OVER 40 MUSCLE

0400- wake, take Animal Pak

0430 – Meal #1 (egg white omelet, 1 cup of Raisin Bran cereal, 1 cup of skim milk and either an orange or apple)

0445 – 1 serving of Xyience NO-CG3

0500-0700 workout (cardio on off days and when time permits)

0715 – PWO shake (RecoverX and 5g Glutamine), 1000 I.U. Vitamin C, 800 I.U. Vitamin E, 1 CLA gelcap, 1 Betacarotine gelcap, 1 GABA gelcap.

0745 – Meal #2  (beef or chicken on whole-wheat wrap with fat free mayo and hot sauce)

0900 – Meal #3 (same as last meal or baked chicken with sweet potato.)

1200 – Meal #4 largest meal of the day (steak or chicken with veggies and sweet potato) Supplements: 1000 I.U. Vitamin C, 800 I.U. Vitamin E, 1 CLA gelcap, 1 Thermozyme gelcap, 1 Flaxseed gelcap.

1500 – Meal #5 (another wrap or homemade chicken salad with whole wheat bread)

1830 – Meal #6 (steak or chicken with sweet potato) Supplements: 1 CLA, 1 Flaxseed

2100 – Meal #7 final meal of the day (protein, no carbs unless from veggies, fruit)

2130 – Muscle Milk shake, 1 GABA gelcap

I was reading one of my mags this morning and came across a story on cardio. Everyone should be doing some type of cardio. It depends on your overall goal – weight loss, conditioning, endurance or whatever – as to how much and how long you do it. The fact remains we all need to do at least some cardio every week. The article suggested a minimum of 30 minutes 3 times per week.

What type of cardio should you be doing? There again, it depends on your goals. There are several choices available including the treadmill, elliptical, stationary cycle, stair-stepper and others. However, the best cardio machine for fat burning appears to be the good ol’ treadmill. A study was sited stating that when male athletes exercised on a treadmill, they burned 30% more fat than when they used the stationary cycle at the same exercise intensity. No mention of fat burning numbers on the elliptical or stair-stepper.

When I started back in the gym I wondered when would be the best time to do cardio. Should I do it pre or post workout, should I do it on a separate day, early morning, later in the day? According to this article two times each day are optimal for burning fat (which is my goal) – in the morning and after weightlifting. In the morning our bodies are in a fat burning mode because we have fasted overnight. Doing cardio on an almost empty stomach requires the body to turn to fat for energy, thus removing more from our body. The article does suggest that you stay away from certain foods like fats and especially carbs before cardio. Eating carbs reduces the amount of fat burned and eating fat has been shown to reduce blood flow to exercising muscles. This is something I will have to take into consideration with my own plan. I usually eat breakfast before working out but I do not on cadio only days. Just a protein shake will do.

After weight training is when I am able to do my cardio work. By doing cardio after weights our bodies have the energy to hit the weights harder. Our energy levels are at their highest and that leads to three time higher growth hormone levels than when you do cardio first. It also helps in spot-reduction from areas you’ve trained.

It is suggested that to burn the most fat during a workout we need to remain within the 70%-80% MHR. For me that is 126-144 BPM. I must admit I get way above those numbers. I am usually in the 160-170 range. Further suggestions include the intake of 10-20g protein and 3-6g of amino acids prior to cardio to preserve muscle. Supplements such as caffeine (200mg), carnitine (1-2g) and HCA (250mg-1g) can help you burn more fat during cardio workouts as well.

The article also includes 5 cardio workouts to get you started. A couple of them might just find their way into my workout rouinte before too long. If you get a chance, pick up the April 2007 issue of Muscle & Fitness and check out this article and many others that have to deal with fat burning.

“Eating poorly, partying too much, and getting little rest – it all catches up with you. It’s important to take care of yourself off the track if you want to reap the rewards of a good training program.” DARVIS PATTON, 2003 World Outdoor 200-meter champion.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK
It is hard to pick one event and call it a highlight. The first week on my new program proved to be a real challenge – but I made it through it. I really think this 8-week journey will be profitable. I am anticipating some pretty solid results.

CARDIO NOTES:
I was able to get in two sessions this week.  The time for my one-mile fun run is coming down consistently. I do realize that I need to redo my chart for the elliptical to reflect the changes in the SPM and resistance.

STRENGHT NOTES:
1) Friday’s workout was a booger. That was the first time I had attempted tri-sets. I got the bicep workout from an article I read the featured Lee Haney. On the first week you do the tri-sets for bi’s for 4 sets. Then the next week you do straight sets but with little rest in between (1 minute max).

The triceps routine was from an article featuring Mike Ergas (MuscleMag International, 04/07). It starts out pretty intense with 3 warm-up sets of 25/20/15 before jumping into 4 working sets. I was able to do the bench dips, which was a high-water mark for me. Add both of these routines together on the same day and you have really shredded your arms.

2) Chest day is getting better. The weights are still lower that what I want but they are slowly rising. I’ll get there

3) DELT DAY ROCKS!!!

4) Leg day observations – I have a lot of strength in my legs. Now I need to go for detail in the muscles. I will start adjusting the angle of my toes and feet to work different muscles within the quad bundle.

I also had a chance to go to a health fair last weekend. I had my BP and cholesterol checked and was very pleased with the numbers. I have never had to worry about high blood pressure and hopefully never will. My BP checked in at a very comfortable 115/67. The surprise of the day was my cholesterol. It came in under 150. In fact, when she checked it the monitor read “LOW”. She then told me it was under 150 which was considered very good.

Getting ready for delts on Monday. I love my life!

Not a lot of time to type right now, I’ll cover more over the weekend. I hit biceps/triceps/abs and cardio this morning before work. Man, am I wore out. But I love the feeling. My arms are still pumped and feeling just about right.

BICEPS (Tri-set)
Barbell Curls - 6 to 8
Preacher Curls - 10 to 12
Concentration Curls - 10 to 12
Rest 2-4 minutes, repeat for 4 sets

TRICEPS
Rope Pulldowns - 4 sets (pyramid) 12/12/10/10
Skull Crushers - 3 sets (pyramid) 12/10/6
Close-grip bench press - 3 sets of 15
Bench Dips - 4 sets 10/10/10/8

ABS
75 decline weighted crunches (25#)

CARDIO
1 mile jog on treadmill

More later.

My intensity was very high today. I do not know what caused it but I’m glad it was there because I needed it with today’s workout. I started my new back routine today and it is a monster (for me anyway). I have gone from doing 4 back exercises per workout to doing a total of 6. I am also throwing in abs and a round of DB shrugs every other week. I was sweating and huffing early today but it felt good.

I did notice during the DB rows that my lats are starting to pop more. I have really been working on trying to get my “V” and it looks like I am reaping a few early rewards. I have been doing scapula stretches everyday and really concentrating on my form while doing pulldowns. I don’t look like a Yield sign just yet, but I am working on it. Now if I can just get my waist to play along I will be alright.

BACK
Regular Grip Pulldowns – 2 warm up sets of 12-15, 3 working sets of 12
DB Rows – 2 warm up sets then 3 working sets (pyramid) of 12/10/8
T-Bar Rows – 1 warm up set of 15, then 4 working sets (pyramid on last two set) of 12/12/10/8
Cable Rows – 3 sets of 10
Straight-arm Pulldowns – 1 warm up set of 15, 3 working sets of 10

ABS
Regular decline sit-ups – 2 sets of 25 (with 25# plate on chest)
Side Crunches – 2 sets of 25 (with same weight)

DB SHRUGS
1 warm-up set, then 3 working sets (pyramid) of 12/10/8

CARDIO
20 minutes (intervals) on the elliptical
3394 strides
240.0 calories burned

The energy tank was dry by the time I hit the cardio so I stopped at 20 mins. The work cycle was >200 SPM with resistance at 8-10, the resting cycle was >150 SPM with resistance at 7.

Hitting bi’s and tri’s tomorrow. Got to get that extra inch added to the arms by the end of April.

I got this in an email from Skip La Cour last week. It really hit home. I have decided to make myself as uncomfortable as possible for the next 8 weeks. Here is the text from his email.

Isn’t it interesting how things that you once found challenging became so much easier once you finally just jumped in and attacked them? Don’t spend too much time avoiding those things you fear. Reflect back to those many references you undoubtedly had when you stepped up and performed well despite your fear. The only time you are growing is when you are uncomfortable.

I did not have a lot of time this morning but I was able to put together some semblance of a leg workout. I had to be at work earlier this morning for our annual evaluation exercise. This is where my office simulates a chemical emergency at our nearby weapons incinerator and evaluators grade us on our handling of the emergency. Translation – 15 minutes of excitement, 45 minutes of boredom every hour for 6 hours.

Anyway, I hit the legs fast and hard. Here’s the rundown:

Leg Press – 2 warm-up sets of 15 @ 180, 360, then 3 working sets of 12 @ 500
Leg Extensions – 3 sets of 12 at 120
Seated Leg Curls – 3 sets of 12 @ 70
Calf Raises – 2 warm-up sets at 180, then 3 working sets of 15 @ 300

After our evaluation was finished they served us lunch. BBQ plates, sweet tea and banana pudding were the choices. I had not eaten in several hours so I ate a little of all just to have enough energy to get home and eat clean the rest of the day. Only 3 days into my new routine and I have already had a cheat day. I guess I knew it was coming so I’ll just make it up.

Tomorrow is back day with cardio – looking forward to it already!

Today’s workout went pretty well. Worked on chest and a little cardio. My new chest program features 7 total exercises for a total of 22 sets. Normally, I will finish the workout with cable crossovers but today was not a normal day.

While resting between sets of my next to last exercise, I went over to the cable cage and set it up for the crossovers. I go back and do my last set of DB pullovers and some dude comes in and jumps on the cables. He sets it up for what he needs, pumps out a wussy set or reps and sits down to talk to his buddy. I go get a drink of water and come back and they are still talking. I knock out my last set of pullovers and they are still engaged in conversation. I approach the guy and ask if I can work in a set or two while they talk. He gives me a look and goes and does another set on the cables. He said that he was not using the other one but if I needed both of them it would be a minute. Reluctantly, I stepped aside and allowed him to finish. I go to get another drink of water while he is finishing up. Well, as he walks away, two other guys in the gym bring an incline bench over and set it up between the cables and start pulling. I come back to find I have been bumped again.

I had about 15 minutes left before I had to leave for work. I had a choice. I could wait for the cables, after letting them know how I felt, or I could go hit the treadmill for another “Fun Run”. I opted for the later. What’s the old saying about discretion?

I am glad I did the run after all. I put all my frustrations on the treadmill and cranked out a mile in under 12 minutes (a little better than the other day and under my 12 minute goal too). I wonder how mad I will have to get to get under 10 minutes?

Here’s the new chest workout. Tell me what you think.

Upper Chest
Incline Bench – 3 sets of 8-10 ( after 2 warm-up sets)
Incline Flyes – 3 sets of 10-12

Middle Chest
Flat Bench – 3 sets of 8-10 (after 2 warm-up sets)
Seated Machine Flyes – 3 sets of 12
DB Pullovers – 3 sets of 10 (new personal best on weight)

Lower Chest
Decline DB Press – 3 sets of 10
Cable Crossovers* (would have been 3 sets of 10-12) stupid equipment hogs!

Tomorrow is leg day. Nothing new in the workout. I will alternate between squats and presses for the next 8 weeks. My body does not take squats too well but I still want to do them. We’ll see how things go.

Well, I started my new 8-week program this morning. Monday’s will be devoted entirely to shoulders and abs. I had a good workout today and really felt like I had pushed myself to another level. My goal for this next 8 weeks is to push myself to the limit and see how many gains I can make.

A few weeks ago I wrote about a recent Fit Show I watched featuring Jason Pellitiere. In the video he went through his shoulder routine. I tried it on my next workout and loved it. However, over the next few weeks I played with (needlessly) until the finished product did not resemble the original. For the next 8 weeks I will stick strictly to the routine Jason used. If today was any indication of how it is going to be, my delts should be like cannonballs at the end of the cycle.

After a warm-up on the treadmill, I hit the iron. Here is the new shoulder workout:

Standing DB Press
Standing Side Laterals  
Reverse Flyes (45° bench)
Superset #1
Rear Delt Flyes (Machine)
Seated Side Laterals
Superset #2
Upright Rows
DB Shrugs

I got busy spotting another guy and did not get a complete ab workout in. I did knock out 50 crunches but that was all. I will do better next time. Tomorrow will be chest, chest and more chest.

Several of you have asked for updated photos. My digital camera is dead but I did get some good pics (I hope) with another camera. As soon as they are developed, I will post them. See ya later.

I was going to take next week off from weights and just do some cardio to let my body rest. However, I have changed my mind. I am in a pretty good groove right now and I do not want to loose any momentum I have generated. I have several goals for the next 8 weeks. Here are some of them.

1. I want to really see some progress in my upper body, mainly chest and back. I am very pleased with my delt and arm development but the rest of the upper body is lagging.

2. More cardio is a must. Not longer sessions but more intense intervals. My high speed on the treadmill will be my resting speed at the end of 8 weeks. 200 strides per minute on the elliptical are about to be a way of life. However, none of these sessions will go past 30 minutes.

3. I am finally going to get 100% sold out on my diet. I have been eating relatively clean but I have not stuck to the plan I already have in place. My new diet plan will focus on reducing fat and increasing lean muscle. I WILL DIET RELIGIOUSLY FOR THE NEXT 8 WEEKS. Cheat meals are not an option (yet).

4. I will have noticeable abs buy the end of the next 8 weeks. They are starting to come in but have a long way to go. The upper abs look good but the lower and obliques are holding me back. I can see the six-pack in there. Now I just have to go get it.

Those are just some of the goals I have put in my journal. Monday, I start on another journey. Come go with me.