The “Diet”?

I’ve been blogging my diet for the past few days. It is boring to read, but it lets me know what I’m taking in and how much of it. I’m really not concerned with how much fat, calories or carbs I ingest, just the protein. I’ll see how this goes for a few weeks and make adjustments where I see necessary. I think it is going help gain more lean muscle and lose some belly fat. So I’ll look for the changes more in the mirror than the scale.

6:00am: 4 eggs(24g), 16oz Milk(16g)

7:30am: Pop tart, banana

10:00am: 2oz Unsalted Peanuts(16g)

12:00pm:  2 Chicken Breasts( 80g), 1/2 Can of Peas(7g)

4:00pm:  16oz LowFat CC (52g)

7:00pm:  7 Eggs(42g), 16oz Milk(16g)

Today was squat day.  First time in a while I wasn’t beat up and it felt good.  We decided to keep the weight high and the volume low.

Bodyweight 266

SQUATS: 135×5, 225×5, 405×5, 475×5, 515×2, 525×2(Very Powerful)

Hack Squats w/pause: 3plates x5, 4plates x5, 5plates x7

Extensions: 3 sets of 10

Quick workout, I feel good about it though

B A C K

6:00am:  Apple juice, 4 eggs(24g protein)

8:30am:  Pop tart, bannna

12:00pm:  2 Chicken breasts(80g protein), can of peas(14g protein)

4:00pm: 16oz of LowFat CC (52g protein)

7:00pm: 16oz of Ground turkey(88g protein)w/salsa and beans(21g protein), 2 Glasses of milk(16g protein)

 Today was back day, I think it went really well.  We spent a little extra time on the exercises that pump up the back.

Bodyweight 268

Dumbell Rows: 70×10, 80×10, 90×10, 100×10, 120×12

Hammer Strength Pull Down: 90×10, 140×10, 180×10, 160×10, 160×10

Seated Row, Pull Downs to Chest and Machine Row: 3 sets of 10 on all

Things started off good…

Things started off good today.  My food intake was good, workout was so so.  

I ate good all day:

 6:00am   3 eggs

9:30am  bannana, pop tart

12:00pm  2 chicken breasts

4:00pm  10oz of cottage cheese, bannana

6:30pm  3 ribeye steaks

Chest/Triceps

Bench Press: 135×5, 225×5, 315×5, 365×3, 405×1 (Left shoulder hurt from log pressing Sunday)

Dumbell Bench: 70×7, 90×7, 110×7, 120×8

Nautilus Bench Press: 2 sets of 10 Normal Setting, 2 sets of 10 Advanced Setting

Upper Flies and Lower Flies: sets of 10, 15, 15

Tricep Pull Down: Many sets from many angles

Grip work with 150# Gripper: 7 sets of 10 each hand

You’re going back on your word Best!

After 1 day of event training I was hooked again.  I had set my competition schedule early in the year and even though Topeka was a nearby contest, I was going to pass on it.  Well, I went back on my word.  I’m going to compete in the heavyweight division and use this contest as a training day/stepping stone for the bigger contests in April and June.  The contest is February 9 so not a lot of time to prepare!

Here we go!

Today was a balmy 40 degrees and it’s two months out from competition so I went to do some event training at Jesse Jobe’s.  I wasn’t planning on setting any records today, I just want to ease back into the flow of things. 

Log press: 160×5, 210×5, 250×3, 230×3

Keg Runs: 200# keg – carry it 40 feet   Did this 5 times, I ran back and forth inbetween sets

Axle Deadlift: Did some sets of 5 with 200, 300, 400 and some singles on to 500

Stones: Loaded 1 at a time – 250, 270, 300, 360

All in all it was a good workout.  My log felt a little weak, but I know it will come back.  I was very happy with the stones, to hit 360 after 3 months off  tells me I’m ready for the 400# stones.  The keg runs suck, but this is the type of cardio I need to do.  It will help with medleys and loading runs.  I hope the weather stays nice, because I’d like to keep training every week.

The last two workouts have been different, I’m still wondering if I need more rest.  After Wednesday’s great workout, Thursday was less than spectacular.  My shoulders were so sore it was tough to work biceps, and now that GOLDs doesn’t keep chalk it is hard to hold on to heavy dumbells.  So Josh and I hit a few bi exercises and a few tri(they were shot from all the pressing on Wednesday) so I think it was enough.

Last Saturday we were pretty beat up so we only did 3 sets of squat, no other leg exercises for a week.  So today we maxxed out.  I felt decent, not great by any means. Here is what I did:

225×2, 315×2, 405×1, 495×1, 525×1, 545×1

I have hit 551 in competition and I know I have more in me, so I decided to go for 565.  I wasn’t afraid of the weight, and I got down low enough, I just didn’t have enough left in the tank…this time. 

Here is the video with music editing by my brother.

Today was chest and it was a GREAT workout!  I was able to get some great rep work in today in spite of working back yesterday. 

Bodyweight 268 

 Started on the bench

135×10, 225×10, 315×5, 355×5, 375×5, 405×1

Then we hit some great drop sets

335×5, 315×5, 315×3+2 assisted

Pec Dec:  3 sets of 12

Hammer Strength Press: 2 sets of 12

Incline Flies: 2 sets of 12

I’ve been listening to the Texas All-Stars for a little gym motivation.  I like this song in particliar, it has to do with “chasing paper” or getting money, but it can easily be applied to any day by day goal.  Putting in your work daily to get the results you desire.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QKqazSfRkg

Changing it up

Finally starting to listen to my body.  My posterior chain has been strained and overtrained for two weeks now.   Josh and I are going to continue training upper body and make the heavy deadlift and squat days less frequent.  After resting up this week, and possibly next we’ll max out on the three powerlifts.  I would like to get comfortable with the contest weight I’ll be using, and break through any fear of failing with that weight.  So even with the schedule changing and feeling beat, I still intend to make progress.

Tonight we worked back

Bodyweight 267

Wide Pull Downs to Front: 3 sets of 10

Barbell Rows: 115×10, 165×10, 215×10

Chest Supported Dumbell Rows: 3 sets of 10 with 50s

Hammer Strength Pull Down: 3 sets of 10

Chest Supported Machine Row: 3 sets of 10

Weekend

Squatted on Saturday

135×5, 225×5, 315×5, 405×5, 455×5

That was it.  Hips and back are strained.

Sunday

Explosive Bench Press

135×5, 225×10, 315×5, 375×2, 405×1

Shoulder Press, Smith Machine: 3 sets of 10

Inclined Front Raises: 3 sets of 10

Declined Front Raises: 3 sets of 10

Side Raises: 3 Sets of 10

Upright Rows: 3 sets of 10

Bicep Curls: 50×10, 60×7, 75×5, 50×10, 50×10

Machine Curls: 3 sets of 10

Still Looking…..

I remember my highschool weight room; dusty and dirty, shitty boom-box that was used to play the same cassette over and over sat in the corner and TONS of weight.  A lot of sweating, grunting and pushing for personal records everyday.  I miss that place. 

I remember the YMCA in SCB.  The same set up in many ways, not as big, but plenty of weight.  Guys having unspoken battles on the benches facing each other, or in squat racks side by side.  The same 7 guys in there everyday pushing each other.  That was awesome!

It seems now that those gyms are few and far between, and I’m still looking for my second home.  The gym is where I go to focus and get serious, a church if you will.  It’s where I go to let off steam after a tough day, or just to fight against the weight, trying to get stronger every week.  It is such a huge part of who I am as a person, it’s what I’ve done for so long.

Finding the right gym is tough.  You don’t want one that costs too much, or that is too far from home, doesn’t have what you need, or won’t let lift how you want to lift. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, but I hope I find it soon.