Jake's Road to Bodybuilding

Training Training Logs
141

^ Video of last 2 sets of pull-ups, middle set of yates row, last set of t-bar, last set of one-arm row & last set of pullovers

BACK (KG/LB)

Pull-ups
BW x 9 - +10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 4 PR

Yates Row
120/264 x 10 (set #1 PR) - 130/286 x 8 - 141/310 x 4 rest-pause 2 reps, rest-pause 2 reps rest-pause 1 rep = 8 total. (wouldn’t do this regularly on Yates row, lower back killer for sure)

T-Bar Row
4P x 12 - 4P+10/22 x 12 - 5P x 8 PR? I think

One-arm T-Bar Row (John Meadows style, w/10kg plates for the stretch) (1P = 2x10kg plates)
1P x 12 - 1P+10/22 x 10

DB Pullover
28.6/63 x 12 - 30.6/67 x 10 - 32.6/72 x 7

Cross-body Hammer Curls (again stolen from Meadows, prefer this to regular hammers and pinwheels tbh, probably becoming first movement of on arm day for biceps)
17.6/39s x 10 - 18.6/41 x 7 - instant “drop” to pinwheels loose form - 18.6/41 x 7

IDK man… pull-ups felt real good today with straps! Might have to leave them in a little longer… Yates rows I’m spinning my wheels a bit now, need a changeup there… one-arm t-bars felt amazing, thanks again Meadows. Overall - great back day and AMAZING LAT PUMP!

142

Nice back session Jake. Solid effort on pullups and rows. Judging by your avi all that lat work is definetely paying off. Back looks wide;)

143

[quote]whatever2k wrote:
Nice back session Jake. Solid effort on pullups and rows. Judging by your avi all that lat work is definetely paying off. Back looks wide;)[/quote]

Much appreciated, I just know this is the start of “big things” to come…

I’ll be working my way towards your “action man” look!

144

Nice new avi, Jake! As whatever said, back is definitely looking nice and wide. Nice set of pull-ups too. Keep up the good work brother.

145

look at all these vids!!! bad ass! Those were some nice Deadlifts my friend… back training is looking good.

146

@SSC: Thanks man! Means a lot. fairly happy with how wide I look, a long way to go though, my back should look very different in a few months time (along with everything else)

@gregron: yes man! I’m moving back to uni soon so I’m taking advantage of free time and being able to film so easily when training at home and stocking up on footage to refer to later for form etc. Thanks for the words man, you guys definitely make me want to train extra hard when you visit! Gotta live up to the standards of some great trainers on here such as you gregron

147

Shoulders & Traps (KG/LB)

DB Military (couple notches inclined) (not counting tough rep to get weight up)
25/55s x 12 - 27/60s x 12 - 32/70 x 5

DB Seated Laterals (fairly loose form as focus is kept on side delt by having feet up)
14.5/32s x 10 - 17/37s x 6 (-1)

DB Front Raise (standing, decent form, arms kept close to hammer-grip position)
16.8/37 x 10 - 18.5/41 x 8 PR

Lateral Machine (setting no.)
4 x 12 - 5 x 12 - 6 x 8.5 PR

Reverse Pec Dec (squeezing rear delts)
40/88 x 12 PR - 50/110 x 8 PR (used 40 thinking it was 20 and hit easy PR, it is all in the mind)

Incline Bench R. Delt Raise
17.5s x 16, 15, 8 (smashed last week, overall volume/rep PR, these just feel bette and better)

Deadstop BB Shrug
110/242 x 10 - 120/262 x 10 - 130/286 x 9 PR

DB Shrug w/3 second hold
31.8/70s x 10 - 36.4/80s x 10 - 40.9/90s x 6 (-2) - no hold - 56.8/125s x 13 PR

Militaries could have gone better but didn’t feel very fresh front delt wise with chest/benching two days before. Seated Laterals felt meh… not sure whether to stick to these or not. Overall though, pretty good day.

148

Solid looking shoulder thrashing! Nice DB militaries in particular, not an easy movement to do by any stretch.

How do you set up your training in general? Are you following a particular plan, or do you just wing it and try to beat last weeks numbers?

149

[quote]phlegms wrote:
Solid looking shoulder thrashing! Nice DB militaries in particular, not an easy movement to do by any stretch.

How do you set up your training in general? Are you following a particular plan, or do you just wing it and try to beat last weeks numbers? [/quote]

Thanks man. In terms of my training it’s really just basic progressive overload on every exercise, no real playing with percentages or anything like that. I have a new selection of exercises starting from probably Friday… which should allow tons of progression before having to switchup again… however, I will/am starting to “experiment” with exercises guys around here seems to be reccomending heavily and will be including them in some way if it turns out I try it and it feels awesome in the target muscle. I’m definitely not a big believer in “switching it up” though… more just taking an exercise as far as you can until progression becomes really slow… then finding a new awesome exercise or changing exercise sequencing

150

Good stuff.

151

Training and progress pics lookin good man!

On the flies, I know you’re doing “power flies”, but the less bend you have in your arms, the more stress it’ll put on your chest. I like to try to keep my forearms pointed “out”, if that makes sense…like always have my hand farther laterally from my body than my elbow.

152

@bug: Much appreciated, my idol <3

@blaze: Thanks, glad you think I’m heading in the right direction… there was part of me that was like “lol I could be one of those really dillusional people who thinks they have made progress but hasn’t at all”… then I put my recent pics side by side and theres a legit difference even if it’s not much.

Re the flyes… I am going a little exaggarated with the arms bend on them… whilst I definitely prefer the feel of them as “power flyes” I still might try and get forearms just a little further pointed out… it’s something I will try and work on as the form should be about what hits chest best rather then pure weight (though I personally hate doing them “normally” for shoulder health/chest building)

153

Hey man, some strong training going on in here. I’m liking the videos, especially the one of you deadlifting 407 with the plates taped to the bar, that’s badass!

154

@Astar: Thanks man! It’s nothing on your training but I appreciate the kind words. That deadlift did feel pretty cool to set up… I’d have felt much cooler if it was 600+ and the gym didn’t have enough 20s… give me a couple years !

Right need to catchup so yesterday was…

Quads (KG/LB)

Front Squat
80/176 x 8 - 90/198 x 4 (tried plates under heels for this set)- 100/220 x 1…

Leg Press
200/440 x 8 - 220/484 x 8 - 240/528 x 8 PR (I think) - 260/572 x 4 PR (definitely)

Post-fatigue Squat
100/220 x 8 - 110/242 x few

Leg Extension
100-repper attempt. Rests 5-15 seconds or so. Setting 4 x 15, 10, 7, 7, 5, 5, 5, 4 = 58.

Physically I didn’t feel great but mentally I knew I was running late for something and just wasn’t in it at all. Front squat basically didn’t happen but I hit the leg press hard as it’s much easier to get in the zone for it and hit some decent PRs… Back Squat felt pretty terrible and my back gave out before my legs despite giving an extra day between back and legs this week. I expect to be adjusted to the change next week and I won’t be happy unless I get 6-7 reps at 100kg for front squat and PRs for the post-fatigued back. I hope to continue to increase that damn leg press… want 8PPS-10PPS asap for dem legs!

155

So yesterdays training doesn’t look great for me… but despite my first night out in literally months last night, I eventually felt ready for an arms session a couple of hours a go.

Triceps & Biceps (KG/LB)

CGBP
70/154 x 8 - 80/176 x 8 (set #2 PR) - 87/191 x 5 PR

Cross-Body DB Hammers (thanks JM)
17.6/39s x 10 - 18.6/41s x 10 PR - 19.6/43s x 6 PR (new exercise you see)

Dips (upright for tri’s)
BW x 10 - +10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 1…

DB Preacher Curls
14.6/32s x 10 (set #1 PR) - 15.6/34s x 10 (set #2 PR) - 16.6/37s x 5

Standing DB Alt. Curls
16.6/37s x 8 - 17.6/39s x 5

Standing DB Hammers
17.6/39s x 7 - 18.6 x 6

DB Skulls
(loose/elbows flared form) 15.6/34s x 12 - 16.6/37s x 12 - 17.6/39s x 8 PR I believe… I finished with "perfect form/elbows tucked/locked in - 14.6/32s x ~10

DC Tri-stretch (skullcrusher db) - 14.6/32s x 40 seconds (form better, need to lower more and focus on letting tri’s take all the stretch)

DC Bi-stretch x 90 seconds… felt great.

Great session today! Huge, huge pump and new exercise sequencing feels way better then previous… just wish I had a dip machine for the second movement… not sure if I’ll keep them in at all or not but they felt better as the second movement even if I didn’t get to use much weight on them.

Cross-body hammers are just SO amazing… have a badass bi pump after just a couple of sets of these… speaking of, I do find it way easier to get a bi pump then a tri pump… that could mean something. I think I’m going to up the volume on triceps a little from here on out.

156

Looking strong dude!

Whats all this “DC” stretching I’m seeing in the logs? It seems like some big secret hypertrophy technique everybody’s using but I’m missing out on :stuck_out_tongue:

157

[quote]phlegms wrote:
Looking strong dude!

Whats all this “DC” stretching I’m seeing in the logs? It seems like some big secret hypertrophy technique everybody’s using but I’m missing out on :p[/quote]

Your not too far off the mark there actually! Ha. DC Training = Doggcrapp training created by Dante Trudel. Seems a pretty badass way to train but I view it as something that is probably only best for pretty advanced trainees who will absolutely do it right and know how to push it to the limit OR those that can only make it to the gym 3-4 times a week (but they still better know what they are doing).

Anyhow the stretches are just something that are used straight after every bodypart has been trained as a way to stretch the fascia that surrounds the muscle and could (supposedly) limit growth. I do it for two reasons:

  • It feels awesome/tough and I like the fact I stretched from a flexibility/recovery standpoint anyway
  • If it actually does help hypertropthy in some way then it’s a big reward for only 60-120 seconds per bodypart out of my life… the last reason being why I’d say everyone should try it… it’s hardly a huge commitment.

oh ye… and these are either weighted stretches (eg. dumbell flye holding bottom position, 60~ seconds) OR bodyweight stretches (pulling against a bar in a rack or “touching toes” for 90+ seconds)… the point is to take the stretch to the extreme, it should be uncomfortable/painful.

but then I’m no DC expert

158

They definitely sound interesting, thanks for explaining it in noob friendly English! You should take some vids of them next time you’re filming a session!

159

Feels like forever since I’ve updated this… I just moved back to university yesterday and into an awesome new flat. Amazing for convenience as its super close to uni. I’ve stocked up on awesome food so my diet it twice as good as it was and I’m gradually working towards going full mdd. Anyway, I’ve trained twice but without internet I just realised I can update on my blackberry. Here goes:

Friday 23

Hamstring/deadlift & calf day (kg/lb)

Deadlift
150/330 x 6 - 170/374 x 6 (set 2 PR) - 190/418 x 2 PR (though last weeks 185kg x 5 is better)

SLDL/Romanian (closer to latter)
120/264 x 10 - 135/297 x 10 - 150/330 x 5

GM (extra deep today)
70/154 x 10 - 80/178 x 8 - 100/220 x 4

Seated leg Curl
37.5/81 x 12 - 52.5/116 x 12 - 67.5/149 x 5 - ‘50 repper’ - 32.5/72 x 25, 11, 11, 6 + super slow last negative/hold

Plate-loaded Calf Raise w/ 3 sec+ neg. & 2 sec+ hold & double-pop
1pps x 10 - 1pps + 10/22 x 8 - 2 pps x 5

Seated Calf Raise (using dumbells on knees + box next to bench)
34/75s x 15 - 40/88s x 10 - 42/92s x 8 - drop - 30/66 x 9

Game over. Wow that took ages to write… Anyway today was:

Incline Bench Press
65/143 x 8 - 70/154 x 8 - 75/165 x 8 - 80/176 x 6 (lightest spot on 6th rep)

DB Bench
36/79s x 4 - 34/75s x 7 - 30/66s x 6

DB Power Flyes
24/53s x 8 - 20/44s x 10 - 18/40s x 1

DC-stretch - 20/44s x 30 seconds

Cable Flyes/Most muscular
7.5/17 x 12 - 10/22 x 7

Today was the biggest rush ever (45 mins or so)… All I can say is incline bench is a new favourite exercise and my dummbell strength really sucks after them!

In conclusion… This best all go through or I wasted over 20 minutes of my life

160

Back (kg/lb)

Pull-up
Bw x 8 - straps - +10/22 x 8 - +20/44 x 4

Lat Pulldown
Wide-grip bar, straps- 60/132 x 10 - 70/154 x 10 - v-handle - 80/176 x 8 PR (and I’ve not done them for months)

Rack Pull ( 1/2 inch above knee - pure upper back thickness iso)
180/396 x 6 - 200/440 x 6 - 220/484 x 6 PR - 230/506 x 4 PR.

Yates Row
100/220 x 10 - 120/264 x 7

Deadstop DB Row
50/110s (max db available) x 10 - 50/110s x 9

DB Pullover
26/57 x 12 - 30/66 x 7

Reverse EZ Preacher
Bar + 5/11 x 10 + - bar + 10/22 x 4 (think I’m doing these wrong, felt rubbish, doubt I’ll do again)

Pinwheels
24/53s x 9

Game over. Amazing back day today… I’ve been an idiot in back training terms till now with sequencing/exercise slection… Hell, most of my training sessions were so far from ideal even though the effort was there.

Happy with over 500 on rack pulls even with them being high. Big things to come guys.