Progress.

[Gimli]

New thread will be linked here.

 

[Gimli]

I am so glad you told us all you don't want to get too big, because it is very easy to do - professional bodybuilders just make it look really difficult.

I thought making my long term goals extremely clear would help me get the best help!

:edit: Seriously though, I am interested in seeing how you progress as they are some quite heavily conflicting goals. Building muscle is not marathon friendly

That's exactly why I started the log I think, will need a lot of help and advice along the way. I'm not entirely sure what I should be doing, but I think my aim should be to build strength and mass until I'm happy, then move on to the proper cardio training while trying to maintain as much muscle as possible? I don't think training to do everything at once would be a very good idea!

Good luck

Let's see some lifting stats.

Hoping to start keeping a log tomorrow. Tomorrow is Shoulder and Legs (unless I'm advised to switch out my training schedule), so that will mean:

• Dumbell Shoulder Press
• Standing Shoulder Flies
• Dumbell Shrugs
• Standing Barbell Upright Row (ez curl bar)

I think that's it for shoulders. Legs I struggle with, going to attempt squats and deadlifts this week but all I've been doing the past few week is:

• Weighted Walking Lunges
• Weighted Calf Raises
• Body Weight Calf Raises

 

[Gimli]

I started training at the end of June but atleast for the first few weeks I didn't really know what I was doing. To be honest I'd only really say I've been training properly for the past 2-3 weeks.

 

[Gimli]

Just downloaded the StrongLift 5x5 and I'm actually looking forward to see how well it works. Looks very interesting indeed. Will give it a read today, watching the YouTube vid provided as I type.

Regarding my food intake, where should I look to work out what I should be eating on a daily basis? I think I've seen a thread on here which works as a guide.

 

[Gimli]

Ignore Mehdi completely.

I kind of wanted to say this... but that would go against my reccomendation of SL 5x5

Ha ha, I will do. Only part I'll pay any attention to is the actual workout parts.

Assuming I've worked everything out correctly, I should be consuming about 2740 calories a day, 130g of that being protein, 260g carbs and 100g fats. Does that sound about right?

 

[Gimli]

Completed my first day of SL 5x5 today.

Squats 5x5 with barbell only.

Bench Press 5x5 with barbell only.

Barbell Rows 5x5 with 2x5kg plates.

Seemed fairly easy, doubt it will be so easy for too long though. I think I have to work on my form particularly with squats and rows but hopefully that will come with time.

 

[Gimli]

Okay so Wednesday I forgot to take my notepad to the gym with me, so had to guess the weights on the deadlift...

Wednesday:
Squat 1x5 20.4kg
Squat 5x5 22.9kg
Overhead Press 5x5 20.4kg
Deadlift 1x5 30.4kg

When I got home I checked my notepad... was supposed to deadlift 43kg!

Friday
Squat 1x5 20.4kg
Squat 1x5 22.9kg
Squat 5x5 25.4kg
Bench Press 1x5 20.4kg
Bench Press 5x5 22.9kg
Barbell Rows 5x5 30.4kg

I know warming up is probably unnecessary at this point, but I thought I may as well get into the habbit!

 

[Gimli]

Have you got a smartphone? There are loads of apps to track weights, and if you don't want to use one of those you can always save your workouts in text files/memos and then go back for a reminder on what you've done.

I do. I downloaded 'LiftBig' which is supposed to be the Android version of Strong Lifts, but I didn't really like it. For starters, this I didn't completely understand:

I didn't think of looking at other apps to be honest! When it comes to deadlifts Monday, would you start at the start weight or the weight I should be lifting?

Another thing I'm having an issue with is my diet. I have been trying to use CalorieCount but I ended up with 1700 calories. Now I don't know if I'm entering it wrong, or under eating! It's like when adding Jacket Potatoes, I get options to use Mccains, Sainsbury's... and they're all different. And then there's the weight/servings... I'm also having trouble knowing what to actually eat each meal, then there's all the temptations that come from living with a family! I think this is something for the diet thread though.

 

[Gimli]

I can't speak for CalorieCount but I've used MyFitnessPal and it was pretty awesome.

I am considering using MyFitnessPal instead of CalorieCount, atleast for a while. Would enable me to see which I prefer.

If you don't know where your products are coming from (I'm assuming this is the case as you've said there are options for specific brands/supermarkets) then you should be able to simply weigh them and use generic "baked potato" and enter the weight of the portion. It might seem a little anal at first but once you've done it for a week or so you begin to remember what weighs what and what's worth weighing.

The baked potato I could only find supermarket stuff or those microwave meals, I presumed they were all frozen. Searching 'baked potato' instead of 'jacket potato' seems to have brought up better results.

As for under eating, can you tell us what you ate in that 1700kcals day? It should be pretty obvious to people on here whether you're under eating or just calculating it wrong.

As copied from CalorieCount on that particular day (actually turns out to be 1800cal):

Breakfast
Oatmeal with Milk
Egg, Scrambled
With 1 or 2 bottles of water I think.

Lunch
Egg White Omelette
Jacket Potato
Can of Tuna

Dinner
Steak and Ale Pub Style Pie (got home and my Mum had cooked one!)

Snack
Apple


I'm ordering myself some Whey protein to help me hit my macros too. What I'd like to do is plan my meals a week ahead, I think it would help me out a lot (especially when college starts), but I need a good idea of where to start first.

 

[Gimli]

I usually throw in three eggs, sometimes maybe one or two more. I also usually put in one or two yolks too. Egg whites at lunch because I have access to the microwave... currently working out things I can make in there.

I seriously need to get a better idea of what I should be eating on a daily basis so I'm ready for college!

 

[Gimli]

Don't see why you'd remove the egg whites?

And 5 eggs, it's all about 5 eggs any less is just pointless

I must have phrased that wrong; if I'm adding a yolk I use the whole egg. So 3 Egg Omelette: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg.

I used to have 6 egg omelettes on a daily basis... my Mother was never pleased.

 

[Gimli]

I think it was mainly this that got me throwing away the yolk... but reading the comments everybody seems to disagree with the idea.

 

[Gimli]

Today I trained:

Squat 5x5 27.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 22.5kg

Deadlift 1x5 40kg

 

[Gimli]

Today:

Squat 5x5 30kg

Bench Press 5x5 25kg

Barbell Row 5x5 35kg

I think I need to work on my placement of the bar when squatting, I can see it sliding down/off my back when I hit the heavier weight!

 

[Gimli]

Today:

Squat 5x5 32.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 25kg

Deadlift 3x5 (following Gruda's and Monkee's advice) 45kg

Overhead press seemed the most difficult weight wise today, I'd say my form is getting there but it's hard to be 100% without a partner who knows what he's doing. Form wise, I think Overhead press is probably my worst, followed by deads.

 

[Gimli]

Yes. I usually check the technique before going to the gym, but it's hard to check if I'm doing it correctly (no mirror and no partner). Doing my best to get it right though!

 

[Gimli]

2nd Sept
Squat 5x5 35kg
Bench 5x5 27.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 37.5kg

4th Sept
Squat 5x5 37.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 27.5kg
Deadlift 3x5 50kg

6th Sept
Squat 5x5 40kg
Bench 5x5 30kg
Barbell row 5x5 40kg

Overhead press is probably still the most difficult weight wise, though when I did the deadlifts on Wednesday I did find them to be a bit slippery due to the amount of sweat on my hands.

Would it be a bad or good idea to throw in a bit of cardio with the training, or would I best off of just sticking with the weight training for now?

 

[Gimli]

Overhead press is always the first weight to stall/plateau

If your sweat is making it more difficult to grip the bar, consider getting some chalk.

I'm thinking of getting myself some liquid chalk, I believe it's a lot less mess than traditional chalk but I'm not 100% on how it compares grip wise.

It's worth recording your lifts and uploading the vids here to make sure that you're lifting properly.

Which is why icecold hinted about posting a video or two.

I'd like to but I've got nobody to record the video right now, don't think setting a tripod up in a gym would be such a good idea. Tried getting some of my mates down but they wont have any of it. Hopefully I'll be able to get some recorded soon, I assume mobile quality will be adequate? Will be nice knowing where I'm going wrong and where I'm going right, certain I'll be able to improve somewhere!

 

[Gimli]

Yesterday was:

Squat 5x5 42.5kg

Overhead Press 5x5 30kg

Deadlifts 3x5 55kg

I actually recorded the workout yesterday too! Unfortunately I did do it portrait because it fitted in the plates that way so helped aim it at me. I shall post the videos here and in the form thread. As you'll see if you watch the Overhead Press video, it kills me! Not sure if there was somebody there shouting at me if I'd do any better.

So, let's see how bad I'm doing.

/should be up in 5

Would it be worth recording tomorrows? (Squat, Bench Press and Barbell Rows)

 

[Gimli]

Okay so I'm going to try and go to the gym in the morning tomorrow because I have to start getting ready for a wedding at about 10. If I manage to get myself down I will be taking advantage of the advice I've been given (will take brief notes).

If I don't manage to get down in the morning would you suggest dropping back a day with stronglifts? Don't really want to miss training but I've only got limited time and I presume there is a party or something following the wedding (it's my first )?