Time to Grow!

Training Logs
21

[quote]dre1986 wrote:

[quote]buddaboy wrote:
Dre: here are a few things I’d like to share, which worked well for me:

Remember that a 45-60 min max workout is most effective, with what you do in the first ten to fifteen minutes being the most valuable i.e on leg day perform the ‘most bang for your buck exercise first’ for your requirements this will likely be front squats. On bench day dumbbell presses. Pre exhausting never worked for me-probably because I’m much too lanky.

Squat to parallel but not deeper, I never noticed any added benefit. My legs are LONG, squatting to parallel already necessitated traveling fart enough, it also helps avoid back rounding.

On lower body exercises like squats and dead lifts use multiple sets of low reps, this helps you maintain good technique and reduces the risk of injury, I think it is also easier to recover from 10x3 than 3x10, recovery is key, and especially so when training naturally.

Good luck Dre, looking forwards to seeing the workouts, my 3kg of peanut butter arrived from my protein today! Only �??�?�£12!

Also Dre, as a PT, what would you recommend as a complete arm workout, for me, as someone who doesn’t use split training and is just introducing direct arm training? I need to bring my upper arms up, as they suck major balls…

[/quote]

Hey mate,

Thanks a lot for all the info, a lot of it makes perfect sense and i do a few things already, for instance doing the most important exercise first and not going below parallel on squats, i also like to keep the reps low on dead’s.

As for direct arm training, what ive been doing recently and have seen good gains (probably the only good gains ive had for any body part in a while is this)

Bi’s - start off with barbell curls, working in the 6-10 rep range. 3-4 sets. I like to do a very slight front raise motion at the beginning taking the weight away from your body and changing the leverages. You use a little more anterior delt but i find you also recruit the bicep better.

Then move onto 3 sets of hammer curls or incline curls, dependant on what i feel like on the day. Just a preference thing but on most unilateral curls i do 8 reps. 4 reps on one side then the same on the other, and then finish off with another 4 reps on each. Just feels right and helps build up a bit of a pump, rest a few seconds and then really go for the last 4 reps.

I always finish bi’s with concentration curls, again with db’s. I find these really help take the muscle to absolute fatigue and again you get a great pump. These i do 8-10 reps on, sometimes a burnout on the last going up to 12-14 whatever i can manage. And thats it for bi’s. i dont rest any longer than 90 seconds, usually keep it to about 60 seconds.

Tri’s - always start with cable, usually straight bar, usually higher reps to warm up, around 12. 3-4 sets.

Once i feel well warmed up i move onto skull crushers, 3 sets. with an ez bar, although straight bar works just as well. With these i tend to extend a little behind my head as opposed to straight up, i find this recuits more of the long head and just feels better all in all. Usually again reps around 10-12. I dont like low reps for tri’s as i always feel it in my elbows.

Finally i finish off with some sort of overhead extension. Ive been doing this thing where you set a bench at about 60 degress, lie back against it, not sitting but half standing with your back pressed against it, get a dumbell in each hand, try and keep the elbows tucked, hold the db’s directly overhead, and lower until you feel a good stretch in tri, then extend up without fully locking out. I usually do around 8 reps on these, i find you get a serious burn and tbh i cant think of any other tri exercise where i feel such a full feeling, what i mean by that is all the heads being worked equally.

And thats it for tri’s. Works out at 10 sets for each. I’ve been doing this set up for about 12 weeks and really enjoy it. Not to mention ive seen good gains with this approach. [/quote]

Thanks Dre. 10 sets will kill me, I’ll literally be using empty dumbbells by the end, my arms aren’t used to anywhere near that much direct work! I’m not even sure I’ll get through the entire thing! I’ll let you know anyway, I’ll like start Friday with this as it will give them the weekend to rest. So I’ll do legs tomorrow.

22

[quote]buddaboy wrote:

[quote]dre1986 wrote:

[quote]buddaboy wrote:
Dre: here are a few things I’d like to share, which worked well for me:

Remember that a 45-60 min max workout is most effective, with what you do in the first ten to fifteen minutes being the most valuable i.e on leg day perform the ‘most bang for your buck exercise first’ for your requirements this will likely be front squats. On bench day dumbbell presses. Pre exhausting never worked for me-probably because I’m much too lanky.

Squat to parallel but not deeper, I never noticed any added benefit. My legs are LONG, squatting to parallel already necessitated traveling fart enough, it also helps avoid back rounding.

On lower body exercises like squats and dead lifts use multiple sets of low reps, this helps you maintain good technique and reduces the risk of injury, I think it is also easier to recover from 10x3 than 3x10, recovery is key, and especially so when training naturally.

Good luck Dre, looking forwards to seeing the workouts, my 3kg of peanut butter arrived from my protein today! Only �??�??�?�£12!

Also Dre, as a PT, what would you recommend as a complete arm workout, for me, as someone who doesn’t use split training and is just introducing direct arm training? I need to bring my upper arms up, as they suck major balls…

[/quote]

Hey mate,

Thanks a lot for all the info, a lot of it makes perfect sense and i do a few things already, for instance doing the most important exercise first and not going below parallel on squats, i also like to keep the reps low on dead’s.

As for direct arm training, what ive been doing recently and have seen good gains (probably the only good gains ive had for any body part in a while is this)

Bi’s - start off with barbell curls, working in the 6-10 rep range. 3-4 sets. I like to do a very slight front raise motion at the beginning taking the weight away from your body and changing the leverages. You use a little more anterior delt but i find you also recruit the bicep better.

Then move onto 3 sets of hammer curls or incline curls, dependant on what i feel like on the day. Just a preference thing but on most unilateral curls i do 8 reps. 4 reps on one side then the same on the other, and then finish off with another 4 reps on each. Just feels right and helps build up a bit of a pump, rest a few seconds and then really go for the last 4 reps.

I always finish bi’s with concentration curls, again with db’s. I find these really help take the muscle to absolute fatigue and again you get a great pump. These i do 8-10 reps on, sometimes a burnout on the last going up to 12-14 whatever i can manage. And thats it for bi’s. i dont rest any longer than 90 seconds, usually keep it to about 60 seconds.

Tri’s - always start with cable, usually straight bar, usually higher reps to warm up, around 12. 3-4 sets.

Once i feel well warmed up i move onto skull crushers, 3 sets. with an ez bar, although straight bar works just as well. With these i tend to extend a little behind my head as opposed to straight up, i find this recuits more of the long head and just feels better all in all. Usually again reps around 10-12. I dont like low reps for tri’s as i always feel it in my elbows.

Finally i finish off with some sort of overhead extension. Ive been doing this thing where you set a bench at about 60 degress, lie back against it, not sitting but half standing with your back pressed against it, get a dumbell in each hand, try and keep the elbows tucked, hold the db’s directly overhead, and lower until you feel a good stretch in tri, then extend up without fully locking out. I usually do around 8 reps on these, i find you get a serious burn and tbh i cant think of any other tri exercise where i feel such a full feeling, what i mean by that is all the heads being worked equally.

And thats it for tri’s. Works out at 10 sets for each. I’ve been doing this set up for about 12 weeks and really enjoy it. Not to mention ive seen good gains with this approach. [/quote]

Thanks Dre. 10 sets will kill me, I’ll literally be using empty dumbbells by the end, my arms aren’t used to anywhere near that much direct work! I’m not even sure I’ll get through the entire thing! I’ll let you know anyway, I’ll like start Friday with this as it will give them the weekend to rest. So I’ll do legs tomorrow.[/quote]

ha fair play mate, of course if you’re only starting out either keep the weight really light or drop the incline curls/hammers on bi day and the skull crushers on tri day. keep it 6-7 sets, and increase the sets as you progress. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

23

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Pics as promised. Side tricep shot to kick off, not the best photo i’m afraid but what the hell, at least its something for comparison

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back shot

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front pose - this was one was really rubish! what i can say, i really cant pose!!

26

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leg shot

27

1130am - 200gr greek yogurt, 1 scoop whey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 60gr oats, 1 banana

2pm - 1 chicken breast, spinach with cheese, rice, 4 fish oil caps

5pm - 2 snickers bars

session from 530pm - 630 pm

upper body - started with some stretching and foam rolling

BB complex of cleans, presses and rows 8 reps 2 sets

Shoulder DB press - 14kg, 20, 24, 26, 28, 30 all 8 reps

DB row - 32x8, 34x8, 34x8

incline db press 32 x 8 x 4 super setted with upright rows 30kg x 8 x 4

1 set narrow grip chins (was waiting for equipment) 10 reps

DB flys 20kg x 10 x 3 super setted with narrow grip pull downs 50kg x 10 x 3

2 sets seated bent over raises (rear delt) 15 reps

DB incline curls 14’s x 8 x 3 super setted with seated overhead extensions 12’s x 10 x 3

finished off with some stretching and foam rolling

Good sessions, got a lot of volume in today, not too heavy. Felt fully recovered from Tuesdays session which was good. Lower body tomorrow again.

post workout 7pm shake 1.5 scoops whey 150 gr greek yogurt

8pm 300gr white fish with sauteed potatoes large portion

11pm - 200gr minced beef, small portion sauteed potatoes

1130pm - 3 rice cakes, tsp peanut butter, 30gr hard cheese

28

1130am - usual morning shake, same as yesterday

Not sure if i’m going to train today, adductors and glutes still pretty sore from last lower body session, might give today a miss and go in tomorrow instead. Will see how feel later on though.

3pm - 6 venison and pork sausages, large tomato, cucumber and onion salad with tbsp olive oil

345pm - 1 snickers bar

530pm - 1.5 scoops whey, 1 banana, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp peanut butter

630pm 220gr shallow fried White fish

730pm - 150gr minced beef, small portion gnocci with pesto

930pm - snickers bar

11pm - small sausage in a roll with onions

1130pm - 100gr white fish, shallow fried

29

12pm - 1 scoop whey

1230pm pre workout - 2 snickers bars

Training lower body

Stretching, foam rolling 5 minutes

Back Squats - 60kg, 70, 80, 90, 100 all x 5, 110 x 2 PB (thought i’d get more reps tbh, did 100 for 8 2 weeks ago. But didnt have a spot today and didnt feel comfortable going for more reps, was still a PB though.

Goblets squats - 18’s, 22’s, 24’s, 26’s x 5 x 2 (all values per dumbell, 2 dumbells used)

Leg press - 120kg x 8 (just felt like doing a set of these, no particular reason)

Unilateral Hamstring curls 20kg x 10, 30 x 10, 35 x 10, 40 x 8 x 2

Calf raise on leg press machine - 100x15, 120 x 12 x 3 (3 second negatives on these with a 2 second hold at peak contraction)

Abs reverse crunch with negative leg raise and seperation on decline bench 10 x 3 (these are killer!!)

Stretch and foam roll 10 minutes

230pm - 3 eggs, 3 sausages, 1 large slice white bloomer bread

430pm - 1.5 scoops whey, 2oo gr greek yogurt, 100gr oats, 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil

8pm - half roast chicken, large portion of basmati rice, large portion of lentils

10pm - snickers bar, 2 rice cakes, 30gr goats cheese

30

I think you have a good amount of muscle considering how lean you are ESPECIALLY as you are natural. I never managed to get very lean when I had the most muscle mass before I used AAS; I was either skinny as fuck or chubby, and still carrying no noteworthy amount of muscle!

I’ll follow your advice about the arms workout. I think I’ll lower the weights and keep the volume, then just increase the weights, I did this when using 5/3/1 BBB and it seemed to work for me.

Where are you in the photo in your avatar?

31

[quote]buddaboy wrote:
I think you have a good amount of muscle considering how lean you are ESPECIALLY as you are natural. I never managed to get very lean when I had the most muscle mass before I used AAS; I was either skinny as fuck or chubby, and still carrying no noteworthy amount of muscle!

I’ll follow your advice about the arms workout. I think I’ll lower the weights and keep the volume, then just increase the weights, I did this when using 5/3/1 BBB and it seemed to work for me.

Where are you in the photo in your avatar?[/quote]

Thanks, appreciate it.

thats in Marbella, Spain mate, about 2 months ago. I havent got the 6 pack anymore. But i’m 4.5 kilos heavier and carrying a bit more muscle i hope.

Yeah ive always prefered high volume on arms, just seems to work better and i find you need to hit them from various angles, more so than other muscles.

32

1230pm - 1 scoop whey

1pm - 2 snickers bars pre workout

Upper body training

Stretch and foam rolling 5 mins

Upper body complex as usual 2 sets

Flat bench 40kg, 60, 70, 80x2, 85 all 5 reps, burnout 60kg x 15

All sets super setted with wide grip chins 7 total sets 8 reps each

Standing BB press 40, 50x3 all 8 reps

BB shrugs 60 x 12, 90 x 12 x 3

Seated bent over laterals 8 x 12, 10 x 12, 12 x 12 x 2

Seated DB curls, 12, 18 x 3 x 8 super setted with tri pushdowns on cable 30, 35 x 3, all 10 reps

Stretch and foam rolling 10 mins

Good session today, feel like I’m getting stronger in the bench. Not sure if doing it as a superset with the chins is helping, i remember reading a few articles refering to increasing your bench by working the antagonist muscles in a superset. Is also supposed to aid in scapula stability. Will just have to wait and see i guess.

Post workout 3pm - 3 eggs, 3 venison sausages

345pm - usual monster shake

630pm - massive sunday roast! 6 slices of pork, 1 potato, 1 sweet potato, little bit of stuffing, carrots and green beans topped off with loads of gravy

9pm - snickers bar

10pm - 50gr peanuts

33

9am - snickers bar

930am - 1 scoop whey, 200 gr low fat vanilla yogurt 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana

had a nap from 11-2, was feeling pretty nakerd after last nights activities!

2pm - half roast chicken and 50gr melted goats cheese

4pm - 1 scoop whey, 1 banana, 40gr oats, 200gr greek yogurt, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 4 fish oil caps

730pm - 1/4 roast chicken, 4 small slices roast pork, 1/2 sweet potato, 1 potato, portion of carrots and gravy

10pm - 300gr cottage cheese full fat, 1 twix bar

1130pm - big bowl of rice crispies

34

[quote]dre1986 wrote:
1030am - 150gr cottage cheese

1pm - 4 egg omelette with 70 gr feta cheese (for anyone who likes feta, try it in your omelette, tastes amazing!)

2pm - pre workout 1 kitkat and 1 twix (didnt have any snickers bars left in waitrose, think i cleared them out)

lower body training

Stretch and foam roll and couple of mobility exercises 10 minutes

Front squats - bar, 40, 50, 60, 65, 65 all x 5 reps

Sumo squats (just starting these so kept the weight light) 60, 70, 80, 90 all x 5

Split squats rear foot elevated - 10’s, 16, 18, 18, 18, 18 all x 6 reps

SLDL - 60, 70, 80, 80, 90, 100, 80, 80 all x 5

Calf raise on smith machine - 40, 80, 90, 90, 90 all x 12

Abs - 4 sets of russian twist variation on cable with rope 12.5 kg’s

4 sets crunches on bosu with medicine ball 5kg’s 12 reps each

Stretch and foam rolling 10 minutes

Long session today but trained with a mate and had been a while since we trained together. Bit more volume than i would have done otherwise but happy with the session. Hoping i can still recover for Thursday’s lower body lift.

Post workout - 2 scoops whey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 banana, 200gr greek yogurt. Forgot the bloody oats! lol - will have to have chocolate bar instead.

Settled on a kitkat in the end at 5pm

7pm - large pizza with mushrooms and extra cheese

9pm - 40gr peanuts

1130pm - 1 scoop whey, 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 200gr greek yogurt

1230am - 1.5 tortilla wraps with cheese, 100gr cottage cheese

35

[quote]dre1986 wrote:

[quote]dre1986 wrote:
1030am - 150gr cottage cheese

1pm - 4 egg omelette with 70 gr feta cheese (for anyone who likes feta, try it in your omelette, tastes amazing!)

2pm - pre workout 1 kitkat and 1 twix (didnt have any snickers bars left in waitrose, think i cleared them out)

lower body training

Stretch and foam roll and couple of mobility exercises 10 minutes

Front squats - bar, 40, 50, 60, 65, 65 all x 5 reps

Sumo squats (just starting these so kept the weight light) 60, 70, 80, 90 all x 5

Split squats rear foot elevated - 10’s, 16, 18, 18, 18, 18 all x 6 reps

SLDL - 60, 70, 80, 80, 90, 100, 80, 80 all x 5

Calf raise on smith machine - 40, 80, 90, 90, 90 all x 12

Abs - 4 sets of russian twist variation on cable with rope 12.5 kg’s

4 sets crunches on bosu with medicine ball 5kg’s 12 reps each

Stretch and foam rolling 10 minutes

Long session today but trained with a mate and had been a while since we trained together. Bit more volume than i would have done otherwise but happy with the session. Hoping i can still recover for Thursday’s lower body lift.

Post workout - 2 scoops whey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 banana, 200gr greek yogurt. Forgot the bloody oats! lol - will have to have chocolate bar instead. [/quote]

Looks like a good days training and eating today :wink:

I hope you don’t catch this fucking man flu thats going around!

36

[quote]buddaboy wrote:

[quote]dre1986 wrote:

[quote]dre1986 wrote:
1030am - 150gr cottage cheese

1pm - 4 egg omelette with 70 gr feta cheese (for anyone who likes feta, try it in your omelette, tastes amazing!)

2pm - pre workout 1 kitkat and 1 twix (didnt have any snickers bars left in waitrose, think i cleared them out)

lower body training

Stretch and foam roll and couple of mobility exercises 10 minutes

Front squats - bar, 40, 50, 60, 65, 65 all x 5 reps

Sumo squats (just starting these so kept the weight light) 60, 70, 80, 90 all x 5

Split squats rear foot elevated - 10’s, 16, 18, 18, 18, 18 all x 6 reps

SLDL - 60, 70, 80, 80, 90, 100, 80, 80 all x 5

Calf raise on smith machine - 40, 80, 90, 90, 90 all x 12

Abs - 4 sets of russian twist variation on cable with rope 12.5 kg’s

4 sets crunches on bosu with medicine ball 5kg’s 12 reps each

Stretch and foam rolling 10 minutes

Long session today but trained with a mate and had been a while since we trained together. Bit more volume than i would have done otherwise but happy with the session. Hoping i can still recover for Thursday’s lower body lift.

Post workout - 2 scoops whey, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 banana, 200gr greek yogurt. Forgot the bloody oats! lol - will have to have chocolate bar instead. [/quote]

Looks like a good days training and eating today :wink:

I hope you don’t catch this fucking man flu thats going around![/quote]

ha dont tempt fate mate! i cant be dealing with that…

37

1230pm - 4 egg omelette with feta cheese

130pm - half a twix (played footy with the little brother, needed some carbs lol)

230pm - 2 twix bars pre workout

upper body training - stretch and foam roll 5 mins, then complex as usual 2 sets

DB shoulder press - 18’s, 22, 26, 28 all x 8, 30 x 6 (felt a bit weak on these today, not sure why)

DB row - 26, 32, 34, 34 all x 8

Incline DB press - 32x8, 34x6, 32x8, 32x8 Supersetted with BB upright row 30 x 8 on all sets (crazy rear delt pump on these today!)

Cable fly’s - 10x10, 12.5x10, 15x10x2

Narrow grip pull downs (really strict form) 50, 55, 60, 60 x 10 on all sets

Tri ext half seated - 12x10, 12x10, 14x10

Stretch and foam roll 10 mins

Didnt have much energy today, got through the session alright but wasnt going to be putting up any pb’s. Not sure why didnt feel up for it today, ate well yesterday and got a good nights sleep, must just have been one of those things. No big deal really.

Took a pic during my session today which i’ll post in a minute.

Post workout 430pm - 2 scoops whey, 1 banana, 100gr oats, 1.5 tbsp peanut butter, 1.5 tbsp olive oil, 200gr greek yogurt

7pm - 1/2 chicken with large portion vegetable fried rice

10pm - 30 gr peanuts

1045pm - 100gr cottage cheese, 1 tortilla wrap with hard cheese

12am - 1 scoop whey, portion of mixed berries, 1 tbsp olive oil

38

Sorry I keep fucking the quotations up!

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Here’s todays pic

40

1245pm - 4 eggs with feta cheese

Meant to be training lower body today but my glutes are still screaming after last session. My hams arent fully recovered either. Supposed to be doing upper body training with my mate tomorrow and dont want to just miss a lower body session so i might go in and just do some isolation work. I’m thinking leg extensions, calf raises and maybe some leg curls. Still debating on what to do…

Decided to not go to the gym today, seemed a little pointless and extremely boring going in and doing 10 sets of leg ext!! Will do lower body tomorrow and see if i can rsch training with my mate for saturday, if not he’s just gonna have do legs with me!

215pm - 1 scoop whey, 1 handfull mixed berries, 100gr oats, 100gr greek yogurt, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp peanut butter

5pm - 1 small pizza

730pm 1 kitkat

830pm - half chicken, small portion rice, spinach and cheese, 1 flour tortilla

11pm - 1 croissant

1130pm - 3 scoops vanilla ice cream, 1.5 scoops whey, 200mls milk. Taste - amazing!
I know, not exactly clean eating but you gotta just say wtf sometimes and pig out. Best damn ‘protein shake’ i’ve ever had lol