big_m’s BodyBlog

My latest workout was my best ever!  I squatted 275 lbs for the 5×5!  I’m so close to my goal of 300 (1.5 times my body-weight).  Eating 3.5 - 4 K calories per day is not easy.  It will take determination to accomplish this.  I never realized that eating more would be difficult.  My greatest struggle is finding time in my 10 hour day to prepare the food (second only to finding money for all the food in an already tight budget).  I can’t wait to see where the next 3 months takes me.

After being on a Max OT type plan for most of the summer, I realized that I missed my 5×5 and the joys of squatting heavily ever workout.  I decided to switch back to the 5×5 (similar to rippetoe).  Also, I stumbled across the Lean Mass Diet and decided to give it a try also.  As I was preparing my food for today, I noticed that it is way more than I have ever eaten before.  I’m excited that I’m finally eating the way I should have been.  I look forward to what will happen in the next month or so.

I’ve recently switched my workouts from a 5×5 to Max OT.  I didn’t know how I would like working one body part a day, but I found that I enjoy being able to focus more on different parts of the body.  I’ve kept most of the compound lifts in order to keep building strength.  Another plus, is the intensity focused workout get me out of the gym sooner than the 5×5 I was doing, and I’m at the gym 5 days a week.

Don’t know if I’ve gained much just yet, but I feel stronger and am more focused in my workouts than ever before.

After speaking with a local Bodybuilder who owns a nearby supplement shop, I have begun taking L-Arginine.  So far I’ve been taking it for 4 days.  Today was my first workout after starting it.  The biggest difference I notice so far is increased vascularity.  My muscles still feel pumped an hour after my workout and I can see veins I couldn’t before.  The good thing is I found this at Walmart for around $2.50.  Looking forward to seeing its effects in another week.

I just finished my workout.  I read the best article on how to warm up.  Check out http://stronglifts.com/how-to-do-a-proper-warm-up/ for the article.  My Quads were very sore after my Monday Squats, but I stretched and followed the warm up advice and had an incredible workout.  Sweat was flying everywhere as I cranked out my Squats, Overhead Presses and Dead lifts.  Working out has to be one of the best ways to relieve stress and enjoy taking care of the body that the Lord has given.

I had my first workout in over a month and a half.  School and my church job got very busy, and I was putting in 80-100 hours a week.  I’m back in the gym for the summer and ready to grow!  My workout felt great.  I dropped the weights back a bit, but not too much.  Even after a layoff of 1.5 months, I could still Squat 225 without a problem.  I’ll reach my 300 lbs squat before I go back to teaching school.  I plan to change up my program in the fall and add some arm exercises and abdominal exercises.

After a couple rough workouts, and a week off, my workout today was great!  I made all 5 sets of each exercise.  I dropped the weight by 15-20 % and focused on form.  I’ll add back the weight a little slower ( 5 lb increments instead of 10 lb increments).  I should be able to make my goals by mid summer.  Pull ups are getting stronger, I will soon be weaned off the assisted pull up machine.

After my workout this past Monday, I had to take the week off.  My energy levels were very low, my stress levels at work were exceedingly high, and I was unable to get to bed until midnight every day this past week.  I didn’t have the energy to give it 100% at 5:30 AM.  I will start back this Monday, drop my lifts by 10-15% and hit the ground sprinting.  After rereading Stronglifts 5×5, I noticed that you needed to take a little time off every now and then.

My progress has been amazing on this 5×5, powerlifting type routine designed to build strength.  The wonderful "side effect" of building strength is that you build muscle and burn fat as well.  I will stay on this program for another several months, till I reach my goals of Squatting 1.5x body weight and dead lifting 2x body weight.  Then I’ll have a good strength base to launch off into something else with.

I had my doubts at first that strength training with 4 compound exercises would build muscle, but I needed strength.  So far, I have added around 2 inches to my arms, legs, chest, shoulders, and I can see my abs for the first time since I went to college.  I needed the simplicity of just a few exercises.

My workouts have been going great.  Due to time, and energy my 5×5 is slowly turing into a 3×5 or 4×5.  By next week I hope to have the energy to get back up to 5×5.  My weights are really heavy (for me).  I’m getting close to my 1.5 x body weight for the Squat.  My Dead lift needs help.  I should be able to lift more than I squat, but I’m not there yet.  I’ll check my form, stretch good, and start my next workout earlier to insure I give it enough time.

I had my first workout in almost 2 weeks due to vacation and sickness.  What I discovered in my workout today was that my strength levels hadn’t changed, but my endurance levels had. I began sweating much earlier in the workout, and could only squeak out 3 of the 5 sets - this due to being exhausted. I could have done 2 more sets had I twice the amount of time to work out. Recovery between sets took much longer.

Still, the workout was great. I had anticipated having to alter it, but was encouraged that I didn’t have to drop weight.