Arvada, Colorado USA
My Fitness Body Transformation Log – Days 53 – 60 Weight Lifting Workouts
Objective: To Burn Fat Gain Muscle Mass And Transform My Body In 12 Weeks

Today I’m going to summarize the Muscle Mass Advantage weight lifting workouts that I implemented during the past week (week 9 of my fitness body transformation). So far I really haven’t been too impressed with the progress that I’ve made up to this point, but something changed this week!  I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel like I made some serious progress towards my goals.  Later this evening, I’ll post my body transformation progress report through the end of week 9, so I’ll know for sure whether I my feelings are substantiated.

Last week my body felt great every single day, so I decided to crank up the intensity and frequency of my aerobics workouts, while still trying got keep my weight lifting workouts running smoothly by performing 2 separate 20 minutes cardio workouts Monday – Friday. It was a bit challenging just forcing myself to jump on the treadmill so often (especially towards the end of the week!), but I really feel that the “2 a days” helped my shed more body fat than I had the week before.

Moving into “crunch time” it’s going to take every thing I’ve got just to drop the last few % of body fat. I’ve already decided that regardless of my 12 week accomplishments, I’m going to extend my fitness  body transformation weight lifting workouts and all until I get my body fat % down around 6% – I really want killer six pack abs! At that point I’m going to increase the amount of calories I’m eating, adjust my weight training workouts and up my protein intake in order to hopefully stimulate some more muscle growth – I think I can get everything to balance out for a lean and extremely muscular body!

Week 9 Weight Lifting Workouts

Monday’s Weight Lifting Workout – Chest & Back

Chest Warm-Up:
Incline Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Incline Press: 3 sets x 6 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press: 2 sets x 6 reps

Back Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets x 6 reps
Lat Pulldowns: 2 sets x 6 reps

Tuesday’s Weight Lifting Workout – Biceps & Triceps

Bicep Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Curl: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets x 6 reps
EZ Bar Curl: 2 sets x 6 reps

Triceps Warm-Up:
Skull Crushers: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Skull Crushers: 3 sets x 6 reps
Pushdowns: 2 sets x 6 reps

Thursday’s Weight Lifting Workout – Shoulders & Traps

Shoulder Warm-Up:
Shoulder Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Shoulder Press: 3 sets x 6 reps
DB Shoulder Press: 2 sets x 6 reps

Traps Warm-Up:
Upright Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Upright Rows: 3 sets x 6 reps
High Cable Pulls: 2 sets x 6 reps

Friday’s Weight Lifting Workout – Legs

Quad Warm-Up:
Squat: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Squat: 3 sets x 6 reps
Leg Press Press: 2 sets x 6 reps

Hamstrings Warm-Up:
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 3 sets x 6 reps
Leg Curls: 2 sets x 6 reps

That’s all for the week 9 weight lifting workouts…Enjoy!

Your Friend And Trainer,

Nick

Arvada, Colorado USA
My Fitness Body Transformation Log – Days 48 – 52 Weight Lifting Routines
Objective: To Burn Fat Gain Muscle Mass And Transform My Body In 12 Weeks

Well, I put my head down and went to work on my weight lifting routine this week and before I knew it, it was already the weekend and I hadn’t posted any updates to the blog!  I knew that the closer I got to my 12 week deadline, the tougher it was going to be to keep up with my body transformation journal entries – but I’m really struggling just to keep my head above water here…sorry about that!

Today it’s going to be a “catch up” post  that summarizes all of my workouts for week 8 of my fitness body transformation.

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with how things progressed for me this past week.  Now that I’m in the middle of the 9th week of my body transformation, I’m really starting to get a little nervous about  exactly where I’m going to wind up with my body fat percentage. Even though I’ve been diligently performing my 20 minute cardio sessions each day, I’ve been falling off the wagon a bit when it comes to my diet.  While I haven’t exactly been pigging out on crap, I really haven’t followed my low carb bodybuilding diet outline to a “T” either.

Under normal everyday circumstances this wouldn’t be too big of a deal, but in this case I’ve placed a 12 week time limit on everything – so I absolutely have to commit myself for at least the last 3 and a half weeks if I really want to accomplish what I set out to accomplish. The good news is that even if i don’t hit all of my targets within the 12 week time frame,  I can still continue on with my training and dieting until I eventually achieve what I set out to achieve – it just may take a bit longer than I would have liked.

That’s really the cool thing about committing yourself to a life changing body transformation training cycle, if you see it through not only will your body have changed, but after pounding all of the lifestyle changes into your brain over the course of 12 weeks you actually begin to change your habits – from unhealthy habits that lead to the body you had, to healthy and constructive habits that will lead to greater health and a better body down the road. If you see it through, you actually empower yourself to have the body of your dreams for the rest of your life!

The Week 8 Weight Lifting Routines

Chest & Back – Weight Lifting Routines

Chest Warm-Up:
Incline Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Incline Press: 5 sets x 3 reps
Dumbbell Bench Press: 5 sets x 3 reps

Back Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Dumbbell Rows: 5 sets x 3 reps
Lat Pulldowns: 5 sets x 3 reps

Biceps & Triceps – Weight Lifting Routines

Bicep Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Curl: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Dumbbell Curl: 5 sets x 3 reps
EZ Bar Curl: 5 sets x 3 reps

Triceps Warm-Up:
Skull Crushers: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Skull Crushers: 5 sets x 3 reps
Pushdowns: 5 sets x 3 reps

Shoulders & Traps – Weight Lifting Routines

Shoulder Warm-Up:
Shoulder Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Shoulder Press: 5 sets x 3 reps
DB Shoulder Press: 5 sets x 3 reps

Traps Warm-Up:
Upright Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Upright Rows: 5 sets x 3 reps
High Cable Pulls: 5 sets x 3 reps

Legs – Weight Lifting Routines

Quad Warm-Up:
Squat: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Squat: 5 sets x 3 reps
Leg Press Press: 5 sets x 3 reps

Hamstrings Warm-Up:
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1x 6, 1 x 3
Work Sets: (rest interval 1.5 minutes)
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 5 sets x 3 reps
Leg Curls: 5 sets x 3 reps

Well, that’s all for the week 8 weight lifting routines summary post…I’ll be back  tomorrow with my week 8 progress report!

Your Friend And Trainer,

Nick

Arvada, Colorado USA
Nick Andrade’s Body Transformation Log – Day 47 weight training routines
Objective: To Burn Fat Gain Muscle Mass And Transform My Body In 12 Weeks

Today I’m just going to summarize all of my Muscle Mass Advantage week 7 weight training routines.  I decided to completely take the day off  (no weight training or cardio) so I thought it would be a good opportunity to list all of the past weeks workouts.

I felt that overall the week 7 weight training workout routines went pretty well.  While I’m definitely not too big a fan of training in the higher repetition brackets (usually because I have to lower the training weight a bit) – I typically find that my body responds well to this style of training.  Towards the end of this week, I really started to notice a difference in the fullness of my muscles – I feel like I’m getting pretty big and I really like it.

As in last weeks weight training workouts summary, I decided to stick with 4 (20 minute) cardio sessions, but I tried to ramp up the intensity a bit.  Instead of the usual 9 minute per mile pace, I jacked everything up to around 7.5 minutes per mile and carried that pace out for 2 miles during each aerobic workout.

In order to get the most from my weight training routines, I decided to split my cardio and free weights workout sessions up, performing my weight training over my lunch hour and my cardio in the evenings. I felt that this split worked out pretty well – but it was challenging at times having to drag my lazy butt to the gym for the cardio sessions each evening.

The Week 7 Weight Training Routines

Monday’s Weight Training Routine – Chest & Back

Chest Warm-Up:
Incline Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Incline Press: 2 sets x 15 reps

Back Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Dumbbell Rows: 2 sets x 15 reps

Tuesday’s Weight Training Routine – Biceps & Triceps

Bicep Warm-Up:
Barbell Curl: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Barbell Curl: 2 sets x 15 reps

Triceps Warm-Up:
Skull Crushers: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Skull Crushers: 2 sets x 15 reps

Thursday’s Weight Training Routine – Shoulders & Traps

Shoulder Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 15 reps

Traps Warm-Up:
Upright Cable Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Upright Cable Rows: 2 sets x 15 reps

Friday’s Weight Training Routine – Legs

Quad Warm-Up:
Squat: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Squat: 2 sets x 15 reps

Hamstring Warm-Up:
Straight Leg Deadlift: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Straight Leg Deadlift: 2 sets x 15 reps

That’s it for the week 7 weight training routines summary post.  Although this week of Muscle Mass Advantage workouts seemed like it would be easy on the surface, all of the workouts really kicked my butt in the end!

Tomorrow I’m going to post a progress update for my body transformation through week 7.

Your Friend And Trainer,

Nick

Arvada, Colorado USA
Nick Andrade’s Body Transformation Log – Day 45 work out routine
Objective: To Burn Fat Gain Muscle Mass And Transform My Body In 12 Weeks

Today I headed off to the gym hoping to bust out a decent leg work out routine.  When I got there, someone was using the only squat rack  in the joint so I had to Wait for about 20 minutes – what a pain in the butt! That said, I was able to pour my hostility into my leg work out and I wound up having a pretty decent day at the gym.

photo credit: jontunn

Today’s Work Out Routine – Legs

Quad Warm-Up:
Squat: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Squat: 2 sets x 15 reps

Glute Warm-Up:
Straight Leg Deadlift: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Straight Leg Deadlift: 2 sets x 15 reps

I was able to get through 2 sets of 15 reps of squats with 275 lbs and 2 sets of straight legged deadlift with 275 lbs. I’ve gotta say that this was a brutal workout…By the 10th rep, my heart felt like it was goin  to jump out of my chest!

Here’s what I ate today for my bodybuilding diet…

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 4 cups of green tea
• 2 cups of cooked ground beef
• 2 cups of cooked spinach (sauteed in a pat of butter)
• 2 cups of cooked ground beef
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 3 eggs fried in olive oil

That’s it for today’s body transformation journal entry and workout out routine.

Your Friend And Trainer,

Nick

Arvada, Colorado USA
Nick Andrade’s Body Transformation Log – Day 44 bodybuilder workout
Objective: To Burn Fat Gain Muscle Mass And Transform My Body In 12 Weeks

Today’s bodybuilder workout hit my shoulders and traps pretty hard.  While the workout felt great while I was grinding through it, I have a feeling I’m going to be pretty sore tomorrow. My shoulders and traps have always been one of my naturally bigger body parts, but I know I can pack on some serious muscle mass in that area if I focus on targeting them with heavy weights, so that’s what I focused on during today’s workout – trying to up the training weights a bit and force my shoulders and traps to grow!

Thursday’s Bodybuilder Workout – Shoulders

Shoulder Warm-Up:
Dumbbell Press: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Dumbbell Press: 2 sets x 15 reps

Traps Warm-Up:
Upright Cable Rows: 1 x 10, 1 x 8
Work Sets: (rest interval 2 minutes)
Upright Cable Rows: 2 sets x 15 reps

I was able to get through 2 sets of 15 reps with 55 lbs dumbbells for the dumbbell press and 2 sets of 15 reps with the weight stack set to #18 for upright cable rows.  During this bodybuilder workout, my shoulders and traps were on fire! It felt great, but I can’t wait to get back to the heavier training weights and lower repetition brackets in the upcoming weeks.

As far as my bodybuilding nutrition strategy – here’s what I ate today…

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 4 cups of green tea
• 2 cups of cooked ground beef
• 2 cups of cooked spinach (sauteed in a pat of butter)
• 2 cups of cooked ground beef
• 1/4 cup of walnuts
• 3 eggs fried in olive oil

That’s all I’ve got for today’s body transformation journal entry. Give this shoulders and traps bodybuilder workout a try and watch as your shoulders literally explode (especially if you don’t normally train in this rep bracket!).

Your Friend And Trainer,

Nick