Problems:
I still can not do even one unassisted pullup by myself, even when my body is fresh. I struggle and try, but I absolutely can not do that pullup. I'm going to run with assisted pullups for a while to see if that improves things, and I have dropped chinups in favor of pullups.
I can not raise my bicep curls in any meaningful way. My BB curl has been at 60lbs since I started. My goal is 3x10, and all along I've been able to do something like 8/8/7, or 8/7/5 or something. On the BB curl, again 3x10 (5 on each arm) and I've been able to bump the weight up just five pounds, but I still struggle to hit 10/10/10 at a measley 20 pounds. When I'm 100% fresh, I can knock out 3x10 (again, five on each arm) @ 35 pounds.
I don't know what's happening, but it's extremely frustrating seeing the same values on biceps every week. I'm not sure what I need to do to fix this. I guess maybe I'll drop back to 50 lbs on bicep curls and start over.
I would just focus on the motion more. There's no need to get caught up in the numbers game. Clearly your arms are being taxed by the weight as is and you really want to avoid swinging the weight at all costs. Try doing your first set at your current weight, dropping fives pounds for your second set, and dropping five more pounds for your third set.
That will help get you to reps, and then add weight onto those last sets until it comes back up.
Boo! I hit Go Advanced and I lost my post. Anyway, what's up Thrax?
On the pull-ups, you can do jump pull-ups. Basically, you push off with your legs to give an assist in getting up, then hold the contraction briefly in your lats and let yourself down. Most people who have trouble with the concentric portion of the movement can still perform the eccentric portion with no problem, and it is a great strength builder. You'll be doing unassisted pull-ups in no time. It is way better to do partially assisted pull-ups than fully-assisted, even if you do fewer. You gotta move more weight to move more weight, and go big to get big, and utter silly cliches, and so on.
As for the curls, I say to hell with them. Isolation exercises do very little to improve the body's metabolism, unlike heavy, compound lifts like squats and deadlifts. At the stage you are at, it is all about reprogramming your metabolism and training your central nervous system to intelligently activate muscle fibers (i.e. cause them to twitch). Later on, when your body is already in a prime metabolic state, it becomes more beneficial to do isolation movements (like curls). My advice would be to center your goals on improving "the big three" and not worry about accessory, isolation type exercises right now.
Deadlifts: 12
Curls: 46
Come on, Thrax! 25 deadlifts, 0 curls! That's the way to go.
Stick with 15 on those lateral raises for awhile, focus on a tight form, hold slightly at the apex, then bring down slowly. Lateral raises are one exercise that actually work better with lower weight.
You have to get your back strong and your abs strong before you do shit with the arms. That doesn't mean avoid them, that just means don't expect gains there until your core is stronger. Same with pull ups.
The best advice I can give, however, is to simply not fizzle out. It took me over a year to get strong when I decided to a few years back. I couldn't have done it without my work out buddy, who really used to pump me up (no homo).
I'm not concerned with a lack of week-to-week progress on some occasions. That's the nature of the game. I'm assuredly in this for the long haul, and no matter how long it takes, I will succeed.
I'm assuredly in this for the long haul, and no matter how long it takes, I will succeed.
Right on... While a lift is technical, the game is all mental in the big picture. The great thing about keeping a public record of your journey is not so much the advice you get from no-it-all (, self-deprecating) assholes on the internet (*cough*), but rather the ability to go back in time, review your goals, acknowledge the commitment you publicly made to yourself, reaffirm your convictions and stick with your plan. It is truly invaluable, because nothing about long-term fitness is easy in our society.
Tuesday (9/16):
Squats: NONE. Tweaked my left abductor, and I'm giving it time to heal. Picking up @ 160 next week.
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 45lbs (No change)
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 95lbs (+10)
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 175lbs (+10)
Romanian Situp: 3x12
Plank: 2x75 seconds (Ow)
Calf Raises: 3x8 @ 95lbs (+10)
Comments
Today is legs and abs. Stats incoming @ around 7 PM EST.
//EDIT:
Squats: 4x8 @ 130lbs (+10 lbs)
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 25 lbs (+5 lbs)
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 65lbs (+5 lbs)
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 120lbs (+20 lbs)
Romanian Situp: 3x12 (no change, but slower)
Plank: 2x70 seconds (+10 seconds)
Today's stats:
Bench press: 3x8 @ 115lbs (Met rep goal)
Incline bench: 3x8 @ 95lbs (Met rep goal)
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3x6 @ 65lbs (+10 lbs)
Dips: 4x6 @ Body Weight (+3 reps each set)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise: 3x10/9/8 @ 15 (+5 pounds, sticking with this weight next week)
Cable Crossovers: 3x10/8/6 @ 40lbs (+10 pounds, sticking with this weight next week)
Barbell Row: 3x8 @ 90lbs (+5 lbs)
Chin Up: 3x4/4/3 (weeeeeeak...)
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10 @ 70lbs (+20lbs)
Barbell Curl: 3x10 @ 60lbs (+2 reps)
Dumbbell Curl: 3x10 @ 20lbs (+2 reps)
Hit my rep goals and increased weight across the board. Awesome.
Squats: 4x8 @ 140lbs (+10)
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 35lbs (+10)
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 75lbs (+10)
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 140lbs (+20)
Romanian Situp: 3x12
Plank: 2x75/60 seconds
Calf Raises: 3x8 @ 70lbs (+5)
Bench press: 3x8 @ 135lbs (+20 lbs)
Incline bench: 3x8/7/5 @ 95lbs (Don't know what happened here; just couldn't make it happen)
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3x8/7/6 @ 75lbs (+10; same weight next week)
Dips: 4x8/7/5 (Boo, gonna try 7/7/7 next week)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise: 3x10/9/8 @ 15lbs (My shoulders were exhausted)
Cable Crossovers: 3x10/9/8 @ 40lbs (sticking with this next week)
An okay day, I guess. Kind of disappointing on all but flat bench, which I slaughtered.
Deadlift: 2x6 @ 150 (+10)
Barbell Row: 3x8 @ 100lbs (+10)
Assisted pullups: 3x8 @ 140lbs
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10 @ 70lbs
Barbell Curl: 3x8/7/5 @ 60lbs
Dumbbell Curl: 3x9/9/8 @ 25lbs (+2 reps)
Problems:
I still can not do even one unassisted pullup by myself, even when my body is fresh. I struggle and try, but I absolutely can not do that pullup. I'm going to run with assisted pullups for a while to see if that improves things, and I have dropped chinups in favor of pullups.
I can not raise my bicep curls in any meaningful way. My BB curl has been at 60lbs since I started. My goal is 3x10, and all along I've been able to do something like 8/8/7, or 8/7/5 or something. On the BB curl, again 3x10 (5 on each arm) and I've been able to bump the weight up just five pounds, but I still struggle to hit 10/10/10 at a measley 20 pounds. When I'm 100% fresh, I can knock out 3x10 (again, five on each arm) @ 35 pounds.
I don't know what's happening, but it's extremely frustrating seeing the same values on biceps every week. I'm not sure what I need to do to fix this. I guess maybe I'll drop back to 50 lbs on bicep curls and start over.
That will help get you to reps, and then add weight onto those last sets until it comes back up.
On the pull-ups, you can do jump pull-ups. Basically, you push off with your legs to give an assist in getting up, then hold the contraction briefly in your lats and let yourself down. Most people who have trouble with the concentric portion of the movement can still perform the eccentric portion with no problem, and it is a great strength builder. You'll be doing unassisted pull-ups in no time.
As for the curls, I say to hell with them. Isolation exercises do very little to improve the body's metabolism, unlike heavy, compound lifts like squats and deadlifts. At the stage you are at, it is all about reprogramming your metabolism and training your central nervous system to intelligently activate muscle fibers (i.e. cause them to twitch). Later on, when your body is already in a prime metabolic state, it becomes more beneficial to do isolation movements (like curls). My advice would be to center your goals on improving "the big three" and not worry about accessory, isolation type exercises right now.
Deadlifts: 12
Curls: 46
Come on, Thrax! 25 deadlifts, 0 curls! That's the way to go.
Squats: 4x8 @ 150lbs (+10)
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 45lbs (+10)
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 85lbs (+10)
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 160lbs (+20)
Romanian Situp: 3x12
Plank: 2x75 seconds
Calf Raises: 3x8 @ 85lbs (+10)
Good day.
Bench press: 3x8/7/6 @ 135 (I'm pretty sure my form was wrong)
Incline bench: 3x8/8/7 @ 100lbs (+5 lbs)
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3x8 @ 75lbs (Met rep goal)
Dips: 4x7/7/7/6 (+1 rep across)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise: 3x10 @ 15 (Met rep goal)
Cable Crossovers: 3x10/10/9 @ 40lbs
The best advice I can give, however, is to simply not fizzle out. It took me over a year to get strong when I decided to a few years back. I couldn't have done it without my work out buddy, who really used to pump me up (no homo).
Deadlift: 3x8 @ 160 (+10 lbs, +2 reps, +1 set)
Barbell Row: 3x8 @ 110lbs (+10 lbs)
Assisted pullups: 3x8 @ 150 (+10lbs)
Lat Pulldowns: 3x10 @ 80lbs (+10lbs)
Barbell Curl: 3x10 @ 60lbs (FINALLY)
Dumbbell Curl: 3x10 @ 25lbs (+5 lbs)
Finally a good Saturday at the gym. I still suck at pullups, though.
Right on... While a lift is technical, the game is all mental in the big picture. The great thing about keeping a public record of your journey is not so much the advice you get from no-it-all (, self-deprecating) assholes on the internet (*cough*), but rather the ability to go back in time, review your goals, acknowledge the commitment you publicly made to yourself, reaffirm your convictions and stick with your plan. It is truly invaluable, because nothing about long-term fitness is easy in our society.
Squats: NONE. Tweaked my left abductor, and I'm giving it time to heal. Picking up @ 160 next week.
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 45lbs (No change)
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 95lbs (+10)
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 175lbs (+10)
Romanian Situp: 3x12
Plank: 2x75 seconds (Ow)
Calf Raises: 3x8 @ 95lbs (+10)
Thursday (9/18):
Bench press: 3x8/7/6 @ 135 (I'm pretty sure my form was wrong)
Incline bench: 3x7/6/5 @ 95lbs (-5 lbs, -1/2/3 reps. FAIL.)
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3x8 @ 85lbs (+10 pounds)
Dips: 3x8/8/8 (FINALLY MET REP GOAL YES)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise: 3x10/9/8 @ 15 (Shoulders were just plain tired)
Cable Crossovers: 3x10/10/9 @ 40lbs (No change)
Hey, it's the theme of the moment. I had a abysmal run yesterday, kept cramping up and having to stop 2 miles out.
Only way to do is to get back up and knock it out the next day.
Squats: 4x8 @ 160lbs
Incline Situp: 4x8 @ 55lbs
Leg Curls: 3x8 @ 100lbs
Leg Press: 3x10 @ 185lbs
Romanian Situp: 3x12
Plank: 2x75 seconds
Calf Raises: 3x8 @ 105lbs
Bench press: 3x6/6/5 @ 140lbs (+5lbs)
Lateral Dumbbell Raise: 3x10 @ 15 (Staying here for a while)
Dips: 3x8+5 (+5lbs)
Incline bench: 3x7/7/6 @ 100lbs (+10lbs)
Cable Crossovers: 3x10/10/9 @ 45lbs (+5lbs)
Barbell Shoulder Press: 3x4/4/4 @ 90lbs (+Fail).
Pullups: 3x4 (+1 per set)
Deadlift: 2x8 @ 175 (+10)
Barbell Curl: 3x10 @ 70lbs (+5 lbs)
Dumbbell Curl: 3x10 @ 35lbs (+5 lbs)
Lat Pulldowns: 3x8/8/8 @ 95lbs
Barbell Row: 3x8/8/6 @ 115lbs (+5 lbs)