Hello everyone!

I would like to formally introduce myself. My name is Piotr. I have been a lurker here in the forums before I decided to sign up. I stumbled upon JSF one day while browsing a different forum and read some of the responses regarding John’s progress. Everyone on that forum ridiculed John for being just a bit “anal” in tracking his progress down to taking progress pictures each day. When I looked at John’s first pictures and read his bio, I realized that I was essentially in the same boat he was. My diet was crap, I didn’t exercise, my sleeping patterns were poor and it showed. I love to cook as much if not more as I love to eat. I had no problem cleaning up a medium pizza loaded with toppings and an order of hot wings with tons and tons of ranch dressing and a 2 liter of Coca-Cola! There were many days that I would exceed 5000 calories per day and that is just from food, crappy food. Alcohol was also my downfall. After a long day at work, I enjoyed coming home to a few “cold ones” and on the weekends the scenario would double and sometimes triple. In February 2007 I hit another milestone. My waist ballooned to an all time high of 36 inches. A trip to the mall set me back a few $ to look halfway decent in the office. People, including my mother, started to comment about my protruding belly. It was quite amusing at first but after a while it got really annoying. I spent 14 years in the US Army and considered myself in decent shape for years. The last few years of service I hovered at 5’11” and 180 lbs. This was borderline overweight for the Army standard. I’ve always managed to pass the redundant “push-up, sit-up, 2 mile run” routine so I never thought about taking my fitness to the next level. No exercise, no gym memberships, no good eating habits…I was just cruising along.

In September of 2007 I visited my doctor for a routine yearly checkup. He was not at all happy with my weight. He also cautioned me regarding my increasing waist circumference and mentioned that I was a prime suspect for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. I didn’t take his words seriously until I got a call from the office a week later requesting me to come in and discuss my blood test results. My cholesterol levels exceeded 230 mg/dl and I was stunned. The doc handed me a prescription and advised me to fill it immediately. Since high blood pressure and cholesterol run high in my family I was very concerned. The last thing that I needed was a daily pill regiment to worry about. Seeing how many pills my parents take daily, this was another wake up call. Knowing absolutely nothing about health or fitness, I found JSF once again and on 27th September 2007 I decided that enough was enough. I made up my mind that very day and haven’t looked back!
Here is my first picture on this life changing day. 206 lbs with fat percentage that I believe exceeded 25%.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/92707.jpg

I began reading the stickies in the Beginners Forum and made the entrance into the world in which I live today. Literally, overnight I became consciously aware of every piece of food that I put in my mouth. I found a simple calorie and weight tracking spreadsheet and began to use it. I tracked every calorie. I purchased a digital scale. Each portion was weighed precisely according to the Nutritional Label. My girlfriend thought I’ve gone MAD! She was not at all happy with the changes in the house. We were both used to my good cooking and have always looked forward to dinner and the weekends, as these were our times to enjoy great meals. I kid you not when I say that this happened overnight! The next day I filled a cooler with ice packs, loaded up with 2 full meals and 2 snacks and the rest as they say, is history. After a few weeks, she began to see that I was serious about my quest. She asked me a few questions regarding food and diet and she jumped on my bandwagon as well. To date, she has lost over 20 lbs and is with me in the gym each and every morning.

Here is a picture of my 4 week progress:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/102707.jpg

Huge difference! I am sure most of the weight lost was water weight but nonetheless…


The more I read JSF forums, the more I realized that just eating healthier wasn’t going to cut it. True, I’ve lost some weight and maybe an inch or so around my waist, the need for cardio and weight training became a must. I marched my a$$ into a Club Fitness facility, got a brief walk through with an instructor and took advantage of the “try us for 7 days” promotion. After going two mornings of cardio I decided to join. Every effort was made by the trainer to get me signed up for 40 training sessions which exceeded $2,000.00 dollars!! I respectfully declined, logged onto JSF and educated myself some more. I decided to alternate cardio and weight training with one day off for rest. www.exrx.net (http://www.exrx.net/) was a great resource for someone like me, who’s never, EVER stepped foot in a gym. I chose exercises that I felt comfortable performing and put together an 8 week full body workout consisting of 11 simple exercises that utilize most of the major muscle groups.

Things were a bit sketchy the first week as I was getting a feel for the machines as well as my abilities. Here is a progress picture after 4 formal weeks’ cardio and weight training:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/112707.jpg


Nearing completion of yet another 4 week training period, I present you with another progress picture:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/122707.jpg

The green shorts I have worn for most of my pictures don’t fit anymore. They literally fall down do my ankles. My current weight is 175 and slowly (but steadily) declining. My waist is a comfortable size 32 and it shows. People comment on my appearance and it feels good!

I rise each weekday at 4:30 am and am in the gym by 5am. 530am on Saturdays and in the gym by 6am. Sundays are my days off. I know his is very early but because of my work schedule it has to be this way. There have been many mornings that I would feel sluggish to get out of bed, yet my inner self swiftly kicked me in the a$$ and reminded me what it is I am doing and why. I was bummed Christmas day as the gym was closed and I was missing my cardio workout. Nevertheless, I didn’t let that hold me back. I was back on track the next day. Today, I can honestly say that I feel great! Not only do I feel great physically but mentally as well. I look forward to continuous support from the JSF forums and am eager to make good progress in my training as well as my appearance. Thanks to all of you for your knowledge and support. It would be pretty hard to do this alone.

For those of you, who are reading this, while sitting on the fence and deciding weather to commit or not commit, I have two words for ya…DO IT! It will be the biggest and best decision you ever make.

I will try to update my journal on a regular basis and keep all of you up to speed on my progress. I welcome any and ALL suggestions, comments, questions etc.

Thanks GANG! :tu:



http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/ba.jpg

Holy smokes!!! Great work!!! Keeping an eye on this journal :bb:

Wow great work, keep it up :tucool:

Thanks guys!

I wanted to elaborate a bit more on my progress to date. Here is my November weight training schedule. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are my weight training days and the other 3 days are 40 minute cardio workouts.

I wanted to post these because I wanted to get some input from anyone willing to give it. Also, I hope that anyone that is just starting out can get an idea of a solid starting routine. Just to clarify, the bench press is a seated bench press on a machine (not BB bench)

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/Novworkout.jpg

Here is my November cardio schedule:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/Novcardio.jpg


The month of December was very similar with the exception of weight and reps and my cardio has changed from the Elliptical to the Arc Trainer. Here is the December weight training spreadsheet:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/decworkout.jpg

and the December cardio spreadsheet:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/deccardio.jpg

For anyone curious as to why my calories burned are so much higher on 12/29/07: I purchased a Polar F11 Heart monitor watch. This was the first time I used it during my cardio workout. The Arc Trainer said 630 calories yet my watch said 880 calories. After getting some input from other JSF members who use the same HR monitor, I have a feeling that the figures from the watch are more accurate. A final attempt at setting it up will be performed tomorrow morning. By then I should be good to go in tracking my progress with the HR monitor.

Hey man, that's great freakin progress! :tucool:

What I would do now is switch your training around to where you are using mainly free weight, compound movements. It's time to recalibrate your metabolic setpoint to one of muscle building and increased fat loss. You'll also be able to do with less cardio.

A three day per week routine for the next six weeks, something like this:

MONDAY:
Squats: 2x10-15
Leg Press: 2x10-15
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 2x10-15
Standing Calf Raise: 2x10-15

WEDNESDAY:
Bench Press or Incline Press: 2x6-10
Dips: 2xmax reps
Military Press w/BB or DB: 2x6-10
Close Grip Bench Press: 2x6-10

FRIDAY:
Deadlifts: 2x6-10
BB or DB Rows: 2x6-10
Wide Grip Cable Pulldowns or Pullups: 2x6-10
Close Grip Chinups or BB Curls: 2x6-10

Make sure to include 1-2 warmup sets and you're all set.

Good luck with whatever you decide upon, and keep things rolling!!

The 4:30 am alarm went off and I think I hit snooze twice! :doh:

Whipped up my Nitrean shake, splashed some water on my face, got dressed and was on my way to the gym. Only 5 minutes late today :p
Once again, I had a very good workout. HR was on target and all of my exercises were performed with good form. The "normal" 5am crowd wasnt as big as usual, holidays I guess. This really made it easy to stay focused and stay in rythm while I perfomed the last day of my circuit weight training routine.

Unfortunately for me, I have to work today. I packed my trusty orange cooler with all the food needed to get me through untill I get home. Tilapia, pinto beans, barley, green beans, edamame beans, baby spinach, cottage cheese, fruit, and oatmeal are on todays menu Yummy! :drool: :eat:


As of Wednesday January 1st, 2008 I will be following Mastovers proposed weight training routine:

MONDAY:
Squats: 2x10-15
Leg Press: 2x10-15
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 2x10-15
Standing Calf Raise: 2x10-15

WEDNESDAY:
Incline bench press smith machine: 2x6-10
Assisted Dips: 2x-max reps
Military Press DB: 2x6-10
Close Grip Bench Press smith machine: 2x6-10

FRIDAY:
Deadlifts: 2x6-10
DB bent over rows: 2x6-10
Assisted Pullups: 2x6-10
BB Curls: 2x6-10


I am very eager to get started on these. :bb:

Mastover, thanks again for your help! :tu:

Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!!

**Shaking things up**

Leg day

As per Mastovers suggestion, this morning was my first free weights workout. This sure was a change from my previous 8 week routine. Instead of the Mon-Wed-Fri routine, I switched things up to Tue-Thu-Sat. I felt that switching the days around would not only help me physically but mentally as well. Plus, since today is the 1st day of 2008 why not enter the new year with a bang! :bb:

It took me about 40 minutes to complete the routine. This also included warm-up sets. My legs are still shaking. I thought I died and woke up after my lest exercise. Since I had some time left (i try to keep my workouts to just under an hour) I jumped on the Elliptical for 15 minutes of moderate Cardio.

The F11 HR monitor tracked my progress:

54 min total workout time
836 calories burned (30%fat)
Average HR 153

The workout felt great!:tu: I am expecting some DOMS later tonight and tomorrow but as they say in every movie: "No pain, No gain!" :bb:

I am impressed! Amazing progress - keep up the great work and keep it coming! : )

You can see the progress in just a few short months with your abdominals.

Congrats my friend! :tucool:

DOMS have set in. Glutes, hams, and quads are tender. I think in a couple of days I will be good to go.

Cardio day

This morning was a little strange. I must not have been fully awake because I put my shorts on backwards :doh: then, my ipod was frozen (temps were in single digits this a.m.) so no music to keep my rythm. To top it off, I forgot my sweatband so naturaly I kept reaching for my towel to wipe the sweat off my face :whistle:

Other than that, the 40 minute cardio on the Arc Trainer went rather smooth. Average HR was 170, 845 calories burned (20% fat). :bb:

Good morning everyone! Enjoy your day!

Doms, dom, dom, dom!

The soreness in my legs continutes. I trust it will go away by Saturday.


Today's workout consisted of:

Incline Bench Press (Smith)
Assisted Dips
BB Military Press
Close grip Bench Press(Smith)

My only gripe is the "warm-up" sets. Seems like they take quite a bit out of me before the start of my recorded sets. The 45 pound barbell itself feels pretty havy to me and it took all that I had to do 2 warm-up sets and 2 sets of 10(no extra weight) on the Military Press. Yes I am a weakling :p Gotta start somewhere, i guess.

A quick 15 minute cardio session followed the above routine. Got a good sweat going, felt great! :tu:

54 minutes gym time
Max HR: 173
Avg HR: 145
769 Calories burned (35% Fat)

Terriffic Thursday everyone! :claphigh:

After switching leg routine I had serious DOMS for almost a week :eek:
Now I do squats twice a week and i don't feel a thing.

I would suggest using dumbells sometimes too. How do your shoulders feel when doing Shoulder Press with Smith Machine?
I do better with free weights. Not like I can go heavier, but it just feels better.


Have a great day too!!

Luckily my shoulders dont bother me too much. The scar on my left shoulder is from a Desert Storm wound that I sustained in 1990. "Knock on wood" I haven't had any issues. I haven't tried the dumbells but feel that the bar gives me a lot more stability when pressing overhead. I dunno, I may try dumbells one day and see what's what. :bb:

I did notice some discomfort in my shoulders when doing the assisted dips. The pain is gone as of right now but during my workout I could definately feel "something". This new routine has my body wondering whats going on and I am sure some of the aches are simply superficial.

Luckily my shoulders dont bother me too much. The scar on my left shoulder is from a Desert Storm wound that I sustained in 1990. "Knock on wood" I haven't had any issues. I haven't tried the dumbells but feel that the bar gives me a lot more stability when pressing overhead. I dunno, I may try dumbells one day and see what's what. :bb:

I did notice some discomfort in my shoulders when doing the assisted dips. The pain is gone as of right now but during my workout I could definately feel "something". This new routine has my body wondering whats going on and I am sure some of the aches are simply superficial.

Be careful with your shoulders! Shoulders take a long time to heal. Once you injure shoulder, it can nag you for a long time.
Take it easy with the dips. I had the same problem when I was doing dips. Somehow I guess I got stronger and the problem fixed itself.
Make sure that your shoulders are warmed up well and then descend slowly. Think about what you are doing. Find the right position. When you feel anything pulling, do not continue.
For now ice your shoulder, few times a day. Trust me.

Thanks for the good advice Maya. :tu: I will take it easy on the shoulders.

Be careful with your shoulders! Shoulders take a long time to heal. Once you injure shoulder, it can nag you for a long time.
Take it easy with the dips. I had the same problem when I was doing dips. Somehow I guess I got stronger and the problem fixed itself.
Make sure that your shoulders are warmed up well and then descend slowly. Think about what you are doing. Find the right position. When you feel anything pulling, do not continue.
For now ice your shoulder, few times a day. Trust me.

I agree :nod: be careful with your shoulders and STOP if you feel any pain and wait until your next shoulder workout to try again, but do it slowly and carefully :tu:

and CONGRATS on your progress so far... you're getting AMAZING results!! :claphigh::claphigh:

IT'S FRIDAY! :claphigh:

Where's the party at? I got a case of something chilled I can bring. Maybe some ...ummm Aquafina? :lol:

The DOMS in my legs and buttocks have subsided dramaticaly. I still feel it tho. Now the soreness has moved to my chest and shoulders! :bang: Yesterdays workout was pretty intense. I pounded my upper body and luckily the little "little something" I felt in my shoulder during my assisted dips didnt transpire to anything major. Last night after my last meal, I decided to drag out the ball and my 25 lb hex dumbells. I performed more chest and shoulder exercises. Standing DB shoulder press, DB bench press and close grip DB bench press. 3 sets of 10 on each exercise. My pecs and shoulders are moderately tender but nothing too extreme. Feels good :tu:

This morning I had the pleasure of doing cardio while Justing Timberlake and Timberland kept my pace and rythm. I was pumped and full of energy and it felt good! 40 minutes flew by and I still had a ton of energy so I mozied on over to the squat rack and did some hanging knee to chest lifts. 3 sets of 10 lit a nice fire in my abdominals. I was done.

Totals:
45 cardio
Max HR 188
Avg HR 172
Calories burned 858 (15% fat)

Fabulous Friday everyone! Have a great weekend!:tucool:


P.S. Did I mention that I'm "bringing sexy" back? :p:lol:

The rooster was right on time. 530am rolled around and I hit the gym.

This mornings workout consisted of:

Deadlifts
DB bent over rows
Assisted pullups
DB curls

I was very consious of my form and breathing. The deadlifts were challenging. The last few reps sent my HR into the 180's. With only 50 lbs on the bar they were tough. I think that I may decrease the weight for the next go round simply go insure that my form is correct. Again, this morning, the warm-up sets for my assisted pullups and db curls took more out of me than I wanted to but despite that, I still managed to get 10 reps in on both sets of each exercise.

For post workout cardio session I tried something new this morning. HIT :eek:
All I have to say is, hats off to all of you who do 20 or even 30 minute blocks of HIT :bow:. This is a LOT harder than it looks. By 12 minutes my HR was over 185 bpm and I began to feel a burn in my chest. 3 minutes HIT and 3 minute cool down was my routine. Sweat was literaly dripping off my chin. Nevertheless, it felt GREAT! :spaz:

Todays totals:

51 minutes
Max HR 186
Avg HR 154
Calories burned - 800 (30% fat)

Good day!

5:30 AM? :eek: :bow:

Oh yea, I got 8+ hours of rest last night. Any more than that and I will get lazy! :nono: Anyway, I can sleep when I die :p

i like the workout spreadsheet. where'd you get it ?

The spreadsheet came from exrx.net I modified it to work for me. Here (http://exrx.net/WeightTraining/WorkoutLogs.html) are the links to their various spreadsheets.

Yesterdays workout has blessed me with DOMS once again. The worst of it is in my biceps. During my DB curls yesterday I kept dilligent form and breathing throughout the entire exercise block. My movements were controlled, smooth and each rep was given 100% of my attention. I have done preacher curls for the past 8 weeks and have not had the same feeling afterwards until today. I think isolating my biceps with the DB curls has really shifted the focus to just that, biceps. Surpisingly there is no discomfort from DOMS in my legs today. The deadlifts yesterday were pretty tough but despite that, I am good to go today. I am getting a hang of this. :bb:

Today is my day off. I wanted to put my thoughts into words as I have been thinking a LOT about my transformation, training, diet and so on.

Being very new to the world of fitness and weight training, I try to educate myself by reading as much as I can in order to better understand things and effectively apply them in my daily life. The things I thought I knew regarding the subject were skewed and not at all up to par with todays ways of doing things. Let me give you an example: It was always my belief that in order to grow muscle and develop a bodybuilding physique, it was necessary to basicaly live in a gym. Not so at all. Training various muscles on different days gives them a chance to heal and repair themselves during sleep. I was also deceptively mislead by the fact that "the body will tell you when it has had enough". Funny, because it is totaly opposite of that. Following a simle routine will yield better results than pounding away at the weights day in and day out. Hence the "Less is more" mindset.

A coworker friend of mine approached me one day complementing me on my progress and aksed if I could give her some tips on getting ito shape and shedding some much needed weight. I sat down with her and briefly explained what I do and why I do it covering topics such as nutrition, exercise, rest etc. She calculated her BMR and had a clear idea of how much food to consume per day. My jaw dropped when she said she only eats 2 meals a day! :eek: Lunch and dinner :doh: I advised her that she needs to eat 5-6 small meals a day and explained why. Instantly she became negative about the whole thing. "I would get sick to my stomach if I ate anything in the morning". I tried to explain to her that this was her body telling her what to do, and once she made it a routine the sick feelings would pass. Needless to say she was looking for a 2 meal per day alternative for which, unfortunately I had no answer for. My point here is that we (each one of us individualy) are in charge of our bodies. Weather it is diet, exercise or just daily life in general, we are the only ones that CAN make a difference. I learned this first hand.

The farther I travel down the fitness road, the more I think about supplements. Protein shakes, fish oil and a multivitamin are pretty much my only ditetery supplements at the moment. I've done quite a bit of reading on creatine, glutamine, waxy maize and BCAA's. Is all this stuff worth it? Is it safe? Is it effective and most of all will it help me achieve my goals? :confused:

Lunch #1 is waiting. Blackened salmon salad with baby spinach, mushrooms, celery and a splash of FF House Italian :drool:

**Weekly Weigh in**

175.4 lbs

I've seem to hit a wall with my weight loss. I am not sure why this is. The only thing that has changed is my weight training routine. Honestly, I am not too worried about it as I am still seeing changes in my overall body appearance. If anyone is interested, I can post my daily food intake from the past 3 months.

Today was cardio. I hit the Arc Trainer at 04:55am. TI provided the tunes necessary to keep me in rythm and 40 minutes flew by. I worked out a good sweat, it felt great!:tu:

45 min. workout time
Max HR 188
Avg HR 170
857 Calories burned (20% fat)

Marvelous Monday everyone! The holidays are officially over!

GET TO WORK!:spank:

one quick question... are you still eating at the same calorie level as when you started in September and were 206 lbs? if so, it may be time to re-adjust your calories to reflect your lower weight

we all hit plateaus now and then, it just means that your body has adjusted to the changes you have made... so you need to make new changes to confuse it (your body) again... reasses your calories, your macro nutrients and your workout routine... sometimes all you need to do is change your lifting routine and add 10 minutes onto your cardio to start seeing change again... and it might be as simple as refining your diet a bit by either droping your overall calories by a few hundred or chaning your macronutrients... can you post up a sample day (diet), what you eat, when and what amounts? plateaus are a pain, but they can be overcome :tucool:

Sure, I will post it when I get home from work today.

When I started all this, I was at around 1200 calories per day for about 6 weeks. After those 6 weeks I joined the gym and upped my caloric intake to about 1800 per day. Since starting my new weight training workout, I have upped that to around 2000 calories per day.

Ok, guys and gals. Here is my food log. I appreciate any and all feedback.

** LEG DAY**

I looked forward all week to this morning. For some reason, doing deadlifts and squats gives me a great high. Once again, I focused on my body posture and breathing throughout every set of exercises. By the end of the workout I've worked up quite a sweat. I mounted the elliptical and did 15 minutes of HIIT. 1 minute drills with 2 minute cool-downs. Wore my a$$ out. My legs were quite sore and I had trouble climbing the stairs to my appartment once again. All in all, great workout.

Total time: 50 minutes
Max HR: 190
AVG HR: 154
Calories Burned 789 (30% fat)

I've posted my food log above so if anyone cares to critique it of give me some input, please feel free to do so!

Terriffic Tuesday everyone!

Good Morning all!

Wonderful Wednesday-Hump day :claphigh:

Today was cardio training and I decided to push myself a bit harder by upping time, resistance and incline on the ArcTrainer. The figures below speak for themselves. I was pretty dawg'on tired by the time it was over. I have some moderate DOMS from yesterdays squats and deadlifts but nothing like last week. These should pass in a couple of days.

Todays todals:

Workout time: 50 minutes
Max HR: 181
Avg HR:170
Calories Burned 947 (20% fat)

Woot! :jumping:

Another great morning is behind me. Todays weight training went very well. Chest/ Shoulders. I slept really good and had plenty of rest and it showed. My energy levels were high, I squeezed out each and every rep with good form. The assisted dips were MUCH better today. As Maya suggested, I placed my hands at the end of the bars(close grip), leaned forward a bit and it was smooth sailing! Felt awesome. No pains or discomfort whatsoever!:tu:

I finished off with 15 minutes of HIIT once again and wasnt as tired this morning as I was the previous couple of times. I may bump my HIIT to 18 minutes next time, we'll see.

I still have some mild DOMS in my legs from Tuesdays leg workout. Those pains just looove to linger! :doh:

Todays Totals:
46 min workout time
MAX HR:182
AVG HR:148
Calories Burned: 688 (35% fat)

Good morning everyone! I hope you all have a great day! :claphigh:

:claphigh: It's Friday!:claphigh:

Good morning everyone!

This morning's cardio workout was great! Michael Jackson provided the entertainment during the 40 minute Arc Trainer exercise. Worked up a good sweat and felt really refreshed afterwards.

I have decided to start taking Creatine. I will use it in my pre and post workout meals and shakes. I feel it will give me an extra boost during my weight training workouts.

Here are today's totals:

Total exercise time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 179
AVG HR: 163
Calories Burned: 800 (25% fat)

:bb:

What it do?

Back and Bicep day.

Things went smoothly. The gym was empty this morning! Had the entire free weights and squat box area to myself. It was nice. I am progressing right along with Mastovers suggested routine and week 2 is done and over with. I am beginning to see some changes in my body composition, especially my legs. They are becoming more and more muscular and definition is slowly beginning to show. This is very exciting for me since I have never seen changes such as this in my overall body appearance. Another thing I noticed today, while doing my curls was a vein popping out on my biceps! That is definitely something I have never seen before. :tucool:

I have read a lot of reviews on the APT products and yesterday placed an order for a set of lifting hooks:

http://i.b5z.net/i/u/230085/i/Weight_Lifting_Hook_lifting_Powerlifting_HOOKS_t.j pg


I have noticed that as my weights increase, it is harder and harder to keep a good grip on the bar and maintain the proper form. I am eager to get these in my hands as I feel they will help me out tremendously.

Here are todays totals:

Workout time: 59 minutes
Max HR: 181
AVG HR: 150
Calories burned: 881 (35% fat)

I hope you don't neglect wrist exercises when you get that strap! You're really dedicated, quite impressive ;) Are you cutting or bulking? How many calories are you taking in?

Thanks,

I am cutting right now. Ever since I posted my food log everyone advised me that I should be eating more! Instead of the Weight Method for figuring out the macros on my spreadsheet I started using the BMR method which greatly increased my caloric goal. I am taking in around 2500 calories at the moment.

Another thing I noticed today, while doing my curls was a vein popping out on my biceps! :tucool:


We have another "vein" addict ;). Welcome to the club! :tu:

We have another "vein" addict ;). Welcome to the club! :tu:

Thanks!

Today is my day off.

Nothing to see here. :nope:

Thanks!

Today is my day off.

You deserve it :nod: :tu:

We have another "vein" addict ;). Welcome to the club! :tu:

oh god another one of us?

oh god another one of us?

:scared:

**Weekly Weigh In**

174.0

I am down about a pound from last week which isnt all that impressive, however, I have noticed many subtle changes in my body's appearance indicating that some muscle growth has occurred. For the past week I have been eating like a pig and there has been a few times that I had to close my eyes to swallow the last few bites off my plate. Despite that, things are going well.

I had a busy weekend. I spent most of the day Saturday combing the Mall for some new clothes. This was a frustrating experience to say the least. Would you believe that Macy's department store does not carry ANY pants in size 30 waist 32 leg? :bang: WTF is that all about? I searched for about an hour and came up with nothing. After tracking down one of the suave associates, he made an inquiry in the computer system to tell me that Macy's doesn't even stock that pant size. There were plenty of jeans but no business casual pants in my size. He said if I wanted that size I would have to go to the suit section where the pants were well over the 100 dollar mark per pair. No thanks. :tu: I picked up business shirts, shoes and a new pair of jeans.
So yesterday morning I was once again off to do some more shopping. Thankfully I found some new pants in my size at Kohls. Here I purchased some new work pants, polos, a couple of sweaters, belts, and some new ties (which the cashier threw in for free :rolleyes:
Pickled tink, I rushed back home to "clean out my closet" (Eminem?:confused:) Anyway, I weeded through all of my "fat boy" clothes and threw them in a pile to be boxed up. In their place is my new warderobe of new garments! :tucool: In 4 months I've gone from a size 36 waist to a slim and trim size 30.:D So much for my day off yesterday, I worked my tail off trying to get everything sorted and hung. I was beat.


**Cardio day**
This morning's alarm was on the dot at 4:30am. I got up and was full of energy after a good nights rest. We hit the gym at 5am and the rest is history.

Here are todays totals:

Workout time: 45 Minutes
MAX HR:183
AVG HR :172
Calories burned: 827( 20% fat)

Happy Monday everyone!

:bb:

Man I love Tuesdays, I truly look forward to the workout! I get such a high when I do squats, Leg presses and straight leg deadl lifts.Not sure why but I do. I am steadily increasing my weight load for all of my exercises and the more I perform them the more comfortable I am with them. Mind you that afterwards my legs feel like noodles and walking up or down the stairs is a challenge but it feels soo good.

As mentioned before, I have been eating like a mad man (clean of course:tucool:) My calories average 2400-2700 per day now. I think I am finally getting a hang of the eating thing. The more I read the forums, the more ideas I acquire to more efficiently incorporate higher calories into my daily diet. :eat:

Here are my todays totals:

Gym time: 54 minutes
MAX HR: 179
AVG HR: 146
Calories Burned 770 (35% fat)

Good day all!

Hey Doc, I just finished catching up on your journal and I have to congratulate you on some wonderful and healthy progress in the past three plus months. Truly a tremendous change!

It was great to read that your gf has also joined you; having the two of you committed should make things easier for both of you.

Good luck and continued success.

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement, Paul! We are sticking to it for sure.

Would you believe that Macy's department store does not carry ANY pants in size 30 waist 32 leg? :bang: WTF is that all about?

For some reason it is hard to find pants where the inseam exceeds the waist size.
I wear 32 waist 36 inseam pants...effing impossible to find. So, I end up going with 34x36 which aren't exactly easy to find either. I usually go with catalog/internet order.


BTW, you are kicking ass! Keep it up! :bow:

Thanks Man! :tu: The hooks should be here Thursday!:bb:

I cannot wait till the 27th when it is picture time! :D

So, like...yea...:whistle:

Today was Cardio. Man, I was draggin' some serious ass. I don't know why but I just wasn't feeling it. I am pretty sore after yesterdays leg day so that may have been the issue. I got up despite all that and attempted to get my butt in gear. Got to the gym and realized that I forgot my tunes! :claplow: So I had to settle for some crappy "booty" videos on MTV2 and VH1 :rolleyes: I upped the incline and resistance on the Arc Trainer and pushed myself pretty hard. 40 minutes went by rather quickly and I worked up a pretty good sweat. I am feeling a bit BLAH today.

Here are the totals:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 173
AVG HR: 156 :nope:
Calories burned 731 (30% fat)


So that's my story...

:claphigh:It's hump day yall!

For some reason it is hard to find pants where the inseam exceeds the waist size.
I wear 32 waist 36 inseam pants...effing impossible to find. So, I end up going with 34x36 which aren't exactly easy to find either. I usually go with catalog/internet order.


Try finding 30-waist, 36-inseam *sigh*

:claphigh:It's hump day yall!

you have a specific day for that? hell everyday is like that for me :p

you have a specific day for that? hell everyday is like that for me :p

:doh:

I had a great workout this morning.

Chest and shoulders were on the agenda. I increased my weights again and tried to squeeze out good reps. The dips are getting much better as far as form and reps are concerned. I may be doing them unassisted by the time it is all said and done. After my weight training I performed 15 minutes of HIIT on the Elliptical. I enjoy doing the HIIT after my weight training so as of today HIIT will be a part of my Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday routine.

Here are todays totals:

Total time: 51 minutes
MAX HR:172
AVG HR: 139
Calories burned:667 (55% fat)

:gl: all!

The UPS man left me a present today! I received my lifting hooks which will be used for my deadlifts and BB rows. They are really nice and comfortable. Looks like I will be putting them to good use.

I forgot to mention something earlier today. The DOMS, which plagued my legs after my leg workouts, have subsided tremendously. I no longer have the aches I did before. In short, I am guessing this is a good thing :nod: My legs must be getting used to the abuse :D

Good evening my fellow JSF'ers! Time for dinnaah!:eat:

So,

It is Thursday, Cardio day. I woke up refreshed and well rested. Went to bed around 8 pm last night and got some really good sleep. The thing that aggrevates me is having to get up 2 times during the night to visit the john!:bang: I drink quite a bit of water throughout the day and my last big glass of water is no later than 7pm each day. Still, I manage to fill my bladder twice throughout the night and have to get up and take care of bidness. Maybe I sould stop with the water :D (Just kidding) 40 minutes went by very fast and I was done. Decided to expand a bit more energy by doing 3x15 Captain's Chair knee raises.

**Rant**
My day job often requires me to travel to different locations in the Saint Louis. Every day this week I have visited different accounts and would you believe each and every one of these places had "food day" in some way shape or form. From doughnuts to BBQ take out to deli sandwiches, cakes, cookies, ice cream...:mad: UGH! the temptation (to grab just even a little bite) was overwhelming. It really took all I had in me to look the other way and convince myself that even one bite would be detremental to my progress and ultimately, my success. Besides a bout 3 meals during the holidays It has been almost 4 months since I endulged in any kind of real food or worse yet, desserts. I hope that these cravings pass and pass quickly as I need to stay focused on my goals.

...anyway, here are my todays totals:

Gym time: 51 minutes
MAX HR: 175
AVG HR: 161
Calories burned: 864 (20% fat)

It's Friday! WOO WOO!

The thing that aggrevates me is having to get up 2 times during the night to visit the john!:bang: I drink quite a bit of water throughout the day and my last big glass of water is no later than 7pm each day.

No joke. I was just complaining about this one to the wife last night...
My routinge: Bed around 10. Wake up at 3:30 or 4 to drain it....
I'm the type of insomniac that simply cannot get back to sleep 3 or 4 times a week too...:mad:

THE HOOKS ROCK! :tucool:

What a great workout I had today! Squats were a breeze, bent over DB rows were a cinch (70 lbs:bb:) and pull ups were much easier on my wrists. I can see that these will allow me to add more weight to the bars, further enhancing my progress. I absolutely love my APT lifting hooks. I followed up my weight routine with 15 minutes of HIIT cardio. Tomorrow is my day off, I need a break :nod:

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 56 minutes
MAX HR:175
AVG HR: 146
Calories Burned: 803 (30% fat)

:sleep:almost bed time...

Peace!

**Weekly Weigh In**

175.4 lbs

Today begins the 3rd week of my training as suggested by Mastover. Things are going very well, I think. I am no fitness expert so I only speak of things I see in the mirror. Legs are getting stronger, more defined, biceps and shoulders are getting more and more defined, the abs tend to look different in different rooms and light conditions but overall I feel I am progressing steadily. I understand that progress will not happen overnight and hard work and dedication is the only way to make it happen.

My day off was very peacefull and well deserved. I had a heck of a time consuming 2500 calories yesterday :doh:Saturdays workout has blessed me with some DOMS so rest was a good thing. If you follow my journal, I have employed the help of some lifting hooks to aid me in some of my exercises and Saturdays workout was my first time using them. I was able to not only add more weight to the bar but maintain greater control and form throughout my exercises. I used a staggered grip during my deadlifts and the hooks helped tremendously. The bent over DB rows also improved. I was able to muster 2x10x70 after which I was pretty excited and tired:bb:. I can still feel some DOMS in my upper shoulders as a result.

I have covered most of my body's progress and wanted to leave the chest for last as I have some questions. Seems like during my chest workouts more emphasis is placed on the arms rather than the pecs themselves. I feel like my triceps are and upper arms are getting most of the workout. Is there any way to more effectively isolate my chest during the exercises? I would appreciate any tips and hints. It could be that I am being impatient. My moobs are still a bit jiggly and I am ready for them to go away and fill in with muscle. Thanks in advance for any and all help.



Ok, todays workout:

Cardio, 40 minutes. Captains chair knee raises 3x15

Total Gym time: 48 minutes
MAX HR:175
AVG HR:162
Calories Burned:829 (25% fat)

Good morning all!

Errands, errands, errands...

I am a little late with my update today but better late then never, huh? :nod:

Once again, I must emphasize how much I enjoy my Tuesday routine. The leg workout gives me such a high that I want more and more!
Squats today were 2 warm up sets then 2x125x10. I wanted MOAR!:bb:
I am upping the weight on a weekly basis while maintaining good form.
The straight leg deadlifts were a breeze with my hooks and ya'll should have seen me, I was really giving that bar some hell :tucool:
I finished my workout with leg presses and calf raises, then it was time to do some HIIT. Captains chair knee raises finished up todays routine.

Here are the totals:

Gym time: 55 minutes
MAX HR: 185
AVG HR: 153
Calories burned: 859 (30% fat)

Great cardio workout this morning!

Since I am working from home today, I took a little nap after my workout :o. It was very refreshing!:D

Here are this morning's totals:

Gym time: 50 mimnutes
MAX HR: 174
AVG HR: 160
Calories burned: 832 (25% fat)

Well, off to work!

Thanks for visiting!

This mornings chest workout was great. I followed it up with 15 minutes of HIIT and within a blink of an eye I was done.

Below are this mornings totals:

Gym time: 48 minutes
MAX HR: 179
AVG HR: 139
Calories Burned: 638 (40% fat)

Only 3 more days until picture update!

...stay tuned :cool:

:claphigh:IT'S FRIDAY!!:claphigh:

This morning's cardio consisted of the Elliptical Trainer. 40 minutes at a pace 0f 7.0 and resistance level of 10. It was challenging and I was beat aftewards but I managed to get it done :tu:. I followed it up with 3 sets of 15 of Captains Knee Raises and it was time to roll...

Here are todays totals:

Total Gym time: 52 minutes
MAX HR: 181
AVG HR: 161
Calories Burned: 884 (25% fat)

Have a great weekend everyone! :neener:

:claphigh:IT'S FRIDAY!!:claphigh:

This morning's cardio consisted of the Elliptical Trainer. 40 minutes at a pace 0f 7.0 and resistance level of 10. It was challenging and I was beat aftewards but I managed to get it done :tu:. I followed it up with 3 sets of 15 of Captains Knee Raises and it was time to roll...

Here are todays totals:

Total Gym time: 52 minutes
MAX HR: 181
AVG HR: 161
Calories Burned: 884 (25% fat)

Have a great weekend everyone! :neener:





ellipticals are the shit!:tu: So much kinder to the knees than a tread.

Yes they are! God knows I can't run for squat!

Ok, folks I got some interesting info this morning.

Earlier this week I decided to cut out any and all extra sodium from my diet just to see what would happen. Guess what? I weighed in today at a slim and trim 173.4lbs :D. Usually I indulge in seasonings for my fish, chicken and steaks, and not to mention the egg beaters and veggies. All week I watched my extra sodium intake and it really paid off. Since I am preparing for tomorrows "picture time" this will be a good thing. I got this idea from reading some posts in the SXG thread where SwoleCat suggested this simple tip and it proved to be very beneficial. There are still many foods that I consume which have sodium in them so I didn't stop my sodium intake all together. Learn something new every day, eh? :confused:


I have been reading a lot about stretching pre and post workouts. Due to my tight morning schedule throughout the week, I simply don't have enough time for proper warm up and cool down stretching sessions. So clearly time is my excuse and frankly there will be no excuses in this book so I will have to get creative and work something out. :bang: I feel I am missing a lot by not allowing my body to prepare properly prior to my workouts as well as providing a good cool down with effective post workout stretches. This will change.

Anyway,

This morning's workout was awesome! Deadlifts, bent over DB rows, pullups and DB curls were on the agenda. Today I decided to mix up the order in which I performed them in and it paid off. Normally I would do my curls last but this morning I did them first. I was able to curl more weight with good form. DB Bent over rows followed dead lifts and pull ups wrapped things up. Very, very efficient and effective workout for sure! I concluded my session with a 15 minute block of HIIT on the Elliptical, which once again, kicked my ASS :mad:

Here are the totals:

Workout time: 56 minutes
MAX HR: 185
AVG HR: 155
Calories burned: 889 (30% fat)

Have a good weekend everyone!

Tomorrow is my day off :D

***Weekly Weigh In***

172.2

So much for being stuck in the weight department. My small salt experiment worked wonders (for now). I am back to seasoning my foods again (sparingly) I was a bit shocked by the scale this morning :eek:. Nevertheless, I am hoping to shed about 5-8 more pounds to give me some more definition in my abdominal area as well as reduce the size of my man boobs. This is my plan at least. I will incorporate a lot more abdominal work for that killer 1-2 punch.

Here is my progress pictures so far. On the left 5'11" @ 206lbs and on the right, 4 months later, 5'11" @ 172.7lbs

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/4monthprogress-1.jpg



Yesterdays pictures were a huge eye opener. I admit that I've worked very hard in the gym as well as in the kitchen. Each and every meal I consume is systematically thought out and predetermined. It is paying off. I feel very good physically and mentally. My desire to get into the gym is as strong today as it was the very first day I went. The summer season is going to be great one for me. If you can imagine, I wore the blue Speedo's in Cancun year before last! :eek: at 200+ lbs ...yea not a pretty sight... But, hey, I don't know anyone there so :neener:


Todays workout consisted of cardio performed on the Elliptical, once again. 40 minutes, 8.0mph pace and resistance of 9. The numbers below tell the tale. I was whipped!

Total Gym Time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 183
AVG HR: 167
Calories burned: 828 (20% fat)

Enjoy your week everyone!

I am attaching a copy of my food log again for anyone interested in looking at it and maybe giving me some feedback. I greatly appreciate it.

Wow Doc! Way to go!
Your continued progress is awesome, keep it going!

Thanks, man! I appreciate the kind words of encouragement :tucool:


This morning I left the house in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt as the weather was mild, around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. As I type this it is snowing and well below freezing. Crazy, crazy weather :doh:

My favorite workout day began with a 5 minute warm up on the treadmill. Squat warm ups followed and I am happy to announce that I am officially squatting 135lbs :D. This is a pretty big accomplishment for me so :nono: no hatin'! ;) 2 sets of 10 was enough to get my HR waay up there. Form was good and they felt great! Leg press and SLDL's followed. I finished up with 2 sets of calf presses on the leg press. What a great workout!:bb: HIIT was next and finally the Captains Chair knee raises. I still feel it in my legs after this morning.

For the record, I absolutely love chicken wings. BBQ, Mild, Hot...whatever flavor they are! LOVE 'EM! It has been over 4 months since I had even one and low and behold at lunchtime today, I was surrounded by my co-workers who ordered wings from a newly opened restaurant near my work. There were 5 people chowing down on wings that looked and smelled incredibly good:drool: I kept my cool and fought the urge to pick up just one to have a taste. I continued to eat my steak and brown rice knowing how much better that meal was for me. I declined the repeated offers and let them gorge in their saturated fats. :cool:

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 53 minutes
MAX HR: 185
AVG HR: 153
Calories Burned: 822 (30% fat)

Peace!

Sore throat, body aches and a runny nose woke me up around 2 am this morning. Unfortunately, I was not able to go to the gym this morning. I have been downing water like there is no tomorrow throughout the day and I am hoping to shake this bug as soon as I can.

...to be continued.

My primary concern last night was to get better and get back to my routine. I drank TONS of water yesterday and right before I retirded for the night I took a couple Tylenol Sinus Night Time tablets. I really dont like taking pills. I forced them down as I needed to ensure a good nights rest without waking up stuffy or achy. My alarm went off at 430am and I felt surprisingly good. A slight scratch in my throat was still there but not like yesterday. I proceeded to get dressed and got my butt in the gym. I took it easy this morning. Chest, triceps and shoulders were on the agenda. Once I finished my workout I did 15 minutes of Elliptical Trainer at a medium pace. No HIIT today. I may have got rid of the bug as I feel much better today.

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 48 minutes
MAX HR: 165
AVG HR:139
Calories Burned: 618 (40% fat)

Later...

Nevertheless, I am hoping to shed about 5-8 more pounds to give me some more definition in my abdominal area as well as reduce the size of my man boobs.

:eek: what man boobs?! i see pecs!!! :tu:

:eek: what man boobs?! i see pecs!!! :tu:

Yea but they are still a bit bouncy :jumping: lol

This morning was a mess...but the day got better

Weather has been the topic here in Saint Louis for the past few days and everyone has braced themselves for a snowy Friday. Sure enough, 8 inches fell overnight (Maya, don't laugh :nono:) and had things pretty buried. I woke up earlier than normal to get the snow off my car and get things warmed up. I got my windows cleared and got the car moving, but there was a small problem. The hill plus the snow were a grueling combo for the POS Kia that I drive and it took me about 20 tries before I actually made it to the main road where I could at least move at a reasonable speed. What really pissed me off was not the weather or the fact that I had a heck of a time getting to the gym but the fact that no one ever showed up at my fitness facility to unlock the doors. :mad: I sat in front of the gym for at least 30 minutes and by then it was getting too late. I decided to leave and once again battle the unplowed roads and highways back home.

So I decided to go to the gym later in the day while keeping my fingers crossed that it wouldn't be packed. I got there about noon and there were plenty of machines (ellipticals) for me to choose from to get my cardio in for the day. Surprisingly, I had a TON of energy. I set the elliptical for 40 minutes at a level 10 resistance and kept an 8mph pace the whole time! My Polar F11 was displaying some serious calorie numbers! I was very, very surprised. If this was a morning workout my energy levels wouldn't be as high. Crazy stuff. After talking to the girl who normally opens the gym at 5am I found out that she got stuck in the snow :( hence the reason for her tardiness.

I am glad the weekend has begun!:claphigh:

Here are todays totals:

Gym time:51 minutes
MAX HR: 185 :nod:
AVG HR: 169:tu:
Calories burned 926 :D (20% fat)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weather has been the topic here in Saint Louis for the past few days and everyone has braced themselves for a snowy Friday. Sure enough, 8 inches fell overnight (Maya, don't laugh :nono:)


:lol:






just kidding ;)

How much snow did you get?

How much snow did you get?

over a foot :blank:

Nice!

Good workout this morning. I was especially impressed with my deadlifts. 2 sets at 135lbs and I was able to squeeze in another set of 10 just for GP. This must mean that I am getting stronger. I feel like I am getting stronger for sure. Since I missed my Wednesdays cardio session, I will be in the gym tomorrow.

Here are todays totals:

gym time:55 minutes
MAX HR: 174
AVG HR: 149
Calories Burned:790 (35% fat)

**Weekly weigh in**

172.4

No gym yesterday. Sundays are my days off and I decided to keep it that way. Also, by not working out yesterday I was able to take my VO2Max test on my Polar F11. It is recommended that the test be taken on an off day once a month. Last months score was 42. Last nights score was 48 :) This is good news to me because here is evidence that my Cardio sessions are paying off. :nod: Watch out Zen, Im'a gainin' on ya! ;)


Only 4 months and 17 days until the official start of summer. June 21st will be a deadline for me. Deadline for what, you may ask?... Well it will be a deadline to reach my goal. What is my goal? Simple:

1. Shed more fat
2. Develop a more definded muscular physique
3. Defined Abdominals

Thats it!. Sounds simple on paper but I know I have a long road ahead of me. I will need to work as hard as if not harder than I have the past 4 months. I am focused, determined and most of all I feel as I am being honest with myself by setting these realistic goals. For example: I read an article on T-Nation regarding body fat % and abs. It was mentioned that abs become defined at around 9% BF. Naturally we are all different and what may be 9% for some may be higher or even lower for others. So 9% is a number that I will be striving for. Each month I measure my BF% in my gym using the grip thingy tester (I dont know the name of it) In November, when I joined the gym I was at 19.8% BF. December-17.4%, January-15% and this past Saturday the machine said 13.3%. Yes, I know that those things aren't accurate but a steady decline in the numbers and photos as referrence is pretty much all I need right now. So, 9% is a realistic goal. My diet is to this day my number one priority. I am anal when it comes to the macro breakdowns and follow my food plan to the T. So we can "check" that one off too. Those are my goals :tucool: and now you know.

Today was cardio and here are the numbers:

Gym time: 54 minutes
MAX HR: 184
AVG HR: 169
Calories burned 898 (40% fat)

Enjoy your week everyone! :claphigh:

Watch out Zen, Im'a gainin' on ya! ;)

Someone get me an effing bulletin board. Game on.

By the way if you want to jack up your VO2max remember to keep enough carbs in the diet to keep your high intensity periods really high intensity.

:tu: Thanks for the advice Zen, will do!

I was certain that I was over my sickness but I was wrong.

Last night I didn't sleep well, had a horrible runny nose, tight chest and a sinus headache. Despite all that, I went to the gym anyway:bang: :nono: I should have listened to my body and took a break. My leg workout was horrible, I had no strength and my last two reps of my squats were absolutely horrible. I am surprised I didn't hurt myself. I was so drained after my weight training that I couldn't even do HIIT. I walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes to try to get some cardio in. Things just weren't clicking :nope: Thankfully my appetite hasn't left me yet so I am still eating pretty good.

I must take a few days off to let my body recover. I have to shake this bug fully in order to be back in the gym 100%. Stay tuned ya'll...

Here are my numbers for today:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 175
AVG HR: 142
Calories burned: 553(35% fat)

Last night I didn't sleep well, had a horrible runny nose, tight chest and a sinus headache.

Yeah my wife has had that lingering on for almost a month. She finally went to the doctor today.

Yeah my wife has had that lingering on for almost a month. She finally went to the doctor today.

I believe it. The weather around here has been crazy! It snowed 8 inches on Friday and yesterday it was 70 degrees. Saint Louis has broken their influenza record this year. It has been a LONG time since the last time I was sick so I my time has finally come.

**Weekly weigh in**

171.4

I am back into it after taking a break from training. Last weeks sickness has put me on the DL for the majority of the week. I got plenty of rest, got over my sickness and was back in the gym this morning at 5am. This morning I performed a cardio workout on the Arc Trainer. After about 10 minutes it started to feel like someone was squeezing the life out of my lungs! They burned! After 40 minutes of pretty intense exercise I did Captains Chair knee raises 3 sets of 16.

Good to be back in the gym. I thought the period of inactivity would put a pound or 2 on me but it didnt. :)

Here are this mornings totals:

Gym time: 51 minutes
MAX HR: 175
AVG HR: 163
Calories burned: 806 (25% fat)

Happy Monday everyone! :claphigh:

After last weeks "shitty leg workout" I was a bit skeptical about my leg workout today. Nevertheless, I got in there and did my thing. Boy, what a change! Great form, plenty of energy and two solid sets on each of my leg exercises were in the record books.

This morning, Creatine was introduced to my pre workout shake. Presonally, I do not care for the taste of it. As I performed my 45degree leg presses I was glancing in the mirror in front of me and saw muscles bulge out of my legs that I didn't know I had :cool: My legs are definitely getting more and more muscular, not to mention pretty strong! I followed up my leg workout with 15 minutes of cardio. It wasn't HIIT but a rather slow pace at a resistance level of 15. It was quite tough but I got through it. I hope I don't get any chest pains tomorrow.

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 48 minutes
MAX HR: 180
AVG HR: 151
Calories burned: 656 (30% fat)

I had a great cardio workout this morning. I was well rested and had lots of energy. The Elliptical was set on resistance level 12 and 40 minutes went by waay to quick. I thank the various artists who povided the beats for this morning routine. They made it possible. As usual, Captains Chair knee raises followed my cardio session and a 5 minute cool-down on the treadmill wrapped things up.

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 49 minutes
MAX HR: 181
AVG HR: 163
Calories burned: 774 (25% fat)


No chest pains today :tucool:

Good day!

This morning's workout was great. All of my exercises were performed with good form. I missed last Thursday's workout to illness so this morning I was ready to do some damage. After my weight training I decided to do some strength training on my grip. This (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=41401) thread inspired me to do this as my grip is not very strong. Currently I use lifting hooks for my dead lifts and DB bent over rows which help me immensly by taking the extra stress off of my wrists. By doing these static holds I am hoping to not only increase my grip but strengthen my wrists and build more mass on my forearms. The static holds were challenging and I feel soreness in my forearms as I type. HIIT cardio wrapped up this mornings workout and I was out the door!

Here are todays numbers:

Gym Time: 55 minutes
MAX HR: 180
AVG HR:141
Calories burned: 662 (40% fat)

Oh and today will be a Valentines day "cheat meal". In almost 5 months we've only had 2 of those so I am really, really looking forward to it! Mexican food is on the menu :drool:

:evil: What a cheat meal!!:drool:

We had Mexican food at Chevy's Tex Mex restaurant.

After a shot of cuervo 1800 Gold and a margarita on the rocks, I indulged on combo fajitas with chicken, shrimp, beef. A order of rice, beans, lettuce, cheese and habanero pepper salsa accompanied the sizzling dish. The waitress came around to ask us if we would be interested in a free pineapple and coconut margarita that the bartender mistakenly prepared so we were like hell yea! Unfortunately my alcohol tolerance is very, very low so I nor my valentine could finish it. Then the waitress came to ask if we wanted a desert. KACHING! more calories! We ordered a oreo cookie ice cream sundae.

I am sleepy, my stomach hurts but the food was delicious and well worth it. I counted over 1,000 calories not including desert but I am not too worried about it as I will be back in the gym to take care of it all.

Good night all!

Docutech,
2 cheat days in 5 months (I wish I could say the same), you are very disciplined. What weight do you think you will have to get to in order to get to 9% body fat?

Docutech,
2 cheat days in 5 months (I wish I could say the same), you are very disciplined. What weight do you think you will have to get to in order to get to 9% body fat?

When food is concerned, my goal was to keep things simple. I figured that if I ate clean that would be a variable that could be ruled out of the equation if things were to go awry (such as the fat not coming off). I realize all of us are different but I have read many horror stories where people have been really applying themselves in the gym yet cheated on a regular basis for the sake of staing sane. I am disciplined, very disciplined. Since food is soo easy to control, I think I have a firm grip on things in the kitchen. Valentine's Day was a special occassion and we wanted to celebrate! This makes 3 official cheat meals :D

I will be approaching 170 lb mark by Monday's weigh in. Another 10 lbs maybe? I honestly dont want to drop more weight as there will be nothing left of me and I dont want to look like a bag of bones. I am making some good progress in the gym and some of my fat loss weight is being replaced by muscle so I hope that remains the case. I have some skin wrinkling just at the top of my belly button which tells me that I am still loosing fat. I noticed this a few days after my progress picture on Jan 27th. My weight loss has slowed immensly, however the scale does show a continued decline which is a good thing. Hopefully, I will start seeing definition in my abs SOON! :spaz:

This morning's cardio workout was scrapped due to a work emergency which I had to take care of. I arrived at the gym around 5 pm this evening. 40 minutes of cadrio went by pretty fast and I still had a lot of energy. I decided to do my static holds again. 225 lbs was the weight and I did 4 sets to grip failure. First set was a overhand grip, second set was a mixed grip (left hand underhand) third set was mixed grip (right hand underhand) and the last set was overhand grip again until failure. By the last set my grip was pretty much gone. I think I only held the bar for about 15 seconds. Captains chair knee raises finished up my workout and I was out of there.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 55 minutes
Max HR:185
Avg HR: 171 :tu:
Calories burned: 957:eek: (15% fat:cry:)


Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Back and biceps tomorrow morning! :bb:

I had a great workout this morning! Lots of energy and good form made it a good morning. I threw in an extra set of deadlifts to my routine. I think it may be time to go up on the weight a bit. I finished things up with 15 minutes of HIIT and that was all she wrote.

Here are todays numbers:
Gym time: 56 minutes
MAX HR: 178
AVG HR: 147
Calories burned: 732 (50% fat)

It is sleepy time. Night all!

**Weekly weigh in**

170.4 lbs

I thoroughly enjoyed my day off. This gave me a chance to rest my old bones after Saturdays intense workout. I believe it was JSF where I read a post in regards to deadlifts making one sleepy... After a very filling breakfast and a hot shower Saturday morning, I decided to lay down for a second to stretch my body. I woke up at 1030am frantic about my 930am meal I was missing :doh: Those deadlifts took a lot out of me and now I know what to do if I can't sleep ;). In all seriousness, I really needed Sundays off day to give my body a rest. I feel great today.

The scale tells the tale. I continue to chip away at the fat slowly but surely. I have only lost 5 lbs in 6 weeks, which is a crawl compared to the 8 or 10 I lost in the same time frame a few months back. I have made some tweaks to my diet calorie wise and looking at my food log for the month of February, I think I am dead on where I want to be. I will continue with the 40/40/20 split and 2200-2400 calories per day. The past three weeks have proven a steady 1 pound per week loss in weight which is just slow enough for me to have a firm grip on my fat loss progress. I am very happy with my results thus far.

With all the excitement of reaching a milestone in the weight department, I jumped on the Elliptical this morning and forgot to start recording my workout on my F11:mad::bang: About 12 minutes into it, I realized that I forgot to hit start. I started it anyway just to get some figures down on paper. 40 minutes at 8mph and resistance of 11. This morning I decided to do my Captains Chair knee raises a little different. 3 sets to failure. I managed to squeeze out 26 on set 1, 19 on set 2 and 16 on set 3. That hurt! :o

Here are todays totals:
50 minute gym time
MAX HR: 177
AVG HR: 166
Calories burned: 600 (55% fat)

Have a great week everyone! :bb:

Squats, leg presses, calf raises and SLDL's kicked my ass this morning. Not to mention the HIIT afterwards. I am whipped and DOMS have begun to set in. I actually dozed off already but forced myself out of bed just to jot down a quick update. My quads, hams, glutes and calves are on fire. Back is very sore as well. As I laid in bed I could feel my entire lower body throbbing with each and every beat of my heart :eek:. I'm tired yo! I treated these 'ol bones good today by feeding my body well.:tu:

Time for a rest.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time:55 minutes
MAX HR: 185
AVG HR: 148
Calories burned: 729 (35% fat)

:sleep::sleep::sleep:

Nighty Night kids...

Today was cardio. It was great. About an hour or so after my workout I addressed the food issue and ate a good breakfast. The remainder of the day I ate really well. Only a week until picture time. Can you believe March is just around the corner? Man how time flies!

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 180
AVG HR: 162
Calories burned: 712 (25% fat)

It's sleepy time...:sleep:

As usual, my alarm went off at 4:30am and I was up and at it. I prepared my pre-workout shake with ground oats, Nitrean and creatine, whipped up my intra-workout shake and we were out the door. Todays weather forecast called for sleet/snow mix throughout the day. Upon finishing our workouts we stepped outside only to find the weather has taken a huge turn for the worse. About 1/2 inch of ice has covered everything. The roads were terrible and visibility was worsening by the minute. Despite of having the defroster set on high and high heat, the wipers had a hard time keeping up with the ice and the windshield was freezing over quickly. We got home just in time as the traffic conditions after 6 am became treturous.

Today I performed Military Presses, Dips, Close Grip Bench Presses and Incline Bench Presses. I followed my workout with 15 minutes of HIIT. My arms were like noodles and my triceps were on fire. Reaching for the oatmeal in the cupboard was a chore. I feel great though.

6 days until pictures :D

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 183
AVG HR: 146
Calories burned: 600(35% fat)

The weather was pretty messy and most patrons that I see on a regular basis at my gym were not there this morning. A total of about 5 people were at the door at 5am. Cardio was on the menu today and 40 minutes were behind me rather quickly.

It is amazing how quickly 7 weeks of training have flown by. One more week and I will be on to my next phase of cutting and a new weight training routine. This is my current workout:

Monday:
Cardio: 40 mins

Tuesday:
Squats: 2x10
45 degree Leg Press: 2x10
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 2x10
45 degree Calf Raise: 2x10
15 min HIIT cardio

Wednesday:
Cardio: 40 min

Thursday:
Smith Incline Press: 2x10
Assisted Dips: 2x10
Standing BB Military Press: 2x10
Smith Close Grip Bench Press: 2x10
15 min HIIT cardio

Saturday:
Deadlifts: 2x10
Bent over DB Rows: 2x10
Assisted Pullups: 2x10
BB Curls: 2x10
15 min HIIT cardio

Sunday:
Off

The weight training routine was courtesy of Mastover. I am grateful for his help as it has really kick started my metabolism, increased my strength and produced some great results. I continue to shed the fat while noticing some very admirable muscle growth (especially in my legs)
I am still contemplating a new set of exercises but I do know that I will be keeping the deadlifts and squats and I would like to ween away from the Smith machines. As my legs are getting quite a workout, I would like to give more focus to my upper body, chest and biceps in particular. If anyone has suggestions please fire away and share your thoughts but in the meantime I will be searching the forum for some good ideas.

Only 5 more days until picure time :D

Here are this mornings totals:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR:182
AVG HR: 164
Calories burned: 730 (20% fat)

Have a great weekend everyone!:claphigh:

:whistle:

How did I forget to post an update yesterday? :bang:

My bad. Yesterday morning was back and biceps. Deadlifts, assisted pullups, DB curls and bent over DB rows. I was impressed with my strength and form during my deadlifts. I followed woodans post discussing deadlift form and applied some of the great tips mentioned within. Since the station where I perform deadlifts is in the corner of the gym, I am partially surrounded by mirrors and that allows me to periodically glance at my form during the exercise :tucool: Yes, I am sore today :bb:

I think I have another workout planned out for my next 8 week block of training :flex:

Here are yesterdays numbers:

Gym time: 50 minutes
MAX HR: 174
AVG HR: 139
Calories burned: 600(40% fat)

Now back to enjoying my day off :spaz:

**Weekly Weigh In**

169.3 lbs

Happy Monday everyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed my day off. My son and I went bowling and I am not ashamed to say that he whipped up on me in a couple of games :o Yesterday I experimented with a new recipe to make a personal pizza. It came out delicious! I will post pictures next time I make one. It was yuummy :drool:. My food intake was a bit relaxed yet I still managed to weigh in over one pound lighter than last week. :tucool:

Today, I started my morning with a 40 minute cardio workout on the elliptical. Afterwards I performed 3 sets of Captains Chair knee lifts.

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 51 minutes
MAX HR: 183
AVG HR: 168
Calories burned: 841 (20% fat)

Good evening JSF!

430 am.
The rooster was right on time this morning. Well...not really a rooster, it was my alarm clock but you get the pitcher. :D I got myself out of bed, washed my face, got dressed and prepared my shakes.

Today was leg day. After a quick warm up on the treadmill I proceeded for the squat rack. I warmed up with a couple of sets with a bare barbell and then loaded up the weight. I reached a milestone today! :claphigh: I am officially squatting more than my weight! 175lbs :bb: I am pretty proud of that. Although it kicked my ass, It felt pretty damn good. Leg presses and calf presses followed. I finished up with SLDL's and I was pooped. I decided to add an extra set of reps to each one of my exercises today in preparation for my next 8 week block of training. HIIT training did not happen because of the extra sets and I will be dropping it as of Saturday. My weight training will be pretty damn demanding and I will just not have the time or the energy for it.

Here are todays totals:

Gym Time: 50 minutes
MAX HR:176
AVG HR:140
Calories burned: 592 (40% fat)

Congrats on the new weight low and also on squatting more than you weigh. It's a good feeling to be able to do so.

I have a question for you. I know that you use a hear rate monitor that shows how many calories you've burned, but what does the fat percentage mean in your recap? TIA

Congrats on the new weight low and also on squatting more than you weigh. It's a good feeling to be able to do so.

I have a question for you. I know that you use a hear rate monitor that shows how many calories you've burned, but what does the fat percentage mean in your recap? TIA


Thanks for stopping by Paul!

The fat percentage is automaticaly calculated by the Polar F11. Since it is a number that is generated by the HM I jot it down. According to the heart monitor, I find that during my weight training days I tend to burn a bit more more fat with less calories per session versus cardio days where I can burn a lot more calories and the fat calorie percentage is lower. For some, there may not be much significance but for me it is simply another way to keep track of things.

DOMS form yesterdays leg day derailed me a bit this morning. I was hurting pretty bad and made an executive decision to move my cardio workout to later in the day.

I was in the gym at 5pm. The place was PACKED! I had to stand and wait for an elliptical to become available. What a crock!:doh: I am so glad I utilize this facility early in the morning. I hopped on the Elliptical and proceeded to burn some calories. Resistance of 10, 9-10mph speed and 40 minutes came to just 5 tenths shy of 6 miles! I rocked today. The transmitter for my Polar F11 often tends to display my heart rate on machines to my immediate left and right, so the patrons next to me were wondering why in the world their heart rate is hovering around 180 bpm :p I worked up a good sweat and I was out of there!

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR:182
AVG HR:172
Calories burned:789(15% fat)

I took pictures today :eek::spaz::jumping::bb::whistle::claphigh:

:nod: yep, it's like that yo!

Will post them tomorrow as I am off to bed!

The transmitter for my Polar F11 often tends to display my heart rate on machines to my immediate left and right, so the patrons next to me were wondering why in the world their heart rate is hovering around 180 bpm :p

Yeah I always enjoyed that one.

I notice that you are posting the estimated %fat Calories burned from the F11. I think that is an estimate based on Calories burned during exercise. After workout (EPOC) Calories are largely from fat, so after the workout ends, it's like your body starts burning fat Calories to drive the process of getting your body back to "homeostasis". So if you consider the whole process of exercise and recovery, then you burn more Calories than are burned in the workout, and a bigger fraction of them comes from fat than in the workout.

Workouts like HIIT or lifting that get the heart rate up very high for intervals, tend to have the biggest EPOC. LISS has almost none.

So the Polar monitor is giving you useful information about your workout, but the less it looks like LISS the more EPOC Calories from fat you are burning that are not reported. It depends on how big and intense your workouts are whether this is a big deal.

Plus the better your cardiovascular fitness is, the more you burn from fat beyond what the Polar estimate says.

Oh yea, those are estimated numbers for sure. I am not too worried about them from a fitness stand point, unlike my calories and weight loss per say.

I was in the gym at 5pm. The place was PACKED! I had to stand and wait for an elliptical to become available. What a crock!:doh: I am so glad I utilize this facility early in the morning.

I hate, no dispise, going to the gym after work...
It's like a one-two punch to the gut for me...
I'm usually a little lethargic by that time in the day anyway and the place is a zoo to boot....hate it...:nope:

This mornings workout concluded Mastovers proposed weight training routine. I have been at it for 8 weeks and I cannot stress how exciting it has been for me. I have been squatting, deadlifting, rowing, dipping, pull-up'ing and sweatin my ass of in the gym daily. My diet has been spot on for the past 8 weeks and only one cheat meal devoured on Valentines Day.

Here is a picture from 8 weeks ago (top right, bottom right):

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/ba.jpg

Here is a picture from yesterday (bottom left, bottom right):

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/5monthprogress.jpg

Quite a difference, don't you think?

Thanks Mastover! You are Da man!
Beginning Saturday I will be weight training using a slightly modified Matrix System (http://www.bodybuildingworld.com/vol8_2/matrix.html). I found it to have a good mix of exercises and I think I will benefit even further by using it. My goal is to put on some more muscle on my upper body in order to balance things out. Squats and deadlifts will be a permanent staple of my routine and you can be sure that I will be performing those on a weekly basis :nod:


Now, lets go over todays numbers:

Gym time:48 minutes
MAX HR: 178
AVG HR 137
Calories burned: 550(40%fat)

Here are a couple of full body pics:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/Pic016copy.jpghttp://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/Pic015copy.jpg

All I can say is, “Wow!” That is one great transformation and it's hard to believe that it only took eight weeks.


I know what you mean about the gym. I normally don't go as early as you, but I do chose times when I know that it's going to be relatively empty. I unfortunately had the misfortune to go last Saturday morning and it was a real zoo. I won't be doing that again any time soon if I can help it. :nope:

All I can say is, “Wow!” That is one great transformation and it's hard to believe that it only took eight weeks.


Thanks!

Yessir, it has only been 8 weeks. It is true that deadlifts and squats will get things going!

Thanks for stopping by!

Here is a copy of my workout log as well as my food log:

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/Mastoversroutine.jpg


Food log:

Today was cardio. Although I walked in the gym not really "feeling it", I hopped on the elliptical and made it happen. 40 minutes at 8mph and resistance of 10.

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 172
AVG HR: 158
Calories burned: 668 (25% fat)

Have a great weekend evryone! :wave:

I took yesterday off in order to accomplish a couple of things.

1. Mentaly prepare for the upcoming 8 week of training by taking a short break.
2. Go into the gym today and set up a baseline for my workouts.

Since I have been lifting for 8 weeks now, I was curious about my 1 rep max. People often asked me what my 1 rep max is and until today I had no clue.
I prepared a good pre workout shake with oats, Nitrean, creatine and 2 tbs of heavy cream and about 30 minutes later I was off to the gym. The first thing I did is weigh: 169.4 :) Next, I grabbed the Ormoron handheld BF tester and it spit out a figure of 12.1%. This is 1 % lower from last month! :claphigh: I was very excited indeed. I jumped on the treadmil for a brisk 5 minute jog to warm up. I set up the squat rack and threw some plates on the bar.

At 225lbs I grossly underestimated the weight. I wasn't ready mentaly nor physicaly and as soon as I descended gravity got the best of me (thank god for safety stops). Next try was 205lbs. I knew for sure I could do this. I got psyched and by now I could see a dozen pair of eyes looking at me. I mounted the bar on my back, and squated with no problem. Being a stubborn SOB that I am, I reracked the weight back to 225lb and was determined to complete one rep. I descended slowly, thighs paralell, and pushed back up without a hitch. I recorded 225lbs.:bb:

Next was the deadlift. 225lbs was my starting point. I felt confident that I would be able to snatch it up with no problem. Sure enough, it went up smoothly. I added 20 more pounds to the bar and tried again. It took me about 5 seconds to get it all the way up, back straight and knees locked, but I did it. 245lbs was recorded.:tu:

Next were unassisted chin ups (palms facing). I dawned my golves and managed to knock out 7 good reps. I was very happy with that since I could only do about 3 about 8 weeks ago.

These amounts are not impressive by any means, however, I am happy with them and now I know what I have to do to get more weight moving.

So with that said, tomorrow is the first day of my endevor. My goal is to up my 1 rep max by 50 lbs in 8 weeks. Wish me luck!

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 51 minutes
MAX HR:176
AVG HR: 138
Calories burned: 600(45% fat)

Oh, I forgot to add that I jumped on the Elliptical for 15 minutes :p

Just wanted to say congratulations on your progress! You've done fantastically. :tucool:

I've just read your entire journal in one sitting, and enjoyed it an awful lot -- you have quite an entertaining style of writing. Thanks, and keep it up! :nod:

These amounts are not impressive by any means, however, I am happy with them and now I know what I have to do to get more weight moving.

To the contrary, they are impressive. Look how far you've come in two months, which should be your basis of comparison.

So with that said, tomorrow is the first day of my endevor. My goal is to up my 1 rep max by 50 lbs in 8 weeks. Wish me luck!

Good luck! :gl:

Thanks guys for the kind words of encouragement! :tu: After this mornings workout, looks like I will need lots of it :nod:

I woke up about 10 minutes earlier today in order to get my body moving a bit. Prepared my pre workout shake and got dressed. I tossed and turned all night playing out this mornings workout in my head as well as tried to bare the sudden heat wave Saint Louis experienced yesterday. We slept with the windows open and even though there was a breeze I felt incredibly stuffy. I didnt get as much rest as I wanted.

After a quick warmup on the treadmill I immediately called dibs on the squat rack. I had my gear scattered all around to let it be know that I was occupying the area :D I started with a weight of 1/2 my 1 rep max for my working set weight for all of the exercises. It wasn't too bad. I squeezed out 23 squats with the last 3 a bit shaky. My legs were trembling and I was breathing rather hard but all in all it felt good afterwards. 20 reps of straight arm pullovers followed. Boy I needed those. My HR was well over 180 after those squats and they gave me a chance to catch my breath. Bench press was next, followed by bent over rows and SLDLS :doh: By the final rep of set two of my SLDLS I felt like I was going to barf. I had to sit down and take a breather. This is when I realized that things would only get harder. But I must do this and as John mentioned this morning:

Train hard--Summer is coming

I finished up with a brisk walk on the treadmill to cool down. As I type this I can feel some soreness in my back and hips. The DOMS in my legs will kick in tonight, like clockwork. I left my HR monitor at home this morning so I will have to add my numbers later this evening.

Happy Monday everyone!:wave:

Todays numbers:

Gym time: 40 minutes
MAX HR:184
AVG HR:132
Calories burned: 409 (45% fat)

Todays calories: 2946 (40/40/20)
305G Protein
298G Carbs
67G Fats

Yesterdays calories: 2692 (40/40/20)
272g Protein
272g Carbs
59.5g Fats

Umm yea, I am feeling fat :scared: and DOMS have arrived in my legs :blank:

:sleepy: Nighty night

Surprisingly, the DOMS in my legs aren't as bad as I thought they would be. My lats however, are quite sore. I am not sure if it is from Sundays pull ups or yesterdays bent over rows.:confused: ouch!

*Edit*
I just looked up on EXRX.net and found it is the Teres Major that is hurting. I think it is from the dumb bell pullover's I did yesterday.

I've been on a high calorie strictly clean diet for 4 days now days now and feel a bit chubby. Looking in the mirror I don't see much difference but my mind is telling me otherwise.

I did 40 minutes of LISS on the Elliptical this morning, here are the numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 179
AVG HR: 160
Calories burned: 708 (25% fat)

Todays calories (40/40/20):
2670
270g protein
273.5g carb
58g fat

[QUOTE=docutech;583392, the DO
I did 40 minutes of LISS on the Elliptical this morning, here are the numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 179
AVG HR: 160
Calories burned: 708 (25% fat)

[/QUOTE]

Awesome progress :tu: you look a different man :)
By the way i think this workout is a lot more intense than just LISS ;)

Awesome progress :tu: you look a different man :)
By the way i think this workout is a lot more intense than just LISS ;)

Thank you! Sometimes, if I don't exert enough, I feel that I am not doing enough cardio wise. For sessions that average around 160 on the Heart monitor I consider them LISS :cool:

BAH! I am running late today! One of my PC's decided it wanted to quit! After further inspection and a peek inside the case, I find that the fan cooling the CPU has died :mad: Lucky for me the software on my motherboard shut the system down :doh: New parts are on order from Newegg.

OKAY, lets wrap up by going over this mornings workout. Although challenging, it was very well executed (so I thought at least) No more assisted exercises! Dips, close grip chin ups were all done with body weight. I was proud of myself for knocking out 14 unassisted dips. 8 weeks ago I couldn't do 5. Chin ups were also a bit easier and I managed a total of 14 in 2 sets. Mastover if you are reading this: Is it ok to do the chin ups first and then the barbell curls? Thanks in advance! I wore myself out doing the barbell curls thus not having enough energy to knock out the chin ups. I worked my abs and calves as well. At the moment the upper part of my abs is sore. I gots to get my ass in bed otherwise I will be one cranky mofo come 430am!

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 50 minutes
MAX HR: 162
AVG HR: 136
Calories burned:497 (50% fat)

Caloric intake 2739

I walked in the gym this morning looking for something different I could do. Since it was cardio day, I hopped on the Ellipitical and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro :cool::

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f230/piotr12/Transformation/0314-01.jpg


The scenery was beautiful, weather was great and getting to the top was quite a workout. :D

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR:176
AVG HR: 157
Calories burned: 672 (30% fat)

Caloric intake: 2664

Another breathing squat workout is behind me. I think I did well. Working my legs and back twice week isn't as bad as I imagined it would be. Instead of taking tomorrow off, I decided i will go to the gym to do some miscalenous exercises.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 50 minutes
MAX HR: 175
AVG HR: 132
Calories burned: 548 (40% fat)

Todays caloric intake: 2718

Incline push ups, weighted crunches (using the crunch smith machine), chin ups, dips and calf presses made up this mornings workout. The gym was a ghost town so I had the weight area all to myself for the entire duration. Tomorrow is my day off and I look forward to chillin' out.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 161
AVG HR: 126
Calories burned: 444 (45% fat)

:wave:

**Weekly weigh in**

170.8lbs

After throughly enjoying my day off yesterday, I was eager to get in the gym this morning. Anticipating the breathing squats all weekend, I marched directly to the squat box. I warmed up and before I knew it I was breathing rather heavily. 25 reps later my heart was thumping and I was breathing pretty hard. My legs were on fire and I needed to sit down to rest. I maintained the rest of this mornings exercises with similar intensity. DOMS have set in in my legs.

It has been a solid week since I've upped my caloric intake and the scale isn't lying. One pound heavier than last week :nod:. Things are looking pretty good so far :tucool:

Here are todays totals:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 174
AVG HR: 135
Calories burned: 514

Calories consumed: 2700

Yesterdays calories: 2200:confused:

Ich bin müde...

Nighty night all!

This mornings cardio session consisted of a trip around the world*. I crossed many seas and traveled many continents. Some of the landmarks I saw were the Eiffel Tower, Swiss alps, and the Colorado Rockies.

Unfortunately, 40 minutes weren't enough to see it all and my cardio session came to an end.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 181
AVG HR: 161
Calories burned: 717(30% fat)

Todays calories: 2792

*Around the world is one of the "Hills Plus" settings on the ProForm Elliptical machine ;)

I knew I was forgetting something last night :confused: I totally forgot to update my journal :bang:

Yesterdays workout happened as usual, same time, same place. Here are yesterdays numbers:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 165
AVG HR: 128
Calories burned: 460 (50% fat)

Calories consumed: 2766

This morning I performed LISS cardio for 40 minutes. Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 169
AVG HR: 159
Calories burned: 646 (30% fat)

Well, another great workout is behind me.

Breathing squats with more weight, SLDL's with more weight, bent over rows with more weight...:bb:

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 49 minutes
MAX HR: 181
AVG HR: 138
Calories burned: 552(39% fat)

Have a good weekend everyone! :neener:

**Weekly Weigh in**

170.4 lbs

I enjoyed the 2 days off after Fridays workout. DOMS in my legs and back were still nagging me yesterday despite having time off.

My day began ealy, as usual. Being quite sore from Fridays breathing squats I was a bitt apprehensive of doing them today. I stepped in the gym and got a boost of energy. After warming up a bit I managed to squeeze out 25 solid reps with increased weight on the bar. I was pretty pumped! :nod: Since the gym was quite empty I had the weight area all to myself once again. I took my time and set up my exercise stations without having to rush in fear of someone jumping in and interrupting my flow.

Another solid workout :tucool: I could feel the pump in my chest from the bench press and my lats were quite poofy from the barbell bent over rows. Once I got home I posed in front of the mirror for a few minutes looking things over...:D

Lets catch up on the food intake from the past 2 days:

Saturdays intake: 2783 calories
Sundays intake: 2342 calories :o


Todays numbers:

Gym time: 47 minutes
MAX HR: 178
AVG HR: 144
Calories burned: 504 (46% fat)

Caloric intake: 2652

Happy Monday everyone! :wave:

The cardio workout this morning had me sweatin up a storm. I forgot to bring in my headband so sweat just rolled off of my face. Good workout!

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR:185
AVG HR: 167
Calories burned: 748(20% fat)

Todays caloric intake: 2750

So once again I am playing "catch-up". The past few days have been pretty hectic. Despite not being able to update my journal on a regular basis, I have continued my progress in the gym without any interruptions. I am very excited with my progress over the past 3 weeks and with only 7 days until picture time I am eager to see the side by side comparison.

Ok, lets look at yesterday:
Calf work- 2 warmup sets @ 180, 3x15@360
Dips-17
BB bicep curls 2 wu sets@bar
Close grip chin-ups- 14 (cumulative 2 sets)
Ab Bench- 1x15@30, 1x15@20, 1x15@10. By the last set my abs were on fire!:doh:
DB Shoulder press-2 wu sets @20 then 2 sets@35

Gym time:44 minutes
MAX HR: 167
AVG HR: 126
Calories burned: 433(50% fat)

Calories consumed: 2628

Today:

Today was cardio. For the second time this week I jumped on the Arc Trainer. Incline set to 4 and resistance set to 35. 40 minute duration with Paul Wall, TI and PimpC providing the music to keep me motivated. Apparently I got a bit loud while attempting to mimic one of the rappers because my gf smacked me and told me to SHHHH!:o
By the end of the workout I was sweating profusely and felt great. A brief cool down on the treadmill and I was done:tucool:

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 46 minutes
MAX HR: 180
AVG HR: 165
Calories burned: 740 (20% fat)

Calories consumed: 2726
:wave:

:wave: Hey Doc!

Just checkin' in on ya! How are those breathing squats treating you?

Thanks for stopping by!

THe breathing squat routine is going very well. I have made some significant progress in the past 3 weeks. This morning I was squatting away and at rep 15 things got pretty tough. I worked through it and managed to squeeze out an additional 10 reps for a total of 25. :doh: I was barefoot yet my right leg is still wanting to drift inwards. I think some bulgarians will be in my future workouts.

No doubt things will only get harder but I will work through it somehow.:bb:

So, another breathing squat routine is complete. Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 45 minutes
MAX HR: 177
AVG HR: 136
Calories burned:513 (45% fat)

Calories consumed: 2742

Only 6 more days until picture time!

Ahh...

What a great 2 days off! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Tomorrow is weigh in and yet another breathing squat workout. Thursday is picture day and I cannot wait! I have made some great progress and I hope I can see it in the photos.

Here are yesterdays calories: 2672

and todays calories: 2500

I am hoping to see some gains on the scale!

Night all and stay tuned...

*Weekly weigh in*

169.4 lbs

Not what I was expecting at all. I have been eating like a pig lately yet I cannot manage to put on a few pounds. I guess the workouts are taking care of all those extra calories. I will continue to chip away at the fat and see what happens.

This mornings breathing squat routine was great. I managed to pump out 20 reps and an extra 5 for JSF! I am getting used to the idea of doing 25 and I know that the weight will catch up with me as it increases every time I squat. I had a pretty busy day today and had to settle for some protein/oatmeal shakes a couple of times but all of my other calories came from good clean foods.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 50 minutes
MAX HR: 174
AVG HR: 134
Calories burned: 555 (40% fat)

Calories consumed:2667

This mornings cardio session left me beat. Arc Trainer set to 5 on incline and resistance set to 36. It was challenging, VERY challenging.
There are 2 individuals who visit my gym faithfully and I find great inspiration in my workouts when I see them in the gym.
One of them is a frail little old man. He is about 5 foot tall, about 100 pounds and I am guessing he is in his mid to late 70's. Every morning at 5am he trots inside with a brisk walk headed directly for the Elliptical. His 30 minute cardio session makes my 40 minutes look like a walk in the park. And after he completes his cardio he heads straight for the weights. As I am walking out of the gym, he is still moving the weights!:doh:
The other is a middle aged woman who is also in the gym as the doors open. I am guessing she is in her 40's and in great shape. She also possesses a drive during her workouts that is out of this world. The amout of energy this woman has is unbelievable. She was next to me on the Arc Trainer today and made me look like a rookie :o AND, after her 50 minute cardio workout she hits the machines for an additional who knows how long...:doh:

So, on the days when I am dragging ass and just cannot find the umpf to get going, I simply glance over to see them doing what they do best and within minutes I am giving my all.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 49 minutes
MAX HR:183
AVG HR: 164
Calories burned:737 (25% fat)

Calories consumed: 2758

Another great workout is behind me. Tomorrow is picture day and I cannot wait to see a side by side comparison from last month.

Here are todays numbers:

Gym time: 50 minutes
MAX HR: 171
AVG HR: 135
Calories burned: 549(45% fat)

Calories consumed: 2706

So today is my 6 month anniversary of starting a new lifestyle. Things are going pretty good. I am very happy with my p