CPT Jeff’s BodyBlog

Well, today is the first day in this routine where I felt that I actually kicked this routine’s ass..  Yeah, it felt great.  Today was chest and back day.  I started with 205lbs on the bench and was able to complete all ten sets.  This means that I’ll be hitting 215lbs next week, but hey, growth is the goal.

After bench I moved on to bent over barbell rows.  This I kept at the 175lbs that I was shooting for last week.  I was only able to get four sets done last week before having to run back to the locker room.  This week I was able to blast through all ten sets.  I just felt incredibly strong today.

On the supplement front I took another scoop and a half of NaNO Vapor and noticed something else that’s kind of strange.  I was very hungry when I woke up this morning because I didn’ have any snacks before bed last night.  I had a really good dinner yesterday and wasn’t hungry for the rest of the night.  I’m guessing that since I was as hungry as I was, the NaNO Vapor had an easier time kicking in.  About half way to the gym I felt that tingling sensation in my face again.  However, after I got to the gym I looked in the mirror and noticed that I my face was flush and also notices some light blotches on my arms.  By the time I got onto the gym floor everything was back to normal.  I think that when I’m that hungry I’ll need to scale the amount of NaNO Vapor back some.  Has anyone else experienced this?

Hope everyone has a great week…

Feeling much better today as I got to sleep in a little (woke up at 7am), hey, it’s Saturday.  Got to the gym by 8am and kicked it into high gear to finish off week three of this GVT routine with shoulders and arms….  Yes, my arms are feeling every word I type.

Since I was able to complete all ten sets last week, I bumped up the weight I was using on the dumbbell shoulder press to 60lbs dumbbells.  My first thought after finishing that first set was "damn that was heavy"…  I was able to get all ten reps up through the eighth set.  Set nine I was only able to get eight, then I set ten I pushed a little harder and got nine reps.  That really hurt…  I pushed with everything I had.

After the shoulder press I moved on to standing cheater bar curls.  Like the shoulder press, I upped the weight this week to 90lbs and was able to get ten reps for all three sets.  However, as easy as the first set felt that third set was a killer.  I had a hell of a time getting the ninth and tenth rep in while maintaining good form.  Next week is going to be even worse (I mean better)….

The last exercise for today was the standing overhead dumbbell tricep extension.  I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but I love working on my triceps, even more than I love the flat bench.  While I was able to complete all three sets, 90lbs is heavy and on the last few reps, my body was shaking all over…  It was another good workout today.  Tomorrow will be a good rest day then Monday I start it all over again beginning week #4.  When I finish next week I’ll be half way through this routine and it’ll all be downhill from there…

On the supplement side of the house I took another scoop and a half of that NaNO Vapor this morning, before I left for the gym, and "ta da", no nauseous feeling… I guess it was just the cold that I was getting over.  Kind of interesting, this is the second morning that I’ve taken it and had a tingling feeling in my face that’s reminesient to the tingling feeling that I felt in my arms while I was taking beta alanine (IntraXcell) last November/December.  Not sure if it’s the same thing or not, but I’m feeling pretty good about the NaNO Vapor, oh, and it still tastes good.

As I mentioned in my last post I was feeling sick last Friday when I did shoulders and arms.  Well, as it turned out my cold got worse over the weekend.  I was still feeling it on Monday when I went back to the gym to do chest and back.  I started with 195lbs on the bench and managed to complete all ten sets this time.  This was the first time I had been able to since starting this program.  Score one for me.

After doing bench, I moved on to do barbell rows (like usual), and started off at 175lbs (since I got all ten sets the previous week).  After I hit the forth set I felt like I was going to hurl, but this time I actually needed to head back to the locker room.  I wasn’t sure if it was because I really was still sick, or if it was because of the NaNO Vapor I took, or not enough food the night/weekend before, or a combination.  After that I was pretty much done for that workout and basically wasted for the rest of the day.

Normally, my next workout day would be Wednesday, but my workout partner needed to push it off a day so today we did legs and abs.  By this point I am over my cold and I felt good doing squats.  I used 185lbs today as last week I was able to complete all ten sets.  Today I was also able to complete all ten sets.  I was really starting to feel the stress of it by the time I hit the eighth set, and the last two were killers.  After squats we moved on to calf raises at 200lbs.  Again, got all three sets at fifteen reps each.  Similar to Monday I was really starting to feel stressed all across my body.

The last exercise for the day was sit ups on a decline bench.  I started by holding a 45lbs disk in front of me while I knocked out 35 reps.  Holy crap…  At that point I needed to run to the locker room again…  Now, I’m not sick anymore, I know I had plenty of food and water yesterday, but I did have more NaNO Vapor…  Hmmm.  Fortunately this time I really didn’t hurl, just erped a couple of times and then I was fine.  So I went back to the bench and did two more sets of sit ups to finish things off.  Don’t want to cheat myself.  The first of the last two sets was 45 reps of alternating oblique crunches, and then 40 reps of slow sit ups.  It was a good workout, but I really didn’t start feeling normal again for another two hours.  And next week I get to look forward to (you guessed it) more weight…

On another note, as I mentioned above, I started using NaNO Vapor this past Monday (although not under the best conditions).  I have to admit, it’s probably one of the best tasting (grape) supplements that I’ve tried yet.  On Monday I used one full scoop, and today I used a scoop and a half.  I think that I may need to drink it on the drive to the gym instead of before I leave.  I began feeling it’s effects while I was in the car (20 minute drive to the gym).  I’m not really sure how much it helped and I’m not sure how much it would help while doing 10×10 type exercises as opposed to low reps and high weights.  I’ll still try it when I do shoulders and arms on Saturday (moved back a day as well) and well see how it goes.

It’s not that today’s workout was any tougher, but it seems that I’ve managed to come down with a small cold.  So as I’m hobbling into the gym on sore legs with the muscles in my chest feeling better than yesterday, my lungs are heavy with congestion, I’ve got a bit of a sore throat, and a stuffy nose…  Basically, I feel like crap.  However, I’ve got a gym partner (thankfully) and I’m not going to leave him hanging so I just Soldier through it…

Today was shoulders and arms.  Since I was able to complete all of the seated dumbbell should press sets last week, I bumped up the weight this week to 55lbs.  I was again able to complete all ten sets.  It felt like I wasn’t going to be able to get the last two reps on the last two sets.  So, I pictured Rock standing in front of me saying "come on you wuss…  push it"…  Thanks Rock…

About half way through the shoulders exercise I started to think that it was a little annoying in that the dumbbells go up in 5lbs increments.  So, when I complete all ten sets and am ready to go up in weight the next week, I’m going up by 10% instead of the recommended 5%.  I realize that I could solve that by using a barbell, but then I lose the benefits of the dumbbells.  Looking for a little opinion on this one, does anyone think it would make sense to alternate between dumbbells and barbells to achieve the 2.5lbs (5%) increases?

After the should press we moved on to standing cheater bar curls for biceps.  Both of us completed all three sets last week at ten reps each set using 75lbs total.  So this week we increased the weight to 80lbs. This week was no different, I was able to complete all three sets.

By this point, I just wanted to leave, however, it was time to move on to triceps.  I really love working triceps.  As I was able to complete all sets last week, I increased the weight here to 85lbs dumbbells for overhead tricep extensions.  Again, I was able to complete all three sets, which means that next week I’ll use a 90lbs dumbbell.  Wow was I happy when this workout was over.  Hopefully today is the day that my cold starts to wind down so that I’m ready to rock on Monday.  I’ve got a feeling that I’m just not going to want to get out of bed tomorrow.  Like last week, my shoulders don’t feel all that bad right now, but if last week was any kind of gage, I’ll be hurting (but in a good way) for the rest of the weekend.

On a seperate note, I did take the PMD Platinum Pump Fuel back to GNC Wednesday afternoon and got my money back.  The sales person suggested that should stick with it for a few more days to start feeling it, but I didn’t take the bait.  I’ve got some NaNO Vapor showing up today that I’ll start using on Monday and we’ll see how that works.  I know that when I used Black Powder I felt the focus and the pump each time I took some.  I’m hoping that the NaNO Vapor will produce the same (or better) results.

Have a good weekend and keep the faith…

Halfway through week #2 of the GVT routine and today I’m really sucking wind…  I don’t know if it was because I worked in my garden yesterday or just didn’t sleep well last night.  Since I hit ten reps for all ten sets for squats last week, I bumped up the weight by 10lbs to take it to 175lbs.  It was tough, but I was able to complete all ten sets this week as well.  Which means that I’ll need to go up again next week.  Those last couple of reps on the last two sets were extremely tough this morning.  I actually felt wasted after doing squats and still had calves and abs to do…

After squats I moved on to calves.  I increased the weight here as well, taking it to 190lbs.  I was able to get 15 reps for all three sets, again very, very tough.  After calves, I moved on to abs on a decline bench.  I started with a 45lbs disk doing 40 sit ups, then did 45 alternating oblique crunches, then finished up with 40 slow sit ups.  Holy crap…  At the end I was shaking and felt a little like I was going to hurl…  Oh, and I’m still feeling my chest from Monday…

On the supplement side of the house, I took two scoops of the PMD Platinum Pump Fuel hoping that I would feel something at the gym this morning.  To my disappointment the only thing I felt was some bloating.  This supplement may be good for some things, but if you’re looking for that "Hulk" feeling this is not the pre-workout supplement that’ll get you there.  I’ve decided to order some NaNO Vapor today for use on Friday.   At this point I feel like taking a nap when I should be feeling energized for the rest of the day…

Ok, so Friday I thought that I should have used more weight for the shoulder press…  As it turns out, I was pretty stiff come Saturday morning and pretty much felt that way all weekend.  The interesting part was that I felt it in my lats as much as I did in my shoulders.  I guess that was a good weight to start with.

Today was chest and back.  I started with 195lbs on the bench (same as last week), but this time I made it past the eighth set before I started dropping reps, and then I was able to keep that last two sets at eight reps.  This is much better than last week, and I really had to push myself to keep going.  I kept the rest between sets down to about 60 to 80 seconds…  Wow that kicked my ass…

After chest I moved on to barbell rows.  I started at 165lbs, also the same as last week.  However, this week I was able to get ten reps for all ten sets.  Which means that next Monday I get to go up by 5%.  I did notice though that I was feeling this exercise in my forarms as much as I was in my back.  It was another good workout….

As I mentioned on Friday I’m trying a new supplement called PMD Platinum Pump Fuel.  I’ve got to say that I’m not very impressed with it so far.  I first tried it this morning, using one scoop before I ate anything.  I’ve got to agree with Ryan in that a body builder’s stomach is rarely ever empty.  I was still feeling somewhat full from yesterday.  The up side is that even with just water the grape flavor tasted really good.  When I hit the gym on Wednesday I’ll try upping the amount to two scooops like I was doing with the NO-Xplode.

Speaking of Wednesday, I’ll be back to doing legs and abs.  My gym partner says that his abs are still hurting from last week.  We’ll see how it goes this week…

And the quest continues….  Today was shoulders and arms.  Wow 5am was early today.  I think I’ve got to agree with Ledford45, this particular time change really seemed to suck…

I decided that I wanted to start easy with my shoulders to make sure that I didn’t injure myself, so I ran through 10X10 using 50lbs dumbbells.  The last couple of sets were difficult, but I think that I should have started heavier.  However, I have the positive feeling of having been able to get through all ten sets with ten reps.  I’m not sure that I’ll feel any of it tomorrow.  Speaking of which, I can still (really) feel my legs but my chest feels fully recovered.

After shoulders I moved on to three sets of ten for biceps and then three sets of ten for triceps.  On biceps I used a cheater-bar with 25lbs on each side for a total of 75lbs.  That felt good and I’m still feeling it a little now…  For triceps I used an 80lbs dumbbell and did standing overhead extensions.  The weight felt heavy and the third set was feeling a hard to complete, but like the shoulder exercise, I think that I should have gone heavier.  Well, that’ll be next time.

On a seperate note I swung by GNC today to pick up some Glucosimine for my dog (he’s ten and the vet suggested it) and was going to grab a tub of grape NaNO Vapor based on "Lahr’s" recommendation.  But GNC didn’t have any grape flavor in.  GNC instead suggested that I try some PMD Platinum Pump Fuel.  I’ve never heard of it, but they said it’s one of their best selling pre-workout supps, and it appears to have about the same kind of stuff that the rest of the pre-workout supps have.  So, $70 later I was walking out of the store with a bottle that’s grape flavored.  I’ll try it out on my Monday workout and let everyone know what I think.  Like many of the other supps, it says for the best results, take on an empty stomach.  We’ll see….

Ow, ow, ow….  Damn that feels good…  I’m still feeling the burn in my chest from Monday’s workout.  Today was legs and abs and I’ve got a feeling that I’ll not be able to walk tomorrow.

I did ten sets of ten at 165lbs for squats.  It was getting very tough by the eighth set, but I was able to get all ten.  Which means that next week I’ll be going up by 5%.  After squats I moved on to my calves.  I loaded up the calf machine with 180lbs and did three sets of 15.  Ow…  Like I said, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to walk tomorrow…

I finished up the morning workout with three sets of situps on the decline bench.  The first set I was holding a 45lbs disk in front of me for 30 reps, then I did 40 alternating oblique crunches, followed by the last set of 40 slow situps.  Yeah, switching to this routine was a good idea…

Friday will be shoulders and arms, and I hope to burn them out as much as I was able to burn out my chest and legs.

On a seperate note, I was able to recover two of the four pounds that I lost while on vacation last week.  I weighed in this morning at 198lbs.  I wonder what kind of weight gains I’ll see towards the end of this program.

Ok…  Back from vacation and ready to rock…  I’ve decided to change the workout routine that I’m following (thanks Ryan).  Today was day one of the German Volume Training program that I’ve jumped into.  Fortunately, I’ve also managed to pick up a workout partner.  I would rather have a workout partner than not.  Funny thing is that my new partner is a guy I graduated high school with over 20 years ago.

So, day one was ten sets of ten on the bench.  I started with 195lbs and that appears to have been about right.  I was able to get ten reps on each set up until the sixth set, then my reps dropped to six.  I feel weak right now, but I’ve got a feeling that I’ll really feel it tomorrow.

The second exercise I did was barbell rows and I started out at 165lbs with that.  Again, it felt like an appropriate weight, and by the time I was up to the eighth set I was down to eight reps per set.  As tough as it got, I think that one of the keys to this routine is keeping the rest period between sets down to about 60 to 90 seconds.  It gave me enough time for a partial recovery, but seemed to compound the workout some.

Day two (not until Wednesday) will consist of squats, calves, and abs.  Then on day three (Friday) I’ll finish off with shoulders, biceps, and triceps.  This will take me from a three day on, one day off routine to a Mon, Wed, Fri routine with the weekend off.  One other benefit (at least for me) is that this workout is about an hour in the gym each time instead of the 2.5 hours I was taking each day.  This will help considerably when I go back to work in April.  We’ll see if I’m able to get the gains that this program suggests that I should see of about 10lbs of muscle in six to eight weeks.  I’ll keep a running log of how things are going here.  One note of interest, after a week of vacation at the magical kingdom in Florida I managed to lose five pounds.  I weighed in this morning at 196lbs.