Training Log (Appreciate Help)

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Hello, i just recently joined T-Nation not too long ago. In a post i posted recently about supplements i chose to stick with just taking whey protein and good 'ol fashion hard work.

I saw some guy posted his work outs and recieved help, so im hoping to do that same. I will post my work outs every day, and i would greatly appreciate help from you all in telling me what im doing wrong or what i should be doing. Thanks.

My current stats-
wheight- Wheid my self today 208 lbs
bench-245 ( i really need work on my tech.)
squat-395
clean-235
Dead lifts- Havent maxed yet

Today sat the 17th-

(worked out bicep, back, and ran some)

Biceps-

preacher curls(inner grip) 75lbs x8 reps
preacher curls(outer grip) 75lbs x8 reps
preacher curls(inner grip) 80lbs x8 reps
preacher curls(outer grip) 80lbs x8 reps

Dumbell hammer curls 30lbs x8
Dumbell hammer curls 35lbs x6
Dumbell hammer curls 30lbs x8
Dumbell hammer curls 35lbs x6 (the last one was kind of a cheated one since i was extreemly tired)

straight handell bicep curl machine
-60lbs x12
70lbs x10
80lbs x6 (was just dying at this point, my arms got really tight after this)

Back-

(lower back)
straight leg dead lifts 135lbs x8
straight leg dead lifts 135lbs x8
straight leg dead lifts 135lbs x8
…( my lower back was fairly sore from this, i think my back in general needs work)

(upper back)
T-bar 90lbs x8
T-bar 90lbs x8
T-bar 90lbs x8

(lats)
Pull down Row machine 70lbs(on each side) x8 … did 3 sets of those

(upper back)
Horizontal row machine 90lbs(on each side) x8, next set was x7,and x6…i feel like my upper back is pretty weak.

-ran 4 laps… which i think was equivalent to about 1/2 a mile.
-did 4 sets of stairs of i think 25 steps (down and up was 1 set)

Monday the 19th is the next day im going to work out (legs and back)

2

I’m still a novice compared to many here, but I think you’re doing way too much volume on bicep workouts, and why is your deadlift so low compared to your other lifts?

3

Those were straight leg dead lifts (to concentrate the work out on my lower back, so i wasnt using my legs very much at all)It was pretty much pure lower back, ill be posting what i do for dead lifts on monday when i do legs and back.

4

[quote]StreaksEnd wrote:
Those were straight leg dead lifts (to concentrate the work out on my lower back, so i wasnt using my legs very much at all)[/quote]

I don’t know how you’re doing them, but I tend to find that stiff leg deadlifts work my hamstrings alot more than my back. And I feel it alot more in my hamstrings the next day than in my back. Double check your form. I suppose if your lower back is quite weak then what you describe might happen. But again, double check your form.

-Cloth

5

Today was monday and i did legs and back

Squats
warm up- 185lbs x6
warm up- 185 x4
225 x8
265 x6
295 x6
310 x6
325 x4

Dead lift
warm up- 155 x8
245 x6
245 x4
295 x6
295 x4 (barely) ( my lower back was pretty sore, i feel like my technique is terrible for dead lifts, i didnt do any more lower back because of this)

Incline calf raises (on incline leg press machine)
90lbs x20 9warm up)
115 x8 toe pointing in, x8 toes pointing out, x8 regular… did that whole thing twice except for the 90lbs x20

t-bar
90lbs x8
90lbs x8
90lbs x8

Lawn mower pulls (with dumbells)
45lbs x8 (per arm)
45lbs x8
45lbs x8

I would greatly appreciate advice on my technique and my work out. Thanks

6

Hi there every one today was a chest and tricept day for me.

Bench press-
warm up- 135 x12
175 x8
185 x6
195 x6
205 x4
210 x4 with help one my last rep

Bench press with my feet up ( not sure what those are called)

135 x 12
145 x 10
155 x 8

incline DB bench

55 lbs per arm x10
55 x10
55 x10

tricept extensions

20 lbs per arm for 2 sets of 5 reps holding it for 5 seconds per rep

reverse close grip bench

135 x8
135 x8
135 x8

that was the extent of my work out, comments of any sort would greatly be appreciated.

7

Today was a shoulder and (light legs day)

clean and jerks-
155 lbs x6
155 x6
155 x4
155 x2

then just 2 sets of regular power cleans

195 x4
195 x4

military press

180 x8
190 x7
200 x5 ( could get the 6th one)

inlcine press machine (calf raises) -
90lbs x15 (warm up) (not including the wheight of the part that goes up and down)
180 x12 toes pointing in
180 x12 toes pointing out
180 x12 toes pointing regular

… did all three 2 times each

then i did just a little 1/4 jog. to just do a tad bit of joggin.

8

You ARE doing way too much bicep work.

And Straight Legged Deadlifts are all about using your legs…sure your lower back may be sore but if you’re not feeling it in your legs you’re doing something wrong.

I’m curious about your lift numbers too…I can pull about as much as I can squat, yet your squat is a lot higher than your pull.

Maybe you’re doing quarter squats?

Basically, it seems impossible that you could have proper form for both squats and deadlifts and have such a disparity in the amount of weight you’re lifting.

9

Well as for my squats im pretty sure there alright except for my legs a a tad bit wider the shoulder width and i lean a little too far forward. I appreciate the Bicept help, i would like to know what i should be doing instead thanks for telling me it was too much, cause now looking back it did look like alot and i still felt the extreme soreness in my becep all the way into monday and even tuesday. Now my dead lifts i really have now clue if im doing them right or not. I work out at my high school gym ( which is a decent work out place ) and we only have a teacher watching out for saftey( so he dosent really know about lifting) but i dont think my technique is correct at all when im doing my dead lifts, i feel it working my back ALOT!!! and my legs not as much but still quite a bit.

As for my work out today

I did (light) chest and tricept today

Bench
135 x12
135 x10
155 x8
cench
135 x8 (wide grip)

Tricept pull downs
80 x10

Tricept pull back machine

30 x10
40 x8
20 x14

Thats it, thanks again for the comments id appreciate more. good or bad.

  • forgot to add also did 2 sets of 5 reps and 5 second holds per rep of tricept extensions and that was it*
10

[quote]StreaksEnd wrote:
Well as for my squats im pretty sure there alright except for my legs a a tad bit wider the shoulder width and i lean a little too far forward. [/quote]

Are you interested in competing in powerlifting? If so, learn to power squat, use a box at least some of the time to learn, and make sure they are flawless.

If you are not interested in competing in powerlifting, on every one of your squats your ass should rest on your calves in the low position.

Don’t be a pussy and squat high.

11

[quote]Ramo wrote:
Are you interested in competing in powerlifting? If so, learn to power squat, use a box at least some of the time to learn, and make sure they are flawless.

If you are not interested in competing in powerlifting, on every one of your squats your ass should rest on your calves in the low position.

Don’t be a pussy and squat high. [/quote]

Im not looking to compete in power lifting but i want to do what ever it takes to become stronger over all, especiall in my legs, chest, and shoulders. Im looking to get the most out of all my lifts. As for my squats touching my calves its not possible at my highschool because of our squating rack it looks like the on this link

http://www.onlinesports.com/images/gia-we150.gif

So when im squatting the bar almost always touches the metal or slightly taps it in some sort of way.

12

A couple thoughts:

Do your back work before your bicep ( not bicept!) work. Bigger muscles and more compound movements before small muscles and isolation stuff. Besides, the better your back is, the better your big 3 lifts are going to be. Drop some of the bicep volume.

Also, if your lower back feels tired/sore, don’t do deadlift variations 2 days in a row. That means no deadlifts on back days. Save all the lower back for heavy legs, and work lower back on the same day as leg work.

As far as squat depth, pile some plates/bumper tires up to act as a box. Then box squat onto these. If necessary, move the squats completely out of the squat rack. Obviously, don’t max out or reach failure when you’re away from the rack. Also a GOOD spotter helps on heavy sets.

13

[quote]Aragorn wrote:
A couple thoughts:

Do your back work before your bicep ( not bicept!) work. Bigger muscles and more compound movements before small muscles and isolation stuff. Besides, the better your back is, the better your big 3 lifts are going to be. Drop some of the bicep volume.

Also, if your lower back feels tired/sore, don’t do deadlift variations 2 days in a row. That means no deadlifts on back days. Save all the lower back for heavy legs, and work lower back on the same day as leg work.

As far as squat depth, pile some plates/bumper tires up to act as a box. Then box squat onto these. If necessary, move the squats completely out of the squat rack. Obviously, don’t max out or reach failure when you’re away from the rack. Also a GOOD spotter helps on heavy sets.[/quote]

Just one question I can get plates the biggest ones we have are the averege 45 pound plates or i can get a box made from a tech teacher, about how high should i have the thing? below parellel or what? or i can get plates too, how many should i pile up, like to about what height.

as for my work out today:

Bicep and back (didnt include lower back) plus some abs.

(sorry i didnt get to read the above post about doing bigger muscles first until after i had done my work out)
preacher curls
55 x 8 inner grip
55 x 8 outer grip
55 x 8 inner grip

Concentration curls
20lbs (per arm) x 10
20lbs x 10

i did though take every ones advice saying that iv bien doing way too much bicep

bent over dumb bell rows
35 lbs (per arm) x 8
35 lbs x 8
35 lbs x 8

lat pull machine
180 lbs x 10
180 x 10
180 x10

decline ab curls
x25
x20 with 25lb plate one me
x25 with no plate

thats about it for today

14

Deadlifts are a great exercise, but they can be hard to learn. It took me a long time, at least.
It can be hard to describe proper form, but you could certainly look it up online.
And, in my personal experience, Straight Legged Dead Lifts are great for working your legs.
I also find them easier to complete.

15

How are your swim times?

16

[quote]FightingScott wrote:
How are your swim times?[/quote]

Im mainly a sprinter 100 and under my 100 time this year was 57.68 but i never really trained for my 100, then my best 50 time was a 24.56. From last year to this year i gained 40 some punds so my events had changed i used to swim the 100, 200, 500.

My best time from the 200 was 2:17 which was last year, and my best 500 was a 6:08 which was 2 years ago. That picture thats my avatar was from my summer swim team, so its about a year old.

17

Alright todays was legs and back once again. I had read a couple of articles on dead lifting and saw some videos on dead lift technique and did alot better today with my dead lifts. I still think i have room for improvement, but heres what i did today.

Squats
185lbs x 8 (warm up)
225 x8
275 x8
315 x4
345 x2

Dead lifts-
155 x8 (warm up)
245 x8
265 x8
295 x8

calf raises on incline leg press machine-
140lbs x 8 (plus the wheight of the michine part) toes pointing in
140 x10 toes pointing out
140 x12 toes pointing up

T-bar
90lbs x8
90lbs x10
90lbs x12

lawn mower pulls
45lbs per arm x8
45lbs x8

… that was the extent for today.

18

Today was chest and tricept

flat bench
135 x 8 ( warm up)
155 x5
175 x5
185 x4
195 x4
205 x4
215 x2 (got help on the last one (slightly))

verticle fly machine

100 x8
100 x8
140 x6
160 x6

Push ups 2 sets of 20

Ticept pull downs

70 x8
80 x8
90 x8

dips
2 sets of 15 reps

tricept extensions ( only one set)

20lbs (per arm) 5 reps of 5 seconds

19

[quote]StreaksEnd wrote:
Well as for my squats im pretty sure there alright except for my legs a a tad bit wider the shoulder width and i lean a little too far forward. [/quote]

To fix your squat problem (leaning forward too much, not being able to get full depth because of the squat rack safety bars) you should change over to front squats for a while. This will teach you to stay upright and thus enable you to go full depth. To learn how to squat properly, I suggest you watch Dan John’s fitcast.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6529481301858251744&q=video+fitcast

20

Today was leg and shoulders

started with power Cleans

155x6
175x4
195x4
215x2
225x1 couldnt get the 2nd

military press machine-
180 x8
190 x8
200 x8

shrugs
185 x12
185 x12
185 x12

Incline Leg press machine-
225 x8(warm up)
315 x6
315 x6
315 x5

Leg extension machine
200 x8
200 x8
200 x8

calf raises on incline leg press machine-
115 x12
115 x12

PS- today now that i got home i feeling this like stange soreness in my upper middle back right in between my shoulder blades. Its not a bad pain just a regular soreness from lifting. Only i didnt do any back excesise today so im just curious where i might of gotten this from cause that would mean i have to fix my technique for clean is what i assume.