Hello everyone! This is my first time posting on this forum. I plan to keep a log on here to help motivate and get feedback.
Stats
Age: 36
Height: 6’ 2"
Weight: 235 lbs
My goals are to gain strength and to slim down. 6’ 2" and 235 lbs might not sound fat, but I’ve got an ample gut that says otherwise. I have lost 15 lbs in the last 40 days by eating clean and lifting weights. There’s about a half-dozen other goals I want, such as becoming more mobile, gaining more muscle, etc… but I’ll stick with strength and slimming down for now.
I’ve not been consistent in lifting over the years. One goal is to find a work schedule and program that I can make work. I started lifting again about six weeks ago after reading the article 20-Minute Muscle Builder by CT. One important thing I got out of that article is that I can lift weights and see improvements even if I don’t have hours to spend in the gym.
I’ve been married for nearly five years and I’ve got a son that is over 2 years old and a daughter that is 5 months old. I created a program that I can fit into my family and work schedule. This translates into doing short lifting sessions in the morning during the week, and longer lifting sessions on the weekend.
Thrusters w/ two 50lbs kettlebells
Performed a ladder from 1 to 5 reps with enough rest in between to catch me breath.
Notes:
I’m been doing hang cleans for only six weeks so I’m figuring out the pattern. I felt awake after doing them.
The 15 rep front squats were tough, but I did them without setting the barbell down. Sweat poured down after I completed the reps.
For overhead pressing I started to use a false grip and stopped getting my “head through” the lift. This made the lift feel lighter and more stable. I haven’t done much overhead pressing and hope to see quick strength gains.
I added kettlebell thrusters to burn some fat. It’s been awhile since I’ve done them and they were tougher than expected. The original plan was do a ladder from 1 to 5 and back down to 1. Instead I did the ladder from 1 to 5 and stopped. My form started to falter and I was spent. My new goal is to get better and eventually go up and down the ladder.
Kettlebell swings w/ 50lbs
Swing for 20s
Rest for 45s
Repeat 8x
Notes:
The deadlifts were heavy all around - I think I needed another warm-up set or two. I had to pause to catch my breath twice on the 15 reps - I reset for a five count before continuing.
The 18 reps on bench press was great. I kept a steady tempo the entire time - normally I would have to pause multiple times to get to 15 reps.
The kettlebell swings started easy with ample rest time but the last two sets had me breathing hard. The plan is to reduce the rest period each week
Read your log, needed oxygen. I believe that workout would take me all day. Nice job.[/quote]
Thanks.
I use the stopwatch on my gymboss to keep my rest periods between 45 to 90 seconds. The first three sets of each movement isn’t timed - I do the set as soon as I load the weight. And I lift at home so I don’t have to wait for equipment.
I try to work quickly for two reasons: I don’t have all day to spend lifting and I’m trying to lose my gut. I’m drenched by the time I’m done.
I was a little tired this morning. I went to get a cup of my freshly brewed coffee to realize I poured myself a cup of hot water. I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the machine. The second brew was much better.
Notes:
The hang cleans are feeling good as my experience with the lift is still in infancy. I’m focusing on not muscling up the weight on the lighter warm-up lifts.
Front squats got hard when I did the set of 15. The last 5 or so were breathing squats.
This session took longer than I like. I added an additional warm-up set which made the lifts feel easier but it did add time. I’ll live with it.
Today’s lifting session includes bench press and bent-over rows - this is one of the easier days for me since I’m not completely winded after lifting. I don’t know how well I would have gotten through one of the other sessions (such as the deadlift session) since the wife and I took the kids to see Seussical at the Saint Louis Muny last night. We only stayed until intermission but it was late by the time we got home and got everyone to bed.
[quote]albron wrote:
I perform two main lifts followed by a kettlebell complex for fat loss.
[/quote]
This is the perfect set-up for someone with limited time. You can get an awful lot done in 20-30 minutes if you work efficiently. Keep it up![/quote]
I skipped on kettlebells today even though I did the two lifts in 23 minutes. I was up late with the family and woke up later than expected. I rarely set an alarm clock since I normally wake up without one. I will need to start setting an alarm.
I’m OK with missing the kettlebell work on occasion because I move through the two lifts quickly, but I don’t want to make a habit of it.
[quote]albron wrote:
I was a little tired this morning. I went to get a cup of my freshly brewed coffee to realize I poured myself a cup of hot water. I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the machine. The second brew was much better.
[/quote]
I have done this. I’ve also put in grounds, but forgotten to add water. I’d blame the children if I had some!
Nice training template. It’s great you’re fitting this in despite being busy with a young family.
[quote]albron wrote:
I was a little tired this morning. I went to get a cup of my freshly brewed coffee to realize I poured myself a cup of hot water. I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the machine. The second brew was much better.
[/quote]
I have done this. I’ve also put in grounds, but forgotten to add water. I’d blame the children if I had some!
Nice training template. It’s great you’re fitting this in despite being busy with a young family.[/quote]
Perhaps my favorite thing about this template is that I feel energized after lifting and not worn out. I’ve done programs that beat me up and I don’t want to feel that way.
[quote]Crippler56 wrote:
Nicely done. If you are looking to lose fat, I would say you are well on your way. [/quote]
And I’d say that the fact that I’ve had to tighten my belt is a good indicator that its working. My work pants look funny on me since they are too baggy now. I should get a few pairs of cheap Khakis to hold me over until I slim down to a reasonable weight.
Kettlebell Thrusters
2x 50lbs KB
Performed a ladder 1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1
Notes:
After the fourth set of KB Thrusters I stopped watching my rest time. I decided to get through the entire ladder and not care how long it took me. Last Saturday I did the ladder up to 5 and stopped because it was too much.
I’ve debated to lower the weights to two 35lbs or to replace thrusters with something else. After all, its doing the same movements I did with the barbell. For now I’ll stick with it and see if I improve. It didn’t kill me, so at least that’s good.
