Novice Commercial Gym Strength

[Gibby]

Male, 26, 6'2", 82kg, weights listed in KG.

My plan is to do some kind of LP in a commercial gym. Full body (one Leg, Push and Pull exercise each workout). May throw in some cardio and light accessories.

Some limiting factors and workarounds:
1. Often the Squat rack is taken and has a queue in peak times. So I've picked one exercise in each category which won't require popular equipment and one that will require the rack/platform.
2. The one Bench is always busy and has no safeties which brings problems training solo. I'm using DB Bench in its place.

Wed 08/08/18, 30 mins
Squat 60x5,5,5. 2 min rests. Hard
Press 32.5x5,5,8. 2 min rests. Easy
DL 70x5. Mod
Notes: NA

Sat 11/08/18, 35 mins
Squat 62.5x5,5,5. 2 min rests. Hard
DB Bench 20sx5,5,8. 2 min rests. Easy
Chins (-23)x5,5,8. 2 min rests. Easy
Notes: NA

Tue 14/08/18, 35 mins
Leg Press 66x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod
Press 35x5,5,9. 2 min rests. Easy
Chins (-18)x5,5,6. 2 min rests. Mod
Notes: Too busy for Squat and DL.

I'm open to all criticisms, suggestions and opinions on my training program/form (If I get round to recording some sets).

I'm a novice without much time to train (~60 mins), and non-regular days to train due to other commitments.

[mgil]

Considering your constraints, this isn’t awful.

I’d probably pick a lift per session to run a pyramid with and run to a peak set and do a few drop sets once you’re a little further under way. That would be a quick block to test your ability to hit heavy stuff and get some intensity in.

Basically, dig up an old time-limited bodybuilding routine, like the ones in Bill Phillips’ “Body for Life”, and use that on a compound lift once a week. Those can work.

Say hi to iCarly for me.

[Gibby]

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into that rep scheme for the future for sure.

Right now I'm just thinking
Legs: either Squats 3x5 or Leg Press 3x8
Push: either Press 3x5 or DB Bench 3x8
Pull: either DL 1x5 or Chins 3x8.
Until I can stop increasing the weight.

Ideally I'd squat both sessions but yesterday I went in and the choice was either don't do any legs exercises or do the Leg Press. Hopefully it'll not be too often.

[Murelli]

Nothing wrong with the Leg Press. I find your choices quite adequate.

Do you have lat pulldown machine and dip station on your gym?

[Gibby]

I do have both, yes. Lat Pulldowns are always busy and seem to have random grips (sometimes EZ-bar sometimes V Grip sometimes Single handle) which is why I've opted for Assisted Chins for now as they're always free and have a consistent grip width/type.

Would you recommend adding Dips into this program? I did think about Dips instead of DB Bench but have no dip belt for adding resistance.

[Murelli]

Best to keep the DB bench for now then.

[Gibby]

Sun 19/08/18 (40 mins)
Squat 65x5,5,5. 2.5 min rests. Hard
Press 37.5x5,5,8. 2 min rests. Mod
DL 75x5. Easy
2 sets of EZ-Curls and LTE with 15kg. 60-sec Plank
Notes: Nice empty gym today. Going to start static holding my last DL rep for grip work, held it for about 10 seconds today.

[Gibby]

Wed 22/08/18 (35 mins)
Leg Press 73x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
Leg Curls 39x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
DB Bench 16sx8,8,12. 2 min rests. Easy.
Chins (-23)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Hard.
Notes: Gym was busy (5pm is peak time) so opted for my "busy" lifts. Leg Press is a lot quicker than Squats so added Leg Curls in there too, reduced weight slightly on DB Bench and Chins so I could do 8s instead of 5s for them.

[Gibby]

Sat 25/08/18 (40 mins)
Squat 67.5x5,5,5. 3 min rests. Hard
Press 40x5,5,5. 2 min rests. Mod
DL 80x5. Easy
Curl and LTE, 2 sets to failure with 15kg.
Notes: Press Warmup between squat sets (hence the 3 min rests). There was a squat rack free and a platform directly after so I got my big lifts done for the week.

[Gibby]

Wed 29/08/18 40 mins
Leg Press (1 up from 73kg)x8,8,8. 2 min rest. Mod
Leg Curls 45x8,8,8. 2 min rest. Mod
DB Bench 18sx8,8,12. 2 min rest. Easy
Chins (-20.5)x8,8,8. 2 min rest. Hard

Notes: Peak time session so busy-gym exercises. Leg Press machine has no marking on this weight plate, or the next few on the machine I used.

[iamsmu]

Would you recommend adding Dips into this program? I did think about Dips instead of DB Bench but have no dip belt for adding resistance.

Do you need to add resistance at this point? Are your dips way ahead of your chins?

In any case, I used a cheap backpack for dips for a while. You can get a decent amount of weight in a $20 Jansport or whatever. In some ways, it's more comfortable than a weight belt. The belt just allows for a shit ton more weight.

Not dips, but chins (actually a pull up). I saw this today:



He's only 80kg at 6'5". But damn that's heavy. There's no way he's getting that in a cheap backpack.

[Gibby]

I have been tempted to try Dips now, in my efforts to save time, as the Assisted Dips/Chins are the same machine. Don't think I could add weight to them on these machines though (signs on them saying not to) but I could just use them until I'm doing a lot of Dips with BW then move to the DB Bench. And for Chins I'll move to a proper chin station or random rack/bar once I'm doing plenty with BW.

Had a little time off (unavoidable due to other life commitments, followed by a holiday). Did a lot of hiking on holiday so hoping that counts for something other than just fatigue and tired legs. Going to try one step back and carry on from there, see how this goes...

Thu 13/09/18 (40 mins)
Leg Press 73x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod.
Leg Curl 39x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
Dips (-23)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
Chins (-23)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Hard.

Notes: Leg Press I use 6 pins back on the seat. Leg Curls I used pin 2 for the seat and pin 6 for the bit you Curl. (Noting these so I use the same ones each time).

[Gibby]

Tue 18/09/18 (45 mins)

Leg Press 79x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod
Leg Curls 45x8,8,8. 2 min rests.
Dips (-20.5)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod
Chins (-20.5)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Hard
2xsets of Curls, Tri Ext, Plank to failure.

Notes: Different gym so who knows how accurate these weights are at all. Was no racks free so have to wait until the weekend to get back to Squat/Press/DL day.

[Gibby]

Both squat racks "out of order until further notice"... Who knows what's happened.

Sun 23/09/18 (40 mins)

Leg Press 86x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Hard.
Leg Curls 52x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
Dips (-18)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Easy.
Chins (-18)x8,6,6. 2 min rests. Fail.

Notes: First fail, knew it was coming been finding them difficult. Very keen to get back to squatting, pressing and DLing weekly now, keep on getting unlucky with my timings in the gym.

[Gibby]

Experimented with Front Squats a bit after DL, nope not comfortable at all. Look more interesting to me than back squats though.

Tue 02/10/18 (30 mins)
DL 80x5. Mod
Chins (-18)x8,8,8. Easy.
Dips (-16.5)x8,8,8. Mod.

Comments: need to find some good form videos for Chins and Dips, not hurting myself but am worried that I haven't even looked for any yet compared to how many I watched for Bench/Press/Squat/DL.

[Gibby]

Thu 04/10/18 (25 mins)

Dips (-14)x8,8,8. 1.5 min rests. Mod.
Chins (-16.5)x8,8,8. 1.5 min rests. Mod.
Leg Press 93x4!? 86x8,8. 2 min rests. Fail.

Comments: Busy gym and very little time.
Upper Body lifts are going well, although soon I think the assistance pad thing on Chins/Dips is going to get annoying as it hits my legs as I go lighter on it. May move to BW soon and just do lower reps.
Legs were aching from the DLs two days ago so going to chalk my failure down to that?

[Gibby]

Sun 06/10/18

DL 85x5. Mod.
Dips BWx3,3. 1.5 min rests.
Chins BWx2,1.5. 1.5 min rests.

Comments: tried BW Dips and Chins, whole different level of difficulty compared to the Assisted machine! Wasn't really enough room for the Chins on there. Did Assisted for the third set of each in disappointment.

[Gibby]

Fri 12/10/18

DL 90x5. Hard.
Dips(-23)x8,8,8. 1.5 min rests. Easy.
Chins(-27)x8,8,8. 1.5 min rests. Mod.
Cycled 2.5k in 5 mins.

Comments: Added a dead stop on the Dips and Chins so went backwards a couple weights on each.

On Chins when I have my palms facing each other I get a throbbing pulse kind of thing at the bottom left of my left thumb at reps 6 onwards? Like where the Web of skin is but inside the palm. Not sure what that's all about, tried a thimbles grip and still happened. Did Chins with palms facing me as they're supposed to be and it seemed to go away, the grips are quite wide apart(wider than shoulder width) on the machine for palms facing me though.

[Gibby]

Sun 14/10/18 (50 mins)

DL 92.5x5. Mod.
Dips (-20.5)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod.
Chins (-25)x8,8,8. 2 min rests. Mod.
Cycled 2.5k in 4:30.

Comments: Did underhand Chins and still got the throbbing/pulsing from my thumb joint down my forearm for last few reps on last set. No idea what it is, doesn't seem to be much online about it either.

[Gibby]

Tues 16/10/18

Chins (-23)x8,8,8. 1.5 min rests. Mod.
Dips (-23)x10,10,10. 1.5 min rests. Mod.
Cycled 3k in 5:45.

Comments: I promise this is progress, Chin reps are from dead hangs and I'm pausing at bottom and top of Dips so the reps are a lot cleaner than before.

Gym was too full for DLs (no platforms) so think I'll DL on Thurs.

Cardio is increasing as such: Add 0.5k, then repeat and go for a better time, then add 0.5k etc... until I'm somewhere respectable. Then I'll think about alternating HIIT and LISS or something maybe.