[Andy]

Do you tend to end up switching to lower risk movements when you get deeper in to prep, and things don’t feel as stable in those heavy free weight movements? Or do you like to stick to what put the muscle there in the first place?

Hi Ellis,

Yeah, I usually pull all free weight pressing out for a machine alternative, usually around the 6-4 week mark if we’re putting a definitive time on it. I think it’s the style of training that is more important than the movement itself

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[Andy]

A pretty decent chest bias push yesterday. Much like legs, endurance was down a touch, as was strength a tiny bit, but nothing worth crying about. It’s one of those ones where if I haven’t touched X weight in a while, my joints just feel a touch less stable, nothing outrageous, but I notice it, especially with DBs.

I tried the Cybex PL the last time I trained chest, and I’m always a bit indifferent with it, it’s like I like it, but I also don’t. So, I tried a small incline SM press yesterday, and I think I’ll run with that for the foreseeable. I’ve not run a SM chest press regularly since my shoulder op.

Seated cuffed cable flys – 2x 8-12, 1x 12-15

Incline DB press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

Small incline SM chest press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

Prime rear peck deck – 3x 12-15

SA cable side raises – 3x 12-15

Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 3x 12-15

High incline EZ-bar cable curls – 3x 12-15

Shallow decline sit-ups – 3 working sets, AMRAP

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[Andy]

First leg session back post-flu. Strength was down a bit, it was more I was gassing out a lot quicker, but I’m certain that I’m now in a good place, and I’ll get a good run at getting my strength back prior to the prep starting on the 2nd.

I’ve not checked in with Nick in a while, and thus haven’t taken photos of myself, I kind of don’t want to, but I know I’ll need to at some point. Nor have I weighed myself. I’m usually quite head strong, but maybe it’s the lead up to the pro debut that’s throwing me.

I know I’m not big enough to do any damage yet, and I think that’s playing on my mind a bit.

Prime PL lying leg curls – 1x 12-15

Prime PL leg extensions – 1x 12-15

HS horizontal leg press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

Pendulum squat – 1x 8-12

Cybex seated leg curls – 1x 12-15, 1x 15-20

Seated calve raises – 3x 20

Decline sit-ups – 3x AMRAP

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[Andy]

Hi Jordan,

1. It’s just something I’ve never done, and I’ve overdone set cardio so many times, probably through not realising how active I actually am.

2. I’d like a top 5/6 in at least one show, but so long as I am better than when I won my pro card, I’m happy.

3. When I say I don’t measure everything perfectly, if it’s 100g of rice, and I measure 102g, it’s not that big a deal, but no, I genuinely don’t think I’d be better if those things were nailed 24/7 in the offseason

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[Andy]

A pretty uneventful NTD today.

My current step count is 10k per day which is quite easy for me to tally up with 1-2-1 clients. At the weekend it’s a little harder to get that but my weekly average is still sitting at 10k.

Steps isn’t something I’ve ever monitored on a prep before, and I am notorious for over cooking cardio on prep, so I’m hoping that now I have a point of reference I can curb activity a bit more.

The next 3 weeks of May will be a period where I transition my mind – I know how that sounds – into prep. I’m disciplined year round, however, this small amount of time allows me to zone into things like: making sure I’m measuring exactly to the gram, always doing my mobility work, always doing my posing work, cutting out wee bits of junk here and there (which is quite rare anyway).

If I’m 100% about a prep – which you always should be, never less – then I’m locked in very very quickly. I’ve not done a prep since 2014 that I wasn’t mentally, physically, socially, or financially ready for.

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[Andy]

A nice and easy NTD for me today. I didn’t check my weight this morning, I’d like to get 1 solid week under my belt before I do.

So that’s actually the end of my health phase. It only lasted 6 weeks which is less than I wanted but due to having to move shows and what not, it was the most time I could ideally give myself. My last HP was 14 weeks and I felt incredible by the end of it.

As of Monday this is the PED plan;

Test E – 500mg

EQ – 200mg

Primo – 300mg

GH – 3IU (pre-bed)

Lantus – 10IU, but I imagine this will be dropped by next week

Telmisartan – 40mg

Metformin – 500mg

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[Andy]

Agreed with Clare here, nutrition across the workout – alongside it’s immediate benefits – allow for meals through the day to be smaller, which can be a real problem when pushing hard and appetite starts to take a bit of a tanking.

If I consume 100g of carbs across my workout via HBCD then that means that’s 100g less carbs via whole food.

As I start to diet down, I may start to pull a few carbs from the carbs distributed across the workout and put them into whole foods.

Essential, no, useful, very much so. . .

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[Andy]

I’m finally starting to feel a bit more human again, with a semi-decent back session today. My strength wasn’t quite where it was, where for example I was t-bar rowing close to 9 plates, but today 7 was a struggle, but I’ll still take 7 for sure.

I’ve got 3 weeks until I potentially start prep, so I need to make sure that every day is squared away and for me to know that I’ve left nothing in the tank.

The last of my struggles is eating. I’m getting all of my meals in, but my throat is in agony, and I’ve got massive ulcers across my lips too which is causing me more pain – don’t eat pineapple when you have an ulcer by the way, I’d rather take a tequila shot to the eye next time. . .

Rope pullovers – 3x 12-15

Neutral grip lat pulldowns – 1x 8-12, 1x cluster

T-bar rows – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

HS SA PL low row – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

SA DB rows – 2x 8-12

RDLs – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

It’s coming back for sure, but dysmorphia is definitely screaming at me just now!

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[Andy]

So I managed to get back into the gym today – I feel I’ve been so stop start recently!

The session was good though, just a minor drop in strength, but when you spend 3 days not eating or drinking, that’s bound to happen.

I was just glad to be back in the gym.

Eating is still a hassle because my throat is so sore, and my gums are covered with ulcers, but I’m just grinning and bearing it.

I’m sure another few days of rest and recuperation that my body will be back to 100%

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[Andy]

I’ve went a bit MIA since the weekend, I’ve been hit by the flu, which in turn spurred on a migraine, which has also spurred on a throat infection, so needless to say, I’m not feeling good at all.

I had a few square meals across those 3 days, but because swallowing is so painful I literally couldn’t get the food down. It felt like was swallowing broken glass. Even drinking water was brutal, and that’s causes me to be massively dehydrated as well.

To make matters worse – I know – my immune system must be in the gutted because I have 6 ulcers in my mouth making eating that much harder as well.

I’m back onto my full NTD routine today with cardio, steps, and 100% eating and drinking. As much as I know it’s just water and glycogen, I feel small. I’m looking forward to training again, just to get a bit of life into my body.

I was in such a good stride prior to Tenerife – let’s face it, that’s what has ultimately caused this. . .

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[Andy]

Well yesterday (Saturday was a blur). I had been feeling a migraine coming on for a few days, but never fully turned into one. I get a migraine once a year and they’re horrific. Once I got to Liverpool I knew I’d either wake up and be fine or, it would be full blown migraine. . . and that’s exactly what happened.

Sweats into unbearable colds shivering/chattering, I couldn’t see, wobbly, pulsating headache, my eyes felt like they had ballooned to twice their size.

The only way for me to fight the migraines I get is to sleep it off, so I must have slept for a good 18 hours straight. I don’t feel 100% yet, but the worst has passed. In years gone by, my migraines might last up to 3 days.

Anyway, I also missed a session of training because of it was well, so I’m feeling that horrible OCD way as well.

I really need to get my momentum moving again!

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[Andy]

Yesterday was the first 100% session back, and it was superb. Poundage’s were all the same, but as predicted there was a few drops in reps scattered here and there, but nothing too concerning. Last night was the first time I actually felt like my old self again, which is scary considering that’s almost 2 weeks since I left for Tenerife

I don’t feel 100% yet – again scary – but I’m just trying to ride it out.

Lying Y raises – 2 working sets, 12-15

Cuffed cable rear delt raises – 3 working sets, 15-20

High incline DB shoulder press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

Prime flat PL chest press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

HS machine PL side raises – 3 working sets, 12-15 + double drop

Bent over rope triceps extensions – 3 working sets, 12-15 + double drop

Overhead rope triceps extensions – 3 working sets, 12-15

Across the body cable triceps extensions – 3 working sets, 12-15

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[Andy]

Agreed with Sas on the blends. I don’t use sus with clients, I don’t feel there’s a place for it in BB – I’m sure there are some who would benefit from it.

On top of what Sas said about carrier oils, I also find that everyone get’s PIP in different areas. I’ve never PIP in my lats, but yet I’ll get PIP every single time in my triceps. I’d try the lats again – assuming you’ve not got issues with the lab itself – and see if it happens again.

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[Andy]

One man’s too much, is another man’s too little. It depends on how much cardio you’re on right now. If it’s 0, then most would stay that’s too big a jump, if it’s 1 hour then that’s not as bad an increase if it’s 30 minutes, and split across the day, plus, it’s walking.

Without knowing your lifestyle, job etc, it’s hard to pinpoint if something is too much.

If you’re staying strong, and your training sessions aren’t being negatively impacted, and you’re making steady fat loss progress, then you’re fine

I walk about 8000-10000 steps everyday.

I walked for 45 minutes 4 days ago and it felt awesome and didnt Get any fatigue.

But i am wondering if my muscles gone be too tired[/quote]

Instead of doubling your cardio then, do 3x 45 minute incline walks per day and start there and incrementally increase that based off fat loss progression. Adding a session or making the walks longer by 5 minutes

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[Andy]

One man’s too much, is another man’s too little. It depends on how much cardio you’re on right now. If it’s 0, then most would stay that’s too big a jump, if it’s 1 hour then that’s not as bad an increase if it’s 30 minutes, and split across the day, plus, it’s walking.

Without knowing your lifestyle, job etc, it’s hard to pinpoint if something is too much.

If you’re staying strong, and your training sessions aren’t being negatively impacted, and you’re making steady fat loss progress, then you’re fine

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