Obro's workout log.

[Obro]

Hi All,
I figure this will still be here in 30 years so I thought it would be nice to look back when I’m old and grey and remember how it used to be. Also it should be good for keeping up the motivation and staying off the beer.
I already keep a log of every set and every rep and weight but this will give me something else to add to my daily routine which can get quite boring, especially without beer.

So, where do I start, well I finished my 1st cycle of d-bol only about 2 months ago and I gained 5kgs or 11pounds and kept it all. I’m currently off cycle but hopefully the wife will get pregnant soon so I can start my 2nd cycle. I can’t wait. I’ve posted my 1st cycle in the ‘cycle results forum’.

Stats:
38 y/o
5ft 6”
69.3kgs (152lbs)
Bi’s 15.5” (flexed)
Forearms 12.75” (flexed)
(my left is a little smaller)
Waist 30”
Chest 39 (deflated) 43 (expanded & lats spread).
Neck 16”

Can’t do legs because my knees are bad with arthritis (too much running and cycling way back) so I can only really do deadlifts for the legs but I’m hoping to get some more equipment so I can maybe work calfs and try to add some partial extensions. I train at home because the nearest gym is 200klm round trip away. I also have an issue with the weights I have. I can bench 3x10 of 70kgs and I don’t have any more plates so I’m looking for more but its not easy to find large plates here in Thailand (appreciate advice if anyone can help). Also my dumbbells are only 20kgs and the BB plates don’t fit the DB. I hope to build a new gym at home next year and I’ll deck it out with proper chin and dip bars etc. For now I can’t do dips and use a beam under the inlaws wooden Thai home (kinda hurts the hand sometimes on weighted chins.

So because of my knees I can’t just step out the front door and go for a run and I don’t have a rowing machine (would love one though) so swimming is my other only option. It’s a 60klm round trip to pool but it’s a good outdoor one with 25m lengths. I did my first cardio in years yesterday so it’s pretty pathetic but I’m happy I started.

Here’s the first log of my cardio:
Backstroke
4 Lengths
37 strokes per length
45 seconds per length

I’m going to try to add 2 lengths each time and maybe do 2 sessions. I’ve also ordered a heart rate monitor so I’ll be recording the stats for that. At the peak of my cycling (road and xcountry) My resting heartrate was 46 bpm and I think it would be 70 now so I have a long way to go.

I went for a massage yesterday but they took my blood pressure and it was 160/100 so they could not give me a massage. I came home and looked up what that was all about. I’d had a bad nights sleep, 3 coffees and a 20 min abs workout prior so that probably did not help but it still scared me so I’ve ordered a blood pressure monitor so I’ll be recording those stats too.

I have never ever been able to gain fat. One year ago I was 57kgs before I got back into lifting. Now I’m noticing the start of love handles. I think that’s got something to do with turning 40 next year and maybe the increased appetite from the cycle has changed my metabolism or maybe I’m just eating too much. Anyway I’ll be keeping that in check and I’ve ordered some BF calipers. Should be interesting and the cardio should help big time.

Diet.
I mix it up a lot depending on how I feel and what’s in the fridge but it basically consists of the following.
ON Whey protein shakes about 3 per day. (26g protein) with full cream milk.
2-4 whole eggs soy sauce and pepper.
Toasted cheese & ham sandwich (every 2nd day)
1 pancake with a little jam.
Approx 1 x bbq chicken every day. There’s a guy at the side of the road who roasts then on a spit and sells them for $3 each.
1 tin Tuna every day
White rice, 2/3 small servings a day
1 portion spaghetti Bol (with minced chicken) every day.
I’ve not been very good with the fruit and veg but I’m getting better now. We have a vegetable plot and we get heaps of tomatoes, green beans, rocket lettuce and other things from time to time. I’ve started cooking up heaps of greens like broccoli and snow peas and green runners and putting them in the fridge so I can just grab a handful with every meal.
About 3 bananas a day
One or 2 other fruits on Mon and Tue (Monday is market day at the local temple).
I sometimes snack on mangoes.
Never eat sweets or chocolate or anything like that. Just don’t have the desire.
3 to four litres of water and one or 2 sports rehydating drinks.

One day I’ll work out how many carbs pros fat and cals I eat a day but for now I just try to eat as often as possible and go with the feel.

So my workouts look like this:
Workout 1 – Shoulders chest & triceps.
DB press 3x10/12
DB side raises 2 x 8
DB front raises 2 x 8
Bench 3 x 10
Incl bench 2 x 10
Incl flies 1 x 10
1 arm pushups on bench 3x10
Overhead DB pull 2x10
Tricep kickbacks 1x10

Workout 2 – Back & Biceps (+hams)
Weighted chins 3 x 10 or failure (My favorite exercise)
Bent over BB rows, 3 x 10 (I love this for thickness)
BB Curls 3 x 10
Incline DB curls 2 x 10(awesome stretch and pump. First time I tried these I said YES – THESE ARE NOW MINE).
Sometimes a set of preacher curls.
Upright BB shrugs 3 x 12 (with the 70kgs I have. I’d love to do more).
DB Wrist Curls 2 x 10
BB deadliftts 3 x 10

Workout 3 – Abs
Crunches 3 x 20
Lying leg raises (weighted) 2x10
DB side pulls 2 x 10
Broomstick twists 2 x 50.

Abs day is like a day off for me so by the next day I’ve already had 3 days to recover from workout 1 so I can just keep repeating the process every day but I do take days off if I feel the need. One or two a week.

My goals are:
Keep blood pressure down.
Get fit and reduce resting heartrate.
Swim 50 lengths non stop for 30 to 40 min.
Build more muscle Hopefully up to 78kg after next cycle.
Get BF down to 7%
Stay off the beer.

Please feel free to critique my workouts and my diet. They all work for me but if anyone has advice to help tweak it up then I’d love to hear from you.

I’ve posted before and after pics in the members photos section but so you don’t have to go looking here’s a couple. The first one is a no pose shot and the 2nd is probably my best body part. The third was after a nice workout 1 pump.

Thanks for reading folks.

[Obro]

Correction. I took all the above measurements today except the waist because its always been 30" for the last 25 years. This afternoon something made me check and I could not believe it's 33" - Makes me even more determined to focus on the cardio. I'm glad I'm off the beer now so we'll see if that makes a difference.

[DessertRat]

Is this going to be your second cycle? What are you going to do?

I'm lost..

[Obro]

Is this going to be your second cycle? What are you going to do?

I'm lost..

Yes it will be but I have to get the wife pregnant before I can start so I thought I'd get the log up and running and record the start of my cardio. I can only expect to get better than the 4 lengths I swam yesterday so it should be fun to see it build up and of course any notable improvements in strength and Physique prior to starting the cycle.

I hope to run Test & Dbol but that will depend on whether I can get the Test, when I can start the cycle and overseas work commitment scedules. I might end up doing another Dbol only unless anyone has good advice about an injectable AAS that I could run for 4 or 6 weeks.

[Obro]

Today was workout 2 - Back / Bi's / Hams.
Pretty much did my normal routine but I added a set of Good Mornings for lower back strength. It's been 15 years since I've done them and that set felt bloody good. I'll up it to 3 sets next session.
I also added a set of hi rep (x15) incline curls at the end for a pump. I'll be doing that more often for sure.
Increased reps or weights in a few sets today so I'm still gaining strength but I weighed in at 68.7kgs which was a bit dissapointing expecially after forcefeeding myself all day yesterday.
Went for a massage this afternoon and my BP was still 160/100 so I'm still a little worried about that but they went ahead with the massage anyway.
On a better note I'm very excited. I've convinced a local building supplies place to make me 4 x 25kg BB plates from concrete with steel inside for support. Finally I'll have some decent weight for bench and shrugs and deads etc.

Happy Easter all.

[Obro]

Abs and Cardio today.

9 sets for the usual for Abs then a couple of hours later went swimming.

6 lengths (approx 1 min rest between lengths)
34-36 strokes per length
42 sec average per length.

I wanted to do more but I had to go and play with the kids because the wife did not feel like swimming today.

[Obro]

Really good Shoulders Chest Tris today.
Upped the weights and reps again on some sets and added military BB press for the 1st time in years. Felt great so I'm adding it to my workout.
2 sets 40kg x6 reps.
Not very impressive but I'd already killed them with the dumbells and I had no spotter as usual. Thankfully the wife came home in time to spot my bench press.

Gotta go into town to the dentist later so I might stop off at the pool for some cardio, uninterupted by the kids.

[Obro]

Yep, Got a swim in.
10 laps today 7 backstroke and 3 freestyle.
Freestyle 25 sec per lap from in the pool (no dive) I'll work on getting that to under 20.
I was F@#$Ked afterwards. Could hardly walk. I really need this cardio - Love it.
Think I'll have a total rest day tomorrow.

[Obro]

I've had 2 rest days now because I've got relatives visiting so I've been on airport runs and all the other stuff involved when family come on holiday...But....

Went swimming again today

1x Backstroke
41 sec
33 strokes

11 x Freestyle
about 24 sec.

Loving it. And I'm really happy I'm sticking to my plan of adding 2 laps each time.

The best news today is I picked up my new concrete/steel plates. 4x20kg, they could not make 25kgs in the end but the quality is really good with a steel band around the edges to protect the concrete from breaking along with steel rods inside for support.

Tomorrow is Back & Bi's so I'm really looking forward to upping the weights for traps (shrugs) and on Saturday I'll finally get to know what I can bench press for one rep.

[Obro]

Forgot to post y'day.

Normal back & Bi's w/o but using my new weights I now know I can manage 3 sets of 9 shrugs with 80kg before my grip gives out so I'm gonna buy some straps.
Skipped the good mornings because my lower back felt sore and weak. Maybe from the swimming.

I've decided to start my cycle in a couple of weeks whether or not the wife gets pregnant. We should know by about the 12th.

Feelin a bit stiff today so I'm going to skip lifting today and just go swimming.

I posted these in the pics section but heres an update for the log incl my home made weights.

[Obro]

9 sets of Abs this morning. I upped the broomsticks to 2x100.

Afternoon I had a really good swim. 16 laps freestyle av. about 30 sec per lap.

Told a mate via email and he replied that he swims 2klm comfortably - Holy Shite. I'm doing 400M with a rest in between most laps. I've got a long way to go but I'm happy with the progress I've made from my 1st swim with only 4 laps.

Weighed in at 68.2 KGs today which was a surprise. 2kgs down from my peak. Still 4kgs up from pre cycle.

Chest tomorrow. Can't wait to see what I can do with the new weights.

[Obro]

Shoulders, Chest & Tri's today.

Now I know what I can bench. 3 x 80kgs (176lb) Plus the bar??

[Obro]

Had a couple of days off because I was very stiff and sore.
yesterday just did cardio. Up to 19 laps now. Would have done more but got cramps. Definitely getting fitter.
5am here and we're just leaving for a 7-9 day driving / island hopping holiday so I've no idea if I'll find any gyms but I'll be looking.

[Obro]

Ok folks, I'm going to end this log and start a new one because I've started another cycle today. Adios Amigos.