Hi all!

About me:
37 yo Male, married 13 years, 1 child (girl 5yo), computer geek, ex-High Caliber athlete who has REALLY let himself slide. Took a good look at myself after my 37th B'Day (October) and said, 'man, you are not going to make 40 like this' So I got a buddy at work to join me at a gym across from our building at work and we've been hitting it every day since the 2nd week of Nov.

Then:
310lbs, resting HR 92, no endurance, back pain, no energy, depression, etc.. HORRIBLE DIET!!!

Now:
290lbs
Max Bench: 290
LOTS more energy, no back pain
Resting HR 80
Squat: 255 (Working slowly due to knee issues)
Slightly Horrible diet :-)

Short Term Goals:

31 Jan: 292lbs (met that!!!!!)
28 Feb: 285
31 Mar: 275

Long Term Goals:
31 Dec 2004: 265 Lbs (Edit: Amended to 265 as I did not quite take into account the increased muscle mass that I have added)
Definition
Resting HR 65

My workout schedule:
Mon:
Chest/Tri
Tue:
Back/Bi
Wed
LEGS!!!! (I hate/love squats)/Shoulders
Repeat
Thurs-Sat

3 exercises per body part, 9-12 sets total, mix up exercises to attack each muscle groups from different angles to avoid them getting used to a certain exercise. I use dumbbells except squat and flat bench. Only use machines for legs.

15-20 min of cardio (alternating between treadmill walk/jog and cross trainer) before each workout except leg day, that's about a 5-10 min warmup, then stretch, then start work out. Also, do 2 different ab exercises in each workout, 3 sets of each.

I've only been keeping a workout log for the last three weeks but I will be posting that here for your comments and suggestions. My main focus is keeping the workouts going, improve my resting metabolic rate and drop the flab. My eating, compared to the recommended habits, is a total disaster and I am working on changing my thinking and behavoir when it comes to what I eat and when. I do drink TONS of water so that's not a problem.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Paul Wolf

Edit: I forgot one HUGE reason also, I never want to say to my kids again that daddy's too tired to do something with them.

Welcome to DB pwolf66.

I'll comment when I can. At the moment, you started off on the right foot (not literally )

Doing cardio is really going to help get the fat off as well as lower that resting heart rate and give you a lot more endurance and energy.

When you keep changing your diet.. you will see the most drastic change.

Depending on your intensity and how efficiently you train, that will ultimately determine the outcome. But from the sounds of it, you are starting off great.

Just keep working on the cardio.. 3 weeks and you see improvements.. wait till 3 months. Just keep at it. This whole thing is a life process not what can I do in 6 months and now I'm here... done.

Motivation is gonna be those kids. I'm sure they will be relentless!

Hey pwolf66, welcome!

This whole thing is a life process not what can I do in 6 months and now I'm here... done.

Wish someone would have told me that about 4 days ago!

Of course, you might not need cardio if you've got kids.....just chase them around for 30 minutes a day! LOL

Took yesterday and today off. Right elbow was getting a little tweaky. Iced it down, stretching. HIt legs tomorrow (can't wait to hobble out of the gym) soooooo glad/not glad I added squats 2 weeks ago, the pain, it feels so good :-)

Took a good look at my training journal and realized I was adding weight WAAAAAAAY too fast, gonna slow it down some. Go for more 12-15 rep sets.

Diets still a work in progress, added regular suplements this week (Chondroitin, Vit C/B Complex etc..)

Kinda twitchy, missing 2 days :-) but I know that I've gotta give my elbow a break.

Paul Wolf
BTW never gave my height 6'3"

Today's workout, weather is terrible, I hate WINTER & SNOW!!! BAH.
Elbow's been tweaking a little so I took 5 days off.

Chest/Tri today

Chest
Flat Bench DB Press
70x8,70x8,70x8 (2 sec pause at the bottom, getting ready for a bench contest in March)
Incline DB Flye
35x8,35x8,35x8 - real slow to REALLY make it hurt :-)
Incline DB Press
55x8, 55x8, 55x(8-2)

Crunch
25xBW,20xBW,20xBW

Tri
Standing Cable Rope Extension - This one always hits me about 45 seconds after my last rep :-)
80x12,80x12,80x12
Seated DB Extension (2 Handed) - yeah I know, 2 exercises to hit the same area, but this one really hits the long head
10x50,10x50,10x50
Tricep Kickbacks - Hold for a 2 count at the top with tricep fully flexed
8x20 (Died on this set), 8x15 (Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy :-] )

Was going to do more ab work but let myself be talked into a 15 min ab class, OUCH!!!!!! For got what it felt like to want to throw up :-)

Treadmill - 12 min
Interval training
2 min walk (4.0)
2 Min jog (6.0)
2 min walk (4.0)
2 Min jog (6.0)
2 min walk (4.0)
2 Min jog (6.0)

LEGS TOMORROW!!!!! :-)

Paul

Well, I was upset (nay I was pissed) that I missed my leg workout yesterday so I decided to really punish myself today :-)

Thursday (Chest/Tri)
Flatbench BB Press with a twist (every rep with a 2 sec pause at the bottom, bar 1 inch about chest)
135x8,185x8,225x4,185x8,135x12
Incline DB Fly
35x12,40x10,40x10
Incline DB Press
45x12,55x12,60x10

Standing Overhead Cable Rope Extension
90x10,80x12,80x12
Seated 2-H DB Extension
50x10,50x10,50x8
1 Hand Cable Pushdowns (Right side was DOOOOONE!!! )
R/L
30/30x10,30/35x10,30/35x10

Sitting here at my desk and my tri's are spasming.

Plus todays weight: 288!!!!!!!!!!!!

That puts me 4 lbs AHEAD of my 31 Jan goal WOOOOHOOOOO. And only 3 away from my 28 Feb goal, time to reevaluate those goals.

I'm getting psyched for Sat cause that's LEG DAY!!!! gonna be walking funny all day.

Paul Wolf

Great news! Sometimes the missing a workout and getting down on yourself really works if it motivates you to excel. I missed mine today.. family obligations. But that fact just makes me want to do it even more.

Sounds like you had a superb workout. Very cool.

OK saturday dawned cold and windy as all heck (good thing I have lots of ballast)

Had my RMR done, the numbers:

RMR: 2460 Calories
Weight: 290
LBM: 209
Fat (): 81
BF%: 28.2!!!!!!! Not for long!!!

So with that news in hand, grrrrrrr, off to workout.

Legs
Squat:
135x10,185x8,205x8,225x6 (Aggravated the heck out of my levator scapulae that I pulled shovelling snow this week) had to stop, too much pain supporting the bar

Seated Calf raise: These I really punish myself with, I go for a 2 second pause at the bottom AND the top, I just love to see people just whipping these out with rediculous weight, hello? try going for max contraction at the top
70x15,90x15,110x15 (these HUUUUUURT SOOOOOO GOOOOOOD

Leg Curl
120x12,120x12,130x10

Shoulders, I was concerned about doing any thing here.
Lateral raise - had to go real light without lotta pain.
15x12, 15x12
Seated DB Mil Press - Ditto
45x8,45x8
Front Plate Raise - went lighter than normal but tried to max contract at the top
25x12,25x12,25x12

Had to pack it in at that point. Went home. Iced it, and rested.

Got up this morning, shoulders feeling much better but since it's a rest day, we'll see tomorrow. But tomorrow's chest/tri so it should be OK. I HATE SNOW!!!!!!

Paul

Fantastic post! I'm serious when I say.. if you keep this up.. you will reach your goals. The one thing most people can't do is continue to do this for years. But if you just take each workout one day at a time.. I bet in 6 months, your posts will be soooo different.

Trust me MDA, just in the little over 2 months that I've been hitting it, I have noticed ALOT of changes. More energy, etc.. My workout intensity keeps increasing, I find myself able to grind out just one more rep/negative/set etc.. and am now throwing different exercises/methods at my muscles ( except for the whole snow shovelling thing) and they are responding like gang busters. Doing the flat bench BB press and holding for 2 seconds at the bottom, WOW, those hurt but MAN did I feel a pump when I was done with those.

This week might be more cardio and hitting more ROM intensive exercises to give my shoulder time to get back in working order. If it interferes with tomorrows work out at all, that is what I'm gonna shift to.

Thanks for the feedback!!!!

Paul

2 Feb 04

Kinda nervous about today's workout given my shoulder.

Got on the treadmill, started a jog, ouch, not liking the bouncing.

Chest
Started with FB BB press
135x12 (no shoulder issues at all ), 155x12, 185x8, 205x8, 225x4
Incline DB Fly
40x10,40x10,40x10
Incline DB press (Really felt good here)
55x10,60x10,60x10

Standing Overhead Cable Rope Extension
80x12,90x9,85x10
1 Hand Cable Pushdowns
30x12,35x12,40x12
Close Grip Bench Press (Smith)
95x12,115x10,95x12

Not a bad day. Intensity started off slow on Flat Bench but picked up on Inclines.

Still a little worried about my shoulder. We'll see how it does it does with tomorrow's Back/Bi workout.

Paul

3 Feb 04

Back/Bi day

Shoulder's feeling pretty good right now.

Back
Superset seated rows with wide grip pulldowns.
Seated rows: 155x12, 165x12, 165x12
Wide Grip: 120x12,120x12, 120x8 (WOWWEE was I beat )

Stiff Leg Deadlifts
115x10,135x10,185x8

Gotta work on my grip strength

Bi
Seated Incline DB Hammer Curls
25x12,25x12,25x12

Reverse Grip EZ-Bar Curl
55x12,65x10,55x12

Preacher Bench DB Curl (this one was 8 full ROM + 8 bottom half)
20x8,20x8,20x8

Crunch 25,25,25

All in all a good workout, adding the deadlifts really tired me out but feels good.

Paul

4 Feb 04

Feeling beat from yesterday, forgotten how exhausting Deadlifts can be

Legs/Shoulders

Started with squat, not sure how my shoulder would handle the load.

Squat:
135x10 (felt pretty good),205x10,245x10,275x6, L Knee was complaining, shoulder was good.
Standing Calf raise
180x10,180x8 (calves just died)
Leg Curl
120x12,120x12,120x12 (Ouchy but in a good way)

Shoulders
Lateral DB Raise
20x12,20x12,25x10
Maybe not a good idea for these, shoulder was complaining
Front Plate Raise (Good old fashioned exercise, one I just love doing, looks soooooo easy but it ain't)
35x12,35x12,35x12
Seated Miltary DB Press (Only to upper arms parallel, shoulder doesn't like anything more than that)
50x10,50x10,50x10

10 Min ab class that made me want to cry

Had a couple of people at work ask me if I've lost weight, that made me feel good, plus I can see that my face is not as wide, definately a good thing.

Paul

5 Feb 04

Workout partners deserted me today, and I had such high hopes, still the show must go on.

Shoulder update: still sore but no sharp pain

Chest:
FB BB
135x12,135x12,185x10,225x7,275x1,135x12 (With 2 sec pause at bottom)
Incline DB Fly
40x12,40x12,40x10
Incline DB Press
60x12 (felt light today, moving UP!!! ),65x12,70x8

Tri
Standing Overhead Cable Extension
85x12,85x12,85x10
Seated 2H DB Extension
40x12 (Seeing how the shoulder was),50x12,55x10 (Wall!!!!!)

And to destroy my chest, went back and did 135x12 FB BB with 2 second pause

Paul

6 Feb 04

Another wonderful day. 1/4 inch of ice this morning, did I mention that I HATE WINTER!!!!!!

Again no partner, grrrrr

Back:
Seated rows:
165x12,175x12,185x12
Wide Grip Pull Downs
120x12,120x12,120x12
SLDL (These are rapidly becoming my favorite exercise)
95x12 (Warmup), 135x12, 185x10,225x8 (Grip was a problem, gotta get it stronger)

Biceps:
Seated Incline DB Hammer Curl
25x12,30x12,30x12
Reverse Grip EZ Bar Curls (Standing)
60x12,60x12,60x12
Preacher bench EZ Bar curls
65x12,65x8 (Ouch, done fer)

Wrist Rolls (PVC Pipe)
5x5,5x4,5x3 (Ouch, ouch, ouchy, ouch)

Noticed one thing tho, I completed my workout in about 50 min, when I have a partner it's about 1:10min, gonna have to get them to get moving.

I've got next week on this routine, then I take a week off from weight work and then I start the MAX-OT program!!!! grrrrrrrrrrrr

Paul