Ironwill2008 V2.0

[ironwill2008]

Nice meal there bub! Thats pretty much my go to 'quick' meal when i need something.

Thanks! I think that's an ideal PWO meal (as long as you didn't go into the gym hungry); it has pretty much everything required for recovery/growth.

I am very jealous of your workout room, very jealous!

Over the course of the first 6-7 years I trained, I went from one gym/fitness center to the next, always moving to either get away from bad surroundings, or just simply to improve my training. I eventually ran out of places to go. At that time, I had a cheap bench, a pair of adjustable dumbbells, and a standard bar/weight plates. I also had a big empty room on the first floor of my house. A friend of a friend was a local Parabody dealer, and I wound up equipping most of the gym in one shot. I added the Smith about 5-6 years ago; it was the last piece I added.

If I had another 2-300 sq. ft. of floor space, I'd add a few selected HammerStrength pieces, but for now at least, I'm stuck with the floor space I already have. Zoning regs here preclude adding on to the house, and leasing some commercial space into which to move the gym has proven to be too expensive.

Yup,he is back now,but very soon he will be calves also!

LOL! True that; I've got to improve these calves!

Great pics to include in your workout! I guess I am also a member of the lagging calf club

Thanks, Tom. Adding a few pics helps to add a little personality into just a page of numbers!


Oh, man; calves have been my biggest problem area. A year ago, I set out to prioritize calves, and actually made a little headway. But it soon dried up, and progress stalled again. So, I'll bump up the volume a little, and then switch back to very heavy/low reps in a few more weeks. I'll ride that for a while, and if I don't see any progress, I'll consider adding a 2nd calf workout in the week.

Good to see ya back "home" at Ironwill Gym

hope you had a good trip.

Hey, thanks, Rich. The beach was nice, as was the entire trip, except for the traffic delays while trying to get home. There's nothing like being stuck at a dead standstill for ah hour, only to eventually see that there was no reason for it. Such is life.

[screwedgenetics]

Thanks, SG. It's a little of both, actually. Getting out of my usual surroundings has always proven to be good for me, while at the same time, being a creature of habit, it's good to be back in my own gym.








Thanks, G-Man! Considering the small-market area in which I live, the gym was a necessity more than a luxury.

I understand that. I rotate working out in a gym during the cold months and in my garage in the summer.

Also, you turned that necessary home gym into a luxury. It looks better equipped than some of my local gyms

[FlaIronMind]

x...whatever # we're at now...on that home gym set up IW...it's sweet!

Good stuff lately and your pics officially awakened my hunger. Gonna eat now!

[ironwill2008]

Great workout Bill.

Thanks! I had a good day; it was good to get back in the groove.

I am sure you know this but I read quite a bit about getting the calves to grow and what I did to shock them is work them 3 x a week. It helped in my case.

Adding a 2nd calf day into the week is on my list. For now, I'm going to bump up the volume, and drop the rep counts, two things that have worked to some extent in the past.

Great PWO meal as usual. That is probably my favorite meal any time of day

Thanks. I post frequently in the open forums about basing nutrition around real food as opposed to supplements, and I want to show that I do what I suggest others to try.

When I first joined this site, I was a slave to all the conventional bodybuilding myths surrounding Insulin spiking, meal timing, and supplement use immediately after training. And while all these methods worked for me, I've since been educated to the fact that there is a simpler, easier, and far less stressful way to get to the same place.

And again, I'm not at all anti-supplement, just anti-BS.

I would love your home gym, Bill. I know my basement feels crowded with more than one person working out, but your setup looks like you could have the local HS sports teams over and still have some room. Just out of curiosity, have you ever had regular training partners at your place?

Thanks, J!

In the last 11 years or so, I've had only 2 regular training partners train in here with me. One trained here for about 6 months, the other for about a year. The last guy left when he built his own well-equipped home gym. He and I have had some casual conversation about leasing some commercial space, combining our equipment, and starting up a "key" gym. I did some snooping around a few months ago into finding a space, but couldn't find anything even remotely suitable for a price we would be willing to pay. Neither of us is looking for a job, which is what would become of putting a lot of money into a place.

I've learned to never say never though.

Good work yesterday Bill. Nice subtle change putting calves in front of the rotation.

As always.... really great pics.

Hey, David, thanks! I've got to improve my calves; I have a few different strategies I'll use on them.

Adding the pics really puts some personality into the journals.

[ironwill2008]

I understand that. I rotate working out in a gym during the cold months and in my garage in the summer.

I think that's a good idea. It helps break up any mental staleness, something that can kill progress just as much as a physical plateau.

Also, you turned that necessary home gym into a luxury. It looks better equipped than some of my local gyms

Thanks! I'll admit, it's better than a few of the commercial places I've trained in around here too!

x...whatever # we're at now...on that home gym set up IW...it's sweet!

Thanks! I'm still trying to figure out a way to add a couple of pieces.

Good stuff lately and your pics officially awakened my hunger. Gonna eat now!

Good deal! Real food = WIN!

[mharrislove]

Priority training is what's all about - good luck with the continued battle. Also, the BB curls are looking strong; welcome back.

[Capt_Lou]

Thanks, Tom. Adding a few pics helps to add a little personality into just a page of numbers!


Oh, man; calves have been my biggest problem area. A year ago, I set out to prioritize calves, and actually made a little headway. But it soon dried up, and progress stalled again. So, I'll bump up the volume a little, and then switch back to very heavy/low reps in a few more weeks. I'll ride that for a while, and if I don't see any progress, I'll consider adding a 2nd calf workout in the week.

This is what I am going to do, I have done the high reps high weight, forced reps, donkey, sitting, standing etc. Now I am just going to blast them with real high weight and 6-8 reps and see what happens.

[ironwill2008]

This is what I am going to do, I have done the high reps high weight, forced reps, donkey, sitting, standing etc. Now I am just going to blast them with real high weight and 6-8 reps and see what happens.

The old story, "Everything works but only for a while," is especially true for calves, I think. The trick is be patient enough to stay with something and give it a chance to work, while at the same time not wasting effort flogging a dead horse.

At least for me, the last time I saw some improvement, it was only after several months of flogging them with low reps, with no apparent improvement, and then all of a sudden, I saw progress in the mirror.

You'd think that beating them hard enough to make it difficult to walk for a few days afterwards would elicit a response, but they can be really stubborn to change.

[janzbot71]

He and I have had some casual conversation about leasing some commercial space, combining our equipment, and starting up a "key" gym. I did some snooping around a few months ago into finding a space, but couldn't find anything even remotely suitable for a price we would be willing to pay. Neither of us is looking for a job, which is what would become of putting a lot of money into a place.

I've learned to never say never though.

I understand about not wanting to make it a "job". Why make a lifestyle you enjoy into something that is "work", right? Well, "never say never" are words to live by... Because on the other hand, I can see "Ironwill Gym" becoming the no-frills, (No Brain, No Gain) go-to spot for people looking to really make changes. (The name is catchy as hell...)

[FastCatChamp]

Probably last in by now, but in.

Nope.....I am probably last in. Have lurked on and off for months. Need to get in here for the education.

[ironwill2008]

Had a good aday today. I was primed to make some progress and did just that. It was good to be back training legs in my own gym; everything here is geared to what I need, and nothing impedes my training. Not even a guy doing Wrist Curls. Today's training was:

Legs

Barbell Squat
135x10 W/U
185x8 W/U
225x5
255x5
275x5
295x5

315x2

Machine Hack Squat PWO (plate weight only)
380x12
380x11
380x11

Barbell Lunge
135x5
185x5
225x5

Romanian Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
380x5

Machine Leg Curl PWO
55x9
55x9
55x9

Completed this session in about an hour. I slightly changed the rep scheme on Squats today, using 5x5 rather than my previous 6 reps. I was rewarded with an extra rep on the top set for my efforts. It's taken several weeks to add just the 2nd rep on that set; the climb to get back 315x5 is going to take a while.

I added a few reps to Hacks, which left me huffing and puffing. In fact, it was the extra rest between sets that was the likely reason for those extra reps. I'll take 'em.

Still in 'maintainance mode' with Lunges. I like these too much to remove them right now, but really don't have the energy to push them much more right now either. This Winter, I can see myself going back to 2 and 3 rep sets on these.

Picked up a rep on Romanians. I'll have these at 5 reps before long, at which time I'll add a little weight to the bar. I've been asked about my ROM on these; the pic above was snapped at the bottom of travel, I believe. Mid-shin is a good place to take these back up.

Dropped a rep on the front set of Machine Curls, but picked it up on the back set, for a net gain of zero. After the effort on the Rom Deads though, I'm good with it.

That's all for today. I'll 'rest' tomorrow, and then get back in early on Wednesday for shoulders and chest.

[merlinsrealm]

Nice solid workout, Great job!

[orca]

Good solid workout Bill. Luv the pics and great form on the squats. You'll be back at 315 fairly soon.

[ironwill2008]

Nice solid workout, Great job!

Thanks! I had a good day!

Good solid workout Bill. Luv the pics and great form on the squats. You'll be back at 315 fairly soon.

Thanks, Kevin. I'm going to continue working to add reps to that top set.

PWO meal today: 5 oz ground sirloin patty, herbed rice, large green salad, and a glass of milk. Red meat, FTW.

[IronAvalanche]

Good work today Bill. Strong leg work today.

[-Lucifer]

Bill, your post workout meal today looks really good. I can almost smell the goodness!

Also, I know I'm going to get crap for this but your glutes are really well developed.

dat_ass.jpg (no homo)

[mharrislove]

At least for me, the last time I saw some improvement, it was only after several months of flogging them with low reps, with no apparent improvement, and then all of a sudden, I saw progress in the mirror.

^^^QFT. This has been my experience, too.

Legs

Barbell Squat
135x10 W/U
185x8 W/U
225x5
255x5
275x5
295x5

315x2


Romanian Deadlift
135x5
225x5
315x5
380x5

Very nice. I swear, there must be some kind of "vacation rebound." I can't count the times that I have seen PRs fall when someone returns from a vacation that lasts less than 2 weeks.

[VoxExMachina]

Good deal finally getting that second rep at 315 on the squats, Bill. You've been pounding on that door for awhile, it's about time it opened for you!

Solid looking numbers on those Romanians, too. When you get back to pulling some max regular deads, I have a feeling these will pay dividends for you.

[2nd_chance]

Good deal finally getting that second rep at 315 on the squats, Bill. You've been pounding on that door for awhile, it's about time it opened for you!

This. Your patience and perserverance are noteworthy.... a real example to follow.

Your RDLs really stand out when you're not pulling from the floor that week.... 380.... very impressive.

[kimm4]

This. Your patience and perserverance are noteworthy.... a real example to follow.

I agree Bill is the most patient man on the planet.

Red meat is just too good.

Great workout Bill!

[ZoranM]

Adding a 2nd calf day into the week is on my list. For now, I'm going to bump up the volume, and drop the rep counts, two things that have worked to some extent in the past.

The old story, "Everything works but only for a while," is especially true for calves, I think. The trick is be patient enough to stay with something and give it a chance to work, while at the same time not wasting effort flogging a dead horse.

At least for me, the last time I saw some improvement, it was only after several months of flogging them with low reps, with no apparent improvement, and then all of a sudden, I saw progress in the mirror.

You'd think that beating them hard enough to make it difficult to walk for a few days afterwards would elicit a response, but they can be really stubborn to change.

Bill, i know you realize that most calves are hard to wake up. Even harder with stubborn ones. Add number 62 to that, and you have a BIG challenge.

I would suggest what i always do in a situation like this, and it's the opposite of what's on your list:

Train them 5 times a week! Only two exercises, one per day for six sets, leg press calf push, and standing calf raises. 3 sets of seated every other day.

15-20 reps, no varying rep range under or above these numbers. For six weeks. "Double" movement (1 second break in middle of the ROM).

If there is no difference in six weeks, i'll buy a hat and eat it !

[storm1507]

49th....and pg 4. (No I didn't count, just a guess).

I was wondering why your journal was not at the top of my sub'd threads this morning.

Nice squats Bill.

[Capt_Lou]

Morning Will, Huge numbers on the RDL! Everyone here is killing me right now on the weights that they are putting up lol....Huge inspiration on what I need to shoot for (with good form of course )

[FastCatChamp]

So mid-shin on the RDLs????? If you go beyond that point do you round the lower back and lose tension on the hammies?

I'm still new to the RDLs.

I'll apologize in advance for the slew of questions that I am bound to ask.

[Cheap5.0]

Thanks. I post frequently in the open forums about basing nutrition around real food as opposed to supplements, and I want to show that I do what I suggest others to try.

When I first joined this site, I was a slave to all the conventional bodybuilding myths surrounding Insulin spiking, meal timing, and supplement use immediately after training. And while all these methods worked for me, I've since been educated to the fact that there is a simpler, easier, and far less stressful way to get to the same place.

And again, I'm not at all anti-supplement, just anti-BS.

I figured this out pretty quick (or just ignored some things quicker than normal). I was timing this, timing that, slamming this, drinking that, cooking then and eating now. It was not fun. And to be honest the only thing i do anymore that is possibly bb.com mantra are the pre shakes/energy mixes and the post whey shake. Besides that, i just eat and eat and eat.

For me, it was not fun to be "spiking" and "timing" things, i just wanted to lift heavy things and eat good food.

[ironwill2008]

I understand about not wanting to make it a "job". Why make a lifestyle you enjoy into something that is "work", right? Well, "never say never" are words to live by... Because on the other hand, I can see "Ironwill Gym" becoming the no-frills, (No Brain, No Gain) go-to spot for people looking to really make changes. (The name is catchy as hell...)

I'd love to have a facility where floor space wasn't an issue. There's tons of good used commercial equipment for sale, but I just don't have anywhere to put it. Besides the cost of month-to-month rent, there's utilities, security issues, and insurance costs. I can see all these totaling $2000-2500/month, minimum, for just a basic setup. That cost would pretty much take the idea out of the realm of a 'friends-only' facility, and force us to try to sell memberships to the general public. And anyone who's ever spent 5 minutes in a commercial gym knows what that's all about-- the diametric opposition of every reason to own your own gym! So, at least for now, it's a pipe dream.

Nope.....I am probably last in. Have lurked on and off for months. Need to get in here for the education.

Welcome! I'm fortunate to have a large number of very knowledgeable posters in here, and it makes for a great place to share ideas.

Good work today Bill. Strong leg work today.

Thanks, Phil. I had a good day, and I expected to bust through a few sticking points. The job now is to do even better next time.

^^^QFT. This has been my experience, too.

It seems like that's always been the case for me, for all bodyparts, ever since I started. I'll work and work, with not a lot of difference in the mirror, and then all of a sudden, one day I'll notice something about myself that I've never seen before. Funny how that works.

Very nice. I swear, there must be some kind of "vacation rebound." I can't count the times that I have seen PRs fall when someone returns from a vacation that lasts less than 2 weeks.

It must be a combination of getting some physical rest along with the mental boost from the change of scenery. Whatever the cause, I'll take it!

Good deal finally getting that second rep at 315 on the squats, Bill. You've been pounding on that door for awhile, it's about time it opened for you!

LOL! That 315x1 was getting pretty lonesome! Now the challenge is to not get stuck at 2!

Solid looking numbers on those Romanians, too. When you get back to pulling some max regular deads, I have a feeling these will pay dividends for you.

I agree; the two lifts are very closely related, with GM's added in there somewhere. Everything helps everything else.

This. Your patience and perserverance are noteworthy.... a real example to follow.

Thanks, David. There's really nowhere to go but up. These days though, it just takes a little longer to move along.

Your RDLs really stand out when you're not pulling from the floor that week.... 380.... very impressive.

Thanks! I've always been strong in both SLDL's and Romanians; I guess I'm just built for them. I did SL's heavy for years, until I felt the need to move a bit more of the load from my lower back to my hamstrings. Romanians directly work my hams, as well as my confidence.

I agree Bill is the most patient man on the planet.

LOL! I'll agree, as far as training goes, but in other aspects of my life, I need a lot of work in the 'patience' dep't!

Red meat is just too good.

Great workout Bill!

IMO, red meat is essential to building mass/strength. There's nothing else you can buy in the store that's as effective.

Thanks, Kim; I had a good day!

[Cheap5.0]

I'd love to have a facility where floor space wasn't an issue. There's tons of good used commercial equipment for sale, but I just don't have anywhere to put it. Besides the cost of month-to-month rent, there's utilities, security issues, and insurance costs. I can see all these totaling $2000-2500/month, minimum, for just a basic setup. That cost would pretty much take the idea out of the realm of a 'friends-only' facility, and force us to try to sell memberships to the general public. And anyone who's ever spent 5 minutes in a commercial gym knows what that's all about-- the diametric opposition of every reason to own your own gym! So, at least for now, it's a pipe dream.

I didnt realize this is what you meant when you said commercial space...lol. Big time!

Something else to remember as well with most commercial gyms ive been too, they are all about one thing. Increasing the bottom line. If you ran a gym with the goal in mind to just reach a minimum level of membership to maintain the facility, would it really be that big of a drag?

Something to chew on...

[ironwill2008]

Bill, i know you realize that most calves are hard to wake up. Even harder with stubborn ones. Add number 62 to that, and you have a BIG challenge.

I would suggest what i always do in a situation like this, and it's the opposite of what's on your list:

Train them 5 times a week! Only two exercises, one per day for six sets, leg press calf push, and standing calf raises. 3 sets of seated every other day.

15-20 reps, no varying rep range under or above these numbers. For six weeks. "Double" movement (1 second break in middle of the ROM).

If there is no difference in six weeks, i'll buy a hat and eat it !

I agree with everything you've posted, Z. I'm going to bump up the number of sets for a few weeks, and then probably add a 2nd calf day. I'll ride that for a while and see how it does. If not satisfactory, I'll add a 3rd calf day.

Back in the day, I worked calves twice a week, but don't have any notes in my old logs to substantiate any real progress from it. That doesn't mean it won't work now though.

One thing I have going for me is the fact that I was able to substantially improve my arms over the last year. And while arms =/= calves, the simple fact that I was able to improve a formerly stubborn bodypart at all is good incentive for me to pound my calves. This whole thing is almost entirely mental anyway; if I think I can do something, I'll do it.

49th....and pg 4. (No I didn't count, just a guess).

I was wondering why your journal was not at the top of my sub'd threads this morning.

Nice squats Bill.

Hey, Will! Welcome aboard the 2nd edition! The old journal was at the forum limit, and I imagine a lock on it was iminent, so I decided to go ahead and start this new one with a link from the old one.

Morning Will, Huge numbers on the RDL! Everyone here is killing me right now on the weights that they are putting up lol....Huge inspiration on what I need to shoot for (with good form of course )

Hey, good morning, Tom!

As you already know, training weight is all relative; a rep here, a few added pounds to the bar there, and it adds up over the long haul.

With the knowledge you've accumulated over the past several months, I expect you'll blast right past all of your previous lifts. There's nowhere to go but forward.

So mid-shin on the RDLs????? If you go beyond that point do you round the lower back and lose tension on the hammies?

I'm still new to the RDLs.

Mid-shin is a pretty good ROM for these. I've seen guys go deeper, but as you noted, it's very difficult to keep the lower back from rounding if you do. And the whole advantage of Romanians over Stiff-Leg Deads is the added load on the hamstrings (which is exactly what I'm looking for). So it only makes sense to use the form/ROM that facilitates that purpose.

I'll apologize in advance for the slew of questions that I am bound to ask.

Don't appologize; exchange of information is why we're all here.

I figured this out pretty quick (or just ignored some things quicker than normal). I was timing this, timing that, slamming this, drinking that, cooking then and eating now. It was not fun. And to be honest the only thing i do anymore that is possibly bb.com mantra are the pre shakes/energy mixes and the post whey shake. Besides that, i just eat and eat and eat.

For me, it was not fun to be "spiking" and "timing" things, i just wanted to lift heavy things and eat good food.

As I noted in the post above, all these things work; it just becomes a matter of, "Do I really have to be so unyieldingly rigid in my eating in order to make good progress?" And unless you're prepping to step on stage (a whole 'nuther ballgame), the answer, supported by real science, is 'no.'

[ironwill2008]

I didnt realize this is what you meant when you said commercial space...lol. Big time!

Something else to remember as well with most commercial gyms ive been too, they are all about one thing. Increasing the bottom line. If you ran a gym with the goal in mind to just reach a minimum level of membership to maintain the facility, would it really be that big of a drag?

Something to chew on...

Here's another big drawback to running even a modest commercial facility, Chris: hours of operation. If you're open to the public, someone has to be there all the time. That someone isn't going to be me! So, now we're looking at actually hiring people, and all that that implies: labor regs, payroll, state/federal tax laws, even more insurance/liability issues, ad nauseum.



The only way I could possibly get this to work is if it's run as a 'key' facility; selected (by either me or my friend) members with their own door key, so that they can come and go as they please. Obviously, these people would have to be trustworthy. Not a problem with only 10-15 menbers; an impossibility with very many more.

[Cheap5.0]

Here's another big drawback to running even a modest commercial facility, Chris: hours of operation. If you're open to the public, someone has to be there all the time. That someone isn't going to be me! So, now we're looking at actually hiring people, and all that that implies: labor regs, payroll, state/federal tax laws, even more insurance/liability issues, ad nauseum.



The only way I could possibly get this to work is if it's run as a 'key' facility; selected (by either me or my friend) members with their own door key, so that they can come and go as they please. Obviously, these people would have to be trustworthy. Not a problem with only 10-15 menbers; an impossibility with very many more.

I dont like the implications im about to pose.....but take it for what it is...



You mean something like a "24 hour fitness"? Those setups are not too bad, and they really only require one security camera per exit.

Just some more ideas...