From Zero to Slightly Above Average

[WhichWay2TheGym]

In 2013 my 1RM for Bench Press was 275. I avoided Squats and Deadlifts like the plague back then, but I would Leg Press 360. I broke my hand in 2013, and then in 2014 I injured my neck and was unable to workout until 2020. I probably could've started working out in 2019 or 2018, but I had other demons to overcome as well.

So, on June 2nd 2020 I made a decision that changed my life, and I began working out June 15th 2020 at home. So, I'll start the journal there:

Height: 5'9

WEIGHT ON JUNE 2nd WAS ABOUT 210LBS!

STARTING POINT 6/15/2020
Workout 1 6/15/2020
Push-ups - 15, 10
Crunches - 20


From June until August, I worked out every other day and my routine consisted of:

Workout 06/15 - 07/31
***Repeat Cycle as many times as I can******
Perfect Push-ups (regular pushups as I fatigued)
Leg Raises
Perfect Crunch
*Added Dips from early until mid-August*
Curls with 25lb DB
sometimes lateral raises with 10LB DB


Sadly, I lost my information that I had kept for Late August through Early October in what I call the "terrible notepad copy & paste incident" but my routine looked something like this:


Weight at the end of August: 182lbs (hell yeah!!!!)

Started out at the gym doing something like:
Day 1
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 10
Barbell Row 3 sets of 10
Seated DB Press 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull-down 3 sets of 10
Abs
20min+ cardio

Day 2
Squats 3 sets of 10
Leg Press 2 sets of 10
Dumbbell Stiff Legged Dead Lifts 2 sets of 10
Standing Calf Raises 3 sets of 10
Abs

Day 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 10
Barbell Row 3 sets of 10
Seated DB Press 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull-down 3 sets of 10
Abs
20min+ cardio

Then I did this for a few weeks:

Day 1
Bench Press 3 sets of 10 + 1 heavy
Barbell Row 3 sets of 10
Seated DB Press 3 sets of 10
Incline DB Press 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull-down 3 sets of 10
Dips 3 sets to failure
Abs

Day 2
Squats 4 sets 32 reps
Leg Press 3 sets of 10
SLDL 2 sets of 10
Leg Extensions 2 sets of 10
Hip Adduction 3 sets
Hip Abduction 3 sets
Standing Calf Raises 3 sets of 10
Abs

Day 3
Dumbbell Bench Press 3 sets of 10
Barbell Row 3 sets of 10
Seated DB Press 3 sets of 10
Lat Pull-down 3 sets of 10
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 sets of 10
Incline DB Curls 3 drop-sets
Abs

Once I started lifting weights, I got a bigger appetite and on 10/19 I weighed 191.5lbs

This wouldn't be worth the time if I didn't include some pictures!!!! Should've cleaned that dirty mirror.
\I found using a set rep goal to be very helpful in making steady gains, I continued using that going forward.

[WhichWay2TheGym]

I had taken previous two weeks off because I used bad form on Military Press and I strained my right trap.

Cycle 00
Upper Day 1 – 10/19/2020
Bench Press – 185x8 185x5 185x5 185x4
Barbell Row – 115x10 115x9 115x8 115x6
Military Press – 85x10 90x9 90x6
Incline DB Bench Press – 50x8
Preacher Curls – 65x8

Lower Day – 10/20/2020
Squat – 115x8 135x6 136x6 115x7
Leg Press – 270x8 270x6 270x6
DB Stiff-Legged Dead-lifts – 60x8 60x7
Hip Adduction – 130x12 145x12 145x10
Hip Abduction – 130x15 145x12 160x12
Standing Calf Raises – 180x12 180x10

Upper Day 2 – 10/23/2020 (SLEPT AWFUL)
Bench Press – 185x8 185x4 165x8
Barbell Row – 115x12 125x7 125x6 115x6
Military Press – 90x10 90x7 90x7
Lat Pull-downs – 130x8 130x8 115x9
Seated Row – 115x10 100x10 100x10
Preacher Curls – 65x6 65x5
Reclining Incline DB Curls – 15x9 15x8 15x12

[WhichWay2TheGym]

This week, I was a little short on time for Friday because of school, but
it was still a good week overall.

CYCLE 01
Upper Day 1 – 10/26/2020
Bench Press – 185x10 185x6 185x5 185x7
Barbell Row – 125x11 125x8 125x8 125x7
Military Press – 95x10 95x6 95x6
Lat Pull-downs – 130x10 130x9 130x7
Incline DB Bench Press – 50x12 55x7 55x6
Dips – 7 7 5
Triceps Press-downs – 60x8 60x6 60x5
Incline DB Curls – 20x10 20x4→15x5 15x5→10x6 15x6→10x6

Lower Day – 10/28/2020
Squat – 125x10 135x8 145x5 145x3 135x5
Leg Press – 270x11 270x8 270x6
DB Stiff-Legged Dead-lifts – 60x10 65x7
Hip Adduction – 145x17 160x12 160x12
Hip Abduction – 145x15 160x14 160x12
Glue Press – 80x10 90x10
Standing EZ Bar Curls – 60x10 60x8 60x5→50x5
Abs (Finally did them, been slacking)

Upper Day 2 – 10/30/2020
(limited time due to school)
Bench Press – 185x9 185x7 185x6 185x7
Barbell Row – 125x10 125x9 125x8 115x8
Military Press – 95x7 95x10
Lat Pull-downs – 130x10 145x7 130x8
Seated Row – 115x10 115x10 100x12

[WhichWay2TheGym]

CYCLE 02
Upper Day – 11/02/2020
Bench Press – 195x8 195x5 185x7 190x5
Barbell Row – 125x9 135x7 125x8 125x7
Military Press – 100x10 105x7 105x6 95x5
Lat Pull-downs – 145x9 160x6 145x8 130x7 (very slow eccentric)
Incline DB Bench Press – 55x10 65x6 60x6→45x5→30x6
Seated Row – 115x15 130x10 130x10→100x8→70x10
Dips 12 8 5
Triceps Press-downs – 60x10 60x9 50x7
Push-ups 14 8
Abs (did them)

Workout 2 – 11/06/2020
I had a spotter with me for bench press so I went heavier
Bench Press – 205x7 215x3.5 195x6 185x7
Military Press – 105x6 105x6 95x6
Squat – 135x7 145x6 155x3 135x5
Leg Press – 290x10 290x8 290x6
Lat Pull-downs – 160x8 160x7 145x9→115x6→85x6
Lying T-bar Row – 55x10 55x9 55x8
DB Stiff-Legged Dead-lifts – 65x6 65x7 60x6
Seated Row – 130x8 115x10
DB Lateral Raises – 15x13 15x10 15x9

[WhichWay2TheGym]

finally finished the rush on school, but I couldn’t workout until Wednesday
because I had an exam that morning.

CYCYLE 03
Upper Day – 11/12/2020
Bench Press – 195x9 195x6 195x5 185x7
Barbell Row – 125x10 135x7 135x6 125x8
Military Press – 105x9 105x6 105x6 95x5(on shorter rest)
Lat Pull-downs – 160x8 160x7 145x8→115x7→85x8
DB Bench Press – 65x7 65x6 60x6→40x6
Lying T-bar Row – 60x10 65x9 55x7(on short rest)
Lateral Raises – 15x10 15x7 12.5x9
Biceps EZ Bar Curls – 60x8 60x5
Didn’t do Abs

Lower Day – 11/14/2020
***Had to do things a little out of order***
Squat – 145x7 145x5 145x6 155x4 115x7(on shorter rest)
Leg Press – 320x7 320x5 270x7→180x6
DB Stiff-Legged Dead-lifts – 70x7 70x6 60x8
Glute Press – 100x10 110x12 110x10
Standing Calf raises – 180x12 180x12
Incline DB Curls – 20x12→15x6 20x5→15x5 15x12
Hip Adduction – 160x9 160x10 160x15
Hip Abduction – 160x12 160x15 160x15
Abs – Yes

[WhichWay2TheGym]

DEALING WITH COVID LOCKDOWNS MOVING FORWARD


CYCLE 04
Upper Day 1 – 11/16/2020
Bench Press – 195x10 195x6 195x5 185x7
Barbell Row – 135x7 135x7 135x7 125x9
Military Press – 105x10 105x8 105x6 95x6(shorter rest)
Lat Pull-downs – 160x9 160x8 145x7→115x6→85x8
DB Bench Press – 65x8 65x6 60x6.5→35x7
Lying T-bar Row – 70x10 75x7 55x6(short rest)
Dips – 10 6
Cable Crossovers – 40x12 50x8 40x13
Triceps Press-downs – 60x10 60x7 50x7
Abs – Did Them

Lower Day – 11/18/2020
Squat – 145x9 145x9 145x6 155x4 115x7(shorter rest)
Leg Press – 320x8 320x7 320x7→180x7
DB Romanian Dead-lifts – 55x8 70x6 75x6→50x5
Hip Adduction – 160x15 160x12 160x10
Hip Abduction – 175x15 175x12 175x12
Let Extensions – 130x10 145x9 130x8 (worked in during hips)
Glue Press – 110x10 110x10 110x10 (not sure this is helping much)
Standing Calf Raises – 180x14 180x12 180x13
Incline DB Curls – 20x12→15x5 20x6→15x4 (thought gym was closed 11/19)

Upper Day 2 – 11/19/2020
Was probably 90% recovered, wasn't aware I could workout in other county. Will take extra days rest
Bench Press – 205x4 200x5 195x5 185x6 185x5
Pull-ups – 4 4 4 (alternated a set of pull-ups and a set of Barbell Row)
Barbell Row – 125x7 125x7 125x6
Military Press – 105x7 110x7 (3 pull-ups) 105x6 95x5(shorter rest)
Lat Pull-downs – 160x5 146x7 145x6→115x6→85x7
DB Bench Press – 65x9 70x5 (1 pull-up lol) 60x8→40x8
Lying T-bar Row – 70x9 75x8- 60x8(short rest)
Dips – 9 8 5