AJ's Tri-Phase/Lean Mass diet log

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 8, Workout 2
Apil 14, 2010

Hack Squat
90x10, 180x6, 270x4, 360x8, 380x8

Lying Leg Curl
95x10, 195x9, 195x10

Standing Calf Raise
200x8, 310x10, 310x10

Incline Bench Press
Barx10, 135x8, 185x5, 205x9, 205x10

Pull-Ups
BWx10, BWx8

Seated DB Lateral Raise
15x5, 35x10, 40x8

Seated DB Shrug
125x10, 125x10

Skull Crushers
75x8, 95x10, 105x10

Incline DB Curls
30x6, 45x8, 45x10

Felt good in the gym tonight, but tonights workout was a killer. I pushed myself in each exercise. My shoulder seems to be getting a little better, either that or I'm just getting use to it's annoyance. Was flying solo again tonight, but luckily there were a few of my friends around to give me a spot when I needed one.

Weighed in at 214 this morning, right on track. Started using www.fitday.com today to track my food. Used my iPhone for my last cut to track what I was eating, but it I'm liking fitday, lets you plan out your meals in advance. Just have to enter all of my custom foods now!

Contemplating on attending the Europa expo and night show here in Orlando this Saturday, not sure if I'll have the time since I want to hang with my fiance a little, get a workout in, plus a good friend from high school is having his big 30th birthday party. I might try to do it all, we shall see.

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 8, Workout 3
April 16, 2010

Leg Extensions
130x10, 270x12, 270x12

Seated Leg Curls
100x8, 170x12, 180x12

Weighted Donkey Calf Raises
135x5, 225x12, 225x12

Dips
BWx12, BWx12

Seated Cable Row
120x8, 225x12, 225x12

Cable Side Lateral Raise
15x12, 15x12

Low-Pulley High Row
105x12, 105x12

Triceps Pressdown
52.5x10, 87.5x12, 97.5x12

Wide Grip EZ Bar Cable Curls
52.5x8, 82.5x12, 77.5x5, 72.5x5

Moved very fast through the workout tonight. Have been inspired the Arnold tribute MuscleMag that I picked up last week. Just reading about his intensity in the gym makes me want to ignore any possible distractions, stay completely focused, and really push myself.

I'm not sure if this is the plan for this phase/workout, but I did enough weight that most of my sets went to failure. My arms were dead after my first set of curls due to this, forcing me to split up my last set as a drop set. But they got a super pump.

Looking forward to killing chest and bi's tomorrow. Almost down to week 9.

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 8, Workout 4
April 17, 2010

Incline DB Press
45x6, 60x6, 80x12, 90x10, 100x7

Flat DB Press
80x12, 95x10, 110x6

Decline DB Flies (FST-7 style)
30x10x7

Wide Grip Barbell Curl
Barx10, 95x12, 105x10, 115x8

DB Hammer Curls
30x6, 35x12, 45x10, 55x8

Supinated Concentration Curls (FST-7 style)
15x10x3, 20x10x4

Got a massive pump in my chest and bi's today. No spotter, so I fell a little short on my Incline/Flat DB press goals. Still, the weight felt very good, and I used very slow and deliberate movements, partly b/c I want to avoid injury by not jerking the weights around, but mostly to really feel the muscles burn. The rest of the workout went great.

Week 8 is done, looking to really push it next week.

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 9, Workout 1
April 19, 2010

Full Squat
Barx10, 135x8, 185x4, 225x3, 275x6, 275x6

SLDL
135x8, 185x4, 275x6, 295x6

Seated Calf Raise
135x8 (slow for a good warmup), 225x6, 225x6

Flat Bench Press
Barx10, 135x8, 185x5, 245x6, 245x6

T-Bar Row
135x8, 225x6, 225x6

Shoulder Barbell Press
Barx8, 135x8, 175x6, 175x6

Smith Machine Shrugs
225x10, 405x6, 405x6

Close Grip Bench Press
135x8, 185x2, 205x6, 215x6

Barbell Curls
Barx10, 125x6, 125x6

Felt very strong last night. The last few weeks of hitting my chest and arms on the weak-point day has really added strength in those areas. I don't think it will be long before I will be able to bench press 300lbs (a goal for this year), and my shoulder is starting to feel better. Only problem last night was how busy it was! The workout took longer that I had hoped due to some waiting I had to do.

Woke up at 216lbs today. Gonna try and get on the basketball court tonight to get some cardio in.

[fltallpaul]

Maybe next week we can time some workouts so I can help spot you, really push yourself on your 4 rep week, see what your made of brah?

[deltpecx]

Now that you're in your last week, what do you think of Tri Phase?

That upcoming week off will be well deserved.

Do you know how you'll be training after Tri Phase?

BTW: Strong SLDLs!

[adamjohn32]

Maybe next week we can time some workouts so I can help spot you, really push yourself on your 4 rep week, see what your made of brah?

This is my last week of the tri-phase, so I'm gonna take next week off while I figure out what type of training I'm doing next. Maybe I could hook up w/ you and sean and join in on all the fun you guys are having?

Now that you're in your last week, what do you think of Tri Phase?

That upcoming week off will be well deserved.

Do you know how you'll be training after Tri Phase?

BTW: Strong SLDLs!

Thanks man, I really like the tri-phase. I've gained strength and some LBM, but what I liked most was that the training never got boring/redundant. Definitely gonna do a few more rounds in the future, but as for what's next, I am not sure. I've been following your thread, and your training split seems interesting, so I may try something like that.

Whatever I do, it'll end up in here. Thanks again.

[deltpecx]

...I've been following your thread, and your training split seems interesting, so I may try something like that.

Whatever I do, it'll end up in here. Thanks again.

That's the split Derek sent me. I've been tweeking it a bit lately.
Thanks for following.

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 9, Workout 2
April 21, 2010

Hack Squats
90x8, 180x5, 270x4, 410x8, 410x8

Lying Leg Curls
105x8, 200x8, 200x9

Standing Calf Raises
200x8, 310x10, 310x10

Incline Bench Press
135x8, 185x5, 215x10, 225x6

Pull-ups
BWx10, BWx8

Seated DB Side Laterals
15x6, 30x10, 30x10

Seated DB Shrugs
125x10, 125x10

Skull Crushers
75x6, 105x10, 115x8

Incline DB Curls
30x6, 45x10, 45x9

Hack squats and incline bench press were PR's for me last night. I weighed in at 222 at the gym, cloths and all, so my pull-ups were actually surprising, the first set I did 10 easy, but I fatigued real quick once i hit the 6.5 rep mark on the second set.

I woke up this morning at 215, so I'm still right were I want to be. Gives me some room to consume some extra calories before my next two workouts.

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 9, Workout 3
April 23, 2010

Leg Extensions
130x8, 270x12, 270x12

Seated Leg Curls
95x8, 170x12, 170x12

Weighted Donkey Calf Raises
225x12, 225x12

Dips
BW+30x12, BW+40x12

Seated Cable Row
120x8, 240x12, 225x12

Cable Side Lateral Raise
17.5x12x2

Low-Pully High Row
120x6, 120x6

Triceps Pressdown
50x8, 95x12x2

Wide Grip EZ Bar Cable Curl
50x6, 80x12, 80x8, 72.5x4

Great workout, am really feeling strong now. Went very quick through the workout, got a great overall pump and a good sweat going.

Looking forward to really killing my chest and bi's tomorrow. Hopefully I can find a spotter for my chest movements, so I can try and set some PR's.

Weight was still at 215 this morning, weighed in at 220.5 when I got home from the gym. Hoping to be above 215 in the morning. Am going to try and take some progress pictures so I can compare myself to the last set I took back in February.

[deltpecx]

Seated DB Shrugs
125x10, 125x10

This might sound odd but I've never done DB shrugs sitting.

Do you prefer sitting over standing? Which do you find hits the traps better?

[adamjohn32]

This might sound odd but I've never done DB shrugs sitting.

Do you prefer sitting over standing? Which do you find hits the traps better?

I do the seated DB shrugs mainly b/c I need heavier weight than my gym provides, so I offset this by doing them seated with a good hold at the top of the rep and good stretch at the bottom.

However, being seated helps eliminate any lower body assistance you may get, and if done with good form really puts all of the focus on the trap. Just make sure to keep the lower back rigid/tight (or wear a belt for suppor), being seated puts more stress there.

You should give them a try, lemme know how you like them.

[deltpecx]

I'll have to give it a try. I've reached the 150s at my gym, the heaviest DBs. So maybe going lighter while sitting will work. I'll let you know..thanks!

[adamjohn32]

Tri-Phase Week 9, Workout 4
April 24 2010

Incline DB Press
50x6, 80x12, 90x10, 100x7.5

Flat DB Press
80x12, 95x10, 110x8

Decline DB Flies (FST-7)
35x10x7

Wide Grip Barbell Curls
65x4, 105x12, 115x10, 105x8

DB Hammer Curls
40x12, 50x10, 60x8

Concentration Supinated Curls (FST7)
20x10x7

Lying Weighted Leg Raises
BW+15x12x3

Weighted Decline Crunches
BW+35x12x3

My first Tri-Phase came to a close today. Over the past 9 weeks, I've increases my strength a ton, but by following the lean mass diet only gained around 8lbs (207.5 to 215.5), which I think is mostly muscle. I'm not sure of my bodyfat right now, but my arms are still very vascular (especially during my workouts), my legs are starting to become vascular (calves mainly, with a few veins appearing around my lower quads) and I am starting to see more definition in the upper regions of my quads. The only area I see getting some fat is my midsection, but my cloths are still very loose, my waist is no larger that 34", and when flexed can still see a little bit of my lower abs. When I get a chance, I'll try to take some progress pics and post them.

I'm taking next week off to deload, probably do some light exercising (cardio, basketball, etc.) and still try to eat right. I'll take some time next week to figure out what's next. But I have to say, I really love the Tri-Phase program, many props to Scivation for putting out programs like the tri-phase and lean mass diet.

[adamjohn32]

So I've decided to go with a power/hypertrophy split for my next round of training. This will be coupled with cut diet, partly to lean up for the rest of summer, but also to experiment and see how my body reacts to different diet techniques.

My current caloric intake will be around 225c / 265p / 70f on most days, with refeed days in the area of 390c / 225p/ 60f (refeeding 1-2 times per week). My goal is to lose about 1-1.5lbs a week. If I start to lose too much, I'll up my carbs. If I'm not losing enough, I'll up my cardio before I start to eat less. I also want to stay as strong as possible, so this is one more thing that will play into my diet.

With the current plan, I will also have the fortune to train with the one and only Paul (fltallpaul) as much as possible. I really looking forward to learning as much as I can from someone who's been training the right way for a long time, especially with regards to proper technique and the mind/muscle connection. It will also be great to have someone there that I know will make me really push myself. This should be fun.

My first workout was tonight, basically trying to get a gauge on my 5-rep max with the upper body power exercises. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will be setting some new PR's (even while dieting...)

Power/Hypertrophy, Power Upper, Week 1
May 3, 2010

10 minute warmup on stationary bike

T-Bar Row Machine, Medium Grip
45x10, 90x8, 135x4, 180x1, 160x5, 90x10

Pull-Ups
BWx8x3, BW was 226 on the gym scale

Flat Bench Press
135x8, 185x5, 225x1, 245x5

Incline DB Flies
35x6, 40x8, 40x8

Barbell Curls
Barx10, 95x4, 115x5

Shoulder Press
135x10, 155x8, 155x8

Decline Skull Crushers
75x8, 75x8

20 minutes low intensity cardio on stationary bike

Tonights workout was great, my body initially felt tired/weak from the layoff last week, but this quickly went away. Was able to move through most of the workout relatively quickly, only having to wait for a couple of things. My flat bench still felt strong, and the incline flies really pumped my chest once Paul showed me the correct way to perform them (already learning something...). My shoulder didn't bother me that much, but my right elbow is still giving me issues. Hopefully I can get the joint warmed up next week so I can progress in weight.

Tomorrow's heavy leg day, looking forward to it.

[deltpecx]

I read in Paul's journal about you two training together. it will be fun to watch you guys push each other.

You mentioned your macros but not your current calorie intake.

I like your thinking about testing your body to see how it reacts to different techniques.
I do that too. I figure if I ever decide to compete I would already know how my body will react to different caloric and macro intakes.

What did Paul show you about Incline Flyes?

[adamjohn32]

You mentioned your macros but not your current calorie intake.

Caloric intake is just multiplying the macros by their respective calories, 4 calories per g of protein, 4 per carb, and 9 per fat, and adding them up:

Normal days: (225x4) + (265x4) + (70x9) = 2590
Refeed days: (390x4) + (225x4) + (60x9) = 3000

So basically I'm shooting for ~2600 on normal days and 3000 on refeed days (maybe more, like 3200).

What did Paul show you about Incline Flyes?

I wasn't using my chest that much, rather my shoulders to do the movement. He told me I needed to keep more bend in my arms throughout the entire range of motion, make sure I feel a good stretch at the bottom, and execute the motion in more of a "bear hug" manner while really concentrating on using my chest to manipulate the weight. Once I found the right form, my chest was burning, felt great.

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Power Lower, Week 1
May 3, 2010

10 minute incline walk followed by some light leg extensions/curls to get my legs loose

Full Squat (55%)
Bunch of light warmup sets, then 165x5x5

Hack Squat
90x8, 180x6, 270x4, 360x8, 360x7

SLDL
Barx10, 135x10, 225x8, 275x5, 315x5

Standing Calf Raises
Few warmup sets, then 300x6, 300x8x2

Seated Calf Raises
90x6, 135x4, 180x8, 205x6

No cardio, legs were done

Great heavy leg workout. Paul and I lift close to the same weight when it comes to legs (wish I can say the same about the upper body stuff...), so it's gonna be great to push each other over the next few weeks.

Last night was somewhat of a feeler night again, some exercises we tried to find our 5 rep max, others we kinda knew so we started the periodization for them. Overall, my legs got quite the workout.

One more note about last night is that I've never done hack squats after regular squats, so while I think this effected my strength just a little, I actually liked doing these exercises in this sequence. With the full squat, I felt more of an entire leg workout (quads, hams, hips, core, etc), but then the hack squats just hit the quad so hard, I loved the feeling afterwards.

Rest day today, looking forward to my first hypertrophy experience tomorrow. Weighed in at 215.5lb this morning (was at 219 Monday morning, but I think I was just bloated from all the carefree eating I did over my week off)

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Back/Chest, Week 1
May 6, 2010

Supported T-Bar Row
105x10x3

Close Grip Seated Cable Row
150x10, 165x12, 180x12

1 Arm DB Rows
70x15, 80x15x2

Lat Pulldowns
130x12, 145x12, 160x12

HS Pullovers
200x15x2

Flat Bench
160x10x3

HS Incline Press
180x10x2, 200x10

Pec Dec Flies
70x12, 80x12x2

Flat DB Chest Stretch
50 for 60 seconds

15 minutes light cardio on stationary bike

First hypertrophy experience which yielded a great pump. I haven't had a high volume workout like this in a while, especially for my back which felt very full. Kept a pretty good pace through the entire workout, only lagging a little towards the end, but hopefully once the endurance picks up, this won't be the norm.

Leg day today, looking forwards to crawling out of the gym.

Weight this morning was at 215. I was actually afraid of losing more weight this week, but it seems I've picked a good starting point with my caloric intake. Still haven't had a re-feed day yet, don't feel too tired/fatigued, so this will probably happen on Monday.

[fltallpaul]

Actually today is a good day for a refeed...I am carbing up good today with a few high carb meals. 25-30 sets for legs is a killer buddy...its gonna be fun!

[adamjohn32]

Actually today is a good day for a refeed...I am carbing up good today with a few high carb meals. 25-30 sets for legs is a killer buddy...its gonna be fun!

Hmm... I think I'll add some extra carbs in today then. My office has a bunch of quick oats in the break room, I'll add a packet or two to my meals... thanks for the heads up.

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Legs, Week 1
May 7, 2010

Full Squat
195x10x3

Hack Squat
360x10, 360x8, 320x10

Leg Extensions
230x11, 230x12, 230x12

DB Walking Lunges
35 x 32 steps

SLDL
205x10x3

Single Leg Curls
70x12, 70x15, 80x12

Standing Calf Raises
200x12x4

Seated Calf Raises
135x12x2, 135x15

18 minutes light cardio

I took Paul's advice and added some extra carbs to my meals leading up to this workout. I sure needed them. I just have to say that I have never felt my legs so full of blood.

The hack squats after the full squat really hit my quads hard, but then the leg extensions just completely destroyed them. The walking lunges were pretty taxing and I was really feeling fatigued, but my hamstrings weren't! After a few rounds of beating them up with the SLDL and the leg curls the calves were up last, and I took no mercy on them as well.

Even though we kept a good pace most of the workout, I did some light cardio on the stationary bike afterwards, mainly to get some feeling back into my lower limbs. This was first of hopefully many epic leg workouts to come.

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Arms/Shoulders, Week 1

Weighted Leg Raises
BW+15x12x3

Rope Crunches
62x20, 72x20, 82x12

Decline Skull Crushers
75x10, 85x10, 95x10

HS Dip Machine
180x12, 200x12, 230x12

Barbell Curls
70x10x3

Seated Hammer Curls
30x10x2, 35x10

Triceps pressdown SS Concentration Curls
72x12/25x10, 80x12/25x10

Seated Military Press
135x10, 155x10x2

DB Side Laterals
30x10x3

Machine Laterals
90x12, 80x15x2

Seated Rear DB Laterals
25x15x2

25 minutes light cardio on stationary bike

Finished the first week off great, arms and shoulders got a great pump. Threw some abs in before the workout b/c I got to the gym early. Looking forward to what the next few weeks will bring.

214.5 this morning, gonna rest tomorrow and then have my first planned re-feed day for heavy upper (can anyone say sweet potatoes and peanut butter?).

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Power Upper, Week 2
May 3, 2010

7 minute warmup on stationary bike

Assisted T-Bar Row
115x5, 4 sets

Pull-Ups
BWx8, 3 sets

Flat Bench Press
170x5, 4 sets

Incline DB Flies
45x10, 50x10

Seated Military Press
175x8, 185x6

Barbell Curls
80x5, 4 sets

Decline Skull Crushers
105x8, 115x6

15 minutes low intensity cardio on stationary bike.

70% effort this week for power lifts. Everything went smooth, was really able to control the weight, move explosively but still feel the target muscle contracting. Felt a good burn with the incline DB flies again tonight. I think finally doing them correctly will add some strength and size to my chest. Shoulder felt great as well, I'm hoping to be pushing 200 soon on the shoulder press. Only exercise that's still giving me some trouble is the skull crushers, the movement just hurts my elbow. I started taking some joint supplements so hopefully this will help with that.

Leg day tomorrow, should be a quick workout (compared to all the others) so I'll probably throw in some abs. Not sure about cardio though, woke up today at 213.5. Today was a refeed day, but I think I may have to start eating more. We'll see what my weight is like in the morning.

[deltpecx]

[b] Assisted T-Bar Row
115x5, 4 sets..

...Felt a good burn with the incline DB flies again tonight. I think finally doing them correctly will add some strength and size to my chest...

For this do you use the machine/bench where you lie on a pad with your chest at about 45 deg angle?

Agreed with the DB flyes. Glad Paul showed you how to do them correctly.

[adamjohn32]

For this do you use the machine/bench where you lie on a pad with your chest at about 45 deg angle?

Yeah, it's a machine with a chest pad. Using the machine instead of a traditional barbell T-Bar to take the lower back out of the movement, since I'm squatting and SLDL twice a week now.

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Power Lower, Week 2
May 11, 2010

10 minute walking followed by some light machine work to get the blood flowing in the legs

Full Squat
210x5, 4 sets

Leg Extensions
250x10, 270x10

SLDL
220x5, 4 sets

Standing Calf Raises
300x8, 335x8, 335x8

Seated Calf Raises
205x8, 225x6

20 minutes light cardio

Legs felt good last night. Looking forward to pushing/pressing more weight in the upcoming weeks. All movements felt good, hamstrings were initially super tight from last weeks hypertrophy day still, but after the first working set of SLDL, they felt great.

On another note, I started this training/diet program wanting to lose at most 1.5 lbs a week, but woke up today at 212.5 lbs (last Wednesday I was around 216). This is a little too much weight loss at the moment, since I am also trying not to lose any strength. So I am revising my diet to 300c / 265p / 75f (~2900 calories) for my "normal" days and 450c / 250p / 70f (~3400 calories) for my refeed days. I will see how my body reacts to these numbers and then adjust accordingly.

Currently my foods of choice are:
Protein: Chicken breast, Orange Roughy, Egg Whites, Tuna, Whey, fat free cheese
Carbs: Oats, Sweet Potatoes, Baked Lays, FiberOne bars
Fats: Almonds, natural PB

If there are any suggestions to other foods I should try, I'm all ears (or eyes, since I will be reading any responses )

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Back/Chest, Week 2
May 13, 2010

Assisted T-Bar Row
105x10, 3 sets

Close Grip Seated Cable Row
165x10, 180x12, 195x12

1 Arm DB Rows
80x12, 90x15, 100x12

Lat Pulldowns
145x12, 160x12, 160x12

HS Pullovers
200x15, 2 sets

Flat Bench Press
160x10, 3 sets

HS Incline Press
230x10, 230x10, 200x12

Standing Cable Flies
20x12, 25x12, 25x12

Flat DB Chest Stretch
55 for 60 seconds

Felt good in they gym today after a day of rest. Woke up today at 212.5, same weight the past two days, so hopefully I'm starting to dial in on my diet, we shall see tomorrow morning.

After the workout while I was changing, it appeared my chest and back are starting to respond to the new training. Even though I had a good pump going they both looked very full, and the did see larger than I remember. I tried to take a picture, but my phone froze up (my iPhone is running the beta OS, which has some nice new features, but also has some drawbacks...)

Re-feed day tomorrow for hypertrophy legs, and it will be needed. My legs were sore for a few days after last weeks workout.

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Legs, Week 2
May 14, 2010

Full Squat
205x10, 3 sets

Hack Squat
360x10, 3 sets

Leg Extensions
200x12, 3 sets

DB Walking Lunges
45x32 steps

SLDL
225x10, 3 sets

Single Leg Curls
70x15, 80x12, 80x12

Standing Calf Raises
220x12, 4 sets

Seated Calf Raises
165x12, 3 sets

Legs felt good today, really hit them hard. Refeed day today as well, anxious to see what I wake up weighing.

Arms and shoulders tomorrow, then the CELTICS game Sunday!

[adamjohn32]

Power/Hypertrophy, Hypertrophy Arms/Shoulders, Week 2
May 15, 2010

Barbell Curls
80x10, 3 sets

Seated Hammer Curls
35x10, 35x10, 40x10

Decline Skull Crushers
95x10, 105x10, 105x10

HS Dip Machine
230x12, 250x12, 270x12

Triceps pressdown SS Concentration Curls
80x12/30x10, 95x12/30x10

Seated Military Press
155x10, 3 sets

DB Side Laterals
25x10, 3 sets

Pec Dec Rear Laterals SS Machine Laterals
145x15/80x15, 3 sets

18 minutes light cardio on stationary bike

Arms felt pretty strong today and my right elbow felt good as well, was able to push some good weight.

Diet seems to also be coming around, after eating a few extra carbs for my refeed yesterday, I was back up to 213.5 this morning.

Looking forward to next week, power days are gonna start to get heavy.