Forging Guns in the Iron Paradise

It's the July 16th entry of the goings on of an over 50 Christian powerlifting madman. So here's what's going on in the paradise today. On our last recap, the body weight dipped down into the 230s (Friday, July 6). On Sunday, July 8, the Mrs. and I stopped off at the Olive Garden to sit out a large California grass fire that shut down the local freeway. We took shelter in place at the closest Olive Garden. I did pretty well, I ordered Chicken breasts and zucchini plate. But afterward, I decided to order their signature dessert, the black-tie chocolate mouse cake (aka diabetes black-tie insulin avalanche cake). 

The Diabetes Cake

Yes, sir-ree. I devoured it! The insulin rush sent my weight sky rocketing out of the 239 zone up to 242, and the weight lingered there for about 4 days. Just to give you a rough idea of what this stuff will do to an 50+ years old digestive system. I probably did about 1000-1500 calorie deficit in cardio during those days before the weight came back down.

Look at that body spike from the diabetes cake!

My house is also on the market and we have had a couple of open homes. Usually, get kicked out around dinner when a real estate agent wants to show the casa to clients, so I don't have a lot of control lately over all my meals (i.e. eating out a lot). However, I am back down at the 240.0 pounds line, even while not eating what I should be eating. The cardio, (I do 500 cal burns of cardio in the AM on a fasted stomach or fasted cardio). This has kept me at the 240 pounds plateau. I need to reimplement the diet and macronutrients to keep pressing down on my journey of weight loss.

Gun Smithing

My knees both currently have no cartilage and have injections for pain management. I am about a month into this treatment and it seems to work. I am not in a place where I want to start lifting utilizing the legs. I will most likely employee a Mike Mentzer, powerlifting approach to the legs, where I hit them once every two weeks and then leave them alone. Most likely use the leg press for this. I don't trust my knees with squats anymore.  The Mike Mentzer approach I used in the past for powerlifting competition training. Deadlifts and heavy squats saw the most gains using this. But you have to push hard so when you're done it does take two weeks to recover. Hit them hard and get out of there. I think this will be the best approach for training legs with bad knees.

So while I hammer out a blueprint for the legs, I want to press on with the arms. I decided to focus on the biceps and triceps, for this season, just to get something going. I needed to hunt down a program that was pretty much dumbbell only, since that is pretty much all I have, dumbbells, olympic bar, and an ez curl bar. Ok, I hear the meatheads out there, Olympic bar bro! I agree, but I am back to the knees. I want to be able to lay off the legs, our at least not strain them while I curl the 135-pound bar. The goal in this life science experiment it so put on size, wisely, and effectively, and minimize any type injury.

If you listen to some of the older lifters on youtube, they are actually recommending going lighter for adding to your biceps. They recommend time under tension and the mind-muscle connection. This is the recipe for growth. But at the same time, you need to create some good fiber tears for growth. There are three channels I enjoy for lifting on youtube, my favorite is Strength Team right now with Darrell. That guy seems like he would be a hoot to work out with. He has some really good advice on stressing the biceps for GAINZZZ!!!

SuperHuman You is another great no-nonsense YouTube channel on lifting. Lots of solid lifting and dieting info on this channel.

MountainDog1 is a straightforward no BS powerlifter in his 50s. Not selling anything, just giving us old dogs advice on how to keep making gains. Very down to earth channel and great old school lifting advice.

So as I forge my guns I will utilize the information on those youtube channels. For Sunday's arm's race, I followed a workout by SuperHuman You, 3 Ways to Get Bigger Arms While Loosing Body Fat. A really good intensity workout to stimulate muscle tears for growth using lighter range dumbbells, 15# and 25#. So it was a good starting place for my journey. Again, muscle gains, DRUG-FREE, take up to a year or longer for sizeable GAINZZZ! I set my goals with realistic expectations. Always allow for the mind to visualize where you will be down the road on this journey. There will be lots of twists and turns to the final destination.

The July 15 2018 Biceps (intensity) Workout

Workout Journal from the Iron Paradise Sunday July 15 2018

 Workout:

1. Alt DB Biceps Curls
    3 sets x 12 reps
2. DB "EZ Curl Style" Curls superset with plate wrist curls
  3 sets x 12
3. FST 7s (spider curls)
  7 sets x 12 reps - total mind-muscle connection, time under tension
4. Biceps blaster DB curls
  4 sets x 12 reps

Note: I will train triceps on another day. Possibly with Chest.
That was it for the biceps workout. I may possibly even switch it up with biceps and triceps.

Spiritual Guidance for this Journey

I always find that lifting is the best time to pray. Cardio is even better. But lifting lends itself well to praying and connecting with God. Just get your mind into a conversation with Jesus. I pray about anything. But if you're not liking the reflection you're seeing in the mirror, pray for perseverance for all the training that will come to pass! Yes, stay motivated, stay in Jesus, and focus the anger of your self-hatred into forging a new you. Change does come. I have been there and I am still on that road of transformation both in the physique and mentally. Change comes through time. Dream the dream and chase it. It's attainable.  Most of all have fun on this journey. Take every victory through every change and keep forging on!



God Bless!