DAY 1

Day 1, 178.4 lbs

Today is the day. No more procrastination. No more talking and planning. It's time to get it done!

As some of you may know, I have been using some incredible workouts from The New Rules of Lifting since last August. I've seen some significant strength gains and gained 10 pounds of body mass. My bench max went from 175 to 225 (a 29% increase) and my squat max went from 255 to 345 (35%). I saw similar gains in just about every exercise. However, there were things I did not do well during these 23 weeks. Here's the list:

THINGS I DID WELL
Never missed a scheduled workout during those 23 weeks
Completed every set for each exercise (e.g. I never stopped after 2 sets when I had 3 to do)
Always drank a post-workout protein shake
Avoided excessive cardio

THINGS I DIDN'T DO WELL
Didn't drink enough water
Didn't eat 6 meals each day
Didn't eat enough (at least 4000 kcal on workout days)
Didn't eat enough vegetables and whole grains
Didn't take proper rest intervals between each set (e.g. Taking a 2 minute rest when I should only be taking 1)
Didn't perform quick, intense cardio a few times per week (12-15 minutes)

This time around, I have 25 weeks of workouts planned with 3 weeks of rest included.  I am going to correct everything I didn't do well before.  I'm using information from Scrawny to Brawny to create the perfect nutrition plan for my goals and body type. I will be sure to take proper rest periods between sets and I'll definitely make sure I am getting a few intense cardio sessions every week. Each phase below has 4 workouts per week.

Phase 1: 6 weeks of Strength
               1 week off
Phase 2: 6 weeks of Hypertrophy
               1 week off
Phase 3: 4 weeks of Strength
               1 week off
Phase 4: 6 weeks of Fat-Loss
               Celebrate!

Throughout the next 25 weeks, I am going to keep you up-to-date with my progress by posting my workouts, diet, and (currently embarrassing) photos.  I hope you will follow along with me! I can't promise it is going to be easy, but extraordinary results take extraordinary measures. Let's get it done!!!

Today's Workout

DAY 1

DAY 1

Let me know! Let me know if you have any questions about my workout listed on the spreadsheet above or anything about this post. Also, I would really appreciate some words of encouragement! Your support means a lot. Let's get it done!