i’m just saying…

so this week, i think the only things i did different were abs for 3 days (mon, wed, fri), an extra day of cardio at a slightly intenser rate, and started taking dren.  some how i managed to lose ~1 lb a day, so now i’m down to 192ish.  this has to be a mistake…

…is to get in shape, and stay in shape.  i always try to bulk then cut, but that bulking is havoc on how i view myself.  i lose all definition and feel gross.  so i’m going to try to slim down and stay pretty close to that.  adding mass is not a problem i have.

i guess technically i can say i’m in my bulking phase since i’m not being very strict about diet right now.  how did my training change?  well i cut out cardio after my workouts, so i’m down to one cardio session a week.  and i guess i’m lifting a little heavier, at least i’m trying to.  other than that, i’ve been doing the same 4 day split.

so monday was leg day, and i usually alternate squat and leg press from week to week.  this week was leg press week.  i start off with a couple warm up sets, then commence doing sets adding a 45 to each side for each set.  the one time i almost blacked out doing leg press, i had 10 plates on each side (900 plus whatever the thing weighs for those who like numbers).  well this monday, i got up to 11 plates or 990+ lbs.  i was feeling a little weaker than usual, but i went for it anyway.  got out about 2 partial reps (did not lower it as much as usual).  when i stood up, my knee was in major pain.  knee pain is not uncommon, but it usually fades as i get to the heavier sets.  so because i only was able to get out 2, i lowered the weight to 6 plates and attempted a pump set.  my knee said no!  aight, cool… i’ll go finish the rest of my leg workout… wrong!  knee hurt too much to finish.

as usual the next day my knee is sore, but no swelling or anything so i should be ok.  which gives me the idea to switch up my workouts after a week off.  i think i’ll try to go back on a 3 day split with 2 cardio days.  i feel so out of shape since i’ve stopped the 5 days of cardio, so maybe this will help.  should also allow for more ever so important recovery time.

so this past weekend, i finally made it to the beach for the first time in a couple years.  i wasn’t quite as cut as i had liked to be, but with my friends being… umm… not in as good a shape as me i didn’t feel too fat.  all they could say was "are you on steroids?"  the ignorance of people who don’t take the time and effort to get in shape…

so with football season upon, pizza, wings, and lots of beer is inevitable… therefore, i declare it time to bulk.

GO SKINS!

why is it that when your favorite celebrity (i.e. ll cool j, vin diesel, brad pitt…) gets in shape it is seen as sexy, but when your "average joe" puts in the effort in an attempt to look equally as good he is all of a sudden on steroids or has an eating disorder?  if that ain’t some bull…

 well i’ve been maintaining my weight around 185-190 this summer.  my arms are showing more veinage, but i’m not as lean as i’d like to be.  i guess i just enjoy drinking too much…

what is your experience with doing cardio twice a day?  or is it just better to do it in the morning rather than after lifting?  OR is it just better to re-evaluate my diet?

so for the past couple months i had been trying to cut up.  in the past, all i really had to change was to add lots of cardio.  now i’m doing cardio 5 days a week at a pretty good rate right after weights, yet i seem to hover around the same weight.  diet and training are pretty much the same otherwise, but burning 400 calories per cardio session i expect to see something.  i should’ve known something was wrong since i keep getting stronger every week.  i mean i take creatine, but that usually only helps me heal faster.  i need a free dietician to write me up something, because that’s the only thing i think is keeping me from my goals.

 also the "big guy" at my gym has me working out with him now.  honestly, i don’t really want to get any bigger without getting cut first so i can see if i need to be any bigger.  this guy has me lifting weights i wouldn’t even had thought of lifting before.  after my vacation, i’ll have to sit down and rethink some things.

the boy is back at it.  trying to get right for the summer/spring/my birthday in about a month.  i feel like i only see some kind of cuts when i do mad cardio, so i’m doing 30 minutes after i lift 5 days a week.  hopefully this will work like it has in the past.  i just know i hate cardio right baout now.  i know i really hate cardio when it’s really working, so we’ll see.  maybe i’ll post some new pics eventually.

so after a couple months, i definitely felt a lot better joint-wise.  however during that time, i noticed increased jiggling of the abdominal region.  feels kinda gross after it took so long to get rid of it to begin with, then letting yourself go a little after being in decent shape.  well now i’ve been back at the gym for about a month.  i need to be careful not to get the same joint pains again.  i’ve also switched gyms.  $10 a month… who can beat that?  it’s a little weird not being "the big guy" anymore, but it is rather motivating.  my one weak area… diet!  and it doesn’t help that it’s the holiday season.  all the bad food and drinking and partying.  january, i plan to clean up my diet.  i don’t think i’ll get to be a cut as i want tho.  what can i say, i like to drink.  i’m way too young and too single not to.  one of these days…

so i haven’t seen the inside of a gym since august, and won’t be able to again until november.  feels weird not lifting.  my diet has also been slacking big time.  it’s not a good feeeling to feel jiggling after you spent years trying to get rid of the fat.  to try and maintain, i recently started doing pushups and using my ab wheel 3 times a week.  i’ve also started running on the days in between.  maybe i’ll see some physical changes, or at least pick up where i left off 2 months ago…