March 1st, 2013 - Updates & Pull-Push-Legs Routine

I feel slightly more tired throughout the day after my morning workouts with this new Pull-Push-Legs routine.  It’s a great sign that my body and fitness is being challenged with this new protocol.  It’s not about the amount of weight you are lifting.  It’s the level of stress you put on your muscles that is the catalyst for growth.  Stress your muscle like you have never experienced before and it will force it to adapt, growing stronger (and larger) to handle the stress level. 

New PRs Since Last Week!

-Bentover Dumbell Rows—100 lb DBs x 8

-Romanian Deadlifts—405 lb x 9

-Decline Barbell Press—315 lb x 7

-Incline Dumbell Press—120 lb DBs x9

-Wide-grip Lat Pulldown on Cables—270 lb x 6

Here is my ever-changing Pull-Push-Legs routine.  Some days I switch it up and use dumbells instead of barbells or even machines.  It just depends on my mood, but I try to do more of what I think I am weakest at.  3 sets are performed for Upper body exercises and 4-5 sets are performed for Lower body exercises H.I.T. style.  On my last set of each exercise, I goal myself to achieve 5-6 reps usually to failure with as heavy of weight as possible. 

Pull – Back + Biceps

-Wide-grip Lat Pulldowns on the Cables

-Lawnmowers with Dumbells

-Seated Wide-grip Rows on the Cables

-Bentover Dumbell Rows

-Yates (Underhand-grip) Machine Rows

-Standing Barbell Curls

-Hanging Dumbell Curls with EZ Bar (leaning chest down on incline bench)

-Incline Dumbell Curls

-Shrugs

Push – Chest + Shoulders + Triceps

-Incline Dumbell Bench Press

-Decline Barbell Bench Press

-Seated Military Press with Dumbells

-Behind-the-neck Machine Shoulder Press

-Close-grip Bench Press

-Tricep Extensions on Cables with Bar

-Standing Cable Flyes

-Side Laterals with Dumbells

-Front Laterals with Barbell

-Bentover Rear Laterals on Cables with D-handle

Legs on Wednesdays (Quad Focus)

-Hack Squat

-Machine Squat

-Olympic Squat

-Seated Calf Raises

-Machine Leg Extensions

-Seated Leg Curls

-Standing Calf Raises

Legs on Saturdays (Ham Focus)

-Romanian Deadlifts

-Sumo Deadlifts

-Close-stance Leg Presses

-Seated Calf Raises

-Standing Calf Raises

-Machine Leg Extensions

-Seated Leg Curls

-Lying Leg Curls

*Abs (1-3x a week, 3 sets each exercise)

-Leg Raises

-Weighted Crunches/Sit-Ups

-Cable Crunches

I perform this routine twice a week with one much needed rest day.  I weighed in at 169.0 lbs. this morning and I am happy with my progress thus far.  I will continue to eat more when I do not see any increases in body weight (0.5-2.0 lbs./week).  I’ve never eaten so much in my life, but I’ve never looked this good at this body weight in my life either.  If I want to put on size, I know there will be times that I simply do not have the appetite to eat anymore.  However, if you want to get bigger, you have to eat bigger.  This is the same mindset I had when I was cutting for a competition.  If I wanted to be leaner than everyone else, I need to diet harder than everyone else.  No pain, no gain, right?  At least with bulking, I am not hungry.

Here's a picture of me at my leanest and dryest condition during my pre-contest cutting phase:

146.8 lbs. & Hungry.... To Win