[Marc]

Hi guys

So another rest day today. Had some work done on my back and also into my pecs Before some work on my legs. Literally felt ruined after my massage, I had my next meal and then went to sleep lol.

Been a productive day, steps, cardio and abs ticked off alongside client work.

My latest YouTube video has just dropped too.

…I talk about my current feels in off-season, how the approach is different this time, my training split, how my mindset has changed and loads more.

[Marc]

Rest day for me today. Usual start to my morning steps, cardio and I also did some abs. Client check ins, getting a few admin bits sorted too and looking over my next YouTube video that I’ll likely drop this week.

My new oura ring arrived (literally gone through 2 rings in the last few months) the battery on it was crap and didn’t log data properly. But anyway, no more trying to track data with my phone I’m back being a sheep with my ring lol.

1 more meal to get in tonight. Cor, whey, berries and nut butter. Cant wait to try the new flavours of protein that have dropped from tbjp with my next order :p

[Marc]

I’ve done stairs before in preps years ago. Gets me working harder I think but I also took a beating with my legs and recovery. It could be good for start when you are fresh and you want to get things moving, but personally I’d stick with treadmill or bike. That’s personally what works for me. See what works for you alongside your recovery and getting in you condition. Everyone is different so it’s best to go on your needs and if something works for you don’t not do it because others don’t

[Marc]

In for legs today. The mind was willing but the body not so much. Felt tired heading into this session and it showed with my weights / numbers today. The only exercise I managed to progress was SLDL, which I’m happy with. But overall numbers being down and following from yesterday’s session my body needs a little reset here.

Spoke with Kuba post session, tomorrow is my usual rest day so I’ll have that and Thursday will also be a rest day. Friday will resume with de-volume legs.

1 more meal to go in tonight and then definitely another early night.

[Marc]

I’d keep protein consistent. The adjustments of fats / carbs in a calorie deficit are the macros that would need to be adjusted. I’d also think about having a rest day and training day food plan.

Aside from this if you are losing weight at a steady rate of loss continue with this. If this stalls make the necessary changes with steps, cardio, diet etc

[Marc]

Push session wrapped up today. This workout is my nemesis, a niggle in my shoulder so I have to work around things and in a range of movement most comfortable today. A few tweaks to exercises today, narrow cable stack flat press and incline fly I had a foam roller behind my shoulder blades. This felt so much different as it gave me more Rom and ability to get a little more scap movement into retraction.

Definitely a positive here and this is the benefit of sending over videos to your coach to get extra cues to get better at exercises.

Felt a little tired in todays session. Have to take into account this is the heaviest weight I’ve been this off season. I’ll feedback to Kuba though and see what he says. But… the session today got done!

[Marc]

Check in feedback today from kuba. Everything is moving well. Bodyweight is at 296lbs and without a doubt the leanest and biggest I’ve been at this bodyweight. Last year in off season I hit just over 300lbs but this time round it’s a completely different look.

Legs have come up, arms and definitely my back too which I’m really happy about. A few more weeks left in this push before the pull back. If I hit 300lbs great, but if I don’t that’s equally fine because I know I’ve taken steps forwards this off season. But one thing is for sure I’ll keep doing the necessary!

[Marc]

I Agree with what the team have said above. So for you now it will come down to trial and error as to whether this approach works for you

[Marc]

If you want to put yourself in the best possible position to have a long, productive gaining phase, then I would get leaner.

If you’re struggling to adhere right now, give yourself a short diet break, bring calories to maintenance for a week or so, then commit. Think about the long term goal… You want to build a decent amount of muscle, so put the work in to get lean first.

I second this! You need to remove the feeling of small right now. Get lean and give yourself runaway to bulk properly. There’s no point wasting time growing when you aren’t lean in the first place you will be wasting time. So do this approach and finish the job getting lean

[Marc]

Hi guys

Not too much to report today. Rest day for me but also check in day. Sent over my pictures / feedback to Kuba for feedback tomorrow morning. I feel like it’s been a solid week all round, especially with my first full week running the changes to my new training split and taken progression / setting new numbers.

[Marc]

Hello! how much carbohydrate are you currently eating? can you post your diet?

Hi John

I don’t ask for my macro split breakdown, I used too but I prefer to not get caught up with the numbers when I’m this deep into off season and go into robot mode instead and just follow the set plan.

Here is my food plan below for training / rest day

*Food is raw weight

Training day;

Meal 1
150g cor
100g banana
20g honey
100g blueberry
60g Whey iso pro
30g nut butter

Meal 2
150g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
225 low fat steak mince
100g low fat pasta sauce
100g pineapple

Meal 3 pre meal
150g Jasmine Rice
200g chicken
2 caramel rice cake 30 honey

Intra
55g performance fuel
300 ml pomegranate juice
40g sustain
20g mps max
5g creatine
5g glutamine

Meal 4 :
60g whey iso pro
150g rice based cereal
20g honey 100g berries

Meal 5:
125g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
5g olive oil
200g low fat steak mince
100g low fat pasta sauce
100g pineapple

Rest day;

Meal 1
150g cream of rice
100g banana 100g blueberry
60g Whey isolate
20 nut butter

Meal 2
150g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
225g low fat steak mince
100g low fat pasta sauce
100g pineapple

Meal 3
150g Jasmine Rice
100g pineapple
50g veg
200g wild Salmon

Meal 4
150g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
225g low fat steak mince
10g olive oil
100g low fat pasta sauce
100g pineapple

Meal 5
125g cream or rice
20g Nut butter
100g Strawberries
60g Whey isolate

[Marc]

Last session of the week today and I wrapped it up with legs. Felt a little tired before my session, but once I got the the gym + a scoop of DNFM I soon got into the zone.

I progressed my lifts on last week with either weight or reps so I’m very happy I got in the gym and got at it.

Highlight was a PB on pendulum squat which I posted to my IG if anyone wanted to watch it.

[Marc]

Thanks Kuba! Do you take this alongside love heart?

Definitely take this alongside love heart as the ingredient panel is different

[Marc]

Pull session today and decided to go to a different gym in my area today, mainly because I fancied a change and different environment. I didn’t log book today, just got in and done my usual exercises or switched exercises which made the same exercise as I would if I trained at my usual gym.

Had a really good session, head down and got it done so I’m happy the change in gym today was a good

[Marc]

Personally more frequent meals whether bulking is cutting is what I’d opt for regardless of the size of the meals. 5 or 6 meals is my preference with either phase