# 6 Months gone- Thoughts/advise on my progress anyone?



## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

I've been working out now for almost 6months, and so I wanted to post my stats and progress and hopefully you guys can tell me what I should be focusing on improving etc. I'd also appreciate it if you could tell me what your stats were after 6months of lifting

weight before=78.6 kg (12 stone 5lb)

weight now=89.2 kg (14 stone)

Measurements:

Quads 26inch

Calves 17 inch

Bi's 14.2 inch

Forearms 11.5 inch

Chest 38.5 inch

Cock 14 inch

Lifts:

Bench 50kg for 6

Incline 45kg for 6

Squat 60kg for 10

Leg press 124kg for 10

Military press 35kg for 6

Dumbell press 20kg each for 8

Average days food:

12pm Breakfast:bowl of porridge with honey and a protein shake and then 2 pints of water,then take multivatamin and vitamin E tablets.

2pm Workout.Postworkout shake of 50 grams in water,then drink containing about 100grams of sugar and 2 pints water, and also glucosamine for joints and a cod liver oil tablet

5pm 2 chicken breasts,another 2 pints of water,some fruit juice

7pm banana, some peanuts and pint of water

8pm 2 Cod fillets,finish off fruit juice

11pm can of tuna, 2 pints of water

1.30am large protein shake with another glucosamine tablet and vitamin E then bed

Over the next 4 months i aim to try gain about 6kg and get to 95kg,then cut down on the bf to bring out a decent set of abs for the summer beach.I'm currently using reflex instant whey,tastes nice in milk,but tastes awful in water.Just started taking the glucosamine yesterday because my elbow and knee and ankle/foot have started clicking, so was worried about joints,and vitamin E to try prevent anymore stretch marks appearing.

Thanx


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

First of all, can you tell us how tall you are, and your age?

How many times a week do you train and what body parts, how many sets?

You have only been working out for 6 months. It would be easier if you let us know if you are going for strength, bulk, lean, cuts, endurance.

I can tell your strengths are your legs and your weakness is in your pressing movements. I would train more for power lifting in your lifts. That would be all lifts.


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

yeh they are good gains though mate

seems you are around the same size as me

i have 26 quads and 14 and half arms

chest is 44 inches though

they are good gains and you seem to have taken to this properly

i would say keep it up and post you age and training etc to find out if that is lean gains!


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

by the way 14 inch cock, you wish mate!


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## demon (Apr 23, 2003)

ROFL @ vervefan.

You've gained quite a lot of weight in 6 months. Well done.


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

I'm 5'10/5'11 and 18 years old.I don't know my bf % but i have a decent set of abs and not much of a belly.yes legs are my strong point,they were pretty big b4 i ever trained.I just went up to 4 days per week last week, before that i was 3 days a week.

Monday:Legs

Tuesday:Chest

Wednesday:Rest

Thursday:Back

Friday:Shoulders

as for sets and exercises, i normally just do as many sets as i can in 30mins.normally about 12.I alsdo train abs 2 or 3 times a week with weighted crunchs, 3 sets per time.

Legs:Leg Extensions,Squats,leg press, leg curl,deadlift(legs take more than 30 mins because I train quads and hams together.I don't train calves.)

Chest:Incline barbell press,bench press,2 sets cable crossovers,2 sets flys.

Back: Seated rows, pull downs, close grip chins

Shoulders: Dumbell press(palms facing each other),Military press,side lateral raises.

side lateral raises hurt more than any other exercise.obviously some weight for some exercises are too heavy to lift, but with this exercises i use v.light weights and it feels like a have a lot of lactic acid there?this always happens,i have tried massaging the muscle and stretching in between every set of every exercise for shoulders but still the same.it's a good pain not a bad if u know what i mean,but it's v.intense.

When you say train more for powerlifting do u mean all sets done at about 4-8 reps or what?I am considering doing 5x5 training for chest,to improve my bench.If I did so, could I do it for just one exercise or would i have to do it for all exercises for that bodypart?


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

i have a question about that is 5by 5 training 5 sets of 5 at the same weight or 5 sets of 5 at different weights?

i thought it was the same weight because you pick a weight you can do about 7 plus times and by the 5th set you will be struggling to do 5 of it?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Verv, you can take cratine and this will help with the lactic acid some. You can vary the side lateral raises with cable and even do standing front raises too for the shoulders. That wont concintrate as much on the side delts but can be thrown in there too.

What I meant by the power lifting movements is 5 x 5 and compound exercises. Dead lifts, bench press, incline press, squats, military press, bar dips.

I would drop the cable crossevers or the flys and rotate them in every other week. I dont do either one of those exercises.

If you are trying to get your bench up then I would do those first. I would also do them only once a week.

You can throw some close grip benches in on your chest day or you can throw some dips in there instead, or a few sets of both.

Pretty much with a 14 incher, you dont even need to lift. In fact the skinnier you are the better it will look.


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

he wishes though,

so is it 5 by 5 at the same weight or not?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

I am not too sure. I feel that 5 failure sets might be overtraining to me but If you can hang then that might work. I save myself for my last set the one that counts and then I go to failure and it works really well to me.


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## Jock (Apr 8, 2003)

Here you go robin: http://jva.ontariostrongman.ca/5X5.htm


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

i do all of the powerlifting exercises u mentioned apart from dip, which i haven't done for a couple of months and will incorperate next training session.trained chest today, 5kg increase on the bench, which is good.I always thought that flys were important to finish a chest workout on, to stretch the muscle fully?also cable crossover I did to bring up the middle of the chest.Not saying I disagree, just letting u know why I picked those exercises.

u think incline,flat bench and dips should be done every week then?and rotate the 4th exercise between crossover and dumbell flys?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

> Originally posted by vervefan
> 
> *u think incline,flat bench and dips should be done every week then?and rotate the 4th exercise between crossover and dumbell flys? *


Yes.

I do bench and inclines each week.

If you want your bench up then do bench first. If you want your inclines up then do them first.

Or you can do like Winger does and do inclines first (dumbbell) then do bench.

Next week he does bench first then bar inclines.

That will keep the strengths pretty much even on strength for his chest exercises. The body responds pretty good to diffrent exercises and diffrent angles. Kindof keeps the body guessing. This is primarily done for body building as power lifting has less exercises for more focus on specific lifts.


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## Panthro (Jan 12, 2004)

hi mate, need more protien in 7pm meal. otherwise looks good.


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

Cheers mate.How long do u spend stretching before a workout?do u normally do any warmup sets for bench?


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## Panthro (Jan 12, 2004)

i dont stretch before lifting weights. I spend 15 mins on a bike, (reading the paper!) to get my heart rate up and blood pumping.

Then i get some light dumbells and do some rotator cuff exercises fro a couple of mins (this is to thoroughly warm up my shoulder joints, as i have had problems in the past)

Then, i do some light warm up sets, high reps 15-20reps. (eg, if im benching, i do 2 x 60kg for 15-20 reps) then another light set of 10-12 reps. Then i launch into my work out...

The reason behind this is that stretching before lifting, can take the "elasticity" out of your muscles on the big power exercises. (I always start with either squat, bench, or deadlifts). However, inbetween sets i "flex"

After my workout, i spend 5 mins streching. (In an ideal world id do 15 mins, but a)dont have time b)get bored!!)

Hope this helps


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## OnePack (Jan 9, 2004)

> Originally posted by robin_3_16
> 
> *by the way 14 inch cock, you wish mate! *


it was meant to be 14mm!!! lol


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## OnePack (Jan 9, 2004)

> Originally posted by superjoolz
> 
> *hi mate, need more protien in 7pm meal. otherwise looks good. *


and also some veggies. for the last shake b4 bed if u r bulkin i'd go for it with milk and tastes better i reckon.


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## OnePack (Jan 9, 2004)

where is the forearm measured from? i looked in the dictionary and it says "from elbow to wrists or fingertips" so where about do u measure? and do u measure with the arm straight? flexed? bent?


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## Panthro (Jan 12, 2004)

i tense it and measure around the thickest part. mines rubbish compared to tuc buscuit's! Its only just over 14"


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## OnePack (Jan 9, 2004)

what do u mean tense it? flex it? and do u measure it with the arm straight or bent?


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Measure it with a clenched fist and the fist is pulled in. Flexing the forearm and measure it at biggest part, usually just before the elbow.

Hey verve, I do a couple of warm-up sets in the bench first before I hit it. Getting the blood flowing first is a good idea. 5 minutes is good and 7 minutes if you have high blood pressure.

Rotator exercises are always good as this seems to be the Achilles tendon of the power lifter. If you are going to have an injury probably it will happen here.

I prefer to hit the larger muscle groups first. Then the smaller group muscles later.

I like to keep the range of reps to 8-12 if I can help it. Over 12 then I raise the weight. But I still go to failure none the less even if I get over 12. The next week I just raise the weight.

Stretching is always good before, after, by itself is good too. Range is only lost with age never gained. Stretching helps by increasing the range and when you workout with more range it works a larger portion of the overall muscle.


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## verve (Sep 10, 2003)

Yeah you're right about the veg mate,i hate the stuff,been trying to eat more of it,mainly in a roast dinner to try drown it in gravy and try not to taste it.


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## robin_3_16 (Aug 27, 2003)

i usually have one main veg meal a week with gravy but have a serving of brocoli a day if i can

love that stuff and supposedly a serving a day is good for you


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

Fruits in the morning are good and the vege's in the afternoon are good too. If you can get your carbs from these food groups you will be better off in the long run. Aquire a taste early then you will grow to enjoy them later.


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## OnePack (Jan 9, 2004)

any particular fruit? i normall go for bananas as they are easier to peel and u can eat them fairly quickly, donno if they r the best to have tho.


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## demon (Apr 23, 2003)

> Originally posted by robin_3_16
> 
> *i usually have one main veg meal a week with gravy but have a serving of brocoli a day if i can*
> 
> ...


 I saw on tv something recently about broccoli being the "most important food in the world". It was something to do with the amount of anti-oxidants in it and its cancer-fighting abilities I think.


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## hackskii (Jul 27, 2003)

> Originally posted by MatracaBergFan
> 
> *any particular fruit? i normall go for bananas as they are easier to peel and u can eat them fairly quickly, donno if they r the best to have tho. *


Well if you are deficient in potassium then I would go for the banana. But that particular fruit is kind of high on the glycemic index. There are other fruits that don't spike blood sugars and thus wont raise insulin levels and store that meal as fat. Apples are good, strawberries or even all berries for that matter, peaches (no syrup). There is a article in the article section on foods that spike insulin and if you want to lose weight the lower the number in the glycemic index the better.

Fruits and vegetables should be consumed with different verities to get the best bang for your buck.


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