On Saturday, after upping carbs for 2 days, I managed 275lbs, 10 sets, 10 reps per set.  I was sharing the rack, so I wasn’t able to maintain my normal 75 second rest interval (previously did 255 10×10 at this rest).  The reason why I went for 275 was because I did 255 what seemed to be fairly easily.  I could not believe I made it through but was really pumped up about it.  All reps breaking parallel, no cheats.

 By the time I made it to lunges I was totally wiped.  I managed to get 5 sets of lunges in but it was brutality at its worst.

I managed to develop a headache during my sets which has never happened before.  I am curious if its caffeine build-up in my body as I’ve been starting the morning off with a cup of coffee and I usually don’t do that, or if its the supps I’m taking.  I’ve been taking MRP Hi-Def for about 3 weeks now to try and cut up a little bit.  Although I’ve maintained 194lbs I do feel like I’ve lost fat.  Its slow progress though…unlike my previous cuts.  Typically, I can put on weight and lose it fairly easy.  This time around its been very slow…

Either way, I was really proud of myself for getting through the workout and happy to squat 27,500 lbs in less than 30 minutes.  If you’ve never tried doing this, take 60% of your 1 rep max and squat it 100 times over 10 sets.  If you watch your rest time in between and keep it under 90 seconds sets 7-10 are brutal. 

Legs coming along great.  I’ve started hack squatting really deep, as well as continuing with free squats.  I also started deadlifting again.  Squats and deads are at easy weights.  The other day I warmed up with leg curls and extensions, then did squats, then leg presses then hack squats, then deads.  It was a huge workout but it felt good and I didn’t bonk.  Hacks are up around 10 plates total now and still going deep.  Leg pressed 17 plates.  Had a trainer check my squat form and said I looked good.

My body has been staying around 195 despite relaxed diet and tons of easter food.  I feel relatively lean despite this fact.  More weight loss will bring out my legs better for sure and lean up my rear.  I’m thinking of eating relaxed like this a bit more for now and see if I can chisel up a bit still.  Cardio is limited at the moment.

 Hope to post progress pics soon.  Arms measuring close to 17" flexed.

I’m extremely, extremely sore.  I can barely walk.  I ache all over.  Its almost unbearable.  Last night I took a few ibuprofen to lighten the pain in my body.  So my excitement to get back into it is waning a little bit, lol, but hopefully after a few days I’ll be back to normal and with my protein intake back to normal I’ll be ok.

If anybody has a good mass program, I’m looking to get to gain weight slowly to 215 or so. 

I’ve been eating well, however, and been able to increase weights at the gym quite a bit.  For instance, today doing dips, after incline DB press.  I started with bw+35, then BW+70.  I’m used to doing around that weight.  Well I felt pretty good so I threw on more weight, BW+105.  No problem, got 8 reps still.  Decided to throw more on.  BW+130lbs and I managed 7 reps.  The weight was hanging between my legs like I had huge balls or something.  I had to really grit the reps out but got 7.  Feelin big and badass once again…and I’m still losing weight, starting to see cuts, etc.

After a warmup on the elliptical and 3 sets each on leg extensions and leg curls, supersetted for a warmup I hit the leg press.  On my third set I got a new PR!  16×45 + my fiance.  Not counting sled weight thats 843lbs!  I shot for 6 reps but I think I could have gotten one or two more!  I felt huge after that set…the lady across from me was just caught staring with her mouth open.

 After leg press I did some squats, full range of motion.  I managed 225×10, 275×10, 315×8 and 365×4.  I really started dropping off with the 365 set (and can do more if you’ve read my other posts) but decided to not push more reps out and just racked it. 

Finished up the workout with 15 minutes on the elliptical, lvl 14.  Top it all off with a good weigh in, minus 2 lbs from the beginning of the week.  1lb is probably clothing and water weight as I’ve shed carbs through the week.  Time to carb-up a bit tonight.

Leg extension, 155×10, 155×10, 170×10

Leg Curls, 115×10, 115×10, 130×10

Full BB Squat, 275×10, 315×10, 365×6, 405×5, 315×10.

Hack Squats, 360×10, 540×10, 590×10

BB Lunges 185×12 (6 per leg), 205×12, 225×12

Seated Calf Raises, 135×10x3

Today - Chest/Back

Bent BB Rows - 155×10, 185×10,225×8,155×10

Seated Cable Rows - 160×10, 175×10, 190×9

Iso Rows High Grip - 180×10, 230×10, 280×8, 180×10

Incline DB Press - 75×10, 85×10, 95×10, 105×8

Decline Machine Bench - 180×10, 230×10, 270×9, 180×10

Machine Flys - 150×10,170×10, 190×10

I think all those weights are correct.  When I do machine exercises its hard to remember what I do since I don’t write things down at the time.  I should bring a pad of paper.  Anyhow, been trying the new thing where you build up your sets to a max effort set and then in some cases perform a drop set doing slow reps.  I’ve also been focusing on slowing down the negetive and going from explosive on the positive portion of the rep.

Happy with my incline db presses today.  I really felt like I was losing my edge, but the progression I used there was good for me considering my last PR during low volume phase was 115×6.

Leg Extensions 135×12, 2 sets.  150×10 1 set.

Leg Curl 120×10, 2 sets.  135×10 1 set

Leg Press

8 Plates x 10

12 Plates x 10

17 Plates x 10

Squat

275x 10

315 x 10

405 x 4

315 x 10

Seated calf raises

135×10

170×10

170×10

Standing calf raises

195×10

225×10

BB smith lunges

205×12x3 sets. 

Sumo Dead Triples

225×3

315×3

315×3

Good workout.  405 I got another spotter and felt like I could have powered a few more reps out than 4.  It was much easier this time around, that is for sure.  Going for 6 reps next time for sure.  Felt like the spotter might have helped me a bit today but it was motivational nonetheless that it felt so easy.

One thing that I have really noticed is that squeezing my abs has really helped me increase the weight.  I have always tightened my core during the lift, but lately when I feel like my upper body is falling forward a bit I will squeeze my abs as hard as I can and drive the weight up.  I can usually increase my reps by 1-2 just by focusing on this simple technique.  In this regard, I think a weight belt might help.

 So…since I can’t gain weight I’m starting to loosen up the diet and just eat more and more at every meal.  No longer is it a question of if its within my caloric allowance for the day, I’m friggin just going to eat it!  I got some whipping creme for breakfast now to eat with my oatmeal.  It was pretty good…  If I’m hungry the least bit, I will eat something.  I’m starting to see what people mean now by eat, eat, eat!  My body seems very comfortable at around 185-195, easily gaining and losing weight either way, but I want to push it to 210 dangit!

On a better note it looks like my traps have started to come in very well!

Next week my goals for weights, 10 sets, 10 reps.

Squats 245lbs

Decline DB Press, 85lbs each hand

Dips, BW+50lbs

Cable rows, 155lbs

DB Curls, 27.5lbs each hand.

Leg curls, 135lbs.

Today is the start of another workweek.  I got my sleep last night, and was ready to go in the gym this morning.  My workout went well and now I’m just waiting for the soreness to set in.   My diet was bad over the past 4 days.  It was very difficult to make meals when everything is spread all over the place in boxes!  I weighed in at a loss this morning of 3 more lbs.  Some of this can be attributed to the fact that I came off creatine for almost a week.  Even still though, now I’m even farther away from my goal of 210!

Not to be discouraged though, just keep lifting now steady and keep eating like a horse!