Jason's conversations with The Iron

[Mahaffje]

This is a routine that I put together for myself. It's a combination hypertrophy and strength routine. I center my workouts around compound movements, which I do in 5 sets of 5 on strength days and then finish the workouts up with a few other exercises that hit the same muscle group. One week is for strength and then the following week is for hypertrophy. There are two rotations in the split with different exercises in each workout.

I'm currently training for a bodybuilding competition, so my routine is a little out of whack. My normal split looks like this:
Day 1 - Back and Biceps
Day 2 - Chest and Triceps
Day 3 - HIIT Cardio
Day 4 - Legs
Day 5 - Shoulders
Day 6 - HIIT Cardio
Repeat from Day 1 (one week is strength, next week is hypertrophy)

My current split looks like this:
Day 1 - Back and Biceps
Day 2 - Chest and Triceps
Day 3 - Low Intensity Cardio 60 minutes
Day 4 - Low Intensity Cardio 60 minutes
Day 5 - Legs
Day 6 - Shoulders and Low Intensity Cardio 45 minutes
Day 7 - Low Intensity Cardio 60 minutes
Day 8 - Off
Repeat from Day 1 (still doing strength and hypertrophy split)

If you're interested in knowing my diet, you'll have to ask. There's a specific diet that I follow when doing my normal routine, if I don't follow it, I can't make the gains in strength that I should. My competition diet is pretty much a no carb diet, standard chicken and fish and egg whites.

[Mahaffje]

I'm not sure where I left off in my old log, but I'll start back up from a few days ago.

9-13-07 (Strength)

LT = Last Time (8-12-07)
TT = This Time

ATG Squats
135 x 12
225 x 8
LT 275 5x5
TT 280 5x5

Leg Press Calf Raises *
180 x 12
360 x 12
LT 680 x 23
LT 680 x 20

TT 660 x 25
TT 660 x 25

SLDL
LT 255 x 10
LT 255 x 8

TT 235 x 8
TT 235 x 7

Leg Press
LT 450 x 10
LT 450 x 8

TT 460 x 10
TT 460 x 8

*Couldn't read my own hand writing and went down 20 instead of staying at 680 like I should have, oops.

Not certain why I dropped the SLDL 20 pounds, it's been too long since I did this workout to remember.

[Mahaffje]

9-14-07 (Strength)

LT = Last Time (8-13-07)
TT = This Time

Seated Dumbell Press
35's x 12
LT 60's 5x5
TT 65's 5,5,5,4,4 *

Hanging Knee Raises
BW x 12
TT +15 x 12
TT +15 x 12

Barbell Shrugs
LT 330 x 6
LT 330 x 8

TT 315 x 10
TT 315 x 9

Seated Crunches
TT 70 x 12
TT 70 x 10

Lateral Raises
LT 35's x 10
LT 35's x 8

TT 40's x 8
TT 40's x 7

*Almost did the same thing I did a few months ago when I injured my shoulder, only this time the dumbell went crashing to the floor when I dropped it instead of holding onto it. The shoulder is fine now, but it has me worried.

No last time numbers for the ab exercises because I'm on new machines since switching gyms. The lateral raises were a bitch to do today for some reason. Maybe it's cause I tweaked my shoulder injury, I dunno. I wasn't getting a full extension on them with every rep...

Cardio

45 minutes aerobic stepper

[Mahaffje]

9-15-07

Cardio

60 minutes elliptical

[Mahaffje]

9-17-07 (Hypertrophy)

LT = Last Time (8-14-07)
TT = This Time

Deadlifts
135 x 12
LT 265 x 15
LT 265 x 12

TT 275 x 12
TT 275 x 8 *

Chinups
LT BW x 10
LT BW x 7

TT BW x 10
TT BW x 9

Seated Cable Row
TT 240 x 12
TT 240 x 12

Dumbell Preacher Curls **
LT 37.5 x 11
LT 37.5 x 10

TT 30 x 12
TT 30 x 12

Hammer Curls
LT 32.5 x 12
LT 32.4 x 15

TT 30 x 10
TT 30 x 10

*I had 4 more reps in me easy, but I've come down with a cold and I didn't want to push myself. I can't afford to be sick for a week and a half right now being in this competition diet, so I took it easy. Nothing like working out with 0 carbs and a fever...

** LT numbers are still from my improper form that I've been correcting. Full ROM on these reps.

[Mahaffje]

9-18-07 (Hypertrophy)

LT = Last Time (8-15-07)
TT = This Time

Dumbell Bench Press
135 x 12
LT 70's x 12
LT 70's x 8

TT 65's x 12
TT 65's x 11

Tricep Dips
BW x 12
LT +50 x 13
LT + 50 x 13

TT +45 x 12
TT +45 x 12

Hammer Strength Isolateral Decline Press
LT 180 x 15
LT 180 x 10

TT 200 x 12
TT 200 x 12

Dumbell Tricep Extensions
LT 40 x 14
LT 40 x 11

TT 45 x 12
TT 45 x 11

Crossover Cable Flys
LT 70 x 15
LT 70 x 13

TT 100 x 12
TT 100 x 12

Got a good workout today. My numbers are jumping all over the place in each workout because most of the LT numbers I was still fairly fresh into this diet and still had some extra energy. Now that I've been in it for a while, I just don't have the energy. It's all good though, things are balancing out and the numbers will kick back in once the carbs kick back in around a month and a half from now. Meanwhile, I'm starting to get ripped :buff:

I've gotten the mandatories down and I'm pretty smooth in my transition from the relaxed pose to each mandatory pose. Now I have to start working on putting together a routine to my music, which I am not looking forward to because well, it's just not my type of thing. The body fat is shedding off nicely and the skin is starting to tighten up, which I was really really concerned about.

[Mahaffje]

9-19-07

Cardio

30 min jump rope (morning)
30 min elliptical (evening)

I've got a cold or some shit right now and some other stuff going on in my personal life that's really taking a toll on me. All day long I was thinking that I shouldn't be doing jump rope in the condition I am in right now because it is exhausting and I just don't have the energy to do it today. That I should do the elliptical or aerobic stepper because it is easier and doesn't require as much effort. I kept going back and forth in my head, talking myself out of doing the jump rope, then I realized what was going on, I was starting to have a case of vaginitis break out. So when I got to the gym, I took my tired, drained ass with a head full of snot and did my 30 minutes of jump rope. The elliptical should be fairly easy this evening compaired to that.

[Squatch]

Looking good, brother.

[Mahaffje]

9-20-07

Cardio

30 min aerobic stepper (morning)
30 min aerobic stepper (evening)

[Mahaffje]

9-21-07 (Hypertrophy)

LT = Last Time (8-20-07)
TT = This Time

ATG Squats
135 x 12
LT 245 x 12
LT 245 x 12

TT 260 x 12
TT 260 x 12

SLDL
LT 210 x 14
LT 210 x 12

TT 215 x 12
TT 215 x 9

Leg Press Calf Raises
180 x 12
360 x 12
LT 610 x 30
LT 610 x 25

TT 620 x 30
TT 620 x 28

Leg Press
LT 380 x 15
LT 380 x 15

TT 420 x 12
TT 420 x 12

My back started hurting on the SLDL so I racked it. My fever came back this morning and I feel like absolute shit, yet I still managed to make gains. I rule!

[Big Donkey]

impressive jason! I like reading your log man. keep it up. shake that fever bro.

[Mahaffje]

impressive jason! I like reading your log man. keep it up. shake that fever bro.

Thanks man, appreciate it. The fever was finally kicked this morning, or so I hope.

[Mahaffje]

9-22-07 (Hypertrophy)

LT = Last Time (8-21-07)
TT = This Time

Seated Dumbell Press
35's x 12
LT 55's x 14
LT 55's x 10

TT 55's x 12
TT 55's x 9

Hanging Knee Raises
BW x 12

TT +20 x 12
TT +20 x 12

Barbell Shrugs
LT 295 x 15
LT 295 x 15

TT 305 x 9
TT 305 x 10

Seated Crunches
LT 120 x 15
LT 80 x 25

TT 140 x 12
TT 140 x 12

Lateral Raises
LT 30's x 13
LT 30's x 11

TT 30's x 12
TT 30's x 12

Cardio

45 min elliptical

LT numbers on the front press are from some shitty form. The ones from this time I kept my back from arching too much, keeping it on the bench unlike how I had been doing them. Found out that I've been reading the weights wrong on a lot of shit at the gym. A lot of the machines, the weights are actually twice what it says. Would explain the significant drop in weight I thought I had been seeing. So, on those exercises that I use the new machines on I'll be correcting the weight next time I enter them.

[Sasa]

Sweet work outs man

[Mahaffje]

Sweet work outs man

Thanks bud.