Jake's Road to Bodybuilding

Training Training Logs
81

[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
Edit: MDD diet principles just make sense to me, today I probably 400grams or more of pork joint which had been raised well on my uncles farm and also managed to bag a dozen of his free range organic eggs, had a couple and the colour difference in the yolk and taste difference in an omelette is unreal. Consider me sold

[/quote]

dont the cage free eggs taste different??? Its so weird! you’d think “eggs are eggs” but they taste so much better!

Thats awesome that you plan on competing. Its good to have goals and I bet with that in your sites that your training intensity will skyrocket! Good luck man.

82

[quote]gregron wrote:

[quote]jake_j_m wrote:
Edit: MDD diet principles just make sense to me, today I probably 400grams or more of pork joint which had been raised well on my uncles farm and also managed to bag a dozen of his free range organic eggs, had a couple and the colour difference in the yolk and taste difference in an omelette is unreal. Consider me sold

[/quote]

dont the cage free eggs taste different??? Its so weird! you’d think “eggs are eggs” but they taste so much better!

Thats awesome that you plan on competing. Its good to have goals and I bet with that in your sites that your training intensity will skyrocket! Good luck man. [/quote]

I geniunely think they do taste way different.

My taste test = lil’ 2 egg mushroom omelette, normally I couldn’t even eat an omelette without either a small amount of soy sauce or off the diet reduced sugar ketchup… here I geniunely enjoyed it and the damn thing looked illuminous in the pan with it’s bright yellow colouring.

& I definitely think it will help to motivate me more. At the very least I’ll find it hard to ever neglect rear delts, calves etc. I’m already doing a good job of never ever skipping hamstrings and I believe it will pay off in the long run when I cut down and I have more then some might expect…

83

^ todays sucky session was filmed

Front Squat
80/176 x 10 (set #1 PR) - 90/198 x 6 - 100/220 x 4

Back Squat
110/242 x 8 - 120/264 x 5 - 100/220 x 13 - LOL @ weights used after front squats… fml

Leg Extensions
25/55 x 12 - 30/66 x 12 - 35/77 x 12 PR - 40/88 x 7 PR - 20/44 x 27

Wow, today sucked. Didn’t get up early enough to make my gym since it was open 10am-1pm for bank holiday (wtf?) so decided to train at home which meant no leg press or hack squat… my lower back/body was wrecked anyway from deadlift/bench maxing as well as the back session the day before and I knew from set #1 this wasn’t gonna be a big weights day. Going to do calves tomorrow on shoulder day where I have access to decent equipment for 'em. No more PR attempts for awhile now, too crippling when training every day!!

84

I’m jealous that you have some naturally thick wheels. Something I may never have, lol.

How can a session suck when you start with a PR? Looked like you were working hard, got some PRs, and did work. Don’t beat yourself up bro!

85

Nice skwwwaaatttin’ dude, legs looking thick!

86

Big legs are big.

2 PRs in a session is pretty decent, even if they are rep PRs and not weight PRs.

87

I was away for a couple of days so bare with me, ended up having an extra rest day which may have been warranted due to injuring myself doing shoulders last week… don’t expect many more though!

@Bug: I wouldn’t say they were naturally thick in that 133lb @ 5ft 10 I was certainly not getting comments lol, but it is fair to say my lower body had an “average” genetic start where my 11" arms and rest of my upper body certainly did not. I don’t know leg measurements from the start besides the fact they have got a ton bigger, but I wouldn’t be suprised if my calfs were around 13" to start with, which relative to my arms, is nicer (numbers are guesswork to illustrate the point though)

Thanks though man, I find it hard to not progress on the top set weights and not be pissed considering how low they are, but I always try and make sure I hit at least some sort of PR to make up for it somewhat and keep the ball rolling even if slightly

@phlegms: cheers mate, it was a relatively low weights day overall but I’m happy with my depth on the fronts (on the backs I would have gone lower but for falling forward loads due to back fatigue)

@Blaze: Thanks! Again, it is better then nothing and this IS a long-term game, but a big part of me wants to plow my way to 300lb fronties and 400+ backies asap! ha

TODAY: SHOULDERS & TRAPS (KG/LB)

Seated DB Press (slightly angled back)
60 x 9 (set #1 PR) - 68 x 9 (set #2 PR) - 70 x 5 (-3 from last week)

DB Laterals (feet on bench)
32s x 10 - 37s x 8.5

DB Front Raise (standing)
32s x 10 - 37s x 5

Machine Laterals (setting no.)
3 x 10 - 4 x 10 - 5 x 6

Reverse Pec Dec (squeezing rear delts)
20 x 10 - 30 x 10 - 40 x 6 PR

Incline Bench Reverse Laterals (squeezing rear delts)
17.5 x 11 x 8 x 5.5

DB Shrugs (no momentum)
80s x 10 - 90s x 10 - 114 x 6

Deadstop BB Shrug (ala bug, aaron clark etc.)
100/220 x 10 - 110/242 x 6

All done in about an hour, which is pretty quick for me. DBs don’t have very good jumps and only half of them have good thick grip handles so progression through sets is a little random. Overall the seated DB press is definitely a PR as last time I went 55s > 60s > 70s. I will smash all this to pieces next week. Might keep the deadstop BB shrugs though, they are too good even though I did them in like a few minutes at the end, after db shrugs and with pretty low weight…

ARMS TOMMOROW <3

88

Frustrating day today. I look forward to smashing arms because they need to grow like mad but from the get go I knew this wasn’t gonna be a big one. Physically, my lower back is just messed up and my shoulders are seriously fatigued since I finished that session just over 24 hours ago… anyway, in the interest of full disclosure/not missing out any days of training (or attempts…) here we go:

ARM DAY (KG/LB)

Dips
BW x 8 - 10/22 x 7 - 20/44 x 1

DB Preacher Curls
14.6/32s x 8 - 15.6/34s x 7 - 16.6/37s x 3

CGBP
70/154 x 8 - 78/172 x 4

Seated DB Curl (palms always up)
15.6/34s x 6

Seated DB Hammer Curl (CT style)
15.6/34s x 7

DB Skullcrusgers
15.6/34s x some (these felt particularly bad & was pretty pissed off by this point)

I could have done much more volume/knocked out a couple more reps in most exercises, but I wasn’t feeling it at all. It wasn’t for lack of trying my body just felt seriously beat up today. Going to foam roll and stretch like mad tomorrow before I try and deadlift. Want to kill it. The main thing that annoys me is one messed up session means 6-7 days before you have chance to make up for it… motivates me to always give 100% but sometimes your body says no… which sucks.

89

Rest up man. If your body is beat up and feels like poop it’s trying to tell you something. Rest up a little and then get back after it

Will be checking out that lifting vid of yours when I get home

90

[quote]gregron wrote:
Rest up man. If your body is beat up and feels like poop it’s trying to tell you something. Rest up a little and then get back after it

Will be checking out that lifting vid of yours when I get home [/quote]

I sort of rested up… if you call doing my hamstring/lower back session as normal but adding post-fatigued rack pulls for no reason as resting… ha

I felt pretty good today so…

HAMMIES/SPINAL ERECTOR/CALVES/LOWER BACK/BIT OF BACK THICKNESS (KG/LB)

Lying Leg Curl (pre-exhaust)
20 x 8 - 25 x 8- 30/66 x 6

Deadlift
150/330 x 6 - 165/363 x 6 - 185/407 x 3 match pr (first two sets up from 145 and 160)

SLDL (Jeff Rodriguez style)
120/264 x 10 (set #1 PR) - 130/286 x 7 (125x10 last week) - 145/319 x 5 PR

Rack Pulls (below knee)
180/394 x 3 - 200/440 x 4 - 220/484 x 0 (fancied trying these, was straight grip with straps… w/mixed grip & no fatigue I reckon 484 x 3 or higher…)

Good Mornings
80/176 x 10 - 90/198 x few & decided to call it a day on em, lower back too fried

Seated Leg Curl (setting no.)
5 x 10 - 6 x 7 - drop 4 x 13

Seated DC-Style Hamstring Stretch x 90 seconds

Standing Calf Raise (setting no.)
10 x 8 - 11 x 8 - 12 x 8 - 13 x 4

Leg Press Calf Raise
170/374 x 10 - 180/396 x 10 - 190/418 x 9 (possibly a PR)- drop 130 x 13

DC-Style Weighted Calf Stretch x Setting 16 x 30-40 seconds

Decent training today considering I forgot my log book and wasn’t totally sure on my working weights (terrible memory lol). Considering I didn’t feel physically 100% beforehand fairly strong & decently happy

91

Got a shot of the 440 x 3 rack deadlift, I know I can do way more no problem but I’ll throw it up anyway…

92

Holy volume!

93

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Holy volume![/quote]

Ha. more like holy shit @ how quick I’m pulling in the rack pull video. If only.

So uploading from blackberry = sound completely lost + doubled video speed? smooth!

In all honesty the volume is mediumish in terms of truly intense sets. 15 total in hammies/back and 8 in calves is pretty much an upper limit but normally it would be closer to 12 for hammies since rack pulls were just for the luls. Would have been more impressive if I actually shifted 5 plates, but w/e… when I’m fresh…

I am liking seated leg curls though… which is good since my uni gym doesn’t have lying leg curl when I move back in a few weeks :frowning:

94

^ used the flip HD today, would have looked awesome if there was more light in there… still… decent. shame I couldn’t capture a little more strength!

CHEST DAY (KG/LB)

Bench Press
76/167 x 8 - 85/187 x 8 - 95/209 x 3… again

Pin Press
76/165 x 8 (set #1 PR) - 86/187 x 7 (set #2 PR, counted wrong should have been 8 lol) - 96/211 x 4 PR

DB Power Flyes (mid-incline/low incline/super-low incline)
26.6/59s x 10 - 28.6/63s x 8 (-2) - 33.6/74s x 3 weight PR (this was pretty daft, was using 32.6 on stronger right side accidently and this was a 3kg p/arm jump from last week… ah well)

DC-Style Power Flye DB Stretch
15.6/34s x 60 seconds “PR”

DB Skullcrushers
12.6/28s x 15 - 13.6/30s x 11 - 14.6/32s x 8 (pr for after chest/highreps)

DC-Style Skullcrusher DB Stretch
13.6/30s x 60 seconds “PR”

Decent chest day… hit a bit of a wall in terms of bench strength going up though… damn I wanted 2PPS for reps sooner…

95

^ A little posing to show where I’m at. Reasonably happy with how this turned out but the definition is somewhat washed out and the image overexposed and in reality I looked quite a bit better in the mirror (I had the camera propped up against it). It still gives a feel for the sort of size I am and hopefully the improvements I’m making. Sometime soon I may try and get a more accurate display but all things considered it’s not too bad. Think I’ve brought up my arms a little which was one of my main goals… everything is on track to blow up with my action plan of training though…

Bodybuilding update:

Morning BW
197~

I’m open to critique for the posing in terms of weakest areas etc. Lower body is ahead of upper most likely but I don’t have a decent posing video of that yet…

96

^ Since ya’ll CLEARLY didn’t enjoy my noob-posing here’s some back training to make up for it:

BACK (KG/LB)

Pull-ups (just outside shoulder width grip)
BW x 12 - +7.5/17 x 8 - +15/33 x 6 PR

Yates Row
115/253 x 10 - 127/279 x 10 - 141/310 x 4

T-Bar Rows
4 plates x 12 (set #1 PR) - 4 plates + 10/22 x 12 (set #2 PR) - 5 plates x 7

DB Pullovers
28.6/63 x 12 (set #1 PR) - 30.6/67 x 12 (set #2 PR) - 32.6/72 x 8 PR

Lat Stretch x some
Dumbell Preachers - 12.6/28s x a few LR sets

Stagnating on the first two exercises… I’d much rather be doing pull-downs or neutral grip pull-ups and will be switching when I move back to uni in about two weeks. Same goes for all exercises progressions getting too inconsistant.

I’m keeping pullovers in for now because they are flying up. Same goes for everything that is still going up well.

Looking forward to a full gym every day in two weeks though, I will be taking advantage of it and know I’ll kill it with some new exercise selections/sequences.

97

Nice back workout man. Stop rowing more than me, kthx. haha.

On the posing, (take these with a grain of salt, just things i’ve picked up from practicing posing and what i’ve seen)

  1. Don’t pop into poses so much. Looks better when you smoothly go into a pose.
  2. On the front lat spread (assuming that’s what you were going for about 2/3 of the way in), keep your thumbs almost touching your sides and pull your elbows farther forward to flare your lats.
  3. For the side chest, extend the closer arm, grab the close wrist with the other hand, then smoothly pull it back until your elbow is just slightly behind you.
  4. Arms look big in the front double bi.
98

Crazy strong rowing dude, consider me jelly. Definitely looks like you are building a very solid foundation, can’t wait to see where you end up in a few years, I’m expecting big things!

99

@Blaze: Ha, my rowing variations are the only lifts I’m fairly happy with my strength, however, I have a huge way to go with pulldowns/pull-up variations and cable row amongst other lifts, I’m going to be working on it soon. By making my weak lifts strong I will transform much more and I can always come back to the heavy rowing variations.

re the posing: I will take this into consideration for next time I make a posing video, which will probably be in 3-4 weeks time depending on things

100

edits being weird as hell… lost 2/3 of my post and now what I just edited in won’t show.

@the posing: thanks on the arms comment blaze… whilst they arent big by bodybuilding standards my small wrists mean when they actually are big they should look pretty nice and I do believe they are coming up gradually so it’s nice to hear :slight_smile:

@phlegms: Thanks man. Means a lot. In the next two to three month there should be a pretty huge transformation strength and size wise for me. It’s just been brewing for now…