Traning: Thursday, July 26th 2012

BODY-WEIGHT THIS MORNING: 202 lbs

NUTRITION: Morning extended overnight fast until mid-afternoon. Carbs higher through afternoon/evening.

SYNOPSIS OF MY SHORT-TERM GOALS: I'm currently eating and training to gain a little more muscle while maintaining my current body fat percentage of around 7 to 8% before I start to cut for the October Physique contests I plan on entering. I especially want to add some muscle weight to my go-go-gadget arms, front delts, chest and calves. With no weight limits in the NPC Men's Physique Division, only height classes (up to 5'7", 5'8" to 5'10", and over 5'10"), my ideal body-weight target is only governed by aesthetically how I carry the weight and in what proportions. This mean's I can concentrate more on what weight class I want to powerlift in, since I plan on doing these competitions pretty close to each other. My strength and weight has been steadily increasing over the past few weeks of training hard, and while weight gain past 200 lbs has always been very difficult for me, I'm attributing this new progress to the couple months of taking it easy after over a year without much of a break. If this progress continues as I work hard, I'd like to reach a competition weight of a little over 200 lbs at the physique contest date. That means carbed up (glycogen supercompensation) I would be competing around 210 to 215 lbs in a powerlifting meet and could easily cut for a 24 hour weigh-in to the 198 lb class, which will work perfect either a few weeks before or after the 2 Physique competitions. My only conmcern is if I switch federations (I currently have only competed in the APA) I may end up powerlifting in the new weight classes, where I'd be stuck choosing between a dangerous cut to 183 lbs (83 kg) or competing with bigger guys than me in the 205 lb class (93 kg), unless the meet has day of weigh-ins only. I know I'm rambling, but it's my blog, so go watch some internet porn if you don't like it.

TRAINING NOTES: I ended up doing a short evening training session at home with a set of bowflex selectable dumbell weights. I wanted to get in some extra hypertrophic arm work, done in an efficient time span, and the DB curl to press perfectly fits that. The higher rep set of goblet squats was just enough load to get some blood flowing in my legs to assist with recovery, along with providing some full body work.

WARM-UP:

• Foam Roll
• Quick Dynamic Stretching (shoulder mobilization)

GOBLET SQUATS (explosive, deep as possible, mostly to warm up): 90 lbs x 20 reps

DUMBELL CURL TO PRESS (strict form up to 60 lbs, then some body english with the curl part of the movement. Minimal push to the pressing part of the movement. Rests were 45 seconds to 1 minute on most sets):

• 40 lbs x 16 reps
• 40 lbs x 16 reps
• 50 lbs x 10 reps
• 50 lbs x 10 reps 
• 60 lbs x 8 reps
• 60 lbs x 8 reps
• 70 lbs x 6 reps
• 80 lbs x 4 reps
• 90 lbs x 2 reps

FOAM ROLL AND STATIC STRETCH: 20 minutes. Did this stretch, shown by the occasionally useful Chaz Poliquin, using the foam roller after working over the knots in my back with it:

And for everone (err... I guess for just the guys) that actually read this instead of abandoning my rambling post to watch internet porn, here's a thank you:

 

That's Jamie Eason, my friend Wes' favorite model. It's true she's not nearly as smoking hot as my girlfriend, but hey, that's why it's great to be me, lucky sand-baggin son-of-a-bitch that I am.

Training: Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Body weight this morning: 201 lbs

Nutrition: Carbs higher through afternoon/evening.

Notes: And another late day. Got to the gym at 10:30 pm with just enough time to do some heavy work before they closed at 11pm.

WARM-UP:

• Foam Roll
• Quick Dynamic Stretching (some leg swings and hip/groin stretches)

GOBLET SQUATS (explosive, deep as possible, mostly to warm up): 90 lbs x 20 reps

PULLUPS (overhand, medium grip, explosive): 18 reps

DEADLIFT (conventional stance, explosive, reset after each rep, 2-5 minute rests):

• 315 lbs x 4 reps (double overhand grip)
• 405 lbs x 3 reps (double overhand grip)
• 425 lbs x 3 rep (alternate grip)
• 545 lbs x 1 rep (alternate grip)
• Gloat that I'm on my way to 6 wheels
• Leave the gym as it closed with an especially stylish swagger

Here's video from today of my 545 lb pull:

Training: Monday, July 23rd

Body weight in the morning: 196 lbs

Nutrition: After some weekend intermittent fasting, carbs increased leading up to workout.

Notes: It's another busy week. I went to the gym later than usual, around 10 pm (they close at 11 pm). Wasn't a great workout, but I put the work in.

WARM-UP:

• Foam Roll
• Quick Dynamic Stretching (some leg swings, hip/groin stretches, shoulder mobilization, )
• Tricep and forearm static stretches specifically for tendonitis issues
• Squat (medium stance, medium speed, deep squat, pause/stretch on the bottom; often substitute Goblet Squats): 135 lbs x 14 reps

PULL UPS (overhand, medium grip, medium speed): 10 reps

JUMP SQUATS (medium stance, explosive, deep as possible, ~45 sec rests, with pull-ups between some sets):

• 135 lbs x 6 reps
• 225 lbs x 4 reps
• 225 lbs x 4 reps
• PULL UPS (overhand, wide grip, explosive concentric speed): 10 reps
• 275 lbs x 3 reps
• 315 lbs x 2 reps
• PULL UPS (overhand, medium/wide grip, explosive concentric speed): 10 reps

BACK SQUAT (wide stance, try for explosive concentric but end up grinding, parallel depth, 2-3 minute rests):

• 405 lbs x 2 reps
• 425 lbs x 1 rep
• 455 lbs x 1 rep

PULL UPS (overhand, medium/wide grip, explosive concentric speed): 10 reps

MEDIUM/NARROW GRIP PAUSED BENCH (inside power rings grip, pause on chest, pause on lock out, very explosive concentric, 1-2 minute rests, with light band pull-aparts between some sets)

• 135 lbs x 8 reps; 20 pull-aparts
• 185 lbs x 6 reps; 20 pull-aparts
• 205 lbs x 6 reps; 20 pull-aparts
• 225 lbs x 5 reps
• 275 lbs x 3 reps; 20 pull-aparts; no rest after this set
• 135 lbs x 16 reps 

PULL UPS (overhand, alternate medium and wide grip, explosive concentric speed): 2 sets of 10 reps

No PR's, didn't even hit any gym bests, but I got the work in even though it was late and I really didn't feel like it after running around all day. That's a good day at the gym.

Here's what those jump squats look like; this is a video from back around 6 months ago when I first started doing them:

Update: Time To Work

From April to June, I took it easy on my training and diet. My lifts went down a little, and my body fat went up some. It was a nice mental and physical break while I concentrated on some other things, ate like a sugar whore on a quest for diabetes, and only hit the gym a couple times a week. Early July I started getting my diet back under control with some new toggling approaches, expierimenting with intermittent fasting and carb-less post-workout, and started training hard again. My lifts are quickly creeping back up, and in the past 3 weeks I dropped a few percentage points of body fat (if I had to guess, from 10% to 7%). My abs once again can stand in for a wash board and my muscles are angry and hungry again.

I'm planning on doing a couple of NPC Physique Class shows in October, and I'm looking for a powerlifting meet to do around a month before and/or after those shows. The Physique Class bodybuilding show is the New England Men’s Physique Show at John Hancock Hall in Boston, MA on October 27th, along with an as yet unposted show a few weeks prior to that at Montanari Brother's Powerhouse Gym in New Haven, CT. The bodybuilding show's will be a new experience for me, and I'm looking forward to the journey to them. I refuse to sacrifice any strength on this journey, so it will be an interesting juggling act as I simultaneously hunt that 1400 lb raw powerlifting total before 2012 runs its course.


From here on I'll try to keep up more consistently with recording my training. Hopefully it helps someone with their programing, and it gives me some accountability in my training. I'm trying to find a readable format to record my workouts in; any input is appreciated.

My Current Training Stats

Here are some of my lifts at the gym at a body weight around 190 over the past few months. I'm 6' 2" with a short torso and long gorilla arms and stilts for legs. I also injured a muscle in my lower back January 20th. My physical therapist called it a muscle herniation, where the myofacial tissue tears and the muscle pops through. While it looked hideous, it wasn't incredibly painful, and it healed fairly quickly, but slowed my progress for a month or two. Here are the videos starting with most recent first:

March 22nd, 2012 - 295 lb Reverse Grip Bench Press:

When I can't chew solid food anymore, and you notice I look a little different, this will be why. Other than the risk of rearranging my face, reverse-gripping feels so much better on my shoulders. I definitely have more in me but my triceps and tendonitis were giving me some trouble. Incidentally all of my current problems like elbow and patella tendonitis are most certainly caused by my complete lack of any flexibility work. While becoming Gumby would be counter productive to my goals and hurt my strength, my current level of inflexibility is well beyond that line and needs immediate attention on my part.

 

March 20th, 2012 - 585 lb Deadlift From 18":

 The camera angle's horrible, but I'm pulling from the bottom pin on a power rack, a couple inches below my knees. With my height (6' 2") and long legs I feel the carry over to pulling from the floor is very good as long as the rack pull is from below my knees. It was an unfamiliar start position, and the bar didn't flex resting on pins the way it normally does with the plates on the ground, so it took me a couple tries to find my groove, but then the weight went up relatively easy.

March 16th, 2012 - 495 lb Zercher From Pins:

Hit a PR on Zercher Squats this day. It was oddly similar to my last relationship: hurt like hell and not quite as fulfilling as I thought it'd be. In all seriousness you do get a little more used to the pain of holding the bar like this with practice. I find the discomfort makes me pull harder and more aggressively. It's my go to lift when I'm pissed off and need to let it out on the iron. To me, this lift feels like a mix between a deficit deadlift and a front squat, and I find it a valuable exercise with good carry over to other similar more conventional lifts.

March 13th, 2012 - 545 lb Deadlift:

This was my 2nd time pulling since back injury January 20th. My lower back strength is slowly getting better. Body weight is in the low 190's here.

March 9th, 2012 - 495 lbs x2 Deadlift:

This was my first time deadlifting in almost two months after tearing the myofacial fiber in a lower back muscle. I was actually a little scared even though I felt fully recovered. I ended up not pushing it past 495 lbs, but it felt easy for a double and I definitely felt I could do more.

March 6th, 2012 - 495 lb Back Squat (a couple inches high): 

After failing with this weight 2 days before, I figured I'd give this 495 lb squat PR another try. Ended up doing it, and pretty easily, but very sloppy and a bit high. I've been trying to save my svelte narrow hips by squatting a little more narrow but my leverages work much better with a wider stance like this. This was pretty much the extent of my workout, with maybe 50 or 60 pullups throughout my squat warm ups and sets to stretch my back and get a little upper body work in. I'm weighing about 192 lbs here.

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February 17th. 2012 - Testing My Back With Squat Partials:
4 weeks after tearing the myofacial tissue in my lumbar lower back, my trusted chiropractor gave me the go ahead to start working up to some heavier weights again. He said "Jonny, I want you to slowly start working up in weight and see how you feel."  I heard "do a quick warm up and see if I'm invincible again yet"...

Indroduction

Please visit The Harder I Work The Luckier I Get for my blog on lifting, diet, and life. This blog is more of a no frills personal log of my training. I'll start updating this blog more as time goes on but for now I'm getting my other one up and running so visit me there.