Arian's Rise to Power
 

I've disappeared for a week or two but I have been working out. I've been busy with the GRE, applying for grad school, getting settled at home, working with my dad, being sick, and trying to figure out what I want to do next in lifting. I feel like I am stuck in limbo now that I've graduated. I have nothing to do which surprisingly has made me lazy in everything else. I've had to force myself to even go to the gym because I really don't want to do anything and I'm not sure why.

But I have decided that I want to bulk up to 200 lbs, however long it takes, and then decide then if I want to cut down or not. I dropped from about 177 to 171 lbs when I was sick and took a week off from lifting. I am now back to 176 and hope to continue pushing to 180 and beyond in the months to come.

I have started this program called Optimized Volume Training. Its a reworking of german volume training to attempt to maintain or increase strength while on a hypertrophy routine. Basically it is all supersets, 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise. This allows you to go heavy on the first exercise of each superset to increase strength and then the second exercise is done slow to increase time under tension. It is a lot of volume and my strength drops through the exercises because of the superset, so I have edited the routine a bit on some of the main lifts, like squats.

So I just started week 2 of the routine today, here is how its been going so far.

9/6/10 - Chest & Back

BB Bench superset with DB Fly
175/5 for 1 set, 155/5 for 4 sets
15/5 for 5 sets

DB Incline superset with DB Incline Fly
40/5 for 1 set, 45/5 for 4 sets
15/5 for 5 sets

Pullup superset with DB Row
5 for 3 sets, 4 for 1 set, 3 for 1 set
45/5 for 5 sets

BB Row superset with Seated High Row Machine
75/5 for 5 sets
90/5 for 5 sets

The 1st exercise of each superset is done 2 seconds negative and 1 second positive.
The 2nd exercise of each superset is done 6 seconds negative and 2 seconds positive.

9/7/10 - Legs & Abs

Squat superset with Lunges
175/5 for 3 sets, 175/3 for 1 set, 175/2 for 1 set
5

Leg Press superset with Back Extension
180/5 for 5 sets
5 for 5 sets

Leg Curl superset with Leg Extension
80/5 for 1 set, 95/5 for 4 sets
80/5 for 5 sets

Hanging Leg Raises superset with Cable Crunches
5 for 2 sets, 3 for 1 set
170/5 for 3 sets

I decided not to superset squats with lunges because my strength would decrease dramatically. So I am just going to do heavy squats to start and then do supersets for the rest of the workout from now on. This will make squats a regular 5x5 progression.

9/9/10 - Biceps & Triceps

BB Curl superset with DB Curl
75/5 for 3 sets
20/5 for 3 sets

Preacher Curl superset with Hammer Curl
65/5 for 1 set, 55/5 for 2 sets
12/5 for 3 sets

Dips superset with Cable Pressdowns
5 for 4 sets
70/5 for 1 set, 80/5 for 1 set, 90/5 for 2 sets

Close-Grip Bench superset with Skullcrushers
135/5 for 1 set
40/5 for 1 set

Can't remember the last time I've done an arm day, if ever. So I couldn't quite handle 5 sets of 5 for this many exercises. So I cut down the volume for week 1. Might move close-grip bench to my 1st tricep exercise as well so I can get the most strength gains out of it. I would do weighted dips but my gym doesn't have any dip belts and I don't own one.

9/11/10 - Shoulders

Military Press superset with Lateral Raise
110/5 for 2 sets, 100/5 for 1 set
10/5 for 3 sets

Alternating DB Press superset with Front Raise
30/5 for 3 sets
10/5 for 1 set, 5/5 for 2 sets

Face Pull superset with Rear Delt Raise
70/5 for 1 set, 80/5 for 2 sets
12/15 for 3 sets

Kept the volume on shoulders low since they already took a beating from squats and chest workouts. Did higher rep on rear delts as well since its pretty hard/weird to do 6 seconds negative on that exercise.

9/13/10 - Back

Pullup superset with DB Row
5 for 4 sets, 4 for 1 set
45/5 for 5 sets

Seated Low Row Machine
90/12 for 5 sets

Made a very dumb move and went to the gym at around 6pm. It was very crowded and couldn't do my workout the way I wanted. I threw out chest because all the benches were taken and went straight to back. Then I couldn't do BB rows because all the BBs were taken. So I did regular rep range and tempo for my 2nd back exercise. I will probably go do chest tomorrow morning and then do legs & abs early afternoon or late night when it isn't as crowded. I hate crowded gyms...

Logged in, good luck making it to 200!

Thanks man, its going to be hard. I had trouble eating enough to maintain 180 lbs a few months ago. I was basically having a giant protein shake after the gym and then like a 1500 calorie frozen pizza a hour or so later. I'm trying to do it alittle cleaner this time since my mom makes healthy lunchs and dinners, but I have trouble eating alot of it so we'll see.

Eating a couple bananas and other stuff getting ready for my morning chest workout right now. Weighed in at 177.2 lbs this morning.

9/14/10 - Chest

BB Bench superset with DB Fly
160/5 for 4 sets, 160/4 for 1 set
15/5 for 5 sets

DB Incline Bench superset with DB Incline Fly
50/5 for 5 sets
15/5 for 5 sets

Workout felt very good today. I might split up chest and back and do one Monday mornings and one Monday nights from now on. I think I will get a better workout that way, I just have to see if I have the time for it. Time to eat and rest for legs & abs tonight.

9/14/10 - Legs & Abs

Squat
175/5 for 5 sets

Leg Press superset with Back Extension
230/5 for 5 sets
5 for 5 sets

Leg Curl superset with Leg Extension
105/5 for 5 sets
80/5 for 5 sets

Hanging Leg Raises superset with Cable Crunches
5 for 3 sets
200/5 for 3 sets

Workout went well, I went up in everything. Squats felt hard at first but then got better and I made it through. Eating some chicken and sweet potatoes right now. Off tomorrow and then arms on Thursday.