Andy
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Touchdown Alicante, and my god have I missed this place! My girlfriend and I have had serious conversations about moving out here, I’m hoping this trip will sway here once we get a bit of downtime in Alicante itself after the show.
I dropped 3lbs again from today’s travels, this is a typical, value for me. The plan today was to have 500g of carbs, and just kind of hold 260 before possible loading Thursday-Saturday.
My first objective was to some water off my lower back, and through the top of my quads after having had my food up at 900g of carbs some days.
I think it’s pretty much gone, but the morning weight will be the judge of that.
I can’t wait to train at Titan tomorrow!
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Last session on home soil today. We fly to Alicante tomorrow at 9am. I booked extra leg room seats without even realising so that was a nice surprise.
Nick and I agreed that I’m a wee bit spilled today, nothing outrageous, just an extra lbs of fluid sitting around my glutes, lower abs and upper quad, sitting at 262.4. I told Nick straight up that weight is fucking with my head, so we agreed to pull carbs back to 650g today, and 500g tomorrow – I don’t like eating a lot the day I fly anyway.
We’ll assess Thursday morning and then take it from there.
Rope cable pullovers – 3 sets, 12-15
HS SA PL lat pulldowns – 1 set, 8-12
Conventional T-bar rows – 1 sets, 8-12
Megamass chest supported t-bar rows – 1 set, 8-12
SA DB row – 2 sets, 8-12
I had my videographer film it, and I was delighted with the photos he took. I’m blasting full obviously, so now over the next few days we can shave off some of that extra fluid.
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2nd last session on home soil before Empro, and I thought I’d lay it out considering a few folk have asked. All credit to Greg Taylor (Scottish Titan) for providing me with this one.
PUSH 1
Lying cuffed Y raises – 1x 12-15, 1x 8-12, 1x 15-20, 4s negative for all, no pause in the shortened on the 2nd back-off. Bringing arms just below parallel.
Seated d-handle cable flys – 1x 12-15, 1x 8-12, 1x 15-20, 4s negative for all, 1s pause in the lengthened, no pause in the shortened on the 2nd back-off.
Wide grip SM shoulder press (pressing through pinky) – 1x 8-10, 1x 12-15, 4s negative, smooth concentric, not a powerful one, 1s pause in the lengthened.
HS iso-lateral incline PL chest press – 1x 8-10, 1x 12-15, 4s negative, smooth concentric, not a powerful one, 1s pause in the lengthened.
SA d-handle cable side raises – 1x 12-15, 1x 8-12, 1x 15-20, 4s negative for all, 2nd back-off is 3s up, 3s down. Bringing arms just below parallel.
Prime rear peck deck (torque 2) – 1x 12-15, 1x 8-12, 1x 15-20, 4s negative for all, no pause in the shortened on the 2nd back-off.
Prime iso-lateral flat PL chest press – 1x 8-10, 1x 12-15, 4s negative, smooth concentric, not a powerful one, 1s pause in the lengthened.
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I combine the 2, 500mg + 1 serving of Dream Sleep. I’ve also take 500mg upon wake too. I like having my magnesium a touch higher pre-bed, I’ve noticed deeper sleeps – backed up by my sleep scores from my Oura ring.
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Nothing to report from today really, other than my weight staying the same, almost to the decimal point (262.6).
Nick and I agree that this is another personal best look – for a week out anyway – and we’re holding it at this point by sliding carbs up and down a scale between 750g – 900g of carbs – dependant on morning weight.
Other than the heat, I can’t see my physique moving around too much, and because it’s being so predictable, if we did push for a little more fullness and bump carbs up 100-200g, we know the immediate effect we would see.
The reverse plan is very much written in stone now, I’m now at that point where I just want to get going with it, which is an indicator that the prep is definitely done after Empro.
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Before bed, easy to remember, no need to take with you anywhere
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Another week of training almost complete with back today. I’ll be doing arms tomorrow due to my new push sessions – which I will outline next week – being longer than my old push sessions. I haven’t done an arm day in a long time, so it will be nice, especially now that I’m just cruising into Empro.
Rope cable pullovers – 3 sets, 12-15
HS SA PL lat pulldowns – 1 set, 8-12
Conventional T-bar rows – 1 sets, 8-12
Megamass chest supported t-bar rows – 1 set, 8-12
SA DB row – 1 set, 8-12
SA cable high-to-low row – 2 sets, 8-12
What I mean by cruising in, is that my BW has halted between 259-261. I’m drier, harder and more detailed than I was leading into France. There are levels of detail I have never had through my mid-back or my quads before.
As much as I can’t wait for Empro, the lead up to it, training at Titan, I’m just as excited to get my reverse going, and implementing some GH/reta.
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Not a lot scheduled today other than the first massage since the 13th of May, so I am very much looking forward to that.
I checked in today at 259.9 and without a doubt this is the driest I’ve been all of prep. My physique is definitely doing what it has in previous years and that is get better and tighter as shows go on.
I know I’m going to finish on a high in Alicante – high being my best look to date.
1. Everything is so predictable just now, I genuinely think I could peak myself with my eyes closed.
2. I love Alicante, and Emilio’s shows.
3. My mates are able to come to this one, so it will be good to have them there.
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Agreed with everything the team has said here. Hopefully you have access to a gym that has a good array of machine alternatives. I think most of us who have had severe injuries or surgery that there are things we can no longer do, and need to explicitly avoid in order to avoid flare ups. I can’t do any BB pressing work, and quite a few chest/shoulder press machines are a big no no after my SLAP tear surgery.
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I had to pull out COR in quantities above 75g because the volume took ages to be processed when my reta dose was at 750mcg. Red meat is has significantly slowed, but not to the point where I need to pull it out. Every other source is fine.
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Just finished up with the last leg session of the prep – if you want to call it that. I’ve not done anything bar “touch up” sessions for my legs for about 6 weeks now. They do continue to look better and better, but that doesn’t mean it’s fun training them the way I am just now. There’s plenty of time to do that in the offseason.
I’m still shooting for 75% of previous loads and not going anywhere near failure.
Cybex seated leg curls – 1 set, 8-12
– Each rep is paused in the stretch
Leg extensions – 1 set, 8-12
Pendulum squat – 1 sets, 8-12
BB squats – 1 set, 8-12
Prime lying leg curls – 2 sets, 12-15
Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20
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I hate both, but I only hate yohimbine enough to not use it. Clen I’ll start at 20 and then maybe move it up to 40. Yohimbine doesn’t give me anxiety, I just don’t feel right on it. Clen does give me anxiety, but dies off as the day goes on, or once my session is done.
There are many who can tolerate much more clen.
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And just like that, we’re under 2 weeks out. I didn’t send photos to Nick this morning, I didn’t see the need. Although, I was down by 1.5lbs.
When I got home I had about a 1/10th of a pot of 320cal ice cream – there should be a law that ice cream companies just shouldn’t even bother with low calorie alternatives, it was terrible – and a cookie from some place my girlfriend got. It was great, but ever since all of these cookie companies started popping up, you realise how much cookies pretty much taste the same.
Back onto my TD diet which is currently 750g of carbs, 5.1K calories. It’s weird that after all of that dieting, I can’t be arsed eating this much, and it also feels wrong, even though I’ve been in this situation numerous times.
I’ve been given my new push training programme by Greg Taylor, and the first session today lit them up. I’m not worried about starting a new plan this close to a show when it comes to push sessions, legs and back would be a big no no.
Hopefully after another year of this setup I’ll have more cap to my delts.
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Post show day reflection coming in. . .
I managed a 10th place at the Tsunami Showdown Pro, and again it was another PB look of my career which I’m delighted with, and to stand next to such massive names was incredible. I have taken so much away from the finals days prior to this show.
I came in a pound heavier, but the fullness translated a bit more than that.
After the Cali I didn’t quite understand the call outs, but after France I do. . . I simply don’t have the round top line that the guys placing above me do.
Even though I have a wide frame, I don’t appear as wide because my taper isn’t as “shocking” as others.
I’m not saying it’s only that, but that’s what I feel will bridge me to higher placings going forward.
I have put on a tonne of size in my last offseason to my shoulders, but I need that round look to complete shots like my front relaxed and lat spreads – my side chest suffers from it too I’d say.
I’ve got Empro in 2 weeks, and then I’m shutting it down to spend a year only training my side delts.
It’s a weird feeling being SO HAPPY with the look, yet knowing I need so much more to step up the ladder.
Sas looked insane, and once again, stepped up the role of “show dad” for me and Luca.
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Yesterday was far less stressful than day 1 in Marseille. That’s always the case, once I’m settled I’m good. My head definitely wobbled last night where I went into the typical competitor overthinking rabbit hole. I semi coach myself, and most of the time I am VERY rational. I think I’m very good at not allowing my mind to wonder and go down this rabbit hole of the ultra fine details.
I keep telling myself, “my look is predictable, my weight is not doing anything wild, I know my body to the letter”. This is all true, and when my girlfriend and training partner(s) point things out I’m always like, “I already know this”.
Not that it’s a huge issue, but I can’t find decent light in my apartment to save my life, so that’s throwing off the visuals, and I don’t like relying on my bodyweight too much.
Anyway, 750g carbs today, I imagine that won’t get increased due to my inactivity.
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