Splits 1/7/2008-3/7/2008

My current splits are as follows:

Monday - Chest and Back

• Chest
• Inclined Bench Press
• Bench Press
• Treehugger
• Cable Crossover
• Back
• T-Bar
• Wide Pulldown
• Row
• Back Extension
  

Wednesday - Legs and Shoulders

• Legs
• Machine Press
• Seated Leg Press
• Standing Calf Raise
• Seated Calf Raise
• Shoulder
• Shoulder Press
• Dumbell Raise (Front)
• Dumbell Raise (Side)
• Dumbell Raise (Seated, backwards)
  

Friday - Triceps and Biceps and Lats

• Triceps
• Braincrusher
• Tricep Extension (overhead)
• Rope pulldown
• Biceps
• Standing Curls (Straight bar)
• Preacher Bench
• Standing Curls (EZ Curl bar)
• Peaks
• Lats
• Lat Raise
  

I also mix in abs during the week, but there's no set schedule for these:

• Abs
• Leg Raise
• Decline Crunches
• Torso Twist

Workout Meta Schedule

In order to achieve my previously stated goals, I'm using a combination of weightlifting, cardio, dietary modification, and supplements.

In this post, I'd like to talk a little about the 800-pound gorilla in the room, weightlifting.

I'm not looking to get big, although I do have a lot of respect for the guys who are capable of doing so. I'm much more interested in getting lean and fit.

I get to the gym to lift three times a week. I prefer to do natural exercises, but I'm not yet able to do unassisted pullups and dips (hey, 191 pounds is a lot of weight). My goal is that all of my primary exercises would be natural, though. This would include pushups and dips for pectoral muscles, pullups and lifts for my back, and one-legged leg lifts for my legs. (I haven't found a good, natural exercise for my shoulders yet, if you know of one please add it in the comments section!)

Above all else, my goal when working out is safety.

My workouts always move from 'more free' to 'more constrained'. I do this primarily to avoid injury due to exhaustion. At the beginning of the workout when I have more strength and stamina, I feel more confident using more weight and dumbbells than I would at the end of a workout (when I typically do machines or cable systems).

I split my workouts by muscle groups, and only work each muscle group once a week. There's research in all directions on this though, and I may change to a full body workout at some point in the future.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something here, but this is the gist of my philosophy on working out.

Fitness goals

I'm not a fat person. In fact, I'd generally be described as being tall and skinny (although now I think I look pretty well proportioned for my size). I'm 6'5", and I weigh about 191. That places me squarely in the normal category for BMI.

However, I have high cholesterol. Wickedly high. 338 points high. When I was a kid, this didn't really matter, because I also had insanely high HDL. (Read here for more information about cholesterol). When I say insanely high HDL, I mean that my HDL was so high that despite my very high cholesterol levels (I've been at this level pretty much my entire life), my doctor did not think I would have issues with heart disease.

Unfortunately for me, the last time I got my cholesterol checked (about three years ago), my HDL levels had plummeted, and now I just had high cholesterol without the safety net of 'good cholesterol.'

About a year ago, I got married. I decided that I didn't want to have a heart attack at 35 and leave my wife a young widow, so I should reclaim my HDL.

With all that background information, here are my goals:
* Get my LDL cholesterol <= 100.
* Get my body fat percentage in the 13-15% range.

I'd like to achieve both of these over the course of the next year (by 1/1/2009), and without the use of any prescription medications.

I may re-evaluate my goals or my timeline after 2/7/2008, which is when I have my first doctor's appointment to get my cholesterol screened.