Was never much into reverse curls and military barbell press is too risky for me...

That being said, listen to your body and just work on cardio and core while your wrists and shoulders heal. Good time to work on stretching and making "space" in your body.

Reverse curls are about the only way I can curl due to a previously broken elbow that doesn't really enjoy when I supinate. I did spend the 2 weeks before last practicing for a 5k and then ran one (first ever) last weekend. Really enjoyed it as, prior to this week, I did no cardio at all. (PS... did the 5k in 32:32).

My rest periods are the same as Tom's.. If I injure myself I'll take it easy on whatever hurts the injury. Otherwise days off come when I feel the need, vacations and herfs. Otherwise I'm doing something at the gym.

I know it's about 7 weeks after you asked but I just got Xtend in today and put it to the test.

I can say the differences IMHO, which I will further test next week, aren't much. Xtend gets the nod from me though over Evolution x7. Price is significantly cheaper ($23 vs $32) and 5 more servings. I also find Evolution X7 turns my stomach for about 20 minutes after I drink it. That said Xtend takes a bit longer to work. I would take Evolution X7 at the half way point of my sets, Xtend probably 2-3 sets before that.

EDIT looks like they dropped the price on Evolution X7 to $26.

As far as recovery, I would say they are both the same. Xtend is easier to get down as well, I just chugged it.

I will be purchasing a the 90 serving Xtend after my 30 runs out. The green apple is "green apple" very good tasting. I'd score it a 9/10, if it worked just a bit faster it would be perfect.

I also tried Hyper FX as I got a free sample with my order. Glad I didn't get that on the 3 for the price of 2 deal. The taste is just hard to get down, WAY too intense. It's spicy, a real black pepper spice. No crazy pumps or strength from one serving, which has 270 mg of caffeine so I couldn't imagine doubling up on it. Pass on that one.

I have about 15-20 mini reviews on various proteins, preworkouts, intra workouts and creatines if anyone would find them useful I would be more than happy to post them and elaborate if need be.

I started a new workout program called Convict Conditioning. It's all body weight exercise. Has anyone done this before? I decided to take a bit of time off the weights and just see what I get out of this.

Prison tat's are optional.

I think Hershel Walker used a variation of that, and he was a beast....of course, superior genetics don't hurt.

IMO a lot of people forget that when diving into new workout supplements or a routine. A lot of the hype of "gain so much muscle in x days" or "get shredded in x days" partially has to do with the genetics of those using the routine or supplement. A person with superior genetics can adapt and grow from pretty much anything where an average person would get run into the ground after some minor gains.

Quoted for the truth.

You bet, Son....genetics is huge.

Or, you can lift heavy (for your size) all the time, eat like a mutha and still look like a beanpole that's never seen a gym a day in your life like me... hahaha.

Genetics at its finest (or worst), Dan.

Except you don't eat like a mutha. You eat like a fat conscious mutha :-)

What are your guys thoughts on home gyms? I'm debating possibly getting one. My work schedule has me on the road a lot at times, so the thought of paying monthly dues for a membership that I won't be able to use has me leaning away from joining a gym. But on the other hand for the cost of a good home gym, I could get a multi year membership. Right now on Craigslist there's a Hoist half cage with all the options for $2k. I may be able to get it for less though.

Too many distractions at home, unless that is absolutely your only option. :-)

If you are relying on a home gym for any real fitness level, I'd say do not do it. It takes a certain kind of person to really get results at home and if you were that type, you’d be banging out push up's and sit up's all day long already at home. Most people end up hanging laundry from their home fitness equipment

My suggestion for a traveler is to just pay for walk-in classes in which ever city you are in. You are only paying for actual fitness, so the more you pay, the better you'll be. Every place has Yoga, Pilates, or a Core fitness class.

You could consider a national fitness chain like Bally, but that is no guarantee that there will be one on your assignment.

Thanks for the opinions Tom and Moses. I sort of went thru this same thought process last year about a treadmill, which I ended up buying. Exercising has become a part of my life now for the last 14 months after getting diagnosed with Type II diabetes. Since then I've lost 115-120 lbs and probably in the best shape of my life. So I'm not worried about it becoming an expensive clothes hanger.

One of the pluses about joining a gym is I have a number of friends that belong to various gyms around the area, so I could potentially have a workout partner. That would be a big plus, especially in the beginning.

I'll keep weighing out the pros and cons.

Congrats on your accomplishments so far, Bob! :-)

If I was you Bob I would get a gym membership and then buy some specialty items for at home that the gym probably won't have. If I had to choose 1 though it would be find a gym. I'm with Tom, that home has too many distractions. Also some gyms will let you freeze your account with notice so that his something you might want to look into.

Some examples for at home stuff; Prowler from elitefts.com (I highly recommend this. I've asked for one for my Christmas and my birthday for the past 3 years to no avail but one day I will get one), TRX, ViPR, a True Stretch cage, heavy bag.

Those are all I can think of off the top of my head. I think that would be the ultimate setup. Because you will have enough at home to get a workout in but have the option of going to a gym. While this isn't really a solution for you, it will definitely help you meet all your goals.

I'll have to start researching those items Christos. One of the things I've been trying to do is mix up the routine, to keep it from getting stale. I've built a pullup bar, bought the treadmill and adjustable dumbbells, have a heavy bag, run, walk, do P90x, etc. But you're right, at some point I'll need to join a gym to reach certain goals.