Borderline Superhero Part Deux

Let’s try this again. The quick backstory: Was out of the gym for close to 3 years, been back at it(in my garage) for about 2 years now. Dieted down to 175 and started a surplus since August. Currently on 5/3/1 BBB 13 Week Challenge(just finished first cycle). Went into it with very conservative Max numbers and this is the first time I have flat benched in over 5 years so I used my incline press numbers minus 10% ish. Went very light on Squat as I have only front squatted for the past 2 years back(so really haven’t squatted in 5 years).

Short term goal is to get over 190. Year long goal is to get back to my former self strength numbers. I was a 300/400/500 guy in the 180s back in my mid 20s(32 now). My aesthetic goals are not really typical. Don’t care about being pretty, working towards the strong look. Big upper back, trap, thighs and forearms. A modern and dapper caveman I guess you could call it.

Current 5/3/1 baselines(just increased from last cycle)
Bench - 210
Squat - 250
Dead - 360
OHP - 145
Power Clean - 185

Measurements from end of July
5’7’’ 175
Chest - 43"
Arm - 15.5"
Thigh - 24"
Waist - 32.5"

As of this morning:
BW - 184.8
Chest - 44.5"
Arm - 15.75"
Thigh - 24.5"
Waist - 33.5"

Last week Numbers:

Note: I do not track or log other assistance work. I do 100+ reps of band pull apart or face pulls superset with every main lift. Lower body not currently doing other assistance other than some ab work and upper is the antagonistic movement matching scheme. Ex, on bench day, BBB 5x10 is worked with a super set of 5x10 DB rows. OHP with pull up work etc.

AMRAP sets denoted with *

Bench Day - TM 205
75% x 5 @ 140
85% x 3 @155
*95% x 6 @ 175
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 110

Power Clean/Squat Day
Cleans - TM 175
75% x 5 @ 120
85% x 3 @ 135
*95% x 5 @ 150

Squat - TM 240
75% x 5 @ 160
85% x 3 @ 185
*95% x 8 @ 205
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 135(added 5 because…well didn’t feel like doing math with less than 45s)

OHP Day - TM 140
75% x 5 @ 95
85% x 3 @ 105
*95% x 6 @ 120
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 75

DL Day - TM 350
75% x 5 @ 235
85% x 3 @ 270
*95% x 5 300
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 190
Note- Been doing Power Hang Cleans before DLs this month, dropping moving forward as DL weight increases

Conditions is 3-5 sessions of weight vest(35lb currently) 1 mile walks a week.

Garage gym helps keep my ego in check as I feel like I am holding back 20-40lbs on each lift but I know to be patient now and let it come up slow and planned.

Journal note - The 10 lbs in 10 weeks was a bit faster than I wanted and having some serious wardrobe issues right now. Not really worried about the waist increase and don’t care about abs right now but my upper back has exploded from all of the assistance and accessory work. 34.5 inch waist is my govern so hoping to get over 190 while staying under that mark.

Should mention for clarification on weights since my labeling looks off, I am using 90% calculation of my max for TM. When I write TM 210 for example, I mean TM of 210, so really 190(rounded). Also I always round up to 5 lb weight increments. I used the 5/3/1 Strength app to handle all math.

Bench Day - TM 210(+5)
65% x 5 @ 125
75% x 5 @ 140
*85% x 8 @ 160
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 115

Power Clean/Squat Day
Cleans - TM 185(+10)
65% x 5 @ 110
75% x 5 @ 125
*85% x 5 @ 140

Squat - TM 250(+10)
65% x 5 @ 145
75% x 5 @ 170
*85% x 8 @ 190
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 135

I’m in you, sex machine

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if there has ever been a time more appropriate for the use of a comma, I haven’t seen it.

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I’ll edit it

better?

trying to be me? :slight_smile:

In for it

No, the comedy is now ruined! Hahah

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Just finished OHP day

TM 145(+5)
65% x 5 @ 85
75% x 5 @ 100
85% x 8 @ 110
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 80

Next day is DL and last of the 2 weeks at BBB 60%. Not looking forward to 2 weeks of 70% after. Then a much needed deload, 2 weeks of 5x5 @ 80%, 2 weeks of 5x3 @ 90%, then finishing with 2 weeks of 5x1 @ training max. Depending on how fat I am by then I’ll figure out what’s next. I have a lot of work travel coming up so this may span longer than the calendar weeks allotted though.

DL day - TM 360(+10)
65% x 5 @ 210
75% x 5 @ 245
*85% x 10 @ 275
BBB - 60% 5x10 @ 195

Note - extra mobility work, no assistance work other than band face pulls. 5x10 deadlifts with double over hand grip sucks. Missed breakfast the past few days with work. Actually bought metabolic drive today to keep with a shaker at my office to make sure I put a stop to that, never tried it before. Also ordered some peptopro and HBCD to start taking pre and intra workout. Another first.

Time to binge Daredevil season 3

Bench - TM 210
70% x 3 @ 130
80% x 3 @ 150
*90% x 9 @ 170
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 130

Notes: everything felt light. Minimal pain in my right pec for the first time in years. Have definitely outgrown the TM but plans to increase it past 5 lbs a cycle.

Squat day - TM 250
70% x 5(forgot what day it was) @ 160
80% x 3 @ 180
*90% x 10 @ 205
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 160

Note: no assistance, dropped power cleans during this 70% phase. Hitting AMRAP for 10 on 3 week tells me I’m progressing well. Diet has been awful the last 4 days. Good food, but hardly any. Barely getting even maintenance calories, life is getting in the way right now. I’d be worried if the performance was hindering but it’s not so oh well.

OHP - TM 145 @ 90%
70% x 3 @ 90
80% x 3 @ 105
*90% x 10 @ 115
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 90

Today is rest day but come tomorrow will be adding something new. Biceps are my most lagging body part. I have pretty high insertions(just about 3 fingers) which has always been a bit of a drag and I’ll be the first to admit that your average college bro probably does leg day more than I hit a curl. Well if its more than once a month or so that would be accurate. That being said I want to take advantage of the next 8 weeks still in a surplus and I will be doing Waterbury’s HFT2 Bicep targeting.

Basically 3 days a week, twice a day I will do the following:

Inverted Row - 3-1 Iso x 2
Floor Maltese - 5 sec hold x 3
Hammer grip pull up - 5 reps x 3

I’m not going to log it, hence this ‘announcement’.

If I feel at any time it is hindering my core workouts, I’ll drop it. Same if my joints tell me to knock it off. Starts tomorrow

Too lazy to type today so here’s a screen shot from my app. AMRAP set hit for 8, 5x10 BBB was done with an alternating mixed grip.

My fatass clocked in at 190 before my workout. Heaviest in a long long long time. Around 186 morning weight the past few days. Still have a solid 8 weeks left so no worries on hitting that 190 goal.

Was hesitant to do this but this log funny enough makes me feel accountable and already stopped me from skipping a few workouts to be honest so here it is. These are shots of me from 2013 I think. Arguably the best combo of size and leanness on my little 5’7” bird bone frame. This is the goal for me to get back to by june. I was in the low 170s and dieted down from 190.

c261c_ORIG-203cd_picstitch

If I had to wager, right now I’m sitting at 17-18% bf(I hide it well on my frame) which puts me around 23.5-24 FFMI. Hoping to squeeze out another 2-4 lbs of LBM to give me a padding for when start going in reverse.

A bit of a long post, but I haven’t felt this good or consitantly motivated with the iron since I got back into it after my multi year hiatus.

Bench Day - TM 210 @ 90%
75% x 5 @ 140
85% x 3 @160
*95% x 10 @ 180
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 130

Note: I’ve eaten about 3K calories already today. Appetite has been crazy. Getting ready to take wifey to the airport in a bit, she’s heading back to Brazil for a work for a bit, means I’m going to smash an entire pizza tonight in a judgment free zone. Everything seems to be clicking right now with training and today was the last 5x10 bench day. After I finish this week’s 3 other workouts it will be a good ole fashioned deload and then the BBB assistance switches to the 5x5 @ 80%, 5x3 90% and 5x1 @ TM. Taking measurements later in the week and will compare to the ones I took on the 3rd before starting this log.

Last night’s session.

Squat - TM 250 @ 90%
75% x 5 @ 170
85% x 3 @ 190
*95% x 8 @ 215
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 160

Notes: Weight has been at a steady 186 the past few mornings. The high volume squatting has been a magic pill for me. Combo of better neural efficiency and pump has my squat(always high bar and ATG) feeling great. Spoiler alert for measurements, I’ve put an inch on my thigh measurement since Oct 3rd’s stats. Wild.

Obligatory bulked up, deceiving pose and lighting pic to make me feel better about being my highest BF in over a year. Also slight boast of the custom closet I built last weekend.

Yesterday’s OHP

TM 145 @ 145
75% x 5 @ 100
85% x 3 @ 110
*95% x 8 @ 125
BBB - 70% 5x10 @ 90

Measurement comparisons from 10/3/18 to 11/3/18

BW - 183.0 - 183.2*
Chest - 44" - 45"
Waist - 33.5" - 33.5"
Arm - 15.75" - 15.75"
Thigh - 24" - 25.15"

Honestly, this past month was crazy. All of the food and volume from BBB just had an insane reaction to my body for the good. Now here is the asterisk. I had to increase my RX dosage the other day(not PEDs, I take Vyvanse for reasons I wont go into here) for the first time and it made it impossible to eat for the past 3 days until it wore off at night. I have been basically living off of 25g HC with 10g HBCD drinks during the day, 2-4 of them depending on it. The only thing I can put down during the peak of the meds. After I can get in maybe 1-2 solid meals where I try to get at least 50-100g of protein from meat and then some kind of rice, veggie type combo soaked in olive oil. Dealing with my mind and rx regimen takes precedent over biceps hence the flush of water weight I’m guessing over the past few days.

That being said I’m happy as hell with the progress, but when I started my meds it took me a solid month or two to get adjusted to how it suppresses my appetite. So without saying my weight gaining phase is on pause right now. Will hit my DL session tonight and then my regularly scheduled deload weak, and figure out really where to go after that. To either finish the challenge or adjust to something that I know I can handle without force feeding myself like a veal calf to get enough cals in to complete the workouts.