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..........................
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..........................
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