Mr Brittas's Journal - ****NEW PICS on PG-32****

shane278


McDonalds for breakfast, ha ha, nice one!!

Just read p13 there, why no deadlifts and what time of cardio are you doing, is it outdoor jogging??

Impressive back photo there, you havent much of a gut, in reality its probably just in your head.

Great work overall.

Hi mate,
 
I usually treat myself to a full english in the services when I travel down to London with work, but it was McDonalds this week!  It's easy done when it's all going on the company exenses!
 
Reasons for not deadlifting.........  I didn't do them for many years, them tried them for a few months, but didn't really get on with them.  I prefer to put all my effort into Lat Pulldown and Chins to get the back width I need.  A few tweaks in my back put me off too.
 
I go for a VERY light jog outdoors at 6am for about 35 mins at the minute.  I used to do cardio in the gym before work, but I'm enjoying doing it outdoors while the weathers nice.  Plus it means I can make a nice breakfast at home.
 
I'm not really fat, but compared to how I was a few months ago when I cut, I feel it.  I just have to be careful because I won't be doing a full blown cut again til next spring and I don't want things to get out of control.

I followed that cutting journal when it resurfaced in the general section, it was very inspirational reading considering your job and family commitments.

Have you an ideal weight you'd like to bulk up to before you cut again?

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Thanks mate.
 
I've not got a weight in mind.  I just want to add some muscle, without getting too fat, and hopefully look a bit more like a body builder when I cut next summer.
 
The mens health cover model look is my goal I suppose.

No cardio this morning, after an extremely tiring weekend!  I'm in London on Weds so that only leaves tomorrow.  I'm tempted to skip this week altogether, but I really ought to go for a run just to keep fitness up more than anything else.  I'm slowly accepting that I'm not going to get much cardio done til I'm cutting again.  If I can't get up and do it while the weathers nice..... I've not got a prayer when it starts getting cold.
 
I really do need to find a way of getting a couple of evening sessions in.
 
Back            WEEK 2
 
WG Chins            3 x 8            BW for all, all 8 reps done!
T bar machine     3 x 8            35kg, 45kg, 50kg
CG LatP               2 x 8            72.5kg, 80kg
BB shrugs            3 x 10         105kg for all
Rear flies             2 x 10            12kg for both
 
 
Good session.  I nailed the chins this week.  Good form and somehow found a way to squeeze reps out (i usually go up or fail).  Felt great.  I need to start a bit heavier on the rows next week, but I should have my weight nailed then, and slowly creep up over the 50kg mark.  I'm not feeling the shrugs at the minute and even tho I'm mid routine, I might switch to DB's for a while.  I've always used the BB so maybe it's time for a change here.
 
Felt small this weekend......... then trained today and felt big.  Can't win!

No cardio this morning, so none this week!
 
I'm in London tomorrow and I suddenly realised I have a big meeting on Thursday which may mean I won't get to the gym on Thursday either.  Now, I might have chance to squeeze a very quick session in on Saturday.  So baring that in mind, I thought I'd better include my Tri's in todays chest session leaving the saturday session to just shoulders (20 mins session hopefully).
 
Chest + Tri's            WEEK 2
 
Flat BB bench            3 x 8            85kg, 90kg, 95kg
Inc DB bench             3 x 8            38kg for all
Dec BB bench            3 x 10          60kg, 65kg, 70kg
 
Dips                          3 x 10            BW for all
Pushdowns              3 x 10            55kg, 60kg, 65kg
 
Seated calf                3 x 20            42.5kg, 45kg, 47.5kg
 
 
Flat bench was great.  Back to my previous best so time to hit the 100kg bench next week.  Inc was poor.  I did start heavier, but i was tired from the flat and I didn't use the 42's like last week.  Still, thats not the important one.  Decline is great for the pump.  I missed the flies out to ensure I hit the tri's hard (don't feel like I've been hitting them when I train them with the chest), and it worked.  I also got the calves in, so it was quite a crammed session.
 
London tomorrow.............. must avoid excessive junk!

I had a meeting running all morning and I thought it would wreck my gym plans for today.  I had to eat my pre-gym meal at 10am.  But I got to the gym for 1pm and had the best session ever!
 
Legs + Bi's            WEEK 2
 
Leg press            3 x 10            120kg, 140kg, 160kg
Squats                 3 x 8              50kg, 55kg, 60kg (6)
Ham curls             3 x 10            65kg for all
 
DB curls                3 x 10            18kg, 20kg, 22kg (7)
BB curls                2 x 10            25kg, 30kg
 
 
This method of leg pressing first is really working out.  The leg press felt great and my legs were on fire.  But squatting then feels really comfortable, cos I'm warmed up.  And I'm slowly creeping back up to my previous best squat so hopefully it's making me stronger.
 
DB curls were awsome.  I had a nice rest talking to someone before I started my bi's and it helped a lot.
 
 
I forgot to mention the junk yesterday (i like listing it!)
 
5am - whey shake
9am - full english
12pm - whey shake
4pm - ham and cheese sandwich + crisps + muffin (shocking!)
7pm - chilli with a bit of rice
 
Not too bad actually.

Shoulders            WEEK 2
 
Hammer press            3 x 8            75kg, 80kg, 85kg (new PB)
DB press                    3 x 10          22kg for all
Side raises                3 x 10            12kg for all
 
Seated calf                3 x 20            42.5kg, 45kg, 47.5kg
 
 
Hammer press was good.  85kg actually felt easy.  I used a lighter weight on the DB's today but I don't want the reps to drop on the this exercise.

I actually don't think I ate enough this weekend.  And oddly enough, I weighed myself on Saturday morning as usual, and I lost 3 pounds last week.  Not sure why?  Lets hope it was some fat and not muscle.  I didn't do any cardio at all last week.  13 st 3lbs  this week.
 
Speaking of cardio....... none this morning.  But seen as I was up 8 times in the night with Noah, I think I've got a good enough excuse.  I'm going to invest in a skipping rope and use it to do some HIIT on a night.
 
Back            WEEK 3
 
WG chins            3 x 8            BW for all (8, 6, 6)
CG latP               2 x 8            80kg, 87.5kg
T Machine           3 x 8            45kg, 50kg, 55kg
DB shrugs           3 x 10          42kg (DBs) for all
Rear flies            2 x 10          12kg for both
Calves                3 x 20          45kg, 47.5kg, 50kg   
 
Great session.  I just don't seem to be plateauing at all, and I've been bulking for 3 months now.  WG chins were rubbish because the normal station was busy and the alternative one is crap.  The squat rack was busy so I decided to use the DB's for shrugs.  Made a nice change and I'll stick to this for a while.  Calves are going up every week now and feel good. 
 
The pumps I'm getting at the minute are crazy.  A guy I've got talking to at the gym asked me if I was taking anything last week!

Bad night, no cardio.  I'm so tired at the minute I can't see how I'll ever do morning cardio again.  I'm sure I will next week.  I need another run at it through August before the summer is well and truely over.
 
Chest + Tri's            WEEK 3
 
Flat BB bench            3 x 8            90kg, 95kg, 100kg (6)            new PB!
Inc DB bench             3 x 8            34kg, 38kg (6), 38kg (6)
Dips                           3 x 8            BW for all
Cables                      2 x 15           30kg for all
Pushdowns                3 x 10          55kg, 60kg, 65kg
 
 
I'm over the moon with the 100kg press for 6 reps!  One thing that helped a lot was, I got talking to someone before my last set so I had a big rest.  I'm guessing it might have been more like 3 or 4 reps if not.
 
But...... I got a pain in my left pec early on in the exercise and it bothered me all the way through.  Inc DB's didn't feel nice at all, so I ditched the Decline press in favour of the X overs to get a pump.  I've pulled something in there.  I just hope it goes away before next week.  If I get this again next week then I'm afraid it's time to drop the weight and go for sets of 10 or something for a few weeks.  Still........ very happy with 100kg!
 
Tri's didn't feel like they got worked much though, but you can't win em all.

brittas


Bad night, no cardio.  I'm so tired at the minute I can't see how I'll ever do morning cardio again.  I'm sure I will next week.  I need another run at it through August before the summer is well and truely over.

Its the same as anything mate, as soon as you fall out of routine its hard to pick it back up. You just got to set your alarm and pop yaself out of bed. This is what I do now and once im up, im fine. Its just getting up is the problem....

Chamber

brittas


Bad night, no cardio.  I'm so tired at the minute I can't see how I'll ever do morning cardio again.  I'm sure I will next week.  I need another run at it through August before the summer is well and truely over.

Its the same as anything mate, as soon as you fall out of routine its hard to pick it back up. You just got to set your alarm and pop yaself out of bed. This is what I do now and once im up, im fine. Its just getting up is the problem....

When I'm cutting I'm dedicated to the cardio..... but it's just hard work when you know you don't really need to do it!  I just don't want to get too fat so I'd like to keep it in.
 
But when the little ones woke up crying at 5am (for the 4th time!) and my alarm is due to go off at 5.30am......... I just know I'm going to snooze til 6.30am! 

Ha ha - Yeah fair enough, I can imagine its pretty hard to get up then.

The other option is to go for a run when ya put the little un to be. But I bet the Missus kicks off cos thats 'her' time.....lol

Chamber


Ha ha - Yeah fair enough, I can imagine its pretty hard to get up then.

The other option is to go for a run when ya put the little un to be. But I bet the Missus kicks off cos thats 'her' time.....lol

Ha, you're right there! 
 
I need to do something on an evening, cos I can't do Thurs and Fri mornings anyway now (the Mrs works these 2 days and I need to around to get the little un up). 
 
I'm actually thinking about buying a skipping rope and using it to do some HIIT.  I can go out and jog/HIIT now, but once it starts getting dark on a night, I might be better off skipping in the garage or back garden.

I've decided........ we have no social events this weekend and possible a child free night on Saturday so I should catch some sleep up.  Then it's back to morning cardio whenever possible!
 
Legs + Bi's            WEEK 3
 
Leg press            3 x 10            140kg, 160kg, 180kg (8)
Squats                3 x 8               55kg, 60kg, 65kg (6)
Ham curl               3 x 10            65kg for all
 
DB curls               3 x 10            20kg, 22kg, 24kg (6)
BB curls                2 x 10            30kg for both
 
 
Leg press was great.  Very heavy and still got the reps out.  200kg next week will be fun!  Squats suffered a bit on reps but I still upped the weight.
 
DB curls were great, but the 24's were a bit too heavy, even after a long rest.  I may have hit a sticking point there for a week or 2.  Not a problem as I've never even been near the 24's on a bicep exercise before.

Great strength on the leg press, the squats cant of been easy after shifting that weight.

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shane278


Great strength on the leg press, the squats cant of been easy after shifting that weight.

I've got crap legs and I'm crap at squatting but I seem to able to leg press a fair bit.  Think it's my long legs!!  Hopefully, this will make them grow.
 
It's funny though, because I nipped into my local gym the other week and I can only press half that weight on their leg press.  Obviously, they all work differently.

As always London was junk fuelled.  McDonalds breakfast, Greggs on the way home...... including doughnut!  Nothing too bad I suppose.  The diet does need some attention again.  I'm eating some big ass evening meals and feeling truely stuffed sometimes.  The wife seems to have relaxed with her health kick which doesn't help.
 
I'm buying a skipping rope this weekend for some evening HIIT!
 
Shoulders            WEEK 3
 
Hammer press            3 x 8            80kg, 85kg, 90kg (6)    new all time PB
DB press                     3 x 8            22kg for all
Side raises                 3 x 10            12kg for all
Seated calf                 3 x 20            45kg, 47.5kg, 50kg
 
 
Hammer press was good and it's nice to be breaking some records again.  Not sure how I'll progress going forward because all 3 sets felt heavy!  This tweak I had in my chest on Tues reared it's head again today.  I hope it goes away.  I'm in London on Tues, so I won't train chest til Weds.  Thats 4 days rest, and I'm only training back on Monday.  If it hurts during the warm ups, it's a ligher/high rep session.  It's still getting worked either way.
 
I'm in London 2 days next week.  I'm staying in a hotel on Friday night with a gym (hopefully).  So I could do the usual 4 day split and do shoudlers in the hotel.  but this is risky..... if it doesn't happen for whatever reason I've missed my shoulders out altogether that week.  And there's no time to catch up!  I'll give it some thought.  I may have to stick bi's in with back and shoulders with legs.  Not nice but it'll get the job done.  Calves might only get done once next week and abs will get missed.

I've not had the best weekend.  I don't know what it was, but whenever I looked in the mirror I felt small and fat!  I've not ate well at all, and we ended up going out drinking all Sunday afternoon!  So i'm hungover today and yet again didn't do any cardio.  This week is going to be allover the place with 2 trips to London too.
 
I'm going to do a 3 day split this week.  If I get in the hotel gym on Friday night I'll either do cardio, or do Monday's back session so I can do a 5 day split next week.  It's not worth the risk of missing body parts out.
 
Back + Bi's            WEEK 4
 
WG chins            3 x 8            BW for all (8, 7, 6)
CG LatPD            2 x 8            80kg, 87.5kg
T Machine row    3 x 8            50kg, 55kg, 55kg
DB shrugs           3 x 8            46kg for all
 
DB curls              3 x 10           16kg, 18kg, 20kg (8)
 
 
WG chins are going downhill!  I can't wait to get back to LatPD's again.  I suppose I'm quite a bit heavier than when I last did them so they will be hard.  But I think I've gone off them a bit and I'm subconciously not trying.  I've not trained my bi's with the back for a while, plus my reps were dropping last week, so I reset the weight down a bit.  It felt good.  I was going to a BB curl but I was knackered and felt like they'd been worked.
 
This work will be hard with the London trips tomorrow and Friday so I'm just glad I'm managing to train.
 
I have managed to take a step forward in fixing the cardio problem......... I've just been out and bought a skipping rope from Argos!  So lets see if I can skip tonight.  I'm hoping to do somee HIIT with it on an evening, out on my decking (or in the garage if it's raining).  I'll try and do it on the days when I don't make morning cardio.  If I ever get back to regular morning cardio, I'll do it a couple of times a week.  If I can get into it, it'll be a good weapon for cutting I reckon.

London = full english + KFC!  Those bright lights at the services are just too tempting!!  The worst bit is, I get home and the wife wants our evening meal but I'm not even hungry.  I could happily have a shake at 9pm and call it done!
 
I'm there on Friday and Saturday, then back again Monday.  I'll have a sandwich or something on the way back both times.  No need for the KFC at all!
 
There's been no morning cardio this week.  Is this my 2nd week with no cardio or my 3rd?  I've lost track now.  3rd I think.  And I'm away Monday leaving Tues and weds next week, but Monday will be a 4am start so I'm going to be dead all week!  After next week, I'm back on with it 3 days a week for the remainder of the summer.
 
On a positive cardio note.......... I had a go at skipping on Monday night.  God it's hard work.  Both the cardio side of it, but more so the skill element.  I'm going to have a few random sessions to learn how to do it this week, then structure a bit more.  If I can hit 3 morning cardio sessions I'll do this on the 2 nights I don't run, and possibly once on a weekend.  When ever I miss a morning cardio run, I'll stick this in on a night. 
 
Obviously London trips make things difficult.  Last night was hard.  I planned on doing some, but didn't get home til 7pm, didn't eat til 8.30pm and was still feeling full at 9.30pm so I didn't bother.
 
Hopefully this will help as I'm feeling a bit fat again and it's hitting my face a bit.  I'm sure I'll get bored of skipping, but I'm looking forward to the newness of it all, making me want to do more!  I had that small feeling again today, but I got in the gym and pumped up like crazy!  Maybe it's the extra fat hiding the muscle!!
 
Chest + Tri's            WEEK 4
 
Flat BB bench            3 x 8            95kg (6), 100kg (4), 105kg (3), 80kg (10)
Inc DB bench             3 x 8            34kg for all
Dips                           3 x 8             BW for all
Cable x overs           3 x 10           30kg, 30kg, 27.5kg
Rope pushdowns      3 x 10          50kg for all
Seated calf               3 x 20           47.5kg, 50kg, 52.5kg
 
 
Mixed feelings today........ mostly positive!  First of all I hit 100kg again, then went on to do 105kg!  Amazing for me.  But.... the reps were shocking right from the first set.  So I stuck an 80kg set in at the end to get some reps.  I'm keen to chase the weight, but I think higher reps are better for me and today was just too low.  So next week I reset back to 90kg, 95kg and 100kg and try to get better reps out.  Nice to know I can lift that heavy though.
 
Inc DB's suffer every week!  The more I lift on the flat, the less I lift on the incline!  But I suppose that doesnt matter.  Dips were good, cable x over felt amazing.  I used a different cable setup and it's much more comfortable.  I'll be doing these for a few weeks I think.
 
I may have hit a limit on the calves as I went up today and struggled big time.  Had to break the last set into 3!
 
So tomorrow is legs and shoulders.  Not a nice thought but now I've moved calves away, it's only 3 exercises.  If I'm dead I'll only do 2 shoulder exercises.  If not, 3.  I'll take my gym gear to the hotel on Friday and if I finish work early enough, and the equipment there is ok, I'll do Monday's back session.  I don't think I'll be able to train next Thursday (all day meeting) so I may need to do this.  If not, it's another 3 day split.
 
After next week, all this crazy travelling should die down and I'm HOPING to get some 5 day splits back again.
 
 

I had a 20 minute skipping session last night.  I was much better at it this time around.  I reckon I'll have another session or 2 practising it, then start timing the rounds.
 
Legs + Shoulders            WEEK 4
 
Leg press            3 x 10            160kg, 180kg (8), 200kg (6)
Ham curl              3 x 10             65kg for all
Leg ext                3 x 10            70kg, 80kg, 87.5kg
 
Hammer press     3 x 8               85kg, 90kg, 95kg (5)
DB press              2 x 10             20kg, 20kg
Side raises           2 x 10             12kg, 12kg
 
 
I don't feel like I did the legs justice today.  The weight I shifted on the leg press was great, but it's getting heavy and reps dropped.  I'll stick to this weight next week.  I want 3 sets of 10.   Then I couldn't get on anything to squat!!!  Squat rack, power rack and smith were all taken.  So I got my ham curls done and had to stick some leg ext in.  At least I left something in the tank for the shoulders I suppose.
 
I really thought I'd struggle with my shoulders today.  I was tired from the legs, plus I trained chest + tri's yesterday so shoulders should have suffered.  But I convinced myself to still put the weight up and I did ok.  Reps were poor on the last set but it's still a great improvement.  15kg over my old PB which I was stuck on for years.  And thats all in 4 weeks!  I'll stick to the weight again til the reps go up.
 
London for the weekend with work now.  We're moving offices so I'm going to on the go for 2 days.  I'm going to stick my tub of whey in the boot then I can have a shake if I'm struggling for food.  I really want to try and train my back tomorrow night and it means I can get the remaining 3 sessions in next week.  Otherwise it's another 3 day split next week and I'm not keen!