Monday, November 26, 2012

A Change in Plans for the Week of 11/26/2012

I've been off of supplements for about a month and a half now. I'm eating lots more and working out harder, which is working better for me than using whey, at least for now. Most of my gains have been muscular, but eating lots of food will undoubtedly cause me to gain some fat too. This can be expected when going through a bulking phase, but I'd still like to keep some of the fat off. It follows that I will have to add cardio back into my weekly routine, which will cause me to change my weekly schedule for the time being.

I hit legs on Sunday. Rather than doing a full regimen as I typically do, I did a "super pyramid" of ten sets, with each set consisting of a set of squats followed immediately by a set of standing calf raises. This super pyramid consisted of 3 sets of 15 with 45 pounds on each side, 3 sets of 12 with 50 pounds on each side, 3 sets of 10 with 55 on each side, and one set of 8 with 60 pounds on each side for good measure. This workout was just as effective as my typical leg day routine if not more so (my legs seemed to bulge out more after yesterday's workout than they typically do).

Today (Monday), I hit my pecs. I focused more on doing decline bench presses than I usually do. I did 3 sets of 10 with 35 pounds on each side, then from there, I did a pyramid consisting of one set of 10 with 35 pounds on each side, one set of 8 with 40 on each side, and one set of 6 with 45 on each side. I realized that my left shoulder was still a bit sore from hitting the heavy bag on Saturday, but I pushed myself to do 2 sets of flat bench presses with 45 pounds on each side, 3 sets of incline bench presses with 25 pounds on each side, 4 sets of body weight dips, and 3 sets of 8 on the iso-lateral machine with 60 pounds on each side. I ended my workout by doing a super set of 30 leg raises in the "captain's chair" for my lower abs.

As for the remainder of the week, I intend to hit my lats and do cardio tomorrow (Tuesday), hit my core on Wednesday or Thursday, then hit my shoulders and arms on Friday. I'll end the week by taking a jog and hitting my heavy bag on Saturday for cardio. I will take either Wednesday or Thursday off to rest and run errands; I'm running low on food supplies and I'll need my fuel after all.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving Day Report

I hope that everyone is having a great Thanksgiving, whether you're celebrating alone, with friends, or with family. If you are one of the heathens that does not celebrate the holiday, then I hope that you're enjoying your day nonetheless (just kidding about the "heathen" remark too).

I started out my day by hitting the gym. I hit my shoulders and triceps today, along with twenty minutes of cardio on the treadmill. I wasn't able to get as much done today as I'd have liked since the gym closed early, but at least I was able to do something, prove to myself that I have made strength gains in my shoulders, and help to alleviate the guilt of pigging out this evening.

Thanksgiving dinner starts in an hour for me. I "betrayed the law" so to speak by having a preliminary slice of apple pie.

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I'm also cooking up some macaroni and cheese (well, it's actually penne with Omega 3, but I'm using it as macaroni).


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Yup, I'm going to be making all kinds of gains this evening, all kinds.

Happy Thanksgiving again to you and yours, and please don't get trampled during the Black Friday madness tomorrow!

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving in Advance

I'm making this post a bit early because I'm probably going to be too busy stuffing my gullet tomorrow. I'd like to wish everyone a happy, safe, and fun Thanksgiving. You have the Grand Admiral's permission to pig out for the holiday; you have to treat yourself once in a while, after all.

For me, tomorrow is going to be an "alpha strike" of food. There's going to be ham, greens, corn, other veggies, macaroni, and various breads of all types. I might even make some nachos, just because I can. I'm also going to be looking forward to some peach cobbler at the end of the feast. I'm still going to be avoiding soda though; I'd rather wash it all down with water. I'm going to be making all kinds of gainz, all kinds.

Hopefully I'll be able to hit the gym before Thanksgiving dinner to alleviate some of the guilt (and more importantly make some gainz) since they'll be open for a half day.

Cheers everyone, and have yourself a great Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 16, 2012

Why Buy Expensive, Sugary Smoothies; Make Your Own!

Back when I was a university student, I'd often drink sugary smoothies marketed towards the "healthy lifestyle crowd". This is nothing more than marketing; having one of these smoothies everyday is not healthy for your body or for your finances either. Each 20 oz. drink at the smoothie shop on campus (I won't name names since I'm not trying to get sued here) cost about $5, had a whopping 500 calories, and contained loads of sugar!

Instead of taking in all of the sugar and draining my wallet, I decided to buy a blender and start making my own smoothies. At first, this may seem more expensive due to the costs of buying a blender and ingredients, but in the long run, you will save money and cut back on the calories and sugar. How much you save depends on what you like to put in your smoothies, but personally, I save at least $100 monthly, intake less than half of the calories with each homemade smoothie and under one fourth of the sugar!

If you love smoothies as much as I do, look into making them for yourself; you won't regret it! In the future, I may post some smoothie recipes that you might want to try for yourself.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Importance of Fitness in Prepping

I really hate politics. I really hate how politics has become a dog and pony show in the United States of America, and how politicians have become akin to reality TV "stars" in today's era. Unfortunately, me not liking something does not mean that it will stop. Yes, I have been exercising at least five days a week, trying to raise my power level, but I have not acquired any of the Dragon Balls, thus, I cannot wish these things away. What I can do, and what I suggest others to do, is to prepare.

There are a lot of people that are angry with the results of last night's election; there are also some what may be overexcited. Rather than focusing that excess energy on something productive, they might decide to take it out on "soft targets". I do not advocate violence, but history shows that violence is a part of the human experience, especially in times of duress. Violence cannot be wished away, but we can take steps to protect ourselves.

I advise law-abiding citizens to arm themselves. If something has to go down, at least you know that you can do something to protect yourselves and your loved ones. Aside from firearms, know that your body can be a weapon. Get into shape. If you can afford them, martial arts or combat sport classes may be good investments. If you are in the gym, remember that endurance and cardio are just as important as, or possibly more important than, size and strength in a SHTF/WROL scenario.

If you are in the school of thought that firearms alone is enough for your defense, then you're entitled to your opinion. That still doesn't mean that you shouldn't workout. Being in a firefight is different from putting holes in a stationary paper target (Disclaimer: I've never been in a firefight, but I'm speaking from what I've read and seen) and good cardio may help you to save your life and endure the heightened heart rate that may come under such a situation. Strengthening the forearms and shoulders can also help with stability of aim, especially with long guns (though I do advise working out all muscle groups since they can all help with stability).

Aside from the wrath of man, we also face potential danger from the wrath of nature. Another storm is approaching the Eastern Seaboard, and here on the West Coast we have earthquakes to worry about. It is important to stock up on healthy foods just in case there is a grocery shortage due to natural disaster or other occurrences. If you live a fitness lifestyle, you already know that it is important to eat healthy; if an emergency does happen, it will be even more important!

In conclusion, I urge you all to try to get into shape, not just to impress the girls or guys, but for your own good. In the event of catastrophe, those with fit bodies (and minds) will have a greater chance of surviving and helping others that are in need. If we avert disaster, well, then yeah, you'll have some extra food and supplies as well as a healthy physique.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Is There an Ideal Time for Working Out?

I was watching the news the other day, and they had a segment talking about the ideal time for exercising. According to their research, the best time to exercise is between 4 P.M. and 6 P.M. since our bodies have maximum lung capacity during these two hours of the day.

I'm no biologist, but personally, I call B.S.. As with most things dealing with fitness, the best time to exercise probably depends on the individual. For me, my energy peaks twice daily; once in the morning at about 10 AM, and once in the afternoon around 1 PM.. I generally hit the gym in the early afternoon to take advantage of my second energy peak and due to the sparse crowds at the gym. The time that works for you will depend on your own body, schedule, and other factors.

If there is any truth at all to what the news report said though, I wonder if this increased lung capacity is hard-wired into our biological clock or if it goes by local time. For example, if I were to move back to Japan, would my peak lung capacity be between the hours of 8 A.M. and 10 A.M.? When we "fall back" an hour for daylight saving's time tomorrow, will our lung capacity fall back an hour with us? Just a curiosity.