I was given the idea today to start up a training blog on the forum. I hope you enjoy reading and posting in it.
Monday 7/21/2008
Off day. Kind of a slow way to start a journal. Did some light cardio to help my quads recover from Saturday's workout and an abs video with my wife and the baby.
Also went grocery shopping. Here's some things from the grocery list:
This was the last go-round with my powerlifting program before I switch up to a more bodybuilding type split. Usually I head of with some light squatting but my quad workout was so intensive on Saturday with Joe (breaking me into my new bb split) that I nixed it from today's Deadlift routine. So I headed off with my Deads.
Deads: 135/10, 135/10, 225/10, This time I did something different for my work sets. I utilized cluster sets. A cluster set is where you do a series of singles with 7-12 seconds rest between each rep. I will annotate a cluster set by 1(y) which means 1 rep y times. The purpose of the cluster is to force your body to do more repetitions with a weight you would normally fail with less repetitions. So say you use a 3 rep max, you can do a cluster of 5 singles. This what I did....I'm not super strong so don't laugh:
Also threw in some, machine bicep curls to flush the biceps, and some seated leg curls to really flush the hams and sartorius : ).
Stretched for a good 15 minutes.
Tomorrow I will move onto a new split and training focus. Reps per set will be increasing as will be the focus on breaking down the muscle intensely per workout.
The split I am going with is a slight deviation from what I was given by Joe..although not by much. I want to split back up into rowing days and vertical days because I find that back hardly gets enough attention that it needs yet the pushing muscles are always split up into two days (chest day and shoulder day).
The split will look like this (abs 3x weekly with focus on different area each time):
1. Quads/Calves(bent leg) 2. Chest/Biceps 3. Off/Light 4. Back (rowing)/Triceps 5. Hamstrings/Calves (straight leg and tibialis) 6. Shoulders/Back (vertical) 7. Off/Light
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
I know I'm going to be sore from this one. First workout like this in months..maybe even years.
Chest/Biceps Incline DB press: warms>>65/10, 75/10, 85/10, work sets: 95/6,6,6,5 Flat BB press: warms > bar, work sets: 155/8, 165/8, 180/8 Incline Curl: 35/10, 10, 5 Incline Palms in Press: 55/15 (failure), 55/9 (failure) Cable Curl:110/10,10,10 Flat Fly:55/15 (failure), 55/9 (failure) Concentration Curl:30/15 (failure), 6(failure), 5(failure)
Rest was between 30-60 secs between sets. Eccentrics were slow and controlled. Concentrics were AFAP (as fast as possible). Held stretch position for a count. Held contracted position for a count. Pump was out of control.
Planning to go up on Incline DB, Flat BB, Cable Curl, Flat Fly, and Incline PIP next time.
-- Edited by winflex at 11:18, 2008-07-24
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TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
So the Rowing days are going to focus on scapular retraction and squeezing the shoulder blades together...those are going to be TBARs, Bent rows, DB rows, rear delt raise etc. which is the opposite motion of bench pressing and flyes.
The vertical days are going to focus on the opposite motion of shoulder pressing, side/front laterals, and shrugs...so we are talking like pullups, chins, pulldowns, and straight arm pull downs. This is more like the downwward rotation fo the shoulder blades.
So this way you have a day each where the scaps are rotated down, rotated up, squeezed back, and opposite. just trying to keep equal forces on the rotator cuff to avoid injury as sometimes I can feel when I'm on the verge.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Yep, I did the INBF Long Island Experience. I was 3rd place (last) in the middleweights. Unfortunately, I don't think I do well with weight classes because I almost always get compared to guys that are 4 inches or more shorter than me with the same body weight. My height is a disadvantage when it comes to weight classes. Height classes though are another story.
With height classes I think I get judged more on my symmetry and conditioning which are my stronger points.
So this offseason (however long it is) is basically to get me out of the middleweight category if I have to compete in weight classes. If I could compete as a light heavy (even if I was in the bottom of my class in weight) I think I'd be compared to guys with comparable height as me.
Here's a shot of my weight class last year at the INBF LIE (I'm the tallest one.):
As you can see 174 looks better on a guy who is 5' 8" than on a guy who is 6' 2".
The INBF LIE is a big show with like 80 or more competitors and it is loooooong. I wasn't prepared for that. I also got sick the night before as I was driving up to my parents house on LI. So if I were going to do that show again, I would make sure that I took a few days to get all my stuff ready and bring enough things to relax with backstage...which is really hectic....instead of last minute packing after work and leaving NJ at 11 p.m. and arriving at 1 a.m. on LI only to get sick and have about 5 hours sleep.
-- Edited by winflex at 22:29, 2008-07-24
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Nothing big...Day off. Did crunches on the floor with a towel rolled under the lower back for a bigger range of motion. 6 sets to failure.
Stretched the quads which are a still sore but not as sore as before. Stretched the chest which is now sore. Did a few light rotator cuff exercises with a 5 lb plate. Stretched the biceps out which are definitely sore today.
All done in 30 minutes.
Going to bed earlier tonight as it seems that my little one is out like a light.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Incline Bench DB Row warms >> 55/10, 65/10, 80/6 work >> 95/8,8,8 (used wrist straps after first set so I could focus on pushing the elbows back instead of using the biceps, no wrist straps in the rest of the entire workout) Skullcrushers warms >> 25/10, 10 work >> 35/ 9(fail), 5(fail) Hyer/Row warms >> 70/10, 120/6 work>> 175/4+1+1+1+1 (a bit too heavy...fried the lower back), 130/8,8 Tricep cable bar extension work >> 150/16 (fail), 9 (fail) Bent Row w/ Barbell work>>135/6,6,6,6 Low incline Bench Rear Delt raise work >> 35/15 fail, 25/15 fail
Summary: Non-conventional to say the least. I don't think the order worked for me. My thought was that I really get good contractions on the hyper/row (a hyper/row is a row at the top of a slanted hyperextension). So, I wanted to do that right in the beginning but it really threw off my bent rows because my lower back was fried.
I think having a row day was a good idea though. For the first time I think I made a really good connection with the muscle between my shoulder blades and I wasn't just doing the form and the motions. The lats were not directly stimulated so I think I'm going to be fine on Pullup day. We'll see in two days.
Next time the Bent Rows will be up front when the low back is fresh, followed by Incline bench rows, followed by the Low incline Bench rear delt raise, and then I will just to light weighted hypers for a finisher.
I took the triceps to failure on all work sets since they were both iso type exercises and that was enough to get a good pump and feel. Besides tris get a good heavy load on chest days and shoulder days anyways.
If anyone is interested (I saw this on Flex87's journal) here are my current supps:
Scivation Whey Scivation Xtend Scivation VasoCharge Primaforce CarbSlam ON 100% Casein USPLabs Anabolic Pump USPLabs SuperCissusRx Beverly International Super Pak Core ZAP
-- Edited by winflex at 23:33, 2008-07-25
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
On the LIE....Yeah, the pizza was great...I couldn't hold out on that so I had some before I did my routine.
Which class did you do?
Casein....Just started it this week. Too early to tell if it is making a difference or not but it is supposed to be the thing for protein at night. So I'll do it for a while and see if I like it.
Anabolic Pump....good product. Some people don't respond though. If you do try it, read the FAQs and the Manual that USPLabs has online. I think that was helpful for me with the timing of it. If you pump up easily during a workout, you will pump up even easier with AP.
Off to the gym.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Hams and Calves (straight leg) Leg Curl (Nautilus Xplode Machine*): warms: 45/15,10 work sets: 70/8,8,8,8,8,8 SLDL w/ DB: warms 50/12, 65/10, 80/8 work: 90/8,8,8,8,8,8 Smith Standing Calf: warms/ 225/8, 275/8, 295/8, work/ 315/8,6,6 One leg Standing Calf: 2 sets per leg to failure
Summary: Simple but effective. Two exercises for hams...and two for calves..then go home.
Lead off with the leg curl. Used a different machine today. It was a plate loaded machine with constant tension. Good feel but can't do as much weight as the machine with the weight stack. Volumized it since there were only two exercises to do. SLDL with DB would have been better had I not done crazy hyper rows yesterday but I still hit good weight. maintained constant tension by not resting at the top of the motion. Got a good pump in the calves. Overall a good workout. Thinking about completely nixing the hyper-rows on back rowing day since I'm doing the SLDL's the next day.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Good job Dwayne, but one thing I noticed. If you can do 8 reps on all sets, the weight is too light!! What that tells me, is the the middle sets are too easy.
I plan on going up next time. The machine was new to me so I was feeling it out. The lower back was real sore from the hyper/rows so I didn't want to push it over the edge on the SLDL. I will definitely go up on those next time as well. Actually hypers, if place the pad in the right position, really hit the hams, glutes, and calves...still I don't think I need them.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Rainy Sunday in Robbinsville, NJ...perfect weather for thunderstorm in the gym :)
Sun Jul 27 2008
Shoulders/Back (vertical): Just listing work sets from now on.
Military Press: 125/ 6,6,5,4 Weighted Chinup: me + 35/6,6,5,5 Shrugs: 295/8, 315/7,6 Weighted Pullup: me/8, me+10/8, me+20/6 Side Lateral: 30 (fail each set)/14, 12, 10 ss w/ Rope Pulls: (fail each set) 150/20, 170/16, 190/12
Did a drop set with Side alteral on last set...didn't record reps but dropped from 30 to 25 to 15.
Summary: Second back workout of the week but no problems with recovery since the plane of motion was completely different. I do my military presses standing with my knees locked. So there is no leg drive as in a push press. Totally strict. Chinups are done with hands facing me. Shrugs are done with an alternating grip, switching on each set. Weighted Pullups are with hands facing away and slightly beyond shoulder width. Here's where it got interesting... Side laterals..I normally do these standing or seated without any other form enhancers. So today, in order to push all the load into the delts and not into the traps I sat on a incline bench set at the level right before perfectly 90 degrees. I sat facing the bench and put my chin on the top edge of the bench. Keeping my legs back and out of the way, I started repping from there. I was surprised to find out how strong my delts really are in this position. I hardly can handle 30's usually without overloading my rotator cuff and adding swinging. This time my body was completely stabilized and I could really force my delts to do the work. My delts were swole. Rope pulls...I originally saw this one in F&P magazine. It was an article on v-taper training for figure. Although it was for figure, guess what bodybuilders have lats too so it has to be good for bb'ers too. Kneel down in front of a cable station leaning forward; grab a rope attachment. Still leaning forward, pull the rope to your chest but aim for the hips. It feels like a hyper overloaded straight arm pulldown. Really good feel and finisher. Looking forward to continuing the row/vertical back split.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Off Day: Ate my usual off day meal plan but also added the following over lunch from the Asian Station at Wegmans: 2 chicken spring rolls 2 shrimp purses crab cake 3 small pork rolls 1 large shrimp roll 2 fried wontons
Delish...hopefully those cals will be of good use tomorrow for leg day!!
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Summary: Decided that all my leg workouts will be at Golds Lawrenceville NJ because I want to be consistent with the machines I use. Squats: Slow controlled decent, power up. Not much more to say. Higher rep range than my powerlifting routine, have to build up the endurance. Hack Squat: Full decent, slight pause, power up. Leg Extension: Power up, controlled decent...used plate loaded Nautilus Xplode..new one for me but it did the job. Sumo Squat: Grip was on the bar of the dumbell to get deep range, will need to up the weight next bout...but sweat on hands made my grip slip a little on first set. I am going to put the weight in a dip belt next time...so no slippage. Seated Calves: I was doing 5/5 on my power split for seated calves so I'm just continuing that since the gains are coming. Pause at the bottom for full stretch...power up...hold for count at the top...nice n tight. Stretch out like a mofo at the end..the pump was on.
RANT: LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES. My college years were full of half and quarter rep squats for ego..WASTED TIME. My beginning bodybuilding years were full of heel elevated squats ATG for "feel"...WASTED TIME and KNEE DESTROYER. There was something gained from all of it though==KNOWLEDGE...and a some muscle. I can't doubt that my back definition was not helped by the ego half squats. I can't doubt that my quad sweep was improved from the heel elevated ATG squats...but because of those things, I have an f'ed up right knee and lacking in the adductor, inner hammy region and really still need to fill out the wheels.
I distinctly remember my first training session with Joe last year. I said I do squats with my heel elevated and legs close in because I "feel" it more in my quads but sometimes I have knee issues. He said, "Its probably because you do heel elevated squats." Well, yeah it was.
Since after my shows last year, I converted to the ATG flat foot squat, a little wider stance, and have developed better adductors and inner hams, and like my coach, the legendary Sid Jameison, in college used to say, "Dwayne you gotta get a bigger butt." Well, I've got a bigger butt. But I'm still working on it and far from my squatting goals. I have to listen to my body and switch up the training when I get stagnant but next year watch out...a whole new set of wheels, that just don't look good from the front. They are going to look good from the FRONT, SIDE, BACK, and EVERY ANGLE IN BETWEEN.
My wife (who is very kind to me) told me that I look like a Centaur now from the side (horseman creature from Greek mythology). I take that as a compliment because that means I'm getting the rear to match the front.
Next leg day, I'm going to get a few vids to show the intensity I am bringing to the table and how serious I am about remaking these wheels of steel.
Last year, Orlando's legs would have annihilated mine had he been a little more conditioned. His legs were HUGE. I got by with shape, sweep, and cuts. I was LUCKY. I mean LUCKY. See for yourself:
Look at the mass he was packing. Look at the fullness. This guy is a true pro and when dialed in, very hard to beat. I just caught him off his peak. My goal is to become a pro and I want to improve my fullness...that means heavy ATG squats with a flat feet. Heavy is relative...being 6'2".... but all things equal, I know my squat strength SUCKS!!
Time and Food...time and food...wait and see what I am capable of!
See the poster in the background. Those wheels are the goal. WATCH OUT!
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Chest/Bi's: Incline DB: 3 warms, 95/6,6,4,3 (don't know what happened on last two..ran out of gas) Flat BB: 160/10, 170/10, 185/8,8, 190/6+2 Incline Curl: 35/12, 40/8, 4+1(4) Incline PIP (used high angle): 50/10, 65/10, 70/5,4, 55/5+5x-reps Cable Curl: 130/12, 140/6 Flat Fly: 60/12,8 Concentration Curl (Nautilus Xplode machine): 50/12f, 8 beyond failure (forced reps on last 4 reps used resting hand to spot working hand)
Summary: After my 3rd set on Incline DB which I had gotten more reps on last week, I was like WTF. I started to try to make logic of it....excuses like, "I am coming down with something from my wife and baby"(which was part true..we all have a cold), "Yesterday's leg workout kicked my a$$", "I didn't eat enough carbs today", etc. Then, I walked to the water fountain and told myself, "Self, you need to stop making excuses and make up for that piss poor performance on those last two sets"....and IT WAS ON. I increased the flat bench a lot and did a rest pause set with the last set. I increased on incline and on the last set did a rest pause with a cluster of 4. X-reps on the last set of Incline PIP to really incinerate a pump. Increased the Cable Curl, and Flat Fly. Took the Concentration Curl to the Nautilus Xplode machine instead of free weight...the tension covered more of the whole range of motion. I took the first set to failure and the second set to beyond failure.
Although I have a cold, I feel like tonight's victory was worth the battle. The endorphins should help to kill the cough.
Tomorrow will be off and well earned.
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Think you are being JUST a bit hard on yourself. You look great and your legs are very defined and big. You're over 6' and some good fulness. I wish I was in 1/2 the shape you are (I'll get there !!) but you beat him because you were better than him. I do admire your persistance though!
Thanks for the props Dave. You are tearing up your training and when you do get up on that stage I know for sure that you will be dialed in and on 100% on point. You have that potential. You will do very well with your drive and persistence. I have to watch out for you and your 5'8" self. Those 5'8"'ers always destroy me up on stage with their thickness.
-- Edited by winflex at 20:21, 2008-07-31
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Off day: I did abs at home on the floor today for 15 minutes. I could hardly walk all day today as the DOMS from my leg workout Tuesday has set in full force. Thank goodness for a desk job...I just wish the bathroom was right next to my cube for a short walk.
Also, I slept really well last night due to two things: 1. Nighttime Comtrex: to suppress the cough (which is gone today : ) 2. Baby Olivia slept for 7.5 hrs straight last night :WOOHOO!:
__________________
TEAM FRANCO BODYBUILDING
Ahh...recovery....Don't believe the hype; you are a machine.
Thanks for the props Dave. You are tearing up your training and when you do get up on that stage I know for sure that you will be dialed in and on 100% on point. You have that potential. You will do very well with your drive and persistence. I have to watch out for you and your 5'8" self. Those 5'8"'ers always destroy me up on stage with their thickness.
-- Edited by winflex at 20:21, 2008-07-31
Yeah Dwayne - you better watch out for me !! Ha Ha - no really thanks for the words of encouragement I really appreciate it!