Splurgen Pre-Mid-Post cycle log

[jurgensplurgen]

This place looks a little lonely, so I'm going to copy my log over here too. Right now it's pre-cycle, I may not log every single workout from now to the end of cycle, but to get at least a full week or two's numbers down, so I have a good basis of comparison once I'm "ON".

11/11/2012
I'll add some pics here eventually -- before, during, and after.
I hit each muscle 1-2 times per week, and I rotate the order I lift in according to how my body feels, and so they all get fair treatment. Some weeks might look like: Mon (chest/shoulders) Tues (Legs/Abs) Weds (back/bi) Thurs (off) Fri (arms/abs) Sat (Shoulders/Traps) Sun (Legs/Chest) etc...

Today - Chest/Tri
Flat Bench -- 155lbx12, 205lbx10, 205lbx8, 205lbx8
Incline Dumbell -- 90lbsx8, 90lbx6, 80lbx8, 70lbx11
Decline Hammer Strength -- 220x6 drop setted to 180x4more
200x6 dropset to 140x8more
160x12reps.
Cable Flyes 2 sets at 12 and 15 reps

Skull crushers on incline bench
70lbx10, 90lbx8, 90lbx8, 80lbx8

Parallel bar dips with 50lb weight between the legs for 15reps, then 12, then 10 and dropped the weight for 6 more.
Reverse Grip single-arm cable pulldowns using the other hand to spot for forced reps, with 12, 10, and 9 reps.
Behind the head rope extensions, lightweight to failure 2 sets of 15 and 12 reps.

Hanging Leg raises, cable crunches, and woodchoppers for abs.
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Diet

-Banana, greek yogurt, and whey/casein blend shake for breakfast.
-Snack of whole-wheat tortilla and peanut butter, orange juice with creatine, 2 raw eggs.
-- Preworkout drink with a little juice added, (creatine/arginine/leucine/caffeine/beetroot ex/yohimbe/beta alanine)
-- Postworkout shake 40grams whey isolate, 2 raw egg whites, mixed in water/soymilk with a scoop of sugar.
-- Junk Lunch -- Grilled chicken sandwich from JackNBox, no sauce, two cheeseburgers no sauce.
-- Dinner Broccoli, Tofu, Brown Rice, Bell Pepper stir fry
-- Snack whole wheat quesadilla with lowfat cheese
-- Popcorn with olive oil instead of butter
-- Before bed shake of casein and soymilk.
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[jurgensplurgen]

11/12/2012

Today's Log
Still trying to kick this respiratory infection, nasty yellow snot everywhere. If it doesn't seem on it's way out soon I'll just kill it with some Cipro, I'll put up with being sick or an infection for like a week to let it run its course, but after that I want the bitch out.

Anyway -- Back and BIs today
If doing back and bi I let the biceps get most of their heavy work from the back exercises, then finish off with some isolation higher rep moves for them. That way tris and bis get one workout per week where they take 2nd priority to a large muscle group, then one day of their own on arm day to push for strength.

Hammer strength row machine
235lbx10, 255x8, 255x7, 180x13

Lat Pull downs (wide grip)
140x10, 150x8, 160x6 (switch to reverse grip) 160x10, 180x7

Bent over single-arm rows on the smith machine (our gym has a smith-style machine that moves on two axies)
100lbx6, 90lbx8, 90lbx6

Neutral wide grip cable rows
160x10, 180x8, Drop set - 180x6-140x6-100x8

Dumbbell pullovers and lumbar hyperextensions

Single arm cable preacher curls
80x8, 60x10, 50x13, 50x12

Reverse grip curls, pinching 45lb plate for
15reps, 13reps, 10reps (then dropsetted to 35lb plate for 6 more)

Cable curls (the arms up pulling-to-behind the head bilateral curls, forgot what the name for them is) 50lbx12, 50x10, 40x15

Cardio -- 4 mile walk/run alternating (trip to the store as an excuse for a little cardio)
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Protein Shake, 2 eggs, 2 waffles with peanut butter no syrup.
Whole wheat tortilla and Preworkout Drink with 1 raw egg
Postworkout shake with orange juice for sugar
Postworkout meal-- lean burger, topped with turkey bacom and egg over easy on whole wheat bun.
Bowl of fruit (banana/grape/apple) and can of tuna
That's it for now, but since the day's not over yet, the couple meals lined up will be
Protein bar snack with glass of soymilk
Whole-wheat quesadilla with leftover broccoli
Yogurt mixed with cottage cheese before bed.

 

[TSizemore]

Love the Log's. Keep em up!

 

[jurgensplurgen]

Legs and Abs today

Started with squats, I still have to go easy on them, and be extra careful of my back, but for the first time in 3 years I've been able to do them for the past few weeks without fucking my back for weeks. They just feel good, and different than leg presses. Also for some reason they are easier on my knees than the presses.

Squats-
135x15, 185x12, 205x10, 215x7, 205x9
Leg Press
450x10, 450x8, 540x6, 540x6, 540x5
Seated Curl
(weight not really relevant with every machine different, even at the same gym)
12reps, 10 reps, 8reps and 8reps, up a couple plates each set
Extensions (same as above, but with brief 1-2second hold at max extension)
14reps, 10reps, 10reps, 8reps
Calves, on leg press machine
3 sets with toes straight, 15reps, 10reps, 8reps
2 sets toes in for 10reps and 10 reps
2 sets toes out for 10reps and 8reps

Abs
Reverse Crunches with 10-20sec hold with legs in the air, 3 sets of 20, 15, and 10
Hanging Leg Raises, 2 sets of 25 and 20
Cable ab curl-- whole stack for 2 sets of 8 reps, drop setted 30% less for another 10-12 reps
Lateral cable crunches, 2 sets each side.

 

[jurgensplurgen]

Thanks T. I generally train very instinctively, but decided it's about time I man up and keep a log and make some serious strength gains this winter. I've always been a decent lean gainer, good body symmetry, eat whatever I want and train however "feels right" But I want to up the size and pounds this year.

 

[TSizemore]

Are you doing the squats in the smith machine or power rack? If the smith machine, then that might explain why they feel better.

 

[jurgensplurgen]

today they were power rack. I'd been doing them on the smith while still fretting over my back, tried them free standing the other week and it didn't kill me, so I'm going to try to keep them free-weighted as much as possible now. I try to concentrate on driving with my heels on both exercises, and keep my knees in line with my toes, but something about the angles of the press machine we have bothers the hell out of my knees.
Just another reason to build my squat up.

 

[GRIM]

logs def the way to go...

 

[xxd1v3r]

nice got something more to follow

 

[Heavy hitter]

I guess I dont know your story. I am guessing you hurt your back and knees. You need the deadlifts just as much as the squats if you want a good foundation. Tell me your stats. I am interested.

 

[GRIM]

I guess I dont know your story. I am guessing you hurt your back and knees. You need the deadlifts just as much as the squats if you want a good foundation. Tell me your stats. I am interested.

Heavy hitterthere are ways around deads to a good foundation. i got to the point i rarely did them......and i guarantee i had a better foundation than most 😛

 

[jurgensplurgen]

I'm 6'2"
as of today 203lb with roughly 12% bf
28years old, When I don't lift and diet I'm a skinny fucker, 160lbs baseline, but that's starting to get a little better with age. At 23 it took absolute dedication to eating and zero cardio to get up to 190, and I would lose it quick if I took a couple days vacation.

For injuries- I used to work at a hospital, and would often have to rush sick or injured people from the parking lot into the ER. I had numerous minor back strains from lifting patients in emergency situations, but the clincher was a 300 something pound dude who collapsed on top of me after heaving a heart attack, and while trying to get him out of his car. That one had me off work for over a month, light duty for six more, and it was never the same after.
Two years later I got hit by a train while waiting to cross some tracks at night. I'd been drinking, and standing to close to it, and there was a ladder hanging off one side that stuck out further than the rest of the car and smacked the shit out of me. Multiple right arm fracture, shoulder dislocation, knee dislocation, spinal torsion, broken cheek bone, skull fracture, and broken nose. Hella plastic surgery and recovery time -- my right arm is almost as strong as the left now, but the back got even worse after that.
I'd like to stick with squats for another month or so, I can feel it working my lower back, but if I'm really carefull, lift slow and smooth, and don't get too enthusiastic about the weight, it seems to be handling it without putting me back to bed. As they get stronger and my back stays okay (and especially once on my cycle) I'll try incorporating incorporating deadlifts. Probably knee-bend deaders as opposed to stiff-legged.

 

[GRIM]

other movements can do you wonders such as rack pulls

 

[TSizemore]

Wow, helluva a story! 6'2'' and only 160lbs....a little on the lighter side, huh!? Guess you are a true Ectomorph. I'm surprised you got to 190lb gear free.....that's tough. I'm trying that for myself right now, but I'm only 5'8'' and having a bitch of a time. As far as the weights go, sounds like your doing it right. Can't mess around with the back, and stiff leg dead lifts are a bitch! If you can move weights without pain, do it! Just make sure you listen to your body, .....intently!

 

[jurgensplurgen]

I'll check out doing those rack pulls as a transition into full deads!
I got to 190 gear free about 5 years ago, then did two cycles (one that turned out to be mostly bunk shit, and one decent) and got up to 215 for a short while, dropped to 205-210 after PCT and held it there and was wonderfully happy with it until I got in that train accident, gave up on lifting, and eventually dropped back down to 163.
Age has let me get to 200-205 now without any gear, (though not at 8%bf like I used to be) and that's the weight I told myself I'd have to get to naturally before I could start looking into a cycle again. If I could exceed what I'd gained naturally the first time then I'd feel like I earned it.
As far as being an Ectomorph -- Its a blessing in that even though my baseline weight is very low, I have a broad frame and respond pretty well to diet and exercise. I'll plump from that 160 to 180 in less than six months, and 180 to 190 in another six. The 200 has taken a little more diet work to achieve without bloating up. So I'm definitely not as hard a gainer as a lot of the guys that start out as skinny as me.

 

[Heavy hitter]

OK that makes sense. And I don't think there is any substitution for dead lift. Grim you have a good foundation because you are natural a big ass dude. I am a thin guy to. Well I was until about 25 and about 10 cycles under my belt. I'm 235 today and pretty solid. All thanks to desdlifts and squats. keep the pace bro.

 

[jurgensplurgen]

Yesterday's workout--
Shoulda taken the day off, I thought this infection was on the way out but this morning it was nasty yellow snots EVERYWHERE!
But fuckit, the shoulders want what the shoulders want, I'll take two days off tomorrow.

Overhead Barbell Press, seated in the power rack.
135x12, 155x10, 175x6, 175x5, 155x8

Chin raises, medium-close grip on a W-bar (to ease wrist strain)
85x12, 105x10, 115x8, 115x6, 85x13

Both hands front cable raise with the rope, all drop sets
60lbx8 to 40lbx6, 50lbx8 to 30lbx8, 50lbx8 to 30lbx9

Rear cable flys, 3 sets

Lateral raises
25lbx8, 20x10, 15x15

Dumbell shrugs- didn't really count reps, just to failure. Our sissy gym dumbells don't go higher than 90lb
90xfailure, 80xfailure, 70xfailure, then pinch grip 45 plates shrug to failure.

 

[jurgensplurgen]

Posting up yesterday's Arm Day

Triceps

Weighted Dips
Bodyweight WUx20, 50lbx12, 70x12, 90x8, 90x6

Behind-the-head dumbbell ext
80x12, 90x8, 90x9, 90x7

Single arm lying extension
35x8, 30x10, 20x15

Single-arm cable pulldowns, lightish weight for 10-15 reps, 1 set pronated, one neutral, one reverse grip
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Biceps
Barbell Curls
50x15, 70x12, 80x10, 90x8, 100x4 plus 4 negatives

Dumbell preacher curls
45x6, 40x8, 35x12, 30x15

Reverse grip W curls with forearm ext throughout the motion
65x8, 55x12, 55x10, 45x13

2arm high cable curls
40lb, 2 sets to failure approx 15 reps each.

yup, my bi's are even weaker than the rest of me. Even when they grow, their strength is shit. But as long as they grow, I'm about style, not substance. 🙂

 

[GRIM]

need an update...

 

[TSizemore]

need an update...

GRIMYes we do......bring it JS!