Archives for 2008

In order to meet this goal I will need to be virtually perfect with my training and my nutrition.  I am expecting all my readers to keep holding me accountable.

I will be honest that I was not that into my workout today.  Mentally I think I had checked out.  It has been a long week and I was very tired going into the gym.  However, I still managed to slaughter most of my lifts.  I also made a friend.

"You want just 1 plate on each side, right?"

As I walked up to do my leg press there was a man already on the machine.  He said he had one set of leg press left and asked if he could finish before I worked in.  I had no problem with this, especially when this was my first exercise of the day.  He did 270 lbs. (3 plates per side) and barely managed 8 repetitions.  This guy "looked" in pretty good shape.  As he got off the sled he looked at me and said "You want just 1 plate on each side, right?"  I smiled.

"No, I need to really load up the sled actually!" I replied.  He laughed and watched as I loaded 800 lbs. on the sled.

"How the hell are you going to lift that?" he asked.

"With intensity, man, with intensity!" I replied.

I got into the sled and did my repetitions.  When I finished he started to ask me a bunch of questions about my workout.  He asked how many more sets of leg press I had and when I informed him that I had none left he was shocked.  He couldn't understand how a 1 set for each exercise workout could possibly do anything for me.  We talked a bit and it turned out that he also does a full body workout, but does the standard high volume method.

Interestingly, Craig asked if he could join me in my workout, saying that he had just started his lifting routine for the day and was intrigued by my workout plan.  I took 15 minutes to explain to Craig how the H.I.T. workout functions.  I explained that he would need to use extreme intensity when doing his lifts.  I explained that he would need to take things to failure.

We worked out together.  He used far less weight than me on every single exercise despite being about 20 years younger than me and about 10 pounds heavier than me (muscular, not fat).  When the workout was over, Craig stated that he was amazed at how difficult it was.  He couldn't believe that he had only done one set per exercise and had still gotten a beating!

He watched me at the end of the workout do my deadlifts.  Once again I set up 300 lbs. on the bar and tore off 8 repetitions.  I explained to him that the amount you can lift depends alot upon the form you use in doing it.  After about 10 minutes I did another rep with the 300 lbs. just to show him what I meant.  I've learned that I get my best lifts when I get into position for the deadlift and then drop my butt down so that it is just about touching my calves.  I then drive my feet straight down into the ground and the bar comes up like it weighs nothing at all.

Win a body building competition in my age division

For a long time I've wanted to be in a body building competition. However, I am not interested in competing, I want to win.  Thus, I am training to win I am not training to compete.  Carlos DeJesus is assisting me with my training plan.  Currently I am bulking, so I am in a muscle growing stage.  I will eventually cut down fat later, but really I am surprised at how little fat I've gained during this phase.  My goal is to go to the competition in August 2009 and win my age division.  Yes, I will be #1 in my age division.  Once I win my age division I will set a new goal to win the entire competition.  I know, I know, I'm 43 years old and who am I to think I can win a competition, but I'm telling you it is going to happen.

That brings me to a point I'd like to make.

Publish a paper book on fitness

I am planning to take everything I've learned in the past 365 days and compile a physical book on the topic of fitness and weight training.  I will share all of the results I've gotten from various experiments.  I will share some unique ideas that I have come up with in my quest for a better, leaner body.  The techniques I will reveal in this book will help anyone gain the results they are looking for.  The idea will be simplicity in action.  No more information overload.  I will give you a clear and concise plan for getting the results you want.  The content will come from everything I have learned.  I will leave nothing out.  Every secret I know will be included.  It should be fun to write and even more fun to read.