Shag's Lifting and Diet Journal.

[Throttle]

40 bucks isn't within your budget? most guys blow that on a canister of whey. seriously, you need a better excuse. (nevermind that good running shoes wear out pretty frequently, and a pair costs at least that much)

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4199

 

[shagnscoob]

Alright I'm going to check it out. I can imagine that I'd be a perfect candidate for GPP via sled pulling, as I consider myself grossly out of shape endurance-wise. You just rope it to yourself with a weight belt and then run/jog with it for however long IA recommends?

I can't start anytime soon (budget dilemma, I JUST spent the money I would have used on a sled, on CEE from trueprotein), but assuming I'm doing it twice a week (incl. day after squats as IA recommends) then I'd be doing it on friday and..... what other day would be best?

Until then should I just keep jogging in the mornings?


oh and on multivitamins-- AST 32x sounds great, but it has iron which is not very good right? I wanted NOW's ADAM but it comes in tablet form (which as far as I know sucks for digesting) but if it's really worth it over AST 32x I can get it in capsule form but I'll have to look around.

 

[simon]

NOW ADAM is fine. I put a tablet in a glass of water and it dissolved pretty well with a little stirring, considering the water was cold and not acidic, the complete opposite to the gut. I'd steer clear of iron in multivitamins.

 

[EFFORT]

Worse case scenario you can go to a place that has junk tires and pick up some of those and tie a rope to them and pull. Or if you must use the elliptical machine, but not running, WBA would never recommend running or jogging for high intensity cardio.

Also dropping body fat WBA style would mean you walk on the treadmill for 45min-1hour first thing in the morning at least 4 days a week.

 

[shaunuk]

I can't start anytime soon (budget dilemma, I JUST spent the money I would have used on a sled, on CEE from trueprotein), but assuming I'm doing it twice a week (incl. day after squats as IA recommends) then I'd be doing it on friday and..... what other day would be best?

You're from the UK right bud? Get yourself on myprotein.co.uk - the prices are pretty good, and they stock a lot of stuff

-shaun

 

[shagnscoob]

Im from LA, and I already get prices on things that are about as good as they are going to get (except the creatine I bought, it's quality stuff though).

I don't need HIGH INTENSITY, I just need something thats going to keep up my gains in the gym, keep my bodyfat down, and help me train my endurance. I'll just cut it down to 2 or 3 days a week.

 

[EFFORT]

GPP work is High Intensity and WILL help your gains in the gym, and its how bodybuilders and powerlifters train there endurance. The best GPP is stuff you probably don't want to do, sled dragging, weighted backpack work, riding a bike up hills, wheel barrow pushing, etc.

I think your confused about the forms of cardio. High Intensity or GPP is important and everyone should be working up to 2-3 20min sessions of it a week, if your not willing to pull or sled then do this on the elliptical machine no running or jogging though that'll halt your gains.

Low Intensity cardio is whats going to take off body fat, its done 3+ days a week for 45min-1hour first thing in the morning. You walk on the treadmill.

 

[EFFORT]

Running puts extra demand on the body and CNS where the elliptical and sled are eccentric activites. Theres no reason for him to be running,i know so many guys that have these goals of adding muscle but run there a$$ off and wonder why they aren't gaining.

 

[EFFORT]

CNS is central nervous system

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9815
http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10054&highlight=running

 

[shagnscoob]

Yeah I'm afraid the CNS argument just got me pinned. Running will hurt my gains, especially since im a pretty serious hardgainer. I talked to one of my friends, he and I might go in on a sled together sometime soon. Until then I'll keep it to walking early mornings a few times a week.

I've also heard that weight gainers (such as n-large, cytogain, XXL) are just glorified sugars and it's much better to use whole foods and a blender (which im not opposed to, and actually have been doing).

My squats felt A LOT better last time I did them, even though I upped the weight. I thought about my form and did a little research, watched a few videos and whatnot and imitated them and I think I'm doing them pretty damn well now (no unusual stress/soreness anywhere, just the same ol' feeling of muscles getting WORKED).

I bought CEE, should be here before Friday. I've read countless arguments for and against loading, but I'm going to load for 3 days and then stick with about 5-6g a day. We'll see how that goes. I found a capsule (more digestable right?) version of NOW:ADAM thats basically the same price as the regular version.

Todays Workout-
Week 4, 1/29

Bench Press 2x8 85lbs.
Incline Press 1x10 1x8 70lbs.
Mili. Press 2x8 45lbs.
Lying Behind the Head Tri Extension things-- 1x10 10lbs. and then I went and did 2x10 on the Tricep Pushdown thing on 60lbs.???? I don't know why it feels so different...

a ridiculous set of ab work. I can't leg lift nearly as much as I can crunch, what's that about? Should I jsut keep doing sets to failure on leg lifting? I do 1 set of 20 then 1 set of 13 or 14 then 2 sets of 9 or 10. Crunching I do 4 sets of 20 (which is really difficult actually). I also need to figure out another exercise to start slamming my obliques.

 

[EFFORT]

You still needed to be doing a form of high intensity cardio before the sled arrives. Do this. Walk on the treadmill first thing in the moring 3 days a week for 45min-1hour and go all out on the ellpitical machine after your lifting days for 5min and increase that time by 2minutes each week until your doing two 20min sessions on the ellpitical.


Congrats on improving your squat form always good to be working on this to avoid injuries that waste time and cause you frustration.

The CEE is a good buy and you'll do good with whatever way you use it assuming you get 5-6g a day.

As for the abs its more of a biomechanical thing, but for your Ab work you should be doing weighted situps with dumbbells on your chest, you want STRONG abs.

 

[shagnscoob]

Yeah I'm walking in the mornings now. CEE I'll be taking 5-6 grams (about two teaspoons).

Abs-- my upper abs are way stronger than my lower abs, so next week I'll probably do weighted crunches, or move the decline up to the next bar, but I don't know what to do about leg lifts? Just keep struggling with them?

edit-- I also just got maltodextrin, so PWO shakes are made of

50g's Optimum Whey (which has 10grams of BCAA's in it)
a little over 25g dextrose
a little over 25g maltodextrin
1 teaspoon (about 3 grams) CEE

 

[shagnscoob]

oh my god CEE is AWFUL as hell.

2 questions--

1. there used to be a myth that you should take creatine with fruit juice, but then it was dismissed. but this stuff is SICK, is it going to screw me up to chase it with fruit juice anyway?

2. Is anyone worried about high creatinine levels in their blood as has been reported of CEE but not monohydrate?

 

[mrRuckus]

The Smith Machine is an excellent squatting tool, IMO. Your feet should be positioned roughly 6 inches in front of your body. So, again, study squatting form and then lower the weight and practice perfect form for a week.

You can't have perfect form doing squats on a smith machine because the machines locks you into place and that's not how your body works.

 

[mrRuckus]

oh my god CEE is AWFUL as hell.

Oh god just put a little water in your mouth, throw a teaspoon in and chase it with more water after swallowing. You taste it for like 2 seconds. That's how i do it if/when i take it before i go lift.

 

[shagnscoob]

Yeah I'm experimenting and finding different ways that work and don't work. If I chase it with protein it goes away really nice, but it still sucks really bad while its in my mouth and I guess theres no avoiding that.

 

[shagnscoob]

Workout Today, this is the part of my program that I can't seem to get right--

Pull-Downs 3x10 85lbs. (was REALLY difficult)
Rows 2x8 45 lbs. (first time doing REAL rows, used the tbar)
Curls 1x9 40lbs. (still having trouble getting this one right, I should go to preacher curls and then when I rotate exercises start doing hammer curls and start with my max weight for my left arm...)

now the REAL problems--

Squats- did em on free weights this time with one of my friends who works at the gym watching me (he offered so whatever, he didn't really say that much about my form anyway). I did 2 sets of 115....... 35 pounds heavier than my somewhat difficult sets on the smith machine last week. wtf?

Deadlifts-- (now alone, my friend had to go) I tried warming up really thoroughly(12x bar, 6x 75lbs, 3x 95, 1x 115), but maybe I was already spent from the squats because I could barely do 5 of my weight from last week (last week with the same guy I did 3x10 at 115lbs). I took it all the way down to 95 and did 1 set of 10 and felt like my form was getting DESTROYED so i called it quits.

Needless to say I feel less worked than last week (although I don't think I could have gone much heavier on anything without my form suffering MORE, or maybe poor form was causing me to lift incorrectly and not get the weights up) and I also feel like the squats worked my left leg a lot harder than my right.

How can I keep my lifts consistent? I don't know how to explain this **** other than my form tonight rocked on the squats and my form on the deadlifts sucked (it felt like my back was getting sore in a not so good way).

 

[EFFORT]

Box Squats are good for learning squat form

Deadlifts are tricky, i'd say keep the weight low and practice your form and slowly add weight until you get it. You really need to find a personal trainer in your gym or someone that knows form and have them help you.

 

[shagnscoob]

Box Squats are good for learning squat form

Deadlifts are tricky, i'd say keep the weight low and practice your form and slowly add weight until you get it. You really need to find a personal trainer in your gym or someone that knows form and have them help you.

Well the guy who was helping me is a trainer there. He just can't always be with me when I'm lifting. I don't understand why I can lift WAY more when hes with me.


edit-- ive been trying to think of why this is going on and I think I've found out my problem. Since both exercises work the same general area, I can't expect to do 2x10 of my MAX weight on squats and then still have the power to do 1x10 my MAX weight deadlifts. instead I need to see how I can balance the two exercises with as much weight as possible. Does that make sense? So when I only squat 80 I'll have plenty of charge left over to do 3x10 115lb. deadlifts, and when I squat 115 of course I can't do 1x10 of more than 95lbs deadlifting.

My solution is to start both over at 95 and do exactly 2 work sets Squatting, and 1 Workset Deadlifting on that weight which is below my max weight for each exercise. Then I can start judging how to add weight based on which felt harder/easier.


(btw When I squatted 80 I wasn't with the trainer and on the same day WITH the trainer I got 3x10 115lbs. deadlifted, then last night I squatted with him and did 2x10 115lbs and then he left and I could only deadlift 1x10 at 95lbs.)

 

[EFFORT]

do it like this

Week 1

Squats 2x10
Deads 1x10

Week 2

Deads 2x10
Squats 1x10

Etc for about 8-10 weeks then switch up the routine