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Loser's Log

B

big loser2

New member
Height 6' 4"
weight 235-240
Bf 18%
Age 40 in 2 months
Will be natural for the whole program (Wellllll maybe a little gh - growth hormone (somatropin) - run starting Jan)

I plan on starting my program tomorrow. I have the disadvantage that I can only work out 4 days a week. I could try 5 but working six days a week 10+ hours a day kind of leaves no time for recovery. The good thing is that the work is not stressful, but getting enough sleep is a challenge sometimes thats why I need the down day in the middle of the week.

Can't wait to start using the pink weights. Probably all I can handle with the rep and rest set up.

Let the games begin
 
Pink weights? lol. Yea thats how ya feel but it feels good to get done with your workout cause your legs are gunna wobble and burn like you lifted 350 for 2 reps in fact wobble more. good luck.
 
Thanks guys :)

Well here we are at the end of day 1 and all I can say is Omega sucks(jj)

I feel so humbled with the weights that I used tonight that I an not sure if I will be allowed to keep my man card.

I had all intentions of going lighter than I should because I figured I could always add weight next time. Now the truth "NOT A CHANCE IN HELL". I have always been pleased with my squat being 315lbs plus for 5 to 6 reps. Now here is the humbleing part

95lb x 25
135 x 15
155 x 10
175 x 7
155 x 7
Boy that sucks, but it gets worse. The only smith machine in the gym was occupied(no surprise), so I had to use the squat rack instead. Yea, that can get scary when your legs a shaking and feel like noodles.

I have come to accept the fact that I have no muscle endurance. Its kind of odd because the weight does not feel heavy. I just seem to run out of gas, and that was with my rest period being a little longer that it should have been. Hopefully that will change over the next few weeks and I can get the rest period to where it needs to be.

I also wanted to let everyone know the reason Omega puts a free weight routine for me is that my gym caters to therapy so all the machines are cable contraptions used for rehab. They may be great for rehab but absolutly suck for anything else. Its like you need a full body harness just to get into to one to be able to use it.

OMEGA....Let me know how to squeeze these routines into four days.

Now the tip of the day after doing legs.

1. Look for the handicap ramp when you leave the gym because on the step down from the side walk your knees will buckle, very embarassing.

Tomorrow is another day
 
:)

All of you are enduring this new way of training but in time its going to pay off in so many ways it.

great start soo far!

I am excitied
 
Well here is day two. I have to start by saying that my office is on the second floor above the shop. Needless to say someone must have added more steps because it was a chore just going up and down them today. It could not have been because of the leg work out yesterday.....well maybe.

I will say it was kind of hard trying to keep the chest flexed during the 3/4 rom, but chest has always been a weak lift for me anyway so maybe this will help. I hope it was OK that I used dumbells for the incline instead of a bb. I did this because using a bb has always wrecked havoc on my shoulder joints. I was also able to get to the cables to use for flys (also easier on my joints than the db's and I just feel safer). Everything actually feels great and hopefully in the next 2 weeks I will have the poundages figured out. Just to make everything closer to your original set up I have been trying some of the cable machines and may be able to some of them to work

Questions

1. Is the order you listed the exercises set or does it matter which ones are done first?

2. Tomorrow and friday will be my last days to work out this week. So how do I fit everything into 4 days a week instead of 5?

Tip of the day after chest and tris
Make sure your car is an automatic because shifting gears in a stick shift becomes a challage.
 
big loser2 said:
Thanks guys :)

Well here we are at the end of day 1 and all I can say is Omega sucks(jj)

I feel so humbled with the weights that I used tonight that I an not sure if I will be allowed to keep my man card.

I had all intentions of going lighter than I should because I figured I could always add weight next time. Now the truth "NOT A CHANCE IN HELL". I have always been pleased with my squat being 315lbs plus for 5 to 6 reps. Now here is the humbleing part

95lb x 25
135 x 15
155 x 10
175 x 7
155 x 7
Boy that sucks, but it gets worse. The only smith machine in the gym was occupied(no surprise), so I had to use the squat rack instead. Yea, that can get scary when your legs a shaking and feel like noodles.

I have come to accept the fact that I have no muscle endurance. Its kind of odd because the weight does not feel heavy. I just seem to run out of gas, and that was with my rest period being a little longer that it should have been. Hopefully that will change over the next few weeks and I can get the rest period to where it needs to be.

I also wanted to let everyone know the reason Omega puts a free weight routine for me is that my gym caters to therapy so all the machines are cable contraptions used for rehab. They may be great for rehab but absolutly suck for anything else. Its like you need a full body harness just to get into to one to be able to use it.

OMEGA....Let me know how to squeeze these routines into four days.

Now the tip of the day after doing legs.

1. Look for the handicap ramp when you leave the gym because on the step down from the side walk your knees will buckle, very embarassing.

Tomorrow is another day
Click to expand...

glad i wasn't the only one who came close to tipping over!
 
errn247 said:
Pink weights? lol. Yea thats how ya feel but it feels good to get done with your workout cause your legs are gunna wobble and burn like you lifted 350 for 2 reps in fact wobble more. good luck.
Click to expand...


yup yup yup light weight baby!!!!!!!!!
 
Well its the end of day 3 and I have decided to have my office moved to the first floor because my legs are still sore and the stairs are KILLING me.

Usually when I would go heavy on squats I would feel it in my hams and glutes but this 3/4 rom and high reps really did a number on my quads.

Today had some ups and downs. The ups were on the lat pull downs and the shrugs, because I could really feel like I was doing it properly. Those were always good for me in the past. Now the bad....I never had the feeling the db rows were really targeting what they were supposed to. It just seemed like I had too much of my arms involved in the pulling. I guess I will get better on those in the next few weeks. The curls also did not feel as targeted as I expected but I think adding a little more weight to the bar may correct that problem.

Sadly because I am on the 4 day a week routine tomorrow is supposed to be my off day but since I will not be able to go on Saturday or Sunday I may have to force the 4th day with no rest break. That will teach me to go on Monday's.

By the way Omega you may owe me a $20.00 credit because if my legs and upper body are still sore on Saturday I will have to pay someone to cut the grass in my yard. Sorry but you had no disclaimer about not being able to perform chores on this routime.jj

I NEED DIET HELP SOON

Tip of the day after doing back and bi's......
Brush your teeth before you go to the gym. Its really amazing how difficult a task that can be after the routine.
 
:) lol at the Moved office and 20 bucks owed haha :)

As far as DB rows here is how to make it work.

START in the top position BACK FLEXED and as you lower the weight only let your shoulder blade descend, THEN feel the pull of the weight by the Lat attachment by your arm pit ( this is your back completing engagement)
THEN and only then drop your arm down to let the DB go all the way down.

PAUSE then pull with that Lat stretch you felt by your arm pit, THEN pull the Shoulder blade back THEN use your arm to pull it in.

Sorry of that complicated but that how you do it.

:)
 
big loser2 said:
Now the bad....I never had the feeling the db rows were really targeting what they were supposed to. It just seemed like I had too much of my arms involved in the pulling.
Click to expand...




Try using wrist straps. It will allow you to stop worrying about your GRIP so you can just concentrate on your PULLING...

Its always worked for me when working the LATS....

Make sure Omega says it is OK first... Not my forum you know. LOL
 
big loser2 said:
Questions

1. Is the order you listed the exercises set or does it matter which ones are done first?

2. Tomorrow and friday will be my last days to work out this week. So how do I fit everything into 4 days a week instead of 5?
.
Click to expand...


1)Yes,you have to follow the order, because its works best that way after trial and error with others and myself.

2) for you you have to do
3 days on, ONE day OFF
then The circuit workout, then 2 days OFF, then Repeat
 
This is actually my log for Saturday since I am only on the 4 day a week routine. The superset routine is something that was new for me. To be honest it actually felt pretty good. I was not really worried about the weights but ended up with a really good pump at the end. Now I decided to skip the 20 minutes of cardio because I had to go home and cut my grass. That ended up taking an hour so I figured it was a good trade off.

I did realize that the only time I will be able to do the superset routine is on Saturday because there are less people in the gym. So it looks like my new schedule will be Tuesday, wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I can actually work with that schedule and not be a zombie because of lack of rest.

I will be starting my diet tomorrow so I am curious as to how that goes because it seems like a lot less food than I am used to but that would also explain my bf%.

Oh well be back on Tuesday

PS.. BRR I will try the straps this week. Thanks for the help
 
Hey I am reworking your diet :)


you should by HIGHER carb multi grain Bread ( at least 30 grams per slice)

and 5 pound jug of Protein Power ( whey )
Vitamin shoppe has a deal for 25 bucks

ps if you want to workout 4 days consecutive you Can do this too if time becomes an issue:

Day 1
Push Day ( chest ect)
finish with 20 minutes of Cardio
Day 2
Pull Day ( Back etc)
finish with 15 minutes of LIGHT Cardio
Day 3
Legs, Abs ( no cardio after)
Day 4
Circuit:
do these back to back for a repeat of 5
Only do between 12-20 reps, NOTHING too heavy.

Chest Press ( machine)
Bent over rows
Military Presses
Shrugs
Barbell Curls
Tricep Pressdowns

( I have no legs on this day since you did them the day before and and cardio the days before that.)

REPEAT

PS enjoy the Circuit ad NEVER worry about weight

it more of a feel good fun/ endurance thing

go for cardio fatigue and just that over all pumped feeling
 
Diet

Break fast
3 Whole SOFT Boiled Eggs, season with Salt and Pepper
1.2 serving of Muscle Milk, but add 1.5 Scoops of Pure Whey Protein
2 pieces of Toast
I use this bread, it has grams per Slice:
http://www.miltonsbaking.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=101

Lunch
Same bread, but use double Chicken or Turkey, add leafy greens, a slice of cheese, Mayo and Mustard.

Dinner.
Salad of ANY kind, make it colorfull
and ALWAYS have Red meat every third Dinner.

The key to Dinner is to make it really protein Heavy, I will have 2 Chicken Breast or two Lean Hamburgers etc.......


Liquid Snack: half muscle milk. 1.5 scoops of whey.

POST workout Drink: half muscle milk. 1.5 scoops of whey. 1 serving of a creatine, 1 banana
 
Second week, day 1

It took me driving around the parking lot for 10 minutes trying to make sure I parked close to the door in preparation the wobbly legs afterwards. I must admit that tonight felt really good. I still feel like my endurance is the killer and not the weight but that seems to be much better than last week. Its kind of an odd feeling that you know you have the power to push the weight but the body just seems to give out. I did have one screw up on the order. I did the squats after the leg presses. Missed the calf raises inbetween but took care of them after the squats and the second set after abs just to get everything in. One other note is that I am using the power rack for squats instead of the smith machine. The reason is because of only one smith machine and its usually a line to get to it.

My weights used are below for the mass exercises as requested.

Leg Press 180 270 320 360 270 - I can up these a little next week
Squat 90 135 185 225 185 - These should also go up next week(maybe)

BL2

PS, Omega you have a PM
 
The leg press then the squat I got correct. I just forgot about the calf raises inbetween. Which was just plain stupid on my part since everything is on my list that I take to the gym. I always bring a paper that has the exercises, reps, order(oops), weights used the previous week, and little notes to let me know if I should add or drop the weight. I can actually tell you all of that information from a year ago. I know its a little anal but it lets me keep track of everything.
 
Quick update tonight. Have not missed any work outs but short on time so tomorrow I will take care a Wednesday and Thursdays updates.
 
Details for week 2 day 2

I was actually able to get to machine for bench press tonight. Its a freemotion machine that you sit down on and the cables are behind you. Because of the width of the pulley handles it kind of tries to pull your grip outward all the time. I have to admit that I felt it was a better chest exercize than I had ever done before. My bench has always been weak in comparisome with my other lifts (bent over rows, squats, standing press, dead lift). I think the reason is that my shoulders and tris were doing all the work when doing regular barbell bench press. Now using the freemotion machine I could actually concentrate on my chest. Everything else felt pretty good but my other downfall is the endurance on the higher reps. I am slowly getting better and with shorter breaks between sets.

2 Questions for you

1. On the barbell french press is that the same as skull cruchers, and you did want that done with a straight bar and not the EZ curl correct

2. What is the proper angle for the incline press (45, 30)


Details for week 2 day 3

I have always enjoyed doing legs and back so today being back was nice. I still have to work on the db rows. I used BRR's advice on the straps and that helped a lot. I also realized that it works better if I keep my lower back arched like on squats and look up it helps. It also helped when I upped the weight I was using. With the lighter weights it did not feel as correct as with the heavier ones, but the problem there is the higher reps but that seems to be improving.
Weights used for the db rows were 30,35,40,45,35
Weights used for db shrugs were 55,65,75,90,75

Question about this routine

On the reverse bb curs what is the proper way to hold the wrist. Should I try and keep them straight or is it OK for them to bend downward.


The diet seems to be going good and I should have my protein and creatine on Tuesday. That way I can get rid of the Muscle milk except for the am meal. Now tomorrow night the diet is screwed because we are going the the Japaneese Steak house. I will be putting a smack down on a filet and scallops meal. Also on Sunday I just have to have a bag of natural pop corn when I watch the Dolphins play. Even with their record I will still avoid the brew.

Later
 
I seem to be making it to the gym later than normal but it helps because I do not have to wait in line to use a machine,sometimes. I do have a question about the smith machine. The one at my gym does not move at a 90 degree angle it is at a slight angle and can not be adjusted. So when doing exercises like the squat and the military press which way should I be facing. If I am standing in front of the machine the angle is coming toward me so is that how everything should be done? I know this sounds like a dumb question but I have never used it before.
 
Well everything that could go wrong at work on Saturday did. It even screwed up my dinner plans for the night, no Japaneese for me. So needless to say I was not able to make it to the gym that day. BUT I did go today to do the circuit training part. I was actually able to get to the smith machine for squats. Those will take a while to get used to, but the circuit day is probably the only day I will be able to get to the smith machine anyway because I do that (normally) on Saturday. Overall it seems my endurance on the higher reps keeps getting better. Because of Thanksgiving and relatives visiting I may have to swap my training days next week to get everything in.
 
me too I have to packj my routine into 3 back to back over loaded days

by Thanksgiving day I wont be able to walk lol.

1)
As far as Smith Machine angle, there should be no angle it should just go up and down straight ???
Howeever if there is an angly by the tiem the bar if up in top position it shoudl be way form you when Pressing

2)
Ez curl bar for Tricpe Presses using the inner most portion of the bar.

3)
Reverse Curls bend sightly forward using a wide grip and dont twist or do anything fancy with your wrist, just curls the weight with what feels like a natural range of motion till you get tired

4)
Incline Presses = 30 degrees
 
Bad news for this week. The relatives decided to come down yesterday and will not be leaving till Sunday. It looks like I will only be able to pull off two days this week. I was going to do the circuit routine tonight and Friday night just to cover everything and keep up the endurance thing. Hope this is OK
 
Well that was in interesting wake up call after a lazy week.
Leg Press 320X7
Squat 225X7 No Smith machine available, used BB

I think I may need to stay at these numbers for one more week even though I can easily go higher on the leg press. I feel as if I am where I need to be on the proper way to do the reps and my endurance it tons better than it was. After next week I should be 100% on form and timing. I really have to fight the urge to NOT go to fast on the reps. I really never did any leg presses so my flexability is just now where it needs to be.
I was not able to get to the reverse hyper machine for that and the obliques so I will need to make those up during the week. Damn spin class ended and everyone was doing abs afterwards.
Diet is back where it needs to be and should not be a problem at all this week. Plenty of left over turkey and sweet potatoes. I also seem to have lost a little weight over the past couple of weeks. I think the carb reduction is having a huge impact. The thing that sucks is most of my body fat is in my gut, makes me a skinny fat guy.

More news tomorrow
 
OK:)

don worry abotu the Gut we will adress that in the Second Level more Directly.

Do ytou feel the weight loss as of Lately is Fat?

As far as Rep Speed One day you will be lifting so much under complete control that the urge to lift faster will be diminished offset by the sheer magnitude of the intensity you will generate.
 
This is basically a summary for day 2 and 3. Sorry of the delay.
I am truly realizing why the rep scheme and using machines have their place in this program. For the first time ever I actually feel as if I am hitting the target muscles correctly. It slows down my workout waiting on the machines sometimes but my chest work outs seem to be better than ever. In the past it was always the only lift that I could never improve much on.
cable bench 90X7
Inc bench 70X7
Now I know there has to be some kind of additional resistance on these machine because my normal flat bench is around 240 so I have to hope the cable numbers are off.

Now for back - There is a machine that you sit in that allows you to do one or two arm rows. I am using it for one arm rows and it works better for me than regular db rows. It allows me to limit the amount of arm use.
One arm machine row 45X7
db Shrugs 90X7
On the shrugs I may be in trouble soon because the db's only go up to 100lbs and I can go up on those currently.

On both of these days I was able to make up for the missed ab work out from day one.

I know my log has lagged behind on posting but my diet and workouts have not lagged at all.
 
big loser2 said:
I am truly realizing why the rep scheme and using machines have their place in this program. For the first time ever I actually feel as if I am hitting the target muscles correctly. It slows down my workout waiting on the machines sometimes but my chest work outs seem to be better than ever.

On both of these days I was able to make up for the missed ab work out from day one.

I know my log has lagged behind on posting but my diet and workouts have not lagged at all.
Click to expand...


dont worry about the Log so long as you keep trucking :)
Just catch up when you slack.

The Lesson about the machine was one that took me a long time to accept, I went through Injuries, lack of progress ect.

Then I started following my gut and then applying Intelligent Strategy.

Everything changed after :)


As far as shrugs STOP at the weight you use
maybe even go back down to 80's and just rep out.

GOOD WORK!
 
Last edited:
I forgot to add that I did complete day 4 which is the circuit for me. Using the machines was not really a question of not wanting to it was more a reality of being able to get to the few that are required. For now most seem to be skipping the gym so its not as crowded but we all know that will change in January. COME ON STAGE 2
 
Today was leg day and I stayed at the same weights as last week to concentrate on the tempo. I really think that I have that where it should be. BUT it would not be me if there was not a problem. I am really having trouble using more hams and glutes on the leg presses. It always hits my quads hard and nothing for hams. I just can not get that down. I have tried many different feet positions and it all feels the same.

Two things are confirmed on the diet. First I have lost about 5lbs so far and second I still get hungry as hell between lunch and my protien drink when I get home. The 5lbs that I have dropped have had an effect on the waist line. When I wear my 36 inch waist Levis I need to use a belt. I am also going to confess my drinking days, I like to plan ahead.
1. When the Patriots finally loose a game. (may or may not happen)
2. When the Dolphis actually win a game. (may or may not happen)
3. If LSU takes home the national championship.(again this may or may not happen)
4. New Years Eve. No chance in hell I will be sober that night
 
Excellent I love the Nuances you give it helps me alot. :)

1: ADD ONE more Shake if you wish to curb that craving.

2: Tempo will be a big part of Level 2, NOT weight so your doing the right things!

3: weight loss is almost a sure sign of Muscle gain , since this routine is NOT that cardio intensive.
 
Info from yesterday, chest

Every exercise felt GREAT. Tempo, feel and timing were all good.
Cable bp 90X8 Something odd about the weight #'s on this machine. I have been trying to use more of the machines like most of the others so When I looked at the machine routine for chest I came across the "1 arm pressdowns (palm facing forward and down)". I guess the body fat I seem to be losing is in my brain cells because I have no clue what that is. Do you have an example??
Diet is also been perfect.
 
I guess I will give everyone a good laugh by posting some pictures that were taken about a week before I started. As if it would matter none of these are flexed.
 
bro

one of these days I will post before (when I first Started)

and after when I compete its like 2 different people

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the true you underneath you.

it takes a couple of repeated runs

thankyou for your Pics

they STAY HERE in your thread

i see you and all I see is how to sculpt you, NOT any limits.:)
 
big loser2 said:
I guess I will give everyone a good laugh by posting some pictures that were taken about a week before I started. As if it would matter none of these are flexed.
Click to expand...

BL just curious, how much training had you done prior to taking those pics?

tell me a bit about whatever training that you may have been doing over the last 10 years or so :artist:
 
Here you go Acela
Sadly that is my progress in about 2.5 years. I had a medical scare in the middle of 2004 that turned out to be false, but in gave me motivation to make some changes. It had been after a 15 year gap of doing nothing.

My body fat had gotten up over 40% and my strength was nothing, the hazards of an office position. I started out doing full body workouts with 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week and eating healthy. After a year of that I started some of the popular routines like a modified HST and also the 5X5 madcow routine. The 5X5 routine peaked out with my bench press being 265X3, deadlift was 405X2, squat ended at 385X3, military press ended at 185X5. All of that with no increase in size. The HST routine did seem to make a few changes in my body but nothing to brag about. During this entire time I was eating healthy but not exactly for lifting. Now there was a time after Hurricane Katrina that I missed 3 months and other times when I took a few weeks off because of various reasons. Now during this time I did have a few issues with my tendons and joints and did a run with gh - growth hormone (somatropin) - - growth hormone (somatropin) - and IGF(on and off) for 10 months. Being in my late 30's it made a wonderful change in those issues, plus the anti ageing effects were great but never any fat loss. Now to give you a mental image of the before you have to picture a skinny gangly teenager being 9 months pregnant, hence my term skinny fat guy. Even if its my own opinion I have made a lot of progress. The funny part most people comment about not realizing my size till I am next to them and I have an athletic look when wearing a shirt. When the shirt comes off its a different story. I guess that due to my back width, traps and having narrow hips it makes shirts fit with the tapered look. Just so you know I was a little over 240 in the pictures and for the past two days I was between 230 and 232lbs at a height of 6'4".

After talking to Omega before the program he did not seem to be concerned that my main limitations are long work hours, 6 to 7 hours of sleep and being worried about the diet being easy to pull off. I was convinced that this was a great opportunity to set up a plan that worked around my life instead of the other way around. Now I know only working out 4 days a week and little sleep will never allow me to keep up with the rest of you but I like the progress I have made so far.

Hope this is what you were looking for
 
You just gotta love leg day. I still do not feel the hamstrings when I am doing the leg presses. Seems like it works my quads more. This kind of bugs me since I feel like I have a handle on all the other exercises. My body seems to have adjusted to the endurance factor completely. I upped the weight on the leg presses but was not able to on the squats. I guess the leg presses took it out of me. Damn spin class today had the reverse hyper machine in use so I guess I will just make those up this week. This seems to be the trend on Tuesdays. Now for the diet info....had to have my popcorn watching football but its the all natural, no salt, no butter. Placed the order for my sups tonight so I hope they will be here this week, but who knows at this time of year. My weight seems to still be in the 230 to 232 range and as bad as I hate to say it my arms a 1/4 smaller, legs are the same but my chest is 3/4 larger, stomach at the naval is 1 inch less. There is progress. Over all I do seem to be a little leaner, just gotta get the stomach smaller(I hate cardio). More news later.

Leg Press 450X7
Squats 225X8

PS Omega, I have a question about one of the tricept exercises a few posts up.
 
Thats an interesting story BL. getting re-commited after a 15 year layoff is HUGE, i commend you for that.

And for whatever its worth, not just your opinion, you have made a TON of progress

keep it up man

big loser2 said:
Here you go Acela
Sadly that is my progress in about 2.5 years. I had a medical scare in the middle of 2004 that turned out to be false, but in gave me motivation to make some changes. It had been after a 15 year gap of doing nothing.

My body fat had gotten up over 40% and my strength was nothing, the hazards of an office position. I started out doing full body workouts with 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week and eating healthy. After a year of that I started some of the popular routines like a modified HST and also the 5X5 madcow routine. The 5X5 routine peaked out with my bench press being 265X3, deadlift was 405X2, squat ended at 385X3, military press ended at 185X5. All of that with no increase in size. The HST routine did seem to make a few changes in my body but nothing to brag about. During this entire time I was eating healthy but not exactly for lifting. Now there was a time after Hurricane Katrina that I missed 3 months and other times when I took a few weeks off because of various reasons. Now during this time I did have a few issues with my tendons and joints and did a run with gh - growth hormone (somatropin) - - growth hormone (somatropin) - - growth hormone (somatropin) - and IGF(on and off) for 10 months. Being in my late 30's it made a wonderful change in those issues, plus the anti ageing effects were great but never any fat loss. Now to give you a mental image of the before you have to picture a skinny gangly teenager being 9 months pregnant, hence my term skinny fat guy. Even if its my own opinion I have made a lot of progress. The funny part most people comment about not realizing my size till I am next to them and I have an athletic look when wearing a shirt. When the shirt comes off its a different story. I guess that due to my back width, traps and having narrow hips it makes shirts fit with the tapered look. Just so you know I was a little over 240 in the pictures and for the past two days I was between 230 and 232lbs at a height of 6'4".

After talking to Omega before the program he did not seem to be concerned that my main limitations are long work hours, 6 to 7 hours of sleep and being worried about the diet being easy to pull off. I was convinced that this was a great opportunity to set up a plan that worked around my life instead of the other way around. Now I know only working out 4 days a week and little sleep will never allow me to keep up with the rest of you but I like the progress I have made so far.

Hope this is what you were looking for
Click to expand...
 
OMEGA said:
when the Hyper extensions are in use do Barbell STIFF legged deadlifts Instead

all of you will graduate to those in level 2 anyway :)

they will cover your hamstrings as well :)

No need to go heavier on Squats just increase reps now:)

Triceps:

http://www.trainwithmeonline.com/_vid_fs.asp?exn=76

but make sure your palm is facing down NOT up
Click to expand...

believe it or not SLDL are one of my favorite (i'm talking top 5) exercises of all time. i wish i knew this from the beginning 'cause i hate reverse hypers
 
they are my fav too( sldl)
, but the hypers are so annoying to do, they are good for disciple and also a platform for level 2 ( when you sub Stiff Deads :)
 
big loser2 said:
Thanks for the compliment Acela.
I loved doing SLDL after squats. I always did them for the streach for the hamstrings
Click to expand...


yup....a nice slow, controlled motion gets a nice deep burn & stretch
 
This is my update for the last two days. I was able to keep my diet on track. On both workouts it felt really good. I kept the tempo and sets exactly where they are supposed to be. Now my big down fall is I am only averaging a little over 5 hours of sleep a night, and let me tell you that SUCKS. See if I complain when I an back to normal of 6.5 hours of sleep each night.

Machine BP - Its on the 100 but that is not the actual resistance.
Smith machine press - 100lbs on bar X7...Need to stay at this weight for another week

DB Shrugs - 85lbs X 10...Staying at this weight but slowing down the reps
Machine Rows - 100lbs per side X7...I will actually go up on these
Pull downs - 150 X 7...Will stay at this weight
BB curls 70lbs X7...Staying for one more week

I was curious as how to handle upping the weights on some of the machine exercises. The pull downs for example only let you go up in 15lb requirements and thats quite a jump. So do we try and go for higher reps on the last sets or go up and do fewer than 7 on the heavy sets? When we go up in weights I assume it should be on all sets and not just the final few correct?

I was also thinking about the SLDL's and it hit me all at once that doing 25 reps of them will be killer. Talk about getting light headed.
Tonight was my night off and tomorrow will be my circuit routine.
 
the 15 pound increment are a bit high

try to see if you can find a 5 pound plate in the gym and add it to the Pin:)

also may ask, is your Smith machine press including the bar weight? or just the plates?

also I am a firm believer in not increasing you barbell weight past 70-80 pound EVER

just make this more difficult by increases reps or Slowing down the weight:) ( especially considering phase 2 increase complexity
 
No chance of me putting a plate on the pin or rack. That thought had crossed my mind in the past. The weight stacks are encased so if the pin is only an inch out to far it rubs against the housing. Believe it or not the two biggest complaints in the gym are that and the fact that is does not have any kind of set up for doing dips.
As for the Smith machine presses the weight does NOT include the bar. When it comes to increasing the reps should it be on every set or the last couple?
Sadly I have another question about the timing of phase 2. I will be flying out next Saturday to spend Christmas with the family and I will be gone the whole week. Would it be better to wait till after that to try and start phase 2?
 
Yes it would be best to wait
because it will require a bit of mental prep ( mostly the new cadence)


Smith weight is good for your size BUT evenetaully (NOT NOW) try to up 60-70 on each side as your longer term goal say next time you do a sequence

your doing great


barbell curls dont worry about ti now since the workout wll be more complex
next sequence( in the future) just slow the reps or increase the raps last 3 sets.

I am surprised some of you have excellent strength curves considering the amount of time , this is good.
 
Last post of the night for me. I have noticed one benefit that no one seems to have mentioned. In the past I have had trouble with my rotor cuff and bicep tendon causing a little pain. With this routine I have not had any issues whats even more impressive is the fact that my shoulder joints do not pop at all. Therapy at its best.
 
EXACTLY!

that is just one of the facet of the arsenal in-grained inherently in the training

weakness will not be avoided they will be Eliminated and in time the area that WAS vulnerable will no longer be.


:)!
 
First workout of the week....LEGS
I actually stayed at the same numbers as last week because I just did not feel it tonight. A long stressfull weekend was probably the cause.

leg press 450X8
Squat 225X7

Now for the confession.. diet was totally shit Saturday night and Sunday. The Ft Lauderdale boat parade was Saturday night so I killed a six pack but the good news is that it was Coors LIGHT and of course a few munchies. Now on Sunday the Dolphins finally won so that day of drinking was confessed a few weeks ago. Everything up until then was clean.

All my supplements came in today but I will not start taking them till I get back from my trip on Christmas week. Although it would be kind of funny at the airport. Leaving south Florida with a few containers of white powder. Honest officer its really only supplements. I think I will pass on that conversation.
More info tomorrow.
 
Well the end of workout number two for the week. I kept the weights the same as last week except for the push downs (went up). I have to go into work an hour earlier each day this week so I was surprised it had not affected me all. Everything felt really good. By the time I was to the final set of Tri's they were totally trashed.

The diet is still on track this week. AND yes I still get hungry as hell during the day. Seems like my body is still fighting the new eating habits and screwing up my blood sugar in the afternoons.

Question..When we are upping the weights that we are using should we concentrate on a little increase over all the sets or should we focus on upping the final set first.

Later
BL2
 
Workout 3 of the week.
One arm row machine 120X8
Shrugs 85X10 Nice and slow
curls 70X8

I added an extra heavy set on the pull downs to help with the jump to the next weight. Darn 15lb increments suck. Everything felt great. I will admit that it kind of sucks that I only have the circuit routine to do on Saturday then I will be stuck with a week off. The good news is that when I get to work tomorrow morning and check my PM's I should have my early Christmas present of a new routine for phase 2. Its almost sad when you think about what excites you sometimes.
Diet is been on point this week but I know it will be screwed a little next week.
 
Hello guys,
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I got back into town last night so it looks like this week will be hit or miss. I will be starting phase 2 on Jan 7 so I will be trying to fit in 3 days of phase 1 this week.
 
Forgive me father because I have sinned. It has been 2 weeks since my last work out and during that time I replaced all of my body fluids with Coors Light. Really between friends, family, and casinos(free drinks) that I have not seen in a year it was to be expected.

Oh well I did my first work out of the week because my gym was closed for the last two days. I really do not want to list the weights because I think it may take two weeks to get back where I was. My endurance was OK but I just seemed weaker. I actually went ahead and used my day 1 phase 2 work out to get the weights figured out on some of the new exercises and also to guage the time for the work out since there are a few additional exercises. No more detours or distractions for at least 2 months so its smooth sailing from here.

Later
BL2
 
Will do!!! Diet, supplement and training will be up to par going forward. I feel as though I made a lot of progress that I do not want to lose.
 
you wont :artist:

just dont start hitting it hard till your sure you can / this usually means 4-5 days of being back in
 
Forgot to update the rest of the week. I did drop the weights and did finish this week out using phase 1. So it looks like Monday is the start of phase 2. I have been following the supplement this week and the diet has been per instructions since getting back from the holidays.
 
Week 1, day 1 Phase 2

I had to switch day one (chest and arms) with day 3 (back). There is no chance of getting to any of the chest machines on a Monday. On the pull downs I added another heavy set that ended at 165X5. I hope this was OK? It kind of offsets the 15lb jumps that the machine has. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be able to move my start up set 15lbs and drop the extra set. Let me know if this is a problem. 105X25, 120X15, 135X10, 150X7, 165X5, 120X before failure. The bent over laterals were embarassing because of the low weights but I will adjust. Everything but the smith mp felt really good. I just seemed weaker on the mp tonight for some reason. Seems like all the Coors Light is out of my system so its full steam ahead. The diet has been good since last week and my weight has dropped below 230. Maybe sometime this weekend I will be able to do some skin fold measurements. More news tomorrow.

PS Omega let us know when you email the updated diet info so we can make sure it does not go into the spam filters
 
Week 1, day 2, Phase 2

Well today sucked, this was probably my worse workout since I started. Never underestimate the power of food. Due to some major problems at work today I was 3 HOURS late eating lunch, no way to avoid it. It kind of gave me a dull headache all afternoon. I really could not believe how weak I was.

I was not able to finish the SLDL's because I could not deal with the head rush so I will try and get those in tomorrow. Everything else was finished but at a lighter weight. All I want to do now is take some asprin and go to bed.

Later
 
End of week update

Week 1, day 3, phase 2
This day was much better than the day before since my food intake was where it needed to be. Seemed like all my energy was back and all the exercises felt good.

week1, day 4, phase 2
This is my circuit and my first "no carb" day. I was not able to do all the exercises in the circuit fashion. Too many people in the gym to move between all the machines so I had to do two sets of mini circuits. I did half the exercises first and then the other half next. I DID get all the sets and exercises done. I will need to add in more protien next time because my total calories for the day were a little off.

I need to add a second no carb day next week. I would also like to know if I can eat fruit on my no carb day?????
 
"a no carb day" means no breads, rice, or anything calorie carb dense

stick with greens and other vegetables which do have carbs for some energy


you may have 1 piece of fruit on this day and all days

I know this is hard :) but you will be a changed man by the end

and remember you may go back to normal eating when done:)
 
Week 2 of Phase 2

I have been short on time so this is a summary of the week.

I started playing around with the weights this week based off some of the new information and questions that were asked. I lowered my weights on the first two sets and it allowed me to increase the weights on the rest of the sets by a good margin with few exceptions. I guess in the past my first two sets just had me to exhausted for the heavier ones. This is probably due to the fact I was using the heaviest weight possible for them.

My body weight seems to be still be hovering just below the 230lb mark. To be honest the last time I was that low I lost a ton of strength with the weight. That does not seem to be the case this time. I actually look and feel leaner. Its amazing what happens when you do something the proper way for a change. My only body measurement that has gone down is my stomach. My arms are 1/8 larger and chest is over 1.5 inches larger. I actually consider this a great feat since I have lost over 10lbs of body weight.

My diet has been about 95% this week.
My sleep has been fewer hours than normal so I have been dragging a$$ most of the week. All of the work outs have been done and once in the gym my energy level goes into high gear. I still wish there was a way to go 2 days on, 1 off, 2 on and 2 off. The 3 days in a row are murder on the sleep and rest (HINT, HINT, HINT).

Sorry I can not be more active on the posting.

Later
BL2
 
Week 3,Phase 2

It seems that its all starting to come together. I guess the results of the supplements and the training have really made a difference in the past 2 weeks. I have been getting all the workouts in but changed the schedule up a little. I go Sun, Mon, Tue and Thur now. This seems to help with my rest and recovery. As far as the diet goes, wwweeellll it was only about 70% this past week. I have also bounced back up to around 232 and the waist is still the same size. YEA!!! I have not been concentrating on the amount of weight the past couple of weeks but more on the feel. Making sure the target muscle is getting all the work and taking the reps nice and slow with an even tempo. Very Very pleased with the results to date.
 
Excellent work!

:) keep at it, so long as your belt size does not increase ALL is well

it is very possible to add LBM while losing fat, with the scale getting heavier
 
Well last week went to $hit. Day 1 went very well, hit every exercise and felt great. Then came along day 2. On the leg press I ran into a problem that has happened a few times in the past. It feels like I pinched a nerve in my lower back on the right side. Needless to say except for leg ext and leg curls everything else was out. I still do not know why it happens but it can not be the weight. I was only at 270lbs and that is almost half of what I would have finished up with. I still have the lingering pain but I only feel it if I try the leg press, squat or SLDL, so those are out this week also. I will still be able to get 4 days in this week but no legs.

Now for the diet or lack of last week. Between turning 40 on Friday and the superbowl on Sunday it was not that great on the food side. I was back on track today and should be good to go from here.

If you have any ideas on my back issue please let me know.

BL2
 
Darn I could have sworn I posted at the beginning of the week, oops.
I changed the order of the work outs for this week putting legs later in the week just to give my lower back a little longer to recover. I have not been posting up the weights used in a while because I have been totally focused on the reps, timing and form. A few have gone up quite a bit. One are rows are at 155lbs for 8 on the last set, and smith machine militarty press was at 175lbs for 8. For me thats pretty decent numbers.

My body weight is still hovering around 232 to 234. My upper chest seems to be my biggest improvement so far. It seems that the way I was doing bench in the past had way too much trap and shoulder involvement and once this was fixed the chest seemed to just thicken. I do have to admit that I am disappointed with my arm development as far as size improvement, BUT the shape seems to have changed on the area at the elbow. Before it did not have much of a defined roundness to it but its there now. With this little change in shape it does make them look bigger even though it only been a 1/4 inch improvement. To be honest its all about the look anyway.

I will be starting my phase 3 in about 7 days because I need to do some shopping first. I figured it was better to wait than not have everything and start improperly.

Diet has been hit and miss this week because of meetings
 
Another week down! For some reason I seem to be getting stronger over the past 3 weeks than on the previous ones. Everything seems to going in a nice grove and I actually want to stay on phase 2 for a few more weeks just to let it play out before going to phase 3. I do have to admit that the diet was total $hit this week. Really there was no way not to get drunk while at the Van Halen concert. So with the hang over my diet went down hill from there.

Omega, now I have a concern about a physical I will be taking in a few weeks. Every year I have complete blood work done. Four years ago some levels were out of wack because of some of the supplements I was taking. Since then I have always stopped any supplements 2 weeks before to get accurate results. The main problem was the liver values. I am thinking that I may need to lay off the creatine and lower the protein for the next few weeks to normalize the levels. What do you think???
 
creatinine level may be elevated to your supp use, but I see no other red flags



continue the great work, no end time just enjoy
 
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