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  • WB and GM Log............

    I was going to keep this log private but have chosen to share it so that I may be able to gain some helpful advice along the way. Since I am going to make it public I went back and changed some of the wording as if I was speaking to others instead of just tracking notes for myself. I also added a little background as it may help with the advice over time.

    These internet logs that I see people keep now a days were not really prevalent back when I used to train and I think they are a very good idea and enjoy reading others logs. Some of the below is written in the past tenths as I started tracking things back on 12/27, so here we go.

    Being my first one it may not be so good so any advice both with the supplementation and the log writing will be great. Also there will be a lot to read to start with as I have pasted everything from the start back on 12/27...............

    Training Log:
    Current Stats as of 12/27/06:
    Age: 37
    Height: 5'10"
    Weight: 165lbs
    BF %: Unknown (Very top of the abs are visable if flexed but not the lowers. Little bit of excess in the love handle area but other than that I am slim by nature)
    Past Occasional Nagging Injuries: Traps, Neck, and Shoulder region. Fractured a vertebrae in my neck several years ago and things in that region have not been right sense. Muscles in the region will occasionally flair up and cause very painful neck movement etc. Seen several doctors over the years looking for a solution but still not 100%. Combination of chiropractic and massage seems to have worked best when it flairs up. Hopefully getting back into training will help.
    Best body parts are my traps, shoulders, lats, and Bi's
    Worst body parts are my chest, legs, calves

    This log was started as a personal log for myself to document over time my quest to get back into the gym after many years. I did notice that a lot of the on-line forums that I now find have a large number of young guys from 15-19 or there abouts. They offer up information and advice and it amazes me that so many at that age seem to know what they are talking about as it relates to bodybuilding. Some don't have a clue of course and still offer their opinions but you will always have that.

    I thought it might be nice to see a slightly older guy track progress over time with different training and nutrition theories to add to the mix. Was not sure if I will ever make it public but I like the idea and enjoy seeing others progress so I will try to be as detailed as possible in case I ever decide to post it. I may also share some other thoughts as they cross my mind as it relates to the whole bodybuilding game and hence the reason I may not want to share this to the world. But I will write it as if I am speaking to myself or others at times or maybe just fragmented sentences. Who knows.

    I have developed my own thoughts on training, diet, supplements, etc over time from my schooling and from helping others achieve their own goals along the way as a personal trainer. But I have been out of the game for many years now and while the basics still prevail, there is a lot for me to relearn. I am also older now and the thoughts or beliefs I held at 25 are not necessarily the same that I now hold at 37 and I am sure they will be different when I am 57. With that being said, I listen to everyone and everything. Even if I think it is 95% utter crap, there may be 5% that hits home, so I am always open minded and willing to learn. I don't really offer my opinions up much unless I am asked (that may be different here since it is a personal log) as who am I to say what you should do or believe. But I am always open to quality conversation and the discussion of different views. There is always more to learn for sure.

    Started training seriously around 1986. Trained for several years and went from approx 150lbs to approx 190lbs. I have about the worst genetics in the world for bodybuilding. Inherently skinny, small joints, short muscle bellies, and high insertion points. All that aside I made some good progress and things felt great at the time and I thought it would be a good time to diet down and try a show. Dieted down to 164lbs. Did it all wrong, lost a ton of muscle and felt like crap. Looked more like a swimmer then a bodybuilder.

    Strength dropped off considerably and after the show I could not regain my focus or mental desire to train like I had for so many years previous. I just couldn't get it back and my body did not feel right. That was the start of me forgetting about training for a long while and instead I concentrated more on life and family. Probably the worst point for me to stop as all my size that I had worked so hard for over the years was now no longer there and instead of being an out of shape guy with some mass, I am now an out of shape guy that is skinny with no mass.

    Brings us to the present time. Have never felt as good as I did back in the day. It has been approx 10-12 years since I have trained consistently. Weight hovers around 160lbs to 170lbs. While my weight has not changed much over time, the mirror does not lie and it shows I have lost muscle and added fat.

    I am sick of feeling like crap and want to start training again with hopes of getting big enough to enter a show again some day and do it right this time. My goal is to spend 2-3 years and see if I can add enough size for an over 40 show. Time will tell.

    When I do something I get a little anal about things at times and I start to over analysis and ultimately burn myself out so my goal is to take one step at a time here and not let lifting rule my life but rather keep a balance and allow it to accent the other things I enjoy. Again we will see how this all plays out.

    So now at 37 years old I finally made the firm decision that I would start back to the gym. I have said this for many years in the past but as of 11/1/06 I bought a membership at the local gym, so the journey begins. I was not concerned about the amount of weight used on my exercises. Want to first concentrate on teaching the muscles how to fire again so I used strict form and really tried to feel each movement.

    Spent 1 month doing just this. Increased the weights as expected and form feels good. Towards the 3rd week I started to look into a good protein powder to help add to my daily intake. Not to worried about diet at this point just trying to stay consistent with getting to the gym. Next month I start putting together a more defined training plan and start watching my diet a little more closely. I am taking things one step at a time. As mentioned I have a tendency to go way overboard with things and get very anal about everything being perfect. Been working on just taking things little by little and not get caught up with the small stuff all at once.

    12/2/06 has arrived. New month and it feels good to be back at it. Still do not feel 100% (headaches frequently, knee feels a little funny) but a little better than the start of last month. Been a long time away so I do not expect monumental changes over-night. I can say though that now into my 6th week I can tell changes in the mirror so my body is responding. Always been a fan of Periodization Training so I am starting that. Took training 1 rep max's to form a baseline at the end of last month. These are not true 1rm's, I consider them "training 1rm's" in which I run a full workout and on my last sets I find a weight that I will fail at 1rm with good form and no assist.

    Using a 3 day split here are my starting 1rm's as a baseline:

    Day 1 (Chest, Shoulder's, Tri's)
    Flat Barbell Bench Press 205
    Incline DB Fly 70
    Barbell Shrugs 315
    Standing Side Laterals 40
    Skull Crushers 115
    Tricep Cable Pressdowns 75

    Day 2 (Back, Bi's)
    Lat Pulldown 120
    DB Row 95
    EZ Bar Curls 85
    DB Curls 45

    Day 3 (Legs, Calf's)
    Smith Machine Squat 225
    Stiff Leg Deadlift 80
    Leg Curls 70
    Standing Calf Raise 100
    Seated Calf Raise 100

    Pathetic weights I know but hey it has been a long long time. I used these to figure my weight for my first phase of training this month. Overall things are good. Workouts are good. My strength is increasing steadily. I am sure some of this is due to muscle memory. I have started to supplement with 1 to 3 protein shakes per day (ON 100% Whey) and essential fatty acids. I like the ON powder but may try Dymatize Elite in my next order. Still need to work on my diet. Been trying to make healthier choices but I really need to start eating more to make sure I give my body what it needs to start adding mass.

    Lots has stayed the same in my absence but there have been some new supplements come about that interest me and there appear to be lots of good choices out there. I am very conservative compared to some others when it comes to supplements. I have seen many come and go and believe that few offer any benefit. I feel the core diet of real food is most important and not until that is right will real results happen regardless of supplementation but in general I like a good protein powder, EFA's, and a Multi-Vit. I am thinking now though about adding a cell volumizer and creatine combo along with my protein. I have also been figuring out my diet ratios and schedule. This is what I think it will look like.

    Calories per Day: 2500
    # of Meals per Day: 6

    Percentage of Nutrients
    Carbs 50.00%
    Protein 30.00%
    Fat 20.00%

    Daily: Calories Grams
    Carbs 1250 313
    Protein 750 188
    Fat 500 56

    Per Meal: Calories Grams
    Carbs 208 52
    Protein 125 31
    Fat 83 9

    Protein Sources:
    Chicken breast
    Turkey breast
    Fish
    Eggs
    Lean red meats
    Skim Milk
    Cheese and low fat dairy products
    Tuna
    Peanut Butter
    Protein powder

    Carbs:
    Oatmeal
    Vegetables
    Fruit

    Fats:
    Udo's Choice

    Supplements:
    Protein Powder
    Udo's Choice
    Multi-Vit

    Water:
    1-3 gallons a day

    Will not be overly hard on myself but would prefer a somewhat clean bulk versus a very dirty bulk. Also I am striving for 1-3 gallons of water per day. I know I do not drink enough now and with the addition of creatine and cell volumizers I feel I will not see their true effectiveness without a large amount of water. I think it will also help with my constant headaches that I seem to get so often the last few years.

    12/27/06 is upon us and another month is coming to an end. Gym hours and my schedule varied a bit for the holidays but again I stayed consistent with going and the first phase of my periodization training felt good. Caught a severe cold toward the end of the month, that made me feel like crap but still went and pushed through. Looked as several different supplement combos and decided I will order up GM, WB, and DE protein. Will run the GM and WB as a stack and follow the instructions from Controlled Labs.

    My one concern is that my training and poundages are very structured since I have chosen to use periodization training and train based off of percentages from my 1-rep max's for each phase. I feel that if things go well I will gain strength quicker then what my plan calls for so the question is do I just go with it and keep upping the weight or do I follow my plan based on the percentages? Have not figured that part out yet. I will be taking my new 1rm's in a few days so we can see what kind of progress I have made over the last month. Also need to plan out my cardio and see how I will factor that in.

    I have also started to track my food and water intake. It is pathetic. I do not eat or drink anywhere close to my goal of:
    Daily: Calories Grams
    Carbs 1250 313
    Protein 750 188
    Fat 500 56

    I am just not hungry and can not seem to eat the 5 and 6 meals a day that I am striving for. Really need to work on this and tracking each day will help as I can visually see each day how close I come to meeting the targets. This is not a new problem for me though and based on my past experience with training others, "not eating enough" has been the #1 cause of the "hardgainer" failing to progress.

    Guys used to come in all the time saying that they trained there ass off but were not gaining any mass and thinking that they needed to change their lifting routines, asking how many sets, or reps, they should do or what supplements they should take looking for me to offer the magic solution. I'd ask if they were eating enough each day and they would all say that they ate constantly. So I would have them track their diets for 2 weeks and find they were no where close to eating the amount of calories they needed dirty or clean. I can relate and am one of those guys myself so diet will be a big struggle for me but I am aware of it and am actively trying to get it where it should be. Heck even 2500 calories is low for what I am looking to accomplish but I will raise that once I consistently hit it day in and day out.

    12/29/06 I ordered my White Blood 90 capsules, Green Magnitude, and Elite Whey 5lb Chocolate Mint. The WB should last me approx 30 days and the GM about 60 days, but I still need to finalize my dosing schedule so that may change. If I like the results of the WB then I will order another bottle before the first one runs out to stay with the stack for at least 8 weeks. I have continued to track my daily diet and working on reaching my daily goals. My plan is to not start the stack until I get my diet and water intake in order as I feel it will be worthless without those key components in place.

    Wednesday finished the last day of my first periodization cycle. I took Thursday off and the gym is closed for some renovations from today 12/29/06 till 1/2/07. I can't wait to get back in there and train. I am looking forward to these next few months. The couple days off though has been a nice break for the body as I have been consistent since 11/1/06 so a small rest every 6-8 weeks is not a bad thing.

    1/1/07 165lbs. New year is here and I am excited. Diet went great today I was able to eat good (relative to my normal eating )
    3,271 Calories
    Fat - 32.9% (120 grams) large percentage from EFA's
    Protein - 35.2% (288 grams)
    Carbohydrates - 31.9% (262 grams)
    Need to work on the ratios a bit but overall good day for me. Water intake not were it should be but getting back to work tomorrow will help that as I keep a gallon container at my desk and will drink throughout the day. Start back to training tomorrow after the 5 day rest period and I can't wait.

    1/2/07 Weighed in at 166lbs this morning. Trained my chest, shoulders, and tri's for ORM for the next phase of training. Chest increased great, the other body parts increased some but not as drastic. Not a real big pump but I had like 3-4 minute rest between sets to recover fully compared to my 1 to 1.5 minutes in my previous workouts. Did sweat some though. Instead of shrugs I am going to add Barbell Upright Rows this time around to see what I think. Small twinge in my trap and neck while benching but nothing that caused any problems.
    Flat Barbell Bench Press 255 (+55)
    Incline DB Fly 85 (+15)
    Barbell Upright Rows (new exercise) 100 (Unknown)
    Standing Side Laterals 45 (+5)
    Skull Crushers 120 (+5)
    Tricep Cable Pressdowns 80 (+5)
    Food intake was okay today, but my water intake was still lacking.
    2,602 Calories
    Fat - 94g 32%
    Protein - 190g 19%
    Carbohydrates - 264g 38%

    1/3/07 Weighed in at 167.5lbs this morning. Got to sleep around 10:00pm last night. Slept okay but was tired when I woke up at 5:30am and had a headache and a little light headedness. Weighed in at 167.5lbs. Chest and shoulders are sore from the workout yesterday. Tri's not sore at this point. I did notice I looked a little fuller in the mirror this morning which compared to the last few days I have been feeling and looking very flat. It's now 7:38am and I still have the headache and a little bit of an anxious feeling going on. Am going to take 2 Alleve and see if that helps my head. Need to increase my fluids for sure. Skin is also feeling dry. Head felt better after the 2 Alleve. Training was Back and Bi's tonight. Felt good. Not a huge pump again but that was probably due to my long rest periods as I went for my working 1rm's.
    Lat Pulldown 140 (+20)
    DB Row 115 (+15)
    EZ-Bar Curl (Close) 105 (+20)
    DB Curl 55 (+10)
    All felt great and weights have went up from previous lifts which is real nice. DB Rows felt really strong. Diet was good calories were up where I wanted them but I still need to work on my percentages and still need more water.
    Total: 2677
    Fat: 122 41%
    Carbs: 191 27%
    Protein: 216 32%

    1/4/07 167.5lbs again this morning. Restless sleep last night woke up at approx 3:30am and could not really get back to sleep before I had to awake at 5:30am for work. Got to bed about 11:00pm. Lots on my mind so that is why I did not sleep well. Little bit of an anxious feeling again this morning when I got to work but not to bad. Almost like excitement. Not sure why I am feeling this way. Chest and shoulders still sore from previous chest workout. But no soreness really in back and bi's from yesterday. There is a slight twinge in my elbow area on the top of my forearm but as the day progressed that felt better. I felt the twinge in the DB curls yesterday maxing so glad it feels better as the day went on.
    Today was my 1rm for legs and calfs and again I am happy with my progress over last month:
    Smith Machine Squat 255 (+30)
    Leg Curls 85 (+15)
    Stiff Leg Deadlift 100 (+20)
    Standing Calf Raise 155 (+55)
    Seated Calf Raise 155 (Was not able to do these as the machine was done for some gym renovation)
    Stats for my diet. Again ratios are out of whack but calories are up compared to what I normally eat so I continue to refine as I move on. Water intake was low today. Lots going on at work and finding time to even take in some water was a challenge.
    Total: 3875
    Fat: 253 59%
    Carbs: 196 19%
    Protein: 214 22%

    Great news is my GM, WB, and DE arrived today. I am done with my 1rm's now so this is good timing. Tomorrow will be an off day from the gym and then Saturday I start my next phase of training starting with C,S,T. I will start the GM and WB stack on that day. I am almost out of my ON Whey so I will finish that over the next few days also then start on the DE. Can't wait for Saturday.

    1/5/07 167lbs. Got to bed around 11:00pm last night, a little later then I wanted but slept okay. No training today. Legs a little sore from yesterday if I stretch them. Work was crazy and my diet was terrible today. Hardly ate anything. Was not able to even get away to grab lunch and my water intake also sucked. Someone has some mocha crap from some coffee house, they didn't want it so they gave it to me. Caffeine in general makes me jittery and with no food it made it even worse. Most of the calories came from my 3 protein shakes in an effort to at least make sure I got something into me.
    Total: 1745
    Fat: 64 33%
    Carbs: 97 21%
    Protein: 197 45%
    But tomorrow I start the CL stack and am looking forward to it. Figure now will be a good time to grab some starting measurements and pictures to see if I can accomplish any additional trackable changes.

    Cont..........................

  • #2
    Day 1 of CL Stack:

    1/6/07 165lbs. Got to bed late, around 1am. Had some work to do in my home office. Slept okay but woke up around 5:30am my normal weekday time but fell back asleep and then woke up at 9:00am. Tried out the new DE Chocolate Mint powder. It is good. I probably would of liked plain chocolate a little better as the mint leaves a little after taste but not bad. Its what I expected.

    I finished my tub of ON 100% Whey last night. That was the Double Chocolate flavor and I liked it a lot. It mixed very well in the shaker bottle. Never gave me any bloat or funny stomach feeling so I am very happy with it especially considering the price point. My initial impression of the DE is that I will be just as happy so we will see.

    I normally workout in the evenings but being Saturday and all I will workout mid-day so I will take my WB and GM approx 60 minutes before I go to train as instructed from the stack info on CL's website. The GM says for my first dose to use 1/2 scoop to test tolerance so I will start with that. The WB makes no mention of reduced dosage so 3 caps is what I will take there.

    Relaxed starting measurements:
    Left Bicep (straight arm): 13in
    Left Bicep (arm at 90 degrees): 14 1/2in
    Left Forearm (2in below elbow): 12in
    Left Thigh: 22 3/4in
    Waist (at the belly button): 35in
    Chest (at the nipple line): 43in
    Shoulders: 48in
    Left Calf: 14in
    Neck: 17in

    Man those measurements suck . Give me time though.

    Good workout today. Took the WB and GM approx 45 minutes before training on an empty stomach. My GM had a clear scoop in it which if I have read correctly it is oversized so I should only use 2/3 of a scoop for full dosing. In regards to taste I have seen others rave about this stuff. I put my scoop into 6-8oz of water and I found it very, very strong. I am going to try more water next time to tame it a little and see if that helps. I can drink it but definitely doesn't taste as good as candy to me as I have seen others post. I will see how the increased water content goes in regards to taste as the days go on.

    Once I was at the gym I did not really feel any effects so to speak. I also did not have any negatives either though in terms of stomach problems etc so that is good. Drank 20oz of water through my workout which I normally do not do, but again I am trying to increase my water intake so I figured I would start.

    Bench felt heavy today but good. Fly's were strong as were shoulders. Had some pain in my forearms when I was doing tri's, mainly in the skull crushers but also in the pushdowns but not as bad. I will watch this but I don't think it is a big deal yet. I did 10 minutes of cardio at the end of my workout on the bike in manual mode. I started at a pace to get things moving for 1 minute at levels 1 and 3 then increased to level 5 and pushed myself for a minute back to 3 for a minute then back to 5, back to 3, etc then after my last round at 5 I used 3 and then 1 for the last 2 minutes to cool down.

    I will keep the cardio to 10-15 minutes with high intensity and try to raise the levels as training progresses. I did notice here that I worked up an even greater sweat then normal and my thighs got a very big pump. I assume this may be from the stack but with it only being my first day on it could just be anything. Once I got home I followed up with a post workout protein shake and more water.
    Total: 2154
    Fat: 72 31%
    Carbs: 177 33%
    Protein: 188 36%
    1 gallon of Water


    Day 2 of CL Stack:

    1/7/07 166lbs. Late to bed again at 12:30am. Again woke up at 5:30am but was able to go back to sleep till 9:00am. No training on Sundays as the gym is closed. Took my GM this afternoon again on an empty stomach. Since I did not really notice anything form the 1/2 scoop yesterday I tried a full scoop today. Also as mentioned I have the clear scoop which is to large but still I will use one scoop or slightly less as I do not think the extra will be a problem.

    I increased the water to 10oz to see if I could make the taste less strong (see above from Day 1) and even at 10oz with 1 scoop it was to much. The taste was way strong for my liking so tomorrow I will try 12oz and keep working to find the right combo for me. Even at 1 scoop I really did not feel any effects whatsoever from it. Will take the WB before sleep tonight as directed. Can not wait for tomorrow as it is back and bi day at the gym.
    Total: 2051
    Fat: 66 29%
    Carbs: 133 25%
    Protein: 230 45%
    1 gallon of Water
    Last edited by ltyson; 01-07-2007, 08:30 PM.

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    • #3
      Wow very impressive and detailed write up! Good luck. Will be following this one closly.
      Loyal Controlled Labs user since October/06!

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Biceps18
        Wow very impressive and detailed write up! Good luck. Will be following this one closly.
        Thanks. Feel free to offer up any advice.

        Comment


        • #5
          Day 3 of CL Stack:

          1/8/07 167lbs. Got to bed at 10:00pm last night. Took the WB about 15 minutes before that. Did not sleep so well. Took me a while to fall asleep even though I was tired and then I woke up briefly a few times throughout the night which annoyed me. Woke up at 5:30am my normal time. Work went okay. I was a little pissed off at work. Not sure what it was just not in a general good mood. Tried to drink my water throughout the day but I am struggling to get a little more then 1 gallon each day. I will keep at it though. My body is getting used to the increase in water though as I am going to the bathroom less often.

          Took my WB and GM approx 50 minutes before training on an empty stomach. 12oz of water and still GM is strong for me, almost bitter or tart tasting I guess. Its a supplement though, so for what it is, it is fine and I am sure it could be worse. I must have some odd taste buds though as many others seem to love it. Today was the first day that things may of felt a little different. My back started to get a little more of a pump then recently and my bi's got a really nice pump more so then normal. Weight again felt heavy but I am using 75% of my 1rm for my work sets for reps so it should I assume. Always try to keep my form clean and today was no exception. I continue to feel a slight twinge in my right elbow primarily on the eccentric phase of my DB curls so I was real cautious on lowering those. I was hoping my few weeks of easier workouts in the beginning will help prime my joints but now that I look back some of my weights jumped up pretty good (relative to where I started from) so I will continue to watch this as I do not want to injure myself and take any time off.

          Did my cardio and my legs again got pumped like last workout. Also I worked up another intense sweat after only 15 minutes. Combine that with the good bicep pump and maybe today is the first time I feel the WB and GM going to work. Lets see how it keeps up. In regards to diet like I mentioned I am still struggling to get more then a gallon of water in me per day. I feel a little fuller in general but also feel like I may be loosing a little of my abs (what very little I did have) as I have been continuing to try and get enough calories in me. They are mostly clean calories so I will just continue to do what I am doing and monitor the change. My macro percentages have not really matched my initial plan but I have been most interested in making sure I get slightly more then 1 gram of protein per lb, then most of my fats are coming from my EFA's and then lastly I have just been letting the carbs fall where they may based on my protein choices.
          Total: 2551
          Fat: 108 38%
          Carbs: 191 28%
          Protein: 216 34%
          1 gallon of water
          Last edited by ltyson; 01-08-2007, 09:38 PM.

          Comment


          • #6
            Day 4 of CL Stack:

            1/9/07 168.5lbs. Got to bed at 10:00pm last night. Fell asleep okay but woke up twice, once for a brief moment and then another time to use the bathroom. Work went fine. Not as angry as I was yesterday so that was good. Today is leg training. Took 3 WB and 1 scoop of GM 45 minutes before on an empty stomach. Training went well. Legs are always taxing and by the end I was drained. Pumps not as strong as yesterday but I did get a fairly decent one in my quads on squats. Sweating more then normal again. Same thing in cardio. I have to assume that is the CL stack as that is all I added. I do notice now on my 4th day I think that the WB gives me a very slight pressure type headache in the eye area. Nothing bad and nothing that I would take advil or anything for but I mention it none the less as I have noticed it each day. I assume it is the WB as on my non-training day (day 2) I noticed it about 30 minutes after I took it at night.

            Diet was crap today. Not bad foods but not enough food for sure. I could not eat like I wanted as I was super busy at work. I was lucky to get my protein in at all. My fat % continues to look high to me but looking at my diet it is coming from my EFA's and things like Peanut Butter sandwiches so I am not sure if that is okay or not. Guess I will let my mid-section tell me but if someone wants to chime in that would be great.
            Total: 1974
            Fat: 93 42%
            Carbs: 127 23%
            Protein: 173 35%
            1 gallon of water
            Last edited by ltyson; 01-09-2007, 09:37 PM.

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            • #7
              Wow ! Great detail.. subscribed for updates !

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              • #8
                Originally posted by pu12en12g
                Wow ! Great detail.. subscribed for updates !
                Thanks man. I was hoping one of you guys would pop in and take a look to keep me straight. If I am not doing something right or if I can do something better to maximise results feel free to let me know.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Day 5 of CL Stack:

                  1/10/07 167.5lbs. Got to bed at 10:30pm last night. I fell asleep ok again but continue to wake, this time 3 times that I remember. These are quick wake up's in which I pop my eyes open, look at the clock and then fall right back a sleep. Don't know what's going on. Also another morning of feeling a little anxious at work (See log above on day of 1/4/07). I must be going crazy . Maybe I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown or maybe I'm just subconsciously happy to see someone there, who knows. Blood pressure was up a little today. For the last few years mine has been towards the high end of the normal scale. I attribute it to not working out for so many years but maybe it is just my age starting to show. I keep an eye on it and it's not to the point for any meds or anything but on certain days I can tell. Legs have some soreness in them from the workout yesterday which I love. Squat form was real good, nice and controlled and deep. Was happy with those.

                  Today I took my 3 WB and 1 scoop of GM about 45 minutes before my workout. Unlike the other days in which I took it on an empty stomach this time I took it after one of my pre-workout shakes. Timing just worked out that way today. Not sure if there is any downside to taking it with food but I can say that today I did not get the slight pressure headache that I got all the other times. Not sure if the food was the key. Someone let me know if taking it with food is a bad idea, but if not I might keep doing that.

                  Today was Chest, Shoulders, Tris. Not a huge pump, but an ok pump none the less in all 3 muscle groups. I think today was one day I could really tell things were progressing from the stack. I have a pretty regimented routine and go in with an exact plan of the weights and reps I will use based on my working 1rm's. Up till now the weights have felt right on for the number of reps but tonight was different. Weights that I should of only got 8 reps on I could do for 10 or slightly more and weights that I should of gotten 4 on I could do for 6 or so, etc. Everything was about 2 reps off. So it tells me that I am getting stronger quicker then the progression plan. Which is fine. Back on the 12/27/06 log above I thought this might be an issue on this stack. I have thought about it though and I will stick to my plan. This phase is approx 6 weeks long and then I will re-test my working 1rm's for the next phase so it will be fine. I will just keep pushing with the weights I have laid out but will increase the reps where possible. I think in the long run for these 6 weeks that idea will be better, primarily for my joints. I can tell the muscle strength is outpacing the joints and tendons and I think if I just keep pushing heavier and heavier weight I will pay for it a few weeks down the road. I have to remind myself this is only my 3rd month back after many, many years off so I can afford to not keep pushing the weight up and up and up at this point. So clean form it is with the weight that I have planned for and if it calls for 6 reps and I can do 8, then I do 8.

                  Another thing that made me realize a change from the stack is my water intake today. I went from never drinking water in my workouts to starting the stack and drinking about 20-24oz during my workout. Yesterday I found that I wanted more then the 20oz but it was the end of my training so I went home and drank more then. But today I was done with 20oz after 8 sets and filled up another 20oz and used that for the rest of my workout. I could of kept drinking more but I left it at that as I felt that was a lot for me. I did get a slight runners cramp on my right side just under my ribs during my cardio at the end of my workout and maybe that was from the water, not sure, but for me to drink that much is for sure a change during my training. I like it . Water intake for a whole today is about a gallon and a 1/2. Great news since I was struggling to even make my 1 gallon the last few days. Something is happening!!

                  Tomorrow is Back and Bi's. It's one of my favorite days so I am looking forward to it. Hopefully my blood pressure drops a little as I do not want to start dealing with that. I do not think it is related to the stack at all as like I mentioned I have seen it jump up and down day by day over the last few years. Looking back though and the length of time since my last full medical physical, I think after this 6 week phase of training is up I will schedule an appointment to have everything checked. If nothing else I'll at least get some good baseline lab tests for the next log. That stack is till a secret though. Lets get through this one first with some good gains and then we will see.
                  Total: 2751
                  Fat: 94 31%
                  Carbs: 214 30%
                  Protein: 270 39%
                  1 1/2 gallons of Water
                  Last edited by ltyson; 01-10-2007, 10:06 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Day 6 of CL Stack:

                    1/11/07 168.5lbs. Got to bed at 11:00pm. Continue to wake at night. I tell you I need to start looking into something to help me stop that pattern. I am for sure not getting enough rest. I also need to get to bed a little earlier to began with but that is hard with everything I have going on. Work went good, little tired but overall I felt fine. Chest was sore if I stretched or pushed on it from yesterdays workout. My blood pressure was up still today a little bit. I am going to add a supplement with a few different things in it designed to help with blood pressure into my diet just to see if it gives me any type of drop. It will take a week or two to kick in so I will keep the log updated to see what comes of that. Scheduled my physical and blood work for the first week of February so that will be good going into my next phase sometime after then.

                    Took 3 WB and 1 scoop of GM 45 Minutes before training. Took it just before some food. Workout tonight went very well. Strength was great. Recovery between sets was great and my pumps in both back and bi's was great. Really think the stack is starting to work here. Did not need as much water this workout as yesterdays but still took in about 36oz. Still sweating a good bit more then normal but I don't mind. Diet was also good today for me with a good amount of calories coming in.
                    Total: 3232
                    Fat: 117 32%
                    Carbs: 314 37%
                    Protein: 257 31%
                    1 1/4 gallons of Water
                    Last edited by ltyson; 01-12-2007, 09:52 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Sounding good... and yes it's fine to take it with food.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by pu12en12g
                        Sounding good... and yes it's fine to take it with food.
                        Thanks. Sometimes the timing of my training makes it hard to take on an empty stomach so if there is no downside to taking it with food then I will do it either way depending how the day goes.

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                        • #13
                          Day 7 of CL Stack:

                          1/12/07 169lbs. Got to bed at 10:30pm last night. Work was okay, couple problems that caused a little stress today but not bad. Had a headache towards the middle of the day that lasted into the evening. Will take some tylenol PM's before bed and that should help the headache and also help me get some more rest, although last night I did not remember waking up as I have in night past. I took some extra vitamins and herbs that are supposed to help with blood pressure and they created a little bit of a diuretic effect as I went to the bathroom a lot more today then normal.

                          No training today. Looking forward to legs tomorrow. Diet and water intake was okay but not spectacular. Should of taken in more water today for sure . Took 1 scoop of GM around my normal time and will take 3 WB 30 minutes before going to bed.
                          Total: 2199
                          Fat: 74 31%
                          Carbs: 196 36%
                          Protein: 180 33%
                          1 gallon of water

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                          • #14
                            Day 8 of CL Stack:

                            1/13/07 169lbs. Got to bed at 1:30am last night. Knew I could sleep in today so I ended up watching a movie. Woke up only once that I remember last night and fell right back a sleep. Did not take the Tylenol PM's as mentioned above in Day 7 as I ate some carbs while watching the movie (rice) and that helped a ton with how I was feeling so maybe I was a little hypo and needed some. Training got messed up today. Took 3 WB and 1 scoop of GM approx 45 minutes before getting to the gym in preparation for a nice leg day only to find out that they were rearranging all of the weight equipment from a recent remodel and only the cardio stuff was usable. So I did a 1/2 hour on the elliptical at a pretty good intensity and called it a day. Got a good pump in my legs and my calf's actually burned about 15 minutes in but that subsided and everything felt real good. Sweated quite a bit.
                            Total: 2592
                            Fat: 79 29%
                            Carbs: 256 41%
                            Protein: 188 30%
                            1 gallon of Water

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                            • #15
                              Great detail! And don't worry small joints are actually a blessing in disguise. AS you gain muscle mass with the small joints you will look bigger than you actually are and give you a more cut took. I have small joints also, just take care of them.

                              Keep up the hard work.

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