Inside the Mind of Deserusan

*warm-up sets not included

Wide Grip Pulldowns: 200lbs x 12 x 2

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Stiff-arm Pulldowns: 50lbs x 12 x 2

T-bar Rows: 270lbs x 12 x 2

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Neutral Grip Cable Rows: 200lbs x failure x 2

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45′ Rope Pulldowns: 120lbs x failure x 2

Deadlifts: 275lbs x 12 x 4

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Back Extensions: BW x 30 x 4

Weighted Broomstick Twists: 30lbs x 1 minute interval x 6

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Twisting Incline Sit-ups: BW x 30 x 6

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Leg Raises: 15 x 6

PM Cardio: 30 minutes treadmill & 30 minutes stepmill.

Today I bought a few new albums on iTunes. Actually, they aren’t terribly new but I’ve recently discovered that I like Audioslave and Metallica seems to have found their groove again. As far as Audioslave is concerned, I always like Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden, so the new hybrid band puts out some good tunes. As for Metallica, I don’t what it is, but they are back to the same thundering riffs and varying melodies from days of old. James Hetfield seems to have finally found his edge again which drifted away while battling sobriety issues. Anyway, Metallica’s new album Death Magnetic is a must have for any heavy metal fan.

AM Cardio: Treadmill 30 minutes & Stepmill 30 minutes

* warm-up sets not included

Single Arm Dumbbell Curls: 40lb’ers x 12 x 2

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Close Grip Cable Extensions: 150lbs x 12 x 2

Cambered Bar Curls: 95lbs x failure x 2

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Dumbbell Skull Crushers: 40lb’ers x failure x 2

Rope Cable Extensions: 120lbs x failure x 2

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Preacher Rope Curls: 100lbs x failure x 2

Tricp Kickbacks: 30lb’ers x failure x 2

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Reverse Curls: 95lbs x failure x 2

Decline Twisting Sit-ups: BW x 30 x 6

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V-Up: BW x 20 x 6

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Weighted Brookstick Twists: 1 minute intervals x 6

PM Cardio: Treadmill 30 minutes & Stepmill 30 minutes

Way back in the day during my college I use to DJ a bit and it’s funny how history repeats itself. Well not really, but I’m listening to a lot of the same music these days since I’m now a cardio bunny. Nothing numbs the mind better then some 140BPM trance. I miss the days of watching quite a few hundred of my peers undulating on the dance floor with substance fueled barely controlling their primal urges. Dusting off the old mixes has brought back some great memories so I must say all the cardio isn’t too bad.

This is a great opportunity for one luck guy and gal to appear in Iron Man magazine. For those of you who subscribe to my blog please a take a second to vote. If you want to make one lovely lady’s birthday wish come true please vote for Vanessa Adams aka dvsness. She certainly has put a lot of time and effort into attaining her goals and is a model BodySpace member.

Place your votes here: http://www.bodybuilding.com/ironman_model_search_voting.htm

* warm-up sets not included

Supine Dumbbell Bench Presses: 110lb’ers x 12 x 2

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Supine Dumbbell Flyes: 50lb’ers x 10 x 2

Hammer Strength Incline Presses: 270lbs x 10 x 2

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Cable Flyes (upper chest emphasis): 50lbs x failure x 2

Dips: BW x 20

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Pec Dec: 150lbs x failure

Cable Tricep Extensions: 150lbs x 15 x 2

Overhead Rope Extensions: 100lbs x 15 x 2

Single Arm Extensions: 40lbs x failure x 2

Standing Calf Raises: 300lbs x 20 x 6

Seated Rotary Calf Press: 250lbs x 20 x 4

PM Cardio: 30 minutes treadmill & 30 minutes stepmill

I do so much cardio now I feel like hamster on one of those wheels. My mind is definately playing games with me now. For instance, when I’m watching a food commercial I can actually taste whatever is being displayed on the TV. Then I go through the debate on whether or not that should be included in my post competition binge. Believe it or not, pretty much everything has made it onto the list. Something tells me I’m going to have one heck of a rebound.

* warm-up sets not included

Seated Leg Extensions: 200lbs x 20 x 2

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Laying Leg Curls: 110lbs x 20 x 2

Barbell Squats: 225lbs x 20 x 3

PLate Loaded Squat Press: 900lbs x 20 x 2

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Machine Good Mornings: 225lbs x failure x 2

Single Leg Curls: 75lbs x failure x 2

Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squats: 50lb’ers x failure x 2

V-Ups: 20 x 6

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Decline Oblique Twists: 40 x 6

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Weighted Broomstick Twists: 20lbs x 1 minute x 6

PM Cardio: 1 hour treadmill

Volume helps with striations right? LMAO.

Cable Extensions (overhead): 150lbs x 12 x 2

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Seated Dumbbell Curls: 40lb’ers x 12 x 2

Rope Extensions: 120lbs x 12 x 2

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Cambered Bar Curls: 95lbs x 12 x 2

Tricep Kickbacks: 35lb’ers x 12 x 2

Single Arm Concentration Curls: 30lb’ers x 12 x 2

Reverse Grip Skull Crushers: 50lbs x failure x 2

Cable Preacher Curls: 80lbs x failure x 2

PM Cardio: 1 hour treadmill

I’ve backed off the HIIT a bit because I physically can’t do anymore. My body needs a break and I don’t want to hurt myself by tearing a muscle or passing out. Anyway, I’m getting close and shockingly I don’t feel absolutely terrible. I mean, there is always that reality I really do feel like shit, but I’m getting used to it.

My girlfriend hates me things so seems to evening out.She certainly affirms the self-doubt I have at times so I’d like to thank her. The pain in the gym is now mirrored at home but it’s certainly not gratifying. Actually things have been this way for awhile now but I haven’t really been public about it. These days, I don’t care. We should have been on a Bodybuilding.com reality series or something. At least then maybe the viewers could vote who is the bigger head case and hopefully settle some of our arguments.

My birthday is coming up soon so I’d like one of the these.

*warm up sets not included

AM Cardio: 30 minutes Step Mill, 30 minutes treadmill

Dips: BW x 20 x 2

Supine Dumbbell Flyes: 60lb’ers x 10 x 2

Incline Dumbbell Press: 110lb’ers x 10x 2

Hammer Strength Supin Bench: 225lbs x 10 x 2

Upper Chest Cable Crossovers: 50lbs x failure x 2

Loew Chest Cable Crossovers: 50lbs x failure x 2

Cable Extensions: 150lbs x 12 x 2

Single Arm Extensions: 50lbs x failure x 2

Rope Extensions: 100lbs x failure x 2

Standing Toe Press: 400lbs x failure x 5

Single Let Rotary Calf Press: 100lbs x failure x 5/5

PM Cardio: 30 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill

Despite all the physical activity and low calories I’m feeling pretty good. There was a period of a few days where I was just drained and the remedy was just taking a well deserved day off from training. That’s the thing with bodybuilding, you have to know when to take a break. Contest prep is more of a mind game than anything, but you still need a break every once in awhile.

Recently, a product was released claiming creatinol-o-phosphate (CAS: 6903-79-3) is actually creatine (CAS 57-00-1). Now if you are an unsuspecting consumer you might think to yourself, “Wow a new form of creatine.” However, to the casual science buff or researcher you know full well that they are not the same. There is a lot of great research in the German journal Arzneimittelforschung (Drug Research) utilizing creatinol-o-phosphate in humans. In order to access this you’d probably have to take a trip to a respectable medical library like I did back in the day when I was just a casual researcher peering into the supplement world.

You see, I was reviewing a product for another company at the time and since I found it intriguing I read the appropriate research. What I found is that creatinol-o-phosphate was named similarly to creatine by Shotte in 1928 due to their structural similarities, not because it’s a form of a creatine. You see, in the world of biochemistry, slight differences between molecules greatly changes the pharmacology. Why the company claiming creatinol-o-phosphate is creatine didn’t do their due diligence in researching the product claims is beyond me.

Don’t get me wrong. Creatinol-o-phosphate is a great ingredient which can really add to any bodybuilder’s arsenal of supplements. This holds true whether natural or using anabolics. Basically, it’s an intracellular buffer. It helps you train longer by increasing anaerobic glycolysis in the presence of lactic acid. In a nutshell, it helps you increase the time under tension during eccentric motion.

This is key because training failure during eccentric motion is usually due to a breakdown in sarcolemmal integrity and the junction between muscle cells and the nervous system (neuromuscular junction). Once you reach the failure point they can no longer communicate but with creatinol-o-phosphate your typical failure point can be surpassed. This can cause a greater quantal summation of muscle cells recruited during eccentric motion. Basically, you have greater total muscle stimulation which may lead to enhanced hypertrophy. Creatine does not do this.

In fact, it increases phosphocreatine stores in muscle which can aide in cellular energy production. This is because it donates its phoshate group from phosphocreatine to help turn ADP into ATP. Again, cellular energy production, not buffering. You’ll notice it does nothing in maintaining sarcolemmal integrity or acting like an intracellular ion buffer. It’s also a great compound and probably one of the most proven ergogenic aides you will ever have access to over the counter.

As you can see, these are two very different molecules with similar names. What troubles me is that a company would release a product without doing the proper research and claim one is the other despite them both having a completely different method of action. It does a disservice to consumer and to companies actually doing their homework in terms of research, development, and proper marketing. Anyway, my point is, I hope all you are doing your research into what you are putting into your bodies. It’s unfortunate, but some supplement companies really don’t care to do any research at all and it’s a damn shame. A lesson to be learned by all, caveat emptor.

*warm-sets not included

Laying Leg Curls: 130lbs x 12 x 2

Hack Squats: 270lbs x 12 x 2

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Machine Good Mornings: 180lbs x 10 x 2

Leg Press: 900lbs x 20 x 2

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Dumbell SLDL: 90lb’ers x failure x 2

Single Leg Curls: 70lbs x failure x 2

Single Leg Extensions: 100lbs x failure x 2/2

Hanging Leg Raises: 20 x 4

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Weighted Broomstick twists: 1 minute x 4

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Cable Crunches: 20 x 4

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V-Ups: 20 x 4

PM Cardio: 1 hour on the treadmill

There is nothing too exciting going on in my world. Just cranking out the workouts and cardio. I’m now at the point where I am REALLY focusing on the classical "brining out the striations." I’m not sure how much truth there is to that but I’m not going to do much quesitoning from here on out. The rep ranges are a little higher and more supersets to get the blood flowing well in all areas of the muscle tissue.