Some quick figures:
Started hating myself in August of 2008. Started really doing something about it in May of 2009. I began at 140 lb at 5’9". I am now 160 lb at 5’10" (I contribute this inch to improved posture). I got a free bodyfat test at my gym the other day, it was my first time ever having that checked. I’m sitting at 10%. I eat fairly healthy, predominately fish, chicken, and vegetables.
Here was yesterday’s workout: [I designed my own program based on what I have learned and what I know works for my body, it alternates exercises and for lack of better terminology I call my weeks the Alpha and Omega, right now I am on the Omega exercises]
Legs (Omega)
Knee/Hip Abductor exercises from Physical Therapy
Leg Press
240 lb x 12
240 lb x 12
260 lb x 12
260 lb x 12
160 lb x 50
Standing Calf Raises
135 lb x 12
185 lb x 12
185 lb x 12
Walking Lunges
60 lb x 12
60 lb x 12
60 lb x 12
20 lb x 50
Traps and Back (Omega)
Single Double Rows
50 lb x 12 ea.
50 lb x 12 ea.
50 lb x 12 ea.
30 lb x 25 ea.
Farmer’s Walk
60 lb each hand for 30 sec
60 lb each hand for 30 sec
60 lb each hand for 30 sec
60 lb each hand for 30 sec
Pull-up
14 Neutral
4 Neutral
4 Wide
Good Mornings
115 lb x 12
135 lb x 12
135 lb x 12
100 lb x 15
I’m a bit disappointed in my pull-ups. I usually can bang out a set of 23 then follow it up immediately with another 10. I do however usually do it at the very beginning of my workout.
Chest (Omega)
Bench
185 lb x 6
185 lb x 6
195 lb x 6
195 lb x 6
Decline Bench
145 lb x 10
185 lb x 8
185 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
Cable Cross Over
50 lb (each hand) x 8
50 lb (each hand) x 8
50 lb (each hand) x 8
60 lb (each hand) x 6
Pec Fly Machine
90 lb x 8
90 lb x 8
115 lb x 8
115 lb x 8
Tricep Cable Extension with Single Hand Rope
30 lb x 12 (each side)
50 lb x 8 (each side)
Tricep Extension with Single Hand Handle
30 lb x 12 (each side)
50 lb x 8 (each side)
[quote]Enders Drift wrote:
I’m a bit disappointed in my pull-ups. I usually can bang out a set of 23 then follow it up immediately with another 10. I do however usually do it at the very beginning of my workout.[/quote]
Was it grip that gave out when doing the pull ups? Maybe do the farmers walk after the other exercises, if that’s the case.
Good luck with the training, man.
EDIT: Another thing to consider would be an incline movement [possibly in place of the flat or decline bench] on your chest to to get the clavicular portion more. Just a suggestion though, some people don’t really need incline stuff at all to have a balanced looking chest.
I find I get really good results with Decline Press but also have it alternating some exercises. I guess with that said I should post my entire program that I’ll be giving at least a couple of months to:
ALPHA WEEK
Legs:
Knee Exercises
Leg Press
Squats
Seated Calf Raises
Chest:
Bench
Incline
Cable Crossover
Flies
*Curls
Traps/Back:
Deadlift
1-Legged Chest Pull Down
Horizontal Rows
Vertical Rows
Horizontal Chest Pulls
Shoulders
Barbell Shrugs
Seated Dumbbell Military Press
Cable Rotations
*Triceps Pulldown
OMEGA WEEK
Legs:
Knee Exercises
Leg Press
Walking Lunges
Standing Calf Raises
Chest:
Bench
Decline
Cable Crossover
Flies
*Triceps Pulldown
Traps/Back:
Single Dumbbell Rows
Farmer’s Walk
Pull-ups
Good mornings
Shoulders:
Dumbbell Shrugs
Seated Barbell Military Press
Cable Rotations
*Curls
So next week I’ll be doing regular bench and incline bench on Chest Day.
Yeah it was grip/forearm that gave out. If I switch order won’t I run in to the same problem but on the farmer’s walk?
[quote]Enders Drift wrote:
Yeah it was grip/forearm that gave out. If I switch order won’t I run in to the same problem but on the farmer’s walk?[/quote]
Possibly, but it might be worth it if you had that big a drop off in your reps for pull ups. You might only have a small drop off on the farmers walk if you move it to the end, as opposed the the large drop in pull ups. If that’s the case then it’d be a good idea to switch the order.
Shoulders (Omega)
Dumbbell Shrugs
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
Barbell Shoulder Press (behind neck)
105 lb x 12
115 lb x 12
115 lb x 8
95 x 20
Cable Rotations
50 lb x 10 each side
50 lb x 10 each side
50 lb x 10 each side
30 lb x 20 each side
Dumbbell Curl
30 x 8 lb each side
30 x 8 lb each side
30 x 8 lb each side
Chest (Alpha)
Bench Press
185 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
200 lb x 5
135 lb x 15
Incline Press
95 lb x 8
95 lb x 8
100 lb x 8
Pec Fly Machine
115 lb x 10
115 lb x 10
115 lb x 10
90 lb x 12
Cable Cross
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
30 lb each hand x 12
Curls
50 lb x 12
50 lb x 12
60 lb x 8
Wrist Curls
15 lb each hand x 30
Flicks x 50
15 lb each hand x 30
Flicks x 50
Decided to add the forearm work at the end. Felt I could handle it and I’m thinking of entering an amateur arm wrestling competition next month and don’t want to make a complete fool of myself. Bit disappointed on Incline but its rare that I ever do Incline but know I should so I put it in my program. Hopefully it’ll catch up to my Decline and Standard pretty fast. Maybe I’ll make it first in two weeks when I do it again.
Traps/Back (Alpha)
Deadlift
245 lb x 3
255 lb x 3
260 lb x 3
265 lb x 3
Chest Pull
110 lb x 12
110 lb x 12
120 lb x 12
120 lb x 12
One Legged Chest Pull Down
90 lb x 12
105 lb x 10
105 lb x 10
105 lb x 10
Horizontal Row
85 lb x 10
85 lb x 10
85 lb x 10
Vertical Pull Down
70 lb x 10
85 lb x 10
85 lb x 10
Legs (Alpha)
Knee/Hip Abductor Exercises from Physical Therapy
Single Leg Press on Horizontal Leg Press (Part of my PT exercises)
160 lb x 12 each leg
180 lb x 12 each leg
Squats. (It was my first time doing Squats since injuring my knee and definitely easing back into it.)
185 lb x 8
185 lb x 8
95 lb x 15
Seated Calf Raises
90 lb x 12
90 lb x 12
100 lb x 12
Decline Leg Press
200 lb x 8
270 lb x 8
300 lb x 8
Second time working out my legs since injuring my knee. Tried not to overdue it and used a bit lighter weights than where I was at. My knee was still hurting by the time I was done so came home and iced it. Hopefully its not sore tomorrow.
Legs are sore in the way they should be after a hard workout but my knee is definitely a little extra sore. I’ll have to really take it slow as I start to do leg work again.
Shoulders (Alpha)
Barbell Shrug
140 lb x 8
155 lb x 12
155 lb x 12
155 lb x 12
Dumbbell Seated Military Press
40 lb each hand x 10
45 lb each hand x 8
45 lb each hand x 6
30 lb each hand x 10
Cable Shoulder Rotations
50 lb x 10 each hand
50 lb x 10 each hand
60 lb x 8 each hand
Tricep Cable Pulldown
90 lb x 10
110 lb x 10
110 lb x 10
Skull Crushers
35 lb x 10
65 lb x 10
65 lb x 10
Traps / Back (Omega)
Pull-ups
21 Neutral
5 Neutral
4 Neutral
4 Wide
Single Dumbbell Row
55 lb x 12 each hand
55 lb x 12 each hand
55 lb x 12 each hand
35 lb x 15 each hand
Farmer’s Walk
60 lb each hand x 30 seconds
60 lb each hand x 30 seconds
60 lb each hand x 30 seconds
60 lb each hand x 30 seconds
Good Mornings
115 lb x 12
135 lb x 12
135 lb x 12
Legs (Omega)
Knee Exercises from Physical Therapy
Walking Lunges
70 lb x 12
70 lb x 12
80 lb x 12
80 lb x 12
Leg Press
270 lb x 10
320 lb x 10
320 lb x 10
320 lb x 10
Standing Calf Raises
155 lb x 12
205 lb x 12
205 lb x 12
Chest (Omega)
Bench
190 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
195 lb x 6
195 lb x 5
Cable Cross
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
60 lb each hand x 8
30 lb each hand x 12
Decline
155 lb x 8
185 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
195 lb x 8
Pec Fly Machine
120 lb x 8
115 lb x 8
115 lb x 8
Triceps Pulldown
100 lb x 10
110 lb x 6
Skull Crushers
55 lb x 10
75 lb x 8
75 lb x 10
Shoulders (Omega)
Shoulder Press
105 lb x 12
115 lb x 12
115 lb x 12
135 lb x 10
85 lb x 15
Dumbbells Shrugs
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
65 lb each hand x 12
Cable Rotations (which I just found are correctly called Cable Lateral Raises)
50 lb each hand x 10
50 lb each hand x 10
50 lb each hand x 10
37.5 lb each hand x 10
27.5 lb each hand at the same time (inverse cross) x 10
Bicep Curls
35 lb x 10 each hand
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
20 lb x 10 then 10 second rest
[100 reps total each hand]
I definitely had bad form on one the Cable Lateral Raises and now the lower part of my left lat is hurting in certain positions.
Okay mixed it up a little today to try out some suggestions from my Performance Photos page (Forums - T Nation - The World's Trusted Community for Elite Fitness)
Chest (Alpha) with some variations
Incline Press using Dumbbells
60 lb each hand x 6
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
Dumbbell Press
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
HS Incline
110 lb x 8 explosive out and 5 second negative
110 lb x 8 explosive out and 5 second negative
Dips
15, 15, 11
Cable Cross
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
50 lb each hand x 8
40 lb each hand x 12
Calfs
115 lb x 12
115 lb x 12
115 lb x 12
I liked the HS Incline so I think I’ll incorporate it in once in a while on its own. Today I only did 2 sets to test it out. Dips felt good too since I hadn’t done any in a while it.
I’m thinking to also incorporate Calves 3/wk so basically every day except leg days. On leg days I could then hit my legs a bit harder on some other exercises like hammies and then finish out with some extra bicep work since my biceps are really lagging.
Traps / Back (Alpha)
Deadlift
250 lb x 3
265 lb x 3
275 lb x 2 PR
One Legged Chest Pulldowns
115 lb x 10
115 lb x 10
110 lb x 10
110 lb x 10
Vertical Row
100 lb x 10
100 lb x 10
100 lb x 10
Chest Pull
100 lb x 12
110 lb x 12
110 lb x 12
120 lb x 12
Horizontal Row
90 lb x 12
100 lb x 12
100 lb x 12
I think I could’ve gotten the third 275 DL if I had chalk, straps, or gloves. My hand was just too sweaty and when I went for it it started to slip at about 6" off the ground so I put it down. Hoping to get to 3 plates by the end of May.
Legs (Alpha)
Squats
235 lb x 6
235 lb x 6
235 lb x 3
Leg Press
320 lb x 8
340 lb x 8
360 lb x 8
360 lb x 8
Calf Raise Rotation Machine
115 lb x 15
130 lb x 15
145 lb x 15
85 lb x 15
Knee Exercises (PT)
Shoulders (Alpha)
Barbell Shrug
225 lb x 6
245 lb x 6
245 lb x 6
Dumbbell Press
40 lb each hand x 10
45 lb each hand x 8
45 lb each hand x 8
Lateral Pulldown
115 lb x 8
130 lb x 8
130 lb x 6
Cable Rotation
50 lb x 8 each side
60 lb x 8 each side
60 lb x 8 each side
Upright Rows (Cable using V-Bar)
90 lb x 8
110 lb x 8
110 lb x 8
Machine Tricep Press
130 lb x 8
130 lb x 8
130 lb x 8
EZ Bar Curls
85 lb x 8
85 lb x 6
Dumbbell Curl on Preacher Bench
35 lb x 8 each hand
35 lb x 8 each hand
35 lb x 8 each hand
Did some cardio today
bike intervals - 30 seconds normal speed then 30 seconds of sprint. I’m doing these on a recline bike.
NO REST, had a water bottle on the bike and sipped during the first 30 seconds
5 minutes of Bike Interval
50 situps
5 minutes of Bike Interval
50 situps
5 minutes of Bike Interval
50 situps
5 minutes of Bike Interval
50 situps
It was my first time doing any serious cardiovascular work since injuring my knee back in January. Felt great. Think next time I’ll do same thing but add 20 pushups in between the sets as well.