Current Stats

Total weight lifted 2015: 3.6 M lbs
('14-6.5M, '13-6.6M, '12-8M, '11-5.2M)
Total cardio logged 2015: 22.0 hours
Current body weight 301 lbs, Height 6'8

Here's my lifting progress!






Progress!

Progress!

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

My diet 4 weeks out from a competition

I'm not an expert, but I am speaking from experience.  I formulate and sell dietary supplements, professionally, which does give me some insight that others may not have.  As I'm injured and haven't been lifting heavy or a lot in the past two weeks, I wanted to highlight what I'm ingesting with less than a month to go until Utah's Strongest Man 2014.

I've been taking a gainer from GNC, Re-Built Mass, and getting good results.  I felt a bit of a peak a few weeks back, so I've gone off of it for now.  I plan to re-incorporate it in about a week, with the hopes of it helping me re-peak at the time of the show.  Most other gainers get me the calories that I need, but I definitely felt some other boosts from this product.

Now, I'm an MP guy...MusclePharm is awesome!  Unfortunately MP doesn't make a gainer, but their Arnold Series does have its Mass product.  I like it, but it is more designed for a bodybuilder than a strongman.  So in my time off from Re-Built Mass, I'm taking Arnold Mass as a protein source with extra calories.  A bit of a test, but I'll know in a few weeks, if the sub-out helped increase potency of the Re-Built or not!

In addition, here's what else I'm eating/taking each day:
  1. MP Amino1 (1 serving per day)
  2. MP MuscleGel (This is an isolate goo, basically; 1 serving per day)
  3. MP Combat Casein (2 servings right before bed)
    1. With the Arnold Iron Mass, MuscleGel and Casein, I'm getting about 120 grams of protein every day, from different sources.  I try to match/exceed that amount from food - lean meats, yogurt, milk and some grain sources, to get around 250 grams, total.
  4. Peanut Butter with Flax (Trader Joe's!) - good for EFAs and another 10 grams of protein
  5. Animal Pak Multi
  6. I'm not really counting calories, seldom do.  I'd guess I'm in the 6,000 - 7,000 range every day.
  7. I've cut out creatine altogether, for now.  I'll add it back in with just under 3 weeks to go.
  8. No pre-workouts right now, either
My body-weight is holding in the ~300 lb range.  I float about 5 lbs in either direction, any given day depending on how tough my workout was, what I worked-out, etc.  I can't seem to add any more weight, but as long as I'm getting stronger, irrelevant, I suppose.

That's what I'm eating, so stay tuned and we'll see how it works out!  Thanks for reading!

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Tuesday and Wednesday workouts

I've still got the pain in my wrists and left knee, so I stayed light, again, today.  I made sure to get some good motions in, and kept the weight light, but logged enough volume that I'll hopefully get something out of the lifts.  Here's what I did yesterday and today:

9/2/2014
Weight Reps
Stretching
Shoulder work cords 25 250
Standing press 45 30
95 15
145 12
165 6
185 4
115 15
95 15
45 100
Step-ups 300 90
300 60
Abs 60 150
Axle holds 135 120
10 min cardio
9/3/2014
Weight Reps
Stretching
Curls 25 30
35 24
35 24
35 24
part of super set 25 20
Rack pulls 135 15
225 12
225 12
225 12
135 15
part of super set 135 20
Bent rows 95 15
95 15
95 15
95 15
95 15
part of super set 95 20
Romanian deadlift part of super set 135 20
Band rows part of super set 150 20
Abs 60 120
CoC 170 40

I've been stretching and rolling, as time allows, in the evenings.

Nutrition has been solid.  Today I've had:

1. Re-built Mass
2. Amino1
3. Iron Test
4. Move Free

I've likely had about 180 grams of protein, so far, today.  I'll aim to get to 250 before the day is done.

Tomorrow will be a rest day, with some stretching and maybe light biking if I can.

Thanks for reading, and until next time!

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Injured!

I haven't posted in over a week because I went and injured myself.  I'm not hurt badly, but enough that I basically had to take the week off, last week.  It was about 24 hours after my Saturday super-workout that I realized my knee hurt, and attributed it to running with farmers and yoke.  My wrists were carry-over injuries from 2 weeks, prior.

I did manage some stretching and a few light lifts, over the past week, as follows:

MON-TUE: REST
WED: Band work (50lb) for legs, Shoulder rehab bands (25lb), light shoulders, abs
TH: Bench up to 215x15; kept it light, and did volume
FRI: REST
SAT: Swimming and Stretching
SUN: REST
MON: Rolled-out and stretched

My left knee is giving me some issues and both of my wrists hurt.  It is enough pain that I'm trying to be really careful, but the problem is that Utah's Strongest Man is in 1 month (date just moved-up to October 4th!).  I've got a catch 22 on my hands, as I need to minimize training to heal...but I need to be training! 

In the meantime, I'm trying to at least remain limber, and to keep getting enough quality nutrition.  Here's what I'm taking right now (not all every day!):

MusclePharm ArmorV (multi)
MusclePharm BCAA 3:1:2 Watermelon
MusclePharm Amino1 (days off)
MusclePharm Recon (after workouts)
Arnold Iron Test (brand new, just started yesterday)
Arnold Iron Mass Vanilla
GNC Re-Built Mass Triple Chocolate
MusclePharm Assault Pineapple Mango (during workouts)

Seems like quite a bit of stuff, but basically a multi every day, plenty of protein and calories, and recovery/hydration agents.  Hopefully, at least on the nutrition front, I won't be off my game, while my knee and wrists are healing.

I plan to lift today with whoever can make it, so I'll try to post tomorrow.  Thanks for reading!