Well, in my post over on the gen. discussion I went into the problems I've been having lately, and looking at my log here I did a bit of last year, my strength has gone down just slightly (as well as size a little bit). Depressing to say the least, but I've come back with a vengeance.

Looking at it, this summer was probably to blame, but sept/oct have not done much (my sept bulk stage failed). I think one of the problems was a diet that hasn't been the strictest, so I've cleaned that up, and I'm also going back to a more traditional training. I think I just needed a mental break, or my body just died, or something, who knows...but I hate the way I feel and look and need to be back to the monster I FELT like.

So anwyays, here's the general plans for the split/diet...if you don't want to read all the specifics/don't want to critique it, just go on to the first reply from me to see the start of the training log. Going for a more traditional 8-10 rep range, anytime it goes above 12 I drop reps by 4 and go up in weight. Typical 3 reps for small groups, 4 for large.

My overall goal is to be at the same exact weight/reps I was at shown at the end of my previous logs by the end of december, so I have 5 full weeks to get it done...here's hoping.

Split:
Monday
---------
Bench Press
Flys
Pullovers (Light)
Dips
Pushdowns
Overhead Press
Forearms

Tuesday
-----------
Military Press
Dumbbell Laterals
Rear Delts
Shrugs

Wednesday
-----------
OFF (To avoid overtraining, full body rest)

Thursday
-----------
Deadlift
Bent Heavy Rows
Wide-Grip Pullups
Preacher Curls
Incline Curls
Forearms

Friday
----------
Squat
Calves
Abs

Diet:
Breakfast (750 cals)
------------
Skim Milk--150
4 Egg White Omelette w/ Turkey & Brocolli --250
Orange Juice --100
Oatmeal--200

Lunch(700 cals)
----------
Skim Milk--150
Sandwhich--300
Brown Rice--175
Salad--125

Snack(250 cals)
----------
Peanut Butter on Wheat Bread

Dinner(750 cals)
----------
Milk--150
Salad--125
Main Course--475

Snack #2(200 Cals)
---------
Tuna on Wheat Bread w/Miracle Whip

Protein Shakes (300 cals)
---------
Two times a day (post workout & before bed)

Total Cals: 3,000
Supplementation: BCAA, Flax Seed, Multivitamin

Thanks, I think I'll throw hamstrings in as well to work that are a little better too. Also as far as protein goes, I'm 145 pounds and I'd be taking upwards of 50g a meal, 25g from each shake, so I'd be at 200 grams of protein as it is, not counting the snacks which could bump it to around 225, almost 2 grams per pound of body weight stretched throughout the day.

Things are definately down a bit but I have no doubt I can get back up to speed by christmas:

Dumbbell Press (Flat)
------------------
12x35
12x40
10x50
9x60
5x70
(I know this is a lot of sets but I was trying to get a feel for dumbbells again after doing barbell and set a precedent for the following weeks)

Incline Flys
-------------------
10x25
10x40
8x50
(sooo much down from before, but I also am doing them slightly slower and more controlled than I used to)

Some Machine that works Lower Pecs/Press
--------------------
10x110
10x130
8x150, 4x130 (Burnout)
(Did these more as a quick little pump to my chest than anything else, and doing forced negatives)

Close Grip Press
--------------------
10x85
8x100
8x110
8xBodyweight for dips for burnout
(Sooooo weak...but then again I've never done triceps on chest day before)

Pushdowns (Cable)
--------------
12x90
11x110
10x130

Overhead Press
---------------
10x50
10x60
8x75

All in all, it was a good workout and it'll probably take another week to get used to higher volume/bodybuilding style I'm used to after dicking around with doing max sets and more strength. I couldn't get a really good pump in my triceps since they were so fatigued from helping out chest for the two pressing movements, but I guess I'll get used to it in time, or drop the weight a bit to get a better pump/burn in them. Only 4 more weeks to go up in weight here and there, so hope this is a good start.

easy on the tricep sets there buddy! they were already preexahsuted, and they're a smaller muscle group!

good work

DB Press
----------
12x25(Warmup)
11x30
10x40
9x50
6x60

Rear Delt Machine
---------------------
12x110
12x130
10x150 (4x130 for burnout)

DB Laterals
---------------
15x15 (Sitting)
12x25 (Standing)
10x30 (Standing)

DB Shrugs
------------
15x50 (Warmup)
12x65
10x75 (6x55 for furnout)

Markus Ruhl Style Bench Cable/Bar Raise
--------------
76 pounds for 20 repetitions just for pump

While overall poundages have dropped down I can feel my energy and body started to get used to this kind of routine once more, and the revised diet is helping a bit too (to make tuffy happy I added another snack in between my post-shake and dinner of some PB and wheat bread). I already look and feel a little better and more pumped, so hopefully at the end of this week the whole body will be primed for overdrive.

Off day, and I feel like I need it. I feel this 2 day on, 1 day off, 2 day on, 2 day off split will be a staple of my lifting, it really gives me more rest than I had when I was doing 5 days straight.

sounds like a good idea to me G

Deadlifts
-----------
12xDa' Bar
12x25 pound plate on each side (I am bad at math fuck this)
10x45 pound plate on each side
8x45&25 pounds plate on each side

Wide-Grip Pullups
----------------
12x45 lbs. assisted rest
10x20 lbs. assisted rest
10x20 lbs. assisted rest, (4x30 lbs. resisted rest for burnout)

Heavy Rows
--------------
(Note to self: These fucking suck after doing deads ...)
12x25 pound plate on each side
10x45 pound plate on each side
8x45&5 pound plate on each side

Preacher Curls
---------------
12xEZBar+35 (I don't know what the EzBar weighs)
9xEZBar+45
6x4EZBar+55 (21's but with 5 each for burnout, instead of 7 each, so I guess they weer 15's)

Cable Curls (W/Bar)
----------------
12x60
12x78
10x86 (6x48 double cable bicep pose for burnout)

I got a LOT out of my biceps routine today, a great warmup from the chin-ups when the lats died, and I did my curls a LOT stricter after watching the latest fitTV thingy on BB.com. Turns out I too was using my front delts too much for biceps, and boy I like the difference. Dead as fuck from deads, we'll see how I feel for heavy squats tomorrow

Lower back is pretty sore, my biceps are so trashed it hurts just to lift my 20 pound backpack to go to class.

Squats
--------
12x95 (Warmup)
10x135
8x155
4x185 (6x415 on sitting squat machine for burnout)
The problem with squats was my back was so blasted from yesterday that I had actually fallen forward going up on the 5th squat. My legs could take it but not my weakened back as a base, so I finished up on the machine. Hopefully next week I'll be more used to this and it won't happen again.

Calf Raises
------------
12x90
10x110
9x140

That's all I did today for legs...I have to bike a lot during the weekend for work (40 minutes a day, plus 40 minutes TONIGHT since they called me in), so I kept the machine for quads and hams out today until my body is more used to it next week.

Abs
-----
Bunch of stuff, mix of machines and burnout sets with only body weight for upper, lower, and side abs.

Whats your job?

Assistant produce manager and meat room cleaner at Piggly Wiggly. Easy job, but it's a 20 minute bike ride there, and a 20 minute bike ride back. Saves a TON of money by not having my car up here though, not having to pay gas, fluids, insurance, etc etc.

Hmmmm...not sure what to say other than sets, reps, and weights were almost identical to the week before. The only exception is that I had 5 less pounds on close grip press, and I did incline bench press and decline flys to hit the upper and lower pecs.

Still, I got a much better pump and feeling in my triceps and a little better pump in my chest than I did last week, so either my form was better or my body isn't ready to go up in weight I suppose.

at least you haven't given up or something i suppose

Woot woot, went up in weight and reps here and there on shoulder day!

DB Military Press
--------------------
12x30
10x40
10x50
6x60

Rear Delt Machine
---------------------
14x130
12x140
10x155

DB Laterals
-------------
15x15
12x20
12x25
12x30

Shrugs
--------
15x50
15x60
10x75
6x80

Rainy day, real cold, shitty soaked bike ride over, but it seems the day you have to FORCE yourself to go lift you really wind up lifting well. I was happy with the increases overall, hoping to increase the military press the most though.

Edit: On a side note, today is the first day my legs were back to normal, with tomorrow being 100% again. I wish my chest workouts forced me to be so sore for almost 4 days straight.

Wednesday was a day off, today went pretty darn well.

Deadlifts
----------
Same as last week

Lat Pulldown
-----------
12x150
10x175
10x200 (4x175 for burnout)
Definately gonna bump the weight up 5 pounds on all of these next week

Heavy Rows
--------------
Same as last week, but with last set being 45+10 pound weight on each side for one rep less, so a slight improvement.

Preacher Curls
----------------
13xEZBar+35
10xEZBar+55
6xEZBar+60 (3x55 for burnout)
15's on the BB for burnout at end

Cable Curls (Bar)
-------------------
12x72
10x77
8x84 (4x60 for burnout, 6x32 on cable bicep pose for burnout)

Great arms day for pumps...back day was a little off but I'm happy with the lat pulldown going up more than it used to be (I think thanks to doing more wide grip chinups, gonna switch between the two every two weeks) and biceps getting a good workout.

Leg day went much better this week than last week once they all healed up and I'm back in a leg routine.

Squats
---------
Warmup with bar for 20 or so
12x135
10x155
8x185

Woot, back held up as did legs, didn't fall over and really busted on up. Also legs felt great so...

Hamstring Machine
-------------------
12x90
10x100
9x110

Quad Machine
---------------
10x90
10x110
8x130

Calves
--------
12x90
10x110
8x140

Doing abs later in the evening, the extra leg exercises took up time and I got tired. Feeling frisky I busted out a few sets of isolation for my forearms before the weekend.

Went for something a little different this week, but I think the results were good.

Incline Bench Press
--------------------
Barbell for da' warmup
12x95
10x135
6x155
4x165 (4x135 for burnout)

Wanted to really get weight up so I threw a little more weight on for a last set, was pretty happy I got a good 3 up with struggling on the 4th, then a burnout set to finish that off.

Standing Cable Flys Upper Pecs
-----------------------
12x48
12x60

These were mainly just as an additonal killing to my upper pecs.

Lower Pec Machine Thingy (You push it)
------------------
12x110
10x130
10x150

Defiantely gonna bump this up in some weight next week, it went really well and I got a good pump in my lower pecs, so I think an extra 5 pounds on each set is a good start.

Standing Cable Flys Lower Pecs
------------------------
12x48
12x53

Again, just to round out and really blast the lower pec. Once I did all chest it was really pumped, felt great.

Close Grip Press (Triceps)
-------------------
Bar (Warmup)
10x95
8x115
5x125 (4x95 for burnout)

These are so heavy and pre-exhausted that I usually need to do a burnout for the good pump and blood flow in my triceps and get them really sore. Still, I went up in weight so yay!

Cable Pushdowns
-------------------
12x90
10x120
8x130 (4x120 for burnout)

All in all a good day. Incline bench went up a tiny bit (Still kinda mad I don't see quick results with this), lower pec machine went up and can go up a bit more, and triceps went up a decent amount. Much better because I was frustrated last week when weights didn't go up at all (close grip actually went down).

Switched up the order and exercises today to try and stimulate some new growth and get some feeling for what I could do that was comparable to some staple exercises I had last year...

Lat Pulldown Machine
---------------------
15x130 (Warmup)
12x155
11x180
10x205 (4x155 for burnout)

Everything went up 5 pounds, it felt heavy as shit today especially being the first exercise but the lats feel great.

Heavy Rows
--------------
12x95
8x135
6x155 (4x135 for burnout, 4x 115for burnout)
The triple drop set on the last set felt absolutely great in my upper back, I reccomend this!

Seated Cable Rows
-----------------------
12x108
10x120
8x132 (6x120 for burnout)
These weren't too heavy but were mainly for a quick pump in my back and to really feel the muscles in my lats and middle back...the lower back has a weird twitch and numb sensation so I didn't want to do deads today and make it worse.

Preacher Curls
----------------
13xEZBar+35
9xEZBar+45
6xEZBar+55 (8xBarbell, standing curls, dor burnout)

Seated Incline DB Curls
-----------------
12x25
10x30
8x35 (4x25 for burnout)

I really had to bust balls to get 8 out on 35...I know it's a little less than what I could do before but I haven't done single arm DB curls in a long time, and I was doing quite a bit more preacher curl weight than I could last year too.

Overall, a good workout, my arms were huge at the end so I guess that's a good thing, and my back feels pretty good too.

Shot on the gains man. MAY THEY CONTINUE LOLOL

Boy I sure hope that I can see some gains and HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK!

So I read about Max-OT, thought it was kind of gimmicky, but hey, I figure I'll give it a try being legs and shoulders today (gotta combine 4 days into 3 because of thanksgiving break/gym closed). See, apparently they saw I warm up the wrong way and that I do the wrong rep ranges, so I changed it up, and here are the results...

Squat
-------
12xBar (warmup)
10x95 (Warump)
10x135 (Warump)
6x185 (Acclimation Set)
3x225 HOLY MOTHER OF CHRIST FUCK YEAH

I couldn't believe it...so much in fact that on going down I almost fell forward when going up, I didn't think I'd make it. I was pumped to be sure and I have no doubt now knowing I can do it that I can clean my form up a bit (I always tilt forward) and do a good 4 at 225. Fuck YEAH.

Dumbbell Military/Shoulder Press
---------------------------------------
10x25 (Warmup)
10x35 (Warmup)
8x45 (Warmup)
4x50 (Acclimation Set)
7x60 HOLY FUCK YES

Quad Machine
----------------
11x110
10x130
9x150

Lateral Raises
----------------
10x20
10x25
8x30
7x35

Calf Raise Machine
---------------------
11x90
10x135
8x180

DB Shrugs
------------
10x50
10x65
8x75
8x80

Everything went up. EVERYTHING. I know I toned down reps by 4 or so on a lot of the earlier sets, but I think it was all worth it to feel myself blasting through heavier weight at MORE reps than I could get with LIGHTER weight before. I will officialy begin to gradually shift over to this style and get a feel for heavier weight before I go into a 12 week max-OT program after christmas.