TRogers’ BodyBlog

Have not reached my goal of 10% BF in 2 years…I may never it seems, but I’ll be damned if I ever stop trying - something has to be screwed up in my body. Low thyroid, Sarcoidosis, something. I just have not been able to go below 200 lbs. My original goal of competing is Oct 2009 - this year too! Yet I have been hampered by the Sarcoidosis for about 14 months now. I just had a cardiac MRI done, came back fine. Had other cardiac tests and they are fine, but been having problems - must be anxiety/stress.

I know nutrition is the one thing I still don’t have down right, even though I think I do. This could be the trouble added on top of the other issues. Or it could be that I just don’t have the mental attitude to succeed. I better figure it out soon, October is coming. I only need to lose 30lbs too and I should be ready to compete. Damn. Wife makes it hard to when I don’t eat dinner with her, and have her food.

I have wasted 2 years of getting BIG by always trying to cut down…but I have to get the fat off the ABS first, then eat to get big. Can’t afford trainers around here - they want $70.00 an hour and up. Well, I’ll do what I can, that’s all I can do - but I can’t help but feel like a loser because of my failure….

Actually, I never really went anywhere…just have not kept up with this site or my videos on YouTube.

Wow, it’s really been almost a year since I posted here? I’ll have to change that right away. So much has changed since I last posted, where do I start?

We sold out house, moved 45 miles north of where we used to live, my oldest daughter moved out 2 hours away, my youngest daughter is in college in Western NY - trying hard to adjust to the empty nest, my cervical injury has healed and strength has returned to normal, I have avoided all injuries since then, I have struggled with Sarcoidosis symptoms all summer long, I have failed on my diet/fat loss goals, I had to change gyms with my move which made me adjust times and threw me all out of whack, but I have never stopped bodybuilding training though, and I still plan on competing for the first time in October 2009.

I am still sitting with about 30 lbs of fat on me that needs to take a hike (that should bring me to 10-11% bf, just where I want to be before the actual contest cut) - I have no excuses for my failure except that I did not stick to my nutrition plan I had envisioned. Sure, there were a ton of things going on in my life that I could blame this on, but it was MY choices that led to MY failure.

Though it is difficult to train for a contest alone, and not have a trainer to help and be held accountable to, and to sometimes struggle with heart palpitations during training (from Sarcoidosis or anxiety), which sometimes limits what I do and puts a fear in my head that I’m going to drop dead.

I have noticed that the REALLY GOOD natural bodybuilders that compete (even the Masters class peeps), are using trainers. So, can I really do this on my own? I’m going to have to with this economy. Will I get it done and done RIGHT this time? YES and YES to both! I’m back and more ready to make my goals and dreams a reality more than ever before!

Sunday I will update my measurements, poundages, and post my training routine. I will use the new Workout Tracker here to post my progress. I will take new BEFORE pics and take more along the journey. I will get some video taken and post to YouTube as well. I will get it done right this time. I will do this even if it takes me to the end of my life.

THE PLAN (to start)

PART 1

15 Weeks Fat Loss = 2lbs per week = 30 lbs –> GOAL!
Start 2000 Cals per Day and going down –> 50/35/15 Carbs Protein EFAs –> 6 meals per day
Cardio –> 4 Days (+) per week at 40 min each (2 days AM Cardio for Fat Loss alone, 2 days PM Cardio for Heart/Lung Endurance/Conditioning - Increasing Intensity)
PM Bodybuilding Training –> 3 Days Per Week (M-W-F) High Intensity Style split [1 set to failure after warmups] (Mon: Delts/Arms/ABS, WED: Chest/Back, FRI: Legs/Calves/ABS) Using Forced Reps, Static Holds, Negatives, Rest/Pause

PART 2

Lean Mass Building until time to contest cut (10-12 weeks out)
High Intensity Training with 2 days rest between BB days (to start - will increase)
Cardio 2-3 times per week 30 min
3000 Cals 60/25/15 Carbs Protein EFAs and building up –> 6 meals per day
Time to get putting my small, medium, long range goals in writing to repeat to myself every day.

Riker out!

Just wanted to get a quick note in here because it’s been a few weeks since I posted last.

Looks like my right shoulder injury is actually a cervical disc injury, as I have lost alot of strength in my right (dominate arm) bicep and all 3 heads of my delt - especially the rear delt, which has atrophied badly. A rotator cuff injury would not cause instant muscle weakness in the bicep especially. May be getting an MRI in a week or so.

It has been VERY difficult dealing with the loss of strength in the right arm, but I want you to know that I am STILL in the gym doing what I can to cut the BF and add muscle, AND trying to rebuild the lost strength. My relationship with God has taken a backseat for a few weeks now, bad thing I know. I’m not sure if I am blaming Him (subconsciously) for allowing this happen, or what. I have to re-focus immediately, and I will never give up the BB. I *WILL* overcome this, just as i did my low back disc injury, just have to give it proper time and training.

The Mentzer style strict HIT that I am starting Sunday will allow me to do just that - the 4/4 rep speed (or slower) should allow me to avoid any future injuries, gain strength fast, and GROW! I am going to shoot for my first contest, this coming September 27, 2008 - despite my injury. Just to be onstage IN GREAT CONDITION will be a major victory for me. Then I can focus on winning.

That’s all for now - I have not taken any video or pics lately, so I have no updates in that department, but they will be coming soon…

Well, have not kept up with my blog like I have wanted to. Life gets in the way too many times. With my job as a Systems Admin, moonlighting clients that I have, my family, time with God and my church, the days just whiz by and before I know it, it’s been almost a month since I last posted. But I’m here now to put in an update.

Since my renewed efforts at BF loss this year, I have dropped 9 lbs of fat in 3 weeks. I had to break into my latest BB Training routine slowly after a week off and because of my right supraspinatus injury, so I took it easy for the first 4 training sessions. By the end of the 4 training sessions, my right shoulder was not hurting at all even without the Aleve! Very happy! So then I ramp up the intensity and make my last sets go to positive failure. Well, after 2 of these sessions, my right shoulder is acting up again! Not a happy camper! Again, just when I am just starting to cruise along, this happens. So now I am wondering how to handle this so it does not become a chronic issue or worse down the road. After some careful analysis, I jsut cannot stay out of the gym, so I will back off on the training intensity, and go to positive failure with lower weights/higher reps for now, until fully healed. I am also incorporating 4 cable exercises specifically for the rotator cuff, that I do right after cardio in the AMs. Hopefully this will take care of it. Right after BB Training, I ice it down then apply some heat. When I finally do get on stage, it will be a victory in itself - with all the injuries and adversity I have faced trying to get this thing done. If people on the outside only knew the sacrifices we have to make for this, and the adversities to overcome…

I am hoping this will heal fully, quickly this time, so I can work my chest harder and I am going to go into a full, strict HIT routine, not "my version" of HIT. I’m looking forward to that, if the claims Ellington Darden make are true, I should be able to enter my first contest this coming October, and not in 2009 or 2010. We’ll see how it goes.

But my training on a more traditional BB training program currently is going well. I had to move my Sat night Training back to Fri night because I was too tired on Sat nights. Sleep and recovery are so important!

I’m happy the BF% is dropping as well as the lbs - The first 2 weeks I had only 1 cheat meal, the third week started off clean, then ended up a cheat 1/2 day. I weighed myself this morning to find out the scale was up 2 lbs. Lesson learned - next cheat MEAL in 2 weeks. I’m sure this 2 lbs is mostly water weight from the carbs, so my next weigh in I should be fine. I dropped my cals today to compensate also.

It’s funny how when you get cut up (or start to in my case), that you look bigger than when you were big but bulky. Amazing. I am looking bigger and people have mentioned it to me. I guess that explains why, when I see a BB on stage that looks like he is 200 lbs and find out he’s actually 160 lbs - it amazes me.

Doing Cardio 4x week before Meal 1, 3 of them are 40 min, 1 is 30 min. Cals per day currently are: 3 days on 2300, 1 day 2700 and start over. Doing a 40/40/20 but when I get on a strict HIT program, I will change to 60/25/15 reduced calorie nutrition plan. I want everything by the book to truly judge how this system will work for me.

Until later, train hard, train safe, seek Jesus - and BTW, I could use some prayers for shoulder healing. Thx!

Well, it’s finally 2008. Happy New Year to everyone. One of my "resolutions" this year is to blog more, like I did earlier last year. Here’s my first one…

For the last 6 weeks, my nutrition plan has not had any major structure, it has been more on the bulk side of things, as I was working my way through a 5×5 routine. Not good for losing BF, but I was burned out with trying that. Well, I have read a ton and learned alot of how nutrition works and just how important it is for 100% success, so my time "off" the nutrition plan was NOT wasted totally. No, I did not get alot fatter, I actually gained some muscle. It’s amazing how HARD work with HEAVY weights pays off, and the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. Nice trade off I’d say.

But now it is time to once and for all, get this BF down to the 10-12% area. I plan to keep it there once I hit it, and have just a little more to cut up come contest time. So the first 20-21 weeks of this year are dedicated solely to that task. There will be no more "Body for Life" cheat DAYS, only perhaps a Cheat Meal once every 2 weeks, IF that. I don’t need to lose a ton, just 25-30 lbs maybe, for this goal. I am all set with an organized Cardio routine and how/when to add more Cardio/drop starchy carbs from the menu. I am locked and loaded and ready for this…

Had a local newspaper do an interview about me and my bodybuilding goals this past week, and they came to take a photo at the gym. Well, that day I blew out my right shoulder doing Bench Press. It wasn’t anything all of the sudden, it kind of creeped up on me. I had been doing a 5×5 for 5 weeks so far and I began to notice that I would get some minor discomfort in my right shoulder if I slept on it. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Then this past Wednesday (2 weeks later), while doing heavy Bench Press (yes, I did warm up), I felt a mild pain in the back of my right delt/trap areas. I could still do my sets, and I completed the Bench Pressing, but each set it hurt a little more - but nothing major. I was able to complete the rest of the training session too. Press Behind Neck, Dips, Seated Calve Raise, and Rope Pulls.

Well, the next day, OUCH! Shoulder hurts good. I bowled Thursday night in some pain, but I could still bowl. Friday, hurt worse. Slowly getting better today, almost one week after, but still hurts. My doc looked at it quickly and said it’s NOT the rotator cuff. I worry I blew out a Cervical Disc in my neck, because if i bend my head backwards, I get a sharp pain in my rear delt. But if I sit and tip the head back, I don’t. I’m not sure what I did. Good thing this week was a semi-planned week off. I am hoping it will be healed enough to get back to the gym Sunday. I am going crazy not being in the gym. I am going to try to get into a Sports Orthpedic doctor this week to know for sure what I did. I just got my Bench Press up to 215 for reps also. I don’t want to have to stop that. My chest is the hardest for me to develop so I need to do Chest work.

Anyway, I plan to do a conventional BB routine for 4 weeks, A-B-A then B-A-B, then if my shoulder is ok, I am going to go back to HIT training Mentzer Style but as an A-B-A, B-A-B routine instead of 4 days off between each session. Also with a 4-2-4 rep cadence, and following all the other HIT Principles. This past year I did a Conventional BB Routine, a Modified Mentzer HIT routine (last set to failure), a Dumbell based routine with Left Side emphasis, then my 5×5 routine. My strength on the 5×5 went up every training session just about. It was great! I love pushing heavy iron, my leg press reached 540 lbs for 5×5, and my squats hit 340 lbs for 5×5. I have improved my body surprisingly well over the past year, but I think it could have been MUCH better. It’s hard fighting a disease, low thyroid, injuries, but well worth it. The one thing I have noticed about my injuries though - they heal alot quicker now than in the beginning. Here’s hoping this shoulder injury follows suit and heals quickly.

In one year, my strength in Bench Press went from about 65 lbs to 215 lbs, Squat from about 100 lbs to 340 lbs (simply amazing since I thought I would never squat again with my L5 Disc blow out), and from just the empty bar in the Leg Press to 540 lbs. Imagine if my strength does this again this year? It would be incredible. One step at a time though, heal my shoulder and get back into the gym with my sights set on Phase I - BF loss, then Phase II - Lean Mass gain, then Phase III - Contest Prep.

Should be a great year - I hope it is for you too! Until next time, train hard but train SAFE!

That’s the way I have been feeling lately…have not met my BF% goals, have worked on this for the entire year too…and lately some old Sarcoidosis symptoms seem to be re-appearing…but I will keep bodybuilding, keep working till the BF% goal is reached, keep working to compete…keep going until I die…I will be victorious!

I have liked MsFitness’ videos that she has posted on her site, and am going to do the same type of thing…make a mini series of "The Tom Rogers’ Story"…and post to my site. The first exercise gym shoot is scheduled for this Saturday night.

I have been working on a 5×5 routine to build up some strength so I can move heavier weights during my regular style training and man it has been working! Seems every training session I have to add more weight to the bar. Lovin it too - having to get pumped up and psyched up for heavy weights - reminds me of my high school days…except I miss having my old high school training partner around - DWilk.

Clamps going to get tighter on the diet Sunday…cardio is going to be ramped up a ton more (if my left knee holds up)…look for my video segments soon…until then train hard but train smart…

-TRogers out!

Been a while…a long while, since I had the time to post to this blog. Just to let you know, I did NOT fall off the face of the world. I’m still here and still hangin’ and bangin’.

Had an underwater BF% measurement done in Aug and man was that hard. They want you to blow out all your air then hold your breath underwater for close to 30 seconds. Don’t think I did and the BF% came back WAY higher than I thought I was and what I have been posting on BodySpace. So I removed all my old stats on BF%. Then I was told that even though underwater weighing is the "Gold Standard", there are errors in it too. Especially if you cannot get all your air out.

So I said the heck with it, I will pick one device to measure BF and stick with it. It won’t be perfectly accurate, but as long as it’s going down, I know I’m headed in the right direction.

I just got off a 2 month bulk and am now back on the bandwagon for the next 15 weeks to lose BF% and get down to 10-12%. I needed to give my body a break after dieting for WAY TOO LONG. But this 15 weeks is really going to tell me the story on whether I can eventually compete or not. If I cannot get the BF% down to 10-12% in this time period (started at 20%), I don’t think I will ever be able to cut up for a contest and may have to hang it up - not BB Training, but contest ambitions. We’ll see - I am busting my butt this time around though - I actually have a plan on how to do things RIGHT and what changes to make when/if needed, where the last time I was trying to figure things out for myself and did things wrong. My hypothyroid issue I have though has made the fat loss really hard. It makes me carb sensitive too. I’m hoping things will go well and I can eventually compete - even if it’s just ONE TIME!

I’ll try to post some more pics by the end of the week, that has been way too long to, and I will start trying to put a posing routine together and post a video online too.

Well, for the past 2 weeks, I changed my diet so that I would aim towards gaining some muscle and by the looks of it, I accomplished that. BF% went up .3% yet weight went up 5 lbs, which means most of it was muscle.

I was so tired of ‘dieting down’ since March/April, that I had to change things up. My main goal at this point still is to get down to 10% BF, before really concentrating on lean muscle mass building, but I wanted to ‘experiment’ a little. One thing I did find out though, is that I am extremely carb sensitive. Two weeks ago I weighted in at 203 lbs, had my free day, weighed in the next morning and holy cow, weighed 207 lbs.

Any way, I have been using the calipers and the handheld BIA device to measure BF% and the BIA device was always 2 % higher than the caliper reading, so I am setting up an underwater BF% testing at the local SUNY college to see which is closest to the ‘Gold Standard’ and then stick with that.

Through this 2 week experiment, and reading up on Hypo-thyroidism and fat loss, I found I am really carb (starchy) sensitive (as I stated above) so my next move is to get back on the ‘diet down’ routine and start off with my carbs at 35%. If my weekly results indicate, I will keep moving the carbs down by 5% until my metabolism is on fire. Of course the protein will go up as well as the EFA’s. This info should all serve me well when I actually cut for a contest. BahamaMan challenged me to enter a contest sooner than 3 years, but I really need to add more size first. I have some areas that just don’t seem full enough, center/upper chest being one of them.

My training has been going really well, and I am really busting my butt in the gym, but I backed way off on the cardio these 2 weeks. I am slated for 2-45 min sessions and 2-30 min sessions per week to start (AM Before Meal 1 of course, after BCAA’s and Glutamine) when my new 10 week cycle starts tomorrow AM.

I’ll be honest, after working so hard with diet, cardio, and BB training for the past 4 months and then getting stuck at 200lbs and about 16.5% BF for 5-6 weeks, I was ready to give it up - no, not the BB way of life, just my dreams of entering and winning a master’s BB contest. If I can’t cut up now, when there in no pressure, I figured I would never be able to cut for a contest.

But I can’t do it. I have previously set this goal before me ON PAPER, and as much as I tried to get my mind to give up the contest goal, something inside just won’t let me. So I am on the path to the long term goal again, with renewed determination. I will try and keep trying until I get it done or I am dead.

I need to get some more pics posted, but at this point, there is no sense, because of no changes being made. Progress will come and I will post more soon though.

The last 2 days BB training, I have felt weaker than normal and came in un-motivated, unlike last week when I came in on fire, totally psyched, and busted through several personal records. I expect to get that motivation back this new week…if my left side of the body holds up that is…

I have been having soreness in my left knee (when I do eliptical cardio for over 30 minutes steady state), my left elbow (from doing concentration curl and my elbow hyper-extends some), my left delt (injured while doing upright rows - I put on 25lb plates instead of 2-10’s and a 5, my elbows had to go up much higher than normal and I felt something strain a little - good news is that it is healing fast), and finally on this past Thursday’s Bicep/Tricep day, I did Arnold Concentration curls where he stands upright but bent over and swings the weight a little as he curls - well I pulled something in my left rib cage again - front and back. Good news on this front is that it healed pretty quick. In fact, I notice that when I get injured now, they heal faster than before - good news! Must be ‘in shape’ now. My family keeps telling me I am over doing it, but to me, there truly is no other way I would rather being doing it. You stand still when you don’t push it.

BTW, my leg work has been progressing rapidly, going up in weights. Finally able to squat and leg press respectable weights.

I’ll tell you - when I get through with my goal of winning a master’s contest, I’ll have some stories to tell. And I should be a better person for it - going through all this adversity - you really find out what you are made of. But I do want to say that I am nothing without Jesus Christ. He is the true enabling person that allows me to follow my dreams and reach my goals. If anyone lacks that ‘missing piece’ from making them whole - I bet it’s Jesus. Give Him a try, you won’t be sorry - I’m not.

Maybe I am wrong in thinking I won’t enter a contest unless I know I will win, but that’s how I am programmed right now. It would be nice to place in the top 5, but I must set my sights on winning, otherwise I won’t be so driven to get it done.

Wow, this post has been long, but I should be up to date now. Tomorrow begins another 10 week cycle for me, back to cutting down to 10% BF. Now I need to go read more of BahamaMan’s blogs.

Good training to all and to all a good night!

Well, have failed at keeping this blog up to date with my training again…problem is that I spend too much time reading BahamanMan’s blog entries - those are great!

Well, looks like no matter what I do, I just cannot seem to get down the BF% and it’s getting REALLY frustrating. After bouncing back and forth between 200 and 201 lbs and about 16-17 % BF for about 8 weeks now, I’m seriously starting to doubt that I can get this BF% down to 10%, let alone 5-6% for a contest. I’m desperately looking for answers. Old Superman gave me some good advice and I have put some of it to use (not all yet), but I am still stuck.

This entire past week, I have been on Hydroxycut stimulant free full dose, I have upped Cardio to 5 days at 45 min each before breakfast, plus 15 min sessions after 2 BB training session, have cut calories again, eating CLEAN all the way, and what happens this week, my weight goes up 1 lb and my BF% goes up a little bit.

My Hypothyroidism HAS to be messing with me and making it hard to lose this fat. Don’t get me wrong, I have made HUGE progress overall since starting in Oct last year, but my goal is Natural BB Contest competition and it just will not happen without being able to lose this BF% on a regular basis.

So…after whinning to myself and feeling a little depressed about the situation, I have decided that this week I will keep the cardio the same, but cut my carbs to 35%, move protein to 40-45% and have EFA’s to 20-25%. There will be NO starchy carbs after the 3rd meal of the day, only fibrous carbs. I just hope I have enough energy for my gut busting BB training sessions. I have to train at 6:00pm - should I have starchy carbs after training and if so - how much? I am trying to do something I have no good idea on what I should do with BF% loss and Hypothyroidism, so if anyone has answers for me, please - let me know. Oh, I will also try to see a sports nutritionist about the issue this week too, and I purchased a book about losing BF% with Hypothyroidism.

I have already decided when I first started BB again, that it will be a lifestyle and the only way I will stop is if I am dead, so that was never the issue, but when I do 4 1/2 hours of moderate to high intensity cardio and my BF% doesn’t move, I think Mentzer and BahamaMan’s thoughts on Cardio may be spot on. (Less is more - build MUSCLE to fire the metabolism) I’ll give it one more week (all this cardio I am doing).

I thought this Hydroxycut was supposed to work also. I guess the stimulant free stuff doesn’t. Glad I only bought one bottle.

Anyway, I am still training, have not posted any new pics or videos because I have not changed my BF% and weight in about 8 weeks, so there is really no use. Once it starts dropping again, like it did in the beginning, I’ll post. How do those people drop 60lbs in 12 weeks with Body For Life? I have been busting my hump for alot longer than that and I am stuck.

Well, any advice, please make sure I hear from you. Thx! I’ll keep on keeping on, trying different things until this works. If I have to go to the end of the year for BF% loss, I will. If no results after next week, I’ll lower carbs to 30% - man that diet could get very expensive - all that protein! Thank goodness for Whey - I know, I know, REAL food is best, and I agree, but Whey helps get in the requirements. Hope my kidneys hold up!

Adios, train smart, train safe!

NOTE TO SELF: Just looking over my BodySpace and realized I have not posted updated body part measurements since Feb 2007. I’ll have to get those done at my 5 week mark next weekend.