Daily News Archives

July 2006

07/31/2006 - Final day of AtLarge Sale; Final day to sign up for the August "100 Challenge".
07/30/2006 - Monthly pictures coming up; Excited about the next few months.
07/29/2006 - Why didn't I gain more fat on my vacation? MUSCLE!; Losing fat the right way.
07/28/2006 - First week back almost over; So sore; Shoulder update.
07/27/2006 - Importance of change; Last night's back/bicep workout was a killer.
07/26/2006 - Awesome AtLarge sale--don't miss it; Excellent response to the "100 Challenge"!
07/25/2006 - Lost a little strength; John Stone's August "100 Challenge".
07/24/2006 - Back from vacation: fat, happy and ready to work!
07/23/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/22/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/21/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/20/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/19/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/18/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/17/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/16/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/15/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/14/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/13/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/12/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/11/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/10/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/09/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/08/2006 - No update - on vacation.
07/07/2006 - Vacation time!
07/06/2006 - Shoulder questions answered.
07/05/2006 - MAX-OT shoulder issues; July 4th pictures.
07/04/2006 - Happy Birthday, America!
07/03/2006 - My new MAX-OT/cardio split; First MAX-OT workout tonight.
07/02/2006 - Over 6 pounds of water weight gain in just one day!
07/01/2006 - Cutting cycle is over; Post-cutting pictures.

July 31, 2006

July 2006 is coming to an end, and so is the AtLarge Nutrition sale and the chance to join the August "100 Challenge" (more on both below). Starting tomorrow I'll be going "all out" with pretty much no break for the next 4 or 5 months. August will set the stage with a final month of dedicated cutting, and September through November (or December) will be absolutely brutal and relentless as I add lean mass on my 2006 fall/winter bulking program. Thanks to the incredible response to the first "100 Challenge", I'm going to make the "100 Challenge" a regular monthly feature here at JSF. I will definitely be taking part in at least the next 4 or 5 challenges as I bulk up. The enthusiasm of the other participants is totally inspiring. I always enjoy bulking, but this new angle is getting me really fired up!

Thanks for stopping by--I'll be back tomorrow with my monthly photos. DOH!

FINAL DAY! Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

About the sale: Now through Monday, July 31, 2006, you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, all orders over $50.00 will receive a FREE AtLarge Nutrition T-Shirt (a $14.95 value) and a copy of the AtLarge Fat Loss Guide (a $9.95 value). That's 10% off all orders (including shipping) and almost $25.00 in free gifts on all orders over $50.00. Just go to the AtLarge Nutrition web site, load up your cart, and when you check out enter coupon code "JSF". IMPORTANT: T-Shirt stock and sizes ("XL" and "XXL" only, although I'm told the "XL" shirts are not that big, and will fit most people just fine) are limited, so get your orders in fast--first come, first serve!

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread. NEW! Every few weeks, Chris will select someone who has posted to the Official AtLarge Review thread to receive a free AtLarge Nutrition product!

Today is also the last day you can sign up for the John Stone August "100 Challenge"! Your Official Challenge post must be made before August 1st 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 Official "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!

July 30, 2006

I will be posting my monthly pictures this Tuesday morning. Looking at my body immediately after my decadent two-week vacation, I thought that this month's pictures were going to be horrible; however, after a week of strict dieting and hard work in the gym I don't think things are nearly as bad as I feared they might be. I was looking at my physique in the mirror this morning (I try to do that 11 or 12 times every day. Calm down. I'm kidding.) and, apart from slightly reduced definition around my lower abs, I look about as lean as I did last month at this time. I even had a free meal last night and am holding some water this morning, so by Tuesday I should be looking even tighter in the mid-section.

I'm very excited about the next few months! First, in August I'll be participating in the "100 Challenge". I'm really looking forward to progressing along with the other dedicated individuals who are participating in the very first (of what I hope will be many) "100 Challenge". After August I'll be starting my bulk. September is a bit early for me to start bulking, but I'm excited to get started. I'm thinking about bulking for three months, and I might start cutting up in December. Hrm, trying to maintain a cutting program through the holidays might not be the best idea. Maybe I'll bulk for four months and start cutting in January. Last year I put on a little too much fat, so this year I'll be watching that a bit closer.

It's not too late to sign up for the John Stone August "100 Challenge", but time is running out. Your Official Challenge post must be made before August 1st 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 Official "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!

ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT! Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread.

July 29, 2006

Last night I worked my delts & traps and had another really good workout. Ever since I returned from vacation all my workouts have been extremely good. I've had plenty of energy, and I feel my strength coming back quickly. Even though I added a few pounds of fat and lost some size over the past month, I think the tradeoff was worth it for the huge mental boost. Before my vacation I was feeling burned out and tired; now the fire is back and I'm looking forward to my workouts again.

Considering how much junk food I ate in July, I'm surprised that I did not add more fat. Actually, I shouldn't be surprised: I would have added a lot more fat a year or two ago because I was carrying much less muscle back then. The muscle I've added over the past year or so has allowed me far more freedom with my diet (for those who don't know, a pound of muscle burns significantly more calories each day than a pound of fat does). I feel weight training is beneficial in countless ways, and the ability to eat more is just one of them. Those who don't bother to train with weights--particularly those who are dieting to "lose weight"--are very easy to spot, especially in swimsuits: they look like smaller versions of how they looked when they were bigger. Most of these people carry very little muscle because they don't train with weights, and they often "yo-yo" between their horrible "weight loss" diets and then quickly gain more fat when they return to their regular eating habits. Each time these folks go on one of their crash diets they lose fat, yes, but they also lose muscle. Each time they crash diet, they lose more muscle and then gain the fat back faster than ever, plus some. This is why crash diets don't work, and this is why some people will spend their whole lives fighting a battle they simply can not win. Proper fat loss is really not that difficult: you need a healthy diet, cardio vascular exercise, weight training and the commitment to make a plan and stick to it! There is a ton of excellent fat loss information on the forums, and the "sticky" threads at the top of the beginner's forum are required reading if you don't know where to start. If you want to change your health and appearance, then take the time to do it right. You'll never regret it.

ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT! Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread.

July 28, 2006

This week absolutely flew by! I'm nearly caught up on my work, and I feel much better now that I've returned to my regular diet and training schedule. My workouts have seemed especially brutal after about a month with no weight training (not to mention coming off two weeks of vacation junk food!) Most of my upper body is sore this morning, and not just a little sore; it's the kind of soreness that is felt even when I'm totally stationary.

I'm about to go do my morning cardio, and tonight is my delts & traps workout. My delts and traps are about the only muscle groups north of my waistline that don't hurt this morning. I think I'm going to do 5-10 minutes of light cardio before tonight's weight training to warm up my sore body.

Speaking of delts, my shoulders are doing just fine since my return. I was a little worried after the heavy MAX-OT chest workout almost a month ago that left both my shoulders hurting. I don't want anything interfering with my bulk this fall, so I think moving away from my initial plan to do heavy MAX-OT training this summer was the right move. Better safe than sorry. I don't even want to think about dealing with another extended shoulder injury like the one I suffered in late 2003.

It's not too late to sign up for the John Stone August "100 Challenge", but time is running out. Your Official Challenge post must be made by August 1st 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 Official "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!

4 DAYS LEFT! Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread.

July 27, 2006

I'm glad that I switched my training split around--this new one is kicking my butt! My old split was every bit as difficult, but in a different way. Change is important. The split I'm using now breaks my biceps and triceps workouts apart (I normally superset those two muscle groups) and pairs them with my back and chest, respectively. Antagonistic supersets are very painful, difficult and challenging, but I get nice results using that training style for my arms. I switched to a new split for the rest of the summer because I want my arms to be shocked by the change when I go back to supersets on September 1st. Hopefully this change will result in added arm development during my bulk.

I kind of got off track there. I wanted to talk about last night's workout. Last night I worked my back and my biceps. For my back I did four sets of 10-12 reps for each of three exercises. I finished my back off with four sets of 8 very heavy deads, which left me gasping for air! I try to minimize bicep recruitment as much as possible when working my back, but some is inevitable; my biceps were already fairly well pre-exhausted before I did a single curl. For my biceps I performed three exercises, four sets of 10-12 reps per exercise. By the time I finished my workout I could barely lift my arms. Of course my triceps and chest are still very sore from Monday's workout, so this morning I'm feeling pretty toasted all over. Today is a cardio-only day (thank goodness), and tomorrow I do cardio in the morning and delts/traps in the evening.

By the way, my training information, past and present, can always be found on the Training Page. I'll be moving back to last year's bulking split on September 1st (which is when I start my 2006 bulk).

It's not too late to sign up for the John Stone August "100 Challenge", but time is running out. 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 Official "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! Your Official Challenge post must be made by August 1st if you plan to participate. No slackers!

5 DAYS LEFT! Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread.

July 26, 2006

Chris and Daniel, co-owners of AtLarge Nutrition, have come up with their absolute best sale ever! If you are one of their thousands of existing satisfied customers, then now is the time to stock up on all your favorite products (or try some new ones!) If you have never tried AtLarge Nutrition, then now is a great time to save yourself some money and see why AtLarge has earned countless positive reviews for their products and their outstanding customer service. I know the AtLarge review thread is pretty huge and a lot to read, but they've earned every word in it: Chris and Daniel truly care about their customers and the quality of their products. As you know, I personally use AtLarge's products, and I pay the same prices as everyone else. I wouldn't spend my money on an inferior product. I'm proud to endorse AtLarge, and I promote and use their products with total confidence. They will treat you right, I guarantee it.

Once you get your order and try the products, please take a few minutes and let future customers know what you think in the Official AtLarge Review thread.

I'm extremely pleased with the first day's response to the Official "100 Challenge" thread! It looks like we've got plenty of members who are serious about making a go at the "perfect" month. I'm more excited than ever, and, based on the initial response, I'm even thinking about making this a regular feature of John Stone Fitness.

It's not too late to sign up! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account.

That was a pretty big update, and now I've got to get going on my cardio. Make sure to head over to AtLarge before you get too busy and stock up! See you tomorrow...

July 25, 2006

Last night's chest and triceps workout felt great! I guess I shouldn't be surprised after a month off from training, but I did lose some strength. Not a terrible amount of strength, but enough to make me wonder if a month off from training was such a good idea. Actually, I know it was: I needed it, and I suspect that I'll get my strength back pretty quickly. No worries!

Yesterday I mentioned that I was thinking about starting a challenge on the forums. I've decided to do it, and I'm going to call it John Stone's August "100 Challenge". The reason it's called the "100 Challenge" is because that's how many points each participant starts with and, with hard work and consistency, that's how many points each of us will end the challenge with!

To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account.

Wow, I'm late for my cardio! Have a great day.

July 24, 2006

I'm back from my vacation! I had an amazing couple of weeks off, but am more than ready to return to my regular life. I've got a very busy week ahead of me, but there is a lot to cover this morning, so I'll just jump right into it.

WEIGHTS: First off, I did not lift any weights. My shoulders were still hurting through most of my vacation, but honestly not badly enough to prevent me from lifting. You know, I just needed a break from everything, including (especially) weight training. Before my vacation I was getting my workouts done, but my usual passion and excitement was no longer there. Only now, after a few weeks off, am I able to realize just how much I needed a break from my usual life.

DIET: So, I have not trained with weights at all this month... what about my diet? Well, that's easy: My diet has been horrendous! When I say "horrendous", I really mean it. Essentially my food intake during the entire month of July has been mostly stuff I would never eat (except as a "free"/"cheat" meal). Off the top of my head: Hamburgers, bacon, cheese, crackers, french fries, pork BBQ, baked beans, garlic bread, chocolate covered nuts, buttered popcorn, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried clams, steak, potatoes, biscuits with gravy, cheese biscuits, hash browns, french toast with butter and syrup, pizza, fajitas, tortilla chips, cheesecake, assorted snack mixes, Doritos, pretzels, assorted breads, soda, beer, wine, vodka... That's not everything, but just reading it makes me realize just how much crap I've been putting into my body this month. I did it because I wanted to, so I'm not complaining. I really did need to take some time away from everything. I wanted to relax and eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Now that I have done that, I feel like I've gotten it out of my system. I think it's OK to let loose for a week or two once in a great while, but I'm very anxious to return to my healthy diet: I'm starting to feel the effects of the junk food!

CARDIO: So, my diet was crap and I did not train with weights... how about cardio? I actually did do cardio! I think I did around 9 or 10 cardio sessions over my vacation. I did cardio because I wanted to: I really like how it makes me feel, and with all the crap I was eating I'm glad I did something physical!

DAMAGE ASSESSMENT: I added around 4 pounds of fat. My waist size is a full inch larger now than it was before my vacation. I've gone from 8% body fat to the high 9% range. My face looks puffy. I lost some muscle size (my arms are down to 16.75 inches).

I think my monthly pictures--which I take a little over a week from today--will not be very good. I've decided that I'm going to do a little mini-cut in August, and I'm going to start my bulk a bit early this year: September 1st. I'm thinking about doing an August "Total dedication" challenge on the forum with anyone who wants to join me. I'll post more about it tomorrow if I decide to do it.

Well, I'd better finish this up and get on the bike. I've decided that I'm going to do cardio every day until my bulk starts. Tonight I'll be working out in the weight room for the first time in almost a month and I'm really looking forward to it. I've got some serious work to do!

July 8 - July 23, 2006

No update - on vacation.

July 7, 2006

It's time for my final summer vacation. I know I just took a vacation in June, but I have to use my vacation time by the end of this month or I lose it. This will likely be my last break until the Christmas holidays, so I plan to make this time off very enjoyable. For this vacation Lisa and I are flying my mom in from Houston. We'll be treating her to some of our favorite Florida locales and restaurants while she's here.

My shoulders are feeling pretty good today, so I'll resume weight training on Monday (the 10th). I'll also be doing cardio around 3 times per week while I'm off. I have a feeling I'm going to need those workouts: while I'm on vacation I plan to eat whatever I want, whenever I want!

So, I'll resume my normal daily updates on Monday, July 24th. See you then!

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July 6, 2006

After yesterday's update, a few people have asked me about my shoulder. I know that quite a few of you were not around back when I was having major shoulder problems (late 2003 & 2004), but these questions are addressed in detail in my FAQ. If you are interested, you might want to check out the FAQ, specifically these questions:

There've been some great suggestions on the forum about ways I could reduce the "trauma" of switching to a heavy weight training program like MAX-OT. This latest flare up of shoulder pain--while relatively minor--has put the eight months in which I could not lift fresh in my mind. That was the longest eight months of my life. It was horrible. So, while I really appreciate the excellent suggestions, at this point I'm not willing to take any chances. Perhaps the suggestions would help, but I'm afraid my abused and battered shoulder would give out under the high loads, regardless of what I do. I don't want that happening, especially right before my fall bulk (which I'm very much looking forward to!) Right now I feel like I have to opt for the safest route, because I'm simply not ready to deal with another extended injury.

Reminder: tomorrow is my last update for a couple weeks. I'll be on vacation from July 8 - July 23. Daily updates will resume on July 24.

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July 5, 2006

I'm afraid this MAX-OT stuff may not work out. Despite a very careful and deliberate warm-up before Monday's chest workout, this morning both of my shoulders are hurting, and not in a good way. The pain is not horrible, and I don't think I've done anything that will set me back more than a few days, but I can't ignore what my body seems to be telling me. Apparently my shoulders are able to deal with the moderately heavy weights I use when I perform four sets of 10-12 reps, but three sets of 4-6 using very heavy weights seems to be too much for them. I can't say I'm surprised, but I am a little disappointed. Still, this is really not a big deal. I'm going to take a few days off from lifting and let my shoulders recover, and then I'll go back to lifting using my tried-and-true "hypertrophy" method.

Last night's 4th of July celebration was lots of fun! I ate way too much and drank way too much. Somehow I woke up on time this morning and I feel great! I don't really get it: considering the amount of alcohol I consumed, I should be hurting pretty bad right now. Hey, I'm not complaining! Here are a few pictures of us goofing around with the dogs last night.

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July 4, 2006

Happy Birthday, America--today we are 230 years old! I hope my fellow Americans have an enjoyable and safe celebration.

Today after my cardio Lisa and I are going to give the house a quick once-over: we're throwing a very small 4th of July party for our family. The fridge is loaded with beer, and the grill is ready to go! I'll be grilling BBQ bacon burgers with caramelized onions. It looks like it's going to be a very nice day, save the typical Florida afternoon thunderstorms (they are usually very brief).

Have a great day!

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July 3, 2006

Today will be my first workout of my summer strength building program. I'll be using MAX-OT, which I've used before with good results. The theme for tonight's workout is "HEAVY and INTENSE!" I'm going to warm up my muscles very well before I go heavy on the bench--my shoulder is a big concern, but I've done MAX-OT since injuring it and I was just fine.

Below is the training split I will be following for the next 2-3 months. You may notice that I will be reducing my cardio to 3 times per week. If I feel like I'm gaining fat I may increase this to include some AM cardio on lifting days, but for now I'm going to skip cardio on training days. Also, I may try substituting my morning LISS cardio with 23 minutes of non-fasted HIIT cardio in the evenings on non-weight training days. Finally, as you may already know, MAX-OT does not allow for supersetting, so I've split my biceps and triceps apart.

Monday: Weight training: chest & triceps (PM)
Tuesday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM) or Stationary bike, 23 minutes (HIIT) (PM)
Wednesday: Weight training: back & biceps (PM)
Thursday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM) or Stationary bike, 23 minutes (HIIT) (PM)
Friday: Weight training: delts & traps (PM)
Saturday: Weight training: legs (PM)
Sunday: Stationary bike, 45 mins (aerobic, fasted) (AM) or Stationary bike, 23 minutes (HIIT) (PM)

For more information on my HIIT cardio workouts, MAX-OT and other aspects of my training methods past and present, please check out my training page.

After doing cardio 7 days per week for the last five months, it feels really weird to not have to do it this morning. I guess I'll go shower and get to work early. My boss should be happy!

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July 2, 2006

I mentioned yesterday that my extremely low final 2006 cutting weight was achieved through a "drying out" process designed to safely eliminate excess water. The technique I used wasn't as extreme as SwoleCat's 7 Days To Ultimate Leanness, but I tend to carry a lot of water, so I got great results in just a few days just by eating ultra-clean, eliminating salt & most carbs and doing lots of physical activity. Of course the weight loss is very temporary--the water returns as soon as a normal diet is resumed. Case in point: after just one day of eating a "normal" diet with one big "cheat" meal, today I'm back to my more "normal" weight of 198.8 pounds. That's well over a 6 pound gain in just one day and, of course, it's all water. The funny thing is, I look pretty much the same in my mid-section, but my muscles actually look a little fuller. Oh well!

I've got lots of house cleaning and weeding in the garden to do today. First, I need to get my cardio done--I feel like a balloon!

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July 1, 2006

My 2006 cutting cycle is officially over! I'm mostly happy with my pictures. I feel like I'm pretty shredded up (at least to my satisfaction) in every area except the "perma-fat" just below my belly button. Again, I'm not willing to cut down to 4% or 5% body fat to get rid of it, only to have it return as soon as I start eating normally again. I won't have my body surgically altered for cosmetic reasons, so that leaves living with it.

Someone on the forum yesterday noticed that my weight today is only around 4 pounds higher than my weight before my bulk. I realize on the surface that it may seem like I've only kept 4 pounds of muscle, but numbers can be deceiving. Actually I put on and kept about 8-10 pounds of muscle. Water is what makes the difference. I'll explain why numbers are rarely the entire story:

Lean mass is not just muscle. Lean mass includes bone, your brain, water, muscle--basically everything but fat. When I was at 188.8 pounds last November at the end of my cut, I was still carrying a lot of water, as I did nothing to "dry out". As I explained in my daily update yesterday, I'm totally dried out right now and have lost around 5 pounds of water in the past few days alone. Did you know water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon? If I'd done what I did this past week at the end of my last cut, I probably would have come in around 183 pounds. See the difference?
Body fat measurements--especially home BF tests--are not precise. They are an estimate only.
Look at my measurements now compared to my measurements when I started my last bulk on November 1, 2005: My arms are an inch larger, my quads are 1.5 inches larger, my forearms and calves are each a half inch larger, and my chest is almost an inch larger. I'm very happy with those improvements! If I can make gains like that every year, then I have no complaints; I will attain my ideal physique in the next year or two. Natural body building is not a sport for the impatient.

So now it's on to maintenance and strength building for the rest of the summer. I will probably start my bulk in October, but I may even start it as early as September. I'll be doing SwoleCat's SUP2 bulking program.

Tonight I celebrate - look for a big water weight gain tomorrow!

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Daily News Archives

July 2006

July 31, 2006

July 30, 2006

July 29, 2006

July 28, 2006

July 27, 2006

July 26, 2006

July 25, 2006

July 24, 2006

July 8 - July 23, 2006

July 7, 2006

July 6, 2006

July 5, 2006

July 4, 2006

July 3, 2006

July 2, 2006

July 1, 2006

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