[Michaela]

What’s your diet looking like at the mo Michaela?

I’ve touched on it on my log from Jan 1, and it hasn’t changed since
I will update as I get more sunk into regulating things post show/being sick/getting back to training fully, and getting it set 🙂

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[Michaela]

Based on all the info you provided, unless your legs have now become your lagging body part in comparison to upper..
If anything it sounds to me like you’d need to reduce leg volume for the sake of better recovery and more room for improvement on upper

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[Michaela]

Absolutely! I see no issue in it whatsoever. I personally keep cardio in year around even if just a very small amount. I keep it in on non training days

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[Michaela]

Non training day today!

25 min fasted cardio on recumbent bike
3 sets 20-15 reps ab mat crunch
20 min posing
Stretching

Body/massage work mid day
Followed by cryo therapy

———————————————————————

For the past two seasons my training has been
Monday – quads
Tuesday – off
Wednesday- glutes
Thursday – off
Friday – hams
Saturday – arms

There were short phases where I would add more upper via
Back & Chest (very very minimal) Wednesday as a second session OR Thursday instead of an off day
And then Delts with arms on Saturday or split in two sessions
Again this was for short stints of time If at all, majority of time was spent doing the split without the upper

All for the reason of my lower body needing to come up in balance with my upper, and pulling out the upper allowed for everything recovery, stimulus etc to be centered around lower body
Because if not my upper would still continue to take over

This is what I am currently following right now as well
As I get things established with this being my second week back to training post show I will start to see if and where there is any room and need for change and you guys will be the first to know!

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[Michaela]

Awesome can’t wait to follow your progress, do you still follow bro split or have you changed your views on it abit ?

I train primarily lower body. I will talk more in detail about my split and reasoning soon!

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[Michaela]

Thanks so much for putting your log up. And congrats on the everything you accomplished with the placings and joining the TBJP family. 🙂
I was actually curious about the handle you used for the smith-machine. I am using straps, but an attachment seems way better. Where did your gym get it? 🙂

Thank you!!

My gym is my garage lol. The attachment is called a top squat. https://www.sorinex.com/products/top-squat
That is the link you can find it at. I don’t have any affiliation with the company, but every time I post it I get a lot of questions about it so I keep the link handy lol

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[Michaela]

My primary piece of advice is take it slow. Don’t rush anything. The weights will be there! And progress will come initially even with low effort. Use this time to start from scratch on all of your movements nailing execution, and then progress within that same execution over time.
I know you are asking about RDL’s specifically, and I can’t speak for if you should stay away from them or not, but if you do get back to them, do the above and take it slow!
For example prior to my surgeries I could do 200 lb db’s for 20+ reps. When I got back to training, week one I did 40 lb db’s, week two 50 lb db’s, and so forth. Even if I could do more I still took it slow!

TBJP Nutrition: Michaela10
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[Michaela]

Ok so following up on yesterdays log!
Post Olympia..
2.5 weeks post now
Typically post show I hit the ground running, right back in the gym the next day full steam ahead into the rebound phase
And regardless of weight going up, prep variables being out, food being high, etc I tend to still hold a show ready condition.
This time due to variables leading into the show such as a flare up from my previous surgeries I had, my body showing me signs of going backwards any time I would have a low diet day or a hard training session, etc
Plus getting the Vegas Virus on show day and honestly still not fully over it,
I knew this time I needed to approach things differently
So I took a full 10 days off training (not counting days pre show), ran a low diet which was lower than pre show – which I’ve realized was a bad idea – I thought the lower was warranted due to not training and just letting water balance regulate etc but it actually made me look worse lol which of course the sickness plays in there as well
Got back into training last week, bumped food back to what it was leading into the show (I was eating a lot leading in). Training with intent, but not to Michaela level lol purposely
On to my second week of training now and intend on keeping principles the same of last week that way I can form some thoughts and plans on where to go from here based on the response to this week with variables being the same as last week
For example last week I was wildly sore, but it was the first week back, so keeping volume the same this week and will see the difference.

Todays quads
Nothing to true failure yet

Light warm up 3×20
Adductor abductor
Leg ext leg curl

The last set of each movement with the (-) before it, marks the work set. The ones before are warm/ lead ups

Smith top squat
(top squat is a handle attachment)
95 x10
135 x8
185 x6
225 x3
– 275 x16

Rogers press
1 pps x15
2 pps x15
3 pps x15
4 pps x15
– 5 pps x14 1 self spot

Leg ext
10 x15
20 x15
45 x15
– 70 x12

Cybex hack
0 pps x20
1 pps x20
– 2 pps x18
I know this is child’s play lol but it lit my quads

Smith split squat
Back leg elevated
Front foot heel elevated
45 x15
95 x15
– 95 x12

Adductor
Legs extended and knees not bent
175 x20
220 x20
– 295 x15

TBJP Nutrition: Michaela10
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[Michaela]

Hey Michaela just wanted to welcome you to the team here too, it’s a pleasure to have you on and I hope to meet you an one of the athlete events some day! Let’s gooo 🙏

Thank you so much!! I hope for that also!!

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[Michaela]

Girl this Olympia plague was no joke! It’s been going on over 2 weeks for me and still not fully well!

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[Michaela]

As everyone has said, it is individual specific.

But as for myself personally I do not alter sodium at all. I use my normal sea salt amount at every meal, and backstage during pump up I’ll do a small amount with a sip of water! Pretty consistently with my clients as well!

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[Michaela]

Not much more to add to what Kuba has for you, other than to give extra confirmation to it!

My arms were at one point a very weak body part, and now one of my better!

Things I did to change it was lower volume and frequency ( I was training them multiple times a week) to once per week and very minimal movements 3 tricep, 2 bicep. With major emphasis on contraction, controlled eccentric, and kill any momentum

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[Michaela]

I’d love to see the details of your leg training tomorrow in terms of order / volume etc if you care to share!

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[Michaela]

I see you started with TBJP January of 22 so a full year and now renewing is due for a congratulations!

I am looking forward to following your progress this year and see you turn your trials into triumphs!!

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[Michaela]

Coming off of a long year here!

I won’t bore you with the wordy details, but just to recap as it plays into how things need to be approached post Olympia!

Surgeries at the beginning of the year along with many setbacks in recovery taking 4 months completely off the gym, but of course still following meals.

Started from scratch in April with no intentions of competing in 2022, but prepping just as if I would so that I could recomp into an off season to improve and compete in 2024.

Long story short, I competed in July and won which qualified for the Olympia, and I also got the invite for Rising Phoenix

So that meant competing again in November and December.

I had a slight push up phase after winning the July show before pulling back down for the Rising Phoenix and Olympia.

So in total I’ve essentially been in “show shape” from July-December.

Honestly besides all the body hurdles and trouble shooting I had through prep from more complications and flare ups from the previous surgeries, sicknesses, etc internally heath markers are all great!

But from a physique progressive standpoint I am very much looking forward to the time in a surplus to make true progress

I haven’t had a real off season phase that led to a prep since the 2019 competition season.

So I believe that is what it is truly going to take to push my physique to the next level.

Which leads me to now post Olympia which I will dive more into the details of tomorrow!! 🙂

TBJP Nutrition: Michaela10
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Instagram: @michaelaaycock