Miguel's Offseason Log

May 4 - Push+pull

Cybex Pullover

110 x9

120 x7

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press

3pps x 7

2pps + 20lbs x15

2pps x 6 (drop set)

Chest Press

245 x7

205 x 10.5

Lat Pulldown (w/ handles)

225 lbs x 7

180 lbs x 12

Cable Upright Row

100 lbs x 9 (felt off)

95 lbs x 9

Iso Lateral Raise

60 lbs x 5

40 lbs x 10

Abs (DC style 1-3/4 = 1 rep)

25 lbs x16/12 (bruuutal)

Grueling session.. however, felt I kept a pretty good pace, making sure I was getting good contractions and taking my breaths. Stayed out late last night and so the iron kicked me the real deal - warranted though

Dropped a few reps here and there, but as expected with this mini cut. Wrapping up the second week come tomorrow. Another week for sure, possibly a fourth, we'll asses when we get there.

All in all, I feel "OK" strength has dipped a little, inner elbow/tendon issue is slowly recovering, left hand/fingers still achey, carpel tunnel maybe idk, but it's super weird.

Here's one post-workout

epic log bro!! looking like your in the place ypu need to be to build some tissue! are you using a coach?

April 27 - Push+pull

Shoulder Press (pin loaded)

190 (stack) x 9

165 x 12 (slower eccentric)

Chest Press (pin loaded)

245 lbs x 9

205 lbs x 13

Cable Upright Row

90 lbs x 12 (3 set rest-pause)

90 lbs x 8

90 lbs x 7 + short ISO

Lat Pulldown (w/ handles)

225 lbs x 7

180 lbs x 11

Iso Lateral Raise

60 lbs x 6

45 lbs x12/x7 (fell apart here)

40 lbs x 8

Arm Curl

110 lbs x 6

*right inner elbow pain*

Abs (DC style 1-3/4 = 1 rep)

25 lbs x15/10 (bruuutal)

Very good session tonight! Already stacking the shoulder press and in the coming weeks will be stacking the chest press machine, both are Life Fitness machines in case anyone is wondering. Felt on point, no real nags in my delts after warming up.

However, I'm dealing with some sort of inner elbow/tendon pain in my right arm, so pulling movements are a little iffy. Felt it the most on the arm curl machine. I'll likely drop direct bicep work and focus more on trap and delt development

All in all, felt I ended this mesocycle on a high. Tomorrow marks the end of week 1 of this mini-cut and I'm still feeling rather good even with low food at the moment. Hope to keep this momentum going into my next meso.

Chelsea v. Man United, Endgame, and Game of Thrones tomorrow :D

April 26 - Legs

Lying Leg Curl

85x12

90x9

Hack Squat

4pps x6

3pps x15

Squat Press

7pps + 25 x9

5pps x 15

Isolated Leg Curl

95x8

75x12

Isolated Leg Extension

90x10

Seated Calf Press

315x10/x10/x10/x10 (straight sets)

Abs

60 x15/x15

Been a minute since I logged, but I'm currently on a programmed mini cut.

I was not enjoying food, hardly finishing my meals and feeling extremely bloated even after rotating certain meals. Almost 6 months of straight bulking, I figured it was time to mini-cut and see if I could re-sensitize myself to carbs and higher calories again. Performance was teetering a bit too and sleep was horrific. All the signs were there.

First week of my mini cut and I feel really good. Appetite is there, but my meals even the carbless ones are satisfying. Performance was rough on Monday, but it's really picked up, setting new PRs all around.

Best part, I'm getting really good sleep again and recovery is on point this week.

Maybe a little early, but I feel like performance may drop in the coming week or two and hunger will really peak. We shall see. I've slashed calories fairly low and I have cardio planned for Sunday while week day dog walks are keeping me in check with steps.

TD/NTD: 245p, 205c, 40f

Push + Pull tomorrow.

April 13 - Push+pull

MTS Shoulder Press

310 lbs x12/12

240 lbs x 12 (slower eccentric)

Chest Press (pin loaded)

230 lbs x9

195 lbs x 15

Hammer Strength Iso Low Row

4pps x10

3pps x15

Iso Lateral Raise

55 lbs x 8

40 lbs x15/x15

30 lbs x12

Pec Deck

255 lbs (stack) x10

225 lbs x9 (should have rested longer)

Abs (DC style 1-3/4 = 1 rep)

25 lbs x12/12 (bruuutal)

Arm Curl

100 lbs x10

75 lbs x12/x6 (RP)

Dead Hang (stretch)

55 seconds

Really productive session tonight! I thought for sure the jet lag was going to disrupt things, but everything was on point. Progressed on all my top sets and just about every backoff set. Felt pretty strong after taking some rest days this week having been in Las Vegas for a work conference.

If you haven't been to Las Vegas, man.. it's something else. I was able to enjoy the city and got a great leg day session at a gym off the strip. I finally broke my pendulum squat cherry haha! I'm disappointed none of the gyms in my city have one. It's a shame tbh.

Anyways.. I'm excited to be back home and back to routine :)

Trying to fill out these XLs.. :D

April 8 - Push

Incline Smith

2pps + 20 lbs x7

2pps + 5lbs x15

Smith High Press

2pps x 10

1pps + 25 lbs x15

Weighted Dips

90 lbs x9

45 lbs x12

DB Lateral Raise

40lbs x9

30lbs x15

30lbs x15

EZ Front Raise

2x8-12

Single Arm Pushdown (rope)

2x8-12

Great morning session!

Hands/wrists a little achy going into my top set for smith movements, but quickly dissipated. Hands have been experiencing this discomfort as loads get heavier and heavier, something I'll monitor

Plenty of PRs across my top sets, some unexpected on back offs, but maybe I've been selling myself a little short, not sure lol

Attending a concert tonight and flying out to Las Vegas tomorrow morning for a work conference. Plan is to be as active as possible, mimic my same training schedule. Food will be off, but I'll pack protein, some supps and snacks so I won't go catabolic ;)

April 6 - Push + pull

Chest Press (pin loaded) - 225 lbs x10, 195 lbs x13

MTS Shoulder Press - 310 lbs (stack) x10/x10

Hammer Strength Low Row - 4pps x9, 3pps x13

Delt Raise Machine - 50 lbs x 10, 35 lbs x 17/x12

Pec Deck - 240 lbs x9, 255 lbs (stack) x5

Lat Pulldown (w/ handles) - 210 lbs x9, 180 lbs x11

Arm Curl - 90 lbs x11, 70 lbs x11/x6 (RP)

MTS Abdominal Crunch (DC style) - 30x12, 25x12

Great session tonight! Found my groove with the pin loaded machines, much better connection and easier on my joints, so we'll stick with them for this meso.

Managed to hit stacks on the shoulder press and pec deck, it'll be fun to load these in time, jimmy rigging the systems to add an additional plate somehow lol

Went into my session, feeling really energized, which I believe has to do with a few things

1. Hydration - more fluids, electrolytes

2. Stretching

3. Rest/sleep

So don't neglect the basics!

Rest day tomorrow, push Monday, then off to Vegas Tuesday through Friday.

Figured I'd post my meals, since I hadn't yet.

Mon-Wed

M1 - pre-workout - 200g chicken breast, 1 cup jasmine rice, 1 bagel, 1 tbsp almond butter, veg

Intra - Primeval Labs Intracell7 (2 scoops), whey isolate 1/2 serving, 5g creatine

M2 - post-workout - 200g chicken breast, 2 cups jasmine rice, 1 banana, 1 rice krispie bar

M3 - 40g whey, 84g oats, dark chocolate (2 squares), 1 banana

M4 - 200g chicken breast, 1 cup jasmine rice, 2-3 veggie servings

M5 - 55g Patriot's Whey (1.5 servings), 100g oats, 2 tbsp almond butter, 50g blueberries

Fri-Sat

M1 - 150g salmon, 112g chicken breast, 2-3 veggie servings

M2 - 200g chicken breast, 1 cup jasmine rice, 2 veggie servings

M3 pre-workout - 200g chicken breast, 1 cup jasmine rice, 1 bagel, 1 tbsp almond butter, veg

Intra - Primeval Labs Intracell7 (2 scoops), 15g whey isolate, 5g creatine

M4 - post-workout - 45g whey isolate, 70g rice krispies, 1 bagel, 2 tbsp jam, 1 small box of raisins

M5 - 55g Patriot's Whey (1.5 servings), 100g oats, 2 tbsp almond butter, 50g blueberries

Thu & Sun (NTD)

M1 - 150g salmon, 112g chicken breast, 2-3 veggie servings

M2 - 200g chicken breast, 15g almond oil, 1 cup jasmine rice, 1-2 veggie servings

M3 - 200g chicken breast, 15g almond oil, 1 cup jasmine rice, 1-2 veggie servings

M4 - 200g chicken breast, 15g almond oil, 1 cup jasmine rice, 1-2 veggie servings

M5 - 55g Patriot's Whey, 100g oats, 2 tbsp almond butter

April 5 - Legs

Seated Leg Curl - 195x9, 180x10 (better form)

Hack Squat - 3pps + 35 x9, 3pps x 12

Cybex Leg Press - 6pps + 35 x9, 5pps +25 x12

Isolated Leg Curl - 80x9, 70x12

Isolated Leg Extension - 80x9, 65x12

Standing Calf Raise - 280 x10/x10/x8, 240x9

Abs - 55 x15/x15

Dying in my hoody, but the sweaty session was GOOD tonight. Pretty sure I'm the only guy in the gym with baggys and a hoodie lol. It's kind of nice to stand out from the pack. I hate the thought of being just like everyone else.

Anyways..

I managed to progress across all my lifts, but some sets I was just not happy with. Hacks in particular, need clean up duty next session. The last two reps were pretty horrific, but those are the ones that count even if they're a little ugly.

Been finally a bit off this week, a sense of laziness settled in this week, not sure if the dreary weather, the lack of people in the office, or next week's business trip to Vegas. Idk it's a weird funk, but traveling might be exactly what I need. Plan is to visit a gym or two out in Vegas and dine at an In and Out or Shake Shake while I'm there :p

Push + pull tomorrow. Let's go!

March 30 - Push + pull

Hammer Strength Decline Press - 2pps + 25 lbs x10, 3pps x9

Hammer Strength Chest Press - 2pps + 25 lbs x9, 2pps + 35 lbs x5.5

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press - 2pps + 35 lbs x9, 2pps x13

Hammer Strength Low Row - 4pps x8, 3pps x13

Delt Raise Machine - 45 lbs x 9, 35 lbs x 15/x15

Lat Pulldown (w/ handles) - 180 lbs x9, 200 lbs x9

Arm Curl - 90 lbs x8, 70 lbs x10

MTS Abdominal Crunch - 50x15, 55x12

Frustrating one tonight.. I wasn't connecting on the decline so I moved onto the chest press and again it didn't feel 100%. I swapped out Incline Press since it's been in my rotation the past 3-4 mesocycles. I'll go forward with the chest press and see if I can connect with it after a second attempt.

Shoulder press was iffy too. I think I let ego creep in, so next week I'll drop slightly and really focus on my reps. After this the rest of the workout went pretty well. Hit 4 plates on the Low Row which was a nice PR.

Definitely winning some battles, but ultimately tonight's lesson was FEEL the muscle you're working and piss poor reps don't count!

Over it.

Checking in tomorrow, so look out for some progress photos.

March 29 - Legs

Seated Leg Curl - 195 lbs x9, 180 lbs x12

Hack Squat - 3pps + 35 lbs x7, 3pps + 10 lbs x10

Cybex Leg Press - 6pps x9, 6pps + 25 x3/x4*, 5pps x12

Isolated Leg Curl - 70x9, 75x9

Isolated Leg Ext - 70x15

Standing Calf Raise - 280 x 10/x10/x7/x9 (straight sets)

Abs (DC sytle) - 45x10, 40x10

Really good session tonight, great contractions all around.

Hacks felt good, as I've been going without any knee sleeves, the sensation is very natural from the hole to the top.

Small foot cramp on leg press got me on my top set, RP'd it and took what I could. I have a really bad connection with my left foot ever since I sprained my ankle while in college, has never really felt the same since - its weird idk. This particular cybex leg press is a bit steeper than the other I had been rotating, but after tonight I know where I land so I can really begin progressing this lift.

Anyways, big push+pull tomorrow and I'll be checking in at some point too.

March 27 - Pull

Single Grip Lat Pulldown - 90 lbs x9, 75 lbs x 12 (each side)

Deadlift - 435 lbs x 8, 350 lbs x 12

Seated Row (chest supported) - 180 lbs x9, 165 lbs x12

Smith Shrugs - 2pps + 35 lbs x9, 2pps + 10 lbs x12

Reverse Pec Deck - 2x8-12

Concentration Curls - 2x8-12

Good session yesterday! The single grip pulldown really set everything in motion, engaging my lats pre-deadlift and beyond.

I was in a great mood all session, not sure if it's placebo or what, but I've been experimenting with Genius Mushrooms

https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Mushroom-Cordyceps-Nootropic-Supplement/dp/B078SJ9F5S

So far I've noticed better mood, a lot more positive, laughing more frequently and less stress. Curious to see if this sensation lasts. Right now I'm taking 1 capsule before my first three meals and that's been sustaining me until the evening.

March 28

Rest day today, visited the chiro this morning - all sorted. Pretty sore getting out of bed, but a day off should help.

Legs tomorrow!

March 25 - Push

Incline Smith - 2pps + 15 lbs x8.5, 2pps x12

Smith High Press - 1pps + 35 lbs x10, 1pps + 25 lbs x12

Weighted Dips - 70 lbs x10, 45 lbs x12

Cuffed Lateral Raise - 1x5-9, 2x12-15

Cable Front Raise - 2x8-12

Rope Pushdown - 2x8-12

Good session this morning! Started a little slow, but things picked up right away.

Hands a little sore still from all the gripping and pushing the last several weeks other than that, everything was firing for the most part.

Digestion a little off, but deload likely the reason why. Bringing intensity back to normal levels should help carve some hunger this week.

March 16 - Push + pull

Hammer Strength Incline Press - 4pps x5.5, 3pps x13

Hammer Strength Low Row - 3pps + 35 lbs x9, 3pps x13

Seated Row (chest supported) - 225 lbs x7, 180 lbs x12

Pec Deck - 225 lbs x9, 240 lbs x9

Seated Reverse Pec Deck - 140 lbs x10/x10

Seated Cuffed Lateral Raise - 12.5x8, 7.5x15/15/12

Abs (Dante Trudel style) - 35x12, 35x10

Brutal one tonight. Nothing came easy. Had to dig deep for those last reps, had to go there.

Made some progress hit some all time PRs, so we must be doing something right. Lately, I've had a lot on my mind from work to family, so it was really nice to put that aside, focus on me, hone in and exert some of that negativity that has clouded me.

I try not to get over joyed even with brutal sessions like tonight. I'm optimistic, but also realistic. Sessions harder than tonight are well on their way and as I get stronger, the loads of yesterday won't stimulate the same tomorrow. Exciting, frightening, lots of emotions when you're so passionate about something.

Anyways, here's some shots following the session.

Feeling thiiick :D

March 15 - Legs

Lying Leg Curl - 80x12/10

Hack Squat - 3pps + 35 x6, 3pps +10 x10

Leg Press - 8pps + 35 x8, 7pps x15

Single Leg Curl - 70 x12, 75x10

Standing Calf Raise - 310 x9/x6/x4 (double RP), 260x10

Abs - 45 x15/15

Ditched the single ply knee sleeves and my converse in favor of my Otomix. I definitely felt a difference in my feet, being able to spread my toes out more evenly. I want to keep experimenting with this setup going forward.

Hacks and leg press didn't disappoint! Hit new PRs on both, but want to make sure I clean these reps for next session. Best part, no hip flexor pain. Mild at best.

Great sweat tonight, push + pull tomorrow.

Let's get it!

March 13 - Pull

Single Grip Lat Pulldown - 80 lbs x10, 90 lbs x 10 (each side)

Deadlift - 435 lbs x 7, 345 lbs x 12

Seated Row (chest supported) - 150 lbs x10, 110 lbs x15

Smith Shrugs - 1pps + 35 lbs x16/x8/x8 (double RP)

Incline Cable Curl - 65.5 lbs x15, 70.5 lbs x10/x6 (single RP)

Concentration Curls - 22.5 lbs x10/x10

Deadlift was obviously the main movement. The other isolations, however, served their function, providing an overall stimulus. Kept them under tension as long as possible as I was more or less looking for an activation, squeezing hard, rather than worrying about load.

I've said this before, cleaner reps (improved form/technique) is still progression, but also a harder contraction or longer TUT is just as progressive, at least in my book.

Body is feeling a little beat up from this week's havoc. Tomorrow's a rest day, visiting the chiro in the morning to sort me out for this weekend's carnage.

March 12 - Legs

Seated Leg Curl - 135 lbs x10, 150 lbs x10

High bar Squat - 325 lbs x10, 235 lbs x10 (felt knee pain, stopped early)

RDL - 335 lbs x9, 345 lbs x9

Iso Leg Curl - 70 lbs x10, 80 lbs x8

Abs - 60 lbs x12/12

Standing Calf Raise - 240 lbs x15, 260 lbs x10, 280 lbs x6

Opted for more hamstring work as it put less stress on my bothersome left hip flexor. Felt some knee pain on squats, form was highly suspect on the back off set, but happy with my top set, quality reps compared to the last couple of weeks.

All in all, pretty solid and no definitive signs of overtraining or real regression, so we'll keep pushing.

On a side note.. I'm going to Europe!

Booked my flight to London this morning for later this year! Going to spend some time there and hopefully a couple other countries with Amsterdam and Barcelona on the docket.

I. Can't. Wait :)

March 11 - Push

Smith Incline - 2pps + 20 lbs x7.5, 1pps + 35 lbs x15

Smith Press - 2pps x7, 1pps + 25 lbs x12

Weighted Dips - 45 lbs x10, 70 lbs x10, 80 lbs x8

DB Lateral Raise - 45 lbs x5, 30 lbs x12,6,7,5 (triple RP)

Cable Front Raise - 50 lbs x12/12

Single Arm Pushdown - 35 lbs x15, 40 lbs x10

Progressed, but terrible by my standards.

A couple things may have played a role as to why

1. Day Lights Savings Time - totally threw me off over the weekend (lost an hour of sleep)

2. Terrible sleep last night - planning a trip to Europe has me very stressed

3. Training fatigue - more sore than usual this morning (rotated leg press back in over the weekend - key compound lift)

Managed to progress on dips, finally added some weight. These felt good.

Definitely more to come here. I think my all time PR is 3 plates 135 lbs x4-5 at a sub 170 bodyweight - something like that.

Anyways, going to prioritize sleep tonight, hoping I feel more energized tomorrow for leg day.

March 9 - Push + pull

Hammer Strength Low Row - 3pps + 25 lbs x9, 3pps x12

Hammer Strength Incline Press - 3pps + 35 lbs x8.5/4, 2pps + 35 x14

Hammer Strength High Row - 4pps x8, 3pps x15

Seated Reverse Pec Deck - 135x10, 140x8

Lat Pulldown - 180x8, 155x12

Chest Press Machine - 150x10, 165x10

Seated Cuffed Lateral Raise - 10.5x12, 7.5x13/13

Abs (Dante Trudel style) - 30x12, 30x10 (3/4 rep into a full rep = 1 rep, so essentially 1-3/4 is one rep)

Tough one tonight!

Exercise order was tweaked slightly as folks happened to be on the machines I wanted, so auto-regulated slightly - this may have factored into why I felt a sense of fatigue after my first compound - could also be time for some time off, we'll see what my body tells me in the coming days

Isolations were far from easy, had to really fight for the last reps, the reps that count. Still managed to progress my log book and I cleaned up many of the reps, so it's a win-win.

Snapped a rear lat spread post workout, quite pleased with what I saw.

Starting to fill in the gaps :)

March 8 - Legs

Lying Leg Curl - 80x10/10

Hack Squat - 3pps + 25 x9, 3pps x12

Leg Press - 8pps + 25 x8, 7pps x12

Seated Leg Curl - 165 x10, 150 x 15

Standing Calf Raise - 300 x10, 310 x6/4/3 (double RP)

Abs - 45 x15/15

Fueled by Kuba's latest leg session, I was determined to beat my loading and back off set on hacks. Mission accomplished.

Feeling great, I attacked the Cybex Leg Press after rotating it out for a whole week to let my hip flexor recover, starting very low and working myself up, I eventually hit my top set and beat my last numbers - extremely happy with this!

Great session!

Here's one post-workout :)

March 6 - Pull

MTS Front Pulldown - 240x8, 250x8

Deadlift - 425x8, 435x4, 325x12

Chest Supported Seated Row - 200x8, 170x12

DB Shrug - 110x10/9

Arm Curl - 90x8, 80x11

Assisted Chin Up - BWx8/8

Great morning pull session! Constantly thinking about effective reps on every exercise. Deadlifts felt rather good. Second loading set I rushed it a tad and lost concentration, but 6-8 reps is within reach, likely next week.

Rest of the session moved really well, in and out in over an hour.

Job done.

Ash Wednesday, so no meat on Fridays (only fish) from here on out until Easter.

Rest day tomorrow.

March 1 - Legs

Seated Leg Curl - 2x8-12

Hack Squat - 1x5-9, 1x9-12

Standing Calf Raise - 4x5-9

Leg Extension - 2x8-10

Lying Leg Curl - 2x8-12

Toe Press - 2x15

Abdominals - 2x12

With my hip flexor still problematic, tonight's session was auto-regulated in favor of more isolation less compounds. That being said, I aimed for effective reps and really challenged myself to look past my setback.

Hacks went very well with 3pps+25 lbs x 7, 3pps x10 a nice PR especially given the circumstances. I could definitely feel my left hip flexor flaring up a bit after this, but not nearly as bad as last week when I did hacks after leg press.

Going forward, I may have to alter my first leg rotation or second, not quite sure what I want to do just yet. I've kept high bar squats for almost two years, so I may have just answered my own question on what to swap.

All in all, happy with my performance.

Huge push+pull tomorrow.

Let's get it!

February 25 - Push

Incline Barbell - 225 x7/6, 185x12

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press - 2pps+20 x9, 2pps x12

Close Grip Chest Press Machine - 135 x12, 150x11 (new machine)

Pec Deck - 150 x12/12

DB Lateral Raise - 40x7, 30 x13/12

Cable Front Raise (straight bar) - 40x12/12

Single Arm Rope Pushdown - 30x12/12

Going forward if I find myself working from home, I'll use this push rotation at my local gym.

Found myself in a great groove, a couple new machines provided a new stimulus, which was great. I honed in on the isolations today, making sure not to rush them. It became pretty apparent that I have a tendency to do so. Not today, however, even for such low loads, I had to dig for those last reps.

Sometimes we often forget, when it comes to isolations, it's not about the load, but the execution.

The single arm rope pushdowns definitely take the cake today.

Physique update

Average weight: 179.13 lbs

TD: 265p, 445c, 60f

NTD: 265p, 225c, 90f (still playing around with this)

Hit a weight PR this morning of 180.8 lbs. Oh boy!

Took measurements and body fat readings as well and everything has gone up or stayed the same, so again my markers are telling me exactly what I’m seeing and feeling which is I'm definitely fluffier, but also much much stronger

Strength and performance is at an all time high

Very happy with this mornings progress pics

Let me know if anyone has any questions! Happy to interact with the members on the site :)

February 22 - Legs

Lying Leg Curl - 60x10, 80x8 (activation)

Cybex Leg Press - 8pps x10, 8pps+25 x5, 6pps x13 (lead to some serious hip flexor pain)

Cybex Hack Squat - 3pps+25 lbs x 4, 2pps+35 lbs x6 (hip flexor wasn't letting up - painful)

MTS Leg Curl - 80x10, 90x8, 75x11

MTS Leg Extension - 60x10, 70x10, 80x6 (new exercise)

Standing Calf Raise - Stack (300 lbs) x10,8,7, 260x9

Abdominals - 70x12/12

Leg press before hack squats was a mistake (someone was using hack machine when I got there) this lead to some extreme left hip flexor pain after my top set, which progressively become more noticeable the rest of the workout. Managed an all time PR of 8pps, but that victory didn't last as hacks were a total miss.

Realized I can't switch up the order of leg press and hacks, I'll simply have to wait and be proactive while I do so if I can't get to the machine first.

Not a great lift, by my standards, but still managed to progress here and there.

Big Push + Pull tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

February 20 - Pull

Hammer Strength Lat Pulldown - 2pps+25 x9, 2pps+35 x6, 2pps+10 x11

Deadlift - 405x7, 415x7, 325x10

Assisted Chin Up - x10/8

Single Arm Standing Iso Lateral Row - 2pps x10/10

DB Side Lateral - 35x11, 30x12/12

DB Shrug - 105x9/9

Bicep Curl - 70x10, 75x6

Later session than normal and at a different local gym, so a nice change of scenary. Great response tonight, back and biceps were firing on all cylinders. The perfect session after such a stressful evening yesterday.

Had to rush Kai (my pup) to the emergency room, his paw got punctured by a frozen stick. Luckily no tendons were ruptured and he's already doing much better today, walking and jaunting about the house. Such a solider.

Rest day tomorrow, working from home and spending time with Kai :)

February 15 - Legs

Lying Leg Curl - 60x8, 80x8 (purely activation)

Cybex Hack Squat - 3pps+20 lbs x 8, 2pps+20 lbs x15 (much cleaner reps)

Cybex Leg Press - 7pps x 10 +RP x6 x4, 7pps x 10 + RP x5 x5 (aim is to RP the same number of reps as first set, so 10)

Cybex Single Leg - 2x10

Isolated Seated Leg Curl - 85x10, 70x25 (left groin acted up here)

Seated Calf Raise - 400x8 x7 x6 + 2 drop sets (300, 200)

Went into the gym pretty stressed, felt I was running late and was overthinking my hack squat sets, call it nervousness idk. Luckily, everything went better than expected with the reps much cleaner, however, I left 1 maybe 2 reps in the tank since I didn't have a spotter. Honestly, it pissed me off, but it is what it is I guess.

This low volume training is definitely different, but so far I like what I'm seeing and feeling.

Big upper body session tomorrow. Can't wait!

February 11 - Push

Barbell Incline - 225x5/5, 185x11

DB Shoulder Press - 60x10/10/10

DB Incline Fly - 55x8/8/8/DC stretch

DB Lateral Raise - 30x12/12 20x15/15

Dips - BWx15/15/15

Pec Deck - 150x12/160x10

Barbell incline felt very good! I didn't have a spotter, so naturally I left a few reps in the tank, but 7-9 reps is very achievable.

On the isolations, my aim was to hit effective reps each set, while producing a huge pump. Added a DC stretch at the end of flyes. First time I've done that and I think I'll keep it in for future push days

Happy with today, anxious to keep improving! :)

February 8 - Legs

Cybex Hack - 3pps+20 lbs x 7, 2pps+20 lbs x12 (first set, last rep was UGLY)

Cybex Leg Press - 6pps x 10 +RP x5 x5, 6pps x 10 + RP x3 x4

Cybex Single Leg - 1pps + 25 lbs x 10, 1pps + 35 lbs x 8 (left groin started acting up here)

Isolated Seated Leg Curl - 75x10, 80x8

Standing Calf Raise - 240x10 x10 x9 x7

Lying Leg Curl - 70x10, 80x8

Brutal one tonight. Played around with some different loads as I was feeling adventurous. Left groin acted up after leg press, could have been that I didn't warm up properly or the load was significantly higher this week - will monitor it in the coming days.

PBs or PRs as I call them, across the board, definitely happy about that.

Better than yesterday

Mejor que ayer :)

Physique update

Average weight: 175.5 lbs

Macros: 225p, 400c, 60f

Been a little while! 😄

Weight crept up following our family vacation in Mexico. While I was able to get a few lifts in, most of the weight gained was definitely fat, but much needed in the grander scheme of things for several reasons.

For instance, I’m not nearly as food focused as before and my libido has drastically improved.

Last two weeks have been mentally tough. Caught a bug flying back and that forced me to take active rest days as strength was absolutely shot, but definitely on the rebound now.

A great lower and upper body session this weekend having me feeling much more positive! Excited to execute this third mesocycle and set some PRs along the way!

Hey Miguel! Just wanted to reach out and say I read up on your entire log and am loving the way you approached your off-season so far (especially with regard to weight). I hope you enjoy your family vacation and I'm looking forward to following this log. Sick physique too, man!

Physique update

Average weight: 171.6 lbs

Macros: 225p, 400c, 60f

Weight is moving at a rather fast pace, but that's ok as I'm happy with the progress I'm making and with my "look" thus far.

Mass and fat beginning to distribute to other areas, specifically legs and back, which I'm happy to see.

I'm past wanting to stay lean and simply anxious to progress every session, at least that's been the mindset. It's been wonderful feeling "strong" again. I find myself I'm still a little food focused on rest days especially since I've been home for the holidays and the kitchen is nearby lol. Training days I'm a lot more tame

The plan will be to push as hard as I can until next week when I'll be off on a family vacation. I'll do my best to get a couple lifts in if I find a suitable gym. Otherwise, I'll relax and enjoy myself with my family over some good food and drink.

Cheers!

Such a damn awesome log dude. Really enjoying reading and staying up to date with this!

very nice blog! Out of interest: You mentioned that you restructured your split and programming - what were the biggest changes? What was different in this meso compared to all the ones before?

End of Meso 1

Today concludes my first offseason mesocycle.

Looking back at the last 5 weeks, there's plenty to be happy about. I've achieved many PRs in the 8-12 rep range all across the board. Re-structuring my split and programming week by week has helped me become that much of a better lifter. I was beginning to get married with my previous approach and even though I was progressing, I wasn't in tune with the overarching goal, occasionally veering off the path.

Now, things feel MUCH different. I'm the strongest I've ever felt and leanest I've ever looked at this weight (168) and it all comes down to taking things seriously post contest prep. I had a plan and I've executed it. It's not been perfect, but it's been by far my best approach to start an offseason. I'm in a great spot and I'm really just riding this momentum for as long as I can.

I want to devote to taking some serious time off from stage and although 3-4 years may seem like forever, I'm confident and optimistic that it will be WORTH it.

Looking ahead, the next mesocycle will involve a greater focus on quad and back development. I'll push volume on these two muscle groups, while bringing others down to compensate. The goal is to reach MRV, but I may be a couple mesocycles shy from that, however, that only excites me to continue pushing myself physically and mentally.

Takeaways

• We all start somewhere - acknowledge your weak points and add volume intelligently

• Lift with INTENSITY - execute your basic fundamentals: form, technique and give it all you got

• Don't sleep on SLEEP - recovery and rest are vital to progression

• Know when to back off - if it fucking hurts, stop immediately and plan a deload

December 10 - LEGS

High Bar Squat - 4x8 @ 285 lbs

Deadlift - 3x8 @ 375 lbs

Isolated Leg Extension - 5x12 (each leg) @ 50-65 lbs

Standing Calf Raises - 5x12 @ 160 lbs

Squats felt amazing (again) today! No squat shoes, no problem. My chucks have made this movement feel like BUTTER. I'm super excited to keep pushing weight here.

Deadlifts felt strong, but were challenging, which called for slightly longer rest periods.

All in all, I'm exactly where I need to be in terms of pushing to failure and emptying the tank.

Looking forward to finishing strong and preparing for a solid deload next week.

December 10 - PUSH Incline Bench Press (smith) - 3x6 @ 2pps Decline Bench Press - 4x8 @ 215 lbs DB Flyes - 3x15 @ 45 lbs DB Lateral Raise - 3x15 @ 25 lbs Tricep Kickback - 3x12 @ 15.5 kg Cable Crunch - 3x15 @ 64 kg HARD session.. delts are fried from all the chest volume. Definitely noticing more niggles and pains here and there. I didn't quite hit my mark, but definitely pushed things to failure, which was the objective week 5 of this first meso.

The remainder of this week will be interesting as I have to switch a few elements of my normal training like location and time. Busy week in terms of personal life, so I'll adjust as I need to.

Physique update

Last week's average: 161.6

This week's average: 164.6

*7 weeks post content prep*

Wrapping up week 4 of the first meso, all lifts are still "progressing", some slower now than others, a few times I've had to autoregulate sets/reps. Body is definitely feeling the effects of this week, with niggles coming left and right. No gimmies, however, everything has been earned.

Felt I finished strong last night with extra volume and a better MMC than when I started the week. I really want to continue driving intensity and focusing a lot more on my eccentric movements going forward.

Macros: 205p, 395c, and 55f

December 8 - UPPER BODY

DB Incline Bench Press - 3x10 @ 85 lbs

Hammer Strength Flat Press - 4x8 @ 2pps

Hammer Strength Iso Row (unilateral) - 3x10 @ 3.25pps

Hammer Strength Low Row (bilateral) - 4x8 @ 2.25pps

Tricep Pushdown (EZ bar) - 3x10-12 @ 155 lbs

Cable Face Pull - 5x8-10 @ 60 lbs

Reverse Flyes - 3x12 @ 120 lbs (bonus exercise)

More energized than last week, but strength wasn't quite where I wanted it. I had to autoregulate a few sets/reps, but still pounded away and achieved the volume I needed to finish on top.

Intensity was great and MMC was even better.

JP's video on "How to find your lats" was superb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNn-49MHCb4

Note: two things I changed from last week - coffee mid day and trained roughly 24 hours later from my last session -- last week, no afternoon coffee and trained earlier by a few hours.

December 7 - LOWER BODY

Hack Squats - 4x8 @ 2.35pps

Leg Press - 4x15 @ 5pps

DB SLD - 3x12 @ 100 lbs

KB Walking Lunges - 4x10 @ 40 lbs

Isolated Leg Curl - 3x12 @ 65 lbs

Standing Calf Raise - 5x8 @ 220 lbs

Tough workout last night. I had to eek out reps on hacks and leg press. Lots of unneeded stress and fatigue from the lack of sleep the last two nights finally caught up to me. I managed to check my boxes, but I had to WORK for them. Quads were taxed.. Swolest I've seen them all offseason.

All in all, happy with my effort and intensity, however, recovery will be crucial if I'm to continue performing at this level.

Upper body later today.

Let's go!

December 5 - REST

Chiropractor

LISS - 35 min

Stretch - 5 min

Very productive morning, ticking most of my boxes already. Sleep the past two nights has been terrible, after waking up in the middle of the night to pee I can't fall back asleep, however, I don't feel obliterated from lack of sleep, yet.

Weighed in at 164.6 which is what I've been averaging the past week or so. Weight has finally stabilized after I started tracking with more accuracy.

Bumping calories up today to 205p, 395c, 55f

Feasted on some pancakes this morning, one of my favorite joys when working from home I get to batch up some extravagant.

Excited to use these for fuel for the remainder of the week.

December 4 - PULL

Barbell Row - 4x8 @ 230 lbs

Lat Pulldown - 3x12 @ 155 lbs

Seated Cable Row - 3x12 @ 195 lbs

DB Pullover - 3x10 @ 60 lbs

Cable Curls - 3x15 @ 52.5 kg

Weighted Pull ups - 3xfailure - 10,8,8

Core Fury X (half scoop) + MTS Vasky came in clutch. Probably the best PULL session I've had all mesocycle. I wasn't nearly as fatigued going into my working sets. Really focused on every rep and brought the intensity.

After today, I'm really feeling one more week before deloading. I'm progressing, recovery is good all markers are checking out. Still have two sessions left this week, so this could still sway my decision, but all in all, I'm feeling good!

Rest day tomorrow and much needed.

December 3 - LEGS

High Bar Squat - 4x8 @ 270 lbs

Deadlift - 3x8 @ 355 lbs

Hip Thrusts (smith) - 4x10 @ 2.10pps

Leg Extensions - 4x12 @ 125

A cracking session! Much better than expected. I figured some fatigue was bound to creep into today's session and I also forgot my adipowers, so I was already getting inside my own head.

Turns out, I didn't need my adipowers, my o.g. black chucks worked amazingly. I felt strong underneath the bar today, very smooth reps. The rest of the workout was on par with strength and intensity.

Very happy with my output.

A little early yet, but tomorrow's workout should tell me whether to lean toward a deload or not, but right now I'm feeling another week of progression during this meso.

December 2 - PUSH

Incline Bench Press (smith) - 4x6 @ 1.35pps

Decline Bench Press - 4x8 @ 215 lbs

DB Flyes - 3x12 @ 45 lbs

DB Lateral Raise - 3x15 @ 25 lbs

Tricep Kickback - 3x12 @ 14 kg

Cable Crunch - 3x12 @ 67.5 kg

Good, tough session! Took me a few working sets to get into the session, slightly distracted entering the gym.

Volume is still trending upward, definitely left a rep or two on incline and decline, having a spotter would have been nice, but we take what we can get -- a little motivation for next week when my gym partner is back.

Tomorrow's leg day is lining up to be a big one as I'll be hitting some respectable loads week 4 of this first meso

Rest day to end the week

LISS - 35 min

Stretch - 5 min

Woke up extremely sore in my lower half, indicative of the great and intense leg day on Friday. Feeling a lot better post cardio and with some caffeine in my system.

Today's macros: 205p, 370c, 50f

I played around with macros a bit this week, having started initially a bit higher with 225p, 375c, 45f for the first couple days. Reason being, it was getting pretty tough to sustain 40g fats while still feeling completely unbalanced with my hormones and non-existent libido

Also, I'm seeing more of the literature saying that as far as optimal protein intake goes, 1.8g/kg (0.82g/lb) is all we need to progress.

According to this article: https://mennohenselmans.com/the-myth-of-1glb-optimal-protein-intake-for-bodybuilders 1.8g/kg (0.82g/lb) is the point at which additional protein intake ceases to yield any benefits.

Lastly, this article on how protein is not more satiating than carbs and fats has me thinking more critically about protein in general. https://mennohenselmans.com/protein-is-not-more-satiating-than-carbs-and-fats/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Protein+is+not+more+satiating+than+carbs+and+fats&utm_campaign=RSS+New+Articles

I'm not trying to do anything rash, but tweaking my macros slightly is worth experimenting with, as long as I'm still hitting my same caloric intake.

Plan moving forward, stick to 205p, 370c, 50f for the next three days and gauge from there by listening to my body, analyzing my physique and checking my markers.

Programmed rest day today

-Chiropractor - bi monthly adjustment

-LISS - incline treadmill - 35 min

-Stretch - 5 min

Body is definitely feeling beat up from the week, but I should be fresh going into tomorrow's lower body session.

Training split mid-week (working sets only). Tomorrow is a rest day then it's back to two on, one off. I'll log those sessions later this weekend.

Monday - PUSH

Incline Bench Press (smith) - 4x6

Decline Bench Press - 3x8

DB Flyes - 3x15

DB Lateral Raise - 3x15

Tricep Extension - 3x12

Cable Crunch - 3x12

Tuesday - LEGS

High Bar Squat - 4x8

Deadlift - 3x8

Hip Thrusts (smith) - 4x10

Leg Extensions - 3x12

Wednesday - PULL

Barbell Row - 4x6

Lat Pulldown - 3x12

Seated Cable Row - 3x12

DB Pullover - 3x10

Cable Curls - 3x12

Weighted Pull ups - 3xfailure

Just wrapped up my second week of this first offseason mesocycle.

All lifts have been progressing, as I've felt good and in tune with my MMC I've pushed a few lifts beyond what was programmed - post Thanksgiving calories have been absolutely clutch.

Macros stayed put at 225p, 350c, and 40f and I did my best to track on Thanksgiving. I wasn't perfect, but I didn't hold back from indulging on prime rib, wine, and some dessert :)

I've tapered water down to a gallon as I've felt rather bloated as of late. Pre-bed oats are voluminous enough so I'm getting plenty of water through my food as well.

I'll break down my split more in detail as I begin logging consistently, so keep an eye for that.

Lastly, here are some progress pictures as of this morning.

Last week's average: 159.49

This week's average: 161.6

First week of this mesocycle went really well. The main focus is to really accrue volume these next few weeks, so while I'm not expecting PRs in the gym I did manage some as energy and strength felt good on those days. Plenty of soreness this week, reaffirming I'm on the right path toward my MRV.

Macros have been at 225p, 350c, and 40f all week and my weight has jumped up significantly. Going from last week's average of 156.7 to this week's average of 159.49 with the last three days averaging 160.6.

No free meals, but definitely some extra calories here and there. I've noticed my sugar intake has increased almost everyday this week, so I'm not sure if that has any correlation to the weight gain. I've kept water intake at around 1.25-1.5 gallons and sodium the same.

Plan is to stick to these macros for another 3 days and see what happens, but likely keep them for another week as I might be nearing maintenance to push up slightly again. Midsection is fading by the day as fat is beginning to spread across my upper body. Legs, however, are staying lean and vascular.

Hey Miguel! Fantastic start to the log, really looking forward to following this :) Sounds like you’ve got carbs up really well initially, this is a great spot to be. Love the split too, it’s a really nice set up. How do you currently set up your diet in terms of meals? Share any progress pics on here too!