v10hanz

My vital statistics:
27yrs old
5'11"
275lbs


Sunday: Leg day... day of my continued right knee injury

Leg extensions:
Set 1 - 80lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 90lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 100lbs for 10 reps

Seated Leg curl:
Set 1 - 100lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 120lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 140lbs for 10 reps
Set 4 - 180lbs for 10 reps

Machine Squat
Set 1 - two 45lbs plates for 12 reps
Set 2 - four 45lbs plates for 12 reps
Set 3 - six 45lbs plates for 10 reps
Set 4 - eight 45lbs plates for 6 reps (knee really hurt on this one so I stopped)


Monday: Off

Tuesday: Chest/Bi's/Calves

Chest to start...
Incline Dumbell Press:
Set 1 - 60lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 70lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 80lbs for 10 reps

Dumbell fly:
Set 1 - 40lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 50lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 60lbs for 10 reps

Biceps to continue...
Preacher curl w/ez bar: wide grip this week
Set 1 - 40lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 60lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 80lbs for 8 reps
Set 4 - I wish :oP

Seated Dumbell curls:
Set 1 - 30lbs for 10 reps
Set 2 - 35lbs for 8 reps
Set 3 - 40lbs for 8 reps

Reverse curls: none this week

Seated Calves: 45 degree angled machine
Set 1 - 100lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 200lbs for 10 reps
Set 3 - 300lbs for 8 reps
Set 4 - 360lbs for 8 reps

Cardio: 30 minutes on eliptical... which further exacerbated my knee problem, hence no more eliptical for a month :oP


Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Back/Abs

Back:
Seated Row...
Set 1 - 160lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 180lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 200lbs for 9 reps
Set 4 - 100lbs for 20 reps

Dumbell Shrugs...
Set 1 - 80lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 90lbs for 12 reps
Set 3 - 100lbs for 10 reps
Set 4 - 50lbs for 10 reps

Lat pulldown...
Set 1 - 140lbs for 12 reps
Set 2 - 160lbs for 10 reps
Set 3 - 180lbs for 8 reps
Set 4 - 250lbs... hahaha tried to do this... try being the keyword :oP

Lawnmower pulls...
Set 1 - 60lbs for 10 reps
Set 2 - 70lbs for 6 reps
Set 3 - too tired to think about anymore so I went to abs


Abs:
Situps: slant board at about a 30 degree angle
Set 1-3 w/25lbs weight: 30reps


Friday: Shoulders/Tri's/Calves

Shoulders...

Military press: done on smith machine
Set 1: two 25lbs plates for 14 reps
Set 2: 35lbs for 12 reps
Set 4: 45lbs for 10 reps

Machine rear delt fly:
Set 1: 60lbs for 14 reps
Set 2: 70lbs for 12 reps
Set 3: 80lbs for 10 reps

Front cable raises:
Set 1: 20lbs for 14 reps
Set 2: 25lbs for 12 reps
Set 3: 30lbs for 10 reps


Triceps...
Seated triceps press?
Set 1: 130lbs for 14 reps
Set 2: 180lbs for 12 reps
Set 3: 205lbs for 6 reps

Seated dips:
Set 1: my own body weight for 12 reps
Set 2: added 25lbs weight for 10 reps
Set 3: added 45lbs weight for 10 reps

Pushdowns: None this week

Calves:
Seated Calves: 45 degree angled machine
Set 1 - 100lbs for 14 reps
Set 2 - 200lbs for 10 reps
Set 3 - 300lbs for 8 reps
Set 4 - 360lbs for 8 reps


Saturday: Make-up day

*Today I was supposed to go to the gym, but the Mrs. wanted to go shopping with our son... so guess what I did? Went shopping... :rock2: but at least I found some shorts and pants to wear, which I guess is better than trying to walk around nekked.

Sunday: Legs...

*Not sure if I'll do this as my knees are still pretty sore (Joint pain). Thinking I might try the leg extensions and the curls, but skip the squats... we'll see... the Mrs. wants to go to church...

That's all for this week.

v10hanz

Well I thought I would post a reply to my thread and include the supplements I use and why, some are for experiment and others are going to stay, and others have been tried and dismissed as they didn't work for me.

Currently I use a variety of protein to include whey, whey isolate, and egg protein. I use a lot of vitamin shoppe brands, but am experimenting and trying other stuff. for the whey protein I haven't found a particular brand I'm attracted too over anything else, so this one is up in the air. I really like isopure whey isolate... but am not totally convinced the extra cost is worth it for an amature athlete such as myself. I will probably discontinue use after this bottle is gone. My egg protein I just switched to Optimum nutritions... which is awesome! the taste is great and it mixes well.

I am currently using my second can of Animal M Stak, with mixed results. The first time I used it I felt like it really did wonders for me in putting me back to where I was when I stopped lifting, and helped increase my overall lift by 10lbs or so. It did give me an aggressive edge, which I didn't notice too much... but the Mrs. said I was more irritable than I usually am. After my first 21 days I tried the Animal Stak 2, which gave me some horrible headaches due to the vasodilators... I used this for about a week and a half and dumped it, as it just left me feeling too edgy and really didn't give me the results as the M stak. The second can of M stak has only been in use the last three days... so we'll see on this one.

Animal cuts is something I'm trying right now, mainly for the supposed boost to thyroid function. Any of the fat burners that use high doses of caffeine do zilch for me, as I drink at least a pot of coffee every night. So again, this is in the preliminary stage of use.

I use glutamine more for immune support and muscle recovery. I found that if I didn't use glutamine, especially after a really heavy lift, I would get sick pronto. I would also notice it would take about twice as long for me to recover. Once I started using it I believe it's helped me keep from getting sick, as well as cutting my recovery time in half.

The flax seed oil pills are pretty nice actually. I used to use stone ground flax seed and put that in my drinks, but found it too grainy. I used a coffee grinder to make it into a fine powder and the nutty flavor was kind of nice for a while. It did get old though as it separated from the drink and quickly sank to the bottom or stuck in my throat. I also found I still craved fish on a regular basis. Once I switched to the pill form and I take it about three times a day... no problems! I don't crave fish like I used to.

The glucosamine and condroitin has only been in use for about 4 days now. I like it honestly. It seems to help, and did help take the edge off the knee pain. It also helped me feel like my bones weren't rubbing against each other. But it's still early in the cycle from what I understand, so again... we'll see.

Fat burners... in general I think are a waste and a bunch of crap. I've tried a variety from hydroxycut (with ephedra when it was around) and dumped that as it made me jittery. I tried the brands from vitamin shoppe as well as vitamin world... again, no real effect as it seemed like it was mostly caffeine. I did try tonalin CLA... which gave me mixed results. While it seemed to make my skin less "full" (of fat), it didn't really do anything else for me. I dumped it as I just got tired of taking pills.

My protein drink when mixed is as follows:

1 cup skim milk
1 scoop whey isolate
1 scoop whey protein
2 scoops egg protein
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup blueberries
1-2 tablespoons glutamine
water

This protein mix has worked well for me in the past, leaving me feeling full for hours and doesn't make me crave anything when I'm finished. I vary the scoops from time to time to include 2 isolate with one whey and egg, etc. It just depends on what I think is better. I think the above combination works best for me and again doesn't leave me feeling like I need to hit up more food. I have only been back on this for about a week now. I am seriously thinking about dumping the oatmeal as it seems like extra calories that I can cut out to lose more fat.

v10hanz

Well I figure I better include my diet, as I really need some advice on this. I have recorded my meals for a day as previous days I didn't record. I'm trying to get on track with this, but it's a pain in the a$$ since the more I eat... the more I need to record. So here goes for my first day:

1am (breakfast/lunch) - woke up late on day off
1 cup granola cereal
1 1/2 cup skim milk


10am (after workout)
Protein drink
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tbsp glutamine
2 scoop egg protein
1 scoop whey
1 scoop whey isolate
1/2 cup blueberries

got hungry before bed at 1pm and ate:
4 whole eggs

8pm (breakfast before work)
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/3 cup skim milk

midnight (snack)
1 cheese stick

2am (lunch at work)
2 chicken breast boneless skinless
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup prunes
1 banana

4am (snack)
4 med. sized oranges

10am (after workout/dinner)
Protein drink:
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup blueberries
2 scoop whey isolate
1 scoop whey
1 scoop egg


This is the first day that I actually recorded my meals. I'll try to get on the ball and record everything more accurately to hold myself more accountable. I estimated that my caloric intake was around 2400. I'm thinking I could cut back on my carbs, which would probably help... maybe eliminate oatmeal since I'm getting fiber from prunes? Any suggestions based on this day? I'll try to include more days as time goes on.

v10hanz

Well today I caved on my food log and my workout. I had initially thought about not writing anything for my food log, since I feel so guilty about it, but if I don't... then I'm not being completely honest with myself.

I had thought initially I would go to the gym, but decided against it since my knee(s) are still bothering me. So I bagged that, and in the process... bagged my diet too. So like a dumba$$ I went home and ate the breakfast my mother in law cooked, which included:

3 hot dawgs with about 170 calories each... ugh, felt terrible about this
2 pieces of italian bread, 80 calories each... not so bad I suppose, but not a very good 'food' choice.

Then later in the morning I was shopping and walked passed the ice cream, which is my ultimate vice... and look what fell into my cart! A pint of vanilla ice cream. Well needless to say I couldn't let the little fellow freeze in there, so I gleefully took it home and promptly devoured it... which prompted the Mrs. to point out how many calories are in there. Funny how she always chimes in AFTER I eat it. Now my shame was 'almost' complete, so I drank some water and went to bed.

I promptely wake up, and eat a bowl of cereal... which didn't do anything for me other than leave me feeling empty. I then came to work, and the Dr. I work with decided it was a good night to get donuts. So I got the dozen donuts and after my fourth one... decided that I need to write my food log. I almost didn't, more out of shame than anything else... but it's better to be honest with myself.

So here I am... contemplating how I'm going to rectify this situation in the coming days and weeks, and how to get myself back on the road to a better me. I don't think pills are the answer, no... let's go back to our pre-chemical society days and actually exercise!

So that's my day, all laden with junkfood and other fattening treats. At least I have my water and my coffee here... as well as my homework to keep me company. We'll have to see what the rest of the day brings.

Well I'll sign off for now, as Monday is my "off" day from the gym, I think I'll really have to focus on keeping the diet honest. I'll write more later and keep this updated.

__________________
Nov. 05 - 260lbs
Dec. 05 - 268lbs
Jan. 05 - 275lbs

SoMdHunter

It looks like you work nights and I noticed you had 2 chicken breasts at 2:00am and then no more protein until 10:00am. That is 8 hrs time. IMO your muscles need to be feed more often than that. I would add another protein source in there and eliminate a couple of oranges. Say maybe a small can of tuna and some cottage cheese. (about 35gms of protein).

__________________
Vegetarian - ancient Indian term for bad hunter.

v10hanz

You know I never realized that! You're right! I think I'll do that, as I have a pretty good recipe for tuna w/mustard, vinegar, and pepper that I got from a magazine. Thanks for the notice on the time difference

__________________
Nov. 05 - 260lbs
Dec. 05 - 268lbs
Jan. 05 - 275lbs

v10hanz

Well today I'm back on the wagon, and have started out with my protein drink:

Protein drink
1 cup skim milk 90cal
1/2 cup oatmeal 150cal
1 tbsp glutamine
2 scoop egg protein 200cal
2 scoop whey 180cal
1 cup raspberries 90cal

I just about soiled myself when I saw how much 1/2 cup of the 1min oats is for calories! We buy our oatmeal in bulk from a chain store and I always toss the box... next time I cut the damn thing out and tape it to the plastic container (><). Anyway, Now I'm definitely going to keep it down to 1/2 cup, or no cups of oats in my drink at all... we'll see, I like the filler. But that also means I need to cut down more in other areas. Talk about phantom calories!

Anyway, back to my personal rant. I thought about it last night, how I indulged so much and was pretty much feeling sorry for myself. I decided today when I was in class that I just need to make a change for the better... if not for me, then for my toddler son and my beautiful wife. So a large part of this is for them, as well as myself! But ultimately it all comes down to attitude! My attitude yesterday was "oh well, in for a pinch, in for a pound"... which isn't the best way to go. Once you get into that downward spiral you are only hurting yourself. So with the dawning of a new morning (litterally, I woke up at midnight) I decided that today is just going to be the day that will define my choices for what I eat and when I eat, etc, etc. I won't beat myself up if I slip a little... but I'm not going to give in to my temptations anymore!

It reminds me of a penny I found... year 2004 to be exact. It represents many things for me, when I was married, when I separated from the military, as well as my huge slide into overweight oblivion. It also presents itself as a reminder of where I really don't want to be in my overall general health.

So here's to changing attitudes...

__________________
Nov. 05 - 260lbs
Dec. 05 - 268lbs
Jan. 05 - 275lbs

v10hanz

Well here are my pictures for the start of my journey. I haven't done anything like this before so this is a first for me. Long way to go... especially in the cardio area since I have such a wonderful flotation device engineered right into my body... :boink1:

__________________
Nov. 05 - 260lbs
Dec. 05 - 268lbs
Jan. 05 - 275lbs

v10hanz

Well today wasn't that bad, although I will probably make some adjustments to my workout routine.

1am: Protein drink

3:30am:
Tuna sandwich (made with mustard and vinegar, no mayo)
2 pieces italian bread

7:15am: Workout

9:00am
6 eggs
2 pieces italian bread
6 slices of turkey breast lunchmeat

12noon
Chicken breast
2 cups skim milk

1pm
**sleep**

6pm
1 cup skim milk

8pm
Protein drink

10pm
**sleep**


My workout routine for the day was so so. I hit chest, bi's, and calves:

Chest:
Incline Dumbell Press
1: 70x2x12
2: 80x2x9
3: 90x2x6

Flat Dumbell Press, did this as an alternative to flys today
1: 40x2x12
2: 50x2x8
3: 60x2x6

Biceps:
Preacher curls
1: 25x2x12
2: 30x2x8
3: 35x2x5 *sharp pain in elbow joint on this one so stopped

Calves:
Seated calf raise
1: 200x12
2: 300x10
3: 340x8

Today I felt like I didn't do diddly in the gym in all honesty. I felt my biceps really sucked, but oddly enough I felt like I worked out my elbow joint more than the muscle itself. I think I'm going to bag the preacher curls for a week or two and just focus on dumbell curls for a while. I tried those today and they seemed ok, but the elbow was hurting too much.

Chest wasn't too bad, although I'm thinking about dropping the weight so I can get in more reps.

That's all for today!

__________________
Nov. 05 - 260lbs
Dec. 05 - 268lbs
Jan. 05 - 275lbs