I have an issue with sympathy sometimes. I'm supposed to care, but sometimes I just can't.
For example, last night I found out that a friend who has been out of work for an extended period of time (over 4 years) may have their house foreclosed on unless they come up with a certain sum of money. Mind you, said friend has 2 houses, 4 cars, and refuses to part with any of them because of "sentimental value".
I don't really feel all that bad.
I mentioned a year ago parting with one house, maybe two of the cars. I got glared at and told I was out of my mind and it wasn't an option. Now when it's dire straits, I still don't hear that being an option. So, they might lose something they've struggled so hard to keep because of an unwillingness to go beyond the "feel good" and the memories and live in the realm of practicality. You want to keep this - you need to get rid of that.
So it is with how we train. I see guys work hard, but they undo themselves at every turn by going on drinking binges, eating crap for food, and not getting enough rest from the gym or sleep, where the body restores and rebuilds itself. Hell I do it to myself so I'm being even more critical of myself than anyone else.
You want progress? Do the things to make progress. Make the sacrifices; don't go to happy hour, don't feed yourself garbage, and get the rest you need. Radical success and radical positive changes in body composition require sacrifice, discipline, and hard work.
Don't undo yourself.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Staying the course...
Upper 2:
Incline Bench:
wu
5 x 6 x 185
1 x 5 x 185
One Arm DB rows:
3 x 10 x 85
Lat PD with the D-Handle Bar:
3 x 8 x 140
SS Hammer Curlz/Tri Pulldownz:
2 x 12 x 35 / 2 x 12 x 50
Out.
Incline Bench:
wu
5 x 6 x 185
1 x 5 x 185
One Arm DB rows:
3 x 10 x 85
Lat PD with the D-Handle Bar:
3 x 8 x 140
SS Hammer Curlz/Tri Pulldownz:
2 x 12 x 35 / 2 x 12 x 50
Out.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Lower Body...ow...
Legs tonight. Wooo!
Squats:
wu
6 x 6 x 245
Assistance work, like adductor/abductor, etc.
Light set of ham curls to burn 'em on out.
I already can't walk.
Squats:
wu
6 x 6 x 245
Assistance work, like adductor/abductor, etc.
Light set of ham curls to burn 'em on out.
I already can't walk.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
It's goin' down this week!
Very excited about what this week will bring. It's goin' down! Going to dominate every facet of this week.
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Injury Bug...
Well.
Special Olympics was this past week. I worked the event as security staff, and had a great time with it. One small problem.
Sometime during the Games on Monday, I tweaked my back somehow. The spasms were so bad that I nearly needed help getting to my truck after a late dinner on Monday night. Lots of stretching, heat, and ice and rest have gotten me back to nearly 100% as of tonight. I feel much better.
The sad part is, it took away a week's worth of training. I could hardly function daily, let alone trying to go to the gym.
These are the weeks that we all face sometimes on the road to our goals. Just have to keep working hard to rehab those wounds, know when the body can and can't go, and watch out for the injury bug no matter what it is we're doing.
Stay strong. Back to the gym on Monday.
Special Olympics was this past week. I worked the event as security staff, and had a great time with it. One small problem.
Sometime during the Games on Monday, I tweaked my back somehow. The spasms were so bad that I nearly needed help getting to my truck after a late dinner on Monday night. Lots of stretching, heat, and ice and rest have gotten me back to nearly 100% as of tonight. I feel much better.
The sad part is, it took away a week's worth of training. I could hardly function daily, let alone trying to go to the gym.
These are the weeks that we all face sometimes on the road to our goals. Just have to keep working hard to rehab those wounds, know when the body can and can't go, and watch out for the injury bug no matter what it is we're doing.
Stay strong. Back to the gym on Monday.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Not every night is a success
Tonight was supposed to be a lower body day.
Not every day is successful though. Eating was perfect, everything was in line. Unfortunately, I got sucked into something I did not expect to have an issue with. It consumed all my available training time.
That said, not every failure is the end of the road. We'll adjust, we'll bounce back, and get back on track.
Not every day is successful though. Eating was perfect, everything was in line. Unfortunately, I got sucked into something I did not expect to have an issue with. It consumed all my available training time.
That said, not every failure is the end of the road. We'll adjust, we'll bounce back, and get back on track.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Fundamentals Part 2 - Program
I have a real appreciation for power lifting movements. So much so that I focus the core of my work around them. A lot of folks who are all about losing fat and such decide that they need to mount up on a treadmill and stay there for hours on end, or do a lot of different exercises for a lot of sets and reps. That doesn't work like they think it will. That will only make a smaller version of you - it won't change your body composition. Curl a beer can 100 times. Sure, you'll get a burn, but you won't build muscle, which in turn raises your resting metabolic rate and helps burn fat.
That said, right now I'm working a four day split, centered around power/compound movements. I break down into two days for upper body, and two for lower. Here's what it looks like:
That said, right now I'm working a four day split, centered around power/compound movements. I break down into two days for upper body, and two for lower. Here's what it looks like:
Upper Day 1: Bench, back thicknessIt should be noted that I didn't list sets and reps. It's because even I don't know how many I'll do. If I'm going heavy (working close to max weights), I'll do a lot of sets of singles, or 2-3 reps. If I'm working lighter weights, I'll work maybe 4-5 sets at 70%, but reps upwards of 8. Short rest periods - nothing longer than a minute. I am rarely in the gym much longer than 75 to 90 minutes. Get in, get the work done, and get out. Best way to get it all done.
Flat Bench, variations sometimes include DB's and different grips such as wide or close grip, depending on a point of emphasis I may or may not want.
Barbell Rowing. The single best move, in my opinion, to add to back thickness is to put some weight on a bar and row it.
Low Cable Rows. Generally I use a narrow grip for this to fire up the rest of the back that didn't get hit with the barbell rows.
One each of direct bicep and tricep exercises (curls, dips, etc.).
Lower Day 1: Legs, Ham Heavy
Squats - and lots of them. Sometimes using the sumo variation also, but primarily it's to hammer the entirety of the legs but hams play a heavy role in squatting.
SLDL's or RDL's - either variation of stiff leg or Romanian deadlifts to really activate the hamstring muscles directly, while calling on other muscles to assist.
Other assistance work from there, such as pull-throughs, adductor and abductor machine, sometimes some seated ham curls for exhaustion.
Upper Day 2 - Bench, Back Width
Incline Benching, using either the Smith machine or DB's, or rigging up the squat rack to use the barbell (my gym lacks a proper incline bench station anymore).
Chins, using narrow or wide grip
Lat Pulldowns, using whichever grip I didn't use for chins
One each bicep and tricep exercise again (curls, dips, etc.)
*sometimes* some raises to hit the shoulders a little more.
Lower Day 2: Legs, quad heavy
Deadlifts. The king of all, and while primarily a low back exercise you do engage the legs hard here.
Leg Press. Self Explanatory.
Front squats. Again self explanatory.
Some other assistance after all that.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
The Myth of Hardcore
I spend some time on YouTube, getting motivation to move more weight than I ever have in my life (as well as seeking my own entertainment). I have to laugh at the "hardcore" fanboys a bit.
It seems there's a myth being perpetuated in the lifting community. In order to be hardcore, you have to wear combat boots, lift in a dingy, dark, busted up gym, and grunt, scream and yell through every rep. To me, that's a complete and total myth.
You can be hardcore and work out in Planet Fitness with all the latest, newest equipment (a lot of the machines, in my mind, are a waste of time though). You can be hardcore and work out in a place that paints their walls teal and yellow. Hardcore is a state of mind, not where you work out or what you wear while doing so.
For me, I train in old t-shirts and standard issue basketball shorts, not in flannels or string tank tops and jeans or "jorts" (think John Cena's ring wear). No combat boots - just a pair of Nike "Dri-Fit" cross trainers that I live in except for work and church.
It's a state of mind. It's turning down happy hour at the bar for happy hour with the barbell and dumbbells. It's turning down the cupcakes and extra cup of coffee at the office for your mid-morning meal and another bottle of water. It's making the time to cook your food for a day, or a couple of days, rather than watching the Super Bowl (trust me, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow) and pigging out on junk food.
It's that state of mind that doesn't change because it's January and vacation is coming in March. It doesn't change because you want to look like you did 10 years ago.
It says that you need to get up that hour earlier to hit the gym, or make and package up meals for the day. It means making sure that whatever supplements you take are ready to go, and taken at their appropriate times. Using the same grocery list week in and week out.
It's not one of those things - or maybe it's all of them.
Anyone can be "hardcore". From the biggest, most fit guy you know to the biggest computer geek in the IT department. It's all about the mindset and standard you hold. It has nothing to do with dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, and it certainly is not about flaunting. Age and gender don't matter, and I know for myself I don't care if anyone notices or not.
Focus within. Be dedicated and hold yourself to a higher standard. Be hardcore.
It seems there's a myth being perpetuated in the lifting community. In order to be hardcore, you have to wear combat boots, lift in a dingy, dark, busted up gym, and grunt, scream and yell through every rep. To me, that's a complete and total myth.
You can be hardcore and work out in Planet Fitness with all the latest, newest equipment (a lot of the machines, in my mind, are a waste of time though). You can be hardcore and work out in a place that paints their walls teal and yellow. Hardcore is a state of mind, not where you work out or what you wear while doing so.
For me, I train in old t-shirts and standard issue basketball shorts, not in flannels or string tank tops and jeans or "jorts" (think John Cena's ring wear). No combat boots - just a pair of Nike "Dri-Fit" cross trainers that I live in except for work and church.
It's a state of mind. It's turning down happy hour at the bar for happy hour with the barbell and dumbbells. It's turning down the cupcakes and extra cup of coffee at the office for your mid-morning meal and another bottle of water. It's making the time to cook your food for a day, or a couple of days, rather than watching the Super Bowl (trust me, that's what I'll be doing tomorrow) and pigging out on junk food.
It's that state of mind that doesn't change because it's January and vacation is coming in March. It doesn't change because you want to look like you did 10 years ago.
It says that you need to get up that hour earlier to hit the gym, or make and package up meals for the day. It means making sure that whatever supplements you take are ready to go, and taken at their appropriate times. Using the same grocery list week in and week out.
It's not one of those things - or maybe it's all of them.
Anyone can be "hardcore". From the biggest, most fit guy you know to the biggest computer geek in the IT department. It's all about the mindset and standard you hold. It has nothing to do with dressing a certain way, acting a certain way, and it certainly is not about flaunting. Age and gender don't matter, and I know for myself I don't care if anyone notices or not.
Focus within. Be dedicated and hold yourself to a higher standard. Be hardcore.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Fundamentals - Part 1
Let's start with my personal basics. I'm 38 years old, some days feeling like 18 and others 83.
My gym experience: I've been training hard for the past 4+ years. I went from basically having no strength to having the following bests:
Bench - 225lbs
Squat - 275lbs
Deadlift - 405lbs
I have struggled the most with my bench - for whatever reason it just won't budge. I seem to be a natural at the deadlift and my legs have always seemed to be a dominant strong part of my body.
Weight: I haven't checked lately, seriously. I mentally threw out my scale a while back because I didn't want to rely on it as a sole measure of progress. You can be 250 lbs of solid muscle, or a 250lb fatass, so it's pretty simple to see why I say that.
However, for the sake of this blog and the ideal of working toward reduced weight/body fat over the next six months, I will take a weight very soon.
Bodyfat: Ugh...do we have to talk about this? Yes, as it's part of accountability. I've got a gut on me that doesn't want to go away. It doesn't help that I haven't stayed tight to my dieting, so I only really have me to blame in that department. I'd have to estimate me in the high 20's, being generous.
I am, as of right now, seeing some progress with fat dropping on my arms and around my shoulders. It's the rest of me that's having issues. Solving this will take discipline that I wonder sometimes if I have or not. Well, if I want to hit my goals I better have it.
More to follow.
My gym experience: I've been training hard for the past 4+ years. I went from basically having no strength to having the following bests:
Bench - 225lbs
Squat - 275lbs
Deadlift - 405lbs
I have struggled the most with my bench - for whatever reason it just won't budge. I seem to be a natural at the deadlift and my legs have always seemed to be a dominant strong part of my body.
Weight: I haven't checked lately, seriously. I mentally threw out my scale a while back because I didn't want to rely on it as a sole measure of progress. You can be 250 lbs of solid muscle, or a 250lb fatass, so it's pretty simple to see why I say that.
However, for the sake of this blog and the ideal of working toward reduced weight/body fat over the next six months, I will take a weight very soon.
Bodyfat: Ugh...do we have to talk about this? Yes, as it's part of accountability. I've got a gut on me that doesn't want to go away. It doesn't help that I haven't stayed tight to my dieting, so I only really have me to blame in that department. I'd have to estimate me in the high 20's, being generous.
I am, as of right now, seeing some progress with fat dropping on my arms and around my shoulders. It's the rest of me that's having issues. Solving this will take discipline that I wonder sometimes if I have or not. Well, if I want to hit my goals I better have it.
More to follow.
Six
I decided to start this blog because of the number six.
Six represents how many months out Carlisle is. I hope to use this as a means to keep me accountable and focused on the many things I know I need to get done prior to the show.
Bear in mind, I am not looking to enter my truck in competitive showing - nor am I looking to step on a body building stage in six months. That's NOT what this blog is about. My truck is a work in progress and will continue to be so. Just like my body is also the same way. I am only partially happy with both - and want to make major strides before August.
Follow me on the journey.
Six represents how many months out Carlisle is. I hope to use this as a means to keep me accountable and focused on the many things I know I need to get done prior to the show.
Bear in mind, I am not looking to enter my truck in competitive showing - nor am I looking to step on a body building stage in six months. That's NOT what this blog is about. My truck is a work in progress and will continue to be so. Just like my body is also the same way. I am only partially happy with both - and want to make major strides before August.
Follow me on the journey.
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