Chest

Monday, February 24, 2008 - Chest

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Flat fly	50 x 8 : 45 x 10	32.5 x 9 : 30 x 11
Decline press	200 x 12 : 230 x 12	180 x 10 : 200 x 10
Incline fly	45 x 12 : 50 x 8	40 x 10 x 2
Decline bench	185 x 10 : 185 x 7	155 x 10 : 135 x 10
Incline DB press	65 x 8 : 65 x 10	55 x 10

Back

Sunday, February 24, 2008 - Back

Exercise	Cory	Matt
DL (Matt) / GM (Cory)	185 x 10 : 205 x 10	135 x 10 : 185 x 9
Assisted WG pullup	70 x 10 : 55 x 6	100 x 10 x 2
Bent over barbell row	135 x 10 x 2	135 x 10 x 2
Flat bench DB row	85 x 10 : 90 x 10	60 x 10 x 2
Front shrug (rack)	180 x 10 x 2	180 x 10 x 2

Chest

Of course, trying something new. I've been reading Building the Perfect Beast...Naturally by Author L. Rea and Eric R. Broser. It looks like a good, steroid-free but effective and intense program. The first part of the process, though, is to find out the one repetition maximum (1RM) for each of the major muscle groups. This is done by choosing a weight that you can lift 10 times or less in a reasonably isolated exercise. There are several regression models that will calculate your 1RM based on the weight and reps. To see what kind of variance in calculation techniques are out there, the Online 1RM Calculator is maintained by a French powerlifting group and documents at least 24 different calculation systems (all drawn from exercise and physiology literature, so we can assume that they are at least more resembling of science than religion.)

After calculating the 1RM for each muscle group, you can then go back to that muscle group and see how many times you can lift 85% of your 1RM until fatigue. The number of repetitions (within a range) will indicate the dominant muscle fiber type in that muscle group. Knowing this allows you to set appropriate weight and reps-to-failure goals in creating routines. Since the goal is to take the muscles to failure, and the greatest gains are achieved by microtearing the greatest number of fibers, it makes sense to choose the combinations that will hit the dominant fiber type.

Instead of including them in the daily workout lists, I'll save them up until we've gone through the list and made the calculations. Stay tuned!

Today's numbers:

Monday, February 18, 2008 - Chest

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Decline bench (F)	175 x 10 : 185 x 10	155 x 10 : 135 x 10
Incline DB press - 45º (F)	60 x 10 x 2	50 x 10 x 2
Flat fly	35 x 10 x 2	30 x 14 : 30 x 13
Incline fly - 60º (F)	40 x 15 : 40 x 10	30 x 15 : 30 x 13
Decline press (M)	180 x 12 x 2	180 x 11 : 180 x 9

Back

We decided to add back in some more fundamental form of "big" lift at the beginning of the workouts. Matt has been missing deadlifting. I haven't. So, I've started doing goodmornings (GM) while he warms up with some lighter deadlifts (DL) to get going.

Sunday, February 17, 2008 - Back

Exercise	Cory	Matt
DL (Matt) / GM (Cory)	95 x 10 : 135 x 10	135 x 10 x 2
Assisted wide grip pullup	85 x 10 x 2	85 x 8 x 2
Underhand bent barbell row	135 x 10 x 2	135 x 10 x 2
Flat bench DB row	85 x 10 x 2	85 x 10 x 2
Front shrug (rack)	230 x 10 x 2	230 x 10 : 230 x 7

To bulk or to cut? That is the question...

It comes as no surprise to anyone who has worked out (in any capacity) that there are three primary goals:

• Losing fat
• Building muscle
• Maintaining what you have

The first two, respectively, are cycles known to bodybuilders (BB) as "cutting" and "bulking".

So, I've been at a crossroads lately deciding in which direction I want to step up this journey. Thus far, it's mostly been focusing just on getting in to shape and lifting some things. Now, it's time to try something new.

In both bulking and cutting, strict control of the diet is paramount, though in different ways for each phase. There are a number of sources, mostly written by physicians who work with bodybuilders, that suggest that diet and nutrition can put the body into a hyper-anabolic state. The effect is similar to using synthetic anabolic steroids, but arguably much healthier, and since the body is producing things naturally through its own processes, completely without the negative social stigma steroid use garners.

For the bulking, the body gains a significant amount of muscle mass over a relatively short time period. The unfortunate accompaniment to the muscle gain is that the body also packs on adipose tissue (fat). This is where the cutting comes in. Cutting, done right, takes off a LOT of fat and just a bit of the muscle. Most BBs engage in alternating 10-12 week periods of bulking and cutting, and after a while it just becomes part of the rhythm (usually scheduled around a cutting cycle leading up to a competition, for those that compete.)

But, where to start when starting out and approaching cycles for the first time? If I bulk, I'll probably pack on a LOT of weight (on top of what I already have). As vain as it sounds, I just bought new jeans, and want to be able to wear something besides sweat pants as I balloon up like Violet Beauregard, relentlessly chomping on her blueberry gum. If I cut first, I risk losing the muscle that I've built up to this point, and I don't know that I want to face that. I don't want to lose motivation (which I don't think will happen...but there could be disappointment.)

Another detail, and not an inconsequential one, is that I LOVE food. Not just like. Not just enjoy eating. I LOVE FOOD. Bulking, as I understand it, is a joyous and Bacchanalian experience (within reason) being able to eat a lot (at least 1 gram of proteinn for every pound of body weight over the day...2-3 grams if working really hard and using supplements that increase protein synthesis). Cutting, on the other hand, is 10-12 weeks of highly restricted intake, and being hungry and cranky ALL the time. Not fun. And even though constant fun isn't something I require, and I can sacrifice to achieve goals...maybe I want to have an enjoyable experience before I start something that difficult.

I think, in the end, the decision is coming down on the side of "to bulk". That will leave me in the cutting and fat loss during the summer, when I may want to go swimming or something. Better cranky and cut than perky and puffy.

So, the answer to the question, for now, is "to bulk". More details on the experience, doubtless, will follow.