Ajack's Log

[Ajack]

UPDATE! 12/09/09

Currently preparing for my first meet April 25th. Using 5/3/1 methods.

Body weight is up to 205

Current Maxes are:
Squat 385
Bench 295
Dead 450

See post 79 for current programming.
http://www.wannabebig.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=79


EDIT: Now doing starting strength, see further posts for SS workouts.

I want to create this log for a couple reasons

1)Accountability
2)Comparability
3)Education

Back story:
About 2 years ago I weighted 155lbs, trained and ate hard and got up to about 207. Two 21 credit semesters and a graduation later I'm back down to 183lbs and weak as ****. My appetite too has been shot, and I've been eating like crap.

Short Term Goals:
Build strength fast in many core lifts, and hope muscle memory will help me get back to my former physique.
Start eating like a man again.

Long term Goals:
Stronger and bigger than you.

Plan: -Training: I've always had the most success with a push/pull/legs split. 3 days a week and trying to add weight each week until I can't anymore.

Monday: Legs
Squats 4x6-10
Posterior chain movement: SLDL, GM's, Pull Throughs
Calves
Weighted Abs

Wednesday: Push
Bench 4x 6-10
OHP
Dips
Side raises

Friday: Pull
Deadlift 4x5
DB Rows/BB Rows
Chin Ups

Sticking to a few movements per session to be able to hit them as hard as I can, build GPP, and gain strength throughout.

Diet:
More foods, lots more, not crap either, ok maybe some crap.

Supplementation:
Whey
Mutli
Creatine
BCAAs
WMS
Fish Oils
You know, the basics.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

7/27/09 - Legs

Free Squats
Barx10
135x10
155x10
175x8

SLDL
135x10
135x10
135x1 - Too tight at this point didn't want to kill myself this first session

Weighted Decline Bench Sit Ups
BWx15
5lbs behind the head x12
5lbs behind the head x10

Overall good sessions, this is going to be harder than I though, but I'm down for the challenge. These first couple sessions are going to be me getting back into and starting slow as to not get hurt trying to muscle **** the numbers I used to.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

7/29 - Push

Warm Up with bar and tons of rotator cuff exercises.

BB bench
95x10
135x10
155x10
175x8

DB OHP Strict form
30x10 x7 x8

Side Raises
10x10
15x10
15x10

Dips
BW x10 x7 x5


Again, starting slow, I've lost so much strength this stuff is actually challenging right now. Kinda makes this log super boring right now but hey gotta restart somewhere.

A squatting story...We've all seen the quarter squat kids, it's become so cliche to make fun of them now BUT, I was so impressed but this today it needs retold.

Ok so there is a guy at the gym with HHHHAAAYYYYUUUUGGGEEE arms, just jacked shoulders, nice back and chest to match. He must know what he's doing, you dont just trip into a phsyique like that, or so I thought. Today apparently was leg day for him. Box squats were up first. Now I've trained with westside guys, read everything mark rippetoe has written, supertraining cover to cover, every Dave Tate article, Louie Simmons video,... etc, etc. I've taken my squat from 135lbs to 405lbs in a couple months. And I still don't think I know **** about squatting but, holy ****! Literally I've never seen someone extremely wide leg, 4 inch depth, curved back, knee wrapped, straight foot squat to a BENCH ever in my life. I could understand if this was someone new to the gym but this guy is massive...I mean REALLY? REAALLLY? Just goes to show ya just because someone looks like they know what they're doing, doesn't mean they do. Do your research and educate yourself.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

Eated foods today. Yum. Since I've started eating well, adding in the creatine, and drinking more water I've stuff about 4lbs back in my mass. Weighted 186 this morning, and hopefully some of this water/cals will start translating into strength.

Ajack

[Ajack]

7/31/09 - Pull

Deads
Barx10
135x10
165x5
195x5
225x5

Chins
BW x10 x6 x5

DB Rows
40x10
50x10
60x10

DB Curls


- Ajack

[Ajack]

8/5/09- Pull + Squats

My gym is closed this week for upgrades or something so I trained at the university. The just got a bunch of sweet power racks with band pegs and new boxes so I decide to play with some banded box squats.

BW squatsx20
Bar w/choked green bandsx10
Hip warm up
135 and green bandsx5
135 and green bandsx5
185 and green bandsx5
225x3
135x10

Bench
barx20
135x10
155x10
175x5
95x10

Standing OHP DBs
25x10
35x10
35x10

Up right rows
45x10x3

Dips
BWx10
x9
x5


Still diggin out of the hole.

[Ajack]

Monday 8/11/09 Legs

Free Squats
Barx20
Hip Warm up and stretching
Barx10
135x10
165x10
195x10
225x7

SLDL
115x10
185x5
115x10

Seated Calves
45lb plate x20 x4 slow

Decline sit ups
BWx15
5lb behind the headx x10 x10
I relaxed my at the bottom on these, made it 1000 times harder.

I was pretty pumped about the 225x7, maybe had 8 but didn't want to push it so early in the game. Still pretty good for those higher reps for me, try to hit it for 10 next week then another set after.

The SLDLs were disappointing, I was fried from squatting and my right hamstring was painfully tight so just worked the reps to pump some blood around. I'm gonna do pull throughs or GM from here on out, SLDL's are working out well for me after squatting.

Overall, good session, real happy about the progress in the squats so far. Hopefully will carry the momentum on wards to push day tomorrow.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

8/11/09 - Push

rotator cuff warm up 10 minutes

Bench
135x10
165x10
185x8
135x10

Standing BB OHP
65x10
85x6
65x10
65x10

Dips
BW x10
BWx 10
BWx8.5

Upright rows
65x10
x10
x10

Pec Dec (lol)
40x15
40x12
40x12

Bench is still getting stronger, dips are coming along nicely, next week will be all sets for 10 no doubt. OHP still needs work but felt stronger than last week. Deads friday, and chins too, looking forward. Stronger...

-Ajack

[Ajack]

8/14/09 - Pull

Dynamic Warm up 5 minutes

Deads
135x10
185x5
225x5
285x5
305x5

Chins
BW x10
X5
x3

DB Rows
40x12
50x10
65x10

Strong deads today felt good. Chins need lots of work, gonna keep pluggin away.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

8/17/09 - Day 1 Starting Strength

Dynamic Warm Up

Back Squats
barx10
135x10
185x5
225x5
225x5
225x5

Bench
barx20
135x10
135x20
165x5
165x5
165x5

Passed on the DL's today since I pulled friday

Standing Abs
"4" x12x3

Dips
BWx10
BWx10

Good times, should be fun, may have started a bit high on the squat but I can always deload it.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

Did some foam rolling last night before bed. I'm gonna have to stay on top of recovery and getting enough calories for linear progression. Went to sams and loaded up on some steaks and more whey. May take a walk tonight and foam roll some more 230 5/5/5 tomorrow, pressing, rows, and chins tomorrow. Starting 1/2 GOMAD for right now with 2% milk. Almost for the day on that.

[Ajack]

8/19/09 Workout B Session 2

10 minutes biking warm up
Light stretching and Hip warm up

Squats
135x10
185x10
230x5 (good bar speed)
230x5 (good bar speed, leaned forward too much on last couple)
230x5 (good bar speed, better form than previous)

OHP
barx10
75x5
75x5
75x5 (fast bar speed on all)

Pendlay Rows
95x5 (too light)
105x5
105x5 (real light)

Chins
BW 8/8/7

Stretched real well afterwards to help recovery.

Squats were strong, I can do them easy, just gotta get past my head, mental toughness is a big part in moving your squats. OHP and Pendlay Rows were light and form was perfect. I feel like they are a good place to start and I'll add 5 lbs each workout for now. Will walk the dog tonight and foam roll to help stimulate some more recovery.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

8/21/09 Workout A Session 3

Road the bike for 10-15 minutes and Stretched to keep knees and hips warmed up.

Squats
135x10
185x5
235 5/5/5 Holding tight on form still (okay bar speed at bottom, fast at top)

Bench
barx30
135x10
175 5/5/5 (heavier than I though but bigger jump than I intended)

DL
135x10
285x5 (lost grip at #4 switched to alternating 5 flew up)

Dips
BW 12/12/10

Standing Abs
#4 15/15/15

Squat form was better this session than Wednesday, kept my back much tighter, knees pushed out and chest up. Some reps were slower than others but the more I focused form the stronger I was. Jumped 10lbs by accident on the bench but I'll just got 5 from here on out. As for dead lifts 285 is a good place to start I think since I can pull 305 for 5 already pretty easily, just gotta work on grip with double overhand. Alternating grip works fine no problem holding the weight, also, i have no chalk at the moment either.

-Ajack

[Drew92]

Nice work. So what have been your all time best PRs?

[Ajack]

My previous all time bests look something like this:

Benched 265 x1
Squatted 335 raw x1
DL 385 x1

box squatted 405 once too lol

These came about a year ago I'd say but I've been pretty untrained since and it's hurt my strength. Also, I was about 15lbs heavier, but a lot more body fat too. Going just work on my strength raw and slowly to build a good base this time.

[Ajack]

8/24/09 Workout B session 4

10 minutes bike warm up and stretching

Squats
Barx10
barx10
135x10
185x5
240 5/5/5 (Last rep was a grinder but generally still o.k. speed, hard but not grinding them out yet)

Press
Barx10
80 5/5/5 (fast bar speed)

Pendlay Rows
115 5/5/5 (fast bar speed)

Banded Adductor with blue band
1x25

Ok, so this weekend was terrible for recovery, tons of running, drinking and very little sleep, probably ate a boat load of calories though. So therefore, after getting up early for work today I was extremely tired and my knees have been bothering me. So I did a little research and found out that since I've been squatting in my nike shox, I was probably having my knees slide forward a bit and putting too much tension on them from slacking hamstrings and glutes. So I went and got some new converse all stars, and did some work with the "TUBOW" (terribly useful block of wood). It was a little weird with a flat shoe and making sure I was going back enough but, it worked really well and I really think I actually improved my form massively. I completely intended on just working a few light sets and working on form only today but I decided the hell with it and just went for my progression sets and did quite well too. With the form adjustments, I can feel it much more in my glutes and lower back, and they definitely feel like a weak spot in this movement.

My pressing form today was also much better than last week, moved the bar in more of a straight path. I will say the amount of stabilizers this activates in incredible. I was shaking on nearly every rep from doing these after squats. Anyways, rough day but got it done and got stronger.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

Stretching, short walk and foam rolling for some active recovery today. Knees feel much better after form revisions yesterday and I've been watching nearly hundreds of videos and reading Rip's suggestions, tomorrow's form should be even better.

-Ajack

[Drew92]

Stretching, short walk and foam rolling for some active recovery today. Knees feel much better after form revisions yesterday and I've been watching nearly hundreds of videos and reading Rip's suggestions, tomorrow's form should be even better.

-Ajack

Its good to see you are dedicated to your lifting. Keep it up.

[Ajack]

8/26/09 Workout A Session 5

10 minutes on bike

Squats
Barx10
barx10
135 10/10/10

Bench
barx20
135x10
180 5/5/5

DL
115x10
225x5
295x5

DB Curls (4 teh biz peakz brah!)
15x15
30x10
10x10

SO I seem to have some sort of infection in the tear duct of my right eye. It's bother the **** out of me. And I had some McDonalds for breakfast this morning that gave me heartburn that last ALLLLL day even taking my prilosec in the morning. So I decided to deload the squats for the day and really worked hard on hip drive, keeping my knees out, head down, and shins up. I had a super crazy lower back pump, like almost unbearable. Don't know if this is because I'm emphasizing something too much or I just found a weak point with a more correct form or this dymatize energized xpand xtreme pump finally starting to do it's job (first time I felt the beta alanine kick in today, man that's a weird tingly feeling). I really need to get some videos of my squat form to see what I'm doing. My knees feel great though seem to have fixed that problem. DL's were strong and did over hand grip for the first 3 reps and alternate for the last two. Benching moved nicely too; I can really like I'm getting stronger here.

Going to the doctors tomorrow and hopefully getting some antibiotics to clear up this eye thing then it's on to squatting 245 Friday.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

Weighted about 192-193 this morning. That's about 10lbs since starting this log, the weird thing is my pants are more loose in the waste but all my work shirts are getting tight as hell in the neck. Seem to be slightly leaner around the waste too. Oh stronger too as you can see above.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

8/28/09 Workout B Session 6

7.5 minutes bike riding, stretching

Squats
Barx10
135x10
185x5
225x2
245 5/5/5

Press
barx10
85 5/5/5

Rows
85x10
135 5/5/5

Short workout today. Accomplished what I wanted to today and left, still getting stronger. Need to put more and more food into me though. Don't want to stall out on growing.

[Ajack]

8/29/09 GPP

10 trips 75lb tire sled, 5 forward up hill, 5 backward down hill. Tire + Ashpalt friction = hard. Nice easy workout. Took some bcaa's, creatine, and some caffiene pre workout. 40g whey 60g wms/dextrose mix and 5g leuine postworkout. May do this more often, it's so damn simple and quick.

[Ajack]

8/31/09 Workout A Session 7

Squats
barx10 x10
135x10
185x5
250 5/5/5

Bench
Barx20
135x10
155x5
185 5/5/5

DL
135x10
305x5

Dips
BW 12 / 12

Standing Abs
40x15
55x15
55x12

-Ajack

[Ajack]

9/2/09 Workout B Session 8

Rows
barx10
barx10
135x5
140 5/5/5

Press
barx10
115 5/5/5

Squats
115x10
135x5
225x5
260 5/5/5

Chins
BW 10/8/5

Wasn't even going to squat today but did anyways, still kicking ass though. Steady slow progess, 40lbs on my squat since the beginning of starting SS. like 30lbs on my press too. 185 bench this week was easier than ever also. Need to sleep well these next two nights for 265 squats on friday.

-Ajack

[Ajack]

9/4/09 Workout A Session 9

Hanging Leg Raises
BW 10/10/10

Bench
barx20
135x10
135x10
195 5/5/5

Dips
BW 12/12/12

Squats
barx10
135x10
185x5
225x3
265 5/5/5

Deadlift
135x10
225x5
315x5

-Ajack