[Louis Schuler]

If I were you I’d change exercise. 6-8 weeks is more than enough, especially if you’ve seen a good amount of progression on the exercise already. Maybe swap it out for something that will carry over such as a dumbbell press, come back to it when you stall on that and you should see progress.

[Louis Schuler]

Nick Trigili has a video on posing which is pretty good.

[Louis Schuler]

Hey Kuba,

Just watched the beef interview. Very inspiring and you look like a friendly approachable guy, props to you.
When do you reckon we’ll be seeing some footage of your training on here? I thought I read you were filming on the 10th november??
Loving this log, keep it coming.
Cheers have a nice Sunday

[Louis Schuler]

UPDATE

TRAINING:

I’ve been taking a few extra rest days this week due to increased fatigue and not having the best sleeps. Training overall is going well and most of my sessions are locked in. I want to focus on vertical pulling movements, these are the exercises I struggle to feel. The rest is going well, very happy with how things are going.

Pull session today:

Upper back seated machine row
Dumbbell row
Rack pull
Neutral chins
Neutral cable row
Rear delt
Bicep
Bicep

All good, happy with the session, progress on almost every exercise except from the neutral chins. I may need to move these up in the sessions because struggle to connect and get good sets done when not fresh.

RECOVERY:

Took a group yoga class this week, thought it would be a good active recovery method. It made me realise that I severely lack mobility in some areas: ankles (disables me to have a closer stance and emphasise quads), forearms (disables me to do any sort of supination for back), shoulders (can’t get a full range of motions on machine and barbell pressing). The session was good however was a little brutal on my joints, definitely felt it the next day.

NUTRITION:

Food has been consistant this week, will be even more consistent next week as I’m starting my new job. Food prep will be done and all meals will be prepared except breakfast and dinner.

Hovering around 179.

Next session is push on Tuesday. Can’t wait for it.

[Louis Schuler]

Don’t know just search it in the training section, it’s not that hard 🙂

[Louis Schuler]

There’s a video on the site explaining dc training

[Louis Schuler]

Most issues are usually due to tightness around the joint and posture. There is a very good video by Athlean X that you should watch and apply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLwTC-lAJws

I wouldn’t instantly try to go back to pressing heavy. I would rebuild your pressing by paying extra attention to form. If you perform a set with shoulder clicking, too heavy and the problem is still there.

[Louis Schuler]

Hey my friend. It is definitely better, I’m able to do any sort of dumbbell press and any sort of smith press relatively pain free. What has helped me is behind the neck pressing with the stick of a broomstick. I do this pretty often during the day, sets of 10 here and there. I simply stand and behind the neck press slowly, pausing in the stretched position at the bottom. On top of that I do exercises to improve my internal rotation, this helps me achieve more range of motion at the bottom of presses. Regularly stretching chest and shoulder is also useful. Hope this helps. Avoid every exercise that gives you pain or shorten the range of motion. Do everything I said and you should be able to do more stuff in a matter of weeks

[Louis Schuler]

Little training update, fantastic sessions thursday and friday.

Pull:

Back activation

Upright barbell row (originally was doing an upright T bar row as Jordan has been doing lately but the angle of the machine and my hamstring mobility has my legs shaking well before my back is done) 100kg x10 110kg x7

One arm dumbbell row (recently I’ve been doing these a bit more upright than you usually would see, I angle my upper body at about 35/40 degrees, 0 degrees being upper body parallel to ground) 50kg x11 56kg x6

Rack pull (at the knee, slow eccentric, dead stop) I make sure I tense and contract my back really hard before pulling, this helps me feel it fully in the back and keep back straight 160kg x6 170kg x5

Neutral chins 4kg x9 BW x6 rest pause 2

Neutral grip cable row 2 sets to failure, hard contraction, full stretch. Weight irrelevant

Rear delt dumbbell row (arms fully out, head resting on a bench) 2 sets

Single cable curl 3 sets

Dumbbell curl (supinating at top) 3 sets

Overall good session and second session with this exercise selection, so lots of room for progression.

Push:
My push muscles are the weakest I believe and for some reason don’t train push as intensely as I do legs or pull. I’ve had a dislocated shoulder, upper bicep partial tears etc so I am less willing to grind reps as I am with other body parts. I stay extremely strict. I would like to however be more intense. For example for rack pull I put loud music in my ears pump myself up get angry etc. However for presses I never get into this attitude for some reason. Maybe because it’s a less taxing bodypart? Have to work on this.

Low incline smith press 37.5kg per side x7 32.5kg per side x8

45° incline dumbbell press 32kg x9 28kg x10

Machine dip 3 sets

Low incline dumbbell fly 3 sets

Cable lateral raise 2 sets

Dumbbell front raise 2 sets

Skipped triceps due to being in a rush.

Well needed rest day today, will get a youtube yoga session in to prepare me for legs tomorrow!

[Louis Schuler]

Well completely makes sense why you aren’t progressing. Rotate them and come back to them in 6 weeks and watch how you progress

[Louis Schuler]

177 again this morning, maintaining after rest day which is good.
Took a few pictures this morning, here is a back double. I need calves lol

[Louis Schuler]

Hey Kuba,
This log is already a very interesting read, love it. If this is not convenient it’s ok disregard what I say but could you go back to writing your full sessions with weights and reps etc? It’s interesting to follow your full progress.

Thanks a lot and loving the new addition

[Louis Schuler]

Or just rotate out the moves you are not progressing on. So instead of doing a lat pulldown do a pull up or a rack chin. Instead of doing a barbell bench press switch to dumbbells or a machine. Are you doing these movements often? I have been guilty of doing the same exercises weekly and progression does stall eventually. Especially with movements that you connect well with, you want to keep them in regularly at all costs but it’s better in the long run to have rotations or to drop that exercise for something else then come back to it. However if it is on absolutely all movements across the board and you feel run down, maybe a deload or rest like others said.

[Louis Schuler]

Leg day yesterday, emphasis on quads.

My main movement was previously front squat but switched for hack squats due to flexibility issues (ankles, hips…). Felt the front squat more in knees than quads. I recently started paying more attention to stretching, I’m determined to be able to get into a deep quad emphasis squat comfortably.

The session was:

Cybex Hack Squat 3 plates per side x 10, 3 plates per side + 10 kg x8

Cybex Leg press 200kg x13 x12, these feel great, closish stance concentrating fully on the quad. Lots of room to improve strength wise. Keeping these slow negative almost pausing at bottom then explosive positive

Lunge variation (back foot slighty elevated, dumbbell in opposite hand of the leg working) 24kg x10, 28kg x10

Leg extension 40.5kg x11, 45.5kg x8 drop 40,5kg x5

Calf raise 3 sets bodyweight calf raises off the groud in between sets contracting super hard (something I saw Ben Pakulski do)

Rest day today. Tomorrow is pull day and I will make sure I stretch my shoulders, my lats, open up my thoracic spice etc. Can’t wait for tomorrow.

Weight this morning was 177, quite a big jump, I’ve increased my food since being around 174/175 for a few weeks.

[Louis Schuler]

Little nutrition update:
My training is 2 on 1 off 1 on 1 off repeat, on those off days I was doing protein fat meals all the way up until the last meal of the day. No science explaining why I have my last meal with carbs, I just enjoy eating a nice meal at night, sleep better and training is usually better the next day. I always have massive drops in weight after rest day so might start my first 2 meals pro fat and my last 2 pro carb. On rest days I eat 4 meals and training days 5 meals. At the moment training at around 2 pm. My meals are structured this way:

Meal 1:
Pro fat

Meal 2 (Preworkout)
pro carb usually rice and chicken a good 2 hours before training

Meal 3 (Postworkout)
pro carb usually something quick like cereal, protein shake and bagel or rice chicken toast with honey

Meal 4
pro carb usually rice and chicken

Meal 5
Whatever I choose to cook, I just make sure to keep the protein high and avoid junk, always home made.