Today was the last day of lifting for the week.  What an intense week of lifting it has been.  As I think back, I cannot think of a week of lifting that has been as intense and strenuous as this one.  It has been one amazing week.  Things were accomplished that I believed were not possible.  I've been shredding hard and the nutritional element has been close to perfect this week.  What a powerful thing a reveal is!

I spent 3 hours in battle today.  I was helping a friend remove a virus from their computer called Vundo.  It is a particularly stubborn virus.  While it is classified as a medium threat, it basically renders the computer useless.  It took three different tools to remove the virus from the computer.  When I was done I felt like someone had beaten me in my traps.  It was then that it hit me–DOMs from the deadlift workout.  I always feel it in my traps.

Yes, what a week.  I am going to have a hard time beating this week next week, but I will do it.

Accountability Log:

Nutrition Log:

Workout Log:

What a workout!  It is a real trip to lift 185 pounds over my head.  There is something to be said for wave loading.  It really makes my body want to lift extra heavy and that's a great thing.

Thought for the Day:

When faced with your own failures, never give up. Push yourself to achieve success.  Remember that success doesn't happen overnight.  It is the result of a string of events that come together to bring you success.  Work hard and go for what you want.

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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I starting reading a book called “Reclaim Your Native Fitness” by Dr. Barry Sears.  He bases his entire book on a program called PACE©.  I have gotten through half the book and plan to do a review of it shortly.  I find his comments interesting and fairly compelling at this point.

Today was an awesome workout (see workout log below).  I am continuing to feel the DOMs from my Monday workout.  I can now see why, after several months of doing 2 workouts twice a week, the New Rules of Lifting program has changed up so that I have 4 workouts to do once a week.  I am going to need a week to recover from that Monday workout.  Today my chest DOMs set in as well.

I have a great podcast planned for Saturday release.  It should be fun.

Accountability Log:

Nutrition Log:

Workout Log:

I felt like a giant doing deadlifts greater than 300 pounds.  8 months ago I could barely get 100 pounds up off the ground and here I am doing 3 times that.  Determination is a huge factor  in a successful lifting program.  I am determined to hit my goals!

Thought for the Day:

When you think you have everything figured out, stop and think again.  Every decision we make has a lasting effect on the rest of our life.  Don't think you have it all figured out because that's when everything changes, forcing you to make new decisions that could steer you in the wrong direction.  Pay attention!

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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Wow!  I haven't felt this way in a very long time.  I did a massive workout on Monday where I obliterated my previous personal bests on my squats.  I am still very proud of my 335 pound squat and can't wait until this coming Monday to see what I can do the next time around.

Yesterday when I woke up I was very sore in my quads.  Today I am completely wasted.  My quads ache, my hammies are on fire, my glutes are sore in about 5 different spots and I can barely walk.  So how crazy am I that not only did that make me happy when I woke up, but I hit the gym and did HIIT on the elliptical?

I've been thinking alot about how you need to surround yourself with like-minded people to achieve success.  It permeates every aspect of life, but is especially true in a physique transformation.  Just looking at the Shredder Council, for instance, we were all drawn to Adam Waters because of his awesome physique transformation.  Initially that is what drew us together as a group.  As time wore on, we stuck together because we are like-minded.  I personally find it amazing how it has all worked out.

Accountability Log:

Nutrition Log:

Workout Log:

No mercy!  To hell with the DOMs, I hit the elliptical and hard.  30 seconds at 260 steps per minute followed by 30 seconds at 200 steps per minute.  My heart rate was at 85% the entire time.  I was completely out of breath when I was finished.

Thought for the Day:

Motivation is about pushing yourself to the limit.  It is about pushing youself when you could easily make excuses.  It is about working out even though you are hit by a massive case of DOMs.  Like all the Nike commercials proclaim–JUST DO IT!  That's the thought for today.

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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It is interesting.  As I slowly and gradually drop my carbs down towards a 10% ratio, I am finding it harder and harder to maintain energy on the 3rd day of low carbs.  Yesterday I felt pretty weak after my workout and today was no different.  Thankfully, it was a high carb day so I was able to refuel.

I had another massive workout.  As promised, this is the week of big workouts.  Tomorrow's workout sees the return of my favorite exercise–the deadlift!  I can't wait to attack that one and hard!  I plan to really shatter some records during this cycle of lifting.

It was an extremely busy day full of odd happenings.  I was really focused on work today.  Not alot more to report at this point.  I am planning my next podcast and plan to get it done soon.  This one is a video podcast, but I need to be sure it is under 10 minutes so that I can get it on YouTube.

Accountability Log:

Nutrition Log:

Workout Log:

Honestly, on the barbell bench press, I had more left in the tank and should have pushed the single rep sets up to a higher weight.  I will be upping the weight for sure next week.  The bent over row saw me hit a new max of 205 pounds.  I went a little lighter on the close-grip lat pulldown to focus on form.  I really want to thicken my back and doing this one correctly will help with that.  My back took quite a blasting today.

Thought for the Day:

Timing is everything.  Sometimes you don't even realize that it is time for something to happen, but then a realization comes over you and you know what you have to do.  You've figured out the timing.  That's what happened to me with the idea to do a reveal.  Debbie mentioned it in a comment and I thought it was a great idea.  I then realized that the timing was perfect for an April 1, 2008 reveal date.  The rest is history.

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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Are you trying to transform your physique?  If so, are you going massive?  If you aren't going massive don't expect things to change with your body.  Come on!  Push yourself to new heights, plunge to new depths and just generally give it everything you've got!

Today I had my first “wave loading” workout.  As I studied the workout this past weekend I wondered why they only choose to do the “wave loading” on a part of the workout and not on all of it and today I found out why.  I put my money where my mouth is today and went massive.  I shattered some personal bests and pushed myself so hard that as I sit here, my quads are quivering and I might not be sleeping upstairs tonight because I'm not sure I'm going to make it up the stairs!

The neurological effect was really pronounced during the workout.  I will discuss it more under the workout log portion below.  Suffice to say that the bait and switch was in full effect throughout the wave loading portion of the workout.

I keep preaching the same message and I'm hoping it gets through.  Why waste your time lifting if you aren't going to push yourself to the limit?  Take it from me–you can do more than you think you can.  You can lift more weight, push out more reps and complete more sets than your brain tells you.  If you don't believe me, go to the gym tomorrow and see where your brain says you are done and then, just for me, push yourself just a little farther.  I guarantee you will be surprised at how much more you can do when you push yourself like this.  If you try this, come back to my blog and post a comment letting me know how you did.

Accountability Log:

Nutrition Log:

Workout Log:

I approached this workout by clearing my mind of all doubts.  My weights are starting to get to the point that they blow my mind just thinking about how heavy they are.  That sometimes brings doubts.  I dispensed with those doubts and did some warm up sets of the empty bar, 95 pounds, 135 pounds and 225 pounds, all times 5 reps.  I then loaded up 275 pounds on the bar and went for it.  As I unracked the weight, I felt like it was a decent, but controllable weight.  I told myself to focus on proper form and to get the proper depth and see what would happen.  I got to 4 reps fairly easily and then had to dig in for the final 2.  As I hit the stop watch for my timed rest period, I realized that I had managed 6 reps at a pretty high weight.  I also could already feel it in my glutes and my hamstrings.  I had really focused on my hip drive during this set and it worked. 

I then looked at the weight on the bar and considered going up to 300 pounds, but since I'd done 290 x 4 in a recent workout (annd with 1-1/4 squats no less) I decided to slap a 25 pound plate on each side and just see what would happen.  325 pounds on your back when you weigh under 220 is just plain heavy feeling.  I unracked that weight and took exactly one step backward, got set and then went down.  I focused on a spot 6 feet in front of me, kept my chest up and went for the full depth.  I managed to get my legs to just below parallell and then drove my hips to get the weight back up.  Wow!  A major personal best.  That 1 rep squat goal of 350 pounds is looking realistic now! 

I went on to do 285 x 6 on the next set and then considered what to do about the final 1 rep max set.  I slapped the 25 pound plates on each side again, but that would bring the weight on the bar up to 335 pounds.  I had just completed a personal best and here I was thinking I could beat that already.   Well, as I like to say, push yourself until you think you are at your limit and then push yourself even harder.  Practicing what I preach, I took the 335 pounds off the rack and honestly, it felt lighter than the 325 pounds from the previous 1 rep max set.  Again, I focused on form and knocked out that rep.  What a killer feeling to push such a heavy weight.

I can't imagine what I will be lifting when this workout cycle ends, but I'm telling you, going massive was a rush.  The DOMs is already setting in big time and a little while ago I had to kneel down and my quads were shaking.  They are quivering as I sit here writing this entry.  What a rush though! 

Am I crazy?  I just wrote (above) that it is a rush to push my muscles to the point where they can't function.  That's what shredding hard will do to you.  You begin to really enjoy the pain you cause yourself in your workouts.

Thought for the Day:

For massive results you need massive workout habits.  This is not for the weak of heart, mind, body or soul.  The human body is capable of incredible things if you just believe in its capabilities.  Go for it!

Until tomorrow…GET BACK TO LIFTING!

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