Josh Niemi..."The Journey"

[triplewhammy]

And speaking of dull back aches and squats...today was Heavy Leg Day!

Squats: 135x10, 185x10, 225x8, 275x8, 315x8
Machine Squat Press, 4 sets
Lying Leg Curl, 4 sets

Lower back was still a bit achey going into the workout like always but overall it was a solid day. The biggest issue was that I had a bit of pain on the tops of both my knees. After the workout was finished I figured out why. Typically I do 4 minutes of elliptical and 4 minutes seated bike to get warmed up. Well during my time on the bike is when my knees have a routine "pop" as they get in their groove. Today I did not get a "pop" in either knee which I thought was odd but I just figured they didn't need it or something. Well unfortunately it meant that there was a bit of pressure in my knees that didn't get released so it affected the squatting. Oh well, I still managed.

On a brighter note, to assess my stimulant sensitivity (and begin ramping up for dat dere White Flood) I had 2 Coke Zeros! Although I wasn't expecting much and didn't really get a HUGE effect, I did notice a bit of increased energy and even now at 10:30pm I'm not nearly as tired as I would normally be. Let's hope I'm not up all night but if so, that's why I chose Friday to test! Definitely pleased that ~60mg caffeine can give me a boost though, that's a sign of a solid month-long detox.

Post-workout was a protein shake and...wait for it... ....THREE candy canes! The anabolic cherry goodness is starting to grow on me just as I'm finishing up the fine box of stale Christmas candy.

Other than that, the rest of the night shall consist of OD'ing on protein and Fox News.

[iliftpesos]

subbed

[camaleom]

take care of those knees!

I was in the ditch for two months cause a sprain on my lcl... annoying as fuk

fish oil, cissus, Glucosamine, plus ice every time I finish a WO.

[triplewhammy]

subbed

Awesome!

take care of those knees!

I was in the ditch for two months cause a sprain on my lcl... annoying as fuk

fish oil, cissus, Glucosamine, plus ice every time I finish a WO.

Yeah definitely! The past couple of years I have been much more conscious of warming-up, proper form, injury prevention, etc and guess what -- the best period of gains I've had, go figure!

[triplewhammy]

Had a solid Shoulder/Tricep day today. One of the kids in our church youth group wanted some lifting advice so I worked out with him and gave him the basics. He's getting started at 15 which is awesome. Unfortunately, the bathrooms were "unavailable" at the gym due to some sewer backup issues so I had to go next door in the middle of my workout! So needless to say, for a variety of reasons my workout was not quite as intense as it typical is but that's OK.

I worked up to 4pps x 6 on the Hammer Shoulder Press which was a bit disappointing since I've done up to 8 or 10 before but I finished the workout with some high volume to make it a productive session. Put some serious volume on the triceps as well, barely able to extend my arms at the end. The cold I've had seems to be coming to an end so I look forward to working out at 100%.

Post-workout as a protein shake and 2 anabolic candy canes. After that I went out to Olive Garden with my wife and son but because of how busy it was I didn't actually eat until 3 hours post-workout! So I was pretty ravenous at that point. Threw down 3 breadsticks, 3 bowls of salad, a few pieces of french bread with smoke mozzarella fonduta, and half of my chicken scampi all washed down with copious amounts of H2O. If anyone needs me, I shall be in a carb-coma for the next 24 hours.

So would I consider that a solid cheat meal? Betta believe it!

[Radio89]

Awesome man haha. Im in a carb coma as well, check it out.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=131325643

BTW when is the new vid?

[triplewhammy]

Awesome man haha. Im in a carb coma as well, check it out.
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=131325643

BTW when is the new vid?

That burrito was ridiculous, no way could I tackle that...

All I can say is the longer you are on the journey, the more vids you shall see... Glad you're on board!

[pu12en12g]

Good eats !!

[KimJong-il]

Amazing log partner.....Cant wait till the next vidz posted.

[UHCougar05]

Had a solid Shoulder/Tricep day today. One of the kids in our church youth group wanted some lifting advice so I worked out with him and gave him the basics. He's getting started at 15 which is awesome. Unfortunately, the bathrooms were "unavailable" at the gym due to some sewer backup issues so I had to go next door in the middle of my workout! So needless to say, for a variety of reasons my workout was not quite as intense as it typical is but that's OK.

I worked up to 4pps x 6 on the Hammer Shoulder Press which was a bit disappointing since I've done up to 8 or 10 before but I finished the workout with some high volume to make it a productive session. Put some serious volume on the triceps as well, barely able to extend my arms at the end. The cold I've had seems to be coming to an end so I look forward to working out at 100%.

Post-workout as a protein shake and 2 anabolic candy canes. After that I went out to Olive Garden with my wife and son but because of how busy it was I didn't actually eat until 3 hours post-workout! So I was pretty ravenous at that point. Threw down 3 breadsticks, 3 bowls of salad, a few pieces of french bread with smoke mozzarella fonduta, and half of my chicken scampi all washed down with copious amounts of H2O. If anyone needs me, I shall be in a carb-coma for the next 24 hours.

So would I consider that a solid cheat meal? Betta believe it!

I haven't had Olive Garden in so long, that sounds delicious.

Good to see the next generation getting introduced to weight training, especially by someone capable. I was lucky to have a good mentor when I first started.

[MIKE6191]

Subbed. I was planning on attending OCB MW states this year, but had a conflict (I go to NIU so it's right down the road).

I really like the vids, keep it up!

[triplewhammy]

Good eats !!

Gotta love the cheat meals. Getting a few in before I start cutting again. How you been lately?

Amazing log partner.....Cant wait till the next vidz posted.

Following along on The Journey will continue to give you access to da vidz! Simple as that!

I haven't had Olive Garden in so long, that sounds delicious.

Good to see the next generation getting introduced to weight training, especially by someone capable. I was lucky to have a good mentor when I first started.

Yeah it was pretty good. I was told by a friend that each breadstick has 150 calories. LOL!!!! Definitely, and to think this guy is as young as I was in that HS basketball picture!

Subbed. I was planning on attending OCB MW states this year, but had a conflict (I go to NIU so it's right down the road).

I really like the vids, keep it up!

Great show, incredibly tough.

Glad you're here, this journey is for YOU too.



Josh

[Radio89]

That burrito was ridiculous, no way could I tackle that...

All I can say is the longer you are on the journey, the more vids you shall see... Glad you're on board!

Haha yea man I didnt finish it, but then again I ate it with no hunger at all. Maybe I try again just to conquer it lol

[triplewhammy]

Had a Coke Zero at 10am and another at 2pm then preworkout I had 1 cap Red Zone fatburner (30mg caffeine). So, again not a ton of caffeine but enough to wake me up and get me going. Even still, for some reason I just didn't have the drive or focus going into the gym.

Today was back/lats/biceps and I still made it happen but it was one of those days where you just have to grind it out even though you aren't feeling it. Worked my way up to Corner Rows 6 plates x 16 which is the most reps at the heaviest weight ever which was surprising. My form was not 100% on the last 4 or so reps but I wasn't giving up on the set until my grip failed. Pretty good strength for lat pulldowns as well, working up to 200lbs x 8 and on my bicep curls (Straight bar curl 110 x 6) even though my forearms are still feeling achey. I just had to look past it and focus on the exercises. I think they are in pain from overwork and being overstressed but I refuse to let them slow me down. Towards the end of the workout though I started to get into the groove and had some great high-rep sets which left me with a wicked pump in my back and biceps. The caffeine seemed to help with my endurance and stamina which is always nice.

So having said all this, if you guys ever head into the gym and just aren't "feeling it," I encourage you to still grind it out and make it happen. You will find the part that gets the most growth out of the session is your mind.


Josh

[lhockey]

nice job grinding out a gym sesh despite the pain and not "feeling it".

and your olive garden meal sounds so good, i've actually never been! i know you've been pushing through minor pains while bulking, but i'm wondering what you're strategy is while cutting? do you lift heavier or try to give your joints a break during the calorie deficit?

[triplewhammy]

UPDATE 2/1/2011

STATS
Weight: 190.4
Bodyfat: 13-14%??

TRAINING
1: Legs (Light)
2: Chest/Triceps
3: Back/Biceps
4: Off
5: Legs (Heavy)
6: Shoulders/Arms
7: Off

DIET
~3000 calories per day, 5-6 meals, 200g protein

SUPPLEMENTS
Performance:
ThermoLife E-BOL
CL White Flood
CL GlycerGrow
Prolab Creatine Monohydrate
USPlabs P-Slin

Support:
Primaforce Cissus
Primaforce Elastamine
Multivitamin
Fish Oil
Protein Powder



THOUGHTS
Well, I finished up solid first month for this new year. Gained only slightly more weight than I anticipated but all in all not too bad. The dual leg sessions have been working really well as this is the biggest my legs have ever been for sure.

I successfully tackled my stim-free month and even put up some solid numbers. I also tackled a couple colds, finishing up the 2nd one now.

Today I hit my high-volume leg day and put another 300-rep session on the books. Went up just one increment higher than normal on the leg press to make sure I'm progressing. Felt good but with the White Flood I did not feel as "depleted" as usual at the end. I enjoyed the taste and like that it's not too high on the stims. I will stick with 1 scoop as long as I can, since it felt like a slight "kick" but not too much. Since it doesn't have creatine in it, I am using a basic monohydrate to compliment the formula.

Still rocking the E-BOL as well which I think has helped with recovery. I have really been putting my body through a lot, especially being sick, and I don't plan to slow down any time soon so E-BOL will continue this next month as I train like a madman. There were definitely a few sessions this past month that I was not at 100%. I really didn't get in much cardio like I had planned so I will just assume 2 days of rest each week for the next 4 weeks. At the end of this month I will begin a two-month diet to get rid of the holiday weight I'm still carrying around . After that, the bulk continues!

[pu12en12g]

So having said all this, if you guys ever head into the gym and just aren't "feeling it," I encourage you to still grind it out and make it happen. You will find the part that gets the most growth out of the session is your mind.

Awesome tip, I agree completely ! The stimulation is still "happening"

[triplewhammy]

nice job grinding out a gym sesh despite the pain and not "feeling it".

and your olive garden meal sounds so good, i've actually never been! i know you've been pushing through minor pains while bulking, but i'm wondering what you're strategy is while cutting? do you lift heavier or try to give your joints a break during the calorie deficit?

Ya gotta grind it out for sure. The only easy day was yesterday!

As far as cutting, I actually learned just the opposite: keep the weights as heavy as you practically can for as long as you can. Not only will you retain much more strength, but a LOT more muscle as well (at least in my experience).

As long as there isn't any nagging injury I'm dealing with (which there really isn't right now), my joints and connective tissue stay healthy by supplementing with fish oil, glucosamine, and cissus and implementing proper warming up, quality exercise form, and stretching.

[Rodzilla]

Ya gotta grind it out for sure. The only easy day was yesterday!

As far as cutting, I actually learned just the opposite: keep the weights as heavy as you practically can for as long as you can. Not only will you retain much more strength, but a LOT more muscle as well (at least in my experience).

As long as there isn't any nagging injury I'm dealing with (which there really isn't right now), my joints and connective tissue stay healthy by supplementing with fish oil, glucosamine, and cissus and implementing proper warming up, quality exercise form, and stretching.

I've always read and trusted to keep some max effort work to recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers. After all, in a state of depletion your body will let go of what it's not using.

So I always recommend keeping 2 sets or so of heavy compounds - as heavy as can be for 5-6 reps while still going up cleanly. As soon as you start to really grind/struggle it could be more detrimental to recovery.

[triplewhammy]

SICK shoulders/triceps/calves workout today. Worked up to 4pps x 7 for Hammer Shoulder Press and Tricep Pressdowns stack x 15. Pre-workout I took 3 scoops GlycerGrow and 1 scoop White Flood so I was primed and ready to go. I love how just 1 scoop of WF is giving me some crazy energy. It also seems like my focus is heightened although it is certainly tough to discern the difference in the focus enhancers vs the sheer caffeine.

At the end of my workout it was pretty much impossible to extend my arms. Also, my lateral delts were absolutely shot from the lateral DB raises -- I think that exercise is in my top 10 list of most painful, ESPECIALLY in the 12-15 rep range. After that type of set I wish I could disconnect my arms to stop the throbbing LOL!

Anyway, E-BOL's recovery enhancing ability will get a run for its money since this was my 4th workout today: 3 shoveled driveways from the blizzard and then the shoulder/calves/triceps workout. Why did I do this? Because my competition stopped after the 3 driveways.

[triplewhammy]

I've always read and trusted to keep some max effort work to recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers. After all, in a state of depletion your body will let go of what it's not using.

So I always recommend keeping 2 sets or so of heavy compounds - as heavy as can be for 5-6 reps while still going up cleanly. As soon as you start to really grind/struggle it could be more detrimental to recovery.

Absolutely, I agree your body will definitely dump anything not used. I typically keep all my sets at 6 reps or above. It's important to find a good balance between staying heavy but keeping your joints healthy.

[triplewhammy]

Chest/triceps today. Typically don't do this just 2 days after shoulders so they were a bit achey but I pushed through and put in some good work. 3 scoops GlycerGrow and 1 scoop White Flood was on the menu preworkout.

2 sets Machine Chest Press (warmup)
Bench 135x10, 185x10, 225x14 (sooo close to hitting that 15!)
Incline DB Press 70s x8, 100s x7, 100s x6
2 sets Incline Machine Chest Press
~15 sets triceps exercises (grab bag )

The final tricep set was rope pressdown for 30 reps. Oh the pump!!

2 scoops protein powder and 3 packs of Pez candy gave me an anabolic sendoff into the rest of the evening.

[pu12en12g]

Pre-workout I took 3 scoops GlycerGrow and 1 scoop White Flood so I was primed and ready to go. I love how just 1 scoop of WF is giving me some crazy energy. It also seems like my focus is heightened although it is certainly tough to discern the difference in the focus enhancers vs the sheer caffeine.

Werd... LOVE the focus and mood from WF !!!

[triplewhammy]

TORE UP legs today for a heavy session.

Squats 135x10, 185x10, 225x8, 275x8, 315x10!
4 sets Leg Press
4 sets Lying Leg Curl

The first 8 reps at 315 squats went up solid. The final two I had to completely grind out. I promised myself I was hitting 10 today and wasn't stopping until I got there. So between the 9th and 10th rep I was sucking wind for sure but I wasn't racking the bar until I finished what I started. My warmup was great, got all the "pops" out of my joints and everything felt solid the entire workout.

Really wanted to put in some work today since this week I will be traveling so who knows what equipment I will have access to. The hotel I'm staying at will have a "fitness center" so in case I want to do some cardio on what I imagine is a 15-year-old treadmill I will have it available. I will find some nearby gyms but again it will throw off my workouts. Just gotta make it work.

Anyway, a protein shake and 2 packs of Pez candy sent me into post-workout bliss and it's time to refuel! My lower back? EN FUEGO!

[triplewhammy]

[triplewhammy]

So this week I am living out of a hotel and I was a bit nervous about finding a decent gym. Turns out that this particular hotel has an agreement with a gym down the road so guests can work out for free. The gym is a bit small but has some great equipment and plenty of free weights which is all I need. Has a nice old school vibe to it since it is not part of any corporate chain.

Because I wasn't sure when I would get some time to work out, what turned out to be my preworkout meal was so atrocious I really don't even want to discuss it LOL! I took White Flood 30 minutes preworkout and my stomach was basically empty so it me HARD. I noticed that my head gets a very warm feeling everytime I take it, almost as if it's a niacin flush so it was even more intense this time. Intraworkout I took Cell Mass NT since I have some of the trial size bottles of it and it was convenient to pack in my suitcase.

Today was back/biceps/lats day. Corner rows were just slightly different: 1px10, 2px10, 3px10, 4px10, 5px10, 6px10!!! My grip is apparently pathetically weak so on my 6-plate set I just couldn't hang on to it after 10 reps. I guess with no chalk I'm complete weaksauce. Well, needless to say I was irritated to I dropped down to 4 plates and repped it 27 times. TALK ABOUT A PUMP! I didn't even need to work my biceps after that set (although I did of course ). I also made sure to get in some ridiculously high volume for the workout to make up for it. The one nice thing about being on the road is that you have nothing better to do in the evenings so I just train like a maniac until I'm too tired to do anything productive, which usually means a solid 1.5-2 hr session.

Post-workout was 3 scoops of protein powder and 3 packs of Pez to get me out the catabolic mess I found myself in.

One thing to mention is that I really think it's important to base your lifts around basic exercises like the squat, bench, deadlift (or rows). Not only are they the core compound lifts, but when you're on the road you really find out how important it is because you don't have access to the typical machines or setups you're used to. This is why I always base my training around free weights. If I can find a barbell and some weights, it's just like home.

[triplewhammy]

Every time it's Chest/Tricep day, I wonder if it will be "the day." Well, today was the day. Everything started out pretty normal. Did my typical cardio warmup, stretching, and light weight sets. Then for bench I did 135x10, 185x10, and 225x15.

Bench 225x15!!

Another goal ACHIEVED. Unbelievable!

My joints were feeling great and I actually didn't have a ton of energy but I finally did it. I felt like I hit my usual wall at 14 reps but the image of a certain Pro bodybuilder entered my mind and I could quickly tell that it was time for a "what-would-Layne-do" rep. I gritted my teeth and grinded it out. A fist bump with the random stranger that spotted me was even more celebration than I had needed. It's strange to think that almost 8 years of training went into that final rep.

Post-workout was 3 scoops protein, 3 packs of Pez, and a half mile walk in 25 degree weather back to the hotel.

To my Journey brethren: DO NOT BE A VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE!

Physically, the only thing I have to show for today is a chapped face and an ever-deflating pump. But mentally there is so much more.

[lhockey]

CONGRATS ON THE BENCHING! especially since you did it on the road and without feeling 100% energetic... super impressive, i'm sure you feel effing great

what weight do you plan on using next? oh and doing any exercise involving grip without using chalk sucks

[triplewhammy]

CONGRATS ON THE BENCHING! especially since you did it on the road and without feeling 100% energetic... super impressive, i'm sure you feel effing great

what weight do you plan on using next? oh and doing any exercise involving grip without using chalk sucks

Yeah I feel fantastic!

Not sure what I want to go to next. Perhaps go for 250x15? I may also go for some 1RMs in a couple weeks just to see where I am at. Either way I will stick with 225 for a bit to "solidy" the lift. I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can hit that weight any time, just like with the Corner Rows. It's good to continue strengthening my connective tissue and ensure it's ready for a heavier load as well. Then I will move up after that.

Pretty sad that my grip lost me that 6-plate set but that 4px27 was NUTS.

[SyN65]

Awesome thread man. Def one of the better ones I've seen on BB.com.

sub'd and rep'd. Looking forward to more vids!