Age:26
Weight: 126-127lbs
Training goal: Get as strong as possible and put some weight on so I don’t weigh as much as pre-teen girl
Background: I use to box competitively a few years go and was always into lifting/ strength training. I will spare you all the details and keep will spare you guys details on my issues but in the last few years life beat me down. Lost 2 people I cared about, spiralled into depression and alcohol abuse, lost my job and tried killing myself.
My therapist suggested I focus on things post depressed me enjoyed and training was one of them. So that’s the reason for this log to keep me accountable in my training and hopefully a stronger/ better body will help with my mental and emotional issues.
Todays session
Bench: 5x5 with 63kg/139 lbs and then 1x5 with 65kg/143lbs attempted 68kg/150lbx5 but only got 4. I hit the rack pins on my last rep before locking out so couldn’t get 5
Paused Bench: 3x5 with 62kg/137lbs
3x pin press
3xDB Press
3xShoulder Press
3xDips
6xrolling tricep extensions
Welcome! Look forward to seeing you use the iron to wrestle back control of your life. It’s not a fix-all, but it’s great therapy. Here’s a quote from a TC Luoma article on the main page 10 Great Things About Lifting Weights that has motivated me when I needed it:
"There inevitably comes a time in everyone’s life when the bad stuff comes. It could be in the form of the death of a loved one, unrequited love, or legal or financial trouble. No one is immune.
Some handle the pain gracefully and heroically, realizing that time heals all and happiness, too, is inevitable. They seek solace through religion or spirituality, counseling, or the sturdy shoulders of good friends.
Others resort to destructive behavior like drugs, alcohol, or abusing the body and soul in general, while still others suffer perpetually, never quite ridding themselves of various demons.
But there’s one little-known therapy that’s remarkably effective and it’s good ol’ weight lifting. There are no ailments that iron can’t help cure. A hard, teeth gritting, grimacing, sweat-flying workout is the best therapy of all, and pushing something heavy so hard that it makes you cry out in pain is better than all the tears in the world.
Who knows if it’s chemical, psychological, or spiritual, but it gets rid of the demons.
Granted, the demons might come back later in the night at the wolf hour, as they’re wont to do, but you just get up the next morning and exorcise them through exercise all over again. Eventually, they look for a new home."
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Amen man.
Also find the self hate and want to self harm goes away when I put myself through exhaustion and fatigue
Did not feel like training this morning, stayed in bed for a good 10 minute contemplating life and the purpose of my existence and that the gym wouldn’t get my life back on track etc but forced myself to at least get in there.
Today’s workout
Squat: 5x5 with 109kg/240lbs + 1x5 with 120kg/264lbs + 1x5 with 130kg/287lbs
(MotherFucking Rep PR at my current teenage girl bodyweight so damn happy I got in)
Paused squats: 2x5 with 105kg/ 230lbs I was supposed to do 5 sets but my right knee felt weird so thought it best to not risk injury for accessory work
3x GHR (These killed me)
Leg curls: 5 sets of 8 reps
Good mornings: 3 sets of 6 reps
So happy I got today done
Today’s upper body workout
Bench: 3x8 with 60kg/132lbs and singles with 70kg/154lbs, `75kg/165lbs and 78kg/ 172lbs. Experimented with various hand placements on the singles to see what felt best.
Reverse grip rows: 5x12
Incline Db Press: 3x10
Db Shoulder press: 3x8
Weighted pull ups: 4x8
Neutral grip pull ups: 4x MR
3x biceps
3x triceps
I’m currently thinking about gaining weight at a faster pace and accepting a lot of fat gains. Really want to focus on getting stronger and weight moves weight
Today’s workout
Rep Squats: 1x8 with 105kg/231 lbs + 2x8 with 110kg/242lbs + 1x8 with 115kg/253lbs
‘Heavy’ Single squats: 120kg/264lbs, 130kg/187lbs, 135lb/300lbs, 140kg/309lbs
Sumo Deads: 2x8 with 105kg/231lbs + singles with 120kg/264lb and 140kg/309lbs
Explosive Conventional deadlifts: 8x3 with 105kg/231lb x2
Mentally woke up feeling bad, also a decent amount of snow here so had excuses to just stay in bed. But thought through that mentally I feel much much better now.
Something about waking up at 4am, going to the gym through all that snow and rain and then hitting heavy weights drowns the thoughts of me being ‘worthless’.
4 days, 4 workouts, and a solid upper/lower split. How many days per week are you planning to lift, and are you following a specific program, or crafting it as you go along? Either way, one day at a time is about to turn into one week at a time, and I call that good progress.
Currently lifting 5 days a week. Monday to Friday. Might do a session on Saturday if I feel like doing a bit of extra core/ arms but only 5 days are in the programme.
I’m doing a modified PHAT programme with advanced 5/3/1 (5x5 at 75% + optional extra sets for a rep PR of the day and so on with 85% for 3 and 95% for 1) numbers for the main lifts.
Monday: Deadlift day + back work
Tuesday: Bench day
Wednesday: Squat day
Thursday: Upper day
Friday: Lower day
Doing this for 2 cycles and then deloading before running canditos 6 week peaking programme (back in 2012/2013 it got me to my strongest lifts). This will have me maxing out every 13 weeks so 3 times a year with the last one being the last week of the year. I really want to be part of the 1000lb club by the end of the year so the whole plan is based on achieving that long term goal and I also have numbers I need to hit every 13 week to show I am on the right track.
Todays Workout
Deadlift: 5x3 with 147kg/324lbs and then 1x3 153kg/337lbs (which is a 3rm PR)
Deficit deadlift: 2x3 with 123kg/271lbs
Sumo Deadlift: 1x3 with 130kg/286lbs
5xRows
4x DB rows
5xpull ups
6 sets of Bicep work
Really happy with the last set of deadlifts. The last 2 reps were grinders but I wouldn’t say I went to absolute max effort. I could potentially have hit another rep or gone a few kg heavier.
Todays session
Bench: 5x3 with 72kg/159 lbs and then attempted 75kg/165lbs and got 2. The 2nd rep was ridiculously slow and I wasn’t sure I could get the third so thought it best to not risk missing a rep and racked the bar.
Paused Bench: 3x3 with 65kg/143lbs
3x pin press
3xDB Press
3xShoulder Press
3xDips
6xrolling tricep extensions
Todays Squat workout
Squat: 5x3 with 123kg/271lbs + 1x3 with 133kg/293lbs
Paused squats: 5x3 with 110kg/ 242lbs
Leg curls: 5 sets of 8 reps
3xGlute Ham Raises
Today’s upper body workout
Bench: 3x8 with 60kg/132lbs
doubles with 70kg/154lbs, `75kg/165lbs
singles with 78kg/ 172lbs and 80kg/176lbs
Rows: 5x12
T bar rows: 5x6
Incline Db Press: 3x10
Db Shoulder press: 3x8
Weighted pull ups: 4x8
Neutral grip pull ups: 4x MR
3x biceps
3x triceps
Today’s workout
2x8 and 1x6 with 115kg/253lbs + 1x8 with 110kg/242lbs also did singles with 125kg/275lbs and 135kg/297lbs
Sumo Deads: 1x8 + 1x9 with 105kg/231lbs + singles with 120kg/264lb, 135kg/297lbs and 145kg/319lbs
Explosive Conventional deadlifts: 6x2 with 111kg/246lb
Nothing special and the weights on squat felt heavy. Just warmed up with heavy singles and went for reps as planned with the weight planned but didn’t push myself too hard.
Don’t see any reason to tax my body and recovery singles on a workout that doesn’t really matter considering I have to hit 95% for singles on all 3 lifts next week.
Somewhat messed up today.
Felt sore and stiff so went to the gym to mobilise. stretch and do light squats to just open everything up.
Ended up working on my bench technique and before I knew it I was using 80kg/176lbs and it was flying up and felt good.
Considering Tuesday I have to hit 5 singles with this weight I decided to do that today so
Todays mini bench workout
5x1 with 80kg/176lbs
1x1 with 83kg/183lbs
Then went home.
No idea what I will do Tuesday for my working sets but happy to have gotten the main work done.
Also here’s a shot of my breakfast/ post workout meal.
Todays Workout
Woke up and felt like absolute shit. My back for some reason was tight, still have my knee niggle and now my ankles felt sore. Thank god this is my last week before a deload.
Deadlift: 5x1 with 164kg/361lbs.Didnt do any additional sets. The additional sets are to auto regulate my workouts and 164kg felt heavy and slow as fuck.
Deficit deadlift: 2x1 with 130kg/287lbs
Sumo Deadlift: 1x1 with 138kg/304lbs. This felt easy as hell so went for a 150kg/330lbs attempt which didn’t budge off the floor. Guess that was too much of a jump.
5xRows
4x DB rows
3x weighted pull ups
3x weighted neutral grip pull ups
6 sets of Bicep work
Todays Bench session
Bench: 5x2 with 76kg/167 lbs. I hit my 5 singles with 95% on Saturday so instead of rehitting the same workout I decided to go for doubles. If 5x3 was with 85% and 5x1 with 95% I did doubles at 90%
Paused Bench: 1x1 with 70kg/154lbs (Ridiculously easy), 3x1 with 75kg/165lbs (Smooth as hell. Was so shocked that I thought I was cheating the 3 second pause so asked someone to count for me and tell me to press), 1x1 with 78kg/172lbs
3x pin press
3xDB Press
3xShoulder Press
3xDips
6xrolling tricep extensions
Today’s Squat workout
Squat: 5x1 with 138kg/ 304lbs and 1x1 with 143kg/315lbs (Been a long time since I got more then 140kg so happy with this)
Paused squats: 2x1 with 115kg/ 253lbs, 1x1 with 118kg/ 260lb, 2x1 with 123kg/ 271lbs
Leg curls: 5 sets of 8 reps
3xGlute Ham Raises
Decently surprised by today. Been having some mobility and knee, ankle stiffness which I’m putting down to needing a deload (next week is scheduled) and the majority of the 5 working sets moved faster then I could ever have hoped for.
Today’s upper body workout
Bench Body weight MR attempt: 1x14 with 58kg/ 128lb
So close yet so far from 15 reps which for some reason I really want to get. Got 1 more then 3 weeks ago with technically heavier weight (miniscule increase) so happy.
Additional bench: 2x6 with 60kg/132 lbs and singles with 65kg/143lbs, 70kg/154lb, 75kg/165 lbs and 80kg/176lbs
Max rep pull ups managed 19 exactly like 3 weeks ago. Could have lied to myself and gotten 1 more false rep but whats the point in that!
Rows: 5x8-12
t-bar rows: 5x10
Incline Db Press: 3x10
Db Shoulder press: 3x8
Weighted pull ups: 4x8
Neutral grip pull ups: 4x MR
3x biceps
3x triceps
Today’s Lower body workout
2xBodyWeight MR Squat attempt: 116kg/255lbs for 18 reps. Surprised at this considering I’ve been feeling beat up and sore but still managed 2 more reps then last time with slightly more weight
Additional Squats: 116kg/255lbsx8,120kg/264lbx8 + 125kg/275lbsx2,130kg/287lbs x2, 135kg/298lbs x1
Sumo Deads: 2x9 with 105kg/231lbs + 125kg/275lbsx1 + 140kg/309lbsx1
Explosive Conventional deadlifts: 5x2 with 120kg/264lbx2
Overall very happy with this cycle. No missed reps, weaker on no lifts and setting small PRs. Happy for the deload next week.
