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Project Heavygan: Eat Plates To Move Plates


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01.02.12

 

ntro

 

I have found that few things will keep me from the gym on a day I have designated as a lifting day. I woke up yesterday to an insane amount of snow, slush, and generally terrible weather. Apparently it was panic inducing enough to keep my work non-stop busy for seven of the eight hours I was scheduled until people decided it was “too bad out” to bother stocking up on groceries after seven p.m.

 

While most people went straight home after work yesterday, I headed directly for the gym with one mission: increase my bench 1RM. And while that was a success, I do feel like my shoulder press suffered since I was drained from benching. Rows tend to come easier for me so I am considering removing them from my power-day and switching them out for bench on lower-body hypertrophy today. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.

 

I also received a pretty nice compliment while at the gym yesterday. Since I don’t really socialize while I’m there (I’m there to do work, you know?), it was differently a surprise.

 

In between sets, one gentleman motioned for me to take my headphones out. As I did so, I opened my mouth to ask if he wanted the rack (which is generally the only reason I’m ever spoken to when working out) but before I could finish he pointed to a guy standing next to him and said, “We’re talking shrugs, if you’re interested.” The expression on my face must have been one of confusion because he laughed.

 

And then he said something that made my day: “I was telling him I picked up a lot of my technique from watching you. I was using too much of my arms to pull the weight up instead of ‘pinching’ my shoulders together target my traps. Then when I watched you blast through those sets of 140 last week I realized what I was doing wrong.”

 

I don’t think there’s a higher form of gym flattery. We proceeded to make a little bit of small talk and he suggested I widen my grip on my shoulder presses since I’d seen him put up some big numbers with good technique and wanted his advice. He also suggested using the cable machine for a little while since, for him, it’s easier on his joints.

 

All-in-all, I was satisfied with the work-out even though the drive home in the snow, slush, and ice sucked. Gotta stay cold-ah, I guess.

 

 

 

Work out

 

Stationary bike

 

5 minutes/1 mile

 

Barbell Bench Press

 

1x5x45

1x5x55

1x5x60

1x5x65

2x3x70

1x2x75

1x1x75

 

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

 

1x3x20

1x5x15

1x10x15

 

Barbell Shoulder Press

 

was a disaster.

 

1x5x45

1x2x50

1x3x50

1x2x50

 

Switched to a wider grip for these to see it would help.

 

3x2x45

 

Cable Shoulder Press

 

1x5x15

1x6x25

1x8x25

1x10x25

 

Bent Over Barbell Row

 

1x5x65

1x5x70

1x5x75

2x5x80

3x5x85

 

Bent Over Dumbbell Row

 

1x3x25

 

Macros:

 

20/173/140 (Low but doing damage control still from the weekend. Will even out as the week progresses.)

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I have a present for anyone reading this log before I update about the last two days (and a little re-introduction to how I'll be posting here and my training program). It's called Epic Food Update.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s62jCeg1r3mlz8.jpg

Seitan chicken breasts wrapped in tempeh bacon with nutritional yeast covered Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, and peppers.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s6czWvP1r3mlz8.jpg

Protein ice cream topped with crushed kamut buffs, sunflower seed butter, soy ice cream, rounded out with more sunflower seed butter and blueberries.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s6mtecf1r3mlz8.jpg

The "money shot."

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5rzrokkV1r3mlz8.jpg

Sweet and spicy seitan stew.

 

How spicy?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s0cdIgS1r3mlz8.jpg

Serrano, jalapeno, and habanero peppers with sweet and red onions.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8bou6tl1r3mlz8.jpg

I got a free sample of Field Roast's Smoked Apple Sage sausages. So, I sauteed one with my go-to's: Brussels sprouts, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spinach.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8bzr77B1r3mlz8.jpg

Food Voodoo and kamut puffs and a banana.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8c8qYc41r3mlz8.jpg

Seitan chicken, Brussels sprouts, onions, peppers, spinach, and tofu noodles.

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So, as I’ve talked about on both my tumblr and on here, I’ve been struggling with the idea of upping my caloric intake for quite some time for several reasons, among with include my Former Fat Kid history and my brief stint in severe under-eating. I put up a relatively personal – for me at least – post on my tumblr a few days ago regarding this subject. After doing so, I had intended to increase my calories to 2,000. And then New Year’s Eve hit.

And I completely blew everything out of the water and ate roughly around 3,000 calories. While I’m not obsessive about my eating patterns by any means, it definitely drove me crazy for about two hours after waking the next morning. I felt sluggish, weighed down, and all-around shitty – mostly because of the amount and type of food I consumed but also partly because my Former Fat Kid fears crept into my mind for a hot minute.

Then it hit me. Those kinds of fears don’t coincide with being strong. They don’t work with my goals, my beliefs, or my “preachings.”

So, since Sunday, I’ve been running “damage” macros (40/175/175) to get the water-weight and bloat down and every day I’ve been thinking more and more about my current program, lifting and nutrition-wise.

What I’ve surmised from this thinking is the following:

 

I need to add some things:

 

• I run a 4-day split because I don’t “have time” to hit the gym 5-days a week because of … well, excuses. Because of this, my bench/chest hypertrophy lifts tend to suffer since I don’t put enough rest days in between them and my power day. No more. Today was my first “legs only” day.

• If I want to see the numbers keep going up in the gym, I need to see the scale going up, too. Which means my macros need to go up. Starting tomorrow calories increase to a flat 2,000 for two weeks and I will not weigh myself again until the 19th and we’ll go from there.

And I need to subtract some things:

• I’ve been cooking with a lot of gluten lately and it’s been reeking havoc on my body despite helping me hit my protein numbers. If I’m going to be upping the calories, I can’t feel bloated all the time. So, while it’s been fun making seitan, it looks like that will fall to the way-side in favor of other foods (no fears, though, epic eats will always happen, though, they won’t be as extravagant as the tempeh bacon wrapped chicken seitan).

• I’m also going to cut back on soy and soy-products. While they’re another good source of protein, I can’t justify my intake when I know how devastating soy can be, and is, for the environment.

 

I’m also going to try and be much more in depth with how I feel about my work-outs as well as with the exact things I eat. I usually write all of this down into a notebook but it only has a few pages left and I don’t really find it necessary to buy any more paper now that I have this training journal and my tumblr.

So, hopefully everyone’s still in on the ride. As always, thanks for reading. Next post will resume our regularly scheduling programming.

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I have a present for anyone reading this log before I update about the last two days (and a little re-introduction to how I'll be posting here and my training program). It's called Epic Food Update.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s62jCeg1r3mlz8.jpg

Seitan chicken breasts wrapped in tempeh bacon with nutritional yeast covered Brussels sprouts, spinach, onions, and peppers.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s6czWvP1r3mlz8.jpg

Protein ice cream topped with crushed kamut buffs, sunflower seed butter, soy ice cream, rounded out with more sunflower seed butter and blueberries.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s6mtecf1r3mlz8.jpg

The "money shot."

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5rzrokkV1r3mlz8.jpg

Sweet and spicy seitan stew.

 

 

 

 

How spicy?

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lx5s0cdIgS1r3mlz8.jpg

Serrano, jalapeno, and habanero peppers with sweet and red onions.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8bou6tl1r3mlz8.jpg

I got a free sample of Field Roast's Smoked Apple Sage sausages. So, I sauteed one with my go-to's: Brussels sprouts, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spinach.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8bzr77B1r3mlz8.jpg

Food Voodoo and kamut puffs and a banana.

 

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxb8c8qYc41r3mlz8.jpg

Seitan chicken, Brussels sprouts, onions, peppers, spinach, and tofu noodles.

 

 

Yay!!!

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So, as I’ve talked about on both my tumblr and on here, I’ve been struggling with the idea of upping my caloric intake for quite some time for several reasons, among with include my Former Fat Kid history and my brief stint in severe under-eating. I put up a relatively personal – for me at least – post on my tumblr a few days ago regarding this subject. After doing so, I had intended to increase my calories to 2,000. And then New Year’s Eve hit.

And I completely blew everything out of the water and ate roughly around 3,000 calories. While I’m not obsessive about my eating patterns by any means, it definitely drove me crazy for about two hours after waking the next morning. I felt sluggish, weighed down, and all-around shitty – mostly because of the amount and type of food I consumed but also partly because my Former Fat Kid fears crept into my mind for a hot minute.

Then it hit me. Those kinds of fears don’t coincide with being strong. They don’t work with my goals, my beliefs, or my “preachings.”

So, since Sunday, I’ve been running “damage” macros (40/175/175) to get the water-weight and bloat down and every day I’ve been thinking more and more about my current program, lifting and nutrition-wise.

What I’ve surmised from this thinking is the following:

 

I need to add some things:

 

• I run a 4-day split because I don’t “have time” to hit the gym 5-days a week because of … well, excuses. Because of this, my bench/chest hypertrophy lifts tend to suffer since I don’t put enough rest days in between them and my power day. No more. Today was my first “legs only” day.

• If I want to see the numbers keep going up in the gym, I need to see the scale going up, too. Which means my macros need to go up. Starting tomorrow calories increase to a flat 2,000 for two weeks and I will not weigh myself again until the 19th and we’ll go from there.

And I need to subtract some things:

• I’ve been cooking with a lot of gluten lately and it’s been reeking havoc on my body despite helping me hit my protein numbers. If I’m going to be upping the calories, I can’t feel bloated all the time. So, while it’s been fun making seitan, it looks like that will fall to the way-side in favor of other foods (no fears, though, epic eats will always happen, though, they won’t be as extravagant as the tempeh bacon wrapped chicken seitan).

• I’m also going to cut back on soy and soy-products. While they’re another good source of protein, I can’t justify my intake when I know how devastating soy can be, and is, for the environment.

 

I’m also going to try and be much more in depth with how I feel about my work-outs as well as with the exact things I eat. I usually write all of this down into a notebook but it only has a few pages left and I don’t really find it necessary to buy any more paper now that I have this training journal and my tumblr.

So, hopefully everyone’s still in on the ride. As always, thanks for reading. Next post will resume our regularly scheduling programming.

 

 

4 day splits are good workouts! are you going to do an Upper/Lower split?

 

Yeah, setian must be pretty hard on you if you are slightly wheat gluten intolerent like me.

 

Mabye try eating some more lentils and.

 

Also, you could try eating spirulina and that PB2 stuff to get more protein.

 

also, I hear really good things about pea protein (apparently it's really easy to digest and it also has a good amino acid profile/score)

 

 

I know of a good plant protein powder too called 'Nitrofusion' maade by Arizona labs (or something like that); Derek Tresize swears by it.

 

 

 

Oh and one last thing, buy some "Flaxmeal", not flaxseed but packaged flaxmeal in the health-food section of the suermarket. It has like 4g of protein, 1g of fat, and like 1g of carbs per 10g serving. I buy Melrose Organic Golden Flaxmeal, it's great stuff that can go in virtuaally anything: baking recipes, on top of cereal, in shakes and smoothies, on vegan ice-cream etc.

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4 day splits are good workouts! are you going to do an Upper/Lower split?

 

Yeah, setian must be pretty hard on you if you are slightly wheat gluten intolerent like me.

 

Mabye try eating some more lentils and.

 

Also, you could try eating spirulina and that PB2 stuff to get more protein.

 

also, I hear really good things about pea protein (apparently it's really easy to digest and it also has a good amino acid profile/score)

 

I know of a good plant protein powder too called 'Nitrofusion' maade by Arizona labs (or something like that); Derek Tresize swears by it.

 

Oh and one last thing, buy some "Flaxmeal", not flaxseed but packaged flaxmeal in the health-food section of the suermarket. It has like 4g of protein, 1g of fat, and like 1g of carbs per 10g serving. I buy Melrose Organic Golden Flaxmeal, it's great stuff that can go in virtuaally anything: baking recipes, on top of cereal, in shakes and smoothies, on vegan ice-cream etc.

 

I'm going to follow PHAT much more closely - still doing the upper/lower split but giving shoulders/back, lower body, and chest/arms their own individual hypertrophy day since I've noticed that either my bench stalls or I can't give everything to my legs on the days when I run both.

 

I actually just bought some PB2 the other day from my work and I'm in love with it. And I run a rice/pea protein split from www.trueprotein.com and it works wonders. Basically, all my soy intake comes from milk, TVP, tofu, and the occasional indulgence (like those Field Roast sausages I got a sample of).

 

However, I'm definitely going to pick up some of that flaxmeal you mentioned!

 

Thank you so much for being such an attentive follower; it's awesome having someone to listen/get advice from, mate.

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I can back Flaxmeal also. I am not using any right now since I am doing a huge cut but when I am not, I throw it on everything.

 

That PB2 stuff sounds awesome. Will have to get some after this cut.

 

The only advantage that Nitrofusion has over your TP mix is the added BCAA's and glutamine. Personally I like adding those myself.

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I can back Flaxmeal also. I am not using any right now since I am doing a huge cut but when I am not, I throw it on everything.

 

That PB2 stuff sounds awesome. Will have to get some after this cut.

 

The only advantage that Nitrofusion has over your TP mix is the added BCAA's and glutamine. Personally I like adding those myself.

 

Dude, PB2 is actually ideal for a cut: 2 tablespoons is 1.5(f)/5(p)/5© with 2g of fiber - so much easier to fit into cutting macros than regular peanut butter. It also comes in chocolate, apparently, if you're into that.

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I can totally relate, I wasn't a fat kid but a fat young adult (age 23-25 40-50lbs overweight, no muscle!). I dropped 50 lbs with lifting and running (a lot of running, as well as becoming vegan and counting cals) It tooks me months to finally give in to eating 3k calories and stopping all cardio...didn't do it clean and I feel gross (although I knew this would happen and I was prepared to accept it) but my coach has me on a clean diet accounting for every macro and drinking tons of water, so now my goal is fat loss, which will also mean losing weight. My body fat has been measuring just under 22% and that's considered low for a female...but I still feel gross. Not sure if having muscle under 22% fat makes you look better or worse, but I feel like I look worse. But I'm really motivated now to eat everything super clean until June 9 and do everything else I need to do.. Hopefully after that I'll like the way I look and feel so much that I'll have a better outlook on things and won't be tempted to eat vegan junk. Curious as to what your coach has you doing to reach your goals...let me know!

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jungle - Yeah, I was chubby from the time I was born (my family used to call me a "sumo" baby because I seriously looked like the Michelin man) until I turned 15 when I started taking a strength and conditioning class in high school. By the time I turned 16, I had dropped about 20 pounds and was pretty shredded for a teenage girl (I had the illusive "v" though my abs still didn't pop much). Then I changed schools, stopped lifting, started skateboarding more, and stayed skinny until I hit college. Then I gained back the weight I lost in high school from being inactive, eating more than I used to and, yes, drinking more than anyone probably ever should have. When I went vegan, I got obsessed with eating "clean" (and under-eating) and losing fat - no processed foods, doing way too much fucking cardio, and only doing isolation exercises. "Skinny fat" and "unhealthy" were the definition of me.

Now, it's all about finding a balance. And, I know your coach probably knows better than I do but ... you don't have to completely cut out vegan "junk" to lose fat. IIFYM really does work. Not that I think you should be slamming back vegan Oreos every day but I think learning to make your own vegan treats with more ideal macros might be a good way to go about it. I know that's always a life saver for me. I have some recipes of stuff if you want them.

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01.04.12

Lower-Body Hypertrophy Day

The log will look something more like this with notes for each exercise after each lift. Introductions will also probably start including a lot more of "me" in them to keep people entertained and to better utilize my English-based bachelor's degree that's been collecting dust on a shelf since June.

 

Quote: "There is never enough peanut butter." - My mom

 

Intro: I worked up a little bit later today than I would have liked – whenever I close at Whole Foods, I like to utilize my mornings in a more productive manner than with my eyes closed. However, I’m slowing coming to realize that my erratic sleeping patterns have more than likely been negatively impacting my ability to make gains. If you couple that with my apprehension to eat big, it’s a wonder my numbers have continuously been going up for the last few weeks. So, I took the extra hour and a half of sleepy time and ran with it. Or, well, you get the idea.

 

Either way, the extra hour forced me to make a decision: either do both my lower-body hypertrophy and chest/bench hypertrophy exercises and end up rushing through them or go ahead and force myself to turn my 4-day split into a 5-day and maximize my efforts instead of continuing to half-ass them. I opted for the later. No more slamming my bench into my leg-day and therefore burning myself out on one or the other.

 

So, today was leg day.

 

And leg day it was.

 

Work out

 

Elliptical

 

5 minutes

 

Barbell Squat (65-70% of max; speed-work)

 

3x95

3x100

4x3x105

Notes: While it feels weird not to do at least five reps, my ability to focus on depth was greatly appreciated. The phrase “ass to grass” was my mantra today.

 

Front Squat

 

10x75

8x80

Notes: If my grip strength was better, I know I could be doing at least 110 with these. I also noticed that the second set I was going even lower than I usually do on regular squats. I’m looking into ways to improve my grip so that I can really push some weight with these. They might be my new favorite lift.

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

 

3x75

10x85

10x95

Notes: I was testing the waters with 75lbs since I haven’t done stiff-legged in months. However, those felt like I was lifting absolutely nothing. Even after bumping up to 85 it felt like I could have been going with 100 but I chose to focus on form. The weight will come in time.

 

Seated Calf Raises

 

2x10x150

 

Notes: Like buttah but vegan and stronger.

 

Incline Leg Press

 

10x180

9x200

Notes: Even though I wanted 2x12x200, I knew my legs weren’t going to have it and I was going to half-ass the reps. I wanted ankles to ass on these and that’s what I did. Again, the heavier weight will come. I want to earn it.

 

Seated Leg Curl

 

5x110

6x100

5x100

6x90

5x80

Notes: These were a struggle today but I knew it’s because of the calf raises and leg presses. These turned more into drop-sets because of that.

 

Seated Leg Press

 

2x6x160

Notes: Same as above basically.

 

Dumbbell Lunges

 

5x15

5x20

5x25

Notes: Back in October, I was struggling to do these with 15lb dumbbells. Today, 25lbs felt like nothing. The only reason there were so few reps and sets is because every time I increased the weight, it didn’t feel like it was enough. By the time I got to 25lbs, I had to leave the gym or else I would have been late to work. Next time. Next time.

 

Macros: 33/175/180 (Last day for post NYE damage control macros. Big thanks to Daniel Brown (thespartanwarrior) for showing me how only a couple of days of lowered intake can help decrease the bloat/water weight from celebrating. Amazing dude.)

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Just dropping in to say keep up the hard work. I can't believe I missed this log but so many new ones have popped up recently.

 

Front Squat

 

10x75

8x80

Notes: If my grip strength was better, I know I could be doing at least 110 with these. I also noticed that the second set I was going even lower than I usually do on regular squats. I’m looking into ways to improve my grip so that I can really push some weight with these. They might be my new favorite lift.

It's way easier to go deeper on a front squat. I don't know what you mean about grip strength all the weight of the bar should be on your shoulders

 

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-front-squat-with-proper-technique/

 

The bottom picture there illustrates it pretty well.

 

How long you been working out for now?

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I can back Flaxmeal also. I am not using any right now since I am doing a huge cut but when I am not, I throw it on everything.

 

That PB2 stuff sounds awesome. Will have to get some after this cut.

 

The only advantage that Nitrofusion has over your TP mix is the added BCAA's and glutamine. Personally I like adding those myself.

 

Dude, PB2 is actually ideal for a cut: 2 tablespoons is 1.5(f)/5(p)/5© with 2g of fiber - so much easier to fit into cutting macros than regular peanut butter. It also comes in chocolate, apparently, if you're into that.

 

Yeah the nutritional info looks awesome for it.

But right now my diet is super clean and has me eating zero nuts, oils or fruits. It sounds awful but it has been pretty easy so far.

 

Once I am done I am going to order that PB2 and destroy it!

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01.04.12

Lower-Body Hypertrophy Day

The log will look something more like this with notes for each exercise after each lift. Introductions will also probably start including a lot more of "me" in them to keep people entertained and to better utilize my English-based bachelor's degree that's been collecting dust on a shelf since June.

 

Quote: "There is never enough peanut butter." - My mom

 

Intro: I worked up a little bit later today than I would have liked – whenever I close at Whole Foods, I like to utilize my mornings in a more productive manner than with my eyes closed. However, I’m slowing coming to realize that my erratic sleeping patterns have more than likely been negatively impacting my ability to make gains. If you couple that with my apprehension to eat big, it’s a wonder my numbers have continuously been going up for the last few weeks. So, I took the extra hour and a half of sleepy time and ran with it. Or, well, you get the idea.

 

Either way, the extra hour forced me to make a decision: either do both my lower-body hypertrophy and chest/bench hypertrophy exercises and end up rushing through them or go ahead and force myself to turn my 4-day split into a 5-day and maximize my efforts instead of continuing to half-ass them. I opted for the later. No more slamming my bench into my leg-day and therefore burning myself out on one or the other.

 

So, today was leg day.

 

And leg day it was.

 

Work out

 

Elliptical

 

5 minutes

 

Barbell Squat (65-70% of max; speed-work)

 

3x95

3x100

4x3x105

Notes: While it feels weird not to do at least five reps, my ability to focus on depth was greatly appreciated. The phrase “ass to grass” was my mantra today.

 

Front Squat

 

10x75

8x80

Notes: If my grip strength was better, I know I could be doing at least 110 with these. I also noticed that the second set I was going even lower than I usually do on regular squats. I’m looking into ways to improve my grip so that I can really push some weight with these. They might be my new favorite lift.

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts

 

3x75

10x85

10x95

Notes: I was testing the waters with 75lbs since I haven’t done stiff-legged in months. However, those felt like I was lifting absolutely nothing. Even after bumping up to 85 it felt like I could have been going with 100 but I chose to focus on form. The weight will come in time.

 

Seated Calf Raises

 

2x10x150

 

Notes: Like buttah but vegan and stronger.

 

Incline Leg Press

 

10x180

9x200

Notes: Even though I wanted 2x12x200, I knew my legs weren’t going to have it and I was going to half-ass the reps. I wanted ankles to ass on these and that’s what I did. Again, the heavier weight will come. I want to earn it.

 

Seated Leg Curl

 

5x110

6x100

5x100

6x90

5x80

Notes: These were a struggle today but I knew it’s because of the calf raises and leg presses. These turned more into drop-sets because of that.

 

Seated Leg Press

 

2x6x160

Notes: Same as above basically.

 

Dumbbell Lunges

 

5x15

5x20

5x25

Notes: Back in October, I was struggling to do these with 15lb dumbbells. Today, 25lbs felt like nothing. The only reason there were so few reps and sets is because every time I increased the weight, it didn’t feel like it was enough. By the time I got to 25lbs, I had to leave the gym or else I would have been late to work. Next time. Next time.

 

Macros: 33/175/180 (Last day for post NYE damage control macros. Big thanks to Daniel Brown (thespartanwarrior) for showing me how only a couple of days of lowered intake can help decrease the bloat/water weight from celebrating. Amazing dude.)

 

 

 

Great work mate! BTW I couldn't agree more with your mom!

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It's way easier to go deeper on a front squat. I don't know what you mean about grip strength all the weight of the bar should be on your shoulders

 

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-front-squat-with-proper-technique/

 

The bottom picture there illustrates it pretty well.

 

How long you been working out for now?

 

I suppose grip strength was a poor way to word it - mostly just weak wrists, they start to ache from the positioning and it takes my focus off the lift. Though, that link is definitely going to be put to good use - thank you!

 

And I'd say "seriously" working out since September. I ran a 5x5 for 11 weeks, did a deload, and then started running the program I'm on now mid-December. Before all of that I was just doing isolation exercises and way too much fucking cardio. Since learned my lesson and caught the "I want to be a powerlifter" bug.

 

Chris - Do it! It's pretty awesome, though, a bit pricey. I don't know if I'm going to keep it as a dietary staple because of the price/processing, though, especially since I'm trying to put on mass. Ha.

 

jungle - Nothing at all? Damn. I was considering going a similar route for a while - doing a "clean" bulk and then doing a "dirty" cut later on just to prove naysayers wrong. Maybe I will do that once I clear my fridge of all the Field Roast sausages I have (damn you, work).

 

John V - No way! I'm a cashier there. If you see me there, come say hi!

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01.05.12

Chest/Arm Hypertrophy Day

Weight: 121-2lbs

Last time looking at the scale until 01.19.12.

 

Quote: “I’m no longer an athlete. I’m a warrior now. There’s a big difference. The athletes are just out to get paid. Warriors stand for something.” – Kenneth Williams

 

Focus: Explosive power and gripping the bar or dumbbell like my life depends on it.

 

I think I’ve been fighting the same sinus infection and/or cold for roughly the past month now and today it decided to rear its ugly head yet again. I woke up congested, with a sore throat, and a chill I still haven’t been able to shake just yet. However, as I had today off, I refused to be deterred from hitting the gym despite it not being the optimal conditions to tackle my first strictly arms/chest day so far.

 

With that said, today was decent. It was exceptional, which I hate, but it wasn’t awful. About midway through the work out was when I finally hit “the zone” so things definitely picked up then but, to be honest, the thing that felt the best was my very first lift. Keeping my focus (noted above) in mind, I was able to literally blast through my six sets like it wasn’t nothing. Form was perfect even though the bar flew up faster than it ever has. Everything after that, though, was a bit down hill, in my opinion.

 

However, it just means I will have to get my body up to 100% and hit my chest and arms that much harder next time. I might even throw in a rest day tomorrow and hit my shoulders/back on Saturday to give my body some time to rejuvenate. I haven't been sick in over a year and I don't want to get sick now that my goals are coming into focus.

 

Speaking of goals, today is the first day for my calorie increase and the last day I look at the scale for two weeks. Check out my new macros at the bottom. And, in order to hold myself even more accountable to put on some mass, I took one of those n00dz photos where you're in your skivvies holding the day's newspaper. I don't think I have the guts to post it quite yet but I might do a legitimate before/after once I've been running this "official" version of PHAT for 12 weeks (which would be the end of March). We'll see.

 

On a more “professional" note, I wrote a response to today’s New York Times article about vegan bodybuilding on my main blog, Vegan Atlas. If anybody’s interested, here's a linkto that as I’d like hear what others that about the article and the still standing attitude regarding vegan strength warriors. Also, the new inclusion of .jpegs from MyFitnessPal account is complementary to my written response.

 

Song of the Day: "Scream" - Verse

 

Work out

 

Elliptical

10 minutes/90 calories

 

Barbell Bench Press (65-70% of max; speed-work)

3x50

2x3x55

3x60

2x3x65

Notes: Holding the bar like your life depends on it has to be the best advice I’ve received recently. Pairing that with focusing on being more explosive under the bar, these felt better than any sets of bench I’ve had in forever.

 

Incline Dumbbell Press

8x20

7x20

5x20

Notes: I wanted 25lbs for these today but I couldn’t even get them up to my chest. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t rest long enough in between the bar and these or what. However, the 20s felt a lot lighter this time around than they did during my last work out.

 

Hammer Curls

8x20

7x20

12x15

Notes: Same thing as with the incline press. After getting caught up in a conversation, I started rushing through sets. There is no reason I had to drop weight on these this week other than not resting enough.

 

Tricep Extensions (Machine)

2x8x40

12x30

Notes: I tried doing lying tris but my elbows felt like they were going to be torn in two. This has been an issue for me and tricep extensions since I was in high school. However, see Tricep Push Down notes.

 

Chest Flyes (Machine)

 

6x60

5x60

8x50

5x50

Notes: Same thing with the elbows. Flyes slay them. I think next week I will try them out with light weight and see how it goes. Using the peck deck makes me feel dirty.

 

Dumbbell Bicep Curls

2x12x15

Notes: Using the EZ-bar also makes me feel dirty so I will be focusing on dumbbells from now on to ensure that strength gains are equal.

 

Cable Machine Chest Press

2x12x30

7x40

Notes: I don’t know what you call the machine “officially,” but it’s cable-driven and you chose a weight for each side and perform the chest press. Less bro-y than a regular chest press machine as it requires independent movement from each side as well as focusing on control and form. I can dig it.

Tricep Push-Downs with rope attachment

8x50

8x60

Notes: I was testing these out and I love them. I think I will be doing these instead of tricep extensions.

 

Lateral Pulldowns

8x50

8x60

Notes: Considering adding these to power day, wanted to try them out.

 

I also did some assisted dips and pull-ups that are exceptionally embarrassing:

 

Assisted Dips

3x80

5x90

8x90

 

Assisted Pull-Ups

3x90

4x80

5x90

 

Macros:

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcwdeSZCV1r3mlz8.jpg

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcwdoYC1Q1r3mlz8.jpg

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxcwdulB6O1r3mlz8.jpg

60/176/195 or 2024 calories. Boom.

 

Though, I did have 57 grams of fiber in there, too. However, I’m going to take this one as a win since who knows how long it’s been since I’ve hit over 2,000 calories when there wasn’t alcohol or a celebration involved.

 

Food n00dz:

Nothing noteworthy, visually, as I've been going through my homemade chili for the last couple of days and chili isn't really photogenic. I did have some great PWO-pancakes topped with PB2 and sugar-free syrup, washed down with one of the best shakes I’ve ever made. Maybe I'll post up some pictures once I find my iPhone cable but, to be honest, they're kind of lacking. Pancakes also don't photograph well with an iPhone.

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Nice!

 

I noticed you have taken a liking to tricep rope pushdowns; they are one of my favourite ones too (great for that burn).

 

I am glad to see you bumped the cals up a bit, oh and those pancakes sound awesome!

 

Don't worry about the assisted dips etc, you will be adding weights to a chain in no time (just keep on keepin' because you definately have it in you)

 

Great idea of adding a snapshot from MyFitnessPal, I might have to steal that from you

 

P.S. I hope you recover from that sinus infection fast, they can really suck!

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01.06.12

"Rest" Day

 

Today was a bit of a flip-flop day for me. Last night I thought I was going to take today off to give my body time to fight off the sinus infection I felt coming on; today at work I most definitely thought I was going to hit the gym since I was feeling 110% better than I did last night. Then, while at work, I was offered to have a few drinks with some co-workers. Luckily, because I thought today was going to be an off day with little activity, I worked my macros out to be high protein, low everything else so there will be no problem fitting in a few drinks at all (I'm currently sitting at 6/130/31 with 12g of fiber).

 

This is especially true because today, for the first time since November ... I was able to take my bike out. After work it was still about 45 degrees out and I couldn't help it. I know that "cardio" isn't conducive to bulking but there are few things that are better, in my opinion, than going out for a ride at night, listening to good tunes after a long day at work. I only went out for about 35 minutes and it wasn't an intense mash or anything. Mostly it was nice to clear my head and stretch out my legs since I had some serious DOMS today anyway.

 

Tomorrow: back/shoulders hypertrophy!

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01.11.12

Back and Shoulders Hypertrophy

 

Three surprisingly awesome things regarding training:

 

1.) I, inadvertently, fasted for 18 hours. I got caught up running errands and, before I knew it, I was having a very late, but exceptionally delicious, PWO shake. It’s nice to slip back into my IF-tendencies occasionally, though, that might be the orange-dreamsicle shake talking four hours later. On that note, Super Green Food is awesome and I’m definitely going to picking up a container of it after tonight’s huge success of mixing it with my vanilla Vega protein. Probably the best way to end a session I felt exceptionally good about.

 

2.) I was trying on clothes, I saw myself differently than I have before; I was proud of my progress, particularly in my traps/arms. I snapped a few photos, to boot, and I think my numbers reflect the sheer amount of posi-vibes I had going for me today.

 

3.) I had the entire gym to myself and I lifted without headphones. Normally, I am stickler for listening to a particular type of music and getting in "my zone." However, it was nice to feel like I was "filling up" the gym with my energy instead of just keeping it inside of my head. I never realized how refreshing it could be to, vocally, push yourself. Though I'm glad it's a rare thing since I don't want to get into the habit of talking to myself, or rather swearing at myself, to get those last reps out.

 

Other than my session itself, today was solid all around. Picked up some “new” (secondhand) “swag” (clothing), enjoyed some sunshine, talked to my mom on the phone a lot, made myself a vegan juicy lucy for dinner, and have been working on some writing since. It was nice to just have a day to myself where I did what wanted, when I wanted, and for how long I wanted. Definitely put me in a good place for lifting and is also helping to through my self-imposed mental block regarding what I wanted to do with my life. All-in-all, today was solid.

 

Quote: “You’re not going to get fat. You’re going to get big.” – My mom

 

Work-out

Jump-rope ~5 minutes

 

Standing Barbell Shoulder Press

3x45

5x45 (I forgot, momentarily, that I am “officially” following PHAT)

4x3x45

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

12x20

8x20

 

Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

7x20

10x15

8x15

 

Bent Over Barbell Row

4x3x65

5x65

 

Bent Over Dumbbell Row

2x8x30

10x35

 

Front Dumbbell Raise

10x30

8x30

 

Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise

12x30

12x25

12x20

 

Dumbbell Upright Row

2x10x25 (I could not, for the life of me, get the 30s to come up)

12x20

 

Delt Flys (Machine ... until I realized I could do ...

11x50

9x50

 

Delt Cable Flys

9x30

10x20

9x30

 

Barbell Shrugs

2x12x145

 

Macros: 55/164/203

I’m a little lower on protein than normal which, I know, doesn’t really affect too much since I’m not cutting but it is weird, for me, to see my CHO higher than my PRO. Oh, well. I did end up eating an +700 calorie dinner for the first time in forever. And it felt good. Will do a big food n00dz post tomorrow probably - now it's to "dessert" and watching some Henry Rollins while I work on some writing.

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Great to hear you had a good day mate!

 

Great numbers, and it's really good that you have notived some gains in your traps and shoulders (always one of the best muscle groups to make gains).

 

By the way, what's a Juicy Lucy? I am really interested in finding out the recipe etc.

 

Keep up the good work!

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