Fabadab Wants Abs

So after years of lurking and reading the logs of some very dedicated people on here, I’ve decided to keep a log of my own. I’ve just moved and got to put together a garage gym, so this seems like a good point to kick off this chapter. Plus I can’t find my gym diary within the boxes of books, so I need somewhere I can keep track of what I’m doing!

Stats:
Age - 27
Height - 6 foot/184 cm
Weight - 13st 7lbs/189lbs/85.7kg

Best lifts to date:
Squat - 100kgs x 5/110kgs x 2
Bench - 80kgs x 5
Deadlift - 130ish x 5 (don’t remember exact weight)
Press - 50kgs x 5

Tuesday 27th November

Squats - 10 minute EMOM @ 50kgs
Deadlifts - 10 minute EMOM @ 70kgs

Notes:
Not worked out in the best part of three months and it feels like it! This was supposed to be a sort of DE day with light weights moving quickly, which I did manage to do but damn it felt heavier than it should’ve done…

Was going to do more but this was my workout in the garage gym and I wasted time unpacking weights as I went along, as well as trying to get the setup right.

I also realised I don’t have a lot of space and switching between lifts is a pain, so I might try a simpler routine (e.g. 5/3/1) where I can basically just do one main lift with accessories etc

Wednesday 28th November

Bench - ramped up to 5 @ 60kgs

Superset:
Bench - 5 x 10 @ 30
One arm rows - 5 x 10 @ 23ish

Notes:
Did some light band pull-aparts between main bench sets. Superset exercises done back-to-back with a minute rest afterwards.

Had hoped to get higher than 60kgs on the bench, but this felt hard enough as it was. Also think either the bench is wonky, or the floor of the garage isn’t level…

Saturday 1st December (AM)

Squat - ramped up to 5 @ 90kgs

Deadlift- ramped up 4 @ 110kgs

Press - ramped up to 5 @ 40kgs

Between press sets:
Banded pull aparts - 10-20
Hammer curls - 8-10 @ 8ish

Notes
Mixed bag. Wanted to see what I could do on each lift to five a starting point for 5/3/1 TMs. Squat wasn’t too bad- last couple of reps were a bit slow. Deadlift was awful, wanted to get to 130ish for 3-5 reps. Overhead press was OK given I haven’t done this in a long time due to shoulder issues and I had to do them seated as I haven’t got the height in the garage to do standing. Probably had more in me on those too, but didn’t want to push it.

I think the starting TM for each lift will be as follows:
Bench - 60kgs (85%)
Squat - 85kgs (85%)
Deadlift - 110kgs (90%)
Press - 40kgs (85%)

Monday 3rd December

Bench - 5 @ 38.75, 45, then 5 x 5 @ 41.25

Between sets of bench:
One arm DB rows - 5 x 10 @ 18ish

Giant set:
Plate SLDL - 3 x 15 @ 20s
Banded face pulls - 3 x 12 (light blue band)
Banded triceps pushdowns - 3 x 20 (red band)

Notes:
Rested a minute between sets. Started at 1:30, but found I didn’t need that much time.

Rows are a bit awkward in the current setup and I feel like I wasn’t using quite the right moment. Think I’ll either do these in a different space next time or switch to something else like ring rows.

Tuesday 4th December

Squats - 5 @ 52.5, 60, 67.5, then 5 x 5 @ 52.5

Between sets if squats:
Band pull aparts - 10 x 10 (yellow band)
Hanging knee raises - 8 x 5-10

Superset:
Overhead plate raises - 3 x 10 @ 10
Fat bar curls - 15, 10, 8 @ 20 (bar)

Notes:
My track’s not high enough to do proper leg raises and even knew raises are a bit awkward. Might switch these to something else next time.

First time doing curls with fat grips, and they were surprisingly hard.

Saturday 8th December (AM)

Deadlift - 3 @ 71.25, 82.5, 93.75, then 5 x 5 @ 71.25

Press - 5 @ 26.25, 30, 33.75, then 5 x 10 @ 20

Between sets of presses:
Pullups - 8 x 3 (pyramid type)
Band pull-aparts - 8 x 8 (blueish green band)

Notes:
Deadlift felt smooth. Used hook or mixed grip working up and on my main sets, but then just used overhand for back off sets. 2 mins rest between main sets (inc weight change), 1.5 Between back off sets.

Presses didn’t feel quite right- hopefully just a case of more practice needed from not having done them for so long. Triceps were burning on the 5 x 10s. 1 min rest between supersets.

Pullups are tricky because I can’t do standing presses (ceiling too low) so I have to have the bench out to do them seated. But then that means the bench gets in the way when I do pullups, so my legs are out to go either side of it. Hopefully this is just a case of practice too.

Monday 10th December

Bench - 5 @ 42.5, 47.5, then 5 x 5 @ 53.75

Between sets of bench:
One arm DB rows - 5 x 10 @ 18ish

Giant set:
Plate SLDL - 3 x 15 @ 20s
Banded face pulls - 3 x 12 (blue/green band)
Banded triceps pushdowns - 3 x 20 (red band)

Notes:
1min rest between supersets/giant sets.

Rows were much smoother this week- did them.off to the side of the rack (leaning on the spotter arm) and had much more space so had a cleaner ROM

Tuesday 11th December

Squats- 5 @ 60, 67.5, 76.25, then 5 x 5 @ 60

Between sets of squats:
Band pull aparts - 8 x 10
Hanging knee raises - 8 x 5

Superset:
Overhead plate raises - 3 x 10 @ 10
Fat bar curls - 3 x 10 @ 20

Notes:
Did 2:00 between sets on main sets, then 1:30 between back off sets (seemed like a good balance between recovery and keeping warm). 1:00 between assistance supersets.

Slight pain in right knee on last couple of sets of squats. Doesn’t seem too serious though so I’ll keep an eye on it over the next couple of days.

Thursday 13th December

Deadlift - 3 @ 77.5, 87.5, 98.75, then 5 x 5 @ 77.5

Overhead press - 5 @ 27.5, 32.5, 36.25, then 5 x 10 @ 20

Between sets of presses:
Pullups - 2 x 8 banded pulldowns (thick purple band), 6 x 3 pullups (pyramid)
Band pull aparts - 8 x 8 (blue/green band)

Notes:
I seem to find my groove more on the back off sets, think I need to put more effort into getting the movements correct on the warmups/main sets

Sunday 16th December (AM)

Bench - 5 @ 45, 51.25, then 5 x 5 @ 57.5

Superset with:
One arm DB rows - 5 x 10 @ 18ish

Giant set:
Plate SLDL - 3 x 15 @ 20s
Banded face pulls - 3 x 12 (blue/green band)
Banded triceps pushdowns - 3 x 20 (red band)

Notes:
1:00 between all supersets/giant sets.

Tuesday 18th December

Deadlift - 3 @ 82.5, 93.75, 105, then 5 x 5 @ 82.5

Barbell curls - 15, 15, 10 @ 20

Notes
2:00 between main sets, 1:00 between back off sets. 30s between sets of curls.

Wasn’t feeling this beforehand, hence the short workout. Been worried about creaky knees too which is why I did deadlift instead of squats.

Monday 31st December

Neck press - 1 x 10 @ 40, 2 x 10 @ 35 (45s rest)

Pushups - 3 x 10 (1st set normal, 2nd and 3rd sets kneeling)(45s rest)

Wide grip upright rows - 1 x 10 @ 30, 2 x 10 @ 35 (45s rest)

Lateral raises - 3 x 10 @ 5s (45s rest)

Skullcrushers - 1 x 10 @ 25, 2 x 10 @ 22.5 (45s rest)

Decline DB triceps exts - 3 x 10 @ 8ish (45s rest)

Plank - 4 x 20s w/ 10s rest

Notes:
First workout back after a couple of weeks off over Christmas, things went about as expected. Some movements are new to me to I’m working out how best to do them and what weights to use etc.

Chest and triceps were pumped by the end. Struggle to get good MMC on shoulder movements.

Wednesday 2nd January

Barbell row - 3 x 10 @ 40 (45s rest)

Banded pulldowns - 3 x 10 w/ purple + red + green band (45s rest)

Alt. preacher curls - 3 x 10 @ 8ish (45s rest)

Incline DB curls - 3 x 10 @ 8ish (45s rest)

Lying incline hammer curls - 3 x 10 @ 8ish (45s rest)

Wrist curls - 3 x 10 @ 20 (bar) (45s rest)

Plank - 4 x 20s w/ 10s rest

Notes:
Barbell rows didn’t really give the training effect o was going for, think I might use chest supported rows instead next time.

Struggled to complete the reps in the incline curls after doing preacher curls.

Weighed in @ 13st 7.6lbs this morning

Sunday 6th January

CG bench press (pinky on the ring) - ramped up to 5 @ 65 (2m rest)

Pushups - 18, 13 (3m rest)

Superset:
Lying incline DB rows - 12 @ 13ish, 2 x 10 @ 18ish (30s rest)
Banded facepulls - 3 x 12 w/ green band (30s rest)

Karwoski rows - 3 x 15 @ 30 (45s rest)

Seated hammer curls - 15 @ 8ish

Plank - 4 x 20s w/ 10s rest

Notes:
Might have had an extra 2.5 or even 5kgs in me on the bench, but not my target so called it there.

Pushups need a lot work!

Added a little dip and hip extension to the Karwoski rows to almost turn it into a hang snatch grip high pull sort of thing, and paused at the top of each rep which seemed to hit upper back really well without bothering my shoulder as much as just pulling straight up.

Elbow gave me some grief on the hammer curls so stopped after one set.

Tuesday 8th January

Front squat - ramped to 5 @ 60 (2m rest)

Bulgarian split squats - 3 x 12 @ BW (30s rest between legs)

Plate SLDL - 3 x 12 @ 20s (45s rest)

Plank - 4 x 20s w/ 10s rest

Notes:
Front squat reps were fine at 50 and then slowed right down at 60, so didn’t go any higher. Think I need to work on my rack position quite a bit.

Split squats felt a lot more comfortable on my left foot than my right, but I don’t know if that’s because my left leg is more coordinated, or the right foot on the bench gives better stability?

Weighed in @ 13st 5.4lbs this morning