Daily News Archives
November 2004
11/30/2004 - Last night's teleconference available for download; Dumbbell prices.
11/29/2004 - Special live teleconference event tonight - you're invited!
11/28/2004 - Another record workout yesterday!
11/27/2004 - I've reached my original chest goal; progress update.
11/26/2004 - I ate a lot yesterday; Added a new recipe - Mom's Turkey Soup!
11/25/2004 - Happy Thanksgiving!
11/24/2004 - Awesome bicep workout yesterday; Steroid challenge.
11/23/2004 - New "Become The Journey" Audio products; Dealing with stress.
11/22/2004 - I've added 20 pounds so far!
11/21/2004 - Breakthrough workout yesterday; Measurements report.
11/20/2004 - More on kicking weed to the curb.
11/19/2004 - Can you really get high on life?
11/18/2004 - Even more food; Happy with progress; Arms; Music.
11/17/2004 - Bulking plans are finalized - here they are, and what to expect.
11/16/2004 - Short update - important meeting this morning.
11/15/2004 - Nice weight gain this week; State of the Bulk.
11/14/2004 - So very sore; More pec cramps; Rice and potatoes.
11/13/2004 - More plans for the last half of my bulk.
11/12/2004 - Bulking diet adjustment: more food and more carbs!
11/11/2004 - Thanks to my sponsors!
11/10/2004 - Night of a Thousand Pages.
11/09/2004 - Short update before my workout.
11/08/2004 - Measurements update; shoulder update/rant about healthcare in the USA.
11/07/2004 - Yesterday's workout - pectoral cramp; New bulking progress pictures.
11/06/2004 - Monthly pictures; Weight is almost meaningless; Inspiration.
11/05/2004 - Postponed cheat meal in the name of vanity?
11/04/2004 - Arms growing again; Sleep; Shoulder update.
11/03/2004 - Brief outage this morning; Biceps.
11/02/2004 - In a rush; Go vote!
11/01/2004 - Bulking progress report.
November 30, 2004
I want to thank Jeremy Likness for having me on his program last night - I enjoyed it a great deal. I'd also like to thank those of you who called in. It was wonderful speaking with all of you! If you missed the program, the interview is available at no charge on Jeremy's web site - just follow this link and scroll down to "Recent Events and Calls" and you'll see it. After you listen to the interview, be sure to check out some of the samples of Jeremy's full-length audio products. They are excellent, and well worth your time.
I'm disappointed. I wanted some dumbbells for Christmas, and Play It Again Sports is the only place in the Orlando area (that I'm aware of) that sells heavy dumbbells (55 - 100+ pounds). I went there this weekend to look at some 75 and 80, 85 and 90 pounders, but they raised their prices! Last week the dumbbells were 55 cents per pound and now they are a whopping 69 cents per pound. That's like a 100 dollar increase just for the four sets I need. I really need these dumbbells for the rest of my bulk, but paying almost 70 cents per pound for a few hunks of iron is ridiculous. Does anyone in the Orlando area know of a good source for heavy hex dumbbells at reasonable prices? Not Sports Authority - Sports Authority and places like that usually only have up to 50 pound dumbbells. If you do know of a place, please start up a thread in the Fitness Equipment forum or email me. Thanks.
Time to go to war. Today it's back, biceps and traps. I'm feeling exceptionally good this morning so it should be one hell of a workout!
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November 29, 2004
I have a special announcement to make: tonight I'll be Jeremy Likness' guest on his weekly teleconference call. The program will consist of an interview followed by questions from the callers. None of this is pre-planned, so it should make for a fun, interesting and spontaneous event! There are a limited number of slots available, so be sure to call in early. I think the lines open up at 5 minutes before the hour. The conference starts at 9:00 PM EST. The number to access the teleconference is 1-646-519-5800. Once connected, use pin "2921#" to join the call.
Time for my cardio. I'm looking forward to speaking to some of you tonight - talk to you then!
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November 28, 2004
As you may recall, last week's pecs/delts/triceps workout was by far my best ever: I went up in weight and reps on every single exercise. Well, for the second week in a row I did it again! Yesterday's workout was unreal. For my bench press, I added another 5 pounds and did 3 sets of 8/8/7 reps. It's interesting to note that yesterday I was benching for reps the same weight that I was using for my 1 rep max last year at the height of my bulk. Next week I'll add even more weight. After my bench press I switched to incline barbell presses and upped the weight 5 pounds over what I did last week (which was my personal best) and cranked out 3 sets of 8/8/7. Next I did decline presses: I added 5 pounds to last week's weight (again, a personal best) and did 3 sets of 8. I finished off my pecs with 3 sets of 20 chest dips. My delts and triceps received a similar pummeling and I broke all my personal bests for the second week in a row on each of the exercises I did for those muscle groups. My shoulders felt fine for the whole workout, and this morning they are still feeling fine. I had the most amazing pump going - my arms were swollen to 16.5 inches and it felt like my skin was about to split open! I didn't get any pictures this week, but next week I promise to take some new progress pictures.
Now that I'm eating more, sleeping more and not drinking any alcohol I finally feel like I'm firing on all cylinders. If you are bulking and stalled in your progress, try upping your calories. If you are not sleeping at least 8 hours every night, start. If you are drinking any alcohol at all, stop. I'm telling you, those three things have proven to be absolutely critical to my workouts and progress. The difference is night and day.
I'm extremely sore today, so I'm just going to hang out with Lisa and rest. Have a great Sunday and I'll see you tomorrow!
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November 27, 2004
As of this morning I've reached my original goal of a 42 inch chest! I'm going to keep going for the last 2 months of my bulk and see if I can't hit 43-44 inches. My arms are still a little shy of 15.5 inches (cold/flexed), but I have a feeling by this time next week they'll be there. 16 inches, here I come...
Ever since I upped my calories and started eating more carbs I've been packing on the pounds. I'm up to 196.8 this morning! That's over 6 pounds added compared to last Saturday. A good deal of the weight is water, though: Thanksgiving food is high in salt, refined sugar and fat. Those kinds of foods are alien to my body and, as expected, I'm very bloated and water-logged right now. My face even looks puffy! I'm drinking tons of water so hopefully all that crap will be flushed out of my system soon. Last night's cheat meal pizza probably didn't help matters (I should have skipped that, but oh well.)
All this food does have its benefits: I feel exceptionally strong and energetic this morning, and the music playing in the background is getting me fired up and ready to
lift. I love that feeling right before a workout - I get so pumped that I feel like I could bench a small country for reps. 
November 26, 2004
I hope my fellow Americans had a fantastic Thanksgiving day! Thanksgiving is the one day I don't worry about what I'm eating - and eat is what I did! I had lots of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberries, green beans, sweet potatoes, biscuits, apple pie, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, cheese and crackers. Notice that I did not say "wine". I was sticking to my decision to not drink any alcohol for the remainder of my bulk. I have to admit, it was difficult because everyone else was enjoying wine with their cheese & crackers and with dinner. I had... water. My reward is, aside from feeling a little bloated, I feel great this morning!
Baring an emergency at work, I'm off today! I'm going to go do my workout and then work on making a turkey soup using my Mom's awesome homemade turkey soup recipe, which I've just added to the recipe section of this site.
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November 25, 2004
Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. There are a great many things for which I'm thankful! Here is a post I made last week on the forum (modified slightly):
First of all, I'm thankful for my wonderful wife, Lisa. She has always stood with me and supported me no matter what. I never thought I would be so fortunate as to spend my life with someone as wonderful as she. We're a perfect match. We're still in love after all these years and we still make each other laugh every single day. That's a pretty rare thing, and I treasure it.
I'm very thankful for my family and friends. I have a supportive, loving family and great friends.
I'm thankful for my health. This is a big one. Two years ago I felt like I was dying, and now I feel like I could spin the world on my finger. I'm thankful that I was given a second chance at life. I grateful that I was able to recognize my many health problems before it was too late, and that I had the strength to correct them. There's no question that the support of my family and friends (both online and IRL) played a large part in my ability to conquer my demons.
I'm thankful that my shoulder works again, and I that I'm finally bulking up!
I'm very thankful for all of you. I've made many wonderful friends and met many interesting people these past few years. I'm so proud of this community and the people who make it what it is. My humble little web site has grown much larger than I ever expected it would, and now, through the forums, JSF has a life of its own. Every time someone comes to this site or the forums and decides to improve his or her health, I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have been a part of that change.
I'm thankful for my two dogs, Loki and Turtle. They brighten my day, every day. No matter what kind of mood I'm in they manage to improve it.
I'm thankful that I have a job, a roof over my head, plenty of food to eat.
Really, I have no complaints at all. I feel like I'm an exceedingly fortunate person.
Please take a moment today to count your blessings. Try not to take even the smallest things for granted, because you never know when they'll be gone. Have a wonderful day!
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November 24, 2004
When it comes to bicep curls, moving up in weight has always been a real challenge for most people, myself included. Last week I did 3 sets of 8 dumbbell curls using the heaviest dumbbells I've ever used in my life for bicep curls. Yesterday I bumped it up 10 pounds (total) and did 3 sets of 6 using dumbbells I could not even curl one single time last year when I was at my absolute strongest (just before my injury)! After my dumbbell curl sets, I was feeling great so I decided to push my barbell curl weight up 10 pounds and managed to do 6/6/5 for my three sets. I then did three sets of hammer curls using the same weight I'd used for the DB curls (again, 10 pounds more than last week) and managed to crank out 6/5/5 for my three sets. After that I did 3 sets of 10 chin-ups. By that point my arms were shaking so badly that I could hardly write the numbers in my workout log! My forearms started cramping up on me yesterday afternoon and today I'm experiencing some excellent DOMS, but it's quite as bad as I thought it would be.
I think ample amounts of food and rest are the two biggest factors that have contributed to my gains this time around. I'm going to go off on a little rant here....
No, for the millionth time, I do not use steroids - so spare me your ridiculously lame and pathetic emails accusing me of such. I train naturally - I always have and I always will. Why don't you haters put your money where your mouth is: pay for my time, travel and the test and I'll take a drug test anytime, anywhere. If I don't test 100% clean, I'll give you double your money back and post the results right here for all to see. When I test clean, though, you have to video tape an apology, which I will also post here for all to see. You people who write me insulting emails and accuse me of using steroids are actually complimenting me: gee, I'm real sorry that I'm gaining more muscle naturally than some of you ever did using drugs. What the hell do you want me to do about it? Why don't you stop obsessing over me and try eating right and working hard? If you want to bulk then you have to eat big and lift bigger. Rest, repeat and you will grow. Of course that is a greatly simplified overview of a successful bulk, but that's it in a nutshell. Look, I'm not stupid; I understand that competitive body builders who have been training for many years and have reached their genetic limits use steroids, but I'm nowhere near my limits and neither are 99% of you reading this. For us, steroid use is a pointless and unnecessary health risk. End rant.
Ok, so there's that! 
I'm going to go work my abs now. Have a great day!
November 23, 2004
I'm beginning to wonder if Jeremy Likness ever sleeps. The guy produces more educational and inspiring material than anyone I know. What's amazing is that the quality of his material is always extremely high and he's never boring. Jeremy has some new audio products that you'll definitely want to check out - they are already earning rave reviews all over the 'net! Click the below links for more information and to check out some samples before you buy.
The 5 Keys to Healthy Eating Audio Collection
Maximize Your Cardio
Resistance to Overcome
Threedom
In addition to the above products, you'll want to check out "The Healthy for the Holidays Seminar (Stuff the Turkey, Not Your Face!)". This special holiday deal includes nearly 100 minutes of audio plus the entire 77-minute "Become the Journey" audio collection at no extra charge!
The Healthy for the Holidays Seminar (Stuff the Turkey, Not Your Face!)
Things are getting stressful at work again, but this time around I'm doing a much better job of shutting down the influence that it has over my health. I guess you could say I'm over it; it's out of my control, so I'm not going to worry about it. I slept like a baby last night, and I'm feeling really good about this morning's workout! Eating something about an hour before my workout is having a huge impact on my energy levels when I'm in the gym. I wish I'd started eating prior to my weight training workouts a long time ago
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November 22, 2004
I'm really packing on the weight now - this morning I weighed in at 193.6 pounds! I've been teetering on the edge of 12% body fat for a week now, and today's the day I'm going to have to make it "official". So far I've added 20 pounds since I started my bulk. According to my calculations, 12 pounds of that weight is lean mass and 8 pounds of it is fat. I'm pleased with that ratio. By the time my bulk is over, I very well may be close to, or over, my original starting weight of 215 pounds! That would be amusing. If I continue adding weight at the same rate and at the same lean mass-to-fat ratio, I estimate that by the time my bulk is over I'll have added a total of 40 pounds: 24 pounds of lean mass and 16 pounds of fat. That means I'll need to lose about 20-25 pounds when I cut to get back to 8% body fat, which would put me at a nicely shredded 190-195 pounds. I figure my cutting cycle will last about three months, so April 1, 2005 is my 8% body fat target date (subject to change depending on the outcome of my bulk, of course).
It's a short week, but there's no shortage of work to do. I'm going to try and cram 5 days of work into 3 days so that I can take Thursday - Sunday off. Right now, though, it's cardio time. See ya tomorrow!
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November 21, 2004
As I reported yesterday on the forums, my pecs/delts/triceps workout was a breakthrough workout for me. I increased the amount of weight and the number of reps on every single exercise. I've never been able to do that before. I'm particularly pleased because I was already lifting more weight then I've ever lifted in my life. I had an awesome pump going - my arms were up to a little over 16.25 inches (you can check out the pictures in the pictures section, or check out my Picture Gallery and Video Archive thread on the forum - free registration required.)
There are a few reasons why I think yesterday's workout was so successful: I've been eating a lot of food lately, I've been eating very clean, I've been getting plenty of rest, my attitude and mood are at all-time highs, my stress levels are low and I've given up all alcohol for the remainder of my bulk (I normally have a couple beers or some wine once per week). Oh, the new lifting music didn't hurt, either - I'm diggin' it!
I did my weekly measurements this morning and I'm pretty happy with the results: I've added another quarter inch to my chest, which puts me at 41.75 inches - just a quarter inch from my original goal of 42 inches. Because my chest has grown so rapidly, I have revised my chest goal to 43 inches. If my chest continues to progress the way it has so far, I will probably even surpass my new goal before the bulk is over.
My arms also gained a little more size, and they are closing in on 15.5 inches (cold). With over two months left in my bulk and just a little over one half an inch to go to reach my goal of 16 inch arms, I'm feeling very positive about my chances.
Despite the very heavy weights I'm using, my shoulders are feeling great! I'm surprised, but I couldn't be happier about it. Please guys, just hang in there a couple more months!
Today's my day off, but I have some yard work to do. After that, I'm going to relax and take a break from everything. Things have been moving fast, so I'm going to take today to step back and catch my breath a little bit. I'll probably try to answer some emails and hang out on the forum a bit. See ya there!
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November 20, 2004
I've received an overwhelming amount of email in response to yesterday's update. About half of the emails are from former chronics who managed to kick the habit, and the other half are from current smokers who want to quit but have not yet done so. I also received a few emails from recreational smokers, who do it maybe once or twice per month. I didn't mention this yesterday, but I see nothing wrong with the occasional use of weed for those who can handle it. I tried moderation back when I was a smoker and it never worked. I, like most habitual users of marijuana, am simply not capable of restraint when it comes to weed. Chronics are called "chronics" for a very good reason: we either smoke it daily, or we don't smoke it at all. People who use pot only occasionally are in a completely different category than the chronics, just like occasional drinkers can't be compared to alcoholics. For potheads there really is no middle ground: we either smoke daily or we reform and give it up completely. I'm happy to be back in control of my life and a part of the later group, but I don't judge those who still choose to toke up.
Many of the emails I received asked me how I finally quit smoking the weed. That part was simple: I quit smoking it, and swore I'd never touch it again. I got rid of every pipe, pipe cleaner, paper, screen, lighter, ashtray, bong and roach clip in the house. I know it's really, REALLY hard to lay down the nuggs for good, but let's be honest - pot is not heroin. You're not going to wind up in the corner of a basement bathed in a cold sweat puking between convulsions. Mentally I was miserable for a few weeks: nothing seemed fun; I felt like my best friend had died; if I had a bad day there was nothing I could do except deal with it. At first all these things were very scary for me because for over 10 years I hid from my problems and fears. Suddenly having to deal with real life again was like waking up from a warm nap by having a bucket of acid thrown over me. After the first couple of weeks I began to think about pot less and less, and I started to enjoy life a lot more. I actually started to feel like I was a kid again - life felt new and fresh! It was completely amazing. Oh, and the dreams. When I quit smoking pot I had the most amazing, vivid dreams every single night! I actually went to bed each night excited about what my mind would conjure up next. If you are a pot abuser and you want to quit, I encourage you to do just do it. I know how hard it is, but once you get past the first few weeks you'll never regret it. If you need help dealing with your problems then get some help - don't keep running scared.
It's Saturday, and you all know what that means: a huge spleef, cold pizza and cartoons!! Yeah, right. I'm off to the gym to do my favorite workout of the week: pecs, delts and triceps. Today's inspirational music selection is proudly provided by Hatebreed. Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwk!
Yeah, I'm in a great mood again today...
November 19, 2004
Don't you love it when you wake up in a great mood? My pager has been mercifully mute the past few nights and, as a result, I've been sleeping very well. It's amazing what a profound effect a good night's sleep has on me. I've been going to bed at 10:30 PM and waking up (without an alarm!) around 6:15 AM feeling rested and happy.
You know, years ago when I was a pot smoker I used to think I was happiest when I was stoned. I once thought the expression "get high on life" was a naive attempt to trick me into quitting the weed. Back in my drug days, the notion of living a sober life was completely alien to me. "Get high on life? Bwhaha - whatever!" I thought of sobriety as a cheap consolation prize for those who were too scared to do drugs. I'm totally serious. But I had it all wrong. The reality is I was a chronic pot smoker because I was too scared to face life sober. It's been years since I've smoked pot, and I will never, ever smoke it again. I loved it so much because it let me hide from my fears and problems instead of dealing with them. Once I stopped smoking it, I could no longer avoid my demons. I had to face them and kill them. It was hard at first, but now I wake up on mornings like this one feeling 100 times better than I ever felt when I was stoned. That's not a load of crap. I really mean it.
Get high on life? You're damn right - I do it every day.
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November 18, 2004
I've decided to up my carbs/calories even more than I said I was going to in yesterday's update. Today I'll be eating about 3,700 calories: 85 grams of fat, 412 grams of carbs and 338 grams of protein. I know I'm probably going to add a little more fat eating this much food, but I want to make sure I'm giving my body plenty of fuel to grow. If I gain a little more fat than I did during the first half of my bulk then that's fine by me. Losing the fat will be comparatively quick and easy, and watching the muscle come out as I shed the adipose away will be more than enough motivation when cutting.
I'm extremely happy with how my upper body is starting to look now that my chest and traps are popping. Also, some of my friends and family have
been commenting on the size of my arms, which are noticeably larger than they've ever been in my life. I have to admit, it feels great when my friends notice and remark on my progress.
Those of you who have lost a lot of fat and/or put on a lot of muscle know exactly what I'm talking about. The other day I caught my reflection in
the mirror as I was leaving the bathroom and, for a brief moment, I didn't even recognize my own body. I was like, "Damn! Those arms are really mine!" Of course I realize
that my arms are far from the biggest or most defined arms in the world, but I'm happy with how they are coming along and that's what counts. Lisa like 'em too, and
that's a big plus.
One thing Lisa does NOT like is my new lifting music. She in the other room getting ready for work, and I'm about to crank up the Fear Factory and do my lower body workout. I think she may pour water in the stereo when I'm not looking...
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November 17, 2004
I sure am enjoying all this extra food! I think my body is adapting very well to the increased caloric intake and increased carbs: after an initial water weight gain, my body seems to have shed the water weight and is back to down 186.4 pounds this morning (yesterday morning I weighed in at 190 pounds, and on Monday I was at 189.2 pounds).
My All The Whey Milk Protein Isolate will be here today, so tomorrow is really the first day that my new bulking diet will be in full swing. I've also decided to skip my pre-workout protein shake with fiber on weight training days, and replace it with some real food. So now I'll be eating some cereal (Kashi "Go Lean") and a piece of whole grain toast about an hour before my workout. Of course I'm going to continue to eat rice and potatoes with lunch and dinner as well, and then close out the day with a Milk Protein Isolate shake. Tomorrow's meal plan will be about 3,500 total calories: 82.75 grams of fat, 370 grams of carbs and 330 grams of protein. I'm going to continue this plan until my bulk is over at the end of January.
I've spent all morning adding new food items to my spreadsheet and getting ready for the last half of my bulk. Tomorrow, leg day, will be the official launch of the second half of my bulk. I feel like I'm firing on all cylinders: I've got my training program, rest and diet planned to perfection. I even went out yesterday and bought some new lifting music to get me extra pumped up in the gym (Hatebreed and Fear Factory). I've never been more pumped or excited about working out. You can expect to see some excellent gains out of me over the next couple of months.
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November 16, 2004
This is going to be a short update: I've got to update the page, workout (back, biceps and traps - yay!), eat, clean the kitchen, shower, get dressed and get downtown for an important meeting this morning. I'm feeling great this morning, and am looking forward to a productive workout. See ya tomorrow!
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November 15, 2004
After gaining only 1.8 pounds from October 25 - November 8 (2 weeks), the extra food, extra sleep and stepped up intensity in the gym seems to be working. Last week I gained 3.4 pounds! While some of that weight is fat and some of it is water, I can tell from my measurements that I've added some quality muscle as well. Yesterday I ate over 3,300 calories and, unlike the day before (3000+ calories), I had no problem eating it all. As soon as my casein protein comes in I'll also be adding a pre-bedtime protein shake to my daily food intake. As I mentioned on Saturday, I've decided to give up alcohol completely for the next 3 months. Even though I only drink once per week, I'm sure that by cutting ALL alcohol out I'll see even better results. I'm truly giving it everything I have - this is me at my most determined.
So far my bulk has gone better than I ever expected it would in almost every respect. I've never felt stronger, better or more healthy in all my life. The extra food and sleep is making me feel powerful and energetic, and that's translating to awesome workouts. The results I'm seeing so far are keeping me highly motivated to keep going and do even better. Thanks to all of you who have been so encouraging and supportive. I really appreciate it. It's been a lot of hard work, but it's also been a whole lot of fun and a great learning experience. I'm looking forward to the last couple of months of my bulk a great deal.
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November 14, 2004
This morning I went to pull off my shirt to take this week's measurements and it was so painful that I almost couldn't do it. Don't worry,
the pain was not in my shoulders - I'm just extremely sore from yesterday's workout (which was absolutely incredible!) I started off yesterday's workout
feeling a little tired, but once I got past the first few sets I felt fantastic. The weights felt like they were made from aluminum, not iron.
I love it when everything clicks like that. I'm so happy that my shoulders seem to be holding up this time around. I'm way past where I was last
year when I blew out my right shoulder and so far this year they are doing great. When I started my bulk I made a deal: if my shoulders held out
then I would definitely reach my goals. Well, so far my shoulders have made good on their end of the deal, and I'll be damned if I'm going to drop
the ball on my end. I guess the real question is, what kind of weirdo makes "deals" with their shoulders?
After my workout yesterday, I had the honor of another series of pectoral cramps (second week in a row). Yesterday Lisa and I went over to her parent's house for dinner and on the way over there BOTH of my pectoral muscles cramped up! I almost had to pull off the road. It kept happening for about 10 minutes, then it went away. Now I'm just really, really sore. If you've never had the, er... pleasure of a pec cramp, it's pretty unreal: the cramp starts where the pec meets the underarm and travels in a straight line down the chest muscle to the nipple. When it was happening I was half laughing and half wincing in pain. Lisa was looking at me like I was possessed. Of course we had the car's top down, so I'll bet other people on the road were wondering from which hospital I'd escaped.
I had trouble eating all my food yesterday, and today I'm eating even more! I have to say, I'm really enjoying the extra carbs (brown rice and potatoes so far). I'd almost
forgotten how much I love rice and potatoes! Adding muscle is a very slow process compared to losing fat, but bulking is way more fun than cutting so it all balances out!
November 13, 2004
After being stuck at just above 15 inches for about a month, my arms have finally overcome their plateau and, as of this morning, they are right at 15.25 inches (flexed/cold). My chest has grown pretty consistently and continues to do so: it's up to 41.5 inches as of this morning. My traps still have a long way to go, but they are noticeably larger than they've ever been. It feels great to be closing in on my goals!
There's no question about it, the last three of months of my bulking program are going to be the most difficult. The gains are not going to come as quickly as they did
during the first half of my bulking program, and I'm going to have to fight for every last pound of lean mass. I've decided that I'm going to pull out all the stops for
these next few months. Along with the dietary changes I mentioned in yesterday's update, I'm cutting out all alcohol
until my bulk is over. I only drink once a week as it is, but even that small amount is surely hurting my progress somewhat. It's going to be tough not drinking through the
holidays, but I don't care. In addition to my dietary changes, I'm going to do whatever I have to do to make sure I'm getting eight hours of sleep each night, even if I have to
smash my pager. Ah, the toils of building a body naturally! When I started my bulk I said that if my shoulders held out I
would hit my goals of 16 inch arms and a 42 inch chest. Well, damn it, that's exactly what I'm going to do (if not better)!
Time to crank the music and get started on my favorite workout of the week: pecs, delts and triceps. After that, I'm going to spend the rest of the day eating food like it's my job. See ya!
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November 12, 2004
My bulking results have started to taper off over the past few weeks; an adjustment is needed! The obvious answer is that I need more food to support the
lean mass I've already gained, and more food to continue to grow. I'll begin to ramp up my daily caloric intake over the next week. I'm already getting plenty of protein and
healthy fats, so I'm going to be focusing on eating more carbs, particularly on training days. I plan to add a mix of complex and simple carbs - stuff
like rice (brown rice and even wild rice), potatoes (red/new, sweet and white), beans and whole grain pasta. I'm not going to shy away from eating these carbs at night. I'm
also going to start having All The Whey casein protein shakes before bed. I'm hopeful that these changes
to my diet will help kick start my muscle growth for the final few months of my bulk. I'm pretty sensitive to carbs, so I expect my body fat levels will go up faster
than they did during the first half of my bulk. That's okay - I need to have something to do when I cut.
Yay, it's Friday! Cheat meal tonight and my favorite workout of the week tomorrow morning. Right now, though, it's time for some boring cardio and then it's off to work. See ya!
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November 11, 2004
I'd like to start off this morning by thanking my two supplement sponsors, All The Whey and Kent Nutrition. This update is not part of my advertising "deal" with them, I just wanted to do it because I'm so happy with their products. There's no question about it: part of the reason my bulk has been successful so far is directly attributable to the quality of the supplements I buy from these two companies. The quality of their products is as good or better than anything else out there, which makes their very low prices that much more amazing. One of my Kent orders said somewhere (maybe it was on the free pen included with my order, I can't recall): "Get big, not broke." Indeed! That says it all. Of course the cherry on the protein shake is the unparalleled level of customer service you will receive. Expect warm, personal service, low pricing and top-notch quality. I stand behind these two companies 100% and I'm extremely proud to be affiliated with such fine organizations. Please check out what they have to offer and give them a try - you won't be disappointed.
As long as I'm mentioning sponsors, I'd like to thank Jeremy Likness for all his hard work. This guy shows up just about every day on the forums and spends a great deal of his time helping people and sharing his knowledge. He doesn't "bait" people with half-assed answers in the hopes that they will buy his book. That's just not his style. I've spoken with Jeremy many times. Believe me when I say, this guy is as genuine as they come. His desire to help others is very real, and his heart is as big as a mountain. I admire Jeremy a great deal on a personal and on a business level. Those of you who have bought his e-Book know what I'm talking about. If you have not yet picked up the Become the Journey package, you should definitely consider adding it to your fitness library. I've read it twice now, and I strongly believe that it's a "must-have" book!
So last night my pager was finally silent. I had trouble falling asleep, though, because I was worried that my pager was going to go off all night again! Once I finally fell asleep I stayed out the whole night, so I feel pretty good this morning. I even snoozed for an extra 30 minutes, but now I'm running behind and I still have a lower body workout to get in before work. I'd better get started! Hopefully I'll have some time to drop in on the forums later. I'm trying to spend a little more time there these days. Have a great day!
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November 10, 2004
After a fantastic workout yesterday, I was looking forward to a restful night's sleep. Unfortunately that was not to be: my pager went off all night long. I don't think I got more than 1 hour of unbroken rest, and this morning I'm feeling tired and cranky. I'm still dealing with all kinds of issues at work this morning, so I'm afraid this is going to be another short update. I'm going to go try to get my ab work done now, but I'm probably going to be running from my gym to the computer room between each set. That's not very conducive to the intensity I strive for, but I suppose it's better than not working out at all. See ya tomorrow...
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November 9, 2004
Cool - it's back, bicep and traps day. I don't have much on my mind except my workout, so I'm going to cut this update short and head for my gym. I feel good this morning, and I have a feeling that this is going to be great workout!
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November 8, 2004
I don't think my arms or chest have ever been this sore before. Today they are even more sore than they were yesterday, especially my triceps. My arms are still just below 15.25 inches (cold), so I can't update my arm stats as I'd hoped to do today. I think after they fully recover from Saturday's workout they should be over the 15.25 inch line. My chest is also closing in on my goal of 42 inches: it's just under 41.5 inches as of this morning. As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm going to keep going past my original goal of 42 inches and shoot for 43 inches (or more). Same goes for my arms - if I can surpass my goal of 16 inches then I will. I'm not going to hit 16 inches and stop bulking. Hitting 16 inches is going to be hard enough as it is, so we'll see what happens. I'm definitely going to keep bulking until at least the end of January 2005. I may even take it into February. I'm enjoying the hell out of this - it's been a long time coming.
One thing that puzzles me is my shoulder. My right shoulder (the one that kept me out of action for almost a year) is about the same - a little pain here and there, but okay. It was my left shoulder that scared me a few weeks ago. The pain was similar to what I was feeling when I first injured my right shoulder. Frustration blinded me, and I decided that I was not going to stop lifting, and would (perhaps stupidly) work through the pain knowing that if I blew my shoulder out completely they'd have no choice but to operate. This, I "reasoned", would at least spare me from months of frustrating and ineffective pre-surgical treatments such as cortisone shots and physical therapy. What's odd is that my shoulder seems to have improved to the point where it doesn't even hurt this morning. It also didn't bother me during last Saturday's workout, which is amazing because it was killing me during my October 31, 2004 workout. Again, I have to stress that I don't suggest that anyone follow my lead here. I'll be the first to admit that pushing through real pain is risky at best, and probably flat out stupid. Still, I have made my choice and, thankfully, things have actually improved. I've seen a lot of "specialists" over the past year and sometimes I feel like they are just running down a list from a set playbook. Even after looking at my MRIs I got the feeling that no one knew exactly what to do to really fix the problem. Or *cough*insurance companies*cough* perhaps the doctors' hands are tied. I know the impingement is still there: I can feel my shoulders pop and groan when I move my arms in a circle. Nothing's going to fix that but surgery, I know it and the doctors know it. So, I'm not wasting my time with any more rubber bands and posture exercises. Of course we all know who is pulling the doctor's strings: it sucks that the insurance companies have a larger say than the doctors when it comes to my health.
Sorry, I didn't mean to go off on a rant!
Cardio time - have a good Monday!
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November 7, 2004
Yesterday's workout was outstanding. My shoulders were not bothering me too much, my energy level was ultra-high and my positive attitude has returned after a couple of very stressful weeks.
Yesterday after my workout and breakfast I took a shower. While I was soaping up, my right pectoral muscle actually cramped! I've had all kinds of muscle cramps over the years, but that's the first time one of my pecs has seized up on me! When it first started to lock I was like, "wow, cool - I guess I worked the right muscles." That thought was followed quickly by "holy mother of god, this hurts quite a lot!" Anyway, I lived, and this morning I'm being rewarded for yesterday's workout with some of the most intense DOMS I've ever felt in my pecs and triceps. I never understood why people want to reduce soreness. I crave it. Anyway, I threw some updated bulking progress pictures in the pictures archives, and there's a few more on the forums in my Picture Gallery and Video Archive thread (free registration required).
Today is my day off and my body sure feels like it needs the rest. I'll probably be around the forum some, so see ya there.
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November 6, 2004
Almost 187 pounds. This is the heaviest I've been in almost two years, but most of the weight is muscle now, where before it was almost all fat. This is how I looked the last time I weighed 186.8 compared to how I look today at 186.8:
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186.8 Pounds |
186.8 Pounds |
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The above pictures demonstrate that weight alone is a pretty useless measurement. Those of you who live and die by what the scale says should be encouraged by the above pictures.
While I was digging through my pictures looking for one in which I weighed 186.8, I started looking at some of my old monthly shots. This is the first time I've done that in a long while and I have to say, when I saw some of my summer 2003 pictures, I was completely disgusted. I think after being fat for so long I went completely nuts with the weight loss. People were telling me I was way too skinny and I just couldn't see what they were talking about. Now when I look at those pictures I'm more repulsed then when I look at the pictures of me when I was fat. I'm going on record today (took me long enough) to say to all the people who said I looked sick "you were right and I was wrong". Those of you who are losing weight right now, please be careful and don't overdo it. You don't want to look like dried up prune, like I did. I think this picture says it all:
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July 6, 2003 |
November 6, 2004 |
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I'd rather have a little extra fat any day then ever look like that again!
What a fascinating journey the past two years have been! I've made a lot of mistakes, but I never gave up. I've learned from my errors, and every day I try to do a little better than I did the day before. I'm a completely different person - inside and out - than I was two years ago. Major changes don't happen when you try to take the easy way out by taking a "miracle" pill or going on a fad diet. You have to alter the way you live and think. You have to make your own mistakes. You have to overcome your fears. You have to work hard, sacrifice and suffer. Enduring these challenges and hardships will make your victories that much more satisfying. I'm so proud of the hundreds - maybe thousands - of you who have changed your lives forever by taking control and doing things the right way. That I have played some small role in many of your transformations is one of my proudest achievements. Thanks for continuing to inspire me - and others. It's a wonderful cycle... and so it goes!
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November 5, 2004
I'm probably not going to have my normal Friday night cheat meal tonight - I think I'm going to have chicken instead and save my cheat meal
for tomorrow night. The reason is purely superficial, but I'm not ashamed to admit why I'm thinking about waiting: tomorrow morning I will take my
monthly pictures. Most of the fat I've added as been to my mid-section, and my Friday night cheat meals always make me look even more bloated.
I'm totally comfortable with the fat I've added during my bulk, but I don't want to make it look even "worse" than it already is. I may change my
mind tonight, but right now I'm leaning towards the chicken.
There's not much else going on today, just a normal Friday. I'm going to hit the elliptical and get my work done as quickly as possible - I want to work on
the JSF merchandise tonight. See you tomorrow, bloated or not.
November 4, 2004
My arms are finally growing again. After fairly rapid initial growth (I was adding roughly a quarter of an inch to my arms every two weeks for the first couple of months of my bulk), my arms hit 15 inches and stayed there for over three weeks. This morning, finally, they measured a hair under 15.25 inches totally cold and with no liquids in me. I'm hopeful that by Monday they will be at or over the 15.25 inch mark. Hitting 16 inches is going to be tough, but I know I can do it! Lately I've stepped up my intensity in the gym, changed my workout routine, tweaked my diet and I'm making sure that I get plenty of rest every night. On the subject of rest, I think the lack of sleep and stress I was experiencing a few weeks ago stalled my progress somewhat. Sleep is ultra-important for muscle growth! Unfortunately sleep is something many of us are willing to sacrifice without a second thought. That's unfortunate, because when it comes to muscle growth a solid eight hours of sleep each night ranks right up there in importance with diet and workout.
My left shoulder was killing me after Tuesday's workout, but this morning it feels pretty good. Surprisingly my right shoulder (the one I had problems with for all those months) has not been all that bad. Or maybe it's just not that bad compared to my left shoulder. I hope they survive the next 3 months - I want to bulk until the end of January, even if I hit my goals before then.
Ok, it's leg day and I need to get started. Train hard!
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November 3, 2004
Sorry if you had trouble reaching this site this morning. Connectivity problems beyond my control caused my site and the forums to be unreachable starting from around 6:00 AM until 7:15 AM (EST).
I had a great back/biceps/traps workout yesterday. I switched things up a bit and this morning I'm really feeling the DOMS in my biceps and forearms. Typically I feel very little soreness in my biceps, so I like it when I can get them to scream at me the day following a workout. I deviate from MAX-OT a bit when it comes to biceps and pecs - I do twelve working sets: four different exercises, three working sets for each exercise (MAX-OT specifies 6-9 working sets). I keep my rest intervals as short as possible and my intensity level at 100%.
I'm going to go kill my abs now. See you tomorrow!
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November 2, 2004
I've got a big project to do for work early this morning, so I've got to get my back/biceps/traps workout done early so I have time to shower and eat before we get started on the project.
I never talk about politics or religion here, but I will say this: If you live in the USA then GO VOTE!
Here's hoping my shoulder holds out! See you tomorrow...
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November 1, 2004
I'm pretty happy with this morning's measurements. My chest was 39 inches when I started my bulk and it is now 41.25 inches - just 3/4 of an inch from my initial goal of 42 inches. Looking at my chest now, I really wouldn't mind if I surpassed my original goal and hit closer to 43 or 44 inches.
After some incredible growth, my arms have finally started to slow down (as expected). My arms are slightly over 15 inches now (cold and flexed) - a little less than 1 inch from my goal of 16 inches. Hitting that 16 inch mark is going to be a real challenge!
I've also noticed some improvement with my traps. I can't wait to see those guys start to pop!
Of course I've added some fat along with the muscle: my waist has gone from 30.5 inches to 31.75 inches, and I've gone from 9% body fat at 173.8 pounds to 11% body fat at 184.8 pounds. So, I've added about five pounds of fat and roughly six pounds of muscle. It's amazing what just 5 pounds of fat will do to one's abs! Wait until you see my pictures this Saturday - my abs are almost gone! I don't care, I'll get my abs back. Because of my genetics, most of my fat gain has been around my mid-section, so my arms still look very cut. I may not look too great with my shirt off right now, but I'm starting to get some very nice comments on my arms when I wear a short-sleeved or sleeveless shirt!
I'd better get started on my workout. Have a good Monday - see ya!
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