Well my goals have changed a bit from my first log (Link) so I figure it's time for a new log. Initial goal is to follow Loco's footsteps and cut down to single digit body fat with a body building type routine, ideally without losing any strength. I have been spending WAY too much time in the gym recently so I need a change. Will run Loco's coach's basic BB routine for 2 months and eat 2400 cal/d and see how that goes. Plan to eventually move back to a 5/3/1 routine. I'm sick of running so will just cut that for now, doing a little incline walking instead.

Initial stats:
Weight - 215
BF - 17%
BP - 255
OHP - 180
DL - 300
Squat - 225

Saturday, Dec 1

DB Incline Flies - 20x15x2
Machine Flies - 84x15x2
Cable Crossovers - 30x20x2
OHP - 105x10x3
Rear Lat Raises - 7.5x15x2
Lat Raises - 5x20x2
Pronated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 80x20x2
Supinated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 50x20x2
Straight Bar Curl - 45x15x2
DB Hammer Curl - 15x15x2

1 min rest between sets, including between different exercises except for OHP which got 2 min. Total time 70min. Flies too light. OHP fine. Lats OMGWTF????!? Shoulders are on fire. And I'm moving just a tiny bit of weight.

Monday, Dec 3

DL - 185x10x4
Dimel DL - 135x10x3
Hypers - BWx15x3
Wide Pronated Pulldowns - 100x15x2
Seated Rows - "6"x20x2
Narrow Supinated Pulldowns - 80x15x3
Inverted Rows - BWx10x2
DB Shrugs - 80x15x3
Planks - 3x30s

Grip absolutely gave out. Found an abandoned pair of straps and used those to finish. Didn't feel **** in my lats today so need to go much harder there. Either way up on the lat pulldowns or throw in some pullups.

Wednesday, Dec 5

Dips - +25x10x5
Guillotine Press - 115x10x3
Incline DB BP - 40x10x3
DB Front/Side Raises - 7.5x12x2
BB Upright Rows - 65x12x2
Cable Face Pulls 80x12x2
Cable Curls/Overhead Tri Ext - 50x20x2

Pretty impressed I made it through the dips. Guess they're easier when you do those first. Guillotine press was humbling and hard as ****. shoulders STILL spent from Saturday so raises were brutal.

Friday, Dec7

Squats - 145x10x4
Leg Press 180x15x3
Hypers - BWx15x2
Leg Curls - 80x12x3
Leg Ext - 100x20x2
Ab/Adduction - 80x15x2
Calves - 135x20x3
Planks - 3x30s

Wanted to puke after 2 sets of squats. Legs jelly after 4 sets of squats ****tiest leg press machine ever. The part you lay on is ****ing curved. WTF? Impossible to keep my back in extension. Will look again for another machine. Otherwise will switch to front squats. By the time I finished, I was walking like a drunken sailor.

Saturday, Dec 8

DB Incline Flies - 20x15x2
Machine Flies - 96x15x2
Cable Crossovers - 40x20x2
OHP - 105x10x3
Rear Lat Raises - 7.5x15x2
Lat Raises - 5x20x2
Pronated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 90x20x2
Supinated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 60x20x2
Straight Bar Curl - 45x15x2
DB Hammer Curl - 20x15x2

Little better. Shoulder pump is super sick. Arms are fine.

Monday, Dec 10

DL - 185x10x4
Dimel DL - 145x10x3
Hypers - BWx15x3
Wide Pronated Pulldowns - 120x15x2
Seated Rows - "6"x20x2
Narrow Supinated Pulldowns - 100x15x3
Straight Arm Pulldowns - 60,50,40,30x10 with no rest
Planks - 3x30s

Better lat pump than before. Little skeptical about this whole program. Just don't feel like I'm doing real work without heavy BP and OHP. Will have to sit down and think this through.

Good luck with this, after the success story of your last log I definitely back you to succeed.

I'm a bit surprised at the change from running to incline walking, but if it works for you....

You can make some slight modifications to it for your liking. For example,

* I also think this routine ignores lats. Its more pectastic, that's for sure. So I usually do my ab work, grip work, and some pullups on a day off (approximately a few days from my back workout)

* We all know our bodies better than anybody else. If you feel heavy benching and heavy OHP is your thing, then do it. Just switch up the routine so your chest day looks like this

5/3/1/TM Bench
Incline Bench 2x10
Dips 3x10

Just lowered the volume a little bit. And there you have your hybrid routine. Just don't fack with the 4x10 deadlifts and 4x10 squats. Those are the crown jewels.

I also had problems with the legpress. After watching my videos, Coach quickly removed them from my workout. You can replace them with 3x15 1-arm swings or Bulgarian DB split squats. The swings burn a buttload of calories. The DB split squats really work the glutes but don't burn as much calories.


On a random note. The first few months I was always bitchin and whining and I told my coach, what's up with all the pulldowns?? I want to do some pullups. He said,

"Yeah I prefer to put my trainees on pullups actually. Can you do 3x15 after those deadlifts?"

He always had responses like that where I would all of a sudden just go quiet and I would say, nevermind that makes perfect sense.

That's pretty sick that you can get through the back and leg workouts no problem. Really points to your conditioning bro. You are a former fatty but your heart is probably now as healthy as a horse.

looks cool, thinking about doing something similar. is the idea 1 minute between iso sets and 2 minutes between compound sets?

That's correct. I actually take closer to 3 minutes on the deadlift. I can't hang, I not enough heart.

OP are those #'s in the first post your 1RMs? how are you calculating the weights you use for squats/press/deads?

Thanks, Red! I have a weird love/hate relationship with running. I have no desire to run outside when it's cold and don't really love running on a treadmill. Plus this lets me effectively cut the impact of spending so much time in the gym as I can study while I walk but couldn't really study and run, even on a treadmill.

Thanks, bro! Lot of credit to 5/3/1 BBB program when I was still doing lower body lifts I mostly just set my big lower body lifts at the 5x10 weights so I was pretty sure I could do it. Admittedly the rest of the volume left me exhausted and I'm still barely able to walk up and down stairs... And I really hope my heart isn't too ****ed from being a fatty for a few years.

Yeah, they're 1RM's for BP and OHP and best guesses/recent lifts for squat and DL. I'm using this routine http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=34845 and in the first post he describes an equivalent strength routine. I just estimated that I would do 80% of the upper body strength routine and then adjusted the weights accordingly on the body building routine. Lower lift weights calculated by using recent high volume weights for the main lifts and then scaling appropriately.

I stumbled on your 1st log read the whole damn thing and noticed how you crushed. Gl sir!

Thanks!

Have noticed a few issues creeping in with my current plan. First, I've had several times where I wake up feeling hot and I'm all sweaty. If I hadn't read that other folks on metabolic programs had the same problem, I'd be worried. Loco, any experience with this? I've had to turn my thermostat way down and use fewer than normal blankets. Not sure why. I've also had more trouble sleeping recently. Not sure if it's at all related to my workouts or just because I'm on a month of night shift where it's all ****ed up anyway... Then I'm having trouble with the idea of eating the exact same amount of calories every day. I like free days occasionally and there are good physiologic reasons to have them. I think I'm going to try two days at 3400 and 5 days at 2000 (same as 7 days at 2400). That would make it easy to have pizza or tacos or something 2 days per week and easier to grind the normal days. Oh and throwing in pullups in sets of 5 just randomly to help with lat/back work.

Wednesday, Dec 5

Dips - +25x10x5 increase next week
Guillotine Press - 115x10x3
Incline DB BP - 40x10x3 increase next week
DB Front/Side Raises - 7.5x12x2 increase next week
BB Upright Rows - 65x12x2
Cable Face Pulls 100x12x2
Cable Curls/Overhead Tri Ext - 60x20x2
Planks - 3x30s
Neutral grip pullups - 5,5

Saturday, Dec 15

Squats - 155x10x4
Leg Press 180x15x3
Hypers - +10x15x2
Leg Curls - 80x12x3
Leg Ext - 100x20x2
Ab/Adduction - 100x15x2
Calves - 135x20x3
Planks - 2x30s

Squatting still makes me want to puke. Will need to hold weight steady next week. Found a leg press that doesn't force my back into a flexed position, so will stick with that for now. Starting to get the hang of hypers. Can probably move up quickly there. Last week the worst DOMS was from calf raises. Considered skipping those this week, but everything felt better by the time I lifted today, so gave it another go.

Sunday, Dec 16

OHP - 110x10x3
DB Incline Flies - 25sx15x2
Machine Flies - 108x15x2
Reverse Flies - 60x15x2
Cable Crossovers - 40x20x2
Lat Raises - 7.5x20x2
Pronated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 90x20x2
Supinated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 70x20x2
Straight Bar Curl - 50x15x2
DB Hammer Curl - 20x15x2

Moved OHP to the first lift to make sure I could do it as fresh as possible. Probably had one more set in me. Shoulders still pretty lit up by the program, but slightly spreading out the lifts helped. I have no real feelings right now on the chest work on this particular day. It's okay, but I'm not sure I'm really doing that much with all those flies. Arms are adapting ******edly quickly. Will probably have to add in an extra arm day soon or ... something. Oh and all the lifts above took 36 minutes total. Pretty freaking sweet.

Tuesday, Dec 18

DL - 205x10x4
Dimel DL - 155x10x3
Hypers - +10x15x3
Wide Pronated Pulldowns - 130x15x2
Seated Rows - "7"x20x2
Narrow Supinated Pulldowns - 110x15x3
Straight Arm Pulldowns - 70,60,50,40,30x10 with no rest

Okay, this is just pathetic. Back got a tiny pump but my forearms and hands got blown out of the water. Should have my straps before the next back workout. DL can still move a ton. Pulldowns and rows too. Kinda like the straight arm pulldowns. Seems sorta fun and gives my hands a rest. Diet is confirmed 100% crap. Like deep fried mayo topped with cinnamon and sugar-type crap. I'm giving up for the next 3 days then get back on it hard once the Christmas parties get over.

Look up inverted rows. You can add 2xfailure of those. Or some tbar rows. But I am with you, lats in general are hard to target. I like pulldowns but one underrated exercise is pullovers. The Hammer strength pullover machine blasts pecs, back, triceps, biceps, and abs. 2x20. Profit.

Lol yeah I'm supposed to be doing inverted rows but my grip can't hold my weight by that point in the workout!!! I think as soon as I get straps, I'll be good to go. If this trend keeps up even after getting straps I'm either adding MORE pull ups (cause nothing else I've done fatigues my lats like pull ups) or 5x10 Pendlay rows. Really felt like that was a good lift. But I'm just getting started so we'll see.

On a broscience side note, I talked to a personal training friend who is quite huge and has at least in the past used PED's. He was convinced that if I switched from more strength based programming to a hypertrophy focus, that I could add 5 lbs of muscle over a pretty short period of time. No clue how true that is, but interesting. I've also been reading Loco's coach's posts and he REALLY believes in cutting to 5-8% BF before bulking. Thinks it makes maintaining in the 8-10% range much easier, even while bulking. Very curious to see if it'll work. Oh and Loco, get on that new log already!

Thursday, Dec 20

Dips - +30x10x5
Guillotine Press - 115x10x3
Incline DB BP - 45x10x3
DB Front/Side Raises - 10x12x2
BB Upright Rows - 65x12x2
Cable Face Pulls 110x12x2
Cable Curls/Overhead Tri Ext - 60x20x2

Happy end of the world!!! Straps came in today, but no real chance to use them. I guess I could have used them on BP and been a real bro, but nah. On the other hand, if the world ends, it'll really be a waste. Sa da tay. Super tired today, but made it through. Probably the million extra calories I've taken in this week. Dips tough but manageable. Need to increase guillotine and incline next week. Would like to replace upright rows with something less likely to **** up my shoulders. God I'm so ****ing excited to use my straps and now my next workout is legs

I don't like upright rows either. I feel my traps do everything and there is also a slight tinge in my shoulder when I do them.

And no log for now. I have been eating at maintence and I am scared to bulk. That's the life of a former fatty turned healthnut tinybro. Scared to pound them calories.

Saturday, Dec 22

Squats - 155x10x4
Leg Press 180x15x3
Hypers - +10x15x2
Leg Curls - 90x12x3
Leg Ext - 100x20x2
Ab/Adduction - 110x15x2
Calves - 160x20x3
Planks - 3x30s

Waaaaay better than before. Squats are still tough to get through with only 2 min of rest between sets but actually manageable now and I feel like I can actually push a bit on leg press where before I was just wobbling my way through. Rest of the lifts I could chase the burn instead of trying to just recover. Very happy with progress here in just a few weeks. Also, the world didn't end. A+ there. Diet is still absolute ****, but I'm done with the parties now and I'm ready to get back to the grind.

Sunday, Dec 23

OHP - 115x10x3
DB Incline Flies - 25sx15x2
Machine Flies - 120x15x2
Reverse Flies - 72x15x2
Cable Crossovers - 40x20x2
Lat Raises - 10x20x1, 7.5x20x1
Pronated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 100x20x2
Supinated Cable Tri Pushdowns - 70x20x2
Straight Bar Curl - 60x15x2
DB Hammer Curl - 20x15x2

Didn't quite make it through the OHP. Last set was 7 + 30s rest + 3. Ah well. Next time. Somehow the shoulders have been achy and never seem to 100% recover ever since I started this program. WTF? I was OHP'ing the **** out of them on 5/3/1 and didn't have this issue. Are side raises really that brutal??? Crazy pump there, biceps and triceps felt blown up by the end of all those curls/extensions. I just hope like hell I haven't wasted nearly a month now and gotten way weaker. Diet is omgwtf bad. I've gained 5 lbs over the last 3 weeks Am considering breaking my jaw so I stop eating holiday cookies ...

Tuesday, Dec 25

DL - 210x10x4
Dimel DL - 155x10x3
Hypers - +25x15x3
Wide Pronated Pulldowns - 140x15x2
Seated Rows - "7"x20x2
Narrow Supinated Pulldowns - 120x15x3
Inverted Rows - 8, 7
DB Shrugs - 85x15x3
Straight Arm Pulldowns - 70,60,50,40,30x10 with no rest

Got to play with my straps!! While that helped a lot, **** this ****. I don't understand what dimel DL's are doing for me besides emphasizing glute activation which I do pretty decently already. So, going to move to 5x10 on DL and then do 5x10 Pendlay rows instead of the dimels. Should still give me the epoc and DL work plus help me hit my lats better. Gonna increase the sets of wide pronated pulldowns to 3 and decrease the supinated to 2. Straps are MUCH easier for me to use pronated rather than supinated. Will consider possibly moving to all pronated. PS dumbells are the easiest to strap into and get the straps tight.

Also, I am so ****ing fat. OMG WTF????? Christmas is the devil. But now it's over. Walking at an incline is helping me study more, but running helped a LOT more with weight loss.

Thursday, Dec 27

Dips - +25x10x5
Guillotine Press - 125x10x3
Incline DB BP - 50x8x3
DB Front/Side Raises - 10x12x2
BB Upright Rows - 65x12x2
Cable Face Pulls 110x12x2
Cable Curls/Overhead Tri Ext - 70x20x2

Soooo, super fat this week so I dropped 5lbs on dips... Not really sure if that's the way it should go, but there it is. Gonna go back up next week. Increased guillotines and incline DB BP at the same time. Probably not the best plan, couldn't quite make it through the DB's. Will keep that the same next week. Couldn't think of something to replace upright rows, so did them again. Need to go up next week to 70 or 75lbs if I keep doing them. Facepulls need to go up next week. Curls/extensions were perfect. Gonna start posting cals/protein every day cause I think I need some accountability, at least for the next couple weeks until I'm back in the groove.

1853/138p - started eating right in the middle of the day and sacrificed total protein to keep cals low. Tomorrow will be better.

Replacing the dimels with the pendlay's probably a good idea. Glen says they have highest EMG results for lats.

Dimels hit up the hams decently. But I think they are mainly thrown in there for people who are weak on the deadlift right around the knee area. They are pretty good for practicing the humping the bar cue.

Can't believe you gain weight doing this much volume. Don't lie, you know were pounding 3 dimes+ worth of calories everyday. If you did high volume with your incline walking and ate around 2200 calories pretty sure you be ripped in 4 months.

But maybe you were doing even more volume before. You definitely burnt the most calories in H&F for 2012. Running + volume lifting = sicko.

3 dimes?? Lol, my maintenance is higher than that. Try 5-6, some days were undoubtedly even higher. I can eat when I want to. It disgusts and amuses me in equal parts. That's how I know I'll never be able to completely relax and cruise wrt diet. Oh well. Volume is slightly higher now than when I was on 5/3/1 but the cardio is a lot less. 1.5-2 hours of walking 5degrees @ 3.5 mph per week instead of 15-20 miles running with at least 1-2 hard runs. But that's easy enough to account for by eating closer to 2000 than 3000 cal/d.

I'm actually really curious about the 4 month prediction. I'll tell you what. I'll stay on my current program through the end of April, post daily calorie/protein counts, weekly weights and monthly progress pics. That should help keep me focused. Probably will want to test strength at the end of Feb and end of April to see how that goes too. Then if I'm actually ripped, I can go back to 5/3/1 bodybuilding for a bit to try to get my strength up a bit more. Goal calories for at least the first 2 months:

Sun 1800
Mon 2200
Tues 1600
Wed 3200
Thurs 1600
Fri 1800
Sat 3200

Average 2200

Jesus you really do pound them calories. I mean its one of the benefits of high volume. My coach says he pounds 10000-12000 some cheat days.. Said I should take him out for lunch sometime so I can see him order half the restaurant.

2200 is probably too low. I am guessing your BMR + sedentary lifestyle is around 2400-2500 (assuming you weigh around 195). So if you were to do very little exercise you would stay at a constant weight at 2500 calories. At 2200 calories a day you would probably lose close to 2 pounds a week with this programming (-3500 weekly from exercise -2800 from food deficit). Well unless you got Dem GENEZ and make some muscle.

You would be a skinny dude within 16 weeks. Then Snitch would laugh at you. 2500 calories may be better. But tracking everyday is half the battle no matter what that DYEL Soulman says. He says he can eat around the same everyday without tracking. Lol lol. I tracked everyday for 6 months and know most foods off the top of my head. And when I stopped tracking I was as lost as ever as to how much fuel I had given my body. No clue. Ever.

Must track. Everyone. Not tracking is like ripping the fuel gauge off the car and having an infinite capacity tank. And you just fill and fill til you think your car is full. You know what's going to happen right?? Fat as **** car, that's what.