mcdowellm84’s BodyBlog

Wow… this summer has already started out crazy! I thought I might end up with a little more time to myself, but that’s not the case. I’m working full-time. Even though my job is more of an on-call thing, I still have to be ready to take a call from 8AM to 5PM. And then I’m taking three classes this summer (Management, Calculus, and Economics). And then you add in the fact that I have a girlfriend who lives an hour away. Not complaining about that at all… she’s definitely worth the drive! But I just find myself not having as much time as I’d thought. Makes it hard to get to the gym. Especially since I prefer to workout with more of a consistent schedule. I know this is nothing new. People with busier schedules find time to workout… I’m just discovering my time management isn’t as good as I thought it was!

So I took a caffeine pill about an hour before my workout yesterday. And man did it do wicked things to me in the gym. It definitely did it’s job of working as a stimulant because I had one of my best lifting days, but it also made my heart feel like it was going to explode out of my chest! I ended up having to cut my workout short because I was just starting to get nauseous. And no one wants vomit on gym equipment!

I’ve taken caffeine pills before and they haven’t affected me this way. I had no other caffeine during the day either so I wasn’t overly caffeinated. The only thing that I can think of that I did different was take it simultaneously with my thermogenic. I normally take the thermogenic about an hour before the caffeine pill. So maybe just the fact that I took them together is what did it to me.

I posted something regarding this yesterday but didn’t receive any responses… trying again.

I am currently on a size and mass program and while I am gaining size and mass I’m having problems with my midsection yet again. From talking with some guys at the gym they tell me it’s relatively normal. I’ve asked about cardio, but most of them tell me that it can impede my results for size and mass if I do cardio? Is this true? Will 20-30 minutes a day really hamper my progress that much?

I’ll be starting a cutting program in early January to shed the fat and define and tone.

So the new program that I’m doing was taken from Muscle and Fitness magazine and then I adapted it a little bit to fit myself. So far, I have noticed gains on size and strength. I’ve also noticed that with that size comes a layer of fat. My midsection has always been a problem area for me and this time it’s no different. I feel like my gut has ballooned. The program that I’m using didn’t really say much about doing cardio. And I’ve heard from some people at my gym that when you’re going for size cardio can impede your results. Is this true? Would 20-30 minutes of cardio three times a week hamper me that much in my quest for size? This program will be done at the first part of January and then I plan on going into a cutting program to define and tone. I know that then I can really amp up the cardio. I’m not real sure how I’m supposed to eat with a cutting program though. Any suggestions on that?

I know that’s it’s been forever since I’ve posted anything, but I did want to give an update. I’m finally back home in the US. It’s so good to be home. So many things have changed for me now, but I’m relearning how to walk, breathe, etc.

 Anyways, I have a membership to 24 Hour Fitness. Unfortunately, in the area where my parents live there is not a 24 Hour Fitness close by. So on Monday I’ve gotta go up to the local gym and see if they’ll let me workout there since I’ll only be here for a few more days.

 Oh… and I did run my PT test the day before we left. Ended up hurting my knee pretty bad. It’s been having issues and on the run it just gave out on me and I totally ate the dirt. The doctor said that it appears to be okay (after several xrays and an MRI). Said that it was apparently just a sprain that finally caught up with me (I had hurt my knee coming off of the back of a HMMWV a few weeks prior). So it’s good that it’s not something that requires surgery or anything.

There’s a possibility of us having a PT test before we leave here. Not sure when the test is gonna be, but for sure I’ll have one before October. So I’m switching my workout to prep for the test. I’m off the weights and focusing on push-ups, sit-ups, and my run.

Week #1

Monday and Wednesday

Set #1:
Close Hand Pushups - 45 seconds
Rest - 45 seconds
Normal Pushups - 45 seconds
Rest - 45 seconds
Wide Arm Pushups - 45 seconds
Rest - 45 seconds
Crunches - 2 minutes

Set #2
Close Hand Pushups - 35 seconds
Rest - 35 seconds
Normal Pushups - 35 seconds
Rest - 35 seconds
Wide Arm Pushups - 35 seconds
Rest - 35 seconds
Crunches - 2 minutes

Set #3
Close Hand Pushups - 25 seconds
Rest - 25 seconds
Normal Pushups - 25 seconds
Rest - 25 seconds
Wide Arm Pushups - 25 seconds
Rest - 25 seconds
Crunches - 2 minutes

Aerobics - 10 minutes

Tuesday and Thursday

Crunches - 90 seconds

Interval training - 1/4 sprint followed by 3 minutes of fast walking; Repeat for 6 sets

Friday

Set #1
Push-ups - 2 minutes
Crunches - 2 minutes
Rest - 2 minutes

Set #2
Push-ups - 90 seconds
Crunches - 2 minutes
Rest - 2 minutes

Set #3
Push-ups - 60 seconds
Crunches - 2 minutes
Rest - 2 minutes

 Week #2

Monday and Wednesday

Set #1
Sit-ups - 90 seconds
Rest - 60 seconds
Sit-ups - 75 seconds
Rest - 60 seconds
Sit-ups - 60 seconds
Rest - 60 seconds
Sit-ups - 45 seconds
Rest - 60 seconds

Set #2
Box and reach - 50 reps
Rest - 45 seconds
Box and reach - 40 reps
Rest - 45 seconds
Box and reach - 30 reps
Rest - 45 seconds
Box and reach - 20 reps
Rest - 45 seconds

Set #3
Crunches - 2 minutes (freeze in up position for 10 seconds every 30th repetition)
Rest - 45 seconds
Crunches - 90 seconds (freeze in up position for 10 seconds every 30th repetion)
Rest - 45 seconds
Crunches - 60 seconds (freeze in up position for 5 seconds every 20th repetion)
Rest - 45 seconds
Crunches - 30 seconds

Aerobics - 10 minutes

Tuesday and Thursday

Interval training - Sprint for 0.10 miles and jog for 0.15 miles for 8 consecutive sets

Push-ups - 2 minutes

Crunches - 3 minutes

Friday

Set #1
Push-ups - 1 minute
Sit-ups - 1 minute
Running - fastest 1 mile

Set #2
Push-ups - 1 minute
Sit-ups - 1 minute
Running - fastest 1 mile

Continue this program alternating between Weeks 1 and 2 until PT test with one day of light stretching the day before the test.

Started out with an ab circuit… Did the following exercises 15 reps each for a total of 3 cicuits

V-Pike Raise
Wide-Leg Floor Crunch
Floor/Ball Crunch
Seated Ball Twist

Next I went into a total-body circuit. Two full circuits.

Prisoner Squat - 15 reps
Mt. Climber - 10 reps
Pull-ups - 4 reps
Decline Pushups - 15 reps
Bulgarian Split Squats - 12 reps
Stability Ball Leg Curl - 15 reps
Jumping Jacks - 1 minute

Today was supposed to be a cardio day, but I had to go see the doctor this morning. What started out as a pimple on my face became a monstrosity overnight. Kept me up all night. Went to see the doctor this morning and he diagnosed it as Community-acquired MRSA. Yeah… that’s the nasty staph infection that you hear about… the one that’s resistant to most antibiotics. And where do you pick it up most often? In the gym. I’m always real careful about wiping down the equipment that I use both before and after, but apparently it’s just that resistant. There’s also other places that I could have picked it up. Since I live in an area that is basically communal living. It’s quite possible that I could have picked it up from the laundry. There’s a send-off service for our laundry here and I really doubt that they wash the washers in between. I didn’t have this problem when I went home for my R&R and this is the first time since I’ve been back that it’s affected me. I can’t wait to leave this dirty country.

Did the following exercises for 15 controlled reps and two cycles of the circuit:

Floor Crunch
Floor Oblique Crunch
Floor Leg Lift

Finally got back into my training. I was a little sick and then had an anthrax shot that knocked me on my ass. It’s never bothered me before, but I think with the little bit of a compromised immune system it struck with a vengeance.

BB Incline Press - 8-105lbs - 8-110lbs - 8-115lbs
DB Row - 8-75lbs  - 8-75lbs - 8-75lbs

DB Chest Press - 8-50lbs - 8-50lbs - 8-55lbs
DB Chest Fly - 12-25lbs - 12-25lbs - 12-25lbs

Bench Press - 10-135lbs - 9-135lbs - 10-135lbs
Bodyweight Row - 10 - 10 - 8

1) How much does an EZ Curl bar weigh?

2) How much does a short barbell weigh? (about the same length as an EZ Curl bar)

3) When taking measurements of biceps, calves, etc. is it with or without a flex?