Daily News Archives
December 2006
12/31/2006 - No update - on vacation.
12/30/2006 - No update - on vacation.
12/29/2006 - Fired up about my 2007 cutting phase!
12/28/2006 - No time off from lifting; instead a "light week".
12/27/2006 - Random thoughts about my bulk; "Do you want to get bigger?" & "What's next?"
12/26/2006 - Christmas day diet and workout; A couple of reminders.
12/25/2006 - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
12/24/2006 - (Almost) post-bulk analysis; Cutting predictions.
12/23/2006 - Last night's arm workout; January 2007 "100 Challenge" open for registration.
12/22/2006 - New delts/traps/calves routine; AtLarge 15% off sale!
12/21/2006 - MY COMPLETE 2007 CUTTING INFORMATION IS NOW ONLINE!
12/20/2006 - New back workout; Thanks and respect.
12/19/2006 - New chest workout; New photo; "December" series of photos updated.
12/18/2006 - Complete 2007 cutting information to be posted this week--98% done.
12/17/2006 - 2007 cutting information.
12/16/2006 - Tips for big arms.
12/15/2006 - New arm workout starting tonight; Santa workout pictures.
12/14/2006 - A bit more on my weight; Tonight's workout; Last three weeks of 2006 bulk.
12/13/2006 - Day off; Despite increasing my calories, I'm losing weight!
12/12/2006 - Horrible headache last night; Upcoming vacation announcement; Cutting goal.
12/11/2006 - Weekly measurements; New "Favorite Things" item: The Harmony 880 Remote.
12/10/2006 - A day off!
12/09/2006 - Intensity and effort.
12/08/2006 - Some stomach problems yesterday; Happy it's Friday!
12/07/2006 - Exclusive AtLarge Nutrition end of the year sale!
12/06/2006 - Another great workout on the heels of a very bad day.
12/05/2006 - Another motivational speech.
12/04/2006 - I hope I'm not getting sick; Poor night of sleep; Chest workout tonight.
12/03/2006 - Selling my HDTV.
12/02/2006 - Great arm workout last night; A little extra sleep; Movie day.
12/01/2006 - New monthy photos; New workout photo; TITAN sale!
December 30, 2006 - December 31, 2006
No update - on vacation.
December 29, 2006
My two-week vacation starts this afternoon! As excited as I am about some time off from everything, I'm even more excited about starting my 2007 cutting phase on Monday, January 1st...
Even though I've managed to overcome the mental hurdles that prevent many former fat people from doing a full-on bulk (and, in the process, adding some fat), I have to admit that I'm not very happy with how I look right now. It's difficult to look down and not see my abs, and I don't like looking in the mirror and seeing my face looking rather round and puffy. Still, I wouldn't change a thing about what I did on this last bulk. I worked very hard, ate clean and I literally have not missed a single workout or meal in over four months: That's over 732 meals and well over 80 grueling strength training workouts. I probably added around 10 pounds of solid muscle, and all the hard work will pay off when I'm done cutting back down to 6% body fat.
Adding that fat has had one very nice side-benefit: I'm highly motivated to lose it! I'm going to apply the same dedication I had during this year's bulk to my 2007 cut. Watch and see: 4 or 5 short months from now I'm going to have the leanest, healthiest and most muscular body of my entire life. I never say something like this unless I mean it, but you can bet the farm that by this summer I will be absolutely shredded. No cheat meals, no alcohol, no processed foods, no missed workouts. I have a goal, and everything I do (and do not do!) will be focused on achieving that goal. Here is my complete 2007 cutting program, and here are my post-bulk analysis and 2007 cutting predictions.
If you are unhappy with how you look and feel, I encourage you to join me and the countless other JSF members who have changed their lives for the better. You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish with just a few short months of hard work and dedication. Take it one day at a time, and don't ever stop believing in yourself.
This is my final Daily News update for 2006. I'll be updating the page again on January 1st with my final bulking stats and pictures, and will resume my normal daily updates on January 15, 2007. Happy New Year everyone!
December 28, 2006
Just two more days and I'm on vacation until January 15th! I very much need a break from everything, as I'm starting to get that burned out feeling. As I said earlier this month, I will still be working out and adhering to my new cutting diet 100% while on vacation, but that's because I want to do it, not because I "have to".
I normally take a week off from lifting every 3 months or so, but it's been much longer than 3 months since my last weight training hiatus. Instead of taking a week off, I think I'm simply going to do one week of moderate weight and lower volume workouts. I feel like I need a break, but I don't want to take a week off from lifting so soon after my bulk. This should be a nice compromise.
So tomorrow will be my last update until January 15th. Actually, I may write an update on January 1st because I'll be posting my pictures and final bulking stats on that day. We'll see.
Don't forget: There are just a few days left to join the January 2007 "100 Challenge", take advantage of the AtLarge 15% off sale and/or order a Titan with free shipping! Details on all are below...
December 27, 2006
I'm glad that I tried extending my bulk from my usual 3 months to 4 months, but at this point I can safely say that doing so was not very effective. Hey, it was worth a try--how else would I know?! I've clearly reached a point of diminishing returns. Despite incredible workouts and enough food to feed a small army, my progress this month has slowed to a crawl. At 234 pounds I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life, and my body is probably still trying to adapt to the rapid weight gain (30+ pounds) since I started bulking.
I'm certainly not going to let the slower progress of this past month put a damper on what I feel was my most successful bulk to date. I estimate that I added around 10 pounds of muscle. Every muscle group on my body is bigger than ever, and I made significant improvements to lagging body parts, such as my lats and delts. I suppose I'm most pleased with my lats development and the overall upper body width I've added. I know it's hard to tell now, but once I shed the fat around my mid-section I should have the beginnings of a nice "V" shape. The "V-Taper" has been an especially difficult challenge for me because I have very wide hips.
I've been getting a lot of emails lately asking if this is going to be my last bulk. Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps next year instead of doing a full-on overall mass-building bulk, I'll do a more controlled "refinement" bulk--focusing on making my physique more symmetrical. For example, my medial and posterior delts are still lagging behind my overpowering anterior delt head--and my delts in general are overpowered by my big arms. I guess my point is, even if I don't want to get a lot bigger, there's still plenty of stuff that I can work on to make my physique more balanced and aesthetic. Right now I'm ready to shift gears and focus 100% on my upcoming cutting phase. This summer I'll put some more thought into my future plans and go from there.
December 26, 2006
At 11:15 AM yesterday I tore myself away from the morning Christmas festivities and did my chest/abs workout. I didn't really feel like doing it, but once I got started I felt great! I blew away last week's workout, adding weight and/or reps to every single exercise. As for my diet, it was a cheat day but I didn't go completely nuts. I had some cheese and crackers, a little snack mix, and for dinner my roast pork came out perfect! I also made a roasted vegetable medley with new potatoes, whole garlic cloves, carrots, onions and olive oil. A couple of biscuits and some apple sauce rounded out the meal. For desert I had a single slice of cheesecake and coffee. I also had a glass of wine with dinner, and a couple of Grey Goose on rocks before dinner. I'm sure the alcohol was a shock to my system, so I was concerned that I might sleep poorly. Thankfully that was not the case, and I feel quite good this morning. I enjoyed having a few drinks, but I really do believe that alcohol is extremely counterproductive to my goals, so I will not be drinking again until after my 2007 cutting phase is complete.
Speaking of my upcoming cut, a couple of days ago I did some basic math and came up with some estimations of how much muscle I added over this bulk, and where I expect to be when I reach my goal of 6% body fat. If you missed it, you can check it out here. On a related note, my complete 2007 cutting program--including food logs--can be found here.
Reminder: I've not had any time off since last summer, so I'm going to be starting a two-week vacation on December 30, 2006. I will resume my daily updates to this site on January 15, 2007. Normally if my vacation falls over the first day of the month I skip my monthly pictures; however, because January 1, 2007 is the end of my bulk and the start of my cut, it's an important set of pictures. So, I will be taking my monthly pictures as scheduled and posting them on January 1, 2007.
December 25, 2006
It's a warm and rainy Christmas morning here in Central Florida. It almost feels like hurricane weather: a constant light drizzle and eerily still, warm air interrupted by relatively brief
heavy downpours and gusty winds. I was really hoping for a cold snap so I could build a fire this morning. Maybe I'll turn the air conditioning system down to 58 degrees
and pretend that I live somewhere with distinguishable seasons. 
I'm going to go prepare the roast I'm making for tonight's dinner, get some breakfast in me and do my workout (chest/abs). Today's going to be a "cheat day". I'm not going to go nuts, but I'm not going to worry about what I'm eating, either. In fact I'm going to have a glass of wine with dinner, and perhaps a Grey Goose on the rocks--my absolute (heh, not a pun) favorite alcoholic drink! This will be my first taste of alcohol in four months. I won't be drinking at all while I'm cutting, so actually this will be my first and last taste of anything alcoholic until at least next summer.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
December 24, 2006
Today starts the final week of my 2006 bulk. The past four months have been fun, challenging and rewarding. I feel like all my hard work has paid off, as I've made some very solid gains. That said, this past month my progress has slowed significantly, and I seem to be having a tough time putting on weight. I think my body is still attempting to adapt to being more heavy and more muscular than it's ever been in its life. The amount of food I'm eating every day is absolutely staggering, but I'm burning off calories as if they are nothing. There's no question that my metabolism is revved extremely high right now! Lisa is always complaining about being cold, while I'm sitting around in shorts and sweating.
I'm not sure exactly how much fat I'm going to need to lose to get down to 6% body fat, but I can estimate. Let's run some numbers. I figure I'll be 235 pounds and 14% body fat at the end of my bulk (one week from today). I started off my bulk at 202 pounds and 9% body fat. So, I had around 18 pounds of fat on my body when I started my bulk, and I now have about 33 pounds of fat--roughly 15 pounds of added fat. Now, don't forget that I started at 9% body fat, so I'm going to need to lose even more fat than the ~15 pounds I added in order to reach my desired body fat level of 6%. Without (yet) accounting for water weight (which is considered lean mass) reductions, I will weigh around 220 pounds at 9% body fat. That's around 200 pounds of lean mass. So, that would put me around 212 pounds at 6% body fat--but that figure still doesn't account for water weight loss. I'll certainly dry out and become far less bloated as I cut, and that weight has to come from the lean mass side of the equation. I'm guessing around 5-7 pounds of lean mass (water) will be lost. Keep in mind these are all estimates, and only time will tell. Bottom line? My prediction is that I'll be a solid 205 pounds at 6% body fat in about 4-6 months. So, if these predictions are accurate, that will mean I gained a good, solid 10-pounds of pure muscle over the past four months. I'll take that!
December 23, 2006
I had a great arm workout last night, but I forgot to take my Aleve (Naproxen) until 20 minutes before my workout. Sure enough, my right elbow was killing me for about the first 15 minutes of the workout. After about 15 minutes, the Aleve must have kicked in because the pain just vanished. That stuff is great. I only need the Aleve for my triceps work, because that is the only time I get bad elbow pain (sometimes I get a little doing bench presses, but it's manageable). I can't believe there's only one more arm workout left in my bulk. The past four months have flown by. I can't wait to start cutting, but I'm sure going to miss these big bulking meals!
I've opened the registration for the January 2007 "100 Challenge". As I mentioned a few days ago, I will be on vacation for the first half of January so I won't be participating in the January challenge. Even though I'll be on vacation from work and my daily updates, I will still be working hard and adhering 100% to my new cutting diet and workout schedule.
Registration for the January 2007 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EST) on January 1, 2007 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 January 2007 "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! If you decide to join the challenge, then you are expected to see it through to the end. No slackers!
December 22, 2006
Last night I rotated to a new delts/traps/calves routine. I was going to throw some new exercises in there, such as Scarecrows and One-arm leaning lateral raises, but I think I'm going to wait until I start cutting in a few weeks to incorporate those particular exercises. So, I went back to the well and did a routine similar to one that I used in September with good results. Here it is:
DELTS
4 x 12 Seated dumbbell shoulder press
4 x 12 Standing dumbbell lateral raises
4 x 12 Seated bent-over dumbbell lateral raises
TRAPS
4 x 12 Close-grip barbell shrugs
4 x 12 Behind the back barbell shrugs
CALVES
4 x 12 Vertical calf presses
In case you missed yesterday's update, I posted my complete 2007 cutting plan. It's all there: cardio routine and schedule, weight training program, supplement intake, complete food logs and a detailed discussion on each aspect of what I'll be doing. Check it out here.
I thought AtLarge ran their last sale of the year earlier this month, but Chris surprised me this morning with a great email! 15% Off all orders for the rest of the year! Nice! Details are immediately below. Have fun!
|
AtLarge 15% Off Sale! It's the season of giving so AtLarge Nutrition, LLC is doing our part by giving you a tremendous discount on any orders placed between now and January 1st. To take advantage of this special holiday order all you need do is place your order and type "xmas" in the discount coupon section during the checkout process. Our system will then calculate a 15% savings on the cost of your entire order, including shipping! Go here for additional information. Take advantage of this special offer and get yourself ready for and new better you in 2007! Happy holidays from all of us at AtLarge Nutrition! |
Back to comments index
December 21, 2006
I now have my complete 2007 cutting information online and ready to view! Let's go through the changes one bit at a time...
First, my food logs are back! The January 2007 food log has three complete nutritional
plans: two different training day menus, and one menu for non-training days. Yes, I'll be eating the same foods every day
for at least the first six weeks. No, I don't mind doing that.
All the supplements I'm taking are shown (highlighted in dark green to differentiate from the food), along with the exact times I'll be taking the supplements. I will not be using any fat burners, pre-workout energy drinks, CEE, CEM or NO2 products. As you'll see, most of my supplements are amino acids and EFAs. Focus has clearly been put on maintaining my muscle and fast, efficient workout recovery. Of course I'll also be taking multivitamins and Nitrean protein powder (which I consider a food, not a supplement). Creatine monohydrate will also be utilized.
As you'll see, I am eating nothing but 100% whole, natural foods. No preservatives, no crap. Nothing I'll be eating is processed. This is going to play a critical role in getting down to 6% body fat while maintaining my muscle.
Note that my daily caloric intake is quite high, but not as high as I predicted it would be about a week ago. Again, we're playing it safe and taking things very slow, especially out of the gate. My number one priority is maintaining the muscle I added over the past four months.
You may also notice that there is no mention of a cheat meal anywhere in my meal logs. That's because I'm not going to have cheat meals. This is going to be 100% hardcore, vintage John Stone cutting. No cheat meals, no alcohol, no messing about. No one is forcing me to do this, this is what I want.
As I progress, my diet will change (obviously) and so will my supplement intake. I will create new food logs and post them anytime changes are made. You will know exactly what I'm doing at all times, if that is your desire.
Now, on to training. I've updated my training page with complete information on my workout and cardio schedule, and the weight training principles I'll be following. Initially cardio will be very brief: just four 20-minute aerobic sessions per week. One of these sessions will even be immediately post-workout! All kinds of new things are afoot!
Later in the cut, my cardio will be increased, and I'll probably be doing some LISS and some HIIT. Perhaps as I get my body fat down into the upper single-digit range, two HIIT sessions per day will be utilized.
I'd like to once again thank my friend (and forum member extraordinaire!) Mastover for all the hard work he put into my 2007 cutting plan.
I want to reiterate that I'm switching plans because I've been using SwoleCat's protocols (obviously with great success!) for a couple of years now, and it's time for me to try something new. I've got an insatiable desire to expand my knowledge and try new things, so this switch has nothing to do with anything other than that simple fact. I still highly recommend SwoleCat's programs, and he is still a good friend and a sponsor here at JSF.
Back to comments index
December 20, 2006
Last night's back workout was outstanding. In fact, I'd have to place it among the top three workouts for this bulk. When I finished my final set of deads I collapsed on the floor of my gym and remained there for a good five minutes. I was very winded, and totally exhausted.
The body weight I've added combined with reduced cardio has certainly affected my cardio-vascular fitness level. Thanks to short rest intervals and daily workouts my cardio-vascular system is still quite good, but I can certainly feel the difference between now and when I'm leaner and doing more cardio. I love bulking, but I'm very much looking forward to increasing my cardio and leaning up!
Returning to my back workout, I love it when it's time to change things up and start a new exercise routine. I really like the back workout I've put together for the remainder of my bulk. Here's what I'm doing:
BACK
4 x 12 T-Bar rows
4 x 12 Reverse-grip ez-bar bent-over rows
4 x 12 Wide-grip lat pulldowns
4 x 10-12 Deadlifts
I was going to throw some Good Mornings in there, but I decided to put a little more focus on my lats for the few weeks of my bulk. I've made good progress with my lats over the past 3.5 months, but would still like to eek out a bit more upper body width if I can.
OK, today's going to be a very busy work day for me so I'd better get started. Before I sign off, I'd like to sincerely thank everyone who finds this site and the JSF forum worthy of their time. I truly appreciate each and every one of you for making JSF a small part of your busy life. I know firsthand that there's no worse feeling than being uncomfortable in your own skin. It's completely debilitating in many ways. It's like a dark cloud hanging over you everywhere you go, impossible to ignore. One of the greatest joys of my life has been watching so many of you fight and claw your way back to health, happiness and a body that you can feel comfortable in. I admire you all for having the guts to look your demons directly in the eye and then dispose of them. It's never an easy battle, but with the right attitude it's always a winnable one.
Back to comments index
December 19, 2006
Last night I switched to a new chest workout. I went with my favorite pecs workout, the "all-dumbbell" workout, slightly modified. Here's what I'll be doing for the remainder of my bulk for chest:
CHEST
4 x 12 Flat dumbbell bench press
4 x 12 Incline dumbbell bench press
4 x 12 Dumbbell flyes
4 x "Burnout" Cable cross-over (middle chest)
I have not done flyes since I injured my shoulder back in 2003, so I was very careful with my form. My shoulders felt good, and this morning everything seems fine, so I'm going to stick with the flyes for the rest of my bulk.
Last year on December 19th I put up a series of four progress photographs from December 2002, December 2003, December 2004 and December 2005. I thought I'd add to that series with a December 2006 progress photo (the new full size image along with some post-workout thoughts can be found here):
Obviously progress takes time, but one of the things I've tried to show with this web site is that those who work hard, work smart and are consistent will be rewarded with results.
Back to comments index
December 18, 2006
My 2007 cutting plans are 98% complete. I'll be posting my new cardio routine, weight training splits, weight training style and my detailed food/supplement plan sometime this week--perhaps as soon as tomorrow. The food/supplement logs will be in the familiar "spreadsheet converted to html" format that all my existing food logs are in. The food log I post will consist of two complete meal plans: one for training days and one for non-training days. I will be eating exactly what is on these two meals plans for approximately the first six weeks. After six weeks (or sooner, if required) I will post my revised food plans in their entirety.
One of the things most people will be surprised about is the amount of food I will be eating: over 4,200 calories on training days, and around 3,900 calories on non-training days. That may seem like a lot of food for a cutting diet, but don't forget that by the end of this month I'll weigh around 235 pounds and will only be around 14.5% body fat. It takes a lot of food to sustain that kind of muscle, and maintaining my muscle is one of my primary goals. Like I said yesterday, this cut will be slow and methodical. I'm not after fast fat loss results at the expense of my hard-earned muscle. It's not even January, so I've got plenty of time.
I'm excited about posting my food logs again, and I want to thank everyone who posted and emailed me to let me know how much you've missed that feature. I really had no idea!
I've got an 8:00 AM appointment, so I'd better get going. Have a great day!
Back to comments index
December 17, 2006
My upcoming cut will be slow and methodical. Muscle loss is a big concern, so everything I do will be geared towards slow, steady fat loss and muscle preservation. As some of you already know, I'll be doing something completely different for this year's cut.
I've had great success with SwoleCat's SGX protocols, but I've never been satisfied to do the same thing over and over. I firmly believe that an important part of my success thus far has been my willingness to expand my own knowledge and try new things. With that in mind, I've been working with Mastover, who is a professional natural bodybuilder and a valued member of the JSF forums.
My food intake on this cut will be very monotonous: I'll eat one way on training days and another on non-training days. I'll be eating the same foods every day for at least the first six weeks of my cut, and that's fine by me. My goal this year is 6% body fat and little to no muscle loss, so everything I do will be geared towards those results.
This cutting plan also uses a lot of supplements, but not fat burners or anything like that. I'll be using lots of BCAAs/amino acids, glutamine, creatine monohydrate, EFAs and a few other things. I'll include my complete supplement intake in my meal plans, which I'll be publishing later this month.
Initially I'll be doing a 4-day training split, and cardio will be used somewhat sparingly compared to the 7-days per week cardio I've used in years past. Again, this information will be provided here (on my training page) once it's finalized.
This cut is going to be different than anything I've ever done before, so I'm really excited to see how it works for me!
Back to comments index
December 16, 2006
The new arm workout routine that I put together for the last few weeks of my bulk is a good one! I'm confident I'll see some nice growth in my arms and forearms using this workout before the month is through.
People always email me asking how to get "big guns". In fact, with the exception of "how do I get a six-pack", that's probably the most-asked question I get.
There are several important elements to building big arms, but one of the most important pieces of advice I give (and, regrettably, probably the most oft-ignored) is to squat. What I mean by that is the big compound moves are the keys to building overall mass, including the arms. Squats, deadlifts, bent-over barbell rows and the bench press are critical exercises. Sure, you can increase your arm size without doing those lifts, but it's an uphill battle and you are not going to see anything close to your real potential without those massive compound lifts!
The second thing you need if you want to start ripping the sleeves out of your shirts is proper nutrition. You've got to eat to support growth. An abundance of natural, unprocessed foods such as chicken breast, fish, shrimp, lean steak, fibrous veggies, rice, potatoes, egg whites, oatmeal, natural peanut butter and olive oil (to name just a few) is crucial for growth. You won't grow if you are not giving your body a good supply of the raw materials it needs to build muscle.
Next is recovery. You've got to give your muscles time to grow. Get plenty of rest, and allow your muscles time to recover before you work that muscle group again. I work each of my muscle groups directly just once per week.
I strongly believe that compound exercises should form the foundation of any strength training program, but I also believe that isolation exercises are very important. My bicep/tricep superset workout, while very effective for me, is last on my list of things to do for bigger arms because I feel that if the other things I've discussed are not in place you're going to be spinning your wheels no matter what you do. As for isolation arm work, I suggest you give one of my antagonistic superset arm workouts a try. Here are the principles I follow: No rest between each bicep and tricep exercise; rest no more than 1 minute between each superset; rest no more than 2 minutes between each new set of exercises; keep it intense, and focus on good form with a solid mind-muscle connection.
Using the above principles, my arms have grown from 13.75 inches (unpumped) to 18.5 inches (unpumped) in a little over 2 years.
Now get in that squat rack and grow those guns!
Back to comments index
December 15, 2006
Starting with tonight's workout I'll be changing all my exercise routines around for the final three weeks of my bulk. I'm going to continue to use the "Rolling Tricep Extensions" that I've been doing for the past month because they are a great triceps exercise and have absolutely been kicking my butt! In case you missed it, here's how to perform the Rolling Tricep Extension exercise: Lay on the floor and use several small plates (25s) instead of big plates to allow for a greater range of motion. Keep the bar behind your head, and extend it up like a skullcrusher. Lay it back down on the floor behind you and let it rest on the ground very briefly (1/2 second). Repeat. That's it!
So, here's what I'll be doing for my biceps/triceps superset workouts over the next 4 weeks:
Superset #1: Hammer Curls & Rolling Triceps Extensions (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #2: Barbell Curls & Standing Ez-Bar Tricep Extensions (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #3: Concentration Curls & Heavy Weighted Bench Dips (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
I had a great delts/traps/calves workout last night, and did the whole thing wearing a Santa hat. Don't ask me why. I guess I was just in a funny mood. Pictures.
Back to comments index
December 14, 2006
I have no idea what's going on with my weight lately. I'm 1.5 pounds lighter today than I was on the 1st of the month--and I've increased my daily caloric intake twice this month! In fact, yesterday I ate like a horse all day long, and then had a massive cheat meal for dinner (Pizza and Buffalo Wings). Normally when I eat a cheat meal I'm like a water balloon the next day, and several pounds heavier than I was the day before. But this morning I weigh the exact same amount as I did yesterday morning. I have added some muscle size this month, and my strength continues to increase so I'm not going to let the scale weight mess with my head too much. I guess the main reason I mention this is because it's so unusual for me. After nearly four years of carefully monitoring everything I do with regards to diet and exercise, my body continues to surprise me!
Yesterday I had the day off from training and work. It was fun, but by the end of the day I felt really lazy and lethargic because I sat around doing nothing all day. Today is my delts/traps/calves workout, and I'm really looking forward to it!
Tomorrow begins the final three weeks of my 2006 bulk. I'll be switching my workout exercise routines around starting with tomorrow's arm workout. I may rotate back to some earlier routines, perhaps with some modifications. As always, I'll post my new workouts over the next week.
Back to comments index
December 13, 2006
As long as there are no network/server problems at work, I've got the entire day off today! My morning cardio is already done, and I have no training
scheduled for tonight. I'm sure I'll find something to do... 
Despite increasing my daily caloric intake, my weight is actually dropping! It's astounding how much food I'm consuming right now. I'm eating more in one day than I used to eat in three or four days back when I was first losing weight. I'm not complaining: I love to eat, and I can certainly eat more! Because I just increased my food intake a few days ago, I'm going to give it another couple of days before I increase again. If I continue to drop weight over the next few days, I'll increase my calories again. I swear, my cutting diet this year is going to be higher in calories than my bulking diet was in years past!
This is your final day to take advantage of the AtLarge Nutrition sale! See the box immediately below this update for details.
Back to comments index
December 12, 2006
I don't get headaches very often, but last night about an hour before my workout I got a bad one. I have no idea why I got it, but it was definitely sinus-related. The pain was so intense that it made me a bit queasy. As I started my workout, I seriously thought my head was going to explode. After a couple of sets I came very close to throwing in the towel. My strength was good, and I knew that I could fight through the pain if I wanted to. It really boiled down to desire and mental discipline. I talked myself into continuing with the logic that my head was going to hurt no matter what I did, so why not get the job I came to do done and over with? It was not a fun workout: every set was a challenge to start, but I got through it and had a great workout. By the time I finished my workout, the pain in my head was nothing but a dull ache (probably from the endorphin rush). I thought it was a job well done, and was very proud of myself for toughing it out. These kinds of things make a huge difference over the long-haul, and you're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.
I've not had any time off since last summer, so I'm going to be taking a two-week vacation in the coming weeks. My vacation will start on December 30, 2006 and run through January 14, 2007. I will resume my daily updates to this site on January 15, 2007. Normally if my vacation falls over the first day of the month I skip my monthly pictures; however, because January 1, 2007 is the end of my bulk and the start of my cut, it's an important set of pictures. I will be taking my monthly pictures and posting them on the first. I will also be posting my cutting diet on that day, marking the much-requested return of my food logs!
Keep in mind that my food logs will not be updated every day as they once were: I'm going to post an entire week of meals & supplements, and that's what I'll be eating week after week so you'll still be getting complete information. When there are adjustments to my diet, I will update the food logs to reflect those changes.
While on vacation I will still be following a very strict cutting diet, doing my cardio and lifting weights. No messing about: I've got fat to lose and new muscle to reveal! I'm very excited about my upcoming cut, and will be working my butt off from day #1 (January 1, 2007). My fat loss goal for this year is to get down to 6% body fat, and I'm going to do it.
When you are doing your holiday shopping, don't forget about the JSF Shopping Mall. The JSF Shopping Mall is a storefront for Amazon.com, but final checkout is still done directly with Amazon. You'll enjoy the exact same low prices, selection, security and benefits just as if you were shopping on their regular site. In fact, the JSF storefront software will automatically find the lowest priced item and show that item first when the same items are found with different prices. When you shop Amazon.com through the JSF Mall you are helping to support this site and the forums and it costs absolutely nothing! Making your Amazon purchases through the JSF Mall is an excellent, no-cost way to show your support for JSF!
Questions, comments and suggestion about the JSF Mall should be posted in the ongoing JSF Shopping Mall Thread. If you are looking for some gift ideas, check out my Favorite Things thread.
Back to comments index
December 11, 2006
I had a nice day off from training yesterday. Lisa went Christmas shopping (my shopping is all done!), so I played with the dogs until we were all good and tired, then we curled up on the couch and watched movies all day. After this past week it was very nice to lay around with nothing to do and no obligations.
I took my weekly measurements this morning. My arms are still just shy of 18.5 inches, but I think by next week they should be there. My chest is just under 45.75 inches, so hopefully by next week that muscle group will also hit its new high water mark. My quads, which grow like weeds, are now 27.75 inches. My quads will easily hit the 28 inch mark by the end of this month. Of course some of that is fat, so I expect my quads to decrease at least an inch as I cut down. My forearms showed some growth, and are very close to 14.25 inches. My calves didn't show any change. My waist is up a quarter of an inch, and my hips measurement stayed the same. I'm actually 1 pound lighter today than I was at the beginning of the month, but I was holding some water on the 1st, and this morning I'm relatively "dry". Still, I think my body is saying "Dude, what the hell is going on here?" I'm still going to complete this month of bulking, but I think in the future 3 months of bulking is best for me; three month seems to be my sweet spot. I'm not wild about doing it, but I'm going to increase my calories slightly.
I've got to add this item to my Favorite Things thread: The Logitech Harmony 880 Universal remote control. This weekend I really put it through its paces, and it is a marvel. You program the unit through an easy-to-use web-based interface, and when you are done your custom configuration is downloaded to the remote via USB. If you change a piece of equipment in your system or need to adjust your macros, it takes mere moments to reconfigure the remote. Every last piece of equipment I own--including my lighting controller--was in Logitech's database. Even if a piece of your equipment is not in their extensive database (highly unlikely), the Harmony can learn the commands from your existing remote. You can customize every button on the Harmony to perform any function you like. Where the Harmony really shines is preparing your system to perform an activity. For example, if you want to watch a DVD, you simply hit the "Watch DVD" button. The remote then powers on the needed equipment (TV, DVD player, Stereo system), switches everything to the correct inputs and starts the DVD. If you have a lighting controller, the remote will even dim the lights to the level you like! Lisa, who was always frustrated trying to remember how to set up our system to simply watch TV or watch a DVD, learned how to use this in about 30 seconds. You should have seen her face light up when everything worked as expected after hitting just one button! There are a number of thoughtful touches, such as a "help" button that is actually very useful, and a motion detector that automatically lights up the Harmony's attractive LCD display and button backlighting when you pick up the remote! The remote comes with a battery pack and charging cradle, so you never need to purchase batteries. The Harmony has completely and totally replaced all six of my old remotes (which are now sitting in a drawer): TV, lighting system, stereo, CD jukebox, DVD player and the HDTV Cablebox/PVR. Here's a picture of the remote and the charging station:
If you are suffering from remote-overload, and are tired of hitting 100 buttons just to watch a DVD or TV, your problems are over. Get this remote!
When you are doing your holiday shopping, don't forget about the JSF Shopping Mall. The JSF Shopping Mall is a storefront for Amazon.com, but final checkout is still done directly with Amazon. You'll enjoy the exact same low prices, selection, security and benefits just as if you were shopping on their regular site. In fact, the JSF storefront software will automatically find the lowest priced item and show that item first when the same items are found with different prices. When you shop Amazon.com through the JSF Mall you are helping to support this site and the forums and it costs absolutely nothing! Making your Amazon purchases through the JSF Mall is an excellent, no-cost way to show your support for JSF!
Questions, comments and suggestion about the JSF Mall should be posted in the ongoing JSF Shopping Mall Thread. If you are looking for some gift ideas, check out my Favorite Things thread.
Back to comments index
December 10, 2006
This past week has been pretty relentless from a work standpoint, and also from a training standpoint. To make things even more interesting, I was feeling a little under the weather a couple of those days. Thankfully I made it through the week without missing any meals or workouts, and I seem to have successfully fought off serious illness.
Lisa and I got all the house cleaning done yesterday, and we finally put up our tree and the Christmas decorations. Most of our Christmas shopping is done, and I'm finally starting to feel caught up. Normally on non-training days I wake up and feel disappointed (I love to train!), but I have to be honest: today I woke up and felt pretty good knowing that after my cardio I don't have to do anything but relax.
Have a great Sunday!
Back to comments index
December 9, 2006
Thankfully whatever was bothering my stomach is totally gone. I felt good all day yesterday, and had a very intense arm workout last night. The abbreviated rest intervals (just 40 seconds) I've been doing between each superset in recent weeks adds another whole facet of pain to my arm workout. I'm completely out of breath the entire workout, and picking up the weights and starting the next superset when I feel like I'm about to collapse from exhaustion is a difficult mental challenge.
As those of you who have been visiting this web site for any length of time know, I really believe in keeping the intensity levels of my workouts in the red. Even though it's difficult to maintain that level through the entire workout, I really enjoy the challenge of it. When I finish my workouts, the feeling of accomplishment I enjoy is unbelievable! Those who wander around the gym simply going through the motions are wasting their time. You can tell when someone's heart is in it, because they give a maximal effort from start to finish. Those are the people who make progress.
As an example of what NOT to do, remember this guy from Pumping Iron?
I thought that dude was going to fall asleep while doing his one-arm dumbbell curls! There's no fire, no intensity and no drive there. Don't be that guy! When you workout, give it a maximal effort from start to finish. Don't let your mind wander, and don't let anyone distract you from the job you came to do.
Back to comments index
December 8, 2006
I'm so glad that today is Friday! This past week been the craziest work week in recent memory. Thankfully things at work calmed down a bit yesterday, because I was experiencing stomach problems most of the day. I took a 2-hour nap yesterday afternoon and when I woke up I felt groggy, but at least my stomach had calmed down. I wound up having a great workout last night (delts/traps/calves), and managed to get all six meals in. This morning my stomach feels a little tight and not quite right, but it's nothing like yesterday. I just ate breakfast and feel pretty good. I've only got four weeks left in my bulk, and I would hate to miss a workout or a meal after over 3 months of 100% consistency in those areas.
Have a great day!
Back to comments index
December 7, 2006
When AtLarge Nutrition became an Official JSF sponsor, they set the bar very high with their quality products, fast shipping and excellent customer service. After all this time AtLarge continues to meet (and even exceed!) my own high expectations, and those of the JSF community. Additionally, AtLarge has impressive quantity discounts as a standard feature, and they frequently run sales and promotions to help JSF members save even more money. Starting today, AtLarge is running an exclusive end of the year sale just for JSF members and visitors. The sale runs through December 13th. This is your last chance of the year to stock up on AtLarge products at discounted prices. If you've never tried AtLarge's products, I highly encourage you to do so. Check out the details in the special message from Chris and Daniel immediately below...
|
AtLarge's JohnStoneFitness.com End of the Year Sale! This past year has been a fantastic one for us and that is due in no small part to our affiliation with JohnStoneFitness.com (JSF). Your support and loyalty to both JSF and AtLarge have been a tremendous aid to both of our companies' growth. As a token of our mutual appreciation, JSF and AtLarge have teamed-up yet again to bring you a very special JSF exclusive sale. Now through the 13th of December save 10% on your entire AtLarge (www.atlargenutrition.com ) order (yes, that includes the shipping charges)! To take advantage of this wonderful offer all you need do is type "JSF" in the "discount coupon" section of the "payment information" page when you place your order. Your savings will be automatically calculated and displayed on the "order confirmation" page. Thank you again and have a happy holidays and a wonderful New Year.
Chris Mason AtLarge Nutrition, LLC |
Back to comments index
December 6, 2006
My work week so far has been terrible! It's been one of those weeks where nothing has gone right and the work keeps piling up faster than I can get it done. This morning I woke up to several new serious network problems, and I'm still trying to deal with yesterday's issues!
I try very hard to always keep a positive outlook, but yesterday was just a mess. Without going into too much detail, I'll just say I dealt with more than my fair share of incompetent and rude 3rd party techs. I'm amazed that some of the people I spoke to are gainfully employed...
...anyway, last night's back workout was another test of my resolve. I was irritated and stressed out, and I didn't want to work out--I wanted a stiff drink! Instead, I went into the gym and tore into those weights
as if they were the sole cause of my stress. I used my irritation as motivation, and it sure worked! I was actually hitting the heavy bag during my "rest" between sets. By the time I finished my workout, all the fight in me
was long gone. I walked out of the gym as gentle as a lamb, and feeling great.
Like I said yesterday, the trick is learning how to get started and get into your workout regardless of how you feel. Once you are able to do that with consistency, the rewards--both immediate and long-term--will be yours.
Back to comments index
December 5, 2006
Yesterday when I woke up I was feeling a little tired and like I might be getting sick. Then I had an extremely difficult and stressful day at work--a textbook "Monday". By 6:00 PM I was feeling extremely stressed out, lethargic and tired. I really did not feel like working out, but it's not like I was running a fever or sick to my stomach. Missing the workout would have been a copout, plain and simple.
I've been in that kind of situation many times before, and experience has taught me that most of the time all those negative feelings would evaporate as soon as I got a few sets under my belt and felt the rush that comes with a big pump. In fact, as I've mentioned in this space before, some of my very best workouts have come on those days that I had to force myself to get in the gym. I think one of the reasons for that phenomenon is that I derive a lot of personal satisfaction from pushing through and getting the job done. That satisfaction provides me with a huge mental boost.
Most people don't need much of an excuse to skip a workout; in fact, many people expend quite a bit of thought trying to rationalize a "good" excuse to not workout! WHY?! If you catch yourself doing that, then put a stop to it! Talking yourself into missing a workout is easy--anyone can do it. Don't you think that you deserve better than that? Are you one of the millions of people who have a desire reach a fitness-related goal, but can't muster the fortitude to get the job done? I honestly believe that every single person reading this has the ability to be better than that, but the sad truth is many of you don't believe in yourselves and will simply give up. It doesn't have to be that way. The first step is to make up your mind that no matter what you will not make excuses. Decide you are going to do something, then follow through--end of story. You can do it!
Back to comments index
December 4, 2006
Uh oh, I hope I'm not getting sick! So far this year I've felt something coming on just once before this morning, and I successfully fought it off before
it could take hold. This morning I'm feeling a bit rough around the edges, and my throat is a little scratchy. Hopefully it's just lack of sleep: Lisa came
back from her business trip early this morning (around 1:00 AM or so). The way the dogs were carrying on you'd thought she'd just returned
from the dead, not a four-day trip! Anyway, after the dogs calmed down I had trouble falling back asleep. Eventually I drifted off, but I woke up a few
more times throughout the night for some reason. This is just a stab in the dark, but maybe I had trouble sleeping because I was allotted exactly 4 inches of space on the
edge of bed, and the equivalent of a small paper napkin for covers. Normally I get a full six inches of bed space and an 1/8th of a sheet, so I'm not sure
how that happened. We definitely need a bigger bed!
I had a nice day off from training yesterday, and despite feeling a little haggard this morning I have every intention of training tonight. Tonight I'll be working my pecs, and I really want to exceed a 46 inch chest measurement before the end of my bulk (currently 45.5 inches). Just four weeks to go, so every workout counts!
I'm going to go eat and take my vitamins, along with some extra vitamin C! If I get sick this year, it won't be without a fight. Have a great day!
Back to comments index
December 3, 2006
If you live in the Central Florida area and are looking for a good deal on a big screen High Definition TV, I'm selling mine. I'll even deliver it to your home in plenty of time for Christmas along with a free progressive scan DVD player. It will hit craigslist later this week at a higher price if no JSF'ers in the local area want it. For more details and a photograph of the TV in action, please check this thread.
I'm going to go get my cardio done, eat and clean up around the house. Enjoy your Sunday!
Back to comments index
December 2, 2006
After last week's arm workout, I knew last night's arm workout was going to be tough if I expected to exceed the intensity levels I reached last week. How did I do it? I cut another 5 seconds of all my rest intervals and upped the amount of weight I used on all exercises! It was hard, and I felt like I was going to collapse a few times (the scariest of which was towards the end of my workout when I had a 100 pound dumbbell over my head doing tricep extensions... and Lisa is out of town until Monday). I really feel like I took it to the next level and had the best arm workout of my bulk. I'm very pleased! My arms might not hit 20 inches pumped before the end of my bulk, but I'm sure going to try! Last night they were at 19.5" at the end of my workout. I took a picture, but the flash reflected off the myotape and it didn't come out. I'll try again next week.
The dogs woke me up at 5:00 AM this morning. Usually we all pretty much get up at the same time--between 6:00-6:30 AM--but I guess Loki had to urinate pretty bad, because he's a champ at holding it. After I let the dogs do their thing, I decided to catch another hour of sleep, but we all wound up sleeping until 7:00 AM. The extra sleep was nice!
Thankfully I don't have anything to do today except my leg workout at 6:00 PM. I think I'm going to have a movie day!
Back to comments index
December 1, 2006
My new monthly photos are up. My gains this past month have been quite good (I posted my measurements and progress report on Monday). I only added 1/2" to my waist this month, and I'm pretty sure I'm around 13% body fat right now. I'm actually pretty excited about bulking for an extra month!
Last night's workout (delts/traps/calves) was brutal, but fun. I enjoy working my delts and traps a lot. I posted more details on the workout along with a new picture in last night's entry to my media journal.
If you've been thinking about purchasing a TITAN, this is the month to do it! See the box below for details...
What a crazy morning this has been! The first day of the month is always a very busy one for me, but this morning there was even more than usual to do. I hit the ground running a little after 6:00 AM and have barely had time to get everything done by my self-imposed 9:00 AM deadline. Now I've got to get ready for a 9:30 appointment, after which I will be rushing to complete my month-end projects in time for tonight's arm workout. Have a great day!
|
Special TITAN Offer! FREE SHIPPING all month long! The price on the Titan has NOT gone up, and a sale like this has never been offered before. That's a $199.00 savings on top of the already lowest price available anywhere on the Titan! When you place your order be sure to tell Fitcore you want the JSF pricing and the free shipping offer. That's all there is to it! For more information on the TITAN T1 home gym, please check out my detailed review. This sale will end on December 31, 2006! |
Back to comments index
Web design and development by Sverre Sjothun
