Hyde’s Strength Odyssey

[gphagan1]

Went to bed early and did not train today. Got 10 hours of sleep but I feel more sinus pressure & throat seems off. Definitely going to prompt care later.

Started Trest at 10mg daily on Tuesday. Pulled weekly test down to 300 and shifted mast up to 400 to better accommodate. DHB will stay at 120 til the end.

BP and pulse were very high for me yesterday, 140/82 & 75 pulse (previously 124/72 & 58). Part of this could be sickness, also later morning on coffee, but 19-Nors simply raise my bp, and it’s too high, so I started 80mg Telmisartan yesterday. With the meet 6 weeks from Sunday, it’s crunch time.

Man 6 weeks out, it’s coming up on you fast. That’s probably the main side I have to watch with Trest as well is blood pressure, but it works so well even at low doses, and Telmisartan always seems to do the trick. Cool, that means you’re getting ready to go into Beastmode, and go kill it.

 

[Hyde]

Rapid strep test was negative, but they wrote me a script for a z-pack anyway I can start tomorrow if symptoms do worsen. They sent it off for a culture test but will only call in a couple days if that is positive.

 

[gphagan1]

Rapid strep test was negative, but they wrote me a script for a z-pack anyway I can start tomorrow if symptoms do worsen. They sent it off for a culture test but will only call in a couple days if that is positive.

Good thing with Z-pack it’s a short duration and effective against a lot because it’s broad spectrum.

 

[Hyde]

8/26/23
BW 260.0

Monsterminiband Pullaparts ss w/ Push-ups
2x25 each

Low Incline Bench
+elbow sleeves
45,95,135x10
185x2
+2board
185,215,235x8
255x6
280x5 PR

Monsterminiband Pullaparts
2x25

If you only get to do one thing, do it well.

 

[gphagan1]

Congrats on another PR…. Looks like your weight is dialed in about where you want it 6 weeks out.

 

[BennyMagoo79]

We almost never get to train together now that I have a son unfortunately, and honestly that has caused some distance - simply from how busy we are with our own training, taking care of our son, our jobs. We used to always get to spend training time together, but now that time in the week has doubled since one of us has to be home with my son, yet we get to spend none of it together.

So I don’t want to paint some fake glamorous picture that it’s all roses. But we do greatly value our relationship & family, and we have actually recently been discussing how we can be more proactive to strengthen our marriage. Scheduling date nights & such to make sure we get a little time alone to nurture us. We love our son so much, but that can’t replace the effort necessary to actually grow as a couple.

You already know what it took me 7 years to learn.

 

[Hyde]

Congrats on another PR…. Looks like your weight is dialed in about where you want it 6 weeks out.

Finally, Lord knows I’ve been putting in the time at the table. Took a touch of trestolone to break the barrier but I just needed some more water weight.

You already know what it took me 7 years to learn.

We had plans to go out finally Thursday, but that’s when the school suddenly advised us to test my son for strep & he had it But we will keep working at it!

 

[Hyde]

8/27/23

Reverse Hyper
225 2x20

alt w/ Beltsquat
110 2x20

Squat, buffalo bar
55 3x3
165 2x3
275,319,363x3
+belt
407,429,451,473x3

Deadlift, Tex deadlift bar
155x5
155,265x1
+belt
375 12x1 - 30 sec rests

Great day of practice. I tried something different and put my hands all the way out to the collars since I was walking out of the monolift (that’s what the meet will have). I can’t take the bar quite as low with the wide grip, but it totally eliminated the horrendous elbow pain I was getting trying to fit inside the jcups/mono arms at their widest (which should also help preserve my bench potential at the meet). Kept it light, low 70s % for squats and 60s for deadlift, but this still took plenty of effort & felt extremely worthwhile.

First time on a deadlift bar and it was garbage until it suddenly clicked on rep 7 - every single pull from 7-12 was money.

6 weeks out.

 

[Dustin07]

can’t take the bar quite as low with the wide grip,

would you compete like this, or go lower/narrower for the comp?
that was the biggy for me, I love the super tight thumb wrapped narrow and low bar grip but it F's with the elbows so much worse.

 

[Hyde]

would you compete like this, or go lower/narrower for the comp?
that was the biggy for me, I love the super tight thumb wrapped narrow and low bar grip but it F's with the elbows so much worse.

I will see how it goes on a straight bar - I will take it as low and close as I can do so comfortably while keeping good control/confidence in the bar position. But that was not very low at all here, solidly on the traps.

 

[Hyde]

8/29/23

Circuit:
Band Pullaparts Monstermini 2x25
Cable Pressdown 40 2x25
HS CSR 45/side 2x25
Incline DB Bench 40,45x25

Bench
45 3x5
135x5
225x3
275,315,345,375x1
385x1 - red ss
395x1 - yellow ss
325 5x3

Biggest raw bench I’ve hit since my elbow surgery. Lifetime best is 391, so things are on track. This may not look like a lot on paper, but today was almost 6,700lbs of volume at 315+.

 

[Dustin07]

the 325 5x3 seems like solid work to me

 

[gphagan1]

Nice, good bench workout….like Dustin said finishing with 325 5x3 added to that good weight volume.

 

[Hyde]

the 325 5x3 seems like solid work to me

Nice, good bench workout….like Dustin said finishing with 325 5x3 added to that good weight volume.

Yeah I’ve never done this amount of work with that weight. I also got 10 sets with 315+ to practice with out of it as well.

 

[Dustin07]

I also got 10 sets with 315+ to practice with out of it as well.

What weight do you have to have the bar now before it starts to feel "new" or require that extra level of focus and tightness? Not sure if I'm articulating that right but for example in June anything over 275 felt unstable for me, but now 315 (with slingshot of course) feels comfortable. are you feeling fairly stable at that 385 with the SS on?

 

[Hyde]

What weight do you have to have the bar now before it starts to feel "new" or require that extra level of focus and tightness? Not sure if I'm articulating that right but for example in June anything over 275 felt unstable for me, but now 315 (with slingshot of course) feels comfortable. are you feeling fairly stable at that 385 with the SS on?

Yeah anything in the slanger feels stable. I don’t know if anything feels unstable, but 345 felt easy and 375 was heavy.

Anything 315 and up feels heavy really unless I dial in and get a liftoff.

 

[dapack]

Looks like you are rolling into the final stretch of your prep on some positive notes. PR are always good down the home stretch.

 

[gphagan1]

Yeah I’ve never done this amount of work with that weight. I also got 10 sets with 315+ to practice with out of it as well.

Looks like you could already hit 405 on bench.

 

[Hyde]

Looks like you could already hit 405 on bench.

I definitely could not have today, but I don’t need to yet! I have about 3 weeks before I’ll need to take my biggest bench.

 

[MrKleen73]

Great benching session! Definitely getting excited for you!

 

[Hyde]

Today at lunch I finally got in for a first appointment with a local chiro that specializes in ART. A bodybuilder I’ve known for years at the commercial gym here swears by him, & after a 10 week waiting period for a new client assessment I got to see why.

This guy was gold. Most productive 30 minutes I can remember since my wedding ceremony Gave me some ways to help prevent re-tearing my adductor after an assessment, and then we got onto my arm.

I think he made a very obvious difference in a remarkably fast period using only his hands, no scraping or oil. Outside our sessions, he is changing the way I do pullaparts, gave me a pec stretch he wants me doing after pressing to help keep shoulders looser, and a way to do very light curls to stretch my bicep tendon up by the shoulder by drawing my arm back when at full extension - the bicep being shortened now is causing my tricep to be overactive, which promotes all the tissue adhesions I have.

Going back Thursday so he can keep some momentum on my arm!

 

[SkRaw85]

Looking stronk! What are you planning for openers this coming meet? I see a 405 bench as a possible attempt yes?????

Totally get the degrees of separation that can come betwixt a couple when family, life, work, and all the peripheral BS that can get in a guy’s way. That hit me hard these past few months, but confronting it is the only way to best it and revise.

 

[Hyde]

Looking stronk! What are you planning for openers this coming meet? I see a 405 bench as a possible attempt yes?????

If I want to do at least 405 in comp, I have to take 185kg - 407.9lbs. That is definitely on the radar for this one.

Honestly, it’s all based off whatever I can lay down in the next 3 weeks during some testing.

 

[MrKleen73]

Yeah man ART has been the most productive soft tissue therapy for me by far. Good to hear your guy is good too!

 

[Hyde]

Yeah man ART has been the most productive soft tissue therapy for me by far. Good to hear your guy is good too!

Can’t wait for my 2nd session tomorrow morning!

 

[Hyde]

8/30/23
BW 261.0

Split Squats
2x10

KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Squat, buffalo bar
55x5
165,275x3
385x1
+belt
451,501,540,575x1 PR

Pause Squat
407,429,440x5 PR

Reverse Hyper
360x15
450 2x12
500x12 PR

I’m not saying I’m stronger than ever just yet; I’m just saying I’m doing a lot of things in training I’ve never managed before

^ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Bull Hippo Status

 

[gphagan1]

8/30/23
BW 261.0

Split Squats
2x10

KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Squat, buffalo bar
55x5
165,275x3
385x1
+belt
451,501,540,575x1 PR

Pause Squat
407,429,440x5 PR

Reverse Hyper
360x15
450 2x12
500x12 PR

I’m not saying I’m stronger than ever just yet; I’m just saying I’m doing a lot of things in training I’ve never managed before

View attachment 235638

^ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Bull Hippo Status

That extra booty helped push that PR…..serious though, 451, 501, 540, 575x1, then followed by a 440x5 PR on Pause Squats, now that’s truly “Beastmode”. Looks like you’re going to be breaking lifetime best all the way around at this meet.

 

[MrKleen73]

BRO!!! Yeah that was bro worthy! Congrats on the PR's!!!

Awesome session, and looking like a tank! Just Back Meat Everywhere!!! Then those ridiculous delts. Just a beast!

 

[MrKleen73]

So I have to ask just to give everyone an idea. How big are your thighs right now? Probably 32-33 inches at least eh?

 

[Hyde]

So I have to ask just to give everyone an idea. How big are your thighs right now? Probably 32-33 inches at least eh?

29 inches at the quad & 31” at top of hamstring right now.

Here’s the bottom of that 575 last night:

 

[gphagan1]

29 inches at the quad & 31” at top of hamstring right now.

Here’s the bottom of that 575 last night:

View attachment 235643

 

[SkRaw85]

PR city buddy! Looking tresty and savage

 

[MrKleen73]

Damn 29 at the quads... just tree trunks! Bigger than the top of my hamstrings... Just unreal. Only a 2 inch difference from top of thighs to bottom means your quads / teardrops are officially insane. I can't imagine what those beasts will look like lean. However you are damn sure going to find out what they are capable of moving!!!

 

[Uncle_E]

29 inches at the quad & 31” at top of hamstring right now.

Here’s the bottom of that 575 last night:

View attachment 235643

29-31 is more like the size of the waist on my jeans from high school to age 40. That’s legit mass dude!

 

[Hyde]

9/1/23

Miniband Pullaparts 3x33
Rolling DB Tri Ext 15,20x25

Floorpress
45,135x10
185,215,235x8
260,265x6
275x8
285x6

Low Incline 2-Boardpress
45,135x10
185,215,235,260x8

Miniband Tri Ext tendon work

Idk that Floorpress was a PR, but strength is definitely jumping up there. I also can tell a very good bit of mobility/ROM difference in my elbow after my second ART session yesterday. He undid so much garbage where my tricep ties into my lat, and my left rhomboid, now I can get things off of a shelf overhead just like my right hand. You don’t realize how awful things get when they creep up so slowly on you, until they’re fixed.

 

[MrKleen73]

So happy for your ART experience. It is a game changer. When i try to put people on to it, they always think I am exaggerating how much improvement 1-2 sessions can make on something.

 

[Hyde]

Heads up - SNS Labor Day sale is live; I’m stocking up on Creatine HCL capsules!

 

[SkRaw85]

Heads up - SNS Labor Day sale is live; I’m stocking up on Creatine HCL capsules!

I happen to be in need of school supplies. Thanks for the heads up homie!

 

[Hyde]

I happen to be in need of school supplies. Thanks for the heads up homie!

I’m gonna get some of that Curcuprime from XPG for my freebie to see how it compares to Helios.

 

[Hyde]

Idk if I mentioned it here but I signed up for the meet on October 8th - 5 weeks out tomorrow.

Tried 20mg of Trest Ace today. Thought it was going okay because I did it subq, but it’s finally hitting and my blood pressure this afternoon is 140/80 with pulse of 68 (using 80mg Telmisartan in the morning) & I feel like crap. I’m not going to be able to push Trest and may abandon it entirely. I am going to drive bigger mg on test & mast to try to push my benchpress over the line.

Week 17 of this blast will be:

600 test e, 500 mast e, 120 dhb

I also added Ralox at 50mg daily a few days ago. Will switch to Nolva when this old bottle runs out.

***EDITED***

 

[SkRaw85]

I’m gonna get some of that Curcuprime from XPG for my freebie to see how it compares to Helios.

Lemme know for sure! I’m snagging some kanna-ease to experiment with for my random nightly relaxation sessions lol. And plenty of Creatine as well. I wanna be a strong boy again one day

 

[SkRaw85]

Idk if I mentioned it here but I signed up for the meet on October 8th - 5 weeks out tomorrow.

Plan this week is to double the Trest Ace to 20mg daily & add 100mg Masteron. Pleased I was able to get 4 productive months under a gram in.

Week 17 of this blast will be:

300 test e, 500 mast e, 120 dhb, 140 trest a

I also added Ralox at 50mg daily a few days ago. Will switch to Nolva when this old bottle runs out.

LFG!!!!! Full power ya?

 

[Hyde]

LFG!!!!! Full power ya?

Yep, full power!

Edited my post - I am not going to be able to push Trest up to 20mg, and may ditch it entirely. Seems like it hits my bp hard just like nandrolone. So I’m going to jack up test & mast.

 

[Hyde]

9/3/23
BW 262.0

Foam Roll Quads & ITB
RFE Split Squats
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Deadlift, Kabuki bar
154x3
264x2
374x1
+belt
440,485,518x1
407 5x1 short rests

HS CSR
90 4x15 tempo

Widegrip Lat Pulldown, slowwww tempo
100x8
90 2x12
50x20

Eccentric Bicep Curl rehab

Planned to do ~520 for a couple doubles today, but deadlift felt radically harder than it should have. Realized that benching 375 Tuesday and especially squatting 575 Wednesday took the wind out of the sails, so I dropped down to a little speed work & cut it. Trying to do my lat work in a deeper ROM on my left side than I’ve been able to in years, so really focused on extreme intent.

 

[SkRaw85]

How that kabuki bar feel?

 

[Hyde]

How that kabuki bar feel?

Meh, it’s okay. I don’t like that Kabuki intentionally made a bar to change the physics of the deadlift bar parameters that have basically been agreed upon for years. I realize it’s still within maximum spec, but it just muddies the waters & everyone was happy enough with the stiffbar in the IPF & deadlift bar size we had everywhere else. It’s substantially longer, and that advantage tends to favor the sumo puller. The knurling is pretty sharp.

 

[Hyde]

Right pinkie grip felt a bit weak on 518 yesterday, so I broke out the grippers.

Warmed up & hit a couple good progressive sets on the GG2, then closed the GG3 for a max single hold each hand.

Crazy how much difference a touch of practice makes so fast!

 

[spiderduncan]

Hyde, I have been silently following along for some time...just wanted you to know I appreciate the detail of your log. I'll echo what others always say, that you have a lot knowledge and wisdom. Keep pushing my friend!!

 

[SkRaw85]

Haha I busted out the Grip Genie this morn too. Guess it was a good day for em

 

[Hyde]

9/5/23

Miniband Pullaparts 4x25
Cable Tri Pressdown 4x25
HS CSRx20,12
Band Rotators & Dislocations

Bench, Ohio powerbar & calibrated plates
44 2x5
134x5
220x3
264,296,319,347x1
374,401x1 yellow ss PR
330 4x3 volume pr

Pec minor stretch
Eccentric curls

Pretty happy with how fast 347 moved, & the 401. This was the session I needed to have so I can go after 400 raw in a couple weeks.

Looking forward to my next ART session later today.