Greetings T-Nation,
Long time lurker, first real post.
I’ll let my journals do most of the talking, but in short I’m new to this, started lifting in June of 2005, and have made awesome gains in both knowledge and my body as well, and have to thank T-Nation and Iron Magazine forums for all the help and support.
I am proud to say that I have documented every one of my training sessions, and doing so has proved to be an invaluable asset in many ways!
Anyways, I am coming off a planned week off, and I am refocusing my split etc (read re-motivation) and would like some input.
Thanks alot guys here goes,
Well, it?s about two weeks out from my one year anniversary, and it?s time to refocus, readjust, and evaluate the Journey?
Progress:
From January 06 till now, my weight gain has been less then expected, but I know why, and that is from not having a current available source of transportation, and having to walk everywhere constantly, resulting in a lot of un-needed cardio, even though it was really necessary to get to work, etc… This will be changing sometime in June or July, and hopefully along with an increase in my clean bulk strategy can result in an accelerated weight gain.
The good news is that the composition of my body is radically changed. I believe I am still experiencing newbie gains to some degree, as I am dropping BF%, and putting on muscle still. Hence, I am greatly improved from December of 2005. Another thing I have noticed as well, my strength has gone up considerably. I remember in November of 2005 bending down to dead-lift an EZ-bar w/ two pies on either side and wondering, ? Can I pull this? as big compound movements were something that I had begun to incorporate big movements into my routine, but with out an available spare barbell, or a true squat rack. I also remember squatting on a Smith Machine, and going to parallel and coming back up with 150 lbs like a weaklings, and never really having free squatted in a cage, etc. At this time I was really coming into new knowledge regarding training, diet, and recovery, and I thank the Iron Magazine Forums and T-Nation for this.
When I joined World in January of 2006, a whole new realm opened. I had room to dead-lift, and experienced real pain of squatting in a cage with my body supporting the weight and balancing it, as opposed to just pushing against the weight. What a difference! I also began to train legs seriously, as I didn?t before b/c I walked/ public transited so much to work/school gym and home that I couldn?t afford to be really sore. My journal from 05 and 06 document this. Anyways, now I am proud to say that really after only 6 months or so of change, I can squat 225 currently 2x3, and pull 275 3x5. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, but for me its quite an improvement, and can go no-where but up. I am also proud to say that I have missed only one scheduled training session, a back one some time last fall, and one week last month due to sickness, and every single one of my sessions since the inception in June 2005 have been documented. I?ve taken two weeks off, one at spring break and one finishing up now. Both were taken after 3 ? months to let the CNS recover, etc. Really made a difference, but it was hard staying out of the gym. I felt irritable, cranky, and my back hurt (not in a good way) when I was out. Such a difference quality time in the gym makes! I was sick unintentionally in april for a week. I could have probably lifted through half of it, but my body said it was better for it to rest.
Realizations:
I am coming to realize my strengths and weaknesses with my body and my physique, both currently and genetically. My chest is smaller than it should be, and I don?t have much room for growth, as my upper ribcage is quite bony and sticks as far out as my chest does. My pectorals have good shape and definition, but there is a lot of work to be done to push them out past my abs and ribcage to make them dominate size wise. Moving on to shoulders, I have good potential there and it is starting to show, especially in the rear. Traps are coming along nicely thanks to heavy dead lifting, and eliminating a lot of stupid isolationistic shoulder exercises and focusing on big ones that hit all parts simultaneously has saved me some work and has helped speed development it seems. I?ve been splitting shoulders over two days, and under emphasizing them (which for me right now means lowering the volume). I was doing traps on back day and one main movement and a rear deltoid isolation movement on leg day. Back and Legs especially are my body?s strongest areas, and have the best potential I think. The only real weaknesses are my chest and core, my chest I?ve worked properly, but it has responded slower then everything else, and my core I haven?t really cared or focused on until now.
Goals:
Strength wise, I need to dead-lift at least 315 if not more (straight off the floor, no chalk, grip help, gloves, etc. just pure raw.). I need to squat 275 3x6 ATG at least, and I?d like to decline bench 180-200 2x2 at least. I am currently sitting at 171 at roughly 8-9 percent, and I?d like to weigh in at 185 at 10 percent(ish) by the end of the year. Also to cut out all this walking.
New changes to the Journey for 06:
I am going back to four days a week. I have been doing 3 days a week since March, and I don?t really like it. I am moving shoulders around, and incorporating a 2nd lower body day and flexibility/mobility/external rotation program.
Day 1: Legs
Day 2: Push (Chest and Anterior Deltoid movements)
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Pull ( Back, Traps and Rear Deltoid movements)
Day 5: Calves, Hamstrings, and Flexibility, Core, etc.
Day 6: Off
Day 7: Off
Simple, yet effective. Now instead of walking funny for a few days, I can walk funny the entire week ha-ha.
Diet is painfully simple, as Wrath from Animal Pak puts it, ?I try to eat as much clean food as possible.? That?s the guideline I am going to stick with for now. A clean bulk essentially. I am currently supplementing CEE, Whey, a Multi, and Whey. I am going to cycle the creatine five on two off, and I am going to give Carabolin 19 from Biotest a shot.
Wish me luck, the fun begins tomorrow?.
J