[Adam Bishop]

134.5 this morning.

Push session at physique again. Felt really good. Busy day with physio session in the morning, push session then massage in the afternoon.

Military Press 88×5 94×5 99×8
Atlantis Incline 231×8 160×13
Prime flat press 151×7
Panatta fly 90x3x15 (rest pause)
Panatta laterals 95×8 70×15
Incline cable skullcrushers 35x3x10
Kneeling tricep extension 3×10 then drop set

[Adam Bishop]

Ok time to grow. First pull session up at Physique warehouse:

Block Pulls 236×5 252×5 268×8
HS Pulldown 180×6 134×12
Isolateral row 125×10 75×16
Leverage pulldown 70x3x12
Rear delt fly 200×10
Three way cable curl 3×12/12/12
Preacher curl 3×12

Split moving forward is remaining the same (Pull/Push/legs/off) however the addition of the deadlift, military press and squat work (using 5/3/1 loading with an extremely light starting tMax)

Food is up all this week at what was my high days on Wednesday and Sunday during the cut. So that’s P332 C396 F99 for this week then we’ll see what my bodyweight does before adjusting things.

[Adam Bishop]

Final day of this phase done. Food goes up as of tomorrow with me moving to my usual “high” day everyday from the previous diet phase. From there we’ll see what my bodyweight does.

Really looking forward to getting started with the next 20weeks pushing my bodyweight and gym lifts up.

Final lower session today:

Box Squat 155×8
Leg Ext – 130x3x17 (w/rest pause)
Seated Leg curl – 98x3x15 (w/rest pause)
Leg Press – 225x3x20
SL Calf Raise – L3x16 R3x25
SL Calf Iso – 3x15sec

[Adam Bishop]

Bodyweight 134.4kg. Lightest I’ve been for a long time and I’ve achieved my rough goal of being sub 135kg. One more day of cutting tomorrow then we start pushing up.

Looking forward to the next 20 weeks. Got everything laid out ready to really put some muscle on and increase my lifts a lot. Goals have been set and I’ll be recording more than ever.

Press session today and military press was reintroduced ready for next week.

Military Press 80×8
Hammer strength chest Press 123×7 83×14
Dips 134x3x16 (w/rest pause)
Cable Lateral Raise 20x3x12 (w/rest pause)
Push downs 29.5×8 18×16
Unilateral cable extension 22.5x3x13 (w/rest pause)

[Adam Bishop]

Barn pull session with the return of some block pulls:

Block pulls 250×8
CG Pulldown 129×8 93×15
Seated cable row 123×89 93×16
Pulldown 72x3x17
Seated WG Row 72x3x17
Facing away Cable curl 22.5x3x15
Standing Cable Curl 22.5x3x12

The next steps towards returning to conventional deadlifts. Like the box squats I’ll run these partial pulls for the next few weeks. Pretty low on energy today so very happy to get all this done.

[Adam Bishop]

Thursday was a rest day for me. Did a nights fishing (still on the lake now). Weather looked good for a bite but nothing as of yet. Proper blowing a decent wind into my face so not the most comfortable night but I managed to get some sleep.

I’ll head home around noon then I’ve got a pull session to get done this afternoon

[Adam Bishop]

Lower session in the barn:

Box Squat 145×7
Leg Ext – 130x3x15 (w/rest pause)
Seated Leg curl – 98x3x14 (w/rest pause)
Leg Press – 200x3x20
SL Calf Raise – L3x14 R3x25
SL Calf Iso – 3x15sec

Back on box squats now with the box
Only there to limit depth. I’m confident that I could squat to full depth without it but it’s better to be cautious. I’ll ditch it after a couple of weeks when I’m confident the Achilles is settled in to some proper movements.

137.3kg this morning which is a low for me since 2015. Very happy with how this little cut has gone. Couple more days to drop some more fat then come Monday I start pushing my weight back up as I bring the strength work on the bigger movements in.

[Adam Bishop]

Physio appointment this morning. I feel like the progress with the Achilles and calf strength has really accelerated these past few days. As soon as I reduced the swelling I got more function. Daily isometrics and ever other day calf raises are doing the do for me. I’m up to 12 reps on a single leg calf raise. The goal is 30 clean reps.

Pull session in the barn:

Hammer strength chest Press 122.5×8 83×14
Dips 140x3x15 (w/rest pause)
Cable Lateral Raise 22.5×10 12.5×19
Lateral Raise 17.5x3x14 (w/rest pause)
Push downs 28.5×10 15×20
Unilateral cable extension 22.5x3x12 (w/rest pause)

[Adam Bishop]

Due to that isometric force having to be absolutely massive in order to successfully hold the spine in extension.

Taking the spine through full flexion into extension will definitely work but there is a risk to reward in being in those positions. I mean look at the erectors of strongmen who are decent stone lifters – therefore it could be said that stone lifting is a better erector builder than deadlifts. It’s tough to say though as most good stone lifters are also big dead lifters. Cause or effect or both?

In reality we know that deadlifts build erectors very effectively in a relatively safe manner so don’t try and invent the wheel and just pull from the floor regularly.

[Adam Bishop]

Pull session in the barn today:

RDL 240×10
CG Pulldown 128×8 93×14
Seated cable row 123×8 93×14
Pulldown 72x3x16
Seated WG Row 72x3x16
Facing away Cable curl 21x3x15
Standing Cable Curl 21x3x12

All movements progressed in some way which is awesome considering the calorie deficit. Really looking forward to this time next week when we start to add some more food in.

[Adam Bishop]

Rest day today.

Got a lot of stuff done around the house and spent far too long building a flat pack shed.

Swelling around ankle is down today and hasn’t gone up as the day has gone on which is promising.

Back in the gym tomorrow for some pull. Final week of lower calories before we start pushing back up

[Adam Bishop]

Morning push session in the barn:

Hammer strength chest Press 121×8 82.5×13
Dips 140x3x14 (w/rest pause)
Cable Lateral Raise 21×10 11×18
Lateral Raise 17.5x3x13 (w/rest pause)
Push downs 28.25×9 14.75×18
Unilateral cable extension 21x3x13 (w/rest pause)

Also had some massage in the afternoon. Body is feeling good at the moment. Legs tomorrow morning.

[Adam Bishop]

Heat was tough today. It was a double fan session in the barn plus a mobile fan following me round most of the day.

RDL 220×10
CG Pulldown 126×8 93×14
Seated cable row 119×10 87×15
Pulldown 72x3x15
Seated WG Row 72x3x15
EZ Thick bar curl 42.5×8 32.5×10
Facing away Cable curl 20.5x3x13
Standing Cable Curl 20.5x3x14

Bodyweight down to 138.3 which is a new low. We will see where it goes over the next couple of days. Very happy to see it moving down again. Only 10 days left of this diet/clean up/cut/whatever you want to call it then it’s time to build some muscle for strength.

[Adam Bishop]

Rest day for me today and I’m on the lake fishing.

Got it down to a fine art now with preparing all my meals and taking my CPAP with me for the nights. Proper hot today but luckily the swim I’m in has plenty of shade, still having to pound the water though to say ontop of hydration.

Going to stay one more night but I have to be off at first light to get home so early night for me.

[Adam Bishop]

Great session at physique warehouse today. Proper enjoyed it and felt decent.

Weighed in at 140.1kg – super close to being under the 140 mark – somewhere I haven’t been for around 9 years

Seated Smith Press 160×6 120×12
Atlantis incline Press 230×6 then drop set
Prime Bench Press 150×8
Cable fly triple set 3×12/12/12
Panatta lateral raise 90×10 65×15
Nautilus lateral raise 3×12
Overhead tricep extension 3 sets
Skullcrusher superset 3 sets

Spent the rest of the day cooking some meals up and trying to stay cool. Got some physio, lower body and massage tomorrow before I head off to the lake for couple of nights fishing.