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Steel City Strength


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Posted by: HardToSquat

Well, I am new here at IronMagazineForums, and I would like to share my goals and workouts with yun'z. A little background is in order. I am 34 years old, weigh 240 pounds, am 6'3 and have been consistently working out for about a year and a half - two years. I worked out over the last 20 years maybe a month here or three months there but nothing consistent as I recently have been doing over the last two years.

Before 2005, I had some serious problems. I would binge drink a bottle or two of wine every night, my diet was horrendous and my health in general was really bad. When my son was born in January 2005, I knew I had to get my life in order. I was 260 pounds,wore 40+ jeans and I craved the wine. I decided to make cold turkey changes at this point. I stopped drinking altogether, got my diet in order, and started lifting weights consistenly week in and week out. In eight months I went from 260, 40+ jeans to 215 pounds and 34-36 jeans. In that eight month period I also went from dumbbell benching 60 pounds per arm to 90 pounds per arm, my deadlift went from 80 pounds for reps to 225 pounds for reps and my full squat went from 135 pounds to 185x12 for reps. In the last four months I have gone a bulkand my lifts have skyrocketed. My dumbbell bench is now 110 pounds per arm for reps, my deadlift is now 300 pounds for reps, and my full squat is 250 for reps. My weight has also gone up to around 240, but I am still able to wear my 36 pants just fine.

Every week I will post my training log for all to critique and view. I hope it will be helpfull.

January 18, 2005

Full Squat.................135x6, 185x6, 225x5, 225x5, 250x2
Deadlift....................225x4, 280x4
Dumbbell Bench.........40x6, 80x6, 110x2
Chin Pulldown............200x6, 225x4
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x6, 90x5, 140x4.5
Dips.........................BW(240)x6, BW(240)+50x8
Pulley Row.................150x4, 160x4
Hammer Crunch .........240x12


Posted by: HardToSquat

January 25, 2005

Workout for Squats went really bad, felt very weak in squats, but other lifts went good.

Full Squat.................135x5, 185x5, 225x3
Deadlift....................225x6, 285x4
Dumbbell Bench.........45x6, 80x5, 110x2
Chin Pulldown............180x4, 225x4, 240x3
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x5, 90x5, 145x4
Dips.........................BW(240)x6, BW(240)+55x6
Cybex Row Machine....110x10
Hammer Crunch .........260x5


Posted by: Archangel

Congrats on your change of lifestyle my Friend, I applaud you!!! Solid w/o's too I might add!!! Keep it up!!!


Posted by: Triple Threat

Are you doing one full body workout per week or did you just not post some workouts?


Posted by: HardToSquat

Archangel: Thanks, and it was a struggle at first, especially giving up the out of control binge drinking.

TripleThreat: I started doing a full body routine over the last year due to extreme time constraints. Thus far it has been working pretty well; however, I am going to try an "every five days" approach versus the every seven days.


Posted by: Archangel

Just keep at it my Friend!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

Well, after 4 months and 18 pounds later, my bulk is finsihed. I said I would stop when the 36 inch 560 Comfort Fit Levis got quite uncomfortable, and I have arrived with flying colors. In these four months I went from 215-220 pounds at 6'3 to 238 pounds. Jeans went from comfortable 36 inch 550 Relaxed Fit Levis to "closer than two coats of paint" 36 UnComfortable Fit Levis.

My lifts went up quite nicely though too, Deads for reps went from 225 in September to 290 for reps, Squat from 185 ATF to 235-250 ATF and Dumbbell Bench went from 90 pounds for two reps to 110 pounds per arm for two reps. I am happy and will do a cut for six months.

My cut will lower my calories to 2500-3000 per day, as this worked great for my cut last year where I dropped 45 pounds in about eight months. I am going to try to get back down to 215 again while still trying to keep my strength. I'll keep everyone posted on the cut and workouts.


Posted by: Triple Threat

Excellent progress! And I like your "measuring device". Good luck with the cut. Are you going to be maintaining the journal?


Posted by: Archangel

Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple Threat
Excellent progress! And I like your "measuring device". Good luck with the cut. Are you going to be maintaining the journal?
Yeah, what he said!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 1, 2006

Full Squat.................135x5, 185x5, 230x5 250x2
Deadlift....................225x6, 290x4
Dumbbell Bench.........45x5, 80x5, 110x2
Chin Pulldown............180x5, 225x2
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x5, 90x5, 150x3
Dips.........................BW(240)x6, BW(240)+60x7
Cybex Preacher Curl....120x5, 140x5, 150x2
Hammer Crunch .........265x3

Wow, today's workout went incredible for a few lifts and really bad for others. I started the day with the full squats. I am going at least 5-6 inches below parallel on these and they are killer. Deads felt great too as I moved up 5 pounds again this week to 290x4. On the dumbbell bench I am stuck for the third week in a row now at the same weight and reps, but I am going to up the middle set to 85 versus 80.

Chin pulldowns were downright horrible. I can't figure it out. I may try a different back excercise next week, either the dumbbell row or Hammer Row.

Dips are my favorite excercise as my triceps are by far my best body part and I am continously moving up in dips no matter what I do. The lateral raise has also been skyrocketing over the last four months going from around 95-100 in September to 150 today.

Overall a very productive workout.


Posted by: Archangel

Incredible w/o, keep it up my Friend!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

Well today marks my one year anniversary for consistent lifting. This is the first time in my 20 odd years of working out that I have gone to the gym lifting consistently for a year straight. Unfortunately this week I have several injuries preventing lifting today. My left shoulder is making a popping sound when I rotate it around, my back is killing me from shoveling snow and I put my hand through a half inch nail yesterday.

The good news is my progress in the one year time period.

Last February weights lifted:
Bodyweight: 250
Parallel Squat............135
Deadlift....................135 (Didn't start these until April last year)
Dumbbell Bench..........60
Chin Pulldowns...........140
Hammer Lateral Raise...90
Dips..........................BW(250)

Current weights lifted:
Bodyweight: 235
Full Squat.................250
Deadlift....................300
Dumbbell Bench.........110 per arm
Chin Pulldowns...........240
Hammer Lateral Raise..150
Dips.........................BW(235)+90


Posted by: kenwood

keep it up bro


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 10, 2006

Full Squat.................135x5, 185x5, 235x5
Deadlift....................225x4, 295x5
Dumbbell Bench.........50x5, 80x5, 110x?
Dumbbell Row............50x5, 60x5, 65x5
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x5, 90x5, 155x2
Dips.........................BW(240)x6, BW(240)+70x5
Cybex Preacher Curl....140x5, 150x5, 160x3
Hammer Crunch .........270x4

This workout went great except for the damn dumbbell bench where I lost balance on the way up and had to abandon the set twice; hence, no 110s today.

I waited 10 days in between workouts this time due to injuries and to my disbelief I felt stronger today than I have in the last few workouts. Squats went up easy as well as Deads. Next week I will try 315 for 5 reps with Deads and 250 for 5 reps for full squats. Dips also went up 10 pounds and lateral raise is at 155 pounds now.

I changed my back exercises to include dumbbell rows now instead of the pulley rows. I also stopped doing chin pulldowns for this cycle and I added the Hammer machine preacher curls in lieu of the chins for my biceps. I'll see how it goes with this new routine.


Posted by: Archangel

Excellent progress, and Fantastic w/o my Friend!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

Wow

I hadn't done Dumbbell Rows ever and today, less than 24 hours later, my mid-trapezius is sore as hell! I never felt DOMs in this area of my back before. The DOMS is crazy right now. I assume the DB Rows target the mid-traps as the prime mover versus the lats?

Rear delts are also on fire today from the rows.

ARCHANGEL: Thanks for viewing my journal. I am trying my best to make gains and your words of inspiration are motivating!


Posted by: Archangel

Different movements effect you different ways, I stayed away from DB Bench Presses until this past week, and I enjoyed them tremendously!!! Glad I can help my Friend, thats why we are ALL here!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 13

After two and a half weeks of cutting I am down 5.5 pounds, and, beleive it or not, I can actually see more definition in my legs and upper body. My waist still looks the same, but my shoulders and arms are more defined. Thus far I have still been moving up im all of my lifts too. I am sure this will end soon though as it usually does in most cuts.


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 17

Full Squat.................135x5, 185x5
Deadlift....................225x4, 275x2, 315x1
Dumbbell Bench.........45x5, 80x5, 110x2
Dumbbell Row............50x5, 70x5, 75x5
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x5, 90x5, 155x3
Dips.........................BW(240)x5, BW(240)+75x5
Cybex Preacher Curl....150x5, 165x5, 170x3
Hammer Crunch .........275x3

Well, I had a half-assed workout today. The last two nights my son has been sick and I was up every couple of hours over the last 72 hours with him; hence the workout dragged and I pulled my damn groin doing squats. I was doing the 135 and I felt a twinge in my left groin when I went below parallel. I didn't think anything of until I did the 185 and it really started to bother me, so I stopped after that and didn't try the 250 for reps.

Deadlifts also didn't feel that great today either. Where I felt I should have gotten at least 4-5 reps with 315, I could only muster it once. The dumbbell bench has been stalled at 110x2 for this whole year now. I am going to try 100s for as many reps as I can do to change it up as my gym does not have 105s.

The only positive aspect of the workout were the dips, laterals, rows and curls. Rows and curls went up 10 pounds each and laterals went up one rep. Dips also went up 5 pounds.

My weight for some resson is 4 pounds heavier than last Friday and I am cutting. Go figure.

Until next time...


Posted by: Archangel

Hey BRother Squat, that was an Excellent w/o, you have been going through quite a bit lately, and still did a w/o like that one!!! Keep your chin up and heart light, much props to you!!! Hope your Son is better too!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

Thnaks ArchAngel, good to hear fronm you again.

Another injury note:

Been having problems with my left shoulder for a few months too now. It feels like an inflamed AC joint as it is sore to touch the top of the shoulder where the clavicle goes into the shoulder. Also I beleive shoulder impingment syndrom is here too as it pops when I turn the shoulder all the way around. It feels like the tendon is snapping over the bone or something. It starts to really irritate after I do the bench and dips especially.

This all started about two months ago when I went to push myself up off of a couch when awakening in the morning and I heard a pop in the shoulder and then pain. Boy does this piss me off as I can dip with hundreds of pounds but really screw my shoulder up getting up off of a stupid ass couch. Unbeleivable.


Posted by: Archangel

Ouch, I hear ya there with bad shoulders!!! Take it easy, ice it and get it checked if it doesn't get better!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 21

Full Squat.................135x6, 185x6, 225x1, 250x4
Dumbbell Row.............50x5, 80x5, 85x5
Hammer Lateral Raise..50x6, 90x5, 155x4.5
Cybex Preacher Curl....150x5, 175x5, 180x3
Hammer Crunch .........280x4

I decided to workout four days after my last workout as this is the only time I will be able to go to the gym until next Monday. To my surprise all of my lifts went up after just four days between workouts. I did not do deadlifts, bench or Dips though as my left shoulder is in pretty bad shape and I cannot bench or dip especially without pain now. I am going to take a week or two off doing benches and dips and see what happens.

The other lifts went great though. My laterals have been just going up and up since last September going from 120x3 to currently 155x4.5. Squats went well today with a new personal record of 250x4. My recently added dumbbell rows and preacher curls have also been going up 5 to 10 pounds a week now since Feb. 1. Not sure how long that will last but I feel like I can at least add5 more for next workout.

My cut has been going along so so as I am having trouble keeping the calories down. I am always so damn hungry it's pititful. Anyway I was exactly 234 pounds Saturday morning, which is 4 pounds dwon from the beginning of the month.


Posted by: HardToSquat

February 27

Squats.....................135x5, 185x5, 225x1, 255x3, 255x1
Deadlift....................225x4, 275x1, 300x2
Dumbell Row..............80x5, 90x3, 90x1
Cybex Preacher Curl....180x5, 190x2

Bad day and week leading up to this one. Lack of 6-8 hours of sleep every night over the past week along with bad shoulder took its toll this workout.

Felt pretty weak on all lifts. I am also contemplating doing the squats and deads on separate days as my quads and lower back got seriously fried with the squats.

Shoulder is still healing. I will try bench, dips and laterals in another week.

Today also marks month one into my dreadful cut. I am offically down 5.5 pounds to 232.5. Hopefully by April I can get to 225.

Man I am so mentally and physically exhuasted in my life right now with a one year old at home, a 7 month hormonal pregnant wife, night school and day work. To be single, twenty something and rich for just one day. For those of you youngsters out there, live it up before getting married with children. Trust me on this!


Posted by: HardToSquat

March 3

Shoulder is feeling a bit better and I may try the presses, dips and laterals today.

I am down 1.4 pounds from last Friday now. Weight this morning was 231.4, down from 238 about a month ago. I have been eating more than usual; however, this eating has been happening in the morning when I get up. This is where the majority of my calories are consumed as well as right before going to sleep. Even with the Samoa and Tagalong cookies, I am still dropping the pounds.

After dropping the 6.5 pounds thus far, I can see much more separation between the delts and biceps as well as seeing all of the different back muscles separated during a double back biceps. Rhomboids, mid and upper traps and lats are all distinguishable. I am hoping to get to 220 before starting a cut again.

Another note, my 36 relaxed jeans are looser in the waist yet tighter around my upper legs now? Are the legs growing on the cut?? Weird genetics I guess.


Posted by: Vlar

Solid workouts and cutting plan dude..very similar to my situations and goals. I've just started being consistent but seeing gains similiar to what you described about a year ago..I hope I can acheive what you have! Keep up the good work and cut!


Posted by: HardToSquat

Thanks Vlar for the kind words. Todays workout went as follows:

March 3

Dumbell Bench..................50x5, 80x5, 110x2
Dumbell Row.....................50x5, 90x4, 95x3
Dips................................BWx5, BW+25x5, BW+70x6
Hammer Lateral Raise.........50x5, 100x5, 160x2
Cybex Preacher Curl...........140x5, 190x4, 195x2
Machine Crunch.................300x3

After two weeks I decided to try the bench and dips again. I didn't lose any strength at all and lifted the same or better actually. Rows still going up as well as laterals and curls. Didn't do squats or deads today as my lower back is still DOMs infested. Squats and deads will be on Monday or Tuesday.

On a side note, there was a complete jackazz idiot at the gym today who was using the dumbells to do benches and broke the 100 pound dumbell by throwing it on the ground. He was doing dumbell benches only for at least over an hour and did at least 150 reps using a 5x5 routine 6 times. Yes, 5x5, then 5x5,5x5,5x5,5x5,5x5. On one of the sets when using the 100 pounders he threw them down and the one end of the dumbell broke. I was so ready to beat the piss out of him for not only being a stupid jackazz for throwing and breaking the equipment, but for also being a jackazz with his routine. I have bad nerves, sorry.


Posted by: HardToSquat

March 7

Interestingly enough, I was taking this Betagen and Phosphagen creatine loading powder for quite sometime. I got it on clearance at GNC in Pgh, the HQs. So I ran out of it last week sometime and starting using actual micronized creatine powder instead of the loading stuff that supposedly had so much creatine in it. My weight last week before taking the actual creatine powder was 231.4. Today I weighed myself while still cutting and it said 234. I am skeptical that the creatine loading crap that i was taking was maybe nothing more than flavored KoolAid instead. What else could attribute the 3.5 weight gain with all other things being the same such as diet and exercise? I am glad that I paid less than 75% of the retail cost for the sh1t at least.


Posted by: HardToSquat

March 16
Squats............................Barx10, 135x5, 185x5, 225x7
Deadlift...........................225x4, 275x4
Dumbell Bench..................40x5, 60x5, 95x7
Dumbell Row.....................50x5, 100x1, 85x5
Dips................................BWx5, BW+25x5, BW+75x4
Hammer Lateral Raise.........50x5, 100x5, 160x.5
Cybex Preacher Curl...........150x5, 195x2


Came back after a 2.5 week layoff from squats and deads and a 2 week layoff from the other stuff. My gym was closed last week so I was screwed for lifting. I came back using a little less than usual. Squats were OK, I could have gotten to 10 with 225 but didn't feel like pushing it two hard after 2.5 weeks of no squats. Deads sucked. I thought I would get 300 four times...wrong. Dumbell bench was OK. The 100lb dumbells are still broken after two weeks now. I tried the 95 instead of 110s for a change. Got only 7 reps. Dips went great. Lateral raises felt like my CNS just shut down completely. I couldn't even get 30 pounds less than what I had done two weeks ago. Really weird. My diet and rest have also been bad the last two weeks so I shouldn't be surprised at my performance I guess.


Posted by: HardToSquat

March 24
Squats............................Barx5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x10
Deadlift...........................225x4, 275x6
Dumbell Bench..................40x4, 60x4, 95x8
Dumbell Row.....................50x5, 75x6 strict
Dips................................BWx5, BW+50x7
Hammer Lateral Raise.........50x5, 90x5, 130x6.5
Cybex Preacher Curl...........150x5, 175x4 strict

Workout felt really good with two new PRs to boot with squat and dumbell bench. Squats felt really strong with 10 solid below parallel reps with 225. I felt as if I could have gotten a few more but I didn't want to push it too far and go to failure. Deads went OK, I am still not up to what I was doing in February though. Dumbell bench went great. I decided to try doing higher reps(8-10) for a cycle on bench and I am liking it. I am going to move up once I get to 10 with 95lb dumbells. Unfortunately my gym has a broken 100 pounder and no 105s. So back to the 110s I will have to go. Everything else went so-so.


Posted by: Archangel

W/O's are lookin good BRother Squat!!!


Posted by: HardToSquat

April 6
Squats............................Barx5, 135x5, 185x5, 235x2, 235x5, 235x6
Deadlift...........................225x4, 285x4
Dumbell Bench..................40x4, 60x4, 95x7
Dumbell Row.....................50x5, 75x7
Dips................................BWx5, BW+75x4
Hammer Lateral Raise.........50x5, 90x5, 130x4
Cybex Preacher Curl...........140x5, 175x5

After a two week layoff due to complete exhaustion, I came back stronger in the squat and dips but stayed the same or went down a bit in other lifts. Of concern are the lateral raises, I keep on regressing with these for some unknown reason. I am back down to my November 2005 levels for the lateral raise. Dead felt good. I would have gotten more reps had I not done the extra two squat sets. I actually felt I could have even gotten more out of the squats but I didn't want to go to complete failure. Diet and rest have been atrocious over the last month due to caring almost full time for an infant and pregnant-ready-to-give-birth wife. I haven't gotten a full 8 hours or 6 hours nights sleep for quite some time and I am feeling it. Diet has also been hit otr miss but my weight is steady at 232.



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