home, done with college.. time to get in shape again - Bodybuilding Discussion on Bodybuilding.net Personal Journals

trhodizz · 09-15-2008, 08:09 AM

I've decided to keep a journal of my progress at the gym, as I'm just starting up again. I just graduated college and moved home... being back in my hometown during the fall is a weird realization, seeing as I've been away at school every fall since '04. Back in Jan-Apr I was going hard to the gym, but I got into a major car accident in the middle of April that set me back quite a bit. I had 21 stitches in my mouth, which in turn meant I couldn't eat solid food for over a month. Really put a damper on my gains. Now that I'm fully healed and ready to go, I figured there's no better way to deter my boredom at home than to start hittin' the iron again. Also, I sit at a desk for my new full time job for 9 hours a day, and I want to avoid getting soft/lazy/fat as much as possible.

Age - 22
Height - 5' 10 1/2"
Weight - 160 (roughly)

Last week I felt ambitious and hit up the gym before work at around 6 AM, did that wed-fri. Figured I'd have way more energy in the morning to lift, which I did, but I was ready to crash at work by 3 PM. Couldn't get myself to go this morning, but I'll go straight from here when I get out at 5:30.

Diet -

breakfast - 3 eggs in the morning, 2 pieces of wheat toast, protein shake

9-11 AM - nutri-grain bar and tons of water while i sit at my desk

12:30 PM - Lunch.. usually a chicken/turkey sandwich, some piece of fruit.. also usually go out and get a half gallon of milk during my break, which i drink at my desk for the rest of the day. my co workers laugh at me daily :P (i absolutely love milk, and i try to drink a half gallon a day.. i know that might seem like overkill, but those 64g's of protein just from that look damn good to me)

2-3 PM - granola bar or another nutri grain bar

dinner - varies... usually chicken/pork chops/fish, all with a few glasses of milk, always some kinda veggie and usually some rice/pasta as well.

9 PM - planning on drinking another shake before/near bedtime.

Supplements - right now, not much.. creatine mono pre-workout, 5g a day
5 g of glutamine post workout
whey protein shakes
b complex isotonix vitamins, along with isotonix multitech vites, omega 3

my goal is to get up to maybe 170-175 while staying very lean, and getting much stronger. last time around, i bulked up a little too fast (around 172 was my highest) and i'd prefer to do it right this time around, gradually. anyone have any recommendations as to a routine i should hop into? i'm more than willing to be in the gym 5-6 days a week, as it's literally a quarter mile from my house. i've tried a few different routines, but i know you guys know your stuff and i'm thinking maybe someone close to my height/weight with similar goals has had success with something i haven't tried yet. any feedback is really appreciated. i'll update what i did at the gym today once i get home around 6:30-7.

thanks ahead of time!!

Pitysister · 09-15-2008, 08:45 AM

my one diet suggestion would be to change nutri grain bar to some sort of protein bar...or bring a snack from home that has a lean protein in it.

what kind of routines have you run in the past?

trhodizz · 09-15-2008, 09:29 AM

from january til april, i was doing 2 muscles a day, trying to go by pushing and pulling types. i was pyramidding nearly every exercise because i was seriously trying to put on mass, which definitely worked for me. looked a little like this:

day 1 - chest/shoulders
flat bench dumbell press - 3x10/8/6
incline dumbell press - 3x10/8/6
dumbell flys - 3x10-15 (less weight)
military press - 3x10/8/6
lat pull-downs - 3x10/8/6
not sure of the name of the exercise but i would do 3x10-12 of it on these days: dumbells, starting held out in front, lifted out so that your hands end up parallel with the floor (always did this for traps, never knew the name of it tho, maybe someone can enlighten me)

day 2 - back/biceps
seated rows - 3x10/8/6
one-armed dumbell raises (name? one knee on bench, one on floor, lift dumbell from floor to about my waist) - 3x10/8/6 each arm
preacher curls - 3x10/8/6
dumbell curls - 3x15

day 3 - legs/tris
squats - 3x10/8/6
leg press - 3x10/8/6
tricep extensions - 3x10-15 (lighter weight)
skull crushers - 3x10/8/6 (failure usually)

day 4 - off

rinse and repeat. i've been told i need to mix deads in there to really pack on size, what day would be best? any adjustments needed you think? i also plan on running after my day 2 workouts, so maybe cardio 2 days a week? again, trying to stay as lean as possible throughout this process.

Ross86 · 09-15-2008, 10:14 AM

Quote:

one-armed dumbell raises (name? one knee on bench, one on floor, lift dumbell from floor to about my waist)

One arm DB rows

Move lat pulls to your back day if that's how you're going to lay out your split. Also, military press should probably be the first or second lift on your shoulder day. You might want to alternate.

If you're going heavy, then this routine will wear you down. I do a push/pull/leg split. I have at least one rest day between my pull and leg day. Always. I don't have a problem pulling and pushing on consecutive days or pushing and doing legs on consecutive days. I still add in rest days when I need them.

I can understand the logic behind pyramiding sets. But, I don't think it's a very effective method. I would recommend working in one rep range (ex 8 reps for 3 sets) for about 3 weeks and then changing your rep ranges. (EDIT: What I wrote wasn't clear at all. Let me clarify. Changing rep ranges each mesocycle is more effective. So Mesocycle1 = 3X8, M2 = 3X5, M3 = 3X3, M4=3X8, M5 = 3X5, etc) After you finish three weeks at 3X3, then move back to 3X8 & continue the cycle.

Check out Rippetoe's SS. It will be a more effective routine than the one that you posted IMO.

trhodizz · 09-15-2008, 11:27 AM

thanks for the feedback, ross. i'll look into that thread and give it a shot. i'll be posting my workouts to keep track of my progress here.. if anyone has any advice/comments/recommendations/criticisms i definitely welcome them

trhodizz · 09-15-2008, 11:29 AM

oh ps, mesocycles = cycles within a larger one? trying to get the terminology down. haha

Ross86 · 09-15-2008, 11:44 AM

macrocycle lasts for a long time...a year or so
mesocycle lasts around 3-4 weeks
microcycle is about a week or so

09-15-2008, 08:09 AM	#1 (permalink)
trhodizz Rank: New Member Experience: 2-3 Years Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: new york Posts: 22 Country: Gender:	home, done with college.. time to get in shape again I've decided to keep a journal of my progress at the gym, as I'm just starting up again. I just graduated college and moved home... being back in my hometown during the fall is a weird realization, seeing as I've been away at school every fall since '04. Back in Jan-Apr I was going hard to the gym, but I got into a major car accident in the middle of April that set me back quite a bit. I had 21 stitches in my mouth, which in turn meant I couldn't eat solid food for over a month. Really put a damper on my gains. Now that I'm fully healed and ready to go, I figured there's no better way to deter my boredom at home than to start hittin' the iron again. Also, I sit at a desk for my new full time job for 9 hours a day, and I want to avoid getting soft/lazy/fat as much as possible. Age - 22 Height - 5' 10 1/2" Weight - 160 (roughly) Last week I felt ambitious and hit up the gym before work at around 6 AM, did that wed-fri. Figured I'd have way more energy in the morning to lift, which I did, but I was ready to crash at work by 3 PM. Couldn't get myself to go this morning, but I'll go straight from here when I get out at 5:30. Diet - breakfast - 3 eggs in the morning, 2 pieces of wheat toast, protein shake 9-11 AM - nutri-grain bar and tons of water while i sit at my desk 12:30 PM - Lunch.. usually a chicken/turkey sandwich, some piece of fruit.. also usually go out and get a half gallon of milk during my break, which i drink at my desk for the rest of the day. my co workers laugh at me daily :P (i absolutely love milk, and i try to drink a half gallon a day.. i know that might seem like overkill, but those 64g's of protein just from that look damn good to me) 2-3 PM - granola bar or another nutri grain bar dinner - varies... usually chicken/pork chops/fish, all with a few glasses of milk, always some kinda veggie and usually some rice/pasta as well. 9 PM - planning on drinking another shake before/near bedtime. Supplements - right now, not much.. creatine mono pre-workout, 5g a day 5 g of glutamine post workout whey protein shakes b complex isotonix vitamins, along with isotonix multitech vites, omega 3 my goal is to get up to maybe 170-175 while staying very lean, and getting much stronger. last time around, i bulked up a little too fast (around 172 was my highest) and i'd prefer to do it right this time around, gradually. anyone have any recommendations as to a routine i should hop into? i'm more than willing to be in the gym 5-6 days a week, as it's literally a quarter mile from my house. i've tried a few different routines, but i know you guys know your stuff and i'm thinking maybe someone close to my height/weight with similar goals has had success with something i haven't tried yet. any feedback is really appreciated. i'll update what i did at the gym today once i get home around 6:30-7. thanks ahead of time!!

09-15-2008, 08:45 AM	#2 (permalink)
Pitysister Rank: Middleweight Experience: 1-2 Years Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,546 Country: Gender:	my one diet suggestion would be to change nutri grain bar to some sort of protein bar...or bring a snack from home that has a lean protein in it. what kind of routines have you run in the past?
	Pitysister's Sig:Born the travesty of man Regular pulse midst pandemonium You're plucked to the mass Parched with thirst for the wicked -You clearly don't know shit about fuck - Kane Dog

09-15-2008, 11:44 AM	#7 (permalink)
Ross86 Rank: Middleweight Experience: > 1 Year Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NC Posts: 2,287 Country: Gender:	macrocycle lasts for a long time...a year or so mesocycle lasts around 3-4 weeks microcycle is about a week or so
	Ross86's Sig:"Excuses are the building blocks to a monument of nothingness" - Anonymous Stone Black

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

09-15-2008, 09:29 AM	#3 (permalink)
trhodizz Rank: New Member Experience: 2-3 Years Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: new york Posts: 22 Country: Gender:	from january til april, i was doing 2 muscles a day, trying to go by pushing and pulling types. i was pyramidding nearly every exercise because i was seriously trying to put on mass, which definitely worked for me. looked a little like this: day 1 - chest/shoulders flat bench dumbell press - 3x10/8/6 incline dumbell press - 3x10/8/6 dumbell flys - 3x10-15 (less weight) military press - 3x10/8/6 lat pull-downs - 3x10/8/6 not sure of the name of the exercise but i would do 3x10-12 of it on these days: dumbells, starting held out in front, lifted out so that your hands end up parallel with the floor (always did this for traps, never knew the name of it tho, maybe someone can enlighten me) day 2 - back/biceps seated rows - 3x10/8/6 one-armed dumbell raises (name? one knee on bench, one on floor, lift dumbell from floor to about my waist) - 3x10/8/6 each arm preacher curls - 3x10/8/6 dumbell curls - 3x15 day 3 - legs/tris squats - 3x10/8/6 leg press - 3x10/8/6 tricep extensions - 3x10-15 (lighter weight) skull crushers - 3x10/8/6 (failure usually) day 4 - off rinse and repeat. i've been told i need to mix deads in there to really pack on size, what day would be best? any adjustments needed you think? i also plan on running after my day 2 workouts, so maybe cardio 2 days a week? again, trying to stay as lean as possible throughout this process.

09-15-2008, 11:27 AM	#5 (permalink)
trhodizz Rank: New Member Experience: 2-3 Years Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: new york Posts: 22 Country: Gender:	thanks for the feedback, ross. i'll look into that thread and give it a shot. i'll be posting my workouts to keep track of my progress here.. if anyone has any advice/comments/recommendations/criticisms i definitely welcome them

09-15-2008, 11:29 AM	#6 (permalink)
trhodizz Rank: New Member Experience: 2-3 Years Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: new york Posts: 22 Country: Gender:	oh ps, mesocycles = cycles within a larger one? trying to get the terminology down. haha

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)