Alex's Journey

Let’s start with pictures:

In the first picture I’m halfway through my cutting diet at about 173lbs, the second picture I’m at the end of my cutting diet at 153lbs. In the final picture I’m done my clean bulk at 170lbs. My focus now is strength while still eating a clean but fairly loose on weekends bulking diet.

Also I owe many thanks to www.BombDoctor.com for helping my muscles heal quick and painlessly, after a hard squat and a bath I feel ready for another workout. Muscle Soreness is a thing of the past.

My Youtube weight loss results, thought I would post again for motivation

Now that you’ve seen some real results I can take you through what my routine looked like.
All sets we’re taken to failure, not close to failure. Failure. Each week I would push myself to do 1-2 more reps than the last week. If I was not successful I would implement a dropset. Upping the intensity. The nature of this program is to be as progressive as possible.  8-12 reps for all sets once you hit 12 reps up the weight. 2 Sets per exercise. Yes only 2 sets so make them count. Each body part was worked twice per week. I got good results with this program for 6 to 7 weeks before you get too sore to continue. I would take a one week break or go easy for one week every 6th or 7th week.

Monday
Incline BB Bench
Flat DB Bench
DB Pullover
Pullups
Close grip pulley row
Smith machine shoulder press
Side raise
Bent over rear delt raise
BB Shrugs
Crunches
Hanging Leg Raises

Tuesday
BB Curl
Incline DB Curl
V-Bar Pressdowns
Skullcrushers
Smith machine calf raise
Seated calf raise
Smith Squat
Leg extension
Stiff Leg deadlift
Oblique ball twists

Thursday
Decline Smith Bench Press
Incline DB Bench
DB Pullover
Closegrip Pulldowns
Wide-grip Bent over BB Row
Shoulder DB Press
Upright Row
DB Shrug
Incline Leg Raise
Crunches

Friday
BB Preacher curl
DB alternate curl
single arm DB overhead tricep extension
Close-grip Bench Press
Leg Press Calf raise
Leg Press

In the gym I like to ask questions and I direct these questions at people who have something I want. Like a 315 pound bench press at a bodyweight under 200 pounds. One of the answers I got was this routine. I used it and got great results. With these programs your much more likely to see results as a novice compared to bodybuilding programs, because bodybuilding programs have to be manipulated more complexly and you need to pay strict attention to your diet, not so with powerlifting for strength.

Here’s a 6 week powerlifting routine designed for pure strength and minimal size. This was the first program I followed and also the first time I used creatine. The program is based off of percentages of your 1 Rep Max. A 1 Rep Max is the most amount of weight you can press with proper form, one time. Take long rest intervals of 3 to 5 minutes between sets for total recovery, unlike the typical bodybuilding 1-2 minutes.

I applied this program to my bench press and squat. Also I did bodybuilding assistance exercises for my arms, shoulders, and back. I started at a 200lb x 1 Squat and a 185 x 1 Bench  and 6 weeks the result was a 220lb x 1 Squat and a 215lb x 1 Bench with a bodyweight of less than 160lbs. I followed a Monday Wednesday Friday layout.

                          Day 1                                  Day 2                                        Day 3                     

Week 1     %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps         %80 @ 6 sets x 3 reps        %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps
Week 2     %80 @ 6 sets x 4 reps         %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps        %80 @ 6 sets x 5 reps
Week 3     %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps         %80 @ 6 sets x 6 reps        %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps
Week 4     %85 @ 5 sets x 5 reps         %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps        %90 @ 4 sets x 4 reps
Week 5     %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps         %95 @ 3 sets x 3 reps        %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps
Week 6     %100 @ 2 sets x 2 reps      %80 @ 6 sets x 2 reps        New 1 Rep Max

You really have to leave your ego at the door when doing this routine. The weights will seem light in the beginning and you may be tempted to up the weight early or push out more reps. I reccomend sticking to the prescribed weight and rep scheme. Use good form and in 6 weeks youll be pressing some impressive weights.

Good luck!

This is a routine designed for maximum strength not hypertrophy(muscle size). The maximum strength phase will last 
9 weeks. After that I may decide to transition into an 8 week hypertrophy phase. I probably included too many exercises and most people would want to cut out the isolation ones and do more sets of compound movements instead.

I have more time on my hands so I am going to incorporate a full body routine 3 days a week, then training
my aerobic system on off days so as to allow the two different energy systems to recover seperately.

Glycogen restoration takes about 24 hours and protein synthesis should take 48 hours to recover.
Some weeks or days may be easier than others to help facilitate an active recovery.  None of these lifts will be done to failure. If the program feels too easy I may consider increasing the amount of sets done per session. Currently I am on week 3.

Strength Program

Full body Maximum Strength routine Mon/Weds/Fri

Here are my exercises and starting 1 Rep Max’s using a full range of motion, bench press touching the chest, squats going below parallel, and full pullups etc.. For weighted bodyweight exercises I’ll just cycle light, heavy, and superheavy days.

Deadlift – 265lbs
Squat – 190lbs
Bench Press – 180lbs
Bent Over Rows – 160lbs
Military Press – 110lbs
Weighted Pullup – aprox 3 reps with 20lbs
Weighted Dip – aprox 4 reps with 50lbs
Ab machine – 72.5lbs
Knee Raise – aprox 5 reps with 40lbs
Calf Raise – 190lbs
Periodization of Routine (%of 1RM/Reps/Sets) Used for all barbell lifts

Weeks
1  Mon 70/8/1  Fri:  80/6/2
2  Mon  80/6/2 Weds  85/5/3  Fri  95/2/1
3  Mon  85/5/2  Weds  90/3/3  Fri  95/2/1
4  Mon 80/6/2  Fri  85/4/1
5  Mon  85/5/2  Weds  90/3/3  Fri  95/2/1
6  Mon  90/3/2  Weds  95/2/2  Fri  100/1/2
7 Mon  80/6/3 
8  Mon  85/5/1  Weds  90/3/3  Fri  95/2/2
9  Mon  90/3/2  Weds  95/2/3  Fri  100/1/2
Aerobic endurance Program

Tues/Thurs/Sat/Sun

30minute Steep Hike without any resting periods

Each sessions shall progressively get harder through
#1 A weighted backpack
#2 Distance

The weight should increase slowly at about %10 avg per week until I reach 30lbs.
When the weight has increased to 30 I will increas the distance to a 45 minute hike then progressively add weight.

Diet

I’ve calculated my maintnance intake at about 2300 so I’m going to start conservatively at 2500 calories a day. With about 210 grams of protein at a bodyweight of 153lbs. Macronutrient ratio is something like 40% carbs/35% protein / 25% fat.

Supplements

Multivitamin, fish oil capsules, zinc, and calcium. Why calcium? my diet doesn’t include alot of dairy and probably does not supply my 1000mg rda.

I’ve slowly upped calories from 1800 to about 2800 during the course of 2-3 weeks I have gained about 3 pounds along with a lot of strength and no really noticable difference in the mirror.

Breakfast

2 Eggs      - 160 calories
2 Slices of Whole Wheat Bread  - 200 calories
Grapefruit    - 120 calories
Added Egg white    - 20-40 calories

Morning Snack 9:00 AM

1oz (25 Count) Whole Kernal Almonds - 160 calories
Apple     - 60 calories

Lunch  11:30 AM

(14 Count) Olives   - 90 calories
1/2 Cup Long Grain Brown Rice  - 120 calories
2 Cups Cabbage w/ low calorie dressing - 60 calories
Whole Wheat Wrap   - 200 calories
chicken     - 160 calories

Protein Shake    - 120 calories
1 tsp Flax Oil    - 40 calories

Afternoon Shake 2:00 PM

Protein Shake    - 120 calories
Flax Oil    - 40 calories
Pear     - 60 calories

Afternoon Snack 4:30 PM
    
Can of Tuna    - 120 calories
10 Baby Dill Pickles   - 50 calories
Oats     - 120 calories
Peanut Butter    - 90 calories

*Workout*

Dinner  6:00 PM

Oats     - 120 calories
PB     - 90 calories
120g Chicken Breast   - 200 calories
140g (5″ Long Stalk) Broccoli  - 100 calories
Bedtime Shake 8:00 PM

*4 1000mg Capsules Salmon Fish Oil - 40 calories
Protein Shake    - 120 calories
1 Cup Green Beans   - 50  calories
*7.5mg Zinc

    Calorie Total = 2830

aprox.
275.5g carbs 231.5g protein 77.5g fat

Here we go in the before pictures I’m 185lbs in the after pictures I am 150lbs. All done using the information on this web site.

Big improvement no? Lets take a look at the back shots:

Heres my Youtube video

Last Week’s Photos:

Current Photos of today:

My current weight in these photos is actually 150.5, a half pound heavier. I cycled my calories above and below 1800 all week and ended up at 149.5 on friday. I felt VERY lethargic and basically sloth-like at work. I’m not going to be continuing any further with fat loss, muscle loss at this point will probably accelerate and I probably won’t be able to maintain a bodyfat % any lower. I’m going to maintain what i have now, strength train (not for hypertrohpy, for functional maximal strength) and yes train my aerobic endurance for a 10k and all the hiking I plan to do this summer.

The updates will not end! Stay tuned for articles, my hiking specific workout routine and strength program.