smcmichaeljr’s BodyBlog

So I’m walking over to the Smith Machine yesterday and there’s a guy at the cable station doing superman curls.  He’s pretty big, and looks like he’s lifting about 40 on each arm.  So he finishes off his set and hits a pose in the mirror.  While I find this somewhat laughable I understand the need for posing for serious body builders, but dude proceeds to kiss the peaks of his biceps.   REALLY????  WTF????

So I have to go into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have had zero time to blog lately about my journey.  My wife still doesn’t understand my obsession.  I got the guilt treatment for getting out of bed this morning to go to the gym when she took the day off.  Sorry, I blew my diet last night at Chilis and needed in my mind to get back in the gym.  The last 2 days have been really intense.  I really didn’t know how little endurance some of my muscles have.  Supersetting and pre-exhausting has made me really sore.  I love it, but it makes chasing an 18 month old around kind of tough.

Thursday Chest:

Incline Flys ss/ Incline Smith Press

40(fly)/130 x 15/12 (4 sets)

Flat Bench Flys ss/ Flat Smith Press

30/145 x 15/12 (4 sets)

Decline HS Press ss/ Pushups

140/bodyweight x 15/failure

30 Minutes of HIIT on the Stairmaster.

Friday- Tris & Bis

One arm rope pressdown ss/ One arm Smith Close Grip Bench

30/50 x 15/12 (3 sets)

Cable Kickback ss/ 1 arm lying cable extensions

15/20 x 15/12 (3 sets)

DB Curls

30’s x 13

Cable Concentration Curls

15 x 15, 20 x 12 (2 sets)

EZ Bar Cable Curls

42.5 x 12 (4 sets)

Superman Curls

20’s x 12 (3 sets)

Talk to y’all on Monday.

So I actually had a really full day at work yesterday and couldn’t take time to blog about my workout.  So I know the point of switching up from low reps/heavy weight to high reps/lighter weight is to cut down and shock your system, but damn.  I was not ready for the fact I wouldn’t be able to move my shoulders after Mondays workout.  After yesterday’s leg workout my legs were shaking uncontrollably, and I’ve never quite had the pump in my back that I did today.  I love all these feelings, but it’s been since I first stepped into a gym that my muscles have reacted this way.  I love this feeling and I hope the results will reflect the amount of work I’m putting in.

On a professional note, I’ve been assigned my first Six Sigma project as a black belt.  We have a failure rate around 97% company wide in meeting the USL, so I guess improvement won’t be tough.  Still I’m a bit stressed about leading my first project.

Tuesday’s Leg Workout:

Sissy Squats supersetted w/ Front Barbell Squats on the Smith:

bodyweight/90 x 15 each (4 sets)

Single Leg Extensions Supersetted w/ One Leg Leg Press

40/105 x 15 each (3 sets)

Leg Curls Supersetted w/ Dead Lifts

100/80 x 15 (3 sets), 85/100 x 12

Seated Calf Supersetted w/ Leg Press Calf

95/270 x 15 (4 sets)

Wednesday’s Back Workout:

One Arm Lat Pulldowns Supersetted w/ 1 arm T-Bar Row

55/25 x 15 (4 sets)

DB Row supersetted w/ One arm straight armed pulldown

40/20 x 12 (2 sets), 45/20 x 12 (2 sets)

Wide Grip Behind the neck pulldown supersetted w/ Wide Seated Rows

70/75 x 12, 70/60 x 15 (2 sets)

At this point I really need to do some measurements.  I’m still about 225, but I know I’ve put on a good amount of muscle.  I have to keep reminding myself of this when I weigh in weekly.

So I’ve been working this 2 month program I read about in M&F.  It amounts to a 4 week mass programs followed by a cutting program.   So far so good.  I haven’t lost much weight, but at the end of the 4 week mass program I’ve added a ton of muscle.  So we’re on to cutting.  Lots of super and giant sets in this program.  I’ve also consciously upped the intesity of my HIIT program to see if I can’t start shedding some of this fat.  Needless to say by the end of this morning’s workout I felt like puking. 

Leaning one arm lateral raises supersetted w/ One arm overhead presses:

20(lateral)/40(press) x 15 each, 20/45 x 12, 20/45 x 12

One arm Cable Lateral Raises supersetted w/ One arm cable upright rows:

15/10 x 12, 10/10 x 15, 10/10 x 12

Reverse Cable Flys:

15 x 12, 15 x 12, 15 x 12

Smith Machine Behind the Back Shrugs ss w/ Smith Shrugs:

90/90 x 15,  100/100 x 12, 100/100 x 12

Cardio:  15 minutes of HIIT on the stairclimber.  Low Setting: 6  High Setting:  14

…  is in the gym.  Me, Cross Canadian Ragweed, and the iron.  Why else would I get up at 4:45 to go torture myself.  My wife hates going to the gym so she doesn’t understand.  She sees it as a necessary evil, and I don’t think she’s found her place.  I put up 225 on the incline 6 times the other day and came home with a big grin on my face.  She didn’t get it.   She tried so I guess I can’t complain.

We have a pretty hectic life.  We’re both 8-5ers.  We have an 18 month old and another one due in late February, and a MIL that is very demanding of her granddaughter’s time.  The gym is my sanctuary, but I guess most of us here are like this.  I just wanted to let y’all know that your blogs and feedback have been a big help in keeping me going and sticking to a routine I’ve tried to stick to sooooo many times.

Friday Bi’s, Tris, and Forearms:

Close Grip Bench on the Smith:  160 x 10, 170 x 8, 170 x 8, 180 x 6 w/ rest pause

Tri Pushdowns:  87.5 x 8 (3 sets), 95 x 6 w/ drop to 65

Skullcrushers:  8 x 80 (4 sets)

BB Curls:  65 x 12, 85 x 8, 85 x 7, 95 x 5

Incline DB curls:  30 x 8 (4 sets)

Preacher:  45 x 12, 55 x 10, 65 x 8 w/ drop to 45 (2 sets)

Thanks again to all of you out there.

First of all I hit spinning last night.  I LOVE spinning.  One hour of pure sweat and pain, depending on if you have a good instructor.  I love the Wednesday night instructor becasue she tortures me more than I would myself.

This morning was chest day.  Again, chest day is probably my favorite.  I think it stems from the fact in High School the amount you bench was kind of like a measuring contest of your you know what.  Now it’s just my strongest body part, besides my legs, so it’s fun.  My back is quickly catching up though.  This morning was also my first morning on a full dose of Purple Wraath.  It kind of gives you that pins and needles feeling, but in a good way.  Everything goes tingley, is that a word, and it amps you up.  It’s also abs day.  I hate abs.  As you can tell from my pic I’ve neglected my abs for a while.  So it’s a nice balance of fun muscle group w/ a sucky one.

Incline BB Bench:  15 x 135 (wu), 10 x 185, 8 x 205, 6 x 225, 6 x 225 w/ partials

DB Flat Bench:  8 x 80, 8 x 80, 6 x 80, 6 x 80 w/ drop to 55

Incline Cable Fly:  10 x 30, 10 x 30, 10 x 30, 8 x 35 w/ drop to 25

Cable Crossovers:  12 x 40, 10 x 50, 8 x 55 w/ drop to 40 (2 sets)

Decline Cruch w/ a plate:  15, 15, 12, 12

superseted w/ Side Crunches: 15, 15, 15, 15

Hanging leg raises: 10, 10, 10, 10

superseted w/ Torso twists:  10, 10, 10, 10

Back at it tomorrow.  Tris, Bis, and forearms.

… supplements.  My wife is worried by my supplement stack.  I’m taking T-Bomb, Purple Wraath, Creatine Mono, and a multi.  She seems really concerned.  I wish I could explain it to her.  She keeps saying I’m taking steroids.  She’s joking…. I think.

So for as long as I can remember I haven’t been able to do a pull up.  It was always kind of embarrassing when I was a kid, but now I’ve turned it into a goal.  So I’ve been using the assisted pull up machine at the gym.  I’m down to only needing 40 lbs of help to do 8-10 pull ups.  In a couple of weeks I should have this thing licked.  I’m pretty psyched about it.

I also keep hitting personal bests on my lifts and it’s starting to reflect in how my body looks.  As you can guess this makes me VERY happy.

Todays Back Work:

Assisted Pull ups 55 lbs x 15, 45 x 10, 40 x 8, and 35 x 6

Bent over Rows:  90 x 12, 115 x 8, 125 x 6 (2 sets)

Behind the Neck Pulldowns:  115 x 12, 120 x 10,, 130 x 8, 145 x 6 w/ drop to 90

Wide Grip Cable Rows:  135 x 10, 150 x 8, 165 x 6 w/ drop to 120

Straight arm Pull downs:  57.5 x 12, 65 x 10, 72.5 x 8 w/ drop to 50

So I completed all my class work.  Yay.  One less stressor in my life for now.  Now we’re down to having an 18 month old, one more on the way, a pregnant wife who’s stressed at work all the time, and trying to miss out on the sudden emergence of cancer as a trend in my family.  On a good note I keep hitting personal bests on my lifting and my Purple Wraath gets here tomorrow.    Spinning last night was awesome.  I really wish I had a road bike so I could go out to the Hill Country and get a ride or 2 in.  Riding during the day and Gruene Hall at night.  What else could a Texas boy ask for?
Here’s my log of my Leg workout aka/ Pain:

Front Squats: 135 x 10, 180 x 8, 190 x7, 195 x 6

Hack Squats: 190 x 7, 190 x 7, 190 x 7, 210 x 6

Leg Ext w/ Drops:  135 x 12, 150 x 10, 180/115 x 8 (2 sets)

Dead Lifts: 135 x 10, 185 x 8, 205 x 7, 215 x 4

Seated Leg Curls w/ Drops:  135 x 10, 165 x 8, 175/115 x 8 (2 sets)

Standing Calf:  225 x 12, 240 x 10 (2 sets)

Seated Calf:  80 x 10, 115 x 8, 140 x 8

Hit the abs and then 20 minutes of Eliptical machine.

I’m pretty dead now,  but I’m at work and ready to go.

So I’ve been taking Six Sigma Courses since April or so.  I’m just about to finish up my Black Belt course.  It’s been so stressful.  Between taking a vacation and Hurricane Ike I find myself several weeks behind and my deadline to turn in work is tonight!!!  Anyway I’ve been pulling some extra hours and the alarm at 4:45 this morning to workout was not welcome.  I went anyway and had a decent workout.

Behind the neck Military Presses on the Smith:  70 on each side x  10, 75×8, 75×6, 75×6

Upright Rows:  95×10, 115×5, 105×7, 105×7

Leaning side laterals:  30’s x 7 (4 sets)

Bent over lats:  20 x 10 (2 sets), 25 x 7 (2 sets)

Shrug Machine:  180 x 12, 130x 8, 130x 6 w/ drop

Much less stress when I finish out this course and I can focus on getting big.

It’s Friday!!!!  One more day of work and then 2 days of FOOTBALL.  Well if my wife allows it.  Pregnant wife = no football sometimes.    The Coogs are in DFW anyway so if I ignore college football maybe I’ll get the Texans w/o interruption.  One can hope.

So I got my free sample of Purple Wraath yesterday.  Not the worst tasting stuff I’ve tried.  I had the Blue Raspberry NO Xplode.  That stuff is gross.  I used the PW intra-workout today.  It is quite the boost and you get the tingles from it + White Flood.  What a great rush.  Today was tris/bis/forearms.  Bis are one of my challenging muscle groups.  Slow to grow and they used to have a stamina problem.  I got past that issue.

Close Grip Bench on the Smith:  140 x 8, 160 x 7, 160 x 7, 170 x 6 w/ rest pause

Tri pushdowns:  80 x 8, 87.5 x 7, 87.5 x 7, 95 x 6 w/ drop to 65

Skullcrushers:  80 x 8, 80 x 8, 80 x 8, 80 x 8

BB Curls:  65 x 10, 85 x 7, 85 x 7, 95 x 5 w/ drop to 65

Incline DB curls:  30 x 6, 30 x 6, 30 x 6,  25 x 8 w/ drop to 20

Machine Preachers: 65 x 12, 80 x 9, 95 x 6

BB Forearm curls: 100 x  10  3 sets

Going to hit the spinning tonight.  My favorite cardio.  It is varied kind of like HIIT training and has an instructor to push you.  Not to mention I’m way too uncoordinated to take a normal cardio class.