Rev's Freaky Athlete Log

[Rev]

Welcome to my training log, big thanks to JP for granting permission. In this training log I'm going to be covering quite a bit and I will be pretty technical. I have two mountains standing in front of me to climb.

First - Obtain complete relative strength throughout my whole body.

Second - Gain lean muscle mass with minimal fat gain along the way.

Now for a quick assessment of where I stand as of now. I will be keeping track of body measurements probably every 2-4 weeks along with training log entries. All measurements are taken unflexed and relaxed as of a morning. So, my first measurement entry showing current stats...

Age 20
Sex M
Height
70.00 in (1.78 m)
Weight
166 lbs (75.50 kg)
Neck
15.00 in (38.10 cm)
Shoulder
47.01 in (119.40 cm)
Chest
40.00 in (101.60 cm)
Waist
30.50 in (78.70 cm)
Abdomen
31.00 in (80.00 cm)
Hips
37.01 in (94.00 cm)
Thigh
23.39 in (59.40 cm)
Knee
15.98 in (40.60 cm)
Calf
15.31 in (38.90 cm)
Ankle
9.49 in (24.10 cm)
Arm
12.80 in (32.50 cm)
Forearm
11.50 in (29.20 cm)
Wrist
7.24 in (18.40 cm)

Total Body Fat Percentage 8-9% by Fat Track 2 Calipers
Caloric Intake 2400 cal/day 40p/30c/30f
Main Current Lifts, bench press 210lbs, squat 250lbs, deadlift 315lbs, bb bent-over row (needs work...)

This week is currently an off week as I am rehabilitating my once inflamed rotator cuffs. Regular entries will start monday.
NOW! Finally getting around to the routine I will be following if you haven't fallen asleep yet. It will be Mike Robertson's Freaky Athlete routine, it is more of a template which allows for greater flexibility. http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=487636 Here is the basic foundation of the routine I have set up.

UPPER BODY LOWER BODY
FREQUENCY: 2 PER WEEK
Conjugate Strength/Hypertrophy Program

Monday (low body):
full squat(4x3-5)
stiff-legged deadlift(4x6-8)
step-up(3x8-10)
reverse hyper(3x8-10)
ab pull-down(3x10)

Tuesday (upper body):
bench press(4x3-5)
bent. bb row(4x6-8)
standing db press(3x8-10)
bb curl(3x8-10)
close grip b.p.(3x8-10)

Thursday (low body):
deadlift(4x6-8) rotate powerclean
good morning(4x6-8)
lunge(3x8-10)
glute-ham raise(3x8-10)
hanging leg raise(3x10)

Friday (upper body):
chin-up(4x6-8)
db incline press(3x8-10)
cable row(3x8-10)
tricep dip(3x8-10)
incline db curl(3x8-10)

Saturday HIIT 15min
Sprint Work

And there it is. My humble training log, thanks for reading. Now watch me get strong!

[ninja]

Good. One more training log for me to comment on.

[GqArtguy]

I think you should just take progress pics every 2-3 wks because measurements dont really mean to me, its whats in the mirror that counts

[Rev]

good point, me now.

[Rev]

[GqArtguy]

Take some shots of your back and fromthe side as well. Make sure that you take pics at consistent times for comparison (ie in the AM without food or drink, but after you go to the bathroom).

Also, whats your diet look like? You posted calories but are you going to cycle them? And what are you eating?

I suppose I should read that freaky athlete article but I dont see how your routine is conjugate.

[Rev]

I don't have anyone around currently to take a picture of me from different angles. I had to take the legs shot myself, I could probably get those picture this weekend though if I go to my mom's and get her to take them.

Those were the calories I was consuming as of today or this week. This week is a recovery and external rotation strengthening week just coming off of a cut phase, the calories are very low. I'll post my calories as I go along and make adjustments, I will slowly raise them when I start and eventually probably get to...around 3500 im guessing.

What am I eating and my diet, I listed the current 40g protein/30g carb/30g fat macro split which will change soon but (probably see an increase in carbohydrates)...ok lets see. Well I keep a food journal every day, I could just read you what I wrote out of that but I'll just make some general comments on what I eat regularly. My nutrtion staples consist of chicken breast (of course), wild salmon (if I am lucky enough to find it), extra lean ground beef, sirloin steak, protein bars, protein shakes, every fruit known to man (most common apple, banana, grapes, strawberries, oranges), V8 vegetable juice since I hate all vegetables ever except grilled onions, megamen multi vitamin, 80oz of water average daily, smuckers natural peanut butter, brown rice, (100% stone ground whole wheat bread if I absolutely have to), whole eggs, 100% whole wheat oatmeal (w/sugarless cinamon), um....oh skim milk, 100% natural orange juice...I'll stop there, that's pretty general of what I eat mostly.

Conjugate - joined together, especially in a pair, coupled. I'm traing for strength and hypertrophy. Is this not what it looks like? Feel free to to list suggestions any help would be great, you might check the website out too.

[GqArtguy]

You dont need the bread if you dont want.

Id start liking veggies, or find a way to cook them so they are palatable.

Id probably axe the milk and stick to cottage cheese (fat free). You might want to keep bananas to an absolute minimum if you want to repartition.

To quote sean illes, a conjugate template is defined as the following:

Westside is a template based LARGELY on a collaboration between the foremost authority on Powerlifting, Louie Simmons, Original Badass, and the foremost expert on sports science, Dr. Mel C Siff, PhD, in an effort to design a top notch training regime that would be based on solid, no nonsense science. The Westside "system" is also largely based on research and theory published by Vladimir Zatsiorsky, Mendveyev, Verkoshansky, and other Eastern Bloc coaches and research.

Westside, essentially, is a conjugate periodised template, meaning it focuses on the development of multiple qualities at once, rather than focusing on one for a period of time, and then switching in a "linear" manner. Most advanced lifters find this method to be the only way that they can regularly keep imroving without taking fairly large steps back--ask a fellow named Goldberg here about how it was with an Ian King or Charles Poliquin "program" in comparison to the Conjugate model as he became increasingly advancd.

The template revolves mainly around three methods of strength devlopment:

Max Effort: Lifting circa max weight for low reps (1-4)

Repetition: Lifting a relatively light weight (probably between 60-85% of 1RM) for many repetitions close to failure (5-12)

Dynamic: Lifting a light load such as 50% of your max, while accelerating it maximally for low reps (1-3)

Realy, Westide is a "Simple" program. It probably is the best all around program for any intermediate athlete, regardless of sport or skill level, as it will address three main concerns:

Size
Strength
Rate of Force Devlopment

As the athlete becomes increasingly advanced, they can always manipulate, or create, a conjugate template to suit their specific needs more closely, and to incorporate some of the more advanced, or experimental methods to induce gains.

But basically, if you stick to the bread and butter approach of those three methods (or just the max effort and repetition if you are rather new), you will yield great gains, and if you manage your volume and intensity, you will keep them up for a long time to come

[Rev]

Good suggestions, I respectfully disagree on a few points although.

I do really need to take the time to experiment with more vegetables. Although I cut my body fat in half without them, I think they are a key element to just being healthy. I respectfully disagree on a few points although.

I really don't see anything wrong with milk, especially skim milk, it has no fat. Why do you say no milk? Do you say keep bananas to a minimum because they have a higher GI? Because I cut clear down to 8-9% eating bananas the whole way, I think it depends on time of day you eat specific foods.

I had never heard of Sean Illes, but as far as an out of the book definition, the routine is conjugate because I'm training max effort and repetition effort, two contrasting methods. I guess the definition is meant to be something else in weight training? Even there though, the routine is based on improving multiple qualities at once, ME and RE. I don't see where you are coming from about the routine not being conjugate. Because it doesn't have DE or because it's not WS?

[GqArtguy]

Originally posted by Rev:
I do really need to take the time to experiment with more vegetables. Although I cut my body fat in half without them, I think they are a key element to just being healthy. I respectfully disagree on a few points although.

Suit yourself. I think from a health and repartioning (gaining muscle and losing fat at the same time) you would be wise to include them.

I really don't see anything wrong with milk, especially skim milk, it has no fat. Why do you say no milk? Do you say keep bananas to a minimum because they have a higher GI? Because I cut clear down to 8-9% eating bananas the whole way, I think it depends on time of day you eat specific foods.

Theres nothing wrong with milk perse but cottage cheese, esp if eaten before is reccomended by Berardi because it burns more slowly. Plus some people bloat with milk and I wasnt sure if you had that experience. Yes timing is important, Im not sure when youre planning on eating bananas. Im speaking from my own experience in repartitioning where I raised my calories by 1500 over time and stayed at the same bodyweight.

I had never heard of Sean Illes, but as far as an out of the book definition, the routine is conjugate because I'm training max effort and repetition effort, two contrasting methods. I guess the definition is meant to be something else in weight training? Even there though, the routine is based on improving multiple qualities at once, ME and RE. I don't see where you are coming from about the routine not being conjugate. Because it doesn't have DE or because it's not WS?

Hes the person who made that quote, nothing more nothing less. If you insist that you that youre routing is conjugate, then youre not setting up your ME work properly, everyday has almost the same rep scheme so it doesnt seem like youre very many qualities. Im not sayign you wont make gains on this plan, Im just saying that its not a conjugate setup. WS is a conjugate setup, and there are many other examples.

[Rev]

No I agree with the vegetable comment I need more. But I'm not trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time although. My body fat is low enough for me right now I'm just concentrating on limiting inreases in it as a gain muscle mass.

I'm ok with milk it doesn't really affect my digestive track in any negative ways.

Every days rep schemes are pretty similar, but they are different in one important way. The first Upper and Lower body days of the week include one ME lift when I will lift around 4-5 sets with no lower than 3 sets but not much higher than that either. Hey, it's cool I don't care if it's really a technically "conjugate" setup in anyone's specific terms. I know what conjugate means, judging from what the word means, this is a conjugate setup. We're just going to have to agree to disagree bro, nothing personal or dramatic. We cool?

[GqArtguy]

Originally posted by Rev:
No I agree with the vegetable comment I need more. But I'm not trying to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time although. My body fat is low enough for me right now I'm just concentrating on limiting inreases in it as a gain muscle mass.

THis is what I was doing in my conjugate bodybuilding log. I was aiming to limit fat increases, turned out that I lossed fat and increased muscle at the same time. Repartitioning rules

I'm ok with milk it doesn't really affect my digestive track in any negative ways.

OK.

Every days rep schemes are pretty similar, but they are different in one important way. The first Upper and Lower body days of the week include one ME lift when I will lift around 4-5 sets with no lower than 3 sets but not much higher than that either. Hey, it's cool I don't care if it's really a technically "conjugate" setup in anyone's specific terms. I know what conjugate means, judging from what the word means, this is a conjugate setup. We're just going to have to agree to disagree bro, nothing personal or dramatic. We cool?

If youre doing an ME setup then youre aiming for a heavy triple or 3rm or even a single depending on the movement. Usually theres no concrete setup for it, but most people hit it with an 8 by 3 setup. Im not saying the routine is bad, again just saying its not a conjugate setup in the sense of what conjugate schemes typically look like. I think we're debating semantics, but its all good

[Rev]

Cool...hey man you're the expert on conjugate ME stuff you've been doing it longer than me. I really appreciate any advice you give me. You were the first one to explain to me ME stuff in private messages remember? I'm trying not to hit 1 rep maxes very much since I'm new to lifting high intensities like you said, so I'm sticking to triples for a while. Thanks for the advice I seriously appreciate even if I seem stand off-ish, it's more of a personality trait. I always ask questions to everything. I have 17 sets total in my workouts, maybe I could raise the first exercise up to like...7 sets and have a total of 20 sets per workout, that way it would be like 7x3 or something for the ME lifts?

[GqArtguy]

Originally posted by Rev:
Cool...hey man you're the expert on conjugate ME stuff you've been doing it longer than me. I really appreciate any advice you give me. You were the first one to explain to me ME stuff in private messages remember? I'm trying not to hit 1 rep maxes very much since I'm new to lifting high intensities like you said, so I'm sticking to triples for a while. Thanks for the advice I seriously appreciate even if I seem stand off-ish, it's more of a personality trait. I always ask questions to everything. I have 17 sets total in my workouts, maybe I could raise the first exercise up to like...7 sets and have a total of 20 sets per workout, that way it would be like 7x3 or something for the ME lifts?

Im just speaking from knowledge and more importantly experimenting. Its ok to ask questions, sometimes though you have to get under the bar and feel it to understand it. 7 sets is fine, just remember that on some days it might be more and it might be less, you have to go by feel.

[Rev]

Man I am DYING to lift. This rest and recovery week has been good for me but I am itching to grab some weights and train. Only two more days until I get to go back at it. Here is what I have done this week. I took the week off for recovery before start of a new routine, plus my external rotator cuffs needed strengthening.

Sunday
Low Cable Pulley External Rotation
10 x 12
10 x 12
L-Lateral Raise
5x12
Rear Delt Cable Row
80x12
90x12
100x12

Tuesday
Low Cable Pulley External Rotation
10 x 12
15 x 8
L-Lateral Raise
10x10
Rear Delt DB Flye
bdyx12
5x12
10x6 (clicking in shoulder, stopped)

Thursday
Low Cable Pulley External Rotation
15 x 10
L-Lateral Raise
10x12
10x10 (this was pushing it, slow concentric on the last two reps...not by choice my rotators were exhausted)
Rear Delt Cable Row
100x12
100x10
100x10
(lowered reps to work on greater scapulae retraction and rear delt isolation with less bicep in mind with less of a struggle to get 12 reps)

I'm going to rest tonight and over the weekend and look forward to giving to getting back at it monday. Tests such as pulling my hands apart from each other and pressing them together (abduction and adduction isometrics) has tested to be UNPAINFUL as compared to a week and a half ago. This is reassuring, the cuff inflamation is fading passively. I need to place a small rotator cuff and rear delt/scapulae retracting routine in my routine some where. Maybe something I can do at night when I'm at work, handy since I work the weight room at ymca. I have a few ideas, any suggestions would be awesome.

[Rev]

[Rev]