I Walk In The Rain

Its pouring outside. UT plays Ohio today. I have to work a wedding. Wank.

I haven't had time to go the gym since like Tuesday, but its probably for the best. My body was aching up until yesterday. When its game time in Knoxville, things get busy around campus. This makes for awesome drunk Saturdays but never, ever productive ones. I won't be able to get to the gym tomorrow either (unless I wake up at like 9AM, but that rarely happens on purpose). So, I guess that means next week is gonna be 5 days in a row, ugh.

I am narrowing down which girl I want now. Its down to two. One can work, the other simply wouldn't. So that makes the choice pretty easy. Busy weekend so it looks like any real game spitting will have to wait another week. Lame.

~Santos out~
||椎名林檎 - 丸の内サディスティック||

Catching Up

Okay, still haven't posted well on this thing. But take comfort that I am working out hard. Here is what my split looks like now:

Day 1

Chest
Incline Barbell Press: 115, 135, 135, 145.
Flat Dumbbell Press: 100, 110, 110, 110.
Dips: 2 for Pectorals, 2 for Triceps. (sets of 12)
Cable Crossovers: 160, 180, 180, 200. (Hit at multiple angles)
Pullovers: 50. (4 sets of 12)

Triceps
Cable Pressdowns: 40, 45, 50, 55.
Skullcrushers: 45 x 4.
One-arm Triceps Extension: 10 x 4.

Abs
Crunches: 4 sets of 50.
Reverse Crunches: 4 sets of 25.

Day 2

Back and Biceps
Wide-grip Chins // Lat Pulldowns: Get to 50.
Bent-over Rows: 55, 65, 65, 75.
Barbell Curls: 55, 65, 65, 75.
Preacher Curls: 45, 55, 55, 75.
Dumbbell Rows: 40, 45, 45, 50.
Cable Curls: 40, 45, 45, 50.
Seated Rows: 96, 108, 120, 132.

Day 3

Legs
Squats: 135, 155, 155, 175.
Lunges: FML.
Leg Curls: 80, 90, 90, 100.
Calf Raises: 250 and up.

Abs
Crunches: 4 sets of 50.
Reverse Crunches: 4 sets of 25.

Day 4

Shoulders and Forearms
Power Cleans: Still training form, so I won't even tell you my little girl weight.
Arnold Press: 30, 35, 35, 40.
Dumbell Laterals: 10, 10, 10, 10.
Shrugs: 40, 45, 45, 50.
Dumbbell Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls

That's the split. And if you don't know, now you know, nigggga.

~Santos out~
||The What - Notorious B.I.G. Feat. Method Man||

Structure

Monday ~ 9/15/2009
Weight: 175.4

Chest
Incline Barbell Press: 115, 135, 135, 145.
Flat Dumbbell Press: 100, 110, 110, 110.
Dips: 2 for Pectorals, 2 for Triceps. (sets of 12)
Cable Crossovers: 160, 180, 180, 200. (Hit at multiple angles)
Pullovers: 50. (4 sets of 12)

Triceps
Cable Pressdowns: 40, 45, 50, 55.
Skullcrushers: 45 x 4.
One-arm Triceps Extension: 10 x 4.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 100.
Reverse Crunches: 4 sets of 25.

*Always 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 6 unless otherwise noted.

Whew. That shit was hard. I am starting to seriously train abs (even though its turning to Fall, I still take my shirt off on the constant). It was a very hard workout that I had to do by myself because Rob gave a verbal commitment to train MMA yesterday (it was gi work and he loves his jits, so it wasn't like his leg was being pulled). Even though I was by myself, the beauty of the gym is that you see the other men in there that are committed in there working out by themselves if they have to. Remember girls, its not gay -- its bodybuilding.

Even though I was super lonely, I still had spots when I wanted and needed them. Again, the truly committed men will ask a total stranger for a helping hand and I am happy to oblige. A sense of pride also develops when someone who is in great shape asks you for a spot. Personally it makes me feel as if I am worthy and trusted based on looks alone to ensure that this heavy fucking weight doesn't crush the other guy's larynx. That makes me feel strangely good.

I can already tell a world of difference in my physique since I have focused on weak-point training my Upper Pectorals, Upper Back, and Deltoids. Deltoids have come in slower, but I remember two weeks ago while doing Upright Rows seeing my front deltoids in action for the first time. Twas tight.

Girls will be girls and I have about two (three?) prospects right now that I am interested in. I'll save that for a time where I don't have to constantly fear upcoming tests -- hopefully after this review session in an hour.

The picture above was taken today as I was getting ready for the day. Its a reference shot for the future, but these certainly have to be narcissistic. For anyone offended by my narcissism, be assured that I am actually more self conscious than I will ever let on.

||Strauss - The Blue Danube||
~Santos out~

Oops.

I've neglected this for awhile. But I haven't neglected my fitness.

Rob, my 4-0 amateur Mixed Martial Artist, has decided to start body building again. His reasoning was something along the lines of:

"Dude, the only thing I ever fucking lose is muscle endurance and it pisses me the fuck off. We've gotta get our gain on."

Rob is a scholar of fighting, bodybuilding, and biology. He has helped me focus more on form and in only two weeks I can definitely notice better gains. My weight has maintained, not that I care all too much. I've started power lifting again. My workouts are completely different and focused on developing the upper back, upper pectorals, and overall growth in the deltoids. I imagine we will stay on this routine(ish) for some time.

Tuesday ~ 8/26/2009
Weight: 175.6

Back
Wide-grip Pullups: 4 sets of 10, 8, 8, 6.
Lat Pulldowns: 2 sets of 10, 8, 6 @ 132 lbs.
Bent-over Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 6 @ 75, 85, 85, 95.
Dumbell Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 6 @ 45, 50, 60, 70.
Seated Rows: 4 sets of 12, 10, 10, 6 @ 112, and up one weight from there.

Biceps
Standing Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 10, 10, 8, 5 @ 20, 25, 25, 30.
Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 10, 10, 8, 6 @ 45, 55, 65.

It was lean. I'll post what I did on Monday tomorrow. I'm fucking sleepy as hell right now.

Oh yeah, had an discussion with a Freshman lady about religion and such.
It was interesting.
Her ideas are very under developed because I don't believe she has ever had the luck to truly question her faith. As she was speaking it was as if these ideas were simply attempting to refute evolution.

Listen America, every scientist of any credit (and 90% of those without as well) accepts the theory of evolution.

Anyway, it ended out working out for the best.

~Santos

Over the past week I have probably run the gamut of emotions. I'll drop it for you in text.

Went to Thomasville, GA to visit my uncle and his family down there. Except, they weren't in town... My uncle was on call doctor of nephrology and an internist. My cousin Lauren was apparently doing an internship at fucking Emory. She is fifteen! My other cousin David, baseball bad-ass, was a bat-boy for some Double or Triple A team in Chattanooga for the weekend. Raul's wife was gone too because Lauren got homesick and she visited her. So the family I went to see for the 4th of July, a time to drink and celebrate all things America, was absent as hell.

Lucky for me my favorite person in my family besides my mother was there. Maria my aunt and her child Sirena ("I am four and one half years old, Cwistopher!") were there. Sirena doesn't stop moving and is spoiled. I used to think she was more spoiled than most kids but upon closer examination I feel that I was able to impose my will about as freely as she was able to. But whenver I said no, my ass got beat. She says it freely followed by an, "I love you Mommy!"

On an aside, if my kids step out of line, they will regret it.

We visited my grandmother who now lives in a nursing home. Its reasons like this that I can't imagine a world where a divine creator and manipulator exists. She is the greatest woman I have ever known. Her life was fraught with struggle and peril for years. I won't go into all the details now (save that for the screenplay), but know that she escaped communism and took her three children and mother to America and created a great life for her entire family tree. And now she lives almost mindlessly. The psychiatrist whose comprehension of the human mind had hers taken away. The site of her frail body and even weaker mind brought me to tears. The last time I saw her she had just had a stroke (last summer as a matter of fact) and I thought that her condition would improve a bit again. I was very wrong. Seeing the strongest woman I have ever met confined to a wheelchair despite her will to stand and walk hurt me in ways that I wasn't prepared for.

Later that night I was about to go to sleep when my Aunt called to me and told me she was going to do a quick workout. She motioned for me to follow and I did. She was doing sit-ups and not crunches. We don't do sit-ups anymore. They have been proven to suck by scientists in ways that affect your sign and don't matter to me. I showed her proper crunches and how to hit at different angles if she wanted to. She has always been the most beautiful person in our family and seems to be struggling with her weight now and I can tell it frustrates her. Whats even more frustrating is that her husband is very learned on nutrition but wastes that knowledge on vegetarianism. Wank.

Well, after she was done she began talking politics with me (I guess she assumes that me being a political science student I have heard a thing or two). Last time we were discussing the US's presidential election and she, a longtime conservative, was struggling in voting for McCain. I tried to talk her out of it, but apparently failed. We then switched to our current president and foreign policy and then terrorism. She then said something about the fact that the Islamist fundamentalists are crazy to which I replied, "But so are Christians and Jews." She gave me a slightly strange look and it just came out of my mouth.

"Yeah Aunt Maria, I'm pretty damn Atheist."

This sparked an actually very stimulating discussion about her faith and why she believes there is a god. She and I have always had the best discussions and perhaps the best relationship in the family (We're number 1!) so this was two-hour discussion until 1:00AM was almost expected to get back to some normalcy. She told me she believed because like all wise humans, a certain amount of comfort in our lack of knowledge is necessary. Correct. But she lost it when she attributed the grey areas to divinity. Incorrect.

300 years ago we knew very little of germ theory. 200 years ago we knew nothing of the beauty of natural selection. 100 years ago we did not have penicilin. 50 years ago we were thinking of mapping our very own genomes to see just how much of us is really animal. We build upon knowledge and search out for more. To me, that is life.

As a former engineer with Lockheed Martin whose team's goal was to design a space shuttle capable of getting to Mars and back, I figured she would be religious only because she needs to take her "four and one half years old" daughter somewhere on Sunday to instill morals. Thats when we got to the discussion of morality. She is of the opinion that we have morals because of Yahweh. This is simply not true. The nature of morality is as intrinsicly human as is the creation of gods. To levy morality on the 10 Commandments of the self-centered deity of the Old Testament or the curriculum of the kind and cool carpenter of the New Testament is simply taking away from the achievements of humanity. But I think she imagines that our morality is god-given into our soul. But this also assumes that we were created and not the result of Darwin's evolution. Now that's just silly.

Anyway, this has gone on long enough.

Tuesday ~ 7/7/2009
Weight: 177.0!

Shoulders:
Arnold Presses: 3 sets of 12 @ 30.
Behind-the-Neck Presses: 3 sets of 12 @ 65.
Bent-over Dumbell Laterals: 2 sets of 12 @ 12.5.
Shrugs: 3 sets of 12 @ 45.

Legs:
Squats: 3 sets of 12 @ 135.
Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 @ 195.
Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12 @ 105.
Leg Curls: 3 sets of 12 @ 105.

The workout was rushed in 45-minutes between Jeff and I but felt great! It was the first sign that I have redeveloped some actual endurance again.

Our time has come to a close for now. Until next time, True Believers.

~Santos~
||椎名林檎 - MarunoUchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.) ||

lawl.


Wednesday ~ 7/1/2009
Weight: 175.6.

Back
Lat Machine Pulldowns: 3 sets of 10 @ 84.
Bent-over Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 10 @ 75.
Deadlifts: FORGOT TO DO THEM. FUCK.
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 10 @ 84. (Note: used separated handles to put more stress on the center of my back)

Biceps
Preacher Curls: 3 sets of 10 @ 65.
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 10 @ 20.
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10 @ 20.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 30.
Seated Leg Tucks: 3 sets of 30.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball: 3 sets of 30.

Well, watched Public Enemies today. It was awesome. Comparisons to every other Michael Mann movie are sure to come up. I'll be short about this:

The character of John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) is the complete opposite of Neil McCauley (Bobby).

So while comparisons will certainly come up between Public Enemies and Heat, fret not because they are very different tales and strike very different sections of your heart.

~Santos~
||Shiina Ringo - MarunoUchi Sadistic (EXPO Ver.)||

Monday ~ 6/30/2009
Weight: 177.0! What the fuck!?

Chest:
Bench Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 135.
Incline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 95.
Decline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 115.
Cable Crossovers -- 3 sets of 12 @ 80.
Raised Cable Crossovers -- 2 sets of 12 @ 80 and 1 Drop Set @ 60.

Triceps:
Rope Extensions -- 3 sets of 10 @ 70.
Rope Pulldowns -- 3 sets of 10 @ 70.
Skullcrushers -- 3 sets of 8, 12, 10 @ 45.

Abs:
Crunches -- 3 sets of 50.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball -- 3 sets of 30.
Reverse Crunches -- 3 sets of 30.

Well, I gained a lot of beer/stinger wings/jalapeño popper weight this weekend. Oops. Well, I'll be going to spend 4th of July in Georgia with my family [wank]. They are Mormon which means there is definitely no beer in their house; shit, there isn't even any caffeinated beverages! Now, they have no idea that I am atheist as fuck and should they know it would probably lead to an extreme case of "ostracize the heretic." I'd rather keep them in the dark until I graduate and make some money so I can fall back on their wealth if I run into a sticky situation.

I know what you are thinking. Something along the lines of, "Why can't you be yourself in front of your family? If not them, then who?" The stigma attached to atheism is similar to what homosexuals had to deal with for the past few decades. "Coming out" as atheist seems to be the next big step for Americans as the rest of the world sees as high as 85% in Sweeden, 65% in Japan, 54% in France, and 44% in Britain. In America the number is around 12%. Its still a bit taboo in this country. I hope within a few years there will be a greater understanding of non-believers; perhaps the people who don't believe will rise up and drop that mo'fuckin knowledge that the notion of sky kings is just plain silly.

Newsflash. One girl is shady, the other one is flaky. Wank. Both girls need to be single. They are young and just came out of long relationships. Its time to be single for these gals and have fun. Your boy is fun. When you are single I think you are able to be a little selfish and develop yourself more simply by nature of a lack of attention to focus on a significant other. Its important to have this at this crucial and formative junction in our lives.

Oh, Shiina Ringo has a new album out - Superficial Gossip. It's her first solo album in a long time and it is also fantastic. Her solo stuff is absolutely ridiculous. The sheer amount of music she has put out over such a short amount of time is stunning mostly because the quality has been so high. Over the past 36 hours or so I have emersed myself in her music. Here is what I've found out.

First off, Shiina Ringo is simply unheard of in the Japanese pop music scene - she’s a female who scribes her own lyrics, plays multiple instruments, and has a somewhat uncommercial sound (a cover of an older Shiina Ringo song by Tokyo Jihen). She she also doesn’t shill products or have back-up dancers. Hers is a fame that no one (least of all her) would have ever foreseen.

Unlike many of her contemporaries, Utada Hikaru comes to mind (the two are friends and have even worked together), the sound of a Marshall turns her on. Her sound is natural and the melodies entrancing. Losing yourself in her songs is almost a certainty as you might find yourself simply bobbing along while the bass and drums lead you along. Never to overshadow her arrangements, Shiina Ringo allows us to be privvy to her talented band (of which some joined her in Tokyo Jihen). She may be the main attraction but it is her boys that do most of the grunt work.

I think I've probably gone too long with this mother fucker. Hey, listen to Shiina Ringo. Do it. I suggest reading her lyrics while you do so you get a better understanding of her mastery. She is the female Gackt. Both are true artists masquerading as Jpop stars.

~Santos~
||Tokyo Jihen - Shuraba||

Been real bad lately about posting my progress. Oops.

Worked out on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week. Here is what I did!

Monday ~ 6/21/2009
Weight: ???.

Chest:
Bench Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 135.
Incline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 95.
Decline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 115.
Cable Crossovers -- 3 sets of 12 @ 120.

Triceps:
Rope Extensions -- 3 sets of 8 @ 70.
Rope Pulldowns -- 3 sets of 8 @ 70.
Skullcrushers -- 3 sets of 8 @ 45.

Abs:
Crunches -- 3 sets of 50.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball -- 3 sets of 30.
Reverse Crunches -- 3 sets of 15.

Tuesday ~ 6/22/2009
Weight: 172.8.

Shoulders:
Arnold Presses: 3 sets of 8 @ 25.
Behind-the-Neck Presses: 3 sets of 8 @ 65.
Bent-over Dumbell Laterals: 3 sets of 8 @ 12.5.
Shrugs: 3 sets of 8 @ 45.

Legs:
Squats: 3 sets of 8 @ 135.
Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 @ 160.
Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12 @ 75.
Leg Curls: 3 sets of 12 @ 70.

Abs:
Crunches -- 3 sets of 50.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball -- 3 sets of 30.
Reverse Crunches -- 3 sets of 15.

Wednesday ~ 6/24/2009
Weight: 174.2 (oops).

Back
Lat Machine Pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 @ 84.
Bent-over Dumbbel Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 35.
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 @ 135.
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 72. (Note: used separated handles to put more stress on the center of my back)

Biceps
Standing Arm Blaster Curls: 4 sets of 10 @ 55-65.
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 20.
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 20.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 30.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball: 3 sets of 30.
Seated Leg Tucks: 3 sets of 30.

Not too shabby.

Michael Jackson died and that sucks. Not 18 hours earlier I was watching old Michael Jackson performances on Youtube with Rob and Todd. We watched in amazement during his performance of Man in the Mirror. Jackson was a marvel and impacted even my young generation in ways that simply defy celebrity and transcend even the world "idol." His impact on the music industry is heard everyday on the radio still. His ability to mix pop with true artistry is seldom seen even today.

I should probably write more to reinforce my love of Michael Jackson. Perhaps the story of having an 80 year old woman introduce me to his music as a child. Perhaps the story of buying HIStory the day it came out as a young child. Perhaps the story of the many nights I danced in my room emulating his swagger. But, the truth is that it really isn't necessary since these stories are a part of people's lives now. EVERYONE knows Michael Jackson. Death is always standing in our shadows so when it grabs a hold of life, personally, I just move on. But this one hurts.

~Santos~
||Michael Jackson -Man in the Mirror||

Thank you Encore for providing me with The Nightmare Before Christmas all up On-Demand. This is the kind of film that I can sing every song to despite not seeing it in five years or so. This is the kind of film that sweeps me away to a world so unique that only our dreams can compare. This is the kind of film I never want to own because if I did it might stay on repeat for six months. With On-Demand I only have a small window to get as many viewings in as possible.

Here is number four this week.

Monday ~ 6/15/2009
Weight: 172.6.

Back
Lat Machine Pulldowns: 4 sets of 8 @ 72.
Bent-over Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 65.
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 @ 135.
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 72. (Note: used separate handles to put more stress on the center of my back)

Biceps
Standing Arm Blaster Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 45.
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 17.5.
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 17.5.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 30.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball: 3 sets of 30.
Seated Leg Tucks: 3 sets of 30.

Also did some side work with Burton and Jeff once I got done since they were slow as fuck.

Shoulders
Rear Deltoids Thingies: 3 sets of 12 @ 50.

Chest
Cable Crossovers: 3 sets of 12 @ 60.

Not too bad a day. This blog shit is really keeping me on schedule as far as working out is concerned. I could get used to three days on, two days off. Progressions is coming slowly but surely. If I can find my digital camera I will post pictures of weekly progression or maybe even daily.

What needs work now is my diet. As a college kid who has Jimmy John's, its plain to see that temptation grabs hold of my stomach. I only hope that glutamine, protein, creatine, and multivitamins can mask any fat that creeps up.

Well, Hayden is home which means its time to do that thing we do and restart The Nightmare Before Christmas. So, onward I go!

~Santos~
||Queen -Don't Stop Me Now! ||
Note: Watched Highlander tonight for Paul's first time. Crunchy.

銀河へ向かって飛べよガンダム！Ginga he mukatte Tobeyo GUNDAM!

That's right people. 1/1 scale RX-78-2 in Tokyo. That mother fucker lights up now and is probably the nerdiest shit the world will see until they decide to shell out the dough and just make an actual Gundam (don't cream yourselves fanboys).

Woke up too late to get to the gym before work.
Oops.
Ended up trying not to drink much last night.
Oops.

Got some work on another character with Phil and Chris as evidence by my late-night post. We didn't get much volume done but laid some important groundwork for Ms. Avalon Wright. What used to be a character without any real purpose or direction turned into, "Being secretly born outside the royal marriage, the King never really paid her much attention while she was growing up. This left her somewhat jaded, turning her into a very competent, but equally competitive and cocky young adult." While she still needs a bit more ironing out, the path of making her an illegitimate princess (my drunk idea) flips that ol' Princess archetype we have seen so many times in fiction. Couple this with making her brothers 天才 and her a bit of a fuck-up should make for an interesting character.

I halfway expect the birds I try to court to never read this thing. So, I suppose I can talk about them here. If you are reading this and are a girl that thinks I am trying to get in your pants, you are wrong and this is not about you. >_>

Extra! Extra! Cute girl from work is newly single and has hung out with me on her first two nights of liberation. Friday night there was slight rubbing at the bars but nothing really fun. A bit of slight flirting and a drunk taxi ride home for her and her friend were the result. I was a bit on the drunk side so it was probably for the best that I ended up in my own bed.

Come last night, she brings over her friends again and we drink for a bit but a lack of a wing-man (out of a possible eight men that could have... thanks guys) led to an early escape as her friends were not being entertained. Wank. I don't really know this girl too well but I imagine that if I "stay the course" something might happen. I work in absolutes when it comes to romance and unless I am 100% certain, loose lips will sink ships.

This must be my month because another girl recently broke up with her boyfriend. Well, she got dumped. 6-month relationship down the drain. I told her to break up with the scrub probably daily after he cheated on her and she decided it was alright due to her rocky past. Look, belief in supernatural shit isn't my cup of tea, but karma is something I can let slide mostly because its a fun notion. But when a person takes being made a fool and chalks it up to karma, I can't really imagine that being a good path.

I told her I wanted to see her soon. I'm a patient man. There is some history from before this boyfriend. She is interesting in a way that I would have never imagined. There is a definite connection between us on a deeper level than both of us are probably comfortable with. At times our emotions and actions appear as mirrors of each other. I don't really know where even dating could take us as far as progression of ourselves is concerned, but the fact that opportunity exists for progress begs a man like me to pursue. So pursue I shall.

Oh yeah, she is one of my best girl friend's childhood friend.
Oops.

This always seems to happen to me. I can go months and months without any real interest in a woman and then two or even three pop up at the same time. Whats a boy to do?

~Santos~
||Christopher Hitchens - Chapter 3: A Short Digression on the Pig Why Heaven Hates Ham from The God Delusion||

Two Days Off, But Back in Action

After taking a much needed two days off from the grind, got back into action today.

Saturday ~ 6/14/2009
Weight: 171.6.

Chest:
Bench Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 105.
Incline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 95.
Dips -- 3 sets of 8.
Cable Crossovers -- 3 sets of 12 @ 120.

Triceps:
Rope Extensions -- 3 sets of 8 @ 60.
Rope Pulldowns -- 3 sets of 8 @ 60.

Abs:
Crunches -- 3 sets of 50.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball -- 3 sets of 30.
Reverse Crunches -- 3 sets of 15.

Talking to Phil and Chris right now. Phil is still cool and Chris is still a baby-back bitch.
Not much else to report.

~Santos~
||Red Hot Chili Peppers ~ Charlie||

Third Time is Far From a Charm

The aching today is tremendous. Apparently, back was worked out to the extreme because it took me about an hour to actually get out of bed. So I didn't get to the gym until about an hour and some change ago -- 1:45PM.

Today was the first time I worked out my shoulders and legs in forever and a half. These are my two weakest points and grouping them together may not be in the best interest of continued success. I am of the opinion however that doing this will ensure that I never skip this hump day because I want to develop these two systems. We'll see.

Without further ado...

Wednesday ~ 6/10/2009
Weight: 172.0.

Shoulders:
Arnold Presses: 3 sets of 8 @ 25.
Behind-the-Neck Presses: 3 sets of 8 @ 45.
Bent-over Dumbell Laterals: 3 sets of 8 @ 10.
Shrugs: 3 sets of 8 @ 45.

Legs:
Leg Press: 3 sets of 8 @ 180.
Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15 @ 160.
Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12 @ 75.
Leg Curls: 3 sets of 12 @ 70.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 30.

As you can see, I took it very light on shoulders. I forgot to schedule an appointment again. Oops. I think easing my way back into it will be beneficial in the long run. Whats important is that I continue to get the reps in.

Legs went pretty good but by the time I got to abs I was ready to quit. I was actually on my way out but unfortunately that path lead me past the mats where Crunches tread. Wank.

Gotta go to work now. Well, shower first.

~Santos~
||Hot Chip ~ Wrestlers||

My Second Favorite Civil Engineer

Day 2 of getting back into shape was rough. I woke up about three hours later than I wanted to and didn't get into the gym until like 2:45 or something. Jamison rolled with me this time and if it wasn't for having someone else there with me I might have shorted myself two or three sets. Thankfully I didn't. I think...

We took a look at the best book ever published to decide our workout for the day: The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding by your friend and mine Arnold Schwarzenegger. Something we focused on at the beginning of the workout was to ease into it with Lat Pulldowns and stretching in between our sets. I am striving to get my form down to where it is mechanical so I don't injure myself again, so again you will see bitch weights.

Tuesday ~ 6/9/2009
Weight: 170.6.

Back:
Lat Machine Pulldowns: 4 sets of 8 @ 72.
Bent-over Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 65.
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8 @ 115.
Seated Cable Rows: 3 sets of 8 @ 72. (Note: used separate handles to put more stress on the center of my back)

Biceps
Standing Arm Blaster Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 45.
Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 15.
Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8 @ 15.

Abs
Crunches: 3 sets of 30.
Twisting Crunches w/ 4kg Medicine Ball: 3 sets of 30.
Seated Leg Tucks: 3 sets of 30.

It felt good to Deadlift again. What used to be a dreaded aspect of my workout has now become one of my favorite exercises due exclusively to studying proper form. Bent-over Barbell Rows however are still difficult for me. I am still not certain if I have proper form. Not to self: study that shit.

Wow my biceps seem to always be the first thing to go after a long period of laziness. Whenever I get back to the gym and try and pound out my usual weights on biceps, I fail miserably. Its very discouraging to scroll up and see 15 pounds as my repition weight. I'll need to make sure to focus a little more on these next time. I even found myself cheating a bit on the last set which is not completely terribad but still far from good.

Abs was rough today. The burn was felt. Rather than superset like I did yesterday, I optioned to finish out each exercise before moving on to the next. The result? 3 very difficult sets of Seated Leg Tucks. However, I loved the Twisting Crunches w/Medicine Ball in hand. 4kg seemed to be just right. I understand that overdeveloping obliques has a chance to take away from the V-taper that I strive for but at this point, I don't see 4kg hurting me (nor do I see 4kg hurting me in the future).

Anyways, on to the diet aspect of the Newtype workout. Had 4 eggs this morning, scrambled. 2 Pieces of toast and a protein shake (30g). Had another protein shake after workout (actually, I am still drinking it). Currently I have a round cut of beef marinating in soy sauce, creole seasoning, and garlic salt. I plan to eat that with some green beans for dinner. I don't know what I can weave in between... I'll probably go to the store and grab some fruit -- I forgot to pick some up yesterday. Wank.

Hayden bought Resident Evil 5 last night after work. Hayden, Paul, and I played into the wee hours of the morning (4AM). Calamity's Grasp didn't drop... AGAIN. Umm, decided I would pay my landlord my rent for next month in advance so I wouldn't have to worry about it come the end of June. Better than buying a PS3, amirite?

Beside that I don't think anything too exciting happened. I hope to work on another character tonight for Meridian Grey, possibly Avalon Wright. But I need Phil's wanker self to be available since he seems to have the clearest idea of that character. I'll give you a preview of her tomorrow hopefully.

~Santos~
||Yura Yura - UVERworld||

Here Goes Everything...

Well, here is the first of what I hope becomes a daily "blog." I have a few friends in Japan so I would hope they check this from time to time to see what is going on in my amazingly boring world. For the most part I am going to try and keep track of my workouts and stuff on here though, so for all you meat-heads that want to watch my progress (for whatever reason), here is your opportunity.

Currently I am a weak ass bitch again (for the umpteenth time in my life). I have taken 6 months off from lifting and any kind of physical activity to try and get my shoulder a little more healthy -- I suspect bone spurs but I have to go check that out... Someone remind me to schedule an appointment.

Anyway, this is me taking it very easy for about a month before I move on to my actual workout. Consider it a rehab program of easy, lightweight repetitions aimed at getting my back into actual shape.

Monday ~ 6/8/2009
Weight: 171.8.

Chest:
Bench Press -- 4 sets of 8 @ 105.
Incline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 95.
Decline Press -- 3 sets of 8 @ 95.
Cable Crossovers -- 3 sets of 12 @ 120.

Triceps:
Rope Extensions -- 3 sets of 8 @ 60.
Rope Pulldowns -- 3 sets of 8 @ 60.

Abs:
Crunches and Leg Raises (super set) -- 3 sets of 30 and 20.

That was Day One. The weights were not too bad and might be a little low but that is mostly because I don't want to overwork myself the first day back. It is going to be a long process to get back into shape but all things that are worthwhile seem to take time. Wank.

Tomorrow I will be doing Back and Biceps with Abs. I think I'll try to do Abs everyday so I can rebuild my core back up to something respectable. What days I am going to weave in cardio is the real question and what kind of cardio is also up for grabs. I abhor running but have nothing against swimming or even cycling so I might head down that path, but I don't want to.

Chris and I spoke the other night. It was good. I told him The Unit was canceled and he was visibly upset.

"Man, I love the Unit."
"Chris man, I got some bad news for you... The Unit got canceled."
"You're a liar. I don't believe you... ::checks for himself:: 'CBS cancels The Unit.' Goddammit."

He was not a happy Zilly.

~Santos~
||嘘 - シド||