Training Day Two Hundred Twenty

Yesterday I felt pretty drained and the feeling continued this morning. I'm currently thoroughly looking forward to tomorrow's cheat day, and the very fact that it's New Year's Eve. It'll definitely be a time for celebration as it's been quite an eventful year.

Lat spread pic taken in the evening after my workout.

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# WORKOUT: BACK, TRAPEZIUS, FOREARMS

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# Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

- Set 1: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 5: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 154,3 lbs (70 kg) 

# Bent Over Row in Multi Press Machine

- Set 1: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 5: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

# Superman

- Set 1: 20 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 20 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 20 x Bodyweight

# Smith Machine Shrug

- Set 1: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 264,5 lbs (120 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 264,5 lbs (120 kg)

# Reverse Barbell Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 82,6 lbs (37,5 kg)

# Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

- Set 1: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 82,6 lbs (37,5 kg)

- Set 3: 6 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 44,04 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
Today's workout was pretty solid. I wasn't as tired as I felt yesterday and I could actually perform quite well through each set. The only change for the evening was the removal of the Seated Row Machine exercise (the machine had been removed from the gym). Instead I used the multi press machine, leaned against the seat and did bent over rows. Worked quite well and I think I'll incorporate this until we get a new seated row machine at the gym.

Training Day Two Hundred Nineteen

Today is Saturday and that means the gym closes early and I get to have it all to myself when I train in the evening. Having it all to myself is both good and bad. Currently, I'm liking the fact that I get to do things without anyone around. But then again, there are days when you miss the occasional chitchat. The day prior to my workout has been spent studying - like most days.

Biceps pic taken in the evening during my workout.

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# WORKOUT: CHEST, BICEPS

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# Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

- Set 1: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 77,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 8: 6 x 137,7 lbs (62,5 kg)

# Cable Cross Over

- Set 1: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x  66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x  66,1 lbs (30 kg)

# Barbell Curl (EZ-Bar)

- Set 1: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 55,1 lbs (20 kg) 
- Set 5: 8 x 55,1 lbs (20 kg) 

- Set 6: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 8: 8 x 71,6 lbs (32,5 kg)

# Dumbbell Bent Over Concentration Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 44,53 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
My workout was rather good today, but, I was a bit tired from the posing practice done at home prior to heading to the gym. The first couple of exercises were fine, but towards the end I could feel the body giving up. All in all a good workout though.

Training Day Two Hundred Eighteen

I've been continuing the studies today as well as doing some grocery shopping for New Year's Eve. As you might have guessed, that date will indeed be a Cheat Day - and what a cheat day it will be. There's plenty of food and we'll be eating everything from Sushi to home made Pizza. A guaranteed success! But, now it's time to reveal today's quads and abs workout.

Quads and abs pic taken this evening after my workout.

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# WORKOUT: QUADS, ABS

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# Leg Extension Machine

- Set 1: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 154,3 lbs (70 kg)

# Smith Machine Squat to Bench

- Set 1: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 176,3 lbs (80 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 198,4 lbs (90 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

# Cable Crunches

- Set 1: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 8: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

# Dumbbell Side Bend

- Set 1: 8 x 65 lbs (29,5 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 65 lbs (29,5 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 65 lbs (29,5 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 76 lbs (34,5 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 42,00 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
There were some slight changes in the workout today which concerned both the quads and the abs portion. First change was on the quads, where the Leg Press machine had been removed. Instead, I decided to do 4 sets of Smith Machine Squat to Bench. Reason for the bench is due to my lower back issue. The deeper I go, the higher risk I have of accumulating lower back pain. The second change for the evening was on abs. I had to use a different cable machine and the weight calculation was completely different. Hence, the weights were pretty much halved (in comparison to the regular cable machine). Nevertheless, it was a good and solid workout, although, a careful one.

Training Day Two Hundred Seventeen

After having had a real cozy evening last night it was back to the good old grind today. That meant burying the nose deep in the books, study hard, and then finally working for a few hours in the afternoon/evening. After that, it was time for one of my weakest body parts - calves - as well as delts to get a beating.

Calves pic taken during my workout this evening.

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# WORKOUT: DELTS, CALVES

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# Dumbbell Lateral Raise

- Set 1: 8 x 15,4 lbs (7 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 15,4 lbs (7 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 7: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 8: 8 x 31,9 lbs (14,5 kg)

# Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise

- Set 1: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

# Dumbbell Bent Over Delt Raise

- Set 1: 8 x 13,2 lbs (6 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 15,4 lbs (7 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 15,4 lbs (7 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

# Smith Machine Calf Raise

- Set 1: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 7: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 8: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 9: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 10: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)
- Set 11: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

- Set 12: 8 x 154,3 lbs (70 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 43,26 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
The intensity is definitely not high nowadays. In fact, I seem to go into some kind of zombie mode. The strength is there and the reps are fine but the rest in-between sets is longer than usual, and so is the entire workout. Hopefully I'll get some better sleep these upcoming days so I can improve my performance at the gym.

Training Day Two Hundred Sixteen

It's been an interesting day today. My girlfriend and I was going to Helsingborg in order to buy an iPad. She's been wanting one ever since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Unfortunately, you couldn't phone the store in advance, so we had to make a 30 minute driver in order to see if they had one in stock... which they didn't! A truly great start of the day! However, the day turned out slightly better as the ever so kind Binais Begovic decided to tell my story on his company's Facebook page as well as on his personal blogg. He had some truly honoring words to say about me and I'm very thankful for the heartwarming support. Read his full blogg entry here (Swedish only)!

Triceps pic taken at the gym after my workout.

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# WORKOUT: HAMSTRINGS, TRICEPS

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# Seated Leg Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg) 
- Set 8: 8 x 165,3 lbs (75 kg)  

# Lying Leg Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 7 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

# Smith Machine Close Grip Bench Press

- Set 1: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)
- Set 8: 6 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

# Cable Triceps Pushdowns (V-Bar)

- Set 1: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg) 

- Set 2: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg) 

- Set 3: 7 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 4: 5 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 42,27 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
As far as training goes, things turned out rather well today. I felt fairly strong, but I might have been a bit sloppy as far as the form was concerned. Lesson learned, time to keep on working. Tomorrow is a new (training)day!

Cheat Day Thirty Seven

I know what you're thinking; didn't I have a cheat day just a few days ago? And you are correct. However, there is a good explanation for this. Seeing as I'm planning on having a cheat day on New Year's Eve, I pretty much realized that it's too much time in-between New Year's Eve and my previous cheat day. Hence, I decided to take a minor one today, which puts the next cheat day at a perfect distance of one week away. This also gave me the opportunity to somewhat enjoy the food with my family. And here are the goodies!

I confess! I took the center piece in both layers in the chocolate box!

Christmas ham prior to bed!

So, here's the calorie content for the minor cheat day. Candy, 1300 calories. Christmas ham, 200 calories. Take away one meal at 70 calories and we end up at a total of 1430 extra calories for the evening. A lot less than the regular cheat day!

Today being Christmas Eve meant rice pudding, presents, a cozy atmosphere and a visit from Santa. Had a wonderful evening with the family at my brother's house. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you all had a bit of cheat day today!

Merry Christmas and an AWESOME New Year!

Bringing Awesome Back would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and an AWESOME New Year! I'm so thankful for all the support you guys have been giving me throughout the year. It helped me through the rough times of dieting as well as recovering from the skin removal surgery. With all that behind me, I'm sure 2013 is going to be an awesome year! Last, but not least, a huge thank you to my awesome sponsors proteinbutiken.se and Laholms HälsoCenter. I appreciate all the help you're giving me!

Training Day Two Hundred Fifteen

It's almost Christmas Eve and for once the preparations aren't as hectic as they usually are. Just as much as Christmas is a time for joy and high spirits, it's also a time for stress. As for me, I've been keeping the stress level fairly high throughout most of the year, so it's roughly at the same level as usual. In fact, it's probably lower than usual. In any case, this was the last workout before celebrating Christmas with the family.

Lat spread pic taken this evening after my workout.

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# WORKOUT: BACK, TRAPEZIUS, FOREARMS

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# Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

- Set 1: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 5: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 154,3 lbs (70 kg) 

# Seated Row Machine

- Set 1: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 5: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

# Superman

- Set 1: 18 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 18 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 18 x Bodyweight

# Smith Machine Shrug

- Set 1: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 264,5 lbs (120 kg)

# Reverse Barbell Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

# Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

- Set 1: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 44,14 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
Today's workout was pretty decent. I've currently had 4 days of training without any rest in-between, so I wasn't really in any position to keep the intensity higher than usual. My plan was the keep the training flowing after my Cheat Day and then continue on doing so until Christmas Eve, where I'll be getting some rest. So far so good. Merry Christmas to all of you! May it be an awesome one!

Training Day Two Hundred Fourteen

I've been incredibly tired today. Started the morning with the alarm ringing just about as I was shutting my eyes for the 20th time. I plowed through my morning walk in a zombie mode and struggled to get the breakfast done. Needless to say, I've been exhausted. Most likely this is due to two nights in a row of bad sleep. I'm hoping for a good night's sleep tonight though.

Biceps pic taken in the evening during my workout.

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# WORKOUT: CHEST, BICEPS

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# Smith Machine Incline Bench Press

- Set 1: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 77,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 132,2 lbs (60 kg)

- Set 8: 6 x 137,7 lbs (62,5 kg)

# Cable Cross Over

- Set 1: 8 x 55,1 lbs (20 kg) 

- Set 2: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x  66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 77,1 lbs (35 kg)

# Barbell Curl (EZ-Bar)

- Set 1: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 55,1 lbs (20 kg) 

- Set 6: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

- Set 8: 8 x 71,6 lbs (32,5 kg)

# Dumbbell Bent Over Concentration Curl

- Set 1: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 46,14 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
To my surprise, I had an absolutely awesome workout today. I increased the weights on each exercise and I targeted the muscles perfectly. If this is what bad sleep brings, I don't have much to worry about!

Cheat Day Thirty Six

Phew! Long week and a lot of suppressed hunger aimed towards junk food. Finally, it all accumulated into one big day of eating. The past few cheat days I've been holding back and trying to keep the form progressing at a steady state. I felt, however, that I now needed one day of going "all-in"... and that's exactly what I did!

Two fluffernutter sandwiches, rice pudding with strawberries and coffee.

Some assorted chocolate candy!

Big fat pizza with ham, cheese, kebab and french fries! Garlic sauce on top!

Some gingerbread/chocolate biscuits.

More various candy!

Latte and a chocolate pastry!

Twix ice-cream bar.

The grand finale! Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie!

Oooh, I'm not entirely sure I want to know this, but here goes. Fluffernutters and rice pudding, 730 calories. Various candy, 500 calories. Pastries, 400 calories. Ice-cream, 1300 calories. Pizza, 2000 calories. Take away two meals at total of 780 calories, and add one protein drink at 110 calories, and we end up at a total intake of 4260 extra calories for the evening.

As far as entertainment goes, this day has been a long string of events. We started the morning by heading to Halmstad, where we spent most of the day shopping. It was both Christmas related stuff as well as stuff we needed at home. During the evening/night my girlfriend got hockey practice, which means I'll most likely be at home watching TV and just kicking it back. Have an awesome evening folks.