Tony's Demolition and Reconstruction '05

[fantasma62]

I guess I had to look for a catchy name for my journal. This is the most true to form journal that I will have. The others I will keep for my own benefit of what to do and not to do.
I have made a very important promise to myself. NO MORE EXCUSES. If I get sick, something happens in the family, I hurt myself, etc., then I have to suck it up, and get back on. No more whining and crying "Why?". That sickens me. I have successfully made myself sick with, well, myself.
I am not going to be making diaries at the drop of a hat, nope...I am making this diary because my last "failed" diary was too negative. Too much whining and crying from my part. What I need is positive energy. I feed from it.
Why do I call it demolition and reconstruction? Simple, imagine an old hotel that's on prime land in front of the beach. Put a couple of charges in the foundations of the building, and it'll crumble. Then you put in a brand new and more attractive luxury hotel in its place. Well, that's me, with the help of HIT and a balanced diet, I will demolish my old hag of a body and reconstruct it into a luxury body. Or at least as close to it as I can.

For that reason, I am re-entering the IM competition (whether there is one or not) not to win, but to give me a target and see where I am at when the competition actually takes place.
I am 5 ft 9"
I weigh 275.5 pounds

My immediate goals: Do I have to say them? To cut. I want to go down to my more natural weight of 190-200 pounds (I was wearing size 31 pants then). I want to replace the fat with pure muscle. No, I don't want to be huge, I just want to be large enough to be happy with myself. I will give myself a monthly goal of no more than 10 pounds per month. I want to be able to get to summer with a better outlook, but I really want to make it a full year project, and a long term plan...
My long term goals: Ya'll know them, to live longer than I am projecting myself to live if I continue with this nonsense.
I have put on 25 pounds since I hurt my shoulder, that's pretty freaking embarrassing. What did I do instead of working hard to get better? I ate and sat, and did nothing. No more excuses.

To attain my goals I will follow Dr. Darden's New HIT lifestyle. I will follow a very strict diet as it has been laid out in his new book and will try to exactly follow his training plan. I will work out 3 times a week. This workout will be a full body workout. If I see that I can't do a full body at first, I will break it up into body parts, but I will not give up, I continue trying to attach my body, fully. I understand that this is not a routine for the meek and weak. You have to have brass ones to do this. I have no choice, I will go for it and succeed, no excuses, no questions....



Now, to begin....again....

 

[fantasma62]

Phase 1: Demolition (First 10 weeks)

One of the most important concepts that I have learned while reading Dr. Darden's book is that of Superhydration. I am going to be drinking more water than I normally drink (which in itself is a whole hell of a lot).
I will also use a 1500 calorie (shock treatment) for the first 10 weeks. This will be a higher carb intake than normal, but not a whole lot more. Research has shown that this is proven to work for the short term. In a chat I had with Dr. Darden, he recommended the 10 week approach since I have sooooo much to take off fatwise. After 10 weeks, I will make the necessary changes to my diet to make it a longer term meal plan. Before I get lambasted, I want to say to you all that I appreciate all the meal advice I have gotten here by the best of the best, but I need to try other things that have been proven to work too. Sorry, but that's how it'll be for now. No nonsense, caveman approach to life, keep it all simple.....

Phase 2: Reconstruction (Training for the rest of my life)

I will complete the reconstruction plan in another post of this journal once I have completed the demolition.

All I ask for is prayers and that little push in the back that I need to keep on at the worse of times.....

 

[gwcaton]

Ok Tony ,

whens the first wo ? good luck

 

[crazy_enough]

ALRIGHT!!! Lets get this ON Tony!

 

[fantasma62]

Ok Tony ,

whens the first wo ? good luck

Gdub.....I am targetting today as my first WO.....

Should be something different......

Thanks

 

[fantasma62]

ALRIGHT!!! Lets get this ON Tony!

Thanks much!!!

By the way you are looking waaaaay too good woman, keep it up...

 

[Luke9583]

OMG 1500 cals. You're gonna need alot of freinds around to keep your mood up! (and slap you when you fall asleep for no reason )

 

[fantasma62]

OMG 1500 cals. You're gonna need alot of freinds around to keep your mood up! (and slap you when you fall asleep for no reason )

Lucky Luke, I have never gotten unhappy during a strict diet.....LOL I am always in a good mood (or try to be)
I hope I fall asleep a lot, I could definitely use it.....

 

[Luke9583]

I hope I fall asleep a lot, I could definitely use it.....

Well that SUCKS tony

G'luck with everything! You must be much better at controlling your emotions than me

 

[fantasma62]

Boy it feels good to be back......

My workout sucked but the first one always does. I reached failure in only one, almost two. What that tells me is that I need to add more weight on my next workout. I am very excited about today. My shoulder didn't hurt, although my right knee hurt a little bit during leg curls (and this is my good knee).
It's funny, a workout that should have taken me no more than 1/2 hour took me 45 minutes because I was so lost in the gym that it took me longer to look for each machine than it took me to do each routine. See, I used to work out from home but that's how all the trouble began. So here goes:

All of these are one set, for those who don't know how HIT works...

-Leg Curls: 8 x 100 (could do more)
-Leg Extension: 8 x 120 (could do more)
-Leg Press: 8 x 180 (Definitely could do more)
-Straight Arm Pullover: 8 x 40 (could do more)
-Bent Over row with palms facing out: 8 x 95 (I know I could do more, I also have to check my form)
-Overhead Press: 8 x 100 (could do more, but reached failure at the allotted 8. Could have done more because I may have been able to squeeze another rep
-Bicep Curl with barbell: 7 x 60 (failure. When done in proper form and very slowly, you can do a lot less weight here than you normally can)

In my very last exercise, curls, I literally felt queezy and my legs were shaking. Maybe that had to do with the leg workout that I did, or maybe that I did reach a point in the last exercise where there was so much freaking blood rushing to my biceps that I felt queazy...don't know.....
I can barely type as it is. My hands are shaking so much.....
I was a little sad to see what I have become when I did the leg press. Back when I was younger I maxed 680 pounds +/- , and to do 180 pounds 8 times and feel it a little tells me that I am no longer 20 years old

This is awesome, I am so glad to be back at this. I needed it.....
On Wednesday I'll add more weight and hope to reach failure with more exercises, this is, afterall, a work-in-progress....

 

[Rocco32]

Looking good in here Tony. So what is the ratio for Carbs/Protein/and Fats? Will you be posting meals in here also? I think you should.

Nice w/o. My only advice to add to that is you shoulda taken all the exercises to failure even though you woulda gone past 8 reps. IMO to make HIT work successfully you have to stop counting or having expectations with reps. Your body can do more but when you think "8 reps" and your already tired, guess what- You'll hit failure because that's what your mind told your muscles to do. When I did HIT, with some exercises I'd pick a weight I'd normally fail at 8 on, go balls to wall and say "this is my only set, it's gonna count" and end up sometimes with over 20 reps. Does this make sense?

 

[fantasma62]

Funny thing. My legs are already sore, so are my shoulders, biceps....well, me....

I was already sore when I got home...What a disaster of a body....

 

[King Silverback]

Looking good in here Tony. So what is the ratio for Carbs/Protein/and Fats? Will you be posting meals in here also? I think you should.

Nice w/o. My only advice to add to that is you shoulda taken all the exercises to failure even though you woulda gone past 8 reps. IMO to make HIT work successfully you have to stop counting or having expectations with reps. Your body can do more but when you think "8 reps" and your already tired, guess what- You'll hit failure because that's what your mind told your muscles to do. When I did HIT, with some exercises I'd pick a weight I'd normally fail at 8 on, go balls to wall and say "this is my only set, it's gonna count" and end up sometimes with over 20 reps. Does this make sense?

My Brother, you are correct!!! You have to PUSH yourself beyond your limits!!! Only 1 set, and it MUST count!!! Your starting point is GREAT Brother. Keep it up. We are all here to help you along!!!

 

[King Silverback]

Funny thing. My legs are already sore, so are my shoulders, biceps....well, me....

I was already sore when I got home...What a disaster of a body....

Das good right!!!??? (in my best Arnold voice)

 

[gwcaton]

Hey Tony !

probably take a couple of times to find the "perfect" weight for each exercise and when you do then you'll be on the road to true torture

 

[fantasma62]

Looking good in here Tony. So what is the ratio for Carbs/Protein/and Fats? Will you be posting meals in here also? I think you should.

Nice w/o. My only advice to add to that is you shoulda taken all the exercises to failure even though you woulda gone past 8 reps. IMO to make HIT work successfully you have to stop counting or having expectations with reps. Your body can do more but when you think "8 reps" and your already tired, guess what- You'll hit failure because that's what your mind told your muscles to do. When I did HIT, with some exercises I'd pick a weight I'd normally fail at 8 on, go balls to wall and say "this is my only set, it's gonna count" and end up sometimes with over 20 reps. Does this make sense?

Advice well taken Rock, Archangel......
It's funny, I felt as if I should have done more, but the book says go up to 8 for beginner. I consider me a beginner here. It's a bit of a give and take. I am supposed to add 4 more exercises and 4 more reps after my second week. I guess I got too booked out (following the book too closely)
That's why I thought it was a sucky workout, because I know I should have continued.....I am going to tweak it a little and make it a Tony workout, rather than a by the book workout...Thanks guys
G dub, thanks for the words, I felt the same way...
Rock, to answer you, the ratio seems 45/35/20, which is a notch higher than my original 40/40/20

Well, this "sucky" workout really drained me, I am off to sleep...

I'll talk to you fellas' tomorrow, if I can actually lift my arms...LOL

G-night....

 

[crazy_enough]

Nice w/oTony! U keep at it and stay focused, theres no way U wont succeed!
wootwoot for Tony!

 

[fantasma62]

Nice w/oTony! U keep at it and stay focused, theres no way U wont succeed!
wootwoot for Tony!

Hey kid, what's going on......Thanks, I will try my best.....I am soooo freaking sore right now....but sore good.....

 

[crazy_enough]

Things are good here!! I dont think Ive ever been so focused...My wife is getting a little fed up as I seem to live, eat, breathe and dream BB, but its all good!
Thats the biggest thing, try as hard as u can, every second of every day...When u do this, no matter how minuscule ur progress may seem at times, Ur succeeding!
Sore is good...Sore is fun!! How are u handling the low cal diet so far??

 

[naturaltan]

Hey Tony ... you said it in your first post, when things get tough, you gotta suck it up and keep going. It's hard, but once you get in a rhythm it's a lot easier. My wife uses the same excuses (for lack of a better word). I'm sick ... tired ... sad ... mad ... etc. We all are, but I really believe what separates those that fulfill their weight goals are those that go to the gym and eat right even when life gets a little frazzled.

Good luck Sir Tony!

 

[fantasma62]

Believe it or not, I took some mental notes yesterday about my workout.

I noticed is that my form really sucks on a few exercises. This next few workouts are going to be to failure, but they are also going to be with nothing but form in mind.
I also need to get my timing going. I didn't do all of my reps slowly, as I was supposed to. Again, that's something that I need to work on in the next few days. Also, the time between exercises was in my opinion excessive, because I really don't know my way around the gym too well. Having not been to a big gym (I worked out at the gym belonging to the development that I live in), I was lost as to where everything was. Yesterday I went thru the growing pains. And to thing that I wanted to go to the gym over the weekend just to see where everything was....duh....
One more mental note was the fact that I didn't fail, which in this case is a good thing, so by not failing, I failed . What went to failure was my brain, not my muscles. What I should have done is really bust ass and do the routines slowly so that I failed wherever I failed, whether it was at 4, 6, or 8 reps. The way it works, according to this book, is that I need to do the routines very slowly and my body will have no choice but to fail by 8. I don't worry much about yesterday's workout and not failing, though, because I needed to gauge where my resistance was at and what weight I could have withstood, coupled with what I mentioned above regarding the form.
I am sure that tomorrow's workout will be better, but I may still have a few hiccups on the way. I have no choice but to live with those hiccups...
One last note that I will try to remedy myself, once I get to know people there at the gym, is that I don't have a spotter. That, hopefully, will change soon.

 

[fantasma62]

Hey Tony ... you said it in your first post, when things get tough, you gotta suck it up and keep going. It's hard, but once you get in a rhythm it's a lot easier. My wife uses the same excuses (for lack of a better word). I'm sick ... tired ... sad ... mad ... etc. We all are, but I really believe what separates those that fulfill their weight goals are those that go to the gym and eat right even when life gets a little frazzled.

Good luck Sir Tony!

I agree a million percent. When I got on my rythm before the injury, I was rocking. Once I got hit with some adversity, Tony folded the tent and ran away crying. No more.
I gained a lot of weight while sitting on my ass doing nothing, that's unforgivable. Yesterday it felt really good to be lost at the gym even if it put a damper on my workout, to lift my first couple of pounds, to sweat and even to be dissappointed with my first workout. All of that felt incredible; in fact, it's unexplainable right now....
See? that means that I am beginning to set a rythm and that's important...
Thanks for the concern bud.....Things will surely get bettet....

No more whining, no more excuses, no more crying....

Cuidese mucho(Take care good care) Mr. NT

 

[sftwrngnr]

Tony,
You rock dude . Don't worry about the weights you are moving; focus on your diet and regular exercise. Make sure you do your exercises with strict form. FORM IS EVERYTHING! The weight will come. I can tell you from first hand experience, you will be stronger now, than you were when you were 20. How do I know? See my siggy?? My best, absolute best competition deadlift when I was 21 was 455@181 lb body weight. Last weekend, I pulled the best d/l I ever have; this am when I did deads, I pulled 515, and attempted 545, which I never would have even tried until now. I weigh more now, certainly, but my strength is way more than when I was 20. I still have to drop at least 30 lbs of fat myself, and then focus on building muscle from there.

Life... happens. No need to say "no whining, excuses, or crying". I would suggest having the attitude that while there may be whining, excuses, and crying, those things won't get in the way of the goals you have. The fact is, you ARE going to the gym. That is more than most can say. On those days that you truly don't feel like going, go anyway... you'll feel better about yourself when you're done. The past is the past... so ya put on a little weight. Well, it happens. If you do the things you say you are going to do, the weight will come off, the demolition will occur, and the rebuilding will happen.

Best regards,

Dan

 

[fantasma62]

Tony,
You rock dude . Don't worry about the weights you are moving; focus on your diet and regular exercise. Make sure you do your exercises with strict form. FORM IS EVERYTHING! The weight will come. I can tell you from first hand experience, you will be stronger now, than you were when you were 20. How do I know? See my siggy?? My best, absolute best competition deadlift when I was 21 was 455@181 lb body weight. Last weekend, I pulled the best d/l I ever have; this am when I did deads, I pulled 515, and attempted 545, which I never would have even tried until now. I weigh more now, certainly, but my strength is way more than when I was 20. I still have to drop at least 30 lbs of fat myself, and then focus on building muscle from there.

Life... happens. No need to say "no whining, excuses, or crying". I would suggest having the attitude that while there may be whining, excuses, and crying, those things won't get in the way of the goals you have. The fact is, you ARE going to the gym. That is more than most can say. On those days that you truly don't feel like going, go anyway... you'll feel better about yourself when you're done. The past is the past... so ya put on a little weight. Well, it happens. If you do the things you say you are going to do, the weight will come off, the demolition will occur, and the rebuilding will happen.

Best regards,

Dan

Hey Dan,

First of all thanks.
What you are saying fully makes sense. I am happier today than I was yesterday because I am in such pain...
Nobody had ever put it like that and be so incredibly close to how I feel and should feel. I pray that nothing gets in the way of this "rebuilding" because I really need to get this out of my brow.
Dan, this is the kind of attitude that makes a winner and you sir, are a winner. This is also the kind of attitude that I draw life from. I have always said the the positiveness in this community is what makes me go on. In fact, now that I am back working out, I feel like more of a member. While I was out saying how much I will do, and all that I should be doing, while doing nothing, I felt like an outsider. After lifting my first pound yesterday (and what a feeling that was), I felt it again. I felt young (although I don't today) and part of something.....
It really feels good and your words have made a very good day, a better one.
By the way, 515? No Dan, YOU ROCK!!!!! Congrats...you will do 545.....
515????? Damn.....great job, you should be very proud.

Thanks...

 

[fantasma62]

There is definitely something to be said about the power of exercise. As I was typing a response to Dan, I noticed something really funny. I may be imagining this, but I see and feel the same "little bumps", as I called them when I first started working out in august, that I did when I last worked out in October.
I thought I was imagining things, but I saw my arms and darn it if they aren't bigger....they are prolly' just swollen, but I still wanted to say it. Yeah, now I am gloating like a 13 year old with a new bike.....
LOL, the power of exercise either made my arms somewhat bigger, or I may have gained super-vision......

 

[fantasma62]

Hi Folks, there is one thing that I have been meaning to write for a few days, but I didn't get around to it. I told a good buddy today whom I had not written to and simply ignored, that I was going thru a bit of a selfish phase right now, because one of the biggest faults for me in my previous "lifestyle change" was that I was paying attention to too many and not so much myself. I am experiencing the same thing here in our community. I had always said that if I wasn't feeling good, I shouldn't be a phony and try to lie and be positive when I was literally at my worse negative. So I stayed out of the journals and believe me, I tried writing and looking at all ya'll, but it was virtually impossible. Now, however, it has nothing to do with negativity.

As I was saying before going on a tangent is that just because I have not gone and said hi in your journals, it doesn't mean that I am not thinking about ya'll, I am just taking more care of me than I was doing, even during the "good ole days" of august and september when I was happy.
So, don't be mad at me, I'll eventually go back and say hello and maybe even give a pointer, since I have done a hell of a lot of learning....Ya'll are in my thoughts....

adios...

 

[King Silverback]

Don't forget the "POWER" of the mind Brother Keep it going, always think positive. We are here to keep you going

 

[fantasma62]

Don't forget the "POWER" of the mind Brother Keep it going, always think positive. We are here to keep you going

Thanks Bro. I am always here to appreciate it......

 

[greekblondechic]

Too few calories my lovely Tio. That is a cutting diet for ME, and not saying this offensively, I am significantly smaller than you. Don't f your thyroid up honey, eat like you're supposed to. Trust me, starvation doesn't work (speaking from experience)

 

[fantasma62]

Too few calories my lovely Tio. That is a cutting diet for ME, and not saying this offensively, I am significantly smaller than you. Don't f your thyroid up honey, eat like you're supposed to. Trust me, starvation doesn't work (speaking from experience)

You know I love you to death and would NEVER (as John H would capitalize) believe you are trying to offend me. Not significantly smaller, I am now like a Willu (from Free Willy) and you're like Flounder from the Little Mermaid. I thank you for saying significantly and not something else

Got me a secret.....No longer doing 1500 calories. Truth is, I am not starving. I am eating 6 times a day. I am eating a bagel with light cream cheese and fruits (tropical mixture) in the morning. A HEAVY chicken sdwch. afternoon with my lettuce and tomato and a HEAVY turkey sandwich, lettuce, onions and tomatoes for dinner. The thing is that I am eating 2% cheese, Whole grain breads and snacking on Nature's Own cereal bars. I know they have sugar, but that's the one fix that I need during the day. At night I snack on peaches......
I am also applying the Superhydration principle (double the 8 glasses of water daily), which is something that I enjoy because I just love drinking my water....
I don't eat sandwiches all the time, tomorrow I am throwing down some grilled chicken, with sweet potato, balsamic tomato and onions, and another assortment of goodies....
I am however almost cutting all the fat out of my meals. Not totally, almost. I am not eating bad fats. I need to be careful with my heart. Doc says it's good, but you never know how you can really screw it up...
By the way, I cheated earlier, I ate a handful of cheerios....Stole them from Anthony
My beautiful greek niece, I am very happy to be back and even happier to see that you are concerned. I hope you read what I wrote earlier, I am in selfish mode. Will be back to normal once the rush from working out goes away....
One more thing, don't ever feel that you should apologize for throwing in a pointer or two. I will take it all into consideration....

Love ya...