Weight Lifting Progress

It’s time to take stock in my last weightlifting routine (here) that concluded last Friday. Currently, I’m on an off week and I gotsta to concluded my last workout plan and design a new one.

Workouts:
Out of a total 24 scheduled trips to the gym I missed only 3. I was hesitant about the early morning (5:30AM) workout, but I think it enhanced my focus. Apparently, people who go to the gym early in the morning aren’t there to fuck around by socializing and making friends. I found the lack of benevolent interruptions refreshing. My initial routine was highly aggressive and I had to cut out several exercises for each day in order to keep my workout at one hour. I figure that if I can’t completely obliterate myself in an hour then I’m doing something wrong and I need more weight or more volume. I loved some of the new lifts, specifically the Power Snatch, Front Squat, and Original Hack Squat. The two leg days really taxed my knees and I’m looking forward to less leg strain on my next routine. I have discovered my overhand grip strength is the week link in my Dead Lift and if I expect to significantly increase my Dead Lift I need to do some forearm work in the near future. I have outgrown Good Mornings and from now on I’ll replace them with Stiff Legged Dead Lifts. The amount of overhead movements helped my shoulder development, particularly in my trapezius although my deltoids did grow a bit too.
Grade: A

Diet
I kept my calories high, however the quality of those calories wasn’t always the best. I was planning on a 4-week 500-kcal hypercaloric diet, but I only lasted three weeks before my body said stop. My beginning weight was 162-lbs and my concluding weight was 172-lbs. I’m estimating 5-lbs muscle gain, 2.5-lbs fat gain, and 2.5-lbs water gain caused by the creatine. My chin is sprouting a twin and my in-the-right-light abs are gone. Nutrition is the most difficult aspect of heath because I have to watch myself every minute of my waking life. Eating is constant unlike hitting the gym, which I only have to worry about for 4-hours out of every week.
Grade: B

Supplementation
This is easy to do once you buy the stuff. I did two weeks of Androsol with a ZMA blend that I continued for an additional week after I stopped the Androsol. I also partook of creatine and glutamine for the four weeks of bulking. Supplementation is overrated. I’m sure the chemicals do something for you, but workouts and diet are the bulk of the healthy lifestyle; supplements are like spice to the recipe. To be fair, though, creatine does rock.
Grade: A

New Plan:
Starting next week I’m using a M/W/F schedule and I’ll focus on cutting for the next four weeks. My diet plan is 1900-2000 kcal/day, which is about 700 kcal under maintenance levels. I’ll drop carbohydrates to about 120 grams and cut out most grains and sugars. I’m scheduling 3 weeks of hypocaloric dieting. If the going gets rough then I’ll try out the Cheater’s Diet published by Testosterone. Basically, instead of one standard cheat day a week (usually Saturday for me) I’ll try to cheat evenings (Wednesday and Sunday). If my lack of fuel is killing me I’ll stop the cutting cycle after two weeks, but If I’m experiencing awesome fat reduction then I’ll continue through the fourth week. Otherwise, the last week will be set aside to stabilize my body composition using maintenance calorie and carbohydrate levels.

Monday
1. Hanging Crunches 3x10
2. Machine Crunches 3x10
3a. Seated Dumbbell Military Press 5x5
3b Pull Ups 5x5
4a Dead Lifts 5x5
4b Dips 5x5
5 Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension 3x10

Wednesday
1a. Squat 5x5
1b. Leg Curls 5x5
2a. Power Snatch 5x5
2b. Leg Extensions 5x5
3. Front Squats 3x10
4. Donkey Calf Raises (Triple Drop Set) 3x10

Friday
1. Hanging Leg Lifts 3x10
2. Twisting Swiss Ball Crunches 3x10
3a. Bench Press 5x5
3b. Bent Dumbbell Row 5x5
4a. Straight Arm Cable Pull Down 5x5
4b. Lateral Cable Raise 5x5
5 Reverse EZ-bar Curl 3x10

The #a/#b convention denotes supersets where I will alternate between the two exercises. Most of these movements are carried over from my last routine. I enjoyed them so much that I’m not ready to toss them aside quite yet. I really dig this stuff, feeling my body respond to different stimuli be it positive or negative. I know a lot of people approach exercise and nutrition as chores… I just find it fun.
...and so it was written, shenry at 11/15/2002 03:26:00 PM.
...and so it was appended with .