New Bob, New Log

[robertscott]

Was away, now I'm back. There's a thread in the lounge about it; don't really want to get into it here. Suffice to say, for the last 7 months or so, training has had to take a back seat. Waaaay back. As of Monday next week though everything should be back the way it was, so I will be training hard and should have enough time to maintain a presence on the forum again. We shall see.

Now to business.

The Primary Goal

A ripped 200lbs by the end of the year. A very tall order indeed. Is going to mean adding about 20lbs of muscle. Shoot for the moon, land among the et cetera.

The Secondary Goal

Fix faulty movement patterns, correct long-standing injuries (yes, I still have a dodgy back and shoulders).

The Plan - Training

Bodypart split, 6 days a week The routine will look something like this:

Chest & Triceps

-Pec Dec pre exhaust
-Dumbell press
-Low to high cable flyes
-Decline cable press
-push ups (might not bother with these depending on how many sets of the other things I've done)
-Tricep Pushdowns
-Overhead Cable Extensions

Back and Biceps

-Chins (weighted)
-Straight Arm Pulldowns
-Pulldowns
-Chest Supported Row
-Prone Ys
-Reverse Pec Dec
-curl variation
-another curl variation

Legs

-Leg Press
-Hip Extensions machine (excited about this one, looks ace)
-Front Squats
-Leg Curls/Extensions
-some kind of horrible abs circuit

Shoulders

-Reverse Pec Dec
-Rear Delt Flye
-Laterals
-Prone Ys
-Press Variation (most likely machine, maybe smith)

Arms

-Pushdowns/Cable Reverse Curl superset
-Reverse Grip Pushdowns/Cable Curl superset
-Overhead Cable Extensions/Hammer Curl superset
-PJR Pullovers/EZ Curls superset

Weak Point Day

-Leg Press
-Hip Extension Machine
-Chins
-Straight Arm Pulldowns
-Rear Delt Flye
-Laterals

Some notes on the routine:
-I realise chest and back days look a little long, but I've actually cut my rest time way down when I'm training and should be able to complete the workouts in a little over an hour. Also on back day, I am not doing many sets for most of the exercises so it'll be fine. There's about 20 sets each for chest and back which is reasonable, and adding 6 sets per day for arms shouldn't be too much of an inconvenience.
-There's a lot of arm and shoulder work, because my arms and shoulders need the most work. Simple as that.
-The weak point day is a stroke of genius, but will be an optional workout and may be missed if there's something more fun to do.
-The sabbath is a rest day.

The Plan - Diet

I am going to be much more scientific than I have been in the past, even going so far as to weigh out portions (the horror!). It's going to be:

Meal 1 - Breakfast

-30g Brown Rice Protein, 5g Leucine (rice protein and leucine are best pals)

Meal 2 - Pre Training

-30g protein
-60g carbs
-veg
-piece of fruit

Meal 3 - Post Training

-30g protein
-60g carbs
-veg
-piece of fruit.

Meal 4 - Can't think of a name. Pre-dinner? I dunno

-30g Protein
-60g carbs
-veg

Meal 5 - Dinner

-anything I want, but will still be healthy and include protein (obviously)

Meal 6 - Pre Bed

-cottage cheese (hark at my dedication to the cause) or eggs
-Bran Flakes & milk
-nuts and/or berries

Some notes on the diet

-180g of protein over 6 meals. However much cottage cheese or eggs I eat at the end of the day will depend on how much protein my dinner has and how much I need to eat in order to bring my total up to the 180g mark. If dinner is huge and I reach 180g before my pre-bed meal then I will still have a little cottage cheese or eggs but probably not more than 15g worth of protein.
-Meals 2, 3 and 4 will be pre-prepared with grilled meats, fried veg (the constituency of which will depend on what I fancy, with things like onions, mushrooms and peppers being the obvious staples) and a carb source (most likely rice). They will be eaten out of tupperware, dosed heavily with hot sauce.
-The tupperware meals will have a tablespoon of Red Palm Oil added to healthy them up a bit.
-Fruit is only consumed pre and post workout.
-Dinner is to be enjoyed, and will be whatever I want. This is not only to keep me sane but also to allow the mrs and I to have a nice evening meal together. Life is for living, after all, and there's more to food than just macro and micronutrients.

One last thing on diet: those of you that remember me from the many moons ago when I was active here will remember I was a big exponent of fasting and eating a huge meal or two in a day. Well, the new plan is the polar opposite of that. My thinking is that the tighter the control I have on the variables, the easier they will be to manipulate. Really what I'm doing here is eating in the traditional way a bodybuilder would.

General Notes

-My goal is lofty, however it's not so black and white. A LOT of the muscle I hope to gain will actually be regain, which will hopefully count for some fast growth. I have lost of lot of size and strength since summer last year so we'll see just how significant muscle memory really is. One blessing is that I have lost a significant amount of fat too, so my starting point is good.
-I will supplement with fish oil, vitamin D, ZMA, glutamine, probiotics, inulin, digestive enzymes and phosphatidylserine.

So there we go. Didn't expect that post to be so long so congratulations if you made it to the end.

Any comments or anything just post them in this thread. I won't bother with a discussion thread.

Let's do it!

(first workout is on Monday)

[Jungledoc]

Hey, good to see you back! I haven't been around much either, due to connectivity issues (not bad connection any more, but I have to pay by the MB!), so I'm glad I caught this today. I was just thinking about you the other day, wondering how you were doing. I'll read the post in the lounge before I ask any stupid questions. Good luck on the training.

[robertscott]

nice to have you here Andy. It's good to be back on the forum.

Keeps you accountable, particularly when you have a log for all to see (not that I've made any entries yet...)

[robertscott]

chest workout today, just seeing where I'm at strength wise and what the new gym is like

Pec Dec

25k x 15
35k x 12
45k x 10
25k x 15

will probably do five sets in future, pyramiding up and then back down

Dumbell Bench

20k x 12
25k x 10
30k x 8
32.5k x 8

considered another set at 35k for 8 but left it there. Will do that next time

Incline Cable Flyes - can't remember the weight increments

Decline Cable Press - can't remember these increments either

then 3 sets of cable pushdowns just to see what sort of weight I'll be working with when I start properly next week.

Just feeling things out for now. Will do the same for back tomorrow.

[robertscott]

weighed myself today - 175lbs.

God damn, I was up over 190lbs at my heaviest.

Unhappy with that, so I reckon my 200lbs goal by the end of the year is pretty much doomed, so I'll aim for 190. If I can get to there and maintain my levels of bodyfat I'm at now it'll be pretty awesome.

[robertscott]

ok, the new training regime has now officially started. Chest/triceps today.

Pec Dec Pre-Exhaust

25k x 15
35k x 12
45k x 10
35k x 12
25k x 15

hit all target reps so a little heavier next week.

Dumbell Bench

20k x 12
25k x 10
30k x 8
32.5k x 8
35k x 8

struggled a little but not too much with the 35k bells. If I can get 10 reps with them next week I'll go heavier the week after. Should be able to, I think.

Incline Cable Flyes

10k x 15
15k x 12
20k x 10
15k x 12
10k x 15

heavier next time.

Decline Cable Press

25k x 12
30k x 12
35k x 12

last set should've been a dropset but I forgot...

Tricep Pushdown

17.5k x 15
21k x 12
17.5k x 12

Overhead Cable Extensions

21k x 12
24.5k x 10
21k x 12

and we're done. Not a bad little workout, still getting the feel for it.

[robertscott]

back

straight arm pulldown

10k x 15
15k x 12
10k x 10

pulldown

42k x 8
49k x 8
56k x 8
35k x 12

started a little too heavy which through me off. Will start with the 35k next time and do a typical rep pyramid getting heavier

chest supported row

40k x 15
60k x 12
80k x 10
60k x 12
40k x 15

I like the chest supported row at my new gym, although the fact it's plate loaded is a bit of a pain in the arse.

Prone Ys

2k x 15
3k x 15
4k x 15

Reverse Pec Dec

20k x 12
25k x 10
20k x 12

Cable Curls

5k x 12
7.5k x 10
10k x 8

Hammer Curls

10k x 8
12.5k x 8
10k x 8

Done. Forgot to do my "bob pulldown" which is a pulldown with a 45 degree backward lean using the tricep rope. Other than that, good workout

[robertscott]

first leg workout in forever

Leg Press

2pps x 20
3pps x 15
4pps x 12
2pps x 20

Hip Extension Machine

25k x 20
35k x 15
45k x 12

considering it's supposed to be a hip extension machine, I really only feel it in my quads... Not sure if I'll keep this in tbh

Leg Curls

35k x 12
45k x 10
55k x 8

Front Squats

40k x 10
50k x 8
40k x 10

felt a slight twinge in my back on the second set at 40k. Nothing set ending or anything but definitely something to be aware of. I dunno. I think I'll just keep the weight at 30k next week and try and get more reps. I think the problem was that as I fatigued I wasn't controlling the weight as much and was sort of dive-bombing the reps. Got to be conscious of that from now on.

Anyway the first leg workout of 2014 (seriously, I've been very slack indeed) could have been a lot worse. Should have trained abs too but meh. Maybe next time.

[robertscott]

Shoulders

Reverse Pec Dec

25k x 12
30k x 10
35k x 10
40k x 10
45k x 10
50k x 8

Rear Delt Flye

6k x 30
8k x 20
6k x 30

Laterals, dropsets

6k x 15, 3k x 8
8k x 10, 3k x 8
6k x 15, 3k x 8

three sets of BTB cable laterals but they just don't feel right on my shoulders so I'll not do them again

Machine Shoulder Press

25k x 15
30k x 12
35k x 10
40k x 8

Face Pulls

12.5k x 12
15k x 10
12.5k x 12

done. Ok workout this. Really like the reverse pec dec but I'm annoyed the cable laterals didn't work. Need another lateral delt exercise but I can't think of one. Oh well.

[robertscott]

arms

Pushdowns/Reverse Cable Curls

15k x 15/12.5k x 12
17.5k x 12/15k x 10
21k x 10/17.5k x 8
24k x 8/21k x 8

Reverse Grip Pushdown/Cable Curls (both unilateral)

6.25k x 10/6.25k x 10
9.75k x 8/9.75k x 8
6.25k x 12/6.25k x 10

the weights on that stack are weird

Overhead Cable Extensions/Hammer Curls

21k x 15/10k x 10
24k x 12/12.5k x 10
27k x 10 then a drop set down the stack/10k x 10

PJRs/EZ Curls

20k x 15/20k x 10
25k x 12/25k x 8
20k x 15/20k x 10

what does an EZ bar weigh? I'm not counting the weight of the bar here

And we're done. Arms are all pumped and awesome feeling

[robertscott]

Chest

Pec Dec

30k x 15
40k x 12
50k x 10
40k x 12
30k x 15

Dumbell Bench

20k x 12
25k x 10
30k x 8
32.5k x 8
35k x 12

dominated the 35k bells so heavier next time.

Incline Cable Flyes

15k x 12
20k x 10
25k x 8
20k x 10
15k x 12

Decline Cable Press

35k x 12
42k x 10
35k x 12

Pushdowns - 3 sets

Overhead Cable Extensions - 3 sets

didn't push the boat out too much with the triceps work as they're still a little sore from Saturday. Mostly just got a good pump in them.

And we're done. Happy enough with the workout. Hopefully in a month or so my strength on the dumbell bench'll be more or less what it used to be. If memory serves, I was using 44k bells for 8 reps. Will be happy to get back to that.

[robertscott]

back in black

Straight Arm Pulldowns

10k x 15
15k x 12
20k x 10

will go 15k, 20k, 15k next time

Pulldowns

35k x 12
42k x 10
49k x 8
35k x 12

expected to be stronger on this than I was. Hmmm.

Chest Supported Row

40k x 15
60k x 12
80k x 10
100k x 8

I can see myself making good progress on these. Got the groove of the technique a little better now; gripping the handles a little further up allows for more of a stretch at the bottom of each rep which makes it a little spicier.

Prone Ys

3k x 15
5k x 12
3k x 15

man you feel like a pus.$y using 3k dumbells but ho hum.

Reverse Pec Dec

30k x 12
35k x 12
40k x 12

changed up my technique on this after seeing a demonstration by Shelby Starnes. Turns out my form wasn't good, but it is now, so that's ok.

Cable Curls

7.5k x 12
10k x 10
7.5k x 12

just a smidge of biceps work to finish.

Done. Should've done another biceps exercise at the end but I couldn't be arsed. Not a bad workout, all in all.

Legs tomorrow. Dreading it. Back's been hurting since I tweaked it on front squats last week so I'm not sure how I'll structure tomorrow yet...

[robertscott]

Legs

Leg Press

2pps x 20
3pps x 15
4pps x 12
5pps x 8

will keep weights the same and strive for more reps

Step Ups

10k x 8 x 3

god damn this was harder than I expected. Felt like a total pus.$y only using 10k but it was more than enough. I'll blame it on the fact my legs were knackered after the leg press.

Leg Curls

35k x 12
45k x 10
55k x 8

heavier next time

Hanging Leg Raise/Cable Crunch

8/some
8/some
8/none

back felt a little funny after the cable crunches so I think instead of doing these as a superset I'll do one then the other

And we're done. Didn't do front squats because my back's been giving me gyp. Was supposed to do leg extensions instead but I forgot

[robertscott]

shoulders

Reverse Pec Dec

35k x 12
40k x 12
45k x 12
50k x 10
55k x 10
60k x 8
65k x 8

I may have the reps a bit wrong for some of those sets, but I think that's right. Strength is coming fast on this and I ended up doing way more sets than I'd planned. Will start at 45k next time.

Rear Delt Fly

6k x 30
8k x 30
6k x 30

heavier dumbells next time. 30 reps for all three sets is good.

Laterals dropsets

6k x 20, 3k x 10
8k x 15, 6k x 8, 3k x 8
6k x 20, 3k x 10

heavier next time

SHIP

20k x 12
30k x 12
40k x 10

this was murder with all my stabilising muscles struggling to work. Feels good though to do a press and really feel it in your entire shoulder. Very happy with the inclusion of this exercise.

And we're done. Shoulders feel absolutely trashed, but no pain or anything so very happy with how today went.

Dammit! Just realised I was supposed to do face pulls. Oops. Still a good workout though.

[robertscott]

Arms. Did pretty much all the exercises on the cable stack with the weird weights

Pushdowns/Reverse Cable Curl - 3 sets
Reverse Pushdowns/Cable Curls - 3 sets
Hammer Curls/Overhead Cable Extensions - 4 sets
PJR Pullovers/EZ Curls - 3 sets

can't be bothered to list weights. Cliff notes were I was strong on the hammers and overheads. Nothing else too remarkable but it was a good workout all in all.