Peter Parker Weightlifting Journal

[Lifeforce]

You should only train each body part (except calves, abs and forearms) once a week.

Chest, back and legs are major groups focus around 10 sets
Most of the others around 4-6 sets.

IMO db squats and deadlifts are a waste of time I have not tried them so I may be wrong but I cannot believe they will be more effective than barbell ones. If it's possible do barbell rows or T-bar rows as people has recommended me. Pull-ups/chin ups if you are not strong enough is a must for your lats. The general thing you should aim for is more compound exercises instead of exotic ones. Base your workouts around these and you'll grow:

Deadlift (barbell)
Squat (barbell)
Stiff leg deadlifts with straight back (barbell)
Pull-ups/pull downs
Bench Press (barbell + db)
Shrugs (barbell or db)
Bicep curl (barbell)
Skull Crushers
Dips+weight
Bent over rows <- I have not done much
Military Press (barbell)
Standing calves raise
Forearm curls (standing behind back preferred because less stress on joints at least for me)
Leg lifts & weigthed sit ups


You are doing a little too many sets, when the fatique of the workout sets in you should have finisherd your workout because you will no longer stay at max. Try to keep your workouts in an hour (not including warmup and stretching)

If you do not gain then the first thing you should look into is your diet. Do you eat enough?

 

[gav]

good luck man

you're about the same weight as me and we're both going for a pure bulk. let's see who makes it to 175 first

 

[Peter Parker]

Yah the Db deadlifts do kinda feel like a waste of time because the weight to light and I don’t have the grip to hold more weight.

I’ll add these to my repertoire

Stiff leg deadlifts with straight back (barbell)
Pull-ups/pull downs
Dips+weight
Military Press (barbell)
Leg lifts & weigthed sit ups

Wednesday I’ll keep my session at the gym under an hour and see how things feel. It’s not my diet, every three hours the kitchen gets raided.

Gav your deadlifts are insane man. Yah I can’t wait till 175lbs, next summer is going to be crazy.

 

[Lifeforce]

Just try to keep yourself around an hour, you must work enough to grow but not too much. Just when that fatique sets in you know it's time to stop.

Just some notes to the exercises:

Stiff leg deadlifts: Make sure you do this with good form, work on the form so you get it, it's a dangerous exercise and many say not to put on too much weight on it. I do just because it is effective.

Pull-ups, hold your hands just a little bit wider than your shoulders, NOT more, some people will do this with 45° angle of the arms, this is wrong and can hurt your shoulders.

Military Press: Do them standing, sitting down will not enable the gluteus muscle to stabilize. When you do it standing do it in front of the neck. Flex your ass and your abs to gain stability and start pumping.

Leg lifts: attach to machine for greater effect. See here: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/CBLyingStraightLegHipRaise.html

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by Peter Parker
WTF are u talking about. I am doing 3 sets for each exercise for my major compound movements. Are you saying I shouldn’t do more then 6 sets for a big muscle group like the chest.

Calf Raises 260lbs 6 sets

do you really mean 6 sets, or 6 reps? Meaning, do you do a bunch of calf raises, take a break, then go back 5 more times like that?

6 sets for a major muscle group, sure. but not the same excercise especially one that is so isolated.

Originally posted by Lifeforce
IMO db squats and deadlifts are a waste of time I have not tried them so I may be wrong but I cannot believe they will be more effective than barbell ones.

with squats and deadlifts using dbs as opposed to bbs should result in any differences because the weight is just hanging from your arms. the effect it has on your legs should be the same. db presses are different than bb presses because you isolate the muscle more (stabalizers) since it is less stable.

 

[Nightwing]

bad training

Man, Youre doing WAY too many sets. Get some basic exercises like squats, curls, and bench press and go 80% of your max for only one set. One set (contrary to popular belief) of 5-8 reps to muscle failure is more than enough to stimulate muscle growth. If you want to get a real understanding of how to weight train properly, get a book titled The New High Intensity Training
Most of the things you read in bodybuilding mags are bullshyt.

 

[Double]

Lifeforce i'm wondering y u do pull ups with more than shoulder wide.......where did u get that information?did u purchase the skinnyguy program?
in every german bodybuilding forum i read was recommended CLOSE underhand chinups....because it emphasizes on the OUTER latissismus dorsi which will make u look bigger. just wondering

And i think bent over rows is a great excerise, hits many different muscles....i do them underhand too btw because it also trains the biceps and i have better grip

 

[Lifeforce]

I hang freely on the bar with pull-up grip. That's about shoulder width, just half a hand wider. It's the most comfortable. I want to add mass, not just look good. Close grip chin ups feels like my arms does most of the job. Pull-ups feel much more in the lats.

No I haven't purchased anything I go with my experience and DIESELs guide and a little max OT.

 

[Peter Parker]

Here’s what I was up to last night at the gym. The place was packed at night I had to wait a couple times to use benches and weights. I significantly lowered my sets and it felt real good. After I left the gym I was energized instead of dog tired.

Warm up press sets

DB Bench press (each)

55lbs/25kg x 6
60lbs/27kg x 6
65lbs/30kg stalled (failed twice with 130lbs, I just couldn’t lift it I wonder how much of it was psychological, very disappointed)

Incline Bench Press
60lbs/27kg x 6
60lbs/27kg x 6
( I need to work on my form the weight was significantly less but my wrist were hurting, I have to get use to the barbell and that bench.)

Hammer Curl
25lbs/11kg x 6
30lbs/ 14kg x 6

Bicep Curl EZ bar
20lbs/9kg x 6
25lbs/11kg x 6
30lbs/14kg x 5

 

[gav]

chest and biceps for you yeh?

is there no barbell you can use to bench press?
anyway, is that for real? two 27kg dumbells for your bench press? that's great man. i think you could do more if you used a barbell though

when you say the number of reps was 6, does that mean you are failing at the 6th rep? Or are you just choosing to stop on the 6th?

i'd suggest putting in some decline bench presses as well as incline

 

[Peter Parker]

Yah that was my chest and bicep day, I don’t use barbell cause I’m intimidated with out a spotter when increasing weight. When I get to six reps I just stop but I’m usually pretty close to failing.

Here’s what I did last Saturday roughly
The first time I didn’t write it down, I guess I was looking forward to my week off.


First warm up squats

Squat
150lbs x 6
150lbs x 6
170lbs x 6
(really good set considering my form was near perfect as oppose too going 2/3rds down and shaking)

Leg presses
360lbs x 6
450lbs x 6


Arnold DB Press
35lbs x 6
40lbs x 6

Standing Military Barbell Press
35lbs x 6
40lbs x 5

Calf Raises
260lbs x 6 reps 3 sets

After that workout I weighed myself and check in at 164.2lbs
- 2 for a food in stomach
- 1 for clothes

161.2lbs feeling pretty good right now and can’t wait to get back on Monday. My rest week isn’t going to well because I got this job as a mover for now and my body is aching. I need the cash but I’ll only work one more day this week if I can help it.

 

[Nightwing]

Eliminate multiple sets and do one set of each exercise to musclar failure.

 

[Peter Parker]

Aahhhhhhhh feels so good to be back in the gym.

Man that week off felt like it would never end. I’m so excited about the next three weeks coming up in the gym. I have this feeling I’m going to see gains like 2 to 3 pounds a week like when I first started. Plus I have a lot more different exercises to make gains. I’m going to a much better job on my abs this time, with exercise like leg lifts and cable crunch instead of just doing crunches. On days that I train I’m gonna stuff my face a lot more then before. On days I train its either going to be 4 half chicken breast or hell of a lot of extra lean ground beef. If im feeling lazy which I won’t then I’ll use my bread and butter tuna. My family and friends are going to freak when I go back home for Christmas.


I’m follow Diesel guide so my first week back I’m going light. Next week I’m going to destroy my maxes

Today

Bench warm up

DB Bench
25lbs x 8
40lbs x 6
50lbs x 6

Decline Bench
50lbs x 6
60lbs x 6

Hammer Curl
10lbs x 8
20lbs x 6

EZ Bar Biceps Curl
20lbs x 6
25lbs x 6

Cable Crunch
70lbs x 15
90lbs x 15

Calf Raises
140lbs x 15
160lbs x 15
180lbs x 15

Forearm curl
5lbs x 15
5lbs x 15

 

[Lifeforce]

Haha, I know that feeling. I feel it right now, loonging to get to the gym. :]

Your lifts look good. But I am wondering over your forearmcurls. Do they really make your forearms sour like hell? I mean I use 70 lbs on them and I see others doing way more than me. Have you tried doing them a little heavier?

And one more thing do your abs get fully worked out with only 2 sets? IMO you have found the two best exercises for the abs. Especially if you do leg raises attached to cable machine!

Going back home... OHhhh.. IT's the HULK! Call the police... no wait... it's peter parker.. you look... fantastic! :]

 

[Peter Parker]

My forearms are the one area of my body that I’m insecure about. I’m sure their not that small but my obsessing over the years has convinced me as such. If I do a lot of reps like 15 with the overhand wrist curl at 5lbs they get a little sour. I’ve tried with 15lbs but that’s back when I was trying to do 10sets and 15 reps. Yah I’ll start drastically increasing the weight now with only two sets. In regards to my abs that 90lbs felt pretty good but I’d add another set if it would be advantageous.

Here’s what happened on Wednesday


Squat warm up


Squat
150lbs x 6
170lbs x 6 ( I have no patience, this is my max with proper form)
I love that feeling after a heavy squat, it’s more intense then any other lift I think.

Leg Press
45lbs x 6 x 8reps
45lbs x 8 x 8reps

Arnold Press
30lbs x 8
35lbs x 8

Standing Military Barbell Press
30lbs x 7
35lbs x 6

hit my maxes for my shoulder too

Leg Extensions
140 x 6
150 x 6

Next day Back, traps and triceps
Also Friday is my new official weight day, stay tuned.

 

[Peter Parker]

Last Friday

forget Desieals guide! How I’m I not supposed to challenge my maxes after being a week off

Dealift warm up

Deadlifts
180lbs x 6
190 x 4
200 x 3

Triceps dips
X 6
X 6

Bent over long bar row
50lbs x 6
75lbs x 6

Triceps Extensions
30lbs x 6 (bad form on both sets too heavy)
30lbs x 4

Triceps Pulldowns
70lbs x 6
80lbs x 6

DB Shrugs
40lbs x 10
50lbs x 10 (how many repetitions for shrugs)

Lat pulldown
90lbs x 6
100lbs x 8

Standing Calf
180lbs x 15
200lbs x 15
200lbs x 15

overhand wrist curls
15lbs x 10
15lbs x 12

Cable Crunch abs
90lbs x 15
100lbs x 15
120lbs x 8

too much???????
I was going to cut 2-3 exercises out but I couldn’t resist

Weight in at 164.8
- 2 stomach
- 1 clothes

162.8

 

[S0LID]

Whats ya stats looking like now?

 

[Danny21682]

Are you Spider-Man?