dvsness, dedication and desire

Now that my calories are normal, I swear I am loving each training day more than the one before.  On my train ride home from the gym, the wheels are already turing in my head, quasi-planning what I want to do.  Strength is much improved, and it will only get better - just wait!   

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<strong />Incline BB Press
75×10, 85×7, 85×7

Flat DB Press
40sx6, 35sx9, 35sx9

Flat DB Fly
25sx8, 25sx8, 25sx8

CGBP
45×12, 50×10, 55×8

1 Arm Seated Overhead DB Ext
12×10+10, 15×6+6, 15×6+6

Rope PushDown
50×10, 60×8, 70×7

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Plate Weighted Decline Crunch
10×20, 25×10, 25×12

V-Up
15, 15

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20 Minutes Precor

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I also walked to and from the gym 15 minutes each way in the rain, because I need a damn muffler.  Why does my car hate me so?

I’m still tinkering with my off-day macros, but I’m close to content.

Meal 1

• oats 
• Prolab Protein Component - Cinnamon   
• multi

Meal 2

• sweet potato 
• Prolab Pure Whey - PB
• peanut butter 

Meal 3

• chicken breast
• small salad 

Meal 4

• chicken breast 
• brussel sprouts 
• homemade sauce

Meal 5

• tuna
• salsa
• string beans  
• multi  

Meal 6 

• skim milk
• Prolab Isolate - Chocolate 
• almonds  

cal - 1760 pro - 237 car - 120 fat - 40 fib - 30

My hams are SORE!!  It’s been a while since I’d had a real intense workout due to my mandatory week off, preceded by the boring depletion workouts and low cals.  I’d almost forgotten how difficult it can be to navigate all the stairs in the subway system, and in my own third story walkup, with serious ham DOMS.  I feel wonderfully alive and capable of some new quality growth!

Today was an off day from training.  It will be interesting to see how my body reacts to having 2 off days; I haven’t done this since last year, but I am attempting to be faithful to what I need to grow instead of what I want to do.

No, I’m not cheating on Des.  NYC just got out first Trader Joe’s, so since it was  such a beautiful day, during my lunch hour I went down to Union Square to check it out.  I found natty PB for $1.69!!!  I bought a creamy regular and a creamy without salt.  They also had raw almonds for $4.49/pound.  Those prices are unreal for NYC.  The almond and cashew butters were a bit more money, so they’ll have to wait. 

Meal 1

• oats 
• Prolab Protein Component - Cinnamon
• raisins  
• multi

Meal 2

• Prolab Lean Mass Complex - Cinnamon 

Meal 3

• Labrada RTD 

Meal 4

• chicken breast 
• broccoli 
• sweet potato

Pre-workout

• Prolab Nitro Fire 

Meal 5 - Post-workout

• Prolab Isolate - Vanilla 
• Prolab Creatine 
• WMS    

Meal 6 

• egg whites 
• brussel sprouts
• peanut butter
• multi

cal - 1907 pro - 191 car - 202 fat - 41 fib - 30

Today’s workout was inspired by a Tim Wescott article on Mind and Muscle.  Tim is a pretty cool cat and I met him at my competition where he was in the Master’s division.  I didn’t follow the workout to a “T”, but rather based it applied it to my needs and body response by using slightly lower rep ranges.  I also did 10 reps of bodyweight calve raises after every set for a total of 100 reps.  I am being very cautious with my calves at this time.  They have had some wicked cramping problems as of late, and they don’t need much work, so I may or may not train them, and if so I won’t be using weight for a while. 

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Standing DB Laterals
15sx8, 15sx8, 15sx8, 20sx6 *superset*

Seated Bradford Press
40×8, 40×8, 45×6, 45×8

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Behind the Back DB Laterals
10sx10, 10sx12, 15sx8

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Seated (bent over) Rear Delt Raises
15sx10, 15sx10, 15sx10 *superset*

Face Pull
50×12, 60×10, 60×12

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20 Minutes Precor

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I also walked to and from the gym 15 minutes each way.  What a beautiful evening.  Would you believe it was warmer in NYC than in Miami today!!?

I still have to get used to eating in quantity - I have been dieting for a very long time.  It feels great to be back on track again.  I have gained back about 10 pounds over the last week, so I’m going to start this bulk slow and steady.  Additionally, although I’m not scared of putting on some fat since I know I can get ripped pretty painlessly, I can’t show up to Prolab demos looking too soft and out of shape, so this will have to be a lean bulk for sure. 

Meal 1

• oats 
• Prolab Protein Component - Cinnamon
• raisins  
• multi

Pre-workout

• Prolab Nitro Fire

Meal 2 - Post-workout

• Prolab Isolate - Vanilla 
• Prolab Creatine  
• WMS 

Meal 3

• chicken breast
• sweet potato 
• broccoli   

Meal 4

• tuna
• oat flour
• mustard

Meal 5

• chicken breast
• brussel sprouts 
• homemade sauce  
• multi
• Prolab Isolate Vanilla in diet root beer - Root Beer Float - YUM!!!

Meal 6 

• Prolab Protein Component - Cinnamon 
• skim milk
• peanut butter

cal - 1976 pro - 211 car - 205 fat - 39 fib - 32

The diet root beer with whey was really good!  I think it would work well with diet Sunkist too for all you creamsicle fans.  This could definitely ward off ice cream cravings for those of you dieting through the summer. 

For my first day back in the gym, I trained hamstrings, since they are likely what put me out of placing higher.  I used Art Atwood’s ham workout as seen in Muscular Development, but with significantly less weight than Art!  :p  It will take a while to build my strength back up, but I am much happier and feel much better getting back to training.

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SLDL
65×12, 85×10, 85×10, 95×10, 95×10

Prone Leg Curl
50×8, 50×6, 40×8, 40×8, 40×8

Single Leg Kneeling Hamtractor
10×8+8, 10×8+8

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Lat Machine Crunch
40×15, 50×12, 50×12

Kneeling Cable Crunch
25×20, 30×15, 35×15

Obliques on Hyper
12+12, 12+12

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20 Minutes Stepmill

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I walked to and from the gym and tanned, too.  75 degrees and sunny today - I’m loving it!

I had a terrible migraine for most of the day, so I didn’t track my diet precisely.  I am reasonably sure that I got enough calories in.  Despite feeling a bit under the weather, I made sure to walk around outside a lot since it was an absolutely gorgeous day - I have pretty dark shades, so it didn’t aggrivate my head too much.  Flip flops and a tank top!  I think it was 76 degrees.  On my walk, I ate some Vietnamese sumer rolls, so even if I was so inclined to do my macros, I have no clue what they’d be!

I am excited to start training again tomorrow.  I have felt like a sloppy lump taking this whole week off.  Tomorrow will begin with hams.  I am splitting my ham and quad days since my legs need special attention to grow well. 

It was a beautiful day and I got to wear flip flops.  It’s still sweater weather, but it’s progress!!  I am NOT a winter person, so my mood is definitely improving.

I have been a big pig recently, and I’m not training until Sunday *insert growl here* so I’m not unhappy with fairly low cals today.

Meal 1

• oats 
• egg whites  
• multi

Meal 2

• Prolab Pure Whey - Chocolate Mint 
• raw cashews
• orange

Meal 3

• chicken breast
• potatoes
• broccoli 
• Bragg liquid aminos
• ff oatmeal raisin cookie 

Meal 4

• Labrada Gold bar - Caramel Peanut 

Meal 5

• chicken breast
• broccoli
• homemade sauce
• mozzarella
• multi

Meal 6

• egg whites
• Prolab Protein Component - Cinnamon 
• skim milk

cal - 1678 pro - 179 car - 154 fat - 41 fib - 26

This was the first time I had tried the Chocolate Mint Pure Whey and I was pleasantly surpised with the flavor.  Mint never sounded appealing to me, but it wasn’t overpowering and quite nice.  It was also the first time I tried Bragg liquid aminos.  It is basically a soy sauce alternative with no preservatives, alcohol, coloring, etc.  It wasn’t bed, but it would be much improved with some ginger. 

The time for gluttony and slobbery is over - i just can’t do it anymore!  I will start posting my nutrition and macros again beginning tomorrow.  I actually miss posting it; I’m weird like that.  It keeps me honest.  I didn’t weigh or calculate anything today, but it looked like this:

Meal 1

• blueberry granola
• Prolab Isolate - Vanilla
• skim milk
• orange
• multi

Meal 2

• Naturally Lean - Cinnamon
• raw cashews

Meal 3

• chicken breast
• potatoes
• homemade sauce
• low fat mozzerella

Meal 4

• Labrada Fruit Crunch - Blueberry

Meal 5

• chicken breast
• broccoli
• homemade sauce
• multi

Meal 6

• egg whites
• natty pb
• skim milk

I still am very anxious to get back in the gym already!!!  Damn me for making promises!!