MVP's Road to the Top

[MVP]

I decided I'd make a weightlifting log on this site. I haven't really lifted weights in about 8-9 months, but I do plan on lifting again to release stress, get big and strong again, and just get back on top of my game.

I was doing an upper/lower four day split, but I've decided that since my weights are no longer at my house, the extra trip to lifting four days per week just won't be possible at this time.

I'm going to do a full body training routine focusing on linear progressive resistance. However, I will also be incorporating speed training into my workouts since most powerlifters swear by it.

The objective to dynamic effort training (speed work) is it's supposed to delay the Golgi Tendon Organ (a sensory organ in the muscle fibers that protect them for exerting force) stretch reflex to the brain; in return, you lift more weight.

Joe DeFranco, Louie Simmons, Fred Hatfield are just a few names that has swore by this proven method. I am going to give it a try as well. I'm doing a routine similar to westside for skinny bastards. Here will be my program of choice for the next 8-10 weeks.

Monday: Upper Body | Max Effort
3X5 Bench Press
3X5 Bent Over Rows
3X8 Incline Press
3X? Pullups
Stretch the internal rotators, maybe some rotator cuff work

Tuesday: Lower Body | Max Effort
3X5 Squat
1X5 Deadlifts (Ramping sets, not just 1 set)
3X5 Front Squats
3X? Planks
3X? Grip Work

Thursday: Upper Body | Dynamic Bench
10X3 Bench Press (speed reps, dynamic effort)
3X10 Bent Over Rows
3X5 OH Press
3X? Vertical Pulling

On Wednesdays and Saturdays I will be doing repetition effort bodyweight specific work. This will benefit grip work, cardio, and core specific training. On these specific days it will be similar to military training. Upon wakening, I will....

1- Push ups
2- Sit ups
3- Pull ups & Chin ups
4- Parallel dips
5- Sprinting, speed work

I will be using Joe DeFranco's warm up method ideas as a method of cardio. The following method will be utilized:

Body squats x 10

Jumping jacks x 15

Seal jumping jacks x 15

Front skips — 20 yards down & back

Stationary side lunge x 8 each leg

Side shuffle, 20 yds. down & back

Stationary leg swings (front & back) x 10 each leg

Stationary leg swings (side to side) x 10 ea. leg

60% Build-up sprint (arm & posture focus) — 30 yds. down and back

Lunge walk x 10 steps down and back

Backpedal x 20 yds. down and back

Squat jumps x 5

75% Build-up sprint — (knee drive focus) — 40 yds. down and back

Boxing

Nutrition will be simple. Avoid a lot of carbohydrates and focus highly on healthy fats and protein. For those of you who are not familiar with nutrition advice, I thought I would share this quote I found on Facebook.

The calorie theory was proven wrong by Adolf Fick, MD over 130 years ago...the calorie "theory" gives a measure of heat to proteins, fats and carbs. The problem with that is the human body is not a heat engine. We are chemical factories. That's why the obesity epidemic.

We have been told to eat a 40% carbohydrate diet since the food pyramid was first created. Oh, they changed it to 20% a couple of years ago because they realized they had been turning everyone diabetic. it was not widely publicized because it would open up a wave of lawsuits.

Fat can only be stored when insulin is produced. Insulin is only produced when consuming carbs. The definition of insulin is, its a fat storage hormone..

As to the fats containing the measure of 9 calories, who cares. It is physiologically impossible to store body fat from consuming natural fat. There is also no saturated fat in artery and is used for energy by the body.

Butter is used directly for energy. Textbook of Medical Physiology, pg. 843

Excess carbohydrate [more than 4-5 ounces] prevents the body from burning fat and increases stored body fat. Textbook of Medical Physiology, pgs 871, 936; Basic Medical Biochemistry - A Clinical Approach, pgs 24, 394

Glucose NOT body’s preferred energy source; fatty acids are. Basic Medical Biochemistry - A Clinical Approach , pgs: 29, 145, 203, 272, 357

Eating carbohydrate SLOWS METABOLISM; fat and protein digestion increase metabolism . Textbook of Medical Physiology, pg. 908

The source that wrote this ^ is a random guy on Facebook. I found him replying to someone in a comment and I thought I'd share that. Very informative and quite contrary to what a lot of books had previously led us to believe. I guess you will say I will be doing a ketgeonic diet approach, but I won't let myself enter an absolute stat of ketosis.

Your views, replies, critique, and general comments are more than welcomed.

[Off Road]

Good luck man and welcome back to the iron.

[MVP]

Thanks OR!

[MVP]

I forgot to add my current statistics. I have no idea what my current lifts are since I have not trained in months, but I do know what my personal records are that were hit in May of 2011.

Bench: 310lbs
Squat: 315lbs
Deadlift: 325lbs

I am currently 5'9" and 220lbs. I hope to lose weight, build stamina and build strength. I am aware that hypertrophy is not likely during a weight loss phase, but I also know that muscle memory will be working with me and I will most likely make my gains from the past re-surface during this training. I would like to end up between 170-180lbs.

Goals: Strength, stamina, maintenance of hypertrophy. Overall increase in performance for speed, strength, power, and endurance.

AFTER this training is completed I will begin 5/3/1 or DC training.

My bodyfat % is pretty high. I'm not sure how high exactly, but it's high. I just want to get my life back here. Over the past several months I have lost my job (which was very high paying), have had problems with my marriage, quit church, and basically laid around and gained weight and bodyfat. I am currently taking 50mg of atenolol (beta blocker) for tachycardia and systolic hypertension. I'm on a "fast food diet" and my activity is probably less than a turtle.

I have a son on the way and his expected birth is May of this year. I have two months to get my job back, lose some weight, and get my strength back. Right now time is against me, but determination is greater than any excuse. I'm in the place Jim Wendler described in his 5/3/1 book.

As mentioned my goal at the moment is to just get my life back. I'm not concerned with competing in powerlifting tournaments, bodybuilding stages, ora nything like that. I am just a man trying to get his life together. I am only 22 years old right now. Embarrassing enough my wife and I are living with my parents since I quit my last job. I did maintenance work in the underground mining industry.

Anyway I'm thinking increasing my activity, confidence, strength, endurance, and decreasing my weight, bodyfat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and resting heart rate as well as getting my job back is my key to overall happiness at the moment. I'm not nearly as strong as most of you guys are on this forum, but I do plan on getting my strength back. My long term goals are....

330lb bench press, 405lb squat, 450lb deadlift, 275lb front squat, 225lb press all at around 5'9" 185lbs. I also hope to reach a 2 mile run of around 15 minutes. I hope to get a 300lb power clean, 30 rep pullup total, 75 rep push up total, 100 rep sit up total (all without rest) and just be overall functionally strong and quick.

If any of you guys would like to help provide motivation and support, I sure would appreciate it. Right now I'm too comfortable on the ground to want to get back up and move on with my life and that needs to change.

[Hazzard]

Sorry to hear about you problems mate, but it's awesome to see you start to get things back on track.

[Fazc]

All the best for your training and the up coming baby-hercules

[BendtheBar]

Solid and well-thought out structure. In it to win it.

Nutrition will be simple. Avoid a lot of carbohydrates and focus highly on healthy fats and protein. For those of you who are not familiar with nutrition advice, I thought I would share this quote I found on Facebook.

This is my plan. I am pseudo-Paleo. Not super strict, but I try not to go crazy on carbs.

[Hazzard]

Oh, and I think DeFranco is awesome as well.

[Kuytrider]

Your goals are challenging but very attainable as you seem to have a good base already. You'll get back into things quicker than you think. Hope everything falls into place as well.

[MVP]

I'll post a couple of pictures of what I looked like when I get a little extra time.

Thank you all for your comments!

BTB, Paleo is awesome!

Hazzard, Joe DeFranco is one of my training idols.