blsmith’s BodyBlog

Good morning everyone, hope the sun is shining where you are today. Here it is frickin’ freezing! Ah well that’s Canada for you! Today is CHEST day… Better sit down for this… it’s monumental

PUSH UPS
3 sets of 10 (did these as a warm up for…)

BENCH PRESS
set of 12 @ 135 lbs
set of 7 @ 155 lbs
set of 3 @ 185 lbs
FAIL @ 195 lbs. (was NOT going to give up…)
set of 1 @ 195 lbs. (MATCHED my personal best)
set of 1 @ 200 POUNDS!!! *PR* I screamed so loud I had a couple of the regulars come over if I was okay, but damn I got it up. [VIDEO PROOF TO COME TONIGHT]

INCLINE BENCH PRESS
sets of 12, 10, 8 @ 95 pounds

HAMMER STRENGTH ISO WIDE CHEST PRESS
set of 12 @ 45 pounds each side
set of 12 @ 55 pounds each side
set of 8 @ 70 pounds each side *PR*

PEC FLIES
sets of 12, 12, 10 @ 120 pounds

CARDIO
15 minutes HIIT at the following speeds:
0-2 mins : 3.0
2-3 mins : 6.0
3-5 mins : 3.5
5-6 mins : 6.5
6-8 mins : 3.8
8-9 mins : 6.8
9-10 mins : 3.8
10-12 mins: 6.8
12-15 mins: 3.0

plus 20 minute walk into work.

I am exhausted but feel so good. I also took progress pics after the workout that I will post when I get home tonight as well.

Good morning/afternoon everyone

I took a break from the gym today. I am feeling DOMS on my entire upper body, chest, abs, arms, back, shoulders… man does it feel good… might do some light work at home tonight. Maybe do some yoga on the Wii.

I just wanted to talk a bit off topic for a second. I know there are some newcomers coming in here who may not know me as well as some of my long time friends on bb.com and I wanted to just take a second to talk about myself and why the trip I talked about earlier this week means more than some of you realize.

For the longest time, I have suffered from very low self-esteem. I was always the one bullied in school, as much as I loved to play sports, I was always the last one chosen to play, etc. Even in school, I was very smart in some subjects, but not so much in others, but no matter what class I was in, I was picked on, either for being too dumb, or too smart. Didn’t have a real relationship until I was 19, and even then for the most part it was long-distance. Even through marriage, I never felt I was good enough, and I felt like it was only because she felt sorry for me that she married me (That is a long sub-story in itself that I won’t get into right now). So, I feel that because of this low self-image that I always sabotaged myself when I tried to get into fitness in any way. I had tried many times to get back into it but with failure.

Until I started coming to bb.com, it was here where I met some genuine friends that didn’t want anything but to see me succeed. And it is because of them that I started going to the gym last February and haven’t looked back. However, despite this, I still had a very low self worth, and I would just blow for a week and break down in tears. I started going to therapy sessions and taking medication for this, and it got a little better, but I would still have occasional breakdowns.

Well last week, my wife and I went on that trip… and if wonders never cease, I could do no wrong. I did very well at the poker table, met a fellow bb.com person who made me feel good about myself, then going into the karaoke lounge at the hotel and getting genuine applause from total strangers, even going as far as them going to my wife and telling her how good I was. Those 4 days did more for me, than the months of therapy I have ben receiving. I guess all I needed was to actually feel like I am a winner, to actually believe it. But, I have to say, without the good people I have met on here, I would not have gotten to that point where I could relax enough to enjoy myself.

So to all of you who have stood by me through my worst times (and you know how bad they were at one point), and to those finding me for the first time, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you all!

Good morning everyone, I think I am rested enough to give all the details on my trip. If I sound incorreherent still I’m sorry. I’m technically still on vacation until I go to work tomorrow LOL 

We left Toronto Monday night at 8pm. The terminal was a mad house full of students going back to University. Anyways we start up and head for the border (MMM, Taco Bell, um, sorry off track here). The bus gets stuck there for over 45 minutes because of a couple of travellers… eventually we leave without them…oops. The rest of the way there was uneventful. We arrived at the hotel at 10pm and we were very hungry and tired and since our room would be ready in 1/2 hour, we went to eat. I had typical breakfast, eggs, potatoes and whole wheat toast. went to nap for a few hours…

Tuesday evening, I was planning on playing in a poker tournament so we didnt have much time to eat. So my one eating mistake on the trip, we went to this little boardwalk side restaurant and had cheese dogs and cheese fries… made me bloated…yuck. Then I hit the tournament $80 entry fee… ended up Winning $260 for 5th place WOOHOO! then bedtime

Wednesday, we got up, had a light breakfast, and did a little morning gambling, not alot… at noon we were due to meet up with a fellow Bodyspacer, Lisa (MsNfinity) and her husband. We wait for them on the boardwalk, perfect day, sunny mid-70s slight breeze coming off the ocean. We meet up with them, had lunch (chicken breast sandwich) and cruised the boardwalk together. me and Lisa talking about bodybuilding, and my wife and her husband talking about the difference in crime and politics between Canada and The U.S. LOL
We took a pic of the 4 of us

The rest of Wednesday was uneventful. Thursday we went out to the outlet shops got some really good deals. Got some new Nike Shoes for $45 and for me thats a big deal with my size 14s. Hard to find shoes period in that size LOL, in the afternoon played another poker tournament, finished 9th and won a little money. In the evening we went to a karaoke lounge, had a blast but had a little too much to drink. Damn those fruity drinks, they sneak up on you LOL. But, to be honest, I am glad I did. Those drinks made me less inhibitive and I relaxed when I sang, and I got real applause and people coming up to my wife telling me how amazing I was. It really made me feel good and my confidence just got higher and higher as the night went on. On the way back to our room my wife said ok I have $40 with me, lets put $20 each into a slot machine. Of course we are both pissed but I say yeah sure why not…she wins nothing, I win $170! LOL. Sleep comes fast.
Friday, we leave, nothing real exciting happened. Other than the bus driver and a passenger yelling each other for the last 20 minutes of the trip pulling into New York LOL.
But all in all it was a good trip but I am glad to be home.

Now, back on track with the workouts. Well, my next goal is to look good for the Arnold Classic in March, that is a little more than 19 weeks away. So I am going to take 3 week clumps and concentrate more heavily on one prticular bodypart, that I really want to see grow. So for the next 3 weeks I am going to concentrate heavily on chest. My split is going to be as such.

Monday- chest/shoulders/triceps
Tuesday- back/biceps/abs
Wednesday- rest
Thursday- chest/shoulders/triceps
Friday- back/biceps/abs
Saturday- chest/legs
Sunday- rest

Then in 3 weeks will change it up again. Hopefully it will shock the muscles to grow.

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You are what you spend 95% of your time thinking you are - so make it GREAT!”