Get my Size back... and then some.

**varbo** · November 30th, 2008, 01:48 PM

Measurements

PArt - Vs Last time - Vs Start
Bicep - + 1/2 - +7/8
Chest - + 3/4 - +1 3/8
Quad - +1/4 - +1 1/4
Calves- - 3/8 - +1/8

Well Slacking off on legs really hurt me. Next week I gotta add intensity. Week after is my week off. Might have to do legs one day just to even it out.

**wil** · November 30th, 2008, 03:48 PM

Good improvements man! Keep up the good work.

**varbo** · December 15th, 2008, 03:44 PM

Man I'm bad at updating this damn thing.
Anyways on the 1st week of December I pushed myself pretty hard with:
Monday - Back, Volleyball
Tuesday - Core
Wednesday - Chest Shoulder
Thursday - Legs
All at 3X8

Had to take friday off because the weather forced us to go on our holidays a little early. \

2nd week in December - Holiday, Celabrate. Didn't touch a weight and ate decent. Not great but better than most I guess.

Now its the 3rd week in december and I'm looking at the upcoming weeks and thinking, how the hell am I gonna do this. There's christmas and new years and travelling and parties . How on earth am I going to be able to work everything and then it hit me:

Upperbody/Lowerbody Split.

If I miss a day due to other issues it doesn't mess me up. I just push to the next day. Plus it gives my body a change which is nice. Its not a split I want to do long term but for the next 3 weeks it seems like a damn good idea.

**A1food4U** · December 15th, 2008, 04:08 PM

Great adaptation. You might just do more cardio, do it in twenty minute bursts throughout the day. Even if your driving you can pull off and jog 10 minutes out and ten back to the car. Holiday's are tough...

**varbo** · December 15th, 2008, 05:00 PM

Got hockey and Volleyball scattered around in there. In fact I play hockey tomorrow. Will be doing dedicated cardio in the mornings starting in the new year.

**A1food4U** · December 15th, 2008, 05:24 PM

Excellent, best cardio in the world is going over that wall for 60 minutes, all out 45 seconds at a time.... some days I really miss it. Make sure you leave someone elses spit on the glass. Nothing like a good lung emptying check to help you feel alive!!!

**varbo** · December 23rd, 2008, 10:31 AM

Well its been over a week with my Upper body - Lower body split and I am VERY disappointed with myself. I'm always missing lower body workouts. I can make the excuse that its not my fault but I know deep down that it is. I did get a lower body one in on sunday and had good intensity but I have to get more disciplined. I think thats why I like the other splits better since you really have to be disciplined in order to get any use out of them.

**varbo** · January 3rd, 2009, 02:37 PM

Well Its Jan 2nd and time to measure. Wasn't expecting any gains due to the holidays disrupting everything but was able to get a little bit of progress.

PArt - Vs Last time - Vs Start
Bicep - + 1/8 - +1
Chest - + 1/4 - +1 5/8
Quad - +1/8 - +1 3/8
Calves- + 3/8 - +1/2

So I have 2 months to reach my goals and this is what I have left
Bicep - need an extra 1/4 inch
Chest - need an extra 3/8
Quad - Need an extra 1/8
Calves- Need an extra 1/2

Looks more than doable. Might change my goals to make them a little tougher. We'll see what this month brings.

**varbo** · January 3rd, 2009, 02:43 PM

So now comes a true test of my mental state. Can I keep my focus???

My main mental problem has always been focus. I have gained some body fat due to a planned increased calorie intake and unplanned giving into the holiday temptations of booze and treats. I had done a good job of dropping my body fat and got down to a 4-pack with just a little fat preventing my 6-pack. The problem with that is that even a small increase in bodyfat is noticable.

The question is: can I keep up the calorie intake I need to build muscle or will I chicken out and not eat enough. I hope I can keep my focus.

**varbo** · January 5th, 2009, 03:28 PM

Took a lot of thinking but I decided to switch to the following split going 3x8:

Sunday - Chest/Core

Monday - Bicep

Tuesday - Legs

Wednesday - Triceps/Core

Friday - Back/ Shoulders

My chest day was:
Benchpress
Incline press
Decline Flye
Flye
Incline Flye
Pushup

Situp
Reverse crunch
Cable Twist

and my bicep day will be
EZ curl
Preacher Curl
Hammer Curl
Reverse curl
Concentration Curl

Haven't decided the rest yet. All I know is I had intensity yesterday which resulted in soreness today.

**wil** · January 5th, 2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varbo

Haven't decided the rest yet. All I know is I had intensity yesterday which resulted in soreness today.

Intensity is gooooood.

Now that all the holiday silliness is behind me, I am looking forward to my intensity returning as well. Tonight it begins.

**varbo** · January 7th, 2009, 07:20 PM

OK,
My Bicep day was good. Pushed myself but would have liked more.

For legs I went with:
Squat
Calf raise
Dead Lift
leg extension
leg curls
cable pushback
other calf raise

Didn't have the intensity but that could be due to the hockey I played at noon and walking the dogs.

Today was Tri/Core so I went with
EZ Bar tri Ext
Tricep Pushdown
Tri Pushback
1 arm french press
Tricep Dip

Plank
Hip Raise
DB Side Bend

Pushed myself real good today. I'm probably gonna feel it tomorrow.

On a different note, I have to start going to bed earlier. I'nm not going to get the gains I want on 6 hours of sleep. Don't want to put in all this good work and suffer because I "don't feel like going to bed yet.

Well, I'm off to have chicken and broccoli. later.

**wil** · January 7th, 2009, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varbo

On a different note, I have to start going to bed earlier. I'nm not going to get the gains I want on 6 hours of sleep. Don't want to put in all this good work and suffer because I "don't feel like going to bed yet.

Good work Varbo.

And I'm right there with ya on the needing to make myself go to bed earlier. I'm such a movie fiend that I get wrapped up in watching something and before I know it... 11:30 ... that means I get 6 hours sleep.

**varbo** · January 8th, 2009, 06:28 PM

OK, Today is supposed to be Back/Shoulder day but I have Volleyball tonight so I'll have to settle for Just doing Back. Here it is:
Wide Pulldown
Cable row
Rev Pulldown
Dumbell row
Shrug
Don't know what else I should do as I do deadlifts with legs as I've been told they can go either way.

I probably won't get home until late tonight so there goes my good night's sleep but the weekend is almost here so I'm sure to catch up.

**varbo** · January 12th, 2009, 12:58 PM

Last night was interesting.
Didn't have much ambition to get going but was able to muster up some enthusiasm.

First I did the bench press which go me into it, but then something funny happened. I go to lift the dumbells for my incline dumbell press and the weights just felt heavy. I was able to press them but only 5 times. put them down and thought, "what happenned since last week" when I noticed it. Wrong weights. It was a 10 pound increase per side from what I had done the week before when I had last increased the weight. That got me excited that I was actually able to press it 5 times.

Anyway, the rest of the workout was good with decent intencity. It was actually very good intensity considering how I was feeling before I started.

Biceps tonight.

**wil** · January 12th, 2009, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varbo

I go to lift the dumbells for my incline dumbell press and the weights just felt heavy. I was able to press them but only 5 times. put them down and thought, "what happenned since last week" when I noticed it. Wrong weights. It was a 10 pound increase per side from what I had done the week before when I had last increased the weight. That got me excited that I was actually able to press it 5 times.

I have done that before. It is a good boost of motivation especially on those days where you might not be as into working out.

**varbo** · February 2nd, 2009, 05:35 PM

Hi All,

Haven't posted in a while but yesterday was measuring day so here goes

Part > Vs Last > Vs Start
Bicep > +1/4 > +1 1/4 (reached goal early)
Chest > +1/4 > +1 7/8 (1/8 off goal)
Calf > +1/4 > + 3/4 (still work to do)
Quad > +1/8 > +1 1/2 (reached goal early)

I reached some goals and hope to exceed them. One problem is that it seems my intensity is hurting the last week. I could take a week off but I think my real problem is lack of sleep. I have to discipline myself to sleep more. I was yawning during my chest routine today and my eyes were heavy.

Have to just turn off the TV and go to bed. It will help. I don't want to take a week off until Feb 22nd. MUST PUSH THROUGH!!!

**wil** · February 2nd, 2009, 05:48 PM

Good job on the steady gains.

**varbo** · February 11th, 2009, 10:15 AM

Well another update.

Intensity i still down and I'm really thinking it has a lot to do with lack of sleep. Been sleeping like crap lately. Anyways, went to the naturopath yesterday and she checked me over and gave me some Rhodiola because she said it should help my stress levels during the day so that I can sleep at night. Said to give it 3 weeks or so before making a judgement so hopefully that helps out.

Legs tonight!

**wil** · February 11th, 2009, 01:06 PM

You comment on lack of sleep a lot. Do you drink a lot of coffee or other caffeine? I know my wife can't have caffeine after 7 PM or she'll be awake all night.