Probably not, no. Beyond dips and pull-ups and maybe high rep single leg work I’m not a fan of bodyweight work.
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I can understand that. would you consider grabbing some DC type of schemes and incorporating it into your training? I think you’ve done this already, but that car pushing thing you did could probably also be an advantage for you. I do it on days where I need some type of systems work along those lines done, concerning the lower body
Honestly, all I’m looking to do is push my calves to grow without adding anything to my training as I’m really happy with it right now.
Makes sense. Well, like everyone else has said just keep us updated. I want to see how well this goes for you so I can probably learn something too lol
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Woke at 183.7 lbs after a pretty short sleep, but feeling decent enough.
This new approach might actually work. Got through training surprisingly well this morning (although a pot of espresso and a can of sugar free V may have had something to do with that) and now I won’t be awake for as long before training tomorrow because I got up later. Same amount of sleep, though.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter plus shoulders
Bench press
TM is 247 lbs
Work up from bar in 10sx3-5 in 22 lbs jumps to 60%
Ditched pull aparts today, instead supersetted 10x132 lbs strict BB rows with all the warm-ups which meant a total of 50 reps. The goal was to get my scheduled work done faster
Decided to work up in singles because while I was energetic enough it seemed like the right call
1x170 lbs, under 6 RPE
1x198 lbs, 6 RPE
1x220 lbs, 6-7 RPE
3x247 lbs, 9-10 RPE - happy with this, especially for being done in sub-optimal circumstances
Failed 269 lbs, although feels like my sticking point has gotten higher. Probably would have gotten this has I not rushed through all the work sets, but excuses, excuses…
Floor press
2x8x170 lbs, 6 and 7-8 RPE
5x170 lbs, 9 RPE
Getting the hang of these. Short rests again.
Strict log press, again off pins
5x110 lbs, 3x5x121 lbs, 10x127 lbs - was conservative, then by set five knew I wanted to push it a little. Definitely far and away my favourite press variation.
More time saving: supersetted the log press with sets of 12x88 lbs on the lat pull-down with a slight squeeze at the too and controlled eccentric for a total of 60 reps. Felt much better, and felt my lats better, than last time
Bis/tris giant set
Strict incline hammer curl 3x15x20 lbs
U-bar Columbu-ish pushdowns 3x20x44 lbs
30-60 seconds rest between sets
To save time decided to ditch bike sprints in favour of prowler pushes
10x242 lbs on prowler in 3 minutes and 43 seconds, alternating low handles on the front/high on the back.
Left me sucking wind with quads feeling like wood.
Pace measured the track and it is 34.5 of my Chucks long, which is close as damn 10 m. So 100 metres of pushing a prowler with 242 lbs on it.
Looking forward to DL tomorrow.
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Philosophical question:
How do you think supersetting exercises effects their results?
The idea behind training (with the exception of max strength pursuits) is to fatigue the muscles. According to the research cited by CT in recent articles muscle hypertrophy doesn’t care if you reach fatigue in 8 or 30 reps.
So do you think using a lighter weight and shorter rest periods (or supersetting with an antagonist movement) will generate the same results as using more weight with appropriate rest periods?
I ask this because you’re quite the thinker when it comes to your training…and I tend to superset things for time as well. Hell, a long rest for me is 2 minutes. I set my watch to 60 seconds for 90% of my sets. Once it beeps I get up and get back to the bar and get to work. I’m probably closer to 80 seconds of rest by the time I address the bar, set up, and lift. Some days I wonder if my strength suffers from this because the recommended rest times are more like 3-5 minutes. I’d like to think that even if most of my training is done in a less than fully recovered state that when I maxed out with the proper approach my strength levels would be the same.
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Suboptimal for strength, probably perfectly OK for size. That’s why I never superset work sets with anything and why I superset/giant set some assistance work.
Good question. At a guess, I’d say maybe a little but not too much. I think it’s down to how you feel when you address the bar. If you feel good to go, then I don’t see how there’s going to be an issue. I know that I need less rest between sets than I used to because I improved my conditioning. That said, today I’m pretty certain my bench miss was at least in part due to not resting quite enough - and I felt pretty decent when I set up, so sometimes it’s hard to tell.
It may work that way, it may not. I look at my training like this: the main lift is about getting better at the main lift, so I make sure I can get every rep as technically right as possible which means being rested enough; once I’ve finished my main lift and move on to supplemental, accessories and assistance it becomes about building muscle, improving conditioning and attacking weaknesses as well as (in the case of supplemental work) getting things technically right, so I push my rest periods down as much as I can.
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It’s starting to dawn on me that I probably shouldn’t really get married to any of my planned attempts for the meet until maybe a week out. I honestly haven’t a clue where my strength tops out right now, or at least not enough of a clue to plan.
Here’s what I’m looking at:
- squat could be anywhere between 462 lbs and 506 lbs
- bench is the one I sort of do know, I’m damn near certain between 264 lbs and 275 lbs
- DL between 528 lbs and 572 lbs, depending on whether I pull sumo or conventional
The really weird thing is that I don’t care too much. I do want a 1320+ lbs total, but that’s about as far as it goes. That means I need to go at least 484/264/572. Doable, I think, if I have a good day and I refeed after weighing in.
I’m in a funny kind of place mentally. It’s good, but a little foreign. Maybe I’m just learning how this works.
TL;DR I know my body has undergone a significant change for the better that cost me some strength. I have no doubts that strength will come back and then some, but that’ll take time because I’m committed to and more interested in consolidating the body composition progress I’ve made so I’m in no rush. It’ll take as long as it takes.
Oh, and I was looking back and my strongest was actually during the deficit, around October last year just after my last meet. I was weighing around 212-213 lbs, and still pretty fluffy. This makes me think my sweet spot is around the 210-215 lbs mark, and I imagine when I get there at this current composition (some years in the future) I’ll go way past where was when fat. Even at 198 lbs at my current composition I think I’ll be a bunch stronger.
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Glad to know that I’m not the only one 10 weeks out with no idea what I’m taking for openers. I do know 1 lift, but for me it’s the DL. Training sub maximally has definitely made me stronger, I just can’t quantify how much so. My goals would have me doing 367/275/460, I think today I could pull off 1/3 
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Had to double check it’s week three. So, TM goes up next week. Then that’ll be it until meet day.
After the meet I think I’ll drop my TMs a TON.
Initially I wondered about that what with implementing briefs, but then I remembered that there’s nothing to stop me pushing for heavier jokers regardless of TM and that I’d be switching briefs between squat and DL every three weeks. Yes, three weeks. TM goes up every three weeks, which seems a perfect time to switch briefs from one lift to the other.
I’ll go with DL in briefs first, so I can get a solid three weeks squatting without any assistance.
In terms of TM:
Squat 396 lbs - I know that’s really, really low, but who cares? I want to hit some PR sets again, I miss them and my squat was best when I busted my arse with a heavy PR set for high reps every week. I want 400+ lbs for 10 or more again.
Bench 220 lbs - again, low AF but who cares? It’ll do me good.
DL 440 lbs - virtually guaranteed I’ll work beyond that weekly, but also a good weight to hit reps with.
CGBP I might not touch, or just drop to 220 lbs as a small reset.
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Woke at 184.8 lbs after a short sleep - but looking well nigh identical to yesterday’s waking look so I’m not complaining.
Catch up sleep day tomorrow, which I’m happy about.
Today’s training
Lazy lifter
Deadlift, sumo with DL bar
TM is 495 lbs
Work up from 132 lbs in 44 lbsx3-5 to 60%, pull-ups between sets. Went wide neutral-ish grip and got 6, 6, 5, 5, 5 - the wide neutral grip is very comfortable for my elbows so I’ll keep that.
1x346 lbs, under 6 RPE, double overhand
1x396 lbs, under 6 RPE, double overhand - pretty sure a double overhand PR, and I’m counting it even though it’s on a DL bar
1x445 lbs, 6-7 RPE, hook grip - got pulled out of position early on because I didn’t take the slack out of the bar and yep, paused sumo DL help a lot. They teach me to stay calm and think while straining. Also realised I don’t properly take slack out of the bar because my hook grip somehow ‘settles’ if I don’t: my grip tightens as I pull, but tightens by the slack coming out of the bar meaning my thumbs get pulled down into my grip slightly and this, of course, pulls me forward
1x495 lbs, 8-9 RPE, hook grip - pulled the slack out of the bar/set my grip properly and this made a big difference
1x495 lbs, 10 RPE, straps - hips shot way up for some reason, I think at least partly because I was simply tired but again paused sumo pulls helped me stay calm long enough to finish the lift.
No going higher today, so on to supplemental and accessories.
Oh, and my knees have started their anti-sumo protest. It’s a shame, but I’ll switch my work sets to conventional until the meet to be safe. What I’ll do to keep sumo grooved is stay with 3x3 paused sumo pulls as supplemental, because they are a real sumo builder for me. Post meet I’ll alternate sumo/conventional every TM, and most likely go sumo in briefs and conventional raw.
That answers the ‘what stance shall I pull in meet’ question. That said, knowing I can hook grip a DL bar is a big plus regardless of stance plus conventional is still my stronger stance off the floor.
3x3x346 lbs paused off the floor, 6-7, 7-8 and 8-9 RPE
Squats
6x2x286 lbs
8x2x297 lbs
Felt pretty good. All up took about 10 minutes. Miscounted and left out the last set. Not fussed.
45 degree back raises, low foot pad, squeeze at top and slow eccentric
50 or maybe 60 because I messed up counting - definitely at least 50 because whenever I messed up I reset my counting down
Abs/shoulders
Medium band kneeling crunches: 30, 20 - really tried to round my back to leave out my hip flexors and I’m guessing it worked because my upper rectus was on fire. Realised I need to have my knees right under the band and not behind it
33 lbs plate raises with (mostly) constant tension: 20, 20
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I’ve found that this is the most natural feeling groove when doing Pull-ups. It’s just not always easy to find the wider grip option at the gym.
I’m going to start doing paused Deadlifts this week. Is there a certain percentage of your max or TM that you use? I have no idea where to start so I was planning to treat it like my usual sets and just keep adding weight til I hit a top set.
I’m also going to add deficit pulls… Hell, I’m considering doing pauses from a deficit because I’m impatient and want to kill two birds with one stone lol
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Do this. What Markko/anybody uses wont be the same as what you can use.
I have inside information and I can confirm this is an obstacle in the upcoming movie Saw: Legacy.
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@Frank_C I agree. I’ll also add that I’ve found paused conventional DL to be pretty useless for me. I don’t know about paused deficits. My thought is that there will be even less carryover, because your deficit DL will have a different sticking point to your normal DL. At a pinch, unless you’re going to pull sumo, I’d do deficit DL instead of paused.
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Woke at 184.8 lbs again, looking pretty much identical. Pleased.
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At a loose end, decided to get my LISS out of the way and do my calves.
Standing calf raises with pause at bottom and squeeze at top, 100 lbs
20xtoes forward
20xtoes out
20xtoes in
20xtoes out
20xtoes in
Leg press single leg calf raises
5x20x176 lbs each leg
Tried seated calf raises at 132 lbs pausing at the bottom and squeezing at the top, managed 10 and then five; dropped it to 88 lbs, managed 12 and finally squeezed out 17 at 44 lbs.
Incline treadmill walk, 25 minutes at 15 incline/5 km/hr
I know it’s years ahead, but how are you thinking of approaching it? A slow bulk, bulk to recomp, or a series of bulk/cuts? Would seem you are leaning more towards a slow and steady bulk since you’ve fallen in love with dem aesthetics
Got it in one, slow and steady bulk. I’m thinking in the five to 10 year window unenhanced.
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@lil.greggy all that being said because it’s such a long term project I’m not married to one approach. I would imagine for the next three or so years yes, I’ll be doing a slow bulk once I finish my reverse diet - which will probably go for about nine or ten more months. Whether five or so years down the track I will need to continue to be so cautious I don’t know, although all I have found so far indicates that a slow and steady approach over the long term is likely to work well.
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