[Rossshaw]

Right ok, this is my first ever fitness blog. I am looking to start rowing in September at Bath uni, but I realise I need to put on some muscle mass before even thinking about joining the novice team. I havn't joined a rowing club, but I'll just learn the technique at uni.

I don't know if I'll keep this up but I'm bored so I thought I would start one.

I started weightlifting in October (roughly around the 18th). I had never previously done any weightlifting at all so basically I was very inexperienced, I probably still am!

I didn't start off doing any deadlifts or squats, which I regret quite a lot. Only this passed month have I undertaken these compounds and they work out great!

First off, I got my diet together, stopped eating crappy food and tried to eat 5 fruit and veg a day whilst keeping protein and carbs to a high. I probably get drunk once a month, which isn't too bad! I always drink around 3 litres, maybe more of water daily.

I then found a routine and have refined it to make it suitable for me...

Anyway.... here's my stats:

As of 31/1/10

Age: 19
DoB: 28/10/91
Height: 5'11
Weight: 69kg
Body Fat %: 10%

Pictures:

Spoiler:

Show

A week into Training: Weight: Between 9 stone 13 and 10 stone


Early November: Weight: 10 stone 3



Around middle of December: Weight is 10 stone 5



Early January : Weight is around 10 stone 6/7



Last week: Weight is around 10 stone 8



July:
11 Stone

[thedepressedchild]

(Original post by Rossshaw)
Right ok, this is my first ever fitness blog. I am looking to start rowing in September at Bath uni, but I realise I need to put on some muscle mass before even thinking about joining the novice team. I havn't joined a rowing club, but I'll just learn the technique at uni.

I don't know if I'll keep this up but I'm bored so I thought I would start one.

I started weightlifting in October (roughly around the 18th). I had never previously done any weightlifting at all so basically I was very inexperienced, I probably still am!

I didn't start off doing any deadlifts or squats, which I regret quite a lot. Only this passed month have I undertaken these compounds and they work out great!

First off, I got my diet together, stopped eating crappy food and tried to eat 5 fruit and veg a day whilst keeping protein and carbs to a high. I probably get drunk once a month, which isn't too bad! I always drink around 3 litres, maybe more of water daily.

I then found a routine and have refined it to make it suitable for me...

Anyway.... here's my stats:

As of 31/1/10

Age: 19
DoB: 28/10/91
Height: 5'11
Weight: 67kg
Body Fat %: 7%

Pictures:

Spoiler:

Show

A week into Training: Weight: Between 9 stone 13 and 10 stone


Early November: Weight: 10 stone 3



Around middle of December: Weight is 10 stone 5



Early January : Weight is around 10 stone 6/7



Last week: Weight is around 10 stone 8

Yeah that bar of soap just killed it.

[Rossshaw]

Diet:
Breakfst:
Cereal - Weetabix
Coffee
Orange Juice
Banana
Amino Acid Tablets x2
Vitamin C Tablet

Snack:
Will start to eat Peanut butter sandwiches here

Lunch:
Baguette - Sausage, Egg, Bacon
Tropical Fruit Juice
Amino Acid Tablets x 2

Snack:
Nuts, grapes, apple

Tea:
Could be anything...
Amino Acids x 2

Snack:
Yoghurt and nuts

Supper:
Tea, cereal and a Ham sandwich

After work outs, I will take
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SCI-MX-LEAN-GR...item3a60eb7836

I have only just started using the 1kg version just a tester. It has a 50/50 ratio with Protein to Carbs.

[Rossshaw]

(Original post by thedepressedchild)
Yeah that bar of soap just killed it.

NOT DONE YET

Just need to put up my work out haha!

Each workout has ab and lower back excercises at the end.

Monday: - Chest and Triceps:

4x8 Incline Bench currently 35kg - This is really hard to increase!
4x8 DB Bench - 56kg
4x8 Decline Bench - 35kg

3xFail Tricep dips - body weight
4x8 Tricep Extensions

Tuesday:
Row

Wednesday:
4x8 Deadlifts -90kg
4x8 Lat Pull ups - Assisted with 5kg taken away from body weight
4x8 Single Arm Rows - 35kg

3x8 Barbel Curl 30kg then switch to 15kg straight after and do another quick set. Feels good
3x8 DB Curl - 14kg

Thursday:
Rest/Row

Friday:
4x8 Squat - 80kg
4x8 Leg press - 150kg
4x8 Leg curl - 70kg
4x8 Leg extensions - 55kg

4x8 Seated DB Shoulder Press - Military press or w.e 40kg (with db's)
4x8 Lateral Raises 10kg each hand
Couple of Shrugs at end with 30kg dumbells


17/7/11 - Currently 11stone. My gains have been slow, but I can probably put that down to me rowing so much. Rowing times are decreasing and fitness levels are getting better.
No pics

16/8/11 - STILL 11 stone.

[Rossshaw]

Deadlifts went well today, still practicing on making sure the form is spot on. Got a personal trainer to check up on it and I need to level my back a bit more and basically sit in mid-air more. Loving the dead lifts though.

Everything else was fine as usual.

[partoftheweekend]

Youre going to be a lightweight rower right?

Forget the bench/tricep day completely. Chuck in some weighted pushups/dips/pullups and that's essentially your upper body sorted.

Again stick to the compounds. Heavy deads, which youre doing. Also cleans (can do hang cleans if you find proper ones too technical), squats (back, front, overhead).

Erg a lot. All the time. Get the drive sorted so it feels like a mix of the power-phases of deads, squats and cleans. And dont go above 75kg...

[partoftheweekend]

also join the uni rowing club. The quicker you start the better surely?

[CapnHooch]

Good luck to you.
By the way, I like how you were consistent with the same pair of jeans and belt every picture.

[Anatheme]

A couple of tips you'll thank me for, later. When you erg, make sure you back is straight, else you will end up with a nasty back pain*. Find wrist muscles exercises and start now, both wrists as you don't know which side of the boat you'll be on yet. Having stiff wrists in the middle of a race is the most annoying feeling ever (it's not really painful, you just feel like you can't do anything anymore). When you erg, just remember to put as much power down as you can, it's all that matters (almost), and if your legs don't hurt, you're not doing it right.

One last thing I found great is cycling. It seems to go pretty well with rowing as well, for some reasons. Work on your mental as well, because for me, rowing is more about the way you think than the way you do things sometimes, and you can't be thinking "man, I can't do that" 100m after the start line. Oh and get your breathing right.

*: I only said that because when I go to the gym, if I happen to be the only girl in the erg room, there will invariably be a joker who wants to be all manly man, will get on an erg and try to row quicker than me with a horrid (and dangerous) position. I'm sure you're not one of them, but better be safe than sorry.

[Rossshaw]

(Original post by partoftheweekend)
Youre going to be a lightweight rower right?

Forget the bench/tricep day completely. Chuck in some weighted pushups/dips/pullups and that's essentially your upper body sorted.

Again stick to the compounds. Heavy deads, which youre doing. Also cleans (can do hang cleans if you find proper ones too technical), squats (back, front, overhead).

Erg a lot. All the time. Get the drive sorted so it feels like a mix of the power-phases of deads, squats and cleans. And dont go above 75kg...

Yeah lightweight I'm only starting to edge 11 stone at times right now haha.

Right ok, What should Monday look like then?

I am going to go heavy with time, I try to do more of an explosive kind of movement.

Right cleans, I'll have to learn this. What sort of day should I add these into my routine?

I'm only doing back squats right now. How should I add these in?

[Rossshaw]

(Original post by Anatheme)
A couple of tips you'll thank me for, later. When you erg, make sure you back is straight, else you will end up with a nasty back pain*. Find wrist muscles exercises and start now, both wrists as you don't know which side of the boat you'll be on yet. Having stiff wrists in the middle of a race is the most annoying feeling ever (it's not really painful, you just feel like you can't do anything anymore). When you erg, just remember to put as much power down as you can, it's all that matters (almost), and if your legs don't hurt, you're not doing it right.

One last thing I found great is cycling. It seems to go pretty well with rowing as well, for some reasons. Work on your mental as well, because for me, rowing is more about the way you think than the way you do things sometimes, and you can't be thinking "man, I can't do that" 100m after the start line. Oh and get your breathing right.

*: I only said that because when I go to the gym, if I happen to be the only girl in the erg room, there will invariably be a joker who wants to be all manly man, will get on an erg and try to row quicker than me with a horrid (and dangerous) position. I'm sure you're not one of them, but better be safe than sorry.

My technique on the erg is good. My legs hurt and I always pull with power and maintain a straight back throughout. I push out with my legs quite a lot, I think my back completes the stroke... not too sure .

I do find it hard after a certain distance in rowing but I keep going for a while, I manage to finish the workout though so I'd like to think my mental side is ok. I'll have a look at the breathing now. Cheers buddy.

[partoftheweekend]

(Original post by Rossshaw)
Yeah lightweight I'm only starting to edge 11 stone at times right now haha.

Right ok, What should Monday look like then?

I am going to go heavy with time, I try to do more of an explosive kind of movement.

Right cleans, I'll have to learn this. What sort of day should I add these into my routine?

I'm only doing back squats right now. How should I add these in?

Do something more like:

Session 1
Cleans 3X8
Overhead Squat 3X8
Front Squat 3X8
Weighted Pullups 3X8
Weighted Dips 3X8
Weighted Pressups 3X8

Session 2
Cleans 3X8
Overhead Squat 3X8
Deadlift 3X5
Weighted Pullups 3X8
Weighted Dips 3X8
Weighted Pressups 3X8

That'll take maybe just over an hour. Change it up after a couple months. Spend the rest of your week erging. Erg a lot, like 50k a week.

[Motorbiker]

Followed the link in your sig to your fitness blog and what's this? 4 weeks with no updates??

Get back in the gym and updating this...

[Rossshaw]

(Original post by MHorman)
Followed the link in your sig to your fitness blog and what's this? 4 weeks with no updates??

Get back in the gym and updating this...

Lmao! VERY Late reply. But yes, I've been maintaining it. Currently, I am still 11 stone and holding at that.

Can't be arsed with updating pics and every now and again I'll be back to update this blog haha!

I'd like to be 11 stone 5 for uni but that's unlikely. However, I did say that I wanted to be 11 stone going to uni and so I guess I've met that goal. Just need to get into the novice rowing team - That is, if I even get into uni!

[Rossshaw]

Squat: 90kg... it's rubbish
Deadlift: 120kg
Bench: 70kg

[Jonesy12]

90kg squat isn't that bad considering your weight, 1.5 x BW is a good aim.

[partoftheweekend]

(Original post by Rossshaw)
Squat: 90kg... it's rubbish
Deadlift: 120kg
Bench: 70kg

If youre squatting properly then 90kg is fine compared to your bench and dead

[olipal]

(Original post by Rossshaw)
My gym buddy is probably my biggest inspiration. He studies maths too - what a guy!

Don't forget to let everyone know you've got a 140kg deadlift now...

[olipal]

(Original post by Rossshaw)
Monday: - Chest and Triceps:

4x8 Incline Bench currently 35kg - This is really hard to increase!
4x8 DB Bench - 56kg
4x8 Decline Bench - 35kg

Oh how times have changed...

And no way way were you doing 56kg dumbbells!

[Rossshaw]

(Original post by olipal)
Oh how times have changed...

And no way way were you doing 56kg dumbbells!

In total man, in total!