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 By: Alton Hare
My Training Journal This is the second two weeks of my training journal. Each week you'll notice I do a little something extra, a little more weight, a drop set, an extra set, etc. Anything to raise the total stress of the workout a little so my muscles will continue overcompensating. Basically my goal while I'm bulking is increasing my numbers on the bench, squat, deadlift, bent row, chins, curls, french presses, and military press. Bent row and military press are both new to me, but they are highly favored as compound mass builders, and now that I've tried them I am certain of their usefullness. Another thing that happened during this two weeks is I got up to 197 lbs. I've gained quite a bit of water, which has obscured my abs some, but that will be gone about 3 weeks after the end of my creatine cycle. I've been examining myself closely in the mirror to make sure I haven't gained any substantial amount of fat, pinching my love handles and flexing my abs, and I am very happy to report that all of my weight gain has been either water or muscle. Since, on my last creatine cycle, I only got up to 192 pounds, I must have gained some muscle between then and now, about five pounds. But, anytime you gain muscle, you gain water along with it, muscle is 70% water, so those extra five pounds I've gained are actually comprised of 70% water (3.5 lbs.) and 30% muscle (1.5 lbs.). So, I can conclude that I have gained 1.5 lbs. of dry muscle in the last 4 months. My last creatine cycle, four months ago, began around 05/10/01, went for two months and ended 07/10/01, then I took a month completely off, and restarted with this journal 08/20/01. I just wanted to show that yes, you may gain ten pounds of "muscle" in 3 months or some other such impressive number, but any weight you gain, even if NONE is fat, carries with it 70% water and only 30% actual dry muscle fiber. When you diet and get ripped, you lose that water, so you are left with only the dry muscle you have gained. So if your goal is to compete, you have to think in terms of actual muscle, since that is all your going to be able to show the judges. That brings me to another point, I've discussed the contest diet and prep with several bodybuilders, experienced and novice, and they say one of the hardest things is feeling "small". Because your so used to carrying around all that extra water, when you start to lose it your muscles shrink, and you get scared that you are losing muscle. This, along with the decrease in strength from lack of muscle hydration and the loss of intramuscular fat, is enough to deal a blow to anyone's ego. All they can say is to hang in there, if its your first contest your gonna make mistakes, the first contest is a learning experience. As long as you learn from the mistakes you made, and come in the best you can anyway, you will be satisfied and do better at your next competition. The month "off" creatine was also completely off from training, which is why I started this journal, to show how to progress week to week when either beginning or coming back to training. If your just beginning you won't be able to move as fast as I am here, because I am regaining lost strength, but the principle is the same. You should start out conservative, and add small things in each week as you feel the need and as you feel your body's overall strength and tolerance improving. I know its tough for the beginner who doesn't know his/her body, so for specific advice I would be happy to answer e mails. Now, without further intro, I'm sure u wanna see my log.
 Monday-off (gym closed for labor day)-9/04/01-Day 14 10:30 bowl of ramen noodles, can of tuna I was out all day monday, and didn't really have access to a lotta healthy food, and didn't get home early enough to prepare a good dinner... but I tried, bodybuilding's a fun hobby, not my whole life. 5 pm chkn gordita, stk gordita, burrito supreme, cinnamon twists 11:00 Big Whey, 10 oz milk, creatine Tommorow back day. Can't wait.
Tuesday-back-day 15-09/05/01 10:00 quart of milk and a bannana 11:50 pizza, fries, 8 oz milk, black eyed peas 3:00 bigwhey, 5 g creatine, 16 oz milk, 2 g ribose
3:50 train 4:50 N-Large II, 5 g creatine, 4 g ribose 7:00 16 oz steak, corn on cob, 2 slices toast, bowl of salad 9:00 3 zma caps 9:30 BigWhey in milk
Wednesday- off- 09/06/01- Day 16 9:50 milk and bannana 11:50 ham n cheese sandwich, fries, cup of milk 3:30 left over spaghetti 4:30 BigWhey, 5 g creatine in 16 oz milk 6:45 chkn w/ rice an vegetables and corn, to rolls 8:50 3 zma caps 9:30 Bigwhey and milk
Thursday- chest/tris- 09/07/01- Day 17 9:50 milk and bannana 11:50 6 chkn tenders, fries, cup of milk 3:00 BigWhey, creatine, milk, ribose
3:40 train 4:55 N-Large, creatine, ribose 7:05 chkn and stuffing, eans, 1 slice toast 9:00 3 zma caps 9:40 BigWhey w/ milk
Friday-Legs-09/08/01-Day 18
8:40 train (gotta work after school today, so do legs in weight lifting) 9:30 quart of milk and a bannana 11:30 sloppy joe, mashed potatoes, 8 oz milk 3:05 1 serving BigWhey, creatine, and ribose 4:00 Beefaroni w/ cheese 7:00 half of a 12" pizza 11:30 1 serving BigWhey, 5 g creatine Chest is pretty sore, like it should normally be, I hope that I'll continue to recover like I did last week, only way to know is to go to sleep and wake up tommorow.
Saturday- 09/09/01- day 19- off 12:15 Ramen noodles, bannana, tuna 3:30 other half of 12" pizza 6:00 balance bar, pure protien bar, and a powerbar harvest (this is one of those 10 minute breaks at work when I need something quick) 8:00 6" philly cheesesteak sub 10:30 3 zma caps 11:30 BigWhey, 5 g creatine Okay my chest is almost not sore today!!! Thats really fast recovery, for me, since I had a moderate level of soreness yesterday. Usually on a creatine cycle it would be tommorow befor emost of my soreness dissipates. Also, my back soreness is gone, I really thrashedi t Tuesday, I think the deadlifts really put a lot of stress on them, more than the stress I put on them in my previous back workouts which I did when I was first starting. They were good for then though because I'd never trained my back, and I needed to build some of the neuromuscular connections before I tried heavy deadlifting (see my back training articles for copies and explanations of them, their good beginning and even advanced if you employ intensity boosting principles). So, though the deadlift does stress the legs, lumbar, and traps, the lats are highly involved also. My traps actually got hit the hardest, but even they should be completely recovered by tommorow.
Sunday- 09/10/01- off- day 20 I'm getting really tired of the peanut butter, its really not helping with hunger, probably because its first thing in the morning and I'm craving carbs more. That makes sense, because your body is somewhat depleted from your overnight fast. 12:00 Balance Bar, Powerbar, Protien bar 2:00 2 roast beefs, qpounder with cheese 7:30 beef (donno how much), corn, mashed potatoes 10:15 BigWhey, milk, creatine I can't wait to see what I can deadlift tommorow, here we go.
Monday- back- 09/10/01- Day 21 9:40 quart of milk and a bannana 11:40 2 chkn fillet sandwiches 3:05 BigWhey, 16 oz milk, creatine and ribose
3:50 begin training 4:50 N-Large, creatine, ribose WEIGHED 197, THE MOST EVER 7:00 half of a tombstone pizza 8:45 3 zma caps 9:30 Bigwhey, 16 oz milk Not such a good workout today, had to cut rest breaks short later bc a weaker guy wanted to work in with us on deadlift, which slowed me and Derek down quite a bit. I did put up decent weight on dead, but I'm not bragging... yet. Next week though I won't let this happen.
Tuesday- Day 22- 09/11/01- chest/tris 9:45 quart of milk and a bannana 3:15 BigWhey w/ 16 oz milk, 5 g creatine and 2 g ribose
3:45 train 4:55 N-Large, creatine, and ribose 7:10 mashed potatoes, beef, corn, string beanas 9:05 3 zma caps 9:40 bigwhey, 16 oz milk Good chest workout, finally putting up decent weight on that too, still not bragging at all. Lats, traps, and lower back are a little sore, but not as much as if I'd used maximal weight on my bent rows and pull downs with a little more rest. I'm contemplating what to add in to next week's back workout to raise the level a bit. Maybe a drop set or two, we'll see.
Wednesday- off- Day 23- 09/12/01 9:50 quart of milk and a bannana 11:40 cheese pizza, broccoli, tater tots, 8 oz milk 3:05 bigWhey, creatine, ribose 4:30 2 slices cinn. raisin bread and a chkn breast 7:00 3 softshell tacos 9:05 3 zma caps 10:45 BigWhey, 16 oz milk I hate off days, I've got all this energy and no way to spend it. Lower back, lats, and traps still slightly store, chest abrely sore at all, less than back. recovery is definitely up from previous creatine cycles. Tommorow I'll have my 1st challenging leg workout. My legs have the lowest recovery ability which is why I delay bringing them into a direct intense workout. I can't wait though, I love training legs.
Thursday- legs- Day 24- 09/13/01 9:45 quart of milk (forgot to bring bannana) 11:40 stk and cheese sandwich, 2 pcs cornbread, fries, 8 oz milk 3:05 bigwhey, ribose, and creatine
4:00 train 4:50 N Large, creatine, ribose 6:30 Big Beef Burrito 8:50 3 zma caps 10:30 bigwhey and milk Triceps are no longer sore at all.
Friday- Day 25- 09/14/01- shoulders/abs/calves 9:40 milk and bannana 11:40 sausage dog, fries, 8 oz milk 3:05 BigWhey, ribose, creatine
4:00 train 4:50 N Large, creatine, and ribose I think next week I'll start w/ the 30s on lateral raises, and do military press instead of dumbbells. Also, I'll start with 320 on the calf press, and go as high as 410. I'll also use 50 lbs. for rope crunches, 30 was too light. 7:10 2 chkn breasts, corn, scalloped potatoes 10:00 3 zma caps 10:30 bigwhey, 16 oz milk
Saturday- off- Day 26- 09/15/01 2:00 cereal, Bigwhey, pb 4:50 noodles and tuna 7:30 2 chkn sandwiches no mayo 11:30 bigwhey, creatine, 16 oz milk Calves are really sore, feels weird cuz calves don't get sore all that much. I have a feeling their gonna stay sore too.
Sunday- Day 27- 09/16/01 1:30 Beefaroni w/ cheese 4:30 chicken and noodles 7:30 chkn sandwich no mayo, roast beef sandwich 11:00 bigwhey w/ 16 oz milk, 5 g creatine Calves still pretty sore, not much different than yesterday. I hit them pretty hard Well that's it, thats how I live, eat, lift, and everything else. I know many of you have e mailed me asking for copies of my diet and when I take creatine, well its all here in these articles, along with other useful tidbits I happen to think about while I'm writing in my journal or typing my journal onto the computer. I really feel like I'm not doing enough, since I'm going so slow, but I know its the righ way to do it, cuz I've tried just going as hard as I could, or even just going hard, and it leads to burn out fast. I'm in this for the long haul, and even if I don't get there the fastest, as long as I stay steady I will reach my goal. I'm kinda anxious and feel kinda awkward letting everyone see exactly what I'm doing, like I'm not good enough, but it doesn't matter, this is here for your info, and bodybuilding is an individual sport. Anyway, until next time, train hard and train SMART! - Alton
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