Past training:
A little over 3 years of on and off training, accompanied with losses of weight whenever I stopped working out.
Fall of 2007-Started working out at 130lbs at 5’11".
Spring of 2009- Was up to a pretty soft 175lbs.
Fall of 2009-didn’t train all summer-back down to 155lbs (hurt back)
Fall of 2010-up to 185lbs
Winter 2010-took around 20 days off training-back down to 171lbs.
Current- Getting the weight back up. Around 178-179lbs right now.
I think the thing that’s been holding me back the most this whole time was my diet. I never really even kept track of cals or macros. I’m now following a diet I wrote up on a whim a little over two weeks ago
(visible here:
)
and have been hitting PR’s and slowly gaining weight since. I’m more serious than ever about my training and am ready to get big.
Current training:
Folling a five day split right now.
Back/Biceps
Chest/Triceps
Legs
Shoulders
Arms
Current lifts:
DB Incline- last week was 75’sx7
Seated Press-last week was 65’sx5
Squats-back injury makes any lift involving spinal compression hurt a lot.
I’m planning on giving front squats a try this week though.
Deadlift-~315x2-3
For how long I’ve been working out (even inconsistently), my numbers are low, and I plan on changing that.
I’m not proud of the time I’ve taken off, but I am proud that I’ve put on a relatively lean 49lbs since I started training.
Goals:
Short Term
DB incline 90’sx8
Front Squat 185x8
Seated Press 75’sx5
Deadlift consistently-get it back to repping 315
Get weight up to 200lbs
Long term
DB incline 110’sx5
Front squat 315x1
Seated Press 90’sx5
Deadlift 455
Get weight up to a leaner 210.
Should be getting a camera some time in the next two weeks for the sake of progress pics.
Now that I’ve finally gotten my diet sorted out, I’m ready do do work.
Back/Biceps today.
HS Pulldown
2plates+35 per sidex8
2plates+40 per sidex8
3plates per sidex8
Seated Cable Row
210x10
220x10
230x10
DB Rows
(I did these to the lower ab area and paused at the top of every rep…killer)
60x10
70x10
80x10
95x10 (OMG dead lats) PR for paused
Tried deads, but my back said no. I think I have to drop the weight and up the reps once again and slowly work my way back up. I hate it, but it’s been the only way for me to get back up to heavy(ish) weight recently.
Biceps:
Db Alt curls
40’sx6
45’sx6
50’sx6 PR
Straight bar curls
70x12
70x12
70x12
Machine Curls
3x10 some weight
Chest Triceps
Incline DB Press
60’sx8
65’sx8
70’sx8
75’sx8 pr since weight loss
(normally I’d do BB bench here but my partner couldn’t lift and I use his wrist wraps)
HS Wide Iso Press (figured I should do something else for chest)
90lb ps x5
95lb ps x5
100 ps x5
105 ps x5
110 ps x5
French Press-Seated (first week trying these)
55lbsx8
65lbsx8
75lbsx4 (not sure what happened here, pissed)
Flies (barely a bend in the arms, deep)
30’sx10
30’sx10
35’sx10
Straight bar pressdowns
150x10
160x10
170x10 (sloppy)
Reverse grip pressdowns (for pump/blood in muscle)
120x12
130x12
120x15
I think I might be coming down with a cold. I got around 8 hours of sleep but woke up feeling like shit today. I took a nap at the only time I could, which was right before my workout. As a result, I was still in that post-nap daze through the early parts of my workout. Had a distinct lack of intensity today. I’ll have to bring it tomorrow with Leg day.
Had a differential equations exam this morning that I studied for late last night, never had time to post my workout.
Legs
Front Squats (rack was taken so i had to clean it)
45x20
95x15
135x8
145x8
150x3 (wrists died)
Leg extensions
150x10
160x10
165x10 PR
85x20 (incredible pump, paused in extended position on last rep)
Ham Curls
125x10
135x10
145x10 PR
80x20 (pump)
Glute Ham Raises
bw 25x8
bw 45x8 PR
bw 45x8
bw 45x8
Leg press
200x10
200x10
200x10 (every rep done with different foot placement and a 2 second negative on every rep)
Todays Workout-Shoulders
Seated DB Press
50’sx5
55’sx5
60’sx5
65’sx5
70’sx4 PR
Side Laterals (strict)
25x10
25x10
25x10
Front Laterals
30’sx10
30’sx10
30’sx10
Rear Laterals on incline bench (ALA Mountain Dog)
10’sx25
10’sx25
10’sx25
10’sx25
Partial Laterals
40’sx12
40’sx12
40’sx12
Last Friday (3/4/11) Arms workout
BB Curls
90x10 2 Rep PR
90x8
90x8
100x7 1 Rep PR
Smith Machine Close Grip
165x8
175x8
185x8 2 Rep PR
Hammer Curls
40’sx8
45’sx8
45’sx8 2 Rep PR
Skullcrushers
80x8
90x8
90x8
Pinwheels
50’sx8
50’sx8
55’sx6
Pressdown machine
210x8
220x8
230x10 5lb and 2 rep PR
DB Curls
30’sx12
30’sx12
35’sx12
5 rep PR’s and 1 weight PR-solid session
3-7-11
Back/Biceps
HammerStr Pulldown
295 (2plates 35 per side)x10
305 (2plates 40 per side)x10
315 (3 plates per side) x10 2 rep PR
Seated Cable Rows
210x10
220x10
230x10
DB Rows (every rep paused and held for a half second or so at the top)
70x10
80x10
90x10 (straps)
100x10 5lb PR
Deads
155x12
175x12
195x5
Deads still feel like shit on my lower back/spine. Starting to get discouraged about them. Lots of people get big without them, it’s tempting to just give them up. I’ll keep at them for a couple more months though, see if i can get a good feeling out of them eventually.
Db curls
40’sx8
45’sx8
50’sx6
Straight Bar Curls
80x8
80x8
80x8
Cable Curls
52.5x10
57.5x10
62.5x10
damn man you’re hitting PR’s like they’re nothin… good shit!
[quote]gregron wrote:
damn man you’re hitting PR’s like they’re nothin… good shit![/quote]
Haha thanks man. I think it’s largely due to finally getting my diet in line. I’ve been at that 3500 cals/day for the past two weeks and have put on a couple pounds (176-180 over the past 3 weeks), and am adding in another meal of 1/2lb hamburgers and 2 cups cooked rice, so another 700 or so cals.
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
damn man you’re hitting PR’s like they’re nothin… good shit![/quote]
Haha thanks man. I think it’s largely due to finally getting my diet in line. I’ve been at that 3500 cals/day for the past two weeks and have put on a couple pounds (176-180 over the past 3 weeks), and am adding in another meal of 1/2lb hamburgers and 2 cups cooked rice, so another 700 or so cals.
[/quote]
sweet. When i was trying to gain weight I was eating a lot of hamburger meat. I think its one of the best bulking foods out there.
[quote]gregron wrote:
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]gregron wrote:
damn man you’re hitting PR’s like they’re nothin… good shit![/quote]
Haha thanks man. I think it’s largely due to finally getting my diet in line. I’ve been at that 3500 cals/day for the past two weeks and have put on a couple pounds (176-180 over the past 3 weeks), and am adding in another meal of 1/2lb hamburgers and 2 cups cooked rice, so another 700 or so cals.
[/quote]
sweet. When i was trying to gain weight I was eating a lot of hamburger meat. I think its one of the best bulking foods out there.[/quote]
For sure. It’s so easy to eat too. If they sell it in Cali- Weber Chicago Style Steak Seasoning and Famous Dave’s Burger/Steak seasoning together mixed into hamburger is amazingly good, you should try it(only like $5 for enough to season a good 25lbs of meat too).
Also, I got my xblive back, and am on spring break this week (didn’t go anywhere besides the Arnold), so I’ll probably just be eating, training, and playing COD all week haha.
Both Greg and Bug in my log? Awesomeness.
3/8/11
Chest and Triceps
Incline DB Press
65’sx8
70’sx8
75’sx8
80’sx6 10lb PR
Barbell Bench
150x5
155x5
160x5
165x5
170x5 5lb PR (while as my second lift)
185x3 PR
French Press Seated
55x8
65x8
75x8 4 Rep PR
Flies
30’sx10
35’sx10
35’sx10
Pressdowns
160x10
170x10
180x10 10lbs PR
Reverse Grip Pressdowns
120x12
130x12
140x12 10lb PR
Feeling like almost everything is finally starting to go well in the weightroom, probably due to finally having my diet in line. Hitting PR’s all day. Loving it.
I’ve had a camera this whole time but don’t have the cord to connect it to the computer/charge it. Looked online for a replacement. $25 on Kodak…eh… check Amazon…$2.50. Win. Ordered. Should be able to post progress pics sometime next week. Got a 10lb bag of protein with free shipping while I was at it. lol.
3-9-11
Legs
Front Squats
135x3
135x8
145x8
155x4
155x8 PR
Front Squats are still hard. It’s not even the quad part of the workout that’s hard though. It’s keeping the weight in position. It keeps wanting to roll forward. By the end of the workout, my whole front delt was bright red from where the weight had rolled forward. I’m determined to keep trying them though. I can actually do them as opposed to back squats. I just have to get used to them and better at balancing the weights.
Leg Extensions (last rep of each set paused)
155x10
165x10
170x10 PR
85x20
Hamstring Curls
130x10
140x10
150x10 PR
85x20
Glute/Ham Raises
bw 25x8
bw 50x8
bw 50x8
bw 50x8 PR
Leg Press (done with 2 second negative and various foot positions)
200x10
200x10
200x10
Smith Calf Raiises
135x15
135x15
135x15
Why not start that leg day wth the extensions?
[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
Why not start that leg day wth the extensions?[/quote]
Why would I do that? I pretty much always do the heavy compound first while I’m fresh, then follow up with the accessory work.
That would be like doing skullcrushers before bench press. Is there a specific reason to do it that way?
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:
Why not start that leg day wth the extensions?[/quote]
Why would I do that? I pretty much always do the heavy compound first while I’m fresh, then follow up with the accessory work.
That would be like doing skullcrushers before bench press. Is there a specific reason to do it that way?[/quote]
a lot of bodybuilders will pre exhaust with extensions before they hit squats (or any variation of) in order to really get the quads firing.
Just depends on what your goals are… a big front squat or big quads ya know? Not saying that you cant get big quads from FS’s alone
[quote]Blaze_108 wrote:
Front Squats are still hard. It’s not even the quad part of the workout that’s hard though. It’s keeping the weight in position. It keeps wanting to roll forward. By the end of the workout, my whole front delt was bright red from where the weight had rolled forward. I’m determined to keep trying them though. I can actually do them as opposed to back squats. I just have to get used to them and better at balancing the weights.
[/quote]
I used to have the same problem and I tried something out that Hungry4More suggested.
Set up for your front squats and get the bar resting inbetween your collarbone and delt (in that gap there) Instead of holding onto the bar put your hands straight out infront of you. Do your front squats with your arms straight out and it will force you to sit back/upright. It worked really good for me.
[quote]gregron wrote:
a lot of bodybuilders will pre exhaust with extensions before they hit squats (or any variation of) in order to really get the quads firing.
Just depends on what your goals are… a big front squat or big quads ya know? Not saying that you cant get big quads from FS’s alone[/quote]
Hmmm. Interesting. Makes sense I suppose. At this point though, I really just need to get my front squat up. Once I’m to the 185-225x6 rep range I might consider pre-exhaust techniques.
Just like benching 135 forever won’t get you big, I don’t see much gain out of pre-exhausting to front squat less than 185lbs.