Showing posts with label endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label endurance. Show all posts

August 18, 2011

Day 230: Masters of our Fate



MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

 





(Background Image taken by Jay Hilgert)




 I want for you to dream and imagine, know that ANYthing is possible if you want it enough, if you believe in that dream and in yourself, your ability to make it happen, the strength to go after it no matter what the sacrifices you might have to make, because you know in your heart of hearts that it is where you should and have to be, your vision, becoming.






July 25, 2011

Day 206: Comeback from a Nightmare

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don't give up on your dreams! You can reach them if YOU believe in YOURSELF! Find something you're passionate about and let it shine! Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way! Break the barrier and fight for what you truly love! It won't be easy, but you can take the obstacles and learn from that. Learn from it and move forward!" - Marzia Prince


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 16 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 8 min jogging

Shoulders/Hamstrings (1 min recovery between sets):
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 6 x 15, 12, 10, 8, 8, 8
2. BB Military Press 6 x 10
3. Single-Arm Lateral Raises 6 x 12 per side
4. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (BB to touch ground) 6 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 108-112 rpm

Stretch 21 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Actually, since I've been back training, sleep is slowly returning to normal, with 3-5-hour sleeping periods, sleep deep, quality, with dreaming.

Mood/Aggression: Mood is better now that I am training again.

Energy: Time off training really does a number on me re energy - one of the reasons why time off training is detrimental to me. But, now that I am back, I feel a lot better!

Mental Focus and Clarity: Strong. I have this week off work, so are going to use it to catch up on a lot of things, as well as make a huge dent in a few projects that I currently have in progress.

Quality of Training: Endurance and strength have not been affected by the time off training - if anything, it's better than it was before! Speed endurance is back, which is nice, and I don't feel like a dead weight when I am running now. Resistance training is the training that makes the difference to me, and I can see and feel the changes from being back already. Post-weights cardio has become a part of my Maintenance training, and is honestly the more important cardio for me to do.

Appetite: I have determined to stay with my modification of Lean Gains, since it has consistently shown me that this nutritional method is the one that gives me the best results.

Body Composition and Look: 8.9% bodyfat. I want to be ~8% bodyfat by July 31!

Other Notes: Now that I've been training for a week, it's time to return to my usual supplementation (in alphabetical order) -
Alpha-T2: 2 caps first thing and 2 caps ~8 hours post-Dose 1.
Assault: 1/3 serving Green Apple + 2/3 serving Blue Arctic Raspberry ~30 min pre-training.
Erase: 2 caps first thing, 2 caps 6-8 hours post-Dose 1, and 1 cap pre-bed.
IGF-2: 3 caps first thing .
MuscleGels (Tropical Mango and Key Lime flavours): 1-2 packets daily.
RecoverPRO (Red Raspberry flavour): 3 scoops 2-3 times daily.
Shred Matrix: 3 caps immediately post-training and either first thing/pre-bed or ~30 min pre-meal later in the day.
Topicals: ~150mg 7-KE Topical Spray pre-LipoBURN application twice daily.
Vitamin C: 1 gram first thing, 1 gram immediately post-training, and 1 gram pre-bed.

June 8, 2011

Day 159: Dare to be Different!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary." - Cecil Beaton


TRAINING

HIIT - Rollers:
a. 4 min in 39x18 @ 100 rpm
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
c. 12 min in 39x18 @ 104 rpm

Stretch 26 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: ~7 hours, waking only once.

Mood/Aggression: A few ups and downs, but nothing out of the ordinary, focusing on the positive and what is going well, working on changing anything I am not pleased with.

Energy: Seriously, for the last few days I have been as restless as hell, literally bouncing around the house with endless energy that I have to restrain.

Mental Focus and Clarity: My head is clear. Managing to get a lot done and sorted out.

Endurance: Normal. From now on, unless this changes, I probably won't comment on it.

Quality of Training: Sticking to plan and doing HIIT on the rollers. A little easier than in previous weeks, so next week, going to up my gears re efforts, and possibly pace as well for non-effort periods.

Recovery: Fresh. Amazing what the right combination of training, recovery, and nutrition can do.

June 4, 2011

Day 155: Share to Inspire

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I believe it is important for everybody to share their personal life successes and failures so that they may inspire others to do the same. If you can touch one life then it makes it all worth it, and who knows they may do the same creating a chain reaction!!!!!" - Ben Booker


TRAINING

Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 5 min.

Upper Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 20
2. Dips 4 x 10
Alternate Set B -
3. Alternate Hammer Bicep Curls 4 x 20 per side
4. Lateral Raises 4 x 15
Alternate Set C -
5. Plate Hammer Raises 4 x 10
6. Seated Rear Raises 4 x 10
Alternate Set D -
7. Push-Ups (feet on floor, hands fists) 4 x 15
8. Reverse Rows (feet on bench) 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6

Stretch 20 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: ~2 hours, and even then, tossing and turning. I went back to bed on waking, hoping to go back to sleep, but to no avail, especially since my insides felt like they were being torn asunder again

Mood/Aggression: Regardless, smiling and positive.

Energy: Honestly, I've had the most energy that I've had in a while - goes to show that the shorter sleeping periods work better for me (although not that short all the time).

Endurance: No worries here.

Pump: Unbelieveable from the second alternate set.

Vascularity: Rippling - nice; now STAY like this!

Quality of Training: Rollers, insides churning the entire time. Took a little time out to stretch afterwards, to let it settle a bit. It didn't, so just went into finishing off yesterday's resistance session, with all the Upper Body exercises, and actually had a pretty good session.

Recovery: I feel fresh.

Other Notes: More Shred Matrix arrived yesterday, so I started it, since this is another product that I definitely notice a difference with when I am not using it.

May 28, 2011

Day 148: Change You for YOU!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because you think someone else wants you to be different." - Stacey Charter


TRAINING

Cardio - Rollers:
a. 4 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm
b. 2 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
c. 4 min in 39x18 @ 104 rpm
d. 2 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
e. 4 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm
f. 2 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
g. 4 min in 39x18 @ 108 rpm
h. 2 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
i. 1 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 23 min.


COMMENTS

Mood/Aggression: Calm. Happy.

Energy: Surprisingly a lot.

Stress: I actually noted earlier that perhaps my decrease in stress has something to do with this week's fat loss progress, not just the change in nutrition and training - although, in saying that, I followed almost to the letter this week what I did the week my body composition decreased the most ever re nutrition and training, and I was highly stressed during that week, so probably 99% the nutrition and training manipulations.

Endurance: Good.

Quality of Training: I WAS just going to do an easy 20 minutes on the rollers today, but once I was on them I decided to chuck in a few efforts, since they are a LOT harder than sprints (at least, right now), and higher intensity cardio is always better for me.

Recovery: I feel GREAT!

May 27, 2011

[Mini] Review of AI Sport Nutrition's Maniac (Pink Lemonade flavour)

Along with my tub of Red Raspberry RecoverPRO were a couple of samples of Maniac (one for each Sean and I), and since this has been a month of trying new products, I figured why not just use it and see what it was like. This is what happened . . .


What is it?



* Increased Pumps
* Extra aggression in the gym
* No Crash
* Increased Muscle Mass
* Increased Vascularity
* Insane Endurance
* Extreme Focus

For more information on the product, please review AI Sports Nutrition :: Maniac.


Smell: In the packet, Maniac smelled strongly like lemonade.

Taste: Definitely lemonade - it could have been a Sprite, it has that taste. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of lemonade or lemon flavoured products (even though I like lemons), so I was not doing cartwheels over the taste. Taste was true to the said flavour though.

Solubility: On shaking there was no trace of the powder and no clumps or excess was left in the water or on the bottom of the shaker; no bubbles left on top of the water either.

Texture: Like fruit juice diluted with water.

Aggression: I wasn't actually aggressive when training today. Sometimes my aggression gets so high that I just want to beat something to a bloody pulp, but there was none of that, not even a hint. Just determination to keep goin.

Focus: Had extreme focus for my training. In fact, I was so focused on my sprints during HIIT that most of them were MORE than 20 seconds!

Endurance: Today was this week's longest resistance session and I was fine. No faltering or dying, and not feeling exhausted.

Pumps: I had excellent pumps, which is normal anyways, since I did a Full-Body session.

Vascularity: Vascularity was AWESOME! I did some posing practice in my recovery periods towards the end of my resistance session, and vascularity was like, "wow - I want that for competition and ALL the time!"

Muscle Mass: I'm not currently aiming for muscle accretion, since I am in a fat loss phase re competition preparation. However, one sample and one session is not enough to comment on body composition effects that a product may contribute towards, whether gaining muscle or maintaining current muscle mass.

Other Effects: Energy was great - very pleasantly surprised. No crash of energy either, which is good.

Overall: I only used a single scoop of Maniac once, which is not enough to give an overall score, and I would need to have used it for a prolonged period of time to give a real evaluation on it.

Would I use again? Actually, yes - albeit in a different flavour - to see what long-term effects of a full tub brought.

Would I recommend? I really would have to use a complete tub of Maniac to see what its long-term effects are re progress and results, etc., before I could say whether or not I would recommend it. Based on my one sample for my one day of training, though, I definitely recommend trying a sample.

May 26, 2011

Day 146: Blessings and New Arrivals

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Champions do not become champions when they win the event, but in the hours, weeks, months and years they spend preparing for it. The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character." - T. Alan Armstrong


TRAINING

Cardio - Run:
1.5 miles @ 4.2 min/km

Back/Chest (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Supinated BB Bent Over Rows 4 x 10
2. Flat BB Bench Press 4 x 10, 9, 8, 8
Alternate Set B -
3. Supinated Lat Pull-Downs (in squat position) 4 x 10
4. Incline BB Bench Press 4 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 21 min.


COMMENTS

Mood/Aggression: Wow, the news just keeps coming this week. My nephew has been named, my career path is opening up, one of my close friends is pregnant, a lot of time has been spent talking to family and close friends - life is moving along at a fast pace of knots! God is truly heaping on the blessings for me - this is going to be a HUGE period in my life for change and progress!

Energy: There! Got told I look "bright" today.

Endurance: Pretty good.

Vascularity: Definitely carbohydrates with a reasonable amount of sodium make my vascularity "pop" (not to mention muscular pump/definition).

Quality of Training: Run pre-weights was good - stitch ~4 minutes in, but kept going. Resistance training was a little shorter than it has been, but still intense, albeit almost a "relief" for my body. Rollers afterwards, and looking in the mirror before getting on them, bicep definition was the best it has EVER been.

Recovery: Bright and fresh!

Appetite: Re Intermittent Fasting, have found that eating a big meal every 12-16 hours is the best for my body re results, regardless of whether or not it is after training, so will continue with this.

Body Composition and Look: Midsection starting to look better. Striations starting to come out a little in my anterior and lateral deltoids. Arms looking the best ever.

Other Notes: I have SO MUCH to look forward to when I go back to New Zealand for Christmas/New Year!

May 24, 2011

Day 144: God Has a Plan

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins, is the man who thinks he can." - Vince Lombardi


TRAINING

Cardio - Run:
1.5 miles @ 4.2 min/km

Arms/Abs (1 min recovery between supersets):
Superset A -
1. Rope Crunches 4 x 20
2. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises (feet to touch bar) 4 x 10
Superset B -
3. Close-Grip BB Bicep Curls 4 x 6
4. Dips 4 x 6
Superset C -
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 21s
6. V-Bar Tricep Push-Downs 4 x 10
Superset D -
7. Alternate DB Hammer Bicep Curls 4 x 12 per side
8. DB French Press 4 x 6

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm

Stretch 26 min.


COMMENTS

Mood/Aggression: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11. My faith has been rewarded. In HIS time, everything happens. I have been very blessed today - not only do I have a new nephew, but I now have the perfect job for me (well, it's not really a job when you love it and have fun)!

Energy: Had energy right up until ~2300, and now I am just tired.

Mental Focus and Clarity: Excellent.

Stress: Relieved.

Endurance: Great.

Strength: Honestly, right now I don't care about strength - I care about getting lean. Usually when I lean up my strength increased, but if it does not, then I am not worried - it will come back.

Pump: Very strong - so strong that my arms looked the hardest and thickest ever!

Vascularity: Also the best ever to date!

Quality of Training: Just an easy 1.5 miles to "warm-up". Into resistance training with a vengeance. Struggling a little with the EZ-Bar Bicep Curls, and my expression must have been absolute pain, because I got asked if I "wanted a spot" (which was sweet, but unnecessary). All in all, it was a GREAT session. Finished with the rollers and ~5 minutes of posing practice (man, that HURT - going to have to practice longer to get used to it).

Recovery: Pretty good.

Other Notes: Eric, you mentioned earlier to me that, "Sometimes it has to get pretty dark before it gets light again, but it always does get light again." This is very true. I have been through the dark, coming into the light. Life is starting to blossom for me now, which makes me smile. From now on, 2011 is MY time to shine and make a difference!

May 21, 2011

Day 141: Risk and Inspire

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Take some risks people, what's the worst that can happen? You fail, the reward is greater if you succeed. And can you handle the failure? Of course you can if you're mentally tough you can handle ANYTHING, yes anything." - John Smeton

"It doesn't matter how many times you fall down in life. It matters how many times you get up. Did you know that on average, successful people fail three times more often than unsuccessful people? It's true! What matters most in life is not necessarily what's happening right now. What matters most is how you finish. Are you going to finish strong? Are you going to make a difference in this world?" - Bill Willis

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader." - John Quincy Adams


TRAINING

HIIT - Rollers:
a. 4 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm
b. 8 x 20 sec effort/10 sec easy in 39x17 (rpm N/A)
c. 12 min in 39x18 @ 110 rpm

Stretch 22 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Rudely woken and pretty much shoved out of bed today

Mood/Aggression: Quiet. Confident. Determined.

Energy: Hell yeah, baby!

Mental Focus and Clarity: Awesome.

Endurance: Great.

Quality of Training: Decided to do another HIIT session (to get my three sessions done this week), but on the rollers today (to give my body a break from sprints). It has been a LONG time since doing HIIT on the rollers, and trust me, it as a LOT harder than sprinting! Heart pounding after every effort. Felt good though, even though I could feel my sore stomach (yes, still painful, although more of a dull ache now, instead of the sharp pain it was earlier this week) throughout.

Recovery: After the lack of training this week my body should be well recovered for NEXT week.

Other Notes: Have I ever mentioned how much I DISlike the addition of Beta-Alanine to products?

Competition Notes: Eight weeks out from competition now. Seven weeks to get into competition condition. Really 3-4 weeks to get into competition condition, since I want to be there ~4 weeks out! . . . Because of the way this week has been, I haven't really done any posing practice, so I will be starting that with a vengeance next week . . . I CAN do this!!!

May 20, 2011

Day 140: A Way of Life

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY




TRAINING


HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 8 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 8 min jogging

Shoulders/Arms/Abs (1 min recovery between trisets):
Triset A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 10
2. BB Military Press 4 x 10
3. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 4 x 10 per side
Triset B -
4. Dips 4 x 10
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 12
6. Alternate DB Hammer Curls 4 x 12 per side
Triset C -
7. Seated Cable Crunches 4 x 12
8. Reverse Curls (on floor) 4 x 12
9. Bicycle 4 x 24

Stretch 25 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: 7-8 hours. Hmmmmm.

Mood/Aggression: Mood has been pretty good today.

Energy: Although far from "normal" yet, my energy is returning.

Mental Focus and Clarity: My mind is "making up" for my lack of energy with all the thinking and work it's been doing.

Stress: High.

Endurance: Good.

Vascularity: YES!

Quality of Training: HIIT was ok. Explosive, although faltering during the last couple of sprints, as breathing suddenly became very difficult, adding to the sore stomach, lasting until I finished the run . . . Resistance training was ok. I was determined to get it done, since it's been two days since I've done one. Got through, despite the sharp pain in my temples after every set of Dip (which was odd). Finished with the weights - no rollers afterwards . . .

Other Notes: From next week on, almost every week is going to be a "mock week-pre-competition" week, since my body is no longer being predictable in its responses to nutrition OR training, to find the best method to get me the progress and results I want, because I want to be IN competition condition 3-4 weeks out!

May 19, 2011

[Mini] Review of APS Nutrition's Mesomorph (Tropical Punch flavour)

Mesomorph has been getting a lot of attention, mostly because of the Creatine Nitrate in its ingredient profile. It is definitely a product that Sean has been interested in trying for a long time, and eventually I just got him a tub. A tub that sat in the cupboard (he was using it) until Monday before I used a scoop. Yes, I was not tempted to use it, despite the great feedback I've seen on it and Sean's raving on about how much he loves it. Honestly, since I started using Assault at the start of the year, I have had NO interest in trying any other preworkout product, because Assault meets my needs, especially since I do NOT have to stack myriad stimulants alongside it for daily function (which I have had to do in the past). However, I finally agreed to use a SINGLE SCOOP of Mesomorph as a favour to someone, so that I can say I have used it and comment on my experience with it.


What is it?



* No upset stomach or bloating!
* Alpha-Male aggression.
* Endless endurance.
* Most comprehensive Thermo-energy matrix ever put in a pre-workout powder.
* Skin-splitting vascularity and insane pumps!
* Maximize Strength, Stamina, & Recovery!
* Eliminate Lactic Acid & Toxins!
* Boost Immunity & Eliminate Free Radicals with Optimal Antioxidant Delivery!

For more information on the product, please review APS :: Mesomorph.


Smell: Tropical Punch flavoured Mesomorph smells fruity, but with a hint of something else.

Taste: I did NOT like the taste at all. Unpleasant, but not the worst tasting supplement I have used. Nothing like Tropical Punch - the taste was actually a shock to me, and I drank it FAST.

Solubility: On shaking there was no trace of the powder and no clumps or excess was left in the water or on the bottom of the shaker.

Texture: Like fruit juice diluted with water.

Aggression: Actually, my aggression was not as high as the week before, where I was easily aggravated and training only served to bring it out more instead of calm me. During training I was relatively relaxed, if tired. I went through a full spectrum of emotion on the day I used Mesomorph, though, pre AND post-training.

Endurance and Stamina: After the weekend and the way my body was feeling, I was dreading training on Monday. However, once I started training, my body responded and got me through. My HIIT was explosive, after the lacklustre HIIT of the week prior. Endurance throughout training was back to being great.

Thermogenesis: This was no different than usual.

Vascularity: This was excellent, and definitely more noticeable now that I have a tan.

Pumps: I had excellent pumps, which is normal anyways, since I did a Full-Body session.

Strength: The resistance session I did after using Mesomorph was NOT about strength.

Recovery: I was still sore from Saturday when I started my resistance training. Legs were suffering a little, but by the end of my session I was ok and the pain was not as noticeable. Energy lasted throughout the day, which was interesting, considering I have been faltering after my training over the last week.

Immune System: I can't really comment here.

Other Effects: ~10 minutes after dosing Mesomorph I started shaking, like shivering when I am extremely cold, which was odd, a reaction likely caused by the stimulants in it, given that I have not used anything more than the 150-300mg of caffeine a day (from Assault usage) since the start of the year. The shakes lasted for ~20-30 minutes. The only other effect I experienced was strong Beta-Alanine tingles. No bloating or upset stomach either (the stomach issues I have been experiencing over the last two days I have been dealing with on and off for the last few months and has nothing to do with Mesomorph).

Overall: I only used a single scoop of Mesomorph once, which is not enough to give an overall score, and I would need to have used it for a prolonged period of time to give a real evaluation on it. However, I WILL note something interesting - the day that I used Mesomorph I was great re energy, but on Tuesday I had barely any energy, and this went into Wednesday. On Tuesday I actually cut my training short because of the way I was feeling, something very rare for me to do, and as I mentioned on Tuesday, "I feel like I used to feel if I hadn't been using stimulants for a day or so back when I was heavily dependent on them to function, almost like I have CRASHED BIG time, and I don't understand it!" and I wonder if this was an effect from having used Mesomorph, the Geranium in it, if it did not possibly affect me until later. Like I said, interesting - and something that would need prolonged use to determine if because of Mesomorph or not.

Would I use again? No - however, that is not because of the formula or that the product is ineffective, but for personal reasons. Using the one scoop that I did was only as a favour for those who have been wanting me to use Mesomorph, and I actually dragged my feet to do this, since using Assault and having that work for me, I have been reluctant to use anything that has strong stimulants in it, because I have an addictive personality, and with my stimulant abuse history, know how easy it would be for me to go back to that, and I don't want to.

Would I recommend? Mesomorph's formula is solid. It's either a product you will love or hate, use or not use, depending on your goals and needs and other individual factors (like with me).

May 17, 2011

Day 137: CRASH! WTF?!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"What you still need to know is this: before a dream is realized, the Soul of the World tests everything that was learned along the way. It does this not because it is evil, but so that we can, in addition to realizing our dreams, master the lessons we've learned as we've moved toward that dream. That's the point at which most people give up...Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested." - The Alchemist, The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)


TRAINING

Cardio - CrossRamp:
10 min in R10/CR10

Legs/Chest/Back (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (BB to touch floor) 6 x 12
2. Alternate Backward DB Lunges 6 x 12
Alternate Set B -
3. Flat BB Bench Press 6 x 12-15
4. V-Bar Close-Grip Seated Row 6 x 12-15


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Woke after ~5 hours, and passed out for another three. Lay down in the afternoon and passed out for a little while as well.

Mood/Aggression: Surprisingly, just flat.

Energy: I'm exhausted today. I DID cut my training session short because I WAS so exhausted (almost falling over in the gym) which is rare for me to do, since I keep on pushing myself regardless, and when I felt like this last week, I soldiered on. But, this was a different fatigue than last week, and even breathing has been an issue for me today. It was NOT me "giving up" - not at all; rather, it was me knowing when enough is ENOUGH, being smart, knowing the difference between a complaint of my body and a SCREAM. Honestly, I feel like I used to feel if I hadn't been using stimulants for a day or so back when I was heavily dependent on them to function, almost like I have CRASHED BIG time, and I don't understand it!

Endurance: Ok.

Pump: Legs.

Quality of Training: CrossRamp was just a brief "warm-up" pre-weights . . . Resistance session started off ok. As I started into Alternate Set B, my head started pounding and my energy levels just suddenly DRAINED away. I felt like I did last week, except there was no aggression or frustration behind the wanting to finish early. I pushed on, continued to finish Alternate Set B, and started on Alternate Set C. However, after the first set, I KNEW, and just put the weight down and went home, planning on finishing the session later in the day . . . No rollers for recovery once at home. Nothing. There was just nothing in me for some reason . . . My resistance session won't get finished tonight, though, not after waking mid-afternoon in no better condition . . .

Recovery: My legs and back are no longer in pain, all DOMS gone. However, the pain seems to have been replaced by fatigue. Odd.

Other Notes: I asked Jeff if I could please try the new Red Raspberry (since I love fruit, berries some of my favourite fruit, red raspberries my favourite berry - plus BCAAs are an ESSENTIAL staple in my supplement arsenal) flavoured RecoverPRO and he was great enough to send me an entire TUB (42 servings), so I am going to be using this until I am finished with it, resuming my use of BC+EAA afterwards.

May 13, 2011

Day 133: Improve on the Present

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The future belongs to God, and it is only he who reveals it...The secret is here in the present. If you pay attention to the present, you can improve upon it. And, if you improve on the present, what comes later will also be better." - Seer, The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 8 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 4 min jogging

Shoulders/Arms/Abs (1 min recovery between trisets):
Triset A -
1. Behind-the-neck BB Military Press 4 x 10
2. BB Military Press 4 x 10
3. Single-Arm DB Lateral Raises 4 x 10 per side
Triset B -
4. Dips 4 x 10
5. EZ-Bar Bicep Curls 4 x 10
6. Alternate DB Hammer Curls 4 x 10 per side
Triset C -
7. Rope Crunches 4 x 12
8. Hanging Straight-Leg Raises 4 x 10
9. Side Plank 4 x 30 sec per side

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 100 rpm

Stretch 20 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Just under three hours. Couldn't get back to sleep after waking either.

Mood/Aggression: Up and down, as it has been all week. Smiles and positivity though, between the bouts of extreme aggression.

Energy: Took me a few hours after waking to really feel any energy, but once training was done, I have been bouncing around unable to be still.

Stress: High.

Endurance: Great.

Strength: This session was not about strength - like the rest of the week.

Pump: Strong from the start.

Vascularity: ~10 minutes of intense cardio pre-weights seems to elicit the best vascularity during my resistance sessions.

Quality of Training: HIIT was ok. Struggled quite a bit though, with the sharp pain in my right side under right breast throughout, the last four minutes favouring my right foot, almost limping because sharp pain was shooting through it. Made it shorter, since my legs have been taking a while to recover this week, and I don't want to chance them appearing puffy or holding water tomorrow . . . Resistance session was fine. Had to drop my weights for the last couple of sets of Triset A, a headache setting in during Triset C . . . Rollers was definitely recovery afterwards . . .

Recovery: Hope I am all good tomorrow.

Body Composition and Look: Looking the leanest I have been in a long time. Definitely the leanest I have ever been at such a body mass - the additional muscle mass is evident. Definitely look better golden as well. Definition in upper body was coming out nicely during resistance training. Midsection is almost flat, and hips are popping. I can still get leaner, though - that WILL come.

Other Notes: First photoshoot of the year tomorrow - looking forward to it; going to be fun

May 10, 2011

Day 130: It's a Journey to Success

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You don't gain success from taking one big step. You gain success from taking several smaller steps over a period of time. Small victories. One day you lift your head up and notice that you've already accomplished your goal, and that the satisfaction and happiness was in the journey not the destination." - Nick Smith


TRAINING

Cardio - CrossRamp:
a. 2 min @ CR10/R10
b. 18 min @ CR10/R8

Full-Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Alternate Backward DB Lunges 6 x 12
2. Side-to-side Plyometric Bench Jumps 6 x 24
Alternate Set B -
3. Flat BB Bench Press 6 x 12
4. Close-Grip V-Bar Seated Rows 6 x 12
Alternate Set C -
5. Seated DB Shoulder Press 6 x 12
6. Incline DB Rear Raises 6 x 12
Alternate Set D -
7. V-Bar Tricep Push-Downs 6 x 12
8. DB hammer Bicep Curls 6 x 12
Alternate Set E -
9. Rope Crunches 6 x 15
10. Bicycles 6 x 30

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 102 rpm

Stretch 23 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Same as yesterday, waking after ~3 hours, getting up and taking my "first thing" supplement doses, and then back to bed, passing out for another hour - didn't feel like I slept that hour at all, but I did, because the clock changed.

Mood/Aggression: More up and down, but mostly up, with many smiles.

Energy: More than yesterday, but not a lot, honestly, and I nearly fell down the stairs (thankfully I didn't) when I went to sit on my rollers after the gym. I just feel completely exhausted - a lot to do with the heat, I believe, since it is stifling and draining; but also some effects from training, since that has been pretty intense.

Mental Focus and Clarity: I have a migraine that makes me not want to do much that requires thinking, but I am pushing past it, because this is an IMPORTANT week and I HAVE to be on the ball for it.

Stress: High.

Joints: My right knee has settled down, with no more pain.

Endurance: Excellent.

Strength: Focus on INTENSITY rather than strength.

Pump: Strong.

Vascularity: Very awesome. Whilst I have more definition (from more muscle and being leaner) in my left side, my right side actually usually has higher vascularity than the former.

Quality of Training: Something different with the CrossRamp pre-weights . . . Resistance training was another 90-minute session. Started out well. Feeling quads after the CrossRamp and Alternate Set A, but moving around with slightly more vigor than yesterday. Migraine started halfway through Alternate Set B, but it didn't bother me as much as yesterday. Didn't have the desire to "stop" today, which was also good. Got nauseous during Alternate Set D, though, and I threw up twice during Alternate Set E (NOT cool). Body was definitely screaming sore afterwards . . . Like yesterday, not feeling like sitting on the rollers when I got home, but I did. I HAVE to just DO it, period! . . .

Recovery: I know that I'm feeling more shattered than usual.

Body Composition and Look: Lighting definitely makes a difference to how one looks - change the lighting and your body can look completely different. Regardless, please with the definition that is getting stronger in my deltoids and arms - now to have that definition (pump and vascularity) that I have when lifting when I am RELAXED (and in photoshoots); just means getting LEANER (which is the goal, since where I am now is not close to where I want to be).

May 9, 2011

Day 129: Unstoppable Determination

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, UNSTOPPABLE DETERMINATION." - Ralph Marston


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 8 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 12 min jogging

Full-Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts (BB to touch floor) 6 x 12
2. Side-to-side Plyometric Bench Jumps 6 x 24
Alternate Set B -
3. Push-Ups (feet on bench, hands on medicine balls) 6 x 10
4. Supinated BB Bent Over Rows 6 x 10
Alternate Set C -
5. Seated BB Military Press 6 x 10
6. DB Lateral Raises 6 x 10
Alternate Set D -
7. Dips 6 x 10
8. Incline DB Bicep Curls 6 x 10
Alternate Set E -
9. Rope Crunches 6 x 10-12
10. Hanging Straight Leg Raises (half feet to touch bar, half hips to 90 degree flexion) 6 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 23 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Slept for ~3 hours. Got up, had my "first thing" supplements and went straight back to bed to sleep for another ~2 hours.

Mood/Aggression: Had ups and downs today (see comments under "Quality of Training" and "Body Composition and Look"), but pulling out strong and calm.

Energy: I feel shattered. Had a burst of energy during resistance training - getting angry at myself, dragging out the aggressive determination to kick myself in the arse - but now I am just exhausted.

Stress: High.

Endurance: Great - although I am going to be relieved when I go back to 30-45 minute resistance sessions next week, instead of these 90-minute ones!

Strength: None of my resistance sessions this week are going to be about strength, and if it's anything like last week, my strength will peeter out gradually over the course of the week - nope, this week is just about making it as intense as possible, no matter the weight lifted, just surviving!

Pump: It was ok - not really much until Alternate Set D.

Vascularity: Reasonable - noticing that my vascularity seems to be best/strongest after my Push exercises.

Quality of Training: HIIT was not fun. My body was shattered and I barely managed the sprints that I did, which was odd, considering that yesterday was a day off, with high calories. Had a pain to the lateral aspect under right breast throughout - not a stitch, which I would have been used to . . . Resistance session was ok. Started out reasonably. Like last week though, I started getting tired quickly and just wanted it to be over. A migraine and lightheadedness started half-way through Alternate Set A, lingering until the end. I got asked by one of the guys, "Why do you look so mean?" I was like, "I'm tired, grumpy, in pain, and just want this to be over" - which was the truth, although aggressive was probably a better word than "grumpy". But what's some pain? Every time I train I'm in pain, and I push my body to its limits to get that pain. The same guy later said "you make it look easy" re my Dips and Hanging Straight-Leg Raises, which was ironic, given the fact that my face was a mask of pain and aggressive determination, and just before another of the guys asked me if I was ok and needed to lie down, because I was almost curled up on the chair/floor in the recovery periods of my Alternate Set E sets. But, it was a good session overall - at least I know I did my best and stuck at it . . . I didn't want to think about further training when I got home, but I sat myself on the rollers for 20 minutes . . .

Recovery: Stretching helped a little. So did the hot/cold shower after that.

Body Composition and Look: I look different in every mirror and light, and today I got a little depressed and upset with myself when I was downstairs because I looked soft, even though when I was in the gym I was pleased with the definition I was seeing.

Other Notes: It's going to be another "hell" week, my concentration to be focused on competition preparation from next week.

May 7, 2011

Day 127: Simply...Thank You...

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." - Albert Schweitzer


TRAINING

Cardio - Run:
5.6 km @ 3.5 min/km

Stretch 25 min.


COMMENTS

Mood/Aggression: Settled down quite a bit from yesterday. Took me some time to "calm down" yesterday, with some unusual methods, but I did eventually. Now, mood is better, and trying to KEEP it that way. I'm thankful for those who have been a huge support to me over the last few weeks, throughout everything - know that you have done more for me than you can possibly know, each and every one of you a blessing that I thank God for!

Energy: There.

Mental Focus and Clarity: Got a lot done today.

Endurance: Good.

Quality of Training: A single cardio session today. Ran a little further than the usual three miles as well, albeit not a lot. I was surprised at the pace I did and kept - my endurance and speed is definitely improving, which I am pleased with.

Recovery: Fine after yesterday.

Body Composition and Look: 113.2 pounds at 9.2% bodyfat. Another perfect week re nutrition and training and still the minutest change in body composition - only solidifying the fact that "perfect" as everyone sees it is NOT the OPTIMAL way for me to make progress, especially re fat loss. However, the way I usually do things is not the best either, and I want to move away from it, since my health is definitely important to me. So, from now on it will be a compromise of sorts between "perfect" and the way that works for me, experimenting to find the BEST method for me re nutrition and training for the most effective and successful fat loss.

Other Notes: Only a week to go until my first photoshoot of the year. I'm excited for it, albeit disappointed in myself that I might not be as lean as I want to be - but who knows, I still have a week, being back on Erase is going to make a HUGE difference, and I have done it before (even if only once), so it's possible for me to lose 1.2% bodyfat in a week (although not sure if my body will do it for me). Regardless, no matter what my body composition for this photoshoot, I am going to just have fun with it and relax, and know that I am going to most definitely be as lean as I want to be for the NEXT one and my competition - which I will be eight weeks out from next Sunday!

May 4, 2011

Day 124: Bring on the Pain!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." - Lance Armstrong


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Stretch 41 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: ~8 hours. Broken, on and off sleep.

Mood/Aggression: Finding the positivity and something to smile about, keeping the amusement.

Joints: I woke with pain in the superio-medial aspect of my right knee - pain has lingered all day, but surprisingly, the least noticeable when I was sprinting.

Endurance: Good.

Quality of Training: HIIT was great. My sprints were all explosive - right up until the last three, where I felt myself slowing down. Continued on. Spent a long time stretching afterwards. I WAS going to do an Upper Body resistance session after my stretching, but by the time I had finished, still sore, I decided to do it tomorrow instead, let my body recover from the last two days in the gym.

Recovery: My body is one big painful bruise. The pain is fine though - I love it. It reminds me of why this is my lifestyle, why I can never give it up. Lance is right - pain is only temporary; it passes, and if you do it right, leaves something great behind!

May 3, 2011

Day 123: So this is what murder feels like

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Be encouraged that whatever you are doing right now and wherever you are, that it's all part of a greater plan and that change, good or bad, is inevitable. Don't resist it or complain, just live in faith that you are a piece of clay on the Potter's wheel, being beaten, molded and shaped into His ideal form." - Jamie Eason


TRAINING

Cardio - Stepper:
a. 10 min @ 10 floors/min
b. 10 min @ 12 floors/min

Full-Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. Stiff-Legged BB Deadlifts 6 x 12
2. Alternate Backward DB Lunges 6 x 24
Alternate Set B -
3. Flat BB Bench Press 6 x 12-15
4. Close-Grip V-Bar Seated Rows 6 x 12-15
Alternate Set C -
5. Seated DB Shoulder Press 6 x 12
6. Incline DB Rear Raises 6 x 12
Alternate Set D -
7. Incline Dips 6 x 12
8. Incline DB Bicep Curls 6 x 12
Alternate Set E -
9. Rope Crunches 6 x 12-15
10. Bicycles 6 x 24-30

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 29 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: ~6 hours. Not quality.

Mood/Aggression: Better than yesterday - aggression hasn't been as rampant.

Energy: Training was done, so there was obviously energy there, but not feeling the best by any means - which is to be expected during the first week back training again after a break.

Endurance: Excellent.

Strength: Again, today was not about strength - which was fine, because I had none.

Quality of Training: Been a while since I've used the Stepper - but it was goo. Legs felt ok, fresh . . . Resistance training was one pain after another, but I set my head and soldiered through it. Several sets actually became failure at 12-15 reps, which was interesting. I didn't walk out of the gym normally, slow and sore . . . I didn't want to do anything after weights, but forced the rollers, listening to music . . .

Recovery: I woke up aching all over this morning, hamstrings the most tender. Fine, though.

Body Composition and Look: Only two days back training and already I can see and feel the difference.

Other Notes: Since the Green Apple Assault does not contain Suma Root, from now on I am going to be using Raspberry Lemonade (or Blue Arctic Raspberry - since I am going to stock up on the formula containing Suma Root) for 2/3 of a serving, and the other 1/3 the Green Apple flavour, so that I get the best of both the formula and flavour. GREAT taste, mixing them together - better than the Green Apple alone!

May 2, 2011

Day 122: The First Battle Has Been Fought

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Life is what it is. The control I have is very little. Tomorrow is a different day...and I will deal with it then...but today I choose to live in today...not yesterday and not tomorrow. Again, thank you Lord for sending me to that place to get to this one. Growth begins at failure. Believe..." - Ben Booker


TRAINING

HIIT - Run:
a. 4 min jogging
b. 12 x 20 sec sprint/10 sec easy
c. 10 min jogging

Full-Body (30 sec recovery between alternate sets):
Alternate Set A -
1. BB Good Mornings 6 x 10-12
2. Side-to-side Plyometric Bench Jumps 6 x 24
Alternate Set B -
3. Push-Ups (feet on bench, hands on medicine balls) 6 x 10-12
4. Supinated BB Bent Over Rows 6 x 10
Alternate Set C -
5. BB Military Press 6 x 10
6. DB Lateral Raises 6 x 10
Alternate Set D -
7. Curved-Bar Tricep Push-Down 6 x 10
8. DB Bicep Curls 6 x 10-12
Alternate Set E -
9. Rope Crunches 6 x 10-12
10. Hanging Straight Leg Raises (hips to 90 degree flexion) 6 x 10

Post-Weights Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 106 rpm

Stretch 20 min.


COMMENTS

Sleep - Time and Quality: Didn't fall asleep until ~0600! NOT cool. Sleep was on and off, eventually waking to get up ~1330 - confusing and UNacceptable! Getting back into a regular and reasonable routine re sleeping is going to be a focus this week.

Mood/Aggression: I was great right up until about an hour after training, when aggression appeared, irritability coming out - doesn't make sense, given that I am back training, and training usually means a GOOD mood (unless it is not a good session - but this was). Working on calming myself down, since I am ready to lash out at pretty much anything right now. Strange.

Energy: I realized today that the Green Apple Assault does NOT contain Suma Root - the ingredient that sets Assault apart for me from other preworkout products. I believe that this - since I have been using Green Apple Assault for just over three weeks now - is a contributing factor in why I felt like I did last week or so (along with the fact that I probably needed that week off training), and because it's been ~2 weeks that I have been without the Rhodiola Rosea from IGF-2. Adaptogens I have discovered are definitely an ESSENTIAL part of my supplement regime for energy, being and remaining functional, especially if I do not want to use and abuse stimulants. Funny how one notices such things, and it's true that you often don't notice the difference until you're NOT using them. It's back to predominantly using the Raspberry Lemonade flavour from now on, mixing in the Green Apple for the taste.

Mental Focus and Clarity: It's been ON!

Endurance: Excellent - first training session back, and a long one it was, coming out at ~3 hours total, and not faltering at any stage throughout it, was awesome!

Strength: Today's session wasn't about strength, but I surprised myself with the weight that I had to go to with some of the exercises.

Quality of Training: HIIT was awesome - sprints were explosive, and 12 was definitely enough for me . . Resistance training - so good to be back in the gym! I can tell when I do legs and my hamstrings were stretched well after the first set of BB Good Mornings, and I could feel the painful pull. Despite the 90-minute resistance session, it did not seem as long as it was, and I felt good after it . . . A little faster than the usual "recovery" on the rollers after weights, but good for my legs . . .

Recovery: I am going to feel my hamstrings tomorrow - there is no doubt about that. Be interesting to see how I recover over this week.

Other Notes: I realized yesterday that I have almost constantly used a product that has AI properties since July 2009, with the only time off maybe 1-2 weeks between different products or bottles of the same one. After being without Erase for the last two weeks, I can say that I definitely feel and see the difference when NOT using such a product - Erase especially. I am looking forward to getting back on it - along with being back in the gym lifting weights, it will make a definite difference in my progress!

May 1, 2011

Day 121: May Day

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE OF THE DAY

"What I know today...anything can happen, dreams come true, and miracles occur daily. Belief is power beyond measure. Second Chance, make yours count!" - Ben Booker


TRAINING

Cardio - Rollers:
20 min in 39x18 @ 110 rpm

Stretch 29 min.


COMMENTS

Mood/Aggression: Had a period where all the frustration of the last few weeks appeared, vented (thank you, Jase), where my aggression yelled to be heard. Training helped calm me down, head clear as I determined in my heart what I know needs and has to be done.

Energy: Explosive - holding onto it until tomorrow.

Endurance: Fine, as always.

Quality of Training: Short, reasonable session on the rollers.

Body Composition and Look: 9.5% bodyfat. A minimal 1% bodyfat decrease over this week - not surprising, since there is always a noticeable difference in how I look when not resistance training, and since training was minimal, minimal progress was to be expected; but also disheartening, yet all the more reason for motivation in working myself hard over the next two weeks, since I want to be no higher than ~8% bodyfat for my photoshoot!

Other Notes: Today is May Day. What would have once been my parents' wedding anniversary - not that it means anything now; instead it means the end of my week "off". Tomorrow it is back in the gym, guns blazing, ready for war, no prisoners allowed!