T Nation

Rob's Training Log

Beginners
#1

Hello Everyone,

My name is Rob

I’m 20 years old
I’m 6’4 and weigh 195 pounds
I started training about three months ago
I recently lost a lot of weight the wrong way (starving, usually being single and broke living on your own and working hard at a physically demanding job will do that).

Anywho, I thought I’d start putting up my training log since some other people have started doing it. I figure it’d be a good way for me to get some good feedback and possibly some motivation to try harder.

My typical workouts have been 5x a week Mon-Fri. I alternate Push and Pull each day and varying my routines to keep it interesting.

My target is to lose 10 lbs of fat and to gain more tone and lean up. I have some stubborn fat around my abdomen and sides that I’d like to shrink down. It should also be noted that I’m taking HOT-ROX and drinking One Scoop of Metabolic Drive (Low Carb) with 8 oz of water at night as my last meal.

Todays Workout:
Circuit 1
Front Squat to Shoulder press 95 lbs 4x8
Tricep Pulldown 50lbs 4x8
Chest squeeze press 35lb/dumbbell 4x12

Circuit 2
Bicep Curl 70lbs EZ Curl Bar 4x8
Seated Cable Row 4x8 110 lbs
Leg Extension 110lbs 4x8

Circuit 3
Shoulder Shrug 60lbs/dumbbell
Back Extension Twist with 20lb medicine ball
Hammer Curl 25lbs/dumbbell

I usually have 10 seconds or less of rest between reps and usually a minute or two between circuits.

I’m at home for the next two days visiting the parents, so I’ll have to find some way to workout instead. I’ll probably get my cardio in with some body weight exercises.

Any critism would be greatly appreciated and encouraged.

#2

Today’s Workout:

3 Sets of this one circuit, no rest between exercises, two minute rest between circuits

Prisoner Squat - 20 reps
Push-up - 15 reps
Bulgarian Squat - 15 reps per side
Lunge - 10 reps per side
Elevated Pushup - 8 reps

15 minutes on the cycle, with 30 second sprints.

#3

Took an off day yesterday to spend time with my dad and help him watch my sister’s kids.

Today though, I’m back home and back on track:

Circuit 1:
Bulgarian Squat - 40lbs dumbbells 4x8
Isometric Chest Machine 140lbs 4x8
Deadlift 160lbs - 4x8
Press Lateral 35lbs Dumbbells 4x8

Circuit 2:
Overhead Tricep Extension 40lbs Dumbbell 4x8
Squeeze Press 35lbs dumbbells 4x8
Forward Dumbbell Swing 25lbs dubbells 4x8

25 minutes on elliptical machine on cross training setting with 1 minute sprints

#4

Seems you have everything organized, what is your diet like…down to each meal? How many calories (proteins, carbs, …etc)? Eating enough is going to be the key to gaining the amount of muscle you want.

#5

Well I JUST today started using fit day and I’m cutting my carbs, following the T-Dawg Diet guidelines.

Today’s Nutrition totals:
Calories:752
Carbs:84
Fiber:23
Protein:70

#6

I eat more in one meal than you seem to eat in a whole day. Your protien content is extremely low for your bodyweight. How much fat are you consuming in a day? Study plenty more on nutrition if you want to reach your goals otherwise you will be on a plateau for a long time.

#7

you need to eat ALOT more. 752 calories on one day is just plain starving yourself. I use fitday.com as well - and according to its basic little calculations using my lifestyle and height and weight, I burn over 3000 calories everyday without any physical exersice.

So go the the page on fitday.com called “Activities” and you can see how many calories you burn everyday. There is no way 752 is even close to that number. And as I’m sure other guys will tell you - starving yourself and eating too little is no way to gain muscle.

If you’re looking to lose fat while gaining muscle - you need to eat more of clean foods, but you need to eat more. Now obviously I’m a beginner as well - but this is what I’ve learned simply from reading articles here on T-Nation, I’m sure there’s more that the vets could tell you but this is just my 2 cents. Let me know If you have any questions and I’ll try and help ya’ out.

#8

Yeah…752 calories is breakfast man. Please tell me thats a typo.

#9

No it’s not typo I was a little suprised myself reading that yesterday.

My biggest problem is finding a way to eat more protein without loading on carbs and going over my 100g max for this diet. I just got paid so I’m gonna go buy a bulk of tuna, turkey and salmon.

I’ve read a ton of nutrition articles here and have taken a bit from each. The only problem is, money is pretty tight for me right now, and especially so when school starts in less than two weeks.

#10

yeah I try and get 800 in for breakfast …

#11

Todays workout

Circuit 1:
Leg Press 210lbs 4x8
Hammer Curl 30lbs dumbbells 4x8
Cable Triceps pull down 50lbs 4x8

Circuit 2:
Cable Row 110 lbs 4x8
Lat Pull down 110 lbs 4x8
Leg Extensions 130 lbs 4x8

Circuit 3:
Biceps Curl ez bar 70lbs 4x8
Shoulder Shrug 60 lbs dumbbells 4x10
Back Extension Twists w/20lbs medicine ball 4x6

Later on tonight when I get home I will post my meals so you guys can see maybe what I’m doing wrong.

#12

Todays Nutrition:

Totals:
Fat:47
Calories:1413
Carbs:97
Fiber:20
Protein:158

Meal 1:
Kashi GoLean 1c w/1/2c of fat free milk & 1/2c of blueberries

Meal 2:
1c of egg whites w/8 slices of deli sliced turkey & 2 tblspn of Fat Free Cheddar Cheese
1 Whole wheat english muffin

Meal 3:
4 broccoli florets 2 tblspns all natural peanut butter
1 pouch of pink salmon

Meal 4:
1 c steamed broccoli florets & 1/2 cup steamed baby cooking carrots
1 medium sized turkey breast fillet (boneless skinless) w/grilled squash (4 slices) and grilled onion (1 whole ring)

Meal 5:
1 scoop of Metabolic Drive (Low Carb) Banana Cream w/8oz of water

Tell me what you guys think I should improve on. I think I did a little better today at timing my meals and getting more protein at least. I could probably use more fiber too.

#13

Also I’d like to know if it’s a good thing to be sore after every workout, or if you should be after every workout.

A friend of mine who likes to think he knows it all about muscles tells me if I’m not sore the next day after a workout I’m doing enough. Is this true? I only get a little sore when I add weigh, which is usually every 2-4 weeks