Workout & Fitness Programming

This page summarizes the workout/fitness discussions with the user (Ebot) — the reasoning that produced the current program, diet plan, and the mistakes we learned from along the way.

Starting point

• Profile: 59 kg / 169 cm (BMI ~20.7), lean skinny build, no equipment (no pull-up bar, no dumbbells — 2L water tumblers as weights)
• Goal: “Tom Holland” look — lean athletic, V-shape. Not bodybuilder, not powerlifter.
• Lifestyle: 2 part-times + AI-run business → constant AI-wait time = micro-workout windows
• Diet: warmindo-based (nasi telur dadar + tempe, nasi goreng telur, snack/milk), already gaining weight on it

Session cards, newest first. Delta vs previous session (same exercise). Source: src/data/training.csv.

Training sessions

Push-ups08-12 → 09-07 → 09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

Dips (chair)08-12 → 09-07 → 09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

Pike push-ups08-12 → 09-07 → 09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

Lateral raises08-12 → 09-07 → 09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

kg

Dumbbell rows09-09 → 09-16 → 09-24 → 09-30 → 10-07

reps

kg

Bicep curls09-09 → 09-16 → 09-24 → 09-30 → 10-07

reps

kg

Lying leg raises09-11 → 09-19 → 09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

Plank09-11 → 09-19 → 09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

Squats09-11 → 09-19

reps

kg

Lunges09-11 → 09-19 → 09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

Glute bridges09-11 → 09-19 → 09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

Dead bugs09-11 → 09-19 → 09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

Floor press (DB)09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

kg

Overhead tricep ext09-14 → 09-22 → 09-28 → 10-05

reps

kg

Reverse snow angels09-16 → 09-24 → 09-30 → 10-07

reps

kg

Goblet squat09-26 → 10-02 → 10-09

reps

kg

Fri 09 Oct — 6 exercises

• Lying leg raises: 15/15/15 (-1/0/0) — 3s tempo
• Plank: 90/90/90 (+30/+30/+30) — 3x90s held
• Goblet squat: 15/15/15 @13.5kg (=) — up from 12kg
• Lunges: 12/12/12 (=) — per leg
• Glute bridges: 20/20/20 (+5/+5/+5) — up from 15
• Dead bugs: 10/10/10 (=) — 3s pause - APT fix

Wed 07 Oct — 3 exercises

• Dumbbell rows: 13/13/15 @10kg (-2/-2/0) — target hit - best set
• Reverse snow angels: 15/15/15 @1.25kg (+3/+3/+3) — up from 12
• Bicep curls: 12/12/13 @6kg (0/+1/+7) — target hit

Mon 05 Oct — 6 exercises

• Push-ups: 11/11/13 (+4/+3/+5) — target hit
• Dips (chair): 12/12/12 (+1/+1/+1) — 3s tempo
• Pike push-ups: 12/12/12 (+6/+8/+8) — feet on chair
• Overhead tricep ext: 11/11/13 @6kg (-1/+1/+5) — weight up from 5kg
• Floor press (DB): 12/12/13 @12kg (0/0/+1) — target hit
• Lateral raises: 20/20/20 @2.5kg (+5/+5/+5) — top of range

Fri 02 Oct — 6 exercises

• Lying leg raises: 15/15/15 (-1/0/0) — 3s strict tempo
• Plank: 90/90/90 (+30/+30/+30) — 3x90s held
• Goblet squat: 15/15/15 @12kg (=) — up from 11kg
• Lunges: 12/12/12 (=) — per leg
• Glute bridges: 15/15/15 (=)
• Dead bugs: 10/10/10 (=) — per side - APT fix

Wed 30 Sept — 3 exercises

• Dumbbell rows: 11/11/12 @5.5kg (-4/-4/-3) — deload - misloaded (plan was 10-12kg); log = per dumbbell
• Reverse snow angels: 12/12/12 @1.25kg (=) — per hand
• Bicep curls: 11/11/12 @5.5kg (-1/0/+6) — up from 5kg

Mon 28 Sept — 6 exercises

• Push-ups: 10/10/12 (+3/+2/+4) — target hit
• Dips (chair): 12/12/12 (+1/+1/+1) — 3s tempo
• Pike push-ups: 12/12/12 (+6/+8/+8) — feet on chair
• Overhead tricep ext: 12/12/12 @5kg (0/+2/+4) — slot fix worked (was 7/5/4 at #5)
• Floor press (DB): 11/11/12 @12kg (-1/-1/0) — weight up, flat pattern
• Lateral raises: 18/18/18 @2.5kg (+3/+3/+3) — reps up from 15

Sat 26 Sept — 6 exercises

• Lying leg raises: 18/18/18 (+2/+3/+3) — reps up, tempo partial
• Plank: 90/90/90 (+30/+30/+30) — 3x90s new ceiling
• Goblet squat: 15/15/15 @11kg (new) — switched from backpack
• Lunges: 12/12/12 (=) — per leg
• Glute bridges: 15/15/15 (=)
• Dead bugs: 10/10/10 (=) — per side - APT fix

Thu 24 Sept — 3 exercises

• Dumbbell rows: 13/13/13 @10kg (-2/-2/-2) — cap rule worked - no drop-off
• Reverse snow angels: 12/12/12 (=)
• Bicep curls: 12/12/12 @5kg (0/+1/+6) — target hit - earned 6.25kg

Tue 22 Sept — 6 exercises

• Push-ups: 10/10/11 (+3/+2/+3) — cap rule working
• Dips (chair): 12/12/12 (+1/+1/+1) — 3s tempo
• Pike push-ups: 12/12/12 (+6/+8/+8) — feet on chair
• Floor press (DB): 12/11/10 @11kg (0/-1/-2) — per hand; mild drop-off
• Overhead tricep ext: 7/5/4 @5kg (-5/-5/-4) — pre-fatigued (hard dips+pike); move earlier in session
• Lateral raises: 15/15/15 @2.5kg (=)

Sat 19 Sept — 6 exercises

• Lying leg raises: 15/15/15 (-1/0/0) — 3s down tempo
• Plank: 75/75/75 (+15/+15/+15) — 3x75s new ceiling
• Squats: 15/15/15 @8kg (=) — backpack loaded
• Lunges: 12/12/12 (=) — per leg
• Glute bridges: 15/15/15 (=)
• Dead bugs: 10/10/10 (=) — per side - APT fix

Wed 16 Sept — 3 exercises

• Dumbbell rows: 15/15/10 @10kg (0/0/-5) — set 3 drop-off; cap sets 1-2 at 12-13
• Reverse snow angels: 12/12/12 (new) — rear delts + upper back
• Bicep curls: 10/10/12 @5kg (-2/-1/+6) — ascending pattern - fix worked

Mon 14 Sept — 6 exercises

• Push-ups: 12/10/8 (+5/+2/0) — set 1 near-failure; cap set 1 at 11
• Dips (chair): 12/12/12 (+1/+1/+1) — top of range 3rd session
• Pike push-ups: 12/12/12 (+6/+8/+8) — 8s to 12s jump
• Floor press (DB): 12/12/12 @10kg (new) — new move - top of range first session
• Overhead tricep ext: 12/10/8 @7.5kg (new) — drop-off - drop to 5kg
• Lateral raises: 15/15/15 @2.5kg (=)

Fri 11 Sept — 6 exercises

• Lying leg raises: 16/15/15 (new) — top of range
• Plank: 60/60/60 (new) — 3x60s top of range
• Squats: 15/15/15 (new)
• Lunges: 12/12/12 (new) — per leg
• Glute bridges: 15/15/15 (new)
• Dead bugs: 10/10/10 (new) — per side - APT fix

Wed 09 Sept — 2 exercises

• Dumbbell rows: 15/15/15 @7.5kg (new) — last set hard but clean
• Bicep curls: 12/11/6 @6kg (new) — set 3 collapse - drop to 5kg next

Mon 07 Sept — 4 exercises

• Push-ups: 8/9/10 (+1/+1/+2)
• Dips (chair): 12/12/12 (+1/+1/+1) — chair
• Pike push-ups: 8/8/8 (+2/+4/+4)
• Lateral raises: 15/15/15 @2.5kg (=) — last sets struggled

Wed 12 Aug — 4 exercises

• Push-ups: 7/8/8 (new)
• Dips (chair): 11/11/11 (new) — chair
• Pike push-ups: 6/4/4 (new)
• Lateral raises: 15/15/15 @2kg (new)

Progress markers

Date	Weight	Marker
2026-08-12	59 kg	Baseline (wk 0)
2026-09-19	59 kg	Abs outline visible in shadowed room; triceps density felt
2026-09-19	—	Lats padding arm movement; biceps too (wk 6)
2026-09-24	—	Chest DOMS first time (floor press stimulus)
2026-09-26	60 kg	M-size shirts tight at chest/lats/arms/shoulders — zero waist tightness. +1 kg in 6 wk = on-rate lean gain
2026-10-02	60 kg	Photo baseline: back + front + side (outdoor, shirtless). Honest read: mild V-taper, no lat flare, no delt cap, chest flattest feature, arms weakest, belly protrudes past chest line (APT + rib flare + softness), rounded shoulders + forward head. BF est ~20-24%. Traps + slim waist = relative assets. “Abs in shadow” was pump — no visible definition. Priority: slow gain to ≤1kg/mo, daily posture work (scapular retraction, face pulls), keep chest/shoulder volume. Next photo 12-16 wks: pure 90° side + true front, same wall/light, relaxed+flexed

Weight target band: 62-65 kg by Nov-Feb. If waist tightens before then → slow the gain, reassess.

Training philosophy selection (the “mazhab” discussion)

Training philosophies are like madhabs: same core (usul — progressive overload, recovery, consistency), differ on branches (furu’ — rep ranges, split vs full-body, tempo, cardio placement).

Main schools surveyed: bodybuilding/hypertrophy, powerlifting (Starting Strength), Olympic lifting, HIT (Mentzer/Yates), CrossFit, calisthenics, evidence-based/RP (Israetel).

Decision: For a lean-athletic aesthetic on an untrained light body → novice linear progression + calisthenics base. Skip HIT/failure-training (novice needs volume to build base); bodybuilding split comes later once there’s mass to shape. The look is ~70% low body fat + defined shoulders/chest, 30% mass — at 59kg the user is already 80% of the way there, so the path is recomp (maintenance to +200kcal), NOT bulk, NOT cut.

Current program: Calisthenics 3x/week A/B/C

• Day A — Push (Mon): Push-ups 3x8-15 | Tricep dips (chair) 3x8-12 | Pike push-ups 3x8-12 | Overhead tricep extension 3x10-12 @5kg | Dumbbell floor press 3x8-12 @11kg | Lateral raises 3x15 @2.5kg — order matters: tricep ext before floor press while triceps are fresh (pre-fatigued at #5 → 7/5/4)
• Day B — Pull (Wed): Dumbbell rows 3x10-15 @7.5-10kg | Reverse snow angels 3x12 | Bicep curls 3x10-12 @5-6kg
• Day C — Core+Legs (Fri): Lying leg raises 3x10-15 | Plank 3x30-60s (knee tucks on chair as ab-wheel sub) | Squats 3x15 | Lunges 3x12/leg | Glute bridges 3x15 | Dead bugs 3x10/side (APT fix)
• Conditioning optional 2x/wk: skipping/shadowboxing/stairs, or EMOM finisher
• Rest 60-90s main sets, 45-60s accessories
• Warmup 3-5 min (jumping jacks, arm circles, cat-cow, easy practice reps — NO static stretching before); cooldown 3 min (cobra, child’s pose, spinal roll)
• Progression: harder variation / more reps when top of range on all sets — never repeat the same workout twice in a row

Baselines (Day A, 2026-08-12): push-ups 7/8/8, dips 11/11/11, pike 6/4/4, lateral raises 15/15/15 @2L.

Equipment decision (2026-08-29): dumbbells + cardio, no gym

Locked final plan (no gym membership — pull-up bar alone doesn’t justify it):

Body part	Exercise	Equipment
Hand/grip	Hand grip trainer	Grip trainer
Back (V-shape)	Dumbbell rows	Dumbbell
Bicep	Curls	Dumbbell
Shoulder front/side	Lateral raises, front raises	Dumbbell
Chest	Push-ups	Bodyweight
Tricep	Push-ups / dips	Bodyweight
Abs	Plank, leg raises	Bodyweight
Thigh front	Squats, lunges	Bodyweight → weighted backpack
Thigh back (hamstring)	RDL / glute bridge	Dumbbell
Calf	Calf raises	Bodyweight
Cardio (2-3x/wk, Tue+Sat)	Skipping / jumping jacks (mix intervals OK)	Rope ~Rp30-50k or none

Buy list: Adjustable dumbbell set (TrailTop Rp171.750 Tokopedia, or Total Fitness Store Janti Yogyakarta 0274-2801901 offline — they stock fix 4-20kg + set 50kg), skipping rope. Pull-up bar (Rp100-200k) optional upgrade later.

Diet plan (warmindo reality)

• Target ~110g protein/day (~1.8-2g/kg); realistic warung compromise 80-90g
• User already gains weight on carb-heavy diet → don’t add food, shift composition (same calories, more protein → gain is muscle not fat). “Same weight gain, more of it muscle.”
• Protein math: telur dadar + tempe ≈ 25-30g/meal; nasi goreng telur ≈ 12-15g (weakest meal); susu UHT full cream ≈ 30g/L; tempe ≈ 19g/100g; ayam ≈ 25-30g/piece
• Cheap upgrades, no cooking: extra egg (“telur 3, nasi sedikit”), tempe/tahu side, telur rebus snack, extra susu
• Rule: every meal needs a visible protein source, not just rice + fried stuff
• Reassess diet at 65kg or stalled progression
• Meal template (2026-09-14, current): breakfast nasi telur + 2 tempe gorengan (~35g) | lunch nasi ayam balado (~37g) | dinner 6 eggs (~36g) → ≈108g. No tempe/sardine at dinner, no supplement. Egg: ceplok in butter/1 tsp oil, or boiled (zero oil). Buy eggs by the tray (30 ≈ Rp70-80k). 200ml Ultra milk = optional bonus (+7g). L-Men 2GO = lazy-day backup only
• Previous variants (interchangeable): sardine dinner (12g/can — Asahi: 9g/100g, 155g can, ~870mg sodium) + tempe + 2-3 eggs ≈ 105-107g; 5 eggs + tempe dinner ≈ 107-120g

Lessons learned

• “7/8” Indonesian time shorthand = 07:00 pagi, NOT 19:00. Confirmed before creating calendar events; when wrong, delete + recreate (gws has no update alias)
• Rounded belly at low bodyweight = anterior pelvic tilt (APT), not fat. Mirror test: pelvis tilts forward. Fix: glute bridges, dead bugs, vacuums, hip flexor stretch
• Can’t touch toes = tight hamstrings, contributes to APT. Daily 20-30s static holds (never ballistic), pike + single-leg stretch. ~30 days to toes
• Forced stretching = strain, not lengthening. “Stretch to feel, not to force.” Bounce/pull = micro-tears + muscle guarding; gentle 70% effort only. Hamstring strain happened exactly this way
• DOMS vs posture tightness are different problems. Triceps DOMS clears in 24-72h, train through mild soreness; hamstring+lower back tightness is the APT combo, needs daily stretching
• V-shape priority: lateral raises (#1, side delts) + pull-ups/lats (#2); chest is secondary thickness. Don’t skip lateral raises for push-ups
• App “Day 1” circuits (adapundi style) = timed intervals, no pulling, no progression → steal moves for warmup/cooldown only, never the main program
• EMOM/density training = conditioning, NOT strength. Conservative round-1 rep targets, else round 5+ is death. Fine as finisher, wrong as main program
• AI-wait micro-workouts are snacks, A/B/C are meals. Mini-sets (plank, dead bugs, vacuums, glute bridges — office-invisible) don’t substitute for the muscle-building stimulus; both have jobs
• Pants not fitting ≠ emergency. Too tight = belly grew from the gain (slow the gain, recomp, APT work); too big = old pants, buy 1-2 pairs. Thighs tight = actually good (leg muscle)
• If session date mismatches calendar, keep the done day and shift — training beats schedule
• Timeline honesty: feel wk1-2, visible wk3-4, noticeable wk6-8, “whoa” 3mo
• Pull-up bar (~Rp100-150k) recommended as single best V-shape investment; until then table rows carry the load

Related

• Japanese learning notes: 不思議の国のアリス — Alice of the Land of Wonder