Ryaan's Novice Training Log

[Ryaan]

2017-07-17
Press
20 kg x 5 x 2
30 x 3
40 x 2
50 x 1
55 x 1 x 10

LTE
20 kg x 8 x 5

Chins
4 singles

Conditioning
C2 4 intervals of 10 max effort strokes with 1:30 rest
avg wattages: 386 W, 364 W, 327 W, 296 W
Elliptical LISS 10 min

Notes: titrating the volume up slowly of the C2 intervals - I'm really deconditioned!

[Ryaan]

2017-07-18
Squat
20 kg x 5 x 2
50 x 5
70 x 3
90 x 1
110 x 1
120 x 1 x 3

Note: I was going for 5x1 and missed the 4th single.

Deadlift
70 kg x 5
90 x 3
110 x 1
130 x 1
145 x 1
160 x 0

General notes: an inauspicious start to the new program I'm starting this week. Overshot where I am right now, and I ran out of time for deadlift backoff sets. I'll adjust next week. Here's the basic outline of my plan:

Mon – Press Intensity
Press 5-10x1
LTE 3x8
Conditioning

Tues – Squat Intensity / Deadlifts
Squat 5x1 or 3x2
Deadlift 1, 3 @ 90%, 5 @ 80%

Wed - Rest day
Conditioning

Thur – Press Volume
Press 5x5
Conditioning

Fri – Squat Volume
Squat 3-5x5
Press 3x8

My main goal continues to be bodyweight loss without losing too much strength progress. I want to get in and out of the gym in under 60 minutes per session, including conditioning 3x / week to speed up weight loss. I'm not benching right now because I don't have the correct equipment to do so safely alone, and organizing a spotter is too onerous. (Yes, I know these are all excuses and that I should figure out a way to bench.) This is a sort of bastard 4-day TM of my own devising with no benching that I hope fulfills those criteria.

[Ryaan]

2017-07-19 - Conditioning
Spin bike
2 minute warmup
[ 20 s sprint | 90 s rest ] x 7 rounds

Notes: spin bike height 5; forward 3.5; handle height 10. Cranked the resistance up two turns for the sprints. This was my first time using a spin bike. Felt like I could redline myself on this thing much more easily than with the C2 Rower, since my rowing technique sucks, and the spin bike isn't so technique dependent. I think this is going to become my go-to HIIT modality.

[Ryaan]

2017-07-20
Press
20 kg x 5 x 2
30 x 3
40 x 2
50 x 5, 5, 4

Note: overshot again. I'm much more detrained than I thought! 5th rep of first set was a huge grind, second set very smooth, third set fine until that last rep which I just couldn't get past my forehead. Err, also planned 5x5 and quit after 3 sets.

Chins
12 singles (30-60 s rest)

Spin bike
2 min warmup
[12 s sprint | 90 s rest] x 7

[Ryaan]

2017-07-21
Squat
20 x 10
50 x 5
70 x 3
90 x 5 x 5

Press
20 kg x 5
30 x 2
40 x 8, 5, 6

Note: was aiming for 3x8, but triceps were totally fried. Lighter weight next week.

43 min total time

Week-in-review: Didn't set my starting weights quite right this week, but I think I have enough data now to do a better job with next week. The one thing I didn't like this week is going back to deadlifting after squatting on Tuesday, but I'll stick with the plan as written for a while and see if I get used to it. I also realized I've reversed VD/ID, but I'm not sure how much that really matters on this 4-day plan.

Next week:

Mon
Press: 57.5 kg x 1 x 10
LTE: 22.5 kg x 8 x 3
Chins
Spin bike [15 s sprint | 90 s rest] x 8

Tues
Squat: 110 kg x 5
Deadlift: 155 kg x 1, 140 x 3, 125 x 5

Wed
Spin bike [12 s sprint | 60 s rest] x 10

Thurs
Press: 50 kg x 5 x 5
Chins
Spin bike [15 s sprint | 90 s rest] x 8

Fri
Squat: 92.5 kg x 5 x 5
Press: 35 kg x 8 x 3

[Ryaan]

2017-07-22
Spin bike [12 s sprint | 90 s rest] x 7

[Ryaan]

2017-07-24
Press
20 kg x 5
30 x 3
40 x 1
50 x 1
57.5 x 1 x 10 (+ belt, ~90 s rest)

LTE
10 kg x 8
22.5 x 8 x 3 (2 min rest)

Chins
6 x 2 (45 s rest)

Spin bike
[15 s sprint | 90 s rest] x 7

Note: whoops, just realized I was supposed to do 8 of these.


2017-07-25
Squat
20 kg x 5 x 2
50 x 5
70 x 3
90 x 1
100 x 1 (+ belt)
110 x 3 x 2 (5 min rest)

Deadlift
70 kg x 5
90 x 1
110 x 1
130 x 1 (+ mixed grip)
140 x 1 (+ belt)
155 x 1
140 x 1, 0
125 x 4

Total time: 63 minutes

Note: Slightly ropey session. I should have made 5 on my top set of squats, but I chickened out after 3. Wasn't squatting at the gym with proper safeties, so I didn't want to get stapled, but, UGH. Did a second triple to make up the volume. Probably should have rested longer between my deadlift single and the backoff triple.

[Ryaan]

2017-07-27
[b]Press/[b]
20 kg x 5
30 x 3
40 x 2
51 x 5, 5, 5, 3, 3 (3 m rest, + belt)

Notes: failed 4th rep of last two sets both below the chin.

Chins
5 x 2; 4 x 1 (30 s rest)

Spin
[12 s sprint | 92 s rest] x 8

58 min total

[Ryaan]

Haven't updated my log in a while, but I've been training, more-or-less. Got married and then went off on honeymoon, so training hasn't been a high priority for the last three weeks! Managed to get in a few sessions around the almost two weeks of wedding craziness.

Sessions from Aug 16-21 were at the resort gym, which only had dumbbells up to 25 kg, an overhead cable machine, and a couple of treadmills. Made do with some bodybuilder-style dumbbell stuff.

I resumed my 4-day split yesterday, Aug 24. I reread relevant bits of PPST3 and watched some of Andy Baker's YouTube stuff and used that to tweak my program a little bit. Still pressing M/Th; Squats and pulls Tu/Fr. Squats are temporarily on Novice LP to rebuild some strength and conditioning more quickly. Press is on TM. Deadlifting once a week, adding SLDL on Tu once Friday starts to stall.

2017-07-31
Press
20 x 5
30 x 5
40 x 3
50 x 1
55 x 1
60 x 1 x 5 (2 min rest)
40 x 8, 7, 4 (2 min rest)

LTE
25 x 8 (30 s rest)
22.5 x 8 (30 s rest)
20 x 8

Chins
4x2 = 8 total


2017-08-02
Press
52.5 x 5, 5, 3
50 x 3, 4

Deadlift
162.5 x 1
130 x 3
110 x 5


2017-08-08
Press
60 kg x 1 x 5
40 x 8, 7, 4

LTE
25 kg x 8 x 3

Deadlift
165 kg x 1
145 x 3
125 x 2, 1

Note: 125 should have been a set of 5, but my belt started cutting into my torso painfully, and I cut the set off. Took the belt off, tried to restart the set, and couldn't keep my back set.

Chins
3x2 = 6

General note: didn't log my warmup sets


2017-08-16
DB Press
5 kg per hand x 8
10 x 8
15 x 8
20 x 5
15 x 8
10 x 8
7 x 12
10 x 8

DB 1-arm overhead triceps extension
each arm -
7 kg x 8
6 x 8 x 4

Triceps cable extension
40 lb x 8 x 5

DB Curls
8 kg per hand x 12, 12, 6
7 x 7
6 x 8

Lat pull
130 lb x 8, 5
120 x 7


2017-08-17
DB squat
20 kg x 8
30 x 8
40 x 8 x 5

Note: did these holding dumbells over my shoulders.

DB SLSD
20 kg x 8
30 x 3
40 x 3
50 x 8 x 5

Deadmills
20 second sprint : 120 rest x 4 rounds


2017-08-18
DB bench press
5 kg per hand x 8
10 x 8
15 x 8
20 x 8, 4
15 x 8 x 5

DB incline press
5 kg per hand x 8
8 x 3
10 x 8
15 x 8 x 5


2017-08-19
DB Press
9 kg per hand x 10
15 x 5
20 x 5, 3
15 x 8, 8, 6, 6, 6, 6 = 40 total

DB 1-arm overhead triceps extension
each arm -
8 kg x 4
7 kg x 8 x 5

DB Curls
8 kg x 8, 8, 8, 6, 8

Lat pull
130 lb x 8, 7, 3


2017-08-20
DB squat
20 kg x 5
30 x 5
40 x 8 x 6

Note: did these holding dumbells over my shoulders.

DB SLSD
30 kg x 3
40 x 5
50 x 8 x 6

Deadmills
20 second sprint : 120 rest x 8 rounds


2017-08-21
DB bench press
5 kg per hand x 8
10 x 5
15 x 5
20 x 7, 5, 4
15 x 8 x 6

DB incline press
10 kg per hand x 5 x 2
15 x 8, 5, 1

Note: started feeling some weirdness in my shoulder, so I cut this off. Hadn't done inclines before this week, so not really sure about the mechanics of the movement and didn't want to risk anything.

DB curls
9 kg per hand x 8 x 2
8 x 8 x 3


2017-08-24
Bodyweight: 192 lb

Press
20 kg x 5
30 x 5
40 x 3
50 x 4
55 x 3 x 2
40 x 8, 6, 5, 5

Note: all racks in the gym were occupied, and I was in a bit of a hurry, so I cleaned these to my shoulders for a less-than-ideal start position. I was shooting for 5 on the top set but knew it wasn't happening after 3, so went for 2x3 instead. My plan was to run out the press like so: 1x5, 2x3, 3x2, 5x1. I'll just start with the triples rather than resetting down and making sure I can get a fahve. I'll be doing fives on my VD, anyway. 56 x 3 x 2 next week.

DB Bench Press
10 kg x 8
16 x 8, 6, 5, 7, 7, 7 = 40 total

Chins
2x2, 5x1 = 9 total

Lat pulldown
145 x 6
135 x 8
130 x 5

Time: ~70 min total


2017-08-25
Squat
20 x 5 x 2
50 x 5
70 x 3
85 x 5 (+ belt, 3 m rest)
87.5 x 5
90 x 5

Deadlift
70 x 5
90 x 3
110 x 1
130 x 1 (+ mixed grip)
145 x 1 (+ belt)
160 x 1

Spin bike
12 second sprint : 90 second rest x 4 rounds

Time: ~85 min total

[Ryaan]

Current programming

4-day split
Monday
Press volume 5x5, 8x3
Triceps assistance
Chins

Tuesday
Squat 3x5
Conditioning (HIIT spin bike)

Wed
Conditioning (LISS elliptical)

Thurs
Press intensity 1x5, 2x3, 3x2, 5x1 + backoff sets 3x8
DB bench 3-5x8
Chins

Friday
Squat 3x5
Deadlift
Conditioning (HIIT spin bike)


I'm basically using the template of Week 2 from the first example in the "Four-day Texas Method" section of PPST3. Squats are temporarily 3x5 every session, as I'm way behind where I was at the end of my LP, so I figure I can run a mini LP to catch up a bit. Once I've exhausted that, I'll switch to a TM or heavy/light setup for those as well. Took some ideas for press work (backoff sets of 8, cycling assistance work) from this video and this article by Andy Baker.