onelife's training journal

[onelife]

Monday 27/6/05

weight: 66kg
height: 180cm

legs

squats: 3x6/8-20kg
leg curl: 3x6/8-45kg
calf raise: 3x6/8-40kg
leg press: 3x8-80kg
lying leg curls: 3x6/8-40kg

started taking creatin and whey today.

still haven't got the hang of squat's so was advised to use the smith machine by one of the gym staff..

 

[onelife]

Tuesday 28/6/05

bicep/tricep/abs

bench press: 3x8-50kg
bicep curls (dumbells): 3x8-10kg
overhead tricep extensions: 3x8-40kg
bicept curls (barbell): 3x8-15kg
tricep pulldowns: 3x8-45kg
preacher curls: 3x8-20kg
skullcrushers: 3x6-15kg
reverse incline situps: 3x8
leg pullups: 3x8

need to refine this workout, doing to many exercises.

 

[onelife]

Wednesday 29/6/05

shoulders/chest/abs

bench press: 3x8-40kg
incline bench press: 3x8-25kg
dumbell fly's: 3x8-12kg
upright row: 3x8-35kg
military press: 3x8-20kg
lat pulldowns: 3x8-45kg
lat raise: 3x8-6kg
situps: 3x8-5kg
leg pullups: 3x8

not sure how effective my training routine is atm, i need to find a 4/5 day split that will really push me.
dont want to waste the creatine im taking
friend want to do legs tomorrow, is there anything else i need to do before i go back to legs?

 

[semag]

If I were to make a suggestion buddy, I'd say lower the volume... a lot.

For example, for a leg day, I'd say do 2 heavy sets of squats (after a warmup) and then a 20 rep set.

Then 3 sets of 5-8 SLDL (stiff leg deads).

2 sets calves. You're done.

Also dude... if you're a hardgainer, ecto type of body, which it looks like from your weight, you're gonna wanna cut down to like 3 days a week in the gym at most.

But dude, seriously, flat bench, incline, flies, upright row, military press, lat raise... can you say Delt overtraining....

 

[onelife]

i agree with you, i am doing to many exercises.
the thing is although i am using weights that are heavy enough to limit me to sets of 3x6/8 before fatigue sets in i just dont feel like i have worked enough and my muscles, while tired, arent really sore..
i really want to gain mass and have invested $150 into supplements so im keen to get as much out of my training as i can.

 

[onelife]

Thursday 29/6/05

legs

squats: 3x8-35kg
calf raises: 3x8-35kg
lunges: 30-6kg
lying leg curls: 3x8-40kg

getting better at squats, raised the weight 15kg today and still maintained form.
lowered calf raise weight as i wasnt using proper technique, felt much better

damn there's some sexy chicks at the gym, i know there not what where there for but it sure doesnt hurt to have some instant motivation :woo:

 

[semag]

replace those leg curls with SLDL!!!!

 

[onelife]

**** i totally missed that one
just checked out http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html
so will be ready to do it next time.
would it be best to do SLDL straight after squats or towards the end of the session?

 

[semag]

Up to you.... I'd say probably after the lunges, but that's just me.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by onelife
**** i totally missed that one
just checked out http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBStiffLegDeadlift.html
so will be ready to do it next time.
would it be best to do SLDL straight after squats or towards the end of the session?

If you can do anything other after squats than gasp for air and thank God for surviving the ordeal then you're not training hard enough.

(and if you insist on training this way, then keep squats last - reason being that none of your other leg exercises should be too taxing and so you should squat at a good efficiency after them, but not the other way around)

 

[onelife]

and if you insist on training this way

nothing i am doing is set in concret yet, im trying to find the best workout i can to build muscle FAST.

This week has kind of been a trial run but by next Monday i want to have a solid routine to follow. If you guy's could help me sculpt this or point me towards a good one that would be a HUGE help

I go to the gym with a friend who has kind of been showing me the ropes but the way he trains is really inconsistant. Tomorrow he want's us to do an 'isolation day' but from what i have seen on here i am better of just sticking to stuff like squats, benchpress, deadlifts ect..
to be honest im ****ing lost.. there is so much conflicting information when it comes to bodybuilding.. i need to cut through some of the crap.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Intensity is the key, plus diet.

I could tell you what I think builds muscle fast but I'm getting slated for my opinion around here, plus it won't work if you go into it half-heartedly.

If you want me to elaborate I will, but only if you're going to listen.

 

[onelife]

please do, share your knowledge

 

[semag]

Listen to alex....

If you listen to us, you'll be on a low volume, high weight, low rep routine, and be bustin your balls with intensity.

You don't like SLDL after squats alex?? I know for me personally, I can't push my body as hard as my training buddy, for example. My form goes to crap before I can crank out like 4-5 more reps that would make me puke, so I can do an intense session of squats, but I still have enough to do SLDL afterwards. I like the SLDL after, because they stretch your hammies out and such.

 

[onelife]

Friday 1/7/05

bicep/tricep/abs

benchpress: 3x8-40
tricep kickbacks: 3x8-6kg
preacher curls: 3x8-25kg
skulcrushers: 3x8-25kg
dips: 3x8
reverse incline situp: 3x8-5kg
leg pullups: 3x15

really good workout today, took creatine before workout and it really helped me punch out the sets. I have been focusing on my breathing and slowing the sets down which is really helping.
Last day of creatine loading today, think i'd best take the weekend off, maybe a bit of light cardio tomorrow.

 

[onelife]

Saterday 2/6/05

legs

squats: 3x8-20kg
hack squat 3x8-30kg
calf raise: 3x8-200p
leg press: 3x8-70kg

holy ****! i see what warboss alex meant about the squats, i was more spent after those then i have ever been. actually broke out in a sweat for the first time. felt ****ing great.

doh! i forgot to do the stiff leg dead's
again

 

[MindOverMatter]

If you can do anything other after squats than gasp for air and thank God for surviving the ordeal then you're not training hard enough.

Not necesserily. It could mean your diet is giving you an insufficient amount of carbohydrates and your body doesn't have enough energy when you work out. From my other post:

Carbohydrates convert to Glycogen. Glycogen is the primary creator of your body's MAIN energy source: Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP). If you are eating low carb, your ATP levels will be low, and as a result you will have weaker workouts then you would if you ate the proper amount of carbs.

I train under HIT philosophies which means I do:

-few sets
-heavy weights
-slow controlled reps
-perfect form
-each set to failure
-forced reps / half-reps, etc

After my 3 sets of squats, I still do 2 sets of SLDLs, 2 sets of hack squats (with toes pointed outside) and 2 sets of calf raises. All of these are to failure, with forced reps with the help of my partner.

Now, one of my buddies who's my main spotter is a competitive powerlifter. He trains squats/deadlifts/bench press in one workout, and uses a lot more sets then I do.

My point is, if you eat properly, you can train with a higher intensity then you could with a crappy diet.

 

[onelife]

what do you mean by forced reps and half reps MindOverMatter?
would that be where, say you where going for 8 reps and you only got to 7 1/2?

 

[MindOverMatter]

Hey bro.

Forced reps are the reps you do after you've reached failure. They're usually done with the help of your partner (for example say you're benching and you hit failure, you do a few reps with your partner helping you bring the weight up)..

You can also do forced reps without a partner. That's when you reach failure, and instead of putting the weight down, you rest 5-10 secs, then do another rep...then rest another 5-10 secs, then do another rep. This will completly exhaust your muscles. For example say you're doing bicep curls. You reach failure, and then you bring the weight down, wait 5-10 secs, then do another rep...then wait 5-10 secs, and try another rep. Eventually you wont be able to do anymore.

Don't do forced reps without a spotter on exercises that you need a spotter on (bench press, squats,military press, basically all the exercises where you use heavy heavy compound movements)

Half-reps are also another way of going past the failure. Say you're doing weighted chin ups and you go all the way down and back up on each rep. You reach failure on 8th rep. Instead of stopping, you do as many half reps as you can where you don't go all the way down (i.e. you don't fully strengthen out your arms)

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by semag
You don't like SLDL after squats alex?? I know for me personally, I can't push my body as hard as my training buddy, for example.

Leg workout tends to go something like Calves-Hamstrings-Quads (in that order), but I don't squat on the day SLDLs.

I train DC as you know, I do free squats, hack squats and leg press as my quad exercises - I do SLDLs the same day I do leg press, with the SLDLs first; personal choice because I go with the widowmaker style leg training, but if you're not bothered about leg size then you could do a straight set of 10-12 for your leg press and then do SLDLs. Just the way I do it.

In my earlier days I always did squats and deadlifts first but now always leave them last - say you're doing back/biceps. You should be able to deadlift at near peak-efficiency after a bicep curl, but definitely not the other way around!