Iain's journal

[Iain]

Ok, for a basic intro to me and my aims see this thread - http://www.discussfitness.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18209

For those too lazy to click there I have replicated the programme I am going to be using. Presently I am 5'7" (no change expected there) and 160lbs.

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Mon - gym
5x5 leg press
5x5 close-grip pull downs
5x5 dbell bench press
5x5 dbell shoulder press

Tues - timed squat-thrusts, press-ups and stretches

Weds - home weights
boxing (1 min rounds on floor to ceiling bag with 15 sec rests)
5x3 clean and jerk
5x5 deadlifts

Thurs - full rest

Fri - gym and as Monday
except replace close-grip pulldowns with dbell rows.

Sat - as Tuesday

Sun - full rest

The plan is to bulk. Giving it a major go for a month and then reassessing where I am at.

I can't remember all the numbers I did last week (partly the reason why this is here) but what I can recall is this

dbell bench press - 50lb dbells 5x5
close-grip pulldown - 155lb 5x5
clean and jerk - 35kg 5x3 (am very new to these)
deadlifts - 70kg (need to get more weights - expenses, expenses)

Can do around 50 press-ups in a minute, and 65 squat thrusts in a minute.

The mixture of imperial and metric is a pain I know, my weights at home are metric, the gym I use (palace of blond wood floors and stairmasters - not my ideal place) is a mixture of imperial and metric.

Get on my case if I am slacking, my brothers wedding is in August and I want to terrify my relatives, they last saw me about three years ago and I was about 140lbs then, the aim is try and be at least 170lb lean in August.

[Iain]

After an inauspicious start today went quite well gym-wise. Woke up late after a late night waiting for the girlfriend to call and tell me how the husting went for the position of student welfare officer in her college. Diet is going ok, post-workout meal is on the hob almost ready. I am finding it difficult to fit going to the gym around eating. Anybody else have this problem?

Anyway, numbers:

Smith Machine Bench Press *1
1. 105lb x 5 - easy
2. 125lb x 5 - easy
3. 125lb x 5 - slightly harder
4. 135lb x 5 - getting harder
5. 145lb x 5 - last one was an effort

Machine Leg Press *2
1. 235 x 5
2. 255 x 5 - still easy
3. 270 x 5
4. 280 x 5
5. 300 x 5

Close-grip pulldowns
1. 137 x 5
2. 142 x 5
3. 142 x 5
4. 150 x 5 - working now
5. 155 x 4 - last one was force of will alone

Dumbell Shoulder press *3
1. 50lb x 5 - easy
2. 60lb x 5
3. 60lb x 5
4. 60lb x 5

Notes.
*1 - Find hoisting the dumbells a little too much like danger when over 60lb. Don't use the free weight bench as no spotter. I know I bench like a girl, last May was the last time I did any serious bench work and I was benching 100lbs then, 45lb increase with no specific training - what is that?
*2 - Seated, slightly inclined leg press. Weight stack. Assume that it is in lbs, makes no real odds as long as I progress.
*3 - Only did four sets of shoulder press and took them easy because my right shoulder is twinging as a result of last weeks hoisting of dumbells for bench press.

I find that gym funny. They want £60 a month or join for at least six months. Lots of people about to give themselves hernias and PT's who seem to discuss highlights more than exercise. I just keep silent, get in, do my work, get out. Much preferred the old 'hardcore' gym where I used to live, cheaper, better work ethic and some serious weight being lifted. In the new one there are some really big guys, who seem to hoist about 10-20% more weight than little me. Seems odd. There was one guy in there who was over 60 and in pretty damn good shape, good to know that not everyone lets themselves go like Cursor does. Enough comment, this isn't a weblog.

[MonStar]

Nice to see that you started a journal Iain, I will definitely be keeping up with it regularly. Workout is looking good. What kind of CG pulldown machine is that? I have never seen a weight stack that was in such small increments, like 137, 142, etc.

[Iain]

Monstar - it is normal enough machine, the weigh increments are 12 or 13lbs though which is really odd, there is also a little weight to give you a division of that, but it is unmarked I assume it is half of the stack's increment, so guesstimation is in order, just as long as I progress though. Weird gym. Thanks for the encouragement and please do keep reading if I don't bore you too much.

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Didn't do the press-ups and squat-thrusts yesterday, things were a little too sore and I ended up going out for several hours. Shouldn't be making excuses this early on.

Wednesday 18th February 2004

Done outside at home (isn't too cold, and didn't rain which was nice)

Warm-up was three 2 minute rounds on the floor-to-ceiling bag with about 30 secs rest. That really works, but possibly exhausts my left shoulder and tricep a little too much.

Clean and jerk
1. 35kg x 3
2. 35kg x 3
3. 35kg x 3
4. 40kg x 3
5. 40kg x 3

Stiff-legged deadlift
1. 40kg x 8

Still new to the clean and jerk, feel that my weak point is the transition from a deadlift grip to being under the bar in a front squat position. There is enough power in my legs to jerk quite a bit more, and to clean. Technique I guess. Changed from doing deadlifts at home because I am already hitting quads at the gym twice a week and with the clean and jerk and besides don't have enough weight. Did deadlifts at my old gym where my parents live over Christmas and did 85kg, don't have that much. Took it easy on the stiff leg deadlifts as that is the first time I have ever done them.

Been a bad food day, just not hungry. Am forcing myself to eat, which I had better go do now.

[atherjen]

Im thinking of adding more cleans and jerks, push press's ,etc into my workout routine as well. defintly will take some time to build the right form and what not.
once you get those SL deads figured out, I think you'll become hooked. Its simply my favorite move!

[Iain]

Other things have taken over today, girlfriend is really worried about the election so am going to be with her rather than go to the gym. Had a bad food day yesterday, it was my birthday. Woke up this morning with a mouth full of blood, worried about that a little, hope it was just a split lip.

Will probably do some deadlifts, clean and jerk, yates rows and boxing at home tomorrow. Gotta go now.

[Iain]

Sat 21st

Not a good start today either, was at a pub last night celebrating a mates birthday, drank orange juice all night but the smoke has a bad effect on my lungs. Generally avoid smoky pubs, but that is where she chose (she likes karaoke) Girlfriend didn't get the election result, she was quite wasted, will have to deal with that later as she rarely drinks so the hangover is going to be fun for her.

Decided to do some workout today

Warmed up - 3 x 2minutes boxing. That really does get the body going.

Clean and jerk
1. 40kg x 3
2. 45kg x 3
3. 45kg x 3

Bent-over rows
1. 45kg x 10
2. 45kg x 10

Stiff-leg deadlifts
1. 45kg x 8
2. 45kg x 8

Shrugs
1. 45kg x 8 (each rep held for a five count)

Didn't change the weights between sets as I was feeling lazy, besides it was challenging except for the bent-over rows. My lower back feels the most fried it has done since I last did really heavy deadlifts in December. Stiff-leg deadlifts did that, also feel it in my hamstrings.

Added the shrugs as a warm-up for next week, really going to go heavy on the traps as I feel they are the most under-developed part of my body (along with my calves, but that is partly a genetic thing - my dad's legs actually taper from the knee to the ankle, no calf to speak of.)

Next week needs to make up for this one. Clean and jerk is improving, read an article that suggested that I don't haul with the traps enough, really made some effort at that and it definitely worked. Much lower in the front-squat part of the movement as well, feel it in my quads as the power to accelerate enough to jerk the weight is significant.

Not beating myself about this week, next week is a whole new story.

[Iain]

This is all probably going to go to **** now. She split up with me after 18 months and I can't even begin to think about next week.

[gdawg0987]

Originally Posted by Iain

This is all probably going to go to **** now. She split up with me after 18 months and I can't even begin to think about next week.

Sorry to hear that man. That really sucks. Just try to put it behind you. Don't give up though; you'll be a stronger person for it, both physically and mentally.

[Iain]

Was supposed to go to the gym today, ended up going to hospital for some routine treatment as they couldn't fit me in tomorrow, tomorrow being a non-gym day. Won't be able to go to the gym tomorrow either as I leaving this bad and evil place for a few weeks.

Upside is I will be back at the parents and able to go to my favourite gym in the world. Expect a report on Wednesday.

[Iain]

Right - an update.

Picked up a bad cold, probably the result of not eating enough and not sleeping enough when the above referred to events occurred. Will be back at the gym on monday, and am going to revise the plan to get two 15-20min cardio sessions in as I feel unfit at the moment.

[Iain]

Ok, after a very disciplined weekend of eating and resting I went to the gym yesterday and felt my efforts were ok. Programme has had to be switched around a little due to the change in gym but it doesn't matter.

Deadlift
1. 60kg x 5
2. 70kg x 5
3. 70kg x 5
4. 80kg x 5
5. 85kg x 5 - that 200lb deadlift is very close now, not done deads for a while so am pleased.

Bench
1-4. 55kg x 5
5. 55kg x 2 - horrible failure on that last set, close call. Bench felt bad, really bad.

Close-grip pulldowns
1. 50kg x 5
2. 60kg x 5
3. 60kg x 5
4. 70kg x 5
5. 70kg x 2 - last two were really hard work. Felt good.

Cuban press
1. 7.5kg dumbells x 15
2. 7.5kg dumbells x 12 - they really burn. Shoulders feel good for it.

One guy doing bench press there yesterday is probably going to need neck surgery today, his hips were at least 4 inches off the bench.

[Iain]

Today was better.

20 minute run - the real limiting factor (despite my lung disease) is the lactic acid build-up in my calves. Going to keep running on treadmills, they reduce the impact shock and stop me from going too fast.

Dips
1. bodyweight x 10
2. bodyweight x 10 - not really going all out here, just felt weird to go to the gym and not do some resistance exercise.

Pull-ups
1. bodyweight x 10
2. bodyweight x 5 - second set did a hold at the top, really felt that.

Cable chops
1. 20kg x 10 each side

Went well, despite the presence of some huge guys in the gym. Finding them more and more motivating rather than disheartening.

[Iain]

Friday 5th March 2004

The run gave me blisters, but they had healed up enough to go today. The cable chops have also really worked a muscle on my right outer hip, as I am right handed I doubt that muscle has ever really worked like the left side has when throwing etc. May be that I was doing the cable chops wrong. Upped the amount of protein I am eating and as of last monday added 75ml of olive oil a day.

Barbell Hack Squats
1. 60kg x 8
2. 80kg x 8
3. 90kg x 3 - first time ever doing these, feel good. Grip was a factor, my forearms need the work so happy about that.

Stiff-leg deadlifts
1. 40kg x 8
2. 40kg x 8 - felt easy, mostly used them to ease down after the squats which had got my heart going.

Seated row (stack)
1. 30kg x 5
2. 40kg x 5
3. 50kg x 5
4. 60kg x 5
5. 70kg x 3 (+1) - felt strong here, going up to 70kg on a 5x5 is a PB.

Seated calf raises
1. 40kg x 12
2. 60kg x 8 - did these because my calves are poor, really poor.

Free weight bench press
1. 20kg x 8 (warm-up obviously)
2. 40kg x 8
3. 50kg x 8
4. 60kg x 5

First time ever doing free weight bench, lack of spotter and fear has been the issue. Went quite well, the owner of the gym spotted for me and so decided as he was issuing 'Bench 101' to go along with his rules and scrap the 5x5 system for today. He has a 400lb+ PB. 60kg isn't too bad really, feel like I could start at 60kg next time and may then be able to push out bodyweight reps (70kg). Was supposed to do military press today, but scrapped it in favour of working on my weak bench.

Coming out of the gym a Rolls Royce went past me with Abba's 'Money, money, money' blaring out. I found it funny.

[Iain]

Thought I would put a big update about several issues here, mainly for my own benefit so that in a few months I can look back and think 'ha, things are so much better now.'

My health is pretty good. The cystic fibrosis is firmly at bay it seems, no lung infections for over two years and not seen a hospital bed for coming up five years. No IV's for 5 years either. I almost feel like a normal person, albeit with a reduced lung capacity.

The eating is going well. Getting much more of an idea of what certain foods are 'worth' and how to be aiming at the 3000+ calories a day.

The exercise is going pretty well. Feel I am getting stronger. Took my shirt off in the changing room after todays session and the 'pump' was impressive, actually felt muscular.

So some stats:

Age - 23
Height - 5'7" (170cm)
Weight - 71kg
BF % - absolutely fine, some may say too high as I estimate it at around 13-15% but I am happy, I need the covering - it is February.
Bench - 140lbs
Deadlift - 220lbs
Hack squat - 200lbs
Clean and jerk - 55kg

Aiming for:

Weight - 77kg
BF % - pretty much as now.
Bench - 200lbs
Deadlift - 300lbs +
Hack squat - 300lbs +
Clean and jerk - 80kg +

77kg is pretty much the minimum weight I am aiming for, as are all the lifts, although I feel the bench is ambitious as it is my weakest exercise. Overall the aim is to get into the condition where I feel I would not get flattened on a rugby pitch, George Gregan is about the size I am aiming for, Jason Robinson seems ambitious for me.