My Weight Lifting Diary

I decided not to clutter Swordsmasters thread. So here is my own.

Bascis

Age:16
Height: 6'
Weight: 223

Bench: 235
Squat:405
Power Clean: 225

Caloric Intake: 4000+ 250 g of protien a day supplemeted with Whey

Routine

monday
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-bench press - 5x5
-incline dumbell or bar press - 3x8
-military or dumbell press - 3x8
-skull crush or CG bench press - 3x8
-weighted crunches - 3x15

wednesday
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-squat - 5x5
-leg press - 3x8
-leg curl - 3x8
-calf raise - 3x8
-hanging leg raises - 3x15


friday
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-deadlift - 5x5
-bent row - 3x8
-barbell or dumbell shrug - 3x8
-barbell or reverse curl - 3x8
-medicine ball twist on incline bench 3x20

First of all, I would like to thank you for exercising.

Hmm... A few flaws I can see in this routine:

1.) You don't really want to work on isolates. Work on lifts like rows that work multiple joints at once. Thus, your reverse curls are useless unless you just want to get big. Otherwise, your lifts are fairly good.

2.) Crunches suck. You want full range of motion, so do full on sit ups (especially with a twist)

3.) Work on your back a bit more. Add back ups to your sit ups as well.

4.) Work on your lats a bit more as well, add dips and pull ups to your routine.

Otherwise, everything is good.

but, but, where is the all important bicep curl while holding beer glass exercise?

Nothing I know develops your stomach as quickly as that one :yes:

My line coach is addicted to Chick Fil A, hence we dont see him in the weightroom anymore.

Ok I had to change my routine up a bit due to the fact the only accses to weights I have are mine and they are lacking but lets start with sleep.

Sleep: 7 hours (meh)

Food

Breakfeast
4 pecies of Cinamon Toast
10 oz Skim milk
10 oz OJ

Lunch
2 Tacos
4 cups beef
2 cups rice
Tomato
Lettuce
12oz Skim milk

Dinner:
Tuna on Wheat
Taters
Water

Snacks
Banana
Whey
A 12 pack

Water consumed: 51 Oz= 4 aquafina bottles

Overall Im ok with what I ate more water less beer is going to happen.

Routine:

Bench press 5x5@175 (moderate intensity)
Tricep pulldowns 3x8@50 (Hard)
Curls 3x8@30 (each hand moderate)
Forearm curls 2x8@30 (I did these to help my wrists)
Latereal shoulder raises 3x8@20 (My wrists hurt)
Front raises 3x8@25 (wrists agian)
DB Bench 3x8@40 (I couldve done more but I dont have heavier weights!!)

Shurgs were on my list to but I didnt have heavy enough weights. My wrists brother me after a while. Overall I was happy with my workout. I was ravonesly hungry so Im hoping thats a good sign!

Why not simply use a bar and weights for shrugs rather than using dumbbells?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hiji

Why not simply use a bar and weights for shrugs rather than using dumbbells?

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Becuase it wont work your traps. The weights nned to be by your sides.

Go for more reps, lighter weights if your wrists hurt... think of it as a pre-emptive strike before having to go to rehab. Or at the least do pyramids.

Reverse curls are good for your wrists if you find yourself getting into a false grip while benching.

You DO work your traps with straight bar shrugs...Though a trap bar is better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Go for more reps, lighter weights if your wrists hurt... think of it as a pre-emptive strike before having to go to rehab. Or at the least do pyramids.

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Gah, if your wrists hurt add more wieght. Push through the pain. After working in a ice cream shop over the summer its going to hurt for awhile but eventually you'll adjust and no more pain. The pain was incredible, but I've never had a stronger wrist.

As my old coach used to say. If it hurts, work twice as hard.

If you're rists feel odd, then it's time to go for lighter weight else you will end up injuring yourself.

And at the age of 16, lifting heavy weights is not a good idea, you're body is not yet fully grown and it could seriusly stunt you're growth and cause back problems, I know at age fifteen I took up boxing(no longer though), I had to see a doc for a year about my back.
So be careful dude.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bopa the Magyar

If you're rists feel odd, then it's time to go for lighter weight else you will end up injuring yourself.

And at the age of 16, lifting heavy weights is not a good idea, you're body is not yet fully grown and it could seriusly stunt you're growth and cause back problems, I know at age fifteen I took up boxing(no longer though), I had to see a doc for a year about my back.
So be careful dude.

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Well Ive been doing it for a year so....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Papewaio

Go for more reps, lighter weights if your wrists hurt... think of it as a pre-emptive strike before having to go to rehab. Or at the least do pyramids.

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I agree. IMO, you shouldn't lift any weight you cannot repeat 16-20 times. If you lift weights that are too heavy, you just end up with a lot of microscopic scar tissue on your muscles which causes them to constantly ache and which decreases your overall ability.

Your strange system of weights bewilders this poor European, wherefore he cannot comment. :inquisitive:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by screwtype

I agree. IMO, you shouldn't lift any weight you cannot repeat 16-20 times. If you lift weights that are too heavy, you just end up with a lot of microscopic scar tissue on your muscles which causes them to constantly ache and which decreases your overall ability.

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Um I have to disagree. You get strong by lifting heavy things....

Day#2

Sleep: 10hrs (w00t)
Food

Lunch: PB&Banna sanich w/ apple

Dinner
Tuna W/rice

snacks
Pepperoni
Coke
Whey
I didnt eat much I was busy probaly only got 2000 cals in:wall:

Bench press 5x5@185 (HARD)
Tricep weight behind head 3x8@40 (moderate)
Curls 3x8@30 (each hand moderate)
Forearm curls 2x8@30 (I did these to help my wrists)
Latereal shoulder raises 3x8@20 (My wrists hurt)
Front raises 3x8@25 (wrists agian)

This is all I got done. I lifted with a friend and we didnt have much intensity. Im just gonna lift alone. I didnt eat much but I got allot of sleep and felt good. Day 3 will be posted later today

As always it's up to you, but it was just a word of caution not to hurt you'reself.:2thumbsup:

My wrist is strong, but not from anything I meant to do. :inquisitive:

:laugh4:

Just Generally Speaking if you plan on going Arnie on us, after 30s years all that beefy muscle turns to sagging fat pretty easily, and you'll be cursing yourself because of all the surgeries you'll need to do on your knees, and your back.

The key is to throw away any of that nonsense that you want to be ripped. Sinewy is far better for you (meaning long, low impact workouts).

Had a few friends in Highschool that thought by lifting heavy weights on short reps, that they'd have an edge. I worked as a hand at my Uncle's Ranch my junior summer, not only was a stronger than they were when we started playing football again, but I'm still not feeling any ill effects. One of the guys that decided to do the all weights routine recently blew out his knee over in Afghanistan. Even his Sergeant kept telling him to ease it up, but now all anyone can say is "I told you so."

and this isn't a lecture. Just a Word of Warning.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wakizashi

Just Generally Speaking if you plan on going Arnie on us, after 30s years all that beefy muscle turns to sagging fat pretty easily, and you'll be cursing yourself because of all the surgeries you'll need to do on your knees, and your back.

The key is to throw away any of that nonsense that you want to be ripped. Sinewy is far better for you (meaning long, low impact workouts).

Had a few friends in Highschool that thought by lifting heavy weights on short reps, that they'd have an edge. I worked as a hand at my Uncle's Ranch my junior summer, not only was a stronger than they were when we started playing football again, but I'm still not feeling any ill effects. One of the guys that decided to do the all weights routine recently blew out his knee over in Afghanistan. Even his Sergeant kept telling him to ease it up, but now all anyone can say is "I told you so."

and this isn't a lecture. Just a Word of Warning.

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Ive never been lean and skinny and dont plan to start now. Not to mention as long as your smart the horror stories of muscle=fat later in life wont happen. Long low impact workouts dont do much for you. If you are looking to gain muscle anything over 6-8 reps isnt going to get great results. To many people begin lifitng and end up being curl jockeys or swearing it off all together becuase its to hard. Not to mention 90% of people dont do many of the excersises that truly build stregnth IE squats deadlift and presses. Many people also use machines. SWEAR OFF THE MACHINES IF POSSIBLE Use dumbells its a better workout and you build stabalizing muscles. Lifiting is only 1/3 of the equation if you are looking to build muscle you need to eat and sleep ALLOT Im not talking just about eating right (that helps:juggle2: ) Im talking about taking in 4000-5000 cals a day with about 250gs of protein and get about 8-12 hours of shut eye. Proper form keeps injuries away. Lifting isnt just slapping weights on a bench press and doing 3x10 its so much more than that and few people realize that

I do machines almost exclusively... im going for look rather than strength though.

Wats the difference between a sit up and a crunch?

Probably a really, really random tip from someone who to be fair is pretty weak. But when you're doing lateral raises, try projecting your energy sideways for lack of a better way of saying things as opposed to directly up...it seems to help.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=475832
Seems to help as well.

And remember, stretching and mobility is boring as heck but necessary even at my age...(15)

A crunch is where your back stays on the ground and a situp is where your back leaves it...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

Ive never been lean and skinny and dont plan to start now. Not to mention as long as your smart the horror stories of muscle=fat later in life wont happen. Long low impact workouts dont do much for you. If you are looking to gain muscle anything over 6-8 reps isnt going to get great results. To many people begin lifitng and end up being curl jockeys or swearing it off all together becuase its to hard. Not to mention 90% of people dont do many of the excersises that truly build stregnth IE squats deadlift and presses. Many people also use machines. SWEAR OFF THE MACHINES IF POSSIBLE Use dumbells its a better workout and you build stabalizing muscles. Lifiting is only 1/3 of the equation if you are looking to build muscle you need to eat and sleep ALLOT Im not talking just about eating right (that helps:juggle2: ) Im talking about taking in 4000-5000 cals a day with about 250gs of protein and get about 8-12 hours of shut eye. Proper form keeps injuries away. Lifting isnt just slapping weights on a bench press and doing 3x10 its so much more than that and few people realize that

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Could this be called a "hobby"?:inquisitive:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alexanderofmacedon

Could this be called a "hobby"?:inquisitive:

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I dont know what do you call your nazi fetish?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I kid I kid

Untrue and a joke, but touche....:laugh4:

You should add more variety to your training, separate between mass/power training and muscle sections and do other sports to train your springiness (hope thats the right word), e.g. kick boxing (works pretty well for me.=

examples:
monday triceps/biceps/shoulder, tuesday legs, friday breast/back/stomach
Or
monday breast/shoulder/triceps, tuesday back/biceps/stomach, friday legs

Example for mass/power bench press

mass training (6 weeks)

warm up: 30-40 minutes cycling and/or jogging (low intensity), streching

warm up:
2@25 bar only (concentrate on the technique!)
1@20 (30% of your max weight)

1@15 (45%)
1@15 (55%)
2@12 (60%)
2@8 (~75%)
1@10 (65%)
1@12 (55%)

power training (6 weeks)

warm up: 15-25 minutes cycling/ jogging (low intensity), streching

warm up
2@25 bar only (concentrate on the technique!)
1@20 (30%)

1@15 (45%)
1@10 (65%)
2@6 (75%)
1@3 (85%)
1@1 (95-100%)
1@4 (70%)
1@6 (60%)

Try to keep the pauses between reps to under one minute and
keep in mind that the %-ratio differs from person to person and you have to find your "own" ratio through trial´n´error.

Well, i have to say you seem to be pretty talented for weightlifting but ,as Bopa the Magyar and Papewaio said, you are too young to max out your
weights yet (if you still want to do it, well, its your choice). If you want to do wl for the next 25+ years train on machines, go for more reps (12-20) and reduce the weight (and, yes, i know that kind of training is boring as hell, i did that myself ~D) . You can start heavy workouts when youre full grown, use the time between 16 and 18 to prepare your body for that and do other sports (e.g. swimming, kick boxing, climbing or running) in order to outspend yourself.

weightlifting can be a wonderful tool to keep your body healthy but it can be the most systematic way to harm him, too, especially at your age.

Keep in mind that sinews and joints need about 6 weeks to adapt to a new weight, muscles only ~4. If you neglect that rule you wont encounter any problems in the first 1 or 2 years but you will have them in the years afterwards. Your hurting wrist could be an indication for over intensive training.

P.S. Sorry for my bad english!

Hey thanks input is always welcome! My training does need to be more varied but as of now the only weights I have accses to are in my house. In about a week I ca work out at school agian. As for my wrists I started to use a different grip and the pressure went down considerably so that was more of a cosmetic thing. Ive been lifting fo rthe last two years and gained 7 inches and 80 lbs so m not going to stop now if for nothing else its become a normal thing like sleeping....I need to update this thing

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Strike For The South

Hey thanks input is always welcome!

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No prob. I´ve been lifting weights for 11 years (with focus on bench press, squats and power clean), recently started with snatch/clean and jerk so if you´ve some q´s just ask. ~D

Ah the 3 most important lifts. Do you know what your maxes are?

Who doesn´t? ~D

bench press: 172, 5 kg ~396,5 lbs
squat: 200 kg (i hate it) ~460 lbs
power clean: 222, 5 kg ~511,5 lbs

hope the lbs indications are correct (kg/0.435=lbs ?)

i really should improve my squats but last year has been full of darn uni exams so i havent had the time to train properly, bench press and power clean are ok imo.

Those are damn fine numbers. You are right though the squat looks about out of place. Still very good but your other two lifts are outstanding! Good work!

Quote:

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after 30s years all that beefy muscle turns to sagging fat pretty easily

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It's physically impossible for muscle tissue to turn into fat, friend :sweatdrop:

I know, 'cause thanks to an extended vacation I lost my discipline. I haven't seen the inside of a gym in three weeks, but I haven't grown fatter. I've just lost strength.

It's good to see that your incorporating powerlifting into your workouts. I was wondering does your high school use the BFS program? When I was in high school that's what we used and all the other schools were using it.

Anyways my biggest piece of advice for you is to continue to use those lifts after you get out of high school. A lot of people I know have "advanced" to bodybuilding workouts and dropped squats, dead lifts, and power cleans. I did the same the thing for a while and believe me if you haven't squatted for a year it's a real wake up call when you start doing it again.

The last week and half will be posted tmrw. Some n00b gains have been made:2thumbsup:

What are your goals?

Power? Stamina? Hypertrophic Development? Cutting?

Is this focused on eventual participation in a sport?


So far you seem to be doing mostly a hypertrophic routine, with some emphasis on power lifts. For optimum development you'll need to cycle through all of the regimes noted above.


Be very careful about form and safety equipment. I don't believe you are too young for such lifting, but you need to be scrupulous about safety. Once a back or knee is malfed up, you will pay for it (at 40 if not immediately).

@SF-Power and Stregnth

My last 3 lifts Ive done pretty much the same excersises I have gone up 5 lbs in the shoulder excersise. The DB Bench and Tricep extensions are now extremly easy on my heaviest dumbels (40lbs). My Bench press is now 185 5x5 Im going to up it to 195 tmrw. The good news is on Wendsday I am going to be lifting with football again and that means heavier weights and squats!:2thumbsup:

I do weight lifting occaisionally. I'm 6'3" and I weigh 90 kgs.

Hehe, i wouldnt consider that as n00b gains...


But Seamus is right, you need a training cycle to avoid performance plateaus. 5@5 wont work forever...


Here are some suggestions for a more systematic training:

-Distinguish between heavy and light training; examples:

Heavy
Bench press
Standing press (similiar to clean and jerk)
Bench press 45°
Bench press -20°

Light
All workouts with dumbels, machines and bars (under 50 kg)

So a normal training day for mass (or hypertensive development) would include one heavy and 3-4 light workouts, for power 2 heavy and 1-2 light workouts with the corresponding numbers of reps.

-6 weeks training cycles for mass and power (as i wrote some posts above), perhaps add 2 weeks for stamina. If you have a good(!) trainer at your school ask him to show you the techniques for snatch/clean and jerk and work on that, too.

BB,
a proud supporter of the metric system ~D

For Strength/Power

2-3 sets of 8 reps or fewer for each exercise topping out at 90% or so of your 1RM. Include some of the more classic lifts and presses.

Should be on this cycle for no more than 13 weeks, then cycle onto a different regimen (usually cutting -- lower weight at 60-70% of 1RM, 3-5 sets of 15-20 reps per exercise) for 6 weeks or so.

High protein diet good, but be sure to have the vitamins and greens and, as you noted, your sleep. Lots of stretching exercises will keep the muscle built from looking to "knotty."

Surely strength/power would be 3x3 or DE work if you're with the Westside style of training. Anything works, just not forever.

Advice on lifting: just so you don't tweak anything, or have a hard time setting something down after your reps, just lift slightly smaller and complete more reps. It is safer, easier on the body, and just the same workout, or more, if you set it like that. I always over shoot it. Make sure to start with Cardio-vascular excercise and end on Cardio. (Running for the layman). Also, alternate, go one day upper body, next day lower body so the muscle tissue has time to repair. If not, you will not get results, and you could screw yourself up pretty bad.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bavarian Barbarian

hope the lbs indications are correct (kg/0.435=lbs ?)

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1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds.

I'm starting this back up agian. Without football or a girl in my life anymorre I'm going to do what any 17 year old boy would do. Brag about his muscles:2thumbsup: which have gotten smaller lol:laugh4: Im excited and you should be to!


POWER BABY!