Dan,
I recall watching a video of Bernard Hopkins training with this apparatus wrapped around his back, with two heavy duty elastic bands and his hands holding the bands, such that they pulled back his fists into a ‘cocked’ position.
Essentially, he’d be throwing punches against a heavy resistance. I am sure you could just wrap a large, thick power band around your back (criss-crossed?) and achieve the same effect.
Do you have any clue what I am describing? I am sure you have tried something similar, if not, I would recommend it for a change of pace…
Great log so far. I, too, want to see your 4 week mark results!
Day Twenty-eight:
End of Phase I
Weekly weigh-in:
Weight: 185 lbs
Waist: 32.25"
Change since start of program:
Weight: + 3 lbs
Waist: + 0"
Up two pounds this week, but I am a little suspicious about this as I used the scale at my parents’ house this morning, which is digital and, obviously, a different one than I am used to using. I will weigh myself again tomorrow morning to either confirm or deny these results, but between upping my daily intake and gorging on turkey, I am sure there will some gain either way.
As far as the program goes, although I haven’t tested my 1RM’s yet, I feel as though I am getting stronger, especially in the pull-up, as I actually managed to set a PR on Saturday at 258 lbs (BW +75). Although using that much weight was going against the program, I kept increasing the load because it just didn’t FEEL heavy, which is why I did this with all my other lifts last week as well. I have only gained a few pounds so far, but I have seen very minimal fat gain to go along with it, my waist being the same size as when I began the program four weeks ago.
And my take on ReceptorMax so far? Although I know this is not what people want to hear, I honestly don’t know what to make of it just yet. I am hoping that as I continue to increase calories and move to a more hypertrophy-based style of training I will see more impressive/definitive results (for those not familiar with the program, Phase 1 = Neural Adaptation/Strength, Phase 2 = Strength + Hypertrophy, and Phase 3 = Hypertrophy).
So I will continue to post for the next two months until I can make some sort of definitive conclusions about RecptorMax, at least for my own body. In the meantime, I will weigh in tomorrow to see what MY scale says and and pumped to give this “Beast Complex” a shot.
If I recall, you have been using L-Leucine 4x daily as well. Have you noticed an increase in muscle pump during workouts, as some members have claimed when taking Leucine?
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
If I recall, you have been using L-Leucine 4x daily as well. Have you noticed an increase in muscle pump during workouts, as some members have claimed when taking Leucine?[/quote]
Unfortunately, I haven’t really noticed an increase in muscle pump on this program since pretty much everything I am doing is under 3 reps (with a few exceptions), but I have noticed this in the past when doing higher reps.
I actually took Leucine for 4 weeks before I started this program when I was doing Charles Poliquin’s Lactic Acid Training and the pump was amazing. I saw veins I never knew I had.
Awesome.
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Dan,
I recall watching a video of Bernard Hopkins training with this apparatus wrapped around his back, with two heavy duty elastic bands and his hands holding the bands, such that they pulled back his fists into a ‘cocked’ position.
Essentially, he’d be throwing punches against a heavy resistance. I am sure you could just wrap a large, thick power band around your back (criss-crossed?) and achieve the same effect.
Do you have any clue what I am describing? I am sure you have tried something similar, if not, I would recommend it for a change of pace…
[/quote]
Now that you mention it, I have seen fighters use this before and see stuff advertised in Title Boxing and MMA catalogs all the time for it’s exact purpose, but I never really got into it. It does, however, sound like a perfectly good idea for those types of situation like this weekend where I had pretty much no equipment at my disposal but wanted to get a workout in.
I may have to put something like that on my Christmas list as I know I will be traveling quite a bit in the new year.
[quote]ninjaboy wrote:
This is everything a training log should be. I’ll be really interested in your results, I’m planning to hit Beast Building later next year. The ReceptorMax review will be useful too. Thanks for sticking to it.[/quote]
Thank you for the compliment. It is always great to see people taking an interest here.
Nice avatar, by the way.
Day Twenty-nine:
First off, the scale I used yesterday to weigh in was indeed correct, so I am up to a solid 185. Excellent. Also, I feel as though I am definitely getting stronger on this program. I can’t wait to test it out and see just how much stronger as the weeks progress.
Great day in the gym today. I think I will actually end up liking this phase more than the last one (the “Beast Complex” is awesome).
Day one of phase 2 went as follows:
Bench press (warm-up set)
165 x 5
A1) Functional isometric bench press*
185 x 6s hold
205 x 6s hold
225 x 6s hold
245 x 6s hold, 120s rest
A2) Bench press
205 x 3
210 x 3
215 x 3
220 x 3, 120s rest
A3) Ballistic bench press
50 x 10, 120s rest
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
B1) Isometric dynamic chest-supported dumbbell row
50 (each hand) x 6s hold
55 x 6s hold
60 x 6s hold x 2, 120s rest
B2) Chest-supported dumbbell row
50 (each hand) x 3
55 x 3
60 x 3 x 2, 120s rest
B3) Bent-over dumbbell row
35 x 5 x 4
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
*Pins set just below and above sticking point.
Felt good to put up 220 for 3 like it was nothing. I am going to attempt a 5 lb increase every week for the remainder of this training phase. This would eventually result in a 235 x 3 bench press, which would be 96% of my previous 1RM. Not too shabby, but we will see when I get there.
Pumped for squats and deadlifts tomorrow.
Day Thirty:
Good day today. I feel like I really managed to push myself, especially in the squat where I was able to hit 285 x 3 (ATG) for my last set. As I drove through my sticking point, my face turned completely red and I thought my eyes were about to pop out of my head and my nose would gush blood. I’ve had some tough workouts in the past, but this was something else…
Workout as follows:
A1) Functional isometric back squat
255 x 6s hold
275 x 6s hold
295 x 6s hold
315 x 6s hold, 120s rest
A2) Back squat
255 x 3
265 x 3
275 x 3
285 x 3, 120s rest
A3) Speed squat
145 x 5, 120s rest
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
B1) Functional isometric deadlift
375 x 6s hold
375 x 6s hold
395 x 6s hold
405 x 4s hold, 120 rest
B2) Sumo deadlift
375 x 3
385 x 3
395 x 3
405 x 2, 120s rest
B3) Power snatch (from hang)
95 x 5
100 x 5
105 x 5 x 2, 120s
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
I noticed that I am having problems with my grip on deadlifts once I start to break past 385. It’s definitely not a function of low back or hip strength, I just have trouble holding onto that much weight. Although I am sure I can fix this by working on my grip more diligently in he future, I think I may invest in a pair of lifting straps so as to not mess with the program.
Off day tomorrow, I am sure it will be much needed after today.
Day Thirty-one:
No lifting today, but it was a pretty interesting one nonetheless. I got in the gym around lunchtime and did my usual MMA/boxing workout (always a good stress reliever), but also made it a point to go back after work and begin my SMR/mobility routine today.
Having never done any form of SMR or foam rolling before, I can honestly say that it’s totally different than anything I’ve ever done in the gym. It was also surprisingly painful, not in a bad way, but I could really feel some deep muscle pain which is probably the result of loads of built-up scar tissue from years of lifting (I know, it’s sad that I am only 185 after this long)! Either way it felt great and I am definitely going to do this at least 2-3 times per week and see what benefits I can derive from it.
I also spent a significant amount of time on stretching and mobility work, primarily in my lower body and hips, in order to prevent any sort of injury that may come from squatting and deadlifting multiple times per week. I do not currently have any existing injuries, which is extremely rare for those in the iron game, so I plan to keep it that way. (As an aside, I think the fact that I NEVER wear a belt has helped a lot in terms of injury prevention for my lower back. Seriously, unless you are a powerlifter you just don’t need one).
Bench and chins tomorrow. So pumped.
Day Thirty-two:
Slightly disappointed with my performance in the gym after having such a good day on Monday, but I guess it’s just room to grow (literally and figuratively). I just need to keep at it and the gains will come.
I will get bigger. I will get stronger.
The training is there. The nutrition is there. The effort is there. It’s only a matter of time.
Today’s workout went as follows:
A1) Chest-supported dumbbell row
40 (each hand) x 6 (warm-up set)
45 (each hand) x 6
50 (each hand) x 6
55 (each hand) x 6
60 (each hand) x 6, 90s rest
A2) Bench press
165 x 6 (warm-up set)
195 x 6
200 x 6
205 x 5
210 x 4, 90s rest
B1) Pull-ups (medium grip)
195 (BW+10) x 8
200 (BW+15) x 8
205 (BW+20) x 7
210 (BW+25) x 6, 90s rest
B2) High-incline (45 to 60 degrees) DB press
45 (each hand) x 6
50 (each hand) x 6
55 (each hand) x 6
60 (each hand) x 6, 90s rest
C1) Preacher curl
95 x 8
100 x 8
105 x 7
110 x 6, 90s rest
C2) Decline EZ-bar triceps extension
60 x 8
70 x 8
80 x 7
80 x 6, 90s rest
I am heading up to Montreal tomorrow morning and will be there for the weekend, so if for some reason I don’t get to update this log, I haven’t become horribly discouraged and given up, I just don’t have access to a computer (not going to risk bringing my laptop should anything happen).
I will continue to stick to the training and diet as I have laid out and have already made arrangements to go lift at a pretty hardcore looking gym while I am there. Who knows, maybe I’ll run into Thib or C.P. (that would be unreal).
I’ll miss you America. Be back soon.
(Now I can see if ReceptorMax REALLY smells like maple syrup!)
I have always wanted to see Montreal. Please report back on the female selection, which I have heard nothing but good things about.
Have a safe trip!
Day Thirty-three:
Since this log seems to be working well in its current day-to-day form, I am just going to reconstruct the past few days and post as if I had access to a computer all weekend.
It felt good to have the day off on Friday. I woke up fairly early and hit the road around 8AM. The drive was pretty relaxing and very scenic - a good way to start the trip. I arrived in Montreal around 2PM and thankfully my room was ready so I was able to check in early. The hotel was incredibly nice and right on the main strip by a load of bars and clubs. Prime location.
After getting settled, I met up with my friend who lives in Montreal and walked around the city for a bit so I could get my bearings. It’s a nice place and sort of reminded me of Chicago; somewhere that would be a good “starter city” (anyone who’s ever been to or lived in Manhattan should know what I mean by that). I was a little surprised by the sheer volume of strip clubs in the city, but hey, no real complaints here.
We went out to dinner at one of the many bistros downtown and proceeded to go bar hopping and hit up a few parties that my friend knew of. It was just a chill, fun night to start the weekend and definitely a good time was had by all.
For the record, the women in Montreal are beautiful, and the fact that about half of them speak French was a major turn-on (and challenge)… There was definitely no shortage of eye-candy or prospects on this trip!
I will post up about the rest of my trip and Saturday’s workout tomorrow, but for now I am completely shot from the weekend and need to get some sleep. Further updates coming soon.
Day Thirty-four:
Woke up late and went out to a huge breakfast, which was surprisingly healthy considering it was at a diner. Got some Christmas shopping done in old Montreal and headed off to the gym after lunch. I was actually a little disappointed with the gym, but it was a good workout nonetheless.
Workout details:
A1) Front squat
175 x 6
185 x 6
195 x 6
205 x 5, 90s rest
A2) Romanian deadlift
275 x 6
285 x 6
295 x 6
305 x 6, 90s rest
B1) Leg press*
340 x 8
360 x 8
380 x 8
400 x 8, 90s rest
B2) Pull-through
75 x 8
90 x 8
105 x 8 x 2, 90s rest
C1) Standing calf raise (smith machine)
375 x 8
385 x 8
395 x 8
405 x 8, 90s rest
C2) Lying leg curl
140 x 8
150 x 8
160 x 8 x 2, 90s rest
Scarfed down some chicken, beans, and rice after the usual double-dose of Surge and relaxed and showered before dinner, at which I proceeded to have the best steak of my life (and unfortunately, the most expensive).
Another night of good times and debauchery. Enough said.
Day Thirty-five:
Spent another 6 hours in the car today, driving down the highway in a ridiculous amount of snow. Thank god for 4WD. Didn’t have the chance to weigh in this morning since there was no scale in the hotel room, but my waist is up a 1/2" (damn steak! Seriously, that thing was enormous…)
I will weigh in tomorrow when I am back into the swing of things and assess the damage from the weekend. In all fairness, I tried damn hard to stick to my diet, and although I was still incredibly complaint (I brought all of my supps, cans of tuna, frozen chicken, etc.), I still feel like shit every time I deviate from the plan (this happened twice on my trip). I know JB says that you can still get good results if you stick to the plan 90% of the time, but I don’t want good results or 90% results, I want 110% results and am willing to do what needs to be done to ensure that this happens.
I’m sure that I am starting to sound a little crazy right now and it’s probably due to lack of good sleep in my own bed and having a long week ahead of me, but that’s life. I will finish updating tomorrow and all will be chronologically correct again.
Day Thirty-six:
Back to work and back in the swing of things again. Weighed in after the weekend at 187 and my waist is up to 22.875" with some visible fat gains. FUCK. I can’t tell you how much I HATE fat. I think it’s a FFB thing. It takes months of constant, hard ass work to get anywhere close to having abs and then I slip up on my diet once or twice (and I’m not even talking about anything that bad) and they are gone. All of them. To any skinny kids reading this, do yourself a favor and NEVER allow youself to get fat. If you actually care about how you look sans-shirt, you will have nothing but a lifetime of agony ahead of you.
/rant.
Workout details:
Bench press (warm-up set)
170 x 5
A1) Functional isometric bench press*
195 x 7s hold
215 x 7s hold
235 x 7s hold
255 x 7s hold, 120s rest
A2) Bench press
210 x 3
215 x 3
220 x 3
225 x 2, 120s rest
A3) Ballistic bench press
65 x 10, 120s rest
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
B1) Isometric dynamic chest-supported dumbbell row
55 (each hand) x 6s hold
60 x 6s hold
65 x 6s hold x 2, 120s rest
B2) Chest-supported dumbbell row
55 (each hand) x 3
60 x 3
65 x 3 x 2, 120s rest
B3) Bent-over dumbbell row
40 x 5 x 4
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
Legs tomorrow. Awesome.
Day Thirty-seven:
I basically had a terrible day at work today and tried to get to the gym early in order to get out the aggression. Big mistake. All this did for me was successfully sabotage my efforts in the gym as I couldn’t focus on my lifting and it really suffered because of it. This, of course, just continued to frustrate me further.
My pissed-off workout went as follows:
A1) Functional isometric back squat
265 x 7s hold
285 x 7s hold
305 x 7s hold
325 x 7s hold, 120s rest
A2) Back squat
265 x 3
275 x 3
285 x 3
290 x 3, 120s rest
A3) Speed squat
145 x 5, 120s rest
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
B1) Functional isometric deadlift
375 x 7s hold
375 x 7s hold
395 x 7s hold
405 x 7s hold, 120 rest
B2) Sumo deadlift
375 x 3
385 x 3
395 x 3
405 x 3, 120s rest
B3) Power snatch (from hang)
100 x 5
105 x 5
110 x 5 x 2, 120s
Repeat working sets for 4 sets total
Fortunately, I later got a phone call and spent some downtime with one of those people that always make me feel better. It’s crazy how the smallest things can have such a huge impact on us sometimes. I guess it really helps to put things in perspective and see the big picture, but damn, it’s tough sometimes.
Day Thirty-eight:
No lifting today, just bit of SMR, light cardio, and bag work.
My latest Biotest order arrived in the mail today and as I opened it, I really began to wonder just what in the hell ReceptorMax is supposed to do. I mean, it is supposed to increase muscle insulin sensitivity, yet despite taking it as prescribed and doing everything else I can think of to help the process, I still seem to gain fat with ridiculous ease.
I am literally doing everything I can think of: Closely monitoring and controlling my diet, taking ACV and ground cinnamon at every meal, getting an inappropriate amount of fish oil, eating and/or supplementing with fiber, and taking Carbolin 19. Even with all of these things in place, none of it seems to be working. I am not expecting any miracles, I just want to gain one pound of muscle without gaining two pounds of fat.
If anyone has any ideas on how to combat inappropriate fat gain while “bulking,” post up some ideas. I am fresh out.
I am not smart enough to really understand what is going on with your body, but is it possible that your issue is not insulin sensitivity but simply calories?
Maybe it’s time to bump up the calories (though still carb cycling) by 300?
You are still taking the leucine, though, and I forget if you are also experiencing those same pumps as other members have described.
[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Maybe it’s time to bump up the calories (though still carb cycling) by 300?
[/quote]
That seems sort of counter intuitive to me, but I do need to make sure I continue to grow and it gave me an idea just now.
Some of this I know to be true, and some is just speculation. Let me know what you think:
When one becomes overweight past a certain point, as I have been in the past, part of how they get that way is by allowing their cells to grow, both through hypertrophy (cell enlargement) and hyperplasia (increasing the number of cells in the body). In my case, I seem to not gain anything (muscle or fat) when eating a certain amount of calories (around 3,600 kclas), but as soon as I pass that amount by even a bit (say 3,800 kcals) I gain fat. Perhaps this is the tipping point where my fat cells are now able to take in more energy and begin to expand again (and since I have more cells than I used to, before I was fat, this leads to a marked, visible difference). This makes sense to me because overweight people have disproportionate amount of fat cells compared to muscle cells, so by increasing the amount of energy you take in past a certain point (maintenance), you are allowing your cells to grow again, and will do so in the ratios that they exist within the body.
I know I need to get my calories in to grow, so maybe I will try increasing my total calories on lifting days and decreasing them on “off” days. I know I am eating enough to grow right now, but perhaps by increasing lifting days and decreasing non-lifting days (while still keeping total intake the same) I would be able to alter the way my body deals with the high intake days. If that doesn’t work, I think I’ll just have to man up and be chubby for a few months.
[quote]
You are still taking the leucine, though, and I forget if you are also experiencing those same pumps as other members have described.[/quote]
On the mid-range rep days the pumps seem to be pretty good. I am working hard in the gym and am fairly sure that effort is not the problem. Depending on which expert you ask, the pump has nothing or everything to do with making gains. Either way, I’ll take it.
I am not sure if you have read the ‘How to Fix Cortisol’ thread where entheogens mentions using coconut oil to boost his metabolism and lean out.
Maybe you can use that as part of a strategy for lean gains:
Replace some of your fat intake with coconut oil - the effective dose seems to be 3-4 TBSP per day - and/or increase physical activity for a more ‘G-Flux’ effect, hoping to put on a greater ratio of muscle to fat when gaining weight.
All this, of course, in conjunction with increased caloric intake.
What is your carb intake like? Maybe you can also increase this during your peri-workout window (and only on lifting days where you are getting more calories) ?