My Journey: Back To The Grind

After a long weekend, it's back to work this week. It was a great weekend on the lake with family and I look forward to many more just like it this summer. Boating, swimming, wakeboarding, beer and good music definitely make for some good times. I have always been a summer person and having a weekend like this always reminds me of why I am.

All fun aside, it's time for business in the gym this week. After taking Friday and yesterday off from the gym, tomorrow A.M. will be the first time in the gym in exactly one week. It will be my legs day and as usual, it will be brutal. Last week I added shoulders into the Wednesday legs mix and I liked the outcome. I will be doing the same thing tomorrow.

One thing to mention about the diet tracker. Calorie Counter has lost some of my data and I have been slacking on entering it based on the fact that other people have cooked the food I have been eating. I have used my best judgement on trying to hit my macros.

Right now my targeted macros are:

• 2800 calories
• 250+ grams of protein
• 100 grams of fat
• the remainder carbs

Check out my Diet Tracker

Check out my Workout Tracker

My Morning Jacket Headlines May 31 Album Releases

Black Stone Cherry	- Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
Death Cab For Cutie	- Codes And Keys
Eddie Vedder	- Ukulele Songs
Egypt Central	- White Rabbit
Flogging Molly	- Speed Of Darkness
Jordan Knight	- Unfinished
Kate Bush	- Director's Cut
My Morning Jacket	- Circuital
Seapony	- Go With Me
The Melvins	- Sugar Daddy Live
The Vaccines	- What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Info From: http://www.metacritic.com/

Music Video of the Day: Brett Dennen - Darling Do Not Fear

 

Brett Dennen - Darling Do Not Fear

IIFYM: If It Fits Your Macros

Let's talk a little about the If It Fits Your Macros aka IIFYM approach to eating. IIFYM refers to fulfilling an individual's macro nutrient needs that is relevant to his or her's goals by eating foods that he or she wants to eat. So basically allowing one to get the proper nutrition without sacrificing the foods he or she loves.

The idea behind the IIFYM approach is that in order to achieve a desired body, a person does not have to be restricted to only eating certain foods. The flexibility of IIFYM is what has driven many people to give it a shot. Many people eat ice cream and other various food items they crave without compromising their goals.

This does not mean that it is a free for all food fest every day. Calories in vs. calories out still applies. There is no way around that.

Another key point of IIFYM is that it focuses on each day as a whole. Do not worry about trying to portion out equal macros for each meal like many older bodybuilding diets insisted. It is not uncommon for somebody to down 100 grams of protein in one meal and 10 in another. Your body is a lot smarter than we give it credit for and it knows how to distribute it throughout the body when it is needed.

If you are looking for a new and easy approach to eating, IIFYM might just be what you are looking for. Be sure to check out the following links for more information surrounding this approach.

For further reading and exploration check out Martin Berkman's site below:

LeanGains

For discussion around IIFYM, check out the following thread on bodybuilding.com
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=133634471

Music Video of the Day: John Mayer - Neon

 

John Mayer - Neon

My Journey: Changing It Up

After spending a couple of weeks contemplating a way to change up my back/shoulders/biceps workout, I have come to a conclusion. Today I added shoulders to my Legs workout and it seemed to be a good decision.

I set a couple PR's and it was an overall awesome workout. I fine tuned my workout playlist, and I was ready to go from my five-minute warmup on the bike to my last set. I was in the gym at 5:30 a.m. and out the door at 7:00 a.m. after busting ass the entire time.

As My Journey has kicked into overdrive, I am starting to finally notice some change in my body composition. I plan on posting pics once I reach 265 lbs., but that will basically be a checkpoint. Getting to 265 lbs. by August 5, was a goal that I set for myself at the beginning of this year. The plan was to take it slow and steady, and so far everything has been going according to plan. A few adjustments had to be made, but that was expected. All that matters is to make the most of each day.

Check out my Diet Tracker

Check out my Workout Tracker

Scotty McCreery Wins American Idol

If James Durbin wasn't in it.
And if Haley Reinhart wasn't there.
Then if Casey Abrams wasn't one of the final two.
The winner should have been Scotty McCreery.
And that is what happened.

Dinner

Steak and asparagus

Time To Renew My Last.fm Subscription

I knew it was only a matter of time before last.fm would become a paid music subscription service. Let's face it, it is a lot better than pandora, and you have to subscribe to that one too.

For only $3 a month, I think I can afford last.fm. Plus they promise me all this:

What you get:

• Uninterrupted radio listening
• Play radio on your mobile app
• Play radio on supported hardware platforms
• Ad-free browsing and streaming
• Recent visitors to your profile
• A prestigious black icon
• New! Access to our VIP zone with more charts, graphs and the latest from the Last.fm Labs

Sounds like an awesome deal.

Music Video of the Day: G. Love - Fixin' To Die

 

G. Love - Fixin' To Die

Tate Forcier Looking For New School: Auburn, USC In Mix

Former Michigan quarterback, Tate Forcier is looking for a new school. After transferring from Michigan to what appeared to be a sure fit for Miami, the junior quarterback had second thoughts. He never enrolled in the school and has since stated that he would like to be closer to his home town of San Diego, California.

Forcier told ESPN:

"I'm looking into Auburn," Forcier said. "I'm definitely interested in USC, San Diego State, Montana, Kansas State and University of San Diego. I have to lay everything out and figure out my visits."

It will be interesting to see where Forcier ends up. He put up good numbers in 12 starts as a freshman in '09, completing 165 of 281 passes for 2,050 yards and 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He served as Denard Robinson's backup last year and threw four touchdowns and four interceptions on 54 of 84 passes for 597 yards.

Based on offensive styles, I would think Auburn is an ideal fit, but he could be a good fit for any of these schools. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The Ultimate Workout Playlist

A common question I get asked is what is on my IPod when I go to the gym. When working out, I prefer upbeat, high energy songs, but lyrics can also get me pretty pumped up. Here is what is currently on my IPod:

The Black Keys - Your Touch
The Black Keys - I Got Mine
Stone Temple Pilots - Vasoline
Tool - Sober
Eminem - Till I Collapse
Shinedown - Sound of Madness
Velvet Revolver - Slither
Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire
Bullet For My Valentine - Hit The Floor
Rage Against The Machine - Bulls On Parade
Rage Against The Machine - People of The Sun
Rage Against The Machine - Guerrilla Radio
Seether - Out Of My Way
Seether - Gasoline
My Morning Jacket - One Big Holiday
Metallica - Seek and Destroy
Metallica - Fade To Black
Metallica - Ain't My Bitch
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Methodman and Redman - Da Rockwilder
Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch
Citizen Cope - Bullet and a Target

American Idol Finale Review Tuesday, May 24

It's the night American Idol fans have been waiting for. The finale between Lauren Alaina and Scotty McCreery. It is a match-up between two very talented teenagers, so it will definitely be interesting to see which one is more popular.

Contestant's Choice From The Season
Scotty McCreery - Gone by Montgomery Genry
This was actually better than the first time he sang this song. He seemed more comfortable with it this time and after the judges praised him last time, why wouldn't he be?

Lauren Alaina - Flat On The Floor by Carrie Underwood
I like this pick from Lauren. It was one of her better performances this season and she made it work again.

Celebrity Pick's (George Strait for Scotty, Carrie Underwood for Lauren)

Scotty McCreery - Check Yes Or No by George Strait
What a great song. This is the kind of song that Scotty does really well, so if he can get some good songs, he will be very successful in his career. Great performance.

Lauren Alaina - Maybe It Was Memphis by Pam Tillis
It was pretty good. Lauren has a really good voice. She can sing a range of songs and a song like this proves that.

Potential New Singles

Scotty McCreery
This was a fantastic song for Scotty. It really showcased why he is in the position he is in. He is also a lot less awkward with a mic stand. I thoroughly enjoyed this song and performance.

Lauren Alaina
This was a nice song and a nice tribute to her mother, but it was a little cheesy for my taste. It's not her fault her song wasn't as good as Scotty's but she made the most of it. Overall, she did a great job, but unfortunately for her - Scotty did too.

Closing Thoughts
While both of these artists are good, I think it's safe to say that Scotty is the better of the two. He should be this season's American Idol for sure.

Will The Bengals Trade Carson Palmer?

The Cincinnati Bengals have made it clear the quarterback Carson Palmer will not be granted his wish to be traded. Bengals owner Mike Brown re-confirmed that yesterday with the following statement:

"We don't plan to trade Carson," Brown told the NFL Network at the league's spring owners meetings in Indianapolis. "He's important to us. He's a very fine player, and we do want him to come back. If he chooses not to, he'd retire. And we would go with Andy Dalton, the younger player we drafted, who's a good prospect.

"Ideally, we'd have both of them. That'd be the best way to go forward. If we don't have Carson, we'll go with Andy."

 It seems clear to me that the Bengals are only trying to drive up Palmer's value at this point. If a good deal is on the table when the lockout ends, Brown may have a quick change of heart. The Bengals are prepared to enter the season with Dalton as the starter, so there is no point of keeping Palmer around. I'm calling this bluff and with several teams looking for a starting quarterback, I expect to see Palmer in another uniform next season.

Music Video of the Day: R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World

 

R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World

My Journey: It's Officially Lake Time

After a great weekend on the lake, I can officially say that it is lake season. We put our boat in the water and did a little wakeboarding to start the summer off right. I have definitely noticed a great deal of improvement in my leg stamina when wakeboarding, so my grueling leg workouts are definitely doing the trick.

I definitely need to drop some fat, but my core is definitely stronger than it was a year ago. I'm not surprised since I have added more core exercises to my workouts, but it also has made it even more apparent that I need to keep dropping the fat. The goal is to be at 271 lbs by Friday.

Today's chest/triceps workout was pretty good. I finished it off with a 30 minute run/walk treadmill session, making my time in the gym almost an hour and half.

It's go time now, so it's all or nothing...
Short term goal is still 265 lbs. by August 5 (My 27th birthday)
Long term goal is 250 lbs. by Christmas.
 

Check out my Diet Tracker

Check out my Workout Tracker

Music Video of the Day: Kings of Leon - Joe's Head

 

Kings of Leon - Joe's Head

My Journey: All Or Nothing

At the beginning of this week, I told you I needed to break the 275 lb. plateau that I have been stuck at for several weeks now. I added a little extra cardio in and I weighed in this morning at 272.4 lbs. Mission accomplished. The goal next week will be to at least be at 271 lbs.

Today's workout was solid, but it wasn't one of my best. I haven't been pushing my back the way I would like, so I will be switching things up with my back workout in the near future. Even though I wasn't that pleased with my back workout today, my traps got hit hard today, so that is at least something to be proud about. After hitting the weights, I did a 30 minute jog/walk treadmill session to close it out.

I am going to start doing some cardio on the weekends now, so the plan is to do a 30 minute cardio session both Saturday and Sunday. My caloric target is 2800-3000 calories for the weekend, but if I go over slightly, I'm hoping the extra cardio will make up for it.

It's go time now, so it's all or nothing...
Short term goal is still 265 lbs. by August 5 (My 27th birthday)
Long term goal is 250 lbs. by Christmas.
 

Check out my Diet Tracker

Check out my Workout Tracker

American Idol Review: Thursday, May 19

The night that the top two is decided is finally here. It was no surprise that Scotty McCreery made the finale. He has been a fan favorite from the beginning. The decision of Lauren Alaina over Haley Reinhart wasn't shocking, but it was wrong. Haley has been the most consistent contestant over the past month and a half, and it is disappointing that the voters didn't feel that way.

Music Video of the Day: Led Zeppelin - Going To California

 

Led Zeppelin - Going To California

My Journey: Total Domination

The best part about leaving the gym is knowing that you busted your ass the entire time you were in there. Tasting the sweat and blood of a hard day's work is the way I like to start my day. There is no better day to make that happen than on legs day.

This morning was a showcase of total domination. Throughout my seven exercises and 26 sets, I busted my ass. I hit a PR on leg press and I didn't even plan to. It was just one of those days where I felt good and I was going to push as hard as I possibly could.

Legs day is the one day where I am not going to do any cardio. I did my time and got out. It was a damn good workout to start the day off with.

On the agenda for Friday: Back/Shoulders/Biceps

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

American Idol Review: Wednesday, May 18

Whether you like the final three or not, it's what we have to work with. In my honest opinion Haley Reinhart has been the best of the three as of late and with a good night tonight, she could make it to the finale. The country boy Scotty McCreery is the clear favorite to win, but like we have seen in the past, anything can happen. Lauren Alaina is the one that could surprise people. Like the others, she is only one really good night away from making it to the finale. Anything can happen - this is American Idol. Each contestant will be singing three songs; the judge's pick, the producer's pick and their own pick. It should be a fun night, and here is how it went down:

Scotty McCreery - Amazed by Lonestar (Scotty's pick)
Thank God Scotty didn't do a bullshit cheesy song to start the show off. This was a good song choice for him and he performed it really well. It's obvious that Scotty is going to go the country route and if he can get some good song writers behind him, he could be a star. As he grows up a little bit, he will become more natural on stage and it will only help him be successful.

Lauren Alaina - Wild One by Faith Hill (Lauren's pick)
This was a decent song choice for her, but I wasn't thrilled with it. She did well with it, but the song doesn't have much depth to it. The positive about this performance was that she was able to stay young and it allowed her to have fun out there. It was good, but I wasn't blown away by any means.


Haley Reinhart - What Should Never Be by Led Zeppelin (Haley's pick)
I love this song choice. I also love the fact that Haley attempted a song like this. Despite the fact that she fell, she did a hell of a job with the song. Also give it up for her dad for ripping the shit out of the guitar on that song. You gotta give it to Haley for staying strong after the little mishap on the stairs. She absolutely killed the song and took round one for sure.

Scotty McCreery - Are You Going To Kiss Me Or Not by Thompson Square (Producer's pick)
This was a really good song choice for Scotty. I also liked the fact that he had a guitar in his hands. It was slightly less awkward watching than when he just has a mic cocked to the side. Scotty did really well with this song and it was one of his most natural performances.

Lauren Alaina - If I Die Young by The Band Perry (Producer's pick)
This is a great song and Lauren actually did it justice. There were a few off moments in the song, but overall she did really well.


Haley Reinhart - Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac (Producer's pick)
Goosebumps from the start. Haley has been really good lately and this is another example of why. She has the ability to get lost in a song and live it. She really has been impressive lately and based on performances, she should be a lock for the finale.

Scotty McCreery - She Believes In Me by Kenny Rogers (Judge's pick)
A song like this really shows how good Scotty can be if he is given the right song. As long as he can sing serious country music, the sky is the limit for this guy.


Lauren Alaina - I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack (Judge's pick)
Lauren was able to showcase her voice with this song. The judges picked a good one for her.

Haley Reinhart - You Oughta Know (Judge's pick)
I liked the chorus for Haley. The rest of the song isn't that great and it wasn't Haley's fault. It just isn't that great of a song in my opinion. Haley did what she could with it and she killed the chorus. If Haley isn't in the finale, I will be shocked.

Power Rankings
1. Haley Reinhart
2. Scotty McCreery
3. Lauren Alaina

Music Video of the Day: Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver

 

Primus - Wynona's Big Brown Beaver

Music Video of the Day: My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Part II

 

My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream, Part II

My Journey: Time For More Cardio

I had an update on Friday, but Blogger was having technical issues and wouldn't let me post anything. So, I just decided not to do one and make sure I had an update today. My Journey has been going okay, but I have decided that I need to add more cardio into my routine. After being stuck at or around 275 lbs for a while, I need to get the weight dropping again. I'm hoping to be at 273 by the end of the week.

Today, I hit my chest and triceps and did 30 minutes of run/walk treadmill work. I really need to get my cardio stamina up and that is going to be my focus right now. With that being said, I need to make sure my lifts keep going up and my diet is in check.

I hit a PR on incline dumbbell bench with my third set of 80 lbs for 10 reps. I hope to be pressing 100's by August. It's starting to get to crunch time and I need to bust some ass if I am going to hit my 265 lbs. goal by my birthday, August 5. I am 10 lbs. away, but I am still going to need to bust ass to get there.

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

Music Video of the Day: Eric Clapton - Cocaine

 

Eric Clapton - Cocaine

Music Video of the Day: Sonia Leigh - My Name Is Money

 

Sonia Leigh - My Name Is Money

My Journey: Day 129

This week has been back to business as usual. Today's leg workout was good, and it was definitely a good test for me after taking last week off. I wasn't quite up to par with my legs workout two weeks ago, but this was good. Next week, I will be back to where I was before.

With summer right around the corner, it's time to get more serious than ever. No excuses.

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

American Idol Review: Wednesday, May 11

James Durbin - Don't Stop Believing by Journey

This wasn't one of James' best performances. It was okay, but compared to the majority of his performances, this didn't stack up. It felt a little too karaoke to me and he overdid a couple notes. But, look James is still the best contestant on the show.

Haley Reinhart - The Earth Song by Michael Jackson

Absolutely killed it. Haley is coming on strong and every other Idol contestant should be scared. Jennifer and Randy didn't like it, but I loved it.

Scotty McCreery - Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning by Alan Jackson

This was too big for Scotty. The arrangement was off and it he got lost in it. Scotty should have just sang and played acoustic. It would have had a much better effect and I think it would have meant a lot more. It was very average for me.

Lauren Alaina - Anyway by Martina McBride

This was a really good performance by Lauren. It is so damn hard to believe she is a teenager. Her voice is so polished and powerful that she seems like a seasoned veteran out there.

Haley Reinhart - I Who Have Nothing by Shirley Bassey

I love the power Haley sings with. She is a natural performer and the passion she brings to the stage is awesome. Like her first performance, she killed this one too. The judges actually all liked this one, but the fact of the matter is that she was that both her songs were really damn good tonight.

Scotty McCreery - Young Blood by The Coasters

Too cheesy at this point in the competition. This was beyond terrible.

Lauren Alaina - Trouble by Elvis Presley

While this was an entertaining performance for Lauren, it didn't really allow her to showcase who she really is as an artist.

James Durbin - Love Portion Number Nine by The Clovers

I'm not that crazy about this song, but James did it really well. This guy always puts on a good show no matter how shitty the song the song is that he is singing.

Knox Animal Power Rankings

1. Haley Reinhart
2. James Durbin
3. Lauren Alaina
4. Scotty McCreery

Sitting Is Killing You

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

Music Video of the Day: Shawn Mullins - California

 

Shawn Mullins - California

My Journey: Day 127

It's back to the gym today and it felt good. I hit chest and triceps and it was a decent workout. After taking last week off, I am just trying to hit all the lifts from two weeks ago. I didn't notice any drop in strength, so I was pleased with that. Taking a week off was definitely a good thing and allowed me to start the week off fresh.

The agenda for the week is to do my typical three-day split. Wednesday, I plan on hitting legs and Friday will be my Back/Shoulders/Biceps workout. I expect to be a little sore this week because of the week off, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

Music Video of the Day: The Dirty Guv'nahs - Baby We Were Young

 

The Dirty Guv'nahs - Baby We Were Young

My Journey: Day 124

This week, I have decided to take it easy and just do some workouts at the house. There are a couple of reasons I have decided to do this. First of all, the storms last week have created a lot of issues that I am sorting out with insurance and such. The other reason is that my body needs a little break from the high impact gym workouts. I have stuck to my diet relatively well, so when I weighed in this morning, I didn't gain anything. In fact, I was at 275, which is where I was last week.

Next week, the plan is to hit the gym strong like I have been. The workouts will stay the same and I will still be doing a three-day split.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

Brett Favre Is Retired - Seriously

According to an ESPN report, the former NFL quarterback is going to stay retired. Favre said he may be a coach or analyst in the future, but his playing days are over.

Is this for real this time? It sure looks that way. After last season, I wouldn't expect to see him come back for another year. but with Favre you never know.

Mendenhall Is A Moron, Loses Sponsorship

When Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall decided to open his mouth on his twitter page after it was confirmed that Bin Laden was killed, he probably didn't think much of it. It turns out, he should have thought twice about his tweets because Champion apparel didn't find it amusing. Here is the statement Champion sent to ESPN on Friday:

"Champion is a strong supporter of the government's efforts to fight terrorism and is very appreciative of the dedication and commitment of the U.S. Armed Forces. Earlier this week, Rashard Mendenhall, who endorses Champion products, expressed personal comments and opinions regarding Osama bin Laden and the September 11 terrorist attacks that were inconsistent with the values of the Champion brand and with which we strongly disagreed. In light of these comments, Champion was obliged to conduct a business assessment to determine whether Mr. Mendenhall could continue to effectively communicate on behalf of and represent Champion with consumers.

"While we respect Mr. Mendenhall's right to express sincere thoughts regarding potentially controversial topics, we no longer believe that Mr. Mendenhall can appropriately represent Champion and we have notified Mr. Mendenhall that we are ending our business relationship. Champion has appreciated its association with Mr. Mendenhall during his early professional football career and found him to be a dedicated and conscientious young athlete. We sincerely wish him all the best."

So, what did Mendenhall say on twitter to stir up this mess?

"What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side..."

 "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style"

 All I can say is that if you are a public figure, you must think before you speak or in this case - tweet. People look up to athletes and they must avoid putting themselves in the spotlight for negative reasons like this. It is one thing to have an opinion, but when Mendenhall makes his statements, he appears ignorant and questions the majority of the American population. That is just dumb and in most cases, it will not turn out well.

Music Video of the Day: MGMT - Time To Pretend

 

MGMT - Time To Pretend

Terps Williams To Retire

In a move that didn't come as a surprise to many, University of Maryland men's head basketball coach Gary Williams is set to retire. Williams was an icon for men's basketball, winning 668 games and one national championship in his 33 years as a coach.

Williams became Maryland's head coach in 1989 after it was hindered by NCAA sanctions. Since then, Williams has kept the Maryland basketball program free of sanctions, which is impressive for current day college sports.

Having grown up in the Maryland area, Terps basketball was always an important part of my life. A big reason for that is because of the way Williams ran the program. He didn't put up with a lot of bullshit and he was able to mentor and teach his players to be better both on and off the court. His dedication to his job and his love for his players was evident throughout his entire coaching career. Williams will definitely be missed at Maryland, but he will never be forgotten. He was one hell of a coach.

American Idol Review: Thursday, May 5

The Bottom Two
Jacob Lusk
Lauren Alaina

Who Went Home
It was a nice ride for Jacob, but it was his time to go home. I am not surprised because he was not good last night. His first performance of No Air last night was one of the worst Idol performances I have seen at this point in the competition. He seems like a good guy, so I hope he does well with his music career whether I like most of his songs or not. Despite what some people say, I'm a nice guy and I like to see people succeed from all music genres.

Music Video of the Day: Bob Weir - Black Throated Wind

 

Bob Weir - Black Throated Wind

American Idol Review: Wednesday, May 4

After last week's hail storms that knocked out my power and totaled one of our two vehicles, Knox Animal is back to the American Idol Reviews. With Casey leaving last week, we are now without the best musician on the season. We are down to five and they are doing two songs each tonight - one current and one classic. Here is how it went down.

James Durbin - Closer To The Edge by 30 Seconds To Mars
James did a good job with this song. He has what it takes to be the American Idol and the way it has been going, I don't see anybody that is going to take it away from him. Once again his stage presence and his vocal performance were superb.

Jacob Lusk - No Air by Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown
This song started horrible and it didn't get better until the chorus. It wasn't good and it was reminiscent of the old Jacob. His voice was off tonight and he could be going home as a result.

Lauren Alaina -Flat On The Floor by Carrie Underwood
This was one of the best Lauren performances of the season, hands down. We all know that she is going to end up doing country music, but she absolutely killed this song. This was energetic, powerful and just plain good. As young as Lauren is, she was pretty damn impressive tonight.


Scotty McCreery - Gone by Montgomery Gentry
When I first heard that he was doing this song, I was excited to hear him do it because it's a little more powerful than what he has been doing. Overall, it was a pretty typical Scotty performance - Corny as shit.


Haley Reinhart - You And I by Lady Gaga
This is really awesome. Haley has really come into her own as of late and she has definitely proved that she belongs here. This was one of my favorite performances of the season.


James Durbin - Without You by Harry Nilsson
What a great song choice for James. We always think of him as a high energy performer, but he can sing the slow sincere songs just as good. James is a hell of a performer and like I said earlier, it's going to be hard for anybody to beat this guy.

Jacob Lusk - Love Hurts by The Everly Brothers
This is much better than his first song. Jacob was able to show his range with this song and it could help him regain some lost votes from his first song. Solid performance.

Lauren Alaina - Unchained Melody by The Righteous Brothers
This was a very mature song for such a young kid, and she did a good job with it. I may not remember this performance tomorrow, but right now, it was good. It was a nice change of pace from her first song, so she has a nice showing tonight.


Scotty McCreery - Always On My Mind by Elvis Presley
This was the perfect song choice for Scotty. I wasn't a big fan of his performance, but he nailed this one. This is who Scotty is, not that garbage we saw earlier.

Haley Reinhart - The House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals
Simply awesome. Haley killed it and this is officially one of my favorite Idol performances ever. The way she started without any instruments and just voice was genius. This was officially one of the best versions of this song ever - and this is a great song. Without a doubt, this was the performance of the night.


Knox Animal Power Rankings
1. James Durbin
2. Haley Reinhart
3. Lauren Alaina
4. Scotty McCreery
5. Jacob Lusk

Music Video of the Day: Widespread Panic - Coconut

 

Widespread Panic - Coconut

Music Video of the Day: Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe

 

Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe

My Journey: Day 120

My Journey is still going strong, but starting this month, I am only going to post when something is interesting to post. With my current three-day split, it is getting tough to find stuff to write about on my off-days, so if there is nothing - I won't post anything. The workout tracker and the diet tracker will still be the same as the past, with the exception of Sundays. I am now allowing myself to eat a little more freely on Sunday, but I am still tracking it in my head.

Today, I have decided to switch things up a big for my chest/triceps workout. I decided to do a home workout heavy on bench press, pushups, close grip bench press and skull crushers. I also did some stairs for a little cardio at the end.

Check out my Diet Tracker (estimates)

Check out my Workout Tracker

Music Video of the Day: The Black Keys - Tighten Up

 

The Black Keys - Tighten Up