rcketsauce's journal

[rcketsauce]

Hey guys, I'll start this with a lil background. I'm 16 years old (Birthday May 12th), about 5'11", and weigh in at 140 lbs (this is really good, about a year ago I weighed about 125). I have been doing the Hercules cardio program at home ( http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competit...I/herc2-01.htm ) for about a year now, and about 2 weeks ago I started going to the gym at least twice a week. Since I've started working with weights now, I decided I should keep a journal and track my progress. I would really appreciate any advice on my routine, because I'm relatively new to this. My gym doesn't have barbells, just dumbells and machines. I try to go to the gym twice a week and do cardio once a week (full body workout each time).

Now that I got that done, here are my results from this morning. I got up at 6 and got to the gym really early because of transportation problems...

1 plate -- 12.5 lbs
2 plates - 25 lbs
3 plates - 37.5 lbs
4 plates - 50 lbs
5 plates - 62.5 lbs
6 plates - 75 lbs
7 plates - 87.5 lbs
8 plates - 100 lbs
9 plates - 112.5 lbs
10 plates 125 lbs


8:09 AM 8/12/2004 - Thursday
Seated Row: 8 Plates 3x6
Seated Leg Curl: 6 plates 3x6
Incline press 6 plates 3x6
Tricep Press: 8 Plates 3x6
Pullover: 6 plates 4x6
Flies: 15lbs 3x6
Arm Curl: 5 plates 3x6 ~last set till burnout (5)

I didn't do the leg press today, but last time I did it I was able to press about 100 lbs 3x10

Any helpful comments would be appreciated. I'll post some pics later.

[Klinger]

Welcome, rcketsauce. Good luck with your routine.

You might not think so now, but you'll probably outgrow the plate machines pretty fast if they top out at 125. I'd recommend focusing on as many dumbell exercises as possible to get accustomed to those free weights.

You can do a lot with DBs, including squats and deadlifts. If you stick with full-body workouts, which are good for first-time weightlifters, never overlook the legs. Get on that leg press if it's all you have.

[rcketsauce]

Thanks man... the machines don't top at 125, it's just thats as high as I went on the scale. They all probably have about 20 plates I think. Are the machines that bad, and should I look for a new gym? This one is the closest one to my house and I'm thinking about buying a year membership (pretty cheap, only $270 for a youth). They have dumbells up to 45 lbs, I believe....

[Klinger]

The best news you're going to get is that most new lifters make really good gains in their first six months/year, so there is a chance you could outgrow your gym if you keep at it. I used machines for about 4 months before switching to free weights a couple years ago. The difference is night and day.

Do they have 3-month or 6-month membership contracts? That might be better for you. The YMCA I go to lets you got to a month-to-month plan after your first year, so you can pull out whenever you want. I like that flexibility.

[rcketsauce]

Yeah, I think it's like 17 bucks a month or something... I might opt to do that. Thanks.

[rcketsauce]

No time to go to the gym, so today I'm doing cardio at home.

10:07 PM 8/15/2004 - Sunday
Cardio:
5 min run in place
3x10 Dips between chairs
3x12 reverse chair dips

2x25 calf raise (each leg)
2x60 bouncing squat

3x10 lateral raise
3x15 Jackknife floor dip

3x35 Biceps curl
3x10 Triceps floor dip

3x30 Situps
3x25 Leg raises

Each pair of exercise is done in rapid succession (1 set of 10 chair dips, then 1 set of 12 reverse chair dips, then chair dip, reverse chair dip, etc.)

[Ch0r]

Looks like your doing fine so far, any info on diet? Soon enough you'll outgrow your gym like klinger said!

[rcketsauce]

It's really hard to keep track of my diet because I just eat whatever (mostly clean food, like no cokes, cake, chips, etc.). My mom buys all the food so it's hard.

I went to the gym with my best friend this morning (about 5 AM) and we got in a workout before he had to go to school. I didn't bring my pad and pencil so I don't remember all the sets and reps I did, but I mostly did 3x10. I know I did 3x6 with 112.5 lbs on the tricep press (12.5 lbs improvement from last time). Also, I did the leg press and did 3x10 with 137.5 lbs (11 plates).

[rrouleau]

Thats g reat that your getting progress. that means you doing everything right and that it works for you. Sooner or later though you will come to a plateu and i would guess it would end up being your diet. Diet is so important no matter what your goals are. I would def start a journal for your seit and see what your actrully eating. atleast then youll know what you are doing right and what you might need to work on. Keep on keeping on!!!!!

[Ch0r]

If you pay 6 dollars and become a premium member cursor's awesome spreadsheet makes it ridicoulously easy to keep track of everything.

[rcketsauce]

8/19/2004 - Thursday (first day of school )
Cardio:
5 min run in place
4x10 Dips between chairs
4x12 reverse chair dips

2x25 calf raise (each leg)
2x60 bouncing squat

3x10 lateral raise
3x15 Jackknife floor dip

2x30 Biceps curl
2x10 Triceps floor dip (did 2 sets of these in the morning to get pumped up)

3x30 Situps
3x25 Leg raises

[rcketsauce]

8/22/04 - Sunday
Cardio:
5 min run in place
4x10 Dips between chairs
4x12 reverse chair dips

2x25 calf raise (each leg)
2x60 bouncing squat

3x10 lateral raise
3x15 Jackknife floor dip

3x35 Biceps curl
3x10 Triceps floor dip (did 2 sets of these in the morning to get pumped up)

3x25 Situps w/5lb weight
3x25 Leg raises

doin cardio again cause there's not enough time to go to the gym with school starting and all

[rcketsauce]

8/24/04 - Tuesday

went early this morning before school... everything went well except I locked the keys in the car lol

Seated Row: 100 lbs, 3x10
Incline press 75 lbs, 3x10
Pullover: 62.5 lbs, 4x10
Arm Curl: 50 lbs, 3x10 ~last set till burnout (about 6)
vertical butterfly: 50 lbs, 3x6
leg press: 112.5 lbs, 3x10

Kind of a short workout... but I promise to do better next time (hopefully next time i wont lock the keys in the car...)

[LifterMike]

Judging by the way your completely finishing the sets with the weight your at on exercises such as incline press, I suggest you increase the weight in your next workout. :

[rcketsauce]

I went to the gym again this morning... however this time i forgot to bring something to write with.... argh lol. anyway, I increased my pullover weight by 12.5 lbs (4x10), and I leg pressed 160 lbs (8 plates, I just realized today that on the leg press each plate is 20 lbs, not 12.5..... lol). Anyway, I got a pretty good workout and plenty of protein (1 scoop of whey with milk before leaving for the gym, another with water after I got back).