Arms

Skipped a night due to extreme hamstring soreness.

CG Bench
1x8, 3x6 @ 185 lbs

Fixed BB Curl
6x8 @ 20-60 lbs by 10s

Neutral Grip Pushdowns
4x10 @ 40 lbs

Alternating Hammer Curls
4x10 (each arm) @ 20 lbs

I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

Dude Bro Workout for Weightloss and Re-Training

I talked with friend and trainer Rich Haven today. He suggested that since I've already built "a good strength base in the past" I needed to start over with non-CNS-intensive stuff. He suggested a dude-bro single-body-part-per-week amateur bodybuilding workout. I'll be doing this for 2 to 3 months, then moving back to a bench/squat split sometime after the first of the year. Hopefully some of my lost work capacity will come back and I'll put on some muscle mass. While those are hopes, the real goal is to cut fat.

I knew tonight would be bench night, so I'm starting the workout off on Shoulders/Hams day.

Here's what I did:

Machine OHP
4 x 6
I'll probably take the reps up to 8 or 10 next time. I didn't want to start off with DBs but might move to them later.

Alternating Lateral Raise/Front Raise
3 x 10
I'm going to work up to doing these individually. I just don't have the endurance yet.

Face Pulls
3 x 15
Shoulder prehab

Seated Leg Curl
3 x 8

Machine Hip Extension
3 x 8

Pull Thrus
4 x 10
Didn't do these. Will next time.


Mens Sana in Corpore Sano

Starting from Scratch

Back when I first started lifting weights in earnest (2002?) I was untrained, had no idea how to perform lifts correctly, and didn't have much for goals. Since then I've graduated high school in the top 10% of my class by strength, started college at 215 bw. I put on some muscle, learned how to lift properly, and competed several times in the USAPL and NASA raw divisions. Since 2012 I really haven't touched a weight, but I did manage to write my dissertation, graduate with a PhD, start a job at an R1 university and gain a ton of bodyfat. I'm now at 360 lbs and my doctor says I'm borderline diabetic and need to get a hold of my health ASAP.

So I've gone back to the gym and made a commitment to clean up my diet. Lana is, of course, an invaluable help in all of this. Here are a couple of my first handful of sessions:



Sept 18, 2015

Squat to 405 x 2

That's it. This is 205 lbs shy of my previous best, but the goal now is to build back strength and lose weight. Feels good to be under the bar!


Sept 20, 2015

Bench to 275 for 2 singles

Lat pulldown - 4 sets

Pushdowns/facepulls superset - 2 sets

No excuses, I will be in the gym every night unless I'm out of town for work. I have to get back to a healthy weight (250-275) and want to get back to high school weight, though with more muscle!


Mens Sana in Corpore Sano