felt strange doing squats again. I can tell it's going to take me a few weeks to develop some core strength. My groin muscle felt somewhat strained.

Stiff Legged Deadlifts:
225 x 15
225 x 15
225 x 15
225 x 15

One Legged Leg Extensions:
100 x 30
100 x 30

Seated Calf Raises:
280 x 10
280 x 10
280 x 10

Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 10

Seated Wide grip lat pulldown:
250 x 10
295 x 6
265 x 6
250 x 10


I figured that since my pullups have been getting so strong that I'd give the ole lat pulldown machine a try, I haven't been using it in months. I admit I was somewhat surprised how easy the 295lbs was. It was a bit tough getting it down so I could sit but once I was locked in I was very happy with my performance. And No, no swinging, I don't swing my weight to pull it down.

I think I'm going to take some pics tonight. Show the people what I'm working with.

[Unicron]

Incline Smith Machine Benchpress:
225 x 12 x 10 x 10 x 7 x 5 (in one giant super set resting 10 seconds between each go)

Flat Bench:
315 x 5
225 x 15 (speed reps)


Wide Grip Lat Pulldown:
295 x 6 (much easier than last time)

Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 6

Standing Push Press:
135 x 10 x 10 x 8 x 8 x 8 (giant set, 10 seconds rest between each go)

Bent Over Barbell Row:
135 x 10 x 8 x 8 (giant set)
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 6 failure

Reverse Pec Deck (rear delts)
105 x 20
105 x 20
135 x 13
135 x 9 Failure

One Arm DB Preacher Curl:
75 x 8
60 x 12
50 x 15

One Arm DB Tricep Extension:
60 x 12
50 x 15

Side Laterals:
20 x 20
20 x 20



I was very weak and tired today. I didn't have it in me I was so dehydrated from drinking last night. Plus I shouldn't really be smoking the sour diesel before I go to the gym.

[Unicron]

4/9/07


Today was my Birthday, the durty 30.

No partying, no drinking, no presents... no nothing. I haven't felt sentimental about a birthday since I was 13. If I can't get laid afterwards I don't want a party.

Nope, I spent the day reading, eating and lifting.

I didn't really want to spend time with the people that wanted to spend time with me today. I'd rather spend the day reflecting.


Anyway, on to the workout:


Flat Bench:
135 x 15
315 x 12
405 x 1
225 x 21

I was dissappointed with the 225, I had expected at least 26 but a weekend of drinking and carb restricting left me a bit weak.

Incline Smith Machine Bench Press:
225 x 10
315 x 6
315 x 6
225 x 7 x 7 x 5 x 5 x 5

I really wanted to blast upperchest now that the weight loss is becoming more apparent.

Wide Grip Pull Up:
BW x 12
BW x 6
BW x 6

Close Grip Lat Pulldowns:
235 x 12
130 x 20 x 14 x 10 x 7 x 5 supertight form

Front Laterals
20 x failure

Side laterals
20 x failure

Tricep Overhead Rope Extension:
150 x 15 x 8 x 5 x 4

One Arm DB extension:
75 x 6
50 x 11

[Unicron]

Well, I know i have slacked on keeping the journal however I have made it to the gym 4 times since I last posted.


Most notabley I began training with 405 more consistently and was able to beat a friend in a pull up competition. The friend is a lean steroid using bodybuilder who weighs 10lbs less than me, keep in mind I'm holding 16-20 percent bodyfat. I know not everyone is impressed by this ****, but to me it's a big victory. The last time we did one of these competions I won 60 bucks (everyone bet against me that I couldn't do more pushups than the same guy back when we were 20.. he ended up doing 44 I did 82). This time around he said if I couldn't do 20 pullups don't bother. Well, he ended up doing 19 and I did 20. He was shocked to say the least (like all people even though he has personally witnessed my 500lb bench press he still will doubt me because I don't "look" as fit as he does).


The other notable additions to the routine is a dramatic upping of the weight I use for push presses. I can't quite clean 225 (I keep pulling a muscle in my back everytime I try to swing it up, it has to be my weak quads that prevent me from exploding the weight to my shoulders) but I do have it handed to me and I have been able to perform 6 reps without much effort. The guys in the gym are trying to convince me to do strong man - maybe if I weren't so small in comparison to those guys.

Anyway here are my routines from memory:


4/11/07



It's a small victory, I know, but I felt as good about doing the 20 pullups as I did benching 315 for the first time.



Incline Smith Machine Bench Press:
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10


Flat Bench:
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10

21's Giant set:
20 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7
15 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 x 7

Seated One Arm Preacher Curl:
75 x 8
75 x 7
55 x 13

Wide Grip Pull Downs:
295 x 8
295 x 6
295 x 6
295 x 5


4/13/07

Flat Bench Speed Set:
225 x 12
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10


Bent Over Barbell Row:
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 10
225 x 7
225 x 6
225 x 5


Seated Machine Shoulder Press X Seated Machine Row:
130 x 25 x 150 x 26
200 x 12 x 200 x 14


Wide Grip Pull Ups: these were actually performed in the beginning of the workout to honor a bet.

BW x 20!!!


4/16/07

Flat Bench
225 x 10
315 x 10
405 x 1
365 x 5
315 x 5
315 x 5


Standing Push Press:
135 x 10
225 x 6
225 x 5
135 x 10

Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x 14
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 8



4/18/07

Flat Bench:
135 x 10
225 x 10
315 x 10
405 x 2
425 x 1
225 x 15


21's:
20 x 7 x 7 x 7
20 x 7 x 7 x 7
20 x 7 x 7 x 7

Wide Grip Pull downs:
295 x 6
295 x 6
295 x 5


One Arm DB Preacher Curl:
75 x 10
60 x 15
50 x 15


One Arm DB Tricep Extension:
75 x 8
75 x 5
55 x 12


Seated Preacher Curl:
115 x 12
115 x 10
115 x 10



One thing to note, I rarely have done bicep exercises in the past. When I was a teenager I was religious about them, but after my arms got so big and I realized most of it was in my tricep I stopped doing biceps. Big biceps never helped me bench. Anyway, since I have been doing them again I can't believe how much bigger my arms have gotten. I must have added at least a half inch to each arm. Not that my arms need to be any bigger but the biceps definitely add shape that wasn't there before.

[Chicken Arms]

Big enough arms? impossible :P

[Unicron]

My shoulders have begun to get a bit tight lately so I took a break on Friday. I try to tell myself I should workout more not less, being that i get in there 3 days a week and am aiming for 4-5. However if I am going to workout that frequently perhaps I should limit my exercises to 3 and then spend 45 minutes doing cardio as the weight-loss could be progressing at a faster rate.

I don't know exactly what my excuse is. When I lose the weight I feel better about going out yet I lose my interest in working out when I go to the gym for lack of strength.

I simply am going to have to accept the fact that I can't maintain this strength while losing weight.

As it stands my weight is now 225 yet it is obvious to me I am carrying more muscle. I can especially notice this in my back, shoulders, arms and legs. I am a huge advocate of doing wide grip pull ups now after seeing how quickly it has transformed my appearance.

Onto the workout:



Monday April 23 2007

Flat Bench:
135 x 20
225 x 15
315 x 5
405 x 1
455 x MISS
315 x 8
315 x 3
315 x 3
315 x 6
225 x 17


Yeah, I missed the 455 but not by much. I think in another 2 weeks I will have it. I told myself last week I'd try 455 in two weeks but I got impatient. I really felt strong enough to do it however I got a bad lift off that had me spend too much energy moving the weight where I needed it. I lost my breath and subsequently couldn't push the weight.


Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns:
295 x 6
295 x 6

21's
20 x 7 x 7 x7

Side Laterals:
35 x 10
50 x 10
45 x 8 (one armed)

Here I was impressed. Doing 50lbs laterals, which I haven't done since 02. I was even more impressed with myself because I could do it with two arms at the same time. I gotta admit the shoulders are looking huge.


One Arm isolation DB curl on preacher bench:
50 x 15
75 x 6 x 9 Left

Seated One Arm Db Tricep Extension:
75 x 4 x 7 Left

I pretty much lost interest in the workout after I failed to get the 455. No more trying max's on Monday after a long weekend of drinking and pot smoking. From now on max's come Wednesday.

[Unicron]

Since I am not all that into cardio I figured I'd give circuit training a shot, all exercises performed one set until failure with relatively light weight. Three times during this workout I thought I was going to puke, I rest less than 30 seconds between each set and felt as if I were running from machine to machine. The One thing I would do differently is bring a heavy duty carb drink. The sugar low's were killing me. All the glycogen was being sucked out of my body and I felt as if I were going to pass out. None the less I was very happy and have decided that this will be my cardio from here on out.


Standing Barbell Push Press:
80 x failure

Wide Grip Pullups:
BW x failure

Hammer Strength Incline:
360 x failure

Seated Machine Row:
200 x failure

Seated Machine Shoulder Press:
200 x failure

Seated One Legged Extensions:
110 x failure x failure
130 x failure x failure

This means I did each leg twice per set for failure, alternating between legs

Front/Side/Rear Delt Raises x failure

Tricep Pressdown:
150 x failure

Hammer Strength One Arm Preacher Curl:
75 x failure

[Voltron]

What a pimp ass name.

That's what I wanted, but it was taken.

lol

[Unicron]

Wed April 25 2007

Flat Bench:
225 x 10
315 x 10
385 x 1
365 x 3
405 x 1
315 x 3
315 x 6


Seated French Press:
120 x 20

Standing Barbell Push Press:
135 x failure


Wide Grip Pullups:
BW x failure

[Unicron]

April 28 2007

Flat Bench:
135 X 20
365 x 3
315 x 10

Wide Grip Pull Ups:
BW x failure

Standing push press:
135 x failure

Machine One Arm Preacher Curl:
90 x failure
70 x failure

Alternating DB curls:
65 x failure

One Arm Tricep Presdown:
70 x failure
70 x failure

One Arm Tricep Over Extension:
50 x failure

Bent Over Barbell Row:
135 x failure

Seated One Leg Extensions
110 x failure
110 x failure
110 x failure




These days I get a lot of comments about my appearance. People ask if I'm juicing, or ask if I've been lifting weights.


As gratifying as it might seem it does little to get me women. If anything they seem disinterested and those that are interested are women I'm not particularly interested in. If you like the stripper type then you'll have a ball, if you like the college educated artististic types then you're gonna have a hard time (especially if you live in a city like mine, I'd like to regard this as a cultural epedimic, it seems that the older the woman is the more interest she'll have in you when you're arms are over 19 inches), but the young girls, as per usual, are rarely interested. They all seem to associate muscle with violence. Frustrating to say the least.

Still, the new attention is nice. Funny thing is I continue to lose wieght recently dipping down to 223.

I went a while with a low sodium diet but this week I was compelled to give **** food a chance. Needless to say my body has rejected it with authority.

Anyway, this week I resort back to my the original diet posted here.