Nathan's log

Nath

Hello all. Just thought I'd post a log as I definately need help with my routines. I feel good but alot of my pals at the gym are of the opinion that I 'overtrain'. I reckon they're right but I have a problem with leaving the gym. I hear all the time that u only need to train for 40 minutes, but thats not long enough for me. I'm trying to up the intensity to aximise the workout and try and shave a bit of time off my sessions. Anywho, this is what I did this morning.

Warm up - 5 min run
- set of dips
- set of press ups
- Bloody good stretch.

Incline Barbell press and wide grip chinups.
(After every set of presses, I am doing a set of 10 widegrip chins alternating each rep, one behind neck, one to chest.)
30 kg - 20 reps
50 kg - 15 reps
60 kg - 10 reps
65 kg - 8 reps
70 kg - 6 reps
80 kg - 4 reps

Flat Bench and close grip chins.
(As above, chins in between sets x 10)

50 kg - 20 reps
67'5 kg - 12 reps
72.5 kg - 10 reps
80 kg - 6 reps
92.5 kg - 4 reps
102.5 kg - 2 reps

Decline and lat pull downs
(As above lat pulls between sets - 65kg - 14 reps)

57.5 kg - 20 reps
72.5 kg - 12 reps
82.25kg - 8 reps
92.5 kg - 5 reps
102.5 kg - 3 reps (+1 assisted rep)

flat bench flies + standing lat pull downs

set of 10 standing lat pulls, super slow, then a drop set of 10 reps in between each set of flies.

12.5 Db's in each - 20 super slow reps
15 kg in each - 13 slow reps
17.5 kg in each - 10 slow reps
20kg - 8 slowreps
22.5 kg - 6 slow reps
25 kg - 4 slow reps

Please feel free to comment on my training, I am VERY willing to learn.

Nath

Will be doing shoulders next, can't train legs for a few weeks as I've been nursing a couple of broken toes.

Nath

Just had lunch, a load of smoked mackeral and 2 slices of wholemeal bread.
I only had a banana for breakfast but I took an ECA stack (opinion's on this tactic) Got a bit peckish and had a banana mid workout and a protein drink. Had another protein ake on my walk home form the gym. Chilled out for a bit and just guzzled my lunch.

crazycal1

maybe you could go a bit heavier earlier on?
thereby working the muscle more-not talking about skipping a thourough warm up tho.
good to see your stretching!
just my opinion but behind the neck chins are a risky exercise.
time in gym...
i spend 90 mins on a workout but only train 2x a week max.....
i also prefer to do my heavy sets first-never been a fan of 2/3/4 rep sets-again just my opinion.
i do think you could get the job done in less sets alltold tho,but i am a fan of low volume.
how often do ya train?
maybe you could do a low impact cardio on days away from the gym so you still feel like your doing sommat!
you`ve made wicked progress mate!

i see youre in solihull-
you should try to make it over to eccles and see shredded aka paul george at his olympic gym(member here and X ifbb pro)
top man

einsteins mind was the key to all things...to understand more than to know.

www.extremenutrition.co.uk

Ali M

Hi Nath, Good to see you doing a log mate, looks like high volume stuff. however you have made some great gains in the last 18 months so its obvious that your body may respond better to high volume, when you stop growing mate then poss look at low volume stuff for a bit.

Eccles is in Manchester i think and Solihull south side of Birmingham, so miles away better option could be to pop into Dorian Yates gym 6 times Mr Olympia, you can even book a training session with him. take you a good hour to get to Eccles from Solihull.

Nath

Cheers Cal,

I'm always chopping and changing my routine so will try next week to start heavy.

I WAS training 5-6 times a week but really had to cut that back due to time and also I think I was compromising any progress. Now I'm training approx 4 times a week, but I'm not doing legs as I am struggling with broken toes at the moment. Can't wait to get back to it tho!!

Thanks again for emailing me that book mate, I look forward to reading it.

Nath

Thanks Ali, I know a lad who raves about Dorian yates gym, it's not too far from my place so I will def have to check it out.

I guess I do respond better to high volume although as I havent been training that long I havent tried too many other techniques. I train my chest once a week doing the above routine then I'll train chest a 2nd time in the week focusing on pre-exhaust with lighter weights. Not sure which method is serving me better but I like doing both just to add a bit of variety into my sessions.

Nath

Cal, would u suggest just sticking to the front wide grip chins, I do both again just to spice things up a bit. Another guy said something similar about behind the neck lat pull downs causing injury.

crazycal1

bugger i was thinking of salford hahahahaha!

choice is yours bud but behind the neck pullups is said by many to be a risky exercise-
i think its done for rear delts-might be wrong-
plenty of better options i reckon....

just to play devils advocate if youve only tried hi vol you dont know what low vol can do....
i couldnt train my lil finger the next day after a set of deads....

einsteins mind was the key to all things...to understand more than to know.

www.extremenutrition.co.uk

Nath

Agreed, I have never tried low volume and I don't even know what a low volume workout would look like!

I think the reason I train high volume is because I LOVE going to the gym, and being there for a while doing high volume has suited me. I will def do some research on low volume and give it a whirl.

Agreed about the deadlifts, on a deadlift day I need a good while to recover, will be resuming deadlifts, squats etc in the next month provided I don't do anything else moronic to my foot.