January 28, 2010

I had a great training session today! I actually decided at the last minute to train chest/tri and calves today. I normally don't do chest right after a shoulder day since I am using the same muscle groups, but even with all that heavy lifting yesterday, I felt like I could still make good use of them again today. I was right!

I did flat bench with 235lbs for 7 reps which I believe is another record for me! The highest I did before was 6 reps. It's great seeing progress! I also did some dips with 90lbs for 18 reps and heavy calves up to 205lbs on the seated calf machine.

I also spent 1 hour stretching this evening. I think I am starting to see some progress with my flexibility. It's getting easier and easier every time I use the new stretching machines. I was able to get the hamstring stretcher to 90° on the 3rd try with my knee only slightly bent. I was also able to get the hip flexor stretch machine up to 56°.

While I was stretching my glutes (by hugging my knee into my chest), I noticed the tightness in my lower back the most. I think my glutes are pulling on my lower back. This of course makes a lot of sense considering how many lunges I normally do. I suppose I need to really stretch my glutes out a lot more to help relieve that lower back tension. It's great to finally see why I have been in such pain for so long. With a bit more consistency, I think I might the chronic tightness will hopefully be less chronic.

Here is my log for today, you will notice I ate a lot! My weight this morning was 215lbs. So, it actually went down 1.5lbs today. I suppose that's why my appetite was really up today. Hopefully tomorrow, I see some more weight.

January 27, 2010

Had a great workout today! I trained Shoulders and hamstrings. I went real heavy on all exercises. I did 150lbs on the hamstring curls for 6 and did 35lbs on the glute/ham machine. For shoulders, I set a record with the hammer press shoulder press. I did 300lbs for 5! That is 10lbs and one rep more than I have ever done before! That is what it's all about! Hallelujah!

I also spent 30 minutes stretching in the evening. It felt really good to spend some time stretching my back and quads. My new plan is to stretch for 30 minutes on every training day. This should help to decrease a lot of the tension that I have been feeling. I have already begun to notice that my range of motion is improving. By keeping this up, I should be able to put even more muscle on.

Here is my log for today:

January 26, 2010

Today I trained quads and calves. My body has become quite tight all around. I have been finding that a lot of the basic exercises that I do have been aggravating some kind of muscle. I really felt tight in my lower back today during most of the leg exercises. I also am having difficulty holding onto weight because my forearms are hurting a lot as well.

I find this king of odd considering I spent a good amount of time stretching yesterday. I actually thought I was starting to make some progress with my flexibility but my lower back tension felt even worse today than it has in awhile. I think it's time that I start to look for alternative ways to train and maybe look into some king of rehabilitation work on these really tight muscle groups.

If I want to be serious about doing more bodybuilding competitions, I need to make sure my body can handle it. What most of you will find out, if you haven't already, your body can really only take so much stress. Even if all the exercises you do have proper technique and great form, with consistent heavy lifting, your joints and weaker muscle groups will still begin to wear out. This is another reason why doing bodybuilding competitions sporadically instead of all the time can allow your body time to recover.

I need to think about what I need to do to move forward in my training. I may need to take a few steps back so that I can take many more steps forward.

On a somewhat brighter note, my weight is up to 216.5lbs this morning. However, I think a good amount of the weight may be bodyfat since I really haven't been noticing great strength gains. Time will tell.
Here is my log:

January 25, 2010

Today I spent 30 minutes stretching which I needed to do! Every time I stretch I always feel so much better, yet I never really want to because I feel like it's not doing enough. I need to start thinking differently. I really need to stretch more often.

I was able to get the hip flexor stretch up to 50° and the hamstring stretch machine up to 90° w/ my knee slightly bent. I was able to get the hamstring stretch up to 70° without bending my knee. This is tremendously better than last week when 45 and 50° was a challenge with the hamstrings and only 30° with the hip flexors! My body really tightens up after leg workouts. I guess I really need to stretch more!

For my diet, I have decided to cut out all creatine for this week. One reason is because I ran out and I need to order more and the other is to cycle off of it. I have been on it for about 10 weeks now and have been taking 15-20g each day which is a pretty good amount. This way, I can recharge when more comes in. I will try to keep my strength up the best I can until then.

Here is my log for today:

22 Jan 2010

Today was a nice day off from training. After 3 heavy days in a row, I find a break really helps. Having that planned down time can really keep things moving smoothly in both your body and the rest of your life!

Tomorrow, I plan to train Hams and Shoulders. I will let you know on Monday how it goes! Have a great weekend!

Here is my log for today:

21 Jan 2010

Today I trained  Back and Bis. I did heavy lat pulldowns to start. I was able to get up to 220lbs for 6 on the new machine. Next, I did the Hammer Strength Row. I got up to 360lbs (4 plates) for 10! I think that was a record set! I then did single arm rows with cables. I used 40kg each side for 7. I finished with some biceps, alternating curls with 40lbs for 8.

Unfortunately, my right forearm has been aching like crazy with bicep work. I could have done more with my left, but my right felt quite painful. It's quite frustrating.

I also did some cardio on the spin bike and then stretched for 20 minutes with the new stretching equipment. It was pretty pathetic to see how inflexible I am. I wasn't able to get the hip flexor stretcher beyond 40° and the same with the hamstring stretch. I may need to start doing this a lot more often.

I weighed 216lbs this morning! Yay! I finally beat the 215lb mark. Let's see if I can keep it up!
Here is my log for today:

20 January 2010

Today, I trained Chest/Tris and Abs. Had a great workout! Some of the highlights include the: incline bar bench with up to 205lbs for 8 reps. Also skullcrushers with 80lbs for 7 reps.

My appetite also came back today. I was able to get my calories closer to the target of weight gain (5000 calories) for me. We will see what the scale says tomorrow. This morning I was 214lbs. I have been struggling to break through this weight plataue for awhile now.

Here is my log for today:

19 January 2010

Today, I had a great quad workout! I did 2 laps of walking lunges around the track with 50lbs. The second lap, I was really sucking wind! It's amazing to see how cardiovascular endurance really drops off when you don't do cardio every single day! I also did high rep leg extensions (54 reps with 90lbs).

I also tried the plate-loaded leg press to see how my low back would handle it, it wasn't so bad keeping the weight light. I noticed when I brought the weight to 400+, it started affecting my back, so I backed off of my back!

My diet hasn't been getting enough calories lately. I tend to find it challenging to get all the food in each day. It really does become a chore to eat after awhile. I am almost looking forward to the dieting phase.

Here is my log for today:

Janaury 18, 2010

So, if you aren't a facebook friend of mine or you haven't read any of my updates yet, then you may not know that my wife and I are expecting our 3rd child! It's quite amazing and crazy! We weren't exactly planning to have the third one so soon after the second. However, we are very thrilled and excited! Besides, who are we to say 'no' to God's plan?

Today, I had a very effective cardio session on the new spin bike. I really enjoy the guided sessions that are programmed. I am able to get my heart rate up to the 150's without really noticing it. It's amazing how much better you can do when you are pushed by someone else!

Tomorrow I plan to train quads and traps. I was originally planning to do it today, but I haven't adjusted to my new schedule that well. I keep leaving much later than I intend. I started dropping my kids off at our childcare provider earlier in the day so that I could hopefully get more work done around the house. However, the home projects just seem to take on a life of their own and I haven't been pulling myself away in time to leave the house when I originally intended. So, I need to stand firm in my time commitments and leave earlier, even if what I started isn't complete. I don't know if any of you can relate, but when I start doing something, I just can't rest until it's completed.

Below is my food log for today. You may note a few treats. Many people may think of that as a real negative, I think this is a really good example of how I can actually stay pretty well on track and have a few goodies at the same time. I was well in the calorie range that I needed to be and I had lots of protein as well. There is a way to balance life and achieve your fitness goals at the same time!

15 January 2010

Do you ever feel like sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get a work out in.  Today was one of those days. I unfortunately didn't have childcare this afternoon during my regular workout time because my provider was sick. I might have considered working out earlier in the day, but I received a phone call from the "Risk Management" department of my bank stating that my debit card information has been stolen and there are charges made in Italy and Great Britian for thousands of dollars! So, I had to spend the majority of the day on the phone with the bank and then going to the branch office to get a new card. I also would have worked out after my clients this evening, but I was beckoned home because of some important news that I needed to be made aware of (you will have to read next Monday's post to find out what).

So, today there was no activity. Oh well, it happens. Tomorrow is another day. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. However, if this were a re-occuring pattern, I might get concerned.

Here is today's log, see you on Monday:

14Jan2010

Today I trained Bis and Back. I felt pretty strong today. I think I was trying to make up for the shorter workout sessions this week. I did 120lb single arm rows as well as the new cable pulldowns with the stack. I felt like I had a pretty good pump.

My weight this morning was right at 215lbs, so hopefully I can continue this trend. Here is my log for today:

Wednesday 13January2010

So today I came into the gym at my normal workout time ready and psyched to train Hams and Shoulders and my boss asks me "you realize we have a meeting right now!?" I totally spaced our monthly employee meeting! Not cool.
But, I was able to makeup the workout with my training group this evening. They had their turn at torturing me! I think they enjoyed it a little too much. The exercises were focused on muscle endurance and not strength. I did something like 200 reps of ball hamstring curls and 8 mins of military presses! Where did they come up with these ideas, craziness (hmmm)! :)

It's interesting to see how my body is able to handle different workout programs. Right now, I am really starting to notice that I get winded rather quickly and high endurance stuff really kicks my tail. However, strength exercises that keep the reps low are a peace of cake! Once I begin to diet down a little and do more cardio, my endurance will kick back up again and hopefully my strength won't diminish too much either.

Today I weighed 213lbs, so I made a conscious effort to try to get my cals to 5000 today. I succeeded, but I didn't do it the best way possible. I ate way too much this evening to try to compensate for skipping a meal during work. Tomorrow, I hope to keep the meals a bit more even.

Here is my log:

Tuesday January 12, 2010

My back felt a lot better today. I spent 30 minutes stretching today and 20 mins on the new elliptical machine. The stretching makes a big difference. I think if my abdomen were weaker, my lower back would probably hurt a whole lot more right now. I suppose it's good that when one group of muscles are tight, the opposing muscles can help balance off the tension as long as they are toned.

I weighed 214lbs today and I drank 1.75gallons. Here is my log for today:

Monday January 11, 2010

This weekend, I had the great opportunity of having a massage from Lyndi. After having that session, I believe every bodybuilder in the area needs to setup an appointment with her! Bodybuilders require a lot of 'maintenance' work to keep the body capable of developing new muscle. Basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench press and pullups can really help to build muscle, but it can also really tear down joints and hurt the weaker muscle groups during the process. A regular massage can help keep working muscles performing at their best. What's also great about Lyndi, is that she is a bodybuilder, so she knows what tends to cause issues for most bodybuilders. If you plan to pursue bodybuilding for any length of time, I would recommend setting up a visit.

So, after having a nice relaxing weekend, I figured I am ready to jump into some heavy lifting with my legs today. That was a big mistake! I tried out our new leg press machine and loaded it up to 405lbs (the whole stack) and even though I felt good while I did the exercise, my lower back screamed at me when I was done! It really took the wind out of my sails today. I only did a couple sets of lunges and leg extensions and finished up with some abs. None of which was too heavy. I even skipped cardio (yeah, I know, that's all I need is another excuse to skip cardio!). I plan to do lots of stretching tomorrow.

Lesson learned. Even though I feel great after a massage, don't jump into real heavy lifting until you know for sure that the muscles you plan to work are ready for it!

Today, I weighed 214.5lbs, which means I am about 5lbs from my goal of 220lbs. I drank about 2.25 gals of water today. Here is my food journal,  Click to enlarge:

Boot Camp

Today was my first boot camp class that I taught. I went through the whole workout with the class and I was absolutely smoked my the end of it! I think some of the people in the class felt sorry for me after they saw how soaking with sweat my t-shirt was! :)

I also realized that my muscle endurance wasn't nearly what it used to be. I have definitely increased my strength, but I don't have the endurance to keep up with hundreds of repittions. Next time, I might participate only a little and do my regular session of cardio beforehand. It was tough!

Today, I didnt' eat that much. I lost my appetite today. I was a bit nervous about teaching the class and I feel like I've been eating a little much lately. I just don't feel like I can stomach it all the time. Sometimes,  I wish putting on weight was easier! Of course, when I am prepping for a show, I'll be singing a different tune!

Tomorrow, I may not post because I plan to be visiting with my folks. My dad hasn't been doing too well, he's had some weird allergic reactions that have been anaphylactic (trouble breathing). I'll probably be up with him tomorrow. I also take Sundays off, because God says so! I've got to be an obedient servant! See you on Monday! Thanks for participating!

Click to Enlarge:

Back and Bis

Today I trained back and bis. I was able to meet a record of mine on the Hammer Strength rowing machine. I rowed 410lbs for 6 which I set about 6 months ago. So, I am currently at my peak strength level. Any improvements from this point on are going to be solid gains!

I had a much better workout today and most of my tiling work in the bathroom is just about done! Sometimes, I try to bite off way more than I can chew.

Here is my log for today, click to enlarge:

I will be teaching my first boot camp class tomorrow. I am excited!

Chest Day

I have been trying to tackle a pretty annoying house project. I decided on Monday to retile my bathroom. It's been well overdue for quite awhile. At first, I thought this wouldn't be that big of a deal. I should know better than to think that! The adhesive that I used to place the tiles down is so sticky and nasty and it takes forever to clean up! This stuff gets everywhere! I thought I cleaned up everything and I go to put the kids in the van and my coat gets stuck to the seat because of this goopy adhesive stuff!

So anyway, I finished the majority of the tiling work today. It took 6 hours to get everything done (home improvement is not my forte!) Due to this, my normal workout time of 2pm was pushed back to 8:30pm. I was supposed to do cardio as well, but I was only able to get through the weight training before I was kicked out.

This morning, I weighed in at 214lbs.  That is up 2lbs from the beginning of the week. I am planning for 6 more pounds before trying to lean out again. I just need to stay steady for a few more weeks. Sometimes, it's harder to put the weight on than it is to take the weight off.

Here is my log for today. Click to enlarge:

I drank 2 gallons of water today. Hoping to make tomorrow better than today! However, given everything that was accomplished today, I am very happy with how it all turned out!

Stretching Day

Today I debated doing a chest workout instead of stretching because I missed my chest session last week due to the holiday fun. However, my body has really been achy because I have not been stretching like I need to. So, I followed my plan and stretched for 45 minutes. I used the foam roller for my IT band  (the muscles on the side of the legs) and did a lot of quad, ham and glute stretches to help alleviate tension from yesterday's quad training. Doing this really helped to ease the lower back tension I have been feeling for quite awhile now.

I am very glad I stretched today. Stretching is one of those activities that I never really get excited about doing, but I am very glad I do once it's over. I guess a lot of people look at exercise this way. However, I personally get excited about doing a chest or leg workout, because I am excited to see what type of new gains I can make. With stretching, I don't have that same immediate positive reinforcement of hitting a new high, but I do get to sleep easier in the evening! I am very glad I decided to make this a regular part of my plan.

Today's Diet:

Click the screens to enlarge:

Thank you Rob S. for showing me how to post these pictures of my online journal. Unfortunately, I have become technologically inept over the years.

The journal entry doesn't note that I also drank about 2.25 Gallons of water today, which for me is about normal. The last few meals really stuffed me. But, I stayed on track. Going to continue to focus on weight gain over the next 6-8 weeks. Tomorrow, I'll try to get that chest workout in.

Welcome to My Blog!

Hello and thank you for following my blog. My name is Jon Arnold. I created this blog for several purposes. First, it will be used as a tool to help me stay on track with my preparation for natural bodybuilding competitions. Second, I hope this blog will be helpful to you. If you have ever considered bodybuilding, following me through this will help give you a good idea about what it all entails. If you have any questions about bodybuilding or any fitness related matter, please feel free to ask. I have been an ACE certified personal trainer for over 5 years and I have a bachelor's degree in Nutrition. I would be happy to help you in any way that I can.

My Background:

I have been interested in bodybuilding for quite awhile. I remember when I was 16 years old, I used to read all the bodybuilding magazines and tried to learn what I could from the pro-bodybuilders. It wasn't until I was quite older that I realized the majority of bodybuilders pictured in the big muscle magazines use steroids. After finding this out, my bodybuilding interest waned quite a bit.

When my wife and I lived in Richmond, Virginia we worked out at a gym called "American Family Fitness", and we met a few folks there that competed as "natural" bodybuilders. These folks did not have the same freakish muscle size that you saw in magazines, but they were in great shape and were definitely inspiring. After going to a few shows which they competed in, I decided to join them and do a competition as well. I have been hooked ever since!

So far, I have competed in 6 natural bodybuilding competitions as well as the Body-For-Life competition (which you can learn more about at http://www.bodyforlife.com/). Each competition that I have competed in, I have been able to make more and more improvements. At my first competition, I finished last. Since then, I have done much better. In fact, this past year I placed 1st in two different competitions. However, as much as I would like to get wrapped up in my placement. Bodybuilding really isn't (or shouldn't be) about how you place, it's about how you do!

Focus on how to improve you and your placement will take care of itself. There is a common saying in bodybuilding. "You have no control over who shows up." So, even if you do your absolute best and work as hard as possible. You may still come in 6th place out of 6 if there are 5 people who have more of what the judges want than you do. Your placement doesn't determine if you are a winner or not! You are a winner if you simply follow through with what you commit to do. Let God take care of the rest.

My Why:

Bodybuilding is an interesting endevour. Many people think bodybuilding is primarily for people who are vain. Some folks do get into bodybuilding for that reason. However, they usually don't last too long.  Honestly, if your number one reason for getting into bodybuilding is to help yourself look good, then you may want to consider a different sport. Your vanity is not a strong enough reason to keep you doing everything you need to do to be successful at this!

I like bodybuilding because it allows me to show others what you can achieve! It's not an easy task, which makes it worthwhile. It's also a faith-based endevour. In order for you to get your body into the extremely lean state that is necessary for competition, you have to have faith that God will help you through your training and diet to get you there. You can't rely on your own perfection to take care of things all the time. It's an opportunity to show God you trust Him to help you through this. 

My Plans

So, my plans for 2010 are to potentially compete in a couple of competitions around the beginning of June. There are a few different natural bodybuilding organizations: INBF, NGA, and OCB that host bodybuilding shows in the northeast. So that gives me 6 months to prepare for these competitions.

Since I placed first in my category in two different competitions this past year, my goal is to, God willing, take an overall title and go pro this year. It's a big task. However, with steady training, diet, rest and prayer, who knows what can happen!

My goal is to continue to gain weight for the next few months and then start dieting to lose the bodyfat.

Obstacles:

Injuries:  I have a very thight lower back along with what appears to be the beginning signs of carpal tunnel in my right wrist. Lifting heavy weights over a long period of time can lead to chronic joint aches. My primary care physician told me that athletes at my age (30) all experience some kind of arthritis.

I plan to visit a masseuse for my tight low back and hopefully working around the wrist problems may allow my wrist time to recover. I also work in 2, 45min to 1hr stretching sessions each week where I make use of a foam roller to help alleviate tension. Hopefully that will be enough. Only time will tell.

My Training:

I currently workout with weights 4 times each week do 5 cardio sessions and 2 stretching sessions. My split looks like this:
Monday - Quads/Traps/Abs, 30 min cardio
Tuesday - Calves, Stretch and 20 min cardio interval
Wednesday - Hams/Shoulders/Abs 30 min cardio
Thursday - Back/Bi/Calves, sprints
Friday- Stretch and 45 min cardio
Saturday - Chest/Tri/Abs
Sunday - Rest

I do 5 cardio sessions each week for a couple of different reasons. First, it helps me stay leaner in the "off-season". Second, it helps me recover from my weight training sessions faster because of the blood flow so I can lift heavier sooner. Third, it gives me an appetite to eat more good food. I find it difficult to eat as much as I need to, to put on good weight. Doing cardio helps give me a good appetite!

My Diet:

With this current training plan, I could eat up to 4000 calories each day and not gain weight. With that in mind, if I am feeling a bit lazy on a weekend day and not eat as much as I need to and I eat about 3000 calories, I'll lose weight. My plan is to put on about another 6-8lbs over the course of the next couple months before I really start dieting to lose the bodyfat.

So, my current calorie plan is 4500-5000 calories each day with 25-30% of that protein (280g - 370g), 50-55% carbs (550-650g) and approx 20% fat (100-115g). I also try to get in a good variety of fruits and vegetables with at least 3 servings of dairy each day. My diet plan is actually pretty similar to the food guid pyramid, except with more protein. This plan has served me well.

For supplements, I currently take 2 different kinds of creatine. I take BSN Cellmass twice/day and a generic creatine twice/day. This gives me approx 20g of creatine in a day. This has helped me gain quite a bit of weight, granted it's primarily water, but it allows me to push heavier weight.

I used to take a preworkout supplement like Noxplode, but I have found that the caffeine is way too much for me and I get withdrawal symptoms when I go off of it. So, I created my own pre-workout concoction that has lots of B-vitamins and L-Arginine. If you are interested in finding out everything that is in it, just let me know.

I also take a general mulitvitamin with fish oil and vitamin D.

My Stats:

Height: 6' 2"
Today's Weight: 212lbs
Bodyfat%: 9.2% taken 2 weeks ago with a 3 site caliper test
Waist circumference: 34"
Chest: 43"
Arms: 16.5"
Thighs: 25"
Calves: 16"

My goal is to get my weight up to approx 220lbs with a bodyfat of not much higher than 11%.  That would give me a lean body mass of 196lbs. If I then dieted down to 205lbs for competition, my bodyfat should hopefully be around 5% and I would be 5lbs heavier than the last competition in October. I could also keep dieting to 200lbs and potentially get my bodyfat in the 3% range, which would be the lowest level I ever would have achieved. I believe that may be the best approach for me considering I want to win an overall title.

This is what I looked like with my bodyweight at 200lbs with a 5% bodyfat:

This is what I look like today at 212lbs 9% bodyfat:

Of course, the fact that I don't have dark paint on or all of my body hair shaven doesn't give you the exact same picture, but you get the idea. As you can see, I am quite a bit smoother today than at the October show. That is actually a very normal part of putting on muscle size. Putting on weight will put on both fat and muscle. Leaning out will decrease bodyfat and lose a little bit of muscle as well. It's the net muscle gain that makes all the difference!

Today's Activities:

Here is my report for today from http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

              Calories Carbs Fat    Protein  Cholest  Sodium   Sugars   Fiber
TOTAL: 4,443    525g   118g  350g   675mg   4,955mg   232g    68g

Exercise Notes:
Had a great workout today! Focused on higher reps for the legs. Did 56 Reps with 270lbs on the leg press! Did 30 reps each for lunges with 45lb cables. Did 35 reps on the new leg extension machine w/ 90lbs. Then had an awesome bike ride with the new spin bikes. My HR was over 150bpm for the majority of it! Great workout!


I intend to post an actual copy of the myfitnesspal report each day, once I figure out how to copy it from myfitnesspal to this blog. I've got a bit of learning to do.

Thank you for participating! God Bless!