Putting in the hours

After announcing my plans to compete and study, i’ve taken the neccessary first steps to reaching my goals. I’m aiming to compete as a Novice in a natural comp next September here on the Gold Coast and have begun studying for my cert 3&4 begining with module one - Physiology & Anatomy.

I’ve immersed myself in info from motivational books & audio to supplement guides & muscle mags. I’m reading between 30-60 minutes per day not only to help my progression but to feed my hunger for more knowledge. i havent felt this passionate about anything in my life and i finally feel excited about a career in a field that i love.

To aid in my competition prep (aiming to increase mass over the next couple months)) i’ve increased my cal’s and increased the weight i’m lifting, hitting a PB’s last night on D.B Bench - 88 lbs each for 2 sets of 10 before having to drop the weight, B.B incline press - 132 lbs for 2×10 and 242 lbs on Smith machine decline press for 2×10!!!! I’ve got back, leg’s and cardio tonight followed by a CORE session tomorrow, EVERYTHING heavy and controlled!!

If anyone has any advice on any related topic’s or general advice on competition or otherwise, PLEASE let me know.

PAULLY

Well, its been an eventful week - work was crazy busy monday to friday, boat licence DONE & DUSTED on saturday, b’day party saturday night then took the boat out on sunday. Training has been GREAT, making steady progress in the weight being lifted and seeing some changes in my body i.e. chest, legs and back.

Have taken some time to chill and think about my future and after discussing it with my girl, have decided to study for my Cert.3 & 4 in Fitness for Personal training (and eventually a diploma). Speaking to the provider, they’ve informed me that i can do the course in correspondence to allow me to continue working full-time. Its something that I’ve been interested in for years but havent had the confidence or funds to continue with it. If anyone has any comments on the study or fitness industry, please let me know. I’m in the process of gathering info and advice from those currently in the industry and those also studying (an of course anyone who has something to say).

I also want to get some input on what people want &/or expect in a trainer. I’ve personally discovered that CREDIBILITY is really important. Seeing a trainer with a physique I want to replicate is someone I would approach before anyone else, and in saying that, i’m in the process of finding a GOOD trainer to help me prepare for a competition late next year, more-so in fitness catagories rather than muscle mass.

 so please let me know your thoughts on any of the above

PEACE

Well, training has been going really lately, makin’ steady progress in lean muscle AND dropping the BF. Got up to 12% a month or so ago but back down to 9%, my current weight is sitting nicely at 81.5kg (179.3lbs).I have reached my desired definition in my arms, back, chest and shoulders and am now concentrating on developing my legs and ab’s. Had a GREAT leg & ab workout on Sunday followed by a lighter session on Wednesday morning. I’m begining a new training routine next week with a training partner, hopefully it’ll give me more drive and intensity when working out.

I’m aiming for another 5lb’s of lean muscle, mainly in my legs and mid-section, while maintaining my 9% BF. I’ve been doing well working on form for Barbell Squats (wide & close stance for inside & outside quad development) and Good Mornings (workin’ the Hams’) and getting some good gains but am still struggling to get size to my friggin’ calves, has anyone got any advice??? I’ve tried high reps over the past few weeks and although i get a great burn i just dont feel like they’re growing. I’ve asked the question before and have had some luck with the advice i was given but if anyone has any new techniques or ideas to push them along, i’m all ears. One thing i’ve noticed about my genetic’s is my body is quick to adapt to training and diet so i have to constantly change it up.

 Cheers all

Leg’s, Calfs, Glutes & Ab’s feelin’ tight and sore today from yesterdays lower body session. Back into hitting the 10min high intensity pre-workout, great way to get in the right mind frame. Hit upper legs & glutes first. Pyrmid sets on the barbell squats then hit the leg press, leg ext & leg curls then supersetted calfs & ab’s. High intensity with high reps.

friday night i got to the gym late so there wasnt many people in. Chest & Back got HAMMERED!! Shrug’n 100kg (220 lbs) at the top of my pyramid and hit heavy rows, pull downs and cable pull-ins Bench press is still quite low but keepin’ form helps me hit failure along with some serious flys, incline press & and flat chest press.

Saturday i did a workout with my girls dad, who is a gym-junkie from WAY back. tried his routine for shoulders and arms. KILLED me on the Smith Machine shouler press, he’s a heavy lifter boi, taught this young back a thing or two. Did however throw in 2 exercises which I thought were primarily for back & traps, the shrus and upright cable row, can anyone clarify that for me? Did them anyway.

Got him on the arm workout though. He supersets the last 2 muscle groups like me so for arms we hit cable curls to cable press downs then did alternating to overhead ext. He then hit the cardio and i went on with a couple more exercises, being single arm preacher to weighted bench dips then single arm low cable ext to across body hammer.

The "un-spoken" rivalry we have definitely played a part on saturday, after schooling me on the heavy shoulder press i had to step up when we hit the bi’ curls. Its good fun and keeps us on our toes.

other than that, had a good weekend getting the house sorted, spending time with my girlfriend and my son and generally chilled. Prep’d a ready for a big week of work and training.

PEACE

well, had a HUGE birthday weekend! Took my training to extreme on friday arvo & sat morning, in prep for a few days rest. Got overwhelmed by the surprise birthday bash my girl put together for me. She managed to get my mother and step-dad up from sydney, my elusive older brother to turn up AND my best-mate from my middle-school days in New Zealand as well. Along with my new friends here in QLD, her family & mine, it was an AWSOME and HUGE weekend! My kidneys & liver got well worked! Weight is up slightly but still managable.

After a few days rest from the partying & training i’m looking forward to our planned sobatical and KICK-START to the diet and lifting again. I’m tossing up whether to get serious about bodybuilding or sport. I really want to sit down with a competitor/trainer in either and get an insight into the sacrifices, dedication and determination required to get to a higher level.

well, my 28th rolled around yesterday, had a great day!

Went to a buffet dinner last night and ate relatively well. Filled up on various salads then dominated a petite eye-fillet steak with a side of mash. Burnt a lot of it off this morning hitting arm’s & ab’s. Employed a few new stratagies derived from MorethanGUNZ30’s advice. Aiming to build the outer bicep and his techniques def isolated that area.

Tonight will be Back & Shoulders as tomorrow morning my GF and i are starting to run in the mornings and tomorrow night will be chest & upper legs with forearms, calves and ab’s on thursday. 

Keeping the cal’s low this week in prep for my birthday bash this weekend. No one is letting on whats happening but its got to be good.

After a few "mixed" weeks, i’m back with a new plan and ready to kill’it in the gym.

Through trial and error i’ve finally got a plan that works for me, my body shape and general genetics. Being of medium height (around 1.73cm) and a little "over-weight" as per my BMI (medium frame to be between 66-78kg’s) as i’m currently 83 but fluctuate between 82 & 84, and a general mesomorph, i’ve learnt that a high intensity routine is best for me to get lean, add muscle and more importantly, maintain.

I’ve found that a tri-set or tri-plex routine works well for my physique. The process is quick, explosive and continuous. It starts with a muscle group which is the primary then 2 other exercises are done, one to work the muscle from another angle the other to be a core or stabilizing exercise with no longer than 60 sec between (one exception being Arm’s as one exercise is performed for the Bicep then one for the Tricep).

The primary exercise is to be explosive through the positive part of the movement then half speed through the negative. The second exercise usually involves a "push" of "pull" exercise that utilizes the primary muscle in some way, the third is generally an ab exercise preferrably performed on a swss ball to help engage stabilzer muscles.

With this set-up i work a primary muscle or group once per week, then perform a session on the weekend of heavy compound exercises to ensure most groups are worked twice a week, which ensures my muscles are worked enough to make gains. Cardio is kept to a minimum with only 10 min’s at medium intensity to warm-up followed by 40mins of high intensity on Thursday (Touch Football) and another 30mins of activity (low to med intensity) on the weekend.

Diet wise i’ve had a lot of trouble as of late but have since found a comfortable area to work in. Keeping a close eye on my portions was the hardest part. Taking in more fresh organic foods has helped keep my nutrient levels in check and aiming to consume most of my protien and carbs around my workouts has been very beneficial. My current aim is 1500 cal’s by way of food and no more than a few hundred by supplementation (pre, intra and post wotrkout) with a limit of 1800 cal’s daily and 2000 on a cheat or carb day (usually a day on the weekend).

Its definitely hard to find a perfect balance but if you are true to yourself and what you can afford and are realistic in what you can accomplish then you’ll reach all your goals, in training, diet and life.

After a difficult week last week i’m now feeling a lot more positive and coherrent. I took some time out over the weekend to spend some time with friends on the coast. I didnt realize how messy i’d let things become in my head. I took a break from the diet and sort comfort in some good ‘ole fashion chow, brews and good time spent with my girl and good friends.

Thanks so much to everyone who gave me support through an episode of my illness. You guys and everyone else here who gives support and advice, whether it be for training, diet or personal development both mental and physical, are truly good people and i want to thank you. Its people like you and the positive reinforcement thats pulls people out of depression and in some cases, saves lives.  

I hit the gym this week refreshed and CHARGED! Arms and calves got dominated on Monday night and hit shoulders & back this morning. The diet gets back on track today with Lite’n'Easy to get my portions back under control, along with increased protien and minimized carbs. I’m the lightest i’ve been at 82.5kg so want to add 2.5kg of muscle but maintain the low BF.

I started taking Ultimate Nutritions Horse Power, which i’ve read is really good and had it recommended at the supp’s store, along with intrabolic and Hydroxyripped protien. My routine hasnt changed much, though I’m trying to get into tri-sets to increase intensity and added more cardio along with Touch football every THursday night.

 All-in-all, things are looking a lot brighter, thanks again everyone, if you want any help, just let me know.

 CHEERS

Had a BADASS week in the gym last week, but feeling low on self esteem, confidence and motivaton this week, duno know whats goin on.

I used to suffer from bad depression and am feeling some similar feelings to it again, just need to be positive i guess. Worst thing i could’ve done over the weekend and yesterday, was not make it to my gym, DAMN! Diet was mediocre over the weekend and i’m beating myself up about it, that along with a general lack of energy and motivation to do anything.

I need to focus more on myself again, back to maintaining the awsome diet I’ve had over the past few weeks, to SMASHING it in the gym EVERYDAY that i have planned to, diggin my down time relaxing and getting into my other hobbies.

if anyone knows of or has any books, ebooks, stories or personal experiences of training, diet, life, sport, art, i’d luv and appreciate, to hear them. I thrive of others motivation and positive energy, and really need some right now.

thanks

POPPIT

Have had a few days off due to illness but am back to work and the training! Hit the gym on Tuesday, dominated arms and calves with a little cardio thrown in there too.

Worked with a trainer last night and got absolutely tortured but was awsome to get some new ideas to throw in the mix by utilizing more explosive movements, isolation exercises and full ROM. We WORKED the shoulders and obliques while strengthening the entire core. The routine  is built around tri-sets with minimal rests with strict form and timming. Will be training with him a couple times per week but will incorporate the valuble lessons he employed throughout my regime.

Also, have dropped 8lbs (4kgs) over the last few weeks and am currently 185lbs (84kgs) and am sitting on 7% BF which is my goal weight and body stats thanks to the diet and ever changing routine. Will still try to increase the muscle in certain areas and concentrate on definition BUT i want to maintain the current BF of 7%