12 Week Strength Gainz Challenge!

Mars Bar

So I'm starting a plan with a PT that is a mix of face-to-face and online coaching with a nutrition program on Sunday. Accountability is where I struggle, hence the trainer and this thread!

I'm currently 148cm and 47kg

I'm not new to resistance by any means but I moved to the Middle East last August and got caught up in the Crossfit/HIIT/WOD style of working out that is the craze here. I lost weight but became a weakling!

I'll also have a new and unique obstacle in the form of Ramadan to compete with during this time so that should be...fun

My 1RM from 2 years ago was

Back Squat: 47kg
Deadlift: 62kg
Bench: 35kg

I'd love to get to those numbers again

Mars Bar

Did my assessments and a quick workout to see how I am looking regarding weights and movement

PT is very happy with how I move and my tempo during lifts so we can get straight in to it!

He's also giving me 100 more calories than I had expected so yay for that!

caviardreams

Mars Bar wrote: »

Did my assessments and a quick workout to see how I am looking regarding weights and movement

PT is very happy with how I move and my tempo during lifts so we can get straight in to it!

He's also giving me 100 more calories than I had expected so yay for that!

I feel I will have to limit my viewing of this log as every time I see your username, I think "Jaysus, I'd love a Mars Bar"! :o

Mars Bar

DAY 1

Goblet Squat
10kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10

Single Leg RDL - 10 reps each leg
BW
8kg
8kg

Barbell Hip Thrust
10kg x 10
10kg x 10
10kg x 10

Seated Row
14kg x 10
18kg x 10
18kg x 10

Dumbell Lateral Raise
1.25kg plates x 10
1.25kg plates x 10
1.25kg plates x 10

I'm trying to strengthen my back more too so did 2 sets of 10 superman poses and 10 cobra poses

This will be my first workout of the week for 6 weeks and I'm excited to see the weights increase

Mars Bar

DAY 2

Back Squat

20kg x 10
22.5kg x 10
25kg x 12

It has been way too long since I had the chance to properly back squat. The village gym (free to use!) had a complete revamp before Christmas and now has a great squat rack. I'm delighted they did away with the smith machine.
I can definitely go heaver with these so looking forward to doing this one again next week.

Romanian Deadlift

10kg x 10
15kg x 10
20kg x 10

Can start at a heavier weight here for sure

Frog Pump

1.25kg x 10
2.5kg x 10
7.5kg x 10

I had never done these before (like a hip thrust but the soles of your feet are together) so didn't know where to begin with the weight. Can definitely start heavier!

Dumbell Chest Press

15kg x 10
20kg x 10
20kg x 10 - This set was an absolute grind. Serious burn

This was supposed to be a bench press. I thought I'd get away with the squat rack doubling as a bench rack too but the safetys were way too high and immovable.

Bent Over Barbell Row

15kg x 10
15kg x 10
17.5kg x 10 - The grip was really starting to go but managed to hang in there.

Looking forward to getting my row back to the numbers I was lifting last year.

Alf Veedersane

Mars Bar wrote: »

Looking forward to getting my row back to the numbers I was lifting last year.

If you don't have straps, get some. You don't want your grip being the limiting factor.

Mars Bar

Day 3 - Final workout of the week

Split Squat - This became a Bulgarian Split Squat due to injury but didn't have a decent elevated surface so we're gonna have to change this up

B/W x 10
B/W x 10
2.5kg plate x 10

Dual Dumbell Squat - These were harder than they looked!

15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10

American Kettlebell Swing - Not a huge fan of the American style

8kg x 10 (was supposed to be x 15)
12kg x 15
12kg x 15

Barbell Strict Press - Forgot it had been a while so these ones were tough! Turned in to push press at the end

10kg x 10
12.5kg x 9
12.5kg x 10

Lat Pull Down

14kg x 10
18kg x 10
18kg x 10


So my thoughts at the end of the first full week is that I'll enjoy this program. Looking forward to seeing the numbers go up!

Mars Bar

Day 4

Goblet Squat
12.5kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10

Single Leg RDL - 10 reps each leg
8kg
8kg
8kg

Barbell Hip Thrust - Had a complete brain fart with weights on this one
2.5kg x 10
5kg x 10
7.5kg x 10

Seated Row - I wish there was more weight choices at smaller increments.
18kg x 10
18kg x 10
23kg x 5

Dumbell Lateral Raise
1.25kg plates x 10
1.25kg plates x 10
1.25kg plates x 10

For the first time in my life I was in the gym before 7.30am. What a strange feeling! Good to have it out of the way. I'm absolutely zapped now.

Mars Bar

Day 5

Back Squat

22.5kg x 10
25kg x 10
30kg x 10

Happy with that. They felt good! We've added in a second day of back squats during the week too so this is going to be fun to track.

Romanian Deadlift
12.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
20kg x 7

Frog Pump - They look so harmless but my goodness do they really get in to the glutes. Definitely the sorest part of me today!

7.5kg x 10
7.5kg x 10
7.5kg x 10

Dumbell Chest Press

20kg x 10
20kg x 10
20kg x 10

Don't think I'm far away from a set to failure on the 12.5kg dumbells

Bent Over Barbell Row

12.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10

Mars Bar

Day 6

Back Squat

25kg x 10
30kg x 10
32.5kg 10

American Kettlebell Swing

8kg x 15
8kg x 15
8kg x 15

Barbell Strict Press

10kg x 10
12.5kg x 9
12.5kg x 10

Lat Pull Down

14kg x 10
18kg x 10
18kg x 8

Dual Dumbell Squat - I left these until last to give a gap between the back squats. It was hard holding the dumbells after the upper body stuff!

15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10

Does anyone know of an excel template that you can put your exercises and lifts into and see a graph in return?

Alf Veedersane

I don't use it but the Fitnotes app is supposed to be good (but takes a bit of work at the start to input exercises). Generates a graph. I've seen excel templates but none with a graph.

Mars Bar

I was away for a couple of days so had to use a hotel gym to workout. The heaviest dumbell they had was a 14kg dumbell and it was a wide dumbell too so the goblet squats were not comfortable!

Day 7

Goblet Squat

14kg x 10
14kg x 10
14kg x 10

Single Leg RDL - 10 reps each leg

10kg
10kg
18kg RDL - Felt like I was all over the place with the first few sets on one foot and the dumbells were not as good as it would be with a kettlebell so changed it up

Barbell Hip Thrust

10kg x 10
10kg x 10
10kg x 10

Seated Row

15kg X 10
20kg X 10
20kg X 10

Dumbell Lateral Raise

2kg X 10
2kg X 10
2kg x 10

Mars Bar

Day 8 - So today's session was with my PT and we went heavy! I really enjoyed it and surprised myself. He made me do warm up sets with light weights so that probably helped. Sometimes I'm impatient and want to get in and out ASAP but today showed me the value of getting properly prepped for the lifts.

Back Squat - We did an extra set and I still managed to increase the weight. So delighted with these!

30kg x 10
30kg x 10
32.5kg x 10
35kg x 10

Romanian Deadlift - Experimented with a KB set too.

15kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
16kg KB x 10
20kg x 10

Frog Pump

7.5kg x 15
7.5kg x 15
7.5kg x 15

Dumbell Chest Press - Look at that improvement already!

20kg x 10
25kg x 7/20kg x 3
25kg x 7/20kg x 3

Bent Over Barbell Row - Did some fixing on the form regarding shoulders and positioning.

15kg x 10
17.5kg x 10
17.5kg x 10


So overall, I'm really happy with how I'm progressing already.

Mars Bar

Day 9

Back Squat

32.5kg X 10
32.5kg X 10
35kg X 10

American Kettlebell Swing

8kg X 15
8kg X 15
8kg X 15

Barbell Strict Press - Should have looked at my previous workout coz I didn't go as heavy on this one

10kg X 10
10kg X 10
10kg X 10

Lat Pull Down - Bit of an improvement on these which is nice to see!

14kg X 13
18kg X 10
18kg X 10

Dual Dumbell Squat

15kg x 10
15kg x 10
15kg x 10

Day 10

Goblet Squat

15kg X 10
15kg X 10
17.5kg X 10

Single Leg RDL/Straight Leg RDL - These are proving to be one of the toughest.

15kg X 10 each leg with barbell
17.5kg RDL x 10
17.5kg X 10

Barbell Hip Thrust

10kg x 10
10kg x 10
12.5kg x 10

Seated Row

15kg X 13
18kg X 10
18kg X 10

Dumbell Lateral Raise

1.25kg X 10
1.25kg X 10
1.25kg X 10

Mars Bar

I'm still going. Still improving! Just gotten lazy about typing it up.

Mars Bar

So an update.

Last week I got my back squat up to 37.5kg for 10 which is great. Very happy with that.

The tape measurements weren't moving anywhere though so we reduced my calories by 100 and I'm also bringing the weights down this week and focusing on really nailing technique. Gonna aim for slower reps to keep the tension up on the movements.

I'm down a centimeter and lb of weight so that's good but I also had a bonus cardio session in the form of a football session and a busy week at work so I can't really tell if it's the calorie reduction or the extra movement.

Had a session with my trainer where we went to failure with bench press and I did some banded chin ups. By the time I was finished that 40 minute session with him of squats, chin ups and bench press I was shaking like a leaf. I could really feel my core working throughout so that's what I'm gonna try and focus on!