Thread: J's Journal:Conquest of a Champion

At first I thought you wrote that you had gotten over Canadian Depression. I'm glad that you're doing better!

I'm not really knowledgable enough to comment on your diet, but I would say that you really should focus just as much on your routine as your diet. Perhaps you plan to, but you didn't write anything about your routine so I had that impression.

What type of routine are you going to do?

will post workouts when I move back to my father's in a week and have access to the gym again..obviously that's when i will start the diet as well

but here's the split i enjoy working with:

Day 1
*Chest, biceps, forearms

Day 2
*Back, triceps, calves

OFF

Day 4
*Hams/quads

Day 5
*Shoulders, traps

Originally Posted by DOMS

At first I thought you wrote that you had gotten over Canadian Depression. I'm glad that you're doing better!

LMAO...yeh those cold lonely winters will do that to ya..

He's back in the game! That's great you're feeling good enough to play with some iron. Rock on.

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

will post workouts when I move back to my father's in a week and have access to the gym again..obviously that's when i will start the diet as well

but here's the split i enjoy working with:

Day 1
*Chest, biceps, forearms

Day 2
*Back, triceps, calves

OFF

Day 4
*Hams/quads

Day 5
*Shoulders, traps

Might I suggest switching biceps to back day and triceps to chest day? Othewise you'll be working each two days in a row. Unless of course that is your goal.

You seem to be going a parts split. Is there a reason for this (as opposed to a push/pull/leg split)? Personally, I really like to body part routines, but many (more experienced) members advocate a functional split.

If you do intend to do a body part split, you may want to swap the back and hams days, so that your arms can get a break.

Lastly, what will you be doing in terms of number of sets, number of reps, and rest interval? Do you have a routine in mind? Such as P/RR/S or West Side (for example).

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

LMAO...yeh those cold lonely winters will do that to ya..

I should point out that, years ago, I suffered from bouts of depression. I'm sure that at least some of it was chemical based (hormonal), but I learned to not sweat the small stuff and have felt great ever since.

it's all a matter of opinion/choice. i don't hit back/bis and chest/tris because i can't give the secondary muscle the attention it deserves. Yet, I will be hitting it twice indirectly. I also don't do calves on leg day because by the time i get to them, I am fried and the calves suffer. I had my damn workouts written up, but I seem to have lost them at the moment. I think they are in my car...will look for them tomorrow when it's not dark out (my car is very clutered)

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

over the past 2 years i've had a horrible bout with candida/depression, losing all the muscle i had worked hard for; but most importantly growing a pot belly. adding muscle would be nice, but shredding the fat is my number one priority.

I'm at 185 lbs. bodyfat%..could care less..pot belly says it all. Here it goes:

Meal 1
*1 egg, 1 cup egg whites, 1/2 cup oatmeal, 5 EFA caps, multivitamin, Garden of Life Supergreen caps (2 or 3)

Meal 2
*6 oz. turkey breast, apple, Garden of Life Supergreen caps (2 or 3)

Meal 3
*6 oz. turkey breast,brocolli, 1/2 cup oatmeal

Meal 4 (i think, coming after lunch, this will be my PWO shake)
*2 scoops Optimum Nutrition protein powder, 10g L-glutamine,1/2 cup oatmeal

Meal 5 (an hour after shake)
*6 oz. turkey breast,brocolli and 1/2 cup oatmeal or 1 continental unflavored yogurt(choc full of natural probiotics with only 1-2g sugar)

Meal 6 (if this is final meal of day)
*2 scoops Optimum Nutrition Casein protein powder,brocolli and 5 EFA caps

Protein 228.5g
Carbs 120g (this is not counting the brocolli which i do not measure, and the 1 apple cuz i dunno how many carbs are in it)
Fat 10g and 4.5 from the egg at breakfast

revised diet..won't let me edit first post for some reason..cut down EFA's and replaced turkey breast with casein protein for slow digestion..thx Jodi it looks like i still need more fat, so i will take recommendations and add flax oil(probably 1 or 2 tablespoons)

Add Olive oil.

Must be nice to start training again. Work your way up and stay positive. Make simple goals and complete them in their entirety and keep on trucking, you probably know this better than I do though. Good luck!

i appreciate u stopping by. I will start tomorrow..went for 2 mile walk today.

Weights 3x week..cardio everyday

Upper
Lower
Upper

I hate this fuckin split, but I am in no condition to go back to my old workouts.

1 minute rest between sets..reps 8-15..I'll switch up the exercises when I feel like it.I dunno

UPPER
1.BB Bench Press superset DB Fly
2.WG Lat Pulldowns superset 1-Arm DB Rows
3.BB Bicep Curl superset 1-Arm Cable Curl or maybe BB Wrist Curl
4.Tricep Pushdown superset Cambered Bar Skullcrushers

LOWER
1.Squat superset Leg Extensions
2.Leg Press superset Lying Leg Curls
3.Standing Calf Raises superset Seated Calf Raises *this might be too much, maybe I will just do a dropset of one of them*

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

I hate this fuckin split, but I am in no condition to go back to my old workouts.

at least you are honest with yourself. it is important for you to realize that, no matter how fast you want to get back to your previous level of fitness, you must take it slow and allow things to build up naturally and in a healthy way.

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

it's all a matter of opinion/choice. i don't hit back/bis and chest/tris because i can't give the secondary muscle the attention it deserves. Yet, I will be hitting it twice indirectly. I also don't do calves on leg day because by the time i get to them, I am fried and the calves suffer. I had my damn workouts written up, but I seem to have lost them at the moment. I think they are in my car...will look for them tomorrow when it's not dark out (my car is very clutered)

Reguardless this is a bad idea. I know you think you are not giving it the attention you need, however it will benefit you much more to hit it with back first and then throw a few sets in rather than trying to work it again after it has not recovered after a brutal back day, but hey this is your journal, I am just trying to add something. Good luck to ya.

Good luck with everything oaktownboy!!! I will be following along .. I am proud of you getting back at the gym after everything you went through.. I know how it feels

I can't relate to what you went through, but I can relate to losing hard earned muscle. It will come back. And you have the benefit of being young.

well i did upper today and let me say...no strength at all. too embarassed to say the poundages. Let's just say I will be extremely sore tomorrow, even for just a 30 minute workout. However, after the cardio PWO, I felt great. sore, but great

Don't be embarrassed. When you've been out for that long, it's quite normal to have little strength. Just look at my workouts

Originally Posted by sara

Good luck with everything oaktownboy!!! I will be following along .. I am proud of you getting back at the gym after everything you went through.. I know how it feels

where u been girl? last time we talked you were still in AZ

Originally Posted by oaktownboy

well i did upper today and let me say...no strength at all. too embarassed to say the poundages. Let's just say I will be extremely sore tomorrow, even for just a 30 minute workout. However, after the cardio PWO, I felt great. sore, but great

Let me put this out there for you. I have mucho respect for someone who is in the gym busting their ass week in and week out no matter what weight they are lifting. It beats the hell out of someone who cant find their way off of the couch and always saying woah is me. Be proud of yourself, this is the correct road!

Originally Posted by Triple Threat

I can't relate to what you went through, but I can relate to losing hard earned muscle. It will come back. And you have the benefit of being young.

thx Captain

Of all the people I see come and go here ... you are the one single person I wanted to see posting again. You've fought your way through some hard stuff ... now you're on your way back up. Damn good to see ya back OTB ...

The fact your back in the gym is enough.

Let that muscle memory kick in and dont get down on yourself.

Once you get that train rolling, there will be no stopping you.

i'd say the biggest change has to be my attitude. For the majority of the life, I've had what psychologists call a "Type-A" personality; meaning I have to be the best at everything I do and am always trying to push myself to the max. While this worked out great for bodybuilding, every other aspect of my life was suffering. It took the last 2+ years for me to realize this. Now, I just appreciate the fact of being alive, and not being homeless and having food in my belly and family that actually cares. Once I got into this mindset, I realized that I had to stop pressuring myself in every aspect of my life. This might sound silly, but it's amazing how much I've taken life for granted.

Absolutely right.

That is the mindset I wish more people had.

wel i haven't had the energy to get back into the gym. i just moved back to my father's and the candida die off is really weighing me down. no more sugar/gluten cravings, but that means the energy level is even lower. taking plenty of leafy greens and supergreens supplement by Garden of Life. i suspect it will take time for the energy to return..oh well

One day at a time, Oak

first day of community college. when i got home and started reading the text, i couldn't follow one bit. could be the candida or the depression, but I seem to have no interest in any of the activities I participated in before I went to college. This is why it's so hard for me to know what's wrong. College, for those of you who remember the thread I made about being homesick in August 2003, really pushed me over the ledge. I was never the same after that one year. My father refused to buy me a plane ticket to come home until I had completed the whole year, even though he knew I was having panic attacks, and when that happened something inside of my brain shut off. I have been on tons of antidepressants, none of which have had an effect. so I really don't know anymore. If it is something more than candida, I fear I will probably spend the rest of my life in this state.

Originally Posted by BoneCrusher

Of all the people I see come and go here ... you are the one single person I wanted to see posting again. You've fought your way through some hard stuff ... now you're on your way back up. Damn good to see ya back OTB ...

just wanted to let ya know I didn't forget about ya..definetly saw this comment. My brain fog is so bad. I cannot study worth a damn. I sit down to read a subject that interests me, Sports Nutrition, and I get this massive fog..like a blank slate. But I just realized something today. Candida releases acetaldehyde into the body (which is like formaldehyde..alcohol). Acetaldehyde cannot be excreted from the body. Molybdenum can break this down into acetic acid, which is then excreted from the body or turned into acetyl coenzyme A(a major player in the body's energy system). another weapon in my arsenal to defeat this muthafucka. doctors recommend 300 micrograms 3 times a day