164.2 this morning. Weight is definitely going up which is what we want.
Training has been going ok however I’m not liking the 3 on 1 off. My muscles feel recovered by the time I go back in the gym however my joints seem to be taking a hit, I feel much tighter. Having more frequent rest days allows me to focus on my mobility, stretching, resting. I’m not liking this approach too much. Will look to make a change in the coming days. + I’ve noticed that I’m slightly less eager to train. Working a full time job too, I really do value my rest days to relax and not be so rushed all the time.
Tried splitting macros across 4 meals this week but didn’t like the size of those meals, not ideal for digestion so back to my trusted 5.
Next push session will try to put pressing first again, isolations later. Will thoroughly warm up to get everything firing before pressing.
Been watching a lot of matt jansen training: text book form and very big on the basics. Been emulating his tempo on back movement: controlled eccentric, hang at the bottom, assertive concentric without spending significant time in the contraction. I highly recommend.
I’ve also unfollowed many people on instagram, any one who’s a copy cat, unoriginal and doesn’t inspire is out. I think this is important because so often we replicate what we see whether in life or in the gym.
For training clips I recommend Dan Bastick, Nick Walker, Jansen, Jewett, JP, AJ and Kuba for the intensity he brings. + Hollingshead in off season mode. Miss the days of JP throwing up 90 kilos dumbbells.
Legs today after work + cinema hobbs and shaw. Lovely
Like
louisschuler1
Aug 01, 2019
1/08/2019
163 this morning.
Training rotation complete, a very successful one.
Pull: started with prone dumbbell row, went on to snatch RDL, then assisted chin, T bar row, shrug, rear delts and biceps. Very clean and accurate session.
Push: started with rear delts, then cuff laterals, moved to high incline DB pressing, low incline dumbbell pressing, low inc cable fly, DB laterals, DB front raises and triceps. Lots of isolation stuff, lighter pressing focusing on pausing at the bottom, slowing down the eccentrics, keeping shoulders happy. Again, very clean session.
Legs: started with seated ham curls tidying up the form, less aggression, more breathing, then seated calf raise, leg extensions for 2 hard sets, hack squats for 2 hard sets (the most important ones), then a banded leg press with a closer stance (1 top set, 1 20 rep back off + drop set), smith split squat and adductors. Very hard session, had me going to the toilets feeling like vomiting after my hard sets. Not a clean session by any means but a fucking epic one.
This coming rest day is greatly needed. 35 minutes of cardio and abs on the cards + posing. Day off work too so full rest.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 28, 2019
Done with the last 3 training sessions. First time doing 3 sessions in a row in a while! Very much looking forward to tomorrows rest (cardio + abs + calves).
Pull I was happy with. Overall good session.
Push very happy with, a little different to what I'm used to but very good. Session went like this:
1) Rear delt cable fly 3 x 12-15
2) Cable lateral raise 3 x 12-15
3) Low incline cuff fly 3 x 12-15
4) Low incline dumbbell press (pause, slow eccentric, reps left in the tank) 3 sets
5) Machine shoulder press 2 sets
6) Machine lateral raise 2 x 12-15
7) Incline cuff fly triple drop set
8) Tricep pushdown 4 sets
Isolation before pressing. Shoulders are a weak point so having perfect isolation work first makes sense + warms up the shoulders nicely for pressing. Session was pain free, pump was very good.
Legs today very good even though felt like shit throughout the whole session. Very sluggish. Trained in the evening which was a big mistake. Felt sluggish, slow, tired. I much prefer training in the morning or early afternoon with less food in me.
Ended the week very slightly down in bodyweight so took the liberty of increasing my carbs by 25 on legs/pull and on rest days.
Can't wait for the next training rotation.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 25, 2019
25/07/2019
162.6 this morning. Most recent training session has been legs and it was a very good one with progression across the board whether it's through reps, weight or form.
Weight average is slightly down from last week at the moment. Will make adjustments on Saturday with diet if need be.
Tomorrow we have pull, my fav session and fav rotation. Will be resetting my RDL weight because I'm just not happy with the form and my ability to stay tight. Dropping the ego completely, going for perfect form with weight I can handle. Looking to increase by 2,5 kilos every week. Doesn't sound like a lot but over 6 months that's big progression.
Fasted pic from this morning. Happy with the condition I'm still holding on this amount of food. Looking forward to seeing if I can hold on to this look at 170.
I try to make sure that after every session, I've created as much growth as possible and deserve the food intake I have.
Leg training is going fantastic. Been sticking to the exact same rotations since March (start of the deficit). Same moves, same order etc. Are there times when I want to try a new exercise? Yes but progression is still there and my accuracy on all those moves is getting better by the week.
Back training is going very well apart from the RDLs that I struggle with. The rest is very good, I stick to the basics since I don't have access to any crazy back machines. Something that I've been doing lately is not focusing on the contraction too much, not spending too much time there and sacrificing load. I control the eccentric, let it hang for a second and drive up.
Chest/Shoulder training isn't the best with my shoulder but I am excited to get good at the isolation stuff. Also reminding myself that stepping back on the heavy pressing now will pay off in a few months.
Performance goals in the gym have been set, written down. All I have to do now is push my bodyweight up and make sure I train as hard as I can.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 21, 2019
21/07/2019
Ended the week averaging just over 162, just slightly down from last week. Expenditure has been higher, so has effort/intensity.
Pull/Legs 225P 500C 60F
Push 225P 450C 60F
NTD 225P 250C 90F
25 carb increase on pull and legs, no changes to other days.
Training is changed to 3 on 1 off, previously being 2 on 1 off 1 on 1 off. We shall see how recovery goes with the higher frequency. If I struggle to recover, volume will be adjusted.
Leg training has been excellent. Pull training has been good except for RDLs where I need to fully reset the move. Will massively drop the ego. Push training has drastically changed, no longer going for single digit sets, placing isos before presses, slowing down the tempo and adding a few intensity methods. Shoulders need a break from heavy pressing (heavy for me).
Back and shoulders are the main areas I’m focusing on. Strict(ish) rows and hip hinges are a big priority for back and getting very accurate with lateral raise variations, rear delt exercises is the priority for shoulders, as well as pressing.
Rest day today consisting of 35 minutes of cardio, abs (leg raises and planks) and some stretching.
Tomorrow we have pull and calves on the menu.
Hope everyone has a nice day
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 16, 2019
16/07/2019
163.4 after PUSH yesterday. Very common for my weight to go up after that session as it does not require the amount of carbs I eat on that day.
My shoulder is telling me to fuck off at the moment so I need to do something different: higher rep work, accumulating more volume with sub maximal loads, avoiding failure, avoiding anything that hurts, getting the biggest pump possible, slow eccentrics, pauses in the stretch... I've had this shoulder problem for a long time now, it's time I change things up.
LEGS on Sunday was my first session back after 3 days off, incredible session. Pushed myself very hard and made progressions across the board.
1) Seated ham curl
2) Leg extension
3) Hack squat
4) Banded leg press (focus on quads)
5) Bulgarian SS
DC quad stretch
6) Adductor
Rest day today. Big PULL session tomorrow, very much looking forward to it, it's my favourite session of the week.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 12, 2019
12/07/2019
162.4
Weight has been around the 162 mark for the past few days.
TRAINING:
I've been forced to take a few days off due to being in a different location, and the gym in this location is closed down for a few weeks which is very frustrating. I feel like this week has been a complete waste of a week. Thursday off, today off, tomorrow off, back on Sunday in my normal gym/regular routine.
NUTRITION:
Macros still 225P 475C 60F on TD and 225P 250C 90F on NTD. These macros are slowly increasing my BW. As long as I train very hard and keep pushing my NTD cardio, these macros shouldn't make me gain too fast.
INJURIES:
Whole right side has been locked up: neck, trap, upper back, shoulder. Booked in on Monday to see an osteopath to fix me up. Been stretching out my right shoulder (the one that has been niggling for the past months), making sure it stays nice and loose.
I look forward to reporting a much better week next week. Not training for 3 days makes me feel like a fat blob.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 03, 2019
3/07/2019
Writing this absolutely battered from todays session.
162.2 weight increase which is pretty standard for me after PUSH day. My PUSH session are obviously the least taxing and the sessions I least look forward to.
LEGS today, very good session. Going into the session I was not up to it at all. I'm a social worker and work alongside unaccompanied minors ("child" with no legal guardian). The work I do can be very stressful when a few bad apples are present amongst the 50 boys I work with. Work was very stressful this morning and all I wanted was to go home and wind down. Came home, had a 20 minute rest and went off to the gym. Warmed up and hit the seated ham curl. Aggression was very high, probably from evacuating all the stress.
Session went like this:
1) Seated ham curl 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
2) Leg extension 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
3) Hack squat 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
4) Single leg press muscle round
5) Bulgarian split squat 2 x 8-10 + drop
DC quad stretch
6) Adductor 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
Beat all previous numbers a part from the single leg press where I actually reset my numbers. Weight was getting too heavy for me and I was cutting the range short. Will rebuild from there. By the time I got to the bulgarian SS I couldn't feel my quads at all, no pump. My quads were dead.
Rest day tomorrow consisting of fasted cardio, abs, haircut, quick meeting at work, cinema and relaxing. + visualising fridays PULL session where I will look to bring the intensity I bring to LEGS.
I predict a slight drop in weight tomorrow. I can feel it after a big leg session.
Like
louisschuler1
Jul 02, 2019
2/07/2019
160.8
Still sitting at the same(ish) bodyweight. I personally would like to see a bit more of an increase, as performance in the gym on some movements is stalling and has been for the last 8 weeks or so. A few options when this issue occurs: rotating the movement, increasing food which will lead to an increase in bodyweight, assessing recovery.
Movements that are stalling:
RDL
Low incline DB press
RDL: I struggle to maintain tightness in the upper back region. To address this, I will be performing this exercise 2nd (instead of 3rd, placed after a vertical pull and a horizontal pull). My upper back should be fresher and my ability to stay tight higher. + increase in BW should see this movement progress. 160x5 is the goal in the coming months.
Low incline DB press: One of the only chest compounds that doesn't cause pain for my shoulder. Rotating out is not an option. Technique here is solid and accurate. The only thing I can see that's limiting me here is my bodyweight. At 174.2 I managed to get 42x8. My latest is 40x8 at 160.4. I'm willing to bet that by the time I'm 174.2 again, I will be pressing the 50s. Bodyweight needs to go up to see this increase.
Nutrition:
Really enjoying my food lately. Still keeping things very simple. Here are some of my main food sources:
Fats: almond butter mainly, olive oil/coconut oil, dark choc, fats from salmon/eggs
I've been splitting my carb meals on training days as I train at 3PM. Was restricting carbs to pre, post and post post which left a large amount of carbs to consume after 6PM. Now splitting my carbs across 4 meals, all but meal 1. Much prefer it this way.
Meal 1: 0 carb
Meal 2: 50 carb
Meal 3: 90 carb
Intra: 35/45 carb
Meal 4: 165 carb
Meal 5: 125 carb
LEGS tomorrow, hack squat session, hardest session of the week. Ready to push myself more than ever. Will update with the session
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 27, 2019
27/06/2019
161 this morning. The increase in weight is definitely paying off, performance in the gym is booming!
Overall incredible workout, pushed those 4 sets very hard. Goal is to get the 132,5kg PS x20.
PUSH today:
Main move 1: high incline dumbbell press 30kg x11, 34kg x6
As discussed in a previous post, I now do a 10-12 set first and depending on how that set feels (on my shoulder), I increase or decrease the load. Today felt very good so increased to 34kg x6. Doing the "top set" second makes it a lot safer.
Those 4 sets are very accurate and controlled, no stretch reflex, very slight pause at the bottom of each rep.
3 days of rest upcoming. I count this as a mini deload. I feel this is needed as I've been pushing pretty hard and as food goes in, my ability to train hard is increasing as well. 3 days of relaxing, being active (walks, swimming in the sea) but no cardio/gym for 3 days. I already can't wait for Mondays PULL session.
Will take some pics Sat morning and might upload a few.
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 25, 2019
24/06/2019
161 (6 am weigh in)
I'm back in the 160s after the food increase. I feel like this will drive performance up. I foresee me being as strong as I have ever been at 165. At least that's the goal.
PULL, epic session
1) Neutral chins
2) Machine row
3) Barbell RDL
4) Wide pulldown
5) Pronated T bar row
6) Revere fly
7) Dumbbell curl
8) Rope hammer curl
9) Toe press (squat press)
Progressed everything other than my RDL top set. Upper back tightness broke down. Next session will RDL second exercise in and move the row in third to see how that affects my RDL performance.
The pump was huge from the session. Focused on moving the weight in a controlled manor without over emphasising contractions. Eccentric control on RDLs was almost too controlled in the top set, impacting the number of reps. Maybe something to think about. When performing the movement, the eccentric speed seems normal but on video it's overly slow.
SLEEP
Sleep hasn't been ideal. I haven't been getting as much as I want to. In a growing phase, sleep seems to be extremely important from what I've read so will monitor and make sure I get in a good 8 hours.
DELOAD/REST
I will be taking 3 days off this upcoming friday/saturday/sunday. Still loving training but motivation pre training is down a little bit and my joints could use a small break. 2 more session to absolutely destroy myself then we rest for 3 days then straight back to it.
Rest today, 35 minutes CV and a meal off plan tonight with the family. Nothing crazy though.
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 23, 2019
Ended the week averaging at 159 pounds, a very slight drop from last week.
Because of this, food has been increased.
TD 225P 475C 60F (50C and 10F increase)
NTD 225P 250C 90F (no changes here)
CV is down to 35 minutes on NTD (10 minutes less)
Bodyweight does need to come up in order to see performance in the gym increase.
21/06 LEGS
very good session, moved leg extensions up in the session, starting the session with 2 sets of ham curl and 2 sets of leg extension. Moved on to hacks, single leg press, bulgarian SS, extreme quad stretch and adductors to finish off.
During this whole session I think about how I want my legs to look. I’m learning to push harder every session.
22/06 PUSH
good session overall, took progressions throughout. Will make slight changes because I don’t like how some things are feeling.
On exercise 1 (low incline DB press), instead of doing the traditional 6-9 then 12-15, will aim for a first set of 10-12 and depending how that set feels, will go heavier in the 6-9 range or back off in weight and go to 12+. I don’t like going straight into a heavy set with my shoulders. The movement always feels better on the back off. Will also take this approach for the second push session on movement 1.
Rest day today. Still feeling battered from legs even though volume is low for that session (11 sets). By tomorrow I should be ready to go for RDLs. Excited because removed barbell rows from the session in favour of a machine row. I didn’t like the lower back fatigue going into the RDLs.
Been working for the last 3 days at 7AM, again tomorrow. I get to sleep by 10:30 and wake up a bit before 6. Will get to bed by 10 tonight to get in close to 8 hours.
Rest day meals:
Meal 1 50P 30F omelette with chicken breast, courgette, onion and peppers
Good session. First time doing snatch RDLs, these are my main focus of the session. I enjoyed them a lot and was able to stay pretty tight. Will slowly work up in weight making sure my form is on point, staying tight throughout the set. I most likely won't be running the traditional top set back off set method on these for now. I want to get the movement locked in before attempting heavy stuff (for me). Will be aiming for a comfortable set of 8 and a set of 12. Once I have mastered those with a weight, 5 kilo increases. Goal in the next 6 months is 160kg for the set of 8 and 140 for the set of 12.
Appetite is very high still. Been playing around with smaller protein servings throughout the day to keep digestion fast prior to my training. Also I've been consuming more whey isolate than I'd usually do. Feels very digestible and nice.
Vacuums daily are already making a difference to my waist. I feel much tighter in that area.
This coming off season I want to focus on my back primarily, my calves and my abs.
For back I simply need to perform the basics perfectly and get strong at them. Calves train them 3x a week, different variations: seated, standing, toe press and make them hurt. Abs train them religiously on rest days (something I have not been doing in the past, ever).
Another rest day tomorrow.
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 18, 2019
Update! It has been a while.
Still weighing in around 158. Weight is simply not moving. My guess is another food increase will be implemented end of the week.
Training has been good overall, managing to eke out progressions here and there. However bodyweight is not moving so I'm still limited.
Rest day today:
Upon wake 500mL of water shugged down
5 rounds of vacuums holding for as long as I can each around (15 seconds or so)
On NTDs I like to have only 4 meals just for practicality. Protein is high in last meal because I have a lot of oats so I want a lot of whey for that flavour! Enjoy my rest day meals a lot.
Tomorrow we have PULL on the cards with snatch grip RDLs which I'll be doing for the first time instead of deadlifts. My form on deadlifts is not the best, they have been giving me a ton of lower back fatigue so switching to RDL snatch grip. + tomorrow is a day off from work which is perfect! Nothing like having a day off, a big session and big eating! The dream
Report tomorrow
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 09, 2019
9/06/2019
157.6 this morning. Changes have been made as of today with a 50 carb increase on training days and 25 carb and 10 fat increase on non training days.
TD macros 225P 425C 50F
NTD macros 225P 250C 90F
I'm loving the look of that as appetite is very high, the more the food, the better!
As you've seen carbs are placed around my workout. Sometimes I train after meal 1 which puts my carb meals at meal 1, 2 (post) and 3 (post post). This leaves my last two meals of the day to be protein/fat meals (40P 15F both meals). Those small meals leave me feeling very hungry in the later part of the day which mentally I don't enjoy. I enjoy my carbs at night. With more carbs to play with now, my meals surrounding my workout will contain carbs but I will be saving 70 grams of carbs for my pre bed meal.
This is what a day where I train after meal 1 would look like:
Meal 1 (pre) 40P 80C 10F
Meal 2 (post) 40P 140C
Meal 3 40P 90C 10F
Meal 4 40P 20F
Meal 5 40P 70C 10F
PULL was good, happy with the session although some things need tweaking in my opinion. Will discuss this further next week.
45 minutes of cardio done fasted this morning. Making sure I eat up and recover for tomorrows session. LEGS on the cards, I can't wait to smash it and finish at the bottom of the hack squat, that's the goal.
I'll report on Wednesday!
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 06, 2019
5/06/2019
-Woke up at 6:30, got some water down then shower.
-7AM meal 1 (40P 90C 10F), making sure I take the time to eat it, chewing religiously to improve digestion.
-9:15AM (2 hours after meal 1 completion) training session:
3) High/Wide banded leg press 5PPS (+ green band) x8, 3PPS (+green band) x134) Wide lunge
5) Hip extension
6) Hyperextension
7) Adductor
-11:45AM post workout meal (40P 140C)
-1:30PM meal 3 (40P 100C 10F)
-4:30PM meal 4 (40P 15F)
-7:30PM meal 5 (40P 15F)
6/06/2019
Big drop in weight after a very demanding leg day yesterday: 157.6
PUSH today, good session, progression overall but nothing to get crazy about.
Really looking forward to Saturdays PULL session.
Appetite is very high and I'm happy with the way I'm looking. I really think I can change my body in the next 3/4/5 months. Very motivated to continue on this path, not for instagram, not for anyone else, but for the pure passion of the discipline and consistency this passion takes.
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 03, 2019
158 on the dot this morning, weight still not going anywhere.
Feeling better, looking better but performance is still held back due to bodyweight in my opinion.
PULL today was very good, new session and a few new movements. In 2/3 weeks time it should get more interesting as movements will be more engrained.
1) Neutral chins 3 sets
2) Barbell row 2 sets
3) Barbell RDL 2 sets
4) Pronated pulldown 3 sets
5) Pronated T bar row 3 sets
DC lat stretch
6) Reverse fly / Rear delt row 3 sets
7) Dumbbell curl 3 sets
8) Rope hammer curl 3 sets
Barbell RDLs are usually done with a fresh lower back. After barbell rows, my lower back felt a bit tight and made the RDLs more difficult. Need to stay on top of my lower back, keeping it loose, stretching it, mobilising it. Rest of the session was very good, numbers are set. Can't wait to see what I can do a couple of months into this surplus.
Much needed rest day tomorrow. Legs on Wednesday morning.
Been playing around with my food sources and paying close attention to digestion, especially post training. My post workout meal (40P 140C) is often eaten at around 5:30PM, with another meal consisting of 40P 100C 10F having to go down at around 8/8:30PM. I don't like eating late/close to bed time so it's pivotal that I eat something very easily digested post workout in order to be ready to eat 2 and a half hours later.
Post workout meal consists of a plain bagel, rice krispies + almond milk and whey isolate (swapped instead of chicken breast).
Like
louisschuler1
Jun 01, 2019
25 carb increase on training days and rest days as my weekly average is only up 0.2 pounds.
New macros:
TD: 225P 375C 50F
NTD: 225P 225C 80F
Excellent PUSH session today, all movements were perfect! Execution across the board is on point.
1) Low incline dumbbell press 40kg x7, 32kg x11
2) High incline dumbbell press 28kg x6, 22kg x10
3) Cuff incline fly 3 x 12-15
DC chest stretch
4) Cable lateral raise 2 x 12-15, 2 x 15-20
DC shoulder stretch
5) Straight bar pushdown 2 x 12-15
6) Dumbbell cross body extension 2 x 8-10
7) Dumbbell kickback 2 x 12-15
Very good session. Was debating adding an extra set on the low incline dumbbell press prior to the session for more direct chest volume. Glad I didn't, after 2 all out sets on the low incline, my high incline sets were very weak. A 3rd set would have berried me. The rest was very very good.
Much needed rest tomorrow as lower back/glutes are still fatigued from the previous sessions. It's all about preparing for my PULL session on Monday which is basically all big compounds.
Like
louisschuler1
May 31, 2019
So I did do LEGS yesterday. My lower back was very fatigued from the previous day, as well as systemically, I was definitely feeling those 2 sets of deadlifts the day prior. I went into the session not fired up, not wanting to train. I walked for 5 minutes on a treadmill, got my mind right and went in. Very good session overall.
Seated ham curl
Hack squat
Single leg press
Bulgarian split squat
Leg extension
Adductor
Progressed or matched on all movements. Pushed myself very hard and agression was very high. Lately during my workouts I've really been getting pissed/angry in a positive way. The motivation of knowing I'm training to now grow is fueling me.
Intra shake: 45 grams HBCD + 25 grams Yamamoto HydroRAZAN
The larger intra shake (up 15 grams HBCD) is keeping my energy up during the whole session. It has really made a difference to my sessions.
Weighed in this morning at 157.4, practically a low weigh in. I have no doubt food will increase following Saturdays check in. Reason for the weight going down even with the 150 carb increase is most likely my metabolism starting to ramp back up, mood + stress wearing off due to the increased food and I also attribute this to being able to train harder and more energy overall = more expenditure.
This is pretty much what I eat on all training days. Order may change depending on when I train. Only rule is I like to have a good 1:45/2 hours between my pre meal and my workout.
PUSH tomorrow which I'm very excited for! Won't be uploading anymore pictures just because I don't want to saturate the log with pictures that basically all look the same!
Will update this weekend and report on any changes
Like
louisschuler1
May 29, 2019
157.8 this morning despite the increase in food since Sunday. Weigh is not moving, it has been around 158 for the last 11/12 days. An increase in food again may be on the cards next week.
I'm definitely feeling the effects of more food in the gym. The larger intra is keeping me sustained throughout the workout, I'm feeling stronger and the pumps are better. Mood is on the up as well thanks to the higher food.
PULL today was very very good. A few new movements so again this was about setting numbers which I aim to smash in the coming weeks/months.
1) Assisted chins (D handle) 9kg x12, 10
2) One arm dumbbell row 40kg x8, 36kg x11, 8
Keeping my hips square, not allowing any momentum.
3) Deadlift 140kg x5, 110kg x9
First time believe it or not doing deadlifts touch and go. Not used to it but as I get familiar with the feel, I sense these will increase rapidly. Maintaining tightness throughout the whole set is tough!
Shoulder width pronated grip focusing on rowing high with the intended muscles. These are incredible.
6) Dumbbell shrug 34kg x10 RP 4 RP 3 RP 3
7) Dumbbell preacher curl 10kg x11, 8, 7
8) Incline dumbbell curl 7kg x11, 10
9) Standing calf raise 58,5kg x12, 11, 8
Very very good session. Very happy with the exercise selection and lots of room to progress.
A few shots post workout:
The goal is to get more thickness and I believe my exercise selection (and progression) over both PULL rotations will get me there.
Tomorrow should be a rest day but I have a very busy day Friday with work so might train LEGS tomorrow and rest Friday instead. The deadlifts from today shouldn't impact legs tomorrow since the session emphasises quads.
9/08/2019
164.2 this morning. Weight is definitely going up which is what we want.
Training has been going ok however I’m not liking the 3 on 1 off. My muscles feel recovered by the time I go back in the gym however my joints seem to be taking a hit, I feel much tighter. Having more frequent rest days allows me to focus on my mobility, stretching, resting. I’m not liking this approach too much. Will look to make a change in the coming days. + I’ve noticed that I’m slightly less eager to train. Working a full time job too, I really do value my rest days to relax and not be so rushed all the time.
Tried splitting macros across 4 meals this week but didn’t like the size of those meals, not ideal for digestion so back to my trusted 5.
Next push session will try to put pressing first again, isolations later. Will thoroughly warm up to get everything firing before pressing.
Been watching a lot of matt jansen training: text book form and very big on the basics. Been emulating his tempo on back movement: controlled eccentric, hang at the bottom, assertive concentric without spending significant time in the contraction. I highly recommend.
I’ve also unfollowed many people on instagram, any one who’s a copy cat, unoriginal and doesn’t inspire is out. I think this is important because so often we replicate what we see whether in life or in the gym.
For training clips I recommend Dan Bastick, Nick Walker, Jansen, Jewett, JP, AJ and Kuba for the intensity he brings. + Hollingshead in off season mode. Miss the days of JP throwing up 90 kilos dumbbells.
Legs today after work + cinema hobbs and shaw. Lovely
1/08/2019
163 this morning.
Training rotation complete, a very successful one.
Pull: started with prone dumbbell row, went on to snatch RDL, then assisted chin, T bar row, shrug, rear delts and biceps. Very clean and accurate session.
Push: started with rear delts, then cuff laterals, moved to high incline DB pressing, low incline dumbbell pressing, low inc cable fly, DB laterals, DB front raises and triceps. Lots of isolation stuff, lighter pressing focusing on pausing at the bottom, slowing down the eccentrics, keeping shoulders happy. Again, very clean session.
Legs: started with seated ham curls tidying up the form, less aggression, more breathing, then seated calf raise, leg extensions for 2 hard sets, hack squats for 2 hard sets (the most important ones), then a banded leg press with a closer stance (1 top set, 1 20 rep back off + drop set), smith split squat and adductors. Very hard session, had me going to the toilets feeling like vomiting after my hard sets. Not a clean session by any means but a fucking epic one.
This coming rest day is greatly needed. 35 minutes of cardio and abs on the cards + posing. Day off work too so full rest.
Done with the last 3 training sessions. First time doing 3 sessions in a row in a while! Very much looking forward to tomorrows rest (cardio + abs + calves).
Pull I was happy with. Overall good session.
Push very happy with, a little different to what I'm used to but very good. Session went like this:
1) Rear delt cable fly 3 x 12-15
2) Cable lateral raise 3 x 12-15
3) Low incline cuff fly 3 x 12-15
4) Low incline dumbbell press (pause, slow eccentric, reps left in the tank) 3 sets
5) Machine shoulder press 2 sets
6) Machine lateral raise 2 x 12-15
7) Incline cuff fly triple drop set
8) Tricep pushdown 4 sets
Isolation before pressing. Shoulders are a weak point so having perfect isolation work first makes sense + warms up the shoulders nicely for pressing. Session was pain free, pump was very good.
Legs today very good even though felt like shit throughout the whole session. Very sluggish. Trained in the evening which was a big mistake. Felt sluggish, slow, tired. I much prefer training in the morning or early afternoon with less food in me.
Ended the week very slightly down in bodyweight so took the liberty of increasing my carbs by 25 on legs/pull and on rest days.
Can't wait for the next training rotation.
25/07/2019
162.6 this morning. Most recent training session has been legs and it was a very good one with progression across the board whether it's through reps, weight or form.
Weight average is slightly down from last week at the moment. Will make adjustments on Saturday with diet if need be.
Tomorrow we have pull, my fav session and fav rotation. Will be resetting my RDL weight because I'm just not happy with the form and my ability to stay tight. Dropping the ego completely, going for perfect form with weight I can handle. Looking to increase by 2,5 kilos every week. Doesn't sound like a lot but over 6 months that's big progression.
Fasted pic from this morning. Happy with the condition I'm still holding on this amount of food. Looking forward to seeing if I can hold on to this look at 170.
I try to make sure that after every session, I've created as much growth as possible and deserve the food intake I have.
Leg training is going fantastic. Been sticking to the exact same rotations since March (start of the deficit). Same moves, same order etc. Are there times when I want to try a new exercise? Yes but progression is still there and my accuracy on all those moves is getting better by the week.
Back training is going very well apart from the RDLs that I struggle with. The rest is very good, I stick to the basics since I don't have access to any crazy back machines. Something that I've been doing lately is not focusing on the contraction too much, not spending too much time there and sacrificing load. I control the eccentric, let it hang for a second and drive up.
Chest/Shoulder training isn't the best with my shoulder but I am excited to get good at the isolation stuff. Also reminding myself that stepping back on the heavy pressing now will pay off in a few months.
Performance goals in the gym have been set, written down. All I have to do now is push my bodyweight up and make sure I train as hard as I can.
21/07/2019
Ended the week averaging just over 162, just slightly down from last week. Expenditure has been higher, so has effort/intensity.
Pull/Legs 225P 500C 60F
Push 225P 450C 60F
NTD 225P 250C 90F
25 carb increase on pull and legs, no changes to other days.
Training is changed to 3 on 1 off, previously being 2 on 1 off 1 on 1 off. We shall see how recovery goes with the higher frequency. If I struggle to recover, volume will be adjusted.
Leg training has been excellent. Pull training has been good except for RDLs where I need to fully reset the move. Will massively drop the ego. Push training has drastically changed, no longer going for single digit sets, placing isos before presses, slowing down the tempo and adding a few intensity methods. Shoulders need a break from heavy pressing (heavy for me).
Back and shoulders are the main areas I’m focusing on. Strict(ish) rows and hip hinges are a big priority for back and getting very accurate with lateral raise variations, rear delt exercises is the priority for shoulders, as well as pressing.
Rest day today consisting of 35 minutes of cardio, abs (leg raises and planks) and some stretching.
Tomorrow we have pull and calves on the menu.
Hope everyone has a nice day
16/07/2019
163.4 after PUSH yesterday. Very common for my weight to go up after that session as it does not require the amount of carbs I eat on that day.
My shoulder is telling me to fuck off at the moment so I need to do something different: higher rep work, accumulating more volume with sub maximal loads, avoiding failure, avoiding anything that hurts, getting the biggest pump possible, slow eccentrics, pauses in the stretch... I've had this shoulder problem for a long time now, it's time I change things up.
LEGS on Sunday was my first session back after 3 days off, incredible session. Pushed myself very hard and made progressions across the board.
1) Seated ham curl
2) Leg extension
3) Hack squat
4) Banded leg press (focus on quads)
5) Bulgarian SS
DC quad stretch
6) Adductor
Rest day today. Big PULL session tomorrow, very much looking forward to it, it's my favourite session of the week.
12/07/2019
162.4
Weight has been around the 162 mark for the past few days.
TRAINING:
I've been forced to take a few days off due to being in a different location, and the gym in this location is closed down for a few weeks which is very frustrating. I feel like this week has been a complete waste of a week. Thursday off, today off, tomorrow off, back on Sunday in my normal gym/regular routine.
NUTRITION:
Macros still 225P 475C 60F on TD and 225P 250C 90F on NTD. These macros are slowly increasing my BW. As long as I train very hard and keep pushing my NTD cardio, these macros shouldn't make me gain too fast.
INJURIES:
Whole right side has been locked up: neck, trap, upper back, shoulder. Booked in on Monday to see an osteopath to fix me up. Been stretching out my right shoulder (the one that has been niggling for the past months), making sure it stays nice and loose.
I look forward to reporting a much better week next week. Not training for 3 days makes me feel like a fat blob.
3/07/2019
Writing this absolutely battered from todays session.
162.2 weight increase which is pretty standard for me after PUSH day. My PUSH session are obviously the least taxing and the sessions I least look forward to.
LEGS today, very good session. Going into the session I was not up to it at all. I'm a social worker and work alongside unaccompanied minors ("child" with no legal guardian). The work I do can be very stressful when a few bad apples are present amongst the 50 boys I work with. Work was very stressful this morning and all I wanted was to go home and wind down. Came home, had a 20 minute rest and went off to the gym. Warmed up and hit the seated ham curl. Aggression was very high, probably from evacuating all the stress.
Session went like this:
1) Seated ham curl 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
2) Leg extension 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
3) Hack squat 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
4) Single leg press muscle round
5) Bulgarian split squat 2 x 8-10 + drop
DC quad stretch
6) Adductor 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
Beat all previous numbers a part from the single leg press where I actually reset my numbers. Weight was getting too heavy for me and I was cutting the range short. Will rebuild from there. By the time I got to the bulgarian SS I couldn't feel my quads at all, no pump. My quads were dead.
Rest day tomorrow consisting of fasted cardio, abs, haircut, quick meeting at work, cinema and relaxing. + visualising fridays PULL session where I will look to bring the intensity I bring to LEGS.
I predict a slight drop in weight tomorrow. I can feel it after a big leg session.
2/07/2019
160.8
Still sitting at the same(ish) bodyweight. I personally would like to see a bit more of an increase, as performance in the gym on some movements is stalling and has been for the last 8 weeks or so. A few options when this issue occurs: rotating the movement, increasing food which will lead to an increase in bodyweight, assessing recovery.
Movements that are stalling:
RDL
Low incline DB press
RDL: I struggle to maintain tightness in the upper back region. To address this, I will be performing this exercise 2nd (instead of 3rd, placed after a vertical pull and a horizontal pull). My upper back should be fresher and my ability to stay tight higher. + increase in BW should see this movement progress. 160x5 is the goal in the coming months.
Low incline DB press: One of the only chest compounds that doesn't cause pain for my shoulder. Rotating out is not an option. Technique here is solid and accurate. The only thing I can see that's limiting me here is my bodyweight. At 174.2 I managed to get 42x8. My latest is 40x8 at 160.4. I'm willing to bet that by the time I'm 174.2 again, I will be pressing the 50s. Bodyweight needs to go up to see this increase.
Nutrition:
Really enjoying my food lately. Still keeping things very simple. Here are some of my main food sources:
Protein: whey isolate, chicken breast, 5% beef mince, eggs, salmon, Skyr
Carbs: oats, ground rice, potatoes, jasmine rice, rice cakes, bagels, cereal
Fats: almond butter mainly, olive oil/coconut oil, dark choc, fats from salmon/eggs
I've been splitting my carb meals on training days as I train at 3PM. Was restricting carbs to pre, post and post post which left a large amount of carbs to consume after 6PM. Now splitting my carbs across 4 meals, all but meal 1. Much prefer it this way.
Meal 1: 0 carb
Meal 2: 50 carb
Meal 3: 90 carb
Intra: 35/45 carb
Meal 4: 165 carb
Meal 5: 125 carb
LEGS tomorrow, hack squat session, hardest session of the week. Ready to push myself more than ever. Will update with the session
27/06/2019
161 this morning. The increase in weight is definitely paying off, performance in the gym is booming!
LEGS yesterday:
Main move 1: squat press 177,5kg PS x11 (up 4 reps), 132,5kg x16 (up 2 reps)
Main move 2: high/wide banded (green) leg press 5,5 PPS x8 (10kg increase, 1 rep shy), 3,5PPS x14 (10kg increase, 1 rep shy)
Overall incredible workout, pushed those 4 sets very hard. Goal is to get the 132,5kg PS x20.
PUSH today:
Main move 1: high incline dumbbell press 30kg x11, 34kg x6
As discussed in a previous post, I now do a 10-12 set first and depending on how that set feels (on my shoulder), I increase or decrease the load. Today felt very good so increased to 34kg x6. Doing the "top set" second makes it a lot safer.
Main move 2: low incline dumbbell press 38kg x7, 30kg x12
Those 4 sets are very accurate and controlled, no stretch reflex, very slight pause at the bottom of each rep.
3 days of rest upcoming. I count this as a mini deload. I feel this is needed as I've been pushing pretty hard and as food goes in, my ability to train hard is increasing as well. 3 days of relaxing, being active (walks, swimming in the sea) but no cardio/gym for 3 days. I already can't wait for Mondays PULL session.
Will take some pics Sat morning and might upload a few.
24/06/2019
161 (6 am weigh in)
I'm back in the 160s after the food increase. I feel like this will drive performance up. I foresee me being as strong as I have ever been at 165. At least that's the goal.
PULL, epic session
1) Neutral chins
2) Machine row
3) Barbell RDL
4) Wide pulldown
5) Pronated T bar row
6) Revere fly
7) Dumbbell curl
8) Rope hammer curl
9) Toe press (squat press)
Progressed everything other than my RDL top set. Upper back tightness broke down. Next session will RDL second exercise in and move the row in third to see how that affects my RDL performance.
The pump was huge from the session. Focused on moving the weight in a controlled manor without over emphasising contractions. Eccentric control on RDLs was almost too controlled in the top set, impacting the number of reps. Maybe something to think about. When performing the movement, the eccentric speed seems normal but on video it's overly slow.
SLEEP
Sleep hasn't been ideal. I haven't been getting as much as I want to. In a growing phase, sleep seems to be extremely important from what I've read so will monitor and make sure I get in a good 8 hours.
DELOAD/REST
I will be taking 3 days off this upcoming friday/saturday/sunday. Still loving training but motivation pre training is down a little bit and my joints could use a small break. 2 more session to absolutely destroy myself then we rest for 3 days then straight back to it.
Rest today, 35 minutes CV and a meal off plan tonight with the family. Nothing crazy though.
Ended the week averaging at 159 pounds, a very slight drop from last week.
Because of this, food has been increased.
TD 225P 475C 60F (50C and 10F increase)
NTD 225P 250C 90F (no changes here)
CV is down to 35 minutes on NTD (10 minutes less)
Bodyweight does need to come up in order to see performance in the gym increase.
21/06 LEGS
very good session, moved leg extensions up in the session, starting the session with 2 sets of ham curl and 2 sets of leg extension. Moved on to hacks, single leg press, bulgarian SS, extreme quad stretch and adductors to finish off.
During this whole session I think about how I want my legs to look. I’m learning to push harder every session.
22/06 PUSH
good session overall, took progressions throughout. Will make slight changes because I don’t like how some things are feeling.
On exercise 1 (low incline DB press), instead of doing the traditional 6-9 then 12-15, will aim for a first set of 10-12 and depending how that set feels, will go heavier in the 6-9 range or back off in weight and go to 12+. I don’t like going straight into a heavy set with my shoulders. The movement always feels better on the back off. Will also take this approach for the second push session on movement 1.
Rest day today. Still feeling battered from legs even though volume is low for that session (11 sets). By tomorrow I should be ready to go for RDLs. Excited because removed barbell rows from the session in favour of a machine row. I didn’t like the lower back fatigue going into the RDLs.
Been working for the last 3 days at 7AM, again tomorrow. I get to sleep by 10:30 and wake up a bit before 6. Will get to bed by 10 tonight to get in close to 8 hours.
Rest day meals:
Meal 1 50P 30F omelette with chicken breast, courgette, onion and peppers
Meal 2 50P 30F salmon, egg, green beans
Meal 3 50P 125C 15F undecided
Meal 4 75P 125C 15F whey isolate, oats, almond butter
Any questions, conversations welcome :)
19/06/2019
158.4
Upon wake 500mL water
5 rounds vacuums
50 scapula protraction/retraction
Meal 1: chicken breast, almond butter, broccoli 32,5P 15F
Meal 2: 5% beef mince, chicken breast, almond butter, broccoli 32,5P 15F
Meal 3 (pre): whey isolate, ground rice, almond butter 32,5P 90C 10F
Intra: Hydro whey, HBCD 25P 45C
Meal 4 (post): whey isolate, rice krispies, bagel, rice cakes 32,5P 160C
Meal 5: whey isolate, oats, dark choc, almond butter 70P 130C 10F
PULL
1) Assisted pull up 2 x 8-10
2) One arm DB row 1 x 6-9, 2 x 10-12
3) Snatch RDL 1 x 5-9, 1 x 10-15
4) Cable row 1 x 6-9, 1 x 12-15
DC lat stretch
5) DB shrug 1 x 8-10 + 3RP
6) Rear delt row 3 x 12-15
7) DB preacher curl 3 x 8-10
8) Incline DB curl 2 x 8-10
9) Seated calf raise 3 x 8-12
Good session. First time doing snatch RDLs, these are my main focus of the session. I enjoyed them a lot and was able to stay pretty tight. Will slowly work up in weight making sure my form is on point, staying tight throughout the set. I most likely won't be running the traditional top set back off set method on these for now. I want to get the movement locked in before attempting heavy stuff (for me). Will be aiming for a comfortable set of 8 and a set of 12. Once I have mastered those with a weight, 5 kilo increases. Goal in the next 6 months is 160kg for the set of 8 and 140 for the set of 12.
Appetite is very high still. Been playing around with smaller protein servings throughout the day to keep digestion fast prior to my training. Also I've been consuming more whey isolate than I'd usually do. Feels very digestible and nice.
Vacuums daily are already making a difference to my waist. I feel much tighter in that area.
This coming off season I want to focus on my back primarily, my calves and my abs.
For back I simply need to perform the basics perfectly and get strong at them. Calves train them 3x a week, different variations: seated, standing, toe press and make them hurt. Abs train them religiously on rest days (something I have not been doing in the past, ever).
Another rest day tomorrow.
Update! It has been a while.
Still weighing in around 158. Weight is simply not moving. My guess is another food increase will be implemented end of the week.
Training has been good overall, managing to eke out progressions here and there. However bodyweight is not moving so I'm still limited.
Rest day today:
Upon wake 500mL of water shugged down
5 rounds of vacuums holding for as long as I can each around (15 seconds or so)
50 scapula protraction/retraction
Cardio 45 minutes on the incline treadmill.
Stretch
Meal 1: sirloin steak, chicken breast, coconut oil, broccoli 50P 30F
Meal 2: same as above
Meal 3: 5% beef mince, chicken breast, potato, olive oil 50P 125C 15F
Meal 4: whey isolate, oats, dark choc, almond butter 75P 125C 15F
On NTDs I like to have only 4 meals just for practicality. Protein is high in last meal because I have a lot of oats so I want a lot of whey for that flavour! Enjoy my rest day meals a lot.
Tomorrow we have PULL on the cards with snatch grip RDLs which I'll be doing for the first time instead of deadlifts. My form on deadlifts is not the best, they have been giving me a ton of lower back fatigue so switching to RDL snatch grip. + tomorrow is a day off from work which is perfect! Nothing like having a day off, a big session and big eating! The dream
Report tomorrow
9/06/2019
157.6 this morning. Changes have been made as of today with a 50 carb increase on training days and 25 carb and 10 fat increase on non training days.
TD macros 225P 425C 50F
NTD macros 225P 250C 90F
I'm loving the look of that as appetite is very high, the more the food, the better!
As you've seen carbs are placed around my workout. Sometimes I train after meal 1 which puts my carb meals at meal 1, 2 (post) and 3 (post post). This leaves my last two meals of the day to be protein/fat meals (40P 15F both meals). Those small meals leave me feeling very hungry in the later part of the day which mentally I don't enjoy. I enjoy my carbs at night. With more carbs to play with now, my meals surrounding my workout will contain carbs but I will be saving 70 grams of carbs for my pre bed meal.
This is what a day where I train after meal 1 would look like:
Meal 1 (pre) 40P 80C 10F
Meal 2 (post) 40P 140C
Meal 3 40P 90C 10F
Meal 4 40P 20F
Meal 5 40P 70C 10F
PULL was good, happy with the session although some things need tweaking in my opinion. Will discuss this further next week.
45 minutes of cardio done fasted this morning. Making sure I eat up and recover for tomorrows session. LEGS on the cards, I can't wait to smash it and finish at the bottom of the hack squat, that's the goal.
I'll report on Wednesday!
5/06/2019
-Woke up at 6:30, got some water down then shower.
-7AM meal 1 (40P 90C 10F), making sure I take the time to eat it, chewing religiously to improve digestion.
-9:15AM (2 hours after meal 1 completion) training session:
1) Standing ham curl
2) Cybex squat press 177,5kg PS x8, 132,5kg PS x13
3) High/Wide banded leg press 5PPS (+ green band) x8, 3PPS (+green band) x13 4) Wide lunge
5) Hip extension
6) Hyperextension
7) Adductor
-11:45AM post workout meal (40P 140C)
-1:30PM meal 3 (40P 100C 10F)
-4:30PM meal 4 (40P 15F)
-7:30PM meal 5 (40P 15F)
6/06/2019
Big drop in weight after a very demanding leg day yesterday: 157.6
PUSH today, good session, progression overall but nothing to get crazy about.
Really looking forward to Saturdays PULL session.
Appetite is very high and I'm happy with the way I'm looking. I really think I can change my body in the next 3/4/5 months. Very motivated to continue on this path, not for instagram, not for anyone else, but for the pure passion of the discipline and consistency this passion takes.
158 on the dot this morning, weight still not going anywhere.
Feeling better, looking better but performance is still held back due to bodyweight in my opinion.
PULL today was very good, new session and a few new movements. In 2/3 weeks time it should get more interesting as movements will be more engrained.
1) Neutral chins 3 sets
2) Barbell row 2 sets
3) Barbell RDL 2 sets
4) Pronated pulldown 3 sets
5) Pronated T bar row 3 sets
DC lat stretch
6) Reverse fly / Rear delt row 3 sets
7) Dumbbell curl 3 sets
8) Rope hammer curl 3 sets
Barbell RDLs are usually done with a fresh lower back. After barbell rows, my lower back felt a bit tight and made the RDLs more difficult. Need to stay on top of my lower back, keeping it loose, stretching it, mobilising it. Rest of the session was very good, numbers are set. Can't wait to see what I can do a couple of months into this surplus.
Much needed rest day tomorrow. Legs on Wednesday morning.
Been playing around with my food sources and paying close attention to digestion, especially post training. My post workout meal (40P 140C) is often eaten at around 5:30PM, with another meal consisting of 40P 100C 10F having to go down at around 8/8:30PM. I don't like eating late/close to bed time so it's pivotal that I eat something very easily digested post workout in order to be ready to eat 2 and a half hours later.
Post workout meal consists of a plain bagel, rice krispies + almond milk and whey isolate (swapped instead of chicken breast).
25 carb increase on training days and rest days as my weekly average is only up 0.2 pounds.
New macros:
TD: 225P 375C 50F
NTD: 225P 225C 80F
Excellent PUSH session today, all movements were perfect! Execution across the board is on point.
1) Low incline dumbbell press 40kg x7, 32kg x11
2) High incline dumbbell press 28kg x6, 22kg x10
3) Cuff incline fly 3 x 12-15
DC chest stretch
4) Cable lateral raise 2 x 12-15, 2 x 15-20
DC shoulder stretch
5) Straight bar pushdown 2 x 12-15
6) Dumbbell cross body extension 2 x 8-10
7) Dumbbell kickback 2 x 12-15
Very good session. Was debating adding an extra set on the low incline dumbbell press prior to the session for more direct chest volume. Glad I didn't, after 2 all out sets on the low incline, my high incline sets were very weak. A 3rd set would have berried me. The rest was very very good.
Much needed rest tomorrow as lower back/glutes are still fatigued from the previous sessions. It's all about preparing for my PULL session on Monday which is basically all big compounds.
So I did do LEGS yesterday. My lower back was very fatigued from the previous day, as well as systemically, I was definitely feeling those 2 sets of deadlifts the day prior. I went into the session not fired up, not wanting to train. I walked for 5 minutes on a treadmill, got my mind right and went in. Very good session overall.
Seated ham curl
Hack squat
Single leg press
Bulgarian split squat
Leg extension
Adductor
Progressed or matched on all movements. Pushed myself very hard and agression was very high. Lately during my workouts I've really been getting pissed/angry in a positive way. The motivation of knowing I'm training to now grow is fueling me.
Intra shake: 45 grams HBCD + 25 grams Yamamoto HydroRAZAN
The larger intra shake (up 15 grams HBCD) is keeping my energy up during the whole session. It has really made a difference to my sessions.
Weighed in this morning at 157.4, practically a low weigh in. I have no doubt food will increase following Saturdays check in. Reason for the weight going down even with the 150 carb increase is most likely my metabolism starting to ramp back up, mood + stress wearing off due to the increased food and I also attribute this to being able to train harder and more energy overall = more expenditure.
Training day diet:
7:15 AM meal 1: 200 grams 5% beef, 18 grams peanut butter, broccoli + mushroom
10:15 AM meal 2: 100 grams 5% beef, 66 grams chicken breast, 9 grams pb, broccoli + mushroom
12:30 PM meal 3 (pre): 133 grams chicken breast, 88 grams rice cakes, 26 grams dark choc, extra salt
5:30 PM meal 4 (post): 133 grams chicken breast, 1 plain bagel, 111 grams rice krispies + almond milk
8:30 PM meal 5: 42 grams whey isolate, 142 grams oats, 18 grams almond butter
This is pretty much what I eat on all training days. Order may change depending on when I train. Only rule is I like to have a good 1:45/2 hours between my pre meal and my workout.
PUSH tomorrow which I'm very excited for! Won't be uploading anymore pictures just because I don't want to saturate the log with pictures that basically all look the same!
Will update this weekend and report on any changes
157.8 this morning despite the increase in food since Sunday. Weigh is not moving, it has been around 158 for the last 11/12 days. An increase in food again may be on the cards next week.
I'm definitely feeling the effects of more food in the gym. The larger intra is keeping me sustained throughout the workout, I'm feeling stronger and the pumps are better. Mood is on the up as well thanks to the higher food.
PULL today was very very good. A few new movements so again this was about setting numbers which I aim to smash in the coming weeks/months.
1) Assisted chins (D handle) 9kg x12, 10
2) One arm dumbbell row 40kg x8, 36kg x11, 8
Keeping my hips square, not allowing any momentum.
3) Deadlift 140kg x5, 110kg x9
First time believe it or not doing deadlifts touch and go. Not used to it but as I get familiar with the feel, I sense these will increase rapidly. Maintaining tightness throughout the whole set is tough!
4) Close grip chins 6kg x6, BW x6
Lots of room for progression here.
DC lat stretch
5) Rear delt cable row 13,5kg x18, 18kg x15, 22,5kg x12
Shoulder width pronated grip focusing on rowing high with the intended muscles. These are incredible.
6) Dumbbell shrug 34kg x10 RP 4 RP 3 RP 3
7) Dumbbell preacher curl 10kg x11, 8, 7
8) Incline dumbbell curl 7kg x11, 10
9) Standing calf raise 58,5kg x12, 11, 8
Very very good session. Very happy with the exercise selection and lots of room to progress.
A few shots post workout:
The goal is to get more thickness and I believe my exercise selection (and progression) over both PULL rotations will get me there.
Tomorrow should be a rest day but I have a very busy day Friday with work so might train LEGS tomorrow and rest Friday instead. The deadlifts from today shouldn't impact legs tomorrow since the session emphasises quads.
See you soon!