First ever journal

[spotlightmack]

I just started getting serious about lifting and keeping in shape. So I decided a good way of tracking my progress would be starting a journal. I've cleaned up my diet *at least compared to what it used to be* and started eating about three times as much as I usually do, and people have already commented that I'm starting to look bigger, although I don't see it. I'm looking to gain 30 pounds of bulk as my long-long-long term goal (175 lbs), but I just want to gain 10 more by the end of summer (155). I'm about 6'0 tall and about 145 pounds (i know i'm skinny, i'm workin on it...haha).

Here is the 4 day split that I'm about to start:

Day 1: chest, triceps, abs
Day 2: back (upper and lower)
day 3: REST (abs?)
Day 4: biceps, delts, (maybe forearms)
Day 5: legs, abs
Day 6: REST
Day 7: REST or Day 1, depending on how i feel


I know this is a bit much, but I'll cut back if I feel like I need to. Tomorrow I'm finishing up whatever it was I was doing before (doing legs and biceps), and then on wednesday or maybe thursday I'll start with Day 1.

Oh, here's my meals today...didn't eat too much, spent a lot of time with the girlfriend, she just got her tonsils out.

Meal 1: Quizno's 12" toasted turkey sub-540 calories
Meal 2: 2 salmon burgers--no bun, 2 bowls of cereal (fat free milk, rice krispies and corn flakes), 1 tablespoon natty pb, 1.5 cup vegetables, 1 piece of my sister's sushi tuna roll...mmm...around 730 calories?
Meal 3: Weight Gainer shake (2-1 carb-protein ratio, low in sugar), forgot what else I ate- at least 310 calories
Meal 4: Salami, 1 fat free choc jello pudding, small piece of pizza (it was really, really small), a little cottage cheese (just tried it for the first time...it's pretty bad)-about 400 calories
Meal 5: Weight Gainer shake, 1/2 honey turkey sandwich on toasted wheat w/ miracle whip, 1 tablespoon natty pb-about 570 calories

I don't count protein but I don't think I have any trouble getting 145-220 grams a day.

Total: around 2550 calories, haven't really mastered counting calories yet, and I'm sure I left out some food, so i probably had more than that. How many calories should I be taking in every day if I'm trying to gain weight at 145 pounds? Keep in mind I have a super-fast metabolism and have never been able to gain weight in my life. I was at 155 a couple months ago before I became ill and lost 20 pounds in one week (how is that even possible?)

 

[spotlightmack]

Last day before starting new routine...6/7/05

Meal 1 (1:30 pm): Big bowl of cereal w/ fat free milk, 2 salmon steaks, no buns-530 cal
Meal 2 (4:15 pm): Turkey sandwich on toasted wheat, weightgainer drink-about 730 cal, not sure
workout
Meal 3 (6:45 pm): 2 homemade chicken burritos on whole wheat pitas, weight gainer drink-about 730 cal
Meal 4 (12:30 AM): Tourney went late...about 13-14 oz of skinless/boneless chicken breast, 1 package of shark bites (couldn't help it, tough night!), 1/2 turkey sandwich on wheat-about 730 cal
Meal 5 (around 3:40-4 am--i go to sleep late): all but one but of natty pb sandwich on wheat (gross), 1 jello fat free choc pudding, 3 cups of vegetables-about 790 cal

Total for the day: about 3510 calories...A LOT for me at 145 pounds.

My left hammy was kinda sore today when i woke up for no good reason at all. It was fine yesterday. I went kind of easy on my legs. Biceps were ok not so great. Oh, and I know i'm not throwing around a lot of weight yet, gotta start somewhere though

Biceps:
ez bar preacher curls: 3x8 45+bar
barbell curls: 1x8 60 pounds
1x7 70 pounds
1x7/8 70 pounds
Cable curls: 2x8 60 pounds

squats: 1x8 115 pounds
1x8 125 pounds
1x8 135 pounds...could do more, just trying to see how my leg felt
horizontal leg curls: 1x8 85 pounds
1x8 100 pounds
1x8 100 pounds
standing calf raises: 1x20 (setting 10)
1x16 (setting 11)
1x16 (setting 12)
sitting calf raises: 3x8 100 pounds+machine

leg presses: 1x8 195 pounds, way too easy
2x8 245 pounds, a little better
leg extensions: 3x8 (Setting number 10, whatever that is)

Ow my calves...i was walkin around like kevin spacey in the usual suspects after those. It was a million degrees in the gym today and I was sweating like I never have before...can we get some AC please?

I'm about to play in a poker tournament that should last most of the night, hopefully I'll be able to sneak in some kind of doable meal in there somewhere.

 

[Pylon]

Good luck with the plan. Sounds like you have a good starting point.

Your split looks OK to me. If you are looking for info on cals and protein intake, check the sticky notes in the nutrition section. It'll have everything you want to know and more!

 

[MorteSubite]

Spotlight, I was in a similar situation to you this January. I was at 155 (6' also) and I thought I ate a ton and could never put on some good weight. Thankfully I proved myself wrong.

Nutrition looks decent from what you've put up. Definitely check out the stickies like Pylon said. Eat a lot and eat often

I really don't think you need to work abs any more than twice a week. No need to wreck your rest day in the middle of your split.

Might want to try www.fitday.com for keeping track of what you eating and counting calories.

 

[spotlightmack]

Don't think i ate enough cal's today, missed a meal because i wasn't home all day.

Still had at least 2600 although i'm not sure because i couldn't keep track.

AC was on at gym today, so it was much nicer than yesterday. Still got a good workout, so that's nice

Chest
Flat Bench-145*8, 145*8, 145*7
incline DB press-35*8, 40*8, 45*8
decline BB press-105*8, 105*8, 105*8
flyes-35*8, 35*8, 35*8

tris
cable pulldowns-10th setting*10, 11th setting*10 (2 sets)
overhead DB extensions-55*6 (3 sets)
hammer strength seated dips-130+machine*10 (3 sets)

abs
not going to post workout as i'm not really too worried about abs yet, more worried about gaining weight....had a decent ab workout though.

It was my first time doing incline DB press or decline BB press...the decline press felt pretty weird. struggled with the first couple reps, then after that they were easy.

This first week i'm just trying to figure out what weights i'm comfortable with, then I plan on picking it up a bit next time. Would like to go a bit heavier, with the possible exception being flat bench.

Oh, good news--i've gained 8 pounds in the last 3 weeks! Not too much fat, either, so I'm happy so far. Slow and steady, right?

 

[spotlightmack]

Rest day today...

was eating very well today but I think I may have gotten food poisoning...I feel pretty sick right now. I hope I can eat at least one more meal tonight, i'm not sure though. ugh i feel gross...

 

[Egoatdoor]

Spotlight, I like what you're doing. You have a good plan and the right attitude.

A 4 day split is enough. With your metabolism, you can't burn too many calories in the gym if you want to gain weight, so stick to the 4 day. The body grows while it rests, so make good use of these three rest days and eat eat eat.

I second Morte on fitday. That is a good tool for tracking your calories.

Your routines look good too.

 

[Egoatdoor]

How many calories should I be taking in every day if I'm trying to gain weight at 145 pounds? Keep in mind I have a super-fast metabolism and have never been able to gain weight in my life.

It is not an exact science, but take a look at this as a start:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm

At 145 pounds and using a 165% activity multiplier( due to your self proclaimed fast metabolism), I get 2600 calories a day to maintain your weight. A general rule is that to gain weight, you need to eat 300-500 calories a day above this. As I said, this is not an exact science and the amount to eat can vary from person to person.

I would suggest going to 2900 for a couple of weeks, weigh yourself once each week and if you gain 1/2 to 1 pound a week, then you are on the right track. If you gain more, then cut back. If you do not gain enough, then add another 100-200 calories and try this for another 2 weeks.

I was at 155 a couple months ago before I became ill and lost 20 pounds in one week (how is that even possible?)

That is ALOT!! I got food poisoning on a vacation last year and lost 10 pounds in 3 days. Once I got well again and started eating normally again when I got back home, I was able to gain the weight back in 2 weeks. It came back so fast I think alot of what I lost was water.

 

[spotlightmack]

I got sick the other day from what I think is food poisoning. I lost a couple pounds, which sucks, but I think i'm back to normal now.

Did back yesterday. Don't remember the weights, but it went something like this:
shrugs, deadlifts, rows, hyperextensions, pulldowns, chinups and maybe one or two more i'm missing

today is biceps/delts/abs

biceps:
ez bar preacher curls: 3x8 (80 pounds)
barbell curls 3x8 (70 pounds)
cable curls 1x8 (60 pounds)

delts:
military press 1x10 60 pounds, 1x10 70 pounds, 1x10 80 pounds
lateral raises 3x8 15 pound dbs
front raises 3x8 15 pound dbs

Abs

Tomorrow is rest day.

Yeah I know I'm weak, I weigh 145 pounds, lol.

have 10 more to go before the end of the summer, need to start eating again. I lost 2 pounds after becoming sick the last couple days.

meal 1-subway-820 cals
meal 2-3 small chicken breasts, brown rice
meal 3-in about 10 minutes...chicken and brown rice, mmmm!

 

[spotlightmack]

Wow those 2 rest days seemed like an entire week. I'm off to the gym for the first time since saturday! leg day, can't wait.

 

[Cris2Blis]

GREAT ATTITUDE, good luck with everything!

 

[spotlightmack]

I'm not sure but I think there's something wrong with my left leg. During the entire week my left hamstring is sore, but my knee is fine. Come leg day, my hamstring feels fine but my knee is a problem. Maybe i'm compensating for my hamstring or vice versa? It really bothers me the most on squats, I couldn't do much weight today, and even so, I still couldn't finish.

Standing calf raises 3x8 (setting 12)
leg extensions 3x8 (setting 11)
squats 2x8-135 pounds, 1x3-135 pounds...my knee sucks
leg press-3x8-255 pounds
sitting calf raises-3x15-90 pounds+machine
horizontal leg curls-1x8-100, 2x8-115

Only about 30-35 minutes total in the gym, I had to leave early because my knee bothered me and I didn't want to hurt it, and i'm also going to the cubs-marlins game tonight and I need to shower and get ready!

Chest and triceps tomorrow, yay

 

[MorteSubite]

Hope your knee feels better. How was the game?

 

[spotlightmack]

Thanks Morte, the game was amazing. I go to a bunch of cubs and sox games every year, but this was one of the best i've been to. The cubs won 14-0, so that helps They lost 15-5 today though...hah, good old cubbies. This is our year, though, for serious!

Went through my chest/tris workout pretty quick today. about 45 minutes total counting a bathroom break (when you have to go...)

Chest
Flat Bench Press (1x8 145 pounds, 2x8 150 pounds)
Incline DB Press (1x8 40 pounds, 2x8 45 pounds)
Decline BB Press (1x8 95 pounds, 1x8 105 pounds, 1x7 115 pounds)
DB Flyes (3x8 35 pounds)

Tris
Cable Pulldown (3x12 setting 11)
Tri extensions (1x8 50 pounds, 2x8 55 pounds)-the 55's were being used at first, didn't want to wait
Dips-(3x8 body weight)-Dips have never been so difficult for me, but I was struggling! I guess that's a good thing, right?

21 working sets in about 45-50 minutes...

Will do abs tonight. Just had a great dinner, Salmon and Veggies, it was great.

Oh, despite being sick for 2 days this week and not eating nearly as much as I should, and also stopping the weight gainer I was taking (i finished it), I've gained 9 pounds over summer. I'm 149.3 (with socks, t-shirt, boxers, and light snap-pants, so probably a couple pounds less, but my first measurement this summer was taken the same way and I was 140.2, so I'm happy for now, and well on my way to my short term goal of 155. 155 is the most I've ever weighed. I May have to increase that goal to 160!)

 

[MorteSubite]

Good workout!

You want to struggle at least somewhat on your lifts otherwise you're not lifting enough

Socks, t-shirt, boxers, and snap-pants shouldn't even be a half pound all together.

 

[spotlightmack]

Just wanted to say I feel and look great.

Multiple people have commented to me about looking bigger and more fit. I've gained 9 pounds (mostly muscle) in the last 4 weeks, and I have 9 more weeks to gain 6 pounds to get to my goal weight of 155. I may have to increase that to 160 at this pace though...that would be great (I was 134 pounds with no muscle 2 months ago).

Today was a rest day. I ate well. Tuna melt, shrimp/calimari (sp) stir fry, chicken breast, 12" subway sub, a couple wheat waffles, brown rice, and i'll eat one more meal before I fall asleep in about an hour...probably peanut butter and whatever's in the fridge.

My chest and tris are SO SORE from yesterday. I went to the driving range to practice my golf game today (i'm working as a golf instructor this summer so I thought it might be a good idea), and I was so sore that after 20 minutes I had to stop. It feels good though

Thinking about posting a couple pics maybe so you guys can see my progress.

Not so excited about back day tomorrow. My back has been sore for a while, so I might take it easy. I love being in the gym though, so I'm excited about that.

 

[spotlightmack]

BACK day today

Deadlifts 3x8-135 pounds
lat pulldowns-2x8-9th setting, 1x8 10th setting
Hyperextensions 3x10-bw+ 8kg medicine ball
Shrugs-3x8-55s
Lever Incline Rows 3x8 70 lbs +machine
Chinups 2x8-bw, 1x7 bw

Quick workout, 18 working sets in about 35 minutes. Was kind of in a hurry to get out of the gym to see my girlfriend because I hadn't seen her in a while (male translation--I was kind of in a hurry to get out of the gym because I hadn't gotten laid in a while)

I always take it easy on back day because I have a history of back problems and don't want to mess with that. I don't really feel like I ever get a good workout on back day. But even after only a few times working my back, I can notice the difference.

I'm busy tomorrow all day tomorrow but I'm REALLY hoping I can make it over to the gym for a quick biceps-delts workout. Can't wait...here's what I'm thinking...

biceps
Preacher Curls
BB curls
Concentration curls

delts
military press
lateral raises
upright rows


Do these look ok? am I doing enough volume?

 

[spotlightmack]

EZ bar preacher curls 3x8 75 lbs
BB curls 3x8 70 pounds
DB concentration curls 1x8 25 pounds, 2x8 30 pounds...struggled on the last couple with my right arm

military press 3x8 80 pounds
upright rows 1x8-70 pounds, 2x10 80 pounds
lateral press 3x8 15 pounds

total WO time-30 minutes. Flew thru my sets today. Maybe I should have gone a little more slowly. I felt like I had no energy. I need carbs.

I'm so hungry! going to eat now.
Doing abs later tonight.