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on-line journal thread...

circusgirl

circusgirl

New member
The purpose of my posting a thread on myself is to motivate me to make it to EVERY SINGLE workout in my new 5-day split and do EVERY SET.

Today I did the last day of my 2-day split:

bench - 30kg, 3 sets of 6, last one was more like 5. Remember not to rack up 40kg next time without CHECKING I can lift it off my chest first - doh! Luckily someone else was there to help me out.

dumbell fly - 2 5lb dumbells. Dunno why this one is so much less than bench. 4 sets of 8.

Shoulder press - 4 sets of 8, 1st 2 sets 5lb dumbells, 2nd set 2 7.5lb dumbells. I need more shoulder exercises, got some from exrx.net.

Those wondering, the weights on the barbells are in kg but the dumbells are in lbs in my gym.

abs - weighted crunches. Didn't work these enough for my liking. Need to do a PROPER ab workout tomorrow. Cable machine was being hogged. grrrrr. 5 sets of 10 holding 10kg weight. Abs don't feel worked out at all, no burn.

biceps - alternating standing curls, preacher curls. 5lb dumbells in each hand, 3 sets of 8. Biceps hurt now. good.

triceps - tricep kickback, 5lb dumbell. 3 sets of 8. Damn, this one burns!

Tomorrow will do some back exercises and more abs. Lateral raise, back hypers, assisted pullup, bent over row. weighted crunches, bigger weight this time (20kg), hip raises and side bends. Too pussy to try the medicine ball workout. And we don't have a decline bench, the only thing missing from the gym.

New split -

Monday - chest/tris
Tuesday - shoulders/bis
Wednesday - back
Thursday - abs
Friday - legs

Mon-Fri 1 hour taekwondo plus 20 mins stretching. We'll see how I manage with this. Problem is tkd works my legs a helluva lot, which is why the leg day is last in the week - no tkd for 3 days after burning those quads...
 
Good luck hun. Only thing I would change is I would do Back the day before biceps and not vice versa, unless you don't want to prioritize the back. Reason being is that biceps are involved in pulling movements that are used in compound back movements. If you train biceps the day before which is the smaller muscle group you may not be able to sufficiently hit your back muscles the next day. On another note too, lateral raises are a deltoid exercise so you can add that to a shoulder exercise.

Overall looks good. What are your goals btw?
 
Thanks! Will change my split around.

Goals - one day compete as a powerlifter. In the immediate future, 1. squat bodyweight 2. bench bodyweight. And clean up my diet, progress on that is slow as I am a binger BUT it's improving bit by bit.
 
Do you want actual advice from a powerlifting standpoint right now, or are you content with what you are doing?
 
Did first powerlifting split day.Max effort squat day. Got up to 60kg for my good morning 1 rep max! yay! me happy! Tomorrow s intervals and Thursday max effort bench day.

As I'm away this weekend I won't get a dynamic effort day in for either, so I'm going to repeat the first week next week with all 4 days. I plan on intervals twice a week, lifting 4 times a week, and some intervals on one of the bench days too.
 
so far so good...

Today was max effort squat/dl day. I am pleased with myself, I good morninged 60kg, whihc is 5kg more than last week. My lower back hurt though - I think I was rounding my back slightly coming back up. This might also explain why I managed 3 reps at 55, 1 at 60, and none at 62.5.... Next time I'll go up in 2.5 from 55, so I'll have a few hard 1 reps until 60kg, and pay more attention to form.I was kind of afraid of the weight though, like I would drop it on myself (unlikely seeing as I had set the safety bars in place to stop that happening).

Also did lots of weighted abs exercises, smoe leg raises (can't really to straight leg raises as I lack the ab strength, so I do bent leg raises), some killer sets of back hypers and leg press (don't have a glute ham raise machien in the gym and leg press seems to exercise the same muscles).

I'm enjoying this whole pwoerlifting training thing :).

Managed to stick to a fairly low-carb (for me) and high protein diet today. All that MRP powder is helping...
 
jesus my lower back aches!!!!!! Worked out why - not QUITE enough of an arch yesterday... due to being nervous about being able to lift the weight, need more confidence, argh....

At least I won't do that again.
 
woohoo - benched 40kg today! well, nearly almost - I got someone to spot for me and he said I was about 2 fingers' pressure off the lift. I had managed 37.5 a minute or two before that. That's up 5kg on last time - beginner gains are starting to kick in...

Although I suspended lifting last week as the festival was on and my friends were here. Sothat's a gain of 5lb a week - about standard. It's tempting to want to lift huge amounts of weight right away but then I'd turn into a bozo who does 4 inches of range of movement heheh.

I think my bench technique needs a lot of work. I managed 3 reps at 35, so I'd imagine 1 rep should be ok for more sets. Noticed this yesterday as well - my 1-rep max was only 5kg over my 3-rep max. Although maybe this is normal. Anyway, my triceps hurt in a good way. I could barely do the last set of tricep exercises - after 6X10 lying extensions, 3X15 dumbell one arm press (I'm assuming balance is the key here, I used a light weight and concentrated on technique, rather than lifting the max - my arms tremble to and fro to much, I need stronger stabilisers, duh! that's obvious), the last one, push down machine, I did 2 sets of 10 on the lightest setting (20 lbs, both tris together) and could barely push open the door to the changing room afterwards! That's good, it means I pushed to the max. My chest isn't particularly stiff though, means theese exercises mainly concentrate on the tris and stabilisers for the moment I guess, seems like a good idea to me.

I'm getting the hand of tensing the body and driving the legs down during the bench movement. Now I need to get the hang of taking advantage of the stretch reflex, as for the moment I tend to wait too long on the way down (5 seconds or so). I'm also a bit shy of kiai-ing when lifting, I haven't seen many martial artists in there and I'm not sure how it would be received! Pity, I could lift more if I did, but maybe not with correct form.

My fingers are also stiff now - tired forearm muscles??? heheh.

2 hours of karate tomorrow (switched from tkd - any sparring in this club is self-defence oriented). I like karate. It's way more fun than the treadmill! Plus my technique on basic punches/blocks has improved aftr just one session, kicks the pants off the tkd instructor who has a school in the centre of the city here... and the location is better, same sports centre as the weights gym, so no extra fees.
 
had a nice 2-hour karate session. THis is a FUN way of doing cardio. Interesting,due to having done tkd my kicks are higher than most of the lower belts' kicks, BUT my hand techniques are not as good technically. They are VERY good technically compared to a lot of tkders I have seen. This was the change of emphasis I wanted. We did applications of kata as well as part of an advanced kata - interetsing to see how real defenses/attacks are stylised in the kata... the instructor likes the class to see the kata moves are not just "figure skating for martial artists". Glad I went.
 
DE squat day. Had a good hard workout. My back and traps feel like jelly now! On one-legged squats, lifting to weight at all other than bodyweight, still heavy! I'm skipping DE bench day this week as my triceps and chest are still sore from Tuesday.

Feel good, now time to eat some chicken salad mmmm.
 
2 hours of karate today. Learned Heyan Shodan (first pattern in shotokan). It's a lot more advanced re hand techniques than the first few tkd ones - then again, there are no kicks. I'm starting to see how karate prioritises the hand techniques more, especially to begin with. I'm lucky, as I've spent 2 years doing allthose kicks already, now I can concentrate on the details of the hand techs and my stances.

The stances are slightly different from tkd, back stance is less exaggerated, and you don't keep the back leg ramrod straight in long stance.

Tomorrow- DE bench day. I am going to do the workouts from the 9 week prog in sequence - if I miss a day, I just start the "new" week later, on Tuesday this week.

Turns out the powerlifting "club" doesn't have specific training times, although you can book one of the staff from the gym who also compete in the club (there's at least one female competitive PL on the staff) to check your form and technique over every so often. The "club" is more an organisation for weights enthusiasts to exchange email and do competitions, however I can get on their mailing list if I join in October when the students are back and ask questions there.

I'm glad I trained today, I felt lazy, but refused to give in to the lazy-ass-gene....

ME leg day on TUesday, HIIT Wednesday before my 6-hour train journey south, nothing Thursday as I am away seeing my phd supervisor, Friday I have more karate as I'll be back, ME bench on Sat, karate on Sunday, DE leg and bench following Monady and Tuesday....

I'm starting to really look forward to training after work ends in the evening.
 
did ME squat day. Got up to 62.5kg on the good morning. My form still needs some work. Main problem is actually maintaining tension and form on the way down. Did requisite abs/back exercises, abs now slightly sore, "good" sore though. happy.
 
haven't updated this in a while - 2 hours of karate today. Feel good. Tomorrow - DE leg day. I think I'll make sure I have 100% correct form on the squats before I do the explosive lifts though, given my current problems with bench.

I will be able to do a DE bench day on Friday as there is no karate, they are all scooting off to Glasgow for a grading. This will complete week 2 of the 9-week programme.

When I don't get all 4 workouts into a week, I'm just doing the remaining workouts from that week on the next available training day. This means that the 4-day trainnig week is actually more like 4 adys over 8 or 9 for me as I have karate so often too. For example, Tuesday I didn't work out as I was expecting an important phone call...

Feeling good, feeling fit and healthy.
 
squat doctor day today. Got one of the experts in the gym to critique my form - soooo many problems, especially forward leaning, not pushing the knees out, not pushing the glutes back enough.... time to get the broom handle out in front of the mirror at home.

karate tomorrow and Sunday, bench day Saturday.
 
shit, there is no karate tomorrow, oh well, I think I'll wait until Sat to do bench anyway, so I can also practice squat form with gym's broom handle (yes they have one for this express purpose!). Will do cardio on the treadmill (yawn! I never thought I'd get to ahte the treadmill so much) tomorrow.
 
woohoo! Broke my bench plateau today. I concentrated a LOT on form for a few sets with just the bar, doing them slowly and keepnig track of arm position, bar position etc. I also got a much better grip on pushing with my legs - something I hadn't been using as much as I should have before, and realised after rereading some stuff on here that I hadn't been bringing the bar down far enough. Despite this I managed 1 rep at 40kg unassisted (first time I have managed this) and 42.5kg with a tiny bit of assistance. Next goal - 42.5kg next week without needing assistance. Also need to concentrate on hitting the lats and chest hard to strengthen them.

karate tomorrow. So much more fun than cardio. Life can be goooooood..... diet is getting into shape too, low-GI carbs and protein-rich stuff and moderate veggie fat, had some steak today though, mmmm. Once I've got the hang of eating clean I will add some ALA.
 
after karate last night I feel like someone has gone over my body like a 10 ton truck. groan. Skipping weights today will do that workout on Tuesday (gym is closed Monday for Scottish public holiday). Can I say SUGAR WITHDRAWAL?????? Tired as FUCK. Maria my friend says that she stopped craving sugar after 2 weeks (she's off sugar as a way of getting healthier as she's havign trouble conceiving).
 
Thanks! Gym was closed today. grrrrrrrr. Tried to lay laminate flooring, realised I need a mechanical saw. WIll borrow one from the guy at work who ahs every power tool under the sun. Made some picture frames. Broke 2mm drill bit... (beats ruminating on nice food I could have if I hadn't decided to diet before bulking as advised).

Legs tomorrow, and abs. And if my legs can stand it, HIIT. I have no inttntion of not keeping it up, don't worry!
 
making some changes.... Steelweaver recommends dieting before bulking, so I'm going to take her advice. I'd like to do a ckd, but I can't do that just yet - I have to hand my phd in in 2 weeks, and I have various diy jobs to do around the house, both of which take up time after work and are incompatible with the first adjustment phase of ckd.

SO here's the plan - stick to a 40/30/30 diet for the next 2 weeks until thesis is outta the way, all diy done, and I have gotten through various hurdles re new job. Then, I'll have 3 weeks left at my old job without much pressure, just the time for a ckd adjustment phase. By the time I start the new job I should be perking up again on the ckd diet.

Today, leg, abs, lower back. Hypers 5x8 holding 20kg weight, abs roman chair situps holding maximum tension for 3 seconds 5x15, obliques, side bends 4x6 with dumbells, also starting with squats, but as I'm now dieting I'll do 5 sets in a pyramid starting with 8 at 30kg as I expect my lifts to suffer during my diet. Tyr to max out in a mega pyramid, so many sets down to 1 rep. Also I might do some leg press as we don't ahve a glute ham raise machine. And some HIIT cardio. Ow my legs are gonna hurt!

When I get home I have about 5 picture frames to make... and I need to get a jig saw from a colleague to get the laminate flooring down.... urgh. We bought this appartment 4 months ago and are just finishing off the readaptations, last trip to ikea is next saturday....
 
woohoo! Squatted 60kg yesterday. Didn't manage 65kg. I think I'm leaning forward too much still though,will try the hanging a plumb line from the bar method next week to crack that one.

Also did abs, obliques and lower back. Plus a few goes on the leg press in the nautilus room (yikes! it's a scary place - totally MOBBED this time of year, the need for an extra acceditation to use the free weights area keeps most of the new students out, apart from those who already know how to squat, bench etc). Never mind, most of 'em will be sick of the whole "exercise thang" in 3 weeks when assignments need to be handed in....

karate today.
 
aaargh shit my legs are KILLING me after karate yesterday. Oh well, chest work today, lats, and stuff.... if I can, a small number of HIIT intervals, if my legs don't jump up and thump me for suggesting it!
 
shitty workout today. DId bench, indeed, I REALLY need to do some speed work and beef up those lats. I think other than speed work I won't bother with bench for a few weeks. Concentrate on the lats instead.

Did lying row and bent over row for the lats today. Also some bicep curls, jsut to keep up with the triceps. Not much else, in case I was needed back at my desk before 5.

Saturday, I will be doing dynamic bench. I'm notdoing a DE squat day until my squat form is a LOT better. Otherwise I will be going fast with shitty form.

Saturday then, dynamic bench, some chest work to look prettier :D , major tricep work, and the delts/traps. Plus some HIIT. Legs too tired for that today. I've got karate tomorrow and sunday.
 
Still feeling flattened today. DIet is obviously the key. Had a protein shake with milk for breakfast. WIll have 3 eggs with spinach and olive oil for lunch, and chicken and spinach for dinner... get all that protein in, and I should start to see an improvement in recovery times.
 
Today is leg day. Forgot my trainers and the piece of string plus curtain ring for checking my squat form though, so I'll have to go home before going to the gym to get them. Checking my forward lean in squats today. Will do a number of sets with the bar only, until I've got the feel of the right posture for the lift, then will do a super-pyramid, starting with a set of 8 at 30kg and knocking off one rep for each step upwards (34, 40, 45, 50, 3 at 55). I managed 1 rep at 60kg last week, so this week I'm going for 62.5kg. If I have the right form that should be manageable.

Alos lower back (4x8 back hypers carrying a 20kg weight), abs (5x10 roman chair situps with a pause of 2 seconds at the point of most tension, also aiming for one set of 10 hanging leg raises. I have more calluses on my hands now so I should be able to handle a full set of these).

Will also do one-legged squats, 4x10m each leg, and leg press, might give the nautilus machines a few sets too just to make sure the legs are properly fatigued.

Then the total body hammering - 1 hour long slow cardio on the elliptical trainer (I will need to get my walkman as well from home for this one!).

Disorganised due to late night last night so diet is: protein shake for breakfast (goes down nicely and requires very little preparation), falafel sandwich from local african eatery for lunch, and chicken and other stuff for dinner (hubbie cooks dinner), plus half a shake just before bedtime. Works out at 2000 cals. Not very low in carbs or high in protein, BUT at least won't make me gain any fat. Looking at creating a deficit of 1000 cals every day, no more, no less, trying to make the diet every day as low carb as I can reasonably manage it, this way, I won't boomerang into bingeing quite as much.
 
Great session today! Squatted 65kg with good form. DId a massive pyramid - started with 8 at 30kg, 35kg and 40kg, then did as many as I could with proper form up to 2 at 55kg, then did 1 reps for 60kg, 62.5kg, and 65kg (I weigh 68kg). Went for 67.5 BUT my knees started to fall inward so decided I couldn't lift that much with proper form.

Also back hypers, abs (cheated a little here, will do 2 more sets tomorrow), and some leg work besides the squats in the dreaded nautilus room.

And an hour of long slow boring cardio.

Tomorrow is chest, lats and shoulders. Will do speed bench and some other chest exericses, plus an intensive lat session and some trap/delts work.

I will get in a mega-short session on saturday working tris intensively and bis just enough to keep pace with the tris.

HIIT tomorrow.
 
no workout yeswterday, as I was knackered after my job interview in glasgow. So, before karate tonight, I will do the back and chest workout I would have done yesterday.

lats, rear delts, obliques, a few more abs sets, chest, tris. If I start that at 6pm or so I will be done with a rest in between that and karate at 7.30pm. Will bring water and high carb shake to gym with me to have in between.

Diet is not yet low carb, but I've been keeping to between 2k and 2.2k cals a day, which for a binger like me is pretty good going. Should shed about a poundof fat this week. SHedding slowly is also allowing me to gain in strength at the same time which is cool, I have enough carbs to lift well. (blame the oat cakes, a Scottish oatmeal thnig, like salty biscuits but made of oats, for that, avoids me having to eat cold oatmeal at 4pm...).

Still nothing much to do at work, but that's not really my problem... might go do weights at lunchtime instead of a marathon session and karate later after a quick nap. Need to get my thesis printed up and bound in time to submit it next Monday :).

I will skip hiit today as that plus karate will kill me tomorrow morning! I will do some tomorrow and Saturday instead. (Saturday = shoulders, bis, and if I don't have time today, tris. Also have karate Fridy and Sunday...
 
did a great session today. Lats + rear delts + abs + obliques + chest. Because I didn't do abs enough on Monday.

Hit the lats with 4x8 bent over rows, 4x8 one arm rows, chest with speed bench, fly, dumbell incline bench, (fly and incline - both 4x8, speed bench, 2x10, 3 different grips). Abs with 3 sets 10 roman chair situps, obliques with 3x8 side bends. Rear delts - bent over lat raise, 3x8 (getting tired).

THen did some hiit. I am getting SO MUCH fitter and stronger doing all this lifting! There is NO WAY I could have done 8 intervals at 9 mph a few months ago! I do intervals on the treadmill, 30 seconds fast, 1 minute 4mph walk, and I don't count the time speeding up/slowing down in the 30s or 1min times.

One of these days I will test myself on the mile on the treadmill to see how fast I can manage it....
 
me pleased. Weight has not changed, but over the past month - stomach is 1inch smaller, and hips are SAME SIZE, infact 1/4 inch larger - since I carry NO fat in my hips this means I am retaining my muscle or even building some. Goodie!

I feel a bit tired in my legs so I am doing no weights until Monday. I will do karate on Friday and Sunday. I find that if I go with gut feelings about overtraining I can avoid it happening.

Thesis is now off my mind.
 
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