Bazarov's Getting Back into the Gym Log

[Bazarov]

Beyond the random pull-up and dip session in my garage, I haven't lifted at all in the past 4-5 months and I've recently decided to get back into the gym. Here seems like as good a place as any for keeping a log. I've lost quite a bit of weight over the last few months, so I'm pretty weak, and for now I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things and see where I'm at. I'm not following SS (no reason other than I don't want to at the moment) -- I'm not really following anything, for that matter -- but feel free to comment, offer advice, etc.

6'2" and 190lbs (as of Oct 13)

My diet is all fucked up right now. I'm definitely not eating enough, and I work the type of job that has me basically doing a gpp workout eight hours a day, so my diet will definitely need to get sorted out real quick if I am going to make any progress.

(weight x reps x sets)

Oct 9:
Press: 45x5x2, 95x5, 105x5, 115x5, 125x5, 135x5
Front Squat: 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5x2
Chin: BWx8, BWx8, BWx10
Dips: BWx8, BWx8, BWx8

Oct 11:
Close-grip (shoulder width) Bench: 45x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5, 195x5, 205x3
Deads: 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 295x3, 315x3, 225x8x2
High Incline DB Bench: 55'sx8x5
Seated Low-Cable Rows: 140x8x5
Hammer Curls: 40'sx15

Oct 12:
Press: 45x5x2, 100x5, 110x5, 120x5, 130x5, 140x4
Front Squat: 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5
Chins: BWx8, BWx8, BWx11
Dips: BWx8, BWx8, BWx10

[Bazarov]

I'm going to start tracking my diet for a while -- not in great detail, but just to get an idea of what I'm eating from day to day for a couple weeks.

Oct 14:

Breakfast:
Bacon breakfast burrito, 16oz whole milk, and coffee
Snack:
Beef jerky
Lunch:
Spinach salad w/ ~6oz wild salmon, cheese, olive oil, 32oz whole milk
Dinner:
8oz steak, baked potato w/ cheese, 16oz whole milk
Snack:
Greek yogurt w/ blueberries

Oct 15:
Breakfast:
3 eggs, large grapefruit, 32oz whole milk, coffee

Workout:
Close-grip Bench: 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 185x5, 205x5
Deads: 135x5, 185x3, 225x3, 275x3, 295x3, 315x4
High-incline DB Bench: 60'sx8x5
Seated Low-cable Rows: 160x8x3
Hammer Curls: 45'sx10, 45'sx8

Lunch:
12oz steak, backed potato w/ cheese, 16oz whole milk

Dinner:
1 large Papa John's chicken and olive pizza, 16oz whole milk

[Bazarov]

I spent 8 hours today loading and unloading 100lb bags of cement in and out of a truck. And, making matters worse, I only had time to eat a pretty small sandwich in the late morning and nothing else the rest of the day. I'm exhausted. Hopefully tomorrow's workout still manages to be productive...

[Bazarov]

Oct 16:

Felt like shit after yesterday, slept late, didn't eat breakfast -- not a good day.

Press:
45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 125x5, 140x4
Seated BTN Press:
95x8x4
Chins:
BWx8x4

[Bazarov]

Decided to start tracking calories/nutrition in more detail via fitday:

Oct 17:
Total kcals: 2674
Fat: 163.3
Carbs: 116.3
Protein: 186.6

I obviously need to be eating more than that...

[Bazarov]

Oct 19:

Won't have time to lift again until Friday, and being that I had the entire day off, I decided to do an AM and PM session.

AM Workout:

Low Bar Squat:
45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 185x3, 195x3, 205x3, 215x3, 225x3 (not that I was ever very strong to begin with, but it's amazing the degree to which I've lost strength on the squat)
Front Squat:
155x5x5
GM's (high bar, narrow stance)
95x8x4
Weighted decline sit-ups:
25x8x4

PM Workout:

Bench (shoulder width grip):
45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x5, 175x5, 190x5, 200x5, 210x5
Incline Db Bench:
65'sx8x3
Pendlay Rows:
135x8x4
Dips:
BWx12, BWx11

Total calories: 4,065
Fat: 230g
Carbs: 245g
Protein: 253g

(Did much better here, obviously; but I'd still like to be getting more protein.)

[Bazarov]

Oct 22:

Deads:
135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x3, 315x1, 335x1, 345x1
275x5x3
Db Rows:
60x12x3
Hyper-extensions:
BWx25x2

Now that I know pretty much where I'm at strength and conditioning wise (which is to say weak and out of shape), I'm going with a 4 day per week split with each day devoted to a lift -- press, squat, bench, deads. Basically similar to 5-3-1, just with a more straightforward progression. I'm going to just add weight and/or reps each week for as long as I can. I plan on adding some conditioning in the near future (sprint, hill sprints, etc.). But, right now, my biggest problem is diet. I need to get more regimented -- I have a habit of not eating while at work (performing manual labor), so my rest days end up being anything but. I've been only averaging between 2500 and 3000 calories on work days, right around 4000 on my days off. And a little over a week and a half being back in the gym, I'm down three pounds to 187. Not good.

[Bazarov]

Oct 24:

Press:
45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 105x5, 125x5, 140x3 (failed on 4th rep; bar to far out in front), 140x2, 140x1
Seated BTN Press:
95x8x5
Chins:
BWx8x4, BWx6
Side Raises:
20x12x2
Hammer Curls:
45x8x2

[Bazarov]

Sill trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to include in the way of assistance lifts, which is why things have been so haphazard. I think I've decided on the following for the next month or so:

Day 1:
Press
Chins
Seated BTN Press
Hammer Curls

Day 2:
Squat
Deads (light)
Abs

Day 3:
Bench
Rows
Dips

Day 4:
Deads
Squats (light)
Hyper extensions

Oct 25:
Low Bar Squat
205x5, 215x5, 225x5
Deads (really enjoyed higher rep deads -- haven't done them in a long while)
225x8x5
Decline Sit-ups
25x8x3

[Bazarov]

Oct 26:
Close-grip Bench:
205x5, 210x5, 215x3
Cable Rows (shoulder width grip)
140x8x5
Dips:
BWx8x5

-Doing a bunch of rows less than 24 hours after 40 reps of deadlifts wasn't such a bright idea.