Nice humble brag Andre
3 Likes
2nd October - Just maintenance at the moment Week 2 - Upper B
-
Slight incline DB Press
44kg DBs x 6
40kg DBs x 8 -
Lat Pull Down
91kg x 7
84kg x 8 -
HS seated Row
60kg each side x 6
55kg each side x 8 -
Weighted Dips
25kg x 6
15kg x 8 -
Lat/ trap all the way up raises
6kg DBs x 10
8kg DBs x 8 -
Concentration Curls
17.5kg DB x 9
15kg DB x 10 -
DB Skull crushers
22kg DBs x 6
20kg DBs x 9
Great upper session, feeling like i need to eat more again to get to maintenance but i also think i want to cut again…need to make a decision soon though.
Will do some fitness at lunch today.
5 Likes
2nd October - Just maintenance at the moment Week 2 - Fitness
- 10 x 20m sprints - walk back 20m as rest on each rep
2m rest - 45 seconds sprint shuttles - just solid hard work
2m rest - 10 x 20m sprints - walk back 20m as rest on each rep
2m rest - 45 seconds shuttles
Good session although my hamstrings felt super tight the entire session and i didn’t feel i got to full speed due to this but i still gave 100%.
4 Likes
3rd October - Just maintenance at the moment Week 2 - Lower B
-
Seated hamstring curls
80kg x 8
73kg x 8 -
Box Squats
120kg 3 sets of 6 reps -
Ab machine
45kg x 12 x 10 -
Calf hops
2 sets of 30seoncds each
Feel shattered today to be honest, need some more healthy carbs in my diet.
5 Likes
You can’t go wrong with sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, and/or oats!
6th October - Maintenance with some extra carbs Week 1 - Upper A
-
HS Chest Press
60kg each side x 7
55kg each side x 6 -
Weighted Chins
7.5kg 3 sets of 3 reps -
DB Seated Shoulder Press
34kg DBs x 8
30kg DBs x 8 -
Seated cable row
98kg x 8
91kg x 8 -
Pec Dec
108kg x 8
101kg x 7 -
Cable curls
7 weight x 10
6 weight x 10 -
Cable tricep X cross over extensions
6 weight x 10
5 weight x 10
Not sure if i’ll be growing or what at the moment but going on from maintenance i’ll add some extra carbs around the workout window and see how i feel and watch my weight.
5 Likes
Think i’ll add 50g of oats maybe twice a day on top and see how that goes. Thank you.
I do love oats!
Guessing baked beans (uk baked beans) don’t count as your beans?
4 Likes
I just started eating Red Mill 5 grain hot cereal. It’s got extra yummies in it and is tasty. If you’re into that kind of thing.
Edit: it has barley in it. Barley is supposed to be very good for you. I can’t remember why just now. 
2 Likes
Yeah, they tend to be high in sugar, so there are better options.
Edit: it has barley in it. Barley is supposed to be very good for you. I can’t remember why just now
Perhaps you’re recalling that the Spartans primarily ate barley, leaving wheat for the Athenians, whom they viewed as soft, weak and inferior.
The similarly badass culture of the vikings also enjoyed a diet with barley.
3 Likes
Perhaps
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6th October - Maintenance with some extra carbs Week 1 - Lower A
Was in London staying over for work so found a local ‘gym group’ gym. Had some good machines but a bit crowded, would give it a 7.5/10.
I always sleep really poorly in hotels though so had a very restless sleep beforehand.
Anyway…
-
Hack squat - i liked this one but it felt heavy even without any weights on it
70kg x 8 x 7 x 6 -
RDL - didn’t have a lifting belt nor wrist straps though
100kg 3 sets of 6 reps -
Standing calf raises
3 sets slow with a lower weight -
Ab machine - did the whole rack on this, didn’t find it that great
3 sets to failure
Glad i got a workout in but haven’t enjoyed the London travelling, being away from the wife and kids nor pretending to be professional at work all day 
My Commercial Director told me i was too blunt and needed to work on my soft skills. I do know that but no idea how to actually improve on that as i am a very blunt person.
4 Likes
Strangely I’ve had similar feedback from my boss and other managers at the start of my career. I’ve kind of embraced it tbh as I think it makes me who I am and I definitely have a reputation as being no nonsense.
I have actually tried to temper it with varying degrees of success by trying to ask more open questions, this can also help cultivate greater empathy which I’ve also been told I lack.
2 Likes
Two peas in a pod!
I’ve asked for a mentor at work to help me as i don’t like the fact that some of my important messages don’t land as well as they could. The company i work for as well is very softy softy (which is rare) but you have to land stuff in a certain way.
4 Likes
6th October - Maintenance with some extra carbs Week 1 - Fitness
- 6 rounds of 2 x 10m sprint there are back, then a 30m sprint - go on each 60 second interval
2m rest - 4 rounds of 10m, then 20m, then 30m sprint there and back hitting the floor each time - go on each 60 second interval
2m rest - 6 rounds of 2 x 10m sprint there are back, then a 30m sprint - go on each 60 second interval
Enjoyed a different fitness session today (stole it off a Facebook reel). Legs feeling heavy though but guessed they would.
Done
5 Likes
9th October - Maintenance with some extra carbs Week 1 - Upper B
-
Slight incline DB Press
44kg DBs x 7
40kg DBs x 8 -
Lat pull down
91kg x 8
84kg x 8 -
Weighted dips
25kg x 7
15kg x 7 -
HS row machine
60kg each side x 6
55kg each side x 8 -
Concentration Curls
17.5kg db x 10
15kg db x 10 -
Skull crushers
20kg dbs x 10
17.5kg dbs x 12 -
Trap all the way up lat raises
10kg dbs x 8
8kg dbs x 8
Good session, thinking I will do another mini bulk maybe 6 weeks or so with an upper body focus but making sure o don’t increase overall calories too much. I’m enjoying being a bit leaner (for me) at the moment though.
Photo update with a slight pump, great upper session but I’ve not really been getting much of a pump when working at at the moment, not sure why.
6 Likes
Diet?
If you’re not getting much nitrogen in your diet, its hard to get a pump.
I also dont think that the pump really does a whole lot for muscle growth regardless, but who knows.
1 Like
Looking solid mate. Shoulders looking real wide.
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10th October - Maintenance with some extra carbs Week 1 - Lower B
-
BB Squat
70kg
4 sets of 6 reps -
Seated Hamstring Curls
82kg x 8
75kg x 8 -
Ab machine
45kg x 12 x 10 -
Calf raises on leg press
145kg x 10
125kg x 10
105kg x 12
My form on squats was 100% but i still got pins and needles in my left leg (which seems to happen when i squat). Very frustrating as i want to train legs hard but really struggle with mobility or hip mobility (no idea) but i’ll ask my physio again when i go back in.
I’ve got a plan for the next 6 weeks, might write it up later.
4 Likes
13th October - 6 Week gaining phase Week 1/6 - Push & quads
-
HS Chest press
52kg each side x 8
47kg each side x 7
42kg each side x 8 -
Incline BB press - dead stop reps
60kg x 8 x 7 x 7 -
Pec Dec
108kg x 6
101kg x 6
94kg x 5 -
HS Shoulder press
40kg each side x 10 x 10 x 10 (way too light) -
Tricep cable X extensions
6 weight x 6
5 weight x 8 -
Squats
80kg 3 sets of 5 reps
So decided to do:
Monday - Push & quads
Tuesday - Pull & Hammys
Wed - Off
Thursday - Upper body & abs (no arms)
Friday - arms (adding some legs when not playing rugby on Saturdays)
Saturday - Rugby (when i play)
Then will try and get two fitness sessions in as well.
The idea is very simple strength for lower body, so 3 x 5 reps on squats, moving up in weight each week, then the same with RDLs with extra leg work on Friday if I’m not playing rugby on the Saturday.
Volume is
Monday
Chest 9 sets
Shoulders 3 sets
Triceps 2 sets
Quads 3 sets
Tuesday
Back 9 sets
biceps 2 sets
Hammys 3 sets
Abs 2 sets
Thursday
Chest 4 sets
Back 4 sets
Shoulders 2 sets
Abs 3 sets
Friday
Biceps 9 sets
Triceps 9 sets
I’m adding in a load of oats to my diet and keeping everything else the same. I feel that’s the best way to avoid getting too fat or binging on bread when hungry.
6 Likes