Harpe's Lifting Journal

[Harpe]

After starting and stopping my workout plan twice over the past few years I’ve decided to create a journal to help motivate me to continue with it. I’ve never got more than a few months in, but this time I am going to stick with it. It’s been about a year since I last worked out, and it shows.

Right now I’m 5’8”, 155lbs. I have a layer of fat around my core, but fairly skinny arms. Sorta fat-skinny, but not all that bad (I think).

I am working out at home right now, which presents a few problems. I am going to get into a gym soon, but that will be a couple of months away. Luckily I have a bench and plenty of weights, so I can keep up with any gains I make.

However, because I work out at home I have to adjust the workout plan a bit (bad I know). Instead of regular squats I am going to do hack squats. I tried front squats, but resting the bar on my upper arms hurt like hell I can’t squat very much weight. Plus, I don’t have a spotter, so I don’t want to get into any trouble. Also, the Glute Ham Raise, Pullthroughs, and Hyperextensions seem to need equipment that I do not have. Are there any suitable alternatives to these exercises with only a barbell/dumbbells/bench?

As for my diet, I generally eat this every day:

6 whole eggs (sometimes with cheese in a omelet – more often hard boiled)
1 ½ - 2 cups of oatmeal
1 orange

2 cans tuna
4 slices of whole wheat bread
tsp. Mayo

1 can salmon
1 cup veggies
fruit

chicken breast
veggies

1-2 cups cottage cheese
whole wheat pasta with tomatoes (once every 2 days atm)

2-4 scoops of whey protein powder
1-2 large potatoes (3 times a week)

1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1-2 tbsp. Peanut butter.

It is about 310g protein a day. I haven’t calculated my carbs or fat intake yet. I am also going to try and add more lean beef to my diet, but it is a little more expensive. I have made a fitday account and will calculate my total intakes this week.

I also take 4g of fish oil daily. I might up the intake if I can find a cheaper source.

Looking into getting green tea extract and some almonds. Any suggestions for what I might be missing? Besides red meat which I am going to look into this week. Probably ground beef and bacon wrapped steaks from M&M.

I walk 45 mins. 4 times a week in the mornings after eating 1 orange slice. Plus about 1 hour to and from uni 3 times a week. Though it is January and I live in Edmonton, so I might have to cut that back soon for a while…

After workouts I have 2 scoops of whey and a banana. 1 – 1 ½ hours later I usually have chicken and potatoes. Any other good carb sources I can have post workout?

I have been working out for 2 weeks already doing most of the same exercises before I decided to choose option B, so I am going to skip max testing until the 6th week. I’ll include some of the previous week when I first started recording my weights.

Any opinions/suggestions are welcomed.

 

[Harpe]

Week 1 Day 1:

Hack Squats 2 x 5 190 lbs. (I’ll try 200 next week)
Hack Squats 1 x 15 140lbs.
Stiff Leg Deadlift 2 x 10 140lbs
Calf Raises 2 x 10 160lbs.

Week 1 Day 2:

Incline Press 2 x 5 90lbs.
seems ridiculously weak, but that is all I could do…I warmed up like this:
Bar x 15
40lbs x 8
70lbs x 3
I have my shoulder blades pressed together, wide grip, feet firmly on the ground…either my form
Needs adjusting or that is just what my strength level is at now. I’ll see how it goes in the next
Month.

Dumbbell Press 2 x 8 45lbs each hand.
Shoulder Press 2 x 8 35lbs.
Close grip bench press 2 x 10 50lbs.

Week 2 Day 3:

Deadlift 2 x 5 190lbs. (Wasn’t too bad after I got past the first rep, though my grip was waning near the
End, hope this doesn’t prove to be a problem with higher weights. I have
Ridiculously small wrists and forearms, hoping they don’t hold me back on
Some lifts.
Pendlay Row 2 x 5 120lbs. I think I’ll increase the reps to 8 next week.
Bicep Curl 2 x 10 30lbs.
Reverse barbell curl 2 x 10 40lbs.

Is working forearms and doing some weighted crunches twice a week unnecessary at this point?

 

[EFFORT]

That diet doesn't look like much of a gaining diet. Check the thread "Simple Starting diet"

 

[shaunuk]

You have a decent amount of protein in there but get some more eggs and beef in there. Try to eat at least 12 eggs a day, drink them if you have to (in your shakes if you want)

Yeah my wrists are tiny as well, I mean pretty damn tiny, but don't worry about it. About your deadlift grip problem, don't let your weak grip (it will be at first) hold your deadlift back, use straps. You can buy em in some sports shops and online. They're not expensive and they're well worth it on heavy deadlifts and rows.

Keep up the good work mate,
shaun

 

[Quagmire911]

Take Efforts advice and eat like this:

http://www.sosuave.net/forum/showthread.php?t=134782

As for the routine queries:

DAY 1(eg. Monday)
Squats 2 x 5 IF YOU CAN DO HACK SQUATS AND INCREASE THE WEIGHT ALRIGHT THEN THEY ARE A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR THE TIME BEING, NOT IDEAL THOUGH
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8 LEAVE THESE OUT FOR THE TIME BEING, SHOULDNT MAKE TO MUCH DIFFERENCE THEY ARE A POSTERIOR CHAIN MOVE AND GM'S/STIFFLEGS SHOULD SEE TO IT ALRIGHT FOR THE TIME BEING, MAYBE INCREASE YOUR STIFF LEGGED DEADS TO 3 SETS INSTEAD OF 2.
Calf Raises 2 x 10

SINCE YOU ARE NOT DOING ONE OF THOSE THREE CORE MOVES, I'D ALSO ADD IN WEIGHTED SITUPS ON DEADLIFT DAY. THIS IS 2X10-15

As for your grip if it becomes a problem them you simply need to buy some straps. They are relatively cheap, I got mine for under £10 and they did me well.

Good luck,

Quagmire

Edit-Look's like Shaun beat me to it on the straps heh. I made alterations to the post though, thought some ab work was also needed.

 

[Harpe]

Thanks for the advice guys, much appreciated.

I went out today and bought tons of steaks and lean ground beef (didn't have extra lean). I'll eat 1 steak a day and one portion of ground beef, on top of some other protein sources.

I'm starting to feel like all I do now is eat and think about what/when I should be eating. My work/school schedule is never consistent so it is a little hard planning it out. Hopefully it just becomes a habit soon and I don't have to think about it as much.

I'll up the eggs by adding them to my shakes. Not sure about 12 eggs a day yet though, I gotta see about buying cheaper eggs. This diet is going going to bankrupt me, but it'll be worth it.

I'll look into getting straps in the next couple of weeks, as I'm sure I'll need them fairly soon.

Time to go eat.

 

[Quagmire911]

Don't rush into everything, you need to slowly adjust to the lifestyle.

Start off on 4 meals, then build to five or six. You can still gain weight with five meals if it is more convenient, you just have to eat more per meal.

Another option is to have four solid meals spaced throughout the day, and in the morning make one large shake with 8raw eggs+4scoops of whey+water. You then can carry that about in a flask and sip it all day in between your other meals. Would work well if you don't mind the taste of your shakes. Also a lot more convenient as it less time restrictive.

Quagmire

 

[EFFORT]

make one large shake with 8raw eggs+4scoops of whey+water
Quagmire

i wonder what kind of shakes i'm having if thats what a large shake is

 

[Quagmire911]

Yeh but I'm betting you don't weigh 155lbs

 

[Quiksilver]

Rob's a 115 lb adolescent girl :yes:

 

[Mad Manic]

Back and Rear Delts, Chest and Shoulders, Legs, Arms and Abs is a good 4 dayer.

MM

 

[shaunuk]

Rob's a 115 lb adolescent girl :yes:

112 last time she (I mean he) weighed in

 

[Harpe]

Week 2 Day 1:

Hack Squats 2x5 200lbs.
Hack Squats 2x15 140lbs.
Stiff leg Deadlift 2x8 150lbs.
Calf Raises 2x10 170lbs.

Felt weak even before the workout started, and was too tired to do the extra stiff leg deadlift set as suggested, but it went alright.

New Diet with 2 beef meals a day is still on track.

 

[Quagmire911]

Week 2 Day 1:

Hack Squats 2x5 200lbs.
Hack Squats 2x15 140lbs.
Stiff leg Deadlift 2x8 150lbs.
Calf Raises 2x10 170lbs.

Felt weak even before the workout started, and was too tired to do the extra stiff leg deadlift set as suggested, but it went alright.

New Diet with 2 beef meals a day is still on track.

Looks good.

 

[Harpe]

Week 2 Day 2:

Not the best of workouts today as I moved my workout area and couldn't find my 2.5lb weights, and didn't notice until I had already warmed up. So I either went higher weight with less reps or the same weight.

Incline Bench 1x5 90lbs. Seemed too easy so I tried 100lbs.
1x4 100lbs. Couldn't make the last rep.
DB Bench 2 x 6 50lbs. Each hand.
Shoulder press 2x9x35 lbs. Each hand.
Close Grip Bench 2x10x50lbs. I'll try 55lbs next week when I find my weights.

 

[Harpe]

Woke up this morning feeling a cold coming on, so I'm not going to work out for the next few days. I'll take coldfx and lots of vitamin C and hope I can nip it in the bud before it becomes a full blown cold.

 

[Quagmire911]

Just get back when you can!!!

 

[Harpe]

No sore throat today, so back to the weights.

Deadlift 2x5 200lbs
Pendlay Row 2x8 120lbs. Though I don't think my form was the best on the last
few reps, so I'll probably try this weight again next
week.
Bicep Curl 2x8 30lbs.
Reverse barbell curl 2x10 40lbs.
weighted situps 2x8 35lbs.

For the Pendlay Rows, am I supposed to be lifting explosively from the ground, or more slow and steady?

Diet still on track as well. Lots of ground beef/steak/green veggies/PB/Tuna/Oatmeal/Whey. I'm going to calculate my caloric intake later today, see if I need to take in more.

 

[Quiksilver]

pendlay rows are awesome, one of my favourite lifts.

Lift explosive always. Come up as fast as you can, lower it down at a controlled pace.

 

[Harpe]

I calculated my caloric intake for my average day (I eat almost identically each day), and came up with about 3200-3500 calories.

300-325g protein
280g carbs
140g fat

My diet generally looks like this everyday, with some small variations:

12 whole eggs
4 scoops whey protein powder
300g lean ground beef
1 medium steak
2 cans tuna
1 can salmon
150g oatmeal
2 cups green veggies
1-2 potatoes
1-2 tbsp E.V. olive oil
1 tbsp peanut butter
1-2 cups cottage cheese
2 oranges
1 banana
Lots of water

Again, I am 5'8", 155lbs.
My job is not physically demanding, the only excersize I get is walking in the morning, walking 1hr. to school and back and lifting weights.


Any critiques/opinions would be welcome.