Getting serious

[Riccardo]

So decided to throw up a journal to keep track of my progress and have a few people to answer to if I'm not getting stuck in and making progress :pfft: .

Started lifting 2 years ago (20yo), starting out at 75ish kg and sick of being a skinny bastard at school. Decided to put on some mass and got addicted to seeing gains in strength and size. I shot up to 90kg pretty quick and have since been coasting a bit, being lazy, drinking etc. Have set my self a goal of stepping on stage within 12 months.

Current stats are:

Height: 6'0

Age: 22

Weight: 95kg (12-14%?)

Haven't really been following a very good diet and haven't really had my supplementation on point but have placed a a big order and will be sorting out a proper bulking diet to follow.

A couple areas I need to work on: delts, chest thickness, biceps and quads.

Unfortunately my calves are out of proportion so need to bring my quads up, id definitely say they are a weak point.

Here are a couple of recent photos including a before pic to give you an idea of how skinny I was a couple years ago. Feel free to comment on areas that need improving in physique and programming :nod:

Time to stop pissing about and get serious!

[Riccardo]

Will post the last two days trainings:

Tuesday Back/Bis:

Deadlifts

10x60kg

5x100

3x140

2x180

1x210

5x230

Lat pull downs

10x82kg

12x82

15x82

25x47kg (targeting teres major/minor slightly rounded back.)

Barbell rows

10x60kg

10x100kg

8x110kg

8x120kg

close grip chins

10xBW

8xBW

6xBW

one arm bent over rows using Hammer strength isolateral leg press.

15x20kg

15x20

12x20

Barbell curls

8x40kg

8x40

5x40

Dumbell curls

20x15kg (10 reps on each arm)

20x15

20x15

1 arm cable curls

20x20kg

20x20

20x20

[Riccardo]

Wed Chest/tris

Flat BB bench press

10x60kg

5x80kg

3x100kg

2x110kg

Working sets

8x112.5kg

7x120kg

20x70kg

Incline dumbbell press

10x30kg

8x35kg

6x40kg

flat dumbbell flyes

15x15kg

15x17.5kg

12x17.5kg

Dips

10xBW

12xBW

10xBW

Overhead tricep dumbbell press

10x25kg

10x30kg

8x30kg

cable push downs

40x11.5?

35x11.5

25x11.5

(couldn't remember the actual weight but not really important as it was just a pump set.)

Notes: Now that Ive actually written down my weights I'm wondering if it would be better to increase my weight across my working sets instead of decreasing the number of reps in each consecutive set?

[Riccardo]

legs day today, would be interested to hear on any improvements I could make as i wanna really bring the quads up.

Squats.

Warm up

10x60kg

5x100kg

3x120kg

2x140kg

working set

8x160kg (to failure, spotted lightly on the last rep)

20x70kg (front squats)

Leg press

10x5pps

20x6pps

15x7pps

10x8pps

extensions

30x130

30x130

25x130 (to failure)

Hams

seated Hamstring curls

30 reps each set then took over with one leg and went to failure then did the same on the other leg

did this for four sets

SLDLs

didnt go too heavy today as normally do these before curls and go upto around 120kg

15x60kg

12x60kg

10x80kg

[Riccardo]

Today was shoulders and upper traps was planning on doing triceps but didn't have the time so will give them a good hammering later in the week.

Did some light rotator exercises ~15 reps with 5kg to warm up and get the joints warmed up.

Seated DB shoulder press

warm up

10x22.5kg

5x25kg

3x30kg

Working sets

8x35kg

5x40kg (to failure)

15x22.5kg

Behind the neck seated BB press.

10x40kg

10x50kg

10x60kg (to failure)

side lateral raises

20x11kg

15x11kg

15x11kg super set with front raises 10 reps each arm.

bent over raises (rear delts)

20x11kg

12x11kg

14x11kg (to failure)

BB shrugs

15x80kg

12x100kg

10x120kg

[tinytraps]

Strong lifting mate :nod:

[tomsammce]

Big riccardo, solid!

[Riccardo]

Cheers guys! just did a huge bb.com order tonight also never bought many supplements besides protein and creatine and fish oil so bought the following:

Myofusion 5lb (protein)

muscle pharm Assault (creatine/preworkout)

Animal pak (multi vitamin)

scivation xtend (BCAAs)

already have some creatine mono and fishoil.

[thatwaslight]

Will be following this one with interest bro. Solid lifts

[Riccardo]

Trained back and Biceps tonight, was feeling pretty exhausted from an early start and being on my feet all day. Cranked up the tunes (a bit of Karnivool) and tried to just power through it.

Deadlifts

Slow warm up

10x60kg

5x100kg

3x140kg

2x180kg

1x200kg

1x220kg

working set

5x230kg

Actually felt good, 5 solid reps, grip wasn't failing and just used chalk where as last week I used straps.

Wide grip lat pull downs

10x54kg

12x75kg

10x91kg drop set, 6x68kg.

15x54kg (using slightly rounded back to target Teres major/minor.)

Barbell rows

10x70kg

10x110kg

8x130kg (to failure)

went heavier than normal for the rows (10kg more than last week) sacrificing a wee bit of form but still felt good. Will stay at 130kg for next week but try and make the reps a little more "pretty" :pfft:

Close grip chins

10xbw

8xbw

6xbw (to failure)

Seated rows

20x68kg

20x91kg

16x98kg

(These I did the first half of the reps with a slightly rounded back, I read somewhere that pulling with a very slight rounded back engages Teres major/minor for that flare just below the rare delts and above the lats. So have just started doing this and have to say it works quite well so far. the second half of the reps I did squeezing back and down.)

Biceps:

Barbell curls

10x25kg

10x40kg

8x40kg

dumb bell curls

20x10kg

15x15kg

15x15kg

(did these both arms at the same time as if I was holding a barbell but slightly pronated. kept my wrists flat and just tried to keep the tension on the muscle keeping a good rhythm through the reps.)

Overall happy with the session considering how shit I felt going into the gym, reps weren't pretty but ground them out all the same.

[Riccardo]

Flat BB bench press

Warm up

10x60kg

5x80kg

3x100kg

2x110kg

Working sets

8x112.5kg

6x120kg (failure)

20x70kg

Incline dumbbell press

10x30kg

8x37.5kg

7x42.5kg

flat dumbbell flyes

15x16kg

12x19kg

10x22.5kg

Dips

10xBW

10xBW+20kg

6xBW+20kg (to failure)

Close grip bench press

10x60kg

6x80kg

5x80kg

major failure here triceps were dead.

Skull crushers

15x30kg

12x35kg

10x40kg

Rope pull downs

40x4kg

20x10kg

8x18kg

35x4kg

took the rope off and did single arm extensions holding onto the carabiner..

40x3kg (40 reps on each arm)

triceps fatigued early on today so did a heap of reps on the cables, more than I usually do had a mean skin stretching pump though!

[soundsgood]

Lots of sets to Failure here. Good work, pushing yourself to the limit.

Nice lifting mate

[Riccardo]

Lol cheers mate, I like going to failure on my big lifts, don't feel like I've done much if I don't.

Today was legs wanted to do a bit more volume so weights were down a bit but still pushed hard:

Squats

Warm up

10x60kg

10x60kg

5x80kg

8x100kg

3x120kg

working sets

8x140

10x140

8x150 (tried to be as explosive as possible could have got a few more but knew I was going to hit the leg press hard.

Leg press

20x5pps

20x6pps

15x7pps (drop set taking of one plate per side as follows...)

ds: 10x6pps

ds: 8x5pps

ds: 6x4pps

ds: 5x3pps

ds: 5x2pps

ds: 10x1pps

then switched to one leg only and did several reps on each leg although I wasn't counting how many.

extensions

40x130

20x130

20x130 (to failure)

20x130

Hams

was running outta time coz the gym was closing so just did some sldls

SLDLs

10x60kg

15x80kg

12x80kg

12x80kg

[HarryB]

Nice work man, good work ethic and shifting some nice weight!

[thatwaslight]

updates bro we need more bodybuilding journals!

[Riccardo]

Yo so been studying for exams hardout and training has been a bit sporadic, but managed to gain a bit of strength, I think in part due to all the extra carbs I've been eating haha. So here are the latest 3 trainings I've had.

Shoulders

Seated DB presses

22.5kg x 10

30kg x 10

35kg x 8

35kg x 8

40kg x 4 (failure) only had a small rest between the previous set and this so fatigued real quick.

Behind the neck BB presses

40kg x 15

50kg x 12

60kg x 12

(rear delts on fire)

Side raises

10kg x 20

12.5kg x 10

12.5kg x 12

12.5kg x 11 (failure)

bent over raises

12.5kg x 14

12.5kg x 10

10kg x 15

10kg x 15

Was a real quick workout was in and out within 45min so nothing spectacular but was quite intense.

[Riccardo]

Next workout was

Back

Deadlifts

warm up

60kg x 10

100kg x 5

140kg x 3

190kg x 3

210kg x 2

220kg x 1

Working set

230kg x 6 (PR)

Very clean and fast reps getting good speed off the floor. This is a PR for me I think in terms of reps (well im putting it down as one anyways )

Wide grip lat pull downs

54kg x 10

75kg x 12

86kg x 10

15x54kg (using slightly rounded back to target Teres major/minor.)

54kg x 15

Close grip chins

BW x 10

BW x 6

BW x 5

had very little rest between sets and was exhausted from my deadlift top set so these were pretty crap lol

BB bent over rows

80kg x 10

100kg x 8

110kg x 8

60kg x dunno how many reps lost count it was more than 10 though I changed the style so I was more parallel to the ground. I think they are called pendalay rows or something?

One arm rows on Hammer strength Isolateral leg press.

20kg x 12 (alternating between left and right)

20kg x 12

20kg x 16

Biceps

BB curls

38kg x 10

42.5kg x 8

42.5kg x 10

incline seated curls

15kg x 20 (10 on each arm)

15kg x 20

12.5kg x 16

isolation curls (not alternating)

10kg x 10

10kg x 10

10kg x 10

5kg x 20

[Riccardo]

The most recent session was chest and tris. A mate of mine who will be stepping on stage with me later this year took a video of my benching and just trying to get him to upload to youtube so I can upload it to here.

Chest

Flat BB bench press

warm up

60kg x 10

80kg x 5

90kg x 3

100kg x 2

110kg x 1

working sets

120kg x 8 spotter barely touching the bar with a couple fingers on the last rep.

Incline DB press

25kg x 10

35kg x 10

40kg x 8

Flyes

15kg x 15

15kg x 15

22.5kg x 10

wide grip dips

One large chain around the neck x 10

chain x 8

BW x 10

Triceps

Close grip Bench press

60kg x 12

80kg x 10

100kg x 6

Skull crushers

30kg x 10

40kg x 6

30kg x 8

barbell kickbacks

18.5kg x 20

18.5kg x 20

18.5kg x 14

Will update with legs tomorrow :twisted:

[thatwaslight]

Nice work on the deads bro, when are you competing?

[Riccardo]

Thanks bud! Hmmm well I just looked at the event calendar and the comp I was aiming for in october doesn't appear to be there.. I thought there was an NZIFBB comp in hamilton around october...maybe I was mistaken. Oh well there doesnt seem to be many comps around that time because of nationals so might just have to wait for the first one of next year :shrug:

[PeterDolan]

Wellingtons sounds like it'll have a good line up this year if you're willing to make the travel and test yourself

[Riccardo]

Yeah just saw that on the NZIFBB website. You competing in it PD? Apparently the Hamilton one is on the 8th of Oct. So thats the one I was gona aim for. But could be tempted for Wellington, previous quality looks to have been really good!

[Riccardo]

LEGS DAY!

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Squats

warm up

bar x 10

60kg x 10

100kg x 5

120kg x 3

140kg x 2

150kg x 1

working sets

160kg x 6

80kg x 20

Leg press

200kg x 10

280kg x 12

320kg x 12 (to failure)

200kg x 25

Walking DB lunges

40kg (20kg DB x 2) x 9 reps each leg

40kg x 10

40kg x 9 (failure)

Hams

seated hamstring curls super-setted with SLDLs

curls ?kg x 20 reps each leg

SLDLs 60kg x 15

x4

[PeterDolan]

Yeah just saw that on the NZIFBB website. You competing in it PD? Apparently the Hamilton one is on the 8th of Oct. So thats the one I was gona aim for. But could be tempted for Wellington, previous quality looks to have been really good!

Nah man, holiday at the start of September would f*ck my prep so will leave it til next year

Good leg session dude

[Riccardo]

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