Daily News Archives
October 2008
10/31/2008 - HELLISH back/biceps/traps workout; Eight years smoke-free!
10/30/2008 - Sore, but well rested.
10/29/2008 - BRUTAL chest/triceps workout.
10/28/2008 - New leg workout.
10/27/2008 - Week 5 begins; Shoulder pain; Two new (old) photos posted.
10/26/2008 - Weekly stats, past four weeks in review.
10/25/2008 - Stomach pain made a tough workout even tougher; New photo.
10/24/2008 - Adam's plan for my traps; New picture.
10/23/2008 - Stiff neck this morning.
10/22/2008 - The nuts and bolts of progressive training.
10/21/2008 - Forum change; Chest development.
10/20/2008 - More on keeping workout logs.
10/19/2008 - Weekly measurements and body fat reading.
10/18/2008 - Progressive training; Workout logs.
10/17/2008 - Strength gains continue; New progress photo; Straight bulk with no cutting?
10/16/2008 - Pacing the gym; Alcohol.
10/15/2008 - Incredible workout; 3 new photos; Importance of pictures.
10/14/2008 - Yesterday's leg workout; EAA dilemma solved.
10/13/2008 - "Intensity" workouts to continue; Novemeber "100 Challenge" open for entry.
10/12/2008 - Weekly measurements and body fat reading.
10/11/2008 - Another awesome week of training; New picture.
10/10/2008 - Have you slipped? Trouble getting back on track? READ THIS UPDATE.
10/09/2008 - Doing deads today; Shoulder update; New addition to recipe section.
10/08/2008 - Weight gains have slowed to more reasonable levels; Strength increasing.
10/07/2008 - Another "intensity" week; Turtle update.
10/06/2008 - Second week of bulk starts; Importance of diet; Another "intensity" week?
10/05/2008 - Weekly measurements to resume; Weight gain thus far; Oversleeping.
10/04/2008 - Detailed tour of my bulking diet (with photos).
10/03/2008 - Awesome workout last night; Breakfast.
10/02/2008 - Very sore; Support your hard work in the gym; Today's workout.
10/01/2008 - Offical starting bulking stats--not a pretty picture.
October 31, 2008
Yesterday's workout turned out to be the longest and most grueling so far on this bulk. The trend this week as I've designed my workouts seems to be underestimating the difference between what looks challenging on paper and how that plays out in the gym.
I'd like to talk about the workout a bit, but first let's take a look at what I did (and what I'll be doing for the next three weeks on back/bicep day):
BACK
4 x 8 Deadlifts (+ 4 warmup sets, at the top of every rep on the warmup sets do 3 power shrugs)
3 x 5-7 Power cleans w/ power shrug on each rep
3 x 10-12/10-12 Low cable rows/Dumbbell pullovers (supersets)
BICEPS
3 x 10-12 Barbell curls
3 x failure Hammer curls (quad drop sets)
3 x 8-10 Concentration curls
OK. The first thing that threw me was how difficult the triple shrugs after each rep would be on the deadlift warm-up sets. When I warm-up for my deads I usually do something like 135x12, 185x10, 225x8 and 285-315x6. Normally that's a perfectly fine warm-up progression that allows me to get loosened up without fatiguing my muscles. With the shrugs, it was a whole different ballgame: I'd done over 100 shrugs before I even started my working deadlift sets! After the warm-up sets my traps were on fire, but I can't say that really affected my ability to deadlift; I was able to increase the number of reps I did last week (using the same weight). Next week I'll be increasing the weight.
OK, so at this point in the workout I'm barely out of the gate but my traps are feeling more or less destroyed. Of course now I've got to do power cleans--with more shrugs! I was able to hit my target reps on the PCLs and I only had to reduce the weight 10 pounds from what I was using the last time I did them (while totally fresh). I felt good about this.
The low cable rows supersetted with dumbbell pullovers was a lot of fun. I only took a minute between each superset, but the endorphins were flowing like a river at this point and I was no longer feeling pain.
This morning my traps, back, lats, biceps and forearms are all extremely sore. It's only been a little over 12 hours since my workout, so the DOMS will be increasing quite a lot over the next 36 hours (for me, DOMS tend to peak around 48 hours after my workout).
October 31st is a day that I often like to commemorate in my daily updates: it was eight years ago on this day that I gave up smoking for good! Quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the most rewarding. Thinking back to how I horrible I used to feel when I couldn't smoke for more than an hour, or always having to break away and go outside to feed my addiction... Man, I was a slave--there's really no other way to put it. Well, I don't know about you, but I don't like being controlled by anyone or anything. When I decided to quit I went through hell, but I tried to focus on how empowering it felt to fight through the cravings. I was once asked, "Why did you quit on October 31st? Why not wait until January 1st like most people?" Actually the original plan was to wait until January 1st, but when I thought about it I realized that waiting was just another excuse ("Now is just not a good time to quit..."). So I quit then and there, and on January 1st I had been smoke-free for two whole months. If you smoke, then please don't put quitting off another day. I did it, countless others have done it and YOU can do it!
On a somewhat lighter note (it is Friday, after all), I posted a new food picture in my journal. Also, if you scroll down a few posts you can see how I looked 22 years ago.
October 30, 2008
My chest and triceps are still sore, but I'm feeling very well rested after my day off from training. Later today I'll be working my back, biceps and traps. I didn't have time to come up with the new workout yesterday, so I'll get that done and post it in tomorrow morning's update.
Time is running out to register for the November "100 Challenge". If you want to join, do it now--do not wait until the last minute, especially if you have not yet created your forum account. Your account can take up to 24 hours to be activated. Details are immediately below this update.
I've got a ton of work to get done today, so I'd better sign off and get started. Have a great day!
October 29, 2008
Yesterday I put together a new chest/tricep workout that looked fairly tough on paper, but in practice it was shockingly brutal! The very short rest intervals, high intensity levels, multiple drop sets and multiple supersets left the target muscles completely destroyed (not to mention the heavy cardio aspect).
Here's the workout:
CHEST
- 3 x 10-12 Flat BB Bench Press
- 4 x failure Incline DB Bench Press (triple drop sets)
- 3 x 10-12/failure DB flyes/body weight chest dips (supersets)
TRICEPS
- 3 x 10-12 Standing Ez-bar French Curl
- 4 x failure Angled Bar Tricep Pressdowns (triple drop sets)
- 3 x 10-12/failure DB Extensions/body weight tricep bench dips (supersets)
As you can see, I mirrored the basic structure of the chest and tricep portions of the workout. Let's go over the workout in a little more detail.
The first exercise in both cases was a very straightforward 3 sets of 10-12 reps (not including warm-up sets) using fairly heavy weight and perfect form. Things got a little more interesting after that, though...
Next (for both chest and triceps) I did 4 triple drop sets. I started off with a weight that brought me to failure around rep 10-12; after reaching failure I immediately striped off 10 pounds (or, in the case of the Incline DB bench press, I grabbed two lighter dumbbells), lifted until failure, quickly reduced the weight a final time and repped out until I could no longer lift the weight. One minute of rest (I assure you that one minute will feel like ten seconds, if that), and then repeat until a total of four triple drop sets have been completed. When I finished these sets, my heart was racing, my body was dripping with sweat and the target muscles were fried. I wasn't done with them yet, though...
Next (again, for both chest and triceps) I supersetted a fairly heavy weight training exercise with a "burnout" bodyweight exercise. The weighted exercises were performed in the 10-12 rep range (to near failure), and then I immediately moved to the body weight exercises and repped out until I reached total muscular failure. After reaching failure I rested one minute and did it again for a total of three supersets per muscle group.
This is the chest/triceps workout I'll be performing for the next 3 weeks. I expect to see some solid growth from this plan. If you are looking for a challenging chest/triceps workout, give this a try. The trick is to keep the rest intervals short and the intensity levels up. Also, when you think you've reached failure, clear your mind, take a deep breath and force yourself to do another rep anyway.
Mercifully, I have today off from training. I'll be resting up and preparing for tomorrow's workout, which is back and biceps. I have not yet come up with the back/bicep workout I'll be using for the next four weeks, but I'll be working on it tonight or tomorrow. I'll post it as soon as I have it.
Man, I'm so fired up about my training right now. It's like no matter how hard I work it's still not enough; I just want to keep pushing harder. I haven't felt this good about my training in a long time, and I'm loving it.
October 28, 2008
This week I'll be changing all my weight training exercises & techniques around, and will do these new routines for the next 3-4 weeks. I'll be posting the new training routines all this week.
Yesterday was leg day, and here's what I did:
- 5 x 20/15/12/10/7 squats, weight increased on each set
- 3 x 10-12/failure leg extensions/backyard barbell lunges (supersets)
- 3 x failure lying leg curls (quad drop sets)
For the leg extension/backyard barbell lunges supersets, what I did was perform the leg extensions then ran through the house and out to the backyard. I quickly cleaned the barbell, overhead pressed it and then lowered it to my back, at which point I lunged all over the yard until I couldn't take another step. Once I reached failure I rolled the barbell through the grass and back to the starting position, and then limped back to the gym to start another superset. I took 2 minutes between each of these supersets. Before my workout I had to go out back and make 100% sure there was no dog crap in my path. I had enough to worry about without the added concern of tracking dog poop through the house. Thankfully I did not overlook any landmines.
For the lying leg curl drop sets, I stripped off 10 pounds after reaching failure. I did this four times per drop set. My hamstrings were toast once I finished the last set.
Despite hitting the sack last night at my usual time, I overslept by 45 minutes this morning. I think that leg workout took quite a lot out of me, but the extra sleep must have done the trick: aside some early DOMS in my legs and glutes, I feel great!
Today I'll be working chest and triceps. I have not come up with the workout yet, so I'll post it in tomorrow's update. See ya then!
October 27, 2008
Week five of my thirteen week bulk starts today. I'm very encouraged by the results I've achieved so far (check out yesterday's update for the first four weeks in review), and I'm going to continue to build on my strong initial effort for the remaining nine weeks.
As I mentioned last week, I've decided to bulk for the entire thirteen weeks (the initial plan called for a week of cutting at week #5 and week #10). I've updated my training page and food log to reflect this change.
I posted a couple of photos in my journal last night. Something a little different this time.
Unfortunately I'm feeling some pain in my right shoulder this morning. This is the first time so far on this bulk that my bad shoulder has given me any problems. I suspect that the pain stems more from all the scrubbing and polishing I did while cleaning the house and washing the cars than from weight training. I'm going to have to make a better effort to use my left arm when performing those kinds of tasks. Even though I'm feeling some pain, it's not too bad and certainly won't affect my ability to lift. I'm noting it here for posterity, and as a reminder to myself that I need to be careful with that shoulder!
Well, my breakfast is almost ready so I'm going to wrap up today's update and go eat. Train like a beast!
October 26, 2008
I've now completed four weeks of my bulk, so I want to look at how I've progressed over the past four weeks. It's also Sunday, and time for my weekly measurements and body fat reading!
My scale weight this morning is 203.4 pounds, which is a 1.6 pound gain over the past week. So far on this bulk I've gained a total of 8.4 pounds in 4 weeks. I've been subtracting 3 pounds as the approximate amount of water weight I quickly gained from the creatine, so that leaves me with an average of a 1.35 pound gain per week. Even with the effects of muscle memory playing a role, it's very unlikely that I am gaining lean mass at that rate; still my body fat reading did not change for the first three weeks. Looking in the mirror this morning it looks like I may have put on a little fat around my waist, so I expect this week's body fat reading and tape measurements to reflect that. Let's move on to the rest of the data and see...
My body fat reading this morning is 12.0% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). That's just a couple 10ths of a point higher than last week's reading. I sure expected it to be higher, but we took the reading twice: 11.9% and 12.0%.
This week's tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) have me very excited! Over the past week I've gained a whopping half inch on my chest measurement (I measured 3 times because I couldn't believe it), a quarter inch on my quads, a quarter inch on my calves and a quarter inch on my forearms. My arm measurement remains unchanged. My hip measurement is also the same as last week, and I've added a quarter inch to my waist.
So, over the past four weeks I've added a quarter inch to my forearms, a half inch to my arms, three quarters of an inch to my quads, a half inch to my calves and a full inch to my chest. My waist and hips have only increased a half inch each.
After I took my chest measurement (3 times), I said to Lisa as I stood in a front of her in a "relaxed" pose, "Does my chest look noticeably bigger to you?" She said, "Maybe, but your lats look huge!" I looked in the mirror and I think she's right: my lats have shown some significant widening for sure, and that's positively affecting my chest measurement.
All my stats, past and present, can always be found on the stats page.
I'm very, very pleased with how the first 4 weeks of my bulk have gone. I've made some very nice gains, kept fat gains to a minimum and my strength is way up compared to a month ago. I've been working my butt off, but I know I can do even better. I'm going to make the next four weeks my best yet!
October 25, 2008
Yesterday's workout (delts/traps/calves) was a very good one, but my stomach started hurting pretty badly about halfway through. I thought about stopping, but decided to press on and complete the workout. I'm glad that I didn't quit: the discomfort didn't affect my strength, and shortly after my workout the pain began to lessen pretty quickly. About an hour after my workout the pain was was completely gone. Weird.
I took one new progress photo after my workout and posted it in my journal.
I've got a lot of chores to do today, including a major house cleaning. Last week Lisa and I blew off our usual weekly house cleaning, and so this place is a mess right now!
I hope your Saturday is a good one! I'll be back tomorrow morning with my weekly measurements and body fat reading...
October 24, 2008
A couple of days ago the subject of my horribly lagging traps was brought up in my journal. Despite a lot of hard work and specialized attention over the years, my traps still have basically no height to them. My underdeveloped traps look quite unbalanced with the rest of my upper body, and my inability to get them to grow has been frustrating, to say the least...
...so Adam ("Chicanerous" on the forum), saw the aforementioned exchange about my traps and offered me his learned input. At first I was put off by the apparent volume of his training suggestion, but after some further discussion the logic behind his plan began to make sense to me. I've decided to incorporate Adam's "trap attack" into my training regimen for the next 8 weeks (I started yesterday, in fact). In Adam's own words...
"John, if you want to blitz your traps, for the next 4-8 weeks, you should either
- clean shrug (use at least 120% of your best power clean)
- snatch shrug (use at least 95% of your best power clean)
- power clean
...3-4x per week for 25-45 total reps per session. You can also add a power shrug on top of any deadlift rep (including warm-up and acclimations) of any variation, when the weights are between 120%-140% of your best power clean to work towards this total. Remember: triples and fives are best!
Just keep in mind the basic spirit and you can't go wrong:
- power shrug
- power shrug all the time
- power shrug every session
- either by performing your normal power cleans
- or separately with weights in excess of them, but still low enough that you can get good "pop"
This is basically the equivalent of working an Olympic lifting routine without the Olympic lifting. Weightlifters get the added bonus that a good portion of that volume is actually from the floor, so the entire posterior chain gets into the mix."
So there it is. Thanks again, Adam. Let's see how it goes!
I posted one new picture in my journal yesterday.
Today I'm working delts, calves and, of course, traps!
Happy Friday! Train hard!
October 23, 2008
In bed at night both dogs always like to snuggle up to me, and they always push me to the very edge of the bed. This gives Lisa 3/4 of our King-sized bed all to herself, meanwhile I feel like I'm sleeping in a shoe box. Anyway, last night the dogs arranged themselves in such a way that my body was awkwardly twisted around them into sort of a human pretzel. I figured they'd eventually move, but somehow I wound up drifting off to sleep in this very contorted position. This morning I woke up to a really stiff neck, and also one of my arms had fallen asleep and was completely numb. I hope my stiff neck loosens up a bit, because today I'll be doing deads and some trap work.
I want to mention again (for those that didn't see the announcement earlier this week) that there has been a change on the forum that affects how threads and posts are marked as "read" or "unread". It's important that you understand the change, and also know that the first time you visit the forum after the change was made all threads and posts from the past 10 days will show as "unread". I apologize for the inconvenience of having old threads and posts showing as unread, but this is a one time thing, and is something that could not be avoided in order to make this change. For more information on this change, please take a moment to read this.
I've got a very busy day ahead, so I'm going to wrap this up and start chipping away at my workload. Enjoy your day!
October 22, 2008
I'm very pleased with my performance in the gym yesterday. The workout was chest & triceps, and for the fourth consecutive week I increased the weight and/or reps on every single exercise. Making improvements each and every week is called progressive training. I discussed the topic of progressive training this past Saturday, but let's talk a little more about the nuts and bolts behind the concept...
If you are trying to put on lean mass and not making regular improvements, something is clearly broken. Diet, rest/recovery, training techniques, intensity levels, focus and drive are all very, very important; if you are not making progress, then (aside from some sort of pre-existing medical condition) one or more of those things needs your attention. Take a hard, honest look at your complete training program. Maybe you're working your butt off in the gym, but then staying up all night drinking three times per week. That's your choice, but if you live sub-optimally don't be surprised when your training results are commensurate with your choices.
When I decide I'm going to put on lean mass (a so-called "bulk"), I do it 100%. I take a good look at my entire lifestyle. It boils down to this: if something is not helping me reach my goal, then it's hurting me and I change it or eliminate it. I'm working too damned hard in the gym to let any of my efforts go to waste. It seems really stupid to bust your butt in the gym 4 or 5 times a week and then waste a large part of the potential gains because you're too lazy or undisciplined to support your training properly.
Most people train because they want to improve, but simply showing up at the gym a couple times per week and throwing some weight around is not even close to good enough. The time you spend in the gym is obviously very important, but it's only a small part of the total picture.
Last week I posted a post-workout progress photo of my chest from the side, but neglected to post one from the front. Yesterday after my workout I took a new chest progress photo from the front and posted it in my journal on the forum.
I have today off from training, so I'll be resting up and eating big in preparation for tomorrow's brutal back and bicep workout!
October 21, 2008
There has been a change on the forum that affects how threads and posts are marked as "read" or "unread". It's important that you understand the change, and also know that the first time you visit the forum after the change was made all threads and posts from the past 10 days will show as "unread". I apologize for the inconvenience of having old threads and posts showing as unread, but this is a one time thing, and is something that could not be avoided in order to make this change. For more information on this change, please take a moment to read this.
Yesterday's leg workout was phenomenal! I added weight to every exercise once again this week, and still hit my target reps. I'm very pleased with how much my strength has improved over the past month. I'm still not close to the weights I was throwing around at the end of my 2006 bulk, but I'm also 35 pounds lighter than I was then.
Today is my chest and triceps workout, and I'm looking forward to a powerful end to my current exercise rotation (I'll be changing up all my exercises next week). My pecs are an area that needs considerable improvement, and my upper chest in particular is lagging. When it comes to chest development, I feel that going overly heavy and simply pushing the weight up and down is sub-optimal. I've found that the best results are achieved (again, speaking strictly from a hypertrophy standpoint) by using weight that is challenging while using perfect "bodybuilder" bench press form: shoulder blades pinched together, back slightly arced, elbows flared and a controlled, slow-ish cadence with a hard squeeze at the top of the lift. The entire time the lift is being performed I focus 100% on the muscles I'm working. Having that "mind-muscle connection" is very important.
As always, thanks for stopping by. Train hard, and have a fantastic day!
October 20, 2008
It's Monday, and after a very restful and enjoyable weekend I feel 100% recharged and ready for another week packed with awesome workouts!
Yesterday I posted my weekly measurements and body fat reading. At this point I'm very pleased with my weight and strength gains, and so far I seem to be doing it without putting on much, if any, fat. I'm really happy about the lack of fat gain, because I started this bulk at close to 12% body fat, and that is a much higher number than I've ever started a bulk with.
I was surprised by some of the emails I received in response to Saturday's update. For example, one guy told me that when he first started working out he tried to keep a log, but he stopped because he "didn't see any other people at the gym doing it". You can't concern yourself with what others are doing at the gym. How many people do you see coming in to the gym week after week, doing the same exercises over, using the same weights and never making any progress? Do you really want to be like everyone else? Just carry a small pocket-sized notebook around with you and jot down what you are doing. It's not hard, and it only takes a second. Those logs will give you the information you need to evaluate your progress and become a better lifter.
October 19, 2008
It's Sunday, and once again time for my weekly measurements and body fat reading.
My scale weight this morning is 201.6 pounds. That's a 1.8 pound gain over the past week. That's may seem a little high for one week of bulking, but growth is never perfectly linear. For example, this past week I was flatlined at 199.8 for five days straight (Sunday - Thursday), but on Friday I was up almost a pound to 200.6, and this morning I'm at 201.6. My diet did not change one bit over those seven days, and even my intake of water and salt has remained consistent. So far on this bulk I've gained a total of 6.6 pounds in 3 weeks. Discounting three pounds to account for the water retention caused by creatine seems reasonable, so that leaves me with an average of a 1.2 pound gain per week. Perhaps still a bit on the high side, but I really don't think cutting my calories is an option at this point; my caloric intake is not really all that high right now. Let's take a look at the rest of the data...
My body fat reading this morning is 11.8% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). This is identical to my initial reading of 11.8%, and also identical to last weekend's reading of 11.8%. I'm a bit surprised by this, but pleasantly so! I guess Lisa and I have become fairly adept with the caliper to get such amazingly consistent readings. Judging by how I look in the mirror, I have to say that it doesn't look like I've added any real amount of fat over the past three weeks. The fat I have now is there as a result of how I was eating before my bulk.
I'm extremely pleased by this week's tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape)! Over the past week I've gained another quarter inch on my arms, another quarter inch on my chest and another quarter inch on my quads. That means I've added a half inch on all three of those muscle groups since the start of my bulk. Muscle memory is real. Also, this week my waist measurement is identical to last week's measurement, so that further supports the unchanged body fat reading.
Based on these numbers I'm clearly on the right track. No changes are required for this upcoming week: just more clean foods and super-intense training!
Of course all my stats, past and present, can always be found on the stats page.
Ok, I'm going to go get the house cleaning done and then I think Lisa and I are going to round up the dogs and hole up in the theater all day. 
October 18, 2008
I'm three weeks into my bulk, and I can honestly say I've not had anything even close to what I'd call an "average" workout thus far. My goal with each workout is to build on the success of the previous workout, and always improve. I'm a huge proponent of the progressive training principle. Most of you probably know all about progressive training, but in case you don't it is actually a very simple concept. Simply put, progressive training is making tangible improvements from one workout to the next. The basic idea is to always add weight, reps and/or increase intensity levels from one workout to the next. Your body is incredibly proficient at adaptation: if you don't provide new challenges for your body it will quickly adjust to what you are doing in the gym. Once your body has adjusted to your workout, it no longer needs to grow bigger or stronger to handle it.
The subject of progressive training dovetails nicely with something else I'd like to talk about this morning: workout logs. I believe that every serious trainee should keep logs of all workouts. I have a log of every workout I've done since 2003, and my logs have proven to be one of the most useful bodybuilding weapons in my arsenal. I could probably tell you from memory how much I'm lifting for most the exercises I'm doing right now, but there's no way I could tell you how many reps I did on every set for every exercise I've done over the past week. My training logs give me the cold, hard facts I need to constantly evaluate my progress.
Sigh. I should clean this morning, but I really don't feel like it. I think I might have a lazy day and rest up. Yeah, I'll clean tomorrow...
Enjoy your Saturday!
October 17, 2008
Yesterday's workout (back and biceps) was excellent! I added 20 pounds to my power clean/bent-over barbell row supersets, 10 pounds to my weighted wide-grip pull-ups and 5 pounds to my pullovers and DB rows. I increased the number of reps I was able to do for all three exercises in my bicep giant sets.
The giant sets are very intense, but I'm not convinced they are the best choice as a mass-building training technique. My arms are so fatigued after the first exercise (performed to failure) that on the next two exercises I am only able to use a fraction of the weight I'd otherwise use with just a little rest. When I change my workouts up a week from now I'm going to not just change the exercises, but I think I'm also going to try some drop sets for my biceps. Drop sets just "feel" more effective to me.
I posted one new picture, a bicep and forearm photo, in my journal last night.
A week from now my "culking" plan calls for one week of cutting, but man... I really don't want to move away from bulking and cut my calories right now--even briefly! I've not added any appreciable amount of fat so far, and my weight gains have been quite reasonable. I'm enjoying the extra food and intense training a great deal, and I'm making good progress. Unless I have a change of heart between now and October 26th, I'm going to continue bulking. I've got a lot of ground to cover between now and January, and I don't want to slow down just as I feel like I'm hitting my stride.
I know that I've changed some things around "on the fly" so far on this bulk, but right now what I feel I really need is continue with non-stop hard work, lots of clean food, brutal training and self-discipline. As I said earlier this month, sometimes you just have to toss out the play book and trust your gut instincts.
Later today I'll be working my delts and calves, and then I have the weekend off to rest. Happy Friday!
October 16, 2008
Yesterday was my day off from training, but I wanted to train so badly that I went into the gym and just sort of hung out there for awhile. I walked around looking at all the equipment and checking out the motivational pictures of Zane, Schwarzenegger and Mentzer. While I was in the gym aimlessly pacing around, I went ahead and got everything staged and ready for today's workout (back and biceps). I haven't been this fired up about training in over a year. Mentally I'm in a very positive place right now, and I know that with continued hard work big things are in store this bulk...
This Sunday will be three weeks since I've consumed any alcohol. While a clean diet, ample rest and hard training have certainly played a large role in how good I'm feeling right now, completely abstaining from alcohol is perhaps the biggest contributor to my present condition. Listen, I love a good strong drink (as most of you know, straight vodka is my preferred poison) as much as the next guy; the problem is, I think I like drinking a little too much. I certainly have an addictive personality, and to deny that I have alcoholic tenancies would be a lie. Alcoholism runs deep into my family tree, and so throughout my adult life I've always strived to keep a close eye on my drinking habits. When I'm regularly training (which, for the past six years, has been most of the time) I don't even desire a drink. But when I let my training slide, as I did over the past year, the number of times I'd imbibe each week was often excessive; in fact, there were weeks when I drank every day. After how hard I've worked over the past six years, that's just messed up. Being honest with myself about this budding problem is one of the reasons I decided to stop drinking completely during this bulk. Even after my bulk is over, I've decided that aside from vacations I will never drink more than twice per week again in my life.
JSF has a great resource for those who are looking to sober up. Check out the "Sober Challenges" that run nearly every month in the Fitness Challenges section of the forum. Those members have my utmost respect and admiration. I hope they keep the challenges going in perpetuity.
October 15, 2008
In yesterday's update I challenged myself to increase the amount of weight and the number of reps (as compared to last week) on every single chest & triceps exercise, and I did it. It was not an easy task, but I knew that I could do it if I put everything I had into the workout. I walked out of the gym feeling incredibly good about my effort. Next week I'll be increasing the weight on all exercises, and the following week I'll be changing my exercises around completely.
As I mentioned on Saturday, I'm going to be taking a lot more bulking progress pictures over the next few months. Yesterday I snapped a few new chest and triceps shots and put them in my journal. While I'm still relatively small compared to how I've looked in the past, after less than 3 weeks of hard training and eating big I can already see that my muscles no longer look as flat, and are really starting to fill out again. I've got a long way to go, but I'm extremely inspired and encouraged by what I'm seeing thus far.
On the subject of pictures, I very strongly recommend that everyone take frequent progress pictures. You don't have to post the pictures publicly, of course, but if you don't take pictures then one day you'll probably regret not having a photographic record of your progress. I find it very motivational to look at my own progress pictures. In fact, one of the ways I got pumped up to do this bulk was to go back and look at photos of myself when I was bigger. I also looked at very early photos of my progress to remind me just how far I've come, and that hard work really does pay off.
I've got the day off from training, so all I really need to do is eat a lot and rest. I'm going to need all the food and rest I can get, because tomorrow's back and bicep workout is going to be brutal.
Train well, and see you tomorrow!
October 14, 2008
Yesterday's leg workout was awesome! Looking at my first 2008 bulk leg workout log from two weeks ago, so far I've added 30 pounds to my leg press, 10 pounds to my leg extensions, 15 pounds to my lying leg curls and 10 pounds to my DB lunges. I've also added reps to most of those while increasing the weights. I think I'm going to do this workout one more time and then switch things around, adding backyard barbell lunges and squats to the workout.
Do you guys remember when I posted my bulking meal photo tour article how at meal #4 the EAAs were floating on top of the RESULTS? It was driving me crazy because no matter how much I mixed (I also tried using a shaker), half of the EAAs were sticking to the glass and being wasted. I solved that problem by taking the EAA powder straight, and then washing it down with water. The first time I tried doing that I put all 15 grams of the dry powder in my mouth at once. Don't do that, it's a little much. I got it down, but it was not easy. Now I just do 5 grams at a time. The powder is real bitter, but it's not that bad once you get used to how it tastes. At least I know I'm getting all 15 grams now.
Today I'll be working my pecs and triceps. My triceps have always been one of my strongest muscle groups, but I feel that my chest needs some extra work. My goal today is to do more reps using more weight than last week on each and every exercise. I'm not going to be satisfied with anything less than that.
October 13, 2008
Having the weekends off from training sure does the trick when it comes to allowing my body to fully recover from that week's workouts. On Friday I felt awesome, but my body was very sore and definitely ready for a couple days off from training. This morning I'm 100% recovered, and very eager to get back in the gym this afternoon (I'm working legs today).
Last week I deviated from my training plan and did a second consecutive "intensity" week. The "intensity" workouts are definitely more challenging to me compared to the "core" workouts, and there's also four days of training per week compared to just three days of training during the "core" weeks. I've been giving it some thought, and have decided to continue with the "intensity" workouts indefinitely. Why? Well, right now I feel like I need to keep the pedal to the metal, so to speak. My strength is increasing, I've had some good early results on the tape measure and I've been enjoying my workouts a great deal. Like just about everyone reading this I train in order to get results, but I also train because I enjoy it. When I'm doing the "intensity" workouts I'm breathing hard, sweating like crazy and my muscles are pumped and screaming in pain; when I walk out of the gym after one of those workouts, the feeling is incomparable. Everything in my mind and body is telling me that that is the kind of workout I need right now, and so that's what I'm going to do until I feel otherwise.
The November "100 Challenge" is now open for entry! I encourage those of you who are ready to commit to a plan to take part. Details are immediately below...
October 12, 2008
It's Sunday, and time for my weekly measurements and body fat reading. I haven't measured myself or checked my body fat since the beginning of my bulk almost two weeks ago, so I'm anxious to see how I'm progressing so far. From this point forward I'll be taking my measurements and body fat reading every Sunday...
My scale weight is 199.8 this morning, and that's a 4.8 pound gain in two weeks. A little on the high side, but part of that weight can be explained by water retention from creatine. Let's see how the rest of the numbers look...
My body fat reading this morning is 11.8% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). This is identical to my initial reading of 11.8%. We got the exact same reading twice, so that's what I'm going with. I think I have put on a little fat over the past two weeks, so I'll chalk this up to my initial reading being a tad high. Anyway, calipers are not an exact science, but a good tool nonetheless.
My tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) are showing some solid early gains. Over the past couple of weeks I've gained a little over a quarter inch on my arms, a quarter inch on my chest, a quarter inch on my calves, and almost (but not quite) a half inch on my thighs. My hips and waist measurements have increased by a quarter inch; at this rate, I'll only add 1.5 inches to my waist over the course of the entire bulk. I'm also going to conservatively subtract a quarter inch from that estimate because I'll be cutting for two of those weeks. In other words, I think my final waist measurement at the end of my bulk will be around 33.75 inches. Comparing that number to my 36.5 inch waist at the end of my late 2006 bulk is reassuring. I started this bulk with higher body fat levels than I should have, so I need to be mindful of my fat gains.
All my stats can always be found on the stats page.
I'm looking forward to a day of rest, and some hard training next week. See you tomorrow!
October 11, 2008
Another excellent week of hard, intense training is in the books! I'm a little sore this morning, but otherwise feel incredible. Each and every time time I've walked into the gym for a workout over the last two weeks I've done so with the intention of giving every single rep and every last set 110%. Every time I thought I couldn't do another rep, I cleared my mind and forced myself to try and do another one anyway. Sometimes I was not successful, but quite a few times I was. Forcing yourself to perform beyond what your mind and body are telling you that you can do is where the real results come from. I remind myself of that constantly.
I'm not real happy with how I look right now, but I've decided that I need to start posting post-workout pictures in my journal again. It's somewhat difficult for me to accept that I'm not as big and as lean as I've been in the past, but that's the reality of the situation. Posting the pictures keeps me "honest"--and highly motivated to continue to improve. It'll be nice to look back at the pictures I'm posting now in a few months and see just how far I've come. I posted one new photo yesterday afternoon. More to come in the weeks ahead.
I think I'm going to go wash the cars before it gets too hot, then it's playtime (no training today). Enjoy your Saturday!
October 10, 2008
It's a little hard to believe that two weeks of my 2008 bulking training have already elapsed (well, after today's workout). I can honesty say that I am enjoying my training and my diet more than any other time over the past six years. I think a large part of why I am having so much fun right now is because over the past year my training and diet have often been lacking, and that bothered me; it feels very satisfying to be 100% back on track.
I know many of you of reading this have worked hard, made good progress and then sort of let things slide a bit. It happens to the best of us. It's so weird how that works: you know you want to get back on track, you miss how great you felt when you were in shape and eating right and you might even been feeling some depression... yet day after day goes by and nothing changes. I know how difficult it can be to get back into the swing of things after a slide, but you can do it!
First of all, you have to have a plan. Making a plan is not hard to do: set a goal, create a workout program and diet to support that goal and then tell the whole damn world what you are going to do. Accountability is important--tell your family and your friends, start a journal and/or blog on the forum and take "before" pictures. Getting involved in the JSF community can also be very helpful: ask questions, talk to people about your goals and get involved by helping others. Get excited about what you are about to do!
Once you have your plan worked out (and don't fall into the trap of endless planning--making a plan should not take long), execute it with consistency and determination. The first week or so might require some extra willpower on your part, so don't allow yourself to make any excuses. Once you get the ball rolling you'll feel so great that you'll wonder how you ever slipped in the first place.
I'm not just spouting rhetoric. Several weeks ago I was missing workouts, eating a lot of horrible foods, drinking alcohol on more nights than not and basically starting to feel pretty crappy about myself. Two weeks ago I flipped the switch and since then I have not missed any workouts, I've stopped drinking entirely, I've stuck to a 100% clean diet and I feel absolutely incredible again. If you can identify with anything I've written today, I really hope you'll be inspired to do the same. It's really not that hard, and the rewards are priceless.
October 9, 2008
My legs feel like they've fully recovered from Monday's workout, so today I'm going to add deadlifts to my back workout. I'll probably do a few lighter warm-up sets, and then a few moderately heavy sets in the 10-rep range, and then a couple of very heavy sets.
I received an email yesterday asking how my shoulder is holding up so far on this bulk. I guess the reason I've not said much about my shoulder is because there is, happily, absolutely nothing to report! I haven't felt even the slightest twinge of shoulder pain thus far, and I'm very thankful for that. I think there are several reasons my shoulder is doing better these days. First of all, I've learned what activities bother my shoulder: stuff like washing the car, hard scrubbing and push-ups seem to bother my right shoulder far more than heavy weight training. Knowing these things, I no longer do push-ups, and when I wash the car and clean I make an effort to use lighter pressure and favor my left arm. Also, over the past few years I've continued to do rotator cuff strengthening exercises, and I think that's helped. While I know my shoulder is still not "right", I feel like I've figured out how to live and train with it. One day I may need surgery, but unless I really injure the shoulder again that's not going to happen.
I have been receiving so much positive feedback on my 2008 bulking diet photographic tour that I've decided to add a link to the recipe section. While not strictly a list of recipes, I think it fits well in that section. I'm so glad that some of you found the article helpful!
I'd better wrap up here and get to work. I hope you have a great day.
October 8, 2008
After a rather fast spike of three pounds gained during the very first week of my bulk, my weight gains appear to have slowed to more reasonable levels. Over the past 5 days my scale weight has only increased by around a half pound--not too much, and not too little. If this trend continues that will amount to a 1.5-2 pound gain every couple of weeks, which is something I'd be be quite happy with. As I mentioned a few days ago, the initial rapid weight gain was likely due to water retention caused by the creatine monohydrate in AtLarge's RESULTS (until I started this bulk I'd not used creatine in months).
So far this week's workouts have been amazing. Yesterday (chest and triceps) I did more reps using more weight on every single exercise compared to what I was able to do last week. Same deal on Monday (legs). I don't think there's going to be any way for me to give a fair review of AtLarge's RESULTS on this bulk because my entire lifting program, supplement intake and diet all changed at the exact same time. In other words, it would be impossible for me to attribute the gains I make to one particular facet of what I'm doing. Of course if I break my deadlift PR (and I'm a long way from that, believe me), then I might have something else to say on the matter!
I've got the day off from training, so today I'll be resting up and preparing for tomorrow's workout (back and biceps) and Friday's workout (delts and calves). Right now what I need to do is EAT! My potatoes are just about ready, so I'd better get in the kitchen and get my egg whites going. Thanks for stopping by. Train hard, and I'll see you tomorrow!
October 7, 2008
Yesterday I indicated that I was considering doing a second consecutive week of "intensity" training, and that's what I wound up doing. Sometimes you just have to throw the play book out and go with your gut instincts. After a few months of slow-paced strength training, which I found fairly boring, last week's brutal "intensity" workouts (here are my current training splits and principles and actual workouts) really got me fired up and excited about training again. I seem to thrive on fast-paced, high volume training.
Is skipping the "core" training ideal? Maybe, maybe not. There's only one way to find out. My thought process is this: first and foremost, training should be enjoyable. I'm not a pro and I'm not ever going to compete, so as long as I'm in the gym working my butt off and having a blast, then--as far as I'm concerned--I'm doing it right. The results will follow.
This morning I'm taking Turtle dog to the specialist for her fourth malignant melanoma vaccine treatment. This is her final shot in the series of four initial treatments. After this she'll just need one treatment every six months for the rest of her life. It's been several months since the tumor appeared, and so she's already beat the odds (most dogs diagnosed with oral malignant melanoma don't make it more than 3 months). So far there's been no sign of the tumor coming back, her glands are normal in size and she's been very playful and happy.
Turtle's appointment is at 10:30 AM, which is when I'm supposed to eat meal #2 (bulking diet). I could take a protein/carb shake with me, but I've decided to simply shift all my meals (and my workout) forward by a half-hour so I can eat my planned solid meal. I'm going to have to microwave my sweet potato to save time, though.
OK, I'd better start breakfast. Later today I'll be training my chest and triceps, and it will be another "intensity" workout. Train hard and eat well!
October 6, 2008
The first week of my bulk went extremely well: tough workouts, no missed meals, no alcohol and plenty of rest. With week one in the books, I feel like I couldn't be off to a better start to my bulk. This week I am going to continue to build on the momentum I generated last week with more great workouts and, of course, plenty of healthy food.
The subject of food comes up a lot on this site and on the forums, and there's a very good reason for that: no matter what your goals are and how hard you work in the gym, your diet will make or break you. I can't stress the importance of a proper diet enough, but it's the one area that many people--either through ignorance or apathy--screw up. If you missed Saturday's update, I did something brand new and some of you may find it interesting. On Friday I took pictures of all six of my meals, and then on Saturday morning I used the pictures to create a sort of visual tour of my bulking diet. Along with the pictures you'll find detailed information on how I prepare each meal, as well as a few tips to help you minimize your time in the kitchen. The point of the article is to show that healthy food can taste great, and preparing the food doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming.
This week is scheduled to be a "core" strength training week, but I'll be honest: I'm tempted to do another high volume "intensity" week. I can already see a difference in my muscles after just one week of "intensity" training, and I feel well rested and recovered after this past weekend. Plus, I love going into the gym and just tearing it up. The slower paced, low volume "core" workouts are, frankly, boring by comparison. I would have made a good sled dog, I guess.
Oh, I woke up on time this morning--6:00 AM sharp! I overslept on Saturday and Sunday--probably because my body was so destroyed from the past week of workouts--but I feel great this morning.
Time for me to go start preparing my breakfast. Train like you mean it.
October 5, 2008
Now that I'm bulking, I am going to resume taking my weekly digital body fat caliper reading and tape measurements on a weekly basis. I will be performing these measurements every Sunday throughout my bulk. Because I just took all these measurements a couple of days ago (Wednesday), I'm not going to take them this morning. I'll resume the weekly readings next Sunday.
My overall weight gain over the past week has been a bit on the high side: I've gone from 195 pounds to 197.8 pounds. I suspect some of this initial rapid weight gain is due to water retention caused by the creatine monohydrate, but over the next week I'll be carefully monitoring my scale weight and paying close attention to my body fat reading next weekend. If I continue to gain at this rate, an adjustment to my bulking diet will probably be in order. I can't imagine that my caloric intake is too high, as 3,000 "clean" calories per day for a 200 pound man on a bulk is actually fairly conservative.
I overslept by an hour again this morning. Even though I've been going to bed around 9:00 each night, I guess my body is telling me that I need the extra sleep. This past week's workouts have been extremely taxing, so I guess I'm not surprised. The problem is getting up at 7:00 AM instead of 6:00 AM is throwing my entire schedule off. Hopefully my body will adjust to the intensity of my bulking workouts and my sleep schedule will return to normal. If not, I may need to start going to bed even earlier so that I can start waking up on time again.
OK, I need to wrap up. I've got a lot of stuff to do around the house this morning. Enjoy your day, and I'll see ya tomorrow!
October 4, 2008
Yesterday morning I took a picture of meal #1 and posted it for no particular reason. I decided to go ahead and take pictures of all six of my meals yesterday, and then I posted them in my journal. I'm going to repost the photos here, along with some additional information about how I prepare each meal. Eating healthy is not hard, not time-consuming and can be quite delicious. The trick is to find foods that you enjoy, and PLAN.
MEAL #1, 8:00 AM: 8 Oz egg whites, 12 Oz red potatoes, 2 slices sprouted grain toast
I prepare the egg whites with some fresh chopped cilantro, garlic, salt and fresh ground pepper. I cook them in a non-stick pan with a little shot of PAM cooking spray.
The roasted red potatoes are the star of the show, and are very easy to make. While I'm pre-heating the toaster oven to 450 degrees (F), I wash and then cut the potatoes into 8ths, arrange the potatoes on the baking sheet, add some garlic powder, salt and pepper (anything you like will work--dill would probably be fantastic, as would rosemary), spray the potatoes with PAM cooking spray and then I roast them for about 20 minutes. Sometimes I'll throw a little parsley on them when they are done cooking. The potatoes are amazing.
MEAL #2, 10:30 AM: 6 Oz grilled chicken breast, 6 Oz sweet potato
I make the chicken in batches of 4 or 5 breasts to save time. I usually just give the breasts a blast of PAM cooking spray and then salt and pepper them before throwing them on the grill. Sometimes I'll add other spices, such as garlic or rosemary. I grill the breasts over medium heat for 10 minutes per side--very easy. The extra chicken breasts are stored in the fridge in a zip-lock bag. The breasts will keep for around 5 days (I eat one per day, so preparing 4 or 5 at a time is perfect for me). Reheating a breast is easy: wrap it in foil and throw it in a 350 degree (F) toaster oven for 25-30 minutes. You can nuke it if pressed for time, and they are also delicious cold.
The sweet potato is also very easy: pre-heat the toaster oven to 425 degrees (F), wash the potato, pierce it with a fork a few times and cook for around 45 minutes. I like to turn it about halfway through the cooking time.
MEAL #3, 1:00 PM: 6 Oz Orange Roughy, 1.5 cups brown rice, 1+ cups steamed broccoli
I prepare the orange roughy with a little garlic, salt, fresh cracked pepper and lemon juice. I just wrap the fillet in foil (making a pouch out of the foil) and cook it at 400 degrees (F) for about 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness.
The brown rice is prepared in large batches so that it will last me several days. When the rice is done cooking I pre-measure the portions I need and then put each portion into zip-lock plastic containers. About a minute in the microwave with a quick stir at 30 seconds will reheat the rice perfectly.
I use "Bird's Eye" frozen broccoli. There is a big difference in brands, and I like Bird's Eye the best (I've tried them all, believe me!) I steam half a bag in a saucepan following the directions on the package.
MEAL #4 (Post-Workout Meal #1), 3:30 PM: 45g AtLarge Nitrean + 1 cup water, 94.5g AtLarge RESULTS + 15g bulk EAA powder
The EAA powder doesn't mix well, and that's what you see floating on top of the RESULTS. I actually don't mind the taste of the EAA powder at all. It's sort of bitter, and reminds me of hydrolyzed whey protein, which I actually grew to enjoy back when I used it. The Nitrean is delicious.
MEAL #5 (Post-Workout Meal #2), 5:00 PM: 6 Oz grilled 96% lean ground beef, 12 Oz red potatoes, salad greens + 2 tsp olive oil
The 96% lean ground beef is prepared on the grill: a little salt and fresh ground pepper and then 6 minutes per side over medium heat. I prepare the burgers two at a time, and store the spare in a zip-lock bag. The hamburgers still taste great the next day re-heated in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
For this meal, I alternate between ground beef and eye of round steak. The steaks are cooked over high heat, about 3 or 4 minutes per side. Eye of round is very lean, so you definitely don't want to overcook it.
The potatoes are prepared exactly like I make them in the morning.
MEAL #6, 7:30 PM: 8 Oz egg whites + 2 whole eggs, 32g natural peanut butter:
This is a great pre-bedtime meal. I mix the egg whites and whole eggs with garlic, fresh cilantro, salt and fresh cracked pepper and cook in a non-stick pan with a little PAM.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of my bulking diet! If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up in my journal.
Have a great day!
October 3, 2008
I'd almost forgotten just how tough these "intensity" workouts really are. This week has served up a heaping dish of pain as a reminder. Last night's workout (back and biceps) was especially challenging (here are this week's "core" and "intensity" workouts). If you are looking for a challenging workout, you should give any of the "intensity" week workouts a try. The key to these workouts, however, is not just performing the exercises: you've got to walk into the gym with the same attitude you'd take going into to a fist fight. The workouts need to be fast (no more than 1 minute of rest between sets), brutal and intense. Absolutely no distractions and no slowing down. If you are not sweating profusely and breathing hard the entire time, then you're doing it wrong.
The back portion of yesterday's workout pre-exhausted my biceps, so by the time I got to the 3 bicep giant sets I overestimated how much weight I could handle. I was failing at rep 4 or 5 by the second exercise in the first giant set. I pushed through without reducing the weight, but next time I'm going to need to back off on the weight a bit.
OK, gotta run. Later today I'll be working my delts and calves. In the meantime, my breakfast is ready!
October 2, 2008
"Sore" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel this morning. My legs and glutes scream at me every time I get up from my chair, and my pecs and triceps are raging. I generally love the feeling of DOMS, but my legs are actually a little past the point I enjoy. The switch this week from a lower rep/heavy weight strength training routine to a higher rep/intense mass building routine has my muscles reeling. This is a good thing, of course. I'm sure this week will be the worst of the soreness.
I'm certainly proving my muscles with an ample, steady supply of nutrients and an ideal environment for growth: my diet this week has been absolutely 100% perfect, with no missed meals and no foods off my planned bulking diet. I've also been getting plenty of rest each night and, of course, have consumed no alcohol. If you want to maximize your hard work in the gym, you've got to support it with excellent nutrition and rest. I can't stress that enough.
Yesterday was my day off from training, and I was happy for the rest. Today I'll be back in the gym for my back and biceps "intensity" workout. I'm glad there will be no deadlifting today, as my legs are way too sore for that. I'll be doing some cleans, but they will be power cleans and won't really involve my legs. The three giant sets for my biceps at the end of the workout are going to be insane. There's no feeling quite like the feeling one gets after giving 100% to a tough workout; it's part of what spurs me on when I feel like I can't do another rep.
October 1, 2008
This is a difficult update for me to write, because I don't like backsliding, and that's exactly what I've done over the past few months (and, honestly, over the past year). I, of course, already knew this, but this morning's pictures, tape measurements and body fat reading shoved the cold, hard facts right in front of my face.
I haven't taken a body fat reading in quite some time, and that's probably because I knew I've gained some fat over the past couple of months. I guess I've been burying my head in the sand. I felt slightly shocked (but shouldn't have) when I saw the results of this morning's BF test: 11.8% (as measured by the Fat Track PRO Digital Body Fat Calipers). Yeah...
My tape measurements (as measured by the MyoTape) not only supported the body fat reading, but also showed how much muscle I've lost. Since the end of my cut in June I've gained 2 inches on my waist, an inch on my hips and over an inch on my thighs; I've lost a half inch from my arms, almost a half inch from my forearms and a quarter inch from my chest. All my stats are on the stats page.
My body fat percentage is much higher than what I'd like to start a bulk with, but I'm not going to back out now. I made my bed, now I've got to sleep in it. I'm going to work my butt off and pack on as much muscle as I can over the next three months. Hopefully muscle memory will allow me to make some extra nice gains. When I'm done bulking I expect that I'll have to cut for a fairly long time to get back down to 6% body fat, and I have no one to blame but myself for that.
On a positive note, this has been a learning experience. Also, it's not like I've slid into the abyss. Sure, I've made some mistakes, been a little lazy and got sloppy with my diet, but these mistakes can be corrected with a return to hard work, a clean diet and 100% dedication. My bulk is off to a great start in that regard, and I will continue to build on this early success with drive and enthusiasm.
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