Here’s the nutrition stats for today (2/05/09):
protein: 235g
carbs: 359g
fats: 105g
calories: 3358
Pretty happy, decent amount of protein, plenty carbs and some decent fats, maybe more than i’d like but what the hell. Rest day tomorrow so i’ll try lower carbs and increase fats.
Here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (03/05/09), that i know of:
protein: 77g
carbs: 133g
fats: 26g
calories: 1080
So yesterday i went to a bbq from 3pm-3am and had me some fun, few beers, some nice bbq food, plenty protein, and played a bit of rock band 
So i have no idea about the stats for then, i tried to eat mainly meat, from above i can see i had a few calories (around 2300) to ‘work with’ if you get me, so the damage was probably lesser than it could have been. I didn’t go excessive on the alcohol, like i said i was there from 3pm to 3am and i probably had 7 pints, maybe a bit more, which i don’t think is too bad particularly when spread over a longer period (12 hours), i certainly wasn’t drunk at the end.
The main problem was the limited sleep, probably 5 hours at best, so we’ll see if this affects the workout today. I’ll try make up for this somewhat by getting to bed earlier tonight.
Right, so after nine weeks of the current training phase, i took measurements again this morning.
Here’s my current stats:
all taken about 30 mins after waking 04/5/09, after going toilet
Weight: 186.2 lbs (up 0.8)
Supra-illiac: 17mm (same)
Body fat: 17% (same)
Lean mass: 154.55 lbs (up 0.67)
Fat mass: 31.65 (up 0.13)
waist: 33.94 (up 0.06)
chest: 38.82 (down 0.43)
left arm: 12.25 (up 0.25)
right arm: 12 (down 0.18)
left forearm: 11 (down 0.06)
right forearm: 11.18 (same)
left thigh: 23.18 (up 0.88)
right thigh: 23.56 (up 0.68)
left calve: 14.18 (up 0.06)
right calve: 14.06 (same)
Overall my weight is up 0.8 lbs and my waist measurement barely went up which is what i’m aiming for. The only disappointing thing is the nutrition for the week wasn’t completely logged as i went to a bbq last night and had a few beers and some bbq food, nothing excessive, as i’ve noted in the previous log.
The problem with this is not knowing whether the current calories are at the right level for steady growth (around 1 lb a week) had i completed the week as per usual. I suppose there’s nothing i can do now, i’ll just try to be consistent all week, and see what next weeks stats say. I’ll keep calories at around 3350, which i think is about right, and have a look at the stats next week, after two weeks at the same level.
Again this week you can see the accuracy of some of the measurements above is questionable (chest, thighs), which is an issue i’m going to have to iron out. This is probably the main disadvantage (aside from not being able to do back squats) of not having a gym membership, and therefore someone who isn’t biased, and is accurate and recording progress.
Anyways, the most accurate measurements (weight, body fat, waist) all show an increase in LBM (0.67 lbs), with no significant increase in fat mass and therefore body fat.
So overall, just to clarify, since i started 9 weeks ago, LBM is up nearly 6 lbs (5.94), fat mass is up more, at about 8.24 lbs, which when looking at it doesn’t seem as bad as i thought it would be. I suppose the thing to remember is the fat mass is definitely all fat, whereas LBM incorporates everything from muscle to water to glycogen, so i definitely haven’t gained 6 lbs of muscle.
However, I feel now like i’ve finally got the calories at the right level, aside from a couple blips, and will be able to increase LBM steadily with not much increase in fat mass. In an ideal world i would have been able to get the calories right straight away, but its not an ideal world and i’ve enjoyed the experimenting, which in the long run will give me a good understanding of how my body responds and ultimately be more rewarding for future training.
So even though i’ve gained more fat than i would have liked to at the start, i’ve learned alot, and as they say, fat can be lost in a matter of weeks, whereas muscle takes years to accumulate. Anyways life story over, if you actually read to the end, well done and thanks.
Here’s the first workout of the week, chest and back:
A1. DB BENCH PRESS
1st set: 30.6’s x 8
75 secs rest
2nd set: 30.6’s x 7
75 secs rest
3rd set: 30.6’s x 6
Notes- These were really really hard, most i’ve ever benched before, as strength continues to increase. Next week i’ll probably use the same weight for 3 sets of 8.
A2. CHIN UPS
1st set: BW plus 6.25kg x 8
75 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 6.25kg x 4
75 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 5kg x 4
Notes- these were also really hard, i tried 6.25KG for the 1st two sets for the first time. I wasn’t able to get anywhere near the required 6 reps though. I’ll probably up the weight on the first set and keep it the same for the last two sets.
B1. DB INCLINE PRESS
1st set: 23.7’s x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 23.7’s x 9
60 secs rest
3rd set: 23.7’s x 8
Notes- really really hard, more so than last week, perhaps due to the hangover i had. I eventually got 3 sets of 8-10, so i’ll probably try a heavier weight next week.
B2. 1 ARM ROW
1st set: 33.3kg x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 33.3kg x 10
60 secs rest
3rd set: 33.3kg x 10
Notes- really really really hard, upped the weight again and just about managed to get 3 full sets of 10. Make no mistake about it though, these were the hardest rows i’ve ever done and my back was wrecked after these. I’ll up the weight again next week.
C1. DB FLIES
1st set: 22’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 22’s x 7
45 secs rest
3rd set: 18.7’s x 9
Notes- I upped the weight again here for the first two sets, i couldn’t get to 10 reps on the second though. By now my chest was knackered, so i dropped the weight for the third and still couldn’t get to 10 reps.
C2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 8’s x 12
45 secs rest
2nd set: 8’s x 12
45 secs rest
3rd set: 8’s x 12
Notes- these were hard, i used the same weight as last week and managed to get 3 sets of 12. Next week i’ll try the same weight for 3 sets of 12.
Session length: 60 mins
Overall, this was a great session, really hard work, sweating a lot throughout. I did pretty well seen as i had a bit of a hangover, sets PB’s on nearly all exercises which is good. My chest/back/arms/front delts were really fatigued by the end of the session.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (04/05/09):
protein: 239g
carbs: 352g
fats: 106g
calories: 3343
Pretty good day today, most of the food was pretty clean, got plenty of protein and carbs with some good fats to boot. Calories were just about right, tomorrow i’ll probably drop carbs to around 300g and up fats somewhat.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (05/05/09):
protein: 240g
carbs: 277g
fats: 138g
calories: 3335
Overall i’m pretty happy with todays effort. I reduced carbs and upped fats, with protein remaining stable. All the food was pretty clean aswell with calories just below (-15) where their meant to be, so overall another solid, consistent day.
Here’s the second workout of the week (arms), and it goes a little somethin like this:
A1. STANDING BARBELL CURLS
1st set: 35KG x 8
75 secs rest
2nd set: 35KG x 8
75 secs rest
3rd set: 35KG x 8
Notes- these were really hard, decided to change from doing hammer grip DB curls to these, as i thought i was starting to use a bit too much momentum on the DB curls, also these tend to work the biceps more and the brachialis less. Form was pretty solid, i tried to use slower deliberate reps and not use a back swing. I’ll up the weight next week to 37.5KG and aim for 3 sets of 6-8 again. I got pain in my forearms while doing these, which i think is a pretty common thing according to what i’ve read on these forums, probably cos of forearm flexibility or something like that, its not the pain you get when your injured which is a good thing.
A2. TRICEPS DIPS
1st set: BW plus 17.3kg x 8
60 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 17.3kg x 7
60 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 17.3kg x 6
Notes- These were seriously hard, starting to feel the strain more on my shoulders as i perform these. I made a good fist of these, all the sets were really hard, just about the right weight chose. Next week i’ll keep the weight the same and aim for more reps.
B1. SEATED CURLS
1st set: 20.9’s x 9
45 secs rest
2nd set: 20.9’s x 8
45 secs rest
3rd set: 18.1’s x 10
Notes- these were really hard also, form was okay, i had to drop the weight for the 3rd set as i really struggled to get to 8 reps on the 2nd set. I will try the same weight, except for using 20.9’s for the 3rd set aswell and see if i can get more reps.
B2. TRICEPS EXT (LYING)
1st set: 15.5’s x 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: 15.5’s x 8
45 secs rest
3rd set: 15.5’s x 8
Notes- these were really hard, same weight from last week. Don’t particularly like this exercise at all, seems to place undue amounts of stress on my wrists. I think this exercise is starting to become redundant ai i’ve not made any progress on last week, and i can’t see me being able to do much more weight on this. I’ll definitely change this exercise out next week for something else.
C1. CONCENTRATION CURLS
1st set: 15.5KG x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 15.5KG x 11
30 secs rest
3rd set: 15.5KG x 10
Notes- these were really hard, the weight was just about right for the required reps, I should be able to get 10-12 reps for 3 sets with the same weight, or maybe it would be worthwhile upping the weight again, we’ll see.
C2. LYING DUMBBELL TRICEPS EXTENSION (1 DB)
1st set: 21.3KG x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 21.3KG x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 24KG x 10
Notes- these were pretty hard, the last set being the most taxing. The first two sets were probably too easy as i wasn’t sure what the correct weight was having changed to this exercise. The weight for the 3rd set was about right. I’m not sure i’ll carry on using this as my form was probably a bit suspect and it never felt safe having weight above my face.
Total session length: 54 mins.
Overall today session was pretty good, I managed to set new PB’s on most exercises which was great. I was sweating quite a lot at the end and my biceps, triceps and forearms were particularly fatigued, aswell as pumped. Next week i’ll hopefully have found some suitable replacements for the exercises noted above, and progress can continue.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (06/05/09):
protein: 231g
carbs: 383g
fats: 95g
calories: 3341
Pretty good day again, plenty of protein, reduced the fats and upped the carbs as it was a training day, calories spot on nearly. I’ll try for similar tomorrow as it’s legs day.
Here is the third workout of the week (quads/hams):
A1.DB LUNGES
1st set: 33.8’s x 6
75 secs rest
2nd set: 33.8’s x 6
75 secs rest
3rd set: 33.8’s x 6
Notes- these were really hard, really pushed myself, i decided to stop the sets at 6 reps on the first leg so i would definitely be able to complete 6 reps on the second leg. This judgement turned out to be just about right as my grip was pretty close to failing at the end of the sets. Next week i’ll aim to get more reps with the same weight.
A2. DB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT
1st set: 38.6’s x 8
75 secs rest
2nd set: 38.6’s x 8
75 secs rest
3rd set: 38.6’s x 8
Notes- The were really hard, my form on these doesn’t seem to be consistent from week-to-week as i felt more stimulation of the lower back and less of a stretch of the hams this week. Next week i’ll increase the weight again and try to nail the form.
B1. DB SPLIT SQUATS
1st set: 31.2’s x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 31.2’s x 10
60 secs rest
3rd set: 31.2’s x 10
Notes- these were really really hard, I use a shorter stride again and my quads were fucked, as were my hamstring to an extent too. These also gave me problems with my grip fatiguing particularly at the end, as with the exercises above. To combat this i took a 30 second rest between legs from the 2nd set onwards to allow a bit of rest for my forearms. This seemed to help a bit and definitely helped prolong the sets. Looks like i’m gonna have to up the weight again next week.
B2. BODYWEIGHT LEG CURLS
1st set: BW plus 10.9KG X 10
45 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 10.9KG x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 10.9KG x 10
Notes- these were also really hard, I used more weight again this week, although i’m not sure how effective this is at making the exercise harder as the weight was in a backpack, and didn’t seem to effect the first half of the eccentric portion of the exercise. It would definitely be easier to use a weighted vest, but seen as i don’t have one this may have to do. On this point, i am considering changing to a modified glute-ham raise or maybe doing some good mornings as i have a barbell now. Only problem would be progression as eventually i wouldn’t be able to clean enough weight over my head and onto my shoulders. Another option would be to try this with BW unaided and progress from there.
C1. STEP UPS
1st set: 18.2’s x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 18.2’s x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 18.2’s x 12
Notes- these were really hard, again I was even having problems with grip here even with the lighter weight as my forearms were fried from earlier. After taking it somewhat easy last week i really pushed it this week and managed to get 3 sets of 12. Because of the single leg nature of this exercise, i really sweat big time, to the point where it feels like cardio. My legs were pretty beat after these as well. I’ve been reading a bit lately and i saw Poliquin saying step ups should be performed with the working leg doing all the work and you must dorsiflex you non-working leg’s ankle to make sure of this. However, this is not the form i use, i like the push off of the non working leg to help start the rep and after that initial push all the work is on the working leg. As this is the way i perform them and always have, i think its important to be consistent with form as the weight continues to increase. As well as this, after the earlier legs exercises i was really fatigued and would probably find it hard to focus on dorsi-flexing the non-working leg’s ankle with falling over, so thats my rationale. Next week i’ll up the weight again, if i have any problems with grip, i’ll do as above and have a 30 second between leg rest.
C2. SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT
1st set: 13.3KG x 12
30 secs rest
2nd set: 13.3KG x 12
30 secs rest
3rd set: 13.3KG x 12
Notes- quite hard, I could definitely feel the hamstrings working hard. I really focused on trying to maintain good form and balance, and if i was off balance for a rep, i would reset and not count that rep. I think the losing balance thing is more of a concentration thing than actual fatigue, so i don’t see it as a problem if i lose balance slightly, i just stop the rep and reset and regain balance, which seems to work pretty well.
Session duration: 67 mins
Overall it was a really really hard session, quite long for me as well due to the extra rest for grip. I achieved PB’s on all exercises, so progress is still continuing which is good. The increased rest periods helped with strength and were probably the reason i didn’t drop the heavy dumbbells which really fried my forearms from gripping during the dynamic exercises. Me legs were really fatigued at the end and i’m definitely sore this morning. Next week i’ll try continue progress and probably change up some of the exercises for better option, one’s where progression over several weeks will be easier to monitor.
Her’s the nutriton stats for yesterday (07/05/09):
protein: 244g
carbs: 299g
fats: 127g
calories: 3343
I would have like to have had more carbs here (especially as it was legs day), but the problem was i didn’t have many options as far as protein goes for breakfast until i went shopping around lunctime so i had eggs for breakfast, with very few carbs, so i was sort of playing catch up the rest of the day, i even had a huge plate of chips around 8pm and still couldn’t get over 300, not to worry though. Protein was pretty good and majority of the fats were good. This is probably something like what i should be aiming for today on a rest day, although i’ll probably go over 300g carbs i bet.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (08/05/09):
protein: 227g
carbs: 297g
fats: 134g
calories: 3349
Overall i’m pretty happy, plenty of protein and a decent amount of carbs, which would have probably been lower had i not had some yogurt and honey around 7pm. I got the mojority of fats from olive oil, peanut butter, sardines and eggs, with the rest mainly being residual. Suppose evrything was okay, the majority of the food was clean/healthy with the odd exception (ketchup, sweetener, honey). Tomorrow’s a workout day so i’ll probably up the carbs and reduce the fats as i have in the past.
Here’s the fourth workout of the week (anterior and lateral/rear deltoids):
A1. STANDING BARBELL SHOULDER PRESS
1st set: 42.5kg x 8
75 secs rest
2nd set: 42.5kg x 7
75 secs rest
3rd set: 42.5kg x 6
Notes- These were really hard, in the 1st set my back was arched slightly more than i would’ve liked for the last rep, which i only just about managed. So for the 2nd and 3rd sets i tried to limit the extent to which my back arched, which is probably partly due to the decrease in reps. Next week i’ll aim for 2 sets of 8.
A2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 14.6’s x 6
75 secs rest
2nd set: 14.6’s x 6
75 secs rest
3rd set: 14.6’s x 6
Notes- These were really really hard, really struggled to get a full ROM on all the reps, i think i’m at the point where i’m not really gonna be able to increase strength much more. The 14.6’s felt like a really heavy weight to lift and hence i didn’t get full ROM, despite this my rear delts were really fatigued. So for this i’m gonna either have to keep the same weight and aim for perfect full ROM reps for a couple weeks, or exchange it for another exercise.
B1. SEATED SHOULDER PRESS
1st set: 18.4’s x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 18.4’s x 10
60 secs rest
3rd set: 18.4’s x 8
Notes- these were also really hard, particularly the last set and i felt happy with the effort i’d put into these. As with the barbell shoulder press (Military press), i did tend to arch my back for the last few reps. Next week i will likely increase the weight for continued progress.
B2. SEATED REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 10.3’s x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 10.3’s x 10
60 secs rest
3rd set: 10.3’s x 10
Notes- Really hard, i finally worked out that i needed to round my back so i was in the bent over position to stimulate my rear delts more than i had been. With the lower back flat i think i was using too much leverage to gain momentum and swing on reps. Using the proper form as i progress is likely to bring greater results. I’ll up the weight again slightly next week.
C1. LATERAL RAISES
1st set: 6.6’s x 12
45 secs rest
2nd set: 6.6’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 6.6’s x 9
Notes- after reading from thibs the need for increased medial/decrease anterior deltoid work i decided to replace front raises with lateral raise. Another fact was i was probably using too much ‘body english’ (love that term, just had to get it in there) on front raises. Having not done these in ages i was only able to lift 6.6’s, way less than i expected, i also made sure to use the thumb down technique to ensure the medial delts are working and not the anterior delts. These were actually therefore, really hard, i could only get 9 reps on the last set. Same weight for 3 sets of 12 next week hopefully.
C2. LYING REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 5kg x 12
45 secs rest
2nd set: 5kg x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 4.1kg x 9
Notes- Really hard, as witht he seated rear delt raise i managed to perfect the form for this exercise eventually, which really increased how hard it was to get enough reps. I even had to drop the weight for the last set in order to get anywhere near enough reps without breaking form. Next week i’ll likely try the same weights, maybe 5kg on the last set for 3 sets of 12 with good form.
Session length: 53 mins.
Overall it was a good session, was sweating significantly at the end and could feel my shoulders and upper back were fatigued. I improved nearly every lift’s performance on last week and will aim to do the same again next week with increased weights.
Here’s the nutrition stats for yesterday (09/05/09):
protein: 245g
carbs: 386g
fats: 87g
calories: 3348
Overall did pretty well, as i said yesterday i aimed to reduce fats and up carbs, which i did pretty well. Plenty of protein aswell and calories were spot on, today i’m aiming for more fats and less carbs as it is a rest day, i will aim for 5 meals buy may end of eating 6.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (10/05/09):
protein: 243g
carbs: 281g
fats: 137g
calories: 3375
Another good day, consistent again. As with previous rest days, i reduced carbs and upped fats, with protein remaining around the same. As a summary of the week its been pretty good, protein always above 230g i think, plenty of carbs and fats, whch have been cycled somewhat and i’ve not even had a cheat meal or whatever all week. The best i managed was having a nibble of a couple small bits of cake. The measurements in the morning should therefore give a real good picture of how i’ve progressed with the current set up.
Right, so after ten weeks of the current training phase, i took measurements again this morning.
Here’s my current stats:
all taken upon waking 11/5/09, after going toilet
Weight: 185.8 lbs (down 0.4)
Supra-illiac: 17mm (same)
Body fat: 17% (same)
Lean mass: 154.22 lbs (down 0.33)
Fat mass: 31.58 (down 0.07)
waist: 33.88 (down 0.06)
chest: 39.62 (up 0.8)
left arm: 12.5 (up 0.25)
right arm: 12.43 (up 0.43)
left forearm: 11.18 (up 0.18)
right forearm: 11.24 (up 0.06)
left thigh: 23.82 (up 0.64)
right thigh: 24 (up 0.44)
left calve: 14.12 (down 0.06)
right calve: 14.12 (up 0.06)
Overall my weight is DOWN(!!!) 0.4 lbs, WFT? I actually have a feeling that the only reason my weight went up last week was because of the bbq i went to the night before measurements were taken. This week i was really consistent with calories, never going over or under the total by more that 25 cals, which is pretty tight. So as Tom Venuto says, ‘there’s no such thing as bad results, only feedback’. This is the feedback i needed to make an informed decision about where to take calories and i have therefore decided to up calories by 250 to 3600 everyday for the next two weeks, the last two weeks of this 12 week training phase. Despite my weight going down slightly several measurements have continued to increase, which may be largely due to the inaccuracy of my measuring, although several measurements (arms, calves, waist) have been pretty accurate. Although on the surface it might seem i have wasted the last two weeks, strength has continued to session to session and i now have the best estimate of the calorie level i require to produce gains in muscle without too much fat.
Here’s the first workout of the week, chest and back:
A1. DB INCLINE PRESS
1st set: 25.8’s x 9
60 secs rest
2nd set: 25.8’s x 8
60 secs rest
3rd set: 25.8’s x 8
Notes- So at the last minute as i was preparing for this session, i decided to change the order of exercises to make it easier to transition from 1 exercise in a pair to the next. These were really really hard, most i’ve ever done on these before, performing these first definitely helped as i was a lot ‘fresher’ than normal. As the change of exercise was a last minute thing i kept the reps and rest periods the same. Next week i will keep the order the same but reduce reps (6-8) and increase rest (75 secs) periods as a means of getting a lot stronger on this exercise. I will therefore definitely up the weight again next week.
A2. CHIN UPS
1st set: BW plus 7.5kg x 7
75 secs rest
2nd set: BW plus 6.25kg x 5
75 secs rest
3rd set: BW plus 5kg x 5
Notes- these were also really hard, i tried 7.5KG for the 1st set. for the first time and was able to get 6-8 reps. The problem shown again though was the lack of ‘muscular endurance’ of the muscles used to perform this exercise, as i was only able to get 5 reps on the last 2 sets despite reducing the weight significantly. That being said, i did increase reps by 1 and 1 respectively for the last two sets with the same weight as last week, so i guess strength is increasing slowly for the last 2 sets. I will likely keep the weights the same for all sets next week and try for more reps.
B1. DB BENCH PRESS
1st set: 31.8’s x 5
60 secs rest
2nd set: 31.2’s x 6
60 secs rest
3rd set: 31.2’s x 5
Notes- As mentioned above i changed the order of this and the incline bench around. An added benefit (in addition to making the workout easier logistically), was the pre-exhaust effect the incline bench had on my chest, i could definitely feel my chest more than usual doing these today. This meant they were really really hard, as evidenced by the fact i only managed 5 reps on the first set, which i could have probably got 6-8 reps easier had this been first in the workout. The last minute change meant i didn’t chage the reps/rest as above, but i will rectify this next week, by trying for 8-10 reps with 60 secs rest. Despite being more fatigued than usual i think i did pretty well here, giving my chest a good workout.
B2. 1 ARM ROW
1st set: 34.7kg x 10
60 secs rest
2nd set: 34.7kg x 10
60 secs rest
3rd set: 34.7kg x 10
Notes- really really really hard, upped the weight again and STILL managed to get 3 full sets of 10, which is a great reflection of the increase in strength on this exercise over the weeks. The improvement has been nothing short of amazing i think, over the last 10 weeks, the weight lifted for this exercise has increased by 8.3 kg, which is pretty good for a 1 arm exercise. My form was pretty good, i remained pretty solid and most reps were smooth, not jerky as some people would do when using there body for leverage. So again i’ll have to increase the weight again next week, pretty soon i will have to change this exercise as i’m running out of plates to add. At this point i’ll probably change to the ‘knee on the bench’ version or use some pull ups.
C1. DB FLIES
1st set: 21’s x 12
45 secs rest
2nd set: 21’s x 10
45 secs rest
3rd set: 18.7’s x 10
Notes- Despite the fact the above says 21’s and not 22’s as used last week, i can assure you it is the same weight i used last week, my scales were just being temperamental. These were quite hard, i did manage to increase reps on all sets again though. Next week i’ll either up the weight 1st set and keep the last 2 the same, or keep the same weight 1st set and up the 3rd set.
C2. BENT OVER REAR DELT RAISE
1st set: 9.5’s x 12
45 secs rest
2nd set: 9.5’s x 11
45 secs rest
3rd set: 9.5’s x 9
Notes- these were really hard, upped the weight on last week. Over the last couple weeks i’ve become more conscious of keeping good form on these as the weight continues to increase. By good form i mean making sure i make full ROM or near enough and try to limit the ‘swing’ of the dumbbells on the eccentric part of the rep. It is for this reason i only got 9 reps on the last set today. Next week i’ll try for 3 full sets of 12 with the same weight.
Session length: 56 mins
Overall, this was a good session, really hard work, sweating a lot throughout. Changing the order of the exercises was a stroke of genius, although i wasn’t aware of it at the time. It definitely seemed to work the chest harder than normal, and it is for this reason i’ll keep the same order next week but with different reps/rest periods. My chest/back/arms were really fatigued by the end of the session. Hopefully strength will continue to increase again next week.
Do you have any new pics?
nah not yet, gonna wait until the end of the 12 weeks, so if your still interested, check back in a couple weeks.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (11/05/09):
protein: 210g
carbs: 481g
fats: 89g
calories: 3602
So today i had my first ‘cheat meal’ for ages, but made sure i still remained around the calorie total. This is the reason the carb total is so high, that meal had 170g of carbs! Even with this meal i still managed to get over 200g protein which isn’t so bad. Tomorrow and the rest of the week i’ll be back to consistently eating clean.
Here’s the nutrition stats for today (12/05/09):
protein: 229g
carbs: 444g
fats: 100g
calories: 3601
So i kind of overdid it on the carbs again, probably had too many pretty much all day. I had a shit load around 10pm as i had just got back from footy and still needed to get a thousand calories in, so i had pancakes, which ended up being 132g carbs. This is not as bad as it would seem (in my mind) as i had played footy less than 2 hours prior so this is likely to have reduced fat storage from this meal. I was shorter slightly on protein as i decided to combine 2 meals (the calories for 2 normal meals) into one when having pancakes as it was getting late. Tomorrow is a workout day so i’ll be going for high carbs again, not so high as today though, around 350-400 and aiming for more protein, around 250g, although i am starting to run out of protein as i’ll be one day away from grocery shopping, i’ll try my best though. Fats should be lower than today, around 75g.