a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

08-16-2004

Way to tired yesterday, could barely stay awake all day. So to make up for not doing arms yesterday, did legs/back, waited a couple of hours then did arms/abs today.

Legs/Back

Pull Ups...........................4x10
Squats..........................160x4x6
Deadlifts.......................160x4x6
Calf Raises.....................160x4x6
Bent Over Row...................120x4x6

I still don't have things to hang weight with for the pull ups but I did get a very clean 4x10.

Squats, pull ups, deadlifts, all good form increase reps next time.

Bent over row Good solid 120 - no cheating needed. Do it again before increasing reps.


Arms/Abs

BB Curls................................80x4x8
Skull Crushers..........................70x4x8
DB Curls................................32x4x8
Tate Press...................26x1x8.....26x3x6
Crunches................................55x4x8
Leg Raises................................4x25
Tricep Pressdown........................60x4x8

Next time increase weight on BB Curls, Skull Crushers, DB Curls, Crunches, and Tricep Pressdown. Increase Reps on Tate press.

I finally got 4x8 clean on the dumbell curls with both arms, the left arm did not have to get any help or spot at all. Yeah!!! I get to increase the curl weight, at last.

[.V.]

08-18-2004

Missed a day yesterday again - out of town all day ran out of time so did two workouts today. Chest/Shoulders then Arms/Abs.

Chest/Shoulders

Military Press..................80x4x8
Upright Row.....................85x4x8
Bench Press....................120x4x6
B-Flyes.................80x3x8, 80x1x7
Front Shrugs...................160x4x8
Back Shrugs....................160x4x8

WOW, I can't believe it, I managed to increase everything today either reps or weight. I finally got that 4x8 on the military press now I can increase the weight. The last one wasn't even hard. I will need to increase weight on upright row and shrugs too next time. On bench press and B-Flyes, I will work on increasing the reps next time. I didn't think I was ever going to get over that wall with the military press and bench press, but I guess it is true that "good things happen to those who weight".


Arms/Abs

BB Curls......................85x4x6
Skull Crushers................75x4x6
DB Curls......................35x4x6
Tate Press....................26x4x8
Weighted Crunches.............60x4x6
Leg Raises......................4x25
Tricep Pressdown.........70x3x6, 1x4

Increased either weight or reps on everything except for leg raises today, next time I will increase reps on leg raises (b o r i n g). Other new goals are to increase weight on tate press and reps on crunches and tricep pressdown.

I am still trying to find a better way to work the lower abs, tried hanging leg raises - feels the same as lying leg raises - still can't hold weight between my feet to do weighted leg raises either way. Tried making a cable/pulley/chain/ankle hitch contraption to do leg raises with pulling weights but all it worked was the hip flexors - nothing in the abs. I guess it is just keep increasing the reps on the leg raises so that I still feel it in the abdominal muscles.

[.V.]

08-20-2004

Legs / Back

Pull Ups....................4x10
Squats...................160x4x8
Deadlifts................160x4x8
Calf Raises..............160x4x8
Bent Over Row............120x4x6

I felt weak today, not strong like the last two workouts, but I did meet each of my goals I had set for today. I had hoped to be able to set a new goal for increasing reps on bent over row for next time, but I'm not quite ready for that yet. Once more at the same weight/reps should do it.

Goals for next time are to increase weight on squats, deadlifts, and calf raises.

[Andrea]

40 pull-ups? Wow! Great job. I'm sure you'll be increasing the weights in no time.

[.V.]

Andrea, Yes - i hope to add weight as soon as I can find a way to hold on to them while I do the pull ups - I can't hold them between my feet. I plan to buy a belt and a chain and a carabener to hang the weight behind me with while I pull up I tried with my rappellng belt and a figure 8 bener, but that had to go in front, it is painful for men to have weight hanging from a chain in front of you while doing pull ups - I won't explain why...just trust me it is.

[Ch0r]

Just skimmed the 10 pages of inspiration on here....really great stuff. Sounds like you have some really good determination and drive to get to your goals. Actually, I had to reread the first page when you said something about weighing 180lbs from your previous 300. I don't have any specific advice to offer, just wanted to encourage you to keep up the progress. Determination is so important, at least to me, and you definately got it.

[SurfinAmy]

Hey, right on for increasing your weights. I was reading through all your journal entries this morning and noticed the big difference from back in April (well, also you got your weights and squat rack now so that definintely helps out )
With all you do, and your comments about sleep, I was wondering if you get enough of it?
Because I think it should make a real difference if you get 8 hours of sleep each night.
-Amy
P.S. Thanx for the ego boost in my journal...... hehehe

[.V.]

Ch0r, Thanks - I'm down to 175 now and have more muscle and strength than I used to have. As most of the lard is gone now, the fat burning has really slowed down, but I stay with it and get stronger, as I build a little muscle, I hope it will burn off the rest of the fat, if not, no matter - I am still healthier and stronger than ever before.

Amy, Thanks to you too, yeah, sometimes I go without enough sleep, it is the nature of the kind of work I do - the 24 hour shifts and the 24 hours on call sometimes lead to no sleep. Other times like the last two nights, nothing happens and I get to sleep all night. Night before last I got 7 hours, and last night, I got 10. I try to make up for the lack of sleep on my 48 hours off by catching a post workout nap and getting a good night's sleep - especially on my second night off.

[.V.]

08-21-2004

Today I did a diet experiment that I should not have done. Usually I eat a protein/fat preworkout meal and give it enough time to digest enough to give me energy to make it through my workout. Today, I decided to carbo load before the workout and hit the weights as soon as I felt the blood sugar rise. This was a BIG MISTAKE. After almost 10 months of controlling my blood sugar and having a good GI system by eating protein and natural healthy fats and eating only high fiber green vegetables for my carbohydrate needs I should have known better, but I wanted to see if the carbo load would give me extra energy to work out better and stronger.

It started off that way, but about halfway through my workout after my 4th set of bench presses, my blood sugar crashed and when I sat up on the bench after the 4th set, everything went black and the next thing I knew, my daughter was standing over me saying, "hey dad, are you dead"? Thank God it didn't happen during the lift and waited until after. I had to eat a protein/fat bar and wait for it to digest to finish my workout. I still had a good workout after that little episode and met my goals for the day. But I have had GI problems ever since. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and things I have not had since I started eating the controlled carbohydrate way. Lesson learned - for me and my system, I need to stick with the protein, fat, lower carbohydrate way of eating and live with the slower muscle gains and slower strenght gains that people who are able to tolerate carbs better get to have. As long as my gains remain fairly steady, I can live with hitting the occasional wall and just stick with it until I get over it and keep on going. It was a good experiment, because I learned something from it, but it is one I won't be repeating.

[.V.]

08-21-2004

Enough of my whining about bad diet decisions.
Here is today's workout.

Chest / Shoulders

Military Press........85x4x6
Upright Row...........90x4x6
Bench Press..........120x4x8
B Flyes...............80x4x8
Shrugs/Front.........165x4x6
Shrugs/Back..........165x4x6

I met my goals today of increasing either weight or reps on everything.
Next time I will probably repeat todays weight/reps on military press and upright row.
Goals for improvement for next time are to increase weight on Bench Press and B Flyes. I will increase reps on Shrugs next time.

[.V.]

08-22-2004

Back to my usual diet. The GI problems are gone (almost). The bloating and gas really pushed the abdominal muscles out and made them look developed. I would rather not feel that way just to be able to see them. Well, live and learn.

Today's workout:

Arms / Abs

BB Curls.................85x4x6
Skull Crushers...........75x4x6
DB Curls.................35x4x6
Tate Press...............30x4x6
Crunches.................60x4x8
Leg Raises.................4x30
Tricep Pressdown.........70x4x6

Goals met:
Increased reps on - crunches, tricep pressdown, leg raises.
Increased weight on - tate press.

I'm really glad about the link to the tate press video that I was given. I could never improve my triceps, I had the exercise I had came up with, but was not improving - too much isolation I guess. Now, they are at least getting stronger - not bigger, but stronger.

New Goals:
Increase Reps on - BB curls, Skull Crushers, DB curls, Tate Press, and Tricep Pressdown.
Increase Weight on - Crunches.

[Andrea]

I see that you met some of your goals. Congrats on that!!!

[SurfinAmy]

that was a hard lesson! you totally blacked out???? you REALLY need a spotter in case something happens, do any of your friends or brothers want to work out or anything? Well, please be careful over there....
as for the sleep, those shifts sound pretty heinous, I couldn't do that kind of work I don't think.
I took my kid into the hospital for a cast, while we were in the cast room they brought in a little three year old right behind the curtain who had just been hit by a car. It was awful and horrible and the kid was screaming and everyone was being really efficient and businesslike or something, probably they needed to keep the environment calm for the kid and the parents, but I was losing it on the other side of the curtain as the child screamed and screamed. I couldn't do it, let alone get a good nights sleep after work....
-Amy

[.V.]

Originally Posted by SurfinAmy

that was a hard lesson! you totally blacked out???? you REALLY need a spotter in case something happens, do any of your friends or brothers want to work out or anything?
-Amy

Yeah, but only after putting down the weight - I wont eat in such a way to cause that again.

[Andrea]

I'm glad your feeling better!!!