2024-10-26
Bull Mastiff Week 8 Day 2
Bench Press finish
Seated DB Curls
45’s 3x9
DB Rear Laterals
32.5’s 5x9
Standing Calves
BW+225 2x15,13
Tibialis Raise
55 15, 2x12
Tucked Dips, paused
BW 4x8
10 Likes
2024-10-28
Bull Mastiff “Week” 8 Day 3
Deadlift
Deadlift
365 5x4, 8
Opted to use the weight I would have been at if I used the suggested starting weight last week against the formula, rather than the weight I wanted to be at. My back thanked me.
SSB Squat, pin-paused, below parallel
205 4x8 RPE 7
I was supposed to shoot for 7 RPE, but it turned out to be more of a 6. Gaining strength on this movement rapidly. I’ll probably pop on 20 lbs more next “week” since it’s supposed to be an RPE 8 then.
Pullups
BW+10 5x8
Seated Leg Curl
140 5x9
+
Seated Leg Extension
85 5x9
GHD Situps
BW+10 5x10
There be some muskels under the old man flab there now.
Sprinkled some set of 12 single-leg calf raises in among all that.
And I found my Ironmind teardrop straps in a bin at the gym. Thanks, mysterious benefactor.
10 Likes
That’s some volume on those deads. I think those would wipe me out. Following up with SSBs is no picnic either.
Nice work!
1 Like
I tried jumping ahead this meso on bench and deadlift, and, while not abject failures executing them, the resulting stress hasn’t been worth the outcomes. I’m going to stick with the program’s suggested poundages from here on out. Trust the plan, as it were.
The body needs that backoff that the beginning of each wave provides.
2 Likes
Won’t lie, the SSBs made the leg curls/extensions a real grind. Next week will be worse.
After that come the peaking phases. I’m getting excited about those.
1 Like
Did you test your 1RMs prior to starting?
I will be curious see where you end up after you finish your peak.
I didn’t. I just estimated from how I was doing before I moved. I may have been over-optimistic about squats and ohp, but we’ll see. I seem to be holding my own so far. I don’t expect to finish the peak with a PR, but I do hope for some respectable poundages. If it’s acceptable, then I’ll run this program again using those resulting numbers as the lift maxes
2 Likes
2024-10-30
Bull MAstiff Week 8 Day 4
Overhead Press
Log Clean and Press
150 2x4
147.5 3x4, 5
The clean-per-rep sucks a lot of energy. Got a nice strawberry on my belly where I pinched the skin btwn the log and my belt buckle. Started turning my belt backwards after that.
Spoto Press
155 4x8 @ RPE 7
EZ Bar Lying Triceps extensions
90 X 10, 4x9
Super uncomfortable tonight. Not sure why.
Seated DB Hammer curls
45s 4x9, 8
Rear Delt Fly
32.5s 3x10, 2x9
9 Likes
2024-11-04
Bull Mastiff Week 9 Day 1
Squat
SSB Squat
305 6x4
RDL
285 5x8
Barbell Row
190 x9, 5x8
Seated Leg Curl/Extension
140 3x9, 10, 2x9, 85x9,10, 4x9
Ab Wheel (knees)
3x12, 3x10
I may survive the week
11 Likes
I don’t why I have to keep rediscovering this, but after doing leg raises, GHR crunches and knees to elbows, I still find the ab wheel to be the most stimulative movement for abs.
This last squat day, I concentrated and movement quality and it for sure lit up my behind and thighs more than usual. Let’s see if I can do the same for bench tonight.
8 Likes
2024-11-06
Bull Mastiff Week 9 Day 2
Bench
Bench Press
190 5x4
192.5x4
180x6
Axle Overhead Press
117.5 3x8
115 2x8
Seated EZ Bar French Press
70x8,10,9,9,10,8
Right elbow has been smarting. Tried the usual movment but opted for these since they didn’t hurt
Seated DB Curl
45s 3x9, 8
40s 2x9
Rear Delt Fly
30s 6x10
Dips
BW 4x8 paused
Standing Single Leg Calf Raises
BW 4x15
Fatigue is catching up to me. Had to drop weight/reps on some exercises, but volume still is higher than last week so it should have the desired training effect. Got a good shoulder and arm pump tonight.
Frickin poverty bench.
9 Likes
2024-11-09
Bull Mastiff Week 9, Day 3
Deadlift
Deadlift
385 4x4
365 2x4
Target weight has been is 318 for this block, so I felt ok about dropping the weight for the last two sets.
High Bar Squat
225 4x8
Pullups
BW(190) x8, 2x9, 3x8
I’ll do the machine work at the gym tomorrow. Did the above at my friend’s garage gym.
Tried a squat tampon on the bar for a couple sets. No likey. Feel too disconnected from the bar.
Squats are good sign. At the beginning of this program I was struggling to do 3 sets of six as the first movement and now I can do 4 sets of 8 after deadlifts with more in the tank and still feel like I could go bowling afterwards.
9 Likes
Well…THAT didn’t happen.
2 Likes
Better than my No bench right now.
2024-11-13
Bull Mastiff Week 9 Day 4
Overhead Press
Log Press
150 5x4, 5
Only one clean per set. I pulled something in my back last deadlift session, so I didn’t want to overuse it doing the clean. Felt okay anyway when I held my breath and braced, so it was prob nothing to worry about.
Cambered Bar Bench Press
135x8
145 4x8
Spoto is doing nothing for me in the bottom, so I swapped these in. Camber touched the chest every rep.
Close Grip Bench Press, High touch, paused
145x8
135 3x8
130 2x8
Swapped in for triceps extensions. Trying to save my elbow
DB Hammer Curls
50sx8 (someone else had one of the 45s)
45s 5x9
DB Rear Delt Flys
35s 6x8
Here ends the accumulation phase. Hopefully I’ve built something worth peaking.
8 Likes
Spoto seems to light my chest up. I am hoping it will carry over.
I will be curious to see if the cambered bar turns out for you.
It seems to be the biggest thing that improved my bench is how much I am feeding my face.
1 Like
This is the way
1 Like
2024-11-15
Bull Mastiff Week 10 Day 1
Squat
SSB Squat
292 4x3, 6
Easy
Deadlift, 2-count paused at shin top
315 4x6
Uncomfortable after squats, but probably useful
Leg Press, bottom pause
360x6
410x6
450 2x6
Barbell Bent Row
190 3x9
EZ Bar Curl - not in program
95 x6, 2x7
Volume actually goes down from here.
7 Likes
2024-11-18
Bull Mastiff Week 10 Day 2
Bench Press
Bench
180 4x3, paused
180x7
Axle Overhead Press
120 3x6
Cambered Bar Bench Press, Paused
145 4x6
Harder when it’s the third movement AND paused
EZ Bar Overhead Triceps Extension
75 3x10
DB Rear Delt Fly
35’s 3x10
Didn’t feel like enough work, but the object isn’t to wear me out, so I’ll leave it there.
I’m trying out training in the morning. It was just me and two other guys at 6AM today. Training in the morning takes a little more warmup, but now I’m not going to be thinking about it all day.
9 Likes
I really now enjoy working out in the morning. Like you said, you don’t have to think about getting it later in the day and less of a chance that something derails you from actually going to the gym.
I really like the Wenning warm ups that I have been doing. Keep them super light. They take about 12 to 15 minutes to complete.
Upper body is lats, triceps, and lift specific movement. Each one for 4 sets of 25 reps. My triceps warm up quickly and I don’t need the full 4 sets.
Lower body days is an Abdominal, Hams, glutes, or quads, and lift specific movement. Again, 25 x 4 sets.
5 Likes