My "Time To Bleeeeed" Training Journal

[PBateman2]

A little about myself. I'm a natural athlete and have been training seriously for about the past seven years. I have finally decided to take the plunge and compete in my first competition this summer and/or early fall. I've decided to start this journal to track my progress and to help others in achieving their goals.

In the next 12-14 weeks, my primary goal is to improve my legs and chest. In addition, would like to add some size while trying not to lose too much of the definition I have been able to achieve thus far. Don't want the BF% to sky rocket which is totally unnecessary anyway. My strength is my back and arms. Although I would like to improve my V taper a bit more.

I follow a 5 day split (training a bodypart/day) with two days of complete rest. Cardio will be kept to a minimum. I'll describe the exercises/rep scheme/weight as I post. You can also check out the training videos I have done thus far (link and videos on my profile page).

Nutrition wise I stay between 2700-3000 cals per day. Basically following a 40/40/20 macro breakdown. I will have one cheat meal per week preferably on the day I train back or legs. I do not follow the current thinking and/or conventional wisdom in the sense that I like to train on an empty stomach. A hungry man is an angry man. I feel I still can gain the size but it also allows me to keep the BF% moderate to low. I do not like to follow bulk/cut/bulk/cut cycles. This just seems to work best for me. I feel my intensity and focus is at its optimal when I train on an empty stomach. I also usually train in the early mornings around 4:30am. A cup of coffee and I am ready for war.

Any questions on training/nutrition I would be more than happy to answer! Thanks to all who have supported me and thanks to all for reading this journal. First training post will be tomorrow - Back.

[two_buff]

Hey PB! Good to see. Good luck.

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 3:30am! Felt great. Downed my cup of coffee and was ready to go. Today I trained back. Got to the gym around 4:15am. Relatively empty..just the way I like it

Im typically a high volume trainer as that seems to work best for me. First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

1.)PULL UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; Got 9 reps on the first three sets then could only get 7 on the final set. Sometimes I will do a drop set after the fourth set and rep out with just my bodyweight.

2.) BARBELL ROWS - my fav! 315lbs for 3 sets. First two sets got 9 clean reps and then the third got 8 reps. I NEVER pick up the barbell off a rack. I like to make it hard. I pick it up off the floor and then begin the exercise. So it's almost like a deadlift before I begin the exercise. Its harder and much more taxing on the body that way. Get a nice feeling in the lower back as well!

3.) DUMBELL ROWS - I really dont like these but too bad for me. I use 140lb dumbells and 3 sets here as well. Pretty strong with this exercise and got 12 clean reps on this. Again the hand that is not holding the dumbell, I just stabilize on my knee. Do not use support from a rack or machine. Makes me work that much harder.

4.) ClOSE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/225lbs/10 reps on each set. Needed assistance on the third to get all 10 reps.

5.) WIDE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/225lbs/9 reps on each set.

6.) HYPEREXTENSIONS with 25lb plate - 4 sets/15 reps.

7.) STRETCHING - I always stretch for about 5-10 min the bodypart I just worked.

That was the workout. Took about 90min to complete (including warm-up and stretching) and 20 sets in total. Will be doing a training video soon to show this workout. At least video clips of how I do it.

GOAL FOR NEXT BACK SESSION: Get 10 clean reps for all 3 sets on the barbell rows at 315 lbs and 10 reps for all 3 sets on the close-grip pulldown.

Tomorrow shoulders/traps/abs/calves! It's ONNNNNN!!

[PBateman2]

Time to get this going again. Still following the same ideas as in the initial post. Training harder than ever. Have a similar workout journal on my sponsor's website - A1 supplements. Will post diet too just for shyts and giggles.

Got up around 3:45am and was at the gym by 4:30am. Today decided to do shoulders/traps/rear delts.

First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

SHOULDERS
1.) BARBELL PRESS - Normally I do dumbell presses but decided to change things up. Did 135lbs and did 3 sets. Got 12 reps on the first 2 sets and then 10 on the third set. Did a drop set with 115lbs and got 8 reps. Burn was already in full effect.

2.) LATERAL RAISES - Again, I dont use dumbells for these although I have in the past. What I do is grab two 35lb weight plates and perform these raises never bringing the weight above shoulder level. I see some people go a bit too high on these and go above shoulder level. Not a good idea as it ends up taking off the tension from the lateral side of the delts and transfers it to the traps. Form is key here. I love using plates as it is a completely different feel than when using dumbells. I did 3 sets and got 10 reps on each set.

3.) FRONT RAISES - Here I used dumbells. I use 35lbs dumbells and never go above shoulder level as well for these. Here I did 3 sets and got 12 clean reps. I think I will increase this next week.

TRAPS
4.) UPRIGHT BARBELL ROWS - 115lbs/3 sets/9 reps. I dropped the weight on here from my last session only due to my elbow issue.

5.)BARBELL SHRUGS - Here I did 475lbs and 3 sets. Got 10 reps on the first two set then 8 reps on the third set. Improvement from the last session. These ROCK!

6.)DUMBELL SHRUGS - 145 Dumbells/3 sets/12 reps. I hold the contracted position for a count of two before beginning the negative portion of the rep. I also picked the 145lb dumbells off the floor. No rack. Just wanted to make it harder and uncomfortable.

REAR DELTS
7.) BENT OVER LATERAL RAISES - Did 30lbs/3 sets/12 reps. Again I hold the contracted position for a count of two.

8.) REAR DELT MACHINE - 90lbs/3 sets/10 reps.

Workout took about 90 min and felt real good afterwards. Felt kind of "vomity" post workout but know it was a tough workout. Came across this on YouTube (what hard training can do to you!!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45I-cZtsgno

Dorian Yates though one of the hardest and smartest trainers EVER.


GOAL FOR NEXT SESSION: 500lbs on Barbell Shrugs and increase weight on front raises.



Here is what I ate today (same 'ol...same 'ol...lol..I am robotic..I am so boring!!!!!!):

7:300am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chiccken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)

Tomorrow is back!
_____

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 4:00am. Today I trained back. Workout was insane. Got to the gym around 4:30am.

First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

1.)PULL UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; Got 10 reps on the first 2 sets then got 8 reps on the last two sets. I highly suggest using weight even if you cant get say 7 or 8 reps. You get a really nice stretch in the lats. Some workouts use weight and others dont. Amazing exercise!

2.) BARBELL ROWS (Reverse Grip) - Here I did 245lbs for 3 sets. First two sets got 9 clean reps (beat last week again!) and then the third got 7 reps. Again, I picked up the barbell off the floor and then began the exercise. Does wonders for the lower back as well.

3.) T BAR ROWS (used barbell - corner of gym) - I used 270lbs (used five 45lb plates) and 3 sets here as well. Got 8 clean reps on this. This is tough.

4.) DUMBELL ROWS - Added this exercise into the routine. Used 140lb dumbell and did 2 sets of 10 reps. Back was fried at this point but I was only halfway done.

5.) ClOSE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/240lbs/8 reps on each set. Same number of reps as last session.

6.) WIDE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/225lbs/8 reps on each set. Increased reps by one on each set

7.) HYPEREXTENSIONS with 25lb plate - 4 sets/12 reps. Love these too! Painful.

8.) STRETCHING - Stretched the lats for about 5-10 min.

Workout took about 1 hr 45min to complete (including warm-up and stretching) and 22 sets in total. Tomorrow take the day off and just rest.

GOAL FOR NEXT BACK SESSION: Get 10 reps on the weighted pull-ups for all 4 sets.


Here is what I ate today (ROBOTIC...LOL):

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor). This combo ROCKS!! I love this meal.

11:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

1:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am. Yummmmmmay!

3:00pm: Myoplex Deluxe, 1 tbsp PB, and 1 banana. This is so so good.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of steak (filet mignon).

Total Cals: Around 3400 (360 g of protein, 330g of carbs, and 60 grams of fat.)

[Endeavourer]

awesome man, im gonna follow this!

[PBateman2]

Up nice and early this morning. Downed the Folgers, changed clothes, and out the door. Was at the gym by about 5:15am. Not many at the gym this morning probably due to the rain. Todays did chest and abs.

Exercises as follows (10 min warm up on treadmill):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; 3 sets with 25lb plate at 25 reps/set. The fourth set did 20 reps but with no 25lb plate. Was able to increase my reps by "5" for the first three sets here.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps.

CHEST
3.) INCLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 130lbs/3 sets-6-8 reps. The first set I got 8 pretty clean reps, the second set got 7 reps, and the third set got 6 reps. These are killer and intense.

4.) DUMBELL FLYES: 70lbs/3 sets/10 reps. Love these and really like to hold the extended postion for a count of two. Really get a good stretch in the chest.

5.) FLAT DUMBELL PRESS: 95lbs/3 sets/8 reps. By the time I got to these I can feel the faitgue set in but got through them.

6.) DECLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 135lbs/3 sets/15 reps. Now these I go really light. I go real slow on these. Bring the weight down for a count of two, hold in the negative position for a count of two, and then bring the weight up on the positive for a count of two. Each rep takes about 5 seconds. It's pretty demanding but the key here for me is to get a real good pump and as much blood as possible into the chest area.

7.) CABLE FLYES: Here I did FST-7. So seven sets with 30 sec rest between each set. Did 80lbs and kept the reps at 10-12. Last set (seventh set) though could only get 8 reps. Chest was totally gone after this!

Entire workout took about 75min.

GOALS FOR NEXT SESSION: I would like to try 135lbs dumbells on the incline press. We'll see.


Here is what I ate today (Again..ROBOTIC...LOL):

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:00pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300 g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 50 grams of fat.)

[Endeavourer]

food looks good, lots of eggs... always amazed at people who train in the morning, it's odd that i dont have energy in the morning, even a bike ride to work seems to be harder than normal.

[PBateman2]

LOL..yeah close to a dozen eggs per day. I'm a total morning person so just do what works best for you. Bottom line is to just do it. Train hard!

[PBateman2]

Happy Monday! Woke up around 4:00am and was at the gym by 4:45am. Late today! I cant stand Mondays..lol. Downed the Folgers and out the door. Today I did abs/biceps/triceps.

Exercises as follows (10 min warm up on treadmill):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets with 25lb plate at 25 reps/set.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps. Like to keep a slight bend in the knee as I perform each rep.

TRICEPS
3.)TRICEP PRESSDOWN - 3 sets/110lbs/10 reps. I like to hold the contracted position for 2 seconds before beginning the negative portion of the rep. Really have to squeeze on these need to get a nice contraction and keep elbows parallel to the ground. Avoid swaying.

4.) SKULL CRUSHERS - 3 sets/75lbs/9 reps. Form is key here. Got one extra rep here as compared to last session.

5.) DIPS - Did these with a 45lb plate. These are ALWAYS in my routine. 4 sets/10 reps. Best triceps exercise IMO.

6.) ROPE PUSHDOWN - Here I did FST-7. So 7 sets (60lbs) of 10 reps with 30 sec rest between sets. Triceps were totally fried after this! This FST-7 training has really allowed me to take my training to another level. I enjoy it.

BICEPS
7.) ALT DUMBELL CURLS - 3 sets/50lbs/10 reps. Got 10 reps on the first two sets and then 8 reps on the third set. Improvement of total reps from last session. My fav bicep exercise.

8.) PREACHER CURLS (Machine) - 3 sets/75lbs/10 reps.

9.) CONCENTRATION CURLS - 3 sets/25lbs/10 reps.

GOALS FOR NEXT SESSION: Increase weight on the Rope Pressdown with FST-7.

Workout lasted about 90min. Arms were going to explode. Felt great.



Here is what I ate today:

7:30am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)

Tomorrow probably hit chest!
__________________

[PBateman2]

Up at 4:30am today! LATE..AGAIN! Got to the gym by 5:00am. Had my Folgers, changed clothes, and out the door. Today did chest and abs.

Exercises as follows (10 min warm up on treadmill):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; 4 sets with 25lb plate at 25 reps/set. Again, I like to hold the contracted position for a count of two. Love these.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps.

CHEST
3.) INCLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 130lbs/3 sets-6-8 reps. Didnt try the 135lb dumbells today. Just wasn't feeling it. The first set I got 9 reps, the second set got 9 reps as well, and the third set got 6 reps. I did do a drop set with 70lb dumbells and got 10 reps.

4.) DUMBELL FLYES (INLCINE): 70lbs/3 sets/10 reps. Probably try to increase this to 75lbs next week.

5.) FLAT DUMBELL PRESS: 95lbs/3 sets/8 reps.

6.) DECLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 135lbs/3 sets/15 reps. Now these I go really light. Again, I go real slow on these. Bring the weight down for a count of two, hold in the negative position for a count of two, and then bring the weight up on the positive for a count of two. Each rep takes about 5 seconds.

7.) CABLE FLYES: Here I did 3 sets with 80lbs. Got 10 clean reps on each set.

8.) INCLINE MACHINE PRESS: Add this into the routine for this week. Here I did FST-7. So seven sets with 30 sec rest between each set. Did 150lbs and kept the reps at 10-12. The last two sets though could only get 7 reps.

Entire workout took about 80min and did about 23 sets in total. Im a high volume trainer so I seem to respond best that type of training. The FST-7 training adds sets quickly to the routine.

GOALS FOR NEXT SESSION: I would like to try 135lbs dumbells on the incline press at least for the first set and try 75lb dumbells on the flyes.

Tomorrow is back!



Here is what I ate today:

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)
_____

[Endeavourer]

nice chest workout mate.

[PBateman2]

Thx, bro! Sore as hell today..lol. Train hard.

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 3:30am! Was at gym by 4:15am. Gym getting more and more packed each day. Spring break college students..lol. Today I trained hamstrings/abs/calves.

Exercises as follows (warm-up on treadmill for 10 min):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; 4 sets with 25lb plate at 20 reps/set.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps. Increase of 10 reps here but did not hold the contracted position for a count of two like I did in the last hammie session. JUst keeping things fresh and new.

HAMSTRINGS (HAMS)
3.) SEATED LEG CURLS - 3 sets/12 reps/225lbs. Really squeezed on these and held the contracted position for a count of two on each rep before beginning the negative portion.

4.) STANDING ALT LEG CURL - 3 sets/80lbs/10 reps on each set. Again, l held the contracted position 2-3 seconds then perfromed the negative portion of the rep.

5.) BARBELL STIFF LEG DEADLIFTS - 4 sets/185lbs/10 reps on each set. Increased the weight here by 20lbs

6.) LYING LEG CURLS - Here I did FST-7 training. So for this I started at 80lbs and was able to finish all seven sets with 10 reps.

CALVES
7.) SEATED CALF RAISES - 5 sets/130lbs/25 reps.

8.) STANDING CALF RAISES - 5 sets/200lbs/20-25 reps. Again, on these I like to hold the contracted position for 2 seconds then go into the negative portion of the rep.

That was the workout. Took about 1 hr 15min to complete (including warm-up and cardio).

Tomorrow most likely will hit back. Will try the pullover Nautilus machine as my last exercise incorporating FST-7 training.


Here is what I ate today:

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken breast.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 3:30am. Today I trained back. Back days are always MADNESS! Got to the gym around 4:15am.

First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

1.)PULL UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; Got 10 reps on the first 2 sets then got 9 reps on the last two sets. Improvement from last week! Again, I highly suggest using weight even if you cant get say 7 or 8 reps. You get a really nice stretch in the lats. Some workouts use weight and others dont.

2.) BARBELL ROWS (Reverse Grip) - Here I did 245lbs for 3 sets. First two sets got 10 clean reps (beat last week again!) and then the third got 7 reps. Again, I picked up the barbell off the floor and then began the exercise. No silly racks allowed!

3.) T BAR ROWS (used barbell - corner of gym) - I used 270lbs (used five 45lb plates) and 3 sets here as well. Got 9 clean reps on this. Increase of one rep from last week.

4.) DUMBELL ROWS - Used 140lb dumbell and did 2 sets of 10 reps. These are awesome.

5.) ClOSE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/240lbs/8 reps on each set. Same number of reps as last session.

6.) WIDE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/225lbs/8 reps on each set. Same number as last session.

7.) HYPEREXTENSIONS with 25lb plate - 4 sets/12 reps.

8.) STRETCHING - Stretched the lats for about 5-10 min.

Workout took about 1 hr 30min to complete (including warm-up and stretching) and 22 sets in total.

Tomorrow most likely take the day off and just rest.

GOAL FOR NEXT BACK SESSION: Get 10 reps on the weighted pull-ups for all 4 sets.


Here is what I ate today:

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

11:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

1:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am.

3:00pm: Myoplex Deluxe, 1 tbsp PB, and 1 banana.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of steak (filet mignon).

Total Cals: Around 3400 (360 g of protein, 330g of carbs, and 60 grams of fat.)

[PBateman2]

Got up around 4:45am and was at the gym by 5:30am. It's Saturday Today decided to do shoulders/traps/rear delts.

First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

SHOULDERS
1.) BARBELL PRESS - Did 145lbs and did 3 sets. Got 1 0reps on the first 2 sets and then 8 on the third set. Did a drop set with 115lbs and got 8 reps. Burn was already in full effect. Ten pound increase from last week. I think I'll stick with these for a while and drop the dumbells for now.

2.) LATERAL RAISES - Used 35 lbs wegiht plates for these. Form is key here. I love using plates as it is a completely different feel than when using dumbells. I did 3 sets and got 10 reps on each set.

3.) FRONT RAISES - Here I used dumbells. I use 40lbs dumbells and never go above shoulder level as well. Here I did 3 sets and got 10 clean reps. Five pound increase from last week.

TRAPS
4.) UPRIGHT BARBELL ROWS - 115lbs/3 sets/9 reps.

5.)BARBELL SHRUGS - Here I did 475lbs and 3 sets. Got 10 reps on the first two set then 9 reps on the third set. Improvement from the last session.

6.)DUMBELL SHRUGS - 145 Dumbells/3 sets/12 reps. I hold the contracted position for a count of two before beginning the negative portion of the rep. I also picked the 145lb dumbells off the floor. Love to make things harder.

REAR DELTS
7.) BENT OVER LATERAL RAISES - Did 30lbs/3 sets/12 reps. Again I hold the contracted position for a count of two.

8.) REAR DELT MACHINE - 90lbs/3 sets/10 reps.

Workout took about 90 min and felt real good afterwards.

GOAL FOR NEXT SESSION: 500lbs on Barbell Shrugs.



Here is what I ate today (LOL...Robotic..I am so boring!!!!!!):

7:300am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chiccken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)
___________

[audieswu]

Sub in for this bro. I need to start my log too... My wedding is right around the corner and so I'm bustin' ass. Better way to start a married life. Haha

[PBateman2]

LOL..right on! Your killin your cut..good work. Every week youre makin progress.

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 3:45am!!!! Sunday...I'll sleep when I die..lol. Felt great today. Folgers down the hatch and out the door. At the gym around 4:30am. Also, motivated cause I get to eat more today..lol. Today I trained quads.

Exercises as follows (warm-up on treadmill for 10 min):

1.) HACK SQUATS - I did 225lbs/4 sets/ and 12 reps for these. Again, I go all the way down for these too. Butt just about to the floor.

2.) FRONT SQUATS - I did 225lbs and 3 sets (10 reps on each set.)

3.) LEG PRESS - Did 4 sets of 12 reps using 450lbs. Walking around like a duck after these.

4.) LUNGES (Barbell) - I did 3 sets of 10 reps with 65 lbs. Again I LOVE these! If you aren't doing these you should be - IMO.

5.) LEG EXTENSIONS - As with the last session, I did FST -7. So 7 sets/10 reps/135lbs with 30sec rest between sets. The burn/pump was insane. Im like limping at this point. I took about a 10 min break after these.

6.) DEADLIFTS - I use straps for these. 3 sets at 405lbs. First 2 sets got 8 reps. Then the last set could only get 5 reps. Cant do these on back day cause on that day there is just no room for these. If you aren't doing deads well START! Build thickness like no other.

This training session was intense to say the least. Starving and rushed home! Eeeeeeeeekkkkkk!

GOALS FOR NEXT QUADS SESSION: Get 10 reps on the deadlifts.


Here is what I ate today:

6:30am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

11:30am: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup mushrooms, and 4 egg whites.

1:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am.

3:00pm: Myoplex Deluxe, 1 tbsp PB, and 1 banana. God I love this shake! Yummmmaaaay!!!

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of snow peas, 1 cup of spinach, and 8 oz of steak (filet mignon).

Total Cals: Around 3400 (360 g of protein, 330g of carbs, and 60 grams of fat.)
_____

[SUPERM4N]

Awesome journal, very motivating, subbed.

[PBateman2]

Eeeeeeekkkkkkkk.....Monday! Woke up around 3:30am and was at the gym by 4:00am. Downed the Folgers and out the door. Today I did abs/biceps/triceps/calves.

Exercises as follows (10 min warm up on treadmill):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets with 25lb plate at 25 reps/set.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps.

TRICEPS
3.)TRICEP PRESSDOWN - 4 sets/110lbs/10 reps. I like to hold the contracted position for 2 seconds before beginning the negative portion of the rep. Really have to squeeze on these need to get a nice contraction and keep elbows parallel to the ground. Avoid swaying. Added one set for this session.

4.) SKULL CRUSHERS - 3 sets/75lbs/9 reps. Form is key here.

5.) DIPS - Did these with a 45lb plate. These are ALWAYS in my routine. 4 sets/10 reps. Best triceps exercise IMO.

6.) ROPE PUSHDOWN - Here I did FST-7. So 7 sets (60lbs) of 10 reps with 30 sec rest between sets. Triceps were totally fried after this!

Yikes! Ended up with 18 sets for triceps but I need the work. The FST-7 training adds up quickly.

BICEPS
7.) ALT DUMBELL CURLS - 3 sets/50lbs/10 reps. Got 11 reps on the first two sets and then 8 reps on the third set. Improvement of total reps from last session. My fav bicep exercise.

8.) PREACHER CURLS (Machine) - 3 sets/75lbs/10 reps.

9.) CONCENTRATION CURLS - 3 sets/25lbs/10 reps.

CALVES
10.) SEATED CALF RAISES - 5 sets/130lbs/25 reps.

11.) STANDING CALF RAISES - 5 sets/200lbs/20-25 reps. On these I like to hold the contracted position for 2 seconds then go into the negative portion of the rep.

GOALS FOR NEXT SESSION: Increase weight on the Tricep Pressdown with FST-7.

Workout took about 90min. Arms were going to explode! Calves felt great. Im seeing a big improvement there.



Here is what I ate today (what else is new!!...lol):

7:30am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)

[asianboy101]

linkin the journal so far
i noticed how you only use dumbells for chest days - do you ever use the barbell anymore or do u think its simply ineffective?

thx...train hard!

[PBateman2]

Thx, bro! When I first started training, I used the barbell on chest (i.e. bench, incline, decline). After about a year, I switched to dumbells and get much better results. Dumbells allow a much better range of motion so it tends to work better for me.

[PBateman2]

Wake up time 3:30am! I never use an alarm. I am programmed...LOL. Was at gym by 4:15am. Gym empty. Just the way I like it. Today I trained hamstrings/abs/calves.

Exercises as follows (warm-up on treadmill for 10 min):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; 4 sets with 25lb plate at 20 reps/set.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps. Increase of 10 reps here but did not hold the contracted position for a count of two. Similar to what I did in the last hammie session.

HAMSTRINGS (HAMS)
3.) SEATED LEG CURLS - 3 sets/12 reps/225lbs. Really squeezed on these and held the contracted position for a count of two on each rep before beginning the negative portion.

4.) STANDING ALT LEG CURL - 3 sets/80lbs/10 reps on each set. Again, l held the contracted position 2-3 seconds then perfromed the negative portion of the rep.

5.) BARBELL STIFF LEG DEADLIFTS - 4 sets/185lbs/12 reps on each set. Increased the reps here by two on each set.

6.) LYING LEG CURLS - Here I did FST-7 training. So for this I started at 80lbs and was able to finish all seven sets with 10 reps.

Hamstrings were done at the point. Burn was nuts.

CALVES
7.) SEATED CALF RAISES - 5 sets/130lbs/25 reps.

8.) STANDING CALF RAISES - 5 sets/200lbs/20-25 reps. Again, on these I like to hold the contracted position for 2 seconds then go into the negative portion of the rep.

That was the workout. Took about 1 hr 15min to complete (including warm-up and cardio).

Tomorrow most likely will hit back. Will try the pullover Nautilus machine as my last exercise incorporating FST-7 training.


Here is what I ate today (Robotic..LOL...):

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

10:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup mushrooms, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 10:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice and 8 oz of chicken breast. Side salad.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)

[audieswu]

You are beastin' you're training bro! Dayummm! Just like you I'm a freaking robot now programmed to seek and destroy as soon as I step into the gym, diet is going well too...I too am starting a sponsored log for Universal Animal with their Animal Cuts.

[PBateman2]

Nice! Let me know when you start it so I can follow. Keep training hard.

[PBateman2]

Wednesday! Woke up around 3:30am. Was a little hungry but downed the coffee and was good to go. Hunger does not matter to me. At gym by 4:15am. Back day. Murder. Blood. Sweat.

First did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill. Exercises as follows:

1.)PULL UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets; Got 10 reps on the first 3 sets then got 9 reps on the last set. Improvement from last week. Again, I highly suggest using weight even if you cant get say 7 or 8 reps. You get a really nice stretch in the lats. Some workouts use weight and others dont.

2.) BARBELL ROWS (Reverse Grip) - Here I did 245lbs for 3 sets. First two sets got 10 clean reps and then the third got 8 reps. Again, I picked up the barbell off the floor and then began the exercise. No silly racks allowed.

3.) T BAR ROWS (used barbell - corner of gym) - I used 270lbs (used five 45lb plates) and 3 sets here as well. Got 10 clean reps on this. Increase of one rep from last week. These are awesome.

4.) DUMBELL ROWS - Used 140lb dumbell and did 2 sets of 10 reps. I dont use the off hand and stabilize on a rack. Again, no silly racks allowed. Put the off hand on my knee and went at it. Pick the 140lb dumbell off the floor.

5.) ClOSE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/240lbs/8 reps on each set. Same number of reps as last session.

6.) WIDE GRIP PULLDOWNS - 3 sets/225lbs/8 reps on each set. Same number as last session.

7.) HYPEREXTENSIONS with 25lb plate - 4 sets/12 reps.

8.) STRETCHING - Stretched the lats for about 5-10 min.

Workout took about 1 hr 30min to complete (including warm-up and stretching) and 22 sets in total.

Tomorrow most likely take the day off and just rest.

GOAL FOR NEXT BACK SESSION: Get 10 reps on the weighted pull-ups for all 4 sets.


Here is what I ate today:

7:00am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

11:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of mushrooms, and 4 egg whites.

1:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am.

3:00pm: Myoplex Deluxe, 1 tbsp PB, and 1 banana.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of mushrooms, and 8 oz of steak (filet mignon).

Total Cals: Around 3400 (360 g of protein, 330g of carbs, and 60 grams of fat.)
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[GettingfitAgain]

Nice journal. Subbed. I am also programmed now to get up at like 430 am and hit the gym by 5am

Do you take any supplements? I was considering creatine once my newbie gains are done.

For someone that is trying to lose weight would you recommend a higher calorie intake or keep it lower?

I am around 2k a day on average (215 lbs) but I also do alot of cardio in addition to a 4 day split. I notice you only do 10 mins warmup before workouts and nothing else.

Would you recommend limiting or even cutting out cardio and switch to a 5 day split with 2 days of rest for someone cutting or keep some cardio in the mix. If I switch to a 5 day how many cals do you think I should shoot for?

[PBateman2]

Thx, bro. Nothing like being robotic..lol.

Only supplements I take are the myoplex, muscle milk n oats, and a good multi-vitamin (GNC Mega Man - time released). You can try creatine once you are done with your cut. I tried it a few years back and didnt get much out of it. All about whole foods and hard training at the end of the day

For your situation, keeps your cals around 2000-2100cals per day.

Five day split and two days off is a nice setup. Youre on a cut so start with 3 days of cardio at 30 min (shouldnt have to do more than that). Use your weight training to guide your fat loss and the cardio to assist. I only do a warm up and no other cardio really at the moment. I train fasted and let the weights do all of my calorie expenditure.

I go against all the "experts" and literature by training this way but I enjoy that and like the challenge. In a way Im kind of my own research study..lol.

[PBateman2]

Up at 3:30am today! Got to the gym by 4:15am. Had my Folgers, changed clothes, and out the door. Today did chest and abs.

Exercises as follows (10 min warm up on treadmill):

ABS
1.)INCLINE SIT UPS- (Bodyweight plus 25lb plate) - 4 sets with 25lb plate at 25 reps/set. Again, I like to hold the contracted position for a count of two. Love these.

2.)HANGING LEG RAISES - 4 sets of 50 reps.

CHEST
3.) INCLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 130lbs/3 sets. Didnt try the 135lb dumbells again today. Just wasn't feeling it. The first set I got 9 reps, the second set got 9 reps as well, and the third set got 6 reps. I also did do a drop set with 70lb dumbells and got 10 reps.

4.) DUMBELL FLYES (INLCINE): 70lbs/3 sets/10 reps.

5.) FLAT DUMBELL PRESS: 95lbs/3 sets/8 reps. Last set got 6 reps. Down to reps from last week. Yikes!

6.) DECLINE DUMBELL PRESS: 135lbs/3 sets/15 reps. Now these I go really light. Again, I go real slow on these. Bring the weight down for a count of two, hold in the negative position for a count of two, and then bring the weight up on the positive for a count of two. Each rep takes about 5 seconds.

7.) CABLE FLYES: Here I did 3 sets with 80lbs. Got 12 clean reps on each set. Increase from last week.

8.) INCLINE MACHINE PRESS: Here I did FST-7. So seven sets with 30 sec rest between each set. Did 150lbs and kept the reps at 10-12. The last two sets though could only get 7 reps. This was hard as hell!

Entire workout took about 90min and did about 23 sets in total. The FST-7 training adds sets quickly to the routine.

GOALS FOR NEXT SESSION: I would like to try 135lbs dumbells on the incline press at least for the first set and try 75lb dumbells on the flyes.


Here is what I ate today:

6:30am: Post-Workout - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, 1 banana, 2 cups of oats with a tablespoon of honey.

9:00am: One of the Muscle Milk N' Oats and 1 scoop of the BSN Lean Dessert (Cinnamon flavor).

12:30pm: 1 cup brown rice, 8oz chicken breast, 1 cup of spinach, 1 cup of mushrooms, and 4 egg whites.

3:00pm: Same meal as 9:00am.

6:00pm: 1 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of spinach, 1 cp of mushrooms, and 8 oz of chicken.

Total Cals: Around 2900 (300g of protein, 280g of carbs, and 60g of fat.)
_________