I’m a belt loop leaner (I didn’t take measurements this AM) so it’s been a good week by diet standards. I think I’m starting to feel some of the volume I’ve been using in my sessions as I’m pretty sore most of the time now. It doesn’t help that I’m usually doing two a days (cardio before work and then weights after).
I’m “kinda” carb-cycling where my MED days are my weight training days and my LOW days are non weight training. It’s just that right now I am not having any HIGH days.
MED Days are 120g of Carbs and 270g or Protein
LOW days are 40g of Carbs and 270g of Protein
Overall cals are about the same on both days, just made up of healthy Fats (like sipping on Fish Oil).
The guy who trains with me is the VP of his company so Friday’s are usually a crap shoot with his attendance. He had a client lunch yesterday so I was flying solo for this session. I decided to just do the prescribed reps for 531 and focus on hypertrophy work for the volume.
Bench (all reps with pause)
3 x 160
3 x 180
3 x 200
Felt pretty light the whole way through; almost like a warmup. Although starting conservatively is really the key to a successful 531 program so I should be happy with that.
A. Incline BB
6 sets of 6 reps working up to failure. I never locked out the weight, kept constant tension, kinda like 3/4 reps. Last set was 6 x 170.
B. Dead Stop HS Seated Chest s/s with broomstick stretches
3 x 8 reps --heavy
Last set was RP style.
C.Machine Flyes s/s with broomstick stretches
3 x 15
Held contraction for a 1 sec pause on reach rep.
Decided to do some standing calf work in between sets.
Did fasted AM cardio so wrapped this session up in 35 minutes. Actually felt pretty good mentally and physically in the gym last night. I had been struggling at the beginning of the week from the leg DOMS and lack of carbs.
A. Reverse EZ Bar Curls w/ Fat Gripz (extra tough)
5 x 10 x 55lbs w/ 10 sec rest between sets
B. Rope Push Downs
5 x 12
Dropped weight 5lb for 4th & 5th sets
At this point your arms are literally FULL with blood.
C. HS Preacher Curl
2 x 12 x 80lbs
3rd set was a drop set. 6 x 80lbs, 3 x 70lbs, 10 x 45lbs
D. Machine Dips (except I used a seated leg press)
Pretty proud of myself for getting creative here.
Just place the pad as high as possible, semi squat in front of it (back to machine) and it works like a dip station.
60 reps x 300 (RP style - 2 minute total)
E. Incline DB Concentration Curls
8 x 30
8 x 25
F. L Extensions
3 x 12 x 20lbs/arm
**no rest, just kept switching between arm. Really focused on squeezing the tricep.
G. Seated DB Curls w/ 3 sec negative
2 x 8 x 35lbs
Done.
Did my cardio fasted this AM. Still feeling pretty good.
Decided to take some time off from squats and focus on some movements that will help my squat. Not necessarily a method I prescribe to (avoiding a movement to get better at it) but I’m going to give it a try.
A. Seated Leg Curls
5 x 10
B. Good Mornings
Warmed up to 3 working sets at 135
C. RDL’s
3 x 8 x 225
**Note to self. Pick one or the other and throw in DE squats. The volume of GM’s and RDL’s back to back was a bit much.
D. Leg Press
1st set - 15 reps w/ 3 sec negative - 5pps+35
2nd set (drop set) - 15 reps w/ 3 sec negative - 5pps
10 reps w/ 3 sec negative - 4pps
25 reps (foot position lower + toes pointed out)
E. Machine Leg Press
20 continuous reps
4 x 15 cont + 5 dead stop reps
**I REALLY love this stuff from Meadows. It’s amazing how much my legs just swell when I’m done the 2 press movements.
Legs are officially toast here.
F. Extensions
2 x 25 reps
Burnt toast.
Finished with some calf work (all standing). Forget about seated work when your quads are that pumped.
Got home and wife asked if I injured myself since I couldn’t walk normal.
I think the diet is catching up to my progress. Just didn’t have the strength tonight.
A. DB Lateral Superset (heavy partials followed by standing laterals)
4 sets of 6/6
B. Failure Set
3 sec pause shrugs (AMAP) followed by DB laterals (rest-pause until failure)
15 reps w/ 90lb DBs followed by 47 db laterals (RP style) with 20lb DB’s
C. Reverse Machine Fly superset with Band Pull Aparts
3 x 20/20
Shoulders were pretty pumped after that session.
Finished with a TRX Knee Tucks + Crunches superset
4 sets of 12/20
20 min MI cardio. Had an appt I had to get to so didn’t have time for the full 40 minute cardio session.
It’s been a rough couple weeks with everything really. Just getting to the gym and eating properly has been a massive success.
I like the shoulder assistance work, good ideas I may borrow that, I like doing chest supported DB rear raises for high rep work and then super set them with laterals at heavier weight, it seems to work well, the db shrugs and laterals are an awesome idea too.
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
I like the shoulder assistance work, good ideas I may borrow that, I like doing chest supported DB rear raises for high rep work and then super set them with laterals at heavier weight, it seems to work well, the db shrugs and laterals are an awesome idea too.[/quote]
I read something recently from Starnes where he suggests relaxing the traps so I focused on that for all laterals and then pre-exhausted them for the failure set.
Your shoulders will definitely be swole after those exercises.
Dialed volume up a bit tonight. Lots of energy from negative sources I want to deplete.
DL
5 x 285
3 x 320
4 x 360
**Vids attached
I could’ve pushed it to 5 or 6 reps but just stopped at 4.
A. Deadstop DB Row
4 x 8 x 100lbs
B. Stretchers
2 x 12
C. Heavy Partial WG Lat Pulldowns (Bar comes just below nose)
3 x 12/10/10
D1. HS Seated WG Row w/ 1 sec squeeze
3 x 12 x 90lbs/side
D2. Hypers
3 x 12 x 20lbs
D3. Band Pull Aparts
3 x AMAP
FInished with some Stairmill.
30min MI Cardio.
Weight is still around the same but I’m definitely leaning up. I’ll post a before/after pic at 6 weeks (in a couple of weeks). It certainly feels nice to be slowly losing weights (about 4lbs over 5 weeks) and to lean out immensely and maintain/gain strength.
Contents include:
Ab Wheel
Chuck’s
Elite FTS Bands (new-Mountain Dog pkg) --thanks for the suggestion giterdone
Fat Gripz
Biotest BCAA’s
Chalk
Ab Straps
Wrist Straps
Elbow sleeve
Wrist brace
Spare hat
Towel
2 iPod Shuffles
Current training notebook + previous training notebook
