John Stone's Picture Gallery and Video Archive

[uRi]

Originally Posted by John Stone

One post-workout picture tonight. Do I look happy, or just demented? Maybe a bit of both: I was so happy that I was able to workout that I may have been bordering on dementia.

you sure look as if your head was close to exploding a few seconds before

[andi]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Do I look happy, or just demented?

Oh, I'd say a bit of both...

edit: pooh, my image won't display. Go here: http://tommangan.net/archives/images...004/9joker.JPG

[Happy Monster]

Demented!

[ABguy]

Nice traps !!!!

Of course traps and demented, go hand in hand.

[doordude42]

You sorta got this look goin'. > and we know what that look means.

Nice traps big boy!!!!!!! As usual, i'm jealous.

[Brian Butler]

Hi John, I guess I was a little late with the news. Sorry to hear about the back BUT glad to see you are working around it nicely. This is a good example of working hard AND smart. I think we talked about our shared shoulder issues when we were younginz. What I didnt understand at that time was the difference between working through/around an injury and trying to ignore it by torqueing it even more, putting me out for even longer periods of time. I see a measured and intelligent response by you on this injury....move forward but reduce where necessary and find execises that you can get away with while the injury heals. I think most P/T offices will also target muscles just about and below the injury....starting with light weight/movement until you work directly into the area that was injured. Keep up the great work! This thread is better than a new episode of "24" or "Lost".....Im dying to find out what happens next!!!

Brian

[White Goodman]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Fantastic workout tonight - even with the lighter weight. The slow reps, 2-second "pause & flex" between the positive and negative phases and short rest intervals made it extremely challenging. I'm very anxious to see how my body responds to this modification to my training routine.

No back pain, except a little bit when I was doing my bent over side raises. Nothing to worry about.

Today is my light-weight shrug day, and normally I grab a pair of 90 or 100 pound dumbbells and do four sets of burnout shrugs. With my back still on the mend, I can't even deadlift 200 pounds of dumbbells into position, and I thought I was going to have to skip my traps tonight. Then it hit me: duh - the Titan has a smith machine traps/squat attachment. I put the pads on, and had a great traps workout!

One post-workout picture tonight. Do I look happy, or just demented? Maybe a bit of both: I was so happy that I was able to workout that I may have been bordering on dementia.

You look possessed!! LOL great pic..hahaha

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by Zendorian

happy to hear u're back lifting and back almost healed!

Actually I think my back still has a way to go before it's fully healed. I'd say it's 80% right now, but the last 20% will probably take several weeks (or more). I'm just glad that I can function again, and can do 90% of my normal workouts again!

Originally Posted by Devery

I agree that it's kind of neat to keep your muscles guessing at what you are gonna try next...will it be Max-Ot, or higher reps with a lighter weight. Slower or explosive movements. Interesting.

I gotta say, the last few workouts, even with the lighter weight, have been every bit as challenging as my "normal" workouts - if not more so. The longer pause & flex and slower movement combined with the short rest intervals makes for a whole new challenge. I hope my body responds well these next few weeks because if it does then I'll have yet another very effective training style to add to my "bag of tricks".

Originally Posted by bbgonnabe

Wow!!!!!!!! [to tonight's pic and the one's on 1/11]

Thank you!

Originally Posted by uRi

you sure look as if your head was close to exploding a few seconds before

Originally Posted by andi

edit: pooh, my image won't display. Go here: http://tommangan.net/archives/images...004/9joker.JPG

That link doesn't work, either.

Originally Posted by Happy Monster

Demented!

Originally Posted by ABguy

Of course traps and demented, go hand in hand.

Ah, a couple of demented votes! Lisa told me I looked demented, but that's not fair because she already knows I'm demented.

Originally Posted by doordude42

Nice traps big boy!!!!!!! As usual, i'm jealous.

My traps in that picture are enhanced by my posing and my pump - nothing to be jealous over!

We're going to be cutting at the same time, I think (Feb 1). We're going to have a constant friendly rivalry going on if we're not careful.

Originally Posted by Brian Butler

Hi John, I guess I was a little late with the news. Sorry to hear about the back BUT glad to see you are working around it nicely. This is a good example of working hard AND smart.

Thanks Brian, that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I know I'd never live it down if I jumped back into it too early and injured myself again, so I'm trying to temper my enthusiasm and be realistic. Thankfully so far, so good! Back day (Tuesday) is going to be a little tricky.

Originally Posted by Brian Butler

This thread is better than a new episode of "24" or "Lost".....Im dying to find out what happens next!!!

I don't know about better (I've never seen either show), but it's certainly a heck of a lot longer than those shows. I need to split this thread up into years or something.

Originally Posted by White Goodman

You look possessed!! LOL great pic..hahaha

Good, I try to always workout like a man possessed.

Thanks again everyone... next post: tonight's awesome arm workout!

[John Stone]

Because I had to miss last week's arm workout, this was my first arm workout in 2 weeks. I was a good boy and reduced the weight about 20%, but it was anything but easy! The burn was incredible, and the pump was mind-blowing.

I took some pictures tonight:

1) Front relaxed, and looking a tad less crazy than I did last night.
2) Tricep closeup.
3) Bicep.
4) New personal record: 18.5 inch arms!

[wh0rume]

jesus...

[ABguy]

Originally Posted by John Stone

...... New personal record: 18.5 inch arms!

Do you know how sick that is ??? (in a good way, or course)

You were 13.75, I think, about 18 months ago. That is incredible progress, by ANY standard.

Oh, and "thanks"....thinking 'bout that keeps me going to the gym even when I don't feel like it.

[John Stone]

Originally Posted by wh0areume

jesus...

Thanks, wh0.

Originally Posted by ABguy

You were 13.75, I think, about 18 months ago. That is incredible progress, by ANY standard.

Thank you very much.

To be fair, 18 months ago I was 13.75" with no pump, and tonight's 18.5" measurement was with a pump. My unpumped arm size right now is 17.25" (as of today, will be reflected in tomorrow's stats update), so that's a 3.5 inch gain (so far!). I expect to gain another quarter inch before my bulk is over.

Originally Posted by ABguy

Oh, and "thanks"....thinking 'bout that keeps me going to the gym even when I don't feel like it.

You're very welcome. I've found that when I don't feel like working out (rare, but it definitely happens), just going and breaking a sweat gets me fired up. In fact, some of my best workouts have been on days when I didn't particularly feel like working out. I always keep that in mind whenever I'm feeling lazy.

[sc7389]

Originally Posted by ABguy

Do you know how sick that is ??? (in a good way, or course)

You were 13.75, I think, about 18 months ago. That is incredible progress, by ANY standard.

Oh, and "thanks"....thinking 'bout that keeps me going to the gym even when I don't feel like it.

All thanks to a massive amount of roids. ;]
Kidding of course.

I do have to say this though: your progress is phenomenal, John. You seem to make progress at the speed of light!
Good luck with your back. I hope it heals sooner than you expect.

[doordude42]

Originally Posted by John Stone

My traps in that picture are enhanced by my posing and my pump - nothing to be jealous over!

We're going to be cutting at the same time, I think (Feb 1). We're going to have a constant friendly rivalry going on if we're not careful.

That we will my friend, nevertheless, you look great. You are genuinely "thick".

[bbgonnabe]

Originally Posted by John Stone

Because I had to miss last week's arm workout, this was my first arm workout in 2 weeks...4) New personal record: 18.5 inch arms!

John,

Your pumped guns were 18" on 12/11. Guys just don't add 1/2" in about a month (on top of that you've missed two weeks)! ...and you're planning to add another 1/4" before the bulk is over this month?

You have to be juicing or you've discovered the most incredible bodybuillding scret of all time. SUP2, butter or gear?

[RamRom]

[chicanerous]

John, those guns look crazy good! I know you have no plans to go into bodybuilding, but if you ever had a change of heart, when you're through with your bulking, you could dominate the natural stage.

You know I don't think you lift weights. You annihilate them.

I'm not sure how much the measurements changed over your short hiatus, but it's entirely possible you grew like a weed since you had to temporarily stop training. (The arms look like they grew a bunch over the break.) If you were slightly under recovered (overtrained), this gave you the chance to completely recover. I wouldn't be surprised if we see some amazing gains in the next few weeks.

[DavidBerger]

may i ask what supplements you are taking?

this is amazing haha

[Reno_1ted]

Originally Posted by bbgonnabe

John,

Your pumped guns were 18" on 12/11. Guys just don't add 1/2" in about a month (on top of that you've missed two weeks)! ...and you're planning to add another 1/4" before the bulk is over this month?

You have to be juicing or you've discovered the most incredible bodybuillding scret of all time. SUP2, butter or gear?

That, as you say, is 1/2 inch gained on the PUMPED arm.

2 things. Firstly, a lot of it will be a bigger pump. This is probably in no small part due to the new system of slow reps, plus the time off. And speaking of time off, the second thing to note is that muscle builds when out of the gym, not in it. Having trained for as long and as hard as John had, it is likely that this small amount of time off has allowed the body to grow more per week then usual.

Both these things should be taken into consideration. You should consider things more before you post.

[John Stone]

Oh goodie, more mention of steroids.

No, I don't think the steroid accusations - even those made in jest or ignorance - are funny. I'm not a steroid user, I never have been, and I've said repeatedly that I train naturally. It gets real old.

I have a standing offer to take a drug test at any time, and if I fail I'll even pay for the test. I'm upping the ante: I'm putting $2,000.00 and my credibility on the line. Bring $2,000.00 cash and enough money to pay for a steroid drug test to Orlando. Log your expenses. We'll give all the money to a 3rd party to hold. I'll take a drug test at any legitimate drug testing center in the Orlando area. We'll video tape it. If I test positive for ANY steroid or illegal drug you get everything, and I'll reimburse you for your expenses, too. Lose, and I take the cash while you apologize on video. The video will be posted on my site.

Originally Posted by Reno_1ted

That, as you say, is 1/2 inch gained on the PUMPED arm

Actually I've gained 1/2 inch on my unpumped arm in that time, too. I seem to gain 1/4" every 2 weeks on my arms while bulking. Check out today's update for more on this.

Originally Posted by Reno_1ted

And speaking of time off, the second thing to note is that muscle builds when out of the gym, not in it. Having trained for as long and as hard as John had, it is likely that this small amount of time off has allowed the body to grow more per week then usual.

Absolutely. Besides, do steroids make you grow if you don't lift weights? I don't think so.

Originally Posted by DavidBerger

may i ask what supplements you are taking?

- Universal Animal Pak Multivitamin
- AtLarge ETS
- Kent Nutrition ALA
- Kent Nutrition Glucosamine/MSM/Chondroitin
- Kent Nutrition Dextrose
- ATW Hydrolyzed WPI and WPI
- BSN "Mass stack" (Nitrix, NO-Xplode & CellMass)