ok guys, my exams just ended yesterday and it rocked. this sitting's paper was easier than i would have expected it to be... woohoo!!

without further ado, i hereby declare the start of my one-month-long holiday... and also the beginning of my HVT workout based on darklight's journal and his guidance.

Stats:
Body Type: Ectomorph
Height: 178cm
Weight (6 months ago): 56kg
Weight (1 week ago ): 69kg
Body Fat (6 months ago): 10%
Body Fat (1 week ago): 11%

Arms: In good shape
Chest: Chest, what chest? Its all bones...
No. of Abs Pack: Nil/Low Visibility T.T
Legs: Currently on hiatus

Goal: Health and Fitness

Journal Format:
Day/Date
Exercise Name
Weight x Reps

Tuesday - Chest Day (9 December 2008)

Smith Machine Flat Bench Press
Warm Up
30 lbs x 10
30 lbs x 10

Workout
80 lbs x 10
90 lbs x 10
95 lbs x 10
80 lbs x 8
*insert 20 secs rest here*
80 lbs x 4

(Total Volume: 3610 lbs)


Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
40 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 12
45 lbs x 12
50 lbs x 12

(Total Volume: 2020 lbs)


Machine Chest Press
26 kg x 10
26 kg x 12
33 kg x 10
33 kg x 14

(Total Volume: 1364 kg)


Cable Crossover (Weight stated = total weight)
10 kg x 15
15 kg x 10
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15

(Total Volume: 600kg)


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 55 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 80 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Normal china-style meal, rice + dishes (standardized approximate protein intake: 20g per rice meal)
Tea-time: Whey protein (25g protein), fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 350ml milk (10g protein), anything else I can grab hold of

Total estimated protein intake: 135g

That's all for today.

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 9 2008, 10:28 AM

at first i thought i wouldn't make it through the workout. but towards the end my muscles felt really different lol, as if i could go on for longer. maybe i'm just not pushing enough weights. i'll increase it next week based on my findings from today.

when i got home i took off my clothes to have a shower, and i looked into the mirror and was like, "holy shit, that guy there can NOT possibly be me!" cuz my chest was really pumped up post-workout. if only it could stay that way for longer. hahaha... now its shrunk back to its usual size, looks really pathetic now.

by the way, all the machines in myfitness didn't clearly state the measurement of their stacks. there's just numbers, i don't even know if its measured in pounds or kgs. come to think of it, maybe i didn't really pushed 26 or 33 kgs for the machine chest press. it could've been 26 or 33 pounds instead lol, what a bummer.

by the way, i'm expecting to enjoy doing HVT. it feels more fun and natural compared to what i was doing previously.

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 9 2008, 02:17 PM

i'll try to add bread into my preworkout tomorrow then. i don't like oats lol, i hope i'm not missing out on too much.

by the way, the i don't know the weight of the machine's weight stacks. today i asked a PT what the numbers on the stacks mean - do they refer to pounds or kgs, or neither? the PT seemed baffled by the question but he eventually told me that it was measured in KGs, but i'm still skeptical about this as the maximum number on the cable row-cum-pulldown machine only goes up to 21, which, if measured in KGs, wouldn't even be comparable to half the weight darklight uses

the machines are from LifeFitness btw.

this is the first time I'm doing back exercises other than pendlay's so by tomorrow my back will definitely be sore like never before.

Wednesday - Back Day (10 December 2008)

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown
Warm Up
3 plates x 10
5 plates x 10

Workout
9 plates x 10
8 plates x 10
8 plates x 12
8 plates x 12

(Total Volume: 362, err, plates? )


Seated Cable Row (Hammer Grip)
7 plates x 12
8 plates x 10
8 plates x 10
8 plates x 12

(Total Volume: 340 plates)


One-arm Dumbbell Row
30 lbs x 10
8 kg x 15
10 kg x 12
10 kg x 12

(Total Volume: 496 kg per side)


Close-grip Lat Pulldown
8 plates x 10
6 plates x 12
7 plates x 12
7 plates x 12

(Total Volume: 320 plates)


Dumbbell Shrugs (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
30 lbs x 10
25 lbs x 15
25 lbs x 15

(Total Volume: 1050 lbs per side)


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 63 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 60 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Nasi Lemak (20g protein)
Tea-time: Whey protein (25g protein), fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 350ml milk (10g protein), anything else I can grab hold of

Total protein intake: 135g

(Yes, my diet will be almost exactly the same as yesterday )

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 10 2008, 02:17 PM

LOL i think its even more impossible for the plates to weigh a whopping 10kg each

10lbs sounds more feasible

i'm going to have to ask a different PT tomorrow for clarification.

IMO though, its really senseless to not state the weight of each plate. and its even more senseless for the gym's PT to not know the weight of their weight stacks.

dude i checked out your thread, you have some serious progress there, congrats! that's like my dream body you have on you

btw, what's your current stats?

honestly, i'm too ashamed of my body to post a pic of myself. the only part of me that looks like a bodybuilder is my biceps. they've always been naturally over-sized without any training. in a way, it makes my body look disproportionate. that's why i always try to steer clear from biceps exercise, except for hammer-grip chin-ups once in a while.

my BF was 10% even before i started exercising. talk about being skinny

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 10 2008, 09:44 PM

darklight, i just replied in your thread lol. damn, that's his first time at deadlift and he's already lifting heavier than i do

most of my weight probably comes from bone and other muscle density. definitely not coming from the chest though

Thursday - Shoulder Day (11 December 2008)

Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press (this felt bloody awesome)
Warm Up
15 lbs x 10
15 lbs x 10

Workout
60 lbs x 10
60 lbs x 10
65 lbs x 9
55 lbs x 10

(Total Volume: 2335 lbs)


Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
10 kg x 10
9 kg x 10
9 kg x 10
8 kg x 12

(Total Volume: 376 kg per side)


Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
7 kg x 8
7 kg x 9
7 kg x 9 (done one arm at a time)
6 kg x 9

(Total Volume: 236 kg per side)


Reverse Dumbbell Flyes - Sucking D1ck Position (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
6 kg x 10
5 kg x 10
5 kg x 10
5 lbs x 16

(Total Volume = 196 kg per side)


-End of Workout-
Total Workout Time: 56 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 80 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo, 1 Natural Valley Carbohydrate Bar (30g protein, 50g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Tea-time: Whey protein (25g protein), fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 350ml milk (10g protein), anything else I can grab hold of

Total protein intake: 140g

Note: I upgraded my preworkout meal for today Apparently my dad bought some low-GI carbohydrate bars from Carrefour... Honey, oats and something else flavour.

Reminder to self: Must use lighter weights x more reps for the last 2 exercises next week

---

Added on December 11, 2008, 10:54 pmgod damnit, i'm struck with fever and sore throat. doctor told me not to exercise tomorrow. i'll see how's my condition when i wake up la.

on another note, my back and shoulders are aching like hell now. i hope that's a good sign.

i'll most probably end up doing leg on saturday, and skip arms day for this week. monday will be my chest workout again, won't want to end up having sore arms and being unable to lift.

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 15 2008, 12:58 PM

This is sooo f*cked up man! I've been down in bed the whole Friday, which really stinks. I felt like a decomposed body. It didn't felt good at all. I only woke up three times to take three meals just so I can take my medication.

On Saturday I couldn't go for leg day because the after-effects of fever were still lingering on me. More demotivated than a pile of dung. Sh*t, I missed my first week's leg day!

On Sunday, well, rest day in preparation for the week ahead. Influenza struck the same day. Annoyed my ass to Mars.

Monday. That's today and its my chest day. I couldn't sleep well because my sleeping hours have been screwed by the pills. I finally fell asleep only at an ungodly hour, and I woke up only much, much later in the morning -- still feeling very much unwell.

My pre-workout meal was compromised. I couldn't take the energy bar because I felt like puking after having downed 4 eggs and a glass of Milo. I quickly grabbed my stuff and stepped out of the house before my conscience could tell me to sit in and rest for the day. Its chest day, and there's no way I'm missing out on a chest day, not even if I'm bloody well sick!

As a reward for my stubbornness, I felt like fainting all through the session. But somehow, I still managed to wham those weights out, albeit a little unsatisfactory. The flu and that lump of phlegm stuck in my throat was a major distraction, but towards the end of the workout they became more and more unnoticeable.

Another point of annoyance is the PT and his female trainee. I waited for like 20 f*cking minutes just so they could take their time hogging the cables. 20 minutes, 3 sets of really meager weights, and an abundance of meaningless conversation in between them nearly tugged my last straw out. Watching that PT touch his trainee unnecessarily with that perverted face of his didn't help either. I'd fatwa them if I could.

I hope tomorrow I'll be in a better mood. Monday Blues, you know.

Monday - Chest Day (December 15 2008)

Smith Machine Flat Bench Press
Warm Up
20 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 10

Workout
85 lbs x 11
95 lbs x 10
95 lbs x 10
85 lbs x 8
*insert 20 secs rest here*
80 lbs x 2

(Total Volume: 3675 lbs)
(Marginal Increase: 65 lbs)


Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
50 lbs x 10
55 lbs x 10
60 lbs x 10
50 lbs x 12

(Total Volume: 2250 lbs)
(Marginal Increase: 230 lbs)


Machine Chest Press
33 kg x 10
33 kg x 10
33 kg x 10
26 kg x 16

(Total Volume: 1406 kg)
(Marginal Increase: 42 kg)


Cable Crossover (Weight stated = total weight)
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 16
10 kg x 17

(Total Volume: 630 kg)
(Marginal Increase: 30 kg)



-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 75 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 80 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk, 2 slices of Wholemeal bread (40g protein, 70g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Normal china-style meal, rice + dishes (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 140g

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 16 2008, 12:42 PM

Okay although I am very very new to HVT, I feel there is a need for me to tailor it more towards my lifestyle. Just some very slight changes.

Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Legs + Dips (3x??xBW)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Frog Style Swimming (the only style I know besides froggie is the Sinking Style)

There were some bananas in the kitchen and I had originally planned to take them as part of my preworkout, alongside with eggs. I forgot and made a glass of Milo instead

My barbell rows was a failure. My form felt totally off. A.k.a., I don't know how to do it xD So I'll try to see if I can learn more about it, to maybe do it again next week. Otherwise I'll just have to ditch it.

By the way, I figured out the weights of each plates. I tried hanging on to the pulldown machine, lifting my legs off the ground so that the plates were supporting my full body weight. At 15 plates the plates rose very slightly. At 16 plates, the total weight of the plates were heavier than I was and the plates didn't budge from my bodyweight. Considering that I am about 155 lbs, it should be safe to assume that 1 plate = 10 lbs.

Tuesday - Back Day (16 December 2008)

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown
Warm Up
30 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 10

Workout
90 lbs x 10
90 lbs x 10
90 lbs x 10
70 lbs x 15

(Total Volume: 3750 lbs)


Seated Cable Row (Overhand Grip)
80 lbs x 12
80 lbs x 12
70 lbs x 15
70 lbs x 15

(Total Volume: 4020 lbs)


Close-grip Lat Pulldown
70 lbs x 12
70 lbs x 12
70 lbs x 12
60 lbs x 15

(Total Volume: 3420 lbs)


Barbell Rows (Reverse Grip) (FAILURE!)
40 lbs x 12
40 lbs x 12
30 lbs x 12
30 lbs x 12

(Total Volume: PHAIL!)


Dumbbell Shrugs (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
30 lbs x 15
25 lbs x 17
25 lbs x 18

(Total Volume: 1325 lbs per side)


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 67 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 70 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Pizza (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 135g

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 16 2008, 12:54 PM

usually during the last 1 or 2 rep i can feel that my lats won't pull anymore, and i can actually feel that i'm relying much more on my arms for the last (usually one) rep, and my body will curl slightly forward. once i get that sensation i'll stop and end the set there.

i don't know if i'm doing it right or not as well... its not easy to focus on using only the back muscles. but it is easier to focus on the back when doing lighter weights though. btw, i feel i use the back muscles more efficiently when i'm doing wide-grip pulldowns.

maybe i should do what you're doing and go for lighter weights, more reps instead and see how it goes.

btw, at the end of every exercise i feel my biceps to be slightly numb... do you get that feeling? but i think it's normal to partly use the biceps muscles for pulldowns as, afterall, it is still a compound exercise. do correct me if i'm wrong, i'm not too sure about this.

as for why i can do wide-grip heavier than close-grip, i don't really know either

about that personalized routine in my previous post... i am contemplating swapping shoulder and leg days, ie. leg day on thursday, then shoulders on friday. this is so i can recover my leg muscles by sunday for swimming (since frog style makes heavy use of the legs). do you guys think its a viable decision?

ps. i just read darklight's journal about the abs on arms day thing. i don't have highly visible abs but i'm not all that concerned about that -- same goes to my arms. maybe i'll do abs on my swimming day instead

or, alternatively i'll just stick to working 5 days per week for 5 muscles groups and cancel out swimming. i have 24 hours to think this through lol.

Option 1
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Legs + Dips (3x??xBW)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Frog Style Swimming


Option 2
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Legs
Friday - Shoulders + Dips (3x??xBW)
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Frog Style Swimming


Option 3
Monday - Chest
Tuesday - Back
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Legs
Saturday - Arms/Abs
Sunday - Rest


any comments guise? would be highly appreciated

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 16 2008, 04:32 PM

Ok, its my leg day today. Haven't done any leg workouts in a looooooooooooong time. My legs were wobbling like jelly after every set of squat. Had to crawl my way back to a bench to take a seat. Leg curls felt surprisingly easy, as compared to leg extensions which felt impossible to grasp.

After the workout I ended up walking home with my legs almost collapsing beneath me. Really unstable. It was so embarrassing, I was walking as though I'd just been gang-raped or something. Well, on the bright side at least my legs didn't give away while I was crossing the road. Lesson learned, I'll drive to the gym on leg days instead.

Thursday - Leg Day (December 18, 2008)

Smith Squats
Warm Up
40 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 10

Workout
90 lbs x 12
100 lbs x 10
110 lbs x 10
90 lbs x 12

(Total Volume: 4260 lbs)


Leg Curls
33 kg x 15
40 kg x 15
47 kg x 12
47 kg x 12

(Total Volume: 2223 kg)


Leg Extensions
33 kg x 12
33 kg x 12
26 kg x 14
26 kg x 14

(Total Volume: 1520 kg)


Standing Weighted Calf Raise Machine
34 kg x 15
43 kg x 13
43 kg x 13
34 kg x 15

(Total Volume: 2138 kg)


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 60 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 70 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 2 Bananas (22g protein, ??g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Fried rice + dishes (15g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 127g

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 18 2008, 12:07 PM

Ahhh okay darkie, sound and solid advice there, thank you! Now I have a reason to ditch the calculator

i have difficulty walking now... i reckon my legs will be a complete sore by tomorrow morning. And if it doesn't recover in time for Sunday this week, I will drop swimming altogether and go for Option 3.

I don't usually do leg work actually, this is my first time in quite a while So I am hoping my legs will grow at a faster rate, so I can hit BW Squats x 10 ASAP.

What made me gain weight was probably because I wasn't eating well enough last time, and also because I didn't exercise much, aside from the occassional futsal game. So the moment I picked up those dumbbells, my weight climbed rapidly.

Sadly the weight gain isn't showing enough in my physical appearance. Some of my friends have noted that I don't look as skinny as I did before, but personally, I think there's not much Wow! factor in my changes - I look practically the same, and still considerably skinny, or normal at best.

I saw your journal and your body looks much better shaped than mine, so I'm sure you'll end up somewhere satisfactory. Have fun bulking

Don't worry, I know better than to compare my physique with an experienced bodybuilder. What I was pointing out was merely the relativity between my physique and my weight gain

Okay, I will do deadlift next week then. Haven't done it in a while so I'm looking to do 1x5x160 lbs only. I feel uncomfortable using different grips on both hands, so I do my deadlift with only an overhand grip. Doing deadlifts at heavier weights hurt my fingers, is it supposed to hurt?

I've seen your deadlifting video btw. My current deadlift form feels right, but I wouldn't know for sure lol.

Anyway, it's my shoulder day today! Workout felt good. Especially satisfied with my lateral delt raises. Form felt perfect, weight felt just nice, targeted muscles felt good after every set.

For rear delts I wanted to do reverse flyes in sucking d*** position, since I can pull it off with a consistent form. Unfortunately my legs ached like hell when I attempted to get into position. In the end, I settled for a reverse bench press while leaning forward on a "chair". I'm not sure if I got the form right, but I made sure to avoid using my lats and focused on using my delts. At the least, it did not feel wrong, at least to me... Will return to reverse flyes next week for a more guaranteed form.


Friday - Shoulder Day (19 December 2008)

Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press
Warm Up
20 lbs x 10
20 lbs x 10

Workout
60 lbs x 11
65 lbs x 10
65 lbs x 10
55 lbs x 11


Machine Shoulder Press (Hammer Grip)
15 kg x 15
15 kg x 13
20 kg x 10
20 kg x 13


Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
4 kg x 10
4 kg x 10
4 kg x 10
4 kg x 10


Reverse Bench Press (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
4 kg x 10
4 kg x 15
4 kg x 15
4 kg x 15
4 kg x 10


Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press (This was done JustForFun -- pun intended )
40 lbs x 10


-End of Workout-
Total Workout Time: 59 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 70 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: BBQ PARTAYYYYY!!! (20g protein) (I'll just assume its 20g for convenience)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 135g

Picture of my right deltoids: (WARNING: Not Impressive)

Good video. Much better quality. Damn, that looks sooo heavy! Personally I wouldn't dare to try 1 rep deadlifts yet.

How much is a pair of wrist straps and where can I get them? Are they necessary for deadlifting heavier weights? I hope they're not too costly...

Thank you for the compliment, I will work harder to make it more visible Actually, I never did any lateral raises before, not until last week haha.

Btw, since my middle chest is so pathetic, I plan to add in an extra exercise for next week after cable crossovers. I don't know what it's called, but you do it lying flat on a bench, hold one dumbbell with both hands over the center of the chest, let the weight go over and behind your head and then pull it back to starting position.

Anyone knows what this exercise is called, and if its good for building the middle chest or not? Thank you!

Egonutrition? Actually I have never seen any of its outlets before... How much do they sell it for?

Okay, I will consider getting the strap. For the dumbbell pullovers, I'll dot hat tomorrow and see if I have enough energy left for cable crossovers. After all its only once a week so I want to make sure I kill my chest haha. Will it be bad to include too many exercises on one muscle group per session?

Today I underperformed. Very unsatisfactory. For some reason I didn't seem to have the energy to whip those reps out, and to make matters worse, I ended up using more triceps than I would have wanted to. My triceps were feeling the heat by the end of the 3rd set of my first workout. So basically, today is a chest/triceps day instead. Because I overworked my triceps in the first exercise, it affected my later workouts as well. However, I will try to be optimistic and lie to myself that I worked my chest so damn well, so much so that my triceps had to kick in to lend a helping hand.

After 2 sets of dumbbell pullovers, I decided I didn't like it as much as I had wanted to. So I reverted back to doing cable crossovers, which, personally, I think is a rather fun and enjoyable exercise.

Btw, I overestimated the weight I could do on incline bench and ended up performing below expectations for that

After I reached home, I decided I am still not satisfied with my workout, so I did a bodyweight push-up x 12. Call it a warm down, if you will.


Notes to self for next week:
Warm up with 20 lbs x 10, 40 lbs x 10 instead.
Don't push myself too hard on the flat bench press.
Consider replacing machine chest press with decline bench press.
Stick to cable crossovers.
Do dumbbell pullovers if I feel like it.


Monday - Chest Day (22 December 2008)

Smith Machine Flat Bench Press
Warm Up
30 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 10

Workout
90 lbs x 11
100 lbs x 10
100 lbs x 10
80 lbs x 9
*insert 30 secs rest here*
50 lbs x 9


Smith Machine Incline Bench Press
65 lbs x 9
60 lbs x 9
60 lbs x 10
50 lbs x 12


Machine Chest Press
40 kg x 10
33 kg x 11
33 kg x 11
33 kg x 11


Dumbbell Pullovers
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15


Cable Crossover (Weight stated = total weight)
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 16


Machine Chest Press (done JustForFun )
26 kg x 12


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 62 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 80 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, Nature Valley Energy Bar (25g protein, 30g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 135g

Thank you, guys, for the advice and encouragement! I really appreciate you guys dropping by and giving a helpful word or two

Well, its my back day again today! Initially I had wanted to do deadlifts at the end of the workout, but after completing all 4 sets for cable rows I realized that I will not have the energy to do deadlifts, unless I sacrifice one other exercise. At the end of the workout, I couldn't even grip a dumbbell properly, what more to hold on to 160 lbs. So I decided to skip deadlifts instead.

Darkie, how do you manage your deadlifts without sacrificing another exercise?

Today I may not have improved much, poundage or volume-wise, but my goal for today was not to lift heavy. My goal for today is to lift just the right weight to be able to execute the movements with an improved form. And today, I achieved that goal. My back muscles felt the hardship I wanted it to feel and that is all I ask for. On the contrary, I noticed that I had relied much less on my biceps and forearm as compared to last week, which is a really good thing.

I substituted close-grip pulldowns for machine pulldowns (no cables) today. And MAN, did it felt good. It hit the lats even more effectively than the cable pulldowns ever did, so much so that it is an all-new sensation to me.

Overall, my form has been gradually improving since the first week and I hope to keep improving in the future. Muscle-mind connection is definitely better than when I first started out, although still very much imperfect.

Needless to say, I enjoyed today's back workout very much.


Tuesday - Back Day (23 December 2008)

Wide-grip Lat Pulldown (Cable)
Warm Up
30 lbs x 10
40 lbs x 10

Workout
70 lbs x 15
80 lbs x 12
80 lbs x 11
70 lbs x 15


Seated Cable Row (Overhand Grip)
70 lbs x 15
70 lbs x 18
80 lbs x 13
60 lbs x 15


Lat Pulldown Machine
25 kg x 15
30 kg x 12
30 kg x 12
25 kg x 15


One-arm Dumbbell Row
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15
10 kg x 15


Dumbbell Shrugs (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
25 lbs x 18
25 lbs x 18
25 lbs x 18
10 kg x 18


Lat Pulldown Machine (done JustForFun, yet again with the repetitive pun...)
40 kg x 7
30 kg x 11


-End of Workout-

Total Workout Time: 70 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 70 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Rice + dishes (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Anything edible in Sunway Pyramid (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 135g

This post has been edited by wallpaper89: Dec 31 2008, 01:05 PM

But I thought he said to do deadlifts on alternate weeks, on back days?

I tried resting for shorter periods but it is just as yeah_guyz said, I won't be able to push out much in the next set. Somehow my muscles recover reaaaaaaaally slow... =(

Merry Christmas guys!

Today there is a drop in performance AND volume compared to the previous two workouts. Needless to say I sure as hell am unsatisfied with myself today. I need moarrr powah!

The only exercise with clear improvements is the dumbbell lateral raise.

For the smith shoulder presses and the machine presses, there is a jump in weight but a drop in reps (an especially huge one for the machine presses). In this case the weight increase does not really justify the lower reps.

On the bright side, my form felt perfect today. But that, in itself, does not justify the huge drop in performance as well... But its okay, next week will be better, I hope

I will be leaving for Taiping for a few days stay starting tomorrow morning so while I'm there, there will be no eggs, no milk and no powder for me to consume. I will be stuck to having only 3 or 4 meals per day. In other words, my diet is screwed. Big time.

To mitigate losses from the diet drawback, I will just have to try and stuff myself up to the max with every meal I get.


Thursday - Shoulder Day (25 December 2008)

Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press
Warm Up
20 lbs x 10
20 lbs x 10

Workout
65 lbs x 11
65 lbs x 11
70 lbs x 8
60 lbs x 8
60 lbs x 4


Machine Shoulder Press (Hammer Grip)
20 kg x 10
20 kg x 10
20 kg x 10
20 kg x 11


Dumbbell Lateral Raise (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
4 kg x 12
4 kg x 12
4 kg x 12
5 kg x 8, 4 kg x 3


Reverse Dumbbell Flyes - Sucking D1ck Position (Weight stated = per dumbbell)
4 kg x 15
4 kg x 13
4 kg x 11
5 lbs x 13


Light Dumbbell Shoulder Press (Weight stated = per dumbbell) (done JustForFun)
8 kg x 10
8 kg x 12
7 kg x 12


-End of Workout-
Total Workout Time: 58 minutes
Average rest time in between sets: 70 secs


Diet

Preworkout: 4 eggs, 1 glass of Milo (25g protein, 20g carbs)
Postworkout: 2 scoops weight gainer + 350ml Dutch Lady milk (35g protein, 60g carbs)

Estimated meals for today:
Lunch: Turkey + Spaghetti (20g protein)
Tea-time: Fruits (anything in the fridge will do)
Dinner: Not confirmed yet (20g protein)
Supper: 300ml milk + Whey protein (35g protein)

Total estimated protein intake: 135g