Nanoking's Log

[nanoking]

From previous post...in correct forum...

Here's my plan of attack. I can't lose...new plan, new gym, new ipod:

Diet: Initially shooting for 2400 calories, P/C/F=600/1560/240, plus/minus protein shake based on hunger level. I got some good gains last go around, but I could stand to substitute some P for F if you know what I mean. Currently 95.454545 kg, I'll post bf% after I go through the program at my new gym. My lofty goal is to get to 100 kg at <15% bf%. At that point I'd start rethinking/retooling.

Supplements: same old stuff...creatine, glutamine, B-vitamins, multivitamin, antioxidants, green tea, vitamin E lotion, ZMA, BCAA, protein...you might notice a dear friend of mine missing from the list . Thanks a lot FDA.

Training: ramping back up in stages
Stage I: Pilates, stretches, cardio, adjust diet, wait for damn gym to open...about 2 weeks from now I figure.
Stage II: "CNS conditioning" for about 3 weeks. 3 "cycles" through each muscle group, 3x10, 3-split
Stage III: "official" strength training for about 6 weeks, a little pyramid of 3x8, 5x5, 3x8 workouts (also 3-split).
Stage IV: 30 day cycles of Dr. Squat's "Hardcore Bodybuilding: A Scientific Approach" periodized workouts. Gauge/reduce cardio. Lengthen workouts or pull doubles. Increase calories.

Mental: Headphones on, mouth shut. Reduce distractions from working out while in gym. Reduce distractions to working (job/$) when not in gym.

[nanoking]

Phase I was shorter than I expected. New makeshift facility is opening on Monday. Riding a wave of motivation I bought a day pass at the competition and did a phase II workout.

supplements/nutrition:
well-balanced cereal breakfast, antioxidants, chromium, had 2 cups of coffee pre-workout, first day of creatine load, began taking glutamine again, reduced calorie post workout shake (50g veg protein/25g maltodextrin/20g dextrose), keeping meal portion sizes low, stocked up on supplements, read up on EFAs and aminos, drank lots of water, had a big thing of green tea in lieu of latte (took more willpower than the workout:D)

workout:
warmup, 20 mins treadmill, ~1.5 miles
stretching in dark and deserted aerobics room, spooky!
3x12, machine exercises, in a circuit, bench/pulldown/overhead/row/curls/pressdown/back ext/abs

Not exactly what I wrote in my plan of attack, but I won't be able to make it tomorrow and will probably need to NOT be sore for the new gym orientation.

[nanoking]

First workout in newly opened makeshift facility. Took a look at the real gym opening in April. Pretty slick.

They had most of the Freemotion equipment in.

I felt a little sore from Saturday, but only until I go to the gym.

No orientation. Keys for towel and off I went. Only one in there. They really are only half open. NO MIRRORS! I think they only let me in to get their cashflow going.

20 mins recomb bike 5 miles? who cares...

3x12 deadlifts using Freemotion Lift station...
so freeing! Can really concentrate on the muscles and form. It feels like you're just moving your body, but you're temporarily heavier. I didn't note weight. who cares...(well I do, but not quite yet)

3x12 pulldowns using Freemotion Pulldown station
alternated one handed, two handed, it doesn't divide the weight by 2 when you go 2 handed i don't think

3x12 shrugs on Lift station, pretty slick, can change stance, stretch traps, roll shoulders, change grip

3x12 rows, alternating 1/2 handed, across the body, etc. there were more exotic rowing possibilities, but I'll do them later.

3x12 curls on Curl station, standing, alternating, just getting my CNS back in the groove.

postworkout shake 50/35/45 soy-veg protein mix/dextrose/maltodextrin

[nanoking]

They are machines, so pretty much is always constant tension. won't be an issue until Phase IV or maybe towards the end of Phase III. Won't be a problem working in barbell/dumbbell versions. Range of motion and flexibility of freemotion is higher than "free weights" for deadlifts at least.

[JP]

allright nanoking, wanted to ask about your post-workout shake mate. Why a mix of maltodextrin and dextrose? Do they have different properties?

[nanoking]

I am just using the info from:

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magazine ... tunity.htm

As I understood it, the dextrose increases your insulin to stop catabolism post workout and get you back into an anabolic state (keep your jacked up metabolism from eating your muscle). The maltodextrin gets absorbed more slowly to keep your insulin from getting too high (you don't want to induce gastric emptying and you want your blood levels to even out). Both the dextrose and maltodextrin go towards replenishing your depleted carbo stores so your body can turn to muscle building.

In practice, this is the easiest shake to make ever! Scoop, scoop, scoop, shake, done, drink. Post-workout I'm not much for complex thought.

I have also heard that for fat burning you want to make sure your carbo stores are depleted before dosing with dextrose/maltodextrin. Since excess glucose goes to fat. But I'm not preparing for a contest and I haven't stabilized at my target weight so I'm not futzing too much about it. It all comes out in the wash when you get the muscle mass put on.

-NK

[nanoking]

1/20:

bike/abs 20 min intervals 3x

used freemotion abs station doing crunches, twisting crunches, threw in some leg raises at the end. no hanging leg raises thing in the gym yet. no back extension thing either. harumph.

1/21:

used freemotion chest station for normal press, hits stabilizers and gets quite tough when you don't have your back against the pad. made me feel all jiggly, but that's good.

used freemotion cable station for incline/decline, standing, very tough. also threw some "punches" which hit my delts pretty hard. makes you feel like a speed demon when you punch w/o resistance afterwards. also did bicep curls on this station.

used freemotion tricep station to do 3 different exercises, facing in, facing out, facing to the side.

workout kind of dragged along, but I was asking/answering some questions with the trainer. was the only one in the gym which is always cool.

unless my legs magically get unsore by tomorrow (I'm not used to all this cardio, doh!), it'll have to be a rest day.

[nanoking]

1/22:
10min warmup bike
squats 4x12
freemotion hamstrings 3x12
freemotion standing quads 3x12
calves straight legged 2x12
calves bent legged 2x12

Felt strong and good doing squats (first time after lull). Learned better form on the hamstring/quad exercises. The freemotion calf machine doesn't cause me to cramp up so I got a good pump.

1/23,24: Rested because I was traveling and pretty darn sore.

1/25:

Worked out at Navy base (where the Seals train). Time-limited in the morning, had more traveling to do.

10 min warmup
3x12 dumbbell press
3x12 dumbbell incline
3x12 pec deck
3x12 dumbbell overhead press
2x12 rope pressdowns
2x12 bar pressdowns

Seems like I need to get some glucosamine for my elbows or just shut up and lift. (Triceps sore)

Made it to location early, hotel had gym.

1 hr 65% heart rate fat-burning session (half tread, half bike). Weightlifting is so muc more fun and effective. Felt like I was "cheating" doing this workout. Target heart rate = 143? BORING!

Some ab work too, but unsatisfying.

1/26:

Home again, home again...power outage in the new gym, I don't care, lifted in partial darkness.

20 mins warmup on bike
all freemotion
3x12 pulldowns
3x12 upper rows
2x12 lower rows
3x12 deadlifts (had to stagger this, I would normally do it first, eventually lights came back on, was too tough to do on the machine in the dark)
2x12 supine curls
2x12 concentration curls
2x12 reverse curls

Ran out of time/energy. I need to get more ab work in (need to put at beginning of workout). Haven't gotten a lot of forearm work in, bt am happy with development.

[nanoking]

Really left a piece of myself in the gym today. Can barely walk. That 1/2 mile walk home from the gym can do me in.

*CA stack still works in its domesticated form.

Had to work around glassy eyed soccer moms in the gym today, calm like hindu cows. Contempt works, sometimes. That's what I get for waiting until the post-work rush.

I bumped up abs in my timeline cuz well my abs suck. But the cheater fat burning cardio sessions and appropriate diet are having their desired effect.

Phase III starts next week and I'll start posting weight amounts so the peanut gallery can snicker.

Figures...first time I don't bring my ipod they're playing Enya on the P.A. Won't make that mistake again. Just imagine doing squats to "Orinoco Flow"...not gonna happen, better take your chances and wait for the next song, which unfortunately was "Right Thurr" by Chingy...what station are they playing? (Just figured it out. It's the hipster chief salesperson/CPT guy's CD-R megamix)

20min bike workout at 144bpm, 80rpm teehee
3x12 squats
3x12 freemotion ab twists
3x12 machine crunches
3x12 machine side crunches
2x20 leg lifts...haven't found a satisfying lower abs exercise...

Tried to do freemotion hamstrings using the velcro attachment, but my desired weight ripped the band from my leg mid-stroke. Pissed me off to no end, but I should cut them some slack since they have boxes of stuff they're still unpacking...Nah, I'm not one for slack. The gym's still missing a back extension doohickey and needs a real hamstring curl station.

I'm loving phase II because it's all about CNS reconditioning. I don't have to care about overtraining or volume. Can get pretty lean on calories too. Gotta be serious about it.

1x12 db lunges
3x12 freemotion SL deadlifts

Had to reach into my bag of tricks to hit my hamstrings. Guess that's why I'm so tired right now (T+ 2.5 hrs)

3x12 freemotion leg extensions

Calves felt sore by this point so I crawled out the door. Core gets pretty involved in support while doing freemotion exercises.

Music on the menu for tomorrow:
Dead Kennedys
Rollins
MC Dynamite (who told YOU?)

Music NOT on the menu:
Vonda Shephard
Enya
Dave Matthews
Paula Cole
etc. etc. etc.

-NK

[Renecarol25]

Why don't you post your weights that you lift?

[nanoking]

Phase III starts next week and I'll start posting weight amounts so the peanut gallery can snicker.

[Renecarol25]

alright cool.. look forward to seeing it.

[nanoking]

1/28 forced rest since I can't move my legs

1/29 too nice a day out to not workout plus the latest Fitness Mag had an article on overtraining for mass gains. Hmm...

(stretches...haven't been writing them in, but it's a given that I stretch and flop around on the floor for 15 mins or until I stop feeling pain)

20 min bike warmup at 143bpm (I just can't bring myself to pedal at 127bpm or whatever 65% is supposed to be, wasn't feeling up to a "fitness test")

3x12 freemotion pulldowns (plate "7" I think, heheh, 140 of whatever unit of weight I'm supposed to assume, silly machines)

3x12 freemotion shoulder shrugs, done in a manner roughly equivalent to behind the back barbell shrugs. I love the trap stretch with these. Feel it in my neck. I'm sure the chiropractor's going to chew me out for these...can you say "anterior head carriage"?

3x12 freemotion rows, alternating one arm, can't remember weight, a little rotation in these for a stretch, a little bit of pain in my right shoulder, doing one arm exercises really show asymmetries

3x12 reverse db flys, dang bench too low, these didn't really work, my lower back was too sore to do the full on bent row action, plus I did SLDLs on 1/27 and they're still making their presence known. Left side stronger here or motion more comfortable with left arm...c'mon CNS get it together!

3x12 standing EZ-bar curls 50lbs, slow and focused

3x12 standing EZ-bar reverse curls 50/40/40

3x12 freemotion concentration curls 30/30/25, quite a sticking point at the top with these suckers, guess that's the point. Right arm stronger here, but I think due to left arm taking more weight on the bb curls...going to do one arm stuff as much as possible for awhile

3x12 bb forearm curls, 50lbs
3x12 bb rev forearm curls, 20lbs
With these I basically just get my forearms to activate and then just flex them for awhile.

personal trainer showed me some nifty ab exercises for next time, with and without pilates ball. Of course I looked like a big wimp trying them and she wouldn't except my excuse that I did high volume ab workout on 1/27.

other trainer was trying to order leg curl machines, but there's a worldwide shortage!

[JO]

NanoKing,

How did you come up with this multiphase plan?

Not anti-bodybuilding,

JO

[nanoking]

Sorry about the anti-bodybuilding line...I'm sensitive about "extravagant expenditures".

Short answer is I made it up.

I'm coming off a long enough lull (work/holidays/mood = time off from training) that I thought I'd ramp back up before I do my "real" workout from my personal workout Jesus Dr. Squat's "Hardcore bodybuilding: a scientific approach" book. I'm a sucker for anything that has "hardcore" and "scientific" in the title.

Phase I was out of necessity since my gym wasn't built yet, but my motivation was piqued. It kind of fizzled, but I liked the way pilates stretched out my hip flexors. Other than that...can't say I'm going for "lean and long" muscles, whatever those are. We are all prey for mainstream diet and exercise marketeers. They know our weaknesses and sore spots and leverage them purposefully.

Phase II is to get my muscle memory working and get my central nervous system used to the exercises. It takes about 3 weeks for your CNS to adapt to a major workout change. The aches and pains from your first sessions of a new workout can be pretty intense since your brain doesn't have the pathways worked out to fire your muscles efficiently. That said, your CNS adapts pretty rapidly so thrice through each muscle group should be more than enough. And since I'm a big blubbering mass of fat, I can sneak in some fat burning sessions to "cheat" my fat lbs down. The "real" way to lose fat is to gain muscle tissue and have it cannibalize the fat tissue.

(The real reason I have a phase II is to torture myself since all I really want to do is 5x5 workouts! But it's good to be kept "hungry". And I've done the training program where I just do whatever I feel like and it goes nowhere...well it makes me happier in the short term, but I'll try to mortgage short term satisfaction for long term results...hopefully a forced slow ramp will help me avoid "negative amortization".)

Phase III is basically the workout I would do if I didn't know any better about the differences in training for strength vs. hypertrophy (hahaha, what do I know...). It's also a cheat workout since it's purpose is to get my strength up a little before I hit phase IV so that once I'm full on in phase IV I can use heavier weights. A tough balance, not sure how it's going to work in practice. Strength gains aren't the primary goal of phase IV, but it does lead to plenty of strength gains. Another round of torturing to make sure my little muscles and form are good before I lose the ability to think from the extravagant energy expenditures of phase IV. If phase IV is jazz improvisation then phase III is practicing scales.

I'll try and post an example phase IV workout program. Not sure how files/spreadsheets work here. I could always email it to interested parties (I won't hold my breath waiting).

-NK