achtungbaby’s BodyBlog

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians out there!

Things are going well with my workouts.  Made some good strength and mass gains and hope that it continues.  Diet is not perfect but I do what I can   Hopefully put up some more progress pics in a month or so. 

Been training hard the past few months, particularly the past 8 weeks.  I am now finishing the second phase of Jekyll and Hyde by Christian Thibadeau.  I have been tracking my workouts in my log here:

 http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?p=223527161#post223527161

I am really enjoying the workout and have been seeing good gains bith physically and in my strength.  It’s a year-long program so I am planning to follow it through.  Now if I can just get my diet perfect   It’s going well in that regard but always room for improvement.  The only supplements I am taking now are a mass gainer (Power Mass by MVP) and creatine.   

LeRoi Moore, 46, was the saxophonist and so much more for Dave Matthews Band.  RIP Roi!!!

Holy crap, was January 30 really the last time I posted here?  Still training, still trying to get bigger   It’s been a really busy year since then with work and such.  Anyway, I still post my logs here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1351741 so feel free to check it out and leave comments.

Still tracking my workouts at the following link.  Been doing Triphase the past 6 weeks and am very happy with it…strength gains have been great. 

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1351741

I started Westside For Bodybuilders today (WS4BB).  I will be tracking my workouts in my log (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1351741)  I will be doing a bit of cardio and eating as well as I can.  I also got a creatine supp that I will take every morning and before each workout. 

ME Day-Upper
ME Press-(flat bb) 3×3 (1 x 3 100% ME, 2 x 3 >90% 3RM)
CG weighted chin 4×5
Basic Press- (incline db) 3×4-6
Pendlay Row 4×6
Tri extensions 2×10-12
Cable laterals 2×10-12

ME Day-Lower
ME pull- (deadlift) 3×3(1 x 3 100% ME, 2 x 3 >90% 3RM)
ME squat variant (squat) 4×5
Weighted Hyper 3×8-10
Ghetto GHR 3×8-10
Bent Laterals (rear delts) 2×10

RE Day-Upper
RE main press (incline DB) 3×8
WG Pullup 4×8-12
RE press variant (dips) 3×8
T-bar barbell row 4×10
Hammer Curls 2×10
Cable Laterals 2×10-12

RE Day-Lower
Squat 5×8
RE pull (SLDL) 4×10
Weighted Hypers 3×8-10
Bent Laterals 2×10

M-ME Upper
T-cardio
W-ME Lower
Th-RE Upper/cardio
F-off
S-RE Lower
Su-cardio

Any adivce or suggestions are welcome.  Thanks for checking out my blog!

I turned 30 last week…I don’t put much stock into birthdays as they are pretty much just a number.  I feel the same now as I did 5 years ago so why should turning 30 be traumatic?   As far as fitness is concerned I can be happy knowing I turned 30 in the best shape I have ever been in.  Of course there are many things I could improve on, and it isn’t like I look as good as lots of people on this site, but for me it was a vast improvement compared to many past birthday considering I only began to train 4 years ago.  So at this point I am the strongest and biggest I have been.  I am no fitness model or bodybuilder but it’s a personal best nonetheless.  That being said, I won’t be stopping here.  I would hope that each coming birthday sees me in better shape than the last.  In fact, each coming b-day WILL see me in better shape.  I ran into a friend yesterday whom I hadn’t seen on over a year.  He lives in a different city but we are in touch once in a while and we talk about our training when we can.  He looks amazing and had made incredible gains in the 1.5 years since I saw him in person.  It’s a bit depressing as I wonder what the hell is my problem?  I bust my ass in the gym, I eat a lot of protein, I take supplements, etc.  I do have to say he has genetics on his side, which a few other of my fitness-enthusiast friends have as well.  I guess it’s not fair to compare myself to the guys who can add an inch or two to their biceps or chests in the space of months.  Still, I can’t help but wonder why I am not any farther along after 4 years than I am.  I guess it could be my genetics….I was always a painfully thin guy until I started to workout and eat like an animal.  I hate to use genetics as an excuse and it is so easy to credit genetics when you see guys in spectacular shape.  What I said before about being the strongest and biggest I have ever been is true….I am glad I realize that.  However it doesn’t stop someone like me from wondering why I haven’t transformed like I had hoped.  Maybe I am not being as dedicated or as strict as I should be….I do eat a lot and get plenty of protein.  I work out hard and do not half-ass it in the gym.  I am proud of my dedication and I have the desire to back that up….so why am I not looking like some of the guys I am mentioning?  All I can do is keep at it, and I will.  If we were all in the same boat we would all be able to look like replicas of each other and have no problem gaining muscle.  That definitely is not the case.  I have gotten compliments so I must be doing something right.  We all see ourselves very differently from others so of course I am being harder on myself than I should be.  All I can do is keep at it.  I will be changing my routine soon enough and maybe that will spur some more growth….who knows!?!??  What I am getting at here, very inarticulately, is that all we can do is keep trying out best and hoping for the outcome we wish.  

This week makes 3 weeks I am doing the Cipriani routine I was recommended by a friend.  It’s going well….strength is consistent and I am enjoying it.  I tend to get bored with a routine quickly but I haven’t been letting myself look too far ahead.  I have been able to puch a bit harder doing muscle groups just once per week and on their own day.  Legs have been sore more than usual and I have felt it more in my back, shoulders and tris than before.  Supps are going Ok I suppose….I seem to feel less of a rush and visible pump with Shock Therapy than with NOXplode, although I am bit less lean than I was a few months ago when I was taking the NOXplode.  However, I know there is more to a pre-workout supp than just pumps and energy rushes.  Anyway, nothing really spectacular to add about my training, just that its going well and I will post again soon.  Hope everyone had a great Canada Day and/or Independence Day. 

I got back to the gym today.  So glad to be back after 10 days off.  The rest did me good I think although by the end I really started to feel soft and fat and even thought I looked smaller.  I know it’s not the case…but it’s weird how powerful your self-perception can be when you aren’t working out.  I decided to do the Cipriani workout I mentioned in my last post for the summer, after which I will do the Christian Thibodeau program.  I also started my new supplements.  Shock Therapy, my pre-workout supp, tasted fine (I got the fruit punch flavour for both products) but Storm, the post-workout, tasted like Sour Patch Kids.  I think I will need some more water for it to dilute the strong flavour.  Not a problem though…I am fortunate to be one who can eat anything, gross or not.  I didn’t go nuts with the weights but I pushed myself as best I could and I was happy with the workout, although I have had better.  I am pretty motivated these days so I will use that to my advantage.  I ate like crap the past 2-3 weeks and today I at very well and it was easy…so I was relieved to get back into a healthy diet without problem.  Stay well everyone and train hard.

This week finds me on vacation so I am making the most of it. Sleeping in, eating a lot and not doing any exercising. I miss the gym but I know it’s good to take a break so it’s not such a bad thing. I am definitely looking forward to going back though. I will change my routine and I figure I will stick to it for the duration of the summer….or 12-16 weeks. My goal as always is to gain muscle (that won’t ever change!) but I will be working hard on the diet to keep it clean so I don’t gain much fat. I recently picked some pre and post workout supps (Storm and Shock Therapy…thanks Adam!) that I will be supplementing regularly once I start back June 26. It is my first stack so I am very interested to see what happens. As for the routine I was thinking about one by Christian Thibodeau, who wrote a very good bodybuilding routine for off-season bodybuilders. I am no bodybuilder but the principles are the same so why not give it a shot? Another is by James Cipriani:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/james1.htm

Any input is welcome if you are familiar with either routine. Unfortunately I can’t share the Thibodeau routine as it is from a members-only site so it isn’t fair to the site masters or paid members but I would discuss if privately should you have any interest. Thanks for reading and I hope all of you are enjoying your summer.