[Andy]

Feeling very fresh today!

I’ve noticed that the days after my mobility session, my joints are a little tired/taxed, but nothing too bad. However, with not having a mobility session as well as physio has made everything feel dead nibble, always a massive plus for me (or anyone) going into a pressing session.

This week’s shoulder session is the machine press rotation with a close grip BB press, so;

Y raises – 2 working sets, 15-20

Read delt cable cuffed raises – 3 working sets, 15-20

HS PL shoulder press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

Close grip BB <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; color: var(–bb-body-text-color);”>press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

Straight-bar tricep extensions – 1 working set, 12-15

Standing rope extensions – 3 working sets, 15-20

I still don’t feel there’s a need to add extra volume in just now, as we’re seeing some nice changes to the look of the shoulder.

Have a great day guys!

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[Andy]

NTD number 1 almost done and dusted. A much needed trip to my physio today, so he battered the living shit out of me, again. There’s nothing that overly painful or troublesome, it’s definitely just a case of getting a full MOT/servicing today.

The great thing is that even thought the massage is pretty horrendous, it’s nowhere near as bad as it once was. I remember the first time Ricky worked on me and he asked, “have you ever had massage before?” and I said, “yeah, every week” and then he said, “you can’t tell”. BBs of all classes need to be battered “tae fuck”. A nice gentle massage is fine with the Mrs at a spa day, but if we’re trying to undo the wrongs from training we need to be kicked in.

I had a last minute request for a PT session today, so I didn’t get a chance to go in the sauna/cold plunge, something which I’ve not done in this off season, and I’m desperate to see the positive effects from it.

Very excited to train tomorrow!

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[Andy]

hi andy, do u use a stop watch or mentally count the pause in tuor sets?

Hi mate, I use the stop watch on my phone, or I get my training partner to time me from his. I can barely count, so I need all the help I can get haha!

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[Andy]

Hi James,

Other than you CRP, how do these compare to the last time you took your bloods on the same dose/duration? I like to start with that comparison first to see how things are either trending upward or downward.

Andy

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[Andy]

What a fantastic leg session today! It was one of those ones where I had planned to film it, but once the warm-ups were done and dusted I thought, “fuck that, let’s just go”. After 16 years of training I still get the fear before legs, but so you should.

I know I keep banging on about my hip, but it felt even better today, there was zero stiffness or pain throughout any lift.

As I mentioned last week, I’m going to avoid heavy leg extension as I feel like I’ve pinpointed it as being one of the culprits of my hip pain and chronic tightness to the outer quad, so instead we ran one of Patrick Tuor’s rest pause sets;

Leg extension (rest pause set) – Pick a weight you can get a comfortable 15 reps, pause for 45s rep to failure, pause for 30s, rep to failure, pause for 15s, rep to failure, pause for 5s lean forward and perform 15 partials (I let my training partner decide how many to do here).

BB squats – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off, 30 (the back-off should be done continuously for as long as possible.

Pendulum squat – 1 working set, 8-12

Prime PL lying leg curls – 1 working set, 12-15 plus forced reps and negatives

Cybex seated leg curls – 2 working sets, 15

Seated PL calve raises – 3 working sets, 20

Decline bench crunches

I’m been trying to type this for a good ten minutes, but I keep getting hit with mad cramp, so a successful one to say the least!

NTD tomorrow, and then back in for shoulders on Thursday.

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[Andy]

Glad to see back up there mate after everything you’ve been through!

I’ll be at the British, so I’ll get a chat with you if you’re about, I know you’ll be laser focused. It’s been class reading through your prep updates!

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[Andy]

What a phenomenal chest session that was!

I really didn’t feel it going into that one as I drove 4 hours home from Liverpool, and being stuck in a car for that long not only makes me feel dead tight and sore, but I’m also mentally drained from concentrating. However, my TBJP monthly care package was at the front door when I got home and that a new tub of Pumpage Pro in it, so a scoop of that and it was pretty easy to dial in.

I’ve never really used pre’s during my time competing, I usually just stick to coffee, but this was brilliant!

The session went as follows;

Seated cuffed cable flys – 1 working set, 12-15, 1 back-off set, 15-20

Incline DB press – 1 working set, 8-12. I’ve not been in double figures with the 70s since before I torn my shoulder, so I was delighted with that.

Prime PL chest press, narrow handles – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 cluster set, 4x4reps with 10s rest (without racking the weight)

Standing cable flys – 2 working sets, 20

SA standing cable side raises – 3 working sets, 20

SA standing cable rear raises – 3 workings sets, 20

Iso-lateral cable curls – 3 workings sets, 15-20

Standing EZ-bar cable curls – 3 working sets, 15-20

Shallow decline cable crunches – 3 working sets, AMRAP

I have a feeling this is going to be a good week!

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[Andy]

Going to run into e2 issues on the second cycle , I would personally go :

200 test 200 primo 500 mast 100npp , if your looking to hit the 1000mg total from those drugs

Completely agree!

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[Andy]

NTD number 2, kind of.

I done a little bit of arms at Prophecy yesterday, just a disco pump to set me up for the weekend.

This week has been beyond excellent, I’m so happy with how training went. It’s now a case of rinse and repeat that exact setup.

You’ll be able to see my most recent check-in on my Instagram account. Again, very happy with the visuals, I’m getting continually bigger and fuller, but body fat levels are staying pretty stable. I’m happy to just keep this setup and allow for more of that.

Another 2 weeks before I take a scheduled week off so its case of drilling myself into the ground.

Have a great Sunday guys!

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[Andy]

Last training day of the week and then the weekend off.

I started taking the weekends off training after my prep in 2022, as I would normally do arms on a Saturday morning, but ever since then the split has been;

Monday: Chest

Tuesday: Legs

Thursday: Shoulders

Friday: Back

Todays’ back session should be a good one, as this entire week has been stellar in terms of training quality, and not only that, but I just feel and look bigger. That way where you know you’re just occupying more space.

Off season is definitely in full flow now.

I’ve decided to take the last week of October off training, as I’m well overdue a deload. I have mentioned in previous posts that I’ll be taking a week off every 8 weeks. It is funny how the more advanced and knowledgeable you become that you put more emphasis on the recovery side of things than the work – well I do anyway. . .

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[Andy]

Its a very simple thing this is – you dont tolerate protein powders – they upset your digestion and they give you Acne.

This is just the case for some people – I cant tolerate milk based anything no matter what I do or how I try it all makes me ill.

so I simply avoid.

I would suggest you simply stick to whole foods bud, stop wasting your time trying to find a protein powder that works and going through all of these issues and things that are holding you back and causing problems and simply eat solid protein sources.

Something I’ve been guilty of, going back to sources I KNOW don’t agree with me (oats, avocado, chicken, certain vegetables), find out what you can and can’t tolerate and bin the ones you know you can’t FOREVER! haha

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[Andy]

A great shoulder session in the bag, everything is just feeling so secure and solid. The pumps I’m getting just now are fucking ridiculous, like 3 months into training type pumps! I’m still taking 40mg of superdrol with my shoulder session, so that adds to that.

I’ve never been able to press the 70s for double digits, and I managed to hit 9 today, so we’re almost there.

The direct shoulder work on my shoulder day is still relatively low volume, as it only equates to 7 working sets, but I can tell that they’re growing at a nice pace. I must mention I do 6 sets with chest as well.

It took me a long time to find my rhythm with shoulder training, but I think in the past 5 years I’ve finally managed to find my stride with them!

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[Andy]

A pretty tame NTD today. My physio forgot to book me in this week, so no travelling over to the other side of Glasgow, and I’ve had a few PT clients off, so it’s been nice and quiet. Other than trying to stuff a tonne of rubbish from the kitchen renovations into the back of a E class, that was not fun. It’s moments like that where I realise how I’m just not built for anything else.

Speaking of which, I did have a session with my mobility coach Charlene, which I’m doing every 2 weeks. I’m now really balanced mobility wise across both shoulders, and I can see/feel it when I’m lifting. I’m not sure how popular mobility coaches are, I suppose you could hire a 1-2-1 yoga instructor if you can’t find one. The good thing about Charlene is that she makes the movement patterns very sports’ specific.

A big shoulder session tomorrow, so after that hour with Charlene, I’m hoping for some big numbers.

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[Andy]

I tore my labrum at the end of 2022, and after 3-4 weeks of my physio not being able to release the shoulder, he done a SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior) tear test which involves externally rotating the shoulder with the forearm parallel to the floor.

I wouldn’t be in constant pain, but the worst pain was when I was lowering a weight in presses or lateral work. It wouldn’t hurt in the concentric.

As Jordan said, avoid movements that cause pain, but also have a look at SLAP related injuries and see if the symptoms coincide, as slap tears are the most common form of tendon related tears.

A lot of the time a SLAP tear just needs rehabbed.

Hope this helps

p.s I’m not a doctor haa.

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[Andy]

An outstanding leg session today, after almost a 6 weeks of them being very lacklustre due to my torn hip playing up, and them just not being able to recover quickly.

I’m putting the recovery down to the fact that I’ve managed to bump my strength up significantly in the early portions of my reverse, however, my food was still relatively low, and PEDs were next to zero, so it seems as if it’s been a compounding effect over the past few months.

I’ve pulled out the heavy leg extension, it just hurts my hip, and to be honest, I don’t like that setup for it – squatting/leg pressing 100%, the 1 working and 1 back-off works well, but for leg ex, I used a rest pause set I learned while training under Patrick Tuor. It is NEVER pleasant and you never get used to it, so be sure to try it and let me know how you get on. . .

Leg extension (rest pause set) – Pick a weight you can get a comfortable 15 reps, pause for 45s rep to failure, pause for 30s, rep to failure, pause for 15s, rep to failure, pause for 5s lean forward and perform 15 partials (I let my training partner decide how many to do here).

BB squats – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off, 30 (the back-off should be done continuously for as long as possible.

Pendulum squat – 1 working set, 8-12

Prime PL lying leg curls – 1 working set, 12-15 plus forced reps and negatives

Seated PL calve raises – 3 working sets, 20

Decline bench crunches

I would’ve done walking lunges, but my lower back was done which doesn’t happen often for me, but again, I think this is down to my strength climbing very quickly.

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