Workout Details

[CrookedBones]

So, I've been in the gym for just over a month now. My weight has increased from 191 to 203 since that time--no cycle at this time... not since 19-norandro was available OTC. I've kept a workout log, and strength gains have been steady. Anyway, I've got into a strict diet and gym routine. However, a typical gym day is never less than an hour. What do you folks think about it?

Sets are usually tapered: 10/8/6/4... I always try and break through the previous week by about 5 pounds or a few more reps, depending on how good I feel.

Monday

Flat bench dumbbell press 25/40/50/60
Incline dumbbell press 40/50/50
Dips x5 x5
Butterfly 40/50/65
Situps w/25# x15/x10/xFailure
Teapots 25#

Cycle 20 min

Tuesday

Deadlift 135/185/205/225
Lat pulldown 90/120/135/135
Bent over Row 40/50/60/60
Bent over reversed fly 30/40/50
Curls 30/30

Cycle 20 min

Wednesday

Cardo Cycle 30 min

Thursday

Squats 135/185/205/225
Lunges 40/50/60
Laying Ham Curls 90/110/130
Leg extensions w/20#
Shoulder Press 30/40/50/50
Lat Shoulder Raises 30/40/50
Front Shoulder Raises 30/30

REST.

So, I have a tilted pelvis, so I constantly have to stretch/pop my lower back to relieve pressure. Last week, my lower back got a tweeked, and it was hurting after deadlifts. I did squats, as scheduled, on Thursday with no problems. It comes and goes. With rest and stretching, it always gets better, so it hasn't kept me from bodybuilding.

My goal is to get ripped and gain another 20 pounds if possible, and then I might consider a cycle. I'm 30 now, and am not a stranger to weight training--some in high school, and on-again off-again over the years, always staying in decent shape. This is the highest commitment to training I've ever come, and it's going well.

What do you folks think about the training schedule. Work prohibits time in the gym, since I work a 40 hour week in 3 days (Fri-Sun).

[CrookedBones]

To add some more details, my rest periods between sets are 60-90 seconds. Sometimes 120 seconds for the deadlifts/squats... Those really get my heart pumping.

I'm also considering squeezing in some plyo-workouts with the above routine... To get the explosive energy out of every muscle group, and to guarantee the continued growth of mass/strength.

[Giggle]

Hi there Crooked -
I like the way you've divided up your week, so that you can accommodate your work schedule.
Just one question; since you're not training on Friday - Sunday, why not train on Wednesday too.
Especially for leg day, it would be hard for me to do shoulders adequately after legs! I'd put them on Wednesday.

BTW, what's a "teapot"?
Good luck to you!

[CrookedBones]

I'll give it a go for Wednesday, for sake of variation. I had it on Thursday to give my joints a rest from my Mon/Tues routine.

"Teapot": I wasn't sure what the workout was called. It's a standing position with a weight behind my head and lean left/right to work out my obliques.

[CrookedBones]

One more thing. After squats & lunges (or deadlifts), I feel like a monster. I'm pretty sure I hit my max HR (160-170) at the end of each set of lunges--16/14/12. I always push it until I feel like death, because throughout the workout I'm trying to exhaust the monster inside. So, I don't mind doing shoulders on Thursday.

I'm using whey--last tub was Oats and Whey--and glutamine. 1% milk & whey at least three times a day, and I get all my fruits and veggies... OK, I'm rambling. I'll put this under the diet category...

[CrookedBones]

Just got out of the gym. I tried focusing on a 30-45 min session, like most recommend, which forced me down to 30 sec rests for everything except deadlifts, which get 60-90 sec.

Following the above routine: deadlifts. I have previously only performed these on the track-machines--following a vertical bar. After the recent consideration to get serious--and consider competitions--I did them with no assistance. There is a HUGE difference.

I changed my style today, going only 5 reps for every set, and also going much heavier--except for deadlift. I wanna remain cautious with my lower back. Anyway, the unassisted deadlift was a monster at 185--feeling like 200+ on the machine. My reps were x5: 135/185/205/215/225/225. It felt good, so I did an extra 225. I pulled a muscle in my upper right leg--sartorius or tensor fasciae, in that area. Nothing serious, but I definitely need to improve my deadlifts.

Staying focused with low reps and less rest time, the beast comes out. From last week to this week... here is what I managed today:

Deadlift 135/185/205/215/225/225
Lat pulldown 90/120/135/150
Bent over Row 50/60/65/70
Bent over reversed fly 40/50/50
Curls 30/30/30

Thanks for reading.

[CrookedBones]

One more thing: I had trouble with grip on the deadlift, and thus subsequent workouts. Is this a weakness issue? What is recommended for curbing this problem. I don't wanna start using wrist straps yet, as my weight is still very light, comparative to experienced lifters.

Age: 30
Bodyfat: not sure...
Weight: 203 and gaining

Previous injuries/issues: crooked pelvis. One leg is slightly longer than the other.

Goals: Get huge... Thinking about competitions--of any kind. Physique, strongman. In the mean time, I'm just improving my strength training and overall mass, to see how far I can go.

[CrookedBones]

I got some wrist hooks for deadlifts today, but they are closer to 90deg than 180deg hooks. I went heavier, but I still felt like the bar was trying to get off the hooks.

Sets of 6

5 min warm-up cycle
Deadlift 135-185-235-255-255
Lat pulldown 105-135-150-150
Bent over Row 50-60-70-75
Bent over reversed fly 45-50-55-60
Curls 35-40-45
30 min cycle at 75% Target HR

Progress!

[bartman314]

deadlift issue can be addressed by chalk, wrist wraps, different bar (i like supershrug bar: Hampton Fitness Products Multi Hex International Dead Lift / Shrug Bar with Hi Lo Handles And Rock and Rack | Wayfair)

[CrookedBones]

Deadlift has been resolved with the wrist hooks. They work well, yet require grip strength to maintain the load... at about 275 shoulder shrugs/squats/deadlifts.

Today was great! (National Chest Day...)

1. Alternating flat dumbbell press. 50# 4 sets of 8
2. Incline dumbbell press. 50# 3 sets of 6. Failed on 2 of 4th set.
3. Dips. 3 sets of 5. Failed on 4th set.
4. Flat bench butterfly. 35# 3 sets of 6. Failed on 4th set.
5. Weighted decline crunches. 25# 4 sets.
6. Windmills (abs) from hanging position. 4 sets.
7. Plyometrics jump box/pushups. Until my chest was ripping out of my chest. 4 sets.

Wasted!

[CrookedBones]

ABS!

I started doing abs everyday, after reading Arnold's autobiography. When he made it to California, he met serious bodybuilders who did 1000 situps everyday. I'm over 200....


Decline situp:
10 reps (no weight)
10 (25 pounds)
10 (45)
10 (45)
10 (45)
10 (25)
10 (0)
10 (0)

20 Crunches x 4 sets

30 second butterfly kick x 3

I'm up to 213 pounds.