My Workout Log

[Epif]

I started a training log a long time ago but kind of fell out of tempo until life just got in the way. Lately I've been working out with body weight six days a week, and it looks like these forums are still around, so I figured why not post about my workouts. Honestly, another reason I'm posting this log is that I'm embarrassingly weak and talking to people about it will encourage me to tackle this problem.

I'm not doing an HST cycle yet. I'm going to try to get my strength up first. I've lost a lot of strength in the past year from working, going to school, and not exercising consistently.

I currently have a body-weight exercise routine that I follow up by lifting weights. The weight exercise routine hasn't been figured out yet, mainly because I've only recently realized that I've had no idea what I'm doing. My plan, at least for the next month, is to lift lighter weights than I have ni the past for a larger number of reps.

My "normal" (body-weight) routine is intended to be doable at home or the gym. It's all to failure. I do push-ups, flutter kicks, glute bridges (with weight if I'm at the gym), and wall sits. I alternate the fifth exercise depending on whether or not I'm at the gym, and it's either pull-ups or bench dips.

I plan on doing the following exercises to failure, with weights, after my normal routine. For legs, I'll do deadlifts, squats, and/or calf raises. For shoulders, I'll do military presses, barbell front raises, face pulls and/or barbell rows. For chest, I'll alternate between bench presses, (flat and incline) flies, (normal and low-)cable crossovers, and bent-arm dumbbell pull-overs. Like I said, I'm not really sure about the routine itself.

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For 8/23:
I did a light workout because I haven't worked out in about a week. It was enough to make me break a sweat.

Chin-ups: 170 lbs. (body weight) x 5 reps x 3 sets
Squats: body x 20 x 3
Straight-Legged Deadlifts: 20 x 10 x 1

I really wouldn't call this representative of my normal routine, since none of these workouts are part of my normal routine. I just had the opportunity to exercise and got fed up with not working out.

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For 8/24:

Push-ups: body x 20 x 2
Flutter Kicks: body x 80/40 x 2 (80 reps for the first set, 40 for the second)
Glute Bridges: body x 80/70 x 2
Chin-ups: body x 7 x 2
Squats: body x 25 x 2

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I have two goals right now. The first is to lift a 10 RM of 100 lbs. for squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and barbell rows (basically legs, chest, and back) by August 2018. My second goal is to complete a full cycle of HST starting August 2018. Regardless of whether or not I achieve my first goal, I'll still tackle the second, so it'll be easier to do if I succeed in the first goal. At least, that's the idea.

I suppose I should shoot high for my third goal. It'll probably change within the year, but still. For now, I'm going to say that my third goal is to lift 300 lbs. in those same exercises after completing three cycles of HST (so two cycles after the first). I guess that's technically the fourth or fifth goal, but whatever; that's my long-term goal right now.

 

[mickc1965]

Welcome back

Have you looked at the Starting Strength programme to get your strength at a level your happy with quicker?

 

[Epif]

Thanks for mentioning that. I forgot that that was a thing, honestly, haha. Do you have one that you'd suggest?

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For 8/25:

• Push-ups: body x 20 x 2
• Flutter Kicks: body x 80/40 x 2
• Glute Bridges: body + 40 lbs x 25/20 x 2
• Wall Sits (with hands above head): 60 secs x 2
• Pull-ups: body x 10/7 x 2
• Bench Press: bar + 20 x 9/7 x 2
• Incline Bench Press: bar + 20 x 10/6 x 2
• Dips (machine): 100 x 18/10 x 2
• Low-Cable Crossovers: 12.5 x 12/7 x 2
• Bent-Arm DB Pullovers: 25 x 14/7 x 2
• Military Presses: 25 x 11/8 x 2
• BB Rows: 30 x 15 x 2
• BB Front Raises: 30 x 13/8 x 2

 

[mickc1965]

Thanks for mentioning that. I forgot that that was a thing, honestly, haha. Do you have one that you'd suggest?[/LIST]

Starting Strength is a programme that can be found via a google search

For 8/25:

• Push-ups: body x 20 x 2
• Flutter Kicks: body x 80/40 x 2
• Glute Bridges: body + 40 lbs x 25/20 x 2
• Wall Sits (with hands above head): 60 secs x 2
• Pull-ups: body x 10/7 x 2
• Bench Press: bar + 20 x 9/7 x 2
• Incline Bench Press: bar + 20 x 10/6 x 2
• Dips (machine): 100 x 18/10 x 2
• Low-Cable Crossovers: 12.5 x 12/7 x 2
• Bent-Arm DB Pullovers: 25 x 14/7 x 2
• Military Presses: 25 x 11/8 x 2
• BB Rows: 30 x 15 x 2
• BB Front Raises: 30 x 13/8 x 2

I wouldn't do your body weight exercises prior to doing your compound / isolation exercises as you will pre exhaust your muscle groups and therefore not be able to lift heavier / do as many reps.

Where are your squats / deadlifts or are you doing a upper / lower split?

 

[Epif]

I'll switch my body weight exercises and the others. I hadn't thought of that, thank you. I googled Starting Strength, but I need to read more of what I found before I can really use it.

I am doing a split. The plan right now is to do M/W/F with legs Mon, arms and back Weds, and chest and shoulders Fri. And on T/Th/Sa I'm planning on doing only the body weight exercises, with a full rest day on Sunday. I'm thinking of alternating the Wednesday workouts as arm day one week and then back day the next, but that may be too much rest for those muscle groups?

Here's my expected schedule for every two weeks.

• Week 1 (Friday to Thursday): chest & shoulders (Fri); body weight (Sa); full rest Sunday; legs (Mon); body weight (Tues); back (Wed); body weight (Thurs)
• Week 2 (Friday to Thursday): chest & shoulders (Fri); body weight (Sa); full rest Sunday; legs (Mon); body weight (Tues); arms (Wed); body weight (Thurs)

Leg day does have squats and deadlifts.

 

[mickc1965]

I am doing a split. The plan right now is to do M/W/F with legs Mon, arms and back Weds, and chest and shoulders Fri. And on T/Th/Sa I'm planning on doing only the body weight exercises, with a full rest day on Sunday. I'm thinking of alternating the Wednesday workouts as arm day one week and then back day the next, but that may be too much rest for those muscle groups?

Personally I would do 3 full body workouts per week adjusting the volume per workout so you do at least the same amount of sets over the course of the week so for instance

Mon - Flat Bench x 3 sets / Pull-ups or Lat Pulldown x 3 sets / Military Press x 3 sets / Rear Squats x 3 sets / Standing Calf Raise x 3 sets / optional 3 sets of a bicep and a tricep exercise


Wed - Incline Bench x 3 sets / Bent over Rows or Pendlay Rows x 3 sets / OH Dumbell Press x 3 sets / Front Squats x 3 sets / Seated Calf Raise x 3 sets / optional 3 sets of a bicep and a tricep exercise

Fri - Decline Bench or Dips x 3 sets / Dumbell Row x 3 sets / Military Press x 3 sets / Deadlift x 3 sets / Standing Calf Raise x 3 sets / optional 3 sets of a bicep and a tricep exercise

I would stick with loads that you can do 8-12 reps

You could just have 1 routine that you repeat

Note that I have omitted any fluff as what you are trying to do is get stronger and therefore you should concentrate on compound exercises