Genetix: Road to Redemption

[Genetix]

I have just finished competing in my first Team Universe event on the 14th and 15th of ths month. I finished 13th out of 17 competitors in the ligh-heavyweight class and weighed in at 194lbs. I am currently prepping for the 2007 Team Universe and have been training since the 16th in a quest to come in bigger and harder than my first outing.
My current bodyweight is 215lbs as of the 25th and I plan on it only going up! I have been implementing various training and dietary strategies in a quest to do so. I will be providing my workouts and nutrition/supplements for the time being for review and critique from any who feel the need to do so. I am also using this as a tool to better myself as a competitor both inside and outside of the gym. This will be a full year's worth of training as I prepare for my next NPC event.

-Matt Cena

[Genetix]

I am currently in the first phase of my off season training. My bodyweight, as mentioned before, has increased from 194lbs to 215lbs in 11 days. This is a 21lb increase and by no means am I believing that it is all muscle but it is a start in the right direction for the type of physique I plan on presenting on stage next year.
Phase I: My Phase I training approach is BFT style. I will be completing my second week of BFT workouts this Friday and will backlog that information for this training journal. I know one thing, I respond very well to no time off after a contest and this type of training. My strength levels have increased and I am recovering at a rather remarkable rate.
Diet: I will be nailing my diet within the next few days as I phase out any cheat foods. I am currently consuming 8 meals per day. By meals I mean a sitting where either food or an MRP is consumed. I have four whole food meals and 4 MRP's, not counting protein shakes as meals.

Well that is all the info for now and I will post the workouts from thus far later on during the week as I do not have that information in front of me at this time. I thank all who have taken interest into my unique traing and dietary approach, promising that this will be a productive year.

-Matt Cena

[IronBrendan]

Good to see you posting your journal over here bro. Welcome to the journals section. We have a great one ehre at IM.

[RedSkull]

Looking foward to reading your updates.

[jplahm]

Hey Matt,
Glad to see you startin a journal here!!I look forward to following your progress!
Jeff

[back2frontjact]

^^ditto to that, Matt!!!

Julie

[Genetix]

Monday
Chest and Calves
BodyMasters Pec Fly machine
50lbs x 15 for warmup
-into some basic chest stretching and mentaly preparing myself for the torture that awaits me in the form of my sets
200lbs x 10+8*, 140lbs x 1+6, 100lbs x 2+8
*these are full forced reps providing just enough momentum to keep me from doing a negative
200lb stack+25lb plate x 8+8, 140x1+8, 100 x 2+8
Flat Barbell bench Presses
315lbs x 4+8, 225lbs x 2+8, 135lbs x 1+6
Smith Machine Flat Presses
315lbs x 9+8, 225lbs x 2+8, 135lbs x 4+6
Calves
Seated Calf Raises
200lbs x 4+3, 145lbs x 6+3, 100lbs x 2+3, 45lbs x 10
Standing Calf raises
570lbsx 8, 405lbs x 8, 300lbs x 8, 210lbs x 8, 105lbs x 8
-for calves I had to spot myself so it was a little more difficult to get the forced reps on seated, standing were done to 8 for each drop during the set

[Genetix]

Wednesday
Shoulders and Triceps
Shoulders
Dumbell Seated Side Lateral Raises
20lb dumbells x 20 for wu
35lb dumbells x 8+8, 20lb x 6+8, 15lb x 6+8
35lb dumbells x 10+8, 20lb x 4+8, 15lb x 3+8
Bodymasters Shoulder Press
250lb stack+** 8+8, 170lbs x 2+6, 90lbs x 2+8
** training partner added manual resistance by pulling down on machine
Triceps
Tricep Straight Bar Pressdowns
210lbs x 4+6, 170lbs x 1+4, 80lbs x 6+4
Lying Incline Overhead Rope Extensions
125lbs x 9+8, 95lbs x 1+8, 45lbs x 2+8

I still need to get a better feel for my drops so that I may complete around 6-8 reps prior to any forced but the workouts are brutally assaulting me and I feel great. The bodyweight is going up and my strength sems to be following. This is my second week of the workout program and I plan on at least 3 more weeks before any changes are to be made.

Tommorow is Back and Biceps, until then ..............................

-Matt Cena

[IronBrendan]

...but the workouts are brutally assaulting me and I feel great. ...

LOL you masochist. That's a lot of forced reps bro. I wish I had a workout partner

[RedSkull]

Looks good. 315 x 4 is a nice bench.

[jplahm]

Awesome #'s Matt!!!

[Genetix]

Thursday
Back And Biceps
I started today with 3 sets of 10 leg raises for my abdominals. This past year I really didn't train my abs as often as I should have and they are now going to be a focal point of my training. I also desperately need to bring my calves up so they were hammered with 1 intense set at the end of the workout.
Back
Cable Pullovers
60lbs x 10 for wu
100lbs x 8+8, 70lbs x 2+8, 40lbs x 4+8
100lbs x 6+8, 50lbs x 6+6, 30lbs x 15+15
-these were performed over a flat bench using a cable attached to a seated row stack. the gym I train at does not have pullover machine and using dumbells for BFT I do not believe would be safe .
Seated Cable Rows
180lbs x 7+3
-the goal of this set was a strict 10 reps. Keeping this in mind and recalling a Flex Magazine article form the late 80's early 90's "The Knee In The Back That Made Gaspari" we took a Joe Gold approach. After getting set into position for a seated row, a training partner pushes his leg and knee into your back allowing you to become perpendicular with no rearward lean. this really helps to isolate the back and keeps all the tension in the lats as opposed to cheating the stack up and swaying with momentum.
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns
200lbs x8+8, 140lbs x 6+8, 90lbs x 6+8
200lbs x 6+2EFRS, 140lbs x 4+2EFRS, 90lbs x+2EFRS
-EFRS or extreme forced reps, the spotter on this set provided just enough assistance on the bar to keep it from going back up but provides no assistance in the actual lowering of the bar. these reps took quite sometime and I was completely torched afterwards. It's a good thing that ws the end of the Back portion of the workout.
Biceps
High Cable Curls
75lbs x 8+4, 45lbs x6+4, 25lbs x4+4
75lbs x15+6, 45lbs x#+6, 25lbs x 10+20
-these were done in a crossover station like perfoming a front double biceps using the high attachments. some people call these hercules curls or many other names.
Standing Calf Raises
bwx15 for 2 warmup sets
570lb stack+(2)45lb plates x8, 550lbs x6, 405lbs x 6, 300lbs x 6 105lbs x8, bodyweight x 20 rapid reps

That was todays thrashing.

Notes: I can tell why I am supposed to have a days rest between shoulders/triceps and back/biceps days. i got some good stretching in between sets and felt like nothing was left behind when I finally exited the gym. This style of training is just as hard on the mind as it is the body, which I fell will truly be beneficial during my in between session where a mre conventional workout will be implemented. All poundages still need to be better calibrated as week 2 is nearing completion. i will be taking tommorow off and traing legs on Saturday. Until then.........................

-Matt Cena

[MauiBuilt]

Hey Matt, whats BFT style training??

[Genetix]

BFT Style or Beyond Failure Training is a training philosophy/methodologoy created by the late Trevor SMith. It focuses primarily on 1)pre exhuasting the working muscle group 2)forced repetitions with drop sets. There is complete details about the program on the net.
If you think you may want more information let me know and I will send you the links.

-Matt Cena

[Genetix]

Thanks Jeff, the numbers should continue to rise as this is the start of the program. I can't wait.
I am already noticing increased poundages as well as vascularity has increased throughout my body. I have been receiving many warnings already from those who do not agree with the philosophy. These have ranged from, naturals shouldn't follow it because they can't recover to training like that will only lead to any injury and nothng more. I have been receiving what I have put in as the bodyweight is now at 218lbs and my recovery has not suffered so I am full speed ahead with the program.
Thanks for the support to all those checking in. Take care and train hard!

-Matt Cena