Al–1961’s BodyBlog

Well the Chocolate Monster attacked last night!  I tried to run for my life, but he pinned me to the ground and force fed me! 

Too bad I can’t use that excuse.  Mr. Wuss Boy here chowed again on some remaining Valentine’s Day chocolate last night.  So………it’s Day 47 of heavy cycle, and back to day 1 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  Time to climb back on that horse I fell off of the past few days.  NEVER GIVE UP!  NEVER GIVE IN!     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  I did 3 different heavy exercises (5-8 reps, with 45-60 sec’s rest), 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different light exercises (10-15 reps, with 15-30 sec’s rest), until through all 5 different exercises.  Then start back on the 1st heavy exercise again, as follows: 

DELTS:  The 3 heavy sets were military press with curl bar, Arnold dumbbell overhead presses, & military press with straight bar.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell front raises & dumbbell lateral raises.  1 set per exercise, going through all 5 as noted above, then start over, for 4 total sets.     TRICEPS:  The 3 heavy sets were curl bar tricep extensions, close grip bench press, & cable reverse tricep extensions.  The 2 light sets were dips & dumbbell reverse tricep extensions.  Rotation for 4 total sets.  Wrapped up weights with 4 quick sets of dumbbell front raises for delts, each set supersetted with cable reverse tricep extensions, 30 sec’s rest. 

CARDIO:  25 min’s of interval running on the treadmill.  Heartrate 160-170.  

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

My daughters woke me up Saturday morning with Valentine’s Day cards & chocolate.  And, yes, I succombed.  I’m such a wuss when it comes to my daughters…….and being a fiend for chocolate.  This carried over to Sunday night as well, with a church small group get together & lots of goodies:  brownie cheesecake, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip brownies, etc. etc.  The Gladiator Warrior was not battle ready……..more like getting ready for winter hibernation!  

Day 46 of heavy cycle, and now day 1 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  My wife & I had an great Valentine’s Day.  We went to one of our favorite restaurants for Lebanese/Mediterranean cuisine, then rented a movie that was very appropriate for the holiday, Fireproof.  I recommend this movie about the true nature of love……..it’s not based on emotion or chemistry, but a determination of the will. 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  Still on heavy cycle.  I did 3 different heavy exercises (5-8 reps, with 45-60 sec’s rest), 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different light exercises (10-15 reps, with 20-30 sec’s rest), until through all 5 different exercises.  Then start back on the 1st heavy exercise again, as follows:

LATS:  The 3 heavy sets were close grip cable pulls, bentover barbell rows, & wide grip cable pulldowns.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell bentover rows & over the head dumbbell lat pulls.  1 set per exercise, going through all 5 as noted above, then start over, for 5 total sets.

CARDIO:  40 min’s of varying intervals, on the elliptical.  Heartrate 155-170.  

Here’s repeat of a quote from last week.  I’m putting this baby into practice today!  "Failure is an event.  It IS NOT a person.  Yesterday really did end last night, and today is a brand new day."  Very helpful prescription for when we have a bad diet day, etc….. 

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

KILLER WORKOUT THIS MORNING.  Day 44 of heavy cycle, day 12 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  I’m back to the heavy/light routine, and kicked my butt again.  This heavy/light rotation is great.  Clean eating yesterday, however, I did munch on some multi-grain crackers right after dinner last night.  Combo of stress & being more hungry lately.  At least it wasn’t junkfood, just more than I should have had.  Maybe that gave me some extra oomph for this morning’s workout.     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  I did 3 different heavy exercises (5-8 reps, with 60 sec’s rest), 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different light exercises (10-15 reps, with 20-30 sec’s rest), until through all 5 different exercises.  Then start back on the 1st heavy exercise again, as follows:

CHEST:  I did 1 set of flat bench, then 1 set of decline bench, then 1 set of incline bench, then 1 set of flyes (varied between flat, incline or decline), then another set of different flyes.  Then I started back at flat bench again.  I did this rotation 5 times, for 5 sets in all.    CARDIO:  5 min’s of warm-up running intervals, then 30 min’s of running intervals on the treadmill.  Heartrate 160-175.  Sweatsville & Endorphin City!     

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  "Failure is an event.  It IS NOT a person.  Yesterday really did end last night, and today is a brand new day."  Very helpful prescription for when we have a bad diet day, etc…..

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

Day 43 of heavy cycle, day 11 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  Going strong since the Super Bowl food galore binge fest………..another clean diet day yesterday.  I did have something to eat last night after dinner……..but it was a protein bar with low sugars/carbs.     

The workout this morning was so-so, which was leg day.  I’ve taken over 2 months off from doing very much with weights on legs, and boy it showed!  Not a lot of endurance, which is ironic since I do cardio 4-6 days a week, which involves the legs.  And the amount of weight was way down.  So I didn’t go 100% or do the heavy/light routine that has been killer this week with upper body……….I do want to be able to walk tomorrow without crutches…….     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  LEGS:  Squats on Smith Machine, leg extensions, leg curls, calves, leg presses, dead lifts & a few more leg extensions.   ABS:  3 sets of situps, 3 sets of crunches with 10 lb wt.  Wrapped up with a couple of easy sets of lunges, with 25 lbs in each hand.  

Not my best workout performance, but as always…….

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

Day 42 of heavy cycle, day 10 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  STILL clean on the diet.  Gladiator Warrior discipline is keepin’ on keepin’ on…….And my chest is still sore 2 days later, from this heavy/light routine.     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  I did 3 different heavy exercises (5-8 reps, with 60 sec’s rest), 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different light exercises (10-15 reps, with 20-30 sec’s rest), until through all 5 different exercises.  Then start back on the 1st heavy exercise again, as follows: 

DELTS:  The 3 heavy sets were military press with curl bar, Arnold dumbbell overhead presses, & military press with straight bar.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell front raises & dumbbell lateral raises.  1 set per exercise, going through all 5 as noted above, then start over, for 5 total sets.

TRICEPS:  The 3 heavy sets were curl bar tricep extensions, close grip bench press, & reverse cable tricep extensions.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell tricep extensions & dumbbell behind the head raises.  Rotation for 5 total sets.  

CARDIO:  21 min’s HIIT, varying intervals, on the elliptical.  Heartrate 165-170.  

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

Ego boost & positive motivation!  One of the spin class/boot camp trainers at the gym asked me this morning if I was a competitive runner, since he had observed me running on the treadmill.  (I usually do interval sprints)  I laughed as I told him that I don’t like running/jogging, and I’ve run only 1 race in my life…….a 10K in San Francisco back in 1991, when I was stationed there in the Navy.  Oh, and yesterday was another clean diet day, no nighttime munching….or even eating after dinner.     

The new routine I started yesterday is killer.  I usually don’t feel much soreness until the next day, but I was already pretty sore last night from yesterday morning’s chest workout.  And this morning, it kicked my butt again on lats & biceps.     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  Still on heavy cycle.  I did 3 different heavy exercises (5-8 reps, with 60 sec’s rest), 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different light exercises (10-15 reps, with 20-30 sec’s rest), until through all 5 different exercises.  Then start back on the 1st heavy exercise again, as follows:

LATS:  The 3 heavy sets were close grip cable pulls, bentover barbell rows, & over the head dumbbell lat pulls.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell bentover rows & wide grip cable pulldowns.  1 set per exercise, going through all 5 as noted above, then start over, for 5 total sets.

BICEPS:  The 3 heavy sets were curl bar curls, close grip curl bar curls, & wide grip curl bar curls.  The 2 light sets were dumbbell curls & reverse grip dumbbell curls.  Rotation for 5 total sets.  

CARDIO:  22 min’s HIIT, varying intervals, on the elliptical.  Heartrate 160-170.  

ABS:  3 quick sets of crunches, with 10 lb wt. 

I’m liking this heavy/light routine.   Have a great day.  

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!       

PRIORITIES & PERSPECTIVES.  This weekend I thought about my goals & priorities.  Lately I believe I have put too much of my energy into trying to lean out, and not enough energy into family, work, etc.  I don’t plan to change the M-F early morning workout schedule, but I do need to remember what this is all about, at least for me.  It is to enhance & enrich my life, relationships, etc…..not to become my primary focus.   I doubt I’ll look back at age 80 or 85 and see that getting a lean & shredded physique as the highlight of my life.  But I would look back with regret if I did so at the expense of family, relationships, faith, etc.  So…….with that in mind: 

GLADIATOR (Day :  The weekend was Gladiator Warrior clean.  I did munch on some extra pretzel crackers at lunch & after lunch yesterday, but the diet was clean all weekend, and no after dinner munchies.  The weekend was a 2-day rest, but I did go for a leisurely bike ride with the family yesterday afternoon. 

WORKOUT THIS MORNING:  I’m doing another change-up this week, but still on heavy cycle.  I tried a new rotation that I’ve never done before.  I did 3 different bench exercises, 1 set per exercise, then moved to the next, and next, and then did 2 different flyes, until through all 5 different exercises.  Then I went back to the 1st bench exercise again, as follows.  And it kicked my butt!     

CHEST:  Bench exercises (5-8 reps per set & 60 sec’s rest) followed by flyes (10-15 reps per set & 20-30 sec’s rest).  I did 1 set of flat bench, then 1 set of decline bench, then 1 set of incline bench, then 1 set of flyes (flat, incline or decline), then another set of different flyes.  Then I started back at flat bench again.  I did this rotation 5 times, for 5 sets in all.   

CARDIO:  35 min’s of interval runs on the treadmill.   Heartrate 155-170.   Then finished up with 6 quick sets, alternating between 3 sets each of decline pushups (feet on bench) & incline flyes.  20-sec’s rest between sets. 

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

Weekend Warrior rest day.  Day 38 of heavy cycle, day 6 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  And…….another clean diet day yesterday.     

The Gladiator Warrior battle for the weekend is to eat clean clean clean…….No formal workouts planned.  May do some leisurely biking with the family if time permits.  Here’s a pic of one of the reasons I have to stay in shape……these 2 cuties will be adolescents when I’m in my mid-late 50’s………YIPES!        

Have a great weekend.  And remember…..

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!    

Great cardio this morning….does a heart good.  Day 37 of heavy cycle, day 5 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  Another clean diet day yesterday.  The Warrior is getting ready for battle…….     

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  BICEPS:  7 sets of curl bar curls (5-8 reps) with last 3 sets supersetted with dumbbell curls (10-12 reps).   Then 6 sets of straight bar curls (5-8 reps) with last 2 sets supersetted with dumbbell curls (10-12) resps.    CARDIO:  Kicked it up a notch today…….22 min’s sprint intervals on the treadmill, heartrate 170-175, followed by 15 min’s of intervals on the elliptical, heartrate 170-175.  This was Sweat City!    ABS:  2 sets of crunches with 10 lb wt, 2 sets of situps, then 2 sets of crunches with 10 lb wt.  

Great start for Friday.   I’m still noticing lots of hunger each day.  Combo of clean eating & heavier lifting is working its magic I hope………Have a groovacious weekend.     

Just getting to the gym IS a successful workout!!     

Another "wheaties" day……great workout.  Day 36 of heavy cycle, day 4 of Gladiator Warrior clean eating.  Yesterday’s diet was clean clean clean.   I’ve noticed that I’ve been much more hungry the past week.  I’m hoping this is a combo of clean eating & heavy lifts…..burning the fat & building some muscle.  

WORKOUT THIS MORNING  —  DELTS:  6 sets of military press with a curl bar (5-8 reps), last 2 supersetted with dumbbell lateral raises.  Next, 6 sets of front dumbbell raises (5-8 reps), last 2 supersetted with dumbbell lateral raises.  Then 5 sets of straight bar military press (5-8 reps), again the last 2 supersetted with dumbbell lateral raises.    CARDIO:  22 min’s HIIT on the elliptical.  Heartrate 170-175 and out of breath!   Finished things up with 6 quick sets of dumbbell lateral raises (30 sec’s rest), the last 2 supersetted with Arnold overhead dumbbell presses.   

Man-o-man it was a great start to the day.  Have a blessed day. 

JUST GETTING TO THE GYM IS A SUCCESSFUL WORKOUT.