Bigger, better, leaner - 2023 onward, postcontest

[luki7788]

CHEST / SHOULDERS
Cable flies - 3x12
Incline Hammer - top set back off
Decline hammer - top set back off
Dips - 3xfailure
Chest press machine - MR set
Cable rear delt pulls - 4x15
Cable side laterals - 3x15
DB swing rear delts - 3x20
SS
Band pullaparts - 3x10
Side raise machine - MR set
Db side laterals - 3x15

Worked out at a grimey Golds in Maryland here. The NEW decline hammer presses are fuckin horrible. Just puts you in a weird position and compromises the shoulders. Sucks. Threw in some cardio there 15 mins of HIIT just because i had missed my previous session due to catching a flight. But an ok lift. Good pump. Weight is slightly dropping due to me pulling out the Trest. Something as little as 10mg of trest ED was constant fullness. So sitting around 310 rather than closer to 320.

LEGS
Leg extension - 4x20 (usually dont start with this but every hamstring machine was being used)
Leg curl - RP set
Adductor machine - 3x15
Angled Leg Press machine - 3x20
Leg Press - RP set
Hack Squat - top set back off
Walking lunges - 3xfailure

Decided to switch gyms to this nicer one called ONE LIFE. Fuckin paaacked in the morning. Very suburban gym with good equipment, clean as hell. But everyone was chatty as hell. Sometimes i like that, other times i dont. Being in a random suburban area, i was a freak show here. Random people stopping my workouts to chat, make comments, etc. I was in a good mood so i didnt mind taking out my ear buds to talk BBing or any of that.

Hit some cardio today and will catch a train out to NYC tomorrow for a couple days. Staying at a hotel so thatll make food a bit of a bitch. But ill figure it out. Its mostly so me and the wife can have a fun couple days away from the baby. Itll be good. STILL excited to get back to CA and back into my routine. BBers are such creatures of habit. I want my own kitchen, my own gym, eating and training when I want.

Man, I understand you like no one else - every time I go on a trip, I start longing to get back to routine before I even leave home lol

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Man, I understand you like no one else - every time I go on a trip, I start longing to get back to routine before I even leave home lol

LOL Luki, you and I are the same person living on different sides of the world.
Except you're more of a true FREAK than me

 

[luki7788]

LOL Luki, you and I are the same person living on different sides of the world.
Except you're more of a true FREAK than me

No no bro - now you are definitely bigger. But I'm starting to come back and chase you... fake prep You know

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Allllmost back home and into my routine. Had a great weekend in nyc with my wife, babyless. Ate like a normal human too which felt good. Got a great back day at Mid City Gym in the middle of midtown. Good spot with some great arsenal equipment. Back in dc now where I got a good Glute Hams day a lil bit ago.

BACK
Straight arm pulldown - 3x12
SS
CG pulldown - 3x10
SA seated row - 3x12
Chest supp t bar - RP set
Wide grip pulldown - 3x12
Seated row - MR set
Back extensions - MR set

Great workout at a decent gym in the city. NYC is not a bodybuilding town and IN the city this is the best you’ll get. An IFBB guy who competed at masters Olympia is the main guy there. Great physique. He and I chatted for a while as he trained some guys. Ate a little more free here just keeping protein high. Wife and I went to a great Japanese steakhouse in Williamsburg. Fun stay without the baby lol

GLUTES/HAMS
lying leg curls - 3x10
SS
Machine glute kick back - 3x15
Wide stance leg press - RP set
Glute ham raise - 3x10
Glute extension - 3x15
Abductor machine - RP set
Glute bridge machine - RP set
Lots of calves

Back onto schedule today. High carb day so it’s just rice and rice cereal all day. Drugs all the same, Sust and EQ all day every day lol.
Have a flight back to LA tomorrow at 6am with the baby, wish me luck.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

Back into the swing of being back home. IN my routine. Thank god.
Weight has leveled off around 309-311 right now. Justin also just increased my protein so more food will probably help titrate me up to 320. Its sad how much im a home body lol

CHEST/SHOULDERS
Cable Flies - 3x15
Hammer Chest Press - Top set back off
Hammer Incline Press - RP set
Chest Press machine - 3x10
Fly Machine - Triple Drop Set
Rear Delt cable pull apart - 3x20
Cable side raises - 3x15
BO rear delt swings - 3x15
DB side raise - 4x10-15
Cable pull apart - 3x10

BACK
Straight arm pulldown - Triple drop set
Prime Bar neutral pulldown - 3x12
Seated prime bar neutral high row - 3x10
DY row machine - RP set
Dante rows - RP set
Wide grip pulldown - 3x10
DB shrugs - 3x20

Couple lifts in since being back home. Got both of these done at the local Planet Fitness. I know these places get a lot of shit but they are clean, they have decent equipment and people leaave me the F alone lol Stepmills always open too. Thats the shit i need. When im in the gym, im on a fuckin schedule with the baby. I dont have 3hrs to kill. I gotta get it done and NOW. Golds can be nice but guys wanna bullshit and talk which it tough. Im always down to chat but when its fuckin up my routine and rest periods, you gotta go. Im a mutant and planet fitness but i dont care.

 

[luki7788]

Back into the swing of being back home. IN my routine. Thank god.
Weight has leveled off around 309-311 right now. Justin also just increased my protein so more food will probably help titrate me up to 320. Its sad how much im a home body lol

CHEST/SHOULDERS
Cable Flies - 3x15
Hammer Chest Press - Top set back off
Hammer Incline Press - RP set
Chest Press machine - 3x10
Fly Machine - Triple Drop Set
Rear Delt cable pull apart - 3x20
Cable side raises - 3x15
BO rear delt swings - 3x15
DB side raise - 4x10-15
Cable pull apart - 3x10

BACK
Straight arm pulldown - Triple drop set
Prime Bar neutral pulldown - 3x12
Seated prime bar neutral high row - 3x10
DY row machine - RP set
Dante rows - RP set
Wide grip pulldown - 3x10
DB shrugs - 3x20

Couple lifts in since being back home. Got both of these done at the local Planet Fitness. I know these places get a lot of shit but they are clean, they have decent equipment and people leaave me the F alone lol Stepmills always open too. Thats the shit i need. When im in the gym, im on a fuckin schedule with the baby. I dont have 3hrs to kill. I gotta get it done and NOW. Golds can be nice but guys wanna bullshit and talk which it tough. Im always down to chat but when its fuckin up my routine and rest periods, you gotta go. Im a mutant and planet fitness but i dont care.

How much have you increased your protein now?
I'm sure you also only count proteins from protein sources

 

[TheOtherOne55]

How much have you increased your protein now?
I'm sure you also only count proteins from protein sources

Yep. Protein is basically at 65g per meal now.
Quite a bit of meat in each sitting.

 

[luki7788]

Yep. Protein is basically at 65g per meal now.
Quite a bit of meat in each sitting.

practically the same as me - I once even had stages where I ate 85g of protein per meal - certainly the more protein the faster and stronger I grew but also my digestion and flatulence sucked 24/7 lol

I think that 1.5-1.75g/lbs of protein is optimal to grow and not have digestive problems - especially when we eat a lot of carbohydrates on cutting my proteins can be higher without digestive problems

 

[TheOtherOne55]

@luki7788 , fulllly agree. Ive gone as high as 75 but my digestion was trash and i had gas and just felt worse. I also just wasnt hungry after 2-3 hours. Much more difficult to get 6 meals in when you get to "force feeding" too quickly. But like you said, if i made that switch with carbs, i feel fine and still grow really well.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

QUADS/ADDUCTORS
Seated ham curl - top set back off
Leg extension - 4x15 hard flex
Abductor machine - 4x12
Addcutor machine was fuckin broken today which was annoying
Power Squat machine - 4x12
SS
Hack Squat - 3x10
Leg Press - RP set
Bulgarian SS - 1x20

2nd day to really attack legs. Crazy pump during that superset toward the end. High day today so killing rice, COR and rice chex. Weight is nice and climbing since being back in my routine. Was 315 today and felt good. Good checkin with Justin yesterday as he still thinks theres room to grow. Right now im kinda trying to plan out the rest of the year. Honestly, my goal was to start dieting around July and cruise into a regional show in November or maybe even Masters USA end of that month. What's throwing a wrench in that is my wife planning a lil family vaca in Sept in Greece. Being an idiot husband i was 1/2 way aware of this but now seeing her research and start to plan, im probably fucked. The arguement of, "but i wanna spend $$$ and compete individually instead of a fun time with my fam!" wont work well. This is gonna force me to find a new timeline. It’s possible to start dieting soon as I come back off this end of Sept trip but it then puts me in a weird time of being contest ready beginning of the year and dieting during thanksgiving and Xmas. Not a tonnn of shows at that time. We’ll see, just something to figure out as time goes on.

 

[juiceddunk2.0]

QUADS/ADDUCTORS
Seated ham curl - top set back off
Leg extension - 4x15 hard flex
Abductor machine - 4x12
Addcutor machine was fuckin broken today which was annoying
Power Squat machine - 4x12
SS
Hack Squat - 3x10
Leg Press - RP set
Bulgarian SS - 1x20

2nd day to really attack legs. Crazy pump during that superset toward the end. High day today so killing rice, COR and rice chex. Weight is nice and climbing since being back in my routine. Was 315 today and felt good. Good checkin with Justin yesterday as he still thinks theres room to grow. Right now im kinda trying to plan out the rest of the year. Honestly, my goal was to start dieting around July and cruise into a regional show in November or maybe even Masters USA end of that month. What's throwing a wrench in that is my wife planning a lil family vaca in Sept in Greece. Being an idiot husband i was 1/2 way aware of this but now seeing her research and start to plan, im probably fucked. The arguement of, "but i wanna spend $$$ and compete individually instead of a fun time with my fam!" wont work well. This is gonna force me to find a new timeline. It’s possible to start dieting soon as I come back off this end of Sept trip but it then puts me in a weird time of being contest ready beginning of the year and dieting during thanksgiving and Xmas. Not a tonnn of shows at that time. We’ll see, just something to figure out as time goes on.

I love the way you list out your workouts man, very informative and easy to read. Forgive me for being a lazy f*** and not looking back at your posts, but are you increasing weight each set? or on certain lifts? or playing it by ear? What's the weight progression looking like on these exercises in general. Thanks in advance!

 

[TheOtherOne55]

CHEST
Fly Machine - 3x12
Hammer Incline - 3x10
Hammer Decline - RP set
Cable Flies - 3x15
SS
BW Dips - 3xAMRAP
Cable rear delts - 4x20
Cable cuff side raises - 3x15 + drop set
Side raise machine - triple drop set
BO rear delt swings - 3x15
DB front raises - 2x15

Medium day so roughly around 600g of carbs or so. Felt strong and did plenty of warmsups. I've mentioned this before but my L shoulder is trash. 2 reconstructive surgeries on it and when i get this big and strong, it takes a beating. I do lots of stretching and mobility work before, during and after ALL upper body sessions, and that includes arm training. More than likely ill need a shoulder replacement in the next 10 years or so (im 36 now). Nothing too painful this chest day but because of this shoulder shit, i have a deeep knot in my L tricep. Annoying and i need to dig it out with a lacrosse ball.

Weight was 317 today. Sent a checkin to Justin so ill hear back soon. Food might be going up as we really push close to 320+.
But all is good. Making some quick adjustments to my diet due to some skin conditions i mentioned in previous posts. Main thing is im gonna back off weed for awhile (my main vice if you can call it a vice lol), pull back sugar a bit (i only take some in on high days) as well as increasing any anti-inflammatory stuff i have (primarily more circumin and adding some NSAIDs before bed). Hoping this can calm down some flare ups im having. Enough about my weird conditions.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

I love the way you list out your workouts man, very informative and easy to read. Forgive me for being a lazy f*** and not looking back at your posts, but are you increasing weight each set? or on certain lifts? or playing it by ear? What's the weight progression looking like on these exercises in general. Thanks in advance!

Thanks man. As long as its digestable right? lol
In terms of sets, i only count working sets so there are always 1-3 sets of warm ups building up to working weight.
And honestly, i play it by ear. I use rest pause sets, straight sets, drop sets and muscle rounds. If its straight sets i mostly stay with the same weight but concentrate on making the weight feel heavier. Slowing down the negative a bit. Really squeezing and focusing on the contraction.

This is kind of a change to how i used to train. I was very much a top set, back off guy a la Jordan Peters. Mostly doing PPL and just grippin it and rippin it. It was all log book and beating numbers. But that definitely takes a toll on the body and as im inching closer to 40, i have kind of adopted more of a John Meadows approach using some intensity techniques and really focusing on mind muscle connection and squeezing shit. I feel like if it were 3 years ago, i would throw 260 on a lat pulldown and just move that thing any way possible. But now im much more likely to put it on 160-180 and squeeze hard as i pulldown, making sure im feeling it in the right places. The devil is in the details. I see wayyyy too many young guys watching Dr Mike videos and using wayyy too light of weight as they try and squeeze. Just overcomplicating shit. When you are young...you NEED To grip it and rip it. Load is your best friend. Get your muscles used to slanging heavy iron. That will build you one hell of a base. But as you get more mature and your physique thickens up, i think you need to find a heavy-ISH load and make sure you squeezing and hitting the specific muscle you want. These kids today and skipping the heavy load part and thats why the 250+lb BBer will be an endangered species in 2034.

 

[juiceddunk2.0]

Thanks man. As long as its digestable right? lol
In terms of sets, i only count working sets so there are always 1-3 sets of warm ups building up to working weight.
And honestly, i play it by ear. I use rest pause sets, straight sets, drop sets and muscle rounds. If its straight sets i mostly stay with the same weight but concentrate on making the weight feel heavier. Slowing down the negative a bit. Really squeezing and focusing on the contraction.

This is kind of a change to how i used to train. I was very much a top set, back off guy a la Jordan Peters. Mostly doing PPL and just grippin it and rippin it. It was all log book and beating numbers. But that definitely takes a toll on the body and as im inching closer to 40, i have kind of adopted more of a John Meadows approach using some intensity techniques and really focusing on mind muscle connection and squeezing shit. I feel like if it were 3 years ago, i would throw 260 on a lat pulldown and just move that thing any way possible. But now im much more likely to put it on 160-180 and squeeze hard as i pulldown, making sure im feeling it in the right places. The devil is in the details. I see wayyyy too many young guys watching Dr Mike videos and using wayyy too light of weight as they try and squeeze. Just overcomplicating shit. When you are young...you NEED To grip it and rip it. Load is your best friend. Get your muscles used to slanging heavy iron. That will build you one hell of a base. But as you get more mature and your physique thickens up, i think you need to find a heavy-ISH load and make sure you squeezing and hitting the specific muscle you want. These kids today and skipping the heavy load part and thats why the 250+lb BBer will be an endangered species in 2034.

Ohh ok wow so you're doing 6-7 sets PER EXERCISE basically...see I just do overall sets, I was never a warm up working set guy, but its cool to see different perspectives. totally agree with "rip it and grip it"... you have the guy who does too light weight and too strict form, and then the guy who uses too heavy weight and isn't feeling the muscle. I think you gotta be somewhere in between.. But good shit bro, you're killing these logs, I enjoy following them thank you

 

[TheOtherOne55]

LEGS
Lying leg curls - RP set
Adductor machine - 3x15
Power Squat machine - 4-5x15
Hack Squat - Top set back off
Leg Press - RP set
SL leg curl - 2x15
Glute ham raise - 3x10
SS
Abductor machine - 3x15

Felt nice and strong today. Hadnt really pushed hack in awhile but moved some weight today. I feel like ive completely overhauled my leg training the past couple years due to injuries and wear and tear. Like ive mentioned before, i was a big low volume intensity guy. But after years of working up to 8 plates on hack and just punishing myself with small tears and tweaks, i added more volume and just making sure i feeeel stuff.
Thats been the biggest push this offseason is really FEEL what im working. Dont move weight just to move weight. You did that and it got you to big status. But not its fine tuning and im up there in age so i feel safer, yet still hardcore, killing myself on 3 sets of 20 on leg press

As weird as it sounds, i UNDERATE on my high day for legs. Daily carbs are still 1000g that day. But protein is up to 330ish from direct sources. But my "free meal" is usually something not terrible ...maybe making my own burgers and fries...but then i'd eat a sleeve of oreos with it lol I think i had 2 turkey sandwhiches and fell asleep on the couch. Woke up lighter ugh...Honestly, this push to 320 has been difficult. Everything up to 300 was kinda easy and felt simple. Getting to 310 was a push and now to 320 is just brutal. The amount of food is tough but doable. Itll come but its a battle.


ARMS (today)
Vulken tricep rope pushdown - 4x12
SS
SA cable curls - 4x12
BO Vulken cable skullcrushers - 4x10
SS
Rope hammer curls - 4x12
OH cable ext - 4x12
SS
EZ bar curls - 4x15
Incline curls - RP set
V bar pressdown - RP set

Ive been using this thing for a couple months now. Good extension to hve in the gym bag. Originally saw Cris Edmonds use it and thought it was cool. But overall good quick lift. I prefer super setting all my arm work. Just have an insane pump and look crazy in the gym. I haaate taking pictures of myself unless its a checkin but on arms days, i come ever so close to snapping a gym pic looks crazy and vascular. I think i mentioned it before but total protein went up so that keeping me pretty full right now. With cals being high and lots of meat, ive added in more digestive enzymes to make sure im absorbing everything properly. I actually gotta go back to the gym right now to do my cardio. Baby woke up extraaa early. I base my entire workout around how early the baby wakes lol Im up at 4am, workout from 5-615...get baby up and fed before 730ish (she wakes up around 6-630). So there are times i gotta cut shit short to get home quiiiick. I try to give the wife the early morning off.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

GLUTES/HAMS
Seated leg curl - top set back off
Lying leg curl - 3x10
SL standing leg curl - 3x12
Abductor machine - 3x15
SS
Glute ham raise - 3x15
Standing calves - 4x15-20
Smith Machine Glute bridge - RP set


CHEST/SHOULDERS
Fly machine - 4x15
Incline Hammer - top set back off
Decline hammer - Rp set
Chest press machine - 3x12
Side raise machine - 4x15
BO in this same machine (rear delts) - 4x20
Cable rear delt swing - 3x15
SS
Cuffed side laterals - 3x12
Incline bench DB swings - RP set
Db side raises - 4x10

317 today so climbing steady again. Today, during chest and shoulders, i was reminiscing on how i used to RP press 5 plates on basically any Hammer Press and now i maaaybe go to 4plates if im feeling good. And with that, my chest is bigger than ever. Everything is much slower, still heavy load relatively, but flexing everythign and contracting what i want. Making sure i feel it.

Saw an acupuncturist for the first time last week. My wife had used one based on a recommendation and of course she ends up telling him all about. "My husband is huge and his shoulder is wrecked and he has no ROM over his head and his tricep is always knotted up." blah blah. I went to him with no real, "work on this please." Just explained to him my shoudler problems and why my ROM sucks and how i cant hit certain poses. So he did some work and stretched me. IM not sure acupuncture is the right modality to fix me up though. I probably need that deep stretching but also a bit of real deep tissue break down shit. Not needles in my back.
I also think that mobility training will work BEST when im leaning down. Every competitor knows that hitting a side tri in the offseason is horrible and difficult...but when youre 8 weeks out, shit looks better, ROM comes back, etc. I think if i found someone to really stretch me and break up scar tissue WHILE IN PREP, i could do some damage. But well see.

 

[Yousef12O2]

When do you plan on starting prep brother?

 

[TheOtherOne55]

When do you plan on starting prep brother?

Whats up Yousef. Dude this Greece trip my wife is planning is kinda messing up my year.
Of course im excited to hit up Europe with the fam, but i was planning on STARTING prep July and hitting somehting in November maybe. Greece trip is middle of Sept to the end, so my best guess is to immediately start prep when i get back and hit up a show in late Jan maybe early Feb. So a ways away.

I have relayed this to Justin so he is doing some thinking. In our last chat he talked about riding this offseason a bit more since things are progressing really well...maybe cruising before we hit a mini diet in there at some point. Im fine with that. I dont really feel like holding 310-320 for a long period of time.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

BACK
Straight arm pulldown - 4x12
Prime neutral grip pulldown - RP set
Prime seated nuetral grip row - 3x10
SA cable row - 3x12
Wide Grip pulldown - RP set
Chest supp high row - 3x15



CHEST/SHOULDERS
Fly Machine - 4x15 hard squeeze
Hammer Press - 3x12
Incline Hammer - RP set
Machine chest press - 4x10
Rear delt cable flies - 4x20
Cuffed side lateral raises - 4x15
DB side raises - 4x12
SS
Bent Over rear delt swings - 3x20
Front delt raises - 3x15

Strong as full right now. Weight hovering in that 315-320 area. I can feel that this is the tail end of my gaining phase. Im lean for 320 but i can tell that im creeping up and need to just hold for awhile. As awesome as it is to hit a new number on the scale, if you can only hold it for a week it makes no difference. You have to let your new tissue marinade. Let your body get used to this setpoint. So that just means a couple more months at this weight.

I need to probably build out a timeline for the year moving forward. Suppose i hold for 2 month, then maybe i start a cruise beginning of June and cruise for 8ish weeks depending on bloodwork. That would mean August im fresh and ready to roll. I could either mini diet at that time and trim some of the fluff off to see where im at around 280-290ish. Or we just hold tight until we decide to diet. We'll see.

Gear is lots of Sustanon + lots of EQ + a lil bit of Mast. One of my preferred cycles.
But will probably rotate to lots of Sustanon + some NPP + more Masteron. Thats a go-to of mine that never disappoints.

 

[TheOtherOne55]

LEGS
Seated Leg Curl - top set back off
SS
Adductor Machine - 3x15
Leg Extensions - 4x12
Donkey Calf Raises - 5x20
Power Squat - top set back off
Hack Squat - 3x20
Leg Press - 1x15 then RP set
Lying Leg Curl - RP set



ARMS
Rope pressdown - 4x12
SS
EZ bar curls - 4x15
Cable skullcrushers with rope - 4x12
SS
DB curls - 4x12
Dips - 4x10-12
SS
Rope hammer curls - 4x12
JM press - RP set
Reverse curls - RP set

Crazy pumps. I feel like im one of the few guys that loves arm day. Probably because it wasnt until recently i actually had arms at all.
I always enjoyed training what i was weak at...kinda felt motivating to me. Like i was attacking that muscle group as hard as possible.

Leg day was great too. Actually moved some heavier weight than i had in awhile. On Hacks and that power squat machine pushed 7-8 plates. Ive honestly shifted to much more of a deeper ROM, slow eccentric. STILL heavy load, but something where i can slow it down and fail at 10-12.

Protein is fuckin hiiigh right now, at least for me. im basically 70-75g per meal, which is a ton for me. No other macros going up other than that. Digestion is OK with it too. I make sure i take a probiotic in the morning and some digestive enzymes during the day, but nothing insane right now. I know for a factttt that post HUGE me, like in 10 years, itll be pretty evident that i had some sort of SIBO or digestive problems, but for right now, its not bad bad. anyways, sorry for the late update.