Been in two minds about posting a journal since i joined this site, and have decided to take the plunge!

Im bulking at the moment although i probably shouldn't be due to my high body fat! just cant help myself in the gym though, love lifting bigger and bigger weights.

however im going for TT's RMR and excersise test in a few weeks so this should allow me to cut really effectivley and drop a few stone whilst keeping my strength (hopefully!)

Well i suppose i should start at the start, im 5'10" currently at about 16 stone or so with a very high bodyfat over 25% easy! (ouch) Been using a modified mike mentzer workout regimen which im really loving at the moment.

Diet today,

(really struggle with any liquids or food first thing)
8:30 Bannana + Pint of milk
10:30 2 slices of wholemeal bread +tin tuna
12:30 Oat/rice cakes with 200g of meat + fruit
3:30 same as 10:30
4:00 1 pint of milk
5:00 train
6:00 shake (40g protein + oats +peanut butter mixed with milk)
7:00 spag bol/fish/lean mince/ with rice/pasta/ oven chips + mixed veggies
9:00 300g of cottage cheese
10:00 bed

Usually try and get 9-10 hours of sleep a night, really trying to give my muscles the best chance to grow.

Workout today was legs

Front Squat (Very deep)
oly bar: 2 x 8 warm up
60kg : 4
90kg: 1 x5 1x 6 ( disappointing i aim for at least 8 reps in my work set, so did 2 work sets this time as alot of pain in my shoulders from the bar)

Leg extention
think its 245 pounds, but i do the whole stack
1 x 9 (very slow, with a pause at the extended position) bloody hard

Leg Curl

195 x 9 (very slow again, 3sec down then pause then 3 sec up) very hard for me

than the stepper to finish me of for 15mins

hopefully will get some pics up in a while after ive lost some lard! too embarrassed for now!

We'll that wasnt so hard lol, feel free to comment/ critisise etc.

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diet was pretty awful today, didnt eat solid food till lunch time, gonna try and stay up a bit later tonight to get the extra meals in i missed! lol raiding the fridge for midnight snacks.

no training tonight as its a rest day, just watchin a few vids 'children of men' and 'ultra violet' will let you know if there worth a look!

right, on with the eating!

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Well id recommend anyone seeing 'children of men' fantastic film really made me think, but 'ultra violet' was utter garbage lol

Just got back from the gym really pleased with that session, managed a pb on military press so its all good,

SHOULDERS

Military Press

1 x 8 oly bar
1 x 4 40kg
1 x 8 60kg (10sec pause then got another 2 reps out)

Lateral Raise

Super strict form, very slow reps, dumbells lowered to about 5-8 inches from my side to keep focus on the delts not traps. with a slight pause at the top

1 x 5 10kg
1 x 5 10kg

Shrug

1 x 8 60kg
1 x 10 100kg (no straps to improve my grip which is quite weak)

Bent Over Fly

1 x 8 10kg (very slow arms nearly straight and pause at full contraction)

then straight home for my PWO shake of 40g protein 40g carbs an peanut butter with milk, love the taste of these could drink em all day!

i usually aim to fail on my work set at about rep 8, once i reach that i increase the weight for the next session

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Should have gone the gym today to train my arms but by the time i got round to it, it was shut! Grrrr, i hate sundays.

bloody closing at 4pm no need at all. will just have to make up for it tomorrow! diet was okay today but still the usual problem of eating/ drinking MRP before pretty much 10am no idea why!

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Not a bad session tonight, never used to train arms on there own but i really like the pump i get from working bi's and tri's together

ARMS

DB Curl

1 x 8 10kg
1 x 4 20kg
1 x 7 25kg (pause of 20secs then 2 more reps)

Concentration Curl (straight after)

1 x 5 15kg (pause then 3 more)

Hammer curl

1 x 6 12.5kg

Skullcrusher

1 x 9 25kg (very slow with pause at head, really felt this contraction in my tricep. love this exercise)

Cable Pushdown

1 x 5 80kg
1 x 5 80kg (again nice and slow with a pause to really feel the muscle working)

Tricep Overhead Press(2 handed)

DB

1 x 12 30kg


really tried to focus and contract the muscle as im working it to get the most from each of my exercises. good workout

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Think ive been a bit stupid, should have had at least 1 day off but instead i decided to do my chest.

My triceps have in hindsight clearly not recovered from training them the other day hence why my chest day was pretty identical to the other weeks, a wasted session in my eyes.

Bench Press

1 x 8 20kg
1 x 8 20kg
1 x 5 40kg
1 x 8 70kg ( all done with shoulders tucked under me, and nice and slow with a distinct pause at the bottom,
really contracting the pecs at the top of the movement. alllows me to isolate the chest and remove
the delts and tris as much as poosible)
1 x 8 70kg normal speed

Decline Bench

1 x 5 60kg


Dips

5

Machine fly

1 x7 135pounds (i think)

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finaly took a day off tonight, hoping i'll really be revved up for my back tomorrow. cant wait!

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Had a good session tonight, slept really well so had bags of energy today and was really focused in the gym.

Warm up
DB Deadlift

1 x 6 25kg
1 x 6 25kg

BB Deadlift

1 x 6 60kg
1 x 6 100kg
1 x 8 150kg (real struggle for the last rep, but 10kg heavier than last week so im really pleased! initialy thought
it was 145kg but id counted wrong!)

Wide Grip Chins

1 x 6
1 x 3 (30 sec later, i find these very hard due to me being a fat fu*ker lol)

Cable Row

Stack
1 x 8 very slow, really felt the contraction in my lats so good workout

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Pretty good improvements on my lifts from my last session on Shoulders, also helped to sweat the single malt outta me from last night!

Military Press

1 x 12 20kg
1 x 6 40kg
1 x 5 65kg (20sec pause then got 3 more, with a slight push )
ill keep it at this weight now for my next session until i get to 8 clean reps

Lateral Raise

1 x 7 10kg (as always VERY strict form here, lowering not to my sides but about 6 inches away. really isolates the delt, i cannot stand people who swing 20-30kg dumbells up!!!! anyone can do that! 20 sec pause then 3 more

Rear Bent Over Raise

1 x 10 10kg (will increase the weight next week for this i think)

Shrug

1 x 8 40kg
1 x8 100kg ( grip went on this, its definatley my weakest point, not using straps as much now to try to improve this)

And that was my massive shoulder work out, as always aiming to fail around the 8 rep mark, but all movements slow and very controlled. Why do more when more is not needed? see this study.....


http://www.ms-se.com/pt/re/msse/abstract.00005768-200001000-00035.htm;jsessionid=F7SWyMsFgTDGlnBsTQ43dnnvLNl1vzz2tzLmh4v2TPl8cJ1PdCQR!-1119014599!-949856145!8091!-1

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29/1/07 LEGS

Db Squat (warm up)

1 x 8 30kg
1 x 8 30kg
1 x 8 30kg

Front Squat

1 x4 60kg (to get used to the weight)
1 x6 90kg (then 4 more after a pause)

Really struggle to keep the weight on my shoulders on this movement, i have my arms crossed with the bar virtually touching my throat. its a real struggle to keep it there and i feel it in my upperbody more than my legs at the moment. will give em a few more weeks

Leg Extention

1 x 9 stack (unsure of weight) slow as possible with a pause in the extended position. will add weight next week

Leg Curl

1 x 9 @ 195pounds

Stepper to finish off with for ten mins

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30/1/07

Chest

Bench press
1 x 8 20kg
1 x 8 20kg
1 x 5 40kg
1 x 8 70kg (paused then 4 more) All reps done with shoulders tucked under me so i isolate the chest. all done slowly with a pause at my chest. really feels good this at the moment. for years ive done this with bad form but this targets my chest like it is supposed to. dont feel it anywhere else but pecs.

Incline DB Press

1 x 6 15kg (pause then 4 more) Done straight after

Dips

1 x 6 then 2 more (leaning forward to target the chest)

Machine fly

1 x 7 @ 135pounds


Really good workout, left the gym feeling pumped and pleased my reps have gone up on my bench, so will increase weight next session now

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Funny session today, although i havent felt right all day. had a blood test today for my derm appointment next week to hopefully get some roaccutane. ive got a pretty strong aversion to giving blood ie get picked up off the floor after its done! managed to stay concious this time but felt ropey all day.

Back 1/2/07

Deadlift
1 x 8 60kg
1 x 6 100kg
1 x 8 150kg

Machine Row

1 x7 50kg close grip
1 x7 50kg wide grip (both done very slow with a pause)

Pullups

1 x5 bodyweight



Pretty dissapointed with my session, but will hopefully spur me on next session. got one more week of bulking then im gonna slowly up the cardio for 5 mornings a week then start altering my diet to cut some of my lard off me. think my goals are slowly changing and im fed up being fat! time to do something about it!

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no training and diet has been crap due to one of my parents being hospitalised early hours sat morning.

hopefully they have the infection under control now and they are showing signs of recovery, so im going the gym in the morning for some steady state cardio low hr for 45mins.

gonna try and strip the fat ive accumulated over these last 27 years!

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did my first morning of steady state cardio today, kept my HR under 100 and did 40mins slow walk on the treadmill.

absolutley shattered so wont be going the gym tonight. think it will be a week or too before i get used to the early starts. i love my bed! but i hate my belly more! lol

tried a bit of eph to keep me going but id forgotten all the sides i have with it! wont be using it again, sweating in this weather is not a good look!

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second day of steady state this morning, im bloody shattered now but im getting off down the gym now to do my legs. decided every 4th session im gonna mix things up.

so tonight back to back squats, probly some DB lunges etc.

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Keep it going matey, the steady state cardio in the mornings will help loads, know its a nightmare but will be worth it in the long run

GRIFF'S JOURNAL

Cheers mate will do!

First session back in the gym tonight so just a tester really, decided against the lunges couldnt be arsed!

Bit of volume to mix things up a bit

LEGS

Squat

1 x 8 20kg
1 x 8 60kg
1 x 8 100kg
1 x 8 100kg
1 x 8 120kg
1 x 4 140kg
1 x 4 140kg (coulda gone for more reps but didnt want to push it as im just starin to up my cardio in prep for my cut. whatever weight i use for the next few sessions i will aim to keep the same throughout my cut)

Calf Raise

1 x 40 40kg
1 x 40 80kg (nearly fell over after these!)

Leg Extention

1 x 8 255 pounds (nice an slow with a pause)
1 x 5 210 no rest
1 x 3 165

Leg Curl

1 x 6 195
1 x 4 150


not a bad session but my hams are a real problem area never seem to grow very well. just gonna keep on at them till they give in! lol

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another steady state cardio this morning. time to go for a sleep i think! i will not give into the temptation to use my eca again it really doesnt agree with me!

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for love nor money could i get myself outta my bed this morning! it just wasnt gonna happen.

so went tonight instead for the steady state cardio, 40 mins again.

will go in the morning though

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pleased i managed to drag my lard ass outta bed this morning to the gym for my steady state, feel good for doing it but was really tired after work so havent been to the gym for an actual workout tonight.

ill see how i feel tomorrow and do my chest then.