I’ve decided to start my training log to keep track of my workouts, and share experience with other members. I’m not elite or advanced lifter, I consider myself a beginner with some solid knowledge.
Personal Info:
Name: Hany Mamdouh
Nationality: Egyptian
Age: 34
Marital state: Married and father of two kids
Job: CTO
I was obese person till end of 2013, I then started dieting and dropped weight from 134kg down to 62kg. I’ve lost much muscle mass due to ignorance and unhealthy dieting. Now, I’m trying to fix the errors and rebuild my body on proper basics.
I’ve started strength training since 2014, first by my body weight, then progressed to weights. Now I have my own home gym. I never train outside home, I never miss a workout, and I train with my wife. I share everything with her, and we form a good training couple.
The program I follow currently is 5/3/1 by the great Jim Windler.
@MarkKO Hi Mark, Thanks for the interest. Deadlifts are improving day by day. Hips don’t shot early like before and no more rounded back. I tested my 1RM last week for second time in my life and it was 150kg which is pretty good for a beginner like me. BTW I’m following your youtube channel and you are doing good job, I try to catch your lifting techniques and it helped me too much.
@hanymamdouh I’m glad I could help. Congratulations on your deadlift, double bodyweight is a very good achievement. Your press looks like it’s going well too, not that many guys are pressing bodyweight.
How are you finding BBB? I did two cycles, not sure I could have coped too well with the amount of assistance you’re doing.
@MarkKO Thanks Mark, I thought that my press is too low, I didn’t know that pressing bodyweight is hard!!
Regarding to BBB, I finished 6 weeks challenge before I’ve started the current 12 weeks challenge, My experience is it was very very intense and hard especially during last two weeks. Doing 5 x 10 @ 70-75% of TM is very large volume and it left me very sore and tired. I had to increase my daily caloric intake and to stop all of dieting and to eat by sense only, but results were wonderful. I’ve gained good lean muscle mass and my deadlift form enhanced too much. Also endurance and pain tolerance enhanced. Although I’m known to have high pain tolerance in general, but doing such volume consolidated it.
I wish you have a look on my log time to time to correct any mistakes and leave your precious notes.
Obviously it isn’t hard for you, which is great. Not a lot of people train the press compared to bench so it’s relatively rare to see someone press bodyweight. It’s one of my short to medium term goals.
I absolutely agree, any BBB variation requires a lot of food. I didn’t do the challenge, so I never went beyond 60% on the BBB sets. Right now I’m doing FSL, which is great too.
I’ll definitely keep an eye on your log. Out of interest, how’s your squat going?
@MarkKO FSL is great supplemental work, I tried it for one cycle combined with Joker Sets, but changed to BBB to promote rapid strength gains to be fit for my diving course.
Squat is my best lift, I progress in it in a very linear trend, till now no plateaus or PR jumps. A steady progress is very nice, and I’m totally careful with squats because I don’t have power cage or any safety pins, so doing the movement must be very controlled and risk free, that’s why I don’t push myself too much.
I’m still struggling with my chest, I progress very slowly. My upper back also is under developed and need more work. The pull up (wide-over hand grip) is progressing very slowly; only 6 strict reps using bodyweight per set I can do right now; although my kroc row is improving (I can hit 20 reps @ 45kg)
It was very tough day in the work, had to work 14 hours contiguously, and last night had only 3 hours of sleep so that my effort was not that good today. However, I managed it and at least I did the prescribed work but no PR today.
PS: I will not mention the warm up
Main Lift: Deadlift
1 x 3 @ 97.5 kg
1 x 3 @ 112.5 kg
1 x 5 @ 125 kg
Try band pull aparts every day, 50-100 reps. That should help your upper back. Twenty reps 45 kg DB rows is good, that’s the top end of what I could do.
This session should be done on Wednesday; but was in hospital to do some analysis. Anyhow I had 5 straight hours of sleep which is rare for me!!! and had a very good session today
Main Lift: Bench Press
1 x 3 @ 70 kg
1 x 3 @ 80 kg
1 x 5 @ 90 kg (the fifth rep wasn’t perfect) new PR!!!
BBB: 5 x 10 @ 50 kg
Assistance:
Pull Up: 1 x 5, 1 x 5, 1 x 8 (PR) @ body weight
Kroc Row: 2 x 15 @ 42.5 kg
Dumbbell Bench Press: 2 x 15 @ 15 kg
Closed Grip Bench Press: 2 x 8 @ 40 kg (finisher and I still had time to train)
Band pull apart: 150 reps (superset with all chest assistance)
Still have too much business meetings and suffer from lack of sleep and have to shift my schedule one day, but had a very awesome workout session today
Main Lift: Squat
1 x 5 @ 82.5 kg
1 x 3 @ 95 kg
1 x 3 @ 105 kg (PR) although doesn’t break my 1 RM
BBB: 5 x 10 @ 55 kg
Assistance:
RDL: 3 x 10 @ 65 kg
Lunge: 2 x 10 @ body weight
Band pull apart: 4 x 15
@MarkKO as per your advice I did 100 reps per day (whatever training day or non training day). I can feel my upper back working like never before when I include it between pull up sets.
Although it is first day of our Holy Month of Ramadan and I was fasting for 16.5 straight hours, but I had I wonderful workout. I broke my fasting with cup of coffee and 150g of grilled chicken breast and some tomato, lettuce and onions, I added extra small banana just before the workout.
Main Lift: Military Press
1 x 5 @ 52.5 kg
1 x 3 @ 60 kg
1 x 4 @ 67.5 kg
BBB: 5 x 10 @ 35 kg
Assistance:
Snatch Grip High Pull:
1 x 5 @ 47.5 kg
1 x 3 @ 55 kg
1 x 4 @ 60 kg
Pull Up: 3 x 5 @ body weight (still working on it)
Bentover BB row: 2 x 10 @ 60 kg
Front and side delt lateral raises, biceps curls, triceps extension and push ups
Band pullapart 100 reps (done between all other assistance sets)
I tried today to do my workout during last hour of fasting, it was horrible experience!!! It is deadlift day and I failed to do the last BBB set @ 60% TM
Main Lift: Deadlift
1 x 5 @ 105 kg
1 x 3 @ 120 kg
1 x 2 @ 132.5 kg
BBB: 3 x 10 @ 85kg, 1 x 7 @ 85 kg
Assistance: (superset)
Front Squat: 2 x 10 @ 45 kg
GM: 2 x 10 @ 45 kg