MikeW

Hi Guys,

Another Newbie here. I'm just getting back into the swing of training after a tough couple of years and a move to Brisbane. Been lurking here heaps and reading everything. I'm still sorting my diet out and will up my protein to 300gm daily over 6 or more meals. I was there before but fell off the wagon. Used to do a 5x5 but burnt out and crashed and have now given up most of the gains I made. At present just having one or two WPC shakes a day on top of a relatively protein heavy diet but still way too little protein and to much other processed rubbish like my 6 weetbix for breakfast. I'll fix it.

So, head down and back into it. I'm only 5'6" and 72kg of which too much is body fat at present, maybe 20-25%. Eased into it today with what I thought would be a fairly soft start but the number of sets blew me away. This routine is the real deal!

I won't post every session but will post milestones.

Today's session:

ATG squats:

60x10
60x10
60x10

I know that is weak as. I had been squatting 120kg for that many reps previously but haven't trained legs in yonks and wanted to take it easy. When I burnt out last time it was my left knee that went first, then my right shoulder. Will up it to 70kg on Saturday and see how I go.

Touch and Go Bench:

60x8
60x8
60x8

Again, a fair bit lighter than where I was at around 90kg, but there you go. Only going to improve from here.

Bent-over Rows:

60x8
60x8
60x8

I've been at 60kg for my rows for over a year now. At least its one of the exercises where I haven't been losing strength.

Standing Military Press:

30x8 (felt a bit light)
35x8
35x8

By the end was feeling a bit wobbly upright. A lot of the core strength is gone from isolations and started to feel it in my lower back. Will need to recover that.

Straight Leg Deadlifts:

80x8
80x8
80x8

Felt good. Could inch up from here.

Barbell Bicep Curls:

35x8
35x8
35x8

A bit light, but I was flogged after all those sets and it was all I could do to pull off those last three sets. Endurance really needs some work.

Thanks to PTC for his programme and other newsletters and all his posts on the site. And to Fadi, Shrek, Hulk and others for all their great insights too. I'll be here for a while...

Will try and post some photos too but have never been one for that sort of stuff normally.

Cheers,
Mike

Fadi

Welcome aboard Mike, it's great that you've decided to get back into some physical activity. Well done!


Fadi.

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Shrek

Good solid program Mike.
Be sure to keep us updated.

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MikeW

Thanks Guys!

OK, update for today's workout. Surprised myself and lifted heavier in almost every exercise. But to be expected early I guess when I'm still finding my max lifts for 8 reps.

Squats:

65 x 10 Put an extra 5kg on but still felt light
70 x 10
70 x 10

10kg up on Thursday's workout. Might go up from 70kg next workout too.

Bench:

65 x 8
65 x 8
65 x 7 Failed on the last rep.

If I'd had a spot I'm sure I could have pushed it out. Will stick with 65kg next workout and do all three full sets.

Bent Over Rows:

62.5 x 8
62.5 x 8
62.5 x 8

60kg already felt heavy so just put a little bit on and managed to all three sets. Will see if I can do 65 for 3 sets next time.

Military Press:

37.5 x 8
37.5 x 8
37.5 x 8

Still wobbling a bit on the last couple and straining the lower back a bit. Core will come.

SLDL:

85 x 8
85 x 8
85 x 8

Grip strength started to go towards the end. I do have wrist straps but will stay "clean" and persist without them. I was doing 100kg deads with the wrist straps but I think grip strength is important too.

Barbell Curls:

37.5 x 8
37.5 x 8
37.5 x 8

Had to use an olympic bar with plates as the easy curl bars at Fatness First max out at 35kg. The knealing on the bar was really course and digs into the knuckle near your index finger. Just a bit distracting, but still got all three sets out up 2.5kg.

Felt surprising strong throughout. I had meant to train yesterday but woke up feeling like crap after the Thursday workout. Could hardly stand up having done squats for the first time in far too long. Today felt much recovered. Eating heaps with a bit more for good measure. Just BBQ'd 4kg of chicken breast for lunches through the week and bought some fish oil tabs to go with the WPC and multi-vitamins. That's it for supplements for now. My next 5kg WPC bag hasn't turned up from Bulk Nutrients yet. Hope it turns up on Monday.

Cheers,
Mike.

PS Have taken some before photos, but can't post the links yet as I haven't done 15 posts. Will post them up in a weeks time or so. Photos never lie and lets just say looking at them in the cold light of day is very insprational. I have a lot of work to do.

MikeW

Yesterday's workout (Tue 2nd Feb):

Bench:

65 x 8
65 x 7.5 (last rep didn't touch my chest)
65 x 8

Need to get more determination and grunt and really make every rep work.

Squats:

80 x 10 x 3

Killed it and will go up again next time.

Bentover Rows:

65 x 8 x 3

Keep inching up until I can't do 8 x 3

Military Press:

40 x 7 (failed last rep)
40 x 8
40 x 8

Again, needed to be more aggressive early. Feeling a bit flat.

Deadlifts:

90 x 8 x 3

Mostly stiff legs but did revert to standard deads for a couple of late reps.

Barbell Curls:

40 x 8 x 3

Felt heavy but got them all out.

Cheers,
Mike

Danco

Nice choice of program Mike.
Keep it consistent and your results will speak for themself

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Daniel

Mat77

Good work Mike, program is solid as long as the commitment matches.

Keep adding 2.5 or 5kg each time you hit your rep range and those numbers will shoot up in no time. Good luck.

Cheers, Mat

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180cm
87kg @ 01/09/10

MikeW

Thanks Guys,

That's the plan. I'm going up by more than 2.5kg at the moment on most lifts just because I haven't found my max working zone on most of them yet after a year or so cruising and stuffing around with split routines and iso's. Gonna stick with these big compounds and push myself every workout to add weight. As soon as I can push out 3 x 8 then its weight up for the next workout.

My trick will be eating enough. Its a challenge, but I'm working at it. Had 3 eggs on toast this morning, lunch #1 was steak and sweet potato, lunch #2 eating right now is chicken breast, rice and a peach, dinner will be meat and veg then a WPC shake before bed. If I have a cereal breakfast then I add a WPC shake in the morning to get some protein first thing.

Mat, they're some big lifts you're doing mate. I can't wait until I can bench 100kg or more. That's been one of my long term goals for far too long. Those Deads and Squats are huge but I can get my head around those numbers, but the 100kg military press is awesome. You must have some big delts and tris.

Cheers,
Mike

MikeW

Thu 04/02/2010

Squats:

80x10
90x10x2

Thought I'd push it so stepped up to 90kg. Felt good.

Bench:

70x8 Take that!
70x5 Bugga. Fail at 5.
60x8

Thought I'd shock the system a bit given 65kg was p!ssing me off. Pushed a full set out at 70kg but failed on the second. Actually had to get one of the guys to help lift the bar off my chest as I failed at the bottom on that 6th rep. Dropped it to 60kg and managed to squeeze out a final set but was completely flogged.

Bentover Rows:

70x8x3 PB

Form wasn't great on the last set but I remember Arnie once even advocating cheating on reps to increase your lifts is OK. I'll focus on form now that I've achieved this weight. I won't go up until I take that cheating out. Was using my lower back to propel it up towards the end, wasn't locked out.

Military Press:

40x8x3

Didn't feel as bad as last workout. Form much better.

Deads:

90x8
100x8x2 PB

Deads felt great. Grip strength just held in and had to individually prise each finger open after releasing the bar. Completely shot.

Barbell Curls:

40x8x3

Was a huge workout and I only just had enough energy to get these out again at the end.

Enjoyed this workout. Felt strong when I went into the room so threw everything at it.

Cheers,
Mike

Mat77

Thanks for the compliments Mike. Problem is that if you look closely at the second line on my sig you will see the date is 1/4/10. Those are my goal lifts for the first of April.
I reckon i will get the Deads and Squats (would go close now), not so sure about the overhead. Having said that even if i fall short and do 90kg overhead i wont be considering it to be a failure. 95% of the population probably couldnt do it. Either way cant wait for April 1, will have a couple of low volume days leading up and a shitload of food, smash the lifts then set new 3 month goals.

Cheers

__________________
180cm
87kg @ 01/09/10