caseymoe’s BodyBlog

I don’t know if it was the front squats or the lunges, probably both, but I am hurting big time today.  Cardio was out of the question as I barely made it out of the house.  Stairs were extremely challenging.  It taught me an important lesson though.  I went with slightly lighter weights than I used to get concentrate on form.  It obviously worked. 

I think this is one thing that sets us apart from the rest of the population.  When they hurt like this they just wine and swear they will never do it again.  The BBer and fitness type feels this way and loves it it.  We swear that we can’t wait to feel this way again.  I love it.

For the first time in a while I have fianlly put on some weight.  It wasn’t a lot but it is still a step in the right direction.  I still have a long way to go (17 pounds).  I am getting much more discplined in my diet and my workouts are really coming together.  I am almost to the 6 month point.  I would like to be where I was before  I had my surgery (around 155-158) by the end of the year.  As long as I stay healthy and train and eat smart I don’t see that being a big problem. 

Today’s workout killed me.  It started out with deadlifts which pretty much left me smoked for the rest of the workout.  It’s cool though becuae it’s my most important exercise.

Sumo Deadlift 4×6 at 135-220

Front Squat 4×6 at 115-135

Good morning 3×12 at 45-75 with

DB Lunge 3×12 at 30 (each leg)

Hanging pikes Supposed to be 3×6 but I was too smoked to finish one set.

I am pretty beat so I will probably do some light cardio or even take a rest day.  I have a good feeling that this workout will leave me pretty sore.

I think figured out part of the reason for my lack of results.  I think a big part of it was due to my food intake and workout schedule.  I had been working out in the mornings, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  What I was doing wrong is failing to fuel my body before hand.  If my science is correct, the body first feeds of glycogen, then goes to fat, then to muscle.  I wasn’t giving myself the food to convert to glycogen so ny body went ot the fat.  My bodyfat percentage did go down, which isn’t bad either.  However I was down to about 8% so I didn’t have much left to give which meant muscle was next.  I think I caught it before it got too bad.  I am going to switch back to afternoons whcih gives me several hours to hydrate and fuel correctly plus several hours afterward to rest and recuperate.  The time before when I put on the most muscle, my workouts were in the afternoons and evenings so hopefully I can get bakc on track with this switch

I was about to post my new pics but I decided to hold off for a couple of more weeks.  Oct 15 will be my 6 month mark towards my goal (165 lbs by April 15).  That keeps it nice and round and gives me a couple or more weeks to grow.  I let my stuff slide for a while but I have been getting better the last few weeks.  If I can keep it up than I know I can hit my mark.

Today was my first day back in a real gym.  I was expecting to feel sluggish but I was pleasantly surprised.  I felt awesome.  I think the diffrence maker between other layoffs was this time I was still doing some type of workout in the meantime.  I can tell that I have lost strength in some areas but overall I think I am alright.  As long as I can get back into the rhythem I will be alright.  I also have to make sure to get there as soon as possible because it gets crazy crowded a little before 5. 

Today was an upper body day.  Mostly push/pull supersets.  Nothing to crazt while I transition back to the real deal.

 Kneeling X Row 3×12 at 22.5-27.5 per arm

Incline DB Bench 4×6 at 40-50 (pretty sorry) with

T Bar Row 4×6 at 50 (This machine had adjustable grps and I can’t wuite find one that feels right)

Dips 3×12 at BW with

Wide grip seated Row 3×12 at 60-80

I thought I was going to take a huge financial hit so I cancelled my gym membership and started working out at work the past few weeks.  I found out that the hit will not be near as large as I thought so I am heading back to the gym. I am in their "grace" period so they aren’t going to charge me any more start up fees.  The bad part is it is not real close to my house so I will have to plan accordingly.  The good part is they have a decent selection of equipment so I can get back to my core lifts that I have been missing, i.e. the deadlift. 

 Another plus is they have a pool and give swim lessons.  I have never been a strong swimmer.  The back story is I had a cousin who drowned before I was born.  I used to spend summers at my grandmothers.  Of course in the Midwest this is about the only time the pool is open.  She never really got over the thing with my cousin and did everything possible to keep us out of the water.  Now I am 25 and can’t swim worth a lick.  I would love to integrate swimming into my routine when my joints are screaming from lifting or running too much.

My new boss decided we need to do PT one day a week together.  I guess for bonding or whatever.  The problem is the other people I had to work out with are actual runners.  Not the two or three times a week stuff I usually do.  They actually run a long way every day.  They killed me.  We started by running the steps at the McKinley Memorial and then did a lap around the courtyard area and repeated several times.  I’m already hurting.  I can tell that I will feel it for a few days.  Have I mentioaned how much I hate running?

I fell asleep again right after work and slept and the way until morning.  The 12 hours of sleep was nice but it also meant I didn’t work out, eat enough, or get my homework done.  I don’t know what it is aboiuit my place that makes me so sleepy.  All of the appliances are electric so it can’t be a carbon monoxide leak.  I didn’t rally sleep well all weekend so it probably wasn’t the worst thing in the world but I gotta cut it out.

I did a good job on my diet today.  My daily caloric average should be around 3645.  Today I hit about 4000.  That is exactly what I need to do to finally put on some weight.  I am trying to cycle a little but so that my body has trouble acclimatiing to the increase.  Tomm should be a cardio day so my calories will be lower than today (a lifting day).  I lost some ground over the weekend so I really need to take it up a notch.