Quads and pecs sore. Haven’t missed this feeling.
This week so far quads, upper back pecs and abs have been pretty sore more often than not (abs especially).
Can still do the work well enough but it’s pretty annoying to be sore. More soreness and it’d probably start messing with the lifting. One of JTS’ Principles strength training vids was about this (SRA I think).
Probably in large part due to the bump in volume and new exercises but I’m hoping DOMS drops off over the next few weeks. Total weekly workload is pretty conservative so is not that. Changes to the training split might help also but will get to that end of this week.
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That’s one major reason that an upper/lower split is better for hypertrophy. For people who are small and not very strong a full body setup can work, but volume per workout still can’t be too high and it might not be better than upper/lower with the same volume. Notice that no pro bodybuilders do full body training.
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17-1-19
Late afternoon nap feeling fresh coming out of it for once. Soreness in the quads and pecs almost nothing. Time for some cardio gains / volume.
Fatigue Levels SBD: 3,4,3
Squat 3x12+ @ 105kg
Leg Press 4 Sets 20kg each side
Squats feeling fresh today. Saw a post on insta from Brad Schoenfeld about a study on post activation potentiation and how much volume could be done for the rest of the workout (PAP being more) so did two singles at 3 plates.
Maybe it was that maybe something else but squats felt good so bumped working weight up 5kgs. Reps feeling much better also.
Was gonna do hack squat and/or pendulum squat but neither really worked out. On the hack squat the safety lock doesn’t come off so 0 range of motion. The second hack squat machine doesn’t fair much better having only 2 starting heights both of which are shite lol
On the pendulum squat machine it’s an awkward height (no adjustability) so I gotta use my back to get the weight unracked. With weight it might fuck me up.
There’s a unilateral leg Press in the gym. Trains each side seperate.
It’s much more awkward than it sounds. My right side is dominant as fuck probably uneven mobility too so the two plates for each foot are moving different lol. Got better and more coordinated after a couple of sets.
Close Grip Bench 3x12+ @ 80kg
Flat DB Press 3x12+ @ 27.5kg
Flyes 2 Sets @ 40
Curls 4 Sets @ 30
External Rotations + Band Pull Aparts 4 Sets
Close grip bench feeling tough. A good kind of tough. The longer ROM feels like one big sticking point lol. Also touch and go feels very natural on these so will go with that and do some pausing in wide grip bench
Pretty cool custom DBs in the corner. Looks sexy but super impractical though because they have thick as handles that rotate very easy. The hard part is carrying them over to the bench like some strongman shit lol.
So went with the regular DBs. Starting conservative because flat DB feels awkward (I’m used to incline) but expecting big things in the coming weeks.
Very quick workout today. Blasted through. Not nearly as gassed as usual. High reps feeling much better especially on squats which I usually do terribly for reps.
Seems like I’m adapting to become VolumePig so that’s nice. Fatigue levels a bit low looking to pump those up a bit as I fully adapt to volume work and start pushing it into PR territories.
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Last meal of the day. Late night steak. Didn’t need to eat too much so cut out the eye of the ribeye came out to a bit under 190g.
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That works but it’s better to do it when you’re not in a hypertrophy phase, just for the sake of taking a break from heavier weights and also you don’t want to be doing heavy singles all the time. See how a lot of the time my training involves working up to a heavy set of 1-3 and then submaximal volume work after? Same idea. You just need to periodize your training so that you don’t go stale from doing the same thing over and over.
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Single-leg press is good, Ed Coan used to do those. Just do one leg at a time, if one leg is weaker then do that one first and match reps with the other side.
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Yummy steak…
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It’s not super heavy. Like 70ish %. Just a smidge heavier than working weight so that reps feel real easy after
What’s wrong with both legs same time if the platforms are independent of each other?
You’re the one talking about how awkward it is. I was offering an alternative.
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Oh kk. It’s not prohibitively so if I try to move relatively symmetrically. I was just used to squatting and single platform leg pressing and favouring one side
When I hit goals in my logs name and make some room then I’ll change the name to GuineaPig’s Something Something + Steak Log and try to achieve better and better steaks
Breakfast
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19/1/18
Weekend in Melbourne with the GF. Spent the day at Melbourne Zoo flexing on Apes. Late nights so didn’t know how this sesh would go.
Ended up going pretty well.
Fatigue Rating SBD: 4 3 5
Wide Grip Bench Press 2 Sets @ 75kg
DB Press 4 Sets @ 27.5kg
Dips 2 Sets @ BW
Wide grip bench feeling good. Looks like “Comp” grip might be changing for me.
Been wide benching on a bar that had oly markings but on the power bar in at middle finger or index on the ring so one or two fingers out from before.
Feels good. Tight. Leg drive transferring to bar well. Bar path better than before. Shoulders healthy and solid importantly. Between the two (middle or index) not sure which is better.
DBs moving easy as so time to bump up the weight next sesh. Looking to finish up the DB phase well into the 40s/90lbs +
Deficit Conventional Deadlift 3x12+ @ 115kg
Chest Supported Row 4 Sets
Back Raises 2 Sets
Deficit conventional deadlift moving alright. Tried out a bigger deficit today of one 25kg bumper plate maybe around 2 inches. Dunno how much of a deficit is best but feels aight. Hard work on my legs mostly. Felt tough towards the end but bar speed was good.
Transformation to VolumePig continues. Couple of good workouts strung together in a row. Let’s continue the streak
YearOfThePig
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Didn’t quite suss out the change up in weekly training split beforehand but spent time in between sets brainstorming. So kinda a all over the place day today. Moving things around get be fresher for certain movements/muscle groups each workout.
Soz @chris_ottawa sensei. Will have time tonight to get it sorted.
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21/1/19
Fatigue SBD: 4 4 6
Lower body (glutes and back mostly) feeling it a little beat from the last sesh which was a bit late into last week of deficit deads. Also from impromptu soccer yesterday. But weight moved well.
Rowing/pulling movements was the most smashed muscle group today but don’t have that as a number. So backed off that a bit.
Close Grip Bench 4x12 @ 80kg
Flat DB Press 2x12 @ 30kg
Reps on bench becoming more comfy. Rep capacity definitely up from last week. 80kgx12 ez with a couple reps in the tank. No where near a rep PR but starting conservative hopefully building up to some rep PRs soon.
Trying out benching on toes a bit. In the vids for the my last sesh I was benching on toes. It’s interesting but too early to say if it’s good yet.
Deficit Sumo Deadlift 3x12+ @ 125-135kg
Chest Supported Rows 4 Sets @ 30kg
Hard to count reps lol but moving pretty well. Better than last week. 125kg prescribed for today but pretty easy so bumped up the weight a smidge to 135kg. Filmed from the side to check my back position and it’s alright.
Technique tweak for today is angling my toes out a bit to get the midfoot and bar closer to my shin at the start. Works as described. Encourages me to open up my hips more instead of having knees travel forward
Weights moving easy could probably hit 30 reps lol but no rush. Will keep overloading little by little until hitting regular PRs but at a deficit and beyond.
FacePull 2 Sets
Rear Delt Flyes 4 Sets @ 4kg
Lateral Raises 2 Sets @ 6kg
Curls 4 Sets
Another good sesh in the books. Now for another couple dozen more.
YearOfThePig
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Borrowed some spud straps from a gym buddy to use on the monolift like safeties to catch the weight. Less need to fear going hard now.
Also measured up the existing padless SSB bar and am gonna go home and cut out some thick yoga mat to wrap around it.
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Wouldn’t some foam pipe lagging do the trick.
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Have (had lol) no idea what that is. Seems good but there’s a lot of questions too like how thick, how much give and more. I’d prefer a simpler solution
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