My BodyBlog

Abs are one of the most sought after areas for muscle development in males and also the most problematic…as I’ve learned this past year in my ‘quest for abs’.  I’ve read lots of blogs from males wanting that elusive six pack and wondering what it’s going to take to get there…but read posts from men who’ve achieved their goal and it can be simply stated as ‘lose body fat’ and ‘grow the ab muscles’.  Much easier said than done for most of us! 

You’ll lose body fat if you burn more calories than you take in over time.  Simple as that.  Cardio will help you burn calories.  But, too much cardio with an incorrect diet will eventually lead to the loss of muscle tissue as your body uses it for energy….I don’t know of any bodybuilders who want that!  So eat the right way and find the right amount and intensity of cardio that will help you burn body fat while still maintaining your muscle mass.  I can’t tell you exactly how to do this, I’m still working on it myself, but I’ve read posts from lots of successful bodybuilders who make it work for them.

You’ll grow the ab muscles if you do exercises to stimulate the growth of muscle tissue…it’s no different from any other muscle.  Exercise to break down the muscle tissue, eat right to feed the muscles, and allow recovery time for muscle growth.  Now there’s a lot of different opinions on how often to exercise the abs and how to exercise them.  I don’t have all the answers, but I do know what doesn’t seem right to me.  If you workout abs every workout and don’t feel sore, then you’re not hitting the abs like you should.  Your form may not be correct (classic example, crunches on an exercise ball - do them right and you will feel a burn in 15-20 reps).  If you can do 100 reps you’re probably not doing them right.  I went through a period of doing this until I realized the folly of it.  If you do feel sore after your abs workout and then hit them again without enough recovery, you may be overtraining the abs and slowing the muscle growth.  It’s not the quantity of the exercise that matters, it’s the quality.  I’ve experimented exercising many ways for my abs but only started to make good progress when I achieved excellent form.

I lost focus on my abs goal for 2008 when I planned my workouts around lifting heavier on deadlifts, squats and bench press.  My cardio was sporradic, while my diet was consistently clean.  Although not putting 100% effort into bringing out my abs, I did do a good abs workout once a week and all my compound exercise work has helped strenthen my core tremendously.  My heavy lifting and decent muscle growth has helped me achieve a slow but steady body fat loss as evidenced by the way my clothes fit and by what I see in the mirror. So at this time I find myself with what I think (based on my poking and prodding) are pretty well developed abs hiding under a layer (or two) of body fat.

I’ve decided that now is the time to achieve my goal.  I have the knowledge of diet and exercise, and the mental discipline and drive to make it happen.  My strategy for October to December will be to lift heavy more often than not (using a 5×5 approach with mostly compound exercises) and to do cardio each and every time after lifting.  I’ll do as much HIIT cardio on the treadmill and bike as I can, maybe doing something with a lower impact on days I workout lower body.  I’ll continue to hit abs hard once a week.  I’ll try to improve on my diet wherever I can, but thankfully that’s one thing that is going very well.  I am really expecting good body fat loss during the next three months.  I know it’s just another part of my journey and I’ll still have more work to do when the three months are up, but I’m at the point where I can visualize what I’m going to look like when my abs are showing and it’s something I want to make a reality very, very much.  Anyone out there who has a suggestion or advice please share it with me!  

I worried about how I would do with eating during my one week vacation…I would be on the go every day, staying in hotels, and also attending a 3 day conference where I had little choice as to what I could eat.  I think more than the actual food itself, I was was worried that if I had a taste of some salty/greasy/starchy foods that I used to crave in the past, that I would revert back to old habits and find it difficult to get back to my healthy eating.

Well, I did eat a lot of foods that I hadn’t eaten for a long time.  At the conference I ate the food served, and that included some decadent deserts.  I didn’t eat a huge amount of food, but they were concentrated in 3 larger meals, as opposed to the 5-6 medium sized meals per day I’ve been eating for almost a year.

And how do I feel about it today?  Well, eating that way did not appeal to me at all.  I felt bloated a lot of the time, I had a hard time as far as the bathroom was concerned, and I didn’t get any enjoyment out of the food.  At times I wished I had my chicken, rice, and vegetables in front of me!

Now that I’m home I’m getting back to my usual foods and meal schedule, and I feel really good about it.  I’m excited that tomorrow I’m going back to the gym after a ten day break.  I have set some new goals for the next few months, and I’m anxious to see how much I can accomplish.

Getting back to healthy eating is what I wanted to do, it’s not something I had to force myself to do.  That proves to me that I’ve made a real lifestyle change that is staying with me and I don’t have to worry about falling back into unhealthy habits.  I’ll no doubt have a vacation from time to time, and I’ll no doubt have short periods of time where I can’t eat like I would if I were at home, but I won’t worry about it anymore.  I’ll just make the best of it and pick up right where I left off! 

Of course we all know that rest is vital for muscle growth…how much rest and how often is a matter for debate, I guess it depends on how you train and what your goals are.  I’ve been working out 3-4 times a week doing split training, compound exercises and intermittent cardio for almost 12 months now.  I feel good most of the time, but now I know it’s time for a break.  I’m going on vacation for a week, plus I’m going to try to stay away from the gym for an additional week….but it’s going to be so dog gone hard because I love working out so much! 

This last 12 months or so have been the most rewarding since I started working out, for a lot of reasons.  Mostly it’s to do with using bodybuilding.com and learning so much about exercise and nutrition that I could incorporate into my life.  It’s made a huge difference in my strength and mass gains.  My motivation and commitment is also at an all time high since I’m seeing such great results and also thanks to reading about other people’s experiences and getting so much positive feedback and helpful advice from other bodyspacers.  I can also look back at specific goals I achieved - learning deadlift and doing an amazing 405 lift; improving my 1RM on squat to 350; completing a 7 week bench press training program resulting in improving my 1RM by 15 to 235; doing more cardio - and knowing that I have the tools and commitment to improve a lot more makes me feel great about the years to come!

During my break I’ll be no doubt be walking a lot, I’ll be golfing once in a fundraising tournament (fist time golfing in 15 years!) and going swimming, and I’m going to eat well but stay away from junk food and fast food.  Here’s hoping for good weather!

I just completed a seven week, fourteen workout bench press training program.  I took the time to write a blog post after every workout, since putting my thoughts in writing always helps reinforce what I learned.  Now that’s its finished, I’ll summarize the entire experience in this post.

I started with a 1 rep max lift of 220.  At the end I was able to do a single lift of 235.  A hard-earned 15 pound strenth increase.  But in this case, for me the journey through the program was a lot more valuable than the actual strenth gains.  Encouraging, discouraging, amazing, disappointing, easy, hard, these are all words I’d use to describe my workouts at various times.  It was a roller coaster ride, for sure.  But it is an experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.  Here’s what I’ve learned:

• When I started I thought I knew how to bench press.  I was wrong, there is much more to doing a good bench press than I realized.  I corrected flaws in my form during the program and now I can go on from here doing the bench press the right way.
• I can’t expect to have a great bench press workout every time.  There are so many variables that go into it, from when and what you’ve eaten, to what muscles you worked out in your previous workout, to how much rest you’ve had.  Everything has an impact on your strength and energy levels.
• Don’t dwell on the success or disappointment of the last workout.  Treat every workout as a new opportunity to learn and grow.
• Focus on the lift you are doing and specifically the mechanics of the lift.  Forget about how much weight is on the bar or what you next lift is going to be.
• I can make make better gains if I follow a training program and it is a whole lot better then just doing bench press on a random basis when I feel like it.
• Having a good spotter who understands when to step in and when to leave you alone can make a big difference.
• When benching I should rest between sets and not work out any other muscles.  My best workouts were when I focused entirely on benching.
• A lot of people I see bench pressing have serious flaws in what they are doing!
• Getting support and encouragement from other lifters is important for your confidence.  Many thanks to Jason and Dave for all their on-line support.

I’m going to build on what I’ve learned by doing this program again, probably to start off the new year.  In the meantime I’ll do bench once a week to maintain my gains and I’ll do chest regularly to help add some mass so I’ll hopefully be stronger when I’m ready to give it a shot again!

I prepared for this workout by resting for 72 hours and by eating a lot of protein and clean carbs all day…my pre-workout meal was a chicken breast, salmon filet, brown rice and green beans.  I think I was feeling the best I could feel physically, mentally I wasn’t as confident as I could have been given the results of Workout #13.  After a lot of thinking I decided to deviate from the program and lift weights that which I thought would give me the best chance of doing a personal best.  The program called for a final lift of 250 but I didn’t really think this was realistic given I hadn’t lifted over 230 yet with no spotter support.  My goal was to lift 235 which would be a new personal best.  If I did it I would add more weight and see what happened.

When I arrived at the gym another guy was just starting a bench workout, so we worked together.  Turns out he is pretty much lifting at the same level I am, and he was happy to let me put whatever weight on the bar I wanted and he used the same.  It was nice to have a spotter there for every lift too.  I did three warmup set and then did working sets of 205×4, 225×2 and 230×1 with no problem.  I then put on 5 more pounds and succeeding in lifting that, which was a new personal best for me (lifted 245 but with assistance a couple of workouts ago, but I don’t count that)!  I put on 5 more and tried a 240 lift, and I came very close to pushing it up, but just needed a little bit more stength.  Program completed! My next post I’ll summarize how I feel about it and what I learned.

Well, after the great deadlift workout I had 48 hours before, last night’s bench workout sure brought me back down to earth.  I had the poorest results of the 13 workouts so far.  Although I felt good going in, I just didn’t have near the level of strength I’ve had on previous workouts.  I had to use the power rack since there was no one to spot me.  I much prefer the regular bench setup with a spotter, but I can’t use this as any excuse.  There was no soreness or fatigue that I noticed carried over from my deadlift workout either. 

I did my first working set, 205×5, no trouble at all.  Next two sets called for 225×3 and I expected those to be fine since I’d done 230×2 before, but it wasn’t happening for me last night.  First set I barely got up the second rep.  Second set I failed on the second rep.  At this point I was a little shell-shocked, I hadn’t felt so weak on bench ever.  Last set called for 240×2.  By this time I had no confidence, but I made the attempt anyway.  It went nowhere, and I had to leave the bar on the safety rods.  I’m stubborn though, I couldn’t leave it at that.  To ease my mind I set up the bar at 135 and did a set of ten with good form so I could end the bench workout with something positive.

I’m a realist about these things, I know that to increase your lifts you’ve got to be doing a lot of things right, and I thought I’d been learning how to do that over the last 7 weeks.  I was hoping all the pieces would fall into place so I could finish the program strong, but there was obviously some aspect (or two) that wasn’t right last night.  I’m finishing the program Wednesday night, so I have over 48 hours to figure out what adjustments I have to make.  One thing I’m going to make sure of is that I’m well rested, I’m staying away from the gym until then.  I’ll also have a really good protein/carb meal before the workout.  Wish me luck! (although I know luck has nothing to do with it!) 

I did a 405 deadlift Friday night.  This is the first chance I’ve had to sit down and write about it, but I’ve been thinking about what to say.  I’m finding it hard to put into words how I feel about it.  This is a monumental achievement for me, both physically and mentally.  I started deadlifting about 10 months ago.  Over that time I learned good form and slowly built up my lifts, and I really enjoyed every deadlift workout.  My steady improvement on deadlift helped boost my confidence and motivation in all aspects of bodybuilding.  When I lifted 315 awhile back, seeing those 6 plates on the bar, it was a tremendous feeling of satisfaction, but it made me hungry for more. 

I achieved a goal of lifting 400 on August 9.  I deadlifted again on Aug 19 but I wasn’t feeling at my best so I stopped at 380.  All last week I was looking forward to Friday night, when I know I would try for 405.  Only 5 more pounds, but it meant having eight 45 pound plates on the bar.  To accomplish this for me would be a tremendous ego boost and it’s something I wanted badly to achieve.  I made sure my lower body and back had plenty of rest during the week, and I ate a good meal before going to the gym.  Friday nights are slow at my gym, and there was only one guy there when I arrived.  As it so happens, he’s someone I like to talk about weightlifting with.  He’s in great shape, been lifting for years, he’s into the nutritional aspect of it too, and best of all he’s closer to my age than most people I talk to at the gym.  Seeing what he’s accomplished is a real motivator for me.  I don’t run into him very often, since he usually lifts in the afternoon while I’m there in the evenings.  He’s big on compound exercises and I’ve seen him deadlift high 300’s for reps.  He was just finishing up his workout and he was in the mood to chat.  I did a warm-up set of 135×10, and he said ‘you’re looking really good there’.  We chatted some more as I added plates, and then I did my next set of 225×6.  He said to me ‘you’ve got the best deadlift form I’ve ever seen from anyone in this gym, especially the way you hold your back.’  Surprised by the compliment, I told him how careful I’ve been to work on my form and lift the right way.  I soon put on 2 more plates and did two lifts of 315.  When I did those he said ‘You’re a powerhouse!  You made that look so easy."  I said ‘You’re joking right?"  He said he meant it and that I could have done a lot more reps.  He asked me my weight, and said that I’m built like a powerlifter.  I told him I was warming up to try to do a personal best lift of 405, so I wasn’t doing a lot of reps.  He said that I would be able to do that weight and a lot more if I continued working at it.  He wished me luck and said he had to leave.  Now, how’s that for an ego-boosting conversation?  I’ve been motivated by other’s comments at the gym before, but I’ve never experienced anything like that!

My 315 lifts felt great and I knew I was going to be able to lift heavy.  The great feelings I got from talking to an experienced lifter who I greatly respect gave me great confidence, and I just knew that tonight was the night that I was going to lift 405.  Now alone in the gym, I did a single lift of 359, then one at 385, still feeling strong.  I took a break and loaded up the bar to 405.  When I was ready for the attempt I had every confidence I could do it…and I did!  It was hard but I found something extra inside me and I just got the job done, all with good form.  After I was finished I gave a little yell of triumph and pumped my fist.  I felt so fantastic it was unbelievable.  About a minute after I’d finished a young guy I talk to often at the gym arrived.  As we said hello he saw the bar and he said ‘Are you lifting that?‘  I said I had just finished.  He asked me how much weight that was and when I told him he said ‘Man, that’s a lot of weight!’ He said that he had only tried deadlifting a couple of times and he found it really hard on his back.  I said that it shouldn’t be like that if he was doing them with the right technique.  As I started to take of the plates he asked me if I could show him how to deadlift right!  I know he’s fairly strong so I left 135 on the bar, then I explained how he should position his hands and feet, and how to move his body for each part of the lift.  He asked me to do some to show him, so I did.  When he set up for his lift I saw right away that he was going to make the same mistake I did when I first started - he didn’t stand right into the bar, he was about a foot away.  So I corrected him and he did a couple of good reps.  He said that he could feel the difference right away and he was probably standing too far away from the bar when he tried deadlifting before.  He said he was going to do some more reps during his back workout.  I enouraged him to keep doing them but to take his time and focus on doing them right rather than trying to add weight.  The weight will come in good time like it did for me.

So, during this workout I achieved a personal best lift with an ego-boosting 8 plates, I received compliments from an experienced lifter that I respect a lot, and I felt complimented when a fit younger guy asked me for advice on how to deadlift correctly.  Wow!  These things might be routine or seem like no big deal to many of you.  But to me, it’s a very big deal.  I grew up as the chubby smart kid, I wasn’t into sports at all.  I didn’t even learn how to skate, which is as natural as walking for most kids here in Canada.  As I moved through my teen and early adult years I tried some team and individual sports, and I was ok at some aspects of them.  But overall at sports I was below average.  In fact, at most things I’ve done in life I’ve been average, but I’ve always had the desire to be excel at something.  Now, at the age of 43 I’ve found an activity that I enjoy tremendously and that I may, if I dare say so, be above average at doing!  I am transforming my body and achieving strength goals in ways that I don’t see very many other people around me doing.  These feelings of accomplishment and success that I am getting every time I meet one of my goals or every time I get a compliment are feelings that I never thought I could have.  Now that I am, I want more of it.  I want to keep improving my body and my strength to see how much I can accomplish.

Sets called for: 2 @215×3, 2 @230×2, 1 @245×1.  The gym was very crowded last night, must be all the people getting back into their routines after the summer.  No trouble to find a spotter.  In fact, a guy worked in with me on bench press and spotted for me, he’s a regular and a strong bencher.  After a couple of warmup sets he set up the bar with 350 and did one rep, almost did a second!  Anyway, to my lifts.  Lifting 215 was no problem, felt very comfortable.  My 230 sets were completed with no help from the spotter, although I had to really bear down to do the second rep. 

Next, a 245 attempt.  I had no idea how this would go, the most I’d tried before was 240 and it went nowhere, but as my blog explained I had a flaw in my form.  I got the spotter to help me with the liftoff, lowered the bar smoothly to me chest, but then as soon as I started to push up the spotter put his hands on the bar.  I didn’t think I needed help at that point, and that’s not how he spotted me before.  The lift was finished with the spotter on the bar the whole way.  He was encouraging me, saying "come on, it’s all you, it’s all you", but I seriously have my doubts.  It was way easier than it should have been so he must have been taking some of the weight.  So I lifted 245, but did I really?  Anyway, it’s no good worrying about it, I’ll just soldier on into the next workout and do the best I can with it.

It seems like I’m back on track after this workout!  No one at the gym to spot for me, so I set up in the power rack.  I was more comfortable with this than the first time I used it.  After warm-ups I completed working sets of 2 @ 200×5 and 2 @220×3.  I focused on correcting the flaw that was pointed out to me after my last workout.  I kept my arms and shoulders where they were supposed to be for every rep, and I had no problem with balance or with the amount of weight I was pressing.  The failure test used 220, and I completed 3 reps and was very close to doing a fourth when I failed.  That’s great though, I stay on the same track and since that was the last failure test I know what all my lifts will be for the last 3 workouts in the program.

Strength is definately increasing.  My 1RM when I started was 220, yesterday I did 9 lifts of 220 in total.  Cool.