Daily News Archives
November 2006
11/30/2006 - New features for Bronze+ members; Lisa going out of town.
11/29/2006 - End of 3rd month of bulking; Progress photos are important; Progress photo tips.
11/28/2006 - New "Favorite Things" item: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding.
11/27/2006 - End of the month progress and stats.
11/26/2006 - Early arm measurement; AtLarge 10% off sale!
11/25/2006 - New tweak to my arm workouts; New picture.
11/24/2006 - Thanksgiving pictures/workout picture; December "100 Challenge" registration.
11/23/2006 - Happy Thanksgiving; New delts/traps/calves workout.
11/22/2006 - Thanksgiving day workout plans.
11/21/2006 - Great workout last night; New back routine.
11/20/2006 - New chest workout; Holiday shopping and the JSF Amazon Mall.
11/19/2006 - New leg workout; Food shopping done, but house cleaning today.
11/18/2006 - Massive shopping and cleaning day.
11/17/2006 - New arm routine/new triceps exercise; Last night's workout.
11/16/2006 - My morning ritual thrown off by a 15-minute delay.
11/15/2006 - Finding your inner-strength; AtLarge Westside DVD offer!
11/14/2006 - Amazing workout last night; Shirtless and 231 pounds.
11/13/2006 - Weekly measurements/several new personal bests!
11/12/2006 - Great leg workout last night; New calves picture.
11/11/2006 - Last night's arm workout; New pictures.
11/10/2006 - I appreciate your suggestions and emails; More on my food logs.
11/09/2006 - Interesting discussion about my food logs; New cutting program in January.
11/08/2006 - Fat loss--start your lifestyle change TODAY!
11/07/2006 - FORUM RULES - READ THIS.
11/06/2006 - Flu season is here--some tips for getting through it.
11/05/2006 - Good leg workout last night, except for lying leg curls.
11/04/2006 - Great arm workout last night!; Skipped cheat meal.
11/03/2006 - Rap music while I work out?!; Ronnie Coleman DVD.
11/02/2006 - JSF Gear redesigns are on the way!
11/01/2006 - New monthly photos; "3 Extremes" comparison photos.
November 30, 2006
I've added a new feature for Bronze-level and higher JSF members: you now have the ability to embed Youtube videos directly into your posts! It's very easy to do. You can read more about how to embed your favorite videos in this thread.
Another feature I've recently added for Bronze-level and higher JSF members is the ability to use oversized avatars up to 175x175 pixels. For a complete list of features and membership packages, check out the membership subscription page. Thanks to everyone who helps support this site by purchasing an upgraded membership package.
I'm going to be a bachelor for the next few days: Lisa is going out of town for meetings, and she won't be back until Monday. Party time!! Of course by "party time" I mean lifting
weights, watching testosterone-fueled DVDs, playing with the dogs and doing my best to behave... 
That about does it for this morning. I'll be back tomorrow with my monthly pictures!
Today is the FINAL DAY of the AtLarge Nutrition sale! Until midnight tonight (EST) you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, if you purchase $150 worth of AtLarge products (Nitrean, Opticen, ETS, Thermocin, Creatine 500, or Multi-Plus) you get your choice of either Westside's Squat or Bench Workout DVDs (while supplies last). That is up to $66.45 (including shipping) worth of Westside DVDs ABSOLUTELY FREE!. Once you receive 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. Hurry--this sale ends at 11:59 PM EST on the 30th. You'll need to use coupon code "tenpercent" at checkout. For more information on how to use the coupon code, please check out this page.
Last chance! Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 29, 2006
The end of my third month of bulking is drawing to a close. Normally I'd start cutting now, but (as you probably know) this year I'm going to bulk for an extra month. It will be interesting to see if the extra month produces good gains or diminishing returns. I'm not worried about adding more muscle (I will), but I am a little worried about my body fat percentage climbing too high, making the muscle I gain harder to hold on to without a very protracted cut. I think I'm right at 13% body fat right now, so if I can keep it from climbing above 14%-14.5% over the next month I should be able to cut down with little to no muscle loss.
My monthly progress pictures will be taken and posted this Friday morning, and I'm a little nervous about it! Looking in the mirror is a great way to see how you are progressing, but for some reason photographs are even more telling. I suppose that's because you can study that one moment in time for as long as you like, and compare the picture to other pictures. In order to get an accurate batch of comparison photos, I feel it's important to use the same poses, the same lighting conditions and the same camera settings/position each and every time. I see a lot of progress photos that are taken under drastically different conditions, and that makes it almost impossible to accurately judge progress. Progress photos have proven to be a critical ingredient in my transformation. Even if you choose never to make them public, I highly recommend that everyone take progress photos on a regular basis. You don't have to take progress photos every day (as I did for the first 479 days of my transformation), but monthly or even weekly photos are important. Take a half hour to experiment with some test shots. Find a spot in which you can duplicate the lighting and camera position consistently. You'll be glad that you did!
Last two days of the AtLarge Nutrition sale! Now through the end of Thursday, November 30, 2006, you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, if you purchase $150 worth of AtLarge products (Nitrean, Opticen, ETS, Thermocin, Creatine 500, or Multi-Plus) you get your choice of either Westside's Squat or Bench Workout DVDs (while supplies last). That is up to $66.45 (including shipping) worth of Westside DVDs ABSOLUTELY FREE!. Once you receive 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. Hurry--this sale ends at 11:59 PM EST on the 30th. You'll need to use coupon code "tenpercent" at checkout. For more information on how to use the coupon code, please check out this page.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 28, 2006
Today I'd like to add a new item to my Favorite Things thread: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (Revised Edition) by Arnold Schwarzenegger. I wish I'd bought this book a long time ago, but I didn't get around to purchasing it until a few weeks back. Over the past few weeks I've been reading the book, and it's amazing! The book is over 800 pages long, and is packed with information and photographs. Reading about bodybuilding from Arnold's unique perspective is absolutely fascinating. Arnold covers everything from the history of bodybuilding to training equipment. There is also a comprehensive guide to nearly every weight training exercise under the sun--a great resource in and of itself. The book is loaded with photographs of notable bodybuilders, many of which I've never seen before. If you lift weights, this book belongs in your library!
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.
Who's ready for another awesome AtLarge Nutrition sale?! Now through the end of Thursday, November 30, 2006, you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, if you purchase $150 worth of AtLarge products (Nitrean, Opticen, ETS, Thermocin, Creatine 500, or Multi-Plus) you get your choice of either Westside's Squat or Bench Workout DVDs (while supplies last). That is up to $66.45 (including shipping) worth of Westside DVDs ABSOLUTELY FREE!. Once you receive 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. Hurry--this sale ends at 11:59 PM EST on the 30th. You'll need to use coupon code "tenpercent" at checkout. For more information on how to use the coupon code, please check out this page.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 27, 2006
It's the last Monday of the month, and that means it's time once again to take my measurements and see how I'm progressing. I always take my measurements on Monday morning, so unless something changes over the next few days (I'll check again on Friday), I have my end-of-month stats for November.
Here are my current stats compared to my 2006 bulk starting stats, which were taken on September 1st (all measurements taken "cold"/no pump):
| Sep 1, 2006 | Nov 27, 2006 | +/- | |
| Weight (lbs) | 202.4 | 229.5 | +27.1 |
| Body Fat % | 9% | 12.5% | +3.5% |
| Waist | 32" | 35" | +3" |
| Hips | 38.25" | 41.5" | +3.25" |
| Forearms | 13.5" | 14.25" | +.75" |
| Arms | 17" | 18.25" | +1.25" |
| Thighs | 24" | 27.5" | +3.5" |
| Calves | 16.5" | 17.75" | +1.25" |
| Chest | 43" | 45.5" | +2.5" |
The above stats show my overall bulking progress since the start, but my progress over this past month has been very good. Over the past month I've added another 1/4" to my forearms and calves, 1/2" to my upper arms and 3/4" to my thighs and chest. I've packed on almost 10 pounds this month, but my waist measurement only went up half an inch. I'd put my body fat percentage around 13% right now. The forearm and calves increases have been very hard fought: Those areas do not grow easily for me! It's also nice to see my chest well on its way to 46 inches, and my arms firmly in 18 inch territory.
So, my fourth and final month of this year's bulk is about to begin. I've never bulked for more than three months in a row before, so this should be an interesting experience. I've got to continue to up the intensity in the gym, keep my form strict, avoid injury and watch my waistline. My weight gain may slow a bit this month. I want to be very careful about adding much more fat. I feel that 14% or 15% body fat is the absolute highest I should go when bulking. Anything more than that will be problematic when cutting in terms of holding on to my gains.
Who's ready for another awesome AtLarge Nutrition sale?! Now through the end of Thursday, November 30, 2006, you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, if you purchase $150 worth of AtLarge products (Nitrean, Opticen, ETS, Thermocin, Creatine 500, or Multi-Plus) you get your choice of either Westside's Squat or Bench Workout DVDs (while supplies last). That is up to $66.45 (including shipping) worth of Westside DVDs ABSOLUTELY FREE!. Once you receive 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. Hurry--this sale ends at 11:59 PM EST on the 30th. You'll need to use coupon code "tenpercent" at checkout. For more information on how to use the coupon code, please check out this page.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 26, 2006
My AM cardio is done, and now I've got nothing to do today but rest these tired, aching muscles. The last three workouts have been totally brutal!
I don't do my "official" measurements until tomorrow morning, but I couldn't resist putting a tape around my arm this morning and was happy to see that they've reached 18.25 inches (unpumped)! By the end of my bulk (December 31st) my arms should be approaching (or at) 18.75 inches (cold), and right at 20 inches with a nice pump. After cutting down to 6% or 7% body fat, my arms should still be over 18 inches without a pump, and over 19 inches with a pump.
I'm going to resist measuring the rest of my muscle groups this morning and wait for tomorrow. My muscles are looking full in the mirror, and I think I've made some nice gains this week. I'll post a status report tomorrow after my official measurements are taken.
Who's ready for another awesome AtLarge Nutrition sale?! Now through the end of Thursday, November 30, 2006, you will save 10% on all orders, and that includes shipping. Not only that, if you purchase $150 worth of AtLarge products (Nitrean, Opticen, ETS, Thermocin, Creatine 500, or Multi-Plus) you get your choice of either Westside's Squat or Bench Workout DVDs (while supplies last). That is up to $66.45 (including shipping) worth of Westside DVDs ABSOLUTELY FREE!. Once you receive 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. Hurry--this sale ends at 11:59 PM EST on the 30th. You'll need to use coupon code "tenpercent" at checkout. For more information on how to use the coupon code, please check out this page.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 25, 2006
Last night I tried something slightly different for my arm workout: I reduced my rest intervals across the board in an effort to ratchet up the intensity level to new levels. My bicep/tricep superset workouts are already brutal, as (of course) there is no rest between the biceps and triceps portion of each superset. Reducing the amount of rest between each superset to just 45 seconds and to just 1 minute between each new set of exercises significantly increased the difficulty. It was a real challenge to adhere my self-imposed abbreviated rest intervals, particularly as the workout progressed and I became more fatigued. It will be interesting to see how my arms respond over the next few weeks. I plant to continue in this style for the remainder of my bulk. I posted a few more details on the workout along with a new picture in last night's entry to my media journal.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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November 24, 2006
Yesterday's Thanksgiving feast and workout (delts/traps/calves) went off without a hitch! All the food came out perfect, and the whole family had a fun and relaxing day.
We didn't take many pictures this year, so I didn't have enough to make an entire album as I usually do. I did post the few pictures that we did take in last night's entry to my media journal. Here they are. I also posted a picture from yesterday's workout in the post immediately following the Thanksgiving pictures.
Registration for the December "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on December 1, 2006 if you plan to participate. To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the December "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!
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.
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November 23, 2006
I can't believe that the 2006 holiday season is already upon us. I'd like to wish those who celebrate it a very Happy Thanksgiving! Today I'll be roasting the turkey and making the mashed potatoes with roasted garlic, biscuits, stuffing and gravy. Lisa is on cranberry detail, and Lisa's mom is making green bean and sweet potato casseroles and the deserts (pumpkin and apple pie).
I'm not going to let all that great food go to waste: As I mentioned yesterday, I'll be timing today's workout so that my Thanksgiving dinner is my second PWO meal. I've got everything worked out so that I can get all the cooking done and my workout in, while still eating all six meals on time and, of course, plenty of time to relax with the family. The only meal I'll be eating off my regular diet is the actual Thanksgiving dinner, which will count as this week's cheat meal.
Speaking of my workout, here's the new delts/traps/calves routine I'll be doing for the next four weeks:
Delts
4x12 Seated barbell shoulder presses
4x12 Seated dumbbell lateral raises
4x12 Bent over dumbbell raises
Traps
4x12 Barbell shrugs
4x12 Behind-the-back barbell shrugs
Calves
4xburnout One-leg dumbbell calf raises
I'm off to build a fire in the fireplace (it's cold here!), make breakfast, do a little spot cleaning and prepare the turkey. Have a wonderful day!
I'll leave you with a picture of Loki (left) and Turtle all snuggled up with their new Thanksgiving toys... 
November 22, 2006
I was thinking about doing tomorrow's regular workout (delts/traps/calves) today, but I think I'm going to do it on my normal day. I'll just do the workout earlier than usual,
say around 11:30 AM (after my first two meals). That way my workout won't interfere with Thanksgiving dinner, and I can take advantage of all the Thanksgiving food
for PWO (Post Work Out) meal #2! Tomorrow will definitely be this week's cheat meal. I won't be holding back, and plan eat everything in sight. At 230 pounds and growing,
I can pack away an astonishing amount of food.
I'm going to get to work--I want to finish work as fast as I can today and get an early start to the nice 4-day holiday weekend. Enjoy your day!
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November 21, 2006
My chest workout yesterday was awesome! For some reason my elbow and wrist were not bothering me at all, and the weights felt like they were made of foam. I love workouts like that!
The chest workout I'm doing now is the same as the workout I started my bulk with almost 3 months ago. I went back to my logs for the last workout I did using these exercises and added 20 pounds to the weights I used for bench, incline press and dips. With the added weight I still did four sets of 12 on every exercise, and the weights actually felt light. I went super slow on the eccentric phase (downward) with an extra long contraction after the concentric phase just to make everything more difficult. Also, my nighttime body weight is around 233 pounds now compared to around 209 pounds back in September, so with the added ~44 pounds (body weight + increased plates) over what I was doing a couple months ago the dips should have been quite a bit more challenging than they were. I know I could add a lot more weight to my dips, but I don't think my bum shoulders can handle it.
So tonight is back night. I hope tonight's back workout is as good as last night's chest workout was! Here's the back routine I'll be doing for the next 4 weeks:
4x12 Lat Pull-downs (Narrow-grip, palms in)
4x12 Low cable rows (Wide grip, palms down)
4x12 One-arm dumbbell rows
4x8 Deadlifts
November 20, 2006
Tonight is my chest workout, and this is the week I'm changing all my routines around. For chest work, I like to rotate every four weeks between three basic types of workouts: barbell movements, dumbbell movements and smith machine movements. Dumbbell presses are my favorite chest workout, and barbell presses are a close second. I feel I get a different (but very effective) workout from the smith machine, but it's my least favorite to perform. Checking my logs, I see it's time to rotate back to smith machine work, which is what I used to start my bulk this year. So, here's my new chest training routine for the next four weeks:
4x12 Smith Machine Bench Press
4x12 Smith Machine Incline Press
4x12 Weighted Chest Dips
4x12 Cable Crossover
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.
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November 19, 2006
Here's my new leg training routine for the next four weeks. I started doing this last night, and it was quite a workout:
4x12 Leg Extensions
4x12 Lying Leg Curls
4x12 Front Squats
4x12 Dumbbell Lunges
Yesterday we got all the food shopping done, including a trip to Costco where (as usual) we spent way too much money. If you are wondering what kinds of foods I buy, I posted my grocery store food list and my Costco food list last month. Here they are.
We did not get the house cleaning done. By the time we finished all the shopping and put everything away it was too late to dive into another project before my leg workout. So, this morning's projects are cardio, breakfast and cleaning.
I'm going to go get the cardio done now. I'm starving, and the sooner I finish my cardio the sooner I can eat! Have a
great Sunday.
November 18, 2006
I really enjoyed last night's new arm routine. The rolling triceps extensions (we're pretty sure that's what they are called) kicked my butt! I also did standing dumbbell triceps extensions, which is one of my favorite triceps exercises. The problem with those is I could really use a partner to hand me the dumbbell from behind, and take it away when I'm done. It's not fun bringing the dumbbell back around to the front after a set performed to exhaustion (not too friendly on the shoulders, either). I might try rigging up a stand of some sort for next week.
Today we're making a huge list of things we need to buy for Thanksgiving dinner, plus I've got to go to Costco and stock up on enough food to last me through the rest of my bulk. The lists of foods are fairly impressive: it looks like we are preparing to feed an army!
After all the shopping we're going to clean the house, and then it will probably be time for my leg workout. I plan to spend tomorrow relaxing!
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November 17, 2006
Starting today I'll be changing all my workouts around and performing the new workouts for the next four weeks. For my new arm workout, I decided to use a mix of my favorite mass builders, and I also added a new tricep exercise that 1FastGTX came across and suggested (more on that below). Here's what I'll be doing for my arms, starting tonight:
Superset #1: Machine Preacher Curls & Cable Pressdowns (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #2: DB Curls & Rolling Triceps Extensions (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
Superset #3: EZ-Bar Curls & Standing DB Extensions (4 supersets of 12/12 reps)
The "Rolling Triceps Extensions" are new to me, but GTX said they absolutely killed, so of course I have to try them! Here's how to perform the 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!
Last night's delts/traps/calves workout was pretty spectacular. I was very fired up for the workout! I'm extremely happy with the strength gains I've made with my delts, and the size gains are coming along slowly but surely. I added 5 more pounds to my shoulder presses and did more reps than last week. I added 2.5 pounds per dumbbell to my lateral raises and did 12/11/10/9 reps, which I'm very happy about because the weight I used is considerably higher than anything I was doing at the end of last year's bulk for laterals. I also added another 5 pounds to my bent-over dumbbell laterals. I'm now within 10 pounds of doubling last year's best weight for bent over laterals! I skipped my upright rows because I wanted to hit my traps directly with an extra exercise: I did front barbell shrugs and behind-the-back barbell shrugs. By the time I'd finished all those shrugs, I had a pretty amazing traps pump going--a nice preview of how I'll look once my trap height improves. My calf work went well and I improved on the number of reps I did last week, but my ankles were really hurting. All in all, one of my best workouts yet! I'm very pleased.
Happy Friday!
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November 16, 2006
This morning really got away from me! It's quarter to nine, and I'm just starting my daily update. It's dark and rainy outside, and that's probably why the dogs and I woke up 15 minutes late (we're always the first to wake up--Lisa sleeps later than we do). After I got up I fed the dogs, fed myself, drank 17 cups of coffee, did a few administrative chores on the forum and answered a couple of posts--none of which is unusual, but that lost 15 minutes really makes a difference!
Well, reading about my boring morning ritual probably made many of you fall back asleep. Sorry about that! I'd better get to work now. Have a great day!
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November 15, 2006
I remember when I first started working out I was often told that it would be almost impossible for me to achieve the coveted "V" taper because I have very wide hips. At first I was discouraged, and it would have been very easy for me to whine about my genetics and give up on that goal. Instead I thought to myself, "Yeah, you have wide hips, but everything is relative. Why not just make your upper body even wider?" After I first lost weight I weighed around 160 pounds; I had no upper body width, my pecs were woefully underdeveloped and my lats were non-existent. I still had a long road ahead, but I had a plan...
Fast-forward around 3 years. Even though I'm still bulking right now and clearly carrying extra body fat in my mid-section, I'm finally starting to get the look I've been after all these years. The "V" shape I'm after is evident now, but imagine how pronounced it will be once I strip away the body fat I've amassed during this bulk and my abs are showing! After all these years of hard work I can't describe how good it feels to finally see one of my long-term goals coming into focus.
My point is this: None of us can do a damn thing about the genetic hand we've been dealt, but we can work around our genetic weaknesses and take advantage of our genetic strengths. I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been easy and the results didn't come quickly--the best things in life never do. So, how bad do you want it? Do you have what it takes to reach your goal? I believe most people have incredible inner-strength, but you have got to believe in yourself before you can ever tap into that power.
AtLarge Nutrition has a pretty spectacular offer going on right now! You'll definitely want to check this out:
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November 14, 2006
Last night's chest workout was a full-on assault. It was one of those awesome workouts where the weights felt light, my energy reserves seemed inexhaustible and my shoulders did not give me any trouble at all. Workouts like the one I had last night always make me feel like I can accomplish anything!
After my workout, I stepped on the scale (no shoes) and weighed in at 231 pounds. I decided to strip off my shirt and take a picture.
For better or worse, here I am shirtless and 231 pounds.
I've got to cut this update a little short and get breakfast going. There's a lot of action happening at work this morning and I have a lot to accomplish.
Enjoy your day!
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November 13, 2006
Every Monday morning I take my weekly measurements, and this morning I'm very happy with them! Please note that all my measurements are taken "cold", which simply means my muscles are not pumped up.
First, my arms have finally hit the 18 inch mark. Attaining 18 inch arms has taken me several years of very hard work and consistent dedication to my training & diet, but I always knew I had it in me. I'm hoping that by the end of my bulk my arms will be at or above 18.5 inches so that after I'm done cutting down to 6% or 7% body fat they will still be around 18 inches.
My quads are still growing, but have slowed down a little bit. Today they are at 27.25 inches, which is a quarter inch of growth since last Monday. I won't be surprised if they hit 28 inches by the end of my bulk. My legs have always grown like weeds!
My calves are closing in on 17.75 inches, but didn't quite make the cut this morning. Hopefully by next week they will be there. I'm really blasting the hell out of them, as I want them to catch up to my arms.
I was disappointed to see that my chest size has not increased this week. Tonight is pecs, and I'm going to keep this in mind on every rep. Next week I'm going to hit 45 inches.
My forearms are closing in on the 14.25 inch mark, but are still short of it as of this morning. I know it sounds silly, but I enjoy knowing that my forearms are now nearly a half inch bigger than my upper arms were back in August of 2004. These goofy little reminders help keep me highly motivated.
Last (but not least!), I've finally broken through the 225 pound "barrier" that I've been bouncing off of for the past week. As you may recall, 225 pounds was my weight at the end of last year's bulk (and the heaviest I've ever weighed), so when I saw that the scale read 226.5 this morning, I was quite pleased. I'm also about 2% less body fat now compared to the end of last year's bulk. On a related note, I did not add any size to my waist measurement this week!
I'm well into uncharted waters right now, and I've still got over a month and a half to go in this year's bulk. This is the part of my bulk that I find most exciting, because everything from here on out is unexplored territory.
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November 12, 2006
Today is a cardio-only day for me, and I'm going to enjoy the day off from weight training. By the time Sunday rolls around, I'm always very sore from the three previous days' workouts. I'm sure my CNS (Central Nervous System) is ready for a break as well.
Last night was leg night, and I powered through the workout determined to best last week's performance. I'm especially happy with my hamstring work last night, as I stumbled a bit in that area last week and was disappointed with myself.
Even though I did not work calves last night, I have been meaning to take a new picture of them for awhile, and so I did. A brief post-workout log and the new photo can be found here.
I need to get my cardio going now. Have a great day!
November 11, 2006
Last night's arm workout was completely brutal. It was the last of four arm workouts using that particular set of exercises, and I wanted to send it out in style! I talked a little more about the workout and put up a couple of new pictures in my photo journal. Here's the link.
Next Friday I will start changing all my exercises around again, so this weekend I'll be deciding on the new exercise selections that I'll be performing for the next month. The Titan gives me so many exercise options that I always enjoy coming up with new routines. Sometimes the hardest part is narrowing the choices down to just 3 or 4 exercises per muscle group.
I've got a lot planned for today, so I'd better get breakfast in me and get things started. Have a great Saturday!
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November 10, 2006
I'm absolutely floored by the number of emails I received concerning yesterday's update! It seems the menu section of my site is missed by far more of you than I ever could have imagined. When I stopped updating that part of my site, I honestly didn't think was a big deal. In fact, until the subject came up a couple of days ago, I don't think I'd heard a single protest. Now the floodgates are open, and many of you are letting me know just how important that aspect of my ongoing transformation is to you.
I want to encourage everyone who reads this site to always feel free to email me with their comments and suggestions. I always appreciate it when the people who visit this site care enough to let me know their thoughts. Even though I may not always agree with every suggestion, I assure you that I carefully consider every serious comment that comes my way.
As I mentioned yesterday, my food logs will return on January 1, 2007. I will not be updating them daily, but I will post an entire week's worth of meals and will update the logs whenever I change my diet. I hope those of you who check out my food logs will use them only as food for thought (pardon the pun); they were never meant to be copied verbatim.
Happy Friday everyone!
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November 9, 2006
A very interesting discussion was started on the forum a couple of days ago concerning my food logs. As you probably know, my food logs are no longer updated due to the Non-Disclosure Agreement required by SwoleCat (who's nutritional protocols I've been following with great success for over a year now). As you will see when you read the thread (which is 3 pages long and growing), my initial response can be summed up as "Hey, what's the big deal?" As more people voiced their opinions, however, I started to realize that perhaps my personal menus are far more important to some people than I first realized.
Obviously SwoleCat's nutritional programs are excellent, and I have enjoyed tremendous success cutting and bulking while utilizing his protocols. That is why he is a sponsor of my forums, and why I personally endorse his programs (and will continue to do so). I've always tried to be open-minded, and I truly feel that my willingness to try new things has played a huge role in my success thus far. I've never been content to sit back and relax. That's boring! It's in that same spirit that I feel it's time for me to expand my horizons and my own personal knowledge and try something new. I don't want to go back to my old food plans, either--I feel they can be improved upon.
So, what does this mean for the web site? I don't entirely know yet. I can tell you this much: I'm going to finish my bulk using the same SUP2 nutritional program that I have been using, but when I start cutting in January I'm going try something entirely new. I don't know if I'll be updating my food logs every day as I once did (that was a huge pain!), but I'll certainly share what I'm doing, and at least provide a week's worth of food logs and updates as required.
I encourage everyone reading this to always feel free to email me your suggestions and thoughts. I may not have time to respond to your email, but I promise that I read every last one of them and will take your suggestions and comments to heart.
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November 8, 2006
We are well into November, and around this time of year a lot of people resign themselves to putting on fat "because of the holidays". How many times have you heard (or said to yourself), "Oh, I'm not going to worry about it. The holidays are coming! I'll start fresh after the new year..."? I think this is an excellent time of year to get started on a fat loss program. Imagine how good you'll feel in two months if you get started today. Instead of starting the new year off from a dead stop, you'll already have a full head of steam and plenty of momentum. You'll start off the new year feeling like you are ahead of the game. That alone can be very motivating. You don't have to deprive yourself through the holidays, but at the same time don't use them as an excuse to pig out on junk food. You can enjoy yourself and indulge a bit without going totally overboard.
I strongly encourage those of you who want to make a change to resist the temptation to put it off. There's always a "good" reason to wait. Don't! Get excited! Fat loss is very rewarding and satisfying if you allow yourself to embrace the commitment. If you don't truly have your heart in it, you will be wasting you time. If you approach your initial fat loss as the beginning of permanent lifestyle change, eventually you will wonder how you lived any other way. I'm not kidding--the benefits are that profound! Unfortunately many people view fat loss as a temporary solution to correct a problem. Those people reach their fat loss goal (or not) and then go back to their old habits before they have a chance to experience what real change feels like. Once you know how that feels, you've truly made it--congratulations!
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November 7, 2006
I don't have much time to update because I've done nothing since I woke up at 6:30 AM but deal with some stupid drama that took place on the forums last night. I want everyone reading this who is a member of the forums to click this link. Read every last word. Do it twice if you have trouble retaining information. These are the rules you agreed to follow when you joined the forum. Ignorance of these rules is not an excuse. Failure to follow these few simple rules will likely result in loss of your membership without warning.
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November 6, 2006
A whole lot of people I know are sick right now, and I've seen quite a few posts from forum members who are also feeling under the weather. A couple of weeks ago I started feeling like I was getting sick, but I managed to fight it off before if affected me enough to interrupt my daily schedule. Sometimes no matter what you do in terms of diet and exercise, picking up a virus or bug can't be avoided, but there are a few things I do when I feel something coming on to help stop it before it can really take hold...
- No alcohol. I never drink when I'm bulking anyway, but if I were drinking this would be the first thing I would stop if I started to feel ill.
- Sleep! If you start to feel sick, try to get an extra hour or two of sleep each night. I usually sleep 7.5-8 hours, but if I start feeling bad I'll increase this to 9 hours or more by going to bed early.
- Be sure to take your multi-vitamins. A lot of people forget to take their multi, but I'm very strict about this and it makes a difference. Do what you have to do to remember!
- Take extra vitamin C.
- Eat your veggies!
- If you really start feeling bad, consider skipping weight training. Your want your body to have the maximum amount of resources for fighting off the invading organism.
- Wash your hands often!
Some people take stuff like Echinacea, but personally I've never noticed any positive benefit from it. Do what works for you, and if you do get sick rest up until you are better. Some people try to get back at it before they are fully recovered and relapse, or wind up fighting symptoms for weeks on end.
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November 5, 2006
Last night I worked legs, and it was the first workout of this bulk in which I did not increase weight and/or reps for an exercise. The exercise I'm talking about is lying leg curls, and I did four sets (12/11/8/8 reps) compared to the 12/11/9/9 reps that I did last week (using the same amount of weight). I felt great in the gym last night, and I increased weight and reps on all my other exercises. I think what happened with my leg curls is I miscounted the number of plates and accidentally left one off on my first working set. While I was doing the first set I thought, "Man, the weight feels light tonight!" When I was done with the set I checked the plates and immediately saw my error. Of course I didn't count that first set, but even missing a plate it was still fairly heavy and fatigued my legs enough to affect the other 4 sets. I guess even basic math can be difficult when the mind is totally focused on the set ahead.
November 4, 2006
Last night's arm workout was easily my best arm workout so far this bulk. I'm lifting more weight for more reps than I ever have in my life. I gotta say, it feels great! My energy levels and desire are redlined, and every workout seems to push the needle a little further to the right.
I skipped my cheat meal last night. I'm totally sick of pizza, and I didn't feel like going out. Maybe I'll do something different and go out for lunch on Sunday. Mexican food sounds great right now! I'll miss having a margarita or beer, though.
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November 3, 2006
Have you ever suddenly craved a food that you only sort of like? That happened to me last night, but not with food: it was with my lifting music. As you probably already know, normally when I lift I like to listen to hard stuff, such as Fear Factory, Diecast, Shadows Fall, Unearth, Stampin' Ground, Dry Kill Logic, God Forbid, Killswitch Engage and Hatebreed...
...so, last night I was about to train (delts/traps/calves) and for some reason I had the weirdest craving to listen to rap music. Normally rap is not something I enjoy very much. Sure, I like the odd rap tune here and there, but for the most part rap does absolutely nothing for me. My cable company offers dozens of digital music channels, so I decided to put on the uncensored rap channel and hit the weights. I had an incredible workout and, I have to say, I really enjoyed the music. I suppose I would describe the music as less fatiguing, more dynamic and more upbeat than my usual choices. Lisa, who absolutely dreads my workouts because she hates my usual lifting music, was completely ecstatic with last night's music choice! I peaked out from the gym a couple times and saw Lisa dancing around the house. This was great to see, because she normally curls up in the fetal position under her desk in the back office while I'm working out.
I think the reason I decided to try listening to rap music last night was because I watched Ronnie Coleman's The Cost of Redemption DVD. Ronnie listens to rap while he's working out, and as I watched the DVD I found the music oddly motivating. Maybe it was a combination of watching Ronnie lift and the music, I don't know. Anyway, the DVD is great--I highly recommend it. I was so fired up and motivated after watching it that I couldn't wait to hit the weights last night. While Ronnie's physique is not something I aspire to, his work ethic and positive attitude are things I admire a great deal. I have to say, his breakfast is disgusting. Watch the DVD and you'll see what I mean. I think I'll add this DVD to my Favorite Things thread. It's really motivational.
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November 2, 2006
Something I've been putting off forever is redesigning the JSF clothing line to incorporate the new logo. Quite a few people expressed an interest in these products back when I was first toying with the idea of offering them, but in reality the sale were not that good. I guess that's part of the reason I've made the redesigns a low priority. Black t-shirts were an oft-requested item, but CafePress did not offer them back then. Black t-shirts are now available, so I'll be sure to add those to the product line. I think this time around I'm going to reduce the number of available products significantly, and stick with very simple designs. If those sell well, I'll consider adding new items and different designs. I'm going to try to work on this project over the next week or two.
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November 1, 2006
My monthly pictures are up, and I'm actually pretty happy with them. At around 11.5% body fat, I'm still fairly lean, and my weight this morning is
up to 223 pounds! It's amusing to note that I'm eight pounds heavier in today's photo than I was in my very first photo. I remember reading some
comments during the first year of my transformation in which several people said I'd gain all the weight I lost back. Well, it looks like they were right!
My quads have totally exploded. They are just shy of 27 inches--a 3" gain per quad. You can get a good sense of their growth by comparing my September 2006 picture to my November 2006 photo: I'm wearing the same boxers in the September picture as I am in today's picture. The boxers have not shrunk, there is just a lot more leg filling them up! I guess it's time for a new wardrobe. Again.
I'm also very happy with my the progress I've made to my pecs and lats so far. My chest measurement is right at 45 inches, and I'm finally getting that upper body width I've been working towards all these years. There's still a lot of work to do. Eventually a 50" chest would be very nice!
Here's a fun set of comparison photos that I put together this morning. I call it "three extremes" because these pictures represent the far edges of the drastic changes that my body has undergone over the last 4 years. I'm not saying that any of these pictures represent how I want my body to look--they don't--they are just captured points of interest on my long and exciting journey thus far. I do feel that after a couple more months of bulking and another cut I'll be closer than ever to my desired physique.
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