We Were Bodybuilders

[bwelch1985]

Hey brah's. Remember when we were all jacked and tan?

Patch:



AI:



BWelch:





Let's do it again....

[bwelch1985]

I'm 30 now. Trying not to slide into the fat former athlete cliché. Work, wife and churrin take up a lot of my time but I WILL make bodybuilding fit.

I've just put together the basics of a hardcore garage gym and most of my workouts happen there nowadays.

I've been doing upper/lower for the better part of the year but I occasionally fall back in to push/pull/legs or a full body set up.

My macro targets right now are 55/300/180 but I prioritize hitting 2400kcals first and macros second.

I believe in flexible dieting, flexible training, and an overall FLEXIBLE approach to bodybuilding.

Right now my biggest hurdle seems to be staying away from CiCi's...if I can kick that habit I might just be ok.

[bwelch1985]

12-07-2015

LOWER

Front Squats
-130x9 (4 sets)

Lying Leg Raises
-15 (4 sets)

BB BSS
-95x10x10 (3 sets)

Sit-ups
-25 (3 sets)

And that is a good lower body day for me right now lol. Fronts felt great. Seemed to find the groove pretty quickly. Hopefully I can stay in that groove when the weights get a little heavier.


12-08-2015

UPPER

Flat BB // Ring Rows
-185x8 // 10 (6 sets)

SA BB Row // Ring Dips
-50x10x10 // 8 (4 sets)

Reverse Curls
-65x10 (3 sets)
-65x8 (2 sets)

I did a few sets of Facepulls as well to finish. Pretty solid workout for me. I do the single arm barbell rows a lot like a standard bench supported dumbbell row except I use a barbell obviously. I just pin one end of the barbell in the corner and load up the other end with weights. I grab the bar near the end where the weights are loaded and row it up.

[CatfishBlues]

I'll be 31 (😕 fuarkkkkk) in about a month. Given my past free schedule, I had been lifting 4-6 days a week for basically the last 6 and a half years straight, but that came to an abrupt halt roughly 3 months ago, when I purchased a fixer upper and have since been working on it every day since. Needless to say, I've been exhausted each night I've gotten home.

Was lifting 1 day on the weekends for the first two months. Then about a month back I jumped on Jay Cutlers get hugerz routine with AI, really just to have some semblance of a routine to stick to. I've been at it for about a month now, and I just finished day 15, so I'm not quite getting every day in, but I have been getting 3-4 in a week. I've actually thoroughly enjoyed the routine, just bc it's different from the 5 day split I've always run, plus the 1 min rests between sets is killing me bc I have always been very liberal with rest periods.

Diet has been abysmal. With a little one on the way, at home cooking has been few and far between, and I've made the choice to eat **** most times when we go out. Somehow I've stayed around 207, which is baffling.

My goals in being a part of this journal will be to get back to consistently lifting 3-4 days a week, and to start making better choices when eating out. And of course to hold on to a small piece of my former bodybuilding self as we add a little guy to the fam, so I can pass some of this madness on to him.

[CatfishBlues]

Shoulders/Triceps (1 min rests between all sets)

Lateral Raises
20x12
20x12
20x12

Seated DB OH Press
50x12
60x8
55x8

This has probably been my biggest drop off weight wise. OH press has just plummeted.

Cable Delt Pull
12.5x12x12
12.5x12x10
12.5x10x10

EZ Bar front OH raises
30x12
30x12
30x11

Bent Over DB raises
20x10
15x10
15x10

V-rope OH Tri extensions
20x15
25x15
30x15
30x15

DB One Arm Tri Ext
20x8x4
15x10x8
15x8x8

Left arm just doesn't work right on these

CGBP
135x8
135x8
135x8

Skullcrushers
60x12
60x10
40x12

Superset w/

Tri kickbacks
20x10x10
15x12x12
15x12x12

Bench Tri dips
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15

Superset w/

DB Shrugs
65x12
65x12
65x12

[snes85]

So fast forward to current times:

Workout: Currently doing Jay Cutler's Living Large 8-Week Mass Building Trainer workout regimen (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/livi...g-trainer.html).

Diet: Trying to hit 2100 cals per day currently, but being pretty casual cause of all the social pressure of relationships/friends/family/other-fat-enablers. Trying to accommodate as much social food times as possible before getting serious about the followup cut diet I'll be starting in either the beginning of January or the beginning of February (still not sure if I will take an additional month to bulk before going back to cutting). Prior to mid-October I was doing a cutting regimen and went from a bodyweight of 179.4lbs on 1/5/15 to a low of 146.6 on 10/19/15.

Cardio: Cardio is also pretty casual and is currently 2-3 30minute elliptical sessions per week (~300-350cals) to try and maintain some leanness during the bulk and some endurance.

Supplements: Supplements include 1 multivitamin daily, 5g BCAAs with post-workout cardio, 5g creatine post-workout (or at bedtime on offdays)

Bodyweight: 154.4lbs on 12/7/15 (taken every Monday with occasional extra weigh-ins throughout the week if I feel like it. Dry morning weight at ~6:30a.m. after the morning pee and before any food or drink consumption).

[snes85]

12.7.15 -- Day 36: Chest

Incline DB Press
50x15, 60x15, 70x10, 70x10
--Felt good but heavy.. Not used to incline press, even after all the times doing it on Cutler's regimen

Incline DB Flys
30x15, 40x10, 40x10, 40x10
--Great mmc's today, awesome stretch and no back pain lol

Leverage Chest Press (Decline)
55/side x 12, 65/side x 12, 70/side x 10 plus 1 slow negative

Cable Crossover
12.5x15, 17.15x15, 17.5x14, 17.5x12, 12.5x15, 12.5x12, 12.5x10
--Back getting sore from cheating(?).. Chest getting good sore as hell though

Various Ground Crunches
--Just because Cutler's routine doesn't include any abs and I haven't done any for the entire regimen so far

Cardio
30 minutes elliptical, 7 crossramp, 8 resistance (372cals)
--Really enjoying my music and truckin today


Short workout today, but as Jay Cutler says, means you just gotta get the most out of every set.

--------------------

12.8.15 -- Day 37: Back

UH Cable Pulldowns
60x10, 70x10, 80x10, 90x8
--Damn felt strong here

Deadlift
185x10, 225x10, 255x10, 275x8
--Felt strong here too even at high reps

One Arm DB Rows
80x10x10, 90x10x10, 90x8x8

Reverse Grip Bent-Over Rows (Preset EZ bar)
90x10, 100x10, 100x10

T-bar Rows
90x10, 90x10, 90x10
--Felt good at 90 so stayed

Seated Cable Rows (MG)
50x10, 60x10, 70x8, 70x8

Back Extensions
25x10, 45x8, 45x8, 25x10
--45 is tough when you don't use your glutes/hams to cheat cause you had previously set the apparatus too low lol.. Even 25 is!

Straight-Arm Pulldowns (W bar)
35x10, 42.5x10, 50x10, 50x10, 50x10, 42.5x10, 35x10
--Felt like I was cheating with triceps a big after 3rd set at 50 so dropped back


Great workout today. Couple things from this workout:

Deadlifts (275x8).. Totally not used to repping out powerlifts but felt pretty good today. Messed up the 7th rep so couldn't quite get to 10 (you can see the awkward badly timed pause in there).. Sorry about how small the video is and how it cropped the bottom part but I'm sick of trying to mess with the upload:




Also, dropped a plate on my pen today and shattered it.. Kinda felt like a badass

[CatfishBlues]

Deadlift
185x10, 225x10, 255x10, 275x8
--Felt strong here too even at high reps

Also, dropped a plate on my pen today and shattered it.. Kinda felt like a badass

Freggin sick high rep deads mang...and bahaha, already loving this journal

[snes85]

Freggin sick high rep deads mang...and bahaha, already loving this journal

Thanks man. It helps when you're short and not working manual labor on a flip house 40 hours a week! Haha.




12.9.15 -- Day 38: Arms

Rope Pressdowns (Double pulley)
40x12, 45x12, 50x12
--Felt great on abs too

CGBP
95x12, 135x12, 155x10
--Found a much better width on this today and had a much better back arch.. The 10 at 155 def weren't easy though

Machine Dips
150x12, 170x12, 180x10
--I wish this machine had a seatbelt, was getting pushed up in the air lol

Straight Bar Pressdowns
50x12, 65x12, 72.5x10

Skullcrushers (Preset EZ bar, 30 seconds between sets)
60x12, 60x12, 60x12, 60x12, 60x10, 60x10, 60x8
--Felt strong at first but was dying towards the end

EZ Bar Curls
40x15, 40x15, 40x12, 40x12
--Biceps get sore fast as hell at ANY weight.. Argh

Alternating Standing DB Curls
15x12/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm
--I'm gonna blame the back stuff from yesterday as affecting bis today

Preacher Machine Curls (2h)
80x12, 85x10, 90x9

DB Hammer Curl
20x12/arm, 20x12/arm, 20x10/arm

Spider Curls
40x12, 40x12, 40x10
--Couldn't quite get full ROM on this cause of the design of the bench


Cardio
30 mins elliptical (Lifefitness machine), Level 12 (322 cals)



Great workout today but man do biceps get sore fast!

[bwelch1985]

Omg arm day. I miss arm day so much.

[bwelch1985]

12-09-2015

CARDIO

Elliptical
-20 minutes (275.6 kcals)

Felt so good getting in a little cardio. My plan is to hit 20 minutes of MISS every work day while I'm on day shift.

[snes85]

Omg arm day. I miss arm day so much.

12-09-2015

CARDIO

Elliptical
-20 minutes (275.6 kcals)

Felt so good getting in a little cardio. My plan is to hit 20 minutes of MISS every work day while I'm on day shift.

Arm day is awesome but not used to spending that much time on arms so I die fast there lol. And cardio during work? Damn bold... Lol

[snes85]

12.10.15 Day 39: Rest

--------------------

12.11.15 Day 40: Legs

Leg Extensions
130x15, 130x15, 145x12, 150x12, 155x12, 160x12, 165x10
--Damn felt good today.. Quads super pumped and no knee issues today

Leg Press
3pps x 20, 4pps x 15, 4pps x 15

Hack Squats
1p1qps x 10, 2pps x 10, 2p1qps x 10
--Barely got the 10 at 2p1q

Smith Squats
135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10, 135x10
--Still don't like the mechanics of this but got the hang of the motion as I went through the sets

Stationary DB Lunges
25x8steps/foot, 30x8steps/foot, 35x8steps/foot
--Probably could've gone heavier if I weren't dying at this point lol

Unilateral Lying Leg Curls
30x12/leg, 35x12/leg, 40x10/leg

Unilateral Seated Leg Curls
30x12/leg, 30x10/leg, 30x8/leg
--Machine definitely not built for doing unilateral.. Awkward doing the left leg on this apparatus and was pinching a nerve on the left side or something..

Standing Single Leg Curl
30x10/leg, 40x10/leg, 45x10/leg

Standing Calf Raises (Smith)
135x12, 185x12, 205x10

Seated Calf Raises (Calf Extension Machine)
110x12, 130x12, 150x10


Zomg long leg workout. Thank god I got the day off work today.

[bwelch1985]

So. Much. Volume!

I really think this program is going to result in some serious gainzz just because of how drastically different it is.

How did you like stationary lunges? I've always found them awkward compared to walking lunges.

[bwelch1985]

12-11-2015

PUSH

BB OHP
-135x6 (2 sets)
-135x5 (2 sets)
-135x4 (2 sets)

Flat BB
-165x12 (3 sets)
-165x10 (2 sets)

Ring Dips
-4 sets of 7

Ring Facepulls
-4 sets of 12

OHP's felt really solid. I'd like to work my way up on those. Ring dips were super awkward today I guess because of the fatigue from flat bench. All around good workout. I haven't done a strictly push day in several months but it felt great.

[CatfishBlues]

I felt exactly the same about those damn smith squats. It's such a weird motion.

And fawkin ring dips?! That'll give you some sick stabilizing practice. 2016 Olympics just around the corner...

[bwelch1985]

I felt exactly the same about those damn smith squats. It's such a weird motion.

And fawkin ring dips?! That'll give you some sick stabilizing practice. 2016 Olympics just around the corner...

Lol you've gotta try em man. So much chest contraction. It's like a dip/cable crossover combination.

[bwelch1985]

12-12-2015

LEGS

Front Squats
-140x7 (5 sets)

Lying Leg Raises
-5 sets of 15

Sit-ups
-5 sets of 20

I was planning to do 5 sets of lunges as well but ran out of time. Early Christmas dinner at moms house.

The front squats are feeling pretty good. I'd really love to get back to where I was years ago...or at least close to it. Right now I don't know if I could get a single rep with 2 plates.

[snes85]

So. Much. Volume!

I really think this program is going to result in some serious gainzz just because of how drastically different it is.

How did you like stationary lunges? I've always found them awkward compared to walking lunges.

I've always hated them in the past but actually they felt great that day. Much less knee impact and stability was actually on point.

12-12-2015

LEGS

Front Squats
-140x7 (5 sets)

Lying Leg Raises
-5 sets of 15

Sit-ups
-5 sets of 20

I was planning to do 5 sets of lunges as well but ran out of time. Early Christmas dinner at moms house.

The front squats are feeling pretty good. I'd really love to get back to where I was years ago...or at least close to it. Right now I don't know if I could get a single rep with 2 plates.

Nice work man! Fronts definitely always drill the quads. Do you ever have problems with the bar choking you? I feel like I'm killing brain cells from choking myself off with the bar on the fronts lol.

[snes85]

12.12.15 -- Day 41: Shoulders

DB Shoulder Press
45x10, 55x10, 60x10, 65x8
--Felt strong here today actually

Side Lateral Raises (DB)
20x10, 20x10, 20x10, 15x10
--Weak here though.. Dropped the weight on the last set for better strictness

Front DB Raises
20x10/arm, 20x10/arm, 20x10/arm
--Straight sets but definitely had to fight to finish the reps

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raises (DB)
10x10, 10x10, 10x10, 10x10
--I think the key to this for me isn't so much the concentric or the weight, but instead just holding each rep at the top for a second

Face Pulls (Cable, Rope)
30x10, 35x10, 40x10, 42.5x10

Iso DB Delt Raises (30 seconds between sets)
15x10/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm, 15x10/arm

DB Shrugs
50x12, 55x12, 60x12, 60x12, 60x12
--Tired at this point

Cardio
30 minutes elliptical, 7 crossramp, 8 resistance (382cals)



Quick comment on cardio, etc.:
So keeping in the cardio during this bulk, but at a reduced amount. By the end of my cut back in October I was doing 3-4 hours of cardio per week. Now it's down to 1-1.5 hours a week. Calories should be accommodating this amount of cardio so I can still put on weight during this bulk even with the cardio. I also hope the 5gms of BCAAs during the post-workout cardio will help prevent some muscle wasting. I'm really just leaving the cardio in to maintain at least some sense of leanness and to make it more tolerable to go back to doing cardio when I start cutting again. Got crazy bad body image issues and I'm having trouble seeing all this bellyfat and lovehandle buildup (I know it's crazy) but going to still hit these higher numbers at least until January.

On a nerdier note, graphed my bodyweights from this year last week just to see how they've fluctuated (you can see my "break" from dieting in the middle there where I wasn't weighing myself, but after a week back on the wagon I was actually right at where I left off):




Just a few more weeks of dieting till I get to shred down again lol (oh the body image issues you get from bodybuilding...) D:

[bwelch1985]

Totally understand the body image issues. That may very well plague all three of us until the day we die lol.

As far as cardio I really think it should stay in year round. It's just good for you. All this weight lifting and muscle mass and so many of us completely ignore our general health and well being.

I think I'm going to start "officially" cutting as soon as Abel 2 is born. I'm not aiming to compete but I would like to be nice and lean by summer...maybe even show up shirtless to watch that natty show in August lol.

Fronts ALWAYS choke me and destroy my collar bones. I would definitely prefer to do back squats. Unfortunately my lower back is perma-fugged (or at least I'm too scared I'm going to re-fug it). So back squats and deadlifts are off the table for me.

[CatfishBlues]

BW Pull ups
3 sets of 10

SA DB Rows
65x10x10
65x10x10
55x10x10

BB Rows
95x10
95x10
95x10
95x10

Lat Pulldowns
115x10
130x10
145x10

Cable Rows
35x10
42.5x10
50x10

Back Extensions
Qx10
Qx10
Qx10

Deads
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x3

Went a little off the routine today. Spent basically 8 straight hours pulling nails out of a deck, so that was 8 hours of deadlifts, lol. Then the last two days finishing deck demo swinging a sledgehammer. Thought I was rested enough from that to get back in but definitely had some after affects

[CatfishBlues]

I second the body image probs. At the end of the day it's a personal issue and as long as it isn't put on others around you it can be used as a good motivator to stay healthy. Just remember we're always here to relate and help!

Although I only got in one lift this week, I did have a lot of manual labor for work, and I had 5 salads throughout the week when we went out. Fawkin dominating, lol

[bwelch1985]

That is dominating, Patch. Making bodybuilding fit into your life once everything else is in place is the real key. All three of us have been guilty of trying to fit the rest of our lives around bodybuilding and none of us came out very happy afterwards.

Good stuff broseph.

[bwelch1985]

12-13-2015

PULL

Chins
-3 sets of 8 hammer
-3 sets of 8 wide grip

Ring Rows
-6 sets of 10

BB Curls
-75x8 (3 sets)
-65x8 (3 sets)

I had a good bit of upper back soreness from front squats so I kept it pretty simple today. Usually I'll do a barbell or dumbbell row as my primary pull movement.

[snes85]

Holy crap Patch 8 hours of that?? That is nuts...

And BWelch, I looooooved ring dips.. So much versatility on what path you can take in doing the rows.



12.13.15 -- Day 42: Rest

--------------------

12.14.15 -- Day 43: Chest

Leverage Chest Press (Incline)
45ps x 10, 70ps x 10, 80ps x 10, 85ps x 10
--This felt awesome actually.. Gotta do these more often!.. Definitely was not easy getting the last couple sets of 10 though

Incline DB Flys
40x10, 45x10, 45x10, 45x8, 45x8, 40x8
--Arms getting tired just from holding the fixed position on these

Flat DB Press
65x10, 70x10, 75x10
--Dunno why they put this after 6 sets of incline flys but whatevs.. Actually, the set at 75 felt kinda easy cause I had to borrow the dumbbells from someone to do this set and it was a lot of pressure with them watching.. Bodybuilding social problems lol..

Dip Machine (30 seconds between sets)
110x15, 110x15, 110x12, 110x12, 110x12, 110x12, 110x10
--Was supposed to do cable flys here but none of the stations were available so did these instead.. Hit the triceps a good bit especially at the higher reps, but didn't have much choice in exercises

Cardio
30 minutes elliptical, 7 crossramp, 8 resistance (350cals)


Short and sweet. Great pump today.

[bwelch1985]

Good ole flat db. That was your sh*t back in the day. You were using something crazy like 120's at one point weren't you?

I'm trying to hit cardio tonight. Last night I got off work super late and ended up smoking a cig just to calm down so obviously I skipped cardio at that point.

Diet has not been good at all. I can't seem to control my portions. So hungry all the time.

[snes85]

Good ole flat db. That was your sh*t back in the day. You were using something crazy like 120's at one point weren't you?

I'm trying to hit cardio tonight. Last night I got off work super late and ended up smoking a cig just to calm down so obviously I skipped cardio at that point.

Diet has not been good at all. I can't seem to control my portions. So hungry all the time.

Yeah but I think I've gotten weaker since then and was doing reps in the 1-3 range instead of the 8+ range.

As far as diet, I'd say set a start point on diet and if you end up with cheat days in a week, just accept you will be up in weight and then set the new weight as your new starting point. Easier said than done but I use my chicken sandos to work that out lol.





12.15.15 -- Day 44: Back

CG Pulldowns
60x12, 70x10, 80x8, 70x10
--Weight got heavy fast.. Feeling really tired and weak today.. Ugh.. (Yes, I actually wrote ugh in my notebook)

T-Bars
90x12, 100x12, 105x10

One-Arm DB Rows
80x12/arm, 85x10/arm, 90x8/arm

Leverage Iso Row
1p1qps x 12/arm, 1p1qps x 12, 1p1qps x 12
--Don't care so much for this machine.. Started doing both arms at the same time after the first set

HG Pullups
BWx12, BWx12, BWx9
--Regimen called for UH Cable Pulldowns, but wasn't an available place to do them so did these instead.. Kinda remarkable that this bulk regimen doesn't include any pullups so haven't done these in a while.. Felt ok on strength was just shaky on stability

Seated Cable Rows (MG Iso)
50x12, 50x12, 50x12, 50x10, 50x10, 50x10, 50x8
--Getting nauseated


Kinda crappy workout today.. Felt tired from even before I started, felt weak as hell, and felt nauseated (probably from the huge Christmas meal at lunch today at work).. Meh, spilled milk I guess.

[bwelch1985]

Yeah but I think I've gotten weaker since then and was doing reps in the 1-3 range instead of the 8+ range.

As far as diet, I'd say set a start point on diet and if you end up with cheat days in a week, just accept you will be up in weight and then set the new weight as your new starting point. Easier said than done but I use my chicken sandos to work that out lol.

Well I've got a start point as far as calories and macros but Suzie wants to cook dinner all the time so it's incredibly frustrating to try to guesstimate macros on an already prepared meal. I always just end up eating as much as I want and not even trying to guess cals or macros. I just need a little more structure but I know that will piss her off. [/firstworldbodybuilderproblems]

[bwelch1985]

12-15-2015

CARDIO

Treadmill
-10 minutes (165 kcals)
Elliptical
-10 minutes (135kcals)


12-16-2015

LEGS

Front Squats
-150x5 (7 sets)

LLRs
-15 (2 sets)
-10 (3 sets)

Sit-ups
-10x10 (3 sets)
-10

All those sets of 5 really got to me. I wanted to do some barbell lunges today as well but I didn't have it in me.