Adena Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Hi, everyone! I'm pretty new to this forum so I thought I might as well start a training log on here. I don't know that I'll be able to update it every day, but I'll get in here as often as I can. My main goal is to get as strong as possible with as natural of a diet as possible. It's expensive, but I've really been trying to buy only organic food lately. The weight training program I'm currently doing is Jim Wendler's 5 / 3 / 1 which I'll illustrate. Basically it focuses on compound movements, heavy weights, low reps. I currently weigh about 125 lbs, and I am 5' 1". I'll probably gain weight, but I pretty much never step on a scale. I'm mostly looking for higher numbers on my squat, deadlift, and bench. This is a weird time to start my log because I'm in the middle of Week Four, which is a De-load week. So I'm doing significantly lighter weights than I can actually lift and it's a little boring, but it'll get really difficult again in about a week. The program goes in four week cycles. So I forgot to write anything down for Week One, so I'll just start with Week Two: Day One: Overhead Press 1x3x451x3x551x3x60 Five sets of dips and assisted chin-ups (didn't write down how many repetitions, but it's just assistance work anyway.) Day Two: Deadlift 1x3x1101x3x1251x3x140 Good Mornings and Hanging Leg Raises, five sets of each Day Three: Bench Press 1x3x651x3x751x3x85 Five sets of push-ups and dips Day Four: Squats 1x3x1051x3x1201x3x130 Leg Press 5x15 Leg Curl 5x10 I didn't write down the weights for my assistance exercises, sorry. Ok, Week Three: Day One: Overhead Press 1x5x501x3x551x1x65 Dips & Assisted Chin-Ups Day Two: Deadlifts 1x5x1201x3x1351x1x150 Good Mornings and Hanging Leg Raises Day Three: Bench Press 1x5x701x3x751x1x85 Bent-Over Rows & Push-Ups Day Four: Squats 1x5x1101x3x1251x1x140 Leg Press & Leg Curl And now, I am in the midst of De-Load week, where you intentionally lift quite a bit less than you are able. Week Four: Day One: Overhead Press 3x5x45 Dips & Assisted Chin-Ups Deadlifts 1x5x701x5x851x5x105 Good Mornings, Hanging Leg Raises, assorted ab work Sorry for all the wordiness, but I didn't want to be judged based on the super light weights I'm using this week, haha! Here's an example of a typical food fest in the life of Adena: Breakfast: oatmeal with peanut butter, milled flax seed, little bit of brown sugar or maple syrup, and a tofu scramble (about 1/2 a block) with various spices, light on the olive oil and saltSnack: carrot sticks and almondsLunch: chickpea quinoa pilaf, sauteed broccoli and cauliflowerSnack: hummus and a pitaSupper: adzuki bean stew with kabocha squash, sauteed kale with garlic, smoothie made with about 1 cup of soy milk, 1 banana, some frozen strawberries, cinnamon and just a dash or two of ginger BUT...here's an example of my cheat day(s).... Breakfast: cinnamon rollsLunch: leftover chickpea quinoa pilaf, sauteed broccoli and cauliflowerSnack: peanut butter sandwich on homemade whole wheat breadSupper: whole grain pasta with homemade tomato and lentil sauce, oven braised leeks, some vegan truffles I ordered online for Valentine's Day I promise any further entries will be a shorter read. Haha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 14, 2010 Author Share Posted February 14, 2010 Oh, and I forgot to mention I always do cardio. I change it up a lot. I'm not really looking for any improvements there anyway, which is why I didn't add it in. Sometimes I just run at a steady pace for about half an hour, sometimes I do twenty minutes worth of sprints (minute sprints with a minute rest between) sometimes I just ride my bike or do bike sprints at the gym. Just kind of depends on my mood. But variety seems to keep it fun, and keep me from getting too much of a belly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Glad you started a log - look forward to reading it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share Posted February 17, 2010 This week I'm just finishing up my deload week. It's intentionally much lighter than I can lift, and kinda boring. The whole past month has seemed too easy, so I'm going to add at least 5 lbs to my overhead press and bench and 10 lbs to my squat and deadlift and see what happens. Also, I'm going to be testing my 1RMs for all the key lifts over the course of the next month. So that will be exciting and give me a better idea of where I'm at. So anyway, today I had my first experience really having trouble stuffing my face. So far today I have had 1/2 a block of tofu scrambled, a bowl of oatmeal, a bunch of carrot sticks, almonds, and dried figs, a bowl of kidney bean and cabbage soup, hummus and a pita, and a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread. I just finished the figs and the pb sandwich during my afternoon break at work and felt like I was about to puke. But I'm fine now. Hopefully this will help me get used to eating more and prepare me for lifting heavy stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homiegesus Posted February 17, 2010 Share Posted February 17, 2010 Looks great! I'm also have oatmeal for breakfast everyday. I had to reply because I thought it was funny how your "cheat" day looks much better then my normal days haha, then again I'm still trying to gain weight as I burn it off and gain muscle. I've been having vegan pizza, and whole wheat pasta quite a lot for dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John V Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 It looks like success ahead for you! My log has kept me on track like never before in my (long) life. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 So the rest of Deload Week went as follows: Day Three: Bench 1x5x451x5x501x5x60 Push-Ups 5x10 (was experimenting with using better form so I don't kill my elbows) Bent-Over Rows 5x10x50 Day Four: Squats 1x5x551x5x701x5x85 Leg Press: 5x15 (I don't remember the weight, but the idea this week was to take it easy, so it was pretty light) Leg Curl: 5x10 (ditto) Well, I'm looking forward to tonight at the gym. It's Standing Overhead Press Day, and I think I'll test my 1RM in that lift, then do some dips and chin-ups for assistance work, then do sprints for 20 minutes if I have the energy. Today I ate as follows: Breakfast: Tofu scramble (ate about 1/2 a block, saved leftovers for tomorrowOatmeal with peanut butter and milled flaxseed, went much lighter on the brown sugar than usual1 cup of green tea Snack:Carrot sticksTen almondsSix dried figs Lunch:Adzuki bean and kabocha squash stew with veggiesHummus and a pitaWished for leafy greens, but I forgot them at home Snack:Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread And after I work out tonight, I think supper will be leftover stuffed peppers. They're stuffed with quinoa, black beans, tomatoes, onions, chili powder, olive oil, garlic, and salt. I tried to sautee the stuffing with a lot less oil than usual and just add some more water when it got sticky. I also want some steamed broccoli and a smoothie with soy milk, strawberries, bananas, cinnamon, and ginger. All right, I'm excited to lift heavy stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 Looks great! I'm also have oatmeal for breakfast everyday. I had to reply because I thought it was funny how your "cheat" day looks much better then my normal days haha, then again I'm still trying to gain weight as I burn it off and gain muscle. I've been having vegan pizza, and whole wheat pasta quite a lot for dinner. I look at my nutrition as a journey. Everyone's kind of on a different part of the journey. I used to have next to nothing, and it was all sort of processed crap. That was a pretty long time ago, but anyway, I feel a lot better now. I'm still kind of a coffee and sugar fiend, but I'm getting it under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 19, 2010 Author Share Posted February 19, 2010 So last night was Overhead Press Day....um. I did 1RMs and apparently my 1RM for standing overhead press is 65. Really disappointing. I'm trying to remember that lift is definitely the most difficult one for me to see any improvement in. Since I've been eating so much I'm feeling bloated and weird, I kind of cut back today to just eating what I actually feel like. So far it looks like this: Breakfast: the usual oatmeal and tofu scramble deal, green teaSnack: carrot sticks and ten almondsLunch: slightly smaller portion of adzuki bean and kabocha squash stew, oven-braised leeksSnack: bit of hummus and a pitaSupper: will probably be more of that dang adzuki bean stew...I always have so many leftovers. I'll probably also have a little broccoli, and a smoothie if I still have room. Rooibos tea would be nice, too. So no peanut butter sandwich and dried figs. Not too much less, just a little bit less. I feel better, but I don't know if this is really enough for me to see any strength gains. I guess we'll see. It's a little too early to tell. Today is deadlift day, yay! I love deadlifts. I'm sure this will go better. I won't be doing any 1RMs until next week, so tonight I'm doing sets of five. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Deadlift Day Deadlifts: 1x5x1151x5x1301x5x150 Good Mornings: 5x12x75 Hanging Leg Raises: 5x20 Various planks to work my abs a little more Bench Press Day Bench Press: 1x5x601x5x701x5x80 and just because I was feeling extra strong today1x5x90 Bent Over Rows: 2x10x65 1x8x652x6x65 Push-Ups: 5x10 Cardio: 20 minutes of sprints on the stationary bike, minute springs with a minute rest between So I feel better than I did on SOHP Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Squat Day Squats 1x5x1001x5x1201x5x135 one set of lunges around the gym with 20 lb dumbbells Leg Press 5x15x I think 240, but that doesn't sound right Leg Curl 5x12x35 V-Ups 3x20 No Momentum Sit-Ups 3x30 Tonight I will just do a little cardio. More updates at the end of the week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Nice on the squats! 135 is my goal right now so I can be cool and squat a plate a side...I'm at 120 - 15 more lbs to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 Nice on the squats! 135 is my goal right now so I can be cool and squat a plate a side...I'm at 120 - 15 more lbs to go! Thanks! I feel like a badass when I can have a plate on each side. Now that I can deadlift and squat over my bodyweight, my short term goal is to bench my bodyweight. I've gained just a little. I'm at 128 now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 SOHP Day Standing Overhead Press: 1x3x451x3x551x3x60 Dips: 5x8 I think I did less repetitions on the fourth and fifth set, but I'm not sure. Chin-Ups (Unassisted) 5x2 20 minutes worth of sprints on the elliptical, one minute sprints with one minute rest between Deadlift Day Deadlifts: 1x3x1351x3x1551x1x185 ...followed by a couple of attempts at 205. I'm not quite there yet, but I will be! Good Mornings: 5x12x95 Hanging Leg Raises: 5x20 Various planks, held for a minute each Bench Day Bench: 1x3x701x3x801x3x90 Dumbbell Chest Press: 1x10x40 (20 lb dumbbells)2x10x50 (25 lb dumbbells) Pullovers: 1x20x102x20x25 Bent Over Rows: 2x10x651x8x65 Push-ups: 3x10 20 minutes of sprints on the stationary bike (1 minute sprints, 1 minute rests between) Squat Day Squats: 1x3x1351x3x1451x3x155 Box Squats: 3x10x95 Lunges: One set with just my bodyweight, two sets with a ten lb plate held overhead...I lunged for about 16 steps on each side Leg Press: 3x15x240 Leg Curls: 1x20x352x10x50 V-Ups and No Momentum Sit-Ups...too exhausted to do hanging leg raises. This workout took me forever, but it was fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Awesome stuff!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medman Posted March 1, 2010 Share Posted March 1, 2010 Wow. Adena gets strong indeed! Keep up the awesome work!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Wow. Adena gets strong indeed! Keep up the awesome work!! Awww, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 3, 2010 Author Share Posted March 3, 2010 Overhead Press Day SOHP: was supposed to go like this: 1x5x501x3x551x1+x60 But on the last set, I was able to do three reps of 60! That is a huge improvement. This lift is very difficult for me. Hopefully pushing it on that last set will help me increase my 1RM. One-Arm Dumbbell Press 2x10x201x8x20 (for my right arm) 3x8x20 (for my left arm) Assisted Pull-Ups: 3x10 Assisted Chin-Ups: 3x8 ish... Bent Over Rows: 2x10x651x8x65 This week I've been trying to do assistance lifts that will actually assist me in the key lift for today. So far my Bench and Overhead Press Days have been a little haphazard. I feel pretty focused right about now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Deadlift Day Deadlifts: 1x5x1401x3x1601x2x180 The last set you are supposed to do one rep and more if you feel like you can. I had to readjust my grip on my weenie left hand between, but I say it still counts. Good Mornings: 1x10x954x10x105 Hanging Leg Raises: 5x20 Various Planks I have to say, on paper my training looks pretty good. I mean, my 1RM is 185 and I was able to lift 180 twice. But something just feels off about my deadlift form. I think my butt is still kind of in the air. But if I squat down to the bar all the way, my hands touch the floor. That doesn't seem quite right. I used to pump these out without all the thinking, but now I'm rethinking my form and it's not helping.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coroho Posted March 4, 2010 Share Posted March 4, 2010 Have you seen this video? Very simple, and that's all I do for deadlift setup. Maybe once you figure it out, you'll be able to bump your 1RM up even more. Btw, that is a lot of hanging leg raises! I tried those once and couldn't even do one with proper form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 4, 2010 Author Share Posted March 4, 2010 Have you seen this video? Very simple, and that's all I do for deadlift setup. Maybe once you figure it out, you'll be able to bump your 1RM up even more. Btw, that is a lot of hanging leg raises! I tried those once and couldn't even do one with proper form. Yes, that's exactly what I do. I think. The other day when I was trying for 185, I had a competitive powerlifter helping me with my form. That's pretty much what he had me do, although it seemed like he squatted lower than I did to get down to the bar. Maybe he just made me overthink it. If I had video on my camera, I would have more people critique my form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 8, 2010 Author Share Posted March 8, 2010 Bench Press Day Bench Press: 1x5x701x3x801x3x90 On the last set you're supposed to do 1 rep and more if you can. I was pretty excited about pumping out three! Dumbbell Chest Press: 3x12x50 (25 lb dumbbells) Push-Ups: 3x10 Dips: 1x101x81x4 After I finished my training, I found my powerlifting buddy Wes to ask him what his top five assistance lifts were for bench press. Not one of them was on my list for today! He showed me how to do a J & Press, which he says is definitely the best. I'll try it out next week. Squat Day Squats: 1x5x1251x3x1401x1x160 Oh man, I really struggled with that last set. But I got it! Box Squats: 3x12x105 Lunges with a 25 lb plate overhead (this really got me sweating) Leg Press: 3x12x260 Leg Curls: 3x12x50 For my ab work, I did V-Ups and No Momentum Sit-Ups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted March 8, 2010 Share Posted March 8, 2010 1x1x160 Way to go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 DELOAD WEEK Standing Overhead Press Day Overhead Press: 3x5x45 Bent Over Rows: 3x12x55 One-Arm Dumbbell Press: 3x10x20 (right hand)3x8x20 (left hand) Chin-Ups: 3x3xBW Assisted Pull-Ups: 3x8 Deadlift Day Deadlifts: 1x5x751x5x951x5x115 Good Mornings: 5x12x95 Hanging Leg Raises: 5x20 Various Planks held for a minute each; the ones where you balance on your forearms and toes, the ones where you turn over and balance on your butt, and side planks. Bench Press Day Bench Press: 1x5x451x5x551x5x65 J & Press: 3x10x45 Dumbbell Chest Press: 3x12x20lb dumbbells Dips: 1x101x81x4 Push-ups: 3x10 Squat Day Squats: 1x5x701x5x851x100 Box Squats: 3x12x105 Lunges with 10lb plate overhead Leg Press: 3x12x260 Leg Curls: 1x12x50 I wasn't quite situated right in the leg curl machine and thought I pulled my hamstring, but it ended up fine since I didn't push it after that point. I was a little nervous, though. V-Ups: 1x202x10 No-Momentum Sit-Ups: 3x30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 Week of 3/16/2010-3/20/2010 Standing Overhead Press Day SOHP: 1x5x451x5x551x5x60 Bent Over Rows: 3x10x65 One-Arm Dumbell Press: 1x6x25 for each arm, or something like that...all the 20 lb dumbells were missing! Assisted Pull-ups and Chin-ups Deadlift Day Deadlift: 1x5x1301x5x1451x5x160 Good Mornings: 5x12x105 Hanging Leg Raises: 3x10 ish This time I did them the hard way, by hanging from a pull-up bar rather than by resting my forearms like usual. I was trying to work on my grip. It honestly didn't work my abs much since my grip in my left hand kept slipping. Various Planks Plate pinches Bench Press Day 1RM! Yikes! Bench: 1x3x651x3x851x3x951x1x105 J&Press: 3x10x65 Dumbell Chest Press: 3x12x50 ... 2 25lb dumbells Dips: 1x91x61x4 Push-Ups: 2x101x9 Squat Day Squats: 1x5x1101x5x1251x5x140 Box Squats: 3x12x95 Lunges with a 25lb plate overhead Leg Press: 3x12x260 Leg Curl: 3x10x50 V-Ups and No Momentum Sit-Ups Plate Choppers for my abs...I think this exercise really doesn't do enough for my abs so I might scrap it. I did HIIT in the gym on Monday before my lifting week started, and then I tried it outside on the bike trails on Sunday. That killed me! It was pretty fun, though. I could only do six minutes worth of 30 second intervals, but I was going up and down some pretty intense hills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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