Monday, November 19, 2007

New Training

Instead of using my own training routine, which was cool for a while, I'm going to be using one from T-Nation. My routine was hard to keep to, wasn't consistent, and I just didn't really know enough while going about trying to make it up.
The routine I'm going to be using for a while is Blending Size and Strength, Version 2.0 created by Dr. Clay Hyght. My first day of using it was today, and it felt great. It's a much better split than what I tried to do, and I feel much more worked than I have in a long time without doing squats or deadlifts (which will be coming up in the next few days). I went early this morning, and I've gotta say, I've never been this sore so short a time after a workout before. You can find the workout here.
Anyways, here's how today went:
A1: Barbell bench press 6x3 - 165 lbs.
A2: T-bar row 6x3 - 90 lbs.
(had to do the C exercises before the B exercises, because the barbell I needed for overhead press in the cage was already being used)
C1: Skullcrusher 3x5 - 55 lbs.
C2: Barbell curl 3x5 - 55 lbs.
B1: Standing barbell shoulder press 5x5 - 75 lbs.
B2: Pull-Up 5x5 - assisted with 40 pounds
Notes
I'll probably switch to doing a bent-over barbell row for my rowing exercise on most weeks.
I can't do many pull-ups at all (maybe 4-5) and using that much assistance was the only way I could get that many done. Used the assisted pull-up machine at my gym, could feel it a lot more than when I use the pulldown machine.
Doing the C exercises first hurt my performance on the B exercises, so I'll try not to have to do that again, I just wasn't prepared for changes today.
I used a reverse grip on the barbell curl, and both it and the skullcrusher were done using an EZ-curl bar. Won't use reverse grip next time.
On weights, the exercises that will go up the most next week will be overhead press and barbell curl, as I was able to complete all sets and reps without struggle at all, so I probably could have gone heavier, just wasn't sure. Could have done more on bench, but that was all I was comfortable with for now, as I did it without a spotter (my max is 185, so I'm not too disappointed).
My lats are the weak point on my pull-ups, and they're extremely sore right now. Not really sure how long it will be until I can do the 5x5 on my own, but once I get there I plan on adding more resistance. Could be a while.
More tomorrow about things, if anybody has any comments on today's workout, feel free.

Starting Over

So, things sort of went to the wayside there. I stopped training seriously for a while, stopped eating right, and pretty much everything else I need to do to stay fit. I've decided to start over now, and I have a pre-new year's revolution to try and keep to these things and improve myself as much as I can until then.
I'm going to start over with this blog too, and send it in new directions, as my training right now isn't just my lifting. I'm in high school, everything I do is training for college and training for life. Due to this, I'm going to talk about other things relating to my life, with the hopes of helping other people like me out as they can learn from my mistakes.
Hope this ends up being a good decision, and I'll need all the support I can get, so any ideas anyone can give would be awesome.
-Thryah