Andy
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A great day yesterday on the 3rd and final high carb day (1000g). Across 3 days I put on 8.5lbs, and I look much drier and harder than I did on Friday before the high days went in. Not to mention, I am blown away by how full I managed to get from that. So, due to the fact that this time around I’m not flat as a pancake and needing 2 weeks to fill out, we’ve decided to push for a little more over these next 4 days as we know that if we run a similar load we will get similar results – on paper.
Legs today, and a similar session to last week, nothing wild, just a tonne of control, 1 set per exercise, no failure.
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They’re relaxing, and if you can spend more time in a relaxed state then I think that’s beneficial considering how full on and neurotic bodybuilding is. The dream is to have a sauna in my house.
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I woke up 252.5lbs yesterday morning, and the flattest I’ve been all prep, but I was delighted at how the visuals were. I’ve definitely managed to shift a good layer of fat from the usual resilient regions (my glutes and lower lats).
Nick and I have decided to run 2x 1200g days, and then another 1000g (pending Monday’s check-in), so 3400g in today over 3 days.
From here, it’s likely the baseline will rise, which is currently at 3500cals (390g of carbs). How much will depend on how l look on Monday.
I’ll still be in a deficit even if we creep things back to 600-700g of carbs.
Clen has been pulled out these 3 days as my ability to absorb carbs drops significantly when it’s in.
We’ll also decide if GH should be pulled mid-week to sharpen things. I do look better with GH out if we’re going off historic looks, but the body can change over the years and scenarios change too.
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Today’s back session was a slog! I could’t get my mind into it at all!
It is now barebones volume time, so the session was still excellent, I just wasn’t there in body or soul. This is the last day of pushing though, and I’ve come in a lot since Tuesday’s check-in, I can’t wait to check-in tomorrow.
Rope cable pullovers – 3 sets, 12-15
HS SA PL lat pulldowns – 1 set, 8-12
Conventional T-bar rows – 1 sets, 8-12
Chest supported t-bar rows – 1 set, 8-12
SA DB row – 1 set, 8-12
SA HS PL low row – 1 sets, 8-12
RDL – 1 sets, 5-9
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Yesterday’s NTD was a LLLOOONNNGGG day. One of those ones where you think it must be close to going to bed, and instead, it’s 11:30am. . .
This is just down to me trying to get those last bits off, and sucking the diet down. My NTD is 3200 cals, so it’s not even some people’s off seasons, but to me, that’s dust. . .
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If you’ve not got any pain then I wouldn’t use them. I only use them if my knee is sore.
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Count non-direct protein in terms of calories, but not your protein total.
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A bit of a underwhelming leg day yesterday, but not in a negative way, just in terms of comparing it to previous sessions earlier in the prep, and of course my offseason. Even with pulling volume down, my quads are still not recovering by the time the next leg session comes around. Now, they’re painful by the time I train again, but they’re heavy and inflamed.
Nick and I decided to drop my poundages to 75% and work up to the end given rep range (compounds 12, iso 15) and then stop, regardless of where I was RPE wise, and somehow, I have STILL woke up with DOMs – albeit only 60% of my usual – so that says to me that it was the right call to scale weight back. I literally can’t scale working sets back further, unless I bit exercises all together, and there’s only 5 – not including calves.
Cybex seated leg curls – 1 set, 12-15
– Each rep is paused in the stretch
Leg extensions – 1 set, 8-12 – using the Prime LE, I work in a 8-12, not 12-15 range.
Pendulum squat – 1 sets, 8-12
BB squats – 1 set, 8-12
Prime lying leg curls – 1 sets, 12-15
Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20
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A very quiet and relaxed NTD yesterday. I had a mountain of admin to do, however, with my steps having been lower to 5K it was pretty easy to sit at a desk for the majority of the day and get my work done.
I woke up a bit in my head about how I look, but I don’t think it would be a prep if that wasn’t the case, so I’m just learning to embrace it.
I’m checking in with Nick tomorrow, but I think some push and pulling of certain variables in the setup will yield big results come of the end of the week.
I pulled clen out over the past 2 days, and that has massively benefited my mental state. Over the years, the more exposure I have to clen, the more I realise how much I don’t like being on it.
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Lower the test, and like Kuba said, be more aware of your reactions to things. Think to yourself, “is this worth me losing it?”. A couple of quick breaths, moving away from the person or thing causing you stress, and that will help massively.
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I checked in with Nick this morning at a new prep low of 254.8. I’m not below the weight I competed at when I won my card. Granted this is me at my flattest, and my last stage weight was carbed up to the brim.
We’re going to run the following;
Sun: 1000g non-training day
Mon: 1000g training day (chest) OR I may take this as another NTD if I don’t feel recovered late Sunday.
Tues: Another high day if I feel the look needs it.
I think the final look is almost there, just a little more pushing.
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Another great session at Performance Gym Irvine, one of the best gyms in Scotland. I’d train there more often if I could. As much as I love training in different gyms, my home gym is barely a 5 minute walk from my flat, so trying to justify a 45 minute+ drive is a little harder when my home gym has almost 0 commute.
We ran through a push (shoulder) session, using a few different bits of kit.
HS pin-loaded machine side raises – 1 set, 8-12, 2 sets, 12-15
– Reps performed with a pause in the lengthened portion for the back-off sets
Panatta rear peck deck – 3 sets, 12-15 + double drop set
Arsenal PL shoulder press – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Nautilus PL chest press – 1 set, 8-12
Panatta standing lateral raises – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Incline DB flys – 1 sets, 8-12
Overhead rope cable extensions – 3 sets, 12-15
Straight-bar ex SS rope cable ex – 3 sets, 12-15
Across the body cable tricep extension – 3 sets, 12-15
I’ll have the session loaded onto Youtube in the next week.
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Pull the dose down, to 0.5mg or even lower if you want and see what impact that has.
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Probably the first proper “prep day” yesterday, one of those ones where lifting your head is a chore, but since my first prep, I always just say to myself, “you may be feeling terrible, but imagine the amount of body fat you’re burning right now”. Stupid mentality to have, but if it gets me through, it gets me through.
Usual sports massage with Ricky which was superb, there weren’t any real niggles and pains to drill out, just an overall doing.
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Absolutely no need to take thyroid.
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