Runt of the litter

[Lord39]

Hi, Just turned 40 and don't like what i see in the mirror.
6'4" at 73kg
Stopped smoking on 5th Jan 09
Body space http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Lord39/

I want to embark on a 120 day Mass and strength building program. I will keep this routine for 4-5 weeks

Mass Gaining and Strength Building Program
All weights in KG's


Monday
Clean & Press (5/5)
Flat BB Bench Press (5/5)
Push up's (5/max)
DB Shrugs (5/5)

Tuesday
Ab's (3 sets Sit ups, left and Right Ob's, Ab cycle & the Plank)
Cardio 20 mins. Light - mostly to aid recovery from Weights sessions

Wednesday
Squats (5/5)
Leg Press (heavy) (5/5)
Calf Raises (3/21)

Thursday
Ab's
Lat Raises (5/5)
Front Raises (5/5)
Rear Delts (5/5)

Friday
Wide Grip Pull Ups (5/Max)
Wide Grip Assisted (5/max)
Wide Grip Negatives (5/Max) 3 secs
Deadlifts (5/5)
BB Rows (5/5)

Saturday
Ab's (3 sets Sit ups, left and Right Ob's, Ab cycle & the Plank)
Cardio 20 mins. Light - mostly to aid recovery from Weights sessions


Sunday
Rest Day



Average Daily Nutrition Plan

Breakfast
Oatmeal w/ Milk
Yogurt
Banana
Protein Shake

Mid-Morning
Ham/Chicken or Beef Salad Sandwich
Friut
Protein Shake

Lunch
Chicken/Fish
Rice
Friut

Mid-Afternoon
Ham/Chicken or Beef Salad Sandwich
Friut
Protein Shake

Dinner
Chicken
Potatoes
Veggies

Desert
Rice Pudding

Supper
Nuts & Fruits
Protein Shake

Snack
Will snack on Protein Bars or Sandwichs if still hungry in Daytime
Night times im waking up hungry so i have some yogurt and Protein Drink.
I'm drinking lots of water.




Day 1 -5th Jan 09
Picture Taken
Current Weight 73kg
Eaten well & Paid for 4 months at Gym
Push ups 15 15 15

Day 2 - 6th Jan 09 - 73kg
Clean & Press 20/12 22.5/10 25/8
BB Flat bench Press 20/12 30/10 35/8 40/6
Push ups - Max 10 7 4
Db Shrug 20/12 22.5/10 25/8

Day 3 - 7th Jan 09
Sit ups 15 15 15
Oblique 15 15 15
Air Bike 15 15 15

Day 4 - 8th Jan 09
Side Lateral Raise 5/8 5/8 5/8 5/6 3.5/8
DB Front Raise 5/8 5/8 5/8 5/8 5/8

Day 5 - 9th Jan 09
Wide Grip Pullups 5 4 2
Assisted WG 5 1
Negatives (3 sec) 4 2
Deadlift 40/10 45/8 50/8 60/6 65/6
BB Bent over Rows 20/12 22.5/10 25/8

Day 6 - 10th Jan 09
Sit ups 20 20 20
Oblique 20 20 20
Air Bike 20 20 20

Day 7 - 11th Jan 09 - 76kg
REST DAY

Day 8 - 12th Jan 09 (Swapped for Chest day as still stiff from Friday)
BB Squat 40/12 45/10 50/10 55/8 60/6
Leg Press 60/12 70/10 80/8 90/8
Standing Calf 21's 66/21 66/16 60/12 54/7 48/3

Day 9 - 13th Jan 09
Sit ups 25 25 25
Oblique 25 25 25
Air Bike 30 24 20
Plank 1 min 3 Reps
Stomach Vacuum 30 secs 5 reps

Day 10 - 14th Jan 09
Clean & Press 30/10 32.5/8 35/6 35/6 35/6
BB Flat Bench 40/10 45/6 47.5/6 50/6 60/2 - w/ Spotter
Push ups (Max) 8 5 4
DB Shrugs 25/12 27.5/12 30/6 30/6
Front Raises 6/12 5/12 5/12


Would love to hear any comments, suggestions.
Cheers
Rob

[immuno]

I can't wait to see what you look like after 1 yr of working out, and not smoking. Congrats, you are on your way!

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by immuno

I can't wait to see what you look like after 1 yr of working out, and not smoking. Congrats, you are on your way!

Cheers Mate, Not smoking has been the winner. (Thanks to Alan Carr's Book)

Goals are

190 lbs by 4th May 09
200 lbs by 4th July 09

Second half of the years training depends on how much bodyfat ive put on, hopefully a little bit as i'd like to be around 200 lbs with a 10-12% body fat

[The_Warhammer]

Grats for kicking the sticks-o-death! I wish I was half as lean as you!
Wish you luck on your transformation!

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by The_Warhammer

Grats for kicking the sticks-o-death! I wish I was half as lean as you!
Wish you luck on your transformation!

Cheers Mate, and after 20+ years.

Day 11 - 15th January 09 ( NZ Time)

Crunches 25 25 25 25
Oblique 25 25 25 25
Plank 1 min 3 Reps
Vacuum 30 secs 5 reps

Shoulder training split.
Front delts done yesterday, Side and Rear Delt will be tomorrow after Deadlifts.
Reason - swapped Chest for legs day, very stiff still

[orca]

Welcome and congrats on putting the smokes down and starting a new life.

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by orca

Welcome and congrats on putting the smokes down and starting a new life.

Cheers Mate.


Day 12 - 16th Jan 09

Wide Grip Pullups 3 2 1 (Max)
Assisted WG 3 2 1 (Max)
Negatives (3 sec) 3 2 1 (Max)
Deadlift 40/12 60/10 65/8 70/6 75/4
BB Bent over Rows 20/12 25/10 30/8 35/6 35/6
M/C Row Superset 35/6 30/6 24/6
Side Raises 5/12 5/12 5/12
Rear Delts 3/12 3/10 3/10 3/6

Finished with the weights for Wk 2, body is sore and stiff but responding well.

[Lord39]

Crunches 30 30 30 30
Obliques 30 30 30 30
Air Bike 30
double leg raises 15 12 13 (Max)
SidePlank 20 secs 4 reps
Vacuum 15 secs 10 reps

Having bad form on Airbike so added 3 sets of leg raises

[Hibiscus09]

Best of luck to you! I'm glad you've stopped smoking. You're already making progress, so that's great!

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by Hibiscus09

Best of luck to you! I'm glad you've stopped smoking. You're already making progress, so that's great!

Thank you. Stopping smoking has been amazingly easy. Alan Carr's Book is certainly worth giving to any of your friends that still smoke.

I'm really pleased with my gains so far, but I also know I was in a pretty bad state to begin with.
I'm eating very well everyday and this is by far the hardest part, but i already look and feel, much better and stronger than i did only two weeks ago.

Cheers
Rob

[woodlake]

Good job on deciding to quit the ciggs. Here's to a healthy 09!

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by woodlake

Good job on deciding to quit the ciggs. Here's to a healthy 09!

Cheers mate, I should have years ago.

[Lord39]

Restday Ramblings

2 Weeks and I've gained 5.5 kg. From 73kg to 78.5kg

I feel stronger and happier, hell I'm even standing up straighter.
Really pleased so far with my output and also returns, I knew the first bit would be easy but its nice to get some food and water into my body for once.

Nutrition
This is still the hardest part but for a different reason now. Before i had to force myself to eat every 2-3 hours, they were the right sized potions but still hard going. I used the Alfred Dunhill diet before so i knew my stomach wasn't that big, but the problem now is my body needs so much more food I'm finding myself eating pretty much every hour, on the hour. And if i don't I get SO hungry. So game plan is to just keep eating as just as my stomach shrank to meet the Dunhill diet, I'm sure it will grow to meet my new needs. And yes I'm waking up in the middle of the night starving with no chance of getting sleep without eating something.

Todays food so far

4am - Protein Drink

6am - Oatmeal - Milk
7am - Yogurt - Fruit
8am - Oatmeal - Milk
9am - Protein SHake
10am - 3 eggs & tin of Baked Beans on brown Toast
11am - Roast beef Salad Roll
12:00 - Protein Shake
1pm - 2 x Roast beef Salad Rolls - Fruit drink (Juicer)
2pm - 1 Beef Pastrami Salad Roll - 2 yogurts
3pm - tin of Rice pudding
4pm - Protein Shake
6pm - Chicken breast, Potatoes, Peas - Yogurt
7ish - Choclate protein bar

And coming up to 8pm now in New Zealand, Sunday Night.

8ish Fruit & Nuts
9ish Oatmeal
10ish Protein Shake

Workouts.
These have been going great although I'm yet to really managed to get a 5/5 workout routine going as I'm still finding my weight levels. Im getting stronger all the time so basic rule right now is still 5 sets but if i can do 8 reps then i can bump up the weight.

Thanks to some help from this site I've made a few tweaks to my Workout Program. I've dropped the DB Shrugs as my traps are covered twice a week by the Clean & Press and Deadlifts, and added seated DB Shoulder presses
All weights shown in Workout Journal are kg's

Form is good (gyms opinion) and I'm stretching alot as it appears my right Hamstring is or seems a hell of a lot shorter than my left. (I'm left handed and footed)

Finding Abs a bit hard to train, easpcalliy obliques. Dropped Sit-ups in favour of crunches. Been adding in a few leg raises aswell.


Amended Workout Program

Monday
Squats (5/5)
Leg Press (heavy) (5/5)
Calf Raises (3/21)

Tuesday
Ab's (5 sets Crunches, Obliques, + Ab cycle, the Plank)
Cardio 20 mins. Light - mostly to aid recovery from Weights sessions

Wednesday
Clean & Press (5/5)
Flat BB Bench Press (5/5)
Push up's (5/max)
Seated DB Military Press (5/5)
Front Raises (5/5)

Thursday
Ab's
Lat Raises (5/5)

Friday
Wide Grip Pull Ups (5/Max)
Wide Grip Assisted (5/max)
Wide Grip Negatives (5/Max) 3 secs
Deadlifts (5/5)
BB Rows (5/5)
Rear Delts (5/5)

Saturday
Ab's (5 sets Crunches, Obliques, + Ab cycle, the Plank)
Cardio 20 mins. Light - mostly to aid recovery from Weights sessions

I have uploaded a new Progress Picture to my Profile page & I'll continue to do this on my Restdays. I'll upload my measurements Monthly.

Regards from Sunny New Zealand, I hope everyone is well

Rob

[Lord39]

Legs (kg/Reps)

BB Squats (Parallel - watched Squat Rx vids)
40/12
60/8
65/6
65/6
65/6
65/7

Leg Press
70/12
90/10
100/8
110/8

Calf Raises
66/21
66/21
66/13 & 60/8

[alkell]

Hello neighbour

Good to see you putting the weights lifted in your journal, let's everyone keep an eye on your intensity and I think you'll find it is good for your own motivation.

[Lord39]

Ab's

Crunches
40
40
30
30

Obliques
30
30
30
30

Leg Raises
12
12
12
10

Side plank
30 secs
30 secs
30 secs
30 secs

Cardio
20 mins very light run

[Lord39]

Chest & Shoulders (kg/rep)

BB Flat Bench Press
40/12
55/5
55/6
57.5/6
60/5
60/4

Clean & Press
30/8
32.5/6
32.5/5
32.5/5
32.5/4

Seated DB Press (Max)
10/8
7/10 & 8/3
7/10 & 8/3
12.5/3 & 8/3
12.5/3 & 8/3

Bar Dips (max)
3
2
0

Push ups (max)
2
0

DB Front Raises (Max)
7/4 & 6/6
6/6
6/7
6/8
6/6

[Lord39]

Ab's

Crunches
45
45
35
35

Leg Raises
20
20
20
17

Side Plank
5 x 30 secs

[Lord39]

Back (kg/Reps)

Pull ups (Wide Grip)
2
1
0

Assisted (w/ legs)
3
2
1

Negatives
4 x 3 secs

Deadlift
60/10
70/8
75/6
80/6
82.5/5

BB Row
30/8
35/8
37.5/8
40/6
40/5

Cable Row
42/8
42/8
42/8
42/6
42/5

Rear Delts (Bent over)
4/12
5/8
5/8

[Lord39]

Ab's

Crunches
50
35
35
30

Leg Raises
18
15
15
13

Side Plank
5 x 30 Seconds

[Lord39]

Restday - Week 3

Firstly, if like me you are sick of looking at my Avatar then i do apologise, but imagine how I feel now that I have woken up to what I look like. However even though it's not good on the eyes, it is on the motivational side of things and will stay for the 120 day program Im on. Just know this, everything in my power is being done to change this and i promise a more appealing Avatar on the 4th May 09

That said, here's some thoughts on my week...


3 weeks and so far my weight has jumped from 73kg to 80.5kg this morning. Sun 25th Jan 09

I am really very, very happy with this. I knew that i would see big gains in the first weeks, going from 2 meals a day to 7+ a day, but I am amazed at how well my body is doing from not smoking and i attribute alot of the gain to this. I have been eating like there?s no tomorrow and this is still the toughest part although coming easier, if only slightly. I am not very creative in the kitchen department so i am almost eating the same foods everyday. This is not really a bother right now as I?m focused on the deadline of the 4th of May, and besides I?m eating to grow and not to taste. I have been writing down all my food in a notebook and this is an average day. And I have always loved milk, being constantly told off for drinking straight from the carton at the fridge door thoughout my life.

4am Protein Drink

7am Get up

7am Oatmeal + Yogurt + Milk (A cup of oats - These portions are now twice the size they were 2 wks ago).

7:30 Oatmeal + Yogurt + Milk

8.30 Protein Shake +500ml Milk

9.30 Ham Deli Pastry + Banana

10:30 large Chicken salad sandwich

12:30 Protein Shake +500ml Milk

1:30 Chicken/mushroom Pasta

3:00 Abs Workout - Hungry already

3:30 Protein Shake +500ml Milk

4:00 Choclate Protein Bar

5:00 2x Beef Pastrami salad Rolls

7:00 Chicken Breast, Potatoes and Peas

7:30 2 x yogurts

8:00 Fruit + Nuts

9:00 Oatmeal

9:30 Protein Shake + 500ml Milk



Workouts:

These are going well, really looking forward to the Weights day, not so much the Ab days. The weights are going up every week so I know I?m heading the right direction & planning my workout ahead is really paying off. Been watching the Mark Rippertoe vids on youtube this weekend so it?ll be interesting to see my body position when i?m back in the gym. ie. I think that my legs have been to close together and not pointing out enough in the squat. Talking of Squats, I have moved this day back to Wednesday as my traps were not rested enough on Wednesday?s Chest/Shoulders day to do many Pull ups. Being a lightweight I have always managed to pull out at least 3, so well see on Friday with more rest what the results are.

Sleep:

Still interupted with 3 or 4 toilet trips a night and I?m wondering if this is having an effect on my recovery. I feel tired, but a good tired from working out, not exhuasted. Even so, until the 4th of May if I?m not working out or eating, I?m feet up resting. (Sit down job)

I have up loaded a new progress picture.

All the best from New Zealand
Rob

[Lord39]

Chest/Shoulders (Kg/Rep)

BB Bench Press (+2.5kg)
40/12
40/12
55/6
60/6
62.5/5
62.5/4
62.5/3

Bar Dips (+3)
5
2
0

Push ups (-1)
1
0

Clean & Press (+2.5kg)
30/8
35/6
35/5
32.5/6
32.5/5

Seatred DB Press (+1 set on 12.5kg)
12.5/5
12.5/5
12.5/4
10/6
10/5

DB Front Raise (+2kg)
8/6
8/6
8/6

[taf1968]

Will definitely keep an eye on your progress . . . best of luck with the training! I think as long as you remain consistent on the heavy lifting and making sure that you eat enough that you'll be amazed at the results!

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by taf1968

Will definitely keep an eye on your progress . . . best of luck with the training! I think as long as you remain consistent on the heavy lifting and making sure that you eat enough that you'll be amazed at the results!

Thanks, it's been good so far and alot of fun.

[alkell]

Hey Rob, I'm the same, IE not so keen on ab days

Watching the rippetoe vids is a good move, form is very important to avoid injury and keep making progress.

Keep eating like that and training consistantly and the progress will continue.

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by alkell

Hey Rob, I'm the same, IE not so keen on ab days

Watching the rippetoe vids is a good move, form is very important to avoid injury and keep making progress.

Keep eating like that and training consistantly and the progress will continue.

Cheers mate. So much food!!!

[Lord39]

Ab's

Crunches
50
40 (Max)
30 (Max)
30 (Max)

Leg Raises (Max)
13
12
11
11

The Plank (Max)
1:19
1:01
1:00

Comments.
Used very strict form on the Crunches, hands over ears.
Made every single one count instead of being guilty of just going through the motions.
It's a bit less than before but I'm feeling it more.

[Lord39]

Legs (kg/Rep)

Squats (+10kg)
40/12
60/8
65/8
70/5
72.5/5
75/3
70/5

Leg Press (+10kg)
90/10
110/8
120/6
120/6
120/6

Calf Raises (Max)
90/19
96/13
102/9
108/9
112/7

[alkell]

Hey Rob, some hamstring work in your leg workout would be a good idea, lying leg curls are a good place to start.

Good work on the squats, they are a compulsory leg exercise IMO, make sure you get some good depth, none of those 1/4 squats.

I here you guys have arrived in Oz for a game of cricket or 5. Looking forward to some good games.

[Lord39]

Originally Posted by alkell

Hey Rob, some hamstring work in your leg workout would be a good idea, lying leg curls are a good place to start.

Good work on the squats, they are a compulsory leg exercise IMO, make sure you get some good depth, none of those 1/4 squats.

I here you guys have arrived in Oz for a game of cricket or 5. Looking forward to some good games.

Hi Mate,

I do deadlifts on Fridays, is that enough Hamstring work or would you recommend adding the leg curls to my Squat Day aswell?

Squats felt solid today, really pleased. I know I'm stronger but those Mark Rippetoe Videos helped alot too

Cricket, Well truth be told I'm English, I moved here 15 years ago so i have the same view about the Black Caps and the All blacks as you probably, lol.
I think a better name for the NZ Cricket team is the 'All Outs'

Now the Ashes is a different story.