Training Day Two Hundred Sixty Three

It's been a rather calm day today, where I've unfortunately not been as productive as I'd hope. Various things have happened, and it simple haven't worked out as planned. However, the evening is upon me and there's still time to carry out a few errands. New for this entry is that I've taken the posing picture with my brand new Nikon D5100 camera. Most likely this will be a trend that'll continue.

Quads and abs pic taken this morning after breakfast.

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# WORKOUT: QUADS, ABS

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# Hack Squat Machine

- Set 1: 8 x Sled

- Set 2: 8 x Sled

- Set 3: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 154,3 lbs (70 kg)

# Single-Leg Step-Up On Bench

- Set 1: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 4: 8 x Bodyweight

# Cable Crunches

- Set 1: 8 x 33,6 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 33,6 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

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

- Set 6: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
 

# Slight Decline Crunch (3 sec rest between sets)

- Set 1: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 6 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 5 x Bodyweight

- Set 4: 4 x Bodyweight

# MORNING WALK TIME: 44,38 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
The trend from the extra calories continue and the strength is there in a more noticeable way that usual. The body is feeling a little bit softer than it normally does, which is to be expected from the extra carbs. Nevertheless, things are looking rather good. As far as the workout was concerned, a few exercises were changed due to equipment being busy. No big deal though.

An angel has started my new journey

Yesterday was a day just like any other day... or so I thought. Little did I know that it would mark the beginning of my next journey. I started the morning with carrying out my usual routines, after which I took off for a few hours of work before finally getting to do my workout. After arriving home, the usual stuff ended and the unbelievable stuff begun. As I opened the apartment door, I noticed that my girlfriend had prepared a warm bath with candles and music. We both slipped into the bathtub, after which she casually handed me a letter...

The incredibly thoughtful letter given to me as we slipped into the bathtub.

Not a love letter
The letter, which you only see a glimpse of, contained a lot of heart warming words as well as congratulations on the journeys I've gone through. I was surprised to read this, as these journeys have been natural parts of our lives for quite some time now. However, this was not the purpose of the letter. As I continued on reading, she explained how she felt bad about never being able to give me any expensive gifts; how the only thing she's been able to give me is her love and thoughtfulness. I smiled to myself as I simply thought this was a cute little love letter, written from the depth of her heart - but, it contained more than that. As I reached the very end of the letter, she revealed what it was really about; my second skin removal operation concerning my chest area.

"As I reached the very end of the letter, she revealed what it was really about"

I felt really happy as I read the letter, but at the same time confused, because I knew there was no way that we could afford such an operation. The only reason as to why I was able to do my previous journey, where I removed the skin around my abdominal area, was due to the county health care service granting me the operation. So, how would she (or we) be able to pay for it? Well, this is where the truly heart warming character of my girlfriend shines through. The only reason that she was able to pay for this operation was because she had received a notice from the Swedish health care insurance office. According to this notice she was eligible for money due to the pain and suffering accumulated last summer where she got a blood clot in her leg as well as her lung due to the medicine she was taking at the time. This period of hell, which took a toll on our lives, had finally granted her a bit of redemption. Without thinking twice about it, and with no selfish motives, she decided on donating that money to me and the operation that would bring me one step closer to having a normal body.

Ulrika and I holding hands at the hospital, while she was under care for the blood clot in her lung.

A way to fully appreciate all my hard work
Ever since I got the skin removal operation for my abdominal area, I've been ever so thankful. I've been able to see progress in the mirror, and I've taken pleasure in seeing the abs slowly coming to surface. However, I've felt incomplete when gazing further up on my body, seeing the skin hanging at the sides of my chest.

"My girlfriend has seen the disappointment in my eyes as I've posed in front of the mirror, never truly being able to enjoy the result of my hard work."

My girlfriend has seen the disappointment in my eyes as I've posed in front of the mirror, never truly being able to enjoy the result of my hard work. Yesterday, she found a way to change all this, and through her giving nature, she's started me on my new journey.

Giving my angel a kiss!

She's my angel
My girlfriend has always been thankful for my support in the hard times we've gone through. Due to the highly personal nature of things I cannot go into all the hardship that has meant for us. She's quite often thought to herself that she has more to gain out of our relationship than I do - she couldn't be more wrong. Her warm and giving nature, her kind heart, her appreciation and acceptance for me and who I am are the best gifts I've ever received. I love you baby, you are my angel, my "gottenos" and I am truly thankful for having you in my life.

Two important dates in my future
As of right now I have two important dates ahead of me. The first important date is March 19th. On this day I get to consult a surgeon with all the questions concerning the removal of the skin around my chest area. This is also an opportunity for me to get a full briefing about the costs that come with such a proceedure. The second important date is April 3rd. On this date I get to meet the surgeon that removed the skin around my abdominal area. At this point he'll be removing the tiny pieces of excess skin still left at the sides of body (at each end of the scar). It's time to move ahead, and I'm sure we're in for an awesome journey - me and my angel.

Training Day Two Hundred Sixty Two

It's been a day of studying today as I started the morning with hitting the books. After that, it was time to head to work before I finally got to set my foot at the gym. The evening, once I got home, included a very pleasant surprise, which I'll post more about later. In any case, here's today's training entry!

Front mirror pic taken in the afternoon prior to my workout.

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# WORKOUT: DELTS, ROTATOR CUFFS, CALVES

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# Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise

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

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

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

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

# 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)

# One Arm Cable Rear Delt Fly

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

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

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

- Set 4: 8 x 26,4 lbs (12 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 33 lbs (15 kg)

# Reverse Fly Machine

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

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

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

- Set 4: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)
 

# Dumbbell 90/90 Standing External Rotation

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

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

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

# Hack Squat Machine Calf Raise

- Set 1: 8 x Sled

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

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

- Set 4: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 176,3 lbs (80 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 220,4 lbs (100 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 264,5 lbs (120 kg)

# Hanging Tibialis Anterior Dumbbell Lift

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

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

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

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

# MORNING WALK TIME: 43,26 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
I've been thinking about trying out some new routines for my calves, which was the reason for the new Tibialis Anterior exercise. The exercise that I was inspired by can be seen in this video. However, once I got to the gym I had forgotten exactly how it was executed, and therefore I decided on doing a different version of it. In my version I was hanging vertically with my feet floating above the floor as I was holding the dumbbell in-between my feet. During this position I executed a dorsiflexion with my feet. The exercise didn't turn out that well, but I will improve on it and try the version seen in the recently linked video.

Training Day Two Hundred Sixty One

Today was completely devoted to visiting one of my girlfriend's relatives, who had been hospitalized due to an unfortunate accident. Therefore, we had to drive for an hour and a half this morning, after which we spent most of the day at the hospital. On our way home, we both stopped at my gym, Laholms HälsoCenter, where I proceeded to carry out my hamstrings and triceps workout.

Triceps pic taken this morning after breakfast.

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# WORKOUT: HAMSTRINGS, TRICEPS

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# Lying Leg Curl

- 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 33 lbs (15 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 9: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 10: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 11: 8 x 55,1 lbs (25 kg)

- Set 12: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)

# Dips

- Set 1: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 8 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 8 x 11 lbs (5 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 11 lbs (5 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 16,5 lbs (7,5 kg) 
- Set 6: 8 x 16,5 lbs (7,5 kg) 
- Set 7: 6 x 22 lbs (10 kg)
- Set 8: 5 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

# One Arm Triceps Cable Pushdowns

- Set 1: 8 x 11 lbs (5 kg)

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

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

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 43,01 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
Due to the fact that I've been adding some extra calories lately, I felt ready to challenge myself a little bit. Therefore, I decided on adding some dips to the triceps workout. Unfortunately, I dropped a little too deep during the exercise, and my shoulders got a fair bit of the tension. Nevertheless, the triceps were completely smashed after I was done with today's workout.

Training Day Two Hundred Sixty

It's been a rather productive day today prior to heading to work this evening. Took care of both personal as well as University related matters. But, most interestingly, I finally ordered my first digital SLR camera. I've been looking to do this for quite some time now, and, I even got money for it on my 30th birthday so I could buy one. In any case, I finally got around to it, and that means that you guys might be getting more video entries from now on, so stay tuned! Oh, and here's today's training entry!

Lat spread pic taken this morning after breakfast.

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# WORKOUT: BACK, TRAPEZIUS, FOREARMS

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# Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown

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

- Set 2: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg) 

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

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

- Set 6: 8 x 165,3 lbs (75 kg)

# Wide-Grip Cable Seated Row

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

- Set 2: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

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

- Set 4: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 5: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)

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

# Superman

- Set 1: 25 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 25 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 25 x Bodyweight

# Smith Machine Shrug

- Set 1: 8 x 242,5 lbs (110 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 264,5 lbs (120 kg)

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

- Set 4: 8 x 275,5 lbs (125 kg)

# Reverse Barbell Curl

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

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

- Set 3: 8 x 93,6 lbs (42,5 kg)

# Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

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

- Set 2: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 104,7 lbs (47,5 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 46,10 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
After yesterday's cheat day the body was good and ready to hit the gym. The performance was definitely there and I was able to increase the weights on a few exercises. This performance pattern, however, is not solely isolated around the days after the cheat days due to the fact that I'm intentionally adding some extra calories here and there on a daily basis. I'm doing this because my body seems to respond quite nicely to it, and, I also believe that it keeps me mentally happy as well as motivated until I have a more specific dietary goal.

Cheat Day Forty Six

Due to a very long day with lots of fun as well as food, I'll make this entry a short one. Basically, the theme for the evening was candy. We took a tour to a little candy shop that was celebrating 10 years of service. We bought about 3 bags of candy there and took off to our favorite pizza place in Laholm. After that, we went home, had a cozy afternoon by the TV and proceeded to attend my cousin's birthday in the evening. Without any further delay, here are the pictures for the evening.

Morning pancakes and chocolate ice cream.

Chocolate and cookies... with chocolate!

Loads of candy from the candy shop!

More candy!

Kebab roll with feta cheese and regular cheese!

Birthday stew!

And potatoes!

All mixed together - pre-devouring time!

A small slice of birthday cake - I really don't like whipped cream...

Birthday fruit punch!

Birthday candy!

Home made chicken nuggets prior to bed!

# Estimated Total Calorie Intake: 7000+

# What's up tonight?
Tonight, my cousin celebrated her birthday, which meant we were heading over there for a lovely evening of food and chit chat. Hope you all had an awesome Saturday folks!

Training Day Two Hundred Fifty Nine

Today was the day where I was going to spend most of the morning, as well as the evening, at the University doing one of the final stages on my c-level paper, and, that's exactly what I did. I got up earlier than usual, making sure I got my morning walk in, after which I packed the trunk of my car and headed off to Halmstad. After 7 hours at the University, I felt good and ready to hit the gym for a chest and biceps workout!

Side chest pic taken at the gym 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 44 lbs (20 kg)

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

- Set 4: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 99,2 lbs (45 kg)

- Set 6: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)

- Set 8: 6 x 121,2 lbs (55 kg)
 

# Dumbbell Incline Chest Press

- Set 1: 8 x 48,5 lbs (22 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 48,5 lbs (22 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 48,5 lbs (22 kg)

- Set 4: 7 x 54 lbs (24,5 kg)

# Barbell Curl (EZ-Bar)

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

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

- Set 3: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

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

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

# Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

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

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

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

- Set 4: 8 x 22 lbs (10 kg)

# MORNING WALK TIME: 43,39 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
During the past few days, ever since the stress reached a maximum, I started eating a few pieces of candy here and there in order to feel mentally happy. This gave my body, as well as the performance at the gym, a real good boost. Hence, I continued on doing so even after the stress was gone. However, this is not a huge amount of extra calories in any way, at a maximum we're talking 100 calories (and it's probably even less than that). Nevertheless, it's definitely giving me good results.

Training Day Two Hundred Fifty Eight

This week means full speed ahead as the schedule is looking crammed. This doesn't just mean obligatory things, such as the University, but there's also birthdays and social gatherings thrown into the mix. In any case, today's workout was executed after some laboratory exercises over at the university. Now, it's time to study for a few hours before I head off to work.

Quads pic taken this morning after breakfast.

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# WORKOUT: QUADS, ABS

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# Hack Squat Machine

- Set 1: 8 x Sled

- Set 2: 8 x Sled

- Set 3: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Set 5: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 6: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 143,3 lbs (65 kg)

# Leg Extension Machine

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

- Set 2: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)

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

- Set 4: 8 x 110,2 lbs (50 kg)

# Cable Crunches

- Set 1: 8 x 33,6 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 2: 8 x 33,6 lbs (15 kg)

- Set 3: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

- Set 4: 8 x 44 lbs (20 kg)

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

- Set 6: 8 x 66,1 lbs (30 kg)
- Set 7: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
- Set 8: 8 x 88,1 lbs (40 kg)
 

# Crunches

- Set 1: 12 x Bodyweight

- Set 2: 12 x Bodyweight

- Set 3: 12 x Bodyweight

- Set 4: 12 x Bodyweight

# MORNING WALK TIME: 43,25 MINUTES

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# Workout Notes:
I was feeling a little bit dizzy prior to heading to the gym today. This was most likely due to my current calorie deficit as well as a night of bad sleep. However, a few pieces of candy, as well as my regular pre-workout product, was chugged down after leaving the university. When I finally got to the gym I was ready to do some damage!