Chest & Back

I can't even express in words how great it feels to be back into a normal routine, hitting macros, and crushing the gym! Don't get me wrong, I loved spending time with my family over the holiday season, but the worst part about taking time off like that is getting back into the roiutines. It was well worth the time off, both physically and mentally, but that simply marks the countdown to the STAGE! I'm going to do be doing my normal 3 day on, 1 day off rotation alternating heavier days with lighter days without a progression for starters and go from there.

BB Rack Deadlifts

I started off with this exercise and took my working up to my working sets. One of my Christmas gifts this year was a nice, thick Cardillo Belt. Once I start getting up to the heavier weights where my core is the limiting factore instead of the muscle group I am primarily working, I will start using a belt to lift more weight. I am surprised I didn't lose a lot of strength over my hiatus. I was able to bust out top sets of:

675 for 8 reps, 725 for 5 reps, 765 for 3 reps

I was amazed I can even pull 8 plates each side off the rack...that's the first time I've ever been able to do that! I mean, it's no Layne Norton world record raw deadlift off the floor, but it's a start! ;)

BB Incline Press

My chest is one of those body parts that seems to suffer the most strength loss after time off from the gym. Although the strength loss in this case was very minor, it still doesn't surprise me that chest was one of them. Form felt good, and had a really good spotter that slightly helped about half way through on the last rep of the last two sets to keep the bar moving...which most of you know that a really good spotter can make a big difference in the set! I was able to perform top sets of:

320 for 5 reps, 5 reps (spotter help on rep 5), 4 reps (spotter help on rep 4)

I thought about staying at 315 and going for sets of 6ish, but decided to go a litle heavier instead. It wasn't a bed few sets and I will take them for now and build off of them.

Rack Chins

I must say...after the rack deadlifts, my back was pretty spent! For these, I brought the seat in a little closer and set up more upright to do more of a pulldown movement. I was able to still lift pretty heavy and get what I need done in spite of the previous rack deads sets. My top sets were:

BW+150 for 6 reps, BW+200 for 5 reps, 5 reps

I will be working this exercise in on a regular basis due to the fact I can perform a heavy back exercise without incororating my lower back. The more I can keep it fresh and recovered, the more I can continue to do all the heavy compound lifting that I do.

DB Incline Flys

As you've noticed, I dropped back down to 315 for my second set here. I have done 325 with really strong reps before, but today I just wasn't feeling it. I think the heavier rack chins today took a little more out of me than usual, so I had to bump it down to 315 for set 2. The first set was to "trappy" with the pulls off the floor. With 315 though, the reps were solid and it right where I wanted them to.

DB Incline Flys: 105s for 9 reps, 8 reps

The only potential problem that I see here is that the gym I am now lifting at for the remainer of tax season only has DBs that go up to 100lbs. That really sucks, but there is nothing that I can do since EVERY gym in this town is the exact same way. There have been several people along the way in my journals advising different ways to get around that, and i am now looking into those options as we speak. But for now, it's just the 100s and my sets were:

100s for 12 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps

I went a little slower and really focused on maximum contraction throughout the range of motion. My chest was tore up by the end of the sets and that was a great way to finish the workout. I walked out feeing both mentally and physically euphoric!

Diet has been in check since Monday of this week. By "in check" I mean that I have been counting out macros, hitting numbers, balancing out meals, timing carbohydrates, etc. I have been getting a lot of emails and questions about my daily diet and supplement regimen as of right now, so I will outline a typical day's worth.

Meal 1: 4 scoops of Scivation Solution 5 & 3 slices of Sun Maid Cinnamon Raisin Bread - 17.5g fat, 70g carbs, 51g of protein

Meal 2: 2 turkey (Boar's Head Blazing Buffalo) & cheese (Sargento reduced fat) sandwiches (Sara Lee wheat bread) - 16g fat, 70g carbs, 55.5g protein

Meal 3: 6oz of grilled chicken breast strips (Tyson), 3 oz. of spaghetti pasta (Generic), 2 servings of shredded cheese (Sargento reduced fat) - 19.5g, 69g carbs, 62.5g protein

(Pre-Workout) Meal 4: 2 packets of oatmeal (Quaker Instant - flavor varies), 2 scoops of Scivation Whey - 6g fat, 56g carbs, 50g protein

(Post-Workout) Meal 5: 2 packets of oatmeal (Quaker Instant - flavor varies), 2 scoops of Scivation Whey - 6g fat, 56g carbs, 50g protein

Daily Totals (on average): 65g fat, 320g carbs, 270g protein

I hope that gives a better idea of how I do things concerning my diet. I am a simple person and always opt for the simplest approach. I am completely fine with eating the same foods for simplicity sake. I mix them up of course, and I don't always eat waht is above, but I typically eat 5 meals a day and split up my macros in that fashion. Sometimes I will leave out the cheese and take some EFAs, Sesamin, or Max CLA. If it looks like I will be longer than 2-2.5 hours between a meal, I will down 2 scoops of xtend. I'm always adapting my diet every day to coincide with whatever life throws at me. I think that's really the important part. Once you have the understanding and awareness of the basics down, it becomes much easier to nail nutrition no matter how hectic life gets.

Sporto

New Year, New Blog!

What a year! I can honestly say that 2009 was a great year all around and I am very excited to see what the new year will bring! This last year was full of life changes, and I don't see this year being any different. After a successful tax season last year, I picked up golfing as a new hobby and have officially become addicted to the game. I think I honestly love the game as much as it frustrates me! I also had a very successful year prepping clients for both on and offseason work and have felt very fortunate to have made so many great new friends in this industry. I can't begin to tell you the amount of fulfillment it brings to help other people reach their goals the way someone helped me achieve mine. Also, for those who don't know, I am now married to the love of my life - Kera - who not only happens to be my companion in life, but is also my best friend. We were married in early October and followed it up by taking a week long honeymoon in Bora Bora, Tahiti. We stayed in a really nice overwater bungalow, and in fact, the movie The Couples Retreat was filmed directly across the lagoon from where we were staying. To bring the old year to a close, I was able to spend the holidays with family and friends that I don't normally get to see but maybe once a year and have good quality time with them.

So now as the old year closes, a new one opens! I am currently back in my hometown and prepping the office for the upcoming tax season. In addition, I am still finding time to get my workouts in, as well as handling contest preparation for several clients that will be competing in spring shows. I have started up this new blog to post my workouts, diets, supplementation, philosophies, etc. in addition to the sites that I already post on frequently. I will have a new website up soon, which Bob Kupniewski has generously helped me with in setting up in his spare time, and hope to have that up and running very shortly.

As for competing, I have plans to step on stage in my pro debut this fall. I haven't quite nailed down the exact shows I will be doing (much of that decision depends on what all is going on in my life at the time), but one thing is for sure - I will be setting my sights on Layne Norton in Florida come November! If everything works out, Layne and I will be competing against each other in the NGA Universe down in Florida late next year, so for those of you who follow either of us, be sure to check that out as the time comes!

With that being said, I look forward to a brand new year!

Sporto

Five for Five with Tommy Jeffers – Part Two

If you missed Part One of the interview:Click Here


RZ: Having followed your progress from day one, your development has been a true inspiration. What did you learn about yourself during your most recent journey to striated glutes?

TJ: Thanks! I appreciate that! I can tell you, I learned a great deal about myself in the weeks leading up to that last competition. You start to experience some really dramatic changes, not only physically, but even more so psychologically. As you diet down to ultra lean levels, most of your hormonal processes start to shut down. Hunger shoots through the roof, libido is non-existent, mood is all over the place, etc. It’s one of those things that you can’t really describe very well; you just have to experience it to fully understand what I mean. When I say hunger, I’m not talking about your normal, every day, “I’m hungry for lunch” type of hunger. I’m talking about you being hungry as you are eating, hungry immediately after you eat, and hungry to the point that food gives you no satiety whatsoever.

Now, apply that analogy to mood swings and try to get a picture of just how cranky you can be. I’ve learned how disciplined I can be if I want to be. I’ve learned the TRUE meaning of patience. I’ve learned which people in my life truly care about and support me. I mean, the list goes on and on. Bodybuilding can be a very humbling experience, but you have to be doing it for the right reasons for it to be.

RZ: A lot of bodybuilders are hyper-obsessive compulsives. Eating disorders and body image issues are ever-present. How do you keep an even keel on things and avoid some of the negative behaviors typically associated with physique sports (i.e. binge eating, starvation, etc.)?

TJ: To fully understand why the majority of people act in that way, you have to take a look at the root of the problem. See, as I mentioned earlier in the interview, I got into bodybuilding the way most do – I had insecurity issues within myself. But, in my case, I learned what health, fitness, bodybuilding, etc. was really all about. I not only worked on my physique, but I was also working on myself as a person. Then, inevitably, my reasons why I was doing everything changed. You have to be into bodybuilding, sports, or whatever for the right reasons. If you think having a great body will solve all of your insecurity issues, you are wrong. Having a nice physique is great, but it’s still nothing more than working on the surface. You have to work on yourself as well. What I see in the people who have those issues is a great deal of insecurity. The look they have on the outside is just a façade and covers up how they feel about themselves on the inside. I maintain an even keel because I continually work on myself as a person. I read self-help and personal development books, attend church, and surround myself with positive people. And you know what? My quality of life is much better and I am able to enjoy the physique I am building because I am doing it for the right reasons.

RZ: Name your top three most influential diet and nutrition specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The first one would have to be the guy that really was the first one to open my eyes to diet and training – Lyle McDonald. The big thing Lyle really taught me about diet/nutrition, was that my body really does hate me. Seriously though, the body does not want to be big and lean, it wants to be small and fat in times of severe dieting and ultra leanness (like contest prep). He really helped explain to me about the things that go on when dieting for a contest and what things we have control over, what things we can do, etc. Still to this day, he continues to give advice to me whenever I ask anything from him, and I highly recommend reading the books he has out. That’s not a shameless plug either…his books are loaded with incredible information about nutrition and physiology.

The second would have to be Layne Norton. I followed him through his journey to becoming a professional, and have since started working with him and picking his brain every chance I get. The biggest thing that Layne has taught me has to do with contest prep and not cutting out water. I, like most other natural amateurs, had been brainwashed into thinking that you need to cut water to get dry. It simply is the exact opposite. Of the many things about contest prep that he has taught me, not cutting water was the biggest eye opener for me.

The third would have to be Marc Lobliner from Scivation/Primaforce. His continuing effort to optimize all dieting approaches has had him researching many different areas. The big thing I have learned from Marc has been the different ways to skin a cat. Seriously, there is no one way to skin a cat. So many approaches can be used for different people and it’s al about finding that right approach that someone can stick to and get results from.

RZ: Name your top three most influential training specialists and a single lesson learned from each of them.

TJ: The three I mentioned above have really been influential to me in both nutrition and training. Layne has taught me a great deal about optimal approaches of training, especially for specific muscle groups, and setting up splits that just flat out work. He’s taught me a lot about slow and steady progress with small adjustments over time being the key.

Lyle, with his “no bullshit” approach has gotten all of the typical brainwashing I had from the magazines and media out of my head and taught me a lot about the differences in styles of training between naturals and drug users. I, like many others, have fallen victim to believing what I see in the mainstream media as far as training, nutrition, and the worst, supplements. Lyle has grounded me to constantly rely on the tried and true (what’s been proven to work) and always build your training schemes off of the basics – bench, squats, and deadlifts.

The third I’d probably have to go with Dante (Doggcrap). His style of training has opened up my eyes on a lot of things. I believe in a lot of his principles, especially the rest pause set, and try to incorporate his principles into my workouts all year round. Just in adding rest pauses alone, I’ve seen dramatic improvements in my physique in just weeks. He really knows his stuff and his philosophies are solid.

RZ: Are cheerios the secret to mad gainz, sw0le trapz, and rippt abz?

TJ: You bet your ass they are! Whether it’s cheerios, oats, pastas, breads, you name it…just remember that carbohydrates are not the enemy! When used right, they can be very beneficial on any dieting approach.

RZ: Tommy – you are a true sport, no pun intended… okay maybe. Once again, congrats on everything – you deserve it all.

Link For Interview #2