OD's training log

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opethdisciple said:
I can binge on these bad boys!!
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No....... You might think this is a good idea, but really, NO......

Grapes are a massive calorie trap. Why? Because they're so easy to overconsume. It's like munching on sweets, except with the illusion that you're being healthy, so you keep munching. A 500g pack of grapes is going to come in at over 300 calories, and you can get through a whole pack like nothing.

If you had to 'binge' on fruit, then better off with strawberries or something. A 400g pack will give you less than 150 calories.
 
Lets talk about the flat bench press.

The bench is something I have always struggled with. I find it very hard to make progress on the flat barbell bench. The heaviest I have ever lifted is 42.5kg.

The past few months I have been using the machine chest press, and have been able to slowly add more weight and make progress, but I am getting an itch to try the bench press again.

Should I bother, or stick with what is working?


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Lets put it this way. I am more concerned about the aesthetics than the performance benefits of an exercise. If I am only shifting small weights on the bench, it will still have an aesthetic effect on my chest right?
 
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opethdisciple said:
Lets put it this way. I am more concerned about the aesthetics than the performance benefits of an exercise. If I am only shifting small weights on the bench, it will still have an aesthetic effect on my chest right?
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Wrong. You are probably pressing half your bodyweight or something. You'll get more of an "aesthetic effect" from pushing heavier weights, whatever you do it with. Which is not to say you should not be doing the bench. You should. But while you're learning how to do it and slowly building it up, keep up whatever else you've been doing too.
 
I have my mojo back and feel motivated to work out.

In my routine I do one and one only tricep excersise.

This is currently dips. Now I do this twice a week. Should I just stick to dips and perform them twice a week and try to get better at them and eventually add weight to my body weight or do you think it would be a good idea to alternate each session between dips one day and cable pull downs the next?

Are dips the number one excersise for tris? Obviously at my level Im simply looking at add the most gains with what I do.
 
opethdisciple said:
I have my mojo back and feel motivated to work out.

In my routine I do one and one only tricep excersise.

This is currently dips. Now I do this twice a week. Should I just stick to dips and perform them twice a week and try to get better at them and eventually add weight to my body weight or do you think it would be a good idea to alternate each session between dips one day and cable pull downs the next?

Are dips the number one excersise for tris? Obviously at my level Im simply looking at add the most gains with what I do.
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Dips are fine. Why not add pulldowns too? Even better.

Too many people these days are of the "one or the other" school. Not enough people are of the "just do both" school.
 
Here are my goals for the next few weeks/months:

Bench Press - I managed my match my PB today at 42.5kg will be overjoyed to get to 45kg, as 42.5kg has always been my absolute max. After 45kg, then 50kg will be my next benchmark.

OHP Is currently at 25.5kg. Will be over the moon at 30kg.

Pull up's - Havent reached BW yet. Will need a lot of work as this one seems to be lagging a lot and just find it so hard to make improvements.

Dips - My dips are at BW, but as they are my second to last excerise, I am struggling to get my 2x12 reps out with out failing at around 10 reps.

Barbell Curls - Currently at 30.5kg - Goal for the next few months would be 35kg. This would be massive when/if I ever reached it.

Leg press - Currently at 112.5kg. I seem to be able to add 1.25kg a week. 120kg will be a mile stone.
 
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Pull ups: I presume you use an assistance machine? Ditch it, start off with bw reps, if you can't, do negatives.

Once you can do a bw pull up, do as many as you can, when you fail, do more negatives.
 
Delvis said:
Pull ups: I presume you use an assistance machine? Ditch it, start off with bw reps, if you can't, do negatives.

Once you can do a bw pull up, do as many as you can, when you fail, do more negatives.
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Yea I use the assisted machine. I can do about 6 bw pull ups on regular bars, but on the assisted machine, my arms are a bit wider and I am using 17.5kg assisted.

Hmm yea it has crossed my mind to just jump straight to bw to see how I go. A freind told me that as long as I'm doing 6 reps, then you are building the muscle. I could try to just do 3x6 and build up from that.

I youtube negative pullups and saw the below example. Is this what you meant?

So I would do my 3x10 with no assistance, by slowly coming down rather than up?

Video below:


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The next slight issue I have is my row movement. I was doing cable rows at my old gym and was fairly happy with this. However the new gym doesnt have the cable row machine and only has a machine called a 'low back machine'.

It's OK, but obviously not sufficient if I am writing about it. I would love to get in to the barbell row, but when I last tried it, I felt a bit silly as Im pretty sure my form was off. Is this the row I should try to get in to?
 
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The low back row machine I refer too is this:

1836_219_low_row_diago_big.jpg


Should I just stick with it, or try something else?
 
opethdisciple said:
Bench Press - I managed my match my PB today at 42.5kg will be overjoyed to get to 45kg, as 42.5kg has always been my absolute max. After 45kg, then 50kg will be my next benchmark.

OHP Is currently at 25.5kg. Will be over the moon at 30kg.

Barbell Curls - Currently at 30.5kg - Goal for the next few months would be 35kg. This would be massive when/if I ever reached it.
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Wat.
 
mrthingyx said:
If you want a well-developed body, single arm dumbbell rows.

There is no excuse for using machines. :)
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I find the PLATE loaded machines can be useful (though not ideal). I don't think it's true to write them off entirely. As part of a generally well-conceived free-weight program, they might in some cases be a worthy addition.

BUT saying that... the image posted by OD doesn't strike me as the route to Mr Olympia.

Quote:
Originally Posted by opethdisciple
Bench Press - I managed my match my PB today at 42.5kg will be overjoyed to get to 45kg, as 42.5kg has always been my absolute max. After 45kg, then 50kg will be my next benchmark.

OHP Is currently at 25.5kg. Will be over the moon at 30kg.

Barbell Curls - Currently at 30.5kg - Goal for the next few months would be 35kg. This would be massive when/if I ever reached it.
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Wat.
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Yeah...

OD, your lifts are truly quite abysmal for the amount of time you've been working out. Chicks do more than that with a couple months solid training. What's up with your routine, buddy? :confused:
 
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