CrashCoder's Training Journal
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CrashCoder's Training Journal - 10/21/2006 12:02:14 PM
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CrashCoder
Posts: 140
Joined: 10/1/2006
Status: offline
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Background
Bodybuilding became a part of my life at the beginning of June 2006. I started this journal in mid October 2006, so I’m a beginner who has just completed four months of training. Before I begin my 8-week training cycle, I think it might be interesting for some of you to get a bit more background info. The workout plan I’m going to follow is the one that member PureNatural has posted here: http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/m_120872/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm
My main reason for getting into this sport was that I have been heavily overweight and extremely sedentary throughout the past twelve years. The scale didn’t impress me negatively, but the mirror did, apart from the typical dumb comments overweight and obese people have to tolerate. I decided to do something about this situation and started looking for some kind of help on the Internet.
In late May 2006, I came across a site about a person who simply impressed me like no other before. Coincidentally, this person happens to be a member on these forums: Old Navy. Of course, at that time, I didn’t know he was a member here since I became a member myself only in early October.
Those who don’t know Old Navy yet should visit www.bodybuildingsenior.com and grind their teeth with envy when seeing his teenage body on a guy over 60. I thought if a guy supposed to be sitting in a rocking chair, smoking his pipe, cigar, or whatever can win trophies in this sport, why shouldn’t I be able to get in shape doing the same thing at a comparatively early age of 39?
The next day was Monday, and I went to the gym. Hmm, did I say “gym”? Well, this thing is private property without luxuries like qualified instructors or modern equipment. You in the U.S. would now tell me to look for another gym. But it happens that I’m currently living in a small town in southern Brazil, and there is no other choice.
Before my very first workout, my measurements were these:
Height: 175 cm / 5 ft. 9 in.
Neck: 38 cm / 14.9 in.
Biceps: 32 cm / 12.6 in.
Forearm: 27 cm / 10.6 in.
Chest: 102 cm / 40.1 in.
Waist: 103 cm / 40.6 in.
Hips: 88 cm / 34.6 in.
Thigh: 48 cm / 18.9 in.
Calf: 36 cm / 14.2 in.
Body Weight: 82.9 Kg / 190 lbs.
Body Fat: 32%
Smoking: 46 cigarettes per day on average
I bet my sexy waist impressed you, didn’t it? Aw man, you just had to see it – along with those ridiculously thin arms! And a whole 68% of my body wasn’t fat. Now, isn’t that something? And ah yes, I smoked 46 coffin nails a day on average.
Until that day, I had been suffering from daily headaches and chronic fatigue for over a decade and no medication ever helped, neither did any doctors. Just to give you an idea about my shape, when I walked at a slow pace, I was out of breath after 100 m / 90 yd. If you wanted to see me totally exhausted for an entire day, I just had to walk at normal pace or go up the stairs a bit faster. Sounds exaggerated, doesn’t it? But it’s the sad, naked truth.
From my very first workout on, I have never had headaches again. What’s more, the chronic fatigue was gone, just like that. If I don’t sleep well at night nowadays, I don’t care much because I know that after my workout I will be all right for the rest of the day. For this reason, I prefer to work out in the early morning. This sport has given me the best quality of life in so many years. You can bet your buttocks that I will never give up, even if my results are ridiculous because my life has changed dramatically from that first workout on.
Now, I started working out without a plan. I jumped from one exercise to another and didn’t have even the slightest idea on what to do, how to do, and so on. I didn’t care anyway. For me, a bad workout was much, much better than no workout at all, so I went to the gym six days a week and fooled around with weights. Today I know I did most things wrong, which includes overtraining and working out while being heavily sore. But what the heck, I didn’t know any better and just the fact that my constant headaches and fatigue were gone changed my life almost entirely. So, who cares? In this manner, I completed the first month and the results were really, really cool:
Neck: 40 cm / 15.7 in. (+ 2 cm / 0.8 in.)
Biceps: 36 cm / 14.1 in. (+ 4 cm / 1.5 in.)
Forearm: 29 cm / 11.4 in. (+ 2 cm / 0.8 in.)
Chest: 105 cm / 41.3 in. (+ 3 cm / 1.2 in.)
Waist: 94 cm / 37 in. (- 9 cm / 3.5 in.)
Hips: 91 cm / 35.8 in. (+ 3 cm / 1.2 in.)
Thigh: 52 cm / 20.5 in. (+ 4 cm / 1.6 in.)
Calf: 38 cm / 15.0 in. (+ 2 cm / 0.8 in.)
Body Weight: 78 Kg / 179 lbs. (- 4.9 Kg / 11 lbs)
Body Fat: 26% (- 6%)
Smoking: 46 cigarettes a day on average
My weight loss was not the most impressive one, I think. However, the waist got 9 cm / 3.5 in. slimmer and I reduced my body fat percentage from 32% to 26%. Although I didn’t care much about the size gains, they really surprised me. The thighs and calves had grown without any leg training.
Now, if I were to start all over, I’d do legs first because they’re the largest muscle group, followed by back and chest. I also wouldn’t do those dumb exercises I did, which were mostly isolation exercises. I would start with Deadlifts, Squats, and Flat Bench Presses for the first month.
By the end of the second month, the changes became smaller. I was still working out every day for almost two hours. Man, what a stupid thing! I already got some signs of overtraining but didn’t even know anything about it. I just felt progress was very, very slow – a rep more here and there, but nothing really stunning. On some other exercises, I wasn’t even able to do the same number of reps I did the previous week. That should have told me something, but man, I didn’t know. So my measurements changed only slightly:
Neck: 42 cm / 16.3 in. (+ 2 cm / 0.8 in.)
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (+ 1 cm / 0.5 in.)
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in. (+ 1 cm / 0.4 in.)
Chest: 106 cm / 41.7 in. (+ 1 cm / 0.4 in.)
Waist: 94 cm / 37 in. no change
Hips: 92 cm / 36.2 in. (+ 1 cm / 0.4 in.)
Thigh: 54 cm / 21.3 in. (+ 2 cm / 0.8 in.)
Calf: 38 cm / 15.0 in. no change
Body Weight: 79.4 Kg / 183 lbs. (+ 1.4 Kg / 3.2 lbs)
Body Fat: 25% (- 1%)
Smoking: 46 cigarettes a day on average
I gave up on that workout plan as I read up on overtraining on the Internet and went on a break for a week. Man, I was doing too much, really – something like 16 – 20 sets of 12 reps for each muscle group. And worst of all, I did each muscle group twice a week.
After the break, I got back to training following the Max-OT stuff. What a difference! I went into the gym, worked hard for 30 – 40 minutes, and went home. I liked it, really. I got a bit stronger with this, but there were practically no size gains.
People who see me every day started giving me compliments on my getting in shape. Then, vacation was over and I went back teaching English, German, Web Design and Programming at my private school. Most students didn’t believe that all I did was lifting weights. They thought I had undergone some weird surgery.
Long story short: I got a couple of students going to the gym as well. My jeans size dropped from 48 to 42, and my shirts have gotten a bit tight around the shoulders – but aw so huge around the stomach. The nicest compliment by far came from a 17-year-old female student who invited me out. That’s much better than the fatso jokes I had to put up with every single day.
Well, I went on with this Max-OT stuff for some time, but since it didn’t give me any noticeable size gains, I just changed it to go more into hypertrophy. That of course means 9 – 12 reps. And by this time, I had read up on diets and started eating 7 – 8 times a day. I also felt that bodybuilding doesn’t go well with smoking and decided to reduce the number of coffin nails by 10% each week.
Now, let me press the fast-forward button so as not to bore you to death. Yesterday then, October 15, 2006, I found PureNatural’s beginner routine and decided to give it a shot from the next workout on. It promises mass and power gains.
Before I start the first 8-week cycle with this routine, let me note down my latest measurements for later reference. I’ll take those measurements each week.
Neck: 42 cm / 16.3 in.
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in.
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in.
Chest: 105 cm / 41.3 in.
Waist: 91 cm / 35.8 in.
Hips: 94 cm / 37.0 in.
Thigh: 55 cm / 21.7 in.
Calf: 37 cm / 14.6 in.
Body Weight: 76.7 Kg / 176 lbs.
Lean Mass: 58.3 Kg / 134 lbs.
Body Fat: 24%
Smoking: 17 cigarettes a day on average
Did you see that I’m now smoking 29 cigarettes less than at the beginning? I find that cool. It’s difficult to smoke much less, but I want to hit zero in four months. I’m happy about each coffin nail that doesn’t pollute my body.
I don’t look overweight anymore. In fact, most people think I’m much slimmer than I really am. That’s why I will just focus on becoming healthier during this first cycle, and I won’t freak out if I don’t gain size, mass, lose body fat, or whatever. If I can gain some power, fine. If not, who cares? My only goal right now is to get healthier. If I’m satisfied with the results at the end of this 2-month cycle, I’ll go for my next goal: mass gain. By then, I will be able to do all exercises with perfect form so I can load the bars with challenging weights.
_____________________________
Destiny is a game you can't win. If you act accordingly, you can lose it the best way possible.
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RE: CrashCoder's Training Journal - 10/21/2006 12:04:51 PM
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CrashCoder
Posts: 140
Joined: 10/1/2006
Status: offline
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Week 1
Monday, October 16, 2006
On my first day with this routine, I started with the 4 x 6 routine for Deadlifts, Bent-over Barbell Rows, and Barbell Curls. The only exercise that I was completely familiar with was Barbell Curls. Those being the facts, it shouldn’t be surprising that I didn’t want to go heavy on the Deadlifts and Bent-over Barbell Rows to give my body time to adapt and most importantly, to do all reps in perfect form to avoid any kind of nasty injuries. Rest between sets will never exceed 2 minutes for the first 8-week cycle. What I did was as follows:
Warm-up (Deadlifts):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Deadlifts 4 x 6 (42 Kg / 96 lbs)
Bent-over Barbell Rows 4 x 6 (32 Kg / 74 lbs)
Barbell Curls 2 x 6, 2 x 5 (28 Kg / 64 lbs)
I was under the impression that I had started light, but the Deadlifts almost killed me. I suppose the name of this exercise is self-explanatory and means that you’re dead – or almost so – after the lifts or something like that. The form was perfect on all reps, though. Otherwise, I’d have taken off some weight. I was exhausted after this one and sweating like a pig. Hmm, actually I don’t think that pigs sweat that much. Next time, I’ll add just a little weight because my back, legs, and most importantly my heart need to adapt. Hmm, and they say that lifting weights doesn’t do much for your heart. Believe me, it does.
The weight for the Bent-over Barbell Rows was much too light and I’m sure I could have done all reps with perfect form at a considerably higher weight. But heck, it’s the first time I ever tried this one, so I just went through the exercise with that weight.
Another thing that should remind you that I’m just a beginner is the weight used for the Barbell Curls. Although I managed to do 6 reps on the first two sets, I simply could not get the bar up for more than 5 reps on sets 3 and 4. But what the heck, I’m not a weight lifter. Besides, I’m not competing against anybody else but myself. Those weights might well seem ridiculous to some of you, but honestly, I don’t give a damn what you think about the weights, I only care about comments that bring me further. Oh, I know, I’m so egotistical, aren’t I?
The workout was fun. I especially liked the Deadlifts and the Bent-over Barbell Rows. In contrast, I don’t like Barbell Curls at all – I never liked them.
I really needed the 2-minute rest between each Deadlift set, and I even thought that two minutes were very little. With the Bent-over Barbell Rows, I just rested 30 seconds between sets because the weight was ridiculously light. Between the Barbell Curls, I rested for about 90 seconds. I completed this first workout in 40 minutes.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
I can feel some very, very slight soreness in my biceps when flexed as well as in my forearms. My upper back is a little more sore, but nothing that would go beyond slight soreness. The same is true for my lower back. Although my legs felt a bit tired throughout yesterday, they aren’t sore at all.
I stepped on the scale just to figure out if I need to eat more or less. My body weight dropped 300 grams / 0.7 lbs in 3 days. That’s too much for my taste because it would make for 700 grams / 1.6 lbs per week, and losing weight is not my goal now since I don’t look fat anymore. I decided to go from 1800 calories to 2000 calories a day at least until Friday when I step on the scale again.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Today it’s time for the Flat Bench Press, Overhead Barbell Press, and Triceps Dips. Only the Triceps Dips are new to me, so it’ll probably take some time to get them right.
Warm-up (Flat Bench Press):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets
Flat Bench Press 3 x 6, 1 x 5 (48 Kg / 110 lbs)
Overhead Barbell Press 4 x 4 (42 Kg / 96 lbs)
Triceps Dips 2 x 5, 1 x 3, 1 x 4
As you can see, I had a hard time with the last set on the Flat Bench Press. Although I was sure I could squeeze out six reps, it simply wouldn’t go up for a sixth time. I immediately thought, “Those 2000 calories are a joke! I need some more if I want to push up more weight”. I decided to go up to around 2300 calories a day, which is just slightly below the calorie requirement to maintain my body weight. I’ll stick to this until Friday and see what happens.
The Overhead Barbell Presses went fine, although I was only able to do four reps on each set. I guess the triceps were already a bit tired from the Bench Press, so I’m not going to grumble much about that.
The Triceps Dips were easy to do, technically speaking. But man, do they tear your triceps! That’s much more intensive than any other triceps exercise I have done so far using weight of up to 62 Kg / 142 lbs. I can literally feel the triceps now. What a cool exercise! On the first two sets, I did 5 reps, and on the third set, I simply couldn’t lift my body for more than 3 times. I must say that between set 2 and 3, I only rested a little more than a minute. Then, before going to the last set, I rested two full minutes and could squeeze out 4 reps. The rest period does make a difference. Next time, I’ll rest for two minutes and I’m sure I can add a couple of reps.
I completed this workout in 40 minutes and all rest intervals were pretty close to two minutes. My impression is that my chest feels a little pumped and the triceps are all torn. I loved this workout and I’m really beginning to believe that all I had done before this fantastic workout plan was fooling around with weights.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
To my surprise, the triceps are only very slightly sore, and there’s no soreness at all in my shoulders. My chest and my upper back feel quite a bit sore. I think the soreness in the back comes from those triceps dips. I am very surprised about the soreness in my neck, which goes up to the chin. I don’t know if that’s supposed to happen, but who cares? If it’s sore, then it certainly will have a positive effect later.
Friday, October 20, 2006
I’m still slightly sore in my chest and the upper back and don’t know if it’s such a great idea to work out because the Squats planned for today also hit the back quite well. Your comments on this will help me in the future, but right now, I have to decide what to do. My decision is to work out anyway.
This is the very first time I’m doing squats. Before even thinking of warm-up sets, I do some reps without any weight at all and have the owner watch me. According to him, my form couldn’t be better, which was my impression as well. I start loading a few small plates and do some reps, and my form is still perfect. Man, it looks so complicated when others do squats, and I always thought they must be much tougher than Deadlifts. But I find the movement easier to do, which really surprises me. At all times, I have the owner watch me because I know that wrong form can lead to nasty back problems.
I plug up some courage and load 24 Kg / 54 lbs for my first warm-up set, having 44 Kg / 100 lbs in mind for my very first squat working sets. The owner says that 100 lbs is far too much for the very first time, and I’m sure he’s right. Man, I need to get going because I don’t want to be trying out weights for the next eight weeks. My goal is to be working with challenging weights on all exercises by week three.
The first warm-up set went nice and easy, so after a 2-minute rest, I go up to 36 Kg / 82 lbs. I’m still doing great, but I can feel that 44 Kg / 100 lbs are probably going to be a bit hefty. I thought, what the [beep], go for it.
When I start squatting with 44 Kg / 100 lbs, I think it’s not really too much. Actually, I think it’s not even challenging. But then, on the third set, I find the fifth and the sixth rep very difficult, so I guess the weight is about right. On the last set, I really struggled to get up on the last three reps.
Boy, is this cool! I used to do leg presses with about 180 Kg / 414 lbs. Not only did they challenge my legs, but also my knees and spine. Squats with about ¼ the weight are much more challenging and I really need a few seconds to be able to walk. But they are nicer to your knees and spine. What a wonderful exercise – and not quite as exhausting as Deadlifts, I think. Man, if only I had known this before!
Hey, listen up. Forget any horror stories about Squats and Deadlifts; those are really fine exercises. I don’t understand why so many people don’t like them. Yes, they’re taxing, but they’re also much more challenging and interesting to do than leg presses or curls. You should really try them out.
In contrast, I found those Straight Leg Deadlifts very difficult to perform with perfect form – even without any weight at all. Correct form needs all my attention. It seems I’m not very flexible and can’t lower the upper body very much while keeping the back straight. My guess is that it will get better once my back gets stronger. As for flexibility, I’m sure it will come naturally in the long run, so I’m not too worried about that now. For this reason, I’m going very, very light here and will not increase the weight very much until I’m 100% confident that I can handle it. I’d really appreciate any tips for this exercise.
I did all test sets before actually starting the workout so I have an idea on how long the workout actually is. The exercises below took me about 30 minutes to complete.
Warm-up (Squat):
Set 1: 6 x 24 Kg / 54 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 34 Kg / 78 lbs
Working Sets
Squat 4 x 6 (44 Kg / 100 lbs)
Straight Leg Deadlift 4 x 6 (32 Kg / 74 lbs)
Saturday, October 21, 2006
I can’t feel any soreness in my thighs, but my hamstrings … Boy, oh boy! You can call me Donald Duck from now on because that’s the way I walk. The triceps are sore as well, and I wonder whether that’s supposed to happen.
It’s time to take measurements. I don’t expect any changes at all for this first test week except perhaps for my weight, which might be a little lower than at the beginning. Surprise, surprise! I have recovered the weight I had lost earlier this week. That means my increase in calories was about right. I’ll stick to the 2300 calories and keep an eye on the weight.
My waist has shrunk 1 cm / 0.4 in. Together with the recovered weight, this must mean body fat loss. And if there is fat loss while maintaining the same weight, there must be more lean mass, or am I thinking too simplified here? Stop thinking and measure the stuff, man!
It’s confirmed, but I strongly believe that my measurements are a whole lot of bulls. If they were correct, I would have gained 0.8 Kg / 1.8 lbs of lean mass within one week, and I find that very hard to believe. I measure again and get the same nonsense results, so I go for a third try. Hmm, still the same. I must be doing something very wrong. All right, I ask my wife to do it. It seems we’re both complete idiots because she came to the same results. C’mon, forget it. It’s not my objective anyway. I’ll just put it here for the records, but I’m darn sure it’s wrong.
Neck: 42 cm / 16.3 in. (no change)
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in. (no change)
Chest: 105 cm / 41.3 in. (no change)
Waist: 90 cm / 35.4 in. (-1 cm / 0.4 in.)
Hips: 94.5 cm / 37.2 in. (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in.)
Thigh: 55 cm / 21.7 in. (no change)
Calf: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Body Weight: 76.7 Kg / 176 lbs. (no change)
Lean Mass: 59.1 Kg / 135 lbs. (+0.8 Kg / 1.8 lbs)
Body Fat: 23% (-1%)
Smoking: 17 cigarettes a day on average
I’m surprised about the gain around the hips. A bigger bank account is what all girls – including my wife – like. As they say over here in Brazil, the firmer the butt, the better the … aw c’mon, you know.
See you next week, and thanks for any comments,
CrashCoder
< Message edited by CrashCoder -- 10/28/2006 1:08:22 AM >
_____________________________
Destiny is a game you can't win. If you act accordingly, you can lose it the best way possible.
(in reply to CrashCoder)
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RE: CrashCoder's Training Journal - 10/28/2006 10:18:55 AM
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CrashCoder
Posts: 140
Joined: 10/1/2006
Status: offline
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Week 2
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Yeah, it’s not really the beginning of the week. Sundays are my lazy days on which I do nothing at all, not even writing. I come to them on Mondays, that’s why they go as the first day.
I tried to get my diet plan up. Up to now, I just ate 7 – 8 times a day, roughly guessing my calorie intake. But when you really count your calories and not just guess them, you will be surprised what a big difference there can be – up to 500 calories per day. I also had to realize that my protein intake was much, much too low at 70g per day. Setting up the diet really helps you see what you’re actually eating and what you need in addition. I also want to eat just 6 times, and each meal should have approximately the same number of calories.
My starting point is 2200 calories now. I threw in a couple of servings of peanuts for more protein, and I can get to 120 g of protein a day. Well, setting up this diet wasn’t really very difficult, but I’m not satisfied yet. It should be 40% carbohydrates, 40% protein, and 20% fat. Right now, it’s 53% carbohydrates, 27% protein, and 20% fat. The fat is about right, but I should get the carbohydrates down to 40%, and the protein up to 40%. But it’s not bad as a starting point. I will slowly adjust things so that I can get to a balanced diet with the ideal number of calories. Rome wasn’t built in a day, either. I also need to watch my water intake, which should be about 78 ounces per day.
I’m still a little sore in the hamstrings. But the soreness should have gone by tomorrow. As Forrest Gump would say, “… and that’s all what I have to say about that.”
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Deadlifts today seemed to be less taxing on my body, and I sweat a whole bunch less. That can only be a very good sign. Although I almost doubled the weight for the Bent-over Barbell Rows, they were still pretty light. But my back also needs to adapt before I lift something really heavy. Besides, I don’t want to get sore like the devil because that would also take a longer recovery period, right? The Barbell Curls went fine, too.
Warm-up (Deadlifts):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Deadlifts 4 x 6 (44 Kg / 100 lbs)
Bent-over Barbell Rows 4 x 6 (26 Kg / 60 lbs)
Barbell Curls 4 x 6 (28 Kg / 64 lbs)
I need to increase the weight for all exercises. For the exercises I found difficult, I will only add sufficient weight for progressive overload. I am going to add a bit more for the Bent-over Barbell Rows since they were still very easy to do.
And the diet? Oh babe, have mercy! This is so much food I can hardly eat it all. I’ll soon step on the scale and hope that I can lower this intake a little. Man, how am I supposed to eat all that? I never feel even close to hungry – I feel filled up to the brim all day. And if that weren’t enough, I have to down one big glass of water each hour. Who says you need a swimming pool to drown yourself, huh? Boy, there’s no place like the bathroom, really. The way things are going, I’ll soon move in there.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
From the beginning of this week on, my sleeping quality and quantity have been what I would call perfect. In fact, I don’t remember having slept so well in the last years. The funny thing is that I’m beginning to believe that my increased food and water intake play an important role here.
Speaking of food, the quantity of food I’m eating is abnormal. I’m already planning a 1900-calorie diet because I’m damn sure that 2200 calories are way too much and I will soon be able to become a sumo wrestler. C’mon, who can eat all this? And oh, I err on the plus side, so those 2200 calories might well be 2300 – or even more.
I step on the scale, and … Aw man, what a disappointment! I’m losing weight again – 400g / almost a pound since Friday. How can that be? I’ve never eaten so much in all my life, never skip a meal, I drink tons of water, so how come I’m losing weight? Before stepping on the scale, I had already drunk 800 ml / 27 oz. of water. Does that mean I’m losing far more weight than just those 400g? Oh boy, just when I’m filled up with a heckload of food, I have to drink a huge glass of water. When I’m still full, I have to drink more water, and then comes the food again. Is it really possible that I’m still not eating enough?
Let me stick to this diet until Friday. If I’m still losing weight, then I will have to look for more high-caloric food because the quantities I’m eating are on the verge of absurdity. Perhaps I should consider high-caloric supplements.
I saw some protein supplements in a drugstore downtown. One serving of this stuff is good for 550 calories. That doesn’t sound bad – 550 calories in one drink. That’s much easier to down than 550 calories of clean food. There are also a whole bunch of vitamins, omegas, and all that. I will consider this if my weight is still going down.
Hmm, in the afternoon, I took the time for a few measurements. According to this, I’m losing a whole bunch of fat and I’m gaining some lean mass. That means the diet isn’t that off-target at all. As in the previous week, my measurement might be inaccurate; although I’m darn sure I followed the instructions to the letter. But the thing is that even if they are inaccurate, they indicate a tendency, and it’s that what counts for me. I’m a much more at ease now.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
On Wednesdays, I want to wake up very early so I’m the first in the gym. Otherwise, I have to wait to do my exercises. So at 6:00 sharp, I’m in there.
I remember that last week, the last reps on all sets of the Flat Bench Press were quite a challenge, and on the last set, I could only push the bar up 5 times. Today, the first and the second set were easier to complete, and although it got a bit tough on the last two sets, I did full reps. I know, a single rep more isn’t exactly a stunning progress, but I felt it was easier to achieve. I’m quite satisfied with the result.
The Overhead Barbell Press didn’t go that well. On the first set, I wanted to do a rep more than last time, but then I hesitated and put the bar back on the rack because I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to push the thing up for another rep. I struggled to get the bar up on most reps, but it was slightly easier than last week. I’m not satisfied, in fact, I’m a little disappointed. Well, you can’t have everything in at once, so I went over to the next exercise.
The Triceps Dips went fine. I squeezed out two reps more than last time, and my triceps didn’t feel so horribly torn this time.
Well, it looks like I can add some weight to the Flat Bench Press next time. I think 2 Kg / 4.6 lbs would be great, starting with a minimum of four reps for each set. If I can squeeze out more reps, I’ll do so. Unfortunately, the Overhead Barbell Press will take a little longer before I can add weight there.
Warm-up (Flat Bench Press):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Flat Bench Press 4 x 6 (48 Kg / 110 lbs)
Overhead Barbell Press 4 x 4 (42 Kg / 96 lbs)
Triceps Dips 1 x 6, 1 x 5, 2 x 4
Thursday, October 26, 2006
I’m pretty sore in the chest today, but only very little in the triceps. The soreness in the upper back and in the neck really comes from the Triceps Dips, so I think that’s supposed to happen.
I’m slowly getting used to eating the amount of food and drinking the amount of water. The funny thing is that I’m getting hungry at the times I’m supposed to eat and thirsty at the times I’m supposed to drink. Still, the quantities of food and water are pretty high. But it seems much easier now to get it all down.
Next weekend, I need to look out for foods with more protein. Right now, I’m at 111g protein per day, and I should get this up to 155g. Perhaps I’ll throw in a couple of egg whites. Oh, I hate eggs, but if that helps me, I’ll eat them anyway.
I’m getting slimmer. Now, I have to tighten the belt a little more if I don’t want to lose my pants. My wife also told me that she thinks my chest is getting harder. I thought so, too, but then again, I was sure that is was just my impression because the time is actually too short to bring any results. And the harder chest is more related to fat loss, I guess.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Leg day – the day I used to hate like the plague. But now, with Squats and Straight Leg Deadlifts, I don’t mind the work at all.
The last rep on the last Squat set was not easy. Then again, I had increased the weight by 4 Kg, which is almost 10 lbs. Since I could do six reps on all sets, I’ll add another 4 Kg / 10 lbs for the next workout. I know, the increase should be about 2 Kg / 5 lbs, but I’m at the beginning and I still have to find those challenging weights. As long as I can handle the weights with perfect form, I’ll keep on adding that way. I’m also more confident doing Squats now, and doing them with correct form is becoming much easier now.
The Straight Leg Deadlift is getting better, too. I can lower the weight considerably more although I increased the weight slightly. That’s good, I guess. I’m beginning to become fond of this one.
Warm-up (Squat):
Set 1: 6 x 24 Kg / 54 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 34 Kg / 78 lbs
Working Sets
Squat 4 x 6 (48 Kg / 110 lbs)
Straight Leg Deadlift 4 x 6 (34 Kg / 78 lbs)
Saturday, October 28, 2006
I was counting on some mad, mad muscle soreness in my legs and in my lower back, but it seems I was wrong. The good news is that my legs and lower back are only slightly sore. In contrast, the soreness in my traps is quite something, man. Ah yes, there’s also a little soreness in my shoulders. Looks like I’m doing something right here, huh? The more I’m into this workout plan, the more I like it. The only thing I really don’t like is that my elbows get a bit sore from the Triceps Dips. But I guess it’ll get better as time goes by.
Some facts would come in handy here. I found the changes this week awesome because they were beyond my expectations. Remember that my primary goal for this cycle is to get healthier – and nothing else. Or in plain English: I don’t give a damn about size, strength, and whatnot. It’s also good to remember that during the last two months before beginning this training cycle, there were no changes whatsoever. I am especially happy about my weight. It’s gone down a little, but my lean body weight has gone up. That means that I’ll stick to my diet for at least another week. As long as I lose fat and gain mass, I won’t change anything. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Yes, a 300-gram / 0.7-pound mass gain isn’t exactly the most impressive thing, but for my purpose, it’s exactly 300 grams / 0.7 lbs above the expected.
Who would have thought that the right food and the right amounts can make such a difference? And if that goes together with the right exercises, the better. Oh, man, I regret those four months fooling around with weights. If only I had found this workout plan at the beginning!
For the next week, I won’t worry too much about the scale since it seems I’m doing the right thing. But I will look out for food with some higher protein content. I especially like tuna, but since it’s sold at a price that resembles caviar here in Brazil, I don’t think it’ll go into the diet on a regular basis. I want to get rid of some peanuts servings because I don’t like peanuts very much and they’re quite high in cholesterol. I’ll stick to the water intake, although it could be a bit lower due to the weight (fat) loss. A bit more water can’t hurt, can it?
Neck: 42.5 cm / 16.7 in. (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in)
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in. (no change)
Chest: 105.5 cm / 41.3 in (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in)
Waist: 88.5 cm / 34.8 in. (-1.5 cm / 0.6 in)
Hips: 95 cm / 37.4 in. (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in)
Thigh: 56 cm / 22 in. (+1 cm / 0.4 in)
Calf: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Body Weight: 75.9 Kg / 174.5 lbs (-0.8 Kg / 1.8 lbs)
Lean Weight: 59.4 Kg / 136.6 lbs (+ 0.3 Kg / 0.7 lbs)
Body Fat Percentage: 22% (-1%)
Smoking: 16 cigarettes a day on average (-1)
See you next week, and thanks for any comments,
CrashCoder
_____________________________
Destiny is a game you can't win. If you act accordingly, you can lose it the best way possible.
(in reply to CrashCoder)
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RE: CrashCoder's Training Journal - 10/28/2006 10:38:38 AM
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PureNatural
Posts: 1349
Joined: 4/2/2006
From: Toronto Canada
Status: offline
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Keep up the goodlifts bud. For soreness, don't sweat it. Little or no soreness doesn't mean you didn't have a good workout.
Keep up the hardwork. See you around.
(in reply to CrashCoder)
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RE: CrashCoder's Training Journal - 11/4/2006 9:02:57 AM
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CrashCoder
Posts: 140
Joined: 10/1/2006
Status: offline
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Week 3
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Yesterday, I went a bit off the diet, but just a bit. Since there’s no real bad food in the house anymore – apart from a can of beer or two on the weekends, I don’t think it will be so harmful. And today, I forgot about my water intake for a couple of hours, but I’m back on it.
Speaking of diet, I’ll add egg whites and chicken breast to it. This should bring my carbohydrates a bit down and the protein a bit up. Training a bit more seriously also makes you a good nutritionist in the long run. I read up on peanuts, and although they contain a huge amount of cholesterol, they’re actually pretty good for your health since there’s lots of good cholesterol (HDL) in them and only very little bad cholesterol (LDL). They’re also recommended for weight loss, which I find very curious because they’re high in calories. By the way, did you know that peanuts aren’t nuts? In fact, they’re legumes.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Warm-up (Deadlifts):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Deadlifts 4 x 6 (46 Kg / 106 lbs)
Bent-over Barbell Rows 4 x 6 (32 Kg / 74 lbs)
Barbell Curls 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 2 x 4 (30 Kg / 68 lbs)
I have to pay attention to my form when doing Bent-over Barbell Rows. For the next time, I’ll just add very little weight and see how it goes.
The Barbell Curls were difficult. On the second set, I somehow didn’t manage to do four reps. Yes, I could have cheated or I could have forced it, but I don’t think I need it just to show that I can do it. I don’t want to use sloppy form on any rep, either. Neither do I want those quick-as-lightening reps that many people use to complete a set in under 20 seconds and think it will do wonders. Each of my sets takes a bit less than a minute to complete, which means that each rep takes about 8 seconds.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
My lower back is quite a bit sore, but that doesn’t bother me so much. The upper back is just slightly sore – how good. My biceps hardly ever get sore, which I find great. But this time, they did get sore, just like my forearms.
Some people associate soreness with a great workout, and lack of soreness with a bad workout. I know that soreness doesn’t have anything to do with this, nor does it have anything to do with muscle growth. A great workout for me is when I have challenged my muscles. If I don’t get sore from such a workout, I’m really happy.
I believe that soreness has to do with how fast your kidneys can clean up the organic waste, so the intensity and length of soreness depends very much on the size of the muscle group. My legs always get sore, and it can take four or five days for soreness to disappear. Soreness in the back is about three days, and in the chest for about two days. There’s very little soreness after having worked the shoulders, and hardly ever any soreness in my biceps and triceps. And if there is, it’s gone within a day or two at the most. It all coincides with the size of the muscle group, isn’t that funny? Legs are the largest group followed by back, chest, shoulder, triceps, and biceps.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
The Flat Bench Press surprised me a little. Although I had added 2 Kg / about 4 pounds, I was sure I could have done 7 reps on the first set. But c’mon, there were three more sets to go, so I thought it would be better to save the energy for later. That was wise because I could only squeeze out 4 perfect reps on the last set. The form of the fifth rep was not perfect, so I won’t count that one. My triceps were already torn, so I expected that I wouldn’t be able to improve on the Overhead Barbell Press.
Well, the Overhead Barbell Press is becoming less difficult. Nevertheless, I could push up the bar only 5 times on the first set. The other sets are stuck at four reps. Patience, my friend, patience. I will get there, but it’ll take some time. I also believe that a stronger back will help me here, that’s why this exercise will take some time to show real progress.
By the time I came to the Triceps Dips, I thought my arms would fall off any moment. And I was pretty sure that I wouldn’t even be able to do the same number of reps I did last week. Aw boy, can those triceps get torn! Another surprise – I was able to do an additional rep. Also here, I did a fifth rep on the last set, but the form sucked. That’s why I won’t count that one, either.
I found this was a great workout, and I did it in just 35 minutes with less rest between sets. On average, the rest period between sets was about 90 seconds, sometimes even less.
The owner commented that I am training way too little. I just replied that I gained some good lean mass with this workout schedule – much more than others have gained in months who are working out for 90 minutes every single day. So I think what I’m doing is right and he is wrong. I will stick to this workout plan for a couple of cycles and see if I need to change something. But right now, I don’t think it could be much better. And for someone who isn’t concerned about size, strength and whatnot, I think that my progress is at least acceptable. Personally, I think my progress is great and I doubt that longer workouts with more sets, reps or weight could improve that. It just leads to one thing: overtraining. And I’m pretty annoyed that I had been training the wrong way for over four months.
Warm-up (Flat Bench Press):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Flat Bench Press 3 x 6, 1 x 4 (50 Kg / 114 lbs)
Overhead Barbell Press 1 x 5, 3 x 4 (42 Kg / 96 lbs)
Triceps Dips 1 x 6, 2 x 5, 1 x 4
Thursday, November 02, 2006
The only thing I can say today is that my chest is pretty sore. To be exact, it’s only sore in the upper / outer part. And the upper back is too – from the Triceps Dips, I guess.
Friday, November 03, 2006
It looks like the Squat is becoming challenging. I was so exhausted on the last two sets that I could only do 5 reps. That means that from now on, I have to work my way up.
Curiously, the Straight Leg Deadlift is becoming easier, although I had added some weight. I’m a safety fanatic when it comes to doing exercises, and so I’m still insecure of the correct form. Yesterday, which was a public holiday here I searched the Internet for something about this exercise. The Exercise Directory located at http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html helped me to clear out one big doubt I had. Although it’s called Straight Leg Deadlift, you can and should bend your knees slightly. Doing so, it’s very easy to get the weight lower than I used to do.
Warm-up (Squat):
Set 1: 6 x 24 Kg / 54 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 34 Kg / 78 lbs
Working Sets
Squat 2 x 6, 2 x 5 (54 Kg / 124 lbs)
Straight Leg Deadlift 4 x 6 (36 Kg / 82 lbs)
Saturday, November 4, 2006
Today is the first day in over four month that I don’t feel any muscle soreness at all. I had already forgotten what it’s like. And that surely doesn’t mean I’m not working hard. I do work hard, always putting perfect form before heavy weight. And that’s the best I can do.
I was expecting slightly less weight loss than last week. It’s not because of the other day where I went a little off the diet. This was so minimal that I doubt it would make such a big difference. You just can’t expect to lose whole lot of weight for a long time when you’re doing this sport. But weight loss doesn’t have anything to do with fat loss, I know.
Well, I did lose 100 g / 0.2 lbs of fat. Hmm, not really impressive, is it? On the other hand, I gained 1 Kg / 2.2 lbs weight. Woohooo! That means 1.1 Kg / 2.4 lbs lean mass, doesn’t it? When I measured my body fat percentage, I came to 22%, so there was no change. It seems I can go another week with the same diet.
A friend of mine who’s a senior in P.E. at a nearby university came over, and I asked him to measure the percentage. His caliper is much more complicated than mine and certainly more exact. It seems I’m not that dumb because his measurements came to 21.4%. Not that much different. I also showed him how I take measurements and all that, and he said that I’m doing it correctly. So then …
Neck: 42.5 cm / 16.7 in. (no change)
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in. (no change)
Chest: 105.5 cm / 41.3 in. (no change)
Waist: 88.5 cm / 34.8 in. (no change)
Hips: 95 cm / 37.4 in. (no change)
Thigh: 56.5 cm / 22.2 in. (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in.)
Calf: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Body Weight: 76.9 Kg / 177 lbs (+ 1.0 Kg / 2.5 lbs)
Lean Weight: 60.5 / 139 lbs (+1.1 Kg / 2.4 lbs)
Body Fat Percentage: 22 % (no change)
Smoking: 15 cigarettes a day on average (-1)
In terms of workout, this was a very good week. My motivation is getting better and better. Each time I come out of the gym, I know I’ll be stronger than before and gain some lean mass. Each time I see the slightest progress, I’m very happy and proud. Each time I see a guy my age or even younger with an enormous beer belly, I’m so proud of having overcome my laziness.
Hmm, one question … I was thinking of doing 20 – 30 minutes cardio on my off days to get rid of some more fat. Would this be a good idea or should I let the diet take care of that?
See you next week, and thanks for any comments,
CrashCoder
_____________________________
Destiny is a game you can't win. If you act accordingly, you can lose it the best way possible.
(in reply to PureNatural)
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RE: CrashCoder's Training Journal - 11/12/2006 1:59:57 AM
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CrashCoder
Posts: 140
Joined: 10/1/2006
Status: offline
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Week 4
Sunday, November 05, 2006
I needed to change my diet quite a bit because I only came to 120 g of protein, but I need at least 159 g. My carbohydrate intake was a bit too high and made 53% of my calorie intake, whereas the 120 g of protein made only 27% of the total. At 20%, the fat percentage was okay. Now it’s 47% carbohydrates, 36% protein, and 17% fat. Although that’s much better, it’s not yet what I had in mind.
After having revamped my diet, I’m now at 166 g of protein, which is slightly above my minimum requirement. My total calorie intake went from 2184 to 2126. It’s only a difference of 58 calories, but actually, it should be closer to 2200. But I’m merely at the beginning, so the eating thing will take a while to become satisfactory, too.
Monday, October 30, 2006
The Deadlifts went fine today. There is room to add quite some weight, but let me work up the way slowly. Gradually increasing the weight sounds better to me and gives me some time to adapt. I’m not in a hurry when it comes to adding weight.
The Bent-over Barbell Rows were also fine. However, maintaining perfect form requires a little concentration now. That should come naturally in the end.
When I did the Barbell Curls, I was able to add two reps to the first two sets just like that, which I think is good in terms of progress. But the last two sets weren’t that hot – only four reps.
Warm-up (Deadlifts):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Deadlifts 4 x 6 (48 Kg / 110 lbs)
Bent-over Barbell Rows 4 x 6 (34 Kg / 78 lbs)
Barbell Curls 2 x 6, 2 x 4 (30 Kg / 68 lbs)
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Today, my lower back, biceps, and forearms are a bit sore again, just like last week. That means that the exercises hit those parts pretty hefty. I’m sure I will soon see some results from those exercises, it’s just a matter of time.
In the last two months before this workout plan, there was no growth on the biceps and forearms due to overtraining. The biceps was hit something like three or four times a week. Now I don’t expect any growth so soon either because I’m only in the fourth week of this workout plan, and that’s just too little to see much of a difference. Comes time, comes size.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Aw boy, my calorie intake is too low. How do I know? Well, for one thing, I did one rep less on the Flat Bench Press than last week. And I know that my calorie intake wasn’t ideal for the last two days. So I’ll have to go up 100 calories a day from now on and see if that’s sufficient.
The Overhead Barbell Press went fine, and I did three reps more. And the Triceps Dips also had a rep more. But I’m a little disappointed about the Flat Bench Press. I must eat more, I think that’ll solve it.
Warm-up (Flat Bench Press):
Set 1: 6 x 26 Kg / 60 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 36 Kg / 82 lbs
Working Sets:
Flat Bench Press 2 x 6, 1 x 4, 1 x 5 (50 Kg / 114 lbs)
Overhead Barbell Press 1 x 6, 1 x 5, 1 x 4, 1 x 5 (42 Kg / 96 lbs)
Triceps Dips 2 x 6, 1 x 4, 1 x 5
Friday, November 10, 2006
Man, this week was stressful. I’m sleeping too little, and sleep is of very bad quality. Today, I feel like I was run over by a truck. But I’ll work out anyway, since it gives me the necessary power for the rest of the day.
Both Squats and Straight Leg Deadlifts went fine. I’m now quite at ease with the correct form for the Straight Leg Deadlifts.
Warm-up (Squat):
Set 1: 6 x 24 Kg / 54 lbs
Set 2: 6 x 34 Kg / 78 lbs
Working Sets
Squat 4 x 6 (54 Kg / 124 lbs)
Straight Leg Deadlift 4 x 6 (38 Kg / 86 lbs)
Saturday, November 11, 2006
When I started this cycle, my calorie intake was only 150 calories above maintenance level. Last week, it was barely 100 calories above maintenance level. This made me lose lean mass and gain a little fat, I suppose. I have now added enough calories so I can build mass. The requirement for this is between 2354 – 2457 calories, and my diet is now about 2400 calories, which means about 350 calories above maintenance level. I’ll go a week with this and see what happens. It’s also been a very bad week in terms of sleep and stress, so the changes were actually expected. However, I didn’t expect to lose so much lean weight. Would be great to hear some opinions.
Neck: 42.5 cm / 16.7 in. (no change)
Biceps: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Forearm: 30 cm / 11.8 in. (no change)
Chest: 105.5 cm / 41.3 in. (no change)
Waist: 88.5 cm / 34.8 in. (no change)
Hips: 95 cm / 37.4 in. (no change)
Thigh: 57 cm / 22.4 in. (+0.5 cm / 0.2 in.)
Calf: 37 cm / 14.6 in. (no change)
Body Weight: 75.8 Kg / 174 lbs (- 1.1 Kg / 3 lbs)
Lean Weight: 59.3 / 136 lbs (-1.2 Kg / 2.3 lbs)
Body Fat Percentage: 22 % (no change)
Smoking: 14 cigarettes a day on average (-1)
See you next week, and thanks for any comments,
CrashCoder
_____________________________
Destiny is a game you can't win. If you act accordingly, you can lose it the best way possible.
(in reply to CrashCoder)
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