Commanding My Body

[Commander]

AM

Close Neutral Grip DB Press (1 arm at a time)
42 (plus5) 67x5
72x5, 5 sets

T-Bar
135 (plus 15) 195x5
130x10

Lunch

Close Neutral Grip DB Press (1 arm at a time)
52x10, 10 sets

superset with

T-Bar
120x10, 10 sets

[Commander]

Got some outstanding NEPA this weekend. First was taking down Christmas decorations on Saturday morning (lots of boxes up and down steps and of course, carrying the tree). Then Saturday and Sunday afternoon spent 2 and 2.5 hours respectively sled riding with my boys. Talk about hamstring work walking up a snow covered hill!

Saturday

Off

Sunday

Chinup
BW (+10) BW+60x3
BW+25, 5x5
BW, 3x8

Underhandgrip Pulldown
100, 2x8
80x12,
80x12 double contraction reps

Decline Low Cable Pullover
40, 5x8

Monday

DB CG Neutral Press - 1 arm at a time
52 (+5) 82x3
70, 5x5
57, 5x8
47, 2x15

Decline Low Cable Pullover
50, 5x8

Since I am limited on chest exercises, I chose the decline low cable pullover as my main hypertrophy assistance exercise for chest and back. You can get a great stretch and contraction in your lats, and a great contraction in your chest on the low cable attachment. Also, you get that extra tricep stretch on the long head which I enjoy. With a slight tweak and good mind-muscle connection, I can really try and focus on the muscle I want as well (i.e. either lats or chest).

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Injury update:

Good news on the injury, I was able to do a push up on my suspension trainer almost pain free. Pushups on the floor still hurt, I think the fixed hand position is the reason they hurt. I think with the suspension trainer, it allows me to keep my hands/arms/chest in a ROM that works for me much easier.

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Diet Update:

Sort of fell off the wagon with reporting diet info, basically got off track slightly during the holidays. On track currenctly.

Previous Macros (in place from December 3 to about December 20): cal 3051, fat 97, carb 346, protein 198 - including PWO 3592, 102, 420, 248

Current Macros: 3252, 101, 381, 205 - PWO 3857, 106, 471, 255

Bodyweight average: 172.2 - wow, I really lost weight, I am totally back at square one

[Commander]

Monday

Lunch

T-Bar
worked up to 190x3
162.5, 5x5
137.5, 5x8
117.5, 2x12

Worked in some miscellaneous OH Tricep Extension with the suspension trainer...I love these, great stretch on the triceps while being very easy on the elbows.

Also experimented with incline and decline (as opposed to just flat) CG DB Neutral Press. Both worked fine, so I should be able to incorporate those into my weekly split.

[Commander]

Tuesday

AM

Ran through this circuit 3 times:

Vertical Tuck Jump - 3
Ab Bench 50x8
Broad Jump - 3
Ab Wheel Rollouts BWx8
Vertical Tuck Jump - 3
Suspended Crunch BWx8

Lunch

Cambered Bar Deadlift (similar to Trap Bar)
125, 213, 263, 313, 363x3
410x3
390x3, 5 sets
353x6, 3 sets

Suspended Bridge + Leg Curl (imagine an upside down glute ham raise)
BWx8, 3 sets

I had one more back off set planned (315x10) on deadlift, but 1) time was an issue and 2) I didn't want to induce too much DOMS since I have conventional deadlift planned on Thursday.

This was a tough workout, if I had more time, it wouldn't necessarily be too tough, but sets of 3 on deadlift with 90 seconds rest are brutal.

[Commander]

Purpose of writing a Training Manifesto: Document what you need and want from training, refer back when you feel lost in your training.

Training Manifesto

General

I will first determine my overall goal, training can only make sense in the context of having a goal.

Once my goal is determined, I will determine the diet and training necessary to achieve that goal.

I will assess myself on an ongoing basic and adjust my program accordingly. I must be willing to eliminate what is not working even if I enjoy it and increase the volume of what is working, even if I don’t enjoy it. Training takes sacrifice.

If I repeat this ongoing process, there is no ceiling on my progress except my own genetics.

Specific

Goal:
I will prepare for an April 2012 bodybuilding contest.

As part of that preparation, I will attend the April 16, 2011 contest to see my potential competition.

Franklin Regional High School Auditorium
Murrysville, PA

Promoter: Dean Tortorice
http://www.deansfitness.com/

Picture of last year's winner:
http://www.deansfitness.com/Competitions.htm


Results from 2010:
http://www.nanbf.org/content/0417201...figure-results

To bring the best package to the stage, I will need to gain quality mass.

I will be laser focused on achieving hypertrophy until 12/31/2011.

EDIT: Date moved back to December 5th, 2011. This will give me the appropriate time to diet.

From 1/1/12, I will be laser focused on achieving fat loss while maintaining lean mass until the April 2012 contest.

How?

I will consistently weigh myself. I will strive toward 0.75 lb weekly mass gain. This will put me at a bodyweight of 210 (+38 lb) on December 31, 2011 (from a starting point of 172, 5%, current estimated fat mass =8.6 lb). Assuming 50% ratio of lean mass gains, I will have 27.7 lb of fat residing on my body. I will have 17 weeks to get into shape (try to be in shape by April 1st). Assuming initial 3.0 lb drop first week due to water loss, 2.0 lb fat loss during the next 4 weeks, 1.5 lb fat loss for the next 4 weeks and 1.0 lb fat loss for the final 8 weeks. This would equal 22 lbs of fat lost, leaving 5.7 lbs of fat on my body. Bodyweight would be 210-22-3=185. 5.7/185=3.1% bodyfat.

[For every pound of dry muscle tissue, you would likely gain on average 0.4 lb glycogen and 1.08 lb of water (0.4 x 2.7), thus 1 pound of dry tissue carries with it 1.5 extra pounds of glycogen and water, equaling 2.5 lbs. If gaining 0.25 lb dry tissue per week, then about 2.5 lbs fat free per month is possible, 30lb per year]

At all times, whether gaining or maintaining, I will ingest the majority of my carbohydrates and calories around training time to take advantage of nutrient partitioning. For example, 72% of my calories are ingested within 1 hour of training on a 2 session day, and 95% on 3 session days.

Specific areas to improve upon (while striving for overall mass):

Arm hypertrophy

How?

I rarely, in the past, have put much focus on arms. I have, rather, spent my time on the basics. However, to have a “bodybuilder’s” physique, I need to significantly improve my arm size. I will spend time training them in isolation. Specifically, I will devote at least one session weekly to training arms from multiple angles in a moderate rep range (generally accepted as good for hypertrophy).

Keep legs lean

How?

I will perform tire drags to increase my leg volume. I will occasionally perform higher rep leg work as it is possible to increase mitochondria and their activity. I will perform HIIT Cardio, weather permitting, to simultaneously help keep my legs lean and keep mass gains mostly lean. When the weather is not permitting, I will use Tabata Front Squats.

I will use occlusion while walking the dog and after my Saturday Arm Hypertrophy workout. Cardio will best be kept either very low intensity (i.e. walking) or very high (i.e. sprinting, tire sprints) rather than middle.

Overall Mass

How?

I will train frequently (2 or 3 times daily) as data suggests that exercise-induced local mechanisms in muscle itself activate protein synthesis, rather than systemic increases in anabolic hormones being the activators of muscle protein synthesis. Further, long term practice distribution suggests splitting total volume for one muscle group into 2 sessions per day is superior over 1 session per day. First session will include weights, second session (for the muscle group) will be eccentric-less, weather permitting.

I will progressively add volume to my program to give my body a reason to add new muscle. Volume is increased via extra reps and extra weight. I will periodize my training, varying rep/set schemes to target strength and hypertrophy.

I will train in multiple rep ranges to take advantage of both myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. The majority of my reps will fall in the 73 to 86% zone of intensity. However, there will be some back off sets at lighter percentages to take advantage of possibly upregulating the genes involved in hypertrophy.

I will keep rest periods typically 1 to 1.5 minutes. I will choose multijoint exercises for the majority of my training. Generally 85% of my volume will be coming from these types of exercises with 15% coming from isolation.

I will seek to lift all reps as explosively as possible while still keeping tension on the target muscle. Eccentrics will be controlled but not emphasized.

In summary, I have set up my training attempting to intelligently use all possible methods to achieve massive hypertrophy. By ramping up heavy, I will be increasing neural activation, by doing multiple sets/reps at a moderate intensity level, I will be inflicting structural damage, by doing lighter weight back off sets and some isolation to use the constant tension technique of hypertrophy.

Maintaining Mass (post January 1, 2012)

How?

I will get more into specifics as I get closer to this date. However, based on the success of my previous cut, I will apply similar techniques. I will likely cut back on some of my higher rep sets, and focus more on lifting heavy to give my body the stimulus to maintain my hard earned muscle.

Regarding diet, I will again apply the techniques used during my 2010 cut. I will seek to keep calories and carbs as high as possible at all times. Efforts will be made to increase volume through the use of eccentric-less training so as to create a deficit by burning calories first before eventually reducing carbs/calories.

Resources: ABC Journal of Hyperplasia, specifically, articles on Periodization, Muscle Fibers, Occlusion, Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy, ABC Community, Christian Thibaudeau, John Berardi

[Gregsimo]

sounds amazing man. Cant wait to follow along and see how you get on.

[arian11]

I love this idea of a training manifesto. Seems like something I should write up for my own goals and place up on my wall to see everyday. I'll have to get started on it tonight before my workout session.

[bigbear6708]

great post...looking forward to following your journey!

I have a goal to do a PL meet sometime this year

[Commander]

Originally Posted by Gregsimo

sounds amazing man. Cant wait to follow along and see how you get on.

Originally Posted by arian11

I love this idea of a training manifesto. Seems like something I should write up for my own goals and place up on my wall to see everyday. I'll have to get started on it tonight before my workout session.

Originally Posted by bigbear6708

great post...looking forward to following your journey!

I have a goal to do a PL meet sometime this year

Thanks for the support. I've always been very internally motivated, but now with a goal to shoot for, I feel even more motivated. However, I feel it helps to keep people you know and respect aware of your goals, that way they can hold you accountable. I respect this ABC Community and I want you to hold me accountable. If you see me missing workouts and not putting on mass. Then please, don't be afraid to post and call me on it.

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I want to implement a countdown, as Andro does, to help remind myself of the time I have so I make the most of it.

353 days to pile on the mass.

Wednesday

AM

Chinup
4x4, BW+26
2x8, BW+6

T-Bar
4x6, 133
4x10, 120

Decline Low Cable Pullover
5x10, 40

Lunch

DB CG Neutral Press Flat
2x4, 70
2x8, 63

DB CG Neutral Press Incline
4x5, 60
2x8, 50
2x12, 45

Decline Low Cable Pullover
2x10, 40

superset with suspended pushups BWX10

Bonus Cardio: Shoveling snow last night, then the morning and then again at lunch because it just kept falling!

Side Note: Hamstrings, glutes, calves are feeling the effects of the suspended bridge leg curl!

[bigbear6708]

get it done my man...I will have no problem keeping you accountable! im gonna get some of that "bonus cardio" today shoveling snow! lol