Jay’s BodyBlog

I’ve started a new workout plan this week and the goal is to add a few more pounds of muscle before the end of the year.  I believe the math is one pound of lean muscle per month, so I’m going to try and be an overachiever.  The order of my workout isn’t going to change: Day 1 Back, Day 2 Chest, Day 3 Abs and Cardio, Day 4 Legs, Day 5 Shoulders, Day 6 Arms and Day 7 Abs and Cardio.  I’ve cut back on the number of exercises and am limiting warmup sets to force the weight early and often (6-12 rep range).  I’ve seen size improvement from the first off-season workout program and feel like the plan will get me close to next years goal (a Pro-Card).  All the workouts are in my "workout tracker" and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.  Wish me luck!

I’ve made some changes and it’s still really challenging!  I’m on the second time through this 7 day workout cycle and don’t feel like you need to be at the gym everyday to follow this program, I’m not.  I’ve started putting details to each workout in the forum under each individual workout (just wrote about the "arm" workout under biceps and triceps).  Take a look to get more information if you see something you like from my Workout Tracker but need more.  I’ve tried to make the workouts more fun with a calorie burn.  Keep the pace moving and don’t take to long between exercises!  Good luck and feel free to ask questions if you dare give it a try!

Jay Falcone

Intensity is the key to every workout!

I’m going to start a recipe log of some of my favorite snacks that can be incorporated into any meal plan.  Today’s creation is a brownie recipe I got from my brother when I told him the diet was getting to me.

Ingredients:

1 scoop (1 half serving) Muscle Asylum Project (MAP) - Freak Fix Whey Protein Powder - Chocholate Milkshake

1/4 cup - (1 half serving) - Instant Oatmeal

Mix together with water until slightly soupy and put in the microwave on high for 2 minutes (There is your Brownie)

Add 2 TBSP of PowerButter (1 half serving) - the best Peanut Butter on the Planet!

Slice up some fresh strawberries on top about 2.5 oz

Your snack just gave you about 375-400 calories  (28 g Carbs./ 31.5g Prot./ 15 g Fat)

The key is balance at every meal!  Enjoy!

Now that I came onto the seen in Natural bodybuilding and won the novice division, if I want to compete for my Pro Card in the INBF/WNBF, I have some weaknesses that I have to work on.  I need bigger Lats, Chest and Biceps and compete in the lightweight (under 165lbs.) division and win the all around at any event.  My legs even shocked me!  My core abs and shoulder/back were great!  Now is the time to get focused on adding the muscle before the end of the year.  I’m bringing my calorie intake up from pre-comp 1600-1800 calories (150g carb./225g prot./ 25-35g fat) to 2100-2500 calories (225g carb./ 225-250g prot./ 50~g fat).  The workouts (2009 Fall Strength in the Workout Tracker) are designed at changing it up and working harder on my weaknesses while fine tuning my strengths!  I believe a workout plan should be changed every 6-8 weeks.  It’s the slight changes in angles that will effect the small muscles supporting the big muscle groups.  The way you lift should also change.  If you start with flat bench and you do 4 sets of 15, the next workout plan, do a warmup set of 15 followed by a max out set and then decreasing the weight while increasing the reps (shock the body) for 5 sets.  People to often plateau by doing the same workout and wondering why they can’t improve.  I will finish this workout plan in November 2009 and then switch it up one more time before increasing the cardio and cutting the calories as I lose weight getting ready for the first show in March/April 2010.  Wish me luck and don’t be afraid to make suggestions or ask questions.  Remember, Intensity is the key to every workout!

I’ve changed my diet over the last 2 weeks and have seen great strides of improvement in body composition.  I still feel as though I’m not doing enough cardio.  The new workouts are designed for 30 - 45 minutes of lifting followed by  20 - 30 minutes of cardio.  This is to ensure I get some cardio in everyday.  My goal is to double up on cardio 3 days a week minimum to try and burn the extra fat in time for the summer.  The new workouts are labeled in the workout tracker under "June - July 2009".  Take a look and don’t be afraid to ask questions. 

I’ve decided to go for it!  Drop around 12 lbs in 6 weeks and it’s going to be a stretch.  Changed the diet, amped up the workouts and added a whole lot of cardio.  The workout I’m currently doing is "2009 Spring" and it’s in my workout tracker.  Take a peek and don’t be afraid to tweek it.  Added a 20 - 40 minute cardio session to every day.  If I need a day of rest, I’ll just go to double on the cardio sessions (A.M. and P.M.).  So far so good.  Falcone-37 has been tweeking my diet and getting me a good balance of protein, carbs and fat.  Salt played a big part in my recent change in weight.  We’ll see, but I feel good and am already seeing changes.  I almost feel good enough to post some update pictures.  Stay tuned…

When I completed the P90X workout system I was in the best shape I’ve been in since college.  Since then, I got a little lazy, falling into a bit of a rut.  I’m now focused and back on track with a new workout I wrote.  It’s called "2009 Spring," which I built into my workout tracker.  It’s 4 days of lifting and 2-3 days of cardio and abs.  I’m tring to incorporate the    P90X body control philosophy with a traditional lifting regimen. Day 1 (Back & Traps), Day 2 (Kenpo or Kick Boxing), Day 3 (Chest & Delts), Day 4 (Legs & Calves), Day 5 (Cardio or Yoga X), Day 6 (Arms) and Day 7 (Abs and Plyometrics).  This should keep me busy for the next 5-6 weeks.  Stay tuned…

I completed the P90X workout plan and wanted to integrate the workout into what I was doing before.  In the early stages of rebuilding my muscles, I focused on strictly lifting 2-3 days a week with some cardio.  The progression was then 4 days a week to 5 then 6-7.  I then went onto a 5 strength and 5 endurance plan that I changed up to keep hitting the muscles at different angles.  At that point, I felt I had enough to try P90X.  That’s how tough it is!  In my best days from college, I could never do 15-20 pull-ups in a set, which I now do with excellent form and full range of motion.

Now the task is to find a way to keep lifting a peice of the workout plan but also incorporate Yoga, Kenpo and Plyos to keep flexibilty and agility. I have not gone for a run since I started the P90X system so, it was nice to hop on the treadmill for 5 minutes before lifting yesterday.  If I change the cardio as well as the lifting workout, I should always be able to stay interested, which is all any of us want.  If you want ideas to change your workout, go to the workout tracker and look at some of the routines.  I will try to post a plan once I finish constucting it.  Wish me luck!

The P90X program is very challenging but it will change the way you look at yourself.  I just finished the program and started doing some of the bonus DVD’s.  They are 45 minutes of intense cardio.  I’m using the bonus tapes on my none lifting days.  4 days are devoted to lifting and 2-3 days of cardio/yoga.  During the P90X workouts, I would burn 3000-6000 calories per week using a Polar Heart monitor to keep track.  I already had the size, so this workout was perfect for creating the tight lean muscle and strong abs I was looking for.  My twin brother is a body builder and pros were tring to convince me to compete after recently going to a training seminar in Massachusetts with Nancy Andrews (www.neclassic.com).  I don’t know if I would ever compete because I see the dedication that goes into every event, though it was nice to hear.  Any questions about the system, just ask

Jay

The transformation is amazing!  The pull-ups are clean (all the way up and all the way down), the punches are more forceful and the body control is much improved.  The last Leg and Back workout, I completed 8 sets of pull-ups for a total of 97 reps.  I had to take breaks just to let my heart rate come down and burned 1176 calories in 1 1/2 hour.  The harder you push the workout, the better the results!  It will be an off week for the holiday’s with one of my favorite workouts: "Core Synergistics" twice.  The weight lose is starting again and I’m sure it will be a tough week to keep it off.   These workouts are designed for strength building and fat burning.  You may not gain weight, but you will certainly lower your body fat %.