In regards to having an only child, I feel really guilty that my daughter won't have siblings. I couldn't imagine having another child or even being up with a baby for months and never sleeping again. I also feel like I couldn't afford another child especially the cost of daycare.

I concur with MLYLT. The last time you came off a cut, I remember thinking you looked like a Holocaust survivor. This time, you look great.

MLYLT/fakeb,



MLYLT,

Cost/family structure, among other things, are obviously hugely important variables when deciding whether or not to have more kids. Seems like focusing on your daughter is the right move in this instance.

fakeb,

Word, losing 45-50 lbs in 8 months is kind of a lot. I think I have a bit more LBM now? The plan is to get down an ell bee or two more, maintain for a few months if I can, and then a long, slow lean massing phase. Which I'm looking forward to quite a bit.

I think you look too small but good jube anyway. /highpraise

Of course he looks too small. We grew up watching hulk hogan, Rambo, and Conan the barbarian.

Note to dt:

That's fake bro. They were on tons of steroids.

Thanks, gentle giant. I'll be reversing and going on a long, slow lean bulk a few months hence, so maybe we'll meet in the middle by the time you retire.

4/4: 180.2

A
5/3/1 Squat: wu, 5x155, 5x180, 13x205, 3x225, 3x245, 12x190, 12x170
Pullups: 3x+25, 3x+30, 3x+35, 3x+40, 3x+45, 3x+50, 3x+55, 3x+60

B
Leg Press: 5x9x290
Calf Raise on Leg Press: 5x12x290
Single Arm Lat Pulldown: 6x15

C
DB Bulgarian SS: 4x8x25
Spider Curl: 4x10





Fighting a bit of a day cold (the same kind of walking around cough from six weeks ago), so my work capacity was a bit down. Wanted 15 on the squat AMRAP and thought I got 14, but miscounted. Probably could have powered through a few more, but I'm bad and feel bad. Punished myself by upping the backoff goal from 10 to 12. Form still feels good. SI felt decent-ish; definitely felt it was there, but more as a "this was tweaked slightly DLing" than a "problem with squat form" kind of thing. Going to rein in the DL volume and try to dial in form on Friday.

Probably had more in me on the pull-ups; was calibrating based on the weighted NG chin ladder from this weekend, but it's hard because I'm doing those pre-fatigued after DLing. Probably going to start at +35 next time I do triples and see how it goes.

Added weight to the split squats, and it's starting to get challenging. Definitely glad to have incorporated them.

AMRAP squats are sick. I sometimes get someone to count for me. Anything over X10, so much of your focus goes on breathing and making the rep. Good job.

Thanks, fakeb. I have appreciated you taking me under your lat, even if it requires a few stepstools (seriously though, it's been really valuable). I lose count a lot of the time too, hence the filming. May stop providing form videos until the weight gets heavier, which is going to be a while considering I'm going to keep using 5 pound jumps for the foreseeable future (it may change when I got back to eating at maintenance or a slight surplus if my AMRAP is still high).

4/5: 180.0

Treadmill: 45 min @ 4.0/2% incline (3.0 miles)
HLR: 4x8
Pallofs: 4x12x27.5
Facepulls (seated, light, strict): 6x15
Farmer's Walks: 3x45secx85lbs

The 180 plateau is real.

Same ol, same ol. Added some of those alternative facepulls since they made my left shoulder (the one I had mobility/tightness issues in a few years back, and maybe still do, though it's essentially assymptomatic) sore in a way that tells me I'm on the right track.

4/6: 180.2

A
Incline bench (5/3/1): wu, 125x5, 145x5, 160x9 175x3, 190x2, 150x10, 135x12
DB Row: 6x10x90
One Arm Cable Row: 6x15

B
DB Bench: 8x90; 7x95; 5x100; 7x95; 6x90
Machine Rear Fly: 6x12

C
Seated DB Press: 2x9x50, 3x8x50
Cable Upright Row 4x12

D
Facepulls (light, seated, strict): 6x15
Lying DB Skullcrusher: 3x10
Lying DB Tri Ext (externally rotated): 3x10
Seated DB Tri Ext : 3x10

179.x is still elusive; started up on creatine and one or two other things today so there may be a bit more bloat for a while. Whatever.

Was hoping for 10 at 160 and just didn't have it, but did pretty k on the jokers and did more than expected on the backoff sets, so call it a wash. Stepped up in weight on DB bench and it felt solid; one rep short of the arbitrary goal of 6, and didn't get 8 on the last set of 90, but I'll take it. Shoulder DB remains solid. Feeling good.

4/7: 180.0

A
5/3/1 DL: wu, 5x185, 5x225, 8x250, 1x275, 1x295, 8x235, 8x205

B
Squat (light): wu, 3x5x175
NG Chins: 5x+35, 5x+40 5x+45, 5x+50, 5x+55
Zottman Curls: 4x12x17.5

C
Leg Ext: 4x15
Leg Curl: 4x12
Preacher Curl Machine: 4x12

Quick afternoon session; went well. Had plenty more in the tank for DL and squat, but kept the back flat and firm dialed in as planned from last week.

My company got sold today. Had a forty minute meeting with both CEOs (lol Germany) about the path forward, since they're apparently planning to use us as a springboard to expand their service line offering. Two more levels of advancement and I'll know how DT's secretary's admin feels.

4/8: 178.2

Walking: 45 min @ 4.0/2% incline (3.0 miles)
HLR: 4x8
Pallofs: 4x12x27.5

Pretty safe to say the cut is over; I think speaking to any kind of measurement other than loco's, I'm sub 10%, if barely. Going to go ahead and add a couple hundred calories to the target, so ~2500 daily is what I'm going to shoot for for the next few weeks, and I'll reevaluate as necessary. According to ifcalc, 2700 should be about right, but with all the Euro travel I have to do over the next few weeks it's going to be hard to be super consistent with that. I'll do my best.

Plan is to ramp up to maintenance slowly, stay there until June/July-ish, and then lean mass for the next year or so using essentially the same program. Whew.

Gogogogogo!!!

Can't wait to see your progress now that you will be on maintenance/slight surplus. Popcorning hard

As always, impressive work.

It sounds like sub-180 Monte is not something you want to sustain, and that seems like a good plan to me. So where do you want to end up? With your discpline, you could probably pick just about any reasonable wt and body comp and probably hit it. So what does the ideal Monte look like?

Also how far are you willing to take the slow bulk? Is there a weight above which you will not allow yourself to go no matter the strength gainz?

Thanks guys.

The answer is, I don't really know. Could I get to 195 by gaining 7.5 lbs of muscle and 7.5 pounds of fat? Assuming I'm 180/10% right now, that would put me at a relatively true 13% bodyfat, which seems like a pretty good long-ish term goal over 9ish months or so. The reality may turn out to be different than the theory, though, travel and life could get in the way, etc. I'm just going to try to stick around 2500 for a while and see what happens; my protein/fat macros are already pretty solid, and it's easy enough to add in a few hundred calories of carbs as necessary.

It's just nice that I finally have a baseline for what 10% looks for me right now -- if I cut slowly enough, maybe I can kick that up from 178 to 181 over the next year or so? Seems like the best an old guy like me can hope for at this point.

6'4" 180 15% bodyfat


The realities of natty training are sobering

What does your 15% correspond to on a non-******ed scale that doesn't include head fat? 10%? What percentage are you putting stage ready bodybuilders at, just so we have something to compare it to (not that I'm claiming to be anywhere near that).

To get back to some of the hot cooking talk from months past, I poached a bunch of chicken today for the family to have while I was gone. I also grilled some shrimp and made this redeye gravy to top it, which I heartily recommend.

Served it over smashed potatoes, mostly because I don't think the minis would eat grits and I wasn't interested in fighting about it the night before a trip.

Any motivation to spend 50$ and get bodpodded. There might not be one in your 1 block radius, but I doubt it would be very far.

Bodpod fake. Hydro would be better.

Monte is not exactly a poor. He could afford a true DEXA.

Monte, you are in a great spot. Definitely in a much better position than I was in after my cut a bit ago, because you are a lot smarter than I, and due to your long history, you have a damn clue what you are doing.

There is no need for you to nit it up over what is next. Your plan is to train well and eat at maintenance or a slight surplus. This is going to take care of itself. You'll get stronger, your weight won't really fluctuate. It might slowly go up over a long period, but that's fine. Your increasing strength and the mirror will help you keep perspective on whether to maintain or slow down.

Congrats Monte. You have made fantastic progress and looking really good as well.

I agree, but I know for sure Bodpod is available in Indy, not sure about hydrostatic testing.

monte is an animal. I have no suggestions, continue as you will


<3 <3

While I share your admiration of Montebro, you shouldn't sell yourself short. I think the better comparision for your cut (if I'm thinking of the right one) would be to Monte's first cut. And regardless of whether he's ahead or behind of where you were then, getting to current goldenbusto status is a tall order.

But if somehow a 6' 4" bro with a mild case of the olds can achieve your body comp that would be ****ing impressive.