tha zillah

Aside from the beginning of this week to start off piss poor, today’s gym session was exceptional. I don’t have any logical reason why, but rather I felt myself improving and going on to heavier weight. It felt great, I felt great and I was happy about my progress (which most likely fed into my workout). I was reluctant when I decided to leave, thinking to myself I could go for a couple of sets of concentration curls or some ab exercise. I could continue on and on about how great it was, but I hate redundancy and I don’t want to lose followers, so here is what I did today:

Shoulders:

1. Standing Military Press 3x10 @ 105/115/125
2. Standing Upright Row 3x10 @ 60/70/80
3. Reverse Flys 3x10 @ 130/140/150
4. Seated Front Raises 3x10 @ 30**
5. Lateral Raises 3x10 @ 20/25/30
6. Shrugs 3x10 @ 110

Legs:

1. ATG Squats 3x10 @ 225/245/255
2. Hamstring Curls 3x10 @ 90/100/110
3. Leg Press 3x10 @ 365/385/405
4. Standing Calf Raises 3x10 @ 160/170/180
5. ISO-Leg Extension 3x10 @ 65/80/95

Biceps:

1. Preacher Curls 3x5 @ 65/75/85

2. Standing Bicep Curls 3x10 @ 40/45/50

3. ISO Curls 3x10 @ 30/35/40

That is it for that Leg/Shoulder day I had to leave the gym a littler early. Guzzled a protein shake on the way out and had some brown rice and chicken once I got in the house. I will probably eat the Turkey chili I made last night to just see if its any good. I’ll let you guys know. Out.

-tha zillah

Arnold could never be more right when he said there is no better feeling after leaving the gym and the morning after a serious workout session. I felt the pump walking out of the gym and I feel it typing this at work. I am sitting here sipping some Green Tea and my legs are burning from the squats and my arms feel like they are going to explode from my work.

So today is a glorious day weather wise and I am very pleased with my graduate professors one week in, a great week thus far. But all is not rainbows and glitter in my world. I am slightly frustrated with myself because I am weighing in at 193 and I want to weigh > 190, ideally less than or equal to 185. I am eating well, seeing gains in the gym, but I am having a hard time shedding the grasa. This weekend will be the first real time I will be around other people I don’t know with my shirt off for an extended period of time. So whatever, some may say I am in good shape, but I, the first, final, and most important opinion; am not satisfied with my physique. We are our worst critic and I hold myself to a higher standard than those around me or even those who don’t share my passion for fitness and lifting weights. I will never impose my ideals on someone else and be like to them, “go to the gym”. But I say that to myself about myself, constantly. The great Arnold Schwarzenegger once said, “The worst thing I could be, is the same as everyone else. I’d hate that.” I believe in this whole heartily. I know it may come off as vain, narcissistic, egotistical, pretentious, pompous and any other number of adjectives. But I don’t give a shit. I don’t. I am those things in some capacity, some more than others. But who isnt?

Simply put I want more, I need to do more, I need to be more proactive at taking the proper steps to taking my physique and health into the upper echelon. I gotta get after it. Enough fluff, down to business:

Shoulders: I want huge delts and fibers everywhere!

1. Clean & Jerk 10/8/6 - 135/155/165 lbs
2. Front Dumbbell Raises 3x5 - 50/55/55 lbs 
3. Later Dumbbell Raises 3x5 - 45 lbs
4. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3x5 - 50/50/55 lbs
5. Dumbbell Shrugs 3x10 - 95/100/100 lbs
6. Reverse Flys 3x5 - 180/185/190 lbs

Legs: Atlas status, please and thank you.

1. ATG Squats 3x10 - 210/225/230 lbs
2. Front Squats 3x10 - 155/160/165 lbs
3. Single Leg Extensions 3x10 - 80/90/95
4. Single Leg Curls 3x10 - 70/75/75
5. Seated Calf Raises 3x10 - 160/170/180 lbs

TriCeps: 

1. TriCep Bench 3x10 - 155/165/165
2. Dips 10/8/5 - Body Weight(194) + 75 lbs(dip belt) 
3. TriCep Extensions 3x10 - 120 lbs
4. Skull Crushers 3x5 - 100 lbs

I have already said enough, but needed to put it down on digital paper. Mediocrity can for anyone but not for me, I must have more. Work hard Fitblrs’.

-tz 

Haven’t posted a workout since last Friday and I wanted to make sure I did one tonight. Memorial Day Weekend was jammed packed with fun and enjoyable times spent with some of my friends and my boy McKay. I ate a ton of pancakes and meals that incorporated them as well. So this week is a “cleansing” week for all the nonsense that went down while I was in the city.

Exhibit A: An example meal that was prepared this past weekend: Kale Chips with Pancakes and Fried Chicken. It was absolutely delicious! 


….and because of that indulgence and others like it, we are back at it….

Back: 

1. Pull Ups 3x10 - Body Weight
2. Bent over BarBell Rows 3x10 - 100/110/110 lbs
3. Dumbbell Iso Rows 3x10 - 70 lbs
4. Axle Deadlift 3x10 - 215/225/235 lbs
5. Lat Pull Downs 3x10 - 100/110/110 lbs
6. Reverse Flys 3x10 - 165 lbs 
7. High Rows 3x10 - 100/105/110
8. Supermans 3x10 - Body Weight

Chest: 

1. Flat Bench 8/6/4 - 215/225/235 lbs
2. Incline Bench 10/8/5 - 145/155/160 lbs
3. Decline Bench 10/6/4 - 155/165/185 lbs
4. Chest Flys 3x10 - 165 lbs
5. Cable Cross 3x10 - 80 lbs
6. Push Ups @ Home.

BiCeps: 

1. Dumbbell Concentration Curls 3x5 35 lbs 
2. Zottman Curls 3x5 45 lbs
3. Hammer Curls 3x5 50 lbs
4. Wide Grip Angled Bar Curls 3x5 70 lbs

I was at the gym today working out with Reginald again and his abs were taking a beating towards the end of the routine, he is super pissed at the pain but at the same time loving it because he knows it is what needs to be done to shed that Grad school weight, lol. I am going to ween him into the entire ab routine one exercise at a time so he can get acclimated to the whole thing. Squating tomorrow, stoked!

-tz 

Meeting more people in the gym, its cool when people come up to you and are like I always see you here, youre in really good shape can I ask you some questions? The ultimate form of flattery, that is a shout out to you, Keith! 

Legs: 

1. Deep Squats 3x6 - 215/220/225 lbs
2. Front Squats 3x10 - 155 lbs
3. Plie db Squats 3x10 - 100 lbs (This shit sounds girly, but its not a game!) 
4. Box Jumps 3x6 - 60+Body Weight lbs
5. Single-Leg Leg Curls 3x6 - 90 lbs
6. Bulgarian db Lunges 3x6 - 55 lbs each hand
7. Seated Calf Raises 3x6 - 135 lbs (please grow!)

Shoulders: 

1. Clean & Jerk 3x8 - 135/140/140
2. Front Raises 3x6 - 45 lbs dumbbells
3. Lateral Raises 3x6 - 35 lbs dumbbells
4. Standing Shoulder Press 3x6 - 55/60/60 dumbbells
5. Reverse Flys 3x6 - 165 lbs
6. Shrugs 3x8 - 110 lbs dumbbells
7. Up-Right Rows 3x6 - 100 lbs

This new workout is leaving me exhausted and satisfied every single time, I like this. Hit up abs, triceps, and this time I didnt forget to get the weight belt for the dips! I only had on a 25 lbs weight on it but I could feel the difference!. After that I peaced out of Gold’s. Still need to figure out how I am going to work on the arms!

-tz

So, I had a fantastic weekend in the ATL seeing a little of Buckhead and what I was told was the Bethesda of ATL (For those of you from DC or MD).  What comes along with great sites, expensive 5 star hotels, and boulevards with expensive boutiques? Good eats! I was unfortunately fortunate enough to eat at some nice ass restaurants while I was there. I had chicken, duck, filets, crab, tiramisu, and well; you get it.  And that is excluding all the desserts :S. But it was all in good fun though, my boy Reginald’s little brother graduated and I got invited down to witness the big event with the fam. 

Now I am back to reality and back to my gym grind, to kind of correct the poor eating choices I made, its like instead of beer goggles and going home with some haggard girl, I did it with food hook-ups. HAHA. I am happy that next week will be the official 1st week of this new workout style, again I am starting staggered mid-way through the week. Either way, I will get it in. Oh and my flag team made the playoffs, first game this saturday, about to get my Randy Moss on these mofo’s! Workout from yesterday:

Back: 

1. Pull Ups 10/8/8 reps - Body Weight (I am seeing progress in and out of the gym!)
2. Bent Over Rows w/ Barbell 3x10 90/95/95 lbs
3. db Iso-Rows 3x10 - 60 lbs
4. Lat Pull Downs 3x10 - 80/90/90 lbs (I want a stronger back!)
5. Reverse Flys 3x10 - 145 lbs
6. Axle Deadlifts 3x10 - 205 lbs
7. High Iso-Rows 3x10 - 90 lbs

Chest:  

1. Flat Bench 8/6/4 reps - 215/220/225 lbs
2. Incline Bench 3x10 - 145 lbs
3. Flys 3x10 - 100 lbs (my shoulder is hurting, I think the car accident is coming around along with my wirst; bullshit!)
4. Cable Cross 3x10 - 80 lbs
5. Incline db Flys 1x10 - 35 lbs (shouider was killing me)
6. Decline Bench - N/A shoulder was done. 
7. Push Ups Failure - Body Weight

First and foremost, fuck the guy who rammed into my car head on destroying my car and what I am guessing now is injuring me in such a way that affects my gym-ing ability, you dick. Fuck it though, going to gym now. Sorry for not posting this last night but I was tired and helping my boy move back in and get settled. Posting some pics when I am back from the gym, legs and shoulders today.  SQUAT, SQUAT, SQUAT, CLEAN&JERK, CLEAN&JERK, CLEAN&JERK

-tz.

Exhausted is how I would like to start this off. Luckily I am now in the comfort of my home with a stomach full of a good healthy din-din, munching on watermelon in gym shorts, chillin’. 

Today was the second day of this new style of working out I decided to use. The main focus of today was Back and Shoulders, I have yet to decide how I am going to divide the arms up, it isnt a big deal but there are exercises on both days that use BiCeps or TriCeps as auxiliary muscle groups. *Kanye Shurg* we’ll see… 

Traditionally, I always do a cardio-only day up on the track with my boy Reezy, this remained true but I was and still am really “feelin’ myself (shout out/RIP Mac Dre)” and decided I was going to push the envelope today.  So on the track today we hit up a workout my boy Reginald likes to do it consists of:

Track Work: 

• Stretching
• Warm-up 400m lap
• Sprint 100m, jog 100m
• Sprint 200m, jog 100m
• Sprint 300m, jog 100m
• Sprint 400m, jog 100m
• Vomit

We did that and decided that we wanted to do a few more 100m sprints just to cap off the workout on a high note. It turned out to be a good idea, for whatever reason I was like, “shit, I am going to hit up the gym after this!” That is just what I did, I stopped at Reezy’s house for a glass of milk and a banana and back on the road I went to Gold’s. Once I got there I jumped into the workout.

Back: 

1. Pull Ups 3x10* 10/8/6 reps - Body Weight
2. Bent Over Row w/ Barbell 3x10 - 90 lbs
3. db(dumbbell) Iso-Rows 3x10 - 60 lbs
4. High Iso-Rows 3x10 - 90 lbs
5. Lat Pull Downs 3x10 - 80 lbs
6. Reverse Flys 3x10 - 145 lbs
7. Axle Deadlifts 3x10 - 205 lbs

Chest: 

1. Flat Bench 3x10* 8/6/4 reps - 205/215/225 lbs
2. Incline Bench 3x10 - 145/155/150 lbs
3. Flys 3x10 - 145/155/160 lbs
4. Cable Cross 3x10 - 80 lbs
5. Incline db Flys 3x10 - 45 lbs
6. Decline Bench 3x10 - 145 lbs
7. Push Ups Failure X3 - Body Weight

Did a spark notes version of abs because at this point I was pretty spent and I had yet more things on my plate to complete…More slave work at my brother’s house, that is right folks more painting and other shit! I already mentioned I am not being paid for this,  right lol? 
 

The picture above is me post the dual workout. I got the text from my brother not to shortly after, its all good though I was only going to go home and do laundry. Got to my brother’s place and I was famished, so I put this together this…

Nothing special, just used what was available to me at his spot. I boiled two eggs, a quarter slice of a beefsteak tomato, a small avocado, a handful of blueberries, a banana, and two bread & butter pickle spears. That yogurt you see in the photo was terrible and I couldn’t eat it. Apologizes for the shitty photos, my blackberry has a 3.2 megapixel cam on it. Well, I guess its back to laundry and then I am Georgia bound tomorrow morning to meet my boy and drive back up the east coast with him. I hope my flag footbal team wins tomorrow morning, if we do, we are in the playoffs for the second season in a row! I do wish I was in D.C. right now though, chillin’ with my girl. But I have got to get things in order and I’m tired as hell! Anyways, see you guys next week!

-tz