Archives for August 2008

M4:D1 (D301) The Plan

August 22, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

What's on my mind today?
Today i will outline the plans for my fourth mission. There will be two phases to my mission. Phase 1 will be from August 21, 2008 through October 25, 2008. This will be nothing but a bulking phase. My goal will be to pack on as much muscle as humanly possible during that time frame. I have created Phase 1 in this manner so that I can properly celebrate my 1 year of shredding. Phase 2 will be about working on specific muscle groups that lagged during Phase 1. It will last 35 days to cap off a total for Mission 4 of 100 days. Phase 2 will begin on October 26, 2008 and end on November 30, 2008. Thus, this entire mission will be about bulking and Getting REALLY Big (which just happens to be the title of the new mission). I am keeping the plan simple and to the point. I am not changing alot about what I am currently doing. I expect to see huge results in a short period of time.

I will be posting my accountability log the same way I have been all along. I will also post summaries of my workouts when I'm using something I purchased from someone else and I will post my detailed workout logs when I am doing something on my own. I am always at odds with what to do when I am working through a program I purchased. On the one hand, simply posting my results isn't really violating any copyright because the details of why the workout is done the way it is done isn't covered in a workout log. However, since I'm not really sure, I err on the side of caution and simply post a summary of what I did. It avoids any potential problems with the author of the workout. Anyone have thoughts on this issue?

Find out what I'm doing to my body!
Today was back day using the same scheme I've been using all week. Supersetting isolation exercises (to pre-exhaust the muscles) with compound exercises. The rest in between is short to really push the body. My back was definitely sore after this workout. It was a pretty intense workout as usual. I'm liking the concept of pre-exhausting the muscles. My compound lifts have been a little lighter as a result, but much more intense. I feel a burn faster in the muscles doing it this way. I am a firm believer in supersets because they get the work done quickly.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
Planning involves using your head to get your body to the place you want it.

Get a discussion started by answering the question!
What tools do you use when planning your nutrition and exercise? Comment this post to answer the question.

Mission 2, Day 1: Feeling good

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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M3:D100 The Big Compare – 300 days

August 21, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

What's on my mind today?
Today marks 300 days blogging for me. It has been an exciting ride. During this time I have made alot of physical, mental and emotional changes that are all interwoven and have prepared me for what the future holds. I can face anything as I move ahead in my new life. Some highlights of my physical changes:

Scale weight: I went from 240 pounds to 208 pounds in 300 days.
Body fat %: I went from 25% down to 12% in 300 days
Deadlift max: I went from a max deadlift of 225 lbs. up to 425 lbs. in 300 days
Squat max: I went from a max squat of 200 lbs. up to 395 lbs. in 300 days

As far as some highlights of some mental changes I've gone through:

My mental intensity is the highest it has ever been
My mental focus is the highest it has ever been
My mental toughness is the most it has ever been

I want to thank Carlos DeJesus for his mentoring me in this area. It has completely changed my life. My friendship with Carlos has changed the way I look at everything.

I can't really highlight the emotional changes I've gone through other than to say that I am tougher in that area as well. I've learned how to use my emotions correctly. I don't use straight logic to make all my decisions now, emotions get their appropriate role in the process.

I want to thank every single person who comes and reads my blog and especially those who comment. I want to thank Adam: RTP2 Blog for inspiring me to do this in the first place. I now have a lifestyle that is changed for the better thanks to him. To those of you who don't comment, come on out of hiding and say something. You are the reason I do this blog in the first place.

300 days are down and I'm ready for 300 more. The plans of my next mission will be released tomorrow. Hint: It is going to be called “Getting REALLY Big!” or GRB for short.

Pictures Tell the Story

Find out what I'm doing to my body!
Today was leg day and again, it was isolation exercises to pre-exhaust the muscles supersetted with compound exercises. I replaced Leg Press with the Quad Blaster. When I was done with my workout I could barely walk out of the gym. I had an incredible burn throughout my legs. Felt like every single inch was sore and burning.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
Stick to the plan, work the plan and the plan will succeed.

Get a discussion started by answering the question!
What's been the biggest motivating factor for you as you attempt your physique transformation? Comment this post to answer the question.

Mission 1, Day 100: Putting it all to rest

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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M3:D99 One

August 20, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

What's on my mind today?
There is one day left until this mission is over. There is one day until I hit 300 straight days of blogging and daily accountability pictures. Tomorrow I plan to present some photos from Day 1 and compare those to Day 300. I hope to recognize great progress.

It has honestly been an amazing journey, but it has all been about the Experiment of One that I've mentioned before. Yes, I've got plans that have worked well for me, but who am I to say they will necessarily work for you? The concepts are universal, the results are not necessarily universal. Think about it. You are one person and I am another. Individual results may vary. The process is pretty much the same.

Hard work gets you hard results. That much is true for anyone. With consistent effort comes consistent results. The more consistent you are the better your results continue and the cycle just keeps repeating itself over and over again. You wind up with an amazing feeling of accomplishment as you look back on past pictures and see how far you've come. All of these things are shared by everyone who does this.

Find out what I'm doing to my body!
Arm day baby! The assault on the arms was intense. I haven't done body part splits in a long time and the arms are seeing the most difference from the new splits. They've been getting indirect work for a year now, but this is intense. The burn after doing 4 sets of barbell curls was just insane. My triceps were on fire as I left the gym. Once again, it was a major effort to start the car so I could get home.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
While individual results may vary, the basic formula is the same.

Get a discussion started by answering the question!
What excites you the most about the end of a mission? Comment this post to answer the question.

Mission 1, Day 99: Saving it for later

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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M3:D98 Starting Right

August 19, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

What's on my mind today?
It is a new week and it reminds me of the importance of starting strong, starting right. The first workout of the week sets the tone for all other workouts during the week. Start off weak and you will have a bad week. Start off strong and the sky's the limit.

I took this to heart today and had an awesome lifting session. I simply love how pumped I get from a great workout like today's workout.

At the same time, it is important to start your week right in other ways as well. I strongly believe that Monday just plain sets the tone for the coming week. You can run into problems, but the way you handle them will determine how well your week goes. Get stressed by every little thing and you are sure to have a very stressful week. Take things in stride and nothing can upset your week.

Please remember this important principle as you progress through each new week. You are sure to make better progress when you have the right attitude at the start of the week. Remember, you have to continually be thinking about how you are going to avoid undoing all the good you've already done. You have to be focused on the progress you have been making and on keeping that success moving ahead. Nothing should stand in your way. You will fight like a champion and win most of the battles, but certainly winning the war. It is a foregone conclusion when you have the right attitude.

Find out what I'm doing to my body!
Today was shoulder day. I am now working on pre-exhaustion prior to the compound exercises. I throw in an isolation exercise and superset it with a compound exercise. The isolation exercise works your muscles just enough to make the compound exercise that much harder. The rest time is kept low. The sets are kept at 4 per exercise. I worked my butt off today. My shoulders are now completely and totally fried yet again and they just fully recovered from last week's torturous workout on Saturday. They are now screaming at me yet again.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
Carry a positive attitude with you everywhere you go and doors will open widely for you.

Get a discussion started by answering the question!
What importance do you place on the start of a new week? Comment this post to answer the question.