Awesome stuff, SN. Glad you popped in and were nice enough to be detailed.
So do you kind of just do the ‘bulk’ and ‘cut’ thing now? You say you lean down every summer.
When cutting to getting as lean as you do, do you notice much strength loss, or with using your progression methods do you actually gain strength?
Congrats on getting through the health issues, makes everything just that more impressive IMO.
[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
Awesome stuff, SN. Glad you popped in and were nice enough to be detailed.
So do you kind of just do the ‘bulk’ and ‘cut’ thing now? You say you lean down every summer.
When cutting to getting as lean as you do, do you notice much strength loss, or with using your progression methods do you actually gain strength?
Congrats on getting through the health issues, makes everything just that more impressive IMO.[/quote]
I wouldn’t call what I do in the fall and winter bulking, exactly, since I’m not really pushing calories up. I really just eat at maintenance, which for me is around 3100-3200 kcal. I will allow myself more leeway in terms of food choices and have more cheat meals. But this past winter I set a hard limit of 235 for my heaviest weight, and I’ve been as high as 255 in the past when I did the whole bulk/cut thing. This year I’m going to make 225 my hard ceiling. There’s no good reason for me to be any heavier than that. I’d like to be able to wear the same clothes all year too, LOL.
I have noticed some strength loss this year in the big lifts as I’ve gotten leaner, but it’s really only been noticeable in the last few weeks. This has been more a result of sleep deprivation than the caloric deficit though, because I don’t usually lose much strength. I’ve been dealing with some stressful shit lately that’s been keeping me up nights. I never sleep all that well when I’m dieting to begin with, but this has been ridiculous.
I think since I’m able to keep my strength because I’m not getting into contest-level leanness. I’m sure if I kept the diet going longer I would lose more.
[quote]Steel Nation wrote:
I’m looking into getting a total hip replacement for a few reasons.
[/quote]
Also think about a hip resurfacing (if that is possible with your injury). It preserves the femoral head so the second surgery you’ll have later will be easier. My wife’s had both a resurfacing and a total hip. My dad also has had the resurfacing. The resurfacing is getting a lot of bad press due to metal ion issues and I don’t know if they are still doing them, but it is worth a look.
Looking awesome man. One badass physique.
This is very close to my goal physique. Really fucking nice physique man. Shame we can’t talk about AAS though.
What are your favorite lifts? Obviously you like the big 4, but ‘supplement’ lifts you like that you just feel ya can’t live without, whether because they help your total or enhance your physique.
What methods have you used to improve a lagging body part?
Were you always kind of strong/big/athletic growing up?
Thanks again for doing this, it’s awesome.
This is awesome SN, thanks for all the details.
All the best with your recovery.
How do you get through training sessions post or during injury and not want to twist the bar into a pretzel
Hell of a story with the leg/hip issues. Kinda sucks that you’re expecting back problems down the line, but amazing that you’ve pushed through, and made the progress that you have. Truly impressive brother, I know we all appreciate you sharing your tale and your current approach to training and nutrition.
But for those who really crave the nitty gritty details,… what flavor poptart do you prefer?
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Hell of a story with the leg/hip issues. Kinda sucks that you’re expecting back problems down the line, but amazing that you’ve pushed through, and made the progress that you have. Truly impressive brother, I know we all appreciate you sharing your tale and your current approach to training and nutrition.
But for those who really crave the nitty gritty details,… what flavor poptart do you prefer?
S[/quote]
http://www.poptarts.com/flavors/gone-nutty/gone-nutty-chocolate-peanut-butter
Black and gold of course
@Steel Nation - now that right there is pretty much an ideal physique in my opinion. Very impressive under any circumstances and all the more so given your injury history and issues related to that. Hats off to you.
[quote]Spidey22 wrote:
What are your favorite lifts? Obviously you like the big 4, but ‘supplement’ lifts you like that you just feel ya can’t live without, whether because they help your total or enhance your physique.[/quote]
[u]Mass Builders[/u]
Romanian Deads (from the floor, w/straps) - I always felt like these really crushed my entire posterior chain in a way that nothing else could. I actually prefer them to regular conventional DLs for bodybuilding and performance training both, but obviously I can’t do them anymore. Boo hoo, LOL.
Destroyer Sets for delts - The first time I did these two years ago is the first time I ever had noticeably sore lateral delts. Nothing I’ve done before or since has been better for lateral and rear delts. I will also do the partials for high volume when I’m not doing the Destroyer sets.
Meadows Rows - The best lat contraction I’ve ever experienced. I do them with my non-working knee and arm resting on a bench. Usually around 3-4 sets of 8-12 after working up in 25lb increments.
Stretchers - The best lat pump I’ve ever experienced. I finish most back days with 3 sets of 10-12.
High Rep Hack Squats - Kills quads better than anything else I’ve ever done. I will work up to a heavy set of 20 (this is usally around 4 plates) and then do a drop set of 4 plates x 15, 3 plates x 15, 2 plates x 15, and 1 plate x 20.
[u]Squat Accessory[/u]
Pause Squats - 2-3 sets of 3 after your heavy work. You’ll never be afraid of getting stuck in the hole again. Sitting down there also lets you think about your first movement out of the hole, ensuring that you don’t cave over.
RDL - see above.
[u]Bench Accessory[/u]
Pause Bench - Same deal as with pause squats. If you have trouble staying tight at the bottom this will fix it.
Floor Press w/chains - I like these to get some more pressing volume in without banging up the shoulders too much. The floor is more supportive than a bench and overloading the top with chains takes some more strain off the bottom of the movement.
[u]Deadlift Accessory[/u]
Speed Pulls - You can do these with or without chains, but I prefer without to keep the feel the same. I like these for grooving technique. They allowed me to train the deadlift every week without burning out, which is what would happen if I went heavy too often.
High Rep Rack Pulls - I know most people don’t get anything out of these, but I always liked them. I wouldn’t go any lower than 10 reps though. Pulling from above the knee for a single or triple seems kinda pointless to me. You’re not going to build a lot of mass that way because the volume is too low, and the strength you build won’t transfer over to the actual deadlift. With higher reps, they thickened my upper back up a lot, which I think helped with my pull off the floor. If nothing else it builds your yoke, which is awesome. Another one that I can’t do anymore…
[quote]
What methods have you used to improve a lagging body part?[/quote]
Increased frequency and overall volume. My delts and back are my two weakest bodyparts I think. I’ve been trying to give delts two days a week for about two years now. For back, I just make the main day long as shit. I can’t recover from two back workouts in a week, so I just do around 18-20 working sets on my back day. I think it’s improved a lot in the past couple years, but I’m still not where I want to be.
[quote]
Were you always kind of strong/big/athletic growing up?[/quote]
I’ve always been athletic in every facet except for speed. I’m slow as fuck. I ran a 4.9 forty (hand timed) my junior year in college, and that was my best time ever. But body and spatial awareness, hand-eye, aggressiveness, and just ability to play were always there. So I was always good at sports, but being so slow kept me from being really good or great.
I played baseball from when I was 5 until my junior year of high school, football from 7th grade all the way through college, wrestled a couple years in high school, and even fought 2 MMA bouts briefly during college. I tried to get back into the MMA thing after school, right before I exploded my hip. It’s not an option now, obviously.
I was never really big for my age. Always about average height and a little heavier than average. I was a chubby kid until my sophomore year of high school. I thinned out quite a bit then. Always had really thick legs and a big ass. Upper body was never muscular at all until I hit junior year of high school, but by that point I had already been lifting consistently for 5 years.
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Hell of a story with the leg/hip issues. Kinda sucks that you’re expecting back problems down the line, but amazing that you’ve pushed through, and made the progress that you have. Truly impressive brother, I know we all appreciate you sharing your tale and your current approach to training and nutrition.
But for those who really crave the nitty gritty details,… what flavor poptart do you prefer?
S[/quote]
http://www.poptarts.com/flavors/gone-nutty/gone-nutty-chocolate-peanut-butter
Black and gold of course[/quote]
Haha, no my favorite are the low fat brown sugar cinnamon.
[quote]Steel Nation wrote:
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Hell of a story with the leg/hip issues. Kinda sucks that you’re expecting back problems down the line, but amazing that you’ve pushed through, and made the progress that you have. Truly impressive brother, I know we all appreciate you sharing your tale and your current approach to training and nutrition.
But for those who really crave the nitty gritty details,… what flavor poptart do you prefer?
S[/quote]
http://www.poptarts.com/flavors/gone-nutty/gone-nutty-chocolate-peanut-butter
Black and gold of course[/quote]
Haha, no my favorite are the low fat brown sugar cinnamon.[/quote]
I have not eaten a pop tart in probably 10 years.
You going to get in on the FF this year?
Welcome to the other side also, had no clue you were on the + since I was on a little break from everything.
great thread
u look great man this is kinda my ideal physique to achieve for myself one day hopefully 
Thanks for the contributions! Any tips for getting/staying lean while increasing strength?
LOOOKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD No excuses from other posters for not being able to train properly with no injury issues. Man UP! Go Bengies!!!
Jk
I hope I look that big one day.
Steel Nation, I have to ask… are you an official “Yinzer” or just a part of the “Nation” itself?
Where are you currently training? At home, at a fitness club, at a hardcore gym. I know the 'burg has some pretty hardcore gyms in the city, but once you get outside (like where I am) its more the fitness club type atmosphere. Hence why I lift at home.
Based on your current health and physique, what are your goals going forward?
P.S. I haven’t had a cinnamon poptart in forever, and now I’m craving them. Thanks for reminding me :P.
Good luck with your hip buddy.
Thanks for the info.
tweet
[quote]Doh wrote:
Thanks for the contributions! Any tips for getting/staying lean while increasing strength?[/quote]
I’ve never gained a significant amount of strength while getting leaner. The times that I have gotten stronger in a lift while leaning out were mainly because I was reintroducing lifts that I had not trained in a long time. I hit my 225x5 MP last summer during a cut (I’d done it two years prior but I was 35 lbs heavier then), but I wasn’t training the press consistently before that. That was also my first run at Juggernaut, so maybe that had something to do with it.
I’ve gotten stronger while not getting fat though. Just have to keep your diet in check and keep the conditioning at a reasonable level. You don’t have to eat like a pig to get stronger. It’s easier to do it that way, but at this point, since I’m no longer competing, it doesn’t make sense for me.