a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

Breaks can be good as long as they aren't too long or too close together. It was time for at least a couple days off - not a full break. I should be back on it today - if I'm ever able to make it home.

[.V.]

04-17-2005

Shoulders
Rear Shrugs............270x3x4
Front Shrugs...........270x3x4
Mil Press..............115x3x4
Upright Row.......130x2x6, 1x5
DB Mil Press............50x3x4

Diet
M1.....Chicken on multigrain bread, 3 egg whites, oatmeal, coffee
M2.....PWO shake, dextrose
M3.....Turkey slices, snow pea, carrots, & peppercorn mix, red beans & rice
M4.....Protein shake
M5.....Will be another protein shake before bed

Pro, Fat, Carb, Cal totals - I don't know no time to count them today.

Comments
Taking the extra day off was a good thing. I was stronger today than last time. Shrugs and MP (both kinds) were great. Still having a bit of a struggle with the Rows - but improving still. Of course training max ot style - something about each workout is a new PR. But - I made improvements that I was really struggling with last time and did not expect to make today. I'm looking forward to my week off - I wasn't, but am now. Two weeks and two workouts away. Still eating quite a bit bigger than I have been before - slowly increasing the amount I can eat with each meal. It took me a while to make it home today and after lifting, I got really busy. Not time to eat like I had planned, but I think I took in pretty good volume compared to what I used to get. Missed one meal, but did take two shakes and planning on a third. Bad thing - found out today that I've lost 2 pounds. Now how do I explain this with getting stronger? Doesn't make sense to me - especially since I'm eating twice as much as I used to. I wonder if I should still eat the extra on my off days and still take the extra protein.

[Firehawk]

Keep it roll'n....

[.V.]

Originally Posted by Firehawk

Keep it roll'n....

What - the food?

[Firehawk]

Keep the weights rollin

I'm about to join up at a powerlifting gym. I'm very excited, a bit intimidated, and nervous about it though lol. Should make for alot of trips to the can before i piss myself .

[.V.]

You mean one of those basement places with no carpet, bodybuilders, women, or machines? Just stacks and racks of free weights?

[gcs118]

Andy you make it sound so inviting...

[Firehawk]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

You mean one of those basement places with no carpet, bodybuilders, women, or machines? Just stacks and racks of free weights?

Well there are a few women there , and a couple are real good looking. Sure there's a couple machines, like a monolift...No sissy stuff though.

Imagine if one actually went to a gym to get bigger and stronger how much one could accomplish...

Bodybuilders are outlawed there .

[.V.]

My description does sound inviting - to me. Where I grew up, there was a gym like that. Each member had a key, and put their $15.00 in the "honor box" each month. This was enough to pay the electric bill, rent, and buy the owner some beer and gas. He just had it set up for himself really and decided he would share by selling memberships to pay for it. It was actually a great place to workout. Then I moved 50 miles west - too far to drive there every day. The problem was, I was the weak fat guy - so the PLs sometimes lifted me. The drawback - no cute little "spandex queens" (remember the '80s and spandex bikini style body suits with the thong) to escort you around to the from the leg extension to the leg curls, then from the abductor to the adductor machines like at the health and fitness center. I loved getting them to "show me one more time how to use this thing". They would always demonstrate.

[.V.]

04-18-2005

Back
CDL..........270x3x6
BOR..........180x3x6
P/U+W......50x 5,4,4

Diet
M1.....Chicken on multigrain, oatmeal, coffee (forgot to eat eggs)
M2.....PWO shake, Dextrose drink
M3.....Tuna on multigrain, mixed green veggies, red beans & rice
M4.....Grilled chicken breast, salad, baked potato
M5.....Will be another protein shake (with some fat added in)- seems to be the best bedtime snack for me - cuts down on the stomach cramps that all these carbs are causing.

Comments
Workout felt pretty good today. The DL 270 was heavy, but got all reps. Going to try 280 next week. I had an idea today. I hope it was a good one. Two weeks until a week off. I'm going to do my normal workout next week - then the following week - each day - instead of my usual sets/reps for each exericse on each day. I will do the usual exercises - and just warm up/acclimate/and max - keep adding pounds on singles until I find my max for each lift. Then a whole week off to rest. Sounds fun - hope it's not dumb.

[maverick]

Thats quite a BOR man. I have a bit higher DL weight, but my BOR has a long way to go to reach that. Good luck on your week of maxing out. Get a good spotter!

[gcs118]

Whoa those pull ups are insane. More power to ya Andy! That maxing week sounds fun...I love maxing, but I rarely do it.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by maverick

Thats quite a BOR man. I have a bit higher DL weight, but my BOR has a long way to go to reach that. Good luck on your week of maxing out. Get a good spotter!

Thanks maverick. I've been blessed with a strong back and a weak mind. My legs are my weak point - they hold me back on my DL - but it is getting better - slowly, but still getting better.

gcs - those pullups are going slow - they were quicker at first - but since I've gained some BW too - they feel a bit heavier now. I've never maxed before - it will be cool to find out what I can do. I hope it isn't just what I'm working out with.

It would be better if I had a spotter, but no such luck.

[.V.]

04-19-2005

Chest
Flat Bench.......170x3x4
Incline Bench....155x3x4
Decline Bench....160x3x6

Abs
Crunch...........60x3x10
Cable Crunch....100x3x10

Diet
M1.....PB&J on multigrain bread
M2.....4 egg whites, chicken breast, oatmeal
M3.....PWO shake, dextrose drink
M4.....Chicken breast, baked potato, salad
M5.....Whole grain cereal/milk, 1 tbsp PB on multigrain bread
M6.....Hamburger patty
M7.....Chicken breast, red beans & rice, cabbage
M8.....Will be another protein shake

I have no idea about totals again today - no time to count them - but I'm sure it is over 2000 cal. I think there is enough protein I've added more carbs too. Not quite as gassy today from all the carbs - but they still hurt my intestines and stomach.

Comments
I tried something a little different today. I got up at 04:30 to eat M1 then went back to sleep until 06:00 time to get the kids up for school. Then at 07:30 I started cooking my real breakfast - eating by eight - in the gym at nine. I'm trying the extra food early to see if it fuels the workout a little better. Seems to work - for the first day. I go to work tomorrow - so I've precooked my chicken breasts, baked potatoes, red beans & rice to take with me. If I can just remember to take a few eggs along and some pre-canned protein shakes, I should be set to eat big tomorrow too - to fuel legs day after.

I also tried something else a little different today. Since I've started doing the cable crunches (thanks todd for pointing me to them), my abdominals are getting pretty big - compared to how they were. Even though with all the extra food, I am storing some fat - I can see them and they are bigger than before. This is a good thing for me - because big abs are the only way to fill up the leftover space from when I was 300 lbs. I keep reading that the leg lifts really don't work the abs - just the hip flexors. So I'm going to try skipping them so I can concentrate better on doing the other two ab exercises. Today - the two I did were VERY intense. I can feel abdominal soreness already. I think that after my break, I'll have outgrown the lat tower (for the cable crunch) on the machine that I've been using for them and have to move to the one that I can put on my bench.

Edit - I just now realized the actual volume of food I'm eating. It's huge. I don't know why the calories have been so light - must just be the food choices I've been making. Food for tomorrow and first breakfast for the next morning fills two coolers (the little soft sided lunchbox type) about 12"x12"x10". It's going to be very convenient not to have to go to the restuarunts and fool with trying to order low fat and healthy carbs. Ketogenic food was easier to get in resturaunts - order the jumbo burger - all the way - toss the bun, get salad instead of fries.

[gcs118]

Andy your bench has been steadily climbing, that's pretty awesome. Keep it up and you'll be puttin' up 225 easy