Jump to content

Growths Journal


Growth

Recommended Posts

Decided i might as well start a journal to start tracking my progress again.

Weight: 75kg

Height: 6'0''

BF: ~20% Estimated

Havent been going to the gym since christmas, so after a months break i went back to the gym today. Decided to start of pretty easy, keeping weight, volume and reps all pretty low. Wont push to hard this week but next week will increase the number of exercises, sets, and hopefully reps :roll: All weights will be in kgs, which is a welcome change from converting to pounds for all the overseas sites.

Todays Workout

Bench 60x12

100x6

100x5

Seated Milatary Press 60x8

60x8

60x8

Cable Tricep Pushdowns 66x8 (double pully machine)

66x8

66x8

Summary: Todays workout was pretty crap. I always take a week or two to get back in the swing of things after a long break. Couldnt really be bothered doing any other exercises today. Eating bad, not really gonna keep track of what i eat for the time being. Got some old supps lying around somewhere that i might get into next week. If i go to the gym tommorow it will just be a bit of back and some bicep exercises.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 1.5k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

As the title says. Road to a 140kg bench. Very optimistic i think but guess you gotta set some goals or else what are you gonna aim for. Always wanted to press 3 plates per side. My record is a fair way away though at 120kg for around 2.5 reps :wink: Before i took my holiday break i was at about 110kg for 4. Think i have only seen a couple of people pushing 140+ in my life. One was powerlifter doing around 160 for 1 rep. The other was a giant and did about the same for maybe 6 reps? Anyway its not that high on my list of prioritys when i go to the gym, im not going to do chest 4 or 5 times a week or anything, just something to slowely work on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep i do weigh 75 although yesterday i weighed in at about 77 but water levels always fluctuate. Dry weight in the morning after a piss is about 75. Not sure what a strict powerlift is? im not training using powerlifting methods. I usually try to rep about 6, i go down to about an inch off my chest. I have tried doing 1-3 reps but didnt find this effective for myself. Anyway im not training for pure strenght, powerlifter styles.

What exactly is a strict powerlift rep?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What exactly is a strict powerlift rep?

I just meant reps that would pass muster in a powerlifting competition, ie keeping your feet on the floor and ass and shoulders on the bench, touching the bar across your chest at the bottom and locking out at the top. If people don't do this then aside from training in an inferior manner, it makes their totals quite meaningless.

If you are doing correct reps then I envy your strength. I can lift a bit more but then I weigh quite a bit more than 75kg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What exactly is a strict powerlift rep?

I just meant reps that would pass muster in a powerlifting competition, ie keeping your feet on the floor and ass and shoulders on the bench, touching the bar across your chest at the bottom and locking out at the top. If people don't do this then aside from training in an inferior manner, it makes their totals quite meaningless.

If you are doing correct reps then I envy your strength. I can lift a bit more but then I weigh quite a bit more than 75kg.

Aside from the touching the chest on every rep i comply with the others. I dont usually take it all down because i incurred a shoulder injury just before christmas and when i seeked some advice about it they told me taking the bar right down can put alot more stress on your shoulders. It took my whole holiday break (1month) for the pain to stop. Had to sleep on my back or on my right side for the first 3 weeks. Has come right in the last week though and yesterdays chest, shoulder, tri workout was good, didnt feel anything in the shoulder. So yeah, thats why i dont take it right down, but an inch is pretty close.

Say i was entering a powerlifting comp then i would take it right down and i dont think it would change the amount of wieght i lifted.

As for my strength, id actually like to have a bit more size to go with my strength, ive always tried to gain size more than strength. Tried HST, tried 12-16 reps. Nothing really worked. I guess genetics mean i will always be relatively small yet moderately strong. When i bulk i tend to put on a ratio that is high on the fat side, low on the muscle side. So i try to keep fairly lean.

Are you going to start a journal. Its cool to read how other people are getting on and what is working for them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Say i was entering a powerlifting comp then i would take it right down and i dont think it would change the amount of wieght i lifted.

I think you'd be suprised how much of a difference going right down will make weight-wise - since that area is always the "sticky" point when benching. If you are planning on entering a powerlifting comp then I would recommend training to the rules. Work up from a light weight to get the technique. But as you can see below the bar must remain motionless on the chest for a visible amount of time.

Care of powerliftingnewzealand.co.nz:

Bench Press

1. The bench shall be placed on the platform with the head facing the front or angled up to 45 degrees.

2. The lifter must lie on his back with shoulders and buttocks in contact with the bench surface. The sole and heel of his shoes or any part thereof of the sole and heel must be in contact with the platform or blocks. The welt/rim or uppers must not be in contact during the lift. His hands and fingers must grip the bar positioned in the rack stands with thumbs around grip. His head must be over and above the bench surface i.e. not to one side or hanging over the end of the bench. This body position shall be maintained throughout the lift.

3. To achieve firm footing the lifter may use flat surfaced plates or blocks not exceeding 30 cm in total height to build up the surface of the platform. Blocks in the range of 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, should be made available for foot placement at all international competitions. Slight or very minor foot movement is allowed for both the platform and on the blocks, i.e. the width of the foot laterally, and half the length of the foot forward or backward.

4. Not more than three and not less than two spotter / loaders shall be on the platform at anytime. After correctly positioning himself, the lifter may enlist the help of the spotter / loaders in removing the bar from the racks. The lift off if assisted by the spotter / loaders must be at arms length.

5. The spacing of the hands shall not exceed 81 cm measured between the forefingers ( both forefingers must be within the 81 cm marks and the whole of the forefingers must be in contact with the 81 cm marks if maximum grip is used). If in the case of some old injury or anatomically the lifter is unable to grip the bar equally with both hands he must inform the referees prior to lift-off for each attempt and if necessary the bar will be marked accordingly. The use of the reverse grip is forbidden.

6. After removing the bar from the racks, with or without the help of the spotter / loaders, the lifter shall wait with elbows locked for the Chief Referee's signal. The signal shall be given as soon as the lifter is motionless and the bar properly positioned. For reasons of safety the lifter will be requested to " Re-place" the bar, together with a backward movement of the arm, if after a period of five seconds he is not in the correct position to begin the lift.

7. The signal to begin the attempt shall consist of a downward movement of the arm together with the audible command "start".

8. After receiving the signal, the lifter must lower the bar to the chest (the chest, for the purpose of the rule, finishes at the base of the sternum breastbone), hold it motionless on the chest with a definite and visible pause. Motionless to mean : stopped. The lifter must then return the bar to arms length with no excessive / immoderate uneven extension of the arms, both arms locking out simultaneously / together. When held motionless in this position the audible command "rack" shall be given together with a backward motion of the arm.

9. If anatomically, the arms cannot be fully extended the lifter shall inform the referees prior to each attempt.

Re your weight gain, I'd start with your diet. You have to be eating a shitload of protein. I was stuck at 67kgs for ages, & I thought my genetics were preventing me from growing. But then I learnt how important food is & a consistent diet. In 18 months I got up to 92kgs, & now I've cut down to 87kgs @ 5'7.

Just go hard for the rest of this year, forget about bodyfat (it's much easier to lose when you have more muscle anyway), and eat the house down.

Not sure what your training is like, but i grew with training to failure every session. Much easier with a training partner & don't forget about those legs - they'll help the rest of your body grow too.

With your considerable strength now, if you get your diet right & not neglect other bodyparts, you'll hit that 140kg bench in no time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Say i was entering a powerlifting comp then i would take it right down and i dont think it would change the amount of wieght i lifted.

I agree with Marcus. It's understandable that you would want to train that way under the circumstances, but it could be very misleading in regard to what you can safely press as compared to other lifters. The inch at the bottom does make a difference in my experience. Also, if you're not careful you might start going less far down on heavier lifts without realizing it. It might be an idea to shelve your plan to build up your bench press until your shoulder has fully healed and perhaps concentrate of building up some other lift; say subparallel squats, for example.

BTW, your military press seems quite impressive. Do you touch the bar across your chest with those?

Are you going to start a journal.

Probably not. I'm really only trying to lose weight at this stage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It might be an idea to shelve your plan to build up your bench press until your shoulder has fully healed and perhaps concentrate of building up some other lift; say subparallel squats, for example.

I'd agree here also. Just focus on other basic compound exercises & you'll probably find your bench press will tag along as your strength on these exercises increase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well i think from now on i will make a point of touching the chest on every rep. I do feel that my shoulder has repaired enough. Im not very good as nursing injuries, i almost always work throught the pain. For example ive had the elbow tendonitis from doing both skullcrushers and bicep curls and while at first i gave them time to heal, it seamed that working through the agrevation seemed just as good. Same for the shoulder injury, i worked through it but this seemed a bit more serious leading to my left pec getting injured to. While i would still work through a tennis elbow / golfers elbow, shoulder injuries are alot more serious.

So ill touch the chest and see how it goes, taking it easy at first.

As for increasing my weight, its not that i have trouble increasing it, its just that its alot more fat than muscle. I have been upto 85kg before but i hate being 'chubby'. Ill start to concentrate on my diet in the comming weeks once i have worked back into a good regime.

Yeah, the military press is down to the chest, however its using a smith machine, and seated. I concentrated on my shoulders alot before my break, i really want to have massive shoulders :pfft: My shoulder workouts would consist of seated military press, arnold press, and side / front raises.

Thanks alot for the comments guys. Help is always appreciated

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like your on the right track man.

If I was you I'd focus on upping your protein intake. Keep powering down those shakes between meals & after workouts. Even just mix the protein with water, which will help with your carb intake/fat levels. Unfortunately there is a bit of a trade off when building muscle mass. For me, I just got so pissed off with being small I would have done anything. I think that's a major mistake a lot of people make. They're so busy trying to keep slim that they don't focus on building muscle. Once you have the muscle, the fat burns away a lot easier.

Maybe if you post up your diet we can give you some other pointers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Todays Workout

Seated Cable Rows

32x16

78x8

84x8

Lat Pulldowns (Underhand Grip)

84x7

84x7

84x6

BB Bicep Curls

40x7

40x7

40x6

Todays workout wasnt the greatest. I was only there for about 20 mins. I hate when you take a break from the weights, getting back into it is always hard for me, i felt sick near the end and was pretty out of breath.

Going to have to start substituting exercises for both lat pulldowns and seated cable rows. Im already maxing out on the pulldown machine and the cable rows wont be far behind. I really need to buy a dips belt so i can do some weighted chins instead of the pulldowns. Will probably start doing bent over rows with dumbell instead of the cable rows.

If i hit the gym tommorow will do some deads, shrugs, an a couple of leg exercises. Although i hate doing squats. Usually use the leg press machine as a substitute although this isnt as effective as squats.

Got some supplements arriving tommorow or early next week so should start to dig in next week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Todays Workout

Deadlifts - conventional

60 x 12

100 x 10

140 x 6

Leg Extentions - Quads

42 x 10

60 x 10

78 x 10

96 x 6

BB Shrugs

140 x 10

160 x 10

180 x 8

Average workout today. Thought id just finish of the week pretty easy, just 3 exercises. Starting to get back into it now, yesterdays workout felt awful, todays i was feeling alrite, not out of breath as much. Should have done some leg press instead of leg extentions but i just coulding be bothered loading up all the plates.

Also i need to think of a new split so if anyone had any ideas let me know. Before the break i was doing the following

Monday

Flat BB Bench 5 sets

Flat DB Bench 5 set

Cable crossovers or Flat DB flyes 5 sets

Milatary press 5 sets

Arnold press 5 sets

Front raises or side raises or cable pulls 5 sets

Close grib bench 5 sets

Skullcrushers 5 sets

Tricep pushdowns SS with non weighted dips 5 sets

Tuesday

Seated cable rows 5 sets

Lateral cable pulldowns (underhand) 5 sets

non weighted Chinups (overhand) 5 sets

BB bicep curls 5 sets

Not sure what its called but you put a bench at the fairly high incline and then standing behind it use 1 db at a time resting your tricep on the top of the bench and do curls 5 sets

DB hammer curls 5 sets

Wednesday

BB Shrugs 5 sets

Deadlifts 5 sets

Leg press 5 sets

Abs 5 sets

Wrist curls (yes wrist curls) 5 sets

And maybe a bi and tri exercise if i got the energy

Thursday is same as monday

Fridat is same as thursday

Altough this split worked well for me the volume i think led to a few injures. Even having 2 days between chest workouts didnt seem enough, id always sustain DOMS for the whole week from mondays workout. Workouts took a LONG time, 2.5 - 3 hours. All this volume and time might seem alot but i was trying to take good advantage of some supplements i was taking at the time, and belive it or not it didnt feel at all hard working out for 3 hours, but injuries told another story.

So im looking for a new split, at the moment im thinking of

Monday - Chest / Shoulders

Tuesday - Back / Bicpes / Triceps

Wednesday - Legs / Abs / Forearms / Shrugs

Tuesdat - same as thursday

Friday - same as monday

I cant think of a good split at the moment, thats the best i can do. Keep in mind that i want to hit chest, back, tris, bis, and shoulders twice in the same week. Legs / abs / forearms / shrugs maybe just once. I might also want to work shrugs twice a week to.

Any ideas are greatly welcome.

My new batch of supplements arrived today, after the workout unfortunately but i may start them tommorow anyway just so im all rearing to go on monday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think just roll with whatever split works best for you. I used to do:

Mon: Chest & bi's

Tues: Legs

Wed: Rest

Thurs: Shoulders & Tri's

Fri: Back & calves (one week back thickness, next week width).

Now, I've started DC training so my split is different again.

For you, I wouldn't worry about sticking to 5 sets each exercise. Just focus on 1-2 sets to failure, how ever many warmup sets it takes you to get there is up to you.

Also, there's no real need to be hitting those bodyparts twice a week at this stage. At your weight I'd be focussing on hitting each bodypart HARD once a week. Especially since you are just resuming training. Then you can reassess after a few months of getting back into it full on. Remember you want to make this fun for yourself - less can be better.

Do you keep a log book? I've just started to this year & I must say it's great. I also weigh myself after every Friday's workout so I know I'm heading in the right direction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For you, I wouldn't worry about sticking to 5 sets each exercise. Just focus on 1-2 sets to failure, how ever many warmup sets it takes you to get there is up to you.

Also, there's no real need to be hitting those bodyparts twice a week at this stage. At your weight I'd be focussing on hitting each bodypart HARD once a week. Especially since you are just resuming training. Then you can reassess after a few months of getting back into it full on. Remember you want to make this fun for yourself - less can be better.

Do you keep a log book? I've just started to this year & I must say it's great. I also weigh myself after every Friday's workout so I know I'm heading in the right direction.

The only reason i do 5 sets is that the supplements i take recommend you up the volume to take full advantage. Before taking them i had never do 5 set in my life. Maybe backing it off is a good idea, will be less hard on the body too.

I do like to work certain parts twice a week, so i think ill stick to that for now. As for taking my time getting back into it, im a bit of a workout-a-holic. Im addicted to the gym and other than the first week or two getting back into it i usually give it 110%

The logbook is an excellent idea, never really thought of using one before but i think most serious bbers do. Keeping track of weight also is a good idea. Id like to get a full bodyfat analysis done but am straped for cash. I dont belive in the old measuring your neck, waist, height etc. A 7 site caliper test is proley the best way. Maybe i should buy some calipers to keep track of bf too.

Cheers Marcus

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do a current split like the one Marcus outlined, 2 on wed off 2 no and weekends off.

I dont know what supplements you are taking, however I believe you should look at only increasing the intensity of your workouts ie increase the weight, maybe add an extra warm up set but only still look at 1-2 hard out work sets.

sometimes you feel like you can do more sets, but dont overtrain, muscles dont grow in the gym, only when they are rested and have time to recover and repair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh.. sounds like you could use the latest addition to the Tools section of this site - the Routine Organiser. You can be my guinea pig! Let me know what you think.

Routine organiser

So you want to work arms today, but your triceps are still fried from yesterday's chest workout? Avoid these sorts of clashes with our routine organiser. Not only does it make designing your own workout routine and split incredibly easy, it also has a diagram showing which muscles are where. We may be biased, but we feel this is rather nifty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do a current split like the one Marcus outlined, 2 on wed off 2 no and weekends off.

I dont know what supplements you are taking, however I believe you should look at only increasing the intensity of your workouts ie increase the weight, maybe add an extra warm up set but only still look at 1-2 hard out work sets.

sometimes you feel like you can do more sets, but dont overtrain, muscles dont grow in the gym, only when they are rested and have time to recover and repair.

Thanks for your input deegee,

I cant say ive ever tried a split like you an marcus talk about, but i can see its benefits, mainly more recovery time. I think i cut a fine line between having an optimal regime and overtraining, perhaps last time leaning more toward overtraining. Thanks for the ideas mate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooh.. sounds like you could use the latest addition to the Tools section of this site - the Routine Organiser. You can be my guinea pig! Let me know what you think.

Thats a pretty handy applet youve got there. Its gives you a simple overall picture of your regime. I think after spending a little time with this my split problem may well be solved. Thanks alot Pseudonym :clap:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...



  • Popular Contributors

    Nobody has received reputation this week.

×
×
  • Create New...