This is where I’ll post a semi-regular vlog of my workouts and try to keep updated as far as what I’m doing.
I just finished an A-B split of MRT and EDT. Exercises were dips and chins for the EDT day, followed by a superset of high pulls and cable lateral raises. MRT day was JM presses, snatches(1)/overhead squats, and supinated narrow-grip rows for 25 reps apiece. I noticed I got pretty damn strong and added nice size from this combo, so anyone who wants any details just PM me or post here.
I’m going to be posting vids and descriptions of Waterbury’s MRT method, using a high frequency type progression. I’m trying to target my triceps, biceps and quads. So 3 full body workouts per week, and extra workout per week for the biceps, triceps, and quads.
I’m 6’-6’1 or so, 200lb, and my goal is a ripped and strong 210.
Diet-wise, I am trying 3000 calories of “meats leaves and berries” on off-days (a low number for me), and 4000-4500 on training days, with loads of carbs PWO. The PWO carbs seem to be the money for me, and the low-cal off-day strategy has worked nicely before.
Forthcoming: some videos of my workout from last night. My sorry-ass college gym was closed and I put something together with a single 75lb db.
That’s about half my workout from Monday. My GF took the vids vertically, and after spending an hour or two trying to reverse them I gave up. Just wasn’t worth it. That’s a 75lb DB and I did about 13 reps of the T getup on each side and 9 of the C&P…basically cluster method.
Old pic of me when I weighed about 210 (I think)…currently 200. Right after this pic was taken I dieted for about 8-10 weeks and got down to about 185.
One more old pic of me from the same time. I was pretty strong but had WAY too much fat on my hips and midsection. Love handles are the worst kinda fat…my pants weren’t fitting. If I am snug in a 36 I need to diet!
Looking forward to following the log. I recently switched back to Waterbury after not gaining any size on a low volume routine. I am doing MRT right now. I’ll be interested to see how you incorporate it.
A. Front Squat 205lb
B1. Turkish Get-up 65lb
B2. DB Uni C&P 65lb
B1&B2 is now my favorite superset. The beauty of it is, it uses one DB. Dropped from 75 down to 65 though because I am not alternating sides between reps.
Oh yeah, I was gonna do like 1x25 with a 25lb db for curls, but I ended up doing 1x10. I was that fatigued!
Here is day 3 before I do it.
20 reps in:
A1. Rack 1/2 BBBP
A2. Wide front squat
B. Waterbury Walks (deadlift from rack, step back two steps, lower, deadlift from ground, step forward two steps, rack it…that’s one rep).
I wanna do HFT for my biceps during this with the frequency progression method emphasized by Waterbury, so I’m gonna just say “5 min bicep work” AM and “10 min bicep work” PM.
Here’s a back shot, the only one I took recently that turned out decent so far.
Mil press - 145x2 / 165
Front Squat - 205x4 MRT (fast) reps / 270
CG Bench press - Not sure / 270
Clean - About 220 a year and a half ago / 270
Deadlift - 385-400 / 430
I have the most work to do in the front squat, cg bp, and clean. That’s fine, those are my favorite lifts at the moment. My raw PL style back squat is probably in the 315+ vicinity but I only rep Oly style back squats all the way down, so I don’t really want to make the PL style squat one of my gauges at the moment.
The goals reflect my physique goals, too. I need arm mass and quad mass, so front squat and CGBP. Short term physique goals though are to enlarge the biceps and VMO.
AM:
MRT
10 reps Waterbury Walks 300lb
15 reps CG 1/2 BP 210, 205lb - This sucked because some ass stole the bench as I front squatted, and carried it off oblivious to my protest. I was going to do 20.
20 reps Wide front squat, 185lb - Fun exercise
PM:
MRT (light)
30 reps
Close hand position push-ups (BW)
Frog-stance goblet squat 75lb - Really interesting exercise I “invented.” Use the goblet position with a db of choice, then place the heels together and angle the feet out at 45deg. Go as deep as possible.
2x5 75lb DB one-hand supinated row
Today:
5x2 Semi-supinated chin-up BW(202lb)+40lb
5x2 DB floor press 90+90
3x2, 4x1 Power Clean & front squat combo 205lb
95 lb dumbbell sprints (held in rack position) across gym & back x3
1x12 Bodyweight triceps extensions
1x12 Open hand hammer curl - one DB, two hands - 75lb
2x6 Pistol squats
Tomorrow is off except for perhaps a brisk walk. My basic strategy is 3 days of MRT for strength, and tons of HFTing biceps, triceps, and quads…primarily using CGBP, chins, and front squat. I’m really grooving on the front squat right now, and partly to thank is the Third World Squat article.
Supplements currently:
2000mg Vitamin C
495mg Turmeric/Turmeric extract
2 Ginger capsules (1.1g dried ginger)
3 capsules ZMA
1 tbsp Carlson’s fish oil per day - can’t be beaten for price. top quality too.
Surge/Metabolic Drive (not really supplements for me, Surge particularly is a cornerstone of my diet. I double-dose it btw)
I may take Creatine soon again, I have some left, but it has never done much for me.
I agree with Dan John: supplements should be for health purposes.
Meal 1 (8:30 AM)
2 hard-boiled jumbo eggs
4 oz chicken sauteed in olive oil
1 cup plain Brown Cow whole milk yogurt
1/2 cup blueberries
2 oz cheddar cheese
Meal 2 (11:30 AM)
1/2 cup walnuts
1 banana
Meal 3 (2:20 PM)
1/2tbsp Carlson’s fish oil
1 lb pork loin
3/4 lg cucumber
When it comes to diet, I really try to keep it simple. I eat a ton of para-workout carbs, but keep those healthy as well. My favorite PWO feast is Barilla Plus pasta with Alfredo or tomato meat sauce. I just make the meat sauce by seasoning 10-16oz beef in a pot, browning it, and simmering the sauce 5-10 minutes.
Overhead squat 10 reps 135 4-4-2 (progress next session to 140)
Pushup row (aka Renegade Row) 70+70 4-3-3 (progress next session to 75+75)
Close-grip bench press 3-2-2-2-1
Hammer curl 45+45 6, went up to 50+50, 3-1
Did one pullup at 204 bw (with clothes on etc) +65db, and while I think it was a clean rep, didn’t get my clavicle to the bar. Still not too bad.
I have noticed a discernable change in body comp for the better after only one week. Certainly part of it’s just strict diet and great recovery habits, but for having done so much heavy lifting in one week, I feel awesome. MRT is the way to go. I am very, very excited about the next 5-6 weeks.
Also, here’s a great idea some of you may want to try out. Instead of tracking my calories mentally every day like I normally do, I decided to log them. Along with them, I am basically logging a lot of other health related info. I am calling it my compliance chart.
Fields, Vertical: Date
Fields, Horizontal:
Wake up time - Goal is 8-9am (Real problem I have of sleeping late)
Calories - 3000-4000+ depending
Floss 2x? - goal is yes, thanks Dan John
NEPA (non-exercise physical activity)
Stress (0-5) - Goal is <=1
Bed time - Goal is <=12am
Servings Fruit+Veggies - Goal is 6
Meals - Goal is 5-6
Fluid intake (oz) - goal is 120+
Really makes a difference on the more hectic or “bad” days to log all that stuff and know you’re held accountable!
Wow, I slept 12 hours last night. This type of training is incredibly CNS intensive. Here’s what I did yesterday, although I should note that I changed the Turkish get-ups out for one-arm deadlifts. They were just kicking my ass too bad to be honest, in that superset with DB C&Ps - especially after the front squats.
MRT 15 reps
A. Front squat 205 - 4-2-3-2-2-2
B1. DB clean and press 65 - 4-3-3-3-2
B2. One-arm deadlift 155 (didn’t want to use hook grip, grip was limiting factor mostly, though it was tough as hell supersetted with B1) - 3-3-3-3-3
C1. One-arm cable curl 42.5 for 5 reps, 35 for 2x5
C2. One-arm tricep pushdown same
(This was the toughest cable machine I’ve ever used, something about the pulleys?)
TC posted a trick a long time ago: if you stick the foot of the side you’re doing curls or triceps extensions on forward, it strengthens that side’s CNS temporarily…I think it works for some reason.
I feel I’m gonna spend the next few years just experimenting within Chad’s MRT parameters. I’ve been thinking, and the possibilities are endless. You can set a goal of # reps per workout, but you can also just do a certain number of sets using the MRT speed parameters. So far it works awesome for HFT, too.
AM:
30 close-grip pull-ups MRT style on a metal beam (very fat grip, no thumb involvement). 6-8-8-6-2
PM: 50 Zottman curls with a 30 lb db. 9-10-9-10-6-6
Zottmans don’t feel good on the shoulder joint for me, I think I’ll only do them “preacher” or “concentration” style from now on. Frankly the curl motion is a bit foreign. I haven’t included it for quite some time.
