Nick's training log

[Nicketzsche]

Name: Nick
Age: 26
Height: 6' 5"
Weight: 215 lbs

This is my first training log. I've been lifting on and off for the last 12 years. For the last 6 months, I've been going over to the gym during my lunch period Monday - Friday, and I've been feeling really great for the last couple weeks (increased my daily calories substantially - doubled my daily protein from about 100-150 grams a day to 200-250 grams a day). For the last few weeks, I've been taking glucosamine chondroitin for my joints and eating very healthy 90% of the time.

I have little experience with squats, deadlift, or standing press, but I've been reading and practicing technique obsessively for the last couple days since finding Mehdi's site.

In college several years ago, I tore a muscle in my shoulder and was unable to lift weight for a few months (could hardly raise my arm for a week or two). I never had it looked at, but I have regained my strength since then and am back to where I was as far as strength, flexibility, and being pain free. (I attribute that tear to ignoring an obvious warning sign - pain toward the front of my shoulder).

What really excited me about the 5x5 program was the focus on core strength and strengthening my knees through proper squat technique. I've occasionally had knee pain during leg press, and if I can find a way to get my squat to 1-1.5x my body weight with good form and no pain, I'm going to be ecstatic.

My current 5x5 strength levels (with proper form):
Deadlift: 185 lbs
Squat: 145 lbs (probably going to go back to 95 lbs til I know my form is perfect)
Bench: 165 lbs
Press: 95 lbs

On my first set, I can do 8-10 pullups/chinups and 15-20 dips without much problem. I had a little discomfort in my shoulder after 3 sets of dips today, and I think I was getting sloppy trying to balance a 35 lb weight between my feet (LA Fitness needs to invest in belts to dangle weight from).

As far as goals, I would like to increase my strength, be healthy, and feel great.

My strength goals (perfect form):
Deadlift (1x5): 2x my body weight
Squat (5x5): 1.5x my body weight
Bench (5x5): 1x my body weight
Press (5x5): My girlfriend

To attain that last goal, I'll have to find a good girl and somehow WOW her... so we'll see how that goes.

The timeline is not too important. As long as I am seeing progress and not suffering injury I will be satisfied. The last couple days' workout logs will be posted shortly. Looking forward to seeing some results!

[ewerbos]

Sounds like a nice start, those are solid numbers to begin with.

Now the goals--I can't decide if wanting to press your girlfriend means you want a tiny and light girlfriend, or that having a heavier girlfriend means that you have to be awesomer to compensate...

[Nicketzsche]

Yeah, setting a goal for press was tough. My real goal is to go into a handstand and do a press, but I might be setting myself up for failure with such lofty ambitions.

[Nicketzsche]

10/16/08

Felt great going in. Concentrating on technique.

Squat:
95lbs x 5
135lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

(last rep of my last set was tough, couldn't have done another rep. I was going as low on these as I could stretch, well past 90 degrees. Didn't have any pain or discomfort whatsoever. I can't get my elbows perpendicular to the floor and have the bar in the correct position... need greater flexibility.)

Overhead Press:
45lbs x 5
95lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 4

(First time ever doing standing press. It felt really awkward. I'm sure it will be much improved by my next workout.)

Deadlift:
135lbs x 5
185lbs x 5

(Fun!)

Pull-up:
0lbs x 8, 4, 3

(HARD!)

Reverse Crunch (didn't realize I was supposed to be doing prone bridge):
12, 11, 9

My full workout only took about 30 minutes. A little too quick, I'm going to slow down between sets next time. I can feel my glutes were worked as I'm sitting here. That's definitely a different feeling.

[Nicketzsche]

Yesterday's diet / estimated protein intake:

Breakfast:
3 eggs - 27 grams
2 sausage - 10 grams
2 cups coffee
--Workout--
Lunch:
1 large chicken breast - 60 grams
1 cup brown rice - 5 grams
Handful of raisins
Tblspoon peanut butter - 5 grams
5pm-10pm:
600 calorie weight gain shake - 60 grams
4 cups fat-free milk - 30 grams
4 cups whole chocolate milk - 30 grams
4 eggs - 36 grams
2 bananas
2 pieces of toast - 10 grams
Half an avocado
1 cup broccoli
Some Vietnamese beef soup - 10 grams

~250 grams protein... not too shabby. All that milk really added up.

[ewerbos]

Lots of protein... Though you may want to try getting more vegetables, 1 cup broccoli probably isn't enough. Also, what sort of weight gain shake is it? Commercial, or you mixed it? Commercial things can have all kinds of cruddy ingredients. Your diet sounds pretty nice and clean otherwise.

[Nicketzsche]

Yeah, I definitely need more vegetables in that diet. Also, the shake was just some left over low priced whey protein mix... probably not very healthy. I'll pick up a big package of organic spinach at Sam's Club tonight... seems to be half the price of the grocery store! I'm pretty terrible about getting all my greens. I drink low sodium V8 quite a bit. An older guy here at the office mixes some sort of powdered greens in water, I might have to Google powdered greens. Though I'm guessing it will taste like fish food smells. I took about 5 teaspoons of creatine last night. I'll do that for a couple more days then just use it once in awhile thereafter. Also, that chocolate milk I'm finishing off is loaded with sugar... the amount of sugar in there would probably be equal to 5 heads of romaine lettuce :p

My legs are feeling really well worked all over. The same is true with my abs and back. Going to be a blast lifting tomorrow.

[Nicketzsche]

10/20/08

Squat:
140lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench Press:
135lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Barbell Row:
115lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Push-up:
0lbs x 28, 15, 11

Reverse Crunch:
12, 10, 10

Pull-up:
0lbs 3, 3, 3, 3

Barbell Calf Raise:
185lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Currently 217lbs. No injuries to report. I've been eating like a real animal.

[Nicketzsche]

Oops, last workout was 10/18/08. Here are my results for 10/20/08:

Squat:
145lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Overhead Press:
95lbs x 5, 5, 5, 4, 5

My form was much, much better than last time. I also wasn't losing balance as I was last time so that's definitely good. I'm having a really hard time keeping my elbows forward without expanding my grip quite a distance on the barbell. I'm generally very flexible... I'll watch some videos once I get home from work to see if I am doing it correctly.

Deadlift:
195 x 5
Saw my knees caving on the last rep. I need to be more careful about that.

Chin-up:
6, 5, 4

Not too impressive. I have gained a lb. a day since I started working out though... so there's a bit more to lift.

Bridges:
Went really well. Lifted a leg for 20 secs, then the other for 20 secs, then the other, etc for about 2 minutes. Did 3 sets like that.


One thing I've noticed already is that my core is already much stronger than it was last week. I feel like the squat weight is nothing when I lift it onto my back muscles. Absolutely zero pain/discomfort in my knees or back.

I've already gone from 215 to 222lbs, and it's been less than a week. I need to focus more, with such a low number of reps (especially on deadlift), there's no time to be daydreaming.

[Nicketzsche]

10/22/08

Squat:
150lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench Press:
155lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Barbell Row:
120lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Was having a hard time getting this to touch my chest (might be a flexibility thing as my elbows were going up far past 90 degrees...or perhaps I need a wider grip on the barbell?)... I should definitely be setting this up on plates otherwise it's impossible to set down the weight between each rep.

Push-ups:
35, 10, 8

Reverse Crunch:
17, 13, 10

[Nicketzsche]

10/24/08

Squat:
155lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Overhead Press:
95lbs x 5, 100lbs x 5, 5, 5, 4
Deadlift:
200lbs x 5
This exercise is really worrying me. I think I have bad form on the way down and should probably back the weight off. I'm so tall, I really feel like I have to get way down to get at the weight. Think I'm going to back off to 185lbs next week.
Pull-up:
6, 4, 4
Bridges:
3 x 1 minute

I'm going to start some (high intensity/rest) staggered jump-roping every other day to get a bit more cardio and hopefully bring out a little more muscle definition.

Overall I wasn't too pleased with my workout today. The best thing I can say is that my squats went really well... I thought I was developing knee pain last night practicing squat form/turkish get-ups, but there was no hint of pain today during lifting.

[Nicketzsche]

10/27/08

So, as I was getting my gym clothes on, the string in my shorts snapped. The string split in half as I was tightening it! What the hell! On top of that, I ended up bringing a shirt that was too short for me today, nooo.

Anyway, procede to squats where I'm pretty much showing off my tidy-whities for everyone.

Squat:
160lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Squats are getting EASIER as I add weight! I'm beginning to wonder if I can get to 200lbs before stalling out. I am feeling this exercise more in my groin area (the muscles/tendons? between my legs) Is this normal, or is it a bad sign?

Bench Press:
160lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Instead of doing barbell rows, I used dumbbells because I was getting a little self conscience with my bloomers hangin' out the rear.

One-arm Dumbbell Row:
80lbs x 5, 5
85lbs x 5, 4, 4

Push-up:
32, 12, 7

Reverse Crunch:
15, 15, 15

[Nicketzsche]

10/29/08

Squat:
165lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Overhead Press:
100lbs x 5, 5, 4, 4, 3

Deadlift:
185lbs x 5
205lbs x 5

Chin-up:
5, 4, 4, 3

Bridges:
I couldn't do one leg bridges because I was having some pain on the inner leg right where my leg meets my groin on my right side. I think I strained something there last workout by having my feet too far apart on squats. I put up a thread in the injury forum, maybe someone there has had a similar experience. I'm pretty sure it's just a strain though, nothing's torn.

[Nicketzsche]

10/31/08

Squat:
170lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Bench Press:
165lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Barbell Row:
135lbs x 5, 5, 5, 4, 4

I'm really tall (6'5"), and I had the weight boosted off the floor using 2 weights stacked up on each side. I have my hips extended quite a bit, but I still feel like it's awkwardly low when the weight is resting on the ground. I feel like my back has to break parallel to set the weight on the floor between reps. Should I just extend my hips more or what?

I think once I get my squat up above 200lbs this won't be a big deal. I feel like it's my legs holding me back on this exercise!

Dips:
10

Push-ups:
20, 15, 10

[Nicketzsche]

Squat:
135lbs x 5
175lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Overhead Press:
45lbs x 5
100lbs x 5, 5, 5, 5, 5

Deadlift:
135lbs x 5
185lbs x5
215lbs x 5

Pull-ups / Chin-ups:
10 alternating sets of 3 repetitions

Bridges:
3 x 1 minute

Pretty awesome workout considering how much candy/soda I'd been eating this weekend (Halloween). Good stuff.