Daily News Archives

August 2006

08/31/2006 - Bulk starts tomorrow; Maximizing results; A year of progress.
08/30/2006 - Internet restored; Tropical Storm Ernesto; New back photograph.
08/29/2006 - No Internet. No email. Again.
08/28/2006 - Last call for cheat meal date opinions; Arm workout feedback.
08/27/2006 - Questions about my arm workout answered.
08/26/2006 - Want bigger arms? Here's my killer arm workout, but you better be ready to work.
08/25/2006 - One week to go: Bulk 2006!
08/24/2006 - Orlando Cheat Meal: New date?
08/23/2006 - Favorite Things update.
08/22/2006 - Great workout last night; New pictures; Google video Beta program.
08/21/2006 - The September "100 Challenge" is open for entry; LIVESTRONG matching fund!
08/20/2006 - Bulking split modification (now finalized).
08/19/2006 - Bulking plans.
08/18/2006 - LIVESTRONG Challenge; Million Dollar Baby.
08/17/2006 - New sub-forum; JSF has a strict privacy policy.
08/16/2006 - My home network is back online; Forum upgrade information/update.
08/15/2006 - Still no Internet, more damage discovered.
08/14/2006 - Outage on my home network.
08/13/2006 - Bad John!
08/12/2006 - Excellent workout last night; Lunges.
08/11/2006 - Feeling good this morning!
08/10/2006 - Terrible workout last night; More problems at work; S~T~R~E~S~S~!
08/09/2006 - Woke up late, issues at work. I'm still doing my cardio, dang it!
08/08/2006 - Why wait for the New Year?; New workout pictures.
08/07/2006 - Tips and techniques to help keep your diet on track.
08/06/2006 - Mostly pointless update: Sunday plans.
08/05/2006 - Awesome cheat meal last night; Forum software upgrade coming soon.
08/04/2006 - More tools for your mind.
08/03/2006 - Mental tricks to help you stay motivated.
08/02/2006 - Motivation to change.
08/01/2006 - New monthly pictures; First day of the inaugural "100 Challenge".

August 31, 2006

This is the final day of my summer maintenance program, and tomorrow begins my 2006 bulk. I can't wait! Starting tomorrow, there will be no more daily cardio (just 2 cardio sessions per week while bulking), five weight training workouts per week, a large increase in "clean" calories, which includes a considerable increase in carbohydrates, absolutely no alcohol consumption (even with cheat meals) and a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night (but I'll be aiming for 8 hours of sleep). The increase in calories and carbs will help give me fuel for my workouts and my body the raw materials it needs to build new muscle. I'm going to need all the energy I can get, because I've got some workouts planned out that scare the hell out of me. evil

Last year when I was bulking I worked harder in the gym than I've ever worked before. All the self-imposed "rules" that I listed above are pretty much identical to what I did last year, and they served me very well by allowing me to maximize the gains I set in motion in the gym. I said "set in motion in the gym" because our muscles do their growing outside of the gym, not while we're working out. I think it's pointless to bust your butt in the gym, but then fail to follow through with all the other things that promote muscle growth. What you do outside the gym is every bit as important as what you do in the gym. Everyone says they already know that, but in practice I've found this area is where most people make the most mistakes. Your lifestyle away from the iron is the foundation upon which your entire body is constructed. I'm not regurgitating a bunch of "rah-rah" crap that I overheard in the gym or read in a magazine; I'm talking about things that I've learned from firsthand experience.

I'm very proud of what I've accomplished over the past year, but I'm never satisfied. I can do better, and I will. I assume you are reading this web site because you are interested in improving your health and level of fitness. So, a year from now will you look back at your accomplishments in these areas with satisfaction, or will you just be a year older and no closer to your goals? The good news is that choice is up to you; the question is, what are you going to do about it?

Last chance to register John Stone September "100 Challenge"! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on September 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the September "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part! No slackers!

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August 30, 2006

Shortly after yesterday's rant about my ISP, service was restored--sort of. They still have not fully fixed the problem with their DHCP server, but I figured out a work-around, so all is well for now.

Underachieving Tropical Storm "Ernesto" will be moving over the State of Florida today. With top sustained winds of 45 MPH at the center and a lot of land to cover before it reaches Central Florida, everyone in our area but the media is yawning over this one. Of course the local media are milking this "mild severe weather"(?!) situation as much as they can, ignoring the fact that Ernesto is less threatening to people in this part of the state than the afternoon thunderstorms we see here on a regular basis (which can actually be quite violent).

Last night was my final back workout before my bulk, and it was a very good one. I took a picture of my back as sort of a pre-bulk "before" picture. The picture along with more details on my workout can be found in last night's journal entry in my media gallery thread.

Registration for the John Stone September "100 Challenge" is now underway, but time is running out! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on September 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the September "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part! No slackers!

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August 29, 2006

For the second time this month I have no Internet service and no email. I'm sending this update to the JSF servers over a horrible 28kbps dial-up connection that keeps disconnecting. I've been without Internet service (aside from my backup dial-up service) since 12:30 PM yesterday afternoon. It's been very frustrating, because the problem is on the end of my cable provider, and they can't seem to figure it out. I keep calling and they always say, "Oh, yes! That issue? Our engineers have informed us that the problem was resolved. You should be fine now!" NO! That's happened four times now. Each time they go down their "dummy card" list and force me to perform their usual trouble-shooting steps (anyone who's reasonably proficient with computers and networks knows how frustrating it is talking to level-1 or level-2 support people). After 20 minutes of slowly repeating the same steps that I've been through a million times, the tech support people always proudly exclaim, "Yes--it seems there is still a problem!" With the satisfaction oozing from their voices, one would think they'd just perfected the gravity drive. rolleyes

Sorry, I had to vent. I'm going to go get on the bike and ride some of this irritation out. Have a great day!

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August 28, 2006

Last week I started a poll asking if moving the JSF Orlando Cheat Meal to another date made sense. It looks like just about everyone agrees that it should be moved to May or June. Right now more people seem to prefer the June date, and that's fine by me. If you plan to attend one of the annual JSF Cheat Meals in Orlando, please feel free to vote in the poll and voice your opinion.

Thanks again for all the awesome feedback on the two arm workout articles I wrote this weekend (Part 1 & Part 2). Your comments, questions and constructive criticism are extremely helpful to me, and very much appreciated. Some of you said that you will be incorporating my arm workout into your training programs. Work hard, eat big and please let me know how the routine is working for you. I'll be sure to post some more workout articles as my bulk progresses.

Registration for the John Stone September "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on September 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the September "100 Challenge" thread on the forum. If you are ready to work hard and want to challenge yourself in a fun and competitive environment, then please take part! No slackers!

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August 27, 2006

Ah, a much needed day of rest! This past week I managed to put together a string of excellent weight training workouts, and today I'm feeling pretty spent. Lisa is going out with some friends, so I'll probably get my cardio done and then lay around the house doing, oh, pretty much nothing. Sounds great to me!

I received quite a bit of email in response to yesterday's update, in which I detailed my brutal biceps & triceps workout. Thank you for all the positive feedback! I'm glad everyone seemed to like the article. We'll see how much you like me after you try the workout. evil There were a few questions, but mostly people wanted me to post more articles detailing my other workouts. I'll see what I can do!

As for the questions, I think I can hit most of them with a few bullets:

Yes, you move from biceps to triceps with ZERO rest in between. That's the whole idea behind supersets. Yes, I know it's difficult!
Form is critical. Check your ego at the door. You want to use the heaviest weight you can lift with perfect form for 10-12 reps.
Don't cheat. Don't use momentum to help lift the weight. This workout is not designed for powerlifters, it's for people who want to add mass.
Mind-muscle connection means you are focused on the muscle(s) being used to lift the weight. Start with light weights if you have trouble feeling this connection. It will come with practice. It's important, so don't ignore this piece of advice.
The cadence I use is 2 seconds on the concentric, 3 seconds on the eccentric with hard squeeze between the two phases of the movement.
The rest intervals between supersets should be no more than 1 minute. You'll probably still be breathing hard when it's time to go again; it's OK. You'll live.
No, puking is not an acceptable excuse to cut the workout short.
Change your exercises every 3 weeks.

Except for a few silly questions, I think that covers most of what I was asked. Have fun!

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August 26, 2006

Because my bulk starts this coming Friday, and Friday will now be my bicep/tricep superset training day, I'm going to have to change my current split to my bulking split starting today. My nutrition intake will not change to "bulking mode" until Friday, just my training split will change starting today. The reason is because presently I am working my triceps on Monday, and my biceps on Wednesday. If I continue with that split next week, then my biceps, forearms and possibly even my triceps will still be very sore on Friday--hardly an ideal way to head into a grueling 384 rep antagonistic superset arm workout!

384 reps may sound like a lot, but as I mentioned yesterday, my body responds very well to high volume workouts. For my arms, I do 4 "antagonistic" supersets (moving immediately from tricep to bicep with no rest) per pair of exercises, 24 reps (12 bi/12 tri) per superset and 4 exercises per muscle group (4 supersets * 24 reps * 4 exercises = 384 reps). I rest 1 minute between each superset, 2 minutes between each exercise. Let me tell you, this workout is absolutely brutal, but it gets results. Last year I utilized this training method and my arms grew from 16 inches to 17.5 inches in the space of three months. After cutting down to ~8% body fat, my arms are presently right at 17 inches (cold), for a net gain of a good solid inch. This year I expect my arms to grow to well over 18 inches (cold), and approaching 20 inches with a full pump.

If you want your arms to grow, I suggest giving antagonistic supersets a try. Of course you'll be wasting your time if your nutritional intake is not designed for growth, so be sure to eat a surplus of clean, healthy food and that your PWO nutrition is rich in quality, lean protein and carbs. If you are not eating to grow, you will not gain size. Also, for maximum results, it's important to get plenty of rest each night and to stay away from alcohol.

I change my superset exercises around every three weeks. Here's just one of my arm workouts (in fact, this is the workout I'll be starting this year's bulk off with):

Superset #1: Machine Preacher Curls & Cable Pressdowns (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #2: EZ-Bar Curls & Standing EZ-Bar French Curls (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #3: DB Hammer Curls & Standing DB Extensions (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #4: Cable Curls & Weighted Bench Dips (4 "burnout" supersets)*

*I like to finish off my bicep/tricep workouts by completely toasting my arms with "burnout" supersets. These are finishing moves designed to completely fatigue the arms. I do each exercise until I physically can't complete another rep, switch to the antagonistic muscle group, repeat, rest one minute and do it again. I try to use a weight that allows me to do 15-30 reps per set. So I guess this pushes my workouts to well over 400 reps. Anyway, when you finish this workout, you better not be able to lift your arms.

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August 25, 2006

I'm so excited: in just one week I'll be starting my 2006 bulking program! Bulking is a lot of hard work, but I enjoy it a great deal. The amount of food I eat while bulking is staggering, and my energy levels are always very high. My bulking workouts are extremely demanding, but with all the high-quality calories I consume I've got plenty of fuel to overcome each challenge. Because I enjoy lifting so much, I also welcome the 5-day "on", 2-day "off" split. I find that working each muscle group once per week gives me the best results, so splitting those muscle groups over five workouts allows me to hit each group hard, with plenty of volume and with total focus. I respond best to this style of training when it comes to pure hypertrophy gains (which is not to say that everyone reading this will respond the same way. Experiment, find what works for you!)

These are the training principles I'll be following this year while bulking:

3-4 exercises per body part (with certain exceptions, such as traps and calves).
4 sets per exercise.
10-12 reps per set.
Keep it intense: 1 minute rest between sets, 2 minutes rest between exercises. I take 2 minutes between sets for squats and deads. I do supersets for my biceps and triceps.
Strict form.
Approximately 2 second concentric, squeeze, 3 second eccentric.
Mind/muscle connection at all times - FOCUS.
Change exercises every 3 weeks or so.

I mentioned this earlier this month, but for the sake of completeness here is the split I'll be using for the next 3-4 months:

Monday: Weight training: chest & abs
Tuesday: Weight training: back
Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)
Thursday: Weight training: delts, traps & calves
Friday: Weight training: biceps & triceps
Saturday: Weight training: quads & hamstrings
Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)

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August 24, 2006

As many of you know, the annual JSF Cheat Meal in Orlando has always been the third Saturday in February. Quite a few people have expressed to me that a date in the spring or summer would be batter. Personally I agree that a date in the spring or summer would probably be better.

I'm proposing that the annual Orlando JSF Cheat Meal be permanently moved to the 1st Saturday in May. I'm suggesting this date because it would not interfere with Mother's Day or graduations. That would put the next cheat meal on Saturday, May 5th, 2007.

Alternatively, perhaps a date in summer would work better for most. In that case, I would suggest the 2nd Saturday in June. This date would avoid Father's Day. That would put the next cheat meal on Saturday, June 9th, 2007.

I look forward to this gathering every year, and I would like for as many people as possible to attend.

If you would like to attend, please post your thoughts and vote in the poll in this thread on the forum.

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August 23, 2006

I have not updated my Favorite Things thread in awhile, so here's something cool! Modern day photo printers are absolutely amazing. With good paper and a decent digital camera the prints are as good as any photo lab. I've saved a ton of money thanks to digital cameras and photo printers. I only make prints when I need them, and I get to choose which photos are good enough to print. Gone are the days of getting back dozens of prints from the lab, and only finding 2 or 3 that are worth paying for. I've always had very good results with Cannon's line of Photo Printers. Check out the Canon PIXMA iP6600D Photo Printer. It's on sale right now for less than 150 bucks, and this thing is loaded with features: up to 9,600 x 2,400 DPI, borderless, glossy 4x6 and 8.5x11 prints, 3.5" LCD screen, print directly from a memory card, Bluetooth compatible, and much more. I also like that all the inks are individually replicable, as needed. This package comes with everything you need to get started, including a sample pack of 4x6 Photo Paper Plus. This is definitely one of my Favorite Things!

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August 22, 2006

Last night's pecs & triceps workout was one of the best I've had in recent memory. You know how sometimes everything just seems to click into place? You're mentally in the zone, the weights feel light and your energy levels are seemingly inexhaustible. That's how I felt last night. I hope that I have many more workouts like that while I'm bulking. Workouts like the one I had last night are a huge part of the reason why I love to lift weights. I gushed about my workout (in all my post-workout euphoria ) and posted a couple of new pictures in picture & video thread. Here's last night's entry.

You may have noticed the new Google video box immediately below the daily update message. This is a brand new, experimental program that is in Beta. John Stone Fitness was hand-picked by MTV networks and Google to participate in this Beta program. Over the next few weeks you may notice the video box on the forums as well as on the main JSF web site.

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August 21, 2006

Last week I mentioned that forum member Phil "Phillydude" Anderson will be participating in the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LIVESTRONG 10k challenge. Proceeds from the event benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. Many of you have stepped up with generous contributions (fully tax-deductible)--thank you! Those of you who donate $10.00 or more will receive a custom "John Stone Fitness" LIVESTRONG-style bracelet by mail. Also--thanks to the generosity of a JSF member who chooses to remain anonymous--those of you who can only donate $5.00 - $9.00 will have your donations automatically rounded to $10.00 (with the difference paid by the anonymous member's "matching fund"), so you will also receive a "John Stone Fitness" LIVESTRONG-style bracelet by mail. I thought that was a very kind and generous gesture. Thank you! For more information, please check out Philydude's LIVESTRONG thread on the forum.

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August 20, 2006

After consulting with SwoleCat, I've made a slight modification to the bulking training split that I posted yesterday. I'll be working my traps and calves with my delts, and my back will have its own dedicated training day since it's such a big body part. So, the training split for my 2006 bulk will be as follows:

I went to Costco yesterday and bought enough chicken, fish and steak to feed a small army. I'm very much looking forward to my upcoming bulk. Putting on muscle, gaining strength and pushing myself to new heights in the gym is a whole lot of fun for me. Hard work, to be sure, but I find it very satisfying. Of course I love all the food, too!

Speaking of food, SwoleCat is tweaking my SUP2 plan a bit right now. I felt like I put on a little too much fat when I bulked last year. Of course adding fat is part of the deal when bulking, but I want to minimize it as much as possible this time around.

Have a wonderful Sunday - see you tomorrow!

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August 19, 2006

My 2006 bulk starts in less than two weeks, so today I'll be stocking up on food and planning my meals.

I had such good results last year using SwoleCat's SUP2 bulking program that doing it again this year is a no-brainer. For the next three or four months I'll be eating tons of chicken, fish, steak, veggies, brown rice, potatoes, bread, oatmeal, egg whites, natural peanut butter and olive oil. Of course my protein powder of choice is Nitrean from AtLarge Nutrition.

My training split will be as follows (pending SwoleCat's approval):

Monday: Weight training: chest & abs
Tuesday: Weight training: back & traps
Wednesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)
Thursday: Weight training: delts
Friday: Weight training: biceps & triceps
Saturday: Weight training: legs
Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic)

So, that's the plan for now. I'll post again when everything is final. I'd better get going, lots to do today!

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August 18, 2006

Many of you already know Phil Anderson ("Phillydude") from the forums and the 2006 JSF cheat meal. This September Phil will be participating in the Lance Armstrong Foundation's LIVESTRONG 10k challenge. This is a wonderful cause, so please do what you can to help out. Donations are fully tax-deductible, and proceeds from the event benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation's mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. Those of you who donate $10.00 or more will receive a custom "John Stone Fitness" LIVESTRONG-style bracelet by mail. For more information, please check out Philydude's LIVESTRONG thread on the forum.

Last night Lisa and I re-watched Million Dollar Baby on DVD. If you have not seen this film, I highly recommend it. I don't want to give anything away to those who have not seen the film, but I will say that this film is a powerful reminder to "seize the day". Never take anything for granted, because any of our lives (that means me, you--EVERYONE) can completely change in a single instant of time. Today is the only day that matters, so don't waste it.

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August 17, 2006

Last night after my back & biceps workout (which, by the way, was excellent!), I created a new "100 Challenges" sub-forum in the Fitness Challenges forum. You'll see the new "100 Challenges" sub-forum on the top forum display page; it's just under the Fitness Challenges forum link.

In the new "100 Challenges" sub-forum, you'll find the current month's "100 Challenge" thread, next month's "100 Challenge" signup thread (which is available starting at least a week in advance of the next challenge start date), and a "Questions and Suggestions" thread "stuck" to the top. Once a challenge ends, it will be "un-stuck" and locked, but still available for review by anyone who wants to check it out.

By the way, I will probably open the sign-up thread for September's challenge a little early (most likely by the end of this week). You'll need a forum account to participate, so go ahead--take a couple of minutes and create your very own JSF account: it's fast, free and easy. Please note: we take your privacy very seriously. Your email address and personal information will never be disclosed, sold to a 3rd party or used for any kind of marketing or spam. That's not how we do things here. You are here because you want to get healthy, learn how to lose weight and/or build muscle. We respect that, and after you sign up you'll never hear from us by email again, except maybe to wish you a Happy Birthday.

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August 16, 2006

I'm back online! I called my cable provider yesterday morning and converted my account to a business class account (work is gladly footing the bill, they've been freaking out with me "off-line"), and they had a technician out here within hours. Basically everything from the outside pedestal on was fried: the cable from the pedestal to the outside splitter, the outside splitter, the inside splitter, the HD DVR and my cable modem were all destroyed and had to be replaced. We did lose one hard drive, but I was able to salvage the data. In addition to the above, the surge also destroyed a Cisco 2924 switch, a 10/100 LAN card, a 56k modem, almost 300 bucks worth of food in the garage freezer (tripped GFI outlet) and a dimmer switch.

My mail server is back up, and email has been flooding in practically non-stop since it returned to service last night. I don't think any mail bounced (the downtime felt like forever, but it was actually only around 52 hours), but it's going to take me a while to get caught up and read everything.

I was thinking about upgrading the forums this Friday to the latest version, but I think I'm going to wait at least another week. It's a major upgrade, and there are a few dozen (mostly minor) bugs that will be squashed in the next minor version. If vBulletin releases the bug fix update before Friday I may go through with it, but in all likelihood the upgrade will take place the following Friday. You can expect several hours of downtime while the upgrade is being performed. The new version of the forum software has dozens of improvements and new features. You're going to love it! Here are some of the new features:

* Multi-Quote
* Linked Quotes
* Mark Forums Read With AJAX
* New Buddy / Ignore List Editor
* Options Backup And Restore
* Private Message Preview In Notification Emails
* Auto-Resize Oversized Image Attachments
* 'Reason For Editing' On Quick Edit
* Unique Unsubscribe Link In Emails
* Plugin Manager Sorted By Product
* Save Search Preferences With AJAX
* Infraction System (Warning system)
* Default Sorting Option Per Forum
* Rate Threads With AJAX
* IP Resolution With AJAX
* Improved Proxy Support In Session Handling
* More AJAX Auto-Completion
* Paid Subscription Permissions
* Show Threads Or Posts From Quick Search Popup
* Phrase Types Identified By Field Name Only
* LastPostID Column In User, Thread And Forum Tables
* Extensive Signature Permissions
* Uploadable Signature Image System
* Improved Image Verification (Captcha)
* Enforced Required Profile Fields
* 'Find Updated Phrases' System
* Pop-Up List Of Attachments In A Thread
* Validation Of Admin Options
* Product Dependencies Support
* Paid Subscription Logging And Statistics
* APC Support For Datastore
* Description Field For Scheduled Tasks
* RSS Poster Robot allows import of RSS feeds into forums
* Latest version check and product URL for products
* Receive private messages from Buddies only option
* Show private forum option per forum
* Give reputation using AJAX
* Error prevention in upgrades
* Option to disable scheduled tasks
* Parsed signature storage for performance boost
* CRON tasks, profile fields, subs, holidays now phrased
* Option to sort forums by thread creation time
* Super moderator permissions
* Welcome private message at registration
* WYSIWYG front-end editing for announcements
* Plugin execution order control
* Flexible username validation
* Private message quota warning system
* Private message admin quota override ability
* Plain-text BBcode parser
* Cache of syndication data (external.php) for improved speed
* Email logging for diagnostics
* Improved performance in datastore failure handling
* Instant view of deleted / ignored posts using AJAX
* Centralized area to view posts awaiting moderation / deleted
* Admin help, scheduled tasks, FAQ now include product support
* CCBill support for paid subscriptions
* Attachment permissions per usergroup
* List posts / threads selected for inline moderation
* Full BCC support in private messages
* Podcasting support
* Atomic flood checking
* Image verification (Captcha) for guest posting
* Thumbnail display options - border / dimensions etc.
* Copy posts using inline moderation
* Announcements show when viewing new posts
* New built-in option types
* Resume paused attachment downloads
* Better webserver logging for POST requests
* Automatically remove thread redirects after set time
* Announcement DataManager
* Persistent D.O.B cookie for COPPA
* Improved master / slave database support
* Improved RSS syndication system

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August 15, 2006

As expected, I still have no Internet or email this morning (see yesterday's update). Hopefully by tomorrow afternoon my cable service will be fully restored.

Unfortunately, yesterday I discovered that the electrical surge claimed more than what I originally thought. Also destroyed: a hard drive, a dimmer module and, worst of all, the GFI breaker tripped on our fridge/freezer in the garage. I didn't discover that the freezer was off until last night. Several hundred dollars worth of chicken, fish, crab and other items are spoiled (the garage is very hot, so it didn't take long for the temp to rise). We see our fair share of lightning in Florida, by that was by far the closest/most destructive strike I've personally experienced since I moved here in 1989. I'm just glad I still have all my computer data!

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August 14, 2006

I may not be able to update this page for the next few days. Yesterday afternoon there was a loud clap of thunder and a huge explosion right outside our house. The resultant electrical surge took out my HD DVR, my cable modem, my cable service (including Internet), a Cisco 2924 switch, an Ethernet card and my backup 56k modem. I have all my electronics protected by high quality UPS equipment, but the surge entered through the cable line. I bought a new 56k modem to use until the cable service is restored, but then I found that my serial port was also killed by the surge. My second serial port worked, but now my dialup provider is having all kinds of issues and I can not get connected. Right now I am actually dialed in long-distance to a server in Texas. I have no FTP access to the server, so I'm doing this update via SSH. It's painfully slow, and I keep getting disconnected. Anyway, my cable company says Wednesday at the earliest before service is restored. I'll try to log in and update if anything changes or the repair winds up taking longer than expected. Also, I'm not getting email, as my email server is located here at the house and I don't have a backup email server at another location. Again, this outage only affected my home network - JSF and the forums are operating normally.

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August 13, 2006

I had an extra cheat meal last night, and it was a bad one: Fried Chicken & biscuits. I know, I know... Not only have I lost my first point in this month's 100 Challenge, but I'm also blown up like a water balloon this morning. I've only had fried chicken one other time since the early 1990s, and for whatever reason I was craving it last night in a big way. It was very good, but I sure feel rotten this morning. I should have used some Jedi mind tricks and dealt with the craving, but I caved in, and that, as they say, is that. I'm not going to make another mistake like that again this month. I still have 99 points, and that's how many I'm going to end this challenge with.

I've got to get my cardio done, lots to do today! Have a great Sunday and I'll see you tomorrow.

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August 12, 2006

I had a great day yesterday! I started off with an excellent 45-minute, 11-mile ride on the recumbent bike; work was fairly uneventful, and I even finished a little early, so I did my delts & traps workout an hour early. It was a fantastic workout--infinitely better than Wednesday's lackluster back/biceps workout. This morning I have some pain on my left side, kind of under my lower ribs. Nothing serious, just a strain. It's happened before. I'll bet it happened doing standing bent over lateral raises. My rear delts have shown good progress using that exercise, and I feel like my form is good, but I always seem to have problems with that exercise. Maybe I'll try doing them seated and see how that goes.

Cardio time, then this evening I'll be working my legs. I'm think I'm going to work some heavy lunges into my routine this evening, as I have not done them in awhile. I hate lunges, but they are an absolutely terrific exercise for the quads, hams and glutes.

Enjoy your Saturday!

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August 11, 2006

After several days of non-stop problems at work and sleep-ending midnight pager alerts, last night was mercifully uneventful. This morning I woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested. After I got out of bed, I warily checked my email and networks with a lump in my gut, but there was no reason to worry--everything was fine! The day is off to a good start, and I'm really happy about that. This has been a heck of a week for me. Oh, and it's Friday!

Tonight is my delts and traps workout, but I won't be having a cheat meal afterwards because I had my weekly free meal last night. I felt like I really needed some "comfort food" last night, and it went down good. I've got some chicken all cooked up and ready to go for my post-workout meal, so sticking to today's planned meals will be easy.

Even through all this mess at work, I did not miss any workouts! My workout on Wednesday night was probably one of my worst, but at least I got in there and did it. I plan to make up for that tonight; I'm going to absolutely roast my delts! Right now I've got to go get on the bike. Happy Friday!

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August 10, 2006

Yesterday's back & bicep workout was terrible. Yesterday was very stressful, and I felt sluggish and tired when it was time to hit the gym. I thought I could fight through it--and I tried--but the workout was one of my worst. I went to bed last night around 8:15 PM, and this morning I still feel like I'm getting a cold. Wouldn't you know it: this morning I woke up to even more network problems! Sometimes when it rains, it pours...

Thankfully today is a cardio-only day. I'm going to go get my cardio done, handle my work and then try to get some rest. Have a great day!

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August 9, 2006

I woke up late and, on top of that, there were several work-related issues that had to be dealt with immediately. Thankfully I was able to get the work stuff under control quickly, but now I've got to go get on the bike and get my cardio in or I'll ruin my perfect score in the 100 challenge.

Sorry for the short update - have a great day!

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August 8, 2006

I can't believe how fast this summer is flying by! Soon the weather will begin to cool (thank goodness), and the days will seem much shorter. How many of you want to lose some fat and/or add muscle, but are "waiting for the New Year"? There are almost five months between now and January 1st. Why wait? Just imagine what you could do by January 1st! You could safely lose over 40 pounds of fat in that time. You could add pounds of lean muscle. Don't worry - you can do these things without depriving yourself around the holidays. Everyone wants to wait for the New Year because it's a convenient way to procrastinate and make excuses for not doing it right now. This is a fantastic time to get started on your new life--today, not tomorrow!

Ready to take the first step? Great! Take a few minutes and create a free account on our forums. Start off by reading the threads at the top of the Introductions & Advice for Beginners Forum. There is an abundance of excellent, clear, sound advice that will help you get started losing fat or gaining muscle the right way. Post your own story and goals while you are in the Introductions forum. Also, be sure to take some time to browse the rest of the forums and see for yourself how many people have changed their lives for the better in a relatively short period of time. It's very motivating to see that anyone can do it. We're a true community of people who love nothing more than to see others succeed.

My strength is returning pretty quickly after my month-long break from weight training. Last night's chest & triceps workout was an order of a magnitude better than my last couple of workouts. I have not posted any workout pictures in a while, so I posted a few new shots last night.

Cardio time. No weight training tonight, so it's going to be a pretty light day for me. Thanks for stopping by - I'll see you tomorrow!

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August 7, 2006

Last week I talked about some of the methods I employ to help ensure that I don't miss workouts, but this weekend I received several emails asking if I'd talk about how I combat "junk" food cravings.

The first things I would suggest is don't drink alcohol! We all know that alcohol weakens resolve, lowers inhibitions and clouds judgment. These three things are a recipe for dietary disaster if you are trying to eat "clean". I think most of you reading this know exactly what I'm talking about. I can tell you from personal experience that once I start drinking, the junk food generally follows.

Another way to help keep yourself on track is to make a list before you go to the grocery store and stick to it. Lisa and I sit down once per week with our pre-planned menus, figure out what food items we need for that week and then make a list. When we go to the grocery store we only gets what we need for that week's meals, and we don't impulsively buy food items that are not on the list.

This next suggestion is related to the previous suggestion: don't keep junk food in the house. If you have junk food in the house, you'll be far more likely to fall off the wagon in a moment of weakness than you would if you had to go to the store to get the food. Personally I eat six meals per day, and I almost never feel the need to snack between meals. If you are the type of person who likes to munch between meals, then keep healthy snacks around the house.

Drink lots of water! I can't stress this enough. Water is great for your body, and you will feel less hungry if you drink lots of it. I'm around 200 pounds, and I drink 1.5 - 2 gallons of water per day. By the way, diet soda is not water. Coffee is not water. Water is water!

Office treats can be a killer. It seems like someone is always bringing in doughnuts or cookies. Watch your co-workers as they scarf this stuff down. Now picture them nude. Still hungry for junk food?

One of the ways I combat cravings for sweets is sugar-free gum. For example, last night Lisa was eating chocolate covered nuts (she just loves to torture me). Those darn things looked SOOOO good--I really, really wanted to eat a few. Instead I popped a couple of sticks of Orbit gum (my favorite) into my mouth, and my cravings became far more manageable.

Another tough issue is going out to eat. There are usually somewhat healthy choices available at most restaurants, so if you are in a situation when you must go out to eat, then do your best. Don't drink alcohol, don't order desert and don't snack on chips and stuff like that. Personally I don't like going out to eat with restrictions, I feel such restrictions takes a lot of the fun out of it. I go out to eat very infrequently, and if I do eat out, I simply make it my "cheat" meal for that week.

I hope some of these tips help. Above all, remember that everything you eat is your choice, and if it's not helping you reach your goals, then it's probably keeping you from them.

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August 6, 2006

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend so far. Aside from my workouts, I pretty much spent all day yesterday laying around the house watching DVDs. Today I only have one workout (AM cardio), but then Lisa and I need to clean the house, do some weeding & trimming the garden and then run a few errands.

I guess that's about it for this morning! I'm going to go get my cardio done and get busy in the yard before it gets too hot. Have a great day!

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August 5, 2006

Last night's cheat meal was extra tasty because I ate it knowing that I'd worked very hard all week, and that I had more than earned my weekly indulgence. Today it's back to business: this morning I've got my usual cardio workout, and tonight is leg night.

A major update to vBulletin (the forum software that we use on the JSF forums) has been released! There are literally dozens upon dozens of cool new features that I think you all are going to really enjoy. If you want to read about these exciting new features, you can do so here. The upgrade will be a pretty big project, and will require some forum downtime. Once the forums are back up, it will take some additional time to get everything "settled". Still, I think the effort will be well worth it. I'm going to wait a few weeks before I perform the upgrade because the "skin" that we use on the forums needs to be updated to work with the new version. Also, even though the latest version has undergone months of beta testing I want to wait until some of the inevitable bugs that squeaked through the beta process are squashed. I'll announce the maintenance window well in advance both here and on the forum in the coming weeks.

I stayed up a little later than usual last night, and this morning I overslept about 30 minutes. I'd better get on the bike now. Have a great Saturday and I'll see you tomorrow!

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August 4, 2006

Yesterday I talked about some of the mental challenges that we all face as we work towards our fitness goals, and I provided some insight into how I use my mind to help me overcome those obstacles. Today I'd like to continue in that spirit.

By the way, I suggest that each time you read something or discover something on your own that resonates with you and/or creates a positive reaction, think of it as a tool. Add that tool to your mental "tool box"; as you progress you'll find that you almost always have something tucked away that will help you get through a craving or the temptation to skip a workout. Over the years I've accumulated dozens of these little mental widgets, and I don't hesitate to employ them whenever I need a boost.

This next trick works very well for me. Unless you've never exercised in your life, this should work for you, too. I think most of us are familiar with how we feel after skipping a workout: disappointed in ourselves, guilty, negative. Conversely, most of us have also experienced the incredible high that usually accompanies the end of a hard workout. That high we feel is the endorphin rush, combined with the positive mental state of mind that accompanies the completion of a difficult task. It's a very powerful feeling, and while it's not quite the instant gratification we've all been conditioned to crave, it's pretty dang close. When you finish a hard workout, you should be hyper-aware: endorphins are coursing through your body and into your brain, your muscles are full, powerful and engorged with blood, your body is drenched in sweat and you know you put it all out there and gave 100% to the task at hand. Man, I get a rush just thinking about it! Savor those moments--freeze them in your mind. The next time you feel like skipping a workout, compare how you feel after skipping a workout to those incredible post-workout highs. I think to myself, "I'm going to feel this way or that way in an hour--the choice is totally up to me." I skip very few workouts.

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August 3, 2006

Probably the one question I've been asked the most often over the past few years is, "How do you stay so disciplined/dedicated." That question is addressed in my FAQ, but I admit that the FAQ answer to that all-important query is fairly pithy and is probably not very helpful to most people. I mean, how could it be? How do you "bottle" something like that? While I may not be able to package whatever it is that makes me tick into a neat little pill, what I can do is share some of the little mental "tricks" I've employed that have helped me to stay on-target when I felt like giving up.

The first thing you have to realize is that your mind is going to make or break you as you progress towards your goal. There's a constant battle between the side of you that wants instant gratification and the side that wants to lose fat, gain muscle and/or get healthy. When the vast majority of us are first starting off on our fitness quest, the part of us that wants to improve is very weak. We're used to instant gratification: it's comfortable, familiar and easy. On the other hand, getting up early to do cardio is hard; lifting weights after a long day at work is hard; learning to eat right and making most of your meals in advance each day is hard. All of these changes are difficult--but only at first! It takes time to adapt to a new lifestyle, especially one that, on the surface, seems to demand so much of us. It takes time to reap the rewards. Those first couple of months when we are at our weakest are where most of us fail. I'm not saying that once you get past the first month or two you'll always feel like working out, but mentally you will be far better equipped to deal with those occasions when you don't.

I'm babbling. So, back to my mental tricks. The one I used most often when I first started out may seem a bit shallow, but it doesn't matter because it worked.

Hopefully everyone has some people around them who are supportive of their fitness goals. I was very lucky in that regard. Still, there are always people in your life who want to see you fail. Misery loves company. The people I'm talking about are the ones who make light of what you are doing. They try to convince you to eat junk food with them. They roll their eyes when you talk about your fitness program. Some of these kinds of people are more subtle than that, and some are more outspoken, but you always know exactly who they are. Maybe some of them are your friends, and perhaps some of them are people you have to put up with at your office or in your neighborhood. What I suggest you do is use their negative energy to your advantage. Anytime I felt like skipping a workout or giving in to my junk food cravings, I would picture the look on their faces after I reached my goals. For example, I have some neighbors I really dislike. They would smirk as I struggled to cut the lawn in heavy jeans and a T-shirt in a sad effort to hide my fat body. During the Winter of 2003 when I was first losing weight, I would picture myself outside mowing the lawn and washing the car with a 6-pack, and the look on my neighbors' faces. I would keep this image in my head at all times. Nothing was going to keep me from reaching this goal. I know this all sounds fairly shallow, but remember that we're just playing a mental game. Your thoughts are your own (heh, well, I guess mine are not any more!) Ultimately mental tricks like these are nothing more than tools designed to help you fight through the desire to give up. I never missed a workout that winter, and in the summer of 2003 I stepped outside to mow the lawn 55 pounds lighter, sans-shirt and plus a six-pack. It was even better than I'd imagined, because I really did it and was no longer dreaming.

Keep in mind that you are basically at war with your own mind, and you must do what you have to do in order to get the job done. Each time you're faced with a workout or a food temptation you'll either do the right thing or you'll allow your mind to convince you that you have a good reason not to. Ultimately excuses don't matter one bit--excuses never get you any closer to your goals, so always remember that.

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August 2, 2006

One commonality among many of the people I've spoken to who have trouble sticking with a fitness program for any length of time is that they all seem to lose interest very quickly. Some can't even make it a full day without sliding back into their old habits. When starting a new fitness program (or getting back into one after a period of inactivity), you've got to fight through your natural instinct to fall back into your comfort zone. Your ultimate goal may seem very far away, but you can proceed knowing that consistency and hard work are always rewarded in this game. Pay attention to the little things along the way. You will make progress. You will improve a little each and every day. There are countless examples of successes and failures on the forum: The people who are successful stick with it, while the people who fail give up. Sounds simple, right? Well, when you boil the process down to its essence, it really is that simple!

Three and a half years ago when I started my fitness program I remember looking down at my gut and thinking, "What's the point? I'll never get rid of all this!" Somehow, even in my depressed and very negative state of mind, I knew that was a lie; a lie designed to "allow" myself to give up. If I had given up and continued to abuse my body, I wonder where I'd be today? Certainly far fatter and more unhealthy than I ever was, but perhaps much, much worse. In a hospital? Dead? Sure, why not? It happens every day. Even if I were not dead or in the hospital, my quality of life would certainly be almost non-existent compared to what it is today. If you know you have a problem and you allow yourself to give up, then you are sealing your own fate. Why not take control and do something about it before it's too late?

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August 1, 2006

I've posted my new monthly pictures this morning, and I have to say they are not nearly as bad as I thought they might be. Perhaps there's a bit less definition in my lower abs; however, aside from that, not much change from last month. I ate so much junk food during the first 3 weeks of July that I figured this month's photos would be among my worst in recent memory! As I wrote this past Saturday, I think the ~35-40 pounds muscle I've added over the past few years is why I've been able to indulge (on occasion) without too much ill effect on my physique. These days my body metabolizes a lot more calories in any given time period as compared to any other point in my adult life. Like to eat? LIFT WEIGHTS!

There's a time for play, and a time to work. Play time is over, and for the next 4 or 5 months I'm going to be working my butt off in the gym while maintaining a very strict diet in the kitchen. Today is the first day of the inaugural 100 Challenge (the August entry deadline has passed, but you can sign up for the September challenge any time during the last week of August--watch this space for an announcement). This month I'll be cutting away a few pounds of vacation fat, and working towards my goal along with the 91 other members who are taking part in the first challenge! I am blown away by the response to the first 100 Challenge. When this idea came to me, I was hoping that at least 10 people would join me. I had no idea so many people would take part. I'm totally inspired, and I hope the other participants are as well. Best of luck to everyone, thanks for participating and hang on to those points!

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