Andy
Forum Replies Created
-
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
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.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Always keep tissue work in. If you’re holding water from it, the massage therapist is doing something VEYR wrong!
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
A super stressful first day here in Marseille for the Tsunami Showdown Pro. Nothing really happened, it was more so wee things like, getting trapped in a car park, taking numerous wrong turns and paying the same toll. . . twice.
We went and trained at On Air. it is NOT the kind of place I could train every day, I think that would be terrible. However, it done the job.
I’m very happy with the look, as is Nick. Tomorrow (Thursday – 2 days out) we’ll monitor the look by the meal, and find where is best. I do tend to look better with more meals, water and salt, so competing at 6pm suits me, other than it just being a long day.
So long as I can improve my look from Cali, I’m happy!
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
A pretty simple yet busy weekend, with a push session on Saturday, and just resting today.
Nick and I decided to load 1200g of carbs today, which is what we done pre-Cali, and then held most of the week around 1000g bar Wednesday as I lost 5lbs from traveling. The slight caveat this time around is that I won’t be on an 11 hour flight, thankfully just a 2 hour flight – albeit Ryan Air, so it will probably feel like 11 hours.
Tomorrow we’ll more than likely run 1000g, but that depends on the look first thing which is pretty easy to judge now considering my physique is holding very well compared to previous years.
There is some debate if we should remove winstrol next week. As much as I do notice a good bit of visual change from using it, I’m starting to wonder if it is causing some very slight digestive stress.
We’ll see. . .
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Agreed, there will be a cal/carb amount where you just keep getting better and better without spilling, hold it there for a 2-4 weeks, pull expenditure as much as possible and then come back down if you need to for the show. Although, if you’re getting better and you’re happy with the look, do your best to hold it.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
A great back session with Chris and Kieran yesterday. Much like every session these past 2 weeks, the volume is at a baseline, all I’m doing is just giving the muscle a reason to stay there, and that’s about it.
I checked in with Nick yesterday, and we agreed to push the food up a touch more – having sat at 750g for most of the week. The goal for France is to come in just a little bit fuller, but nothing too far from what I looked like in Cali. Push fullness and I will 100% see a blurring of lines through my glutes, and my waist not being as tight as I want it.
No RDLs yesterday as much hamstrings still feel a bit under recovered. So I slotted in another rear delt exercise.
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 HS PL low row – 1 sets, 8-12
Standing rear delt cable flys – 3 sets, 15-20
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
A pretty busy NTD yesterday. I still do 1-2-1 PT, but over the course of this season with everything being abroad I’ve had to curtail sessions, but to save face – more or less – I done 5 sessions yesterday, it was good to move and get in the gym again as I still love training people 1-2-1.
Checked in with Nick today, and the plan is to bump carbs up to 850g after a 5lbs drop over night. Obviously most of that is water from the flight, but still, I we have seen my physique go backwards pretty quickly in previous years, so staying on top of fullness/fatigue is paramount.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle