Hard Gainers Diary

[jasonembassy]

Thought that a I would keep a record for people to take a look at the gym work I am doing. Maybe you guys can help out and offer advice.
Here you can see my stats.

[jasonembassy]

The New Programme

I have decided that in order to make substantial changes I needed to make radical changes to my gym workout programme.

Here are is the programme that I am going to launch into for the next 12 weeks. Its based on Bi Kevs programme but has been changed as my gym doesnt have any of the machines shown. The decision to change my programme was based on discussions with others that I needed to really blast each mucle group once a week in order to make gains.

Here is the new programme

SUNDAY
Shoulders
Barbell shoulder press-4 sets, 4-6-8-10 reps
Standing Side laterals-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Seated Bent-over Lat Raises-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Shrugs- 4 sets, 12-20, reps
Seated lateral raise-3 sets, 12-15-20 reps
Abs
Bench leg raise – 3 sets, 15 reps
Swiss Ball Cable Crunch – 3 sets, 15 reps

MONDAY
Cardio – 45 min
Chest
Flat barbell bench press-4 sets, 2-5-8-10 reps
Incline dumbbell press-4 sets, 6-8-12-12 reps
Peck deck-3 sets, 10-16 reps
Smith Machine press-3 sets, 8-12 reps
DB Bench Press-3 sets, 12-20 reps

TUESDAY
Cardio – 45 min

WEDNESDAY
Cardio – 45 min
Arms
Straight barbell curl-4 sets, 4-6-8-10 reps
Cable bar curl-4 sets, 4-6-8-10 reps
Dumbell curls-3 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Cable pressdowns-3 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Abs
Hanging Leg raise – 3 sets, 20 reps
Swiss Ball Crunch- 3 sets, 15 reps

THRURSDAY
Cardio – 45 min
Back
Bent barbell rows-4 sets, 6-8-10-12 reps
Seated Row-4 sets, 8-10-12-12 reps
Low pulley rows-4 sets, 10-12-12-15 reps
Pulldowns with narrow v-bar-3 sets, 10-10-12 reps
Calves
Seated raises-4 sets, 6-8-10-12 reps
Standing raises-8-10-12-15 reps

FRIDAY
Quads
Barbell squat- 5 sets, 2-4-6-8-10 reps
Leg Press-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Leg extentions-4 sets, 8-10-12-12 reps
Hamstrings
Stiff leg deadlifts-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Lying leg curls- 4 sets 10-10-12-12 reps

SATURDAY
REST

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 1
Sunday 26th May

Went to the gym today to do my shoulders. Wanted to blast them. Wasnt use to the reps or weights. Tried my best. Programme took about 1 hour to do. Strangely felt pumped when I left the gym.

SUNDAY
Shoulders
Barbell shoulder press-4 sets, 4-6-8-10 reps
Standing Side laterals-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Seated Bent-over Lat Raises-4 sets, 8-10-10-12 reps
Shrugs- 4 sets, 12-20, reps
Seated lateral raise-3 sets, 12-15-20 reps
Abs
Bench leg raise – 3 sets, 15 reps
Swiss Ball Cable Crunch – 3 sets, 15 reps

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 2
Monday 27th May
Woke at 5.10 am in the morning for the gym. Met my trainer at 5.45 ready to kill my chest.

Couldnt figure out if I go heavey for the first rep. Popped 4 Xenedrine and 6 Taxtarone pills today. Prior to my chest work out and then my 45min cardio workout. Strangely feel tight in the upper tonight. I feel quite hard. Found another 2 full bottle of Xenedrine in my cupboard this morning. Bought them from bodybuilding.com Busy day at work.

Chest
Flat barbell bench press-4 sets, 2-5-8-10 reps
Incline dumbbell press-4 sets, 6-8-12-12 reps
Peck deck-3 sets, 10-16 reps
Smith Machine press-3 sets, 8-12 reps
DB Bench Press-3 sets, 12-20 reps

Cardio
Went to the gym at 5.00 p.m to do my cardio. Coughed and spluttered for 45 minutes. Did a good job considering that I have done no cardio for almost 6 months.
7 minutes warm up on the treadmill - light pace
20 minutes doing intervals on xtrainer - light to medium pace
18 minutes doing 1 minute interval circuit (6 rounds) - 3 exercises; mini trampoline knee ups, bike and stationary stepper.

Took 10 mintues to recover - felt great afterwards so much so that I could do another 2 hours work on my computer.

I'm now psyching myself up for a 45 minutes run in the morning. Plan to get up at 5.10 in the morning. Great day in all.

[Ermantroudt]

Bro:
We all could comment more if you had listed your goals: Fat Loss, Getting Bigger, etc.


Ermantroudt

[dyno45]

The first thing I see if I'm reading it correct is you are starting with low reps and moving up in the count. That to me is backwards. Add more weight and go down in reps. On the last set get a spot. I assume with the goals you want to lose fat and gain solid muscle. Training heavy works for me but everyone is different. Try it one way and if no results try something else. In alot of your sets you have 5-6 different exercises. Overtraining will get you the same results as not training, zilch. If you go heavy for 4 sets, you won't want to or need to do the other sets you think you need. Save them for when you change up your routine.

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 3
Tuesday 21 May 2002

8.00 am
Woke up this morning at 6.45 instead of 5.10 am, despite my alarm going off. Didnt get to do my planned cardio - will try for this afternoon. Had to shoot off to practie. I'm coaching a canoe water polo high school team. Arrived 15 mintues late to practise.

Popped 2 Xenedrine and 3 taxatarone at 7.48 a.m. My upper chest is in pain. Ouch! But I am feeling like what Superman looks like. Freakin huge!


5.45 p.m
Went to the gum today at 4.30 p.m this afternoon. Im please with myself lasting the 45 min cardio session. Didn't couch and splutter that much, like yesterday. I need to up my intensity level next week once I get use to doing the 45 min cardio sessions. Don't feel as huge as Superman like I did this morning.

5 min treadmill - lite pace
20 min - 1 min interval circuit, trampoline, and bike - medium pace
20 min - x trainer - medium pace

My upper body is starting to feel sore. Only minor pains, upper outer pecs, traps, and strangley my left upper quad. Dont know what brought that on, maybe the cardio from last night.

Need to think about my diet. I know that Im not eating as much as I should. Have only had 2 meals so far today!

Popped another 2 xenedrine and 3 taraxatone. I've been taking them for five weeks now, havent noticed any tolerance problems. Beginning to wonder if they even work. Nothing like te Hydroxycut - now they use to give me the shivers. I wonder if I have wasted my money.

Need to be in bed by 10.30 tonight. One work meeting to attend tonight - hope it finishes early. Arms tomorrow, I gonna walk out the gym with BIG guns.

[jasonembassy]

Overtraining.

I dont think that I am overtraining as I am only doing each muscle groups once a week. Nevertheless, my trainer and I will closely monitor myself. I plan to give the programme a good 4 weeks evaluation before I change it. Having said this though, I am happy for guys to debate the issues if they want to.

[jasonembassy]

General Goal

I want to look cut up and get a six pack while losing minimal muscle mass. I want a dramatic tranformation

Specific Goal
1. Reduce body fat to less than 10% using 3 site caliper fat test
2. See my cuts between shoulder and bicep and to see a gun when I flex.
3. Lose weight from 89kg/ 195lbs to under 80kg/ 176lbs
4. Increase chest size by 2" (5 cm) and decrease waste by more than5" (12cm)


Long term goal
1. Look like Stan Mcquire

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 4
Wednesday 22 May 2002

Drifted off to sleep after midnight. Woke at 5.15 after a restless sleep. Nevertheless dragged myself to the gym to arrive their 45 minutes early. My trainer wasn't expecting me until 6.30 Damn!

Did my arms today. Didnt feel a pump despite the number of exercises I completed. Mmmmmm! What went wrong? Probabaly didn't get the weights right. Instead of coming home, decided to stay on at the gym and do my 45 min cardio session.

Cardio
5 min treadmill - lite pace
20 min treadmill - medium - heavy pace
20 min Xtrainer - medium - heavy pace


Felt like a fitness fanatic when I left the gym two hours later. The longest I have ever been in a gym.

Popped the usual lose fat fast pills. Felt very tired at about 2.00 p.m Had to take a rest on my office couch.

Must get to bed early tonight did get a decent sleep. Need the energy for a early rise tomorrow to coach my canoe water polo team.

Ate 6 meals today. Way to go!
Have run out of protein powder. Need to buy some asap.

My trainer and I noticed today the my weight has dropped considerably over the last two weeks; from 196 lbs (89 kg) to 189 lbs (86kg) - 7 lbs. I think that it is coming off my guts. I'll get a caliper test in the next 2 weeks to confirm my suspesions. Could it be that the Xendrine is finally kicked in. Since Dec 2001, I had gained, 30lbs (13.5 kg) in the bulking phase I was doing. During that phase I had not done any cardio. So I was taking in more calories than what I was using.

Need plenty of rest tonight. Tomorrow I have another 1 1/2 - 2 hours gym date - as well as a work deadline I need to meet. Dont know when I'll finish that!

Tomorrows plan of attack

Cardio – 45 min

Weights - 45 min

Tomorrow night means no more cardio until next Monday.

[Tarzan]

Jason:

Your on a collision course for Overtraining and burn out. You are not 20 years old any more. First you need to get your diet worked out and written down. I would advise you to stop taking all the xenedine and work on your base. Fat burners are ok they work for some and not for others, diet is more important the amout of cals you take in compared to the # you expend. Quality food and water (lots of water).

If I were training you I would put you on a program with basic compound movements, Squat,Bench,Overhead Press,Chins,dips and a few curls.


Example
Monday: Squat 1 set 20 reps, add 5-10# per week
Barbell Curls 3 X 8

Tue: Cardio 30min easy pace (first thing in morning)

Wed: Bench 2 warm up sets and 3 work sets 8 reps
Chins wide grip 3 sets as many reps as possible

Thur: Cardio 40 min Med to fast pace (first thing in morning)

Friday Over head Press 2 warm up sets and 3 work sets 8 reps
Abs 4 x 20 reps

This program might seem brief but if you work very hard and heavy and keep adding a few pounds every week you will find it challenging and productive.

The more muscle you build the more fat your body burns. You need a good base of strength and muscle before you start a program like you have. You should be in and out of the gym in 1 hour, less is more. We all go a little crazy when we first start out and all end up paying for it.
The main ingredients for success are Eat right, Train right and sleep well this is easer said then done. I would stick to the basics for 6-12 months and then change to a more complicated program.


Good luck Bro

[silverfox]

you also have not listed your diet which is most important part of all this.

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 5
Thursday 23 May 2002


9.33 p.m
Glad to be home - its been a long day. Been on the move since 6.15 am this morning. Woke up happily enough. Coached my water polo team. We are practising rolling the canoes. Worked till 6.00 p.m and then off to the gym to do my back and calves.

Following my weights programme, I did my 45 mintues cardio. I felt like giving up after 30 minutes. Continued and completed the 45 minutes. Felt great to have achieved my goal of doing 4 X 45 minutes cardio this week. Should have had a shake or something 1 hour before gym. Was hungry like a horse when I got home at 7.30 p.m. No more cardio until Monday! 3 days rest. Cant wait to see my abs and loose my guts.

Feeling quite tired now. Will go to bed soon. Have another hard day tomorrow. Legs but luckily no cardio.

Owner of my gym, noticed my increased use of the gym. She too like many of you guys think I am over doing it. I too am beginning to think so to. The routine that I have been using seems to taking its toll on me.

Will review the earlier posts and aim to give a full brief to the board about my diet next week.

[jasonembassy]

Reply to Tarzan

Thanks for taking the time to look over and give me some advice.

It would seem that I am really quite unhappy with the progress that I have been making. My diet is actually very clean. For the last 6 months I have been calorie positive, gaining 10 kg.

I have been doing weights for 2 years now, am just a little frustrated with the gains I am making. But having said that, people are starting to notice my body. My biggest problem, I would say with the gym is my ability to push past the pain. Basically I'm a big pussy! But having said this, I am doing twice or five times the weight than when I started at the gym.

I think I am looking for a new program to really help me out of what I seem to be a plateau in my progress.

I am almost at the point that I too believe I am on a collision course of overtraining. Anyway Tarzan thanks for the concern and will consider your feed back.

[jasonembassy]

Week 1
Day 5
Friday 23 May 2002

My trainer woke me up today. Arrived to the gym - 15 mintues late. She was furious. Did my legs and went to work. Feeling very tired.

[jasonembassy]

Week 2
Day 8
Monday 27th May 2002

Missed doing my shoulders yesterday. I had to go and meet up with friedns. Will catch up tomorrow. I hope this doesnt become a habit.

Woke up a box of birds this morning. No pains anywhere. Bounced off to the gym to do a killer chest work. Again I felt like what Superman feels like. I felt like I had a chest of granite when I finished. A great workout. I love doing my chests and getting a pump.

Came home for and hour before going back to the gym to do my cardio. Did my usual 45 minutes

20 min - 5 X 4 exercises 1 min interval
25 min - xcross trainer

I am making every effort to increase the intensity. I seem to be getting use to doing 45 min cardio. Time seems to go by quickly. Gained 7 lbs (3kg) since last Friday. Both my trainer and I scratched our heads and couldn't figure out what happened.

Following my cardio - I had a 1 hour massage. Went to sleep. Had the day off work today so I lounged around home - didnt answer phones and slept all afternoon. A great day.


Tip - How to weigh yourself.
When weighing yourself, Weigh yourself at least 3 times a week. It is normal for your weight to fluctuate like this. Then take the average weight to determine your true weight.

[jasonembassy]

Steroids for First timers Research

This post is o help me figure out what all this juice is about. I want to do a cycle, but I've decided that I need to be well informed. I am not a guru on the topic of steroids. I have posted the stacks to see what other guys think. The stacks I have chosen are from guys who have done the following. They have provided me with the type of sterod and dose I should take, I have just gone out to try and find out what the juice does to you.

Sources of Research:
http://www.anabolicreview.com/drugprof.htm



STACK 1 - SUSTANON 250
Sust 500/ week X8 Dont need nolva

Effectiveness
effective after one day and, based on the mixed in decanoates, remains active for 3-4 weeks.

Purpose
A rapid increase in body strength and an even increase in body weight occur.

Side Effects
Possible: Acne, aggressiveness, sexual overstimulation, oily skin, accelerated hair loss, and reduced production of the body's own hormones.

Water retention and gynecomastia are usually within limits with the "Sustas" or are not as massive as with enanthate and cypionate . Liver damage is unlikely with Sustanon

Dosage
A dosage of 500 mg/week is completely sufficient for most, and can often be reduced to 250-mg/ week by combining Sustanon with an oral steroid .

STACK 2 - DECA-DURABOLIN + SUSTANON
Deca 200 + Sust 250/week X 8 is another good one


STACK 3 - DECA-DURABOLIN + PRIMO
Deca 200 + Primo 200


StACK 4 - DECA-DURABOLIN + WINSTROL


Winstrol -50-eod/ week X8 is super clean[B]help

[jasonembassy]

Week 2
Day 11
Thursday 30th May 2002

6.41 p.m
Just come back from the gym, doing my back and calves. Think I slightly pulled my right calf muscle, doing machine squat calf raises.

45 minutes after back and calves I did my cardio. Felt fine until 30 minutes into the routine. Wanted to desperately stop and come back home. Gald to finish the cardio. Think I over did the first part of the cardio routine.

25 min 1 min interval treadmill (high intensity)
20 min 1 min 5 X 4 Exercise circuit; rower, bike, skipping, trampoline and stepper.

Brought me Creatine and Awsome Mass gainer Supplements. I continue to take Xenedrine 2 X 2 per day. Morning and afternoon. I get the felling that I beginning to shed my body fat.

Have felt fine doing program this week - Have not felt excessively tired like last week. I get the feeling that the start of doing cardio after 6 months rest took its toll on me, together with the usually intense pressures of work.

Did shoulders on Tuesday afternoon but missed doing my cardio, the gym was about to shut. Will complete my cardio after tomorrows legs session.

Will have a problem next week - Long weekend and I am travelling to attend an uncles unveiling (a dedication serve after 1 year some one had passed away) which requires 10 hours travel. Will miss the gym on Sunday and possibly on Monday. Will think about how I will make it up. I suppose this become part of life, changing and juggling life around.

STARTING SWIMMING TRAINING
Am starting a 5 week course next week with a swimming trainer. I have this slight desire to enter and compete in a triathlon. Plan to be trained once a week and practise on Tuesday and Wednesday at 6a.m for about 30 minutes each day just before I coach my sports team - Canoe water polo (which takes 1 hour)

Pimple attack
I seem to be having a pimple attack. It seems that anytime I go without veges for more than 2 days I break out. One on my mouth, lat, and abs. Off to the shops to fill my fridge with brocolli. I have really only been eating protein and carbogydrate for the last 3 days.

[jasonembassy]

How much sleep do I get?

Usually hop in bed at 10.30 and wake about 5.10 a.m - unless of course my gal needs some attention.

Body Fat?
Try this to figure out your body fat.
http://www.anabolicreview.com/fitcalc.htm

[Mrs. T]

Your personal trainer came up with that workout plan? Interesting. You're overtraining and you're going to hurt yourself. You probably shouldn't do a cycle till you get your workout and diet fixed. JMO

[Kingpin]

Bro,

You are over training. I have been training 4 yrs and am 33 yrs old at 5'11 190lbs. 11% bf natural. Last year I reached what I thought was my plateau at 184lbs. At that point I started using creatine for 60 days and changed my work out to 5 days. I started training as heavy as I could with low reps!!! Pushing out the last reps even if I cheated a little or only did 1/3 of the movement (ex. benching only 1/3 of the way down). Today I am 190 lbs. and happy still trying to reach 195lbs, which may need some AS assistance but that’s ok I did 6lbs LM natural. You can do it with dedication the proper training and diet. This is not a flame but maybe you can cut back a little on the verbiage.

[jasonembassy]

.If it aint working change the game plan

I suppose that if it aint working then you should change your program.
Next week, my trainer and I are going to do measurements to what has been happening since the start of my new regime.

Friday 31 May 2002
Did my legs, am always shruggling to get my butt out when I squat to the ground.

Did 45 min of cardio. Felt very hungry 20 min into cardio.
20 min body for life X trainer workout
25 min 5X5 circuit, skipping, stepper, bike, rower and trampoline

Will need to
eat something before cardio maybe, as I wake at 5.10, have a cup of tea, pop pills and head for the gym. At home by 7.35 a.m

Felling a quite pleased with myself, having completed two weeks of my new cardio programme. Missing Sundays shoulders and moving to to Tuesday next week.

A great recovery weekend coming up

[jasonembassy]

Week 3 - Day 15
Monday 3rd June
I had a great weekend. Rested, rested and rested. Chest day today. Went extremely well. Had a great 2 1/2 days rest. Belong to an interesting Yahoo BB Group and got an email from a guy in Indonesia. PM Papa about the contact - I think his advice is pretty sound. 95% of unsolicited email claiming to sell AS are dodgy.


Week 3 - Day 16
Tuesday 4th June

Great day. Busy. Felt a great Chest pump today after yesterdays chest workout.

Woke at 5.10 went to the swimming pool. Took 30 mintues to psyh myself to do a lap of freesyle. Made 1/2 a length first off. Made myself relax and concentrated. 10 mintues later I was swimming laps of the pool. A great feeling of accomplishment. Tomorrow I start with a swimming instructor. Should be interesting.


4.30 p.m
To give my chest a break as I trained it yesterday, changed Thursday program to today - Did Back and Calves. Great sweat!

5.30 p.m
Finished my back workout with a 50 minute Combo Aerobics class. Felt like a real kluts but managed to get my heart rate through the roof. Feel Great afterwards and am finding that I am qucikly recovering after the workout.

Work out this week - as it was a long weekend here in New Zealand

Monday Chest and Abs
Tuesday Back and Calves
Wednesday Biceps and Triceps
Thursday Shoulders and Abs
Friday Quads and Hamstrings

If I really strain I think I can see my abs (taken this morning with my cam) - A pic to encourage me I suppose. Am doing measurements this Friday. Cant wait!

[THORSZ]

Hey bro,
You are not 27% bf. I used to think I was and it was just my method of testing. 27% is actually a guy with a beer belly! I would think you are more like 15%.
good luck!

[jasonembassy]

Thanks Horsz
I think that I am starting to show a few abs. Although not seen in this pic. I'm becoming much more happier. If I do an Ab pose - I can see the upper abs (only slightly though) and even the corsels beginning to show.

If I wanted a 7% bf, I would need to loose another 5" off the waste and keep my weight at 190lbs. Interesting? I am 17%bf at present if you use the AR bodyyfat calculator.

[chwester]

You are way overtraining. You should listen to what all these experienced people are telling you. All that cardio is cutting into your muscle gains. Concentrate on muscle now-burn off the fat later. All that cardio is also hurting your recovery. Recovery equals muscle growth.
You need a new trainer.