Suggestions??

[Spartan]

Okay, well, been around the boards alittle and thought I would ask for some advice. I'm 28, 5'9 1/2 about 198lbs (floats between this and about 204 depending on time/water/etc) and about 22.2% bf after my most recent assessment. I've been working out seriously for about a month to month and a half after not working out much at all for the few years prior. I workout about 4-5 times a week, alternating upper and lower body workouts with days off when I feel like my body needs them. So, as follows is my routine:

Chest/Shoulders/Back
Bench 135x15 185x6 205xfailure 205xfailure-drop set-185xfailure-135failure
DB Bench 55x10 60x8 65xfailure 65xfailure
Incline 135x10 135x10 155xfailure
Decline same as Incline
Round the worlds 25x8 25x8 30xfailure

Front raises 15x10 20x8 25xfailure
Side raises 15x10 15x10 15xfailure
Rear raises same as side raises
Military Press 95x10 115xfailure 115xfailure

Lat Pulldowns 120x12 120x10 120xfailure
1 arm cable rows 90x10 90x8 90xfailure
Seated cable rows 150x10 150x8 150xfailure

Legs/abs
Leg Press 225x20 225x20 225x20
Leg Ext. 100x15 100x15 100x12
Leg Curl 90x15 90x15 90x12
Squats 225x10 225x10 225x8
Deadlift 155x8 155x8 155x8
Calf raises 135x10 135x10 135x10

abs on a ball/board/floor static and crunches to failure

Cardio pre- atleast 10 minutes warmups at 7.0 on tread with another 5 min on Elliptical at 150+ beats/minute HR.

Depending on day, cardio following at 4.0 for 5-15 minutes to allow body to cool down.

My diet isn't anything special. I don't eat before going to the gym. I take NO-Xplode (being replaced with PW and GM shortly) and Lipo-6. Following a workout, my day looks like this:

meal 1 - protein shake
meal 2 - 1 cup oatmeal/skim milk
meal 3 - chicken salad/low cal no fat dressing
meal 4 - 4 - 6egg whites/bannana or apple/diet pepsi
meal 5 - full course meal (brown rice/chicken/veggies/etc)
meal 6 - 4 - 6 egg whites
meal 7 - protein shake (before bed)

that's almost daily, though meals 4-6 may alter some. almost all are within 2-2.5 hours of each other as well. I was around 205 before I started and got to about 196 in 3-4 weeks, but have kind of slowed/stopped at losing weight. Gets me kind of bummed but still hitting the gym hard. Will be getting RA, WB, and or BU in the near future to help assist my weight loss, but I'm around 1800-2500 calories in a day. Help?

[pu12en12g]

Great detail, I would save the White BLOOD for a bulking phase that includes extreme stretching (just my personal opinion). Red ACID + SesaGLOW / Blue UP + SesaGLOW would definately be worth looking into.... Maybe run RA + SG for the first part of the cutting phase and then BU + SG towards the end (that's when YC (BU) works the best IMO / IME).

I would also experiment with some extended duration cardio, IF (THIS IS KEY) you can find a form of extended duration cardio you actually enjoy.

Do you already have a creatine product ?

[Spartan]

I was still waiting on samples of GM to come before commiting to buying a tub and not liking the taste (potentially). Cardio is one of those things I don't mind, but I have problems as I get like severe fatigue/even cramping (may or may not be really that, just feels like it some times) at my knees and above my feet where the tendon connects to the shin. I've done some stretching to alleviate this but after a bit of running, it comes up. Not sure how to really address that problem.

[strester]

Great detail, I would save the White BLOOD for a bulking phase that includes extreme stretching (just my personal opinion). Red ACID + SesaGLOW / Blue UP + SesaGLOW would definately be worth looking into.... Maybe run RA + SG for the first part of the cutting phase and then BU + SG towards the end (that's when YC (BU) works the best IMO / IME).

I would also experiment with some extended duration cardio, IF (THIS IS KEY) you can find a form of extended duration cardio you actually enjoy.

Do you already have a creatine product ?

extreme!!!!!! ... no doubt

[Big Poppa S]

Maybe you could add some sprints on the treadmill, I know that I've found if the fat's not coming off all I have to do is add 20 min of sprints (sprint 30-40 seconds, walk 40-60 seconds, continue for 20 min.) The high intensity makes it so that you do not have to spend forever on the treadmill, some people like that. Anyways just a thought, the main thing is to stick with it, especially during the tough times, consistency will lead to success.

[Spartan]

Maybe you could add some sprints on the treadmill, I know that I've found if the fat's not coming off all I have to do is add 20 min of sprints (sprint 30-40 seconds, walk 40-60 seconds, continue for 20 min.) The high intensity makes it so that you do not have to spend forever on the treadmill, some people like that. Anyways just a thought, the main thing is to stick with it, especially during the tough times, consistency will lead to success.

Yeah, I'd honestly be up for that but like I said, I get this "fatigue" shot right in my knee location, and around that. Plus, the tendon that attaches from shin to foot tightens up, even after stretching it and warming up prior to a run. Only way I've found to counter that is short bursts between the tread and the elliptical, but that honestly sucks. No rhythm there. But thanks, I'll keep plugging away and it'll pass or my leg will fall off. One or the other!

[pu12en12g]

I was still waiting on samples of GM to come before commiting to buying a tub and not liking the taste (potentially). Cardio is one of those things I don't mind, but I have problems as I get like severe fatigue/even cramping (may or may not be really that, just feels like it some times) at my knees and above my feet where the tendon connects to the shin. I've done some stretching to alleviate this but after a bit of running, it comes up. Not sure how to really address that problem.

Any input from your doctor at all ?

How long have you experienced this ?

[Spartan]

Doc never gave me a real reason behind it. He said it's not shin splints since there wasn't a real "pain" in my description. Also since I don't feel it all the time. I think this has been since I've gotten older since as a child and through high school and college I played alot of sports that were hard on lower body and martial arts as I got older. Only time I feel it is during running. Who knows. Anyones guess is as good as mine...

[RenegadeRows]

You can try Cissus for those pains. My buddy experiences the same sort of pain when he runs, it seems to be the impact of running on concrete/earth as opposed to a treadmill. Cissus is an herbal product put out by USP Labs that alot claim helps their joint, ligament and tendon pains, and supposedly has some recovery/healing properties as well. My lifting partner (an older fellow) uses Cissus for his joints...he can now do dips with no shoulder pain thanks to it.

For $20 a bottle, it's worth a shot.

You can also use Purple WRAATH for recovery, if it's muscle related.

Pretty much the only thing i can think of, aside from going to the doc's and getting tests done.

[pu12en12g]

Doc never gave me a real reason behind it. He said it's not shin splints since there wasn't a real "pain" in my description. Also since I don't feel it all the time. I think this has been since I've gotten older since as a child and through high school and college I played alot of sports that were hard on lower body and martial arts as I got older. Only time I feel it is during running. Who knows. Anyones guess is as good as mine...

Have you tried increasing your water intake ? or drinking gatorade / powerade pre / during training ? (you may also notice improvement when you start GM).

[Spartan]

Have you tried increasing your water intake ? or drinking gatorade / powerade pre / during training ? (you may also notice improvement when you start GM).

I don't drink gatorade due to the high sugar, but I drink ATON of water. It's not a cramp, I can tell that much, just like an odd fatigue central to that location. I got PW and GM this week and tbh, my running/conditioning has gotten worse. I'm taking them pre-workout about 20 minutes out and as far as my lifting goes, I feel better and go longer. But with respect to running, and even the eliptical, have gotten less. I think I'll talk to the doc and see if there is something to it but I will also try that cissius and see if it makes a difference. I sure hope so. Might need better running shoes as well. Nike seems to make shit runners.

[Spartan]

Oh, and thought I would update to give my last couple days of hitting the gym with PW and GM.

Last two days have looked like this (new split):

Sunday - Legs/back

Leg press - 225x20 315x15 405x10 405x10
Leg Ext - 80x20 90x15 100x10
Squats - 225x8 225x6 225x6 - back was bothering me here

Deadlifts - 185x8 225x4 225x4 - still getting use to doing these.
Seated Row - 100x12 150x10 200x6 200x6
Lat Pulldown - 100x12 150x10
Lat Pull(rev grip) - 150x12 200x4 - had to test it
Dips - bwx10 bwx12 bwx12

Monday - Chest/tris

Bench 135x8 185x6 185x6 185x6 185x6
DB Press 60x12 65x8 70x6 70x4
Pec-Deck - 100x8 100x8 100x6
Serratus - 50x10 50x10

Tri ext - 80x12 90x6 85x8 85x8
Kick back - 25x10 25x10
EZ bar over head tri ext - 65x12 65x12 65x10 65x8

Cardio on both days has been kinda weak. About 10 minutes total between the tread and eliptical. Knees been fighting with me. Felt good as hell though last two days getting the higher weights up even though the motivation to get to the gym has been lacking. Good pumps after these two workouts and will see what future sessions holds.

<--- light weight!

[ROBOLEG]

cramping can be caused by all sorts of things another couple of fairly common causes to eliminate would be pottasium deficiency and magnesium definciecny (another good reason to get green mag lol) try eating a banana 1-2 hours before you train and supplementing with magnesium or eating a shitload of hazelnuts.
By the way if your struggling so much with cardio why not try reducing the intensity and doing it for a longer duration as Pu said, it can be a bit boring but a stereo with some decent music can help. With the fat loss side of things try going heavier to work your muscles harder, if you can do 4 sets of 6 at 185lb's on the bench press I'm sure that would be alot more productive if you did 2 sets at 185 and 2 at 200lbs if its that easy assuming you don't have joint problems etc.

[nycste]

i love bananas i really gotta eat more of em

i wakeup wiht a stomach side stich thing daily.. idk what it is always on my right side

[Spartan]

cramping can be caused by all sorts of things another couple of fairly common causes to eliminate would be pottasium deficiency and magnesium definciecny (another good reason to get green mag lol) try eating a banana 1-2 hours before you train and supplementing with magnesium or eating a shitload of hazelnuts.
By the way if your struggling so much with cardio why not try reducing the intensity and doing it for a longer duration as Pu said, it can be a bit boring but a stereo with some decent music can help. With the fat loss side of things try going heavier to work your muscles harder, if you can do 4 sets of 6 at 185lb's on the bench press I'm sure that would be alot more productive if you did 2 sets at 185 and 2 at 200lbs if its that easy assuming you don't have joint problems etc.

Okay, let me re-itterate. IT'S NOT A CRAMP. Refer to prior post. Also, not "struggling" with cardio. Tendon pain/fatigue is limiting it so the actual amount I can do is therefore limited. Also, I never said 185 was easy or that I couldn't do more. If you read from the top, you'd see I was lifting more beforehand. 185 is enough to tax my muscles for now without sacrificing quality of trying to stay at a heavier weight. And no, I don't have joint problems but thanks for asking.