here are the nutrition stats for yesterday (1/04/09):
protein: 272g
carbs: 343g
fats: 109g
calories: 3505
Everything seemed okay here, aside from maybe too many carbs. All the meals were pretty clean and calories were just about right, so overall i’m pretty happy.
Here is the third workout of the week (quads/hams):
A1.DB LUNGES
1st set: 28.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 28.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 28.7’s x 6
Notes- these were really hard, the weight felt really heavy, i just about managed to maintain decent safe form. Will use the same weight next week and aim for 3 sets of 8.
A2. DB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
1st set: 28.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 28.7’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 28.7’s x 8
Notes- The were hard, but probably not as hard as they should have been. More weight needed next week.
B1. DB SPLIT SQUATS
1st set: 26.4’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 26.4’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 26.4’s x 10
Notes- these were really hard, and rellay fried my legs, especially my hamstrings, which i was surprised by. Gonna try the same weight next week for 3 sets of 10 perfect reps, as a couple reps were a bit dodgy today.
B2. BODYWEIGHT LEG CURLS
1st set: BW x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: BW x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: BW x 10
Notes- these were also really hard, probably as i don’t do much hamstring work normally. These did give me discomfort at the medial aspect of both my knees. It felt like they had been ‘tweeked’ so i stopped the session after the third set of these. Maybe is was just a different feeling, much like the forearm pain i get when doing leg curls. Now my knees feel perfectly fine, so maybe i just bottled it cos the session was really hard. I therefore didn’t do the two ‘easiest’ exercises which folllowed the above. Best to be safe than sorry though in my mind.
Session duration: 36 mins
Overall it was a really hard session and would’ve been perfect had i finished it, but due to ‘injury’ i decided to stop. My legs were really worked hard during the session, more than they have been in a long time. Next week i should be able to finish the session knowing i won’t have injured my knees.
here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (02/04/09):
protein: 220g
carbs: 277g
fats: 164g
calories: 3480
Pretty good effort again today, all food was good quality, and clean. Only thing i would correct is the last ‘snack’ which was >900 calories after 10pm, aside from that i was pretty happy with todays nutrition.
here are the nutrition stats for today (3/04/09):
protein: 164g
carbs: 180g
fats: 135g
calories: 2612
Today was not a normal day, in that i had a cheat meal (fish and chips) and therefore don’t have an exact record of calories and macros. The totals above are excluding the cheat meal, so i was 888 cals below my target not including the cheat meal. I have no idea how many calories were in the meal, but for those who don’t know fish and chips is a big meal, all of which is fried. So i was probably above my target of 3500 as a result. The other food over the dayw as pretty solid, plentiful lean protein and veggies with some healthy fats.
here are the nutrition stats for yesterday (04/04/09):
protein: 208g
carbs: 378g
fats: 130g
calories: 3526
Today was okay, went a bit crazy on the carbs, but it was a training day so i’m not worried about that. Food was pretty clean, just having to adapt to eating fresh veggies as our freezer went down.
Right, so after five weeks of the current training phase, i took measurements again this morning.
Here’s my current stats:
all taken upon waking 6/4/09 after going toilet
Weight: 178.4 lbs (up 1.6)
Supra-illiac: 15mm (same)
Body fat: 15.4% (same)
Lean mass: 150.93 lbs (up 1.35)
Fat mass: 27.47 (up 0.25)
waist: 32.88 (down 0.18)
chest: 38.00 (down 0.06)
left arm: 12.00 (up 0.19)
right arm: 11.68 (same)
left forearm: 10.81 (same)
right forearm: 10.94 (up 0.06)
left thigh: 21.94 (up 0.51)
right thigh: 22.06 (up 0.25)
left calve: 14.06 (same)
right calve: 13.94 (down 0.12)
Overall my weight is up 1.6 lbs which i think is the main thing to take from these measurements. The majority of weight gain would seem to be muscle/LBM, with a little bit of fat gained. Body fat remained stable, with waist measurmement even reducing slightly. I still think the accuracy of some of the measurements may be questionable, such as thigh measures, but the main ones to look at (weight, body fat %, fat mass, lean mass and waist) all seem to be quite accurate, which i suppose is the main thing. I am going to keep the calories at 3500 again till next week and assess from there.
here’s yesterday’s nutrition (5/04/04):
protein: 175g
carbs: 296g
fats: 189g
calories: 3609
First time today i’ve had to resort to poorer quality food choices due to the limited budget. For my last meal i had quiche and chips (oven baked of course) with veg which had a shitload of carbs and fats in it with only 25g protein. Protein was just under 1g/lb BW today so i’ll try make sure it’s over that limit for the rest of the week. I may end up taking in more carbs over the course of the week due to more limited food choices. Although the last meal was not what you’d call ‘optimal’, it did help me get a significant amount of calories, of which i was only over by around 100 (109).
Here’s the first workout of the week, chest and back:
A1. DB BENCH PRESS
1st set: 26.4’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 26.4’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 26.4’s x 6
Notes- These were really hard, used the same weight as last week but didn’t make any progress, same amount of sets/reps as last week. So next week i’ll up the weight used.
A2. CHIN UPS
1st set: BW + 5kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW + 5kg x 5
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW + 2.5kg x 4
Notes- these were also really hard, did more reps on the first set but couln’t get the prescribed amunt for the 2nd and 3rd sets. Next week i’ll up the weight to 7.5kg to make sure i’m progressing every week.
B1. DB INCLINE PRESS
1st set: 23.5’s x 8
45 secs rest
2nd set: 23.5’s x 4
45 secs rest
3rd set: 21.1’s x 6
Notes- really hard, i kept the weight the same for the 2nd set but couldn’t get the prescribed reps, next week i’ll try use same weight throughout all 3 sets for 8 reps.
B2. 1 ARM ROW
1st set: 26.4kg x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 26.4kg x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 26.4kg x 8
Notes- pretty hard, used correct weight with good form, increased the reps on the 2nd set by 1, will try for increased weight on first two sets.
C1. DB FLIES
1st set: 15.7’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 15.7’s x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 15.7’s x 11
Notes- these were really hard, really fatigued my chest a lot, particularly in the 2nd and 3rd sets. I managed to increase reps on the 2nd set, next week i’ll up the weight and try for at least 3 sets of 10.
C2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 6.5’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 6.5’s x 10
30 secs rest
3rd set: 6.5’s x 10
Notes- Pretty hard, overall form was pretty solid aside from a few not full ROM reps towards the end, could really feel my upper back fatigued after these. Gonna try increase weight next week for 3 sets of 10.
Session length: 41 mins
Overall, this was a great session, really hard work and just about the right duration. I was sweating a lot at the end, at the end, my chest and back were really fatigued, as were my forearms and front delts, so i suppose i’m pretty happy with the session. I did make some progress on the exercises and will try to make progress on this weeks performance for all lifts next week.
here’s yesterday’s nutrition stats (6/04/09):
protein: 223g
carbs: 395g
fats: 150g
calories: 3846
Good day today, quite carb heavy although the majority were either at breakfast or after the workout. Protein was higher today which i’m happy with, tomorrow i’ll try lower fats and up protein and fats.
Here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (07/04/09):
protein: 197g
carbs: 326g
fats: 187g
calories: 3840
Was okay today, had planned to reduce carbs but it didn’t really work out that way. Protein was okay and fats were pretty high as per usual. Calories were higher than they should have been, although i did play 5 a side footy late on.
here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (08/04/09):
protein: 183g
carbs: 444g
fats: 112g
calories: 3460
Today was a bit more ‘loose’ than normal, i had a lot more carbs. In the future i’m gonna try keep carbs lower if possible, although this may prove to be tougher on a low budget.
Here is the third workout of the week (quads/hams):
A1.DB LUNGES
1st set: 29.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 29.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 29.3’s x 8
Notes- these were really hard, the weight felt really heavy, i just about managed to maintain decent safe form. Will increase weight next week a bit to keep progressing on these.
A2. DB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
1st set: 31.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 31.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 31.3’s x 8
Notes- The were hard, the first set was the easiest, as fatigue set in these became quite hard. That said i still managed to complete the required number of reps. More weight needed again next week.
B1. DB SPLIT SQUATS
1st set: 26.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 26.7’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 26.7’s x 8
Notes- these were unbelievably hard, and really fried my legs. Gonna try the same weight next week for 3 sets of 10 perfect reps.
B2. BODYWEIGHT LEG CURLS
1st set: BW x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: BW x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: BW x 10
Notes- these were also really hard, i used a barbell to help achieve the full ROM, which helped with form and safety. No such issues with my knees this week, felt strong throughout. The barbell really helped me on the eccentric portion of the movement. Gonna try add weight next week possibly using a backpack.
C1. STEP UPS
1st set: BW x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 5KG x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 10KG x 12
Notes- these were easy in comparison to the previous leg exercises. I played it conservatively as my legs were really fatigued at this point, starting with BW only. I added weight in the latter sets but it wasn’t quite enough, next week i’ll start with BW plus 20KG.
C2. SWISS BALL LEG CURLS
1st set: BW x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: BW x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: BW x 12
Notes- these were also pretty easy, gonna need to find a way to add weight or change this exercise for something different.
Session duration: 43 mins
Overall it was a really hard session, hardest i’ve done in ages, the kind of session you feel anxious about prior to. Aside from the last pair of exercises, the session really fried my legs, particularly my hamstrings. My forearms were also fatigued from gripping the dumbbells during the heavier exercises, this may be a problem a few weeks down the line when i have to keep adding weight to the lunges. This week i had no problems with knee pain as a result of the BW curls, which is good.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (09/04/09):
protein: 208g
carbs: 334g
fats: 157g
calories: 3619
Everything was good today, back to more conventional eating, with the majority of carbs at breakfast and around the workout. Protein and fats were good aswell. No idea what the nutrition is gonna be like tomorrow aside from the fats i’ll be in a massive calorie surplus due to plentiful beer. Tis the annual good friday day out.
With regards to nutrition for yesterday (10/04/09), i have no idea what the totals were as i was out drinking pretty much all day. So i was probably in a massive caloric surplus. Back to normal today, no more drinking for a while now.
Here’s the fourth workout of the week (anterior/rear deltoids):
A1. STANDING BARBELL SHOULDER PRESS
1st set: 35kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 35kg x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 35kg x 8
Notes- This was hard, with the last set really hard to complete. More weight needed next week. Good overall, with a progression on last weeks workout performance.
A2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 9.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: 9.3’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 9.3’s x 8
Notes- These were pretty hard, but i will need to up the weight again to make it harder. Form was pretty good throughout and i could feel the upper back/shoulders working pretty hard.
B1. ARNOLD PRESS
1st set: 16’s x 9
45 secs rest
2nd set: 16’s x 7
45 secs rest
3rd set: 16’s x 6
Notes- These were really hard, i struggled on the 2nd and 3rd sets and didn’t reach the prescribed range (8-10 reps). Therefore i’ll keep the same weight again next week and aim for a minimum of 3 x 8. I did improve on total reps completed from last weeks workout so that is good, and i’ll aim to progress again next week.
B2. SEATED REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 6.8’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 6.8’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 6.8’s x 10
Notes- Hard, but not quite hard enough i don’t think. Form was pretty solid, but i’ll need to up the weight next week to continue progressing.
C1. FRONT RAISES
1st set: 10.9’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 10.9’s x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 10.9’s x 12
Notes- these were really really hard, all sets were hard and i perhaps used a slight bit of momentum towards the end of the sets. Weight was just about perfect for rep range (10-12). I improved on last weeks workout, and will up the weight next week to progress again.
C2. LYING REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 4kg x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 4kg x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 4kg x 12
Notes- Really hard, struggled towards the end and perhaps cheated on a few reps past the 10 mark. Despite this, i’ll up the weight slightly next week.
Session length: 39 mins.
Overall it was a pretty good session, was sweating significantly at the end and could feel my shoulders and upper back were fatigued. I improved every lift’s performance on last week and will aim to do the same again next week with increased weights.
Here’s the first workout of the week, chest and back:
A1. DB BENCH PRESS
1st set: 29.4’s x 7
60 secs rest
2nd set: 29.4’s x 6
60 secs rest
3rd set: 26.4’s x 7
Notes- These were really hard, increased the weight by 3kg on the 1st and 2nd sets and was able to remain within the desired rep range (6-8), therefore making it a new PB. For the third set i knew i wasn’t gonna be able to maintain enough reps with the same weight so i dropped it down to last weeks weight, but made sure i improved the number of reps, which i did by 1 rep.
A2. CHIN UPS
1st set: BW + 6.25kg x 6
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW + 5kg x 6
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW + 3.75kg x 4
Notes- these were also really hard, i upped the weight on the 1st set and was just about able to get 6 reps. Knowing i struggled the 1st set i dropped the weight to 5kg and was also able to get 6 reps. For the 3rd set i dropped the weight again slightly, but despite this i just didn’t have the strength to get 6 reps. On all sets i improved either the amount of weight lifted and/or the number of reps completed. I will aim to do the same next week, probably using the same loads and looking for extra reps.
B1. DB INCLINE PRESS
1st set: 23.7’s x 9
45 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7’s x 5
45 secs rest
3rd set: 21.1’s x 7
Notes- really hard, i kept the weight the same as last week throughout the 3 sets but managed to do 1 extra rep compared to last week. All sets were new PB’s, i’ll probably try keep the weight the same and get more reps next week.
B2. 1 ARM ROW
1st set: 29.4kg x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 29.4kg x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 29.4kg x 8
Notes- pretty hard, increased the weight by 3kg and was still nearly able to complete the required 3 sets of 10. Next week i’m likely to try a full 3 sets of 10 so i can up the weight the following week.
C1. DB FLIES
1st set: 18.7’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 18.7’s x 8
30 secs rest
3rd set: 15.7’s x 9
Notes- these were really hard, really fatigued my chest a lot. I managed to increase the weight by 3kg for the first two sets, although i couldn’t get to 10 reps on the 2nd. For the 3rd set there was no way i was gonna be able to maintain the weight and get enough reps so i dropped down to 15.7’s. Next week i’ll aim to get at least 10 reps on the first two sets and see where to go from there with the 3rd set.
C2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 7.1’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 7.1’s x 11
30 secs rest
3rd set: 7.1’s x 10
Notes- these were also really hard, especially with the heavier weight. I did well to get enough reps on all 3 sets, again managing new PB’s as with most lifts within today workout. Next week the goal is 3 full sets of 12 so i can up the weight the following week.
Session length: 42 mins
Overall, this was a great session, really hard work, really pushed myself all the way through. Also, for the first time i used last weeks training log throughout the session to make sure i was improving performance on all lifts, instead of doing it more instinctively like previous weeks. I was sweating a lot at the end, my chest and back were really fatigued, as were my forearms, front delts and triceps, less so for my biceps. I’m really happy with today’s performance, as nearly all lifts were improved in terms of reps completed and/or weight lifted. Using this technique will hopefully aid in my quest for muscle growth.
here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (13/04/09):
protein: 202g
carbs: 400g
fats: 117g
calories: 3493
Aside from the dominance of carbs today, i’m pretty happy with the totals. Protein is at a good level (above 1g/lb BW), and i got plenty of healthy fats from whole eggs, alomonds and olive oil amongst other things. Were it a rest day, i would have been more concerned about the high level of carbs, but seen as it was a training day i’m not so worried. With tomorrow being a rest day i’ll aim to reduce carbs and up protein and/or fats, whilst keeping calories at the same level (around 3500).
here are today’s nutrition stats (15/04/09):
protein: 197g
carbs: 302g
fats: 179g
calories: 3516
Pretty happy with today’s totals, i tried to lower carbs but struggled somewhat due to the limited options i have as far as food goes this week. Protein was about right and fats were pretty good too. Can’t really complain too much.
Hey man nice progress.
With your training experience, I feel that you might be able to make progress a little faster. You are progressing which is good though.
When I first started, I weighed 178ish and bulked with 3600 calories, 130g fat, 300g protein, 350g carbs and I managed to get up to 193lbs in 6 weeks. My body type was similar to yours at the time.
I think your protein needs to be upped to at least 250g a day, fat could stand to go down, and carbs could go up to about 400g a day since your metabolism sounds ridiculous.
Your workouts seem a mix between aerobic and anaerobic. You could increase your rest periods up to 90 seconds or even two minutes. This might help in terms of strength while as not to give the muscle too much time to recover. I used two minutes between every set and it worked wonders for me. Also, the volume could stand to be higher.
As always, you can increase the intensity.
Shocking principles every once in awhile might help as well.
Check out my old journal if you’d like to see my progress. Side note for the weights, as the lifts got heavier, form improved so the numbers are deceiving on some lifts. The front squats aren’t a joke either, I did put 60lbs on it in 6 weeks ;). http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/blog_sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_log/jts_ovt_log?id=2712265&pageNo=0
Hey man thanks for contributing, just got a few questions for you.
What ratio of muscle/fat did you gain in those 6 weeks?
I think when i started i was at 172 pounds, so, so far after 6 weeks my weight has gone up nearly 8 pounds. I’m not sure what ratio i’ve gained (cos i’m not very accurate at BF assessment), but i have definately got ‘less lean’, so i’m kinda wondering if i’ve actually gained much muscle so far. Anyways i’m sorta coming from this as the person ‘in it for the long haul’, so progress is likely to take time.
Anyway, thinking back to what thib said on the matter, the best i (anyone) could hope for is 2 pounds of muscle a month, so that would be about 3 pounds for me so far if i did everything perfect, which i haven’t.
I know my diet is far from perfect, so some of your points are valid, but i have been ‘financially restrained’ over the last few weeks so protein isn’t as high as it could be, but i always shoot for a minimum of 1g/lb BW, which i dont think is so bad.
I’m just curious as to why you think this: your metabolism sounds rediculous?
Cos i workout at home, i decided it would be easier to design my own workouts. I then have the advantage of tailoring the workouts to my strengths and weaknesses, the equipment i have available etc. The workouts are based on the reccomendations of his how to design a program article aswell, so i ahven’t just made it up.
I think over the last 6 weeks or so i’ve just been trying to experiment and find the right set up for me. Only over the last 2 workouts have i finally started using my training logs properly, so i can see i am deifnately makign progress on lifts, so i think in the long run this will help.
Thanks for the advice, you got anything else useful to say you think might help me?