Mac's long road to greatness

[Sj_macka]

Wanted to start a journal to track my progress and get some guidance along the way.

Starting stats
Weight 96.7kg / 213lb
Body fat 15-17 (guess)
Height 189cm / 6ft 2
Shoulders 123cm / 48.5in
Chest 108cm / 42.5in
R.Arm 33cm / 13in cold 38cm / 15in flex
L.Arm 33cm / 13in cold 38cm / 15in flex
Navel 92cm / 36in
Hips 105cm / 42.5in
R.Thigh 61cm / 24in
L.Thigh 61cm / 24in
R.Calf 37cm / 14.5in
L.Calf 37cm / 14.5in

This makes pretty depressing reading for me as I've lost almost 2inch from all my main body parts and 1inch from arms due to having to reduce training and get over back injury. I'm hoping and praying muscle memory is true!!!

Update links -

Starting pictures





Update links -

Goals - right now I want to fix my back after stuffing a herniated disk. I'm able to lift but not lift big so this is my main focus at the same time I would like to see my abs again. Been a while so long over due!!

After that its about putting on some bulk. I will log all training and diet along with any gear used (will not be until next year now). Will do my best to upload pics at least once per month and body stats every 2 weeks.

 

[Sj_macka]

Training - for now I'm loosing following GST training structured like this :

Monday - Lift Day
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Pull day
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Squat day
Sat- press day
Sunday - off

Working on guesstimated max lifts of the following
Dead lift 160kg (I'm confident I could possibly lift more but I'm hesitant to do so due to back so taking my time on this)
Incline bench press 100kg
Pull ups - I want to get body weight pull ups to 20 so this is 3 sets of AMRAP
Front Squat - 100kg (again I know I can lift more than this but I want to build up slowly)

After the initial 4 weeks I will do a true test of max lifts and then work from % of these.

 

[Sj_macka]

Diet - I'm currently carb cycling as follows
Lift & squat day - High carb
Pull & press day - medium carb
Cardio day - zero carb
Off day I will have a controlled cheat meal but the rest of the day will be low carb.

I'm doing carb cycling in a non counting way.

High carb
Meal 1 carb + Protein
Meal 2 fat + protein
Meal 3 fat + protein
Pe work out meal carb+ protein
Post work out meal carb + protein (1hr 30 after shake)
Post work out shake + dextrose

Medium carb days
Meal 1-3 fat + protein
Pre work out carb + protein
Post work out fat + protein )1hr 30 after shake)
Post work out shake + dextrose

Zero carb days
Meal 1-5 fat + protein

Lots of green leafy veg to be eating with most meals.
Supplements -
Vit d
Multi vit
Omega 3

 

[Sj_macka]

Trained from home today which was a bit of a bitch as wasn't really set up for it. Had to switch out ham curls so adding some lunges in instead. Should have done some SLDL to really work the posterior chain but didn't think of it at the time.

Messed up calculations. Should have been lifting at 65% but put 110kg on the bar instead.

Anyway here is today's efforts

Dead lift
110kg 2x8 1xamrap = 12 reps

Good mornings
40kg 4x10

BB glute bridge
40kg 1x20 1x17 1x15

Kettle bell lunges
32kg 5x5 each leg

For some reason I'm no longer able to upload pics as tapatalk is giving me a systems message that I've exceed my quota - no idea what this means.

 

[Sj_macka]

Fasted cardio this morning. 60 minutes.

Thought I would post up what a typical day looks like diet wise to see if I can get some feed back on it.

Zero carb day

Meal 1 4 scrambled eggs, 4 slices pastrami and a bag of raw spinach
Meal 2 1/2 chicken, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 lettuce, 2 tomatoes olive oil lemon juice
Meal 3 250ml Greek yoghurt, 1 scoop whey, small handful walnuts
Meal 4 2 sea bass fillets, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, tarragon butter
Meal 5 250ml Greek yoghurt, 1tblspoon almond butter, 1 scoop whey, 150ml almond milk - mixed into a shake.

Should be enough fat to keep me full and energised for the day.

Medium carb day
Meal 1 1 scoop, whey, 4 eggs, 50ml almond milk, spices and made into pancakes
Meal 2 1/2 chicken salad and olive oil
Meal 3 steak, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms
Pre work out meal - Can of tuna, 50g(uncooked weight) brown basmati rice
Post work out meal - 4 poached eggs on 2 slices brown toast
Post work out shake - 2 scoops whey 50g dextrose

High carb day
Meal 1 100g oats, 200ml milk, 2 scoops whey
Meal 2 1/2 chicken salad and olive oil
Meal 3 steak and salad
Pre work out 100g oats, 4 eggs 4 slices pastrami
Post work out meal sweet potato and tuna
Post work out shake 2 scoops whey 50g dextrose.

Meals are switch around a little but typically it will be lean meat or fish with salad or low gi carbs depending on day

 

[Halo]

Lots going on and great attention to detail Sj. Sometimes at least for me that much detail may be a little hard to keep up with, don't be discouraged if it is, just keep getting to the weights and keep feeding the machine. Looking forward to seeing your progress!!!

 

[Sj_macka]

Lots going on and great attention to detail Sj. Sometimes at least for me that much detail may be a little hard to keep up with, don't be discouraged if it is, just keep getting to the weights and keep feeding the machine. Looking forward to seeing your progress!!!

Thanks for stopping by Halo. I know what you mean. I do slip up at times but my slip ups tend to be not eating enough and missing meals. Trying hard to stick to it as much as possible. If I can eat like this 80% of the time I think I'll get what I want.

 

[Sj_macka]

Today's session was pull training
3 sets of AMRAP wide pull ups 9,6,6 first set was 1 more than last week but I could feel a pinch in my right shoulder

Single arm row
20kg 3x20

Yates row
90kgx5
100kgx5
115kgx5
130kgx5
135kgx4.

Incline hammer curl
17.5kg 3x10

Should have finished here but wanted to use my new fat gripz
3 sets to failure of barbell curls @35kg followed by 4 spotted very slow negatives.

Done 60 minutes of Kick boxing this evening.

Had a slip up with food today. Should have been a medium carb day. But was really hungry tonight and have just eaten half a chicken and 4 slices of bread. Not a bad slip up but still more food than I needed.

 

[Sj_macka]

Up early and started the day with 45 minutes fasted cardio while watching The Walking Dead. Great way to start the day.
No weights today. Got some serious DOMs in my Lats and biceps.

Will be playing some football later, first time in 2 years should be a laugh!!

 

[Sj_macka]

Annoyingly I still cannot upload via tapatalk and have no other way of doing so. I can to other forums but not here. Kind of makes having a journal pointless with out pics!!

Yesterday was squat day at 75%

Front squat 75kg
2x6 1xamrap-12 reps

Barbell lunges 20kg
3x20 reps each leg - last set of these was a beast!!!

Leg press - ramping set (using a technogym leg press the weight on this always feels so much heavier than plate loaded??)
1x5-120kg
1x5-150kg
1x5-180kg
2x5-200kg (max weight)

Box squat
2x10 - 60kg
2x8 - 70kg

Finished off with super setting hanging leg raises with seated calf raises
3x12 reps of each

Struggling to walk today. Will be doing press training later along with a bout of cardio.

 

[Sj_macka]

Forgot to log my press training session from yesterday.

Was working at 75% on core lift

Incline Bench Press
2x6 - 75kg
1x9 - 75kg (AMRAP)

Dips body weight
1x20
1x18
1x16

Flat DB press
1x5 - 65kg
1x5 - 70kg
1x5 - 80kg
1x4 -90kg
1x Fail - 90kg

Only person in the gym so no on to sport or assist on lifting db's last 2 sets was a big effort to get into position.

JM Press
1x10 - 55kg
1x10 - 55kkg
1x8 - 65kg
1x8 -65kg

Finished off with 3 sets of flyes supper setted with decline DB Tricep extensions.

Lift the gym feeling pumped. Really enjoyed the session

 

[Sj_macka]

I'm up early this morning so thought I would hit the cardio. 45 minutes of fasted fast walking/jogging done. Now time for breakfast.