Is Working at Night Hurting MyProgress?

I had a bonus workout last night and hit my arms but the main thought on my mind was is my being a third shift vampire helpful or harmful to gaining progress. The issues are numerous.

1. Sleep - The main issue I have is sleep.  it is not just about getting enough as I am always a little short on it but sleep pattern too.  Sometimes I get to sleep in the beginning of the day sometimes because of schedule later and there really is no pattern but dealing with the week ahead.

2. Nutrition - Now given schedule what do you think nutrition is like.  Try getting regular nutrition with that schedule.  Sometimes consistency and flexibility are not good companions.

3. The Job itself:  My employer used to have regular scheduling so you knew when you were going to work and what days you had off -- no more.  Now you never know what days you are going to work or how much.  So how does one compute job calorie burn when nothing is truly consistent.

The only real solution I might have is to move back to days.

Workout 3.2.5 was a bonus workout involving arms.  It was good and tough.   

Workout Log 3.2.4 - Some Decisions

Today was shoulder day and some decisions had to be made on a lot of things but more on that in a moment.  I found one exercise that I also can max out on my available weight - Barbell shrugs.  I genetically blessed in three areas - calves, forearms and upper traps.  Not only shape but strength for all three is higher than some other parts. 

Motivation: 10

Focus: 10

Goals: Complete Workout, Establish 1RM on All Exercises

Preparation: Meditation - 5min.; Cardio - 5 min.; Visualization/Stretching

Weight Training:
Delts:
Military Press: 75x5; 95x5; 110x5; 120x5; 130x5
Front Raises: 20x5; 26x5; 30x5; 30x5; 36x3
Rear Delt Flye: 30x5; 36x5; 50x5; 50x5; 56x3
Lateral Side Raise: 10x5; 16x5; 20x5; 26x5; 30x3
Traps
Shrugs: 135x5; 205x5; 255x5; 275x5; 300x5
Upright Row: 75x5; 95x5; 110x5; 120x5; 130x3

Flexing Shoulders

Cardio: 30min. Preset #3

Training Notes:
No strength loss on the shoulders as I am being absolute strict of form.

Decision 1 - This year is going to be strictly about building mass -- no cut next summer. 
Decision 2 - Because of this the rotation is going to change: 5x5 to 4x8 to 4x10 to 4x12 then reverse back and repeat.  Rest week still every quarter.
Decision 3 - Time to get heavy with more reps - volume and high resistance together.
Decision 4 - Nutrition - 5000 to 4500 cals - I am going to control my nutrition to keep the fat monster away not a yearly cut.

Time to get some muscle size.

Workout Log: 3.2.3 - Back/Triceps - I Love Deadlifts!

There is something to be said for simplicity.  There are very few lifts that are simpler than deadlifts.  Grab the bar and stand up.  Now yo have to stand up with your legs not you back but the simplicity is great.  It is also a harder exercise than most think but I luv 'em.

Motivation: 10

Focus: 9.5

Goals: Establish 1RM for all exercises, complete workout

Preparation: Meditation - 5 min.; Cardio - 5min.; Visualization/Stretching

Weight Training:
Back
Deadlifts: 135x5; 185x5; 205x5; 220x5; 230 x5
Bent Over Row: 135x5; 150x5; 170x5; 190x5; 200x4
T-Bar Row: 90x5; 115x5; 130x5; 140x5; 150x5
Triceps
Close Grip Bench Press:135x5; 150x5; 160x5; 170x3; 170x3
Skullcrushers: 50x5; 60x5; 70x7; 80x4; 80x3
EZ Bar Extension: 60x5; 80x5; 90x5; 100x5; 106x3

Flexing Back and Triceps

Cardio: 20 min. Stationary Bike

Training Notes: I don't see too much strength loss here and that is a good thing.  I have set some lifting goals so we will see how things go.

Workout Log 3.2.2 - Legs. Is it possible?

It is two workouts in one 24 hour period.  You have to eat a lot of carbs to pull this off.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen because the last time I hit legs for strength I hit 300lbs. (all the weight I have) x12.  After the long time off I wasn't sure what was going to happen. Given the success of my Chest and Biceps workout I wondered if it was possible that I had not lost much strength here as well.

Motivation: 10

Focus:9

Goals: Complete Workout, Establish 1RM for each exercise.

Preparation: Meditation - 5 min, Cardio - 5 min. Visualization/Stretching

Weight Lifting:
Quads
Squat: 180x5; 205x5; 230x5; 275x5; 300x5
Front Squat: 150x5; 185x5; 205x5; 235x5; 250x3
Hamstrings
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 135x5; 185x5; 205x5; 215x5; 220x3
Lying Leg Curls: 90x5; 100x5; 110x5; 115x3; 115x2
Calves
Calf Raises: 185x5; 205x5; 225x5; 255x4; 255x1

Training Notes: Hamstrings are an interesting issue here. Combined with my glutes in the stiff leg deads and I do OK; isolate them and they suck.  Definitely going to have to focus on them.  Maybe put the Leg Curls first and push more weight. 

300lbs. five times on the squat is a lot better than I thought.  I have some time before I touch 5x5 again so as I save some money I can aim for more plates but I also am looking at a bench with a cable attachment.  More weight verses more variety here for all body parts.  The problem I see is that the added plates would only really be dealing with the Squat but the better bench would be hitting every body part with new stuff.  Looks like bench still weighs out ahead.  I  won't be back to 5x5 for six weeks so maybe I can get both.  I am about half way to the bench with my savings.  We will see. 

In any case, not much loss of strength here either.  That is good news.  
 

Workout Log 3.2.1 - Chest/Biceps - First Workout of Year Three

After a week off to rest and recover, I hit my first workout of the year with real enthusiasm.  My split is about focus and putting my week areas first to make them stronger.  Chest and Arms tops my list so Chest and Biceps day.

Motivation: 10

Focus: 9.5

Goals: Establish One Rep Max (1RM) for All Exercises, Pyramid Established, Complete Workout.

Preparation: Meditation - 5 min.; Cardio -10 min.; Visualization/Stretching

Weight Training: (90 to 120 sec rest between sets)
Chest
Bench Press: 135x5; 150x5; 160x5; 170x5; 180x3
Incline Bench Press: 135x5; 140x5; 150x5; 160x5; 170x2
Dumbbell Flyes: 20x5;26x5; 30x 5; 40x 5; 46x3
Biceps:
Barbell Curl: 75x5; 85x5; 100x5; 120x5; 130x3
Preacher Curl: 50x5; 60x4; 70x5; 76x5; 80x2
Standing Concentration Curls: 20x5; 26x5; 30x5; 40x5; 50x6

Flexing: Chest and Biceps

Cardio: 20min Stationary Bike -Preset 1

Training Notes: I did this one all on feel for the most part and I didn't guess to badly.  The fourth set was the 5 rep max target and the fifth set was a failure set. I wanted to get my starting 1RM for the year for all of these and I got them pretty well.  Not to much loss of strength during the cut as my 1RM for Bench, for instance, only fell about 10 lbs.
 
Nutrition this week has been a free for all but mostly my body has been craving carbs and I have obliged.  Goal is to get a carb cycling plan in place for weeks 3-6 and keep the calorie count between 5000 and 4500.  See what happens when we get there.   

Two Years of Bodybuilding

 

You know, Jack LaLanne looked really good back in the day.  What am I saying, the guy looked good probably to right up before his death for his age at any age he was.

Two years ago I got back from a vacation and realized I was a fat boy.  I was suddenly very motivated to do something about it,  I didn't want one of those 12 week and your done programs either.  There is nothing wrong with a 12 week program to get you started but to make a long term choice requires a long term approach.  After 12 weeks then what?   I was looking for more of a lifestyle transformation. 

Bodybuilding fit the bill.  I added the idea of health and flexibility and I got a program that in the first year helped me drop from 337lbs. to 262lbs. That year I also watched my body fat drop from 28% to about 7% based on the three site method on myself.

This year has not been as dramatic but it still has been a great ride.  The heaviest I ever was this year was 285lbs. and I got down to 265lbs. and could not break through that barrier no matter how hard I tried.  Indicates some muscle gain but not a lot.  Bodyfat % hung out at 7% form most of the year until my recent cut dropped it to 5.5% the last few weeks, 5.25% today.

Lessons this year:

1. Nutrition is as important as training - missing meals and too many cheats and all that work in the gym goes bye bye.  You will hear some people say nutrition is 80% but all they are doing emphasizing the point.  Simply put training damages the body, nutrition builds it.  Good Training will get you some results but nutrition puts it into overdrive and gets stuff done.

2. Patience.  Not my daughter, the virtue itself.

3. Relax.  Anxiousness and nervousness shortcut your gains.  Learn to chill.

4. Vary everything.  My training was more effective when things changed and challenged my muscles more often in different ways.

5. Volume is what works for me.  More sets with low reps did gain me some strength and I need that but what gave me growth was more reps at the right weight.  I beginning to think that the nature of my body may have more slow twitch fibers because every time I do more reps it works.  20-24 sets on a body part, yeah that's a lot but it works.  Along with pushing to failure on the last set or even adding an exercise if I don't feel that my muscles have been challenged takes it that much farther.

If one thing had changed I am not a fat boy anymore.  I am back to being what I was a long time ago -- an athlete.  My skin does not fit anymore, but what is underneath has good endurance, strength and muscle tone.  I feel great and I have the goal of competing sometime in 2014.  Year three is coming up and I am ready to change and grow the way I need to grow and change.             

Three Weeks Out, Next Year and Other Random Thoughts.

A Young Bill Pearl.

Well, I am three weeks out from the end of year two of my bodybuilding journey and If I have learned one thing it is to trust my instincts more than trainers in magazines.  This year was not as successful as I had hoped and it is probably because I thought too far ahead.  The problem with long range planning is that you can sometimes feel obligated to follow it even when it is not working so well.

The other thing I have learned is the value of consistent nutrition and nutrition planning.  Skipping a meal or not eating clean can be more detrimental than missing a workout.  Right now, I have three weeks of an extreme cut diet of 2000 calories a day with no, I repeat NO cheating.  This going to be tough.   Life has a way of throwing temptations in your face as fast as or faster than you can manage. 

I now am aware that my body reacts far better to high volume than high weight but having the weight be as high as possible for that volume is very important.  I also am very aware of my goal to look good year round.  That has cause me to look around and see if there is way to change things up constantly and have a diet that gives both growth and keeps the fat monster at bay at the same time. I think I have an answer.

1) My training is going to be constantly changing from week to week.  There is a little pattern to it but the idea is to be different every time I hit the body shop.  I am following a six week cycle. 

a) Week 1 - Strength and Power 5x5
b) Week 2 - Mass Building 4x8
c) Week 3 - Mass Building 4x10
d) Week 4 - Mass Building 4x12
e) Week 5 - Mass Building 4x15
f) Week 6 - Cutting - 3x25: Double Cardio

I want to repeat this two time and then have a reset week.  There is also the fact I want about 20 sets each workout.  That means four to six exercises per body part depending on the week.  The sole exception will be Strength Weeks where there will be one exercise for building strength and another based on building power.  After going through this cycle twice -- reset week.  I think with this I can have consistency but variety as well as flexibility when I sense something is not working.

2) Nutrition will be another matter, Week 1 and the reset weeks will be a free for all.  Clean but eat a lot.  Weeks 2-5 I am going to carb cycle.  On high carb day which will coincide with leg day, one medium carb day which is also back day and the rest low carb with everything else.  Cut week will be all low carb.

3) Other things include a simple but changing training split, a commitment to regular cardio with double during cut week.  Changing exercises and exercise order every cycle will help too.   During mass building I want to pyramid up as well and use other advanced techniques when I can like partial reps, failure, and rest pause.

4) Supplements - simple, basic but effective.  If it does not work in a couple cycles -- it gets dumped.

The focus for this year is to gain mass but stay lean.  I am not going to focus on a particular body part this year.  I want mass all over and then next year I can see what needs fixing.

5) I am going to try to do something with this loose skin of mine and get more acquainted with the skin care side of this business next year.  Tanning and all that. 

Three more weeks.  August 15th is coming soon.