Andy
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Since the new year, I’ve completed all of my sessions with the subtle tweaks that I made from observations from a few I trust around me. Yesterday was the first leg session.
Speaking to Greg, he made the point that my upper has come on so well that it’s not highlighting the need for more sweep in my quads. I genuinely believe my legs had better sweep and shape the tail end of 2023 because I was leg pressing, where as not once in 2024 did I leg press. I was simply enjoying the BB squat – Pendulum combination so I just kept running with it especially as strength started to climb.
Here was the session;
Prime PL lying leg curls – 1x 12-15 + a triple drop set
Prime PL leg extensions – 1x 12-15 + Tuor rest pause (I’ve outlined this in previous leg sessions
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
DB walking luges – 1x 15 per leg
Seated calve raises – 3x 20
Decline sit-ups – 3x AMRAP
I was quite surprised with where my strength was having not done a 100% intensity leg session in 3 weeks.
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Agree to everyone above, pull your volume back in accordance with recovery capabilites. There needs to be some acceptance that slight drop offs in training output are going to occur as well.
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Yesterday was the first chest session of the year, and I’ve made a few tweaks based off of a bit of feedback from Greg Taylor, so I went with;
Seated cuffed cable flys – 2x 8-12, 1x 12-15
Incline DB press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15
HS incline PL chest press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15
Standing cable flys – 1x 12-15
SA cable side raises – 3x 12-15
SA cable rear raises – 3x 12-15
High incline EZ-bar cable curls – 1x 12-15 (pyramiding up to the failure/working set)
Standing cable curls – 1x 12-15 (pyramiding up to the failure/working set)
Shallow decline sit-ups – 3 working sets, AMRAP
Nick mentioned a big change in my chest since he last saw me in person so I’m hoping with these tweaks it’s the thickest it’s ever been come prep time!
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My lower back issues stemmed from my SI joint being off centre which can be caused from tightness by the lower back muscles pulling the joint to one side, and also tight glutes. Tight lower backs are also exacerbated by tight hamstrings, if the hamstrings can’t elongate the lower back has to compensate.
I found that most (not all) lower back pain comes from posterior tightness.
If you also have overly tight quads, you’re going to cause a tilting of the pelvis adding to the issue – this is where we see exacerbated “butt winks” in squatting movements.
Trying to progress a hinge while these areas are tight or immobile will only make the issue worse.
You mentioned the physio work helped, so if they massaged you and freed off the muscle temporarily then that’s a sign that it’s tightness to me.
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I made the switch to jasmine years ago, I didn’t realise how bad basmati impacted my gut. I can’t explain why, I just know that basmati will bloat me and jasmine won’t. Jasmine is fluffier, and has a nice under taste.
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Check-in day, but because I saw Nick in person on Thursday, there was no need for photos.
I weighed in at 286.4 which is the heaviest I’ve been this push.
Nick and I have come to the agreement that there’s no need to push the setup harder at this point. Any more food into the mix is only going to accumulate fat, and pushing drugs is only going to exacerbate health markers. Training is excellent, recovery is spot on so I don’t see the need to touch more PEDs.
For reference, here is the current stack;
Test E – 1000mg/week
Primo – 600mg/week
GH – 6IU pre-bed
Novorapid – 10IU pre & post workout
Lantus – 20IU fasted
Telmisartan – 40mg/day
Metformin – 500mg/day
A good 0.5-0.7g less than the max I’ve ever used. I have NPP in the cupboard, but I don’t think it’s needed just yet.
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The first back session of the year in the books, and it was a great one. I’ve always said back/pull is one of those sessions that creeps up on you. We all know legs is going to ruin you, so we brace for it, but pull does it slyly every single time.
I felt the number of exercises we slotted in towards the end of the year was overkill, I knew from how my back felt that my back was done. I sound like a broken record because I’ve done the exact same back workout for 10+ years.
Neutral grip lat pulldowns – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15
T-bar rows – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15
Chest supported t-bar rows – 1x 8-12
SA DB rows – 2x 8-12
Deadlifts – 1x 8-12
So I’ve pulled out the SA Nautilus row, and the rear delt work, because even they felt fried by the end.
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A big shoulder day on the cards at Flex Unit today. I know FU has a few machines that we don’t have at Future Fitness, so depending on what they have I may do a machine shoulder press instead of a DB press.
Y raises – 2 working sets, 12-15
Rear delt cuffed cable rear raises – 3 working sets, 15-20
High incline DB shoulder press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Incline SM chest press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Behind the back cuffed cable side raises – 3 working sets, 12-15
Straight-bar cable triceps extensions – 1 working set, 12-15
Bent over rope triceps extensions – 3 working set, 12-15
I’ll get a few snaps PWO when Nick is taking a look at me.
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Nothing really much to report, other than getting a banging sleep last night – helped by some Dream Sleep of course – and a nice chilled day to top the year out.
2024 has definitely been a memorable one for both good and bad reasons, but I’ve not let the bad over shadow the good.
There’s nothing wrong with treating a new year with a new slate, and I think 2025 is going to be a very good one!
Fantastic year for yourself Andy look forward to seeing how your 2025 goes. Have a good one[/quote]
Cheers Graeme!
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Happy new year everyone!
This is my last NTD of the week/deload so I’m dead excited to go into the gym tomorrow for a big shoulder session.
I’ll be training at Flex Unit and meeting up with Nick Vandal to get a look at me now that I’m half way through my offseason.
I’m excited to hear what he has to say, and hear his thoughts on competing this year, even though it is a bit premature to decide.
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Nothing really much to report, other than getting a banging sleep last night – helped by some Dream Sleep of course – and a nice chilled day to top the year out.
2024 has definitely been a memorable one for both good and bad reasons, but I’ve not let the bad over shadow the good.
There’s nothing wrong with treating a new year with a new slate, and I think 2025 is going to be a very good one!
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A nice relaxing weekend ticked off with plenty of steps and naps. As I mentioned, my neck has bene killing me from sleeping on a god awful bed at my mum’s for a week, so I’m looking forward to having that ironed as I currently feel like Batman.
I’m training on Thursday, so if I can get this ironed out before I go back to the gym then that would be ideal.
As much as it’s cliche, I’m looking forward to getting back into the gym on the 2nd and start the new year off right.
My other half is locked into prep now, so that will make me feel less guilty about being 10/10 myself. We’ve all experienced that selfishness when it comes to wanting to be as close to perfect as possible, but at the same time keeping our relationships healthy.
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Yesterday was great as it was the first day my Mrs was up from Liverpool for the week/NY, even if delays on the trains cause me to miss a meal, it’s all good, I’m not going to cry about it.
We went to Six by Nico as our Christmas present to each other, and then a few drinks in Glasgow which was nice as she only got 1 day off of prep, so that will be her until the end of April.
That works for me though as I’m looking to lock in until the day I decide with Nick if 2025 is going to be the debut year in the pro league.
As I mentioned, I feel a little more confident with the kind words/feedback from my mate Greg, but at the same time I know there’s plenty of work to be done.
I won’t be checking in this week due to the week of training, but I already look and feel better!
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That 2kg isn’t going to be fat, it will just be water and gut content.
If you’ve wiped the slate clean and you know you’re not going to eat anything else off plan, then I would move forward with whatever your plan was to increase food as part of your push up.
I’d be more concerned that a dropping back down to try and get rid of the 2kg may only spur on further binging episodes.
Even if you increase your food, that weight will most likely still fall off, assuming you’re not going for some mad increase in food right from the get go.
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So 2nd day of the week off, and I’m starting to notice usual indicators of fatigue fall off;
– I’m not falling asleep without warning as much.
– Concentration is much better.
– I’m not taking 3 hours to get out of a chair.
– I actually feel rested when I wake up from sleep.
– Appetite is slightly better, although, I am still consuming 6000cals so it’s nothing to shout home about.
– I look rounder and fuller.
I’ve said this a million times but I really do need to make the Christmas-NY week a week off, regardless of how I feel. There is something about waking up on the 2nd ready to go!
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