Day 5

Status - M14
Mood - good

Day 4 Picture



Day 5 Picture

Coming Soon !

Until,

-- Jay

Day 3

Status - M14
Mood - Great

Day 3



Shoulders + HIIT

Thanks for the add Adam. I appreciate your support !

Until,

-- Jay

SHRED ON

Day 2

Status - M14
Mood - good


Day 2



Back + Biceps

I'm glad to say that I haven't lost much strength. Tomorrows run will be the true test of my current fitness level :-)

until,

-- Jay

Day 1: 14 day mini-challenge

Status - 14 day mini-challenge
Mood - excited


Day 1



I'd rather let my action speak for the next two weeks.

Day 2: Serious workout

Status - hulk
Water - 4 liters
Mood - great

Day 2 of 50



Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Shoulders

- standing push press (2 x 185lbs x 5)(3 x 135lbs x 8-10)
- seated military press (3 x 55lbs x 6-8) **very tired**
- lateral raise (cable - 2 x 40lbs x 10-12)(machine - 2 x 70lbs x 6-8)
- front raise (cable - 2 x 30lbs x 10-12)

I haven't performed standing push press in quite some time -- a little over 4 months. It really kicked my butt today.

At the end of my workout I even tried to run, but was unable to due to the severe pain felt in each of my shoulders -- the type of burn you get when doing lactic acid training, but much more persistent. I've never experienced anything like it before.

Won't be doing shoulders for another two days, at least, haha

Catch you later,

-- Jay

Day 1: Continued (post workout)

Status - hulk
Water - 5 liters
Mood - excellent

Day 1 of 50



Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Back

- pull-up (30 reps)

- lat pull-down (circuit x 2 RN x 150 lbs, 120, 90, 60)

- seated row (circuit x 2 RN x 150 lbs, 120, 90, 60)

Catch you tomorrow morning,

-- Jay

Day 1: You won't like when I'm angry

Status - HULK
Water - 2 liters
Mood - great

Day 1 of 30

Life:

I've been absent a while, but it feels good to finally be back !

Organizing my schedule for school has proved more difficult than initially expected. I'm still unsure as to which classes I plan to take for this semester. Currently, the fall looks something the following -

BI48 (evolutionary biology)
CG9 (Quantitative methods in psychology)
ENG141 (History of American Poetry)
LITR (advanced poetry writing)

Due to a few scheduling conflicts, it seems as though I won't be able to take a senior seminar, at least not until next semester.

As you might have noticed above, I have entered into a new phase: HULK

haha

This will be the mission theme for the next 50 days, beginning tomorrow.

Near the end of 'return to form', which lasted for approximately 68 days, I noticed that my body responded very well to heavier weights. In fact, after having lost 6 lbs of fat this summer (while in summer school), I regained most of it back (in the form of muscle) when working out at my gym from home. The photo below is evidence of this fact:



Although I've lost a little definition in my abdominal region, I feel that my increased muscle tone more than makes up for it. Granted, I haven't been running as frequently as I would like, which, once started, will help in tightening me up some more.

Here's a promise I will make to all my fellow shredders out there:

Jeremy is waking up tomorrow at 7am, and completing a 20 minute HIIT session, followed by 10 minutes on the elliptical. There you go. I am committed now. No excuses.

The vision I have for myself in beginning this new mission is threefold:

1) GET BIG

2) GET BIGGER

3) BECOME THE HULK

haha

No, but seriously - I would like to put on some more size, without gaining an unneeded amount of fat. I've been trying to lower my body fat percentage for so long, and have done well in accomplishing that goal, to an extent. Now, however, I would like to learn more about my body's strength capacity.

There was a point, two years ago actually, that I felt my strongest. My lifts were through the roof. I would like to reach and even surpass that in the next 50 days, which means that my bench press needs to reach at least 110 lbs (dumbbell) / 275lbs barbell, shoulder press 100lbs (dumbbell) / 225lbs (barbell), and weighted pull-ups (repping with a 45lbs plate). I would also like to incorporate a form of squat and dead-lift into my regimen. My legs are severely underdeveloped from years of neglect.

I have such chicken legs, haha

I would definitely appreciate any feedback on this. Mike, Michael (!), Adam, Larry, Bob, ladies ? I know a few of you guys are pushing around some serious leg weight. How do you think I should start out ?

Note:

I do, in fact, have a decent foundation in squatting. In high school, our coach focused on clean and jerk mostly, but also required us to learn the basic technique and function of the squat movement, which was especially important for me to know since my primary position was at Middle Linebacker, and so had to use a lot of hip in making a variety of tackles. It's just that I haven't been hitting anyone recently, haha.

Any advice would be appreciated !

I'll be making blog rounds very soon. I haven't forgotten you guys !

Take care, and good luck !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 66: woot woot

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 66 of 68

Yesterday (Saturday)

Back

- lat pull (2 x 165lb x 6-8)
- seated row (3 x 225lb x 6-8)

Tricep

- skull crushers (3 x 20lb each end x 10)

Cardio:

yet another day where doing cardio is difficult

Life:

Although I haven't performed cardio in 4-5 days, roughly, I feel pretty good. I can't wait until I'm finally packed away and settled, because then I'll have more time to direct toward my fitness goals.

I'm heading to Boston and will return tomorrow afternoon.

Catch you later,

shred on !

--Jay

Day 64: horrible

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - poor

Day 64 of 68

Cardio:

UNABLE

Weight:

UNABLE

Life:

I feel like a slob - missed yet another day in the gym ! I leave tomorrow as already mentioned. I can't stand having to miss gym time, but getting things ready to move takes priority.

Just know that as soon as I step foot on campus it'll be in the gym, haha.

And with a full head of steam !!

Can't wait to back in a steady routine.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 63: Bussy bee

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - great



Day 63 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Chest

- incline (2 x 80lb x 8-10)(dumbbell)
- flat [(1 x 185 x 8-10) + (2 x 225lb x 5)]
- cable press (3 x 120 x max)

Biceps

- standing bar curl (2 x 150lb x 8-10)
**circuit with**
- hammer curl (2 x 30lb x max)

Life:

I leave for school on Saturday, and am most likely driving back. I canceled my gym membership in light of the obvious fact that I wont be home, at least for a while. Still, they are allowing me access for the remainder of the week (until Friday). Hopefully, this weekend, I'll have a chance to get one or two morning runs in so I can prepare for the big reveal on day 68.

Due to the events from this past week (packing, seeing family last minute, stealth missions etc), however, I feel that my day 68 pic will prove to be a little disappointing. In all honesty, I haven't finished as strongly as I would have liked. Of course the mission isn't over yet, but I doubt I'll have a chance to spend as much time in the gym and make as much progress as I would like to in only 5 days. We'll see how it goes ...

I know for sure, however, that mission two, like Michael's, will be devoted to getting as big and as strong as humanly possible. I've seen tremendous results in this area recently, and I want to continue that while at school, where I'll be able to take full advantage of what Brown's facilities have to offer. One exercise that I would really like to work into my routine is the clean and jerk. By my senior year in high school I was peeking out at 185lb. I was truly in love with this movement, which is difficult but also extremely beneficial -- primarily works the legs, but also the traps and shoulders if performed correctly.

I hope everyone is doing well and making huge strides in their respective fitness missions. Keep up the good work ! I'll be stopping by more frequently when I have more time. And I do apologize for being absent for a while. Life kicked in for a bit there, lol.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. it almost slipped my mind - everyone will understand what my stealth mission was all about on day 68. Stay tuned, lol

Day 60: Home stretch

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - excited !



Day 60 of 68

Short post for today as I'm preparing for tomorrow's stealth mission, lol

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Chest

- incline (dumbbell)(2 x 80lb x 10-12)(increased 5 lbs)
- flat (barbell)[3 x 185lb (8 reps), 205lb (7 reps), 225lb (5 reps)]

Was hesitant to try barbell seeing as I hurt myself last summer doing flat bench. But from today's results, I can see that I've made some gains in strength. Major note: I felt in complete control of the weight - lowering it slowly to about mid-sternum and blasting upward through the rep. I haven't felt like that in quite a while ! Will definitely try my hand at barbell bench next week. I want to move my max up to at least 100lb (using dumbell), and 260 (using barbell).

Back

- pull down (2 x 165lb x 8-10)
- seated row (2 x 140lb x 8-10)

Arms

- Biceps : standing bar curl
- Triceps : kickbacks, push down

Shoulders

attempted to rep with 80lb, but I was too spent from having done chest/back/etc.
Settled for the machine.

- seated press (2 x 190lb x 10-12)(heavy)
- circuit with seated press(2 x 70lb x 10-12)(light)

Life:

Just looking forward to tomorrow !
Very exciting stuff.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. I'll explain why such a lengthy workout tomorrow. There is a reason for this.

Day 58: Whoops

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - good



Day 58 of 68

Cardio:

4 laps on track
10, forty yard sprints

* I arrived at the gym after it had closed. Whoops. The track near my house sufficed

Weight:

REST

Life:

Anxiously waiting for Tuesday to arrive. Keep a look out !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 57: Decent

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - great



Day 57

Cardio:

- 2.2 miles HIIT (treadmill) in 15 minutes
- 10 minutes HIIT (elliptical)
- .9 miles warm-down (treadmill)

Weight:

REST

Life:

Stealth mission complete, haha

I'll make a final reveal on day 68. So for the time being, I'll post pictures with my shirt on.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL. 300 DAYS IS NO JOKE !

Day 56: on second thought

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - energetic

Day 56

Life:

In preparation for three straight days of HIIT, I decided to take today off and designate it as a day of recovery. I've been training extremely hard the past two weeks - throwing around heavy weight becomes very taxing on the central nervous system. I feel strong though, but just want to ensure a safe entry into the last phase of mission 1: the burn. Therefore,

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

REST

I have a lot to do tomorrow:

- morning HIIT
- meeting with uncle
- stealth appt in the afternoon :-)

I'm very excited !!

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 55: Final lap

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - great



Day 55 of 68

Cardio:

REST - in preparation for 3 consecutive days of HIIT

Weight:

Shoulders

- seated press (2 x 75lb x 8-10)(dumbbell)
- seated press (3 x 190 x 6-8)(machine)(heavy)
- ditto (3 x 70 x 10-12)(machine)(light)
- lateral raises (4 x 70lb x 10-12)

Life:

Today was a very busy day for me. Lots of work in the house, a few errands around town. Walked the dog, he chased some squirrels. I did too, haha. Acting a fool always makes me feel better for some reason :-)

Diet:

5 small meals today. Started off with a few slices of turkey along side one or two chunks of cheese. Brunch consisted of an omelet and a bite of toast. Mid-afternoon: a large salad, which was very delicious. Finished the day off with a reasonable dinner of baked chicken and a cup of string beans and brown rice. Oh, and the mona.vie drink, of course.

Very balanced day overall. Now, I just need to keep it up. Shouldn't be too difficult considering that I haven't experienced many cravings lately (bag of hershey's kisses is gone !)

Until tomorrow (rounding the corner)

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 54: Great day

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - check
Mood - wonderful



Day 54 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Back

- pull ups (30)
- lat pull down (2 MR)
- seated row (2 MR)
- one arm pull down (2 x 120lb x 10-15)

Triceps

- push down (3 x 150lb x 6-8)
- skull crushers (3 x 95lb x 6-8)
- one arm cable extension (2 x 55lb x 8-10)(each arm)

Life:

Had a chance to visit my uncle, who is doing quite well. He offered me two bottles of Mona.Vie acai juice as a gift. The berry itself is actually becoming increasingly well-known. It's packed with nutritional value, and is also very delicious and energizing.

I sound like one of their product development directors, haha

I'll experiment with it over the next few weeks (one is only supposed to consume 3 oz of this stuff per day, so it's going to last quite long)

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 53: In the books

Status - return to form (B14)
Water - 2 bottles so far
Mood - great

Day 53 of 68



Cardio:

Morning HIIT session complete

- 15 minutes treadmill
- 15 minutes elliptical
- 5 minutes rowing

Afternoon steady-state

- tonight

Weight:

REST

Life:

Lots of writing to do !

Be back later to update further,

--Jay

Day 52: The Countdown Begins

Status - return to form
Water - 4 bottles
Mood - focused

Day 52 of 68



Cardio:

1.5 miles in 10 minutes

Weight:

Chest

- incline (2 x 80lb x 6-10)
- flat dumbbell (2 x 185lb x 8)
- cable press (5 x 80lb x 5-7)
- peck deck (2 x 65lb x 6-8)

Biceps

- standing bar curl (3 x 120lb x 10)
*circuit with
- standing hammer curl (3 x 30lb x 10)
- one arm cable curl (2 x 40lb x to failure)
- reverse curl (2 x 40lb x to failure)

Life:

I go back to school in exactly 14 days, which is when mission one is supposed to end. I didn't intend for things to work out this way, but it's great that it has. Arriving at school in better shape than when I left will be wonderful to experience. What's more is that I plan to visit my friend in Boston on the 31st, and she wants to visit the beach. Now if that isn't positive pressure then I'm not sure what is, haha.

Mini-mission B14 has begun !!

:-)

The next few weeks will be intense. I'll be taking daily photos now that I have a camera.

Sidenote:

I've found, in my experience, that taking pictures and blogging daily is absolutely necessary when attempting to document one's progress. Writing down weight increases and mileage just isn't enough. The visual feedback from photo-taking is an extremely powerful motivating factor, especially when you're working hard. Seeing improvements in your physique and literally watching your body take shape (on a weekly or even daily basis) is the most exciting thing in the world.

Diet:

To be honest, I need to clean up. If I expect to be shredded by the 31st then total dedication is needed. A killer workout is nullified by a poor meal plan.

Basic outlook:

vegetables, lean sources of prot (egg, chicken). Whey, when whole foods aren't available. Carbs, but only following workout.

That's it !

I've had great success with this template in the past. All that's needed is meticulous planning and relentless drive, which I have.

Thank you Larry, Juli and Rick for your kind comments. I've been following your guys' progress and you all are rocking out !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 50: Pictures !

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - excited

Day 50 of 68

Wednesday - 8 laps on track, no weight
Thursday - Back and triceps (intense)

TODAY (Friday)

shoulders

- seated press (2 x 75 lb x 5-8 reps)
- machine press (3 x 190 lb x 5-8 reps)
- lateral raise (2 x 80 lbs x 10-12 reps)(cable)
- front raise (2 x 70 lbs x 10-12 reps)(cable)

cardio (rest)

Life:

I am so psyched to finally post pictures. It's been far too long. Tell me what you think !

(Day 0)



(at my local gym, about 15 minutes after my workout today)



(perspective taken a little further away)



Personal notes:

I think I have made decent progress so far. Although I've only lost 6 lbs since the beginning of the summer, most of it has been in the form of pure fat. My current weight, according to a double-beam scale, is 168 lbs (taken this afternoon). I'm surprised by this because in my photos I look larger, especially in the chest / shoulder area. I guess I've put on a decent amount of muscle mass too, even though my primary goal has been fat lose (at least for the past few months). Overall, I'm feeling good.

And strong too: since I've returned home, many of my maxes have gone up by at least 5 lbs. Granted, I have been eating much more. In the morning I usually enjoy a protein shake with a few peanuts and a slice of cheese. Pre-workout nutrition consists of yet another protein shake: I try to eat lightly before the gym. Post workout is a different story, lol. Hands down, my favorite time of day.

Post workout meal - recently (past 2 weeks): 3-4 eggs with a slice of bread, small piece of chicken breast, handful of grapes, handful of peanuts, and finally a protein shake (only 1 scoop). Three hrs later, a large salad with green peppers, grated cheese and a few thin slices of turkey. Dressing is kept light and fat free (red wine vinegarette). Before bedtime I usually go with another shake, if not, then a handful of peanuts and a simple bite of chicken.

Man, talking about all this food is getting me hungry. And I just ate, haha !

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. Ricky, keep it up buddy. Only ten more lbs to go: a piece of cake (only an expression, lol)

Day 47: CONT

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - meh

Day 47 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Chest

- flat barbell (3 x 5-7), incline (3 x 5-7), decline (2 x 5-7)
- cable flies (3 x 5-7), dips (~ 30)

Biceps

- standing bar curl (3 x 6-8)
- concentration curl (3 x 8-10)

Life:

Finished some writing, discovered my new favorite drink at Starbucks, haha (cafe americano). Not sure if the latter is all that great, considering how much caffeine I already consume.

Tomorrow's Plan:

mid-morning HIIT, afternoon back / triceps

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to post an updated photo of myself. I might access to a camera tomorrow.

Day 47: on track

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 47 of 68

Yesterday's session:

The treadmill turned off again in the middle of my run (grr). I had to make an abrupt stop and almost lost my footing. Good thing I didn't get hurt.

They should really fix this problem.

Totals - since I had to change treadmills I'm not exactly sure as to how many miles I ran. If I had to make an estimate, I would say about 3.3 miles in 20 minutes. But again, this is only a rough approximation.

TODAY

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

I'm heading to the gym at 4. I just ate and am waiting for the food to digest, haha. Plan - Chest + Biceps

I need to take a break with the ABS today because I'm experiencing some serious DOMS. Reason being: variation on the ab rolling maneuver but with an exercise ball, followed by cable crunches. Serious !

Life:

I am so pleased to hear that Ricky is sticking hard to the program, even while on vacation ! To date, he's lost about 26 lbs. I can't wait until he reaches his goal of 190. I think he'll surprise himself

:-)

Keep it up buddy !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 45: Feeling good

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 45 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Biceps (5 x 10-12) (low intensity)

*very short workout

Life:

My night was amazing. My friend and I enjoyed coffee, dinner and a night of dancing. All high marks in my book. I was worried for a second: afraid she would turn out to be some type of online pedophile (with a thing for creative writers) haha.

:-)

No worries

Yesterday's session:

Back - pull-ups (50), lat pull down (5 x 5-8), Seated row (4 x 5-8)

Tris - push down (5 x 6-10), skull crushers (2 x 8-10)

Tomorrow's session:

Morning - HIIT
Afternoon - Chest + Biceps

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 43: CONT

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 43 of 68

Life:

Life is great: I saw my dog, mom and dad all on the same day ! haha

The ride home was pretty uneventful. Not long after I (partially) unpacked, I made my way to the local gym in my town. It felt great to have the weights back in my hand and a constant stream of sweat dripping from my chin.

:-)

Cardio:

about a mile at speed 9.

*the treadmill does not go faster than 10, which is going to be a problem*

(grr)

Weight:

Seated push press, front & lateral raise, upright rows, ABS

In and out in under an hr. Push press felt great - 75 felt light(need to increase)

Tomorrow's plan:

morning HIIT / afternoon lifting session before ...

Fun:

remember that girl I mentioned last week ? You know, the writer ? Well, I'm meeting her tomorrow for the first time. We'll see how it goes, haha. No expectations !!

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 43: Pause

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 43 of 68

Life:

I haven't been able to workout in the past couple of days in light of the fact that I'm in the process of moving back home. Tomorrow I'll be back in high gear at my local gym in Connecticut. Watch out !

Suggestion:

check out the following song by Chris Brown. I can't stop singing it, I'm peeved.
'Nice'

Be back soon !

I hope everyone is doing well

--Jay

Day 41: Feeling strong

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 41 of 68

Cardio:

8 laps @ the OMAC

Weight:

Back

- pull ups (2 sets x 45 lb plate x 5 reps)
- seated row (6 sets x 190 x 5 reps)

Tri

- Standing push-downs (7 sets x 70 x 5-7 reps)
- Weighted Dips (2 sets x 45 lb plate x 9 reps, 6 sets x body weight x 6 reps)

*felt good

Life:

Thank you all for showing concern for my wellbeing. I made sure to hydrate myself well today, haha. Even ate a bagel (for additional calories), which is highly unusual for me. The extra carbs from that and a little pasta (this afternoon) gave me plenty of energy to get through today's workout.

Tomorrow's plan:

Early rise to finish two final lab reports that are due in the afternoon. Then off to the gym for an intense cardio session: 20 laps on the track HIIT style ! Ricky is going to hate me afterward ... my own body might as well, lol.

Take care everyone and thanks again for the support. It means more than you know.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 40: URGENT

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - good, considering

Day 40 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

REST

Life:

I WAS HOSPITILIZED LAST NIGHT !

Story -

Following our lifting session, Ricky and I decided to sprint 12 times around the track at full speed, haha. Well, I ended up pushing myself too hard. When leaving the dining hall afterward, I started to feel quite horrible. I was completely dehydrated, slightly tachycardic, and noticed that my skin was cool and clammy(mild signs of shock). I didn't have the energy to walk back to my dorm and so called EMS for transport. When they arrived I was found lying on the ground (I began to feel lightheaded). They took my vitals etc, placed me on a stretcher. In the ambulance I was given an IV. They had trouble finding a good vein, which I didn't fully understand seeing as many of them were still quite distended from having just finished working out.

To make a long story short, I made it to and from the hospital and am still in one piece, lol. My right arm is a little sore from where the IV was placed, but aside from that I feel great. Definitely gave my mom a scare, haha.

Hence the day of rest.

Tomorrow back at full throttle !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 39: Feeling the heaeet

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 39 of 68

Cardio:

4pm session - HIIT (2.8 miles) (20 minutes)
10pm session - Steady State (2.84 miles) (25 minutes)

Total - 5.64 miles (45 minutes)

Yesterday was killer. I haven't performed a double cardio session in quite a while. My legs were screaming "help me" walking back from the gym last night, haha. Today I'm feeling much better. Though a little tired, I'm ready to continue on schedule.

Weight:

REST

Plan for today:

Chest/Bi ... 10pm Steady State

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 37: Continued

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 37 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Bi/Tri/Cable crunch circuit (5 RNDS)

Dumbbell snatch (5 RNDS)

WEEKLY PLAN:

Sun - DOUBLE CARDIO SESSION (4pm HIIT + pm steady state = 1.5 hrs)
Mon - Chest/Bic ... 10:30pm steady state (1hr)
Tue - DOUBLE CARDIO SESSION
Wed - Pull ups/tricep ... pm steady state
Thu - DOUBLE CARDIO SESSION
Fri - cable row/shoulder press ... pm steady state

Diet:

cheat meal tonight !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 37: Warming Up

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 37 of 68

Cardio:

last night - 30 minuted run (steady state) (3 miles) ; rope skipping (until exhausted)


*After yesterday's final exam I was tired enough to take a nap in the afternoon, which is highly unusual for me. I woke with a ton of energy and so ended up taking a mid-night run, lol.

Weight:

REST

Life:

Class is done !! Class is done !!

This week, before I go home, I want to really push myself in the gym. Ricky and I have a week. It would be wonderful if he could lose another lb or so before going back to Texas. Personally, I want to continue to lower my mile and do lots more cadio in general. I want to warm up in this way so as to arrive in CT with a full head of steam. Wish me luck !

Catch you later,

Shred on

--Jay

Day 35: Great

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - haha

Day 35 of 68

Cardio:

Another mile in under 7 minutes !! (6:40)

Weight:

Pull ups, push ups, flies (multi-angle), rows

Life:

I can only smile ... explain later ... need rest for a long day tomorrow

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 34: REST

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - good

Day 34 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

REST

Life:

studying, ah !!!

Catch you all up when I have more time.

Hope everyone's doing well !

--Jay

Day 33: Intense

Status - return to form
Water - check
Mood - great

Day 33 of 68

Workout:

Personal version of a crossfit workout

push press + knees-up crunches + burpees + lunges = 1 round
(done in succession with no rest)

Rest period consisted of time on the treadmill. So while Ricky was finishing his Round 1, I was running and vice versa. After five rounds were completed, we took a rest period of a minute. Then, we did an additional 10 minutes on the treadmill, alternating between speeds 7,7.5,8,6,6.5 etc.

I tried to add as much variety as possible. Never adapting.

It was a grueling workout to say the least.

Diet:

High day: stack of pancakes from a local diner this morning. Absolutely delicious. I couldn't finish it all though :-(

I have to get studying...lots of work due for this upcoming week !

Catch you later,

Shred on,
--Jay

Day 32: YES !

Status - return to form
Water - 120 oz and counting
Mood - pumped !

Cardio:

I accomplished my goal ! Mile ran in under 7 minutes (6:57)

Whoa, it was tough. I ran the last minute going speed 10.1

Brutal but rewarding at the same time.

My goal for the next coming week is to lower it even more - aiming for 6:30

Weight:

Another intense workout: Lactic Acid training - multi-angle dumbbell bench press (once down, and then up, lowering one notch and completing as many reps as possible); pull-ups (50 total - 5 / set), biceps (at least 20 on 1st set, as many as possible for last remaining 3 sets). Ricky felt nauseous near the end, so I think the workout was challenging enough, haha.

Abs:

check

Life:

crunch time: two lab reports due on Thursday, HW due as well. Final exam on Friday. Tomorrow I will get both reports done; Tuesday will be devoted to the homework. That way, I'll have at least two full days to study for the final. Let's get down to business !!

I hope everyone in the sphere is going their hardest. Let's look at this week as hump week together !

Go hard, push yourself further than you've ever thought possible. It's easier than you think - simple as making a choice.

Thanks for that advice Michael.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 30: Back !

Status - return to form
Water - 72 oz
Mood - great

Day 30 of 68

Cardio:

Just a mile on the treadmill. Increased my speed by about 10 seconds - current time of 7:20

I plan to go full throttle tomorrow during my cardio session. I'll be shooting for a 7 minute mile. We'll see how it goes !

Weights:

Beginning of 2nd round of HST. I devoted this week to high volume Muscle Round Training. This afternoon consisted of flat bench, cable cross-overs, seated row and pull-down. I've gotten much stronger. I'll have to start making visits to the OMAC (our larger gym) because I've maxed out the dumbells in the bears lair (local). Hopefully, my 5 rep max'll be somewhere around 90. It's been about a year since I've been in this weight range - ever since I hurt my shoulder last summer working with a flat barbell.

Diet:

Over the past few days I've been conducting an experiment of sorts. My intension was to evaluate my body's response to various levels of carbohydrate. Based on past experience, not well at all; I am definitely endomorphic. However, I've noticed something neat recently. See, I love peanuts (dry roasted, unsalted). They're what I consistently reach for when I am fiending for something more edible than chicken salad. In the past two days, I have literally gone through an entire jar, which is about 16 oz / 1 lb. Results : clearer skin ! + more full-looking muscle tone

Weird. I'm not sure what it is about peanuts, but there is something definitely at play here. I know my body well enough now that I can confidently say that I'm not seeing things. More research, on my part, needs to be done.

Any ideas ? Has anyone had this experience before ?

Life:

Also very interesting happenings recently. About 2 1/2 weeks ago I met someone online. It was quite spontaneous actually. Point being - she's really into poetry, even takes herself seriously as a writer of it. From the little I've read of her, it seems she has wonderful intuition. A sense of carelessness as well, which is something I believe a lot of inexperienced writers lack - the ability to see past the obvious. At that point you can reduce a tree to its narrative and prose structure. Or even see more in a moon than some lover's face, haha

Anyways ... all this is to say that I'm excited to hear what's on her mind. She's not only intelligent but also quite sassy haha

I'm going to call it quits for tonight. I would like to get up at a reasonable hour

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 28: REST

Status - return to form
Water - (check)
Mood - great

Day 28 of 68

Weight:

REST

Cardio:

REST

Life:

Lots of reading done today. Began Anne Carson's Decreation (amazing).

In full gear tomorrow,

--Jay

Day 27: Great

Status - return to form
Water - (check)
Mood - great

Day 27 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Muscle Rounds (baby!) - flat barbell bench, preacher curls and cable rows. What a workout. I felt so pumped !

Life:

I just learned that I have only 2 weeks left of class. How time flies

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 26: Continued (just for fun)

I've been blogging for some time now but feel that many of you don't know me very well.

To remedy this I've posted a few fun pictures. *opening window

Enjoy !

I shall call this "the bare essentials" haha (that is cheese on the far left, which has been eaten already - a few minutes ago actually)



And this: "basketball" (I lost. He's taller than me !)



"try not to run at high speeds, especially through sharp narrow passages"

(when I broke my toe 3 years ago)



"where the magic happens" (the desk where most of my writing is done)



"blood and sweat" (my workout log - daily mileage and exact weight are tracked)



"criminal" (the person who actually broke my toe) (and he blames me since he was the one being chased) (I can't help but laugh at this picture now, haha)




That's it for tonight. Hope this was as fun for you as it was for me, haha

take care everyone, shred on !

--Jay

Day 26: Just in time

Status - return to form
Water - 3 liters
Mood - great

Day 26 of 68

Weights:

REST

Cardio:

HIIT run (15 minutes) (2 miles)
HIIT Elliptical (10 minutes)
HIIT run (10 minutes) (1.3 miles)

*Performed in that exact order*

My second attempt on the treadmill was obviously much slower than my first. I was pretty tired, and my legs were getting sore by that point.

Good thing tomorrow is a scheduled rest day for cardio. It could not have come at a better time !

Life:

I received a care package from my mom, which contained a number of essential items: dry roasted peanuts (unsalted), nioxin shampoo and peanut butter. It made my day !

Will post chart later on tonight, once I get my require amount of water.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 25: Sweet

Status - return to form
Water - 3 liters
Mood - great

Day 25 of 68

Cardio:

HIIT run (10 laps on track). Wow, it was a killer

Weight:

REST

Life:

I'm glad to find myself in a much better mood today. Last night was a different story. I can't even explain where the attitude came from. I really don't like being upset.

Getting out this afternoon definitely helped. I saw the new Dark Knight batman movie at the IMAX theatre. It was so good; very well done. Heath ledger gave an awesome performance. It's so sad he passed away.

Ok, I need to get some writing done. It's about that time.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. It's still so difficult to wake up ! Missing those early meals are killing my accountability score. Grrr

Day 24: TGIF

Status - return to form
Water - 4 liters
Mood - I'm in one of my moods

Day 24 of 68

Cardio:

REST

Weight:

Flat bench, Cable crossovers, 30 pull-ups, seated rows, preacher curls, push downs

Life:

I'm tired and need rest desperately.

gnight

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 23: Rocking out

Status -return to form
Water - 0 !
Mood - spent, but great

Day 23 of 68

Life (most urgent):

I had my Exam today and based on how quickly I finished, I am fairly certain I did very well. Although I wasn't up for as long last night as I thought I'd be, I did spend a good portion of it studying. Bedtime was around 4am. I only slept for 3 hrs, since I wanted to get at least another hour of HIIT studying in, haha.

Diet:

*GROAN*

ok ok. I'll be honest. I seem to have fallen into the bad habit of eating horribly the night before any exam. I tend to lose all inhibition when it comes to choosing the foods I need for brain energy. You know, the usual: energy drinks, which are not only unnecessarily saturated with sugar (it's redic) but are also extremely unhealthy for you (for other reasons as well). I'll just lay all my cards on the table. Last night I consumed 1 energy drink (name I can't recall), what I thought to be one slice of BOXED (TV-dinner-type) pizza (not sure what it was, haha), and a cookie/brownie/miniature piece of cake !

Ahhhhh, just recapping the night makes me cringe. *hangs head very low*

But I did well on my test, I did well on my test ! hahaha

No, seriously - I shouldn't have been so lax in my diet. But nonetheless, today is another day. And cardio is scheduled. I'll make sure to kill myself on the treadmill to make up for last night !

Be back in ~ 2 hrs because I am leaving for the gym right now. Early morning (sorta) cardio to burn off that mess of a mess from studying.

To be cont,

--Jay

Here is the chart from yesterday



Here is the chart for today. The score is awful.



Tomorrow is another day.

Day 22: Crunch time

Status - return to form
Water ~ 96 oz so far
Mood - great, a little anxious though

Day 22 of 68

Weight:

HST - I increased my flat dumbbell press to 75lbs; smashed through the first set of 10, but only got 7 on the second. Also went harder on military press: 70 lbs, up from last weeks 65. Man, it was tough.

Cardio:

REST

Need it from yesterday's killer, hulk inspired workout.

Life:

I have an exam tomorrow ! I will undoubtedly be up all night studying for it

:-(

Tis ok, it'll be worth it when I receive an A, which is inevitable (positive mindset yields positive results).

I usually post my chart before I go to bed, but seeing as I'll be sleeping in the library tonight I will have to wait until tomorrow.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 21: Wow

Status - return to form
Mood - ecstatic
Water - 120 oz.

Day 21 of 68

Cardio:

HIIT run (15 minutes) (2 miles)
(5 minutes) (.72 miles)
______________________

(total) 20 minutes, 2.72 miles

It took me only 5 minutes to run almost a mile, and furthermore, only 20 minutes to complete a little less than 3 miles. Just yesterday, 3 miles took me 25 minutes to finish. I lowered my time. Sweet !

Granted, I was running at a much fast pace today than ever before. I cycled between speed 7.5 and 10.5 ! My legs felt absolutely wonderful. It was strange even, because I thought they would be at least somewhat fatigued considering all the HIIT cardio I've been doing.

I'm not complaining or anything, lol

HIIT elliptical (10 minutes) (1.3 miles)

I used the elliptical as a warm down but decided afterward to jump back on the tread for an additional 5 minutes, cycling between 9 and 10.5 with Ricky. He was going at a slower pace (8), but I was more than impressed by his effort.

Other members of the gym were looking in our direction in a strange sorta way, lol. Two grown men hopping on an off a treadmill at 1 minute intervals at very very high speeds, haha. With me laughing out loud and hollering BOOM BOOM BOOM while Ricky smashes through 5 intense intervals at a blazing pace.

Whatever. We went hard today, and actually had a ton of fun punishing ourselves, haha.

Life:

I am liking the accountability chart. It has me thinking daily about what/when I eat, how much water I'm getting, and what work needs to be done etc. I feel much more focused, but not in the obsessive compulsive way (depends on who you ask, lol)

I have yet to score 100 % on on my chart. Getting up at 8 on days when I don't have class is tough. Not that I wake up much later anyway. I don't know. I'm sure I just need to get more into the habit of waking up at a certain, specified time EVERY day. And once my body becomes more accustomed to the routine, then I feel everything will be much easier. A matter of readjusting certain biological rhythms, which i won't even get started on. School is NOT in session now, haha.

Also -

I wanted to take some time to thank everyone (Mike, Michael, Juli and Lilla)
for leaving such wonderful comments on my blog recently. From the help with my chart to just dropping by to give a friendly hello has meant so much. I wouldn't be able to do this if not for your support !

Shred on guys. And gals !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 21: TEST 1 & 2

Here's a test to see if I actually know what I'm doing. I will attempt to repost a the same chart but with random information input:


Can everyone see it ?

Now here's test 2



I think I have it down :-)

I'm so pleased with myself

*smile !

Day 21: Maybe/who knows

Status - return to form
Water - 5 liters
Mood - a bit frustrated

Day 21 of 68

Life:

*currently screaming at the top of my lungs out of frustration*

Formating my new accountability chart has proved more difficult than initially thought. It has officially taken me almost two hours to simply copy and paste a document from Excel onto my blog. You guys either oversimplified the process or I am just dumb.

asflkjw895 <-- that's my frustration in letter/numerical form

At least I now know what the problem was. See, apparently there wasn't enough space on my hard drive to open Adobe Photoshop, which I am supposed to use to convert the doc. to a JPEG file. I spent the majority of the past two hours trying to determine what I could delete from my C drive in order to facilitate the opening of the aforementioned program. Simple enough, right ? No. Not at all. I tried deleting veriface, but I wasn't allowed, since, for some reason, it is perpetually active, even in spite of my repeated efforts (lost count) to shut it down. I then tried to delete Limewire, to much success! Now, don't let that exclamation point mislead you. I'm not very excited about this, lol.

*sigh

The sacrifices I make to become a more organized/efficient person.

ok, so here goes. Let's see if all the effort resulted in something that actually appears on my blog ...

IT WORKS !!!!

hahahaha ... I am thrilled. Mmm, now let's see if I can duplicate the same process tomorrow. *crossing fingers

Cardio:

4 laps on the track

Weight:

HST

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 20: cont.

Cardio:

My intension was to go into the gym today to finish a session on the elliptical. I'm disappointed to say that I not only did that, but also 2.52 miles on the treadmill !!

haha

HIIT run (20 minutes) (2.52 miles)
HIIT elliptical (10 minutes) (1.21 miles)

It was such a whimsical decision at the time, but in the end I'm glad I chose to push myself. Pain in my legs was less than expected. Tomorrow though I will have to take it easy. Based on past experience, I have a demonstrated tendency to develop shinsplints. I don't want that to hinder my progress. I've been on such a roll.

Still, it all depends on how good my legs feel.

Tomorrow:

morning HIIT (elliptical) + steady-state run (hopefully !)

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 20: chart accomplished

Status - return to form
Water - 1 liter so far
Mood - great

Day 20 of 68

Weight:

REST

Cardio:

Making my way to the gym shortly for HIIT on the elliptical.

Life:

This morning I tried my hand at Excel in an attempt to develop some type of accountability chart. What I have so far is extremely basic, but I think it will work well for my purposes. I'm really excited to going with all this.

Question: how should I format my page so that others can view the spreadsheet? Would I just copy and paste the chart directly from Excel? And is there a way to reuse the same basic file so that I won't have to re-create one every week? Ahh, I am so useless when it comes to computer programs that I never use! I should have majored in computer science, haha

Be back later this afternoon to post mileage etc.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. I will launch the chart starting tomorrow. After I iron the kinks out.
pps. Weekly Monday pic will be posted as well !

Day 19: feeling good in the neighborhood

Status - return to form
Water - x<2 liters
Mood - great

Day 19 of 68

Weights:

REST

Cardio:

HIIT run (25 minutes) (3.2 miles)
HIIT elliptical (15 minutes) (1.6 miles)

Usually, whenever I run or elliptisize (yes, it's not a real word) I generally like to keep my session under 30 minutes. Today, however, I wanted to push myself a little further because I've been feeling pretty good lately.

Running nearly 3 miles in 25 minutes isn't all that bad. Still, I want to carve it down by at least three more minutes in the next few weeks. I've always wanted to run a 7 minute mile. By keeping track of my mileage like this I hope I can reach that goal.

Idea: in order to better my speed I should probably tie Ricky's hedgehog to the back of my treadmill, and have it run after me. I'm sure that'll do it because his pet is truly scary. And mean too, lol. No offense little sonic !

Think about it, not only would we both get a great workout in the process, but we'll spend more time together, which in the end would benefit the entire family of three: myself, Ricky and sonic. Because as it is, the little guy doesn't care too much for me, haha. Is there such a thing as human rodent counseling ?

I feel really silly right now. Forgive the rambling, haha

Life:

I shared a portion of my manuscript with one of the professors in the graduate literary arts department here, Forrest Gander, and I am pleased to say that he had a few really nice/constructive things to say. He is such an amazing poet, whose opinion I value greatly. He gave me the impression that I actually have what it takes to write on a graduate level. It made me feel really good. Boosted my confidence a little too, which is something every young writer needs.

Tomorrow:

Another intense cardio session. No run though. Since the pool isn't open on the weekends I'll just be doing the elliptical.

ps. Ricky's performance today in the gym was one of true effort. I was pleasantly surprised when he was able to complete 10 minutes on the treadmill and another 30 on the elliptical. Like I've been saying, he doesn't realize his own potential. Keep it up buddy. BOOM BOOM BOOM !!! haha

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 18: pumped

Status - return to form
Water - 2 liters
Mood - excellent

day 18 of 68

Cardio:

NONE

Weights:

HST , and man did I feel great. My workout partner Ricky, who also has a new fitness blog (http://rick-transformed.blogspot.com/), thought I was crazed since I decided, again, to increase the weight in all my lifts. I felt very strong, and honestly, truly out of my mind. Too much adrenaline, I guess.

Like Mike says, go hard or go home !

Since I don't have an ipod yet, I find myself mentally rehearsing one of my favorite songs off of the old-school Rocky soundtrack. I'm surprised how pumped I get from it, even without a headset. Maybe this has something to do with my newfound intensity and focus.

I've realized that mental preparation is vitally important when stepping into any gym, before lifting any weight. Priming your mind, anchoring it to something that drives you nutts - gets your heart racing, your body physiologically active, is probably the most important step for me. As I said, I think of that Rocky song and join it with a mental image of the Hulk screaming or in the process of crushing some large, unbelievable heavy object. And sooner than later I'm doing the same, just with barbells.

Life:

Excited to write this weekend. I will finally have some free time. A few ideas brewing in my head.

Ricky hurt his calf. Not sure how. Nevertheless, he had took yesterday off in order to rest it up. But let me say, the kid came back today with a fury ! Seriously, he has no idea of his own potential. Although his cardio endurance needs a lot of work, he is unusually strong for a novice lifter. Seeing him in the gym working hard and making huge strides gets me excited. I can't imagine the shape he'll be in at the end of the summer. I just hope he'll continue with the program, and clean up his diet some more.

Don't say anything to him, but in the past week his flat barbell bench press has gone up almost 20 lbs ! I'm so jealous. As an experience resistance trainer (I wouldn't dare say bodybuilder), it's frustrating when you reach a strength plateau. Granted, I can lift 2 x my body weight in certain exercises, but my maxes haven't budged in over 4 months ! I was talking to a friend last week or so, who was experiencing the same problem. Now this dude is another story - 6'5 about 270 (although he swears 240). Max bench of god knows how much. Let me just say, he smashes through 20 reps at 315 lbs.

And he's complaining ! Pah !

This weekend:

tons of cardio !!! Even though I don't have a cool nike+ wristband, I'll still be tearing up the road (or rubber). Will post daily mileage. I hope others in the sphere are watching out, cause I'm hard on your heels, haha.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 17: cont

Cardio:

Run - 20 minutes HIIT (6 - 9.5)(2.6 miles)

Elliptical - 10 minutes HIIT (7 - 13)(1.04 miles)

The run was amazing. Although my legs grew weak near the end there, I wasn't winded at all. I guess the swimming has improved my VOmax - seeing as I have to work harder to expand my lungs underwater.

Exciting stuff !

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. Listening to the theme song Stonebridge, on tea's transformation blog, makes me envious of other students (and runners) I see who own an ipod. I figure that every college student should or has one already. Seriously, there has not been one moment when I have entered a gym here and not seen some guy (or more usually, girl) with one blasting away (surely at some deafening tone) in their ears. I feel bad for their inner cochliar membranes, which, by the time they get into their fifties, will have become totally destroyed.

Still, I want my ears to be in poor shape too, haha. Clearly joking ...
Well, maybe. Suffice it to say, it's time for me to get with the program.

ALSO, big news big news big news

in the next few days I plan to put together an accountability system. Not as involved as others I've seen in the sphere, but something comparable. I want it to add/deduct points for meals, (missed) workouts (including cardio and weight sessions), hrs devoted to classwork (at least 2), and personal time spent writing.

My life needs to be more structured, which is not to say that I am unorganized (if i were, I would not be in my current life's position), just that I could spend my time more efficiently. You know, actually doing the things I want, and more importantly, NEED to do on a daily bases.

My mom stresses this all the time:

"do the things you HAVE to do so that one day you can do the things you WANT to do"

There is so much value in that statement.

Between class, my writing, and making sure to stay healthy and fit, I feel that my life is just now beginning to churn on all cylinders. How does one say ? ...

I'm in the groove, eh ?

Ok, I need to get to bed. I expect a long day tomorrow. Bring it on, baby !

Gnight, for real this time haha

--Jay

Day 17: late start

Status - return to form
Water - 2 liters (yuck)
Mood - great

Day 17 of 68

Long day, even longer night. School work of the worst kind - GEOPHYSICS. Sounds like a horror film, haha .. Well, it was in many ways (for me).

I really dislike working on anything past 1am if it isn't a poem of mine or at least literature related.

I wasn't the nicest person to talk to this morning, which is the understatement of the century ! lol

Anyways...enough complaining. I devote no more than 5 sentences to being negative.

Weight:

NONE

Nutrition:

Decent - I started the day off with a protein shake and banana. Before I went to bed, which was around 4 this morning, I had a small salad (delicious !). I count this because it was technically eaten earlier today. This afternoon I had another protein salad and (literally) a few fries (by few, I mean exactly 3). I need to have at least one more meal before I go to bed. I was thinking of something along the lines of 1) a protein shake + peanut butter, or 2) eh, there really is no other option. I didn't make it to the dining hall today ! Thinking back on it now, I realize that I should have saved the salad (from early this morning) for right now. Pah !

Pah, defined: darn(derived from Adam's "boom boom boom". Don't ask how or why, lol)

Cardio:

venturing out as I type. bbl to update !

Later,

in about 30 minutes,

--Jay

Day 16: cont.

Weight:

HST - increased the weight in most of my lifts !

ABS - circuit

Cardio:

10 minute run


Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 16: What have YOU done

Status - return to form
Water - 1 liter (so far)
Mood - great

Day 16 of 84

What have YOU done ?

The quote above is from a new movie in theaters called Wanted. It is nothing short of spectacular. I do not mean to exaggerate when I say that it is probably the best movie I have ever seen in my entire life. Aside from the ridiculous action sequences, I felt that there was a more important message embedded in the story line. At the end you walk out asking yourself "what have I done with my life. Have I actively taken control or simply slug about, living without purpose or intent"

I found these questions to be highly motivating.

Anyways.

Cardio:

30 minute swim

RUN THIS AFTERNOOON

Weight:

THIS AFTERNOON

Diet:

Basically, I need to eat more frequently. 3 meals is just not cutting it, I know better than that. Near the end of my first mission (around day 55) my eating habits were such that I made sure to eat at least 5 small meals / day. The results of which showed through in my physique. I'm on meal plan, and therefore have full access to as much protein salad and fruit as I could want. I just need to drag my little butt (according to mom, pshh) over to any of the three or so dining halls available to students over the summer. blahblah, JUST DO IT JAY !

And yes, I am officially talking to myself. Nothing new :-)

Life:

The writing is coming along well. I am working on another poem that belongs in a series of (X) (to be determined). It's really frustrating. I spent 7 hours with it yesterday. I'm not sure what it wants. Maybe if I threw it into the street someone would pick it up and tell me. Or just cut the darn thing into little pieces that I could use to paste on my window with leftover orange juice. But then that would be wasteful. I should use alcohol instead !


later,

--Jay

Day 14

Weight:

HST full body

Cardio:

10 minute HIIT run, elliptical HIIT (10 minutes)

Life:

A friend of mine has just started an online fitness blog. His URL is -

http://rick-transformed.blogspot.com/

We'll be working out until the summer's end. I know how difficult it was for me and for every other shredder out there at the beginning of our fitness journeys. He'll be starting basically from square one, and could use as much encouragement as you all have showed me.

He would really appreciate it !

Until tomorrow,

--Jay

Day 14: Picture !

Status - return to form
Water - X< 1 liter
Mood - excited !

Day 14 of 68

I head to the gym in less than an hr, but I wanted to post a picture I was able to take using a friend's computer earlier. It's below.

I'll be back later to include workout details.

Catch you later,

--Jay

ps. Hopefully, I'll be able to post weekly pictures (on Monday) so as to keep everyone up to date on my current progress. We'll see.

Day 13: Feeling good

Status - return to form
Water - 2 liters so far
Mood - feeling good

Day 13 of 68

I had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Cheat day was timed perfectly again, I make myself so proud, haha. I enjoyed it by having a couple of drinks with friends. No worries, I took the additional calories into account.

Friday and Saturday were taken off. Today's schedule looked something like the following:

Cardio:
NoNE

Weight:
HST full body routine.

Diet:
Poor. I had only two meals so far today :-(

Life:

I've done some research into the HST program and it looks promising. It requires that I do resistance training three times per week (working the same muscle groups, but with additional frequency of course). I'll do HEAVY cardio on my days off (midday swim and night run). I'm excited to see the results at the end of 6 weeks (decent period of time).

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 10: Cranking up the heat

Status - return to form
Water - 3 liters
Mood - great

Day 10 of 68

Cardio:
30 minute swim, 20 minutes on the elliptical

Weight:
Back - seated pull (machine)

Life:

No class tomorrow ! The day would be perfect if only I could go home :-(

I'm really starting to get back into working out. My cardio hasn't fallen off much at all. I was surprised when I ripped through a 15 minute HIIT run session the other day without much difficulty. Unfortunately, I need to purchase a new pair of running shoes: the current set, which I've had for over 4 years now, is definitely showing serious signs of damage. The entire sole on my right shoe has been practically torn off. My running form hasn't been affected much, thankfully.

Tomorrow:
Biceps & Tris, midday swim, night run

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 9: solid

Status - return to form
Water - 3.5 liters
Mood- great

Day 9 of 68

Quick post for today since it's very late.

Cardio:
Swim (50 minutes), treadmill (15 min. HIIT)

Weight:
Chest: incline press
Shoulders: lat. raise, push press

Life:
I finished a few poems that satisfy me :-)

Catch you later,

--Jay

POEM :


Ant leftovers

The curved throats of half buried doves

sprout along the side of the road

at odd angles, you see

I’ve heard their foreheads

beating hard against the ground:

a sudden crush of ants

sticking to the creased corners of their eyes

like acid soaked watermelon seeds.

Pressed into darker substance by

the added pressure, a thick paste on their brow.

I’ve learned that the earth does not

accommodate well to a bird’s skull

crashing into the soil.

It preserves the sound well enough

though the tone has been depressed

stretching out among the roots

if you asked I would describe it

as two soldiers pounding

dead center at my breastbone,

perhaps not as mute –

there are always submerged stones.

I simply want to kiss and smooth them down

further, apply the battered

ant remains to my unhealed wounds

the insides of their beaten abdomens

snagged beneath my nail

blacker than a mulberry filthy underneath

Day 8: 8 down, sixty to go

Status - return to form
Mood - great
Water - 3.5 liters

Day 8 of 68

Cardio:
Swim (HIIT for 25 minutes), post lift run (6 laps, 4 jog, 2 sprint)

Weight:
Back - pull ups (30), pull-downs (6 sets)

Life:
Good , everything is everything

Writing:
Almost done with a major piece that I've been working on for quite some time. I'm excited about it. I'll make sure to post it when I'm done.

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 7: in the books

Status - return to form
Water - 4 liters
Mood - great

Day 7 of 68

Cardio:
Swim (30 minutes), post lift stair-stepper (10 minutes

Weight:
Chest - flat press, flies (standing)
Biceps - preacher curl, one arm cable curl

Diet:
On target

Catch you later,

have to get some rest !

--Jay

Day 6: feeling great

Status - return to form
Water - 4 liters
Mood - awesome !

Day 6 of 68

I'm surprised I feel so good today. There is some tightness in my lower back, but not much pain.

I'll be back tomorrow (wahoo !!)

Tylenol and Bengay actually work, lol

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 5: rest

Status - return to form
Water ~ 3 liters
Mood - good

Day 5 of 68

Life:
I hurt my back doing bent over rows. I've been taking Tylenol and applying Bengay to relieve the pain. I'll be taking it easy for the next few days. That means no running and heavy leg exercises, which would require the use of stabilizer back muscles.

Weight:
NONE

Cardio:
NONE

Diet:
On point ... ok ok , I had one cookie :-)

Tomorrow:
Rest (injury)

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 4: Feel the burn

Status - return to form
Water - 3 liters
Mood - great

Day 4 of 68

Life:
TGIF

Cardio:
midday swim (40 minutes), run (4 laps on the track)

Weight:
Back - lat pull, cable row, bent over barbell row (superset)

Abs

Tomorrow:
Afternoon elliptical
No weight

Diet:
On point

A great day overall !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 3: DOMS !

Status - return to form
Mood - great
Water - 3 liters


Day 3 of 68

Yesterday's workout can be distilled down to three simple words: oh my God

It was a back and shoulder day, and it killed. I've definitely lost strength in many of my major lifts (down about 15 lbs in each one). I normally knock off 50 unassisted pull-ups, but for some reason could barely complete 30 just yesterday. Granted, it has almost been two months since I've visited a gym so ... there's room for much improvement.

Todays workout was a solid one:

Chest - incline press (light), incline flies (heavy)
Triceps - skull crusher x 3 x 7-10
Abs - circuit

Cardio:
swam for 40 minutes !
Again, no morning HIIT (gRRR) I wake up but turn lazy in wanting to walk to the gym :-(

any suggestions ? ? !!

Diet:
Solid ... could crank up the carbs a bit though, since I felt a little weak today. Otherwise, everything is falling back into place: protein salad, bananas, WATER WATER WATER, and an occasional treat (everything 12 day)

Life:
class is just beginning to heat up (I know, already!) We've covered some basic theoretical material (deriving equations and such). I can't wait to hit the problem sets HARD !

I like to study as hard as I train :-) if you couldn't tell, lol

Tomorrow:
Back - seated cable, lat pull, shrugs
Abs - circuit
SWIM, MORNING HIIT


Take care,

--Jay

Day 1: return to form

Status - return to form
Water - 2 liters
Mood - a little disturbed

Day 1 of 68

Life:
I formulated a daily schedule that I plan to follow to the tee. So far, it looks like my days are going to be very busy. Between class, working out and getting some writing done, I won't have any free time until after 7 every night. There is a lot I want to accomplish this summer: earn an A in the classes that I'm taking, get back into shape and have my manuscript edited and finished.
No time to waste !

Cardio:
Although I got up at 6:30 I didn't make it to the gym for my morning cardio session. I was however, able to complete a lifting session this afternoon, which felt wonderful !


Weight:
Chest: Flat Bench (3 sets not including warm up), Standing Flies (ditto), Concentration Curls (3 sets)

ps. the craziest thing happened to me in the gym today: while finishing off my second set of curls, this random dude (much older) decided to interrupt me (I was on a 40 second rest period) and steal the weights I was in the middle of using. I couldn't believe it ! I approached him calmly and stated the obvious: that I was in the process of completing an exercise. Then he flipped out, saying that since everyone else did the same to him he didn't care how I felt. He used some other choice words that I won't even bother repeating, all the while raising his voice for no apparent reason. I seriously thought he was raging from steroid use, it was that ridiculous. In my four years at Brown I have never been met with such rudeness and blatant disrespect ! Point being: I kept calm (surprisingly) and communicated to him that I wasn't like those other "people", and that I would have gladly given him the weights if he had only asked nicely. I also said that if he kept up his unnecessary attitude I would make a complaint and have his membership canceled and money refunded because I knew the athletic director personally (I was employed at our gym as a student turf waterer, lol .. seriously). To make a long story short, he quickly handed the weights back and left. I felt good - he was obviously a bully (in his forties at that ! ).

Insane.

Tomorrow:
Morning HIIT, meal 1, class, meal 2, midday swim, meal 3, short 3 hr rest, weight session, meal 4, homework, 2 hrs of writing, then SLEEP !

Catch you later,

--Jay

Day 0.1

Day 1
Mood - could be better
Water - 2 liters

Unfortunately I'm already back at school, taking summer courses and working. It never ends ! My previous semester ended strongly. Took a great deal out of me near the end though. For a while there I had to take a break from the gym, since I didn't have the energy to do anything more than study. It feels good to finally be back following my long absence. I haven't forgotten about my fellow shredders. I made sure to check up on your guys periodically. So many of you have blown my mind with the amount of progress you've made in the past few months. I'm so proud !!! Keep up the good work (not that I have to tell you, lol), but watch out: I'm making a comeback !! I'll be right on your tails soon enough haha

I have free access to my school's gym for the entire summer. The swim center here is also open for use, which I'm extremely excited about. My toes haven't touched the surface of a pool in too long. And with how hot it's been lately, I'll be taking full advantage :-)

I don't have a camera yet, but will be making daily posts. I plan to purchase one in the next week (hopefully). Not too excited about actually using it: I have a lot of work to do: physically, that is.

No worries

--Jay


Tomorrow: morning cardio (7am), mid-day swim (12), afternoon weight session (4pm)

Update everyone on my goals and outlook for the next 5 month mission.

Day 0

Step 1: wake up tomorrow and go to the gym

Step 2: begin dieting tomorrow

Step 3: make 1 post workout blog entry, and post pictures

There will be no hiding from these three simple goals.

Picture a mirror image of yourself, and feel the pressure of your own hand on your back.
Hear your own voice. Listen closely.

News Update !

The fact that my blog feels somewhat foreign to me isn't a good sign.

I've been gone for a while now. My only excuse can be given in one word: finals

Studying, studying, studying

I promise I'll be back once the semester is done. I still have a little over a week to go.

Have to get to the library now !!

In due time,

--Jay

Day 66: feels good to be back

Status - damage control
Mood - great
Water - 4 liters

Day 66 of 112

This past week I have been totally immersed in school. Read and work, that's what students do. Some of us major in physics or biology or engineering. Some make pieces of art. Some students smoke and drink, but those that do are not very successful, at least I don't think they are.

Talking to my roommate the other night I realized something that I would have probably never considered before. I was editing an old poem of mine, it was easier than reading about long term potentiation and memory formation. The Office was on. Jim almost proposed to Pam. I wasn't really paying attention. I was more interested in the line "little cold eyes/small birds fall to sleep". And when I wrote the last word down I jumped off my bed and started to dance in the middle of the room. When my roommate looked up at me I threw myself against him. He would later claim that this was the defining moment of my life. It's not that I never danced or even wrestled with him, but that he finally saw how I felt the world - in words. Who could be so obsessed with writing poems (he seemed to ask)? I suppose you would need some type of angry hard upbringing, or would have to be out of touch, some how, with common people. But really, I have never tried to understand why I love to write, or more surprisingly, how I have gone from producing poems to majoring in Human Biology. For so long it has been easy to just pull my bio textbooks from my book-bag, having spent countless nights dark eyed and upright, shivering on the 13th floor of the Sci-Li with secret hopes of becoming a doctor. It is well known that I won't let myself fail. I know there are high hopes for me too, and if I somehow fall short my life couldn't get any worst. But lately it has. It's not that my dreams of becoming a physician are gone, but that I have come to a place in my life where I need to accomplish something more. I've turned in on myself, to my own dreams, the nature of which eludes me. I realize that some people will become lawyers and engineers. Some will go on to medical school. And without a doubt, they will have their big houses, their landscaped yards and high city views. As for me, well, these days some of us want nothing more than the opportunity to start over. Maybe even go to graduate school to pursue my dream of becoming a published poet :-)

I need to do what makes me happy. I know my potential, now no more wasting time.

My roommate is looking at me, I can tell. I want to thank him for his insight.

--Jay