Muskate's daily workouts and log

[muskate]

I have had a lot of people PM me asking to post my daily workouts again so I am going to start it up again.


I had to loose a lot of weight for modelling because I was really working hard with my agent to try and get an international modelling contract. I didn't end up getting a contract so I am going to shift gears and focus on really trying to put on some size to be more competitive when I compete again next year. I placed second this year and next year I really want to win and finally earn that pro card.


One important point: I won't be doing any cardio. I know my body well and I have my nutrition dialled in 100%. Most people following along will benefit from incorporating some cardio into their program.


Workout program overview:
I got a lot of this program from Jim Stoppani and researchers from Federal University of Sao Carlos.
The researchers used this exact form of periodization rep scheme and microcycle on trained athletes.
They reported an average gain of 7 pounds of lean muscle after the 12 phases.
Even more impressive, the 7 pound lean muscle mass gain was accompanied by a 5 pound loss in body fat
That is extremely impressive when you take into account that experienced lifters were used in the study.
These were not new lifters experiencing 'noobie gains'.


Each microcycle is broken up into 4 phases. The rep ranges decrease each phase.
During phases one and two of each microcycle of the program, I will do one rest-pause on the last set of each exercise.
During phases three and four of all microcycles, I will do a drop set on the last set of each exercise.


The first exercise that I do for each muscle group (except for abs and calves) will remain constant throughout all 12 weeks.
This is the exercise I will be focusing on increasing strength on.

 

[muskate]

Sunday June. 19


This is my starting point. Extremely lean but defiantly need to put back on some size.











Workout 1: Chest, triceps, calves

 

[Lev Butlerov]

As always @muskate, your logs are sublime! A ton of details, good explanations, and pics. I can truly see here a man of science - you everything so well, that anyone can replicate your "experiment" and achieve good results. Keep us posted - if this new approach will work for you as well as for these guys in the studies, I will definitely give it a try too.

 

[stevesmi]

very good log, a lot of guys have told me they are looking for day to day info that they can use as a blueprint.. well here it is

 

[tony nico]

Do you do gear musk?

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

Sounds like "Shortcut to Size". I did this program with really really really good results. The diet was locked in and training was on point. I am really looking forward to following this. Too bad you didn't get the modeling deal but things happen for a reason and this is a new door opening...

 

[muskate]

Do you do gear musk?

No I do not. It's a long story but I used steroids extensively in the past when I was 18-20 and competing in bodybuilding at the national level. After some serious health problems and finding out I had cancer, I got off all steroids and haven't looked back since.

I do use SARMS here and there however.

By the way, it was just a muscular tumour and has already been cut out so I am completely healthy.

 

[tony nico]

No I do not. It's a long story but I used steroids extensively in the past when I was 18-20 and competing in bodybuilding at the national level. After some serious health problems and finding out I had cancer, I got off all steroids and haven't looked back since.

I do use SARMS here and there however.

By the way, it was just a muscular tumour and has already been cut out so I am completely healthy.

Shit man sorry to hear that but you look great bruh!

 

[muskate]

Shit man sorry to hear that but you look great bruh!

Haha just wait my friend. Those are the 'before' photos

 

[tony nico]

Haha just wait my friend. Those are the 'before' photos

Yea smash it! Looking afford to seeing the results

 

[muskate]

June 20, 2016


Really good workout today. My energy levels have already improved with increasing my food intake. Awesome pumps and focus throughout the entire workout. I haven't been this motivated and excited to train every day in a long time.





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

June 21, 2016


Really good workout today. I had a big cheat meal last night so I was nice and full for this workout. My strength has already significantly increased from increasing my calories and I can already see a nice increased fullness and roundness to my muscles. Shoulders and calves aren't a particularly demanding workout so today is a low carb day for me. Tomorrow is legs and abs and will be a very high carb day for me. My carb cycling break down looks like this
Day 1: chest triceps calves - high carb
Day 2: back biceps abs - high carb
Day 3: shoulders calves - low carb
Day 4: legs abs - very high carb





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[suriadventures]

What are your macros for this programme ? Can you tell me if you don't mind.

Thanks

 

[muskate]

June 22, 2016


Today was a little bit of a later workout for me. I have my summer course final (human anatomy) on Friday at 9AM so I spent all day at school. I didn't even get to the gym and start training until 8PM but I still had a really good workout. I was really full and had a lot of energy for the workout training so late because I was able to fill out and get 4 full meals in before my workout.





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

What are your macros for this programme ? Can you tell me if you don't mind.

Thanks ��

This is what my diet looks like -

Diet

On my leg days I have a very high carb day where anything goes. I keep fat as minimal as possible and eat as much protein and carbohydrates as I can. A sample day might look something like this:

Meal 1 Protein pancakes made from oatmeal, egg whites, stevia, cinnamon and sea salt blended together. Along with a grapefruit on the side
Meal 2 Brown rice pasta with a red tomatoe sauce and 2 cans of tuna
Meal 3 A massive bowl of white rice with a chicken breast, green onions, celery and carrot strips mixed in. Seasoned with soy sauce
Pre workout A massive bowl of oatmeal with whey isolate mixed in
Post workout A massive bowl of rice krispies cereal with a vanilla whey isolate protein shake poured over top
Meal 4 crab cakes’ made by mixing a can of canned crab with oatmeal, eggs whites and sea salt and pan frying
Meal 5 A big bowl of fat free cottage cheese or greek yogurt with a baked sweet potato covered in sugar free ketchup

All other training days training days
1. 500ml egg white
100g oatmeal
2 whole lemons

2. 1 can wild salmon
100g mixed vegetable (carrot, corn, pea, and green beans)
100g green beans
100g butternut squash

3. 200r chicken or turkey breast
100g brown rice
100g spinach, kale or lettuce

4. 30g whey isolate
30g vegan protein powder
50g oatmeal
10g flax seed

DURING WORKOUT: 30g BCAA

POST WORKOUT
1 scoop (30g) whey isolate
30 grams waxy maize carbohydrate powder
greens powder

5. 1 can tuna
50g oatmeal

6. 200r chicken or turkey breast OR 300g 0.4% dry cottage cheese
3 whole eggs
100g spinach, kale or lettuce
More information can be found here: http://trevorkouritzin.com/?p=1198

 

[tony nico]

This is what my diet looks like -

Diet

On my leg days I have a very high carb day where anything goes. I keep fat as minimal as possible and eat as much protein and carbohydrates as I can. A sample day might look something like this:

Meal 1 Protein pancakes made from oatmeal, egg whites, stevia, cinnamon and sea salt blended together. Along with a grapefruit on the side
Meal 2 Brown rice pasta with a red tomatoe sauce and 2 cans of tuna
Meal 3 A massive bowl of white rice with a chicken breast, green onions, celery and carrot strips mixed in. Seasoned with soy sauce
Pre workout A massive bowl of oatmeal with whey isolate mixed in
Post workout A massive bowl of rice krispies cereal with a vanilla whey isolate protein shake poured over top
Meal 4 crab cakes’ made by mixing a can of canned crab with oatmeal, eggs whites and sea salt and pan frying
Meal 5 A big bowl of fat free cottage cheese or greek yogurt with a baked sweet potato covered in sugar free ketchup

All other training days training days
1. 500ml egg white
100g oatmeal
2 whole lemons

2. 1 can wild salmon
100g mixed vegetable (carrot, corn, pea, and green beans)
100g green beans
100g butternut squash

3. 200r chicken or turkey breast
100g brown rice
100g spinach, kale or lettuce

4. 30g whey isolate
30g vegan protein powder
50g oatmeal
10g flax seed

DURING WORKOUT: 30g BCAA

POST WORKOUT
1 scoop (30g) whey isolate
30 grams waxy maize carbohydrate powder
greens powder

5. 1 can tuna
50g oatmeal

6. 200r chicken or turkey breast OR 300g 0.4% dry cottage cheese
3 whole eggs
100g spinach, kale or lettuce
More information can be found here: http://trevorkouritzin.com/?p=1198

Yea that is a sick diet

 

[big dog 21]

If u can eat like that and stay lean, ur metabolism must be amazing. Great post

 

[tony nico]

If u can eat like that and stay lean, ur metabolism must be amazing. Great post

You mirin brah

 

[JokBonNam]

Good blog. sure thing a lot of people would find it beneficial, including myself.

 

[MisterSandman]

Do you have the macros for this diet? How much do you weigh and how tall are you?


Also have you ever experimented with Lyle McDonald's UD2 carb cycling? I've done it a few times, it's brutal but worked

Day 1 and Day 2
Training: Glycogen Depletion
Diet: Low-carb/low-calorie

Day 3 / Day 4 AM
Training: Cardio
Diet: Low-carb/low-calorie

Day 4 PM
Training: High intensity
Diet: Begin carb-load

Day 5
Training: Rest
Diet: Carb-load

Day 6
Training: Power workout
Diet: Diet variable

Day 7
Training: Cardio
Diet: Diet variable

What do you think of it?

 

[muskate]

June 23, 2016


The workout I did yesterday was the end of phase 1 so today I started phase 2. Each phase I am decreasing the rep range of the exercises I am doing and focusing on lifting more weight. The last set of every exercise is a rest pause set in phase 1 and 2. The last set of every exercise is a drop set in phase 3 and 4.





It's coming along. I am excited to take some progress pictures for all of you on the weekend. Already a big noticeable improvement in my physique.

 

[muskate]

If u can eat like that and stay lean, ur metabolism must be amazing. Great post

That's actually not a lot of food. I started my calories fairly low because my metabolism is suppressed from eating such low calories for such a long period of time for modelling. I suspect I will maintain my current level of conditioning or even improve my conditioning on this calorie intake.

If you are a healthy male 20-40 who is training hard 60-90 minutes per day, you should be able to eat AT LEAST that amount of food.

I have a cross fit client who is around the same size of me. His last meal everyday is an entire box of gluten free fig newtons (that's about 1500 calories) + 200g chicken breast + 100g lettuce.

This is bodybuilding...bring out the big dinner plates.

 

[muskate]

Do you have the macros for this diet? How much do you weigh and how tall are you?


Also have you ever experimented with Lyle McDonald's UD2 carb cycling? I've done it a few times, it's brutal but worked

Day 1 and Day 2
Training: Glycogen Depletion
Diet: Low-carb/low-calorie

Day 3 / Day 4 AM
Training: Cardio
Diet: Low-carb/low-calorie

Day 4 PM
Training: High intensity
Diet: Begin carb-load

Day 5
Training: Rest
Diet: Carb-load

Day 6
Training: Power workout
Diet: Diet variable

Day 7
Training: Cardio
Diet: Diet variable

What do you think of it?

Leg day - I go by hunger.
I would guess:
calories: 4000
protein: around 200
carbs: 500
fats: trace

All other training days -
calories: 3000-3200
protein: 300
carbs: 300
fats: 60

I am a big Lyle Mcdonald fan and have read all his work. I personally feel that all this diets work better for athletes then bodybuilders specifically. If you have a significant amount of muscle mass, you can eat a lot more carbs/calories then he recommend. I tried his UDC2 carb cycling diet and lost a lot muscle from it.

I also think he over prescribes cardio. Cardio destroys the metabolism and gives the body a skinny fat look. Hard weight training is what builds and sculpts the physique.

 

[suriadventures]

Hey Muskate are you working out full week, Monday to Sunday ?

 

[muskate]

June 24, 2016


I had my summer course final this morning. I was up late studying for the final but I still managed to get a really good workout in. I'll catch up on the sleep tonight. I now have a break from classes until starting back up again in September. I often find that when you're tired - the hardest part is just getting to the gym. Once you get the blood flowing and some music playing, I always end up having a great workout.





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

Hey Muskate are you working out full week, Monday to Sunday ?

Yes. I personally train everyday. I take off days as needed. I will be in Vancouver June 30 - July 3 for a young adults conference with my church so I'll take a day or two off from training then.

I don't recommend this unless you have been training for a long time and really know your body. I have been training since I was 13 and can tell when my body is about to reach the brim of overtraining. I am OCD and weigh myself everyday, record all my food, record my weights etc so I know if my body is showing the signs of needing a break or not.

 

[muskate]

June 25, 2016


Strength is really increasing. Awesome workout today. Great focus throughout my entire workout and had a really good pump. Tomorrow morning I will update the log with progress photos.


Shoulder/calves day is an easier day. I on purpose put it before leg day so I am well rested for tomorrow.





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

June 26, 2016


I know I said I would put up pictures today but I was late for church this morning so I didn't get a chance to take any. I'll take some tomorrow morning. Things are really coming a long. I can tell a noticeable improvement in my physique just by looking in the mirror and when training. All my lifts have gone up significantly. This log has really reminded me of the important of food in your weight training/physique goals.





The last set of every exercise was a rest pause set where I hit failure, took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.


Tomorrow I start phase 3 where the last set of every exercise will be a drop set.

 

[big dog 21]

That's actually not a lot of food. I started my calories fairly low because my metabolism is suppressed from eating such low calories for such a long period of time for modelling. I suspect I will maintain my current level of conditioning or even improve my conditioning on this calorie intake.

If you are a healthy male 20-40 who is training hard 60-90 minutes per day, you should be able to eat AT LEAST that amount of food.

I have a cross fit client who is around the same size of me. His last meal everyday is an entire box of gluten free fig newtons (that's about 1500 calories) + 200g chicken breast + 100g lettuce.

This is bodybuilding...bring out the big dinner plates.

IMO, you have to be a very good to elite level athlete to eat like that, train 60-90 minutes a day and improve conditioning. Those 60-90 minutes must be intense and all out.

Thank you for posting this. I follow it every day.

 

[muskate]

June 27, 2016


Today I started phase 3 where the last set of each exercise is a drop set. I was able to do 8 repetitions on the bench press with weights that I used to only be able to do 5 repetitions with. Not much else to report. Everything is really coming along perfectly.

 

[muskate]

End of week 1 photos:

 

[muskate]

IMO, you have to be a very good to elite level athlete to eat like that, train 60-90 minutes a day and improve conditioning. Those 60-90 minutes must be intense and all out.

Thank you for posting this. I follow it every day.

I appreciate you following along. You are right on the money there. I train extremely intensely. I have been training since I was 13 and know my body very well. Those 60-90 minutes are not a puff 'pump workout'. They are all out and I am dripping in sweat afterwards.

It works like this:


The more clean food you eat -> the harder you can train -> the more muscle you build -> the faster your metabolism becomes -> the less body fat you have -> and so on.

 

[big dog 21]

Very Good symmetry too..

 

[muskate]

June 28, 2016


Great session today. I can't believe how much my strength is increasing just by bumping up my food intake alone. No other changes to my supplements, daily routine etc. Things are really coming along. I am up about 5 pounds since starting the log.





The last exercise of each set was a drop set where after I reached failure (can't perform anymore reps with good form), dropped the weight by about 25-35% and hit failure again.

 

[big dog 21]

June 28, 2016


Great session today. I can't believe how much my strength is increasing just by bumping up my food intake alone. No other changes to my supplements, daily routine etc. Things are really coming along. I am up about 5 pounds since starting the log.





The last exercise of each set was a drop set where after I reached failure (can't perform anymore reps with good form), dropped the weight by about 25-35% and hit failure again.

Do you use a preworkout if u don't mind me asking. Thanks!

 

[muskate]

Do you use a preworkout if u don't mind me asking. Thanks!

Pre-workout I drink a small cup of black coffee and take 5g of creatine (I use the creatine formula ancient strength from n2bm.com).

Pre-workout drinks are really just fancy energy drinks when it really comes down to it. A cup of coffee + a creatine supplement is basically the same thing for 1/3 of the cost.

I am not a big stimulant guy either. A lot of the pre-workouts on the market are absolutely loaded with caffeine. Some containing 400mg+ per serving. Stimulants are fine in moderation but if you abuse them, they will sky rocket cortisol levels and lead to adrenal fatigue...counter productive to any muscle building or fat loss goals.

 

[muskate]

June 29, 2016


Not much new to report. Things are really coming along nicely. Tomorrow I am leaving for Vancouver for a young adult's conference with my church. I am going to get up early and train legs before my flight. I will be returning Sunday night. That way I will be training chest triceps calves, back biceps abs and shoulder calves on my trip. It's always hard to train legs properly in a foreign gym so I made sure to time my workout split out so that my leg workouts would be when I am home.





The last exercise of each set was a drop set where after I reached failure (can't perform anymore reps with good form), dropped the weight by about 25-35% and hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

Checking in from Vancouver -


My flight left at 1PM yesterday so I got up at 6AM, had breakfast, trained from 8-1030AM and then left for the airport. I trained legs and abs.


Not too much was on the agenda yesterday. When we arrived to Vancouver we basically just had dinner and then ice breaker events to try and get to know each other. I met a really nice guy named Jon. We looked at each other and could tell that we both lifted. We instantly hit it off and are planning on getting a workout in today.


Breakfast is at 7AM today. After breakfast there are seminars and then lunch at 12:00. After lunch we have free time on the U of BC campus so me and Jon are going to go for a lift. Dinner is at 5PM and then there is a drum circle event planned afterwards. The food here is pretty good. For breakfast they have plain oatmeal. I brought some tuna cans and whey isolate so I am going to have a scoop of whey, a can of tuna, an apple + a massive bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. I'll have another can of tuna with some rice cakes as a snack before lunch and for lunch I am suspecting they will serve some sort of chicken dish with rice and salad.


Today I am going to train chest shoulders triceps and calves. Tomorrow I am going to train back biceps and abs. No gym opens early enough for me to get a workout in before church on Sunday and after the service my flight leaves so I will be taking Sunday off. I will be back in Winnipeg Sunday night and Monday I will be back to my regular routine and gym and will be training legs and abs.

 

[big dog 21]

Bump

 

[muskate]

Bump

Lol I am in Vancouver on a young adults conference with my church until tomorrow night. This weekend is a bit of a de-load week for me. I have been training non-stop without a day off the last 3 weeks. Even though I am still training on my trip, the quality and intensity of your workouts in a foreign gym is never the same as it will be at your home gym.

Thursday morning I trained legs and abs before I left for my trip.

Yesterday (Friday) I trained chest shoulders triceps and calves at the University of BC campus gym.

Today (Saturday) I trained back biceps and abs at the University of BC campus gym.

Tomorrow I won't have time to train with service and then leaving for the airport right after. I will be taking the day off.

Monday I am back home and back to the routine. I will be training legs and abs as part of my normal routine again at my home gym.

 

[big dog 21]

Lol I am in Vancouver on a young adults conference with my church until tomorrow night. This weekend is a bit of a de-load week for me. I have been training non-stop without a day off the last 3 weeks. Even though I am still training on my trip, the quality and intensity of your workouts in a foreign gym is never the same as it will be at your home gym.

Thursday morning I trained legs and abs before I left for my trip.

Yesterday (Friday) I trained chest shoulders triceps and calves at the University of BC campus gym.

Today (Saturday) I trained back biceps and abs at the University of BC campus gym.

Tomorrow I won't have time to train with service and then leaving for the airport right after. I will be taking the day off.

Monday I am back home and back to the routine. I will be training legs and abs as part of my normal routine again at my home gym.

Do you monitor you fluid intake? How much does a change in how much you drink affect your body and energy?

 

[muskate]

Do you monitor you fluid intake? How much does a change in how much you drink affect your body and energy?

Water is extremely important. I drink 6L of clean water per day MINIMUM. I drink 500mL pre-workout, 1L during my workout and 500mL in my post workout shake alone.

Remember that your muscles are 70% water by weight.

Water is the solute that all hormones and substances in the body travel. It is very important.

 

[muskate]

I got home very late from Vancouver last night. I slept in this morning, caught up on some client work and then went for a lift around 6PM. I trained legs and abs. As nice as vacations are, they sure remind you how great you have it back home. I am a type A person and very routine orientated. I really missed being able to eat my regular meals, being able to train at my regular gym etc.


Tomorrow I start microcycle 2, phase 1, day 1 with chest + triceps + abs. I will be following the same split as the rest of the log, just the exercises will be different.

 

[muskate]

July. 5, 2016


Back to the routine and back to my regular training schedule. It feels good to be back. Today I started microcycle 2. It is the same format as microcycle 2, just with slightly different exercises. The first exercise for each body part is the same in every microcycle and that is the exercise I am focusing on trying to increase strength on. I was able to do the same amount of repetitions on the barbell flat bench press, rope tricep push down and standing calf raise with more weight then I was able to in microcycle 1 so things are really coming along.


There is more to hypertrophy then just gaining strength but if you are steadily getting stronger, that is a really good sign things are right on track.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[big dog 21]

July. 5, 2016


Back to the routine and back to my regular training schedule. It feels good to be back. Today I started microcycle 2. It is the same format as microcycle 2, just with slightly different exercises. The first exercise for each body part is the same in every microcycle and that is the exercise I am focusing on trying to increase strength on. I was able to do the same amount of repetitions on the barbell flat bench press, rope tricep push down and standing calf raise with more weight then I was able to in microcycle 1 so things are really coming along.


There is more to hypertrophy then just gaining strength but if you are steadily getting stronger, that is a really good sign things are right on track.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

Does the time of day u workout affect your strength and amount of repititions?

 

[muskate]

July 6, 2016


Another really good workout today. I was able to increase the amount of weight I used for the same amount of repetitions on the bent over dumbbell rows and barbell curl as compared to microcycle 1. The first exercise of each body part is the same in all the microcycles and that is the exercise I am focusing on getting stronger on.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

Does the time of day u workout affect your strength and amount of repititions?

Not really. As long as I was able to get a good pre-workout meal in around 60-90 minutes before my workout and got 8 hours of sleep the night before my strength is pretty consistent.

Not having one of those two makes a HUGE difference in my strength and the quality of my workout however.

 

[muskate]

July 7, 2016


Really good workout today. Shoulders and calves are a bit easier of a workout and sort of like my rest day. I on purpose put them before leg day which is by far the hardest training day of the week. I was able to get more repetitions with the same weight that I used in microcycle 1 on the DB shoulder press so things are really on the right track. Periodization really does work. By cycling your rep ranges like I am, you prioritize a different muscle fibre each week and get the best of everything.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 8, 2016


Really good workout today. Leg day is by far the hardest day of the week but you always feel the best afterwards. There is no better feeling then walking out of the gym feeling like you just gave birth after a really hard workout.


I did the front squats using a reverse stance on the hack squat. Here is a video describing what I mean -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEhSEZEVies
I highly recommend giving it a try if you have never done the exercise before. Front squats when done free weight are kind of awkward and it can be difficult to balance the bar on your shoulders. With this method you can really fatigue the quads and get a great mind muscle connection. It is one of my favourite exercises that I see no one ever doing.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 9, 2016


I decided to do another run through of phase 1 before moving onto phase 2 where I increase the weights and decrease the amount of reps performed per set. Besides the first exercise of each body part, all the exercises are new and I wanted to give myself another run through to get used to the exercises before starting to up the weight and lift heavier.


Things are really coming a long. Today was the first day where I looked in the mirror after my workout and really noticed a huge difference in my physique. It's hard to see noticeable improvements in your physique when you see yourself in the mirror everyday but things are really coming a long.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[big dog 21]

Bump

 

[muskate]

July 10, 2016


Today was really weird. I was falling asleep through church this morning and really tired all this morning. When I got to the gym however, I had boundless energy and one of the best workouts I've ever had. It's amazing what a difference just putting some music on and getting the blood flowing for 5-10 minutes can make. Really good session today.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 11, 2016My strength was a little down today. I had a bit of trouble sleeping last night. I've been so busy with everything going on that I haven't been finishing all my work and finally getting into bed until around 1-2AM most nights. Today is looking to be a similar situation but I am going to try to head to bed as soon as I am done everything.After my workout today I had a massage which was really relaxing. I certainly needed it. My massage therapist Antonio is hilarious. He's the only massage therapist I have ever met who plays EDM dance music during the massage and not spa music. He certainly doesn't give you a relaxation massage. He gets in the muscle and gets in there deep. I almost feel like I finished a workout after I leave a massage with him. It's great for breaking up dense scar tissue though. I try to go once per month. The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 12, 2016Another really busy day today. I am launching my own clothing line at the end of the month and I had a call from one of the designers right before my workout. He's hard to get ahold of so I had to take the call. It caused me to start my workout a lot later after my pre-workout meal then I would of ideally liked but that's life. I had slightly low blood sugar levels throughout the workout but I still pushed through it all and give it 100%. Perfect days seldom happy. I often say that what separates those who really want it and those who kind of want it are how they deal with situations when things don't go 100% as planned. I start phase 2 tomorrow where I lower the rep ranges and increase all my working weights. The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

This was very hard for me because I am your typical type A person. My first instinct is to always do more. Train harder, work more, diet stricter etc etc. I went in to train today and it just wasn't there. No pump. No energy. All the tell tale signs of over training. I decided to take the day off completely. Tomorrow I am going to do a light upper body workout. Friday I am going to do a light lower body workout. Saturday I will start my regular workouts again. Back with a vengeance. I will basically train like a lazy pro bodybuilder for the light workouts. Get a pump, talk to a few cute girls and then leave the gym. It's important to listen to your body. This is something I always remind my clients. Everyone of us LOVES to train. If you ever go to the gym and have no desire to be there or to workout, something is wrong. That is a red flag that you are most likely over training and should back off for a few days.

 

[big dog 21]

Muskate, do u have or recommend cheat meals, days, etc. What are ur thoughts on that? Congrats on the clothing line talk..

 

[muskate]

Muskate, do u have or recommend cheat meals, days, etc. What are ur thoughts on that? Congrats on the clothing line talk..

If you carb cycle like I do and have high carbohydrate days - cheat meals really aren't needed because the high carb days are re-feed days and will restore leptin levels and keep the metabolism revving optimally. That being said, I am all about balance. I have about one cheat meal per week. I save them for when it's a friends birthday, mothers day etc etc. I never eat absolute crap but I use the cheat meal to enjoy some foods that aren't on my regular meal plan.

 

[muskate]

I am feeling back to normal again and really excited to get back in the gym tomorrow and get back to my regular training program. Sometimes a day off and a few days on a different workout program is all you need to feel fresh, reinvigorated and eager to be back to the routine with a vengeance.

Yesterday I did an upper body circuit. Very fast pace pump style training. Today I did a lower body and ab circuit. Very minimal rest and a 'go go go' mentality. More of like a 'bikini' style workout then a bodybuilder workout per say but I still left the gym with a wicked pump and totally drenched in sweat.

Tomorrow I am going to start back at the beginning of microcycle 2 again and re-do phase 1 workout 1: Chest, triceps and calves.

 

[muskate]

July 16, 2016


Really great session today. Back to the grind and back to the routine. My strength and aggression was absolutely through the roof. The couple days off did me really well.


I had a lot of my clients who follow my log text me concerned asking if I was ok. I'm fine lol. If you are training extremely intensely it's normal to need a couple days off from time to time. It's important to listen to your body and give it a break when it asks for one. I train every day and only take a day off when I feel that I need one. It's something I don't recommend unless you are really in tune with your body and have been training for a long time.


Most profesional athletes and bodybuilders train 6-7 days per week. Sometimes even multiple times per day. It's fine to train that much, you just need to be smart about it. If your strength ever dips or you suddenly loose your motivation to train, that is a red flag that it's time to take a few days off and let your body rest and recover a bit.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 17, 2016


Another really good workout today. I had a long meeting with one of the designers for the clothing company I am about to launch last night so I missed a meal. This morning I was busy with church and wasn't able to eat as much as I normally do before my workouts. I went into the workout feeling slightly depleted and hypoglycaemic but I focused on really getting a good mind muscle connection and getting a fantastic pump because my strength was a bit down. It's amazing how significant of a role food makes. Just two meals can make the world of difference.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 18, 2016


I had a really good workout today and just an all around good day. I had a meeting with my advising professor for my masters program this morning and we discussed my research topic for my masters. I am going to study intra workout supplement. I will have 4 groups:
1. A group that gets water during their workout
2. A group that gets carbohydrates during their workout
3. A group that gets BCAA during their workout
4. A group that gets BCAA + carbohydrates during their workout
It'll be really cool to see the body composition differences at the end of the study. I know a lot of us use intra-workout BCAA drinks and it'll be cool to see if they are actually doing anything. I will be using either the university's football team or hockey team for the study so all the participants will be healthy males who regularly train.


This is what my workout looked like today:



The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 19, 2016

Today was a very long day for me. I put all the finishing touches on the designs for my clothing line and finally got the sample request done and paid. As soon as I am done writing this I am going to shower and then head to bed.

My workout wasn't as great as it usually is but you can't hit the ball out of the park every day. I still gave it the best I could. The only bad workout is the one that didn't happen.

Tomorrow I start phase 2 where I increase the weights used and lower my rep range. The target rep range is 9-11 reps in phase 2, where as it was 12-15 in phase 1 (the phase I just finished)



The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 20, 2016


It's amazing the different a good sleep makes. I had a really good workout today. I started phase 2 so all my weights were increased and the target rep range was decreased from 12-15 to 9-11. My friend from Toronto is coming to visit me tomorrow so I am going to get up early and hit the gym early before picking her up at the airport. Tomorrow will be back, biceps and abs. I normally like to train after getting 2-3 meals in because I find my strength is the best then. I will be a little deleted training right after breakfast but I will focus on getting a really good pump and getting as good of a mind muscle connection as possible.


Whenever my strength is slightly down for whatever reason I really focus on pumping and squeezing the muscle and stimulating every muscle fibre. 3-4 second controlled negatives on every single repetition.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 21, 2016

My friend from Toronto is flying in today to stay with me for the weekend so I got up early and got a workout in before having to pick her up at the airport. I defiantly like to train a little later in the day when I am able to get a few meals in but training first thing in the morning was a nice change of pace. The gym had a very different feel to it and I was surrounded by people I've never seen before.

I am already planing out my next workout split for when I am done this one. I am thinking it will be:
day 1: shoulders arms
day 2: legs calves
day 3: back chest
day 4: cardio abs
I will be back in school then and will have less time to devote to training so I will only be hitting 2-3 muscle groups per workout. That way my workouts will take 60-90 minutes (not including warms up and stretching after wards). I can get in, train, and get out.



The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 22, 2016


Another really good workout today. My friend coming to visit is forcing me to take a bit of a mini vacation and relax a bit. It's amazing how rejuvenated you feel after just a single day off work. I had boundless energy during my workout today. Yesterday we went to the Blue Bombers football game. Neither of us are football fans and found the game kind of boring (lol) but it was still fun.


I trained right after breakfast because we are going out tonight. Tonight we are going to go for dinner, play a game of mini gold and then see a movie.


I am really excited to watch Canadian bodybuilding nationals tomorrow. I'll take as many photos as possible and post them on the board.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 23, 2016


Today is the last day my friend is staying with me. Her flight leaves tomorrow at 5:15AM. We ended up staying home and watching Generation Iron last night instead of going out to stay a movie. It was a little bit tacky but it was still a really good movie and very motivating all around. Talk about a motivating weekend. Generation Iron last night and then watching Canadian Bodybuilding nationals tonight.


I trained directly after breakfast so we could get to the nationals venue around lunch. We are going to spend a couple hours at the venue and then go for dinner. After dinner we will head back for the awards. I'll take as many photos as possible.





The last set of each exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight and took 3 deep breaths and then hit failure again.


I have 4 more workouts left in this workout program and then I start my new program. The split of my new workout program will be:
day 1: shoulders arms
day 2: legs calves
day 3: back chest
day 4: cardio abs
I will create a new thread with my daily workouts once I start my new training split.

 

[big dog 21]

Congrats on everything...from ur training, to the clothing line and ur research topic..

 

[muskate]

July 24, 2016


Nationals was an absolute blast and extremely motivating all around. My friend Tawney had never see a bodybuilding show before and I think she was even more interested in it all then I was. It was just a really fun day all around. We went out for sushi after the show. It was a really nice mini vacation for me.


I had a really good workout today. I have 3 more workouts before starting my new workout program. I will take progress photos at the end of the log to see the 6 week difference in my body from this workout program.





The last set of every exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight, chose a weight 25-30% lighter and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 25, 2016


For whatever reason, today's workout was a bit of a struggle. It was one of those workouts where I had to take it set by set. My head just wasn't in the zone for whatever reason. I am starting to feel burnt out from my current program. I am the type of person who needs to alternate programs every couple of weeks so I don't get bored. Some people thrive off order and enjoy doing the same workout every day. I am not one of those people. I like to do a different workout each day. I am more of an instinctual trainer.


On my next program, I am going to have a general template for each workout but alternate what exercise I do each workout. For example, the first exercise on my leg day might be a heavy squat exercise but I will alternate between back squats, hack squats and front squats each week. That way it keeps things interesting for me. I am also able to choose exercises based on how I am feeling. If I have a really high energy day, I might pick back squats and really crush it. If I am feeling a little bit tired that day, I might choose the hack squat instead.





The last set of every exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight, chose a weight 25-30% lighter and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 26, 2016


Another workout in the books. I have one more workout left on this workout program. Tomorrow I am going to take progress photos to see the before and after transformation from the 6 weeks I spent on this program. I am up roughly 10 pounds from starting the program. All in all I am really happy with how things went and my progress overall. A lot of that 10 pounds will be water but I defiantly put on some solid lean mass throughout the log. Building muscle is a slow process. Especially for an experienced lifter like myself. I am taking the rest of the year off and won't be competing until the spring of 2017. I am hoping to put on about 20 pounds total (another 10 or so) before starting my diet early 2017 for my competition.





The last set of every exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight, chose a weight 25-30% lighter and then hit failure again.

 

[muskate]

July 27, 2016


Today's workout brings my log to an end. Hopefully this log was helpful for everyone following along. I am really happy with how things went. I put on about 10 pounds and I would say about 5 of that was muscle. Being an experienced lifter, building muscle is not easy. This is what today's workout looked like:





The last set of every exercise was a drop set. I reached failure (no longer being able to perform anymore repetitions with proper form), racked the weight, chose a weight 25-30% lighter and then hit failure again.


These workouts are not easy. I am feeling a bit beat up so I am going to take a couple days off and then start my next workout program. This is what my new workout split will look like:
day 1: shoulders arms
day 2: legs calves
day 3: back chest
day 4: cardio abs
I will have a general template in mind for what I want each workout to look like but I will change the exercises each day based on how I am feeling and what I feel like doing that day. It keeps things more interesting that way for me. I have been training since I was 13 and I find doing the same exercises each week sort of boring. I am more of an instinctive trainer. I have an idea of what each workout will look like but I will choose the exact exercises the day of the workout and throughout the workout based on how the workout is going.


Here are photos I took this morning before breakfast. You can tell a noticeable increase in muscle fullness from the first set of photos I posted at the start of the log.

 

[big dog 21]

Enjoyed following.. Congrats

 

[muskate]

Enjoyed following.. Congrats

Thanks for following along. I appreciate the support.

Cheers.