OFF-SEASON / HEALTH PHASE LOG Post-Contest Reverse Diet & Training Experiment

[theway]

• Status: Post-contest → Health / Rebuild Phase
• Starting Weight (fasted): 101.7 kg
• Primary Goal: Bring legs up to match upper body while preserving health and recovery.
• Nutrition: Slow reverse diet (TD 4200 kcal / NTD 3000 kcal).
• PED / Cruise: Test 200 mg/week, Primo 150 mg/week. Bloodwork in ~2 weeks.
• Post contest phase/Health phase

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Current Training Structure — BRO SPLIT (UPDATED ORDER)​

Weekly layout (your corrected order):

• Mon: Quads (Legs — quad dominant)
• Tue: Back
• Wed: Chest
• Thu: Rest / active recovery
• Fri: Hamstrings + Biceps
• Sat: Shoulders + Triceps
• Sun: Off / mobility

Rationale: concentrate volume per session (high quality, focused), reduce weekly frequency per muscle group, avoid two very high-intensity/high-volume leg sessions that previously caused to much fatique. former format push pull legs two times a week.

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Training Principles & Rules​

• Session focus: one primary compound (0–1 RIR), 2 secondary heavy/volume compounds (0–2 RIR), 2–3 isolations (1–3 RIR).
• Per-muscle weekly volume target (worked guideline for advanced athlete):
  • Quads: ~15–24 hard sets/week (all quad work falls mostly on Mon)
  • Hamstrings: ~12–18 hard sets/week (concentrated on Fri)
  • Back: ~16–22 sets/week
  • Chest: ~9-12 sets/week
  • Shoulders: ~10–16 sets/week (lat/side/post emphasis across session)
  • Triceps: ~9–12 sets/week (mostly Sat)
  • Biceps: ~8–12 sets/week (mostly Fri)
• Intensity: prioritize quality — compound sets to 0–1 RIR, accessory sets 1–3 RIR. Avoid forcing two full-out leg sessions per week.
• Progression model: weekly micro-progression (add 1–2 reps or 2.5–5 kg when target rep range hit for all sets across an exercise). If recovery metrics degrade, pause load increases and adjust volume.
• Deload: every 12 weeks or earlier if sleep, or performance fall — 40–60% volume and same intensity for one week.

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Session Templates​

Monday — Quads (Primary)​

1. Warmup + mobility (10–12 minutes)
2. Belt squat / Safety squat — 4 × 12-15 @ 0–1 RIR
3. Hack squat — 3 × 6–15 @ 0–1 RIR
4. Leg press (feet lower) — 4 × 10–12 @ 1–2 RIR
5. Leg extension (peak contraction / dropset optional) — 3 × 12–15 @ 1–3 RIR

Weekly quad sets: ~15–20 hard sets (adjust if feeling overreached).

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Tuesday — Back​

1. Warmup + scapular prep
2. Weighted pull-up / Lat pulldown — 5 × 5–6 @ 0–1 RIR
3. Barbell row / Chest-supported row — 4 × 6–8 @ 0–1 RIR
4. Single-arm DB row (work angles) — 3 × 8–10 @ 1–2 RIR
5. Pullover / Straight-arm pulldown — 3 × 10–12 @ 1–2 RIR
6. Face pull / Rear delt work — 3 × 12–15 @ 1–3 RIR

Weekly back sets: ~16–20.

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Wednesday — Chest​

1. Warmup + shoulder prep
2. Incline barbell / smith press — 5 × 12 @ 0–1 RIR
3. Flat bench (pause / controlled) — 4 × 6–8 @ 0–1 RIR
4. DB incline / decline — 3 × 8–10 @ 1–2 RIR
5. Chest fly / cable cross — 3 × 10–15 @ 1–3 RIR
6. Triceps light burnout (optional) — 2 × 12–15

Weekly chest sets: ~14–18.

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Thursday — Rest / Active Recovery​

• Mobility, band work, soft tissue, 20–30 min walk, 4–6 sets of vacuums. this is daily

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Friday — Hamstrings + Biceps​

1. Warmup + hip hinge prep
2. Romanian deadlift (light-moderate) — 4 × 6–8 @ 0–1 RIR (focus on eccentric control)
3. R Seated hamstring curl — 4 × 12-20 @ 0–1 RIR
4. Lying leg curl — 3 × 10–15 @ 1–3 RIR
5. Barbell curl / Heavy curl — 4 × 6–8 @ 0–1 RIR
6. Incline DB curl / Hammer curl — 3 × 8–12 @ 1–2 RIR

Weekly hamstring sets: ~11–18. Biceps sets: ~7–10.

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Saturday — Shoulders + Triceps​

1. Warmup + rotator cuff work
2. Seated OHP / Push press (strict focus) — 3 × 12-1 @ 0–1 RIR
3. Lateral raise (strict) — 4 × 10–15 @ 1–2 RIR
4. Rear delt row / Face pulls — 3 × 10–15 @ 1–2 RIR
5. Upright row variant / incline Y raise — 2 × 10–12 @ 1–2 RIR
6. Close grip bench / Dips (weighted) — 4 × 6–8 @ 0–1 RIR
7. Cable pressdown / Overhead triceps — 3 × 10–15 @ 1–3 RIR

Weekly shoulder sets: ~10–14. Triceps sets: ~9–12.

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Sunday — Off / Recovery​

• Full rest or low-intensity activity. Finalise weekly notes and nutrition adherence.

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Recovery & Monitoring​

• Sleep target: 6-8 hours. Track for trends.
• Steps: 8–10k/day non-training and training days (adjust with weight trend).
• Biofeedback: morning resting HR, HRV, subjective energy, appetite, and bowel function. If resting HR ↑ >6 bpm for 3 days or HRV declines with poor energy, reduce weekly volume by 15–25% or add an extra rest day.
• Bloodwork to watch: lipids, hematocrit, Cystatine C, liver enzymes(GGT focus).
• Supplements (summary): multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D, magnesium, tudca, probiotics, nac, etc..

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[theway]

Back Session yesterday(Slightly Off Plan)

Ran my first back workout yesterday. It ended up a bit different from the original format, with slightly higher total volume than planned, but overall execution and connection were good.

Exercises & Loads:

Straight-arm pulldown – 40 kg × 15 × 3

Straight-arm cable pulldown – 60 kg × 15x3

T-bar row – 100 kg × 15, 120 kg × 12, 140 kg × 8

Hammer Strength row machine – 240 kg × 10, 200 kg × 15 (back-off set)

Low row – 160 kg × 12 × 3

Dumbbell pullover – 40 kg × 18 × 3


Volume ran a bit higher than planned, but no breakdown in form or recovery issues during the session. Will assess how it carries over into the next training days and adjust if needed.

 

[traininsane11]

Are you coached by a UK coach by any chance? The terminology and wording seems very either John Jewett or UK coach esque

 

[theway]

Are you coached by a UK coach by any chance? The terminology and wording seems very either John Jewett or UK coach esque

No i am not UK based brother haha. I am doing the rebound/health phase on my own.

Update about blood sugar 1.5h after meal 3.7mmol which is 67mg/dl. In prep with extreme protein it was higher.

 

[MackCoach]

Great post. Appreciate the presentation and inclusion of detail.

Mack

 

[traininsane11]

No i am not UK based brother haha. I am doing the rebound/health phase on my own.

Update about blood sugar 1.5h after meal 3.7mmol which is 67mg/dl. In prep with extreme protein it was higher.

Super detailed approach you obviously know your stuff this will be a fun one to follow

 

[theway]

Great post. Appreciate the presentation and inclusion of detail.

Mack

Super detailed approach you obviously know your stuff this will be a fun one to follow

Thankyou guys appreciate the support!

Chest Session – First Run on the New Split


Yesterday was chest day, keeping loads controlled since I’m only one week post-contest and still easing back into full strength. Overall a solid session no pain, just mild fatigue, which is expected at this stage. Finished with some light cardio(20min) for health and conditioning.


Exercises & Loads:

• Incline chest flyes – 2 × 15
• Incline Hammer Strength press – 160 kg × 15 × 3
  (Kept the weight lighter due to being one week out from the show)
• Incline Smith machine bench press – 120 kg × 12 × 3
• Upright row – 50 kg × 18 × 3
• Overhead cable triceps extension – 60 kg × 15 × 3
• Bodyweight dips – 2 × AMRAP

Notes:
Good session overall. No pain, solid contraction, and predictable post-show fatigue. Added 20 minutes of cardio at the end going from high contest-prep cardio to none isn’t ideal for health or recovery, so keeping some in makes sense.

 

[theway]

Hamstrings & Biceps Session


Romanian Deadlift
120 kg — 3 × 15


Seated Hamstring Curl (Rest-Pause)
85 kg — 3 × 14 + final rest-pause set


Barbell Curl (Heavy)
4 × 20 @ 0–1 RIR


Incline DB Curl / Hammer Curl
3 × 8–12 @ 1–2 RIR


Solid session overall. Good stimulus on hams with higher-rep RDLs and tight curl work to finish.
Always good to go back to the old-school gym, with friends that know you from kid till now never forget them.

 

[theway]

Shoulders & Triceps Session

Kept this session controlled and joint-friendly, focusing on higher reps and lighter loads as I’m still post-contest. Overall execution felt good with no pain, just a bit more general fatigue during the day, which is expected at this stage.

Exercises & Loads:

Lying cuffed lateral cable raise (incline chest) – 10 kg × 20 × 3

Cable upright row – 30 kg × 15 × 3

Underhand cable front raise – 15 kg × 15 × 3

Long rope triceps extension – 30 kg × 15 × 3

Cable pushdown – 40 kg × 15 × 3

Dips – 3 × AMRAP

Hanging knee raises – 3 × 15

Rope crunches – 3 × 15


Notes:
Good training session overall. No joint discomfort, solid muscle engagement, and bit more fatigue given the post-contest phase. Keeping weights conservative and reps higher for now to support recovery while maintaining training quality.

 

[Flocci]

Great log with all the details.

How is the diet looking and what did it look like at the end of your cut vs where you are now? How about cardio and expediture?


Do you tend to follow any general diet guidelines or methods such a carb cycling, low/moderate/high fat? looks like you tend to do a training and restday diet with most of your carbs on training days and less on restdays?

Following.

 

[theway]

Great log with all the details.

How is the diet looking and what did it look like at the end of your cut vs where you are now? How about cardio and expediture?


Do you tend to follow any general diet guidelines or methods such a carb cycling, low/moderate/high fat? looks like you tend to do a training and restday diet with most of your carbs on training days and less on restdays?

Following.

End of the cut, 8 weeks out, I was at 4300 kcal on training days and 3300 on rest days. Six weeks out, I dropped to 3600/2800, and the last 4 weeks were 2800 kcal/2400kcal, for 2 weeks.


My general diet approach has evolved a lot. Early on, I was doing extreme protein—400–500 g/day—but digestion suffered and hunger became a non existent toward the end of a bulk at 5000 kcal. Now I stick with moderate protein (~300 g), keep high-quality fats low (~60 g or under), and fill the rest with carbs.


This rebound carb cycling comes into play like this: 5 training days at 4300 kcal and 2 rest days at 3000 kcal, with carbs making up the difference. Around the training window, I push about 50% of the carbs, keeping the rest at other times.

thanks for the follow

 

[theway]

Wednesday – Chest / 1 Shoulder / 1 Triceps Recap


Started the session with:

• Lying lateral raises on a slight incline – 3 sets x 20 reps
• Incline cable chest flyes – 2 sets x 15 reps @ 35 kg
• Incline Hammer Strength press – 2 sets x 15 reps @ 160 kg
• Dumbbell press – 2 sets x 20 reps @ 50 kg
• Overhead cable triceps extension – 2 sets

Overall, it was a solid workout. Felt a bit weaker and more fatigued than usual, but everything was manageable and execution stayed clean. Calories are currently at 4400 on training days hunger is extremely high, but carbs are coming almost exclusively from rice and oats, with fats kept out. Non-training days are still in a sharp deficit.


This is one week post-contest, so all of this is expected. Post-meal blood sugar is around 80. Blood pressure is 122/59 with a resting pulse of 64. Sleep is still not great, but that’s normal for me.I’m averaging about 6 hours. I wake up at 4:30., which is typical, do 30 minutes of fasted cardio, and then get on with the day.

Here’s a photo from about three years ago, when I first started training seriously. After that, I went through a period with a lot of life events that slowed things down. Last year was the first real offseason where I was able to push properly.


I went from around 90kg in 2022 (not stage weight) to 115 kg in the offseason, and then competed this year at 98–100 kg on stage.

 

[theway]

Hamstrings Recap


Still dealing with some residual fatigue, so I kept volume on the lower side while maintaining high intensity.

• Adduction – 3 x 10 @ max weight
• Hamstring curl – 2 x 10 105 kg
• Glute bridge – 2 x 80 kg
• Romanian deadlift – 2 x 140 kg
• Hyperextension – 2 x 10

Overall a good session. No pain issues, which is the main priority right now. Strength isn’t fully back yet, but that’s completely expected at this stage. Not much else to update.

 

[theway]

Upper Body Workout Log


Session started with triceps and delts, then moved through pressing and lat work.

• Triceps cuff extensions – 2 sets x 12 reps @ 16 kg
• Lateral raise machine – 3 sets x 12 reps @ 70 kg
• Chest press machine – 2 sets x 12 reps @ max weight (145 kg)
• Shoulder press machine – 2 sets x 12 reps @ max weight (120 kg)
• Triceps pushdowns – 2 sets x 12 reps @ max weight (135 kg)
• Unilateral high-to-low cable row – 2 sets x 10 reps @ max weight
• Unilateral low cable row – 2 sets x 12 reps @ 45 kg
• Biceps machine – 2 sets x 12 reps @ 90 kg

Overall, a very good workout. Pump was exceptional and stayed with me for most of the day. Fatigue is noticeably lower compared to earlier sessions, and sleep quality is improving, which is showing positively in performance and recovery.

 

[theway]

shape morning

 

[bigzzz]

Are your sets(close) to failure?

 

[luki7788]

Are your sets(close) to failure?

no, he's probably doing RIR 5...

 

[theway]

Are your sets(close) to failure?

I’m not overly focused on training to failure or strictly tracking 3, 2, or 1 RIR, because I tend to lose focus when I overthink it. Like @luki7788 has mentioned many times on this forum, I prefer to keep it simple: I train until form starts to break down, which for me is essentially around 1 RIR to momentary failure (0/0.5 RIR), and I apply that consistently across all sets. i also do not focus on weight increases every single week progressive overload can also mean handling the weight better


Even during a deload, I don’t reduce intensity. I’ll remove some sets or occasionally an exercise, but execution stays the same. Form is always standardized: controlled tempo with a slow negative and a slightly faster concentric. I think most of us are looking for the golden split and its all in the excecution of movements.

 

[theway]

Pull day yesterday. I was more fatigued than usual, so I reduced volume further and ran only one true working set across most movements.


Started with straight-arm lat pulldowns: 30 kg × 18
Nautilus single-arm cable pulldown: 2 sets of 45 kg × 8 (the only movement with two sets)
Skipped T-bar rows
Plate-loaded lat row: 240 kg × 9
Plate-loaded low row: 200 kg × 10
Kelso shrugs on the same machine: 200 kg × 10
Lying rear delt raise: 15 kg × 12
Single-arm preacher curl machine: 30 kg × 9


Overall, it was still a solid session, but fatigue is clearly elevated. For now, I’ve cut volume by roughly 40%. If this doesn’t resolve within a week, I’ll add additional rest days, though I expect the volume reduction to be sufficient.

 

[traininsane11]

Pull day yesterday. I was more fatigued than usual, so I reduced volume further and ran only one true working set across most movements.


Started with straight-arm lat pulldowns: 30 kg × 18
Nautilus single-arm cable pulldown: 2 sets of 45 kg × 8 (the only movement with two sets)
Skipped T-bar rows
Plate-loaded lat row: 240 kg × 9
Plate-loaded low row: 200 kg × 10
Kelso shrugs on the same machine: 200 kg × 10
Lying rear delt raise: 15 kg × 12
Single-arm preacher curl machine: 30 kg × 9


Overall, it was still a solid session, but fatigue is clearly elevated. For now, I’ve cut volume by roughly 40%. If this doesn’t resolve within a week, I’ll add additional rest days, though I expect the volume reduction to be sufficient.

I’ve had to do the same across the board in regards to reducing fatigue. Instead of everything just being to total failure and digging an impossible hole to get out of
I’ve broken sessions into. Anchor, accumulation and pump sets so I can still run higher volume and have some HIT sets but actually be able to recover