Workout: What did you do today?

[Guybrush]

When you say lost track, do you write down everything you do?

Yes, ideally, but I forgot to write down everything I did this week basically. I can remember some of it, so will write.

The reason is I had two sessions at the gym at work and my clipboard is in the gym at home.

[DJChameleon]

Yes, ideally, but I forgot to write down everything I did this week basically. I can remember some of it, so will write.

The reason is I had two sessions at the gym at work and my clipboard is in the gym at home.

Do you take your cell phone to work? You can use your notes app to jot down stuff too.

[grindy]

I used to write down nothing and just trained to what I assumed was failure. Turned out I had no idea what failure was and basically trained with the same weights and reps for ages. Nowadays I write down weights and reps every time in an excel sheet on my phone and really push to increase the reps or weight. Helps a ton.

[jimmy jazz]

I use a literal pad and pen. I've got through one book already and almost through a second book.

I did back and bis yesterday.

I'm on about 45kg ez curls for 12 reps and 27kg for the concentration curls (7, 6, 6).

I don't go heavy on bis often because it fucks with my forearm bones. It's like shin splints but in your forearms. But every now and then I like to see where I'm at.

[Guybrush]

I also like to write on pen and paper for this, even though I take notes in Google keep for most other things.

Despite my slip up, I have recorded everything so I can get back on track. It's more the mental overview / general idea about upper body strength that has become a little more abstract.

Something that I also noticed is as I've gained strength, form has improved and the strain on the muscles has increased. If I go all out, I only have one rest day to recuperate between a couple of my workouts (Sunday / Tuesday) which doesn't seem like enough.

Considering changing my program so that I exercise every three days or so instead 🤔

[jimmy jazz]

It is enough, it might not be if you were obliterating a muscle group then training it again but you're not doing that.

Just to be sure can you post what you'd do on Sunday then Tuesday?

[grindy]

My mom told me today that I'm too buff and should train less, because otherwise it's bad for my health and I will become a bodybuilder and won't be able to properly move my limbs. That's some high level momming right there.

[FETCHER.]

I got a new training plan this week, I'm doing lots more free weights and gradually increasing my confidence in the gym.

I had my first introduction to drop sets today... that was lovely. I had other exercises but I done drop sets on the leg extension, hamstring curl and leg press. I was really really close to being sick lol.

[grindy]

I got a new training plan this week, I'm doing lots more free weights and gradually increasing my confidence in the gym.

I had my first introduction to drop sets today... that was lovely. I had other exercises but I done drop sets on the leg extension, hamstring curl and leg press. I was really really close to being sick lol.

Would be curious to see the whole plan.

[FETCHER.]

Would be curious to see the whole plan.

Stairmaster - 10mins

Barbell Squat - 3 sets of 10
Barbell sumo squat - 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell reverse lunge - 3 sets of 10
Leg extension - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Hamstring curl - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Leg press - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Dumbbell step ups - 3 sets of 12
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats - 3 sets of 12
 

[grindy]

Stairmaster - 10mins

Barbell Squat - 3 sets of 10
Barbell sumo squat - 3 sets of 10
Dumbbell reverse lunge - 3 sets of 10
Leg extension - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Hamstring curl - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Leg press - 10 reps no rest reduce weight by 3 pins and continue til failure
Dumbbell step ups - 3 sets of 12
Dumbbell Bulgarian split squats - 3 sets of 12
 

Is this one day of training? Damn that's a lot of volume. Hope you're able to do it properly and recover.

[FETCHER.]

Is this one day of training? Damn that's a lot of volume. Hope you're able to do it properly and recover.

Yeah that was just yesterdays work out. I'm a bit sore today but not as bad as I thought, I kept my weights low because it was the first time doing a few of the exercises and I wanted to make sure I was doing them safety with good form.

[grindy]

Yeah that was just yesterdays work out. I'm a bit sore today but not as bad as I thought, I kept my weights low because it was the first time doing a few of the exercises and I wanted to make sure I was doing them safety with good form.

I think you'd really benefit from doing fewer exercises but going harder on them. This looks like junk volume to me.
Plus I'd include some hip hinge like romanian deadlifts or good mornings or 45 degree back extensions, if you care about your hamstring development.

[FETCHER.]

I think you'd really benefit from doing fewer exercises but going harder on them. This looks like junk volume to me.
Plus I'd include some hip hinge like romanian deadlifts or good mornings or 45 degree back extensions, if you care about your hamstring development.

I appreciate your comments. What makes you worry about hamstring development?

I have a personal trainer and he runs 100 mile ultra marathons, he cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End and cycled from London to Rome so I've always assumed he knows what he's talking about.

[grindy]

I appreciate your comments. What makes you worry about hamstring development?

I have a personal trainer and he runs 100 mile ultra marathons, he cycled from John O'Groats to Lands End and cycled from London to Rome so I've always assumed he knows what he's talking about.

Sorry in advance if I come of as too critical or even smug and obviously I don't know either your trainer or yourself but some points to consider:
-the hamstring crosses two joints, the knee and the hip, with only one of the multiple muscle heads crossing the knee. So if you don't train any hip hinges, you're missing out on a lot of hamstring development, especially on exercises training the loaded stretch, which is especially hypertrophic. A leg day with  with 7 quad/glute focused exercises and only one minor hamstring exercise seems unbalanced, unless you have another hamstring focused leg day in the week somewhere.
-the fact that your trainer has done some badass stuff doesn't mean that he is a good trainer. Some people are just talented or have a good mindset or genetics or all of that but that doesn't mean they know how to train people besides themselves. Plus all of his achievements are in the realm of endurance but strength and hypertrophy are quite different endeavors.
-a lot of trainers know better but still give clients programs that seem interesting or badass or whatever because clients might be expecting that and might be motivated by that. This seems like such a case plus he might be simply biased due to his endurance background.