Justtryn's Continuing Journey

[justtryn]

Ok - so I'm still here and decided I'd try an on-line log once again... thanks to the gentle prodding of a few. Just to catch everyone up... if anyone's interested of course. The end of 05 was, well, surreal with the death of my mother. But I pushed my way forward and got back to the things that give me energy and relieve stress - family and working out.

Starting in late November, I started a 6 week GVT cycle. I was generally pleased with the results and would probably mix a cycle in every year just to shake things up. I'm on a three day split right now (M, W, F), which I'll get to in a moment, and work two days of cardio in a recumbant bike in to the mix as well (Tues & Thurs). Saturday is an optional "extra-credit" day in which I work my legs a second time to try to get them to catch up. I will do this only for a couple more weeks to avoid over-training. I'll then go back to cardio only on Saturday. After the first of the year, the Mrs. and I joined a small gym here in town. We were working out at home, but, to be honest, there were a lot of things I couldn't get done because I didn't have the right equipment (or the room for it). Also, paying a monthly membership fee is an incentive to go to the gym! We signed up the entire family for $45.00 a month! It's definately a "no-frills" gym - but it suits us just fine.

Diet is fairly clean. Remembering to eat my six meals can be a stretch at times. I'm always moving at work, meetings, etc. But I usually get it done. My muscle growth over the last year has been quite good (at least in my opinion) and I'm lifting more than I ever have. What used to be my 1 RM, is now my working set weight on many exercises. I see "muscle bumps" in the mirror as my daughter calls them that I've never seen. I'm probably in the best shape I've ever been in, even if I still have a ways to go on the fat loss. Along the lines of health, I found a new doc - really like him. He actually asks questions and LISTENS to what I have to say. Did some blood work 3 weeks ago - great cholesterol levels (which suprised the hell out of me), but my test levels were "very low" for a 37 year old man - I think the comment was this is the reading for a 70 year old. This is despite the fact that I've been supplementing with DHEA (25 mg a day) and ZMA for a year now. Sigh. He did say this might explain some of my long standing depression issues that haven't responded too well to typical meds. So, we're trying some androgel for at a low dosage for a few weeks to see what happens.

So, now that I've bored everyone, I'll get to my spit:

Goal is three sets of 8 "good" reps. As soon as I hit it, I up the weight.

Monday - Chest and Shoulders
Incline Bench - 215lbs
Flat Bench - 225 lbs (these and the incline used to be my 1RM)
DB Pec Fly - 60 lbs
Cable Cross Over - 45 lbs
DB Press - 60 lbs
Cable Laterals - 30 lbs (on one machine and 50 on another... weird)
Rear Laterals - 30 lbs
Shrugs - 110 barbell (3x20 reps)

Wednesday - Legs and Back
Smith Machine Squats - 205 lbs (because of back issues, I still go light)
Seated Leg Press - 200 lbs
Leg curl - 140 lbs
Calf Raise - 240 (3 x15)
Leg Extension - 160 lbs
Wide Grip Pull downs (front) - 160 lbs
Seated Cable Rows - 200 lbs
Back Extensions - BW + 25 lbs (3x15)

Friday - Arms
Parallel Bar Dips - BW + 35 on Grizzley Belt (gym has one - I love these with the added weight - great Tri pump)
Regular Grip EX Bar Curls - 85 lbs
Cable Press Downs - 170 lbs
Close Grip Cable Curls - 130 lbs
Standing DB Ext - 40 lbs (probably going to go back to skull crushers instead)
Alternate DB Curls - 40 lbs
Hammer Curls - 35 lbs
Barbell Wrist Curls (behind the back) 100 lbs

So, there we have it. I feel pretty good with the split and the mix of exercises. My goal is to finish within an hour each time. My cardio is 40 minutes with a heart rate of 125-135 a minute.

Look forward to your comments!

Mark

[joed]

Good to see ya back JT. Will JT2 be posting too...I mean also... will two be posting too...forget it!

[jaguarr]

Hey, welcome back to Jurassic Park, my friend. Glad to hear you got the bloodwork done, too. Now you can really work to address these things. Split looks pretty good at first glance, as well. Still off the damn cig's?

jag

[Hibiscus09]

Welcome back to journaling! I hope your family enjoys the gym membership. It's good you've found a new doctor you like -- hopefully, the remedy he's suggesting will work for you.

Cool beans about the muscle bumps.

Good luck to you!

[justtryn]

Hey guys - thanks for the welcome back!

Joed - I see you're still trying to recover from Denver's loss! I don't know if the Mrs will post or not. She's keeping a paper journal now. I'll pester her about it.

Hey Jag - yep, still off the smokes. Had a small hicup a couple weeks back, but nothing significant. Don't miss'em either. I'm convinced the exercise has kept the cravings away.

Hey there Hib! Sorry to hear about those Panthers of yours... but what do you expect with the baby blue on their uniforms Oh well - maybe next year. Keep in touch!

Cardio day today. I expect work to be crazy once again, so I'll need the exercise to "cool off." Later guys!

[Hibiscus09]

Hey dude -- I don't root for the Panthers!! LOL I'm a bigtime Steeler's fan and they're doing purty darn good.

[justtryn]

Hey dude -- I don't root for the Panthers!! LOL I'm a bigtime Steeler's fan and they're doing purty darn good.

Yep - I agree. They aren't the caliber they were during the Mean Joe Green and Franco Harris days... but, all things considered, I think Sunday's game will be agood one.

[justtryn]

Well, since tomorrow is payday and we get the joy of grocery shopping on payday, I did my "Wednesday" workout tonight - Legs and back.

Smith Machine Squats - Warmed up with 135 lbs for one set of 10 then moved on to three sets of 8 @ 205 lbs. Felt pretty good - still trying to find that "spot" to place the bar on my traps. Often times I get it too high up and will end up with a sore spot on my neck.

Seated Leg Press - 200 lbs 3x8 - odd clicking sound in my left knee, no pain, but I could feel something move... any ideas?)

Leg curl - 150 lbs 3x8

Calf Raise - 240 (3 x15) - man did my calves burn at the end of this one. Finally finished the 15th on the third set... haven't been able to get there until tonight - I'd fail at 13 or so. So now, I'll move up a notch on the weight for next time.

Leg Extension - 175 lbs 3x8 - will go higher on these next time

Wide Grip Pull downs (front) - 190 lbs - felt really good on these tonight. Warmed up with five regular pull-ups

Seated Cable Rows - 200 lbs 3x8

Back Extensions - BW + 25 lbs (3x15) - my lower back has really responded to these. I've had back problems for years and I finally feel like I'm getting the stregth and development I need.

Abs - reverse crunches (on a bench) 2x20; leg lifts (sitting on the edge of the bench and leaning back) 2x20. After the second set of reverse crunches, I got this odd "rolling" muscle cramp that started on the lower right side of my abdomen and "moved" to the left. I figured I was finally going in to labor!

Well, that's it for tonight. Observations?

[kimsquit]

Good job!

The knee clicking could just be cartilege - how does it feel today?

[jaguarr]

Nice workout, man! Those hyperextensions are a nice addition. I've thought about working those in on back days, maybe doing deadlifts one week and then either good mornings or hyperextensions the other before going back to deads. I agree with Chris on the possibility of your knee just being cartilege. Particularly i it's not overly sore. As for finding the right spot on your traps for the bar when doing squats, it takes awhile to find it. Keep doing those shrugs, too, because the more traps you've got the easier it is to find a comfortable spot for the bar on squats. It's a synergy kinda thing.

jag

[GSCampbell]

Great work!

My knees do the same thing when I do presses. I have had the one scoped out about 15 years ago and I sound like a bowl of Rice Krispies when I walk up stairs.

It could be carilege like Chris says - probably nothing to worry about unless you have pain during or lingering afterward.

GSC

[EricF14]

My knees make a clicking sound if I don't warm up the joint enough before hand. To get rid of the popping I do a general warm up followed by deep knee bends and knee rotations.

[justtryn]

Good job!

The knee clicking could just be cartilege - how does it feel today?

Thanks!

The knee feels fine - no pain or stiffness. I wondered if it was cartilege... it was just an odd sound/sensation.

[justtryn]

No workout today of anysort... unless you count grocery shopping... dodging shopping carts, getting your blood pumping as someone cuts you off in an aisle... grrrr. I hate grocery shopping!

[justtryn]

Well, since I got off track Tuesday and Wednesday due to the monthly pilgrimage to the grocery store, I decided to work arms tonight. Felt really good at the end of the night - beat... pumped, and feeling like I made some good progress:

3 sets of 8 reps unless otherwise noted
Parallel Bar Dips - BW + 35 on Grizzley Belt 3x8 reps - after set 3, I dropped the belt and went to failure with just BW - pumped out another 12.
Regular Grip EX Bar Curls - 80 lbs - with a drop set at 60 for another 10
Cable Press Downs - 180 lbs with a drop set @ 120 for 12
Close Grip Cable Curls - 140 lbs
Skull crushers - 70 lbs - probably could have done more weight but didn't have a spotter tonight and the gym was rather thin. Oh well - still felt good.
Alternate DB Curls - 50 lbs (up 10 from last week) with a drop set at 25 for 15 reps
Hammer Curls - 35 lbs - with two drop sets 20lbs and 15lbs (can you say pooped out guns)
Barbell Wrist Curls (behind the back) 105 lbs (up five lbs from last week - didn't feel as good on this one - probably due to the hammers)

So, that's been my night. Had a dose of creatine and a double shot protein shake right after.... push that protein in!

Question - anyone androgel as an HRT? My doc put me on it 17 days ago. First week, I didn't notice much. This week, my mood has elevated significantly, libido is through the roof, and looking in the mirror, I swear I've had some significant muscle growth. Now the scale says I'm up a few pounds. My diet hasn't changed - clean eating - using the abs diet - six meals a day, approx 40/30/30 split, approx 2200-2300 cals a day (average - some days are a bit less, but seldom more... this is based on calculations from dblf last Summer), lots of H2O. Could I have actually gained that much muscle in approximately two weeks time since I started the androgel? The pharmacy info sent with the stuff says to expect some muscle growth. Anyway - just thougth someone might have some ideas.

[jaguarr]

Hey, man. Nice workouts. I'm not doing androgel, but I can tell you that I see similar things start to happen with my body when my test goes up. I'm seeing those things right now on the Diesel Test and DHEA stack I'm running. My mood is up as are my energy levels and my libido, and my muscle mass is leaning out very nicely as I continue to add more muscle and strength. Gotta love it!

jag

[justtryn]

Tonight was a ccccardio night.... ewww. Nothing too exciting - 45 minutes on the treadmill - 3.7 mph, 3%incline. Just a stroll... although I did run for a short bit (heaven forbid).

Tomorrow is my "extra credit" leg day - trying to get them to catch up - I'll probably do that for a couple more Saturdays. Next week I'll get back to my normal MWF routine.

So, any other ideas regarding the weight gain and correlation to androgel? Total gain was 4.5 lbs, with a clean diet 40/30/30 split. It's just got my curiosity up is all... I think I'll google androgel and see if I can find any data.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

[justtryn]

Saturday was my "extra credit" leg day - pretty good workout - upped most everything from earlier in the week:

Smith Machine Squats - Warm up set of 10 at 135 3 sets at 225 1 set at 245
Seated Leg Press - 200 lbs 3x10
Lying Leg curl - 150 lbs - 3x10 - pointed my toes "out" per a trainer's suggestion - really felt it in my hammies!
Calf Raise - 240 (3 x15) - these kill me by the time I get to the third set.
Leg Extension - 175 lbs - up from 160

Sunday was a waste - was going to try to get 45 minutes of cardio in... didn't happen. Instead I hit the Superbowl snacks hard and heavy. Oh well - first real cheat in probably two weeks. Not the end of the world. (Yea Steelers!!)

Chest and shoulders tonight!

Have a good Monday!

[GSCampbell]

Instead I hit the Superbowl snacks hard and heavy.

Yep - I'm pretty sure I have 7-layer dip coming out of my pores today!

Great job on the workouts!

GSC

[Compuwiz1970]

I am looking forward to whn I get to where you are now. Awesome workouts.

[justtryn]

GSC - I know what you mean about seven layer dip coming out of your pours... at the "party" we went to someone brought home-made chocolate chip cookies. To quote Homer Simpson mmmmmm cooooookies! Boy they tasted good!

Compuwiz: Thank you for the compliament! I don't see myself as having made it very far yet, but I'm trying! (Hence the name) PM me anytime.

Well, time to get to the gym for me! One looong day today. Need some of those endorphins!

[jaguarr]

Nice little leg workout there, man! Let's see an extra 20 crunches for every cookie you had yesterday in tonight's workout, though.

jag

[justtryn]

Extra Crunches for the extra cookies, huh? Sounds fair. I finish my cardio days (Tuesday and Thursday) with an abs workout... so I'll add it there.

Tonight wasn't the best of efforts. I was jacked about hitting the gym, but I ran out of steam far too soon. Of course, part of the problem was an increase in reps (from 8 to 10) and an increase in weight on some of the exercises... bad idea that comes from simply not thinking. I finished, but certainly not with style. Tonight was chest and shoulders:

Incline Bench - 215lbs 2x10 1x9 (failure) - those first two sets felt really good, but when I hit #9 on set three, there just wasn't enough left to get one more up. Thinking maybe I need more rest time in between these sets.

Flat Bench - 225 lbs - ok this one suc*ed big time tonight. Not sure what happened - last week I was fine. Could be again, the increase in reps and the fact that I was spent after inclines. Set 1 - 9 reps, Set 2 - 7 reps, Set 3 - 6 reps. I was really pissed off about that one.

DB Pec Fly - 60 lbs - 10 reps, then 8, then 10. Not happy with the form.

Cable Cross Over - 45 lbs - 1 set of 8 (wanted 10) dropped back to 40 lbs, and hit the other two sets of 10.

Seated DB Press - 60 lbs - ok, this one bites too. Started with 60 lbs - 8 reps. Dropped to 50 lbs - 9 reps, really a struggle. Figured I wanted that third set in but not at the expense of hurting myself, so dropped to 40 lbs and hit 10 reps. NOT happy at all with this one. Think my shoulders were too spent from the benching?? What do you think of dropping the flat bench and just sticking with the incline bench followed by the flyes (I know it's not a compound, but I really enjoy this movement, with a 3 second pause at the bottom). My chest development has progressed pretty well. I only added the flat bench back to the routine in the last 4-6 weeks (I'd have to look back at my written logs). I'm not sure that I'm adding much here.

Cable Laterals - 50lbs - 3 sets of 10. These felt pretty good.

Rear Laterals, lying on an incline bench- 30 lbs - good form 3x10

Shrugs - 130 barbell - 15 reps, 20 reps, 18 reps.

That's it. My shoulders feel like toast! Cardio tomorrow, then legs and back on Wednesday.

[GSCampbell]

Don't get down after one "bad" workout. It looks solid to me but I know how it feels to feel like you dodn't have your best day in the gym - the next one will rock!

GSC

[justtryn]

Don't get down after one "bad" workout. It looks solid to me but I know how it feels to feel like you dodn't have your best day in the gym - the next one will rock!

GSC

Thanks GSC. I was really p.o.'d about it last night. I know - just give it time... not everyone moves up in weight during each workout, unlike some, who shall remain nameless (then whispers the name which cannot be named...jaaaag )

[jaguarr]

Thanks GSC. I was really p.o.'d about it last night. I know - just give it time... not everyone moves up in weight during each workout, unlike some, who shall remain nameless (then whispers the name which cannot be named...jaaaag )

Actually, I have plenty of workouts where I don't move up in weight or don't feel like I was at my peak. GSC's right, not every workout will be stellar and leave you feeling like you kicked total ass. As long as you're doing the best that you can at that given moment, then it was a good day in the gym. Don't beat yourself up over it. It's part of the game. Your shoulders still felt like toast at the end, right? Mission accomplished. Maybe you should give up caffeine or something?

jag

[justtryn]

Maybe you should give up caffeine or something?

jag

[justtryn]

You know, the more I think about it, the more I believe lsat night's workout was simply icing on the cake. I didn't get done in the gym what I wanted to do (3 of 10 with my intended weight). It was just a continuation of what I spent my day at work doing. It was one of those days thta I planned on getting a bunch done, and ended up getting called into endless meetings. Sigh. Oh well - there's always next time.

[kimsquit]

Thinking maybe I need more rest time in between these sets.

What is your average rest between sets?

[justtryn]

What is your average rest between sets?

Usually between 45 and 60 seconds.