smcmichaeljr’s BodyBlog

I’ve been running a low grade fever, 99-100 or so, for the last 24 hours.  Is it advisable to go to the gym tonight?

Good focus and a nice workout last night.  I still can’t get over the fact that some of the trainers at my gym have a bigger boiler than I do.  I never really noticed this when I worked out at 24 Hour, but I notice it more at LA Fitness.  Don’t know if there are tighter standards or what.  Love the amenities at LA Fitness though and the staff is much friendlier.

Legs (Power Focus)

Squat: 185 x 8, 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 295 x 5, 315 x 2

SLDLs: 135 x 8, 225 x 5 x 4

Free Motion Calves: 2 legged: 300 x 8, 340 x 8, 400 x 8

Unilateral: 200 x 8, 220 x 8

Leg Extensions: 165 x 5, 195 x 5, 225 x 5, 255 x 5

Seated Leg Curls: 125 x 5 x 2, 95 x 5 x 2

Tonight is Hypertrophy Chest and Arms.

To baby time. My wife’s due date is a month from now.  She’s huge, uncomfortable, and miserable.  It’s times like this I’m glad I’m not a woman, but I wish there were something I could do to make the situation a little more tolerable for her.  I don’t think it was quite this bad last time.  Probably because she doesn’t let herself just pass out on the sofa this go around because we have a 19 month old to chase around.  If any of you ladies have any suggestions on something I could do for her (pedicure, etc.) let me know.

So she tells me last night she has an ultra sound today to make sure everything is okay and to make sure the baby is still a girl.  WHAT!?!?!  You mean they can make that mistake?  She said sometimes they mistake boys for girls, but not the other way around.  Dude the room is 2 shades of pink now.  She better be a she and not a he.

Tonight is Lower Body Power.  Squats, Deads, and really heavy calves.  Love this night since it’s just a challenge to beat last weeks numbers.  I’m off to a short jog now.  Later.

So the gym I go to is full of kids from the high school that is next door.  They come to the gym and jack around, lift little to no weight, and still have a better body than I do (no homo).  I hate teenagers and their sky high test.  Crappy diet and poor form, but still big muscles.  Ugh.

Upper Power Day today:

BB Bench:  w/u, 185, 225, 245, 265, 275 x 5
T-Bar Rows: 90, 135, 145, 150, 155 x 5
Military Press: 95, 135, 155, 165, 165 x 5

Shrugs: 180, 230, 250, 250 x 5

EZ Bar Curls: 80, 90, 100 x 5

Neutral Grip Pushdown:  90, 95, 95 x 5

… are the resolutionists giving up extra early this year?  Would I like them to stay and learn how to live a health life?  Yes, but it sure was nice to have an open squat rack when I walked in this evening.  The only ones that seem to be left are those who dropped a pretty penny to workout with the out of shape trainers at my gym.

Friday’s Leg Hyper workout:

Squats: 185, 225, 255 (3 sets) x 10

Leg Press Calves: 300 x 20 (4 sets)

Unilateral Leg Ext.: 50 each leg, 50, 60, 70, 70 x 10

supersetted w/ walking lunges: 50, 50, BW, BW, BW x 12

Unilateral Leg Curls: 40 x 12 (5 sets each leg)

Standing Calf machine: 165, 210, 240 x 15

Seated Calf: 115 x 15 (3 sets)

Besides the pulling myself out of bed I really find working out in the AM much more pleasurable than at night.  Only the regulars are at the gym at 5 AM, ya know.  Can’t beat it.

Wednesday- Hyper Chest and Arms

DB Incline: 75 x 10, 85 x 8, 90 x 8

BB Bench: 225 x 8, 235 w/ drop to 185 x 9 total (2 sets)

Hammer Strength Decline: 180 x 12, 230 x 10, 250 x 8

Flys: 100 x 12, 120 x 10, 140 x 8

Preacher superset w/ Standing French Press: 70/90 x 10, 80/90 x 8 (2 sets)

DB Curls ss/ Hammer Strength Dips: 30s/180 x 10,  35s/230 x 8 (2 sets)

Superman Curls/Single Arm Pushdowns:  35/25 x 12, 25/25 x 10, 30/30 x 10

Thursday- Hyper Shoulders and Back

DB Press: 65s,65s,70s x 10

DB Side Laterals ss/ DB Front Raises: 20s/20s x 12, 20/20 x 12, 25/20 x 8

Bent over laterals ss/ BB Shrugs: 20s/65 x 15, 20/70 x 12, 20/80 x 10

Arnold Press ss/ Smith Machine Shrugs: 30/90 x 12, 30/140 x 10, 35/160 x 8

T-Bar Rows: 90 x 15, 115 x 12, 115 x 12

Hammer Strength Pulldown:  110 x 12, 160 x 9, 180 x 8

HS High Rows:  180 x 8 (3 sets)

Straight Arm Pull Downs (rope): 50 x 10 (3 sets)

So I didn’t mention it in my last post, but the resolutionists drove me nuts last night.  I had promised not to moan about people making a change for the better, blah, blah, blah.  Last night was bad though.  LIFT OR GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY.  Get off the cell.  Quit looking at all the pretty girls and freaking lift.  Or better yet just go over to the machine weights and work there.  This is why I love the gym at 5 AM.  Just the few regulars at that time.

Lower Power:

Squats:  135 x 15, 225 x 5, 275 x 5, 295 x 5, 305 x 4

SLDL: 135 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 5, 245 x 5 (2 sets)

Calves on the Leg Press: 12 plates x 8 (4 sets)

Abs.

So I’m really liking this workout.  The volume is quite high on a weekley basis, but my body is adjusting.  I made real strenght progress on the 5 x 5 so now I’m incorporating hypertrophy priciples to grow.  If you want to check out the thread in the forum I jacked this from let me know and I’ll post it.

Monday was power upper body:

BB Bench: w/u, 225 x 5, 245 x 5, 265 x 5, 275 x 5 (2 sets)

T-Bar row:  90 x 5, 115 x 5, 135 x 5, 145 x 5, 165 x 5

Seated BB Military Press: 135 x 5, 155 x 5, 165 x 5, 175 x 5, 185 x 5

Shrugs on the Smith: 90 x 5, 180 x 5, 230 x 5 (3 sets)

BB Curls: 80 x 5, 90 x 5, 100 x 5

HS Dips: 90 each arm x 5, 115 each arm x 5, 135 each arm.

One of the best pumps I’ve ever felt.

Well needless to say I’ll be out by 10 or 10:30 tonight so all you young ones can go out and party your a$$’s off.  Just don’t keep setting off fireworks in my neighborhood past midnight okay?

2008 started off with me going to the gym everyday, but pretty much lost as to how to acheive my goals.  I had a time through the summer where my weight got way out of control and then I found this site about the time I decided to rededicate myself to being a fit parent.  Now I can squat 300+, damn near deadlift 300, and I’m 25 pounds from benching 300.  I never really thought I’d get to this point.  Time to reasses my fitness goals for 2009.  I want to hit 1000 pound on my big lifts and in April I’ll start a cut that hopefully will reveal all the hard work I’ve put into my abs.  As for other goings on, we finally decided on a name for my second daughter who will be here in February, if not sooner my wife looks like she’s going to pop any day now   Anyway her name will be Abigail.  Still working on the middle name.  2009 is going to be an eventful year.

Wednesday’s Chest and Arms Workout:

Incline DB Press: 75s x 12, 85s x 10, 90s x 8

Flat DB Press: 85s x 10 (3 sets) Could have gone higher I think

Decline HS Presses: 90 each arm x 12, 115 x 10 (2 sets)

Incline Cable Flys: 30s x 10 (3 sets)

Preacher Curls superset w/ Overhead French Press: 70/80 x 10 (2 sets), 80/90 x 8

DB Curls superset w/ DB Kickbacks: 35/20 x 10 (3 sets)

Tri Pushdown superset w/ Cable Hammer Curls: 80/60 x 9 (3 sets)

HS Machine Dips superset w/ Superman Curls:  115/30 x 8 (3 sets)

Had the most amazing pump in my arms after this workout.  Up tomorrow a New Years Shoulder and Back Workout.

Everyone be safe tonight.

So just to follow up on my previous post.  I am still pretty sore from Saturday’s leg workout.  Supersetting is a biatch.  Supersetting w/ drops on the last set is death.  I love it, but it’s death.

Tonight was power night for the upper body.  I really feel the workout went kind of slow because I ran into all my pet peeve people tonight.  I had to wipe off benches, there were dudes using EZ curl bars in the squat rack to do curls, and my gym is right next to a high school so there were a ton of guys in there staring at women and talking on their cells.  Either move the weight or get the hell out.  I really wish that going to a small, bodybuilding minded gym would work for me, but I need a gym w/ multiple locations because I work from home and about 30 miles away and have to workout in both places.

Here is what I moved tonight:

BB Bench: 5 x 185, 225, 245, 255, 255

BB Rows: 5 x  135, 185, 195, 195, 195

Standing BB Military: 5 x 135, 135, 145, 145, 145

BB Shrugs: 8 x 135, 185, 225 (3 sets)

I feel pretty good.  It was my first day on Plasmagen Nitrate as a pre workout supp.  So far so good.  I saw it on wheycheap the other day and always wanted to give it a go so I picked up a couple bottles.  I’ll keep y’all updated as to how that goes.