Psy's Optimum Anabolic Journal

I am a newb so this could get quite difficult for one not yet discplined in the ways of weight lifting.
I purchesed the Optimum Anabolics Program in April of this year and decided to wait till the summer to really start the program. And Since then i have signed onto this web site and it has pushed me to get on it because of all the good things i have learned so far about it. Lets see how it goes for me.
I am 17 years old, 6' 1" and weight around 135lbs.

These are my current measurements:
Neck: 13.5 inches
Chest/Including shoulders: 34.5/42 inches
Bicep: 10.5 inches
Forearm: 9.5 inches
Thigh: 18 inches
Calf: 13 inches

Let's Get started:

Day1/Week1
Progressive Load/High Protein/Shoulders

1 min between exercises, 2 min between supersets

Superset 1:

Awesome!  You will love the program.

Tip #1:

Use a stopwatch.  It really makes a difference in how hard your workouts will be.  Stick to the time alloted and you'll quickly see how hard they can be!

Marc C. David
Support DB! Buy your supplements at Supplements101.com

You go, boy.  In addition to the stopwatch, consider your exercises carefully.  You don't want a bunch of sets that require one side and then the other during the third week of your progressive load.  You also want to keep variety in your workouts and consider which exercises you will be able to complete with the selected weight and the required number of repetitions.  Concentrate hard on your form and pay particular attention to the diet, especially when you are on the road.  It's a great program and if you stick with it faithfully you will get results.  Congrats on your new lifestyle!!

RIP 2004-2007

I woke up this morning thinking my shoulders have to at least be a little bit sore but that was not the case. The stabilizer muscles in my upper and mid back were on fire when I stretched this morning. It might be because of those 45 lb. DB shrugs. Well any way I have stuck with the diet on the first day and so far today.


Day2/Week1
Progressive Load/High Protein/Arms&Abs

1 min between exercises, 2 min between supersets

Superset 1:
Dumbbell Concentration Curl 25x8/20x10/20x8
Twisting Dumbbell Kickback 20x12/20x10/20x8

Superset 2:
Hammer Curl 25x12/20x10/20x7
Tricep Dips 12/10/8

Superset 3:
Bent Leg Crunch 12/15x10/15x8
Hanging Leg Raise 12/10/8

Notes: This day actually felt like a work-out day. I started to feel the "Pump" once I started the second sets on the Supersets. The Dips were a little shaky after all the weights I had done before them. My form is good in all of them but I wish the weights were higher but this is allot different from my other encounters at the gym I use to do high weight low reps but with these high reps my DB curl plummeted sharply. After the first bent leg crunch I started to add a little weight for more resistance and it seemed to work a little better. But a strange thing occurred the later I got in my work out, I started to yawn profusely I just kept yawning. I got a full 8 hours of sleep no problem and here i am at 11:00 a.m. yawning. I actually wanted to fall asleep on the weight bench. But I ignored it and once i got done i had to walk about a mile back to my house i started to get these really bad cramps about my mid-ribs. I have had side twinges before when i run alot but these were higher, i dont know if the cause was the weighted crunches or what but it went away when my house was in sight.

Diet is same as yesturday except with a chicken sandwich instead of a tuna sandwich.
 

Oh my first leg day, this is going to be fun.
 
Day3/Week1
Progressive Load/High Protein/Legs
 
1 min between exercises, 2 min between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Forward Dumbbell Lunge 15x12/10x10/10x8
Backward Dumbbel Lunge 15x12/10x10/10x8
 
Superset 2:
Standing Calf Raises 155x12/135x10/135x8
Barbell Squat 60x12/60x10/60x8
 
Superset 3:
Seated Calf Raises 80x13/80x10/80x8
Deadlift 80x12/80x10/80x8
 
Notes:
Had a really hard time with squats, it wasnt the wait the wait was really low i could have done much higher it didnt fatigue my legs at all. But i had this burning sensation on my left arm when i got the bar on the right place. It was like my my arm couldnt take the weight i had in that position. Mybe my grip was to narrow or something. In the mean time i will just keep using that low weight and see if that sensation will go away.

Day4/Week1
Progressive Load/High Protein/Back 
 
1 min between exercises, 2 min between supersets
 
SuperSet 1:
Hanging Row 12/10/8
Assisted Wide-Arm Chin-up 12/10/8
 
SuperSet 2:
Twisting Dumbbell Row 15x12/15x10/15x8
High Pull 40x12/40x10/40x8
 
SuperSet 3:
Jockey Row 45x12/75x10/75x8
Wide-Arm Lat Pull Down 75x12/90x10/90x8
 
Notes:
Today was a great day. The Form was great on all exercises. At first i tried to do those wide-arm chin up with out assistence and i couldn't do it for 12 reps so i got a stool and used it for the rest of the sets. My first set of High Pulls i screwed up badly i performed it like a dead-lift stance going into a barbell row, then i re-read the form notes and realized my error and did it correctly from then on. I started low weight on the jockey row and pull down because of i didnt want to push my self but when i blasted out 12 reps with ease i had to increase the weight. I felt huge pumps in my arms today without the aid of supplements. Made me happy.
 
Diet: I am going to increase it another 600 Calories for the next five weeks just to put on a little weight then cut back to my 2900 diet.  

Day5/Week1
Progressive Load/High Protein/Chest&Abs  
 
1 min between exercises, 2 min between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Incline Dumbbell Flye 20x12/20x10/20x8
Dips 12/10/7
 
Superset 2:
Dumbbell Flye 20x12/20x10/20x8
Incline Dumbbell Press 20x12/20x10/20x8
 
Notes:
No Abs to day, i just dont want to do them.
I need to go to heavier weight, but the body weight dips are fine for me but i still couldnt push out that last rep and it pissed me off. This was basically a form day seeing if i could perform all the required exercises in the right way without hurting my self. Actually thats what this whole week was ill try to push harder next week.
 

Marc just talked me out of increasing my calorie intake so i will stick with it for the next few weeks if i dont see that many gains i will up it about another 200 calories.

Day1/Week2
Progressive Load/High Protein/Shoulders

1 min between exercises, 90 sec between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Front Dumbbell Lateral Raise 20x12/20x10/20x8/20x8
Twisting Dumbbell Military Press 20x12/20x10/20x8/20x8
 
Superset 2:
Rear Dumbbell Lateral Raise 15x12/20x10/20x8/25x8
Side Dumbbell Lateral Raise 20x12/20x10/20x8/20x8
 
Superset 3:
Dumbbell Shrug 45x12/45x10/45x8/45x8
Arnold Press 20x12/20x8/20x8/20x8
 
Time: 49 Minutes
 
Notes: Had some trouble at the end with the Arnold Press it took all i had just to reach 8 for the remaining sets after i failed to reach 10. But i felt like it was a good day in the gym.

Day2/Week2
Progressive Load/High Protein/Arms&Abs

1 min between exercises, 90 sec between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 20x10/15x10/15x8/15x8
Cable Press Down 60x12/90x7/70x8/70x8
 
Superset 2:
Twisting Dumbbell Curl 20x12/25x7/20x8/20x8
Close-Grip Push-up 12/10/8/8
 
Superset 3:
Twisting Crunch 12/20x10/20x8/8
Hanging Knee Raise 12/10/8/8
 
Notes:
This was my worst day so far. I felt no enthusiasm from my muscles today. I was happy to be at the gym but my muscles werent. I was focused they just wouldnt work like they usually do.

I use the Optimum Anabolics Program
www.optimum-anabolics.com

Started: April 2, 2007
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 127 lbs
BF %: 6-10%

Day3/Week2
Progressive Load/High Protein/Legs

1 min between exercises, 90 sec between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Leg Extension 75x12/90x10/105x8/120x8
Lying Leg Curl 50x12/70x10/100x8/100x8
 
Superset 2:
Standing Calf Raises 135x12/155x10/135x8/155x8
Deadlift 80x12/80x10/80x8/80x8
 
Superset 3:
Seated Calf Raises 90x12/90x10
Barbell Squat 110x12/120x10
 
Notes:
It must have been leg day for every body today so i ran out of time because people took up the Leg Extension and Standing Calf Raise machines every time i took a break. So i only got in 2 sets of the third superset. Wish i could have done more on squats but it was my first time with weights. I could have gone way harder on the deadlift and leg extensions but ill know better when i do those exercises again.
 

I use the Optimum Anabolics Program
www.optimum-anabolics.com

Started: April 2, 2007
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 127 lbs
BF %: 6-10%

Day4/Week2
Progressive Load/High Protein/Back

1 min between exercises, 90 sec between supersets
 
Superset 1:
Close-Grip Cable Row 105x12/105x10/90x8/90x8
Close-Grip Lat Pull Down 105x12/90x10/90x8/90x8
 
Superset 2:
Wide-Arm Cable Row 75x12/75x10/75x8/75x8
Wide-Arm Lat Pull Down 75x12/75x10/75x8/90x8
 
Superset 3:
Twisting Dumbbell Row 15x12/20x10/25x8/25x8
Assisted Wide-Arm Chin-up 12/10/8/8
 
Notes:
I think i will stretch on my leg day from now on for the inner-hip joints on my legs are killing me from yesturdays leg workout. I might have torn something. I knew i should have gone eaiser on my deadlifts and not tried so much weight for my first time on barbell squats.

I use the Optimum Anabolics Program
www.optimum-anabolics.com

Started: April 2, 2007
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 127 lbs
BF %: 6-10%

I really did some damage to my legs i think i will take day five off for recuperation.

I use the Optimum Anabolics Program
www.optimum-anabolics.com

Started: April 2, 2007
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 127 lbs
BF %: 6-10%

My dad just checked me over. Hes a physical theripist and he said it was just me using muscles i have never used to any high degree and to take it easy on the next leg day dropping my squat to 90 for safety reasons. But if i feel good and my legs dont hurt next wednesday then ill push hard again hope he doesnt get made. 

I use the Optimum Anabolics Program
www.optimum-anabolics.com

Started: April 2, 2007
Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 127 lbs
BF %: 6-10%

Don't get crazy about the weight, bro.  Just make sure your form is absolutely perfect.  You'll need the muscle memory for when your workouts get really tough.

RIP 2004-2007