ICF 5x5 Log

[Gamecockdoc]

Started my ICF workout on 10/2/15 after following a general workout at a commercial gym set up by a trainer x approximately 4 months. Started lifting weights after a back injury, physical therapy and stretching/strengthening core x several months. Best move I ever made (tried massage therapy, running, stretching alone) and none were as effective as strength training has been.

Decided to try this workout as I wanted more gains and a regimented program to help go up on weight on compound movements. Been at it right at a month and have seen progress.

My initial lifts were for workout A:

Squat: 140lb x 5x5
Bench: 140lb x 5x5
Bent Over Row: 85lb x 5x5
Barbell Shrug: 135lb x 3x8
Skull crushers: 40lb x 3x8
Chin ups: sets of 4, 3, 3
Hyperextensions: sets of 10,10,10 (bodyweight)
Cable Crunch: 42.5lb x 3x10

workout B:

Squat: 145lb x 5x5
Deadlift: 95lb x 5x5 (started low as I had never done before, wanted good form to strengthen core/lower back)
Shoulder Press: 75lb x 5x5
Bent Over Row (-10% from A): 75lb x 5x5
Close Grip Bench Press: 95lb x 3x8
Barbell Curl: 65lb x 3x8
Cable Crunch: 50lb x 3x10

Prior to the four months of training at the gym I could not do a chin up and was afraid to bend over to pick up a dumbbell.

[Gamecockdoc]

Update as of 10/30

My lifts have improved, today I hit my first set where I was unable to hit all 5 reps for 5 sets (bench press) and the squat is getting close.

Current lifts for workout A are:

Squat: 200lb x 5x5
Bench: 170lb, sets of 5, 5, 4, 4 (will repeat this weight next workout)
Bent Over Row: 105lb x 5x5
Barbell Shrug: 165lb x 3x8 (getting harder on my hands to hold, should I use wraps?)
Skull Crushers: 65lb x 3x8
Chin ups: sets of 8, 6, 4
Stiff leg deadlifts: 55lb x 2x10 (working out at home instead of gym now, don't have hyperextension bench, 2nd time doing this exercise, taking weight slow to get technique down)

Cable Crunch: 55lb x 3x10
Hanging Leg raise: 2 sets of 10 (added for 1st time today to help hit the core, still with difficulty not swinging when i do it.)

Have been trying to add weight to the isolation sets as well when able. The skull crushers and curl are about at max, will be trying to add microplates to those to continue to advance.

[shaneinga]

Maybe you can get a mod to move this over to the journals section.

Good looking couple of workouts.

As far as wraps on the shrugs, are you using chalk? If not I would start with chalk, and then move on to wraps once you get past chalk being the answer. Chalk makes a HUGE difference though. I wouldn't be surprised if you could move to 225 and beyond with just chalk.

You will benefit from keeping away from the straps for as long as you can.

[Gamecockdoc]

Maybe you can get a mod to move this over to the journals section.

Good looking couple of workouts.

As far as wraps on the shrugs, are you using chalk? If not I would start with chalk, and then move on to wraps once you get past chalk being the answer. Chalk makes a HUGE difference though. I wouldn't be surprised if you could move to 225 and beyond with just chalk.

You will benefit from keeping away from the straps for as long as you can.

Didn't realize there was a journals section, new to the forum. How do you get the moderator to move it?

As far as chalk, I work out at home and my wife is allergic to it so my intent is to keep it out of our gym. We only have the one bar and I don't want to cause her any problems. I maybe just need to let my hands toughen up a little. Calluses from the chinups as well.

[ironwill2008]

How do you get the moderator to move it?

Done.


Welcome to the O35 Journals. Have a good day.

[Gamecockdoc]

It probably isn't as big deal as I think but curious about my body fat %. Used the hand held one at the gym last month and it showed 21%.

One month later did the 3 point Jackson/Pollock and it came out at 16.3%.

Did the Navy body measurements and it came out at 21%. Could be operator error using the calipers but my clothes are definitely looser and I can see in the mirror that I am leaner than when the hand held measurement was done (pics on my bodyspace I feel I can see the difference.)

I am continuing to be on a calorie deficit and would like to get the BF down more before going to bulk to add muscle. Still enough of a newbie that I am gaining strength on a deficit.

Currently 5'10", 180lb, eating 1775 cal at 180P, 133C, 59F.

[shaneinga]

As long as you are still gaining on a deficit and you are still wanting to lose weight stick with it. Your fats are a little low, but I have seen worse and actually done worse percentage wise myself when running my low cals. Carbs are typically the sacrificial lamb when I go into diet mode.

One thing that I found that really was a light bulb moment with dieting for me was the fact that you really want to lose slow and steady and continue to drop weight while eating as much as possible.

A lot of people go all in and try to do it really quickly with deep deficits and what they find is when they stall, there is little wiggle room in there diet for a deeper deficit to get them losing again.

Looking good in here, I will follow along to watch your progress. I always wanted to run Stronglifts, but my knees won't take squatting 3 days a week, and 2 is just right for me.

As far as the chalk goes, they have liquid chalk if your wife is allergic to the standard chalk, it works damn near as well as the standard chalk and you won't have the dust flying around.