PowerBuilding Journal 1

Military Press Day - Cycle 1

2008-01-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Military Press Day
Cycle 1

Overall Impression:

weird day...im not very happy with the military press work but i think everything else went off pretty well. im trying to narrow down what could've lead to this weird workout and im pretty sure its something to do with diet...i ate some rice and fish before my workout. i cant think of anything else.

The Workout:

Military Press
- 132 lbs (60 kgs) x 5 reps x 3 sets
something was wrong right from the start. it just didnt feel right to me. my elbows wouldnt come out far enough, my grip was all wrong, the bar was uneven, one of elbows refused to lockout....really weird stuff. this is the second military press workout which hasnt been as per plan. i was supposed to do 3x6x132 today.

High Cable V-Bar Rows on the Lat Pull Down machine
- 135 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
this exercise actually felt good. i think the pressing work was the problem.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
- 55 lbs x 12 reps x 3 sets
this was better than the military press session. i dunno whats up with me...

Floor Skull Crushers
- 60 lbs x 12 reps x 2 sets

Ab Work
- Lat Pull Down Sit-ups 60 lbs x 15 reps x 2 sets
- Over Head Side Bends w/ Plate 7.5 kgs x 10 reps x 2 sets
I will be doing more ab work with time...next workout volume will increase

Deadlift Day - Cycle 1

2008-01-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Deadlift Day
Cycle 1

Overall Impression:

So today was Day 1 of the Upper-Lower program My back is going to be sore as hell tomorrow. Along with my glutes and hammies. I am planning on doing some cardio tomorrow. Lets see if I wake up early enough to go to the gym...today's workout was good

The Workout:

Deadlifts
- 265 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets
- 175 lbs x 10 reps x 1 set
This was tremendously difficult. On set number 3 i lost my grip on the last rep right at the top just a second before lockout so i repeated the rep after deweighting the bar for 30 seconds. my calluses hurt so badly right now lol..

Bulgarian Squats
- 40 lbs x 10 reps x 2 sets
i'm finally falling in love with this exercise

Hyper Extensions
- BW x 10 reps x 2 sets
as per the program i'm supposed to be doing glute ham raises but my gym doesnt have a GHR machine...so ill have to wait for another 10 days before i can do GHRs at my school gym.

Grip Work
- Alternate Arm Dumbbell Hammer Curls 45 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
- Static Holds

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises BW x 10 reps
- Over Head Side Bends w/ Plate 5 kgs x 10 reps x 2 sets
I will be doing more ab work with time...

Changes....

2008-01-04T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone

I'm gonna be switching programs again.

The main reason I switched from the upper-lower to this full body program was because I couldnt manage the upper-lower in respect to my schedule at school. But, I've finalized my schedule and I can go back to the upper-lower. So that is what I will be doing. Starting from tomorrow I go back to the upper-lower concept but its gonna be slightly different this time.

The layout is 3 workouts per week which means that my upper-lower is rotating 4 workouts in 3 sessions per week...i.e.

Week 1:
Lower 1
Upper 1
Lower 2

Week 2:
Upper 2
Lower 1
Upper 1

Week 3:
Lower 2
Upper 2
Lower 1

etc etc

The four workouts are:

Lower 1 - Deadlift
Upper 1 - Military Press
Lower 2 - Squat
Upper 2 - Bench Press

My goals have not changed at all:
1.) Get my BF% down to 10-12%
2.) Pull a respectable amount off the floor.
3.) Get my military press to 185 lbs.

So, the exercise selection is as follows:

Deadlift Day
- Deadlifts
- Bulgarian Squats 2x6-8
- Glute Ham Raises 2-3 sets
- Grip Work

Military Press Day
- Military Press
- Row Variant (Currently dumbbell rows)
- Press Variant (i rotate between flat db presses and uni shoulder presses)
- Tricep Exercise

Squat Day
- Squats 5x5 or 3x5, 2x8 or something. since we're not in any hurry for this i dont need anything set in stone
- Unilateral RDLs 2x6-12
- Regular RDLs 2-3x8-12
- Grip Work

Bench Press Day
- Bench Press maintenance work; Speed-Strength work @ 70-80% or 1,2,3,4,5RM testing
- Pull-ups Density Training
- Row Variant (barbell rows probably)

I look forward to tomorrow's Deadlift Day

Thanks to Eric once again for the new program!

B - Week 3

2008-01-02T19:26:00.001-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout B - Week 3

Overall Impression:

the first workout of the new year happy new year to one and all!!!

workout was good. i think ive figured out how to go back to my upper-lower split. i might be doing that sometime soon. lets see....

Workout:

Squats
245 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets
205 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
ok so 245 for 5x5 was my goal but set 3 was really really difficult. i wanted to leave some in the tank because next week the goal's gonna be to nail 245 for 4x5. the high rep sets killed me.

Pull-Ups
Density Training = 8 sets x 5 reps in 10 minutes
I cant believe i got this but it was so difficult. im gonna be stuck on this for a while im sure. it was REALLY difficult to nail this. jeez..the squats really tired me out lol.

Unilateral RDLs
45 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Grip Work
one set of wrist curls and one set of reverse wrist curls

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 19 reps x 8 kgs dumbbell (17.6 lbs)
- Over Head Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 19 reps x 5 kgs plate (11 lbs)

Shoulder Prehab Work
Did some scapular protraction work and a few very light overhead shrug sets. very light and easy.

i hope everyone's having a good week. happy new year once again, everyone

A - Week 3

2007-12-31T05:14:00.000-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout A - Week 3

Overall Impression:

Happy New Year (in advance) everyone so i weighed myself today. i weigh 81 kgs = 178 lbs. nice. thats a 5 lbs gain roughly. i need to increase carb intake. im kinda happy. not that the scale matters much. for me, its the mirror that counts.

Workout:

Deadlifts
255 lbs x 8 reps
265 lbs x 4 reps
185 lbs x 10 reps (back off set)
taken very very close to failure. i liked this. im happy.

Bench Press
185 lbs x 3 reps
90% of 1RM
i think ive found my bench groove back. my problem was gripping the bar. i havent been able to grip it correctly where the weight is distributed down the forearm.

Bulgarian Squats
40 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 17 reps x 8 kgs dumbbell (17.6 lbs)
- Over Head Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 17 reps x 5 kgs plate (11 lbs)
added 2 reps per set per exercise from friday's workout. nice. im happy. on friday, ill be focusing on some heavy negs.

Shoulder Prehab
Dip Shrugs and Scapular Retractions

I hope everyone has great plans for this new years eve happy new year in advance guys and gals

C - Week 2

2007-12-29T18:35:00.000-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout C - Week 2

Overall Impression:

Im somewhat happy about this workout. it isnt the best ive had but its far from the worst. my diet off late has been good and i think the ab work that i am finally doing after so many months is slowly paying off.

Workout:

Military Press
132 lbs (60 kgs) x 5 reps
121 lbs (50 kgs) x 5 reps x 5 sets
I was going to try and nail 132x5x4 but something felt odd in that first set so i decided to reduce the weight. surprisingly, the remaining 5 sets werent as difficult as expected. i reckon i could've stuck to my plan if i hadnt panicked. i should've just rested for a bit and then gone back to it. ill try to get 132x5x4 next week.

Dumbbell Rows
75 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets
smooth and easy

Seated Unilateral Dumbbell Military Press
45 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets
i will try to progress on these next time round. i will either aim for 9 reps or increase the sets to 3.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press
55 lbs x 12 reps x 2 sets
i did these in a Strength Speed fashion. reps were controlled but very fast.

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises 8 kgs x 15 reps x 2 sets
- Over Head Side Bends 5 kgs x 15 reps x 2 sets
So i progressed on these two...i upped the reps by 2 on HLR and by 5 on OHSB. my goal with ab work is to keep increasing volume steadily for 2-3 weeks on any 2 exercises, then switching them out for another 2 exercises and then coming back to these after i apply similar progression techniques on the new exercises. i still have 1 or 2 weeks left of these 2 though. im happy im finally doing some direct ab work. i can feel my abs getting tighter and i like it. somehow though (and perhaps this is a stretch of my imagination), i feel like my waist size is increasing. is that normal? or am i just imagining this? i hope its just my imagination.

Alternate Hand Dumbbell Hammer Curls
45 lbs x 12 reps x 1 set
this was taken to failure.

Facepulls
80 lbs x 10 reps
120 lbs x 10 reps
145 lbs x 4 reps

Shoulder Prehab Work
some scapular retractions...

3 more days till 31st hope y'all have exciting new year's eve plans

B - Week 2

2007-12-27T07:23:00.000-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout B - Week 2

Overall Impression:

i need to weigh myself. i have this feeling that my weight's increased. also, either its the effect of all the ab work or the bloat ive brought on with the carbs im consuming, but my stomach is becoming bigger and bigger and im not liking it - although i am developing some pretty hard feeling abzz..

Workout:

Squats
225 lbs x 5 reps x 5 sets
I cannot believe how I was able to do these. My form was spot on correct and the weight felt good. The last set was really tough and I had to take 2-3 breaths before the final rep. When i was on the texas method, my 5x5 max had been 245 lbs. i plan on shattering that record soon.
My form was spot on. i compared it to last week's squat session - i had walked into the gym on an empty stomach and when i worked out, i had spread my feet too far apart, etc. but today everything just sunk in right. everything was exactly as it should be. perhaps next time i will take a video.
i am thinking of either doing 235x5x5 or 200x8x3 next week. lets see.

Pull-Ups
Density Training = 10 sets x 4 reps in 10 minutes
I cannot believe i nailed this!!!

Unilateral RDLs
45 lbs x 7 reps x 2 sets

Grip Work
one set of wrist curls and one set of reverse wrist curls

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 13 reps x 8 kgs dumbbell (17.6 lbs)
- Over Head Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 11 reps x 5 kgs plate (11 lbs)

Shoulder Prehab Work
Did some scapular retraction work. very light and easy.

only a few more days left for the new year. i hope all is well with all of y'all

A - Week 2

2007-12-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout A - Week 2

Overall Impression:

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Today's workout was pretty good.. Im very happy with my deadlifts. I've been hogging food. Unfortunately though, I ate my last meal 4 hours before my workout and I took too long of a nap before my workout. This kind of drained me of any energy. Thats not cool. I will try and avoid something like this happening again.

Other than the food intake timing mini-fiasco, there's nothing else special to report, guys and gals.

Workout:

Deadlifts
225 lbs x 5 reps
245 lbs x 5 reps
255 lbs x 5 reps
245 lbs x 3 reps
225 lbs x 3 reps
Im trying to think of what would be better to do next week. I want to sort of alternate perhaps between weeks of high poundage work and low poundage work. perhaps this a good idea. I'll see. For now, my goal next week will be to do 2 sets of 5 reps with 255 and perhaps use a similar pyramiding system where i pyramid up and then down.

Bench Press
Speed Strength Work
70% of 1RM
145 lbs x 3 reps x 6 sets
I want to do something different next time. I might try a few singles with 200 or so. It depends on how beat up I feel after deadlifts.

Bulgarian Squats
40 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Ab Work
- Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps x 8 kgs dumbbell (17.6 lbs)
- Over Head Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 10 reps x 5 kgs plate (11 lbs)
I am keeping the volume and intensity relatively low. I do not want to have sore abs for my squat workout in 2 days. But I am proud of myself for finally taking some initiative in training teh abzz. haha.

Shoulder Prehab Dip Shrugs

This is for my shoulder prehab work. I will be doing 1-2 shoulder prehab exercises per workout. It's not too intense.

Thanks for reading, y'al!! I would like to wish everyone a very merry christmas Have a great day

C - Week 1

2007-12-23T01:53:00.001-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout C - Week 1

Overall Impression:

im going to be changing a few things in my training program. im not sure when and im not sure what exactly but a few changes are required.

regarding diet, ive been eating plenty of food and i got 13 hours of sleep last night. that hasnt happened to me once since 8th grade. god it feels good

Workout:

Pull-ups
Density Training = 10 sets x 4 reps in 10 minutes
This was very very difficult. I think i've actually gotten weaker on these since before. I'm gonna be doing them for one more week before i switch.

Close Grip Bench Press
135 lbs x 3 reps
155 lbs x 3 reps
175 lbs x 3 reps
125 lbs x 8 reps
I liked this. I'm doing CGBP after a long time. And it feels good

Dumbbell Rows
70 lbs x 6 reps x 3 sets
Felt great!

Seated Dumbbell Unilateral Shoulder Press
45 lbs x 8 reps x 2 sets

Barbell Curls
65 lbs x 6 reps x 1 set

Ab Work
i did some hanging leg raises with 6 kgs dumbbells. 2 sets to failure around 15-20 reps odd.

Christmas is just round the corner everyone! i hope y'all are all having a fabulous holiday!

B - Week 1

2007-12-20T09:58:00.000-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout B - Week 1

Overall Impression:

I've been eating good food and lots of it. I checked my bodyweight yesterday and im very disappointed to say that i weighed in at 175 lbs

i also did some cardio yesterday. today's workout was good and i am happy at the way my strength is improving. i think my routine may need to be slightly tweaked in maybe 3-4 weeks. i have a few possibilities but i will explore those in another post...this one is dedicated to today's workout which i am pretty pleased with.

Workout:

Military Press
132 lbs (60 kgs) x 5 reps x 3 sets
121 lbs (55 kgs) x 6 reps x 2 sets
99 lbs (45 kgs) x 8 reps x 1 set
I think the 3x5 set with 132 lbs is a PR by 2 lbs. im not sure...the bar at my gym weighs 12 kgs (weird) so actually the weight was 62 kgs which equals 136.4 lbs however i dont think thats possible. either way, im underestimating the weight and taking 132 lbs as my new 3x5 max haha i am very happy with the way this went down. all reps were controlled and not too slow. the last set of 132 was killer. i struggled on the 4th rep, lost my breathing pattern so i racked the weight, took a deep breath and cranked out 1 more rep. form was good too. elbows in front of bar.

Squats
200 lbs (90 kgs) x 6 reps x 3 sets
176 lbs (80 kgs) x 8 reps x 2 sets
My squat strength is returning slowly and steadily. this is good. I think once i reach the potential to squat somewhere along the lines of 225 for 4x6 or 5x5 i am going to have to re-arrange a few of the exercises on this full body program. this is a topic for a new post though....

Unilateral RDLs
45 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
I took it easy on this for today. i am being conservative this first week. I dont want to do so much that in 2 weeks i need a deload lol..

Facepulls
a few heavy sets. i didnt do too many because i have to do pull-ups day after tomorrow.

Ab Work
i did some hanging leg raises with 8 kgs and 4 kgs dumbbells. 2-3 sets to failure around 15-20 reps odd. im gonna stick to this exercise for another 2-3 weeks before i switch.

Thanks for reading y'all! Happy holidays everyone and i hope everyone's doing fine!

A - Week 1

2007-12-18T12:42:00.001-08:00

Full Body Training - Workout A - Week 1

Overall Impression:

I just got back today morning from Houston (took a Houston-Frankfurt, Frankfurt-Bombay flight) and the last 24 hours sitting at airports and sleeping on planes has left me very dehydrated and hungry because the food on Lufthansa sucks. I did workout today and I think it was a good workout on the whole. My diet is improving and since I am now at home, I have zero excuses for the next 30 days to skip meals or not eat enough. I have lost a lot of weight and I am not too happy about it.

Workout:

Deadlifts
135x5
185x5
225 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets
245 lbs x 1 rep
265 lbs x 2 reps
Very nice workout. My back is feeling fine. I did all the lower back stretches at the end of the workout as well. I am happy with the way my deadlift strength is slowly and steadily improving. Not very long ago I found moving 185 lbs a challenge.

Bulgarian Squats
40 lbs x 6 reps x 2 sets
This is probably one of the most boring exercises. From next week onwards I am therefore going to spend more time and energy perfecting this exercise.

Bench Press
Dynamic Effort Work
70% of 1RM
145 lbs x 3 reps x 5 sets
Felt pretty easy. The bar kinda flew up. I think that next week I will either do more sets or aim for 3x3 with 180 or 185 lbs. I might even do some 3RM attempts. I need more time to think about this.

Grip Work
I did a circuit of
- Hammer Curls
- Wrist Curls
- Reverse Wrist Curls
- Bar Pull aparts
These felt good.

Ab Work

I wasnt feeling too good today so I didnt do any serious ab work - just some basic core stuff like crunches, etc.

Thank you for reading, guys! I hope everyone is having a good week

ill + exams + future plans

2007-12-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

hey everyone,

i know i havent been updating my journal over the last 3-5 days. i am a little under the weather at the moment and this is exam week for me so i am very very stressed. therefore i will not be working out this week at all.

i leave for bombday on the 16th and arrive on the 17th late night. therefore my next workout will be on the 18th. i will be posting regularly from there on.

my goals are the same, just in case anyone has forgotten:
1.) reduce bf% through diet
2.) get my overhead press to 185 (currently at 155 which is 90% of my bw)
3.) get my deadlift to a more respectable number (currently around 255 because of lower back injury)

however, i will not be using this upper lower split for the time being. i have been using it for around 30 weeks now and my priorities in life have kind of changed a little bit so my split has been altered. i will be doing 3 full body workouts a week from now on. with this new program i might need to deload every 6-7 weeks or so. maybe. i wont know till i actually try it out.

before i post my workout program i would like to also add that during these holidays i will be doing cardio 3-6 times a week. sometimes it will be low intensity sometimes HIIT. i am not so sure. but i will be trying harder to focus on some amount of cardio. i dont expect earth-shattering results in 4 weeks from this but every little step counts.

i would also like to add that this workout program has been arranged the way it has because i need it to be like that. if someone has suggestions regarding substituion of exercises then i am all ears but i will not changing anything in terms of muscle groups worked, etc. the basic layout of the program is:

Workout A: Full Body w/ focus on deadlifts and lower body work
Workout B: Full Body w/ focus on military press and squat work
Workout C: Upper Body only w/ focus on military press and bench assistance work

here is the workout program:

Full Body Training

WORKOUT A:
- Deadlifts
- Bulgarian Squats 2x6-8
- Bench Press speed 70%ish, proceeded by some triples every other week, or replaced by "quality volume" every several weeks with one strength-speed set at end

WORKOUT B:
- Military Press
- Squats 3-4x6-10
- Glute Ham Raises
- Facepulls

WORKOUT C:
- Pull-ups Density Training
- Close Grip Bench Press 2-3x6-10
- Rows 3-5x6-10
- Seated Dumbbell Unilateral Shoulder Press 2-3x8-12

the volume on these workouts will vary because handling full body workouts is a bit difficult. i need to start out with really low volume and then add volume slowly in order to make sure i distribute stress in a way that my body can dissipate it and allow me to recover faster.

so this is the plan and i look forward to posting again in this journal post the 18th.

thank you everyone for reading i hope those of you who have exams have the best of luck and i hope everyone is having a good week.

Upper 1, Week 30

2007-12-05T23:11:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 30

Overall Impression:

its reading day before finals. i woke up really early today after only 6 hours of sleep and i had been studying from 10 am till 6:30 pm with a one hour break for lunch and then i studied from 7:30 till 9:30 and went to workout. now i dont feel like studying...might go out partying....i hate accounting. lol. however, diet today was pretty ok. im upping my protein intake.

Military Press

i did a LOT of sets for these. ill list them right from warm-up:
95x5
115x2
*work sets from now on*
135x3
140x2
145x2
150x2
155x1
120 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets
fuck yeah! 155x1 is a new PR for me (not even my 1RM though). its also 90% of my bodyweight right now. well, 88.9% but whatever. im pretty thrilled about this. the goal with this was to do some heavy pressing work using only 5 lbs increments as the largest increment. i think i did ok. considering i was very tired when walking into the gym, im happy about this workout.

Pull-ups = 10 sets x 4 reps x 10 minutes

this was worse than last time. im gonna have to repeat this 10x4 scheme next week. shit.

Seated Barbell Shoulder Press = 95 lbs x 5 reps x 3 sets

nice. i think i need to work the midpoint of the ROM of the military press. the bar went up really slowly around there.

Lat Pull Downs 2 sets x 10 reps x 150 lbs superset with Pull Overs 2 sets x 10 reps x 45 lbs

nice!

Facepulls

80 lbs x 10 reps
100 lbs x 6 reps
120 lbs x 8 reps
140 lbs x 5 reps

Leaving Thoughts:

im pretty happy. my overhead pressing strength is pretty dencent for my bodyweight i reckon.

i hope everyone else is happy with their week so far. thanks for reading, guys

Lower 1, Week 30

2007-12-04T15:21:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1A, Week 30

Overall Impression:

ok we have a slight change in my schedule...from now on, my schedule will be a 2 week rotation:

WEEK 1:
Mon - Lower 1A
Wed - Upper 2
Fri - Lower 2

WEEK 2:
Mon - Upper 1
Wed - Lower 1B
Fri- Upper 2

this will be repeated again and again...

diet has improved...i think i fall into these lapses where my diet just goes right out the window....i hate that...

Deadlifts

did quite a few sets today
135x5
185x3
205 lbs x 7 reps x 3 sets *work sets*
225 lbs x 7 reps x 1 set *work set*
i think my strength is coming along pretty nicely. i hope this continues for a while.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 40 lbs

god....ive finally learnt to like this exercise enough to try and maintain good form. lol

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps

im getting better at these i think

Shoulder Rehab and Prehab work

did a few light sets of overhead shrugs, dip shrugs and some rehab work i have outlined in my injury thread...

Leaving Thoughts:

cool workout

i hope everyone is having a good week! thanks for reading, guys and gals.

Upper 1, Week 29

2007-12-01T01:42:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 29

Overall Impression:

diet has been kinda better. i think ive been slacking off the protein a lot. i will make up for it soon.

regarding my weight, i weighed in today and i was at 176.2 lbs. funny...

Bench Press = 1 set x 1 rep x 205 lbs

this used to be my old 3RM. now its like my 1RM. which is fine - its probably because i am focussing so heavily on over head pressing. which is exaclty what i want to do so im not complaining. this is alright. the only thing which i find wierd is that it was REALLY slow. i got stuck midway and i stayed in that position forever before the bar moved up. i didnt enjoy that.

Dumbbell Rows = 5 sets x 6 reps x 80 lbs

this is by far one of my favourite back exercises - right after pull-ups

Seated Dumbbell Unilateral Shoulder Press = 2 sets x 7 reps x 50 lbs

the goal next week is 3x8x50

Lat Pull Downs = 3 sets x 8 reps x 120 lbs superset with Hammer Strength Shrugs = 3 sets x 8 reps x 200 lbs

nice...

Skull Crushers = 2 sets x 12 reps x 50 lbs superset with Pull Overs = 2 sets x 12 reps.

felt good. i figure i need to do more tricep work

Facepulls

90 lbs x 6 reps
100 lbs x 6 reps
120 lbs x 6 reps
120 lbs x 6 reps

Leaving Thoughts:

nice workout.

i hope everyone is having a good week! thanks for reading, guys and gals.

Lower 1, Week 29

2007-11-29T01:18:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 29

Overall Impression:

my diet has been pretty awful lol...im having way too many dark chocolates :-p

Deadlifts = 3 sets x 9 reps x 185 lbs, 1 set x 4 reps x 205 lbs

overall poundage was very high. more volume than last time.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 40 lbs

i hate this fucking exercise!

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 8 reps

i was just bored. next time ill do more than 2 sets. i also yawned during this exercise. not cool. i must've looked retarded....

Ab Work

2 supersets:
1.) static holds on the floor with lat pull down sit-ups
2.) overhead plate side bends and flat pistons
for a few sets close to failure. it was fun.

Forearm Work

Triset:
1.) One Arm Barbell Curls
2.) Wrist Curls
3.) Reverse Wrist Curls
same as last time. i did 20 lbs for 3 sets of 10, 30 and 15 reps respectively. it was fun.

Leaving Thoughts:

it was a cool workout. i think perhaps from next time i can start working out in the 200s for deads. either way, i liked today's workout a lot.

i hope everyone is having a good week! thanks for reading, guys and gals.

Upper 2, Week 29

2007-11-26T22:53:00.001-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 29

Overall Impression:

all i ate this weekend was steak, potatoes and grapes. my bodyweight has shot up from 175 to 183. how the heck does that happen? i bet most of it is fat.....i wonder why it doesnt appear that way to me though...

Military Press = 2 sets x 6 reps x 130 lbs, 1 set x 5 reps x 130 lbs, 1 set x 2 reps x 135 lbs

so 3x6x130 didnt go quite as well as planned. i needed help for the 6th rep on the last set so im not counting it. its moved up from last week which is a good thing. next week i will try for 3x6x130 and then 1x4x130 too. the 135 lbs set was just to see where i stand. im happy

Pull-ups = 10 sets x 4 reps in 10 minutes

this was ridiculously difficult! i am definitely going to repeat this set-rep scheme next week. for sure!

Military Press = 3 sets x 8 reps x 95 lbs

im tired of doing unilateral and bilateral dumbbell work. ive been doing that successfully for over 16 weeks now. its time to change things up. i did some more press work to improve the bottom part of the lift. it felt good. next week i will try 4x8x95.

Lat Pull Downs 2 sets x 10 reps x 150 lbs superset with Dumbbell Pull Overs 2 sets x 10 reps x 45 lbs

same as last week. i was really tired and i had to rush this.

Leaving Thoughts:

it was a cool workout. im happy

happy monday everyone. i hope y'all had a good thanksgiving!

Upper 1, Week 28

2007-11-21T23:49:00.001-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 28

Overall Impression:

im logging this in a day late. i worked out on tuesday since i wanted to get 2 workouts in this week.

Bench Press = 2 sets x 10 reps x 155 lbs

i dont understand why but it looks like i have completely lost my groove on flat bench pressing. i feel very wierd doing the lift. i guess this is more psychological. im just trying to figure out why this is happening and how do i go back to being comfortable doing bench work.

Barbell Rows = 5 sets x 10 reps x 135 lbs

felt good

Seated Dumbbell Unilateral Shoulder Presses = 3 sets x 7 reps x 50 lbs

this is getting more and more difficult to progress on lol

Dumbbell Rows = 3 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs SUPERSET with Fat Bar Lat Pull Downs = 3 sets x 6 reps x 120 lbs

this felt great!

Leaving Thoughts:

it was a pretty good workout. im happy.

have a happy thanksgiving everyone!

Lower 2, Week 28

2007-11-20T12:32:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 28

Overall Impression:

i decided to do oly squats today. after almost 3 months i am coming back to squatting. needless to say the weights were light.

Squats

free hand x 25 reps
bar x 10 reps
135 x 10 reps
185 x 8 reps x 3 sets
135 x 3 reps x 3 sets
135 x 10 reps

im very surprised that i could remember how to squat properly. i had no trouble with my technique whatsoever. everything was near to perfect form-wise. my only concern is that my wrists hurt doing so many reps and on set 2 when i unracked the bar my right shoulder hurt. but this is probably because im squatting after almost 3 months. so my wrists are not used to holding the bar and my shoulder isnt used to supporting the bar at all. it will go with more practise. regarding today's squats: my old 4x10 max on squats was 185 i think. its wierd..when i had a 295x4 max my 4x10 max was 185 lol. so anyways, it appears that i have no lost as much strength as i thought i would have. the goal right now is to get my groove completely back and then to aim for 225 for 4x10. i am not focussing right now on heavy squats. all i am interested in is my overhead press and deadlift increasing steadily.

Unilateral RDLs = 2 sets x 8 reps x bar

my thighs were smoked from the squats and i wanted to be conservative regarding this since im doing it after a big compound exercise. however, next time ill add weight to this.

Shoulder Rehab Work

boring

Ab Work

did 4-5 exercises 1-2 sets of low reps.

Leaving Thoughts:

im pretty excited right now. after almost 3 months i am returning to big lower body exercises so im anxious to see where i can go from here.

i dont know if i will be working out for the rest of this week because of thanksgiving, etc so if i dont update this journal for a while: i wish all of you who have take the time out to read my journal a happy thanksgiving!

Upper 2, Week 27

2007-11-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 27

Overall Impression:

im really happy with my diet off late. here is what i had today:

10:30 am wake up
10:30 to 12:45 3 scoops of whey in gatorade
1:00 pm to 2:30 pm lunch*
3:00 pm to 6:00 pm 3 scoops of whey in gatorade
6:30 to 8:00 pm dinner*
8:30 to 10:30 3 scoops of whey in gatorade
10:30 chicken sandwhich
slept @ 4 am

lunch and dinner was the same today. here is what i ate:
carrot strips (8)
lettuce
cottage cheese
humus
20 pieces of hot wings
1 banana
1 apple

it was really filling. those chicken wings are tough to get down!!

anyways, here's the workout a day late:

Military Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 130 lbs, 2 sets x 5 reps x 95 lbs

this wasnt as easy as i expected it to be but it wasnt too difficult either. i think i did well.

Pull-ups = 13 sets x 3 reps in 13 minutes

next time its gonna be 10x4 in 10 minutes. this was pretty easy. i think with 10x4 ill have to repeat that.

Flat Dumbbell Press = 2 sets x 10 reps x 60 lbs

i decided to change from unilateral presses just for this session. next time im going back to uni work for 3x12x50

Lat Pull Downs 2 sets x 10 reps x 150 lbs superset with Dumbbell Pull Overs 2 sets x 10 reps x 45 lbs

felt good.

Leaving Thoughts:

it was a cool workout. enjoyable.

i hope everyone is having a good week thanks for reading y'all!!

Lower 1, Week 27

2007-11-12T21:58:00.001-08:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 27

Overall Impression:

my weekend in dallas was awesome...i worked out on saturday...did a few chest exercises (light) and i did cardio for 45 minutes and i did boxing for 45 minutes. it was fun. this week is pretty chilled. im going to do cardio regularly this week and the next for sure.

Deadlifts = 1 set x 10 reps x 185 lbs, 3 sets x 7 reps x 135 lbs

very cool. my back is slowly getting stronger. the bar is moving fast and my form is good. nothing was taken to failure. next time im going to do 1x10x205 and 4x7x135.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 7 reps x 40 lbs

i think my form is really shitty in this. i hate this exercise. its getting the set-up thats the biggest challenge. mentally.

Glute Ham Raises = 4 sets x 8 reps

i kept the distance between the pad and the foot rest to a minimum so that my lower thigh (near the knee) was in touch with the pad and that made it a whole lot more difficult. ill take a vid of this next time.

Ab Work

2 supersets:
1.) static holds on the floor with lat pull down sit-ups
2.) overhead plate side bends and flat pistons
for a few sets close to failure. it was fun.

Forearm Work

Triset:
1.) Reverse Wrist Curls
2.) Wrist Curls
3.) One Arm Barbell Curls
all with 20 lbs barbell for 3 sets of 25 reps all to failure. i want my forearms to grow bigger haha....

Leaving Thoughts:

im pretty happy with the workout. my deadlift strength is slowly and steadily building up and i think very soon i will be repping 225+

happy monday everyone i hope y'all have a good week ahead of you!

Full Body

2007-11-08T21:50:00.001-08:00

Fall '07 - Full Body, Week 26

Overall Impression:

so being a lazy guy i didnt workout yesterday. and this weekend i am going to be visiting Dallas with some friends. so i decided to go workout today and do a full body routine.

this entire week i have barely gotten any sleep.
monday - 4 hours
tuesday - 3 hours
wednesday - 2 hours
thursday - 4 hours (hopefully)

im so fucking dead tired. i am just waiting for this weekend.....

diet has been good though. i have not been slacking off on that. i can see improvements already.

i havent been doing cardio coz im so busy with work....i will try and make it next week though.

Front Squats = 3 sets x 5 reps x 135 lbs

first time doing these since my stint with DC Training 1 year ago...damn these are rough on the shoulders!!! i felt this exercise more in my glutes than any other muscle. wierd...

Incline Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 165 lbs

next week i am gonna nail 175 for 3x3.

JS Rows = 3 sets x 5 reps x 115 lbs

i think my form was good and my lower back didnt feel anything bad.

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts = 2 sets x 8 reps x 55 lbs

this was awesome!!!

Seated Unilateral Dumbbell Shoulder Press = 2 sets x 7 reps x 50 lbs

i felt weak...

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 15 reps

Facepulls = 3 sets x 6 reps x 80 lbs

Leaving Thoughts:

i need sleep. this is affecting my workout and im not liking it....

have a good weekend everyone!

Upper 2, Week 26

2007-11-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 26

Overall Impression:

very nice workout today. i got vids too. well, 1 vid haha..

diet was clean. the only sad thing is that this week i have:

4 exams
2 quizes
2 presentations
1 paper

and i havent done anything. i slept for 2 hours last night and im most likely going to sleep for even less time tonight. which sucks. but anyways..on with the workout:

Military Press

ok so the goal was to take 135 lbs and do as many sets as i feel like of as many reps as i feel like but to make sure that form does not break down and i do not go to failure but i am very close to hitting failure. so after my warm-ups, i did:
1.) 135 x 4
2.) 135 x 2
3.) 135 x 4
4.) 135 x 3
5.) 135 x 1
6.) 135 x 1
this was good. i got a vid of set 3. im waiting for youtube to scan it. i am very happy with my progress on this. weighing in at 175, 135 lbs for an overhead press is like 40 lbs lighter than my bodyweight. im pretty happy. my shoulders felt pretty strong. my video is out here: OHP 135x4

Pull-ups = 20 sets of 2 reps in 20 minutes

i am going to be doing a density training plan set up by Coach Ethen Reeve to improve my pull-ups. it is a 9 week block where i do a particular number of pull-ups in a timed interval.
this week i did 20 sets of 2 reps in 20 minutes. that means 2 pull-ups at the top of every minute. yes, i do use a stopwatch. this is the plan:
20 sets of 2 reps for 20 minutes
13 sets of 3 reps for 13 minutes
10 sets of 4 reps for ten minutes
8 sets of 5 reps 8 minutes
7 sets of 6 reps for 6 minutes
6 sets of 7 reps in 5 minutes
5 sets of 8 reps in 5 minutes
4 sets of 10 reps in 4 minutes
3 sets of 13 reps in 3 minutes
except this doesnt always happen. it takes time and many a time i will have to repeat the set-rep scheme for a few weeks. which is fine.
today's pull-ups were good and pretty easy. i was tired by the end of it but im not sure whether 13x3 is possible. im afraid i would fail.

Flat Dumbbell Unilateral Press = 3 sets x 10 reps x 50 lbs

felt awesome! next week im doing 3x12x50.

Lat Pull Downs 2 sets x 8 reps x 150 lbs superset with Dumbbell Pull Overs 2 sets x 8 reps x 55 lbs

yes, a bodybuilder type finisher for this session.

Leaving Thoughts:

it was a cool workout. now, i have tons of stuff i need to do...

thanks for reading everyone and i hope y'all have a less stressed week than me (not that im very stressed out....which is perhaps the problem).

Lower 1, Week 25

2007-11-02T16:43:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 25

Overall Impression:

good workout. my diet has become pretty good. just in case anyone wants to know this is what i ate today:

- wake up: 9:30 am
- sipped my protein shake mixed in gatorade (3 scoops) from 10:00 till 12:30 pm
- ate some pasta with plenty of green and black olives with chicken and shrimp. also ate an apple and a bowl of salad with some nuts. this was very heavy.
- drank 2 scoops of whey with 1/2 a gatorade + 1/2 water from 2 to 4:30 pm
- drank 2 scoops of whey with gatorade from 4:30 to 6:30. this is during workout.
- swallowed 4 taurine pills at 6:30 pm
- plan for tonight is going out to eat dinner a thai restaurant at 7:30 and then seeing a movie, etc and probably getting a late night snack around 3-4 in the morning. from now till then apart from the dinner ill just be having a lot f water.

this is my diet. it probably looks pretty bad but compared to before this is like a 180 degree turnaround for me. i never used to eat fruits or veggies. my carbs were low. i ate too much fat. i drank too much coke. now none of that shit. i can begin to see small - very small changes to my physique already. im giving this 3-4 months max before i can attain my goal of 12% bf. the way i see it: the longer it takes me to reach that while gaining muscle, more permanent will the change be.

also, just incase anyone wants to know how my diet was 2 weeks ago on this friday (i remember):
- wake up @ 9:00 am
- starve from 9 till 1 pm
- 1 pm lunch: smoked brisket
- 3 pm: 1 scoop whey
- 4:30 go for workout
- 6:30 post workout, eat 5 BCAA pills.
- go out for dinner
- drink water
go to sleep

yeah, thats how bad things had gotten. no wonder ive gone from 188 to 175 lbs. but its fine. im going to be backing off the scale for a few months and im going to look at the mirror to see progress. im not a bodybuilder but as ive mentioned before, my current short term goals are:
1.) get to 12% bf
2.) hit a 225 lbs deadlift
3.) overhead press 185 lbs

anyways, time for the workout:

Deadlift = 1 set x 8 reps x 145 lbs, 1 set x 13 reps x 135 lbs

this felt really light and easy. i liked this. the 8 rep set was easy. i could have done a LOT more. good thing i didnt. i can see the 225 lbs being closer than expected. next week im going to do 155x8 and 135x15. then im aiming for 165x8 and 145x10 or something like that. basically 2 sets: one heavy with progression the other more like a light back off set. nothing to failure of course.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 30 lbs in each hand

this exercise feels VERY wierd to me. i dont like it.

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps, 1 set x 10 reps x 10 lbs

next week ill get 1 set of 10 reps with my bodyweight and then 2 sets of 10 reps with me holding the 10 lbs plate.

Ab Work

6 sets for abs. 4 exercises supersetted. here u go:
A1: Static Holds: untimed
A2: Lat Pull Down Sit-ups: 3 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs
B1: Leg Pistons: 3 sets x 12 reps
B2: Overhead Side Bends with plates: 3 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs

Neck Exercise on Hammer Strength Machine

something new i did just to see how it feels. very light work.

Leaving Thoughts:

i feel positive about this session. i think it went off well and i did everything without doing anything stupid so im happy. my back is feeling better and after those sets of deads i kinda felt invincible and a part of me wanted to load 225 onto the bar but i refrained from giving in to my stupid impulsive feelings.

thanks for reading everyone and i hope y'all all have a great weekend

Upper 1, Week 25

2007-11-02T14:21:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 25

Overall Impression:

wierd workout...

Bench Press = 2 sets x 2 reps x 190 lbs

something just didnt feel right to me. i did my warm-ups and right from the start i knew something wasnt right. my body didnt feel right and i was moving the bar way too slowly. even 135 lbs felt like a ton. so i did a little shoulder rehab workout just to warm up the muscles and then continued my warm-ups but to no avail. so i was supposed to do 10 sets of 3 reps with 190..i mean, ive gotten 10x3x185 twice now but i couldnt do the 3rd rep on both sets with 190. ever since ive fallen sick my strength levels have plummetted on the bench press. all my other exercises are improving. this is the second workout in a row where my bench has become considerably weaker. im not very happy about this.

Seated Unilateral Shoulder Press = 3 sets x 7 reps x 50 lbs

wow. 50 lbs is a milestone lol. this was very easy though. i was conservative on this. next time ill try 3x8 or 3x9. most likely 3x9.

High Cable Rows = 4 sets x 8 reps x 140 lbs

i attached the v-bar onto the lat pulldown machine at the top and did my rows where my back was roughly 15-30 degrees from the floor. it felt good. light and easy. next time ill try for 4x10.

Unilateral Low Pulley Rows = 2 sets x 12 reps x 32.5 lbs

this was a sort of new exercise for me and it was pretty good. i think 32.5 was a fairly decent weight. 37.5 would have been a bit too tough i think.

Facepulls = 3 sets x 12 reps x 90 lbs, 1 set x 8 reps x 100 lbs

these felt awesome! my traps should hopefully get huge doing these lol.

Leaving Thoughts:

im not sure why my bench press is getting weaker. maybe i need a break from benching. maybe not. lets see.

only 2 more days before the weekend. happy halloween everyone!!!

Lower 2, Week 25

2007-10-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 25

Overall Impression:

diet has improved a lot. im eating plenty of good food. what i do need to eat more is fruits and veggies. my short term goal is to get to 10-12% bf.

Squats

free hand x 25
bar x 20
135x8
185x6
205x5
225x1
- i called it a day after 225. something didnt feel right and i didnt want to push myself unnecessarily.

Pull Throughs = 4 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs

i strained my back again while doing these because my grip slipped and i yanked my torso up and strained my back. its a really sad accident. damnit. i dont think its very bad but i wont know for sure till i wake up tomorrow. if its hurt again im going to be really pissed.

Shoulder Rehab Stuff

i havent been doing this off late so i did some shoulder rehab exercises.

Ab Circuits

i did 2 supersets. one involved static ab work and the other involved a movement. i dont know what the names are though....

Leaving Thoughts:

i hope to god this hasnt re-injured me.

i hope y'all are having a good time. mondays always suck lol...

Upper 2, Week 24

2007-10-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 24

Overall Impression:

ok i have some stuff i have to go over.

a few weeks before i left mumbai to come back to school here in the states. i weighed in at 185 lbs. this is around 8-10 weeks ago. so today i went and weighed myself again. and i measured myself in the morning.

here's what i used to be 8-10 weeks ago:
Arms = 15
Chest = 41.5
Waist = 37
Thighs = 24
Calves = 13.5

and right now this is where i am at:
Arms = 15
Chest = 43
Waist = 36
Thighs = 23
Calves = 15

but here's the shocking part: i used to weigh 185 before. now i weight a fucking 177! how the fuck does that happen? im trying to reach 200 and i just got set back by 10 lbs lol....i hate this....

the only plus point in all this is that i look soooo much better now than when i was at 185. im looking leaner and way more muscular. while thats cool im still trying to figure out how i lost so much weight. i have a few ideas:

1.) my diet went to crap in terms of volume of food consumed around 4 weeks ago. but i managed to get all my protein though.

2.) i fell sick and lost weight

3.) since i took my weight atleast 10 weeks ago, the regular cardio ive been doing 3x a week could be paying off.

4.) i just shed a shitload of muscle.

i dont know which it is but im gaining strength on most of my lifts. its just that i feel weak now that im at 177. its all mental i know...but fuck....going from 185 to 177 isnt funny.

anyways, enough whining...time to talk about lifts:

Military Press = many sets

i didnt feel very good doing presses today. i dunno why. a shitty start to a good workout though. here's what i did:
Set 1 = 6 reps x 130 lbs
Set 2 = 5 reps x 130 lbs *breathing incorrectly fucked up my form*
Set 3 = 5 reps x 130 lbs *breathed incorrectly again*
Set 4 = 3 reps x 135 lbs *got frustrated so decided to do some non-failure training for 1 set*
i wish i had just stuck to my required 130 for 4x6 volume but when the second and third sets went bad i got pissed. i was really breathing incorrectly. i completely lost my groove. and this lift is supposed to be my favourite!

Pull-ups = 6 sets x 4 reps x BW

these felt awesome!

Flat Dumbbell Unilateral Press = 3 sets x 12 reps x 45 lbs

this is a new PR i think. it felt great.

Dumbbell Rows = 2 sets x 3 reps x 70 lbs

i wanted to do some pulling movement and thought this might be good but then i got scared that ill tweak my back again so i went very conservative with the weight and i also did just 2 very very light sets. but the two sets felt pretty good

Leaving Thoughts:

im going to make it a point to eat more food. i know im getting all my protein per day and more or less my diet has been good so far. on the whole however i think this was a good workout.

anyways, i hope everyone had a good week. thanks for reading guys. i hope y'all have a good weekend and those of u who are my facebook friends are gonna see some sweet pics of this coming weekend

Lower 1, Week 24

2007-10-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 24

Overall Impression:

yeah baby!! deadlift day finally lol.....

ok so i skipped monday's workout because i was too lazy. yes, ive become lazy. HOWEVER, i made up for it because i did the lower 1 workout today instead and i also did cardio yesterday and on sunday. both days i did some GPP work and i ran 2 miles. you have no idea how difficult it is to run 2 miles straight (for me that is). and i ran the 2 miles AFTER the GRPP work lol.

so today was deadlift day. my first day doing deads in over a month. the workout was ok and went as planned. im just trying to wonder how im going to feel tomorrow. the thing with these injuries is that after the workout u think ur fine but then u wake up the next day and then u realize that u've re-injured urself. i hope to god that hasnt happened. i was damn conservative today so even if i do wake up in pain the pain will go in a short while. either way, it felt good to do deads and stuff.

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 7 reps x 135 lbs

these were easy as fuck. i could've done 20 reps straight with this. but, i made sure my form was spot on and i am trying very hard to be patient. it is a let down from doing 300+ but i have finally accepted that it is pointless for me to chase the golden ring of 315.....im just going to approach deads like im doing them for the first time in my life - which is exactly why i will be doing very basic low volume workouts on these for a while.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 20 lbs db's in each hand

i think i hurt my lower back a little bit when i reached down to grab the dumbbells on set 1. but, i learnt my lesson and i kept the dumbbells in my hands for set 2. i just hope its not a serious injury....it doesnt feel like it...right now that is.

Glute Ham Raises = 3 sets x 6 reps x BW

i got a fucking catch on my left ass-ham. fuck. it hurt. but i stretched it and now its fine lol.

Barbell Curls = 1 set x 3 reps x 90 lbs

so i decided to do some bicep work. and i used a bodybuilding pyramid scheme which i had used last around 2 years ago when i did Arnold Schwarzenegger's beginner 1 training program:
Set 1 = 15 reps x 50 lbs
Set 2 = 12 reps x 60 lbs
Set 3 = 10 reps x 70 lbs
Set 4 = 5 reps x 80 lbs
Set 5 = 3 reps x 90 lbs --->>> i called this the work set.
my forearms are fucking pumped lol....im very desperate to increase the size of my forearms. i want really massive forearms.

Leaving Thoughts:

diet wise ive been in good shape. im finally eating a lot of food.

supplement wise i have news. because ive noticed that my weightgainer is giving me a huge bloat, i have shifted to using simple whey protein for the time being. trueprotein's Hydrolyzed Whey Protein High Grade is what im using. lets see how it works. i mixed it with my powerade and i sipped it before, during and after my workout. im going to make this into a habit.

i just hope i dont wake up with a huge pain in my lower back tomorrow. maybe i should have done some back extensions. fuck.

anyways, i hope everyone is having a good week. only 2 more days before the weekend everyone

thanks for reading everyone!

Upper 2, Week 23

2007-10-19T16:35:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 23

Overall Impression:

ok so the fever went away tuesday night. i probably have some residue fever and a few side effects like food not tasting right, etc which will go in 2-3 days. my strength levels are fine and i feel pretty good. thankfully. im happy the weekend has come

Military Press = 3 sets x 6 reps x 130 lbs, 1 set x 5 reps x 95 lbs

a new PR once again. Single Progression: added 1 rep to every set. Next week the goal is to nail 4x6x130.

Pull-ups = 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 22 reps

felt great!

Dips = 3 sets x 8 reps x BW

i was supposed to do dumbbell presses but all the benches and the 45's had been taken by people. yes, the gym was crowded. so i decided to do dips instead. i havent done these since my DC Training days. they felt ok but i have to comment on 2 things. im not sure if they're ok for my shoulders. (2) when i do these i feel my triceps hurting because they're being squooshed maybe right at the top. i wonder if this is normal for when u first start out doing dips?

Leaving Thoughts:

looking forward to the weekend

next week im going to ease back into lower body work. starting with deadlifts. slowly and steadily.

i wish everyone a smashing weekend

Upper 1, Week 23

2007-10-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 23

Overall Impression:

i fell very ill on sunday night. i had a very high fever and then yesterday i was weak and i threw up twice. and i had fever too. i also had the chills. i have no idea why this happened. but, i worked out inspite of all of this. i figured that if i workout ill be able to generate enough heat to beat the chills. my room temperature was @ 80 and i was still shivering. fuck. yesterday was painful. but then i worked out and had a long hot shower and i felt much better.

im pretty unwell today as well but i feel much better than i did yesterday. however i havent recovered completely and i am still feeling a little weak. i guess in 1-2 days ill be fine.

Bench Press = 5 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs

so i was going to do 10x3 with 185 today (repeat of last week) but the bar was moving so slowly that i called it quits after set 5. my techinique was good though: its just that the bar was moving VERY slowly. i could have easily done 5 more sets but decided against it. something just didnt feel right. the bar has never moved this slowly for me.

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 12 reps x 45 lbs

worked up to a nice sweat here.

Cable Rows = 3 sets x 12 reps x 90 lbs

felt pretty good. called it a day after this.

Leaving Thoughts:

i got dizzy during my workout many many times. i didnt faint or anything but i did get dizzy. good news is that the fever broke last night. so im going to be good to go in 1-2 days max.

thanks for reading everyone. i hope y'all are having a better week than me

Upper 2, Week 22

2007-10-12T12:26:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 22

Overall Impression:

so fall break is finally here!!!

went for a frat party last night - superhero/superho dressed up like Master Windu

anyways, i slept in till like 12:30 pm today and i just got back from the gym...it was a good workout. new PR on militaries. i made this workout short because of my lower back pain. i dont want to push things. and my back is improving but very little at a time.

diet has been great off late....except on wednesday...i didnt feel like eating anything. wierd.

Military Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 130 lbs, 1 set x 10 reps x 95 lbs

yup: new PR!!! 130 felt ok. i wore a belt because i was afraid i might fuck my back up. i didnt fuck it up though. i have a vid of set 2. will post in 1-2 days. next week ill be nailing 3x6x130. atleast thats the plan.

Pull-ups = 6 sets x 4 reps

new PR here too. i did not go to failure. the 4th rep on every set was 1 rep short of failure which means that if i had attempted a 5th rep i would have failed.

Leaving Thoughts:

im all ready for the weekend now....i plan on relaxing and having some fun... just got done with 5 tests in 4 days so i defintiely wont be studying lol....

regarding my progress: i think im doing pretty ok. im not as dedicated to the gym anymore but i am aware of that and i am purposely not that dedicated - in the sense that i am conscious of me not being dedicated but im not doing anything to get determined again. im just letting myself go for now....which is why im not going to complain about everything. the way i see it, im no longer obsessed about my progress, but at the same time i am eating healthy food and i am also sticking to my rough plan on progression on my upper body lifts. until my lower back heals there is very little else i can do.

i hope everyone is having a good friday. thanks for reading guys and i hope y'all have a good weekend

Upper 1, Week 22

2007-10-08T21:41:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 22

Overall Impression:

ok so i havent worked out in a week. i did not even do cardio last week. last week was actually spent having the time of my life with this girl....

so anyways, this week is plagued by exams (3) and lucky for me fall break is this weekend so that means im going to austin to party

onto more serious things...

1.) diet has been great for the most part. although i havent worked out or done any cardio (cardio = running ) over the last week i have made sure my diet is good.

2.) last week i injured my lower back again playing american football with a bunch of 220 lbers.....that tackle was nasty lol....so this means im not going to do ANY lower body work for a while. i want to give this time to heal. i tried the approach of lifting light weights but that didnt help. so im trying a new approach.

3.) my lower back right now is SO much better. its much better than where it was 3-5 weeks ago. im very happy about this. i want to rest for another week or two and then get back into the game slowly and steadily.

regarding today's workout: it was pretty good. im very happy with it.

Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs

new PR!!! whoooo-hooooo

fuck i cant believe my old 3x3 max 5 weeks ago was 185 and now my 10x3 max is 185....thats fucking amazing! but next week im going to carry forward this 185.....i took a few extra seconds on the last 2-3 sets....no biggie though.

Lat Pull Downs = 3 sets x 12 reps x 160 lbs

Unilateral Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press = 3 sets x 9 reps x 45 lbs

increased 1 rep per set from last time. thats good. shoulders feel strong.

Ab Circuit = 2 circuits x 10 reps per exercise x 4 exercises

the four exercises i did were:
1.) lying leg raises + reverse crunches combo
2.) ab pistons
3.) standing overhead plate side bends with 10 lbs
4.) standing plate side bends with 25 lbs
my abs are getting stronger and harder......i hope

Leaving Thoughts:

the plan for this week is pretty simple. i will be doing cardio (here cardio = running) on tuesday (tomorrow), wednesday and thursday. then friday ill do upper 2. hopefully. its fall break so i might go partying instead...

u know...its very strange. i like weightlifting and i still believe im lifting smart but im balancing my lifting with more of a social life. not in the sense that if i lifted more regularly i would not have a social life but more as in i am lifting irregularly because i know i can get away with it for a while. once it catches up to me i will be more regular. and since my lower back is hurt its probably a good idea for me to just back off, let my body heal and then pound the weights again....i know when i get back to squatting and deadlifting i will have lost a LOT of strength but im fine with that. it does not upset me. life is like this. its much better to accept these set backs as set backs and learn to work around them rather than through them.

i will update my journal everyday regarding the cardio....so far my bodyfat has reduced visibly but i think ive gained a few pounds my biggest fear is that in the hopes of losing some belly fat i will end up losing muscle around my shoulders, thighs, chest, back, etc....i dont want that to happen lol...but if it does, the cure is simple: stop cardio and increase food intake.

sorry for making this so long but its been a week since my last update lol....

i hope y'all are all having a good week so far....today was just monday

cheers and thanks for reading

Upper 1, Week 21

2007-10-01T20:58:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 21

Overall Impression:

very cool workout. my bench press has improved a lot in the last 4-5 weeks.

diet over the weekend was REALLY bad. i think my diet on EVERY weekend is just getting worse. on saturday all i ate the whole day and night was 2 slices of cheese pizza. thats it. and on sunday i ate some sushi. but today i hogged on over 18oz of meat. well...that should help a bit...

Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 180 lbs

new PR yet again! ok i have a few things to talk about regarding this.
1.) before i began the 10x3 set-rep scheme 5-6 weeks ago, my MAX on the bench press for 3x3 was 185. and now my 10x3 is at 180. thats pretty decent progress IMO. and 180 was not all that difficult. infact it was easier than 175.
2.) my form on the bench press has changed. i dont know if its for the good or bad but my grip has become more narrower. i just realized this today on my last 2-3 sets actually. before i used to place my ring finger on the ring on the oly bar. now my little pinky finger is behind that. its not completely narrow grip but its quite close. i dont know whether its wise to change grips because im progressing quite well at the moment.

Cable Rows = 2 sets x 10 reps x 120 lbs

Unilateral Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press = 3 sets x 8 reps x 45 lbs

this was pretty easy. next time ill be able to knock out 3x10x45.

Leaving Thoughts:

i think it was a pretty good workout. im looking a little leaner. ill try and squeeze in cardio this week but i dont think i have the time. lets see.

i hope everyone has had a good weekend. thanks for reading guys!

Lower 1, Week 20

2007-09-28T16:13:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 20

Overall Impression:

i hate lower body workouts....ahaha....

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 5 reps x 155 lbs

i did not want to push my back too much because the warm-ups didnt feel too good. so i cut this short.

Barbell Curls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 60 lbs

light and easy

Floor Skullcrushers = 2 sets x 12 reps x 60 lbs

felt ok

Fat Bar Curls = 2 sets x 5 reps x 85 lbs

i did this to work my forearms more. felt pretty good. my grip isnt all that bad lol

Ab Circuits = 3 sets x 10 reps x 4 exercises

the four exercises were
1.) sit-ups
2.) reverse crunches
3.) lying leg raises
4.) ab pistons

Leaving Thoughts:

decent workout. felt pretty good. im still just trying to be patient and wait till my back heals up. its taking too fucking long lol..

ill try and squeeze in some cardio work during the weekend.

thank god today is friday.

i hope everyone reading is having a good day and i wish y'all a great weekend

cheers

Upper 2, Week 20

2007-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 20

Overall Impression:

another miserable ****ing week full of exams and assignments lol....but my diet has been pretty good. i got in 7 oz of salmon today that made my day lol...

Military Press = 5 sets x 7 reps x 120 lbs w/ 90s Rest Intervals

this was ****ing awesome. since i had done 2x8,2x7 and 1x6 last week (36 reps) i did 5x7 (35 reps) this time and i reduced the rest intervals. i wish i had taken a video. form is great throughout but on the last set reps 5, 6 and 7 were very very difficult. i need to figure out how im going to progress next time now.

Pull-ups = 5 sets x 4 reps

new PR for this gym lol...im glad im finally progressing a little bit on this. last time i knocked out 17 reps total. even these 3 reps are a lot.

Flat Dumbbell Paused Press = 3 sets x 12 reps x 55 lbs

last week i had done 3x10x55. so that means i added 2 reps to every set. im happy with this progression. next time i plan on doing unilateral presses and i hope to nail 3x12 with 45 lbs.

Overhead Shrugs = 1 set x 12 reps x 85 lbs

Eric has been asking me to pyramid the weights on this for a long tim and i keep forgetting. so i did 3 sets of 12 reps pyramiding the weights. set 1 was 12xbar, set 2 was 12x65 lbs and set 3 (the actual work set) was 12x85.

Tricep Rope Pushdowns = 1 set x 6 reps x 82.5 lbs

ok this was gay....lol.....my friends were trying to nail this and i decided to just see if i could do this and i did 6 easy...since i dont like to do arm work i just stopped and did some fascia stretches for chest and back and walked off...

Leaving Thoughts:

my body is shaping up pretty good. teh abzz are becoming tight. i need to shed a lot of body fat though.

u know, ive heard that when people lose bodyfat they first lose it from their thighs then their chest, then shoulders, then arms and last from the waist. im very scared this might happen to me but i dont think it is. my waist hasnt reduced in size at all but i do know i look a lot leaner.

ill try and get some vids of my next upper body session...

i hope everyone is having a good week. its going to be thursday tomorrow which means friday is close

have a good one everyone and thanks for reading

Lower 2, Week 20

2007-09-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 20

Overall Impression:

another lower 2 workout. why is it that they all suck lol? well today was good and bad.. ive been very very stressed out off late and my diet has really become like absolute crap for the last 3 days.

diet on friday was ok. got in all my protein, etc. but then on saturday all i had the whole day was just one slice of pizza. thats it. i just wasnt hungry and nothing seemed to interest me. then on sunday i had like sushi and mexican food but i wasnt feeling too good and no matter what i ate i just didnt like it. actually for the last 8-9 days ive been having a lot of acidity where ill wake up from my sleep every 3-4 hours to either feel like puking or wanting to have some water. but that ended yesterday. without sounding too gay i did some breathing exercises and some yoga stuff last night which kinda solved the problem.

so anyways, sad news is that i have 3 exams this week....1 was today and the next are on wednesday and thursday. that sucks balls. that means i had 8 exams in 2 weeks. damn....

anyways, enough jibber jabber...time to talk about weights:

Squats = 2 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs

my lower back wasnt feeling ok so i quit. ****ing A this is gonna take a while to heal lol. but i know my back has become stronger than before though. but it still has a long way to go.

Cable Pull Throughs = 4 sets x 10 reps x 50 lbs

i like this exercise. i did this with correct form where im more or less squatting and my back is tight and arched and my lower back is NOT rounding. it felt good. well, to be honest it didnt feel like anything on my lower back but my glutes and hams were pumped lol.

Standing Overhead Plate Side Bends = 3 sets x 12 reps x 10 lbs

Ab Circuit = 3 exercises x 3 sets x 10 reps

ok so i chose 3 exercises and did 3 sets of 10 reps in circuit fashion. exercise 1 is lying leg raises. exercises 2 is lying pistons where i lie on the bench, hold the bench with my hands behind my head and then i swing my legs (trying to keep my legs straight) to my face and then i lift off the bench focussing all my weight on my upper back/ rear delts and then i move up and down like a piston. its tough to explain this lol..i should've taken a video...my body is as perpendicular to the floor as i can make it. exercise 3 is crunches. well, my abs are gonna be sore as hell tomorrow and i plan on doing some running on the track at night tomorrow.

Leaving Thoughts:

i did tons of stretches for my lower body and lower back today. i think my injury is healing pretty well. im just a little upset about my squat getting ****ed but its ok. im only 19. i know this injury will go shortly and ill still be only 19 when it goes. and if i work on my weak points correctly (as i am trying very hard to) my come back from a 185 squat to a 295 one like before wont take too long.

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

Upper 1, Week 19

2007-09-21T15:52:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 19

Overall Impression:

been having a bad day so far......didnt feel like going to the gym but just turned up to do my 10x3 of bench press lol.....175 is a new PR for me.

Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 175 lbs w/ 60 second rest intervals

felt pretty easy. wow next week ill be dealing with 180. damn now thats gonna be a tough one.

Leaving Thoughts:

nothing much to say....ill be back tomorrow....i think ill do some cardio actually.

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

Lower 1, Week 19

2007-09-19T20:45:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 19

Overall Impression:

legs were sore as fuck today lol.....well, not really....my quads and hams are really sore. my calves felt a little tight but i stretched them (along with everything else) and they're ok now...mental note: no running before a lower workout haha....

so i narrowed down what my cardio options are:
1.) track running
2.) eliptical from lifefitness
3.) jump rope

so ill be doing these 1x a week. running will be for 30-40 minutes (it depends more on distance actually) while the eliptical work will be 60 minutes plus and the jump rope skipping will be 20 minutes odd.

today my diet was good. i ate 8 oz of smoked salmon for lunch and another 8 oz of it for dinner i also had a few shakes, etc...im trying to get all of my protein in so thats good. i had corn and some salad with that. and bread. and no coke. yes, no coke

i was trying to figure this out: as i mentioned sometime before, ive noticed that in a way i am doing carb cycling without intending to and this is how its looking:
monday to friday = high carb
satuday and sunday = low carb
now, is it odd that only on saturday and sunday i look really bloated? all i eat is sushi and maybe 1 mexican meal.

injury update: lower back is feeling tight.

Deadlifts = 3 sets x 5 reps x 165 lbs

this felt pretty ok. my lower back was feeling wierd. because i slept for only 3 hours last night i took a long nap today from 2:30 pm to 6:30 pm and i woke up sleeping in a really wierd position. i think thats why my back felt wierd. nonetheless my reps were good. thats why i stopped at 5. i could've done 4 more reps or so but i think my form would've degenerated rapidly.

GHRs = 3 sets x 9 reps

no video im sorry. the gym was too crowded today.

Front Plate Squats = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

Ab Circuit = 15 reps

so for ab work (additional), i did 4 exercises:
- crunches
- leg raises
- cycling in the air
- this exercise is tough to describe. u lie on ur back and u move ur feet parallel to the floor crossing each other left to right. in the sense, ur left foot will more rightwards and ur right foot will move leftwards and u will overlap each leg at every rep.

Reverse Grip EZ Curls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 50 lbs

Leaving Thoughts:

cool workout today. im pretty happy actually. i just want my lower back to heal fast. im trying hard not to get too depressed by this injury.

i saw the bourne ultimatum today. very cool movie.

cheers and have a good week y'all

thanks for reading!

Upper 2, Week 19

2007-09-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 19

Overall Impression:

i did NOT want to workout today. i wasnt feeling like lifting anything and its like the 5th fucking day where i have an exam: yes, that means ive been having 1 exam a day from last wednesday. thankfully it ends tomorrow but i dont feel like studying. lol...i dont feel like doing anything other than watch Boston Legal on tv-links....

tomorrow i plan on 1 to 1.5 hours of cardio. low intensity of course. so far no weightloss whatsoever but im looking much leaner. im happy

Military Press = 2 sets x 8 reps x 120 lbs, 2 sets x 7 reps x 120 lbs, 1 set x 6 reps x 120 lbs

fuck yeah!!! this was awesome. i so wish i had taken some vids haha....i did 5 sets of militaries with 120 lbs. i think this is an example of triple progression. last week i knocked out 4x7x115 (volume = 3220 lbs) and this week i increased the number of sets by 1 (to 5), i increased the reps from 7 to 8 and the weight from 115 to 120. volume today was 4320 lbs. thats a 1100 lbs increase in poundage next week my goal is to hit 5x7x120. today none of the sets were to failure. all were 1-2 reps from failure.

Pull-ups = 3 + 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 17 reps to failure

+2 from last time. i found these difficult to do after the militaries. i think one of these days im going to just do militaries on upper 2 followed by 7-8 sets of pull-ups. no other work. just these 2 exercises.

Flat Dumbbell Pause Presses = 3 sets x 10 reps x 55 lbs

felt GREAT....haha....

Facepulls = 1 set x 10 reps x 50 lbs

Leaving Thoughts:

im very happy with today's workout. i wasnt too balls out on the militaries and at the same time i wasnt too conservative so i think it was a good session on the whole. im just waiting to be done with tomorrow's exam in Management of Organizations....sad news is that i have to read another 300 lines from Ovid's Metamorphoses.....but ill do that while i finish cardio

thanks for reading everyone. i hope y'all all have a good week ahead

Lower 2, Week 18

2007-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 18

Overall Impression:

back is feeling better. but i am not at 100% at all. this workout took a lot out of me.

ok, i did cardio twice last week for 45 minutes the first time and 60 minutes the next. im going to be doing cardio 2-4 times a week.

Deep Squats = 5 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs

my lower back hurt a couple reps a set. ****. this injury is going to take a long time to go - about 1-2 months. ill post on this later...

Low Box Squats = 2 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs

felt wierd. ive lost me groove.

Reverse Hyperextensions = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

Preacher Curls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 50 lbs

Leaving Thoughts:

ok so here is the deal. i have a lower back injury which isnt gonna go anytime soon. it will probably disappear in 1-2 months. this workout was better than the last since i was able to squat with some weight atleast. so yeah it is healing. but it will take time. naturally, im a little torn up about this because this means my lower body is going to be seriously ****ed strength wise since im not going to squatting 295x4 anytime soon. ive worked hard for 13 weeks ironing out all weakpoints on my lifts to progress and this has happened which is a huge setback. it is temporary but it is a setback noentheless.

so here's the deal, since most of my lower body workouts are going to be like shit 99% of the time, im going to be focussing on certains aspects of training which i have been ignoring for the last 1-2 years:
cardio
direct arm training
ab work

yes, im going to be working teh beach muscles a lot more for the next 1-2 months.

im not really all that upset about this because i have a long time to train ahead of me (15-20 years?) so im fine with being patient and training other "skills" while i recover from this injury. so yeah u guys are going to probably see a little more ab work and more curlzzz and extensionzzz from now on

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

thanks for reading!

Upper 1, Week 18

2007-09-13T01:08:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 18

Overall Impression:

ok so this is one fucking insane week. i have 3 exams, one today (management of info systems) one tomorrow (business statistics) and one on friday (financial accounting). needless to say i got 4 hours of sleep last night and even after studying my balls off this exam was tough. luckily it wasnt for me alone but everyone found it tough. im either gonna nail a A or a C. nothing in between lol.

ok back to the workout, i went to the gym at 11:00 pm today. needless to say my energy was zapped. but i think the workout went well.

Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 170 lbs w/ 60-72 sec RI

very cool. im glad i got in 10 sets. it was tough as hell. but it was GOOD

Chin-ups = 4 + 5 + 4 = 13 reps to failure

i bombed on these. these are so fucking difficult to predict. one day i do 23 and the next i do 13. very weird.

Unilateral Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses = 3 sets x 12 reps x 40 lbs

i finally managed to do 3x12 with this. this was difficult as well. but it felt good to nail this next week its 3x8x45.

Leaving Thoughts:

yeah this workout was shorter than normal. but thats because the gym shuts at 11:30 and i arrived at 11:15 and they kicked me and my friend (who i have been "training" for the last 2 weeks) out lol...well, the guys at the gym all know me so it wasnt getting "kicked out" but more of my workout not getting completed anyways, im happy with today's session. i hit all my target weights in 2 out of 3 exercises. next time im going to try and manage my time better. fucking triple major'ing sucks....

cheers and have a good week y'all

thanks for reading!

Lower 1, Week 18

2007-09-10T23:22:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 18

Overall Impression:

back pain has gone. but im going to be conservative. i need to stop reaching for my old max of 315x5. i need to start out on deads from scratch and work up. and i plan on doing that. this is a whole new learning experience for me and i need to take it as that. patience is something i need to adopt and its sad that my back injury has caused me to change my line of thought.

other than that i have some good news (well the above part is good news too); i have entered the realm of cardio and i did 45 minutes of crosstrainer cardio (or whatever technical term u cardio bunnies call it ) on saturday. i will be doing cardio tomorrow as well.

another new topic of interest is that i have finally started doing some heavy ab work.

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 12 reps x 155 lbs

i did my usual deadlift warm-ups and then decided to take 135. i did that for 10 reps easy as ****. so i added 10 lbs a side and did these 2 sets in a breeze. the main reason why im not increasing the weight too much and too fast is not only because thats the reason why i got injured in the first place but more importantly because since ive injured the left of my lower back, the right is being used more so the chance of muscle imbalance is very high and i do not want to add to that. hence the low numbers and higher reps. my back has not hurt ever since i did this. everything has been fine.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 25 lbs

i decided to do this light. ive been doing these with 60 lbs but im still not getting my form down 100%. plus, im going to start out light because of my back injury. it hasnt hurt me at all.

Glute Ham Raises = 3 sets x 8 reps

i finally got this down correct!!! im sooooo happy with this. it was very well done. i love this exercise.

Reverse Hyperextensions = 2 sets x 8 reps x 35 lbs

done for therapeutic value. felt pretty cool.

Standing Ab Pull Downs on the Lat Machine = 3 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs

nothing special to report.

Hammer Curls = 2 sets x 5 reps x 60 lbs

nothing special to report

Leaving Thoughts:

im very happy with today;s workout. im not going to do any more drastic jumps on deads for some time. my back feels very much better after this workout.

on a side note, here is something inspirational: Click Here

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

thanks for reading!

Lower 2, Week 17

2007-09-07T16:12:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 17

Overall Impression:

i guess im recovering better. im eating a lot. my diet usually consists of

morning: protein shake because im running late for class

afternoon: brisket with chopped beef, honey wheat bread, tons of sweet corn, water or coke.

around 4 pm: same as lunch above

around 7 pm: same as lunch above or some chinese thing

around 9 pm: a protein shake

around 12 am: some sandwiches

ok, this is much better than what my diet was a year ago lol

Barbell Military Press = 4 sets x 7 reps x 115 lbs

one more set than last week. felt damn easy. maybe im getting stronger on militaries. next week im increasing the weight. i love this exercise!

Pull-ups = 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15 reps

stronger than last week. i think the main reason why my numbers have dropped is because im using a different pull-up bar than what i was using at home. is this possible?

Paused Unilateral Flat Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 12 reps x 40 lbs

u might wonder what this exercise is so ill explain briefly. start off doing dumbbell presses. bring both the dumbbells up. then keep the right one at the top and bring the left one down. then bring the left one. in the sense do a single arm dumbbell press with the left hand. then hold the dumbbell up and repeat the process with the right hand. i kept doing this till i reach 12 reps on either side. this is a very nice exercise.

Cable Rows = 2 sets x 12 reps x 110 lbs

went conservative on this due to my injury

Facepulls = 1 sets x 12 reps x 50 lbs

nothing special to report.

Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 12 reps

im trying to work on flexibility on these. i want to do these with my feet completely straightened. right now they bend a slight bit at the knees and more so as i try to go above waist level.

Leaving Thoughts:

cool workout. im happy. going out now for a great friday night

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

thanks for reading!

Lower 2, Week 17

2007-09-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 17

Overall Impression:

my back is feeling much better today. no pain in my routine activities.

Deep Squat = 1 set x 5 reps x 135 lbs

so i warmed up with these like normal and i knocked out 5 reps with 135 but when i took 185 and squatted down right at the bottom my lower back hurt a bit. i dunno why it wasnt serious or really painful but it was a sharp small pain. i couldve easily knocked out many more reps but i didnt want to take the risk. i know that if i had done it, since my left lower back is hurting, more stress is on the right so i would've most likely clusterfucked my lower back AND screwed my progress. im glad i backed off. i figure in 2-3 weeks MAX ill be good to go. the pain that occured today was RIGHT at the bottom position of my deep squat. probably where the "butt wink" occurs.

Romanian Deadlift = 1 set x 5 reps x bar

just to stretch my back a little bit.

Reverse Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x 25 lbs

for therapeutic value

Leaving Thoughts:

im recovering well and i hope to be strong again soon. interesting vid: Click Here

cheers and have a good week y'all

Upper 1, Week 17

2007-09-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 17

Overall Impression:

ok so back has almost gone. this is isnt really good news because just because the pain has gone it doesnt mean the injury has healed...so that means im going to be a little extra cautious about my weightlifting for the next month or so. anyways, diet this weekend has been crap. im fucking sick of this cafeteria food and im dying to go out. too bad none of my other friends want to go out. so that means i had like 6 servings of my weightgainer this weekend to fill myself up because the cafeteria was shut 99% of the time. and when it was open only 1-2 stations were open - the salad bar and the burger bar. yuck. so yeah: diet was shit.

i was supposed to go lift yesterday but on my way to the gym it started raining and i was soaked to the bone. so i come back to my room and as i am entering the rain just stops. fucking wierd.

workout today on the whole was good. im pretty happy.

Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 165 lbs

last week when i did this this was a whole lot tougher. but this week it was much easier. i could have done another 2-3 sets easily. this isnt really good news because i have this history of bombing on the bench press at the worst and most unexpected moments ( ) but i think this is rolling in the right direction for now. next week ill be using 170 lbs. that will be fun. i hope.

Chin-ups = 6 + 4 + 5 + 8 = 23 reps total

4 sets to failure. good workout. im comparing it to last week when i did this and i must've been shit fatigued from the plane journey coz it was sooo bad compared to todays

Seated Dumbbell Unilateral Shoulder Press = 3 sets x 11 reps x 40 lbs

so i added 1 more rep per set to this. last week it was 3x10 today it was 3x11. im still a bit nervous about these. but im learning to do these with confidence. i just need to rebuild my confidence on these and doing it slow and steady seems to be a great idea.

45* Barbell Rows = 4 sets x 8 reps x 95 lbs

my back is not at 100% so i didnt take any heavy weights. i just did a few light sets. felt pretty decent. no strain on the lower back so im happy.

OH Shrugs = 2 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs

fuck i was supposed to do this thing Eric had asked me about this exercise and i totally forgot until right now!!! next week ill do this. ive made an entry in my log. im supposed to try and pyramid if possible and see if i can get a few with 85 lbs. fuck i should've done that!

Leaving Thoughts:

good workout IMO. very productive. but from now on i am going to let her answer all questions related to the squat: Click Here

cheers and have a good week y'all

Lower 1, Week 16

2007-08-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 16

Overall Impression:

Pretty fucked up workout.

Deadlifts = 1 set x 1 rep x 275 lbs

so i warmed up like normal today. and i was all set for 275. so i pick up 275 and my form is perfect all the way but somewhere around midpoint, my lower back starts hurting like a fucking bitch. in the sense it was a sudden unexpected jolt of pain out of nowhere! i was so shocked but i finished my rep with good form and when i put the barbell down, it hurt me again at the same position as it had before. fuck. remember a while ago i had an injury on my lower back? that was near my spine. after that injury went i still had some little pain remaining but that was more to the left of the original pain. well, right now that fucking spot is hurting. well, not right now. ive come back from the gym but if i bend too low it hurts a lot. im gonna rest this for some time and see if it gets better. maybe ill have to lay off deadlifting for a while. its still hurting a bit but not at all as bad as it did when i actually deadlifted. fucking injuries. also, just before the pain hit me on that rep, i felt as if someone had knocked the wind outta my stomach. wierd.

Reverse Hypers = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

i did some light sets to hopefully ease the pain. i have no clue if this was good or bad. probably bad. fuck.

Leaving Thoughts:

bad workout. i need to wait and see what happens.

Upper 2, Week 16

2007-08-29T21:36:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 2, Week 16

Overall Impression:

diet has been fucking amazing. im hungry all the time which is really odd. but ive been having a lot of food every 2-3 hours for the last 2 days....sleep is also going good (more than my usual 5-6 hours a night). i did cardio for 45 minutes yesterday on some sort of step-up machine or cross-trainer...my legs were pretty sore yesterday and i thought by doing low intensity cardio perhaps they would become less sore and i was so wrong because my legs are hurting today...damn....its painful to walk to my classes! tomorrow is a complete off day. hopefully my legs will be ok by then.

Barbell Military Press = 3 sets x 7 reps x 115 lbs

felt pretty easy. could've done 1 more set but i decided to save that for next time. militaries arent that easy to progress on and right now the simple "add 5 lbs to the bar every session" principle isnt gonna work for me. so im gonna try triple progression (add reps or sets or weight or 2 of the 3 or all 3) so next week ill be doing 3x7x115...

Pull-ups = 5 sets x 3 reps x BW

i completely bombed on this today. i have no idea why this exercise was so tough for me. maybe because im eating so much food ive gotten heavier lol....but this was really difficult. im hoping this becomes ok by next week or so. if not, ill start doing 3x5 then 4x5 then 5x5...lets see

Paused Flat Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 12 reps x 50 lbs

pretty tough. next week im going to try 3x10 with 55 or 60 depending on how i feel. actually, scratch that idea. im gonna be doing unilateral presses next week so the weights gonna go down to probably 40 or 45....more on this next week.

Cable Rows = 2 sets x 7 reps x 150 lbs

did this exercise after a year...

Facepulls = 1 sets x 12 reps x 50 lbs

nothing special to report.

Russian Twists = 1 sets x 12 reps x 25 lbs

nothing special to report.

Leaving Thoughts:

good workout IMO. very productive.

cheers and have a good week y'all

Lower 2, Week 16

2007-08-27T16:53:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 2, Week 16

Overall Impression:

ive been eating a LOT of food. no, a shitlot. i fucking go to sleep at 2:00 am and wake up at 6 so hungry u have no idea......ive been doing this for the last 2 days: eat midnight meal of a chicken sandwhich, sleep at 2, wake up at 6 am hungry, eat another chicken sandwhich plus a weightgainer shake, go to bed till 11, wake up hungry, go get some lunch (chinese), sleep (i was awfully sleepy) wake up around 4, get some food (chicken quesadilla), do some work, eat a heavy dinner at 8. eat another meal at midnight, sleep, repeat cycle. pretty wierd

but whatever...im feeling much better today. i think im almost over my jetlag which is good...

Deep Squats = 4 sets x 5 reps x 225 lbs

shifting from 14 weeks of low box squatting to oly squatting (or "deep" squatting) is pretty difficult. 225 felt very easy on my back but getting the movement right was a tad bit difficult. im still not at my 100% so this wasnt so easy but the good news is that my last set was better than my first i think next week im going to try 225 for 4x6 before i increase the weight. im not too disappointed though. i had anticipated these minor set backs. all this plane travel does fuck up ur system sometime. i guess my chance to get fucked was now lol..but, im eating a lot of food and im resting well oustide of the gym so ill be back on my feet soon i cant say the weight felt too heavy because it didnt. the weight by itself didnt feel heavy at all. but the motion of doing deep squats felt kinda awkward at first (for example, my knee hurt a bit but then i figured out why - i was pulling my knees together but then i got that sorted out in the warm-ups so it didnt affect the work sets at all) and thats what made the weight so darn heavy. im sure in a short while ill be back to my old way of squatting without any worries.

Unilateral Romanian Deadlifts = 2 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs

damn, Eric was right...my left leg is a lot weaker. but i think its become stronger because i didnt have to put it down (rest it on the floor) as many times when i did this. its not as strong as my right leg but i can see that its catching up. this is good.

Romanian Deadlifts = 3 sets x 5 reps x 135 lbs

i wanted to take this exercise easy so i didnt push myself too much. it was pretty light and smooth.

Reverse Hyperextensions = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

i missed this machine when i was back home lol...(no homo)

Overhead Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 8 reps x 10 lbs

nothing special to report.

Leaving Thoughts:

ill try and do some cardio tomorrow. im not so worried about my squats because i actually knew something like this would happen. but im sure in like 4-5 weeks ill be back in better action than before on these.

cheers and have a good week y'all

Upper 1, Week 15

2007-08-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

Fall '07 - Upper 1, Week 15

Overall Impression:

i am still not at a 100%. i feel bloated. maybe its the wazy maize ive started having. im trying to figure out my diet all over again. this isnt home where i get to eat 1-2 kgs of chicken a day in the last 14 weeks i have not relied on supplements at all. yet, now when im here it seems to be different: i rely on them a whole lot more. im taking in like 3-4 scoops of weightgainer a day. that makes it a little over 800 calories right there. im also having waxy maize 1-2 scoops a day. i had 1 scoops of WMS and 2 scoops of Weightgainer before i hit the gym today. i worked out in the morning. apparently im not so over my jetlag as i thought i was. this is bad news. its never happened to me that im not over jet lag. i sleep the entire time on the flight so i have zero jet lag. something must've gone wrong somewhere. hopefully, ill be over this soon. im also not that strong. i dunno why but im feeling kinda weak. i had 7 litres of water as soon as i landed i was that dehydrated. so it cant be that anymore. maybe my body is getting used to the climate. maybe its because im very tense about studies right now. im not sure what it is but i hope everything works out fine. im giving this till next week to get myself straight. otherwise im gonna have to reduce volume and load on all workout days for a while. i hate this. but this is just a temporary set-back. also, i hate college food. too bad i dont have a car. otherwise id go out and eat almost everyday. the cost would be the same but the quantity would be a whole lot more. and quality would be better too. i might get a car next year though. i also weighed myself. im at 184. its like 1 lbs down from my usual bad day 185....which is sad but its not too bad. probably another temporary set back. also, my lower back is behavng wierd once again damnit. i think its because on box squats i plop down too fast. but im not going to be doing box squats for the next 5-6 weeks so no need to worry about that right now. we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Flat Bench Press = 10 sets x 3 reps x 165 lbs

this wasnt as easy as i expected it to be. keeping the 60 seconds to 72 seconds rest interval is tough work. this should have been much easier than it actually was. perhaps its because im still not 100% over the jetlag.

Hammer Grip Chin-ups = 3 sets x 5 reps x bodyweight

getting used to a new grip. i plan on doing 4x6 next time.

Unilateral Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press = 3 sets x 10 reps x 40 lbs

Eric has me doing seated presses once more. feels very good. i think 40 lbs is a fairly decent weight to start with. it felt pretty heavy and set 3 was a fucking killer. im sticking to the weight next time. ill just bump the reps

Rows = 4 sets x 5 reps x 135 lbs

after doing so much work these rows were pretty tough to do. i realize why kethnaab put rows last in his WS4BB program. but, i didnt push myself too much and all reps were smooth. i could have handled 145 i think. next time im doing 135 for 4x6 or 4x7. lets see.

Overhead Shrugs = 1 set x 12 reps x 45 lbs

nothing special to report.

Plate Side Bends = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

nothing to report here too

Leaving Thoughts:

might do cardio tomorrow. i want to rest up for the next squat session. i intend to do 225 for 4x6. but if im not feeling it by monday and if im still a little down, i plan on doing 4x6 with 185 next week and then 225 the week after. so, if things dont go as i had planned before, and im very tired and drained out, ill be doing
Week 16 = 4x6x185
Week 17 = 4x6x225
Week 18 = 4x6x245
Week 19 = 4x6x255
Week 20 = max out with 315 and try to do 315x5.

lets see how this goes. it all depends on just how temporary this temporary set back is.

cheers and have a good weekend y'all

Lower 1, Week 15

2007-08-23T20:00:00.001-07:00

Fall '07 - Lower 1, Week 15

Overall Impression:

i flew in from mumbai last evening. by the time i moved my stuff from the storage into my room and unpacked all this stuff it was 3:00 am. i had an 8:30 am class today. infact, i had classes from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with only two one-hour-long gaps in the middle. needless to say, today was a tough day. luckily for me i dont suffer from any jet lag. i slept the entire time on the plane. but my body seems to be a little tired. as for diet: i got all my supps today. i ate quite a lot of food today but on the 29 hour flight while coming here i didnt eat a thing because the food was really bad. and i didnt drink enough water. so im very dehydrated. but, i didnt want to not workout today so i decided to go in and do some relatively light stuff.

Deadlifts = 1 set x 6 reps x 225 lbs, 1 set x 10 reps x 135 lbs

felt pretty easy. the back off set was just for kicks. my target is to hit 315x5 by the end of 6 weeks.

Bar Walkouts = 2 walkouts with 315 lbs

this is a very simple exercise. i load the bar with my projected squat max. then i walk out with the bar and stand for a few seconds. then i go and re-rack the bar. 315 is my prjected squat max at the moment. i dont know if its because of my dehydrated and weak state or the fact that 315 lbs is a lot or both, 315 felt very heavy. im glad Eric has me doing these walkouts.

Bulgarian Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 60 lbs

i was tired from the walkouts and the deads, i didnt feel 100% with this exercise.

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 8 reps

ok now i finally have access to a GHR machine!!! whoo-hoo!!! i cant believe i nailed 8 reps on my own with zero cheating. week i am going to take a vid of this.

Grip Work using Hammer Curls = 2 sets x 5 reps x 50 lbs

nothing special to report.

Front Plate Squats = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs

in this exercise u hold the plate in front of u with ur hands and u squat down with the bar moving in a perpendicular angle with the ground the entire way. it really hits ur abs very hard.

Leaving Thoughts:

might do cardio tomorrow. the goal right now is to shove food down my throat though....

anyways,

cheers

2007-08-18T12:32:00.001-07:00

Plan for Fall 2007

this one is once again credited to Eric3237

the plan for this Fall semester is:

1.) get my bench up to repping with 225. im at 205 right now so in 16 weeks i wanna rep 225.

2.) squat deep (i wont call it OLY squatting because of Rippetoe's last post) 315 for 5. right now i am at 295x4.

3.) deadlift somewhere close to 405. i have no idea where i am right now because of my injury.

4.) get a whole lot thicker.

5.) get healthier

the summer program Eric designed for me has worked beautifully. i am no bodybuilder but my physique has improved. more importantly, my strength has increased a LOT. im also much healthier now. all thanks to Eric.

the program for Fall is another upper-lower with a few modifications. most of the program is exactly as my program right now though. just a few minor changes which Eric has made.

instead of workout out 4x a week, i am going to be doing a 9-10 day rotation.

lower 1
off
upper 1
off
lower 2
off
upper 2
off
off / repeat

on some off days i will do very low intensity cardio for long durations (45 minutes to 90 minutes). i will only do this as long as it does not screw my progress or fail to dissipate fatigue.

the program:

Lower 1
Deadlift 1x5
Bulgarian Squats 2-3 sets
GHRs 2-3 sets
Grip Work like Hammer Curls for 2-4 sets
Standing Ab Pull Downs 2-3 sets
- for deadlifts i will either increase reps, increase the weight or do more sets. this will change from workout to workout and i will go mostly by "feel". its not direct planned progression but the general rules are no going to failure and no using shitty form.
- whenever i max out on squats (this will happen 1-3 times this semester) i will replace the deads with squats.
- before doing max outs, i will do walkouts with my projected weight. these walkouts will be done last in this workout after GHRs.
Upper 1
Flat Bench Press 10x3 w/ 60 second rest periods start at 165 and add 5 lbs a session
Chin-ups 3-4 sets of 5-6 reps
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Presses 3x8-12
Rows 4x5-7
Overhead Shrugs 1-2 sets
- Flat bench presses will be for 10x3. rest intervals are only 60-72 seconds. i will start light at 165 and add 5 lbs to the bar every week. my 5x5 max is 180. by week 5 i will be nailing 185 for 10x3. the goal is to get stronger and bigger.
- its time i start doing seated dumbbell presses. im going to start out light and easy with these because of my previous injuries.
Lower 2
Low Box Squats / Squats Ramping up 4x6 style
Single Leg RDLs 2x6-10
RDLs 3x6-10
Reverse Hypers 2-3 sets for therapeutic value
Overhead Plate Side Bends 1-2 sets
- whenever i max out on squats, i will be having a 3-4 weeks "loading" period where i will train balls to the wall for 4x6. otherwise, i will be doing regular low box squats for 3x8.
- the rest of the workout is exactly as it is right now.
Upper 2
Military Press 3-4 sets of 5-7 reps
Pull-ups 4x failure
flat dumbbell pause presses 3x8-12
Cable Rows 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps
Facepulls
Russian Twists
- military press progression will be done via triple or double progression.
- pause presses with dumbbells are to work on bottom part of the bench press.

the immediate plan is that i will be arriving at Trinity on the 22nd (Wednesday) evening. thursday the 23rd i have an 8:30 am class. so, by the time i get settled in and get all my protein plus the text books, etc it will be friday. THEREFORE, my next workout is going to be either on next Friday the 24th of August or Saturday the 25th of August. or maybe the 27th of August: monday. but most probably it will be the 24th.

special thanks to Eric for helping me design this program. actually, saying he helped me design it is a massive understatement. its thanks to him that this program even exists! its all his work with probably 1-2 small minor changes i made upon his permission.so anyways, MAJOR props to Eric

i will be posting as usual but the next update will be roughly 7-9 days from now.

cheers and thanks for reading!

2007-08-16T14:02:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 14

Workout:-

Low Box Squats = 1 set x 3 reps x 265 lbs (120 kgs)

Low Box Squats = 1 set x 3 reps x 225 lbs (100 kgs)

Low Box Squats = 2 sets x 5 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts = 2 sets x 12 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs)

Romanian Deadlifts = 3 sets x 6 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Standing Ab Pulldowns = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Overall Impression:-

killer workout.

Low Box Squats: instead of doing 4x6 i thought id try for a new PR on these. 265 is a brand new PR for me. i got it on vid. 265x3 was not to failure. i could have knocked out 2 reps easy. i did some lighter weights for 3 sets total. nothing was even close to failure. im very happy with this workout. 265 was a bit tough but my abs are still sore from monday's decline sit ups with 25 lbs on me....these sore abs really ruined this lift for me because im pretty sure i could have taken atleast 15-20 lbs more for 3 reps....

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts: much better form than last week.

Romanian DeadliftS: felt good.

Diet: lots of food

Overall: it was a good workout. i liked it.

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 14

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 1 set x 5 reps x 245 lbs (110 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs - 14 kgs per hand)

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends = 2 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Grip Work using Hammer Curls = 3 sets x 4 reps x 60 lbs (26 kgs per hand)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps

Overall Impression:-

very short workout.

Deadlifts: felt pretty ok. waiting for youtube to allow the vid...

Bulgarian Squats: felt good.

Grip Work: teh hammerzz curlzz were good hahaha.....next time its gonna be 65 lbs a hand lol

Diet: very sad diet.

Overall: very short workout. i will probably start doing speed deads from next time on. but the next workout will be after 10 days or so since next tuesday night i leave mumbai and fly back to trinity. damn, im really sad about this. i agree 100% with Serpens Aeon that leaving ur family so many times doesnt make it easier each time but way more difficult. so the plan is this week i finish all the workouts (hopefully) and my next workout will be from next thursday or friday onwards. that plan will be put up in a few days.

have a good one everyone

2007-08-09T13:02:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 13

Workout:-

Low Box Squats = 4 sets x 6 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts = 2 sets x 12 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs)

Romanian Deadlifts = 3 sets x 6 reps x 165 lbs (75 kgs)

Standing Ab Pulldowns = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Overall Impression:-

very cool workout.

Low Box Squats: i got 2 vids of these. they felt good. i really tried hard to push with my heels..

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts: got a vid here too...dont laugh at me...the balancing is shit difficult..

Romanian DeadliftS: felt good.

Diet: not too good. im force feeding myself a lot. im a little depressed im going back in less than 12 days....i dont feel like eating. however, i think i forgot to mention this...one of the components of my post workout meal is 4 scoops of whey....its all the whey i eat on workout days only. on off days i dont take any whey. the meat i eat is enough i think.

Overall: it was a good workout. i liked it.

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-08-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 13

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 1 set x 8 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs - 14 kgs per hand)

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends = n/a

Grip Work using Hammer Curls = 6 sets x 2 reps x 60 lbs (26 kgs per hand)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps

Overall Impression:-

short + sweet workout.

Deadlifts: very very easy. i liked it

Bulgarian Squats: felt good.

Grip Work: teh hammerzz curlzz were good hahaha.....

Diet: im happy. lots of food coming in...

Overall: good workout.

have a good one everyone

2007-08-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 12

Workout:-

Military Press = 4 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 8 + 6 + 5 + 4 = 23

Close Grip Bench Press = 2 sets x 5 reps x 165 lbs (75 kgs)

Overhead Shrugs = 3 sets x 20 reps x 75 lbs (35 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs (10 kgs)

Decline Sit-ups = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W12 --->>> 12,805 lbs
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> 12,610 lbs
W9 --->>> 11,730 lbs
W8 --->>> 11,050 lbs
W7 --->>> 10,655 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

took two vids today. one was of CGBP and the other was a form check vid of me doing rows with 135 (only 1 light set)....

Military Press: somehow i didnt feel this exercise today. i dunno, i really wanted to do 5x5 with this this week but i decided to change my grip on these and do them exactly how they are laid out in SS and i found this too tough to do a 5th set of. so i stopped at 4. ill try for set #5 next time.

Pull-ups: nothing new

Close Grip Bench Press: new PR

Overhead Shrugs: i did some really high rep shit because i was doing it controlled and not baliistically. so i thought id knock out a few more reps per set...im not going to increase the weight because i dont think it would be beneficial for my shoulders. however, i will reduce reps next week...or i might not...

Russian Twists: nothing new

Decline Sit-ups: boring

Diet: good food.

Overall: pretty ok workout.

as always, have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

2007-08-02T13:14:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 12

Workout:-

Low Box Squats = 3 sets x 8 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Romanian Deadlifts = 3 sets x 6 reps x 165 lbs (75 kgs)

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts = 2 sets x 10 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 8 reps x BW

Standing Ab Pulldowns = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W12 --->>> 7,710 lbs
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> n/a
W9 --->>> 11,910 lbs
W8 --->>> 11,115 lbs
W7 --->>> 14,500 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,880 lbs
W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout. took vids of 2 sets of low box squats, 2 sets of single leg RDLs and 2 sets of GHRs. the whole damn collection is over 20 MB so its gonna take some time to upload it to youtube...so please be patient

Low Box Squats: they felt tough but i think i did them with good form.

Romanian DeadliftS: felt good.

Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts: ok u guys are going to laugh a lot at these 2 vids. on the first one, i started out with my right leg and it was ok. then i shifted to my left leg and i couldnt balance the first few reps. i got the hang of it eventually. in the second vid, i start off with my left leg, have a few start up problems and then i shift to my right. here too i have some balance issues. damnit, this looked really really goofy. but, i hope to get better at this with time. after doing this exercise my hams and my ass were hurting a LOT.

Glute Ham Raises: my ass was hurting a lot. i dont know how i managed to do these. they werent perfect, but i tried to work on my form. not all the GHRs were good but im sure a few reps were.

Diet: great food. ate tons of food.

Overall: it was a good workout. i liked it.

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-07-31T09:44:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 12

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 2 sets x 3 reps x 175 lbs (80 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 6 reps x 145 lbs (65 kgs)

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 70 lbs (32 kgs)

Weighted Chin-ups = 4 sets x 5 reps x +6 kgs (total = 190 lbs = 90 kgs)

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 80 lbs (40 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = n/a

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W12 --->>> 8,510 lbs
W11 --->>> 8,395 lbs
W10 --->>> 4,940 lbs
W9 --->>> 8,060 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,315 lbs
W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

lower back pain is zero. the funny thing is that the pain has shifted. before it was exactly to the left of my spine. now its on my left side of my body. key words are: of my body. its almost as if its migrated to the left. but its hardly anything. just a tiny strain. but thats very very wierd...

Bench Press: i bombed out. i wanted to do 3x5x175 but i got screwed at rep 3. i dunno how this happened. it should have been ok for 5. then i did the second set and it appreared as if i was pushing myself too hard. so i thought its better for me to just back off this for now. im glad i did.

JS Rows: i felt sooooooo good doing these again haha. regular barbell rows suck compared to this. ive taken the vids of set 1 and 2 which i will post as soon as youtube clears them.

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: new PR for me. it was quite easy actually. i did the first 2 sets with great ease but then i took like a 5 minute break before the last set (my gf needed a spot and then i had to chitchat) and that kinda made me lose my groove a bit.

Chin-ups: these were amazing! i cant believe i knocked out 4x5. haha. this was tough but im so glad i managed to get this done! whoo hoo.

Diet: good food.

Overall: good workout. i hope everyone is having a good week

cheers

2007-07-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 12

Workout:-

Speed Deadlifts = n/a

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 8 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 60 lbs (30 kgs - 14 kgs per hand)

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends = n/a

Grip Work using Hammerl Curls = 2 sets x 8 reps x 40 lbs (18 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W12 --->>> 3,680 lbs
W11 --->>> 2,445 lbs
W10 --->>> 3,905 lbs
W9 --->>> 6,005 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,195 lbs
W7 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

im back everyone!!! hahahahhaha

Deadlifts: i thought this would be shit easy but it wasnt at all. and i cant explain why either. my diet has been spot on. im back @ 85 kgs (185 lbs) cold early morning temperature so i cant understand why the heck this was so damn tough today. and it wasnt even my lower back which was hurting. my lower back is fine. its just that i wasnt very comfortable. im not too disappointed though. i want to run a theory by eric about this subject.

Bulgarian Squats: easy work here too. this was too easy actually. but i really need to work on my form.

Grip Work: haha...these hammer curls felt awesome. i want my forearms to become shit big and my grip strength is gonna improve a lot i believe.

Diet: this has been really good over the last week. im getting a LOT of meat in. i actually spent some time monitoring myself and my protein powder intake has gone down to zero grams (i dont take whey on my off days) but im eating well over 2 kgs of chicken alone per day. in addition to that i have been eating tons of fruits and a few vegetables. i need to work on getting in some veggies. i hardly eat any vegetables. but my diet has been this good for the last 6 days and i am very happy with this. im also glad my weight has gone back to what it used to be. whoo..what a relief hahaha

Overall: looking forward to tomorrow's training. i bet its gonna be fun ahaha.

have a good one everyone

2007-07-24T11:52:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 11

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 4 sets x 2 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Regular Rows = n/a

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 7 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Chin-ups = 10 + 8 + 5 + 4 + 3 = 30

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = n/a

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W11 --->>> 8,395 lbs
W10 --->>> 4,940 lbs
W9 --->>> 8,060 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,315 lbs
W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

ive been doing the ice treatment thingy and my lower back is MUCH better. its still not at all 100% in any way but its much better than yesterday where getting off the chair was a challenge. but today i was pretty conservative on anything and everything both in the gym and out of it. yes, that means no sex today. which sucks.

Bench Press: this wasnt too tough on me. not too easy either but i could have gone a tad bit more for reps. well, 185 for 3x3 is my max and this was 1 rep short overall but i could have done 3x5 or something too. however, i was very very scared that i would fuck up my lower back with a single rep so i did this light and easy and on 2 sets i used zero leg drive (the last two sets) where i focussed solely on upper body strength. lower back was totally fine with this.

Regular Rows: skipped this because of the back problem. i wasnt gonna take a chance. made up for this by doing so many chin-ups sets (5x failure)

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: kept the same weight as last time. my trainers carried the dumbbells across the gym for me hahahha....so all i had to do was lift them up. and put them down lol... this was too easy and i could have lifted more but i wasnt gonna take the chance.

Chin-ups: 5 sets to failure. made up for the lack of any other back work. this wasnt too difficult and ill be adding in weight next week (provided my lower back is ok).

Diet: tons of good food. im very happy.

Overall: ok so here is the plan for now. im icing my back. im gonna do it all through tomorrow and day after till the pain goes. its MUCH better than yesterday so i give it 2 days till it goes. however, since it has gone does not mean that the injury has disappeared (Eric's words and i agree from personal expereince with the shoulder injuries). infact, these injuries have a nasty way to showing their ugly heads from time to time. so...im gonna let this heal. no lower workout for me this week. ill do some very very light intensity cardio this week. friday will be upper 2 but ill see how that goes. if doing standing militaries is gonna screw my lower back, ill do either DE bench or inclines instead. lets see. but there is no chance im gonna do any squatting this week for sure. by next week i will most probably "feel" 100% but im gonna take the lwoer body days off in terms of weighttraining and do some light intensity cardio. upper's will be relatively light and conservative too. if i feel up to it then the week after i will be back in full swing in terms of working out on my lower body. but that week will be conservative too. the week after will be when i come in with all the heavy iron lol...i will ofcourse be over eating to increase my weight throughout this period.

saw scary movie 4 for the second time today. not as good as scary movie 3. also so the inside man. good movie. and the untouchables. fantastic movie. as u can all see ive been icing my back and wathcing a lot of movies today

anyways, have a good week y'all

2007-07-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 11

Workout:-

Speed Deadlifts = 8 sets x 2 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Deadlifts = 1 sets x 1 reps x 285 lbs (130 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = n/a

Overhead Dumbell Side Bends = n/a

Grip Work using Barbell Curls = n/a

Hyperextensions = n/a

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W11 --->>> 2,445 lbs
W10 --->>> 3,905 lbs
W9 --->>> 6,005 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,195 lbs
W7 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

horrible horrible workout. several things to discuss.

1.) my stomach is still a bit upset and i am pumped to my eyeballs with antibiotics. today is supposed to be the second last day of the dosage to day after tomorrow im gonna be fine. diet has remained very good however. nonethless inspite of me eating well over 300 grams of protein and over 5 litres of water, ive lost 2 kgs and i ate a good pre workout meal too today this really really sucks. but no doubt ill get this weight back in a week tops. it doesnt look like ive lost any weight though and my friend who i met after 3 days looked at me today and said "dude...ur looking a lot bigger today" so i dunno what to make of this.

2.) my lower back has NOT healed. after i injured it in week 8 of the texas method way back in february 2007 when i did rounded back ass to grass squats with 295 for a double, it healed after i did the ice/heat/ice/heat/ice/heat/ice/heat treatment in 1-2 weeks. however, 2 weeks ago when i did those shit heavy good mornings (that means a measly 135 lbs) with incorrect form ive got that left lower back pain again and i havent been doing the ice/heat/ice/heat/ice/heat treatment like how i was supposed to. in addition to that i have been doing dumbbell swings with bad form, barbell rows with a weight too heavy for me so their becoming yates rows which i am mostly deadlifting from the ground in addition to the fact that my sleeping posture last night was really really bad. i dunno what it is with my sleeping posture: first the neck problem now i wake up with a sore lower back...damn....this must be a passing phase...

3.) during the speed deads my lower back was fine. but when i pulled the 130 kgs off the floor my left lower back was literally screaming in agony so i immediately stopped. my legs werent even slightly pumped from the lift off. my grip was good too. everything other than my lower back was perfectly fine.

4.) so whats the plan? my lower back only hurts when i do deadlifts. it doesnt hurt when i bench. i have two options: (a) i go to the gym tomorrow for upper 1 and i handle it well. i also do tons of ice/heat treatment tonight which should make me 99% ready for tomorrow. i continue this treatment till thursday. or, (b) i take a week off. now, i dont want to take a week off because this problem isnt as much as im making it sound. yes, it is hurting, but its not excrutiating pain. so i can get away with this but i dont want this to become a pain in my ass later on in life. so if i have to take this week and the next off to let this heal then ill do that. but i doubt it will come to that. needless to say, im gonna be extra cautious with this. and this sucks even more because Eric JUST gave me an excellent plan to push my squats starting this thursday. i guess that plan will probably be postponed a bit. shit.

ill update y'all tomorrow iwht how im feeling.

have a good one everyone

2007-07-21T23:55:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 10

Workout:-

Military Press = 4 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 8 + 6 + 5 + 4 = 23

Close Grip Bench Press = 3 sets x 7 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Overhead Shrugs = 3 sets x 12 reps x 75 lbs (35 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 25 lbs (10 kgs)

Decline Sit-ups = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W10 --->>> 12,610 lbs
W9 --->>> 11,730 lbs
W8 --->>> 11,050 lbs
W7 --->>> 10,655 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

ok i havent been well at all. i have a horrible stomach upset. im under a shitload of antibiotics right now and my diet today was shitty. to top it off i slept in an awkward position and i have a horrible catch on my neck and i cant turn it to the right. it was really bad in the morning but my gf gave me a nice neck massage and im much better right now. it will go by tomorrow most likely. however, i was not feeling 100% at all and i was in no mood to workout. but since i had skipped yesterday's session i decided to go today. the only good news is that my lower back pain has finally gone.

Military Press: added 1 more set. vid has been taken.

Pull-ups: couldnt knock out 9 reps like last time. only got 8. got a vid.

Close Grip Bench Press: got a vid for this too. new PR.

Overhead Shrugs: my shoulders are very happy

Russian Twists: this new variaition done standing with a barbell isnt as easy as i thought it would be. i did it in the right manner using my trunk instead of my arms to push the bar.

Decline Sit-ups: boring

Diet: sad sad diet as most of what i ate today came out 30 minutes late

Overall: good workout...however, im just trying to get back to my old healthy method of living lol.....i dont like being sick....and this neck is killing me!!! i saw the gridiron gang last night and it was a great movie. i saw it when it released last year but i enjoyed watching this movie again. i liked it.

as always, have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

2007-07-17T08:26:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 8

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 1 sets x 3 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Regular Rows = n/a

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 7 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Chin-ups = 11 + 5 = 16

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = 2 sets x 10 reps

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W10 --->>> 4,940 lbs
W9 --->>> 8,060 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,315 lbs
W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

wierd workout...

Bench Press: ok i got a vid of this. a new 3RM attempt. as per Eric's orders. why am i pissed? because the fucking trainer who i instructed over a fucking dozen times NOT to even touch the motherfucking bar unless i was failing kept making it is goddamn point to hold it. he did not help me to push it up and i didnt need his help but his hands kept shooting out when i was past midway and he would hold the bar. fucking asshole. my damn training partner ditched me today so i had to rely on my gf holding the camera and this chut of an instructor spotting me im gonna try this one more time next week and do it the right way. it is a PR for me but im not counting it legal unless i do it on my own.

Regular Rows: ive tweaked me lower back a bit and i might take the remaining of this week off. tomorrow is in any case an off day so if by thursday im feeling fine ill go to the gym otherwise ill skip this week.

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: im happy

Chin-ups: felt great!

Diet: tons of good food. im very happy.

Overall: in a way i am happy with this workout. i cant belive i knocked out 205 lbs for 3 reps. that is a major achievement for me considering less than 8 months ago i wasnt even gonna be lifting again. however, i am upset because if that damn trainer had kept control over his instincts and NOT put his hand on the bar i could've showed off that my nre 3RM is 205 lol....plus, my lower back is a bit tweaked and im gonna take the remaining of this week provided it doesnt clear up by thursday. for information, the left part of my lower back went through supercompression (unequal on the left side) when i did good mornings last week. deep down inside though, i am very happy that i got 3 reps with 205. i know next week i will be able to pull it off once again.

have a good week y'all!

2007-07-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 10

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 1 sets x 5 reps x 275 lbs (125 kgs)

Speed Deadlifts @ 50% of 1RM = 10 sets x 1 rep x 175 lbs (80 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 65 lbs (32 kgs)

Overhead Dumbell Side Bends = 3 sets x 12 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Grip Work using Barbell Curls = 1 sets x 6 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W10 --->>> 3,905 lbs
W9 --->>> 6,005 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,195 lbs
W7 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

a new workout for me. i was supposed to do good mornings but i havent been keeping good form on them and ive tweaked my lower back pretty bad thanks to them. i could just reset the weight and start again but i dont think right now in my lifting career i need to worry about them. in due time when i reach a stage where they will play an essential part i will put them back in. for now, they're out.

Deadlifts: it wasnt as easy as i thought at all. however i know my form was pretty good im very happy with my form actually. but no, they werent easy. at the time during with i did dc training, i was able to knock out a good 7-8 reps with this weight. i could have easily done atleast 5-6 more today. so i guess my strength has improved. right now, im taking my 1RM to be my old 1RM = 355 lbs.

Speed Deadlifts: i did not run this idea past eric and i came up with it when i was at the gym itself. i think im gonna get clobbered by him for this...however, i did this for a purpose...they same reason why i used to do DE work on the texas method. if Eric gives me the ok, im gonna reduce the weight for this next time.

Bulgarian Squats: i reduced the weight drastically on this. i wasnt really all that tired from the DE work. i reduced it because i wanted to work on form. i also did 2 sets because i didnt see the need to go balls to the wall with this. exactly as eric had asked me to do before. infact, he had warned me that i will not be doing this correctly and it will catch up with me later on. well, he was right again. so well...ive reduced the weight and im working on posture, smooth form, etc..

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends: nice

Grip Work: boring.

Diet: good food today

Overall: good workout. i saw harry potter 5 yesterday. quite a good movie. a few technical errors but otherwise it was a good movie. as for today's workout....it was good. did not move too much wieght. i just hope Eric isnt pissed about me doing speed deads. if he gives me the ok, im gonna go ahead with these but at a much lighter weight (165 or 155 lbs instead of 175).

stay safe everyone

2007-07-14T01:41:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 9

Workout:-

Military Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 9 + 6 + 5 + 4 = 24

Close Grip Bench Press = 3 sets x 6 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Overhead Shrugs = 3 sets x 12 reps x 75 lbs (35 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Decline Sit-ups = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W9 --->>> 11,730 lbs
W8 --->>> 11,050 lbs
W7 --->>> 10,655 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

i wasnt well today. i almost puked before my workout. i dunno why i actually went but i didnt want to take an off today. anyways, lots to talk about...(got 3 vids today: military press and 2 sets of CGBP)

Military Press: so Eric and Chris both brought it to my notice last week that my military press was really not official because i didnt make the bar touch my clavicle. SO, this time i decided to stick to 120 and make the bar touch my clavicle on every rep. a vid has been provided. im happy because now i know next week ill knock out 120x5x5 and then the week after its 3x5x135

Pull-ups: new PR.....im happy...

Close Grip Bench Press: got a vid for this too. felt awesome.

Overhead Shrugs: my shoulders are very happy

Russian Twists: a breeze...i need to figure out what eric meant by doing these standing with a barbell....ill do some research on this before my next workout...

Decline Sit-ups: boring

Diet: tons of food. all good.

Overall: good workout. im very happy that i was able to do so much even after me being so sick (i also had a fever in the morning)....i also felt very dehydrated today for some reason...well, i made up for that by drinking 3 litres total before sleeping lol....today mornings im feeling fine though - no cough, no cold, no fever. whoo-hoo....

as always, have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

2007-07-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 9

Workout:-

Ass to Grass Box Squats = 3 sets x 6 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 10 reps x 190 lbs (85 kgs)

Dumbbell Swings = 3 sets x 12 reps x 70 lbs (30 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps x BW

Standing Ab Pulldowns = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W9 --->>> 11,910 lbs
W8 --->>> 11,115 lbs
W7 --->>> 14,500 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,880 lbs
W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

ok session. i had a severe headache (first time in my life) and i cough and a cold and a sore throat and an upset stomach. needless to say i wasnt anywhere near my 100%. but, i went in anyways and did what was needed.

Ass to Grass Box Squats: i dont think i nailed the form down on this one. not this time anyways. i have a vid....i think form was only ok. i still got a lot to work on but today i wasnt well so i kinda forgot about form

Keystone Deadlifts: i want to change these to regular RDLs...they feel more comfy for me...i wonder what E will say...

Dumbbell Swings: i recorded in my video set #2. i did 11 reps by mistake. so for set 3 i did 13. total comes to 36 reps so well...its all good

Glute Ham Raises: got a vid here too. probably really shitty form. but hey: i gotto start somewhere, eh?

Diet: ok diet. not as good as yesterday.

Overall: pretty ok workout. im happy i made progress but i wasnt "feeling" it u know.....i just hope im well by tomorrow...plus, i kind of tweaked my back doing something today and the uneaqual compression of my lower back has left my left lower back kinda sore i hope it heals by tomorrow.

nonetheless,

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-07-11T11:51:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 8

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Regular Rows = 2 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 6 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Chin-ups = 10 + 5 = 15

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = 2 sets x 10 reps

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W9 --->>> 8,060 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,315 lbs
W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout..no vids though.....ill get some up soon.....

Bench Press: form was spot on

Regular Rows: i dunno but i just couldnt add reps...i didnt feel like it....i dunno why...

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: im happy

Chin-ups: felt great!

Diet: ok diet. not too good.

Overall: good workout. saw VACANCY yesterday....shitty film...will go for Harry Potter this weekend....

have a good week y'all!

2007-07-09T12:41:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 9

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 1 sets x 5 reps x 235 lbs (105 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 3 sets x 10 reps x 80 lbs (36 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 6 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Overhead Dumbell Side Bends = 3 sets x 12 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Grip Work using Hammer Curls = 2 sets x 6 reps x 45 lbs (20 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W9 --->>> 6,005 lbs
W8 --->>> 6,195 lbs
W7 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

boring workout. the AC at my gym had malfunctioned and i had to work out in the tropical heat not only that but the gym was way too overcrowded. i couldnt even get a vid of the good mornings i wanted....

Deadlifts: easy

Bulgarian Squats: tough as hell. and the heat made it only worse.

Good Mornings: im not too happy with form. i need to work on this. hopefully next week ill take vids to post up.

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends: nice

Grip Work: boring.

Diet: good food today

Overall: im just not happy with this workout. maybe i didnt go to the gym in the right mindset or maybe im just a little low because i was just not comfortable working out today. my numbers on the bulgarian squats and the good mornings did go up...but still....deads have a long way to go...

stay safe everyone

2007-07-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

ok video time..

pull-up vid is gonna take some time to upload (i dunno why....)

peace

Anuj

2007-07-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 8

Workout:-

Military Press = 5 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 7 + 6 + 4 + 4 = 21

Close Grip Bench Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Overhead Shrugs = 3 sets x 12 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W8 --->>> 11,050 lbs
W7 --->>> 10,655 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Military Press: new PR once again got a vid of the last set...

Pull-ups: got a vid for the first set....i wasnt feeling too much into it this time...i dunno why...

Close Grip Bench Press: got a vid for this too. this was pretty tough today...

Overhead Shrugs: no vid here lol...but it was good doing this exercise. i dunno but after doing this i always feel a bit different on my shoulders - in a nice way that is....my shoulders feel happy i guess hehe

Russian Twists: felt ok

Hanging Leg Raises: boring

Diet: i got in all my protein requirements but instead of having several small meals that im used to, i managed to get ALL this in in 2 big ass meals. so when i turned up at the gym i had had zero pre workout nutrition and i wasnt happy. but the workout was good. i guess sipping the protein during my workout was a good idea

Overall: good workout. ill post the vids next. i saw this movie (Hollywood) called "Bobby" which was pretty ok...and i also saw "Alexander" which was shit....

anyways, have a GREAT weekend everyone!!!

Videos....

2007-07-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

July 5th 2007:

April 21st 2007:

April 21st 2007:

2007-07-05T10:41:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 8

Workout:-

Ass to Grass Box Squats = 3 sets x 5 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 10 reps x 190 lbs (85 kgs)

Dumbbell Swings = 3 sets x 12 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 5 sets x 10 reps x BW

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W8 --->>> 11,115 lbs
W7 --->>> 14,500 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,880 lbs
W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

great session!

Ass to Grass Box Squats: i know i was supposed to do 3 inches below parallel box squats but i couldnt find such a low box and with the accident last time i didnt want to risk a catastrophe so i just did A2G box squats again. this was pretty easy. i have a vid which ill upload soon

Keystone Deadlifts: i think the excess grip work is taking its toll on me....my grip was shit on quite a few reps and the last 3 reps of each and every set had me holding the bar on my finger tips which just sucks. i just might curb my enthusiasm regarding grip work. lets see.

Dumbbell Swings: i LOVE this exercise...its damn tough but it sure does pay off!!!

Glute Ham Raises: felt good. did a few more sets because i really need to get my form straight. i try to do some unassissted as far as possible...

Diet: ate a 24 ounce steak 3 hours before my workout....and i ate like 500g of chicken today for dinner...along with 2 apples, a banana and 2 custard apples and a mango.....tons of food taken in

Overall: saw die hard 4. good movie and the theme was very believable. me likes!!! as far as the workout is concerned: im happy...

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-07-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 8

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press @ 95% of 1RM = 3 sets x 1 reps x 205 lbs (90 kgs)

Regular Rows = 2 sets x 6 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press = 4 sets x 6 reps x 60 lbs (28 kgs)

Dumbbell Rows = 2 sets x 12 reps x 85 lbs (38 kgs)

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 85 lbs (40 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = 2 sets x 10 reps

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W6 --->>> 6,315 lbs
W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout

Bench Press: difficult work.....im very happy with my performance here....my strength hasnt reduced and this was fun stuff....

Regular Rows: this was difficult after yesterday's workout...

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: smooth reps....im gonna increase the weight the next time around...

Dumbbell Rows: damnit...this was shit easy...again...next week, im switching this to chin-ups.

Diet: ate VERY well today. lots of chicken.....

Overall: no soreness from deads at the moment. only my hams are fried....but otherwise im in good shape. bench form was great so im happy. everything was good.

have a good week y'all!

2007-06-29T09:23:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 7

Workout:-

Military Press = 4 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 7 + 5 + 4 + 3 = 19

Close Grip Bench Press = 3 sets x 6 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Overhead Shrugs = 3 sets x 10 reps x 65 lbs (30 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W7 --->>> 10,655 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Military Press: new PR again!!! im happy. damnit this was tough.

Pull-ups: new PR once again haha. 19 reps are mine all over again.

Close Grip Bench Press: felt great on my triceps.

Overhead Shrugs: lol...i misunderstood Eric's "Shrugs" idea as being regular shrugs. what he meant was OVERHEAD shrugs for my shoulder prehab. and boy...was this one tough exercise. but it felt ok.

Russian Twists: felt ok

Hanging Leg Raises: boring

Diet: diet's back on track whoo hoo

Overall: been one long boring day. ****, in 7 more weeks im gonna be back in america i dont wanna leave my family......

2007-06-28T10:13:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 7

Workout:-

Box Squats = 3 sets x 8 reps x 225 lbs (100 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 12 reps x 180 lbs (80 kgs)

Unilateral (Single Leg) Leg Press = 2 sets x 10 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps x BW

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W7 --->>> 14,500 lbs
W6 --->>> 11,880 lbs
W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

interesting session

Box Squats: 3 inches below parallel as per Eric's orders. i broke the damn bench with this :oops: oh well....anyways, form was spot on (even on the rep where the pin ripped into the steel on the bench and took it down a few notches next week, its 3x9 or 3x10.

Keystone Deadlifts: 2 more reps hahaha!!! :)

Unilateral Leg Press: i hate this exercise. but ill give it time. if it doesnt workout, im gonna shift to dumbbell swings instead.

Glute Ham Raises: no catches haha. im happy.

Diet: i havent been well. infact, im sick as hell. no weight loss thank god but i have only had 150 grams of protein today (instead of the usual 275+) so im a little unhappy. but ive eaten so many carbs...oh man...too many carbs lol hopefully, ill feel better by tomorrow. i should never have eaten at that damn wedding...

Overall: im happy with today's workout. my lower body was sore today but i think its not because of the effectiveness of the program but because my protein intake has dropped considerably over the last 3 days (i have been going for lunches with my newphews and shit and they're all vegetarian which sucks) except today when i had to attend the reception of the couple (my cousin sister - yes, that means im gonna become an uncle all over again as if becoming one in the last year 7 times over wasnt enough) at the Marriott when i snuck into their other restaurant and ate some good sea food whoooo-hooooo!!!!

hope everyone's week is going good.

thanks for reading

peace

2007-06-28T10:12:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 1 - WEEK 7

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 4 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Regular Rows = 2 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Dumbbell Rows = 2 sets x 12 reps x 75 lbs (34 kgs)

Close Grip Bench Press = 2 sets x 6 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Facepulls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 85 lbs (40 kgs)

Bar Rollouts = 2 sets x 10 reps

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W7 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout

Bench Press: damn....this was tough.

Regular Rows: new variation. felt good.

Dumbbell Rows: damnit...this was shit easy

Close Grip Bench Press: i was tired. i should've listened to Eric and done Dumbbell Presses on this workout instead! he's gonna kill me for this. im gonna do this again next workout and then ill do the dumbbell presses next week this day. shit, i shoudl've listened to him. i completely forgot about his suggestion until i was done with the first set. and next time, im gonna do this between rows and dumbbell rows.

Diet: i wasnt feeling well today. i havent eaten much. my stomach's not happy. i dunno why. im not feeling right at all.

Overall: good workout. im so fucking sore after deadlifts! fuck...i have never been so sore on my posterior chain.

2007-06-25T12:50:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 1 - WEEK 7

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 5 reps x 210 lbs (95 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 8 reps x 80 lbs (36 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 7 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Overhead Dumbell Side Bends = 3 sets x 12 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Farmer's Walks = 3 sets x 40 steps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W7 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

well, im exhausted after this workout!

Deadlifts: felt good. climbing the long long ladder slowly and steadily..

Bulgarian Squats: tough as hell. but im sure they will help, i go REALLY low on these.

Good Mornings: 1 more rep per set haha....next week its gonna be 130 for 3x5! whoo hoo

Overhead Dumbbell Side Bends: felt good. i look good doing these too lol (my gf's opinion)

Farmer's Walks: so Eric had asked me to do 1 grip work exercise. upon his suggestion i decided to do Farmer's walks. my first time doing them. i had 30 kgs dumbbells in each hand (thus totalling 60 kgs aka 135 lbs) and it was pretty tough. upon my 40th rep my hands were literally getting ripped apart lol. next week ill try for 45 steps

Diet: yesterday;s diet was better than today. but today was great too. except i havent gotten as much protein as yesterday. i have however met my protein requirement

Overall: well, last night, i went on a movie spree lol...i saw Madagascar - nice movie "the pansies" LOL, the Fast and the Furious Tokyo Drift - ok movie...thank god Vin is back haha, and the Walt Disney animated movie "Hercules" - my fav walt disney movie of all time...damn, i feel like ive become a kid all over again!!! LOL :p hehe

thanks for reading fellas

have a good week everyone!

2007-06-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER 2 - WEEK 6

Workout:-

Military Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 = 18

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press = 3 sets x 8 reps x 60 lbs (26 kgs)

Shrugs = 3 sets x 10 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Russian Twists = 2 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Hanging Leg Raises = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W6 --->>> 11,220 lbs
W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Military Press: new PR. im happy. damnit this was tough.

Pull-ups: new PR once again. cant believe i hit 18 reps total. ive never ever managed to do that. all reps were deadhang. i think my lats are gonna be sore as hell....unless i eat a shitload of food (which is the plan atm)

Flat Dumbbell Bench Press: after my shoulder injury in august 2006 this is the first time im doing any dumbbell chest work. at first this was a bit difficult but i think ive got it nailed down correctly. all thanks to Eric i use an inverse "V" angle so as to avoid any shoulder irritation. i tried doing it regularly (like how u do when u hold a barbell) but my shoulder felt a little off. luckily it was just a warm-up set. so i went ahead and did it with the inverse "V" angle. i was very conservative with this today and im glad i listened to Eric because i know where i stand now. im gonna be able to improve on this a lot. i plan on hitting 90's sometime this year

Shrugs: again i handled this conservatively. next time ill add in a fourth set if need be.

Russian Twists: i had no idea what this exercise meant (and i couldnt understand why Eric would advise me on doing this - he gave me a choice too) so i googled it before my workout and here is the general description is anyone needs it: Click Here

Hanging Leg Raises: felt easy. just did it for the sake of doing some ab work. i need to be more regular with my ab training.

Diet: didnt eat much today.

Overall: i have been working for a while now in a music production company (9:00 am to 4:30 pm) and i had a big ass presentation to complete my 1 month internship and i havent eaten anything lol...but ill eat tons tonight and make up for it. tomorrow i begin my volunteering in the mornings (8:00 am to 1:00 pm) at a veterinary clinic where i am the assistant veterinary surgeon (sp?)

have a good weekend y'all and be safe

thanks for reading

2007-06-21T12:50:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER 2 - WEEK 6

Workout:-

A2G Box Squats = 3 sets x 8 reps x 180 lbs (80 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 10 reps x 180 lbs (80 kgs)

Unilateral (Single Leg) Leg Press = 2 sets x 8 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps x BW

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W6 --->>> 11,880 lbs
W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout

Box Squats: killer stuff. damn tough. got a video. will upload + post it in a few days.

Keystone Deadlifts: felt awesome. after the low Ass to Grass Box Squats i couldnt even walk lol

Unilateral Leg Press: first time doing these. felt pretty ok.

Glute Ham Raises: damn.....i tried something stupid while doing these and i got a catch. damn.....i hate that pain.

Diet: im happy

Overall: good workout. i want to say this that i owe EVERYTHING i know and EVERYTHING i have achieved because of my great freind Eric from www.bodybuilding.net im gonna make a proper post about him in a bit. otherwise, workout was good and im happy. Eric's program is going great for me.

2007-06-21T01:39:00.001-07:00

ok change of program. well, not change but im gonna be altering a few things.

for the last 6 months, i havent been deadlifting. ive only been improving on the squat and the bench press. but thats gonna change. its time for the squat to go in the back seat. as per my alterations (thanks to Eric but once again - this is MY program with MY choices) im now gonna be maintaining my squat and bench and blasting my deadlift. this will go on for a few months. so the new changes to the program are:

Lower 1
*Deads 1X5
*Bulgarians 3x6-8
*Goodmornings 3x6-8
*Overhead Dumbell Side Bends
*Grip Work

Upper 1
*Bench (either maintain or small progression)
*Regular Barbell Rows 2x5-7
*Dumbbell Rows 2x10-12
*Close Grip Bench 2 sets and up
*Face Pulls 2 sets and up...reps on the higher end
*Pulldown Abs or Bar Rollouts

Lower 2
*Low Box Squat 3-4x8-10
*Keystone Deads 3-4x8-10
*Single Leg Leg Press 2x6-8
*GHR's 2 sets and up
*Hanging Leg Raises

Upper 2
*MP 3 sets 5 reps or more up to 5 sets
*Pullups
*Dumbell Bench Press 3 sets and up higher reps
*Shrugs
*Russian Twists

i already started this program this week. im just posting an update. i hope this works out.

peace

2007-06-20T03:28:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER HEAVY - WEEK 6

Workout:-

Deadlifts = 2 sets x 5 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Bulgarian Split Squats = 2 sets x 6 reps x 70 lbs (32 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 6 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Overhead Dumbell Side Bends = 3 sets x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

Dumbbell Sidebends = 1 sets x 10 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W6 --->>> 5,000lbs
W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

quite a lot to talk about...

Deadlifts: so ive started these again. about time. from now on, im mostly gonna be just maintaining my squat numbers and trying to pull up my deadlift numbers. the goal is to touch 400+ by the end of 2007. my max so far has been 315x3 so i guess 400 isnt so far out of reach. anyways, form was good and they felt good too.

Bulgarian Squats: fucking killer. used dumbbells of course. very tough. ill take a vid next time.

Good Mornings: getting stronger on these so im happy haha.

Ab Work: the overhead side bends felt great. my first time doing them. i liked it.

Diet: good food. its funny, no matter what i do i cant lose the double chin i have. flat stomach, etc but still a double chin exists. ive tried growing a goatee to hide it and its working a bit so far. lets hope in a few weeks it pays off. lol...maybe in overanalysing...its not like my gf has any qualms about it.

Overall: good workout. me happy. internet connection was down for the last 2 days so im trying to catch up

have a great week everyone

2007-06-18T12:24:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER HEAVY - WEEK 6

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 6 reps x 165 lbs (75 kgs)

Close Grip Bench Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Front Plate Raise = 2 sets x 8 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W6 --->>> 6,780 lbs
W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout

Bench Press: felt great my new plan is to take 180 for 3x4 next week, then 180 for 3x5 then 4x5 and then 5x5. once that happens im gonna be happy haha

JS Rows: i might have to lay off these for some time. i think im gonna go up to 3x7 and then increase by 5 kgs. then im gonna drop a little weight and do a few more reps. lets see.

Close Grip Bench Press: im pretty sure this is a new PR because ive never done this before. it felt good. i hope it pays off. no more pause pressing for now. time to focus on CGBP for a while.

Diet: im damn happy. arms are still 15", weight is still 185 lbs and chest is 43". waist HAS reduced and im happy.

Overall: good workout. i went and saw this movie on DVD: Four Brothers. good movie. also celebrated my 3 year anniversary tonight

stay safe everyone, thanks for reading and have a great week ahead y'all

2007-06-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER LIGHT - WEEK 5

Workout:-

A2G Box Squats = 3 sets x 5 reps x 180 lbs (80 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 5 reps x 245 lbs (110 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W5 --->>> 6,375 lbs
W4 --->>> n/a
W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

im currently thinking of changing my training program a little bit. this workout was short and sweet, going out partying right now so i was in a hurry.

A2G Box Squats: felt amazing. i mean, they were difficult and i have started out light so i have lots to build on. i used a stepped which was 6" off the floor for this. damn, my ass is gonna hurt tomorrow.

Keystone Deadlifts: mistake. next time, im reducing the weight. i kepy failing in my grip. i did it with great form no doubt but i bit off more than i could chew because i thought that since im doing a small workout this justifies it. oh well...next time ill reduce the load.

Diet: lots of food. 1 kg of chicken done for the day once again.

Overall: something ive noticed. when i came to mumbai in may, my waist was 38" and my weight was 82 kgs. this was recorded by me 1 week after i had landed. so this cant be swelling because of 36 hours flight travel. right now however, im weighing in at 83 kgs + but my waist is 34". my thighs are 26", chest 43", arms 15" calves 13", etc but my waist has shrunk. im trying to figure out why....i mean, its great and all but its just odd to me. otherwise workout was great. going to see fantastic four something this weekend.

have a great weekend everyone and thanks for reading!

2007-06-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER LIGHT - WEEK 5

Workout:-

Military Press = 5 sets x 5 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Pull-ups = 4 + 4 + 3 + 3 = 14

Incline Press = 3 sets x 6 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Lat Pull Downs = 4 sets x 6 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Facepulls = 3 sets x 12 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W5 ---->>> 12,210 lbs
W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Military Press: new PR here. last record was 3x5x110 on texas method. 5x5x110 is a new PR. next week is a new PR too: 3x5x120. i hope it falls through.

Pull-ups: these are as predictable as paris weather (ive been to paris and one minute its sunny the next is rainy the third is cold and the fourth its warm again. i like paris - apart from its climate.)

Incline Bench Press: i like this exercise. 135 lbs seemed too damn light to me. next time im nailing 155. i found a certain way to do these (its different from my flat bench set-up). i can nail 200 lbs i think. i think.

Lat Pull Downs: damn.....my lats have become strong haha. my old DC record was 195 for 14 rest-paused. i guess this is a PR too but since i only count PRs for squat, bench, deads, incline bench, militaries and rows this aint counted.

Facepulls: this is like my rehab exercise (which is why i didnt include it in the total poundage). it felt good. i heard a distinctly loud and all too clear crackle in both my shoulders lol. i think they are happy too right nwo haha...

Diet: good today. 1 kilo chicken eaten plus (in case anyone knows about indian food) 25 rotis along with 2 mangoes plus 1 banana.

Overall: good workout. i was gonna do a lower light today but then i thought that if i do lower light right now i might not recover for next tuesday. so i decided to skip it. im glad.

thanks for reading guys! have a good weekend ahead

2007-06-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER HEAVY - WEEK 5

Workout:-

Squats = 3 sets x 3 reps x 275 lbs (125 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 5 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Parallel Box Squats = 4 sets x 5 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 2 sets x 10 reps x BW

Static Hanging Leg Raises = 3 sets x 22 seconds x BW

Decline Crunches = 2 sets x 6 reps x 5 lbs

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W5 --->>> 8,275 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

wierd session today. decided to do some new stuff.

Squats: fucking killer. yes, i have grown weaker at my squats. most unfortunately. i wish it were not so however. but im sure in a few weeks ill be better at this.

Good Mornings: damn, these feel good haha.....i dunno how the heck ppl manage to do these with 400+ lbs for reps man.....jeez....going all the way to parallel? damn...

Box Squats to Parallel: im not sure if im labelling this exercise correctly. please correct me if i am wrong here. the box (or rather the bench) was set low to the ground so that when i squatted onto it, my thighs were a little below parallel to the ground. well, my hips more like it. i have large thighs so i cant go by estimation of my thighs. yes, my hips were below (just a little) below parallel when i sat on the box. so i am calling them box squats. they felt awesome! i liked doing them a lot. i hope they pay off. im trying to find something which makes me do Ass to Grass Box Squats. the challenge is to find that next week. if not, then its 4x6 @ 200 lbs again.

Glute Ham Raises: yes....finally getting this!

Static Hanging Leg Raises: fucked my abs. damn....Andrew.Cook was right about this shit: Andrew Cook's Journal Post

Decline Crunches: i held the plate behind my head. it made the exercise a whole lot more difficult damnit!

Diet: everything is ok.

Overall: good workout. i need to increase my squat strength damnit!

hope everyone is having a good week. stay safe everyone and thanks for reading!

2007-06-11T09:09:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER HEAVY - WEEK 5

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 5 reps x 165 lbs (75 kgs)

Pin Press from Bottom = 4 sets x 4 reps x 145 lbs (65 kgs)

Paused JS Rows = 4 sets x 6 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Front Plate Raise = 2 sets x 8 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W5 --->>> 9,580 lbs
W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Bench Press: got it all. thankfully.

JS Rows: felt good. i think i may need to reset on these soon. im not able to make them touch my chest as easily as i should. or maybe today was just a shitty day. lets see.

Pin Press: made a few changes. 8x3 was way too much volume. i did 4x4 today. next time its 4x5. then 4x6. seems a better way to progress IMO.

Paused JS Rows: felt great. next week its 4x7.

Front Plate Raise: i wasnt gonna do this but then i thought "ahh..what the heck"

Diet: im happy with the diet. everything seems to be in order. i ate so much for lunch my stomach was popping out. and i was the same after dinner haha. i finally hit a bodyweight of 85 kgs today. me happy. i got back the 5 kgs i had lost. i think. maybe im just fat now haha

Overall: me happy

stay safe everyone, thanks for reading and have a great week ahead y'all

2007-06-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER LIGHT - WEEK 4

Workout:-

Military Press = 3 sets x 5 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Pull-ups = 5 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 14

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press = 2 sets x 3 reps x 55 lbs (24 kgs)

Upper Back Machine = 2 sets x 10 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

Incline Press = 4 sets x 8 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Lat Pull Downs = 2 sets x 8 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W4 --->>> 13,270 lbs
W3 --->>> n/a
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout. a "bodybuilding" workout haha

Military Press: awesome! haha

Pull-ups: surprised myself with this. finally. i held my breath on every set and apparently it helped :)

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press: i wanted to get over my phobia for these. so well.....it worked :)

Upper Back Machine: felt awesome!

Incline Bench Press: i wanted to do 1 more pusing and 1 more pulling movement so i added this in. felt great. i like doing these after military presses. military presses rock!

Lat Pull Downs: doing them after such a long time. last time i did these i was on DC Training haha.....they felt great. i could have done a few more but i didnt want to be wiped out.

Diet: reflected in my workload capacity. i was brimming with energy

Overall: i had a lot left in my after this workout. so that means i can progress more on this haha. im happy :) going to see ocean's 13 tomorrow.

hope everyone is having a good week. thanks for reading y'all and stay safe

ps: i saw a movie called "My Cousing Vinny" on DVD and i loved it. just letting y'all know....along with resident evil apocolypse, 24 days later and the goodfellas (i saw these for the 4th or 5th time lol)

anyways, peace everyone!

2007-06-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER HEAVY - WEEK 4

Workout:-

Squats = 1 set x 1 rep x 275 lbs (125 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 6 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Step-ups from below parallel = 3 sets x 7 reps x 185 lbs (90 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = 3 sets x 5 reps x BW

Lat Sit-Ups = 3 sets x 10 reps x 77 lbs (35 kgs)

Crunches = 2 sets x 15 reps x BW

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 10 reps

Calf Raises on Leg Press DC Style = 4 sets x 25 reps x 220 lbs (100 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W4 --->>> 6,455 lbs
W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

bodyweight is finally up 1 kgs. i am now 83 kgs clean which means 183 lbs. unfortunately, i only got 4 hours of sleep last night and i wasnt feeling very happy today. probably why my squats were a disaster.

Squats: i dunno why but after the first rep i was like "fuck this, im not in the mood". maybe it was 17+ weeks of regular squatting catching up on me, maybe it was me just being lazy, maybe it was me coming off the medication for my illness, maybe it was because i was still sore from last friday, maybe i was just being a coward, maybe it was all of this put together. i regret doing only 1 set. next week i will come what may hit 275 for 3x3. no matter what. i have an idea about this actually. it just occured to me: i do 3x3x275 next week, then 3x4x275 then 3x5x275 then 4x5x275 and then 5x5x275. there we go. my goal for this summer: 5x5 with 275. then ill be happy haha.

Good Mornings: felt good. did them to perfection. next week will be 3x7x110 then 3x5x120. so im happy. i cant imagine however how ppl do 315 for 8+ reps on this. damn, i have a long long way to go.

Step-ups: felt good. progressed on these a little bit. thankfully.

Glute Ham Raises: FINALLY! managed to do them on my bench press lol. felt very wierd doing them. i hope by doing them often i can get better at them. right now, i wasnt doing them clean. i did take a little help from the ground every now and then.

All the other accessory bullshit: ab work felt good. ive been slacking off a lot on this. i did the calf raises because i have 14.3" calves under 26" thighs. hell, even my arms are bigger. hypers felt good too. did tons of stretching today.

Diet: fantastic diet. too bad it didnt reflect in the workout. i wish it had.

Overall: very unhappy with the squats. otherwise workout was fine. i saw shrek 3 today. 10:00 am show. very cute movie. i liked it a lot. next in line is Ocean's thirteen. releasing in india june 8th.

hope everyone is having a good week. stay safe everyone and thanks for reading!

2007-06-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER HEAVY - WEEK 4

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Pin Press from Bottom = 6 sets x 3 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 7 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Front Plate Raise = 4 sets x 8 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

Seated Dumbbell Curls = 2 sets x 10 reps x 30 lbs (14 kgs)

Decline Tricep Box Extensions taking into account only added plates to the box = 3 sets x 10 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W4 --->>> 10,170 lbs
W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout.

Bench Press: my strength on this is slightly dwindling due to my sickness, etc. i should get better at this next week. that is the goal lol

Pin Press: decided to increase the weight. next week i will do 7x3 with 155 and then the week after i will do 8x3. after that is 10x3 then increase the weight by 5 kgs or so. this is all tentative. all that is sure is that next week is 7x3 and the week after its 8x3.

JS Rows: felt awesome. new PR for sure haha. next week im gonna be doing 165 lbs (75 kgs) for either 3x5. i am keeping my fingers crossed!

Front Plate Raise: im finding it difficult to progress on this so well, decided to do low reps, more sets and add weight. triple progression. felt great.

Bicep/Tricep Stuff: im gonna wear elbow sleeves when i do these decline tricep extensions because i go all the way down way past my head on these and my elbow joint hurts like a bitch an hour or so after. its still hurting. probably will be sore tomorrow morning (its midnight here). for bicep curls: time to test the 16s haha

Diet: diet has been great off late (im getting in over 300 g of protein with only 50 from whey and having almost 6-8 litres of water per day). ive started ZMAs, etc. im feeling much better. post and pre-workout nutrition has improved greatly. from eating nothing i am eating some pretty good food now. i finally have started eating oatmeal haha....

Overall: im happy. the only sad thing is that my bench press was difficult. it should be fine next week. if it isnt, im gonna be pissed haha....!!! but today was great. im very happy with the workload. i want to hit 20,000 lbs sometime this vacation ahahaha that is, without having to do GVT :p

stay safe everyone, thanks for reading and have a great week ahead y'all

2007-06-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER LIGHT - WEEK 3

Workout:-

Squats = 2 sets x 10 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 5 sets x 5 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Dumbbell Swings = 2 sets x 15 reps x 50 lbs (24 kgs)

Leg Press super set with Leg Curls = 1 set x 15 reps x 330 lbs (150 kgs) and 1 set x 12 reps x 80 lbs (40 kgs)

Side Bends = 2 sets x 15 reps x 35 lbs (16 kgs)

Hyperextensions = 1 set x 15 reps x BW

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W3 --->>> 15,060 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

havent gotten fully well yet. still under medication.

squats: should have done 4x10 but doing high rep squats is really killing me. i gave up at 2 sets. i could have done 3 but i had a coke a while before my workout and i had a massive heartburn throughout the entire workout which didnt help me one bit.

key stone deadlifts: i compensated for the lesser amount of squats by doing 5x5 = 25 reps instead of 3x6 = 18 reps.

dumbbell swings: felt really good except on set 2 i almost puked.

leg press + leg curls superset: very tiring. my ROM on leg press wasnt 100% and i dont intend for it to be that way either. the workout prior to this is enough lol

diet: eating has improved since yesterday. maybe the coke caused the heartburn maybe it didnt. i have no clue. either way, im not having any coke prior to my workout again. maybe the combination of coke and a banana did not work.

overall: good workout. glad the poundages increased.

have a good weekend everyone and thanks for reading

2007-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER HEAVY - WEEK 3

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Pin Press from Bottom = 4 sets x 6 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 6 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Front Plate Raise = 2 sets x 15 reps x 25 lbs (10 kgs)

Seated Dumbbell Curls = 2 sets x 9 reps x 30 lbs (14 kgs)

Pulley Push Downs = 1 set x 20 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W3 --->>> 9,585 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

i decided to do monday's session today because i missed monday's workout. i have fallen very ill and am under a lot of medication so i am wondering how i was able to lift so heavy today. i am glad i was still able to progress. feels good. in these last 2-3 days i have lost 5 lbs. i was on a shitty diet till today but i finally managed to get in the right amount of protein, etc. so all is well. i should recover in another 2 days. hopefully. my shoulder is feeling a little wierd though. left shoulder. im a little concerned about this. perhaps doing my rehab tomorrow might help. i think my tiny shoulder muscles are a little sore thats it.

as for the workout, it was good.

Bench Press: good form

Pin Press: chest was toasted lol

JS Rows: felt great as always!

Plate Raises: made the shoulder feel better. not 100% as yet but close. like 70% from 20%. so im happy. tomorrow's rehab will make it go to either 100% or 20% again. i hope the former.

Curls and Extensions: boring stuff. just glad i progressed haha my arms are looking awesome now!

Overall: going to see Pirates III tomorrow morning. should be fun. workout was fun too. hope everyone is having a good week and thanks for reading!

2007-05-29T21:13:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER HEAVY - WEEK 3

Workout:-

Squats = 3 sets x 3 reps x 275 lbs (125 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 5 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Step-ups from below parallel = 3 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs (90 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = n/a

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W3---->>> 6,900 lbs
W2 --->>> n/a
W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

quite a few things of note. i had fever today when i went to workout. add to that a cough and a cold. im fine now however.

squats: good form all over. it felt amazing!

good mornings: reduced the weight because i went all the way to parallel. felt very different but im liking this exercise

step-ups: same old same old

GHRs: i still dont know how to do this. i need to figure out what to do to substitute this exercise with.

overall: great workout

2007-05-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER LIGHT - WEEK 1

Workout:-

Squats = 3 sets x 10 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Keystone Deadlifts = 3 sets x 6 reps x 200 lbs (90 kgs)

Dumbbell Swings = 2 sets x 12 reps x 40 lbs (20 kgs)

Leg Press super set with Leg Curls = 1 set x 10 reps x 330 lbs (150 kgs) and 1 set x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Lat Pull-Down Sit-Ups = 1 set x 10 reps x 70 lbs (35 kgs)

Decline Sit-Ups (Weighted) = 1 set x 10 reps x 10 lbs (5 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W1 --->>> 14,560 lbs

Overall Impression:-

i cant believe i got such large poundages.

Squat: felt really easy. next week i am gonna attempt either a 4x10 or 5x10 with 200 lbs. im pretty happy about this actually

Keystone Deadlifts: felt great on my hammies and my glutes. im still sore right now.

Dumbbell Swings: did them for the first time today. felt great. im a little afraid that all this leg work is going to affect performance. i hate it when that happens.

Leg Press and Leg Curl superset: light and easy. almost like a cool down thing. well, not the leg curls....my hams were pumped. i think my legs have grown a LOT....atleast, thats what my gf says....

Ab work: i didnt skip it this time. im glad i did it. i need to develop the core.

Overall Impression: i am happy

2007-05-17T08:24:00.000-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER LIGHT - WEEK 1

Workout:-

Incline Bench Press = 3 sets x 10 reps x 120 lbs (55 kgs)

Pull-ups = 5 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 11

Military Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

Upper Back Machine = 2 sets x 10 reps x 110 lbs (50 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W1 --->>> 8,847 lbs

Overall Impression:-

went and worked out early morning today. weight has gone up to 187 lbs (85 kgs) finally. im happy.

workout was ok.

Incline Bench Press: felt very very tough. i havent done more than 5 reps for the bench press in a long time so i was out of breath a LOT and it fucking took everything in me not to give up lol. i hate high rep work. next week, it will be 4x10x120.

Pull-ups: felt strong. dead hang pull ups.

Military Press: i dunno but i feel ive gotten weaker on these or the fact that my upper chest was bursting after those inclines, these numbers sufered. either way, ill get strong on them in due time. next week it will be 3x4, then 3x5 then 4x5 and then 5x5. or i might do 4x4 and then 5x5. ideally i would love 4x4 then 5x5. lets hope.

Upper-Back Machine: felt good doing it.

alright ppl, i hope everyone is having a good week. see y'all tomorrow. im going to sleep. i slept for only 4 hours last night (i party a lot in mumbai - and by party i mean pubbing)

stay safe everyone

2007-05-15T23:04:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
LOWER HEAVY - WEEK 1

Workout:-

Squats = 3 sets x 3 reps x 275 lbs (125 kgs)

Good Mornings = 3 sets x 5 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Step-ups from below parallel = 3 sets x 5 reps x 185 lbs (90 kgs)

Glute Ham Raises = n/a

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W1 --->>> 7,575 lbs

Overall Impression:-

it was a pretty ok workout.

Squat: form was spot on. 275 was heavy enough. ill try 285 in 1 or 2 weeks.

Good Mornings: i have no fucking clue on how to do them. i JUST looked them up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBLEvhj9pic and my form was spot on like that. so i guess i got no probs considering im doing it the first time.

Step-ups: i think i took too much weight. fucking killed my quads they are so fucking sore today. i dont like being sore. i havent been sore in 16 weeks.

Glute Ham Raises: i dont have a place to do these or even a ghetto GHR so someone please suggest a substitute which i am not using on the second lower day. instead of these i did 2 sets of hyperextensions.

Doet: still getting in plenty of food.

Overall: the workout was good and heavy except for the GHRs...

2007-05-14T11:43:00.001-07:00

Summer '07 Upper-Lower Split
UPPER HEAVY - WEEK 1

Workout:-

Flat Bench Press = 3 sets x 3 reps x 185 lbs (85 kgs)

Pin Press from Bottom = 3 sets x 6 reps x 135 lbs (60 kgs)

JS Rows = 3 sets x 5 reps x 155 lbs (70 kgs)

Front Plate Raise = 2 sets x 12 reps x 25 lbs (10 kgs)

Seated Dumbbell Curls = 2 sets x 8 reps x 30 lbs (14 kgs)

Pulley Push Downs = 1 set x 15 reps x 30 lbs (15 kgs)

TOTAL POUNDAGE:-

W1 --->>> 7,150 lbs

Overall Impression:-

good workout. pause presses were killer. im happy.

2007-05-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

ladies and gentlemen

i am back!!!

ok, so im home now and its great to be with family and my gf and friends.

this next workout of mine will be run from the 14th of May to somewhere before the 22nd of August.

a lot of my workouts are going to suffer because of pre-workout sex (about time, eh? ) but im fine with that because the purpose of this program isnt to increase my strength at all. the goal is to work on weak points.

the workout is as follows:

Upper Body Emphasis 1:

1.) Bench Press 3x3, 3x3 ramping, 1,2,3,4,5 RM

2.) Bottom Pin Press 4x5-6

3.) JS Rows 3x5-7

4.) Front Plate Raise 2x8-12

Lower Body Emphasis 1:

1.) Squats 3x3, 3x3 ramping, 1,2,3,4,5 RM

2.) Good Mornings 3x5

3.) Platform Step-ups 3x5-6

4.) Glute Ham Raises 2-3x8-12

Upper Body Emphasis 2:

1.) Bench Press 3-4x6-10

2.) Pull-ups 4x failure

3.) Military Press 3-5x5-7

4.) Upper Back 2-3x8-10

Lower Body Emphasis 2:

1.) Squats 3-5x10

2.) Keystone Deadlifts 3x6

3.) Dumbbell Swings 2-3x8-12

4.) Leg Press superset with Leg Curls 1-2x10-12

its a simple program IMO and special thanks to Eric as usual. disclaimer is: this is my program. all constructive criticism and helpful suggestions are welcome. a simple request is: please dont start any e-wars.

i look forward to this program and will post my workout tomorrow.

hope everyone is having a great weekend and best of luck for the week ahead

stay safe everyone and please keep reading

Anuj

2007-05-13T04:33:00.000-07:00

Week 16 - Friday - MEDIUM Day

The Basic Lifts:

DE Olympic Squats @ 50% of 1RM
W16 --->>> 12 sets x 2 reps x 145 lbs ; 30 second rest
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 4 sets x 2 reps x 145 lbs ; 30 second rest
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 4 sets x 2 reps x 145 lbs ; 30 second rest
W11 --->>> 4 sets x 2 reps x 145 lbs ; 30 second rest

Olympic Squats
W16 --->>> n/a
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 295 lbs x 4 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 295 lbs x 4 reps
W11 --->>> 295 lbs x 2 reps
W10 --->>> 295 lbs x 1 rep ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> 295 lbs x 2 reps ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W6 --->>> 295 lbs x 1 rep ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W5 --->>> 275 lbs x 5 reps ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W4 --->>> 275 lbs x 4 reps ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W3 --->>> 275 lbs x 3 reps ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W2 --->>> 275 lbs x 2 reps ; 185 lbs x 10 reps
W1 --->>> 275 lbs x 1 rep ; 185 lbs x 10 reps

DE Flat Bench Press @ 50% of 1RM
W16 --->>> 5 sets x 3 reps x 95 lbs ; 30 second rest
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 5 sets x 3 reps x 95 lbs ; 30 second rest
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 5 sets x 3 reps x 95 lbs ; 30 second rest
W11 --->>> 4 sets x 3 reps x 95 lbs ; 30 second rest

Flat Bench Press
W16 --->>> 195 lbs x 5 reps
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 195 lbs x 4 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 195 lbs x 3 reps
W11 --->>> 185 lbs x 5 reps
W10 --->>> 185 lbs x 4 reps ; 135 lbs x 10 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> 185 lbs x 3 reps ; 135 lbs x 10 reps
W6 --->>> 185 lbs x 2 reps ; 135 lbs x 10 reps
W5 --->>> 185 lbs x 5 reps ; 135 lbs x 10 reps
W4 --->>> 185 lbs x 4 reps ; 135 lbs x 6 reps
W3 --->>> 185 lbs x 3 reps ; 135 lbs x 6 reps
W2 --->>> 185 lbs x 2 reps ; 135 lbs x 6 reps
W1 --->>> 185 lbs x 1 rep ; 135 lbs x 6 reps

Pull-Ups 3 x failure
W16 --->>> 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
W11 --->>> 5 + 3 + 1 = 9
W10 --->>> 6 + 2 + 1 = 9
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> 4 + 2 + 4 = 10
W6 --->>> 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
W5 --->>> 6 + 4 + 3 = 13
W4 --->>> 6 + 3 + 3 = 12
W3 --->>> 5 + 3 + 2 = 10
W2 --->>> 7 + 4 + 3 = 14
W1 --->>> 5 + 4 + 3 = 12

TOTAL POUNDAGE
W16 --->>> 7,730 lbs
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 6,395 lbs
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> 6,200 lbs
W11 --->>> 5,480 lbs
W10 --->>> 5,900 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> 6,195 lbs
W6 --->>> 5,715 lbs
W5 --->>> 7,905 lbs
W4 --->>> 6,660 lbs
W3 --->>> 5,870 lbs
W2 --->>> 6,100 lbs
W1 --->>> 5,280 lbs

The Accessory Lifts:

Floor Skull Crushers
W16 --->>> 40 lbs @ 2 sets x 20 reps
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> 70 lbs @ 1 set x 10 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> 50 lbs @ 1 set x 10 reps
W10 --->>> na
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
w7 --->>> 60 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W6 --->>> n/a
W5 --->>> 50 lbs @ 2 sets x 15 reps
W4 --->>> 50 lbs @ 3 sets x 10 reps

Leg Pull-Ins
W16 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 30 reps
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 25 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 20 reps
W11 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 10 reps
W10 --->>> n/a
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 50 reps
W6 --->>> n/a
W5 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 35 reps
W4 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 25 reps

Oblique Crunches
W16 --->>> BW @ 3 sets x 12 reps
W15 --->>> n/a
W14 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 10 reps
W11 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 10 reps
W10 --->>> n/a
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> n/a
W6 --->>> n/a
W5 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 20 reps
W4 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 20 reps

Diet:

let me put it in simple words: i started off the day having a steak for breakfast at 8:00 am along with ice cream. the whole day has had me eating 7 meals so far. i have had to take 2 dumps because of how much ive eaten. this has been going on since monday night actually (the heavy eating). im actually happy with this because now im at a clean 185 lbs and i dont have any popping stomach (after the dump)

Overall Impression:

done. the texas method is over for now. 16 weeks. killer weeks. 16 long weeks. im happy. a special write-up for this will be done either in the next post or sometime this weekend. probably this weekend.

today's workout was good.

Squats: i am still sore from monday and i am actually not mentally able to do 295 today. i just didnt feel like it. actually, if i was afraid or pumped for it, i would have done 295 but today i didnt feel like doing it. generally when the happens to me, i dont wanna push myself. plus: i have a long way to go and 295 x 5 would have been just a baby step. ill take it later on. no hurries for me. as for the speed squats: they felt good and the 30 second interval made them even more fun.

Bench: i got it. 195x5. new PR and new 5RM. i am happy. yes, i got a video but ill put it up later. feels good to nail 195.

my arms are also now officially 14.99 inches. at 5'7 thats pretty decent. too bad my waist is 36. LOL. but its ok: my chest is 43 so im happy. physique wise everything has increased so i got nothing to complain about. even if nothing has increased i am in no position to complain because i never did this from a bb'ers perspective. yet, i have made strength and mass gains. so im happy. actually, im gonna do the Texas Method wrap up right here. i dont have the patience to do this later on. ok here we go:

Wrap-Up:

i did the texas method for 16 weeks total. i have not progressed at all on deads so im gonna exclude them for now. my gains are:

Squat: 5x5 max went from 185 to 245 (could count 250 but i wanna be conservative)
Bench: 5x5 max went from 145 to 180

Squat 1RM used to be 295 lbs. now Squat 4RM is 295.
Bench 1RM used to be 185 lbs. now my 5RM is 195.

my 1RMs on the squat and bench have gone from 295 and 185 to 320 and 215 respectively. thats plus 55 lbs to my Big 2 as of now.

one also has to consider that i had severe injuries at the start of this program and i had an uphill battle from day 1. i also was very weak because 1RM of 295 used to be my max squat a year ago. post DC 275 was my 1RM but i wont count that for now.

im very happy with the program and u can bet i will be running this program come spring 2008. i might even run it this fall if i miss it but i first need to go get some micro-loading plates. then i dont mind running the program.

my bodyweight has gone from 175 to 185+ in these 16 weeks. considering the fact that i used to eat like shit i consider that a good thing. plus: 185 was my weight last wednesday. right now its probably a little more but i wanna be conservative.

i was thinking of my total for the big 3 and this is what i realized. my old total was 295 + 185 + 345 = 825 but now its like 320 + 215 + ? im guessing that since my squats have increased its safe to say my deadlift has probably gone up by 40 lbs. im being conservative out here. so my total right now is around 900 lbs odd. im pretty happy with that and i plan on getting 1000 lbs by the end of this year. im not genetically strong but i think with slow and steady hard work i should get there.

thank you everyone for supporting me through this and a special thank you to eric for guiding me through this program.

have a great weekend guys

Anuj

i would also like to make 2 things of note here.

1.) my old total of 825 used to be my total 1 year ago with the exception of deadlifts.

2.) i am going to list the people who helped me through this program with their undying support. i always do this guys so bear with me. i believe in giving credit where its due.

firstly, i would like to thank Eric for his insight and help and faith in me.

next Dave for reasons obvious.

next Mr. Rippetoe for even more obvious reasons.

next (in no particular order)
Jno20
thenatural
Glyder
boondocksmuscle
JNo20
DuckDuckGoose
5luke2
Adam2433
JT1
Liquidtensi0n
young and strong
mjw8204
iron619
lewdog_5
LSU 1
Archangel
Brutus_G
Double_D
SgtSlaughter
silver_shadow
HiDnGoD
warri0r87
Cammo
KTW
Ubiquitous

thanks guys

have a good weekend everyone

2007-05-01T12:08:00.001-07:00

Week 16 - Monday - HEAVY Day

The Basic Lifts:

Olympic Squats 5 x 5
W16 --->>> 250 lbs
W15 --->>> 245 lbs
W14 --->>> 240 lbs
W13 --->>> 235 lbs
W12 --->>> 230 lbs
W11 --->>> 225 lbs
W10 --->>> 225 lbs
W9 --->>> 225 lbs
W8 --->>> 220 lbs
W7 --->>> 215 lbs
W6 --->>> 210 lbs
W5 --->>> 205 lbs
W4 --->>> 200 lbs
W3 --->>> 195 lbs
W2 --->>> 190 lbs
W1 --->>> 185 lbs

Flat Bench Press 5 x 5
W16 --->>> 180 lbs
W15 --->>> 180 lbs
W14 --->>> 175 lbs
W13 --->>> 175 lbs
W12 --->>> 170 lbs
W11 --->>> 165 lbs
W10 --->>> 165 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 160 lbs
W7 --->>> 160 lbs
W6 --->>> 160 lbs
W5 --->>> 160 lbs
W4 --->>> 155 lbs
W3 --->>> 150 lbs
W2 --->>> 145 lbs
W1 --->>> 140 lbs

JS Rows 5 x 5
W16 --->>> 145 lbs
W15 --->>> 140 lbs
W14 --->>> 135 lbs
W13 --->>> 130 lbs
W12 --->>> 125 lbs
W11 --->>> 120 lbs
W10 --->>> 120 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 115 lbs
w7 --->>> 110 lbs
W6 --->>> 105 lbs
W5 --->>> 100 lbs
W4 --->>> 95 lbs
W3 --->>> 145 lbs
W2 --->>> 140 lbs
W1 --->>> 135 lbs

TOTAL POUNDAGE
W16 --->>> 14,375 lbs
W15 --->>> 14,125 lbs
W14 --->>> 13,750 lbs
W13 --->>> 13,500 lbs
W12 --->>> 13,125 lbs
W11 --->>> 12,750 lbs
W10 --->>> 12,750 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 12,375 lbs
W7 --->>> 12,125 lbs
W5 --->>> 11,875 lbs
W5 --->>> 11,625 lbs
W4 --->>> 11,250 lbs
W3 --->>> 12,250 lbs
W2 --->>> 11,875 lbs
W1 --->>> 11,500 lbs

The Accessory Lifts:

Standing situps with lat machine
W16 --->>> 80 lbs @ 4 sets x 8 reps
W15 --->>> 80 lbs @ 3 sets x 8 reps
W14 --->>> 70 lbs @ 4 sets x 10 reps
W13 --->>> n/a
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> 70 lbs @ 3 sets x 12 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> 70 lbs @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W6 --->>> 70 lbs @ 3 sets x 12 reps
W5 --->>> n/a
W4 --->>> 60 lbs @ 4 sets x 15 reps
W3 --->>> 60 lbs @ 4 sets x 12 reps
W2 --->>> 60 lbs @ 4 sets x 10 reps
W1 --->>> 40 lbs @ 5 sets x 15 reps

Leg Raises
W16 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 20 reps
W15 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 15 reps
W14 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 15 reps
W13 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 10 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> BW @ 2 sets x 20 reps
W6 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 25 reps
W5 --->>> n/a
W4 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 20 reps
W3 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 20 reps
W2 --->>> BW @ 1 set x 15 reps
W1 --->>> n/a

Side Bends
W16 --->>> 45 lbs @ 1 set x 25 reps
W15 --->>> 45 lbs @ 1 set x 20 reps
W14 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 25 reps
W13 --->>> 25 lbs @ 3 sets x 25 reps
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->> n/a
W6 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 15 reps
W5 --->>> n/a
W4 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 15 reps
W3 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W2 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W1 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps

Diet:

good diet for today. i cant remember it though. i do remember i had 4 meals in before the workout and i have started having cottage cheese before sleeping every day so i am happy

Overall Impression:

the last monday workout of the texas method

Squat: i was fine until the 5th set. the first 4 were fine. i got in 4x5 perfect. then, after the 4th set i took like a 10 minute break (i was talking to a few friends about this coming Friday's plan) and on rep 4 the bar hit the safety bars because i didnt breathe in correctly and my back rounded and i got stuck. so i left it there, took off all the plates, picked it up, put it back on the rack, waited to catch my breath and got in 2 more reps to total it at 25 reps. im not really all that disappointed..i should be, but im just not. its fine. i know my 5x5 max at this time is 245 lbs. i would like to say 250 but it wasnt clean and im not too hell bent on it in the first place. 245 is nice and im happy. but i could have done 250 if u know what i mean....

bench press: ****ing amazing. got all 25 reps in 5 sets of 5 reps. new 5x5 max and i am very very happy.

rows: these were fine and im thrilled.

today;s workout was good and i am happy to say i have progressed so well on the Texas Method even after my injury. as for the rest of the week....

this is finals week and i dont know whether i want to workout anymore. i might just do wednesday and then for friday i plan on doing only DE for squats and ME for bench. im tired of squatting straight for 16 weeks and i am looking forward to my week off next week. 16 weeks without a single break is killer and i need an off week to get motivated again. ofcourse, since im going back home and im gonna be meeitng my gf i dont think i will be motivated which is fine since this summer im only maintaining my maxes

i hope everyone is having a good day, thanks for reading guys and have a great week ahead

stay safe

peace

2007-04-26T17:14:00.001-07:00

Week 15 - Wednesday - LIGHT Day

The Basic Lifts:

Olympic Squats 2 x 5
W15 --->>> 170 lbs
W14 --->>> 170 lbs
W13 --->>> 170 lbs
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> 170 lbs
W10 --->>> 170 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 170 lbs
W7 --->>> 165 lbs
W6 --->>> 165 lbs
W5 --->>> 165 lbs
W4 --->>> 160 lbs
W3 --->>> 155 lbs (3 sets)
W2 --->>> 150 lbs (3 sets)
W1 --->>> 145 lbs (3 sets)

Strict Military Press 3 x 5
W15 --->>> 110 lbs
W13 --->>> 105 lbs
W11 --->>> 100 lbs
W8 --->>> 95 lbs

Dumbbell Rows 2 x 5
W15 --->>> 100 lbs
W14 --->>> 85 lbs
W13 --->>> 80 lbs

TOTAL POUNDAGE
W15 --->>> 4,350 lbs
W14 --->>> 4,450 lbs
W13 --->>> 4,075 lbs
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> 4,375 lbs
W10 --->>> 4,675 lbs
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 4,275 lbs
W7 --->>> 4,800 lbs
W6 --->>> 4,525 lbs
W5 --->>> 4,025 lbs
W4 --->>> 4,650 lbs
W3 --->>> 5,600 lbs
W2 --->>> 5,425 lbs
W1 --->>> 5,000 lbs

The Accessory Lifts:

Cable Pull Throughs
W15 --->>> 60 lbs @ 2 sets x 10 reps
W14 --->>> n/a
W13 --->>> 40 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W 12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> n/a
W10 --->>> n/a
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> n/a
W7 --->>> n/a
W6 --->>> n/a
W5 --->>> n/a
W4 --->>> 60 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W3 --->>> 40 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W2 --->>> 17.5 lbs @ 1 set x 20 reps
W1 --->>> 17.5 lbs @ 1 sets x 15 reps

Reverse Hyperextensions
W15 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W14 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 12 reps
W13 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 12 reps
W12 --->>> n/a
W11 --->>> 25 lbs @ 2 sets x 12 reps
W10 --->>> 5 lbs @ 1 set x 20 reps
W9 --->>> n/a
W8 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 20 reps
W7 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W6 --->>> n/a
W5 --->>> n/a
W4 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W3 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 25 reps
W2 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 15 reps
W1 --->>> 25 lbs @ 1 set x 10 reps

Diet:

good

Overall Impression:

sorry, i was too lazy to log this in yesterday :p

workout was good. i dont know why i did a jump from 85 to 100 on the rows. wierd. i just felt like it so i lifted that much. sorry.

otherwise the workout was good.

i have read that mark insists on OH work being done more than bench work to get a good bench so in my upper-lower i will be using this.

the plan for tomorrow is simple. for squats, only DE work. no ME work. i want to do 250x5x5 on monday and i cant afford my legs to be weak. for bench, its the same usual routine. other than that nothing new

i cant believe i am week 15 of this program! wow.....and to think i used to want to change programs on a bi-weekly level! all thanks to my mentor Eric who has convinced me to stick to one program. and of course, without a question - to u guys for keeping me on track

thanks for reading

i hope everyone is having a good week