[Sam King]

Hey Drew. So, based on what you’ve provided it doesn’t look too bad. However, a video would definitely give a better indicator of how you perform the movement, tempo, smoothness and so on.
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From what I can see, there is a tiny slump in the shoulders so just tighten up and pull your shoulders back ever so slightly. Really engage the lats to have that solid foundation. The second photo does almost have a Dorian/SLDL look to it, but could be due to the shot you took. Could be need more trunk flexion and pushing the hips back.
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My questions to you – where did you feel the movement? How did you feel immediately after? Be honest with yourself. Compare a video of you doing them to someone like @Ajmorris or Kuba as a reference point. Don’t be afraid to drop poundage a tad if required to ensure you’re performing it correctly.

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[Sam King]

Thanks so much for the help here everyone! I’m a week into the cut and numbers are still going up which is great. To answer your question @samking104 here is a photo of where I’m at. I started at 159lb-5% and I’m currently at 185-13% (I think)

No probs Andy. Cheers for the photo, really helps and I can appreciate it can be nerve wracking. So, I’d say you were a little more north of 13% IMO but I’ve never been a fan of declaring bf as a marker. In most cases judges or people in general will just base it on what they can see.
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You can definitely see a glimpse of your physique under there so be good to see what you’ve built. Think I’d agree that a slight recomp may be due, but as discussed- continue to progress your lifts or bare minimum, maintain. As it should only be a tidy up phase, something is amiss if strength drops off too severely. Good luck matey, look forward to seeing the outcome

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[Sam King]

Louis makes a good point that he gets on fine with them but it is a high risk exercise. I have done them in the past, both free weight and smith, but smith is definitely the better option.
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However it is done do not overload, exaggerate the movement like touching the base of your neck and no ballistic bounces. Like you already should be with everything else, smooth and controlled reps are the name of the game especially with a high risk exercise.
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Maybe look to do this near the end of your workout or potentially superset with a side raise so you don’t need to go heavy. The temptation won’t be there.
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Personally though there are better exercises but appreciate your setup is limited. Just listen to your body and if it doesn’t feel right, then drop it.

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[Sam King]

Always loved the look, feel and connection to writing it down physically. Like a lot of the guys I was log booking waaayyy before you could on your phone – there was no alternative.

Completely personal preference and definitely showing my age with my choice ? whatever works for you though.

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[Sam King]

Happy bank holiday weekend!!! Well, I don’t get it as work with US clients and work to their holiday calendar. However, great for everyone else.
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So, yesterday’s leg session felt a bit mashed but naturally still got it done. Hack squat felt unapologetically heavier as couldn’t get the single band setup from last time figured out ? had to settle for a band each side which always feels a bit funky. Sometimes the tension slightly drops off one side so not ideal. Anywho, top sets for hack were 160kg x 9, 165kg x 6 and 150kg x 15. The guy who figured out the band setup will be in next week so will film a tutorial for future use haha.
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Upright leg press 140kg x 20 was a harmonious blend of searing quad pain and fatigue resulting in a sweaty, gassed out mess. Make it harder for myself as well by putting the seat right forwards. Too many peeps dock the ROM as that first rep is nasty from the dead stop and it’s more impressive to plate load. Personally I prefer to grow my quads and use a weight that’ll do just that. Takes a while to swallow that humble pie, but you’ll be glad you did. 160kg for 15-20 would be amazing, but a long road ahead.
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Busy rest day as first day alone with my nephew. Not gonna lie, I’m excited. Such a little character and we’ve still managed to build a bond over this pandemic best we can. No point in wishing it was different, obviously just a shame. The memories we are making now are worth it. Rest of the weekend is friends, family, boring grownup stuff, exciting grownup stuff and obviously training.
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Hope everyone has a cracking Saturday

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[Sam King]

Sub’d. I love the idea of pausing the lifts in the stretch position. I’ve done that before with RDL’s and you get smoked pretty quick holding it mid-shinish for a sec. Gonna start incorporating that myself. How are your total cals looking on TD and NTD? Great physique man!

Hey @Trillo , thanks for dropping by. Agreed, the pause though brief feels like an eternity when the posterior chain is screaming for you to walk away. Good luck putting them back into your split, let me know how it goes.

So I don’t actually know my cals at the mo as just given a food plan. I’ll see if I can work something rough out.

Cheers my man. Plenty of improvements to be made though ?

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[Sam King]

Well have to say that was an extraordinary pull session and achieve what I wanted, well almost – Paused RDL 190kg x 6.5 reps. Last time I did this was 180kg for 8 sooooo lovely jump. Bummed about that half and while I could’ve hitched the weight up to appease my ego and logbook, it’s not a definitive barometer of progress. In time or even next time I’d look back and just see 7 if recorded that way, even with a caveat note. Best believe I’m getting that half, if not more next time. Pretty happy as well as this is the kind of weight I was handling in my last session in Jan, but with the added pause making it extra nasty. Backed off with 180kg for 9 but this was just performed as a standard set, no pause required believe me.

Rest of the session was pretty solid and back was a weird sore for the rest of the day. Expected DOMs but nothing in the end. Still, felt something for a while after and while DOMs isn’t the be all and end all to mark progress, it sometimes gives you a little nod that you’ve sufficiently damaged your muscles meaning they need to repair and grow. Don’t really get it anymore but believe me I’m still progressing, but within my recovery capabilities.

Yesterday was check in day and still reasonably happy. Weight’s dropped from 88.2kg to 87.6kg which is what you’d expect after a slight drop. Think we’ve got a good maintenance now so will look to maintain a lil longer and utilise that food being back in the gym. Likely looking at a slight recomp in the next few weeks and then we’ll push again. Recomps have recently gotten a bad rap, mainly because people don’t understand or implement them correctly. That or thy want to be ‘forever bulkin’ bro’. There’s arguments for both but ultimately do what works for you and just be honest with yourself. I’m working with someone who knows what they’re talking about and I am paying them for this service, so obviously going to listen. Well it’s not obvious as some people elect to add their own variables into the mix and semi-coach themselves. Again, that’s cool if you’re trying things out for your own benefit but be completely transparent with your coach and be accurate in your record keeping to feed back.

Anywho, time for legs.

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[Sam King]

Right then, been a busy bee as of late but here’s the scoop at the mo. Training is going very well at the mo with only push being behind. As in my previous post, push has never been a strong point but we ‘press on’ – geddit? Yup I’m hilarious ?
Definitely feeling slightly more lethargic on high food and the increased demand on energy reserves from training. However, managing rest and recovery best I can with my current setup. Still having a 45-60 min nap over lunch and getting to bed for 8-8:30 the night before. Need this closer to 8 to get the maximum benefit.

Last few training sessions have been good. Few highlights have been as follows:

Double paused SLDL: 170kg x 7. 10kg up and one rep down. 4pps is looking more and more realistic as that set felt great. Well, at the time it killed me.

Gymshop leg press: 330kg x 9, 340kg x 8, 300kg x 13. Continuous reps and full depth resulting in some wibbly wobbly thighs. Finding my groove with this now, but need to ensure the variables are consistent and not get carried away.

Nautilus glute drive: 190kg x 9. Bootay gains are real on this one. Really underestimated how strong my glutes are, buuuttt they can always be stronger. The crossover to my big exercises should make itself apparent and assist with locking out the deads.

Low incline press: 50kg x 8. Not a record by any means, but the set felt fantastic in terms of execution and feel. To me, that’s a form of progressive overload. So easy to be eyeing up the big boy dumbbells that you forget that you have to earn that right and can get more from your current weight. So many ‘progress’ their movements by cutting their ROM. Errrr, that’s not progression.

Paused RDLs on the agenda today. Managed 180kg for 8 last time. 185 or 190 potentially today ? that would be sweet.

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[Sam King]

Hey bud. Good to hear you’ve made great progress from the FBW split, no surprise really. Progression is always the name of the game. This no truer in a deficit as you need to give your body a reason to retain muscle tissue, otherwise it may drop it the first chance it can. Don’t allow that thought to enter your head. In 6-8 weeks I’d be worried if you were losing strength. Personally still managed pbs one week out from a show, all about mindset and a sprinkling of stubbornness.
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Any reason you’re doing a cal deficit at 13% bf for the sake of 3-4% decrease? Unless you have an event scheduled to be in shape for, personally I’d focus on just continuing to progress.
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Finally, any photos to make an informed decision? Lots of people estimate or calculate their bf, but are usually off the mark by quite a bit (sorry but true).

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[Sam King]

Hello mate. If you’re training specifically to increase your bench for say powerlifting , then sure variations of the bench will help (close grip, floor press, neutral grip etc).

My personal preference are weighted dips one session and a tricep dominant press like the CG bench or DB floor press in the other.

It could be argued the triceps receive a lot of indirect from working chest, shoulders and even slightly from pulldowns (injure your tricep or have DOMs, you’ll see – extremely minor stimulus). In that viewpoint, just isolation movements are needed. May work for some, may not for others.

End of the day if you want to increase your bench, no better way than doing the exercise itself.

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[Sam King]

Morning morning or evening evening, dependent on your view of around 4am. Booooyyyy howdy am I sleepy at the mo – week in and starting to feel it. The power of the new split and I’ll likely feel more crushed after double paused SLDLs today, lovely ?
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Right then, yesterday’s session was an odd one. It wasn’t bad in terms of progression as everything had increased nicely, it was just one of those where I felt a tad tired. As a result everything felt like more of an effort and to really get my head in those sets. Gotta feel like Clark Kent or Bruce Banner sometimes right ?‍♂️ Ironically in hindsight it was a really good session, just didn’t feel it at the time. Clearly want to be training in my living room again ?
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Big movements for the session were the Hammer Strength flat press, High incline Hammer Strength press and close grip bench. Working sets as follows:
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Machine flat press: 152.5kg x 5, 132.5kg x 8
High incline press: 105kg x 6, 92.5kg x 10
Close grip bench: 100kg x 6, 80kg x 13
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Handled heavier in the past on the ol’ flat press, but that wasn’t after pre-exhausting on the pec dec. Naturally that’ll lower the weight. The high incline press felt gooooodddd. Only gripe with it is the seat height. No matter what my feet are never flat on the floor, basically tip toes so driving through my feet for stability isn’t really possible. Still, happy with this and hopefully 3pps isn’t too much to ask one day. Final big move felt good. I’m strange in that I prefer the free weight version to the Smith. May have a different opinion if I had access to a better Smith, but not the case so we make do. 110kg for my top set would be fab soon. Never been a big presser as long limbs and shallow rib cage don’t allow for that. That’s my excuses out of the way ?

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[Sam King]

How is your diet looking Sam ?

Hey Adam. Cheers for dropping by. I’ll likely pop up a post on that for tomorrow’s rest day if you can hold out? Appreciate the anticipation may be overwhelming ??

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[Sam King]

Leg session this morning and it was brutally horrific. Reverse band hack was the primary movement today but I’m ensuring that I’m making this variation as hard as I can – slow negatives, pause in the hole, continuous reps and tension throughout. None of this trampoline/ bungee BS you see with a hundred bands attached. Managed to work up 170kg for 6 so happy with that considering it’s only session 2 back in the gym. Need to keep remembering it’s still early days.
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Other primary movement was the upright hammer leg press for a 15-20. Seat right forward and bring your knees to your chest, just missing the stoppers. Definitely a machine I see bastardised in the name for extra poundage. A lovely starting point of 140kg for 17 today. Gunning for the full 20 next time.
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Nautilus glute drive felt on the money. When I previously used it the belt used to really dig in , but now think I’ve found the right spot. That or I’m just fatter now haha. One set of 180kg for 7 with a sec hold squeeze at peak contraction, followed by 180kg for 9 standard reps.
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Final main movement was the back extension. Somehow managed 8 reps with two 30kg dbs. Was constantly on edge as thought the apparatus was going to collapse. Had faith and persevered, might not get away with it next time haha.

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[Sam King]

Hello mate. Sound like you’ve had a solid rate of progress so far, great job. My question to you is why are you thinking of changing to upper/lower? If I were in your position , I’d consider a change once I was too strong for full body and needed more diversity. With full body and at your age, but dependent on recovery, you may able to do every other day on full body. So higher frequency but still hitting everything hard.
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Those 24 weeks – are they your first 24 weeks of training ever or have you had previous experience beforehand?
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If you could provide your current setup and breakdown, that would be useful as well.
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Finally, a mini cut at 16… any particular reason? IMO unless you’re bf is really high, I wouldn’t waste time with mini cuts at that age. The priority should be adding slabs of tissue. 16-20 can be some of the best gaining years, so I’d focus on that. Also, 3-4 week mini mini cut isn’t worth it’s weight. Again, my opinion. I’d also say your output is really high if that’s during your gaining phase. Not sure if you’re currently doing this or this is what you’re proposing.

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[Sam King]

Right then, rest day and boy howdy has it been needed. First week back in the gym and it ended up being 5 days. Should average back out to 4 for a bit, then the odd week of 5 days.
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Very productive day at work today with lots of ticks in all the right places. I’m one of the Well being reps for my company and published my recent blog ‘The Morning Routine: how to maximise your day’. Going down a treat. One of my primary goals is to work on my professional and personal development so this is a great way to put myself out there in the company. It felt good to write and research again, just like the old days of uni. I’ve got a Creative Writing degree so why not use it ?‍♂️
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On the back of that, I’ll post my current rest day routine. This prioritises my recovery but ensures I’m productive and attentive to other aspects of my life, best I can. I acknowledged there is no balance in bodybuilding to an extreme level, but I can give back to everyone around me as best as I can.
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Anywho, rest day routine as follows:
5:30 – 6:00: wake, shower, first meal
6:30 – reading, writing or refining my bass playing
7:00 -walk to the beach. Just sit and take it in (if poor weather, just the walk)
8:15 – check emails, reply to messages, household chores, plan the day best I can
9:00 – start work or my weekend day
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I’ll usually slot a 30-40 min nap into the day as well, which I find maximises my productivity in the afternoon at work or before I see friends, family or go out. Definitely finding that brief nap does the trick. Fully aware of sleep cycles, but can’t afford 90 mins of a working day so a bit of that tops up my energy reserves.
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Legs tomorrow morning and it’s legs, second rotation. Got a date with the hack. Hope she doesn’t hold a grudge as I’ve neglected her during lockdown. Mainly because I wasn’t in the gym so I’m hoping she’ll understand. I hate this model with a passion though as it is haarrddd. There’s a nasty sticking point and the angle is quite harsh- none of this 10 plates a side on here, it’ll humble the shizz out of you.

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