I have decided to start Layne Norton "Power/Hypertrophy" training program because I am taking my training more seriously now. I have been working out for about year and a half, took 16 weeks off for fire academy, I feel that I could make some serious gains if I start logging everything and actually using a workout routine that has been proven to work. In the past I have just floundered around in the gym doing a 5 day split hitting everything until failure. I would also avoid the major compound lifts, looking back now I wish I could kick my own ass for skipping the compound lifts for the last year.
My goals with this program are overall strength and mass gains with a focus on those major lifts; deadlifts, squats, benchpress.
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 205lbs
If you happen stumble onto my journal and have any questions/comment/advice then leave a message and let me know.
In the upcoming weeks I plan for my 'power/lower' day to improve the most. One of the motivating factors for me to start this program was to increase my squats and deadlifts.
Played as a fill in last night on a friends recreational basketball team and got elbowed in my upper arm. There was a very annoying pinch in my upper arm the entire time I worked out, it should be fine in a couple of days.
I was really pressed for time this workout, so it ended up being a huge super-set workout. I never gave myself enough resting time in between sets and I am sure that I will be sore tomorrow. Some of the weight is down from normal, I am sure that my body is just reacting to the new routine and some of the new exercises that I am throwing at it. I plan on going to bed a lot earlier tonight because I know that my body needs it.
DB Shoulder Press s/s with DB Front Raise
50x8 / 15x12
60x8 / 15x12
70x8 / 17.5x12
DB One Arm Row s/s DB Arnold Press
75x8 / 40x8
80x8 / 45x8
100x8 / 50x8
Lat Pull Down (Wide grip) s/s DB Shrugs
160x10 / 80x15
170x10 / 80x15
200x10 / 80x15
Lat Pull Down (Close grip, palms inward) s/s Barbell Upright Row
160x10 / 80x12
170x10 / 80x12
200x10 / 80x12
T-Bar*
2plates x12
3plates x12
*Body was KO'd by the time I got to the T-Bar, so I only did 2 sets.
I got some extra rest last night and I could tell because my body thanked me by allowing me to push around more weight. I feel like I could have gone a little higher on some of the exercises but it will have to wait until next week. I decided to warm up on the SciFit Recumbent Arm Bike instead of the treadmill because I was working shoulders today. I am glad that I did, my shoulders were ready to start lifting on the first set after I did a quick 5 minute warm-up on the bike.
Today was a good day in the gym because all of my numbers were up from last week. I changed the way I did my barbell rows today, I pulled them from the floor as a deadlift then rowed slow and tried to hold the bar for 30 seconds after my last rep for some form arm / grip work. By the time I got to Military Press I was really feeling it, had to drop my last set back down to starting weight because I felt exhausted. The shrugs call for 5x5 on this routine but I always like to burn myself out on these since they are the last exercise before I leave the gym.
Nice workout man, how long do you rest in between sets on your power days?
I have never had power days in my year of working out, everytime that I went to the gym it was a hypertrophy day with not much resting. It is hard to force myself to rest in between sets, but now that I do I can put everything I have into my next set. What I do though is I just wait until my body cools a little and is able to perform the next set which is usually in a couple of minutes.
Today was a really long day. I picked up a side job with a friend who does dry wall. I was up early and moving dry way at 7am, moved 25 sheets of awkward, heavy dry wall. After lunch we started hanging the dry wall, my body was screaming at me because yesterday was heavy upper and I had to hold heavy dry wall above my head on the ceiling until a few nails were in place.
I was not able to hit the gym until later, I actually just got back as I am typing this at 11:20pm, past my bedtime. I felt very sluggish and my squats were pretty bad because I did not improve that much and I my body was very stiff.
Then it was time for my new favorite exercise, deadlifts. I improved a lot this week, so much that I put last weeks numbers above in this journal entry for comparison. The deadlifts felt good all the way through each set. One of my main goals since starting this program was to increase this lift the most, so far I am doing that and enjoying it as well. Lots of fun, can't wait until next week.
DB Shoulder Press s/s with DB Front Raise
55x8 / 15x12
65x8 / 15x12
75x4 / 15x12 <-- Bad liftoff + shaky first rep. 3 solid reps after then petered out on the last rep.
DB One Arm Row s/s DB Arnold Press
90x8 / 45x8
95x8 / 45x8
100x8 / 45x8
Lat Pull Down (Wide grip) s/s DB Shrugs
170x10 / 85x15
180x10 / 85x15
200x10 / 85x15
Lat Pull Down (Close grip, palms inward) s/s Barbell Upright Row
140x10 / 70x12
180x10 / 70x12
200x10 / 70x12
My legs were still pretty beat up from my tuesday lower power day, did you have this problem too? I still worked out but opted to use average weights just to get blood pumping in, I wasnt going to skip cause I want my body to get use to this format.
Military Press (Smith Machine)
165x5
165x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
Barbell Shrugs
225x10
225x10
315x10
315x10
365x10
Good workout today, my numbers were a little better on my bench, but I feel that I am getting better with my form and it feels a lot more comfortable now. I never did regular barbell bench before because I did dumbbell flat bench for the last year and a half and fell into a comfort zone.
I decided to use a smith machine today for my military press instead of standing. Standing military presses at my gym was a little uncomfortable because the ceiling is so low, I only have an inch of clearance at my peak with the 10 lb plates on each side, it was pain to load the bar with 6-8 10 lb plates. The smith machine allowed me to focus everything on just the exercise itself instead of whether or not I am going to smash the ceiling with the barbell.
What a fun workout all of my numbers were up from last week and I feel a lot stronger overall. Squats were felt good and I had a lot better form this week than last because I have been stretching at night to loosen up my hips, they were so damn tight. Deadlifts felt good they very heavy for me, I will sleep well tonight. Barely finished the last rep in the last set. I really wanted to do 315 for one rep so I did, filmed it for a form check, I feel that I could have pulled a little more.
Excited because I am up 90 lbs in 3 weeks, feels good.
My legs were still pretty beat up from my tuesday lower power day, did you have this problem too? I still worked out but opted to use average weights just to get blood pumping in, I wasnt going to skip cause I want my body to get use to this format.
Yeah I had that problem, my first week was absolute hell. Now my body is starting to get used to it and I really feel it after my power days. Love this routine though, already having good results in the start of my third week. This was exactly what I needed to get past the plateau and get stronger at the basic core exercises.
Location: In front of my computer fapping to pics of OP, Canada
Age: 23
Stats: 6'5", 225 lbs
Posts: 7,132
Rep Power: 3944
Good log bro, doing the same split! Except ive added a 3rd power day breaking up deadlifts and squats, cant do both 100% on same day. Loving it so far!
Looking good so far man!
How you liking the program?
Saying that my life's swell, cortisone. Fuk Macaulay Culkin never going home alone.
Good log bro, doing the same split! Except ive added a 3rd power day breaking up deadlifts and squats, cant do both 100% on same day. Loving it so far!
Looking good so far man!
How you liking the program?
Thanks man and I love the program so far. I never kept a log before, but it is nice to be able to see the numbers from the previous week and try to beat them all the next week... Love it.
Good workout today, switched from the standing french press to skull crushers. I felt it a lot more in my triceps and had really good controlled movement. I also switched to dips and had a small accident at the end of my first set. I had a 35lb dumbbell between my legs and after the set dropped down and the sweat on my legs made the dumbbell slip until it hit my feet on the floor and scrapping skin off of my legs on the way down. I finished a few more sets like that but it hurt like hell. Next week I will be doing bench dips with added weight until I can buy a proper weight belt. Overall good work, I felt stronger on this day than last week.
Week 3, Day 5 Hypertrophy - Shoulders / Back / Traps
Starting Weight: 208.2 lbs
Total Time: 45 minutes
Warm Up: DB Shoulder press, 2 sets of 15 with 30lb dumbbells.
DB Shoulder Press s/s with DB Front Raise
60x8 / 15x12
60x8 / 15x12
60x8 / 15x12
DB One Arm Row s/s DB Arnold Press
100x8 / 40x8
100x8 / 40x8
100x8 / 40x8
Lat Pull Down (Wide grip) s/s DB Shrugs
170x10 / 85x15
180x10 / 85x15
200x10 / 85x15
Lat Pull Down (Close grip, palms inward) s/s Barbell Upright Row
150x10 / 65x12
180x10 / 65x12
200x10 / 65x12
T-Bar
2 plates x 12
2 plates x 12
I overslept this morning by about 30 minutes leaving less time at the gym. Finished this entire workout in less than an hour. I was extremely beat, and my heart rate was still going crazy about 20 minutes after I was done with my workout, at home showering and getting ready for work. It was a good high intensity workout with very little rest time between sets and super sets. Hypertrophy legs tomorrow, I cant wait it should be a lot of fun.
Leg Extensions s/s with Seated Leg Curls
90x12 / 90x12
110x12 / 90x12
130x12 / 90x12
135x12 / 90x12
140x12 / 90x12
Added some Bulgarian lunges into my routine tonight. Instead of using a bench for my opposite leg I used my TRX to keep my off leg suspended to make the exercise harder, and to incorporate more core movement into the exercise. Workout was good, off day tomorrow then week 4 is right around the corner. My weight was also down today, I didn't get a chance to eat a lot today because of the way the schedule happened to fall on my at work.
Military Press (Hammer Strength ISO)
180x5
180x5
180x5
180x5
180x5
Barbell Shrugs
225x10
315x10
315x10
315x10
225x10
Gym was really busy today, when I got to my military press everything was being used, the two dumbbell benches, 2 squat racks (for standing presses) and all 3 smith machines. So I decided to use the hammer strength iso military press machine. I really liked it but it mainly hits the front delts more than the entire delt. Bench felt good today, I can feel that I am getting stronger, I am really focusing on slow controlled movement with full range of motion, which can be difficult because I am 6'5" and my range of motion is very large. Looking forward to lower power tomorrow.
Discounts & Deals - Sign Up!
Bookmarks