Axelrod's Training Log

Hi all,

I’ve been training seriously since early 2008. I’ve lifted poorly recently for a few months but I’m changing that, so here’s my log!

I am 195 and 6 foot. I’m gonna lose fat right now to low bodyfat. Then get bigger. Why? Because I want to get my bodyfat percent low for the first time. Don’t like it, well screw off.

I’m eating a anabolic ketogenic diet during the week with the big carb-up. That’s my current plan.

I will post my training log and my results here. I’m working hard and training regularly now and expect big improvement to come.

stats:

My best lifts are (all completely raw, no belt or any of that jazz):

235 front squat
255 atg back squat
375 deadlift
185x2 bench
115x4 BB press from shoulders
BW+60x5 chinup

My training has been shit lately. I know I’ve got more in me and the others will go up fast.

I know I am weak and need to strengthen my legs and my entire upper body, and improve my technique.

I am training today. I will post on my training plan then.

Any comments or criticisms on anything are appreciated.

I trained legs today

back squat

155x5
185x4x5
135x20

Romanian Dead Lift

195 3x6

barbell grip hold

235 for 18 seconds. Crappy barbell.

angle leg press

3x10 to 5 plates, 1x15 speed with 230+sled

glute/hamstring extension

3x15 bw, +45, +25

2x20 decline situp w/twist 2x20, bw, +25
2x15,10 straight leg raise w/hold, bw, +10

I was planning 215x3 with very good form on the back squats but I felt very weak so instead I did higher repetitions. The 20 rep set killed me and I probably won’t do it again while on a caloric deficit as it hurt the rest of my workout too much.

I am not training legs again until Saturday when I’m pulling.

I carb-up Thursday night and all Friday. I don’t know if you are supposed to lift those days. I am lifting two of the next three days.

I was falling asleep all day yesterday so I took a rest day

today:

incline smith bench

95x15 warmup
135x12
155x10
175x9 -PR

incline dumbbell bench

55x10
60x7
65x3x3
45x12

lying db tricep extension

50x15
60x12
70x8

tricep pushdown/extension

55x14
60x10
70x6
50x11

I do the isolation assistance lifts to failure on most sets and the heaviest incline bench set. On the DB 3x3 I can’t do another rep after the first set. This is how I’m training lately. Last time my PR was 175x6 or 7 on the smith incline so this was a big improvement!

tonight I start the carb-up. I don’t know when I’m supposed to start this but I am doing it for my last meal and all day tommorow so I will see if I can lift then. If not big pulling Saturday.

my glutes and hips still hurt terrible from Tuesday. I hope they’re recovered by Saturday, that was a BRUTAL session.

I just read a great article on cyclical ketogenic diets by Lyle Mcdonald

Makes me think about my training and intake on this diet and there are some modifications I will make based off of this

I don’t know how necessary the full body workout before the carb up is, and when to start if I cut the carb up down to 24 hours, as well as other questions. Here is the article:

http://mesomorphosis.com/articles/mcdonald/carb-up-and-ketogenic-diet.htm

Another interesting point is that a 24 hour carb up leaves the person in Ketosis

I thought I would outline for you guys what my lifting looks like right now and maybe get some criticism in the future:

upper chest chest/back

incline smith bench 3x10
incline db bench 3x3, 1x2, 1x12
dips 4x10
weighted chins 3x5, BWxfailure
db rows last time 90x15, 100x12, 80x23

legs

back squat heavy/low rep
leg press 3x10 1x15
GHR 4x10
calf raises 3x20 1x40+
abs

chest/triceps

smith board press or free bench low rep
db bench 3x10
dips 2x15
horizontal chest press 3x10
lying db tricep extensions 3x10
db flies 3x15

PM: barbell curls and db curls

pulling

deadlift variation
press?
post chain assistance
traps/grip
abs

shoulders/biceps

overhead press 5x5
db press 3x10
laterals 4x10
bent laterals 3x15
biceps, preacher curls and cables

shoulders

standing press 3x3 115 -tall clean

smith calf raises 3x20 to 315, 225x50+ torture!

Arnold press 4x10 to 45s

lateral raise 3x10 to 25s

bent over laterals 4x15 to 15sx15, 10sx20

1-arm lateral 3x10 to 20’s

I had some spare time and did:

dips 2x10 and incline press 1x10 and chest press 2x5 and isometric

dunno why but my sore chest wanted more.

When I say something like 3x10 I mean 3 sets ramping up in the 8-12 rep range,sometimes all 10 reps.

I’ve eaten over 500g of carbs since last night! I’m going to either do one carb-up day, two as planned following Macdonald’s recommendations, or two spaced out over the week. I really recommend that article I posted for anyone doing a ketogenic diet.

Dead Lift

185x8
225x6
275 5x5
225x5 sumo

Romanian Dead Lift

185 3x8 to mid shin

Supinated Pulldown 2x10 1x6 plate 15

Trap Straight Arm Pulldown 3x15 plate 4

DB Shrugs 1x12 90s 3x3 to 110s

Leg Raise w/ long hold 2x10

Decline Situp w/25 2x16

We focused on form on the Dead Lift. I had a lot of energy but still my lifts got worse near the end. My first 225 set was so explosive my training partner said it looked like I was going to clean it! He says once my form is better I can grip and rip and do less reps/set.

I wasn’t all recovered from Tuesday, so next time I squat more quad focus on assistance.

I am recovering very fast from the 3x/week pressing. I will bench again tomorrow and take Monday or Tuesday off. I can do a lot of volume on the presses and I think my lifts will go up. Any recommendations on working in a higher volume of strength sets for these would be nice!

gl bro, u need it cuz u suck =)

haha, thanks. I’ll be kicking your ass 6 months from now =P

bench

140x2x3
160x6x3

front squat

155x2x3
185x3x3

bench

125x5
145x5x5

db flies
4x12 35s

tricep lying db extension 4x10 to 70x12

dip 1x6 failure

cable crossover curl
4x15 plate 4

Tonight I sleep a long time and tommorow off.

BW: 194

post carb up!

10/14

seated military press 3x5 to 115

smith press 3x10 to 155x8

db shrug 3x20 80s

lateral raise 4x10 25s

bent over lateral 3x10 20s

lateral raise with cheat 3x10 25s

seated calve 3x30 135

standing calve 3x50 315x50+

bicep preacher curl 3x10

bicep cable crossover 3x10 plate 7xtime hold 20 sec

10/15

back squat

180 2x4
215 5x2

bench

95x5
115x4
130x2x3
150x5x3

db flies 4x15 40s + face pull 4x10

pause back squat

160 4x4

leg press pause 1x10 4 plate

1-leg squat 3x10 +25

On my back squat I go ATG with the olympic narrow stance and bar on traps. I have very good technique with the pause but weak legs!

For my bench I am starting following a Russian program. I am not changing the rest of my workout. But I handle the high volume bench well. I’m going to see if I can lift 200 pounds this weekend because the weight already feels lighter!