Xhale2007's cutting journal - New pics added - 29/11/09

Iv just looked at your starting photos and you have made fantastic progress!! 
Keep it going and keep your head up. 

Cheers ste! im happy with how its all going, hoped to have seen more of a visual change, but hey ho, i aint done no cardio for a few weeks, as my treadmills dead, so gotta sort that. Then its back on that 3 times a week.

Thanks for stopping in, nice to see a new face in here :)

Some good changes afoot, loving the crab pose. Arms/shoulders/chest looking larger!

Get your cardio shoes back on my friend. Plenty of other options barring treadmill. Mix it up a little:

Outdoor HIIT
Outdoor light jogging
Outdoor/Indoor (if possible, garage etc) Skipping rope
Swimming
Indoor Burpees
Breakdancing

I personally like to add in some fast paced Nunchaku or heavy Bo-staff as I find it fun and yet my heart rate elevates sufficiently.

Be creative.

Week 12 - Session 1 - Pull

Deadlift - 3 sets - 10 x 65kg ,8 x 90 kg ,6 x 105kg  
Bent over row - 3 sets, 10 x 50kg 8 x 60kg 6 x 65kg
Dumbell row - 3 sets, 12 x 20kg 10 x 20kg ,8 x 22.5kg 
Barbell curls - 4 sets, 12 x 27.5kg, 10 x 27.5kg ,8 x 30kg ,6 x 32.5kg

Yea val, i need to sort my cardio out, the fat was flying off before.

Hopefully, i have sorted the problem with my treadmill. Just ordered a speed sensor for ti from horizion fitness. Really helpful bunch of guys there.

Im way to embarassed of my running technique to get out on the road. plus im far from fit enough to even get to the end of my road lol.

If the weather was better id bike the 5miles each way to work, but its just to cold and wet at 5am for my liking.

Also way to embarassed of my physique/hairyness to get in the local pool :/ I cant dance for toffee either, so im pretty screwed lol

I still have the bike to use, i just find it so bloody boring, where as when i was running HIIT for the time i did, i enjoyed it thoughrly.

Im really starting to notice how solid i am becoming tho. My body feels so different to how it used to. The missus is commenting on my traps, and saying how big they have become, so something is defo working lol. Im still really into it, and enjoying it. Never ever stuck at something so long lol!

:)

Hey X,

You are well armed with excuses my friend, however I also have an barrage of counters lined up at the catapult to fire back .

Speed rope/skipping rope is a quality tool for getting some grade A cardo in. I have a little patio space in my back garden I can quietly have a skip in. It may seems difficult to start with but you will soon pickup a rhythm and be away.

Look into the burpees, you can do these in your home.

Do not be embarrassed of your physique my good man, especially when considering your local pool. You will find people of all kind of shapes/sizes at your pool, all at different rungs of fitness.  I used to enjoy going to mine late on an evening when it was quiet so I could get some quality laps in. Unfortunately it is closed for refurb for a while..

Bike can be boring I agree. Find something that will raise your heart rate right up, burn some Kcals and use it. Make it fun and entertaining. Perhaps get a heavy punchbag mounted if you have some spare space. Thats always fun to do a bit of bag work. Really good cardio too.

The muscle is growing my friend hence the solidness coming through. The traps are coming from those 105Kg Deads your hoisting. Deads will whoop traps!

Im glad your sticking this out! It is a very self rewarding pursuit and investment in yourself. Im positive that once you have a good muscular foundation, we can peel back the bodyfat and BANG... Heads turning!

Ive gotta say val, u have an amazing way with words, your last sentance made me grin, with the thought!

I know the excuses are bad. Im a very shy/nervous person, you wouldnt catch me skipping in my back yard for fear of the neighbours seeing, im that bad. No idea why, never used to be, until i got my face re arranged by a few pikeys :/

Im liking the idea of a punch bag, ive been considering this for a few weeks now, funds allowing i might invest shortly. I have a skipping rope, so i may walk in the garden and crack some out, see how i get on. I guess the only way to get over the shyness is to attack it like i attack those deads today lol

 

Thank you for the compliment.

We all have a little self consciousness in all of us. Some let it consume them, others do battle with it.

I feel it a little when im out training with my Bo-staff. I know the neighbours can see me and im not very good. They may chuckle behind closed doors, they may not. Either way the ones who critisize are usually the ones whom are jealous or nasty people. Neither favourable traits in my book.  Im not going to let them stand in the way of my personal goals.  They are my goals and only I can achieve them.

Keep your eyes on the prize.

Push Session week 12

Pursposend until at least 2mo.

Had a minor injury (and NOT a funny one). Was working away today, undoing something, only for it to ring off, slip and bash my elbow on a corner of a nice piece of inch thick steel. Funny bone began to laugh at me.

Went in gym just now, ready to attack my bench press, and it just hurts wayyy to much to even consider it, i dropped my 45kg first set down onto my stomach as it was just to painful. Hopefully itll clear up after a nice bath and some rest.

If not ill do my legs day tomorrow, and do chest on sat/sun.

Thats made my decision of getting a power rack easier, after having 45kg on my stomach, ill give that a miss from now on, and invest in some extra safety :)

Im so excited! Power rack is ordered. Ordered the bodymax CF375 complete with lat/low pulleyt system.

Im excited for all the extra exersises ill now be able to do thanks to the lat system. I reckon ill have to change my workout to incorperate them. I can then make more use of my time by training 4 days a week on the weights, and add some cardio in between/during.

So ill be looking for a good 4 day workout soon. As i mentioned about this before, Would i be best to do a Back - Chest - Legs - Arms split? Where could i add shoulders?

:)

Hey X,

Im sorry, I just got your PM and checked into your log.

Great news on the power rack! They are a fantastic piece of kit and as you mentioned it will increase your exercise range.

Do you have an adjustable bench to place inside?  A bench that would allow you to sit fully upright would be a fantasctic addition.

You do know you will have to take that chin bar by storm?

You can split the 4 day as you wish, the idea is to try to give each bodypart a fighting chance of recovery and stimulus. For example, chest can hinder triceps and shoulders and vice versa, Back can hinder biceps and vice versa.  Some do prefer to train synergistic muscle groups together (chest, shoulders etc) and other prefer to split them.

It is whatever time you can afford to spare and preference to how you personally perform with a split.

You could do shoulders with arms or before legs. Like me you could also do them on Chest night but be prepared to take a performance hit as shoulders get involved ALOT in chest.

I have my current bench, which i made up an attachtment for, so i can sit bolt upright.

Yea, the chin bar will come in handy, only thing im concered about is its goona only have about 200mm above, so ill be hitting head on ceiling lol.

I have plenty of time to train. I havent got a clue where to start with making a program, or what to have in it. Ill have to have a look about and see what i can come up with.

Wont have the pulley system till next year i dont think as it was out of stock till 22nd.

:)

Im sure we could conjour something up

I dont know about the we part, but im sure u certainly could :P

Elbow, is still not 100%, so ive put the chest excersizes off, think ill be safe to do them 2mo, so thats the plan.

Legs will be done either as well tomorrow, or missed out on. Just had to much going on to get in gym this week. Sucks i know.

Val, if you get 2mins to make me another great program for when i have my rack and lat system, id be mega greatful :)

Really no rush tho, i dont think ill be getting the lat system till next year, as its out of stock.

What a majorly disastorus week. I let myself down big time, not done anything since monday. Since injuring my elbow, ive been put off doing anything till i can do it safely in the power rack. Lame arsed excuse, but after a couple of near misses with these heavier weights, its put me off.

It wil be here 2mo, so im Sorting myself out and getting back on track.

:)

Week 12 - Session 1 - Pull

Deadlift - 3 sets - 10 x 65kg ,8 x 90 kg ,6 x 105kg  
Bent over row - 3 sets, 10 x 50kg 8 x 60kg 6 x 60kg
Dumbell row - 3 sets, 12 x 20kg 10 x 20kg ,8 x 22.5kg 
Barbell curls - 4 sets, 12 x 27.5kg, 10 x 27.5kg ,8 x 30kg ,6 x 32.5kg


No increases this week. Not suprised with my lack of effort after last weeks session. Had to lower weight on final set of BOR's.

Really really lacked energy today, my **** diet for the past week is most likely the cause. Cant change the past, so just gotta make sure i get back on top of it again.

Awesome! The power rack arrived yesterday, its immense. Its alot bigger than i expected lol, ill squeeze it all in tho.

Tried it out for bench pressing this morning, see if i could set the catch bars just off my chest, its perfect, they sit about an inch off my chest, so i can still go as low as i need to, but if i fail i dont die lol :)

Chin up bar is awesome, think ill need to add weight to the back tho, as when i got a bit of a swing on earlier, it started to lift off floor :/

Flat barbell bench press - 3 sets - 10 x 45kg  8 x 55kg, 6 x 60kg 

Incline Barbell bench press - 3 sets - 10 x 40kg, 8 x 45kg, 6 x 52.5g  

Flat DB flys - 3 sets - 12 x 15kg, 10 x 16kg 8 x 16kg 

Barbell shoulder press - 3 sets - 12 x 30kg

Skull Crushers - 3 sets - 12 x 27.5, 10 x 27.5, 8 x 30, 6 x 32.5

When i started this, i watched a video of arnie doing DB flys. Now ive watched a few more after thinking what i am doing is more like a dumbell bench press. So ive been doing them wrong since the start. Im going to have to lower my weight so i can do them correctly next time. Someone must have labelled that video wrong lol. OOPS

Had to stop the shoulder press. My shoulders were crunching so bad. im gonna have to go back to dumbells.

I dont know whats up with me, im majorly lacking energy in the sessions, im struggling with weights i was finding ok before, even in the start of the first sets. I think its due to this early training. I need some funds so i can get some big energy booster.

Bit disheartend :(

Hi X,

I have been slacking up on the MT leash recently.

Do not be disheartened! Every trainer, and I mean every single one gets a couple bad sessions from time to time or hits a plateau for a little while. It is package and parcel of the game.  The difference is the ones who fight tooth and claw to come through the otherside are the ones who you see walking the walk.

Dumbell flys are alot like opening your arms in an attempt to hug a giant tree trunk. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you slowly lower the weight to a deep stretch, slight pause then bring your arms back to the start with the same wide circular arc you lowered them with. You should not be pressing them. But I think you know that now

Fight on my brother.