Get Ripped or Die Trying

Thursday, September 26, 2014:

HIIT + Leg Circuit

Warmup - 8 Minutes HIIT

Leg Circuit - 2 Rounds, Rest 2 Minutes

1. Front Squats x 20 @ 70lbs

2. Squat Jumps x 15

3. Close Stance Deadlift x 15 @ 140lbs

4. Reverse Lunge to Front Kick x 15*

5. Angled Lunge x 12* @ 70lbs

6. Football Drill x 3 | Lunge Jumps x 20

Sluggish today. After the warmup, and the first round of the circuit I felt like packing it in. I didn't sleep well last night at all, so that is the likely culprit. Don't think I'll be training tomorrow either, as I can tell I really need some solid rest for a bit. Anyhow, that's about all I've got for tonight. Ps. These spirulina tablets taste horrible!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014:

Upper Body Weights

1. Bench - 3 x 15 @ 165lbs

2. Bent Over Row - 3 x 15 @ 140lbs

-

3. Mil Press - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

4. Delt Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

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5. Pullups - 3 x 10

6. EZ Curl - 3 x 10 @ 70lbs

...And I'm back from my trip. It was, in short, life changing. I realized just how much time/energy/etc. I've been wasting on just living here in Chicago. All the time spent commuting to and from work, hours upon hours of a long slow crawl to and from the office. I realized how difficult it is to truly enjoy something here, given the sheer volume of people. I realized that I could keep from being bored in a much MUCH smaller town simply by discovering more about myself, and my wife. So many things, wrapped into one, lead me to the conclusion that I must get out of this city in any way possible, because it is slowly killing me. I feel trapped in a life that's not mine here, or like I am not truly myself. Even my wife commented on how different I seemed. Anyhow, I'll post more about that stuff as the plans progress.

Man, did I eat a TON of food this weekend. And, man, I didn't train AT ALL lol. I did a lot of walking though, so I suppose that counts for something. In fact, my calves are still sore from walking all over the place. Anyhow, this was fun to get in. I found the bench press to be pretty easy, and thought about HIT Rob and all of his Heavy Duty wisdom - in that I feel like I grew in taking a four day rest, as opposed to only taking a day or so off. That being said, I ate so much this weekend (literally anything I wanted) that I need to do a small cut to get back down to a reasonable weight. Let's put it this way, there were at least half a dozen coffee shops within a 5 minute walk of the place we stayed, and every one of them had a completely vegan bakery case. IT WAS AWESOME!

Insanity tomorrow...

Thursday, October 2, 2014:

Insanity - Max Interval Circuit

Wow, this really kicked my ass. I threw in the towel at the 95% mark. I just didn't have much left in the tank, and was becoming disinterested. A solid hour of HIIT? Yeah, it's "insane." Is it enjoyable? Hm, not today at least. Anyhow, I didn't drag ass, so at least I got something out of the training. This also had a bunch of pushups involved, and I'm super sore from lifting yesterday, so they were nearly impossible to complete. Anyway, enough complaining.

I keep forgetting I didn't start training this week until Wednesday, which really only makes for three days this week. I'll get back to four next week for sure. And more lifting for sure. Taking tomorrow off, and then probably hitting legs weights on Saturday.

Dinner tonight is a ton of steamed veggies on red leaf lettuce, salsa verde, sriracha, and some of this cashew cheeze I made the other day. Man, that stuff is amazing on sweet potatoes. I posted the recipe here: http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=37000

Saturday, October 4, 2014:

Legs - Weight Supersets (Rest 60-90 Seconds)

1. Front Squats - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs

2. Sprint Lunges - 3 x 30 Seconds

-

3. Deadlift - 3 x 10 @ 195lbs

4. Reverse Lunge Kicks - 3 x 15*

-

5. Bulgarian Split Squat - 3 x 12* @ 70lbs

6. Lunge Jumps - 3 x 20

Nothing too crazy today, but did feel good to hit some lower body work. Neglected exclusive core training this week, so maybe will hit some of that up next week; though I do recognize the Insanity dvds provide likely ample core stimulation. Anyhow, happy with deadlifts today, though I would really appreciate a mirror to ensure proper form. I wonder if I tend to not go low enough, which means I should lower weight and achieve better extension. Eating a boatload of bananas today - I think I'm already at 7 by noon-time :lol Make that 8 Anyhow, feeling good overall. It's freezing here today, even saw a few flurries when I took the dog out this morning. Have the feeling this winter is going to be shit just like last year. Oh well, still a few more weeks until it really sets in, I hope. I feel like making some chili.

Also, Zeppelin rules!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrV6exi1WlM

Tuesday, October 7, 2014:

Insanity - Pure Cardio

Tough action today after a few days off, and feeling super fat and bloated for some reason. Clothes seemed to fit tighter than usual, which sucks. A little bit afraid to step on the scale, but I know it would reflect inaccurately since I haven't been all that, uhhh, regular today. For sure I took in took much salt over the weekend, what with the pizza, beers, and damn tasty crackers on Sunday. I used to look forward to Saturday nights as cheat meals, but it has kind of evolved into me eating whatever I want from Friday night through Sunday night; and sometimes even Monday evening. It is so difficult to maintain dedication to a diet long-term. It's also really messed up how easy it is to use negativity as a motivator for keeping on a diet. Who knows what that does to one's mental/emotional state. Also dealing with some personal stress lately, which surely is not helping at all.

Anyhow, going to hit up weights tomorrow, upper body, then lower body on Thursday, then full body Saturday. Pumped to do some more lifting this week.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014:

Upper Body Weights

1. Bench - 3 x 12 @ 175lbs

2. DB Clean - 3 x 12 @ 35lbs

-

3. Military Press - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

4. Neutral Grip Pullups - 3 x 12

-

5. Single Arm Row - 3 x 12 @ 90lbs

6. DB Chest Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

Good training today, maybe a little on the easy side. Was preoccupied with thinking about how I should be getting outside more with my dog before winter comes and we are snowed in until May. Still feeling bloated and irregular, which really pisses me off. Also, what's more annoying is that I cannot seem to get full. I'm seriously eating like once per hour, and I kind of always feel starving. Probably because I'm still not hitting my macros, and need more fats/protein. Also pretty sure I need to be consuming more water, and less salt. But man, pickles are so damn good! I seriously need at least two while making dinner, it just can't be helped haha! Really ready for the weekend to arrive. Going to attempt staining our fence on Saturday, and hope that it doesn't carry into Sunday - or I'll have to finish up sometime during the week.

Legs tomorrow. Going to weigh in tomorrow morning, and assess caloric intake again. Adjustments may be in order.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014:

Insanity - Plyometric Circuit

Am I losing my mind, or have we lost about a week of posts on here? I know I trained the week of 10/9 - 10/20, and that I posted, but they are all gone now.. What gives?

Anyhow, ugh so bloated from weekend festivities. Saturday saw a generous dinner turned into after dinner beers. Sunday was football with beers, chips, and other garbage snacks, which then turned into evening beers, and pizza. Monday I made some really kick ass chili, and then proceeded to eat like 4 bowls full. It was so good though, I can't really blame myself. Well, if I fall off the wagon, I'll get back on and try to do some extra hard training this week. Today was good though. I can definitely tell I'm making progress with these videos. I can do the warmup with ease, and kill it on the first two rounds of the circuit before I need at least a minute rest. Then I'm right back in for more. Not really surprised with this as pacing was always a bit of a problem for me. Going to really focus on hydration this week, as well as keeping fat intake at a decent level. I can tell I'm growing too, as my arms and back seem to be coming in pretty well. I just wish I could be a little bit leaner. But I don't really think I can cut my intake of food, as I typically feel really hungry about every 90 minutes - so less would seem detrimental, no?

Weights tomorrow - probably a full body set.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014:

Upper Body Weights

1. Bench - 3 x 12 @ 170lbs

2. DB Snatch - 3 x 12* @ 35lbs

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3. Decline Weighted Aussie Pullups - 3 x 12 @ 25lbs

4. Delt Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

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5. Hammer Curl to Press - 3 x 12 @ 50lbs

6. Bar Dips - 3 x 20

This was a good set today. Really enjoyed the db snatch again, as well as the hammer curls to press. Feel like I've been making some solid progress on my arms lately. Made a solid effort this week to get back into clean eating, and consuming more fresh greens. However, I will say that as the days get colder, I'm starting to crave hot food again. Also thinking about transitioning back into more weight training, though I do love the hiit cardio. I'll just have to commit to hitting the weights more often while the cold weather sneaks in, then back to cutting and HIITing in a few weeks. Annoyed that I keep forgetting to take my spirulina tabs - get it together man!

Biggest salad of all time for dinner. Was basically two heads of greens, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, shredded Brussels sprouts, and tomato salsa. So full!

Legs, core, or more Insanity tomorrow...

Thursday, October 23, 2014:

HIIT + Core + HIIT

HIIT Warmup - 30 Seconds Each, 2 Rounds, No Rest

1. Jog in Place

2. Jumping Jacks

3. Heisman Move

4. Heisman 123

5. Buttkicks

6. High Knees

7. Mummy Kicks

Core Circuit + HIIT - 2 Rounds Rest 30 Seconds

1. Incline Reverse Situp x 20

2. Side Plank Elevated Dips x 15*

3. Sprint Lunges x 45 seconds

4. Stability Ball Pike x 12

5. Side Plank Crunch x 12*

6. Football Drills x 50 seconds

No rest, and then...

Core Bonus Round

1. Weighted Stability Ball Crunch x 25 @ 25lbs

2. Back Extension x 15

3. Russian Twist x 20*

4. Stability Ball Passback x 12

5. Weighted Decline Situp x 12 @ 25lbs

6. Side Bends x 20* @ 45lbs

Seems unbelievable but I finished this off in exactly 30 minutes, which was nice because I just didn't feel much like training today. Mixing in the cardio and the strength training is really killer - I need to do more of that! I think next time I do upper body I'll combine some form of bench press with some plyo pushups. Would be cool to learn some other plyo moves that hit upper body - like the DB clean/press, BB Flip/Press, DB Swing, DB Ski-Jumpers - haha I guess I know more than I think I do. Not much else going on today, except for that I'm starving! Salad time!

Rest tomorrow, legs Saturday.

Saturday, October 25, 2014:

Upper/Lower Giant Sets (Rest 1 Minute Between Sets)

1. Front Squat - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs

2. Row - 3 x 15 @ 140lbs

3. Pushup-Popup - 3 x 10

-

4. Decline Chest Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

5. Wide Leg Deadlift - 3 x 12 @ 140lbs

6. Stability Ball Hamstring Curls - 3 x 20

Kept things short and intense today as I have a bunch of outside work to do (fence staining, again) before a party tonight, so my day is pretty full. Love the decline chest fly; I should be doing these far more often. Going to re-evaluate my training schedule over the weekend to change things up starting next week. With the cold weather I'll have fewer outdoor tasks to complete during the winter, so I can probably add another day of training to make some more progress. I'm thinking about hitting all muscle groups twice per week in a split format, with one day per week dedicated to HIIT alone. So, it would look something like this:

Tuesday - Upper Body

Wednesday - Lower Body

Thursday - Upper Body

Friday - Lower Body

Saturday - HIIT

. . . or some variation thereof. Anyhow, if I am going to be putting away so much food, and not gaining too much weight, I'll have to get things moving a little bit more. So yeah, that's about it for today. Resting tomorrow as I'll probably be hungover - or back outside working on the fence.

Have a good weekend all!

Monday, October 27, 2014:

New Training Schedule

Sunday - Rest

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - Upper Body (Hypertrophy)

Wednesday - Lower Body (Heavy)

Thursday - Upper Body (Heavy)

Friday - Lower Body (Hypertrophy)

Saturday - Full Body HIIT

That is all for now.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014:

UpperBody Hypertrophy - Giant Sets, Rest 90 Seconds

1. Incline Bench - 3 x 15 @ 115lbs

2. Plate Front Raise - 3 x 15 @ 45lbs

3. DB Pullover - 3 x 15 @ 50lbs

-

4. Pistol Grip Pullups - 2 x 12

5. Curl to Arnold Press - 2 x 15 @ 50lbs

6. Delt Fly - 2 x 20 @ 50lbs

Really not doing so well today. Feeling very tired, mixed up, just kind of sick. Tough weekend too. Things just didn't turn out that well for me. Anyhow, training today was pensive at best. I couldn't really focus, which I why I scrapped the last set of the second part. Slept horribly last night too, so I'm sure that didn't help at all. Thinking about changing my diet again. I'm getting sick of bananas - really sick. I'm thinking I'll go back to counting calories, and shift my macros to incorporate more protein; something like 60/20/20, or maybe even 40/30/30. Thoughts?

Lower Body Heavy tomorrow...

Wednesday, October 29, 2014:

Legs (Rest 2 Mins Between)

1. Sumo Squats - 3 x 12 @ 210lbs

2. Squat Jumps - 3 x 12

-

3. Deadlift - 3 x 10 @ 190lbs

4. Reverse Lunge Kicks - 3 x 12*

-

5. Lateral Lunge - 3 x 10 @ 115lbs

6. Belt Kicks - 3 x 20

Originally I planned to do four sets of each, but just didn't feel it when I got into the training. Feeling pretty good today. I would love some more time off though, like a month. Co-worker brought in some vegan baklava today, which was good, but too damn sweet; I ate it anyway. Not much else to say really, and I'm tired of staring at a computer screen. Upper body heavy training tomorrow.

Thursday, October 30, 2014:

UpperBody Heavy - Rest 2 Minutes

1. Bench - 3 x 10 @ 185lbs

2. Plate Front Raise - 3 x 10 @ 45lbs

-

3. Rows - 3 x 10 @ 160lbs

4. DB Snatch - 3 x 12 @ 35*

-

5. Decline Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

6. Curls - 3 x 10 @ 70lbs

Good day today, and we even moved our offices which was a bit of a pain. Had to cover a bunch of shit, which meant I was on my feet all day. Definitely a nice change of pace from sitting and reading all day. Excited for a clean and sober weekend this week. Tomorrow evening will be fun to when all the little kids in the neighborhood come out to trick-or-treat. Not much else to say today - nice clean week!

Might scrap my session for tomorrow to hang out with my wife. Otherwise, HIIT on Saturday.

Saturday, November 1, 2014:

Insanity Cardio Power & Resistance

This was brutal, to be honest. I've done this video a bunch in the past, but today for whatever reason it was particularly difficult. I think because I haven't done any of these things in the last couple weeks, so my endurance plummeted. That's kind of annoying given how long it took to build up. One would think muscle memory or endurance would have a bit more . . . er, endurance. Anyhow, no matter I still made it through, though I wanted to die at the end.

Made some spaghetti and marinara last night with this ridiculous garlic bread recipe I came up with. It's pretty simple, so I'll post it up sometime soon. I should post up the sauce recipe as well. Going to Native Foods for dinner tonight, if anyone reading this has ever been there. Not drinking either, which will be a nice change of pace. Looking forward to getting some good sleep tonight too - because I'm pretty beat.

Have a good weekend all!

I gotta say, Native is a thing I really miss about Chicago. I'm glad they're going nationwide, though, can't wait until they get one down here in the South. I'd make a trip for that! I'll probably have to stop through when we come back up to the midwest for the holidays in December

I gotta say, Native is a thing I really miss about Chicago. I'm glad they're going nationwide, though, can't wait until they get one down here in the South. I'd make a trip for that! I'll probably have to stop through when we come back up to the midwest for the holidays in December

Haha yeah I love Native Foods, and I'll miss it for sure if we ever move. To be honest though it's been kind of frustrating lately as they have really shrunk the menu down to almost nothing. Some of my favorites are gone, and were replaced with nothing at all. That said, I'm always able to find something good!

Tuesday, November 5, 2014:

Upper Body Hypertrophy

1. Close Grip Bench - 3 x 15 @ 120lbs

2. Renegade Rows - 3 x 15* @ 50lbs

-

3. Pullup Trio - 3 x 12

4. Lo-Hi Woodchop - 3 x 15 @ 25lbs

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5. Curl & Press - 3 x 15 @ 50lbs

6. Tricep Dips - 3 x 25

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7. Decline Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

*See post below.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014:

Lower Body Hypertrophy

1. Front Squat - 3 x 20 @ 70lbs

2. Squat Jump - 3 x 15

-

3. Close Stance Deadlift - 3 x 15 @ 120lbs

4. Reverse Lunge Kix - 3 x 15*

-

5. Stability Ball Hamstring Curls - 3 x 20

6. Single Leg StepUp - 3 x 12 @ 50lbs

Big News! I've given up the 80/10/10 diet, and returned to a more balanced approach. Ten Reasons Why: (1) I gained 14lbs that I did not want to gain; (2) I wasn't making any better progress (actually worse?) on that diet than I was when I took a more rounded approach (no pun intended); (3) I was only doing it 50% of the time, because I wanted to have a social life outside of my nutrition plan; (4) my skin was breaking out; (5) I was so FUCKING SICK OF BANANAS; (6) I was constantly hungry, like every hour, starving, and consequently, I was constantly eating; (7) I was so fucking sick of bananas; ( I wasn't pooping; (9) it was just dumb; and (10) I need accountability when it comes to food.

So yeah, it's so funny how different I immediately feel eating non-raw foods again. For example, whereas my 811 breakfast of 3 bananas and 3 dates would last me about 90 minutes (sedentary mind you, and two bananas have enough energy for 90mins of strenuous exercise), a cup of oatmeal and half an apple will last me 3-4 hours.

Anyhow, that's what's been going on. Training has been good so far this week. I'm liking my new schedule! Heavy upper body tomorrow!

Thursday, November 6, 2014:

Upper Body Heavy

1. Incline Bench - 3 x 10 @ 135lbs

2. Row - 3 x 10 @ 160lbs

-

3. Circus Press - 3 x 12* @ 35lbs

4. Aussie Pullup - 3 x 10 @ 35lbs

-

5. Delt Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

6. EZ Curls - 3 x 10 @ 70lbs

So I probably could have put up some more weigh today, but I am still pretty sore from Tuesday. Also, I'm kind of at the end of the rope with respect to my dumbbells - which is cool because I really want to get some more soon. Otherwise, it was a pretty good day. I've been doing a lot of solid stuff at work lately, and high volume as well. I feel good about my training too, with respect to the new-ish program. Heavy legs tomorrow.

Getting cold out though, which sucks.

Saturday, November 8, 2014:

Upper/Lower Circuit - 2 Rounds, Rest 1 Minute

1. Pushup Duo x 50 (Incline, Diamond)

2. DB Snatch x 12* @ 35lbs

3. Sumo Squat x 12 @ 210lbs

4. Pullup Duo x 12 (Wide, ChinUp)

5. Single Leg Step Up (on bench) x 10* @ 50lbs

6. Decline Chest Fly x 12 @ 70lbs

-

Core Circuit - 1 Round

1. Stability Ball Pike x 12

2. Elevated Oblique Dips x 15*

3. Incline Reverse Crunch x 20

4. Back Extension x 15

5. Stability Ball Passback x 15

6. Bicycle Abs x 50

Didn't get in to train yesterday, and had a couple beers last night which made training today a bit of a chore. Almost skipped everything after the first upper/lower round, but though hell I've already worked up a sweat, might as well finish. Super excited for tonight as we are heading back to Madison, WI for a couple days. Really pumped to get out of the city for a while. Laptop is low on juice and I have a ton of stuff to do before we leave so I'll leave this at what I've got. Back in action on Tuesday. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014:

Upper Body Hypertrophy

1. Incline Bench - 3 x 15 @ 125lbs

2. Incline Bench Row - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs

-

3. Military Press - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs

4. DB Pullover - 3 x 15 @ 50lbs

-

5. Decline Alternating DB Press - 3 x 15* @ 70lbs

6. Curls - 3 x 15 @ 55lbs

Solid training today, and I took it pretty slow. Probably could have been a lot more intense, but to be honest, I didn't feel much like training today anyhow. Pretty tired, horrible sleep over the weekend, which was fairly stressful. Anyhow, I trained, but it was pretty lazy. I haven't been eating on schedule today, so I'm pretty hungry and ready to move on to doing something else. Sorry, not very inspirational today. Legs tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014:

Legs - Heavy

1. Piledriver Squat - 3 x 12 @ 220lbs

2. Lunge Jumps - 3 x 20

-

3. Deadlift - 3 x 10 @ 190lbs

4. Belt Kicks - 3 x 20

-

5. Bulgarian Split Squats - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

6. Stability Ball Hamstring Curls - 3 x 20

Felt pretty great about the piledriver squats and my deadlift today. Deadlift actually seemed pretty easy and like I could have added another 10-20lbs. Oh well, another day. Really had to search for motivation to get started today. It's cold out, and gets dark at 4:45pm now, which really really sucks. Last winter was so shitty, and I'm not looking forward to this year since it's not even mid-November and it's already going into the teens tonight. I just hope the snow holds off for a few more weeks. I fucking hate snow.

Anyhow, today was good training. I can also feel my body itching to get back into the HIIT stuff already, and I know that will be a painful day since it's been a couple weeks. I really wonder why that stuff gets so much harder if you take even a bit of time off to do other training. Another thought, I should break out the TRX straps again. Haven't used those in forever, and they would be a nice change for some hypertrophy bodyweight work.

Back to upper body tomorrow.

Thursday, November 13, 2014:

Upper Body - Heavy

1. Flat Bench - 3 x 10 @ 185lbs

2. Circus Press - 3 x 10 @ 35lbs

-

3. Pullup Trio - 3 x 12

4. Bent Over Row - 3 x 10 @ 170lbs

-

5. Incline Fly - 3 x 12 @ 70lbs

6. Curls - 3 x 10 @ 70lbs

Solid training tonight. Felt good to put up the heavier numbers on bench and row, though I might have tweaked my lower back on the rows. I'll have to remember to not hit them up on heavier weights the day after doing heavier deadlifts. Otherwise, I'm tired, and ready for this weekend. I plan on sleeping well, very well, not drinking (too much), making some pizza or maybe heading out with my wife. Really I just kind of want to sit inside and be under blankets since it's so damn cold outside already. Taking tomorrow off to rest, and will probably hit up some full body work on Saturday.

Saturday, November 15, 2014:

Full Body Giant Sets

1. Incline Bench - 3 x 15 @ 135lbs (time to increase weight on this)

2. Front Squats - 3 x 15 @ 70lbs (ditto)

3. Stability Ball Knee Driver - 3 x 15 (need to do more core training)

-

4. DB Snatch - 2 x 12* @ 35lbs

5. Reverse Lunge - 2 x 12* @ 70lbs

6. Elevated Oblique Dips - 2 x 12*

Crapped out on the last giant set today. Felt kind of gross, distracted, hungry, and tired, so I decided to pack it in early. Plus, it's getting late in the day, and I spent nearly the entire afternoon waiting on the mechanic to change the oil in my car (3 hours, really?!). Also, I woke up at 3am this morning, then stayed up until about 5:30, then slept again until 8:30 - that really sucked. Stress dreams woke me up, as it's been particularly challenging lately just day to day. I'll try really hard to get better sleep tonight. Making some pizza tonight, and planning on trying some of these new beers I picked up last night - a Blood Orange Gose from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/193/132073/) Looks like it will be pretty good. Back Tuesday.

Have a good weekend all!