Tom's : Welcome to the weights room log

mr tommo · 14 Jan 2014 at 23:08

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!

mr tommo · 14 Jan 2014 at 23:25

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.

mr tommo · 15 Jan 2014 at 10:19

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

mr tommo · 15 Jan 2014 at 11:26

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.

mr tommo · 17 Jan 2014 at 10:08

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)

mr tommo · 17 Jan 2014 at 11:25

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

mr tommo · 17 Jan 2014 at 12:09

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

mr tommo · 17 Jan 2014 at 13:19

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

mr tommo · 18 Jan 2014 at 11:42

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.

mr tommo · 21 Jan 2014 at 10:33

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

mr tommo · 23 Jan 2014 at 16:30

Weds 22nd January

Squat 55kg 5 5 5 5 5 (+2.5KG)
OHP 30KG 5 5 5 5 4 (first attempt at OHP)
Deadlift 60KG 5 (+10KG)

mr tommo · 24 Jan 2014 at 09:34

wozza2k said:
Woo another fellow Stronglifter, have fun with it

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)

mr tommo · 24 Jan 2014 at 11:09

When I say neck I actually mean spine - Vertebrae.

So....it appears I may have been getting my squat bar position a little wrong!! Looks like I need a wider grip and let the bar rest lower down. I just presumed it was because I don't have much in the way of muscle there that it was painful on my bone (feels a little like a bruise when I put the bar on it) At the moment I would say its level with the very top of my Trap.

Off to see my friend in Manchester in the morning for a gym session ad I've asked him to put all of my technique right.

mr tommo · 31 Jan 2014 at 16:32

Weds 22nd January

Squat 60kg 5 5 5 5 5 (+2.5KG)
OHP 35KG 5 5 5 3 3 (+5 KG)

Again ran out of time to finish the routine, struggling with these morning sessions, will need to try and get to the gym 20 minutes earlier in the future.

mr tommo · 31 Jan 2014 at 20:20

Around 40 mins at the moment as there are two of us doing it and at different weights so it's a lot of messing around. Will be having an extended session tomorrow morning to make up for this week!

mr tommo · 14 Feb 2014 at 09:22

Really stalled for the past 2 weeks. Been suffering with a Psoas injury from football for the last 5 weeks. I thought squatting would help strengthen the area but after 2 weeks it wasn't getting any better at all.

So I've dropped the squats for now and its messed with my routine quite a lot as I can't do any sort or legs/lower back/ab work at the moment.

My last 2 sessions :

3rd February
Squats 65kg 5 5 5 5 5
Bench 55kg 5 5 5 5 5

5th Februrary
Squats 70kg 5 5 5 5 5
Went to work on the bike to try and help out injury.

Friday 13th February
Bench 60kg 5 5 5 4 4
OHP 37.5kg 5 5 5 3 0 ( I sucked this morning) Really struggling with these seems like really slow progress)

mr tommo · 14 Feb 2014 at 09:27

Progress so far...

Progress so far in 30 days :

Squats : 40kg > 70kg
Bench : 45kg > 60kg
OHP : 30kg > 37.5kg

Not made much progress with deadlifts and rows as I feel its hindering my injury and I need to get back playing football asap.