My BodyBlog

I’m working from my hotel room since the client didn’t have anywhere that I could set up.  That works out fine on this job, it’s a lot of work but relatively straight forward so I can watch TV while I work (gotta love those Star Trek reruns!) 

Last year I worked out at a decent but small gym in this town.  Turns out the owner has built a bigger one with all new equipment so of course I have to check it out!  Last year I had to arrange to be let in, so I dropped by the new place on my lunch break today and was glad to find there was an employee that I could ask about the hours of operation.  The gym is full of new equipment so I can’t wait to try some things that my gym at home doesn’t have.  I’ll go after my work is finished tomorrow!

One odd thing happened though - I was talking to the employee, and at one point he broke eye contact with me and looked me over - I mean, he took a good look up and down my body!  What does THAT mean?  I hope he was assessing my experience level by how muscular I look - maybe he was deciding if I should be offered an orientation?  Of course it could mean other things which I will leave up to your imagination!

I was hoping to do a new PR on barbell shoulder press last night, but my body was having none of it.  The upper body strength just wasn’t there, not surprising I guess since I had done a heavy chest/triceps workout 48 hours earlier and chest was still a little sore.  Instead I went for high volume and lower weight on a variety of shoulder exercises, hitting delts from every angle I could think of.  I pretty much exhausted shoulders!

I also did some squats, after warm-up I did 3 sets at 185.  Felt great, I sailed through and only started to get a little winded at the end of the last set.  For quads I also did 4 sets of leg press and 3 sets of leg extensions, the last being a drop set that left quads burning.  A great workout.

Now to my story - While I was squatting using the power rack, two guys were at the Smith machine right next to it.  One of them is a regular gym rat while I hadn’t seen the other guy before.  The regular was showing the newbie how to squat.  Between sets I watched and added my two cents worth, having noticed a couple of things he was doing wrong.  When I went back for another set, I heard the regular say "Now just watch how Tony does it, that’s what you want to be doing."  Pressure!  I sure focused on my form that set!  Felt good though, it helped to boost my confidence that I am on the right track with squats after starting over with how I was doing them a couple of months ago.  A little later the new guy asked if I could watch him as he did a set using the barbell instead of the Smith machine.  He said ‘what do you call these - squats?’  Everyone has to start somewhere, five years ago I didn’t know what a squat was either.  His form is really very good for someone starting out.  I told him that squats are the best exercise he could do for overall gains in mass and strength, so I hope he continues to do them.

I’m working out of town for the rest of the week, there’s a new gym where I’m going so I’m hoping to do a workout there.  Always fun to workout somewhere different once in awhile!

I hadn’t done much of this exercise until April when I did 3 cycles of a bench/chest program, when I did decline barbell bench press during 6 workouts.  To my surprise I was stronger on this than on flat bench press, I did a set of 215×4 and felt good.  Since then I’ve been wanting to try and max out on this exercise, and last night the time was right.  After a couple of warm-up sets I had 225 on the bar for an attempt, I was hoping I could do at least two reps.  I had a spotter which is a must on this exercise to help with the lift off and for safety.  I banged out a set of 8 with the spotter only nudging a little on the last two reps when I started to go slower!  After that I decide to go for broke and attempt 255.  The spotter was giving me lots of encouragement, and I was determined to give it my all.  I did a set of 255×3 with no help and then forced 3 more reps with the spotter helping.  What a great set!  But I didn’t stop there, I wanted to feel what it was like to try even more, so after switching up some plates I ended up with 275 on the bar.  My heaviest attempt on any bench press.  I didn’t expect to do any reps unassisted, and I didn’t, but the two assisted reps I managed were still very satisfying!  Challenging myself like this makes the journey towards my goal of a 315 bench press all the more enjoyable!

I just got back from the gym - it was half an hour of HIIT cardio on the treadmill and about 15 minutes of abs for me today - short but sweat (not a typo, my attempt at humor ).  Last night’s workout was great, my back is sore today right from the traps down!  I’m excited that I completed the deadlifting 5×5 @ 300 pounds!  After the first set which felt good I could just tell I was going to do it.  By the end of the third set it started to get hard.  Fourth set was harder.  Fifth set and I had to focus and give maximum effort but there was nothing short of physical collapse that was going to stop me from finishing.  I’ve read lots of posts on here about grunting, whether it’s acceptable at the gym or not, but believe me there comes a point when your level of exertion is so great that you just can’t help it, it’s a natural reflex!  I grunted my way through the last 3 reps of the final set and I’m proud of it!  Although tired, my first thought was ‘if I can do that then I bet I can do 305…’ Another goal for another day! After that, since I had the bar ready anyway, I decided to do a few power cleans.  I started with 135 and did a single lift, it was hard so I decided to stick with singles.  Next lift was 145, I was pleased with it.  I only added 5 more pounds for the next one but I had to abort the lift when the bar hit a loop on my weight belt going up and it fooled me up completely.  Took off the belt and tried again, but I didn’t get much power from the legs at the start and I couldn’t get the bar high enough.  Another failed attempt!  I guess by this time I was starting to get fatigued after all the deadlifting, which was not surprising.  So I guess it was time to stop, right?…wrong!  I couldn’t leave it without another attempt, so after a little longer rest, I focused on what I had to do and I got that 150 power clean! By that time the Washington-Pittsburgh hockey game was on the TV, which is near the dumbbells and cable machine, so I decided to blast biceps while watching the game.  Before I knew it I had completed 13 sets of mostly low weight/high (15 to 20 rep) sets of different exercises and my arms were pumped up like crazy!  I was alone in the gym by then so I started to flex in front of the mirror and I was amazed by how big my arms looked, I can’t ever remember seeing them so pumped up like that.  What a great feeling to see a good result from my hard work (I say work but it doesn’t feel like work when I’m doing it since I enjoy it so much!) My wife and I will be going for a long walk shortly and I’d say I’ll be ready to collapse when we get back!  Good thing this is movie night (plus more hockey on TV - go Pens!)

I’m sitting at my home office desk looking at the rain pour down as I wind down from another week of work.  As I often do for a break during the day, I’ve just caught up on what friends are doing, read some blog posts, and checked out some pics on bb.com.  What I read and see inspires me each and every time.  Sometimes the pics make me feel inadequate, foolish I know, but I’m getting better at channeling any negative feelings about my physique into motivation to keep working and learning. 

Looking back at the first one third of this year, it’s been the best of times for my bodybuilding life.  I’ve increased overall muscle mass, gotten a little leaner, and gained strength on all lifts.  I’ve made progress on some goals and adjusted others.  I’ve tried a couple of different workout programs, and I’ve been consistent with my workout schedule, only one workout missed according to my log.  The gym feels like my home away from home, I look forward to every workout and I enjoy every minute there, even when I’m lifting heavy and doing cardio!  Thankfully I’ve had no injuries, other than a couple of minor aches and pains that quickly went away.  I haven’t been sick this year or for a long time, not even the sniffles! 

I have a lot to be thankful for, and I truly am.  Although thankful, I’m not satisfied!  I’ve never felt this driven about anything I’ve done in my entire life - sometimes I wonder where that drive comes from, but I guess it all comes down to how doing this makes me feel.  I can’t find the words to describe what my bodybuiding lifestlye has done for my self-esteem and confidence.  I’m just so much happier now than earlier in my life. 

Enough sentimentality for one day, time to focus on tonight’s workout!  I’m well rested and I want to do 5×5 deadlifting @300 pounds for the first time.  It’s just a minor goal but it helps me stay motivated and it keeps my legs and back growing and getting stronger as I work on my major goal of deadlifting 500 pounds.  I’m at 435 now, increases are slow but steady.  But that’s how I’ve approached every aspect of bodybuilding, just taking small steps forward and enjoying the journey, and before I know it I’ve achieved something special to me.  Not the best approach for everyone, but it works for me, I guess I’m a patient guy!  That’s all for now, I hope everyone is having a great day!

I’m falling behind in the blog posts I want to do, but my workouts are great and that’s what’s important!  So I’ll give you an abbreviated update.  I did a full body workout Sunday evening, first one in several years, because I thought I’d be taking a week off for work travel and I wanted to go out with a blast!  I started with squats then I did at least 5 sets for quads, hams, calves, chest, back, traps, shoulders, triceps, biceps and forearms.  This left me exhausted but very satisfied!  Then I found out Monday morning my business trip was postponed by a week!

The biggest effect of the FBW was on legs - they were blasted and during the day Monday severe DOMS set it!  48 hours after the workout they were at their finest, sitting on the toilet and taking the stairs were a great challenge!  My after-work walk with my wife was an adventure as we went up and down some steep hills and at times my legs felt like rubber!  But it’s all good

So, what to do at the gym Tuesday night?  I’ve been wanting to test my 1RM on bench press but didn’t know if I’d be strong after the FBW to days prior.  I decided to go for it, the down side would be I could do a good chest workout regardless, and that’s not really a down side, is it?  Getting to the gym it was the most crowded on a Tuesday evening I have ever seen it!  There were several young people there I’d never seen before, working out in groups of 3-5, plus many of the regulars.  There must have been 30 people on the floor, when normally 10 or so would be considered crowded!  Interesting that no one was doing squat, deadlift or bench press.  The tremendous benefits to be gained from these exercises seem lost on most people around here

After chest warm-up I hit the bench press and I felt pretty good on my warm-up sets, I did 135×10, then 225×2.  Decided to go for a new PB of 255.  My favourite guy for spotting was there to help, he assists with the lift-off then leaves the bar alone until you need him.  Starting the lift I felt good coming down, bar didn’t feel too heavy and I was thinking ‘I can do this!"  Then, I did something strange (I’ve done it once before and I don’t know why).  When I start to exert effort for the push I close my eyes!  It’s like a reflex action, but the result is I didn’t see what the spotter did.  The bar went up and of course the lift was very hard - I think the spotter gave me a slight push to finish but I don’t know for sure - DUH!  The spotter said ‘good lift’ which could mean anything.  Oh well, I’ll try that weight again next time and I’ll focus on keeping my eyes OPEN!  I did a set of 225×2 and a burn-out of 135×15 to finish.

Did some more chest work and then worked rotator cuff and triceps - solid workout! :-]

On Sunday my wife and her sister decided to make the one hour drive to the city where the bigger stores are to do some clothes shopping.  I tagged along but I didn’t spend the day waiting around for them, no sir, instead I headed to the men’s clothing sections to explore a whole new world for me - average sized clothes that fit!  I used to detest clothes shopping, it was just a reminder of my overweight and unfit lifestlye.  This past year though, I’ve discovered a certain pleasure (yes, pleasure!) from trying on different styles and sizes and seeing how I look in the changing room mirror!  What a change from a couple of years ago!

It’s been about 15 years since I bought a new pair of blue jeans - my casual clothes has been rugby or cargo style pants with an elastic waste and draw strings - much more accommodating to my rolls of fat than form-fitting blue jeans!  But the rolls of fat are now gone for the most part - stomach is just about flat except for the very lower part and small love handles on the sides - so I decided to try on some regular blue jeans to see how they fit.  A 36" waste was good, a 34" a little snug but manageable - but I encountered the problem I’ve read about for many jeans-wearing bodybuilders - my legs have grown so much that regular fit jeans are extremely tight in the thighs!  So I didn’t buy any jeans, I’ll keep looking for something that fits better in the legs - but it feels great to know I look pretty good in jeans again!

I have the same problem with boxer shorts, they are tight in the legs but I’ve just been living with it.  I came across some boxers that said they had a ‘relaxed fit’.  The legs looked bigger than the regular boxers, so I bought some and they do fit better!  On the shopping trip I also bought socks, a new pair of joggers, and a polyester shirt and shorts that are designed for active use and are supposed to draw moisture away from the skin.  I’ll see how they feel during my next workout.

When I was telling my wife about the jeans, she said ‘your legs have really bulked up.  Maybe you should cut back on doing leg exercises for awhile.’  That made me smile!  There are no clothes-fitting challenges that could ever make me cut back on deadlifting and squatting!  Heck, I’ll go naked if I have to but I’ll keep working my legs as long as I’m able!  

Ever go from feeling strong to as weak as a kitten then to lifting a new PB all in one workout?  Happened to me Friday night.  I started the workout with pullups, pronated grip a little wider than shoulders.  I have a goal of doing 5×10 and I’m just a little shy of that, usually able to do 7 or 8.  My first set was a strong 10 - excellent!  Then I managed sets of 7,8,7, and 6 to finish.  Struggled to get 6 on the last set, but still, I was happy overall. 

Moved on to deadlifts, I planned to do a 5×5 workout on those using 300 pounds, 5 more than my previous best.  I did my first warm-up using 135 and I thought ‘oh crap, this is really hard, it’s going to be one of those nights’.  When I feel weak on deadlift warm-up I can never lift as heavy as I want.  I tried 225×4 and it didn’t feel any better.  I loaded up to 315 and managed one heavy rep.  I put 405 on the bar and didn’t have a prayer of getting it up.  Went back down to 315 and did another rep.  Had enough of deadlifts, when that happens for whatever reason all I can do is put it out of my mind, knowing that next time will be better.

I started my next exercise not knowing what to expect.  I haven’t done 5×5 standing barbell overhead press since last November, when I lifted 120 pounds.  I warmed up then started the 5×5 with 125 pounds.  No problem with first set, to my relief!  I went on to finish the 5×5 and I was never in danger of failing although I found myself giving maximum effort (along with a couple of grunts) to finish off the last 2 reps!  Very happy with this effort and result, I’ll try 130 next time!  Finished off with about 15 minutes of abs work, used different exercises and by the end I was really feeling it.

Strange how things go during a workout sometimes, I never know what to expect!  What I did expect though, and I wasn’t disappointed, was to be sore on Saturday and Sunday.  Lats were very sore, felt great, and a little shoulder soreness to boot!  I had an interesting day and a very different workout on Sunday, I’ll be posting about it later!