Hiya Galatia!
Thanks for dropping in again, and thanks for your vote of confidence in my workout. I was *so* happy trying the Arnies out. My rotator cuff was really painful, and when that happens I can't do dumbell front raises and lateral raises at all. Therefore I was looking at no deltoid workout, and forget about shocking them.

The arnies were painless in that respect... Not so painless in the delts!

Thanks for the compliment in my journal! Hey, I NEVER thought my abs would be flat. I even had a trainer tell me it was a lost cause. Low carbing helps a ton, as does Pilates. Traditional abs exercises just work the rectus abdominus, which will give you a 6-pack but not flatten the abs. Your work-out program looks awesome! I assume you are doing a bulk now? I used to run stairs at work too, HIIT style. I had to stop when they threatened to drag me off to the psych ward!

Jen

Hiya Caverjen,

Thanks for stopping by for a visit. You had a trainer tell you that it was a lost cause, and you still got your abs to show? Wow, I'm even more impressed than I was! You're my hero!!!

LC and Pilates did the trick, though? I've done LC but don't know anything about Pilates. Guess I'll have to read up on it a bit. Right now I'm actually cutting with an EC stack, while trying to maintain/gain a little muscle mass. So far so good.

As far as the stairs at work, I like to do that on night shift, when it's cool and nobody can see me turning green! :)

Nothing tonight. I had thought to do some cardio running up the boiler stairs. Unfortunately the glutes are still sore from the lunges on Sunday night. What a burn, yeeehaw!

Short and sweet tonight: :)

Dips: 10,10,5 (failure)
Flyes: 30x10,8,8
Wide decline pushups 10,6,4 (failure)

One-arm dumbell Rows: 90x8,8,8
T-Bar Row: 130x10,10,10 (loss of form)

Crunch 20,20,20
Reverse Crunch w/15 lb: 20,20,20
Crossover Crunch: 20,20,20
Side Bridges: 3x90second hold
Ab Roller: 15,15,15

Cardio this evening, perhaps. Coming off night shift in a couple of hours, and it'll depend on how much rest I get today.

EDIT: Went ahead and ran up and back down the boiler five times 12:21. Brutal... and yet, cardio on the clock is better than cardio off the clock, hahaha.

Hi. Thanks for telling me what your experience with Creatine has been. I have some things coming up the next few weeks that I don't want to be fat or feel bad for, so I plan to go back to, at least finishing off what Creatine I have, in the middle of October.
I can't believe how bloated it has made me, and it doesn't seem to be going away too quickly either . Well, we are bracing for Ivan today, so I need to go so I can worry properly :rolleyes: . Talk to you later.

I tried to be a good boy and work legs tonight, but...

I started a set of squats and realized that my quads were still pretty tender from last night's boiler climbing, and that I was physically overall tired from coming off night shift and only sleeping 5 hours today. Felt weak and lethargic...

Decided to rest up a bit and work the big muscles tomorrow. Feeling guilty...

Legs and Butt: (blasting the calves)

Squats: 230x10, 255x10,10 (need to buy more plates for this already)
Lunges: 80x10,8,6
Leg Extensions: 120x10,8,9

Good Mornings: 160x10,10 170x10

Single Leg Calf Raises - body weight 170 + 80 lb dumbell: 15,13,10. With 60 lb dumbell: 10,10,10,10

Glute pushups knees together w/80 lb plate: 15,15,15
Glute pushups knees apart w/80 lb plate: 15,15,15
Side leg lift w/10lb angle weight: 15,12,10
Hamstring curls: 85x10,8,5 (failure)
Deadlifts: 210x10, 230x8,8

...so there I was earlier tonight, outside, laying flat on my back between sets of glute pushups. Staring straight up at the constellation Cygnus, and wondering why in the world I'm doing this to myself...

Aw heck... I finished showering after exercise at about 11:00PM last night. Had to get up for work at 4:00 AM. Unfortunately my body still thought I was on night shift, and I couldn't sleep. I got maybe two hours. Currently operating a 500 megawatt power plant in a fog of sleep deprivation. Hey, at least it isn't a nuke :)

Don't think I'm going to work arms tonight! I think I'll go directly to bed instead. Arms tomorrow...

Shoulders and Arms:

Lateral Raises: 20x8,6 15x6
Front Raises: 20x8,6, 15x7
Bent over Lateral Raises: 20x8,6 15x6
Barbell Upright Raises: 90x8,6,7
Arnold Presses: 20x8,8 15x10

Wrist Curls: 60x10,10,10

Decided to add these in because my rotator cuffs have always been painful, and much more so since I began lifting.
Dumbell lying external rotation: 5x10,10,8
Dumbell lying internal rotation: 15x10,10,10

Curls: 60x8 50x10,6 (failure)
Hammer Curl 20x10,10,10
Reverse Curls: 50x8,6,4
Concentration Curls: 20x 8,6,4
Finish - 21s at 35lb

Cross-Face extension: 20x10,8,6 (failure)
Skull Crushers: 50x10,10,7 (failure. Result: Skull crushed. Hopefully that'll help explain away some of my future behavior)

Crunches: 20,20,20
Bicycle Crunches: 20,20,20
Oblique sit-ups: 20,20,20
Ab roller: 20,15,15

Must've blasted the delts pretty good because I was shaky and it hurt getting a glass out of the cupboard just now.

We should help each other. This is the way I feel trying to pull myself up into my truck after doing legs.. lol

Thanks for the drive-by, Mike. As always, good to see ya, and thanks for the support. Delts have actually been on my mind lately. It's pretty easy for me to work the front and mid, but a bit difficult to work the rear. Problem isolating. But at least I'm workin on it.

Anyway - nice to see you rocking along. Again, thanks for stopping by.

And cheers!

Chest and Upper Back:

Dips: 10,10,6 (failure-tricep)
Wide grip decline pushups: 10,10,7 (failure-tricep)
Flyes: 35x10,7 30x7 (new max weight)

One arm dumbell rows: 90x8,8,8,8
T-Bar Row: 145x10,10,10 (new max)
Lat Pulldowns 120x10,7,5

Crunch: 20,20
Crossover Crunch: 20,20
Reverse Crunch: 30,30
Side Bridges: 90secx2
Ab Roller: 20,20

Finally beginning to get some results in the stomach!!! A hint of vertical cut is beginning to show! Six-pack by Christmas, maybe??? Sooner, if I get off my butt and do a little cardio now and then...

Skipped working out the past two nights after work - feeling very tired this week , and felt that rest was more important. I covered a co-worker's vacation and am currently working my 7th straight 12 hour shift. Tomorrow is the last one!!!

This week & weekend I found it impossible to get up at 4:00 AM for work, get home at 6:30 PM, spend time with the family, and then attempt a workout. I usually finish showering at 10:30-11:00 PM, which only leaves 5 hours for sleep. It's one thing to do lose a little sleep when I only have to work 4-5 shifts; it's altogether another thing when I have to work eight in a row.

My little girl is getting clingy too - when I'm home, she constantly hugs my knees tight... she doesn't know too many words yet, but I think she's telling me that I'm working too much.

Legs, low back and butt:

Quick and dirty

Squats: 210x10, 230x10, 250x10
Leg Extensions (3 sec holds): 120x10,10,10

Good Mornings: 160x10,10,10

Dead Lifts: 210x10,10,10
Side leg lifts w/10 lb weights: 15,15,15
Hamstring Curls (new max): 85x10,8,5 (failure)

Calf raises w/barbell: 210x10,10,10 (ouch)

Skipped glute pushups to shave a little time off for sleep. Tomorrow is my last shift. That means tomorrow night I'm going to shred the triceps and maybe forearms too. And then I'm going to have a glorious late sleep! :) At this point, any time beyond 6:00 AM would be considered a good night's rest.

Confession time: I've been bad lately. On Friday I ate two maple bars for breakfast (yes they were delicious) and had five slices of pizza for lunch. It just sounded so much better than cottage cheese and microwaved chicken breasts... again. Oh yeah, and today I ate four cheeseburgers at McD - no fries though. And no exercise for a couple of days either. Feelin the guilt!

Shoulders, Arms, Abs (tricep and forearm blasting session)

Lateral raises: 20x10,8 15x10
Front dumbell raises: 20x10,10 15x10
Bent over lateral raises: 20x10,10 15x10
Barbell upright rows: 110x8 90x10,10
Arnold Presses: 20x10,10 15x10

Curls: 60x10,5 50x5,10
Hammer Curls: 20x10,4 15x6,9,failure
Reverse Curl (bare olympic bar) 10,10,10
Concentration Curl: 20x8, 15x8,8
Finish: set of 21s at 30lb

Wrist curl: 60x10 50x10,10
Reverse wrist curl:30x10,10,10
Forearm Twists: 15x10,10,10
Plate pinching: 25lbx30sec,30,30

Cross Face extensions: 20x10,10 15x10,10,10,10
Skull Crushers: 50x10,10,7 40x10,10
Bench Press (mid grip) 160x2 (too much weight and no spotter!) 130x10,8 110x10 90x 10,10,10,10

Crunches: 20,20,20
Bicycle Crunches: 20,20,20
Oblique sit-ups: 20,20,20
Ab Roller extensions: 15,15,15

Took a long time to get all that done (and I probably went catabolic), but I needed to get back in the groove.

Motivational therapy today...

Bought a sweet curling bar. It's hollow and hardly weighs anything - plus it uses clips instead of screw-on knobs. Also picked up a couple of 25 lb plates for it. I hate doing arm work, and maybe that'll help motivate me a bit :)

Hee hee hee hee! What DOESN'T?

;)

Looking good! Thanks for the nice comments in my gallery photos.. I appreciate the support!

Last night - Cardio... Triceps were *still* sore from the blasting I gave them on the 25th, otherwise I would have done chest exercises. But doing dips and bench presses with sore tri's didn't sound very productive.

2.5 miles, 19 minutes. Lots of walking, but I still got it in under 20 minutes. Guess I started out at too fast a pace

Tonight we went to the county fair, where I pigged out on a corn dog, a hot dog, and a cinnamon roll dripping with cream cheese frosting.

At that, I wasn't as bad as I *intended* to be. I simply ran out of room to continue with a philly cheesesteak sandwich, nachos, and a chocolate covered banana :)

Alrighty then... Chest, Upper Back & Abs tonight. Only two sets of abs tonight.

Dips: 10,8,10, rest,10
Flyes: 40x10 (new max), 30x10,10,8,rest,10
Decline Pushups: 10,9,8
Bench Press wide grip: 140x4, 110x6, 90x10

One Arm Dumbell Row: 90x8,8,8, rest, 70x10
T Bar Row: 120x10, 145x10,10
Shrugs: 160x12,12,10

Dumbell external rotation 10x10,10,10
Dumbell internal rotation 20x10,10,10

Crunch 20,20
Reverse Crunch w/10lb ankle weights: 30,30
Crossover Crunch: 20,20
Side Bridges: 90sec, 90 sec
Ab roller extensions: 15,15

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Legs, Butt & Low Back (hit the glutes tonight):

Squats: 230x10,10,10
Lunges: 80x8,8,8

Barbell Calf raises: 160x12,12,15

Good mornings: 160x10,10,10

Pelvic Lifts, knees together w/80lbs: 15,15,15
Pelvic Lifts, knees apart w/80lbs: 15,15,15
Side leg lift with 10 lb plate: 10,10,10

Dead lifts: 230x10,10,10 180x10,10,10

Arms, shoulders, abs.

Had a really really good workout tonight!!! Feeling good!
I also tried a new shocking technique. In this case you superset opposing muscle groups and do 20 sets. I tried that out tonight on arms, using light weights. If I'd gone heavy, I'd never have been able to complete all the sets.

Lateral Raises: 20x10,7 15x7(failure)
Front Raises: 20x10,10 15x10
Bent over lateral raises: 20x10,10,10
Barbell upright row: 110x8 90x10,10
Arnold Presses: 20x10,10 15x10
The shoulders were simply on fire toward the end of this. They continued to burn for quite a while afterwards... not nice, but hopefully they'll grow!

Wrist curls: 60x10,10,10
Reverse wrist curls: 60x8 40x10,10

Shocking set:
Curls: 40x10,9,8,7,6,5,4,5,6,8,10,10,11,12,13,14,15,14,13,12
Skull Crushers: 60x10,9,8,7,6,5,4 40x5,6,8,10,10,11,12,13,14,15,14,13 60x12
Because the weights were light, this wasn't too difficult, except for the last few sets. Had a massive pump going at the end of this! No doubt it'll hurt tomorrow :)

Crunches: 20,20,20
Bicycle Crunches, 20,20,20
Oblique sit-up: 20,20,20
Ab roller: 15,15,15

Did a really nice slow set on the abs. Got a good burn and a mild runner's high from it.

Oh yeah - I managed to smash my finger tonight at work. Changed some brushes out on the generator, and when I was closing the panel, the fan sucked it shut on my middle finger. Now it's purple and swollen at the last knuckle... and about useless for holding weights.

Today is a rest day.

I'm very close to the one year anniversary of the day I decided to change my life. That's when I gave up my daily (!!!) 3-6 beers, sweets, and starchy food habit.

It seems appropriate to acknowledge that one year of change, and the past 6 months of hard exercise. I want to show others that it *can* be done, and also to acknowledge what has been possible with everyone's continuous and good-natured support.

In the next week, I'll post a pic of what I look like today in gym shorts only. I'm a little self conscious about posting these things :) Also, I'm not *quite* where I'd like to be BF-wise for a half-nekkid photo, but hey - it's an anniversary, right?

On a less pleasant note, the middle finger I smashed yesterday is a mess... I've been writing in the control room logbook and trying to hold it straight, which looks like I'm flipping someone the bird :lol: . Earlier tonight blood started oozing out from the back part of the fingernail. I highly recommend avoiding smashed fingers, on your dominant hand anyway :)

Sorry to hear about your finger... hope it gets better soon!

Hiya Carol,
Thanks for the kind thoughts! It'll either get better or fall off :)

Chest and upper back tonight. Skipped Abs, as I hit everything pretty hard and went kinda long.

Forward-leaning Dips: 10,10,10,8,rest,10
Wide grip decline push-ups: 10,10,10,6(failure), rest,10
Non-Peak Flyes: 40x10,6(failure),rest, 30x10,10,10

One-Arm Dumbell Rows: 90x10,8,8 70x10,8,8
T-Bar Rows: 145x10,155x10,10 (new max)

Shrugs: 160x12, 180x10,10 (new max)

Upright External Rotation: 10x10,10,10
Dumbell Lying external Rotation: 10x10,10,10
Dumbell Lying internal Rotation: 20x10,10,10

Went ahead and took a photo after working the chest for my one-year anniversary of being healthy photo. Not in gym shorts, I'm afraid. I'll post it in the 'progress' photo section, because I'm not quite there yet :) Maybe never will get there, right? Life is a journey, not a destination...

Legs, butt, lower back. Added a couple new squat exercises.

OMG I'm sore already, and I just finished up. Where's the 'delayed' part of delayed onset muscle soreness? :)

Full Squat: 110x10,10,10
Half Squat:210x10,10,10
Wide Stance Squat: 110x10 160x10,10
Lunges: 80x10,10,8

Barbell Standing Calf Raises on 2x4: 160x15,15,15

Pelvic Lift knees together w/80lb plate: 15,15,15
Pelvic Lift knees apart w/80lb plate: 15,15,15
Deadlift: 230x10,10,10
Straight leg Deadlift: 230x10,10,10
Side leg lift w/10lb plate: 10,10,10

Good Mornings 160x10,10 180x10 (new max)

Thank you very much for the nice compliments in my gallery :)
I hope you have a great goal reaching day :yay:

Muahhhhhh!!!!