TweetSaturday

DB curl superset with rope extension 4 sets
BB curl superset with ez bar skull crusher 4 sets
Preacher curl machine superset with underhand extension 4 sets
DB curl into kickback 2 sets

Lovely Saturday morning at the gym, super humid, owner didn't have the AC cranked up so I was sweating pretty quickly. This has the been the norm during the summer, the morning workouts, it's super stuffy in the gym. The workout itself went pretty smoothly. Saturdays I have more time and don't have to superset but I'm so used to it during the week that I go with it. Pump was good and it felt like I haven't done arms in awhile. For anyone who hasn't seen my logs, the curl into kickback is one of my favorite finishers. It's not going to increase size but it's amazing at the end to really just force blood into the muscle, I recommend trying it.

I skipped cardio at the gym on Saturday and went for a hike at a near by trail, nothing crazy but a nice 4 mile up hill and down hill walk. Felt good to be outside and hopefully keep my tan a little.

I feel a bit more thick than last week but still on the lean side. I want to get a weigh in tonight but I don't think much will change on the scales in a week.

TweetMonday

Incline bench superset with side lateral raise 6 sets
Decline hammer strength superset with reverse peck deck 4 sets
Peck deck superset with hammer strength shoulder press 2 sets

Workout was awesome. I felt like I was really zoned in and the weight was moving really well. I enjoyed being at the gym and would of kept going if I could of. I wasn't setting PR's but it was one of those workouts you just feel like everything is clicking. The AC was on too finally so I wasn't sweating like crazy.

One thing I noticed yesterday was around 3-4pm at work I felt a bit shaky and was starving. I had just eaten 2 hours before that but my hunger was elevated most of the day. I wasn't sure how the workout would be but once I had some pre workout protein I felt better and it didn't hamper my workout.

TweetTuesday

Squat superset with weighted pull ups 6 sets
Leg press superset with t bar row 4 sets
Standing calve raise superset with straight bar pulldown 2 sets

Another quality workout. I can't go heavy when doing the squat and pull up combo. By the 4th set I am winded. My chest is burning and I'm sweating pretty heavy. I did increase the weight from the past weeks and was able to handle it which was a good sign. But the 5th and the 6th set I just wanted to get done, I probably didn't give enough time between sets. All the other exercises felt solid though. I woke up this morning and my whole body is sore/tight. I miss the feeling, it's been a few weeks since I was sore so its a welcome sign to me.

Two things I keep forgetting to do at night is hit a scale and buy stamps. Last night before bed I totally forgot to do either. So hopefully tonight I remember. With vacation and my birthday I got home from the gym the last 2 nights, ate and tried to clean what is a mess of a house.

Overall though I feel a lot more lean than I did a week ago. I feel more sturdy if that makes sense too. Hopefully the scale reflects this as well.

TweetWednesday

100 crunches
10 minutes farmers walk
Weighted crunch machine
10 minutes farmers walk
Rope crunches superset with weighted side dips
7 minutes walk

Usually cardio is somewhat therapeutic for me. Not this day, I don't know if I had extra stress at work but it felt like it took forever just to hit 10 minutes on the cardio. I did however try something new, the first 10 minutes of the farmers walks I went 1 minute on and 1 minute off with the weight, the second time I did 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off because my grip during the first 10 minutes didn't feel great. The 30 on and 30 off felt like I was picking up and putting down the weight, it felt somewhat easy for the short periods of time but it's also when I noticed my heart rate being at it's peak.

Had some trouble sleeping last night or at least getting to sleep. Not sure if it's related to the product, more so stress from work I'm guessing.

I did finally weigh myself, down 1.5lbs from when I weighed myself about 2 weeks ago. I'm at 152 which is not good, my goal for last summer was 160. I easily went under that this summer but I don't want to be this low, time to increase my calories a bit.

TweetKeep it up and you will get there

TweetThursday

Flat bench superset with seated side lateral raise 4 sets
Flat bench superset with rear delt flys 4 sets
Cable crossover superset with wide grip high row 4 sets

Didn't plan on doing 8 sets of bench but the first 4 sets felt pretty good so I wanted to see how well it went as I increased my weight. Went pretty good, a few times I had to tell myself to slow down the reps and really concentrate on the form but other than that it was a good bench day. The cable crossovers really crushed finished off the chest, it's amazing how just rotating the pinky fingers together at the end of the movement creates such a burn. I got done with my sets a bit early and I was having some pain in my upper back yesterday, felt like my spine was banged up, probably from sleeping weird the night before so I did some weighted stretches and other broomstick type stretches in hopes to loosen it up. It worked somewhat.

I'm happy to have a day off from the gym today as I've mentioned during the week, my body is sore and tight. Might try and squeeze in an Epsom bath tonight if I have time.

I'm liking what I'm seeing in the mirror, I feel like I'm getting leaner but I don't see any type of muscle loss which is good. The guy at work said yesterday I'm obviously not bulking which I'm not but I wasn't thrilled with that because the way he said it almost felt like I lacked muscle. At the end of the day I'm seeing what I like more in the mirror so that's all that matters to me.

TweetSaturday

DB curl superset with v bar extension 4 sets
BB curl superset with close grip press 4 sets
Incline DB hammer curl superset with underhand extension 4 sets
DB curl into kickback 2 sets
1 set til failure straight bar extension
1 set til failure double high cable curl

Felt pretty good going to the gym. And the workout felt really good but I couldn't get a pump. Usually when I use free weights for my bicep movements the pump is easy to come back and when I use cables for the triceps the same thing. But I didn't get a great pump hence why I did some extra things at the end just wear out the muscle as much as I could.

I tried to make an effort to increase my calories a bit over the weekend. Still not trying to radically change but increase slowly and see what happens. I feel lean but more full which is a positive. However I cant go by the mirror this morning. I had to eat an early dinner last night and I looked flat but for the most part I'm looking thicker than before the log.

TweetMonday

Squat superset with weighted pull ups 6 sets
Leg press superset with hammer strength low row 4 sets
Standing calve raise superset with straight bar pulldown 2 sets

I was exhausted all day. My neck was in a lot of pain, at one point I couldn't turn my head without pain. Seems like this time of the year gets bad for me, maybe the cooler weather keeps the muscles more tight or something. So the workout didn't "feel" great but I increased my weights in the squat and leg press. The pull ups I technically increased my weights because I usually use chains around my neck to add weight however I couldn't find them so I went with a DB which felt much harder but after a few reps my feet would lose grip of the DB and I would just have to finish the set using bodyweight. Again my lungs were burning, I was breathing heavy, when that 6th set of squats and pull ups are over it feels like I'm down with my workout even though technically I'm only half way there.

Nothing really to report in terms of body this morning. I will keep it updated of course when I do notice anything.

TweetTuesday

Hammer strength press superset with hammer strength shoulder press 4 sets
Dips superset with facepull 4 sets
Cable crossover low cable superset with side lateral raise 4 sets

Good workout, did some things I don't usually do, either an exercise I don't use very often or the order of the workout was different. I haven't been shoulder pressing much with the supersets I'm doing, I've been more focusing on the side delts rather than the front. So the shoulder press felt really weak. I also haven't done dips in a very long time, I usually use them for triceps and stay straight and put the tension on the tris, I decided to lean and felt an amazing stretch in my inner/lower pecs. I also usually do the side laterals at beginning and I saved them until the end. Overall it was an enjoyable workout and I was fairly happy with all the weight except for the shoulder press but I'll chalk that up to rust.

Tweetthose damn shoulders can be rough

TweetThursday

Deadlift 8 or 9 sets
Standing Calve raise superset with close grip lat pulldown 2 sets

As you can see most of the workout was deadlifts. They felt good and I wanted to see if I can some decent weight moving. I was happy with my results. I basically did 2 sets then would increase the weight and then increase again. The 9th set I went back down in weight just to make sure I got in enough reps. The form on my deadlifts have felt really good over the last few months, I can't believe I'm saying it but I've been enjoying them more than squats and that's never been the case.

This morning I couldn't get a good grip on what the mirror was telling me. My chest looks full, my waist looks thin, but my arms also looked small. It could be because of doing workout after workout of farmers walks, but I'm not totally sure. Hopefully they rebound this weekend. I have a bachelor party and a wedding on the same weekend so extra calories will be consumed.

TweetSaturday

DB curl superset with DB behind head press 4 sets
BB curl superset with reverse underhand extension 4 sets
Double high cable curl superset with push down machine 4 sets
DB curl into kickback 2 sets

Usually on arms I go for volume, I stay with high reps and chase the pump. I decided to switch it up this week and went heavy. If I only got 5 reps I was ok with it. I just kept going heavy and my arms felt like jello. Arms didn't have the normal pump feeling but they felt huge as I kept the weight up. May have to stay with that strategy for another week or two.

Monday the gym was closed, the owner closes whenever he can. Sort of glad I wasn't able to get to the gym because my hamstrings are still super sore from deadlifts and my triceps are still super sore from the arm work.

TweetWednesday

35 minutes treadmill

So about an hour before I leave work I get a text from my family. I have to transfer one of my cars over to my brother. The guy was giving us a discount and it couldn't wait until the weekend, blah blah. So I left work and did that, it didn't take to long but if anyone knows any old car repair/sales men all they want to do it talk so it was longer than it should of taken. Anyway by the time I left I hurried to the gym and decided to go straight cardio. I didn't mix it up because I wanted to get the most time out of the cardio as I could.

I didn't do farmers walks either, just played with the incline as I went. TBH with where I am weight wise I don't really need to do cardio but I feel like a break in the week is nice and I enjoy doing some just for overall health. I just won't push as hard during the winter months.

The one thing about cardio days is sometimes I don't sleep as good as lifting days. I think lifting just makes me exhausted and I have no trouble falling asleep. Last night was different, I was out cold. I usually also wake up about an hour before I need to then pass back out, none of that happened. Stayed in a dead sleep all night which felt great.