txtechguy’s BodyBlog

Sorry I didn’t post yesterday…busy schedule…bad weather…and extra bad traffic.  Let’s just put it this way…over 4 hours in commute time yesterday!  Still got my workout in though…and I good one at that.

As for today.  Another solid workout. Today was Back, Tris, and Cardio.  When I started my running I could barely move my arms because the pump in my back and tris was so much….the blood flow worked it all out though by the end of the run.

Here is the workout (supersets as always):

Warmup: 5 minutes on treadmill

Chinups: 5 reps, 3 reps, 2 reps (I was brave and actually did them unassisted, I am pleased with myself that I actually was able to do more than one)

One arm dumbbell extensions: 25×10(x2), 20×12(x2)

Seated Rows with v-bar: 62.5×20(x3), 75×15

Reverse grip one arm pulldowns: 12.5×12, 25×10(x3)

Bent over Dumbbell Rows: 40×10(x2), 30×15, 20×15

Rope Pulldowns: 25×15(x3)

Close Grip Pulldowns: 100×10(x2), 90×12

Close Grip Bench: 95×10, 75×15(x2)

Hyperextensions: 3×8

Cardio: 20 minutes HIIT on treadmill…my whole body was soaking wet with sweat….I LOVE IT!

Thanks for checking in.

Week 4 already. Wow. I started out this week positively. I had expected to gain a large amount of weight due to the holidAy, but it appears that I gained less than two pounds. A small victory in my eyes.

My workout today felt GREAT. I was dripping sweat and the NO Shotgun really had me pumped and tingling today. Not sure that I did anything differently, but I definitely felt it today. Today was shoulders and biceps. I decreased the time it takes to get through my lifts, increased the weights, and added cardio today. So I would say I have kicked it up a level. I still got all this done in less than one hour.

Here is the workout (supersets):
rear delt flies: 80×10, 65×12(x2), 80×10
alternating dumbbell curls: 30×8(x2), 25×10(x2)
seated dumbbell lat raises: 15×12, 12×12(x2)
bent over bar curls: 30×15, 50×10(x3)
dumbbell Arnold presses: 20×10, 25×8,25×7, 15×8 (this was killer today)
hammer curls: 15×12, 20×10(x2), 20×8 (killer as well, work on form)
bar shrugs: 90×10, 80×12, 90×10(x2) ( may need to up this next week)
one arm preacher curls: 15×12, 20×10(x2), 12×15

5 minute run on treadmill for warmup
18 minutes if HIIT on elliptical and 2 minutes walking

thanks for checking in

First of all, HUGE THANKS to jrahlfs and the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo. They were awesome enough to hook me up with an amazing gym facility to get my workouts in while on vacation. Thanks so much for allowing me to keep my focus on my transformation while on vacation.   I wish I was able to experience such top notch facilities on my work travels. Words can’t express my gratitude. I will definitely be hitting the gym the rest of this week and my future trips to Amarillo.

I had a pretty good and intense workout today, especially since I had to do two workouts in one today. Today I did shoulders and biceps with a little shorter leg and ab day. I think I kept my shoulder and bicep reps and weights the same as last week. I increased my squat and deadlifts today though. And to top it all of I got to do abs with jralhfs.   I am not posting my workouts today because it will take far to long on my I-phone.

It was awesome to workout with Jason and to meet face to face. It is a cool experience to actually get to meet a fellow bodyspacer and to share tips and info.  I look forward to my workout tomorrow, hopefully sharing it again with Jason.

One really good solid week done. I am feeling great.  I am energized, my body is tightening all over and less flabby and I am beginning to see the muscle tone that I left behind about 4 months ago now.  I am so psyched.

As we go into the holidays…my man Jason (jrahlfs) has been awesome enough to hook me up at his gym next week so I don’t lose my focus and the progress I have made.  Jason…looking forward to hopefully getting meet in person man.  Would love to tag along with you on your workout possibly…I don’t know if I am brave enough…but who knows…I may be up to try it.

Had an awsome cardio session today…was soaking wet with sweat and dripping all over the place…I know kind of gross (I wiped everything down I used), but always the good sign of a GREAT workout.  20 minutes of HIIT on the treadmill with 10 minutes of jogging in the front and back end.  Then a run through my ab circuit for 15 more minutes.  In and out in less than an hour and burned over 400 calories.  That’s what I call a good workout!  Fat be gone!

Have a great weekend and Thanksgiving for those who are reading this.  Doubt I will be on much next week as I will be in a remote part of West Texas. 

I am really feeling good and feel a sense of accomplishment by getting all 4 of my weight days in this week.  Now I need to focus on getting 2 days of cardio as well.

Today is my carb loading day on my carb cycling diet that JoshBeMe was nice enough to provide.  When you get used to eating lower carb levels it is work to get in all of the carbs, fat, and protein he reccomends.  If you eat junk…it is too high in fat and your protein intake is too low…if you eat healthy….you don’t get enough carbs…so it is definitely a balancing act.  The approach today is extra fruit, some cookies, a small hamburger, mashed potatoes, once extra protein shake, and the usual meals.  So far so good.

For those wondering about my new NO supplement…I am really enjoying it.  It gives me a good boost of energy, a slight pump, and helps me focus through my workout.  It seems just about right.  I would prefer a little more pump…so if anyone else has any thoughts on VPX NO Shotgun…please shoot them to me.

Here is the workout today…it was solid…with a solid ab workout at the end.  It is pretty brutal doing chest the day after my triceps…my arms are no help on my chest day….maybe that is a good thing???

Supersets of course:

Incline Dumbbell Press: 45×10, 35×12(x2), 40×10

Inclinde Dumbbell Flies: 20×15(x3)

Bench Press: 95×10, 105×8, 105×7, 85×10

Cable Flies: 50×15(x3)

Decline Bench Press: 55×12, 65×10, 85×10, 95×8  (I need to up the first couple of sets, last two sets are good)

Seated Calf Raises: 80×15(x5)

Standing Calf Raises: 100×15(x4), 60×15

Jumping Jacks: 3×1 minute

Hanging Leg Raises: 2×20

Exercise Ball Crunches: 2×12

Planks: 2×1 minute

Decline sit-ups: 2×12

Thanks for checking in.

I really feel like I am hitting a stride here.  The weather is awesome, my focus is spot on, the pounds are coming off, and I am pouring sweat in the gym.  I don’t know that it can get much better with respect to my workouts.

Today was another good workout with sweat running down my face and off my nose.  That is always a good clue that I am going intense in my workout….well…the swollen triceps that make it hard to take a shower is a good clue as well.

So here is the workout today (supersets).  Good burn in my back today.

Pullups (assisted 70lbs): 12 reps, 6 reps, 5 reps

Overhead Dumbell One Arm Extensions: 30×10, 25×10, 20×12, 20×12 (good weight…keeping it here for awhile)

Seated Rows with V-bar: 50×20(x3), 62.5×15

Reverse grip single-arm pulldowns: 12.5×12, 25×10(x3)

Bent Over Dumbbell Rows: 30×10(x2), 20×15(x2)

Rope Pulldowns: 25×15(x3)….think about increasing next week

Close grip high pulls: 75×10(x2), 62.5×12…increase next week

Close Grip Bench: 95×10, 75×15(x2)

Hyperextensions: 3×8

Thanks for checking in

I have FINALLY begun to recover from my leg workout.  This is the workout I love to hate.  It is typically the workout that is the most draining and intense for me.  Short story today…by the end of the workout…while doing my ab planks…I can’t breathe (feel like I have been running) and the sweat is pouring down my face and nose and dropping into a puddle on the mat and as my body falls to the mat I leave a sweat pool the shape of my body.  I LOVE IT!  (For those germaphobes out there….yes I cleaned it all up and sprayed it with disinfectant).

I also promised to talk about my new supplement today.  I am in the midst of trying new pre-workout (NO) supplements.  Well the one for the next seven weeks or so is VPX’s NO Shotgun V3.  So far I like it.  I got the black cherry flavor…which is quite strong.  This isn’t something I can chug…I have to sip this one because the flavor is pretty intense.  It isn’t as intense in the pump/vascularity department.  I do notice some changes in vascularity…but nothing major as some of my previous supplements I have tried.  I do notice the increase in energy and focus, which is always a plus…especially on a leg day.  All in all…I like this supplement so far…more to come on this in time.

Here’s the workout, done in supersets:

Smith Machine Squats: 185×10(x5)

Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 95×10(x4); 95×12 (need to up this next week)

Walking Lunges: 30×20ft(x4)

Lying Leg curls: 70×12(x3), 90×10

Leg extensions: 70xfailure(x3)…for those counting (30,25,23 reps)

Hanging Leg lifts: 3×20

Exercise Ball Crunches: 3×12

Planks: 3×1minute

Decline sit ups: 1×10, 1×9, 1×5 (significant progress in this one, especially since I couldn’t finish two set past 6 reps before)

Thanks for checking in and the support.  More to come tomorrow!

Was in Calgary last week and got this workout in, but that was it.  Crazy schedule…an NO CONTROL on food…it was a frustrating week.  I am working to make my trips (over Thanksgiving and to Germany) more manageable and under my control.

Here is my workout for today though.

Rear Delt Flies: 70×10, 55×12(x2), 70×10, 70

Alternating Dumbell Curls: 25×8, 30×8, 20×10(x2)

Seated Dumbell Lateral Raises: 15×12(x2), 12×12

Bent Over Crooked Bar Curls: 30×15, 50×10(x3)

Dumbell Arnold Presses: 15×10, 20×8(x2), 10×12 ….these were burning!  I love it!

Hammer Curls: 12×12, 15×10(x2), 20×8

Straight Bar Shrugs: 80×10, 60×12(x2), 80×10

One Arm Preacher Curls: 12×12, 15×10(x2), 12×15 (up next week)

Thanks for checking in.  More on my new pre-workout supplement tomorrow!  It was a good start today!

Well…due to a meeting that went over its alloted time by over an hour, my schedule for the day was shot and I had no time to work in my workout…especially since it is just my son and I on Tuesdays, I have to drop him off, pick him, up, dinner, bath, everything as my wife is trying to get her own business off the ground.  Don’t get me wrong…not complaining…I love spending the one on one time with my son…just a lot to do and I have an appreciation now for what she goes through when I am off traveling the world for work.  This weekend he and I are on our own for 4 days…I think we might go to the zoo over the weekend…the weather here is AWESOME!

Anyway…so I had to move my leg and abs workout to today…no big deal.  I was still just as pumped and excited for the workout as I was yesterday…why?  Well, I stuck to my diet yesterday and lost almost 2 more pounds.  JoshBeme is so right…diet is everything.  You can have awesome workouts…which I see a lot of in the gym (including my own), but if the diet discipline isn’t there…it is all going to waste.  I know that if I focus…I could amaze people in my transformation.

For the workout…it was a good intense workout…my leg and abs workout always leaves me pouring sweat and breathing heavy…the entire time.  I don’t rush between exercises in this workout because I have found that I end up not being able to breathe then and I end up with poor form, poor lifts, and overall get myself hurt.  I take my time, focus on the excercise, maybe even lower the weight, and focus on the form and the burn.  It amazes me how much this workout drains me…I am like jello when I get back…my whole body is weak.  I will be better this afternoon once I refuel…but tonight I will be ready for the bed.

Here is the workout (supersets-well…kinda):

Smith Machine Squats: 135×10(x5)

Stiff Leg Deadlifts: 95×10, 45×12

Dumbell Walking Lunges: 30lbsx20ft(x4)

Lying Leg Curls: 70×12(x3), 90×10

Leg Extension (to failure): 60×35, 60×25, 60×20

Hanging Leg Raises: 1×20, 1×15, 1×16

Exercise Ball Crunches: 3×12

Planks: 3×1minute

Decline Situps: 1×12, 1×10

Thanks for checking in.

Okay…so I was pleased with myself that I didn’t lose all of my progress I had made last week.  I got down to 221ish but then it was my birthday and halloween (cakes, candy, parties), and I was able to maintain and only gained 1.5 pounds.  However…as of this morning…that all appears to have been bloated water weight because I am 220.4!!!! I am pumped!  It is so nice to be back in the gym, to sleep well at night, have energy, not be hungry all the time, and losing weight!

Oh…and I measured my biceps this morning and they are at 15.9"….I am almost to 16….here they come.  I think I would be happy with 16.5" arms…so that is the ultimate long term goal.  Short term…focus on 16.

As for my workout yesterday.  It was a good workout…got a good sweat and pump going on…and as usual, since it was shoulders and biceps…I couldn’t reach my back in the shower.  I love it!

Rear Delt Flies: 70×10, 50×12(x2), 70×10 (this burned good at the end)

Alternating Dumbell Curls: 20×8(x2), 15×10(x2) I think I am going to up this next week.

Seated Dumbell Lateral Raises: 12×12(x3) good burn…keep it one more week at least

Bent Over Crooked Bar curls: 30×15, 40×10(x3)

Arnold Presses: 12×10, 15×8(x2), 12×12

Hammer Curls: 10×12, 15×10(x2), 20×8

Bar Shrugs: 80×10, 60×12, 80×10(x2)

One Arm Preacher Curls: 15×12, 20×10, 10×15

Thanks for keeping up with me.  Hopefully will be reporting more good news soon.