Daily News Archives
April 2006
04/30/2006 - Awesome day yesterday!
04/29/2006 - Great workout followed by excellent cheat meal; Cool outside this morning!
04/28/2006 - Vacation plans.
04/27/2006 - Running late.
04/26/2006 - Almost skipped last night's workout--glad I didn't!
04/25/2006 - Cutting progress; Strength gains; Tonight's back/traps workout.
04/24/2006 - Nice, relaxing weekend.
04/23/2006 - Tips for your bicep workout.
04/22/2006 - A few new non-workout pictures; Style and fashion trends.
04/21/2006 - Happy Friday!
04/20/2006 - My back is so sore right now!
04/19/2006 - 200 pounds/right at 8% body fat; Trouble spot; Last night's workout; Party.
04/18/2006 - Strength is up, body fat is down.
04/17/2006 - What a weekend!
04/16/2006 - Nice day yesterday; Relaxing and finding balance.
04/15/2006 - After a rough start, yesterday was wonderful!
04/14/2006 - Work problems this morning - short update.
04/13/2006 - Down to 200.8 pounds; Summer plans; Bulking plans.
04/12/2006 - Cardio discussion.
04/11/2006 - Last night's workout; New Titan options (w/videos).
04/10/2006 - "Early" cheat meal leads to expected BLOAT.
04/09/2006 - Spring cleaning progress; The Dyson DC14 Animal Vacuum; Fun day ahead.
04/08/2006 - Almost skipped my workout last night; Mental toughness.
04/07/2006 - Overslept because I stayed up too late; Bloated.
04/06/2006 - My internal clock is reset; Back/lats are very sore.
04/05/2006 - Awesome back workout; Mental tricks that help keep you honest; New picture.
04/04/2006 - I woke up on time!; Last night's workout; New photos.
04/03/2006 - 9% body fat--6%, here I come!; Early to bed; Spring cleaning; Dry weather.
04/02/2006 - Time change; Glutes.
04/01/2006 - New monthly pictures; 206 pound comparison; Scale weight.
April 30, 2006
Yesterday was so much fun! After Lisa got back from the grocery store, I went to have my hair cut. I always love getting my hair cut because the whole gang at the salon is always so much fun to hang out with. I've been getting my hair cut by the same person for many years, and she and the rest of the people up there are like a huge family.
After the haircut Lisa and I went to Costco. Normally I eat a meal just before I leave for Costco, and I always rush to get to the store, get the shopping done get back, and then get the groceries put away so I can eat my next meal on time. A couple weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to relax and stop trying to be "perfect" with my diet all the time, and I meant it. So yesterday we took our time, and wandered around the store looking at all kinds of stuff. The whole experience was so much more enjoyable than it normally is. After we got home we put away the groceries and then I took Lisa out for a nice lunch at Garibaldi. After lunch, we drove downtown to look at the arts festival. When we got home later that afternoon we played with the dogs and watched a movie.
I've been enjoying my weekends so much more lately, and it's because I've made the choice to balance my healthy lifestyle with the freedom to deviate from it now and then. I'm still eating on-time and healthy 95% of the time, I still workout 11 times every week, and I'm still going to set (and reach) my goals. In fact, it's much easier to work my butt off all week long knowing that on the weekends I can relax and enjoy the fruits of my hard work.
OK, cardio time. Have a great day!
Back to comments index
April 29, 2006
After an excellent workout yesterday, Lisa and I had pizza, buffalo wings and watched television with the dogs. It was a very nice, relaxing evening. Surprisingly, I'm only carrying a very small amount of excess water this morning. I really don't feel that bloated, and the scale only moved up a little over a half pound. Weird.
I was just out adjusting some of our sprinkler heads, and there's actually a bit of a nip in the air! Very unusual for Florida in late April. It's around 60 degrees this morning, and the high is only going to be around 80; same deal tomorrow. I'm probably going to spend a lot of time outside and away from the computers. Sometimes I get so sick of computers that I can barely stand to look at them. When the weather is nice like it is now, I just want to get my update done and walk away from the keyboard for the rest of the day. That's exactly what I'm going to do!
Today is big shopping day: haircut, grocery store and Costco. After that, its play time! Have a great day!
Back to comments index
April 28, 2006
It looks like it's going to be a very nice day today! I wish I didn't have so much work to do, because I have 14 vacation/personal days to use up by the end of July; I'd be using one of those personal days today if I could.
Speaking of vacations, I think Lisa and I are going to take a week off around mid-June. Lisa wants to take a train to Georgia, I want to take the convertible to the beach. We'll work it out. I'll probably take another week off sometime in July, and the other four days will be reserved for days like today. I'm glad I saved most of my vacation time for the summer!
Monday I'll be taking my monthly pictures. I'm still just above 8% body fat, but I've continued to slowly strip away fat from my
"problem" area, which is really the only place on my body that still has an appreciable amount of fat. I hate that damn thing. I'd
be done cutting if it weren't for that fat below my belly button. I know, I know...I'll shut-up about it--sorry! 
I'm off to do my cardio. Happy Friday, all!
Back to comments index
April 27, 2006
I'm running behind this morning - I had some early work issues to deal with, and now I've got to start my cardio or I'll miss it. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Back to comments index
April 26, 2006
About a half-hour before my workout last night, UPS showed up with a pile of books I ordered from Amazon. For whatever reason I didn't really feel like working out (hey, it happens to everyone), so curling up with one of those books sounded VERY tempting. I knew that if I'd skipped my workout I wouldn't really enjoy the books (and I would miss out on that awesome soreness in my back that I love so much!) Also, my back workouts are very high-intensity: they not only help me build muscle, they really rev up my metabolism and help burn fat.
When thoughts of skipping a workout enter my mind, I always get a little annoyed with myself. I'm so fortunate to have the equipment I need right here in my house, and an injury-free body with which to perform the workout. Thinking about those things always puts everything in perspective.
So, as often is the case when I come close to skipping a workout, last night's workout was amazingly good! I added reps to a couple of exercises, and I added 10 pounds to my deads/shrugs supersets. Man, those supersets absolutely kill. I normally only take a minute of rest between sets, but I have to take 2 minutes between the deads/shrug supersets. By the time I finished I looked (and felt) like I'd been hosed down and beaten.
While I showered I smiled to myself and felt very satisfied for getting my workout done, and for giving it my all. I didn't get around to reading a book until I got into bed later that night, but as I read I knew that I'd more than earned the warm, relaxed and content feeling I was enjoying.
Back to comments index
April 25, 2006
I forgot to take my measurements yesterday, so I did them this morning. My waist is down a little over a quarter of an inch, and is now just below 32 inches. I measure my waist at its widest point--just below my belly button. I'm still at 200 pounds, and I'd say another couple pounds of fat loss will put me right into 8% body fat territory.
Last night I added weight to my flat barbell bench and my barbell incline bench, and did four sets of 12 on the flat bench, and four sets of 12/12/11/10 on the incline. That means I'll be moving up in weight again next week. I'm somewhat surprised that I've been able to maintain and, in some cases, even increase my strength while cutting.
Tonight is back and traps, and I'll be doing the same workout as I did last week, but with added weight. It's getting to the point where my deads/shrug supersets are pushing me right to the edge, both physically and mentally. I hope I'm feeling good tonight, as I'll be adding 10 more pounds to the deads/shrug supersets. It's going to be one hell of a workout!
Right now I've got to get my cardio done. Have a great day!
Back to comments index
April 24, 2006
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I spent most of Saturday cleaning and hanging around the house. Lisa returned from her business trip Saturday night and, understandably, was pretty tired. We mostly chilled out and watched movies all day on Sunday. It was nice to just hang around and not do much of anything for a change. The weather on Sunday was nice (but hot!), so I made sure to get a little "drive time" in between the movies!
If you missed yesterday's update, I posted a few tips that have really helped me with my bicep development. If you are having trouble getting your biceps to grow, you might want to check it out!
I've got to get moving, we're short an employee today and I'll be picking up the slack for him. Mondays are always busy anyway, so it's going to be a long day!
Back to comments index
April 23, 2006
I changed up my arm workout on Friday, and WOW--my biceps in particular are really sore today!
A lot of people seem to have trouble targeting their biceps, and I think that's due to several factors: too much weight, poor form and lack of mind/muscle connection.
Try grabbing a lightly-loaded Ez-curl bar or a couple of very light dumbbells. Stand in front of a mirror and watch yourself perform bicep curls from the front and from the side: your biceps should be performing the bulk of the work--don't lean back or let your delts help with the lift. Your upper arms should not move from your side. When you perform the lift, focus on feeling your biceps moving the weight. At the top of the lift, pause and squeeze your biceps HARD. Slowly lower the weight, and watch your form.
Now, up the weight and watch your form carefully. Don't lower or raise the weight too far--you want to keep constant tension on the biceps. If your primary goal is to add size to your biceps, then do not use any body english or momentum to assist with the lift. Let your biceps do the work. If you break form, the set is over. I try to use a weight that allows me to do four sets of 8-12 reps with perfect form. Once I can do four sets of at least 10 reps per set with perfect form, I increase the weight on my next bicep workout.
I see a lot of people curling with weight that is way to heavy for them, and their form is absolutely horrible. When lifting with poor form, the biceps are only doing a fraction of the work and are slow to grow. Lift smart, not with your ego!
Back to comments index
April 22, 2006
After an excellent arms & delts workout last night I was bored (Lisa is still out of town), so I grabbed my camera and decided to drive around town looking for a nice scenic location to take some pictures. Unfortunately I didn't get any further than my garage: when I (finally) opened the garage door, I was greeted by rain clouds and a light drizzle. After all the work I put into detailing the car, I was not ready to drive off into the rain. Besides, what fun is a cruise if I can't drop the top? Anyway, I took a few pictures of the aborted attempt; they can be found in my media journal on the forum--here's a direct to last night's entry.
A request I get a lot is "More pictures in street clothes!" Well, I guess the photos I took last night fit the bill, but it's hot in Florida; when I'm dressed down, I usually don't look a whole lot different than I do in the gym (minus the sweat, of course). I'd rather be comfortable than worry about whatever is in style. When I look through magazines that show what I'm "supposed" to be wearing, I have to laugh: most of what I see looks ridiculous to my eyes. When I need to dress up, I dress up... but if I'm just hanging around, I am (and always have been) a very simple "jeans and T-shirt" kind of guy. I've never been one to follow trends and do what's "in" just because the sheeple are all doing it. I'm not saying that I avoid everything that is trendy, but I won't buy something I don't genuinely like just to be in style.
I'm off to do cardio and clean the house--Lisa is coming back tonight, and I need to pick up all the beer cans, bras and fast food wrappers. 
April 21, 2006
I woke up on time this morning, but I got all distracted reading some stuff on the Internet and now I'm late for my cardio. So, I've got a short, but sweet, update today: Happy Friday!
Back to comments index
April 20, 2006
My back hasn't been this sore in a long, long time! Please tell me I not the only one who does this, but when I'm sore I love to move my muscles in such a way so that I can feel the soreness. I keep pressing my shoulder blades together so I can feel my upper back and lats cry out in protest. My pecs are also still a little sore from Monday's workout.
With all this upper body soreness, I'm glad that tonight is a lower body workout. Leg day is brutal, but
I almost always look forward to leg workouts. I love a good challenge.
I'm running about 30 minutes late this morning, so I'd better get my butt on the bike before it's too late. Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by!
Back to comments index
April 19, 2006
I weigh 200 pounds on the nose this morning, and I'm right on the upper edge of 8% body fat. In fact, if it weren't for this little trouble spot below my belly button, I'd be totally happy with my body fat levels right now: All six of my abs are popping out, and my vascularity and muscle definition are right where I want them to be. Unfortunately I'm going to have to keep cutting to reduce this one area. I know many of you have similar problem spots, and they are indeed frustrating. You are not alone!
Last night's back workout was stellar! I was in the "zone"--I felt strong and focused from the first warm-up rep until I finished my last deadlift/shrug superset. I've never puked during or after a weight training workout, but I came very close last night. I really pushed myself and, just 14 hours later, I'm already a little sore this morning. By this time tomorrow I'm going to be feeling the satisfying soreness all through my back. That's the good kind of back pain!
No training tonight, as it's my night off. Also, Lisa is going out of town later today for a company meeting and she will be gone until Saturday. You know what that means: strippers and kegs! The fun starts Friday night at 8:00, see you here!
Back to comments index
April 18, 2006
Last night I switched to a chest routine that I last performed a couple of weeks before the end of my bulk. I used the same weights that I used back in January. Surprisingly I was able to do more reps last night than I was able to do in January! It's nice to be several months into a cut and in a caloric deficit while still maintaining my strength. SGX really is an excellent fat loss program.
Speaking of fat loss, I'm at my lowest weight of my 2006 cut as of this morning. My relaxed diet over the weekend resulted in some temporary water weight gain, but this morning it's all gone and I'm looking as cut as ever. The muscle I added over the winter has made a noticeable difference in how fast my body burns though calories. It's still surprising to me that I can eat so much without putting on any fat; the difference compared to a year ago is night and day. Yet another benefit of weight training!
Speaking of burning fat, time for another 45 minute fasted cardio session. Tonight is going to be a very tough workout: back & traps. Still, I'm looking forward to it--deads are tough, but I still love doing them.
Back to comments index
April 17, 2006
This past weekend was a blast! I relaxed my regular diet considerably, and I missed a few meals as well. It felt good to take a little mini-break and not worry about being perfect. I'm going to do that a little more often this summer, maybe once a month or so. I talked about this in more detail yesterday.
Today I'm back to my regular cutting diet--there's still a lot of hard work ahead as I work towards my goal of sub-8% body fat. I'm running a little behind this morning, so I'm going to sign off for today and go get on the bike. Tonight is chest & abs, and I'm looking forward to a great workout!
Back to comments index
April 16, 2006
Yesterday was gorgeous here in Orlando; there was not a cloud in the sky! It was a little on the warm side, but the humidity was so low that it didn't feel too bad at all. I spent way too much time out in the sun enjoying the weather, and I'm kind of a reddish-brown this morning. It's definitely not a sunburn kind of red; it looks more like the kind of red that will fade into a nice brown tan in a day or two.
Lisa and I were away from the house from late afternoon until after sunset, and I forgot to bring my meals. I started complaining that I couldn't miss a meal, and how could I be so forgetful, and then something hit me like a ton of bricks: "Relax. Enjoy yourself." No kidding! I work my butt off, I don't miss workouts, I don't miss meals, I eat clean constantly... Sure, I do these things because I want to do them (and I really do enjoy my healthy lifestyle), but what's the point of it all if I can't relax and do something "outside the box" if the mood strikes? I'm telling you all, yesterday was an eye-opener for me. I'm not competing in body building contests, I don't want to be a fitness model, I don't want to be a "machine" that never deviates from the plan. What's the point of feeling great and having a healthy, strong body if I can't relax and enjoy those things? I can still be committed to a healthy lifestyle, I can still have a six-pack and a muscular body, but I can do those things without making it another job.
Don't misunderstand, hard work and dedication got me to where I am today; they are still the foundation of everything I've achieved. I'm still going to be very dedicated to my goals, and I'm still going to work my butt off to achieve them. But if I find myself away from the house without my planned meal, or in a situation every once in a while where I have to miss a meal, then I'm not going to sweat it. If I lose a little muscle size as a result, then so be it. At least I'm having fun and enjoying myself.
Back to comments index
April 15, 2006
Yesterday may have started off a bit rocky, but I wound up having an awesome day! I know I said I was not going to have another cheat meal until the 21st, but I decided to go ahead a have my regularly scheduled cheat meal last night, as it was a special occasion and Lisa and I were celebrating. We actually went out to eat(!), and I finally had something besides BBQ or pizza: a perfectly cooked medium rare steak, potatoes and chips with queso. I didn't want beer or wine, so I treated myself to my all-time favorite drink: Grey Goose on the rocks. I'm not much of a drinker, but I really love Grey Goose vodka. I only allow myself to have it 3 or 4 times per year, so a couple of those last night was a real treat.
I did manage to take the afternoon off from work yesterday (I was supposed to have the whole day off, but the network gods intervened), and I got the garage cleaned, pressure washed and organized. It was a huge project, but it's something I like to do every spring. It's amazing how dirty and disorganized the garage can become after just one year of constant use.
I went to bed last night later than normal, and the dogs even let me oversleep. I'm actually glad that I got a few extra winks in, I don't do well without at least 7 hours of sleep.
I'd better wrap this up and get on the bike. Have a great Saturday!
Back to comments index
April 14, 2006
I was supposed to have the day off, but I woke up this morning and we're having a network issue at work that requires my attention. I'm trying to get it figured out before my cardio so I can still take the day off. Sorry for the short update!
Back to comments indexApril 13, 2006
Wow! I'm down to 200.8 pounds this morning, and closing in on 8% body fat FAST! I took measurements yesterday and I'm still maintaining my muscle size very nicely. My waist, hips and thighs have all continued to shrink and I'm starting to look like I'm ready for the beach. This is the first time my upper body seems bigger than my big ol' hips, but I still have A LOT of room for improvement in that area. My next bulk is going to be focused on my lats, back, shoulders and traps.
I've received a lot of emails inquiring about my summer plans (Cut? Bulk? Maintain?) I'm definitely planning to maintain, but I may increase my calories slightly over maintenance and do a very slow and controlled bulk. I'm also going to switch my strength training program to something more like MAX-OT, and focus on strength gains and not pure hypertrophy. Not only is it a good idea to change things around every so often, but the added strength will help me increase my muscle size when I start bulking again in the fall. Yes, I will be using SwoleCat's SUP2 bulking program along with my high volume weight training program for my "official" bulk. I'll also be switching back to my 5-day split.
I'm getting ahead of myself here. Right now I'm going to continue to cut until I reach 7% or even 6% body fat. Once I reach that goal, I'm going to increase my calories slowly and transition to a low rep, very heavy weight training program.
Right now I need to get my butt on the bike--it's cardio time!
Back to comments index
April 12, 2006
There's an interesting discussion on the forum regarding cardio. A lot of people really hate doing cardio, and a lot of people don't find it necessary to achieving their body fat/fitness goals.
While there's no doubt that some people can get absolutely shredded without doing any sort of "formal" cardio, in my experience regular cardiovascular exercise is a great way to burn calories and improve overall health. Also, if you do LISS (Low Intensity Steady-State) cardio, it's the perfect time to reflect on your goals, think about the day ahead (I've made many mental "to-do" lists while doing my cardio) or even read a book or magazine. While there are times when I have to force myself to do cardio, nine times out of ten I look forward to it; not only do I enjoy the 45 minutes of undisturbed "me" time, when I'm done I always feel energized, positive and focused.
If you get on the bike, elliptical or treadmill and count each minute while thinking about how much you hate cardio, then you are going about it all wrong. Try using the time more productively and you'll find that the 45 minutes or so will not only pass quickly, you may even start to look forward to your cardio.
Back to comments index
April 11, 2006
Excellent, sweaty, high-energy chest & abs workout last night! I went up in reps on my flat bench, and went up in weight on my incline bench and cable crossovers. I kept rest intervals very short, and had an amazing pump in my pecs when I finished. My ab work was brutal, thanks to the very short rest intervals and hard contractions/pause between the concentric and eccentric phases. It was one of those workouts where everything just "clicked".
In case you missed the news, there are a couple of new Titan options that will soon be available: T-Bar rows and seated calf presses. Videos and pictures can be found on the forum; Here's a direct link.
Cardio time, and tonight is back & traps. I'm feeling really good this morning, and I'm looking forward to another great workout tonight.
Thanks for visiting!
Back to comments index
April 10, 2006
Confession time: I had this week's free meal a little early (yesterday). Lisa's parents came over to watch a movie, and somehow pizza, cheese, crackers and wine go better with a fun family gathering than chicken and broccoli do. No big deal--I have no problem allowing myself the early indulgence, but I will not have another free meal until the 21st.
With this cheat meal so close to my last one (which was last Thursday) I'm especially bloated this morning with water. One nice thing about post-cheat meal water retention is I didn't wake up once last night to use the bathroom! Even though I got a great night's sleep, I am having trouble shaking the cobwebs off this morning. I'm going to go hop on the bike and get a nice long cardio workout in before work.
Thanks for visiting--enjoy your Monday!
Back to comments index
April 9, 2006
Lisa and I spent the whole day yesterday cleaning (just like last weekend!) and we are making a very nice dent in our spring cleaning chores. There are still a bunch of things to do (mainly cabinet and closet organization), but the rest of the house is pretty spiffy at this point. Oh, except the garage. I've got to get that cleaned out and pressure washed ASAP, as it's pretty dusty and dirty and I don't want all that dirt tracking back into the house.
I forgot to mention that while Lisa and I were cleaning last weekend our vacuum cleaner blew up. It literally came apart inside, and parts of it broke off and were ejected at high speed. It's a good thing none of them hit either of us or the dogs! Anyway, I've been wanting a Dyson DC14 Animal for a while, but couldn't justify spending the money on a new vacuum while our old one was still working. I'm not the kind of guy who gets worked up over a vacuum, but with two dogs and the dusty Florida air, I was hoping the Dyson would live up to its claims. It does, and then some. It was worth every last cent. When I re-vacuumed a floor that had just been done with the vacuum that exploded, it picked up a full canister of dog hair and dust that our old Hoover couldn't get. The engineering and features of the Dyson DC14 Animal are awesome. Highly recommended if you like a clean, dust-free house like I do!
So what does a vacuum have to do with health and fitness? Plenty! Lisa and I have both been sleeping better at night, and we've noticed less dust on the furniture since we started using the Animal. Less dust and contaminants in the air makes for easier breathing and cleaner air.
So today is a fun day: Lisa's parents are coming over and we're going to hang out and watch King Kong on DVD. I'm so lucky to have such cool in-laws: I always look forward to their visits. Have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow!
Back to comments index
April 8, 2006
Last night I came very close to skipping my arms & delts workout. At 5:30 PM--about 30 minutes before my workout--I always head into the gym to get everything staged and ready for that day's training. Well, yesterday at 5:30 PM I was sitting in my office, and was feeling exceptionally tired and very unmotivated. Quarter-to-six rolled around, and I was still sitting on my butt. I started feeling really guilty, and I knew that if I didn't at least get in the gym and give it my best effort that I would really regret it in an hour. Thinking about the end of my workout and how good I'd feel for getting it done did the trick: at 6:45 I would either be feeling great for getting the job done, or I'd be sitting around feeling guilty for letting an excellent opportunity to train slip by me. I wound up have an exceptional workout! I think I was really angry with myself for almost wussing out, so once I was in the gym I really let loose.
It's easy to make excuses for missing workouts, and depending on your goals you may be perfectly comfortable with that. I'm not here to pass judgment on what you choose to do, I'm simply talking about what makes me tick and giving some food for thought. For me, overcoming mental challenges is a huge part of what I love about building my physical body. I enjoy the process of making my body and my mind stronger. The mind is by far our most powerful "muscle"; developing mental toughness alongside your training in the gym will not only help you get the healthy body you are after, it will help you succeed in life.
Back to comments index
April 7, 2006
I overslept, but it's because I stayed up too late. Not only did I stay up too late, I decided to have my cheat meal last night: BBQ and red wine. I'm feeling horribly bloated this morning, and I look really puffy. Is it not nature's most evil trick that many of the foods we crave are so bad for us? I'm just glad I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I really feel for those of you who crave chocolate all the time. When I do get a craving for chocolate, a Nitrean protein shake takes care of that almost without fail. No, my weaknesses are pizza, french fries, hamburgers, BBQ pork and bread (especially garlic bread). Of course if those foods got us ripped and healthy, this would be one very good looking and healthy world!
So, no cheat meal tonight, and that's just fine by me. All I want to do right now is get on the bike and sweat some of this water out of me. I feel like a balloon!
Back to comments index
April 6, 2006
I'm feeling really good this morning, and have finally fully adjusted to the time change. I slept like a rock last night and woke up at 6:30 AM on the dot. My internal clock is so accurate that I never, ever set an alarm clock. I wake up at 6:30 AM (+/- a minute or two) almost every morning. On the rare occasion that I try to oversleep, the dogs--which are fed at 6:30 AM--are an incredibly reliable backup "alarm"; they do not like to be fed late!
I had no workout last night, but I'm really sore from Tuesday's back/traps workout. My traps and lats are burning right now! I love that feeling, especially in my lats because the soreness tells me I used good form and hit the right muscles. I remember a long time ago when I'd try and work my lats I'd typically feel more soreness in my biceps than my lats. That's a very common mistake when it comes to working the lats and the back. The secret is to turn off your ego, lower the weight and focus 100% on the mind-muscle connection. Once you learn to hit the right areas, start increasing the weight and watch your back grow! I discussed lat training and gave some good tips that have really worked for me back on March 8th.
Right now it's cardio time, and later tonight I'm working my legs--can't wait!
Back to comments index
April 5, 2006
Last night's back workout was one of my best ever. Something new I've been doing lately is supersetting my deadlifts with shrugs. Supersetting shrugs with deads can be quite a challenge--both for the muscles and the cardio vascular system. As those of you who do deads know (and if you don't do them--WHY?!), they take a lot out of you; by the time you complete a heavy set, you are breathing pretty hard and your whole body is very fatigued. What I do is on the final rep of my deads, I perform a full set of burnout shrugs before putting the bar down. By the time the bar comes down, I'm ready to collapse alongside it! I do four supersets of these. Last night I increased the weight I was using for these supersets a pretty significant amount, and after my third set I thought I was going to die. I rested 2 minutes, and even after resting I thought I was going to pass out, puke or both. I almost didn't do my final set...
I thought to myself, "I'm done - I can't do anymore. It was a great workout, and skipping this last set ultimately won't make one bit of difference." These are the kinds of thoughts we all have when we're pushing ourselves to the limit. Deep inside I knew that voice was full of crap. I then thought, "Are you really not capable of doing another set? If a millionaire magically appeared in this gym and said that he'd give you a $100,00 to do another superset, I'll bet you'd find a way to bang it out!" These are the kinds of mental tricks I use to force myself to go beyond what my mind tells me I can do. These "tricks" keep me honest, and they keep me from wussing out. I grabbed the bar and did the final superset, with an extra rep of each exercise thrown in for good measure.
Had I walked out of the gym without doing that final superset, I would have been cheating myself. Instead I walked out (actually it was more of a crawl!) with my head held high, feeling tired but incredibly good.
One new progress picture, which I took about 5 minutes after my workout but didn't post until this morning.
Back to comments index
April 4, 2006
I woke up at my regular time this morning without an alarm, so it looks like I'm adapting to the time change much faster than usual. I think it's because I've been going to bed so early (I went to bed last night around 9:30 PM, which felt like 8:30). I do enjoy the extra daylight; in fact, I wish we could stay on DST year-round.
Last night's workout was chest & abs, and it was a solid effort. I improved over last week on every exercise and felt pretty strong through the entire workout. I'm amazed at how well my shoulder has been holding up. It still hurts sometimes, but thankfully the pain is always temporary and nothing like what I was forced to deal with back in 2003/2004. I think the physical therapy helped a lot more than I initially realized.
I put a couple of new progress pictures up in my journal.
I'm actually on time this morning, and it's a good thing because I have a conference call as soon as I'm done with my cardio, shower and first meal. In fact, I have a full 10 minutes to finish enjoying my coffee before I need to get into the gym for my cardio!
Back to comments index
April 3, 2006
I'm down to 203 pounds this morning, which is the leanest I've been since I started cutting this year. I still don't have my replacement MyoTape yet, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the upper 9% body fat range at this point. I'm noticing more cuts in my legs and arms (my quads are starting to show some separation), and my abs are really popping this morning. I expect my fat loss to slow a little bit as I approach my first goal of 8% body fat. Once I get to 8%, I'm going to take it slow and keep lowering my body fat until I reach the 6% mark. This will not be easy, but I can do it! This summer I will enjoy the leanest and most muscular physique of my life.
I was complaining about the time change in yesterday's update, and I'm still in the early stages of adjusting. I went to bed last night at 9:00 PM, which of course felt like 8:00 PM to my internal clock. I watched part of a movie and then hit the lights around 10:15 PM; I was asleep within minutes.
I spent the whole weekend Spring cleaning. I'd say I'm about halfway done. Next weekend will be more of the same. It's pretty exhausting work, but it sure feels good to get everything squared away. With no real rain in over a month, it's amazing how dusty everything is right now! In fact, there's no chance of rain again this week. Right now I'm really glad I invested in a automatic irrigation system. When I drive through the subdivisions around here I can instantly pick out which homes have irrigation systems and which ones don't--I've never seen so many dead and dying lawns. You have to be pretty dedicated and have a lot of time on your hands to combat this dry weather with regular sprinklers.
Here I am talking about the weather. Sheesh. I'm getting as bad as my mom in my old age (kidding, mom)! I'm late for my cardio, I'd better get moving. Have a great day!
Back to comments index
April 2, 2006
I really hate the time change; I despise it. I'm sitting here and my body is telling me it's just 7:45 AM, but the clock is telling me that it's almost 9:00 AM. My internal clock is very sensitive, and these time changes twice per year take my body forever to adapt; the Spring time change is by far the most difficult for me.
I'm out of time, so if you missed yesterday's update you are in luck: you have something new to read! If you did read yesterday's update, you might want to have a look at my latest forum journal entry: I actually put some comparison shots of my glutes up there. That's a first for me, I think.
Have a great day... what's left of it!
April 1, 2006
I just took my monthly pictures and I'd put me between 9% and 10% body fat right now, don't you think? Closer to 10%, IMO, so I'm going to leave my body fat percentage "officially" at 10% for now. When I first compared this month's front picture to last month's picture, I thought my arms looked smaller this month, but then I noticed it was my posing: in last month's shot my arms are flared out to show more bicep/tricep (look at my elbows). Of course my profile pictures and my measurements, thankfully, show that my arms are still the same size--whew! Anyone who's cut down after a bulk knows how paranoid we all get about losing our hard-earned muscle! I also noticed that last month I seem to be puffing my chest up, while this month my chest is more relaxed. None of these minor posing changes are purposeful, but they do illustrate that even very small changes in posing can make a big difference in the final photograph!
People who are new to fitness and fat loss often have trouble understanding that the scale is not a very useful tool. Scales don't know if they are weighing muscle or fat, and even BIA (Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) "body fat" scales, for the most part, suck. Useless calculations based on nothing more than height and weight, such as the BMI (Body Mass Index), only help perpetuate the myth that scale weight is a good indication of health and body fat levels. For example, look at these two pictures--I actually weigh LESS in the first picture:
|
January 13, 2003 |
April 1, 2006 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Front View |
||
Sure, I weigh myself--but my scale weight plays a very small role in how I track my body composition; I also use the mirror, digital body fat calipers and a MyoTape.
I'd better go get my cardio in - dropping below 10% body fat is not easy and requires a lot of dedication and hard work, so missing cardio is not an option. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a wonderful Saturday!
Back to comments index
Web design and development by Sverre Sjothun
