My Plan for the Summer

Life has not been going so well for me as of late, but I've still been going to the gym. My goal was to be "ho-ready" for a summer in China, in the words of YouTube's Chris Jones of Physiques of Greatness, but it looks like I'm stuck in America for the foreseeable future. This does not stop me from trying to improve my body and increase my strength.

While I am here in my hometown with access to a cheap, but effective gym membership, I plan to lift at least five times a week. So far, I have been accomplishing this goal. I have been doing more dropsets, lifting heavy and constantly trying to increase the amount of weight that I move each week. I am shooting to do three to five reps with heavy weight, then drop down and do six to eight reps right after with the usual weight that I'd move for maintenance. I am seeing great results with muscular growth and definition so far, and psychologically it feels great to know that I am increasing my strength.

Aside from lifting, I have continued with my heavy bag workouts for cardio, and I will be getting back into boxing soon. Also, while I was apprehensive to do so at first due to its feminized nature, I have begun taking Zumba classes once a week. This has been helping me with my flexibility to a degree, provides a great full-body workout, is good cardio, and it gives me something new to learn that I might be able to teach abroad if I master it. If I were into Latinas I'd certainly enjoy the eye candy there too.

If anything exciting comes up, I'll be sure to blog about it here, but for the time being it's business as usual.

Summertime Gainz and 6/19/2013 Leg Day

I finally have some time off during the summer, so I am going to try to utilize it to improve myself as a person. A large part of this self-improvement will be physical, as I try to increase the intensity of my workouts. This has already taken a bit of a toll on my body, but it is a fee worth paying as I have gained about two pounds of lean muscle mass in the past month (not a lot, I know, but it is something to write about for a hard-gainer like me).

Today was my fourth day in the gym this week, and it was leg day. I hurt my neck pretty badly yesterday when working my back and shoulders, so I couldn't squat too heavy. In order to make up for this, I hit the incline leg press a lot harder than I typically do. My workout went as follows:

4 sets, 8 - 12 reps back squats - 160 pounds
4 sets, 8 - 12 reps standing calf raises - 160 pounds
4 sets, 15 reps seated calf machine 150 pounds

I then moved on to the incline leg press machine. I started with ten plates (450 pounds) and did 8 reps. I remove two plates, then did ten reps. I repeated this until I was down to two plates on the machine. After a one minute rest, I repeated this process starting with four plates. I repeated this until I reached a two-plate start. This is much more activity for my quads and hams than I am used to, but I am sure that if I keep it up, I'll improve my strength and endurance (I'm also sure that it's going to burn a lot tomorrow).

To finish up, I did a few exercises for my abs:

4 sets, 12 - 15 reps decline bench crunches w/ 10 pound medicine ball for the obliques
2 supersets, "Captain's chair" leg raises

My workout wasn't very diverse today, but it was effective, and that is what matters. I hope to up the intensity in the coming weeks, and maybe add a few new exercises to my repertoire. Until next time.

Still At It

Life has been keeping me away from blogging. Work has been keeping me busy, and I have quite a few projects in various stages of development that I would like to see to completion.
I still want to let everyone know that I'm still at it and still making gainz though. I'm back to training for boxing, but I would like to gain a few more pounds before entering the ring. Naturally, I'm a small guy, and it has been difficult for me to put on weight, but I have increased my strength by at least 25% since the beginning of the year.

I'm also becoming a bit more arrogant, which is good for me as a person who has had low self esteem for most of my life. Despite Asian women pretty much hating Black men, I've been told that I am "delicious" by quite a few Chinese and Taiwanese ladies online; this is always a confidence boost and another reason to keep myself in the gym as long as time permits.

Keep making gainz ya'll.

Staying True to My Resolutions (So Far)

I have been keeping up with my resolutions for 2013 so far, although I wish that I hadn't set my goals so high. I have been in the gym five days a week working two muscle groups as I proposed, and I have also been hitting my heavy bag. This is really taking its toll on me, especially my shoulders.

Some people in the fitness community say that there is no such thing as over-training, and that one should always bear through the pain. I am of the belief that one does have to workout through pain to reach their goals, but that over-training can occur. I'm going to keep it up, but I may have to break my promises and take a rest from the heavy bag on some days. I will say this though: hitting the heavy bag has been keeping me sane and keeping me lean!

How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? I hope that you are fulfilling them and exceeding your expectations!

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.

Workout Diary: Push and Biceps Day 10/26/2012

I haven't been able to blog lately due to my schedule. Hopefully I'll pick things back up again next week.

Yesterday was my pectoral and triceps day. I only got 15 sets done yesterday due to under-eating. This was totally unacceptable, so I decided to incorporate a few extra  push exercises to work my upper pecs, shoulders, and triceps. I also worked biceps today as planned. Today's workout went as follows:

4 sets, 12 reps wide grip dips - body weight
3 sets, 12 reps barbell curls - 50 pounds
3 sets, 10 reps barbell shoulder presses - 60 pounds
3 sets, 10 reps dumbbell shoulder presses - 35 pounds each in hand
2 sets, 10 reps preacher curl machine - 70 pounds
3 sets, 10 reps incline dumbbell presses - 35 pounds each hand
3 sets, 10 reps dumbbell shrugs - 65 pounds in each hand
4 sets, 10 reps hammer curls - 25 pounds in each hand

That's much better. I want to keep up this level of intensity if possible. this will require me to eat more in order to keep my body energized, and to provide building material for my muscles. Remember that when you lift at the gym, you're actually tearing your muscles. If you do not provide building material (protein and carbohydrates) to repair and build your muscles, you will actually lose muscle and your hard work will be in vain!

Workout Diary: Leg Day ft. Abs 10/22/2012

Typically, I start each week with a pectoral workout, but I decided to work the legs today since I missed working them on Friday. I made it a point to show myself no mercy. If I couldn't make it through this workout, then I was a wussy and a shame to all of my friends and family. This may sound childish, but it got me through the day, because I was still feeling down when I first started my workout. My leg workout went as follows:

3 sets, 12 reps incline leg press - 270 pounds for warmup
1 set, 12 reps incline leg press - 320 pounds
6 sets, 10 reps squats - 50 pounds on each side
5 sets, 20 reps standing calf raises - 50 pounds on each side
4 sets, 15 reps sitting calf raises - 90 pounds

After that leg workout, I still had a lot of energy to expend. My anger, disappointment, and rage gave me power. I felt as if I could beat a character from Dragon Ball Z, well, at least a low-tier one like Yamcha.

I decided to do some ab exercises to end my workout:

4 sets, 8 - 12 reps decline bench situps w/ medicine ball for obliques
2 sets, 10 reps ab machine - 70 pounds

I'm satisfied with this workout. I've made improvements and got a lot of of my mind. Time to get back on track.

Workout Diary: Leg and Bicep Day 10/4/2012

I originally planned to work abs and biceps today and run/walk to the gym for cardio, but the heat made me change my mind. Since I wasn't hoofing it to the gym, I decided on working the legs today. I still elected to workout my biceps today instead of tomorrow, since I want to hit the heavy bag on Saturday, and I can get more out of my workout if my biceps aren't too sore. This is what I did today:

6 sets, 10 reps squats - 45 pounds on each side
4 sets, 15 - 20 reps standing calf raises - 45 pounds on each side
4 sets, 12 reps sitting calf raises - 90 pounds
3 sets, 8 reps deadlifts - 110 pounds

I found myself barely able to walk after these sets (which is my goal on every leg day), so I went and did some exercises for my biceps. Since the exercises that I did on back day also incorporate the biceps, I decided to keep the volume light:

3 sets preacher curl weight-plate-loaded machine - 65 pounds
3 sets hammer curls - 25 pound dumbbells in each hand

I skipped the leg press machine since a group of people were hogging it to themselves; I made up for it by doubling the sets of squats. In relation to this, I noticed that on the leg press machine, I can lift almost double the amount of weight that I can squat. This may be the machine taking away some of the resistance, but more likely, it is the additional pressure that squatting places on the back and shoulders. Squatting probably isn't something that I want to do too close behind back day or shoulder day (which was yesterday; just didn't write about it). I might have to reschedule my split one week and see if there is any improvement in my squats.

Workout Diary: Back Day 10/2/2012

I made it to the gym a bit earlier today, so I was able to use all of the equipment that I wanted to. I decided against adding shoulders to today's workout; I'll work on them tomorrow. Today's workout was as follows:


4 sets, 8 - 12 reps wide grip pullups - body weight
2 sets, 8 - 12 reps underhand grip pullups - body weight
3 sets, 10 reps hyperextensions - holding 35 pound plate
2 sets, 10 reps hyperextensions - body weight
3 sets, 10 reps barbell rows 80 pounds
3 sets, 10 reps cable row machine - 125 pounds
2 sets, 6 reps cable row machine - 160 pounds
2 sets, 10 reps lat bar pull downs, behind the neck - 85 pounds


Typically, I like to do machine exercises before using free weights on back day (which is the opposite of how I try to work arms), but this routine worked well for me due to the crowd at the gym. I also felt that I was able to get more done with good form. I might continue using this regimen, or a modified version of it in the future.

Fitness Advice: Take Notes

You should take notes to record your fitness progress. These notes can help you to set benchmarks, repeat a successful workout, or fix any mistakes that you may have made. Bring a pen and paper if it helps, or if you are a technophile, you may be able to use one of those fancy smartphones or tablets; I'm sure that they have apps for it.

Aside from which exercises, how many sets and reps you performed, how much weight you lifted, and so on, you may also want to take note of seemingly minor details. For example, you may want to note the height that you set the pulleys at when performing pectoral cable flies, or the incline that you set the bench at when performing dumbbell incline bench presses. This way, you won't have to waste time trying to figure out the perfect settings for the equipment that you use (speaking from experience here).

Just wanted to share that tidbit of advice. Here's hoping that you have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable weekend!

Workout Diary: Back and Shoulders Day 9/26/2012

Hit my back and shoulders today. Things didn't go as planned since it was crowded this evening and I really couldn't use every piece of equipment that I wanted to, but I did make up for it by doing more sets of other exercises.

My workout today was as follows:

4 sets, 8 - 12 reps wide grip pullups - body weight
2 sets, 8 - 12 reps underhand grip pullups - body weight
3 sets, 10 reps hyperextensions - holding 35 pound plate
3 sets, 10 reps cable row machine - 125 pounds
2 sets, 8 reps cable row machine - 140 pounds
3 sets, 10 reps dumbbell shoulder presses 35 pounds each arm
3 sets, 10 reps shoulder shrugs 60 pounds each arm
3 sets, 10 reps upright shoulder rows 40 pounds

I usually like to get some lat bar pull downs in as well as additional hyperextensions using body weight. I overexerted my lower back last week though, so I cut out the body weight sets and upped the weight that I held by ten pounds. I made up for not doing barbell rows by doing additional cable rows, and I made up for not doing any pull downs by doing extra pullups. I am satisfied with today's workout, but I hope to increase the weight next week if I can.

Workout Diary: Pec and Tri Day 9/24/2012

I went to the gym and hit my pectoral muscles and triceps today. Typically, I warm up by doing two sets on the pectoral fly machine, but I omitted this and just did a superset of bench presses, raising the bar only.

My workout today was as follows:

4 sets, 8 reps flat bench press - 45 plates on each side
4 sets, 8 reps decline bench press - 30 pounds on each side
3 sets, 8 - 12 reps iso-lateral weight-plate-loaded machine - 50 pounds on each side
2 sets, 10 reps incline bench press - 25 pounds on each side
4 sets, 12 reps wide-grip dips - body weight
2 sets, 10 reps tricep rope pulldowns 30 pounds

This is a lower number of sets than I have been doing previously, but I try to bring the bar all the way down to my chest when performing bench presses now. In the past, I only brought the bar down  far enough for my arms to be parallel to the bench. The larger range of motion is more effective, but it reduces the number of sets that I can complete. Hopefully, I'll be able to increase my volume and/or weight by this time next month.

Workout Diary: Leg Day 9/20/2012

Since this is my first workout diary posting, I'll explain a few things for starters. I will be posting my workouts here occasionally to chronicle my progress. This is mostly for personal reference, but readers may also be able to incorporate some of my exercises and splits into their own routines.

Today was leg day. I did less volume today than I typically do, but I still got a pretty good workout in.

3 sets, 15 reps incline leg press - 270 pounds
2 sets, 12 reps incline leg press - 320 pounds
2 sets, 15 reps sitting calf raises - 70 pounds
2 sets, 12 reps sitting calf raises - 90 pounds
3 sets quad leg extensions - 100 - 120 pounds, pyramid, 20, 15, 12 reps
2 sets hamstring curls 85 pounds
1 set hamstring curls 100 pounds

I left the gym barely able to walk, just the way it should be.

I'll try to up my weights next month. I omitted squats this time since my back was still aching from my back workout earlier this week; squats will probably replace a few of the incline leg presses in the future, as they typically do. I will also go back to standing calf raises with the barbell across my shoulders.