Joe’s BodyBlog

I established a balance between my bulking diet and workout schedule. I got used to eating 7 times each day and realized that every day I am consuming 2 and a half pounds of either chicken or lean beef along with 3 cups of vegetables, 5 baked potatoes and dozen eggs. So far, so good and I have put on 8 pounds and am gaining mass in my arms, chest, shoulders and legs.  At first I thought that eating like this would be a difficult adjustment because for the past 16 months, all I thought about was losing weight, so this is an interesting paradox.
 
Tonite I worked my quads really hard and when I was finished they were on fire.
 
Extensions
200 lbs x 12, 200 lbs x 12, 220 lbs x 12, 240 lbs  x 12, 260 lbs x 12, 260 lbs x12.
(260 lbs was the entire rack) My quads were on fire.
 
Hack Squats
100 lbs x 15, 200 lbs x 15, 300 lbs x 15, 350 lbs x 15, 400 lbs x 15 , 400 lbs x 12 (personal best)
 
Leg press
200 lbs x 15, 250 lbs x 15, 300 lbs x 15, 300 lbs x 15, 350 lbs x12, 400 lbs x 12
 
Dumbbell lunges (10 steps each side, used good form and was careful not to strain my back.)
50 lbs x 10, 55 lbs x 10, 65 lbs x 10, 75 lbs x 10
 
Threw in a little calf work
Calf raises 
250 lbs x 30, 350 lbs x 25, 400 lbs x 25, 450 lbs x 25
 
I really wanted to tear my legs up so I finished off with:
Stair master- 25 minutes.  My legs were on fire and I sweated like a pig.
Eliptical- 30 minutes legs felt like rubber afterwards.
 
Gym time 145 minutes.
 
I’m gonna be really sore tomorrow- bring it on!

 
Each day is a victory!

My trainer put me on a clean bulk that I followed faithfully even while I was away for 3 weeks in Texas with my job.  I can see and feel the difference in my arms, chest and shoulders as they have all gone up. Now my arms look like they used to when I weighed 190 but they are muscle now and not fat like they used to be.  After concentrating for over a year of losing weight I had to change my thinking and realize that this is what I have to do to put on the muscle that I am after.   I’ve been eating super clean 7 times each day and am staying strong and focused. I put on 5 pounds and went up to 171.  It sure feels a lot better putting on what I call “good weight”. The best is yet to come. 

Each day is a victory!

These past 3 weeks here in Dallas have gone by pretty fast.  I have enjoyed my time here and made a few new friends along the way both at my work training as well as a few nice people who I got to know over at Ballys.  When I arrived here in Dallas 3 weeks ago I weighed 166 pounds and making the bb.com over 40 transformation of the week during this time only made my stay here more memorable.

I can say with a good degree of certainty that I stayed focused for the most part and in spite of everything I have obtained a clean bulk following the bulking diet and training regimen that my trainer put me on pretty faithfully.  I have noticed gains in my biceps, shoulders and chest.  It will be interesting to see where I weigh out when I arrive home tomorrow. I know in the back of my mind that my trainer told me to expect to gain weight and he can evaluate my progress and put me into a new regimen.

This has been a great trip and experience here but it will be very good when I am home to get back into my regular routine. 

I was truly honered and awestruck when the folks at bb.com selected me for the over 40 transformation of the week.  After my back injury, I never thought in a million years that I would get this far in my weight loss and fitness goals.  This has been an incredible journey and it only keeps getting better and better.  I will be in Dallas for another week and things are going great here. I made some new friends here at Ballys in Dallas and they are a nice group of folks here.  I"m staying strong and focused, and the diet and workouts are keeping things in balance for me.

 heres the link to my over 40 transformation page.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/over_40_transformation_joseph_fanelli.htm
Have a great weekend!

My second week in Dallas started out great. I have been making a lot of friends here  and I have been busy with my job but found a balance between my work training, my diet and my workouts and it has all gone better than expected. I attribute these successes to the power of positive thinking. Even on my cheat day I really didn’t cheat because I had a steak and a baked potato. You can’t go to Texas without having a steak and it was awesome. The workouts are going great too. I have gone to Ballys in Dallas every day. I got in a killer workout tonight at and even got in a 45 minute HIT cycling class. I am starting to feel and see the changes stemming from the new training schedule and diet plan that my trainer has given me. I never thought Id be able to eat 7 times each day but I’m doing it without any trouble. I have put in a great effort into all of this and it has given me an excellent sense of accomplishment. Later this week I am going to pick up my ticket for the Ronnie Coleman classic that will be held here in Dallas this weekend. It should be a good event and the third bodybuilding event that I’ve attended this year- not too bad for a science geek. Going to the event should keep me motivated and focused. Today was better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today. It’s all good.

The past 4 days that I have been here in Dallas have gone by pretty fast. I have remained consistent in my diet and tonight got in a great workout at Ballys in downtown Dallas.  Today was chest day and I also worked quads and abs.  Got in cardio this morning at the hotel gym and then again tonight when I was at Ballys..  I prepared more meals for the week, cooked a lot of chicken and rice with green vegetables so I am set.  At first I didn’t think I’d be able to pull all of this  this off but it turned out better than I thought.  Where there is a will ther is a way.

Being 1200 miles from home, going to Ballys here feels more like home for me than my 5 star hotel suite.  I feel comfortable there and once I am in the gym I forget about the daily grind and do what I need to do. Going to the gym also keeps me centered and I feel great once I have accomplished a good workout. As an added bonus, yesterday I gave a nunchaku demonstration to Master Yings Martial arts class at Ballys and that was and honor and an awesome experience to be asked to do that. I am successfully pulling off the bulking diet that my trainer has me on and haven’t missed a beat with it.  The weather here in Dallas has been terrific, sunny and warm.  I am staying focused on my goals and already have a mental picture in my mind of what I will achieve when I put on the 20 pounds of muscle that I am after.  Each day is a victory.   

For the next 3 weeks I am in Dallas Texas with my job. It is a nice city and the weather here is warmer than expected.  Might hit the pool later.  Once I got here, I needed a day to get acclimated and I prepared all of my meals ahead of time for the week.  I have worked out at the gym at the hotel and that has been getting me my by until I got things settled.  Tonight I will be going to Ballys here in Dallas and get in a real workout and I can hardly wait.  My trainer has me on phase 2 of the plan that he designed for me and the diet is really clean and designed to fill out my muscles and put some bulk on me.

On April 18^th, I will be attending the Ronnie Coleman classic here in Dallas and that should be pretty cool and keep me motivated and focused.

I completed the first phase of the diet and workout regimen that my trainer put me on for the past 3 weeks.  I made it down to 166 pounds and to date have lost 104 pounds and good riddance. This upcoming week I will be starting phase 2 of the bulking diet and exercise regimen.  However, there is a catch- I will be in Texas for the next 3 weeks with my job.  This is going to be a challenge to keep up with the diet but I am going to do it by preparing my meals ahead of time once I am settled in. My gym (Ballys) is only a few miles away so I will be able to get in all of my workouts.  As a backup, my hotel has a fitness center and an indoor pool as a last resort. 

Even though I got my weight and body fat down, my trainer told me that I am ready now to start filling out my muscles and start bulking up. He has put me on a very clean bulking diet that I will follow for the next 3 weeks. I will be eating 7 times each day.  Yes I will bulk up and yes I will gain weight. This is going to be a big change for me because for the past 16 months, all I thought about and concentrated on was losing weight and getting my body fat down. Now that I have accomplished that, the time has come for me to bulk up and to put on some muscle. I have complete faith in the expertise of my trainer and look forward to this next phase in my bodybuilding journey.

Wish me luck!