Jettisoned Ponderings

My new work schedule really makes it harder to get into the gym five days a week with any sort of consistency. I finished PCT from my second LG Trifecta cycle earlier this week, so now it’s time to just let the body be a bit more "normal" for a while. So my supplement stack is much milder than usual. I’m going back to the basics for a bit while I try and stay leaned out for the summer. Lotta protein, picked up another tub of Trac Extreme NO (which is hands down my favorite pre-workout powder I’ve decided), Finishing up a bottle of Y3 (works ok, but doesn’t last long at 6 caplets per day), and I’m actually trying taking just good ‘ol BCAAs. I’ve never taken BCAAs before, but I’m liking how I’m feeling taking them so far. I don’t "feel" my muscles trying to atrophy as much if I haven’t lifted that muscle group for a couple days. So along with the simpler supp stack, I’m going back to a simpler routine as well that I’ve done before. It’s only a 2 day routine, but unlike before when I didn’t have a workout partner to do it with, I should see much better results now that I’ll have a spotter to be there for the lower rep heavy sets. All in all, it’s just another case of having to adapt the lifestyle so that the body doesn’t adapt!

Been off to a horrible start on my new routine, but it’s finally beginning to get consistent. One thing I’m really noticing is that I’m getting really nauseous by the end of my workout, and if I’m not feeling it by the time I hit core I definitely am by the time I’m done with a few sets. Last night I ended up dry heaving a bit, too. I haven’t had this happen since I started lifting early last year, or the occasional leg day. I dunno, I guess I’ve just got a lot more toxins to work out than I thought. Sure is getting annoying though to finish a workout feeling sick instead of just that good tired.

So today I was confronted by the gym manager for training my dad. We both have memberships, it just happened to be an off day for me, so I was helping him with a new training program. Yet I’m told that because I have a clipboard and am helping someone else that therefore I’m not allowed to do that because I’m not an employee. However, he says that if I were the one working out with the clipboard and my dad was just observing that that would be ok. What kind of nonsense is that!? Ok… I always have a clipboard with me. I always workout with my girlfriend, who also tracks her lifting stats. I’ve been doing that for over a year, and ever since this gym opened. I’ve locked horns with the manager a couple times, but today was about all I can take of it. I could understand if I was setting up appointments and training people without memberships, or if I didn’t have a membership myself. Sure, there are trainers there and of course they’d be upset if they weren’t the ones getting paid to train while someone else did it for free. C’mon though, this is family and we’re even on the same agreement. The owner used to be one of the original owners of Family Fitness/24 Hour Fitness back in the day, which doesn’t speak well of his character at all. He says I’m the only one that complains. Well, more of I’m the only one who seems to be willing to voice it since I’ve had discussions with a number of other members that I see every morning who are just as frustrated as I am. Sure, my dues are cheap so in that sense I can’t argue much, but I’m tired of putting up with this guy’s bull. I think I’m going to start looking at other gyms this week and look into terminating my membership. I don’t care if I have to drive ten extra minutes to go to World Gym, it’ll be better than this crap. So yeah, if you’re looking into getting a membership with Fusion Fitness, don’t.

Whenever I’m doing cutting, I always shoot for the same weight each exercise for all of the sets and rest times are kept to a minimum, usually 30-45 seconds between sets. Time between exercises is only as long as it takes for my lifting partner to do her sets. The workouts don’t take very long because of this, but the muscles get good and fatigued, which is what my body responds best to. I keep the weight the same so that with the appropriate weight I can perform all the sets in the goal range, but never consecutive sets with the same number of reps, or at least not as easily.

Monday - Back: Sets/Reps
Back Lat Pulldowns: 3×6-10
Close Parallel Grip Lat Pulldowns: 3×6-10
Smith Machine Bent Rows (Prone Grip): 3×6-10
Smith Machine Shrugs w/Rotation: 3×8-12
Wide Grip Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns: 3×8-12
"Roid Rows" (Parallel Grip): 3×8-10
Ab Workout and 30 Minutes on Stepmill or Strider

Tuesday - Arms (Supersets):Sets/Reps
1)V or W Bar Cable Pushdowns: 4×6-10
2)EZ Barbell Curls: 4×6-10
1)Single Arm Reverse Pushdowns: 4×8-12
2)Low Cable "Most Muscular" Curls: 4×8-12
1)Dumbell Tricep Kickbacks: 4×8-12
2)Cross Body Dumbell Hammer Curls: 4×8-12
1)Dumbell Wrist Curls: 3×6-10
2)Dumbell Reverse Wrist Curls: 3×6-10
Ab Workout & 60 Minutes on Bike

Wednesday - Legs: Sets/Reps
45 Degree Calf Raises: 3×6-10
Prone Leg Curls: 3×6-10
Free Motion Single Leg Extension: 3×8-12
Barbell Squats: 3×8-12
Seated Calf Raises: 3×6-10
Alternating Eccentric Single Leg Press: 3×6-10
Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 3×8-12
Adductor: 3×6-10
Abductor: 3×6-10
Ab Workout and 2 Miles on Treadmill

Thursday - Chest: Sets/Reps
Wide Grip Bench Press: 4×8-12
Incline Press Machine: 4×6-10
Smith Machine Decline Power Presses: 4×6-10
Cable Incline Flies: 3×6-10
Cable Decline Flies: 3×6-10
Machine Flat Flies: 3×8-12
Abs & 30 Minutes on Elyptical

Friday - Delts: Sets/Reps
DB Side Laterals (Prone Twist Grip): 4×8-12
DB Front Raises (Supine V Grip): 4×8-12
Rear Delt Flies (Flat Grip): 4×8-12
Smith Power Shoulder Presses: 3×6-10
Wide Grip Barbell High Rows: 3×8-12
Rear Delt Rope Pulls: 3×8-12
Ab Workout and 30 Minutes on Wave

Ab Routine - 30-45 Second Rests: Sets/Reps
Hybrid Crunches: 2×15-25
High Angle Decline Crunches: 2×15-25
Low Angle Decline Bench Twists: 2×15-25
Pelvic Crunches: 2×15-25
Back Extension Machine: 2×15-25

First, these were my stats the first day I started the log:
Height:6′1.0"
Waist: 32.25"
Weight:178.6 lb
Thighs: 22.5"
Bodyfat: ~9%
Calves: 15.25"
Chest: 40"
Forearms: 12"
Arms: 13.75" (Relaxed)
Neck: 16"

Now, here are my updated stats from this morning:
Height: 6′1.0"
Waist: 32.5" (+.25")
Weight: 182.2 lb (+3.6lbs)
Thighs: 23.25" (+.75")
Bodyfat: 10.1 % (+~1%)
Calves: 15.5" (+.25")
Chest: 41.5" (+1.5")
Forearms: 12.25" (+.25")
Arms: 14" (+.25" Relaxed, Flexed=15.5")
Neck: 16.5" (+.5")

I figure if anyone’s been reading this log, they have a good idea how my lifting stats have improved, so I’ll save the extra length of this post and leave the specifics out on those…

Thoughts on the On-Cycle part of the stack…

I have to admit that the results today were not at all what I expected to happen. Granted there were some differences this time around such as:
-Different training routine
-No GH booster (Aside from a little help from the GABA)
-Different supporting supplement stack
-Receptor

Given the two cycles and the results from each, here are my thoughts:
-I would recommend a GH booster. Both Testosterone and GH are needed to get the fullest muscle development, so a secretagogue before workouts and/or bedtime should help to put on some more mass.
-If you’ve had a routine that has worked very well for you in the past, use it! Just make sure it’s not the one you’re currently on to avoid the plateau.
-CARBS CARBS CARBS! I admit, I slacked a bit on this toward the end, but I probably could’ve put on a couple extra pounds if I had kept it up more than I did.
-Then the usual: Be consistent, have a training partner to yell at you through the last rep and let you train harder, etc.

One other thing, I did start to get a libido crash within the last week or so. Not so much in terms of drive, but let’s just say recovery time wasn’t what it ould usually be. My first cycle, this hit me within the first five days. This time, more of during the fifth week. This could possibly have been due to the Receptor.

On the note of Receptor, I think it did a fairly good job. I do not plan to use it through PCT, but will most likely finish the rest of my 2nd bottle after PCT is done for more of a "cleaning". I liked it though, but I think from here on I will most likely use it off cycle as more of a recovery supplement than an enhancer.

PCT I’ll be taking 1.5x the normal dose of Formadrol for one week, so it’ll be 3 doses of 2 capsules, then 1 less capsule per day each following week.

Any comments, questions, suggestions, or any other feedback are certainly welcome!