Cardio

Lower back still tweaked. I skipped everything but the run. I don't see that agravating it and not working out is no option.

The run was more intense than usual. Proably because I am not recovering from a heavy lower body workout.


Diet: Near perfrect today.

Torrow is a needed rest day. I will re-evaluate the back on Monday.

Lower Body

Light workout because the last BL session was what tweaked my back. I am now sure it was not good morning. The torso twists with the bands I was doing might have contributed, but the fall with the KB is the likely culprit. The pain is not severe. If it was anywhere else I would just blow through it.

Leg Extensions: 12x25kg, 10x30kg, 8x35kg, 6x40kg
Front Squats: 12x30kg

Taking the squats very easy. Used a weight belt to stabilize my core.

Leg Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30kg, 8x35kg, 6x40kg
Good Mornings: 12x30kg

I question my sanity for returning to good morning with my lower back tweaked, but I wanted to test if that irritated it. As it turned out, this did not bother my back in the least. Very light weight with perfect snails pace form.

Toe risers--duh I forget to do these. No big deal, my calf's are huge already.

Crunches: 5 sets of 20

Diet: 5 meals, good choices--not bad at all. Was very late on the 5th.

Missed Cardio work-out

It is a lame excess, but I worked in Brussels til 7:30pm, got a ride from a collegue to Antwerp Central, but missed the train by about 20 seconds. Had to wait an hour for 9pm train and did not get back to my doorstep until about 12:30am. I was licked. Press forward.

Diet was on track except for Lunch. That was at the cafeteria with the client. Had an excellent ham and cheese sandwhich that was about 500-600 calories. Came in @ about 1700 for the day so it was not a total loss.

Upper Body

In Luxembourg and Brussels. Workout in evening at World Class Fitness in Brussels.

DB Military Press: 12x18kg, 10x20kg, 8x20kg, 6x20kg
Side Raises: 12x15kg

The military presses where sweet. Shoulders are coming together.

Assisted Pull-ups. Four sets of 12, 10, 8, and 6 reps.
One Arm DB rows: 12x20kg

The Pull-ups where heavily assisted, but its just what i need for my back. I ordered a set of assisted pull up bands for the home gym.

BB Bench Press: 12x50kg, 8x60, 8x65, 6x70, 12x50kg
DB Flies: 12x11kg
Cable flies: 12x40kg

BB Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
DB Curls: 12x11kg

My lower back started to get tight with these. Stretching worked it out.

BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x30
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x15kg

The was a great workout. I am not clear on the figures as the dumbells are unmarked and I did not feel like taking the time to count the weights.

Diet: Made the best of it on a travel day. had grilled salmon for lunch in Luxembourg, fruit for breakfest and a chicken ceasers salad for dinner.

Cardio

I did something to my lower back so I skipped the swings. On my right lower side I get intermittent mild pain and stiffness. Stretching helps. At first I thought it was the good morning, but now think I twisted it when I lost my balance trying to practice a new kettlebell drill. Foolishly I was in side on the wood floors so I had to rescue the weight when I lost my balance rather then just throw them to the ground. This is the only thing that makes sense. I will have to watch it closely.
5 Min Turkish Get-ups with 20kg KB. No problems with the back.
A very hard 20 min run. I am increasing my pace at the lower intervals.
Diet: could not have been a lot better today. I have really mastered eating sensibly. It does take a lot of work though.

Lower Body

Changed up the workout some: Start of a 12 week cycle.

Leg Extensions: 12x20kg, 10x25kg, 8x30kg, 6x35kg
Front Squats: 12x30kg

Leg Curls: 12x20kg, 10x25kg, 8x30kg, 6x35kg
Good Mornings: 12x30kg, 12x20kg

Toe Risers: 5 sets 30x20kg

Torso Twist with the bands: 4 sets of 12 each side.

4 sets of 25 crunches

Diet: On track

Cardio

5min of 20kg KB Turkish Get-ups

160 swings with the 20kg KB in 8 min. 9 (7,040lb) Goal of 200 is within reach.

20 min run High Intensity Interval. I hit my intensity target. My legs held together, but my aerobic capacity is getting stronger than my legs so it is becoming a different kind of challenge to hit the exertion peaks in my goals.

It is worth noting that today is the completion of an important milestone. I have worked out steadily 6 days a week for 12 weeks and kept my diet well controlled in the same period. I am seeing results, but this is not the end, only a beginning.

Upper Body

BB Bench Press: 12x50kg, 8x60, 8x65, 6x70, 12x50kg
DB Flies: 12x11kg

Completed all sets.
Moved up the flies 1kg.

DB Military Press: 12x15kg, 10x17, 8x19, 6x21, 11x15
Side Raises: 12x11kg

Upped weight 1kg on both. Completed all sets---just barely completed the presses.

Bent BB Rows: 12x35kg, 10x40, 8x50, 6x60, 12x40
One ArmDB Rows: 12x15kg-R,12x15kg-L

Upped all the weights. The rows felt good. I have been working them too light.

BB Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
DB Curls: 12x11kg

This got sloppy. I need to use the 1.25kg weights as imcrementing with the 2.5's is too steep.

BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x30
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x15kg


Great workout.

Diet:

On Track with portions and choices, but too few meals are leaving me with less energy.

Cardio

5min of Turkish Get-Ups 20kg

140 20kg KB Swings in 7 min (6,160lb)

Felt better this time.

20 min Run -High Intensity Interval

The swings, together with the lower body workout last night, completely fried my legs. My intensity peaks lost focus mid-way, but I pulled it back. Ended the run short of normal peaks. Legs where like lead. In whole--Great workout.

Diet: Doing good. Recalcualted BMR and I should be on track to lose 2lb per week. I estimate I am running a 1200 calorie dialy restriction.

Lower Body - Evening

Squats: 12x50kg, 10x60kg, 8x70kg, 6x80kg, 12x55kg
Leg Extensions: 12x25kg

Leg Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
DB Lunges: 12x9kg(x2 =18kg)

Toe Risers: 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30xBW

Torso Twists: 4 sets of 12 reps L&R

Crunches: 5 sets of 20

Diet: On track to hit six meals today. Lookig good.

Cardio-- Morning

Skipped the KB warm up today.

21 min HIIT run. I lost track and added a minute. My watch is broken so I am haveing to make do with a crappy stop watch.

Diet: Only 4 meals. I had to go into A'dam for an appointment and the metro was shut. Slowed my travel so I did not get back in time to get some decent food.

Upper Body

DB Military Press: 12x14kg, 10x16, 8x18, 6x20, 11x14
Side Raises: 12x10kg

Time to edge up the weight on these.

BB Bench Press: 12x50kg, 8x60, 8x65, 6x70, 12x50kg
DB Flies: 12x10kg

Just barely completed the sets. good effort.

Bent BB Rows: 12x35kg, 10x40, 8x45, 6x50, 12x35
One ArmDB Rows: 12x14kg-R,12x14kg-L

I need to get going on the assisted pull ups. I don't think is going to get me any farther. Time to add Deads.

BB Curls: 12x20kg, 10x25, 8x30, 6x35, 12x25
DB Curls: 12x10kg

Perfect form no rocking, Progress is slow here.

BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x30
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x14kg

Tried these with my head at the bottom of the bench. I have a tight space. This worked, but it was awkward getting in position. Good form.

Diet: Did well today, got most of my meals in and made good choices.

Cardio Day

KB Swings 5 sets of 20x20kg

100 swings with the 20kg Kettlebell in 5 minutes. This is a 25% increase in weight, but felt twice as hard. I think I have over restricted calories in the last few days. Only 4400lb lifted.

5 1/2 minutes of Turkish Get Ups with 20kg Kettlebell.

Felt Good. Felt Strong. The 16kg Kettlebell is starting to look small. Time to order the 24kg Kettlebele. Can't have progress getting to my head.

20 minute run with high intensity interval training.

Came up a little short on distance, but reached my goals for intensity. The final sprint was particularly challenging, but was accomplished.

Diet: As above great food choices, small portions, not enough meals so too few calories. The balance is tricky.

Tomorrow is my rest day and monday starts week 12!

Lower Body

Evening:

Squats: 12x50kg, 10x60kg, 8x70kg, 6x80kg, 12x50kg
Leg Extensions: 12x25kg

I upped the Squats again to a max of 80kg. I have no trouble with the weight, but the right form is extremely challenging. I reviewed some of the Squat RX videos for guidance. These are good vids. Still need a leg press machine.

Leg Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
DB Lunges: 12x9kg(x2 =18kg)

Toe Risers: 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg, 30x20kg,
Torso Twists: 4 sets of 12 reps L&R

Crunches: Body weights 4 sets of 20

Diet. Too few meals. Low calories—too low and affecting my energy for the workout.

Cardio

Late Evening.

I was lazy and did not get to my workout till very late.


5 min of 16kg Turkish Get Ups.
20x16kg Snatches Left, 20x16kg Snatches Right

20 minutes interval training. Once again ran harder and farther, by a few feet, than previous. No walking breaks in the run.

Diet.

Low Calorie day, but felt ok. I dont' get to all my meals.

Upper Body

Early Evening work out.


DB Military Press: 12x14kg, 10x16, 8x18, 6x20, 11x14
Side Raises: 12x10kg

Completed all sets—progress. I should edge up the weight.

BB Bench Press: 12x50kg, 8x55, 8x55, 6x60, 12x50kg
DB Flies: 12x10kg

Significant step up starting with 15kg weights. Could not complete all sets. I need to press forward with this load out.

Bent BB Rows: 12x30kg, 10x35, 8x40, 6x45, 12x35One Arm
DB Rows: 12x14kg-R,12x14kg-L

Time to switch out routines for upper back exercises.

BB Curls: 12x20kg, 10x25, 8x30, 6x35, 12x25
DB Curls: 12x9kg

Biceps seem to be weaker than they where weeks ago. Develpoment has been slow. Press forward.

BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x30
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x14kg

More than anything I need to switch up my routine. I need to rethink a work out plan and look to cycle to new exercises more frequently.

Diet:
Still too few meals, but calories are in line and made good food choices. Keeping with L-Glutamine. I don’t notice a faster recovery, but then its hard to measure.
Good strong day.

Cardio -- Morning,

All prior to first meal of the day:

Warm up:

200 swings on a 16kg Kettlebell in 10 minutes. 10 sets of 20--that is over 7000 pounds tossed up to eye level.

Run:

Standard 20 min interval. Good energy and intensity. Wavered in the last intensity set, but re-focused for the last three minutes. Went farther than ever before in same program.

Diet: started off with a shake. Outlook looks good as I have all the quality food around for the day.

Lower Body

Feel stronger. Progress is slow but I could be still to the program better. Still progress is progress.


Squats: 12x50kg, 10x60kg, 8x70kg, 6x75kg, 12x55kg
Leg Extensions: 12x25kg

I upped the Sqauts without even realizing it. 170lb! I still need to be careful. I am blocking well but I need to take care of my knees. Need some study and or coaching soon. Wish I had a leg press machine I could move to for a few weeks.


Leg Curls: 12x25kg, 10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
DB Lunges: 12x9kg

Upped everything today. Felt strong.

Toe Risers: 25x10kg, 25x20, 25x20, 25x20
Torso Twists: 3 sets of 12 reps L&R with a static weight (14kg DB) in other hand.
Crunches: Body weight 3 sets of 20

Diet. Too few meals. Good food choices--no cheating

Upper Body

Upper Body morning workout.-- 60 min on the nose.

DB Military Press: 12x14kg, 10x16, 8x18, 6x20, 11x14
Side Raises: 12x10kg
BB Bench Press: 12x40kg, 10x50, 8x55, 5x60, 12x45kg
DB Flies: 12x10kgBent
BB Rows: 12x30kg, 10x35, 8x40, 6x45, 12x35
One Arm DB Rows: 12x14kg-R,12x14kg-L
BB Curls: 12x20kg, 10x25, 8x30, 6x35, 12x25
DB Curls: 12x9kg
BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x20kg, 10x25, 8x30, 6x35, 12x25
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x14kg

Felt good.

Starting L-Glutimine today. I will hold off on creatine for a while. My primary goal right not is to loose fat and I don't really have trouble with energy in my workouts.

Diet: Good so far, the day has just begun.

Tomorrow is a rest day and monday starts with lower Body.

Cardio

Late night run. I almost did not do it, but I think the thought of leaving today's entry blank pushed me over the edge.

Great run, interval intesity was dead on. Felt great. Usually I do about 10 minutes of swings or snatches with the kettle bell before my run but not today. I think that is why I felt so strong in the run. It is good to switch up your work out in differant ways. I think this allowed me to peak intensity levels.

My right trap is still tight, but I am going to hit upper body again tomorrow. I am trying to work out streteches for the trap and the cascade of muscles that run up the neck.

Diet: 5 meals good choices. Being back home makes a huge difference in quality food.

Onward and upward.

Cardio

Up @ 6am & 20 min run outside Hotel in Luxembourg.

Run was good but the rolling hills worked against the structured intensity levels of my interval training.

Exausted back in hotel and took a nap. I need a full 8 hours. Not sure I ever did very well without it.

Diet: Diet was not overdone calorie, but with poor food choices. I led a meeting all day so I missed several small meals. It is very difficult to stay on the diet on the road. There are few off the shelf choices in stores or resteraunts that come anywhere near to matching a reasonable conditioning diet. Late steak dinner and ungarnished backed potatoe was not far from target, but the cut of meat, 300g flank steak, could have been leaner.

Lower Body

Squats: 12x50kg, 10x60kg, 8x60kg, 6x65kg, 12x50kg
Leg Extensions: 12x20kg

Squats are getting heavy. Focused on great form which made the exercise more demanding mentally than physically. I did well and kept the box really tight though I was so upright, I almost lost my balance once. Need to be careful moving into this kind of weight. I need to watch the entire Squat Rx series.

Leg Curls: 12x20kg, 10x25, 8x30, 6x35, 12x20
DB Lunges: 12x8kg

Move up 5kg to start

Toe Risers: 25x10kg, 25x15, 25, 20
Torso Twists: 3 sets of 12 reps L&R with a static weight (14kg DB) in other hand.

No resting between risers and twists.

Crunches: Body weight 3 sets of 20
KB Torso Twists: 10x12kg L&R

KB Torso twists are with two kettle bells, light this time, in a deep squat and alternating high presses L&R while rotating Torso. This works the obliques and demands, extreme balance, concentration, and coordination of entire torso.

Diet: Not bad. 5 high quality meals today for about 1800 Calories.

Deadlifts are calling me—need to get busy with those. Tomorrow I run.

Right trap is uncomfortably tense. Might need to get it worked on.

Upper Body

DB Military Press: 12x14kg, 10x16, 8x18, 6x20, 12x14 * barely finished 20kg set.
Side Raises: 12x9kg
BB Bench Press: 12x40kg, 10x50, 8x55, 6x60, 12x45kg
DB Flies: 12x9kg
Bent BB Rows: 12x30kg, 10x35, 8x40, 6x45, 12x35
One Arm DB Rows: 12x14kg-R,12x14kg-L
BB Curls: 12x25kg10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25, *did not compete 40kg set
DB Curls: 12x9kg
BB Tricep Ext (lying): 12x25kg10x30, 8x35, 6x40, 12x25
Standing Tricep DB extensions: 12x14kg

Right at one hour. Changing out DB weights was slow. Good overdue upper body workout. Gave special focus to blocking for the bent over rows and they where much harder with that focus. That must mean I did it right.

Diet:

Note enough meals, low calorie intake today(1800 max).

On the Road

Lost a week due to travel to Copenhagen.. No gym in the hotel. I did some cardio, running along the beach in Helsingor, but the week is essentially flat.

I came in at the end of it 4lb lighter, but don't trust week by week body weight shifts anymore. I kept calories in check, but diet was right--too much crap. Back on schedule next week.