Nate.

[nate]

OK... Its been about 12 months of no gym, and I am just itchin to get back into it. What better way to keep myself motivated than to have a journal.

My history goes as such. Starting lifting about 3 years ago. mainly bodybuilding type routines for about a year, I made little progress due to lack of knowlage, poor nutrition etc. I got a bit smarter and started packing on mass early last year Hit 105kg(231) at 15-18% BF. During all this time i never built up any strength. Well i did, but very little.

March this year Was 76kg(165) and im now sitting at about 85kg(187)

So, my goals. Im just going into this casually. I am going to lift for fun, and hopefully for a bit of strength. I want to lose my gut And get fit, and eat right. simple ay.

My Routine. Quick and simple is my game If i can spend <45 mins im happy. Im basically going to do exercises i like and discard the ones i hate. I hate doing Bicep curls. So i figure, **** it, i wont do them. I want to enjoy myself while im at the gym. Anyway, have a look, tell me what you think.

Monday

Squats 5x5
Sldl 5x5
Leg Press 3x5
Weighted Situps 3x6

Tuesday

Bench Press 5x5
Close Grip Bench press 5x5
Dips 3x5

Thusday

Deadlifts 5x5
Bentover BB rows 5x5
Wide Grip Pull ups 3x5

Friday

Squats 4x20 (light wieght)
Good morning 3x10
Military press 5x5
Shrugs 5x5


Nutrition. Im going to write down what I eat. But im not into all that counting BS and what not. I just focus on eating good foods. lots of meat, vegetables, fruit, milk, breads etc.

Hopefull put up some pics tonight when i find my camera.

ta.\\

Nat.

:

[threenorns]

lol - you'll get into all that counting BS.... we all do.

[pseudonym]

nice work mate, didn't realise you weren't lifting this year, great to hear you're getting back into it :

what gym are you using ? (are you still in Brisvegas by the way? - if you are the UQ powerlifting club has their gym open to the public, $150 membership for the year and compulsory 110 odd bucks for the uni sports folk, a farkload cheaper than anyone else and superior equipment)

Looks like a pretty intense routine dude, look forward to reading about how it goes for ya.

[nate]

Combination of injury, moving around etc..

Nah not in brissy atm. back in Canberra. for about 6 months - Year. depending.

Few mates go to ANU and say it has a good gym, so i might check that out. plus its cheap (as all uni gyms seam to be)

For now im just going to the local gym down the street. its got a cage and bench, and that's pretty much all i need,.

man, im going to be weak as. looking foward to it. :

[pseudonym]

mate if you do head over to ANU ask around for a bloke named Lee he's an ANU student and speaks highly of the gym there (he'll have just got back from Korea about 2 months ago) he's a good bloke and benches close to 100kg (and thinks everybody else should too, makes for a good training partner )
Tell him the Colinator sent ya

[nate]

Will do.

Jesus I had a terrible dinner tonight, nutritionally wise.
7 snags (i love them, favorite food ever.)
Plate of salad
Apple pie & Ice cream.

K, the healthy stuff starts tomorow.

[nate]

Took some photos but don't have the thigamibob to get them off the camera.
i do it tomorow, for now.

Mesurments:

Chest: 42"
Waist: 36"
Arms: 14"
Forarms: 11"
Legs: 22"
Calfs 14.5"

[nate]

Woot, first day back. was a bit better than i thought it would be. still weak though ;/

night didnt go to plan either. but i got the good stuff in there,.

Squat: 5x40 5x60 5x60 5x62.5 5x60
Sldl: 5x30 5x60 5x60 5x60 5x60
Weighted situps: 6x10 6x10

(in kg, 60kg = 135 pounds)

Eats

3 Weetbix & milk
Apple
Banana
Chicken sandwich
Ham and cheese sandwich
400ml milk
Apple
Milk
2 bowls Spaggiti boliniase
Milk

[Klinger]

Good-looking split, Nate. Lots of solid compound movements. I'm a fan of relatively low volume, too. If the intensity is there, 12-16 sets is all you need to build a good strength base.

Also, when you do a 5x5, take it from a guy who learned the hard way: don't start off with any more than 80 percent of your 1RM. Give yourself room to progress -- and keep your confidence up.

[nate]

Ta klinger, Got a question for you though. How Did warm up? I have just been doing 2-3 light wieght sets at the begining. not before every exercise.

K. Today
Was ****, simple as that. didnt have the energy to complete, i think i went to hard at the begining.

Bench 5x50 5x50 5x60 5x60 5x50
Close grip 5x40 5x40 5x40 4x40 3x40
Dips - Was to spent to even do one.

Still sort of establishing what level im at. will probally take a couple of weeks to get into it.

Eats.

2 weetbix, suger, milk
Apple
Chicken sandwich
Milk
Ham and cheese sandwich
Banana
Milk
2 bowls of sweet & sour chicken with rice.
Milk

.......

Other news: I alway get weird **** happen to me. ie. got all these itchi lumps on my body today. and yesterday went to the Doc casue my testicle/grion has been hurting for the las 6 days.. so i might have to get an ultrasound on my balls.. :/ . only if it doesnt go away before next monday. ... hrmmm.

[Klinger]

Some folks incorporate their warmups into the 5x5. The first two sets will be warmups and then the next three will be working sets. Others treat all 5 sets as working sets and do 2-3 warmup sets to get prepped.

Also, you generally don't need to warm up twice for the same muscle group. If you already warmed up for flat barbell bench, no need to warm up again for, say, incline DB sets.

Here are some actual warmups I did in the last week as examples (in lbs.):

Flat bench 45x10/95x6/135x3 --> working sets at 165, 180
Deadlift 135x6/225x3/250x1 --> working sets at 280, 300, 320

[nate]

Ta Klinger, I think i will do 2 warm up sets, then into the working sets.

Today was my deadlift day. I have never been good at deadlifts, Never really done them consitantly.. so i went easy.

Some one was using the Deadlift area, so i warmed up with some light rows.

Deadlifts 5x40 5x60 4x80 4x80 5x60
Bent over BB rows 5x40 5x50 5x50 5x50 5x50
Lat pull downs 5x45 5x55 (I have no idea what the wieght is in)

I am too weak to do pull ups yet, So i substituted Lat pull downs. If any one has a better idea i would like to know about it.

Pretty bad day of food too ;(

2 Peices Toast with penut butter
Milk
Apple
Hamberger with the lot ( don't think you people overseas have these. They are AWESOME; Meat paddy, lettuce, onion, tomato, beetroot, cheese, pinapple, egg, bacon. Soooo good.
Banana
Apple
Milk
4 slices of dodgy pizza
Milk
Rice pudding

So yeah. terrible day.

[nate]

Squat 10x40 10x40 10x40 10x40 10x40
Miltary press 5x30 5x40 5x40 4x40 5x30
Shrug 5x60 5x60 5x60 5x60 5x60

(forgot to do good mornings,)

2 weetbix & milk
banana
apple
2 tuna sandweges
apple
milk
banana
meat vegitable soup type thing.
milk

[Klinger]

Nate - why the 10-rep sets for squats? You're doing 5 reps for everything else, which is a strength range. Try 60kg for 5x5.

[nate]

I do 5x5 squats on monday, i thought twice a week would be pushing it, so i take it easy on fridays.

Food;

milk
toast pnut butter'
pea and ham soup
banana
4 guiness
3 snags on a bread roll
little bit of salad
milk

pretty bad day, but its saturday so meh.