Dave's training log

davejh666

davejh666

davejh666

Associate
Joined
17 Nov 2011
Posts
1,511
Location
Timbucktoo
Thought it was about time to start a training log. Have been going to the gym since about June 2014. I got a lot of great advice in last years (and this years) gym thread.

I had to stop lower body/leg stuff in August last year as I had an issue with my left knee, which actually turn out to be a problem with my hamstring. As such just starting to get back into squats, lunges, deadlifts etc. I had to change gym's in December as the gym I was going to shut down. Current gym does not have a squat rack, but does have one coming the 2nd week of January (next week I think).

My current stats:

Age: 37
Weight: 84kg
Height: 5'9

Only other thing to note really is that I have high blood pressure (180/92) which was discovered when I joined the new gym. This is being kept an eye on - will see what happens with that.

Main goals are to keep increasing my strength. I have never been a very strong person. Also am aiming to bring my body weight back down for the moment. I ballooned to about 95kg at my heaviest in 2013. Weight came down to about 76kg last year before I started the gym, but has been going up ever since I joined the gym. I would like to lose the fat I have - not sure how much I have, but I will know when I am happy. My guess is I will be happy with weighing about 78-80 kg's.

I actually like cardio work. I enjoy running and cycling. They have an X-Cube machine at the gym and might go to one of the classes to see what exercises I can do on it. I do at least 30 mins on the treadmill when I go to the gym. At the moment I am cycling just to and from work, in the summer the mileage will go up to about 200 a week I guess.

Think that's about it for now.
 
Okay, today's workout then:

Barbell Curl 3x8 - 35kg
Alternating Dumbell Curls - 3x8 20kg (failed on the last set only managed 3x6)
Bent Over Row - 3x8 40kg
Deadlifts - 3x5 60kg
Single arm row's 3x8 28kg
High Pulley Crunch - 3x10 40kg
Treadmill - 40 mins total. 2% incline for 30 mins at 9kph. Then Interval training for 10 mins.
 
That is high blood pressure(says a non medic) - have you been checked out properly by your GP?

Good stuff on logging - will keep that motivation up.

Ref: the order of your workout - must you do curls first?! :P
 
It is high. Yes been to the GP. My Mum has high blood pressure and so did her Dad, so we are thinking it is hereditary. I have to keep a monitor on the pressure to see if it is 'spiking' at certain points of the day, so take it before breakfast, after breakfast, before lunch, after etc etc (you get the picture).

Ah, the workout wasn't in order, sorry. It went:

Deadlifts
Barbell Curl
Bent Over Row
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Single Arm Rows
High Pulley Crunch
Treadmill.

I find my forearms are killing me by the end of the Alternating Curls!
 
No weight training today just cycling.

19.4 miles in a total time of 70mins 28 seconds. Not bad, was very wet and windy this morning (5am). Had cleared up this evening (6pm), but was colder.

Won't get back down the gym now until Saturday evening due to work, but will at least have another 1.5 days riding in before then (I don't ride home from work on a Saturday evening in the winter).

If anyone is interested my food diary is here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/davejh666

Still trying to eat up the last few bits from Christmas so won't be totally clean for another week or so, but getting there.
 
Feel for you if you where cycling today mate! Bloody windy out there.

I have added you on MFP. I am in the same boat with the Christmas leftovers.
 
Yep, cycled to work this morning. Regretted it about 5 mins down the road!! Will post up later, but I am pretty sure it was my slowest ever commute to work, think I only averaged about 14mph. Met office app said it was gusts of 50mph and constant of 32mph headwind against me. Not very nice at all. Still, hopefully it stays the same for the ride home!!
 
Right, just cycling again today.

19.6 miles in a total of ................. 70mins and 32 seconds!! Horrendous. As I said in the post up the page, headwind was awful this morning. I have been cycling to work for a year and half now, and this was by far the worse morning in terms of wind I have ever had.

I had a look at my first ever bike to work and I averaged 13.9 mph and I was massively unfit at the time. This morning I averaged 12.5 mph. It hurt. Still, no pain - no gain.

This evening was much better.

Oh, and GSVBagpuss, you gave me a link to the flapjacks that you can make in the gym rats thread. The wife made some for me today and I divided it into 12 pieces - they are bloody lovely. I am going to have to resist the temptation to eat them all at once. Thanks!!
 
Didn't post yesterdays workout as I was late getting in. So this was Saturday 10th's;

Dumbbell Chest Press - 26kg 3x8
Standing Dumbbell tricep extension - 26kg 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Fly's - 18kg 3x8
Close grip Dumbbell Press - 18kg 3x8
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press - 22kg 3x8 (failed on last set - was 7 reps)
Decline Dumbbell Chest Press - 22kg 3x8
Dips (unassisted) - 3x8 (failed on the last set - was 7 reps)
Tricep pushdown (on cable machine) - 41kg 3x8 (failed on last set was 6)
High pulley cable crunch - 43.5kg 3x12

22 mins on treadmill - pyramid training

Not sure how you guys list your dumbbell weights. Obviously chest press exercises have 2 dumbbells, so for example, Dumbbell chest press was 26kg per dumbbell, so 52kg in total. Tricep extension was just one dumbbell so was 26kg in total. If I need to just list total weight rather than weight per dumbbell just tell me.

First time I have used the dumbbells for chest press etc in a while, so still finding weights. I need to up the weight on the flat chest press, the tricep extension and the fly's next time for definite.

Didn't bike to work Saturday as I woke up late, so went in the car, which given the way the wind was yesterday I wasn't too unhappy about
 
I don't think I'd be doing much cycling to work in the current weather! Looking forward to spring when I can get back to it. Great commitment to be cycling in the dead of winter!
 
Sleet forecast this week for me - man up init!

Re dumbell weights - you list whatever you prefer - it's your log! I would personally list single dumbell weights so you know what pair to pick up next time and save any chance of mental division errors after a triple superset of curlz
 
davejh666 said:
Oh, and GSVBagpuss, you gave me a link to the flapjacks that you can make in the gym rats thread. The wife made some for me today and I divided it into 12 pieces - they are bloody lovely. I am going to have to resist the temptation to eat them all at once. Thanks!!
Click to expand...

Pleasure - reminded me to make some too!
 
GSVBagpuss said:
Sleet forecast this week for me - man up init!

Re dumbell weights - you list whatever you prefer - it's your log! I would personally list single dumbell weights so you know what pair to pick up next time and save any chance of mental division errors after a triple superset of curlz
Click to expand...

Yeah I will keep doing them as I am, makes it easier for me.

Don't care what the weather does this week, I am working nights so will be in the car anyway.
 
Headed down the gym when I finished work at 6 this morning. Not been to that gym at that time of the day, was quite busy. Anyway:

Squats - 65kg - 3x8
Overhead Press - 30kg - 3x8
Dumbbell Lunges - 18kg - 3x8 (per leg)
Seated shoulder Press - 18kg - 3x8
Dumbbell Shrugs - 28kg - 3x8
Hamstring Curl - 52.5kg - 3x8
Lateral Raise's - 9kg - 3x8 (failed on last set, 7 reps)
High Pulley Crunch - 40kg - 3x12

Interval training treadmill - 20mins

Couple of things.

1. I need to up weight on all exercises apart from Lateral Raise's (which I find really hard).

2. Do you add the weight of the bar onto the exercise? The gym I used to go to, the bars where never as heavy as the ones where I go now. For example, Overhead Press, at the old gym I could almost manage 3x8 at 40kg, now I guess it is going to be about 32.5 - 35kg because the bar is so much heavier. I use a slightly smaller bar for all exercises other than deadlifts and squats.

3. Is there any exercise I can do with free weights that specifically targets and isolates my hamstrings? I know deadlifts, squats etc all do these, but I had issue with my hamstring for a long while and the physio told me to strengthen them by doing the hamstring curl on the machine. It has helped a great deal - to the point where I am now completely pain free - so am reluctant to stop doing them. Just wondered if there is another way to do the same thing?
 
It is an olympic bar. They have 2 sizes of them, one a bit longer than the other. What do the bars weight then, do you know, or should I just ask?

One of the exercises the physio gave me to do was the Nordic Curl, but I find it hard without someone holding my feet/ankles.
 
There's the Olympic bar, and then the Olympic bar... :D

One is the Men's version, which is 2200mm in length and weighs 20kg, the other is 2010mm in length and weighs 15kg...

Does your gym have a lat pulldown machine? Use that.

To be honest, you're far better off doing deadlifts or RDLs as these will - if done properly - utterly destroy you whilst maintaining the strength of the hamstring in context to your glutes and quads.
 
Yes we have a lat pulldown machine. How would that help hamstrings though?

Edit* Just googled lat pulldown for hamstrings. That is great, hadn't thought about doing something like that. Will give it a go next time I do legs, cheers.

Deadlift day tomorrow. Actually love doing them, even if I ain't at the biggest weight yet - with the bar weight added I am at 80kg 3x5. Was always fearful of doing them wrong and hurting my back, but once the form is correct it is a great exercise.
 
I'm loving Romanian Deadlifts at the moment! Also, lateral raises (or any kind of Db raise targeting the shoulders) I find hard to get past 10 kg. it's a tough exercise. World Strongest man has a challenge to hold a 25kg hammer in front of them and even they only manage 45 secs ish (IIRC) - it's a tough exercise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom