Tom's : Welcome to the weights room log

Aim : Look better, get stronger.

Starting stats :
Age : 26
Weight : 11st 11lb / 74.8kg / 165lbs
Height : 5ft 7in / 170cm
Bf : no idea

Total beginner to weights, done the odd DB sessions with my friend a few years ago. Decided to start the Stronglifts routine as recommended in the gym rats thread.

I'll be working out 3 times a week and following this routine :

Workout A
Squats: 5 x 5
Bench Press: 5 x 5
Barbell Rows: 1 x 5

Workout B
Squats: 5 x 5
overhead Press: 5 x 5
Deadlift: 1 x 5

I will be adding a photo in the next couple of days and tracking progress through photos too.

Wish me luck!

So...today was my first session.

Was seriously daunting, I did a bit of jogging on the treadmill while I tried to build up the courage to enter the weights area.

It soon went quiet and I made my way over.

Felt a little stupid using just the Olympic bar and adding weights until I felt comfortable.

Anyway, my first log (don't laugh I've never even touched a bar before)

Squat 40kg - 5 5 5 5 5

Bench 30kg - 5
Bench 35kg - 5
Bench 40kg - 5
Bench 45kg - 5 5

Barbell row 45kg 5 5 5 5 5

Felt good, not sure on technique but will be visiting a friend in Manchester who has offered take me the gym and check I'm doing everything correctly.

I'm like you in that I'd never really touched a bar until recently. always used machines and what not! Just keep it up!

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on your progress then, will give me some extra motivation knowing you started recently too!

mr tommo said:

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on your progress then, will give me some extra motivation knowing you started recently too!

Click to expand...

Cheers, likewise! have subbed!

Once you decide to get pictures of yourself, you might as well get a vid of your form on Squats, Deadlifts etc and post it in the form thread. We have the odd one or two that know what they're talking about

Yes I've seen that mentioned quite a lot, it may be a couple of weeks before I can get to my friends gym in Manchester so that's a quite a few sessions if I'm doing things poorly.

I did struggle at times with my heels trying to lift on the squat, always suffered from poor flexibility in my ankles and have sprained them both a few times. Find my heel wants to lift off when I start getting low.

Edit : also with the rows, I had no idea what I was doing to be honest. Tried to keep my back as still as possible while bringing the bar up to my stomach.

Ok, my second workout this morning before work. Pretty hard going due to DOMS in my quads and the fact I'm fasting.

Friday 17th January - Weights added since last workout

Squat 50kg 5 5 5 5 5 (+10KG)
Bench 50KG 5 5 5 5 4 (+5KG) (forgot to do OHP)
Deadlift 50KG 5 (First attempt at this)

Fasting, what kind of fast?

Intermittent 16/4 , Start eating from 12-8pm. I think with the Leangains they take BCAA before the morning workouts but not sure.

10g BCAA before and after. I find eating carbs the night before to provide a good boost to the morning training too.

Whats the diet look like?

Last couple of days have been :

Day 1

200g Chicken grilled
250g Long grain rice
(nandos sauce for dipping)

Tin of Tuna (springwater) drained

3 x rice cakes + Crunchy peanut butter
1-2 Satsumas
1 apple

3 chicken (200g) fajitas with peppers and onion

1 whey protein shake.

Day 2 -

200g Chicken grilled
250g Long grain rice
(nandos sauce for dipping)

3 x rice cakes + Crunchy peanut butter
1-2 Satsumas
1 apple

King prawn (300g) prawn linguini - Approx 180g pasta

Today :

Just had a tin of tuna
will be having the same snacks (rice cakes, + fruit)

Got no dinner and not many places to go around here (may end up with Chipshop fish in breadcrumbs )

Will probably be having a Chicken stir fry (200g), with some chow mein cooking sauce.

Does that look ok-ish?

Will defnitely be getting some BCAA then as my Fridays will be all morning training.

EDIT : Heavily chicken based but I can get 4KG chicken breasts for £20 from my local farm factory store

So are you doing 5 x5 on deadlifts then? Or the prescribed 1 x 5? If anything I would do 3 x 5 over 1 x 5, one set is a tad pointless.

Oopps just edited my log from today. I only did one set. Felt like I could do loads more to be honest.

mr tommo said:

Oopps just edited my log from today. I only did one set. Felt like I could do loads more to be honest.

Click to expand...

Then do it. The only person you're competing with is you. The only person stealing your gains is you.

I'll go for 3 sets then!

Diet going well, 11st 5lb / (72.2kg) this morning.
Lost 6lb's / 2.6kg in 6 days.

Very happy with that!

During my early 20's I weighed around 10.5-11 stone when I was in my best shape.

Monday 20th January

Squat 52.5kg - 5 5 5 5 5 (+2.5KG)

Bench 47.5kg - 5 5 5 5 5 5 (-2.5KG - So annoyed...left my phone and previous workout at home. Thought it seemed easier but I did an evening session yesterday and thought the extra strength was due to food )

Barbell row - Ran out of time in the gym

Woo another fellow Stronglifter, have fun with it

wozza2k said:

Woo another fellow Stronglifter, have fun with it

Click to expand...

I am doing! I seem to be at the level you were around May 2013. How have you found it? Any recent progress pics? Just a quick question are the 10 reps you do just a warm up? Not sure my neck can take another set of squats!

Friday 24th Jan

Squat 57.5kg - 5 5 5 5 5 (+2.5KG)

Bench 52.5kg - 5 5 5 5 5 5 (+5KG - Feel as though I'm starting to reach a weight that is pushing me now)

Barbell row - 47.5KG - 5 (+2.5KG) (ran out of time this morning before work)