I need to get my mind right and get back to work tomorrow and hopefully it will be a much better day in the gym.
Monday, January 31, 2011
My Journey: Day 29
I need to get my mind right and get back to work tomorrow and hopefully it will be a much better day in the gym.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
My Journey: Day 28
It was a pretty relaxing day otherwise. I did a little yard work, watched a little TV, put together some baby toys and ate some food.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
My Journey: Day 27
Tonight, we went to a work function. It was nice to see the people I work with outside of the office. That is where you truly get to know someone. We were tasked with bringing the salad, so we placed an order at one of our favorite pizza/salad places in town, Pizzeria Venti and they hooked us up with a great salad for the dinner.
Friday, January 28, 2011
My Journey: Day 26
I weighed in at 284.4 today, which is a 1.4 pound loss from last Friday, so things are still on track with my diet. I was a little worried about today's weigh in because I ate a lot of crap this week, but I still managed to not let the total calories get out of control. That proves that the calories are the most important thing to watch when trying to drop pounds.
After getting to the gym, my mood and attitude immediately changed. I busted out a great arm workout today and capped it by doing 30 minutes on the elliptical. So much for not wanting to workout.
Best Gym In Knoxville?
What is the best gym in Knoxville, Tennessee? I have been working out at The Rush for almost three years now, and I love it. I know Fort Sanders is nice and a few people I have talked to that workout there love it. There are several other gyms around the Knoxville area, so I want to know:
What is the best gym in Knoxville?
(leave your comments below)
Thursday, January 27, 2011
My Journey: Day 25
Music Video of the Day: Soldiers of Jah Army - You Don't Know Me
Soldiers of Jah Army - You Don't Know Me
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
My Journey: Day 24
Today's workout was one of the most intense leg workouts I have ever had. I warmed up for five minutes on the bike and jumped right into squats. Every week my form gets better because I get more comfortable performing squats each week. Today, I warmed up with the bar, then did 135x10, 225x10, 275x10 and 275x5. The 275 was a PR for me. I know I could do more weight right now, but I want to make sure my form is absolutely perfect before upping the weight too much.
After squats, I did four three sets of leg press, three sets of leg extensions, three sets of seated calf raises, three sets of standing leg curls and finished up with three sets of standing calf raises. I then walked for five minutes on the treadmill just to wind it all down.
All in all, it was a great day at the gym. It's amazing that I once hated working out legs and now its my favorite workout of the week. Now I need to find that motivation for the rest of the week and finish strong.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
My Journey: Day 23
I may stick with this machine as opposed to the connected-bar press machines simply because the one-arm machine is tougher. I think it will be better in the long run.
Monday, January 24, 2011
My Journey: Day 22
I'm not sure which order I like better and it may just depend week-to-week in the future. The rest of the day went okay. I forgot to defrost the chicken this weekend, so I had to leave it out over night and bake it this morning. I picked up a food scale last week, so I will know the exact weight of the food I am eating. It will help greatly since some of the chicken breasts I buy from Sam's Club are huge.
The VitaMinder Fit & Fresh Food Scale was incredibly cheap, so I thought it was going to be a piece of crap when it got here. While, I have seen much better ones, but for $7 bucks I was very impressed. I don't know how long it will last, but it's working well for me so far.
Vols Woolridge Being Investigated
University of Tennessee basketball player and rapper Renaldo Woolridge is being investigated by the Tennessee Athletics Department regarding the use of New Amsterdam Bar and Grill to record a music video.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6054089
http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2011/jan/24/ut-player-woolridges-rap-video-bar-may-violate-nca/
It does seem like the Vols haven't been in trouble for anything lately, so it was only a matter of time before something new popped up.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6054089
http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2011/jan/24/ut-player-woolridges-rap-video-bar-may-violate-nca/
It does seem like the Vols haven't been in trouble for anything lately, so it was only a matter of time before something new popped up.
Music Video of the Day: The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
Sunday, January 23, 2011
My Journey: Day 21
I ate a lot this weekend, so I need to make sure I eat smart this week if I want to weight in at 284 Friday morning. I plan on working hard in the gym this week as usual, so I don't think it will be a problem if I eat like I have been lately.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
My Journey: Day 20
This morning I tried a Turkey Sausage and Egg White Flatbread Sandwich from Dunkin' Donuts and was very impressed. At under 300 calories, 19 grams of protein and six grams of fat, it is a very nice breakfast option along with coffee. I still think that Dunkin' Donuts has the best coffee you can buy, so the new flatbread along with the coffee will probably be my first choice when it comes to breakfast on the go.
Friday, January 21, 2011
My Journey: Day 19
I weighed in at 285.8, which is a one-pound loss from last Friday, so everything seems to be on track with my diet and workouts. Remember, I am shooting to lose 1-2 pounds every week. In the past, I have dropped weight real fast in the beginning by dropping too many calories right away. This time, I plan to slowly reduce calories so that I will lose weight at a gradual pace. So far, so good.
Music Video of the Day: Green Day - When I Come Around
Green Day - When I Come Around (Live at Lollapalooza 2010)
American Idol Is Not The Same
After watching the first two episodes of American Idol this week, I can officially say that it is not the same show it once was. When Paula Abdul left the show last year it definitely wasn't the same it once was either, but now that Simon Cowell is gone, it really isn't even close to being the same show.
I actually turned the show off on Wednesday night and I only made it through Thursday's episode because I didn't have anything better to do. In all fairness, the auditions are my least favorite part of the show. So even with Paula and Simon there, I never truly enjoyed the early part of the season.
I am confident that once the show progresses to Hollywood and then the Final 12, it will become more bearable. So far the highlight of the season is the 16-year-old kid with the jew-fro mullet. I just hope he makes it through Hollywood and onto the real show because that kid is pretty good. Other than him, not too many contestants have stood out to me. I'm sure that will change as it usually does, but right now I am needing to see some more talent.
With the lack of talent and the horrible judging, I just hope I can make it through this season...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
My Journey: Day 18
In addition to the clean and press, I did lateral raises and shrugs. When I was done with those three exercises, I did 30 minutes on the elliptical to get a good sweat going.
Best Beard In Sports: Brett Keisel
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
My Journey: Day 17
I woke up tired today. I was still sore from my back workout on Monday. Nonetheless, I had work to do. Today was my leg workout and I wasn't going to let anything stop me, even if my IPod ran out of juice before my first set of squats.
I didn't go up in weight on any exercise this week, but I did do 10 reps of 245 two times on squat, which is a personal best. Next week I will be looking to go up in weight. I hope to be able to do 315 pretty easily by the end of the year, but we will see how it goes.
Today, the awesome people at my work threw me and my wife a baby shower today. We got a lot of great things and it was really cool that the people at my work were willing to do something like that for us. This is going to be our first child and we definitely appreciate all the help we can get.
American Idol Starts Tonight, January 19
I agree that there are very few people that I actually like that are on American Idol. That does not mean that I don't enjoy watching it every week and critiquing everybody's performances. This year, Knox Animal will once again be reviewing each show after it has aired. I will begin my reviews once the Final 12 is named. These early shows are just for the lol's. Stay tuned for the best American Idol reviews on the internet.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
My Journey: Day 16
Back to the gym at 5:30 a.m. this morning for my chest workout. Even though waking up early isn't desirable, it is rewarding to be in the gym lifting weights that early. The gym being less crowded is one of the best reasons why I like it so much. I am able to get my workout in without waiting for machines and stations. It enables a much smoother workout session and puts me in a much better mood.
I forgot to make up my chicken for today Monday night, so I had to bake it in the morning. What I have been doing for a couple weeks now is marinating the chicken and baking it the night before for the next day. It has worked out pretty well and it is a nice change from the grilled chicken I had been used to eating.
Knox Animal Baked Chicken
1. Marinate chicken for 24 hours in desired marinade.
2. Preheat oven for 375 degrees
3. Put chicken in baking dish and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until done
I usually cook up a pound each time and eat it for breakfast and lunch. Using different marinades give the chicken a different flavor, so it doesn't seem like I am eating the same thing every day. Even if it does get old sometimes, it is the key to getting enough protein and keeping my caloric intake where it needs to be.
Monday, January 17, 2011
My Journey: Day 15
Today was my back day and the highlight of every back day is deadlifts. I stayed at 315 today, but I know I can't improve every week. While I stayed at 315 for deads, I improved to 245 for barbell bent rows, so that is good. I finished the workout with a 30 minute cardio session on the elliptical.
I spent the rest of the day putting away Christmas decorations, straightening up around the house and doing laundry. It is amazing how much stuff you can get done when you have the day off work.
Now it's off to bed to rest up for tomorrow's chest day.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
My Journey: Day 14
I slept in until 9:00 a.m. today, and I can't tell you the last time I have done that. It was nice to get some sleep in and not have much to do today. Sundays in my household are for resting and getting some stuff done around the house. I went to grocery store and Sam's Club to get stocked up for the upcoming week. After all, nutrition is the key, so shopping smart is important.
I also spent part of the day today checking out The New Encyclopedia For Modern Bodybuilding by Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is my go to book when it comes to everything bodybuilding. I bought this book eight years ago when I first became interested in lifting weights, and it remains my favorite fitness book to this day.
As I noted in my posts Thursday and Friday, I am searching for new ways to switch up my Shoulder and Arm routines. I have become bored with those workouts and need something to truly get me excited about those days. After checking out that book, I have a couple ideas in mind for this week to get me motivated.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
My Journey: Day 13
To close out my day we met up with some friends at my favorite restaurant in Knoxville, Dead End BBQ. If there is one place in Knoxville that I will always order what I want, it's this place. I went a little over 4,000 calories today, but it's okay since I don't get the opportunity to eat at Dead End too often.
Tomorrow, I'm going to focus on keeping my diet around 3,000 calories. I am used to eating whatever I want on the weekends and it was similar to what happened today. So it is really important that I do better tomorrow and not fall back into old habits.
Restaurant Review: Dead End BBQ
When it comes to BBQ, Knox Animal doesn't mess around. That's why when it comes to going out to eat some BBQ, we choose Dead End BBQ. I have tried several decent barbeque places around Knoxville, but this place stands above the rest.
We started our meal with the BBQ Nachos. You have the option of chopped Dead End pork, beef brisket or chicken. We chose the pork, but we have also had the chicken and it is also very good. In addition to your meat, the nachos are layered with a combination of cheeses, beans and friend onions. They are truly one of the most impressive version of nachos I have ever eaten.
For our main meals, I chose the BBQ Combo Plate of pulled pork and beef brisket. My wife chose the pulled pork and pulled chicken. With each BBQ Combo Plate, you are given the choice of two sides. I had The Mayors Beans and Red, White and Bleu Slaw. My wife had the fries and the Southern Style Green Beans. With each plate, you are also given the option of Southern style corn bread, jalapeno corn bread or Texas toast. We both chose Texas toast.
As it usually is at Dead End BBQ, our meal was fantastic. I have never had barbeque any better and until I do, Dead End BBQ will be our barbeque place of choice. If you are in the Knoxville area and are in the mood for good barbeque, you have to try Dead End.
Knox Animal Rating: 5 out of 5
Friday, January 14, 2011
My Journey: Day 12
5:00 a.m. came early this morning. After staying up late to watch Jersey Shore, because I am awesome like that, I was very tired this morning. I weighed in at 286.8 lbs. this morning, which is 1.2 lbs down from last Friday. I'm shooting for two pounds a week, but after my cheat meal Wednesday, I'm not entirely surprised. However, I'm still happy because both my deadlift and squat went up this week, so a one pound loss with strength gains is always good in my book.
I got my arm workout in and it wasn't anything spectacular, but it wasn't bad by any means. The workout lasted around 30 minutes and I followed it with a 30 minute cardio session on the elliptical. I have used several elliptical machines, but I finally think I found the one I really like in the Precor EFX. I'm not quite sure of the model number, but it looks like the one pictured below. I plan on adding this to my workout routine on a regular basis and hopefully it will help me shred some unwanted bodyfat.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
My Journey: Day 11
So after last night's cheat meal at Fuddruckers, I needed to get back to business today. I knocked out my shoulder workout, 20 minutes on the elliptical and 10 minutes walking on the treadmill. I was at the gym for little over an hour and got a good workout in before work.
I'm kind of on the fence about my current shoulder workout routine. While I have enjoyed it in the past, my past couple shoulder days have been just okay. I may be looking for something new to add to the routine in the near future. I may have to do some research on shoulder exercises before next week's shoulder day.
Tomorrow's plan is to work Arms and do some cardio.
I'm kind of on the fence about my current shoulder workout routine. While I have enjoyed it in the past, my past couple shoulder days have been just okay. I may be looking for something new to add to the routine in the near future. I may have to do some research on shoulder exercises before next week's shoulder day.
Tomorrow's plan is to work Arms and do some cardio.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
My Journey: Day 10
Today, I guess you could call my dinner a cheat meal. We went to Fuddruckers and that is one place I won't hold back from getting my normal order of a one-pound burger with American Cheese and side of potato wedges. Even with that, my total calories for the day were still around 3,000, so I'm not too worried about it.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My Journey: Day 9
Tomorrow's goal is to make it to the gym to do an intense leg workout.
Restaurant Review: Taste of Thai
The go to meal for my wife and I continues to be the Drunken Noodles with chicken. I am always eager to try something new, but knowing how good these noodles are makes it difficult for me to order anything else. For those who don't know what Drunken Noodles are, they are stir-fried rice noodles with egg, meat, bell pepper, onion, green bean and sweet basil. The name comes from an old Thai folk tale that this meal will cure any hangover. Whether you have been drinking or not, Drunken Noodles is the perfect dish for my wife and I. I usually order a spicy 4 and she usually orders a spicy 5, which is the hottest option they give you. Although, after overhearing a server discuss this with a customer on our last visit, I now know that their computer goes up to a spicy 15 for those that are willing to try that out.
We each also get an appetizer order of Spring Rolls to get us started. An appetizer order of Spring Rolls has three rolls, but these are too good to share. Each Spring Roll is deep-fried and stuffed with cabbage, carrots and celery. They are served with the house sweet and sour sauce.
In addition to great food found at Taste of Thai, the staff is extremely friendly and efficient. After checking this place out, it won't be hard to find out why it is one of our favorite restaurants in the Knoxville area.
Knox Animal Rating: 5 out of 5
Auburn Wins 2011 BCS National Championship
Monday, January 10, 2011
My Journey: Day 8
Knox Animal Garage Back Workout
Deadlifts
Bent Rows
Long Bar Rows
Since my back day is focused around deadlifts, I am glad I was able to get them done in the confines of my home. I actually had a personal record for deadlifts today at 315x4, so I am extremely happy with that.
Music Video of the Day: Stone Temple Pilots - Dead and Bloated
Stone Temple Pilots - Dead and Bloated
Sunday, January 9, 2011
My Journey: Day 7
Monday, it's back to business and the goal this week is to add more cardio into my routine. I have never been a real big fan of cardio, but I know it is necessary if I want to drop some bodyfat. The goal is going to be 30 minutes a day, so I need to get to the gym early so I can get it in before work.
Lynch Seals Deal As Seahawks Beat Saints
Marshawn Lynch's amazing 67 yard touchdown run propelled the Seahawks to one of the biggest upsets in NFL Playoffs history as Seattle beat New Orleans 41-36 in the NFC Wildcard round.
This really was one of the best runs I have ever seen. Lynch manhandled the Saints defense on his way to the endzone. Really the Saints defense looked pathetic all game and this kind of sums up how bad they really played.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
My Journey: Day 6
It's weekend time and I am loving it. Weekends are my rest time and reward for busting my ass all week in the gym. However, it is also my weakness when it comes to my diet. In the past, I have splurged on the weekends. I'm not talking about a few calories over my goal, I'm talking about a few thousand calories over. It was not uncommon for me to consume over 5,000 calories on a typical Saturday. In 2011, that will not happen.
Friday, January 7, 2011
My Journey: Day 5
My workout split consists of five workouts and two off days, repeat. It's conveniently scheduled for Monday - Friday and off Saturday and Sunday. This training split has been working for me for almost a year now, so it is something that I don't look to change any time soon.
Friday is what I call my reward day. After busting my ass in the gym all week doing big lifts, Friday is reserved for isolation exercises. In most cases I train my arms on this day. Today's workout was a decent one, as I wound down my week with a five-exercise arm workout. and a 10 minute treadmill walk at 3.0 mph.
Knox Animal Arm Workout
Dumbbell Curls
Hammer Curls
VBar Cable Pushdowns
One Arm Cable Extensions
Cable Curls (burnout sets)
Mallet Going Pro, Luck Staying
Mallett finished with 3,869 passing yards and 32 touchdowns this season, both school records, and also threw 12 interceptions. His 3,869 passing yards are the third-highest single-season total in SEC history.
Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is staying in school for his senior season. Luck was considered the top prospect for the 2011 NFL Draft by many and the Carolina Panthers have already openly admitted that they were interested in him with their top pick. Either Luck didn't want to play for Carolina, or he really wanted to earn his degree from Stanford.
Luck's 32 touchdown passes this season, 70.7% completion accuracy and 170.2 passing efficiency rating are all school records at Stanford.
Passing on the NFL when you are considered to be the top pick is definitely a risky move, but could prove to be a good decision as well. Just remember Peyton Manning and Sam Bradford were in the same shoes as Luck and they turned out pretty well.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
My Journey: Day 4
After yesterday’s monster leg workout, I can barely get out of bed. Nonetheless, here I am at 5:15 a.m. making a whey shake and getting ready for the gym. If there ever was a time when I wanted to go back to bed it was today, but that didn’t happen. I have goals.
Today’s plan was to workout shoulders. I am usually a fan of this workout, but today I was not in the mood. I could barely move as a result of my leg workout yesterday, but I knew this needed to get done.
If there is ever a workout that I tweak a lot, my shoulder workout is it. Right now my shoulder workout consists of the following four exercises:
Knox Animal Shoulder Workout
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Shoulder Press Machine
Upright Rows
Barbell Shrugs
Despite being sore as hell, I got through the workout rather smoothly. I finished off the workout with a quick five-minute treadmill walk. I wasn’t doing it for cardio, I was doing it to try and loosen my legs up a bit. Yesterday’s workout was better than I thought.
Titans Getting Rid of Vince Young
The Vince Young experiment appears to be over for the Tennessee Titans. The team announced last night that Young will not be a member of the Titans football team in 2011. Whether he will be traded or released is not yet known.
This isn't entirely surprising because Young has had an up and down career and the Titans are coming off a horrible 6-10 season. Some people thought the coach Jeff Fisher would be gone, others thought that Young would be gone.
If Young gets his head on straight, he could be a good NFL quarterback. To be a great quarterback in this league, you need to be a leader. It is Young's lack of leadership that got him the exit from Tennessee. Young is going to have to mature before another teams hands him the reins of the starting quarterback job. You need a lot more than talent to be a great NFL player and Young needs to look himself in the mirror and realize that.
This isn't entirely surprising because Young has had an up and down career and the Titans are coming off a horrible 6-10 season. Some people thought the coach Jeff Fisher would be gone, others thought that Young would be gone.
If Young gets his head on straight, he could be a good NFL quarterback. To be a great quarterback in this league, you need to be a leader. It is Young's lack of leadership that got him the exit from Tennessee. Young is going to have to mature before another teams hands him the reins of the starting quarterback job. You need a lot more than talent to be a great NFL player and Young needs to look himself in the mirror and realize that.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
My Journey: Day 3
Today was the day that I was really tested. Yes, I was one of those guys that didn’t work out legs. I started incorporating legs into my weekly split about halfway through last year but it wasn’t very intense until now. I am adding squats to my leg workout and I am honestly ashamed that I didn’t add them sooner.
Last week I did squats for probably the first time just to get the motions down. Today I did them for real. I know I have a lot of room to improve, so that thought alone keeps me motivated. I did four sets today:
135x10
185x10
225x6
225x2
The overall weight is not very impressive, but I’m pleased with my efforts for my first time doing this exercise. In addition to this, I also had a personal record on the leg press at 450x10. I have never been this sore after a leg workout before, so I know that I am on to something good.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My Journey: Day 2
Today the plan was to pound the back. Each day I focus on a few lifts with the idea of going heavy. I’m not one of those guys that does a ton of exercises each workout because I feel like if you are able to do that, you aren’t giving it your all. My weight workouts usually consist of four to six exercises and last anywhere from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. I try and squeeze some cardio in at the end to usually make my gym visit last no longer than an hour each day.
The highlight of my back day is Deadlifts. That along with squats on leg day are the two workouts that I am going to focus the most on in 2011. I haven’t done them regularly in the past, and incorporating them into my workouts is my biggest adjustment this year. There is nothing better than the feeling of picking up something really heavy. I lifted 315x2 on my final deadlift set today and I am pretty pleased with that at this point.
Monday, January 3, 2011
My Journey: Day 1
Today got off to a great start. My chest workout was right on spot and I felt good both during and after the workout. I was surprised that I managed to get my workout done in pretty much the normal time with all the new faces in the gym. The only holdup was a small wait time for a treadmill. I always find it funny that gyms are so crowded at the beginning of the year, but I guess it’s always good to have New Year’s resolutions.
Workout – Chest Day (Click Here To Check Out My Workout)
Cardio – 20 minutes on Treadmill alternating 3.0 mph and 3.5 mph every minute
Weis Headed To Florida
Kansas City Chiefs Offensive Coordinator, Charlie Weis, is heading back to the college ranks after accepting the same job for the University of Florida. In somewhat of a surprising move for the former Notre Dame coach, it appears that his love of the college game outweighed his love of being a pro offensive coordinator.
Weis is known for his play calling ability and recruiting, both things the Gators were in need of after Urban Meyer’s departure. New Florida coach Will Muschamp had stated that the Gators would run a pro-style offense and Weis is as good of a fit for that as you can find in both college and the NFL.
Weis is known for his play calling ability and recruiting, both things the Gators were in need of after Urban Meyer’s departure. New Florida coach Will Muschamp had stated that the Gators would run a pro-style offense and Weis is as good of a fit for that as you can find in both college and the NFL.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
My 2011 Journey Begins Now
The journey continues and this time I am tracking it. I have made half-assed attempts at tracking my progress in the past, but they were almost as unsuccessful as most of my fitness goals. This year will be different, mostly because I am going to update my progress no matter what. In the past, I would update until I fell off the wagon, then I would skip a few days and try to pick the updates back up, only to fall off again.
In 2011, I pledge to be more consistent with my updates. With my Android phone, and blogging apps, I really don’t have any excuse not to update on a regular basis.
I weighed in today at 292, which after the Holidays is a bit heavier than I was a few weeks ago. I was around 280 before Christmas, but after sitting around and stuffing my face with surplus calories, I am not surprised with the rapid weight gain. However, I am not worried. While my diet needs to stay consistent, I have been proud of my weight training progress over the past few months. Once I get my diet nailed down, I should be well on my way to improving my overall fitness in 2011.
My target weight is to be around 265-270 lbs. The long term goal would be to do so with my bodyfat being around 10-12 percent.
Diet
For my diet, I will target 3,000 calories including 300 g of protein in the beginning. I was doing the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet from September until Christmas, but I’m taking this new approach for 2011. I’ll call it the Knox Animal diet and it is comprised of 50% protein, 30% carbs and 20% fat.
I will be tracking my 2011 diet using the Calorie Counter Android Phone app. The affiliate website is Fat Secret and you will be able to follow my progress here.
Training
My training split right now is as follows:
Monday – Chest
Tuesday – Back
Wednesday – Legs
Thursday – Shoulders
Friday – Arms
Saturday – Off
Sunday – Off
I will be tracking my 2011 workouts on bodybuilding.com using the workout tracker.
I wish you all the best of luck with your fitness goals in 2011. Remember that everybody has to start somewhere, so the focus is on improving each and every day.
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