I am not a very active member on this board, but I am an active member at AM, especially with anything MMA related. I am preparing for my second pro fight and I have decided to drop down to the 155 lb weight class in MMA. I plan on having at least one more fight at 170 (specifically a rematch w/ my first opponent), but for the most part, I am focused on staying at LW. I have been working on a new routine to maximize strength gains without impairing my recovery. It is similar to a 5x5 program, but it also has some elements of a Westside program.

Mon- Heavy Push/Dynamic Pull day
BB Rows
Flat BP
T-Bar or One-Arm Rows
Dips
Core
Thai Boxing

Wed-Heavy Pull/Dynamic Push
Cleans
Step-Ups
Pull-Ups
Unilateral Leg Press
Hammer Curls
Cardio (Sprints)

Fri-Mix Day
Clean and Press (Dynamic)
Close-Grip BP (Heavy)
BB Rows (Heavy)
Incline DB (Dynamic)
Core
Cardio (Distance)

I have BJJ training on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with Thai Boxing and Judo sprinkled throughout the week. I am going for applicable strength instead of just pure numbers in the gym. I tried a similar routine in January, but it had more volume and it proved to be too much. Hopefully, this time will yield a more positive result.

WooT!

Figured I would start to become more of a presence over here *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*

Yep.

Nice move.

I do what I can. What do you think about the whole Chuck/Wandy BS that is going on right now?

Well Dana hasn't exactly been truthful about certain things in the past, so he may not being totally honest here, either. But I'm thinking it ain't gonna' happen, unfortunately.

It's just a shame it couldn't happen when both were in their prime, though. I mean, the fight still has some appeal to me, but I would have much rather seen them fight while they were at their best. The appeal has been tarnished now that they're both on the downsides of their careers.

But I'm looking forward to Chute Boxe's next generation (Shogun) tearing up the UFC.

He is not only Chute Boxe's next generation; he is the next generation of MMA.

I'll definitely be paying attention to this journal.

I think we will be seeing more Shiya Aokis than Shoguns in the near future...

Good to see you over here, Rodja

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I personally love watching Aoki fight, despite his "unique" fight attire. They are both young and have great futures ahead of them; hell, most of the great LW's are in their early to mid 20's.

Is it..could it be...my favorite guy Rodja over here at M&M!!! Let the picture posting commence!

Aoki is my favorite fighter next to Rampage and Sakuraba.


Flying rubber guard? Fuck yes!

Yesterday, actually this whole week, I was not in the mentality to go balls-out in the gym, but I did the best that I could.
Close-Grip BP - 185x10, 205x8, 225x6
Clean and Press - 115x10, 135x8, 140x6
BB Rows - 225x10, 245x10
Underhand Pulldowns - 160x6x2
Facepulls/Trunk Rotations - 70x15x2/70x20x2

My left shoulder was killing me the entire WO and there is a lot of discomfort when I raise my arm on front of me. Hopefully, it is not anything serious because I cannot afford to have a shoulder injury at this point. I did my distance cardio, which is about 3.5, and I finished it in slightly over 23 minutes. My weight right now is about 178, so this cut is going to be quite difficult for me. Just through training, I know that I will get down to about 173 within the next 4 weeks or so. It is the last four weeks of fight prep that have me a little concerned at the moment.

I didn't go to BJJ today to let my shoulder rest a little so I did some HIIT cardio today. Last week, I did 11 MPH for 30 seconds on a 5% grade with 90 seconds at 4 MPH on a 5% grade 10 times. This week I did 11 MPH on a 5% grade for 40 seconds and 80 seconds at 4 MPH on a 5% grade 5 times and 11 MPH on a 5% grade for 30 seconds and 90 seconds at MPH on a 5% grade. I tried to keep the beginning pace up, but it was too much after 5 times. My HR by the end was between 188-192 BPM, so I was almost at my max HR. I am trying to push myself to be comfortable at that pace so I don't gas out like I did in my first fight.

After the cardio, I sat in the sauna for about 12 minutes to cut a little water weight and to see where I am at weight wise and I weighed-in at 174. Getting closer to where I need to get to, but I could make 170 on Monday if I really needed to, which is always nice to know.

Even though today is my B-Day, I still went to the gym and busted my ass.

Flat BP - 165x4, 185x2, 190x1
BB Rows - 205x3x5 (15 seconds rest)
Dips - BWx10, BW+10x8
Trunk Rotations/Weighted Crunches/Pull-Ups - (60x20/110x30/BWx5)x3 (15 seconds rest)

After lifting, I did HIIT sprints on the treadmill. The sprint was at 11 MPH at a 5% grade and the rest was at 4 MPH at a 5% grade. I did this 10 times and the highest my HR got was ~190 BPM. I sat in the sauna for 13 minutes or so afterward, but I didn't weigh myself today. All in all, this was a very good WO from both a strength and performance perspective.

Yesterday, I worked not only my BJJ, but also trained some GnP. I have never really trained GnP and I know that I need to add this into my arsenal, especially since I am more of a ground fighter than a striker. My cardio wasn't that bad and I worked 3 4-minute rounds without having to gasp horribly for air.

I lifted a little later than normal today because I went out for lunch with my ex-GF (it was for my b-day). I also am going to go spar this evening with some of training partners and do some conditioning as well.

Cleans - 155x6, 165x6, 185x6 (I felt really good on these today)
Step-Ups - 90x6x3 (5 seconds rest between sets, focusing on hip flexors)
One-Arm Rows - 100x8x2
Unilateral Leg Press - 2 platesx6x3 (5 seconds rest, explosive)
Woodchoppers - 50x10x2

This WO has a heavy emphasis on hip power to help with sweeps, bridges, etc. On every exercise, sans one-arm rows, I focused on exploding with my hip/pelvic muscles. I haven't really done cleans in about a year, but I am almost at the same weight now as then and I am about 10 lbs lighter. Weight today pre-WO, after a pretty heavy lunch, was 176.5.

My sparring/conditioning session went really well today. I am not near where I would like to be, but I did very well for being in the early stages of fight preparation. I did 3, 3-minute rounds of cross-training and calisthenics and 3, 4-minute rounds of sparring. I was not ridiculously tired and felt like I had more in the tank even after lifting and biking ~7 miles today. The only part that sucked was that my sparring partner and I both went for a takedown and we knocked heads. I got hit about 3 inches above my temple and it took me a few minutes to recover, but I got lucky really; the other guy got hit in the top of his head and it slightly compressed his neck. He is okay, but I am sure that we will both have nice bums and bruises tomorrow.

So when do you start flipping 250 lb. tires ala Sherk?

Funny that you mention that because one of my friends has a tire that he flips in the parking lot. I am not sure how much it weighs, but it is a bitch to flip.

I figured I would resurrect this log since my goal is still the same. There have been quite a few changes to my routine, however.

Schedule

Mon-Max Chest, Back, Biceps/MMA
Tues-Lower Body/BJJ
Wed-Cardio/MMA
Thurs-Dynamic Chest, Back/BJJ
Fri-Cardio/Conditioning
Sat-Triceps, Delts, Traps/Cardio

Supplements

EvoPro-1.5 scoops/day
RPM-4 caps before lifting
BCAA-20-30g/day
IGF-2-10-12 caps/day
b-AT-3 squirts/day
Reset AD-2 caps/day

Diet Plan

Mondays-170P/350C/70F (1g/lb, 2.0g/lb, .4g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2710 (25/52/23)

Tuesdays- 260P/175C/90F (1.5g/lb, 1g/lb, .5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2550 (40/30/30)

Wednesdays- 260P/130C/90F(1.5g/lb,.75g/lb,.5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake--2370 (44/22/34)

Thursdays- 170P/350C/70F(1g/lb,2.0g/lb,.4g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2710 (25/52/23)

Fridays- 260P/175C/90F (1.5g/lb, 1g/lb, .5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2550 (40/30/30)

Saturdays- 220P/130C/90F (1.25g/lb, .75g/lb, .5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2210 (40/24/36)

Sundays-Free Day

I started this yesterday and here were my lifts and kcals

Flat BP-1x185x3
BB Rows-3x245x12
Incline DB-3x60x10, 8, 6
DB Rows (DC)-1x110x10+5
Hammer Curl/Facepulls-1x50/1x90x8/12,1x55/1x90x5+5+4/12
Comments- awesome energy, focus, intensity; lacking chest endurance; great pulling strength/mind-muscle connection; lower back and knees were tender, did BB Rows slightly lighter; PR on Hammer Curls; IGF-2 is potent/sluggish for most of the day

5 miles of running

Mondays-170P/350C/70F (1g/lb, 2.0g/lb, .4g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2710 (25/52/23)
Actual Kcal Intake-185/358/65=2757 (27/53/20)

Meal 1- 3 eggs (1 yolk), 2 oz TX grillers, 1C oats, 1 oz honey
30/80/12-548 8g fiber Actual Kcal-516

Meal 2- 4 FF Hot Dogs w/ Turkey Chilli
45/114/7-699 20g fiber Actual Kcal-619

Meal 3-EvoPro w/ .5C oats and banana
30/60/6-414 6g fiber Actual Kcal-390

Meal 4-Turkey, Bacon, and Cheese Sandwich w/ Yogurt
25/50/15-435 4g fiber Actual Kcal-419

Meal 5- Same as meal 2 w/ 2 oz cheese
55/110/25-885 18g fiber Actual Kcal-813

Tuesday

Dynamic Squats-3x185x5
Reverse Lunges- 3x125x5
Unilateral Squats-40'sx3x5
Weighted Hypers-BW+25x3x15
Comments-kinda hazy/unfocused, possibly from overcast weather;good pump in thighs and lower back;decent strength, but low energy

2 miles of cardio before injuring my right ankle

Tuesdays- 220P/175C/90F (1.25g/lb, 1g/lb, .5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake-2390 (37/29/34)
Actual Kcal Intake-220/174/51=2035 (43/34/23)

Meal 1- 3 eggs (1 yolk), 2 oz turkey, .5C oats, banana
30/60/10-450 6g fiber Actual Kcal-426
Meal 2- 4 oz chicken, large salad
35/5/5-205 3g fiber Actual Kcal-193
Meal 3- 1.5 scoops EvoPro, banana, banana nut muffin
40/80/8-552 4g fiber Actual Kcal-520
Meal 4- 3 eggs (1 yolk), 2 oz chicken, 2 slices whole-grain bread, grape jelly, spinach
30/40/9-352 5g fiber Actual Kcal-332
Meal 5- 6 oz chicken, large salad
45/5/5-245 3g fiber Actual Kcal-233
Meal 6- 1.5 scoops EvoPro, 1oz Sunflower seeds
40/5/14-306 1g fiber Actual Kcal-302

I was supposed to have an MMA training day yesterday, but I wanted to give my ankle some extra rest

Diet

Wednesdays- 260P/130C/90F(1.5g/lb,.75g/lb,.5g/lb)
Projected Kcal Intake--2370 (44/22/34)
Actual Kcal Intake-225/128/70=2042 (44/25/31)

Meal 1- 4 eggs (2 yolks), 5 strips bacon, 2 slices toast, banana
30/60/14-486 6g fiber Actual Kcal-462
Meal 2- 4 eggs (2 yolks), 3 oz turkey. Tomatoes, mushrooms
35/10/12-288 3g fiber Actual Kcal-276
Meal 3- 8 oz beef, 1C beans, 1C green beans
50/30/7-383 11g fiber Actual Kcal-339
Meal 4- 4 eggs (2 yolks), 5 strips bacon
30/0/14-246 0g fiber Actual Kcal-246
Meal 5- 4 eggs (1 yolk), 1 scoop EvoPro, .5C oats, .25C raisins
45/50/8-452 6g fiber Actual Kcal-428
Meal 6- 1 can tuna, 1 avocado, tomatoes
35/8/15-307 4g fiber Actual Kcal-291

Are you downing all those eggs for the AA?

Just stumbled across this log Rodja...very interesting...

I have a few friends that train at Serra here on Long Island (NY), and I always thought they were nuts the way they trained, but now I see you're all crazy like that!

No, it was all I had in the fridge yesterday, but all of the research I see on AA really makes me want to try X-Factor. I will be keeping a log of that experience as well.

Some call us crazy, I like to say that it is a constructive form of OCD.

I have been downing 12 whole eggs on workout days and flax meal and fish oil on rest days (alternating) and i'll say eggs are probably the best value supplement I have tried... It was pretty easy to notice the difference too... You should grab a few eggs and give it a try... Unless you are watching your cholesterol and fat intake... The swelling and pain is fairly obvious... If you have any damage you don't know about, it will soon show its self (apparently my wrist that I broke 8 years ago is still damaged...)...

That is what I am afraid of; training becomes very difficult when I get really bad DOMS. I get so many little nagging injuries as I prepare for a fight that I really cannot afford to make them worse.

I dunno, the pain is there but it's not so bad and it is consistent enough that you become used to it... Maybe this is a test for a time when you have a few days to recover if things are to painful?

It is something that I will try eventually and I usually add extra whole eggs because I tend to eat very little fat.

Todays Training

11/8-Dynamic Chest, Back

Dips/Pull-Up-5xBWx5/5
DB Snatch-3x55x8
T-Bar Rows-1x3+25, 1+3+35, 1+4x 10/10/8
Ab Cicuit- Trunk Rotations/Weighted Crunches3x60x12/3x110x30
Rear Flys/Crossovers-3x45x12/3x60x12
Comments-insane sweating/energy; great focus, intensity, strength, pump, vascularity, mind-muscle connection;loving the IGF2 so far; hypo during cardio; high DOMS in thighs/glutes
Cardio- 6 miles of running in 44 minutes, but had to stop due to hypoglycemia

Friday was a cardio only day and I did the same run as on Thursday, but I didn't go hypo this time and I somehow shaved my time down to 38:15. My HR got up to 196 and my average was in the 160-165 range. Extreme by some standards, but I remain fairly comfortable at 80% of my MHR.

Saturday's lifts

CG-BP-1x155x5
Military Press-1x135x5
BB Shrugs-1x185, 2x195x12
Tricep Pushdowns-2x170x12
Side Laterals-3x40x10

My right shoulder was a little cranky, so I didn't push too hard on the lifts. Weight is cruising at about 173 and my strength is feeling solid. Cardio is obviously great adn I am looking forward to what IGF-2 will do for my training.

Today was a fantastic WO. Didn't quite put up some of the numbers I was looking for, but still a great training day.

Dips-1xBW+60x5
Pull-Ups-2xBW+10x5, 4+2
Flat DB Press-1x60x12, 2x65x10, 8
Seated Cable Rows-1x150x12, 2x180x10
BB Curls/Rear Flys-3x85x10/3x45x12

Comments-great pump, vascularity, and focus; right shoulder slightly unstable; good contractions; solid strength; look slightly leaner

Mon-Cardio- 6 miles in 37:30, but took a different route that was less uphill. Started to gas out towards the end, but I also went straight from lifting to cardio.

I forgot to add that I started taking SesaThin today at 1.25mL, 3x/day.

Forgot to update last night

11/13- Lower

Deadlifts-1x315x5
Uni-LP-2x2 platesx10
Hypers-3xBWx15
Woodchoppers/weighted Crunches-3x60x10/3x110x30
Comments-good strength, M-M connection; right glute/ham tie-in tight; good energy, focus, cardio during BJJ; increased acne, oil, and erections; bruise on patella still not healed
Cardio- 1 hour of BJJ

11/14
55 minutes of running with HR avg ~160BPM, but no clue on distance; at least 8.5 miles

I'd like to hear what your dosing protocol is on the PGF2.

FWIW,I suggest not even bothering with AA/eggs.

I'd think MAN's Blueprint + Captopril (increased NO production from both,cap potentiates any arginine supp like fuck all,and more pain resitance from the former) along with long term,low dose var for its effects on connective tissue/overall joint health would be what you're after.This trifecta would be ridiculously better than a compound that would surely increase DOMS and any lingering injuries you may have.Generic cap would also run you about $5 per month,not bad at all.

Ref for var:

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=28085

Blueprint,MAN's write up on their site explains the pain reduction:

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/index.p...mp;hl=blueprint

Well, I am using IGF-2 by Applied Nutriceuticals at 10 caps/day. Today was day 10 and I am noticing more erections, aggressiveness, and pumps in the gym. It is hard to say if it has improved my cardio, but I am noticing much more fullness and vascularity.

Oh,I had I thought that you were refering to the injectible.That's bullocks in comparison,no offense.

I imagine that it is, but I am staying on the natural side of things. I am still getting some solid results from it though.

11/15- Dynamic Chest, Back, Abs

Flat BP-5x125x5 (15 seconds rest)
DB Rows-3x110x10
Facepulls/Dips-3x90x15/3xBWx12
Ab Circuit- crunches, side bends, hanging raises-3xBWx50/10/10
Comments- lower back very tight, minor strain of bicep, couldn't do cleans; solid M-M on rows and dips

Cardio- ~8 miles in 52 minutes

Solid training day today. I felt great and the weather outside was perfect for cardio. I also discovered that Darude's "Sandstorm" is great music for training. Hopefully, my back/neck heal up by Saturday so I can really hit it hard that day. After I was done training and had my post-WO meal, I completely passed out on the couch for about an hour. I know that I have been pushing myself really hard this week and I may take tomorrow off for my CNS and achilles to get some extra rest. I am also going to increase my kcal consumption tomorrow by 10-15%.

11/17-Triceps, Delts, Traps

CG-BP-1x165x6, 1x185x4
Standing MP-1x115x10, 1x125x8
Pushdowns/DB Shrugs-3x180x12/1x75x12, 2x80x12
Leaning Side Laterals-3x40x10
Comments- hell of a pump, vascularity, endurance; day off really helped; best WO so far on this stack; seemingly endless focus and cardio

Cardio-32 minutes running ~6 miles

I finally got my methyl-B12 and I pinned 1 mg yesterday afternoon. My delts and triceps were pumped after my warm-up sets on close-grip and it just got better throughout the WO. I felt so refreshed this morning after I took yesterday off to recuperate.

11/19

Flat BP-1x185x5, 1x190x2
BB Rows-1x275x12, 2x285x10
Incline DB-3x60x10, 10, 9
DB Rows (DC)-1x120x8+5+4 (PR)
Hammer Curl/Facepulls-3x55x6/3x90x15
Comments- PR on DB Rows; took a while to focus mentally; good sweat during lifts and cardio; extremely fatigued by the end of session; noticing effects of discontinuing BA; finished cardio on will-power, not energy

Cardio- ~6 miles in 40 minutes

I am really starting to notice the recomp effects of the IGF-2, b-AT, and Sesamin oil. I am leaning out nicely, but I have no idea what my current weight is. Pulling strength is increasing steadily, unfortunately, the highest DBs are 120's so I may have to DC another exercise next time. After I was done with this lifting/cardio session, I came home, ate a meal, and fell asleep for about 30 minutes. I also got very little sleep on Saturday night, which I am sure negatively impacted my performance today.

not that it's extremely important or anything but just because something is A - oral and B - manufactured by a mainstream company doesn't mean your keeping things "natural". Hormonal support is what it is. If your willing to go for the igf supplement that's oral - which means your not against the super physiological results of igf it's supposedly giving you why not go for the real thing?

Needle fear or legality fear? Both are adequate reasons in my book. Just curious.

Liohrr or rodja - either of you tried captopril yet???

I do not fear either, but I think there is a lot of confusion as to what IGF-2 is, so here is the label

Propietary Blend: 700 mg
Safed Musli (50% Extract)
Mucuna Pruriens (standardized to 25% L-Dopa)
Rhodiola Rosea (3% Rosavins)
Dodder Seed (Cuscuta Chineses)

Yeah, but I'm sure they claim great increases in IGF which was my point.

Granted I haven't actually looked, and if so - I've once again made an ass out of myself damn...

AN touts it as a Test and GH booster. I can vouch for the Test increasing, but I really have no basis for comparison on the GH aspect. My sleep is improved, but that could also be from the Rhodiola.

11/20-Lower

Step-Ups-3x35 DBx5
SLDL-3x155x8
Reverse Lunge/Squat-3x95x10/3x95x55
Weighted Hypers-3xBWx15
Weighted Abs- Trunk Rotations/Weighted Crunches-3x70x12/3x110x30
Comments- Felt good during lifting; good weat, focus, intensity; cardio was not good, couldn't maintain my pace

Tues-5 miles ~40 minutes
Wed-6 miles ~40 minutes (forced myself to keep going, but didn't have any spring in my step; bad session)

11/22-Dynamic Chest, Back

Dips/Pull-Up-5xBWx5/5xBWx3
DB Snatch-3x65x6 (PR)
T-Bar Rows-1x4 platesx12
DB Rows-2x110x12
Ab Circuit- crunches, side bends, hangin raises-3x50/3x15/3x15
Rear Flys/Crossovers-1x45x12/1x60x12, 2x50x12/2x70x12
Comments- great contractions, strength, pump, and vascularity; minor soreness in back from Monday's training; great WO

Today is also the first day that I began dosing the IGF-2 at 12 caps/day and will be double dosing my SesaThin and R-ALA for damage control from the gorging that is about to commence. I am leaning out quite well and my strength is continuing to improve at a very steady rate. The fullness in my muscles in insane and I have never previously experienced this from a NHA product. I will admit that I was somewhat skeptical about IGF-2, but AN nailed it with this product. I am curious about my weight because I look and feel bigger, but my core is leaning out much faster than I anticipated.

11/23

Cardio-5 miles ~33 minutes. I felt good throughout the run even though it is about 45 degrees here and I am not used to running in the cold. It took my body a good 2 miles to really warm-up, but my breathing was not effected. Yesterday's gorge fest was a really good thing for me mentally and physically. I woke up today replenished and very focused on my training today.

My physique is really starting to change and it is great reinforcement to keep me on the right track. Depending on where my weight is at, I may not drop down to LW because I really don't handle large weight cuts very well. My last fight was the first time I really felt "ready to go" and I really attribute this to having to cut only 6 pounds and not having to "diet." By no means will I start eating junk, but I will be able to enjoy life along the way instead of having to be constantly consumed by my weight.

11/24-
CG-BP-1x185x6, 1x195x4
Military Press-1x135x5, 1x140x5
BB Shrugs-1x205x15, 2x215x12
Tricep Pushdowns-2x170x12, 1x180x8
Side Laterals-3x40x10

Comments- great strength, pump, vascularity, focus; PR on CG-BP, MP, Pushdowns; consistent strength improvements; BF shrinking everyday

Cardio
45 min BJJ, 20 min Elliptical

11/26-Max Chest, Back, Biceps

Dips-2xBW+70x5
Pull-Ups-1xBW+10x6, 1xBW+20x5
Flat DB Press-2x65x10, 1x70x8
BB Curls/Facepulls-1x95x10/1x90x15, 1x100x8/1x100x15, 1x105x6+3+2/1x100x15
Comments- didn't do cable rows, somehow forgot about them; PR on Dips, Pull-Ups, Curls, Facepulls; good cardio, focus; insane bicep/chest/forearm pump; no much of a sweat, but weather has been cooler; great WO overall

Cardio
20 min elliptical (219.4 kcals); 6 miles ~40 minutes

11/27-Lower

SL Deadlifts-1x185x8, 1x205x6, 1x215x6 6
Reverse Lunges/Squats-3x135x5/10
Uni LP-3x2 platesx10
Hypers- xBWx15
Weighted Abs-Trunk Rotations/Weighted Crunches-3x70x12/3x120x30
Comments- good WO to good HR going; nothing spectactular, but not designed to be that way; great cardio today

Cardio-
Tue-20 min elliptical (225.0 kcals)*; 6 miles ~37 minutes

*I use this kcal counter as a gauge for intensity and for a goal during my session, not a cut and dry number of kcals burned.