Let me start by saying I’ve been lurking here for a couple of months, but I’m only just now taking the time for an introduction.
I’m a 42-year old aerospace structures engineer in Beaverton (Portland area), Oregon. While not completely sedentary, I haven’t done serious fitness activities since I played basketball and soccer in high school.
I’m blessed with a naturally athletic body, but I began to recognize the softness around my middle and do something about it two years ago. I lost 20 pounds in six weeks, which put me in the normal BMI range, but I had no muscle tone. In November 2007, I entered a walking contest at work, joined a gym with a couple of buddies, and was nearly overwhelmed with the strange machines there. I have quickly made myself at home not so far away in the free weights area three times a week.
This is all new to me, and I’m still drinking from the fire hydrant. I have bought, read, and am using NROL, and this forum is where I’ll document my training for my own record, for your encouragement, and possibly for your motivation.
In my short time in this world of weight training, I’ve found everything works pretty much as advertised. I’m a meticulous log-keeper. I can stick to the most boring diet. I will help myself to a handful of M&M’s or a chocolate chip cookie now and then, but I’ll count them or weigh them and put them in the log. To help you understand who I am, I’ll give a quick three-month summary of my fitness progress:
Brent
Male
6’1”
42 years old
November 26, 2007
192 lbs
16% body fat
March 7, 2008
194 lbs
10.6% body fat
I’m currently gaining about a pound a week, while holding body fat constant. I’ll probably add another 10 pounds, and then drop my body fat below 10%. I am seeing ridges on muscles I had forgotten I had. My friends see a difference. My wife likes the changes. I haven’t worn a 32-inch waist for years, but I got there last month. I feel better than I have since my twenties.
The best of all worlds is to have the mind of a scientist and the body of an athlete; it’s certainly better than the other way around. Hello world. I’m glad to be here.
At first, I found the NROL Break-In workouts to be rather easy for me. I would add dips and pull-ups to the end of the workouts. I was also running about 1 1/2 miles each workout (9 minute 30 second miles).
I always tried to increase my weights, and by the end of the four week period, I found these workouts hard. They were only easy at first because I wasn't using heavy enough weights.
I finished Break-In using:
Squat 165: (sets of 15)
Static lunge: 45 each hand (sets of 15 each side)
2-pt dumbbell row: 32.5 each (sets of 15)
Push-ups: sets of 15
Swiss-ball crunch: sets of 20
Deadlift: 155 (sets of 15)
Step-up: 50 each (sets of 15 each)
Dumbbell 1-arm press: 30 each (sets of 15 each)
Close-grip lat pulldown: 120 or 105 (sets of 15)
Reverse crunch: sets of 20 with leg extensions
I found through this program that my weak point was my grip. I would occasionally have to pause due to a failing grip. Towards the end of the program, this problem was less, but still present.
This is also the first time I had ever done deadlifts or squats. I had previously used the leg press machine or body weight squats. There really is no comparison, and the free weights are much harder than the machines in all cases. I'm learning how important all those stabilizing muscles are. The first time I began using the free weights, my arms would shake and I had to reduce the weight from what I was used to on the machines. I can feel the progress with every workout. While I'm still not able to lift to my current strength, the gap is getting smaller.
I've begun the NROL Hypertrophy workouts. Here is my March 3, 2008 workout:
194 lbs
4633 Calories
DB Incline BP:
50/5 50/6 50/5 50/6 50/6
Cable seated row:
145/5 130/5 130/5 130/6 130/6
DB shoulder press:
35each/6 35/7 35/7 35/7 35/6
Wide-grip lat pulldown:
135/6 135/6 135/6 135/6 135/6
BB close-grip BP:
105/5 115/8 125/6 135/5 135/5
High pull:
80/5 80/6 80/7 80/7 80/7
Swiss-ball crunch:
3x15
You can see how I was trying to find an appropriate weight or number of reps, particularly in the close-grip bench press. I was stronger than I at first estimated. On the cable seated row, however, I reduced the weight in order to improve form. I'm also more cautious when I have a weight above me, as I work without a partner most of the time.
I'm sure I was not able to work to my potential on this workout due to learning the exercises, and the use of new muscles. I also felt no soreness in the following days.
Bulgarian split squat:
30e/10e 25e/10e 25e/10e 25e/10e
Step-up:
25e/10e 25e/10e 25e/10e 25e/10e
Reverse crunch:
15, 15 with leg extension, 15 w/leg ext
I noticed on my second or third squat rep that I came up off-center, and focused through the rest of the reps to ensure I came straight up. I've considered my left leg to be dominant (though I'm right handed), but my left leg showed slight weakness compared to the right.
A friend showed me how my deadlift form was using more quads than hamstrings and glutes. Today, I focused on making sure I was using the back sides of my legs, and I'm convinced that today I did real deadlifts for the first time. I felt the stress in the lower back and hams and glutes. I think my form was good, but was unwilling to push this too hard. You can see that I reduced the weight to ensure good form. Even so, I was leaning against the wall between sets.
Next day, the quads were sore. By evening, the quads were feeling better, but the glutes and hams were sore. Today, March 8, glutes and hams still have a slight soreness.
What an amazing feeling. I'm working muscles I've never worked before and feeling great!
This workout took everything I had. I couldn't maintain the 60 second rest periods prescribed.
HIIT tread mill as defined in NROL p 87:
5 minute warmup
4x 8.5mph/3.5mph
1x 9.0mph/3.5mph
1x 9.5mph/3.5mph
5 minute cooloff
Total 2.04 miles in 26'00"
This was a good short run, easier than trying to maintain a constant speed. The intervals are 1 minute of intense effort, followed by two minutes of easy speed. The one minute flies by, and then I was back to walking. Two minutes is long enough to catch the breath, and to prepare for the next round.
Amended post ('cause 4444 Calories was too good a number to let pass without comment)
March 11, 2008
197 lbs
4444 Cals (Ate another chicken. Burp.)
It's funny to think that as recently as January, I was eating just 1800 Cals a day. The workouts have put my metabolism into overdrive.
The highlight of the evening was the long extended gruuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnttttt tttttttttssssssssssss I heard coming from the other side of the gym. Turns out there was a guy squatting 445 lbs. Not all the way down to parallel, but 3/4 of the way. That's the most I've ever seen anyone squat in that gym. Usually it's someone doing bicep curls or kick boxing or something else in the cage. Nice to see it used for its purpose.
Warmup .5 mile on the tready, quarter mile at 7mph, the rest at 4mph
Barbell close-grip BP
4x 115/10
High pull
1x 70/10 3x 80/10
DB incline BP
2x 40e/10 2x 42.5e/10
Cable seated row
1x 115/10 3x 130/10
DB shoulder press
32.5e/8+2 3x 30e/10 Extra set 20e/10
Wide-grip lat pulldown
4x 120/10
Swiss ball crunch
2x BW+25/15 1x BW+45/15
I did the bench press first because I work alone and want to be at my best for dangerous moves. Does anyone know why Alwyn puts the barbell bench press so late in this workout? He puts the squat first in the B workout, which seems much smarter to me.
I feel my weights are low in the dumbbell shoulder press, but this exercise is always a struggle for me. I did an extra set in the gym, and three more sets at home with 30 pounders: 30e/14 30e/12 30e/11
The swiss ball crunches are never as hard for me as I think they should be. I find my feet slipping on the carpet. For the last set, I propped my feet against a bosu ball, but I was still slipping. I'm not sure I got the full benefit of the plates because of that.
Good Gawd you are still eating so much. So, are you measuring your rests then? How much longer are they then the 30 seconds. Does anyone understand why the 30 second rest is significant at this stage or phase? A bunch of people are doing this btw from what I can see.
My rests are about a minute. At 30 seconds, I'm still out of breath. For 30 second rests, I feel like I might as well just skip the rest and do 45 rep sets. Except I get so bored at 15 reps that I know I couldn't force myself to do 45.
The food fuels the body. I'm gaining weight while holding body fat approximately constant. When or if my body fat starts increasing, I'll have to re-evaluate the caloric intake.
Dumbbell incline BP
52.5/5 52.5/10 55/10 55/7 55/8
Cable seated row
145/8 145/8 145/8 160/6 145/7
Dumbbell should press
37.5/8 40/8 40/7 40/7 40/7
Wide-grip lat pulldown
135/10 150/5 135/7 135/7 135/7
Barbell close-grip BP
5x 135/5
High pull
90/6 90/6 90/7 90/7 90/6
Swiss ball crunch
3x 15
Lots of PRs tonight. I'm still getting the feel for the dumbbell exercises. The biggest thing holding me back at the moment is instability. I feel shaky in the movements. In the bench press, I could go higher with a spotter. I considered using the Smith machine, but I don't like the way it feels. I figure the stabilizing muscles are what need the most work at the moment, and the free weights build those fastest. I'll live with the lower numbers for a while.
Interesting story of the evening:
I noticed a boy of about 11 years, 80 pounds tops was being encouraged in the deadlift by a few weight lifter adults. He kept increasing weights. For his last 1RM, he deadlifted 185 pounds - more than twice his body weight. Form was excellent at lower weights, pretty good at 185. This kid is very strong and has had good coaching, but I wonder at the advisability of lifting such high weights for someone whose muscles are still growing.
The sad commentary is that no one else in the gym deaded as much as the kid did (and I only saw one person at all practicing that exercise). I did watch one skinny dude do bicep curls for at least an hour - up to 155 lb barbell. Lots of swinging and momentum movements. Not a single clean rep. But, hey, bragging rights are more important, right?
I just read through your log. I grew up in Portland, on the east side, though.
I love New Rules. My dad gave me the book a little over a year ago and I have really enjoyed it and seen great results.
Portland is a wonderful city - I've been here a year and a half and have completely fallen in love with the climate, the culture, and people. There are too many excellent restaurants to count.
NROL is a great read and Lou's sense of humor is strong throughout.
Congrats from a fellow west coaster, Brent. You've made great gains in a short period of time ... very impressive. Your metabolism must be very fast to consume all those calories without significant fat gain.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
Your metabolism must be very fast to consume all those calories without significant fat gain.
Hey, thanks for stopping in. This all amazes me. I'm eating twice what I used to. I was thinking today at work that I should have worn a short sleeve shirt because the office is warm. Then I noticed one of my coworkers running her personal space heater. If I don't eat for a couple of hours, I'm hungry. And I get tired earlier at night and sleep a little longer. All proof that the metabolism is running on high.
Deadlift shrug (using grips):
4x 185/10
Last two sets with a short pause around rep 7 or 8.
Bulgarian split squat:
4x 32.5e/10e
Step-up:
4x 32.5e/10e
Reverse crunch:
3x 15 with leg extensions on each rep
Killer workout. Legs are sore all around: the good kind of workout sore. Hit PRs on everything compared to the same workout March 6. I used grips on the deadlifts, which reduced the fatigue effects. I was able to use the higher weight through all reps and sets.
NICE WORKOUT!!! The more I see of NROL the more I like that book.
I don't care what anyone says RE using straps on lifting. For me they are essential. My goal in doing a dead is to work my hammies and back and if my grip is giving out before I hit that goal what is the point? I am sure my grip will develop over time what with all the dumbell lifting and stuff.
I've been out of town for almost a week and took a break from workouts and the computer, as well. I'm rested now and feeling great. I didn't log my food while I was gone, but ate as I was hungry, which was probably about 2500 to 3000 Cals a day.
March 25, 2008:
3502 Cals
194 lbs (Straight from the airport and dehydrated)
196 lbs (after workout and drinking water throughout)
I stuck to the 30 second rest periods for this workout, except before the last set of the bench press, where I needed 60 seconds. That caused my numbers to be less than I would like to do and report. I'm a bit sore the next day, so I know it worked me anyway.
Re your March 25th w/o: You never realize how short 30 seconds is until you have to start pumping iron again, do you? It's a VERY short recovery period and I'm impressed you were able to keep it up over virtually the whole w/o.
__________________
"Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right." - Henry Ford
"UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Seuss
"Life is no brief candle to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations." - George Bernard Shaw
You know, I hate the BSS and the step-ups, but not because they're hard (which they are). I hate them because I seem to hate all the exercises that work each side of the body separately. They take forever to complete.
I'll leave the weights at 50 for at least the next iteration of that workout. I get tired holding the dumbbells, and I was struggling on the step-ups towards the end. I'm stepping onto a bench in the free weights area, so it's quite high.
March 28, 2008: 3615 Cals
March 29, 2008: 3695 Cals
March 30, 2008: 4205 Cals
199 lbs
Dumbbell incline BP
4x 45e/11
Cable seated row
130/11 130/10 130/10 120/10
Dumbbell shoulder press
30/15 30/12 30/11 30/10
Wide grip lat pull-down
120/12 3x 120/10
Barbell close-grip BP
45e/12 (first set with dumbbells)
3x 115/10 (assist with last rep from spotter buddy)
High pull
4x 80/10
Swiss ball crunch
3x 15
Barbell close-grip BP (extra sets, explosive)
85/15 85/10
This was an odd workout. I felt really tired and was thinking I had only PR'd on the dumbbell incline bench press. On looking at my logbook, I realize I PR'd on everything except the bench press and the crunches. In some cases, I was able to do that not by increasing weight, but by squeezing out a few extra reps in each set.
I dropped the weight for the last set of rows for better form, as I was getting tired. I was not getting the full range of motion on the previous set. The close grip bench press was the same weight and reps as the March 10 workout, but this time I needed some assistance to complete the last rep or maybe two.
Bulgarian split squat
25e/15 15e/15 15e/15 (60s and 45s rests)
Step-up
25e/15 15e/15 15e/15 (60s and 45s rests)
Reverse crunch
3x BW/15
This was a killer workout. I dropped the weights to try to maintain the 30s rest periods, but still couldn't do it. By the end of my last set of step-ups, my quads and glutes were quivering and it was hard to even stand. Two hours afterwards, my glutes were already sore (about a day ahead of schedule). My PRs this time were in the shorter rest periods rather than in weights or reps, but I'm still not where I was aiming to be.
This workout completes the first half of Hypertrophy I.
Mass Properties - Brent's Training Log
So, are you measuring your rests then? How much longer are they then the 30 seconds. Does anyone understand why the 30 second rest is significant at this stage or phase? A bunch of people are doing this btw from what I can see.
Linear Mode
