Time to Get Serious

Ok, I’m starting this log to finally get serious. I have been working out on and off for about a year but have not made much progress. Mainly strength training 5x5 strong lifts. I have kinda half assed it and really need to focus which I hope this log will help me do. I keep changing my program round and get bored as I have stalled for awhile.

Not really worked out consistently since Christmas as tried to pursue to many goals at once (Bouldering, Martial arts and running). I want to get fitter all round but I also want to get strong.

Anyway it was my birthday on Saturday (15/05) and I turned 26 and decided I gotta stop being a little bitch and get strong.

So my current stats are,
Age 26
My current BW is 85kg.
Current Lifts,
Deadlift 105kg 1x5
Squat 90kg 5x5
Bench 60kg 5x5
Row 45kg 5x5
Can do about 3 Chin-ups from dead hang and 1 solid Pull-up. Push-ups 15-20 and Dips 8-10 solid reps.

My goals are for 5 reps,
Deadlift: 2xbw â?? 170kg
Squat: 1.5xbw â?? 127.5kg
Bench: 1xbw â?? 85kg
Row: 1xbw â?? 85kg
Pull-ups\Chin-ups â?? 3 solid sets of 10

I will be revising these and will have a think over the next few days how long it will take me to reach these goals and aim for that.

Cleared this as it contained a program that I am not going to follow. I have updated this in a new post.

I have revised my goals as i have changed program,
My goals are for 5 reps,
Deadlift: 2xbw - 170kg
Squat: 1.5xbw - 127.5kg
Bench: 1xbw - 85kg
Pull-ups\Chin-ups - 3 sets of 10 or 15 from a dead hang. Once I reach this I will begine adding weight.

Ok had a few bad weeks to begin with. I was loking at complicating things to much and not focusing on what I need to do. I have now cleared my head and im going back to basics.

My program I am following now is the Wichita Falls Novice Program from Starting Strength. Im going to work Friday, Sunday and Tuesday. Did my first workout yesterday and have deloaded all my lifts so I can fix my form and reach my goals.

Program is as follows,

Friday
Squat 3x5
Bench Press/Press 3x5 (alternating)
Chin-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Sunday
Squat 3x5
Press/Bench Press 3x5 (alternating)
Dead Lift 1x5/Power Clean 5x3 (alternating)

Tuesday
Squat 3x5
Bench Press/Press 3x5 (alternating)
Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure or add weight if completing more than 15 reps

Im going to go with the recommended weight increases each workout of 10kg for Deadlifts, 5kg for Squats and 2.5kg on Bench and Press.

22/06
Squat 3x5 - 50kg
Bench 3x5 - 30kg
Pull-ups 3xf - 5/2/3

Ok, I have worked out my lifts for the next few month and following the suggestion of aiming for 2.5kg gain on my squat each workout have set some goals.

Provided everything goes to plan (which it will as I am determined) I will be back to my BW Squat of 85kg on 25-july and get 1.5bw on 03-september thats 127.5kg. All also reach my 2xBW deadlift by then.

I will post results of my workout tonight and also pictures of my home-made squat rack. Gonna be building it tonight out of scafolding lol.

Well I performed a workout yesterday.
Squat 60kg 3x5
Press 20kg 3x5
Chin 6\4\2

However I felt this workout is not enough and those weights are really easy. I know I’m trying to get my form back but I am going to change the workout round a bit. I like Dips and Pushups so I am going to add these and change reps to 5x5 until I start getting weight up a bit.

New workout I’m going to do on alternate days is,

Workout A
Squat 5x5
Press 5x5
Dead Lift 3x5
Pull-up\Chin-up 3xf

Workout B
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Clean 5x3
Push-up\Dips 3xf

27/06
Squat 5x5 62.5kg
Bench 5x5 32.5kg
Clean 5x3 30kg (Learning form)
Push-ups 3xf 10\10\10 (going for 15 reps each set next session then will add weight and shift to 5x5)

29/06
Squat 5x5 65kg
Press 5x5 25kg
Deadlift 3x5 80kg
Chin-up 3xf 5\3\3

Changed stuff around a little, I have kept all the Main lifts however I have a gym at home and I feel like I want to work out more. I have decided to move onto a 5 day split so I can still squat 3 times a week. I have gone for an upper lower split. Here is the program. I have decided to do this for 8 weeks and see how I am after this.

Monday
Lower A
Squat 5x5
Deadlift 3x5
Ab Wheel 3x12-15
Bridge 3x1min

Tuesday
Upper A
Bench 5x5
Bent row 5x5
Chin-up 3xf
Dip 3xf

Wednesday
Rest

Thursday
Lower B
Squat 5x5
Lunges 3x10
Leg raise 3x12-15
Bridge 3x1min

Friday
Upper B
Press 5x5
Curls 5x8
Pull-up 3xf
Push-up 3xf

Saturday
Lower C
Squat 5x5
Clean 5x3
Ab Wheel 3x12-15
Bridge 3x1min

Sunday
Rest

First workout from new program.

02/07
Squat 67.5gk 5x5 (still plugging away to get my numbers up)
Lunges 3x10(each leg) 20kg (Easy gonna ramp this up to 40 next time)
Leg Raises 15. Stopped to go eat lol.

Adding the other ab stuff next time. Only 4 exercises leaves me time to add stuff f I want.

03/07
Bench 50kg 5x5
Bent Row 40kg 5x5
Chin 5/5/5
Dip 5/5/5

05/07
Squat 70kg 5x5
Dead 90kg 1x5
Ab Wheel 3x15 (roll out from knees to full stretch)
Bridge 3x1min

06/07
Bench 52.5kg 5x5
Bent Row 42.5kg 5x5
Chin 5/5/5
Dip 5/5/5

08/07
Squat 75kg 5x5

10/07
squat 5x5 77.5kg
lunges 3x10 20kg
press 5x5 30kg
chin 3xf 8/6/5
tricep ext 5x5 20kg

11/07
cross trainer
30mins 8.9km

13/07
Warmup 5 mins on bike
squat 3x5 80kg and 3x5 70kg
bench 5x5 55kg
dips 3xf 7/6/5
curls 5x5 30kg

15/07
cross triner 30mins 8.9km
BW 85kg
Measurments
Upperarm r-14,1/2" l-14,1/4"
forearm r-11" l-11"
shoulders 46, 1/4"
chest 40,3/4"
belly 40,3/4"
hips 39"
thigh r-22,1/2" l-22,1/4"
calf r-14,3/4" l-14,3/4"

To measure again in 8 weeks 9th september

17/07
warmup 5 mins bike
squat 3x5 85kg
press 3x5 32.5kg
chin 9/6/6
tricep 5x5 17.25kg

19/07
squat 3x5 87.5kg
bench 3x5 57.5kg
clean 5x3 30kg
dips 7/8/5
Row 3x5 45kg

21/07
Warmup 5 mins bike
squat 90kg 3x5
press 35kg 3x5
inverted rows 10/7/6
curls 32.5kg 5x5
tricep ext 20kg 5x5

22/07
cross trainer 30min40sec 9km

Ok, I have not updated this in some time. It has been a very busy last few months. I have moved which resulted in me not being able to use my home gym. I was also not able to afford to join a local gym so this has been a bit of an issue for me.

I also started running. Crazy I know lol but at least I was still trying to keep fit.

I have really been missing the weights so I have found a local gym used by the local bodybuilders and the like so hopefully it is pretty hardcore. I have enjoyed working out along but I wanna see if having some meatheads round me will really give me a bit of a push to get better.

Well I am going to the gym tonight to have a look around I will give you an update on it.