Biggest Guy in Class: How to Rebuild a Monolith

Training Training Logs
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Second session -

Did the main work for this session in the am. Did the assistance the following am.

02/02/21

Bench (0430h)

Warmup: 20kgx10
Set 1: 50x5 (5 @70%) (should have been 49.5 but ceebs)
Set 2: 56.5x5 (5 @80%)
Set 3: 63.5x5 (5 @90%)
BBB: 49.5x10, 9, 7, 6, 5 (failed 6) superset with BB rows 49.5x13 (easy set), 15, 12, 10, 11
Malcolm X: 5 bench/10 rows, 5 bench/9 rows, 3 bench/11 rows.

Assistance workout, 03/01/21: short on time here so cut some corners.

Suitcase DB Bulgarian Split Squat, 2 sets of 12 per leg (just experimenting. First set was basically me just trying to figure out how not to fall over, lol.)
Pullovers 2 sets
Superset x2: BB curls w/ overhead BB tricep extension (don’t like this movement but was short on time, so more convenient just to sling it up.)
2 sets situps.

Cardio done in the evening: just did a few random shuttle runs as I have previously done. Had a big meal a few hours before that which was royally screwing me over. Yes, I’m bad with sticking to a conditioning plan, lol.

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More logging:

I shifted the control day to yesterday (04/02/21) since I did a quick workout the day before. It wasn’t too much of a dramatic control day though. On a side note, for some reason the best food seems to always end up on the table on a control day, which means I can’t eat it :man_facepalming: Now I was meant to do cardio yesterday but I skipped it because I’m (finally) starting swimming again and I knew it might be too much…

… and it almost was, lol. Swam a total of 2 kilometres almost exactly this morning (05/02/21) and boy oh boy am I out of it. Swimming seems to be one of those non-transferable things… as in nothing transfers over to it. Despite keeping up with weights and cardio over the holidays I was gassed as all hell, and I’ve easily lost about 10-20% off my normal pace. More importantly my lats and tricep long head area is completely fried. Today’s squat session will be a struggle, and I’m not sure how the chins will be. But we’ll see.

I have some more general thoughts to share about my training too, but right now I really need a nap.

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Few sessions to report on as we wrap up the final week of BBB. I have some thoughts to share on my progress, or lack thereof, as well as future planning, but I’ll save that for later. First the workouts - three to report.

First -

05/02/21

Squat (bit wasted from swimming today, so session not optimal, but numbers seem good enough)

Warmup: 20kgx10, 40x5
Set 1: 68x5 (5 @75%)
Set 2: 77x5 (5 @85%)
Set 3: 86x5 (5 @95%) (good performance here)
BBB: 68x10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (some slightly ugly reps towards the end here, total BBB time 17 minutes)

Assistance –
Superset: 50 reps Chins 10, 7, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5 + 2 rest-paused (8 + 1 rest-pause sets), with 50 reps Dips 12, 8, 9, 7, 8, 6 (6 sets) (rest dragged on on these a bit out of necessity, coming up to the 2:30-3:00 minute mark between sets of chins)
2 sets pullovers

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Second session - press.

06/02/21

Press

Warmup: 20kgx5
Set 1: 40.5x5 (5 @75%)
Set 2: 46x5 (5 @85%)
Set 3: 51.5x4 (5 @95%) (yes, this is the same performance as back when I started my cut :sob: can’t believe I haven’t improved, but I was a bit tired from yesterday’s squats)
BBB: 37.5x10, 7, 6, 8, 7 superset with BB rows 67.5x10, 8, 8, 8, 7 (total BBB time 25 minutes - I kept getting interrupted here. ROM a little suspect on rows at times.)
Malcolm X: 6 reps press/7 reps rows, 6 press/6 rows.

Assistance –
Suitcase DB bulgarian split squat 2x12/leg
2 sets pullovers
Giant set: decl situps – BB curls – skullcrusher

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Why do you expect to be at the same level you’re at/stronger than when you began your cut?

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Good question. I suppose that it’s just because it’s been so long since then - I expected some more significant increase in strength, especially after running Beefcake.

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Skipped cardio on my rest day, 07/02/21. Was out the whole day, didn’t even have an opportunity for tabata burpees. The extra rest for my posterior chain probably did me good though.

Then we had yesterday’s workout:

08/02/21

Deadlift

Warmup: 60kgx5, 75x3
Set 1: 93.5x5 (5 @75%)
Set 2: 106x5 (5 @85%)
Set 3: 118x5 (5 @95%) (not bad at all. Pretty chuffed with this actually. Essentially a deadlift PR, finalllllly. Back was probably rounding out a little towards the end but I can still walk so it’s all good.)
BBB: 93.5x10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (these were mad tough. Had to reset grip towards the end in pretty much all of them,. and literally had to rest-pause briefly on some of the later sets. Took the whole 20 minutes.)

10 minutes of lying on the floor, superset with sobbing

Assistance –
Superset: 50 reps Chins 9, 6, 5, 5, 5, 5, 6 (long rest before this set, like 3-4 mins), 5, 5 (51 reps, 9 sets) with 50 reps Dips 10, 10, 8, 7, 8, 7 (6 sets)
2 sets pullovers

Notes:

  • 118x5 is a great way to finish 6 weeks of deadlift workouts. No cocking about unlike my 117x6 a while back, just got down and dirty and knocked out the reps proper.
  • Upper back, specifically traps and even the teres and upper lats, were fried after deadlifts, not to mention the forearms.
  • Writing this today, hamstrings, lower back and traps have been roasted nice and crispy, and I’m generally pretty smashed. I knew as I was doing yesterday’s session that I would have to push today’s scheduled bench workout back a day to let myself recover.

On that note, that brings us to today…

May or may not skip cardio today, perhaps will go for a quick set of sprints or do tabata burpees.
More importantly, we’ve almost reached the end of the 6 weeks of Beefcake - tomorrow’s bench session is the last workout. Of course I will do a quick write-up once I finish. I’m tremendously excited to be moving on to 5/3/1 Building the Monolith - I feel like the focus on lots of heavy work will perfectly complement and build on the medium-weight, volume-oriented BBB setup.

My plan is to take a very short deload and then get straight into BtM - more details will follow. I’ll have a think about it and then do a write-up of the new plan as well once I officially finish Beefcake.

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The time doesn’t matter in terms of getting you bigger and stronger if it wasn’t spent with the purpose of getting bigger and stronger =D

One of the reason I like double progression is that it actually gives you an opportunity to hammer away at an intensity that is difficult enough to force you to improve while giving you leeway to do things at your own pace.

Doing lots of hard reps may get you bigger but it is unlikely to get you stronger.

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Fair point, lol.

Well, as long as I put on quality size, I don’t mind about strength to be honest. But sometimes it’s easy to get hung up on the numbers you’re moving!

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Work for this evening: 5x short, 40m sprints, 30 sec rest in between, less for cardio purposes and more just so that I don’t forget how to run :sweat_smile:

Will probably swim tomorrow morning, with the final bench workout later that day.

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The final report for Beefcake.

10/02/21

Skipped swimming this morning (woke up like 5 minutes before swim training actually started, lol) - probably a good thing, as I doubt I’d have had a workout this good if I had gone due to the fatigue.

Took an extra rest day before this workout instead of doing it the day after deads, as mentioned earlier, which also helped dissipate fatigue from the deadlift workout.

Watched some Dorian Yates motivation before this workout (a video of his Blood and Guts training.) That was really cool! Really love Dorian’s style. I may give his sort of training a go at some point.

Bench

Warmup: 20kgx10, 40x5
Set 1: 53x5 (5 @75%)
Set 2: 60x5 (5 @85%)
Set 3: 67x5 (5 @95%) (that, friends, is a PR, I think. Last rep was tough but I got it.)
BBB: 53x10, 10, 8, 7, 6 (failed 7) superset with BB rows 53x13, 14, 13, 11, 9
Malcolm X: 5 reps bench/9 reps rows, 4 bench/11 rows

Assistance –
Suitcase DB Bulgarian split squat 1x25/leg
2 sets pullovers
Giant set: weighted situps – BB curl – skullcrusher

Notes:

  • A very good workout today. Happy with both the top main set and the BBB sets - although oddly I think my hands and forearms were beginning to get tired during the BBB, especially during rows. Maybe my CNS was still fried from the deads?
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Aaaand that concludes Beefcake. Tomorrow I plan to swim in the morning, but apart from my swimming the next two or three days will probably be off, in preparation for BtM, as a sort of deload. But before we get to that, what were my results and experiences with Beefcake?

Well, size gains were sort of there. I didn’t;t find them exceptional, but I gained at least a solid 5-7 lbs. Chest is slightly up, maybe slightly less than an inch, and same for shoulders… legs up by about the same too. I think forearms have grown a bit too, maybe. Oh yeah and arms are up 0.25 inches, so yay I guess. Waist is up a good 1-1.5 inches though, which is just great :man_facepalming: … When bulking, my measurements seem to fluctuate a bit though, so take all that with a grain of salt. Admittedly I am very bad at judging changes in my physique, but unfortunately I think I am looking a bit fluffier… I think I’m a bit buffer too though? Don’t know. 6 weeks is not a long time for muscle growth to be fair. Maybe it will be clearer after BtM.

I certainly ‘enjoyed’ the training though… hard and basic, just pound at the body with volume. Yes, I did play around with the Malcolm X sets a bit, but I think that was a good way to do it, definitely added some intensity. I think it is likely that I’ll come back to this program one day.

Things I’d do differently next time:

  • Should have structured the days as on/off/on/off/on/on/off rather than on/on/off/on/on/off/off. I really wanted to stick to the latter because it’s how Jim structured it, but I think the former - which is how I structured my training before - may have been better, since in the later weeks, pressing and benching right after the hard and assistance-heavy squat and deadlift workouts became a bit of a chore. Yes, I know everyone told me that in the first place, lol. Next time I’ll listen.
  • Having straps would have been nice for the BBB touch and go deadlifts. In the heavier weeks, grip became an issue, despite me always pulling with a hook grip.

Well, that sums up the last six weeks really. Now on to Building the Monolith. I will need to have a bit of a think about how to structure my training for the next six weeks, so I’ll be back here tomorrow with a solid plan hopefully.

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Hey man, good job finishing up beefcake. BTM seems like a pretty intense program, I’ll definitely continue following along and see how you do. I’ve been wanting to run it for a year plus, but just can’t commit due to the diet portion. I’m finding now that eating that.much isn’t as hard as I thought it was so I might run it later this year (maybe towards the end of the transformation challenge, after my wedding).

Are you planning on following the diet or modifying a version of the diet?

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Don’t obsess over this: your gut is full of food. It’s going to be distended compared to when you were eating like a bird. When you drop the food, the waist will drop even if no fat is lost.

As you noted: it’s been only 6 weeks. You put on 1lb a week (average). That’s awesome. If you kept that up that’d be 52lbs in a year. That’s a LIFECHANGING amount of weight gained. This is a long game, and you’re on a solid plan.

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Thanks all!

I’m probably going to have to end up modifying it. Running the full-fat version (literally) is something I’d like to try one day though. But regardless of how I modify it I will be sure to keep its principles in mind.

Oh yeah, fair point!

Never thought about it like that actually. But that is definitely also a great point.

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Training for today: 1 hour swimming this morning. Muscles not quite as fried as last week, so that’s good… still got a way to go before I get back to where I was before though!

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Update: I’ve had three full days off, apart from swimming on Friday, and if I want to start BtM then today is the day to do it, because I need to train on the right days to suit my schedule. So I’m going to jump right in and see what happens.

The plan:

Sunday: Train
Monday: Conditioning (swim)
Tuesday: Train
Wednesday: Conditioning (swim)
Thursday: Train
Friday: Conditioning (swim)
Saturday: Short sprints

That’s the plan. If I can’t swim 3x a week then I will improvise. The Saturday sprints aren’t for conditioning or cardio purposes, but rather just so that I don’t forget how to run - I will be careful not to tax myself.

Apart from that, I will be following the BtM program mostly as Jim lays it out. However, there may be a few changes:

  • BB rows instead of DB rows on the bench day, since I don’t have proper DBs and I like BB rows.
  • Supersetting where possible - e.g supersetting bench and rows, supersetting press and chins, and giant setting chins, dips and band pullaparts.
  • Doing shrugs as a triple extension (i.e a hybrid shrug and calf raise) because my calves suck.

And the most major change… later on, I may end up having to split the workout into an AM and PM session, because around the start of March, my schedule will be getting busier. These are long sessions anyway, not least because of the 100 chins, which will take me eternity to do.

What I’m thinking is, early in the AM do the first part of the workout (i.e do the squat/deadlift, superset the press/bench with the chins/rows, and then do as much of the remaining accessory work as possible in the time remaining). Then in the PM, polish off the rest of the session. And, if it comes down to it, I can split up that accessory work even further and do it throughout the day. For the next few weeks I should be able to do it all in one go though.

Diet, well I won’t be following the 1.5 lb of beef and 12 eggs/day diet, but I’ll try my best. I will certainly be pounding the food as much as I can, and slipping in the occasional ‘dirty’ meal if necessary.

Training max wise, well, I think my squat and press are in an appropriate place, but my bench and deadlift might be a tad high for getting 95%x5x5… but, since I have about two weeks to build up mass and strength before then, it might just be fine. Just got to give it a crack I suppose.

I think that covers everything… if anyone has any feedback I’d love to hear it. I suppose we’re just going to jump straight into workout one later today. Here we go!

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The mods you made were almost identical to mine, the sessions (particularly Mondays) can be long, giant sets are a great tool.

Remember this is training max not actual max but to borrow from pwn you should be concerned /scared enough to need to eat and grow into the end of the program.

Also just cos Pwn did it to me… Clean all of your first set of ohps, it’s just a little extra work (that you’ll think is fine but then regret saying yes to when you’re doing 10-15 sets and already knackered!).

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Definitely, this program is designed for pushing the envelope, so I just need to suck it up and grow!

My power clean sucks, lol. Never did get round to learning how to do it properly, I must do that one day. But I will definitely give that a go.

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Oh yea my clean is just an awkward and ugly hip thrust reverse curl but given the weights I put overhead it was never a problem, just a pain!

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