[n88tr]

eh, some days are better than others. here at the dungeon, you guys see all the sides of me.... some of them aren't so pretty. yeah im trying to line up an appt with my old psychologist, we'll see how that goes.

6-3 tuesday, today

800 am, up

830
1 packet oatmeal
30 g slice chicken
3 CLA, 1 multivitamin

1100
3 heads of broccoli [like a handful]
1 scoop syntha-6

130
2 slices oatnut bread [not whole wheat but not enriched white either]
30 g slice chicken

225
1 scoop syntha-6

250, workout, bis

pec deck warmup
2x15 75 lbs [barely felt it]

cable curls, straight bar attachment
1x8 70 lbs
1x8 90 lbs
1x8 60 lbs

concentration curls [1 set for each arm but 2 sets total]
2x8 30 lbs
2x8 25 lbs [some forced reps at the end]
2x8 25 lbs [some forced reps at the end, **** did i feel weak!]

single arm cable curls [3 sets for left arm, 3 sets for right arm, 6 in all]
6x8 30 lbs

-- i wanted to do preacher curls early on but some guy was already there [he's small but built, he's ALWAYS at the Y, he must come every day]. I had to wait around.

cable row [light because of my back]
2x10 30 lbs

preacher curl [was open]
1x8 45 lbs
3x8 35 lbs

post
4 teaspoons honey
1 scoop syntha-6

stretches

-- this was the worst workout i've had in a while, idk why it was so bad, i guess just a lot of stress. tomorrow i'll hit calves again, try for more sets at the same weight.

[n88tr]

6-4 weds, calves

leg press toe press [90* model]
2x15 100 lbs [warmup sets]

seated calf raises
1x8 45 lbs
3x8 90 lbs

leg press toe press [90* model]
2x8 310 lbs
2x8 200 lbs
1x8 200 lbs, left leg
1x8 200 lbs, right leg

seated calf raises
1x8 180 lbs [too much weight, not a proper contraction]
2x8 135 lbs

leg press toe press [traditional model]
2x8 245 lbs
2x8 315 lbs
2x8 445 lbs

seated calf raises
4x8 90 lbs

post
mouthful squirt of honey
1 scoop syntha6

-- i changed up my post, i was usually feeling pretty out of it, lethargic, not a good enough insulin spike and this was much better. it was probably 5 tablespoons instead of my usual 2.

-- my lower back hurts a little when i did the traditional leg press for the raises, idk why. i adjust the seat all over the place and my ass and lower back are firmly on the seat but i get a lot of pressure on my lower. they must of moved the machine around when they re-organized the weight room a few months ago, something got messed up with the leg press machine. anyway, i think i'll def stay away from the leg press, stay with the 90* [the asertek is a degree symbol, btw] leg press model but i am limited in the amount of weight i can use.

i can only use the max amount of 322 lbs on the 90* model and that kinda sucks because i'm doing about half of my usual max [i don't mean 1 or 2 rep max, i mean my usual 6-9 reps range. i use heavy weight and the normal reps. since my back injury i've learned my lesson about not doing 1-2 super heavy reps just for the heck of it]. and more about this: while doing toe presses, i never really felt the calves working a lot, it does on the negative but not on the way up... idk if it's worth doing half the exercise just to feel it in the negative?? help me out here guys.

i only feel my calves straining in the seated raises, but even then i don't get a full raise, but i do def feel the tension and the muscle working when i do the raises. i get about 1/2 way up but the tension is still very much there. is this good enough??

[mr_bhana]

Try pausing at the bottom of the movement for like 2 secs and hold it for another 2 secs at the top

[n88tr]

for which exercise? i posted i had troubles with the leg press and the seated raise...

[Zack]

that's pretty much general for any exercise man. u can do it with anything

[mr_bhana]

Yup any calf excercise or any excercise but i wouldnt try it on heavy squats or Bench IMO lol

[n88tr]

yeah, i already pause before negative movement, but OK. nm, that's not what i meant when i asked the question, but it's ok.

6-5, thurs quads + hams [lower]
-- going for volume this time, not so much on the weight-end of things

816pm
1 scoop syntha6

835
1 scoop noexplode [starting up this and creatine again, it's been almost 1.5 months off]

seated leg curl
2x15 50 lbs [warm up]

leg extensions
2x15 70 lbs [warm up]

hack squat
3x9 100 lbs
3x9 160 lbs
3x9 200 lbs

leg extensions
2x9 150 lbs
2x9 100 lbs
3x9 50 lbs

leg curl
1x7 200 lbs [just an ego trip, but they were clean reps]
3x9 100 lbs

leg curl [singles]
1x9 60 lbs left leg
1x9 60 lbs right leg
1x9 40 lbs left leg
1x9 40 lbs right leg
1x9 40 lbs left leg
1x9 40 lbs right leg

seated leg curl [burnout sets]
1x7 120 lbs
1x8 100
1x9 80 lbs
1x10 60 lbs
1x12 40 lbs

stretches

post
mouthful squirt of honey [from my squeeze bottle]
1 scoop syntha6 mixed w/ 1 teaspoon creatine

-- i shortened my rest times to 20-25 seconds, i got a decent sweat going. i've not sweated with just weights in a while, it felt good to sweat good again. the workout was a lot more intense, i like it better this way.

-- i fried my hams on the single leg curls, they were very intense. i went to near failure, but complete failure on the burnout sets where i used the leg curl machine.

-- i just wanted to make it clear again, i'm starting up noxplode and the creatine again, a new cycle.

-- i went in late in the day to avoid the crowds, the Y was nearly empty, it was an excellent workout!

today is friday, i plan on hitting cardio if my quads don't fail on me, lol and do light back and heavy forearms. my physical therapist says i need to strengthen up my back, but do VERY LIGHT weight and only a few sets, like 2-3. I do a lot of cable work for my back so i'll do some rows and stuff. i'll make up a list later on.

[n88tr]

I fried my hams with all those squats but it was good, i think, to mix up the workout, it was getting a bit stagnant, imo. The heavy leg curls weren't so hard, i honestly wasn't expecting to do the full stack but i got a few good ones in and i wasn't trying for 1 or 2 reps, i'm over that ego game. i got in 5 or 6 with great form but the last 2, i think i remember correctly, my form was OK but not perfect as it always is.

The weight wasn't a lot on the squats but just all the sets, 9 in all, wiped me out only half way through my workout, it took a lot of inner strength to get the last exercises done but since i cut my rest times down a lot, it was great fun getting it all done.

I hobbled around home [trying not to let my parents see me] for 3 days but yesterday i went back for a crack at my triceps. here's that workout. i had another physical therapy session earlier today at 830 am. Not much got done there, just keeping the weights light, lots of stretches, keeping form and safety a top priority. I will hit my bis and chest today, around 2 pm. I'm thinking of more volume but ditching the preacher curl for something else, i'll have to look over my exercises list. i've not benched at the Y because their equipment is funny but i'll give it a go today, gotta settle in sometime!

6-8, sunday, triceps

230 pm [i believe]
1 scoop snytha6
1 medium banana [trying something different]

255
1 scoop noxplode

300 workout

tricep extension machine
3x9 40 lbs [warm up sets]

tricep overhead db extensions
6x9 12 lbs [3 sets for left arm, 3 sets for right arm]
6x9 15 lbs ["as above"]

tricep 1-arm cable pressdowns
2x9 30 lbs [1 set left arm, 1 set right arm]
2x9 40 lbs ["as above"]
2x9 50 lbs [1 set for right arm, 30lbs on the left arm, it's a lot weaker]

tricep overhead db extensions
2x9 12 lbs [1 set left arm, 1 set right arm]
2x9 15 lbs ["as above"]
2x9 15 lbs [1 set for right arm, moved down to 12 lbs left arm]

tricep rope pressdowns
1x9 80 lbs [i couldn't get a grip on the rope for w/e reason, so i used the v-attachment]
1x9 70 lbs
1x9 60 lbs
1x9 50 lbs

tricep extension machine [not much steam left]
1x9 50 lbs
1x9 40 lbs
1x9 30 lbs
2x9 50 lbs

tricep 1-arm cable pressdowns [going to full muscular failure]
4x9 30 lbs [2 sets left arm, 2 sets right arm]
4x9 40 ["as above"]

post
mouthful squirt of honey
1 scoop syntha6

stretches [very soon after post]

-- I really hit the tris hard but not as much weight as i would've wanted, but i am more concerned about getting full failure after volume than hitting failure after pushing too hard with a lot of weight.

[n88tr]

6-9, mon bis and chest

1245
1 blueberry muffin
1 slice 12 grain bread
30 grams chicken breast

215
1 scoop syntha6

240
2 scoops noxplode [up from 1 the previous two times]

bis and chest

seated cable bench press
2x15 30 lbs [warm up sets]

pec dec
1x9 70 lbs
1x9 80 lbs
1x9 90 lbs
1x9 100 lbs

cable curls w/ straight bar
1x9 40 lbs
1x9 50 lbs
1x9 60 lbs
1x9 70 lbs

seated cable bench press
1x9 30 lbs
1x9 35 lbs
1x9 40 lbs
1x9 45 lbs

concentration curls
2x9 25 lbs[1 set for left arm, 1 set for right arm]
2x9 30 lbs ["as above", some forced reps near the end of each set]

db flat bench press
4x9 30 lbs

1-arm cable curls
4x8 30 lbs [2 sets left arm, 2 sets right arm]
4x8 40 lbs ["as above," left arm is a lot weaker than right, really hard reps]

concentration curls
4x9 20 lbs [about 1/4th of the reps were forced]

pec dec [till failure in chest and arm grip]
1x8 80 lbs
1x8 90 lbs
1x8 100 lbs

post
1 mouthful squirt honey
1 scoop sythna6 [forgot to add creatine...]

stretches soon after post

-- i brought a lock and all i have to lock up is an extra pencil for my worklog little notebook and my bottle of honey. lol, honey locked up... i think it's funny.

I didn't shoot for heavy weights, but i think I got a good amount of volume done.

I'll hit calves tomorrow and get on the bike again, since i fried my hams doing the volume squats i've not done cardio, i want to get back to that again. i can't really describe very well but i guess it's simplest to say that i love working through the burning i get in my calves... i just hope i can handle the same high volume as last time. i plan to get in 6 sets minimum for each workout, hit those bastards hard. they're starting to look a little better, more mass and definition.

I ran out of casein so I found some no fat cottage cheese. the highest protein count i could find was 13 g per serving. it says 1/2 a cup is a serving so i'm taking in 3/4 a cup before bed w/ my almonds and CLA pills. I've taken to taking 3 CLA in the morning and then the other 3 before bed...

I've not been doing any specific volume workout for the back [due to physical therapy sessions and his professional recommendations] or the shoulders. I've stayed away from shrugs which i miss doing because they hit the lats and traps and those extend into the back and i'm slowly trying to ease back in to the back, with 2-3 sets of LOW weight [i'm talking like 10-30 lbs here]. i miss shrugging 160 lbs but that'll come later, i think probably winter of this year, or maybe my birthday, which is jan 14th.

[n88tr]

Everything's going great, just wanted to say that.

I bought a digital camera today, something relatively cheap [$170] with 7.2 megapixels and tons of options i'll never use but it works good and i took some pics outside [really sunny but not too hot], some of the housecat, and two of my right calve, which i'm kinda proud of. It's not pro size but it's grown a lot since i first started weight training... my left one isn't bad but it's not as good as my right. my whole right side of my body, arms included, is stronger then my left, even though i write with my left hand... anyways. i wanted to show off a few pics, so here we go.

And oh yeah, i'm doing heavy and volume workout for the calves later today, around 7-8 pm, after all the dumb crowds that pack the Y are gone. I posted it earlier but i'll say it again, i don't feel any real tension in my calves on the 90 degree or traditional leg press doing toe presses so i'm going to focus more on the seated raises and try to do some standing calf raises w/ a pair of dbs. wish me balance luck... my balance is real good actually but when weight is involved it sometimes gets difficult, if you know what i mean.

i couldn't figure out how to post an image and have it link to a larger image so you're stuck with links and descriptions:

First pic of my right calve
http://n88tr.net/temp/right1.jpg

Second pic of my right calve
http://n88tr.net/temp/right2.jpg

Some of my mom's peonies, pink
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers1.jpg

More peonies, but inside the house in a vase
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers2.jpg

A white iris
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers3.jpg

A red poppy
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers4.jpg

Yet another peony, sort of maroon-purplish
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers5.jpg

The swamp area, not close to the house but not far either
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers6.jpg

A giant mushroom in one of the mulched beds
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers7.jpg

A purple iris
http://n88tr.net/temp/flowers8.jpg

The family cat, Jane, looking unamused
http://n88tr.net/temp/jane1.jpg

[n88tr]

6-10, tues calves

845
3 scoops noxplode [jumped up the dosage]

850 pm

90 degree leg press toe press [to exhaust the calves, warmup sets]
2x15 100 lbs [both legs]
1x15 100 lbs [left leg]
1x15 100 lbs [right leg]

90 degree leg press toe press [working sets from now on]
1x12 150 lbs [left leg]
1x12 150 lbs [right leg]
1x8 200 lbs [left leg]
1x8 200 lbs [right leg]
1x8 250 lbs [left leg]
1x8 250 lbs [right leg]

-- i'm trying to exhaust my calves to get ready for the seated raises, where i do feel a positive contraction and muscle tension

seated calf raises
1x8 25 lbs
1x8 45 lbs
1x8 70 lbs
1x8 90 lbs
1x8 180 lbs
1x8 135 lbs

90 degree leg press toe press
6x10 322 lbs [both legs]

seated calf raises
2x8 90 lbs
2x8 70 lbs
2x8 80 lbs

post
mouthful squirt honey
1 scoop syntha6 and 1 teaspoon creatine

stretches

-- i wasn't pressed for time but i should've gotten in a little bit earlier, the Y closes at 10 pm.

I wasn't able to go to complete muscular failure, i think I needed to do more sets with the heavy 90 degree leg press toe press, perhaps 9 sets instead of 6. Next time i'll come in earlier and be more prepared. No burn, so not a great workout, good but not great.

It sucks i'm limited in the weight i can do for the toe presses, w/o going to the traditional-angled leg press which puts stress on my lower back for some reason. I wish i could pin on a 45 plate to the 90 degree model, it might be a challenge then, but 322 is nothing, i barely feel it.

Today, wens, is my complete day off. Thurs I'll do light back and cardio, and friday i'll do hams and quads, a bit less volume then last time.

[Zack]

a whole day for calves? dude....what?

[n88tr]

i don't know...

since i can't work on my back with any seriousness, shoulders and traps included, i have a lot of spare gym days... so a calf day.. why not?

[Zack]

just seems a waste to just use 1 day for calves. u could add in traps and forearms and have like a detail day i guess haha

[Blitzkrieg]

He said he can't do traps, I know calves is like your favorite bodypart but I still feel you could add something else in there, just my opinion. Maybe some core work?

[Zack]

well if he can't do **** with his back then wouldn't core be affected too? and essentially if shoulders are ****ed up then how are u doing chest and other exercises?

[Blitzkrieg]

Oh that's right lol

[n88tr]

i should add in abs for the calves day, yeah that'd be a good idea.

for chest i don't go as heavy as i really want but can't risk, i offset weight for volume... i miss flying 170 but those days will come again. like i said, i cant do traps or much shoulder work either due to the back injury.

i need to build up the back again, so there is a better proportion of the muscles b/c currently my chest is over-muscled as compared to my back, and my physical therapist is concerned about that.

idk if i'll build any muscle using just 30 or 50 w/e pounds when doing pulldowns and cable rows but we'll see. i'm just so ****ing afraid to hurt myself but i dont want to go too light and have nothing grow... i voiced my opinion to him, Steve, but he just told me to "go heavy enough so i can feel them muscles working and stay there and if any pain starts, stop immediately." seems like solid advice?

[Blitzkrieg]

I'm by no means a physical therapist, but I can assure you you're not gonna grow pulling 50 lbs.

You need to get recovered asap, if stopping all training is what it takes to get back to 100% then do it. Half-assed efforts will only get you more frustrated.

[n88tr]

well i got to start somewhere, and if it's 50 lbs, that's where it's gonna be.

[Zack]

up the weight til u feel a smidge of pain, then u know where ur threshold is at the moment

[n88tr]

Originally Posted by ZackKnight

up the weight til u feel a smidge of pain, then u know where ur threshold is at the moment

that's what i plan on doing. ty anyway.

[n88tr]

6-12, thurs, back and forearms

preworkout, 5 mins prior
3 scoops noxplode

cable row [warmup sets]
3x10 80 lbs

lat pulldowns, wide grip
2x10 50 lbs

lat pulldowns, close grip
2x10 62 lbs

seated cable row
1x10 60 lbs

seated cable row, 1-arm torso twist
2x10 40 lbs [1 set left arm, 1 set right arm]

seated cable row
1x10 60 lbs

seated cable row, 1-arm torso twist
2x10 40 lbs [1 set left arm, 1 set right arm]

db wrist curls
2x12 12 lbs [1 set left arm, 1 set right arm]
2x10 20 lbs ["as above"]
2x10 30 lbs ["as above"]
2x10 25 lbs ["as above"]

post
mouthful squirt honey
1 scoop syntha6 w/ 1 teaspoon creatine

40 mins stationary bike LI [the ****ing machine only goes to 30 mins, i had to reset it and do another 10 min session]

stretches

-- i went light on the back, first time on my own in the gym doing back in about 2.5 months. i was gonna do 1-arm db rows but skipped it, no need to go overboard. next time i'll do those and skip something else, keep it switched up a bit.

i was gonna do some track laps with the farmers walk but i got about 25 feet done and a supervisor told me not to... there's no where else to do the walk... unless i got on a treadmill and did it really slow, but they probably wouldn't like that either... i'm gonna have to think about that one some more, where i could do it...

a decent workout, no pain and i was paying very close attention to each rep, if i felt any pain but i didnt so it was good. it'll be interesting to see if i get any DOMS on fri or sat. friday, tomorrow, i plan on doing heavy reps medium sets [4 or 5 sets max instead of 8, 9] of hams and quads, get back on the leg press and leg ext machine, i've been missing those.

[n88tr]

6-13 friday, quads and hams

120 pm
1 scoop syntha6 [ran out but i ordered some more yesterday from orbit]

140
3 scoops noxplode

145
5 mins stationary bike, warmup

leg extensions
2x8 100 lbs
2x8 150 lbs

hack squat
2x8 50 lbs [too light but i was taking it gingerly since my last 9 sets]
2x8 100 lbs
2x8 140 lbs

leg press [i made the seat more of a 90 degree, it helped A LOT]
2x8 245 lbs
2x8 445 lbs

seated leg curl machine
2x8 100 lbs
2x8 90 lbs
2x8 80 lbs

laying leg curl machine
2x8 100 lbs
1x10 40 lbs [5 reps left leg, 5 reps right leg]
1x20 30 lbs [10 reps left leg, 10 reps right leg]

db shrugs [weight is combined]
2x8 70 lbs
2x8 90 lbs

hack squat [finisher sets, near failure]
3x10 120 lbs

post
mouthful squirt honey
1 scoop syntha6, 1 teaspoon creatine

stretches

-- i didn't want to go to complete failure, nor go all that heavy since i did a bit of both last time. I also went light on the shrugs, just testing out my back and what it can handle. again, i'll see how if anything, my back feels worse or neutral after a few days.

tomorrow i'll take off but for cardio, sunday i think i'll hit chest and bis. monday will be tris and i'll work in abs and cardio. i also have my psychiatrist appointment on monday...

[mr_bhana]

WOs look good, hope youre back is recovering well

What are you seeing the psychiatrist for?

[n88tr]

Originally Posted by mr_bhana

WOs look good, hope youre back is recovering well

Back is doing better, yeh, but its still a long road ahead of me.

Originally Posted by mr_bhana

What are you seeing the psychiatrist for?

This and that, mostly deviant thoughts and low self-esteem.

[Zack]

that's good man. im happy that ur seeing him/her. it'll be good for ya

[n88tr]

I'm so bummed that all my heroes are on gear... who are my role models now??

BTW does it help or hurt my potential gains by switching up my exercises like i do? Like i always used to do preacher curls but now i'm doing cable curls instead, and less concentration curls and more hammer curls... some people say more variety is better... i'd like to get the dungeon's opinion.

[robbyybt]

Originally Posted by n88tr

BTW does it help or hurt my potential gains by switching up my exercises like i do? Like i always used to do preacher curls but now i'm doing cable curls instead, and less concentration curls and more hammer curls... some people say more variety is better... i'd like to get the dungeon's opinion.

It depends how often you switch them up, a month or two is good and will help with progression but every 2 weeks or so will do more damage than good imo.

[Zack]

did u seriously think u could be 296lbs and 3% body fat?