Andy
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First leg of the journey complete (Edinburgh to Heathrow). This is usually the portion of long hauls that cause the problems due to connections being missed, however this time, I’ve booked 2 separate flights to LA, so we fly to LAX tomorrow at 10:30am, and I’ve just had my last meal (260g salmon, 150g white rice, 100g pineapple).
Weight has been holding between 257-259. We push the carbs up today by a touch to 800g. I’ll do this tomorrow as well, but only have 1 meal on the flight, keep water/fluid as high as possible and wear my trusty flight socks.
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A pretty chilled one today, in fact, the day is almost dragging. I’ve got energy, but there’s not really much I can do with that energy. . .
I did train though. I pulled some of the poundage back though, just so I’m stimulating the muscle, but also giving my joints a break. No matter how I train my chest, I always get DOMs anyway.
Standing cuffed cable flys – 1 working set, 8-12
– Back-off sets paused
Incline DB press – 1 working set, 8-12
– Back-off set paused
Prime flat PL press – 1 working set, 8-12
Weighted dips – 1 working set, 8-12
Prime peck deck – 1 working sets, 12-15
– Torque set to 2
Prime rear peck deck – 3 working sets, 15-20
– Torques set to 2
SA cable side raises – 2 working sets, 12-15
Standing EZ-bar curls – 3 working sets, 12-15
SA alternating DB curls – 2 sets, 12-15
Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 2 sets, 12-15
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A great back session yesterday, nothing out of the ordinary, I kept the volume low, despite being tempted to do 5 sets on the new Megamass chest supported t-bar row – that thing is fantastic!
I weighed in at 255.4, and the look that I saw at my photoshoot today was one I want to replicate on show +/- a little bit of water. I think we know roughly where I need to land weight wise and that’s between 255-257.
Now, 255 is what I weighed the morning of my pro card win, but the physique/look I have now is far superior to that.
I’ve got 1 more meal at the time of writing this to go. If you want to see a full day of eating 1200g of carbs, be sure to check out my “pro debut” story highlights.
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Agreed, 90 minutes. If I’m in a prep situation, then I can go as low as 30 minutes, but most of the time it’s 90.
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A decent enough push day yesterday. Nick and I agreed to push the carbs up to 500g, it did nothing. . . So today we’re putting 750g in with back.
Tomorrow I’ll be running my 1200g NTD high day as we know exactly how I react to that, and then we’ll take it from there. As I’ve mentioned, I don’t want to be eating a tonne of food on an 11 hour flight, so if we can do the ground work fullness wise now, and then only have to touch it up the days before the show then that works for me.
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Probably the last low day of the prep yesterday. Now it’s a case of slowly pushing food up in the opposite direction and filling out the rig.
The lowest my training day dropped to was 385g carbs, which isn’t too shabby it all, so a 100g increase today and then take it from there. Going off records from this prep, it’s likely and probably wise we run 2 high days across the week (1200g) and then just manage the look from there.
I’d say after last weekend’s high days I was at 85-90% fullness, and if I run slightly higher carbs both today and tomorrow then the response should be even greater.
We fly to LA on Tuesday, so I’d like to have the physique where it needs to be by Monday fullness wise.
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Last leg day of the prep ticked off yesterday. It only dawned on me it was the last one as I was finishing the session. I noticed significant improvement in my glute detail this morning, and I think that’s just because they’ve filled out not only from the 3 high days, but from being pumped up yesterday. So, I may add a bit of light abductor work in a few days out just to bump them up a bit – open turned bikini girl.
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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I like doing cardio fasted, and the majority of my steps fasted. It just feels nicer doing cardio on an empty stomach. There have been preps where I’ve had to do cardio/steps at different times of the day and saw no real difference. Whatever suits your schedule best.
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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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