Today I’m getting back to the basement (my gym) and starting again.  I need to clean up my diet and get my ass back on track.  BBing has been so good for my mental and physical health that I don’t want to revert to where I was before and I can honestly feel myself slipping toward that.  I’m assuming that I’m healed up enough from my little snip-snip to resume heavy lifting (it’s been 4 weeks).

So back on creatine, open the new box of protein ordered online, and time to move some iron!  Being soft sucks!

But I started a new routine yesterday…a 12 week challenge out of Muscle & Fitness.  It’s no joke.  It was so hot today (no AC in my basement gym) and the fact that I let myself go over the past couple of months that I couldn’t even make it through today (leg day).  I wanted to puke somethin’ awful.

But I have to keep my eyes on the prize.  My goal for some time (when I started out at 138 lbs) was 170 lbs and 10% bodyfat.  I’m at 168 with about 23% BF.  That’s the fattest I’ve ever been!  Not cool!

So I have my work cut out for me.  I need to stay motivated and MAKE time (without being a neglectful father and husband).  It’s just HARD with two kids, job, house, (wife is in no condition to do housework yet), and my artistic ventures (music performance and a novel).

Luckily this site exists, and I can always find excellent motivation just by connecting with many of you. 

No one’s fault other than my own.  I have the knowledge, I have the tools, I just need to make the time.  The only excuses that are acceptable to not training are illness or injury.  Being that I have a home gym, I should be able to make the time no matter what.

Because when I’m training and my diet is good, I feel great!  I need to always remember that.

Today’s food.

I’m planning on being 100% by Monday and re-dedicating myself to getting over my 170 lb plateau that I seem to be stuck at.  I just can’t gain any good weight over it.  Problem is, when I try to get over 170, it seems to be more gut than muscle.

Nothing a little diet tweaking can’t fix I hope. 

At times like these, it’s good to look back at your workout journal and see how far you’ve come.

The first time I tried squats was 3/16/2006 and it was just using dumbbells.  I did 3 sets of 15, using only 15 lbs. in each hand.  Wow!

On that day I also maxed out my bench press with my 4th set, getting only 6 reps in at 65 lbs.!  I’m only 1RM at 185 now, but still!

Now the kicker.  My first time trying deadlifts?  3/30/2006: 1 set of 12 at 65 lbs.!  I curl that much now. 

So while I’m not turning pro just yet, I can still take a tremendous amount of pride in how far I’ve come from the skinny ass, sickly weakling I was when I started.

Not to mention my measurements.

Compared to my first set of measurements on 3/7/2006:

Arms: Then: 11" - Now: 12.5"
Chest: Then (Expanded): 36.5" - Now (Relaxed): 38.5"
Quads: Then (Flexed): 19.5" - Now (Relaxed): 23.25" (I was REALLY chicken-legged.)
Weight: Then: 138lbs. - Now: 170lbs.

Feelin’ like you need a motivational boost?  Dig up your old workout journal and compare!  You’ll see all the blood, sweat, and muscle pulls have been worth it!  Keep goin’!

I know it’s not much compared to some other fellas on here, but for me, this is a real accomplishment.

Feelin’ stoked!  Even though now, I need to buy more weight. 

Photos have been posted.  And yes, there’s a lot of extra crap in my basement, but it’s all good. 

Pretty happy, even if my arms didn’t grow any.    They’re really hard for me to grow.

Everything is symmetrical too, except my quads, which are 1 inch off.

So I’m going to bulk like a madman all fall and winter, and then cut in the spring and hopefully have something really nice to show off in the summer.

Stay tuned!