Went and did some cardio today, hadn't been in a while, and I'm fighting a cold, but I go to Vegas tomorrow and wanted to get some ideas for what to do while I'm there. If any of you guys are going to Vegas this month and want to get a workout in, let me know!

Canceled my gym membership last week. You have to cancel 30 days in advance, but can still use the facilities for those 30 days. The gym just changed hands and I don't really like the new management so this gives me a perfect excuse to join a CrossFit Gym or build my own gym and follow a Crossfit-esque workout plan.

Mon 5-25

Squat
5x5x290

Bench
1x5x170
1x5x185
1x5x200
1x5x210
1x5x225

Cleans
1x5x155
1x5x165
1x5x180
1x5x195
1x5x205

Weighted Dips
1x5x15
1x5x30
1x5x45

Tue 5-26
Jiu Jitsu for 1:15 @ 6

Lifted today.

Squat
5x125
5x130
5x135

Bench
5x115
5x120
5x120

Deadlift
5x125
5x130
5x135

Abs (Inclined Bench)
3x5

I think I started a bit too high on the bench, I def struggled with the last couple reps of those. Squats were a little strenuous, but deadlifts felt awesome. I'm definitely kinda tired right now, so I'm just gonna take tomorrow off of all strenuous physical activity. It's been 8 straight days of either golfing, running, or lifting, so I think that taking one day off every 7-10 days will be a good thing for me in the long run.

Diet was solid again today, a lot of protein without much fat, I'd say I'm aiming for a PRO-CARB-FAT ratio of around 50-30-20.

Never fear taking that extra day off when you feel you need it. Keep up the good work, .

Who's awesome? Dolfan that's who is AWesome! Congratulations! Your nephew is fast! Get that kid in track. Keep up the excellent work>fwiw, I really like the fitness path you are on.

Well after the special olympics infected my rec last week and made me miss a workout, it seems to balance it out they are holding some sort of 12 yr old smart kid contest at the rec this week. Fortunately, they are only on the ground floor so I can get my swoll on.

Squat
5x5 - 105

Overhead Press
5x5 - 65

Deadlift
1x5 - 125

Chinups
3xF

Prone Bridges
3x30 sec

Cardio
15 min - stationary bike

Feels good getting back to it after missing fridays workout and then spending all memorial weekend at a friends cabin. Although I am slowly moving up weight, per the stronglifts guidelines, I feel that I can def do more weight and get more out of my workouts so I might start adding more than outlined. I'll just finish this weeks workout and then see where I am because looking at the "schedule" I should be back to my original lifting weights next week. We'll see.

I made it to the gym 4 times last week and yesterday and today. I hope to make it to the gym 5 times a week this summer. Through the middle of May I was going six times but I am not able to go on weekends since I'll be at my parents lake cabin. I'll be doing lower body twice a week and upper body three times a week.

Today:

Squats:
8x225
8x235
8x245
8x255

Leg Press:
6x415
6x415
6x425
6x425

Standing calf raises:
4 sets of 8

Seated calf raises:
4 sets of 10

Hamstring machine:
4 sets of 10

Deadlifts:
6x135
6x155
6x185
6x225

Then I do about 10 minutes of ab work.

Got in some swimming last night. I did 10 X 50M at a pace of 8 out of 10 with 30s rest between.

I am looking at another Sprint in October. Hopefully I will have adequate training time and may be able to actually compete with my age group!!

My buddy and I were talking about doing a few sprints and then maybe a full tri later on. What is your typical workload towards each part of the race (run, swim, bike)? How much training do you do to get ready for the race?

Checking out the CrossFit Gym today, will post thoughts on it later.

Well the last one I did, I pretty much trained for only a month. I am already a pretty good swimmer so I was mainly working on the Running and Biking part of it. I was probably doing 50% training on running, 30% on Biking and 20% on swimming for that month. Now I am trying to turn this around so that I can actually compete. AVSfan had a good link on beginning tri's and I also read a Beginner book on Tri's and I am trying to adapt in the workouts from that.

This time I have a full four months to train, so I am really trying to do it right because as I said I want to be able to actually compete on this one.

EDIT: Looked up the link from avs http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/arti...sp?articleid=52

You should check out a triathlon called Wild Flower. It's somewhere near San Luis Obispo and they have a short track that the biking is a mountain bike, and the swim is only 1/4 mile. My buddy and his friends do it every year. Everyone camps there. There are 1000's of people there. From what I have heard it is a good novice event.

Of course I could be completely talking out of my ass, since I have never been, nor have I ever done a triathlon.

decided to try some of these to see what they were all about tonight after my bike ride. it took a while for me to rig something up heavy enough to keep my legs in place but I gotta tell you, these things are effective. you don't even really notice that they're much harder than a regular crunch or situp until you get to about twenty of them and the severe pain hits. good stuff.

Rest day today felt great. I felt really bad and lazy but I had to keep reminding myself that days like this are necessary in the program.

Good sign for me today: My Size 40 Jeans a couple months ago were a very tight fit when I first would put them on. I just put on a pair of jeans for the first time in a week or so, and slid them on with ease, felt like I needed a belt to keep them up.

For me, they seem good while I'm doing them, but not super painful, but then I get up after 3 sets and it feels like my stomach muscles are going to pull almost instantly. It's crazy.

I went to workout this morning and as soon as I walked in the door the fire alarm went off. I stood outside for 15 min while the fire department came. I decided to just go home. There actually was a fire so hopefully it won't be closed either tomorrow or later this afternoon when I decide to go.

Good lift today. Squats are progressing nicely, Overhead and Rows aren't progressing much, but I remember last time I did the program that those went slow.

Squats
5x135
5x140
5x145

Overhead
5x75
5x80
5x80

Rows
5x100
5x105
5x105

Abs (Janda Sit-ups)
3x10

Bicep Curls
2x10x25
1x8x25

Diet still good, added some grapes to post workout Cottage Cheese, I feel like I'm getting very solid protein while keeping calories down.

What program are you doing because this isn't ss : /

Checked the CrossFit out yesterday. Was really impressed by the gym, good vibe, dece chicks, etc. Workout was pretty awesome too.

Thu 5-28

Squat
5x5x250

OH Press
5x5x170 (Had to use quite a bit of chalk on last set)

Deadlift
5x5x335 (I actually felt like I could do a few more sets)

Weighted Pull-Ups
5x15
5x30
5x45

Jiu Jitsu today for 1:15 @ 6.

last week socal asked me what my typical workout is like. I apologize that this took so long. So here is the avsfan's workout.

preface; My workout is designed for me. There are a coupe of unique issues pertaining to me. the two most unusual aspects of my workout come from the fact that as a kid I would ride my big wheel and then my bike with my mom while she trained for marathons. I have no idea how I managed too keep up with a professional marathon runner for miles, but I did. as I got older my parents would drop me off at the ice rink where I would skate for hours upon hours everyday. I then went into bike racing (BMX) where I was a factory rider for years. These factors gave me great endurance for physical activity and superb leg strength and leg growth response. The first time I tried to squat at age 14 or 15 I was able to squat 315lb with ease. of course the pressure on my lower back was unexpected, lol. So in my current workout I tend to avoid squats and favor other leg exercises that give me more usable an supportive leg strength. I also want my pants to fit me correctly. I also am able to handle extremely long workouts before my glycogen levels are depleted. I do, of course need to have adequate rest between workouts to recover/repair. The basics of what I advocate to other ppl are present in my workout. I do a full body workout with 3 to 4 days rest in between workouts. I focus on a simple fundamental exercise for 3 sets per body part and perform those exercises for 12-15 reps with a fixed weight. so here is my typical workout;

Kettelbell snatches 100-200 reps. 25 to 50 reps per arm consecutively performed with no rest period.

Abs:
ab roll outs 1-3 set 35-50x
(and or)
Janda sit ups 1-3 set 35x
(totaling 2-3 reps)

Neck:(got to protect your neck)
front neck bridge 35-100x
lying front kettelbell neck press with weight on chin 35-100x
(optional) Fore head kettelbell neck press 35-100x

Legs:
dumbbell deadlift for 3 sets of 12-15 reps
the snatches also work my legs.

Rotator Cuff:
heavy sledge hammer swings

Chest:
dumbbell chest press for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Chest and Back:
dumbbell pullovers for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Back:
incline dumbbell rows or one arm rows with a couple of kettelbells (multiple kettelbells in one hand create a challenging wide grip) for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Shoulders:
standing dumbbell presses for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Traps:
upright rows with dumbbells or one handed upright rows with a kettelbell for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Rear Delts:
bent over incline dumbbell flys for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Biceps:
hammer curls for 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Fore Arms/wrist:
forearm roller 90 seconds
alternating Blob pick ups to failure
edit: I also do heavy sledge hammer leveraging

Triceps/Upperbody:
dips for 5 to 10 sets of 6 to 15 reps


Then I rest for 3-4 days.

I walk on the treadmill or row for 28 minutes on the second day off.

I'm doing Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength. I think I'm going to switch to doing a couple warmup sets then keep the weight the same for my working sets.

I also haven't been digging the rows much, he says that you can replace those with power cleans, so I think I might do that.

Ya I was asking because all your worksets are supposed to be the same. Also, power cleans are the original program Rows are one of the alternate programs not endorsed by him (I do one too)

Maybe some of you folks would be interested in the first 5x5 program ever published. It is by Reg Park, Arnold's role model. This will give you a better understanding of where Mark Rippetoe and others are getting these program/s from, here; http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article...5990982EC.hydra

Just found a great new thing for when I don't have time or food to cook. This Thai restaurant by me sells these grilled chicken skewers. They taste awesome, they have like 400-500 calories total, and only $5.

Just did my first full workout that avsfan put together for me.

Warmup
Janda sit ups 10,10,15 not sure if I am doing them correct because they weren't that hard
3X12 - 15lb dumbells lunges
2X12 - 15lb dumbells dead lifts (I really need to figure the form out on these, I am pretty sure I am doing them incorrectly)
3X15 - 35lb dumbells Chest Press
3X15 - 20lb dumbells Shoulder Press
3X15 - 15lb dumbell Hammer Curls
3X15 - 10lb tricep kick backs

Legs are dead, upper body feels good. I did pretty light weight on everything since I don't want to burn out in 2-3 weeks.

I am amazed at how much my lower body strength has atrophied.

Congratulations on getting back to working out, .

A couple of observations;

You forgot to do or list Back. BAck goes after chest and before shoulders. If you are at home using your Dumbbell set up I suggest One arm Dumbbell rows, example; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gOYkpfT9Hc . It is very important to remember to workout your back, .

Work on getting those lower body reps up to 15. I know it is probably exhausting. Just keep adding a rep or two per workout till you are doing 15. Do not go up in weigh till you get to 15 reps on all sets.

Tricep Kick backs??? I would never suggest kick backs. LOL. I suggest Lying Tricepe Extensions. The one arm version is very beginner friendly, example; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MVVeHr_LQU I really like this version for you.

Here is some more info on dumbbell deadlifts, example; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8YJ_tfLPJQ she gives really good advice and she is hot!!!

Don't worry about taking your time with the weight and going light. Your body has plenty of challenges right now with out worrying about weight. you will know when it is right to progress.


Keep up the good work.

Yeah, I did do the one armed dumbell rows. Forgot to list 3X15 - 20lb dumbells

I was not sure what you meant by lying extension, and I had printed what you gave me so I just did that because I knew how to do the form on those correctly.

EDIT:OK that is what I thought for the lying extension, I just have always done that with a preacher curl bar, not dumbells. Why are kickbacks bad? Isn't it virtually the same thing?

yeah what's wrong with tricep kickbacks? I've been doing them for years and I have RAGING SWEET triceps.

I prefer to stick to more fundamental exercises that produce the most results(mass) for the effort. Kick backs are not one of those exercises. Most ppl consider the kickback a finishing exercise to be done after other exercises to get a pump. Many women trainers recommend them to burn off under arm fat, which is funny because there is no such thing as spot reduction. a good rule of thumb in life is; if some one recommends for you to do tricep kick backs you should run. btw. tricep kickbacks are the most laughed at exercise ever.

I think Kickbacks work for sal because of his awesome genetics, .

Tricep exercise I like; Dips, Tricep Dip( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx9gVDCnT84 ), Lying tricep extensions, and overhead Dumbbell press/extension ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXB166mtS9I )....I am not a big fan of close grip benching but it is a fundamental tricep mass builder.

oh, well to be fair then I also do dips and extensions quite a bit too.


really wish I could afford/had room for a power tower thought. pull ups, chin ups, dips of all varieties... man, I really want one.

To think all this time I thought those guys were laughing at my wit, when it was tricep kickbacks the whole time.

I have this; http://www.therackworkout.com/ it is awesome because it breaks down and stores easily. throw in one of these; http://www.pullupbar.com/ and there you go, and it all can be stored away when not in use.

El Guapo they are laughing at your biker shorts, jeezzzz.

a less simplistic answer to why I do not recommend tricep Kick Backs . The exercise does not efficiently work the three heads of the tricep through their full range of motion. It focuses primarily on the point of max extension. It also can strain the elbows and shoulders.

Tip: If some one out there really wants to spice up there lying tricep extension. I suggest trying them on a decline bench. It increases the range of motion and takes strain off the elbows.

Good lord I am sore. Apparently my daughter now weights 78 pounds.


avsfan - check your PM's.

I've been really short on time but have a minute. I want to thank avsfan for alot of
helpfull advice and incorporated alot of it into my workout.

Weigh in today.

Start: 260 lbs.
1 week: 253.5 lbs.
2 weeks: 249.2 lbs.

Had a real solid lift today. Made some adjustments that I feel good about.

Squats
5x95
5x120
3x5x140

Bench
5x75
5x100
2x5x120
4x120

Deadlift
5x95
5x120
3x5x145

Abs (Janda Sit-ups)
3x12

I could've maybe gotten the last rep up on the bench, but I didn't have a spotter and didn't want to chance it. That was definitely the toughest thing I had today, squats felt good, deadlifts felt great, my abs are dead today. I'm gonna try to have a real good week here, I'm going to Vegas from Saturday-Tuesday so I'm not anticipating clean eating or constant workouts out there, just hope that I can limit the damage I do out there and get back here in a good frame of mind.

I am on it. I just wanted to talk to my lady to get some feedback first.

Your very welcome Randy. Keep us posted on how things are going and let us know of any tips or hints you pick up.

Keep up the excellent work! You are making excellent progress.

Perhaps pick a day when you are in Vegas to Splurge/do something special. Maybe go to a restaurant you like one night and have a atta boy meal. You deserve it. This could also limit other temptation and make you enjoy making conservative choices the rest of the trip because you have been satiated.

I am going to do a write up on weight progression next week, nothing big just some simple tips/observations.

I thought you may be interested in this, It is an Oats and Whey product by Optimum Nutrition, and it is a good value. I would also recommend this to others.; http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/oatsandwhey.html

Yeah, I think that as long as I limit my calorie consumption in Vegas I'll be fine. Hopefully I can get in a run or some basketball or at least try to stay somewhat active at some points out there. I realize that it's not gonna entirely fit with my strict diet that I've been mostly following, but like I said, as long as I limit the damage and come back to Ann Arbor committed to the diet again I'll be fine.

I've seen that stuff and considered it, but what would be the difference between that and just eating a bowl of oatmeal and a protein shake? cause I freaking love oatmeal, but I also love spending silly amounts of money on supplements that I don't even need.





oh and he RON: I just ran 2 miles while on vacation. get your fat ass to the gym.

It would be the same as oats and a protein shake. Except you get them combined. you get 26 servings for $24.00. So it is a fair value for the convenience.

For reals.


So, my week off after the race is over. Starting this week I'm going to really change up my runs. Today, I'm going to start with some intervals suggested to me by a friend that I'm definitely going to hate:

15 minutes of 1's and 2's which is basically running at about 80-90% for a minute, then jogging for two. Something tells me 15 minutes of that will not be fun.

Tuesday will be a non-running day. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with it, I'd like to start some light lifting at some point but haven't decided on a workout. Any suggestions for a weak 27-year-old who hasn't lifted seriously in at least three years are welcome.

Wednesday will be a long, slow run. I'm hoping at least an hour and at least seven miles. I really have no idea why I decided to do this.

Thursday is another non-running open day. Might take it off, might just throw in some abs and push ups. I will definitely be doing abs/push ups at least twice a week, so perhaps Tuesdays and Thursdays are the answer here.

Friday is going to be stairs of some sort as soon as I find a suitable location. I've been told the football stadium here is open during the day so I might be able to get on there, depending on how long they leave it open and whether they mind a dude with no affiliation to the athletics program running very slowly up and down the stairs there.

It's going to be interesting to see how I react to all this because I've become so accustomed to my boring routine of running 3-4 miles 3-4 times a week and pretty much nothing else.

Dolfan. Do you have a local track you can run at?

If so try these:

Flying two hundreds - Basically you jog the turn then speed up into the straightaway and sprint 80-90% the last 100yards, walk 200 hundred yards and do it again. 10 of these will be plenty.

Or you could walk the turn and sprint the straight away.


Also doing 40 -60 yard sprints with about a minute rest in between is also very affective.

I am only suggesting this to you, since you are already running and it sounds like you want to do some interval training to mix in with your distance. Someone just starting out shouldn't do this.

Yes, yes I do have a local track and that is where I plan to start hating intervals.

Flying two hundreds - why not? I guess the first thing I need to do is figure out the length of the track I'll be using. It's not a standard 400m track, I'm pretty sure of that.

When doing the 40-60yd sprints, any guidance on how many to do per "workout"? I guess I can just go until my vagina starts crying, which will likely be after about two.

But, yeah, the overall idea is to really start changing it up so I'm going to throw in as much random stuff as I can for the next few months and see what sticks.

Thanks a bunch for the suggestions.

Flying 200's are great, and they aren't abrupt start stops so they are really good for building into the sprint then slowing down, but never really letting the heart rate get way down while you are doing the rest walk for the next 200.

For the 40 - 60 yd dashes. I would do somewhere between 8 and 12. No more than that. But you want a good warm up, because you should be doing them full out. Again only if you are in shape for this. I would suggest doing the flying 200's for a couple weeks, then doing the short sprints. I would do the sprints on grass, it will be easier on you, unless you have a soft track.

So, I did my first yoga session yesterday and it was awesome. Felt great to stretch the muscles out and still be able to feel a bit of a burn. From what I was told we were doing more of a "Yang" yoga which is the more intense version as compared to the "yin" which incorporates more single moves and concentrates on breathing and holding.

Then for the afternoon, we went out and did some Mountain Biking for about an hour and a half.

I will get into the gym and start some new swimming drills tonight. My friend gave me the DVD for "Total Immersion Swimming" and it concentrates on getting a more efficient stroke. I watched the first two lessons last night and I figured I better try it out.

What is everyone's thoughts on Heart Rate Monitors? I am thinking about getting one so that I can get into correct zone training with my running and biking. Also, what would you suggest? Currently I am looking at the Timex Ironman series.

Thanks

Very cool, thanks again.

Perhaps some Flying 200's will be run tonight. Still unsure of how big the track I'll be using is.

EDIT: After a savvy use of Google Maps, it looks like it's a standard 400m track.

Cool. Let me know how it goes. It's actually sorta a fun way to run.

FWIW: avsfan killed me over the weekend. I am so sore right now. The progression of body parts really got me. I can see why this is only twice a week program.

Well tip one would be to EG. I did the same thing and went back and watched the video again. The key is to pull the ball back
using your hamstrings. Practice that a little to get the hang of it before moving on. Also, don't hold your breath like most people
do on crunches. I do ab workouts all the time and honestly I am never sore. I am sitting here now with my stomach burning and
am amazed how great they work.

Also, I was pretty set in my routine but due to time one morning I decided to forgo the usual version give avsfan's a try. Instead of
building up slowly to the weight I did a 3 x 15 set of each exercise (upper body) and just one exercise per group.

I am unsure of the weight I ended up doing but it's wrote down at home. I basically took my 2nd highest weight that I did
and used it.

shoulder press (outrig)
chest (outrig)
back (mid-rows)
tris (overhead extensions)
biceps- This got a little tricky. I tried them one handed but the connection in the middle was cutting into my hand.
I did okay right handed but I have a problem with my left wrist that prevents some exercises and it was a no-go.
I ended up doing them 2 handed and then switched to dumbells 25 lbs each and doing 12 w/each hand.

I would have to work with the weights some to get the right balance but I really felt I hit them all escpecially tri-ceps.
I was using the rope mostly with one set of overhead extensions following and thought it was working fine, but this
really got them. I think I was getting too used to the routine and this really worked a ton. I am alot sorer than i've
been in a while and I mean that in a good way.

Having done it my way for so long which is how I learned and have always done it, it was a tough pill to swallow change but
I am definately considering this big time. I do lower body wednesday and will give it a whirl the same way.

Also rode the bike another 20 miles Sunday evening and starting to really love it. We have awesome bike trails near my
house and it's pretty addicting quick.

I am gaining a ton of muscle and lost alot of weight but I am bad at slipping too much diet wise especially on the weekends.
I have a little of the stomach roll left that won't seem to go away so I am determined to stick to it for the next 30 days
along with the exercise to see some dramatic results before JUly 4th (vacation).

Also I helped move my dad last Friday and my 28 yr old son and workout warrior was amazed at dear old dad's strength and
energy.

Sat 5-30

Squat
1x5x240
1x5x255
1x5x275
1x5x295
1x5x315

Bench
5x5x210

Cleans
5x5x190

TG's
5x15
5x30
5x45

Starting last week of volume then into deload for a week.

Mon 6-1
JJ for 1:15 @ 11:30, doing a second class @ 4ish for another hour
5x5 around 7-8. Numbers later.