Fitness Exposé

Bodybuilding Secrets Exposed

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Articles
    • Training
    • Diet & Fat Loss
    • Supplements
    • Experiment
    • News
    • Resources
    • Reviews
    • Contest Prep
  • Podcast
    • Fitness Freedom
  • Coming!
You are here: Home / Archives for Fitness

Rest 4.5:D4 (D404) Busy busy day!

December 3, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

Today was an extremely busy day for me with work.  I had to get a copy of our software out to the testing team for them to test the latest changes to the software.  Once the testing is done we will either put the build out to the entire company or send it back to development for bug fixes.  With the new process I implemented a month ago wherein the business user who made the change request is involved in unit testing, I think we will have a good chance of this build passing the QA process.  There are alot of important changes to the software contained within this build.

I actually got alot of work done today.  My focus was intense and I just kept knocking things off my task list all day long.  It was a non-stop productive day.

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today was the second round of testing to set repetitions for my M5.  Testing went well.
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

Focus will bring about great results in everything you do.
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

How do you utilize focus to get results?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

M34 Focus

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Filed Under: Fitness, Old Blog Entries

Rest 4.5:D3 (D403) Delays

December 2, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

As I woke up this morning I realized that it would not be wise to do another test round today as I had just done one on Sunday.  Thus, I went to the gym and did a cardio session.  I managed to get in an interval session for 30 minutes on the bike.

I spent my morning drive on the phone with Carlos DeJesus. We were discussing evidence of success and what qualifies.  The discussion, as always, was awesome.  Carlos told me about his cardio circuit.  We discussed how many people Carlos has trained to a successful result.  He can point to many different success stories as a result of his training.  People like Carlos don't need to brag because they have the evidence to back them up.  To me, this is a key indicator of who to listen to.

Anyone can come out and espouse a certain idea, but can they back up what they say?  If not, why should anyone listen to them?  Ideas are easy to come by, but the facts to back them up is another story.  To me, if there are no facts then I can't listen.

Carlos has done what most of the internet gurus have not.  Carlos has trained champions.  Carlos himself is a champion.  Something tells me that Carlos is not done training champions. 

I realized at one point during our telephone conversation that without Carlos I would probably never have tried High Intensity Training.  I would not have seen the gains I recently saw.  Life in the gym would have been extremely different.  With a coach like Carlos in my corner, the only thing stopping me from winning that body building competition during the summer will be me.  All other factors have lined up perfectly.  Thank you, Carlos, for your instruction, friendship, motivation, guidance and mentorship.  As you stated, when we mentor someone we don't mentor them towards dependence, but towards independence.  Thank you for teaching me the "how" and "why" behind things.

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today was an interval cardio session for 30 minutes.
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

Who you listen to determines how far you will go.
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Who are your "gurus" for fitness and why?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

M33 Stupidity

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Filed Under: Fitness, Old Blog Entries

M4.5 (D402) Testing is over (or is it?)

December 1, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

I completed my testing for my M5 workout plan today.  I followed the directions in the book Carlos DeJesus had me purchase and read.  After completing the testing I started thinking about the workout plan and the sheets I had set up.  I realized that I had only tested for half of the exercises.  This prompted a question to Carlos, who answered in the way I expected, but feared at the same time.  Carlos said that I have to test for all the exercises in the program.

You see, this program is quite unique.  Normally you are told "do 6 to 10 repetitions for your upper body and 8 to 12 repetitions for your lower body."  This means that for an upper body exercise you are looking for a weight that you can handle at least 6 times, but not more than 10 times.  If you hit or exceed 10 repetitions you are to increase your weight on that exercise.  With this program that isn't what happens.  You test yourself for every exercise in the program.  This determines your optimal rep range for each exercise in the program.  Thus, according to my own results, when I do my bench press, I should aim for 6 to 8 repetitions. On bicep curls I should aim for 5 to 7 repetitions.  Both are upper body exercises, but both have different repetition ranges.

Tomorrow I will go back into the gym and test myself for the final half of the exercises in the program.  I am excited about this program because it not only has some different exercises, the approach is a bit different as well.  Watch my workout logs as M5 progresses for more on this concept.

I thought I would mention that during M4 I managed to increase the combined weight of all my exercises by 1,115 lbs.  This was all done in just 12 weeks of working out.  It is all due to hard work and the principles I've been taught by Carlos DeJesus.  The application of these principles is exactly what drives the results.  The principles cannot be argued with.  They work PERIOD.  If you still have doubts, then I submit that perhaps you have your head in the sand. 

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today I did my testing for the exercises I will be doing in M5.  I am not going to log this workout in the blog today.  Suffice to say it was an intense workout. 
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

Principles are the concepts that make up the foundation for any program.  They should be the kinds of things that just cannot be argued.
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

Have you bothered to consider the principles behind the programs you have been using?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

M32 Work the plan and the plan will work

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Filed Under: Fitness, Old Blog Entries

Rest 4.5: Rest Begins and Goals Flow

November 30, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

I named the next 8 days "Rest 4.5" because it is a rest period that takes place between M4 and M5 (11/29/2008 thru 12/6/2008).  This will be an active rest period meaning that I will continue my cardio and my abdominal training.  I am merely letting my body rest from weight training.  The one exception is that tomorrow I will be doing a test workout to determine the rep ranges for the various exercises I will be using during M5. The concept that Carlos DeJesus has thrown my way is extremely scientific in that it asks you to figure out your own personal high and low repetition range for each exercise prior to beginning the program.  This insures that you are working at your optimal range for each workout.  The concept is simple:  (1) determine your 1 rep maximum; (2) rest 5 minutes; (3) do a set to complete failure with 80% of your 1 rep maximum; (4) add 15% to the number of repetitions you did in #3 and that becomes your high end of the range; (5) subtract 15% from the number of repetitions that you did in #3 and that becomes your low end of the range.  As an example, if you can do 200 lbs. on the bench press as  your 1 rep maximum, you would use 160 lbs. for your test set.  If you were able to complete 8 repetitions with 160 lbs. you would then use 9 for your high end and 7 as your low end, so for bench press you would aim to hit a minimum of 7 repetitions and when you were able to do 9 repetitions it would be time to add some weight and start over.  I love the concept and can't wait to see how things workout.

 

# Goal
1 Add 10 lbs. of lean body mass
2 Increase biceps 0.5"
3 Increase thighs 1.0"
4 Increase calves 1.0"
5 Reduce abdominal area 2.0"
6 Increase chest 1.0"
7 Increase forearms 0.5"
8 Reduce body fat 1.0%
9 Average increase in strength across all exercises of 60%
10 Increase deadlifts to 390 lbs. x 10
11 Increase bench press to 220 lbs. x 8
12 Increase curls to 100 lbs. x 12
13 Increase squat to 300 lbs. x 10
14 Foam rolling entire body daily
15 100% accountability log compliance
16 Daily blog entry
17 Weekly video podcast
18 Cardio 5 times per week
19 1 mile time on treadmill down to 7:00
20 3 mile time on treadmill down to 25:00

The weight lifting program will be a High Intensity Training program that will run for 10 complete weeks.  It will have certain body part focuses on various weeks.  The aim is to spur growth in lagging body parts.  This is accomplished through some special supersets that are interspersed into the H.I.T. workouts.  I am dying to give this a try because supersets combined with H.I.T. is going to be incredibly intense to say the least!

M5 will end on Valentine's Day 2009.  My PRW for this mission is to be in the greatest shape of my life for my wife on Valentine's Day. 

Accountability During M5

As this is an accountability blog, I would expect my readers to hold me accountable for my goals and actions during M5 (and any other mission).  Your comments spur me on.  The knowledge that I must let you all know what I'm doing keeps me focused on the end result.  Thus, I need your help in holding me accountable.  Public accountability is just the kind of positive pressure I will need as I prepare to win my bodybuilding competition this coming summer.  I am expecting this positive pressure from my readers.

 

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Today was a one hour steady state cardio session.  I walked on the treadmill for the entire time. 
 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

Having a goal in mind is one of the keys to success when going through a transformation. 
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

How often do you reevaluate and redefine your goals?  Comment this post to answer the question. 
 

 
  

M31 Planning for Getting Big

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Filed Under: Fitness, Old Blog Entries

M4:D100 (D400) The Muscle Building Fat Burning Machine – Results Speak for Themselves!

November 29, 2008 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

  

What's on my mind today?

Average Increase in Weight Lifted (across all exercises):  52%

Thigh Extension Increase in Weight Lifted:  32%
Deadlift Increase in Weight Lifted:  27%
Thigh Curl Increase in Weight Lifted:  57%
Calf Raises Increase in Weight Lifted:  204%
Squat Increase in Weight Lifted:  46%
Quad Blaster Increase in Weight Lifted:  117%
Pullover Increase in Weight Lifted:  40%
Bench Press Increase in Weight Lifted:  13%
Overhead Press Increase in Weight Lifted:  13%
Seated Cable Row Increase in Weight Lifted:  30%
Curls Increase in Weight Lifted:  78%
Triceps Increase in Weight Lifted:  38%
Laterals Increase in Weight Lifted:  40%
Shrugs Increase in Weight Lifted:  24%
Pulldown Increase in Weight Lifted:  20%

H.I.T. Cycle #1 – 9/8/2008 thru 11/28/2008
Exercise 9/8/2008 11/28/2008 Difference
Body Weight 215 lbs. 227 lbs. +12 lbs.
Body Fat % 16.79% 15.01% -1.78%
LBM 178.91 lbs. 192.93 lbs. +14.02 lbs.
Fat Lbs. 36.09 lbs. 34.07 lbs. -2.02 lbs.
Left Bicep 14" 15" +1"
Right Bicep 14" 15" +1"
Left Thigh 25" 27" +2"
Right Thigh 25.25" 27.25" +2"
Abs 42.5" 40" -2.5"
Chest 42" 44" +2"
Left Forearm 11.5" 12.5" +1"
Right Forearm 12" 13.75" +1.75"

 
Find out what I'm doing to my body!


 
Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!

I have become a muscle building fat burning machine and I won't ever turn back.
 
Get a discussion started by answering the question!

What are you currently doing to turn yourself into a muscle building fat burning machine?  Comment this post to answer the question.
 

 
  

Mission 2, Day 100: The end…of Mission 2 that is!

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

Related Posts:

  • No Related Posts

Filed Under: Fitness, Old Blog Entries

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 49
  • 50
  • 51
  • 52
  • 53
  • …
  • 166
  • Next Page »

News

Toronto Pro Supershow 2016

June 12, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

IFBB Arnold Africa 2016

June 9, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

IFBB California Pro 2016

June 5, 2016 By Michael Mahony, ISSA CPT Leave a Comment

Coming Soon!

Featured Video

Regaining Focus!

Find out what I am doing to regain my focus.

We Recommend

Increase the internal rotation of your shoulder with the Rotater

New eBook!

Copyright © 2025 by Fitness Expose