12/17/12

12/17/12

2:40-3:00 Warm-up and Concone
Just working on vibrato and soft attacks.  Getting better.

Bad news from a dental point of view.  I got my estimate for my substantial dental work needed and it's huge.  I quite simply can't pay it, so I guess I'll let my teeth go and continue to hope they get better.

3:20-4:00 Ear Training
Spent some time just playing tunes by ear, trying not to think about what key, just letting my ear guide me.

4:00-4:30 WORKOUT
I nailed 4 sets of Barbell Complex A with about 2 minutes rest between.  65lbs sets of 5.

Row
Clean
Front Squat
Press
Back Squat
Good Morning

12/16/12

To be accountable and keep a much more detailed log, I'm going to attempt to keep my practice journal online.  Times will most likely be rough estimates, but I've been keeping a practice journal for some time and moving it online shouldn't be that difficult..... I hope.

11:35-11:45 Warm-up
Just some long tones and Christmas tunes in various keys.  Trying not to think about what key I'm in and just let my ear do the work.  Vibrato is pretty wobbly today.

11:45-12:00 Concone
Just reading and working on vibrato a bit.

12:20-12:35 Wynton Green Chimney's Solo
Working on first 2 A sections.  Finally got it together the last couple times through.

12:45-1:30 WORKOUT
Big 3 today.  My hex bar still isn't in, so I did box squats.  Actually failing at my heaviest set, I was just happy to get it in after 3 weeks of struggling to reboot.

Max sets:
Squat 300x2 (failed on 3)
Bench 190x4
Clean 125x3

12:20-12:35 Wynton Solo
Worked on Bridge into 3rd A.  Damn, this is a crazy complicated lick.  After 15 minutes of work, still not close.  Some serious motific development on this.

8:15-8:30 Wynton Solo
Finally got the lick going in to the 2nd chorus.  Tough one.  It's up to speed separated, next session will be to join the whole first chorus.

Day 39

4/25/12
Workout: Deads

Better workout today.

Deads +5lbs (started doing only 1 drop set and an extra warm-up set to work on form.)
Chins +1.25lbs -3 over-all reps (I'll stay at the same weight next week.)
Rows - first time in ages.  Actually did Pendalay Rows putting the bar down each time.
Curls +4 total reps.

Day 38

4/24/12
Workout: Walk 60 minutes, Pull-ups 3,3,3,2,2 and 5 sets of medicine ball leg raises for fun.

Day 37

4/23/12
Workout: Squat

A really disappointing workout.  I think 37 days on a deficit is catching up to me.  My squats were horrible, my bench went down by 2 reps.  I did however add 1.25lbs to my dips and dropped my seated shoulder press by 10lbs, but touched my clavicle bone each rep.  Really tough.  I would like to get that up to 8 reps, so I think I might stay at the same 85lbs and try to grab an extra rep next week.

Day 36

4/22/12
Workout: REST

Another rest day in a row.... ugh.  Bored.

That's right - just a 10 piece grilled chicken from KFC.  Nothing else.

Day 35

4/21/12
Workout: REST

Day 34

4/20/12
Workout: REST

Day 33

4/19/12
Workout: Deads

Solid workout after a bad binge yesterday.  So lame.

Day 32

4/18/12

Workout: REST

Nothing today.  Blah.  My worst day of the cut.  I totally caved in every possible way.  Old school binging.  So lame.

Day 31

4/17/12

Workout: REST

I did some squat practice with a video camera today just to work on Rippetoe's book advice.  Getting better.  Didn't go too heavy, just small sets of 5.

Day 30

I forgot pics, I'll take them tomorrow.

Day 30
4/16/12
Workout: REST

Day 29

Day 29
4/15/12
Workout: Squat

I need a lower squat bench.  I really like tapping a bench on the bottom to make sure I get low enough, but my tiny little stool is stupid low, and my bench is too high.  Gotta find something in the middle.

Only got 4 reps on my bench this week, I knew 5 wasn't happening, 4 almost failed.  Whatever, I'll still add a pound next week and see if I can go 184x5 up from 183x4.

Day 28

4 weeks in and I blew it.  Woke up at 4am at the GF's house and devoured 8 homemade peanut butter balls (chocolate covered) in 10 seconds before I knew what was happening.  Fasted all day, self hated through most of it, then finally ate most of a chicken to get my 180g of protein in.  Lifting tomorrow.  I'm so lame.

Day 28
4/14/12
Workout: rest - numerous punches to my own stupid face.

Day 27

4/13/12
Workout: REST

I'm not sure how, but I think I'm off in days.... I'll figure this out later.  Saturday should be day 28 because I know I started this cut on a Sunday......  (edit - I'm an idiot.  I forgot what day it is....)

Rest day today, just eating ham and chicken.

Day 26

4/12/11
Workout: B

I love only having two lifting workouts.  It's so easy to keep track and make sure I'm beating my numbers and getting stronger!!! Really solid workout at the gym today.

Day 25

4/11/12
Workout: REST

2nd rest day in a row.  My buddy Juan dropped by for a workout, so since I didn't want to lift yet, we did some cardio and abs.

4 sets of 50sec work/10sec rest:
Hanging Toes to Bar
Tires
Plank Elbows to Knees
Seated Weighted Leg Raises

2 sets of:

40 Kettlebell Swings (50lbs)
35 Figure 8's
30 Around the World
25 Halos (30lbs dumbbell)

Fun workout!

Day 24

Day 24
4/10/12
Workout: REST

Just taking it easy today. Going to eat wings and ham and watch some baseball.

Day 23

Day 23
4/9/12
Workout: A

Great workout today!  I think I'm finally sold on the Beyond Brawn approach to 2 rest days between each workout.  I love having the same workout each day and making sure to nail at least a small increase in numbers each week.

ps. I ate a ton of cereal today.  It felt great.

Day 22

Day 22
4/8/12
Workout: REST

Easter Sunday - I'm not proud of what happened late night here..... it is what it is - a total loss of control and I lost sight of the goal.

+one 800 calorie reeces peanut butter egg my wonderful girlfriend bought me for Easter.  It was still on the table until about 3am when it moved into my belly.  Finished the day with about 2500 calories - at least didn't lose ground.

Day 21

Day 21
4/7/12
Workout: Kettlebell/Abs

Just a very quick workout here, nothing big, trying to add a few more swings each time I do this, up to 35 per set.

Day 20

4/6/12
Workout: B

Great workout today, knocked out Deads, Chins, Rows and Shrugs for the first time.  I really would like to get some showing traps, thus the shrugs.

The post workout meal felt unbelievably huge, and I had trouble getting it all down.

Day 19

April 5, 2012
Day 19
Workout: Rest

Just chilling all day with the woman.  Went to the Pirates Opening Day and ate pretty well all day long.  Keeping it clean!

Day 18

April 4th
Day 18
Workout: Cardio/Abs

I just knocked out my kettlebell and ab routine.  I don't know why, but I had the smallest little twinge in my lower back.  Gotta watch my form on the swings with a 50lbs bell I suppose.

Day 17

Great workout!

PR's!
Squats +10lbs
Bench +1lbs (-1 rep)
Dips +3 reps
DB Press +.75lbs
Pull-Ups +1 rep

BOOM! - then I went and destroyed a Golden Coral buffet.  I just can't figure out a cheaper way to eat this much food.

Day 16

Rest day - blah - just a chicken.  and a beer.

Day 15

Went to the gym today and really didn't give a great effort except for deadlifts (even there, I should have done a 3rd work set and more reps on sets 2 and 3).  I just didn't feel comfortable using my weight belt and struggling for 3-4 reps of chins, so I did 8 reps bodyweight only which left me gassed for the other 3 sets.  Really pretty lame effort.  Probably my worst workout of the cut.

Day 14

Just a meaty omelet (actually from IHop with the girl) and a huge taco salad.  Went a bit over my calories today for a rest day.

Day 13

Good workout today - squats are very difficult for real, I can't imagine when this gets really heavy what I'm going to do.  My lower back was aching a bit after this workout, gotta make sure I'm not bending over my squats at all.

Day 12

Rest day today - just some chicken and a big egg scrambler.  Nothing to see here.

Day 11

Super happy with my workout today - tons of PR's (not counting my old shitty deadlift/squat form days where I was pulling a lot more weight, but questionably my back as well!)

Deadlift +10 lbs
Chins +1.25 lbs and 1 rep!
Row +2.5 lbs

Changed up my ab move to seated weighted leg raises due to not feeling I was getting much from hanging ones with the weight due to the angle you have to do it to hold 30+ lbs with your feet.

Day 10

Yeah, seriously, I'm just eating a whole family size chicken from walmart today.  So simple, yet so delicious.  I'll just take my book into the McDonalds there and feast.  Going to a rare movie with the guys tonight, it's been ages since we've hung away from a gig, it'll be great to hang.

Day 9

I actually had a pre workout meal of pancakes while reading and getting my brain ready.  My post workout meal was just a huge plate of mac and cheese and a pound of beef stirred in.  Easy and awesome!

Day 8

Went up to visit my parents for the day and mom cooked me up a ton of turkey and a sweet potato.  Delicious and fit right in with my rest day macros.  It was a bit higher carb than normal for a rest day, but w/e, it was with my folks!

Day 7

Great workout with some nice PR's.  Loving Fitocracy for tracking that stuff btw.

Day 6

Seriously - I only ate a couple pounds of ground beef that was in the fridge leftover.  It was actually 75% I believe but I drained all the fat and rinsed it off, so estimated it was a bit less.