kenji211’s BodyBlog

As we all know, Monday is chest day at gyms across America.  I stuck to tradition and worked chest like the majority of others in the gym.  Overall things went well.  However, I am starting to develop tendonitis in my forearms that is limiting my ability to train hard.  Anyways, chest day went something like this:

Flat bench barbell

135 x 10 (warm up)

185 x 10 (warm up)

235 x 12

275 x 10

315 x 4

255 x 10

Dumbell Incline Bench

80s x 10

90s x 8

100s x 6

60s x 8 (slow and controlled)

I did some flyes and some decline dumbell press and finished everything up with 15 minutes (that’s all I had time for) on the elliptical.

Today I am going to take some well deserved rest and only hit up the elliptical for 45 minutes.

’til next time….

-kenji

I strayed from my good behavior this weekend.  Going out on a boat and hanging out on an island all day did not work wonders for my cutter.  Too many mojitos and too much bourbon had a lot to do with it.  Anyways, it is a small setback (totally my fault and a whole lot of fun) which I will forget about and keep pressing on.

I will have some new pics up soon….

-kenji

I need to get some pics up.  Especially a pic of when I was 139 lbs. 

If I can only find a way to add a couple of hours to the day I can get some more stuff done…

Today is leg day.  Hopefully I will still have some energy left after legs to do cardio.

-kenji

Yesterday was a great day in the gym.  Despite my decreased carbohydrate and caloric intake I was able to manage a new personal best for deadlifts.  My workout went something like this:

135 x 8 (warm up)
225 x 8
365 x 8
455 x 2 (solid and with great form)
495 x 1 (all I had left)

This is 20 lbs. heavier than my last max of 475 lbs. about a month ago.

I should have just put on another 5 lbs. on it and killed my goal of 500 lbs. In any event, I am still happy with this lift.

In terms of bodyweight I am down about 6 lbs. since last monday.  I am sure some of it is water, a little bit is fat, and the rest is due to having less undigested food in mah belly (I was eating A LOT when bulking). I have reduced my caloric intake through portion control and carb reduction.

Gotta get them abs…

-kenji

I am actually starting to like doing cardio.  I have been doing 15-25 (whatever I can fit in after lifting) minutes on the elliptical and it isn’t all that bad.

I hate running at this weight because it is hard on my knees and shins.  After I drop some fat perhaps that will change.

In any event, the tips I have been getting from other bodyspace members has been great and keeps me motivated.  Thanks guys!

-kenji

This Sunday was leg day.  I was concerned that decreased calorie intake would affect my lifting.  This was not the case on Sunday. 

Squats went something like this:

135 x 12 (warm-up)

225 x 12

275 x 10

315 x 8

365 x 5ish (one with a slight spot)

Hack squats (using a barbell not the machine) went well also:

225 x 10

315 x 8

315 x 6

As for diet…this weekend was tough to stay on track.  However, for the most part things went well. 

I need to get some pics and measurements taken to demonstrate the "before" so I have something to refer to down the line. 

-kenji

ARRGGHH! After only a couple days in I am already starting to have cravings. I have been able to stay on track thus far. I think the Lipo6 is preventing me from getting quality sleep. If you are sensitive to caffeine do NOT take this product after 2PM.

Well, I finally started to cut the beginning of this week. I enjoyed a long bulking phase in which I ate lots of good/healthy stuff as well as the stuff I love (i.e. pizza, ice cream, etc.) in moderation.

I am currently at 209 lbs. and 14% BF. I would like to retain as much muscle mass as possible while losing fat. I know this is hard to do but I am going to give it my best shot.

My goal at this point is to reduce my BF% to 9% and have good definition and vascularity in my abdominal region. I know the latter part of my goal is more qualitative than quantitative and is hard to measure. However, this is something that I have always wanted so I included it.

I have scaled back on the amounts of food that I am eating and reduced my carb intake significantly. For example, my breakfast used to consist of three scoops of Micell Edge Chocolate Peanut Butter protein (~50g protein) and (2) cups of raw oats. I add ice water and put it in the blender. Now, for breakfast I only use (1) cup of raw oats.

All my other meals (6-7 total daily) have had the usual carb serving removed are protein/fat with the exception of my pre-workout (44g whey and 1/4 cup oats) and my post-workout shake (50g whey, 75g dextrose, 5g BCAA, 10g creatine, and 10g glutamine).

I incorporate as much whole/natural food as possible and stay away from processed/packaged foods.

In addition to changing my diet I have added cardio to my routine (20-30 minutes a day on the eliptical). I know this is a necessary evil to get a lean body.

When not in season (Dragonboating) I do next to no cardio because I hate doing it and like to lift heavy. However, during the season I paddle (canoe) 3-5 miles three days a week at 5:45 AM. I guess you can call this cardio as it kicks your ass and wears you out.

Furthermore, I am giving Lipo6 a shot to see if it helps out the cause.

If anybody reads this and sees something that is amiss in my diet/routine please let me know. I have never tried to cut down and am definitely not an expert. I welcome any and all help you are willing to provide.

That’s it for now. I will try to update this on a regular basis.

-kenji