While you’re undecided about the end goal, this is a really good “side” goal or unspoken goal if you will. Not many people realize this, but a major determinant of whether a patient survives getting admitted into ICU? Muscle mass. First line (text book) intervention for the usual stuff like high blood, diabetes, dyslipidemia, chronic nonspecific pain here and there? Moderate physical activity (resistance training or cardio related). Sadly, no one wants to accept the thought of spending hundreds of dollars going to the doctor and just being told to “drink more water” and “exercise” when in fact it’s the best (and cheaper) solution for quality of life.
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I appreciate the input of people on here, especially on the rare occasions they tell me I’m doing something right.
The 18 year old in me is always going to be fighting to hit some big, distant, impressive goal. He has to be calmed by the 33 year old dad of 2 who dimly realises that these goals are likely unachievable without sacrificing far more important things and impacting in a big way on the people he loves.
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@TX_iron I just wrote out all the squat sessions for Mass Made Simple and I would like to say a big, heart felt, fuck you. I forgot how goddamn awful this is going to be in my current piss weak state. Did you know the “to fifty” workouts are at least weekly? I must have erased that from my memory.
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I have been “bulking” for a full year 
The last few weeks have been fricking nuts and I have fallen completely off the wagon, with lifting amd eating. Hoping for redemption after Christmas. Still haven’t hit my goal 130lbs. Got close though. Think I will just skip the transformation challenge this year, don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning anyway.
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My eatings well off the wagon at this point. Slightly worrying going into a 6 month mass phase.
Just do what I did last year, take the picture and see how that motivates you.
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I have a little more time to decide so we’ll see.
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Ha! I actually laughed out loud. Which is even funnier, because I’m 100% positive that you were not laughing out loud. My condolences.
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Fake meet results day @mortdk
Followed the rules I originally laid out as close as i could in a crowded mid day gym.
Press:
1 x 60kg - easy as anything
1 x 62.5kg - no real grind at all (easy PR)
0 x 65kg - Absolute failure, barely got it to eye height. Probably lack of focus on set up I think.
Squat:
1 x 120kg - easy as anything
1 x 130kg - difficult but really smooth. Slight twinge in lower back on rerack. Looked like an actual squat, rather than the eye popping good morning abomination last time I lifted this weight.
1 x 140kg (big PR, 4 plate target hit) - really fucking happy with this. A bit of a grind, but much prettier than my last squat PR, and 10kg heavier.
Bench:
1 x 100kg (equalled PR) - grindier than I remember last time. Poor warm up/set up maybe. Fatigue from press maybe, more likely I’m just not very strong. Called it there, I didn’t feel like I was likely to add substantially to that PR so I didn’t try.
Deadlift:
1 x 150kg easy AF
1 x 160kg (very comfortable PR)
0 x 180kg - lower back popped slightly after breaking the floor, shut it right down. Got a bit greedy here and I knew it. Did the calculation after an easy 160kg, figured i only had 1 heavy lift in me tops, even if I broke the rules of the meet and took 4 attempts. 170kg didn’t excite me, 180kg did so I went for it. If I’d really hyped myself up, gone in fresh, no back tweak etc would I have got it? Maybe, I guess we’ll never know. I’m happy enough to go with a 160kg everyday max, I’ll just end up lifting slightly lighter for the next 6 months or so. Bummer.
Overall:
I’m pretty happy with this. 75% towards my 1-2-3-4 plate goal. I don’t get to be surprised at the deadlift miss as I literally ran 1 10 week cycle in the entire year. I’m also happy to use all of these weights as everyday maxes as and when I need to. In ideal conditions I’m confident I could have pushed each one higher, but I won’t be lifting in ideal conditions so I’ll stick with these.
Fatsique photos coming later, along with training plans, and a vague nutrition plan for the new year.
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Quality work! I find it’s rare to be at PR levels on all lifts at the same time. It’s probably because my training emphasis changes frequently. To see you match or beat PRs on everything is impressive. 
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Thanks man, very pleased with today, all things considering.
Look! It’s a PR party in here. Congratulations!
Thanks.
I’ve just realised it means I’ll have to use a heavier weight when I get to doing Deep Water. Fuck.
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So training plan for next 7 Weeks:
Day 1:
Front squat: 5s PRO
Bench: 5s PRO BBB
Complexes: as per MMS
Squats: as per MMS
Day 2:
Deadlift: Kroc Deadlift program
Press: 5s PRO
Arnold Press: 5 x 10
Complexes: as per MMS
Squats: as per MMS
The BBB is definitely not in the program as written, however I’m pretty dumb so I’m going to try it and hope I don’t crash and burn.
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Nice work on the PR’s. I rekon you can pull 180, you may just need a few weeks of pulling heavier weights in the 2-4 rep range. I find I add strength to my deadlift in the 5-6 range but it doesn’t translate to a heavy single unless I peak and do some lower rep pulls.
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Thanks man.
Probably true. I might have ground the rep out if I hadn’t felt a pop in my back. Or if I’d gone in fresh, without a max effort squat before it. Etc… I’m not as beat up about missing it as I thought I would be, I have time to hit 4 plates and my plan involves a lot of sensible pulling in the 1-5 rep range.
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Nice work.
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Thanks man
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Fatsique update/before picture:
Christmas abuse definitely showing. I still haven’t found a mirror that shows my legs, which is a shame because with all the squatting lined up, I expect that to be where a lot of the growth will happen.
Also: scales broken, so no idea on weight. I plan to get both weight and photo fixed over the next few days.
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Nutrition plan is very tentative. I know very little about it, so I’m going to try what I think is a sensible approach and adjust/scrap as I go if needed. I’m abandoning the heavy protein shake use and excessive bread consumption and trying much more whole foods, I’ll play with calories so they’re high at the start of the week when I train hard and recover and low at the end of the week when I don’t. Macro break down based off an article I read about 5 years ago by Nate Miyaki: 1g of protein per lab of bodyweight, 20% minimum fats. Slightly increase carb ratio on intense training days, slightly increase fats on less intense days. Average calories across the week aimed at a recomp.
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Here’s one from the gym earlier. Better than trying to retake photos.
Edit: Weighed in, admittedly a day late, at 200.6lbs. Which is a big old slap in the face, to be fair. Far higher than I’d like to start a 6 month mass gaining process. I guess I don’t have to worry about losing my abs though, eh?
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