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Thursday, February 5, 2015: Das Body Komp 1. Chin Ups - 3 x 12; 2020 2. Single Leg Deadlift - 3 x 12* @ 55lbs; 2020 - 3. Skullcrusher - 3 x 12 @ 55lbs; 3030 4. Hamstring Curl - 3 x 12; 3030 - 5. Decline Chest Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs; 2020 6. Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs; 2020 Well I know I promised I would take another day of rest, but I did nothing at work today so I just had to get at least one thing accomplished before hitting the hay tonight. Skullcrushers at that slow of a pace were pretty brutal, as were the hamstring curls. Otherwise, I did this at an easier pace, so as to not totally kill myself or bring back whatever I had earlier this week (a tinge remains). Was really hungry before and after training. Pre-workout was a banana and an apple. Dinner was beans, brown rice, broccoli, salsa, sriracha, and a huge salad with probably too much dressing. Ready for the weekend for sure. Hopefully we won't see any more snow. Back Saturday.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015: Sick Training 1. Decline Close Grip Bench Press - 3 x 12 @ 100lbs; 3131 2. Sumo Squat - 3 x 12 @ 185lbs; 3131 - 3. Chin-Ups - 1 x 8; 2020 And then I realized I feel like utter crap, and should probably continue resting. Caught some kind of upper respiratory garbage earlier this week. Probably had something to do with the ridiculous snow. Being sick is so unlike me, and really cramps my style making life pretty boring - which is never good for my mental health. Basically I just want to sleep and sleep and sleep. Took a couple days off to recover, so I should probably lay off so I don't aggravate things further. Still eating clean, which is nice. I'll pick up the remainder of this training on Saturday. Now that I think about it, I haven't had more than two days off from training in a few months. I'm probably due for a good rest. Back to bed!

Monday, February 2, 2015: Snow Training Shoveled approximately 542 cubic feet of compacted wet snow today in just under an hour. I found a calculator for weight by cubic feet of snow (30lb/cu-ft), and it says I shoveled approximately 16,000 lbs of snow. Not sure if that's accurate, because that's an insanely high number. Anyhow, it wasn't too bad (which also makes me doubt the overall weight) and not too cold outside. Here's a pic... I think I might do legs tomorrow, or some variation thereof.

Saturday, January 31, 2015: Upper Body Giant Sets 1. Incline Bench - 3 x 12 @ 170lbs; 1010 2. Circus Press - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs; 2010 3. Incline Row - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs; 2020 - 4. Aussie Pullups - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs; 2010 5. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 75lbs; 1010 6. Skullcrusher - 3 x 12 @ 45lbs; 3010 Wanted to get in a giant set of lower body, but felt like this was enough for today. Besides,I've already hit legs twice this week. Woke up with a sinus headache too as we are expecting snow this evening and overnight. Man, I can't wait until spring. Not going to spend much time on here today as I want to focus more on relaxing and recovery. Arms feel like jello! Back on Tuesday. Have a good weekend!

Hey Chris, thanks mate:) Its been on my mind for a while now, eating eggs and dairy has not produced any better gains than being 100% plant based diet, though, even if it did, its not fair that a animal must suffer for me. I also think us vegans are more creative when it comes to food, you think more about what foods to eat and combined. Its a more varied and thus balanced way of eating. Absolutely mate. It's interesting you mention gains with respect to consuming eggs. There are so many people out there misinformed that they must consume eggs and chicken breast like religion in order to accomplish any kind of progress. It's not much of a sacrifice anyhow to go without, and certainly better for everyone. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat meat again; I just find it so repellent.

Thursday, January 29, 2015: Core / Cardio Day 0. Insanity Warmup - 2 Rounds 1. Stability Ball Pike - 2 x 15 2. Oblique Dip - 2 x 15* @ 10lbs 3. Incline Reverse Crunch Trio - 2 x 5 (3 crunches each) 4. Sprint Lunges x 4 5. Football Drill x 2 Kind of a weird day today... I think the warmup really kicked my ass, and then I was tapped out for the rest. Kind of caved after the second round of core stuff. Came upstairs and felt like I hadn't eaten in a day or two, so I made a quick dinner that I absolutely destroyed. No idea why I felt so hungry out of nowhere, and that bad either. Kind of changed things up pre-workout today by having a cup of Earl Grey just prior to training. Might explain my jitters, and probably a bad idea. I should work on cutting caffeine anyhow, since I'm downing an insane amount of coffee in the morning, and then usually crash in the afternoon; i.e. falling asleep on the train ride home. Crazy sore from yesterday's training, and still a bit from Tuesday. Traps are absolutely shot today. Finally, funny how ten minutes of HIIT can really humble you as far as your conditioning is concerned. Rest tomorrow. Full body Saturday.

Hey man, that's all good down there. Except, a deficit of 3500 cals per week is required to lose 1lb, not 7000. A 7000 deficit would have you losing 2lbs per week. That's what some would call "aggressive" but I did it for a couple years and found great weight loss success. Re: your macros, I think trying to get 285g of protein is crazy. Honestly, I don't think that's necessary, and I'd be amazed if you found a way to do that eating mostly whole foods. I honestly wouldn't worry about the macros so much right now. Instead, focus on recording your food, eating at regular intervals, and take in some carbs before your workout; like a banana. The rest will take care of itself, for now.

Hey man, that's a great story up there. Thanks for sharing. I'm a bid advocate for calorie counting, and focusing on whole foods. Make sure you get plenty of greens, beans, and other lean things. Make sure you take in enough good carbs to fuel your training, keep protein adequate, and fats relatively low. Get your fats from good sources like almonds, peanut butter, avocados. Avoid oils. Keep sodium sparse, and consume plenty of water. Some people do the 1g protein per 1lb of body weight, but I don't think that's necessary - could be wrong. As for 30 bananas a day, or even the 80/10/10 Raw Vegan diet, I did that for six months and here's what happened: 1. It was nearly impossible to maintain with my actual lifestyle - I like beer, and I like pizza. 2. My skin broke out, for the first time ever really - and once I gave it up, the breakouts went away. 3. It gave me terrible gas - sorry, if TMI. 4. I gained 14lbs. Yes some of it was muscle, but a lot of it was fat, and now I'm pissed. 4a. Some of the weight gain was probably due to my cheat meals, and not staying true to the plan. 5. I got so sick of eating bananas. 6. My energy was amazing at first, and then over time started to suck. 7. I was constantly hungry, and could never ever ever feel full. Once I gave it up, all that went away. As for your Crossfit paleo friends, well, they are clearly mistaken. They may be super buff etc., but they clearly have no idea what they are doing to their insides, the planet, and the animals involved. Besides, how hypocritical is a Paleolithic era pancake? Just kidding. It's like those super jacked people at the gym you see outside smoking. But that's just my opinion.

Good for you mate! Also, you've been busy lately!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015: German Body Comp #3 (a/k/a Grip Murder Day) 1. Delt Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs; 2000 2. Deadlift - 3 x 12 @ 165lbs; 2010 - 3. Row - 3 x 12 @ 140lbs; 2010 4. Side Lunge - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs; 2020 - 5. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs; 2020 6. DB Step-Ups - 3 x 12* @ 50lbs; 2020 So I didn't think about this when drafting this workout, but every exercise here calls upon grip strength, and so now my forearms are screaming! Came home early from work today, so I had a little more energy than usual as it wasn't so late in the day. Maybe that's my problem with fatigue most other days. Could be that I'm mentally drained, and that saps my physical energy. Tried a Vega Coconut Almond shake as a post-workout treat. It was pretty good I suppose, but just too high in calories, and definitely when you add in a banana and some cashew milk. I can't really do those things if I'm trying to keep things around 2000 cals per day. This one, banana and cashew milk included was 315 calories, and approx 20g protein. I don't think that's worthwhile, but maybe I'm wrong. Anyhow, that's enough computer time for today - time to play some video games! hahaha Seriously though, I'm so ready for winter to be over so I can get outside again. This month feels like it's just dragging on and on and on. Core/Cardio tomorrow!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015: German Body Comp #2 1. Incline Bench - 3 x 12 @ 155lbs - 2012 2. Front Squat - 3 x 12 @ 100lbs - 2020 - 3. PullUps - 3 x 12 - 2020 4. Angle Lunge - 3 x 10* @ 70lbs - 2010 - 5. Shoulder Raise - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs - 2020 6. Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs - 2020 Another good session today. Not sure that this training is all that special, and might be difficult long term as I would prefer to do 3 days, rest 1, and then 1 day of training. It's really meant more for every other day training - and my schedule just doesn't permit this. So, the problem is that I'll end up doing full body 3 days per week, back to back. I can try to mix up the exercises, but with sympathetic muscle groups, I'll inevitably hit some/all of the same muscles each day. Certainly not enough rest time between each. Anyone have advice on this? Am I thinking too much on this? That wouldn't surprise me in the least as I tend to over-analyze things. Anyhow, a couple of things to note: (1) Slow paced pullups are fucking hard; (2) slow paced shoulder raises are also pretty brutal. In all seriousness, I can tell the main takeaway from this style of training is the additional time under tension. It really lights up the muscles, as well as heart rate. Otherwise, I do miss the separation of training; i.e. upper and lower body days. It takes a little extra planning to get a well balanced session in as well. So, the plan is to continue through tomorrow, do some core/cardio on Thursday, and then hit up a big full body day on Saturday - like the days I used to have when I went to the gym. It's interesting that I had so much more energy then to do those long workouts than I do no - and I'm eating more. Kind of frustrating, actually. One last thing . . . I'm really annoyed at feeling hungry all the time, especially during training. It really gets in my way. Though, I'm trying to cut a bit, and my body seems to be saying "no." What's up with that? How can I get myself back on track, or at least on the way to a decent cut?

Rob, Thanks for the info and insight. Really interesting stuff! Makes you wonder why anyone would attempt isolated movements, over compound when overall functionality appears more sympathetic than distinct. I'll give zone training a shot here in the near future. Looks pretty tough from what those videos show - but that is the physique I'm going for indeed. Cheers mate.

Saturday, January 24, 2015: German Body Comp 1. Flat Bench - 3 x 12 @ 165; 2012 2. Close Stance Deadlift - 3 x 12 @ 140lbs; 2020 - 3. Neutral Grip Pullups - 3 x 12; 2020 4. Walking Lunge - 3 x 10* @ 70lbs; 2020 - 5. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 55; 3030 6. Hamstring Curls - 3 x 12; 2020 Feeling much better today. Definitely benefited from some extra rest. I think things had been so stressful lately that my training was just adding more stress on top, compounding the issue. Anyhow, today I gave the German Body Comp training I mentioned the other day a try. I have to say, it was a definite change up, and harder than I imagined. It certainly requires more mental focus than just pushup up plates, in my opinion. It was tough to focus on the count (i.e. those numbers at the end of each set up there), and keep track of reps. The numbers, by the way, represent: (1) Up/Down; (2) Hold; (3) Down/Up; (4) Hold. I could see why this training is so great, with the timing, and the split between upper and lower body. I'll definitely give it another go next week... but for now, it's actually above freezing outside, so I'm going to take the dog for a walk. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, January 22, 2015: Day of Rest Better day today. Feeling really tired though from all the stress/bullshit of this week. Also feeling like I could develop a cold, so I'm going to take it easy tonight. My mind isn't in it anyhow. Back on Saturday to try out this German Body Comp workout I read about today. Seems interesting. If I like it, I might use it to change things up for a while. Here's a link to what I read: http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/best-body-recomposition-workout See you Saturday.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015: Legs (Failed Sets 1. Front Squat - 3 x 15 @ 110lbs 2. Long Jumps - 3 x 16 - 3. Single Leg Deadlift - 3 x 15* @ 55lbs 4. Football Drills - 2 x 3 - 5. Front DB StepUp - 3 x 15* @ 50lbs 6. Hamstring Curls - 3 x 25 Feeling pretty awful today. Poor sleep, disappointing news, sickly. Just kind of shit all around. That's all I've got.

Hey Rob, Great tips, and thanks for inspiring me to change up my game. Would you mind going a little deeper on zone training, and the types of reps you described? That would be swell, and much appreciated.

The amount of weight you lift depends on the style of training you want to do. For example, if you want to do low reps then typically you utilize heavier weight. If you want to do high reps, then lower weight. As far as progression, I would suggest increasing the load by 5lbs on a weekly basis. It helps to temporarily lower your reps if you are increasing the weight. For example, on bench press, if I went from 165lbs for 15 reps, I'd probably try 175 for 12 or even 10 reps, and then work my way up to 15 reps from there. There might be a better way to do this, but that's what I've tried. Regarding growth, you obviously get that you have to eat in order to grow. At 5'10" and 176lbs, and training four times per week, I'd say you are under-eating at 2000-2200 calories. My BMR (basal metabolic rate) is approx 2600 cals/day, and I'm only 5'7", 166lbs; also, I train 4 days per week. I used to limit calories to 1600 per day, and it took me forever to realize that I was just wasting time and muscle, and making no gains. Then, I started eating more, and over the course of six months or so I went from 152lbs to 166. I freaked out, because I had gained some fat - but that's just part of the trade-off. If you gain muscle, you'll also gain some fat. But, if you want to be shredded/ripped/whatever, it's about how you strip off that fat while simultaneously preserve the muscle you've gained. Make sense? With that comes the carb cycling, and all the other tricks of the trade, I suppose. Nothing I've tried. Anyhow, I'd suggest that you increase your calories to at least 2200-2400/day, focus on whole food sources, make sure you keep your protein adequate, and get enough decent carbs (fruit, veggies) to get through your workouts. Eat your greens. Take a B12 supplement to help with energy, and mood. Get enough sleep. Drink enough water. Then, be patient. Enjoy the ride. You have to remember, most of these guys who are huge either took a shot to make them huge (and shrink their balls, and for what it's worth, they are cheaters), or they did it naturally and it took them years. Sometimes even decades. Like you man, I've been killing it in the gym for over 2 years, and I just now feel like I'm making decent gains - mainly because I improved my eating. Better/sufficient eating = lifting more weight/working out longer = gains. It's pretty simple. Just get out of your head a bit.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015: Upper Body Supersets 1. Decline Chest Fly - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs 2. Incline Bench Row - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs - 3. Close Grip Decline Inverted Row (Aussies) - 3 x 15 @ 25lbs 4. Delt Fly - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs - 5. Curls - 3 x 20 @ 55lbs 6. Skullcrusher - 3 x 20 @ 55lbs Not going to lie, I did not feel like training at all today. Most likely explains the somewhat uninspired session I have here. I feel like I should always be doing something different, and yet here I feel as if I've stumbled into somewhat of a rut; or at least a point to where I feel like I need to change things up. I should check back through old workouts and steal some exercises. Anyhow, today I felt tired and pretty crappy overall. Maybe lingering effects of Monday's hangover, which really wasn't all that unpleasant. Slept horribly last night though as our little dog was up having seizures thanks to the coming snow. I fucking hate snow, and not for that reason alone. So I had to force myself to finish this session off, even though my body felt like crap. I had some kind of indigestion as well which kind of affected my mood and speed. Strange day, really. Back tomorrow for legs. Going to hit some high reps at low-ish weight.

Saturday, January 17, 2015: Upper/Core Giant Sets 1. Incline Bench - 3 x 15 @ 165lbs 2. Decline Delt Fly - 3 x 15 @ 50lbs 3. Stability Ball Knee Drivers - 3 x 20 - 4. Pullup Trio - 3 x 15 (wide/neutral/supinated) 5. Circus Press - 3 x 15* @ 35lbs 6. Oblique Dips - 3 x 20* - 7. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs 8. Tricep Kickback - 3 x 15* @ 25lbs 9. Bicycle Abs - 3 x 60 Tried one of those Vega Pre-Workout Energizer packets today before training, and I can definitely say it helped me power through. Also, my mental focus seemed better, though I did get hungry about half-way through so I had to stop and eat a pear for some quick energy. Didn't feel jittery at all, as I was concerned given that I had consumed two cups of coffee about an hour before training. Instead, I just felt alert and focused - exactly what I wanted! I will say this, however: the flavor = awful. I had to mix in a splash of apple juice to get it down suitably. Otherwise I could see myself using those whenever I feel sluggish of unfocused; maybe even in the evening. Anyhow, today's training was fun and intense. Just as it should be! I stayed away from legs today since my hams and inner thigh are really sore from the other day. I really feel like I'm making some solid gains though. I should put up a progress pic sometime soon and see what you guys think, maybe. Made an awesome beans/grain/vegetable lunch, and sprinkled some "Go Veggie" cheez on top, only to find bits of mold on the cheez. First I thought "hey, it's cheese, no big deal if there's a little mold." Then I remembered I was dealing with soy(?) cheez, and mold probably isn't such a good idea lol. No need to die over lunch! Going to chill for the rest of the day, maybe play some video games, and just relax. Eating clean tonight as tomorrow is a playoffs game, and my wife's holiday party for her job (don't ask why so late). Back Tuesday. Have a good weekend!

Thursday, January 15, 2015: LEGS 1. Sumo Squats - 3 x 15 @ 210lbs 2. Squat Jump - 3 x 15 - 3. Deadlift - 3 x 15 @ 170lbs 4. Reverse Lunge Kicks - 3 x 15* - 5. Single Leg Lateral StepUp - 3 x 15* @ 50lbs 6. Lunge Jumps - 3 x 20 Tough training today... Really tough. Was hungry as fuck right in th emiddle too, which sucks. Also, I wanted to die during those lateral stepups. Those hit so hard for so little weight. Honestly, the hardest leg exercise I've done in a long while. They need a better name... I think I might call them the "Humbler;" for reasons that are obvious. I'd really recommend doing those, and on an 18" box or bench as well. Any lower and you'd lose some of the benefit. Was really starving after this, so I came upstairs and put down a ton of food. Taking tomorrow off, and back for some full body work on Saturday.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015: Upper Body Supersets 1. Decline Close Grip Bench - 3 x 15 @ 100lbs 2. Row - 3 x 15 @ 150lbs - 3. Close Grip Aussie Pullups - 3 x 15 @ 25lbs 4. Military Press - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs - 5. Curls - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs 6. Overhead Tricep Extension - 3 x 15* @ 25lbs Pretty good training today. Feeling more positive as noted above. The curls felt great too, not a lot of swinging the weight up. Really tried to focus on just curling straight up, and keeping the elbows in check. Could have done more weight on the close grip bench, and loved the aussie pullups today. Those are really a nice break from regular pullups. Made a huge salad for dinner... Really love eating clean and putting down the greens. I truly believe they help in flushing out all the crap that builds up inside. That's all for tonight. Back tomorrow for legs.

Yeah man, it sucked pretty bad. Vancouver sounds really cool, hopefully that will be a good opportunity for you. It's funny you mention positivity leading to positive things because I'm really working on trying to manifest more positive energy in my life. I've spent a lot of time on negativity, and apparently blocking what might be. No longer. Thanks for checking in buddy. ... And I did have some fun training today, even if it was a little repetitive.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015: Rest Day Didn't train today, because today turned out to be total shit. On December 19 of last year I got a call for an interview, scheduled for today. After waiting nearly a month, I went to the interview today. When I arrived, they sat me down and informed me that the "position doesn't really exist right now, and we're not sure when it will exist, if ever." Then they proceeded to interview me for an hour. They weren't rude, but they also didn't say "hey, sorry for wasting your time here." What a crock of shit! Anyhow, it made me feel really worthless and sad. So I just came home and kind of sat here in the kitchen thinking about stuff. I'm super unhappy, overall. I really wish I could have something better, and it would be great to experience a new atmosphere/city. So, by the time I felt like training, it was really too late in the evening... Thus, I decided to just pass on today. I'll get it in tomorrow.

Saturday, January 10, 2015: Full Body Supersets 1. Decline Chest Fly - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs 2. Single Arm Row - 3 x 15 @ 90lbs - 3. Reverse Lunge - 3 x 15* @ 70lbs 4. Hamstring Curl - 3 x 25 - 5. Neutral Grip Pullups - 3 x 15 6. Squat/Flip/Press - 3 x 15 @ 90lbs Fun training today. COuld really feel it in the upper body, as well as on the lunges and hamstring curls. Seem to not be able to make it through training without getting hungry. What's up with that? Looking pretty lean in the mirror, which is nice. Must have really put on a lot of water weight over the holidays, so I'm happy to see that taper off. Started taking a B12 supplement, and have noticed my energy levels are much better. Not like I have a ton of energy, but I just don't feel so sluggish any more. Also taking some zinc and Vitamin D as I can tell this weather has me feeling horrible. Wanted to sleep all day today, but did manage to get things underway at a decent hour. Going out to dinner tonight so I'm sure I'll indulge a bit, plus there's a Packers game on tomorrow so I'll probably have kind of a heavy weekend. Maybe I'll control myself this time around. Back on Tuesday. Have a great weekend all.

Hey man, how's the ankle holding up? You do any stair training lately?