27th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout

Definitely felt my strength was curtailed by a massive Legs and Delts session yesterday. Validates my decision to have a 6 day split with weights sessions broken up between light and heavy days. Looking forward to getting back into my groove.

27th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout 81.3kg

Barbell Bench Press 100kg 2 95kg 4,3
Barbell Bicep Curl 45kg 4,3,3
Incline Barbell Bench Press 75kg 6,4,4
Hammer Dumbbell Curls 22kg each 6,4,4
Cable Cross Overs 30kg 12,8,5

26th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Legs and Delts Workout

26th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Legs and Delts Workout 80.9kg

Squats 120kg 3,2,3
Barbell Press 60kg 3 55kg 5,4
Mixed Grip Deadlift 150kg 3,3,3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 16kg each 9,6,5

Can't believe after a week off and a wedding birthday combo over the weekend I didn't put on any weight.

20th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Back and Triceps Workout

20th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Back and Triceps Workout 81.8kgs

Weighted Wide Grip Pullups 30kg 5,3,3
Weighted Narrow Grip Tricep Dips 30kg 7,5,5
Dumbbell Row 50kg each 7,5,5
Cable Tricep Pushdown 45kg 5,4,3
Barbell Shrugs 100kg 8,8,6

19th November Workout and Macros

19th November Light Weight/High Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout 81.7kg

Barbell Bench Press 80kg 10,6,5

Barbell Bicep Curl 35kg 10,6,5

Incline Barbell Bench Press 60kg 10,6,5

Hammer Dumbbell Curls 18kg each 10,5,4

Cable Cross Overs 25kg 13,8,7

Macros 10/11-16/11

Quite a few more carbs than I would normally eat due to a massive binge on Sunday.

Weight has stayed steady despite a reduction in activity from my neck injury and increased carbconsumption/binges.

Workouts 16/11 and 17/11

Finally starting to feel like I'm getting over my neck injury but still took it easy on my Back and Triceps day.

16th November Light Weight/High Rep Back and Triceps Workout 81.7kgs

Wide Grip Pullups 15,5,5
Narrow Grip Tricep Dips 15,10,8
Mixed Grip Cable Row 75kg 10,8,6
Cable Tricep Pushdown 35kg 10,8,6
Barbell Shrug 80kg 10,10,10

Still felt good this morning so I decided to go heavy on my legs and shoulders workout, workout went perfectly. Not at pre-injury levels but still felt awesome to push out some big numbers 

17th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Legs and Delts Workout 82.3kg

Squats 100kg 10,6,5
Barbell Press 55kg 6,4,4
Mixed Grip Deadlift 130kg 6,6,4
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 16kg each 8,6,5
Barbell Lunge 20kg 6,5,4

Also I think my posture during barbell shrugs may have contributed to my neck injury, had been sort of hunching over. Did some light weight 60kg barbell shrugs with an emphasis on pushing out my chest and it felt like a better movement. Will keep y'all posted.

15th November Pecs and Biceps Workout

15th November Pecs and Biceps Workout 82.3kg

Barbell Bench Press 60kg 10 80kg 8,6
Barbell Bicep Curl 30kg 10,8,7
Incline Barbell Bench Press 50kg 10,10,10
Hammer Dumbbell Curls 16kg 10,8,6
Cable Cross Overs 25kg 10,10,7

Low Carb Diet: Fat Or Fiction | ABC Catalyst

This episode of Catalyst aired on ABC on Thursday night. The LCHF train seems to be gathering momentum, time for all to get on board.

"This week in a special investigation, Catalyst explores the science behind the low carb diet. What are the health benefits and are there any risks? Is it suitable for everyone? Australian cricketer Shane Watson talks about how cutting carbs has helped him overcome his long-term struggle with weight. Recent research suggests it could improve the lives of people suffering from obesity and diabetes. Dr Maryanne Demasi asks international advocates, sports scientists and Australia’s leading nutritionists is it just another fad or is there more to cutting the carbs?"

13th November Legs and Delts Workout

First session back for a week so taking it very easy. Neck still not 100% right but some relatively low weight anaerobic exercise should do some good.

Considering I can't lift heavy I'm going to get back into some cardio, including some swimming tomorrow.

13th November Legs and Delts Workout 82.8kg

Barbell Squats 60kgs 10,9,8
Barbell Press 40kg 10,8,7
Barbell Deadlift 80kg 10,10,10
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 12kg each 8,6,6
Barbell Lunge 20kg 7,6,6

Neck injury

I've pulled something in my neck that flared up after shrugs yesterday. I thought I might be able to ride it out without seeing a physio with some voltaren gel and sleeping on a heat bag but today it seemed like it was getting worse so I made an appointment.

The diagnosis is actually better than I was expecting, just some strained muscles in my neck which he has freed up with some massage. Don't need another appointment unless it doesn't get better. I can also return to the gym immediately so long as I keep the weight low.

He also recommended I spend some time stretching out my pecs as they are tight and pulling my shoulders forward and effecting my posture. He also said I should take anti-inflammatory tablets over the voltaren gel as it's likely the gel isn't penetrating deeply enough.

My "MISC Pull Up Challenge" Entry

So it's fair to say my back strength is far and away my biggest asset. So when I saw bodybuilding.com's (in)famous misc sub forum was holding a pull up contest I knew I had to be involved. The basic premise is to hold on for as long as possible while the Moby track Flower is playing. What's more you have to complete pull up reps to the music, performing the down rep of the pull up on "bring sally up" then lifting yourself back up on "bring sally down".

I managed to finish 10th overall with 1 minute and 10 seconds but I'm planning on putting in another entry soon and bumping myself up to 8th. Just need someone to film me.

Here's the thread

MISC Pull Up Challenge!!! (MOD REPS + reps) Pull up beasts GTFIH

Here's my entry

MISC Pull Up Challenge!!! (MOD REPS + reps) Pull up beasts GTFIH

And here's my video

6th November Light Weight/High Rep Back and Triceps Workout

6th November Light Weight/High Rep Back and Triceps Workout 81.6kgs

Wide Grip Pullups 15,8,6
Narrow Grip Tricep Dips 20,10,10
Mixed Grip Cable Row 75kg 12,10,8
Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension 14kg each 6,5,4
Barbell Shrug 80kg 12,10,10

5th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout

Ate too much lunch and didn't get the rush from my pre workout but other than that it was a good session.

5th November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout 83.4kg

Barbell Bench Press 100kg 4,3,3
Barbell Bicep Curl 50kg 2 45kg 4,4
Incline Barbell Bench Press 75kg 7,4,4
Hammer Dumbbell Curls 24kg each 4,1 22kg each 4,3 (might switch to incline curls as I'm struggling to keep my back stationary curling 24kg dbs)
Cable Cross Overs 42kg 6,3,3

4th November Light Weight/High Rep Legs and Delts Workout

4th November Light Weight/High Rep Legs and Delts Workout 81.3kg

Barbell Squats 80kgs 8,6,5
Barbell Press 50kg 8,4,4
Barbell Deadlift 100kg 10,6,5
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 12kg each 8,6,6

3rd November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Back and Triceps Workout

3rd November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Back and Triceps Workout 82kgs

Weighted Wide Grip Pullups 30kg 5,3,3
Weighted Narrow Grip Tricep Dips 30kg 7,5,5
Dumbbell Row 50kg each 8,6,5
Cable Tricep Pushdown 45kg 6,4,4
Barbell Shrugs 100kg 10,8,6

2nd November Light Weight/High Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout

2nd November Light Weight/High Rep Pecs and Biceps Workout 82.8kg

Dumbbell Bench Press 40kg each 6,5,4
Barbell Bicep Curl 40kg 8,4,4
Incline Barbell Bench Press 65kg 8,6,5
Hammer Dumbbell Curls 20kg each 9,6,5
Cable Cross Overs 35kg 8,4,3

1st November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Legs and Delts Workout

Dropping cardio out is paying huge dividends strength wise but I'm definitely less aesthetic despite weighing the exact same amount... strange

1st November Heavy Weight/Low Rep Legs and Delts Workout 81.7kg

Squats 120kg 3 110kg 5,4
Barbell Press 60kg 5,4,3
Mixed Grip Deadlift 150kg 3 140kg 3,3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 18kg each 6,5,4
Barbell Lunge 20kg 7,6,5 (sometimes I get tight hip flexors after a heavy session, I find some lightweight barbell lunges stretch it out nicely)

The Fit Publican's Beginner Gym Guide

General Gym Tips
Before I get to the actual workout I wanted to give you a couple of tips that I think will be a big help.

You need to find yourself a gym that doesn't get too busy as trust me after a few weeks you will get seriously fed up with always waiting for equipment to be available.

You want to aim to never spend more than an hour in the gym as you will eventually find that your motivation will slide if subconsciously you know it's going to be a massive drain on your time and energy

You also need to get yourself into a routine that allows you to go to the gym a minimum of 3 days a week. Anything less and you will simply not be putting enough effort in to see results

Workout
So to start off with I think it's best to keep it simple with just a two day split program Then when you are feeling more comfortable and have more strength ramp it up to a 3 day split program which is what I do now but means you need to be at the gym a little bit more often and have the confidence to do Squats and Deadlifts which are a bit of a trick for young players.

Instead of doing a 'warm up' on a bike or treadmill which is what all personal trainers would prescribe on a workout routine (which actually curtails your lifting potential) you should be doing a warm up set of the exercise you are about to do. For me I do this at about 1/4 of the weight I'm about to lift but don't get too pedantic. This is only important on the first set for a particular muscle group, which I've noted on the program. Warm up sets also allow you to feel for any injuries or niggles which may impair your ability to execute the lift safely and effectively.

Back, tricep and core day (3 sets of all exercises)

Cable Seated Row (with warm up set)
Tricep Pushdown (with warm up set)
Dumbbell shoulder press (seated, as upright as possible) (with warm up set)
Lat Pulldown
Exercise Ball Crunch/any type of ab exercise you like

Leg, chest and bicep day (3 sets of all exercises)

Leg Press (with warm up set)
Bench Press (with warm up set)
Bicep Curl (with warm up set)
Leg Extension
Pec Fly (machine, dumbbell or cable cross over)

You should be aiming to achieve as many reps as possible on all the sets you do. Some trainers will tell you to do 3 sets of 10 reps, this doesn't really maximise your potential for strength gain. For example lets say you can achieve 10 reps on your first set but then only 8 on your second and 6 on your third this is perfect but like I said don't stick to any formula just try to push out as many reps as you can.

Ideally you need to find a weight for all these exercises where you can't do more than 10 reps on the first set (ie if you can Bench Press 50kg 12 times take it to 55kg). Having said that the amount of weight your are pushing to start with is almost irrelevant, you need to make sure you are doing the exercises with correct 'form'. Form basically relates to the way in which you perform the exercise, incorrect form can often mean that you will be able to lift heavier weight but also decreases the effectiveness of the exercise and increases the likelihood of injury. Using the exercise directory at http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html is an excellent resource as they have gifs which show you how to correctly perform the exercise. I would definitely recommend having a look at the all the exercises I give you on that website before you head to the gym as it will give you a good idea where to start.

It would be best if these workout sessions I've drawn up for you be done in a one day on one day off style to allow your body to recover but like I said you need to be getting to the gym a minimum of 3 days a week so if that means a couple of back to back sessions then so be it. Be conscious (but not paranoid) of over training though, if your body is in pain (even if it's just delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS) it's probably best not to go to the gym as it won't be mentally or physically rewarding. A brisk walk would probably be a good substitute in these situations.

The sooner you can incorporate squats and deadlifts into your routine the better. They're universally regarded as the golden gods of the lifting/aesthetics world. Don't stress too much about it though as you'll see great gains with this routine alone if you've never lifted before. Confidence and enjoyment is key, regardless of what ANYONE tells you is "the most important thing" just do whatever you wanna do... so long as it's safe :)

Fat Loss
Considering the reason most people start going to the gym is body recomposition (more muscle and less fat) it's important to talk about fat loss too. Any gym newbie is going to achieve certain levels of body recomposition from initiating a resistance training program but that will only go so far. Diet is the most important factor when trying to achieve fat loss but to give tips on nutrition is quite difficult as it requires a far more intimate knowledge of a persons history, current lifestyle and goals. My current nutritional ethos surrounds intermittent fasting and low carb/high fat foods, but we'll get into that later.

Cardio
In terms of cardiovascular fitness, I believe cardio is great for many reasons (although some people hate it) but it doesn't burn weight off as effectively as resistance training, I find cardio a lot more rewarding out of the gym anyway. Depending on how far away your gym is riding a bike to and from the gym is a method of getting sufficient cardio into your workout (although potentially not ideal for strength gain). I think it's important to have a balance in your training protocol and for me being cardiovascularly fit is just as much fun as being strong but that really comes down to individual preference.

It's also worth mentioning High Intensity Interval Workouts (HIIT) are universally proven to be the #1 exercise to drop weight, resistance training (ie the plan I've written) are forms of HIIT but not in its purest form, Tabata training is the most intense type of HIIT and only lasts 4 minutes.