DaveT's Training Log

[nburge]

Hey DaveT - seen some of your replies on other logs and thought I'd check out yours.... looks like you're making some good progress. I'll be interested to follow how you get on with the dips - it's been years since I've done a push-up so I find they are the most exhausting exercise for me at the moment. And I look like a right pillock on the last set when I can barely squeak past 6!!! Still, it feels good, and I get a lot more sense of muscle growth and fatigue from them than I do from the squats at the moment. I did dips a few years ago (on one of my many forays into the world of weights) and loved them, didn't realise they were good for the chest too, though (probably goes to show how bad my form was...).

Anyway, keep up the good work and all the best!

Neil.

[Gvonf]

Great progress, good going!

I was wondering if you have had previous exercise history or sports background of some sort, since I have almost the same body type (192cm and 93kg), but I struggle to get a single chin-up. Do you have a certain technique with them or do they come naturally? It seems that your IR's are also better than mine, so apparently you have stronger upper back muscles. Any tips? :)

I have also been wondering about substituting the IR's for barbell rows, are they significantly better according to your experience?

[DaveT]

@nburge
I did 10/8/7 push ups in my first week and was collapsing in a gasping heap on the floor after each set - soon learnt not give rat's arse about what anybody else in the gym thought about me! Hence why I have no shame doing my 10 sets of 2 reps on the dips, only to watch some other guy step up after and do a set of 20. I know that I'll get there, just got to keep plugging away. Enjoy the squats while they're light and work on form, practice form, visualise form. If you have it perfect, then you won't need to deload like I did!

@Gvonf
I did very little in the way of sports at school or college, but always enjoyed water sports (sailing, windsurfing and more recently kitesurfing), and all three involve pulling on ropes or wishbones/handles, so that may well have helped my back muscles. About three years ago, I started doing triathlons, but didn't really build up much strength, more endurance really. My chin ups were 2/1/1 in my first week, so nothing brilliant. Check here for all the different things you can do to get better - personally I like the last suggestion of lots of sets of low reps, which is what I'm doing now with my pull ups and dips.
I like the BB Rows, as I like doing another exercise with the weights. You need to be confident that you can do it properly, keeping your back straight etc, so I didn't attempt these until I had done quite a bit of deadlifting and had more experience. Apparently at higher weights they can be quite a strain on your lower back (especially if done incorrectly), I'll just have to see how it goes.

[DaveT]

So 'Winter' is officially over here in Taiwan. The temperature this week rose from 20C (72F) to in excess of 26C (80F) and coupled with the increased weights, I felt wiped after every workout. I had to drop my usual 16min post-workout HIIT, because I just didn't have it in me to run. I also know 'Winter' is over because the mosquitos are out - very off-putting when you're at the bottom of the second squat and hear the whining buzz as the little f**ker flies past your ear, and you know it's going to be sucking on your neck in a couple of secs but you've got 3.5 squats to go before you can do anything about it!
Note 1 - Put mosquito coils in gym bag

I also had a disaster on Wed when my iPod Shuffle ran out of juice halfway through my Bench Press. This is the only exercise that I need to go inside the gym for as there's no bench out on the balcony. Anyway, this older Chinese guy must have seen my pissed off face as the music died or just sensed it, and decided to come and talk to me. My Chinese is pretty basic, but I was able to answer the usual questions about where I was from, how long I had been here, what I did for a living, where I lived, how much I earned (this is not a taboo question in Asian culture - something I had to get used to very quickly when I moved here). Unfortunately, I wasn't here for social pleasantries. I know they're just curious, cos I'm the only foreigner that goes to my gym, and I try to be pleasant, cos their country is giving me a great opportunity, but sometimes I JUST WANT TO BE LEFT ALONE!!
Note 2 - Make sure iPod is always charged

Made another quick vid of my squat and BB rows this week to get some tips on form again.

Anyway, to the numbers. Going to include my warm ups from now on, as others seem to do it (I was warming up before, just never noted the numbers).

Squats

Warm up - 40kgx5, 50kgx3, 60kgx2
Mon - 65kg 5x5
Wed - 67.5kg 5x5
Fri - 67.5kg 5x5

Form is still improving. A few flexibility issues and next focus is to keep my knees pushed out wide, but overall I feel much more confident doing these. 67.5kg felt heavy, but I know I've got more in me. I'm going to raise to 70kg next week, but do it all week, while I focus on getting them perfect. I know some people might think that I should let it go, but I'm a little OCD about stuff and I feel that a job's only worth doing if it's done properly, otherwise you shouldn't have started in the first place. So yes, I will be spending more time analyzing my squat although I might spare SL forum members more vids for a while (collective sigh of relief echoes around hyperspace), as I now have a much better idea of what to look for.

Workout A

BP
Warm up - 30kgx5, 40kgx3, 50kgx2
Wed - 52.5kg 5x5

Easier than last Fri, so on to 55kg next week. Wondering whether I need to video these. I've managed to get my form wrong on everything else, it might be a good idea.

BB Rows
Warm up - 50kgx5
Wed - 52.5kg 5x5

I like the BB Rows. Apparently at higher weights they can be quite a strain on your lower back (especially if done incorrectly), I'll just have to see how it goes.

Guess who was doing them incorrectly? I think I should make a training vid for SL5x5 showing everybody how NOT to do every exercise. It could be used to point out all the mistakes that can be made - there has to be something positive to come out of my terrible technique. Luckily for me, I learnt from squats and I filmed these while the weight was still easy, so I won't have to deload to work on form. Yay!

Rev Cs
Wed - 3x12

As I mentioned before, I'm getting a little bored of these, so I've posted about an alternative to see what people think.

Dips
Wed - 4x3, 6x2 (24 total)

Starting to enjoy these, because it's a constant battle. My fourth set went something like this:
"F**kin' dips! ... 1, f**kin' markg! ... 2, F*******K!! ... 3". I thought this was all going on inside my head, as I had my iPod on, but apparently not. As I stepped away from the dip station, the whole gym was looking at me. They might not understand much English, but there's one word they know for sure! I slunk back out onto the balcony to sip my water...

Workout B

OHP
Warm up - 20kgx5, 30kgx3, 35kgx2
Mon - 37.5kg 5x5
Fri - 37.5kg 5x5

Practiced both getting the bar way back overhead and shrugging with the empty bar. I think it has made a difference, and I'm starting to get under the bar more. I've done this weight 3 times, so going to move up to 40kg next week. Probably do that 3 times as well while I work on my form.

DL
Warm up - 60kgx5
Mon - 80kg 2x5
Wed - 85kg 2x5

I think this is the last time I'll be doing DLs 2x5, and I will return to 1x5 next week. I'm still going to increase by 5kg, as I reckon things will get really tough around 100kg, and that's when I'll need to start increasing by 2.5kg.

Prone Bridges
Mon - 3x60secs
Wed - 3x60secs

These really aren't taxing me, but they provide a nice respite between my sets of pull ups, so I'm not going to alter anything yet.

Chin/Pull ups
Mon - Chins 7/5/4
Fri - Pulls 3x3, 7x2 (23 total)

I was a bit disappointed with my chins on Mon, as my first set was 2 less than last week, but I think the heat and the extra weight this week, really took it out of me. Really pleased with the progress I'm making on the pulls though.

So I have reached the end of my initial 12 week training plan. I realised that I forgot to congratulate myself for reaching my Bench Press goal two weeks ago , and I've still got a bit of a way to go on the others to reach my March 31st goals. I feel I have reached the point on most of the main exercises where things are going to get a lot harder and increasing the weight is going to take much longer. I tried to get some feedback on this from others further along in the program, as I want to set myself realistic goals for June 30th. I've got a month to think about them.

I have been discussing Tabatas with americanadian on his log and I'm thinking of starting these next week on Tue and Thu. Going to start out with just one exercise, squat thrusters, and get into the rhythm of doing them. Also I don't want to push it too hard, as I don't want to affect my lifting progress. I'll add exrcises slowly. I'm doing this because, I don't think I can do the post workout running any more, I'm too wiped, and I normally go for a bike ride on Tue/Thu evenings, but with the rainy season approaching, these may become fewer. You might think, "Just go cycling in the rain", but when it rains in the tropics, it's not the same as what you're used to in Europe or the States. You get absolutely, torrential downpours, with raindrops the size of marbles, and within minutes, the streets are rivers, which makes it difficult and dangerous to cycle. Unfortunately, it invariably rains at the end of the day as it starts to cool down, just when I like to be out on the bike. The Tabatas will be a good alternative for those rainy days. I've got to to do something everyday, otherwise I go nuts (yeah, I was the ADD kid who couldn't sit still at school)!

[markg]

Hi Dave,
Nice going mate. I couldn't comment on everything you wrote, as it took me 10 minutes just to read it! Great log.

I know your torrential stream of form videos has helped me. I find that watching other people's vids and reading the feedback helps to focus me on things I need to improve myself. I am going to put my own vids up as soon as I get around my phobia for being filmed in a gym where noone else does this! Plus I am dreading the flood of negative feedback....bear with me, I will sort it.

All the best,
Mark

[mjh]

I always enjoy reading your log, as your tales of life in Taiwan remind me of my own experiences in Korea. The language thing in the gym often had me chuckling to myself:

I got two complements today, at I least I think that's what they were. The first was from the trainer, who after watching a set of my bench press said to me "very many power up!" which I think means "you're lifting more and more weight, foreign-boy". Later on a gym regular I see quite often watched me do a few chins and said to me "berry big! berry big!" while motioning to my chest and shoulders. Kamsamnida very much, fellas.

[DaveT]

I always enjoy reading your log, as your tales of life in Taiwan remind me of my own experiences in Korea. The language thing in the gym often had me chuckling to myself.

My favorite is some of the signs. This is on the hiking trails near my house:



The monkeys can read?
What do they need to be careful of?
Are they calling me a monkey?

[americanadian]

The dips will come, the dips will come. Nice log. Want you to know that I snoop around and check on others and how they're doing too. Thanks for the mention. Gave me a warm fuzzy. Hope those Tabatas work out for you. Any questions about anything, hit me up. Also happy to pontificate (love the sound of my own typing). The signs above remind me of when I lived in Japan, like mjh of his time in Korea.

[guru]

Are they calling me a monkey?

Probably.

Where are you doing dips? On the tapering bars or parallel bars? My gym has a tapering bar dip station but I've found that the parallel bars that you find in playground are much better. The bars are thicker, give you a good support & you end up having more satisfactory workout. Luckily I have them in the childrens' playground below my building. Will try to do them there instead now on.

[DaveT]

My gym has a tapering bar dip station but I've found that the parallel bars that you find in playground are much better.

Ah, so that's the secret to your success! You're trying to prove yourself in front of the playground kids! Great motivation!

I use the bars on the front of the Knee Raise Station:


Still trying to workout which way I should face. At first, I thought I should face out, but then I felt that maybe my elbows would hit hit the upright bars on the top as I went down. So I do them facing into the station and the upright bars don't seem to get in the way of my shoulders. Added bonus to this is that if I have to drop forward out of them, my head hits the padded back rather than me faceplanting it into the gym floor!

I like to get my workouts done all in one go, so I don't see myself making a special trip to the playground to do my dips.

[DaveT]

I couldn't comment on everything you wrote, as it took me 10 minutes just to read it! Great log.

I find it easier to look at the week as a whole rather than posting after every workout. I feel I get a bigger picture of what's happening. I also get typing diarrhoea!

I am going to put my own vids up as soon as I get around my phobia for being filmed in a gym where noone else does this! Plus I am dreading the flood of negative feedback....bear with me, I will sort it.

Yeah, you kind of have to develop the mentality of not giving a f**k about what anyone else thinks. You know what you're doing is right, so f**k 'em if they think you're weird, you're going to be the one squatting 150kg whilst they're still doing their crappy BB routine wondering why they aren't as big and strong as you. Suddenly you'll notice everyone filming themselves thinking that it must be all the filming you did that made you big! I think any gym worth its salt should have a video camera and TV in a room so people can tape and watch their form. (Note to self: Remember this when you open your gym.) All the top sports people do it, and you hear teams talking about going to watch the playback to see what they can work on. Why should we be any different?
As to the feedback - yeah, it can get you a bit down initially when you realise you've got stuff to work on, but it's all constructive and you know which forum guys are worth listening to. In the end, you only get better because of it and isn't that the whole point. MAKE THAT VID!

[guru]

markg wrote:
I am going to put my own vids up as soon as I get around my phobia for being filmed in a gym where noone else does this! Plus I am dreading the flood of negative feedback....bear with me, I will sort it.


Yeah, you kind of have to develop the mentality of not giving a f**k about what anyone else thinks.

Dave,
I vaguely remember that he has posted a vid of his squat earlier. Am I right Mark?

[markg]

Hmm, no vids yet guru. Leave it with me! It will be a poor resolution effort on my phone. I haven't posted anything on YouTube before but I gather it's quite easy.

[excylist]

Very cool posts Dave- I also enjoy hearing about life abroad. I lived on the island of Saipan for a year- so I did the whole expat thing.

Yeah man. F@#k them. Do your two chin ups. They build up fast. I'm now up to 8 sets of 4 and 2 sets of 3. No one thinks I'm a pussy now. Particularly when they're doing DB curls with 25lbs.

Keep rockin and rollin'. You're doing great.

[DaveT]

Think of any song that you know that is about rain and start singing it. Do this for three more days and you'll have reached the point I'm at as I sit down to write this. The rainy season started on Thursday night, and as March 5th, 6th and 7th are known in the Taiwanese calendar as Lightning Days, the fact that the rain started on one of them is, apparently, highly auspicious - unfortunately I'm not a great believer in all this kind of mumbo jumbo, but it's interesting enough to hear about it. At the moment, I'm elated about the rain, as we've had about four days of light drizzle since about mid-Septemeber, hence why I'm singing about it. No doubt, in a few more days, I'll be cursing the gods for every raindrop they send my way! There was beautiful moment on Friday night, when I was out on the gym balcony doing my routine, and the rain was thundering down on the corrugated iron roof as the floodlights of the driving range lit up the raindrops against the stormy sky. The noise and the visuals were mesmerising - nature in all its glory. Anyway, to the numbers...

Squats

Warm up - 50kgx5, 60kgx3, 65kgx2
Mon - 70kg 5x5
Wed - 70kg 5x5
Fri - 70kg 5x5

Doing the weight three times really seemed to work for me this week. Monday it felt heavy, and my form was off (either I allowed my shoulders to dip forward or my knees to come in) on about 10 reps out the 25. By Wednesday, it was feeling lighter and I did about 20 good reps. By Friday, I was positively exploding out of the hole, and the plates would jangle on the bar as I reached the top of the lift - what a great sound that is. It's fast becoming one of my favorite noises! Doing the same weight three times this week seemed to have two good effects. One was the obvious physical one where my body got better at lifting the weight, but the other is the mental one. I'm looking forward to 72.5kg on Mon. I know that if I had done 70kg on Mon and felt it was heavy, then 72.5kg on Wed would have felt even heavier, and by Fri I would have been thinking that 75kg was going to be back-breaking. I know this is not true SL5x5, but it seems to work for me - maybe a steady 2.5kg increase once a week is the way forward.

Workout A

BP
Warm up - 30kgx5, 40kgx3, 50kgx2
Mon - 55kg 5x5
Fri - 55kg 5x5 (Inclined)

Monday was no real problem, heavy, but doable. On Friday, someone was on the normal bench and my impatience got the better of me and I decided to use the Incline Bench and do the same weight that I would have done on the normal one. Not such a great idea, as I hadn't thought about how it might use my muscles slightly differently and maybe even use different muscles. Anyway, I managed to squeeze out the 5 sets, but some of the reps in the 4th and 5th set were not good.

BB Rows
Warm up - 40kgx5, 50kgx3
Mon - 55kg 5x5
Fri - 55kg 5x5

I've got my form right now, and these are definitely working my back muscles more now. It seems easier to do a 55kg Row than a 55kg BP. I'm wondering if this will change and my chest will become more powerful than my back?

Rev Cs
Mon - 3x12
Fri - 3x12

Dips
Mon - 5x3, 5x2 (25 total)
Fri - 10x3 (30 total)

On Friday, I was just a man on a mission with these. Having set the challenge with guru and markg, I decided I needed to do 7x3 on Fri. By the time I had reached this point, I wasn't feeling too tired in the arms, and I just told myself it was only 3 more sets with an extra dip in each, let's go for it! Next week I'm going to reduce the number of sets to 8. This will save a little time, and mean that I can split the sets of dips up more evenly with my Rev Cs (every 2 sets) from now on. Aiming for 8x4 next week.

Workout B

OHP
Warm up - 20kgx5, 30kgx3, 35kgx2
Wed - 40kg 5x5

Heavy, but ok. Plates were jangling again at the top of reps on the 2nd and 3rd set.

DL
Warm up - 60kgx5, 80kgx3
Wed - 90kg 1x5

I'm starting to spit and exhale ferociously at the top of these - I guess that means they're getting heavy. 95kg on Mon - really looking forward to finally doing 1xBW on an exercise!

Bridges
Wed - 3x60secs (Right/Left/Prone)

I decided that I would do some side bridges to mix it up a little. Didn't really think about it too much and just went for the 60secs. The last 10-15secs on my sides were agony, probably should have done 40secs and worked my way up.

Chin/Pull ups
Wed - Chins 5/4/3/3/2 (17 total)

I realised that I'd been cheating myself with these. The chin up bar is at a height of about 210cm, and as I'm 194cm, I grab hold of it and then bend my legs until my arms are straight. I then do my chin ups from that position, keeping my legs in the same position. Initially this sounds fine, but I realised that at the bottom of every rep, part of my body weight was being supported by my legs. This time I tucked my legs right up underneath me, and as you can see from the numbers, it was tougher and I only could manage 5 on the 1st rep. Decided to do 5 sets to increase my total and will aim for 8x4 on these next week.

Tabatas
Tue - Squat Thrusts (3.5kg DBs) 8/8/8/8/8/8/7/7
Thu - Squat Thrusts (3.5kg DBs) 9/9/8/8/7/7/7/7

First week of doing these, and only doing one exercise at the moment, as I wanted to get into the rhythm of doing them, as well as not pushing my body too hard the first time. Tue I didn't push myself 100%, but I tried to push myself a bit more on Thu and do more reps in the first few sets. Both days, I found I was breathing heavily for about ten minutes afterwards. Going to do one more week of one exercise, and then add a second.

Yesterday, while trail running, someone mentioned that my shorts looked a bit tight, and they were right. I had also noticed after about 1km, that I was feeling uncomfortable. This is the 7th piece of clothing that is going into the recycle bin - 1x pants, 3x T-shirts, 2x shirts with collars, being the others that are now too small. Good news is that those XL T-shirts that friends bought me (they always thought I must be an XL because I seem big due to my height, but I was actually an L) are starting to fit properly now.