Daily News Archives
August 2004
08/31/2004 - "I like you with a little meat on your bones."
08/30/2004 - Shoulder bothering me a little.
08/29/2004 - Day of rest.
08/28/2004 - I feel great!; Motivation: taking your health for granted.
08/27/2004 - First week of bulking went great; Food intake way up.
08/26/2004 - More changes while I bulk; Another FAQ update.
08/25/2004 - Bulking diet - enough calories?
08/24/2004 - Bulking diet plans.
08/23/2004 - New goals have renewed my enthusiasm!
08/22/2004 - First bulking workout went well; FAQ update.
08/21/2004 - Ready to start bulking.
08/20/2004 - I'm going to start bulking.
08/19/2004 - Where did the week go?
08/18/2004 - Review: All The Whey 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate
08/17/2004 - Shoulder still doing well as I regain strength.
08/16/2004 - Lots of work to do this week.
08/15/2004 - Quick update.
08/14/2004 - Hurricane Charlie aftermath.
08/13/2004 - Hurricane expected to hit us today.
08/12/2004 - Here comes the weather.
08/11/2004 - My shoulder is handling the workouts so far.
08/10/2004 - I pigged out last night; Back and biceps day!
08/09/2004 - All They Whey: new products!
08/08/2004 - Feeling sore and tired, but I have a lot to do today.
08/07/2004 - Pecs, delts and triceps workout today!
08/06/2004 - Smile?! New photos in forum gallery.
08/05/2004 - Help avoid plateaus - keep your body guessing.
08/04/2004 - Good workout yesterday, shoulder still ok!
08/03/2004 - Being able to lift again feels great!
08/02/2004 - Another good upper body workout - shoulder survives.
08/01/2004 - Saturday was a bust; Sunday plans.
August 31, 2004
Last night I was running around the house in my boxers playing with the dogs and stuff and Lisa said, "Hey, you look good. I like you with a little meat on your bones." That was great to hear because I'm starting to see a change in my lower abs, which is where I store fat first. I think I've finally accepted (and am ok with) the fact that I'm going to lose some of my definition, particularly in the abdominal region, while I'm bulking. You'll see it when I take my pictures on the 6th. I wish my body would store fat more evenly, but there's nothing I can do about that. The plus side is, I'm already looking bigger and stronger then I have in a long time. My body seems to be responding very well to the increased food intake, the intense MAX-OT strength training workouts and the creatine. I may not be quite as ripped as I was, but I think I look more healthy now. Once I add some additional mass and reach my bulking goals, I will look much better than I did when I get cut up again.
My shoulder is feeling much better this morning, so I'm off to the weight room to hammer my back and biceps. See you tomorrow!
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August 30, 2004
I'm happy with how well my upper body workouts have been going, but I'm a little worried about my shoulder. Yesterday it was hurting a bit more than usual, especially after I washed the cars. Thankfully this morning it seems mostly okay. I guess all I can do is continue to warm up properly, do my shoulder rehab exercises and not overdo the amount of weight I'm lifting. If my shoulder gives out, at least this time I won't have to spend months and months figuring out what's wrong: I'll jump right to the surgery and be done with it. I hope I can wait to have the surgery until after I'm done bulking. I'm probably going to go see my Orthopedic doctor next month just to touch base and let him know how it's going.
I can't believe the weekend is over already. This one went fast! I'm going to workout and get to work. Have a great day!
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August 29, 2004
Today's my day off from work and working out and I need it. I'm pretty sore from yesterday's workout, and my shoulder is bothering me a little (but nothing too bad). I'm going to get some stuff done around the house and then relax. Have a good day, see you tomorrow!
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August 28, 2004
This morning I feel like I used to back in the day (heh) right before a big swim meet: after months and months of grueling workouts, my coach would taper us down just before a big meet. When we were tapering, we'd go from two workouts a day totaling 4-5 hours to a single workout that was perhaps 45 minutes long (at most). The reason for this is probably obvious: after training so intensely for many hours a day, a 30-45 minute workout was, comparatively speaking, essentially nothing. The amount of energy we had in check after a good taper was absolutely amazing - talk about bouncing off the walls!
Anyway, back to my point: after all these months of not being able to do any upper body workouts, I finally feel passionate and excited about my workouts again. My energy level and attitude are at all-time highs. While I was injured I continued to do my cardio and my lower body workouts, but I don't think it's any secret that my passion was starting to wane. Being able to lift again has re-kindled my fire (and then some!)
Those of you who find it difficult to get motivated to workout should think about how lucky you are. Imagine missing your legs or your arms, or living with a debilitating disease or injury. What would you give to be able to do the things you take for granted now? Think about that the next time you don't feel like working out. Most of us are exceedingly fortunate and we don't even realize it...
I'm going to step off my soapbox and head for my power rack. Have a great day. 
August 27, 2004
My first week of bulking has gone great! All this extra food is making me feel even more energetic and strong than I normally do, and my weight training sessions have all been excellent. I've been steadily increasing the amount of food I've been eating - yesterday I hit close to 3,000 calories. Tonight I'll be having my cheat meal, and that will put me close to 4,000 calories for today (granted they are not all "clean" calories, but that's what cheat meals are for!)
I always feel extra powerful when doing my Saturday morning weight training workouts, probably because of all the carbs I ingest via my cheat meal on Friday night. My increased caloric intake combined with the creatine I've been taking should make for an exceptional workout tomorrow morning (pecs, delts and triceps). No matter how good I feel, I have to remember to show a little restraint and not overdo it - no matter what happens I can't allow my shoulder to become injured again.
This week has been a very positive one for me. I sure love lifting weights and eating lots of food! If I don't injure myself again
I'm definitely going to get a lot bigger and a lot stronger in the coming months. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm kinda tired of
being skinny.
August 26, 2004
I've decided that while I'm bulking I'm going to stop doing HIIT cardio completely. Instead, I'll be doing aerobic-level cardio 3 times per week (on non-weight training days) for 50 minutes each session. I want to do everything I can to preserve the mass I gain.
I updated my FAQ again. There are some revisions to old questions, and I've added a few new questions that I've been getting a lot lately. The FAQ was starting to become bit unwieldy, so I added an index with direct links to each question. I hope you'll find the updates useful!
Ok, it's leg day and I need to get started. I've got the music cranked and I'm feeling super strong this morning (I love all this extra food!) See ya next time!
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August 25, 2004
I received a few emails and answered a few posts on the message boards yesterday concerning my planned bulking diet; specifically the number of calories I'll be ingesting each day. Some people feel that 2,500 - 2,800 calories is too low for a bulking diet. I decided on that amount based on my own knowledge of my body and how it reacts to food and exercise. After almost 2 years of carefully tracking my food intake and stats, I really do feel that 2,500 - 2,800 calories per day is plenty of food for me and that I will be able to reach my bulking goals while eating that amount. Also, keep in mind that I (like most people) tend to underestimate the number of calories ingested. I'd say one could safely add 10% to the amounts shown in my logs, which puts me closer to 3,000 calories per day (once I've ramped up to my final bulking diet.)
Anyway, I will certainly increase the amount of food I'm eating if my progress is not what I expect. I'm really serious about this,
and am putting as much effort into my bulking program as I did when I was first losing fat.
Barring injury, I'm going to post a picture in early 2005, flexed with a tape around my arm. It's going to read at least 16".
I wouldn't bet against me.
August 24, 2004
I haven't really talked much about my bulking plans from a nutritional standpoint. I'm slowly ramping my daily caloric intake as I progress into the first week of my bulking program. I don't want to jump from my cutting diet straight into my bulking diet - my body needs time to adjust to the increased food intake. Once I've ramped up to my final bulking diet, I plan to eat around 2,500 to 2,800 calories per day, and even more than that amount on my cheat meal day.
My post-workout and breakfast diet will include All The Whey Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate and simple carbs like bananas, apple juice and orange juice. I've always preferred fruit to dextrose, but I may give dextrose a try at some point. I'll also be eating Egg Beaters and oatmeal, of course!
My lunches will be about the same, but I'll be adding some nuts and/or natural peanut butter along with my chicken and salad.
For snacks, I've dropped the pretzels and instead I will be eating tuna, almonds and beef jerky.
My dinners won't change much--lean meats, seafood and veggies. I may start drinking casein protein shakes right before bedtime once I have ramped up my calories a bit.
I was pretty happy with my progress last September and October, and I was eating much of the same things back then (check my food logs if you are interested.) Of course I'll be tweaking things as I go along and trying new things. It's going to take a lot of hard work and discipline to reach my goals!
All I've been thinking about since last night is this morning's workout: back and biceps. I'm going to go crank up the music and get started. Have a great day!
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August 23, 2004
It feels great to be bulking again! I feel revitalized and much more excited about working out and eating right than I have in many months. Having fresh new goals has re-kindled my desire and strengthened my resolve. For example, last night just before dinnertime Lisa and I were watching a movie. One of the characters in the movie went out for a pizza. Big deal, right? Well, most of you who have been visiting this site for any length of time know that pizza is not just my favorite food; it's my culinary Achilles' heel. Just seeing that pizza in the movie started my mouth watering. God, the pizza looked so good that I wanted to pause the movie, go online and order one right then and there. Last week I probably would have told myself "sure, go for it - you can do things like that once in a while and not get fat." Instead I said, "you can't eat that crap - you are in training and your muscles are developing. You need quality foods if you expect to reach your goals." I did the right thing: I made salmon, broccoli and cauliflower and enjoyed every bite. What I enjoyed even more than the food, though, is that when I was done I felt strong and disciplined. I trust that just about everyone who is reading this knows exactly what I'm talking about...
I need to get my workout done and get to work. Today I'm doing 50 minutes of aerobic cardio. See you tomorrow!
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August 22, 2004
For those who don't visit the site everyday, you may have missed the news: I started a bulking program yesterday. Yesterday's workout, my first "official" bulking workout (pecs, delts and triceps), went extremely well. I'm happy to report that my shoulder is still hanging tough.
Over the past few weeks I've gradually increased the amount of weight I've been lifting and, thankfully, the strength I'd lost over the past 8 months has returned far more quickly than I expected it would. For most exercises I'm already using 95%-100% of the weight I was using just before I injured myself. I'm moving a little slower on bench press and incline presses because those exercises place a lot of stress on the shoulders. Still, I'm up to 85% of the weight I was using just before my shoulder injury, and that's pretty good because I had been bulking for a couple of months when I hurt myself. Anyway, if I sound excited that's because I am! The past eight months have been very frustrating for me. Being able to lift again has given me a huge mental boost.
I've been getting a lot of questions about my shoulder and hernia injuries, so I've updated my FAQ with some new information on those subjects.
I hope you enjoy your Sunday, see you tomorrow!
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August 21, 2004
I'm very excited about my decision to start bulking again, and I hope my shoulder continues to hold out over the next few months. I guess don't have too much to say this morning, so I'm going to just go hit the weights. Today I'm working my pecs, delts and triceps. See ya!
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August 20, 2004
Because I've been able to do upper body workouts for the past few weeks and my shoulder is still
holding up, I've decided to take advantage of this time and change my focus from cutting to bulking. I've already gained
about 6 pounds over the past couple of months. Some of it is fat, which I gained while on my vacation, but some of it is muscle: even on my
relatively low calorie post-vacation diet I've managed to add 1/4" to my arms and 1/4" to my chest! This summer I've enjoyed a somewhat relaxed diet,
allowing myself a few extra cheat meals. I'm going to cut that back to a single weekly cheat meal and I'm going to clean up my diet while increasing
my daily caloric intake somewhat over the next few months while I do a slow bulk. I want to add as much muscle as I can without adding too much more fat.
Hopefully my shoulder will hold out and I can reach my goals of 16" arms and a 42" chest. Obviously I'll be looking bigger and softer than usual while I do
this bulk so, please, no emails telling me I'm loosing my 6-pack. 
Once I reach these goals (um, or I blow my shoulder out),
I'll cut back down to 8% body fat.
Cardio time, then another fun-filled day of work. Hopefully I can get enough done at work today so I can take the whole weekend off. I have so much to do around the house that I don't know how I'm going to get it all done in just two days!
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August 19, 2004
It's going to be a long day of playing "catch up" at work. The week is already coming to an end and most of my attention has been focused on putting out the fires (figuratively speaking) caused by hurricane Charley. I'm still dealing with some of those issues, but power is starting to come back on in more and more areas and, thankfully, most of our network equipment seems to have been spared any physical damage.
I'm going to cut this short and get started on today's workout right away. It's going to be a tough one: leg day!
August 18, 2004
Yesterday after my workout I started using the new All The Whey 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate. 100% hydrolyzed whey protein isolate is the absolute best whey protein supplement you can buy: it has the highest BV (biological value) and the quickest absorption rate of any whey protein supplement available for human consumption. It's also the most expensive whey to manufacture and it tastes absolutely horrible, so that's why you don't see many 100% hydrolyzed whey products on the market. ATW sells their 100% hydrolyzed whey isolate for a ridiculously low price: 2 pounds is just $17.99. This whey product is for people who want the highest possible quality whey isolate supplement. Please be aware before you order that the taste is awful, and I do mean AWFUL. I would describe it as a mixture of vomit and aspirin. I'm not kidding. I mix mine up with a small amount of water and throw it back like a shot. After a hard workout, I look at it as just one more tough set to get through. This product is not about great tasting shakes that go down with a smile. It's about one thing and one thing only: getting quality protein to your muscles as quickly as possible after your workout. I'll be using this stuff exclusively for the next 3 months. I'm looking forward to seeing what kinds of gains I make!
Time for me to get started on today's workout: abs and HIIT cardio. Have a great day!
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August 17, 2004
My shoulder is holding up very well to my recent upper body weight training sessions. I've been getting more and more of my strength back with each workout, but I have to be careful not to push myself too hard too soon. Today I'm working my back and biceps, and then it's back to work checking and repairing the downed/damaged networks.
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August 16, 2004
With over a dozen of my remote networks still down this morning, and others that need some of their equipment repaired or replaced, I'm looking at a long work week. I'm going to go do my workout and get started. Have a good Monday and I'll see you tomorrow.
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August 15, 2004
We have some family over this morning who were hit by the storm much harder than we were. We are giving them our supplies and other things we wound up not needing, and they are making some phone calls (we were one of the lucky few who did not lose power, water or phones). See everyone tomorrow.
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August 14, 2004
Lisa and I were spared the brunt of hurricane Charlie's wrath, but many others here in Orlando and elsewhere in Florida were not so fortunate. After looking at some of the damage just around our area of town, we feel very lucky indeed. Our power didn't even go out, and the only damage we suffered was a small section of our backyard fence came down in the wind. Just a few miles away, Lisa's parents have no power and must replace their roof. Also, a giant tree in their yard was uprooted and is now leaning on their neighbor's house. Power is out all over town, and I've got dozens of remote networks that I'm responsible for down, presumably due to power outages. I hope everyone is ok...
I'm going to go clean up around the house, repair the fence and do my workout. My most sincere wishes for a speedy recovery go out to all those people who were affected by Charlie.
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August 13, 2004
Today should be a fairly normal work day, but tonight the hurricane fun is expected to begin. I've got the house ready and we've got enough supplies for a few days without electricity (if it comes to that). Lisa and I had our house built just before we were married in 1994. It's been through some pretty powerful storms and it's never even come close to flooding. So, unless we're hit by a crazy offshoot tornado or something, we should be just fine. The servers are also in a very safe location, and there's generator power at the co-lo facility. Still, anything can happen so don't be surprised if the site is down during/after the storm.
Workout time! We had plans for tonight, but those are obviously cancelled. Instead we're going to have a pizza feast and watch DVDs as long as the
power stays on. If the power goes out, I'm sure we'll find something to do...
August 12, 2004
It looks like Tropical Storm "Bonnie" will not effect Central Florida much, but on Friday hurricane "Charlie" (am I alone in thinking they should have named the storm "Clyde"?) will most likely pass directly over my neck of the woods. Hopefully all the networks and systems will remain online, but if you can't reach this site and the forums on Friday at least you'll know why.
Time to hit my legs. After my workout, Lisa and I will double-check our emergency ration supply levels, prepare the oxygen tanks and
run a series of tests on the generators and weapons contained within the JSF underground anti-terrorist bunker
(which will be doubling as a hurricane shelter this weekend).
August 11, 2004
Yesterday's workout was another very good one. I'm being careful to warmup properly, use good form and not overdo it. So far my shoulder seems to be handling the workouts just fine. I'm a little concerned that as I regain my strength my shoulder won't be able to handle the increased weights, although on some exercises I'm already almost back to where I was in late 2003. I've been doing dips, but I won't do weighted dips anymore - at least not until my shoulder is fully healed. They are just too hard on my shoulder.
Today is probably my least favorite workout of the week: abs and HIIT cardio. I'm going to go get it done and get started on what will likely be a very long day of work.
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August 10, 2004
"Mr. Dedication" was very weak last night. Lisa and I both had long, crappy days yesterday. Lisa wanted to eat pizza for dinner. Period - end of story. I could have made her a pizza and made myself shrimp, but I was feeling tired and decided to have an extra cheat meal instead. This morning I woke up feeling very bloated, and a bit disappointed with myself. Thanks to last night's indulgence this morning I'm carrying about 4 extra pounds of water weight.
Because of my healthy lifestyle and regular workouts, I know an extra cheat meal here and there is not going to kill me or add an appreciable amount of fat, but I really don't like how I feel the next day when I have more than one unhealthy meal per week. At this point in my transformation it's more a question of what's healthy and what's good for my body than anything else. I'm going remember how I feel this morning the next time I feel like eating poorly!
On a much more positive note, this morning I'm going to work my back and biceps! My shoulder is still doing fine. I'm so happy to be able to
do upper body workouts again that the past few weeks I've been waking up on Tuesdays and Saturdays with a big, stupid grin on my face.
August 9, 2004
Some of you may have noticed the new All The Whey banner that began running yesterday. By popular demand, ATW now makes a 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate, and they will soon offer a Milk (Casein) Whey Protein Isolate!
Hydrolyzed whey protein isolate is the most digestible and quickest absorbed whey available. It's very expensive to manufacture, and that's why many products that claim to have hydrolyzed whey only contain a relatively small amount of it. ATW's hydrolyzed whey protein is 100%, high-quality hydrolyzed whey isolate, and costs just $17.99 for 2 pounds. I've never tried 100% hydrolyzed whey protein isolate before, but I've heard that the taste is not very good, so be aware of that before you order. It's all about results. I've got a container on they way to me, so I'll let you all know what I think of it after I've used it for a while.
Many of you have been asking ATW about a slower-digesting casein protein for pre-bedtime shakes. Well, you won't have to wait much longer: ATW is adding a milk protein isolate to their product line! Like all their products, you can count on the highest quality and the lowest possible price. I'll let you all know as soon as it's available for order.
Time for another grueling week of work. I'm going to get things started with 50 minutes on the elliptical. See you tomorrow!
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August 8, 2004
I had a great pecs/delt/triceps workout yesterday! Between my very sore legs and now my sore upper body, I'm not sure how I'm going to get the yard work accomplished today. As much as I'd love to rest and do nothing but watch DVDs all day long, I've got lots of things that need to be done around the house. It looks like rain, so I may get a reprieve after all...
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August 7, 2004
This is going to be a quick update. I'm running kind of late, and am excited to get started on today's training session: pecs, delts and triceps! My shoulder feels fine this morning and I'm looking forward to a good workout. Time for me to hobble over to my weight room (I can barely walk from Thursday's workout - it was a tough one). Have a great day!
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August 6, 2004
What's this? A "daily" picture smile? Sure, at this point - why not? Back
when I was taking pictures every single day I wanted to keep them as consistent as possible, but now that I'm only
taking my posed progress shots once a month, I might as well relax a little. I'm still getting rid of the last
few pounds that I gained while on vacation, but considering how much I ate this month the pictures are not too
bad.
I've not updated my Picture Gallery and Photo Archive (registration is required) on the forum in a long time, but now that I am able to do upper body workouts again it seems like a good time to put some "starting" shots up there. It will be cool to compare pictures after a couple of months of training. This morning I took a back double bi shot and a side bicep shot. The new shots are on page 12, I think (the thread is getting kind of big!)
I'm going to go workout now. Have a great Friday!
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August 5, 2004
When I used to do HIIT cardio exclusively, it got to the point where I would push myself as hard as I could but I'd hardly break a sweat until the final 5 minutes or so. I was in excellent cardio vascular shape, but doing the same thing every day is less than optimal when it comes to fat loss. Most of you already know that our bodies are extremely adept when it comes to adapting to exercise routines, and that's a big part of the reason why we sometimes "plateau". If you are trying to lose fat, then it's very important to mix your cardio routines up - don't do the same thing every workout! Switch your HIIT intervals, alternate aerobic-level cardio and HIIT cardio, do different exercises - be creative! The goal is to keep your body guessing and not give it a chance to adapt to what you are doing.
No cardio for me today, though. Today is leg day! Time to get started. I've got a difficult workout planned, and it is really gonna hurt...
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August 4, 2004
I had a great back and biceps workout yesterday. I hit my biceps particularly hard, and this morning my arms are absolutely killing me (my tris are still sore from Saturday). My shoulder hurt a little bit after the workout, but I iced it down when I was done and this morning it feels just fine.
I don't have much time this morning, so I'm going to cut this short and go work my abs and do some cardio. Hang in there and stay focused!
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August 3, 2004
I woke up this morning and the first thing that hit my mind was "it's back and biceps day!" For the past two weeks I've been doing all my normal weight training workouts again and my shoulder seems to be handling it just fine. Needless to say, I'm very happy to be lifting again! Being able to lift has given me a mental boost that has made the past couple weeks of work, which have been very tough, much more bearable.
Honestly, I can't understand why my shoulder is not hurting more. I've even stopped taking the Naproxen (Naproxen, for those of you who are not familiar with it, is a doctor-prescribed anti-inflammatory). Perhaps all that physical therapy did help. Even though I don't go to physical therapy anymore, I'm still doing the exercises that I learned there and practicing better posture. I'm not 100% pain-free, and I know there is still a problem with my shoulder that will probably need surgery to correct, but I'm going to keep lifting for a few months if I can. I've been patient and, as long as my body will let me, I'm going to keep lifting.
Time to get started on my workout. I wonder how many of you are going to play hooky from work/school
and play Doom 3 all day? Have a great day!
August 2, 2004
I had anther great pecs/delts/triceps workout over the weekend. My shoulder hurt a little bit while doing the workout, but
nothing major. The most surprising thing is that in the days following my workout it hasn't been hurting any worse than it normally does.
My muscles are killing me, but my shoulder pain is unchanged is and quite tolerable. It actually hurts worse after I wash the car.
Right now I'm using about 75% of the weight I was using when I was at my strongest, which was October/November 2003. I don't plan to
attempt max bench presses every week any more. That's a good way for an old guy like me to get hurt.
I've got meetings to go to this morning, so I need to go workout now. I hope you have a good day!
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August 1, 2004
Yesterday my pager went off all day, and I spent a good deal of my day off working. This morning I'm going do some work in the yard, wash the cars and then Lisa and I are going to watch some DVDs. I'm going to smash my pager into little pieces if it so much as chirps...
I hope everyone is having a good weekend. See you tomorrow!
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