black_socks BLOG

Oh yeah..was working out today and jamming to some of my new country hits.. I downloaded a ton of Trace Adkins to my MP3 player…  The new tunes really helped motivate me today….. There was this one song that I must have played like 100 times.. it is titled Good Times.. it is great and it really helped me work on my pullups..  I’ve been strapping on a 35 pound plate and doing sets of 5 for strenght.. I then take off the plate and work my way to my GOAL of 20 straight.. none of these half way jobs.. for me it don’t count unless i can touch my chest to the bar…. Darn it I hate being a perfectionist but it is making the back really STRESS and GROW or at lesat my old eyes thinks so…..

heck these are the good times folks.. time in the gym… a plate, a pullup bar and my country music on the MP3 player.. yeah.. well peace to you in bb.land  best of luck to you on your goals.

black_socks aka joe

that is the sound my body is making as i shift it into high gear… Not much to say tonight other than i’m lifting and eating like i should.. and getting my required sleep in..   man life is good right now, i hope to keep this up for at least another 45 years or so

peace to you in bb land

yep today was one of those days…… Back on the weights after a week off to let the body recover. It was some of the good stuff.. wow that is rather odd to say… it is more like something i would have said 18 months ago when i walked into one of the many bars that i frequented.. The bartender would say what can i get you joe.. and I’d say some of the good stuff… Well today I got some of the good stuff on the weight pile.. Yep after getting some great advice from folks on the over 35 forum i posted up and focused on my chest, tri and shoulders today.  I performed some of the best reps that I’ve done this year.. each rep was squeze, press, touch, squeze….. yeah (no funny replies about sex stuff..) I’m talking great reps tonight… stuff that make you hurt ooh so good, ones that make the muscle just shake and rip… oh yeah!!!
I’m officially an addict of this body building… I know it is better than where i was two or three years ago.. heck I’ve said it once I’ll say it again. this stuff saved my life.. and tonight was great as i had some of the good stuff… I hope you get some of the good stuff on your next workout…
peace to all you in bb land.. black_socks

back to the iron on Monday AM.. Wow this has been my first full week off in about 3 months. I took the time off to give the body a little rest and to spend some time with my kids.. The kids mean the world to me and I’ve move across the country to be with them again..  Not sure about living up here in Vuh-gin-yah .. the folks are ok but just a different brand of people than i was used to back in the big "D".. I’ve made some good friends at the gym where i’m doing my thing at now so that is good…  Looking forward to hitting it hard these next 8 weeks.. Focused on LBM.. on the back, upper chest and anyplace else muscle wants to grow.. best to all of you in bb land…

I blew into RICHMOND today planned on visiting with my Mom as she celebrates here 80th this weekend..  Stopped by the old gym that i started out about 18 months ago at.. It was so empty I thought it must have been closed when i drove up.. Well it was open and i had a great workout… Today was push day focused on chest presses, shoulder / delts press and tri moves that were press motions..  I was groving today last few days have had hit good clean 40/40/20 breakout with 3000 cals.. body is adjusting well to the extra cals and the fat content on body is going up some but I feel like there is probably an even mix of muslce for fat/water loading.. I’m still so new to this that I have a hard time judging.. time will tell.

Ok so i’m doing my thing and this woman comes over and ask me to spot here on squats.. wow,  i’m digging that because i love to help and i think it is so cool that women do full squats and dead lifts.. anyways turns out this gal remembers me from a year ago and paid me some compliments.. I’m fairly critical of my progress,.. i’m happy with what i’ve done but always want to step it up more.. well the compliments are you know are nice.. and it was great to chit chat with a very classy woman that is into health and fitness… plus she had KILLER FORM on squats.. woooh if my kids only knew their daddy was having fun like that at the gym .. even had my black socks on… lol

well it was great to hit the gym of prior days.. i’m so glad i made the trip in .. hope you weekend is good.. peace be with you .. in bb.com land

After 6 weeks into my goal i’m up in my body weight by 4 pounds and I’m estimating that 1 pound of that is muscle so all things considered i’m tracking on that goal.

I’m ahead of my plans for the pullups and do think that I’ll have 20 straight of my body weigh by christmas. If that get’s hit then I’lll adjust it to 20 with 25lbs added.. hoorahhh

well as my friend from Texas says.. peace out

yep it is a sweet thing. if you are like me it comes in very small steps.. i’m happy with life, and feel blessed to be able to achieve things that I do.. I work hard and I’m focused and intense with what i do i the gym. Progress does not come to those that sit around the water cooler, or chit chat rather than push the iron..

Progress for this week is that i was able to do 10 solid pullups with body weight plus 35 lbs.. I’m at 201 now dow that is 236.. i’m going to hit my 20 with body weight by christmas.. now that is PROGRESS at least for me..

all those in BB land, peace be with you and get that MONEY on the weight piles

ok great workout today i’m on a roll… my diet is on, my focus is together and i’m patient knowing this stuff takes time.. so there it is..

well now that i got my workout tuned in.. ah I gotta get a grip on what i did to my kids.. lord help the little ones.. Well you see I’m a push over when it comes to discipline (heck i can’t even spell it)..so I think to myself this timeout this stinks you know it is not working so i say to my kids.. (5,6,12,13).. hey if you get out of line you are going to give me 10 solid pushups.. you know i’m thinking this will work you know. …. well crap it turns out they live to workout more than i Do and I’m a NUT about it.. just a NUT… so i’ve created little MONSTERS.. they run around the house doing stuff that they know they will get 10 pushups for …. oh… parents do not, i repeat do not do like me….. I mean heck my 6 year old now has better form that I do and he is getting ripped.. the two older ones if they ever stayed around would no doubt be rocks themselves but anyone with teens and pre-teens knows what i’m spewing about…

well folks that is my advice.. wish is was more focused on how to get buff but hey i share what i got to give.. peace to you in BB land.. and get it on the weights or give me 10 pushups now.. oh man oh man…. i gotta got eat something I think i’m low protein .

sitting in my easy chair after what i would consider one of my best back workouts of the past 3 months. I was fortunate to get 10 hours of sleep the past few days (even more so when you consider i have 4 kids and a full time job..).. I hit a new PR with my bent over rows and really feel my form was spot on with this exercise. I also am progressing in my pullups as i try to rotate between weighted pulls (25lbs over my body weight) and gravity assisted pulls for higher reps… so as i sit here i think what is really a good workout. is it one where you hit everything you set out or is one that set’s the body up for most return of MUSCLE build.. ah the loaded question that only you experts out there would know.. all i can say is that i think there was a kaboom from my weight room today and i set myself up for some growth.. now to top of the great workout with a nice meal.. so folks in bb land peace to yah and hope you are getting your MONEY on the weight piles out there. peace out (and cha ching to you two up north) yah know who yah are

great balls of fire.. Firs week off the cut and my body is just starting to SWELL up when i workout…. I got veins popping in places that I had never seen them.. I was actually flexing some in the mirrors it was funny as heck but it felt good. i was thinking he someone touches me and I’m going to explode… well not mr 0 quality but darn it is nice to get a pump on…

So what is the deal… I’m thinking This new diet is dialed in and I’m getting some big MONEY from my efforts.. Ok so honestly I’d say that I’m probably around a four on a scale of 1 to 10 in comparison to most on this site.. In the past 18 I’ve cut down about 60 lbs and put on in the range of 10lbs of muscle.. to me that is progress and I’m so darn PUMPED …

So the cut was not for a contest it was my final run to some fat drop prior to going into a bulk phase where I try to gain 6 lbs of musle over 4 months… A hard goal but one that can be reached certainly if i have days like tonight…

So folks I’m not taking in more carbs of oatmeal, and sweet potatoes, today i had about 300 carbs and my total cals are in the range of 2900 to 3100, i’m a little off on some of my measurements.. yeah the dishwasher need the button pushed..i’m going to buy me some more measuring cups this weekend…  My protein is at about 300 which is higher than past and my fat is higher as i jacked that to try and help with digestion of the protein..

well what a ramble this is.. i’ll hit the save and exit and get on to flexing again .. lol  peace to all you in bb land