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  1. #1
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    Default Uphill Battle Workout Journal intro and Upper Body

    Hello all! My name is Kris and I'm 29 years old. I've been lifting weights for over 12 years now for martial arts and CrossFit, but within the past couple of years I've changed my goals to bodybuilding and just recently Men's Physique. Men's Physique is an appealing area for me because it's more along the lines of the physique I want.

    I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and there are quite a few things that I can not eat. One of those things are protein shakes made with whey. If anyone is familiar with Louis CK's bit on "eating habits" then you can probably guess what happens if I consume just one whey protein shake. As such I'm fighting a hard battle to put on muscle (well, harder than average I guess). I'm also lactose intolerant so drinking a ton of milk is out. The bodybuilder's of old reached their goals without modern supplements so I'm optimistic that I will too.

    I will be keeping my workout journal here in hopes of getting advice from like-minded men's physique enthusiasts/competitors. Any constructive input is greatly appreciated!

    My current routine is an upper/lower split done three times a week. If upper is workout A and lower is workout B, then one week will be A-B-A and the next will be B-A-B. I started this routine last week so I'm still getting my weights right.

    Upper:
    Incline Barbell Bench (2x6-8): 115x9, 125x7
    Pulldowns ("): 135x9, 150x6
    Seated Cable Row (1x6-8): 120x9
    Seated Dumbbell Press (2x6): 50x6x2
    Lateral Dumbbell Raise (2x8): 17.5x9, 20x8
    Dumbbell Shrugs ("): 60x8, 65x8
    Incline Dumbbell Curl (2x6-8): 20x9, 25x6
    Lying L-Fly (rotator cuff work, 1x8-10): 5x10
    Close-grip Benchpress (2x6-8): 135x8, 135x6
    Stairmaster Speed Interval Level 5 for 10 minutes

    My known stats are as follows:

    Weight: 140
    Height: 5'7"B
    odyfat: below 10% (don't know for sure, but abs are visible)

  2. #2
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    Since I'm a hardgainer I don't measure what I eat often, I just try to eat as much clean food as I can. I generally eat between 5-6 meals a day, each meal containing a complete protein and either vegetables or nuts. I allow myself cheat meals whenever the craving strikes. I've found that if I just give in to temptation (within reason, of course) then I can just get right back on the wagon. Here's a list of the foods I usually eat:

    Eggs (hard-boiled, scrambled)
    Chicken breast
    Canned tuna
    Salmon
    Lean steak
    Tilapia
    Turkey

    Baby spinach and other salad greens (except iceberg lettuce because eff that)
    Quinoa (addicted to this stuff!)
    Squash
    Zucchini
    Carrots
    Hummus
    Apples
    Red potato's

    Cheese (used to eat this stuff all the time but I've been eating it sparingly lately. I usually treat this as a cheat food)
    Pasta (usually don't eat much)
    Bread (again, usually don't eat much. I like the taste but I'm not a fan of the texture in starchy carbs)

    I use oils and seasonings like olive oil, red wine vinegar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, chipotle powder, etc. to add flavor. I usually cook in Pam.

  3. #3
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    I'm late on my update because I just got a new Apple PC with a 27" screen monitor. Freakin' awesome.

    Here's my lower body workout from 2 days ago:

    Deadlift (2x6): 155x7, 175x6
    Standing Calf Raise (2x12-15): 45x15x2
    Leg Press (2x8-10): 220x11, 230x11
    Lying Leg Curl ("): 50x11, 55x8
    Crunch (2x10-12): 12x2
    Bicycle (1x12-15): 15
    Hyperextension (2x8-10): 25x11, 35x8

  4. #4
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    Upper:

    Incline BB Bench (2x6-8): 125x9, 135x6
    Pulldown ("): 150x9, 165x6
    Seated Cable Row (1x6-8): 135x8
    Seated DB Press (2x6): 50x7, 55x6
    Lateral Raise (2x8): 20x8x2
    Shrug ("): 65x8x2
    Incline DB Curl (2x6-8): 25x8, 25x6
    Lying L-Fly (1x8-10): 7.5x10
    CG Bench (2x6-8): 135x8x6

  5. #5
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    So I decided to change gears and do some higher-rep work for a while. Before I started this journal I had been focusing on lifting heavy weights in a 4-8 rep range. It felt good, I made gains, and I noticed changes in my body. However, my joints have started to ache so I need to take a break from the heavy stuff. I'm still challenging my muscles, just in a different way. I came across the HST workout and read about how lactic acid helps heal strained tendons, so I'm trying out this method (although I'm not doing HST). However, I think went too high with my rep range (15-20). I'm going to bring it down to 12-15 next time and see how that feels. I'm keeping the rest down to 30-45 seconds.

    Today I worked chest, triceps, abs, and finished up with speed intervals on the Stairmaster.

    Incline BB Bench (3x15-20): 95x15, 95x7, 75x11
    Incline DB Fly: 20x20, 20x15x2
    Standing Cable Fly: 15x20, 20x20x2
    Skullcrusher: using the cambered bar with no weights, I did a set of 20, a set of 16, and a set of 15
    Tricep Pushdown: 5020x3
    Ab Circuit (do all three exercises back to back, rest 30 seconds, repeat):
    Crunches on Ball: set 1 = 15, set 2 = 7
    Leg Raises w/Ball: set 1 = 15, set 2 = 12
    Bicycles: set 1 = 7 per side, set 2 = 5 per side

    Stairmaster: Speed Intervals @ Level 7

    Tomorrow I should be able to get in a leg workout where I'll be bringing back squats into the mix again.

  6. #6
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    Religion has it all wrong. Hell is not fire and brimstone, nor it is extreme cold. Hell is high-rep leg days. What a pump! It felt really hard to do this workout, but I have to say that the hardest thing right now is my ego. In order to do these reps my weight has been lowered quite a bit and, quite frankly, I feel like a little bitch with these light weights. Never mind that my legs are on fire and they have a great pump and how well this is working for me, my ego is hurt because I'm not lifting heavy weight. I keep telling myself "if you could lift heavy weight for 12-15 reps I'd already look like Sadik Hadzovic, but you don't shut the hell up and focus on lifting. Your rest is up".

    BB Squat (3x12-15): 75x12x3
    Leg Press: 90x15x3
    Romanian DL: 65x15x3 (forearms were a limiting factor here)
    Leg Extension: 30x12x3
    Seated Leg Curl: 30x12x3
    Standing Calf Raise: 30x15x2, 30x12

    I was already sweating from the low rest periods and the intensity so I skipped out on cardio. I'll probably hit it tonight as I'm not too sore.

  7. #7
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    This was a tough workout today. I did back, biceps, and abs. My pulling muscles were on fire from my first working set. I wanted to rest more but then I remembered what Greg Plitt said about the "burn zone" and it motivated me to keep going. I was especially careful on the high-rep deadlifts as I wanted to ensure proper form. While resting between circuits during my ab workout I felt a hard cramp in my lower abs. It wasn't a hernia (thank God), but I think it was a sign that I need to drink more water. It's been over 100 degrees and it will continue to be over 100 degrees here, so I need to step up my hydration.

    WG Weight Assist Pull-Up (3x12-15): 95x15, 95x12x2
    Deadlift: 95x15, 95x12x2
    BO BB Row: 75x15, 75x12x2
    WG Lat PLD: 75x5x2, 90x12
    EZ-bar Curl: Barx15, Barx12x2
    DB Curl: 12x5x12x3
    DB Hammer Curl: 10x15x2, 10x12

    Ab Circuit (45 seconds rest between circuits)
    Crunches on Ball: set 1 = 15, set 2 = 7
    Leg Raises w/Ball: set 1 = 15, set 2 = 8
    Bicycles: set 1 = 8 per side, set 2 = 5 per side

  8. #8
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    Gorging oneself on sushi and immediately training shoulders afterward is a good way to make yourself nauseated. I didn't vomit, but I came damn close.

    Standing Military Press (3x12-15): Barx15, 10, 12
    Standing Front BB OH Raise: 20x15, 13, 12
    Lateral Raise: 10x15, 10, 12
    EZ-curl Bar Upright Row: Barx15x3
    Seated BO Rear Delt Raise: 10x12, 10, 8
    DB Shrug: 30x15x3

    This Saturday starts my next rotation on this workout. I'm going to do 3 sets of 8-12 on most exercises. Since I feel that my chest is a weak area, I will try to do 4 sets.

  9. #9
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    Been forgetting to update this damn thing. This is my chest, tri's, and abs workout on 6-9-2012. I started my hypertrophy routine, doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps. I did the calculations based off my estimated 1RM for these exercises and most of them were dead on. For my ab circuit, I decided to do one circuit and really focus on form, contracting my abs, and getting 15 reps on every exercise:

    Incline BB Bench (3x8-12): 105x10, 105x8x2
    Incline DB Fly: 20x12, 25x8x8
    Standing Cable Fly (different machine than last time): 20x10, 20x8x2
    Skullcrusher: 40x12, 45x12, 50x10
    Pushdown: 55x12, 60x12, 65x12
    Dips: 12, 10, 8

    Ab Circuit:
    Crunches on Ball: 15
    Leg Raises w/Ball: 15
    Bicycles: 15 per side

  10. #10
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    Here is my leg workout from yesterday, 6-10-12. I kept the same hypertrophy rep range, but I did drop sets on the Lying Leg Raise and some SMR at the end:

    BB Squat (3x8-12): 70x12, 75x12, 80x10
    Leg Press: 200x12, 230x8x2
    Romanian DL: 75x12, 85x12, 95x8
    Leg Extension (different machine than last time): 45x12, 50x12, 55x10
    Lying Leg Curl (last set a drop set): 40x12, 45x12, 50x8 --> 40 --> 30 --> 20 --> 10
    Standing Calf Raise: 45x12, 60x10, 75x8

  11. #11
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    Here's my back workout from yesterday:

    Wide-Grip PLU's, Weight Assist (3x8-12): 12x95, 12x80, 5x65 (65 pounds didn't feel like anything so I'm going to hang at 80 pounds until I can do 3 sets of 12, then go without the weight-assist and do bodyweight)
    BB DL: 135x8x3
    BO BB Row: 95x12, 100x10, 100x9
    Wide-Grip PLD: 95x12, 105x12, 120x8
    EZ-bar Curl: 40x12, 45x10, 45x8
    Alt. DB Curl: 12.5x10, 12.5x8x2 (grip was a limiting factor here)
    Hammer Curl: 15x12, 15x10x2

    Ab Circuit (did it backwards today just for a change):
    Bicycle: 15 per side
    Leg Raises with Ball: 15
    Crunches on Ball: 15

  12. #12
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    Had a good day with shoulders. I changed my ab routine because the circuits I was doing were causing some very uncomfortable cramps. It was almost as if I could feel my stomach muscles twisting, which gave me some serious pause. The routine is Sadik Hadzovic's routine that he posted on cutandjacked, scaled down to my level. I will work on doing all of the reps for all of the exercises (1 minute rest between sets), then cut down my rest to 30 seconds before adding more sets.

    Shoulders:
    Standing Military Press (3x8-12): 55x12, 65x8x2
    Standing Front BB OH Raise: 30x8x3
    Lateral Raise: 12.5x12, 15x8x2
    EZ-curl Upright Row: 55x12, 60x8x2
    DB Shrugs: 40x12, 45x10x2

    Abs:
    Cable Crunch (2x15-20): 50x20, 70x20
    V-Up Exchange w/Ball: 12, 10
    Scissors: 20x2
    Russian Twist: 8x15x2
    Alt. Toe Touch: 15x2 (started with a different leg on each set)
    Hanging Leg Raise (1xfail): 8

  13. #13
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    You lost me when you said"cross fit" ,,,,,hell the words"men's(sorry didn't mean to laugh) physique had me holding back dinner,,,,i can't do nuttin for you man

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by weezer View Post
    You lost me when you said"cross fit" ,,,,,hell the words"men's(sorry didn't mean to laugh) physique had me holding back dinner,,,,i can't do nuttin for you man
    I don't remember asking you to do anything for me.

  15. #15
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    You must be doing something right when the haters come out. I haven't even posted pics yet and already I have some trolls to feed!

    I had a good chest and triceps workout today, even though I felt really weak going in. A couple of days ago I didn't sleep (not as in "I tossed and turned", but literally stayed awake) and ended up having a 40-hour day, so I'm still trying to catch up and get back into a rhythm. In any case, had a good day.

    Chest:
    Incline BB Bench (3x8-12): 105X12, 115X6x2
    Incline DB Fly: 20x12 (was supposed to start with 25. Whoops), 25x12, 30x8
    Standing Cable Fly: 20x12, 25x8x2

    Triceps:
    Skullcrusher: 50x12, 55x8x2
    Pressdown: 70x12, 80x12, 90x10
    Dips: 12, 10, 8

    Tomorrow is leg day. Joy.

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