Date Completed: June 5^th, 2009

Program Cited: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sclark70.htm

The only thing that I did to alter this workout program is whatever workout was on Wednesday I started the following week with it on Monday and again on Friday.  Therefore, the program looked like this:

Week 1

Monday

Squats

Bench Press

Barbell rows

Triceps Exercise

Wednesday

Front Squats

Military Press

Deadlifts

Pull-ups

Biceps Exercise

Friday

Squats

Bench Press

Barbell rows

Triceps Exercise

Week 2

Monday

Front Squats

Military Press

Deadlifts

Pull-ups

Biceps Exercise

Wednesday

Squats

Bench Press

Barbell rows

Triceps Exercise

Friday

Front Squats

Military Press

Deadlifts

Pull-ups

Biceps Exercise

Repeat this routine for 6 weeks.  Each workout I added 5lbs (when possible) to all exercises; therefore, certain exercises were 10 additional lbs per week.

Bench went up 35lbs

Squats went up 35lbs

Bent-over Rows went up 50lbs!

Deadlifts went up 25lbs

Overhead Press went up 45lbs!

Starting Measurements

Chest: 46in

Shoulders: 52in

Arms: 16in

Thighs: 23in

Finished Measurements:

Chest: 47in

Shoulders: 53in

Arms: 17in

Thighs: 23.5in

My weight has gone up to 224lbs (from 215lbs) because I did not do  any cardio during this program so I am at about 20% BF.  I also got tendentious in my right elbow and pulled a pec muscle during my last week.  I highly suggest taking a joint remedy such a Joint Juice or Animal FLEX prior and during this program.  Oh – make sure you get lots of rest and drink plenty of water!

Other supplements used:

Animal MSTAK

Animal PAK

Animal TEST

Universal Storm

L-Glutamine

In continuation to eat well in respect of quantity, cut out any fatty and sugary foods and junk food treats. During this time, I find it most effective to plan what you are going to do so you are completely ready to start properly. This is why I will prepare all my meals for the week on Sunday.

Fruit and fruit juice intake should also be low due to the simple sugar content, so make up for this by consuming plenty of non-starch vegetables, to ensure a good intake of vitamins and minerals. Red meat now and again is also useful for variety and great protein quality.

The following is a meal plan for this period from the onset of the diet up to week four:

Wake 7.30a

06:30a 2 cups of Oatmeal, 6 egg whites, ½ grapefruit
08:00a Protein bar
10:30a Whey Protein shake w/8oz skim milk
13:00p Chicken breast, V8 juice
15.30p Whey Protein shake w/8oz water
18.00p Protein bar, vegetable soup
20.30p Chicken breast, 1 cup of steamed broccoli
23.00p Whey Protein shake w/8oz water

23.30p bed

Middle of night 1 scoop whey protein in water (if wake)
(after training) 2 scoops whey protein in water

Cardiovascular work will be increased considerably during this time. 30 minutes on six mornings and on two of the evenings where I do not weight train. I will have one day a week, completely exercise free to relax. Cardio should be at the 55 - 60% of maximum heart rate level.

08/18/08 - One word – BRUTAL!
That is how I will describe yesterday’s 10k race. There were about 500 serious runners and the coarse was no joke. They named it “Survivor Series: Race thru the Redwoods”. The first 2.5 miles was easy but that was just a tease. At 2.5 miles, you start “The Climb” where eventually you are running straight up hill for about 300 feet then plateau for about 20 feet only to hit 3 more hills with steep inclines. After 4.5 miles, my legs were starting to feel heavy and then there were the slopes down hill. It was either run or walk. I chose to run to make up for some lost time going up the hill (I had to walk in some places because it was too steep.) and I was hoping my legs would not give out. I made it successfully down the slopes without eating dirt. After 5 miles, the course becomes very nasty as the trail switches from dirt to sand. My legs are already spent and now my calves are feeling the burn. The 6 mile marker felt like FOREVER to approach and so did the finish line but I made it in less time (1 hr and 3 minutes) than the Santa Cruz 10k (1 hr and 6 minutes)…and I beat my Dad! Now we have a tiebreaker. We are looking at October 26^th for the next 10k which will be held in Livermore. This one will be all flat so I should be able to get a good personal record as my goal is to be under 60 minutes. I might do a 5k next month just to keep my legs in shape.

08/20/08 - Jogged 3 miles under 27 minutes.

09/11/08 – Alright, time for an update. Work has been keeping me busy with a new hire and other obligations that my boss needs fulfilled. My diet has been so-so resulting in my weight going up and down between 206 and 208 pounds for the past month. Training has been sporadic in the first couple of weeks; however, I tailored the routine to doing weight resistance, jump and core training, and cardio all twice a week.

My routine now looks like this:

Monday – Weights/Abs
Tuesday – Plyometric Training
Wednesday – Cardio (Jog 3.5 miles under 30 minutes)
Thursday – Rest/Stretch
Friday – Weights/Abs
Saturday – Core Synergenics (Concentrates on strengthening the mid section and lower back)
Sunday - Cardio (Jog 3.5 miles under 30 minutes)

The following Monday is my rest/stretch day and the whole routine repeats giving me a different day off each week.

A setback occurred last Saturday as I broke one of my toes on my right foot. Why does this shit always have to happen within 3 weeks from a race (next one is 9/27)? Last time I pulled my hamstring…now this. WTF?

10/1/08 – To be frank here, I slipped.  My race last Saturday was an eye-opener as my Dad (who is 65) kicked my ass.  I have a chance of being promoted at work; therefore, my hours have increased leaving little time to workout.  I am not looking for excuses.  I need to get my mind back in the game.  On Monday, I did core synergistics and yesterday I jogged 4.25 miles.  Tonight I am hitting shoulders and arms.  Perhaps if I log my daily activities as I did in my last blog, it will encourage me to strive….

10/1/08 – Trained shoulders, arms, and abs.

10/02/08 – Jogged 4.25 miles

10/03/08 – Worked out legs, back, and abs.

10/06/08 – Jogged 4.25 miles.  6 months to Hawaii…

10/07/08 – Worked out chest and arms.

10/08/08 – Jogged 3.75 miles @ an 8:34 minute pace.

10/09/08 – Worked out back and biceps.

10/10/08 – Jogged for 45 minutes.

10/13/08 – Worked out legs and back.

10/14/08 – Jogged 3.64 miles

10/15/08 – Worked out shoulders and arms.

10/16/08 – Jogged 5 miles

10/17/08 – Worked out chest and back.

10/20/08 – Worked out chest and shoulders.

10/21/08 – Worker out back and biceps.

10/22/08 – Worked out legs.

10/24/08 – Worked out chest and triceps.

10/26/08 – Finished 10k run at 58:35. Best record.

11/19/08 – Been hitting the gym about 3 times a week this month.  Work has gotten the best of me for the most part of November.  Starting to hit the weights more frequently because I am bailing out from work instead of pushing myself to try to accomplish everything in a day.  Work will be there tomorrow.  Starting to enjoy the training sessions again.

12/11/08 – Times are tough.  The economy is putting the pinch coming into this holiday season.  Although my workload is still over 60 hours a week, I am still trying to find the time to workout.  I am considering signing up at 24hr Fitness so I have the convenience of working out at anytime.  I have been taking Gaspari Nutrition’s Noladex XT (2 tabs a night) since 12/1/08 and I really like it.  Strength and energy have gone up; however, I do try to eat an adequate amount of protein.  Cardio has slipped drastically thus the reason why I am looking into a gym membership.  It’s too cold to jog outside!  I know… I can hear my friend Jay telling me that I sound like a pansy because I live here in Cali….ha ha ha…trying to keep the spirit and motivation up.  Hawaii will be here in no time….

12/27/08 - Signed up at Gold’s Gym.  New training starts on Monday…Hawaii trip has been cancelled.

12/29/08 – I am not killing this blog.  It just goes to show you that it can be easy to loose your way, get knocked down, and detoured from your goals that you set for yourself.  The most important thing is to still believe in yourself.  I signed up yesterday at Gold’s for one reason: to change the environment in where I was training (my garage).  My garage was great place to work out 8 months ago; especially with the high prices, but the distractions were starting to accumulate.

My goal is to get my weight down to 185lbs before the next Wharf-to-Wharf 10k race.  Although the race is not until July, I am determined to be at this weight by April 2009.

To accomplish this, I will use a two-day on / one-day off, two-day on / two-day off program with morning cardio sessions.

Monday AM – Cardio / Abs
Monday PM - Shoulders / Calves

Tuesday AM – Cardio / Punching Bag, Speed Bag
Tuesday PM - Back / Triceps

Wednesday AM - Cardio / Abs

Thursday – Cardio / Punching Bag, Speed Bag
Thursday - Quads / Hamstrings

Friday – Cardio / Abs
Friday - Chest / Biceps

Saturday – 1 ¼ hour of any cardiovascular activity.

Every 4th week switch out a few exercises with something else and alternate the rep range.

Participate in 2 or 3 10k races before July.

12/31/08 - AM cardio for 45 minutes.  Happy New Year!

01/03/09 - 1 hour and 15 minutes of cardio.

01/05/09 - AM cardio for 30 minutes and ab work.

01/06/09 - Couldn’t hit shoulders last evening; therefore, I did them this morning and followed up with cardio.  Skipped calves (sorry calves) to allow time to get to work but will add them to Thursday’s leg workout.

01/07/09 - AM cardio for 30 minutes and ab work.

01/09/09 - Worked out legs late last night (midnight) and I am heading to Lake Tahoe this morning for the weekend.  No workout for today.

01/15/09 - Had to take a last minute flight to FL for business.  Missed legs, chest, biceps, abs, and cardio.

01/21/09 - Dropped 5lbs!  Back in CA and made up chest, biceps on Monday with shoulders.  Had a great back and tricep workout yesterday.  Strength is increasing!

01/22/09 - ROADBLOCK!  I had minor surgery on my left foot.  Doctor says cardio is out for at least 10 days.  Despite the injury and pain, I managed to work out legs.

02/25/09 - My foot is healing up but I sprained my lower back on 02/14.  I have gained 15lbs of unwanted weight.  Goal is still to get down to 200 lbs by  April.  185lbs is out of the picture.  6 more weeks until Hawaii.  I can do this…

03/17/09 - Back on track.  Jogged 3 miles yesterday after hitting shoulders, traps, and abs.  Think I’ll pick up a fat burner for these last couple of weeks.

3/29/09 - Jogged 5.5 miles.

3/31/09 - AM cardio (45 min) burning 500 calories.

4/5/09 - Jogged hills, sprints, walk..repeat for 70 minutes.  Total: 5.5 miles.  Doing cardio every day burning at least 500 calories each session.  On some days, I am doing cardio twice a day buring a total of 1000 calories.  Signed up for a 10k race in July (Santa Cruz Wharf-to-Wharf).  Working out abs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Feeling good!!!

4/7/09 - This will be my last entry for this blog.  I am at 210lbs.  I leave for Hawaii in 2 days.  Although I am not where I wanted to be, I gave it my best shot.  I feel great and I can jog over 5.5 miles very easily.  Next goal is to increase strength and mass.  Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  I wish you nothing but success on your fitness endeavors.

12/31/07 - Hit the gym this morning. Stuck to my diet all day. Feeling sluggish and tired.

01/01/08 - Well, last night through me off. I did well sticking to my diet until the New Year’s Eve party at my sister’s place. Food and alcohol being served everywhere, and being that it was my first day back at the gym, I figured what the hell so I indulged.

This morning hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like shit. I also thought that I was going to be sorer from lifting yesterday. However, as the day wore on, the sorer I felt. I did manage to do cardio and jogged for 2 miles. Now it’s time for bed as I need to get up tomorrow at 5am to lift weights.

01/02/08 - K, today’s workout started out discouraging weighing in a pound more than last week and this circuit training kicked my ass. After I got through the first 2 sets, my legs collapsed on the 8th rep of prisoner squats. I did; however, rested and finished up the rest of the circuit. I am determined to be below 220lbs by next Wednesday.

01/03/08 - Jogged 2 miles. Sore from yesterday’s workout.

01/04/08 - Feeling good!

01/07/08 - Missed doing cardio on Saturday because I was busing moving into my new house. I made up for it this morning by jogging for 30 minutes. Ab work along with supermans to strengthen the lower back.

01/08/08 - Last night I almost poured myself a beer. Instead, I pour a protein shake into my beer mug and that satisfied the urge. Started a new workout routine this morning. I like it so I’m going to run it for 6 weeks then make some adjustments.

01/09/08 - I was not in the mood to workout this morning; especially to do cardio. However, I told myself that I wanted to be less than 220 lbs by today. When I got to the gym, I weighed in at 217 lbs! I dropped 3 lbs in 1 week! Cardio is starting to pick up as I’m not getting winded as much and I’m jogging over 2 miles with an average speed of 5.9.

01/11/08 - I’m sore as hell from yesterday’s workout. However, I managed to get up this morning and jog 2.25 miles. Burned 395 calories. Total of 1205 calories burned doing cardio this week.

01/14/08 - My lower back is really sore. I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. By the grace of God, I managed to get my ass to the gym, stretched out, and jogged for 2.5 miles burning 444 calories.

01/16/08 - Started taking Nutrex LIPO-6. Almost puked this morning from doing cardio but I completed it burning 424 calories. Doctor says I have a strained lower back muscle which will take about 4 weeks to heal. Still, I manage to do cardio…

01/22/08 - The 3 day weekend messed me up. We had our servers go down on Friday at 5pm sharp leaving me with nothing to do since I usually work until 7p. Anyway, my co-workers invited me to get a beer at the pub which is conveniently located on the same city block where I work downtown. I was tempted and gave in. One beer led to many; and then there were the AFC and NFC NFL playoff games. I felt guilty; however, I did hit the gym on Saturday, yesterday’s holiday, and this morning. Tomorrow is weigh in, but if I’m over, I only have myself to blame.

01/23/08 - Weighed in at 217lbs - didn’t gain; didn’t lose but I’ll take it. Eventually, I will drop the weight because my cardio will increase in time thus burning more calories. Sticking to the diet plan. There is a spinning class at Gold’s I am considering to join. That should burn off the pounds fast!!!

1/28/08 – I slept in this morning so I went to the gym this evening. After getting home from work mentally drained and spending time with my daughter, I was dreading going to the gym to do cardio…especially when I was in “relaxed mode” and knew that I was bumping up the distance a ¼ mile.

I swear the first 2 minutes felt like 2 hours! About halfway, 14 minutes into it, I was over the hurdle. I knew that I could keep my pace of 6.0 and finish the 2.75 miles. 22 minutes into it, I felt like I could jog forever! I bumped up the speed to 6.5 and finished not even winded. Total time: 27 minutes, 23 seconds. 480 calories burned.

The race is 6 months from now: 7/27/08. http://www.wharftowharf.com

1/30/08 - I’m at 215 lbs!!!!

2/01/08 - I’m sick of chicken and broccoli. I’ve been eating like a rabbit all week - nothing but chicken breast salad for lunch while my co-workers munch on in pizza, hamburgers, and pasta. On Sunday, I thought it was a good idea to make enough salad and chicken breast for the whole work week. Monday’s lunch was good, but by the time Friday rolled around, I was procrastinating to eat it. However, I did but I don’t want to see another piece of chicken until Monday. TGIF!

2/11/08 - Taking the week off due to business travel and much needed rest.

2/18/08 - Set backs are a bitch whether it is from an injury, business travel, or being sick, but that’s part of life. This was a good test for me to take a break from the gym and focus on my goals. Sometimes taking a break can throw you off your game and the next thing you know it has been a month or a couple of months since your last workout. It felt good getting back into it this morning doing 3.25 miles burning close to 600 calories. Hell, I thought I would have gained 2-3 pounds but I actually lost a pound and now I’m down to 212lbs. I guess the point I am trying to make here is stay focused no matter what life throws your way. You will get through it…it is just a matter of how much determination you are willing to put into it.

3/25/08 - Right now, my weight is currently at 205 lbs. I have about another 15 weeks to go to drop 20 more lbs; that is a little over a pound a week. Time to change up my diet. I am more interested in doing cardio than strength training at the moment; therefore, I will do a full body workout twice a week. Need to do more abdominal training as running hills is going to play a huge part into getting into the best possible shape for this race; especially if I want to drop to 12% (or less) body fat.

04/05/08 - I am officially entered in the 2008 Santa Cruz Wharf-to-Wharf 6 mile race! Took some time off this week due to my legs being sore from lifting weights and my weight increased 2 lbs. That was to be expected. Got back into hitting the weights today. Legs feel good…sore but good!

04/08/08 - I wanted to notate that most of my cardio will now be performed outdoors to condition my body for the upcoming race. I mention this because my workout tracker will show less workouts (twice a week) but that does not indicate I am slacking. My revised workout schedule will be:

Monday & Thursday – Weight Resistance Training
Tuesday & Friday – Outside Jogging (with my Yellow Labrador)
Wednesday & Saturday – Abs
Sunday – Rest

One of the best reasons for living in the Bay Area is the weather and I plan to take full advantage of it now that it is warming up to be in the 70’s and 80’s towards the end of the week.

There is a 10k race in Pleasanton, CA on Father’s Day that I am considering running with my Dad as a trial run to test myself for the Santa Cruz race. He is the reason why I decided to start this journey as we agreed to run the Santa Cruz race together in memory of my Grandmother (my Dad’s Mom) who passed away 2 days before last Christmas. I know that she is giving me the internal strength to continue my journey…

4/15/08 – Jogged 3 miles around the track. Total time: 28 minutes, 7 seconds. Yeah - the Lab kept up too!

4/18/08 – Jogged 3 miles at 60% of MHR that took 35 minutes and burned 502 calories.

4/22/08 – Jogged 3 miles. Total time: 27 minutes and 49 seconds.

4/23/08 - Started the P90X program with Chest / Back / Abs. Kicked my ass.

4/24/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout.

4/26/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X Workout. Man, I have been sleeping great since I started P90X!!!

4/28/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. I am friggin’ drenched. Burned over 1,000 calories!

4/29/08 - Power 90X - X Stretch Workout. After a week of P90X, this is what my body needed. Week 2 starts tomorrow.

5/1/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. If anyone is interested in doing the P90X program, I highly recommend purchasing a heart rate monitor. Last week, I had to pause the Plyometrics Workout 5 times because I was over my target heart rate. Tonight wasn’t so bad as I only paused the program twice to lower my heart down to 67% (from 92%). I am not sure how accurate my watch is but it calculated 1149 calories burned. I did about 60 minutes of cardio and about 20 minutes of stretching. I am wiped out but I feel great.

5/3/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

5/5/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. Burned 723 calories. Only went outside of my MHR once. (Took it up to 98%!) Cardio endurance is getting better.

5/6/08 - Power 90X - X Stretch Workout. Week 3 starts tomorrow.

5/08/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. Started tanning.

5/10/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

5/12/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout.

5/13/08 - Power 90X - X Stretch Workout. Week 4 - recovery week - starts tomorrow.

5/14/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

5/15/08 - Power 90X - Core Synergistics Workout.

5/16/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. My 8-year old daughter came up to me this morning, and as she gave me a hug around my waist, she told me that she can put both arms around me and hold her hands. Best feeling in the world! 30-day progress pictures and updated stats will be taken on 5/22/08.

5/18/08 - Power 90X - Core Synergistics Workout.

5/19/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

5/20/08 - Power 90X - X Stretch Workout.

5/21/08 - P90X Phase II begins.

5/22/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. 30-day P90X pictures taken.

5/24/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout. Sore from yesterday’s back and bicep workout. Abs are getting stronger.

5/26/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. Wasn’t feeling winded afterwards. Good workout!

5/29/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. Exhausted but kicked some ass.

5/31/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

6/02/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout.

6/05/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. Half-way point is tomorrow.

6/07/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout.

6/09/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout.

6/11/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout. Phase II recovery week begins.

6/12/08 - Power 90X - Core Synergistics Workout. Felt like puking and passing out at the same time once it was over.

6/13/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. I blaze through this workout now and still keep in my MHR zone. Implemented squat jacks instead of jumping jacks before going into X jacks.

6/15/08 - Power 90X - Core Synergistics Workout. Went all the way through without pausing the DVD. Abs are getting stronger.

6/16/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout. Gaining better balance and endurance. Still frustrated at certain positions. Week 9 starts tomorrow.

6/19/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. Burned 898 calories.

6/21/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout. P90X classic program is 2/3 of the way done today!

6/23/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout. 830 calories burned. This particular workout is becoming one of my favorites because the hour goes by so fast and I am sweating like hell when I am done.

6/30/08 - I received my runner’s bib – number 11018. Searching for a good running shoe. I am considering either the Adidas Control 5 or the Nike Air Equalon+ 2. The race is less than a month away…

7/01/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 90 minute workout (made-up for Saturday’s missed workout).

7/03/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout. 27 minutes into the workout I pulled my friggin left hamstring! I have a little over 3 weeks to get this hamstring back in shape…

7/06/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 45 minute workout (a.m.) Legs (no lunges), back, and abs (p.m.).

7/07/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout (minus some of the kicks).

7/08/08 - Power 90X - Kenpo X Workout (threw in the kicks).  Make-up for previous missed workout.  12th week starts tomorrow…

7/10/08 - Power 90X - Plyometrics Workout.  Burned 637 calories.  Hamstring is holding up but still feels tight.  Didn’t go full extreme but I still  got the job done…

7/14/08 - Power 90X - Yoga X 45 minute workout.

7/20/08 - I took last week (Jul 15-19) pretty light as I concentrated more on stretching out my legs and doing more cardio.  The race is one week from today and my hamstring still feels tight.

7/21/08 - Power 90X - Core Synergistics Workout.  Burned 828 calories. 

7/24/05 - 40 minutes of cardio.  569 calories burned.

7/26/08 - This is it.  Going to bed early tonight to get a good sleep.  I have to be out the door by 6:30a.  Race starts at 8:30a.  Party afterwards, then a new goal begins. 

7/27/08 - 15,000 people!!!  It took me 3 minutes and 22 seconds just to reach the starting line. 

Terrain: Paved   Running Shoe: Adidas Response

• 1 mile mark - 15:45 
• 2 mile mark - 26:14
• 3 mile mark - N/A
• 4 mile mark - 45:48
• 5 mile mark - 57:08
• 6 mile mark / FINISHED - 1 hr, 6 minutes, 53 seconds 

GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!!!