Progression: Pushing Harder

After roughly a month’s rest, I went backto training. Excited than ever, I took my pre-workout meal and headed straight to the gym.

I will be posting my work-out logs, programs, diet and such for others to critique.I would love to hear your thoughts about what I do in the gym.

Work-out split. On the previous logs, I was using a 1-on 3-off training day split. To simply put, if I start working-out on a Monday, I then take 3 day of rest. The next work-out will be on a Friday. More or less I get to hit the same body parts in almost twice in every given week. Also given an ample time to rest, as it is a requirement for growth.

My aim on the loading phase of my training routine however is to increase my overall body weight and mass. To be able to so, I would have to increase the frequency of my work-outs using heavy poundages.

Why? To attain the desired goals, I would have to increase the volume or weight my body gets in order to gain size. In doing so, the there more stimuli triggered by the effect. Let us always keep in mind that the human body is an adaptive mechanism. When you tend to repeatedly do something and becomes routinary, eventually the task becomes easy and also lowers the stimulus our bodies get.

Not to contradict the statements above. The duration of the training is a month long and with almost no change in the exercises the stimuli gets lesser. To avoid doing so I have to change several different factors. The changes however aren’t very drastic and is actually very minimal (personally speaking).

Changes. On this training day, I changed up the split into 1-on 2-off cycle. Meaning I would increase the chances of doing the same exercises and lowering the stimulus my body gets. But by doing so, I also get to adapt to the stresses involved. My body gets used to the volume I lift. Therefore I  could increase the volume of my exercises as I get more used to the training.

Work-out log: 10.28.09

Squats: 3 x 3 - 215lbs

Deadlifts: 3 x 3 - 255lbs

Machine Rows: 3 x 3 - 250lbs

Shrugs: 3 x 3 - 215lbs

Bench Press: 3 x 3 - 220lbs

Closed-grip Bench Press: 3 x 3 - 130lbs

*** I wasn’t all too happy though even if I increased the weight I lifted. I almost sissied-out on the squats. I was performing it in an almost compromised form. NOT GOOD!