A 24-year-old absolute beginner's log (Cycle 1)

[gbglifter]

Manimal: regarding the BCAA´s: do you really think they´re needed? Youre already eating a whole load of protein so it seems the BCAA´s are just an extra cost. I know how much they cost here!

 

[manimal]

Manimal: regarding the BCAA´s: do you really think they´re needed? Youre already eating a whole load of protein so it seems the BCAA´s are just an extra cost. I know how much they cost here!

I personally found that they work great for me. I try to give my body protein every few hours rather than just one big shot 3 times a day. I've read and strongly believe that the body can only absorb so much protein at once - up 35 maybe 40g at most and the rest is just waste. Plus by spreading out the protein, your body gets a constant source of it to rebuild throughout the day.

 

[Totentanz]

That's retarded, the body doesn't just **** out whatever protein you take in if it's more than 45 grams. That's not how digestion work and if it was then humans would have died out a long, long time ago.
Pretty much anything you eat for breakfast is still going to be digesting hours later so spreading meals out does nothing. You are still just adding food to whatever is already in your stomach.

As for taking amino acids... Guess what happens to protein when it gets digested? It gets broken down into amino acids. And if you've eaten any fats then digestion takes even longer. Eat dinner at 7pm and you won't even have an empty stomach yet the next morning.

 

[Jester]

Manimal: regarding the BCAA´s: do you really think they´re needed? Youre already eating a whole load of protein so it seems the BCAA´s are just an extra cost. I know how much they cost here!

If you want BCAA's, eat a frikkin' steak ...

 

[manimal]

That's retarded, the body doesn't just **** out whatever protein you take in if it's more than 45 grams. That's not how digestion work and if it was then humans would have died out a long, long time ago.

No it's not retarded because by this logic we can all just consume one giant meal with 200g of protein and 400g of carbs in the morning and we're set to go for the rest of the day. But that doesn't work because your body uses what you give it to give you energy. which is why most people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Pretty much anything you eat for breakfast is still going to be digesting hours later so spreading meals out does nothing. You are still just adding food to whatever is already in your stomach.

I'm sorry, but spreading out meals helps you consume more food throughout the day. It also helps give you more energy throughout the day when consuming proteins and carbs multiple times a day. If that wasn't the case, people wouldn't have "pre-workout" shakes to increase their energy levels and would only eat twice rather than 3, 4 up to 5 times a day.

As for taking amino acids... Guess what happens to protein when it gets digested? It gets broken down into amino acids. And if you've eaten any fats then digestion takes even longer. Eat dinner at 7pm and you won't even have an empty stomach yet the next morning.

Again this is not correct, this is why you always hear it's important to have protein in the morning because your body has been fasting during sleep. If what you're saying is true, we wouldn't need protein first thing in the morning or even have breakfast for that matter because we could just use up the energy from the food we are the night before.

 

[gbglifter]

I truly Do not believe we need protein first thing in the morning. People eat first thing coz theyre hungry.

I built the best body Ive ever had using IF leangains. I didnt eat until 1pm and last meal was 9pm. We need protein but the hype thats been built up regarding supplements seems to serve the purposes of manufacturers more than anyone else. Granted, protein shakes can be an easy method of ensuring you meet your daily protein requirements but meat is and always will be a better option, in my opinion.

It wasnt my intention to belittle your efforts, methods. I just like to know how people reason.

 

[Totentanz]

No it's not retarded because by this logic we can all just consume one giant meal with 200g of protein and 400g of carbs in the morning and we're set to go for the rest of the day. But that doesn't work because your body uses what you give it to give you energy. which is why most people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Yes, that's correct, you could eat 200 grams of protein all in one sitting and be fine. What do you think happens to that extra protein? You said it simply gets wasted, so I'm assuming that means you would get massive diarrhea after a large protein meal? I don't see how else it could be wasted unless it was excreted.

Also, you seem to think that you get energy from protein which is incorrect.

The truth is, if you take in larger amounts of protein, it simply takes longer to digest.

I'm sorry, but spreading out meals helps you consume more food throughout the day. It also helps give you more energy throughout the day when consuming proteins and carbs multiple times a day. If that wasn't the case, people wouldn't have "pre-workout" shakes to increase their energy levels and would only eat twice rather than 3, 4 up to 5 times a day.

People have preworkout shakes because studies done on fasted people showed a benefit so obviously the supplement industry seized on that to make money. You are not fasted going into a workout so technically that preworkout shake isn't doing anything except adding to what is already in your gut.

Also, apparently you've never heard of intermittent fasting where people only eat within an eight hour block and yet somehow manage to still gain muscle. gbglifter in this thread did it while cutting with success. Going by the logic you are using in this thread, he should have lost most of his lean mass and ended up in the hospital on life support since he wasn't getting protein in consistently.

Luckily, in the real world, even after a 16 hour fast such as people use in intermittent fasting, you still have something in your system so you don't die.

Again this is not correct, this is why you always hear it's important to have protein in the morning because your body has been fasting during sleep. If what you're saying is true, we wouldn't need protein first thing in the morning or even have breakfast for that matter because we could just use up the energy from the food we are the night before.

Protein is broken down into amino acids when digested and the body uses those amino acids to build it's own proteins, since every biological process in the entire body is driven by proteins. If it's not correct then please tell me what happens to protein when it is digested, with sources, since if you have something saying otherwise, we will need to change a lot of college and high school text books.

Also, please provide sources proving how food is instantly digested rather than taking hours to digest. Again, the educational system will want to know about this because right now they are stupidly teaching students that food takes quite a long time to digest.

 

[Jester]

Fellas, it's a new guy's log.

Playing out the discussion may have merit (though Totez being accurate in his description of digestion processes renders it a non-Earth shattering conclusion), but maybe "move it along", Mos Eisley traffic cop style?

 

[gbglifter]

Sorry despair89. It wasnt my intention to steal your log.

Here´s how it usually goes: Person writes training log. Someone comments on the log. Someone else comments on the comment. Even more people "chip in" their views. Then we all apologise and the cycle is complete!

 

[manimal]

This is nothing but a right fight on a forum and I'm not interested in participating. We all have our opinions but I know what works for me. You all want to eat 100gs of protein per meal go for it.

 

[Totentanz]

This is not a fight, this is ensuring that new people aren't misled by incorrect information. There is a clear difference between opinions and facts. You can choose to believe whatever you want but if those beliefs do not match up with the reality, then it is not just silly to be trying to push those beliefs on other people, it is downright dishonest.

 

[despair89]

It's all good, I love myself some good informed debates and dialogues.

4.10.2013

Cycle 2
15's, Day 6

Bodyweight pre-workout: 72.4 (could be due to breakfast)

Bench: 2 x 15 x 37.7kg
Squat: 2 x 15 x 40kg
Deadlift: 1 x 15 x 40kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 15 x 40kg
Upright Row: 2 x 15kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 15 x -25kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 15 -30kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 15 x -20kg
Sit up: 1 x 30
Push up: 2 x 10

Need to keep macros consistent, especially carbs..

Friday fun facts - this is how steamed chicken rice looks in this part of the world:

 

[Jester]

Doesn't it look that way in every part of the world? No char siu?

 

[despair89]

7.10.2013

Cycle 2
10's, Day 1

Bodyweight pre-workout: 73.6kg

Bench: 2 x 10 x 32.5kg
Squat: 2 x 10 x 32.5kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 32.5kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 10 x 32.5kg
Upright Row: 2 x 12.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -27.5kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -32.5kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -22.5kg
Knee raises: 2 x 15
Sit up: 1 x 30
Push up: 2 x 10


Food:

 

[despair89]

Overdue report:

1. Aiming for one full plate for squats and deads at the end of this 10rep block
2. Pullup performance is not satisfactory / may be adding weights to quickly.



9.10.2013
Cycle 2
10's, Day 2
Bodyweight pre-workout: -

Bench: 2 x 10 x 35kg
Squat: 2 x 10 x 40kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 40kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 10 x 35kg
Upright Row: 2 x 12.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -25kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -30kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -20kg
Knee raises: 2 x 15
Sit up: 2 x 15
Push up: 2 x 10
_________________________________________

12.10.2013
Cycle 2
10's, Day 3
Bodyweight pre-workout: -

Bench: 2 x 10 x 37.5kg
Squat: 2 x 10 x 45kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 45kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 10 x 37.5kg
Upright Row: 2 x 12.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -22.5kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -27.5kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -17.5kg
Knee raises: 2 x 15
Sit up: 2 x 15
Push up: 2 x 10
_____________________________________

14.10.2013
Cycle 2
10's, Day 4
Bodyweight pre-workout: 74.8kg

Bench: 2 x 10 x 40kg
Squat: 2 x 10 x 50kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 50kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 10 x 40kg
Upright Row: 2 x 12.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -20kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -25kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -15kg
Knee raises: 2 x 15
Sit up: 2 x 15

__________________________________

 

[Jester]

I think I'd like to see you drop the Upright Rows. They can cause a lot of damage for your rotator cuffs and shoulders generally. Whilst it's a valuable exercise, I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner and it probably isn't contributing to your gains significantly beyond your other exercises.

Other than that, I think you're doing well and have a solid program, glad to see you haven't gone isolation crazy like kids in the gym sometimes do.

One question - what's the difference between a hammer pullup and a lat pullup?

 

[despair89]

I think I'd like to see you drop the Upright Rows. They can cause a lot of damage for your rotator cuffs and shoulders generally. Whilst it's a valuable exercise, I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner and it probably isn't contributing to your gains significantly beyond your other exercises.

Other than that, I think you're doing well and have a solid program, glad to see you haven't gone isolation crazy like kids in the gym sometimes do.

One question - what's the difference between a hammer pullup and a lat pullup?

I have the same exact thoughts lately. Of all the lifts in the arsenal, the upright rows feels the most 'redundant' at the moment. What do you suggest I switch it up to? Is it advisable to change it midway through a cycle, or should I wait till the next cycle or block?

As for the how I perform the pullups, hammer grip pullups are like this (from google images):

And lat pullups are like this:

I feel that both work the bicep/upper back quite decently. However, I am thinking of switching the Hammer to Chin-ups in the next cycle, to hit the biceps more.

Back to the training log:

1. I used back the same weights as the previous workout for the pullups and dips. Why are my arm strength not improving as fast as I want?
2. Replaced sit ups and knee raises with serratus crunches. I felt that the sit up/knee raises were working more on the hip flexors rather than abdominus. Just giving the serratus a try.
3. Other than that, core lifts like bench, squat and deadlifts felt pretty good and on track.

17.10.2013
Cycle 2
10's, Day 5
Bodyweight pre-workout: 73.8 (not eating enough for the past few days, and maybe variance in readings)

Bench: 2 x 10 x 42.5kg
Squat: 2 x 10 x 55kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 55kg
Stiff-leg Deadlift: 1 x 10 x 42.5kg
Upright Row: 2 x 17.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -20kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -25kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -15kg
Serratus crunch: 2 x 15 x 4kg

 

[Jester]

1. Just cut the upright rows, you don't need them and they don't need replacing.

2. 'Hammer' pull ups and 'lat pull ups are the same exercise. The only difference is a minor variation in grip. They work exactly the same muscles. Remove one of them and replace it with a seated or BB Row.

 

[despair89]

1. Just cut the upright rows, you don't need them and they don't need replacing.

2. 'Hammer' pull ups and 'lat pull ups are the same exercise. The only difference is a minor variation in grip. They work exactly the same muscles. Remove one of them and replace it with a seated or BB Row.

OK.

Food log for today 17.10.2013:

 

[despair89]

I was down 5 days with a bad fever just one session away from finishing my 10's block.
Anyways, I picked up where I left off on Saturday and tried to hit my 10's max.
Managed a full plate for squat and deadlifts.

26.10.2013
Cycle 2
10's, Day 6
Bodyweight pre-workout: 72.2 (must be from fever?)

Bench: 2 x 10 x 45g
Squat: 2 x 10 x 60kg
Deadlift: 2 x 10 x 60kg
Upright Row: 2 x 17.5kg
Assisted Hammer Pullup: 2 x 10 x -15kg
Assisted Lat Pullup: 2 x 10 -20kg
Assisted Tricep Dip: 2 x 10 x -15kg
Serratus crunch: 2 x 15 x 10kg


Also, as I'm moving into the 5's, I'm planning on a few things, maybe someone can advice if it's all cool:
1. To drop stiff-legged deadlifts and hammer grip pull up. while adding add BB rows and serratus crunch.
2. To split my routine as I am on holidays free enough to hit the gym every day. Increasing volume might be a good thing also?

Day 1:
Bench
Lat Pullup
Squat
Serratus Crunch

Day 2:
Deadlift
Tricep dip
Chin-up
BB Row
Knee raise

What do you guys think? That means I will be hitting the gym 6 times a week, shorter periods of time.