My Log and Other Random Shit.

[musclesntx]

Hey y'all,

I've been dropping in lately and I like the crowd. Lots of sarcastic fuckers here that talk a lot like I do.

Just a little about me: I've been lifting for quite a few years. I'm 31, live down in San Antonio (originally from Knoxville FUCKING Tennessee, and yes, I am a VOL). I have an IT related Masters, but I walked away from that a few years ago to turn my hobby (personal training) into my full time gig. I'm not one of those asshole, rep-counting kids from Gold's either. lol

Seriously, I love what I do and prefer working with power athletes, but train people from all walks of life. I own my own studio here in SA and have done pretty well with it. I'm always looking to learn more. I think I have a lot to offer in the ways of training and nutrition, but am always looking to learn more and I know there's lot of experience here to learn from. I like boards like this to get a feel for what different people are doing - I love real world results. I have a ton of formal training, but for me, I prefer hearing experience talk v. sitting in some class, going to school, etc. I started PTing in 1996. Never thought it would become my life, but I've been blessed.

I don't consider myself a bodybuilder (though I love gaining size) nor a powerlifter (though I love lifting heavy). Maybe a hybrid. Some of the guys here have been down to TX to hang out with me, and a few of them have lifted with me a few times. I'm not the strongest guy on earth, but I think I'm rolling pretty well for my age/size. JLozan and those guys kinda know my lift totals.

Oh, I'm 6' and currently about 243lbs and fairly lean. Here's a pic from a couple of months ago:

I'm not a big believer in that "hard gainer" bullshit, and here's why... Me, 6 years ago at about 168lbs:

I've completely changed everything about my physical structure, so for those of you that think you've plateaued, think again... There's always ways to grow.

I hate being conventional - I cycle my workouts regularly, and I like to do my own thing depending on what I'm looking to achieve. Most of the guys that know me know that I do enjoy chatting about strength training, carb cycling, etc, etc.

What am I doing now?

Well, I hate that people have been brainwashed into believing they have to eat 7 times per day. I usually eat 4 huge ass meals, as size is my goal. I don't take a bunch of shit supps. I do like a high priced multi, but that's about it. I don't deal with creatine or anything else, and aside from a Muscle Milk shake before bed, that's about all in the way of supps I deal with. I understand supplementation and have used just about everything, but I've found that I make the same progress/results without blowing a ton of jack on everything that comes out.

Hard work/consistency, lifting heavy ass weights, eating and resting will get most people where they need to be.

My training for now is pretty simple, and you'll see it as I log it. I believe in heavy compound exercises, and I believe in recovery. For now, I'll leave it at that.

I do like to write, A LOT (as you can tell, I can be long winded). I've been around a lot of boards for a long time. I believe that this field has a lot of "truths" and many things "work", it's just finding what works optimally for you.

Ok, enough bullshitting. I'll be glad to answer any questions anyone has. I'm glad to be around, and look forward to helping and learning!

 

[OC Cartel]

this is the log section? you gonna post your workout/diet routine or what?

 

[musclesntx]

this is the log section? you gonna post your workout/diet routine or what?

LOL - yeah man, I just wanted to start out my log with an intro.

 

[musclesntx]

Alright y'all. Quick rundown of my last 2 days.

Yesterday was a workout day. I typically hit three heavy ass compounds every workout and typically do 4-8 work sets per exercise, and I mix the exercises up every workout - a) I do different ones, and b) I rotate the order. I use accessory work as needed - it is my belief that above and beyond anything else, to get stronger you must constantly correct weaknesses and those weaknesses change. In most guys, you can target shit areas down to their hips, glutes, etc (the posterior core) and their rotator cuffs. I'm constantly evalutating to see my problem areas and I focus on fixing them.

Yesterday's work.

I do warm up, and that could be 1 set or it could be 8, depending on how I feel, I'm only listing work sets.

Bent BB Rows
275x5
315x5
335x3x4

Incline DB Bench
140x5x5

Squats
225x20
315x15x3

Low volume on squats because my lower back was a bit tight. I also did 4 sets of GHR x 15 reps each. I do typically keep my squat reps a bit high because my cartilidge is way shot for someone only 31. Every once in a while I'll go heavy in the 1-3 rep range, but I tend to ache for days after that. Still, when I get the bug, I just have to do it.

I worked out sometime around 1p yesterday. With that being said, here was my nutritional breakdown.

Woke up @ 7am, had approx 125g of carbs, 80g protein, 10g of healthy fat and probably an extra 20g of fiber

11am
150g of carbs, 70g protein, trace fat

While I workout, I typically drink a Mass Recovery (ABB) drink. I used to mix my own shit, but these are at the gym and I just grab them.

Finished working out about 2:30p and then had another meal similar to my pre-workout meal around 3p.

7p had a meal similar to breakfast, but with a bit less carbs and a bit more fat.

10p (after Cane went off) I downed a big RTD Muscle Milk, ate 3 pieces of reduced fat string cheese (supposed to be my kid's, but what the hell).

 

[estray]

7p had a meal similar to breakfast, but with a bit less carbs and a bit more fat.

= triple with cheese from whattaburger.

 

[musclesntx]

= triple with cheese from whattaburger.

I didn't post this morning's feeding, fucker.

 

[Aztech]

Welcome to the journal section. Seems to be good gains in six years, I wish i could make a living out of lifting and training people. Instead i have a job that gets me up at 5am and gets me home at 7pm. I lose a lot of ground from not being able to sleep and grow.

 

[musclesntx]

Welcome to the journal section. Seems to be good gains in six years, I wish i could make a living out of lifting and training people. Instead i have a job that gets me up at 5am and gets me home at 7pm. I lose a lot of ground from not being able to sleep and grow.

I hear you man - I walked away from that shit a few years ago. 11 years in IT (including about 17 months in Baghdad as a contractor at the end of that) was as much as I wanted to take in corporate America. But being my own employer has taught me one thing - I can never work for anyone else ever again.

Funny thing is that I did workout when I was smaller - I was into running and shit (a lot) so that hampered size gains. I was just a runt and wanted that Ambercrombie look. I had abs and was decently strong, but in the last couple of years is when I really decided that I wanted to become big and eventually freakish. I'm a long, long way from where I want to be. Strength-wise, I'm pleased, but I am one body-dysmorphia having motherfucker. I know the numbers 6' 245 should make me feel bigger than at least 3/4 of the people around, but I always feel small. When I get to 270, I will probably feel the same.

 

[musclesntx]

Did some impromptu sprint work yesterday with a few baseball players I train (2 guys in the majors, one is a pitcher in Dayton).

6x40
2x40 w/med parachute
4x60
2x60 w/med parachute
2x100

10 Bounds on a 42" box x 5 sets

Then we hit the stairs for about 10 sets. Today is a heavy SLDL day, but I definitely feel my legs today.

On the parachute, we run about half way with it and then disengage it - your legs overcompensate and you (hypothetically) run faster. I don't know who's ever used one, but it's definitely a lot of fun. Thing is, it was shitty cold, rainy, and windy yesterday. We took it easy on the bleachers, since they were a bit slick.

Fucking Texas weather is killing me.

 

[musclesntx]

On the docket today:

100 Weighted Pull ups (no matter how many sets it takes). My immediate goal is to get to 100 in under 7 sets weighted with 75lbs. I'll do them with 40 today and will probably be 6-7 sets. My negative is about 2-3 seconds on them, chest forward, shoulders back the entire time.

SLDL
Typically, I'd do about 6-8 sets, but after my sprint work yesterday, these may be light and higher rep. My work sets are usually in the 405-455 range, 6-8 reps.

Incline Bench
I'll probably start with this actually, looking at 5-7 work sets, 2-5 reps. Should be a fucking blast.

 

[musclesntx]

My legs got progressively fucking worse as the day went on. I still wanted to do some SLDL, so I kept the reps a bit lower but kept the weight up. Yes, I warm up:

SLDL
405x4x4

Weird rep range for me at 405, but it was enough to feel without torching my legs altogether.

Pull ups w/a 45lb plate strapped. Was going to do 40 but the plates were closer so I tied one in. I'm going to guess on my reps here, but I think I have them.

20
14 (this sucked, not enough rest and I was talking)
16
13
13
12
11
11
10

Ok, took way more fucking sets when I thought it should, but I couldn't get my damn wind for shit today (I'm asthmatic and carrying a bit more weight on my frame than I really ever have anyway). But nobody can breathe in South Texas.

Incline Bench
I was going to start with this but said fuck it and wanted to finish with it on a high note. Plus, my buddy/spotter was dragging his ass and didn't get there until I was about half way through pull ups. We don't workout together, but we spot each other on heavy benching. I spotted him as he set a PR on flat bench for 515...

405x5
435x3x2
445x2
455x1 (some fuck let a db roll toward my feet and it broke concentration so I racked it).
455x2

Nothing crazy for me on the incline, but considering what else I had done, I wasn't upset.

Ok, now the fun part of my workout - some kid who seriously didn't weigh 165 came to give me some pointers on my bench (hand positioning, feet positioning, elbows, etc). The shit was flat out wrong and I'd give this kid my fucking truck and my car if he could bench 225. Of course, this was after he saw me double the 455. So I asked him for supplement advice as well. Why not?

 

[Aztech]

that's a pretty heavy incline, nice work

 

[musclesntx]

that's a pretty heavy incline, nice work

Thanks man. I normally go insane with my legs and when I dead as well, but my legs were fucking baked yesterday from the sprints.

 

[musclesntx]

Hit DB Bench, Deads, and Leg Press this AM. Also hit some tricep and a little PC. Yes, I warm up and get acclimated, but I don't do any fucking pyramidding or anything near it.

DB Bench (flat)
155x5x2
160x5x5

Biggest DBs they have in my gym. I have requested 165s and 170s.

Deads Ahhhhhh YEAH...
405x1
495x1
585x3x6

Light weight baby. I was working with a bunch of diff feet placements. Had a lot of tightness in my upper back, lower back and hams, so I didn't push it insane, but it felt good.

Leg Press
1000x12
800x20
500x55
LOL

I warmed up and acclimated a bit with 500-750, and then loaded a grand up and cranked it 12x. Fucking toe busted out of my shoe, so the 800 and 500 sets were done barefooted. My fucking feet were killing me (I deadlift barefooted anyway) - the treads just burned me up. I'm not a fucking indian or anything.

GHR
BWx15x5
Man, I'm tight. No need to fuck with weight like I normally do.

Reverse grip bench - my partner had to take off so I did it on the Smith. It's counterweighted, so I'm not counting the bar at all
320x10x3

I've mentioned it on other boards, RGBP is probably my favorite exercise.

I then spent 2 hours on the massage table. My therapist torched my back, shoulders, pecks, arms, glutes, hams, quads and calves. I get a massage every week (alternate 2 hours and 1 hour) and she tore my ass up today, one of my most painful ever. Immediately after, swung by my buddy's house (he's a chiropractor) and had him adjust me, so now I feel good as new. Man his wife is so fucking hot. She had a wife-beater style Victoria's Secret tank top on and some short ass shorts. Had he not been there I might've clubbed her in the head and duck taped her ass to brush guard of my truck and took some pics of her when I was finished.

Today was supposed to be an insane calorie day for me and while it has been ok, I haven't downed the cals I had hoped for. I'll try to make it up here in the last part of the day. Weighed in a dry 251 this AM.

Ok, time to hit the couch for a bit. Sucks without D1 fb on.

 

[musclesntx]

Ok, it's Monday and fucking cold here in Texas. Not Michigan or northeast US cold, but it was 30 this morning and I don't live in South Texas for 30 fucking degrees. Luckily I'm only working for about 2 hours today. I went to my 3 year old son's friend's birthday and 8 of 10 of those little fuckers had some kind of cold/flu symptoms. My son ends up with it yesterday, me this morning. I think I'm good to go, but if I get worse, I'll push today to tomorrow.

Today's workout (tentative):

Bench 6-8 sets, 2-4 reps

Bent Rows 5-6 sets, 3-6 reps

Squats 5-7 sets, 10-20 reps

I'll come back later and throw in the weights and actual workout + any accessory work.

 

[musclesntx]

Alright, I'm done. I'm fucking tired with today's 32% lung capacity. Fucking kids.

Bench
Close Grip 455x3x3
Mod Grip 455x3, 465x3x2
Wide Grip 435x5x1

My shoulder was on fire in that last one, so I didn't want to fuck with it. Oh, and I couldn't breathe for shit. Did I mention that?

I decided to go old school and bust out some T-Bar Rows with the end of the bar jammed into the corner of the wall. There's a huge fucking whole in the wall again and now the gym is pissed and they think I did it, but whatever. Somebody had that shit set up before I went there and I just used it.

I'm just going to count plates, because I'm not sure it's necessary to count a 45lb bar. Oh, and I used the seated row, close grip attachment.
6platesx5
8platesx5x3
8plates,1-25x3x2

Still can't breathe for SHIT.

Hit squats last. I knew this was going to fucking suck because of my lungs being on fire and the gym being hot as fuck and smokey smelling since they turned the heater on. It's not that damn cold today (it was in the AM), so they're idiots. I didn't have the lungs to do as many sets as I want, so I warmed up and simply did 2 sets:
315x25x2

Nearly threw up (and that's no where near a PR or anything - I've done 315x25x5 before fine). But my legs feel good.

Did a little rotator cuff work (I've been feeling a little twinge there) and my favorite GHRs (3 sets x 12 reps holding a 35lb plate).

I'm home, have downed all of my food, and after I browse here for a little bit and look at a little porn, I'm going to take a nap. Sleep = Growth. Nah, tired = sleep.

 

[Tafman]

good log bro

 

[musclesntx]

good log bro

Thanks, Tafman.

I realize that a lot of people don't want all of the details, but it's just the way I prefer to keep a log. If nothing else, it helps me when I go back and read over it to see what I was thinking/feeling at the time.

Today is going to be a total rest day - I won't be nagged into running the bleachers, doing any cardio or anything else. My left RC is aching a bit today and I need to get over this cold I've got nagging me.

 

[BIGFOOD]

more details the better I say..nice numbers, you're pretty strong but that goes without saying..you're a VOL..go VOLS

 

[musclesntx]

more details the better I say..nice numbers, you're pretty strong but that goes without saying..you're a VOL..go VOLS

LOL - thanks man. I was actually born at the UT Medical Center. My 3 year old is named Peyton. I bleed orange.

Now let's get a good OC in and run the fucking spread offense!