Darwin's Training Log

Training Training Logs
1

Hello!! My name is Darwin, and I’ve decided I’m going to keep a log of my workouts, to serve as continued motivation (not that I think I’m lacking), and also to see if there are things that I might be doing wrong, or maybe sub-optimally. I have had my “Phoenix Moment” and am trying to learn all that I can about diet, nutrition, and fitness. I hope one day to be able to compete at least once, but I know that is a long way off. So, on to basics…

I am a former Marine, and during my enlistment I was in the best shape of my life. Enter a pretty bad back injury, and I was medically relieved, and have spent the last 5 years trying to recover from the injury. Well, about two dozen doctors later, and I have finally made progress, and was given the go-ahead to start lifting weights again!!

My doctor has told me to watch my back carefully, and to ensure that I am using proper form, especially on my Deadlift, so I started out with virtually no weight at all.

Just about two weeks ago, I started the Anabolic Diet. It has been working great for me from a fat loss and energy standpoint, and I have no intention of stopping it. I’ve never felt so alive and full of energy (I’m sure the HOT-ROX are augmenting that, too). I guess I’m one of those carb-sensitive guys (what is the technical term, anyway?), so being on a low-carb diet has made my body really happy. I’m looking forward to my first “carb-up” this weekend. I’m taking the wife out to a nice Italian restaurant. I’m betting the pasta is going to taste REALLY good, lol.

Now, for my stats:

Age: 26
Weight: (3/31/2008) 215
Current Weight: (4-18-2008) 198
BF%: ? (If anyone feels like eyeballing this for me, I have pics in my profile. I really need to get tested)

Measurements: … still need to do…

Average Daily Diet:

I average 4-5 liters of water a day.

Weekdays

Morning (6am):
Scrambled Eggs (4)
Low-Sodium Bacon (4)
Grow! Protein Shake (1-2 scoops)

Snack (9-9:30am):
Peanuts (~25g)
Cheese (1-2 slices)

Lunch (noon):
Cheese (4 slices)
Celery Sticks (1-2 stalks)
Turkey or Chicken

Snack (2:30-3pm):
Peanuts (~25g)
Celery Sticks (1-2 Stalks)

Dinner (5:30-6pm):
Chicken/Red Meat/Pork
Assorted Vegetables
Grow! Protein Shake (1-2 scoops)

Pre-Bedtime (9-10pm):
Metabolic Drive Shake (1 scoop)

Additional Supplements:
HOT-ROX Extreme (2 a day, for that added boost of energy)
Fish Oil Capsule (432/288 EPA/DHA) (4 daily)
Flax Seed Oil (1200mg) (1 daily)

Daily Caloric Intake is usually between 2000-2200. I try to get 180-200g of protein every day, and always shoot for less than 30g carbs every day.

NOTE: The Grow! Protein Shakes are 1 scoop each on non-lifting days, and 2 scoops each on lifting days.

LIFTING PROGRAM: Starting Strength

I generally do 3x5 ramping warm-up sets for each exercise, but I will not be listing the weight. My lifting time is usually 4:30am or 5am, and it takes me about 45 minutes to get through the program.

Friday, April 11:

Squats: 110x5 110x5 110x5
Deadlift: 120x5 120x5 120x5
Seated Military Press (my ceilings are too low): 40x5 40x4 40x4 (I hate hate hate this exercise)
Bench: 70x5 70x5 70x4 (I tried for the fifth, I really did, but it just wasn’t happening this morning)

Note: I am using standard weights, but I have no clue how much the standard bar weighs. If anyone can help out on that, I’ll update my weights to include the bar. Also, I will be including supermans, pull-ups, and bench dips starting next week.

Hopefully this will be a happy tale of strength gains, fat loss, and no trips to the ER with my back (j/k). Feel free to comment with any suggestions, tips, ideas, support, or just to say “hi”!!

Rock on, and happy lifting!!!
Darwin

2

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
I generally do 3x5 ramping warm-up sets for each exercise, but I will not be listing the weight.
[/quote]

Keep that weight light. Make sure you’re actually warm. I tend to do 4 or so sets of warmups for my squats, with maybe only 3 or 2 for the other exercises. I ramp up the weight to my worksets, while decreasing the reps.

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
Seated Military Press (my ceilings are too low): 40x5 40x4 40x4 (I hate hate hate this exercise)
Bench: 70x5 70x5 70x4 (I tried for the fifth, I really did, but it just wasn’t happening this morning)
[/quote]

I hope you’re not missing reps on your first day… if so, drop it by 10 lbs. As far as the ceilings being too low, that really really sucks. Any way around that? If not, try and get them done without resting your back on something: keep that adjustable bench flat.

I didn’t really look at your diet, but 2000-2200 seems reasonable for fat loss at your stage. Get lots of rest, you’re gonna need it. :slight_smile: Keep at it. You’ll get where you want if you follow a sensible plan, and it looks like you have one.

3

[quote]darwin420 wrote:

Note: I am using standard weights, but I have no clue how much the standard bar weighs. If anyone can help out on that, I’ll update my weights to include the bar. Also, I will be including supermans, pull-ups, and bench dips starting next week.

[/quote]

I think standard bars weigh about 20-25 lbs, while Olympic bars weigh about 45 lbs.

Good luck with your program!! I agree you should start light and work your way up. Keep updating your log and let us know how you do.

4

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
I generally do 3x5 ramping warm-up sets for each exercise, but I will not be listing the weight.

Keep that weight light. Make sure you’re actually warm. I tend to do 4 or so sets of warmups for my squats, with maybe only 3 or 2 for the other exercises. I ramp up the weight to my worksets, while decreasing the reps.
[/quote]

So would you recommend starting with 10 or so reps and working down to 5 (which would be used with the working weight?)

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
Seated Military Press (my ceilings are too low): 40x5 40x4 40x4 (I hate hate hate this exercise)
Bench: 70x5 70x5 70x4 (I tried for the fifth, I really did, but it just wasn’t happening this morning)

I hope you’re not missing reps on your first day… if so, drop it by 10 lbs. As far as the ceilings being too low, that really really sucks. Any way around that? If not, try and get them done without resting your back on something: keep that adjustable bench flat.
[/quote]

Not missing reps my first day. This is actually two weeks in to my workout. I usually get those final reps, but yesterday they just whooped my butt. :slight_smile:

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
I didn’t really look at your diet, but 2000-2200 seems reasonable for fat loss at your stage. Get lots of rest, you’re gonna need it. :slight_smile: Keep at it. You’ll get where you want if you follow a sensible plan, and it looks like you have one.[/quote]

I’m trying. I appreciate you taking the time to check this out. I’m finding it hard to get my calories that high without going over on carbs. I guess I’ll just have to start throwing some more olive oil in my cooking, lol.

5

[quote]Tonino wrote:
darwin420 wrote:

Note: I am using standard weights, but I have no clue how much the standard bar weighs. If anyone can help out on that, I’ll update my weights to include the bar. Also, I will be including supermans, pull-ups, and bench dips starting next week.

I think standard bars weigh about 20-25 lbs, while Olympic bars weigh about 45 lbs.

Good luck with your program!! I agree you should start light and work your way up. Keep updating your log and let us know how you do.[/quote]

It’s strange, though, the bar doesn’t feel like it weighs that much. It’s a moot point, though… I just found out yesterday that I will have free access to the gym where I work (I work on a Navy base as a contractor). It’s a really nice facility, with a sizeable free weight room, and tons of cardio options).

Whereabouts in CT are you? I was born and raised in Windham.

Question on Anabolic Diet carb-up: I had my first carb up last night, with some good bread and some rich pasta. I had 2 beers as well. I’m not sure if it was the alcohol, or the mad amount of carbs, but it made me puke so violently. Is this normal for the initial carb up on the AD?

Thanks!

6

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
So would you recommend starting with 10 or so reps and working down to 5 (which would be used with the working weight?)[/quote]

I personally start at 5 reps, and work my way down from there. :slight_smile: I wouldn’t start with 10, unless it’s like, the bar and you’re squatting. :slight_smile:

Here’s an example from the book, “Starting Strength”:

(weight x sets x reps)
Squat:
45x2x5
95x1x5
135x1x3
185x1x2
225x3x5 (this is the “work set”)

I do something similar. My last warmup for my squat is 250 for 1. :slight_smile:

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
Not missing reps my first day. This is actually two weeks in to my workout. I usually get those final reps, but yesterday they just whooped my butt. :)[/quote]

Oh ok. It gets tough increasing weight every workout. :slight_smile:

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
I’m trying. I appreciate you taking the time to check this out. I’m finding it hard to get my calories that high without going over on carbs. I guess I’ll just have to start throwing some more olive oil in my cooking, lol.[/quote]

Do you think it is too much food? :-/

7

[quote]darwin420 wrote:

Whereabouts in CT are you? I was born and raised in Windham.

[/quote]

Born and raised in New Haven, CT. To be honest, I’m not even sure where Windham is!! I’m going to take a guess and say somewhere in Northern CT…

8

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
So would you recommend starting with 10 or so reps and working down to 5 (which would be used with the working weight?)

I personally start at 5 reps, and work my way down from there. :slight_smile: I wouldn’t start with 10, unless it’s like, the bar and you’re squatting. :slight_smile:

Here’s an example from the book, “Starting Strength”:

(weight x sets x reps)
Squat:
45x2x5
95x1x5
135x1x3
185x1x2
225x3x5 (this is the “work set”)

I do something similar. My last warmup for my squat is 250 for 1. :slight_smile:
[/quote]

That’s a much different warmup than I do. I really need to get the book. I’m using a slightly modified version of SS that has 3 warmup sets of 5 reps each. It seems to work for me, but if there’s a better way, I’m all for it. :slight_smile:

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
Not missing reps my first day. This is actually two weeks in to my workout. I usually get those final reps, but yesterday they just whooped my butt. :slight_smile:

Oh ok. It gets tough increasing weight every workout. :slight_smile:
[/quote]

That it does, especially when you’re an absolute beginner like me (I’m discounting my days of lifting from 5/6 years ago, lol)

[quote]goochadamg wrote:
darwin420 wrote:
I’m trying. I appreciate you taking the time to check this out. I’m finding it hard to get my calories that high without going over on carbs. I guess I’ll just have to start throwing some more olive oil in my cooking, lol.

Do you think it is too much food? :-/ [/quote]

It might have been. I’m losing weight steadily, though, which means I’m taking in a deficit. We’ll see how the next 2 weeks go, and I’ll make adjustments as necessary.

9

[quote]Tonino wrote:
darwin420 wrote:

Whereabouts in CT are you? I was born and raised in Windham.

Born and raised in New Haven, CT. To be honest, I’m not even sure where Windham is!! I’m going to take a guess and say somewhere in Northern CT… [/quote]

Do you know where Willimantic is? Roughly speaking, it’s about 45 minutes East of Hartford, and about 40 minutes North of Norwich. I really don’t miss the place, though, as it was kind of a shithole.

Is Toad’s Place still in New Haven? I used to love going to shows (and playing them) there.

10

Okay, now that I’ve answered the posts above, let’s get down to business!

First off, let me say that I REALLY love having access to a full gym, and to be using 100% proper equipment. It made me feel better, and I think it made some lifts (especially squats) much safer and stronger (because I could do them 100% properly, which means full weight).

Now, with that said, I was also figuring out my Olympic weights… So, some of my lifts might not be at full capacity this morning (and they won’t be on Wednesday), but I think I have a much better idea of where my strength actually is.

All in all, every lift was higher than last week, so I’m not complaining!

Note: Apparently my notes got all screwed up, coz today should have been mil press instead of rows. oops.

LIFTS: (I am including warmups for critique)

SQUAT:
45 1x5
65 1x6
85 1x5
–working set–
115 1x5
115 1x5
115 1x5
(I could probably go higher. Will do on Wednesday)

DEADLIFT:
95 1x5
105 1x5
–ws–
115 1x5
115 1x5
115 1x5
(I really feel I could have pulled more weight, so I’ll up in on Wednesday)

BENCH:
45 1x5
55 1x5
65 1x5
–ws (still ramping to find my weight)
75 1x5
85 1x5
85 1x5
(I’m going to warmup up 65-85, and then go for 195 for working on my next bench day, and see how that goes. I think it’s perfectly attainable)

BENT-OVER ROW: (should’ve been mil press, d’oh!)
20 1x5
25 1x5
30 1x5
-ws (still ramping to find my weight)
35 1x5
40 1x5
45 1x5
(This lift was really easy, and I really underestimated myself. Since I’ll be doing these again on Wednesday’s “B” workout, I’m going to start my warmup at 35)

DIPS:
BWx8
BWx8 (I really struggled on the last two. That said, should I start adding weight? Or should I wait until I hid 10reps?)

All in all, I’m happy with the progression from last week. I know I’m still probably not at full capacity for my lifts, but between easing my back into lifting again, and getting used to the new gym, I’ll take it as is. It just means that I’ll be increasing weight each workout until I find my true working loads.

Again, any comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome. I like to think that I’m avoiding most newbie mistakes, and that I have a reasonably solid starting program, but I am keeping myself open to good ideas!

I do have a question for the crowd: When I’ve exhausted SS, what’s a good program to move into? My only limitation is that I only have about an hour in the morning for lifting (but I can do 5 days a week).

I’m going to start real cardio tomorrow, so I’ll be posting my (pathetic) results about that, as well. Did I mention I’m quitting smoking? Yeah, wheeze city here I come, lol

11

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
I do have a question for the crowd: When I’ve exhausted SS, what’s a good program to move into? My only limitation is that I only have about an hour in the morning for lifting (but I can do 5 days a week).
[/quote]

You should go pretty far on SS, or something similar. I went ~6 months, until I really stalled, trying to add weight to every workout. I probably could have gone longer if I knew a few things I know now, but … anyway.

If you like that style of training, you can continue to do basically the same thing. The big change is you won’t be able to add weight every workout, so you won’t go all out balls to the walls every workout. Instead it’ll be more like a weekly workout, with basically a heavy/medium/light day, where increases are made week to week.

12

I hope I can keep doing this for a while. I’m really liking the simple compounds. But, whenever I plateau and my body adapts, I know I’ll need to change things up.

I went on a 4 mile walk during lunch today. One of my co-workers is recovering from a knee injury, so I kept him company. I’ll probably go every day if my work schedule allows it. It felt good.

And tomorrow morning will be my cardio fright-fest. Should be interesting, as I haven’t done much with cardio since the Maine winter settled in.

13

[quote]darwin420 wrote:

Do you know where Willimantic is? Roughly speaking, it’s about 45 minutes East of Hartford, and about 40 minutes North of Norwich. I really don’t miss the place, though, as it was kind of a shithole.

Is Toad’s Place still in New Haven? I used to love going to shows (and playing them) there.[/quote]

I know both Willimantic and Norwich. And as far as Toad’s Place, absolutely!! still here, great place, college kids love it. They still got shows there all the time, and Saturday Night Dance Party!! haha

14

Windham is right next door to Willimantic. Technically speaking, Willimantic is the business borough of Windham, though the common referral of Willimantic as its own city has more or less separated the two. It wasn’t the greatest place to grow up, and I’m glad to be gone from there. I miss the music scene, though.

Onto my training report for the day… I’m a bit ashamed… I overslept this morning, so I didn’t get a chance to do my cardio as planned. I’m bummed, but I guess my body needed the sleep!

My backup plan is to at least take another 4 mile walk today, so the day won’t be a total loss.

Out of curiosity, I weighed myself this morning: still sitting at 201. Not that it matters - Friday is my official weigh-in day. We’ll see if I’ve made any progress in that category.

My goal weight is ~175-180, which with fat loss combined combined with strength training, should make me at least a lean weakling, lol. Once I hit there, then I’ll worry about gaining more mass, and start eating at a surplus. Of course, if I hit an acceptable leanness before hitting my target weight, I’ll go from that point instead.

I know I’m on the right track, though… Only into my third week and my wife is already remarking on my flattening stomach and the beginnings of visible muscles, so at least I know I am indeed in the process of becoming more lean.

15

I would not be so reliant on the scale as a measure of fat loss. Use your clothes. I gained 4 pounds on Rippetoe, but clearly lost weight all around. It’s not impossible, just more difficult to lose fat and gain muscle. Keep that in mind.

16

[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
I would not be so reliant on the scale as a measure of fat loss. Use your clothes. I gained 4 pounds on Rippetoe, but clearly lost weight all around. It’s not impossible, just more difficult to lose fat and gain muscle. Keep that in mind.[/quote]

Very true, and that fact is not lost on me! However, given that I am currently eating a bit below maintenance, I should be losing weight - and with the strength program, preserving muscle (perhaps even building some, as most total beginners do). So, theoretically, at least, I should be able to lose the far while still building muscle, at least for a short time, right?

As I said, the target weight is just a goal. If I feel I hit a leanness level that I like, I’ll start eating more to gain muscle mass. The priority goal right now, though, is to lose the fat. I’m still trying to find someone who can calculate my body fat, as I have absolutely no clue where I’m at.

17

So, yesterday was bust. I don’t know what exactly hit me, but it was bad, and I was bedridden for most of the day. Which means I missed my workout. I’m feeling much better today, and I’m going to get some cardio in this afternoon, and then it’s back to lifting tomorrow.

Also, I apparently ran out of eggs. Breakfast was not as tasty this morning. But, I loaded up on bacon and sausage, so it wasn’t a total loss.

Weight before breakfast: 197
Weight after breakfast: 200

That made me laugh.

18

This was an awesome workout this morning. I was worried, because I was sick this week, so I thought my lifts might suffer, but everything went UP!

Lifts:

BACK SQUAT:
95 1x5
105 1x5
115 1x5
125 3x5 (working set)
–I still don’t feel that I’m squatting enough weight. Today was a challenge, but barely. I was complimented on my form, though!–

MILITARY PRESS:
45 2x5 (warmup)
55 3x5 (working set)
–my previous milpress was at 40, so I’m please with the improvement. I was shaky on the last set, though, so I’m not sure how quickly this lift will progress–

BENCH: (forgot this went on the other workout. I need to keep better notes)
55 1x5
65 1x5
75 1x7
95 3x5 (working set)
–The last two reps of the last set were quite difficult, but I’m pleased that I’m benching almost half my bodyweight–

DB ROW:
35 1x5
40 1x5
45 1x5
55 3x5 (working set)
–I think I’ll be able to push to 60 or 65 next week. I was definitely not putting in enough effort with this lift earlier this week–

PULL-UP (negatives)
BW 1x5
BW 1x4
–I feel so weak on this. I can’t even do a pull-up, but have to resort to negatives. grrr-

Today is also my official weigh-in day, and I’m quite pleased. I am now at 198 lbs, which marks a total loss of 17 lbs since I started both the AD and modified SS.

Another great thing is that yesterday I was forced to move to the next hole in my belt, which means my waist is starting to slim down! I really need to take measurements this weekend, so I can track that progress.

Cool gym moment: One of the guys in the gym called me over to spot, even though he was benching my bodyweight. I asked him if he realized that he was asking the weakest guy in the gym to spot, and he shrugged and said “you can do it.”

So, yea, all in all, today was a very good day.

19

Question: As a total newbie, when should I be thinking about taking my first rest week? 12 weeks? 16 weeks?

Also, is a rest week a complete stop of lifting, or is it just a week of really light lifts?

Thanks!

20

[quote]darwin420 wrote:
Question: As a total newbie, when should I be thinking about taking my first rest week? 12 weeks? 16 weeks?

Also, is a rest week a complete stop of lifting, or is it just a week of really light lifts?

Thanks![/quote]

When you stall (multiple workouts where no progression was made). You’ll really just “reset” your lifts back a week or twos worth of weight increases then keep going. :slight_smile: