[Andy]

I’m approaching the end of this push phase/cycle, so I thought I’d lay out where I ended up PED wise. Total load is 2.2g which is the highest I’ve ever been to. The cycle length was 23 weeks in total, tapering up through those 23 weeks.

Test E – 1000mg/week

NPP – 600mg/week

– I felt surprisingly good on this

Mast P – 600mg/week

– This has only been in the past 3 weeks as I couldn’t be bothered sourcing primo

GH – 8IU (pre-bed)

T4 – 100mcg/day

Lantus – 20IU/day

Humalog – 10IU pre-workout

I felt great on this, BP did rise to around 145-155/75-80, but this was only towards the end of the push. Skin has never been better, I think I’ve had 3 spots in those 23 weeks.

As of next week I’m going to pull back slightly to the following for 10 weeks;

Test E – 325mg/week – I’ll drop this further as the weeks go on

GH – 2IU (pre-bed)

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

If it’s daft amounts of salmon, you run the risk of mercury poisoning, but from what you’ve written there I’d say that’s unlikely, especially if you’re eating smoked salmon, I don’t know many who eat more than 100g of that in a sitting.

I suppose you want to ensure it’s wild salmon, rather than farmed, but that’s not always financially feasible.

Have your blood work checked. If you’re wanting to find out the mercury levels in your blood, book a blood test to see where they land.

In terms of building up intolerances, again, I don’t think you’re eating enough to cause that, but that’s off the back of limited information in terms of weights. I ate 3x chicken breast meals per day, and I can’t go near the stuff – also confirmed by an intolerance test, and diet elimination.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A very busy day today with 1-2-1 PT.

I’ve mentioned before that as a push phase or offseason nears it’s end, I sometimes allow things to slide, such as missing shots and making up for it days later; missing cardio (this only happens in offseason, but still), subbing off plan meals out for my diet meals (I’ll maybe do this once or twice a week, nothing outrageous).

I try and conduct my offseason’s like prep, I think most of us do, but in those final weeks, the above habits start creeping in. I still look great, and it’s the best I’ve looked finishing a push by far!

I’m due to write out my prep timeline/map, get things sorted like sending away my sleep analysis, getting blood work done etc.

I can’t wait!

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

Hilly couldn’t have answered that better!

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

There were 0 adjustments to my leg session yesterday. I went for 9pps on the Arsenal hack which is a lifetime PB for me on that. I managed 6, so that’s a start. My left knee felt a bit tight going into the session, and it tightened as the session went on, but as soon as I put it in a passive stretch it went away. I should’ve done that at the start of the session.

Cybex seated leg curls – 1 sets, 8-12, 2 back-off sets, 12-15

– Both BO sets are paused in the lengthened

Prime PL leg ex – 2 sets, 12-15 + triple drop

Arsenal Hack squat – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 8-12

– BO set is paused at the bottom

Pendulum squat – 1 set, 8-12

Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

Agreed with everyone here.

I’ve binged so many times that I have a million memories of how terrible I feel and look when I do it. I can now tell myself that I’m going to binge, so I literally stop myself now, whereas before it was uncontrollable.

For years pushing my calories up post-show did nothing to curb me binging, because I didn’t enjoy my meals – probably a tip there.

Scheduling in off plan meals helps me, so I’l set one on a Wednesday and Saturday night, as I’m reversing out of my diet. Eventually I’ll remove the Wednesday meal.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A pretty exhausting Sunday to be honest, it was just all go from the moment I got up until I went to bed, it felt like a Monday more than anything. I had to train yesterday due to me being at the 2 Bros British, as well as the PCA British this weekend, so needs must. We also went for a Sunday roast at a place in the west end which was nice. When I go to a nice restaurant I try to order something I’ve never had before, so I ordered the beef tartar, it looked like dog food, and tasted like mould bum hole. . .

My session was class though! Slightly drop in strength due to having 2 meals instead of 4.

Seated d-handle cable flys – 1 working set, 8-12, 2 back-off sets, 12-15

– Both back-off sets paused

Incline DB press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off sets, 12-15

– Back-off set paused

Prime incline PL press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 cluster set

Prime peck deck – 1 working sets, 12-15

– Torque set to 3

Prime rear peck deck – 3 working sets, 15-20

– Torques set to 2

SA d-handle cable side raises – 3 working sets, 12-15

Standing EZ-bar curls – 3 working sets, 12-15 + double drop

SA DB concentration curls – 3 sets, 12-15

Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 2 sets, 12-15

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

Tennis elbow is inflammation of the triceps tendon – as is all tendonitis – so they wouldn’t be my choice.

First and foremost, get deep tissue, and passively stretch the tricep every day.

I’d use a supplement like Ostero Pro + Cure Coming to also aid the process of getting rid of this pain.

A short course of OTC anti inflammatories as well.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A great day at the PCA Yorkshire with 2 clients bringing their best looks. I know every coach says that, but they really did!

It’s Saturday so an off plan meal tonight. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that I usually have a cheat meal as my last meal on a Saturday night. Sometimes I have one on a Wednesday night too, it just depends on how I’m feeling. I don’t gorge, I used to when I was younger mind you.

A big chest day tomorrow, again, I’m not the biggest fan of Sunday training, but needs must.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A great back session yesterday, however, I’m still dealing with some sciatic pain down my left side that travels from my oblique, through my left glute, and down to my heel. It all started when I started to do direct glute work again on my leg day – which has since been taken out. This has happened before, so I know it will clear.

As much as I said I was going back to structure and log booking, I’ve not really done that with back. Why? Because I can max every machine, every DB, RDL/SLDL 6 plates plus, log booking numbers for back isn’t needed for me, I’m now way more concerned with how I’m moving things. So yesterday’s session went like this. . .

Rope (Vulcan) pullovers – 3 sets, 12-15

Close grip handle pulldown – 1 set, 8-12 + forced reps, 1 cluster set (4 sets of 4 reps)

Conventional t-bar rows – 1 set, 8-12, 2 back-off sets, 12-15

Chest supported t-bar row – 1 set, 8-12 + triple dropset (I could’ve done a quadruple drop, but I underestimated my strength).

Prime pin-loaded low row (torque 5) – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

SA DB rows – 2 sets, 8-12

Hyperextensions – 2 sets, 15

– I didn’t even attempt RDLs as I knew my hamstring would be screaming, in a bad way

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

Agreed with the others as well. 1g to 1.5g is my starting point, and as a few have mentioned above, this might increase depending on circumstance.

I set water/fluid a little lower at 5L. If it goes above that, assuming it’s not being forced, then that’s fine.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A pretty tame NTD today. 3 PT cancellations which is always fun, however, I live a 5 minutes walk from the gym, so it’s really not a big deal if people cancel last minute – although I do make out as if it is.

Usual trip to see Ricky for the weekly battering, and today he spent a great deal of time going through my shoulders, as they’ve felt off these past 2 weeks, not in a way that hinders my lifts, more so I’m just conscious of tightness, especially when throwing DBs up.

Rest day food sits roughly 1000cals less than my TD, this is something I’ve done since the beginning to keep my appetite in check as I move up the calories in my push phases. It makes my subsequent training days that much easier to deal with.

Back tomorrow, and the it’s down to Hull on Friday for the PCA Yorkshire.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

A superb leg session yesterday in the books.

I’ve been doing heavy abductor for about 4 weeks, but as always with any direct glute work, my SI join just get wrecked, and I think get an almost sciatic pain down the left glute and into the hamstring. It’s so strange. The same thing happened last year when I was SM hip thrusting every week. I still do some abductor work as a warm up, but not working sets.

Cybex seated leg curls – 1 sets, 8-12, 2 back-off sets, 12-15

– Both BO sets are paused in the lengthened

Prime PL leg ex – 2 sets, 12-15 + triple drop

Arsenal Hack squat – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 8-12

– BO set is paused at the bottom

Pendulum squat – 1 set, 8-12

Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20

This looks like a piece of piss, but it’s a superb session. My legs go through wild growth spurts all throughout the push phase. They’re definitely the biggest and leanest they’ve ever been.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

I think it depends on the exercise, and what I’m trying to do, for example;

Incline DB press

Set 1: The change of direction is controlled, but there’s no pause.

Set 2: Rather than doing a slightly heavier back-off, I’ll pause for a 2 count with every single rep in the stretch/lengthened portion, as the shortened position is wrecked from the previous working set.

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle

[Andy]

I had to train today as my training days have shifted forward due to shows the next 2 weekends. I may have said on this blog before, but I hate training on Sundays. Always have! It feels like a Monday now too because I’ve followed my TD schedule which is my work day schedule.

Sundays to me are sacred – not literally – but I love to just get my steps in, do some cardio, and become a cabbage on the couch.

Anyway, here’s the work out. . .

Seated d-handle cable flys – 1 working set, 8-12, 2 back-off sets, 12-15

– Both back-off sets paused

Incline DB press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off sets, 12-15

– Back-off set paused

Prime incline PL press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 cluster set

Prime peck deck – 1 working sets, 12-15

– Torque set to 3

Prime rear peck deck – 3 working sets, 15-20

– Torques set to 2

SA d-handle cable side raises – 3 working sets, 12-15

Standing EZ-bar curls – 3 working sets, 12-15 + double drop

SA DB concentration curls – 3 sets, 12-15

Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 2 sets, 12-15

Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle