wsh1979’s BodyBlog

Well its week 14 and I don’t forsee any problem making to week 16 and well past.  I am still doing the intensified stomach routine.

1st day:  Side to side crunches(12-15reps) super setted with side-plank-oblique-lean-overs(8reps)-> 3 sets.  Followed by decline bench knee raises (12 reps). 4 sets

other day:  weighted decline situps with a weight held up overhead two set of 12 at 35lb and 2 sets of 10-12 at 45lbs

This is repeated back and fourth for all six workout days so each is done three times.  If I am working out by myself then I will sometimes do the twisting oblique machine.
I’m really happy with how strong the stomach has gotten in comparison to how it was before.  When we first started we where doing the initial sets at 25lb then the later sets at 35lb.  Now soon I think we can do three of the sets at 45lb.  The side planks have gotten a little easier but there still hard.
We are still doing the increased frequency calve raise as well.

1st day:  calve raises on the leg press 4 sets of 15 with 15sec of rest 6 plates on each side

other day:  Seated calve raise 4 sets of 15 with 2 45lbs and one 25lb barbelle.

These are done on alternating days so each gets hit three times a week

I am also happy with the increas in strength here.  Previously we did 5 plates on a side and that was grueling but no the 6 plates is almost to a point where we can increase soon.  The seated calve raise is the same way.  We where initially doing 2 plates but now the addition of the 25 is still easier than when we first started.  I am worried however that uppon increasing the weight the ergonomics will change and the exercise will stress thing like bones and joints its not suppose to.  I gess if that happens its time to change the exercise.

Some other things have also gotten stronger as well.  Dumbelle bench is now done at 95lbs per arm at 12 10 10 which is enough for me to go up to the 100s but maybe I’ll wait until I can do 12 12 12 before I go up this time because I think the motion will stress slightly differently at 100lbs per arm.  The bicep drop sets are also stronger.  I start at 80 on the curl machine and do 12 at witch point I decrease one notch every set and attempt to keep it at atleast 6.

I have also begun to track pullups.  I feel like I have been doing pullups for a long time and have never really gotten much stronger but Im not sure because I never really paid that much attention to them.  I start with 8reps for the first and third sets with palms facing away.  Yesterday when I did these I think I was able to get  8 8 6 and on the the fourth set (palms facing toward me) I did about 4.  I hoping when I can do 8 8 8 I will increase the first set to 10 and try for 10 10 10.

I’m also on the increased protein.  My weight has remained pretty much stable since I increased the protein but I think the increase has given me my strenth gains.

1.  Half a cup whole wheat oatmeal 25 grams of whey protein and soy milk

2.  210cal worth of yogurt and cottage cheese mixed

3.  one can of tuna with babby spinach sometimes with wheat bread two slices

4.  Same as above

5.  just before workout 20 grams of whey with soy milk and creatine
6.  Just after workout 20 grams of whey with soy milk creatine

7.  3 eggs somtimes with wheat bread sometimes without

Its week 12 now and I’ve been working out and dieting in this set officially for about 3 months.  I’m still using the increased protein so my calories are higher therefore I have not lost anymore pounds.  I’m hoping to gain some muscle in this set though.  I’m also still doing the stomach and calve exercises with increased frequency and intensity.  Whats interesting is that what use to kill my calves only a few weeks ago is pretty easy now.  With other muscle groups it takes much longer to adapt but both my calves and stomach adapt very quickly and are never soar no matter what I do.  My stomach exercises are more varied so feeling like they are getting a good workout is not the problem but they are never soar.

On the flip side I started a new squat machine that is GREAT! I’m supper soar from it each of the times I do it.  Its funny to think about how I see the feeling of soarness.  It feels good to know that muscle is getting work so I associate soarness with a good sensation.

I decided to take some days off of the gym because it was another 5 week stent.  I did not take off of my diet though.  I was back in the gym yesterday and it was good.  I weighed myself this morning and I was still 191 so thats also good.

Well its week number 10 actually but I didn’t write a post for week number 9.  On weigh in day I was 191 so progress is a bit slower but still there.  I did increase my protein this week (10) so the number of calories has also increased.  I’m hoping this will result in some muscle gain  over the next 7 weeks even though I may not lose pounds off of the scale.  I have increased my stomach workouts so i’m hoping for some bigger ab muscles as well as calves.

I just finished week 8 and at the end of it I was 192 so everything is going well.  There were a couple of times post workout where I dipped into the high 180s.  This also marks almost a full week of concentrating more on my abs and calves than I was before.  The stomach workout is good but I think my calve workout could use a little help.

Well its the end of week 7 and my weight is in the low 190s which is about 22lbs down from where I was when I started.  I’m happy with the progress thus far.  This week I’ve begun to take my stomach workout more serious.  I do it closer to the beginning of the workout so I have more energy to do more things and I’ve been going heavier as well on some days.  I’m hoping to make my stomach muscles bigger and stronger.  I also have been putting some extra focus on my calves as well.  Doing some calve exercise everyday either gastrocnemius  or soleus.  I think both my calves and ab muscles could be bigger so this is how I’m going to go about it.  Is there anyone who has made the ab muscles bigger (not more defined from fat loss) that has any advice.

I’ve been in the very recent habit of mixing cut-up baked or Rotisserie chicken and putting it with baby spinach and teriyaki sauce.  Unfortunately that was chicken left over from when I was sick and I was fresh out.  Chicken breast is pretty expensive anyway and not something I plan on buying on a regular basis.  I felt baby spinach without the chicken or at least something else just would not be the same.  So I put half a pepper some mushrooms and 2 eggs in the pan and cooked that until the peppers softened a little.  I then added the teriyaki in the pan and I poured the whole thing over the baby spinach and it was pretty good.  The eggs were140 cal, the half peper was 16 and the mushrooms where about 14 so I was well under my 200 cal per meal mark.  Protein amount is pretty low and so are the carbs but for a healthy meal that is low cal it wasn’t bad.

So this is week number seven.  I took a picture last week but it was only my cell phone and I don’t think the 3 mega pixels is going to cut it.  I was pretty sick last week,but I feel a lot better.  I’m 80% now, but when I’m working out, I feel closer to 100%.  Strange!  I think I’m behind where I was the last time I did a training set but I’ll have to see.  I play a lot more sand volleyball and probably run a little less.  My thinking is that 2.5-3 hours in the sun has got to be equivalent to 30min of cardio.  My diet could be cleaner however.  I plan to stay very focused this week.

Originally on Monday I felt sick but I felt well enough to go play some sand volleyball.  I did that for about 2.5 hours in some pretty high heat and humidity.  Afterwards I felt cured and went to do my workout for about 1.5 hours.  The next day it seemed like I had beat the cold and on
Wednesday I was a little stuffy but ok.  Thursday after I got to school though my nose got stopped up and I started to deteriorate.  There was a big storm and I couldn’t make it to my workout gym but I was still able to play indoor volleyball in the evening.  I was hoping the same thing would happen but this time I felt really bad afterwards because my nose was even worse.  I’m not sure what to do, I’m at the end of week 6 and I know from experience low cal diets when I’m sick can prolong the cold, but on the other hand what I usually do to fight a cold is eat a lot of calories including juices fruits and veggies.  I’m hoping someone will tell me some kind of easy cheap sure fire magical remedy that will fix me immediately .  A guy can hope can’t he.

A lot has happened since my last post.  I was playing semi pro football when I ripped the tendon off of my pinky finger.  There was no pain but the doctor said I couldn’t play football if I wanted it to heel.  So here I am.  I’m in week number 6 of my current training phase.  When I started I was 214 now I’m down to about 198.  My diet has been ok but it could be better.  I do a decent job of not eating bad but not a great job of eating well.  I’m satisfied with my progress but I’m hoping to take this training set to 16weeks before I start bulking again.