Lean's 2009 Journal

[Leanripped]

Okay, so I've decided to start my first journal. I figured it would help me to keep track of my progress as well as welcome ideas and suggestions from others. Here's a little about my background:

In highschool I had an athletic build and it was then that I realized that it was fairly easy for me to gain muscle so I decided to hit the weights to see what I could do. At first it was nothing but simple excercises that caused me to see gains and luckily I had a fast metabolism and was able to eat "dirty" and get away with it. I had no idea how much effort and discipline it actually would take to diet. I loved to see the results of my efforts and was hooked.

Fast forward to about 5 years ago when my training was minimal to none, and my workouts were rather half hazard. I went through a tough period of my life at that time and went into depression for about a year. During that year I gained a significant amount of weight. Luckily I snapped out of it and realized that in order to be a happy person I needed balance physically and mentally. So I started with calisthenics and running and as of a few years ago started back with the weights in addition to dieting. I'm still learning how to adjust my diet and workout routine so any help and feedback would be great. I had originally planned on trying to compete and who knows maybe it'll happen sometime in the near future. But my primary goals for now are to make my back as symmetrical as possible and increase the size of my quads and calves. My secondary goals are constantly changing, but for now it's to maintain my weight with the possibility of gaining 5-7 pounds of mass in the future. Another secondary goal of mine is to start off working as a part-time fitness professional i.e. personal trainer and it hopefully turning it into a full-time job if I like it.

I'll also try to post my diet and my routines. Since the beginning of the year I've been experimenting with different routines and I've noticed that what gives me the most gains in strength is if I split between heavy workouts and supersets. I don't think the combinations really matter as much though, we'll see as I document. Luckily I've kept a hand written log for the past few months.

So feel free to follow along and don't hesitate to drop me a line. Consider these pictures as my "before" pictures at 143 lbs. I'll post some leg shots when I get a chance, I can't seem to get good ones though.

[scardina8]

Sickk bro keep posting its a good journal so far

[Leanripped]

Okay, so here it goes. I was away for the weekend and was only able to have light workouts but I'll post some of my workouts from last week. There's also a correction, I weigh 148 lbs.

4-29-09

Heavy Back

Warm up treadmill 75 calories

Bentover rows
90/12x5

Horizontal Pullups
BW/5x5

Seated Cable Rows
150x8
150x7
165x4
165x4
105x13

Lat pulldown
135x8
150x3
150x4
150x6

[Leanripped]

5-4-09

Heavy Chest Workout

Treadmill 55 calories

Flat dumbell press
75x9
80x7
80x7

Incline Dumbell Press
60x12
75x4
75x3
75x3

Flat Bench Press
185x7
185x7
225x5
245x5
135x10

Iso Decline Chest Press
225x7
225x7

Pushups
BW 30x2

[Leanripped]

5-11-09

Volume/Superset Deltoids

Treadmill Steep Incline 75 calories

Overhead Dumbell Press

15/12x15

10 seconds of rest in between sets

Dumbell Raises

15/12x15


Military Press

10 seconds of rest in between sets

30/12x10


5 minutes of stretching.

My shoulders were killing me, but I felt really good for the rest of the day. Because of a rotator injury I try to stick to supersets with my delts. Going light has helped my shoulders and I haven't really sacrificed size at all.

[Leanripped]

5-12-09

Volume Arms

Concept Rowing 34 calories

Barbell Curls
30/12x20

Overhead Tricep Extension
35/12x20

Tri Pulldown
30/12x10

I try to do volume/superset workouts on the arms with an occasional heavy arm workout every few weeks. I think other heavy lifts are sufficient enough to keep size on my arms.

[AresK]

Originally Posted by Leanripped

5-12-09

Volume Arms

Concept Rowing 34 calories

Barbell Curls
30/12x20

Overhead Tricep Extension
35/12x20

Tri Pulldown
30/12x10

I try to do volume/superset workouts on the arms with an occasional heavy arm workout every few weeks. I think other heavy lifts are sufficient enough to keep size on my arms.

Good Stuff Buddy, you're keeping lean with some nice definition. If you need any questions with diet, im a nutriton major so I can help ya out if you were pondering anything. I like your chest workout, look sgood for bulking it up, I do almost the same with adding in Cable Flies 5 sets of 12-15 reps at 30-40lbs, with proper form they really put nice shape and burn to your pecs. I'm gonna steal some of your deltoid stuff if you dont mind, i also have a shoulder injury on me. And finally recovered 100% from surgery from having things re-attached in my right elbow.


What exactly are your current supplements as i know your interested in controlled labs.

[Leanripped]

Originally Posted by AresK

Good Stuff Buddy, you're keeping lean with some nice definition. If you need any questions with diet, im a nutriton major so I can help ya out if you were pondering anything. I like your chest workout, look sgood for bulking it up, I do almost the same with adding in Cable Flies 5 sets of 12-15 reps at 30-40lbs, with proper form they really put nice shape and burn to your pecs. I'm gonna steal some of your deltoid stuff if you dont mind, i also have a shoulder injury on me. And finally recovered 100% from surgery from having things re-attached in my right elbow.


What exactly are your current supplements as i know your interested in controlled labs.

Thanks for the comments AresK...the volume workouts are great, but if you only rest 10 seconds between sets they can be very brutal. I also have a minor knee injury from playing basketball a while back so I've dropped squats out of my routine and do more volume workouts with the legs. I do need to put on some size in the legs though.

As far as the Controlled Labs products go, I've tried Purple Wraath and Green Magnitude, but off and on. I take a vitamin B complex, 3000-5000 MG of Vitamin C and bounce back and forth between Sytha 6 and Muscle Milk.

How long have you been taking CL products? I really want to increase my vascularity even though it has improved in the past 6 months or so.

[Leanripped]

5-13-2009

Heavy Back a.m workout


Concept Rowing: 37 Calories

Horizontal Pullups (Props to Timber and Ascent for showing this excercise)
BWx13
BWx8
BWx6
BWx5

T-Bar Rows
90x5
95x5
100x4
100x5

Iso Lat Row L/R

80x10
90x10
100x6
100x6

Seated Cable Rows
150x8
165x5
165x3
165x4

Cable Lat Pulldowns
150x6
165x3
165x3

p.m. light workout workout

ab crunches: 100

Hanging wipers: 4 sets

Lower Back Workout (reverse situps?): 10x4

[AresK]

If you're truley into CL products and want to expand more and invest into this company.
I'd definitely go and try a bottle of Blue up, its their natural test booster, with safe ingredients. It has a stim version and a non stim version, the stim version will definitely help with your vascularity as it has yohimbe in it and that stuff will get your veins to show nicely.

White flood is still top 3 of the MANY NO products i have tried in my life time, though i don't currently take it anymore. But blue up not only helps with vascularity, though it may just be me, but i get such motivation now in the gym i cant get enough, and naturaly test boosting is always a plus and I have seen results before finishing 1 bottle, (just make sure you're still keeing your diet and workout in check of course).

So yea you wanna try these products try out blue up Stim (original) version.

I have seen from everywhere that green mag gets positive results, however I am an advocate for simple creatine monohydrate and i probably will never take a different kind.

[Leanripped]

Originally Posted by AresK

If you're truley into CL products and want to expand more and invest into this company.
I'd definitely go and try a bottle of Blue up, its their natural test booster, with safe ingredients. It has a stim version and a non stim version, the stim version will definitely help with your vascularity as it has yohimbe in it and that stuff will get your veins to show nicely.

White flood is still top 3 of the MANY NO products i have tried in my life time, though i don't currently take it anymore. But blue up not only helps with vascularity, though it may just be me, but i get such motivation now in the gym i cant get enough, and naturaly test boosting is always a plus and I have seen results before finishing 1 bottle, (just make sure you're still keeing your diet and workout in check of course).

So yea you wanna try these products try out blue up Stim (original) version.

I have seen from everywhere that green mag gets positive results, however I am an advocate for simple creatine monohydrate and i probably will never take a different kind.

Thanks for the information. I was lucky enough to see the Green Mag in the store so that's why I bought it, and I'm glad I did. I also bought the Purple Wraath at the same time. Both gave me incredible results. I'll have to check out the White Flood and Blue up though.

Do you do carb cycling at all? I've been experimenting with a two day on (high carb) two day off (low carb) and that seems to work out okay for me.

[AresK]

Those work well. unfortunately in my routine i love the carbs im intaking (kashi fiber cereal, carrots/ oats/vegetables) and i wouldnt cut them out. Generally though for shredded/vascularity purposes stay under 100g a day if ur not gonna cycle carbohydrates.

[Leanripped]

5-14-09

Treadmill 75 calories


Heavy Chest

Pushups
bwx40
bwx25

Incline dumbell press
60x11
70x7
70x6
75x7
75x5

Iso lat bench
180x5
180x4
200x3
200x3

Decline Cable Press
L/R
17.5x10
22.5x12
27.5x12
27.5x12

Pushups
bwx20
bwx15

[Leanripped]

5-16-09

Light Legs

Squats

bw/10x5

Leg extensions

80/15x10

Squats in between sets
bw/10x5

Leg Curls
80/10x10

Calf Raises

bw/20x10



Stretching 5 minutes

[Leanripped]

Originally Posted by AresK

Those work well. unfortunately in my routine i love the carbs im intaking (kashi fiber cereal, carrots/ oats/vegetables) and i wouldnt cut them out. Generally though for shredded/vascularity purposes stay under 100g a day if ur not gonna cycle carbohydrates.

Yeah it is difficult to cut them out. I've found that if I don't cycle that I start shrinking fast, it's hard for me to maintain if I don't have refeed days in there, even if my protein intake is really high.

[AresK]

Staying under 100g daily is honestly fine enough to tell you the truth, your body stores around 100g of glycogen storing (what carbs turn into when you eat them) and if you should use that store as energy in the gym daily for weight lifting, and if u do cardio afterwards it should burn fat if you do the proper intensity and timing cardio. You should maintain fine if you stay under 100g but just my opinion and what works for me wont always work for somebody else.

[Leanripped]

5-17-09

Heavy Arms
(Bi's)

Barbell Curls
80x6
80x5
90x2
90x3
90x2

Dumbell Curls
40x3
40x3

Hammer Curls
50x3
50x4

Reverse Curls
40/5x10

[Leanripped]

5-18-09

Back Volume

Treadmill 70 calories

Bentover rows
70x25
70x20
70x20
70x20
70x20

Pullups
bwx8
bwx8
bwx8
bwx7
bwx6

Seated Cable Rows
90x15
90x13
90x10
90x10
90x10

single bentover dumbell row
60x10
60x10
60x10
60x10

Reverse Fly machine
50x25
50x20
50x20
50x15

I'm trying keep the volume high since my diets' going to deteriorate over the next 3 weeks or so. I figured I'd keep the intensity higher for the rest of this month and try to focus on strength gains throughout the rest of June.

[Leanripped]

5-19-09

Volume Chest (30 second rests in between sets)

Treadmill 30 calories

Benchpress
135x20
135x12
135x8
95x12
95x12
85x15
85x15
75x15
75x15
65x15
45x25

Flat Dumbell Press
22.5/4x20

Pushups
bwx30
bwx12
bwx12

I tried to keep all my reps above 12 or so.

[Leanripped]

5-20-09

Treadmill 75 calories

Volume Arms

Barbell Curls
40/20x20

Overhead Tri Extension

50/20x20

Tri Pulldown

30/20x10

[Leanripped]

5-21-09

Superset Delts

Concept Rowing 35 calories

overhead dumbell press

20/20x20

front dumbell raises

15/20x20

Standing Barbell Military Press

30/12x5

(evening workout)

Abs

treadmill 70 calories

Hanging leg raises

Hanging wipers

Crunches

Situps

[Leanripped]

5/25/09

Pushups
bw/30x4

Ran 2 laps in between the sets of 30. I did this 4 times so:

bw/30x4x4

Dips
bw/4x4

crunches
3x20

I just came back from vacation so the diet's been falling apart, but trying to stay on top of the training. I go on vacation again next week so hopefully I can kind of keep it together.

[Leanripped]

5-26-09

Heavy Arms

Concept Rowing 30 calories

Standing Curls
70x10
70x7
80x4
80x4
90x3
90x2

Hammer Curls
50x6
50x5
50x9

Tri Pulldown
90x5
90x3
80x6
80x4

Close Grip Bench (Hands touching)
135x8
135x5
135x5

Sitting Dumbells L/R arms

R 40x3
R 40x4

L 40x4
L 40x4

[Leanripped]

5-27-09

Heavy Delts

Standing Military Press
115x3
105x5
105x4
105x4

Shoulder Shrugs (barbell)
135x20
185x6
135x20

Shrugs behind the back (barbell)
135x20
135x12
135x13

Front Barbell Raises
50x8
60x6
60x8
60x8

Cable Cross Side delt Raises L/R
12.5x12
12.5x12
12.5x10
12.5x10

5 minutes of stretching

[Leanripped]

5-27-09

Volume Delts no rest between sets

Overhead Press
20/12x15

Dumbell Shoulder Raises
7.5/12x15

[Leanripped]

Okay so I've been on vacation for the past week. The only excercise I really did was jogging every morning along with calisthenics in the afternoon. The scale shows that I weigh the same, but I feel as though I lost some weight or at least size. Today I focused on arm strength.

6-8-09

Heavy Arms

Concept Rowing 35 Calories

Standing Curls

warmup sets
50x12
50x8

80x5
80x5
80x4
80x4

Tri Pulldown
60x10
70x5
70x3
70x5

Hammer Curls L/R
45x10
45x5
45x5

Skull Crushers
65x10
65x10

Reverse Curls
40x10
40x10
40x7
40x8

[Leanripped]

6-8-09

Heavy Back

Concept Rowing 35 Calories

Horizontal Pullups
bwx13
bwx7
bwx5
bwx5

T-Bar Rows
100x5
100x5
80x7
55x10


Bentover dumbell rows l/r

80x5
80x5

Bentover bar rows
100/3x10

Close Grip Lat Pulldown

150x8
165x3
165x3

Stretching for 5 minutes

[Leanripped]

6-10-09

Heavy Delts
Concept Rowing 35 calories

pushups
bw/25 pushups

Standing Military Press
95x10
115x5
115x6
115x4

Upright rows
100x5
100x6
100x7
100x5

Barbell Shrugs
220x5
220x6
220x4

Angled bentover rows
70/15x2

[Leanripped]

6-12-09

Heavy Chest
treadmill 65 calories

Pushups bwx30
Bench press

135x10 (warmup set)
225x5
225x3
225x5
245x3

Pushups weighted

45/10x4

Decline Bench press
115x10
115x10

Standing cable chest press

15'sx10
22.5x10

[Leanripped]

6-15-09
Volume Delts
Concept Rowing 30 calories

Overhead press dumbell
20/10x12
17.5/20x13

Front dumbell raises
17.5/20x12

Standing Military Press
45x25
45x15