DAY 25 - 40/30/30/Stretch-Pause, Part 7

WEIGHT = 173.0 LBS (Same as DAY 23. A bit surprising considering the size of the steak I ate on DAY 24!)

WORKOUT

Pre-workout there wasn't too much to report other than feeling totally ready to hit the weights when it came time to workout. With only 2 workouts to go on the program, I was fired up and my muscles felt good!

Protocol today was chest, back, biceps, calves, and traps. I noticed a marked improvement in my chest strength as I was able to get more reps on the flat bench than I had previously. Very intense squeeze on the pecs, too!

For back, it was time for dead lifts, which...kicked my A$$! I think I could've ended the workout after the 2nd set! By the 3rd mini-set of the last cycle, I was spent and could only get 1 good rep and barely moved the bar attempting the 2nd! What a great exercise!

Thankfully biceps are less aerobic so I could catch my breath. Reverse curls were done as the contraction exercise and incline curls for the stretch. My arms are my best "workers" and really did some work tonight. I had veins popping out everywhere!

Once again, I just couldn't seem to work my calves hard enough with the equipment I have. The only thing I can figure is that they're stronger than I thought after all those sessions of jumping rope and jumping jacks during my Combat The Fat training. Before starting another cycle of the program, I need to figure out how to do calf raises more effectively.

To work the traps and finish out the workout it was shrugs. I've grown to like those a lot over the last 4 weeks. I'm pretty sure they did some good for rounding out my shoulders, too!

This workout lasted just short of an hour and I felt it! Good stuff!

DIET

Breakfast: Homemade sausage with leftover "easy overnight oatmeal". This should be in the breakfast Hall Of Fame! :)

Snack (a.m.): 1 cup of yogurt with ground flax seed

Lunch: Turkey meatloaf, 2 homegrown Roma tomatoes, sweet potato with coconut oil, cinnamon, and molasses, and 2 home grown peaches. All-American lunch right there!

Snack (p.m.): 1/2 can of tuna with some EVOO and spices on 2 slices of Ezekiel bread. One whole hard boiled egg. This snack seriously fuels my workout!

Dinner: Post-workout protein shake with glutamine. My oldest sister was in town from California so it was off to the newest, greatest Greek restaurant on the planet...Mykonos Greek Taverna & Bakery in Gahanna! Once again, I ordered the large gyro but ate only about half of the meat along with the veggies. The pita and balance of the meat came home for a dinner or lunch some time in the future. As an appetizer, the three of us (wife, sis, me) split the spanakopita which is spinach and feta cheese baked in a filo dough. Wow! The desserts are homemade there (excepting 2) so we each ordered a different one for sharing. I'm pretty sure heaven looks to this place for how to make pastries!

Pre-bed Snack: Yeah, no need for that tonight. I took my fiber and vitamins when we got back from dinner (after 9:00) and called it good.

All-in-all, nutrition was not the best but not the worst, either. Too much sugar, for sure, but at least it was post-workout when the muscles really suck it up!