Thursday, January 24, 2008

Post Recovery With The Help of Species

OK so I have my shoulder back a little bit. I finally talked to the doctor and told me what was done. I had a ton of bursitis, which he cleaned all out, also I had a partial torn labrem which he edged out, and i had a bad impingement in my shoulder so he shave off some of the bone on the acromium to give me a lot of room so that I wouldn't be in pain anymore. It's been 4 days and I am still in a sling, but getting more and more movement and flexibility back each day. So I met up with Dave at Lions Den gym owned by Stokley Palmer, where Dave was giving a little seminar about weight training and supplements. Me, being a SPECIES athlete had to go support my man, even though I was only a day out of surgery. I headed there with my boy Dom, and after arriving and shooting the shit, Dave told me one of his new products just came out and it was just in time for my surgery. It's called ARTHOLYZE it is a joint supplement which has, msm, glucosamine sulfate and boron. All which are great for joint and bone health. He gave me a few bottles and said it would help with my recovery and I started taking it and I totally feel the difference. I stopped using my msm and glucosamine and replaced it with ARTHLOYZE and I haven't used the pain killers since I started using it. But all in all things are looking on the up and up, I feel good and my body can sure use a few weeks off...something it's never had in 9 years so it will be good. I am going to my post op appointment this Monday coming up and I will get all the details and info on when I will be back in the swing of things. Until then I am just going to keep doing what I am doing, relaxing, going to physical therapy, and just hope for the best. Thanks everyone for your concern. God Bless
Guy

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Post Surgery Recovery

Well at least Victor Martinez and I have something in common, we both had surgery the same day. Victor on his patella tendon and me on my shoulder. I am sure Victor will be back into the swing of things soon enough. As for myself this is going to be a short blog due to my shoulder pain but just wanted to give an update for the members and fans who have been asking how everything went. I got to the hospital at 10 o'clock in the morning after all the prep and paper work I was in my own room for about an hour or more watching TV waiting for the nurse to take me down to the surgery room. Finally, the nurse came in and told me I would be going down shortly and I put on all the operation clothing and they strolled me down. I then waiting in another room waiting for the anesthesiologist to talk to me. What they were going to do when I got in the surgery room was give me a nerve block shot in my neck to numb the shoulder so the pain would be a lot less when I came out of surgery. Finally, around 12 o'clock I was rolled into the surgery room, where then was hooked up to IV, sedated and giving the "block shot" in my neck. I remember there was a nurse holding down my shoulder because when they inject the nerve block in your neck it causes big time spasms in the area they focus on (for me my shoulder). My shoulder went nuts and after a few cc's of that shit in my neck I was out. The surgery was scheduled to take 1 1/2 hours but instead took over 3 hours long, which I was told was very long for a shoulder surgery. The doctor said the surgery took a little longer due to my size and muscle mass they had to scope through. After I came to, Dr. Cappadona spoke to me and told me everything went well, I am not sure of the extent of the conversation we had because I was out of it. I am going to speak to him tomorrow to get the information on what was done exactly to my shoulder, and after that I will post about what was done and recovery time etc. I am guessing I will be out of commission for about 3-4 weeks, which might be good since I barely took off after the Nationals. As for now I am sore, and getting some mobility back in my arm, the pain is still there but hopefully this is for the best. I will post tomorrow the updates on my shoulder.....Stay Big and Lift Smart
Guy

Friday, January 18, 2008

The Last Supper For Me....We'll For a Little

OK so I tried to get all my body parts in this week due to my surgery today. So I told everyone that I would post my workouts, but take into consideration that I don't usually do these body parts together but had no choice given the situation. I gave my split in my last blog so check there if you want to know the exact split that I do. This is what I did on Wed and Thur.
Wednesday-Shoulders, Bis, Hamstrings
Db side laterals-25x12, 30x10, drop set 35x10-20x10
Pre loaded front raises-60x12, 70x10, drop set 70x10-40x10
Db rear delt raises-3 sets 30x10-12
Db presses-3 sets 80x10, last set drop set to 60x10
Hammer Strength shrug machine-2 sets facing forward w/ 6 platesx15, 2 sets facing backwards w/ 6 platesx15
(keep in mind my shoulder is shot so the weight for me at this point doesn't matter)
Standing Preloaded curls-80x15, 90x12, drop set 100x10-60x10
Incline DB curls-25x12, 30x10, 30x10
Rope curls-80x15, 100x12, 120x12
Machine Preachers-2 setsx failure
My hamstrings got an ok workout out I just did some lying, standing curls, and a few stiff legs because by this point the workout was taking forever and I was out of gas

Thursday-Back, Tris
Lat pull downs- 170x12, 200x10, 230x10
Dead lifts-315x10, 365x8, 405x8
T-Bar rows-using 35's-4 platesx12, 5 platesx10, 6 platesx10
Super set seated cable rows with standing pull downs
Cable Rows-170x12, 200x10, 200x10
Standing pull downs-110x12, 130x10, 130x8
Skull Crushers w/ barbell-95x15, 115x10, 115x10
Push downs-stackx12, stack +10lbsx10, stack + 10 lbsx10
Weighted Dips-225x15, 275x12, 315x10
Super set Standing rope extensions from the ground with over head cable extensions
Standing rope extensions-80x15, 90x12, 100x10
Over head cable extensions-80x12, 90x12, 120x10
I had no gas left to do calves but I will give you all a better break down when I start training after my surgery. Well its 8:50am and I have to be at the hospital in an hour, wish me luck and I will let everyone know how it goes...Until next post..Keep striving for more
Guy

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Chest and Leg Workouts...Get a Pen and Paper

OK, so for those who have been emailing asking me how I train and my current workouts. Here is what I did this week for Chest on Monday and Legs on Tuesday. This is my current Workout split as we speak:
Monday: Chest, abs
Tuesday: Quads
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Back, abs
Friday: Shoulders, Hamstrings
Saturday: Bis, Tris, abs
Sunday: Off
(After my surgery I am switching my Leg day to Monday just a FYI)

OK, so this was what I did on Monday for chest:

Incline DB Press-100x12, 110x10, 120x10 (drop set) 60x10
Incline Smith Press-225x12, 275x10, 275x10 (drop set) 225x8
Flat Bench Hammer strength-225x12, 275x10, 275x10 (drop set) 225x8
Incline Flys-45x12, 50x10, 55x12
Cable cross overs-3 sets of 60x12-15

(These weights are not what I usually lift. Obviously I have to alter them do to my shoulder, which I am getting surgery on this Friday. So keep in mind when reading this, chest, shoulders, back, are not all as heavy as I usually go.)

So Tuesday is always a big day when I hit up the gym with my boy Dom. We both know that walking into the gym on Tuesdays we will be walking out different when we leave. This was the torture today.
Leg extensions (I decided to pre-exhaust today)- 120x15, 160x12, 180x12, 200x10
Squats-(warmed up with 225 and 315)-405X8, 425x8, 455x7, 225x15
Leg press-8 plates x 12, 16 plates x 10, 3 plates x 20
Sissy squats-2sets body wieght until failure

Those were my past two days, I'm feeling good, can't wait to start really using my normal weight and rep range again after my surgery, but I will keep posting this week for those who want to follow my style of training. Any questions or comments keep the emails coming I love hearing from all of you. Take care, be safe, STAY BIG!!!
Guy

Sunday, January 13, 2008

NOT THE BEST OF WEEKS

First things first HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY TO MY BOTHER ANTHONY, LOVE YOU BRO, STAY FOCUSED AND KICK ASS THIS YEAR, YOU'RE THE MAN KID.
Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted much this week. This week started bad and ended even worse. Tuesday, I came home from work, went to the gym to bang out legs as usual. During my first exercise and first set of squats I got very light headed and almost passed out. I knew something wasn't right because before we got to the gym my stomach was acting up. We got through the work out, which was pretty good, God knows how I finished, but I did. I have a warrior mentality no matter what it is, if I want to do it nothing will stop me and although I didn't feel good I was getting through the workout. After I got home my appetite was not there, not even after a hard leg workout, I was not hungry, I couldn't even have my post workout shake of Isolyze and Carbolyze. Then, Wednesday I woke up at 3am feeling like complete shit, I felt like I got hit by a truck, and I was very nauseous. I then woke up at 9 o'clock and went to work, but couldn't stay there I was sick as shit. I finally went home at 3 o'clock and took my temperature which got up to almost 101. I didn't eat a thing all day long on Wednesday and slept from basically 3 that afternoon until 9 the next morning. I felt fine on Thursday but my stomach was shot, and I mean SHOT. No appetite and my stomach did not agree with anything I ate, I ate toast, and protein shakes for 2 days. I am still taking it easy until tomorrow I don't want to start eating a ton of protein because I want my stomach to recover. I think I might have had a slight case of food poisoning, I don't want to get into detail but I'm sure you all can use your imagination when I say I was emptying out every 10 minutes. Not cool at all. But I am feeling better. This week is my last week until I have to take off for a few weeks, my shoulder surgery is scheduled for this Friday 18th at 12:30pm. I am hoping to be out of commission for only 2 weeks with no working out, then the third week get back into it with just lightening up my normal weight that I do, then the following week balls to the wall. I promise all my fans who have been emailing me asking me to post my sets and reps I will start doing so this week. This week I will post my workouts everyday. Keep checking my members sections its growing every day with more pictures and photos. Thanks for all the emails and support, it's always appreciated. Until next time STAY FOCUSED
Guy

Saturday, January 5, 2008

A SATURDAY AT CARLO'S CAFE

Let me begin to tell you that Saturdays for me are the best day of the week. Not only do I not have to work, don't have to wake up early, and can do whatever I want all day long. But on Saturdays I wake up when I want, cook my breakfast, prep my pre and post workout shakes and head to WORKOUT WORLD home of CARLO FILIOPONE'S CAFE. I just met Carlo this year while I was getting ready for the Nationals. He first introduced himself while I was guest posing at the Brooklyn Bodybuilding Championships, and later on we both got to guest pose at the Perth Amboy Bodybuilding Championships in Jackson NJ. There are a few people like Carlo in this world, and let me tell you if there were more people like him in the world and sport, it would be a better place. Being a full blooded Italiano, he was blessed with bodybuilding genetics and a chefs heart. Every time I go to WOW, I walk right in to see the new IFBB PRO behind the counter cooking away for the hungry post workout eaters. With a cafe full of food and supplements and walls covered with pictures and autographs from bodybuilders who have come just to eat there, its like the mecca of bodybuilding food. A five minute hello, and then I do my normal routine. After an hour or so of working out I walk into the Cafe, Carlo makes me his famous protein shake (if you want to know what I am talking about you have to go there), this shake is hands down the best around. Just when you think it can't get better he whips up the freshest, most delicious food you want. He offers a variety of chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, steamed veggies, lentils, potatoes, turkey meatballs, chicken or turkey sausage, I mean the list goes on and on. Every Saturday I go there with a friend or solo and Carlo and I sit, mangia, and bull shit about life, bodybuilding, and personal shit. I usually get there around 2 and don't leave until around 6 when the place is closing up, time flys when you have fun and are around great people. I strongly suggest going there and see what he's all about. If anyone's interested the address is:
323 bergen blvd
Fairview NJ
Carlo thanks for all your great hospitality and phenomenal cooking, I hope we become closer in bodybuilding and as friends, your a great person and can't wait to see you do damage in the 2009 NY PRO.
A friend once told me, throughout life you gain a lot of friends, but when you die, you die with only a few Great Friends, and I can tell Carlo will be one of them...Thanks bro
Until next blog, "EAT TO WIN"
Guy

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Put 2007 Behind Us And Hit The Ground Running In 2008.

A new year begins and old year ends. Many things happen in those 365 days every year that we should all look back on and learn from. I can say 2007 was a great year for me, a lot of great things came out of it, but also there were things that happened last year that I learned from and won't make the same mistakes again. A new year, a clean slate, a time to start bettering oneself whether it's physically, mentally, at work, at home, or in the gym, we all can take steps to make ourselves a better person. So from here on in lets put 2007 behind us and hit the ground running in 2008.
Last night was a great night, spent with great friends. Although there are individuals I would have wanted there that didn't come (you know who you are), I had a great time. I went to my boy PJ's house where he lives with his girlfriend Nicole. They invited a couple of people over for drinks, food, and relax as the ball dropped. The crew consisted of obviously the hosts, myself, friends Jay and his girlfriend, Rob Delvega (who recently opened up a new gym called No Limit Fitness in CT) and his girlfriend Gina, Big tsunami Evan and his girlfriend Erica. We all had a great time, watched TV, ate like champs, and had a few drinks. I haven't had a drink since last new years so it was fun unwinding for once. Whenever Pj and I get together you can rest assure its a funny time. All we do is laugh and tell stories from years ago from all the dumb shit we did, just a great night, and no better way to end it than watching Super Bad and drinking Pedi light to avoid any hangovers. But all in all it was a great night. Hope everyone had a great time and enjoy the rest of the day off and HAPPY NEW YEAR...LETS MAKE 2008 THE BEST ONE YET!
Guy