Shield of Steve Training Log

[ShieldofSteve]

Greetings everyone and thanks for reading.

Goals: 1) I working towards being stronger, and building muscle. I love lifting heavy weights, and as I put up a new PR I will add it in to the bottom of my log.

2) I am an avid cyclist and I as the weather gets warmer I am going to start bike commuting to work, it is only 8 miles away. I usually get up to 100 miles a week during my riding peak.

3) I am in contests with two friends to see who can get better results in 6 months.

Attack Plan: 1) I am currently on a bodybuilding workout plan, working one muscle group with heavy weights once a week, Sat and Sun off. I have had the best success with this, as I tend to lift in the high double/low triple digit dumbbells.

2) I have a ten mile loop by my house that is a fun ride, but still challenging. I try to push myself for time on this one. I ride when I have time, and if I am feeling good, I will do the loop twice.

3) I eat a mostly paleo diet, I get food from Door to Door organics, meat and veggies once a week, lasts all week. Huge time saver there.

Workout Basic Break down.

Monday: Chest

Tuesday: Back

Wednesday: Shoulder

Thursday: Bi, Tri, Ab

Friday: Legs

Sat: Cardio/something active

Sunday: Rest day

I tend to do interspersed cardio and stretching/yoga during those day, though Not at the gym. I do warmups and cooldowns though.

I eat 6 "meals" though I count pre workout and Post workout nutrition as meals.

I change up my workouts when I am at the gym, I love dumbbells, so I am always looking up new things to do with them.

Current Personal Records

Chest: Incline dumbell press 105lbs(x2).

Back: Barbell row 225 (x5)

Legs: 365 Squat(x3)/ 720 Leg Press(x5) / 125 goblet squat (x7)

Deadlift: Sumo deadlift No record, still building after back injury.

Shoulders: Shoulder press 70lb dumbbells. (x5)

That is pretty much my lifting life in a nut shell.

Again thanks for read, now go move some iron

[ShieldofSteve]

Today's workout was pretty haphazard, my workout partner and I have opposite injuries. I can bend she cannot. She can put weight on her frame, I cannot. So we did shoulders.

Today's was shoulder press starter weight at 40lbs, 70lbs, 70lbs, 60lbs, 60lbs.

Shoulder T-Cross (front raise, front to side, side to front, lower to hip) T cross can be super tough, we did a warm up, then a 1 hold (each emphasis transition point), Then a 2 out (hold extended at sides for double the amount you hold in front of you), finally a sholder rotation before the last lower add in. (I did 15lbs)

Upright row, using 95lbs. x3 not much, but enough to feel it.

Rear deltoid raise. 25, this is a hard one to keep form on without my forehead on a bench

Cardio 25 mins elliptical.

Thanks for reading and any comments, now go move some iron

[ETFnerd]

I used to do a BB workout for over a decade. I think that your bodyparts are getting too much rest. A BB regimen is designed to promote anabolism (muscle growth). Even if you are going to failure, I think it's optimal to hit each bodypart 2x/wk... but I don't know if anabolism is your goal.

My (old) PRs:

Deadlift: Never did them

Squat: 405lbsx4x5

Calf Raises: 800lbsx12x6

BP: 275lbsx5

Chest Flies: 75lb dumbells (each)x8x5

PullUps (current): BW+45lbs: 8x6

OHP: 155lbsx8x6

Lying Tricep Extensions: 155lbsx20x6

Barbell Rows (Upright): 205lbsx8x5

Barbell Shrugs: 355lbsx15x5

etc, etc

[ShieldofSteve]

Thanks ETFnerd for the feedback, while anabolism is cool and I like growth, I am not on a schedule/diet to grow. I workout doing every part once a week mostly because so I do not hurt myself. I have found if I train 2x/part a week I tend to end out out for a week or two. While I have done that in the past, I have injured myself. The best I have come across is a 2x a split that works out each group 2x a week with two workouts a day. I am looking to change things up in the summer when I have more opportunity to be outside.

Todays workout. I am looking to get back on schedule tomorrow.

Seated Plate Row

180 x 15

270 x 10

360 x 6

360 x 6

Lat pull downs

140 x 12

160 x 10

180 x 8

180 x 3 - I started laughing part way through and lost it.

Face pulls (Not sure on the name, saw it during my research and added it to my routine. Basically a standing rope pull that works lats and rear deltoids).

30 x 15

52.5 x 10

52.5 x 10

52.5 x 10

This is new, and I enjoyed it. I will add it into my rotation of exercises.

Low Row with secondary hyperextension

120 x 10 / 120 x 6

120 x 10 / 120 x 6

120 x 10 / 120 x 6

120 x 10 / 120 x 6

I am fairly consistent with numbers of reps and sets, I try to keep good form, hence when I lost lat pull downs I could not recover form.

I actually did cardio today. I hate cardio. unless I am out on my bike, and I have not done cardio in what seems like forever anyways since I caught MSRA.

I am proud of what I got done today, I am looking forward to tomorrow and some more working out. Today I was called out on how heavy I am, which makes me feel bad about it, though I came to terms being heavy last year when I was dealing with health issues. Now I am fully capable of working out and getting back to where I like to be. Off to play Dragon Age

Thanks for reading, Now go move some Iron.

[ETFnerd]

That's cool SoS... you know your body better than anyone else... usually I lose concentration when an unexpectedly attractive woman walks by...

[ShieldofSteve]

Back on schedule

Today is arm day, and while there is always a special place in hell for arm and ab exercises, they need to be done too. In my experience with myself if I attach these to another workout, I will forgo them to keep working out the main component. Even doing them first does not seem to help. So they get their own day. (except calves, I love to train those and I am super proud of them on me).

Skull Crushers

40 x 15 warm up

80 x 10

80 x 10

80 x 10

Wide grip bicep curl

40 x 15 warm up

60 x 10

60 x 10

60 x 10 (I am stronger than I thought, I went for the 50 and someone grabbed it, in my experience, I tend to up and do fewer reps, I was surprised by this one)

Close Grip Bicep curl

60 x 10 x 4

Tricep Press down / Overhead tricep extension no rest after the first only after second.

50 x 10 x 4 50 x 10 x 4

Weighted decline ab crunch

10lbs to failure

25 lbs to failure

25 lbs to failure

45 lbs to failure

Reverse Crunch emphasis on each vertebrae touch the bench

5

5

3

2

No so strong there, but they beat crunches any day.

I did cardio again. Not a super fan of cardio, not when the sun is in my eyes and I have nothing to listen to, though having a friend there helps me through it.

@ETFNerd I am not one to look for gym bunnies, mostly because my partner is attractive and she helps me focus. She also gives me death glares over lifting. She is working on strength training with me and is putting up some respectable weights. Personally, I would rather see a girl in a t shirt lifting than a girl in a low cut top walking on a treadmill or standing around trying to show off. That is what bars are for.

I hope everyone is getting closer towards their goals, I am working on mine, the cardio thing, I have until March 6th, adding in at least a 1/2 hour of cardio into my workouts. My female partner mentioned above, has to add 10lbs to every major muscle exercise and 5 to every minor. She works out more often and does different training than I do.

Wish us luck, Now go move some Iron

[ShieldofSteve]

Woot one week of accountability. Small success for me.

I was having the hardest time getting myself to the gym, thankfully my training partner came through and motivated me to be here. It is good to have that.

Warmup

Leg extension

70 x 15 x 3 to get blood to the legs.

Goblet Squat

105 x 6 (I could do more reps but started losing my grip as I was pulling off of 5 plates not a bench. None were free).

105 x 5

105 x 6

105 x 5

Odd numbers but effective. I can do glute to heel on these so I go for full range of motion when I go down.

Sumo dead lift

135 x 10

185 x 4 - my rib started to hurt with this much weight, so I took off all extra weight and did form from here out.

135 x 10

135 x 10

Seated calf raise

135 x 10 x 4 I love working out calves.

Does not look like much, but I took extended breaks in between the dead lifts and between the squats.

I am also on vacation soon, so I am going to work out with a trainer on my new one rep maxes. Honestly, I lift more weight than most of my friends weigh. I have never had a lifting buddy or known someone else with the interest of heavy lifting. I have had a marathoner friend, a swim coach friend, many cyclists. So lifting with a body builder trainer is going to be an new experience.

Thanks for reading. Good luck and happy training, now go move some iron.

[ShieldofSteve]

Workout today was very off. I am going to tell you that I did nothing right this morning. Things that I did wrong include

1) not eating before working out. I had a banana all morning.

2) no quick carbs or pre-workout nutrition, again all I had was a banana

3) No warm up/stretching,

4) Not going back and finishing. My partner had a nerve issue and after hanging out for a 1/2 hour, I felt for her and took her to get some ice and rest. Mean while, I have not issues other than a lack of sleep, so if you see a random hutgjkie that is the impact of my head on the keyboard.

Lesson learned, I will not do that again.

I got my bike back from shop, I get a tune up every year, I am going to need a new bike, because with the cost of the tune up and parts needed, It would be more than 1/2 the cost of the new bike I am looking at. The bike is off brand, and it is hard for my shop to parts for it. So I am going to get one in the near future.

Look forward to seeing how everyone is doing, Now go move some Iron

[ShieldofSteve]

Random awesomeness: having a workout partner who is just as determined as you rocks. I off handedly made a comment about sure I can go to the gym after 8 hours of work where I stand all day and run around most of it.

I did, and I made it through another cardio session. Not my favorite, but I need it to help trim up the waist.

Thanks for the quick read, now go get some sleep.

[ShieldofSteve]

Greetings everyone Happy Valentines Survival day.

I actually have a lot to talk about today. So here goes

I started riding this week, which means I need more concentration at the gym to split time out of the gym. I have been reading about people doing a 5 X 5 workout, and for the first time in years, a lifting workout kicked my ass. I will even admit that I did not get to a 5th set of Squats. So here goes.

Shoulder Press 5 sets x 5+reps where possible

50 lbs X 8,

50 X 5

50 X 5

50 X 5

50 X 5

Incline bench press (my fav bench press)

60 X 10

60 X 8

70 X 6

70 X 5

60 X 6

Pull ups all of which were assisted/offset. 5 sets, 5 reps,

Sumo Deadlift

185 x 5 reps x 5 sets.

I am not looking to do more than this with my rib. My rib has been healing well, and i am not looking to injure it again.

Powerlifter Squat (also known as wide stance, or wide leg, powerlifter is what I have seen it referred to on other lifting sites)

225 X 8

315 x 6

365 x 4 (my legs were turning to jello

315 x 5

At this time, I had had it. Even with eating, carbing up, NO2, and protein, I was at the wall. I have never felt better. I even was able to work in with my trainer for squats, so hey free training. He is calling next Monday Max out Monday, as we are testing my new one rep maxes for shoulder press and incline bench press. I am not going to lie, I lift heavier weights than most of my friends weigh. It is incredibly discouraging to be around people who eat garbage all day and look the same or better than they did in the past. It is have been a huge struggle of mine as when I get comfortable, I tend to gain a lot of weight. None of them are as active as I am, some come close though. My training partner is the closest I have ever had to someone who liked being at the gym like I do.

Speaking of Struggles, I have had a terrible one for many years that has only recently come to light. and I am working towards fixing and remedying it. I have suffered from Body dismorphia, except in not in a fat way, in a I think I am more muscular than I actually am. I have had to accept that while I am a heavy lifter, and I am following form correctly even on heavy weights, for the longest time I have thought that I had more muscle than I have. I always see that I am in great shape, that I can wear what I want, even if it is currently too small, or ill fitting. I have been battling losing weight, and thinking that I am further ahead than I really am. This has been a huge struggle for me, as I never thought about how much I gained last year between being in a healthy relationship and having MSRA. I gained something close to 100lbs, I never weighed myself, but cried the day I was at the doc's office and they told me I weighted 303. That was before I finished gaining weight. I never liked myself being heavy and did everything that I could to avoid not accepting it.

I finally did something about it, when I was cleared, I took to Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA. I always liked the sports and if my gym had stayed open two more years, I would have at the very least tried out for it. My gym closed up and I drifted around, spent too much time away from the sports. And unlike old times, my favorite sports were happy to turn on me. My first jujitsu class, and I pinch a nerve in my knee. I was out for 3 weeks. Make it to my second class, and break a rib. So no jujitsu until I am much fitter than I am now. I tend to stop breathing in lock up, and need more mobility, i.e. less stomach. With my friend at my side, I have lost more than 30lbs, and 3 inches off of my stomach. Even more so, I am under 300 lbs for the first time since last June.

That is my story, thanks for reading, good luck in your workouts. Now go move some iron.

[ShieldofSteve]

Greetings.

Today was cardio and even though I am not 100%, I still got in my time. I am excited to see how this month progresses. Next check in day is March 6th. 30 days after my last challenge. Which I have blown out of the water.

Happy lifting everyone, now go move some iron.

[ShieldofSteve]

Spent the last three days resting. Why you may ask? I set a new record for reps in squat. I got up to 5 in them on my max weight. Which is amazing, though I did not give myself any rest and did cardio the next day. I have spent the last three days "walking" around as if my legs would give out from under me at any given time. The pumps are a great feeling, the not being able to walk not so much.

Tomorrow is my day with the trainer. I am going to test out my new max weights for both shoulder press and incline bench press, get some feedback on my form, make sure that I am lifting properly and to adjust my new max weights for lifts.

Good luck everyone, now go move some iron.