My Off-Cycle/Pre-Cycle Training Journal

[Frackal]

Well, I used the last of my training journals from netrition up, so I'm going to continue online, in this thread.

I am currently 6' 206lbs, about 9%bf.
I have a back injury of which I've had great difficulty getting around, it took me slightly under a year just to train at 95% again.

Because of this, my squats, and especially deads are lagging far behind.

Please, feel free to critique routines!

Today, 10/29/01 is Leg Day

Routine: (I will not include warm-up sets)

Squats: 280 x 6-8
Hack Squats: 370 x 6-8
Front Squats/Smith Machine: 90 x 8(very slow eccentric)
---
Straight Leg Deadlifts: 60 lb db - 12
Lying One Leg Curls: 180x5

Stretch hamstrings

 

[Frackal]

Today, 10/31/01 is Chest/Calves day:

Incline DB Presses: 95 x 8
Flat DB Presses: 105 x 8
Smith Machine Incline Presses: 230 x 8
Dips: 55lb Dumbell around waist: x 12
-Or-
Decline Flys: 55lb Dumbells: x 12
Cable Flys to failure

Calves:

Seated Calf Raises: 320 x 6
Standing Calf Raises: < >
Seated Calf Raise Drop Set:
- 2 plates per side,
- 1 plate per side
- 25 plate per side

Stretch

 

[Frackal]

I think I've been too pussy in my workouts lately. I mean, I'm still training harder than 100% of the other people in my gym, but that's not saying much. Tomorrow is back day and I'ma fuckin' tear it up.


Note to self:

Cannot edit previous chest/calve day post, but was feeling extremely weak, decided to cut it short and do calves with back tomorrow instead.

Also, weights were as follows:

Incline: 90's x 6 (embarassing)
Flat: 105's x 6
Incline SBB: 200+bar x 4????

Chest day sucked, worst workout in awhile, must make up for it next time!

 

[Frackal]

Today, 11/03/01 is Back/Calves day


Upper Back:

Cable Rows: 230 x 8
Pulldowns: 210 x 8
T-Bar Rows: 4 plates x 6
Chins: 30lb DB around waist: x 6
-Drop Set of Pulldowns-
-Extreme Stretches- (note for anyone who reads this, I get so pumped on the pulldowns, then I do stretches using the chin bar, I literally have stretchmarks from it where my lats meet my tris)

Lower Back:
Hyperextension warmup
Deadlifts (My back is injured remember)

- 165 x 12 w/ barbell


x-Calves:

Seated Calf Raises: 320 x 6
Standing Calf Raises: < >
Seated Calf Raise Drop Set:
- 2 plates per side,
- 1 plate per side
- 25 plate per side

Stretch

 

[Frackal]

Today, 11/06/01 is Delt/Traps Day

For the past week I have felt fairly sick and down so I have been taking an extra day off in between each of the last 3 workouts. Broken Heart is probably the cause. I'm going to cut down my volume on this and my next few workouts to jus the 2 main power movements.

Delts:

Military Press: 175 x 6
Dumbell Presses: 70 x 8

Traps:
SBB Shrugs: 250 x 8
DB Shrugs: 110's x 8-12

Well I'm going to ream myself out real quick. I decided to say 'fuck being sick' and have a killer workout, which I did, but then I overdid it with the 'heavy' shrugs and slightyl strained my back when putting the DB's away. STUPID STUPID Frackal, you fucking asshole, that type of behavior is what got you injured the first time...better safe then sorry dickhead.

 

[Frackal]

I have left a couple training days worth off of here, because I've decided to use this as a day-by-day journal of my experience with the ABCDE diet, for those not familiar with it, pm me and I'll give you a synopsis, or you can view my thread about it here.

I am starting with the bulking phase, which began today, Saturday, November 10th. I will continue each phase for between 12-14 days, depending on how it is going. Tenatively planning for the dieting phase to start Thursday the 22nd.

My bulking diet is relatively simple. Some meals will be strictly structured and will not deviate no matter what the day, others will change depending on a few factors. The overall caloric intake will average about 6,000.

My daily meals will be:

1. 6 eggs, 2 cups oatmeal = 1000 cals
2. Will vary between a post-workout shake if a weights day, a couple protein bars, or food from a grilled chicken/steak burrito place near my work.
3. Will be a 1000 cal meal consisting of a serving of meat, a serving of carbs, and a smaller serving of fats... ie, 2 cups dry mashed potatoes, steak, and mixed nuts. Or rice and fish with hemp seed.
4. Will be a 1000 cal shake consisting of no sugar added-non fat ice cream, peanut butter, and protein powder.
5. Will be steak, oatmeal, and EFAs. (time to control insulin and keep it low)
6. Same as 5, but the fat ratio will be higher and the carbs lower.

My training will be heavy, I will change the order of my exercises around, I will do a dropset followed by extreme stretching at the end of each bodypart workout to encourage bag stretching and growth stimulus.

Suggestions are very much appreciated. My current weight as of today is 203, I was actually losing weight and strength at 3500 cals per day.

Today I worked chest, ate a "Meal 1" as outlined above, 2.5 hours later was at the gym, and bought a high carb/light protein drink to help fuel the workout, was a mistake as I felt sluggish due to the unexpected heaviness of the drink. Weights were as follows, weaker than last chest workout unfortunately.

Incline DB Presses: 90's x 6
Flat DB Presses: 100's x 6
Incline Smith Machine Presses 220 x 8
Dips w/ 50lb dumbell at waist: 10 reps
Decline SM Presses: 240 x 6
Pullovers w/ 60lb DB: 12 reps
Cable Flys Drop Set to failure followed by stretching

Calves:

Seated Calf Raises: 305 x 4
Standing calf raises: 290 x 10
Seated CR Drop Set
Standing CR Drop Set

I did far more volume than normal for chest, I was very frustrated with my lack of pump, it took all those sets for me to get an acceptable one, I suppose all these distractions in my life the past few weeks have really taken a toll, which is unacceptable.

My goal for this 2 week period is to put on between 5-7 lbs of bodyweight, I have calculated a caloric surplus of about 5 lbs worth. (5 x 3,500kals). I also intend to up my weights or reps by an average of 5-10% each workout.

I shall update this in detail daily.

 

[Frackal]

Well not much to report today, 11/11/01, Bulking Day 2, I am full as fuck, muscles are nicely full of glycogen unsurprisingly, have 1 more meal to go and then off to bed for a solid 9 hours of melatonin-charged sleep.

Side note: Chest is EXTREMELY sore, more than it has been since I can remember, sore to the point where it's almost tender...feels GREAT! I think pullovers really worked them hard and they will from now on be a staple in my routine.

 

[Frackal]

11/12/01-11/13/01

Well I forgot to update yesterday, it was a non-gym day so not much to report. Just felt pretty good, pretty pumped all day long.\

Today is back day, about to leave now workout will be:

Cable Rows: 220 x 8

Pulldowns 220 x 6

T-bar rows: 4 plates + 10 x 6

Chins w/ 30lb Dumbell x 6

One Arm Dumbell Rows? <depends on how lower back feels at this point, using 60lb Dumbells? 70? Not sure>

Pulldown dropset followed by extreme Stretching

Lower Back:

Deadlifts w/ 170 x 12 2 Sets

 

[Frackal]

11/14/01 - 11/15/01

14th - Nothin much, off day, lot's of eating.

Feeling generally more pumped, but the most noticeable effect is I feel much more confident, agressive, and pissy, I definitely feel as though my testosterone levels are up, and it's not a placebo effect so to speak because I did NOT expect it to happen to this degree.

15th -

Workout today was Delts...was a slightly above average workout, weaker than expected...irritated about that. Weights were:

Military Press: 180 x 5
Dumbells Press: 70's x 8
SMachine Presses: 200 x 5
Side Raises: 30's x 6
Drop Set of Arnold Presses: -----
Rear Delt Cable Raises: 25/stack x 10
Rotator Cuff Strengthening Exercises: 30lbs x 15


Note:
---Back Workout 11/13/01 Was AWESOME:
Weights Were
Cable Rows: 230 x 7
Pulldowns: 210 x 8
T-Bar Rows: 4 Plates x 6
Chins w/ 30lb Dumbell x 8
One Arm Dumbell Rows: 65lbs x 12 (too easy, try 75's next time, careful on lower back w/ these)
Injured Back Adjusted Deadlifts: 175 x 12

 

[Frackal]

11/16/01-11/17/01

Today is Arms/Traps Day

Workout is as follows:

Close Grip Bench Press: 230 x 6
SkullCrushers: EZCurl Bar + 100 x 6
SM CG Bench: Bar + 220 x 8
Overhead Presses x 12

Barbell Curls: Bar + 90 x 6
Dumbell Curls, Seated: 50 x 6

DropSet, Machine Overhead Presses to Cable One Arm Curls

Traps:

Smith Machine Shrugs: 250 x 8
Dumbell Shrugs: 110's x 8
Drop Set of DB Shrugs: 80s, 50's, 40s, followed by extreme stretching.