Andy
Forum Replies Created
-
A bit of a underwhelming leg day yesterday, but not in a negative way, just in terms of comparing it to previous sessions earlier in the prep, and of course my offseason. Even with pulling volume down, my quads are still not recovering by the time the next leg session comes around. Now, they’re painful by the time I train again, but they’re heavy and inflamed.
Nick and I decided to drop my poundages to 75% and work up to the end given rep range (compounds 12, iso 15) and then stop, regardless of where I was RPE wise, and somehow, I have STILL woke up with DOMs – albeit only 60% of my usual – so that says to me that it was the right call to scale weight back. I literally can’t scale working sets back further, unless I bit exercises all together, and there’s only 5 – not including calves.
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
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
A very quiet and relaxed NTD yesterday. I had a mountain of admin to do, however, with my steps having been lower to 5K it was pretty easy to sit at a desk for the majority of the day and get my work done.
I woke up a bit in my head about how I look, but I don’t think it would be a prep if that wasn’t the case, so I’m just learning to embrace it.
I’m checking in with Nick tomorrow, but I think some push and pulling of certain variables in the setup will yield big results come of the end of the week.
I pulled clen out over the past 2 days, and that has massively benefited my mental state. Over the years, the more exposure I have to clen, the more I realise how much I don’t like being on it.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Lower the test, and like Kuba said, be more aware of your reactions to things. Think to yourself, “is this worth me losing it?”. A couple of quick breaths, moving away from the person or thing causing you stress, and that will help massively.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
I checked in with Nick this morning at a new prep low of 254.8. I’m not below the weight I competed at when I won my card. Granted this is me at my flattest, and my last stage weight was carbed up to the brim.
We’re going to run the following;
Sun: 1000g non-training day
Mon: 1000g training day (chest) OR I may take this as another NTD if I don’t feel recovered late Sunday.
Tues: Another high day if I feel the look needs it.
I think the final look is almost there, just a little more pushing.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Another great session at Performance Gym Irvine, one of the best gyms in Scotland. I’d train there more often if I could. As much as I love training in different gyms, my home gym is barely a 5 minute walk from my flat, so trying to justify a 45 minute+ drive is a little harder when my home gym has almost 0 commute.
We ran through a push (shoulder) session, using a few different bits of kit.
HS pin-loaded machine side raises – 1 set, 8-12, 2 sets, 12-15
– Reps performed with a pause in the lengthened portion for the back-off sets
Panatta rear peck deck – 3 sets, 12-15 + double drop set
Arsenal PL shoulder press – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Nautilus PL chest press – 1 set, 8-12
Panatta standing lateral raises – 1 set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
Incline DB flys – 1 sets, 8-12
Overhead rope cable extensions – 3 sets, 12-15
Straight-bar ex SS rope cable ex – 3 sets, 12-15
Across the body cable tricep extension – 3 sets, 12-15
I’ll have the session loaded onto Youtube in the next week.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Pull the dose down, to 0.5mg or even lower if you want and see what impact that has.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Probably the first proper “prep day” yesterday, one of those ones where lifting your head is a chore, but since my first prep, I always just say to myself, “you may be feeling terrible, but imagine the amount of body fat you’re burning right now”. Stupid mentality to have, but if it gets me through, it gets me through.
Usual sports massage with Ricky which was superb, there weren’t any real niggles and pains to drill out, just an overall doing.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Absolutely no need to take thyroid.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
The build up to yesterday’s leg session was nothing but dread, but after the first set of leg curls my mind was set and the rest of the session ended up being incredible with numerous PBs across a lot of movements – it’s weird how that happens. No forced reps this time though, you’d be surprised how much 1 or 2 forced reps can eat into recovery at the tail end of a contest prep.
BW hit a new prep low of 255.9. I told Nick I want to suffer into Sunday to really get the last bit of fat off my glutes. I’m flat, but I’m not in the usual hole I get myself in.
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 – 1 sets, 12-15 + 1 forced negative
Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Yesterday’s session was a good one! It was the first day of the lower food, and I most certainly felt it from the get-go, but the session was great nonetheless. I’m taking in “almost” 0 caffeine per day just now. I’ll maybe have a 1 or 2 coffees at the weekend, but with me trying to preserve my sleep as much as possible, I tend to avoid everything including stim pre-workouts.
Seated cuffed cable flys – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off sets, 12-15
– Back-off sets paused
Incline DB press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15
– 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 + double drop
SA alternating DB curls – 2 sets, 12-15
Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 2 sets, 12-15
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
Agreed with the guys above, if your diet is sufficient in everything then there’s probably no need for the pre-bed EAAs/glutamine.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
As much as many will say 2IU doesn’t do anything, it might contribute to a little bit of fullness, so rather than removing it completely, lower it to 2IU, assess visuals and then decide if it’s worth keeping in or pulling out.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
I checked in this morning with Nick, and we’re at a new prep low of 256.2. So, today and tomorrow we’re running 1000g. Today was a training day and tomorrow is a NTD. As you can imagine for 4 weeks out, my appetite is superb, so none of today’s food has been a chore at all. I’ve never done a 1000g NTD before, but I’m going to be using the exact same sources as I usually use – bar a little bit of jam in my COR.
On top of that we’ve pulled another 10% of CHO out from the TD and NTD. Leaving the calories as such TD: 3800 NTD: 3400
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
I’d say a very broad range, from as low as 6 on certain movements, and up to 20 for certain isolation movements. I’ll have 1 client on the range above, yet another may see great results going no more than 12.
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle -
I had a great leg day yesterday, albeit a Thursday leg day which isn’t ideal for me, as when the week goes on, I tend to tire, and would rather train legs at the start of the week, especially after a weekend where I tend to be off my feet, other than steps/cardio.
The leg session now looks like nothing on paper, but with my training partner there, it’s nothing short of the intensity I see in the offseason. If anything, the amount of volume enables me to lock in on the set more.
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 – 1 sets, 12-15
Seated calve raises – 3 sets, 15-20
Instagram - amsmuscle
Youtube - AMS Muscle
Tik Tok - amsmuscle