Happy now that you can see my face? Also I looked a lot less bald with scribbles over my head, so fuck you and stuff.
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So happy. All the happiness.
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Yeah. They’ve grown. I’m taking my sets to true failure. I discovered that subconsciously I (and I see a lot of other people do what looks like this too) make the set hard for myself before I actually reach muscular failure. When the burn sets in, I would kind of make myself start straining through the concentric part reps that I could continue pumping out. Now I’m discovering real, true failure, and it is pain. Kind of have to remove myself from my body temporarily, otherwise I catch myself mentally failing before I muscularly fail.
Also, disgustingly slow eccentrics and focusing on a really intense stretch.
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Haha word, well thanks for the initial compliment anyhow. This is flattering lighting and still a bit pumped 15 minutes or so after getting home. At the gym I look bigger, but just walking around the comment I get is that I’m ‘athletic’, which honestly I couldn’t be happier about, since at 6’3-4 anything besides ‘you look like a daddy longlegs’ has been hard as shit to achieve.
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I’m still hoping to look muscular. I doubt I’ll ever reach the jacked stage. Looking athletic is my consolation prize.
Last night I took a video of one of my deadlift singles from behind hoping to see some muscle on my back. Nope. Nothing. The muscles are so long. There is no thickness. 
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I honestly think PC is onto something about deadlifts with regards to back development, because you’re already deadlifting more than what I do and my back looks pretty large from the back. It’s absolutely my best feature, and I’ve really never done more for it than rows and pull-ups. I’ll wager your hamstrings are bigger than mine, though.
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Well, I’m doing both just to be safe. The deadlift is my only “strength” movement. If it builds some muscle then that’d be cool, but I still do plenty of rows and other pulls. I had to talk myself out of doing a fourth direct back exercise today. I almost added reverse fly’s because I always do them on back day. I told myself “No. Three is enough.” (not including deadlifts) It’s odd that I have to have these discussions with myself. 
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True failure is a physical failure. Much different than the normal mental failure. I discovered this one session with my coach where he pushed me through like 30 reps on ex bar curls. I though I was at failure. As soon as I finished and was about to set the bar down he was like “nah, I changed my mind you’ve got 12 more”. I didn’t think it was possible but somehow I made it happen. Holy hell it hurt though!
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Yeah dude. That’s what I mean. I bet you even started “straining” through the concentrics on those last reps, telling yourself it was almost over, but then someone says do 12 more and you do them, so what was the straining about? It’s your mind telling your body to simulate failure so you don’t have to go there. It’s a miserable place, but have faith - gains will follow.
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Is PC’s take that deadlifts aren’t great for back hypertrophy? I’ve heard others say the same thing.
I do deadlifts for pretty much the same reason as JMaier31. But I’m also doing a good amount of back work once a week (16 sets of chest supported rows, DB rows, pulldowns - straight arm and bent). I’m liking how my lats in particular are developing from it.
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I’m conflicted, because nobody deadlifts a ton of weight without a great back, but it might just be an inefficient and overly risky way of getting there.
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If I had a favorite bodybuilder growing up, it might have been Dorian Yates because of his incredible back development. And since we’ve already warmed up PC’s ears a bit, there’s this:
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@Frank_C @burien_top_team Have you done the Reeves deadlift or Snatch-grip deadlift?
This is why although I absolutely love this style of training and it’s working great I would not advise a beginner to do it. They don’t know how to truly push to failure, how to do it safely and how to self regulate.
Looking solid buddy! Triceps and rear delts seem to be growing nicely.
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And then theirs true failure with good form or true failure with body English lol
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Yesterday I reached one form of failure on EZ bar curls. I couldn’t do another rep without resting or changing my form. And in my case, the form change results in a tug on my biceps tendon anchor and doesn’t feel great.
I guess my broken body has to be treated gently with failure sets.
Snatch grip, yes. Reeves, no.
I just glanced at the Dorian deadlift. The reason for stopping below the knee is to keep tension on the back. Well, I do that with my touch n go reps.
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Reeves yes, snatch grip no. Although I’m considering snatch grip rack pulls for my next “program”
Edit: this reminded me that Reeves deadlift style walks have been responsible for my biggest ever case of traps DOMs.
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My back is kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinda tight today. Weird sleeping position, I think. Back day in an hour. Let’s see what happens.
Hammer strength chest supported row (lower back very stiff, avoided cable rows)
3 plates 2x8, triple dropset down to one plate on last set
Machine upperback pulldown
290 2x10, dropset to 170
DB pause shrugs
3x10
Wendler rows
4x10 cluster
Standing double bicep cable curl
3x12
Preachers
3x8
Thazit.
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Your back loosen up as the session went on or get tighter? It’s sometimes hard to tell if your doing it good or aggravating the problem more.
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