A Beginner's Journal

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Put a calculator in your gym bag, best investment for a gym like that

Print out a chart. Even easier.

 

[LethalAnimal]

12/13:	12/6:
Deadlift:	Deadlift:
70kg x 5	50kg x 5
80kg x 5	60kg x 5
85kg x 5	70kg x 5
90kg x 5	80kg x 5
95kg x 5	90kg x 5
DB Bench Press:
20lb x 10
30lb x 10
30lb x 10
35lb x 10
Band Tricep Extensions:
Black band x 10
Black band x 10
Black band x 10

 

[LethalAnimal]

12/15:	12/8:
Box Squat:	Box Squat:
20kg x 5	Bodyweight x5
40kg x 5	25kg x 5
50kg x 5	25kg x 5
55kg x 5	25kg x 5
60kg x 5
Assisted SL DB RDL:	Assisted SL DB RDL:
18lb x 5	10lb x 5
18lb x 5	10lb x 5
24lb x 5
DB Lateral Raise:	DB Lateral Raise:
12.5lb x 12	10lb x 12
12.5lb x 12	10lb x 12
	10lb x 12
DB Front Raise:	DB Front Raise:
12.5lb x 12	10lb x 12
12.5lb x 12	10lb x 12
	10lb x 12
Incline Pushups:	Incline Pushups:
Bodyweight x 12	Bodyweight x 12
Bodyweight x 20	Bodyweight x 12
	Bodyweight x 16

After I stopped eating a certain breakfast sandwich, I stopped being nauseous during my workouts. My ankle is 95% healed and all the workouts I had this week went very well.

 

[LethalAnimal]

Monday:
Back Squat:
60kg x 10
50kg x 10

BB OHP:
40kg x 10
36kg x 10
33kg x 10

BB Chest Supported Row (Pronated Grip):
50kg x 10
45kg x 10
40kg x 10

DB Incline Press and Incline Pushups:
3 sets x 12 rep

Wednesday:
Deadlift:
80kg x 10
90kg x 10

Bench Press:
60kg x 10
57kg x10
55kg x10

Pullups:
3 sets x 8-10 reps

DB Incline Prone Row:
3 sets, 15lb x 12

OH DB Tricep Extensions:
3 sets, 15lb x 12

Friday:
Back Squats:
3 sets, 55kg x 8

BB Bench Press (Close Grip):
4 sets, 55kg x 8

Lat Pulldown - Neutral Grip:
3sets, 100lb x 8

DB Chest Supported Rear Delt Raise + Band Pull Apart:
3 sets, 12.5lb x10 + 3x12

 

[Ginevra]

Nice progress in deadlift... You will catch 100 kgs very soon. How old are You?

 

[LethalAnimal]

Nice progress in deadlift... You will catch 100 kgs very soon. How old are You?

Thank you! I’m going to be 34 soon

Been doing higher volume workouts the past month and it’s definitely tough but I’m getting used to it

 

[LethalAnimal]

3 month progress. I’ve gained 20 lb. I can see a bit of a difference

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Killing it.

Maybe time to reduce the useless volume and try training to failure. 1-3 sets is all you need. You increase the mechanical tension and actually stimulate some hypertrophy.

 

[Yano]

Killing it.

Maybe time to reduce the useless volume and try training to failure. 1-3 sets is all you need. You increase the mechanical tension and actually stimulate some hypertrophy.

Listen to this man.

He's a better coach than a ballroom dancer. Trust me on that , changed my entire bench and dead but i still dance like shit

 

[LethalAnimal]

Yeah I suppose, but reacting with a laughing emoji on my progress picture made me feel pretty unhappy for a while. My coach told me to post the front picture too since that showed more progress but I will pass on that.

The next 3 months are planned to be less volume anyway as was already suggested and eventually ending with testing 1RM's. After that the personal training will be over and I might switch to working out by myself.

 

[BigBaldBeardGuy]

Yeah I suppose, but reacting with a laughing emoji on my progress picture made me feel pretty unhappy for a while. My coach told me to post the front picture too since that showed more progress but I will pass on that.

The next 3 months are planned to be less volume anyway as was already suggested and eventually ending with testing 1RM's. After that the personal training will be over and I might switch to working out by myself.

It’s tough love.

Your coach doesn’t know what he’s doing. Get someone else. It’s YOUR money. Get someone thats going to get you progress, not a “cheerleader”.

 

[TomJ]

Yeah I suppose, but reacting with a laughing emoji on my progress picture made me feel pretty unhappy for a while. My coach told me to post the front picture too since that showed more progress but I will pass on that.

The next 3 months are planned to be less volume anyway as was already suggested and eventually ending with testing 1RM's. After that the personal training will be over and I might switch to working out by myself.

What are the goals outlined with you and your coach?

Is the priority gaining muscle or just fitness in general and getting stronger?

 

[LethalAnimal]

The goals I set for these 6 months:

1. Get to my previous level of fitness before I took time off (just recently accomplished)
2. Get a more aesthetic upper body, more of a triangle instead of a rectangle
3. Bench 225lb x1 (he said this would be hard to achieve in 6 months but we’re going to try)

 

[John Ziegler]

3 month progress. I’ve gained 20 lb. I can see a bit of a differenceView attachment 49367

great progress

 

[TomJ]

The goals I set for these 6 months:

1. Get to my previous level of fitness before I took time off (just recently accomplished)
2. Get a more aesthetic upper body, more of a triangle instead of a rectangle
3. Bench 225lb x1 (he said this would be hard to achieve in 6 months but we’re going to try)

Then looks fine to me.

I was going to suggest that there wasn't much of a point in routinely approaching 1rm lifts in a hypertrophy focused plan/goal set.

But since your goals are clearly outlined for fitness and strength as well I like the inclusion.

 

[LethalAnimal]

I think I made good progress even though it was catching up to where I used to be prior to health issues.

According to the graph the time when I had to most muscle mass gain was when we were doing a block with reps of 12, 10, 8.

While it's too early to say because still in the beginning of the new block, we've now switched to a lower rep range and my progress on the graph seems to be stalling. The weight we're lifting is going up. This block is closer to 8,6,5 rep range.

Generally speaking coach said doing higher reps will make me look bigger, doing lower reps but heavier will increase the numbers I can lift.

I read somewhere that people can respond differently to different training styles and it's not always a one size fits all type of situation. I wonder if this is the case with my body where higher reps is more beneficial for me.

The positive news is that I've never weighed more than 200lbs in my life, so this is interesting.

 

[LethalAnimal]

Monday:
Back Squat (pause):
60kg x 10
80kg x 8
95kg x 6

Bench Press (pause):
50kg x 10
63kg x 8
73kg x 6

Pullups : 4 sets of 6, no band but coach assisted on 4th set

EZ Bar Curls:
3 sets: 7kg x 10

Incline Skull Crushers:
3 sets: 12kg x 10

Wednesday:
Deadlift (3 second eccentric):
105kg x 10
125kg x 8
2 sets 137kg x 6

Seated BB OHP:
20kg x 10
35kg x 8
45kg x 6

Lat pulldown - Chin Up:
110lb x 10
120 lb x 8
130lb x 6
140lb x 6

EZ Bar 21's:
3 sets 8kg x 21

Friday:
BB Bench Press (Close Grip):
20kg x 12
50kg x 10
67kg x 8
77kg x 6

SA DB Bent Over Row (Leaning on 30 degree incline bench):
35 lb x 12
40lb x 10
45lb x 8
50lb x 6

BB Upright Row (Close Grip):
3 sets 8kg x 12

DB Incline Hex Press:
3 sets 35lb x 12

Saturday:
KB Goblet Squat (Heels Elevated):
24 x 12
32 x 10
40 x 8
40 x 6

Barbell RDL:
60kg x 12
80kg x 10
100kg x 8
120kg x 6

DB Neutral Grip OHP:
35lb x 12
40lb x 10
45lb x 8
50lb x 6

Incline Pushups:
3 sets, 15, 15, 17

DB Curls:
3 sets 17.5 x 12

 

[Yano]

Monday:
Back Squat (pause):
60kg x 10
80kg x 8
95kg x 6

Bench Press (pause):
50kg x 10
63kg x 8
73kg x 6

Pullups : 4 sets of 6, no band but coach assisted on 4th set

EZ Bar Curls:
3 sets: 7kg x 10

Incline Skull Crushers:
3 sets: 12kg x 10

Wednesday:
Deadlift (3 second eccentric):
105kg x 10
125kg x 8
2 sets 137kg x 6

Seated BB OHP:
20kg x 10
35kg x 8
45kg x 6

Lat pulldown - Chin Up:
110lb x 10
120 lb x 8
130lb x 6
140lb x 6

EZ Bar 21's:
3 sets 8kg x 21

Friday:
BB Bench Press (Close Grip):
20kg x 12
50kg x 10
67kg x 8
77kg x 6

SA DB Bent Over Row (Leaning on 30 degree incline bench):
35 lb x 12
40lb x 10
45lb x 8
50lb x 6

BB Upright Row (Close Grip):
3 sets 8kg x 12

DB Incline Hex Press:
3 sets 35lb x 12

Saturday:
KB Goblet Squat (Heels Elevated):
24 x 12
32 x 10
40 x 8
40 x 6

Barbell RDL:
60kg x 12
80kg x 10
100kg x 8
120kg x 6

DB Neutral Grip OHP:
35lb x 12
40lb x 10
45lb x 8
50lb x 6

Incline Pushups:
3 sets, 15, 15, 17

DB Curls:
3 sets 17.5 x 12

Oh man I had to go back slow with my glasses to find the day dividers hahaah I was thinking ,, holy mother of fucking volume ,, how in the hell is this kid not curled up in ball after that just twitching

 

[LethalAnimal]

Monday:
Back squat:
80kg x 6
90kg x 5
90kg x 5
100kg x 4
110kg x 4

Bench Press:
50kg x 8
60kg x 6
70kg x 5
80kg x 4

Pullups:
No band AMAP: 8, 7
Band assist: 6, 5

EZ Bar 21's:
25kg x 21
25kg x 21

Wednesday:
Deadlift:
70kg x 10
100kg x 8
120kg x 6
140kg x 5
147kg x 4

Seated BB OHP:
30kg x 8
40kg x 6
40kg x 5

Lap Pulldown - Chin up:
130lb x 10
140lb x 10
130 lb x 8
130lb x 10

Friday:
Barbell Bench Press (Close Grip):
50kg x 8
60kg x 6
70kg x 5
77kg x 4

SA DB Bent Over Row (Standing):
35lb x 10
40lb x 8
45lb x 6

SA DB Bent Over Row (Targetting lower lats):
30lb x 10
30lb x 14

DB Incline Hex Press (Super Set A):
30lb x 12
30lb x 12
30lb x 12

DB Neutral Grip OHP (Super Set A):
20lb x 12
20lb x 12
20lb x 12

Incline Pushups 1 x 10, DB Curls 30 lb 1x 10


This week's workouts were hard, especially Wednesday. I think I was at or pretty close to my 4 rep max on these exercises.

 

[LethalAnimal]

I'm up to 205lbs bodyweight and have been progressing again in the InBody scan results as I got used to the new training block. This week the top set is 3 reps.

I really suck at pullups, I wonder if I'll have the upper body I want once I'm able to do them more easily. Pullups are the only time where I feel my coach is a "cheerleader"