Rebuilding the Base

TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT
Around 24 I picked up some injuries that I just couldn’t quite shake and led to me training like shit and just focussing more on my career. At the back end of 2024 I turned 30 and that career I’d sacrificed my health and 20’s for disintegrated and I had to move back to my parent’s house broke. I’m in the worst shape of my life in all areas of my life.

I spent a lot of time on here and bodybuilding.com when I first got in to lifting and always wanted to do my own log, so I decided to document the famous ‘getting together of the shit’.

I want to do this as a 12 week transformation style and then reassess from there.

CURRENT PHYSIQUE

The iphone cut these out kind of shitty I might change where I take them this week.

I was feeling all motivated to do this log a week ago (when I took these pictures) and then hurt my back the next day (wasn’t even in a cool way!) so for the sake of the ‘12 week’ part of this these are technically Week -1.

GOALS

I have a tonne of long term goals that I want to get to, but for right now I’m keeping it simple. I know I won’t necessarily hit these in the 12 weeks but it’s what I’m immediately focussing on for now.

Bench - Eventual Goal: 140kg ; Current: ~100kg

Squat - Eventual Goal: 200kg ; Current: No idea I haven’t been able to train these heavy for a while

Deadlift - Eventual Goal: Just be able to train these worry free and get after having a strong back, 200kg+ ? Whatever… right now I just want to train them.

Cardio - Eventual Goal: I know my goals kind of suck cause I don’t have something specific. For this it’s more like a feeling. I remember what it felt like to be in shape and right now I’m so far away from it. I guess the goal would be to be able to do constant work at a decent rate for 30mins ; Current: Not worth mentioning

PLAN OF ATTACK

Next 4 weeks I’m going to be running a Westside-style of program with 2 Max Effort Days (adjusting for the back injury) and 2 Dynamic Effort Days. This isn’t for any other reason other than I’ve trained like this in the past and I loved it. So I’m probably not where I should be strenght-wise for this kind of prorgram or whatever but I need to be excited for training right now. I’ll reassess after one 4 week wave. I’m also sprinkling in some light cardio and mobility sessions in there, aiming for 2/week minimum.

Nutritionally I’m babying myself for now. Just trying to get enough protein and actually cook. Last year has been fluctuating between eating nothing one day and eating everything in sight and ordering more the next day. So I’m just trying to get some basics down. Consistently get over 100g of protein, and get more fibre in etc.

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Anyway I just spat this whole thing out in one go over my coffee so hope it makes sense, looking forward to reading other peoples logs!

5 Likes

Go on you for taking action!
Maybe @TrainForPain can let you slide in a little late for the challenge?

4 Likes

Following along and wishing you success

Welcome and good luck, my only suggestion at this stage would be to aim higher on the protein, you mentioned work situation so working on the assumption money isn’t great right now, chicken thighs or drumsticks (not sure where you’re based but in the UK £2k per kilo, super cheap and convenient, just air fry and done) eggs have gone up a bit recently but are a solid choice, beef mince can be had cheaply but if you’re trying to lose then buy the cheap stuff but drain the fat.

Effort and consistency are about the only things you need to succeed in this sphere, get those two things right and you’re 95% of the way there, good luck!

For sure!

@N.C just let me know if you want me to take those photos as you’re before and drop you in.

2 Likes

W1D1 - ME UPPERBODY

Not a roaring start but it got done! If I do something I think might not be obvious by the exercise name I’ll include a video.

1. ‘‘Wenning Warm Up’’ - 4 Rounds
Call it what you want but I really like this. Low weight high reps for getting some blood flow and getting some extra volume on weak points. I try to keep moving the whole time for a slight conditiong aspect. I was gonna put a video here but can’t because I’m new user. If you search it you can find a tonne of videos of Matt Wenning talking through the concept. The exercises I used are as follows:

1a. Cable Scap Depression - 15kg x 20
Video
I love these! The video shows the isometric version I just do it up and down for reps

1b. DB Shoulder External Rotation - 5kg x 20
Video
I do these KOT style on the bench

1c. Single Arm Incline Plate Loaded Chest Press - 5kg x 15
These felt janky but someone was on the regular chest press so I just dropped the weight and tried to play with form.

2. Bench - Work Up to a Triple
Bar x 3
40kg x 3
60kg x 3
80kg x 3 - Went up easy enough but form felt like dog shit. Was kind of rushing to get everything in and get to work so just called it here, there’s always next session

3. Lat Pull Down
45kg - 3 x 8

4a. Face Pulls
15kg - 3x12

4b. Tricep Extension
3 x 12

5a. DB Lateral Raise
3 x 15

5b. DB Curls
3 x 12

Thank you all for the replies, and words of encouragement! I’m not sure how to reply to you all in a post so I’ll go figure that out and then post again!

4 Likes

Thank you! Definitely going to check it out!

Thank you, I honestly didn’t expect any replies to this!

Thanks for the advice! Definitely hitting up the eggs and ground beef right now, I do love a chicken thigh though so I’ll check it out. For sure I need to be getting in more than 100g of protein but I’m sometimes not even hitting 80 so 100 is like the new ‘minimum’

That’d be awesome, thanks! I’ve just read through the thread. Let me know if you need me to post an intro in the actual thread!

4 Likes

W1D2 ‘DE’ LOWERBODY

Back is a lot better from the other week but I’m not stressing putting a barbell on it anytime soon so I just adjusted the ‘dynamic effort’ squatting to a light belt squat and was just less agressive with it.

1. Wenning Warm Up - 4 Rounds

1a. DB Sidelying Glute Medius… thing! 2kg x 20

1b. Seated Goodmornings - 10kg x 20
KOT style with a wide stance I get a really nice adductor stretch

1c. Standing Cable Ab Crunches - 10kg x 20

Only started these last week because I wanted to get some motion in to my abs without getting up and down off the floor and I like them a lot!

2. ‘Dynamic Effort’ Belt Squat
40kg + whatever the machine weighs - 8x2

I’m doing my dynamic work EMOM to get a slight conditioning effect.
My butt wink is crazy right now. When I hurt my back my hip flexors locked up hard. It felt like trying to stretch a rock for a few days.

3. Lying Hamstring Curls
40kg - 3 x 8

4. Single Leg Calf Raise
BW - 3 sets - 12 , 10 , 8

Did some hip flexor and hamstring stretching. Back feels a lot better after the session. Motion is lotion!

5 Likes

Done!

1 Like

W1D3 DE UPPERBODY

1. ‘Wenning Warm Up’ - 4 Rounds

1a. Cable Scap Depression - 10kg x 20

1b. Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly - 2.5kg x 20

1c. Plate Loaded Machine Chest Press - 5kg e.s x 20

2. Dynamic Effort Bench
55kg - 8 x 2
Done as an EMOM.

Dynamic Bench is probably one of my favourite things to do. Crank the music and just blast it off my chest.

Tryna focus on staying stable more, I notice I lose position as I begin pressing (both on ME and DE).

3. Plate Loaded Lat Pulldown
20kg x8
40kg - 2 x 8
First time trying this machine, it has handles on swivels so played with the grip on each set. Probably could have gone heavier.

4a. Upright Row
3 x12

4b. Hammer Curls
10kg - 3 x 12

5. Barbell Skull Crusher/JM Press bastardisation
Bar - 3 x 12
These torched my triceps, took me by surprise. Excited to see what happens when I get stronger on it, been a while since I did barbell work for triceps.

3 Likes

W2D1 ME UPPERBODY

We’re off to a rocky start with last week. Missed a bunch of workouts heads not been in it, gotta just plow through though.

1. ‘Wenning Warm Up’ - 4 Rounds

1a. Cable Scap Depression - 15kg x 25
1b. DB Shoulder External Rotation - 5kg x 25
1c. Single Arm Plate Loaded Chest Press - 5kg x 25

Think I’ve found the point of diminishing returns on this concept or maybe it was just an off day. Think I much preferred 4 sets of 15. Maybe it’s my millenial attention span just didn’t feel like good work today.

2. Spoto Press - 3 count pause - work up to a double
Bar x 6
40kg x 2
60kg x 2
70kg x2 - This felt meh so took a smaller jump
75kg x 2 - This flew up so kept going
80kg x 2

Could’ve probably hit 85+ with questionable form but I was happy with this. Felt a lot tighter during the pause really starting to feel stable at the bottom.

I should do a post at some point detailing all the injuries I’ve had but left shoulder has always been a tough one with bench. So the improvement in how it feels is awesome because it feels like a totally different movement and like progress.

3. Plate Loaded Pull Downs
40kg x8
50kg x 8
40kg x 8

Too big of a jump on the second set, form was fine but felt like my left rear delt/scap was fighting for it’s life.

4. Peacher DB Curl
10kg - 3x12
Kind of easy but felt good

5a. Barbell Shrugs
40kg - 3 x 12

Can’t remember the last time I did these. Not even sure why I did just felt like it!

5b. Band Triceps
Red Band - 3 x 20

3 Likes

W2D2 ‘DE’ LOWERBODY
Not a bad session. Happy with how light the squats felt (but I don’t actually know what a good weight would be on the belt squat so maybe I’m kidding myself!).

1. Wenning Warm Up - 4 Rounds

1a. DB Sidelying Glute Medius… thing! 5kg x 15

1b. Seated Goodmornings - 16kg x 15
This was too light, kind of meh

1c. Standing Band Crunches - Purple x 15
Kind of meh too, felt some reps didn’t feel others

I was going to do the normal 4x25 for this but a supplement company was doing a shoot in the gym so I couldn’t get to the super light dumbbells to do my hip things so I just said fuck it and did 4x15.

2. ‘Dynamic Effort’ Belt Squat
60kg + whatever the machine weighs - 8x2 EMOM

Back felt kind of stiff after 2 sets but felt good by the end. I need to video these from the back and see what’s going on. I can defiinitely add more weight but gonna keep it sensible for now.

3. Seated Hamstring Curls
40kg - 3 x 12

4b. Ab Mat Sit Up
BW - 3 x 8
Wow, cramped up half way through the last set. Made me feel real out of shape. On 3 sets of 8 situps!? Really!? Couldn’t be more clear that core is the weakness.

4b. Single Leg Calf Raise
BW - 3 x 12

I think the step I used to elevate these was a little lower than last week.

5. Reverse Hyper
Just the bar (this machine has a plate loaded bar instead of the westide swing and harness set up) - x 8 - too heavy

Put my legs outside of the bar and just did bodyweight - 2 x 12

These felt nice. First time I’ve ever done them. Can see how they’d be a good warm up.

2 Likes

W1D3 Extra Workout

Lets Go! First extra workout. I actually turned up. It was really rushed because I almost didn’t go and I had to get showered and to work.

1. Mobility/Ab ‘circuit’? - 3 rounds
Not really a circuit I just didn’t rest between these

1a. Hip Flexor Stretch - 1 min
1b. Hamstring Stretch - 1 min
1c. Cable Standing Abs - 10kg x 15

2. Cardio - 2 rounds
2 mins on 30 sec off, switch between:

2a. Concept Bike
2b. Rower

Honestly, maybe it’s not a lot but it actually felt fine. Like I feel like I can do a lot more, so maybe my cardio isn’t as bad as I thought.

3. Farmers Carry
26kg - 3 x 40m

All in all, not much, but a step forward.

2 Likes

W2D4 DE Upper
I didn’t really eat or drink anything yesterday and only had one small meal before training and it showed. Was annoyed with the sessions so tried tacking on a bunch of extras to salvage the session but it doesnt work like that does it! Ah well got it in.

1. ‘Wenning Warm Up’ - 4 Rounds

1a. Side-Lying Rear Delt Fly - 2.5kg x 15
1b. DB Pull Over - 5kg x 15
1c. DB Fly - 5kg x 15

Dogshit. I did 25 reps on my first set of rear delts but I was moving so slow and sluggish I pulled it back to 15.

2. Dynamic Effort Bench
60kg - 8 x 2
Done as an EMOM.

Not fast enough. Been looking forward all week to blast 1 plate off my chest too, some months ago 60kg felt super heavy in my hands. Was easy just not explosive enough.

3. Plate Loaded Lat Pulldown
40kg - 3 x 8
Felt like dogshit in left shoulder

4a. Barbell Skull Crusher/JM Press bastardisation
25kg - 3 x 8

4b. DB External Rotation
5kg - 3 x 8

About the only thing I was happy with today, felt good strong and not clicky!

5. T Bar Row
Bar x 12
10kg - 2 x 12

6a. Barbell Shrugs
35 kg - 3 x 12

6b. Alternating DB Curls
10kg - 3 x 12

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W2D5 ‘RE’ LOWER

1. WW - 4 Rounds

1a. Side Lying Hip Rotations - BW x 15
1b. Isometric Adduction Squeezes - 20 sec
1c. Standing Abs - 14kg x 15

2. ‘Repetition Effort’ Rack Pull

These were done more as hinge, like a deadstop RDL. The mirrors (2 mirrors joined together) infront of me made it look like I was rotating weirdly on one side as I hinged and I could tell if it was me or if it was just the mirror playing tricks. I was only gonna take it easy on these anyway due to the injury 2 weeks ago but I got in my head and binned it.

Bar - 12
40kg - x 6 - “Hey am I rotating weird?”
40kg - x 6 - “Ah fuck it, not worth it if I am just do it another day”

3. ‘Palloff Hinges’?
I figured if I was rotating weird during hinging my assistance exercise may aswell address that. I found a video to demonstrate but I did it on a cable machine.

5kg - 3 x 5 each direction

4. Back Extensions

BW - 3 x 12

5. Hip Abduction
3 x 12 - Right hip felt like shit, clunky and stiff even though it felt great in warm up.

6. Single Leg Calf Raise
Reps I do are dictated by the injured side (right)

BW x 12, 11, 11

5 Likes

W3D1 ME UPPER

Happy with this session. Without turning this in to a diary, had a huge panic attack on the way to the gym and almost changed the session but I managed to shake it off and then set a PR (of sorts) guess the extra adrenaline helped! Shoulder was feeling like garbage but managed to get the work done and it actually feels better for it.

WW - 4 Rounds

  1. Cable Scap Depression - 10kg x 15
  2. Side Lying Rear Delt Fly - 5kg x 15 - Too heavy started off pain in my left shoulder
  • 2.5kg x 15
  1. Single Arm Plate Loaded Chest Press - 7.5kg e.s x 15

Left shoulder was feeling bad (around left trap) so I thought I’d throw in some light pulldowns to try and warm up a little more. Did 2 sets and stopped it felt like shit.

2. ME Bench - Work up to heavy 4
Bar x4
40kg x4
60kgx4
70kgx4
80kgx4!
85kgx4! - Biggest bench I’ve done for a long time!

Despite the shoulder issues going in to this this was probably one the best bench has ever felt. I felt rock solid stable on the bottom. Completely changes how the lift feels. I unracked 80kg and knew it was going to be easy which was an awesome feeling.

3a. Overhead DB Tricep Extension
8kg x 12
10kg - 2 x12

3b. DB Row
15kg - 3 x 12
These were kind of garbage, shoulder didn’t feel great doing them but they weren’t heavy enough to be challenging. Probably wasted reps

4a. DB Shoulder external rotation
2kg - 3 x 12kg
These made my shoulders feel about 10x better. Did them with my elbow resting on a barbell.

4b. Band neck extension… kind of
I didn’t want to do any more shoulder or arm work so tried messing around with a band…
3 x fucking around

I decided to just call it there I didn’t wanna crank on the shoulder again after getting it to feel better.

2 Likes

W3D2 ‘DE’ LOWER
I’ve not fell off (not yet!) last 2 days have just been crazy between travelling for interviews and work.

1. WW - 4 Rounds

1a. Clamshells - BW x 20
Did these literally with no resistance and my hip was on fire. I saw the video below and tried it out and was like “oh shit”.

1b. Seated Goodmorning - 20kg x 15

1c. Standing Abs - 10kg x 15

2. Dynamic Effort Belt Squat
80kg + machine - 8x2 EMOM

These felt pretty easy gonna keep steadily pushing these up. I feel like the ROM is pretty short though I need to just record them. Not butt wink this week

3a. Back Extension
BW - 3 x 12

3b. Side Bends on Back Extension Machine
BW - 3 x 5 e.s
Tryna ease in to these but something I wanna push as I start to add core back in to my training

4. Glute Bridge Machine
20kg+ machine - 3 x 8

Usually these feel awesome and a great contraction but it was meh today so didn’t push the weight

5a. Ab Mat Sit Ups
BW - 3 x 8
Didn’t cramp until the final rep of the final set this time!

5b. Single Leg Calf Raise
Reps dictated by however many I can get on injured (right) side
BW x 14,14,12

1 Like

W3D3 MEH UPPER

Travelling around for interviews again and could only get in a quick 30 mins. Did some tris and bis and lateral raises nothing worth writing down.

W3D4 MEH LOWER

Another rushed one but I feel like I’ve worked out how I’m going to approach these in the future.

1. Clamshells

BW - 3 x 20 e.s

2. RDLS

50kg - 3 x 6

These sucked. Actually had a decent mirror this week and I have a big hip shift to the left when I hinge (probably why it looked like I was twisted last week). I’d gonna forget barbell RDLs for a while and just do them unilaterally.

3. Some random stuff that all sucked.
Tried some glute bridges and felt nothing, tried some hip abductions and my hip was just stuck. I’ve decided I’m gonna really hit the hip rotation stuff hard in my training. I hate ‘corrective’ exercises because you end up warming up for 40 mins and barely training. But I’ve got a good idea of what I’m gonna hit and how I can actually train them hard.

4. Split stance cable chop
3 x 12 - liked these not done them for a while

5. Seated Calf Raise
30kg - 3 x 8

1 Like

W4D1 ME UPPER
Left shoulder keeps getting irritated with certain movements that I need to rethink but all in all decent session.

1. WW - 4 Rounds

1a. Cable Scap Depressions - 10kg x 15

I need to re-think these I don’t feel like they’re improving

1b. DB Shoulder Ext Rotation - 2kg x 15

1c. Pec Deck - no idea x 15
This was kind of cool. I’ve never been able to feel my chest on both sides when I do this bilaterally and today I did. As much as my left shoulder is still having little niggles here and there this is huge. Great pump on these was almost worried it was going to fatigue my chest too much before my bench variation

2. ME Spoto Press - 3 count pause - Work up to a triple
Bar x 3
40kg x 3
60kg x 3
70kg x 3
80kg x 3! - Rep PR from Week 2 (form felt tighter too)

Felt good and tight as I was pressing but then shoulder was niggling inbetween sets so I just took the rep PR and called it

3. Plate Loaded Pulldowns
40kg x 8
50kg x 8
50kg x 6

These used to feel so good I don’t know what happened! Shoulder felt like shit so I tapped out on set 3

4a. Single Arm Cable Row
20kg - 3 x 8 e.s

  • Did these with the cable at shoulder height and emphasising depression of my shoulder, made it feel 100 times better thinking of putting these in the Wenning Warm Ups instead of just depressions

4b. Upright Row
30kg x 3 x 8
Felt pretty strong

4c. Band Tricep Ext
Black Band - 3 x 20

5a. JM Press
Barbell - 3 x 8

5b. EZ Curl
5 each side - 3 x 12

5c. Pull Aparts
Red Band - 3 x 20

6. Barbell Shrugs
40 kg - 3 x 10

W4D2 DE LOWER

  1. WW - 4 Rounds

1a. Kickstand RDL + Rotation (band around hips) - Black Band x 8

1b. Split Stance Chop - 10kg x 8 e.s

1c. Leg raise with foam roller between knees - BW x 8

So these are all ‘corrective’ exercises but I’m hoping by keeping them confined to the WW format I won’t fall in to the trap I mentioned in my last post.

2. DE Belt Squat
90kg + machine - 8x2 EMOM

First time these have felt somewhat challenging. Not heavy but not as light as usual. Speed wasn’t too bad.

3. Back Extension

BW - 3 x 12

4a. Seated Hamstring Curl
3 x 12

4b. Single Leg Calf Raise
BW - 3 x 12