Day 1

First day on Phase two of Next Level training.

When I was doing the exercises I felt pretty good and was wondering if I was pushing hard enough.

Even throughout the workout I was wondering why this workout was so easy compared to the last workout.

Fast forward to after my workout:

I started to shake when putting on my clothes. I thought, "Hey, this is good. I'm shakey and my muscles are feeling it."

Made my lunch at home and ate it immediately.

Fifteen minutes after lunch I am starting to get a little light headed and shakey again!

What is this delayed response??

Weird feeling but I'm kinda liking it. Maybe my body had a delayed response to the workout? I'm feeling a lot better but man, where did those shakes come from??

Day two tomorrow...

DG

Next Level Training Phase 1 done

So today was my final day with the first phase of Next Level Training (program designed by Christian Thibideau - who is a total beast btw).

So what effect did the first phase have on my body? Out of 10 I give it 9.5/10.

I have never been this cut in my life. Not only that, it seems that I gained back a little size but kept the weight going pretty stable from 168.4 lbs to 171.4 lbs.

And to think I only had to endure a 180 lb weight falling on my face!

So what is the next phase of this program? Get ready for this....

Next Level Training Part 2 - 3 weeks

MONDAY (LOWER BODY/HIPS DOMINANT)

A1. Deadlift from floor
4-6 reps
30 sec rest

A2. Deadlift from 2-3'' below knees
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

A3. Deadlift from 1-2'' above knees
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

A4. Wide stance DB squat (hold one DB with both hands between your legs)
As many reps as you can in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

* Try to use the same weight for A1, A2 and A3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

B1. Lying leg curl
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

B2. Good morning
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

B3. Back extension
10-12 reps
3-4 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

C1. Kneeling cable crunches
8-10 reps
no rest

C2. Swiss ball crunches
max reps
no rest

C3. REgular crunches
max reps
no rest

C4. Reverse crunches
max reps
1-2 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

TUESDAY (UPPER BODY/TORSO)

A1. Bent over barbell row, torso parallel to the floor
4-6 reps
30 sec rest

A2. Bent over barbell row, torso 45 degrees but no cheating
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

A3. Bent over barbell row, cheating row (use a slight lower back movement to get the bar started)
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

A4. Bent over DB rowing, alternate arm for speed
As many reps as you can in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

* Try to use the same weight for A1, A2 and A3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

B1. Bench press
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

B2. 1/2 bench press (elbows 90 degrees)
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

B3. 1/4 bench press (elbows 135 degrees)
10-12 reps
30 sec rest

B4. Flat DB press
max reps in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes

* Try to use the same weight for B1, B2 and B3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

C1. Kneeling cable crunches
8-10 reps
no rest

C2. Swiss ball crunches
max reps
no rest

C3. REgular crunches
max reps
no rest

C4. Reverse crunches
max reps
1-2 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

THURSDAY (LOWER BODY/QUADS DOMINANT)

A1. Back squat
4-6 reps
30 sec rest

A2. 1/2 back squat (knees 90 degrees)
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

A3. 1/4 back squat (knees 135 degrees)
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

A4. Close stance DB squat (hold two DB, one on each side)
As many reps as you can in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

* Try to use the same weight for A1, A2 and A3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

B1. Leg press
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

B2. Leg extension
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

B3. Bodyweight squats (no lockout)
max reps in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

C1. Kneeling cable crunches
8-10 reps
no rest

C2. Swiss ball crunches
max reps
no rest

C3. REgular crunches
max reps
no rest

C4. Reverse crunches
max reps
1-2 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

FRIDAY (UPPER BODY/ARMS)

A1. Close-grip bench
4-6 reps
30 sec rest

A2. 1/2 Close-grip bench (elbows 90 degrees)
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

A3. 1/4 Close-grip bench (elbows 135 degrees)
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

A4. EZ bar lying triceps extension
As many reps as you can in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

* Try to use the same weight for A1, A2 and A3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

B1. Reverse preacher curl
6-8 reps
30 sec rest

B2. Wide-grip preacher curl
8-10 reps
30 sec rest

B3. 1/2 Close-grip preacher curl (top half portion only)
10-12 reps
30 sec rest

B4. Standing barbell curl
max reps in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes

* Try to use the same weight for B1, B2 and B3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

C1. Kneeling cable crunches
8-10 reps
no rest

C2. Swiss ball crunches
max reps
no rest

C3. REgular crunches
max reps
no rest

C4. Reverse crunches
max reps
1-2 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

SATURDAY(UPPER BODY/DELTS & TRAPS)

A1. Standing military press
4-6 reps
45 sec rest

A2. Standing push press
4-6 reps
45 sec rest

A3. Standing push jerk
4-6 reps
45 sec rest

A4. Seated DB press
As many reps as you can in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes rest

* Try to use the same weight for A1, A2 and A3
** NOTE: in the push press you use a ''slight'' leg drive to get the bar moving; in the push jerk you use a powerful leg drive to throw the bar up as fast as you can.

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

B1. Power clean from the hang
4-6 reps
45 sec rest

B2. Power upright row (using a shoulder width grip, bend the torso forward as in a romanian deadlift and perform an upright row, bringing the bar only to the sternum, while using a slight lower back momentum)
4-6 reps
45 sec rest

B3. Barbell shrugs
10-12 reps
45 sec rest

B4. DB shrugs
max reps in 30-45 seconds
3-4 minutes

* Try to use the same weight for B1, B2 and B3

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 4 TIMES

C1. Kneeling cable crunches
8-10 reps
no rest

C2. Swiss ball crunches
max reps
no rest

C3. REgular crunches
max reps
no rest

C4. Reverse crunches
max reps
1-2 minutes rest

PERFORM THIS GIANT SET 3 TIMES

So my first reaction to this program was that it looks effing crazy.

After that my second reaction is that it goes against my own belief that you cannot work your abs on consecutive days. Will that stop me? Hell no.

If the coach says to do abs 5 days a week then I'm going to do abs 5 days a week. That's the beauty of having a coach. You leave no room for questioning. You just do it.

You may let your own ego get in the way and then you may question it at the time, try to bastardize the shit out of the program by doing your own thing, then wonder why you are not getting the results promised.

Personally I wouldn't let just anyone devise a program for me because well...I just don't trust their judgment. I think coach CT is world class in his ability to devise AMAZING bodybuilding programs. So me thinks I'm going to listen to his suggestions regardless of my own dogmatic ways.

Wish me luck. Although luck has nothing to do with it.

DG

Ps. I don't know who is reading this but I'm doing my first women's bootcamp! If you are a female and need to get in shape you definitely want to get a spot in the next bootcamp I start. Unfortunately this one is all filled up.

Okay so I'm still an idiot (What's new?)

So I did shoulders today and it hurt badly. But I was able to break some PR's (performance records) so the session was intense and effective.

So I was such in a rush to get from the gym to my house that I decided to hold off on eating until I get to my home.

When I got home I had an idea for my new bootcamp I'm starting so I had to write it down immediately.

Then I was so focused on what I was doing that I totally forgot about eating.

Then I started to get the shakies (When you body starts to let you know that you need something to eat...Pronto).

Then I ran upstairs immediately knowing what was going wrong and cooked myself some veggies and fish (shaking the whole time mind you).

I even overate by adding an extra turkey sausage and an avocado because I was still feeling the shakies.

Lesson of the day is: Never be too busy to feed your body. Never skip meals to properly time your feed times. Try to stop being an idiot and do what is right.

Ahhh now that I got that off my chest, time to go eat some dorito's chips and call it a day. I deserve it for going through all this shit right? Riiiight.

DG

So ummm....I almost BROKE MY FACE. 3 Lessons I learned.

So I was doing Arms day in Next Level Training and the first workout required me to do medium close grip benches on what was supposed to be a supported squat rack.

At the end of every lift my bar was supposed to hit the support so I can lift it back up.

See the problem here was that the bar was not held intact by pins that were supposed to be there. What consequently happened was that one bar fell off the support and 180Lbs of iron came crashing down on my face.

Fun stuff I tell ya.

The one thing I am appreciative of is the face that my teeth are still intact and loose. And that is lesson number one. I could have bitched and moaned about the supports until my face got red and the cows came home. But I didn't. The first thing I did was check my teeth and actually thank God that they were still there.

Lesson #2 was that I could have been a complete asshole about the rack not being supported properly but I didn't. I told the manager of the situation calmly and we looked or a solution so I could keep going on with my workout. And we did. We cut some coat hangers and placed them in where the pins where supposed to be and I finished.

That leads us to lesson #3. I was scared shitless to go back on that squat rack to finish off my set. I don't know if it is stupidity or just a strong will but I refused to stop my workout even though I was bleeding from the mouth. But I found a solution to keep on following through with my workout and I followed through.

Things will derail us in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you can't follow through and that is nothing to be ashamed about. But if you keep your head clear and always have the mentality to finish off what you start, you will find ways to keep on going.

Shit happens. You can either deal with it or let it deal with you.

DG

Okay so what is this Next Level Training all about?

So I've neglected this blog for awhile for the past oh umm....2 weeks or so :(

So one of my clients (cough, cough Joan Sinclair, cough) decided to kick my ass in a polite way and remind me my original post about my current training programs I am on.

So here goes...

What has changed since then? Well my body for one. I'm doing a Next Level Training bodybuilding program done by Christian Thibideau (Of T-Nation fame and who by the way is one hugely ripped mofo).

What does the training entail? Well today I did my Monday workout and it went something like this:

MONDAY

A1. Decline bench press
6 sets
6 to 8 reps
no rest

A2. Decline DB flies
6 sets
10 to 12 reps
90 seconds rest

A1 and A2 are a superset

B1. T-bar rowing
6 sets
6 to 8 reps (squeeze peak contraction 2 seconds per rep)
no rest

B2. Bent over lateral raise
6 sets
10 to 12 reps
90 seconds rest

B1. and B2. are a superset

C1. Low incline (30 degrees) DB press
4 sets
6 to 8 reps
60 seconds rest

C2. Lat pulldown - torso bent 45 degrees back
4 sets
6 to 8 reps (hold peak contraction for 2 seconds)
60 seconds rest

C1 and C2 are performed in an alternate fashion (1 set of C1, 60 sec. rest, 1 set of C2., 60 sec rest., 1 set of C1., etc.)

D1. Cable-cross over
3 sets
12 to 15 reps (squeeze peak contraction for 2 seconds)
45 sec. rest

D2. Dumbbell shrugs
3 sets
12 to 15 reps (squeeze peak contraction for 2 seconds)
45 sec. rest

D1 and D2 are performed in an alternate fashion

Ummm...yeah.

This training program kicks my ass every single time I do it. Not only does it kick my ass but it actually makes me:

1) Swear at my weights like a drunk pirate
2) Sweat out of every pore of my body
3) Make grunts and screams like a silver back gorilla

What has this training program done to my body so far?

Well let's just say it refines the details a whole lot. I'm not a huge fan of bodybuilding programs but this one definitely works my muscles in a totally different way than ever before.

They say that the best training program is the one you are not one right now. I haven't done bodybuilding since my beginner days so this is a great change of pace for me.

Day two is tomorrow. Leg's day. Ugh, just thinking about it makes me want to puke.

I can't wait!

DG

It's been a long time...

I haven't posted in a long time so I thought I would check in quickly.

I'm currently onto the second week of transitioning and it looks like this diet has been a success. I've been hovering around 167 - 170 pounds throughout the whole transition.

The coolest thing about it is that my bad dietary habits have disappeared. Steamed veggies seem like a cheat meal to me and I only want to eat the leanest of meats.

It's been said that once someone makes an extreme physical transformation they become addicted to the way they look. Not in a narcissistic way but in a "I will never go back to the way I was before" kind of way.

My work is still not over yet. I have this transition to do then I'm going to put myself through some hardcore bodybuilding for 3 weeks then shred it all down again with Alwyn Cosgroves Afterburn 2 program.

I'm getting excited just talking about it :P

DG