Vintovka's Lifting Journal

[Vintovka]

Yeah, bf loss is my primary goal.

I don't know if I could do anything after the deads, I'm focusing the majority of my effort there, so afterwards I'm about ready to collapse, heh.

I was thinking higher reps on the bi's as well. After 4 weeks they're not a bit stronger, bigger, but not stronger. The muscles don't 'burn' like the others do, just stop working. Like flipping the muscle switch to off. So my thinking was that I perhaps lack endurance? But I'm pretty new to lifting.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Yeah, bf loss is my primary goal.

I don't know if I could do anything after the deads, I'm focusing the majority of my effort there, so afterwards I'm about ready to collapse, heh.

I was thinking higher reps on the bi's as well. After 4 weeks they're not a bit stronger, bigger, but not stronger. The muscles don't 'burn' like the others do, just stop working. Like flipping the muscle switch to off. So my thinking was that I perhaps lack endurance? But I'm pretty new to lifting.

Burning is irrelevant bro..

Try lowering the weight and doing higher reps.

it's good that you put all your effort into deads.

 

[Throttle]

mr. v and i have had some private exchanges; he's looking for big bf loss -- and doing it the "right" way

 

[Vintovka]

Chest/Tri/Shoulder

Took reps or weight up on each lift. Got a 5' bar which has made the crushers alot easier to do, dumbbells were too cumbersome.

Incline Bench
3x8 +2 reps

Flyes
3x7 -4 reps +5 lbs

Skull Crushers
3x7 +1 rep

Seated Military Press
3x6 -4 reps +10 lbs

The 5' bar was on clearnace at Walmart for $5, couldn't pass that up. Squats and deads are alot easier now. Don't have a squat rack though, gotta figure out how to get the weight up on my back.

 

[Vintovka]

Legs Legs Legs

Switched from dumbbells to a 5' bar for squats, I like it alot better. Since I don't have a squat rack though I had to use weight I could get up on my shoulders so took a hit in -lbs. Hopefully I'll be able to get more weight up there sooner, maybe come up with some sort of ghetto squat rack. Calf Raises, the same, went up 5lbs on the last set. Straight leg deads are up 20 lbs over last week that was down 50. I wasn't doing the SL's right and was using more weight than I can handle with better form, so I'm invalidating the previous numbers and recoginzing this is my new starting point.

Squats
6 reps -15 lbs
8 reps -20 lbs
12 reps -30 lbs

Calf Raises
3x20

Straight Leg Deads
3x6

Taken my 6x week morning cardio to 30 minutes. Doing push-ups in the morning, adding 1 everyday hoping to improve endurance in arms/chest. Said goodbye to chinese take-out and switched PWO simple carbs from yogurt to no sugar added grape juice.

Thus ends week 4. Scale weight is the lowest it's been in years (more than 2lbs/week lost so far) and my pants don't fit anymore.

 

[Vintovka]

Begin Week 5

Everything went up, although curls were a little easier, still not enough for another rep or weight increase. Rows up 2 reps, deads up 20 lbs and down 1 rep. I'm liking this 5' bar.

Conc. Curls
3x6

Bent Rows
3x8 +2 reps

Deads
3x6 -1 rep +20 lbs

I wish I would have got my bf% tested before I started so I could guage my progress, ah well.

 

[Vintovka]

Went to failure on press and mil press so the reps decline. Fly's are stalling, going to switch bench and flys, so incline flys and flat presses next week. Getting a persistent pain in my left forearm, as much as I hate to skimp on legs, this week I'm just going to do some light weight squats, since that's the day I'm suspending the most weight from my arms. Try and let my arms catch up. Otherwise a fair workout.

Incline Press
3x13/11/10 (3x8 last week)

Flyes
3x8 +1 rep

Skull Crushers
3x12 +5 reps

Seated Military Press
3x12/10/7 (3x6 last week)

Keeping up with my morning push-ups and 30 mins of cardio, since I upped the cardio I'm really starting to see changes in the mirror.

 

[Vintovka]

Been busy with the holiday and family et al, so my schedule got a little tossed around. I got my Tues lift in but had to push Thurs lifting to today. I plan to do legs tomorrow, have a day of rest and then slip back into my normal schedule next Tues. The rest and extra carbs from feasting seemed to help though, I took every exercise up in weight today and didn't feel overly exerted.

I'm down from 44 pants to 40 in 6 weeks, and I've only been doing cardio and eating right for the last 3 or so.

Tues
Hammer (Switched back after 2 weeks of Conc's)
3x5 +15 lbs

Rows[
3x6 +5 lbs -2 reps

Deads
3x6 +10 lbs

Sat
Flat DB Press
3x6 +10 lbs

Incline DB Fly
3x6 +5 lbs

Crushers
3x8 +15 lbs -4 reps

Seated Press
3x6 +10 lbs

 

[Throttle]

I'm down from 44 pants to 40 in 6 weeks, and I've only been doing cardio and eating right for the last 3 or so.

glorious! keep it up!

 

[Vintovka]

Didn't get enough sleep and lifts were junk. Gonna sleep it up tonight and slip back into my routine tomorrow. Letting nothing stop my morning cardio.

Hack Squats
1x6 +15 lbs

Calf Raises
2x20 +10 lbs

My first attempt at hack squats, was awkward trying to find the balance and keeping my back straight, need more effort on my form if I'm going to use these.

I have to stop neglecting my legs.

 

[Vintovka]

Start of Week 7

Back in routine, feels good.

Hammers
3x5 no change

Rows
3x6 +5 lbs

Deads
3x6 +10 lbs

I'm not eating enough, appetite just isn't there. Going to start just craming food down whether I want it or not.

Till Thursday.

 

[Vintovka]

Chest/Tri/Shoulder Day

Kept all the reps constant, took all weights up.

Flat Bench
3x6 +10 lbs

Incline Fly
3x6 +5 lbs

Crushers
3x8 +10 lbs

Standing Overhead Press
3x6 +10 lbs

Switched the overhead presses from seated to standing, been doing them Rocky style, alternating between infront of my head and behind.

Morning cardio everyday as always.

Gonna sqaut the hell out of Saturday.

 

[Vintovka]

End Week 7 -- Legs

Reducing the amount of accessory work I do on leg day, was burning up too much energy and squats suffered. Still don't have a squat rack so I'm limited to the amount of weight I can safely get on to and the off of my back unassisted. Trying to make up for it in volume, not ideal, I know.

Calf Raise
2x20 +10 lbs

SL Deads
3x6 +20 lbs

Squats
3x12

Making the squat weight today as a new reference point for upcoming increases in squat poundage. Hopefully the overhead presses during Thurs' lifts will build up the strength needed to get more weight on my back.

 

[Vintovka]

Start of Week 8

Took hammer lbs down to up reps, my arms just never seem to get stronger, so changing a little bit at a time to try and find what works. Everything else went up.

Hammers
3x8 -5 lbs +3 reps

Rows
3x6 +5 lbs

Deads
3x6 +10 lbs

Can't argue with progress.

 

[BobFuest]

what do you mean by deads?

 

[Throttle]

arms grow very slowly, since they're a small part of your overall musculature, and they adapt in a neuromuscular sense long before added stimulus forces them to add meat. try to find a way to do some sort of pull up or pull down and that should help more than even the best curls.

 

[Vintovka]

what do you mean by deads?

Dead lifts

arms grow very slowly, since they're a small part of your overall musculature, and they adapt in a neuromuscular sense long before added stimulus forces them to add meat. try to find a way to do some sort of pull up or pull down and that should help more than even the best curls.

Thanks, I've got the chin bar up, I noticed though when I start pulling up (palms facing me, narrow grip) with all my strength I get sharp pains in what I suppose are muscles right below the front of my rib cage. Need to do more sit-ups I guess, heh.

 

[Throttle]

yeh... with your bodyweight it's going to be a stretch for now. try a palms-away, wide grip and see how that feels (probably about the same).

 

[Vintovka]

Chest/Shoulders/Tris day

Took everything up in either lbs or reps. Bit of pain in my left shoulder, been undershooting protein quotas lately though, going to remedy that.

Flat Bench
3x6 +10 lbs

Incline Fly
3x8 +2 reps

Crushers
3x6 +10 lbs

Overhead Press
3x6 +10 lbs

Getting my morning cardio 7 times a week religously, diet's been a bit off, laziness led to some fast food this week.

Sometimes I wait up to 2 hours between the end of morning cardio and breakfast, don't know if that's counter productive or not.

5.75 months to go

 

[Vintovka]

End Week 8 - Leg-o-rama

Tired of being limited by my lack of a squat rack, finally gave in and went to the campus gym. I'm glad I did, was able to take my squats up 55 lbs in one session because I no longer had to worry about getting the bar off my back when done. Really did a number on my legs, squatted first and followed with some calf raises, by then my legs were rubber so nixed the SL Deads. Doesn't bother me though, 55 lbs!

Squats
3x6 +55 lbs -6 reps

Calf Raises
2x20 +15 lbs

Class is out now and I don't go in for work till 1pm, so for the next month I'm gonna use the gym. Will change my routine up a little since I'll have access to some machines I don't have at home, namely assisted chins and dips.

Tentative routine:
Mon - Arms/Back
Assisted Chin-ups (are pull-ups more back centric? which should I use where? both?)
Rows (lever incline row, ok to use this? Or would DB rows be superior?)
Deadlifts

Weds - Chest/Tris/Shoulders
Inclined DB Press
Assisted Dips
Standing Overhead Press

Fri - Legs/Legs/Legs
Straight Leg Deads
Calf Raises
Squats

Would like some feedback, anything to add? Is any of the cable/pull down stuff worth doing?

Thanks!