[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Excellent, I hope this keeps up. How much coconut oil are you taking in per day?[/quote]
Me too!
I have been following your and others’ recommendations of using 3-4 TBSP per day. It works out to be 3 on lifting days and 4 on “off” days. I also ordered one of those giant tubs from the website you pointed me. It should arrive in the next day or so. I plan to keep this up indefinitely and see how it goes.
Day Fifty-two:
Christmas eve.
I spent the majority of the day traveling and seeing family (which is why this post is about 3 days late), so it was a little tough to fit in the usual recovery stuff. Still, I managed to do what I could with what I had, which admittedly, was not a lot.
Basically, I was able to get some stretching and a bit of steady state cardio in early on before the day got too hectic. Better than nothing, but it still bugs me when I don’t have access to a heavy bag or any other equipment that I use on a regular basis (I am kind of getting used to the foam rollers as well, nice).
Lifting at home in my basement tomorrow. Should be a good time.
Day Fifty-three:
Christmas day.
All week I have been looking forward to a BIG post-workout meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Too bad I’m not a fan of pies and eggnog anymore, but it’s probably for the best.
I had to slightly alter my workout to fit the equipment I have at my parent’s house, basically an adjustable bench, EZ-bar, and some adjustable dumbbells. A bit limited, but it did the trick.
Slightly modified workout as follows:
A1) One-arm dumbbell row
55 x 6 (warm-up set)
65 x 6
70 x 6
75 x 6
80 x 6, 90s rest
A2) Bench press
175 x 6 (warm-up set)
205 x 6
210 x 6
215 x 5
220 x 4, 90s rest
B1) Pull-ups (medium grip)*
195 (BW+10) x 8
200 (BW+15) x 8
205 (BW+20) x 8
210 (BW+25) x 6, 90s rest
B2) 30 degree one-arm DB press
40 x 8
45 x 8
50 x 8
55 x 8, 90s rest
C1) Standing EZ-bar curl
100 x 8
105 x 8
110 x 8
115 x 6, 90s rest
C2) Decline barbell triceps extension
65 x 8
75 x 8
80 x 8
85 x 8, 90s rest
*Pull-ups were done from the rafters in the basement which made keeping my grip a little tough. It was still pretty cool, though.
Christmas dinner was awesome. Not all of it will go to building muscle, of course, but I think I can afford to cheat on my diet once a month or so (the last time this happened was Thanksgiving). Besides, I have been eating coconut oil straight off the spoon, so I think it’s about time I ate some “normal people” food. Fantastic.
Day Fifty-four:
I think taking time off of work really messes with my schedule. This is mostly due to having friends in town from all over the place, which makes it tough to stay consistent and make the time to fit everything in. The one saving grace is that pretty much everyone else sleeps in late, which allows me to get things done in the morning before anyone else is awake.
I was able to do some steady state cardio and stretching again, but I hate not having a proper gym to train in (and cardio is a lousy excuse for a real workout).
After a sorry excuse for “working out”, I spent the majority of the day in Manhattan, showing people around all of the touristy spots that I pretty much try to avoid on a daily basis.
Fun times.
Day Fifty-five:
Another AM workout today. I usually prefer to get to the gym around mid-day, but you have to work with what is available. This is a low-volume “unload” week, so I guess it didn’t matter all that much anyways.
Today’s session went as follows:
A1) Front squat
165 x 6 (warm-up set)
205 x 6
215 x 6
225 x 6 (PAINFUL!), 120s rest
A2) Romanian deadlift
245 x 6 (warm-up set)
305 x 6
315 x 6
325 x 6, 120s rest
B1) Leg press
385 x 8
405 x 8
425 x 8
445 x 8, 120s rest
B2) Reverse hyper
35 x 8
45 x 8 x 3, 120s rest
C1) Standing calf raise (smith machine)
395 x 8
405 x 8
415 x 8
425 x 8, 120s rest
C2) Lying leg curl
170 x 8
180 x 8
190 x 8
200 x 8, 120s rest
I have been feeling really sluggish in the gym all week, and attribute this to being very inconsistent with my sleep and lifting schedule. I am still getting enough sleep and making time to get to the weight room, but exactly when I get to bed and wake up, as well as when I get to the gym, is all over the place. I am actually really looking forward to getting back to work next week and getting back to the grind, lifting at 1PM everyday, rather than trying to find the time whenever I can.
Oh well, at least I’m not at work right now!
Day Fifty-six:
Didn’t get the chance to weigh in today as I was rudely awaken from my bed (read: couch) with barely enough time to make breakfast and pack all of my food before going snowboarding. Not that I am complaining, as I must admit, it was a good way to spend an “off” day.
After about nine hours of hitting the slopes, I came back absolutely exhausted and watched the Chargers dominate the Broncos. I am not really a fan of either team, but there is just something great about watching a good football game after a really long day.
Will weigh in tomorrow and report on my thoughts about phase 2.
Day Fifty-seven:
End of Phase II
Weekly weigh-in:
Weight: 189 lbs
Waist: 32.875"
Change since start of program:
Weight: + 7 lbs
Waist: + 0.625"
Although I am a little skeptical about being 189 (I only weighed in at 186 last week), it feels good to see the scale going up again. Sure, my abs come and go on a day-to-day basis, but at this point that is a sacrifice I am willing to make in order to gain some much-needed size and strength. Besides, living in the North-East I won’t be taking my shirt off in public for at least another 5-6 months.
As long as I don’t gain so much fat that I can’t cut up again with relative ease, I’ll be alright - years of spinning my wheels and being a constantly lean 180 pounder have made me a master of cutting. I figure I can drop about 20 lbs of fat without too much effort, so I can probably afford to gain about 50-60 lbs before cutting again.
I also hope to be able to better assess the effects of ReceptorMax now that I am eating around 4,500 kcals per day (about 1,000 higher than maintenance).
As far as the program goes, I certainly feel a lot beastlier (haha). Well, aside from the fact that my wide-grip bench press sucks, but hey, it’s a new lift for me so hopefully I will see some decent gains from incorporating it in my program.
Anyways, I began phase 3 today. Chest and back day:
A1) Low incline dumbbell press:
60 (each hand) x 7
70 x 5
80 x 3
65 x 7
75 x 5
85 x 3, 75s rest
A2) Weighted pull-up (close, parallel grip)
214 (BW + 25) x 7
224 (BW + 35) x 5
234 (BW + 45) x 3
214 (BW + 25) x 7
224 (BW + 35) x 5
234 (BW + 45) x 3, 75s rest
B1) Wide-grip bench press
165 x 10 x 2
175 x 8 x 2
185 x 6, 75s rest
B2) One-arm dumbbell row
90 x 10 x 2
100 x 8 x 2
110 x 6, 75s rest
C1) Pec-deck (regular reps + partials)
80 x 12 + partials to failure
70 x 12 + partials to failure
60 x 12 + partials to failure, 60s rest
C2) Straight-bar pulldowns (low double contraction)
115 x 12
100 x 12
85 x 12, 60s rest
Talk about feeling good after a workout! I am all for heavy lifting and going for new PR’s, but something about this workout was just what the doctor ordered. I really like getting in the gym and just banging out the reps, it just feels right sometimes. If I keep feeling this good, I think I may do another cycle of this phase once this one is complete (may be a little early to make such statements, but damn it feels good).
Four weeks left. Just gotta keep eating, keep lifting, and keep growing.
Day Fifty-eight:
HOLY SHIT!
This program is awesome. After my first couple sets of squats and deadlifts I wanted to quit, but I kept at it. I think I used some form of profanity after every single set after the first few. It’s about five hours since I finished and I still don’t want to walk. Or move the lower half of my body in any way. Seriously, I will probably stay on my couch for the rest of the night, the only exception being to make food.
I am definitely going to do some foam rolling and steady state cardio tomorrow, maybe take a nap. Besides, I will probably be up late since it’s New Years so taking it easy and encouraging recovery sounds like a good idea to me.
My awesome workout went as followed:
A1) Front squat
205 x 7
220 x 5
235 x 3
205 x 7
220 x 5
235 x 3, 120s rest
A2) Romanian deadlift
305 x 7
325 x 5
345 x 3
305 x 7
325 x 5
345 x 3, 120s rest
B1) Snatch-grip deadlift (standing on platform)
205 x 10 x 2
225 x 8 x 2
245 x 6, 90s rest
B2) Walking dumbbell lunges
40 x 10 x 2
50 x 8 x 2
60 x 6, 90s rest
C1) Leg press (regular reps + partials)
315 x 12 + partials to failure
295 x 12 + partials to failure
275 x 12 + partials to failure, 90s rest
C2) Leg curl (low double contraction)
150 x 12
155 x 12
160 x 12, 90s rest
Don’t let the light weight on a couple of the lifts fool you - it was pretty rough (or I am just really out of shape)! Either way, I haven’t left the gym dripping in sweat like that for a long time. Good stuff. I must admit, I am really loving this program. Let’s just hope the efforts pays off.
New Year’s Eve tomorrow. Let’s get rowdy!
Day Fifty-nine:
New Year’s Eve!
(Obviously writing this the day after)
Unfortunately I did not have to lift today, which made me sad because I still went to the gym and saw just how retarded some people are. I did about 45 minutes of mobility, flexibility and ab work.
Normally I would do some form of cardio, since I tend to feel lazy otherwise, but I couldn’t since EVERY F’ing machine was in use! And there was only ONE guy lifting weights! The entire time I was in there! What the hell is wrong with people!?
I hope these peoples’ New Years Resolutions are not “do more cardio,” but it probably is. I personally do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions - if something is important enough to a person, they shouldn’t need an arbitrary date or reason to start. I do strongly believe in setting goals, but that is completely different. OK… /rant.
NYE was pretty damn sweet. I went to a party in Manhattan that a few of my friends put on and it was an awesome time. Didn’t get home until 4am, and woke up at 9. Usually I would be upset about the lack of sleep, but hey, it was worth it.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, buddy. I hope you stay healthy, strong and keep breaking PRs in 09.
Don’t forget ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ never go out of style. Always clip your nails, too.
Day Sixty:
It’s officially 2009 and it’s time to work arms. This was my first time doing any sort of serious direct arm work (as in more than a couple of sets thrown in at the end of a workout) in WAY too long - and it showed in my numbers. Hopefully I will achieve some sort of sympathy growth stimulus, because, I need it.
‘Arm day’ went as follows:
A1) Close-grip preacher curl
85 x 7
95 x 5
105 x 3
90 x 7
100 x 5
110 x 3, 75s rest
A2) Close-grip bench press
165 x 7
175 x 5
185 x 3
170 x 7
180 x 5
190 x 3, 75s rest
B1) Incline dumbbell hammer curl
30 (each hand) x 10 x 2
35 x 8 x 2
40 x 6, 75s rest
B2) Decline EZ bar triceps extension
60 x 10 x 2
75 x 8 x 2
90 x 6, 75s rest
C1) Wide-grip/elbows in preacher curl (regular + partials)
65 x 12 + partials to failure
60 x 12 + partials to failure
50 x 12 + partials to failure, 60s rest
C2) Rope cable pressdown (low double contraction)
100 x 12 x 3, 60s rest
No direct arm work needed my ass! I am tired of being small. It’s time to get serious. Eat. Lift. Recover. Repeat. I don’t want any regrets about how I spent 2009 when this time rolls around next year, only results.
Time to get serious!
Dan,
At what point will you increase your calories or at least carbs, if at all?
Do you plan on tweaking macros/cal intake soon?
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Dan,
At what point will you increase your calories or at least carbs, if at all?
Do you plan on tweaking macros/cal intake soon?[/quote]
I am actually seeing some pretty good results with the high fat intake right now. I am taking in approximately 4,100 kcals on lifting days and 3,300 on non-lifting days with a 40/40/20 ratio of proteins/fats/carbs. By “good results” I mean that I weighed in at 190 this morning (+8 lbs from day one), measured my arms at 14.5" (+.5"), and look as lean as I did when I started the program.
I think one of the the big differences here is that by replacing some carbs with saturated fats (mostly from coconut oil), I was able to even out my fat intake to about 33/33/33 sat/mono/poly (I was very low in saturated fats before doing this). I think this has helped a lot, although I am not sure why (maybe boosting T levels?).
So to answer the question, I will increase calories when I am no longer gaining scale weight since I now have the conviction that it is lean weight. I am thinking I will try to increase my carb intake by adding them in either at breakfast or in the meal following my fist solid post-workout meal when the program is done in 3 weeks. I plan on doing another log when this one is over, so if you are interested in seeing how it pans out for me, you can certainly do so.
That is some legit progress. Congratulations, man. I will definitely check out the new log in the future.
Another question, but more specific than the last:
What weight were you at before starting this training/nutrition phase? What I mean is, what weight have you been at FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME, before starting Beast Building?
So, if you are up 8 lbs right now, were you at ~ 180 lbs for quite some time ( > 6 months) ?
I ask because I am curious about weight set points.
Woah… Been away from my computer for a whole week already. Definitely not good for the blog. Quick updates are in order - going to try and do this from memory…
Day Sixty-one:
Fridays are always bittersweet. It seems as though no one ever gets anything done around the office, but at the same time it’s Friday so it’s all good.
Since today was my first day back in two weeks, it was even worse. I basically felt like I was back in high school study hall, like you knew you were just doing busy work to kill time and everyone else is on the same page…
Did some cardio today at lunch and it felt good to get back to my gym, which I am no longer under contract with (or paying for). I am joining a new gym on Monday so hopefully no one will give me a hard time about my corporate membership expiring in the meantime.
Shoulders tomorrow. I haven’t done a dedicated shoulder workout in a LONG time and I am very much looking forward to that. Rock on.
Day Sixty-two:
Shoulders today. Awesome. Went to my current gym for the last time and made sure to see it off well with a good workout.
Shoulder day as follows:
A1) Push press
135 x 7
155 x 5
175 x 3
135 x 7
155 x 5
175 x 3, 75s rest
A2) Barbell power shrugs
205 x 7
225 x 5
245 x 3
205 x 7
225 x 5
245 x 3, 75s rest
B1) Seated dumbbell press with a hammer grip
35 x 10 x 2
40 x 8 x 2
45 x 6, 75s rest
B2) Upright rowing
70 x 10 x 2
80 x 8 x 2
90 x 6, 75s rest
C1) Dumbbell lateral raise: regular reps + partials
15 x 10 + partials to failure
12.5 x 12 + partials to failure
10 x 12 + partials to failure, 60s rest
C2) Rear deltoid machine: peak double contraction
50 x 12
40 x 12
30 x 12, 60s rest
Good workout (although my shoulders suck), and really looking forward to starting at my new gym on Monday. Weigh-in tomorrow. Good stuff.
Day Sixty-three:
Weekly weigh-in:
Weight: 190 lbs
Waist: 33.0"
Up 8 lbs since starting the program and I am fairly sure that it is mostly lean. While my waist measurements have gone up, I don’t really look fatter. Not to say I have no gained any fat, but I have definitely gained and equal or greater amount of lean mass.
I am feeling very excited about finishing up this program in a few weeks and am hoping to put on a couple more pounds before it’s over.
Eating a lot is fun.
Day Sixty-four:
Joined my new gym today and have mixed feelings about it. I got a really good deal on it and have access to all of the gyms in the network (there are 2 by my office and 2 by my apartment), but it’s very commercial, which sucks. Either way, it’s $50 a month and they seem to be alright with deadlifting. Good enough, right?
Workout in the new gym went as follow:
A1) Low incline dumbbell press:
60 (each hand) x 9
70 x 7
80 x 6
65 x 8
75 x 6
85 x 4, 75s rest
A2) Weighted pull-up (close, parallel grip)
214 (BW + 25) x 8
224 (BW + 35) x 6
234 (BW + 45) x 4
214 (BW + 25) x 7
224 (BW + 35) x 5
234 (BW + 45) x 3, 75s rest
B1) Wide-grip bench press
170 x 10 x 2
180 x 8 x 2
190 x 6, 75s rest
B2) One-arm dumbbell row
95 x 10 x 2
105 x 8 x 2
115 x 6, 75s rest
C1) Pec-deck (regular reps + partials)
80 x 12 + partials to failure
70 x 12 + partials to failure
60 x 12 + partials to failure, 60s rest
C2) Straight-bar pulldowns (low double contraction)
115 x 12
100 x 12 x 2, 60s rest
Decided to go a little higher on the reps before increasing the weight on the pyramid sets. This is mostly because I have issues when it comes to setting up for lifts with heavy dumbbells and I figure this would be a good way to ramp up.
Squats and (sort of) deadlifts tomorrow. Time to pu this place to the test.
Day Sixty-five:
Had to lift after work today due to a ridiculous amount of unnecessary meeting that should continue throughout the week. I am really not found of waiting 12 hours after waking to lift, but sometimes you have to work with what’s available. I still managed to have a pretty kick-ass workout, though.
Leg day workout looked like this:
A1) Front squat
210 x 7
225 x 5
240 x 3
210 x 7
225 x 5
240 x 3, 120s rest
A2) Romanian deadlift
310 x 7
330 x 5
350 x 3
310 x 7
330 x 5
350 x 3, 120s rest
B1) Snatch-grip deadlift (standing on platform)
210 x 10 x 2
230 x 8 x 2
250 x 6, 90s rest
B2) Walking dumbbell lunges
40 x 12 x 2
50 x 10 x 2
60 x 8, 90s rest
C1) Leg press (regular reps + partials)
325 x 12 + partials to failure
305 x 12 + partials to failure
285 x 12 + partials to failure, 90s rest
C2) Leg curl (low double contraction)
155 x 12
160 x 12
165 x 12, 90s rest
Damn! I always feel completely spent after doing a CT leg workout. Great, great day… and that’s all I’ve got to say about that.
Day Sixty-six:
I took on a client today. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t be anything noteworthy, but this was different. This was not a professional client (at least not by my definition of the word)… this was a gym client.
Long story short, I am sort of known as the “gym guy” around the office and was recently approached by one of my co-workers who wants to gain some muscle in the new year. After talking it over with him, assessing his current situation and goals, and managing expectations, I have decided to take him on and train him.
I have never trained anyone before so I am really looking at this as a challenge to see how much I know and to see if I can provide results for not only me, but for other people as well. I also considered being a personal trainer for a living at one point, so this is really cool for me.
As far as my workouts go, today was a “off” day from lifting so nothing really noteworthy on that front. I am pumped to train my arms tomorrow and hit the gym with my new “client” to assess his current capabilities.
Sweet.