A begginers tale (3 and 6 month progress pics page2)

Thought I would start a journal for 2 main reasons. First to help myself by keeping track of my training, for motivation and to gain advice from more experienced members a long the way.
Second, I hope my experience together with any advice I receive will help any other newbees who are just starting out.
 
A bit about myself.
29 years old (30 next month gulp)
6ft 1
13st 7lb (189lb, 86kg)
BF, no idea but will post a picture soon and hope someone could give me a ball park figure.
From what I have read on here I appear to be an ecto with long arms and legs and narrow shoulders. Not great for weight training and I am guessing I will need to get to 15 stone before I look like I train (second gulp).
 
No real weight training apart from a couple of weeks worth of bench press and bicep curls during the summer over the last few years.
 
I was going to write that I waisted a few months at the end of last year lifting a few weights, however that "mucking about" period gave me chance to try a couple of different routines and lots of different excercises.
For the last month I have adapted my diet and settled on a routine that I know I can stick to. So I consider myself to have trained properly for 1 whole month. Wow thought I would be massive by now lol.
 
For any begginers reading this please get your diet in check before you start to lift weights. You can smash the weights untill the cows come home but you will not reach your goals untill you plan your nutrition right. Everything you need is on this great site and the search button is your friend.
 
I am carrying a few pounds around my belly so I am aiming for recomp/lean bulk. I have been eating 3000 calories per day with a 45/35/20 split (proteign,carbs,fat). I know I could consume more which will help me grow quicker but I would rather try and stay lean/ish and any cut thats required before summer would be short and hard.
 
I am very much a self conscious person  and didn't fancy the prospect of joing a gym. The small amount of equipment I had was rattling around in my garage for about 6 years so I decided to treat myself. I have bought a power rack with lat pull down, bench, Oly bar and 145kg worth of weights aswell as rope and dip attachments.
 
Diet in place then time to move on to a routine. Due to work, family and general life I have Monday, Tuesday and Friday evenings available to work out (Wednesday football training and Saturday matches).
I decided on a split routine working 2 body parts per training day, I also try to include the bigger compound movements. I aim for 3 sets of between 8-12 but sometimes drop to 5 reps if I am pushing myself in deadlifts or squats.
 
I will set out my last week to give you an idea of what my routine looks like and the weight and reps I am doing (like I say I am a begginer so don't expect much). I will not include warm up sets.
 
Friday Chest and Tri's
Flat Barbell Bench press. 80kg 3 sets of 10. 100kg 2 reps (just to see if I could)
Incline Dumbbell press 26kg 3 sets of 12
Dips 3 sets of 10 low and slow (can do these with 30kg around my waste but wanted to go real slow)
Rope Pull down 30kg 3 sets of 10 (last few reps not great form)
Dumbbell tricep extention 30kg 3 sets of 15
 
Monday Back and Bi's
Deadlift 80kg 10 reps, 90kg 10 reps, 110kg 5 reps, 120kg 5 reps
Bent over rows 50kg 3 sets of 10
Wide grip pull ups 3 sets of 10
Barbell curls 40kg 3 sets of 10 nice and slow (last set not as slow due to fatigue)
Dumbbell hammer curls 20kg 2 sets of 10, 1 set of 8.
 
Tuesday Legs and shoulders
Squats 60kg 10 reps, 80kg 10 reps, 100kg 5 reps, 110kg 5 reps, 120kg 5 reps
Single leg calf raises holding 50kg, 3 sets of 20
Lunges holding 40kg 3 sets of 8
Side lat raises 10 kg 3 sets of 10 (very weak in this area ecto?
Military press seated, 40kg 2 sets of 10, 50kg 2 sets of 5.
Barbell shrugs 90kg 3 sets of 10.
 
I am happy with my form which is why I dont class those few months of last year a total waste.
My job is office based with no physical excercise at all. However the men in my family are all quite big so I think I come from reasonable stock and have a chance to improve a lot over the years.
 
Please feel free to give as much advice as you see fit or just pop in from time to time to keep me on track (give me a kick up the arse if I am slacking).
 
Will stick a picture up later when I get home for a rough BF % (if I grow big enough balls and have the confidence to put a picture of me on the tinternet).
 
 
 
 

 
  
  
  

 
Good session last night.
 
Flat Bench 60kg x10, 80kgx10, 90kg x10, 100kg 4 singles and 1 double.
Had a bit of fun and did 2 sets of 10 one and a half reps (half way up, down then all the way up) at 70kg
 
Dumbbell Incline press. 26kg 2 sets of 12, 1 set of 10
 
Dips with with body weight +10kg 3 sets of 10 low and slow
 
Rope pull downs 3 sets of 10 30kg
 
Finished with a very slow set of pushups to exhaust the chest and tri's.
 
Did a little too much flat bench which I need to rain in a little so I don't hinder later movements.
 
After more research I am not sure if 3000 calories are enough to help me grow lean muscle, I will look into this more today.

Good session last night Monday.
 
Deadlifts
60kg x10
90kg x 5
110kgx5
130kgx5
140kg 2 sets of 5 Up 20kg from last week, will try and keep working sets high from now on.
 
BOR's
40kg x 10
50kg x 10 for 2 sets
 
WIde grip pull up's
3x10. Next week need to add some weight even if I have to drop the reps a little
 
Barbell curls
50kg x8 for 2 sets weight up by 10kg from last week
40kgx8
 
Hammer curls
40kg x 10 for 3 sets.
 
Thoughts.
Need to keep deadlift weight up rather than have such a big difference in weight for working sets.
Pull ups need to have 5kg added to body weight.
Stick with 50kg for Bors or look to go higher.
Happy with my barbell curls.
 
Feeling strong but have eaten well this week 3400 calories most days.

Tuesday. Legs and shoulders
 
Squats
60kg x 10 2 sets
90kg x 5
110kg x 5 3 sets
 
Single leg calf raises 30kg dumbbell
3 sets of 25 
 
Super set of legs together squats then wide leg squats total of 20 reps
40kg dumbbelss
3 sets of 20
 
Side lat raises
10kg 3 x 10
 
Seated military press
 
40kg 1 x 10
50kg 1 x 6
50kg 1 x 7
50kg 1 x 8
40kg 1 x 10
 
 

Chest and Tri's
 
BB Flat Bench
 
80kg x 10
80kg x 10
80kg x 9
 
DB press
 
25kg x 10
30kg x 10
30kg x 8
 
Close Grip Bench
 
40kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
 
Dips
 
10kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10
 
Rope Pull downs
 
30kg x 8 (wee bit heavy)
25kg x 10
25kg x 10
drop set 25kg, 20kg, 10kg all until failure
 
 

Quick update on weight. Now 14 st 2lb so thats 9lb gain in a less than a month.
Suspect most is water all though am lifting heavyier so hope some is muscle mass. Started Reflex osx when I weighed 13st 7 so I am thinking a lot of this extra is fro the creatine.
 
Current supps
 
MP Whey Deluxe in A.M 1 1/2 scoops
Reflex OSX 1 serving per day (split over 2 drinks)
Sentrum multi vit
Primrose oil
Omega 3,6,9
Cod liver oil 1000mg

Back and Bi's
 
Deadlift
 
60kg x 10
90kg x 5
140kg x 5
140kg x 5
140kg x 5
140kg x 5
 
Wide grip pull ups
 
bw + 5kg x 5
bw + 5kg x 5
bw x 5
bw x 5
 
Bent over Rows
 
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x10
 
Barbell Curls
 
50kg x 8
50kg x 8
50kg x 8
40kg x 8
 
Finished with some horizontal pull ups? legs out stretched heels on the floor.
 
First time for a long time I have DOMS in my back the next day.

double post

Legs with a bit of shoulders
 
Squat 60kg x 10
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 5
40kg x 25 felt a little bit warm after that. Was being lazy and dindn't want to do lunges so did a big set of squats.
 
Single leg calf raises holding 40kg
20
20
25
 
Side lat raises
 
10kg x 10
10kg x 10
10kg x 8
10kg x 8. Felt tired and could only get 8 with good form for the last 2 sets
 
Seated military press
 
50kg 4 sets of 10
 
BB shrugs
 
100kg x 10 for 3 sets. Ball bag getting in the way.
 
Notes for self.
Up the military press next week to 55kg. Keep the rest the same aiming for 4 sets of 10.
 
 

Finished my bag of Reflex osx now and haven't ordered any more. It gave me a boost in calorie intake that I needed but bloated me out a bit too much plus I dont get on well with creatine.
I put 8lbs on just adding the OSX to my diet however as expected I have quickly lost 4lbs due to water retention.
 
I have just ordered some MP bed time extreme as I was looking for a casien product and this seems a good mix. It also contains HNB and Glutamine which has tempted me recently.
 
Supps will be
Multi vit
Omega 3,6,9
Cod Liver oil
Evening primrose
MP Impact Whey
MP Bed time extreme
MP BCCA Plus tabs.

Chest and Tri's
 
Flat bench
85kg x 8
85kg x 8
85kg x 8
85 kg x 8
 
Incline DB Press
30kg x 8
30kg x 8
30kg x 8
30kg x 7 (failed the 8th rep
 
Close grip bench
60kg x 8
60kg x 8
60kg x 10
60kg x 9
 
Dips with body weight plus 20kg
 
x10
x10
x9
x9
 
Tricep rope pull downs
25kg x 12
25kg x 12
25kg x 10
25kg x 10
 
3 sets of push up's each set untill failed.
 
 
 
 

Had a bit of a slow session yesterday, felt so tired but pushed through as best I could.
 
Dead lift
60kg x 10
90kg x 5
140kg x 5
140kg x 3
140kg x 5
 
Wide grip pull ups
 
bw x 8
bw+5kg x 8
bw+5kg x 8
bw x 8
 
Bent over rows
 
60kg x 8
60kg x 8
60kg x 8
60kg x 8
 
Barbell Curls
 
50kg x 8
50kg x 8
50kg x 8
50kg x8 (last 2 reps were cheated with a little lean back).
 
Need to buy some more 20kg plates as I only have 145kg worth at home.
 

Been a bit lazy keeping track in here.
 
Continued to train well the last couple of weeks, I have mixed up the excercises a bit by adding some pauses to my squats and bench press by stopping for 1/2 a second on the spotter bars on my power rack. It sure seems to add a little difficulty.
 
Weight is at 14st as of last night and abs are starting to show for the first time ever which I am very happy with at the weight I am.
 
Feeling real tired though, may need a week off as have not rested for a whole week for about 5 or 6 months.
 
WOuld love to start packing on more weight but football is getting in the way. At the end of the season I aim to lean bulk but for now I guess I will just tread water.

Must keep updating as it's easy to keep track of weights this way.
 
Back session last night
 
Dead lifts
60kg x 10
100kg x 5
130kg x 5
150kg x 4
150kg x 3
150kg x 4
 
150kg is the most I have lifted as before I only had 145kg of weights. A little happy but my grip let me down. When I bought some more 20kg plates I wanted to get some figure of 8 straps but the mail order company didn't have any.
 
Weighted pull ups with bw + 10kg
 
10
8
10
Second set felt hard and could only make 8. Happy with form plus I am as heavy as I have ever been which makes things harder.
 
BOR's
60kg x 10 for 3 sets. Changed form a little so weight has not increased but feel it much more. I was too upright before.
 
Single dumbbell rows
 
25kg x 12 for 2 sets
 
V bar rows
 
50kg x 10 for 3 sets.
Just bought the V bar and it helps alot to concentrate things on the back.
 
6 more football matches and  then I will look to increse my weight. Bad timing with summer coming but hey ho.

Have continued in much the same fashion but have been doing a lot of thinking over the weekend.
 
I see a lot of people are into IF at the moment and I spent a couple of hours looking through the Leangains website which looked very good. Then I started thinking though what are my goals? I don't mean my short term goals, what do I want out of BBing. The answer is what we all want, to get bigger and stronger and look good. With that in mind I can work backwards to where I am today and make a pretty rigid plan of what I need to do.
 
Now through to summer continue to search for the holy grail of lean mass. Sure in a couple of months if I cut I could be pretty ripped but I would still be skinny and look poor in a T-shirt (I live 10 minutes from the beach but never go, I never walk round with my top off) so whats the point.
 
After summer I will take stock of how the things are going. If it's too slow or not worked out very well I will hit a more traditional bulk.
 
January next year will see another evaluation and a cut will be considered then and not before.
 
Diet will change a little from now on, eating more on training days and being careful with carbs on non training days. The biggest meals of the day will be eaten 1 hour prior to training and within an hour of finishing.
 
Routine has now changed to FrankieNY 5x5 P/P/L

First day of 5x5 routine.
 
Pull day
 
Deadlifts 5x5 140kg
 
BOR's 5x5 70 kg
 
Weighted chins 15kg 5x5
 
All to be upped next week.

How did your first session go ?
 
You're lifting great weights for a relative beginner, especially chins and deadlifts...

Not too bad for a first session. I can add some extra weight next week on all lifts, just wanted to make sure i could do 5 full sets to start off and build from there.
 
I looked at this routine last year when I was starting out and must admit I wasn't sure but it has had some good feed back so it's worth a go.
 
Still trying to talk myself out of a sneaky arm session somewhere and just follow the programe as is.

legs
 
Squats
 
5x5 110kg (starting light and going as low as I can with an empty bar)
 
 
Calfs
 
James 3 minute routine but single leg holding 30kg dumbbell
 
 
SLDL
 
60kg 5x5 (really dont get these)

I am impressed with the weight aswell. Ive been training a while now but dont do as much as that.
Just remember its not all about weight. sometimes a little less weight but perfect form can really help with progression. Not that im telling you what to do.
Just a bit of advise someone gave me when i first started.
Keep up the good work.