Just a journal of life and lifting

[pt]

So looking forward to the the Osta Rx cycle. Going to be a fun ride...

Started a log so please go there for the updates!!

[pt]

Out standing pump today, concentration and focus was out of this world. I didn't want to leave the gym. Diet cont to be clean at approx 3000 cals, strength is up, endurance is through the roof, recovery time is a heck of a lot shorter. Will change the routine this coming week and start working each body part twice a week.

[pt]

irst a little about me.
I'm 6'4, now at 185. Have been lifting for the most part of 20 years. For the last month and a half I have been on a cut cycle, getting ready for the warmer weather.
Had cut my calories down to about 1000 a day and increased the cardio to 6 days a week.

For this cycle of Osta Rx, I will increase calories to 3000 clean and cut the cardio to 3 days a week and also increase the amount of lifting looking like this;

Monday
Chest

Bench Press- 5set- 15 12 10 8 6
Incline Bench press-4set- 12 10 8 8
Decline Bench Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Butterfly- 4set- 12 12 12 12

Tuesday
Quads/Calves

Leg ext- 5set- 15 12 12 10 10
Dumb bell Squats-6set- 12 12 10 10 8 6
Leg Press- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Machine Squats- 4set- 12 10 8 6

Standing Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each
Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each

Wednesday
Back

Bent Over Barbell Row-4set- 15 12 10 8
One Arm Dumbbell Row-4set-12 10 10 8
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down-4set-12 10 10 10
Seated cable row- 4 sets- 15, 12, 10, 10

Thursday
Shoulders

Standing Press- 4set- 12 10 8 8
Seated Dumbbell Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Dumb bell Shrug- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Machine Shrug- 3set- 12 12 12
Side Lateral Raises-3set- 12 10 8
Front Plate Raise-3set- 12 10 8

Friday
Arms

Barbell Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Dumbbell Curl-4set- 12 10 8 8
St Dumbbell Rev Grip Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Preacher Curl-3set- 12 12 12

One Arm triceps Ext.- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Weighted Bench Dip- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Lying Triceps Press-4set- 12 10 10 8
Triceps Push down-3set- 12 10 10

Saturday
Hams/calves

Seated Leg Curl-4set-12 10 10 10
Standing Leg Curl-4set-12 12 10 8
Stiffed-leg Barbell Dead lift- 4 sets- 15, 12, 12, 10
Dumb bell Lunges- 3 sets- 20 each

Standing Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each
Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each

Sunday
Rest


If during the cycle I find the recovery time is shorter (which for me it usually is). I will increase the lifting again to this;

Monday.
------------
--CHEST--
Bench Press- 5set- 15 12 10 8 6
Incline Bench press-4set- 12 10 8 8
Decline Bench Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Butterfly- 4set- 12 12 12 12

--SHOULDERS--
Standing Press- 4set- 12 10 8 8
Seated Dumbbell Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Dumb bell Shrug- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Machine Shrug- 3set- 12 12 12
Side Lateral Raises-3set- 12 10 8
Front Plate Raise-3set- 12 10 8

--TRICEPTS--
One Arm triceps Ext.- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Weighted Bench Dip- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Lying Triceps Press-4set- 12 10 10 8
Triceps Push down-3set- 12 10 10

Tues.
-----------
-QUADS--
Leg ext- 5set- 15 12 12 10 10
Dumb bell Squats-6set- 12 12 10 10 8 6
Leg Press- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Machine Squats- 4set- 12 10 8 6

--HAMS--
Seated Leg Curl-4set-12 10 10 10
Standing Leg Curl-4set-12 12 10 8
Stiffed-leg Barbell Dead lift- 4 sets- 15, 12, 12, 10
Dumb bell Lunges- 3 sets- 20 each

--CALVES--
Standing Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each
Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each

Wed.
-----------
--BACK--
Bent Over Barbell Row-4set- 15 12 10 8
One Arm Dumbbell Row-4set-12 10 10 8
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down-4set-12 10 10 10
Seated cable row- 4 sets- 15, 12, 10, 10

--BIS--
Barbell Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Dumbbell Curl-4set- 12 10 8 8
St Dumbbell Rev Grip Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Preacher Curl-3set- 12 12 12

--FOREARMS--
Wrist Curl
Reverse Wrist Curl

Thursday.
------------
--CHEST--
Bench Press- 5set- 15 12 10 8 6
Incline Bench press-4set- 12 10 8 8
Decline Bench Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Butterfly- 4set- 12 12 12 12

--SHOULDERS--
Standing Press- 4set- 12 10 8 8
Seated Dumbbell Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Dumb bell Shrug- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Machine Shrug- 3set- 12 12 12
Side Lateral Raises-3set- 12 10 8
Front Plate Raise-3set- 12 10 8

--TRICEPTS--
One Arm triceps Ext.- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Weighted Bench Dip- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Lying Triceps Press-4set- 12 10 10 8
Triceps Push down-3set- 12 10 10

Friday.
-----------
-QUADS--
Leg ext- 5set- 15 12 12 10 10
Dumb bell Squats-6set- 12 12 10 10 8 6
Leg Press- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Machine Squats- 4set- 12 10 8 6

--HAMS--
Seated Leg Curl-4set-12 10 10 10
Standing Leg Curl-4set-12 12 10 8
Stiffed-leg Barbell Dead lift- 4 sets- 15, 12, 12, 10
Dumb bell Lunges- 3 sets- 20 each

--CALVES--
Standing Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each
Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each

Saturday.
-----------
--BACK--
Bent Over Barbell Row-4set- 15 12 10 8
One Arm Dumbbell Row-4set-12 10 10 8
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down-4set-12 10 10 10
Seated cable row- 4 sets- 15, 12, 10, 10

--BIS--
Barbell Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Dumbbell Curl-4set- 12 10 8 8
St Dumbbell Rev Grip Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Preacher Curl-3set- 12 12 12

--FOREARMS--
Wrist Curl
Reverse Wrist Curl

Sun
-----------
Rest

[pt]

I have been in school for the last 20 years for one thing or another-NO i'm not a nerd- just want to extend my learning base a little! In my studies, and working with some MD's in sport medicine, about the only thing we can agree on (as far as weight lifting goes) is the amount of rest a person needs after lifting, and to build muscle you have to get the muscle to hypertrophy.

We can agree that a person needs between 5 and 7 days of complete rest to repair the muscle fiber disruption, depending on the person and their ability to recover.

But with that said, it is perhaps the most controversial element of any training program is the optimal number of sets required to increase muscular hypertrophy. It concerns whether one set to failure is a sufficient stimulus to induce maximum hypertrophic adaptation or if multiple sets are required to elicit maximal muscular gains.

[pt]

Personally I think optimal hypertrophy training protocol uses a set of six to eight rep performed to the point of muscular failure using the heaviest possible load. The best stimulus for inducing maximum muscular hypertrophy is to lift a weight equal to 75 to 80% of your 1RM repeatedly to failure, until you can no longer complete another repetition. It's during the last all-out effort, the muscle is forced to contract all of its fibers, so at that point of momentary muscular failure, the max stimulus has been achieved.
So with using this training protocol, I usually start with a 12 rep warm up, increasing the weight after that to get to a 6 rep-to failure- for each body part i work that day.
So for example- if i'm working on the chest- I would do a 12 rep warm up with a weight that is relatively light, next set i would do 10 reps with a little heavier weight, then 8 reps, again with a heavier weight, with the last set of 6 reps with a weight that would bring me to failure with good form.
I believe in doing it this way, you are working the 2 biggest muscle fibers (the slow twitch, and the fast twitch) to failure causing max stimulus, in which causes max hypertrophy, in which causes max muscle growth.

[pt]

So this is the base of where I get my work out routine, Monday working the chest, shoulders and tri's. Wednesday working the quads, hams, and calves and friday working Back, Bi's, and forearms.

This sequence groups together body parts that share similar exercise biomechanics. The push exercise for the chest also recruit the deltoid and triceps muscle. In working the larger muscle first it serves as a warm up for working the smaller group, which follows later in the same work out. Having worked both of these muscle groups together in one work out, adequate rest is given before moving on to the pull exercises with the leg day splitting the two.
Like wise, the pull exercises for the back also recruit the biceps.

So the full week work out would look like;
Mon- push (chest, shoulders, tri's)
Wed- legs
Fri-pull (Back, Bi's, forearms)

This also gives the max amount of rest for each body part.

[pt]

The workout is 4 sets, set 1 is 12 reps, set 2 is 10 reps, set 3 is 8 reps and set 4 is 6 reps. Now when going into the 4th set, the weight should be high enough to bring you to failure for the body part you are working out. Now i have in the past misjudged the weight and have gone to light fo the 4th set, and so i would add another set with 6 reps with a heavier weight.

[pt]

Took the weekend and headed upstate for a nice bike ride. A lot of nice people to ride with, totally worth it.

Back to Monday and changed a few thing with the routine as my recovery time is faster.

--CHEST--
Bench Press- 5set- 15 12 10 8 6
Incline Bench press-4set- 12 10 8 8
Decline Bench Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Butterfly- 4set- 12 12 12 12

--SHOULDERS--
Standing Press- 4set- 12 10 8 8
Seated Dumbbell Press- 4set- 10 10 8 8
Dumb bell Shrug- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Machine Shrug- 3set- 12 12 12
Side Lateral Raises-3set- 12 10 8
Front Plate Raise-3set- 12 10 8

--TRICEPTS--
One Arm triceps Ext- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Weighted Bench Dip- 4set- 15 12 12 10
Lying Triceps Press-4set- 12 10 10 8
Triceps Push down-3set- 12 10 10

Started out with a 10min treadmill run and finished with a 30 min treadmill run.
Weight up to 188. Cont to have a very clean diet, no side effects to speak of.
However I do feel a difference with each work out- and I'm totally liking it!!

[pt]

Great work out today.
Really starting to feel the pump, and seeing the veins to pop across the chest, bi's and forearms.
Weight is at 189.3
Sides effects are still at bay. Don't really feel shut down with 3 pills a day, and libido is increased.
Have a over all feeling of confidence stepping in the gym.
Today;

-QUADS--
Leg ext- 5set- 15 12 12 10 10
Dumb bell Squats-6set- 12 12 10 10 8 6
Leg Press- 4set- 12 10 10 8
Machine Squats- 4set- 12 10 8 6

--HAMS--
Seated Leg Curl-4set-12 10 10 10
Standing Leg Curl-4set-12 12 10 8
Stiffed-leg Barbell Dead lift- 4 sets- 15, 12, 12, 10
Dumb bell Lunges- 3 sets- 20 each

--CALVES--
Standing Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each
Seated Calf Raises- 3 sets- 60 each

[pt]

so far I like what I'm seeing and better yet, I like what I'm feeling.
Another good work out, cont to feel the pump, while the vrins cont to pop out at me.

-BACK--
Bent Over Barbell Row-4set- 15 12 10 8
One Arm Dumbbell Row-4set-12 10 10 8
Wide Grip Lat Pull Down-4set-12 10 10 10
Seated cable row- 4 sets- 15, 12, 10, 10

--BIS--
Barbell Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Dumbbell Curl-4set- 12 10 8 8
St Dumbbell Rev Grip Curl-4set- 12 10 10 8
Preacher Curl-3set- 12 12 12

--FOREARMS--
Wrist Curl
Reverse Wrist Curl

No side effects as of yet, and still no feelng of being shut down, which I like. Weight is the same today.