Grow Phase, Wed., 12/31/14, Back, Trap, Bi

verse of the day: Ps 27:9, "Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me of forsake me, O God my Savior."

Today was back and biceps with a side of trapezius. It was fairly low volume with relatively high intensity. I got an excellent pump and really stimulated the muscle. Here's how it looked:

under-hand-grip-pull-down: 90-25; 135-12; 180-8; 225-6; 255-7
row: 135-10; 185-6; 235-6; 255-5
seated row: 200-8
dumbbell shrug: 75s-8; 110s-10
seated dumbbell curl: 25s-10; 35s-6; 45s-6+1
spider curl: 80-5+2
cable curl: 150-10

Grow Phase, Tue., 12/30/14, Chest, Shoulders, Tri's

verse of the day: Ps 27:8, "My heart says of You, 'Seek His face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek."

I got in a great pump this morning. The volume was fairly low with just a few working sets per muscle. Here's how it looked:

bent over cable fly for upper chest: 40-15; 60-15; 80-12; 100-10
dip: 12; 25lb-12; 45lb-10
lateral raise: 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-12
machine lateral raise: 110-10
    + upright row: 40-6, 50-6, 60-6, 80-6 (no rest)
lying triceps extension: 50-25; 80-6; 110-8
pushdown: 160-10; 210-6
1-arm reverse pushdown: 60-11

Grow Phase, Mon., 12/29/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps 27:7, "Hear my voice when I call, O Lord; be merciful to me and answer me."

This weekend I just enjoyed myself and visited with family. I ate a ton of food- gained 5 lb. I did do a fairly light leg workout on Friday- just pumping the blood in the muscle and burning some calories. Today I'm back in the game with a heavy leg day. I'm still tip-toing back up with the weights. After a minor shoulder injury trying to go to fast, I'm trying to use my brain. Here's how it went today:

squat: 45-30; 95-10; 135-10; 225-10; 315-10; 365-7
1-leg curl: 65-10; 80-7; 65-5,6
leg press: 450-10; 630-10; 900-11 (or 12, I'm not sure)
smith machine calf raise: 180-20; 250-20; 320-18
seated calf raise: 140-20

Grow Phase, Tue., 12/23/14, Chest/Delt/Tri

verse of the day: Luke 22:26, "...but let him who is greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as the servant."

Today's workout went great. It was very fast and focused. I split up the upper body into 2 days this week. Tomorrow will be back and bi's and I will take off Thursday (it's Christmas ya'll.) Here's today's great pump:

cable fly (bent over for upper chest): 40-20; 50-15; 70-15; 80-12; 90-8
dip: 15; 25-12; 45-10
laterals: 10s-15; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-8,6; 30s-13
cable rear laterals: 40-15; 50-12
dumbbell front raise: 10s-25, 15s-10, 20s-10, 25s-7 (no rest)
pushdown: 90-25; 150-12; 200-12
1-arm pushdown: (rope)60-8,6; (D)60-12
seated rope extension: 120-8
lying cross-face dumbbell extension: 25-9,7

Grow Phase, Mon., 12/22/14, Legs

verse of the day: Luke 21:34, "Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you like a trap."

I got in a great workout this morning. This was the 1st time since the world championships that I have squatted 405. It was heavy. But, I am slowly getting stronger. And again, I am only about 172 pounds right now. I'm trying to keep the fat off and slowly build up the muscle size and strength. So here's how it looked this morning:

squat: 45-30; 135-10; 225-6; 315-6; 405-3 + 315-5
leg press: 450-10; 630-10; 900-11
leg curl: 95-10; 140-10; 185-4 + 3 drop-sets
calf press: 270-20; 460-20; 640-15,13; 460-21

Grow Phase, Thur., 12/18/14, Legs

verse of the day: Luke 18:17, Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all.

I got in a great leg workout this morning. It was very focused and controlled on everything I did. The focus was on the weak points: calves and hams. For quads I just wanted to really hit the sweep, so here's how it went:

smith machine calf: 90-30; 180-20; 270-15; 360-15
calf press: 270-15; 460-15; 600-15; 460-20
standing leg curl: 40-10, 55-10,70-10 (no rest)
seated leg curl: 125-17
leg press: 90-30; 270-15; 450-10; 630-10; 900-10
squat: 225-30 + leg extension: 130-16

Grow Phase, Tue., 12/16/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Luke 16:10- He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.

I got in a great leg workout yesterday. I did a few low rep, higher weight sets... I'm weak. Keeping my weight down has made a difference in strength for sure, but I think it will come back pretty quick... We'll see.

Today's workout went great. I increased the volume a little- trying to find that perfect combo. It was very much by feel. Some exercises I did only 1 set and others multiple. I'm trying to focus on the weak points: upper chest, delts, upper back. The total was 44 sets- that's a lot.

Grow Phase, Fri., 12/12/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Luke 13:24, "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

Today's workout was upper body. For chest and back I super-set flat dumbbell presses and rows, and finished it off with pullovers; for shoulders lateral raise super-set with bent-over lateral raise; and for arms dumbbell curls super-set with lying extensions. It was a great pump and I definitely put some intensity into it.

Grow Phase, Thur., 12/11/14, Legs

verse of the day: Luke 12:31, "But, seek for His kingdom and these things shall be added to you."

I got in a great leg workout this morning. It was a backwards workout for me. I think as long as I train legs twice a week I will alternate starting with quads and starting with calves and  hams. Here's how it looked:

seated calf raise: 45-25; 90-25; 140-25
angle smith calf raise: 180-25; 270-15,20
standing leg curl: 25-15; 40-15; 55-12; 70-10; 85-6; 55-12
leg press: 90-25; 270-25; 450-25; 630-30
squat: 225-20 (slow, controlled, focused reps)

Growth Phase 1212/10/14 rest, diet update

Verse of the day: for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what to say -Luke 12:12

So here's a basic idea what my diet looks like right now (pretty basic and clean with cheats here and there) it's what I ate yesterday:

meal#1: egg white; oatmeal; apple
meal#2: chicken breast; tangerine
meal#3: p4p iso-whey; sweet potato
post workout: 20g whey protein
meal#4: 1/2 scoop p4p iso whey; 3/4c greek yogurt; banana; raisins; peanut butter
meal#5: chic brst; vegetables
meal#6: quiche; peas

It's not exactly the same every day, but it is similar. Usually I only have 1 shake and maybe some iso-whey mixed with yogurt later. And most of the time I eat more carb than I did yesterday. But this gives you a good idea of what I'm eating. I'm really not eating as much as I usually do in the "off season" or muscle building phase, but I'm trying out a different way, gaining weight a little slower and keeping it cleaner. This morning I only weighed 173 lb. Last year this time I was over 180lb.

Growth Phase, Tue., 12/09/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Proverbs 14:23, "All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty."

Revving up the game a little. Right now I'm sticking with the upper-body/lower body workout. Yesterday I did legs- got an excellent pump- and today I did upper. The volume has actually decreased for each muscle, while it is the intensity that has increased. Yesterday for quads I only did squats and walking lunges, for hams just lying leg curls and for calves calf presses and seated raises. And today 1 exercise per muscle. The theory here is to hit it more often while actually having more rest time for each upper body muscle. Here's how today looked:

wide grip pull down: 75-25; 105-20; 135-15; 165-12; 195-10; 225-8; 255-4
   super-set with incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-20; 55s-15; 70s-12; 85s-10; 100s-8; 75s-10

Hammer Strength shoulder press: 90-15; 160-12; 230-6; 160-12

concentration curl: 20-15; 30-10; 40-8; 50-6; 35-8

1-arm rope pushdown: 30-15; 40-15; 50-15; 60-12; 70-6

Recovery Phase, Fri., 12/05/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Ec. 3:1, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purchase under heaven."

Today was the last workout in this phase of the game. On Monday I begin the growing phase. I will be easing into it. The intensity will be climbing a little, as I bring the volume down a little. I will keep this upper/lower split for a little while and see how it goes. The plan is just 1 exercise per muscle and train each muscle twice, probably switching the exercises around a little (say for chest, Tuesday workout would be incline press and Friday would be flat press.)
I got in a great pump again this morning. It was very focused. I did not do as much volume as Wednesday and increased the reps a little just to give the joints a break before starting hard Monday. Here's how it went:
7 super-sets flat dumbbell press and Hammer Strength pulldown
3 sets pullovers
3 super-sets Hammer strength shoulder press and machine rear laterals
1 run the rack set lateral raise with 5 reps each set from 10s to 35s with no rest
4 super-sets barbell curl and 1-arm rope pushdowns
1 set each: knee-up-crunch, reverse crunch, bench crunch, twist crunch

Recovery Phase, 12/04/14, Legs

verse of the day: Luke 9:55b, 56a "You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them."

It was another pretty chill workout today, though I got an incredible pump and sweat like crazy. There was not much sitting around- a lot of super-sets and back and forth, little rest. Here's what it looked like:
squat: 45-25; 95-25; 135-25; 225-25
walking lunge: 80-16 steps each leg
reverse lunge: 145-8 reps each leg
leg press:                            360-25, 450-20
   super-set with calf press:    "
standing leg curl: 60-15,8; 45-10; 30-15 (no rest)
leg extension: 105-25,20
   super-set with lying leg curl: 110-15
seated calf raise: 140-15,90-20
machine calf: 230-12,180-15

Recovery Phase, Wed., 12/03/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Luke 9:23, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."

Today was upper body. I smashed- oh yeah, I'm not smashing anything right now- I worked the whole upper body in about 35 minutes. Again, it was entirely super-sets: chest and back, side delt and rear delt, front delt and traps, bi's and tri's. Every angle was hit with: incline dumbbell presses, flat dumbbell presses, cable crossovers, pulldowns, rope pulls, machine rows, laterals, bent-over laterals, upright rows, military presses, curls and skull-crushers. The reps were mostly higher like 12-15, with a few exceptions. It was an awesome pump and I sweat like crazy.

Recovery Phase, Tue., 12/02/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps. 3:3, "But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me, my glory and the One who lifts my head."

Today was a very fast, very focused, leg workout. The rest periods were very short and the rep range was very high- mostly 25's. Here's how it went: 4 sets of squats, 2 sets of leg presses, 1 set of reverse lunges, 4 sets of standing leg curls, 3 sets of calf presses, 2 sets of seated calf raises and 1 set of leg extensions.

Recovery Phase, Week 3, Mon., 12/01/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Ps 127:1a, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it labor in vain."

I only gained 4 pounds this weekend. I was expecting it to be a bit more than that, because I pretty much just chilled and ate whatever I wanted Thanksgiving day through Sunday. I did hit my upper body on Thursday and legs on Friday, but Saturday and Sunday were just total rest. It was nice.

Today was Upper body. I'm still not taking sets quite to failure, and it is entirely by instinct- I may do 4 sets here, 1 set there. Here's how it looked:

6 super-sets Incline Hammer Strength press and wide pulldowns
2 super-sets seated row and dips
1 set flat dumbbell press
1 set hammer strength pulldown
1 set pullover
2 tri-sets laterals, rears and shoulder presses
3 super-sets dumbbell curl and rope pushdowns
1 set each: rope crunch, reverse crunch, crunch, twist crunch, and decline crunch

Recovery Phase, Wed., 11/26/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps 107:1, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."

I got in a great leg pump this morning. They were crazy tight. Again, nothing is to failure, but I'm pumping the muscle full of blood. Here's how it went today: (Most of the sets were 20-25 reps)
4 sets squats
2 sets presses
1 set lying leg curls
1 set walking lunges
2 sets standing leg curls
2 sets leg extensions
2 sets seated calf raises
2 sets calf presses

Tomorrow being Thanksgiving Day, I'm not going to the gym. I will pump the upper body at home, and spend time with the family... and eat a ton of food;) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Recovery Phase, Tue., 11/25/14, Upper Body

verse of the day: Ec. 3:1, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven."

Today was the whole upper body. This is a pretty big workout- 41 sets total- but again nothing is to total failure. I'm definitely working, but not to failure. My goal is basically to pump as much blood into the muscle as possible without over doing it. I rest very little. There's a lot of super-sets and no rest techniques. Here's how it looked:

6 super-sets of incline dumbbell press with hammer strength pulldowns
1 set flat dumbbell press
1 set seated row
1 set dip
1 set V-grip pulldown
1 set pullover
7 sets lateral raise (ascending and descending in weight without rest)
2 sets machine rear laterals with seated dumbbell press
1 set upright row
3 super-sets seated dumbbell curl with rope pushdown
1 set rope pulldown
1 set each (no rest): decline crunch, swiss ball crunch, bench crunch, kneeling rope crunch

Recovery Phase, Mon., 11/24/14, Legs

verse of the day: Mat. 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest."

I got in a great leg workout today. Again nothing is to failure right now, I'm just pumping blood into the muscles. My reps are high. The weight is pretty light. The rest periods are very short. Today's workout was 30 minutes long ( I did do 25 minutes on the stepmill later on.) Here's how it looked:

squat: 45-25; 95-25; 135-25; 225-25
leg curl: 95-25; 125-12; 155-6
leg press: 280-20; 370-20; 460-20
   super-set with calf presses: "  "  "
leg curl: 125-15
leg extension: 105-20

Recovery Phase, Fri., 11/21/14, Upper

verse of the day: Ps 91:9, "For you have made the Lord, my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place."

I got in a great pump this morning. It was totally by instinct. Some exercises I did just 1 or 2 sets- totally by feel. I did a total 37 sets: 10 for back, 11 for chest, 8 for shoulders, 4 for bi's, 4 for tri's and 3 for abs, plus 20 minutes cardio. There were lots of super-sets, tri-sets- it was moving. It took about 35 minutes for the weights.

Recovery Phase- Thur., 11/20/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps. 91:7, "A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not approach you."

I got in a great pump this morning. Again, nothing is anywhere near failure, particularly on the big stuff- avoiding the pressure on the joints. It's all about pumping blood into the muscle to encourage recovery (and possibly not go insane after having trained hardcore 6 days a week for the last 19 weeks.) Here's how it went today:

4 sets of 25 on the squat the heaviest being 225lb
2 sets of walking lunges -16 and 12, heavier each set-
   super-set with 3 sets standing 1 leg curl -15,12,12
2 sets 1-leg press -20 and 12 heavier each set
2 sets 1-calf press -20,15
1 set seated calf raise 20 reps
1 set of 30 each: floor crunch, decline crunch, bench crunch, twisting crunch
20 minute treadmill

Recovery Workout, 11/19/14, Upper

verse of the day: Ps. 37:4, "Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

At this point I'm not taking anything to failure. I'll probably start that next week. It was fairly low volume for each muscle, but still involved a total of 28 sets because I was hitting the whole upper body this morning. I rested very little during this workout, with a lot of super-sets. Here's how it looked:

5 super-sets each of incline hammer strength press and wide pull down
2 super-sets of flat dumbbell press and hammer strength pull down
1 set pullover
2 sets hammer strength shoulder press
1 super-set of laterals and bent over laterals
3 super-sets each of dumbbell curls and rope pushdowns
1 set each: decline crunch, bosu crunch and swiss ball crunch

The 2014 WNBF World Championships

Verse of the day: Phil. 2:2 Message, "Put yourself aside and help others get ahead."

After 19 weeks of hard diet and contest prep, it is all finished. I stood on stage in close to, if not, the best shape I've attained thus far. I put a ton of effort into weighing as light as possible, in order to make the light weight class. I weighed in at an even 165 lb. Unfortunately, they set the class at 163 lb. up to 183 lb! I was the little fish. But, I still managed to pull off a 3rd place finish to last year's overall winner, Shevon Cunningham in 2nd and an awesome and crazy dried out Cleveland Thomas, who took the overall and won the Yorton Cup a few years back. I can't really complain with that. It was some stiff competition.
I'm now in the great recovery phase post-contest. The workouts this week will be pretty chill, and I'll slowly increase over the next few weeks. In the mean time, I am putting together a game plan for the next contest, so stay tuned....

Here's what today's chill leg workout looked like:

squat:                                 45-15; 95-15; 135-15; 225-15
  super-set with leg press: 90-25; 180-25; 270-25; 360-25

reverse lunge: 95-12

leg curl:                                95-15; 125-12; 155-10
  super-set with calf press: 180-20; 360-20; 450-20

crunches + 20 minutes cardio

Wed., 11/12/14, The Last Workout

verse of the day: Ps. 91:1, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Well, it is a completed work. Every workout is finished. Every posing session is finished. Every cardio session is finished. All that's left is eating. Tomorrow I will drive to the World Championships.
Today's workout was chest, back and shoulders. I think about calling all the carb into the muscle. I did incline dumbbell press, rows, hammer strength press, pulldowns, flat dumbbell press, close pulldown, dips, seated rows, pull-overs, laterals, rear laterals and shoulder press. It was 33 sets total. ...Boom! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tue., 11/11/14, Depletion

verse of the day:  Phil. 2:3, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;"

Day 3 of the great deplete. I have one more posing session and 2 more meals and I will have survived yet again. My depletion consists of: Sun, Mon, Tue cut the carb in 1/2 and make up the calories with protein and fat. I do high volume workouts and extra cardio and posing to totally deplete the glycogen stores. Then, Wed, Thu, and Fri I increase carb to fill the stores up. This seems to work well for me, but it is a challenge the 1st part of the week. Here's what today's workouts looked like:

6:15am Biceps
dumbbell curl: choo-choo train (sets of 5 reps with each set of dumbbells til I can't get 5, then back down without rest) 10s thru 40s and back down
3 sets cambered bar curl
3 sets concentration curl
2 sets 1-arm preacher curl
2 sets hammer curl
2 sets cable curl
3 sets kneeling rope crunch, 1 set hanging knee-up,2 set machine crunch, 1 set bench crunch, 10 min pose

1:30pm Triceps
pushdown: choo-choo train
3 set lying triceps extension
3 set seated triceps extension
3 set reverse grip pushdown
3 set 1-arm rope pushdown
2 set swiss ball crunch, 1 set bosu ball crunch, 1 set decline crunch, 10 min pose

Sat., 11/08/14, The Last Leg Day

Well, here we are- one week out! I'm stoked! After I completed the workout this morning I checked out last year's final leg workout. It paled in comparison to today's rendition! I nailed them. Light-headed, nauseated- the whole nine yards. Obviously, I didn't take many sets to total failure, but it was a great workout. Here's how it went:

squat: 45-25; 135-20; 225-20; 275-15; 325-10; 225-20
walking lunge: 110-15 (steps each leg) + 20 bridges
leg press: 450-20; 630-15; 450-15 + 20 bridges
reverse lunge: 95-12 + 20 bridges
lying leg curl: 125-15; 155-8,6 + 20 bridges
standing leg curl: 45-15,10,6,6 (no rest) + 20 bridges
calf press: 270-30; 360-25; 450-20; 540-15; 630-13; 450-20
seated calf: 90-25; 140-15,15 + 30 bridges

...and if that doesn't do the job, not much is going to.

Fri., 11/07/14, Back

verse of the day: Ps. 127:2, "It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."

I got in a great back workout this morning. It was medium volume, with a few sets that were really pushing the intensity. I really visualize the lats flexing and bringing out new lines with every rep. The reps were in the 8-12 range with a couple exceptions. Here's how it looked:

6 sets of rows
3 sets of V-grip pull downs
2 sets of wide pull downs
2 sets of behind the neck pull downs
2 sets of seated rows

Thur., 11/6/14, arms

Verse of the day: Proverbs 16:3- Commit to The Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

I did my arms in 2 workouts- biceps at 4:45 am and triceps at 9:15 am. Both were great pumps and got the job done. Here it is:

Bi's
6 sets of barbell curls
3 sets of hammer curls
3 sets of concentration curls
3 sets of preacher curls

Tri's
6 sets lying extension
3 set seated extension
3 set 1- arm rope push down
4 set 1- arm reverse grip pushdown

Tue., 11/04/14, LEG DAY

verse of the day: Ps. 127:1, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it labor in vain;"

To avoid completely destroying myself and improve the quality of the workout for each muscle, I broke the leg workout up into 2 separate workouts. The last few leg workouts have been brutal and left me shaky, pale and light headed at the end. So, I felt it probably ought to change a little until the show in 10 days. Another plus is the extra metabolism boost from a second workout. Today I was able to increase the intensity for my hams and calves, and add an extra set to my quad work:

6:15 AM-
lying leg curl: 65-25; 95-10; 140-6; 170-6; 200-4 + 4 drop-sets
standing leg curl: 85-6; 55-10,6,8
1-leg lying curl: 30-12; 50-6
calf press: 360-20; 450-20; 540-15; 660-12; 540-?
smith machine calf raise: 180-20; 250-15; 320-15; 390-10
seated calf raise: 140-20; 190-12

12 Noon-
squat: 45-25; 135-20; 225-20; 275-20; 325-9
leg press: 450-12; 720-14
walking lunge: 70-16ea; 90-16ea; 110-15ea
bridges: 5- 10 second holds + 20 reps; 25 reps

Mon., 11/03/14, Back

verse of the day: Mark 13:31, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."

I got in a good workout today. It was fairly short, because my split will shorten up a bit here in the next couple of days to increase frequency. It was just the basics:

5 sets of wide grip pull downs
3 sets of bent over rows
2 sets of seated rows
2 sets of V-grip pull downs

Short and sweet and it stimulated the muscle.

Sat., 11/01/14, 2 WEEKS OUT

verse of the day: Proverbs 2:7-8, "He hold victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones."

I got in an awesome arm workout this morning. I had to hit it early, because the I did a posing demonstration at the gym this morning. So everybody got a little glimpse of what I'll be looking like on stage in 2 weeks. It was a fun time. The manager explained what they look for and how runs. I hit the mandatories and did my routine for them.
So, here at 2 weeks out, I'm feeling good. I'll definitely sharpen up a bit, but my waist hit 29" this morning. That tells me I'm ready for stage!

Thur., 10/30/14, Legs

verse of the day: Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve; and to give His life as a ransom for many."

I got in a great leg workout today. It was hard, but that's the name of the game. I was dancing around this knee again today, so each set was by feel- how much weight, how many reps. It was the same basic stuff that I've been doing, with a few little changes here and there:

squat: 45-25; 95-25; 135-25; 225-29; 275-15; 325-10
leg press: 360-15; 540-12; 720-12
reverse lunge: 95-12,12,20 (each leg)
seated leg curl: 140-25
standing leg curl: 70-8; 55-10; 40-15
lying leg curl: 155-6; 125-10
calf press: 480-20; 550-15; 620-13; 480-21
seated calf: 140-20; 190-?
smith machine calf raise: 290-? (one set- they were done!)

I have a thorough stretching routine that I do before each workout. It is designed to correct some alignment issues. Among these stretches and exercises is the bridge, holding for 5seconds each rep. I finished this workout with a bunch of bridges to really nail the glutes... they will come;)

Wed., 10/29/14, Back

verse of the day: Mark 9:23 -And Jesus said to him, " 'If you can!' All things are possible to him who believes."

So far this new split seems to work well. I was a little concerned that with arms day before the back workout, the bi's would be sore, but I had no problems with that today. I got in a great back pump. The rep range was 5-12, with some heavy sets and some lighter sets. My goal is always to stimulate muscle growth (even 2 weeks before the contest), because I believe that what built the muscle will keep the muscle and add more detail. Here's what today looked like:

row: 45-25; 95-15; 135-12; 185-10; 225-8; 275-5; 225-10
wide pulldown: 165-12; 195-10; 225-8; 255-6
seated row: 200-12,6
machine low row: 205-6; 160-8
V-grip pulldown: 180-12,9

...So a total of 17 sets, with a variety of angles to bring out the lines- and they're coming!

Tue., 10/28/14, Arms

verse of the day: Ps. 25:3, "Indeed, none of the those who wait for Thee will be ashamed; those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed."

Today's workout was a struggle... Just being real here. I've just been tired and worn out the last few days. It is taking a toll. But, alas, the show must go on! So I nailed my arms pretty good today. I never give myself any slack: feel good- great; feel bad- suck it up. Here's how it looked today:

6 super-sets of seated dumbbell curls and rope pushdowns
3 super-sets of cambered bar curls and lying triceps extensions
3 sets of 1-arm preacher curls (no rest between sets)
4 sets of 1-arm rope pushdowns (no rest between sets)
3 sets of concentration curls
3 sets of seated dumbbell extensions

Mon., 10/27/14, Chest and Shoulders

verse of the day: Ps. 25:2, "O my God, in Thee I trust, do not let me be ashamed; do not let my enemies exult over me."

Well, with the new split, this is a big workout today- it's a lot of volume. My focus with this new split is to hit the shoulders and traps hard, and then allow them to rest. My neck has been tweaking out a lot recently because of all the continuous strain on the trapezius. Here's the split: day1- legs; day2- chest, shoulders; day3- arms; day4- back. This should allow ample recovery for the neck. Here is what todays workout looked like:

incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-10; 60s-10; 80s-6; 100s-6; 120s-4; 100s-10
flat dumbbell press: 110s-10; 95s-8; 80s-11
dip: 15,15,12,9 (30 second rest)
pullover:                                        60-12,10
    super-set with cable crossover: 60-12,10
lateral raise: 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-12; 30s-12
hammer strength shoulder press: 90-15; 180-15; 230-5+fail; 180-7+fail
bent over lateral raise: 40s-12; 50s-12,10
dumbbell shrug:                 75s-15; 110s-10
   s/s dumbbell front raise: 20s-15; 25s-12
....This took about an hour from start to finish.

Sat., 10/25/14, Legs, 3 Weeks Out

verse of the day: Ps 25:1, "To Thee, O LORD, I lift my soul."

Today I have completed 16 weeks of contest prep, and I am 3 weeks 'til the date of the World Championships. I am on point to be my best. My waist is at 29 1/8", and it will be at 29 on contest day. The glutes are always the last stubborn thing to dial in, and they are getting close.
Today I changed my split up a little to make sure that everything is on schedule to train legs on Saturday a week from the show.
 So, today was legs. They were still sore from Tuesday, so it was not the most intense ever, but it was pretty intense. Here's how it looked:

squat: 45-25; 95-25; 135-25; 225-25; 315-15
leg press: 540-25 (constant tension) + 5 (with a pause)
lying leg curl:                        125-22; 170-7
  alternate with walking lunge: 90-15,15
standing leg curl: 75-10, 50-10 (no rest)
smith machine calf raise: 180-25; 270-15; 360-10
seated leg curl: 140-12
calf press: 460-25,20
seated calf raise: 140-15,12+3

Fri., 10/24/14, Arms

verse of the day: Ps. 54:4, "Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul."

I got a killer arm workout in this morning. It was very focused and deliberate, with every set visualized before hand. At this point in the game that's how it has to be. Every workout, every set, every rep is for a purpose. Here's how it looked:

seated dumbbell curl: 10s-25; 20s-12; 30s-10; 40s-10; 50s-6; 40s-10
  s/s rope pushdown:    60-25;  80-15; 100-12; 120-12; 140-10; 160-6
concentration curl: 60-5, 50-7, 40-8, 30-10 (no rest)
1-arm rope seated extension: 70-10,6,4, 50-8, 40-8 (no rest)
cable curl:                                    140-12,6,6
  s/s under-hand grip pushdown: 140-15,8,8
lying triceps extension: 110-6; 80-10
  s/s hammer curls:             30s-12,10

....Boom, 15 sets for bi's and 16 for tri's- good to go!

Thur., 10/23/14, Back

verse of the day: Mark 4:24b, "By your standard of measure it shall be measured to you; and more shall be given you besides."  (....maybe that's why my legs hurt so bad today;)

My neck is a little tweaked out this morning. The heavy presses yesterday got me. But, the show must go on. Though I did make a few adjustments to avoid stressing the neck. I used some different pieces of equipment, and kept the weight a bit lighter with a few more reps. Here's how it looked:

Free-Motion wide pulldown (this is a great low stress motion): 90-15; 120-15; 150-12; 180-12; 200-7
Hammer Strength uni-lateral pulldown: 180-12; 230-12,10
double-D-grip-pulldown: 180-12,12
machine low row: 145-12; 160-10
barbell row: 135-10; 185-10; 235-8

Wed., 10/22/14, Chest

verse of the day: Ps 73:1 "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."

I got in an incredible chest pump today. Again, I'm not at my strongest (weighing about 170 right now), but I actually surprised myself on the flat dumbbell press this morning. Check it out:

incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-15; 60s-10; 80s-6; 100s-6; 120s-4; 100s-9
flat dumbbell press: 110s-9; 90s-12; 75s-15
dip: 15,15,15 (35 second rest)
cable crossover: 80-10; 60-15
pullover: 70-12,10

Tue., 10/21/14, LEGS

verse of the day: Ps 101:3, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me."

I destroyed the legs today. It was a good balance of volume and intensity. I did several high-rep sets of squats, but just 2 sets to failure on the leg press; 1 high rep set on the curl and 1 failure heavy set + a few sets on the standing curl to pump some blood in there. I also did the Bulgarian squat instead of lunges- these killed the glutes. Here's how it went:

squat: 45-25; 135-25; 225-20; 275-20; 325-10
leg press: 540-25 (I think); 720-10
Bulgarian squat: body-weight-15; 20s-15; 40s-8 (just about to fall over)
lying leg curl: 95-25; 170-6
standing leg curl: 55-12,10,8; 40-14
calf press: 450-25,15,15,15
seated calf raise: 90-25; 160-12
smith machine calf raise: 250-15,12

....wow.

Mon., 10/20/14, Shoulders

verse of the day: Ps. 55:22, "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

I got an excellent shoulder workout in this morning. My energy levels are very low. I've been cycling my calories, and having some very low days. It's been 2700, 2500 and 2300. Yesterday was 2230. That's low for me. So, I've been dragging today. But, my theory has always been that it does not matter what I feel like- the job is done. Here's how it went this morning:

laterals: 10s-25; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-12,8; 30s-12; 20s-15
hammer strength shoulder press: 90-15; 180-12; 230-10; 280-5; 180-12
incline rear lateral raise: 40s-12,12,12
seated cable rears: 60-15
dumbbell front raise: 20s-15; 25s-15; 30s-10
dumbbell shrug: 75s-15; 90s-15; 110s-12

Fri., 10/17/14, Back

verse of the day: Ps. 101:1, "I will sing of lovingkindness and justice, to Thee, O Lord, I will sing praises."

Today's back workout was pretty basic, just focusing on the weaker areas and telling my body to hold onto the muscle and shred off the fat. I really visualize every rep putting new lines in the muscle. Every pull down I think about the rear double biceps shot, and row I think about squeezing my lats before the rear lat spread. Hears how it looked today:

row: 45-25; 95-15; 135-12; 185-10; 225-8; 275-6; 225-7
wide pull down: 210-12,8
fixed handle wide pull down facing away from machine: 155-9; 130-12
machine row: 160-7 + 2 drop sets; 145-12
V-grip pull down: 180-10,10,10

Thur., 10/16/14, Chest

verse of the day: Ps. 100:5, "For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness to all generations."

I got an excellent chest workout in this morning. I am definitely not the strongest that I've ever been, but feeling good and on point. Each set was pretty much instinctual- changing the weights and reps up or down depending on what I felt would be the best stimulation. Here's what today looked like:

incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-15; 60s-12; 80s-10; 100s-8; 120s-4; 90s-11
flat dumbbell press: 85s-12; 110s-6; 95s-8
dip: 15,15,15 (these are very focused and controlled, not really to failure)
bent over cable fly (for upper chest): 70-15; 90-8
cable crossover (for lower chest): 70-12,9
cross-bench-pullover: 50-15; 60-12 (again, these weren't really failure, just pumping the muscle up)

Wed., 10/15/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps 100:4 "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name."

Well, this was another 2-workout leg-day. I did quads early and hams and calves in the afternoon. My knee was feeling a little iffy, so I kept the weight even lighter than I have been and just pumped out the reps. It was an awesome pump. Here's how it went:
AM
squat: 45-25; 135-20; 225-25,25,25
leg press: 540-23
walking lunge: 100lb- 16 each, 15 each
PM
standing leg curl: 25-20; 40-15; 55-12; 70-9; 55-8,6
lying leg curl: 110-15; 140-8+3
calf press: 270-25; 450-25; 620-18,16
smith machine calf: 180-25; 270-20; 360-12
seated calf: 120-20,16

Tue., 10/14/14, Shoulders

verse of the day: Ps. 100:3, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

I got in a great shoulder workout this morning. It was similar to how I've been doing it: very focused, with just the basic exercises, rep range 10-15. Here's how it went:

lateral: 10s-25; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-10,8; 30s-12; 20s-15
bent-over-laterals: 30s-15; 40s-12; 50s-12
cable rears: 60-15
hammer strength shoulder press: 180-12; 230-10; 280-5; 180-12
dumbbell front raise: 25s-15,15
seated dumbbell shrug: 75s-15; 110s-12

5 WEEKS OUT

verse of the day: Mat 21: 22, "And all things you ask for in prayer, believing, you shall receive."

Well, here we are with 5 weeks to go. I'm amped. The waist measurement this morning was 29 1/2", which is 1/2'' inch from the ultimate goal. The weight is somewhere around 173, which is 5-8 lb from the end result. So, I'm stoked and ready to rock this thing out. everything is on point.

Thur., 10/09/14, Legs

verse of the day: Mat 18:19, "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Just in case you ever decide to scramble 2 eggs, 7oz of whites and a bag of frozen mixed vegetables- it's probably not as good as it sounds... anyway...
I got in a great leg workout today. It was very focused- one thing at a time. My knee's been feeling good, so I wanted to put some weight on it. I started with some sets of 10 on the squat:

squat: 45-25; 135-25; 225-10; 275-10; 315-10; 365-11
leg press: 540-28 (using constant tension) + 2 (pause), 13 (constant tension) + 2 (pause)
reverse lunge: 95-10; 145-10
lying leg curl: 110-15; 140-12; 170-5+2
standing leg curl: 55-12,6,6; 40-12
smith machine calf raise: 180-25; 250-15; 320-12
seated calf: 90-25; 140-15
calf press: 460-25,20,16

Wed., 10/08/14, Shoulders

verse of the day: Mat. 16:24b- "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

I got in a great shoulder workout this afternoon. It was very fast and very focused. It took about 25 minutes. Here's how it went:

laterals: 10s-25; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-10; 50s-? + 2 drop-sets
bent over rear lateral: 30s-10; 40s-10; 50s-10,10
hammer strength shoulder press: 180-12; 230-10,10
military press: 145-8+95-12
seated dumbbell shrug: 110s-12,9

Tue., 10/07/14, Arms

verse of the day: Ps 127:1a "Unless the Lord builds the house, those that build it labor in vain."

I got in a killer arm pump this morning. It was very focused and intense. There was not much rest- one exercise after another. The volume was medium-high: 16 sets for biceps and 18 for triceps. You'll notice I throw in an extra couple of sets for triceps. Maybe I'll do a super-set and start and finish with tri's, or doing 1-arm exercises just toss in an extra. The reason I do this is not that my triceps are weaker than my biceps (it's really the opposite), but because the triceps are 2/3 of the arm so they should have a little more work, or you may get an imbalance and develop elbow problems. And my elbows have actually felt better since I've done this.
Here's today's awesome pump:

7 super-sets of rope pushdowns and seated dumbbell curls (+ 1 set rope pushdown)
3 super-sets of preacher curls and lying triceps extensions
3 sets 1-arm concentration curls
4 sets 1-arm seated rope extensions
2 super-sets of seated hammer curls and lying dumbbell extensions

Mon., 10/06/14, The Food

verse of the day: Ps. 103:8, "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness."

As I get closer to the contest, the diet is pretty much the same. The real difference is that I'm only having one shake a day. I notice that my body responds best to whole foods. My calories are averaging slightly less, but I'm still between 2500 and 2900 a day. Here's what I ate the day before yesterday:

meal 1: 2 eggs, 6oz whites; 1c oatmeal; 1/4c blueberries; 1oz grapes; 1.6oz banana (yes it is weighed)
meal 2: 3oz cooked chicken breast; 3 1/2oz sweet potato
post workout: 40g P4P Iso-Whey; 9oz sweet potato
meal 3: 3 1/2oz cooked chicken breast; 7oz sweet potato, 1tbs peanut butter, 2g honey
meal 4: 3 1/2oz cooked chick brst; 3/4c oatmeal raw; 1/2c peas
meal 5: 3 eggs, 4oz white; 7oz sweet potato
meal 6: 3oz cook chk brst; 1/2c peas

(Yes, I know I needed more veg.)

Fri., 10/03/14, LEGS

verse of the day: Mat. 5:12, "Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

I had one of the best quad workouts that I've gotten in a while. I felt strong- not shaky. I did this workout at 6:15am, after having trained only one other person- which is not the norm at this point. Also, for dinner last night I ate some extra sweet potato and at breakfast this morning I ate the normal chicken breast and oatmeal plus 1/2 a peach (maybe peaches are the answer to all of our bodybuilding problems;)  I had a 45 minute window early and another 6 hours later, so I split it up into 2 different workouts:

AM (quads):
squat: 45-25; 135-25; 225-20; 275-20; 325-11
leg press: 540-23 (using constant tension) + 6 (pausing)
reverse lunge: 95-10; 145-10

PM (hams and calves):
standing leg curl: 40-25; 55-15; 70-10; 85-12; 55-12
lying leg curl: 170-6 + rest-pause + drop; 140-? (just pump)
smith calf raise: 180-25; 270-20; 360-15
seated calf: 140-18,13
calf press: 450-25,18,20
seated leg curl: 150-12

Thur., 10/02/14, Shoulders

verse of the day: Mat. 5:11 "Blessed are you when men cast insults on you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me."

I got in a great shoulder workout in about 30 minutes, this afternoon. My shoulders are feeling healthier than they have in years. I am really just focusing on the basics: laterals, bent-over laterals, presses (I use a plate loaded Hammer Strength machine for the press) and dumbbell shrugs. Here's how it went:

5 sets of laterals
3 sets of machine presses
4 sets of rear laterals
1 set of military presses
2 sets of dumbbell shrugs

Wed., 10/01/14, Arms

verse of the day: Mat. 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I got in a killer arm pump this afternoon! I did a mix of super-sets and 1-arm exercises. There was very little rest. It was back and forth, from bi's to tri's and one side to the other:

6 super-sets of dumbbell curls and pushdowns
4 sets of 1 arm concentration curls
4 super-sets of hammer curls and "lying 45 degree" triceps extensions
6 sets of 1 arm rope pushdowns
1 super-set of preacher curls and seated triceps extension

Tue., 9/30/14, Back

verse of the day: Mat. 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Today's back workout was very fast paced, with medium volume (I did 17 sets total for back.) My intensity was pretty high- I really pushed the muscle to the limit and beyond on a several sets. I've been incorporating a wide variety of grips to bring out more lines and "fill in" the holes. I really focused on the upper back today (after starting with the basic barbell row- I just can't get away from that one.) Here it is:

row: 45-25; 95-12; 135-6; 185-6; 225-6; 275-6+2; 225-10
wide pull down: 225-10,8
fixed bar pull down (facing away from the machine): 160-8; 145-12
machine row (each set with a different grip): 100-15; 115-10; 130-?; 160-10
close-grip-underhand pull down: 225-8,8

Mon., 9/29/14, Chest

verse of the day: Mat. 5:8- "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

I got in a great chest workout this morning. It was very much by instinct/feel. Here's how it went:
incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-15; 60s-10; 85s-6; 110s-9,6
flat dumbbell press: 110s-6; 90s-12,8
dip: 15,15,15
cable fly crossover: 80-10; 60-14
   super-set with pullover: 60-12,12

Sat., 9/27/14, legs 7 weeks out

Verse of the day: Mat. 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy."

I got in a great leg workout today. It was all the basic stuff. The real difference was that I did hams and calves 1st. Here's how it looked:

lying leg curls: 45-25; 80-15; 125-6; 170-6; 200-5+2 drop-sets
smith machine calf raise: 90-25; 180-20; 270-15; 360-12; 410-10
seated leg curl: 140-18
seated calf raise: 90-15; 140-15,12
   super-set with standing leg curl: 25-15; 55-12; 70-8
squat: 45-25; 135-25; 225-20; 275-20; 325-10
leg press: 450-31
walking lunge: 110-15 (steps each leg)
back extension: 12 

Fri., 9/26/14, Shoulders

verse of the day: Mat 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied,"

As my hands are shaking while I type, I realize that, I made a little bit of a mistake over the last 24 hours. Yesterday I ate a little less than 2500 calories (at least 200 short for me), and this morning/ afternoon I went 4 hours without eating any carb, worked out, and didn't have any carb for an hour 15 minutes after. It was a total of 7 hours without carbohydrates. This was a big mistake. I am an active person, so the energy is essential.... But, onward. I did get in a great shoulder pump, and I'm sure jacked the GH levels through the roof (when your body runs low on carb there is a temporary spike in growth hormone production.) Here's how it looked today:

lateral raise: 10s-25; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-12,10
bent over lateral raise: 30s-15; 40s-12; 50s-12,8
hammer strength shoulder press (sit facing pad): 90-15; 180-12,12,9
laterals: 1 run-the-rack-drop-set starting with the 45s and ending with 15s
dumbbell shrug: 75s-10; 110s-10; 130s-10

Thur., 9/25/14, Arms

verse of the day: Mat. 5:5- "Blessed are the gentle [humble], for they shall inherit the earth."

I got a great arm workout in this afternoon. My friend Joe trained with me again, and we pushed each other a bit. It was good. Here's how it went:

cambered bar curl:                                   30-25; 50-12; 70-6; 100-6; 135-2+2; 115-10; 65-18
   super-set with lying triceps extension: 30-25; 50-15; 70-12; 100-10; 135-8; 115-10; 65-20

hammer curl:               35s-12,11
  s/s seated extension: 150-6; 110-10

rope pushdown: 110-???
  s/s cable curl:   120-???

seated rope extension: 90-15, 12; 110-10
  s/s spider curl:           60-8,8,6+9

Wed., 9/24/14, Back

verse of the day: Mat. 5:3- "Blessed are those who morn, for they will be comforted."

I got in an excellent back workout this afternoon. I usually train alone, but today I worked out with a client/friend from out of town. Joe is in town for the week, and caught up with me today and we just decided to hit a good back workout and push each other a little. It was good. Here's how it went:

row: 45-25; 95-10; 135-10; 185-10; 235-10; 255-6+2
fixed-bar pull down (facing opposite the machine): 130-10; 145-10; 160-10
machine row: ?, ?, ? (it's a new machine, I was just trying out different grips)
medium-hammer grip pull down: 190-10; 210-6+2
seated cable row: 190-10; 150-16

Tue., 9/23/14, Chest

verse of the day: Mat. 5:2 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I got in a great workout this afternoon. I tried out starting with the flat dumbbell press, which is a huge step for me because my shoulders have not allowed it in YEARS. It felt good; I just had to be careful. Here's how it went:

flat dumbbell press: 35s-25; 55s-10; 75s-6; 95s-6; 120s-9; 110s-8
incline dumbbell press: 100s-8; 75s-12,10
incline hammer strength press: 180-12; 230-7; 180-8
dip: 15,12
pullover: 60-12,12

Mon., 9/22/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps 127:1a- "Unless the Lord builds the house, they that build it labor in vain."

I got in a great leg workout today. This was the 1st time in a while that I've been able to do any lower rep sets for my legs (due to tendonitis in my right knee.) It was a big workout today, and actually spread over a few hours. I'm a personal trainer, so I often end up squeezing my workouts in between clients. Today I trained my quads and hams, then trained someone, then did cardio, then trained someone else, and finally did my calves after that. Here's how the workout went:

squat: 45-25; 95-25; 135-10; 225-10; 315-10; 365-6; 315-10
leg press: 270-25; 450-15; 630-12
reverse lunge: 95-10; 115-8; 135-7
seated leg curl: 95-25; 140-10
lying leg curl: 160-6+2 drop-sets
standing leg curl: 75-6+45-13
(break/20minutes stepmill/break)
smith machine calf raise: 90-25; 180-15; 270-15; 360-12; 410-10+2
seated calf: 90-25; 180-12; 230-9+drop-set
1-leg calf press(on leg press): 180-25,25,20

Fri., 9/19/14, Arms

verse of the day: Ps. 18: 48- "He delivers me from my enemies; surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise against me; Thou dost rescue me from the violent man."

I got in an excellent arm workout this morning. It was a little different than usual for me, because I did not do as many super-sets. It was more 1-arm exercises, going back and forth without rest. This was another of those "only have 35 minutes, lets get it done," workouts. So the pace was moving. Here's how it went:

6 super-sets of seated dumbbell curls and rope pushdowns
3 sets of concentration curls
5 sets of 1-arm lying triceps extensions
3 sets standing 1-arm preacher curls (leaning over an incline bench)
3 sets 1-arm reverse grip pushdowns
3 super-sets of cable curls and machine triceps extensions

I basically had no plan starting out, except to blow my arms up, and went totally by feel and availability. And they were tight!

Thur., 9/18/14, Back

verse of the day: Ps. 18:46 "The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of my salvation,"

Today I had 40 minutes to stretch and train my back. I love a challenge. So, the 1st 10 minutes was nothing but stretching and preventative maintenance stuff (I have an extensive list of stretches and exercises that I do before training, and it's different for each muscle group.) I also have a pull in my right trap, so this was a further limitation- again, a challenge is always welcome. So here's my 30 minute back workout:

row: 45-25; 95-12; 135-12; 185-12; 225-10; 245-7
wide pull down: 180-12; 200-9
fixed bar wide pulldown (facing away from machine): 130-12; 145-10; 160-8
standing rope low row: 160-12; 180-12; 200-9
V-pulldown: 195-13

Boom! That's it. It was a great pump, and I managed to avoid aggravating my trap.

Tue., 9/16/14, Legs

verse of the day: Ps. 18:35- "Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy right hand upholds me; and Thy gentleness makes me great."

This is a big workout. Any way you do it, training quads, hams and calves is a lot of work. Today's rendition was a little less volume than what I've been doing, but I definitely nailed each muscle. I was "treading lightly" today because I've had this strange pain in my right calf since I woke up this morning. It hurt when I wrapped and bent my leg, but all calf movement was fine.... what in the world? Any how it was a great workout. Here it is:

squat: 45-25; 135-25; 225-20; 315-18 + 4
leg press: 450-31+3 (using the constant tension method)
reverse lunge: 115-6,8,6
leg curl: 125-12; 170-10
standing leg curl: 90-10
smith machine calf: 180-15; 270-15; 360-12
seated calf: 50-20; 90-15; 140-15; 190-8

Mon., 9/15/14, Arms

verse of the day: Zech. 10:12- "And I shall strengthen them in the Lord, and in His name they will walk," declares the Lord.

I got in an excellent arm pump this morning. I tweaked my neck out on Saturday, so the focus was low stress on the neck and just pumping the bi's and tri's as much as possible:

6 super-sets of rope pushdowns and dumbbell curls
3 super-sets hammer curls and 1-arm overhead triceps
4 super-sets 1-arm machine extensions and 1-arm machine curls
1 super-set rotating dumbbell curls and lying rotating dumbbell extensions

Fri., 9/12/14, Back

verse of the day: Ps. 18:2- "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

Killer back pump this morning- it felt like my lats were going to explode! It was just the basics with medium-high volume and medium rep range:

warm up with 2 light sets of wide grip pulldowns
wide pull-ups: 12,12,12,12,9
barbell row: 135-10; 185-6; 235-6; 255-6
fixed bar-wide-back-pulldown: 145-12; 160-10,7
seated cable row: 150-10; 170-8,8
v-grip pulldown: 195-10,10

Thur., 9/11/14, Chest

verse of the day: Zech. 4:6b- "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the Lord of hosts.

I got an excellent chest workout this morning. I wasn't feeling quite on point, so I decided to just change it up a bit and really pump the muscle. There was no real plan except to pump the muscle and go by feel. Here's how it looked:

bent-over cable fly (for upper chest): 30-25; 50-15; 70-12; 90-10; 110-6
incline Hammer Strength press: 180-10; 270-10,9
flat dumbbell press: 75s-10; 85s-10; 95s-10; 110s-6
pullover:                                                                    65-10,10
   alternate with cable fly (upright for lower chest): 80-12,10
dip: 12

Boom! That's it- 17 sets total, and they were pumped!

Wed., 9/10/14, LEGS

verse of the day: Psalm 127:1- "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it: unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain."

Today's leg workout was a little shorter than last weeks. It was a little wacked in the focus area because there were a ton of people in the gym and it seemed like every time I went to use something it was occupied. Ha ha- the trials of a bodybuilder. But, alas, I got the job done. My legs were thoroughly pumped. The only complaint was a ting in my right knee on what would have been my forth set of presses. So, there ended the quad portion. Here's how it all panned out:

squat: 4 sets of 20, 1 set of 10
reverse lunge: 1 set of 18 reps
leg press: set of 20, set of 12, set of 6
3 super-sets of machine calf raise and standing leg curl all 20 + reps
1 set lying leg curl 6 reps
2 sets of 1-calf presses 20 each

Tue., 9/09/14, Arms

verse of the day: Hag. 1:4- "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate."

I destroyed my arms this afternoon. It was an awesome pump. I did a combo of mostly lower reps, but threw in a few sets with some higher reps toward the end to really fill them with blood:

6 super-sets of curls and pushdowns
3 super-sets of 1-arm concentration curls and lying triceps extensions
3 super-sets of cable curls and under-hand -grip pushdowns
3 sets of seated hammer curls and seated 1-arm overhead dumbbell extensions
2 sets of 1-arm reverse-grip pushdowns

Mon., 9/08/14, Shoulders//DIET UPDATE

verse of the day: Zeph. 1:7a- "Be silent before the Lord God."

I got in an incredible shoulder workout this morning. I seem to be holding on to my strength and even gaining some in my shoulders- which is awesome as I consider delts to be a weak point for me. It was all basic:
7 sets of laterals
4 sets of Hammer Strength presses
3 sets of bent over rear laterals
3 sets of hammer grip front raises
3 sets of barbell shrugs

My diet has included more fat than what I've used in the past. My calories have been around 3000 a day. Here's what yesterday looked like (it's a bit more than this normally, as yesterday was a rest day and I slept in 3 1/2 hrs later than usual):

meal 1: p4p muscle iso-whey; oatmeal; banana; olive oil; fish oil
meal 2: 4 eggs; potato; apple
meal 3: chicken breast; sweet potato, natural peanut butter; peas
meal 4: chicken breast; peas
meal 5: 80/20 ground chuck, corn, diced tomato, beans (chilli sort of)
meal 6: p4p muscle iso-whey; fish oil

Sat, 9/06/14, 10 WEEKS OUT

Here I am starting the 10th week of my prep, at 10 weeks out. This morning my waist was smaller than it's ever been at 10 weeks out, at 30 inches. I've only got about an inch left to lose. And with 10 weeks to go, that's nothing! The weight this week has fluctuated between 177.5 and 178.75 (the weight is always checked after one meal and some water so it will very a bit.) I am stoked. I believe I will be the better than I ever have on stage.

I got an excellent back workout this morning, and was just plain happy not to be training sore hams and calve. This split has proven true in the past. It provides what for me seems to be the best combo of frequency and recovery time.

Fri., 9/05/14, Chest

verse of the day: Habakkuk 2:4- "Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith."

I got in a great chest workout this morning. It was similar to Monday's, but I changed the weight and reps a bit. I have really found the exercises that work my chest the best and stick with them for the most part, though I'll throw something different in here and there. Here's today's rendition:

incline dumbbell press: 25s-25; 40s-15; 60s-10; 80s-10; 100s-10; 120s-8
flat dumbbell press: 80s-10; 90s-10; 70s-12
bent over cable fly (for upper chest): 80-12,8,8
dip: 15,9,10
pullover: 60-12

Thur., 9/04/14, Legs

verse of the day: Nahum 1:3a- "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,"

I destroyed the legs today. This was the 1st workout in 10 weeks or more that I trained quads and hams- and I added calves as well. So it was a big workout tying in the entire leg. Here's how it looked:

5 sets of squats
3 sets of leg presses
3 sets of leg curls
1 set of reverse lunges
2 super-sets of smith machine calf raises and seated leg curls
(And finished it off with 20 minutes on the stepmill.)

Wed., 9/03/14, Arms

verse of the day: Psalm 25:12- "Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose."

 I got a killer pump this morning. It was all basic stuff- just hard, intense work. People ask me all the time how to get big. That is always the answer: basic, hard, intense work. Here's what it looked like:

7 super-sets of seated (flat palm) dumbbell curl and rope pushdown
2 super-sets of overhead triceps extension and hammer curls
2 super-sets preacher curl and lying extension
6 sets 1-arm concentration curl
7 sets 1-arm rope pushdown

Tue., 9/02/14, Back and Rear Delts

verse of the day: Nahum 1:7 "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He know those who take refuge in Him."

No. I did not take the day off yesterday. It was actually so busy I never touched my computer. I got in a killer chest and delt workout. It's sore today.

I'm transitioning to a new split that will involve a little more frequency. The game plan is:
day 1- chest
day 2- back
day 3- arms
day 4- shoulders
day 5- legs
I will just rotate the days, with Sunday as a rest day. So each muscle will be hit every 5-6 days.

Today was back, traps and rear delts. It was mostly basics with one newby: we recently got a fixed handle, pin-loaded Hammer Strength pulldown. I did this one facing away from the machine. Here's how it went:

wide pulldown (warm up): 90-25; 135-15
wide pull-up: 12,12,12,9
row: 135-10; 185-10; 225-10; 245-6
pin-loaded- fixed-pull-down (facing away): 140-12; 170-6; 140-9
seated row: 150-10; 170-10; 190-8
bent-over-rear lateral raise: 30s-15; 40s-12; 50s-10
barbell shrug: 135-15; 225-12; 315-10

WEEK # 9 (11 WEEKS OUT), Sat., 8/30/14, Calves and Hams

Verse of the day: Psalm 25: 6- "Remember, O Lord, Thy compassion and Thy lovingkindness, for they have been from of old."

At 11 weeks out, I'm feeling good about my progress. The waist is about an inch and a half away from where I'll be on contest day, and the weight is 12-14lb away. With 11 weeks to go- no problem.
The workout this morning was good. Again my hamstrings are still sore from Thursday's quad workout. So, after a solid 8 weeks of my hams being sore every time I train them, I will probably change my split around a bit so the hams won't be within 48hrs of quads.
Here's the workout today:

7 sets of calf presses
3 super-sets of seated leg curls and smith machine calf raises
3 sets of 1-leg curls
2 sets of standing leg curls
3 sets of crunches + 1 sets twisting crunches (I've been hitting abs pretty much every day.)

Fri., 8/29/14, Shoulders

Verse of the day: Psalm 25:5 "Lead me in Thy Truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; for Thee I wait all the day."

I got an awesome shoulder pump today! It was very fast (I only had 30 minutes to do it in.) My lateral raises are getting stronger and stronger. The 40s feel light, though the 50s feel very heavy. I'm seeing improvement. It was fairly simple:
6 sets of laterals
4 sets of bent over laterals
4 sets of hammer strength presses
2 sets of dumbbell upright rows
1 sets of barbell front raises
4 sets of barbell shrugs
The majority of the sets were 10-12 reps with a couple 6-8s and a few 15s. My shoulders seem to respond to a slightly higher range, where I'm more 6-10 on other upper body muscles.

Thur., 8/28/14, Quads

Verse of today: Micah 6:8- He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.

I moved down a notch in my weight lifting belt today. That's always nice, but it does change the feel of the squat. As the waist gets smaller the weight seems to feel heavier.
I added a couple light sets of curls and extensions and an extra 5 onto some of my warm-ups to get the blood flowing. It enhanced the burn and took off a couple reps of my heaviest set of squats, so I added 2 extra sets of squats to make up the difference. So, the workout ended up looking like this:

1 set of leg curls
1 set of leg extensions
7 sets of squats
2 sets of leg presses
4 sets of 1-leg presses (With the foot high up on the platform, for the glutes.)

Wed., 8/27/14, Arms

For my last couple of contest preps, I have written a Bible verse every morning in my training log. My theory is that you have to strengthen the inner man before you can really strengthen the outer man. So, I thought I'd start sharing these verses with ya'll, and help you strengthen your inner man as well as the outer. Today's verse is from the book of Jonah, 2:2- "I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me."

And the physical workout: bi's and tri's. They were pumped! I've been adding an extra set or 2 for the triceps more than the biceps. The theory here is that your triceps is actually 2/3 of the arm, so it is bigger and needs more work. Most guys miss this. I have prioritized my triceps since I was 15, so at this point they're well balance. But, I'd rather them be too big than too small. So, here's todays workout:

rope pushdown super-set with seated alternating dumbbell curl: 7 for tri's and 6 for bi's
3 sets of concentration curls
3 sets of lying 45degree extension
3 super-sets of hammer curl and seated 1 arm extension
3 super-sets of under-hand pushdowns and cable curls

The rep range here was mostly 6-8 for biceps and 6-10 for triceps, though they were all over from 5-15. Heavy weight, short rest periods, tight muscle!

Tue., 8/26/14, Back

My lats are trying to cramp up on me from the workout I did about 2 hours ago. I guess that means I put the work in! The volume was a little higher again, trying to hit it from all angles and get as much blood in the muscle as possible and bring more details out. It is working. I can see improvements. Here's how the workout went today:

wide pulldown: 90-15; 135-12; 180-12; 225-12; 255-8
wide chin: 12
row: 135-10; 225-8,8,9
wide chin: 12
close-grip-pull-down: 255-6; 210-12
wide chin: 10
T-bar row: 135-8; 115-12
seated row: 170-8 + 2; 150-10

...18 sets for back, and they were pumped tight!

Mon., 8/25/14, Chest

I sit here having eaten 8 times thus far, and will finish the day off with 30g of p4p muscle Iso-whey. With about 305g protein, 275g carb and 71g fat so far, it is obvious that it takes a ton of nutrients maintain muscle mass.... I had a lady that I train ask today why I get 1 1/2c oatmeal and she only gets 1/2c (she was obviously joking.) I just smiled and flexed my bicep.
Any way training is going well, with an awesome workout this morning with 5 exercises for chest and a total 18 sets for chest. It was fast paced and intense as always.

Week # 8 (12 weeks out), Sat., 8/23/14, Calf/Ham, Progress Report

Here we are 12 weeks from the date of the contest (the day that most people start their prep, and I'm starting week 8!) As of this morning, having taken 1 1/4" off my waist and 12lb., my waist is now 30 1/2" and I'm weighing 180lb. I'm feeling very confidant that I will be my best on contest day. So, let us continue....

Fri., 8/22/14, Shoulders

My legs are SORE today. I believe this particular quad workout is very effective. This is the 4th time I've done the same basic workout and they've been sore every time.

Once again, I got in a great shoulder workout. The shoulders are feeling better than they have in a long time. And again, it's the same basic workout, with a slight change here and there:
5 sets of laterals
3 sets of machine laterals
3 sets of incline rear laterals
4 sets of Hammer Strength shoulder presses (this time seated forward.)
3 sets of dumbbell shrugs 

Thur., 8/21/14, Quads

Today's workout was hard. It was one of those mental decisions to just suck it up and do it in spite of feeling tired and weak. But, that's where the work gets done! For the first time in a while I recorded all but two sets (the first warm-up and the last set- walking lunges out behind the gym; it was too hot, the camera fogged up.) So here it is:

Wed., 8/20/14, Arms

Wow, I got a killer arm pump today! I used a technique that a friend showed me, called the choo-choo train. But, before I got there, I pre-exhausted the biceps and triceps with several good, heavy super-sets of spider curls and rope pushdowns. Now that they were good and pumped they were ready for the intense stuff... So, the choo-choo train: I was taught this technique with lateral raises, but have found many other effective uses for it. Today was a cambered bar curl. We have fixed cambered bars in 10lb increments from 20 to 110. You start at the lightest weight and do 5 reps of each bar until you can't get 5; heave a few extras and do a drop-set with each to failure back down the rack. All this without resting. The forearms are screaming, the biceps so full you can't touch your nose, and you're a little scared because now you must do the very same thing on the skull crusher. I only made it to the 80 for the curl, but I got all the way to the 110 for triceps. I finished with 3 sets of dumbbell preacher curls and 1 arm rope pushdowns.

...yeah that weight was a little much today.

Tue., 8/19/14, Back

As I sit here with a pile of steak, peppers and potato on my plate (about 45g protein, 40g carb and 10g fat), I am right on point. I weighed in at 181lb this morning (about 15 pounds from the goal.) This morning was a pretty normal back workout (except I didn't start with barbell rows.) From start to finish it was: 3 sets rope crunch, 5 sets wide pulldown, 1 set wide chins, 4 sets barbell row, 3 sets V pulldowns, 1 set wide chins, 2 sets machine row, 1 set wide chins (30g p4p muscle iso-whey), 15 minutes posing and 20 minutes treadmill. It took about an hour and a half with stretching and all. Boom! Another one in the book.

Mon., 8/18/14, Chest

Another week, another pound, one step closer to the goal....
I got in a great chest pump this morning. I definitely put some heart in it. The reps are still a bit higher than usual, with most of my sets being in the 12-15 range. It was all the same exercises: incline dumbbell presses (7 sets with warm-up and all), flat dumbbell presses (4 sets), incline Hammer Strength presses (3 sets), cable flyes (3 sets) and cross-bench pullovers (2 sets.) These are my bread and butter, the most stress on the muscle and least stress on the joints.
The last couple of weeks I've started playing with the posing for 10-15 minutes a day and I'm putting a little more focus and intensity in starting this week.

Sat., 8/16/14, 13 Weeks Out

This morning I'm right on target. At 13 weeks out I'm feeling good. The fat intake is still fairly high (60-80g) and protein and carb are pretty much normal for me (280g and 280g+ respectively.) My progress has been very satisfactory. I've shaved off 1 1/4'' from my waist and about 8 pounds. I am on point to be my best ever for the WNBF World Championships on November 15.

Thur., 8/14/14, QUADS

I had one of the best quad pumps I've gotten in a long time. It was awesome! My legs were so tight I could barely walk. And I didn't even throw up! It was very similar to last weeks'. Here it is:
squat: 45-20; 135-20; 225-20; 275-20; 325-9
leg press: 450-31,20
smith machine lunge: 100-11,8

Wed., 8/13/14, Arms

Today's workout was a little different than usual with fewer super-sets and a slightly off-balance ratio of bi's to tri's. I did more sets for my biceps, but I destroyed my triceps like few do. From beginning to end here it is:
6 super-sets of barbell curls and rope pushdowns
4 sets of concentration curls
3 super-sets of seated overhead triceps extensions and hammer curls
2 sets of 1-arm dumbbell spider curls
5 sets of reverse grip 1-arm pushdowns
1 set of cambered bar curls
...So 16 sets biceps and 14 for triceps. Typically I recommend more for the triceps if not balanced, because the triceps is 2/3 of the arm. But, my tri's were so pumped it was ridiculous.

Tue., 8/12/14, Back

My back training has been a little higher volume the last few weeks. I have been trying to bring out more detail and create a demand for more muscle, specifically in the upper back. The focus for me is always on creating a greater illusion of being bigger, by having a greater ratio of waist to shoulders... tiny waist/wide shoulders is the goal. And back training is how you do this, not just deltoid work. So, Here is the back workout of the week:

6 sets of barbell rows with reps between 6 and 10 (you gotta row to grow)
3 sets of Hammer Strength pulldowns in the 7-12 range
2 sets of seated low rows 10 reps and 9+2
1 set of wide pull-ups to failure (about 10 after all that)
2 sets of wide pulldowns, 8 reps each
and I finished with one more set on the seated row with a little less weight for a set of 14.

A total of 15 sets. It took about 30 minutes, the rest periods were short. Sometimes people will tell me what they did in the gym and that it took an hour and a half. WHAT?! How do you keep a pump?

Mon., 8/11/14, Chest/ Deit Update

I got in a great chest workout this morning. I continued the change I made last week in shorting rest periods and increments of weight and increasing the reps. It was a good pump.
My diet has been pretty much the same: fluctuating between 2600 and 3200 calories. I have been eating a` little more fat than I have in past preps. Here's an example of what it has looked like:

meal #1: chicken; oatmeal; olive oil
meal#2: chicken; almonds
post workout: P4P Muscle Iso-Whey
meal#3: chicken; sweet potato
meal#4: chicken; almonds; sweet potato
meal#5: chicken; sweet potato; almonds; olive oil; raisins
meal#6: chicken: brown rice; vegetables
meal#7: chicken
The total was 3020 calories: 280 protein, 295 carb and 80 fat.

Fri., 8/08/14, shoulders

I got in a great shoulder workout this afternoon. I'm able to handle more weight without joint pain on lateral raises than I have in a long time. It's still not a ton and I used to handle more when I was younger. But these are nice and controlled in the muscle, and I feel the delt head. I'm not just swinging the weight. The big difference in my training from others is the press. The only press I've been using for a while is the plate loaded Hammer Strength shoulder press, and I've been facing the pad. Here's how it looked today:
laterals: 10s-15; 20s-15; 30s-12; 40s-12,10
incline rears: 40s-12; 50s-12,9
face down Hammer press: 90-15; 180-12; 230-8; 180-12
shrug: 135-?; 225-?; 275-12; 325-9

Thur., 8/07/14, Quads

Today was one of those fateful days... the tempo too fast, the reps too high... I threw up- all over the only shoes I squat in (I guess that was bound to happen, surprising it hadn't happened yet.) It was a great quad workout, very focused and intense. The focus was again on not stressing the knees, but hammering the quads. Here's how it looked:

squat: 45-20; 135-20; 225-20; 275-15; 325-9; 225-20
alternating forward lunge: 95-10
leg press: 360-43 (this was a controlled, focused constant tension set, keeping a smooth, controlled range of motion)
...That's it. And, alas the CNS could not stand the pressure, the pukeometer read a full 10.0. 

wed., 8/06/14, arms

I got an awesome pump today. It was all the basics: curls/ pushdowns; preacher curl/ seated extensions (only with a rope- that's not quite so basic I guess); hammer curls/ lying dumbbell extensions; and concentration curls by themselves and 1 arm rope pushdowns by themselves to finish it off. It was a can't touch my shoulder, hand shaky workout... One step closer to the goal...

Tue., 8/05/14, Back

Today's back workout was a little different. I only had 30 minutes to train, so I had to come up with something fast and effective. Here's what it looked like:
Giant Sets (4 times through with a minute between giant sets to stretch. And they were pumped! The last set I changed a few exercises and added a couple to further the pump and hit more angles. The rep range went from 6 to 12, basically just hitting each exercise until the lats failed and the biceps and shoulders were taking over.)

bent over row;
wide grip pull down;
Hammer Strength pull down;
Nautilus iso-lateral pull down;
machine row;
seated cable row;
and straight arm rope pull down

Mon., 8/04/14, Chest

I got an awesome chest workout this morning. For a long while I've been doing lower reps with a ton of weight for chest to really force it to grow. I could tell the last few weeks that this is starting to wear on the body. So, today I changed it up a bit- shorter rest periods, higher reps and smaller jumps in weight. The pump was killer this morning and came with a nice burn because the body isn't used to it. Here's how it went:
incline dumbbell press: 20s-20; 35s-15; 50s-12; 65s-12; 80s-10; 90s-10; 100s-10
bent over cable fly (for upper chest): 60-15; 80-12; 100-6
flat dumbbell press: 60s-12; 70s-12; 80s-8
cable fly (for lower chest): 60-12; 80-15
pullover: 60-12; 70-10; 80-6
  s/s reverse crunch: 20,20,15
This took about 30 minutes. There was no hanging around.

Fri., 8/01/14, Shoulders

Today's shoulder workout went nicely. It was all the basics: laterals, Hammer press, incline rear laterals, smith press and finished with something a little different- laterals using the 21's technique.
Just an update on the diet: It's been pretty consistent with 2700-3200 calories. My main food sources remain the same- chicken breast, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, potatoes and eggs. Here's what I ate yesterday:
meal1: 8oz egg white; 3oz sweet potato; 1/2c oatmeal; banana; 1tbs olive oil
meal2: 5oz chicken; 1c oatmeal
meal3: 5oz chicken; 1c oatmeal
post workout: 38g P4P Muscle Iso-Whey and 5g creatine
meal4: 4oz chicken; 10oz sweet potato
meal5: 5oz chicken; 1c oatmeal
meal6: 7oz chicken; 1c brown rice and corn; 4 grape tomatoes; 1/2 avocado
before bed: 30g P4P Muscle Iso-Whey

Thur., 7/31/14, Quads

I got in an awesome quad workout this morning. My knee is still being a little wacky, so I didn't do my normal thing, but it was good to do something a little different. Again, my focus was on not stressing the joint and really pumping the muscle. At the end I was registering a solid 8.5 on the pukeometer (a 10 is in the trash can.) Here's how it went:

squat: 45-15; 135-20; 225-20; 275-15; 325-6; 225-20
1-leg reverse lunge: 95-10; 145-6
leg press: 360-41,18

Wed., 7/30/14, Arms

I got in a good arm workout this morning. It was not the heaviest, and I did mostly cables for triceps, but I put the intensity and got an awesome pump. My theory is to keep moving and pump as much blood in the muscle as possible. The last exercise I never even put the weights down, it was back and forth til my forearms felt like they were going to explode. Here's how it went:

curl: 30-20; 70-6; 90-6,6; 110-7+3
   s/s rope pushdown: 50-30; 70-20; 90-12; 110-10; 130-10; 150-10

spider curl: 70-10,8,8
  s/s 1-arm rope pushdown: 70-15,12,10

preacher curl: 70-10,6,8
  s/s seated 1-arm rope extension: 70-12; 50-12,8

seated hammer curl: 30s-12,?,?
  s/s lying dumbbell extension: 30s-10,6,6

Week #4, Mon., 7/28/14, Chest

I got in a good workout this afternoon. I was a little weak, but that just made me mad. It was my normal stuff, I just changed it around a little when I got mad- shorter rest periods, a couple extra sets, a little less weight with more reps... and the pump came! Here's the order:
7 sets of incline dumbbell presses
3 sets of flat dumbbell presses
3 sets of machine flys
2 sets of cable flys
and 2 sets of cross-bench pullovers

Fri., 7/25/14, Shoulders

After yesterday's pity-party of a leg workout, I was ready to kill it today. I got in a great shoulder pump. It was all my basic stuff, though I do use one exercise that is a little unconventional. For rear delts, I sit at a seated row station with individual handles and do rear laterals with it. It is a great pump, though a slight misuse of equipment. Here's how it went:

lateral: 10s-15; 20s-15; 30s-15; 40s-12; 20s- super slow with a squeeze ?
seated cable rear: 60-15,15,15,11
Hammer Strength press facing pad: 90-15; 180-12,14 + front raise: 40-20
shrug (angled back to hit the back of the trap more): 135-12; 225-12,12

Thur., 7/24/14, Quads

Yes, I am human. No, I am not the most genetically gifted human on earth. I get a lot of comments about how I am a genetic freak. I started working out 5 days a week, with insane intensity and strong desire to not be the smaller than my sister, on my 13th birthday. And have not missed many days since. I was 121lb. at 5'4''. My mom was worried about me because I was so skinny. I have a brother 2 yrs. yonger than I am and when I was 15 (having worked out 5 days a week for 2 yrs.) people thought he was older. Probably the most accurate compliment I've ever gotten was from a judge at the 2012, Mr. Universe where I placed 2nd. He was an old man who had been a bodybuilder since he was young. He shook my hand and said it was amazing how much muscle I've managed to pack on this tiny frame. Ha! I fought hard with blood, sweat and tears for years to get where I am.  So, with that being said, don't be shocked at what I'm about to say:
My knee hurts. (And while I'm on the subject: my back hurts, my neck hurts and my shoulder hurts too.)
Today I had to back out of squats. Today was a sad day in the life of Levi. So what did I do? Front squats and lunges. That was pretty much my whole quad workout. They were pumped and tight. It got the job done.... BUT NOT LIKE THE SQUAT.... The squat shall indeed return to my arsenal of quad exercises to reign supreme. Until then... Squat low to get high.

Wed., 7/23/14, Arms

I destroyed the arms this morning. It was similar stuff to what I've been doing, I just added weight. I also did more on the overhead dumbbell extension- 150 for 7. Here's what it looked like:

curl: 45-15; 65-6; 95-6; 115-6; 135-3+1 + 2 drop-sets
  s/s rope pushdown: 60-30; 80-15; 100-10; 120-10; 140-11,5+ dropset

seated dumbbell extension: 130-8; 150-7
  s/s hammer curl: 50s-6; 40s-10

lying extension: 110-10,5
   s/s concentration curl: 55-6; 30-12

seated dumbbell curl: 35s-8,6; 25s-15
  s/s lying dumbbell extension: " " "

Tue., 7/22/14, Back

I got it done this afternoon. It was a little mix-matched, but it was a good, intense workout:
5 sets wide pulldowns
1 set wide pull-ups
3 sets Hammer Strength pulldown
2 sets seated cable rows
1 set barbell row
1 drop-set T-bar row
And they were pumped

Mon., 7/21/14, Chest

I got in a killer chest pump this afternoon. It was short and sweet as always. I was a little weaker last weak than I have been, but seem to be crawling back up this week. I also threw in a little extra delt work, trying to build these things up a little. Here's what I did:

incline dumbbell press: 20s-10; 40s-6; 80s-6; 100s-6; 130s-6; 120s-6
flat dumbbell press: 120s-6; 100s-10; 75s-16
cable fly: 100-8+2; 80-?; bent over for upper chest-60-16
pullover: 75-12
lateral raise: 25s-12; 30s-12; 35s-?; 40s-8; 35s-?; 30s-?

Sat., 7/19/14, Ham/Calf, Week #3, Shreds

I got in a great hamstring and calf workout this morning. I like to super-set, so that's most of what I did. It was similar to last weeks workout, just a little less conventional and orderly:
6 super-sets of hack press calf raises with lying 1-leg curls. The calf raise was the regular increase each set. The leg curl was not. I went heavy and then back down and did some rest-pause reps, doing three reps on each leg, going back and forth.
3 s/s smith machine calf raise and seated leg curl (only 2 sets of seated curls.)
1 set of ham/glute raises.
1 set of standing 1-leg curls.
3 sets of 1-leg calf presses.
The rep range for calves went from 20 down to 8, and for hams it went from 20 all the way to 3.

Fri., 7/18/14, Shoulders

I got in a great, very fast, shoulder workout this morning. It was similar to last weeks- just a few modifications:
7 sets of laterals with a drop-set at the end
4 sets of revers Hammer presses
2 sets of seated cable rear laterals with a rest-pause at the end
2 sets of dumbbell shrugs, the 2nd with the 130s for 12
It only took about 25 minutes. The rest periods were short and the sets were focused.

Thur., 7/17/14, Quads

As I sit here- having finished training my Quads a little over an hour and a half ago, and having already eaten almost 3 cups of oatmeal (dry measure), 3 chicken breasts and a whey isolate shake- eating 5 eggs (yes whole) and 10.5oz. white potato, you might not think that I'm in a caloric deficit... And you would be wrong. Yes, I am consuming 2800-3200 calories a day at this point (with around 300g protein, 300g carb and 70g fat), and am losing weight.
Today was a good leg workout. I wouldn't consider it the most intense for sure. But it was an awesome pump. Here it is:

squat: 135-20; 225-20; 315-20
Linear Hack Press: 90-10; 180-10; 270-10
reverse lunge: 135-10

Wed., 7/16/14, Arms

I got a killer pump this morning! I love to super-set biceps and triceps. When you're dripping with sweat and can't catch your breath on arm day, you know you're working. My basic plan for arms is to get in a few good, heavy sets and then just keep moving from set to set, biceps to triceps, to pump as much blood in the muscle as possible. I actually used a bigger dumbbell than I ever have for seated over-head extensions: a 130. I just got a new can of P4P Muscle Iso-Whey and am excited to feed and grow some muscle, as I'm burning the fat off.
Here's today's workout:
7 super-sets of barbell curl and lying triceps extension
3 s/s of hammer curl and seated over-head extension
2 s/s of spider curl and rope pushdown
2 s/s of cable curl and reverse grip pushdown

Tue., 7/15/14, Back

I got in a great back workout this afternoon. My goal was to really hit the lats without stressing the lower back. Here's how it went:

Hammer Strength pulldown: 90-15; 180-12; 270-6; 360-6 + rest-pause + 3 drop-sets
medium-grip-pull-down: 180-12,10
V-grip-pulldown: 195-10,10
machine row: 225-12,7
seated row: 160-? + rest-pause

Mon., 7/14/14, Chest

I got in a good workout this morning. Though I was definitely weaker today than I was last week(...Next week is coming.) But, often it just makes me mad and I get a better workout in anyway. So Here's today's work:

incline dumbbell: 20s-20; 40s-6; 65s-5; 80s-6; 100s-6; 130s-5 + 120s-3, 100s-4, 75s-6
incline Hammer Strength: 140-12; 230-12; 270-6
bent over cable fly (for upper chest): 70-12,12,12
dip: 10,8,12
pullover: 75-6
machine fly: 205-5 + 2 drop-sets

Sat., 7/12/14, Hams and Calves

Well, today starts week # 2 of this prep for the world championships. I've revised my slit a little, we'll see how long this one lasts. I think it will work well. It is designed to prioritize my weaknesses. Here it is:
Mon: chest
Tue: back
Wed: arms
Thu: quads
 Fri: shoulders
Sat: hams and calves
Abs are 4-5 days a weeks with about 5 sets. Cardio is 20 minutes 6 days a week.
Here's what today's ham and calf work was:

5 super-sets machine calf raise and 1-leg curl
3 super-sets smith calf raise and ham/glute raise
3 sets 1-leg standing curl
3 sets 1-calf raise
bosu crunch: 30/ reverse crunch: 30/ sit-up: 15/ twist-crunch: 30,20,20

Wed., 7/09/14, Arms

Man it was work to get it done this morning, I've been running a little low on sleep here the last several days, due to life. But it happened and I got a great pump. That's key. Even when I don't feel like it, it still goes on. It was all basic stuff:
5 super-sets of barbell curls and V-bar pushdowns;
4 sets of concentration curls;
4 sets of 1-arm rope pushdowns;
2 super-sets of spider curls and lying triceps extensions;
3 super-sets of hammer curls and seated 1-arm extensions;
3 sets of bosu ball crunches;
1 set of sit-ups
and every day I do 20 minutes of cardio, usually incline treadmill.

Tue., 7/08/14, Back

I got in a great back workout today. It was short an sweet. Here's what it looked like:

row: 45-10; 95-10; 135-6; 185-6; 225-6; 275-10 + 2 drop-sets
Hammer Strength pulldown: 180-12; 270-8
seated row: 220-5; 170-12
Circuit: pulldown, rope pulldown, rope row, machine row, v-pulldown, hammer pulldown

Mon., 7/07/14, Here we go again...

My contest diet started on Saturday. I'm 16 weeks out from the Yorton Cup and 19 weeks from the WNBF World Champ. The start weight is 190lb. with a 32 1/4" waist. I'll end up around 168lb. with a 29" waist. I'm starting the diet ranging from 3000 calories up to 3400 calories. It will drop from there, but that's the start. The workouts will be pretty much the same, just 6 days a week. I'll do 20 minutes cardio a day and I'm easing into the posing. I'll be up to 20 minutes posing a day before long, but not the first couple weeks. Yippee kaya....

Thur., 7/03/14, Legs

I destroyed the legs today. The volume was pretty low- only 2 exercises for quads and 3 for hams, with only 1 or 2 working sets each. Here's how it went:

squat: 45-10; 95-5; 135-5; 225-5; 315-5; 365-20
leg press: 450-10; 630-10; 840-6 + 8 drop sets (This was painful. I had a guy on each side and when I failed they would each take a plate off.)
1-leg incline curl: 40-12,10
standing 1-leg curl: 60-12,9
ham/glute raise: 6,8