Bulldog92’s BodyBlog

Had my photographer take a couple of pics of my arms today to compare with the one like 2 months ago.  Those were the Cellucor "start" photos back on the 19th of March.  I can honestly say that I was pretty surprised to see the difference.  Both sets were taken w/o a pump, just natural everyday look and …I liked what I saw.  I have been focusing on my arms and calves / shoulders / traps and abs.  Abs need more work (translation; diet needs work but is improving).  I can see the differences and I think the Cellucor has a good bit to do with it.  Don’t get me wrong, I have been blasting them, BUT… I think it is working nicely.  I pla n to cycle off of it for a couple of months then give it a try again.  Will be switching to the Muscle Tech NaNO Vapor and the micronized creatine for a while. 

I know the pool in my subdivision will bo opening soon and I think I have a decent start on the summer training program.  It is easier for me to eat right in the summer for some reason.  I love to grill and cook steaks and chicken and vegatables on the grill like asparagus.  I am glad the weather is getting better here and that summer is coming. 

Getting back with it as far as the diet.  Amazing how a little progress is motivating and makes you want more and "helps" with the discipline.  I think I am back on track. 

Keep pressing friends.  You guys are a big help with the motivation thing as well. 

WHY is it so hard to stay disciplined?  Went on vacation for a week to TX and let the diet slip a bit…lots of fajitas.  Now that I am back at home, it is tough to get back to the discipline that I had before I left.  I know I just need to do it and stop whining about it.  But I can’t help but get frustrated at myself for not being able to get back in gear.  Have not been able to hit the gym b/c of work and schedules for the fam.  So I am taking a little break from here to re-cage and get my mind right in order to reach those lofty goals I have for myself. 

Ready to get back to the gym.  Needing to get back in gear….mentally.  WHy is this so hard? 

Took my PT test today.  Here are the results:

Waist measurement:  34 inches

Weight: 191 lbs

Pushups in 1 min: 50 (maxed it  for my age)

Situps in 1 min: 50 (maxed it for my age)

1.5 mile Run:  10 min 34 seconds (9:48 would have maxed it)

Still decent scores for an older guy but my run suffered b/c I haven’t been training to it.  Been lifting a lot and just jogging…no "1.5 mi training sprints" like I did last year a couple of months out to prep for it.  Oh well. 

Cellucor is just about complete with some good results…will post up some progress shots in a couple of weeks.  Still using the D5 fat burner and the M5 - Creatine, and NO - Preworkout mix.  Will post about that in a couple of weeks too.

Keep pressing friends! 

Today it begins.  I posted up my starting progress pics up on my profile.  Here are my broad goals for the next couple of months and what I will be targeting.  Overall, just get lean.  I think if I lean out in the middle…everywhere else will look bigger. 

1.  Lean out everywhere and reduce fat, especially in my midsection.  Work to get my abs more defined.

2.  Put some size on my calves (stuck at 15.5 inches).

3.  Add some size on my arms (stuck at 16 inches).

4.  Add some size to my shoulders and traps. 

Parts I am happy with but will continue to work.

1.  Chest & Quads.

I will be using the Cellucor M5 - Creatine/NO; P6 - Test booster; R3 - Post workout recovery; NO - preworkout; & D4 Fatburner.

I have a head start on my diet…I have been very good about that for the last 2 weeks in prep for this "start" and will continue it.  Will be doing cardio at least 3 days a week either running or actual biking or eliptical trainer.  I always hit the weights hard so that part is easy for me.

Lets see if the combo of all of this with these new sups really work.  We will find out if they are worth the money. 

I started this morning at the gym with legs.  Off and running…

Hi Friends.  I will be giving Cellucor a try starting on 20 Mar 09 and going thru 30 Apr 09.  I plan on using the supps M5, P6, R3, and D4 for a little over a month. 

A few weeks ago, I requested the 4 day free samples from the company and was pleased with how I looked and felt after those 4 days. (Really.)  I told a workout partner that I felt like Superman after that 4-days and he said "It is probably that s*it you’ve been taking."  …I think he was right.  The combo of the 4 products produced some pretty noticable effects in the 4 day trial that I took them. 

The products were fairly expensive (about $290 for all four) but I figure if the results continue in the same way that the 4 day trial seemed to go…it would be worth it.  I hit a pleateau for a while strength wise and actually went backwards in that area.  Additionally, my diet was causing my progress to slow, progress that I was easily seeing early on.  I have been eating very clean for the past week (back on it ) in prep for starting the sups.  I plan on keeping the diet clean and being dicsiplined and "good" about my diet.  I also plan on snapping a few progress pics before I start and tracking any hopeful progress as the weeks pass.  I will keep it all documented here on my blog.

I know for me, my diet and my discipline in sticking with eating healthy 100% of the time is the hardest thing for me.  I seem to do well for a week and then fall back to old habits for a week.  Not conducive to really making a change in how I look.  So, I start again with some new focus and new determination.  My last blog had similar thoughts about "starting again…again" but I know for me, if I have spent this much money on something, I am way more likely to stick with the diet because of that one fact if nothing else.  So… starting 20 Mar…. here we go. 

Still working out hard but I have renewed focus with the diet and cardio.  For me, it is mostly about eating right and being disciplined with the cardio training.  I have no problems lifting hard and lifting pretty heavy but my issues deal with loving food.  In the South where I am from, food is the center of most gatherings and the center of social events.  I am talking good tasting, terrible for you foods.  I have not endulged with them much lately but for me the challenge is jsut staying disciplined with my choices.  When I do that…and I do the cardio, great things like a slimming waistline and semi-visible abs start to happen.  SO I re-learn and re-apply the lessons that I have learned over and over again and not suprisingly, they still work. 

So now, I am getting ready for spring and I am working to see those abs (all diet for me), and get rid of the little bit of fat around my waist.  It does not get easier as I get older, but my methodolgy is evolving into a more sustainable "long-term" focus. 

It is easy to get discouraged at times but we all just have to fight through those tough times and keep your eyes focused on the prize…better health and better looks and better fitting clothes.  Winter makes it more difficult for me, but keeping it going thru the winter and actually making some progress puts me way ahead when spring actually comes. 

more to follow…. 

It has been a while since I did a body fat check.  I use the link here and follow the directions on the web page to do it.  I use a Accu-Measure caliper and do a 5 spot check.  I plan on doing this at lease once every couple of months.  Still working hard on Challenge #5.   

 http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=31

Here were my reading yielding a 9.387% body fat on 12 Nov 2008. 

Chest: =  (diagonal fold midway b/w nipple and the crease of the under arm) = 9 mm

Suprailiac: (diagonal fold taken midway b/w hip joint & bottom of the rib cage) = 12 mm

Abdomen: (vertical fold taken one inch to the side of the belly button) = 10 mm

Thigh: (vertical fold taken halfway b/w knee joint & the hip joint) = 8 mm

Triceps: (vertical fold taken halfway b/w the elbow joint & the shoulder joint) = 3 mm

Gender: Weight: 187lbs Male Age: 38 yrs

Body fat: 9.378%;  Fat weight: 18 lbs;  Lean mass: 170 lbs

A buddy (PulgasStrongMan) extended me an invite to their 5th consecutive 3 month Challenge.  I was glad he did.  Ithink this will be very good for me and help keep me focused and accountable.  My goals are to gain at least a 1/2 inch on my arms and calves and continue leaning out my midsection.  I really want to see my abs, and I think with this challenge and new re-focus on a clean diet, and cardio at least 3 times a week (every other day or so) I should be able to do it.  The abs are there and they are nice and bumpy…but that little layer still keeps them from popping out.  These are my main goals for the next 3 months (1 Oct - 31 Dec) I will be posting pics regularly, using the same poses for camparison reasons.  If you have any pointers or reccomendations…let me know.  I hope you are doing well.  Keep at it friend.  There is light at the end of the tunnel. 

Have you ever been sick but still wanted to hit the gym but decided to give yourself (your body) a break.  Well, that has been me for the past several days.  I don’t mind taking a break, but I like to be sore all over from the weights before I do, not from sinus and coughing.  Anyway, I’ll be back on it tommorrow, I hope, after work.  My baby has been sick too, so it makes it hard to justify going to the gym when I feel like the family needs me.  I think we are all just about over it all now for which I am thankful.  Tomm will be a cardio (running) day then back.  Then starting Tues it will be every day hard for 4 days straight.  Those are my off days so I try to really push it on my "off from work days." 

I hope you are doing well.  Keep at it and try to keep the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish in mind.  Never lose sight of your ultimate goal.  Then let that goal and the desire to reach that goal motivate you to stick with it every day.  Make the tough choice to eat that halthy snack instead of the candy bar or sugar cola.  Get some help if you need to to develop a good solid plan…then stick with it and DO NOT QUIT.  If you get sick,   take a break and let yorself recover, then get back at it.  Good luck friend.  Keep pressing!  If you have some good advise…talk to me. 

Wow, I can hardly believe it was almost 4 months ago since my last post.  The past couple of months I have not been able to do it because of some technical issue that is finally resolved with the bb.com guys.  Thanks support team for the help. 

The training is going well.  Have not made the big strength gains that I saw early on so I think possibly I am at my natural strength level and plateau.  Gains now will come with very very hard work.  Which is good because I love tearing it up in the gym anyway.  I have started logging all my workouts in the workout tracker though.  Take a look if interested. 

The last blog detailed a plan that I more or less hold to but I do switch it up and move things around constantly to keep from getting into a "same ole routine" slump.  I am still hitting the calves and abs hard and really focusing on the diet.  I went the past 3 months pretty much eliminating cardio just to see if I could put on a little more muscle..no luck with gaining any weight.  I always hold b/w 185-192 lbs or so.  If I had my choice, I would choose to stay around 215-220lbs but at like 6-7% body fat.  Something on the order of Frank Zane in the early 80’s is the ideal in my mind.  A muscular, well porportioned physique is what I am really going for.  Still taking Whey protein and lots of veggies and lean protein and limiting bad carbs, no sugar, cake, ice cream (vanilla), or stuff like that.  I have been at this for about a year and 2 months now and I am pleased with my progress so far.  I am no where close to "content" with myself yet…but hey, it is a journey and I like it.  I often say I am on year 2 of a 5 year plan to look good with nothing on.  One day! Thanks for your interest.  Appreciate the support.  If you have any good pointers for me…please let me know. 

more later…