I'm starting to hate Tuesdays more than Mondays.

Yes, you heard it, Tuesdays suck. More than Mondays. Probably because chest days are becoming much more bearable while Tuesdays are getting more and more onerous. Today while doing bent-over rows, I unbraced and relaxed my back for a second in the middle of a set, and all of a sudden I feel this huge shooting pain in my lower back. It's still there now, and it's a bit painful to bend over--I have to use my legs if I want to carry anything and avoid putting any stress on my lower back. My lower back is pretty sturdy, and this is the first lower back injury (if I could even categorize it as that) I've ever had. Hopefully an early bedtime and lots of rest will mitigate the pain. My gains aren't as huge on back days (going up very very slowly on romanian deadlifts), but I'm still plugging and chugging along. I seem to have gotten intoxicated with my newbie gains and am getting a little sad my strength isn't exploding like it once was. But gains nonetheless are always something to be glad about :)

Apologies for the crap pictures, I was in a rush and couldn't find anyone this week to take my weekly shots. Will take some better shots tomorrow and post for sure. But for now, check out the difference in my abs when I'm relaxed (top) and flexed (bottom). Super dramatic, huh? Contracting makes my waist look severely smaller :)

Thursday is going to be a tiny milestone for me--I'm going to finish my first bottle of supplements! I will officially have ripped through my first bottle of BCAAs and switch from capsules to powder form. Now I won't feel like a druggie, as I won't be popping 15 pills on workout days.

As for diet and cardio, my calories are slowly getting shaved every week, and my cardio's going up. I'm at 45 minutes every morning (it's slowly becoming mind numbing) and I was able to hit 134.9lbs last Sunday (lowest I've been since high school) but I slightly gained it all back after a ridiculous binge (sorry I couldn't help myself, but the king size reese's pieces, twix and apple pie were all tempting me :[ ) . So no more cheats for me, except for maybe cereal and skim milk, if my trainer is so forgiving (I hope).

Overall, I do have to say, I feel great about myself. I love the way I look (except my belly), and I'm super excited to put on more muscle and cut fat. I'm not gonna lie, bodybuilding has completely domesticated me--I can cook some juicy, tender chicken breast, perfected my steak preparation skills, and life is much more ordered, now that I have a set bedtime, workout schedule, and live in little tupperware bowls. I'm hoping these lifts will give me a ridiculously strong core come winter, in time for snowboarding, so I can switch from shredding my body to shredding some delicious east coast powder :)

Alright, my back is really killing me, so now it's time for bed. Until next time, take care :)