DoctorJohn's Training Log

[DoctorJohn]

Height: 178cm
Current Weight: 82Kgs

Goals:

- Keep weight at or below 85Kgs
- I have a bit of excess fat around legs torso that i'd like to reduce or see gone
- Squat: 125Kgs within 6 months
- Bench: 85Kgs within 3 months
- I'm pretty happy with my current appearance, but more definition is welcome. Just want to get stronger!

Background:
Have done some barbell free weight work, but haven't done any squats or deadlifts yet. Mostly benchpress, lat pulldown, bar curls and seated rows. Haven't focused much on form, but i've read some of Rippetoe's Starting Strength book and info on this site. I have a set of dumbells i use when i just want to do a workout at home. Just some flies, squats and presses.

Last weights session i did:

- Barbell Bench 65Kgs 8/7/6/6/6
- Lats 51Kgs 6/6/6/6/6
- Rows 51Kgs 7/6/6/6/6
- Curls 30Kgs 8/8/8/8/8

So i can bench a reasonable amount already. But i'm going back to basics anyhow and starting with a 20Kgs weight. And will increase the bench press at 5kg increments for a couple weeks then back off back to 2.5Kgs. But see how everything feels.

I'm not too bad with the pushups. I got into the 100 pushup program for a while and got up to maybe 60, but with questionable form. I do them slowly and better now and do 4 sets of around 30. Usually with a very wide arm stance.

Equipment:
Bought a pack online after looking around. Will be good enough to get me started. Don't knock it too hard, as it's enough to get me going and that's the first step towards success! It means i can workout at home when i want and blasting whatever music i feel like But the setup is:

- Standard 7ft barbell (10Kg)
- Dumbells (2x2.5Kg)
- 85Kg weight plates
- Flat Bench
- Half rack (which will do for squats, bench and inverted rows, chinup/pullups)
- Rug

Just waiting on my weights to arrive then the journey begins

[DoctorJohn]

Well the weights arrived today and it's all setup and ready to go. I think i will start properly on Monday. Tonight i spent some time practicing and saying goodbye to my ego. So i did workout A and plan on doing a workout B on Saturday to get some time in on the different exercises.

Squats:
No bar/5
Empty bar/5
20Kg/5
25Kg/5
27.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench:
25Kg/5
35Kg/5
55Kg/5
65Kg/5/5
67.5Kg/5/5/5

Inverted Rows:
14/9/8

Pushups:
24/15/14

Reverse Crunches:
3x? (I need to work on these a bit as i got puffed out before feeling anything really)

I think I'll go back to 40Kg on the bench on Monday, but will start increasing on the squats immediately. I know it is important to focus on form, but it really felt too light and i didnt feel as though i was pushing it hard enough. After the pushups though i felt a pump i'd never felt before. It was intense. Sweet stuff, this is going to be great!

[DoctorJohn]

First run at workout B. I think i'm going to like this one more than workout A. But that might just be until the weight starts getting heavier. Anyhow. Did my first shot at Workout B. Had a pretty big night last night at the pub with workmates. But i felt okay this morning so did the workout after lunch.

Squats:
30Kg 5/5/5/5/5

Overhead Press:
30Kg 5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift:
30Kg 5/5/5/5/5

Chinups:
5/3/3

Prone Bridges:
3x30s

Felt pretty good afterwards. Chowed down a grilled chicken breast and a couple cups of peas. Can enjoy the rest of Saturday afternoon with my son and hang out with mates and watch the formula one tomorrow. I think i might make up a chinup apparatus of sorts. just mount a round bar outside to a horizontal beam on my house. Will get that ready for next workout B.

[DoctorJohn]

I have my son on Mon/Wed/Fr from after work and i am planning on being out on saturday night so i worked out today. Yesterday's workout didn't seem intense anyhow, so i felt good to go tonight. Will then continue Tues and Thurs and have Sat as rest then hit it again on Sun. Anyhow, so i did workout A today.

Squats:
No bar/5
32.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench:
32.5Kg/5
40Kg/5
45Kg/5
50Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Rows:
12/9/8

Pushups:
25/18/15

Reverse Crunches:
3x12

I think that the reverse crunch technique is getting better. Felt it more than last time. I think the bench press I'm going to increase from 50Kg. I know, I know. But the 67.5 presses on Thursday felt pretty good and i didnt feel like i was doing anything productive at 40 or 45. I'll stall earlier, then you can give me the "I told ya so". I need to sort out a video of my squats so i can get some feedback on my technique. Feels okay at the moment. I think i had the bar a bit too low previously and it bruised. But the bar sits comfortable now. Happy to increase the weight on Tuesday

[DoctorJohn]

Time for workout B today. I will need to hook up a pullup/chinup bar outside. Doing it on the square tubing of the rack isn't working too well and there isn't a spot high enough to put my stops in for barbell chinups/pullups Oh well. Still worked out and it was good. Err, i honestly mistook a couple of 5Kg weights for 2.5Kg weights on the deadlifts. Didn't kill me, still pretty light.

Squats:
No bar/5
20Kg/5/5
30Kg/5/5
35Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Overhead Press:
32.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift:
32.5Kg/5
42.5Kg/5

Pullups:
3/2/2

Prone Bridges:
3x1minute

Don't feel too bad at the moment. The overhead presses are the most brutal exercise so far. I'm sure i will be feeling that tomorrow/next day.

[DoctorJohn]

Well i didn't want to mention it the other day, but i started to feel a bit snotty and and stuffed up after work. I did my workout anyhow because, well, you know, harden the fuck up princess. But it hit me pretty hard later on in the night and yesterday i was not good at all. I am meant to work out today. I didn't go in to work, but am working at home at the moment. I think i will probably take a break in a couple hours and do a workout though. Looking forward to hitting the bench!

[DoctorJohn]

Well just went out the back and hit it. Was hard. I ended prematurely; no reverse crunches. I started to cough profusely after the last set of pushups.

Squats:
No bar/5
30Kg/5/5
40Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench Press:
30/5
50/5/5
60/5
70/5
55/5/5/5/5/5

Inverted Rows:
13/9/9

Pushups:
27/17/13

Not bad considering how i feel. Yer about the bench press. I love doing a few heavier sets to really push myself. Maybe i might just go out the back and do a few heavier sets on my rest days just to satisfy my urge. Lame? Yeah i know.

[DoctorJohn]

Still sick. Was terrible yesterday but a bit better today. DId a workout and felt a lot better afterwards. So was good. Started to feel it after the bar work, but kept going and got it done. Not the best chinup numbers, but oh well.

Squats:
No bar/5
30Kg/5
35Kg/5
42.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

OHP:
35Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift:
35Kg/5
45Kg/5
47.5Kg/5

Chinups:
5/3/3

Prone Bridges:
3x1min

[DoctorJohn]

Good workout tonight. Over the cold i had. I was quite pleased with my recovery actually. Anyhow, details below.

Squats:
Empty Bar/5
30Kg/5
40Kg/5
45Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench Press:
45Kg/10
50Kg/10
55Kg/5
57.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Inverted Rows:
12/10/9

Pushups:
30/18/14

Reverse Crunches:
3x12

[DoctorJohn]

Did an earlier workout this morning BEFORE work. I usually do it after work or on the weekends. Felt pretty good though. Might get into it more often so my evenings are totally free. Not quite 48 hours rest, but i didn't feel as though i needed any more (wasn't sore or anything). A few yawns at first, but they didn't last long Had a bowl of museli for breakkie before workout. protein shake in juice afterwards.

Squats:
30Kg/5
40Kg/5
47.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Overhead Press:
37.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift:
37.5Kg/5
55Kg/5

Pullups:
5/3/3

Bridges:
1:30/1:00/1:00

The overhead press is starting to hurt a bit which is good. I think progress will start to slow there. Squats are starting to get a bit more serious and i can feel the use of more muscles doing them now. Empty bar feels like nothing at all! Going to lift a leg on the bridges next time around i think. First one felt okay, but the last two i shifted my weight backwards a bit and they felt heaps harder. I sweat heaps hard when i do them.

[DoctorJohn]

Well the next scheduled workout was on Friday, but i had planned on going to town on Friday night so i decided to move my workout to Thursday after work. It was about 36 hours since last workout and i felt great so went through with it. Felt great afterwards; followed up with a protein shake. But i was swayed into drinking wine with a chick so err probably not overly beneficial oh well

Squats:
No bar/5
30Kg/5
40Kg/5
50Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench:
50Kg/5
60Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Inverted Rows:
15/8/7

Pushups:
30/16/15

Reverse Crunches:
7/12/12

The first set of crunches didnt feel right. But i got it right on the last 7 and felt it. The second and third sets were pretty good. I think im starting to get the form right. Everything else felt good. From squats, my upper thighs are starting to feel it.

[DoctorJohn]

This morning's workout after town last night. Only had a couple of beers. Was driving. Probably didn't get enough sleep. Around 7 hours. Will get a good one tonight though im sure!

Squats:
No bar/5
30Kg/5
42.5Kg/5
52.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

OHP:
40Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Deadlift:
40Kg/5
50Kg/5
60Kg/5

Chinups:
7/4/4

Prones:
1:30/1:00/1:00

Squats felt good today. The last couple of sets on the overhead press were pretty shakey so i can see progress start to slow up there. But that's okay. The deadlifts are starting to get a bit harder and i can feel my grip being tested pretty hard now. It's good though. I need to try and locate a bac i can wear on my back and put a bit of weight in it i think for rows, prones and pushups. Loving the program so far. Look forward to every workout!

[maroon]

Hey Doc.

Respect for lifting through the illness. I've not been ill since I started going to the gym; so I'm yet to test this myself!

Keep going, you'll be at the big wheels before you know it.

[DoctorJohn]

Cheers bro.

I think if the lifts were really heavy, hitting it when you're ill probably wouldn't work at all. When i was sick, the weights were still manageable.

I'm with you though, i was pretty disappointed when i fell ill because i have been eating well and exercising heaps (including weights) so i figured my immune system was pretty damn strong! Having said that, everyone at work has been sick so it was perhaps inevitable. Recovery was much faster than expected though which was good.

[DoctorJohn]

Tonight's workout. Getting more and more intense which is great. Squats are going well i think. Upper thights are starting to burn a bit after each set. Can feel the strain more and more on my torso now. But still going good. I think i will be able to continue progressing at 2.5Kg each workout for another 6-7 workouts. After that will slow. Bench is also starting to stress me. Not struggling too much to push out 5x5. i think at about 70Kg though i will start to also slow in progress. But see what happens over the next two weeks. I am still pretty slack WRT getting more weight strapped to me for the accessory exercises. But im still going to failure on them anyhow.

Squats:
No Bar/5
30Kg/5
45Kg/5
55Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Bench Press:
45Kg/10
55Kg/5
62.5Kg/5/5/5/5/5

Inverted Rows:
15/10/9

Pushups:
30/15/15

Reverse Crunches:
3x12