Caveman Muscle


Time to start a log to ensure progress and hopefully insight if need be. I started this already on my personal blog but imagine will get more response (maybe) here.

Currently; 140 lbs, 11.9% BF, 5’6", little man syndrome

My current diet consists of mostly Paleo foods, however I eat potatoes and rice on w/o days. I also include saturated fat like refined coconut oil and some other things that Paleo Nazi Douche Bags would attempt to call out :slight_smile:

I care about my physiology (health) as much as physique so I am not one to throw in garbage calories for a pound of muscle. I am already fairly muscular and don’t mind being lean, it is nice being able to take the shirt off and people ask questions.

With that being said, my goals are to get around 155-160 ultimately. But I want to experiment how I can get to that point and maintain it without force feeding. What I mean by that is nutrient and meal timing.

I realize that with my dietary habits it can be hard to gain mass, however that is what I am trying to do - that is the goal at this point. Actually to be more specific, I would like to focus on my upper back/traps.

I tend to follow Nate Miyaki’s advice on protein breakfast, paleo lunch, jap dinner (carbs at night). I usually work out at night also, so my meals will start relatively slow and low glycemic, slowly making there way up as I get close to working out.

A typical day might look like this; Late breakfast (small grass steak, couple eggs, kiwi), usually protein shake/raw almond butter as snack before lunch, lunch is tough as i am usually at work but looks like this (meat/salad, or if I eat it late closer to workout maybe brown rice pasta and chicken/ground grass beef) as a pre workout meal. I’ve contemplated leaving these carbs out as I get quick carbs from the peri workout drink - See below.

On my way to the gym I start drinking my fake Anaconda (personal custom blend of carb/hydrolized casein) from ___________ company (i dont want to put Biotest on blast I love the supps - top of the line) and drink peri workout as well to fuel workout. I will add another scoop of that after my workout for further replenish. I was taking creatine, but honestly after years of experimenting with it, I find that it doesn’t do much for me – water mass or strength differences… its weird.

After my carb/protein mix I will either have a protein drink (similar to Met. Drive) or if I already have a healhty post workout meal ready to eat I will skip the protein and just eat the real food. This post workout meal is my biggest meal of the day. Carbs and lean protein is the name of the game. I try to eat a shit load of it. I then take my metimucil an hour later and go to bed.

I can’t think of anything else regarding dietary habits. I’m sure I will add things in throughout the log I may have forgotten.

I will post workouts as they go, but it is pretyt simple. I have 4 workouts, each start with a big compound lift for strength/power (OH Press, Squat, Bench), followed by smaller lifts for hypertrophy.

Dynamic Warm-up (Lunge Twist, Sled Push, TRX Band Pulls) to warm up muscles and joints

A1 - Bench Press (Wave Loading - 7/5/3 for rep range)
-135(7), 155(5), 185(3) x 2 (this felt rather easy so will need to increase next workout or soon after)
A2 - Between sets I either do band pull aparts or light bicep curls (thanks thibs!)

B - Weighted Dips (5x10)
-45 lbs plate (I keep weight down to keep form good and make sure contracting core muscles) I used to do more weight but my my shoulders were feeling like shit)

C1 - Low Incline DB Press (neutral grip and squeeze db’s together to get good chest squeeze) 3x5-10
-I used 45 lbs DB
C2- Low Incline DB Fly (immediately after first set) 3x10
-I used 25 lbs DB, wasn’t focusing on weight for these, but focus on feeling the muscle burn

E1 - Smith Overhead Top Half Close Grip Press 3x10
E2 - Cable Tricep Push Down 3x10

F - DB Bent Row
-2 easy sets to pull shoulders back before finishin’ up.

G - Face Pulls
-2 easy sets again to relax shoulders and cool down

H - Sled Pulls (for extra back work) - the same kind of pulls used in HP Mass - learned a lot from this program!!!

I used to have shoulder issues where I would be forced to use DB"s instead of the barbell for pressing movements. Ever since i took thibs advise and did a lot of pulling and overhead work, my shoulders have been golden**

**to be honest, i never stray from the compound lifts in my program. However you may notice that sometimes my hypertrophy moves do change. Some days I might do db bent over row, sometimes I might do meadows rows. I do this to keep it FUN, and to keep my body guessing. Mostly to keep it fun tho ya heard!

DYNAMIC WARM-UP (LUNGE TWIST, SLED PUSH, TRX BAND PULLS) TO WARM UP MUSCLES AND JOINTS

A1 - BENCH PRESS (WAVE LOADING - 7/5/3 FOR REP RANGE) -135(7), 155(5), 185(3) X 2 (THIS FELT RATHER EASY SO WILL NEED TO INCREASE NEXT WORKOUT OR SOON AFTER) A2 - BETWEEN SETS I EITHER DO BAND PULL APARTS OR LIGHT BICEP CURLS (THANKS THIBS!)

B - WEIGHTED DIPS (5X10) -45 LBS PLATE (I KEEP WEIGHT DOWN TO KEEP FORM GOOD AND MAKE SURE CONTRACTING CORE MUSCLES) I USED TO DO MORE WEIGHT BUT MY MY SHOULDERS WERE FEELING LIKE SHIT)

C1 - LOW INCLINE DB PRESS (NEUTRAL GRIP AND SQUEEZE DB’S TOGETHER TO GET GOOD CHEST SQUEEZE) 3X5-10 -I USED 45 LBS DB
C2- LOW INCLINE DB FLY (IMMEDIATELY AFTER FIRST SET) 3X10 -I USED 25 LBS DB, WASN’T FOCUSING ON WEIGHT FOR THESE, BUT FOCUS ON FEELING THE MUSCLE BURN

E1 - SMITH OVERHEAD TOP HALF CLOSE GRIP PRESS 3X10

E2 - CABLE TRICEP PUSH DOWN 3X10

F - DB BENT ROW -2 EASY SETS TO PULL SHOULDERS BACK BEFORE FINISHIN’ UP.

G - FACE PULLS -2 EASY SETS AGAIN TO RELAX SHOULDERS AND COOL DOWN

H - SLED PULLS (FOR EXTRA BACK WORK) - THE SAME KIND OF PULLS USED IN HP MASS - LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS PROGRAM!!! I USED TO HAVE SHOULDER ISSUES WHERE I WOULD BE FORCED TO USE DB"S INSTEAD OF THE BARBELL FOR PRESSING MOVEMENTS. EVER SINCE I TOOK THIBS ADVISE AND DID A LOT OF PULLING AND OVERHEAD WORK, MY SHOULDERS HAVE BEEN GOLDEN**

**TO BE HONEST, I NEVER STRAY FROM THE COMPOUND LIFTS IN MY PROGRAM. HOWEVER YOU MAY NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES MY HYPERTROPHY MOVES DO CHANGE. SOME DAYS I MIGHT DO DB BENT OVER ROW, SOMETIMES I MIGHT DO MEADOWS ROWS. I DO THIS TO KEEP IT FUN, AND TO KEEP MY BODY GUESSING. MOSTLY TO KEEP IT FUN THO YA HEARD!


Workout 2 - SQUAT Day

A1 - Back Squat - (7/5/3 Rep Range) - Raw
-185(7), 205(5), 225(3) x 2

A2 - Band Pull-Apart (rear delt)

B - Weighted Chin-Ups - 5 x 8-10

C1 - Cable Upright Rows 4x8-10

C2 - Cable Reverse Curls - 4x8-10

D - Single Arm DB Raise - Dropset - 3 sets
-20lbs(5 reps) - Immediately move to 15lbs (8-10 reps)

I don’t do much leg work other than squat/prowler. I need to start prowling tho, i’ve been slacking in that dpt. I threw in upper back work here to help w/ my specialization.