View Full Version : Gnoll's Gnasty Training
Well, I've been keeping logs for about the last 4 months or so, been training seriously for almost a year now. A bit of background:
Spent a lot of my years extremely skinny, I am 6'1" and used to be consistently around 160lbs or so. Got married, got lazy, got fat and weak. sat at 210 lbs of blubbery badness for years, finally 4 years ago decided to do something about it. Cardio and weights cut me down to 170 lbs again, pretty cut but definitely skinny as hell. Kept this up for about a year or so, then went through some bad shit in my life and stopped working out again, got lazy, got fat...got pissed off. A year ago I cut back down to 180lbs, discovered Animal and got reborn. Been training heavy and eating heavier since then, now I am at 220lbs, but low bodyfat; this is the biggest I've been in my life. Some numbers since I started logging my progress back at the beginning of September:
Weight: 192lbs, now 220lbs
Flat BB Bench Press: 155x4, now 220x4
BB Bent Row: 120x4, now 200x6
Deads 190x3, now 300x4
All of my lifts have progressed really well, and continue to do so. I will continue to log workouts and progress on here, and look forward to looking back at this when I hit my first set of goals: 240lbs bodyweight, bench 300 for reps.
chest day...went a little somethin' like thiiis...
Flat BB Bench - 180x10, 200x7, 220x5, 220x5
Flat DB Fly - 45'sx10, 50'sx8, 55'sx7, 60'sx6
Incline BB Bench - 150x7, 155x6, 160x5, 170x5
Incline DB Fly - 45'sx8, 50'sx6, 55'sx6, 55'sx6
Pullovers - 60x10, 70x8, 75x8, 80x6
not too happy with the numbers today; if im not adding 5 lbs a week to my lifts, i ain't happy. added a few reps to them though, guess i should be ok with that.
Superbowl sunday was supposed to be back day, woke up with a bitch of a cold....F**K. diidn't lift yesterday, could hardly lift my head off the pillow. probably would have still lifted but was so congested i couldn't breath too good. Monday (today) is supposed to be a rest day, maybe if i feel a little better i will do back up today. I used to never get sick, this is now the third cold this year; WTF? i take multis and vit c, glutamine...gonna have to do some research on some kinda supp to help my immune system, its obviously screwed.
Enforcer25
02-05-07, 3:37 pm
Hey Gnoll, do you take Animal pak? The reason I ask is because that is the only multi I take and I haven't been sick in a long time. My wife and kids have gotten some nasty colds, but I haven't. I don't know if it can be attributed to the pak or not, but since I've been taking it I haven't gotten sick. Hope you got to workout out today.
Hey Gnoll, do you take Animal pak? The reason I ask is because that is the only multi I take and I haven't been sick in a long time. My wife and kids have gotten some nasty colds, but I haven't. I don't know if it can be attributed to the pak or not, but since I've been taking it I haven't gotten sick. Hope you got to workout out today.
i don't, for the only reason that its not available anywhere close to me, and last time i tried to order online it wasn't able to ship to Canada; i was also trying to order mstak at the same time, that may be why. i take a multi from GNC twice a day, and an extra 1000mg of vit c a day, and 2250mg of glutamine a day. i never used to get sick, just this year its got me bad. not feeling too bad right now, go home in an hour, so i'm thinkin' back is a go.
back day goes like this: had to keep the volume and weight down a little, started gettin' a headache and light headed half way through my deads; fuckin' cold.
BB Bent Rows - 150x10, 180x7, 205x6
Deadlifts - 210x8, 245x6, 275x5
Latpulldowns - 3 sets of 140x15
DB Bent Rows - 70x8, 80x7, 95x6
a short one today, hopefully enough to keep it growin'.
Enforcer25
02-05-07, 7:01 pm
Try fitnessone.com they ship to Canada, I've been ordering from them in the states and have been very happy with them.
Try fitnessone.com they ship to Canada, I've been ordering from them in the states and have been very happy with them.
thanks man, i'll check it out.
due to snowstorms, tuesdays leg session was cancelled, made up for it wednesday. as wed is usually arm day, i did legs and tri's wed and will do bi's with shoulders today. yesterday went like:
front Squats - warmup the quads with 4 sets of 140x8
lying leg curls 4 sets 95x8
leg extensions - 120x12, 145x10, 170x8, 170x8
walking lunges - 4 sets 120x6
standing calf raises - 3 sets
tricep pushdowns - 3 sets 135x10
skullcrushers - 3 sets 110x8
note: legs are def the weak point for me, never trained them much up until a few months ago when i got serious about training. they are far behind. some lifts are also going to have to become high rep such as leg extensions until i buy some more 50lb plates, as there is only so much room on the post. have been blessed with the skinny chicken leg syndrome, but they are starting to come around. starting.
shoulders....
seatedd military press - 4 sets 100x8, 110x6, 120x6, 125x5
bent lat raises - 4 sets 30'sx8
upright row - 80x10, 100x8, 110x8, 110x6
DB shoulder press - 45x8, 45x7, 50x7, 55x6
DB front raise - 2 sets 20'sx8
chest day...not real happy with the progress, so i changed things up a little:
BB Flat Bench - 190x7, 205x5, 220x3, 180x8, 160x10
DB Incline Fly - 4 sets 50x8
BB Incline Press - 130x8, 150x6, 170x4, 130x8
Pec Dec Flies - 5 sets 40x8
benzbilly
02-11-07, 12:16 am
Hey Gnoll. good gains, keep up the good work. If you still get sick after taking the Pak.try taking some additional ALA. I am a mechanic also & when everyone else in the dealership gets sick I take 200mg extra of ALA & I've been fine. I only really get sick if I forget to take it.
back today. was a good workout until midway through deads, my lower back flamed up again.
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 180x6, 200x5, 210x4
Deadlifts - 210x8, 240x6, 275x4
DB Bent Row - 70x10, 80x8, 95x6, 70x10
Shrugs - 4 sets 180x10
seems i messed my lower back up pretty good yesterday doin' deads. this isn't the first time its happened. i am usually pretty careful with form, and i know i can lift the weight in front of me, but it seems as soon as i try a heavy load i pay for it big time. i may have to eliminate conventional deads from the routine, maybe go back to strictly stiff legged deads on leg days. i don't want to be layed up every week i do deads, and my back doesn't seem to want to support the weight.
figured i would do arms today instead of legs, give my back one more day of rest before putting a big load on it. feels good now though.
DB Hammer Curls - 3 sets 40x8
Tricep Pushdowns - 80x20, 100x15, 100x10
BB Curls - 75x10, 85x8, 95x6
Dips - 3 sets Bodyweightx10
Concentration Curls - 45x8, 45x6, 45x5
leg day:
warmup w/ 3 sets squats 145x8
leg curls - 85x8, 95x8, 100x6, 100x5
walking lunges w/ DB - 3 sets 90x5
leg extensions - 120x10, 145x8, 170x8, 170x8
good workout. i need a squat rack really badly. with no rack i have to hoist the weight up over my head; making it even tougher i have 7 foot ceilings and i'm 6 feet tall. can only really use the squat as a warmup because of this. perhaps i should betrying front squats...
shoulders last night:
seated military press - 110x8, 120x6, 120x5
standing lat raise - 3 sets 25x7
BB upright row - 80x8, 90x7, 100x7, 110x6
seated DB shoulder press - 45x8, 50x8, 55x6, 55x6
standing DB front raise - 3 sets 25x6
took it a little easy tonight, my body says its rest time. friday is a day off, lookin' forward to chest on saturday...my favourite day.
chest....
DB Incline Flies - 50x10, 55x8, 60x7
Flat BB Bench - 180x8, 205x5, 220x2, 180x6, 130x10
Pec Dec Flies - 40x10, 40x10, 50x8
Incline DB Press - 60'sx10, 70'sx8, 70'sx8
Pullovers - 70x10, 70x8
still not progressing well on the chest. in fact reps were a little down from normal. not sure what to do...keep working i guess.
Enforcer25
02-18-07, 10:28 am
Keep hitting the chest, my numbers on the bench stayed the same near the end of this last workout. I'm hoping this new routine will help me get to 225 and beyond. I know the results will come with time.
Keep hitting the chest, my numbers on the bench stayed the same near the end of this last workout. I'm hoping this new routine will help me get to 225 and beyond. I know the results will come with time.
ya you're right...its a marathon...
back today...
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 180x8, 210x4
Seated Cable Row - 100x15, 120x10, 120x10
DB Bent Row - 70x8, 85x8, 95x6
Reverse DB Incline Rows - 40'sx10, 50'sx10, 60'sx10
Reverse Lat Pulldown - 120x10, 140x8, 140x8
Shrugs - 170x10, 200x10
kinda messed around with some different excercises today...keep it fresh. heading to Vegas for 4 days tomorrow, gonna take it as some r'n'r time...till saturday.
well, due to my recent travels, extreme jetlag and two very early mornings at work, i am postponing todays workout until tomorrow. i am not happy with how my current routine is going, and want to introduce some cardio back into the mix, so i am going to start Animal Routine 5 tomorrow. looking forward to the new challenge for sure. i am going to throw in a bit of shoulder work, but will otherwise stay true to the routine.
starting routine #5 today. i was skeptical at the workout - not much to it. it seemed. wrong. i had a great pump and wobbly legs after...awesome!
squats - 140x8, 150x6, 150x4
leg curls - 85x8, 95x6, 110x4, 145x2, 50x22
leg extensions - 120x8, 145x6, 170x6, 170x6, 85x15
Enforcer25
02-25-07, 1:56 pm
I liked 5 and I'm thinking of going back to it when I finish cutting. I've used it off and on before and was very happy with the results. Good luck with #5 and keep posting your results. I think like the description says, it's a good workout to get out of a rut or when you are looking for a change. I think the last set at 50% after the other sets really gives you a great pump and workout.
I liked 5 and I'm thinking of going back to it when I finish cutting. I've used it off and on before and was very happy with the results. Good luck with #5 and keep posting your results. I think like the description says, it's a good workout to get out of a rut or when you are looking for a change. I think the last set at 50% after the other sets really gives you a great pump and workout.
definitely a goopd pump. as i said i was pretty skeptical about doinf this routine, it didn't seem like it was enough volume, but now that i have tried the first day, i am excited to try the rest. one thing i noticed though: no shoulders work. did you throw any in the mix? seems odd that there isn't any separate shoulder excercises.
Enforcer25
02-26-07, 1:30 pm
No I didn't do anything for my shoulders, I just did most of the exercises that were listed. Glad to hear you are liking the routine, I think you will be happy at the end and if you want to throw in some shoulder work, you know it can't hurt. Keep up the posts.
fucked my back up again. not the lower back this time, feels like its under the shoulder blade this time. did it during bent rows. not sure what happened, it felt fine after the workout, just woke up this morning and could hardly move. hopefully its better for tomorrows chest day.
BB Bent Rows - 180x8, 200x6, 210x4, 220x2, 90x20
Lat Pulldowns - 100x8, 150x6, 170x4, 170x2, 50x15
DB Row - 70x8, 85x6, 95x4, 105x2, 35x20
BB Curl - 80x8, 90x6, 95x4, 100x2, 40x10
Con Curl - 35x8, 40x6, 45x4, 45x2, 20x15
Hammer Curl - 25x8, 30x6, 35x4, 40x2, 15x20
fuckin' pump after this workout was awesome. i am really liking this routine so far. the last set of 50% starting weight is killer.
Enforcer25
02-28-07, 12:10 pm
Hope you get beeter, I've had some back issues to and try my best to strengthen and stretch my back, thankfully it has been awhile since I've had any problems. Ifigured you'd like this workout after you did it for awhile. I think I'll go back to it after I'm done cutting. Get well and I'll be following the progress.
thanks enforcer. i think i am going to be doing some extra stretching before back days from now on. this ones a bad one; i can hardly bend my neck forward or bend over. getting f'ing tired of back problems every time i do back day. the strength is there, but somethings not happy with the load. hopefully it goes away before thursday, i am looking forward to chest day on this new routine.
TheNaturalG
02-28-07, 4:28 pm
Nice workout yesterday bro. Strong lifts all around. I hope your back heals up fast.
Hey, how is your back holding up?
Hey, how is your back holding up?
not so good. been popping Robaxecet (sp?) all day, helps a bit but this ones a killer. im gettin' sick of the back pain, usually lower but this one feels like a pull right behind the shoulder blade. rest day today, i'm hittin' chest tomorrow unless i'm hunched right over!
back felt about 90% so i decided to carry on as scheduled. chest has been a dioscouragement for me lately; no progress at all. the numbers didn't move anywhere this workout, but the pump i had in my chest on this new routine was better than i have had in a few weeks; hopefully it will translate into gains soon.
Flat BB Bench Press - 180x8, 195x6, 210x4, 220x2, 90x15
Pec Dec - 40x8, 50x6, 60x4, 70x2, 30x30
Incline BB Bench Press - 130x8, 140x6, 155x4, 160x2, 80x15
Incline DB Flies - 45x8, 50x6, 55x4, 60x2, 20x20
then came tri's...apparently my tri's were fried from the chest workout, as i couldn't do much...
Dips - BWx6, BWx3...dead!
Tri Pushdowns - 50x8, 70x5, 80x4...dead!
man my tri's were absolutely trashed...and pumped! after a few dips i couldn't even hold my bodyweight up, my arms were shakin' so bad. definitely a spot to work on, and probably a big reason my bench is suffering.
Enforcer25
03-02-07, 12:47 pm
Glad the back is doing better, the lifts look good, now what you mean about the bench. I haven't been happy with mine either. I'm going to keep on pushin. Hopefully the stretching will help, I usually do about 4 or 5 stretches after I'm done with cardio. I might do a couple before if I feel like I need to. Keep up the hard work.
Glad the back is doing better, the lifts look good, now what you mean about the bench. I haven't been happy with mine either. I'm going to keep on pushin. Hopefully the stretching will help, I usually do about 4 or 5 stretches after I'm done with cardio. I might do a couple before if I feel like I need to. Keep up the hard work.
yup. thats all we can do man...keep pushin'...
Walking Lunges - 90x8, 100x6, 110x4, 120x2
Leg Curls - 95x8, 110x6, 120x4, 125x2, 75x15
Leg Extensions - 120x8, 145x6, 170x4, 190x2, 75x15
20 min cardio on bike
strange day in the routine. i added some shoulder work on this day, here is what went down:
Stiff Legged Deads - 180x8, 225x6, 245x4, 260x2, 90x20
Shrugs - 100x8, 150x6, 200x4, 220x2, 80x15
DB Shoulder Press - 45x8, 50x6, 55x4, 60x2, 20x20
BB Upright Row - 80x8, 100x6, 115x4, 125x2, 60x18
Enforcer25
03-06-07, 7:37 pm
Good numbers, glad you are liking the workout and tweaking it to your liking, that's what is so great about workouts, you can change them to suit your needs and goals, I used to be so stuck on doing things exactly as written, but realized that doesn't always work for me, hope the change up gives you the results you want.
BB Bent Row - 185x8, 200x6, 215x4, 225x2, 95x18
Lat Pulldowns - 110x8, 120x6, 125x4, 60x20
DB Row - 75x8, 85x6, 100x4, 110x2, 40x17
BB Curl - 85x8, 95x6, 100x4, 40x15
Standing DB Curl - 35x8, 40x6, 45x4, 15x18
felt good tonight, and NO BACK PAIN!!! WOOHOO!!!!
Good numbers, glad you are liking the workout and tweaking it to your liking, that's what is so great about workouts, you can change them to suit your needs and goals, I used to be so stuck on doing things exactly as written, but realized that doesn't always work for me, hope the change up gives you the results you want.
thanks bro. i am really stoked about this routine. i am sorer, more pumped and definitely feel like i have worked the muscles after. i am looking forward to seeing some results. how long did you stay with this routine?
glad the back is feelin better bro. keep up the sick work.
Enforcer25
03-07-07, 1:23 am
I've used it off and on for awhile, it's really the only routine I've come back to. The longest I did this was about six weeks. I will go back to it after this cutting phase and I think I'll try it for 8 weeks. I just had to lose BF before I could concentrate on bulking up. I think this workout is great to shake things up, just like the AOM describes it. Glad to see you are liking it.
did chest today instead of with tri's tomorrow as i will be short on time tomorow; glad i did, best chest workout in a while and added 5 lbs to every lift.
BB Flat Bench - 185x8, 200x6, 215x4, 225x2, 95x20
Pec Dec - 40x8, 50x6, 60x4, 60x2, 30x20
Incline BB Bench - 140x8, 150x6, 160x4, 170x2, 80x20
Incline DB Fly - 45x8, 50x6, 55x4, 60x2, 25x18
missed tri's on thursday, so made them up today. one of those days that no matter how mant sets you do, you feel like you can do more. awesome.
Front Squats - 80x10, 100x8, 120x6, 130x4, 150x2
Leg Curls - 100x8, 110x6, 135x4, 150x2, 50x20
Leg Extensions - 145x8, 170x6, 185x4, 205x2, 85x20
Walking Lunges - 4 sets of 80xfailure
Tricep Pushdowns - 4 sets
Skullcrushers - 3 sets
SL Deads - 220x8, 240x6, 255x4, 265x2, 110x16
Shrugs - 180x8, 200x6, 225x4, 255x2, 90x20
Seated DB Lat Raise - 20'sx8, 25x6, 30x4, 30x2, 10x12
Seated DB Shoulder Press - 45x8, 50x6, 55x4, 60x2, 30x12
BB Bent Row - 190x8, 205x6, 220x4, 230x2, 100x18
Lat Pulldowns - 80x8, 100x6, 125x4, 145x2, 60x25
Bent DB Row - 80x8, 95x6, 105x4, 115x2, 40x18
BB Curl - 85x8, 90x6, 100x4, 45x12
Con Curl - 30x8, 35x6, 40x4, 15x16
wasn't feeling to hot tonight, had a long day and was very tired going into the workout. numbers weren't where i wanted them, but not too bad:
BB Flat Bench - 195x8, 205x6, 220x3, 225x2, 100x16
Pec Dec - 40x8, 50x6, 50x4, 60x2, 30x18
Incline BB Bench - 140x8, 155x6, 165x3, 80x18
Incline DB Fly - 40x8, 45x6, 50x4, 60x2, 25x20
Tri Pushdown - 50x8, 70x6, 80x3, 30x30
DB Tri Extension (behind Head) - 25x8, 30x6, 40x5*
* never tried these before...form was pretty bad, but will continue to try them as my tri pump was pretty good.
Enforcer25
03-17-07, 11:50 am
Don't worry about the numbers, at least you went and worked out, most people would have skipped it.
Front Squat - 100x8, 130x6, 145x4, 155x2
Leg Curls - 95x8, 110x6, 145x4, 155x2, 75x15
Leg Extensions - 145x8, 170x6, 200x4, 215x2, 90x20
Stiff Legged Deads - 230x8, 245x6, 255x4, 265x2
Glad to see you mixing it up with Routine #5 and making some progress on your chest.
widdlewade44
03-19-07, 3:45 pm
Nice looking log gnoll5.
Glad to see you're using TR# 5 too. I've been using it for about 6 weeks, including my ATP testing. I tweaked it too b/c of no listed shoulder work. I liked the TR's mix and it has been beneficial for me by making me do things in different orders, etc., stuff I wouldn't have done or thought about without the TR's 'constraints'.
Spliting the back work into upper and lower back over two workouts has been a help too. I've had more strength and endurance overall and my numbers have steadily risen.
Hope your back's doing better now and keep up the good work. Peace.
Kevin
widdlewade44
Nice looking log gnoll5.
Glad to see you're using TR# 5 too. I've been using it for about 6 weeks, including my ATP testing. I tweaked it too b/c of no listed shoulder work. I liked the TR's mix and it has been beneficial for me by making me do things in different orders, etc., stuff I wouldn't have done or thought about without the TR's 'constraints'.
Spliting the back work into upper and lower back over two workouts has been a help too. I've had more strength and endurance overall and my numbers have steadily risen.
Hope your back's doing better now and keep up the good work. Peace.
Kevin
widdlewade44
thanks for the comments bro. i am really liking this routine. i am about 4 weeks into it, and making steady gains for the most part. i have decided to stick with it for another 4 weeks or so, but instead of throwing some shoulder work in here and there, i am going to move all the back work and leg work into their respective days, and devote a day solely to shoulders, following the same set/rep scheme. i think it will work out nicely.
unfortunately i think i am going to have to incorporate some cardio back into the mix, as i am not liking the spare tire starting to develop around the waist. i am not concerned with having a 6 pack, but i also don't want a keg hanging there over the belt. on all off days from lifting i will be doing 20-30 minutes on a stationary bike. won't bother logging it; that would be as boring to read as it is to do it!! bodyweight right now is about 220lbs...probably look to shed about 5-10 pounds of fat, hopefully try to keep my bodyweight up around 212-215 while dropping the fat. i need to be careful, as i am naturally lean and could cardio myself right down pretty quickly.
Enforcer25
03-20-07, 9:42 am
Cardio does suck, but I guess it's a necessary evil. The weather is getting nicer here, so I will start biking and doing more outside in addition to the treadmill.
i'm thinkin' i might need to switch tri's to another day; they are just too trashed after doing chest to get a really good workout in. on the other hand, maybe just finishing them off on chest day and letting them grow for the week is all i need...any suggestions?
BB Flat bench - 190x8, 205x6, 220x4, 230x2, 100x15
Pec Dec - 50x8, 50x6, 60x4, 30x15
BB Incline Bench - 130x8, 140x5, 145x3, 80x16
DB Incline Fly - 45x8, 55x6, 55x4, 60x2, 30x15
Dips BWx6, BWx3
Tri Pushdowns - 30x10, 50x8, 60x6, 30x20
why not just do an arm day? Like I do arms on fridays..at the end of the week and really blow them up, this way come monday, when I do chest and back...I am good to go.
I normally do chest and back on monday, tuesday is leg day, wednesday is shoulders, thursday rest/or light cardio, friday arms, saturday I normally do hams and cardio but I am resting tomorrow and cardio on sundays. I throw in abs and calves all around my split. Cardio gets moved around too, depending on how I feel, but I do cardio 5x a week during the day and another 3x in the evening. But that is just because its show prep time.
I am fresh come monday. Just an idea.
why not just do an arm day? Like I do arms on fridays..at the end of the week and really blow them up, this way come monday, when I do chest and back...I am good to go.
I normally do chest and back on monday, tuesday is leg day, wednesday is shoulders, thursday rest/or light cardio, friday arms, saturday I normally do hams and cardio but I am resting tomorrow and cardio on sundays. I throw in abs and calves all around my split. Cardio gets moved around too, depending on how I feel, but I do cardio 5x a week during the day and another 3x in the evening. But that is just because its show prep time.
I am fresh come monday. Just an idea.
i have been thinking of this too. i moved from a 5 day split to a 4 day for several reasons: lack of time, upping ther cardio and just found i was getting run down pretty quick on a 5 day split, so i am hesitant to go back to a 5 day as i have been making nice gains on the 4. i may have to though, as i said before my arms are pretty shot after working back and chest before hand, especially tri's. i guess on the flip side if i take tri's and bi's out of where they are now and make them a separate day, it will keep my workouts down to the hour mark, which is where i need them to be, more or less. i may end up doing this....hmmmm....
ironshaolin
03-23-07, 2:31 pm
I work a 4 day split too. Time constraints. My split looks like this:
Day1: shoulders/triceps
Day 2: back
Day3: off
Day 4: Chest/biceps
Day 5: legs
So far I've found this split to be the most effective for me. I also throw in abs and calves wheverever possible. Usually 2 days of calves, 2-3 of abs, although I often do abs on off days, and sometimes everyday. I really like the day 1 and day 4 pairings. Besides a specific arm day, these are the best to me. Back and legs I feel are both so complicated they definately need their own day to hit them from all angles.
you can surely do this in a 4 day split...
similar to me...mon can be chest and back (you got that push/pull thing going on here).
tues can be legs
wed can be shoulders or rest that day and do shoulders thursday
and friday can be arms
rest sat and sun so your fresh to kill chest and back monday again.
Mon would be your long day. Throw in abs and calves between the other days, between sets.
I did Routine #7 (a 4/3 split) for similar reasons (lack of time, run down). It really helped having a day off after a big lift. I wasn't feeling rundown either for the next workout.
Giant Killer
03-23-07, 3:26 pm
On the flip side, why would you want to change if the tri's are getting a good workout? I guess if you think your chest is getting less because of this, move it.
On the flip side, why would you want to change if the tri's are getting a good workout? I guess if you think your chest is getting less because of this, move it.
see this is what i have been wondering. is all of the movements associated with the chest hitting the tri's enough, with whatever i can muster at the end solely for tri's? they are pumped and sore the next day. i am wondering if i am doing enough, just a lot of it indirectly.
had to miss my workout yesterday; away at a hockey game!! mixed legs and shouldersin today:
Walking Lunges - 60x8, 90x6, 110x4
Leg Curls - 95x8, 115x6, 135x4, 145x2, 75x16
Leg Extensions - 155x8, 180x6, 200x4, 215x4, 120x15
DB Seated Shoulder Press - 45x8, 50x6, 55x4, 60x2, 25x20
BB Upright Row - 80x8, 105x6, 120x4
BB Bent Row - 190x8, 210x6, 225x4, 235x2, 100x20
Lat Pulldown - 95x10, 110x8, 130x6, 145x2, 60x30
Bent DB Row - 85x8, 100x6, 110x4, 50x15
BB Curl - 90x6, 90x6, 95x4, 60x10
DB Hammer Curl - 35x6, 35x6, 40x4, 20x12
mixed it up a bit tionight, some higher reps, and threw the dips in second, to give them an honest go. they were....humbling!! just when you think you're strong and all that, you always find something that reminds you just where you are. they are a good workout though, and will remain high in the arsenal.
BB Bench - 180x10, 195x6, 210x3, 220x2, 230x1, 110x16
Dips - BW(220)x8, BWx6, BWx4, BWx4
Incline Flies - 50x10, 55x7, 60x4, 30x15
Incline BB Press - 110x8, 125x6, 140x4, 70x12
Pec Dec Flies - 40x8, 40x6, 50x3, 20x20
Tri Kickbacks - 30x10, 35x8, 40x6
Tri Pushdowns - 50x12, 60x8, 75x4
DB Shoulder Press - 45x10, 50x8, 55x6, 60x4, 25x14
Standing DB Lat Raise - 20x8, 20x6, 25x4, 10x10
BB Upright Row - 75x10, 90x8, 100x6, 110x4, 60x15
Standing DB Front Raise - 15x10, 20x8, 25x4
After the workout and cardio, i had to go out and look at a house with my wife. i was doing great until we went to go upstairs to check things out; i think the lady showing the house and my wife thinks i am on drugs...it wasn't pretty!!
Front Squat - 100x8, 130x6, 150x4, 165x2, 60x12
Leg Curls - 100x8, 120x6, 145x4, 85x15
Leg Extensions - 170x8, 200x6, 215x4, 120x15
Walking Lunges - 50x8, 40x6, 100x4
15 mins on bike.
Enforcer25
04-02-07, 8:29 pm
Man I can just imagine what that must have felt like after that leg workout. The workouts are looking good.
Man I can just imagine what that must have felt like after that leg workout. The workouts are looking good.
thanks bro...gotta learn myself some patience in this game, i expect too much each day.
shuffled my chest and back days this week as i felt a bit sore in the usual spot in my back. also this is the last tri's i will do with chest, arms will get their own day next week.
BB Flat Bench - 190x8, 210x6, 220x4, 230x2, 130x12
Dips - BWx8, BWx6, BWx5, BWx6
DB Incline Fly - 50x10, 55x7, 60x5, 35x15
BB Incline Press - 130x8, 150x4, 160x3, 80x18
Pec Dec - 30x10, 40x8, 50x4, 30x12
Tri Pushdown - 50x15, 65x10, 70x8
Bent DB Row - 80x10, 90x8, 100x6, 110x4, 45x15
Deadlifts - 230x8, 260x6, 280x4, 300x2
BB Bent Row - 180x7, 195x6, 205x4, 130x12
Behind Head Lat Pulldowns - 80x15, 100x12, 110x12, 130x8
Didn't have a lot left in the tank after the deads; may have to leave them until last next time.
Bent Lat Raise - 20x10, 25x8, 30x6, 30x10
DB Shoulder Press - 45x12, 50x9, 55x6, 30x14
BB Upright Row - 70x12, 85x10, 100x6, 110x6
Seated Lat Raise - 15x10, 15x9, 15x8
BB Curls - 60x12, 70x10, 85x8, 95x6
superset w/
Kickbacks - 35x12, 40x10, 45x8, 50x6
DB Hammer Curls - 30x12, 35x8, 40x5, 20x20
superset w/
Tri Pushdowns - 60x12, 80x8, 85x5, 40x20
TheNaturalG
04-09-07, 10:26 pm
Nice strong workout bro. I would try and get a heavy compound movement in their though for triceps.
Nice strong workout bro. I would try and get a heavy compound movement in their though for triceps.
what do you suggest?
Hollow1
04-10-07, 10:21 am
what do you suggest?
Possible close grip presses.
Possible close grip presses.
actually i have thrown these in from time to time. a question: do you guys think that varying the excercises and rep schemes week to week is detremental to training? i do this just to keep the muscles guessing and to shake things up week to week. or should i be doing the same excercises with the same rep schemes week after week?
I know some people like to change it up every workout, myself I have a set routine I like to follow. Compound movements are always in and the isolation movements I will change every 2 - 3 workouts.
Whether a person was bulking or cutting maybe a factor as well.
took it lighter on the back tonight as i had just trained it 4 days ago but want to get back on schedule.
BB Bent Row - 180x8, 200x6, 215x4, 225x4, 130x14
Lat Pulldowns - 90x14, 110x12, 130x8
DB Rows - 85x10, 95x7, 105x5, 50x15
Deadlifts - 230x8, 250x6, 270x4
well, the workout started kinda shitty and ended abruptly. my wife had to go to the hospital and i had to look after 4 kids, so the workout got cut way short; sucks, but such is life sometimes. BUT....i had a revelation, and a new course to follow.
i LOVE benching.
there, its out! when i really stopped to think about it, its the whole reason i started lifting. i remember watching my brother and dad benching way back when i was a kid, and being awestruck by the weights being pushed. throughout the years, i watched and followed as much as i could about benching. abs? who cares. dieting...ummmm....no. i want to be big, i want to be strong. end of sentence. period. and i want more than anything to be a big bencher, always have and always will. its the one lift i truly dream about and visualise all week until chest day.
i bought an issue of Ironman magazine a few months ago, because it had an article and training routine aimed at taking your bench from a 225 max 1 rep to 3 reps of 315 in a year. i am going to make this my goal now. from here on in, its all about the bench. mostly. i will still train the other parts once aweek as i do now. with the bench program there are of course some other foundational excercises to do, which i do now, so restructuring my training won't be a big change. the details? stay tuned.
as mentioned the article is in Ironman mag, November 2006 issue. the article is by a guy called ryan 'benchmonster' kennelly. i will outline the routine as i go, for any interested. my testimant right now to all my animal bros:
i will bench 315 in a year.
i will bench 500 in two years.
stay tuned.
Giant Killer
04-13-07, 8:17 pm
i will outline the routine as i go, for any interested.
Yes, I am interested. Sounds like a plan.
here is what my split and rep schemes will look like for the bench program:
Saturday - chest/tri's
Sunday - shoulders/bi's
Tuesday - back
Thursday - legs
i will outline the total reps and weights and excercises as i go. an exmaple of my first chest day will look like:
BB Flat Bench: 20lbsx20 repsx 1 set
85lbsx12 repsx 1 set
100x3x8
seems light, it is light, but i am going to follow this right from the start. other excercises outlines after flat benches are basically a 5x5 rep/set scheme comprising of:
close-grip incline presses
skullcrushers
tri pushdowns
power rack lockouts**
** this is the only problem presenting itself so far. i workout at home and don't have a rack, so i am not sure what to substitute here...any suggestions?
they also put emphasis on doing front and lat raises for the shoulders. i will do these the next day, keeping the workout timesa little bit down and training the shoulders a little harder than outlined in the article; hopfully this won't hurt my progress, i will have to wait and see how it goes.
Sir J-Werk
04-13-07, 9:34 pm
Looks like you have a good plan laid out before you! Good luck getting that bench up, Brother! We will all be watching!
Stay Strong, stay Focused, stay Animal!
Respect.
I don't know what your budget allows or if you have the room for a full rack but when I was out looking at houses I came across one guy who had a make shift rack in his basement. It was an older home so he had limited height to work with. It was about 6 feet high, the bottom was anchored into the floor and had support brackets anchored into the wall. He had it made from a local fabricating/weld shop. Don't know if this helps you any.
Giant Killer
04-14-07, 10:23 am
power rack lockouts**
** this is the only problem presenting itself so far. i workout at home and don't have a rack, so i am not sure what to substitute here...any suggestions?
Looks like this plan is based on building strength in the tri's & building endurance & then strength in the chest. Looks well rounded.
The basis for the power rack lockouts is to just get the top part of the bench press motion where the triceps are most involved. You can simulate this same "power rack lockout" by doing a standard bench press, but lock out, then just let it down a tiny bit, and lock it out again. Stay in the top part of the range of motion with these "partials" and focus on the triceps locking out the weight.
Looks like this plan is based on building strength in the tri's & building endurance & then strength in the chest. Looks well rounded.
The basis for the power rack lockouts is to just get the top part of the bench press motion where the triceps are most involved. You can simulate this same "power rack lockout" by doing a standard bench press, but lock out, then just let it down a tiny bit, and lock it out again. Stay in the top part of the range of motion with these "partials" and focus on the triceps locking out the weight.
yup, i was thinkin' the same; thanks giant_killer.
started off the program today even though i had done 5 sets of bench and 4 sets of dips last night. i figured i would go ahead with it since it starts pretty light.
BB Flat Bench - 20x20x1, 85x12x1, 100x3x8
Close grip Presses - 100x5, 115x5, 130x5, 145x5, 155x5
Incline Flyes - 45x8, 50x6, 55x5, 60x5, 60x5
Skullcrushers - 60x5, 70x5, 80x5, 85x5
thats all i did for today; kept it a little lighter as i did work the chest yesterday too, but i wanted to get this started. the flat benches were very light, but by the end of the 8th set of 100, i could definitely feel the work on my chest.
Enforcer25
04-14-07, 10:05 pm
Good luck on the bench goal, seems like a good plan and an attainable goal in the time frame given. I look forward to following your progression.
did a '5x5' program today,sort of, mostly because i wasn't sure if a lower rep/heavier weight scheme was the way to go. i have been doing some reading on critical bench.com and am getting an idea of what to do when and for how much, and will adjust accordingly.
Bent Lat Raise - 20x5, 30x5, 35x5
DB Shoulder Press - 40'sx5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5
DB Front Raise - 20x5, 25x5, 25x5, 30x5
BB Curl - 80x5, 95x5, 105x5, 105x5
DB Hammer Curls - 30x5, 35x5, 40x5
BB Bent Row - 130x12, 180x8, 200x6, 210x6, 220x4, 230x3, 130x14
Lat Pulldowns - 110x10, 130x8, 130x8
DB Row - 75x8, 85x8, 95x6, 100x6, 40x20
Deadlifts - 250x6, 270x5, 285x3, 300x1
got at it a little late, so it was a short but sweet leg session...def had a nice pump after.
Front Squat - 100x8, 130x7, 150x5, 170x2
Leg Curls - 120x10, 135x6, 145x5, 85x16
Leg Extensions - 155x10, 170x10, 190x8, 205x6, 225x4
2nd week into the routine, still very light but hopfully it works.
BB Bench - 60x20x1, 85x12x1, 115x3x8
Close Grip Press - 115x10, 135x7, 150x6, 160x4, 160x4
Flat DB Fly - 45x8, 50x6, 55x5, 60x5
Tri Pushdowns - 50x18, 70x10, 70x8, 75x4
Skullcrushers - 70x7, 80x6, 85x5
You are absolutely right when you say sticking to a plan instead of changing it up too often. The same goes with dieting. Consistency is what gets your metabolism on a routine. It is good to change things after a while of doing the same old, same old and once you notice your body does not respond to what your doing any longer. It really is a matter of taking the time to learn your body, and how to constantly stimulate it to change the way you want it to. this all takes time..not constant jumping around when your not satisfied with results after 1 week. Sometimes you need a month before actually seeing changes and progress.
You have the right idea, wo's look great, your motivation is high...this is what the making of an athlete is all about...heart, soul, mind, and patience...keep doing what your doing...I see great gains coming your way...dont give up and always move foward. I'll be back!
You are absolutely right when you say sticking to a plan instead of changing it up too often. The same goes with dieting. Consistency is what gets your metabolism on a routine. It is good to change things after a while of doing the same old, same old and once you notice your body does not respond to what your doing any longer. It really is a matter of taking the time to learn your body, and how to constantly stimulate it to change the way you want it to. this all takes time..not constant jumping around when your not satisfied with results after 1 week. Sometimes you need a month before actually seeing changes and progress.
You have the right idea, wo's look great, your motivation is high...this is what the making of an athlete is all about...heart, soul, mind, and patience...keep doing what your doing...I see great gains coming your way...dont give up and always move foward. I'll be back!
thanks Toni, means a lot coming from someone who knows. i am excited about this routine; i love benching, and won't be happy until i am pushing huge numbers.
If you want..I can give you a chest routine that really helped me get stronger pretty quick. Its challenging and rewarding. But you must stick with it for a while and it will really help your bench get stronger.
You have to know your 1RM for this wo. Do you want to try it?
If you want..I can give you a chest routine that really helped me get stronger pretty quick. Its challenging and rewarding. But you must stick with it for a while and it will really help your bench get stronger.
You have to know your 1RM for this wo. Do you want to try it?
i appreciate the offer, but i want to stick this routine out. as mentioned earlier it is by ryan kennelly, a massive bencher, and the routine spans 48 weeks taking your 225 1RM to 315 for 3 reps. i will def keep you in mind though.
went a little lighter and slower yesterday, concentrating on form and pump. seems to have worked, i am sore as hell today.
Seated DB Lat Raise - 25x6, 25x5, 25x4, 20x7
DB Front Raise - 25x6, 25x5, 25x4, 20x5
DB Shoulder Press - 45x7, 50x6, 55x3, 35x10
BB Curls - 60x10, 80x8, 90x6, 100x5
Concentration Curls - 35x8, 40x5, 45x4, 25x9
awesome back day, set PR's on the deadlifts, last two sets. YAHHH!!!
Deadlift - 80x10,200x8, 250x6, 290x4, 305x3(PR), 315x2(PR)
DB Row - 70x10, 85x8, 100x6, 110x4
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 180x6, 200x5, 210x4, 100x12
week 3 of the program.
BB Flat Bench - Barx20, 85x12, 125x3x8
Close Grip Press - 125x8, 140x8, 160x6, 170x4, 170x4
DB Fly - 45x8, 50x8, 55x6, 60x5
Skullcrushers - 80x8, 90x7, 100x4, 60x10
Tri Pushdowns - 60x10, 65x10, 70x6
Saeted DB Shoulder Press - 45x8, 50x8, 55x7, 60x4, 35x10
BB Upright Row - 80x12, 95x8, 105x7, 115x5, 60x14
Seated Lat Raise - 20x6, 20x6, 25x4, 12x10
BB Curls - 65x12, 85x8, 95x5, 105x5
DB Concentration Curls - 35x8, 40x6, 45x4, 25x10
Congrats on setting PR's on your last back workout!
Congrats on setting PR's on your last back workout!
thanks bro, its def a nice feeling.
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 180x8, 200x6, 215x5, 225x4, 130x12
Shrugs - 180x10, 200x8, 215x7, 225x5
Deadlifts - 225x8, 265x6, 295x3, 310x2
DB Row - 65x10, 75x10, 90x7, 100x5
missed my damn leg day, gonna make it up tomorrow with shoulders. week 4 of the routine.
BB Bench Press - Barx20, 85x12, 135x3x8
Close Grip Press - 135x8, 150x6, 160x5, 170x2, 130x7
Flat DB Fly - 50'sx8, 55x7, 60x6, 65x4
Incline DB Press - 65'sx8, 70x6, 50x9
Skullcrushers - 80x8, 95x6, 105x4, 60x12
Tri Pushdowns - 60x10x2, 65x8, 65x7
not an ideal split, but i def had to get some sets in on the legs. tweaked something in my neck doing BB Presses, so didn't do much after that. doesn't feel too bad, but didn't want to risk furthur injury.
One Legged Lying Curls - 50x10, 65x8, 70x7, 50x8
Leg Extensions - 145x10, 170x10, 190x8, 210x8, 230x6
Walking Lunges - 70x8, 90x7, 90x6
Behind Neck BB Presses - 80x10, 100x8, 115x4, 80x7
Seated Lat Raise - 20x8, 20x6, 20x6, 25x4
deads - 200x8, 250x6, 285x4, 305x4, 315x2
DB Row - 70x10, 85x8, 95x7, 50x15
BB Bent Row - 130x8, 150x6, 170x6, 190x5, 205x4
another week into the bench routine. getting frustrating not moving big weight, but gotta stick with it.
BB Bench - barx20, 85x12, 115x6, 145x3x8
Close Grip Press - 130x8, 145x8, 160x6, 170x3, 80x15
DB Flat Fly - 50x8, 55x8, 60x6, 65x4
Skullcrushers - 85x8, 90x7, 100x6, 60x10
Tri Pushdowns - 60x10, 60x12, 65x8, 70x4
just to mix it up a bit, i did some supersets at the end. what a reality check staring at 20 lbs and willing yourself to move it!!
DB Shoulder Press - 50x10, 55x8, 60x5, 50x7
BB Upright Row - 90x10, 100x8, 110x6, 120x5
DB lat Raise - 15x8, 15x8, 20x7
superset with
DB Front Raise - 15x6, 15x4, 20x3
BB Curls - 80x10, 90x8, 100x6, 60x10
hammer Curl - 20x10, 30x7, 35x6, 20x14
superset with
Concentration Curls - 20x6, 30x4, 35x3, 20x6
got my flex hat today, and in the box was some Storm/Shock samples. Yay!! tried the Shock before my workout; what a rush!! fuck man i felt like ripping the shit outta the weights!! good workout needless to say!!
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 160x8, 190x7, 205x6, 220x4
Lying Incline DB Row - 35x10, 45x10, 55x8, 60x10
Deads - 200x8, 250x7, 290x4, 320x2(PR)
DB Bent Row - 70x10, 85x8, 100x6, 110x4
bench routine week 6
BB Bench - bar x 20, 85x12, 135x6, 160x3x8
Incline DB Press - 50'sx10, 60x9, 70x7, 75x5
Close Grip Press - 130x8, 150x6, 165x3, 85x15
Flat DB Fly - 50x6, 55x6, 60x4
Skullcrushers - 60x12, 75x8, 85x5
Tri Pushdowns - 60x10, 65x7, 60x8, 50x8
Front Squat - 85x10, 130x8, 150x5, 170x3
One Legged Lying Curl - 50x10, 70x8, 75x6, 60x8
Leg Extensions - 145x10, 170x10, 200x8, 220x6, 240x2
Walking Lunges - 70x8, 90x6
BB Curls - 60x12, 80x10, 95x8, 105x6, 60x12
Concentration Curls - 25x10, 35x6, 40x6, 20x12
Hammer Curls - 25x10, 30x10, 35x6, 40x3
DB Shoulder Press - 40x10, 45x10, 50x8, 50x6
Upright Row - 80x10, 100x8, 115x6, 125x5
Standing Lat Raise - 20x8, 25x6
BB Bent Row - 130x12, 180x8, 195x6, 215x5, 225x4
Incline Row - 40x10, 55x8, 65x8, 65x8
Deads - 230x8, 280x6, 320x3, 325x2 (PR), 180x8
DB Row - 65x10, 80x10, 100x7, 110x3, 40x20
chest routine week....8...oops, skipped a week...oh well, lifts still light, sure it won't hurt.
BB Bench - barx20, 85x12, 135x6, 180x3x4
DB Fly - 40x10, 50x8, 55x7, 60x6
Incline BB Bench - 130x8, 150x8, 170x5, 175x3
Close Grip Press - 130x8, 140x6, 150x4, 80x15
Upright Row - 60x14, 80x10, 100x8, 115x6, 125x6
DB Front Raise - 20x8, 25x6, 25x6, 20x8
DB Shoulder Press - 45x10, 50x8, 55x5, 40x10
BB Curl - 60x12, 80x10, 95x7, 105x5, 60x14
Concentration Curls - 30x8, 40x6, 30x7, 25x8, 20x10
BB bent Row - 80x15, 130x10, 180x8, 210x6, 225x5
Deads - 225x8, 280x5, 310x4, 325x3
DB Rows - 70x10, 80x10, 90x8, 100x6
Pullups - bwx6, bwx5, bwx5
BB Flat Bench - barx20, 85x12, 135x6, 155x3, 190x3, 190x3
Close Grip Press - 130x10, 150x8, 165x6, 175x3
DB Fly - 50x10, 55x8, 60x6, 65x5
Incline BB Press - 150x6, 160x6, 170x4, 180x3
Dips - bwx7, bwx5, bwx5, bwx5
Tri Pushdowns - 50x20, 60x15, 60x12, 50x10
BB Curl - 60x10, 80x10, 90x10, 100x7, 110x4
Concentration Curls - 35x8, 40x6, 45x4, 35x6
Hammer Curls - 35x7, 40x5, 30x6, 30x6
BB Upright Row - 100x8, 110x7, 115x5, 80x10
DB Shoulder Press - 50x8, 55x6, 50x7, 40x8
last time i work bi's first; no strength left to do shoulder work!!
Front Squat - 95x10, 130x8, 155x4, 170x3
Lying Leg Curl - 100x10, 115x9, 125x8, 140x5, 75x15
Leg Extensions - 145x10, 170x10, 200x8, 220x7, 240x4
Walking Lunges - 80x7, 80x5
felt fucking strong this workout, set PR's on Deads and BB Bent Rows...i love days like this...
BB Bent Row - 130x10, 165x10, 190x8, 220x5, 230x4
Deads - 250x7, 280x5, 320x3, 330x2
DB Bent Row - 70x10, 85x8, 105x6, 50x20
Pullups - bwx5, bwx4
...and then there are days like this: no strength, no energy, workout sucked...oh well, next time...week...shit i can't remember, i think 9 or 10 in the monster bench program:
BB Flat Press - barx20, 85x12, 135x6, 185x3, 200x3x2
Close Grip Press - 140x10, 155x8, 170x5, 175x2
DB Fly - 50x8, 60x6, 65x5
Incline BB Bench - 150x6, 160x5, 170x3, 130x6
starting 06/10/07 i am taking a week off training. i had planned to after the first leg of my monster bench program, but timing has it that this week i need off, and after 7 months since my last break, i need it. i am feeling beat.
well, its been a while since i have tracked my journey on here, lots of injuries have kept me on the sidelines for a while, and although its not in my log i have done some work, whatever i can, until i heal up. seems time is creeping up on me, a severe back injury has led to smaller injuries, i am guessing from over compensation from the back. i am going to allow myself another few weeks basically off, although i will still do some basics with light weight.
my gameplan for returning is going to be something new, to me anyways. i will focus mainly on strength, not size as was my goal before. i'm not gonna whine or suckass about my age, but trying to rack up a lot of bodyweight on a skinny frame this late in the game seems to be dtrimental to my body; it feels slow and awkward, and a lot of joint and ligament pain. i will be attacking the weight like a true animal when i get back into it, again focusing on gaining strength, until i am a sinewy, strong SOB!!