Daily News Archives

September 2008

 

09/30/2008 - I'm off and running: 1st day bulk report.
09/29/2008 - BULK!; Bigger Faster Stronger.
09/28/2008 - Tomorrow's the big day--join me!
09/27/2008 - Rainbow rings; Big grocery shopping day!
09/26/2008 - Random pre-bulk ramblings.
09/25/2008 - I have Lisa's cold, but I'm OK; Email problem; Off from work today.
09/24/2008 - Still feeling good; Final workout of the week today.
09/23/2008 - Lisa is sick; Turtle update; Big project launch went well.
09/22/2008 - Short update, work issues this morning.
09/21/2008 - So hot outside; HIIT cardio today.
09/20/2008 - Pre-bulk party this weekend.
09/19/2008 - Last leg workout before bulk; The popcorn thing.
09/18/2008 - Fresh food grocery list is pretty extensive; Strength is up!
09/17/2008 - My diet has been somewhat relaxed...
09/16/2008 - 2008 bulking training splits, principles and workouts.
09/15/2008 - 2008 bulking meal plans posted and discussed.
09/14/2008 - Fun weekend.
09/13/2008 - I keep oversleeping; Movie day; Popcorn is the new crack.
09/12/2008 - Skipped cardio yesterday.
09/11/2008 - Food log work has begun; Overslept again.
09/10/2008 - Healthy, all-natural toast?; Bulking food logs coming soon.
09/09/2008 - Strength returning quickly; HIIT cardio today; Turtle update.
09/08/2008 - Back workout today; SGX/SUP2 special; October "100 Challenge" open for entry.
09/07/2008 - Split change until my bulk.
09/06/2008 - Chores followed by a "guy movie" day.
09/05/2008 - Leg day, but no outdoor lifting; long day to end a short week.
09/04/2008 - Cheat meal slapback.
09/03/2008 - Weak; Today's workout; AtLarge 10% Off Sale!
09/02/2008 - This year's bulking meal plans in general terms; Today's workout.
09/01/2008 - Fun day yesterday; Very bloated; Monthly pictures.

 

September 30, 2008

My first day of bulking could not have gone better! I had to pay careful attention to the time all day yesterday because I'm still not adjusted to the new meal plan. Some of the food items (such as brown rice and sweet potatoes) require a fair amount of cooking time, and I have to be on my toes to make sure everything is ready on time. Thinking far enough ahead to make sure I have my proteins defrosted is another adjustment that takes a little extra care. In a few days the new diet will be second nature and won't seem like such big deal to keep up with.

While I'm on the subject of my bulking diet, I'd like to add that it's a good thing I enjoy the foods I'm eating so much. I really had to force myself to eat yesterday, and it would have been much more difficult if I didn't care for what I was eating. It's interesting to note that my caloric intake was just a little over 3,000 calories, and I was totally stuffed all day long, yet I was eating that many calories in popcorn and snacks in a single afternoon of watching movies without batting an eyelash. It's amazing how much "clean" food it takes to make up just 3,000 calories.

As for my workout, in a word: AWESOME! I made a small change, and decided to start this week off with the "intensity" workouts instead of the "core" strength workouts (Training splits & Principles, actual workouts). There are two reasons I decided to start with the "intensity" workouts: first, I've been training for strength recently, so shifting gears sounded like a good idea; second, I really felt like doing a high-intensity, brutal workout yesterday. With the switch from lower volume, heavy weight training to a very intense, higher rep workout, this morning my legs and glutes are, as expected, already quite sore.

This would have been a 3-day split week, but because I'm doing the "intensity" workouts it's a 4-day split. That means later today I'll be roasting my chest and triceps. I can't wait!

 

September 29, 2008

Today's the big day--the first day of my 2008 bulk! I just finished my breakfast (here's my 2008 bulk meal plan), and I am absolutely stuffed. The food was so good that I didn't mind forcing it all down. I think the reason I wasn't as hungry as usual this morning is because last night I had my final cheat meal (pizza and bread), and I'm feeling very bloated from it.

My official starting weight is 195 pounds, but that's a very bloated 195 pounds. I expect over the next couple of days I'll actually lose some water weight. I'm going to wait until tomorrow or Wednesday when I'm less bloated to take my measurements and body fat reading.

So my first workout is a low volume, but heavy "core" leg workout. Again, here are the training principles and splits I'll be following for this bulk, and here are the actual workouts for the first couple of weeks.

There's a new DVD out tomorrow that I think many of you will find very interesting. It's called Bigger Stronger Faster, and it was recomended to me by forum member "George" while we were hanging out on the JSF Cruise. I've not yet seen the documentary, but I've read very good things about it. I'm told that it's a brutally honest look at steroid use among athletes and, in particular, within director Christopher Bell's family. I'm looking forward to giving this DVD a spin later this week.

I can't believe I have to start cooking my sweet potato for meal #2 in about an hour. I'm so full. Oh well, somehow I'll manage. :)

Train hard, and see ya tomorrow!

 

September 28, 2008

I'm so bloated right now from yesterday's "free day" that taking pre-bulk measurements this morning would be inaccurate and pointless. I'm also planning to have a final day enjoying a relaxed diet before my bulk starts tomorrow, so I'll probably wait to take my measurements on Tuesday. I expect that my weight will actually drop the first few days of my bulk while I shed the excess water.

So, tomorrow's the big day. I can't wait! Yesterday Lisa purchased this week's fresh food items at the grocery store (the bill was almost twice the usual amount), I've got chicken breasts, orange roughy fish and 96% lean ground beef defrosting in the fridge (meal plan), and later today I'll be staging the gym for my very first 2008 bulk workout. This first week is a low volume, heavy "core" week, and tomorrow is leg training (here's the actual workout).

Today I'm going to relax, watch some movies, play some cards and basically do whatever I like and eat whatever I like. Even though I can have anything I want for breakfast, I'm going to eat the exact same meal I'll be eating while I'm bulking--I find it to be that good! Tonight before bed I'm going to give the dreaded popcorn machine a very thorough cleaning, wrap chains around it and lock it down. I will then mail the key to a friend in another state.

I'm kidding about chaining up the popcorn machine. I think.

OK, before I sign off I'd like to invite anyone who is looking to lose fat or gain some muscle to "join" me over the next few months. Let's work hard and really get some tangible results we can be proud of. You can count on me to follow through with my plan, and I'll be here posting each and every day. Let's do this!

 

September 27, 2008

I fell asleep last night with my contact lenses in (I've never done that before in my entire life) and now this morning, even after taking the contact lenses out, there are rainbow rings around all the lights and everything looks hazy. It's almost exactly like how things look after swimming in a pool and getting chlorine in your eyes. Thankfully now that I've been up for a couple of hours everything is almost back to normal.

Lisa just left for her weekly trip to the grocery store with an especially large shopping list in her hand. I'd planned to start my bulking diet a day early (Sunday), but because I've decided not to have any cheat meals while I'm bulking (save Christmas and Thanksgiving diners), I've changed my mind and instead am going to allow myself a free weekend to eat whatever I like. I may cry a little bit on Sunday night when I turn off my popcorn machine for the last time until my bulk is over. It must be done, though: turns out popcorn is like crack to me.

I'd better get moving--I've got a haircut this morning and then a few chores to do before I can relax and enjoy the rest of the weekend. Have a great day!

 

September 26, 2008

Happy Friday everyone! I'm doubly excited about this weekend because after all the planning and anticipation I'll finally be starting my bulking diet on Sunday, and my bulking training will commence on Monday. I'll be doing a complete set of measurements on Sunday or Monday morning, and I'm certain that they are going to be quite bad (for me). I've lost a lot of size over the past year, and my body fat has been creeping up since the JSF cruise.

This bulk means much more to me than just adding some muscle: it represents a return to training, diet and discipline that has (mostly) been lacking over the past year. Short of an injury, there will be no excuses and no deviation from my plan: 100% clean diet, no missed workouts, no alcohol, 8 hours of sleep every night, NO POPCORN and intense, brutal training sessions.

Because I'm starting this bulk with a higher body fat percentage than I'd like, I may wind up higher than my target of no more than 12% body fat by the time I'm finished. I can't worry about that now. I'll deal with any extra fat when I start cutting in January. Right now what I need to do is eat and train like a monster, and not worry about whether or not my abs are showing this winter.

Time to eat and get to work. Have a great day!

 

September 25, 2008

I definitely picked up whatever bug Lisa has, and I started to feel it a bit yesterday afternoon. I actually feel pretty good this morning, just a slight scratchy throat. I decided at the last minute yesterday afternoon that the smart play would be to skip my workout and allow my body its full resources to fight off the cold. I don't want to take any chances when it comes to starting my bulk as scheduled on Monday.

The IP address of my mail server changed about a week ago, and while updating the DNS zone files I made a typo for the johnstonefitness.com email server. Emails have been going out from the server just fine, but if you've sent me any email over the past week it will probably bounce. If you've sent me email this week, it's probably best to re-send it. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yesterday I completed debugging my big multi-month project that launched on Monday, and so today I'm rewarding myself by taking the day off from work! It's slightly cool outside (!!!), so I think I'm going to take advantage of that and get the yard work done this morning.

Thanks for stopping by--see ya tomorrow!

 

September 24, 2008

Lisa's still suffering from the effects of her cold, but thankfully I'm still feeling 100% and don't seem to have picked up anything from her. I'm going to train today, and hope that I don't regret it. If I do get her cold, I want my body to have full resources to fight it off, so hopefully training today won't wind up being a mistake. I'm already going to have the next four days off from training, and so I really don't want to miss this workout!

After today I'll be taking a few days off from training, and on Monday I'm gong to start my 2008 bulk! I'm very excited about my training and, of course, all the great foods I'll be eating. I think I mentioned a few days ago that I'm actually going to start eating my bulking diet a day early (on Sunday) to help fuel my first workout. Saturday night will be my last cheat meal and my last taste of alcohol for the next thirteen weeks. I was going to have a glass of red wine with my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, but after giving it some thought I changed my mind and have decided against doing that.

Train hard and have a great day!

 

September 23, 2008

Unfortunately Lisa is sick. It's not too bad--just a cold--but with my bulk starting on Monday I really hope I don't get what she has. I need to be 100% on Monday, so I'm trying to stay away from her. So far so good, I feel just fine.

Tomorrow will be my final workout (chest) before my bulk starts. As I mentioned a few days ago, my leg day will change from Friday to Monday for my bulk, so I'll be skipping Friday's leg workout since there's no way my legs will be recovered by Monday. I think the extra rest will do me some good--especially if my body needs to fight off whatever Lisa has.

This morning I'm taking Turtle to the specialist for her third malignant melanoma vaccine treatment. So far she's doing very well, and there have been no side effects or signs of any new tumors. After today's shot there's just one more to go in the series of four initial treatments, and then she'll just need one treatment every six months for the rest of her life. Go Turtle!

My big project launch at work yesterday was a success. As with most any large project there are some bugs that need to be squashed, but 95% of the functionality is working as planned. As happy as I am with the results, I've got a quite a punch list of minor issues that need to be addressed, and one semi-major issue. Hopefully I can get everything addressed before the weekend so I can relax and savor the accomplishment!

I'd better wrap this up. I need to eat, get a shower and get Turtle ready to go. Thanks for stopping by, have a fantastic day!

 

September 22, 2008

Well, I apologize but this is going to have to be a brief update. Today is the launch day of a huge project that I've been working on for the past several months, and I've got some last minute details to handle this morning. On top of that I've also got an entire apartment complex that just lost Internet service, so I've got to figure out what's going on there, too. It's not even 7:00 AM and this is already shaping up to a real "Monday" of a Monday! Hopefully things will calm down in time for my workout, but I might have to push it off until 6:00 or 7:00 tonight.

I'd better get to work. Have a great day!

 

September 21, 2008

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! Yesterday Lisa and I blew off cleaning the house, so this morning we'll be tackling that project. I should probably also get outside and wash the cars, too, but lately it's been so hot and muggy that being outside is not at all enjoyable. The 3+ hours it takes me to do the yard work each week is about all I can take at this point. I am so ready for cooler weather to arrive, but so far we've not had so much as a hint of relief from the heat. At least we have air conditioning, and I'm not going to be digging my car out from under the snow this winter. I don't know how you folks in the north do it!

I'm going to do some HIIT cardio this afternoon. I'm feeling a little bloated after yesterday's cheat meal of grilled hamburgers and fries, and nothing makes me feel better the day after a cheat meal than a good HIIT cardio session. I think I'm going to do 16 minutes: 45 seconds all out/45 seconds active recovery. Those last 15 seconds when you're going all out seem to go on forever, don't they? And 45 seconds never passed so quickly then those during the active recovery intervals! That's why I like HIIT cardio: it's as challenging as you want to make it, and I like challenges.

Countdown: just 1 week until my bulk starts!

 

September 20, 2008

Earlier this week there was a very strong possibility that I was going to have to work today and possibly on Sunday, but I completed the big project I've been toiling over for the past few months on Thursday! With my massive project "in the can", my weekend is completely--and somewhat unexpectedly--freed up. That's a great feeling, sort of like finding a $20.00 in your back pocket that you forgot about.

With just over a week until my bulk begins, these are the last remaining days before I will move to a 100% clean diet and give up alcohol for 3 months. So, guess what I'm going to be doing this weekend? That's right: movies, poker, vodka, popcorn and hamburgers on the grill. If you find me making rambling, drunken posts in the wasteland tonight, just ignore me.

I'm off to clean the house and get the pre-bulk party started! Have a great day!

 

September 19, 2008

Friday is here at last! Today will be my last leg workout before my bulk starts. Once I begin bulking (a week from Monday) my leg day moves from from Friday to Monday, so toasting my legs next Friday would not be too smart. So, next week I'm going to do my back and chest workouts as normal (Monday and Wednesday), and then I'm going to take the next 4 days off from training so that I'm fresh and rested for my first bulk workout. Again, if you missed it check Monday's update for my complete bulking food log and detailed discussion, and read Tuesday's update for all the training information (including sample workouts).

I was talking yesterday about all the fresh food Lisa will need to purchase each week while I'm bulking. She goes shopping every Saturday morning, so I think I'm going to start eating my bulking diet a day early (next Sunday). I figure it's not a bad idea to fill up the tank before I start my journey, and I'll certainly enjoy the food!

I've mentioned a few times recently that lately I've been indulging in some extra cheat snacks in the form of popcorn. I'm not going to lie: owning a commercial popcorn popper with plenty of real movie theater popcorn (coconut oil, Flavorcol seasoning and the exact same buttery topping used in theaters) on hand is definitely a huge temptation--especially for someone like me, who absolutely loves popcorn. Right now I have no problem allowing myself to relax my diet a bit, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that once my bulk starts the popcorn machine will go dark (unless Lisa wants to use it). Believe me, with all the food I'll be eating I'm pretty much going to be constantly stuffed anyway. Also, I'm going to be busting my butt in the gym, and there's no way I'm going to put any substandard foods in my body. I want maximum results for my hard work, and I firmly believe that a clean, healthy diet is critical part of that formula.

 

September 18, 2008

I was looking over my bulking food log last night, and I started making a grocery list of all the fresh food Lisa's going to need to buy every week when she goes shopping (with the exception of 96% lean ground beef I've already purchased my proteins). The grocery list is quite extensive--and this is just what I'll be eating; Lisa will purchase more for her needs, too...

1 loaf organic sprouted grain flourless bread, 112 Oz egg whites, 1.5 dozen whole eggs, 11 pounds red potatoes, 7 sweet potatoes/white potatoes, 3 pounds 96% lean ground beef, 1 bag brown rice, 7 bags frozen broccoli and 4 bags pre-washed salad greens. I'm already well-stocked on oats, natural peanut butter, olive oil and Nitrean.

Of course that list will vary somewhat from week to week depending on which proteins I use (for example, substituting eye of round steak for the 96% lean ground beef).

I can't believe my bulk is just a little over a week away. I'm so excited about it! My strength is up and I'm feeling good in the gym. The extra food I've been eating (*cough* popcorn *cough*) may not be great from a visible abs standpoint, but I don't care about that right now. I've got lots of energy and my workouts have been very good. Anyway, get used to me looking soft for the next few months. Even though I won't put as much fat on as I have in previous years' bulks, all these carbs are going to make me look very bloated. That's just the genetic hand I was dealt.

OK, I'd better get to work now. Thanks for stopping by!

 

September 17, 2008

If you missed the past couple of updates and are curious about what I'll be eating and how I'll be working out during my upcoming bulk, you'll want to check out Monday's update for my complete food log and detailed discussion, and yesterday's update for all the training information (including sample workouts).

I've been pretty lax with my diet as of late. Last night I made some popcorn and I really shouldn't have. I just couldn't resist the craving. I think the reason why I'm lacking dietary discipline right now is because I know that summer is over, and I'll be adding some fat in the upcoming months anyway... so why deny myself an extra treat or two? I'm not saying that is sound logic, or that it's a smart idea, but there it is. Looking at the big picture, I suppose it's probably not a bad idea to relax a bit before my bulk starts: once it does I'm going to have to be very strict and structured. I guess a couple extra pounds of fat are not going to be the end of the world in the grand scheme of things.

I'd better get to work. I've got a huge project that I've been working on that will be deployed Monday, and there are a lot of last minute details I need to attend to. Have a great day!

 

September 16, 2008

If you missed yesterday's update, I posted and discussed my diet and supplement plans for my upcoming bulk (which starts on September 29, 2008).

Today I'd like to post and talk about my 2008 bulk training splits, training principles and samples of the actual workouts I'll be doing.

First, let's go over the training schedule I will be following for my 2008 bulk. I will be alternating 1 week of "core" training with one week of "intensity" training.

The "core" workouts will focus on very heavy, low volume compound lifts and are designed to increase my strength. I'm only going to be doing one or two exercises per muscle group during the core weeks. I'll do approximately 4 warm-up sets followed by 4 increasingly difficult working sets--the last of which will be close to my 1RM and will end in failure.

The "intensity" workouts are designed for hypertrophy, and will be considerably higher in volume compared to the core workouts. The "intensity" workouts are also designed to provide functional rest from the very heavy core training. I'm going to be doing all kinds of things to shock my body into growth and up the intensity: supersets, drop sets, rest-pause sets, giant sets... I'm also going to be using exercises that I've either never done before, or use infrequently (including Olympic lifts such as hang cleans, high pulls, jump shrugs and so on.)

As I mentioned yesterday, in order to keep fat gains to a minimum, I'll be doing several weeks of bulking followed by short periods of cutting. The plan is to bulk/cut for a total of 13 weeks, as follows: 4 weeks of bulking (September 29, 2008 - October 26, 2008), 1 week of cutting (October 27, 2008 - November 2, 2008), 4 weeks of bulking (November 3, 2008 - November 30, 2008), 1 week of cutting (December 1, 2008 - December 7, 2008) and, finally, 3 weeks of bulking (December 8, 2007 - December 28, 2008).

Again, I will alternate "core" and "intensity" weeks the entire time. I will also be performing HIIT cardio during the cutting weeks. Here are my training splits:

BULKING WEEKS
(September 29, 2008 - October 26, 2008; November 3, 2008 - November 30, 2008; December 8, 2008 - December 28, 2008)

CORE
Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
Thursday: Off
Friday: Back & Biceps
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

INTENSITY
Monday: Quads & Hamstrings
Tuesday: Chest & Triceps
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Back & Biceps
Friday: Delts, Traps & Calves
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Off

 

CUTTING WEEKS
(October 27, 2008 - November 2, 2008; December 1, 2008 - December 7, 2008)

CORE
Monday: Legs; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Tuesday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Wednesday: Chest, Delts & Triceps
Thursday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Friday: Back & Biceps; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Saturday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Sunday: Off

INTENSITY
Monday: Quads & Hamstrings; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Tuesday: Chest & Triceps
Wednesday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Thursday: Back & Biceps
Friday: Delts, Traps & Calves; 9 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Saturday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)
Sunday: 16 Minutes HIIT Cardio (PM)

 

These are the general training principles I will be following for my 2008 bulk.

CORE

 

INTENSITY

 

Here are my actual workouts for the first "core" week and "intensity" week. As you can see, I'm going to start squatting again for the first time since I injured my back. Actually, I did squats last week and everything felt fine. Mentally it was a bit of a hurdle to get back under the bar, but I'm ready now.

For future reference, I've updated my Training page and Food & Supplement Log page with all the information I've posted over the past couple of days.

I think that covers everything! Now all I have to do is execute the plan. I'm looking forward to it.

 

September 15, 2008

My 2008 bulking meal plan has been completed and posted! I'd like to talk a bit about what I'll be consuming during this year's bulk (which starts on September 29, 2008)...

First off, you'll quickly notice that there are two distinct meal plans: one for bulking and one for cutting. The reason for the two meal plans is because I'll be injecting two brief periods of cutting (1 week each) with my bulking weeks (this is sometimes called "culking"). The idea behind this is to help keep my fat gains down. I will certainly add some fat on this bulk, but I don't want a repeat of my 2006 bulk, during which I reached 236 pounds and 19% body fat. Putting on that much fat made for a very protracted cut--I had to lose a ridiculous 50 pounds in order for me to get back down to 6% body fat; I don't want to go through that again.

My daily caloric intake during bulking weeks (weeks 1-4, 6-9 and 11-13) is a around 3,000 calories. Roughly 20% of my caloric intake will be from fats, 45% from carbs and 35% from protein. You'll notice that (aside from protein powder) there are absolutely no processed foods in my diet. This "clean" diet is not an accident: I believe "clean", all-natural foods are very important if you want to maximize your results.

Moving on to the cutting weeks of the meal plan (weeks 5 and 10), you'll notice that my daily caloric intake has been reduced by around 500 calories per day. I'll still be getting roughly 20% of my calories from healthy fats, but I'll be reducing my carbohydrate intake to just 30% of my total calories, while proteins will make up close to 50% of my macronutrient intake.

I will sometimes substitute one equivalent protein for another in order to stave off dietary boredom. For example, I might choose to have shrimp one day instead of orange roughy. I'll try to stay as close as I can to my posted macros, but they may vary slightly from day-to-day. Unless you compete, it seems pointless to make everything an exact science. Sort of takes the fun out of it, you know?

I will be having 1 "cheat" meal per week during my bulking weeks, and no "cheat" meals during my cutting weeks.

My supplement intake is fairly simple: a good multi-vitamin, an oil blend, joint support, AtLarge's RESULTS (which contains dextrose, Beta Alanine, HMB and creatine), glutamine and amino acids.

Other than a glass of red wine with my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, I will be consuming absolutely no alcohol. Also, I'll be getting a minimum of 8 hours sleep each and every night.

I may need to alter these food plans as the bulk progresses. When and if I do, I'll post new the food plans.

I'm out of time, but tomorrow I'll post and go over my training splits and principles.

I want to thank my friend and professional natural bodybuilder "Mastover" for his invaluable assistance and input into my training and diet for this year's bulk!

 

September 14, 2008

I hope everyone is having a terrific weekend so far! Lisa and I had a blast yesterday just hanging out and watching movies with her parents and the dogs.

This morning Lisa and I need to get outside and trim some plants before it gets too hot, and then I'm going to do an HIIT cardio session. After that I'm probably going to play some poker and watch another movie. I also need to take some time and finalize my bulking diet at some point today. I hope to be able to post my bulking meal plans tomorrow morning...

Well, I'm going to get outside and get to work. Have a great day!

 

September 13, 2008

I've got to stop oversleeping! This morning I slept until almost 7:00 AM, and probably would have slept longer if Loki hadn't started licking my face. Last night I was in bed by 9:00 PM and asleep by 9:45, so it's not like I've been staying up late. I've been waking up in the middle of the night and having a little difficulty falling back asleep (I've got a lot on my mind right now), so that has to be the reason. None of the tricks that I use to fall back asleep are helping. I don't feel tired or anything--actually I feel pretty good--so I guess it's not a huge deal, but it does throw my schedule off a bit.

Today is family movie day, and tonight we'll all be having a cheat meal of pizza. It should be a very fun day! On the subject of cheat foods, I've been eating way too much popcorn lately, and I have definitely added some fat as a result. I've got to start restricting my popcorn consumption to just once a week again. I swear, that stuff is more addictive than crack. I may have to burn my popcorn machine if I can't get a handle on my cravings.

Well, I'm off to clean the house and get ready for today's festivities. Enjoy your Saturday!

 

September 12, 2008

It's Friday, and it's leg day. It looks like it's going to be a nice, sunny day, so the plan is to do part of my workout in the back yard. I didn't do cardio yesterday (I should have), so I think I'm going to add some medium weight barbell step-ups in order to add a cardio aspect to part of my workout.

As I mentioned above, I should have done some cardio yesterday afternoon after work, but I decided to skip it, pop some popcorn and play poker until bed time. :o I'm going to have to work extra hard today to burn off some of those calories. Also, this weekend we're having guests over for movies and my weekly cheat meal (looking like pizza at this point), so I'll probably get a cardio session in this weekend as well. As I've said, I don't care about fat loss right now, but I also don't want to head into my bulk with any more fat than I already have. I will do a 7-point body fat measurement before I start my bulk on the 29th, but if I had to guess I'd say I'm somewhere between 9% and 10% body fat right now.

I'm going to get back to work now. I'd like to cut out around 4:00 PM this afternoon if I can and get an early start on the weekend. Happy Friday!

 

September 11, 2008

September 11, 2001

I started digging into my bulking diet plan yesterday, and fired off a preliminary plan to Mastover for his review. He got back to me with some great suggestions, some of which I'll definitely be incorporating. I should have some time to mess around with the spreadsheet a little more this evening, but I'm not sure if I'll have it done by tomorrow. I'd say the final bulking diet plan will be up by Monday at the latest. Again, I'd like to thank Mastover for his valuable input. No matter how much you know (and I'm not saying I know much!), it never hurts to get input from people who's opinions you respect. Many of the best bodybuilders in the world use personal trainers and nutrition experts.

I overslept this morning (again). I'm not sure why I've been sleeping until 6:30 lately. Even more unusual is that my dogs are letting me sleep until 6:30! Generally Loki is standing on my chest (he weighs almost 70 pounds) licking my face if I'm not up by 6:00 AM sharp. I sometimes have bruises on my legs and chest in the shape of paw prints.

I'd better get to work. Unlike last week, this week seems to be flying by. I can't believe it's already Thursday.

Thanks for stopping by--train hard, and have a fantastic day!

 

September 10, 2008

I woke up absolutely starving this morning! Lately for breakfast I've been eating egg whites with garlic and cilantro, grapefruit and a couple slices of organic sprouted 100% whole grain flourless toast. I've really been enjoying the toast with my egg whites, and this bread (made by "Food for Life") is so healthy and all-natural that I think I'm going to see if I can work it into my bulking diet at meal #1. A big egg white omlette, whole grain toast, quartered roasted red potatoes and a a protein shake sounds like an awesome bulking breakfast, don't you think? That will probably be my favorite meal of the day when I'm bulking. I never get tired of those foods, and the roasted red potatoes are incredible. Just a couple hours after that big meal I'll be having a chicken breast and baked potato. I love bulking. :)

I've been very busy, but as soon as I have time I'm going to sit down and finalize my bulking diet and supplement intake. I should have time to do that one evening this week, or this weekend at the latest. Expect my complete food logs and training routines to be posted very soon.

Speaking of training, today I'll be working my chest using very heavy weights (except the cable crossover stuff): barbell bench press, DB incline press, weighted chest dips and some burnout cable crossover work to finish up. Despite going heavy, my shoulder has not given me a lick of trouble in a long time. I certainly hope that trend continues.

Train hard, and have a great day!

 

September 9, 2008

My strength seems to be returning pretty quickly, and that's a huge relief. I remember feeling a little down after last week's back workout, but yesterday I came out of the gym feeling awesome! I added 20 pounds to my deads (over last week's workout), and did three sets of 7/6/6. That last rep on the final set was TOUGH--my legs were shaking all over the place and I had to dig deep to lock it out, but I did it. I'm still a long way from my peak strength, so this was a nice victory, but the battle is far from over. Next week I think adding another 20 pounds might be a bit too ambitious, so I'll try adding 10 pounds and see if I can get at least three sets of six at that weight.

I added 10 pounds to my bent-over barbell rows and T-bar rows, and I added 5 pounds to my weighted wide-grip pull-ups. Next week I'm going to try to increase all of these exercises by the same amounts.

Today I'm going to do some afternoon HIIT cardio. Again, I'm only doing cardio right now to keep my cardiovascular system in decent shape--fat loss is not a concern. The heavy, low rep, long rest lifting that I'm doing right now is great for building strength, but there is no real cardio challenge. I'm going to need to be in good cardio shape when I switch to my bulking program on the 29th of this month: the "intensity" workouts will absolutely kill me if I'm not. I don't want my cardio fitness level to hold me back in any way once I start bulking.

I'd better get going: Turtle is going in for her second cancer treatment this morning and I need to eat, shower and get on the road. By the way, Turtle still seems to be doing well. Of course she was only diagnosed with the malignant melanoma a few weeks ago, so it's still too early to really know how she's responding to the experimental treatment she's undergoing. The important thing is that she is still happy, playful and comfortable. :dreamy:

 

September 8, 2008

I'm surprised that this morning my legs feel fully recovered from Friday's workout. I'm going to go ahead and do my back workout today, and change my workout schedule for this week to M-W-F. I'm going to do the same exercises I did last week (hopefully with more weight): deadlifts, weighted wide-grip pull-ups, T-bar rows and bent-over barbell rows. Again, no isolation exercises right now, so no direct bicep work until I start my bulk.

As many of you know, I've worked with Chris "Swolecat" Janusz four times in the past: two cuts using his SGX program and two bulks using the SUP2 bulking program, all of which were highly successful. Chris is also a long-time sponsor of the forum, and has helped countless JSF members lose fat and gain muscle with his customized programs and personal attention to each client. If you've been thinking about hiring Chris to help you, or if you are simply looking for a customized training and nutrition plan that will allow you to reach your goals, then now is the time to hire Chris! He has some open slots, and is running an awesome discount special right now. He only accepts a limited number of clients at a time, so it's first come, first serve. Chris will be posting a thread in the Fat Loss forum sometime this morning with all the details; look for it "stuck" at the top of the page.

As I mentioned last month, I'm going to start opening the "100 Challenges" for entry a little earlier in the month. I want everyone who wants to participate to have plenty of time to get registered. Details for the October 2008 challenge are immediately below.

Registration for the October 2008 "100 Challenge" is now underway! Your Official Challenge post must be made by 7:00 AM (EDT) on October 1, 2008 if you plan to participate--NO EXCEPTIONS! To participate, you must be a member of the forum. If you are not a member, simply create a free account. It can take up to 24 hours for your account to be activated, so don't wait until the last minute to register! For all the details, official rules and sample entry data, just head over to the October 2008 "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!

 

September 7, 2008

Yesterday was a lot of fun! Hopefully all the food I ate will be put to good use as my body continues to recover from last week's workouts.

Speaking of last week's workouts, I forgot to mention that I'm utilizing a 3-day split until my bulk starts. The reason for this is because I'm not doing any isolation work. Again, right now all I care about is building my strength up as much as possible before I start my bulk on the 29th of this month.

My split is very simple right now, and all my exercises are heavy compounds:

Tuesday: Back
Wednesday: Chest
Friday: Legs

Today I don't have a whole lot going on, which sounds great to me: a little poker, a couple movies, some play time with the dogs... nice. :)

 

September 6, 2008

I have no idea why this past work week (which was only 4 days long) felt like a friggin' month, but I'm very glad it's finally Saturday. Lisa and I have to clean the house and then I have to go get a haircut, but after those chores are done I'm free for the rest of the day. Lisa's parents are coming over this afternoon; Lisa and her mom are going shopping, while Lisa's dad and I are going to have a "guy movie" day. We're going to gorge ourselves on popcorn while we watch all the violent action movies that our better halves vetoed at our family movie get-togethers. Tonight when the girls are done shopping they are going to stop off on the way home and pick up some pork barbeque for dinner. It should be a very fun day!

I'm so sore right now that some rest and relaxation is going to do me a lot of good. My legs are already feeling pretty sore from yesterday's workout, and by tomorrow I'm probably going to be limping around. No cardio or lifting today or tomorrow, just rest and recovery.

I'd better get started cleaning. Enjoy your day!

 

September 5, 2008

Today is leg day, and I was hoping to do some backyard barbell lunges, but it looks like we're in for some wet weather as tropical storm "Hanna" passes us by. I guess I'll do DB lunges indoors instead, but it's not the same. I've really grown to love doing some of my weight training outdoors. In fact, I may start doing my Olympic lifts out there, as many of the those lifts are a pretty tight fit in my small gym.

Even though this was a short work week, it feels like it's been dragging on forever. I have a lot to accomplish today, but it looks like I'm going to have to break away for a meeting. That meeting is going to set me back 3 or 4 hours, and means that I'll have to work late tonight, which I'd really rather not do. Oh well--at least it's Friday!

 

September 4, 2008

I ate an unscheduled cheat meal last night, and paid for it. I had Chinese food: General Tso's Chicken and Sweet & Sour Shrimp. The food was very good, but I slept horribly because of it. I kept waking up feeling hot, flushed and parched. I must have downed at least a liter of water overnight. This morning I overslept by 45 minutes, and I feel tired, bloated and groggy. So not worth it...

My weight training schedule is shifted forward by one day this week, so today I have off from lifting. This morning I need to work up a good sweat and get rid of some of this bloat, so I'm going to go do at least an hour of LISS cardio.

Of all the days to oversleep, this was not a very good one. I've got so much to do today that I have no idea how I'm going to get it all done. Despite today's heavy workload, I'm going to take at least an hour this morning to work up a good sweat on the bike. A good morning cardio workout always helps me get focused and starts the day off on a positive note.

Thanks for stopping by--train hard, and have a great day!

 

September 3, 2008

Man, I've lost a lot of strength over the past year. Yesterday (back workout) I went very heavy on all my exercises, and was surprised by how weak my lifts have become. I'm deadlifting around 75 pounds less than I was a year ago. I'm glad that I've decided to focus on strength building for the weeks leading up to my bulk. I think increased strength will benefit me a great deal when my focus shifts from strength to hypertrophy on the 29th. In the meantime, even though I lift alone it's a bit of a blow to my ego feeling so "weak". I'm very competitive with myself, so yesterday's workout--while solid--was a bitter pill to swallow.

After yesterday's workout I was feeling a little down, but this morning I'm feeling challenged and fired up! There's only one way to get my strength back, and that's hard work. Today I'll be working my chest (no direct tricep work right now), and I'm going to do barbell bench press, DB incline press and weighted chest dips (and maybe some burnout cable crossover work at the end of my workout--shhhh!) Again, all very heavy, 3 sets per exercises, 4-6 reps per set and 2-3 minutes between sets.

It's been a long time since AtLarge Nutrition had a sale, so I'm happy to announce that they are currently running a 10% off sale! This is perfect timing for me, because I need protein and I'll be using RESULTS while I'm bulking. I'm all over this sale. Details are immediately below this update.

 

AtLarge Nutrition - 10% Off Sale!

Up until Monday, September 8, 2008, we will be discounting all orders placed by 10%!

If you have been waiting to try some AtLarge Nutrition supplements or simply want to stock up on your current supplement supply - do so now and save 10% on your order!

How to claim your 10% discount:
Place your order as normal, and when you get to the payment information page, you will see a box labeled "Discount Coupon". Simply enter the following coupon code to receive your 10% discount: septsale

Your discount will then be clearly shown on the confirmation page!

Thank you for your business!

Daniel Clough and Chris Mason
Co-Owners AtLarge Nutrition, LLC

 

 

September 2, 2008

This is going to be a short work week, and it's shaping up to be a fairly busy one. I'm going to try and take some time in the evenings to start getting my 2008 bulking diet and training plans solidified. It's actually not going to be a whole lot of work: I'll be using the same diet and training that I was using for last year's bulk (which I had to cut very short due to the move). I do need to modify last year's meal plans, though: this year I'll be using AtLarge's RESULTS, and I also weigh less now than I did last year. Hopefully Mastover will be able to take some time out of his busy schedule (he's about 8 weeks out from his 84th body building competition!) to review the meal plans.

I skipped yesterday's workout because, well, I sat on my butt and watched movies all day. So today I'll be doing the back and biceps workout I should have done yesterday. Actually I'm not doing any direct bicep work right now: I'm 100% focused on compound exercises as I build my strength for my upcoming bulk. I think I'm going to do some deadlifts, weighted wide-grip pull-ups, T-bar rows and bent-over barbell rows. All very heavy, 3 sets per exercises, 4-6 reps per set and 2-3 minutes rest between sets.

Right now I've got to go eat and get back to work--I've got a lot to do today.

 

September 1, 2008

Lisa and I had a lot of fun yesterday! Her parents came over and we all (dogs included) followed the intoxicating smell of popcorn upstairs to the home theater lobby. After a while we made our way over to the theater and enjoyed a film while scarfing down an insane amount of fresh buttered popcorn and soda. After the movie was over we sat around chatting, and then I made everyone sirloin burgers on the grill. I don't like to indulge like that very often, but it sure is fun on occasion.

So this morning I, of course, woke up with about 5 pounds of water bloat. I expected as much after eating all that salty popcorn. The problem is I had to take my monthly progress photos this morning! I won't moan about it--I knew I'd be bloated this morning if I had a massive cheat day yesterday. So, with no whining, here are this month's photos.

Oh, I had to move to another room (again) for my monthly progress photos. For a few months after we moved into the new house I was taking the monthly pictures in the bonus room upstairs; when that space became the theater lobby, there was no longer a good spot for me to take them in there. So last month I moved to another room, but since then we turned that room into a library, and now there's no place in there for me to take my pictures. I was having a tough time this morning finding an empty swatch of wall with enough room for the camera to be placed far enough away to capture my entire body. I finally located a good spot in the kitchen nook. I have to move a plant when I need to take the pictures, but that's no big deal. I like lighting better in this new spot, too. I think my pictures (from a technical standpoint) should finally be pretty consistent once again from now on.

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