oh, stupid me.

I do the same. I love the ROM it allows.

Alright. That's pretty massive gains regardless

The important part of all this is the gains are real. But it's also an indicator of how fat you were and still are. You are making gains while losing weight, which can only be explained by the holy grail of lifting (simultaneous fat loss and muscle gain).

I am glad you didn't fall for the SS + super surplus voodoo nonsense. You and fakeb have proven SS + GOMAD is fake as fack and dinosaurs like bpa/cha who insist on eating for gains will one day fall off the map completely.

Volume volume volume. Then eat a tad more meat. That is all we can do natty.

Here's that DL set:



Judging from the bar speed of #9, I could definitely have pulled at least two more. I stopped because I felt like it was getting harder and harder to maintain tight form. It just seems like my lower back gets softer as the set goes on. Rep #2 looks like my best deadlift form (fwiw).



I don't doubt you're right, as I definitely feel like my triceps and pecs have grown during this cut. Devil's advocate though, isn't it just possible that I'm gaining strength for the same (or a similar) cross-sectional area of muscle?

Also, I figure I should just get your opinion on this while I'm ~8lb from my goal weight. Once I'm at 125, how would you advise I change my calories and macros?

I think there is definitely "some of the muscle we just didn't know how to use" until now as well as minor muscle gain.

Just totally guessing but I would say that lets say a x kg in lift increase is something like 70% learning how to use the muscle, 15% muscle gain, 15% losing weight making it easier to move weight around.

It doesn't matter much tho. We are trying to get leaner for now and get down form to get ready for the glorious bulk that's coming.

Yeah but I've been deadlifting for nearly a year so I gotta imagine the gains of the last 10 weeks are actual strength. My learning gains were prob mostly used up months ago. Also, deadlift is probably the easiest technique lift of the big four.

I don't believe in counting macros. Make good food choices, eat when hungry. Protein is king, fat is queen, carbs are for peons (cheap). Monitor weight, adjust to meet your desired trajectory.

I am serious about that but not sure you are ready. You are a former carb crackhead that may relapse.

Thursday, January 12, 2017 Training

Bench Press (paused):

20x8
35x4
45x2
52.5x4
52.5x4
52.5x8

LBBS (w/belt):

20x10
40x5
65x2x2
82.5x5
82.5x5
82.5x11 [PR]

SS1 Pull-ups (@61kg):

9 [PR]
7
6
6 [volume PR+2]

SS1 Rope Triceps Pushdown (# each arm):

45x12
45x12
45x12
45x12

SS2 Box Squat (DL stance, kg):

55x10
55x10
55x10

SS2 Cable Face-pull (#):

75x20
75x20

***



I guess I get a lot out of the belt.

Yep belt definitely helps. I feel like it helps my squat a lot more than DL.

Dat bench form :chathumb:

ty. Still loads of room to improve but I'm happy with where things are heading.


Friday, January 6, 2016

Chin-ups / Push-ups / Plank / 2' rest:

6, 12, 50"
6, 12, 45"
6, 12, 40"
5, 12, 35"
5, 12, 30"

Agree that the form looks solid, but for the love of god, turn the ****ing plates in, son. This isn't 'nam.

Well, pretty close.

Actually, all Cambodian IPs are Vietnam IPs. This country is so busto that it's borrowing cable from next door.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 Training

Bench Press (paused):

20x8
35x5
45x2
54x4
54x4
54x8 [PR]
47.5x6 (longer pauses)

LBBS:

20x8
40x5
60x2
70x1
85x5
85x5
85x5 @8

SS1 Chin-ups (@61kg):

10 [PR]
7
6
7 [volume PR+1]

SS1 Machine Chest Fly (#):

140x12
140x12
130x11
130x11

SS2 Deficit Deadlift (kg):

60x8
70x8
70x8

SS2 Seated DB OHP (#):

30x14
30x12
30x8 (*)

***

Benching went well. I'm pushing the third set a little harder each time as I get more comfortable with pauses.

Squatting sucked. The first set had terrible depth. I fixed depth for the second set but tweaked my right adductor. Thursday's 82.5x11 set took a lot out of me, as I was very sore from it for two days, particularly in the hamstrings (weird) and adductors. After the tweak, it seemed prudent to not push the third set too hard. Maybe I'm a pussy, though...

(*) Felt a little tweak in my left shoulder as I got these up for the first rep. It got kind of hard by the 8th rep so I just took it easy and called it a day.


Week 40 Diet, Week 23 Cut



After a sloppy Monday (cheeseburger with bacon and sweet potato fries, no regrets!), I kept it pretty reined-in this week. My nadir weight was 132.8 lb, so I'm hoping that I'll cross the 60kg threshold next week.

Whats with the paused bench? What do they work differently?

It's more pec/shoulder-centric and less triceps-centric, but more importantly it forces you to perform with good form. At least, that's been my initial experience with it. I'm weakest during the bottom of the bench press ROM, so paused work seemed like a good idea.

My intent is to alternate GSLP cycles of paused and touch and go and make linear gains on both.

Maybe I go too slow on my BP but I'm fairly sure I pause at the bottom as long as your paused bench.

There's a stretch reflex that can be taken advantage of. I could probably get like 12-13 reps at this weight tng.

Renton,
Can you please post a typical food log when you are around 1400cal?

On Wednesday:

Chicken Caesar Salad with extra chicken: 353 cal
Two Boiled Eggs: 156 cal
Club Sandwich (smallish with 3 slice bread, some chicken, bacon, egg, little mayo) : 500 cal
Campbells Fajita Chicken Soup: 260 cal
Whey protein 1 scoop: 120 cal
--- total of 1390 cal


On Friday:

Same Caesar Salad from Wednesday: 353 cal
Fried chicken leg with fresh tomato and cucumber and two boiled eggs: 393 cal
Can of Tuna with 1.25 tbsp mayo and 7 ritz crackers: 334 cal
Whey Protein: 1.25 scoop 150 cal
--- total of 1231 cal (only 21 carbs, this was low carb day)

The difference in my case is that I need to exceed 125g protein. You could eat substantially less clean for the same calories. Most of the foods in this list I ordered from the poker room restaurant (all but the tuna, canned soup, and whey).

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Press: (5/3/1 C2W2 TM39)

10x10
20x3
27.5x3
31x3
35x8 @9.5
37.5x3 @8.5 (joker set)

Deadlift (w/belt):

60x3x2
80x2x2
90x1
102.5x8 [rep PR]
90x9

SS1 DB Incline Press (#):

35x12
35x12
35x12
35x12

SS1 Hanging Leg Raise:

12
12
12
12

SS2 DB Bent-over Row (# each arm):

55x12
55x12
55x12
55x14

SS2 BB Strict Curl (kg):

20x10
20x11

SS2 Leg Press (kg + sled):

135x12
135x15

***

Decent session. It was disappointing to not gain press reps at 35kg over two weeks ago, but this was an easier 8 than that set was, so there's minor progress. I had delusions of grandeur of jokering up to 40x3 that were quickly dissolved when 37.5x3 was hard. Oh well.

I'm ambivalent about my deadlift form. I tried something new today: a hip shoot per this video. The result was that I felt quite a bit stronger off the floor at the expense of a sloppy mid-range. I'm not sure how to proceed from here TBH. My previous technique was more consistent/safe but had pretty bad leg drive. As for the top set, I probably would have got a comfortable 9 if it weren't for misfiring the first attempt at rep #8. Again, oh well.

Accessories felt strong today. I'll go back to 60lb for the rows next week.

If it makes you feel stronger it's worth tweaking imo.
One thing I notice tho, he talks about using the hip shoot to pull the slack out of the bar, but in your vid there is still a 'clink' sound when you pull meaning there's still slack.

Also he's setting up and then quickly does the hip shoot vs you where you set up with straight legs for a couple seconds and then go down and pull. Does that get the same effect? Actual question bc I'm not sure.

Skipping training today. On Tuesday I woke up with a stiff neck, I'm assuming from a poor sleeping position. It didn't interfere with training but later that evening it got a lot worse. Basically random spasms of intense pain and the inability to turn my head more than 45 degrees to the right. Yesterday it was even worse, and today it's slightly better, but still bad.

I've had one of these before but it never lasted longer than 2 days and this time I'm on the third day. I don't know if it's a minor neck muscle strain or something having to do with my cervical spine. I'm guessing the former because if it were the latter then it would be more of a radiating pain that went all the way to my shoulder or arm.

Hopefully, I'll be cool to train tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll just move on to Sunday.

Friday, January 20, 2017 Training (Thursday workout)

Bench Press (paused):

20x8
35x4
47.5x2
55x4
55x4
55x8 [PR]

Deadlift:

60x3
60x3
80x3
80x3
90x2 (belt added)
90x2
90x2
100x2
100x2

LBBS:

20x10
40x5
60x2
75x1
86x5
86x5
86x7 [rep PR]

SS1 Pull-ups (@61kg):

8
7
5

SS1 Rope Triceps Pushdown (# each arm):

45x13
45x13
45x11

***

My neck is mostly recovered. I'm really happy with the bench press today. The 55x8 set is probably the first time I've ever grinded a bench press rep without misgrooving it. This is the exact thing I'd hoped to address with paused work.

The squat rack was being used so I spent a lot of time working on my deadlift. I'm gonna post the filmed sets in the form thread and get input on them. A few different technique cues: I set up a little farther from the bar to get my hips a little lower, and essentially RDL'ed down to a point where I could grasp the bar. Then I used the bar to pull myself into (hopefully) better extension than I've been having in previous deadlift sessions. I also tried not to hyperextend at lockout the way I do.

These sets did not feel very strong, but I think they probably look better than my old form. It just requires getting used to. One interesting thing to note: my upper back was on fire after these sets, so that might be a sign that I was in better thoracic extension.

Squats were challenging due to the upper back fatigue. The top set probably had another rep but the bar felt unstable on my back, so I racked it.