Legs:
Seated Leg curl: 5 sets
Leg Extensions: 4 sets
Squat:
Bar/20
135/12
185/10
225/8
275/5,5,5
Leg press:
3pl/15
4pl/15
5pl/12,8 (the eight were paused)
6pl/ drop sets of ten reps. Went down to one plate
Hack squat: 2pl/ 10,10,10
Leg extension: 3 sets.
I was going to do one more set of squats and really try to push my reps up there, but I felt a slight pop in my groin on the way up from the second rep. Aggravated an old injury. It pretty much blows. But after that, leg training went well.
Brick by Brick
Monday, January 26, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Brick by Brick: A Life and Lifting Philosphy
Growing up, I wasn't necessarily good at anything. I remember my parents trying to put me in a school for "gifted" kids, I remember trying my hand at basketball and wrestling. I didn't excel at either. I thought I'd become a black Mr. Perfect, but that didn't turn out the way I wanted.
But it was something about gripping a barbell that felt right. Something about bodybuilding that felt right. I never was physically impressive, so not only did it help my ego, but it also helped me turn into something that I only saw in the comic books.
The deeper I get into lifting, the more I discovered it was a microcosm of life. You have to make gains slowly and steady to create a perfect lift with awesome technique, or to create a work of art onstage. It takes a lot of work. For years. It's literally like building a house and expanding on it. Sometimes the construction of it stinks.
Think of construction workers. You think they want to be outside building shit? For a paycheck, yes. But just on GP? I'd venture to say they'd rather be in Cabo with a triple-d supermodel and a cold pack of beer. But no, they're working. I rain, sleet and shine.
Brick by brick, the job gets accomplished.
Even in college, from my days in community college all the way up to the University level, I had to keep building. Classes were passed, classes were failed. I was academically dismissed a couple of times, but I just knew if I kept going, kept piecing things together, I'd succeed.
My rallying cry for my lifting and life philosophy has been Brick by Brick.
There will be rain, there will be shine. Setbacks in the construction of your life and physical work is going to happen, but you have to keep building. The work will continue. It has to really. You have no other choice.
I remember Kai Greene saying in a magazine one time that as long as you have life and breath, you have opportunity. I know that won't take for some, but for me, that hit me to my core.
So whatever it is you're doing. Brand building, college course work, competitor........keep building. Persevere.
Do whatever Brick by Brick.
But it was something about gripping a barbell that felt right. Something about bodybuilding that felt right. I never was physically impressive, so not only did it help my ego, but it also helped me turn into something that I only saw in the comic books.
The deeper I get into lifting, the more I discovered it was a microcosm of life. You have to make gains slowly and steady to create a perfect lift with awesome technique, or to create a work of art onstage. It takes a lot of work. For years. It's literally like building a house and expanding on it. Sometimes the construction of it stinks.
Think of construction workers. You think they want to be outside building shit? For a paycheck, yes. But just on GP? I'd venture to say they'd rather be in Cabo with a triple-d supermodel and a cold pack of beer. But no, they're working. I rain, sleet and shine.
Brick by brick, the job gets accomplished.
Even in college, from my days in community college all the way up to the University level, I had to keep building. Classes were passed, classes were failed. I was academically dismissed a couple of times, but I just knew if I kept going, kept piecing things together, I'd succeed.
My rallying cry for my lifting and life philosophy has been Brick by Brick.
There will be rain, there will be shine. Setbacks in the construction of your life and physical work is going to happen, but you have to keep building. The work will continue. It has to really. You have no other choice.
I remember Kai Greene saying in a magazine one time that as long as you have life and breath, you have opportunity. I know that won't take for some, but for me, that hit me to my core.
So whatever it is you're doing. Brand building, college course work, competitor........keep building. Persevere.
Do whatever Brick by Brick.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Last Week of Offseason and Contest Plans
I made myself go into an "offseason" for bodybuilding shortly after I i got an injury at a USAPL meet last year. At the time I was just a bunch of damn bodyweight slapped together with no shape at all really. I was pretty unhappy with how I looked, so I decided to take charge and trim off some fat. This was back in April. Fast forward to now and I start a new road to a bodybuilding show.
My last one was in 2013 and while it was successful, I missed being conditioned by a considerable margin. My shape was decent, you could tell I had a lot of muscle, but I wasn't lean enough. Not by any means. Yes I tried to do a meet and show prep in the same prep but I screwed up. Learned a lot of things from that and moved forward in preparing myself for a great contest outing.
So far so good is what I think. I've rounded out some bodyparts. I've made sure I was getting in a decent amount of food and just worked hard in the gym. I still stuck with the basic movements to keep, and build upon, the level of mass I had attained. Training has been fun again and I look forward to being at my best this May.
The bottom line for me is conditioning. I have to be in shape. Period. I have the size. I could even argue pretty decent density, but now its time for the condition to come through. For comparison purposes, here is where I was when I started prep for the 2013 Wings of Strength and here is where I was at a couple weeks ago.
So lets get in on
My last one was in 2013 and while it was successful, I missed being conditioned by a considerable margin. My shape was decent, you could tell I had a lot of muscle, but I wasn't lean enough. Not by any means. Yes I tried to do a meet and show prep in the same prep but I screwed up. Learned a lot of things from that and moved forward in preparing myself for a great contest outing.
So far so good is what I think. I've rounded out some bodyparts. I've made sure I was getting in a decent amount of food and just worked hard in the gym. I still stuck with the basic movements to keep, and build upon, the level of mass I had attained. Training has been fun again and I look forward to being at my best this May.
The bottom line for me is conditioning. I have to be in shape. Period. I have the size. I could even argue pretty decent density, but now its time for the condition to come through. For comparison purposes, here is where I was when I started prep for the 2013 Wings of Strength and here is where I was at a couple weeks ago.
So lets get in on
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