GoGoGoJoel's Training Journal

[gogogojoel]

Hey all,

I started posting here a couple months ago when I first started lifting "heavy" but I have been internet-less for the past month since school started.

A little bit about myself (for those of you who may be interested)... I'm a 20 year-old sophomore at UC Davis, where my area of study is Exercise Biology, and as such, all aspects of human physical nature intrigue me immensely.

I've always felt that I had a pretty decent strength to weight ratio, but I've never really considered myself "strong". Throughout my teens I was active in numerous sports; significantly soccer and cross country, and to a lesser degree, wrestling, swimming, and track. I would say I'm a really well-rounded athlete, but I've always lacked that cutting edge explosiveness that you see with many football and/or basketball players.

Right now, at 5'11", I'm around 158 lbs. I feel like I could weigh 175 easy if it wasn't for my chicken runner legs. I can run a 4:40 mile, but I can hardly run a 400, or even a 100 meter for that matter, at a much faster pace. To reverse this somewhat I plan to hit the squats and the 50 meter sprints hard during the fall/winter months.

My personal bests include:
Squat: 250
Deadlift: 220
Bench: 190
Pullups: 21 Full

My goals are to gain some solid muscle, and increase explosive abilities, all while maintaining aerobic prowess.

The split I've been following for the past few weeks looks like this:

Day 1: Chest Triceps
Flat Bench Press 3X8
Dumbbell Flys 3X10
Machine Incline Press 12+10+8
Decline Pushup 3XFailure
Overhead Tricep Extension 3X10
Tricep Rope Pulldown 3X10
Dips 3XFailure
Decline Diamond Pushups 3XFailure

Day 2: Legs Abs
Squat 3X8
Leg Extension 3X10
Straight Leg Deadlift 3X10
Hamstring Curl 3X10
Standing Calf Raise Machine 3X12
Varied Weighted Ab Exercises

Day 3: Shoulders Forearms
Shoulder Press Machine 3X10
Dumbbell Front Raise 3X12
Barbell Military Press 3X8
Dumbbell Shrugs 3X10
Reverse Dumbbell Curl 3X10
Barbell Wrist Curl 3X10
Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl 3X10

Day 4: Back Biceps
Deadlift 3X8
Single Arm Row Machine 3X10
Lat Pulldown 3X8
Pullups 3XFailure
Incline Bicep Curl 3X8
Standing Barbell Curl 3X10
Curl Machine 3X8
Chinups 3XFailure

Day 5: Rest

Next week I want to start my 50 meter sprint training but I'm undecided on where or how to fit it in efficiently.

I know for a fact that I'm not eating enough. It's difficult, but I'm certainly trying. Between classes and a job where I get yelled at when I eat, I find it hard to find time where I can sufficiently stuff my face. That being said... over the course of a day I usually consume:

1 cup of oatmeal
3 eggs
1 apple
1 banana
multivitamins
salmon oil cap

2 whole chicken breasts (or equivalent in other meat) over the course of the mid-day.
1 or 2 meat+peanut butter sandwiches

1 shake containing milk, 50g protein powder, 10g L-glutamine, honey, peanut butter, 10g fiber sup

1 serving of some sort of meat (steak, pork, or burger)
1 serving of vegies

All of that doesn't quite add up to what I'm needing, I think. I'm getting over 200g of protein and adequate fats, but the carbs and overall calories are severely lacking. I believe I average around 2500 cal/day.

This coming week I'll be joining the track and field club. I know this is a bad choice in terms of gaining weight, but I can't pass up the opportunity to race, compete, and train with other hard-working, like-minded individuals. Usually I would run the 1500m AND the 3000m but I'll cut out the 3000m for the sake of self-preservation. I might consider training for the 800, however. We'll see. This means that I might be running in excess of 10km a day, even just training for the 1500... so any ideas concerning this would be great.

I'm open to any thoughts, suggestions, concerns, jibes, inspirations, and anything else you might want to throw at me. All criticism will be greatly appreciated.

[Commander]

Originally Posted by gogogojoel

and a job where I get yelled at when I eat, I find it hard to find time where I can sufficiently stuff my face.

That sucks!

Originally Posted by gogogojoel

This coming week I'll be joining the track and field club. I know this is a bad choice in terms of gaining weight, but I can't pass up the opportunity to race, compete, and train with other hard-working, like-minded individuals. Usually I would run the 1500m AND the 3000m but I'll cut out the 3000m for the sake of self-preservation. I might consider training for the 800, however. We'll see. This means that I might be running in excess of 10km a day, even just training for the 1500... so any ideas concerning this would be great.

Oh well, you only live once. I have often regretted not trying to walk on to the track team when I went to college. When college is done, you will still have time to bulk up and achieve your physique goals. That said, you may want to eat a ton of food to at least preserve what you got....think about Michael Phelps eating 10,000 calories just so he didn't waste away!

[gogogojoel]

Today was an incredibly long day, and it's really not even close to being over yet considering the huge pile of physics and chemistry homework sitting on the floor with me.

My bike got stolen over the weekend while I was watching UC Davis destroy Cal Poly in soccer (we're ranked 16th in the nation now!), so this morning I had to resort to the bus. I hate the bus. It's full of people with no life in their faces. Anyway, that's beside the point.

Chem lab got out at 7, and I promptly ate my ham sandwich and walked to the gym. I tweaked my back somehow on one of my first bench press reps, so that kind of threw off my groove, but other than that I felt alright. I'm feeling a little weaker than usual these days, but I know this is because I'm not eating enough of the carbs. UGH.

Today was Chest and Triceps day...
Flat Bench Press 155X4 155X4 135X8 135X8 all controlled and slow both up and down.
Dumbbell Flys 3X10 with 25s I'll look to bump that up next session as I'm feeling just more of a stretch now and less of a burn.
Machine Incline I'm going to replace with something else. I don't feel any muscle work going into it. It's all very mechanical yet still difficult to accomplish.
Decline Slow Pushups 3XMax made me fail right and well within the 12 rep range.
Triceps Overhead Extensions 3X10 with a 45.
Triceps Pulldown 3X10 at 80lbs These always get me good.
Slow Dips 3XMax made my chest and tris burn and fail pretty quickly.
Decline Slow Diamond 3XMax by this point these are hardly doable, but I still managed several good, slow ones for each set.

Today I consumed 2800 cal, 120g fat, 180g carb , 240g protein.

After I worked out some friends called me and I played a half of a soccer match... and now I'm dead.

Goodnight, homework.

[gogogojoel]

I decided not to join the track and field club in order to maintain/gain some weight.

Today was leg day.

Squat 3X8 185,185,195
Leg Extension 3X10 135,135,140
Straight Leg Deadlift 3X10 155,155,155
Hamstring Curl 3X10 95,100,100
Calf Raises 3X12 130,130,130
Dumbbell Side Curl (Obliques) 3X10 60,60,65

[gogogojoel]

Yesterday was shoulder/forearm day, which is the easiest and least time-consuming of my workouts. I think new shoulder exercises need to be added to maximize the workout.

Shoulder Press Machine 3X10
Dumbbell Front Raise 3X12 with 22.5
Barbell Military Press 3X8 with 100
Dumbbell Shrugs 3X10
Reverse Dumbbell Curl 3X10 with 27.5
Barbell Wrist Curl 3X10 with 50
Reverse Dumbbell Wrist Curl 3X10

I'm thinking about adding Upright Rows and Lateral Raises.

[gogogojoel]

Yesterday was back/biceps day.

Deadlift 3X8 185,195,205
Single Arm Pullback Machine 3X10 80
Lat Pulldown 3X8 130,130,140
Pullups 3XMax
Incline Bicep Curl 3X8 30
Barbell Curl 3X10 70
Curl Machine 3X8
Chinups 3XMax

I feel like I can increase my deadlift easier now, and everything else will move right along with it.

Today was Chest/Triceps day.

Slow Flat Bench 3X8 145
Dumbbell Flys 3X10 30
Machine Incline 12+10+8
Decline Slow Pushup 3XMax
Overhead Extension 3X10 47.5
Tricep Rope Pulldown 3X10 80
Slow Dips 3XMax
Decline Slow Diamond 3XMax

My chest doesn't seem to be getting any stronger, and it lags way far behind everything else. It's really embarrassing.

It's really tough to eat as much as I need.

[gogogojoel]

Today was leg day and I was feeling pretty energetic.

Squat 3X8 195 195 200
Leg Extensions 3X10 140 140 145
Straight Leg Deadlift 3X10 155 155 165
Hamstring Curl 3X10 100 100 105
Calf Raises 3X12 130

Didn't have time to work in my ab session today so I'll try to do it tomorrow. I feel bad because I haven't had any good ab work in a couple weeks.

Also, I feel like I'm getting stronger, little by little, but I haven't noticed any physical changes at all. From what my faulty scale tells me I MAY have gained 2 or 3 pounds in a few weeks.

[gogogojoel]

I'm getting into some bad habits. Staying up all night studying for a midterm -> Sleeping in on days after the midterm -> Not going to morning classes -> Not working out after morning classes -> Depression -> More sleeping.

My last 3 workouts have been spread apart over the past 10 days, which is just terrible. I've decided I'm stopping this rut now.

Shoulder/Forearm Day

Shoulder Press Machine 3X10
Front DB Raises 12+10+10 w/ 27.5
Reverse DB Curls 3X10 30
Upright Row 12+10+10 50,60,60
BB Wrist Curl 3X10 50
BB Military Press 8+8+10 100
DB Shrugs 3X10 65
Lateral Raises 3X10 20
Reverse Wrist Curl 3X10
Lateral Raise Machine 12+10+10

Back/Biceps Day

Deadlift 3X8 195 (Felt very weak)
Single Arm Pullback 3X10 80
Lat Pulldown 3X8 130,140,140
Incline Biceps DB Curl 3X8 30
Preacher Curl Machine 3X8

Chest/Triceps Day (Today)

Bench Press 3X8 145,145,150
DB Flys 3X10 30
Isolated Lateral Chest Machine 3X10 90 (each side)
Overhead Extensions 3X10 47.5
Triceps Rope Pulldown 3X10 80

Things need to change starting this weekend. I feel like my lifting is a pretty accurate depiction of the way the rest of my life is coming together (or falling apart) right now. All it needs is a change in mentality though.

[Commander]

Originally Posted by gogogojoel

All it needs is a change in mentality though.

You are absolutely correct, buck up man, you are part of the finest, friendliest bodybuilding site on the Internet. You live in America, life is good. You have the power to make the best of it.

[gogogojoel]

Yesterday I finally found a great workout partner. I definitely feel like I'll be able to push harder, more often, now. We're setting up a program that fits both of our needs and goals, so this should be good.

Yesterday I destroyed my chest and shoulders.

Incline Bench Press: 4X6-10
Decline Bench Press: 3X10
Flat Bench Press: 3X8
Decline DB Flys: 3X10
Dips: 3X10

DB Shoulder Press: 3X6-10
Lat Raise Machine: 3X10

Skull Crushers: 3X10