Once arms get to a certain size they start to look worse. I never want to lose the definition. I’m thinking of the large fellas who have massive arms but it’s one solid chunk from shoulder to elbow. I prefer keeping the lines between the bi’s and tri’s.
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True, especially in your case, you are at a great body fat percentage, I would strive to keep that if it were the case with me as well, but I’m usually around 20% bf nowadays, lines are pretty much gone, but I would be happy if I could reach 45cm at similar bf, I had 42cm back in 2014 but was more like 24%, that is too much, don’t wanna go there again.
I think at least in my case and with my genetics, it is impossible to be both big and defined, 45 cm at like 15% bf is just not feasible for me( without roids), I think even 40cm would be a struggle. Back in my early 20s when I did a lot of martial arts, I was like 75kg body weight around 13% body fat,with a nice set of abs and well defined arms that would get attention (had a barbell with like 70kg weight and I ever did was benches and curls), and I can tell you at that weight considering my average (at best) height of 175cm, in a long sleeve shirt or in a jacket I didn’t look like I trained at all!
I think that is like a curse for small guys, tall guys get respect even without training. Especially at our job, I have a colleague who is 7 feet tall, man does that guy get the respect even though he is really weak physically, I think he can barely do a few pushups and I can own him in a 1 to 1 fight, but I have to work my way to respect, had a few occasions where shit escalated and I know it would not if I were 10 cm taller. Those bastards were sorry afterwards, but had to go the hard way… You cant spot the muscle under the uniform (during the winter)
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I have it good at work. I’m bigger than just about everybody I meet. I was told early in my career that I could avoid 50% of fights with my size and the other 50% by the way I treat people. It’s held true so far.
You could always alter your shirts to show off the guns. I’ve seen a couple officers do that lol
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Lol. I’m gonna, next summer. We got summer uniform from april til november and winter from november to april.
That is probably why there always used to be minimum height for cadets to enter into the academy, I barely passed mine, lower limit is 175 and I exactly matched that, lol. There is that psychologic advantage of looking down onto someone, takes away their ideas of even thinking of trying anything
Tue Nov 28th -mixed day
Well, today I really fucked up, had no real back pain so in all my stubbordness decided to go deadlift…
bench kizen
107.5kg 3x5 , 1xamrap x 9 - a PR, happy with this almost had the 10th rep, failed it halfway through, next week deload to 95
deadlift kizen
130kg 1x5
130kg 1x4 - and on that fourth rep a sudden low back pain, dropped the barbell but the pain is still with me, man…
**ohp **
65kg 5x3- watched my back carefully not to lean too much backwards, was fine gladly, if I have to pause deadlfts or even squats at least I will be able to do this exercise I like so much
pulls
5x5 between ohp sets
dmbl bench
32kg 3x8
dmbl flyes
10kg 3x12
- gonna have to carefully monitor my back tomorrow, unfortunatelly I will have to drop the deadlifts for now, hopefully my squats wont be affected, i hope I can do them, luckely I do the high bar, doesnt place too much stress on the back
Woke up with a bad low back pain this morning, but still went to the gym and did my regular upper body work.
Thu 30th Nov - upper day
OHP
55kg 3x5
55kg x12 - a PR
Bench
110kg 5x3 - felt heavy, possibly pecs still hurting from 2 days ago
90kg 5x8 - these were smooth though, that’s weird, maybe like CNS being fried for the heavy work or something like that sort of scientific stuff, lol
pulls & chins
50 total in between bench sets
DB OHP
19kg 10,9,8,8 - did them with a bit closer up front, not elbows to the side, like a saw on that recent tnation article, it does feel safer on the shoulder joint, kind of weaker movement though
db laterals
10kg 4x10
dips
BW+15kg 4x8
1 arm concentration lateral 4x10 - really felt this in the delts, did it slowly with a light dumbbell, while holnding on to the cablefly machine, so no momentum
-and between all this I did very slow, tempo squats, first with an empty bar. It was good, no pain, so I kept on adding 10kg each set and to the end did one with 80 kg wearing a belt, for a set of 5, this gives me hope that my low back injury is not serious. Let’s hope I’m right. Just had dinner and I think sitting is actually a bit easier, less pain, if it was 7 before, now more like a 2
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Didn’t train during the weekend. It’s been snowing for three days straight over here in Bosnia, and I had two straight days and three nights off, which is not happening very often, so just chilled around, especially with this back thing going on. On Saturday I did about 100 pushups and BW squats while watching the tv in the evening, and a few planks, just to keep the blood going threw the muscles. Actually was a bit sore in the abs the next day which is a shameful indicator that I never do the abs directly, lol.
monday 5th Dec - upper day
bench kizen
95kg 3x5
95kg amrap x 15 - PR!! wanted 1 more than last time at this weight which was 14, got it but hardly
**ohp **
62,5kg 5x3 - my delts were very very sore after the bench so decided not to do these with 65, but I think I could have cause these were very smooth
50kg 5x8 - also very smooth, gonna do the regular weights from now on
dmbl Bench/dmbl fly
30kg 3x10 / 12kg 3x10
incline dmb bench / inc dmb fly
19kg 3x10 / 12kg 3x10 - gonna slowly expand fly reps to 15, and this weight was light on the inclines, unfortunatelly the next heavier dmbells in the gym are 30s, so gonna have to expand these to 15 reps as well before moving to bigger ones.
dips
5x10 bodyweight, leaned forward to affect the chest more
dmb curls
12kg 5x10
skullcrusher / brbl curl
35kg 3x10 / 30kg 3x10 - had time so did some of these.
pullups 60 in between the presses
- total of 90 minutes in the gym. I don’t want to work out longer than that, I think is is unnecessary.
- Not sure if I mentioned it before but I am going to stop regular deadlifting for now. Second time deads hurt my back and gladly not as bad as 2y ago, when pain stick with me for 6 months. I am going to devote the time I used for deadlifts on doing some RDL’s or some other version that is supposed to be easier on the back, still haven’t decided which ones, and also focusing more time on the back and as well arms if the sessions be done quick.
- been eating like a pig again lately but for now the weight seems to be constant. have to be careful about that. Didnt weight myself, I don’t want to be heavier than 90kg atm.
wednesday 6th Nov - lower day
Needed to be careful with the squat, first lower body session since the injury
squat kizen
110kg x 3x5
110kg amrap x10 - probably have this weight for like a 15, but went really slow on my reps and was careful with the back angles, luckly had no pain
**pulls ** 50 total reps
leg curls 4x10
leg extensions 4x10
back extensions 4x10
machine rows 4x10
curls 3x10 z bar supersetted with 3x10 dmbell
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Sorry to hear about your injuries. Hope it heals up soon mate
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tnx bro, i hope so too
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8th November - upper day
OHP
57,5kg 3x5, 1x11 amrap
Bench
110kg 5x3
90kg 5x8
Pulls 5x10
Dmbl OHP 19kg 10,9,8,8 superset:
Dmbl laterals 12kg 4x10
dips 4x10 superset:
dmbl curl 12kg 4x10
triceps pushdown 2x10, 1x20
hammer curl 12kg 3x10
-Injury update: been actually feeling worse today, I got some ointments that I’ve been putting on, menthol based creams, make it feel better for a while. Had no trouble during training.
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monday 12th dec -lower day
Was sleep deprived after the night shift only slept for 4 hour but decided to do a workout anyways.
squat
115kg 3x5, 1x10 - low back feels great. Pain ia almost completely gone
pulls 10x5 supersettes with:
brbell shrugs 70 80 90 100 100kg x10 and
farmer carry -dumbbell 30kg 5x 30 something meters or so. First time doing this it is awesome
barbell rows 70kg 5x5
lat pulldown 5x10
low back extensions 20kg 5x10
machine rows 5x10
curls 40kg 6,6 and drop set 40x6,30x8,20x10
Awesome back workout,felt great. Killed the biceps too with only three sets. Will have to spread this back volume in multiple sessions a week since it is undoable once I start hitting my low body hard again
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tue 12th dec - upper day
bench
100kg 3x5, 1x12
ohp
65kg 5x3
52,5kg 5x8
chins 5x7
brbl rows
60kg 5x8
dmbl bench/flys
30kg 3x10/ 12kg 3x12
inc dmbl bench /flys
19kg 3x12/ 10kg 3x10
And a set of 12 dips cause had no time for more
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thu nov 14th - lower day
First real low body workout since the injury
sq
125kg 5x3 - back felt fine even at this 80% or so weight
105 5x8- first two sets beltless. Added it later just to stay safe. Broke so much sweat, I dont usually sweat much during workouts but higher rep squats is really something else
pulls 10x5
db row 19kg 4x10
leg curl 3x10,2x8 up to 50kg
leg extensions 5x10
back extensions 20kg 5x10
db curl19kg 2x6 and a drop set 6/8/10 at 19kg 12kg 9kg
- Im working the night shift and have to get up before 12 so less then 4h of sleep so will decide later on will I train tonight since it is heavy presses. Maybe if im luckly ill catch an hour and a half sleep in the afternoon
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Rotating schedule?
Yeah, We basically work 12hour day shift /24hour rest/ 12hour night shift / 48 hour rest. It’s been challenging setting up my work routine with this type of a schedule. I find it best training on the off day( second part of 48hour off) and before night shift, training after waking from the night shift only if I"m feeling up to it
Saturday Dec 16th - Upper day
Yesterday was a no training day, I barely slept for 3 hours after the night shift because of some life obligations, and today I had to train in my home gym, but was again short on time, and I even think yesterday caught up to me today cause I felt like shit during training, everything was heavy.
OHP kizen
60kg 3x5, 1x7 - I got this for 10 last time on this weight, and 10th rep was easier than this 7th. Well, I guess that is why kizen is good, it autoregulates itself, you cant always be in your prime, just not my day. failed to do 8 reps so repeat this weight next ohp session
pulls 5x5 - felt like I weighted a ton
bench
90kg x8 - again very hard, the weight that’s usually so light on my arms
80kg 4x10 - had to reduce to 80, but got some volume at least. Important thing is I didn’t miss the workout
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Sleep is underrated, my friend.
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Do you work the night shifts? It really fucks up the metabolism and body biorhythm, I typically average 7-8 night shifts a month.
Tuesday Dec 19 - Upper day
So today was a day after night shift workout, slept about 4 and a half hours after work, but I actually got 2 hours of sleep on the job, lol, so felt fine for working out. Doesn’t happen too often but it really helps when it does, I know it’s not very professional but what else to do at 5am when there’s not a living soul moving on the streets (Hope my chief is not reading this, or I’m fucked)
Bench kizen
102,5kg 3x5, 1x11 - just checked previous posts and I’ve equaled previous PR of 11, but this one was a bit harder cause I had no spotter, 11th actually stopped for a moment half way up but I got it
pulls 5x5
OHP volume
65kg 5x3 - forgot belt at home but it is still doable.
52,5kg 5x8 - this was harder then 65kg without the belt cause I guess back gets fatigued more of high reps
farmer walk
about 20meter 1x 30kg, 4x35kg - I have issues on this cause I use dumbbells and I put 15kg plates so they get in the way walking, there is not enough 5kg plates in the gym to use so I’ll see what I’ll do. Maybe I’ll jusz walk longer distanced with less weight
more pulls
5x5 - 50 in total
dmbl bench
32,5kg 10,9,8
incline bench
19kg 3x12 - increase weight by 3-4 kg next time
dips
5x10
incline flys
9kg 3x12
rope triceps pushdowns
2x12, 1x2 + 1x20 drop set - for an awesome burn
- Tomorrow is squat day, and I’m excited about it. I am going to attempt lighter RDLS after the squats, to check how its going
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