Budda's weight gain log...

Training Training Logs
421

Nurse Cratchett/Ratchett is one flew over the cuckoos nest, yes? At least you’re getting the test, just don’t let them test you when you’re on 500mg a week!

BP Max effort: I was in the shitty commercial gym today because I wanted to use the sunbeds, so I thought instead of moaning I’d use stuff I wouldn’t have available to me at home…

Pull-up machine: wide grip 5 sets

Flat bench board press (for max effort bench exercise, but instead of a board, which they don’t have, I used a plate and folded a towel over it so its kinda soft like the foam they use at WSB so reversal is more difficult).
60 x5; 70 x4; 80 x5; 90 x3; 100 x3; 110 x1; 120 x1. No spotter and a shit atmosphere so I stayed conservative and didn’t try for 130 or 140, I think I could have got the 130, 120 was quite hard, but the 140 would have been hit or miss but there we go.

seated calf raise 5 x 10-15

ab crunch on pulley: full stack x10, x20, x25, x20, x20

2 x 12 on chest press machine

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I’m done coming to this thread…your wheels are twice the size of mine !!! :slight_smile:

Good job. We both know how slow legs build…nice work.

I went in for 50 minutes this afternoon. Did 3 sets of 20 on Squats with about 100 on Barbell…
that shit is exhausting. Then I did 3 x 20 with 90 lb Dumbells…hadn’t done that in couple weeks,
and have lost some strength. Last time was the 100’s. Then I finished with 3 x 20 Body Weight Dips.

Used some free sample of “Xpand” pre by Dymatize. Got great pumps from it…then again, have not
used a pre workout in months…so anything would have worked well, IMO.

Gotta keep at it in short 45-50 minute sessions. Gotta keep from overtraining, and gotta keep off
the weights that hurt my joints and tendons. If I can do that, I can make some good gains.
LAST thing I need to do is hurt something right now. That would be stupid.

I was gonna finish with Shoulder press, pull downs, and Bi Curls. Then I realized how stupid that
would be at my age, trying to pack all that together in just one day, after going as heavy as I
did in Bench. Gotta also remember my CNS. I am not a kid anymore, need to go heavy for 45 minutes
and come back again in two days. No sense trying to do it all in one day.

Have a great weekend. I’m training again on Sunday I think. That’s soon enough. :slight_smile:

425

Big suprise so far this week. Lifted plenty hard yesterday. Its almost like the size is staying from post workout, and is still there overnight. Granted, I think the fullness is from excess water right now, but still, it is definite progress.

Afterthought from this week…my abs are not showing and holding weight at all. As much as I eat, and as much as I pig out, I wake up in the morning and my midsection looks pretty tight…compared to what I expected it would look like.

Doing a big pre bed shake of like 80 Carbs, 55 G Protein, etc, couple bananas, 2 cups Cows Milk, 2 raw eggs all blended. Done that 3 times this week.

Weighed myself this morning at the gym out of curiousity, and it looks like I am a tiny bit bigger, and lost a pound. Granted, a lot of factors in that…timing, early morning, etc, etc…but as the muscles grow, it looks like my abs will stay tight and in tact. For once, maybe I won’t have to add the weight around my waste as I grow larger up top. For once…

426

TX: keep visiting - this is our thread and you are my only regular visitor! Your upper body pisses on mine anyway, I could no way do 3 x 2 in the dips.

I agree with everything in the 2 posts above.

Re your squats: there are a few ways which you can make squats harder and grow your legs without excessive loading on the joints and spine.

I like these: belt squats, though I don’t think you have access to one; KB front squats with slow negative and or a 2 second pause, basically more time under tension; pre exhausting, I never liked the idea of this and dismissed it as a BBing concept, but I’ve tried it on upper body and it works! It seriously limits the weight you can handle and makes for a great change in stimulus.

Todays workout: my neck is killing me from the studying I’ve been doing lately in preparation for my exams, I was in fucking pain all day yesterday and went to the chiro after work, and although he sorted it out, it was still painful today. I got about 4 hours sleep Sunday night and although I didn’t sleep too badly last night felt like shit today. (I had a big night Saturday for my GF’s birthday).

felt like shit so got the squats in and did some BBing on the weak points

10 x5 @50% on the box squat below parallel (this is getting much easier) I couldn’t measure the box as it was an aerobic step in my commercial gym but the squats were so wide I had to walk back right out of the squat rack and in the mirror they were visibly well below parallel from any angle.

5 sets on biceps

2 sets on cable ab crunches with a full stack x10, x15 (I’ll have to start using the lat machine)

5 sets on chest fly machine

5 sets on leg press calves

427

Hey Bud !

I am learning as I go, and its pretty cool. Since starting my run last week, I have noticed that the T boost is keeping my gut lean. I can eat practically anything, and it stays lean. I have not worked on Abs in a while, and when I do, they will rip.

You mentioned my top half, dude, your wheels are like slabs of beef. Doing very well on the legs brother.

Something came to me the other day…you have had Eggnog before. In eggnog, the eggs are just blended in raw. So I wondered about eating them raw in shakes. They are pasteurized, so nothing will get me from them being raw. And it saves me so much time. So, a couple times a day I crack a couple and drop them into a protein shake raw, then run the blender to mix em. We have this little hand blender, takes nothing to use it and wash it off. I think an egg is only 8 g of protein, but a couple here, couple there… its working.

I DID notice, that if I have the eggs in a shake, I better put 4-5 in there. They keep me feeling full for a while, so need to get plenty in there.

Checked my weight…staying put where I am…but I am getting bigger, and Abs getting tighter.

I like the 5 3 1 I think I will use it later in Summer.

428

I used to put raw eggs in my protein shakes, it does make a big difference, although I use MCT now. Eat as much as you can whilst ‘on’, and just ease off if you ‘feel’ yourself getting fatter, you know your body well enough so go with the flow.

Didn’t sleep too badly last night, no caffeine today either.

I needed to train yesterday to make up for having the weekend and Monday off then having a pretty shitty workout yesterday, so I did more of a practice workout, not going too heavy so recovery isn’t affected too much.

Safety squat bar GM-squat to 12.5 inch box: 65 x3, x5; 75 x3; 85 x3; 95 x3; 105 x3, x3, x3

Speed DL purple bands: 60 x1, x1, x1; 80 x3; 100 x3, x3

Close grip BP: 60 x5, x5, x5, x6; 70 x6; 80 x5, x8 x5

429

shitty work out today, not feeling it at all so I gave up early instead of trying to force it out. I know from experience it’s better to just take advantage of the rest.

modified sumo stance DL with purple bands. Warm-up then 60 x1, x1; 80 x3, x2, x2, x3, x1; 90 x1; 100 x2; 110 x2; 120 x2

08,04.2012
Chins 80 in total in sets of 3-5

Flat BP 30 x2 @50%

Calves 50 x 15; 65 x15; 75 x16; 85 x10, x8

I’ve felt quite rough all week so I thought I’d do a workout which didn’t put any strain on the spine. Next leg workout will be based around belt squats. I’ll treat the last week as a part write off and part de-load week. Recovery wasn’t great since I didn’t really sleep well all week.

430

I’ve hardly trained the last week or so and I think I needed the rest.

Worked all day today and did legs after. I had quite a lot of food in me and it wasn’t the best workout. My legs fatigued quite quickly but I haven’t done front squats for ages and I felt stronger on them.

front squat to 12.5" box 60 x 3, x5; 70 x5, x3; 80 x5; 90 x5, x6

safety bar squat to 12.5" box with 60kg
x3, x3, x5, x4, x3, x4, x2

431

I’ve hardly trained the last week or so and I think I needed the rest.

Worked all day today and did legs after. I had quite a lot of food in me and it wasn’t the best workout. My legs fatigued quite quickly but I haven’t done front squats for ages and I felt stronger on them.

front squat to 12.5" box 60 x 3, x5; 70 x5, x3; 80 x5; 90 x5, x6

safety bar squat to 12.5" box with 60kg
x3, x3, x5, x4, x3, x4, x2

11.04.2012
TX, it may take your body a few weeks to adapt to the new hormone levels. I take it you have test cyp? It could take a week or two for your test levels to stabilize before you start to feel ok and more jacked. Remember the extra test won’t do shit without extra food and adequate sleep. If you’re over trained you’ll still need to rest. I take a week off every 6-8 weeks instinctively and still take the same amount of AAS, and I can feel my body thanking me for the rest and recovery.

LEGS: yesterdays leg workout wasn’t great, so I quit before recovery was too badly affected, and came back today with a vengeance, kind of LOL.

12.5" box safety bar squats: 65KG (about 55%) x5, x5, x10, x5, x5, x5, x5, x5, x5 50 in total

front squat down to 12.5" box 60 x10, x10; 80 x5, x5, x5

this was done at 0900 and took me approximately one hour. I had shit to do today so didn’t hang about to do any calf work or anything. Hopefully I’ll get my schedule and sleep sorted out and I can get back to my normal 4 day a week WSB program.

432

Oddly enough, I have lost some strength. Last Wednesday, I did 4 x 20 on Flat Bench with Dumbells.
Started with 85’s, then 95’s, then 105’s for last two sets. Never done those before !

But yesterday, I started with Flat Bench on the SMITH, and could only do 4 sets of 15, with only
90 lbs on each end. That’s only 180. Oh well…gettin bigger…I can tell. But odd that I could
not lift much weight.

Had a great workout yesterday, although the weight was pretty light.

I started something new…starting only resting 30 seconds to 45 sec between sets. And yeah, that would
affect the ability to put up heavy weight…but not THAT much to me. I have been doing sets of 20 over and
over and over with lots of weight.

BUt yesterday, did Flat Chest SMITH, 4 sets with 30 sec rest. My chest was pounding when I got the 4th done.
Then I did some Incline on a Hammer machine, and the weight again was about 90 lbs light for some reason. Finished with one set of 15 flat bench with 75 lb dumbells.

Next 4 x 20 Pec Deck, just pushing them together and then only going out about 10 "…then back together.

Followed that up with Tricep overhead cable extensions…leaning away from cable stand, extending forward with Tri’s Did 4 sets of 25-30.

Then I finished with standing calf raises on a machine 4 sets of 25-30. All of this went fast, only 30-45 minutes rest.

I am sore as can be today. Sore chest, sore Triceps, sore calves. Good day. Strength was really low, but still had good workout. Last time I lifted chest was last Wednesday…that gave me 5 days rest…not going heavy dudn’t make sense… Oh well. Sore, bigger, and happy !

433

13.04.2012

completed in 45 mins: not the best workout, but I wanted to get a workout in, so I went light on upper body which wouldn’t compromise recovery, so I could go heavier on legs tomorrow.

DL standing on 1" foam mat 60kg x12, x10, x10, x10, x10

flat BP 60 x12, x10, x10 , x10, x10

full body dynamic stretching

fly’s on machine 3 x15

cable pully ab crunch x15, x20

biceps 3 x12

leg press calves 7 sets of 10-20

14.04.2012
warm up and dynamic stretch

16.75" box squat as wide as power rack will allow with safety squat bar
65 kg x5, x3
85 kg 10 x5

calves 50 x20; 65 x15, x10, x15 x12

DL 60 x3, 80 x5, 100 x2

DL 100kg (50%) purple bands: x3, x3, x3, x3, x2, x2, x2, x2, x2, x2

434

Did it again today, and Thursday…doing high rep workouts with only 30 seconds rest between sets.

The blood flow to the area I am working gives a HUGE pump. And I am sore for two days after the w/o.

I know I will get used to it, but it’s fun for a couple weeks, and easy on the joints.

Have a great weekend Mate !!!

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435

Pumping with lighter weights for higher reps, especially with compressed rest periods, will still build some serious muscle when you’re jacked up on a bit of test. TBH, I don’t think it would have worked for me when I was natural though.

I’m glad you’re making good progress despite the injuries.

I sent you an email too :wink:

UPPER BODY

Incline DB press: worked up to 32KG DB’s 3 x10 In my stupid commercial gym the DB’s were on the opposite side of the gym to where I had to put the bench so I was doing a fucking farmers walk before and after each set!

seated calves: seven sets

face pulls: 5 sets

seated biceps curls: 5 sets

standing ab cunch: 4 sets

pull up machine wide grip: 4 sets

436

Thanks for the confirmation…I hoped I wasn’t wasting time doing high reps. And you are right, all natty, they might be a waste of time after doing them a week…tops…

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437

209 today bruther!!! Three weeks ago I was 203. Slow, but noticeable in the mirror !

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438

Right… I joined this forum in 2004 using the PC in the reception of my commercial gym when I was about 24 years old shortly after I’d retuned from a backpacking trip around Thailand and Australia.

Back then we didn’t have smart phones and I didn’t have a PC. My last post was February 2013. Some of the kind users on here formed a Google+ group which they invited me into but I stopped posting when I had some personal problems that started at the end of February 2013.

A lot has happened since then. I met a guy on here in 2005 called Bushidobadboy who I became firm friends with. I went to his wedding in 2013 and he tragically passed away in April 2023 much too young.

Around 2009 a guy on here called Angry Chicken started giving me advice that helped me change my life.

I’m still training — mainly with kettlebells — and have been battling with elbow tendonitis since about 2009. In 2018 I cycled (not steroid cycling LOL) 80 miles for charity which nearly killed me.

Only recently in my mid forties have I managed to get on top of it and start training my biceps and triceps again.

I’m not sure if any of the T-Nation OG’s like professor X, Bodyguard, Angry Chicken, Houston Guy, TX, Lew Whitehurst and many others are still here. I’ll have a look over the coming weeks. I hope everyone is well.

439

This is from 2011 and tragically, due to chronic elbow and wrist tendonitis, I still haven’t beaten that bench PR. I benched 200lb/90kg x 5 in good for a couple of weeks back but that’s it. I did work up to being able to do 100 dips and 100 pull-ups in one workout which I’m pleased with. If the elbow rehab keeps going well I might beat my record before the end of 2025.

What I’ve learned after all these years of training is that training must be sustainable.