vegansludge

Well, I haven't cleaned my glasses in quite some time ... I suppose saying I look "fuller" would be a better way to phrase, though, I think I've grown to use the word "fluffy" in a positive way recently. Seriously, though, thank you! Thank you, first off, for the kind words and, secondly, for the information. I will definitely look into it - the bloat's definitely been my biggest turn off from it as I'm already prone to do so whenever I increase carbs (which is probably going to be happening yet again in the near future) but if there's a way around it, I'm a little more inclined to at least try creatine out. This is one of the best compliments I've ever gotten - my arms have always been the area I've found to be lagging (even when I was at my heaviest, my arms looked like noodles) and, when I first put together the progress post, it didn't look, to me, like there was any real change. Comments like this, though, allow me to see the distance between those days and where I am now. Thank you! As I've told you, you've been a huge inspiration so this really means a lot - thank you!

Thank you! And, no, no creatine. I've thought about it but don't know if I should commit to adding it in just yet, mostly because I need to look into it a bit more. Thank you for the kind words! I am definitely proud of myself, and I rarely say that. Can't wait to see what else 2012 holds in terms of progress. Thanks you!

Even though I keep track of my macros, I've got a lot better about just hitting my calorie needs and not stressing about where they come from as much (other than keeping protein high). I get bored with people obsessing over meal timing/frequency and saying calories in/calories out is not the bottom line; when you're in a surplus, you're going to gain weight and it should be your goal to try and make the majority of it muscle but it's not possible to gain muscle without gaining fat in the long run. You might do it initially but it won't last forever.

Here it is. The long awaited progress update I’ve been talking about posting for quite some time. On December 14th, I started what I dubbed as “Project Heavy” – a combination of Layne Norton’s PHAT program and the StrongLifts 5x5 routine. By combining the two, I thought I was following a program that better suited my personal “needs.” These needs, of course, were “wants” as I did not want to let go of the 5x5 routine that had brought about, what I thought were, some exceptional gains. Of course, these gains were largely the result of still being a weight training newbie as I only had one cycle of StrongLifts under my belt (though, I’m certain even that was probably hindered by my haphazard nutrition). So, in true “D. Knows Best” fashion, for the first week, I ran my program as I had written it. And all it took was that initial run-through for me to realize, if I wanted to do the smart thing (i.e. actually progress) I had to pick between another full cycle of StrongLifts or committing, fully, to PHAT. In case you haven’t been paying close attention, PHAT won out. Since December 26th, I’ve been running the program as closely as I can with the only major alterations being that I subbed traditionals for stiff-legged deadlifts as they’re 1/3 of my powerlifting goals. I’ve also swapped out some accessory work but I was extremely careful in the changes – bent over rows for Pendlays and front squats for hack squats, for example, because of what I feel comfortable with at my current level of training. Here are the comparative results from these endeavors. 12.14.11 Estimated One Rep Maximums Squat: 149.5 Deadlift: 120.75 Bench: 69 Total: 339.25 Working sets Squat: 130 Deadlift: 105 Bench: 60 Total: 295 01.18.12 Estimated One Rep Maximums Squat: 172.5 Deadlift: 169.2 Bench: 86.25 Total: 427.95 Working sets Squat: 150 (+20) Deadlift: 155 (+50) Bench: 75 (+15) Total: 380 (+85) Yes, that’s right. In five weeks, I’ve added 85 pounds to my total. To be fair, not having to use smaller plates for deads has played a huge part in allowing that number to increase so rapidly and I don’t anticipate it to continue to do so for much longer. I’m already starting to feel the drag from the volume this program requires and, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I can feel a deload coming on much quicker than I anticipated. But more on that in a bit. Instead, I want to say something I rarely have the chance to say: I am proud of myself and the progress I have made. Now, onto nutrition and weight. To refresh everyone’s memories, I increased calories from 1,800 to 2,000 on January 5th and vowed not to look at the scale for two weeks to stave off Former Fat Kid anxieties. I was scheduled to weigh-in January 19th, but as I knew it was going to be a rest day and I don’t own a scale, I opted to weigh myself yesterday.. Here are the comparative figures and circumstances: January 5th (fasted but hydrated): 122lbs January 18th (not fasted and pumped full of caffeine): … 122lbs I’d like to pretend it’s still a post-alcohol “whoosh” miracle situation and that, magically, the scale will jump up on Thursday. Why do I like to pretend that this is the case? Well, I actually photographic proof that something has been going on with my body composition, even if the scale leads me to believe otherwise. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly249dj0TW1r3mlz8.jpg The photo on the right is from mid-December; the photo on the left is from this past weekend; same weight, according to the scale, but even I can’t deny the visible differences despite being taken under the same circumstances, though I wish the lighting in both photos was better. To find a more “accurate” weight, though, I am going to weigh myself all three of my hypertrophy days this week under as close to the same circumstances as possible to see if the lack of change is, in fact, a result of Monday’s shenanigans or if I have, finally, found my maintenance. If the latter is true, I have two options: continue this apparent “re-comp” until my BF% drops enough that I start losing weight or move onto something I’ve been both dreading and looking forward to – a mass gaining phase. So, without further ado, how I plan to proceed for the next few months … TRAINING 01.) Continue PHAT but drop weight before February. Why? Because I walked away from both of this week’s power days feeling completely zapped, mentally and physically. I know my form is starting to break down on certain lifts because I can feel myself hitting a plateau on the Big Three. I’m giving myself two more weeks to determine if this is because I’ve been tinkering with my nutrition and sleeping patterns or if it really is because my body needs some extended recovery time. 02.) When necessary, deload with the following for one to two weeks: Day 1 Squat 3x10-15 @75% of my max Deadlift 3x10-15 @75% of my max Leg press 3x10-15 @75% of my max Day 2 Bench press 3x10-15 @75% of my max Standing overhead press 3x10-15 @75% of my max Squat 1x12 @65% of my max Day 3 Squat 3x10-15 @75% of my max Stiff-legged 3x10-15 @75% of my max Bent over barbell rows 3x10-15 @75% of my max * I will do accessory work if I feel like it but those lifts will be determined on feel. 03.) After the deload takes place, test my one rep maximums on squats, deadlifts, standing barbell shoulder press, bent over barbell rows, and bench press. 04.) Use these numbers to determine if I will begin another 12-cycle of the PHAT program or if I am ready to try out 5/3/1 and/or Smolov Jr. NUTRITION I’ve spent the last two weeks with low fat/high protein/high carbohydrate macros in order to see if I’ve gotten over my inability to eat large amounts of CHO. Of course, as I’ve bemoaned, my caloric needs aren’t really that “high” to begin with and I get most of my carbs from greens, fruits, and ice cream so it hasn’t been a struggle. What has been a struggle, though, is figuring out what to eat when so that my energy levels and muscle growth is maximized while also keeping me satiated and sane. And this is what works best for me: 01.) No “set” schedule for eating. Why? Because some days I really dig on some fasted training; other days I need the carb-up boost after working a full shift before hitting the gym; most power days I want to slam “fast” carbohydrates as soon as I get home and save my shake for after dinner. I’ve learned it’s all about what works best for me, not everybody else. 02.) Calorie/carbohydrate cycling. Work Day macros: ~50/180/230 = ~2,090 calories. Rest Day macros: ~80/180/115 = ~1,900 calories. Why? Because on rest days I have a harder time getting hungry and the higher fat will help me hit my numbers. The variance in calories takes into account the calories I’m not burning from not hitting the iron. These numbers are approximations until I determine if 2,000 calories is my maintenance. 03.) Daily weigh-ins to find the weekly average for more accurate tracking of weight gain/maintenance. Note: If I ever start losing weight, I will bump up calories. 04.) Bi-weekly measurements of biceps, waist, and hamstrings, flexed and unflexed for “truer” progress tracking. Note: If I continue to see growth while losing weight, calories will remain the same. Expect measurements sometime this weekend. * Today also marks the last day that I eat any gluten-based protein sources (i.e. seitan) as I may or may not have a slight intolerance to it/it skyrockets my sodium levels/makes me feel pretty terrible. To celebrate, I made a pretty banging lunch for myself to be eaten on my break. Bye, bye, chipotle sausages. So, there you have it. I’ll also leave you guys with this shitty little progress photo-set I put together. Each photo was taken, roughly, every two weeks beginning September 5th, 2011 and ending the first week of December 2011. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly24brbLlY1r3mlz8.jpg Then, of course, here’s the photo from about a week ago where, yes, I look fluffy but even I can’t deny that there’s been a lot of growth in both my tris and bis. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly24f7LVXS1r3mlz8.jpg Of course, full-body photos are much more accurate ways to track growth but I’m saving those for when the deload comes/I feel more comfortable about showing off pictures of me in my skivvies. And I'd like to say thank you to everyone who bothered to read this whole thing and who has been following my training journal thus far. Lifting alone is something I've always preferred but it's really great to have found a group of people who are encouraging, helpful, and inspirational. Means the world, seriously. Cheers, everybody - I raise my spoonful of "Voodoo" to you.

I have an older one of me doing 130, I think? I'll check. If that's the case, I'll try and upload it tonight for sure.

01.18.12 Upper Body Power Day I slept poorly Tuesday night (approximately six hours of tossing and turning), worked an unnecessarily draining 7.5 hour shift at work, ate haphazardly throughout the day, weighed-in at the same weight I was two weeks ago, when I got to the gym I realized I left my headphones at home, and, despite my personal conviction of “leaving it all outside,” this combination of things most certainly affected my performance in the gym. I have no excuses so, in order to keep the negativity to a minimum, I’m just going to throw this workout into the tank, put it behind me, as I slept big last night, am already getting in some good rest day nutrition, and hit lower body hypertrophy harder than ever on Friday. I’ll be posting a pretty big update in a bit regarding my one month progress with PHAT, my plans for the future, and all kinds of awesome things to balance out the sheer lack of awesome that is this post, both attitude-wise and numbers-wise. Work out Barbell bent over rows 5x65 5x75 2x5x85 5x90 5x80 8x70 Notes: Something about these felt incredibly off today. The 85s were a struggle which was extremely surprising since this is a lift that rarely gives me too much grief. Not a great way to start out my sessions. Barbell bench press 5x55 5x65 5x70 5x75 (Two rep increase) 2x2x75 2x70 8x45 Notes: My one serious goal today was to get in a set of 5x75. It is the one thing that made today’s session worthwhile. Standing barbell shoulder press 6x45 5x65 3x50 5x50 4x50 5x50 Notes: While there were no rep increases, I’m at least getting more consistent which is progress since this is my least consistent lift. Making the effort not to keep my back straight, and not arched, definitely helped out and I think my accessory work on hypertrophy days has been extremely beneficial. Long pulls 5x70 5x80 5x90 5x100 (Ten pound increase) 8x80 Notes: Even these were more difficult than they have been previously. Tricep pushdowns with rope attachment 5x60 6x70 3x80 10x80 8x70 Notes: When I first tried these with 80, my arms simply locked up. I proceeded to prowl around the gym, huffing and puffing for about 45 seconds, and then just blasted my tris. Felt good then, feels bad now. Wide grip lat pulldowns 5x60 6x70 6x80 1x90 5x70 Notes: Again, these were a pain in my ass today. Nothing more, nothing less. Close grip lat pulldowns 5x40 4x55 Notes: See above. Cable chest press 5x30 5x40 5x50 6x40 Note: I think I’m going to replace these with a free weight lift. Chest press machine 10x40 5x50 5x60 70x5 Note: See above as these numbers are proof that machines do not accurate reflect the amount of weight one can actually push – my chest is not that strong. Cable shoulder press 5x30 5x25 Note: Increase in frustration with the session = increase in unnecessary and useless work. I cut it short because I knew I should do skullcrushers. Machine triceps extension 5x30 5x40 2x50 5x40 Note: I tried doing skullcrushers but my elbow joints weren’t having it yet again. I need to roll some foam. Seated cable rows 5x60 5x70 5x80 Notes: I’ll take these. They felt good and gave me the “burn out” feeling I was looking for and didn’t feel I had reached quite yet. Macros: 55/177/220 After coming home from the gym, I made myself a pretty tasty dinner. Scrambled hickory-tofu burrito and chipotle sweet potato fries.

I wrote this up for another poster a while back: Additionally, there is a simpler formula which is: Body weight x 14 = rested caloric needs (i.e. the calories you burn everyday by doing virtually nothing) Then you multiply that number by your activity factor (same standards as in the above more complicated formula). In order to lose weight, you have to eat below your maintenance. I would recommend something like starting with a 200 calorie deficit and tracking your weight loss for 2-4 weeks. If you start losing at a healthy rate, continue eating at that number until the weight loss stalls and then decrease your calories by another 200. You should also be sure to be eating a higher protein diet while you're in a deficit and I recommend tracking your macronutrients as well. If you want more information on that, let me know. Hope this helps.

I don't want to quote that entire post again so consider this my +1. However ... But do you know what your maintenance calories are and do actually track your calories and/or macros? Even though you "eat a buttload of calories," chances are you're burning more than you're consuming. It is about calories/calories out. Here are a couple of articles OP should read in case they're not swayed: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/is-a-calorie-a-calorie.html http://www.wannabebig.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-dirt-on-clean-eating/

Lower body power days are my addiction. I always walk (crawl?) away from them as drained as I am pumped. On the next one I'm hoping to get one for all three of the "big" lifts that day - squat, deads, and leg press. I just have to remember to charge my phone the night before since using it for music and videos tends to drain it quite fast (especially now that I've joined the world of Twitter and have started using it probably far too much).

01.17.12 Lower Body Power If you read my last two entries, you know that I not only planned on having but did have a great time last night, all while staying within target calories and macros. What I only hinted at, and didn’t expand upon, was that this good time involved the consumption of less “traditional” carbohydrate sources – you know, that alcoholic kind. However, whenever I line up my macros to accommodate what I anticipate to be an epic drinking endeavor, my actual actions always fall short: I walked into the bar with my macros being ~20/140/60 and only had two beers and about three ounces of whiskey and I did this unconsciously. Of course, later in the evening, I did break my “don’t eat after you drink” rule and snuck in a cookie but, in the long run, it means nothing. With that said, I took the plunge to see how my body reacted to the “whoosh” affect that alcohol gives you and weighed myself. I clocked in at fully-hydrated 120lbs in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. To be honest, this did incite a bit of an internal panic mentality: even taking the post-booze water-weight loss into account, it would appear as if I haven’t gained anything since upping my calories two weeks ago. My “official” two-week check-in is scheduled for Thursday but, since that’s my rest day, I’m going to weigh myself tomorrow. If the scale goes up more than a pound, I won’t take an “official” number until the weekend; if it stays at 120, I’m going to start tinkering with my macros to prepare for another calorie bump. Work Out Barbell Squat 5x95 5x115 5x135 5x145 2x5x150 (One rep increase on first set, set increase) 5x135 Notes: I dropped down to 135 after taking a video of the second set of 150s and noticed I was barely hitting parallel. More on this subject in my forthcoming post-weigh-in One Month Update post, though. Barbell Deadlift 5x115 5x135 5x145 5x150 3x155 2x160 Notes: I don’t usually chase down my 1RM but the Uplifting Girls Fitocracy group has a heaviest deadlift challenge ending on the 31st and I’m participating, hence not trying to get all five reps with the last two weight increases. I don’t feel 100% comfortable with piling on the plates for these, though, because my lower-back tends to get pretty cranky. Slow and steady wins the race. Seated Calf Raises 5x165 5x170 5x172.5 Notes: I never thought I’d do micro-loading with these but I’ve been trying to hold each rep for a minimum of five seconds so I’ll probably be doing smaller weight increases/longer holds from here on out. Incline Leg Press 5x200 5x240 5x270 5x300 (10 pound increase from previous max) 3x300 Notes: Fucking BOOM. I attribute this PR to excessive grunting and my iPod’s ability to play exactly what I need it to: “Insomniac” followed by “Spit On the Cross” = headbanging leg presses. Seated Leg Curls 5x100 6x110 (Rep increase) 5x120 (10 pound weight increase) Dumbbell Lunges 5x45 (Five pound increase) 5x40 Notes: If you don’t follow my Twitter, you might not be privy to the fact that I, literally, fell over doing these. My legs were already jelly after leg presses and, apparently, did not want these. However, after the last rep on the set of 45s, I fell over onto the ground, got right back up, grabbed the 40s, busted out that set, and collapsed. Some girl thought I had a heart attack or something and literally came over to make sure I “was alive.” Appropriate way to end my session, I think. After an epic Thai-date with my girlfriend, macros are currently hovering around a really closely estimated 60/159/190. Will post some much needed food n00dz tomorrow. Sleep time now.

I think I'm going to go back to carb-cycling since I'm pretty sure I'm going to be upping calories again soon. I went from 1,800 to 2,000 two weeks ago and I'm pretty sure when I do my weigh-in tomorrow the scale is going to tell me that's not enough - I woke up today and, because I felt leaner, looked at myself in the mirror sans clothes for the first time since upping the calories definitely looked a lot leaner. Probably just water-weight fluctuations but I swear, for the first time in my life, I'm starting to see my abs. Bulking fail or I'm doing it right?

Doing. It. Right.

I'll second his statement - your progress photos are showing off your progress! I'll also second your statement about the gym being douche-bag central lately; the newbies have arrived at my gym and so many bros curling in the rack/stacking plates onto the leg press and only doing 1/4 reps. However, you're still getting some killer work outs in so I take it you've also mastered the art of navigating the douche-baggery.

01.16.11 Rest Day A Tangent “I’m going to go with the Golden Monkey. Four-fifty for that high of ABV? Come on,” said my girlfriend last night as we walked up to order drinks at Now That’s Class before the Weekend Nachos, Homewrecker, Masakari, and Grin and Bear It show. A smile crept onto my face as I knew, without a doubt, the night was going to be solid. Turns out, it was about as rock-hard as the lead singer of Harms Way. And I only have my new friends and loving girlfriend to thank for it. See, I moved to Cleveland roughly three and a half months ago and have “struggled” to find my niche, largely because, for the last three and a half months, my life has consisted of three things: work, working out, and recovering from both activities. All of my “artistic,” “academic,” and “business” endeavors have suffered and what little social life I had back in Cincinnati dissipated into short conversations held between ringing out customers and overhead press sets. And, to be honest, my mental state has been on a steady decline because of this. Not that I’m a social butterfly or a starving, but brilliant, artist – I just know that I thrive when I’m creating something, sharing what I’ve created, and interacting with people who have created, or are in the process of creating, something that makes them thrive. This process is what I miss the most about my life as an undergraduate, where I divided my time between classes centered around small group discussions, writing lengthy research papers, working for the school newspaper, and taking part in real activism and, subsequently, writing and sharing articles and poetry about all of these activities with people who did similar things day-in and day-out. Graduating and relocating not once, but twice, and feeling student loan debt breathing down my neck brought this lifestyle to a screeching halt. However, last night showed me that I have made some progress toward rebuilding and expanding my life in a city I never imagined I’d call “home;” I have managed to find a few like-minded individuals who are making their lives work for them – in their own way and on their own terms. And their ability to do so comes from the fact that they know how to find the perfect balance between biting the bullet and spitting on the loaded gun shoved in their face. My girlfriend does this. My co-worker and friend Bob does this. My friend Lauren does this. And, recently, I have started to as well. Because if I have learned anything from ten years of rubbing elbows with kids headbanging to metal and hardcore in crowded and dirty bars, it is this: life is only worth living if you’ve made it into something worth loving. And, for all intents and purposes, shows and attending shows are the embodiment of the unbridled pursuit of carving out and creating a niche for people that makes people feel alive and allows them to thrive. It is, at its core, the perfect example of the creative process – from conception to reception. Maybe this doesn’t make sense. What I’m trying to say is this :last night I stood next to kids who probably feel dead a lot of the time – from dead-end jobs, dead-end relationships, dead-end friends – but, for about four hours, they all felt pretty damn alive. I just hope that one day they realize, like I have, that they weren’t passive agents in that situation; I hope they see that they were a part of what made that moment happen, that they were just as active in their “awakening” as the music itself. Because without them creating that moment, that scene, that feeling wouldn’t exist. And that feeling is exactly what I’m going to start making happen every day in my life. Or die trying. Ya heard?

I like how you made note of your mental status during your session but, more than anything, I like how you pushed yourself even when circumstances weren't optimum to end up leaving the work-out satisfied. Definitely shows your dedication and perseverance. Keep it up, mate, we all have days that aren't ideal but when you push yourself like you did this last round, that's where your strength shows. Also nice to read the discussion about creatine in your log - I'm still on the fence about using it, mostly because my funds are already pretty stretched with buying protein powder, Green Foods, and vitamins but it's definitely helping me figure out what I need to be doing.

Do it! It's definitely worth supporting their vegan endeavors. I've only ever gone twice but both times have been worthwhile. Also, it's nice to see another Clevelander on here! If you ever do decide to hit Melt, we should hang - we can talk about our fitness goals over greasy bar food! Ha.

01.15.12 Back and Shoulder Hypertrophy I ate a real pre-work out meal for the first time since starting PHAT (I believe) and, my God, I have missed oats. Other than that, pre-work out was a lot of housekeeping duties so that, after I hit the gym, I could hit the Word.doc and bang out some article outlines and ideas for things that I’m hoping to get off the ground within the next two months. Keeping this short and sweet, though, because I’m in the zone for articles and other things. Keep your eye out for those and to see how ridiculous my nutrition for today is – I’m going to a show at my favorite bar with all of the people I know in Cleveland. Protein, protein, protein and fitting brews into my macros. Work Out Standing Barbell Shoulder Press 6x45 6x3x50 Notes: Speed work not at 65-70%, though, because I’ll be damned if I can’t add weight on the rest of my January power days since my form is finally locked in on this lift. Bent Over Barbell Rows 10x45 5x3x70 5x70 Notes: Speed work. These went up like my insulin after eating a whole pizza to myself for dinner tonight even though I, unintentionally, lifted at a higher percentage than I should have. Dumbbell Shoulder Press 9x20 6x20 8x15 Notes: My disappointment in these numbers is negated by the fact that I did my 6x3 with the same weight as my working power sets. Plus, I super-setted them with the following. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 8x15 20x10 Notes: None, these were draining in the best way possible. Dumbbell Bent Over Rows 2x10x30 Notes: These were supposed to be 6x35 and 2x10x30 but, since I lifted heavier on my speed work, I could barely do one rep with the 35s. Front Lateral Raise 2x12x15 Notes: I dropped weight on these because I want to only be using weight that I can, at the very least, get to above my chin. I’ll be increasing weight as this happens but I’d much rather hit full ROM than half-ass them with 35s and above. I super-setted them with the following. Front Lateral Raise Overhead 2x10x5 Notes: More like “overhead and behind my back.” Should have used 10s but the last set was pretty brutal. Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise 12x25 12x20 12x15 Notes: Dropped weight on these for the same reason as front raises. I want to get the lift higher to more of the muscle so that, when I am back up to 30s, I’ll be getting the most out of the motion. Upright Rows (Cable-bar) 12x60 10x70 8x80 Notes: Someone else was using the 30s so I used a flat bar and did these on the rack-cables. This proved to make the lift a little bit more difficult as I still had to pull a bit to “hold” the bar at the bottom (if that makes sense). That said, I’m happy with how hard I pushed myself with these. Lateral Pulldowns 6x70 8x60 12x50 Notes: Since these hit arms as well as the back, they were slightly lacking after yesterday’s session. I can dig the last set, though. Shrugs 12x150 12x160 10x170 Notes: Beast. Mode. I also found a way around grip issues by using the cable-rack’s flat-bar attachment. This actually made 150 feel heavier than the 145 I was doing before largely, I think, because when I was using the barbell, my arms played a much bigger role than I wanted to admit. Halfway through the set of 170 I felt like I was going to pass out from effort. Feltgood. Long Pulls 12x80 15x70 Notes: These were more difficult than the last round, maybe because of the weight on BOBR/BODBRs. Slightly disappointing. Cable Reverse Flyes 5x20 2x10x10 Notes: These were a killer way to end the session - it took me a good five minutes to get my coat on because of the burn. MACROS: 60/131/200 Included in these are all of the following: oatmeal, pizza, cashews, almonds, a Clif Builders bar, and soy ice cream. And I’m still under my 2,000. IIFYM – learn it, live it, love it.

01.14.12 Work Day Arms and Chest Hypertrophy When I started PHAT, I saw arm day as ‘bro day’ and nothing more. I knew lower-body days, both power and hypertrophy, would be the sessions I loved: I have always gotten an intense satisfaction from trashing my legs to the point where it becomes difficult to walk for a day or two; I knew that shoulder day would be seen as a welcomed challenge: I have always struggled with overhead presses and, subsequently, gaining mass in that area. Arms, on the other hand (pun only slightly unintended), have never really done anything for me, which is why, at first, I didn’t want to run the 5-day split. I couldn’t imagine dedicating an entire hour to curls, extensions, and presses when I could be doing deads, squats, or rows. It’s funny how much can change in one month. Arm day and I now have an unspoken agreement: I look forward to it because I know that, if I want to be competition-worthy, I have to get my bench number up and I have to be aggressively consistent with making this happen. And if it means having a Bro-Day every week, I welcome it. I have found exercises that I really fucking love (hello, rope extensions) that make up for the bro-tastic nature of doing two different kinds of curls and bench presses in one day. Plus, look at the note on my last exercise. Work Out Barbell Bench Press 8x45 5x3x65 5x65 Notes: Speed work, super-setted with the following. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press 1x25 5x20 6x20 8x15 Notes: These were more than likely unnecessary since I used a higher weight with the bar (and the low numbers reflect this) but I like making sure every muscle fiber is engage on bench. Plus, if I didn’t knock out at least one rep with the 25s, I was not going to be satisfied. Cable Chest Press 10x40 8x40 8x30 Notes: Even though I hate using machines, if I use proper form and controlled motion, I can actually feel it in my chest which is an area that needs serious work. Not sure if I’m going to keep them in here as I’m looking into other things for chest work, though. Hammer Curls 10x20 9x20 12x15 Notes: Nothing groundbreaking here but I wanted the 8-12 range with as little motion from anywhere but my arms – I’ve been seeing so many people in the gym who use their backs to “swing” the dumbbell up once they get to heavier weights. Not this kid. Tricep Pushdown with Rope Attachment 12x60 7x70 8x70 5x80 Notes: There is no other word to describe these for me other than intense. Getting the 80s down was like smashing through a brickwall with a toothpick. Or something. Feltgood. Cable Flyes 10x20 5x30 12x20 Notes: I was going to do these with dumbbells but I think my joints are much more pleased that I made the decision to do them from the rack. They were just as challenging as I expected since flyes haven’t been a part of my routine in months and I’m actually looking forward to pushing myself with these. Skullcrushers (With an EZ-bar) 2x10x20 Notes: These were less painful, joint-wise, than usual but I’m inclined to wonder if that means I wasn’t going deep enough on them. Then I did burn-out sets of assisted dips and pull-ups for some “cool down cardio” which was, yet again, pretty un-noteworthy. However, those lackluster numbers prompted to do two things I never do: ab-work and push-ups. Crunches (Various kinds) 50 Push-ups 3x15 Notes: Six months ago I couldn’t do a “real” push-up to save my life. Yesterday I banged out 45. Other than unassisted pull-ups, this has been something I’ve looked forward to since the very beginning of my fitness “career.” Sounds silly but it made me feel awesome. Macros 50/140/230 Notes: Upping carbohydrates and decreasing protein for several reasons, most notably to re-organize my eating patterns so I can determine if pre-work out carbs actually help my lifts or not and because I'm cutting out seitan/gluten-based proteins. Double bonus: it brings my sodium numbers down like no other. http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxumvuO9rq1r3mlz8.jpg http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxumw4ykII1r3mlz8.jpg

Your numbers definitely reflect your attitude and your progress: you're killing day-in and day-out regardless of outside factors. I have a ton of respect for you, mate.

When you're in a surplus, you're going to gain fat no matter what because it's all about calories in/calories out and not the types of food you est. Adding in cardio will reduce your surplus and therefore your gains but it'll be both fat and muscle gains that will decrease since your calories will be going to fuel your additional sessions.

I think I pull with my back a little too much since I'm not as vertical as I should be at the beginning of the lift. After reviewing it some more, it could be loads worse. I just want to get it perfect especially since I'm creeping up on heavier numbers. Thanks about the arms! They've always lagged behind my legs (I don't even want to talk about my core - it's always looked fluffy and probably always will).

You're training to get fat? Bad advice IMO. When you cut off that excess fat you will lose hard earned muscle so bulk as lean as possible. You don't have to be fat to be strong! Long, slow bulk > short, fast bulk for that very reason. The fat gains will come but I think keeping it to a minimum is key as there is only so much muscle the human body can build in a given time frame.

01.12.12 Work Day Lower-Body Hypertrophy I can summarize yesterday with 10 bullet points. Sleeping big is awesome and it makes you appreciate how effortless waking up early can sometimes be. Some days I have a hard time eating carbohydrates, some days I don’t. Yesterday I clearly didn’t. I didn’t because I wanted to go big on this hypertrophy day in case I couldn’t hit the gym again until Saturday since I have other social plans. Finding a balance between my “social” life and my “gym” life is becoming much easier even as my goals become clearer. I destroyed my legs yesterday to the point where I had to sit in my car for 15 after working out to gear myself up for pushing the gas and break pedals. I found out they made a fucking movie about Battleship? And Rihanna is in it? I finally saw the Dark Knight Rises trailer. I had a geek-gasm. I saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. It was not as good as the first one, save your money. Love is coming home to home-made pierogis and my girlfriend saying, “I made ones with lentils and TVP because I knew you’d be more likely to eat them.” Because she knows protein > everything. You know you’re doing it right when walking down stairs becomes difficult. Work out Barbell Squat 5x95 6x3x115 (Speed work) Notes: I read somewhere online that to improve squat explosiveness some guys think about hip drive as being the equivalent of “fucking something really hard.” This is what I kept in mind through-out today’s speed session and, therefore, I increased depth and speed. Front Barbell Squat 8x80 5x85 5x90 5x95 Notes: I’m considering following a 5x5 for these on hypertrophy days but I don’t want to wear myself out on my other lifts or overtrain squats so we shall see. However, these are shaping up rather nicely. Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 10x85 10x95 10x105 Notes: I don’t know why I neglected these for some long. Awesome burn today. Seated Calf Raises 10x160 10x165 Notes: I was going to go to 170 but, instead, decided to do 3-5 second holds for each rep. My calves are going to hate me for days but I’m going to love my calves forever. Incline Leg Press 5x200 2x6x250 (Rep increase) 230x8 (Rep increases) 180x10 (Rep increases) Notes: I am chasing down 300 on power days so I figured it was time to go ass to ankles for as many reps as possible. Doing these after speed squats, front squats, and stiff-legged is always brutal but today was intense. I think I scared the girl directly across the gym from me who was doing a kettleball routine. Seated Leg Curl 10x80 10x90 Notes: These are such a draining way to end my routine and I love it. Macros: 20/160/250 These are an estimation as I didn’t make the pierogis. However, I know my fat is the right number and I left it that low because, well, I wanted all teh carbz. Come at me.

01.11.12 Rest(less) Day As far as rest days go, I actually took it easy Wednesday despite feeling pretty uneasy. Knowing I won’t be hitting the gym tends to leave me with this feeling of “well, now what?” especially when my shift ends in the afternoon instead of the evening. Good thing about clocking out at 5:00 p.m. that day was that my lady had graciously reserved me a seat for a documentary screening at her work that night. Even though it was pouring rain, we took the train to Tower City and walked to the Rock Hall from there. (Yes, my lady’s graduate studies work-study is acting as a research assistant at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; yes, she is far too cool and intelligent for me but don’t tell her that) Overall, I’d say we walked for a total of 35 minutes there-and-back and, since it was raining, we maintained a pretty brisk pace. I’m going to call it my “cardio” for the week and be satisfied with that decision. During the walk, though, I had time to think semi-poetic thoughts about Cleveland, my life, and other miscellaneous things that I won’t bother sharing right now but will allow me to say this: I know exactly how I’m going to go about pursuing my writing goals from here on out. I have a lot of work to do, though, so it will be a little while before I can make any concrete “announcements.” So, while the documentary itself was relatively lackluster, I had a pretty solid rest day. I’d also like to note that I find it funny some people talk about how on days they don’t hit the gym, they find themselves having a harder time sticking with their nutrition. I’m the exact opposite. On days when I’m more sedentary, I find it difficult to actually hit any numbers other than my protein intake because my appetite isn’t as abrasive. Lucky for me this meant fitting a massive hummus and veggie wrap and sweet potato fries into my macros after the screening. Winning. Macros: 35/140/190

Everything’s coming up Milhouse. Lucky for me, Milhouse is my alter-ego. Or my actual ego. Anyway. A few work-related opportunities have come to my attention that would be advantageous to me so I’m going to seize those; I’ve got some ideas I’m pretty stoked on regarding my writing and moving forward with personal training; I think I’ve finally gotten a lock-down on 2,000 calories a day, i.e. I’ve come to terms with the fact that, yes, I am going to start slowly putting on weight. Strong goal chasing is going strong. I intend to keep it that way. I’m also going to keep this entry short and sweet since I have to be up for work in less than eight hours and I already have a hard enough time sleeping big as it is. I’ll probably write something fairly long-winded tomorrow, though, since it’s a “rest(less) day” and I need to do something with my evening. Quote: “I want to be that which overcomes itself.” - Henry Rollins Work Out Barbell Bent Over Row 5x65 5x75 5x85 3x5x90 (Five pound increase across the board) Notes: Much more controlled than usual. Form has definitely improved on these and I could have pushed it to 95 but I want to keep the lift controlled. Barbell Bench Press 5x55 5x65 5x70 (Three rep increase) 3x75 (One rep increase) 2x2x75 (Set increases) Notes: I think if I had a spotter, I would have felt much more confident on the third to last set and probably could have pushed out those last two reps. However, I played it safe and went for more sets with less reps. Not sure how I feel about this but I don’t want to get pinned beneath the bar. Will just keep working on at it since every week I feel stronger on the bench. Standing Barbell Shoulder Press 5x45 4x50 (One rep increase) 3x50 4x50 (One rep increase) 5x45 3x45 Notes: Finally have noticed progress on this lift, even if the numbers are low – the lift is more explosive, for one, which is something I’ve had a hard time with. I know this is my weakest lift and I will be damned if I don’t get to 0.5xBWx1 within the next few weeks. Tricep Pushdowns with Rope Attachment 5x30 5x40 5x50 3x5x60 (Set increases) 5x70 (Ten pound increase) 3x70 Notes: I love these. I go into serious Beast Mode on them and it feels awesome. Long Pulls (Cable attachment) 5x70 5x80 5x80 5x90 (10 pound increase) 4x90 (Set increase) 5x80 5x80 Notes: I also love these. I didn’t think I’d be able to bang them out but I had a serious buzz going on from the pushdowns. Seated Shoulder Cable Press (Machine) 5x25 2x5x30 (10 pound/set increase) Notes: Still not sure how affective these are. Should have went with dumbbells. Cable Chest Press (Machine) 5x30 5x40 2x50 3x40 3x50 Notes: After going through these I’ve decided I should be doing push-ups even though I hate them. Pulldowns 5x40 5x50 5x60 5x70 (Ten pound weight increase) 3x80 (Twenty pound weight increase) Notes: Will be using these to switch things up occasionally. Macros: 45/195/200: 1985 calories Notes: After the Field Roast sausages are gone, I’m completely cutting out seitan/gluten-based products. Not only does gluten tear my stomach up, but there is far too much sodium in store-bought seitan for my liking, especially since I’m using Vega until my TrueProtein comes in and there’s a boatload of sodium in that as well. This is not ideal because it makes me feel pretty awful all-around. I also had dinner on the run (i.e. microwaved/sodium-laden) because I got off work at 7:00 p.m., ran over to the gym to lift for an hour and a half, only to have to clock back into a meeting at 9:00 p.m. for work. Check out MyFitnessPal for specifics (the variance comes from not being able to measure everything and only guestimating on some of the things).