R.J.'s Workout Blog and Stuff

[rj1965]

Hey all,

Not getting much traffic on my Bodyspace page with my workout blog, so I will try on here. I will be honest and tell ya up front I LOVE any support and comments I can get :>)

A quick synopsis of my fitness history. I have been obese a majority of my life. I avoided weighing myself at all costs, so not sure what my highest weight was. After attending the 2004 Arnold and before turning 39 I made a decision to change my lifestyle. What prompted me was a pic taken with me and three buff babes and realizing I weighed more than the three of them put together (I was at 353 lbs.)

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and had slept with a CPAP machine for several years and had chronic back problems (L4 bulging disc).

I utilized the online personal training services of someone I met at the 2004 Arnold - Wendy Lindquist of British Columbia - and have worked with her ever since. After a year of training, eating healthier and joining a running club, my weight was down to 285 lbs., I no longer needed the CPAP machine to sleep, my back was fine and I ran the 2005 Cleveland Half Marathon.

My current goals are to bring my body fat down to 15% and compete in a bodybuilding competition someday.

With all this new energy, I completed my CTM (Competent Toast Master) with my local Toastmasters club and started my new business as a personal consultant for students and their parents about the application process to get into college and how to finance it. Check it out at http://www.collegesalsa.com if you want more info :>)

Just switched up my weight training routine. Going to three sets for 8-12 reps a set with first two sets as "warm up" sets for the last set which I will lift "heavy".

Today was Back/Chest day.

Oct. 9 workout

Did today’s workout at the school gym, so harder to do chest/back day.

Bench Press 2×12@115, 1×12@145

Lat Pull Down 2×12@70, 2×12@100

Rotary Chest Press 2×12@50, 1×12@80

Seated Row 2×12x100, 1×12@125

Push Ups 2×12, 1×15

Bent Over Row 2×12@30, 1×12@35

10 minutes on bike

I have not done push ups for awhile and it was so weird to do them - lol I am definately stronger than before as this has been the easiest it felt to do them and I felt I could do them without “cheating”. Love doing the two warmup sets as I think it gives me confidence to do the one “heavy” set.

I feel stronger than I have in the past, especially upper body.

Check out my bodyspace profile for pix, past workouts and additional info. about me, including me running on the treadmill in what looks in slow motion, but is actual speed - lol It was taken at the 2006 Arnold where I was doing a 5 mile run on the treadmill while preparing for the Arnold 5K.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far :>)

L8R,

R.J.

[ChocoChick]

Welcome, RJ.

[rj1965]

Uploaded new pix on my bodyspace page under "progress pictures"

[Hibiscus09]

Hi RJ! Looking forward to following along in your journal.

After a year of training, eating healthier and joining a running club, my weight was down to 285 lbs., I no longer needed the CPAP machine to sleep, my back was fine and I ran the 2005 Cleveland Half Marathon.

My current goals are to bring my body fat down to 15% and compete in a bodybuilding competition someday.

Excellent!!

[jmc53]

G'day RJ, welcome and great work so far.
Are you open to suggestions?
I would consider doing an intermediate set in your workouts - e.g. for bench instead of 115 x 12, 115 x 12, 145 x 12 I would consider doing that second set at 125-135. It will be more beneficial, and as you progress it gives you more options - e.g. this week you hit all 3 sets for 12, next week up the middle weight, then when you hit all three sets for 12 again, up the top weight, etc. etc.
Good luck.

[Chubby Mom]

Hi R.J. good work out glad you decided to open this journal. Wish I had some advice to help you out but for now I’ll just have to be a cheerleader. Sounds to me though that jmc53s advice is really good.

[rj1965]

I am ALWAYS open to suggestions, and in fact it confirms what someone else has suggested last night to me.

Thanks for the comment and started doing bumping up the middle set this morning.

G'day RJ, welcome and great work so far.
Are you open to suggestions?
I would consider doing an intermediate set in your workouts - e.g. for bench instead of 115 x 12, 115 x 12, 145 x 12 I would consider doing that second set at 125-135. It will be more beneficial, and as you progress it gives you more options - e.g. this week you hit all 3 sets for 12, next week up the middle weight, then when you hit all three sets for 12 again, up the top weight, etc. etc.
Good luck.

[rj1965]

Did shoulders and arms today.

Due to time constraints and limited resources at my school gym, this was best I could do.

Rotary Shoulder Press 1x12@20, 1x12@40, 1x12@60

Isolated Lateral Raise 1x12@5, 1x12@10, 1x12@15

Barbell Military Press 1x12@10, 1x12@30, 1x12@50

CLose Grip Bench Press 1x12@45, 1x12@55, 1x12@65

Preacher Curl 1x12@30, 1x12@40, 1x12@50

Skullcrusher 1x12@30, 2x12@40

Hammer Curl 1x12@10, 1x12@15, 1x12@25

10 min. on bike

[Chubby Mom]

Good morning RJ great work out

[rj1965]

Wow CM - I am speechless! I have never had a cheerleader for me before. My high school did not have cheerleaders for the golf and bowling teams :>(

So what cheers are for weight training and weight loss?

Lat Pull Lat Pull
Pull down tight
Pull that bar with
All of your might!

Take the plunge
And do that lunge!

How low can you go
With the barbell row!

Come on now
Get nice and smelly
Otherwise, you won't lose that belly!

Don't say "what"?
Just do that squat!

OK, I better stop before I get too silly (if it is not too late - lol)

R.J.

Hi R.J. good work out glad you decided to open this journal. Wish I had some advice to help you out but for now I’ll just have to be a cheerleader. Sounds to me though that jmc53s advice is really good.

[ChocoChick]

Uploaded new pix on my bodyspace page under "progress pictures"

Nice job so far.

[ChocoChick]

So what cheers are for weight training and weight loss?

Lat Pull Lat Pull
Pull down tight
Pull that bar with
All of your might!

Take the plunge
And do that lunge!

How low can you go
With the barbell row!

Come on now
Get nice and smelly
Otherwise, you won't lose that belly!

Don't say "what"?
Just do that squat!

LOL. I think you missed your calling.

[rj1965]

LOL. I think you missed your calling.

Probably missed it because of the constant ringing in my ear.

Hold on a sec.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

Dang, no one there again. lol

Maybe I need to change my profession to stand up comedian.

Thanks for the comments on my pix.

R.J.

[ChocoChick]

So do you have one job or two? I read somewhere that you work for someone and you have your own business. Or am I confused (it wouldn't be the first time!).

[Chubby Mom]

Oh my gosh I love your cheer I think you need to be my cheer leader

[rj1965]

Yes, I work full-time as an academic advisor and instructor at the oldest private university in Cleveland AND I am just starting my own business on the side as a personal consultant to help people with the maze of choosing and applying to the college that is the best "fit" for them and to see about financing a college education without sacrificing an arm and a leg.

Oh, and I have some other business ideas on the backburner as well - (including doing an open mic night at a local comedy club - lol) I need to lift weights and do cardio to give me energy to do everything I want :>)

R.J.

So do you have one job or two? I read somewhere that you work for someone and you have your own business. Or am I confused (it wouldn't be the first time!).

[ChocoChick]

Great, I will need your services in a few years!

[rj1965]

You got it!

I'll have to see if I can find a cheerleader uniform like Wil Farrell had on Saturday Night Live - lol Maybe I will wear it to the Arnold next year and do some special "cheers" as I cruise through the Expo hall and Convention Center.

Do women dig a 41 year old man in a cheerleader uniform? lol

R.J.

Oh my gosh I love your cheer I think you need to be my cheer leader

[rj1965]

Great, I will need your services in a few years!

No problem. Always here to help!

[rj1965]

Did 40 minutes on treadmill using glutteal interval program.

[ChocoChick]

Did 40 minutes of treadmill using glutteal interval program.

That sounds painful!

[Hibiscus09]

Nice job, rj! You're doing great! I love the gluteal program on my elliptical trainer. Anything that works the bootie. It needs all the help it can get!

Happy Wednesday!

[rj1965]

That sounds painful!

No, not painful at all for me.

It did make me realize today how much out of cardio shape I am. I am thinking of doing one body part a day weight training so I can boost my cardio time as it seems to be getting short changed lately.

I was thinking while I was on the treadmill this morning that it is hard to believe I ran a half marathon May 2005. How did I ever train myself to run 13.1 miles with such an "out of shape" body? lol Reminds me I gotta lose body fat so I can run a full marathon (someday!)

R.J.

[rj1965]

Nice job, rj! You're doing great! I love the gluteal program on my elliptical trainer. Anything that works the bootie. It needs all the help it can get!

Happy Wednesday!

I agree! lol I need all the help I can get and if I am going to use the treadmill or elliptical, I tend to use the glutteal interval programs for the incline work. According the machine (which I know isn't the most reliable device - lol), I burned off 440 calories in 40 minutes.

[rj1965]

This goes under miscellaneous ramblings...

Why is it that about every T.V. role Tony Danza has played has been an Italian named Tony? What are the odds?????!!!!!!!

Why are they called "apartments" when they are so close together?

Why is the recipe for Coke such a secret when the ingredients are listed on the can?

Why do you drive on a parkway, but park in a driveway?

Why doesn't the electoral college have a football team?

Why do 12 ounces of Lite beer weight the same as 12 ounces of regular beer?

Why don't cheerleaders ever yell "Offense, Offense"?

Prior to Derek Jeter, the last Yankess who had the most success in the South was Ulysses S. Grant

Why would a football team want to go the "whole nine yards" when it would still have to punt on fourth down?

Why does pizza still have the same amount of calories whether they are cut into six slices or eight?

Why, unlike Sports Illustrated, Nudist Monthly's swimsuit issue is their least popular publication?

Why does the government know how many people did not send in their census form?

Why can Superman have speeding bullets fly off his chest, but he has to duck when a gun is thrown at him?

Why since the movie "Titanic" was released, ships no longer serve Iceburg lettuce?

Why in drag racing, the driver never gets his dress caught in the door?

Why is the bad hop always the last one?

Why are court documents that are up to 10,000 words long be called "briefs"?

Why didn't they walk Mudville's Might Casey when he came up to bat with runners on second and third?

Why if a funeral procession occurs at night, drivers don't drive with their lights off?

How came America's Most Wanted aren't?

Why do we do six months worth of flossing on the morning of our dentist appoinment?

Why didn't Elsie the Cow go to Borden School?

Why do we know about the Secret Service?

Why isn't the crowd at a WNBA game known as The Sixth Woman?

Why isn't a container company in Montana called "Helena Handbasket"?

OK, that is enough off my mind for now.

R.J.

[Chubby Mom]

Did 40 minutes on treadmill using glutteal interval program! Oh yah you are going to look much hotter than Will Ferrell did, when you put on your cheerleading uniform Keep up the good work.

[rj1965]

I was off from work today (YAY!) so went to my REAL gym to workout.

This is what I did:

Leg Press 1x12@360, 1x12@450, 1x12@540

Squats 1x12@185, 2x12@225

Hack Squat 1x12@50, 1x12@70, 1x12@90

Stiff Leg Deadlift 1x12@55, 1x12@65, 1x12@75

Lying Leg Curl 1x12@50, 1x12@60, 1x12@70

Calf Raise 1x12@160, 1x12@180, 1x12@200

Treadmill - 20 minutes on hill interval program

True story: When doing my second set of squats this guy was walking behind me and I could see him giving me this "look" in the mirror. Being the low self esteem guy I am, I am thinking to myself "crap, I am doing something wrong" lol

As I rest before doing the third set, he comes over and asks if he can take some light plates hanging off the squat rack. I said "sure, go ahead" Then he adds "Damn, that is a lot of weight you're doing" and I am in shock and reply "uh, yeah" lol I am SUCH a nerd - lol

After doing the second set for squats, I did not want to add more weight to it as it seemed heavy enough, but for some reason after talking to the guy, , the 225 lbs. for the squat did not see so heavy for my third set - lol

R.J.

[ChocoChick]

RJ, if you do squats before leg press you will probably see some even bigger numbers on your squat.

Nice workout.

[rj1965]

Thanks for the suggestion :>)

I usually do squats first, but the squat racks were in use and I was impatient and went to incline leg press first.

Its amazing sometimes that the DB area will be packed with men and women, then 5 minutes later the area is completely empty!

What's up with that?

R.J.

RJ, if you do squats before leg press you will probably see some even bigger numbers on your squat.

Nice workout.

[fitnessman]

Look at the bright side this weekend!! The Browns CANT lose!!!