Azanon's weight lifting adventure

[azanon]

Starting - 158lbs, 5'11", Age 37, Physically fit for intermittent to advanced tennis (3.5+ rated).
Body propensity - I'd estimate 80% ectomorphic (angular elbows, bony knees), 20% Mesomorphic, 20% endomorphic.
Waist = 34 inches
Body fat = 14.1%
Fat Mass - 22.4lb
FFM - 136.6lb
TBW - 100.0

Workout plan - Option B from "Where to Start" http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=125444

Old Diet - 5-6 cups of coffee with 100 calories of sugar/cream each, Ensure, fruit bar, One soda, stouffers lunch, junk food (cake, cheetos, chips, etc), usually homecooked dinner with sweetened tea, cheese, lots of breads groups/starches, and late night cheerios and saltines binges. Would intermittently calorie restrict to maintain ~160 lbs for tennis (set point is 170ish).

New Diet - Hopefully 4 cups coffee max with 30-45 calories each, Ensure w/fruit or protein bar, Water with beef/veggie stouffers lunch, no junk food, nuts, lots of fruit, no tea but still homecooked meal, At least one chocolate whey/milk shake, As much lean beef/chicken as possible, and lots of cooked eggs with at least half of the yolks tossed in the trash can/minimal butter to prevent sticking. I love cheese so lots of that. Hopefully also still some breads/starches since my weight is low. Green light for food quantity (no calorie restriction).

Workout routine - As listed in plan B, except at least 1 of the 4 low-intensity cardios will be substituted with ~ 2 hrs advanced tennis matches. I'm not completely giving up tennis.

7/9/2009 - 5 rep max squat - 155 lbs. (comments - Haven't done this in 20 years so felt awkward. I probably could have done at least 20 more lbs, but I was afraid I'd get stuck with my ass in the grass. Nicely sore today).

Primary concerns so far: Can I do this on my own, meaning no spot? Right off, I felt like my squat wasn't as good as it could have been because I might have gotten stuck, ass in the grass. I KNOW this will eventually happen on a bench-press. I just hope the other folks at the gym won't mind helping me when I obviously get caught in a bad situation.

Hope the coffee habit isn't too limiting. I'll really cry if I have to give that up too.

7/11/2009 - 5 rep max Bench - 145 lbs, 5 rep max Barbell (bent-over) Row - 115 lbs (comment - asked a guy 1 1/2 times my size that I didn't know to spot me on bench, he was nice and said, sure). Nutrition comments - Notice I'm eating a ton of food now to make up for the ~ 500 calories of sugar I don't take in anymore + to have enough to build with! Couple protein bars, 3-4 glasses coffee (45 cal each), 1.5 whey (w/branch chain AA, and creatin)/milk shakes, beef fajitas w/cheese, 3 eggs, 2 sausage, ham/cheese sandwich, several glasses of milk/one glass oj, 3 kiwis, 1 banana, .. I do plan on finishing the 6 sodas I have left for lunch next week cause I'd feel wasteful just to toss them. Already bought 48 bottles of water for lunch now instead. This is not completely comprehensive, just giving an idea of what I'm consuming now. Also taking multivitamin, extra E, B-6, and C. Eating about 6 meals total/day

 

[azanon]

BTW, any tips/criticisms are highly welcome because I'm a newbie. Also, yes I'm aware that 5 rep squat is really sad; what can I say?? Strange really given that I really am fit enough to play an aggressive match of tennis, 3 out of 5 sets.

I have nowhere but up to go though!

 

[Bible_Belt]

You need a spotter. Get a buddy.

 

[azanon]

Hopefully I'll make friends with folks in the gym as time goes on and can just ask for one when I need it. A permanent friend would mean I'd need to convince someone to do the same program I am. That'd be no easy feat.

They have those types of free weight machines where the bar is locked into place and can be locked in intervals (forgot what it's called). Are those too much of a cheat to recommend? If i have no spot, is it better to use one of those, or just go pure free weight and be conservative?

 

[Drum&Bass]

Squat in a power cage and set the safety bar just high enough so that the bar on your back barely misses it.

I dont recommend any of my clients squat with a barbell until they can master doing body weight squats. Once they do well with body weight squats I move them to dumb bells and do goblet squats

Since your just starting off I don't think you should go for low rep heavy weight training. Bang as many reps as possible. Don't even think about a number just focus and getting a feel for the movement and how your body works. Doing this will familiarize yourself with the way your body moves and how much punishment it can take so you will be better at gauging your limits.

and since your just starting out always utilize full range of motion which means go deep. With experience you will be able to squat wide at parallel but for now all beginners need to learn how to squat ATG.

p.s. the machine your talking about is a smith machine and its good for quad development but it is not done the same way as a conventional back squat. At this stage in the game smith squats are NOT necessary.

 

[The Muscle Guy]

Hopefully I'll make friends with folks in the gym as time goes on and can just ask for one when I need it. A permanent friend would mean I'd need to convince someone to do the same program I am. That'd be no easy feat.

They have those types of free weight machines where the bar is locked into place and can be locked in intervals (forgot what it's called). Are those too much of a cheat to recommend? If i have no spot, is it better to use one of those, or just go pure free weight and be conservative?

The smith machine forces you to lift and lower the weight along a linear track. If you only use the smith machine, your stablizer muscles will be neglected.

What is your primary goal? Size, strength, definition?

I've never had anyone refuse to spot me. In fact, a lot of guys ask me to spot them. It's not a big deal, just look for a strong looking guy (this is important because he needs to be strong enough to pull the weight off you if necessary) and make sure he's not wearing headphones. You don't want to guy to be lost in his music while the barbell is crushing you.

Say, "Excuse me, can I get a spot?"

 

[azanon]

Thanks for the tips guys!

D&B - if anything, you made me feel a bit better about only doing 155 for week 1. I'm still just sore, so I didn't hurt myself. If you don't mind, I'll just take your comments as a green light to be conservative early on, and to do a warm-up 15 reps with the bar only (45lbs) to learn good balance (I did tilt a bit with the 155) and AtG. I got to at least full parallel, maybe slightly below, first time out. I think I can be careful enough to skip those remedial steps though. I am "in shape" for tennis, so I don't necessarily have to be as cautious as maybe some of your clients who might be starting out, say, overweight, don't exercise at all, etc. I exercise at least 5 days a week. I've just never strength trained much before.

TMG - goal IS size/definition (vanity!), but they are reasonable too. I'd like to grow enough to get comments from people who don't know I'm doing this. If i could break even 180lbs, I'd be tickled to death (given that I've never been above 171lbs). Strength per se would just be a quantitative measure. I'm 37 and I've never really seen what my body can look like with a bit of muscle. I'd like to see that before it's too late.

 

[Bible_Belt]

if anything, you made me feel a bit better about only doing 155 for week


I last used 28 pound dumb bells to bench if it makes you feel better. I did 3 slow motion sets of 15 reps, and I am sore as hell.

 

[EFFORT]

Keep posting up your workouts and what you eat everyday, and you'll make some good progress. Don't worry about the squat weight. Just use light weight and focus on your form for now.

 

[azanon]

7/14/2009 - 5 rep max Deadlift - 165lbs (note: I really feel some tightness/pressure in my lower back after doing 4 sets of 5, stopping at 165. No fails. Hope my body can take all of this intense weight/pressure!). Been fighting a cold for 4 days. I guess my body is trying to throw me off my plan from week 1. Nutrition: Much improved and eating all the time.

 

[azanon]

7/16/2009 - Week 2 - Weight 160.3lbs 1. Squat 2x5 - 135lbs, 1x15 lighter weight 2. Sumo Leg Press 180lbs 2x15 3. Hyperextensions - 2x8 (no weight) 4. Standing Calf Raise 2x10 - 30lbs/hand (note: taking it easy, mild groin strain I'm nursing which was a carryover from my tennis season)
comments - I don't get Good Mornings (I tried them). As soon as you bend over to parallel to ground (butt sticking out), the barbell being as heavy as it it naturally rolls up past the traps onto my neck/spine. Preventing this seems impossible given the weight and physics of it.
---- Should I try pullthroughs instead of hypterextensions. 2x8 no weight hyperextensions was VERY easy for me. I'm assuming the most weight I could hug to my chest would be 45lbs?
---- The leg press machine (at my gym) is a bit scary. That little metal lock (1/2 inch thick) is presumably the only thing saving me from being crushed, or at least nicely injured, by 4, 45lbs'ers?? (will be 6+ i'm sure in little time) Out of lock position, I see nothing that would prevent that weight from coming all of the way to the bottom putting me in the hospital.
---- Does anyone have a good link for how to recover from a failed squat? I haven't failed yet, but I'm sort of wondering what you do if that happens and there's no buddy to save you.

 

[azanon]

7/23/2009 - Week 3 - Body Weight 162.0lbs (No deviation from plan, solid nutrition, cardio on off-days) Already noticing significant body reshaping. Lats can be seen from the front view now (slight V-shape). Guns are noticeably bigger. My chest looks a bit deflated though, so I'll probably need to enhance the chest routine at some point.

 

[azanon]

7/31/2008 - Week 4 - Body Weight - 163.8lbs Still on plan - Using 35 minute Cardio elipitcal on off-days.

 

[Quagmire911]

Here is a an example of a good morning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1KzaEolrKk&feature=related

Note he doesn't go all the way to parallel. From most of the videos I watch of the top guys, knowone goes to parallel. Go close to parallel, and to where it feels comfortable. But make sure you are being worked, don't cut it too short.

Pullthroughs are a good substitute for hypers, and you will have to subsitute from time to time. You can add weight like you have said, or give pullthroughs a go.

If you were to fail at the bottom of the leg press it shouldn't be too much of an issue. It should go on the lock like you say and you should be able to get out ok. If not just be careful. If it is a weight you are using for 15 reps or so, the chance of failing is a lot less than with a higher rep range.

If you don't have a squat rack or a guy spotting you, the only thing you can really do is to let the bar slide off your back onto the floor behind. As long as you're quick it won't hit your back, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Keep up the good work.

 

[azanon]

Thx Quagmire!

8/1/2009 - I think I'm going to have to take some of Drum & Bass's advise before I hurt myself. Case and point, I had someone point out to me I'm "cheating" (at my expense) on the squat by allowing my knees to go past my feet, and I'm not really just "sitting down" keeping my knees behind my feet. When I do it right, they're hard even doing it with no weight at all (because my legs are long from my knees to my feet). So I might have to back off my weight as much as 30-40 lbs just to make absolutely sure I'm getting rock solid form. I want to grow, but I don't want to hurt myself.

So I can see the temptation. On so many exercises, sticking to form costs you a lot of weight on the bar. So I need to value my health over my gym ego.

 

[Quagmire911]

Use ironaddicts.com to look up correct form etc. Here is a pdf from a thread over there on the squat:

http://www.dieselcrew.com/articles-pdf/cleaningupthesquat.pdf

 

[azanon]

8/6/2009 - Week 5 - Body Weight - 164.9lbs