Leg day. Wasn’t feeling too into it.
Belt squat 385 5x10
Glute bridge 185 3x12
Leg extension 160 2x15
Leg curl 140 2x12
Still some good work. Only really did legs in leg day, kinda weird. Glute bridges are something new. Really felt it more in the hamstrings and spinal erectors. The wife wants me to grow my ass this year, so I hope these help.
Delt day
Push press log 170 3x8
Log strict 160 3x8
Chin with 5 second negative 8,8,9
Incline press 235 3x6
Hack squat quad focus 185 3x8
Curl 140 15 followed immediately with slow eccentric chin 5 reps
Triceps push down followed by slow eccentric dips 140 15 and 10 dips
Starting slow on the hack squat. Figured 3 days of belt squat is a lot. The slow negative chins are getting brutal.
I decided after a few readings with the new fancy blood monitor that my BP is high, but not dangerously high. I’ve been averaging about 135/85. But still a lot of variance. I pulled the trigger on the telmisartan. Gonna start at 10 mg/day and see what that does. Haven’t started cardio yet. Ideally, if like it to be under the 120/80 consistently. Gonna go with the two prong approach of low dose med and cardio.
The BP drugs are cheap if anyone is wondering. It’s about $40 a year if using 10 mg/day.
Gonna try to get my TT, FT, E2 and DHT bloods this week. I’ll do comprehensive bloods on cruise. Putting this off a bit too much for my liking.
Deadlifted Wednesday. Was not feeling it to much.
Deadlift 545x1
Deadlift with 90 in chains 445 4x5
Narrow bench with shoulder saver 285 3x10
Did some chins and other stuff
Bench today
Bench 365x1 330 4x5
Narrow bench with sling shot 280 3x8
Belt squat 445 3x5
Cable row 170 2x10 1x15
Ghr 3x10
Curl 60x15 immediately followed by slow eccentric chins 1x5
Shoulder was bothering me a bit, hence the sling shot. Bench was weird today. The 365 was really tough and misgroved. I actually felt stronger after a few of the working sets. I think I need a bit more warm up. Didn’t do cardio. Not starting great in that resolution.
You doing any band work prior to bench/push days?
Only band pull aparts. I’ve done speed work with bands before, and I seem to get a better neural drive doing so. My favourite bench has band pegs, so maybe I’ll do a bit of that warming up. I just think I need a bit more non fatiguing work before going heavy for singles.
I never found much benefit of doing pull aparts from a warmup perspective. The best warmup I’ve come across to stop my shoulders from giving me grief is putting the band in front of you at shoulder height, raising it overhead and bringing it all the way down to your lower back, then back to the front. I even found this same method in DoggCrapp’s logs for shoulders, but he used a barbell for it.
Shoulder warmups are very individual IME but this is the one that I’ve seen/heard that works best for most people. It’s also not taxing so no 1RM impact.
I’ve done those too, but with a pvc pipe. Really helps for squats. I think I’ve just been pushing bench hard for the 405 goal. Pressing 3 days a week. Not all bench, but a lot of pressing. My upper body is looking thicker, but it’s tough on the shoulders.
Aggressive. You doing enough assistance work on your stabilizers to accommodate? I find my bench suffers heavily when my Posterior Delts don’t get enough love, but I’m hardly in the benching category to be giving you advice lol
I’m the same way, working set 3 is usually where I feel the best. I do pull aparts, dislocations, and face pulls those help but I suspect I need to do more work with weight too before pushing intensity. When you think you’ll hit 405?
I do back a lot. Not as much recently, but historically I think I’ve done a lot of back. More vertical pulling though I probably need some more rear delt work.
About a month. I think I just misgroved that one. I’m adding tbol again soon. I get some strength from that. On the day I go for it, I’ll add a bit of anadrol too. Then my blast will be over.
Nice man, I’m hoping to hit before the end of the year definitely not next month though lol
Leg day.
Belt squat 395 5x10
Leg extension 175 3x15
Leg curl 155 3x12
Bicep curl 70 3x12
Cable row 160 2x15
Pretty good day. My wife meal preps, and is offering to do that for me. That will be really nice. Not much option for variety (just what she is having) but she said I can get a double portion of protein. I think this will help a lot in my upcoming cut. Also a bit healthier. Been going out for lunch. I do pick less stupid stuff than average, but I don’t think it will compare to a protein, vegetable and rice. This week is ground turkey, Jasmine rice and peppers.
Blood pressure has been all over the place. Not sure if it’s inconsistent method? I think averaging makes sense. Yesterday morning was 147/93, this morning was 118/83. I’m going to assume I’m a bit high on average. The latter reading was unusually good for me. My average is about 135/85. I should have some telmisartan coming soon. Gonna start at half dose (20 mg).
Delt day
Push press log 175 3x8
Log strick press 165 3x8
Chin up 3x10
Incline press 240 3x6
Hack squat 195 3x8
Cable curl drop sets 150x12 100x10 70x8
Triceps rope drop sets 150x12 100x8 70x7
Felt pretty good today. Presses felt lighter than last week. That hack squat machine is tough. The cable curl Imo is half the listed weight. Just can’t believe I can do 150x12.
If the pulley is by the weight stack, the weight lifted is half what is listed. If the cable bolts right into the stack, the listed weight is accurate.
It’s by the stack, so that it can be moved up or down for different exercises. A double pulley system.
Mine is like this too. Was trying to find a method to temporarily halt the double pulley action for my heavier exercises but didn’t come up with anything smart lol.
The genius of the double pulley is also it’s curse
Deadlifts and bench supplemental
Deadlift 555x1
Deadlift with 90 in chains 455 4x5
Narrow bench with shoulder saver 295 5x10
Chin up 12, 15
Dip 12, 15
Was a tough day. Both the deadlift and bench were really taxing. Needed a lot of recovery time between sets. Thinking of reducing reps a bit in these two exercises, while upping the weight the same as I’ve been doing. Maybe doing 3s fit the deadlift, and 8s for the bench.
BTW, a shoulder saver is a pad made by elitefts. It removes about 2.5-3" of ROM.
It makes it a bit easier, but also puts less stress on the shoulders. I do them narrow to work the triceps. I also have a slingshot red. I’d say I get about half as much from the shoulder saver as the sling shot.
Going to a hockey game tomorrow so trained today. Was kinda hard benching after supplemental bench yesterday.
Bench 375x1 335x5 315 3x5
Belt squat 455 3x5
Chin 3x10
Bench machine where handles move inward 225 15,15,20
The bench machine was easier on the delts, which felt like they needed a break. Not a great workout, but not terrible.
Got some blood work pulled this morning. Feels good, I have been putting that off.
Only tested TT, FT, E2 and DHT. I think this will provide some good data for me. Mostly because I am using DHT and E2 inhibitors. I plan on staying on the DHT inhibitor (Finasteride) for cruise, but perhaps I’ll keep using the AI. I generally think AIs and cruising don’t go together, but since lowering androgens with the finasteride, it may be a bit more balanced. I don’t require much AI to get a good impact (from previous testing), so if I can take a fraction of a mg a week and have balanced DHT and E2, I’ll probably try that out (without the Fin or AI, my E2 and DHT are usually right about the same level).
I like doing the comprehensive blood work during cruise, so it doesn’t seem like death is around the corner.
