Training journals are a great way to track your progress (increase in weight, reps, etc.) to be a successful athlete. I have been using a journal to record my workouts since high school. By writing everything down I have learned what works best for me. I've also learned the difference between working out and training. I will dive into that subject in a later post.
 
I encourage anyone who is getting ready to prepare for some kind of competition (physique, strongman, Crossfit, Iron Man, etc.) to keep a journal. Not only will it keep you on track, it will also be a great reference to use when you decide to compete again. I have always observed that the athletes that do the best in their sport, are the most consistent, are less injured, and look the best record their training in a journal of some sort.

Below I am going to lay out my program I started in November. It has been more of process of preparation and elimination since I have not done a physique split in a long time.
My main goal has been to prepare my mind. These past months I have been visualizing my goals, keeping myself focused, keeping the eye on the prize. The elimination process has mostly been getting rid of the unnecessary exercises that I feel wont help me. No machines have been used (not against the use of machines), I have put my focus mostly in barbell, bodyweight, kettlebell movements. The training has been intense, took 1 week to deload through the holidays, other than that I have followed this split to the "T". 

Training Split (Nov-Jan) 
Monday- Chest, Biceps, Rear Deltoids
Tuesday- Hamstrings, Gluteus, Calves
Wednesday- Back, Triceps, Core
Thursday- Quadriceps, Conditioning
Friday- Shoulder (nothing heavy, mostly rehab exercises), Core
Saturday- Direct Arm Hypertrophy, Forearms 
Sunday-  Light conditioning, nothing taxing. I will either do light sprints, trail run or go to a dance class. (You read that right.... I dance.)


I really like this cycle of training! The rep ranges aren't very concrete, I am still experimenting with different kinds. 
Once I am done at the end of January, I will be posting up my new training cycle. Reps, tempo, intensity will be documented more. Also will be putting up my body fat%, lean muscle mass, pictures to see how my body responds to training. 

Recording in my journal is going to keep me focused, allowing me to see when I need to increase or decrease the intensity, when to wear my schmedium tank top, etc. 

I challenge you the reader to record your training, you don't have to share like I am doing here. Write your personal goals, keep notes that motivate you in that book, write whatever you want that is going to keep you motivated to improve everyday! Do this for 1 month and see the progress you have made! You have nothing to lose, everything to gain. 

If anyone has any questions on training, training programs, etc. Contact Ben and I! It is our passion to help out someone who is willing to make progress in their training. We can be reached on our Facebook page Solid Training. 

Until next time; Train Often, Train Strong!

John Bedel

You live and you learn...

I am not one to look back at my past, but today while looking at pictures of my first two bodybuilding competitions. It dawned on me that I was a skinny bitch! What was I thinking?!

I should have never thought about competing! 
I should have stayed in the gym!
I should have squatted more!
I should have ate 50 grams of protein instead of 30 grams post-workout!
I should have gently massaged my calves in between sets to increase blood flow and get more gainz!

As you can see that is a lot of should have. Maybe I should have done more what I listed above, maybe I should have even more. I should have, I should have. For 6 years those words went through my brain, everyday. I would look at my trophy and call myself a failure sometimes. For those 6 years I messed myself up big time both mentally and physically (will focus more in a later article). 

Mentally, I had an unhealthy relationship with food. Consuming so much I ended up at a weight of 265-270 pounds of unhealthy weight. My body fat was high, my hormones were messed up, I was depressed. I was a mess!

Physically I was strong, but not really. My joints hurt, really my whole body was hurting. The Michelin Man was more jacked than me. I was letting my physique go day by day. My training had no purpose, always stagnate. Slowly I was losing everything that I worked for. It did not help my mentality.

Those 6 years I learned the very hard way. Nothing lasts forever, especially if you stop working at it. 


I am happy to say that I have pushed myself out of that slump. I am living now!


I am at a job that I dreamed about when I was in high school, my co-workers are beyond supportive, my clients treat me like family. This past year and a half has helped me become a better person. I have a better understanding of nutrition now more than I ever did. I have put a lot of focus in that department of my job that I will be completing my Precision Nutrition Certification soon!


Physically, I look and feel better. Am I competition ready? No, but that is fine because I am healthy. My health has become very important to me and I like to live to teach what I know for a very long time. Being where I am at has paid off for me and my clients and that is awesome!


I lived and I learned, I am not done yet though. To become better and achieve my goals my life focus is to live more and learn more.

This post was a personal one, one that will allow you to understand what I have done, what I am to do, the real John Bedel. These will be few but there will be more in the future. 

 The goal of this journal is to record my workouts along with my thoughts on nutrition, training, mindset for a physique competitor. 
I will be competing this year. My training had started in November. Tomorrow I will talk to you about my training split, why I am doing it, and so forth.

I will leave you with this quote, “Don't allow your mind to tell your heart what to do. The mind gives up easily”. Paulo Coelho


John Bedel