Samul's Training and Nutrition Log

Background

so, i was going to do this on june when i’d start “bulking” again with a serious program.

i’d figured out up until then, i would just slowly “cut” in an attempt to lean out for the summer, not really paying too much attention to what i was doing training-wise.

not good.

however, during today’s workout, i just decided it was enough. i am not progressing anymore with this program, and i don’t want to keep wasting time i could be using to get stronger and to build muscle.

so, since i don’t really have a whole lot of fat to lose (i am probably at around 13% but since i don’t have tons of muscle anyway i don’t care about getting to single-digit bodyfat)

Reason for this topic

i thought keeping a daily(ish) log like this would be a fun way to share what i’m doing and how i’m progressing.

more importantly tho, it’ll help me stay focus and monitor how i’m doing. i’ve found that i really tend to lose track of things if i don’t pay attention so writing them down regularly will help with this.

Some info

my current stats are:
height: 5’ 10’’
weight: 162 lbs
age: 17
training time: just over a year
as far as the lifts go: i will be posting each weight starting from tomorrow’s workout

a couple of pics:



The plan

since i both want to lose a just a bit of fat and build muscle, i figured out i will do a little bit of a body recomp.

while i generally don’t believe these plans can work to a great degree, i think that may actually be a good idea if you don’t have a whole lot of fat to lose.

so i will be basically eating more calories on training days, and cut back carbs and calories on the other days.

training-wise, i will be following the waterbury method, which consists of 3 full-body workouts a week.

regarding diet, i will attempt to get better body composition through insulin manipulation: don’t wanna try and sound too sophisticated here, didn’t invent any of this.

basically i will eat moderate- and high-GI carbs in the peri-workout window, along with most of my proteins, and during the rest of the day i will limit carbs to high-fiber, low-GI foods (beans, all bran cereals, veggies, apples, and so on).

this should help me improve my insulin sentivity so that the calories i ingest get better partitioned and aid in the process of building muscle.

during non-training days, of course, i’ll avoid high-GI foods.

have yet to decide if i will be doing cardio/conditioning and in which form/intensity/frequency, i’m open to suggestions.

so it’s all for today, will see you guys back tomorrow for the first day of this log!
2 Likes

Cool man, glad you decided to start a log.

1 Like

Day 1

Today’s weight: 160.7 lbs

summary

today i started both the new training program and my new eating regimen.
gotta say i loved how today turned out, but it may partially be because of the enthusiasm which comes when you begin something new.

i liked the food i ate, had no problem with cravings, and the workout was solid

nutrition

i still need to decide if i’m going to write out everything i eat down to the foods themselves or just post the macros and calories.

for today i will go with the second option:

  • breakfast: 29.8 g carb, 2.4 g fat, 28.6 g pro
  • half morning snack: 21.4 g carb, 0.1 g fat, 0.6 g pro
  • lunch: 32.7 g carb, 4.7 g fat, 60 g pro
  • pre-workout (1 h before my workout): 66 g carb, 9 g fat, 60 g pro
  • post-workout/dinner (1 h after my workout): 117 g carb, 8 g fat, 58.5 pro

total: 2360 cal, 273 g carb, 28 g fat, 228 g pro

as you can see, the diet is pretty low fat on training days. on non-peri-workout meals the carbs come from highly fibrous, low-GI sources.

training

today was my first waterbury method workout, and i gotta say it felt really good.

i started a little bit conservatively with weights, and some exercises felt easy (like cable curls and tricep push-aways), but in the next weeks they are gonna increase.

so here’s the log:

bb back squat
169.7 lbs x 10 x 3 (avg rest time: 60 sec)

these felt pretty good.
i’ve been having some pain in the medial part of my left leg (just near the groin) each time i would go full depth and come back up for a month now, but it has always gone away after warming up so i haven’t really worried about it too much.

all sets were challenging but doable.

dips supersetted with bent-over bb rows
dip: bodyweight
bb rows: 88.2 lbs

bw x 4 x 6 SS 88.2 lbs x 4 x 6 (avg rest time: 60 sec)

i’m getting used to dips as it’s a movement i’ve never really done. i’ve completed all the sets with relatively decent technique, but i won’t be increasing the weight next week on these because i want to master the movement first

bb rows were a joke. looking forward to doing some heavier rows next week.

tricep rope push-aways supersetted with cable curls
push-aways: 55.1 lbs
curls: 66.1 lbs

55.1 lbs x 4 x 6 SS 66.1 x 4 x 6 (avg rest time: 50 sec)

here i definitely used too light weights. i tried and make it a little more difficult on me by resting less than 1 minute but it still was easy.

hanging leg raises

bw x 1 x 6
bw x 1 x 3 fail

i realized something was wrong when i started feeling a burning sensation under my armpit.
it got more painful to the point where at the third rep i was feeling as if the area under the armpit was being torn away.

so i decided to do the next two sets with the elbow-supported version

bw x 2 x 6

so that should be all for today, i’m open to feedback and suggestions, see you again the next workout day!

Day 3

So yesterday was another day of training. I gotta say I’ve been loving these last two workouts (although not very very challenging, but it’s week 1 of the program after all) and I’m getting used to the setup of the exercises

nutrition

I’m enjoying the food I’m having and although I am not really bulking or eating tons of calories I don’t feel deprived at all

  • Breakfast: 14.5 g carb, 9.6 g fat, 13.2 g pro
  • half morning snack: 28.8 g carb, 2.1 g fat, 8.4 g pro
  • lunch: 9.1 g carb, 22.1 g fat, 54.7 g pro
  • pre workout meal: 53.0 g carb, 10.6 fat, 62.3 pro
  • intra workout: 31.9 g carb, 1.9 g fat, 19.0 g pro
  • post workout meal: 84.0 g carb, 11.2 g fat, 74.1 g pro

Total: 2,431 cal, 230 g carb, 59 g fat, 222 g pro

training

Bb bench press 125.6 lbs x 10 x 3

These were no problem. I started a little bit conservatively with the weight and it actually felt easier than I was expecting

Db Romanian Deadlift 52.9 lbs per db
Superset
Standing db overhead press 35.2 lbs per db
4 x 6

This has been the hardest combo so far. I managed to get all the reps in without going to failure on either set but I was kinda taxed after this.

Also, I was sweating like I had been doing cardio, something that rarely happens when I lift

Smith machine standing calf raise 114.6 lbs (assuming the machine’s Bb weighs 12 kg)
Superset
Db side lateral raises 26.4 lbs per db
4 x 6

I hate doing standing calf raises, I just can’t feel my calves working. Also have to do them on a smith machine because there’s no calf machine in my gym.

As far as the lateral raises, I did them standing with both arms at once and I have to say I felt really unstable, probably because I had just worked my hamstrings.

I may have to work something out to handle this problem. I don’t really want to do them sitting because by standing I can handle a lot more weight than seated, so I figured I might to them one arm at the time, but how should I then handle the superset thing and the rest time?
Any advice is welcome

Tricep rope pushdown 77.1 lbs x 4 x 6

These felt really easy and the weight is soon gonna go up.

So that’s it guys for today, I would like to get some feedback on what I’ve shared so far it you don’t mind.

Thank you!

day 5

03/31/2017

today’s weight: 160.9 lbs

nutrition

2,448 kcal, 275 g carb, 43 g fat, 226 g pro

training

chin-ups

bw x 3
bw x 3
bw x 3
bw x 3
bw x 3
bw x 3
bw x 3
8.8 lbs x 3
8.8 lbs x 3
8.8 lbs x 3

so i started a bit conservatively with these because i was worried i wouldn’t even complete all sets.

turns out i was wrong, in fact i even added a 4-kg db on the last 3 sets, which were finally challenging.

incline db press 57.3 lbs per db
superset
rope curls 66.1 lbs

4 x 6

the db presses were really challenging but i managed to get all the reps in. my form wasn’t 100% perfect so i would rather stay at this weight for the next week than increase it and hit a plateau this soon into the program.

seated calf raise machine 66.1 lbs
superset
lyring leg curl machine 44.1 lbs

4 x 6

here it is. i hate calf training. when doing seated calf raise, i happen to cramp on pretty much each rep if i reach peak contraction, plus i feel the area on the lateral side of my legs burning (i guess it’s a tendon).

i also don’t really like the seated leg curl machine, as i find it difficult not to use my low back and keep it disengaged. unfortunately, my gym doesn’t have a seated version.

lunges (done holding a db in each hand) 35.2 lbs per db

4 x 6 x leg

my legs were pretty sore when i got to these, but i managed to get through them nevertheless. could have probably pushed a little harder too.

looking forward to week 2 and heavier weights

week 2

04/03/17

##nutrition

2,798 kcal, 264 g carb, 74 g fat, 251 g pro

training

BB Back Squat
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3
175.27 lbs x 3

these were challenging enough, but didn’t fail any set

Dips supersetted with Bent-over BB Row
bw x 6 ss 99.21 lbs x 6
bw x 6 ss 99.21 lbs x 6
bw x 6 ss 99.21 lbs x 6
bw x 6 ss 99.21 lbs x 6

dips were hard, i haven’t really gotten the hang of the movement yet, will have to keep them bodyweight for 1 more week.

also, i’m having difficulties feeling my back work on bent-over rows. i’ve always preferred the t-bar row as it allows me to feel my back muscles better, maybe i will change that up next time i run this program

Tricep Rope Push-away supersetted with Cable Curl
59.52 lbs x 6 ss 77.16 lbs x 6
59.52 lbs x 6 ss 77.16 lbs x 6
59.52 lbs x 6 ss 77.16 lbs x 6
59.52 lbs x 6 ss 77.16 lbs x 6

both of these were rather easy

Cable Crunch
132.28 lbs x 15
132.28 lbs x 15
132.28 lbs x 20
132.28 lbs x 12

switched the leg raises for this one as it allows me to feel my abs way better.

i also did 4 sets of 15 face pulls at the end of the workout (about 44 lbs)

05/04/17

nutrition

2,590 kcal, 284 g carb, 39 g fat, 212 g pro

training

BB Bench Press
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3
136.69 lbs x 3

some sets felt heavier than others, but overall they were pretty solid.
i feel like i still need to work on my technique quite a lot tho

Stiff-legged DB Deadlift supersetted with Standing DB OHP
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 35.27 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 35.27 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6

these were definitely the most challenging exercises.
instead of doing all four sets of ohp with the heavier weight (i feel like a 2-kg jump in db on a week-to-week basis could be too much) i did the first two with the weight from last week, and them i switched to the heavier one.

i gotta say that with this program, and in particular with this exercise combo, i’ve been sweating a lot, which seldom happens to me when i’m lifting weights. this particular superset makes me feel like i’m doing aerobic conditioning on top of regular resistance training. love it

Standing Smith Machine Calf raise supersetted with Standing DB Side Lateral Raise
136.69 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
136.69 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
136.69 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
136.69 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6

i’m still using light weights with the calf raise because i want to somehow learn how to do this movement to effectively target the calves.

lateral raises were difficult but i managed to get all the reps in

Tricep Rope Pushdown
81.57 lbs x 6
81.57 lbs x 6
81.57 lbs x 6
81.57 lbs x 6

this one was rather easy, sure enough weight is gonna go up next week

04/07/17

nutrition

2,700 kcal, 284 g carb, 50 g fat, 247 g pro

training

Chin-up
6.61 lbs x 3
6.61 lbs x 3
6.61 lbs x 3
6.61 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3

these went by pretty smoothly, and i even increased the weight towards the fifth set

Incline DB Press supersetted with Standing Rope Curl
57.32 lbs x 3 ss 81.57 lbs x 6
52.91 lbs x 6 ss 81.57 lbs x 6
52.91 lbs x 6 ss 81.57 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 81.57 lbs x 6

the incline presses didn’t feel good. i had started with 28 kg dbs but i couldn’t even get them in the starting position, not even with the help of a spotter, so i scaled down to the 26 kg ones (57.23 lbs) but i still failed the first set (probably because i was fatigued by the attempts with the havier dbs) so i scaled back down to 24 kg dbs, and i successfully ramped back up to the 26 kg ones on the last set.

the curls were difficult but ok

Seated Machine Calf Raise supersetted with Lying Leg Curl
88.18 lbs x 6 ss 48.5 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6 ss 48.5 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6 ss 48.5 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6 ss 48.5 lbs x 6

i’m getting the hang of the calf machine, i can see the weight steadily increasing in the following weeks. same goes for the leg curl

DB Lunge
39.68 lbs x 6
39.68 lbs x 6
39.68 lbs x 6
39.68 lbs x 6

i just hate this exercise. completed all sets with relative ease tho, weights are gonna go up

so that’s all for week 2.
overall i gotta say i’m really liking this program.

week 3

04/10/17

today’s weight 160.27 lbs

monday

nutrition

2,414 kcal, 251 g carb, 43 g fat, 241 g pro

training

BB Back Squat
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3
180.78 lbs x 3

pretty solid. struggled a little bit on the last few sets but i managed to get all the reps in.

Dips supersetted with Bent-over BB Row
bw x 6 ss 104.71 lbs x 6
bw x 4 ss 104.71 lbs x 6
bw x 6 ss 104.71 lbs x 6
bw x 4 ss 104.71 lbs x 6

dips just don’t feel right. i might just have to work on my technique, or maybe this exercise isn’t right for me. either way, i don’t want to fuck up my shoulders while trying to know which one is the case. starting from next week, i will ditch dips in favor of the chest press machine.

Tricep Rope Push-away supersetted with Cable Curl
66.14 lbs x 6 ss 83.78 lbs x 6
66.14 lbs x 6 ss 83.78 lbs x 6
66.14 lbs x 6 ss 83.78 lbs x 6
66.14 lbs x 6 ss 83.78 lbs x 6

i’m starting to feel the weight a little bit heavy on my biceps but i will probably still manage to increase it next week or maybe even for 2 more weeks.

triceps push aways still felt lightish.

Cable Crunch
154.32 lbs x 15
154.32 lbs x 15
154.32 lbs x 15
154.32 lbs x 15

04/12/17

today’s weight: 157.63 lbs

physique update pics (about 3 weeks into the program, doing body recomp): Imgur: The magic of the Internet

nutrition

2,914 kcal, 311 g carb, 56 g fat, 272 g pro

training

BB Bench Press
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
142.2 lbs x 3
147.71 lbs x 3
147.71 lbs x 4

i still need to improve my technique on the bench press. i managed to increase the weight by 2.5 kgs and even get one extra rep on the last set.

next week’s the final one so i’m really going to push hard on this.

Stiff-legged DB Deadlift supersetted with Standing DB OHP
61.73 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6
61.73 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6
61.73 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6
61.73 lbs x 6 ss 39.68 lbs x 6

hard-as-hell. i was sweating the whole time and my heart beat was through the roof.

stiff-legged dl were really solid and my technique on the ohp was good. struggled to get the last reps in but will definitely move the weight up on both exercises next week

Standing Smith Machine Calf raise supersetted with Standing DB Side Lateral Raise
158.73 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
158.73 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
158.73 lbs x 6 ss 28.66 lbs x 6
158.73 lbs x 6 ss 30.86 lbs x 6

i’m not really feeling my calves on the standing machine, no matter how much weight i put. i will have to focus on developing a good mind-muscle connection with that particular muscle.

i’m going to put this as one point to focus on the next program i decide do follow.

lateral raises were hard and i had to cheat just a little bit but i can definitely tell the stress was on the right muscles.

Tricep Rope Pushdown
88.18 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6
88.18 lbs x 6

these felt like recovery work, i will try and push the weight on next week

You sure get specific with the weight.

Haha, well that’s because I made an automatic script that I use during the workouts.

I just dial in the workout (a, b, c, so that I get the names of the exercises) and the weights I am going to use. Since I use kgs as a measure unit, I made the script so that it coverts kgs to lbs with a 2 decimal digit precision.

After each set, I just press a button and a line gets added to the log (there’s a box with the default amount of reps, which is 3 for the first exercise and 6 for the others so if I happen to fail a set I just change the number for that one before pressing the button). After the workout is over I just copy and paste the whole log into a forum post and add comments

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04/14/2017

today’s weight: N/A

nutrition

N/A

so yesterday was kind of a special day. i hadn’t slept home and there was no scale available there, so i couldn’t weight myself.

while i definitely did my best to track calories, i couldn’t really do that (not for all meals that is) because i went out with my gf and we ate at a sushi bar after my workout, and there was no way i was gonna track that as well.

just keep in mind that i ate A LOT

training

this session was one of the hardest i’ve had in a while. i was just lightheaded and very sweaty towards the end.

Chin-up
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
8.82 lbs x 3
13.23 lbs x 3
13.23 lbs x 3
13.23 lbs x 3
13.23 lbs x 3
13.23 lbs x 3

i will pay attention to the form on these next week. i don’t feel like i’m using my lats properly and i’ve caught my wrist flexors kicking in a little bit towards the last sets.

Incline DB Press supersetted with Standing Rope Curl
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 85.98 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 85.98 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 85.98 lbs x 6
57.32 lbs x 6 ss 85.98 lbs x 6

there we go again. i couldn’t bring up the weight on the presses and it even felt heavier than it did 2 weeks ago. curls were fine

Seated Machine Calf Raise supersetted with Lying Leg Curl
99.21 lbs x 6 ss 70.55 lbs x 6
99.21 lbs x 6 ss 70.55 lbs x 6
99.21 lbs x 6 ss 70.55 lbs x 6
99.21 lbs x 6 ss 70.55 lbs x 6

i really felt my calves and hams on these, loving this superset

DB Lunge
44.09 lbs x 6
44.09 lbs x 6
44.09 lbs x 6
44.09 lbs x 6

by the time i got to lunges i was thrashed. i managed to get all the reps in but it was excruciatingly painful.

looking forward to the 4th and last week of the program.

… just kidding, i’m actually looking forward to the deload week following that.

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Try doing them on a plate. Smith machine calf raises are actually really good.

1 Like

Also why are you curling more than you lunge…

1 Like

I’m doing cable curls, not db, whereas I use dbs for lunges, that’s why the number is higher

Thank you for the calf advice

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That makes more sense, and by the way youve mad some epic gains so far! Keep it up. Good to see you made a log

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But im a little concerned especially curling 80+ for sets of 6. In regards to building big biceps i dont know about that…
@flipcollar can help you on this
he has helped me alot .
(Sorry if this annoys you flip just let me know if you dont like being brought into a thread )

1 Like

I understand where you’re coming from, are you concerned about form?

I’m not using any form of body English or cheating and I’m controlling and slowing the eccentrics

Im more concerned about the sets of 6 and that weight. . Better off doing higher reps lighter weight focusing on Mmc . Biceps curls isnt a main lift its an accessory. Il let flipcollar explain though as i didnt know this until flipcollar told me.