Derek's Journal Bitch!

[Derek0783]

Okay, I think it's time to start a journal. Hmm...where to start? I'll start with some background information on where i'm at right now. I'm 21 and have been out of high school for a 3 years. I've lifted weights all throughout highschool in what you would call a bodybuilding fashion. I never took it as a main priority nor did I do a great deal of research on the subject. I knew more than the average guy, but not as much as the average weightlifter who was serious about the sport. I would often find end up in an overtrained state without even realizing it, but because I was younger, I would still be able to make gains. I would have to say the strongest period of my life was when I was 17 and took working out as one of my main priorities for about 5 months. Well, since my priorities weren't exactly on que back then, working out fell in inbetween smoking weed and drinking...literally. My friends and I would smoke a blunt in the LA fitness parking lot, then go in and hit the weights for an hour or so, then go home and get drunk. Although my habits were bad for weight lifting, I was able to make very good gains during this 5 month or so period.

I'm a short guy at 5'3", but at 17, I had a body weight of 135 and was benching 250 while smoking weed everyday and getting drunk every weekend. This is an accomplishment considering I didn't know **** about lifting weights and had a diet of Taco Bell fast food and NitroTech Protein Shakes.

Since 17, it's been a lot of off and on working out...or as I would now call it a lot of off and on overtraining. Even though for the past few years, I had gained a wealth of knowledge on how to properly bodybuild, I had gym partners who knew very little, and had to compromise my workouts due to staying on the same regiments as them.

Well, about 6 months ago I became very serious about eating healthy. And for six months I have been very good about how I eat. Then, about a month ago, I decided to take lifting weights just as serious as my nutrition.

Well, I decided to take more of a powerlifting approach to my working out and did my research. I developed a good regiment for a beginners level approach to powerlifting with a little mass gaining twist.

I began 4 weeks ago. My squat went from 225x8 on week 1 to 285x8 on week 4. Unfortunately I haven't kept a log of my exact progress so I don't know the exact numbers inbetween nor do I know the exact sets or reps for any of the other exercises.


Well, I caught a cold at the end of the fourth week so this will give me a chance to start fresh when I get back to the gym. I will start logging my reps, sets, and weight.

I want to achieve my goal weight in 15 weeks from my start date which will start when I recover 100% from this cold + 1 extra week. This will probably be the first monday after 2 weeks from the day of this post.

I believe my body weight as of today is 135.
I believe my bench as of today is 170x8 (considering I don't have a cold)
I believe my squat as of today is 285x8(considering I don't have a cold)
I don't know what my Deadlift is. All I know is that its very low.


Goal Weight in 15 weeks-

Body Weight: 145lbs lean.
Bench: 250x5
Squat: 400x5
Deadlift: I don't know what a good deadlift is for my weight yet.


Well, till then........

[Darracq]

Here is some advice, First i am 37 and i did exactly like you and would lift for a few months then quit for 4 or 5. I did that from 16 years old untill last October, Pretty much wasted, 20 years of lifting. I could kick myself in the ass for that.

Just keep lifting and never stop, Keep changing you routiens when they quit working, Dont be in a hurry to get big gains sometimes it takes a long time to increase. DONT do what i did and waste 20 years.

[RiNgMaSteR]

Post your program so we can see what your doing.

[Derek0783]

The Routine


Due to the fact that 4 weeks into Powerlifting for the first time, I came down with a cold(which are usually very rare for me) and feel like I fried my CNS and show definite signs of overtraining, I've put together a training schedule that may just allow me to easily transition from a typical bodybuilding style of weight lifting to a powerlifting/building routine without the risk of aimlessly wondering into a state of being overtrained and/or frying every system in my body. I basically took a beginner's 5x5 powerlifting regiment from "http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/plbegin.htm" and simply added more reps per compound exercise, switched around a couple exercises, and gradually lowered the reps week by week until week 5 where i'm finally doing 5x5s on the compound movements. I expect this routine to not only increase my strength, but add some significant size in 5 weeks.

The routine consists of 3 lifting days per week(Mon, Wed, Fri) with one day of rest inbetween workouts and two days rest on Saturday and Sunday. Squat/Legs on Monday, Bench/Chest/Tris on Wed, and Deadlift/Back/Bi"s on Friday.

I will give general comments on my Diet, I"m not going indepth as to calories per meal and protein/carbs/fat ratios.

I will incorporate 1 hour of leg stretching everyday. Post Workout 30min. and Before I go to sleep 30min.
I will not have a "Shoulder's Day" for this 6 Week Cycle, but, I will do light shoulder rehab/stabilization exercises on Thursdays and Saturdays(Some of the exercises can be found in this article http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis4.htm). Cardio will not be a part of my workout routine, but I'm going to predict about 2-3 hours of cardio per weekend from playing football or basketball or something which I do often. But, i'm really going to try to avoid as much running as possible. I don't know what my bodyweight is and I don't know what kind of weight I'm going to working out with yet. I'll find out on my first day of lifting.

Since this will be the first time I'll be doing deadlifts in a routine, I am not going to make a goal because I don't know how much I should be going up in that exercise.

Short term goal

1-5weeks
increase bench 25lbs
increase squat 50lbs

I am confident that if I don't fall victim to another fukkin cold, and eat like a fukkin monster....a healthy monster, I'll achieve this goal.


Long term goal

1-5 weeks
increase bench 25lbs
increase Squat 50lbs

6-7 weeks
shoulder rehab/rest

8-13 weeks
increase bench 25lbs
increase squat 50lbs

14-15 weeks
shoulder rehab/rest

16-21 weeks
increase bench 25lbs
increase squat 50lbs

Etc..............




Week 1

Monday@75%

Squats..........1X12, 2X10, 3X10, 4X10, 5X8

Leg Ext.........1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Ham Raises...1X10, 2X10, 3X10

Calf Raises....1X10, 2X10, 3X8


Wednesday@75%

Bench...........1X12, 2X10, 3X10, 4X10, 5X8

CG Bench......1X10, 2X10, 3X10

Tricep PD.......1X10, 2X10



Friday@75%

Deadlift...........1X12, 2X10, 3X10, 4X10, 5X8

Barbell Rows...1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Rows...............1X10, 2X10

Pullups............1X10, 2X10

Curls................1X10, 2X10, 3X8





Week 2

Monday@85%

Squats.........1X10, 2X10, 3X8, 4X8, 5X8

Leg Ext........1X10, 2X8, 3X8

Ham Raises..1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Calf Raises...1X10, 2X8, 3X8



Wednesday@85%

Bench...............1X10, 2X10, 3X8, 4X8, 5X8

CGB..................1X10, 2X8, 3X8

Weighted Dips..1X10, 2X10




Friday@85%

Deadlift.....1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Shrugs......1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Pullups......1X10, 2X10

Curls.........1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Hyperext...1X12, 2X12






Week 3

Monday@75%

Squats........1X10, 2X8, 3X8, 4X6, 5X6

Leg Ext........1X10, 2X8, 3X6

Ham Raises..1X10, 2X8, 3X8

Calf Raises...1X10, 2X8, 3X6



Wednesday@75%

Bench.........1X10, 2X8, 3X8, 4X6, 5X6

CGB............1X10, 2X8, 3X6

Tricep PDs...1X10, 2X10




Friday@75%

Deadlift............1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Barbell Rows....1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Pullups.............1X10, 2X10

Curls.................1X10, 2X10, 3X8

Good Mornings..1X10, 2X10








Week 4

Monday@85%

Squats.........1X10, 2X8, 3X6, 4X4, 5X8

Leg Ext.........1X10, 2X8, 3X8

Ham Raises...1X10, 2X10, 3X10

Calf Raises....1X10, 2X8, 3X8



Wednesday@85%

Bench................1X10, 2X8, 3X6, 4X5, 5X6

CGB...................1X8, 2X8, 3X6

Weighted Dips...1X10, 2X10



Friday@85%

Deadlifts.....1X10, 2X8, 3X6, 4X6, 5X8

Shrugs........1X10, 2X8, 3X6

Rows...........1X8, 2X6

Pullups........1X10, 2X10

Curls............1X10, 2X8, 3X6






Week 5

Monday@90%

Squats..........1X5, 2x5, 3x5, 4X5, 5X5

Leg Ext..........1X8, 2X8, 3X8

Ham Raises....1X8, 2X8, 3X8

Calf Raises.....1X8, 2Xfailure, 3XFailure



Wednesday@90%

Bench..............1X5, 2X5, 3X5, 4X5, 5X5

CGB..................1X5, 2X5, 3X5

Tricep PDs.........1X8, 2X8

Weighted Dips...1X6, 2X6



Friday@90%

Deadlift............1X5, 2X5, 3X5, 4X5, 5X5

Barbell Rows....1X8, 2X5, 3X5

Pullups.............1X10, 2X10

Curls.................1X10, 2X5, 3X5

Hyperext...........1X12, 2X12





Week 6

Monday
Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Rehab/Stabilization
Tuesday
Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Rehab/Stabilization
Thursday
Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Rehab/Stabilization
Friday
Shoulder/Rotator Cuff Rehab/Stabilization



Week 7

REST