Gotta Start Somewhere

Hey all,
My name is Austin and I am a 21 year old junior at the University of Alabama. I have been lifting weights for a few years but was never on a very good plan. I have been doing 5/3/1 for a few months now with decent gains but I am still working a lot on my form and learning new things every week. My main problem probably comes from my diet. As a college student, I tend to fall into the trap of eating whatever is available whenever I want. This usually results in beer, bourbon, Dominos, and fraternity house food (friend everything). But I do try my best to eat home-cooked meals of typically cheap steak, chicken, canned tuna, oatmeal, potatoes, rice and canned veggies. I’m not counting calories, or macros or anything. I honestly don’t have time and tend to stray.

I am starting this log so that I can hopefully get feedback by more experienced and helpful guys and to keep myself accountable to my goals (because everyone should be accountable to what the say on the internet, right?).

I’ve only just started to long EVERYTHING I do in the gym. Before I only logged what my main lifts were. So I’m going to attach the Excel spreadsheets from my past phases, but log everything else from now on in here.

Hope to get some feedback, thanks everyone!

P.S.
Currently I am 6’1" tall, 231.8 lbs with way too much bodyfat
Right now I want to get a much stronger base, possibly gain muscle but drop some fat if possible.
Any tips and tricks would be great.
Also, I have bad knees (4 surgeries total in the past) and running really upsets them, so if y’all can help me thing of cardio things to do that are NOT treadmill running, that would be great.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Aq1tAOwIG0eSdFdLRDI4Mmd3SThlZlJWbnRlWnBkeWc&hl=en#gid=7

also, here is my YouTube channel, it only has a few vids from my 531 squat day so far

Phase 7 - Week 1 - Day 1

Sumo DL - this is my first time doing Sumo as a main lift
135x5
165x5
195x5
205x5
245x5
275x10 - added belt, chalk - touch n go

Good mornings
115x10
125x10
135x10

Standing Band Abs
red EFS x15
orange EFS x12
orange EFS x15

Band reverse crunches
red EFS x 12 x 3

Back Raises
BW x 8
10x8 held top part for 3s - held weight plate behind head
15x8
BWx15

Phase 7 - Week 1 - Day 2

Bench Press
Barx10
95x5
115x5
135x5x2
165x5
185x5
205x5 added short APT wrist wraps

BB Rows
135x10x2
145x10x2

FatGripz Flat DB Bench Press
50x10
65x10 - long stretch at bottom
75x10
75x7

One-arm DB rows
85x10
95x10x2
105x10 - added APT wrist straps

1 minute pushups
39

1 minute Band rows
red x 52

Phase 7 - Week 1 - Day 3

Box Squat
Barx5
135x5
155x3
185x3
195x5
225x5 added EFS heavy knee sleeves
255x4 added belt

Powersquat GM’s
2 plates/side x10
3 p/s x10
4 p/s x10
5 p/s x10

Glute Bridge w/ DB’s on thighs
BWx12
40x12x3

Seated Band Knee-aparts
1 red x25
2 red x20x2

Back extensions
BWx10
10x10
25x10

Decline Crunches
BWx15x2

Phase 7 - Week 1 - Day 4

Standing Overhead Press
Bar x10x2
65x5 no rack - had to clean bar up to start
75x5
85x5
95x5
105x5
120x5 added short wraps

FatGripz DB Floor Press
65x10
75x9
75x10
75x9

FatGripz v-handle pull downs
10x10
12x10
13x10

FatGripz z-bar curls
45x10 assuming bar was 25 lbs
55x10
65x10

Low Incline tricep rolls
40x10
40 red band around back x10x3

Incline FatGripz DB Curls
25x12x3

Phase 7 - Week 2 - Day 1

Sumo DL
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x3
255x3 added belt, mixed grip
285x4
285x1 stopped after each rep, NOT touch n go

Wide Stance front squats
95x6
115x6
135x6x2 I’m incredibly bad at these

Powersquat GM’s
2 plates/side x10
3 p/s x10
4 p/s x10
5 p/s x10

BB shrugs
135x10 double overhand
225x10 double overhand
315x10 added chalk and alternated mixed grip
225x25 double overhand

Band Standing abs
orange x15x3

Back Extensions
BWx10
21x10x2

Phase 7 - Week 2 - Day 2

Bench Press
Barx10
95x5
115x5
135x5
175x3
195x3
220x3 added short APT wrist wraps

Incline BB Bench Press - pinky fingers on rings
115x10
135x10
145x10
155x7

BB Rows
95x12
145x10
155x10 really ugly

1-arm DB rows
85x10
95x10
105x10
115x10 added APT straps

1-minute pushups - 44

Phase 7 - Week 2 - Day 3

Box Squat
Barx10
135x5
155x5
185x5
215x3
245x3
275x4

BW Box Squats w/ bands around things
1 red x 12
2 red x12x2

DB RDL’s
60x10
75x10
85x10x2

Leg Press
3 plates/side x15
5 p/s x12
7 p/s x10
8 p/s x5 shitty

Standing band abs
redx15
2 red x12x2

Back Extensions
BWx10
10x10
25x10

Phase 7 - Week 2 - Day 4

Military Press
Barx10
65x5
75x5
85x5
105x3
115x3
130x4 added short wrist wraps

Dips
BWx10
BWx7
red band assisted x10x3

Lat pull down chins
10x12
12x12
14x10

FatGripz DB curls
25x12
35x8

Phase 7 - Week 3 - Day 1

Sumo DL
135x5
165x5
195x5
245x4 forgot to do 5th rep
275x3 added mixed grip
300x1x2 added belt - set sucked

Powersquat GM’s
3 plates/side x10
4 p/s x10
5 p/s x10
6 p/s x12

Bulgarian Split Squats
BW x10
dime held at chest x10 each leg x2

BB shrugs
135x10
225x10
275x10x2
225x10

Phase 7 - Week 3 - Day 2

Bench Press
Barx10
95x5
115x5
135x5
160x3 just to get a few more medium reps in
185x5
205x3 added short APT wraps
230x1 added EFS 80cm super heave wraps - wanted more but found my front delts are weak as hell and I need to push forward more
225x1x3 form practice mostly
185x7
135x15

1-arm DB rows
85x10
95x10
105x10
115x10 added straps, last 4 reps each side from ground

Dips w/ false grip

BWx10
Bwx8
red assist x 7 - messed up
red assist x 9

v-grip handle pull downs
12x12
13x10
14x7
13x10

1-minute pushups x 35

Phase 7 - Week 3 - Day 3

Box Squats
Barx10
135x5
155x5
185x5
225x5 -pretty ugly but i got it done, sets after were better
255x3 -added belt
285x3 -i don’t know if this is a PR, but it felt pretty good, especially with my better form from the “so you think you can squat” series on EFS

DB RDL’s
75x10x3

Leg Press w/ bands around thighs
4 plates/side 1 red x 12
4 p/s 2red x 12 -these killed my hips, definitely a new favorite
5 p/s 2red x 12

Seated calf press (why not)
3 plates x 12 -slow tempo
3 plates x 15 -normal tempo

Back Raises
BWx10
25x10x2 - quarter held against chest - better than behind head i think - start doing it this way

DB side bends (haven’t targeted obliques in forever)
50x10
65x10
80x10

Phase 7 - Week 3 - Day 4 (today)

Military Press
Barx10
65x5
75x5
85x5
105x5
120x3 added short wraps not very tight
135x0x2 tightened wraps - these were garbage
95x10 only because i was pissed, but these hurt really good

BB Incline Press
135x10 index finger on ring
135x10 ring finger on ring
115x10 thumbs distance from smooth
115x9 index finger on smooth

Seated cable rows with v-handle
12x10
14x10
16x10 last 2 sets focused on full extension

DB Lateral raise supersetteed w/ front raise
25x10/10x3

Incline DB curls supersetted w/ Tate press
25x10/12x2 Tate presses stopped dead on chest, exploded up
25x12/14

Band pull-aparts
1 redx25x2