A friend had suggested I put these two photos together and I didn’t realize how big of a difference it really was until I compared them side by side. That’s about 5 years apart, at the same bodyweight (235 vs 223). I’m realizing as I get older and older (Really not that old in the first place), that the years really do seem to be going by faster and faster each time. I’ll be 22 pretty soon and it feels like I just turned 21. I’ve already been training for a good 4 years at this point and it hasn’t felt like it haha.
9 Likes
I know all cable machines are different and all that but this just seems incredibly awesome. Well done here sir! No wonder you can bench big numbers.
1 Like
Haha I know im still young man, i’m aware of it xD
I guess what I was trying to imply was that I’m slowly, very slowly starting to realize what the older guys mean by they want more time, I guess. It’ll take me awhile to understand it fully.
I just say shit sometimes without thinking
1 Like
Its a double pulley so it distributes the weight, honestly it was heavy as shit i’m not going to lie lol
1 Like
holy crap… that is insane transformation!
2 Likes
04/18
Sumo Deadlift Deadstop
135x2
225x2
315x2
385x1
440x1
495x1
530x1
550x5
450x5
450x5
Barbell Row Slow Tempo
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5
Lat Pulldown Neutral Grip
170x15
190x12
210x10
Lat Pulldown Wide Grip
150x12
160x12
170x12
DB Row
90x12
90x12
90x12
Brutal workout, all really low rest periods. I got here at 3PM, finished at 4PM.
RIR for sumo was around 2-3. Much more intense this time. My back injury is pretty much healed so threw in my rows back into rotation.
5 Likes
04/19
Paused Close Grip Bench
135x3
135x3
175x3
175x3
225x2
225x2
260x2
285x2
315x4
325x2
325x2
Drop Down to Regular Grip Paused:
280x6
280x6
280x6
Incline BB Bench
135x4
175x4
205x4
225x4
245x4
245x4
Incline DB Flye
3x90x10
1x65x20 Burnout
Machine Flye
240x12
240x12
240x12
Armwrestling Training
Pulling off cables
120x12
120x12
120x12
Reverse Curl
3x6
Wrist Curl
3x6
RIR for close grip was about 2
5 Likes
Friend just got his arm wrestling table in today, so I’ll be going to practice at his house later, should be fun, good weather out today too which is awesome
4 Likes
04/20
Sumo Deadlift Deadstop
135x4
135x4
225x2
315x1
420x1
480x1
525x1
565x5
475x4
475x4
Beltless Raw Squat
410x5
410x5
410x5
Lying Leg Curl
100x12
120x12
140x12
Seated Leg Curl
80x20
80x20
80x20
Pete Rubish Hyperextensions
185x8
185x8
185x8
Cable Pullthroughs
110x20
110x20
I finally switched gyms. Got really tired of how crowded it was getting, obnoxious teenagers, everyone’s got a selfie/tripod stick and everyone is flexing shirtless in the mirrors. I tolerated it for awhile but its getting unbearable with how just how many people are trying to be tiktok famous here and recording constantly, its one of my biggest pet peeves. I’ll watch these guys and gals spend more time setting up their angles and tripods than actually lift, it is INSANE. It was nice to have some peace and quiet for once here…
Sorry for the rant. Anyways. RIR for sumo was 2. Squats felt very easy, very quick.
This gym actually has a back raise so I can finally do my hyperextensions again, I kept it moderate since I haven’t done them in about half a year.
7 Likes
Also an interesting nutrition note. I’ve been following stan efferdings vertical diet for the last 8 weeks and I’ve been feeling great, strength was decent, physique looks good.
Last night, I caved in and ate an entire box of dominos pizza, burgers, and Indian curry the entire day, and I came in stronger than ever today, I did nothing else different before coming in today.
I’m not discrediting his diet at all by the way. It’s good. Just something I found interesting, and the way my body responds to different foods. I’ll probably do this occasionally, before a deadlift or squat day. Seems to work.
9 Likes
Week 4 Training Recap:
Good progress all across the board. Loads are starting to get heavy, recovery starting to be a bit of an issue with 6x/wk training. I feel I have about 2 weeks left of enough “runway” to get away and take advantage of this extremely high frequency of training before I’ll need to start dipping down the training days. This has probably been the best training cycle thus far, despite not hitting PRs yet, but just the overall technique, efficiency, and how in the groove I’ve been with my reps.
The extremely high, back to back frequency has been getting me very comfortable with heavier loads. Confidence is at a all time high. I used to have a lot of chatter and anxiety in my head before topsets, but the addition of higher frequency training has slowly been eliminating that over the weeks, I don’t lift with nearly as much aggression and craziness anymore because I feel it wastes too much energy and leaves me even more fatigued after the workout is over. It’s been forcing me to adopt a much calmer, level mindset.
Following that, I think it’s also helping with my conditioning, which I think is the biggest PR for me currently. Its improved dramatically since my last training blocks. My rest periods have gone from 8-10 minutes, down to 3-4 minutes on average for major compounds, and usually 1-2 minutes for accessory work. I no longer do 3 hour marathon workouts like I used too and rest 10 minutes between sets. My average gym time seems to be around 1 hour and 10 minutes before I am in and out.
I am finding my bench is also making good strides in training, with my close grip quickly catching up to my regular grip (pinkie on ring). I am finding benching the day after a deadlift or squat day almost feels as if I “pre-exhausted” myself before coming in. It is significantly harder these days (Weds/Fri), not as much drive, explosiveness or tightness, but I can still get very good volume in and grind out the reps I need, but when I come back on Monday after my rest day on sunday, I’ve notice that my bench feels explosive, and stupendously strong. Noticeably more so than when I used to bench 2x/wk and took rest days after a squat or deadlift day. I really like this style of bench training and I feel it’s unconventional but its been working for me.
My calories have stayed the same at 3850. This has been maintaining my weight for the last 4 weeks @ 225. I have not gone up or down this average, and I am recovering very well. Doesn’t seem to be affecting my strength much.
10 Likes
Fixed it
1 Like
04/22
Close Grip Bench
135x5
185x3
225x3
240x2
270x2
300x2
325x4 RIR 2
335x2
335x2
Seated OHP (shorter and shorter rest periods each set)
215x5
225x4
225x3
225x2
Incline DB Flye
3x95x10
DB Shoulder Press
3x70x12
Seated Lateral Raise / Machine Flye Superset
3x20 each, focus on pump and tempo
Brutal workout, was dying out near the end. RIR @ 325 on my bench, was around 2.
4 Likes
04/23
Beltless Raw Squat
135x4
135x4
225x2
225x2
315x2
370x2
420x2
470x1
500x1
525x5 rir 1
1.5" Deficit Conventional Deadlift
315x4
405x4
465x4
510x8 RIR 4
Barbell Row
315x5
345x5
345x5
345x5
Lat Pulldown with Neutral Grip
180x12
210x12
240x10
160x20
Lat Pulldown with Wide Grip
3x180x10
1x130x20
DB Row
70x20
70x20
70x20
Squats felt hard, one of those days I guess. Met some great people today at the new gym, it’s already better than the last one I’ve been going too. Sense of community/brotherhood here and I love it.
Being able to just vibe, talk about anything, and shoot the shit occasionally is something I’ve missed haha
5 Likes
04/24
Close Grip Bench
135x5
175x2
175x2
225x2
250x1
270x1
300x1
315x6
335x3 RIR 1
335x3
340x3
Seated OHP
190x8
190x8
DB French Press
40x12
45x10
50x8
20xFailure
Rear Delt DB Flye
30x20
30x20
30x20
Tricep Straight Bar Pushdown (slow tempo)
100x15
100x15
100x15
Standing Face Pull
Full Stack 2x25
Good, hard session. Triples on my bench will(should) set me up for Fridays sets of 4s and 2s.
The last few days, I’ve been training with someone around my age who comes in at the same time, trains powerlifting, and is pretty advanced. I’m thinking I’ve finally found another training partner haha. We get along great.
9 Likes
I just did my first few hits of CBD Flower about half an hour ago. Coming from mainly high THC Products, I can thoroughly say I am dropping all THC Containing Flower and going with Purely CBD containing products.
It feels amazing. Yet I don’t feel high. I hated having the munchies, being paranoid if I smoked too much, and generally having the stoner head fog. I feel calm, relaxed, and a bit numb. I’m still completely lucid and alert, with no feeling of wanting to munch, and I can think clearly still, it doesn’t feel like I am high.
I wanted to try it for my Aches and Pains I get from lifting a lot, especially for my knee injury which flares up, like today. And for the anti inflammatory and sleep properties. It definently is already doing it’s job. I don’t like the psychoactive effects from THC, I hate it… this is definently worth the little higher price tag.
4 Likes
04/25
Conventional Deadlift Touch and Go
135x4
135x4
225x2
315x1
405x1
500x1
585x5 RIR 1
500x4
500x4
Lying Leg Curl
120x12
120x12
130x12
140x10
Leg Extension
100x20
100x20
100x20
Glute Machine Press
100x15
100x15
100x15
Pete Rubish Hyperextensions
225x8
225x8
225x8
All accessories focused on tempo and mind muscle connection. Legs and hammies are starting to feel smoked from this volume so I’ll be starting to rotate things in and out next week.
I had like 3 people ask me what I was doing when I set up my rubish hyperextensions. I was glad to explain to them the benefits of it and they watched me through my sets.
Good session today. Misgrooved on my deadlifts and pulled me out of my hinge, really fucked up my last rep. It’s also been about 4 months since I’ve hit 550+ in my regular conventional stance minus a deficit, so felt a little awkward obviously. Stayed light with hyperextensions as I build up volume throughout the weeks.
7 Likes
04/26
Close Grip Bench
135x4
135x4
225x2
225x2
255x2
255x2
280x1
305x1
330x4 RIR 1
335x3
335x4 RIR 1
340x4
345x1 (tried to hit 2x2 but I just could not after all those sets, stopped here)
Seated OHP
135x4
185x4
205x4
225x4
225x4
230x3
230x3
Drop Down to Close Grip Grip Shoulder Press (slow tempo)
135x10
135x10
135x10
DB Incline Flye
100x10
2x60x20
Rear Delt DB Flye
35x20
35x20
35x20
Plate Loaded Incline Press
1 plate and a quarter
3 sets of 20
Great session, everything went the way I wanted it to, hit the numbers i needed. Loving this gym so much, met even more regulars today, lots of laughing and banter haha. I didn’t know this gym had a service dog but I saw her today as well, great bench motivation.
My new Larry Wheel Elbow Wraps are coming so I’ll be starting wrapped bench training sometime next week. I bought a pair a long time ago, and I ended up tearing off the Velcro because I pulled on the actual fabric too hard. Not making that mistake again.
I really like the closer grip on the OHP. Feels a lot like a Vertical JM Press with the way I need to press. I originally did it so I could hit the same muscle groups as my closer grip setup, and I could see this being a really valuable accessory. I’ll be adding these into the rotation moving forward.
6 Likes
