# off the beaten path, into amatuer BBing (I hope)



## PWGriffin (Dec 2, 2005)

I've been at this for a few years now on and off but the last 2 years have been on and as of 6 months ago I've become completely consumed with what I'm doing in the gym...I started keeping a log book in order to track my progress and attempt to beat it every week...I also hired a trainer the week I started this particular log book and the split I used is one he devised...I'm also on a cycle of deca and sust that I started at the same time I started this log..I'm going to list the first weeks split with poundage and the last, and start filling them in from here on out on a weekly basis...here were my stats when I started:

Age: 22
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 191
BF%: 13% 

Week 1:  Chest (prolly my weakest, but fav thing to workout)

Bench: 160x8, 185x6, 205x2+2 (+meaning number of assisted or forced reps)
Free motion flies:  30x20, 45x15, 45x15 (these are like cable crossovers...)
H.S. Incline press:  70x10/80x9/90x8
Incline Flies:  25x10/30x10/30x15
H.S. Wide chest press:  140/170/180 @ 10/8/6
Dumbell Pullovers:  30/30/30lbs @ 15/15/15 (not supposed to be heavy)

Week 7: Chest (now)

Bench:  185/225 @ 6/2+2 (made two attempts maxing out before I started my workout so that will be the reason for some of the weaker lifts, missed 265 but got 255 without TOO much trouble..so I'm guessing 260 max roughly)
FM Flies:  70/70/80lbs @ 15/15/15
Decline BB Press:  135/155/185 @ 8/8/7+1
Flat bench flies:  35/40/45 @ 15/15/15
Incline BB press:  135/135/155 @ 7+1/5+2/1+2 (tri's are spent, can't lockout)
Pullovers:  40/40/40 @ 15/15/15

Week 1: Back

lat pulldown:  145/165/165 @ 10/9/8
Hammer D.Y. (dorian yates) row:  70/95/105 @ 10/10/10
Hammer High Row:  70/95/95 @ 10/10/10
One arm dumbell row:  75/80/85 @ 10/10/10
close grip lat pull:  85/85/85 @ 10/10/10 (leaning back, very slow, squeezing and holding at the bottom, very good finisher IMO)

Week 7: Back

lat pull:  160/170/200 for 10/10/6
Hammer DY Row:  210/230/280 for 10/10/6
Hammer High Row:  240/260/300 for 10/8/5+1
Dumbell Row:  100/120/120 for 10/10/10
Close Grip lat pull:  95/95/95 for 10/10/10

Legs: Week 1:

Press:  170/360/450/540 for 10/10/10/10
One Leg, Leg Ext:  55/70/85 for 10/10/10
Leg Curls:  125/140/140/140 for 10/10/10/7
seated calves, calves on a hack machine

Week 7 Legs:

Press:  630/720/810/900 for 10/10/10/10 (going for 1000 next week)
Hacks:  180/270/360 for 10/10/10
Leg ext. 145/145/130 for 20/15/12 (started doing them with both legs and going more for reps...after this exercise, I had trouble walking, it was awesome)
Leg Curls:  145/155/165 for 10/10/8
seated and standing calf raises

Week 1: Shoulders:

Machine press:  80/95/110 for 10/10/8
Arnolds:  35/35/35 for 10/10/9
Dumbell Reverse Flies:  10/10/15lbs for 15/15/8reps (twisting at the top
Upright Rows:  65/75/95 for 10/10/8
Hammer Strength Shrugs:  90/140/140/140 for 10/10/18/18
Machine Reverse Flies:  85/130/145/145 for 15/10/10/6

Week 7:  Shoulders:

H.S. Military Press:  150/190/230 for 10/10/7+1
Arnolds:  55/60/70 for 10/8+1/5+1
Lateral Raises:  25/20/10 for 10 reps...drop set, no rest between the 3
Upright Rows:  95/105/110 for 10/10/10
Hammer Shrugs superset with Barbell shrugs:  180/155 for 3 sets of 10 and 10
Machine Reverse Flies:  155/175/180 for 10/10/10

I also have a day for arms but I don't really try to beat any logbook on this day....I just try to use strict form and move the weights slow and squeeze...I won't bother listing those stats...


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## P-funk (Dec 2, 2005)

looks like some nice progress.  Keep up the good work.  When is your 1st contest going to be?


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## PWGriffin (Dec 2, 2005)

Not sure yet....my trainer thinks I might be ready this summer...but I don't want to do it just to do it like some of my friends...I want to do it because I think I can win.


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## PWGriffin (Dec 3, 2005)

My friend who's finishing med school to be a chiropractor was in town this weekend and I talked to him and he's gonna fix my back up...through a few simple tests he knew I don't have anything seriously wrong, just a small mis alignment he can readjust with a few visits...once he comes home for the holidays he's bringing his table with him and he's gonna fix me up right....then I will be adding squats and deads back to the roster...


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## PWGriffin (Dec 3, 2005)

My friend who's finishing med school to be a chiropractor was in town this weekend and I talked to him and he's gonna fix my back up...through a few simple tests he knew I don't have anything seriously wrong, just a small mis alignment he can readjust with a few visits...once he comes home for the holidays he's bringing his table with him and he's gonna fix me up right....then I will be adding squats and deads back to the roster...


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## PWGriffin (Dec 5, 2005)

Today was chest with my trainer:

BB bench press:
Warmup 135 for 10
8/6/3+1 with 185/215/230

FreeMotion Flies:
15/15/15 with 70/80/80

BB Decline Bench:
8/6/4+1 with 165/185/205

Flat Flies:
15/15/15 with 40/45/45

BB Incline press:
7+1/7+1/7+3 with 135/135/135

Pullovers:
40/40/40 with 15/15/15

Weighted situps and crunches and leg raises for abs

Still making progress.  My trainer and I made a bet that I would bench more than him by this time next year (50 bucks no biggie).  First he said that I would never out bench him and I said "shit, I'll have you beat in a year"  heh.  So I need to put a hundred pounds on my bench in a year heh.  I told him I'd be doing some underground russian powerlifting workouts and beat his ass...


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## Thermal2 (Dec 5, 2005)

looks great man,  we are about the same stats, only I have about 18-20% BF and weigh 195!! keep up the intensity. Giddy Up bro..


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## PWGriffin (Dec 6, 2005)

12/6: Back

Lat Pulldowns:
warmup/150
180/200 for 10/5

Hammer D.Y. Row:
250/280/300 for 10/6/6

Hammer High Row:
260/300/340 for 10/9/5+1

Seated Pulley Rows:
260/180/180 for 10/10/10

One arm DB rows:
100/120/120 for 5/10/10

This week I added seated pulley rows and still managed 10 reps with the 120lb DB's on db rows.  Unfortunately my gym doesn't have anything heavier than 120's.  Next week I might try knocking off some of the weight and really squeezing hard at the bottom and see how that feels.


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## PWGriffin (Dec 9, 2005)

Yesterday was legs...hit 1000lbs even on the leg press, a new PR.  Got it for 10 strong reps too...going for 1100 next week and if I can hit that for 10 then I will add an extra set and go for 1200...not too much longer and I will have TRIPLED my original legpressing weight.  Once I get my back straightened out then Deads and ATG Squats will once again become staples to my routine.  

Today was arms, started with tri's and did CG bench, weighted dips (+45lbs), str8 bar cable pulldowns, EZ bar overhead ext....

For biceps I started doing all dumbell work because EZ bars and straight bars give me hellified splints in my forearms...alternating dumbell curls, incline dumbell curls and one arm cable curls...

Did some forearm work as dictated by my trainer, but have no idea what to call these exercises heh.  

Thermal...I'm up to 210 now.  With around the same BF%, between 13 and 15%.  210 was my weight goal when I started this cycle and I hit it with at least 3 solid weeks of growing left...so what do you do when u hit ur goal??  Set new goals...Now I'm shooting for at least 215 and will try my very best to hold 210 and retain as much strength as possible thru a solid PCT and training to absolute failure.  I would like to get up to as close to 220 as I can before I start to cut in late march/early april.  

Does anyone else have any good ideas or proven methods to retaining strength post cycle??


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## lnvanry (Dec 9, 2005)

IMO if your going for BB don't worry about your strength...focus on your blood volume/pump and your blood levels...

what are your measurements


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## PWGriffin (Dec 9, 2005)

lnvanry said:
			
		

> IMO if your going for BB don't worry about your strength...focus on your blood volume/pump and your blood levels...
> 
> what are your measurements



I know what you're saying...and if I was training purely for strength...I wouldn't be on the regimen I'm on right now.  But at the same time...I want to be as strong as I can in what I do.  Strength is also a way of measuring progress as is weight and BF%.  I'm not going to take measurements on a weekly basis but I am going to try and beat the logbook every week.  

I don't know my measurements right now...my trainer took them when we first started and I was waiting until I finished this cycle and peaked before I took them again.


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## PWGriffin (Dec 12, 2005)

Week9 Day1, chest:

Flat BB press: 
185/215/230 for 8/6/4+1(ALMOST 5) and 3 negatives @ 275

Incline BB Press:
135/155/185 for 8/6/3+1

Decline BB press:
185/205/215 for 7+1/4+2/2+2

Hammer Strength Wide Chest Press:
180 for 10+8/8+8/6+10 (the first number are full ROM reps and the "+" are the half reps going halfway down and then back up, my trainer wanted to do these to work on my sticking point on the flat BB press.  That's also why we did negatives today)

FreeMotion Flies:
60/50/50 for 15/15/15 (did these last this week to that's why the decrease in weight)

Pullovers:
40 for 15/15/15

Were going to do negatives and lockouts right up until I'm about to start PCT and then max again to see where I'm at....Looking for 275+, please wish me luck!!


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## PWGriffin (Dec 14, 2005)

I'm not going to bother updating this if I'm just talking to myself.  I will update this journal monthly or bi monthly or when long term goals are reached only.


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