Woke at 255.3, looking much the same as usual.
Todays training
3x10 bracing hip thrusts interspersed with what I think are sissy squats and ankle stretches
10x10 seconds bracing 90/90
Squat
Worked up to 2x10x308 lbs
Close stance squat (each foot two inches closer in)
2x10x308 lbs
My quads lost feeling they were so pumped. This phase is the first time that’s ever happened to me.
Front squat
12x220 lbs
Box squat (box around parallel)
3x6x352 lbs - seeing this at this stage was a real kick in the dick but the weight felt very light. Belted up for these.
SLDL
4x10x176 lbs
Alternating DB hammer curl
4x15x22 lbs
With thorough stretching, an hour and 40 minutes. I can’t recall a point where I wasn’t either working or loading so not sure why so long.
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Puh that is a tough volume workout!
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Woke at 256 lbs, looking much the same. I think that may be a new high. So far managed to stay relatively on-board in appearance too, so that’s a win.
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Yes. But how are the pants fitting !!
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Pants and belt are fitting the same as before. Great success!
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Todays training
3x10 bracing hip thrusts and 10x10 seconds bracing 90/90 interspersed with kb halos, band work and SuperD shoulder stabilisation
Bench press
Worked up to 2x10x176 lbs - oddly hard. Then I remembered I spent a while on the jointer which is basically an isometric press
Wide grip bench press (pointer finger on rings)
2x10x176 lbs - right shoulder and bicep much happier this time
CGBP to a one-board
12x132 lbs
Incline press
3x6x193 lbs - REALLY hard, especially in terms of getting acceleration off the chest. Last set it clicked better though. I think this means I really rely on leg drive to get the bar moving.
Overhead DB tricep extensions
12x44 lbs - too light
2x12x55 lbs - just right
JM press replacing skull crushers
3x10x88 lbs
Including stretching and more work on the right shoulder and bicep just in case all up an hour and 15 minutes
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Smashing those workouts Mark, Quality
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Woke at 255.5 lbs, looking much the same. If I can be consistently over 256 lbs by the end of the hypertrophy phase I’ll be pleased.
Woke at 255 lbs, looking much the same as usual. Need to put the brakes on this drop.
Work was pretty brutal today, rearranging theatre seats. Sounds easy, but meant I spent a long time lying down drilling and driving at a really awkward angle. My hands were pumped to hell by the time we knocked off.
Todays training
3x10 bracing hip thrusts with back raises
10x10 seconds bracing 90/90
DL, stiff bar
Worked up to 2x10x330 lbs - not so easy because I was gassy AF so bracing was off
Block pull off seven mats
2x10x330 lbs - had a moment between sets where I almost called it because my back was starting to feel off
DL without touching the floor
12x264 lbs - used straps as my hands were toast
Pullups
4x5 - slated as four sets of max reps and well, five is it. Went wide overhand, wide neutral, medium overhand, close neutral
DB row
2x15x88 lbs
KB rope upright row replacing BB upright row
4x8x44 lbs - upper traps lit up
Plate raise
50x22 lbs
Including stretching an hour and 35 minutes, of which 20 was the pullups.
Back felt fine by the end.
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who deals with this from time to time. And when I do, it’s those moments when my intestines are angry and I smell like a dead body covered in rotten cole slaw.
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Woke at 255.5 lbs, looking much the same. Back is fine too.
Dexa coming up, just for progress?
If I can be bothered and have the money kicking around with nothing better to spend it on.
Right now I’m going more by how bloated I look and how my pants fit around the waist. Hell, I know I’m fat. I’m probably sitting around 30 per cent body fat, maybe even up to 35. I’m also carrying more muscle than I ever have. My legs have grown, my back has grown and I think even my shoulders and arms have grown. My face hasn’t.
Now you’ve gotten me thinking, though @The_Myth I think this is how it’s standing.
At my leanest I think I’d be right in saying I was around 12 per cent body fat, with a scale weight of 187 lbs or so. That’s around 165 lbs LBM.
Currently we’ll say I’m sitting at 30 per cent body fat at 255 lbs. That’s around 178 lbs LBM.
For a couple of years worth of work I think the trade off is ok.
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I suspect your LBM is higher than 178.
Trust me, this is never good. Stay the course!!!
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I was being conservative. It may quite possibly be higher.
When I said thinking, I just meant thinking about what my LBM might be. Hell, a 10-15 lbs increase over two years is something I’d be pretty happy about.
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Todays training
Some cable shit to get my upper body warm
Fucking 10 seconds. Fucking beating the number if sets from last week.
Pushups
50 reps - 12, 12, 12, 10, 6
Diamond pushups
25 reps - 13, 12 (beat last week)
Dips
50 reps - 7, 7, 4, rest; 7, 6, 3, rest; 8, 6 2
Midway through dips realised I was definitely just going to have to try and finish, fuck trying to beat numbers
Bench dips
50 reps - 13, 13, 12, 12 (beat last week)
Pullups
35 reps, no 10 second rests as usual - 5x3 wide overhand; 5x3 wide neutral; 5 mid close grip
This was because I did pullups yesterday. The threes got me a better lat contraction though, so win. Still took 40 goddamn minutes.
Air squats
80 reps - 20, 20, 20, 20
I’m honestly unsure whether 4x20 with 10 second rests is better or worse than 1x80
Lying leg raises
50 reps - 20, 20, 10 (beat last week)
All up an hour and 45 minutes.
Halfway through the hypertrophy phase and bang on cue starting to feel the fatigue build. Three weeks left.
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Woke at 254.9 lbs, looking much the same. Slept longer so that’ll be part of the slight drop but I’ll hammer the food over the weekend anyway.
Woke at 257.3 lbs, still looking that little bit more bloated but both the jump and the bloat are definitely at least partly down to salt. Still, step in the right direction especially if when the bloat recedes the scale doesn’t drop too much.