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  1. #61
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    Upper #2
    I took an extra day off since my shoulders were bothering me on my last upper day. I was feeling fully recovered, and didn't experience any shoulder issues during my workout today.


    Military Press: 70 pounds x 22 reps
    3 More reps than last time is good progress.
    Stay at 70

    Pullup: BW-15 x 29
    Another 3 rep improvement on pullups.
    Stay at BW-15

    Lateral Raise: 17.5's x 30
    You guessed it...a 3 rep improvement. Hit my rep goal.
    Increase to 20's

    Barbell Shrug: 115 x 40
    This felt surprisingly easy. I might be able to handle a 10 pound increase, but I'm happy to just continue making steady progress.
    Increase to 120

    Barbell Row: 135 x 30
    Stay at 135

    Bench Press: 120 x 29
    I'm getting annoyed by how long it's taking me to hit my rep goal on this lift. I was still 3 reps short today. I'm having a really hard time even getting on a bench, which isn't helping matters. Instead of doing this lift first, it was the 5th exercise I did. The fatigue was definitely higher than it is when I get on it right away. This was about the 3rd time in a row that I've had a hard time getting on a bench. It's pretty frustrating.
    Stay at 120

    Barbell Curl: 55 x 30
    This was a good weight for me. It was challenging, and I just barely managed to make it to my 30 rep goal.
    Increase to 60

    Skullcrusher: 55 x 24
    I was only supposed to use 50 pounds, but 55 was the closest I could get. Not a bad result, considering.
    I'll try 55 again next time.

    Overhead Cable Extension: 7 x 40
    Feeling strong on this one.
    Increase to 7.5

    Cable Hammer Curl: 4 x 31
    Stay at 4


    Pretty good day today. I struggled with the Bench Press, but performed well on pretty much everything else. I have the next two days off of work. I'll lift tomorrow for sure, and may go on Wednesday as well if I'm feeling decently recovered. Going earlier in the day should allow me to do all of my exercises in the correct order, so I'd prefer to do that even though it would mean lifting 3 days in a row. We'll see...
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  2. #62
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    Lower #2
    Worked out in the morning, on an empty stomach. I seem to have more energy when I workout on an empty stomach. When I've eaten prior to working out, I start out with a lot of energy, but then my energy level seems to drop faster.


    Back Squat: 125 pounds x 35 reps
    Felt good today. I warmed up my legs a bit by shooting some hoops for about 10 minutes. I also did more warm up sets than I've typically been doing. I needed the extra prep today since my right knee was bothering me a bit. It definitely helped. I also made another small tweak to my form, making sure I really squeeze my glutes. That seemed to help also. I've seen a big improvement in my form over the last couple of weeks. Still have some more work to do though.
    Increase to 130

    Romanian Deadlift: 195 x 31
    My grip has been the primary limiting factor the last two times I've done this lift. My grip help up longer today, but I ended up having to change to a mixed grip on the last set because my hands and forearms were done. I'll continue to use a normal grip for as long as my hands can handle it, but I'm not going to let grip strength delay my progress, so I'll use a mixed grip as needed.
    Increase to 200

    Leg Press: 260 x 37
    I feel like I could probably lift significantly more. I'm worried that I'll get the weight lowered and not be able to push it, and that's holding me back from really pushing it to the limit. I'll bump it up another 10 pounds.
    Increase to 260

    Leg Extension: 110 x 36
    Finally! This is the first time I've hit my rep goal on this exercise since starting the program.
    Increase to 115

    Leg Curl: 125 x 38
    Increase to 130

    Decline Crunch: 35 x 36
    This was 1 less rep than last time. I'm not 100% sure, but I'm thinking I had the angle set steeper this time...
    Stay at 35

    Seated Calf Raise: 80 x 44
    Continuing to make good progress here. No sign of cramping at all. The extra stretching I've been doing on my calves has helped enormously.
    Increase to 85


    Really solid session today. I hit my rep goals on everything except abs. I'm glad I ended up taking yesterday off, because I wouldn't have been able to do my Upper day today. My triceps in particular are pretty sore still. I should be good to go tomorrow though.
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  3. #63
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    Upper #1

    Bench Press: 120 pounds x 33 reps
    FINALLY! Good god, I never thought it could be this difficult for me to increase my bench when I'm starting out so low. It must have been my lucky day because I was able to get on a bench right away. I felt fresh.
    Increase to 125

    One-Arm Cable Row: 90 x 37
    Increase to 100

    Military Press: 70 x 25
    This was the best I've ever felt on this lift. Hit my goal with one rep to spare.
    Increase to 75

    Barbell Row: 135 x 34
    I never quite know how strict to be on my form for this exercise. My last rep on each of the first three sets was less than perfect, but not so poor that I didn't want to count it. I did the most reps on my last set, with the best form, which seems odd. I might've kept the weight the same if it weren't for the great last set.
    Increase to 140

    Incline DB Press: 45's x 26
    Two more reps than last time. My biggest challenge is getting the DB's in the right position for my first rep. On the first set today I struggled to get the first rep up. I was able to do the rest of the reps in the set just fine, but I fatigued myself on the first one, which left me with less energy on the later reps. In the second set I got into a good position initially, and completed more reps than I had in the first set. The third set started off well too. I feel like I've figured out how to get into a good position at the beginning now. We'll see if it carries over next time...
    Stay at 45's

    Pullup: BW-15 x 28
    I completed one less rep than last time. I did this exercise much later in my session than I typically do though, so I'm okay with the result.
    Stay at BW-15

    Straight Arm Pulldown: 42.5 x 40
    This was an increase from 34 reps last time, so it was a pretty big jump.
    Increase to 47.5

    Face Pull: 42.5 x 39
    So close to my 40 rep goal...but didn't quite make it.
    Stay at 42.5


    I've strung together a series of really solid workouts now. This is the first time I've ever lifted while bulking (though I wasn't intentionally bulking, lol), and even though I'm putting on some fat I'm definitely getting some good muscle growth as well. I'm seeing a visible difference when I look in the mirror, which is certainly encouraging.
    I'm tentatively planning to lift again tomorrow. The weather is going to be the determining factor though. We're supposed to get a decent amount of snow. If we do, I won't be lifting, because if I lift I won't be able to shovel snow afterwards, lol. Hopefully it doesn't get too bad.
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  4. #64
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    I suppose I should get back on this...

    Due to life circumstances, after my last post I basically didn't lift for the 3 months. I've been pretty consistent since resuming in the spring, but was hampered by a shoulder derangement, that left me unable to do any pushing exercises, and most pulling exercises. It's healed up now, and I'm recovering my strength on those exercises at a pretty steady pace; nearly back to where I was previously.

    My posts in this thread are probably going to be short and sweet. I've been working over 60 hours per week for basically the last 10 months, and don't expect that to change for at least a few more months. Which means that time is in short supply, and that's why I haven't been posting my progress, and why I won't be typing extensively now.

    On to today's workout...


    Macro #9 / Lift #4 / Supplemental Scheme #2

    Core (90% of 1RM)
    Deadlift = 280 x 5/2/2

    This was a new personal best. My estimated 1RM is now at 325lbs.

    Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)
    Romanian Deadlift = 175 x 10/10/10

    Hyperextension = 60 x 10/10/10

    Leg Curl = 120 X 10/10/10

    Face Pull = 42.5 X 10/10/10

    All Supplemental's will increase by 5lbs next time.
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  5. #65
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Macro #9 / Press #4 / Supplemental Scheme #2

    Core (90% of 1RM)

    Bench Press = 115 x 12/2/2

    New estimated 1RM is 155

    Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)
    Overhead DB Press = 25's x 10/10/10

    Incline DB Press = 30's x 10/10/10

    Tricep Pressdown = 47.5 X 10/10/10

    Decline Crunch = 70 X 10/10/10


    All Supplemental's will increase by 5lbs next time.
    My pressing exercises are still in recovery mode from my shoulder injury. I started out with extremely light weights (only the bar on bench press, for example), and a plan to increase them slowly. It's definitely going to take some time to build up strength.
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  6. #66
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    Macro #9 / Squat #4 / Supplemental Scheme #2

    Core (90% of 1RM)
    Back Squat = 175 x 5/2/2

    New estimated 1RM is 200

    Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)
    Single Leg Press = 100 x 10/10/10

    Front Squat = 90 x 10/10/10

    Leg Extension = 105 X 10/10/10

    Seated Calf Raise = 60 X 10/10/10
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  7. #67
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Macro #9 / Pull #4 / Supplemental Scheme #2

    Core (90% of 1RM)
    Bent Row = 150 x 6/2/2

    New estimated 1RM is 175

    Supplementals (3-4 Sets/8-10 Reps)
    Pullup = BW-55 x 10/10/10

    Cable Row = 115 x 10/10/10

    Hammer Curl = 25's X 10/10/10

    Decline Crunch = 75 X 10/10/10


    Another Macrocycle in the books. Here's the progress I made on the Core lifts in Macro #9:
    Deadlift: 315-->325
    Bench Press: 130-->155
    Squat: 195-->200
    Row: 170-->175

    Continuing to make steady progress on the deadlift. A lot of the improvement is still coming as a result of improving my form over time.
    Bench took a huge jump up. This was the first time in a while that my shoulders have felt healthy, and it showed.
    I've added 40lbs to my squat in about the last 5 months. Like the deadlift, a lot of that is just a result of performing the lift more efficiently.
    My 1RM is down from a high point of over 200 on rows, but I've tightened up my form and stayed really strict about it. I feel like my muscle strength has increased despite the lower 1RM.
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  8. #68
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Macro #10 / Lift #1 / Supplemental Scheme #3

    Core (60% of 1RM)
    Deadlift = 195 x 8/8/14

    I need to work on tightening up my lats on this lift. I do a pretty good job of keeping my lower back flat, but that's not the case with my upper back. I tend to let my shoulder drop. If feels like it's putting unnecessary strain on my collar bone and my shoulders, especially on the right side. This will be a good area for me to focus on and improve over the next few weeks.

    Supplementals (4 Sets x 6 Reps)
    Romanian Deadlift = 200 x 6/6/6/6

    Hyperextension = 75 x 6/6/6/6

    Leg Curl = 130 X 6/6/6/6

    Face Pull = 42.5 X 20/18
    I had to stop doing 4x6 on Face Pulls because I'm not heavy enough to counterbalance the weight. I'm now alternating between 20x2 and 10x3. I'll probably add another set before increasing the weight.
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  9. #69
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    Macro #10 / Press #1 / Supplemental Scheme #3

    Core (60% of 1RM)
    Bench Press = 95 x 8/8/18


    Supplementals (4 Sets x 6 Reps)
    Overhead DB Press = 35's x 6 : 30's x 6/6/6
    30's weren't available when I started, so I went heavier on the first set. I doubt I would've made all my reps at that weight.

    Incline DB Press = 35's x 6/6/6/6

    Tricep Pressdown = 52.5 X 6/6/6/6

    Decline Crunch = 95 X 6/6/6/6

    I'll increase the weight by 5lbs on the first 3 supplementals. I don't think I can handle any more weight on the decline crunches. I was struggling to control the weight while doing them, and I don't really want to drop 100lbs on my face, lol. I'll either change to a different exercise, or just eliminate this rep scheme for decline crunches, and alternate between 10 and 20 rep sets each time I do them. I haven't decided yet.
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  10. #70
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    After running GST for the last six months, I'm changing it up. I love the program, but I've been unable to lift 4 times per week on a consistent basis. After doing some searching about for a 3 day program that I think will be effective and enjoyable for me, I've settled on the Beginner Powerbuilding Routine, which is one of the stickied threads in the Workout Programs section of the forum. My first day is in the books.

    Here's how the workouts are structured:


    If you're interested in understanding the progression scheme, I suggest checking out the thread because I'm not going to explain it fully here.
    I'll be listing the weight used, along with the number of reps completed (Weight x Reps).

    Workout A
    Bench Press: 115 x 6/6/6/8
    I'll increase to 125

    Pendlay Row: 115 x 6/6/6/9
    I'll increase to 130

    Squat: 135 x 5 / 145 x 4 / 155 x 3 / 165 x 2 / 175 x 1
    I'll drop to 130 because my form failed on a few reps

    Chin-Up: BW-40 x 10/10/9
    I'll go to BW-35 next time. I'm planning to progress slowly since my shoulder is still somewhat in recovery.
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  11. #71
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 65 x 6/6/6/10
    Increase to 75

    Deadlift: 225 x 9 / 235 x 4 / 245 x 3 / 255 x 2 / 265 x 1
    Increase to 235

    Lat Pulldown: 85 x 6/6/6/14
    Could've done quite a few more reps. I'm starting light on this since I've not done Lat Pulldowns before. I'll be increasing relatively slowly so I have time to get comfortable with it and get my form right. I'll increase to 95.

    One Arm Row: 40 x 20/20
    Also no experience doing these. Though I completed the 20 reps in both sets, I probably should've started with a lighter weight. I felt some discomfort in my shoulder, presumably because I wasn't keeping my lats engaged. I'll drop down to 35 next time, and proceed cautiously for the near future.
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  12. #72
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    Workout A
    Bench Press: 125 x 6/6/6/5
    Dropping down to 120. For some reason I cannot seem to get my right shoulder/arm settled in a position that feels comfortable, and as a result my movement path is awkward and inefficient. Need to get that straightened out.

    Pendlay Row: 130 x 6/6/6/8
    I'll increase to 135

    Squat: 130 x 6 / 140 x 4 / 150 x 3 / 160 x 2 / 170 x 1
    Back up to 135

    Chin-Up: BW-35 x 10/10/10
    Going to BW-30 next time around
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  13. #73
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 75 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 80

    Deadlift: 235 x 9 / 245 x 4 / 255 x 3 / 265 x 2 / 275 x 1
    Increase to 245

    Lat Pulldown: 95 x 6/6/6/16
    It felt infinitely better this time. I was able to push a bit harder since it felt like everything was moving correctly. I've done quite a few pullups over the last year or so, and imagining pulling myself up instead of pulling the weight down turned out to be a good mental cue for me. I was able to focus on moving the weight with my back instead of whatever muscles I was using last time, lol. Still going to proceed cautiously. I'll increase to 105.

    One Arm Row: 35 x 20/20
    Up to 40lbs next time
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  14. #74
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    Workout A
    Bench Press: 125 x 6/6/6/9
    For the first time ever, the bench press movement felt 'right'. I realized what I was doing wrong after reading an article about bar path (https://www.strongerbyscience.com/bench-press-bar-path/), and was able to correct it immediately. There was an obvious difference in both my comfort level and performance. It felt good to finally make some progress on this lift.

    Pendlay Row: 135 x 6/6/6/7
    Increase to 140

    Squat: 135 x 10 / 145 x 4 / 155 x 3 / 165 x 2 / 175 x 1
    Took a big jump up in reps here too. For the first time ever, I tried doing squats with a lower bar position. The difference was clear, and I was able to increase my reps pretty significantly (doubled my reps compared to last time at this weight). It's not a squatting style I'm comfortable using on a regular basis though. It put a lot of stress on my wrists, elbows, and shoulders (due to insufficient flexibility, I'm sure). I may try it again at some point, but I'm not ready to do low bar on a regular basis. I'll increase the weight to 140.

    Chin-Up: BW-30 x 10/10/7
    I'll go to BW-25 next time.
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  15. #75
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 80 x 6/6/6/7
    Increase to 85

    Deadlift: 245 x 9 / 255 x 4 / 265 x 3 / 275 x 2 / 285 x 1
    Increase to 255

    Lat Pulldown: 105 x 6/6/6/14
    This is the first time I've really pushed myself on this lift. I'll increase to 115.

    One Arm Row: 40 x 20/20
    Increasing to 45lbs next time


    On another note, I came across a video on a concept I hadn't heard of before. It's called Time Restricted Eating. It essentially says that there's scientific evidence that if you keep the total time between your first meal (actually, the first time you ingest anything except water) and your last meal to less than 12 hours, you'll be much healthier. It says that the enzymes in your body that metabolize things you inject begin to shut down after 12 hours. Additionally, it there's evidence that it can result in an increase of muscle mass, regardless of whether you exercise or not. Here's the video, I highly recommend checking it out, and I'll be trying to adhere to this for a while and see what kind of results I get:
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  16. #76
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A
    Bench Press: 125 x 6/6/6/7
    Just realized that I listed the weight for my last bench press session as 125, when it was actually 120. Today I did 125. Increasing to 130 next time.

    Pendlay Row: 140 x 6/6/6/6
    Cheated on a couple of reps. I'll drop down to 135.

    Squat: 140 x 7 / 150 x 4 / 160 x 3 / 170 x 2 / 180 x 1
    Felt good overall. Increase to 145.

    Chin-Up: BW-25 x 9/9/8
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  17. #77
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 85 x 6/6/6/4
    Stuggled to even hit 6 reps on the first three sets. Dropping down to 75 next time.

    Deadlift: 255 x 8 / 265 x 4 / 275 x 3 / 285 x 2 / 295 x 1
    Increase to 265

    Lat Pulldown: 115 x 6/6/6/11
    Increase to 120.

    One Arm Row: 45 x 20/20
    Increase to 50

    Comments:
    My form got too loose on the OHP. I haven't done it enough to really get my muscles moving the right way yet. Still struggling to find a grip that feels good. I imagine I'll be increasing and decreasing the weight frequently until I'm able to get the movement ironed out and really focus on moving the weight with the correct muscles. I'm not trying to take any chances with my shoulders after rehabbing them for a couple of months this summer.
    Deadlifts felt pretty good. On the last few sets it felt like my hips were firing up before everything else got moving, causing me to put more stress on my lower back to get a full extension. It wasn't too bad, but definitely something I'll have to be careful of.
    Not much to say about the other lifts. They're both still really new for me, and I'm feeling them out. I'm increasing slowly on the lat pulldowns, again...not wanting to over stress my shoulders right now. It's feeling good overall though. The one arm rows are pretty straight forward. I honestly wasn't expecting to get to 20 reps on both sets today, since I really struggled to do it last time with a lower weight. They felt good though.
    I'm really happy with the progress so far on the new program. It's providing me exactly what I was hoping for... A schedule that I can stick to consistently, and the opportunity to increase the load on lifts more frequently. Here's my progress since September 24th:

    Bench: 115 for 8 reps -->125 for 7
    Row: 115 x 9-->140 x 6
    Squat: 135 x 5--> 140 x 7
    Chin-up: BW-40 x 29 (over 3 sets)-->BW-25 x 26

    Overhead Press: 65 x 10-->85 x 4
    Deadlift: 225 x 9-->255 x 8
    Lat Pulldown: 85 x 14-->115 x 11
    One Arm Rows: 40 x 20,20-->45 x 20,20

    It's nothing amazing. Some of the lifts have seen minimal progress. I'm really happy with the improvement on Bench, Squats, and Deads though. The increased frequency on those is helping for sure. I'm eager to see where I'm at by the end of the year.
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  18. #78
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A
    Bench Press: 130 x 6/6/4/4
    Dropping to 125

    Pendlay Row: 135 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 140

    Squat: 145 x 5 / 155 x 4 / 160 x 3 / 165 x 1
    Dropping to 135

    Chin-Up: BW-20 x 9/8/7
    To BW-15


    Comments:
    I took a week off because my recovery was really poor and I felt like I needed a break. I haven't taken an extended break in a few months now. I'm feeling fresh and ready to get back at it.
    The theme of the day was to be really strict on form. It's time for me to stop accepting sub-optimal reps, and to stop when my form breaks down so I don't injure myself. Bench and squat took a step backwards as a result, but I'm okay with that. The reps I completed felt really solid aside from 2 Squat reps, which is why only increased by 5 pounds on each set, and ultimately ended up skipping a set. I've always had a tendency to adjust my form on squats when they get heavier so that most of the stress is on my lower back and hamstrings (which are both much stronger than my quads). That habit needs to be broken. Aside from those 2 reps I mentioned, all of the other reps felt fantastic. I was doing them with a full range of motion, and felt more comfortable than I typically do. The Pendlay Rows felt great. I watched a few videos on how to do them correctly, and it was immensely helpful.
    Overall, it wasn't a bad session, especially after a week long break. I'll be back in the gym on Saturday if all goes as planned.
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  19. #79
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 75 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 80

    Deadlift: 265 x 6 / 275 x 4 / 285 x 3 / 295 x 2 / 305 x 1
    Increase to 275

    Lat Pulldown: 120 x 6/6/6/10
    Increase to 125.

    One Arm Row: 50 x (Right) 11/17 / (Left) 17/16
    Down to 45

    Comments:
    OHP was okay. I was hoping to sqeeze out 1 more rep, but couldn't do it. This is the lift I've struggled to progress on most since I started lifting, and it's pretty damn frustrating.
    Deads felt just okay today also. This was the first time I actually lifted over 300lbs, which is awesome. Form felt off compared to the last few times.
    Lat Pulldowns felt great. Nothing much else to say. I'll continue increasing slowly since I'm still working out some tiny kinks on this one.
    One Arm Rows sucked, to be honest. For some reason I'm really struggling to hold onto the dumbbells. It's not a grip strength issue, it just hurts like hell because of how the weight sit in my hand. It's an issue with callouses and the way the weight rubs and pinches them as I perform the lift. I only got 11 reps first time with my right arm, and it was totally because I couldn't stand to hold onto the dumbbell any longer. I'm not really sure if there's anything I can do about this except just fight through it. I'm sure my hands will continue to toughen up over time. Frustrating to say the least though.
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  20. #80
    Registered User kaiyrb's Avatar
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    Hey man,

    I see you have started GST like a year ago and i'm kinda struggling to decide if i should start GST or The Vikings Bare Bones program, since i'm new to weight lifting. How much did your body change or did you only gain strength increase during the time you did all of this?

    Keep in mind that you're not the only one reading this thread and keep grinding man, best of luck!
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  21. #81
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    Originally Posted by kaiyrb View Post
    Hey man,

    I see you have started GST like a year ago and i'm kinda struggling to decide if i should start GST or The Vikings Bare Bones program, since i'm new to weight lifting. How much did your body change or did you only gain strength increase during the time you did all of this?

    Keep in mind that you're not the only one reading this thread and keep grinding man, best of luck!
    Thanks for the encouragement. I'm in it for the long haul, so no worries there.

    It's really hard for me to quantify how much my body changed, and how those changes related to the program I was running at the time. I've been on 3 programs now over the course of the last 16 months. There are clear differences in my body during that time, having gained a good deal of size. I can't really say that one program produced clearly better results than another if we're strictly talking about body changes. I never did any type of measurements except body weight. I didn't run Bare Bones long enough for it to really produce results. I could tell it was a very solid program. I just happened to have some real life things get in the way shortly after I started it, and I fell off the wagon for a bit.

    My diet throughout has been pretty poor. I rarely eat really bad foods, but I hate being hungry, so I have a tendency of eating when I get the chance, even if I'm not hungry. I also have a really bad habit of eating too late in the evening, and I drink too damn much coffee. The result of this is that I've gained more fat than I want, and I'm in the process of trying to reverse some of these habits and lean out. Since I've started lifting seriously, I've put on about 15 lbs. I'm carrying a lot more muscle, but I don't really have more definition.

    So I guess the primary thing I've noticed is the gain in strength. Body building hasn't necessarily been my focus. As I mentioned in the original post, my main goal is simply to be consistent. After struggling through some periods in my life where my health, weight, and activity levels got to be pretty poor, I'm really just trying to make diet and exercise a priority in my life. I think I've succeeded in that.


    Now lets get to the root of the issue for you though...which program is a better fit. Having been on 3 different programs now, including the 2 you mentioned, I can say relatively confidently that any solid program that you can adhere to will produce good results. As someone who was in a similar situation, being new to weight lifting and looking to learn the basics, I saw positives in both programs. Bare Bones will give you a bit more frequency on the lifts, which is good during the learning phase. The only downside of the program for me was that every set felt like a grind very quickly, and being new to the lifts I think my form started to suffer. GST allowed me to progress slower, which gave me more time to perfect my form, while making steady (though possibly slightly slower) progress. I enjoyed having the 1 set each week where I could go all out, and I also enjoyed the other sets where I had to try hard, but not go too far out of my comfort zone and risk poor form and injury. I'm also nearly 43 years old, and had some existing physical pains/discomfort, cracking and popping joints, so I've had good reason to be cautious. Getting strong or big as fast as possible was never something that was important to me. Had I been starting at a younger age though, my priorities would've been different, and I think a different program may have been better for me than either of these two.

    So I guess I'm not going to give you clear advice on which to choose, other than to say that you should choose a program you feel like you can stick to long term (minimum 6 months). The program just provides a foundation that allows you an opportunity to grow/improve. Both of those programs have solid foundations. Looking back, I think I personally made a pretty good decision in starting with GST. If I were to go back though, I think I would have taken 1-2 weeks to test out a couple of different programs, to see which of them I felt most comfortable with. I mean...we generally don't buy a car without test driving it. I don't see any harm in doing a short trial period on a couple of different programs and seeing which one you feel most comfortable with.

    Good luck with everything. Do you have a log started yet? If not, you should start one. I'd like to follow your progress. I've also found it to be a good incentive to continue being consistent, week after week, after week.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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  22. #82
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A

    Bench Press: 125 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 130

    Pendlay Row: 140 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 145

    Squat: 135 x 7 / 145 x 4 / 155 x 3 / 165 x 2 / 175 x 1
    Increase to 140

    Chin-Up: BW-15 x 9/9/7 (25 reps total)
    To BW-10


    Comments:
    I mentioned in my last post that I've put on about 15 lbs. I weighed in at 176 lbs today. I also started a cut today. Planning to drop to somewhere around 160. I haven't tracked my calories at all up to this point, but it's time to start since I think I sometimes underestimate how much I'm eating. Based on my current weight, and my goal of cutting 1-2 pounds per week, my daily calorie goal came out to 1,500 in My Fitness Pal. I ended up at 1,435 for the day. I'll continue measuring it daily, and probably report on my progress from time to time.

    I had a solid session today all around. I'm not sure if it was because of the reduced calorie intake or not, but I got really light headed initially when I started my workout. It didn't go away until I was into about my second set on Rows. Surprisingly, I was able to perform pretty well on the Bench Press anyway. I'm starting to feel pretty comfortable with the bar path now. It's been a huge improvement over the last couple of weeks. The rows felt pretty okay. I need to focus on correct balance, because I'm still having a tendency to shift towards my toes a bit. Squats felt great. This was by far the best I've felt doing them. My balance and overall form felt right. I had great depth. Hoping I can repeat this the next few times I do them. The Chin Ups were solid as well. My body is moving the way I want it to on these. I'm doing a good job of using the right muscles.

    Really happy with everything today. I'm glad I've taken some steps to right my form. It feels awesome to do the lifts without worrying about whether I'm going to hurt myself because of poor form. This should give me a good foundation to build from. I'm expecting my progress to be slowed, or maybe even reverse while I'm cutting, but who knows. I still have room for efficiency improvements on all the lifts, and I may be able to continue making strength gains due to that, assuming I'm able to continue refining them.
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  23. #83
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 80 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 85

    Deadlift: 275 x 6 / 285 x 3 / 295 x 3 / 305 x 1 / 315 x 1
    Repeat at 275

    Lat Pulldown: 125 x 6/6/6/80
    Increase to 130.

    One Arm Row: 45 x 20/20
    Increase to 50

    Comments:
    OHP felt strong today. I struggled to get 6 reps in the second and third sets, then made a small adjustment to my grip width and it made a huge difference on the final set.
    I was happy with my Deadlift result. I pretty much exhausted myself on every alternating set. Had to push hard to get 6 on the first set, then struggled on set #2. Pushed it to the limit on the third set, then struggled in the fourth set. I expect I'll be able to hit all the reps next time.
    The One Arm Rows felt much better this time around. I changed the way I held the dumbbells in my hands, and didn't have any issue with gripping them.
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  24. #84
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A

    Bench Press: 130 x 6/6/6/7
    Increase to 135

    Pendlay Row: 145 x 6/6/6/8
    Increase to 150

    Squat: 140 x 7 / 150 x 4 / 160 x 3 / 170 x 2 / 180 x 1
    Increase to 145

    Chin-Up: BW-10 x 8 / BW x 5/5 = 18 reps total
    To BW


    Comments:
    I made some more good form improvements today on Bench Press. My right arm has had a tendency to flare out away from my body. I figured out some good cue's to help keep it in the right position. Bench is continuing to feel better every time I do it.
    Squats were greatly improved. The amount of weight I'm lifting hasn't changed much, but the way I'm lifting it has improved enormously. I'm now doing them will full depth. and maintaining good balance throughout the lift instead of reverting to squatmornings. I can actually feel it working my quads finally.
    On Chins, I did my first set at BW-10. I realized it was basically pointless because the assistance wasn't even touching my legs aside from the very beginning of the rep, so I just dropped it and started doing them at bodyweight. I'll continue doing them at bodyweight now, and focus on increasing reps.
    I'm feeling really good about my workouts right now. After about a year of lifting, I'm actually starting to feel like I know what I'm doing, lol.
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  25. #85
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 85 x 4 / 75 x 6/6/7
    To 80

    Deadlift: 275 x 5 / 295 x 2 / 305 x 1 / 315 x 0
    Repeat at 275

    Lat Pulldown:
    130 x 6 / 100 x 6/6/10
    Stay at 130

    One Arm Row: Ran out of time

    Comments:
    Everything was out of whack today. I somehow managed to forget it was Halloween yesterday. Ended up walking around the neighborhood for almost 3 hours, and then got to sleep pretty late. I would've lifted on Monday if I had remembered. Anyway, I was able to lift today. They had an open gym at my work today. They have them occasionally, and they're available to anyone who's participate in the company run fitness program. I've not taken advantage of this before because of the limited amount of equipment available. Luckily, the weather was poor and I think most people were eager to get on the road ASAP, so I was able to nab a power rack. I had had to leave work during my lunch break to help out my gf, so I had missed a meal.

    My energy level felt decent, but I could tell as soon as I got to my first working set that it was going to be a rough day. I only managed 4 reps in my first OHP set at 85lbs. Rather than eke out a few reps in each of the remaining sets, I lowered the weight to 75 for the remaining sets. Deadlifts started out okay, hitting 5 reps in my AMRAP set compared to 6 last time at the same weight. In my second set, I added 10 pound plates on each side instead of 5 accidentally, and ended up not being able to complete the third rep because my grip gave out. On the 305 and 315 sets I used straps for only the second time ever. Apparently I didn't use them very well, because losing grip of the bar preventing me from hitting one more rep on each of those sets. Lat Pulldowns felt good but I think I used the wrong weight. I initially set it at 130, but it felt heavier than I expected it to compared to the machine I've been using and I struggled to get 6 reps, so I lowered it to 100 for the subsequent sets. In retrospect, I probably should've just left it at 130. I ran out of time and wasn't able to do one arm rows today because the gym was closing down. I'll pick those up where I left off next time. So yeah...kind of a sucky workout today.

    Another downer... I'm going to be limited to Mon-Thurs as my available lifting days, possibly long term. I'll also have the occasional opportunity to lift on weekends. Not sure how I'm going to approach it yet. I either need to lift on consecutive days, or only lift 2 days per week. I don't like either alternative. We'll see how it all shakes out though, things could still change I suppose. For this week, since I didn't go on either Monday or Tuesday, I'm definitely planning to lift again tomorrow. I should be okay, having lifted only twice since last Thursday.

    My cut is going well so far. I'm really like the MyFitnessPal app. I'm not sure how accurately I'm guessing on some of the foods I've entered in there, and not sure how accurate the calorie projections are, but the scale is going the right way. I've gone from 176.6 down to 173.4 in the last 8 days. Still too soon to say with any certainty that the numbers and the weight trend are legit, but it's looking good so far. I've been under my calorie goal 7 of the 8 days. I've been pretty far under this week so far, after changing my from Brats to Salmon for lunch, and from ground beef to ground chicken breast for dinner. Food quantity has stayed pretty level, while the calorie intake has dropped. Lifting-wise, I'll be happy if I can maintain my current weight on most lifts while I'm cutting.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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  26. #86
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A

    Bench Press: 135 x 4/3/3 / 115 x 8
    Drop to 130

    Pendlay Row: 150 x 6/6/6/6
    Stay at 150

    Squat: 145 x 7 / 155 x 4 / 165 x 3 / 175 x 1
    Stay at 145

    Chin-Up: 6/5/5 16 reps total


    Comments:
    Attended the open gym at work again, since it was my only hope of getting in another workout this week. Still felt out of sorts. I needed to get through in an hour, so I was a bit rushed. The equipment felt awkward, and I haven't adjusted to it yet. Now that I've got the pointless whining out of the way, on to the workout...

    I struggled on the bench press. I wasted a lot of energy trying to get the bench positioned right, and was never really able to find a hand position that felt right. I dropped the weight on the last set because I think I only would've been able to complete 1 rep, and I wanted to get some more volume in. The rows were okay. I had a few reps with poor form, so I'll repeat at the same weight again and try to eliminate those. Squats felt pretty good actually, and I probably would've hit all the reps had I had a bit more time to rest between reps. I actually did 2 reps on my last set, but one of them was pretty poor so I'm not counting it. I skipped the set I should've done at 185 so I'd have time to do the chin-ups. Chins felt good. This was my first time doing all of my sets without assistance, and I'm pretty happy with the 16 reps. Hoping I can get one or two more next time. I probably won't be able to lift again until Monday unfortunately.
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  27. #87
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 80 x 6/6/6/5
    Stay at 80

    Deadlift: 275 x 5 / 285 x 4 / 295 x 3 / 305 x 2 / 315 x 1
    Decrease to 265

    Lat Pulldown: 120 x 6/6/5/4
    Drop to 115

    One Arm Row: 50 x 20
    Stay at 50

    Comments:
    I seem to be going in cycles where I hit my reps and increase weights, and then at the higher weight I struggle to hit the reps, and my form suffers as I attempt to hit more reps. I'm then unsatisfied with how I completed the reps and I either drop down to a lower weight, or stay at the same weight and try to be more strict in how I perform the exercise. One step forward. 1/2 or 3/4 step back. Rinse and repeat. The good news is that even when my form gets a bit loose, it's still much better than it was previously, so I'm gradually improving both my form while also gradually increasing the weight I use. Today was a bit of the same.
    I tightened up my form on OHP, where I've had a tendency lately of doing something between a push press and an normal OHP. Managed 5 reps, which I'm okay with.

    Deadlift produced mixed results. For some reason, I really struggled with my grip again, which is strange since I didn't really have a problem with it the first time at this weight. I got 5 reps on my AMRAP set, but would've certainly had at least 1 more if I could've held onto the bar. I used straps on the following sets, and was able to hit all the reps. The final rep in both the 3 and 2 rep sets were done poorly. The single at 315 was probably the cleanest rep I did all day. I did a really good job of setting my hips lower, and was able to explode out of the hole really well and complete the rep pretty easily with good form. Though I had enough reps in me to merit increasing the weight next time, I didn't actually hit them due to the failed grip. Plus, I'm not happy with some of the reps in the middle sets. The were sloppy, and I need to clean it up to make sure I don't injure myself. As a result, I'm actually going to drop the weight next time.

    I have no idea what happened on the Lat Pulldowns. 100 felt relatively easy last time, so I increased to 120. I really struggled, missing a rep on my third set, and hitting only four (with the last being questionable) on the AMRAP set.

    I only had time to do one set of one arm row's. I completed 20 reps on each arm, but the last few on each arm certainly weren't great reps. I definitely wouldn't have hit 20 on a second set.

    Since I can only lift Mon-Thurs right now, I'm planning to lift again tomorrow, take a rest day on Wednesday, and then lift again on Thursday. I'll be interesting to see how well I'm able to recover.

    On the diet front, my weight is essentially unchanged in the last week. I had to guess at my calories one of the days last week since I went to a buffet. I suspect I must've underestimated, because according to My Fitness Pal I was basically right at my calorie goal for that day, but I woke up a couple pounds heavier the next morning. I ended up right at, or under, my calorie goal on the other days. I'll see how it goes this week. If the scale doesn't jive with the app, I'll need to adjust my calorie goal moving forward.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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  28. #88
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout A

    Bench Press: 130 x 6/6/5
    Stay at 130

    Pendlay Row: 150 x 6/6/6/7
    Increase to 155

    Squat: 145 x 5 / 155 x 4 / 165 x 2 / 175 x 1
    Stay at 145

    Chin-Up: 7/6/5 = 18 reps total

    Comments:
    Started out with Rows, since there wasn't a rack open. They felt fantastic.
    Squats were a struggle. I was really sore from my workout yesterday (this is the sorest I've been in quite a while), and it affected me quite a bit on the squats. I did six reps on the AMRAP set, but the last was done poorly enough that I'm not going to count it. I took several minutes rest afterward, and was able to hit all the reps on my following set. I then tried to pick up the pace though, since I only had an hour to complete my workout before the gym closed. I didn't have enough time to fully recover between sets, so I missed a few reps along the way.
    Did Bench Press next. Once again, I was moving pretty quickly and had rest periods of 2 minutes or less. I wasn't able to complete the sixth rep on my third set, so I ended off there.
    The Pullups felt good. I completed 2 more than last time.

    Overall, today freaking sucked. I was super sore and I tired quickly. I'll need to make some modifications if I continue a Mon/Tues/Thurs schedule; at least on the Tuesday workout anyway. I may drop a set off of each exercise. Otherwise I might just reduce the weight on that day. I'll see how things go on Thursday and then put together a plan for next week.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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  29. #89
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Workout B
    Overhead Press: 80 x 6/5/4

    Deadlift: 265 x 5 / 275 x 4 / 285 x 3 / 295 x 2 / 305 x 1

    Lat Pulldown: 115 x 5 / 110 x 5 / 100 x 7

    One Arm Row: 50 x 20


    Comments:
    Well, that sucked. I started out on deadlifts since I didn't have access to do OHP initially. After hitting the 5th rep of the initial set, I was totally spent. It's clear that I haven't had enough recovery time this week. I need to change my approach. I'd like to come back to this program at some point in the future, if my schedule allows it and I'm in a bulking phase. It just doesn't fit well into my current scenario.

    I'd rather not try to create my own program yet, because I feel like I'm still pretty inexperienced, and I have only a very basic understanding of programming. I'll have to do some searching to see if I can find something that looks like it might work. I'm certainly open to suggestions if anyone has any. Otherwise I guess I'll end up putting something together on my own.

    Here's the framework my program needs to function within:
    - I can only lift Mon-Thurs. Would prefer to lift 3 days; can do only 2 if that works better; I'd rather not do 4 days in a row for a variety of reason, but I guess with the right setup it could work.
    - I'm currently cutting weight, and probably will be until at least the end of the year. I'm also 43 years old, and generally get 6-7 hours of sleep per night, so my energy level and rate of recovery are poor right now.

    I'm pretty open minded when it comes to the details, as long as a program is focused on lifting.


    The weight cut is going well so far. I'm down 5 pounds in a little less than 2 weeks. I may need to slightly increase my calorie intake, since I really wanted to keep weight loss to 2 pounds or less each week. I'll give it at least through the weekend though, and see where I'm at.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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  30. #90
    Work in Progress CW47's Avatar
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    Upper

    Core
    Deadlift:
    245 x 5
    265 x 3
    285 x 2

    Bench Press:
    45 x 10
    65 x 10
    85 x 10
    105 x 10

    Supplementals
    Chin Ups:
    BW x 7
    BW x 7
    BW x 6

    Military Press:
    45 x 10
    55 x 10
    70 x 10

    Cable Row:
    55 x 10
    70 x 10
    100 x 10

    Hyperextensions:
    50 x 20

    Face Pulls:
    17.5 x 10
    27.5 x 10
    37.5 x 10


    Comments:
    First time doing my own program. Went well overall. I started the weights slightly lower than what I thought my actual maxes were. A few of them were challenging on the final set. Some were pretty easy. I also wasn't able to do all the lifts I wanted to due to how busy it was, so I subbed Military Press in for OHP and Cable Row in for Pendlay Rows.

    The biggest take away from today session for me was that I still need to improve my form on Deadlifts and Bench Press. I have a habit of not keeping my right shoulder retracted and tight. That will be a big point of focus for me moving forward, and I'll be careful about how quickly I increase weights on those lifts. I don't need to be rehabbing any more shoulders, lol.

    I'll give a full explanation of my program in the next post, since it'll be the first one on a new page. I should be able to get it posted up either later tonight, or tomorrow.
    The Flywheel Effect - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=172103043
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