Goal: Increase strength and muscle mass - JP Fitness Forums

Grant · 01-28-2007, 01:05 PM

A little background:

I just got Muscle Revolution by Chad Waterbury; before that I just went to the gym and sort of did 'whatever'. I would say I have been working out about 8 months or so. I am 20 years old, 5' 11", about 158 lbs.

New PRs are in blue for reps, sets and weight. Yeah I wanted some color so I am making the first ones all blue .

Every Monday morning I am gonna do a weigh-in. Every 1st of a month I plan on posting a progress picture.

ABBH

Day 1:
Sunday, January 28, 2007

A1 BB bench press:

10 x 3 @ 135 lbs

A2 BB bent-over row:

10 x 3 @ 100 lbs

Thoughts:

I could have pushed out a few more reps on the bench press. Day 9 is going to be 10 x 4 so I think I will just bump the weight up 5 lbs next time.

The bent-over rows felt a little too easy. I am going to study the proper form tonight and make sure I am doing them right. On day 9 I plan on doing 10 x 4 with 110 lbs.

Thanks for checking out my log.

gregl515 · 01-28-2007, 02:47 PM

Welcome to JP's! I will check this out as I am interested in ABBH.

ParanoidAndroid · 01-28-2007, 03:45 PM

I just finished ABBH, it kicks ass!

Good luck, I'll be watching.

Grant · 01-29-2007, 04:03 AM

Thanks guys.

Monday morning weigh-in:

157.8

Grant · 01-30-2007, 05:22 AM

Day 2:
Sunday, January 30, 2007

A1 front squats:

5 x 10 @ 115 lbs

A2 reverse situps:

5 x 10 @ BW

A3 standing calf raises:

5 x 10 @ 185

Thoughts:

The front squats were tough. I really need to check my form because some of them really killed me and the others not so much. I have decided that next time I do these I am going to keep the same weight, but concentrate on form. I figure it will be even more beneficial than upping the weight.

The reverse situps felt easy, I tried to really emphasize my abs, but that did not seem to make them difficult. I even did them on a bench trying to add a little more stability into it. I may swap this out for a more intense ab exercise next time, not sure.....

The best way I could think to do the standing calf raises was with the smith machine and an aerobic step. It seemed to work pretty well; I felt my calves burning a lot. I should have no problem going up in weight next time.

On another note I have been eating 100% clean. I am going to start tracking my calories in the next few days. After that I will figure out how many calories a day I need and start planning my meals out.

I am not going to start the 1st of the month progress picture until February, my camera it, uh, doesn't exist.

Thanks for checking out my log.

umass · 01-30-2007, 09:51 AM

Waterbury writes some good and tough programs, front squats are killer, if you need help post a video of them and you can get some form critique. oh ya and welcome!

slimsaw00 · 01-30-2007, 06:58 PM

good luck man! after a slight one-week "hiatus"

I've re-started ABBH. . . its difficult but you'll notice results.

-Matt

Grant · 02-01-2007, 06:59 AM

A couple of things I messed up on. Day 2 was suppose to say Day 3. Sunday January 30 was suppose to be Tuesday January 30. Also when I said the 1st of the month pictures would wait until February, I meant March.

Day 5:
Thursday, February 1, 2007

A1 dips:

5 x 10 @ BW

A2 chin-ups:

5 x 10 @ BW-40

Thoughts:

Dips felt great, I have always done dips so they were not too difficult. I plan on adding some weight next time. The chinups were killer. I used the assisted machine because I know BW would have killed me. Next time around I will go with BW-30.

My diet has been bad the past two days, just not enough calories. I need to work a lot harder on that.

slimsaw00: I will definatly check out your log and see how this program is going for you.

umass: As soon as I can get a video camera I plan on getting some critique on my squats and deadlifts.

Thanks for checking out my log.

Grant · 02-03-2007, 02:40 PM

Day 7:
Saturday, February 3, 2007

A1 BB deadlift:

10 x 3 @ 225 lbs

A2 BB standing calf-raises:

5 x 3 @ 275 lbs
5 x 3 @ 225 lbs

A3 BB rollout

10 x 3 @ BW (knees)

Thoughts:

The deadlifts felt great! That was probably the best deadlift workout I have ever done. My max right now is 265, I have a feeling that will be going up soon. Day 15 with 10 x 4 is going to be brutal.

The on thing I am dissapointed about, the gym does not have a seated calf raise machine, I tried them out with dumbells sitting down and it did not feel right so I thought I would just do standing calf raises on the smith machine again. The 275 lbs felt like the ideal weight for the sets/reps, but it seemed to hurt my back. I dropped down to 225 lbs and I do not feel that I got a good workout in that aspect. Any suggestions?

I put a 10 lb weight on each side of a small barbell and did some rollouts in place of an ab wheel. My gym has the weights with edges instead of the round ones, not sure if that hurt or helped with this exercise. It was intense. I went out as far as I could focusing entirely on my stomach, it burned. Sort of felt like I was stretching it alot. Next time I go to Walmart I am going to look for one of those ab wheel things.

I feel really good completing all of the exercise days of this routine. Some small modifications during the second evolution and I think I will have everything down.

Thanks for checking out my log.

ParanoidAndroid · 02-03-2007, 05:48 PM

first of all, 10x4 is nothing compared to 10x5. Now that is brutal.

For the calf raises, you could try deadlifting the 225 and sitting down and resting it on your legs and doing calf raises.

Nice work man.

Grant · 02-04-2007, 01:53 PM

Ooops, I had pullups and chinups confused. I was doing pullups on Day 5 instead of chinups. I think the numbers will be better with real chinups next time around.

Weigh-in tomorrow, I hope I did not lose any......

Grant · 02-05-2007, 03:35 AM

Monday morning weigh-in:

158.8 (+1 lb)

I need to eat a little more. I am glad the weight did not go down or stay exactly the same.

Grant · 02-05-2007, 06:17 AM

Day 9:
Monday, February 5, 2007

A1 BB bench press:

10 x 4 @ 135 lbs

A2 BB bent-over row:

10 x 4 @ 110 lbs

Thoughts:

I did not go to 140 lbs on the bench like I thought I would, I am glad I didn't, because the 135 lbs was all I could do.

The bent-over rows felt good, not sure if I want to up the weight a little bit or not. I think if I go up to 120 lbs I could do 10 x 5.

10 x 5 is going to kill.

Thanks for checking out my log.

Grant · 02-07-2007, 05:23 AM

Day 11:
Wednesday, February 7, 2007

A1 front squats:

5 x 10 @ 115 lbs (form)

A2 reverse situps:

5 x 10 @ BW

A3 standing calf raises:

5 x 10 @ 205

Thoughts:

I am glad I did the front squats with the same weight as Day 3 (accidently as Day 2 on my log). My form was 10x better. I went deeper with every rep than the first time I did them. As far as moving up in weight next time, I know there is more of a 'load' to be gotten out of fixing my form even more. I am gonna spend a little time with just the bar practicing my form before I next time. Also my shoulders hurt and feel bruised from all the weight. Maybe they will get use to it.

Next time around I am definatly going to switch to hanging pikes or something more difficult then the reverse situps. Today they just felt like rest after the front squats.

Went up on weight with these. Felt good, not like too much of a break, but not very taxing. I am sure I will be a little sore from this tomorrow.

Diet has been going good the last couple of days. I hope to maintain the 1lb a week gain. On another note I am out of money untill payday and I am almost out of protein powder. I have been wanting to get some of that surge recovery stuff, but I think it will have to wait until March.

Thanks for checking out my log.

ParanoidAndroid · 02-07-2007, 05:32 AM

do the reverse crunches on an incline bench

Grant · 02-07-2007, 05:39 AM

Good idea, I am gonna try that.

Grant · 02-09-2007, 06:12 AM

Day 13:
Friday, February 9, 2007

A1 dips:

5 x 10 @ BW

A2 chin-ups:

5 x 10 @ BW-25

Thoughts:

Dips were good, I concentrated on pulling my elbows back alot more to isolate the triceps more.

This time I did chinups, palms facing in. Last time I did pull ups, palms facing out. I think I have it right this time, but the assisted chinup machine shows chins as palms facing out like I thought at first...... Who knows. I figure this should be palms in because it seems like an arm day. And there are already two days with back exercises.

Diet has been on and off. Never bad, just a bad meal every other day or so. I hope when I weigh-in on Monday that I gained. I do not look at the scale at all other than Monday mornings now. I hope it is +1lb, not more or less.

Thanks for checking out my log.

El tío Saín · 02-10-2007, 05:10 AM

I used a wide semi-supinated grip for chin-ups, with the same width as the one I used for dips. It´s easier on your shoulders and wrists, and I think it´s safer once you start to add weight.

Quote:

Dips were good, I concentrated on pulling my elbows back alot more to isolate the triceps more.

I think those are meant to be chest dips, wide grip, lean forward. It´s a chest-back day, your arms will get plenty of work anyway.

Quote:

Also my shoulders hurt and feel bruised from all the weight. Maybe they will get use to it.

Same problem here, I think that big loads will hurt.

Keep up the good work!