My first workout journal: Gonna Get Huge

[CallMeSuperman]

Where to start... My name is Sean, I just got into bodybuilding in Feb. of 2008. In September 2007 I weighed in at 140lbs. Yesterday 06AUG2008 I weighed in at 166lbs.

In February when I started I knew absolutely nothing about bodybuilding, eating right, and I definetely knew nothing about form. I was doing full body workouts 3-4 and sometimes even 5 days a week. As most of you should know I would've needed to be shooting up a lot of juice to not overtrain and even then that might not be enough. Needless to say after a couple weeks of that I had no motivation and definetely no energy to go hit the gym and to top it off I had a horrible cold, (Keep in mind that I am in Afghanistan, it does get cold in the winter, but it was definetely not cold by the end of FEB).
If that wasn't enough I was smoking anywere from 1 to 2 packs of newports a day. Lovely huh? Luckily for me the mail truck would park right in front of the tent I was working in at the time and during one of my many smoke breaks I walked outside and the mail truck was sitting right infront of me, as always, but this time a box caught my eye. On the side of the box it said "bodybuilding.com". I work with communications so all I do for 8-12 hours a day is sit at a computer waiting for someone else's computer to mess up so I can fix it or just sit around wishing I had something to do. After getting my lungs filled up with nicotine/tar/cancer/waste of money/bad tasting freshness
I walked inside, punched in bodybuilding.com into my web browser and to my surprise it was not blocked. Everything is blocked on these military computers, It's so bad that you can get into your hotmail account, but when you try to hit the log out button it says "websense has blocked..." blah blah blah it gets very annoying. Luckily it wasn't blocked and that began a whole new addiction for me. I learned about form, dieting (still a weak point), proper training and rest, and supplements. And yes, I was that guy that walked into GNC and the first thing I saw that said "For Mass" or "Get Big" was going home with me. I had worked out some in the states, but my post workout shake was a 40oz of Old E and a cigarette, and I was still wondering why I couldn't grow. Anyways, I started reading anything and everything I could about bodybuilding and with the results I'm seeing now it was not in vain....

After I had been reading for a couple of weeks. I started Derek Charlebois's chest hypertropy program. I hit that for a couple weeks and saw great results and after that I started a 12 week program that I got out of muscle and fitness. As of yesterday 06AUG2008 I started week 7.

Accomplishments:
1) Quit smoking
2) In Feb. I benched 135lbs for 6 reps, last week I hit 195lbs for 7 reps.
3) In Feb. I squatted 115lbs for 10 reps, last week I hit 275lbs for 8 reps.
4) In Feb. My b/b rows were at 95lbs for 8 reps, yesterday I hit 155lbs for 8 reps.

With my military schedule I cannot stay on an exact routine, and rest days vary because of my everchanging schedule. Yesterday was Wednsday and I just started this weeks routine. I think I'm gonna go ahead and train through this week till next friday and my routine will be back on schedule. Mon-Fri Gym days Sat. & Sun. off.

As soon as I wake up I take about 30g of optimum whey protein, and Optimum Opti-Men multi-vitamin.

My pre-workout supplements are Muscle Juice 2544 cookies and cream weight gainer with 5g of optimum creatine. On days when I really don't feal like going to the gym I take a scoop on NO-Xplode.

My post-workout shake consists of Optimum whey protein about 30g, Optimum Casein protein about 15g, Optimum Creatine about 5g, and 5g of 4everfit glutamine.

Before bed I take about 25g of Optimum Casein protein and 5g of glutamine.

Usually I work out at about 9:00 or 10:00 PM depending on what is going on at work. I eat about 6 meals a day. Nine if you count the protein shakes. Breakfast is a shake, at about 12:00PM I eat lunch, about 2:00 or 3:00PM I eat a salad. At about 6:00 or 7:00PM I eat dinner and then about 8:30PM I have my pre-workout shake. And usually by 9:10pm I'm already hitting it hard in the gym. I will post my workout split later. Tell me what you guys think.

[f4k]

you've obviously come a long way in a short time, what do you hope to accomplish in this journal; what routine will you be using then to log?

[CallMeSuperman]

My goal is to gain as much mass as possible while still keeping my six pack, which has been working great for now. I would like to get up to about 185lbs and 7 or 8% bodyfat. (I was at 6% for about a month but once I got down that low I had very little energy at all) The mass gain plan I have been following is one that I got out of Muscle & Fitness. It is a 12 week program and I just started week 7 yesterday 06AUG2008. I havn't got to post my workout split, but I am going to try and do that tomorow, or maybe later on tonight if I have time. All my measurments are posted on my bodyspace and at the end of these 12 weeks I will measure everything again and post them up.

[Dnarts]

Cool brah. Where do you work out, and what's it like living in Afghanistan?

[CallMeSuperman]

Originally Posted by Dnarts

Cool brah. Where do you work out, and what's it like living in Afghanistan?

Living in Afghanistan sucks man. I was out in a really remote area for a long time and we didn't have anything there. No store, living in tents, our gym was in a tent, where we ate was in a tent and there was so much dust, on bad days the dust would be up to our knees. it sucked haha. Now I'm at a much bigger area and our gym here is pretty nice, I actually have cables and stuff now, so I can switch up my routine more.

[CallMeSuperman]

Today is the first day I have actually sat down to write about my daily workout routine and diet, I didn't really keep track of what I was eating today, but I will make sure that in tomorrow's posting I will keep track of what I am eating. I weighed myself right before I worked out, and I came out at 165.5, the same as yesterday.

Supplements were the same as I put in my first posting. Optimum whey protein right after I woke up along with Optimum multi-vitamin. My pre-workout shake consisted of Ultimate Nutrition Muscle Juice 2544 (that stuff is insanely sweet, almost to sweet to be taking 4 scoops of it, I will not buy it again) mixed with 5 grams of Optimum Nutrition's creatine. My post workout shake consisted of 1 scoop of Optimum Nutrition's whey protein, 3/4 of a scoop of Optimum's casein protein, 5 grams of Optimum's creatine powder, and 1 scoop of 4everfit glutamine (5 grams).

I started at 09:40PM and finished at 10:45PM. I felt pretty good going into the gym, a little tired, but it wasn't to bad. My rest time for squats and leg press were 2 min. For everything else I had 1 min. of rest. My workout went well this is what I did (weight x reps):
B/B = barbell D/B = Dumbbell
1) B/B Squats 135x10 245x8 255x8 275x8
2) Leg Press 310x10 310x10 310x10
3) Leg Extension 120x15 120x15 120x12
4) Deadlift 225x7 225x6 225x 4
5) Lying leg curl 120x12 120x6 110x9
6) Standing D/B calf raise 95x12 95x12 95x12
7) Seated calf raise 340x15 340x15 340x15

I need to get my body fat percentage measured again, I'm going to try to do it in the morning, but no promises. That's really about it for today. Tomorrow I will post up all the food I am taking in. If I am forgetting anything then please tell me or give me ideas on other stuff to put in here and make it a little more interesting.

[CallMeSuperman]

MY SPLIT: Weeks 1, 5 & 9

Excercise:_______________Sets/Reps:_________________Rest:

Special instructions:

1) On Friday when doing Incline B/B press Rest pause if needed.

Mon. Chest & Triceps
Bench press 4/6,6,8,8 2 min
Flat-bench D/B press 3/8 2 min
Incline D/B fly 3/8 2 min
Overhead triceps ext. w/ rope 3/12 -----
-superset with-
Lying triceps extension 3/10-12 1 min
Dip (bodyweight only) 3/to failure 1 min

Tues. Shoulders, Traps & Abs
Overhead B/B press 3/8 2 min
Upright row 3/10 1 min
D/B side lateral raise 3/12 1 min
Bent-over lateral raise 3/15 1 min
B/B shrug 3/8 2 min
D/B shrug 2/10 1 min
Hanging leg raise 3/to failure 1 min
Decline weighted crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Wed. Back & Biceps
Pull-up (bodyweight only) 3/to failure 1 min
Bent-Over B/B row 3/8 2 min
Seated cable row 3/10 1 min
Straight-arm pulldown 3/12 1 min
B/B curl 3/8 2 min
Preacher curl 3/10 1 min
Incline D/B curl 3/12 1 min

Thurs. Legs, Calves & Abs
B/B squat 3/8 2 min
Leg press 3/10 2 min
Lunge 3/12 1 min
Leg extension 3/15 1 min
Deadlift 3/10 1 min
Lying leg curl 3/15 1 min
Standing D/B calf raise 3/12 1 min
Seated calf raise 3/15 1 min
Reverse crunch 3/to failure 1 min
Cable crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Fri. Chest & Triceps
Low-cable crossover 3/12 -----
-superset with-
High-cable crossover 3/12 1 min
Incline B/B press 3/10 1 min
Decline push-up 2/to failure 1 min
Close-grip bench press 3/6,6,8 2 min
Pressdown (straight bar) 3/8 2 min
One-arm overhead D/B 3/8 2 min
Extension

Sat. OFF

Sun. OFF

MY SPLIT: Weeks 2, 6 & 10

Special Instructions:

1)On Friday when doing Overhead D/B press?s drop-set (when reaching failure reduce the weight and continue with the set)

Mon. Shoulders & Traps
Overhead B/B press 4/6,6,8,8 2 min
Upright row 3/8 1 min
D/B side lateral raise 3/8 1 min
Cable front raise 3/8 1 min
B/B shrug behind back 3/12 -----
-Superset with-
B/B shrug (front) 3/12 1 min

Tues. Back, Biceps & Abs
Pull-up (bodyweight only) 3/to failure 1 min
Bent-Over B/B row 3/8 2 min
Seated cable row 3/10 1 min
Straight-arm pulldown 3/12 1 min
B/B curl 3/8 2 min
Preacher curl 3/10 1 min
Incline D/B curl 3/12 1 min
Hanging leg raise 3/to failure 1 min
Decline weighted crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Wed. Chest & Triceps
Bench press 3/8 2 min
Incline D/B press 3/10 2 min
Incline D/B fly 3/12 1 min
Machine or pec-deck fly 3/15 1 min
Close-grip bench 3/8 2 min
Pressdown (rotate handle) 3/10 1 min
Lying triceps press 3/12 1 min
(skull crusher)

Thurs. Legs, Calves & Abs
B/B squat 3/8 2 min
Leg press 3/10 2 min
Lunge 3/12 1 min
Leg extension 3/15 1 min
Deadlift 3/10 1 min
Lying leg curl 3/15 1 min
Standing D/B calf raise 3/12 1 min
Seated calf raise 3/15 1 min
Reverse crunch 3/to failure 1 min
Cable crunch 3/to failure 1 min



Fri. Shoulders & Traps
Cable lateral raise 3/12 -----
-superset with-
Cable bent-over lat raise 3/12 1 min
Overhead D/B press 3/12 1 min
Reverse machine fly 3/20 1 min
B/B shrug 4/6,6,8,8 2 min
D/B shrug 3/8 1 min

Sat. OFF

Sun. OFF

[CallMeSuperman]

MY SPLIT: Weeks 3, 7 & 11

Special Instructions:
1) For Monday drop set cable concentration curls (when reaching failure reduce the weight and continue to failure).

2) For Friday on seated cable rows Rest-Pause (when reaching failure rack the weight for 15 seconds then un-rack and finish the set).

3)For Friday on Lat Pulldowns Drop-set (when reaching failure reduce the weight and continue to failure).

Mon. Back & Biceps
Bent-over B/B row 4/6,6,8,8 2 min
Lat Pulldown 3/8 2 min
One-arm D/B row 3/8 2 min
Reverse-grip pulldown 3/8 2 min
Incline D/B curl 3/12 -----
-superset with-
E-Z bar curl 3/12 1 min
Cable concentration curl 3/15 1 min

Tues. Chest, Triceps & Abs
Bench press 3/8 2 min
Incline D/B press 3/10 2 min
Incline D/B fly 3/12 1 min
Machine or pec-deck fly 3/15 1 min
Close-grip bench 3/8 2 min
Pressdown (rotate handle) 3/10 1 min
Lying triceps press 3/12 1 min
(skull crusher)
Hanging leg raise 3/to failure 1 min
Decline weighted crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Wed. Shoulders & Traps
Overhead B/B press 3/8 2 min
Upright row 3/10 1 min
D/B side lateral raise 3/12 1 min
Bent-over lateral raise 3/15 1 min
B/B shrug 3/8 2 min
D/B shrug 2/10 1 min

Thurs. Legs, Calves & Abs
B/B squat 3/8 2 min
Leg press 3/10 2 min
Lunge 3/12 1 min
Leg extension 3/15 1 min
Deadlift 3/10 1 min
Lying leg curl 3/15 1 min
Standing D/B calf raise 3/12 1 min
Seated calf raise 3/15 1 min
Reverse crunch 3/to failure 1 min
Cable crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Fri. Back & Biceps
Straight arm pulldown 3/15 -----
-superset with-
Pull-up (bodyweight only) 3/to failure 1 min
Seated cable row 3/12 1 min
Lat pulldown 3/15 1 min
B/B Curl 3/6,6,8 2 min
Preacher curl 3/8 1 min
Alternating D/B curl 3/8 1 min

Sat. OFF

Sun. OFF

MY SPLIT: Weeks 4, 8 & 12

Special instructions: None

Mon. Legs & Calves
B/B squat 4/6,6,8,8 2 min
Front squat 3/8 2 min
Hack squat 3/8 2 min
Leg extension 3/8 1 min
Deadlift 3/8 1 min
Lying leg curl 3/8 1 min
Seated calf raise 3/20 -----
-superset with-
Leg press calf raise 3/20 1 min

Tues. Chest, Triceps & Abs
Bench press 3/8 2 min
Incline D/B press 3/10 2 min
Incline D/B fly 3/12 1 min
Machine or pec-deck fly 3/15 1 min
Close-grip bench 3/8 2 min
Pressdown (rotate handle) 3/10 1 min
Lying triceps press 3/12 1 min
(skull crusher)
Hanging leg raise 3/to failure 1 min
Decline weighted crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Wed. Shoulders & Traps
Overhead B/B press 3/8 2 min
Upright row 3/10 1 min
D/B side lateral raise 3/12 1 min
Bent-over lateral raise 3/15 1 min
B/B shrug 3/8 2 min
D/B shrug 2/10 1 min

Thurs. Back, Biceps & Abs
Pull-up (bodyweight only) 3/to failure 1 min
Bent-Over B/B row 3/8 2 min
Seated cable row 3/10 1 min
Straight-arm pulldown 3/12 1 min
B/B curl 3/8 2 min
Preacher curl 3/10 1 min
Incline D/B curl 3/12 1 min
Reverse crunch 3/to failure 1 min
Cable crunch 3/to failure 1 min

Fri. Legs & Calves
Leg extension 3/15 1 min
-superset with-
B/B half squat 3/12 1 min
Leg press 3/15 1 min
Lunge 3/15 1 min
Seated Leg Curl 3/15 -----
-superset with -
Deadlift 3/15 1 min
Standing D/B calf raise 3/6,6,8 1 min
Seated calf raise 3/8 1 min

[Dnarts]

looks solid, I'll be following along here. I have the same goals as you, too.
my journal is in my sig, too if you want to follow along. First workout journal for me as well so any advice is appreciated

[CallMeSuperman]

Originally Posted by Dnarts

my journal is in my sig, too if you want to follow along. First workout journal for me as well so any advice is appreciated

I'll definetely take a look man.

[CallMeSuperman]

Today I weighed in at 166.5 again. My schedule did change a little bit, I did legs on the second day instead of the fifth day, shoulders and traps on the third day instead of the forth, and chest and tris on the forth instead of the second. One of the guys here wanted to start doing my workout with me and he had just done chest and tri's, so thats why I switched it up. It's still the same routine, it's just on different days. I felt pretty good in the gym, legs are sore from the day before, but thats it. I had some big dude ask me for my shoulder routine, his arms were huge, but his shoulders did need work, still could probably crush me like a tin can though haha.

Here is my routine:
B/B = barbell D/B = Dumbbell (weight x reps)
09:30PM is when I started and 10:20PM is when I finished.
Overhead B/B press: 125x8 125x8 125x7
Upright B/B row: 95x10 105x8 105x7
D/B side lateral raise: 25x12 25x10 25x10
D/B bent-over lateral raise: 30x15 30x15 30x15
B/B shrug (front): 185x8 185x8 185x8
D/B shrug: 100x10 100x10 100x9

I usually don't drink soda, (it was suprisingly easy to drop that habit) but occasionally I'll have a diet drink, today was one of those days.

09:45AM 2 scoops of optimum whey protein and opti-men multi-vitamin with 2 glasses of milk

01:00PM 1 piece of cooked pork, 1 serving of black eyed peas, 2 servings of broccoli, 2 servings of rice, 1 24oz Gatorade and 2 glasses of milk.

04:00PM Salad, 2 glasses of milk

05:50PM Protein Shake mixed with milk

07:00PM 8oz steak, 1 serving of green beans, mac and cheese, rice and a diet pepsi

08:45PM Pre-workout shake

10:50PM Post-workout shake with a Gatorade

[CallMeSuperman]

It's saturday now, so I'm going to go ahead and take the weekend off, I have a sore throat and a little bit of a fever, possibly to much training. I'm going to start week 7 over, my back needs work anyways and I want to be back on my regular schedule. Mon-Fri, it got messed up with the hectic military life.
I still kept a record of what I ate, so here you go:

10:00AM Whey protein shake with milk & multi-vitamin

11:00AM 2 turkey sandwiches and 2 servings of fruit

02:20PM Salad with water

07:30PM 2 pieces of chicken, 1 serving of peas, and one serving of corn and 3 glasses of milk

11:45PM Tuna sandwich

Like I said, I felt sick and I wasn't excercising so I didn't eat to much. Hopefully by monday I'm not to sick anymore and ready to hit the gym.

[CallMeSuperman]

I just got word today that I am going to be moving out for approx. 30 days and I will probably have a gym, but I definetely won't have internet access, so I will have to get back on track when I return. I've been doing a lot of packing and stuff so I havn't been keeping track of everything. Hopefully around the later part of september I should be back online and keeping track of workouts.

[Dnarts]

I'm still keeping your seat warm, don't worry :P