The Pencil Neck's Workout Log

Training Training Logs
1

I’m 46 years old, 5’ 6" or so tall. This morning I weighed in at 199.8#.

After looking around at some of the routines some other people were doing, I realized that I haven’t done a real split type of workout in about 3-4 years. And I haven’t done a bodybuilder type of split workout in about 5-6 years.

So, I figured, what the heck, right? Let’s do something really different. So, here’s my basic exercise plan:

Monday - Legs
Front Squats
Back Squats
SLDL
Barbell Calf Raise
Jump Squats

Tuesday - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Decline Bench
Flat Bench
Incline Bench
Military Press
Decline Close Grip Bench
Close Grip Bench
DB Shrugs

Thursday - Back/Biceps
Deadlift
Supinated Pull Ups
Face Pulls
Bent Over Laterals
Incline Curls
Barbell Curls
Seated Hammers

Friday - Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Dips
Flyes
Incline DB Presses
Arnold Press
Cross Face Extension
Press Down
Lateral Raise

Then I plan on doing some light cardio, walking on the treadmill type stuff, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Last week, I started on Wednesday and did a first pass at the Tuesday workout, then did Thursday and Friday workouts. Monday will be my first time doing this leg workout.

My plan is to do 2 worksets of 8 reps of each exercise. Increase the weight each workout. Do it for three weeks with the third week going to failure. Then three more weeks with the same exercise mix but going 3 sets of 5 reps. After that, I’ll go back to my normal full body type of workout for awhile.

So that’s the plan.

I have a history of bad shoulders so you’re going to see some odd weights. Some exercises, like laterals, I won’t be able to do with much weight at all.

2

TRAIN HARD!!! Looks like alot of volume brother.Best of training to you. Jimmy T

3

[quote]Jimmy T wrote:
TRAIN HARD!!! Looks like alot of volume brother.Best of training to you. Jimmy T[/quote]

Thanks, Jimmy. :slight_smile:

This is a ton of volume for me. For the past few years, I’ve been full body 3x per week so this is going to be weird. In the past, I had a problem with getting ill (colds, flus, etc.) when I did high volume types of routines. We’ll see if I make it through.

Today was 40 minutes at a speed of 3.2 which came to a total of 219 calories.

4

Looks like a solid plan to me. Doing chest and shoulders on the same day has alwys been too much for my front delts. Stick with it and let us know how it works for you. Wait, you left out the neck lifts! :slight_smile:

5

Good plan. With your weight and height, you are a fire plug. We are nearly the same height and you outweigh me by 45 pounds. My contest weight is 150-155. I’m bulking up now and weigh 167, still nearly 30 pounds less than you. You’re an animal.

6

[quote]hel320 wrote:
Looks like a solid plan to me. Doing chest and shoulders on the same day has alwys been too much for my front delts. Stick with it and let us know how it works for you. Wait, you left out the neck lifts! :)[/quote]

I normally don’t do ANY direct shoulder work because of my history with rotator cuff issues. That’s one of the many big changes that this represents from my normal routine: more different exercises, more reps per workset, more sets per workout, more workout days, more division of work, etc.

And I can’t do any direct neck work because my neck just snaps off really easily. I mean, it’s a pencil fer chrissakes. And then I’m walking around with my lead exposed.

And no one wants that.

Really.

7

[quote]Old Navy wrote:
Good plan. With your weight and height, you are a fire plug. We are nearly the same height and you outweigh me by 45 pounds. My contest weight is 150-155. I’m bulking up now and weigh 167, still nearly 30 pounds less than you. You’re an animal. [/quote]

Fire plug will work. I’ve also been called “stout.” :slight_smile:

Let’s see, how should I put this…

Dude. You’re lean and I’m… uh… not lean. :slight_smile:

Even though I outweigh you, you’re probably stronger than I am. My max deadlift is only 475# (12/04, AAU World’s) and my max gym squat is 440# (407# on 12/04, AAU World’s). I’ve always competed in the 198# division and I normally weigh in a few pounds under.

But either way, I don’t look anywhere close to as good as you do. Rock on wid yo bad sef! :slight_smile:

8

Hey, welcome to the old guy threads, and your thread caught my eye because of your name. One of my many neuroses (trust me, dont read my long thread), I always thought my neck was too small. I can’t do direct neck work either, I’ve got C-spine issues (minor but when I do neck machines I make it really hurt).

However, the answer has always been POWER CLEANS. I know it builds more traps than pure neck, but it gets enough of those sternocleidomastoid (whew!) muscles to get my neck at least decent sized. The only problem for me now…is my HEAD is too big. Did someone put HGH in my water bottle? lol
Doc

9

Glad to see you’re starting a log here with us Pencil Neck. You’re a stong dude buddy, those are great lifts for 198, IMO. You and I are the same age and weight, but your lifts are better than mine. I would like to compete some day. I’ve got the singlet and the belt, now I just need the strength.

10

Hey Pencil,

Thought I’d give your thread a look-see. I wish i could be as organized as you are! The workout program looks great & I’m sure you’ll reap the benefits it’s designed to give ya! Since we compete in the same weight class, i was also curious as to how “the other guys do it?” What are things we do the same, & what’s different…it’s refreshing to see how other people train & WHY. It can also help my own routine from learning from others. I had my own thread for awhile(PL Training for Master’s Nats) which is slowly dying, so now I post my workouts, along with a bunch of other guys, on HT’s what the Hell am I Doing thread. Train hard brother in iron,
Art

11

Hey, QT. Don’t judge my routine by what you’re seeing here so far. This routine is a real departure of my normal approach. I’m normally straight up squat/bench 3x per week kinda guy. I just figured it was time for a change.

Anyway, here’s today’s workout. This is the first time I’ve done this workout and so I’ll probably tweak the weights a little bit:

weight: 201.0

Front Squats - 115x3; 185x8; 185x8
Back Squats - 135x5; 225x3; 275x8; 275x8
Keystone DL’s - 185x8; 185x8
BB Calf Raise - 315x8; 315x8

I was freaking gassed. Normally, squats are all I do as leg work and I hadn’t done front squats in about 2 years. My quads were shot for the back squats. I was totally gassed by the time I finished the squats. I hadn’t expected 275 to be any kind of workout at all. I wuz worng. :slight_smile:

I changed from SLDL to Keystone DL just to make the bar easier to load. I didn’t get much ROM on the calf raises so I’ll probably lower the weight a little more.

I had thought I wasn’t going to be totally “done” when I originally wrote my workout plan up so I had included a couple of sets of jump squats. Screw that. I was fried after the calf raises so I stopped there.

I was surprised last week that I wasn’t more sore after doing the upper body part of this workout plan. I have a feeling I’m going to be hella sore tomorrow.

12

[quote]daddyzombie wrote:
Glad to see you’re starting a log here with us Pencil Neck. You’re a stong dude buddy, those are great lifts for 198, IMO. You and I are the same age and weight, but your lifts are better than mine. I would like to compete some day. I’ve got the singlet and the belt, now I just need the strength. [/quote]

Thanks, DZ.

I say go ahead and compete regardless of what your lifts are.

The way I approach meets is that I’m just competing against myself. Every meet, I just try to get my lifts to go up. I don’t compare myself against the other lifters. I don’t try to “win” the meet because I look at it that I’m winning just by being there and just by beating my lifts from when I was younger. Having judges look at your lifts and give you feedback keeps you honest that your squats are of legal depth and that you’re not cheating on your other lifts. And lifting in a meet gives you a goal to lift for and a reason to cycle your lifts.

I had been thinking about going to a NASA meet in Tyler, TX, this February because I haven’t competed since 2004. But I decided to do this bodybuilding type of routine instead. I’m going to be shooting for another NASA meet later in the year, instead.

13

I normally work out around 11 but I ended up getting a call from work that lasted until 12:30. So, I was hongry coming in.

weight: 199.6

Decline Bench - 45x5; 125x8; 125x8
Flat Bench - 145x8; 145x8
Incline Bench - 105x8; 105x8
Military Press - 75x8; 75x8
Decline Flared CGB - 105x8; 105x8
Close Grip Bench - 125x8; 125x8
DB Shrugs - 55x8; 55x8

It feels really weird not to squat or deadlift during a workout. :slight_smile:

My legs are sore from yesterday.

14

Pencil Neck- We are going to the NASA State Meet in Tyler in June.We all went to the Regional in october of 2007.I’m a Masters 2 198.We have a Sub-Masters 2 198 and two teen 1s- a 165 and 181.
We are in a lake town called Azle-20 miles west of Ft.Worth.I hope to see you there.
Keep up the good work brother. Jimmy T

15

[quote]Jimmy T wrote:
Pencil Neck- We are going to the NASA State Meet in Tyler in June.We all went to the Regional in october of 2007.I’m a Masters 2 198.We have a Sub-Masters 2 198 and two teen 1s- a 165 and 181.
We are in a lake town called Azle-20 miles west of Ft.Worth.I hope to see you there.
Keep up the good work brother. Jimmy T[/quote]

Excellent! I had been eyeing the NASA schedule and I saw the meet in February and another later in the year but I couldn’t remember the later date. I’ll be a Master’s 1 198. We should definitely hook up.

I’m in Flower Mound just north of DFW.

I’ve only done 1 NASA meet before but it was a combination of WNPF and NASA in Bordentown, NJ. I competed twice while I was there. Before and after that, I competed in the AAU. (You know, if I could drop down to 181 without losing strength, I could flirt with the DL record. In the 198’s, I ain’t near NO records. :slight_smile: )

16

Yesterday: light aerobics, 40 minutes at 3.3 on the treadmill.

Today:
Back and Biceps
weight: 200.6

Deadlift - 135x8; 245x8; 245x8
Supinated Pullups - 5x4; 5x4; 5x4
Face Pulls - 60x8; 60x8
Bent Over Laterals - 17.5x8; 17.5x8
Incline Curls - 22.5x8; 22.5x8
Barbell Curls - 70x8; 70x8
Seated Hammers - 22.5x8; 22.5x8

My wife’s out of town and I was working late last night and the Bears/Patriots Super Bowl was on NFLN, so I ordered pizza. Mmmmmm… pizza.

I know, I know. The deadlifts are light. These were light enough that I just did them touch and go. But I work out in a room over my garage and I don’t do deads very often any more cause I’m afraid I’m going to fail and end up on the top of my truck. But I think if these were sufficiently heavy, I’d be doing 8 singles instead of just grippin and rippin 8 reps.

Really, all the weights are light here except for maybe the pullups and the bent over laterals. I’m just not used to all these reps and I figured the pre-exhaustion and all the sets would make it harder to get through. I’m going to have to bump some of these weights up. I’d like to be hitting failure on some of these things in a couple of weeks.

The bent over laterals give me an odd pulling sensation in my bad shoulder. I think it’s just a work through it sort of sensation and not a “I’m about to tear on your butt” sensation.

17

I like your workout routine. You will get a lot out of it. You never mentioned suppliments or anything like that?

18

Over the years, I’ve tried a lot of different supplements off and on and except for ECA/NYC stacks, I’ve never seen any benefit or impact. Protein, Creatine, Vitamins, Glucosamine/Chondroitin, etc., etc., I never got anything measurable from any of those things.

Right now, I take prescription fish oil pills and that’s it. I’ve been doing that for about a year now and I’ve gotten some of my best lifts during that period.

However, I really like the idea of the Superfood thing because I don’t eat enough fruits and veggies. So I ordered some of that and some of the protein powder stuff. I’m thinking about incorporating it into a sort of V-Diet Lite and having the Superfood as a breakfast shake and then have the protein supplement as my last snack of the day.

19

Looks good Brother.Ease into the training.The intesity and the weight will go up!! Jimmy T

20

weight: 201.2 (wife came home, we ate out last night.)

Chest/Shoulders/Triceps - supplemental

Dips: bw x8; bw x8
Flyes: 20x8; 20x8
Incline DB Press: 40x8; 40x8
Arnold Press: 30x8; 30x8
Crossface Extension: 17.5x8; 17.5x8
Press downs: 25x8; 25x8
Lateral Raise: 22.5x8; 22.5x8

This group of exercises are all things that I just don’t normally do in a workout. At one point or another, almost every one of these exercises has been impossible for me to do.

A few years ago, I trained with a guy that used to work with Poliquin and Siff and who used to be a strength coach at the Air Force Academy. When I first went to him, I told him that I had competed in powerlifting and was wanting to improve my total but that I also wanted to learn olympic lifts. I think it was our first workout together and he was trying to make a point. He put me through a series of exercises that left me totally and completely wiped out and unable to drive home for about 30 minutes afterwards and he did that without using any weight greater than a 25# dumbell. Guy was a sadist. I look at this workout and think that it should be like that workout Kim put me through. So… next week I up the intensity on this bugger. But I’m going to do it more with reps and sets than by increasing weight.

I’ve never done a lot of dips because of the shoulder issues. I’m actually kinda happy with those. I’ll add weight next time.

The flyes were light but made my GOOD shoulder get all crunchy and poppy. Which was scary. The incline db press and arnold presses were light; I can handle more weight there. The extensions and press downs are interesting. It doesn’t feel like I can handle a ton more weight but it feels like I can do a ton more reps. Does that make sense? The lateral raises… well… I need to work on those. I remember that I used to do more weight on those 6-8 years ago when I did laterals and I’m a ton stronger overall now than I was then. The shoulder didn’t feel like it was going to give out during those, it just felt weak.