Commanding My Body

[arian11]

Gone through the last few pages of your journal, great work man. I'm 177 lbs right now and don't nearly look as good as you. One question I have is about your comment on high g-flux. I've always wondered if it was better to like gain with 3000 calories in and 2500 out or intake more and do more cardio to like 3500 in and 3000 out. And a similar thing on a cut. What are your/Berardi's thoughts on the matter?

[Commander]

Originally Posted by arian11

Gone through the last few pages of your journal, great work man. I'm 177 lbs right now and don't nearly look as good as you.

Thanks for the complement, I've been busting my butt. You'll get there, you are young and training smart. I didn't start training smart until I was 28.

Originally Posted by arian11

One question I have is about your comment on high g-flux. I've always wondered if it was better to like gain with 3000 calories in and 2500 out or intake more and do more cardio to like 3500 in and 3000 out. And a similar thing on a cut. What are your/Berardi's thoughts on the matter?

Yes, short answer, it is better to eat more and burn more, whether cutting or bulking.

For the details, well, I'll give you Berardi's thoughts, he says it better than I can, and check out the article.

"On the exercise end, increased exercise volume and frequency means improved nutrient partitioning — more calories go toward muscle growth and/or energy provision and fewer to fat cells. It means better insulin sensitivity. It also means additional opportunity to stimulate protein turnover, tissue remodeling, and positive adaptation.

....

More calories mean sustained sympathetic nervous system activity, maintained metabolic rates, and, perhaps most important to the entire process, better vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant status"

[Commander]

Push Day - PM Session

Tire work:

Front Raise
Low lat stiff arm

repeat 2 more times

Chest Press
Row

repeat 2 more times

OH Tricep Ext
Low Lat stiff arm

Leg Day - Lunch Break Session

Front Squat
70, 120, 140, 160, 180x5
200x5 - added belt
220x3

Back Squat
220, 240, 260x5
220x10

SLDL superset with Leg Extension
210x5, 5 sets, 210x10 with 106, 121, 136, 151, 166x5, 120x15

Sissy Squats
BWx10, 2 sets

This leg workout was awesome! I haven't done sissy squats in awhile, saw them in Anti-Steroids journal and decided to bring them back.

EDIT

Leg Day - PM Session

Forward Drag 145
Backward Drag 100
Row 100, next set Chest Press 50

repeat 2 more times

Forward Drag 100 (faster to compensate for lighter weight)
Backward Drag 75

repeat 2 more times

On final set of drags I did a drop set, 100, 75, 50 for both forward and backward drags, my legs were burning!

Tomorrow will be my 13th day in a row of working out, and if I have time, my 13th day in a row of double sessions! I plan to give myself a day off on Sunday and take a break on the diet as well, just have an overall relaxed day.

[Commander]

Saturday

Pull Day

Bent Row
130 (plus 15) 205x3
160x14 - PR

Chin-up
BW (plus 15) BW+75x5 -PR

Circuit - until failure, once through all exercises, rest, repeat
Chin-up BWx15, 12
Bent Row 130x8, 8
Sled Lat Pulldown 50x20, 20
Sled Row 100x20, 20
Decline Cable Pullover 55x10, 8

Barbell Curl superset with Decline Reverse Crunch
75x11, 8, 7 with BWx18, 3 sets

Sunday

Off - as planned

As planned, I took off Sunday, and relaxed food wise. I have done refeeds during this diet, but never let loose, my refeeds consisted of extra oatmeal. Well today was different, there was extra oatmeal, but also a huge dinner, 2 pieces of cheese cake, and popcorn at night while watching a movie (ever have stove top popcorn cooked with olive oil? all I can say is WOW, it tastes amazing!). I was 174 in the morning, and 179 at night after the refeed/cheat day.

It was pretty cool how I actually got really vascular as the day went on, and before I went to bed, my legs were the driest and leanest they have ever looked. In fact, I was starting to see a slight bulge of a vein on my tear drop. It is interesting the things that go on physiologically as your body responds to your diet.

Diet update:
average last week: 173.9
average this week: 174.3

Oops, gained 0.4 lbs, however, I am not too concerned, as I have noticed increased leanness. I think my double sessions have perhaps left my muscles slightly more full of glycogen since I am taking in 2 workout shakes per day. Regardless, I know that I didn't gain fat.

Time to go hardcore, I am thinking that I am in the final stretches of this diet. I am going to cut most carbs out of dinner (my last big carb source) and now pretty much all of my carbs will come para-workout.

Let's see where this leads.

Macros:
Non-workout - Calories 1862, Fat 70, Carb 119, Protein 190
Including PWO - Calories 2410, Fat 74, Carb 207, Protein 230

[Commander]

Yesterday - Monday

Push Day - Lunch Break

OH Press
110 (plus 10) 150x3

Inc Bench
150 (plus 15) 210x3, 220x3 - tied PR

Flat Bench
210, 220, 230x3 - not much left after incline

Flat Bench, 30 seconds, 2 Board, 30 seconds, 3 Board, 3 seconds, 3 Board
180x10, 5, 7, 7

Dips, Pushup on handles, Pushups on bench until failure

Nothing special, just went in and did work

Push Day - PM Session

I am going to save myself some typing, my fingers are locking up for some reason, I think my circulation is poor right now due to a midnight shift and being cold.

Tire and Isolation work

I am tired from my midnight, but I still hope to get in two leg sessions today!

[Commander]

I had a pretty good session for coming off a midnight shift. Working out always helps me get through a day after a midnight, otherwise I drag.

Leg Day - if all goes as planned, this is the start of a 3 day Leg Fest!

Front Squat
70, 90x5
120 (plus 20) 200x5

Back Squat
200 (plus 20) 260x5

Half Squat (off pins)
260 (plus 20) 320x5

Leg Curl
50x8
60x8
70x6, 2 sets

Sled Sprints - 20 yards
25, 50, 75 x 1 set
100 x 2 sets

[Commander]

Last Night

Leg Day - PM Session

Lots of forward and backward dragging!

Today

Leg Day # 2 - Lunch Breach Session - Circuits

Strength Circuit - 3 reps each, 15 seconds between exercises, 60 seconds between sets, 6 sets total
Front Squat 170
Back Squat 220
Deadlift 313

Isolation Circuit - 4 sets, almost no rest
Leg Extension 110x8
Leg Curl 60x8

Max Reps - 1 set until failure, no rest between exercises
Front Squat 140x20
Leg Extension 110x8
Leg Curl 50x10

[Commander]

Not sure what is going on weight-wise, weighed in at 175 this morning even though I have been extremely low carb the last 3 days. I am not going to stress over it, because my leanness is either consistent or improving.

Leg Day #3! - Hip Dominant - Lunch Break Session

SLDL
70x5, 120x5
170 (plus 20) 250x5

Deadlift - conventional
270x5, 290x5, 313 (plus 20) 393x5

Really solid on 393, No belt used on any sets. Pretty happy with this performance, as it is my 3rd leg day in a row, thus my legs are fatigued and to do 393 after SLDL when my PR for 5 reps is around 413 is pretty good IMO.

Leg Extension
135x8, 4 sets

Sled Sprints - 20 yard sprint, just enough rest to catch breath slightly
25, 50, 75, 100

[Commander]

Last Night

Leg Day #3 - PM Session

Lots of tire dragging!

Today

Push Day - Lunch Break

OH Press
110 (plus 10) 150x3

Incline Bench Press
150 (plus 15) 210x3

Close Grip
210 (plus 10) 230x3

2 Board Press
210x5

3 Board Press
210x5
190x7

Circuit - once through, pretty much no rest between exercises, max reps until technical failure
OH Press 110x9
Dips BW+40x10
3 Board Press 140x10
Pushups on handles BWx7
Dips BWx6
Pushups on bench BWx8

Rolling DB Ext
32x11, 8, 7

[Commander]

Friday Night

Push Day PM Session

Tire work

Saturday

I must say, I am getting used to working out at lunch time and doing double sessions, this workout was at 7:15 pm after a day in the sun on low carbs, I felt out of my element and completely lethargic. It took me until bent rows to really "wake up" and get into it.

Pull Day - spent the day at my son's soccer game and then took my kids to a skate park, so only time for 1 session.

Chinup
BW (plus 20) BW+80x3, +90x3
BW+45x10

Bent Row
130 (plus 15) 190x5
160x14

Circuit
Chin-up BWx16, 7
Barbell Row 130x12, 8
Dec Cable Pullover 60x8, 7
Sled Lat Pulldown 50x20, 20
Sled Row 100x20, 75x20
Dec Cable Pullover 60x7, 6

Barbell Curl superset with Ab Wheel Rollouts
80x10, 7, 6 with BWX16, 3 sets

Bicep Isometric contraction supserset with Band Curls
20 seconds, 2 sets with Pumping until can't take burn

Sunday

Off - church, then went to Carnegie Mellon so my son could go to a class called "Brain Games", got home just in time to eat and go to bible study, full day

-----

Today Starts Leg Fest #2!

My legs are looking good and I'd like to think last week's 3 day Leg Fest played a part in that, so here comes #2.

I have noticed definition on the side of my glutes, still have some fat to lose on the back side of my back side. Also, my quads are looking sharper and there is a line on the side when I pose. I don't see much detail on my hamstrings yet although they don't feel like there is much fat there.

Diet update:
Bodyweight average last week: 174.3
Bodyweight average this week: 173.9

Weighed in at 173 the last 3 days.

Macros will remain unchanged.