7/31 Chest and Arms Growth Day

Chest

Flat DB Bench Press 4 sets of 8 with 65lbs (increased 5lbs since Monday)
Incline DB Bench Press 4 sets of 12 with 45lbs (when the angle on Incline is 2 high my shoulder bothers me)
Triset 4 sets all done with 12 reps each
Machine Flyes (horrible machine, wrecked havoc on my shoulder)
Assisted Dips (really focusing on squeezing the pecs)
Pullovers

Biceps
Ez-Bar Curls 4 sets of 12 reps with 50lbs
Seated DB Curls 4 sets of 8 reps with 25lbs
Occlusion Training- Cable Preacher 4 sets to failure

Triceps
EZ-Bar SkullCrushers 4 sets of 12 with 70lbs (this is the best tricep builder IMO)
Cable Reverse Pulldowns 4 sets of 12
Overhead French Presses 3 sets of 12 with 50lbs
Bench Dips to failure 1 set of 25 reps


Notes: Productive workout, got a good pump in the arms, but machine both the shit out of my shoulder, i will dump all machine movements for now, i am excited with my benching numbers today, i am getting back to almost 100%

CRAZY PHONE CALL!

I just recieved a phone call from......

DAN LURIE!!!

Dan Lurie started the IFBB, published many books....he even trained Lou Ferrigno
you can find out more about Dan here
http://www.danlurie.com/

He is an amazing guy...he called me to wish me luck on Mr.Jones Beach Contest!!!!

We must have talked for about 20 minutes, he is running an ad in the paper for the show and he wants to use some of my pictures!!!!

I AM SO PUMPED FROM THIS CALL...I WANNA GO BACK TO THE GYMMM

I CANT WAIT TO COMPETE IN THIS SHOW!!!!

7/30 Cardio Day

OCB- Mid-Atlantic States: Days Remaining: 25
Mr. Jones Beach Contest: Days Remaining: 26

Today is my double session of cardio

1st session:
15 minutes Posing
Light Leg Circuit
15 HIIT Interval Sprints

2nd Session
Light AB Circuit
30 Min Low Intensity Cardio with heart rate at 140-150bpm

Notes: I am feeling good, starting to tighten up real nice
I have been putting off shaving for lack of time, but i will get to it before this weekend!

Got to run and study for a test tomm!

Quick Rant

Ok so i was at my friends gym (hes a manager there) and i met his boss.....My friend must have told his boss about me because he was like "o Yury has told me a lot about you"...The guy then proceeded to tell me how he was a bodybuilder for so long and he did so well until he tore his pecSo i worked out with my friend then left the gym (i was wearing a tank top)....called my friend later in the day and asked him what his boss said about meso my friend proceeded to tell meHe said that you were a down to earth guy, "He's skinnier then i thought" But "Hes ripped to pieces"I ABSOLUTELY HATE WHEN PEOPLE CALL ME SKINNY! PET PEEVE....my whole life i was called skinnny.....when i first started eating right people always used to say "Dont diet your skinny already".....I hear it from people at the gym all the time....u look to skinny.....r u sick! i hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I never wore tank tops when i was younger because i was embarrassed about my arms.....it annoys the ******* outta me when peolple call me skinny now!!!!I am dieting and flat.....so people please dont ever call a dieting bodybuilder skinny!!!!!

end rant!

7/29 Legs

26 Days Remaining til Contest 1
27 Days Remaining til Contest 2

Started training off with 10 minutes of posing...actually 12 but whose counting ;)

Barbell Squats (Light, i dont want to risk the heavy bar pushing down compressing my shoulder)
4 sets of 95lbs for 15 reps each set.....feet close in
Occlusion Training- Cybex Leg Extensions 4 sets of 12-15 reps
DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 5 sets of 6 reps 70lbs with a pause on the bottom
Cybex Standing Hamstring Curls 3 sets of 12 reps
1-Leg Standing Calve Raise 4 sets of 12 reps
Seated Calve Raises 4 sets 15 reps with dropsets

Notes: Awesome Workout today, I am actually starting to get back into a full blown routine again...i did light squats just prepping my body to get used to the weight on my shoulders again....to think at the beginning of my prep i was bench squatting 500lbs! I'll be back there soon

Side Note: I was having a conversation today with a vetern natural bodybuilder in my gym today. He watched me pose and said good things....He recommened a supplement to me "BSN- NITRIX". He told me that right now i am flat because i am calorie and carb deprived (this happens when training for a contest) he told me that supplement will help my cells be able to uptake the carbs that i am eating....making me fuller and more vascular (which is what i need). I usually never really listen to the "advice" others give but it got me thinking....i did some research read some reviews and it looks like a solid supplement..this supplement takes about 3-4 weeks until you get the full effects so if i was to take this now...it would be perfect going into my show....The only problem is I am not Donald Trump....Between my food bills, current supplements, tuition, Health insurance (yes someone as healthy as me has health coverage) and other bills on top of all that i really can not afford to add another supplement to my list...I need to start an Anthony Fund! so for those of you out there looking for an edge this supplement is definately worth the money!
Here is a link to the supplement
http://www.dpsnutrition.net/get_item_bs036.htm

7/28 Upper Body Power

First off 27 DAYS TO GO!

Here is todays Upperbody workout

Barbell Row 4 sets of 8 with (135lbs)
DB Bent Over Row 4 sets of 8 with 40lbs
T-Bar Rows 4 sets of 8 reps with 2 plates
Seated DB Lateral Raises 4 sets of 8 reps with 20lbs
Bent Over Lateral Raises 4 sets of 8 reps with 15lbs
DB Bench Press 4 sets of 8 reps with 60lbs
Pec Deck 4 sets of 12 reps with 55lbs

Tried Something new since i cant really go heavy with anything
Arm Occlusion Training

Supersetted
Cable Preacher Curls 4 sets
Tricep Rope Pushdown 4 sets

Spider Curls 4 sets
Cable Over Ext 4 sets

Notes: Workout was really good, finally getting back into the groove of things....Since this injury i have really improved my Mind-Muscle Connection which is key when working out to begin with
So maybe this was a blessing in hiding!

Catching up on Events

Friday 7/25
Well as most of you know....this injury has prevented me from competing in a virtual powerlifting....Today was suppose to be the day i lift with one of my good friends/client....Yury Katsman. I have known Yury for about 13 years and for as long as i have known him he is far from being "fit". I approached him with the idea of doing a virtual powerlifting meet with me, he gladly welcome the idea and joined. Now since i was unable to compete due to my injury i am happy to say that Yury still competed and did very well. I set him up with a routine to build up some strength and gain some muscle. This is the first time i ever seen Yury on a consistent workout routine.....He did very well in his meet and i could not be more proud of him taking one more step toward getting healthier and the next time we do a virtual powerlifting meet again he has vowed to be all his lifts!

Yury's Final Lift Amounts
Squats
405lbs

Deadlifts
365lbs

Bench Press
225lbs

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7/26 Saturday Back and Shoulders

This workout was very instinctual and i went by feel

Pullups
Bent Over Rows 4 sets
Deadlifts 4 sets
Lateral Raises 4 sets
Rear Delt Raises 4 sets
Light Shrugs 4 sets

I have been avoiding any kind of shoulder press as they gve me the most trouble...but other then that everything is good to go

---------------------------------------------------------------------
7/27 Cardio Day

Am session
Light Legs
15 HIIT Sprints 45 light/ 15 seconds hard
5 min cooldown


PM Session
Heavy Ab Circuit
30 minutes of Low Intensity Cardio HR @ 140-150 bpm

VEGAS HERE I COME!

So its official i will be going to the Mr. Olympia Contest in Vegas!!!!
I booked the trip just now....The Olympia runs from Sept 25th to Sept 28th and it should be a fun filled vacation for me

The best part about the trip is......its 5 days after my last contest of the year....so it will be a great time for me to unwind and relax
The plan is to stay on my diet after the last contest and go to vegas and enjoy myself for the weekend....so this gives me motivation to not pig out after my contests!!

I am so pumped for a vacation....i need one badly!

7/24 Chest and Arms!

Getting my Swole on at the gym for the first time in a while

Flat DB Press
4 sets of 12 with 60lb DBs pause at the bottom

Incline Barbell Press
4 sets of 12

Flat DB Flyes
4 sets of 12

Heres where the crazyness took place
Rested between 30-45 seconds

Seated DB Curls 4 sets of 8-12
Spider Curls 4 sets of 8-12
Concentration Curls 4 sets of 12

SkullCrushers 4 sets of 12
Reverse Grip Cable Pulldown 4 sets of 12
Overhead EZ-Bar Extensions 4 sets of 12
Supersetted with
4 sets Reverse Curls

Rope Cable Extensions
Supersetted with
Assisted dips with pause on the bottom

Notes: Awesome Workout, man i was so pumped
I was going to superset arms completely but i figured i should focus on each muscle group seperate....I felt really good, shoulder bothered me on Incline Barbell....might get rid of the barbell and stick with DB Incline

Posing: 15 min before bed

Mood: Feeling good on the re-feed!

Current Supplements:
Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per dayGeneric-Multi 1 per day

Contest Info:
Contest 1: 29 days out
Contest 2: 30 days out

Injury Update: Not to bad, Therapist said i am almost back to 100%
:D

7/23 Double Session Cardio

Hello everyone


7/23 Cardio

AM Session:
Light Leg Circuit
15 HiiT Sprints

15 min Posing


PM Session:
Light Ab Circuit
30 min Low Intensity Cardio


Notes: Cardio Days are always fun.....Everyday i am seeing new veins....its getting close



Teaser Pic

7/22 Legs and Posing

Leg Days Are always fun and bring out the best in you!!

Despite no heavy Squats i still managed to kill it today

Leg Curls Supersetted with Leg Extensions
4 sets of 15 reps

Stiff Legged DB Deadlifts supersetted with Leg Press
4 sets of 15 reps

Cybex Weight Loaded Single Leg Extensions supersetted with Glute Raises
4 sets of 15 reps

Seated Calve Raises
4 sets of 15

Leg Press Calve Raises
4 sets of 15

Cybex Single Leg Raises
4 sets of 15

Notes: Legs felt good today....Running out of exercises but these seems to be working fine for now....next leg day i might try some lunges....Just Under 5 weeks out and gotta get this going! Crazy results in my legs in the past 2 weeks.....lets see what another 4 weeks can do....plus i didnt break out my secret weapon yet!

Mood: Got that tired feeling back again, actually kind of missed it!

Posing:15 minutes done B4 training and 10 minutes done Later on

Current Supplements:Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per day
Generic-Multi 1 per day

Injury Update: I was able to get a good session of posing done today....shoulder felt alil weird on the back poses but by the end of this week i should be hitting it hard again

One more catchup + Upper Body Days are back!

Sunday 7/20
Cardio Double Time

Am:
Light Leg Circuit
15 min HiiT Cardio
5 min cooldown

PM:
Heavy Ab Circuit
30 min Low Intensity Cardio with Heart Rate at 145-150bpm

Posing:
None, due to shoulder

Current Supplements:
Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per day
Generic-Multi 1 per day

Notes: I actually love doing double sessions of cardio....Breaks up my day and i feel like i get more done on my "off" days

Injury Update: Visited the Doctor for a follow up he said all looks well, he told me to not worry about anything and that this injury is just a really bad spasm and it has nothing to do with any nerves...He gave me some more Antiinflammatories and sent me on my way

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7/21 Upper Body

Wide Grip Cable Pulldown
4 sets of 12 reps

Barbell Rows
4 sets of 12 reps

DB Rows
4 sets of 12 reps

DB Bench Press
4 sets of 12 reps

Incline Barbell Bench Press
4 sets of 12 reps

DB Flyes Supersetted with DB Rear Delt Raises
2 sets of 15 reps

Seated DB Lateral Raises
4 sets of 12 reps

Machine Shoulder Press
3 sets of 12 reps

Spider Curls Supersetted with SkullCrushers w/ Ez-Barbell
5 sets of 12 reps

Occulsion Training for Arms
Reverse-Grip Pushdowns Supersetted with Cable Curls
3 sets of 12 reps

1 Arm DB Extensions Supersetted with DB Curls
4 sets of 12-15 reps

Rehab Exercises
3 sets

Cardio/Posing:
None

Current Supplements:
Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per day
Generic-Multi 1 per day

Notes: All i can say is WOW....its feels like i finally had a good upperbody workout....I was able to use some decent weight....i used 50lb DB for Chest haha i was very happy with that....last week i used 15lbs lol
One of my clients directed me to a quote that got me fired up for the gym today....here is the quote:
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”- Arnold Schwarzenegger

When i read the quote it was almost as though i could picture Arnold saying it to me.....Theres no way i was going to feel sorry for myself.....just work around this and keep moving forward......Iam under 5 weeks to go!!! LETS DO THIS!

Injury Update: What injury....I AM A MACHINE!

In all seriousness i feel a lot better today....THANK GOD!

7/19 Back and Shoulders

Barbell Bent Over Rows
4 sets 12 reps

Assisted Pullups
4 sets of 12 reps

Rack Deadlifts
4 sets of 12

DB Seated Lateral Raises
4 sets of 12
supersetted with
DB Rear Lateral Raises
4 sets of 12

DB Press
did 1 set, felt weird so i stopped

Rehab Exercises
3 sets of 12 reps

Notes: Someone came up to me actually during the middle of this workout and told me "Your looking Huge man!" lol i couldnt help but smirk at this comment, i feel so small, flat and depleted!
Back felt good, even laterals i felt pretty good, but when it came to presses i just listened to my body and stopped

Cardio/Posing:
None

Current Supplements:
Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per day
Generic-Multi 1 per day

Injury Update:
Shoulder felt pretty good, sometimes it feels "tight" but i am definately getting there

More Updates to follow...............................

7/18 Legs

On the road to recovery: Leg Day

Cybex Leg Extensions
5 sets of 12-15 reps

Cybex Leg Press
5 sets of 12-15 reps

Hammer Strength Single Leg Extensions
5 sets of 12-15 reps

Cybex Single Leg Curls
5 sets of 12-15 reps

Cybex Glute Raises
5 sets 12-15 reps

Leg Press Calve Raises
10 sets of 12-15 reps

Cardio/Posing:
None

Current Supplements:
Scivation Whey
Scivation Xtend
Advanced Muscle Science- Hypertrop X
Scivation Dialene 4- 2 caps 2x per day
Scivation Sesamin- 3 caps per day
Primaforce CLA- 3 caps per day
Generic- Calcium, Vitamin D + C, Zinc- 3 caps b4 bed
Fish Oil 3 caps per day
Generic-Multi 1 per day

Notes:
Good workout, Next week i am going to hit legs hard again, i have to avoid squats, hacks and stuff like that so i am going take full advantage of the leg extension machines and the leg press!

Injury Update:
Getting there, felt ok during legs no problems what so ever

More Updates to follow...............................

Quick Rant

This "injury" is hard on me because whenever i do a contest (or anything for that matter) i put so much pressure on myself....and the fact that i cant train as hard and the thought that my competition is out there training harder then me...kills me. i want to give 100% to everything i commit myself too and the fact that i cant gets to me....This injury is consuming my thoughts and my emotions, i cant let this beat me!

I feel beaten down by this....but i must rise to the occassion and use my hard work and dedication to get rid of this!

i am not throwing in the towel, i cant and i wont let myself! theres no way i could!
God is testing me....he blessed me with good genetics and is testing me to see how bad i want this....anyone else would have given up and had that slice of pizza after the hospital but not me
I want to be able to step on stage....stand center stage and WIN! i can see it and feel it!

Can i turn this around and come out victorious? We will soon see!

END RANT!

7/17 Chest and Arms

So today i decided it would be a good idea to get some light chest and arms just to keep things moving

Barbell Bench Press
5 sets of 12 reps
95lbs for 12 reps :(

Barbell Incline
5 sets of 12

DB Flyes
4 sets
10lbs for 12 reps

Seated Bicep Curls
15lbs for 12 reps
4 sets

Cable curls
3 sets
Supersetted with
Tricep Rope Cablepushdown

Machine Dips
3 sets

Lower-trap Shoulder exercises

Notes:
It felt good to actually be in the gym and do some work.....just sucks with the weight i was using....depressed me alittle bit. I prob could have done alittle more weight but i really dont want to push it

the shoulder is doing better...day by day its getting there

I feel like crap....i am letting this shoulder consume every thought in my mind! i have to really stop and relax.....hopefully i can get to the beach this weekend and just relax

Everyone keeps telling me how skinny i look....so thats a good sign! i am definately alot leaner then last week but i flattened out alittle bit (definately a given though)

Hope everyone is doing well with their own training as well

TAKE CARE!

7/16 Cardio Day

On the road to recovery

Today is my cardio day........

1st Session
Light leg circuit.....Leg extensions supersetted with lying leg curl (i was able to do lying curls with no weird feeling)
then
5 minute Warmup
15 High Intensity Sprints
5 minute cooldown

on tap for tonight

Light ab circuit
30 minutes low intensity cardio with my heart rate at 140-150 bpm

Recovery Notes:
I woke up this morning with not feeling "unstable" in my arm....so that is a really good sign
My bicep tendon has flared up on my left shoulder causing tightness....but this pain is residual so i am not worried...Therapist worked on me today and gave me the go ahead for light DB chest tomm

Very happy about that!!

I am getting there...one day at a time!

7/15 Legs

Day 3 on the road to recovery

Well today has been 3 days since this stupid injury....and i have to say with each passing day i am getting better and better

I have been icing my shoulder almost every hour on the hour for about 10-15 minutes....i am a lot looser then before which is a good sign

I hit up the gym today for some legs

The Dr and Physical Therapists that are working with me told me to avoid legs.....they both told me "stick with light leg extension, no pressure on that shoulder"

So ok they want light leg extensions they got light leg extensions

Cybex Leg Extensions (not holding on to the seat)
20 sets of 12 reps!
Supersetted with
Seated Calve Raises
10 sets of 20 reps

then i decided to hit up hamstrings
Standing leg curl (again not holding on)
20 sets of 10 reps

Then i hit up some abs
crunches
3 sets of 25 reps

Side crunches (which i went really slow as to not agrivate my shoulder)
3 sets of 20 reps

Broomstick twists (my shoulder felt weird with this so i decided to go slow and squeeze)
30reps

i must say despite my situation this workout was pretty good.....because the burn was so intense on my legs i forgot about the shoulder haha

I am trying so hard to correct this so that next week i will be able to deload my old workout and then get back on track

Diet is 100% on point
Supplementation is 100%

Everything is coming together....i might go through posing tonight but just flexing my legs....just go through the quarter turns flexing only my legs

i am trying to make a gallon of lemonade with 1 lemon!!!!!!

The moment of truth.....The time has arrived...... Your heart is racing.
Your veins are throbbing with carb-loaded blood. The hot lights are blinding you and all you can hear is one voice barking out orders as if you were in a prison line up.

"Quarter turn to the right, quarter turn to the right, quarter turn to the right, and face front."

With every turn, flashes of lights blind the weak and strengthen the strong. All the diet, cardio, and busting your ass on the iron for weeks on end. All for that brief window of time to show what you got on stage.

You might ask yourself, "Is it all worth it?" If you have to ask, it just might not be. This is bodybuilding. This is our world, our stage, our time to shine, and our moment of truth. This is what makes a bodybuilder--the stage, diet, cardio, the selfishness of body over life. Any gym rat can hit the weights hard and get big with eating and skipping the 4:00 am cardio sessions. But it takes a true bodybuilder to cut down and step into the light, it takes a true animal with killer instincts.

Let's face it, what it comes down to is bodybuilders must be able to gain quality weight in the off season and lose weight in season for contests. There are many differences in diet and training during these two totally different stages of the sport. When dieting for a contest, one will find their true self and show their true colors. A contest diet will bring out the dark side in all of us from time to time. Anytime you restrict fuel from your body it makes temptations greater. One of the biggest temptations on a diet is all around you?food.

It is what makes the world go round. When your metabolism is cranked up from eating every two hours, but hungry five minutes after you eat your meal, many thoughts cross your mind. Some of these thoughts might not nudge you in the right way. A weak normal person would give in, but a true bodybuilder, an animal, will stay focused. Contest dieting can change the way a person acts and thinks.One thing you must remember... You are a bodybuilder not a powerlifter. No one cares if you can bench seven hundred or one thirty five. All that matters is what you look like on stage. When you do diet for a show and are true to your self you will be stoked no matter what place you get, because you will know you gave it your all and that is all that matters. So when the lights hit you right in the face and at that moment you will know you did everything you could do to get where you are. Bodybuilding is an individual lifestyle and a contest is won or lost off stage not on? It is decided long before the house lights shine.

Bring it...

Today's prepartation determines tomorrows achievement.

The man who can not believe in himself can not believe in anything else...

- I had to post this awesome saying posted by Semper27!

The calm after the storm!

First off i want to say thank you to everyone for all your emails wishing me well! It always puts a smile on my face when someone responds to what i write :D

Well i woke up this morning feeling better, i am apply to rotate my scapula down and pull my left lat out alittle farther then yesterday...so this morning i was pretty happy

As most of you know besides being a fulltime personal trainer i also volunteer my time at a physical theraphy office to further my knowledge...Well that paided off big time for me!

After school today i went in to the office and had 3 therapists look me over....1 said "If i have no pain or numbness dont worry about"...the other 2 said that i might have strain the nerved alittle bit

Reguardless they hooked me up on electrical stimulation and gave me some ultra sound! The ultra sound really loosened me up....Ultra sound basically uses sound waves to break up knots.....and it was definately doing that to my shoulder.....my shoulder was doing a whole lot of twitching....I also got a very thorough stretch and was on my way to the gym

Todays workout was very instinctual....if i felt like i could do it i did it. I avoided any presses or flys.....i did bicep curls with 15lb Dumbells

Reality hit when i got home from the gym! I immediately got so depressed. I was doing so well prepping and then it feels like to me i hit a wall! I know things could be alot worse but this is a big deal for me right now.....It has only been 2 days since the injury happened but it feels like forever

I honestly dont know right now how i even feel....i have to just relax and get myself together and take this one day at a time!

I have a follow up appointment with the Dr this Sunday so i will find out the real answer then.....until then i have to remain calm and try to not get obsessed over this thing

Diet is on point and so is my supplementation

so tomm i am going to do some legs...i cant go heavy but i should be able to get some more work done then today!!

Now on to the bad news PART 2

On the set of hack squats....i guess i must have gripped the handle to tight or maybe i moved slightly but whatever happened after the 3rd set of hack squats i could not lift my arm above head!

i immediately thought it was a knot of some type or a spasm...so i continued on working out trying to massage the area

when leaving the gym i stretched my shoulder throughly...When i got home i moved my arm and crack....it was an instant relief...so i figured i might have had a bad knot of some type and i should be fine

When in my house i decided to continue to stretch and move my arm around.....i got down into a pushup position and boom there it was.....my scapula was winging out horribly from my body......i immediately knew something was up

I prepared my next meal and was off to the Emergency Room......I finally got to see a Dr and she moved my arm around alittle bit and walked out of the room.....confused and very hungry i decided to eat my meal.....The Dr comes back into the room to find me eating broccoli she seemed confused....so i explained to her i was a natural bodybuilder blah blah....and she proceeded to give me the bad news.....She told me i had Long Thorasic Nerve Entrapment!
I wanted to vomit the broccoli up.....She told me it would take anywhere from 3months to 1 year for it to heal properly...I immediately became dissappointed, tears came to my eyes. How could something i worked so hard for be taken away from me so fast....no powerlifting meet, no new trophies, not being able to compete for charity on the beach...I was with my mom and she saw the dissappointment in my eyes and asked if i wanted to get some pizza or something to eat. I rejected the offer figuring that it would only make me feel worse.

Getting home i immediately looked up Nerve entrapment and felt even worse when i started reading some of the injuries people had. I felt like i went from Hero to Zero! Thoughts began racing through my mind of not being able to lift a weight again and not getting to my ultimate goal......I stuck to my diet and prepared my food for the following day, then went right to bed

I woke up the next morning feeling alot less pressure in my left shoulder.....I was so confused how i had an entraped nerve with zero pain and full mobility of my shoulder..Before taking my weekly measurements i began to do some physical theraphy strengthening exercises on myself to help move the area around...I took my weekly measurements and was off to school for a final.....I decided it would be a good idea to go for a second opinion with my normal Dr. I thought it was impossible for the hospital to make a judgement like that without having taken an MRI or anything other then moving my arm around

So i went to school took the final and rushed home to the Doctor. i explained to the dr my exact pain and not telling him i went to the hospital last night to compare what they thought. This dr confirmed my intial feelings. It turns out i have a spasmed muscle which is causing my other muscles to lock up! He gave me some muscle relaxors and told me i should be fine within 7 days....he told me to avoid heavy lifting for a while and to be very careful in the gym....After he told me the good news i showed him the paper from the hospital....He looked at it and laughed...he explained to me that for a nerve entrapment to happen there usually has to be a force or trama.....he told me what i had was exercise related and i should get better fast....He said if you dont feel better within 7 days to come back and he will take an mri and give me a trigger point injection....but he told me its not that severe and that the "knot" wasnt so deep

I must have thanked the Doctor 100000000000 times
I told him that i will give him my trophy when i win it!

The contests are back on!!! I am back in the game! The only contest i will be unable to do is the virtual powerlifting meet.....but Bodybuilding is my true passion and to be allowed to this again made my week

(as i write this i have a heating pack on shoulder and i just removed the heating pack and moved my arm around to get a nice crack! wow i can get my scapula down alittle more)

Words cant describe how i feel right now

What a weekend!

I have had the scare of my life this weekend.....i am going to post this up as 2 different blogs

Bad news first

then the good news

7/12 Legs with WNBF Pro Rob Moran

Yesterday i had the pleasure of meeting up with and training with a Pro Natural Bodybuilder. Rob is an awesome guy and we had a great workout.

Heres a quick rundown of what we did
We started with
ATM Squats (Ass to Mat Squats)
4 sets ending off with 365 for a good 6 reps
then we moved on to

Deep Hack Squats
4 sets working up to 4 plates per side for 12 reps

Vertical Leg Press

4 sets getting up to 8 plates supersetted with
Barbell Lunges


Seated Leg Extention supersetted with lying leg Curls x 4 sets

1-leg Leg Curl Machine supersetted with Glutenator Machine x 3 sets

Standing Calf Raise x 2 sets

Donkey Calf Raise x 3 sets

Seated Calf Raise x 3 sets with drop set on 3rd

Followed this up with 10 minutes of Posing

It was a great workout......Rob and I pushed each other. I can honestly say that Rob is setting the standard for natural bodybuilding. He is 6 weeks out from his first pro show and looks unreal

We will be having many more intense workouts to come....that you can be sure off!
Here is a pic of rob!

7/11 V-Taper Day

Back and Shoulders-!

Well ever since i cut back on the calories some, I havent felt like a zombie as much as i did before...alittle weird

But it has been alittle hard to "wake up" for a workout

i need alittle more time to "warm up" before i get going.....

Bent Over Rows (did not feel awake yet)
275lbs with a wider grip for 8 reps

Cable Low Rows (getting there)
150lbs for 12 reps

Smith Machine Reverse Grip Rows (i was ready and raring after this one)
275lbs for 10 reps

Barbell Pullovers w/Ez-curl bar
135lbs for 10 reps (3 sets)

Upright Rows
135lbs for 8 reps

DB Shoulder Press
90lb DB's for 8 reps ?? :D

Machine Rear Delt Flyes
115lbs for 8 reps

Behind the Neck Barbell Shrugs
315lbs for 10 reps

Done!

Notes: After having my postworkout meal....i had some time to go in my families pool
so i did some non-stop swimming for about 10 minutes
Also sitting out taking the sun really dried me out......i saw viens in my chest and stomach that i have never seen b4 even in my legs!

Now a couple of hours later i am alittle burnt! but its ok that was my first time out in the sun all summer!!

Side Notes: i spoke with Rob today about tomm's workout.....Rob is a really nice guy and i am really looking forward to tomm!! I am going to give him a run for his money!!

have a good friday everyone!

7/10 Chest and Arms

Chest and Arms
Incline Cable Flyes
60lbs for 12 reps PR!

Incline DB Press
105lbs for 6 reps

Weighted Dips
bw + 45lbs for 12 reps

Incline DB Curls
50lbs for 6 reps, rest paused til i got 10 reps

Alternating DB Curls
40lbs for 15 reps

Ez-Barbell Extension Skullcrushers
135lbs for 8 reps

Cable V-bar Pushdowns
100lbs for 12 reps PR

Notes: Triceps were really pumped, overall i think the reduction of carbs from my diet really tightened me up alot more.....we will see the outcome this sunday!

Otherwise i am feeling good lately some days i feel like a zombie but some days i feel like arnold....so overall i am in a better place then i was last year, i am going to be unstoppable in a couple of years!

7/9 HIIT, Low Intensity and Posing

Today is my off day from weight training
but today is where i hit that cardio real hard

So far today

Light leg circuit
15 HIIT sprints
5 min cooldown

Then tonight will be
15 min posing
Light Ab circuit
30 min low intensity cardio heart rate at 140-150bpm

Diet notes:Everything is perfect i am hitting my macros 100% as usual
feeling like a zombie, but thats just how it goes!!!
__________________

7/8 Legs and Cardio

Hey everyone

Heres todays workout

Leg Press
6 sets
8 plates x 15 reps

Supersetted with
Hamstring Deadlifts
315lbs for 5 reps (grip gave out at 5....ehhhhhh)

Glut-Ham Raises
bw for 15 reps

Standing Calve Raise
Strip sets
300lbs for 25 reps cut to
260lbs for 20 reps cut to
200lbs for 20 reps!!!

followed this up with some Low intensity cardio

I have set up a new workout routine....this week i will be working out with Rob (lando on the bodybuilding.com board) He is a WNBF Natural Pro Bodybuilder on Sat....we going to have a sick session

So changing my routine for this week

Monday: Upper body
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: HIIT Cardio in the am......Low intensity in the pm
Thursday: Chest and Arms
Friday: Back and Shoulders
Sat: Legs with Lando!
Sunday: HIIT Cardio am

My workout on Sat will definately be a big motivation for me......i will be training with someone who is where i want to be....i am sure i will be going set for set with him ;)

Until tomm!!!

Take care!

7/7 Upper Body Power Plus Catch-up!

Ok its been some time since i updated everyone. I have been so busy with school and work that its hard for me to get a chance to blog but here it goes

Week 11 on diet Results

Weight: 182

Bodyfat: 3.9%

Not to bad, i am getting closer to being ready!

Now For todays Workout

7/7

Reverse-Grip Bent Over Rows

315lbs for 5 reps (Solid Movement with a nice squeeze, alittle cheating but its ok :D )

1-Arm DB Rows

120 for 10 reps (good squeeze on top)

Chin-ups 50 reps done in 3 sets PR!

Barbell Standing Press

155lbs for 7 reps....missed 8 ehhhh

DB Rear Delt Raises with head on bench

40lbs for 10 reps

Barbell Bench Press

315lbs for 3 reps PR!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Surprised myself here)

Cable Crossovers

60lbs for 12 reps

Ez-Barbell Curls

110lbs for 5 reps

Close-grip Bench

275 for 5 reps

Straight Barbell Curls

115lbs for 10 reps

Overhead DB Tricep Extensions

100lbs DB for 8 reps w/ a good stretch on bottom

Notes: Felt really good today, i shocked myself with the 315 today on bench press...i was really excited about that.....i wasnt planning on doing that but listened to my body and hit it hard!

Overall i think i am alittle behind course, i will drop some carbs and see what happens!

Here are some pics taken on sunday....take care all!

7/5 Back and Shoulders

Hello everyone, Hope everyone's Independence Day was good!

I am hitting that 7 week out make and I am starting to get that low energy feeling again, but no matter what i am 100% pumped up for my workouts

I started today's workout with broomstick twists
then

Barbell Rows
225lbs for 12 reps

Cable Low Row
140lbs for 15 reps

Reverse Grip Smith Machine Rows
275lbs for 8 reps

Close-grip Pulldowns
150lbs for 12 reps

Decline Barbell Pullovers
115lbs for 12 reps

Wide-grip Upright Row
135lbs for 12 reps

DB Shoulder Press
75lbs for 12 reps

Machine Rear Delt Flyes
115lbs for 10 reps

Barbell Shrugs
405lbs for 8 reps dropset to 225 for 12 reps

Done!

Notes: Good workout, got such a back pump, felt really strong with shoulders today

Supplement Review:
Took my dose 30 minutes to the gym, no problems

I feel no different during my workouts then before, I guess we will see what happens tomm when i take my measurements!

7/4 Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July everyone, Hope everyone is going to enjoy themselves today with all the bbqing!

Anyway heres my leg workout for today

Deep Deadlifts (done on a platform so i can get lower)
365lbs for 8 reps (no wraps no belt)

Hack Squats
3 plates plus 25lbs per side for 8 reps

Lunges Supersetted with Leg Press
135lbs lunges walked distance of the gym w/4 plates per side on Leg Press for 12 reps OUCHH!

DB Stiff Legged Deadlifts
95lbs for 15 reps :D (felt strong here)

Lying Leg Curl
150lbs for 10 reps

Seated Calve Raises
10 sets of 2 plates + 25lbs per side of 10 reps

Followed by 30 min Low Intensity Cardio

I decided not to pose today following my cardio, i really want to hit posing hard so i might pose for 15 min either tonight before bed or mid day

Notes: Overall good workout, i am getting great pumps lately!

Supplement Review:

I took 4 caps of Hypertrop-x 30 minutes before my workout, i got a beta alanine flush! Haha i got that ichy feeling but within 5 minutes it subsided.

So far so good, it will take a few weeks before i start to really notice the benefits. Its just to early to tell!

Have a safe and happy holidday everyone!

7/3 Chest and Arms

Ciao Everyone

Today I hit up some Chest and Arms Hypertophy Style!

Heres my workout

Incline Cable Flyes
60lbs for 10 reps PR

Incline DB Press
105lbs for 5 reps????? Last week i got 8???

Dips
Bodyweight (bw) for 12 reps
BW for 12 reps
BW + 25 for 12 reps

Incline DB Curls
50lbs for 6 reps ?? I got 8 last week? Rest Paused til getting to 10 reps

Lying Tricep Extensions
135lbs for 8 reps

Seated Alternating DB Curls
40lbs for 15 reps

Cable V-Bar Pushdowns
80lbs for 15 reps

Notes: I was shocked when i couldnt get Incline DB for 8 reps, i dont understand why i missed my attempt? I felt really good, today was my re-feed so i was nice and full. I was pumped to the max! I went lighter on the missed attempts and focused on feel.....Chest was always a weak bodypart for me to bring up. I lack thickness. Bench pressing is a hard movement for me because i have long arms, i think i will focus alittle more on dips and flyes to help bring up my chest. Decline presses might help because it will stop my front delts from taking over the movement

All in all not a bad workout! Diet is 100% Buts thats a given!

Supplement Review:

Well i took my first dose of Hypertrop-x today and i must say the pills are kind of big.

I didnt really notice any difference in my strength (but then again i am dieting) I did have a crazier pump then normal

Its to early to tell how the supplement is working so i will see what happens tomm!

Hypertrop X Review

As everyone knows i have been selected to represent Advanced Muscle Science's Hypertrop-X. First off i want to thank Advanced Muscle Science for giving me the opportunity to test drive this new product, I promise i will not dissappoint them!

I will give the product a full HONEST review.

I will be taking 4 capsules 30 minutes before a workout and 30 minutes before a HIIT Cardio session

Ingredients:

Beta Alanine

L-Leucine

Yohimbine HCL

What a great combination of ingredients

Beta Alanine to help get stronger

L-Leucine to prevent muscle breakdown

and Yohimbine HCL to shred some fat and increase intensity

To view more info:http://www.advancedmusclescience.com/

Appearance: Bright Orange caps, very cool looking

But i have never taken any beta alanine product that was in caps form so we will see what happens

anyone has any questions please feel free to ask!

7/2 HIIT just a quicky

Hey everyone
Things are going really well so far

Today i started off Posing before cardio
I did 15 min of posingf
ollowed by 15 min high Intensity Intervals
and 5 min cooldown

After cardio i looked at my quads and i am starting to see some new veins surfacing!!!!!

Just about 7 weeks left!!!! Keep Pushing!

7/1 Legs Cardio and Posing for a finished Product!

Happy July everyone! Its amazing how fast the summer is going so far! It feels like yesterday it was only May.....Felt really energized today for some legs so here goes

Rectus Femoris Cable Lift
50lbs for 10 reps

Cybex Leg Press Flared
6 plates per side for 10 easy reps

Cybex Leg Press
6 Plates per side for 12 easy reps

Hamstring Deadlifts
315lbs for 8 reps

Glut-Ham Raise
bw for 12 reps

Strip Set for Calves
Standing Calve Raises
300lbs for 20 reps, cut to 260 for 12 reps cut to 220 for 10 reps

Followed by 30 min Low Intensity Cardio

and 15 min of posing

Notes: I am feeling really great lately, i think switching to school before my workouts have given me time to rest before hitting the gym hard!!! A nice change of pace!!