Aiden's Training Log

Training Logs
1

Date: September 2016

Started at 120 lbs on the GOMAD and just doing 5x5/3x5 strength work, I was very weak when I started, I bought an 85kg weight set (including bar) and worked my way to the point where my compunds were no problem but missed out on bench as it was a 7ft bar in my room, A gallon of milk + 4 meals a day didn’t fair too well with my stomach either and had to get laxatives from the hospital, and stopped dieting for a while to come round from that, I still gained strength and about 10lbs.
The Onus Wunsler Beginner Program
Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
1x5 Deadlift / 5x3 Power Cleans (Alternating) have not done power cleans as my barbell is in my room and it is pretty explosive

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
3x10 or 5x10 Back Extensions (unweighted if progressing to GHR, weighted if not) Instead of GHR i just do calf raises… I only have a barbell bench and rack
Chin-Ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps
(I found this online somewhere)

Date: October 2016

Bought a gym membership and started on this program: https://www.t-nation.com/training/10-secrets-to-building-mass20
Gained a considerable amount of strength doing it by trying to go up 2.5kg every day, I got to around 140lbs on this programme I ate Beef and Rice every day at what I thought was a lot of calories but it wasn’t (according to My FitnessPal and I could’ve been gaining more) I also made 2 peanut butter protein bars to eat at 600 calories each, I misjudged the calories of Rice.

Date: January 2017
Blending Size and Strength 2.0 started a new programme, my bench went from 50kg to 75kg all metal plates they feel heavier than other Gyms, Curls went up to 15kg for 5, Deadlift to 100kgx2 (Pyramid Friday) Squats deep 100kg for 4, I got up to 155lbs/70kg

Date: March 2017
Still at 70 but looking bigger, this may be due to water, food mass or my bloat because I’m looking bigger, I’ve been adding accessory work like this

I’ve been adding 2 types of Chest Flys, one nipple height and crossing wrists to get the maximum contraction and one bent over with hands crossing downwards, I’ve been using the press machine basically until failure and I mean failure, and Arnold Presses high reps 3 sets all of them.

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My abs may differentiate due to my bloat depending on flexing or not, Thanks @RampantBadger

2

Great to see the log up!

ooh, nope def dont go to failure on compound moves -will slow down strength gains and hits neural recovery. Last rep should be tough, a grinder even, but should still know could do one more if gun to head… A bit of an art to find the sweet spot

Like it says in the article:
“” On the heavy day, you should be able to complete your last rep with good form and not have enough left for another rep.

On the light day, stop a rep or two short of failure. Holding back from going absolutely all out is something that’s tough for me to do, and it may be for you, too. But your patience will pay off with steady muscle gains.“”

If want to do more work and blast the muscle can go up to 5-7 sets of 15-20 now

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4

Ok, I meant failure on only shoulder accessories on the press machine as they are lacking and not the Dumbell Shoulder press I do as a 5x5 thanks for all the tips I didn’t think I’d gain so much in 3 months.

5

I did some accessory work on Friday for shoulders, I don’t feel like I target them Thursday and Monday as much as I’d like to as they definitely lack…

I did a mix of wide grip pulls, Bus drivers and the superset which I loved… May add Arnold Presses too

6

Ok prob time to switch up training templates anyway.
Generally tho for year 1 in training, let alone first 6 months, you just need to get much, much stronger on pressing and not stress about isolation work

Few questions first -what exactly is your construction job? do you lift things overhead?

Not quite clear on the equipment you have in gym. You have barbells? Can you do military press?
Do you have a smith machine there?
What type of machine/brand even, is the shoulder press machine?

7

Yes but it is slanted for incline bench so I don’t know if it will mess up my shoulder long term.

I’m doing an Electrical Apprenticeship but say if I have to make a hole in a stone wall it’s repetitive banging

The only Barbells we have are the 7ft Barbells which wouldn’t be safe without a spotter, Plus the gym isn’t that big but I’ve progressed to 20kg Dumbells 5x5

8

May do this, For complexes should I just do the bodyweight workouts for chest you were showing me and I’d still do the Flex Lewis Tricep video and I may add another day Saturday for arms as I feel they are lacking.

9

Current me

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So I’m adding accessory low cable flys, Shoulder Supersets and Incline instead of the decline bench on Blending Size and Strength 2.0 as I want an aesthetic chest that doesn’t droop.

10

Until bench to say 2plates/100kg 1or2 reps or 80x10 etc theres zero point in doing an arm day.

Incline smith fine for shoulders.

FYI if concerned about shoulder health flyes not the best and if add them need to add couple sets to back/ reardelt work to maintain balance.

If want an arm blast can do this for 4 week run…

Genrally tho think time for a phase with percentage strength work up. Pick one of these

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11

Currently doing the arm glad they definitely got bigger and I’ve only done the first week, I took a week off from the gym but still ate in a bulk but that’s the longest I’ve had since I’ve started

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Current me: 71.3kg

P.S.
I think I’m starting to understand why you gave me this accessory videos on triceps to increase my bench so I may stay on Blending Size and Strength then add in close grip bench for strength, Dumbell presses for strength as mine were always hypertrophy

12

Good keep it up.

Yeah building up the triceps is important for long term bench/pressing progress and will reduce the chance of things like pec strains/tears futher down the line when benching big weights. Pretty much the best things for beach gunz also :sunglasses:

I would do a run of either of those templates first, -now time to hit a program with targeted strength progression. Can always go back to BlendingSize. Both are basically upper lower splits so not a million miles off anyway

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13

Picked this plan and I couldn’t do dips as I feel a pain in my shoulder I rock forward on dips so instead I did Incline cable flies and my chest killed the next day… which could mean the new plan may be working when I started it I was 69.9kg (My weight fluctuates due to food mass) now I’m 70.4kg and I feel like it may be consistently climbing.

14

Ok. Preferable to sub dips for another compound move, (I would recommend neutral grip or low incline dumbell press) but not that big deal either way.

Start doing some rear delt raises somewhere in the week as shouldnt be getting shoulder pain at this stage.

Also as weight seems to have stalled start adding in some intra workout supps -take some BCAAs and/or cyclic dextrin mid workout. If on a budget just take a quarter scoop and will still see significant gains over time

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15

Ok, the pain only happens in dips just because my gyms dip bar is a little wide I think, I don’t think Shoulder pain is anything to worry about

16

Ok… little update about the whole bloating issue, I started the SCD diet and saw results within the day

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Turns out it wasn’t GERD it was IBS, Digestion probabaly wasn’t helping my plateau, I’ve been reading up on periodosization and was thinking of doing it in block periodosization but within those blocks add an undulating periodosization routine as research suggests that that yields the best results but obviously everyone is different, it will still be an upper lower split.

17

No longer on the SCD diet started Symprove, a liquid probiotic from the UK and it works very well so far gonna give turmeric a try currently off of Guaranteed Mass and on the Arm plan which seems to be working very well just did the 4th workout and the squats and deadlift have killed my legs but I seem to be sore on my upper body so that’s good, afterwards I may add a West side method to my bench as I’ve read up on it and the study looks good, only 1x per week though, I think I lost some water on SCD due to the low carbs so I’m 69kg now but I know I’ll break this plateu, also recently left my apprenticeship as this journey has made me realise I want to become a PT.

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