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papa murf
10-31-08, 12:22 pm
well fellas, after being on here for a little while I figured it was time to start getting some of this down.

i have recently had to take some time off from lifting due to medical procedures (namely wisdom teeth removal) and have been hampered by a slight hip flexor strain but i am ready to get back in the full swing of things in a day or so. I wanted to get my plan on paper to help me keep my shit straight. I like to get in at least 4-5 days a week lifting, usually going 1 body part per day with the exception of arms (this changes if I add bis or tris to another day). Ive tried to zero in on a few main multi-joint moves that seem to help me the most.

Monday: Shoulders
seated barbell press (BTN) 3-4 sets x 8-12 reps
seated DB press 3-4 sets x 8-10 reps
DB/cable lateral raise 4 sets x 8-10 reps
DB/cable rear delt raise 4 sets x 10 reps
barbell/machine shrugs 4 sets x 10 reps

Tuesday: Legs
warm up w/leg extensions 3-4 sets x 10-12 reps
hack squat 4 sets x 10 reps
leg press 4 sets x 10 reps
back squat 3 sets x 10 reps
lying/standing ham curls 4 sets x 10 reps
RDLs 3 sets x 8-10 reps

Wednesday: Back
BW pull-ups 30-35 total reps (wide/neutral grip)
lat pulls to front 3-4 sets x 10 reps (opposite grip from pull-ups)
DB pullover 3 sets x 8 reps
bent barbell rows 4 sets x 8-10 reps
1 arm DB rows 3 sets x 8-10 reps
seated machine row 3 sets x 8-10 reps
deadlifts 3 sets x 6-8 reps

Thursday: Chest
flat/incline barbell bench 4 sets x 8-10 reps
flat/incline DB bench 4 sets x 8-10 reps (opposite move from barbell)
incline DB flyes 4 sets x 10 reps
BW dips 3 sets x 12-15 reps

Friday: Arms
barbell curl 4 sets x 8-10 reps
seated DB curls 4 sets x 8-10 reps
1 arm rope/1 arm preacher hammer curl 3 sets x 8-10 reps
ez-curl reverse curl 3 sets x 8-10 reps
skullcrushers 4 sets x 8-10 reps
machine pushdown 3-4 sets x 10 reps
rope/reverse pushdown 3-4 sets x 8-10 reps

Saturday: (if time - triceps instead of fridays)

(calves are usually done every other day at the end of the workout. abs are opposite days)

Well guys this is a basic guideline. it doesnt always follow this order depending on equipment availability and time constraints but this is my basic blueprint. i like to get a good bit of volume and try to bust it on intensity. my sticking point is im probably not eating enough food to give me the benefit i want. i realize im wasting my time if im not going to eat like i should so i am currently working on the diet portion. I hope to get back into this by next week having gotten some solid rest and time off.

let me know if you approve, want to make suggestions, or would rather tell me im way off base. i embrace all criticism, both positive and negative. until then.........

Aggression
10-31-08, 12:58 pm
Looks good buddy. Throw in your diet too for critique by everyone here, and possibly the supplements you're taking. That way we can all fully help you out.

papa murf
10-31-08, 4:05 pm
as far as my supplements, i really am not on a whole lot right now. I use 2 types of proteins, a whey several times a day and a casein usually at night before bed. I have been taking basic creatine monohydrate on and off since college. i currently take 5 grams with a protein drink before a workout (usually 430-5 pm) and then 5 more grams post workout with another protein drink. I have been using AnimalPak for the last month or so and take my Pak right after lunch. otherwise, i have not gone crazy with the extras. i feel like for the time being, i am using enough for my current work load and goals.

now diet on the other hand could use a good shake up. i have been a big coffee drinker since high school so i am trying to get some better breakfasts in there. i have been trying to get some eggs in there in the morning (7-8 am), usually 4 hard boiled whole or just the whites. i have since added a cup of oatmeal once i get to work. I have been bringing my lunch a lot lately (moneys a bitch) so i have 2-3 sandwiches on whole wheat bread with deli sliced turkey and chicken. sometimes i will have a cup of yogurt as well. I have my protein drink before i workout (roughly 1 scoop, 24gm) and then another post workout (2 scoops, 48 gm). I try to mix up my dinners so as not to burnout. i will fix a cup of brown rice and mix it with a can of tuna, or i have a 8-10 oz steak (eye round), or a 6-8 oz chicken breast. sometimes i will have 2 pork chops for variety. i usually add in 1-2 cups of steamed brocoli or green beans or 1 cup of rice. then at night i have my casein shake before bed. i need to try and add something inbetween breakfast and pre-workout as well as more for breakfast.

as always, comments are welcomed..............

Aggression
10-31-08, 4:33 pm
as far as my supplements, i really am not on a whole lot right now. I use 2 types of proteins, a whey several times a day and a casein usually at night before bed. I have been taking basic creatine monohydrate on and off since college. i currently take 5 grams with a protein drink before a workout (usually 430-5 pm) and then 5 more grams post workout with another protein drink. I have been using AnimalPak for the last month or so and take my Pak right after lunch. otherwise, i have not gone crazy with the extras. i feel like for the time being, i am using enough for my current work load and goals.

now diet on the other hand could use a good shake up. i have been a big coffee drinker since high school so i am trying to get some better breakfasts in there. i have been trying to get some eggs in there in the morning (7-8 am), usually 4 hard boiled whole or just the whites. i have since added a cup of oatmeal once i get to work. I have been bringing my lunch a lot lately (moneys a bitch) so i have 2-3 sandwiches on whole wheat bread with deli sliced turkey and chicken. sometimes i will have a cup of yogurt as well. I have my protein drink before i workout (roughly 1 scoop, 24gm) and then another post workout (2 scoops, 48 gm). I try to mix up my dinners so as not to burnout. i will fix a cup of brown rice and mix it with a can of tuna, or i have a 8-10 oz steak (eye round), or a 6-8 oz chicken breast. sometimes i will have 2 pork chops for variety. i usually add in 1-2 cups of steamed brocoli or green beans or 1 cup of rice. then at night i have my casein shake before bed. i need to try and add something inbetween breakfast and pre-workout as well as more for breakfast.

as always, comments are welcomed..............

You said it yourself bro, you need to add more food in there. Wake up earlier and have the 4 whole eggs and oats all at once. I have a very hard time eating in the morning. I wake up 1.5hrs before i have to leave for work, just so i have enuff time to eat. Other than that, you shud throw in some better choices for lunch. Sandwiches are ok, but some better choices would be the classic 'meat and potatoes' lunch. Any type of meat with potatoes, rice, pasta. Supps are ok for now. A good base is the pak, protein, creatine. maybe thrown some glutamine in there for recovery since you're jus starting back.

papa murf
10-31-08, 4:52 pm
You said it yourself bro, you need to add more food in there. Wake up earlier and have the 4 whole eggs and oats all at once. I have a very hard time eating in the morning. I wake up 1.5hrs before i have to leave for work, just so i have enuff time to eat. Other than that, you shud throw in some better choices for lunch. Sandwiches are ok, but some better choices would be the classic 'meat and potatoes' lunch. Any type of meat with potatoes, rice, pasta. Supps are ok for now. A good base is the pak, protein, creatine. maybe thrown some glutamine in there for recovery since you're jus starting back.


thanks dude. what i need to do is get motivated and quit being lazy. it doesnt take that much to just get up and do what i need to do. also, i will need to begin preparing my meals the night before so i can have that better lunch the next day. i have taken glutamine in the past and it really came down to a money issue. when the budget got tight, that was cut out. i appreciate the info.........

Aggression
10-31-08, 5:01 pm
Yeah bro, I make all my meals for the week on the weekend before. By Thursday I'm making a few more meals to finish out the week. I'm eating 4 times just at work, and another 3-4 while at home.

papa murf
11-03-08, 9:23 am
ok so i am ready to start back my lifting this week. i have finally begun to get back on some solid foods after eating nothing but liquid shit for a week after having my wisdom teeth taken out. I lost some weight and have been down on energy so i am ready to gradually get back in there for a week or so and begin to build myself back to where i was. tonights first step.......shoulders. i will provide some insight after the workout.

until then......

papa murf
11-03-08, 8:03 pm
shoulders:

so since nearly everyone in the my gym does chest on mondays, i like to mix it up so i dont have to wait. tonight was shoulders.

seated barbell press (BTN) -bar x 15, 75 x 12, 95 x 10, 105 x 8, 105 x 9
seated press machine (front handles) -3 sets x 10 reps
standing DB lateral raise -15s x 12, 15s x 12, 20s x 10, 20s x 10
1-arm cable bent lateral raise -3 sets x 12 each arm
shrug chair (standing) - 2 x 12 (2 plates each side), 2 x 8 (3 plates each side)
seated straight leg calf machine -4 sets x 20 reps
seated bent leg calf machine -4 sets x 10 reps

Notes: was a decent workout. used some moderate weight to work back into the swing of things. next time i will need to up the intensity level. focused on working mainly the shoulder muscles on the laterals. got a good pump on the rear delts. pretty good intensity on calves as i feel 3 times a week works best for my needs. gotta get some rest as legs begin again tomorrow...(missed a month with hip flexor strain). felt good to get back in the gym after some time off.

until next time......

papa murf
11-04-08, 12:09 pm
got legs tonight. this is surprisingly one of my favorite days because i feel like i got so much done when i can barely walk myself back to the car. this will be the first leg session in about 4 weeks due to a slight strain i suffered in my left hip flexor while trying to get too deep on squats. i will take things easy tonight to make sure im in a good groove. i need to get the legs going heavy again to generate optimum growth throughout the entire body.

Aggression
11-04-08, 12:12 pm
got legs tonight. this is surprisingly one of my favorite days because i feel like i got so much done when i can barely walk myself back to the car. this will be the first leg session in about 4 weeks due to a slight strain i suffered in my left hip flexor while trying to get too deep on squats. i will take things easy tonight to make sure im in a good groove. i need to get the legs going heavy again to generate optimum growth throughout the entire body.

Good idea. Go light today, just get back into the groove of leg training. Next week, blast them.

papa murf
11-04-08, 9:59 pm
well tonight did not quite go as planned with the leg workout. apparently my slight injury is being persistent. i went with very moderate weight to try to aclimate myelf back to the training and i was stilfed by my leg still being sore. im not sure what is wrong and might need to see a physical therapist. anyway, i did manage to get some work done.....

legs:
5 minutes on stationary bike
leg extension - 3 sets x 12-15 reps warmup
hack squat - 4 x 10 light weight
leg press - 4 x 10 gradual buildup in weight to 4 plates each side of sled
tried to do light smith machine squats but it hurt so i did more extensions 3 x 10
lying leg curl - 3 x 10
standing 1-leg curl - 3 x 8-10
ab chair - 3 x 15
lying leg raise - 3 x 25
10 minutes stretching

Notes: so what do i know? i know that i need to figure out what is injured or i will not be able to resume heavy lifting. i was able to get some work done but otherwise i was frustrated. not much else to say..........i will now turn my attention to my next workout....back. until tomorrow....

Littlefry
11-04-08, 10:04 pm
Looking good bro. Looks like you have the basics of lifting and dieting down, and I know that working out while even with a slight injury sucks but you have to jsut man up sometimes and truck right threw that shit. What are your goals weight wise, and strenght wise if you dont mind?

papa murf
11-05-08, 11:47 am
Looking good bro. Looks like you have the basics of lifting and dieting down, and I know that working out while even with a slight injury sucks but you have to jsut man up sometimes and truck right threw that shit. What are your goals weight wise, and strenght wise if you dont mind?

hey dude, i appreciate the support. yeah i think if i can handle some slight soreness then i will be okay. i will have to continue to monitor this to make sure it doesnt get out of hand. as far as goals, i have always been a tall, lanky guy. i was 6' and 160 pounds in high school and when i graduated college and started lifting hard, i have began to hover around 6-2 and 185-190 lbs. i have always had a high metabolism so gaining size has been difficult. i have never had real high fat percentage issues either. i would like to continue with that trend and build myself up to the 200 lbs range. i have also never been a monster with the weight, with my college maxes being low on the upper body lifts and moderate on the lower body lifts:

bench - 200 x 1
squat - 350 x 1, 315 x 5(after college)

i have never deadlifted for maxes but have done 275 for 10 before (normal grip). i would love to get my bench up if only from a personal pride standpoint and i would like to get the squat into the 4 plate range. however, i am trying to gain muscle mass first and foremost so i am not concerned with my 1-2 rep numbers as much. i hope this gives you a littel info as to where i am shooting.

papa murf
11-05-08, 7:29 pm
had back tonight kiddos. love doin some me back work. i feel like this is the one area where i am able to get real intense and am making some gains in size and strength. tried to ease into the workout and that only lasted a few exercises. here goes:

back:
nuetral grip pull-ups - 3 x 8
wide grip lat pulldowns(front) - 4 x 10
bent smith machine rows - 115x10, 125x10, 135x8, 115x10
1-arm DB rows - 60s x 10, 70s x 8, 80s x 8
seated neutral grip handle row - 3 x 10
deadlifts - 135x10, 185x6, 205x6, 225x6

Notes: the workout felt good tonight. i really need to work on the pull-ups. my rows are not real heavy but i am able to really feel the back working. i go real slow and controlled on the seated rows to get a good squeeze. i like putting deadlifts last for now to really concentrate on the technique without throwing too much weight on the bar. i will move those to the beginning and move some real weight at some point. chest tomorrow......

papa murf
11-10-08, 12:52 pm
well i had some family stuff on thursday of last week and thus had to push my chest workout to friday. this is by far my weakest muschle group and so this was a chance for me to see where i am at currently......

chest:
incline barbell press - bar x 15, 95 x 12, 115 x 10, 125 x 8, 125 x 8
DB bench press - 50 x 10, 60 x 8, 60 x 8
seated incline cable fly - 4 x 10
push-up 3 x 12
abs 3 x 15

Notes: this was an okay workout for me. until i am able to grow a bit and start to pile on the weight, all i can do is really try and work the muscle with each lift and focus on my technique. all things being equal though, i will need to push osme heavy weight to get maximum gains. work in progress.......

papa murf
11-10-08, 1:01 pm
since chest got moved to friday, that meant that arms was moved to saturday. this was fine as it gave me a chance to get an early workout in and then get 4-5 solid meals afterwards throughout the day.

Bis/Tris:
standing barbell curl - bar x 15, 65 x 10, 75 x 10, 75 x 8,
seated alternating DB curls - 25s x 8, 30s x 8, 35s x 8
1-arm DB preacher curl - 25s x 10, 30s x 8, 30s x 8
barbell reverse curl - 3 sets of bar x 10 (weak forearms)
skull crushers(fixed weight EZ curl) - 50 x 12, 60 x 10, 70 x 10, 70 x 10
rope pushdown - 3 x 10
BW dips - 3 x 10
straight-leg calves - 4 x 15

Notes: everyone enjoys doing arms.......and i am no different. i like doing both muscle groups because you get a really solid pump going. my biceps have never been very strong but its not always about how much weight im moving if i can get a good squeeze and use proper technique (i guess all the weak guys say that, huh).....

well week 1 is in the books. time to look back over my work and see where this week need improvements and focus. first stop is shoulders tonight.

papa murf
11-10-08, 10:34 pm
so after looking back over week 1, the main goal for this week is intensity and really trying to focus on the task at hand. anybody can go through the motions and i got a lot of those guys in that gym. i need to be totally into what "I" am doing so that i can get to where i want to be. tonight was shoulders...

shoulders:
seated DB press - 30 x 12, 40 x 10, 50 x 8, 50 x 8, 50 x 8
seated barbell press (BTN) - bar x 10, 95 x 6, 95 x 8, 95 x 8
standing DB laterals - 15 x 10, 20 x 10, 20 x 10, 20 x 10
incline reverse lateral (lying on stomach) - 15 x 10, 15 x 10, 15 x 10
barbell shrugs - 135 x 10, 185 x 10, 205 x 10, 205 x 10
leg press calves - 3pps x 15, 4pps x 15, 4pps x 15, 4pps x 15

Notes: i felt better tonight then i did last week. for some reason though, the DB presses were a bit sluggish. i had to workout later then i wanted to because of a meeting so that could have thrown me off. really squeezed the laterals at the top. i cant hold much weight on a bar so shrugs didnt get real heavy. still tryin to get 2-3 calf days in per week to pound those lower legs. overall a decent workout.........but needs to be better. tomorrow is legs which means its time to get after it...

Aggression
11-11-08, 11:50 am
Notes: i felt better tonight then i did last week. for some reason though, the DB presses were a bit sluggish. i had to workout later then i wanted to because of a meeting so that could have thrown me off.

Happens to everyone man. Outside factors can hinder your performance in the gym. There's been times that all of us have gone through that. Me personally, I've consistently done a weight for 10 reps, only to push it for 5-6 reps another week, leaving me to wonder wtf happened?!? Little things get inside your head and throw you off. Don't worry, just blast them shoulders next week bro. Go in there knowing that last week won't be a repeat.

papa murf
11-11-08, 1:34 pm
as the day drags on, i am eagerly anticipating doing a killer leg workout tonight. for some reason i love doing leg work. i guess it was always the best of my body parts in terms of numbers as i began lifting so i gravitated towards it. i just seem to love the feeling of killin it and hardly bein able to walk out of the gym.....my legs wanting to buckle. it has been tough not being able to get after it for fear of increasing my injury. i do not think i am at a full 100% but i think i can push through enough to get a good session in. if anything, i can mash out some hamstrings to try and even them up with the quads. gettin that itch....

papa murf
11-11-08, 7:23 pm
well this was not the leg session i had hoped for. i was going real soild through the first half of the workout and then my leg began to act up on me again and i had to pretty much quit all quad moves. i was able to knock out some leg press with only a little discomfort but then i was unable to really do anything on squats. i began to feel tightness in my upper left leg after going only halfway down to parallel. its pretty frustrating.......actually its damn frustrating to be honest. i am going to have to do what i was afraid of and that is to totally stop presses and squats until it heals completely or it will never end. i will be able to continue with extensions and i will be able to hamstring like nobodys business, but i will have to discontinue all power, mass moves in order to get healthy. im pretty fuckin pissed off............

papa murf
11-13-08, 10:28 am
yesterday i had a pretty solid back workout. i am always able to really push myself on back days, maybe because i dont really need a spotter to allow me to go heavy. anyway here are the goods..

Back:
wide grip pull-ups - total of 30
neutral grip lat pulldowns - 4 x 10
lying DB pullover - 3 sets of 55 x 10
barbell rows - 115 x 10, 125 x 8, 125 x 8, 125 x 8
1-arm DB rows - 60 x 8, 70 x 8, 75 x 8, 75 x 8
deadlifts - 135 x 8, 185 x 6, 205 x 6, 225 x 4, 255 x 4

Notes: i felt killed after this workout. the weights werent overly heavy on every exercise but the volume was high. the row numbers are lower but i have been doing width work before thickness work and am usually more taxed by that time. i will switch it up in a few weeks. i was proud of myself with the deads. the weight was not great but that was the heaviest i have done in a good while. next time i will try and bump it up to 275 and give her a go. anyway, ive got chest tonight and i really need to focus for this workout. more to come......

Aggression
11-13-08, 11:18 am
yesterday i had a pretty solid back workout. i am always able to really push myself on back days, maybe because i dont really need a spotter to allow me to go heavy. anyway here are the goods..

Back:
wide grip pull-ups - total of 30
neutral grip lat pulldowns - 4 x 10
lying DB pullover - 3 sets of 55 x 10
barbell rows - 115 x 10, 125 x 8, 125 x 8, 125 x 8
1-arm DB rows - 60 x 8, 70 x 8, 75 x 8, 75 x 8
deadlifts - 135 x 8, 185 x 6, 205 x 6, 225 x 4, 255 x 4

Notes: i felt killed after this workout. the weights werent overly heavy on every exercise but the volume was high. the row numbers are lower but i have been doing width work before thickness work and am usually more taxed by that time. i will switch it up in a few weeks. i was proud of myself with the deads. the weight was not great but that was the heaviest i have done in a good while. next time i will try and bump it up to 275 and give her a go. anyway, ive got chest tonight and i really need to focus for this workout. more to come......

Nice back work bro, gave it 20+ sets. Looks good, but I'm going to go ahead and make a tiny suggestion. Personally, I'd throw the lying db pullovers to the end of your workout, and finish off with them. Either that, or I've even throwing them at the end of my chest workout. I'd focus more on the basic mass moves and finish my back with the pullovers.

papa murf
11-13-08, 11:48 am
Nice back work bro, gave it 20+ sets. Looks good, but I'm going to go ahead and make a tiny suggestion. Personally, I'd throw the lying db pullovers to the end of your workout, and finish off with them. Either that, or I've even throwing them at the end of my chest workout. I'd focus more on the basic mass moves and finish my back with the pullovers.

i do see your point here. i think i a going to throw them in my chest routine. preciate the advice dude. always lookin for a pointer here and there.