Rich's New Beginning: WNBF Pro Stage in 2009!

[rich55]

I had a fantastic Christmas with my wife and family up in the Cleveland area. I pretty much grazed for an entire 48-hour straight period of time, haha. Don't worry protein is always an emphasis as well haha.

I took two days off so I squeezed two workouts into one on this upper body workout.


UPPER BODY 12/26:

Floor Benchpress
Full stop and pause with elbows on floor.
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
255 x 3 ---> no prob!
265 x 2 ----> got stuck on #3. Real close. Next week it's mine!

Incline Bench w/ Green Bands
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
165 x 4 ---> fail, but better than last week

Barbell Curls
45 x 8
65 x 8
90 x 8
110 x 6 ---> little better than last week

Incline Hammer Curls
Sitting back all the way makes a big difference on these.
32.5 x 10
32.5 x 10
32.5 x 7

Wide-Grip Pullups
Squeeze at top, slow negative and good stretch.
15 lbs added x 5 ----> rough w/ bis toasted
10 lbs added x 5 --> better
10 lbs added x 5
10 lbs added x 5 ---> last one little short
10 lbs added x 4 -----> fail
- SUPERSET -
Front DB Glass Raises
Twisting to full supinate at top.
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10

Hammer Low Rows
135/side x 6
160/side x 6
190/side x 6 ---> little sloppy
- TRISET -
Modified DB Extensions
30 x 10
32.5 x 10
35 x 10
37.5 x 10 ---> last few tough
- TRISET -
Seated DB Shrug
2-second hold at top
100 x 10
100 x 10
100 x 10

[rich55]

DE LOWER BODY 12/27:

Box/Band DE Squat
Parallel box w/ green bands. Little more difficult on the explosiveness with the 20 lb bump.
8 sets of 175 x 2 reps

DE Deads
Good pull off the ground, but pulling the hams through fast is tough with the conventional stance.
135 x 1, 225 x 1 and 275 for 6 sets x 1 rep

Reverse Hypers
50 lbs x 10
60 lbs x 10
70 lbs x 10
70 lbs x 10

Hanging Knee Raises
As high as possible, squeezing at top. Starts at forehead and then get much more difficult.
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 10


DE UPPER BODY 12/29:

Greg and James joined me for this fun one today. Felt REAL strong!!

DE Bench
Varying regular, wide and close-grips
175 for 8 sets x 3 reps

Rack Lockouts
Set to 4-6" lock, pausing on rack between reps.
275 x 3
305 x 3
325 x 3 ---> blew it away
345 x 3 -----> nailed it!!!

Seated DB Presses
Right shoulder/peck has been feeling tight, but it loosened up.
55 x 10
65 x 10
75 x 10
80 x 8 ---> fail, but felt good

Wide-Grip Row Machine
120 x 10
140 x 10
160 x 10
170 x 8 ---> heavy

Strict Cable Pushdowns
80 x 12
80 x 12
80 x 12
80 x 10 ---> fail, but felt great!!

[rich55]

Oh, and news flash. My first pro contest will be...

the WNBF Mid-American Pro on August 1

I actually watched this show last year and thought Dr. Joe and crew did and AWESOME job! I am psyched for this show to be my pro debut.

MY PLAN:

GET BIGGER & LEANER!! Yeah, that is right. I am starting to add good thickness and density, but also the holiday eating post-wedding is catching up. So, a small cut and the powerlifting continues.

DIET:
Mini-cut after the New Year for 3-4 weeks and then start my prep in late March.

TRAINING:
- 7 more weeks of Powerlifting
- Then 6 weeks of Powerlifting/Bodybuilding blend
- Finished up with good ole Bodybuilding training for the final 4 months

[rich55]

ME LOWER BODY 12/30:

Heavy deadlifting day went well!! Lower back is CRUSHED!

Platform Deadlifts
Pulling off a platform about 5" high. Conventional stance (non-sumo).
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
375 x 3 ----> GOT IT!
385 x 3 ------> Came up but sloppy on the first one

Homemade Glute Ham Raises
BW x 10
BW x 8
Opting out of these for a while till I can get a bench for my gym.

Seated Hammer Leg Curls
Worked much of the same muscles as my homemade GHR's.
115 x 10
120 x 8

Bench Step Ups w/ DB's
Alternating each leg, using the leg stepping up to do 95% of the work.
BW x 10
30 x 10
50 x 10
50 x 10 ---> not too difficult but panting hard

Hyperextensions
2-second hold at top.
10 lbs x 10
20 lbs x 10
20 lbs x 8

Medicine Ball Weighted Sit-ups
2-second hold at top.
8 lb x 10
8 lb x 10
8 lb x 10

[rich55]

I am little behind in my logs, but do not fret there is not a single ounce of slacking in my training. The weekend was quite busy as we had Angie's family over to celebrate Christmas with our nieces and nephews.

ME UPPER BODY 1/1:

This was probably my first sticking point, but still not a bad day. This week will be better.

Floor Benchpress
Resting elbows on ground.
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3
265 x 2 ---> failed on #3

Incline Bench w/Green Bands
Green bands hooked onto bottom.
45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 4 ---> failed on #5

Wide-Grip Weighted Pullups
Nice and controlled with squeeze and stretch held.
15 lbs x 5
15 lbs x 5
15 lbs x 5
15 lbs x 5
15 lbs x 5 ---> Got it! 20 lbs next week

Modified DB Extensions (Elbows Out)
30 x 10
35 x 10
40 x 9
30 x 10
- SUPERSET -
Front DB Glass Raises
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 10


DE LOWER BODY DAY 1/2:

This day was AWESOME! Leg were feeling strong as I pushed a little harder on this dynamic effort day.

Box/Band DE Squats
Parallel box with green bands. Resting on box for second. Tore this up!
45 x 2
135 x 2
185 x 2
185 x 2
185 x 2
185 x 2
185 x 2
185 x 2
225 x 2
275 x 2 ----> rocked it! Doesn't include roughly 70 lbs or so of band tension.

DE Deads
Conventional stance from ground.
135 x 1
225 x 1
295 x 1
295 x 1
295 x 1
295 x 1
295 x 1
295 x 1
345 x 1
405 x 1 ----> got it with just a big shake in my left hammy on the way up, haha

Reverse Hypers
50 x 10
60 x 10
70 x 10
80 x 10 ---> new PR

Hanging Knee Raises
As high as they will go. Top of my forehead to start and chin in the end.
BW x 10
BW x 10
BW x 10 ---> getting stronger


BIS, BACK & CALVES

Barbell Curls
65 x 8
90 x 8
110 x 8 -----> got it!!
115 x 4
- SUPERSET -
Donkey Calf Raises
270 x 10
320 x 10
360 x 8

Incline Hammer Curls
35 x 8
35 x 8
35 x 7 ---> fail
- SUPERSET -
Standing Calf Machine
200 x 10
210 x 8

Hammer Low Rows
135/side x 6
180/side x 6
190/side x 7 ---> clean

[bull.dogz]

Those are some booty kickin workouts!!

[rich55]

Those are some booty kickin workouts!!

OH YEAH!! Big weights are fun!

Today, I pushed some bigger weights and felt awesome. Again, feeling thicker.

DE UPPER BODY 1/5:

DE Benchpress
Explosive sets working up to a rough 90% max. Varying grips on the first 6 sets.
135 x 3
175 x 3
175 x 3
175 x 3
175 x 3
175 x 3
205 x 2
235 x 1 ---> easy
275 x 1 -----> got it! Not too bad, stuck just a bit.

Rack Lockouts
5-6" lock pausing on racks.
225 x 3
315 x 3
355 x 3
365 x 3
375 x 3 ---> Rocked it!

Arnold DB Press
Switched from regular seated press due to little twinge in the shoulder.
50 x 10
65 x 10
75 x 9
70 x 9
70 x 8

Wide-Grip Seated Row Machine
120 x 10
140 x 10
160 x 10
170 x 10 ---> tough
170 x 8 ------> fail

Strict Cable Pushdowns
85 x 12
85 x 11
85 x 8

[rich55]

ME LOWER BODY DAY 1/6:

Platform Deads:
Pulling off a 5' platform.
135 x 3
225 x 3
315 x 3
385 x 3 ---> got it CLEAN!

Seated Hammer Leg Curls
90 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10
120 x 8 ----> fail

Bench Step Ups w/ DB's
BW x 10/leg
30 x 10/leg
50 x 10/leg
60 x 10/leg

Hyperextensions
2-second hold at top.
10 lbs x 10
20 lbs x 10
25 lbs x 10 ---> real hard

Weighted Situps
2-second hold at top.
8 lb med ball x 10
10 lb plate 10
12.5 lb plates x 10

[rich55]

CUTTING TIME!

Yesterday, I began my cut that I have planned for 3 weeks. My goal is to get my waist back down to 30 inches and see a little more abdominal definition. I am a BIG believer in doing small offseason cuts as needed to stay in good shape. Body weight is at 179 lbs.

- Calories = 3000
- Cardio = 3 times per week
- Supplements = Added REDuction and Lean Green
- Cheating = Once per week

[rich55]

ME UPPER BODY DAY 1/8:

Greg, James and I were all together for this new upper body workout. Our training continues to change every 3 weeks, which makes for a real nice change of pace.

Close-Grip Bench
17" between hands.
45 x 3
135 x 3
165 x 3
190 x 3
225 x 3
245 x 3
265 x 2 ---> missed w/ a stall on #3. VERY solid!

Weighted Wide-Grip Pullups
Slow & controlled.
Assisted Set x 5 to warm-up
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5 ----> new PR for wide-grip pullups!!

Skullcrushers w/ Straight Bar
Had never done these w/ a straight-bar before. Gotta get comfortable.
65 x 10
85 x 10
90 x 8 ---> fail

Seated DB Power Cleans
Again a new one, but I got the swing of them burning the heck out of my shoulders.
30 x 15
35 x 15
35 x 15 ---> ouch, lots of burn

Decline Pushups on DB's
Feet on a bench with semi-supinated grip on DB's. Stretch on upper chest held at bottom.
BW x 15
BW x 15 ---> started to burn
BW x 9 ------> fail but felt AWESOME

[dogsofgold]

- Cheating = Once per week

Question for you! What do you usually do for your cheat meals? I know obviously not to gorge yourself, but do you still keep them relatively healthy or do you give yourself stuff like pizza and chipotle and whatnot when you want it?

[smorgan1227]

Completely enjoyed your blog

I just started at the beginning of this thread and read the whole thing. I love it. Congratulations on all the wonderful things that have been happening for you. Outstanding!

I learned a lot from reading your workouts. It looks like you change things up a lot. Which I love. I do the same thing. I may train my legs every Monday, but I do different exercises.

I am helping a local promoter with his shows this year. They are all late in the season. I would love to pick your brain. I have volunteered to help find sponsorship and market the shows. I would love to talk to someone else who has done this to find out what works.

We seem to have a lot in common. I too recently left the corporate banking industry. I was an AE (wholesale rep). I am looking for ways to earn a living withing the fitness community. My strengths are in sales, so I am exploring that venue. Congratulations on getting your pro card. after looking at your pictures it is easy to see why. I have decided to compete at my local NPC show in May. Mostly to experience it. But of course I also want to win. ...

Thanks for all the good information you share.

[rich55]

My tris are still KILLER sore from our training on Thursday. Those heavy close-grips and new style of skullcrushers did the trick!

3 days of cardio this week....CHECK!! 20 minutes on elliptical twice and 20 minutes walking on a inclined treadmill.

DE LOWER BODY 1/9:

This was a light workout after the heavier training last week.

Band/Box DE Squats
Green bands resting on parallel box. These felt VERY powerful.
165 x 10 sets of 2 reps

DE Deads
245 x 10 sets of 1 rep

Reverse Hypers
50 x 10
70 x 10

Hanging Knee Raises
Squeezing at top brining knees as high as possible (forehead)
BW x 10
BW x 10



BIS, BACK, CALVES & TRAPS 1/10:
Did some ancillary bodybuilding stuff yesterday.

Barbell Curls
45 x 8
75 x 8
95 x 8
115 x 4 ----> new weight, not too bad

Alternating Standing Hammer Curls
35 x 8
45 x 8
50 x 8 ---> got it! Did a set of these on Wed for fun before cardio for only 6.
- SUPERSET -
Donkey Calf Machine
270 x 10
320 x 10
360 x 9

Standing Calf Machine
210 x 9, drop to 170 x 10

Seated Close-Grip Cable Rows
Powerful positive with killer stretch, squeeze and controlled negative.
160 x 8
180 x 8
200 x 8
210 x 8 ----> pretty darn good for not doing these in a while. Getting stronger!

[rich55]

Question for you! What do you usually do for your cheat meals? I know obviously not to gorge yourself, but do you still keep them relatively healthy or do you give yourself stuff like pizza and chipotle and whatnot when you want it?

Hey Jenn! Good to see you pop in. I eat till I am full not stuffed and yes I enjoy stuff like pizza, chipotle and Cold Stone ice cream!!! However, since I am only doing 3 weeks of cutting, then I may just keep it moderate and enjoy afterwards. I will decide next weekend.

[rich55]

I just started at the beginning of this thread and read the whole thing. I love it. Congratulations on all the wonderful things that have been happening for you. Outstanding!

I learned a lot from reading your workouts. It looks like you change things up a lot. Which I love. I do the same thing. I may train my legs every Monday, but I do different exercises.

I am helping a local promoter with his shows this year. They are all late in the season. I would love to pick your brain. I have volunteered to help find sponsorship and market the shows. I would love to talk to someone else who has done this to find out what works.

We seem to have a lot in common. I too recently left the corporate banking industry. I was an AE (wholesale rep). I am looking for ways to earn a living withing the fitness community. My strengths are in sales, so I am exploring that venue. Congratulations on getting your pro card. after looking at your pictures it is easy to see why. I have decided to compete at my local NPC show in May. Mostly to experience it. But of course I also want to win. ...

Thanks for all the good information you share.

Very cool! Thank you very much, I am definitely blessed! I do switch workouts up frequently, but the name of the game for me recently has been betting personal bests to add size. So, I do repeat things a bit more now than before.

And yes, we do have some things in common. It is hard to earn a full-time living in the fitness industry, but if you have a sales background that certainly will help IMMENSELY.

Feel free to pick my brain and again, good luck in getting read for your first show!