My journal, lets do it!

Hi all,
Right I've decided to start a journal whereby I'm giong to keep track of everything, more than anything just to keep track for myself, on those days where "After all this I dont look one bit different" so I'm going to post some photos too.
Just before I get into my work out etc.. I'm not a very strong lad, but I'm a work in progress:)
I generally do 3 x FBW a week and play football(or do some HIIT) twice a week(not on my FBW days). I've decided to cut for a couple of weeks and then get into a heabvy bulk from about March onwards(basically I want to show I've got abs when I'm on holiday March 1st). ML is roughly 2700 so I'm going to drop it to 2400 and go from there. I'm 5' 10 and 158lbs.

Work outs: I'm working on a 3 x 8 reps at the minute. I was reading on T-nation about this being the 'middle ground' for hypertrophy and strength training. I always try beat at least 1 1RM attempt.

Day 1
Bulgarian Split Squats (usually 35lbs dumbell in each hand)
Bench (75lbs)
Seated Row (Level 10/20 on machine)
Lat Pulldown (level 11/20 machine)
Military Press (60lbs)
Tricep Dips (35kg on lap)
Single arm Row (40lbs, dumbell)
Press Ups(1 rep to failure)
Abs(Weighted cruch, plank, side plank)


Day 2
Deadlift (unsure of weight)
Leg press (180 lbs)
Lying Horizontal flys (15lbs dumbells)
Upright row (70lbs)
Pull Ups (just own weight)
Lat flys (12 lbs dumbells)
Push Ups (7/20 on machine)
Chest press (level 8/20 on machine)
Abs(Weighted cruch, plank, side plank)


Day 3
Bulgarian Split Squats (usually 35lbs dumbell in each hand)
Bench (75lbs)
Seated Row (Level 10/20 on machine)
Lat Pulldown (level 11/20 machine)
Hammer Curls (25lbs dumbells)
Front Flys (15lbs)
Dumbell pull over (40 lbs dumbell)
Leg Extensions (level 8/20)

As you can see here I have to resort to a few machines, unfortunately my gym(in work) isnt exactly well equipped.

So thats it...Lets get cracking:) I'll send on an update in a week, for me and if anyone interested:)

Add the photos after...
 
Hit the gym at 7am this morning, feeling a nice burn in my biceps and glutes. Quick run through

Monday:
Bulgarian Split Squats: (by the way whoever invented these is not a very nice person!!!) 3x 8 x 35lbs

Bench: 2 x 8(75lbs), 1 x 6 (77, not much of gain but a gain none the less)

Seated Row: 3 x 8 x Level 10/20 on machine

Lat Pulldown: 2 x 8 x Level 10/20 machine, 1 x 7 Level 10/20

Military Press: 2 x 8 x 60lbs, 1 x 6 (starting to tire here a bit)

Tricep Dips: 2 x 15 x 25kg on lap, probably 30 then to failure

Single arm Row: 2 x 8 x 40lbs, 1 x 8 x 45's (gain wohoo:))

Press Ups: 1 rep to failure, lost count but about 30...hurting!

Abs(Weighted cruch, plank, side plank)..2 mins!

Song of the work out: "Teenage Wasteland" by The Who
Happy enough with this morning, still a little lethargic after the Christmas/New Year but heading down the right avenue!
 
2/7 days of hell week down.

9km of a run in 45 mins, almost 700 calories...I'll get to eat that pizza yet:)

Song of the work out: "One more time" by Daft Punk
 
Last edited:
Good luck with your journal, young man! Glad to have you around the forum. If you have any questions feel free to ask. We are here to help in any way we can.


Best of luck to you!



I wish you well in life and within fitness,



Chillen
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence Chillen, I was actually gonna ask you a few questions at the end of the week, I'm just tracking my intakes(cals, fats, protein and carbs) and I seem to be carb loading(well it looks like a lot, where as it may not be) about but I want to get a weeks results and get the average so I can ask(smooth out the spikes and crevases). FBW today, felt really strong and energetic in parts of this workout.

Deadlift: 3 x 8 x 110lbs (happy enough with this but these thing wipe me or energy)

Leg Press: 2 x 8 x 160lbs, 1 x 8 180lbs(180's from now on)

Chest Press: 2 x 8 x level 7/20, 1 x 8 x level 8/20(8 from now on)

Upright Row: 1 x 8 x 50lbs, 1 x 8 x 55lbs, 1 x 8 x 57lbs

Pull Ups(chins,normal,wide arm; only body weight): 8,6,1(trying to get 8 of each for now, wide arms sucked, I think I'm trying to use the wrong muscles)

Push Ups(machine): 2 x 8 x level 7/20, 1 x 8 x level 8/20

Lying horizontal flys: 3 x 8 15lbs dumbells

Standing lat flys: 3 x 8 x 15lbs dumbells

Bent over flys: 3 x 8 x 12lbs dumbells

Seeing some gains from before Christmas(well now I'm trying to eat right, that probably accounts it)

Song of the workout: "Shipping up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys (Irish American and all that:))
 
Not a great session today at all, really lacked motivation this morning. I phoned in a 5km, 24 minute run followed by feeling sorry for myself in the shower after!

Not sure if it was the training, the fact that the weathers been cr@ppy all week...either way I'll live to fight another day(another day being tomorrow, FBW)

Walking out of the gym "It means nothing" by the Stereophonics came on, I'm taking that as a sign:)
 
totally cool start to a journal. We get to know you. It takes guts to step up, show yerself, list your efforts and get on with it.

Great for you.

first thoight I have is nutrition! You are lifting alot, and you are running, and you are already skinny. You need to eat, and eat good. Chillen is a good nutrition guy. Get soem help fast, drink protein shakes, and flax seed galore, and run some food thru that thing, or it will wither away.

that is all form me, and I have already talked way past anything I know anythign about.

FF
 
Yeh you're right I am skinny(I like to call it lean:)), the problem I have is that I'm almost afraid to really start buiking(I read once evolution saying: being afraid to bulk is like being afraid of greatness) but I have this mental block about abs, I think they really look great so I'm trying to get rid of fat until I can see them.

According to most calorie counters, I require about 2700 a day, so I've been tracking it on FitDay and I'm running at about 2400 a day, the only problem is my macro break down looks, well not how I would want it to look, carbs/protein/fat(and I definately wouldnt nessesarily say its coming from good fat either) in percentages are 55/21/24 and this is what I was going to ask Chillen about. I've tried upping the protein (take 2 shakes a day, phd Pharma Whey) and tryied to cut out the cr@p (I like my crisps(potato chips) a bit too much).

Cheers for the input FlyinFree, I'm a new poster but I've been lurking these things for AGES!
 
I've got that Friday feeling:) FBW today

Bulgarian SS: 3 x 8 x 35lbs DB's, these things are NASTY! I'm hopefully going to go to Bulgaria for the Irish game next year and I'm going to give out to their president about them!

Bench: 2 x 8 x 77lbs, 1 x 8 x 80lbs(PSYCHED!!)

Hammer Curls: 3 x 8 x 25lbs DB's

DB Pull over: 3 x 8 x 35lbs (I never noticed 'til today how much this works the moobs, pecks sorry pecks)

Front flys: 2 x 8 x 15lbs, 1 x 8 x 20lbs DB's

Leg extension: 2 x 8 x lvl 8/20, 1 x 8 x lvl 9/20

Lat Pulldown: 2 x 8 x lvl 10/20, 1 x 3 x lvl 11/20

Seated Row: 3 x 8 x lvl10/20

This is the work out last week(not in journal) that absolutely killed me, and I got through it today(albeit it wasnt easy but I made it through:)) a few days rest on the lifting, back with a FBW on Monday, hopefully a run on the weekend, got to stay on top for this half marathon!
 
Sunday: Did some Steady state/HIIT/Tabata with a friend of mine, not too pleasent to say the least. I generally work around a rugby field(and with the rain in Ireland yesterday it was tough, (even grip wise), but here's how I do it. 4 laps of the rugby field steady state, 1 min 'rest' is as little press-ups as possible in a minute(while always moving), then its 2 laps sprinting on one of the short sides, 1 min 'rest', 2 laps sprinting on both short sides, 1 min rest and then its jog tot eh 22m line and sprting the goal post, 2 sets of 2.

Gym again this morning(monday):

Bulgarian Split Squats: 3x 8 x 35lbs

Bench: 1 x 8(80lbs), 2 x 8 (85)

Seated Row: 3 x 8 x Level 10/20 on machine

Lat Pulldown: 2 x 8 x Level 10/20 machine, 1 x 7 Level 11/20

Military Press: 2 x 8 x 60lbs, 1 x 6 x 50lbs

Tricep Dips: 2 x 15 x 25kg on lap, probably 30 then to failure

Single arm Row: 3 x 8 x 45's

Abs(Weighted cruch, plank, side plank)..3/4 mins!

Song of the work out: "Wake Up" by Rage against the Machine

Just a few quick notes, weighed myself this morning(first time in a week) and I've gone down 3lbs which is nice, now at 157.8lbs! I've been keeping track of the calorie macros and intake for the last week or so and the aim of this week is to tidy that whole thing up. I've been carb loading alittle bit(by accident) so I'm going to try bring the protein while cutting them out a little!

Have to egt my 3 FBW's done by Thursday as I'm going away Friday morning, for a week or so for a football(soccer) match, come on the mighty Liverpool:)
 
Had to work out yesterday evening (Tuesday) in oder to get the 3 FBW i this week. I'm away from Thursday night so I decided to go with Monday morning, Tuesday evening, Thursday morning(36 hours rest) each time. Not ideal but its only for 1 week. Here's how she went

Deadlift: 2 x 8 x 115lbs, 1 x 8 x 122lbs

Leg Press: 2 x 8 180lbs, 1 x 8 x 200lbs

Chest Press: 3 x 8 x level 8/20

Upright Row: 2 x 8 x 55lbs, 1 x 4 x 57lbs

Pull Ups(chins,normal,wide arm; only body weight): 6,3,1/2

Push Ups(machine): 3 x 8 x level 8/20

Lying horizontal flys: 3 x 8 15lbs dumbells

Standing lat flys: 3 x 8 x 15lbs dumbells

Bent over flys: 3 x 8 x 12lbs dumbells

Faded badly on the pull-ups, not too impressed byt that but this work out really hits my upper body it seems and I did these last!

Starting the half marathon training the week after I get back...come on endurance
 
Final Gym of the week, Having a bit of trouble though, I ws under a machine yesterday(I work in manufacturing, and I was jacking it up and I felt some wserious pain in my shoulder after a while, didnt worry too much about it but it hurt today when I was lifting. Feels like a bit of strain rotator cuff....fingers crossed!!

Bulgarian Split Squats: 3x 8 x 35lbs

Bench: 3 x 8 (85)..started feeling some pain from the shoulder

Seated Row: 3 x 8 x Level 10/20 on machine

Lat Pulldown: 1 x 8/7/6 x Level 11/20 machine

DB Pull over: 3 x 8 x 35lbs

Front flys: 1 x 4 x 15lbs (my arm physically couldnt do anymore with teh pain in my shoulder so I tried a different exercise)

Hammer Curls: 1 x 1 x 30lbs....again my shoulder wouldnt complete the rotation

Hoping that after a few days rehabbing it it'll be ok. I'm bringing my resistance band to L'pool with me, might take it out on Sat/Sun..see how it feels...until then!
 
First trip back since Liverpool, did a few resistance band work out while there, just to let the muscles know I still need em:)

Deadlift: 1 x 8 x 122lbs, 1 x 8 x 125lbs, 1 x 8 x 130lbs(getting the form right really helps with these I feel, really happy with this)

Leg Press: 1 x 8 x 200lbs, 2 x 8 x 240lbs, 2 x 2 x 280lbs

Chest Press: 2 x 7 x level 8/20, 1 x 5 x level 8/20 ( did these last, thats my only excuse)

Upright Row: 2 x 8 x 57lbs, 1 x 8 x 60lbs

Pull Ups(chins,normal,wide arm; only body weight): 10,6,1 1/2

Push Ups(machine): 3 x 8 x level 8/20

Lying horizontal flys: 3 x 8 15lbs dumbells, 1 x 8 20lbs dumbells

Standing lat flys: 3 x 8 x 15lbs dumbells, 1 x 3 20lbs dumbells

Bent over flys: 3 x 8 x 12lbs dumbells

Happy enough with how that went, Karky gave me soem advice on the deadlift so I can see that coming on in leaps and bouds!I feel like I can set myself nice goals now after a month or so of doing FBW's.

Think there going to look soemhting like:
Bench Press: my own weight(72kgs)
Leg Press: 400 lbs

Thats what I'll do this weekend, come up with weight goals for myself:)
 
Congrats for reading up and finding information before starting. Keep up the good work and high motivation! Looking forward to seeing your results!
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence:) Definitely feeling stronger these days and I had a 'ooo I see some results' morning this morning....love those:)
 
Thanks for the vote of confidence:) Definitely feeling stronger these days and I had a 'ooo I see some results' morning this morning....love those:)

You have an attitude burning inside you that is the flame-thrower in brewing the new you.

Embrace it. Enhance it. Make it blossom and take root within you.

When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.

(Wendell, modified and rewritten partly by Chillen)

==========================================================

I wish you much luck with your march down the path to your personal goal, young man.

Correct mental focus will lead you to your goal.

When faced with problems. Remember to focus energies within you in finding applicable solutions and try to put out the fire that compels you to do the wrong types of things detrimental to the goal you seek.



Much success to you!

Best regards,


Chillen
 
Last edited:
Thanks Chillen,

Had a nice hours cardio today(when I say nice, I mean tough), back feels better(left a question there on the weight training section) so I'm just getting ready now for 6 mile run tomorrow(getting in training for this half marathon), hoping for 8 minute miles(maybe less)...
 
You are very welcome, young man!

Good luck on your 6 mile run!

The SPEED will INDEED make you SUCCEED.

Best of luck to you!



Chillen
 
Sunday: went for my 6 mile. Conditions were perfect! First sunny day of the year in Ireland, warm-ish but a nice little breeze to keep me cool. Ran the track in a healthy 45:04. Pretty pleased with that. Endurance run to come this week at some stage...(ie run as long as physically possible), I'll worry about pace after.

Monday: FBW time...

Bulgarian SS: 2x 8 x 35lbs dumbells

Bench Press: 1 x 8 x 85lbs, 1 x 8 x 87.5lbs, 1 x 8 x 90lbs(new PR!!)

Lat Pull: 2 x 8 x lvl 10/20, 1 x 6 x lvl 11/20

Seated Row: 3 x 8 x lvl 10/20

Single Arm Row: 3 x 8 x 45lbs dumbell

Tricep dips: 25, 20, 15 (just body weight, trying a speed here)

Push Ups: 10 (chair push ups, ie feet and hands on chairs so floor doesnt stop me going deeper, saw these on youtube and these are tough)

Military Press: 2 x 8 25lbs dumbells, 1 x 6 x 30lbs dumbells

Happy enough with how that went too. Legs are in a little bit of pain from the 2 days cardio at the weekend, made the Squats that bit tougher!

Decided on a few goals too:
Half Marathon: 1:45 or less
Bench Press: Own weight
Leg Press: 410 lbs (only reason is I read Stacy Keibler(HOT!!!!!) recently tried this)
Deadlidt: 200lbs

Now to think of a date for succeeding:)
 
Wednesday workout baby!

Deadlift: 1 x 8 x 130lbs, 1 x 8 x 140lbs, 1 x 8 x 150lbs

Leg Press: 3 x 5/6 x 240lbs(not tremendous here at all)

Chest Press: 2 x 6 x level 8/20, 1 x 8 x level 8/20....did the 8th rep set last...needed some motivation which Daft Punk gave me

Upright Row: 3 x 8 x 60lbs

Pull Ups(chins,normal,wide arm; only body weight): 9,6,1 1/2

Push Ups(machine): 3 x 8 x level 8/20

Lying horizontal flys: 3 x 8 20lbs dumbells

Standing lat flys: 3 x 8 x 15lbs dumbells

Bent over flys: 3 x 8 x 12lbs dumbells

Again happy enough with how things are going. Sometimes I feel really strong in the gym, other times I struggle through, I guess its a long road full of peaks and troughs....

7 1/2 miles tomorrow, getting that road endurance up!
 
Back
Top