Lawson Samuels' Starting Over Log

Training Training Logs
1

Start date 9-22. Last week. Tried blogging last week, wouldn’t work.

Stats: 5’10", 235 at start, bodyfat too high to mention, 38" waist. No idea on strength levels except with grip. Can do #2 COC for 3 reps, lever a 10 lb sledge.

Goals: 1. get my weight down to 200 lbs by 12-21, day we leave for Florida vacation.

  1. get my bodyfat% down to 12% or less by 2-20-09, right before the BBQ cookoff in Houston.

How? Starting with RFFL program from Waterbury. Go for 8 weeks.

9-22-08
A Workout at 5x5
Got all reps in, lighter weights, pushups killed my wrists. No bike so i did dumbbell swings, maybe got 3 minutes of actual work, kicked my fat ass.

9-24-08
B workout at 4x10
Worse than Monday. No pull up bar available so i did barbell clean and jerk. Missed reps on all 4th sets, except Waterbury rows. Again did swings, same amount of time.

Missed Fridays workout, spent the weekend clearing brush, dragging trees, stuck to eating clean on Sunday, Saturday was at an outdoor festival helping cook. Chicken on a stick is the death of me.

9-30-08
Did the A workout 3X10 Also bought a stopwatch to keep the rest times stict.
Romanian DL Split snatch w/ lunge w 10 lbs, got all sets
Swissball pushup w/ jackknife. - got first two, 10 reps on last, trying not to hurl
Lunge w/ overhead press - all sets, 15 in each hand, hate lunges
Bent over row w/ back extrensions - all sets, 50 lbs on bar.
2x20 sec squats - all sets, hurts like hell
tried for 10 minutes on db swings, breaking as needed, maybe did 4 minutes of work in that 10.

Other workouts have been at night, late, due to no time when I get in from work. Best time for me may be in the morning, before kids have to get up to get ready for school. Did so this date, felt better all day than I have in weeks. Diet needs work, have been 3 days with no cokes, but need more protien. Will start food log this week.

10-1-08. Scale said 228 this morning. Long way to go, need to stay away from scales, focus on the work.

Will lift tonight, then Friday morning, get in a morning workout routine. Only time I have.

2

10-1-08 RFFL

Part B 5x5

Front squat/push press combo - 50,50,60,70,70
Waterbury row - 30,30,35,50,50 5 per side per set
good morning/reverse lunge - got the lunge on first two sets, then got a lot of pain in my left leg when i tried to lunge that side. so last three were just good mornings, 50 all. No rack. Need to work on lunge form, figure out why one leg is hurting.

no pull up bar so did swiss ball pushups w/jackknife. Odd that now I have no pain in my wrists like last week.
2x20 prone plank, reverse curl, leg raises with hold
4x30 dumbell swings 20, 30, 35, 35. took about 8 minutes, felt dinner trying to come back up so I quit.

I am weak as hell and I know it. The only good thing about being this far down is everything is improvement. This will hopefully be the last night workout, all will be mornings from this point on.

3

RFFL Workout A 5:15 am.

I hate getting up early. I am not a morning person. But I tell myself this is the only way for now and I suck it up and go on.

4x 10 day
DB Romanian DL w/ Split Snatch and lunge - hit all sets, reps. Still having issues lunging with my left leg back. Have been working out barefooted, noticed last night I lunge better on that side with shoes on, more balance, less pain in my foot. Probably side effect of multiple broken toes from TKD training years back.
Swissball pushup w/ jackknife - all sets, all reps.
bent over row/back extension - 50 on first 30, 60 on last two, all reps.
lunge w/ shoulder press - did first three sets, no weight, trying to get the lunge right. 15 db on last two sets.
2x30 squats/squat hold
3x30 dumbell swing, took about 8 minutes.

Need to start doing HIIT work on the in between days, get my cardio capacity up. Going to go buy a sledgehammer this weekend, steal a tire.

4

Weekend was long, ate clean Saturday, cheated on Sunday. My diet sunday was dirtier than Brittany Spears vagina. Well, almost.

Missed Monday due to sickness. Better by the afternoon, got a good nights sleep, up this morning.

RFFL Workout B
3x15 day

front squat w/ push press - 20, 30, 35
Waterbury rows - 25, 30, 35, both sides worked
stiff legged deads - 60, 70, 70
floor press w/reverse curl - hey it worked. 25, 30, 35

planks 2x30 sec, reverse curls 2x30 sec.

Ran out of time, had early meeting so no dumbbell swings. Planning on doing Tabata squats tonight to make up for it.

Weight this morning 225, pants fit better, feel better overall.

5

RFFL Workout A
5x5

Lifted at night, still can’t get a set schedule of when to train. Life is getting in the way, but I am lifting, making progress.

warmed up 5 minutes on treadmill

Romanain DL/split snatch - all sets, reps, 20, 30, 35, 35, 35 - left off lunges.
swissball pushup w/ jackkinife - all sets, reps - possibly my favorite exercise now.
bent over row/back extension - all sets, reps - 60, 60, 70, 70, 75
dynamic lunge w/ shoulder press - wore shoes tonight, lunges went better. all sets, reps, 10, 15, 15, 15, 20
2x20 sec jumping squats, squats, squat hold.
did the squats fully, hurt like hell.

alternated 1 minute on treadmill, then 10 squats, 10 pushups, back on treadmill…5 sets.

long way to go…going to get there.

6

No work for a week. Ready to beat myself. No one to blame but me, just too damn lazy at times. Back on the wagon, let us pray is stay on this time.

RFFL 5x5 Workout B

Front squat/push press - 50, 50, 60, 70 ,80
Waterbury rows - 20, 30, 40, 40, 50
Good morning w/lunge - first set 50, still having issues with lunges. Three sets with no weight to get the lunge straight. Last set 70.
Floor press w/reverse crunch- 25 on db, then 50, 60, 70 70 on bb. first time to try, defintely need more weight on it.
30 sec prone plank, 30 sec reverse crucnh, X2
5 minutes dumbbell swings.

Going to hit it again Friday morning, will do some HIIT in the morning, will log it.

7

10-21-08 RFFL Workout A 5x5

The inconsistency with my schedule is killing any progress. Have done better so far this week. Finally bought that sledge hammer, did 10 minutes of swings on 10-20, loved it.

10-23-08 RFFL Workout B 4x10

Had the chance to lift in an actual gym instead of at home. Going to change my schedule for being out in the field so I can go by this place more. You never know how weak you really are till you’re around powerlifters doing twice as much as you and not breaking a sweat.

Front squat/push press - 50, 60, 70, 70, 60 - felt damn weak on overhead lifting. Not sure why.
Waterbury rows - 35, 40, 45, 45, 50
good mornings w/ lunge - actually had a rack to work with. 60, 70, 80, 80, 80. did 5x5 last three sets. Lunges still not feeling right. May drop all together and do squats.
squat jump to pullup w/ jackknife - 5x5 all sets
planks x2 for 30 sec, reverse crunches x2 for 30 sec.
finished with 10 minutes on treadmill, intervals on speed and angle.