Hulkmuscle's Training Log

[hulkmuscle]

Thanks guys. I didn't take the bra comment in a negative light (I was actually kinda flattered). I know I just need to find a better balance between pecs and my other upper bodyparts. I can't say I work them any harder or with more volume than any bodypart; they just grow easily. Which is odd since for years my chest was almost sunken-in.

I'm planning on doing some narrower-grip benching and more dumbbell work for the time being. Probably cutting flies since I don't need detail work either.Doubt I'll lose much if any size. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

I'm noticing heavy deadlifts are doing a great job on my midback and traps. Very happy with the trap development since they has been a problem for a long time since I have a swan neck. I'm still around my old personal best of 315, but hoping for 350 soon.

Keep ya posted.

[hulkmuscle]

New workout when debuted tonight. Delts, midback, traps, biceps. I took the weights easy, and will do so for the first couple weeks. Just want to find the groove. I like trying to change my exercises from phase to phase, even if it's just an adjustment in grip on the same bar or piece of equipment. I took a narrower grip on the hammer delt press (the Smith machine was taken), and I have to admit I felt my delts more, which was pretty great. Good a terrific pump. I've stuck in some front delt specialization to help strengthen that area, and some power rack pulls for some medial delt mass.

Midback I've pretty much changed every move just for the sake of interest. My rear delts seem to be very strong, and I think it's because I treat midback as a separate bodypart from lats (Steve Holman in Ironman and Ian King both espouse the same philosophy since we treat delts and pecs separately). Traps I've been doing well by cable upright rows, so I've left them, and I do a superset of shrugs on hammer, barbell and dumbbells.

Biceps have come up a lot lately I think because my triceps have really advanced, so I haven't changed much there, just some adustments to grip.

We'll see how the next 4-6 weeks go. Ill throw in some intensity techniques as the phase advances. Tomorrow is chest, lats and tris. Wish me luck.

[muscle_mastah]

Always good to change some things up to bring that energy and newness into the routine. Good luck on the new routine, buddy.

[hulkmuscle]

Part 2 of the new routine went in last night. My chest work now uses a narrower grip than usual (only a couple inches past shoulder width), and so I was able to feel my delts/tris more strongly, as expected. The weight will need to come down since the delts are obviously less strong than my pecs, but I think that'll be temporary. Did some Smith benches (my staple) and some dumbbell benches (bells facing each other as opposed to out to hit them from a different angle). Otherwise, the pecs portion is fairly brief. Still got a lot of blood in them, I just didn't run em into the ground like normal.

Lats: I've changed to narrow parallel grip pulldowns from machine pullups for the sake of variety, with a super-wide grip pulldown thrown in at the end. Got a little twinge in my right brachialis, so going easy weight-wise, just practing on squeezing and stretching the lats, no yanking. After, I do some straight-arm pulldowns and end with pullovers. Lats are a good bodypart for me so I don't have to worry too much about them.

Triceps: Decline narrow grip benches and dips. The work from the narrower bench on chest already hit tris a little harder than normal, so by the time I did these (hands 10-12 inches apart), some pushdowns and some overhead work, I had some major roundness in my tris that I'm not accustomed to.

I think this'll be a good combo. I'll tweak it as it proceeds. I'm finding as I get older I'm more open to changing little things here and there so that each workout is slightly different from the last. Also, I think it keeps your interest levels up.

Legs are next. No radical changes there, I don't think. I'll see what happens.

[loopyrhino2001]

I'm impressed at your level of muscle "awareness" (or maybe I'm just really bad at it)... I typically can't really tell how hard I'm working a particular muscle until the next day when/if I'm sore in various areas. I guess it could be that I'm just not pushing as hard as I should or could be, too.

Anyway, hope you continue to enjoy the new workout! Sounds like it'll be a good one for you!

[hulkmuscle]

Playing catch-up here... part 3 of the new workout went in the other night. Heavy squats followed by leg presses. My knees will like the change since squats don't seem to bother them as much as the leg press with 820. Started at 225, and this time, I'm going down past parallel (as Tom Platz used to say, make your ass kiss your ankles). Since squats came before leg presses, I topped out the latter at 540, but it felt light, so I'm gonna try 630 next time, see how that goes. Leg extensions and bodyweight sissy squats round out quads.

Hams: I'm switching out stiff-leg deadlifts for Romanian deadlifts, basically a Good Morning, but with butt out and back flat to hit the hams. Switched leg curl machines since I maxed out the old one and I don't wanna waste time doing 1-leg work.

Reason why I put the Romanian deads in is that I'm adding regular deadlifts to this day. Might be overkill especially after squats, but we'll see, since I do so well by them. Since the bar rests on my delts for the Romanians, my grip's not compromised for the deads. I went for a fairly light 225; I probably won't get past 315 (my old best) doing them on leg day, but they'll give my lower back a good workout (and as Bob Paris once said "if i can make 20 lbs feel like 200, who's gonna tell my muscles). I can worry about maxing poundages at a later time.

Finished with calf work and abs. Felt worked but not winded. All in all, this should make a good 4-6 weeker. Weight's holding at 205-207. I'm keeping a steady eye on my gut. I'll crank up the cardio and adjust the diet when I feel it's too much. I guess getting to 40 means I can't just try to gain weight and not suffer the consequences of getting fat.

Stay tuned, same bat time, same bat workout...

[hulkmuscle]

Had a rough weekend emotionally (Mom was in horrible shape which really broke my heart), but workouts were right on-target. Also saw a coupla movies and a play. I discuss all the non-workout stuff on my LJ if you're interested. Good to channel all the shit into something productive.

Getting a little twinge in my brachialis on upright rows, so I'm switching them out for dumbbell presses until they're 100%. Front delts are doing well, I already see a little bit more striation on the most muscular. Midback is seeing some additional fullness as well. I believe switching exercises every few weeks really does help in that respect.

Other than that, full steam ahead.

[hulkmuscle]

I almost forgot...this weekend was my Dad's birthday, he would have been 78 this year. I know he was very proud of what I accomplished, especially as far as working out since he could never get me to do it when I was younger and was so afraid that I'd get picked on and get hurt.

So, I'd just like to dedicate this entry to him. He may not have understood what this board was completely about, but he would've gotten a kick out of its' motivational parts.

Dad Showing Off on the Beach
Dad and Greg

[hulkmuscle]

So it's been two weeks on the new program. My arms and shoulders feel distinctly stronger than before, which is what I'm after. Legs are surprisngly stronger than I thought they'd be as well, and I'm already noticing some definite outer sweep to my quads that wasn't there before. I had problem getting a couple pairs of dress pants up over them this week, so I'll take that as a good sign too.

I've thrown out upright rows for delts because of some twinging in my right brachialis. My lat pulldowns are a little odd at the top as well because of that. I've been doing some forearms stretches that a chiropractor recommended, but I don't want to tax them at this point, so I'm substituting in some new moves.

One change that I'm really enjoying on this routine: I keep my compound/mass movements the same every workout, but I change my isolation moves everytime. Keeps the muscles guessing, provides much more interest, and I'm trying out some moves I've never done or haven't tried in a long time.

Chest is still being deliberately undertrained. Haven't noticed any loss in size or anything, so I'm hoping my front delts and tris are enjoying the change.

Adding a touch more low-intensity cardio in to keep my gut in check. So far so good, but some preventative measures will help I'm sure. If I notice my bodyweight slipping too much, I'll ease up.

[jdhdawg]

Thanks for sharing your progress, Hulkster! I'm glad to hear that the seams on your pants are straining from your added size. Don't neglect those pecs though because there are quite a few of us who enjoy them--and we probably wouldn't mind if they got a little (ok, a lot) bigger.

Keep up the good work.

[ethernet_jock]

would it be physically possible for him to walk and carry himself around if his massive heavy beefy pecs were any larger?!?

man... it would seem unlikely... but then again... he IS getting his legs up to par!

[CanadianGordon]

Hey are we gonna see some pictures soon dude?

[hulkmuscle]

Nice gym up in Provincetown: Mussel Beach Gym. Nice and clean, good equipment. Started the next 4-6 week phase of my workout. I'm back up to around 210-212, gut's pretty much under control but I'll add a little more cardio because this is when things can get sticky. All the rich chowders and crabcakes up here certainly aren't helping.

We're up in Ptown for a few days before heading to Boston for our friend David's wedding in Boston. Hadn't been there in awhile, but it'll be fun seeing my old stompin' ground. I'll post in the other thread too, but does anyone know any good hardcore gyms in the South End/Theatre District area? I heard Mike's went out of business.

[hulkmuscle]

The Provincetown Gym was even nicer than the Mussel Beach Gym; they had some some very nice equipment there. I really liked their low decline bench; made spotting much easier. Nice lighting there too; very flattering. :-)

Never made it to the Gold's in Boston because of our schedule. The Doubletree in the theatre district includes free admission to the Y next door though, just in case anyone should ever stay there.

Seriously jet-lagging here. Might be the change in weather as well as the time change, so taking a day or two to recupe. Started phase two very lightly this week, momentum will ramp up this week. Looking forward to being back at the old gym.

[hulkmuscle]

I've been awful about posting lately, but i just wanted to give a quick update.

On the bodybuilding front things have been going well lately. I've gotten my diet in order after 15 years, and I seem to be gaining a fairly steady rate without getting too fat. Earlier this week, I weighed in at 227.5, which is the highest I've ever been. I'm not nearly as bloated as I was at 220 earlier this spring before my breakdown, so I'm pleased with that. I've made a challenge to myself for 230 by Christmas.

On a different front, Mom's gone seriously downhill. She's confused most of the time and doesnt recognize me, and she keeps calling out for her Mom to save her. My sister was just in town and hadn't seen her since June; the change in Mom was more than she could stand. Even all the muscles in the world couldn't help this situation and I feel powerless and ineffectual, like when I was a boy. This will also be the first Christmas without her, so even with my sister's new babies, the loss there is pretty devastating. Mitch took me to see the Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center figuring it would cheer me up and I fell apart and couldn't stop crying.

My therapist says I need to get involved more, stop sitting on the sidelines so much, since it's not my nature. He said I seemed happier when I was more active posting online, so I'm gonna try to do that moving forward.

Happy holidays everyone. Cherish your loved ones and hold onto them tight as you can.

[glammaman2000]

so sorry to hear about your aggitta.My mom died a little over a year ago.It was hard,but she died as she lived;tring to be as little trouble as possible.Bless her.On a related front;my nephew was diagnosed paranoid-schizophrenic some time ago.My sister is the dearest person in the world to me.She is now faced with a child who;although he's basically a sweet kid;is incapable of gratitude&will probably be a life-long dependant.I once had a roommate(not romantic)who,after his terminal HIV diagnosis;I chose to take care of(because I had done that before with others).He was also manic-depressive.The AIDS I could handle.The rest was WAAAY out of my control.My point is;LEAVE IT TO THE PRO'S!DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!!People confuse psychosis with retardation.Nuts are NOT stupid&can be very manipulative.Medication is not a perfect solution,but it's all we've got.It's especially hard if it's somebody you care about.Stay informed,but know your limitations.Peace.g.

[Marco_ukmus]

Hey Hulk, I may be on vacation, but i still can't resist but check up on you guys. So very sorry to hear about the situation with you mother. Must be so sole destroying to see her like that. As you know, I have my own stories with regard to how mental illness has effected various members of my family, so i understand in a lot of ways, arguably more than most about how stressful and painful such an experience can be, particually when you cant do anything about it which, with regard to mental illness, is as far as i know, usually the case. Your a very strong kind hearted sole, just stay postive and be in comfort that even though your mother is in a state of dilusion and confusion that she does love you. You must try to keep in mind always the happy times you had with her when she was, lets say, more with it. Your family and friends are there for you im sure, as well as kind hearted internet buddies such as glammaman and myself.

Stay strong Mate :0) and think positively about those good times.

Take care,
Marc

[Mdlftr]

Hulkmuscle,

Good to see you posting again, and congratulations on the progress! I'm sure the networks will be calling you for the "Incredible Hulk" remakes!

I'm very sorry to hear about your Mother. It's hard to see someone you love decline like that. The loss of control or feeling of powerlessness over the situation is hard. The distancing that occurs is an inevitable precursor to further separation, which will end in death. I know, because I went through it with my own mother. About 4 months before she finally died, after a long-drawn out illness, it finally hit me (right around Christmas, as a matter of fact) that the situation was only going in one direction. I cried, hard, for 45 minutes. After that, I knew what was coming, and, when it finally happened, I was relieved--for her. You never forget someone who dies. They're still part of you, in your mannerisms, the way you think, the things you notice. Family members and friends can be a comfort at times like that because they can remember the same things. "What would X say about that?" or, "You KNOW what X would think about that!! " [ said with a rueful smile]

You and your family are in my prayers.

Mdlftr

[deetrakt]

Sorry to hear that things are going so badly. I'm lucky enough to have both my parents (89 and 84) and to have them living on their own with just a little household help and frequent visits from me. But it's still hard to see them decline physically and mentally and it's wearing emotionally too.

Your therapist is right if only because making yourself stay busy and do a variety of things helps you regain some perspective and avoid brooding. I know I've been missing your wit and enthusiasm--in particular, the Photos forum is much the poorer for your absence.

Take care.

deetrakt

[Buffling]

hulkster, I'm really sorry to hear about how your mother is fading from you. I have a dear friend with a degenerative brain disorder and I would give anything to see some kind of resolution, because the day-to-day changes are extremely painful.

Stay connected; reach out. You'll find tons of support here (literally).

[muscle_mastah]

Hit me up sometime, buddy. In the mean time, I'm thinking of ya.

[jdhdawg]

Hey, Mean Green!

I'm glad to see that you're sharing your startling gains with the forum. I've been very impressed with your results and I know the guys here will be, too.

I'm sorry to hear that your mother's situation continues to devolve. My mother-in-law has a debilitating illness and cannot care for herself--she is only 67. This has been very hard on our family. As the others have said, do what you can and focus on the happy times you will remember after she is gone from this life. Lean on Mitch, your therapist, and your friends in NYC and here. We love you and want to help you through this difficult time.

Take care,

JD

[brent]

Rob's been in the hospital the last couple days too. It's rough to have a loved one away from home, but you have to take care of yourself first.

[hulkmuscle]

I hope he's better now Brent. Let me know. How's the new workout coming so far?

229 today, but I had clothes on ;-)

[hulkmuscle]

Happy Birthday to me. So this is what 40 feels like...doesn't feel much different from 30....which didn't feel much different than 21...oh well...

I just needed to talk about my leg workout last night. II heard from an old cherished friend and it miraculously made me feel better, more centered and focuses, than I have in a long time, like this huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, even moreso than after a good therapy session. It's strange how contact with a loved one, however brief, can flip that switch inside you and make you feel that things, no matter how dark, arent that bad.

So, anyway, last night was legs. We usually start out with Smith squats for 275 (I was gonna try for 295 last night) and leg presses for 640-680 (I was gonna try 720). My trainer friend Leo was on the Smith though benching (315 thank you very much), and he had just started. I was kinda pissed for a minute, but then said screw it, Ill just start with leg presses. My old previous best for leg presses was 900 for 8 and I hadn't done that for almost a year, so I figured maybe 720 would be ok for my first set. Got it no problem, then 810 which was challenging but not nearly as hard as I expected, so I said fuck it, and did 900, and I bested my own best, got 10 plus 6 partials (Mitch got 12...damn him). I was pumped!

By now, Leo was done on the Smith, so I figured let's do squats now. The thing was, our quads were kinda exhausted from the leg presses so I figured we better take it easy. I decided to try 225, figuring I'd max out at 8 or so. Got 10 no problem. So, I tried 245, and ended up getting 10 as well, so my quad strength was hardly a washout. Later I got 165 on the SLDL (my back didn't bother me the way it usually does on leg day), and I threw an extra 45 on the calf machine cause I've maxed it out at 495, and got 540 for 20. Everything was fairly easy, I went to failure, but I didn't feel as winded as I usually do. I really surprised myself, which I'm convinced is because of my shift in attitude. Toniight I try 250 on delt presses. Wish me luck.

Have a great day everybody, and thank you for all the support.

[Mdlftr]

HM,

Great numbers! It just goes to show ya--when it gets tough, the tough get going!

Good for you!

Mdlftr

[hulkmuscle]

We're in LA for the next week for the holidays. I'll make sure I have my camera with me when we got to Gold's Venice and the Firehouse. Should get in 4 or 5 workouts while we're here so hopefully I can get some good sightings. Mitch said he'll take progress shots of me too.

Happy holidays everybody and keep the workout questions coming. I'll do my best to keep up while I'm gone.

[hulkmuscle]

Did chest, midback, tris last night at Gold's. We went around 7 so it wasn't very crowded, which is pretty rare there. I did variations on the moves we usually do because they have such a great variety of equipment that you can't find everywhere. I find subtle variations can be enough to keep the muscles guessing and growing.

As for sightings, former Mr. Israel Ofer Samra, and ex-bb and current pornstar Grant Henderson were there, both working with women. Samra's not as big as he used to be, but his face is still handsome as ever. Henderson was in a baggy sweatshirt but those cheekbones and curly hair still looked great. Besides them, there were a handful of big guys that I didn't recognize including one guy who looked like a house. Kept me on my toes.

We also saw Kurt Russell at Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica; he still looks good too.

Delts, lats and bis today. We're going earlier, so maybe we'll see more at primetime.

[hulkmuscle]

Merry Christmas all.

Second day at Gold's was a little more lively, some big guys, but the only one who I recognized this time was one of the Barbarian brothers, David Paul. One guy, in his 40's I'd say, about 6'3, 280, was doing dips with 450. Very impressive.

Enjoy the holidays, I'll keep you posted.

[hulkmuscle]

I did legs today; Tommy Voss was doing cardio, he's adorable. I also met this 62 year old builder, he started working out at 58 he told me, and he looked pretty fantastic: big traps and gorgeous legs and calves. I told him I should only look so good at 62. He said I got 22 years to practice.

We went back to doing squats beforeleg presses today (as we normally do), and I got 285 and 680, but my back started twinging a little, so I think I'm gonna go back to the leg presses first, and see if I can keep the squats within 10% of what I got now. I THINK I can do it if I lower the reps slightly. I'm gonna set a goal of 1000 on the squat and a 350 squat. I don't usually set weight goals, but I think maybe it'll help my focus.

My friend Bob was there at the same time as us, so the three of us went to The Firehouse for dinner afterward. He said I looked big "in a good way", so that made me feel like I'm on the right track.

[hulkmuscle]

Originally Posted by hulkmuscle

I'm gonna set a goal of 1000 on the squat and a 350 squat. I don't usually set weight goals, but I think maybe it'll help my focus.

I meant 1000 leg press and 350 squat. Sorry I should've proofed that. I figured if my lower back is the mitgating factor, then the leg press can sort of pre-exhaust the quads. I've heard this is a good way for taller guys to train. We'll see if that one week was just a fluke, or if it actually works in practice.

[hulkmuscle]

Seriously jet-lagging today, but made it home ok.

We had breakfast at The Firehouse yesterday morning, and got a good eyeful: Christian Boeving, Chad Ullery (the guy's head is huge, and he's a very large person to begin with, much larger and imposing than you'd think...by the way, is Chad Ullery his real name?), Donald Faison (Turk from TV's Scrubs...very broad shoulders on that boy), the other Barbarian brother (not David, I forget his name), and some familiar but unknown fitness models (if I see photos, Ill try to post them).

We got photos of me outside the gym, so I can post them once I get unpacked and settled back in.

[deetrakt]

Originally Posted by hulkmuscle

Chad Ullery (the guy's head is huge, and he's a very large person to begin with, much larger and imposing than you'd think...by the way, is Chad Ullery his real name?)

As I recall, he's around 6'4", 260 lbs.

He's also appeared as "Chad Bannon" and did gay porn a while back as "Dusty Manning" (among other names I can't remember). Don't know which if any is his real name.

[hulkmuscle]

Originally Posted by deetrakt

As I recall, he's around 6'4", 260 lbs.

He made Christian look not very impressive by comparison when the two were standing next to each other.

[Mdlftr]

OMG!

Looks like California Golds agreed with you!

Welcome back! (And front!)

Mdlftr

[brent]

Originally Posted by Mdlftr

OMG!

Looks like California Golds agreed with you!

Welcome back! (And front!)

Mdlftr

Yeah, our boy is getting bigger each day!

[hulkmuscle]

Here's a few of the shots we took at Gold's Wednesday. I was in touch with Marco to try and meet up for a drink since he was in LA at the same time, but we couldn't coordinate schedules. So I guess this is a good way to end the year and hope for something better for 2006.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/P1000023.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/P1000039.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/5bbda7b2.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/9baed7f4.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/5a5b2e91.jpg

And my favorite, which gives me the most hope of all:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...B/P1000048.jpg

Happy New Years gentlemen.

[jcnutt]

Looks like someone will be in need of some new shirts very soon. Chest is looking very big and beefy now Greg, along with the arms....

and of course, the great last pic!
Happy Holidays and keep growing!

Jim

[hulkmuscle]

Thanks JC...I've been conscientiously working on more mass movements to bring my arms up (not necessarily more direct arm work as that doesnt seem to build size), and I'm only maintaining my chest as it's kinda like a overgrown weed. I do one set of incline Smith bench work and one set of flat Smith bench. Nothing to failure. That's it for right now. I think my back has come up a lot since using this tack. I forgot to add a lat shot before, but here's two. I need to do some shirtless shots to show the detail better, I know.

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...BB/a51ere2.jpg
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y21...BB/f603re2.jpg

Vic Martinez was getting changed in the lockerroom tonight when I got to the gym tonight. That was a treat!

[muscle_mastah]

What's with the "opa", my friend. I thought you were greek, not dutch grandpa.