Hello Magick how are you doing today
Iām doing fine! Just another day in the āofficeā! Thanks for asking.
Howāre you doing?
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Iāve been feeling like this latelyJust wait until youāre my age, bro! Haha.
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I feel the same way 95% of the time! Life is bland and routine for the vast majority of time, punctuated by days of joy or sadness. I think thatās what life is.
I think you have to try to find joys in the little things of life. Mine right now are my freshly brewed morning coffees and my meals. Theyāre simple and tasty.
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I feel like this is one of the biggest things people seem to miss. Depression is real, donāt get me wrong, but some people seem depressed because of this expectation that they should always feel happy, and that everyone around them is always happy, and because they donāt feel that way something is wrong.
Most of life is spent feeling pretty neutral. āContentā is a great state to be in. A life of perpetual happiness would be exhausting. Instead, savor joy when experienced, appreciate sorrow for the contrast it provides, and be content.
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Some hedonist you are man. /humor
You and @magick summed it up nicely. Without trying to come off as preachy, a mundane life is probably a pretty comfortable life, and itās sweet when you donāt have to struggle to live.
@tlgains Iām no pro when it comes to chins, but Iām guessing the behind the neck ones are tougher for you because they tend to be more strict and use less of the back musculature. Thatās at least how I feel them. I can bang out a set of 20 chins but maybe only like 10 or 11 behind the neck.
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You trained so hard on Super Squats you made yourself sick! Then jumped right into another ruthless program. Iād expect you to feel a little Blah after that.
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John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Two Day Three
Parallel Breathing Squat
145 lbs x 5
235 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 3
375 lbs x 5
395 lbs x 5
415 lbs x 1
Hack Squat Machine
4 plates and 10 lb plate x 12
4 plates and 10 lb plate x 12
4 plates and 10 lb plate x 12
4 plates and 10 lb plate x 12
Donkey Calf raises (plate on back)
25 lbs x 20
25 lbs x 20
25 lbs x 20
25 lbs x 20
25 lbs x 20
Calf raises (Barbell)
195 lbs x 20
195 lbs x 20
195 lbs x 20
195 lbs x 20
195 lbs x 20
Lying Leg Curl Machine
120 lbs x 10
120 lbs x 10
120 lbs x 10
120 lbs x 10
120 lbs x 10
Front Squat (SSB)
152 lbs x 8
152 lbs x 8
152 lbs x 8
152 lbs x 8
I can squat stupid deep with front squats now. I stopped trying to low bar squat it. I also decreased the weight which was most likely another issue as well. Thanks a ton @magick and @T3hPwnisher
As for todays breathing squats, my legs are fried from the past two sessions but, Iām sure Iāll get it on Monday. If I donāt get it on Monday then Iāll decrease the weight and increase food intake.
As Iām typing this I am very hungry
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John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Two Day Four
Hyper Extensions
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
Power Clean (Muscle Clean)
175 lbs x 3
175 lbs x 2
175 lbs x 2
175 lbs x 2
175 lbs x 2
Deadlift
255 lbs x 3
275 lbs x 3
295 lbs x 3
315 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 3
335 lbs x 3
355 lbs x 3
375 lbs x 3
395 lbs x 3
415 lbs x 2 (Darn so close)
Bent Over Rows
185 lbs x 12
185 lbs x 12
185 lbs x 12
185 lbs x 12
185 lbs x 12
Chins behind the neck
Bodyweight x 1
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 3
Bodyweight x 3
Dead Hang Chin Ups
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 3
Bench Press
200 lbs x 10
200 lbs x 10
200 lbs x 10
200 lbs x 10
200 lbs x 10
Great training day, finally figured out how to do btn chins, also great effort on deads. Muscle cleans were heavy.
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Getting real tired of dealing with morning rush hour traffic when I leave the gym. Always seems to be a stupid bus,van, or truck that blocks the roadā¦
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Tlgains new bulking plan
- Still staying on current program
- Ditching milk completely because itās carbs (correct me if Iām wrong)
- Adding 2 days of running as outlined in Keys to Progress (will be using treadmill)
- Will just be eating a lot of food, that requires some planning. With my current schedule I can only manage 5 meals a day so Iāll just have to add stuff to my meals. Lol 4 tbsp of peanut butter per meal sounds good to me maybe some snacks in between, I got almonds, peanuts, I can probably eat some block cheese for a snack too.
Why am I doing this? Cause this is how I keep my muscle and lose some fat according to the book. Not trying to any further into chunky mode, weāll save the milk drinking for when I run Super Squats again and that High protein high set program (not anytime soon).
You donāt need correction dude: you can read the nutritional label and figure it out. If in doubt, you can always fall back on the Deep Water food list, which is something I still do. We talked avocados a while back: might be something to look into to add to meals. A little goes a long way with those.
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Much heavy things moving off the ground here sir, still here enjoying your progress. Scrolling back to early and mid way through your log, the growth in numbers on your lifts is fantastic.
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John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Three Day One
Parallel Breathing Squat
145 lbs x 5
235 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 3
375 lbs x 5
395 lbs x 5
415 lbs x 5
415 lbs x 5
415 lbs x 5
Hack Squat Machine
4 plates and 15 lb x 12
4 plates and 15 lb x 12
4 plates and 15 lb x 12
4 plates and 15 lb x 12
Donkey Calf raises (plate on back)
35 lbs x 20
35 lbs x 20
35 lbs x 20
35 lbs x 20
35 lbs x 20
Calf raises (Barbell)
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
Lying Leg Curl Machine
130 lbs x 10
130 lbs x 10
130 lbs x 10
130 lbs x 10
130 lbs x 10
Front Squat (SSB)
162 lbs x 8
162 lbs x 8
162 lbs x 8
162 lbs x 8
@raven78 Thank you raven I just do what needs to be done in order to reach my goals. Thereās great work in your log as well.
Nothing much to be said, great start to the week and I will start running on the treadmill tomorrow and this Thursday. My stomach feels better cutting out milk.
8 Likes
John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Three Day 2
Power Clean (Muscle Clean)
175 lbs x 3
155 lbs x 5
155 lbs x 5
155 lbs x 5
155 lbs x 5
Deadlift
255 lbs x 3
275 lbs x 3
295 lbs x 3
315 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 3
335 lbs x 3
355 lbs x 3
375 lbs x 3
395 lbs x 1
Bent Over Rows
190 lbs x 12
190 lbs x 12
190 lbs x 12
190 lbs x 12
190 lbs x 12
Chins behind the neck
Bodyweight x 3
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Dead Hang Chin Ups
Bodyweight x 5
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bodyweight x 4
Bench Press
205 lbs x 10
205 lbs x 10
205 lbs x 10
205 lbs x 10
205 lbs x 10
Treadmill
20 Minutes
Jog - 5.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Walk - 2.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Jog - 5.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Walk - 2.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
On deadlifts I stopped at 395 lbs for one because I got some suspicious pain in my left lat.
Also I finally super-setted some lifts: btn chins with muscle cleans and chins with deads. Probably led to my lats being fried.
Lowered weight with power clean and will do the same with deads next time. The previous leg day usually puts some back day lifts in the back seat (no pun intended lol).
Glad I used the treadmill. I am supposed to work up to 5 of those jogging and running cycles. Iāll add a cycle each week until I get to 5. Once I do that I will increase the speed each week.
Lolololo I smell so musty after all of this 
8 Likes
John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Three Day 3
Parallel Breathing Squat
150 lbs x 5
240 lbs x 3
330 lbs x 3
380 lbs x 5
400 lbs x 5
420 lbs x 5
420 lbs x 5
420 lbs x 5
Hack Squat Machine
4 plates and 20 lb x 12
4 plates and 20 lb x 12
4 plates and 20 lb x 12
4 plates and 20 lb x 12
Donkey Calf raises (plate on back)
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
Calf raises (Barbell)
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
200 lbs x 20
Lying Leg Curl Machine
140 lbs x 10
140 lbs x 10
140 lbs x 10
140 lbs x 10
140 lbs x 10
Front Squat (SSB)
172 lbs x 8
172 lbs x 8
172 lbs x 8
172 lbs x 8
Proud of myself for pulling this off. Wasnāt expecting much from this session because 1. Last week the second day of squats crushed me 2. I didnāt get any sleep because I played catch up with my meals
I got up 3 times to pee as well. The first time I got up it was 12:23 am and I heard one of my suitemates screwing his girlfriend in the other room. Not sure why I typed this out in a training log but whatever. That had no effect on my sleep btw they werenāt too loud.
8 Likes
John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Three Day 4
Hyper Extension
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
45 lbs x 10
Power Clean (Muscle Clean)
160 lbs x 5
160 lbs x 5
160 lbs x 5
160 lbs x 5
160 lbs x 5
Deadlift
260 lbs x 3
280 lbs x 3
300 lbs x 3
320 lbs x 3
330 lbs x 3
340 lbs x 3
350 lbs x 3
360 lbs x 3
380 lbs x 3
390 lbs x 3
Bent over rows
195 lbs x 12
195 lbs x 12
195 lbs x 12
195 lbs x 12
195 lbs x 12
Bench
210 lbs x 10
210 lbs x 10
210 lbs x 10
210 lbs x 8
210 lbs x 7
Dead hang Chins
Bodyweight x 1 (Lol)
Bodyweight x 1
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 1
BTN Chins
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 2
Bodyweight x 1
Bodyweight x 1
Bodyweight x 1
Treadmill
18:19
Jog - 5.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Walk - 2.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Jog - 5.0 Speed - 1/4 mile
Walk - 3.5 Speed - 1/4 mile
Deadlifts are beltless because I wanted to.
Increased walking speed towards the end of the running to make it harder, will do the same next week.
Did btn chins and dead hang chins toward the end of the session. Super-setted both in between bench. Probably couldāve gotten more if I rested longer.
Great week of training. Will be harder next week, want to keep pushing everything.
12 Likes
John McCallum The Complete Keys to Progress
Leg and Back Specialization Bulk Program
Week Four Day 1
Parallel Breathing Squat
155 lbs x 5
245 lbs x 3
335 lbs x 3
385 lbs x 5
405 lbs x 5
425 lbs x 5
425 lbs x 5
425 lbs x 5
Hack Squat Machine
4 plates and 25 lb x 12
4 plates and 25 lb x 12
4 plates and 25 lb x 12
4 plates and 25 lb x 12
Donkey Calf raises (plate on back)
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
45 lbs x 20
Calf raises (Barbell)
205 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 20
205 lbs x 20
Lying Leg Curl Machine
150 lbs x 10
150 lbs x 10
150 lbs x 10
150 lbs x 10
150 lbs x 10
Front Squat (SSB)
177 lbs x 8
177 lbs x 8
177 lbs x 8
177 lbs x 8
Great training day, last set of squats were kinda sloppy but it doesnāt matter, still pushed through.
Something interesting happened AFTER I finished my breathing squats. Bar is still loaded with 425 lbs so Iām catching my breathe before putting all the plates away. Some rando walked down the small stair case into the powerlifting section, (where I train in the gym) weāll call this rando āPipsqueakā. So Iām walking around catching my breath and pipsqueak makes a comment, āDonāt hurt yourself lifting all that heavy weightā
I respond with āIām good.ā Then he asks āHave you been stretching?ā I respond with a gentle āNoā , and then pipsqueak says āI can tellā.
Not going to mention what squat weight he was struggling to squat for a few reps because that doesnāt matter. I can smell the insecurity from these kind of comments/questions, itās pathetic but, also very entertaining. Pipsqueak had no idea what I was even doing nor did he even get to see me squat the weight. Glad you could enjoy this little story that happened this morning.
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