You kind of missed something @Irishman92 (not hard in my log, there’s a ton of posts and they keep on coming).
I’m spending some time (till the end of the year at least) focusing on adding muscle. I pulled out of the meet because making weight to qualify at 181 lbs next year by the time 2018 nationals roll round I’d have to actively avoid gaining muscle to make weight and that made no sense. Except, there’s no way I can qualify at 198 lbs right now. It just seemed more sensible to look at the long term and accept that I’m ahead of schedule in terms of apparently being able to add muscle with minimal fat and go with that.
Anyhow, I’m now training Monday to Friday:
Shoulders/back/arms
Lower back/legs/abs
Chest/back/arms
Legs/lower back/abs
Shoulders/back/arms
I’m pushing the pace, only using exercises that hit the parts I’m working on and my lowest reps are six (block pulls) which is the low end of the window.
Once I’ve picked a meet sometime after June next year I’ll pick the powerlifts up again and try simple western (?) periodisation to work to it.
Ah thanks mate I do recall a lot of those convos I just didn’t realise you were up to the mass phase already! I guess it really is getting closer to the end of the year…
I was actually quietly happy for you that you decided to postpone the meet and build some mass, I really think that it will work out favourably for you.
Thanks man. It’s been great so far. I feel good, physically and mentally. I’m starting to get an idea about some weaknesses too which is going to be invaluable down the track.
Basa is a terribly underrated fish: it’s cheap AF; it doesn’t smell raw or cooked; it’s pretty much just protein; and, most importantly, it barely tastes of fish.
Leg extensions a bunch at 55 lbs until my quads pumped up
Front squat with straps
10xbar
8x132 lbs
4x10x220 lbs, under 6, 6, 7 and 8 RPE
8x220 lbs, 9-10 RPE - couldn’t keep the bar
Work sets took 12 minutes, give or take
Next week 5x10. If I can’t I’ll up the load anyway the week after for my legs and shoot for 5x10x242 lbs
RDL, toes elevated on 11 lbs plates
10x132 lbs
8x220 lbs
3x12x264 lbs, straps - took seven minutes or so
Weighted decline sit-ups supersetted with walking lunges
Sit-ups 3x15 with 33 lbs - I’ll stick here for another week, these are still plenty hard
Lunges 3x20xbodyweight with pause at the bottom
Works sets took around 12 minutes. Rear delts and upper back pumped to hell. I’ll shoot for 3x10 next week
DB incline press supersetted with DB rows
Press 3x12x60 lbs, EFTS bench at 2-3 slot - need to go to 65 lbs next week
Rows 3x12x125 lbs, all hook grip - need to go to 130 lbs next week
Lateral raises supersetted with pull-ups
Raises 5x12x20 lbs
Pull-ups 4xwide overhand, 4xwide neutral, 4xclose neutral, 2x4xvery close neutral
Dead stop hammer curls off thighs
3 sets to failure at 25 lbs
Including stretching and stuff took an hour and a quarter
Woke at 192.5 lbs. So, dehydrated AF in other words. Night shifts kicked off last night. This cold is still hanging around, although yesterday was turning point time. Throughout the shift my glands swelled up but now I’m feeling better. Possibly ran a slight fever hence the dehydration. I also didn’t drink much at work.
BTW, dehydration notwithstanding looking decent. Some bloating around the lower abs from breakfast (because as usual I’m doing the whole eat at normal time thing to keep everything simpler), but definition exactly where I want it.
Woke at 192.5 lbs, looking pretty good. WTF? Hard to believe it’s dehydration, I made sure I had a bunch of fluids yesterday. It’s the only possible explanation I can up with though…
