Mmmmmmm red velvet!!
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damn, mirin those squat numbers. Your wheels must be looking pretty killer right now
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My wife at just under 9 weeks out of her first show, sheās digging in and doing a great job, always killing it in the gym. We did keto this weekend for her, except oats before HIIT, tomorrow is her refeed, pretty similar to mine just smaller amounts.
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152lbs - some pics from posing yesterday and today, every Sunday Iāll be able to get into a studio at the gym. Lighting is more flattering in the locker room, pretty washed out in the studio but lots of room in there. Today I had a good posing session with my wife and other female client Iām training for her show, lots of fun and good to start practicing now nice and early. Currently practicing posing 3x a week, on Tuesday and Thursday after the gym, and Sunday in the gym before LISS.
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Points to @EyeDentist for guessing the deepest desires of my stomach! Easily could have eaten them all.
@dchris got it, went red velvet and it was the right choice. Little bits of cake in there take it to the next level.
@SkyzykS - that sounds awesome! I will definitely try that in the off season. Sometimes I save cals for a little chocolate MD protein icing, then I put it on top of the ice cream, it gets hard like a chocolate shell. Good stuff!
@The_Mighty_Stu said I can sub out my evening shake for a 240cal Halo Top during the week, havenāt done it yet but I think itās gonna happen this week. Iāll let him have his poo tarts, Iāll take the ice cream!
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Thank you very much man! As usual my legs are behind upper body in conditioning, but size is looking promising. Fortunately still 17 weeks to bring them in, and they always respond better to recovery. Weāre planning on tapering out cardio towards the shows for that reason, hopefully itāll all come together with that method. @GrindOverMatter emphasized cutting all cardio towards his shows really brought his legs in, and after my prep last year I think thatāll be the ticket for me too.
Youāre both looking awesome!
That front double bi is looking dangerous and back is looking strong as usual.
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Your hamstrings are really popping on your side poses! All of your poses are looking pretty good right now, but the hammies look pretty awesomeā¦especially in that side most muscular pose youāve got going on!
Andā¦your wifeās back. Pretty legendary looking. Also, I love the effort-face she has going onā¦really trying with those weights. You donāt see a lot of girls with that grunt-face in the gym. Props!
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Hey Rob, looking great man
what is your total training time ?
Do you mind showing us ur current training division/routine?
thanks
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FOOD - as anyone who has read my logs can tell, I love eating and making prep foods as tasty and satisfying as possible. āPrep hacksā, as I call them, little tricks to make food taste better without adding cals, or clean IIFYM adjustments. IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) isnāt something I prescribe to, because itās typically associated with just being an excuse to eat junk food. IMO, clean, healthy foods on a prep are essential for satiety, performance, and overall health. But, every now and then, Iāll make a clean swap for one of my meals, prep food doesnāt have to be bland and boring. I almost always eat the same things every day, but sometimes ya just want something different, and if food choices are clean, with some ingenuity and a calculator you can make it happen.
āApple Pie Oatsā
Made this today to replace my typical second meal of tuna, ezekiel bread, apple and protein shake. Same macros and cals, this is:
-Steel cut oats with 1 apple cut up and mixed in when oats are 3/4 done, this makes the apple soft and makes the whole thing taste like apple pie
-Metabolic Drive Chocolate Protein
-Cinnamon
āBodybuilder Tuna Melt Saladā
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE. Switched it out for dinner last year to replace typical chicken thighs and veggies.
-6oz tuna, seasoned with garlic and sea salt
-2TBSP Relish (0 cals no sugar added, made w/ Splenda, amazing find)
-1oz chopped āsalad toppersā (shredded cabbage and carrots)
-Kerrygold Melted Cheese
*Mix the tuna with relish and veggies in a bowl or mug, saute in the pan, put cheese on top to melt, place over spinach.
@littlesleeper thank you very much! Been following along on your T-Ransformation, keep killing it man!
@IronAndMetal thanks so much bro! Last year we focused on hamstrings during the beginning of my prep, Iāve been working them twice a week for the past few months and will continue doing so during the prep, I know for a fact a couple guys Iāll be competing against have great hams so I have to be sure to get them up to par.
I showed her your comment, made her day man 
Sheās always pushed it hard in the gym since we started together, her training has improved significantly since she decided earlier last summer she was going to compete. During the off season we train together every day, during our preps our splits donāt line up but we still go to the gym together. Weāre already talking about her coming off season and our plan of attack to make next year even better, Iām the luckiest meathead in the world!
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@humblelifter thank you very much, I really appreciate that!
Iāve been training for a total of 6 full years, 4 years in the gym. I started in my bedroom with the P90X program, gained a good foundation of strength with all the pull ups, bodyweight exercises and some adjustable dumbbells, lost a bunch of weight and got very lean with a small amount of muscle. After that, I got into the gym and havenāt looked back!
Arms and hamstrings are hit twice a week as those are the areas I want to bring up as much as possible. Current training routine:
Monday (medium day) - Chest and hamstrings, 30min LISS
Tuesday (medium day) - Back and biceps, calves, 30min LISS
Wednesday (medium day) - Shoulders and triceps, 30min LISS
Thursday (low day) - 20min HITT followed by 20min LISS
Friday (high day) - Quads, hamstrings, calves (no cardio)
Saturday (medium day) - Arms (no cardio)
Sunday (low day) - OFF, 45min LISS only
Iād be happy to share exercises and set/reps and such if anyone is interested, pretty standard stuff. Iāve found the biggest improvements in my physique have come from raising intensity by always going as hard as possible while ensuring a solid MMC, and also not going to failure anymore. I used to do it all the time, and almost never do now. I certainly get close, but Iāve found great results by just training consistently hard, and ensuring all aspects of recovery are on point.
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Hey bro, thanks a lot for sharing those info
Id like to know sets/reps if you dont mindā¦
How do you feel about only giving a direct stimulus just once a week to chest or back (considering you dont deadlift on leg day i guess)??
I already did a routine similar to yours and find it to work most for arms and shoulders because they get stimulated 2 to 3 times i week, i switched to something like Legs/Chest,tri/Back/Shoulders and arms / rest/ repeat
Where i get to work directly every muscle group every 5 days, i felt my chest more balanced and less āflatā when i did the typical bodybuilding split but i have the impression my arms and maybe shoulder looked bigger
Soā¦How do you like this routine for building some mass? I mean, would you still do it in off season?
thanks again buddy and sorry about my english
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Excellent threads Rob. Your regular, comprehensive updates on here take some commitment, which is clearly a personality trait which is ideal for someone on a cut! Very inspiring. Keep up the great work.
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@JamesBrawn007 thank you so much for following along and for those kind words man, they mean a lot!
COMPLETE WORKOUT coming, long post for anyone who is interested.
Happy to man!
***All sets and reps are the planned ranges, reps might vary at times depending on how I feel, sets pretty much stay the same unless Iām feeling exceptionally good or exceptionally bad.
Monday (medium day) - Chest and hamstrings
- Incline Dumbbell Press - 4-5x 8-10, usually one or two sets of 6-8 at the end.
- Low-High Cables - 3x 12-15
- Pec Deck or Cable Flies - 3x 10-12
- Hammerstrength Plate Loaded Flat Bench - 4x 8-10
- High-Low Cable Powerflies - 3x 12-15
- Lying Leg Curls - 4x 8-10 + partials after each set, usually one set of 6-8 at the end
- Hamtractor - 3x 10-12 (pause at bottom with slow negative)
- Dumbbell or Barbell RDLās - 3x 12-15 (not too heavy, focusing on stretch)
Tuesday (medium day) - Back and biceps, calves
- Close Neutral Grip Pulldowns - 2x 8-10, 2x 6-8
- Straight Arm Rope Pulldown w/ straps - 3x 12-15
- Bent Over Barbell Rows (alternate pronated and supinated) - 4x 10-12
- 1 Arm DB Rows - 3x 10-12
- T-Bar Row - 3x 8-10
- Plate Loaded Iso-Low Row - 3x 12-15
- Barbell Curls - 3x 8+8 (8 reps standard, 8 reps just top half with raised elbows)
- Plate Loaded Preacher Curl - 3x 8-10
- DB Cross Body Curls - 3x 10-12
- Standing Calves Press - 4x 8-10
- Seated Calves Press - 4x 12-15
Wednesday (medium day) - Shoulders and triceps
- Seated DB Press - 3x 8-10, 2x 5-8
- Alternating DB Front Raises - 3x 8-10
- Bent Over Lateral Raises (rear delt) - 3x 12-15
- Rear Pec Deck - 3x 10
- DB Lateral Raises into Upright Rows, OR 6 Point DB Raise (alternates) - 3x 10 (to failure last two sets)
- Weighted Dips - 4x 5-8
- Swivel Bar Push Downs - 3x 8-10
- Single Arm Reverse Cable Curl - 3x 10-12
Thursday (low day) - 20min HITT followed by 20min LISS
-On the elliptical, alternating 30sec sprint and 2min steady
Friday (high day) - Quads, hamstrings, calves
- Squat - 3-4x 10, 1x 5-8
- Leg Press - 3x 15-20
- Leg Extensions (typically single leg but sometimes together) - 3x 10-12
- Lying Leg Curls - 4x 8-10 + partials after each set, usually one set of 6-8 at the end
- Hamtractor - 3x 10-12 (pause at bottom with slow negative)
- Dumbbell or Barbell RDLās - 3x 12-15 (not too heavy, focusing on stretch)
- Standing Calves Press - 4x 8-10
- Seated Calves Press - 4x 12-15
Saturday (medium day) - Arms
- Barbell Curls - 5x 5-8
- DB Alternating Concentration Curls - 3x 8-10
- EZ Bar Curls Narrow Grip - 3x 10
- Hammer Curls w/ Hammer Bar - 3x 10-12
- Close Grip Bench - 4-5x 5-8
- Rope Pull Downs - 4x 8-10
- Decline DB Extensions - 3x 10-12 (to fail)
Sunday (low day) - OFF, 45min LISS only
-On the elliptical
For me personally, Iām ok with it on this prep. A once-per-week body part split is pretty standard, so I donāt feel like Iām missing out on anything training those muscles directly once a week, it just means I really have to do some damage on those days. During my 6 month off season I was training back twice a week actually, split up into a āwidthā based workout and a āthicknessā based workout. I enjoyed this method and will go back to it during the off season. Iāve never hit chest more than once a week, but again thatās a personal preference. Most people have an area thatās always a naturally strong area for them, for me itās chest so Iād rather prioritize my weak points.
During the prep, itās very challenging to improve a muscle group, from simple lack of calories and recovery. It can still be done, but certainly not as effectively as in the off season. My chest and back, while thereās always room for improvement, I consider to be stronger in my physique than arms and hams. So, during this prep Iām ok with maintaining chest and back once per week, provided I kill my sessions (as always!) and make sure I send the signal to my muscles that tells them not to go anywhere.
You are correct I donāt deadlift on leg days, or ever anymore, I stopped pulling from the floor about a year and a half ago, and stopped rack pulls last year. My lower back has always been problematic, and I found if I deadlifted and squatted the same week, it would just lead to unnecessary soreness. As a bodybuilder, Iām primarily concerned with building a great back and avoiding injury, so I stay away from deadlifting.
My current routine I think would be good in the off season as well, although Iād split my back workout again for sure. Iād still do chest and quads once a week in the off season, and focus on a little more rest/recovery time. The training in off season and prep season doesnāt really change too much, more so nutrition and recovery, and of course no cardio in the off season.
Thatās awesome! Makes sense, a good training cycle for you and making sure each muscle gets pumped sooner than later. Always most important to find the method that works best for you, I know some guys also do a 6 day repeating cycle.
Hope this has all been helpful man, please let me know if youād like any more info!
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Usual second meal, 6oz tuna salad (0 cal relish and shredded veggies added) and sautƩed in the pan, 2 slices Ezekiel bread and an apple, small glass of unsweetened almond milk. Filling meal, getting good carbs in before my Finibars later.
Wow, im very thankful Rob, for the all the time you took to answer me
really appreciate it
I also like doing rowing days and pulling days for back!
and i noticed you use some significant volume, thats nice too, i always felt that high volume works somehow for natural builders, even to small muscle groups like shoulders
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Youāre welcome man, always happy to share info and talk shop!
Yessir, Iāve always been a higher volume guy, ever since my first days in the gym using CTās āIndigo Hypertrophyā programs. This volume is dialed back from what I was doing previously. I originally pulled back more after realizing I was just doing too much, then added slightly to reach my current volume. For me itās a great combination of getting as much work done as possible while feeling I can have high intensity and effort throughout.
149.8, 1lb down from previous low of 150.8 which I hit two weeks ago, and again yesterday, officially a bantamweight today first time in the prep! Weight loss is not a linear process in a prep; it moves, it stalls, itās up, itās down, so it becomes very important to be able to objectively judge yourself in the mirror and listen to your body. Last week I didnāt lose any scale weight, and my weight was actually up from the previous week. But I did notice myself getting tighter slowly and have been making solid progress previously, so we made no changes and kept plugging along. Sure enough today, new low and looking tight. This is another great example of how having gone through this last year is helping me this year. Last year I would have freaked out about this two week āweight stall,ā where as this year I was able to stay calm and know things were still moving.
Also made a small but mighty nutrition adjustment yesterday, moving some carbs/cals around from earlier in the day and adding them to my pre workout meal. Total daily cals and macros are the same, just adjusting timing to get more carbs/cals before training, and it made a very significant difference. Yesterday felt great in the gym and overall itās the best Iāve felt during the prep so far.
Last year I didnāt get below 150 until 3 weeks before my first show. As Iāve mentioned already, last yearās prep was brutally frustrating. While I still have a long way to go, it feels great to be ahead of last year and know itās because of the work @The_Mighty_Stu and I did during the off season to prepare for 2017. Last year I was 148 going into peak week of my last show, which was my weight for the last 8 weeks of the prep. While a good amount of recomping went on, this year weāre aiming for 143 as a target, although ultimately all that matters is conditioning, whatever the weight is. Looking in the mirror today and feeling around, I think 143 is a safe estimate and possibly lower, maybe 141-142. Thereās a point where scale weight stops moving but the body keeps leaning out, itāll be interesting to see where that winds up. Ultimately I know I have been able to put on some solid mass during the off season, and as my strength is still going up in shoulders and arms, Iām hoping Iām currently making some improvements there as well. All that combined, Iām super excited and motivated to reach a new level of conditioning and bring my best!
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