Back
Light and Low volume
Heavier today at 235 lbs. Ate only 2 protein bars, some veggies, several cups of snack mix, and about 90 oz of milk. I tend to retain alot of size from milk, so the scale should be moving back up toward 240 plus. Hopefully the waist will stay down as well. Im eating much cleaner than usual and trying to keep the waist around where its at, at least. In 6 weeks I may take a full break for a few months and just cut my calories and get leaner. Ill implement growth phases every so often to keep things interesting. Though I will be focusing mostly on leaning for now. Every growth phase I hit , I should be slightly leaner than the last one. So this is a different approach for me, but it will take a while. Im not rushing the process. Ill add muscle I just wont weigh as much all the time.
Hit a PR with 32 chin ups at 235 lbs. Which is a record for that bodyweight. I will try to work up to 40 reps as I get up to 240 plus pounds. So that will add an extra challenge. Its really the ONLY back movement I can attempt records on without potentially injuring myself. Since my back is filling back out again, and Im lighter from being a little leaner, this comes easily for now. More muscle and less lower body mass to pull up. Havent really been keeping up with legs either. Though they are still sitting at around 28 inches.
I skipped legs this week since my knees are still real bad. Its also not even part of my goals right now. I just want to add more upper body mass this year and continually break strength records whenever I can. I may hit them a few times during this growth phase for basic maintenance, but its very optional for me at this stage. I will go through phases where I feel like hitting em to add extra body mass, but it will be on and off these days. As will be my training. Ill be continuing to incorporate breaks most years. Allows me to keep training in the way I deem proper and gives my mind a break. I will never enter the gym if I cant train in the way that I deem fit. My standard for intensity , weight and reps is very high. Ive never been a pump trainer. I incorporate that now in my training, but it would bore the fuck out of me to only train for pump.
Also hit 285x25 for a PR on Low Cable Rows. I decided before doing this that I would end this movement here. I did not load it up to 350 today, even though Im sure I couldve broken another record there and with other heavier weights. Pulled out my neck last time when I finished off with 350 so decided to cut it here. I had less recovery this week since I had to start chest and shoulder pressing work on wednesday.
I didnt let my form get too loose on anything, especially the low cable rows. I wanted to leave the gym intact this time. This was mainly a strength day with lower volume. Im going to be doing that for the next 6 weeks on everything I think. Mostly everything. Aim for some strength records on some select movements and keep the volume lower. The strength shit takes more toll on the joints and tendons so I will compensate by hitting less volume overall.
Even though 285 is technically very light for me, its not really light on the connective tissues over the long term. Not with high reps everytime. Its the most dangerous for me to try and hit records with back regularly. Ill try to keep that shit going for the next 6 weeks though. Regardless I should continue to add muscle to the area.
Everything else was all about the contraction and just finishing off with a good pump in the lats. Mostly I wanted to get in KILL THAT SHIT with the lifts and finish it off.
Im looking to set the bar much higher for the next growth phase, strength wise. So I plan to crush alot of lifts for when I come back. Since I will likely take some months off again after this 6 weeks. I will likely be using duct tape to make the 125s heavier for some of my pressing work as well.
Now that I hit 100x20 on dumbbell shoulder presses I may aim for 110x20 next, rather then aiming for 30 plus with the 100s. Then I can crush my old PR of 120x5 which I did at 208 when I incorporated DB presses very briefly, around the time I benched 405 heavily pre exhausted. I think I can easily crush that lift. Im much larger now and stronger overall. I just havent done those in a while, but adapt quickly. I was at 100x17 when I hit 120x5, so I should already be good for it. Ill work up to it though.
I would have done more, however Ive been getting forearm splints in the bones of my forearms. It travels up into the shoulders too. I believe the barbell curls brought it on. Straight bar is always hard on my wrists. Basically theres some pain upon releasing my grip on heavy sets and general pain in the forearm bones. Similiar to the shin splint sensation.
My drive to do this shit has been extremely low during this phase, but seeing my size come up and the nearly daily strength records keeps the fire burning somewhat. So it is important for my mind that I break strength records during this period, consistantly.
The first 3 months of a break is mentally tough, after that I dont really give a fuck. Once I start to shrink, I think about the few months of work I have to do just to get back to where I was, and I can easily hold off. Though the break probably wont be over 3 months, I have no plan as of yet. I will cut the calories though so I lose body mass. The muscle comes back fast enough so I dont care if I deflate during that period. I have taken myself out for 2 years already and have also done a 10 month voluntary break and a few 6 month ones as well. Many 2 and 3 month breaks. I know the entire process of coming back, inside out.
I have also basically mastered manipulating my sets, reps, range of motion to constantly set records. I will switch to holds, regular style reps, limited range, constant tension and also cycle order of exercises, limit reps for certain sets to save energy, etc. This keeps shit mentally fresh for me as I hate to be complacent and merely repeat the same shit every day. I constantly fight against that shit.
235 lbs after mostly milk throughout the previous day (stayed up to train)
Chin Ups (close palms facing grip)
165 lbs assistance x 15 warm up
125 lbs assistance x 10 warm up
32 at 235 lbs bodyweight (PR at this weight, See video)
10 (Long holds at top for this set)
Low Cable Row With Palms facing close grip handle (Cut my reps down on my warm up sets to hit a PR with 285)
150x30 (Warm up, not to failure. Felt weightless)
235x15 (warm up, not to failure)
285x25 (PR I believe, see video)
One Arm Cable Row On Low Cable Apparatus
60x20 (Long holds. Matched on both arms. More of a stretch)
Lat Pulldowns With Palms Facing Close grip handle
190x10 warm
250x8 (Mostly regular reps today. I switched back to that style again)
Strength took a hit after the 285. Forearm splints causing some fatigue. Maybe lack of recovery for joints too this week.
Dual Dumbbell Rows On Incline Bench (bench used as chest support, rowing both dumbbells simultaneously)
80x30
125x12
Hammer Strength Lat Pullover (plate loaded. Lats starting to scrape the elbow pads again. Back filling back out)
no rest til line
90x50
180x20
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205x32
Nothing crazy with these either. They irritate hiatal hernia.
Iso Low Row Hammer Strength (super light to finish off. Body pretty beat up)
140x20 (long holds)
230x?? (long holds. Dont remember. This was just bullshit by this point)
KILL THAT SHIT
Videos below
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