Since, I asked for this section thought best I'd start my own journal.

Current weight is sitting around 98-99kg, trying hardest to get back around 95kg or less, be happy if I can make 90kg.

Current workout routine is following, which is German Volume Training. Doing this for four weeks, 10x10 supersets. 1min 30secs rest between each set, going to fail. Doing a 3 0 1 1 speed for each rep, 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on, 2 days off.


Bench Press
Preacher E/Z

Close grip lat-pulldown
Rope Pressdown

Barbell Squat
Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Lying Ham Curls
Seated Rolling Calves curl


During the off days, i'm doing cardio which mainly consists of jogging around my neighbourhood. It's 4.38km round trip, the entire footpath goes for about 3km or so one way. Also do abs once a week on one of the days off from weights, where i'm trying out some kevin levrone exercises he once did. One of the exercises consisted of ab pulldown crunches, currently doing 32kg x 100. The jogging course isn't completely flat, little bumps here and there so get worked out hard on this little run.

Following pic shows my jogging course.

Click to view attachment

That looks pretty good Damo..
I'm going to have to figure out a routine for the gym...
Well i just do what i always do.. spread it out most of it the time through 3-4 days.. but run about 10-12 4-5 times a week

how come your wasting your gvm on curls and pull downs? lol

hit the compounds man


usually when you do gvm your trying to gain weight not lose it, but let us know who it goes


I'll post up my journal soon, been having a break because of uni exams and stuff.

Greek, that is the routines that my pt has given me... I've never done it before, so i don't know..

Just read, that close grip lat pull down is compound but, preacher isn't same with rope pulldown.. hmm.. dunno.. ahah

have to speak to my pt bout that

But greek, what would you recommend?

ah i see someone gave it to you. well listen to your pt I suppose, it's his ass if you dont get results haha


technically it is compound but I mean your sitting down on a bench pulling down a bar connected to a rope.

you're only doing it for 4 weeks so I'd smash my body, something like


monday
bench/ military press
bb curls


wednesday
squats
calf rasies


friday
deadlifts
tricep stuff, skullcrushers



start off with around 50-60% of max and only chuck up the weight when you have completed 10x10

also with a 60 sec rest between sets, that's the critical part of it.


that's what I'd do, but there's nothing really wrong with yours


just dont expect an increase in strength with gvt though

Wasn't really expecting any strength gains from GVT..

All the programs I get put through are the exact same ones that my PT is currently doing.

I'll have a chat to him and see what he says.

Just back from abs..

Rope ab crunches - 32.5kg x 100

Side Hyperextension - 10kg x 12, 15kg x 12, 15 x 14
Back Hyperextension - 5kg x 12, 15kg x 12, 15 x 8

Hanging Leg raises - 13 x 3
Sitting knee ins - 13 x 3

Some would prob think it's too much, is it? Doing upper and lower abs and also obliques..


Greek, spoke to my pt. He said isolated movements are used with the GVT so the muscle don't get burnt out, due to intensity that i'm doing it out, better to use some isolation movements.

well yeah if you have 4 sessions a week, with 2 back to back PLUS cardio and abs on your days off your gona get burnt out if you did compound stuff.

If you did it like I was saying, without cardio and abs in between on rest days then it's a different story

you're suppose to also eat and sleep more for gvt

see what I dont understand is why your doing a weight gaining program when your trying to lose weight?

I guess he is trying to hold onto as much muscle tissue as possible. People who start doing high reps when trying to lean up get very disappointed with how much muscle tissue they lose. Save cardio for your cardio sessions.

Greek, i would like to lose more weight, but knowing the program i'm doing it's pointless. I'm more just trying to keep my weight from blowing out more than anything..

Is that exercises for abs overkill?

well just do it and try it, it's only for a month.


I cant really say anything because I've never actually done gvt, I've only tried doing 10x10 with squats, and it was hard, really hard, one of the hardest things I've done. Alot tougher than 5x5, for me anyway, high volume doesnt really work with me.

Week 1 of GVT

Bench Press - 60kg x 8, 60/7, 60/7
Preacher EZ - 27.5x1, 22.5x8, 22.5/7

Close Lat Pulldown - 60x8, 60/7, 60/9
Rope Pressdown - 15x10

Barbell Squart - 60x10
Dumbbell/Cable Lateral Raise - 7.5x5, 7.5/8, 9, 8, 9, 10

Lying Hamstring Curls - 20x3, 30x7
Rolling Calf Raise - 30x3, 40x7



Week 2 of GVT


Preacher EZ - 27.5x1, 22.5x8, 22.5/7
Rope Pressdown - 15x10

Barbell Squart - 80x5, 9, 8, 10, 7, 9
Dumbbell/Cable Lateral Raise - 8.75x1, 7.5x1, 8, 6, 8, 8, 8, 8, 4, 7

Lying Hamstring Curls - 30x5, 40kgx7, 8, 7, 6, 6
Rolling Calf Raise - 40x3, 50x7



Week 3 of GVT

Close Grip Lat pulldown - 65x4, 65x9, 7, 7, 8, 7, 7, 8
Rope Pressdown - 20x4, 10, 9, 8, 9, 6

Barbell Squart - 80x7, 8, 7, 10
Dumbbell/Cable Lateral Raise - 87.5x7, 7, 10, 10

Lying Hamstring Curls - 35x6, 9, 8, 9, 9
Rolling Calf Raise - 50x9, 60x9



Doing a week of de-loading..


Wednesday had the following routine, all bodyweight work, each exercise was down 10 times each. Set 1, rest for 90secs, Set 2, rest for 180secs, set 3 finished. Made me almost throw up, but it wouldn't come up..

Squats(hands behind head)
Body Swings
Lunges
Body Swings
Pushup
Supine Pull Up
Body Swings
Mountain Climbers



Thursday Workout

400m row
20push ups
50 medicine ball slams
30 body swings with 15kg weight

Had to do this 3 times without stopping, did it in 12mins 26secs. While typing this out, i just realised that i only pushups once.. stupid me!! haah

guess I was just too in the zone..



Saturday Workout

This workout is going to suck bigtime, contains the following. Trainer, said I should hopefully finish it around 60mins or under.. HA!

Run 1600m
100 Supine Pull ups
200 Shoulder width push ups
300 Body Weight Squats
Run 1600m

Just got back from my workout which contained the following..

Run 1600m
100 Supine Pull ups
200 Shoulder width push ups
300 Body Weight Squats
Run 1600m

I did it in around 51-52mins. Worst workout in my life, was stopping so often trying to get oxygen in my lungs, could barely breathe..Came close to throwing up but held it together..

Current daily food intake

Pre workout shake - mixture of multiple supps
Post workout shake - mixture of multiple supps

Breakfast - Uncle tobys plus muesli flakes with 1/2 to 1 cup of oatmeal
- 300ml Orange Juice
- 1 cup of egg whites, 2 slices of toast with avocado

Snack 1 - Salad wrap(3 egg whites, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, turkey, avocado, pepper)
- 6-700ml water
- Banana or mandarin and yoghurt

Lunch - Salad Wrap x 2 (lettuce, cucumber, carrot, turkey, avocado, pepper)
- 6-700ml water
- Yoghurt
- Almonds

Snack 2 - Protein shake (if going to gym)
- Yoghurt
- Banana
- Almonds
- 6-700ml water

Dinner - Steak with mushrooms, peas and carrots

Sleep - Caesin Shake, teapsoon bcaa's


Cardio Days

Pre workout shake - Reflex whey, teaspoon acetyl l-carnintine
Post workout shake - Reflex whey, bcaa's

same food intake.


I think I maybe getting bit too much carbs and still not enough protein, any suggestions?

Really depends Damo, are you still losing fat? Are you still gaining muscle? Do you get your trainer to do skin folds to measure your progress? Depending on the serving size, I would say you possibly could be having too many carbs, especially with your breakfast. Do you ever stagger your carb intake, say 2 days of low, 2 days of high?

Haven't lost any fat since started doing hiit training again. Haven't done skin folds,working on other areas first, but he knows fat is a main concern of mine.

I'm thinking of taking out the muesli for breakfast and just making it a 1 - 1/2cups of oatmeal, cup of egg whites and some peanut butter and/or avocado with a banana. I have noticed i'm a bit lethargic for awhile at work until i eat again then my energy picks up, think it's just too much food at one time.

It does look like a larger meal compared to the rest of your day. Possibly spiking your insulin with too many carbs, then feeling flat when the levels drop.

How are your ITB's going? Did I tell you I've been having some trouble with mine, but they are really starting to come good quickly. Up to doing squats with little more than my own body weight, but it's a start. I have some other issues contributing to my knee pain also, but my ITB's are helping to pull my knee cap sideways, causing grief when I squat/leg press.

My ITB's have healed up pretty good, doing all sorts of stretches to relax them and my periformis(sp?). I tried jogging on treadmill about a week ago, but felt my right itb need near starting to twinge, so i stopped immediately. I'd rather me jogging than cross trainer, feel like it was doing more for me now than trainer can do.

How's ya hand aswell?

It's still fucked, only been a week though. All the swelling has gone down at least, and I have movement in my fingers again. Just pain in the wrist still, can't be the wrist at all or use it to support any weight. Luckily BJ's has some machines that don't require you to hang onto anything with your hands, so I can still do some basic shoulder movements, side and rear laterals, some back work, and heaps of calves and hamstrings and abs haha.

Give me about 3 more weeks, and I'll be pressing some lightish weights again. My ITB's are coming along good, and knee is feeling great. Hoping to get back to some weighted quad workouts around the time my hand is better. Then the push will be on to pick up my strength asap and get back on track.

doing order from usa(nutra planet) for some supps. Anyone recommend any brands for following..


Bcaa's
multi vitamin
ZMA


currently looking at the following

multi v - Optimum Opti-Men
bcaa's - optimum or xtend
zma - optimum
acetyl l carnitine - nutra planet 1kg


Looking at reflex, bsn, mri or gaspari for pre/post workout shakes.

Hey Damo, how is the progress going?

It's been a while since I did an update.

To cut last couple months short, Finished 4 weeks of strength training which went very well and I could feel my strength going up all the time especially with all the lifting at work as well.

During that Stength training I was also doing my hardest at losing some weight. 2-3 weeks ago I was mid 98kg, come yesterday morning I was 93.4, so that's about 4-5kg in a very quick time. I became very obsessed with my food intake and making sure I got enough of what was needed at the times I needed it, but alot of the times I was over the 3hr period between food intake. I try my hardest to get it 2-3hours, if it's outside the 3hours I become angry and you don't talk to me. On the cardio days I tried to cut my carbs down quite a lot probably 100g or less, may have not been smart idea while during strength training but I didn't feel like it affected it.

Yesterday started another phase of GVT and god i love this type of training, I pushed myself harder than ever before. I would struggle on last rep, PT would help a little and once i reached full extension I would just say "one more!!!" Every extra rep I can push out will help. I said to him "If I can bust my arse during cardio and lose all that weight in such a short time I can do the same for this". Sick and tired of just doing it for sake of doing it and only seeing small change.

Have found some the best chicken pieces for my protein, each 100g has 17.g of protein in it, so I try to have 200g for snack in morning then about 250 or so for lunch. My dinners don't really exist at the moment due to my work hours, but I'm thinking of adding it in no matter what time I get to have dinner while at work. At the moment, dinner was usually a snack of a decent handful of almonds, banana and mandarin with about 7-800ml of water.

Layout of my GVT for next month..

Day 1 - Torso
A1 - Bench Press
A2 - Pronated lat pull down

B1 - DB Shoulder Press + Rotation
B2 - Chest Supported T-bar Row


Day 2 - Legs
A1 - Leg Press
A2 - Lying Hamstring curls toes in/neutral/out sets

B1 - Heels Elevated DB Squat
B2 - Wide Stance Good Morning


Day 3 - Arms
A1 - Incline DB Curls
A2 - DB Tricep Extension

B1 - Hanging Leg Raises
B2 - Rope External Rotation

Day 1 Torso Numbers

A1 - 10sets @ 65kg - 10,10,10,8,7,7,6,5,4,4
A2 - 10sets @ 55kg - 10,10,10,9,8,8,7,7,7,6

B1 - 3sets @ 12.5kg -10,10,10(should have put third set to 15kg or 17.5)
B2 - 3sets @ 40kg - 10,10,8



Day 2 Leg Numbers

A1 - 10sets @260kg - 10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10,10(first time in ages i've done LP, and wasn't too sure what type of load my lower back could take,about 7th set it became little harder, next week i'll probably jack to 280 or 300)
A2 - 10sets @ 30kg - 10,10,10,10,10,10,10,9,8,7

B1 - 2sets @ 22.5, 1set @ 25kg -10,10,10
B2 - 2ets @ 30kg, 1set @35kg - 10,10,10

I'm at 92.7kg so far this weekend, which is a damn good weight for me right now.

Informed by my PT this morning that after these four weeks of GVT, i'll be doing another four weeks of strength training then six intense weeks of hypertrophy training(which I can't wait for).

I've change my chicken source from a pre-packaged slice up left over bits to full chicken breasts. Should cost me less each week hopefully so i can have exact meal sizes each time as well.

Following is typical food layout for each day(low carb/cardio) If it's a weights day, i'll add scoop of oatmeal to brekkie, slice of lavash bread to morning tea and lunch, yoghurt to lunch and either morning tea or dinner.


Breakfast -
1 1/2 scoops of protein
milk,
banana
2-3 strawberries
300ml OJ


Morning Tea -
200g chicken, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, avocado and small serving of pepper
700ml water
mandarin


Lunch -
200g chicken, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, avocado good serving of pepper
700ml water
Banana


Dinner -
700ml water
Banana
Handful of almonds


Sleep -
1 1/2 scoops Caesin