Rockstar's strength training journal

[Rockstar88]

Hey guys just a little background info on myself, i'm not a powerlifter but im an ectomorph whose just fed up with being skinny. I've been training for years but i have gotten little to no results. Right now my main focus is just getting stronger as i've been benching the same small number of 65 kg's (I'll be using kg's for this log as im an aussie) for almost 3 years now.

Hopefully by posting my training log here, people will get a clue as to why i'm not progressing. Babyslayer will be keeping a close eye on this journal, he promised to help me on this predicting that i would add 50 pounds to my bench under his guidance, so that would be awesome. I would probably have to consider myself to be one of the biggest hardgainer's out there so for all the ectomorphs, if i progress on this, anyone can.

I'm gonna try and be as detailed as i possibly can in this journal with regards to what i'm eating and what training routine i'm doing.

right now i weigh 70 kg's, height: 5'11

Upper arms: 13.1 inches

Waist (Relaxed): 34 inch

Thighs: 24 inch

Here's my pic.



Yep, and that's after 5 or so years of training.


Personal best lifts:

Bench: 65 kg's 8 reps, 70 kg's for 3

Squat: 70 kg's 5 reps

Deadlift: 100 kg's 5 reps

Standing barbell press: 47 kg's 5 reps

Chin up's: 12 reps


The routine i've been doing for the past month is a full body routine. I'll be continuing this routine for about a month and then make changes from there. I started off pretty conservatively on this routine so i havent come close to maxing out on my PB's yet. Routine as follows:

Workout A:

Squats
Bench
Barbell rows


Workout B:

Deadlift
Standing shoulder press
Chins


Workouts are rotated on monday, wednesday, friday. ABA BAB ABA ect.....

Monday's i do 5 reps each exercise, wednesday i do 12 reps and on friday i do 8. I do 5 sets of each exercise on any day in a ramping up fashion similar to Bill Star's 5x5. My main focus is to get stronger on all those major lifts. I workout with only barbells and dumbbells, i workout at home, i have pretty much everything i need including a squat rack.



As of diet, i haven't been eating much calories at all lately. Roughly 1500-2000 calories a day. Reason for this is because i've been actually getting quite skinny/fat. I kept on increasing calories while my strength still stayed the same resulting in my belly increasing like crazy while my arms still stayed at 13 inches. Usually most days i'll get in about 70-120 grams of protein a day. As of now though im solely focusing on gaining strength so if that means that i'll add body fat then so be it.

Ok, so that's about it. My next workout will be tomorrow (Monday). If this doesn't work, nothing will.

[endpoint]

First things first, you have to get your head straight.

you are on the path to lose because you dont believe you can succeed.

There are so many negative statements in your posts.

You are putting labels on yourself. The second you say your a hard gainer...you have already lost your chances of gaining weight

get your head straight first.
You have a bench press goal which is good. But what about a body weight goal?
A squat goal? A deadlift goal

[wolfpackofone]

Hi mate - best of luck with the log but completely agree with Endpoint.... you are (probably subconsciously) hiding behind labels. Try not to think of yourself as an ectomorph (you're not - no one is, we're all a mix of all 3 ****totypes): you're a tallish guy with a tendency towards being lean. This is a good thing! Any muscle you put on will be instantly visible and look good.

You've not been gaining weight because you've not been eating to gain weight, not because you're an ectomorph. Your exercise selection is good - make sure to focus on progressing the weights lifted... do you have a progression system in mind or do you just go with what you feel. I found early on that a "double-progression' method was great for adding little bits each week and that adds up quick! I still use it when I hit a sticking point.

And if this doesn't work, something else will. Our bodies are just machines (albeit complicated ones... that don't come with instructions) and just like machines will do what we tell them to. Provide the right conditions and the right stimulus and your body has no choice but to go stronger.

what are your targets?

[el67ko]

Good luck!

I agree with what the others have said...you need to scrap the "woe is me" attitude and just hit the weights as hard as possible and eat accordingly. Don't set yourself up for failure by pre-making out your excuses.

My guess is, if youve taken the time and effort to start a log, ask for advice etc., you are on the right path and your lifts will make a huge jump if you honestly follow the advice and give it your all.

Looking forward to following your progress!

[Rockstar88]

Thanks fellas. If i sound a little negative it's only because i've gotten such little results from so much work. I still have hope, if i didnt then i still wouldnt continue after all this time. i still think there's some small thing im not doing thats preventing me from gaining and thats what i want to fix.

My goal is to get stronger on the bench, squat and deadlift. I want to add AT LEAST 10-15 kg's on my squat and bench and im hoping for 25 kg's on my bench in 3-4 months. I haven't been able to get stronger in almost 3 years so any strength gains will be good strength gains right now.




Todays workout:

squat: 55 kg's for 6 reps
bench: 55 kg's 6 reps
rows: 55 kg's 6 reps

I'll only be posting my main top set in this journal, with all my workouts i do a 5x5 with the weights being ramped up to a top set.

Today's workout was pretty good. I added an extra rep to each workout since my last workout and i did it comfortably without training to failure. I probably had about 2-3 reps left in me in each exercise.





Todays diet:

4 scoops of whey in 2 serves of milk
small potato chips
can of pepsi
soup (consisted of dough?, beans, carrots and potato)
2 medium sized schnitzels with 2 serves of pasta
4 scoops of whey in 2 serves of milk
handful of grapes
4 weetbix with 2 serves of milk


I would roughly say i ate about 2500 calories. I don;t normally drink soft drinks, i usually eat pretty clean but since all i care about now gaining strength, im not scared of the extra calories.

[wolfpackofone]

Good workout rockstar - is there any reason it was the same weight for each exercise or are those just your best weights for each movement?

the 'double-progression' method I mentioned would be worth a look I think: basically, rather than trying to up your weights each week you pick a rep range, say 5-8. Pick a weight that you can do no more than 5 reps for, and do 5 reps. The following week, do 6 reps, then 7, then 8. When you can do all 8 reps, drop back to 5 reps and then up the weight by the smallest amount possible. This lets your body adapt to very small increases in workload. Even if you have to rack the weight and wait a few seconds, always do one more rep than last time out.

I did that on a 5x5 program (my first 2 sets were ramp up sets so I only really bothered with it on the 3 work-sets) and I went from having a bench stuck for ages at 3x5RM of 95kg and 1RM of 110kg to doing 3x5 @ 110kg within a couple of months and made progress each week.

How much protein did you get in those shakes yesterday? Get some meat in!!

[babyslayer]

hey, yeah, if you would type out all the nutrition facts about the food, and post every part of your workout, including any cardio, stretching, warm ups, rest periods, etc.

also, if you could mention on your sets where the bar starts to slow, and where you might miss the bar when you do miss a weight.

example:" i missed the bar about 6" off my chest, and the top portion fo the lift was the hardest part"


also, most food will have the nutrition facts writen on them, if they arent, you can look it up online.

a break down like:
xxx calories
xxx carbs
xxx protein
xxx fat


would be best.

[babyslayer]

also, to everyone reading, the first month of this log will just be him writeing what he does on his own.


any advice from me (im the one he chose to help him) will come after the first month, so that i know more about him.

[skinnycalves]

Make an account at fitday.com to log your diet.

[Rockstar88]

Rest day.


diet

4 serves of milk.
4 weetbix biscuits
fried rice (home made, not oily with little bits of egg and ham in it)
large chicken schnitzel
1 peach
hand full of almonds
1 serve of sustigen (aussie sports powder drink)
2 serves of pepsi


Logged everything on fit day.

Calories: 2619
Protein: 119
Carbs: 337
Fats: 89

I don't do any physical activity besides my workouts. I'm studying at the moment, nothing physical. No cardio. I might play a game of tennis on the weekends but i'll mention it in my journal if i do.

Good workout rockstar - is there any reason it was the same weight for each exercise or are those just your best weights for each movement?

the 'double-progression' method I mentioned would be worth a look I think: basically, rather than trying to up your weights each week you pick a rep range, say 5-8. Pick a weight that you can do no more than 5 reps for, and do 5 reps. The following week, do 6 reps, then 7, then 8. When you can do all 8 reps, drop back to 5 reps and then up the weight by the smallest amount possible. This lets your body adapt to very small increases in workload. Even if you have to rack the weight and wait a few seconds, always do one more rep than last time out.

I did that on a 5x5 program (my first 2 sets were ramp up sets so I only really bothered with it on the 3 work-sets) and I went from having a bench stuck for ages at 3x5RM of 95kg and 1RM of 110kg to doing 3x5 @ 110kg within a couple of months and made progress each week.

How much protein did you get in those shakes yesterday? Get some meat in!!

All the weights just happened to be on the same level on that day. At my peak, my squat is slightly higher than my bench and my bench is slightly higher than my rows.

As for the double progression, im sort of doing that in a way already. I'm only going up 1 kg a week on my lifts. I read somewhere that 1 extra rep equals to 3% strength increase, since i don't have any 1 kg plates, i'll usually add one more rep instead which is roughly 1 kg if im lifting 55 kg's. In the past i would always do too much too early and stall on the exact same weights every time. I want to have constant strength gains week by week this time.

Shakes have about 25 grams per serve. I usually take them with a couple serves of milk so it would add up to 45 grams of protein per shake. More meat? Yeah, i guess i should.

[MotherSuperior]

Good luck!

[Rockstar88]

Training.

Weight x Reps

Deadlifts:

15 kg's x 12 reps
30 x 12
35 x 12
45 x 12
55 x 12

Shoulder press;

5 kg's (Just the bar) x 12 reps
10 x 12
15 x 12
20 x 12
25 x 14

Close grip chin up's:

55566

Added 5 kg's to my deads since last workout. Added an extra couple of reps to my shoulder press and one more rep to my chins. Workout felt fine, although with my shoulder press, the last couple of reps slowed down a bit but i still thought i could do 2-3 more to failure. No cardio or stretching. The first few sets are warm up sets. I usually rest between 30-60 seconds between sets then about 1 to 2 minutes for my last 2 sets, sometimes more with heavy squats and deads. Basically, i just wait until i feel im ready.


Diet

2 serves of sustigen
1 cup of fried rice
Small piece of steak
4 serves of milk
4 pieces of weetbix
1 kiwi fruit
handful of almonds
chicken kebab (Fitday doesn't recognize kebabs??? Weird...) The kebab had chicken, lettuce, onion,. barbecue sauce. I didn't finish the whole thing, i left about a quarter of it unfinished. I don't know exactly how many calories would be in that, maybe someone here would have a rough idea of how many calories they consist of, im guessing about 700 calories.


Calories: 2400
Protein: 120
Carbs: 336
Fats: 100

[Rockstar88]

Rest day.

diet

4 serves white bread
1 tablespoon margarine
2 frankfurts
1 serve of sustigen
4 serves milk
4 weetbix
small chicken schnitzel
mashed potato
3 tablespoons of nutella
10 calamari rings


Calories: 2826
Protein: 154
Carbs: 289
Fats: 114

[dtaps24]

That is all. Good luck.

[skinnycalves]

Your diet has to be more regimented since you are not used to eating a lot, get used to eating the same crap over and over again. You can improvise later as you learn your body, but I think you need a few solid months of regularity beforehand. Also, it's alright to report on those little insignificant things you eat throughout the day but do not think of them as meals. I urge you to get a George Foreman grill or something of the sort, it is easily some of the best money I have ever spent, a long with a bunch of frozen chicken breast from a wholesale type grocer. I don't know how expensive beef is in Australia, but here grocery stores have specials every week so be cognizant of them. Think of how a farmer would eat and diet accordingly.

Your day never starts with eggs or egg whites, sausage, meat etc and it almost always starts with white bread. What the fuck is wrong with you? Eat solid hearty meals as much as you ****ing can. Weetbix, sustagen, and tablespoons or margarine is not real food godammit.

I grew up in a pakistani household where dahl, rohti, and other sugary crap were eaten everyday. Avoid all of that ****.

[Rockstar88]

Your diet has to be more regimented since you are not used to eating a lot, get used to eating the same crap over and over again. You can improvise later as you learn your body, but I think you need a few solid months of regularity beforehand. Also, it's alright to report on those little insignificant things you eat throughout the day but do not think of them as meals. I urge you to get a George Foreman grill or something of the sort, it is easily some of the best money I have ever spent, a long with a bunch of frozen chicken breast from a wholesale type grocer. I don't know how expensive beef is in Australia, but here grocery stores have specials every week so be cognizant of them. Think of how a farmer would eat and diet accordingly.

Your day never starts with eggs or egg whites, sausage, meat etc and it almost always starts with white bread. What the fuck is wrong with you? Eat solid hearty meals as much as you ****ing can. Weetbix, sustagen, and tablespoons or margarine is not real food godammit.

I grew up in a pakistani household where dahl, rohti, and other sugary crap were eaten everyday. Avoid all of that ****.

Ok, fair enough. More hearty foods from now. Although weetbix is healthy, no sugar in it.

Training

Squats:

15 kg's x 8 reps
30 x 8
35 x 8
40 x 8
50 x 8

Bench press:

15 x 8
30 x 8
35 x 8
40 x 8
50 x 10

Rows:

15 x 8
25 x 8
30 x 8
40 x 8
50 x 10

Added 5 kg's to my squat and an extra rep to my bench and rows from my last workout in that rep range.

Diet

1 medium sized steak
3 potatoes
1 tablespoon gravy
2 chicken fillets
2 slice of bread
1 tb of margarine
4 serves of milk
2 weetbix
1 serve sustigen
1 kiwi fruit

I'll put in the macronutrient information later as fitday seems to be down.

[TrettinR]

Ok, fair enough. More hearty foods from now. Although weetbix is healthy, no sugar in it.



Diet

1 medium sized steak
3 potatoes
1 tablespoon gravy
2 chicken fillets
2 slice of bread
1 tb of margarine
4 serves of milk
2 weetbix
1 serve sustigen
1 kiwi fruit

I'll put in the macronutrient information later as fitday seems to be down.

That's your diet for an entire day? That looks like 2 meals and a kiwi for a snack. Also what kind of bread? Whole grain wheat is your best bet

[skinnycalves]

Meat and potatoes, I like what im seeing. But please, more eggs.

[Fluster]

Getting there! This man needs to be introduced to the wonders of peanut butter as calorie filler

Yes, and eggsies.

[Rockstar88]

Ok so the weekend, the diet was pretty bad, didn't eat much at all. Was out all weekend....The diet will be much better on the week days. No training though, i take the weekends off.

Saturday:

3 eggs, 4 slices of bread
10 dumplings with jam (Grandma cooked them, don't really know what to call them)
Burger king meal - Tendercrisp burger, chips, onion rings and coke


Sunday:

10 dumplings
pork ribs, mashed potato
4 serves of milk
1 serve sustigen


Meh! It would be much better tomorrow though.

[dopamine72]

Thought I would chime in with some advice,

Stop eating the white bread and start only eating whole grain bread/pasta etc.
The hardest part in bodybuilding/powerlifting is in the kitchen not the weight room. Eat as much as you can of clean food and as frequently as you can, don't worry about getting fat at this point. One last thing, lower the reps/add weight, don't go above 5 reps.

[Rockstar88]

Thought I would chime in with some advice,

Stop eating the white bread and start only eating whole grain bread/pasta etc.
The hardest part in bodybuilding/powerlifting is in the kitchen not the weight room. Eat as much as you can of clean food and as frequently as you can, don't worry about getting fat at this point. One last thing, lower the reps/add weight, don't go above 5 reps.

I agree with you about food being the hardest part. I've been doing only low reps for a long time now, it's only recently i've tried to do higher reps.

Training

Deadlift:

30 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5

Shoulder press:

10 x 5
15 x 5
20 x 5
30 x 5
35 x 7

Chins:

10 reps, 1 set

Put on 5 kg's on my deadlift, 2 more reps on my press and 1 more rep on my chin


Diet

4 serves milk
2 serves sustigen
chicken kebab
mince meat with pasta
3 scoops peanut butter


Again i didn't eat as much as i should have. It's more to so with my sleeping patterns and lack of preparation of meals for a long school day. Tomorrow should be much better.

[Rockstar88]

diet

4 serves of milk
2 serves of sustigen
3 frankfurts, mashed potatoes
mince meat, pasta
chicken kebab
3 scoops nutella

[Fluster]

diet

4 serves of milk
2 serves of sustigen
3 frankfurts, mashed potatoes
mince meat, pasta
chicken kebab
3 scoops nutella

Disappointed!

You're using fitday or something yer? Try specifically aiming for a macro ratio (like 33/33/33) and eating to that end rather than this willy nilly fast food crap.

When I was learning how to sort out my diet, I'd start off by working out how I'd get my 200 odd grams of protein during the day - hitting that and then all the rest of it just kinda falls in to place. Getting some decent, drinkable whey really helps with that.

[Rockstar88]

Disappointed!

You're using fitday or something yer? Try specifically aiming for a macro ratio (like 33/33/33) and eating to that end rather than this willy nilly fast food crap.

When I was learning how to sort out my diet, I'd start off by working out how I'd get my 200 odd grams of protein during the day - hitting that and then all the rest of it just kinda falls in to place. Getting some decent, drinkable whey really helps with that.

Yeah i agree, when i see it written out like this it looks like crap. I'll put everything on fitday and get all the macro stats soon. I'm gonna start stocking up on some good meat and eat some good clean meals every 2-3 hours.

[Fluster]

Yeah i agree, when i see it written out like this it looks like crap. I'll put everything on fitday and get all the macro stats soon. I'm gonna start stocking up on some good meat and eat some good clean meals every 2-3 hours.

Honestly, at your age, height and weight, I wouldn't worry especially about clean - Just get the protein in and loads of calories from stuff that isn't as heavily processed. All that sugar is crap for example. The problem with eating stuff like frankfurters and kebabs is that they are mostly water and filler - i.e it'll make you full but also unable to eat enough to bulk comfortably.

Denser = better in my opinion.

[babyslayer]

your not posting the nutrient breakdown

[skinnycalves]

Honestly, at your age, height and weight, I wouldn't worry especially about clean - Just get the protein in and loads of calories from stuff that isn't as heavily processed. All that sugar is crap for example. The problem with eating stuff like frankfurters and kebabs is that they are mostly water and filler - i.e it'll make you full but also unable to eat enough to bulk comfortably.

Denser = better in my opinion.

That.

[Rockstar88]

Training

Squats:

15 kg's x 12
25 x 12
30 x 12
35 x 12
45 x 12

Bench:

15 x 12
25 x 12
30 x 12
35 x 12
40 x 12

Rows:

15 x 12
20 x 12
25 x 12
30 x 12
40 x 12


Added 5 kg's on my main set to all my lifts without training to failure. Still had a couple of reps left in me.

Diet

4 serves of milk
2 serves of Musashi protein powder
2 beef patties, carrots, corn
1 Chorizo, mashed potatoes
3 scoops peanut butter
1 plum

Calories: 2175
Protein: 165
Carbs: 135
Fats: 110

Diet will improve....Just being really disorganized with school ect...

your not posting the nutrient breakdown

Will do.

[Rockstar88]

Dam i thought you could edit old posts? Oh well, here's the macronutrient breakdown for all the days i didn't put it in.

February, 12th:

Calories: 3010
Protein: 150
Carbs: 388
Fat: 96

19th:

Calories: 2569
Protein: 168
Carbs: 260
Fats: 93

20th:

Calories: 2847
Protein: 68
Carbs: 362
Fats: 126

21st:

Calories: 1796
Protein: 81
Carbs: 221
Fats: 64

22nd:

Calories: 2411
Protein: 147
Carbs: 245
Fats: 91

23rd:

Calories: 3046
Protein: 165
Carbs: 302
Fats: 126