About Josh

Josh is orginally from Columbus, OH and is currently living in Wisconsin. He is a strength and conditioning specialist and track and field coach (throws). He is currently working on getting down to 200lbs and the quest to a 500 lbs Raw Bench.

Week of 7/20/09

Update
Havent posted in some time. Things have been a little busy. Still trying to balance starting an online company and working another job.  I have recently started a new job at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI. I am the strength and conditioning coach and throws coach for the track team.  Just moved out here at the beginning of July.  Its nice being by Lake Michigan and being closer to home (Columbus, OH). Seems like a great place to live and great place to start a career.  Training has been on the back burner but now that Im all moved in things are getting back in a rountine. Its hard without a training partner but just have to make due.  Probably took like a month off so its like starting over.

Strength is down and body weight is up.  Benching around 425 (down 30lbs) and my body weight is 230 (up 20lbs).  So there is some work to do. I decided to go back to the beginning and build a good base.  Starting with an accumulation block to get ready for whats to come.  This block is going to be 12 weeks.  I think it will help me down the road when things get heavy and specific for what im trying to achieve. Its time to get serious and quit bull shiting around and getting off track.

Transitioning from being a collegiate athlete to just lifting to lift has been hard.  Before I lifted to improve athletically so it was easy to stay focused. Now, at times, I find it hard to keep focus because there isnt anything im working towards athletically. Im not competing for anything so its easy to get side tracked.I think the main thing I need to do is find something that will give me that drive back. I've been thinking about competing in powerlifting just to give me something to work towards. I'm not sure but I need something to get into again and be competitive again.

Anything I ever do is either all out or nothing.  No sense in wasting time or doing something half ass. So as soon as I focus in on what I want to do the easier it will be to focus on achieving something.  Its just figuring out what thats going to be. 

Here is what I did today:

Close Grip Barbell Bench 3x6
Dips 3x12
Rope Pushdown 3x25

Standing Reverse EZ Curl 3x6
Hammer Curl 3x12
Machine Bicep Curl 3x25

I was gased by then so I decided to call it a day.  Going to try a new core program out tomorrow.  Then later in the week do a torso workout.  I need to get a X-Ray on my back to see whats going on there so I can start doing legs again.  I think I either have a slipped disc or something major because if I try to do legs after a week I cant walk or stand up straight for 2 weeks.  So now that I have insurance its time to get that looked at and fixed.   

Week of 3/22/09

Nutrition
Went off of the diet for 2 weeks. Ate like complete shit. Diet consisted of little debbies, ice cream, and any other sugar filled food. I bet I averaged at least one box of little debbies a day during this time period. Eating like this made me sick as hell the first couple days but luckily I adjusted. 50 mcnuggets no problem during this phase.

This week I decided it was time to get back on it.  Just trying to eat clean this week. Weight didnt shoot up to bad came back around 223.  This time around Im going to allow myself 1 cheat meal per week.

Lifting
Lifting has been going well.  Hit 335x4+4 on chain dropset bench. All this is is 4 reps with chains and then 4 reps without.  This week I'm doing ascending board bench 5x6. 2 reps no board, 2 reps 1 board, 2 reps 2 board. Worked up to 385 on my 3rd set and it was easy but felt a slight tweak in my pec so I stopped and just finished my back exercises. Should be good to go next week.

Business
The whole experience of creating a website and starting a business has been quite a learning experience. We are still trying to find where we fit in.  We are slowly increasing in views and adding features to our site.  I think the best thing we have is the membership page.  For just $9.99 you can have a workout that usually cost much more to our personal training clients.  I think people need to remember that the results are in the workouts and not the personal trainer sitting there counting out the reps, sets and rest periods.  It might be a little confusing at first trying to figure out how to read our programs with tempos, groupings, etc. but once you do it is no problem implementing it yourself.

Some recent updates to the business
        Max Effort Bench Ebook Manual is now complete
        Products have been made availiable
        Membership page is free and you can print the workouts in pdf format
        T-shirts are in the works
        10 more exercises have been added to the index. We are getting close to 500
        Our youtube page has taken off
        Our next Ebook 12 week Body Transformation is nearing completion

Week of 2/2/09

Nutrition
High Carb Day- 400g carbs, 100g protein, 0g fat
Medium Carb- 200g carbs, 200g protein, 10g fat
Low Carb- 100g carbs, 300g protein, 15g fat

Week 1- Starting weight 225
             Ending weight 221

Note: Had trouble eating all the meals. By the end of the day you will hate food. 5 meals a day ate every 2-3 hrs.

Cardio
3 30 min low intensity cardio
2 30 min high intensity cardio

Lifting
Lactic Conditioning
Monday- Arm Workout
Tuesday- Leg Workout
Wednesday- Core Workout
Thursday- Torso Workout
Friday- Core Workout

This phase, lifting consisted mostly of high reps, low rest, and like muscle groups. Kicked my ass all week and felt weak because the weight was pretty low. I knew it was going to be like this because that is what this phase is all about, lactic threshold.

For example on Torso Day
A1. Flat Barbell Bench 3x6 (stayed at 315)
A2. Incline DB Bench 3x12 (started at 85 then went to shit)
A3. Standing Band Bench 3x25 (Im sure this would just be funny to watch had nothing)

No rest until you get to A3. After that had some accessory stuff.

12/9/08

Max Effort Bench Phase 1

Powell Raise 3x12
External Rotation 3x12
1 Board Bench 6,5,4,5,6
1 1/4 Pull Up 6,5,4,5,6
1 1/4 Incline Bench 3x10
Tricep Extension w/ Blast Straps 3x12
Wide Grip Rows 3x10
Standing Barbell Curl Dropset 3x12

12/8/08

Cardio

Intervals on Treadmill 60 on 60 off 10 times

Core
Band Crunch
Ab Pullin
Woodchop w/ Medball
Lower Body Rotation
QL Raise
Side Flexion on Bench

3x12 on everything


11/25/08

Core

Single Leg Ab Pullin 3x8
Double Leg Ab Pullin 3x8
Situp Medball Toss 3x12
Supine Lower Body Rotation 3x10
Reverse Woodchop Medball Toss 3x15
Offset Lunge 3x8
Side Flexion on Bench3x10
Reverse Hyper 3x15

30 min of Cardio

11/24/08

Upper

Bench 225x25, 225x20, 225x20
Neutral Grip Pull Ups BWx20, BWx15, BWx15
1 1/4 Dips 3x10 BW
DB Tricep Extension 3x12
Low Pulley Curl 3x10 90
Hammer Curl 3x12 35

11/21/08

30 min of Cardio

Core workout- rocking chairs, windshield wipers, QL Raise, Garhammer Complex, and opposite arm opposite leg raise 3x12 each

11/20/08

Bench 3x20 225
Supinated Pull Ups 3x20 BW
1 1/4 Dips 3x10 BW
Incline DB Tricep Extension 3x10 35
Standing Barbell Curl  3x10 95
Seated Hammer Curl   3x10 35
"L" Raise w/ External Rotation 2x12 10
"T" Raise 2x2 10