Hikeon3 Runs 30 Days of PP Phyto-Testosterone (sponsored)

[Hikeon3]

Since I won the Halloween pic contest back in October, I got a free bottle of Phyo-Testosterone from the good people at Primordial Performance.

So here goes. 30 days to see what adding Phyto-Test into my life does for me.

Starting Stats:
Age: 26
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 175.4lbs (taken 1/31 after my leg workout. I weigh in every other leg session on my way out of the gym before chugging my shake)
BF%: I don't have calipers. If I had to guess, I'd say 15 or 16%. Abs are gone after I gained about 15lbs (intentional) dirty bulking just to add some weight to my frame. Was up to 185 but have been recomping for about a month. Stronger now than I was at 185, but looking better and jeans are fitting better.
Goals: Put on a solid 5lbs

Diet: I eat on a pretty consistent schedule and mostly the same things/kind of things macro-wise. I'm not terribly strict when I don't need to be. But with a routine work schedule and shopping list, I end up eating the same thing most days.
6:15am - 5 whole eggs, 2tbsp peanut butter, 2 fish oils
10:15am - 40-60g of animal protein (usually 6-8oz beef/pork/chicken, 2 cans of tuna, or a can of mackerel), 1.5tbsp coconut oil, 2 fish oil pills
3:15pm - 40-60g animal protein, carbs+fat (oats with ground flax, a PBJ, 2 PBJs on leg day, wheat pasta, whatever), 2 fish oil pills
4:30pm - slam Pre-workout and drive from work to the gym
6:15pm - slam Post-workout 1.5-2 scoops of Twinlab Whey Protein Fuel (37.5g-50g protein) mixed with 5g of creapure.
7:15pm - 30-50g animal protein, multivitamin
8:15pm - 1 scoop Twinlab Whey Protein Fuel (25g), 2 raw eggs, 1 tbsp coconut oil or PB
9:30pm - 50g Zinc, 500mg-1000mg Magnesium

Training: I do a MTWFS training schedule with rest days on Th/Sun. I perform 3 different training days. I'm in the gym for about 45 minutes at a time, give or take. Days go as follows:
Push (Chest, Shoulders, Tris)
Pull (Back, Traps, Bis)
Legs (Quads, Hams, Calves)
Each workout day consists of 2-3 compound lifts, 1-2 assistance lifts, and 1-2 isolation lifts. Work sets are in the 4-8 rep range typically.

Supplements:
For the run of this log I want to keep supplements the same as they have been for the last 6 months or so.
Sam's Club Multivitamin
TrueNutrition Fish Oil 1000mg caps
Twinlab Whey Protein Fuel
LG Sciences Anadraulic State GT
Vitacost Magnesium 500mg
Vitacost OptiZinc 25mg

About Me:
This will be my first log on this forum and my first time taking any sort of natural testosterone enhancement supplement. I've been training on and off for 7 years. In college I trained primarily heavy powerlifting for doubles and singles. After herniating my L3 disc to the right side and almost 2 years of physical therapy back in 2009, I started lifting again and slowly but surely have begun to get stronger. Within the last 9 months I feel like I've begun to hit my stride and don't have to worry so much about my nagging injury. It DOES prevent me from back squatting, though and my deadlifts are used exclusively as a hamstring exercise on leg day.

I eat mostly protein and fat with carbs ONLY pre and post workout and some days with breakfast. I'm pretty insulin-resistant and unless I plan my carb intake well I wear them on my lower back area.

I'll post my last two days of workouts as a zero-point and we will move forward from there. Welcome to my little experiment and a BIG thanks to Primordial Performance for giving me the opportunity to try some of their cutting edge products and sharing my progress with the community at large.

 

[Hikeon3]

Minus 1

Day -1: Legs
Yesterdays workout stunk because I went into it on zero carbs. Today I loaded up with 2 PBJs about 1.5 hours beforehand. Time to earn it.

Note: Every workout I warm up on my primary exercise starting with just the bar/sled/reasonable low weight and rep out about 15. Then I slowly pyramid up to work-set weights.

Hack Squats (plate weight only): Medium Stance 270x8, 270x8, 270x6, 270x6, Wide Stance 280x5 *fail*
Romanian Deadlift: 135x10, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5 slow controlled stretch reps
Narrow Leg Extensions Toes Up: 150x12, 150x10, 165x8, 165x7 *fail, held last rep for as long as possible*
Standing Calf Raises: 150x10, 150x8 *slow negatives*, 150x5 *slow negatives, long holds in top position*

Stick a fork in me.

The Hack Squats REALLY wear me out. The sets of 6 were VERY slow breathing reps and VERY intense. Was glad I ate the pre-workout meal I did. The wife surprised me with a huge steak burrito afterward as well. Took care of the rest of my calories for the day.

 

[Hikeon3]

Zero

Day 0: Push

In keeping with the theme of carbs causing good workouts, I ate a PBJ and a packet of oatmeal about 2 hours pre-workout.

Note: Push day warmups include lots of arm circles and me doing a number of shoulder movements with a 5lb plate, then a few high-rep tricep sets with 10-25lb plates. Then I pyramid up from bar to work-set weights.

Flat Bench Press: 215x8, 220x5, 220x5 *failed on reps 4-5, had a spot give minimal assistance*
Dips: BWx10, +25x6, +25x6, +25x5
Hammer Strength High Incline (plate weight only): 160x6, 160x5 *fail*, 160x4
Standing DB Side Laterals: 20x10, 25x10, 27.5x10
Seated DB Side Laterals: 15x8 *holds at top of tep*
DB Pullovers: 80x8, 80x8, 80x6
Static Weighted Flye Stretch Hold: 25# per hand for 45 seconds

Done.

Set Bench PR's since my injury. Felt great but was decimated after the workout. Tomorrow is a rest day. Body needs it. Wednesdays are always rough.

Starting my phyto-test run tonight when I take my Zinc/Magnesium around 9:30pm. Will report tomorrow for rest day.

 

[Hikeon3]

Day one 2/2/12:

Felt awful today. Not physically just mentally. It could be entirely work/stress related, though. "Rest" days are difficult because I don't get that stress release on my way home from work. But I guess you have to do it.

Diet was pretty on-point.

Slept like a baby.

Tomorrow on schedule for a very cathartic back workout. Going to attack that sh##.

 

[Hikeon3]

Day Two: Back

Today I felt like a CHAMP. Work was awful and stressful but I managed to keep my head up throughout the day. Once I hit the gym it was time for destruction.


Weighted NG Pull-Ups (20# in backpack): 5, 5, 5, 4
BB Pendlay Rows: 135x6, 155x5, 175x5, 175x5, 185x3
Reverse-Narrow Grip Pulldowns: 170x8, 170x8, 185x8, 185x6 (slow painful negatives on last 3)
Dumbell Shrugs: 75x10, 85x8, 95x8, 95x5
Cambered Bar Reverse Curls: 60x10, 65x10

I like finishing back day with a couple of quick forearm sets just to set them on fire before taking off.

Fantastic workout and I got a ridiculous back pump out of it.

Diet was on-point. Went to a party and didn't drink or eat any of the snacks on hand. But even without any drinks I was staying social and keeping that "life of the party" persona up. Normally I can't do that without at least 3-4 beers in me.

Libido is great. Maybe even better than usual.

Things seems to be going well. At this point I'm chalking it up to placebo. It is early in the run yet.

 

[Hikeon3]

Day three 2/4: Legs


Feel like a monster today. Ready to KILL.

Hack Squats: 270x8, 280x6, 280x6, 280x6, 280x5 wide stance, 280x4 narrow stance
Hip Sled: 10platesx10, 10, 10
Toes-Up-Leg-Extension (TULE): 165x10, 180x8 failed on 8 slow painful negative, 180x7 failed on 7 slower even more painful negative
Standing Calf Raise: 150x10, 165x7, 165x5 all reps super slow and painful

Cooked. Focused on the quads today but the hacks/hipsled didn't leave my hammies wanting for anything.

Overfed today. Felt like a good day to do so. Mexican food with my wife put in a good carb load then we went walking around the mall for a few hours. Well, I kind of waddled with my knees occasionally buckling. She walked.

Slept like a baby. Over 8 hours.

 

[Hikeon3]

Day 4: Sunday offday

Sundays are actually a good off-day. I don't work Sundays so I am not stressed out and ready to blow unless I hit the gym. I just relax and enjoy my time. Church, some video games, cooking, a movie maybe, I am big fan of Sundays.

It was Super Bowl this week and I didn't watch a single second of it. That's right. Not a moment. I have an unhealthy hatred for the New England Patriots and I couldn't bear to watch them win another Super Bowl. Even though they didn't and I had picked the Giants by 3, I was glad I didn't watch. I would've been freaking out in the fourth quarter and cursing Tom Brady in ways unfitting a Christian adult man.

So after watching a movie with the wife and checking ScoreCenter to see what had happened, I gave a short fist pump in honor of Ahmad Bradshaw and Eli Manning.

Felt great today, just sore as hell and ready to get back into the gym.

 

[Hikeon3]

5

Day Five: Push


This morning I forgot to take my first dose of PhytoTest in the madness of my morning rush. Got my second dose in immediately PWO.
Had a decent day at work so didn't walk into the gym frustrated. But I was ready to move some weight. I'm now closing back in on the 225 flat BB bench mark and if all goes well I will be tackling that weight for reps once again next week.

Flat BB Bench: 220x6, 220x6, 220x4 *fail* spotter helped with about 10lbs upward force to finish.
HammerStrength Incline: 180x8, 180x6, 180x5 *fail* I go really close grip on these and squeeze my upper tit area as hard as I can.
Weighted Dips (25# in backpack): BWx8, 25x6, 6, 5
Seated Lateral Raises -> Rear raises supersetted: 15x10 -> 15x10, 20x10 -> 20x8, 20x10 -> 20x5, 20x10 *done*
Dumbell Pullovers: 55x8, 70x4, 85x6, 85x6, 85x5, 85x4 *near fail* last rep was very slow and labored

Felt good but wish I'd gotten more volume in on flat bench. Been focusing hard on those pullovers. I like how they've been reshaping and filling out my torso. It's definitely been a noticeable change since I started going heavy on them.

Diet has been on point. Will weigh in on Wednesday and make adjustments from there in the form of more/less fats. PB, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts, etc.

 

[Hikeon3]

6

Day Six: Pull

Felt awesome today. Work isn't getting me down as much lately so less anger is being put into my workouts but still keeping intensity high.

Back started to feel a little creaky as I bumped my weight up on Pendlay rows. Will keep an eye on that.

Pendlay Rows: 135x8, 185x5, 185x5, 185x6, 195x5 - Reps were full deload with a short pause to eliminate all kinetic energy.
NG Chinups 20# in backpack: 5, 5, 5, 4
Reverse Grip Pulldowns: 165x8, 180x8, 180x8, 180x6 *slow holds fighting weight for last two reps*
Dumbell Shrugs: 75x8, 85x8, 95x5, 95x4 *all four reps holding at top until the pain is unbearable*
Kayak Cable Rows: 70x5, 90x5, 110x5 *These absolutely kill*
Static lat stretches both hanging and on bolted-down equipment.

I always leave the gym feeling kind of like I slacked off. I want to do more volume but A) I know I'm just going to be doing it again in 4 days, and B) My energy levels are shot after each workout.

Diet was really good today. Lots of good protein and fat. Weighing in will be really telling as to how I'm gaining/losing. Abs are coming back so I might be losing. But I tell you what, a good back pump is VERY satisfying especially in the mirror.

 

[Hikeon3]

Seven

Day 7: Legs

With the back issue yesterday I was a little bit nervous about going heavy on the hacks/hip sled. Turned out just fine though. Deep breaths into the gut, shoulder blades together, chest out, and lats tight.

Hack Squats: 290x8, 290x8, 290x8, 290x6 *These FRIED me*
Hip Sled: 10 platesx10, 8, 8, 10
Leg Extensions: 155x10, 185x10, 185x8 *Nice hold and squeeze at top of last few reps*
Standing Calf Raise: 165x10, 165x6, 165x5 *slow, painful, awful reps with stretch at bottom*

Not the highest volume game around, but I'm adding weight to pretty much everything. Oh and I forgot to weigh in. Oops. I guess I will Friday.

Hunger killing me today. Went home and ate all the rest of the chicken I had and downed a quart of kefir. Tomorrow will be a rest day. Hope my little back tweak sorts itself out and I stop being so hungry all the time.

 

[ryansm]

Just noticed this, I was going to mention Phyto will make you ABSURDLY hungry so make sure you have your diet planned out and also add in protein and lots of it. I love this stuff, but if you can I would jump on another bottle for 8 weeks total, it really starts to shine starting the 3rd week.

 

[Hikeon3]

Just noticed this, I was going to mention Phyto will make you ABSURDLY hungry so make sure you have your diet planned out and also add in protein and lots of it. I love this stuff, but if you can I would jump on another bottle for 8 weeks total, it really starts to shine starting the 3rd week.

I may have to start eating more in the way of complex carbs. We'll see what I weigh in at later today. I've been eating a solid 200-250g of protein each day and filling the rest of my cals with mostly fats.

 

[Hikeon3]

8

Day 8: Rest

Today was actually a good day. Work didn't stress me out like crazy and I left a little early to get a few things done that I've been needing to do.

Two things I'm noticing.

First, I seem to be getting VERY tired. I chalked it up to not taking a PRE at 4:30pm like usual, but I was ready for bed at about 7. Then waking up today was really really hard to do.

Second, hunger is out of control. I am very disciplined but hunger is challenging me right now to not just dig into anything and everything around me.

Tomorrow back to action. Excited to move some weight.

 

[Hikeon3]

9

Day 9: 2/10 Push

Today I was stressed out as hell. Work went nutso and half of my department went out sick so I was left with about fifty fires to put out on my own. I usually work Saturday but this week I'm not, so I just burned through my stuff and jammed for the gym to blow off some steam.

Flat BB Bench Press: 220x6, 220x5, 225x5, 225x2 *fail*
HS Incline Press: 160x8, 180x7, 180x5, 180x4
Nautilus Dip Machine: 215x10, 305x8, 305x8, 305x7 *fail*
DB Lateral -ss-> DB Rear Lateral -s-> Seated DB OHPress: 20x10 -ss-> 15x10 -ss-> 40x8, 25x10 -ss-> 15x10 -ss-> 45x8, 25x10 -ss-> 15x8 -ss-> 50x5
DB Pullover: 75x4, 85x6, 85x4

Done. Weighed in after workout and this is what surprised me. 179.4#. So I've gained 4 pounds but I definitely look leaner in the mirror. We'll see what the next 10 days brings.

Diet was on point.

Libido is good. Very good.

 

[Hikeon3]

10

Day 10: 2/11 Pull

First Saturday off in a good long while. Why not get up, carb up, and hit the gym hard?

BB Pendlay Rows: 135x8, 185x6, 185x5, 195x5, 195x4
Medium-Grip Pullups: BWx5, BWx5, BWx5, BWx5
Neutral-Grip Chins: BWx5, BWx4, BWx3
Neutral-Grip Pulldowns: 165x8, 180x8, 180x6, 180x4 long slow hold contractions
High Cable Kayak Rows: 80x9, 100x9, 100x9

Skipped traps today. CNS is fried or perhaps I just don't get as good a workout in morning hours. Lats burned all day.

Diet today went out the window. After working out and having my shake/post-workout meal, my wife and I went to a birthday party for a friend where we ate some tacos and that night we went to olive garden where I polished off a few breadsticks, a salad, a plate of braised short ribs and most of the risotto, and about 3/4 of a bottle of wine. Not to mention half of that apple crostata dessert. Carbed up? You bet.

 

[Hikeon3]

11

Day 11: Rest

Didn't do much today. Bottled beer, relaxed, played a few video games. Very nice rest day.

Diet was pretty good except for two slices of pizza after church. No big deal.

Tomorrow back to the craziness that is work.

 

[Hikeon3]

12

Day 12: 2/13 Legs

Mondays are always pretty stressful. I channel that into my workouts along with the hunger that comes from being 1-day rested. Needless to say I destroyed my legs today.

Hack Squats: 290x8, 300x7, 300x6, Narrow 300x4, Wide 300x4
Leg Press: 5ppsx8, 5ppsx8, 5ppsx8, 6ppsx4
RDL: 135x5, 135x5, 135x5
Lying Leg Curls: 125x8, 125x8, 125x8
Standing Calf Raise: 165x10, 165x6, 165x5

Waddled home and ate. Crazy workout. Legs are starting to look good. Wife commented on how they're starting to look really big. Good to hear.

Slept like a baby.

Diet was pretty much on point.

 

[Hikeon3]

13

Day 13: 2/14 Push

Stressful day. Normally Tuesdays are easy but everyone at work is sick leaving me with twice the workload and not enough time in the day to complete everything. Perfect for getting in a good workout.

Flat BB Bench: 215x8, 225x5, 225x5, 225x4
HS Incline Press: 160x8, 180x6, 190x5
HS Decline Press: 200x8, 220x6, 220x4
DB Pullovers: 55x6, 70x4, 85x6, 85x6, 85x3

Felt good and strong. 225 on bench was feeling really good. Slow reps (not entirely by choice) increasing time under tension and really focusing on packing the shoulders has turned one of my most embarassing lifts into one of my stronger lifts.

Didn't do much for my shoulders today. Maybe I'll tack a few movements onto my back/traps workout tomorrow.

Diet was good. Wife had pasta for me when I got home so I did have carbs both pre and post workout today. We'll see how I do with that.

Libido might be a little low. No interest today.

 

[ryansm]

Looking good so far, should start to see some decent strength gains

 

[R1balla]

just saw this. im in

 

[Hikeon3]

14

Day 14: 2/15 Pull

Boned today on a couple of things. I forgot both my pre-workout dose AND my post-workout shake at home. So black coffee and stress will need to fuel today's session. I know that my PRE helps me push through the second half of my workouts since a) I start with my heaviest max effort movements and b) I train the same bodyparts once every 4-5 days. So I decide to superset several things.

Down to the nitty gritty.

NG Chins -ss-> Med-Grip Pulldowns: 5 -ss-> 165x5, 5 -ss-> 165x5, 5 -ss-> 180x5, 5 -ss-> 180x4 This pretty much fried me.
HS Seated Row: 230x8, 250x8, 250x8 Nice hold and squeeze at the end
Standing DB Row -ss-> DB Shrug: 65x8 -ss-> 65x8, 75x8 -ss-> 75x8, 80x6 -ss-> 85x6 Nice squeezes on these
DB Shrug: 95x5 *squeeze*
Reverse Curls: 60x15, 60x10, 60x4 Cheated these up. Forearms were fried.

I also do some DC-style static lat stretches from both a hanging and bent position at the end of my workout. When I remember my straps I strap up to the pulldown bar and set the weight for 240 then jimmy the weight down and cram my thighs under the pads. Hold for about 30-45 second breathing like I'm in labor. I also find a pinned down machine or bench and grab hold with both hands, then round my back and stretch the hell out of my lats. Definitely seeing a HUGE improvement on my V-taper and roundness/fullness in my lats.

35 minute lifting session all told. Knew I had to make it shorter than usual. Good thing too. I really fizzled out toward the end.

Diet was ok. Wife made some chocolate covered strawberries and I ate like 5. No big deal.

 

[Hikeon3]

Day 15: 2/16 Rest

Ah Thursday. Love it and hate it. No matter what you think though, it has to happen.

Work was busy as Hell. The one reliable employee I have had to be at the hospital all day while my other two managed to do about 50% of what I needed them to do. Left in a good mood though, which made for a pretty decent evening.

Diet stayed on point until the evening when my wife and I went out for Vietnamese food. Didn't go crazy, but pot stickers and egg meatloaf with white rice isn't exactly conducive to low insulin levels.

Tomorrow the beatdown begins again.

 

[Hikeon3]

16

Day 16: 2/17 Legs

Work today was an absolute blitz. My workers are dropping left and right to illness and my customer seem to need more from us today than any other day of the week. Not typical for a Friday. Worked late but still made it to the gym and had an enormous workout.

One thing changed today: I got in my can of Jack3d from nutra's recent sale. Took my first dose today. Wow.

Hack Squats: 280x8, 300x8, 305x8, 310x6 WOW. Definitely PRs.
Hip Sled: 450x8, 540x8, 540x8
Leg Extension: 155x8, 170x8, 185x8, 185x6 Long hold at end of last rep
Calf Raise: 165x10, 180x8, 180x5 Long painful holds

I pushed myself really well today. The weights are going up very quickly. Seeing a lot of progress in the legs.

Diet was perfect today. Lots of protein, lots of good fats, and my pre-workout carb was a microwaved potato. I've decided I will start adding a beer each night. I was once an avid homebrewer and recently began picking up the hobby on a small scale, since the wife and I are in a tiny one-bed apartment. But there are health benefits to having one beer a day and I don't tend to brew or prefer anything too extraordinary.

 

[ryansm]

Homebrew! Love me some microbrew bud

 

[Hikeon3]

17

Day 17: 2/18/12 Push

Saturdays are bittersweet when I have to work. I'm up at 5:00 like a normal day but work is usually a joke. I spend most of my time at work on Saturday watching videos on my phone. But the overtime is nice and the wife and I definitely need it. Either way I try to keep the diet tight and my Saturday afternoon workout is usually one of my best of the week.

No different today.

Flat BB Bench: 225x6, 225x6, 225x6, 225x5 --- No spotter, no failure. Tough last set. Had nothing in the tank. Rep 6 would've been forced.
HS Incline Press: 180x8, 200x8, 210x6
Nautilus Machine Dips: 330x10, 330x8
Seated Smith Military Press -ss-> Plate Side Lateral: 50x8 -ss-> 25x10, 70x8 -ss-> 25x10, 90x8 -ss-> 25x10
DB Pullover: 85x6, 85x6, 85x3 FAIL

Good workout. Hell bent on mastering 225 for flat bench. I hear the journey from 225 to 315 is where the magic happens for chest growth. Should be a heck of a ride.

One thing I've noticed from doing heavy DB pullovers is that my obliques hurt like hell for a few days afterward. Not just sore, like hurting. Lats fry out too. I may start doing them on back day instead of chest day.

Had a nice cheat meal at a burrito joint here in Austin. Cabo Bob's. Chopped brisket on a cheddar tortilla with rice/beans/all the rest. Felt like a brick in my gut for about 2 hours.

 

[Hikeon3]

18

Day 18: 2/19 Rest

Ah Sundays. The rest day I really enjoy.

Today I did the following:
Skyrim
Church
Austin Homebrew
Friends' place for lunch
Long walk through woods
Got spit up on by friends' baby
Brewed beer
Skyrim
Intercourse
Three-pass wet shave


Now that was a great day.

 

[Hikeon3]

One thing I'm noticing big time that has never happened to me before: back pumps. I think that's what it is. It's just a nagging soreness/tenseness all the way up my erector spinae. It doesn't really go away either. I've never had back pumps and I'm assuming this is what that is. Otherwise I'm just fatigued.

 

[ryansm]

Day 18: 2/19 Rest

Ah Sundays. The rest day I really enjoy.

Today I did the following:
Skyrim
Church
Austin Homebrew
Friends' place for lunch
Long walk through woods
Got spit up on by friends' baby
Brewed beer
Skyrim
Intercourse
Three-pass wet shave


Now that was a great day.

Great day indeed :cheers:

 

[Hikeon3]

19

Day 19: 2/20 PULL

Back pumps today were nuts. Settled down a bit later after drinking a lot of water and actively trying to relax my stance.

Third workout with Jack3d. Been crazy so far.

Pull Ups (backpack w/ 25#): 5, 5, 5, 4
Straight Bar Cable Rows: 180x10, 200x10, 200x10 Maybe this exercise is too easy.
HS Seated Rows: 250x8, 270x8, 270x6
Seated Reverse Grip Pulldowns: 185x8, 185x6, 185x8, 195x6, OH Grip 195x4 long holds
Static Lat Stretches
DB Shrugs: 65x8, 75x8, 85x8, 90x6, 90x5

Those pulldowns KILLED me. MY energy runs out really quickly during back workouts so I have to use tricks to get my lats firing. Those pulldowns are really nice with the slow negatives. I mean I hate them at the time, but nothing gets the blood going like those.

Diet was spot on today. I'm weighing in tomorrow to guage how the calories are. Once again I'm expecting little or no change. Maybe even weight loss. But with the lifts like they have been, who knows? I might be up a few.

 

[Hikeon3]

20

Day 20: 2/21 Legs

Crazy workdays mean crazy lifts.

Hack Squat: 290x8, 310x8, 320x7, 325x6, 325x6
Hip Sled: 450x8, 540x8, 590x8, 590x8
Leg Extension: 180x8, 200x8, 205x8 nice long hold/negative on end
Leg Press Calves: 180x15, 180xfailure -- got about 20 solid reps on last one.

Always good to see the weight increasing. Weighed in after workout. 179.4 yet again.

That's a little frustrating. I guess more calories are in order. More cheat meals maybe. I always love an excuse to eat more.

Day 30 I'm shooting for 183. Better start making friends with the fork.

 

[ryansm]

How is your strength, up? down?

 

[Hikeon3]

How is your strength, up? down?

Strength is DEFINITELY up. I'm literally impressing myself with each new session. I'll post up the chest workout from yesterday in a little while.

 

[Hikeon3]

21

Day 21: 2/22 Push

Feeling better and better every day. Positive mood and outlook. Not even work can get me down.

Flat BB Bench: 225x8, 225x6, 225x6 (6th rep assisted)
HS Incline Press: 180x6, 200x7, 210x6
Weighted Dips: 25# in backpack - 8, 8, 6, 6
Seated DB Shoulder Press -ss-> Seated Lateral Raise: 45x8 -ss-> 25x8, 50x8 -ss-> 20x8, 55x6 -ss-> 20x8
DB Pullover: 85x8, 85x6, 85x4 *fail*

I was quite impressed with my bench improvement. Time to start moving beyond the 4-plate milestone though. Next session I will finish on 230.

Diet today was good, except given my lack of weight gain I've been relaxing my intake a bit. I had some breakfast tacos around midday at work and chalked it up to just needing the extra calories (plus they were really good). I'll continue eating more each day.

Things going well and really enjoying the strength gains I'm seeing so far.

 

[Hikeon3]

22

Day 22: 2/23 Rest

Had a great day today. Went to work, came home, cooked and just relaxed. Ate a lot too. Been stepping up my gastric game.

 

[Hikeon3]

23

Day 23: 2/24 Pull

Feeling good today. Went to the dentist and those people gouged me for all I was worth, but that doesn't mean that I can't go fry my lats after a short workday.

Pendlay Rows: 135x8, 185x6, 185x6, 185x6
HS Seated Rows: 250x8, 270x8, 270x7
Reverse-Grip Lat Pulldowns: 180x8, 185x8, 205x8 slow holds, 205x6 slow holds
Medium-Pronated Grip Pulldown: 205x6 long slow holds, strapped up and pulled hard with elbows
DB Shrugs: 75x8, 85x8, 90x8, 95x6, 95x5
Long, hard breathing static lat stretches.

I've seen a lot of improvement in my pulldowns. Seeing great results in width and pure mass in my upper back since switching to mainly using the pulldowns as my overhead movement. Really concentrating on pulling the elbows down and squeezing/holding on my last few reps have been brutal but worth it.

Diet today was all over the place. Been eating a lot more lately and not always 100% clean. More like 70%. But we'll see what happens with the weight and mirror.

 

[Hikeon3]

24

Day 24: 2/25 Legs

Wife making me skip work today to help clean and organize. But she did want to go to the gym early so that's what we did. Normally my morning workouts suck terribly. I took 1 scoop of Jack3d and 1 scoop of ASGT and it had to be one of the best workouts of my life.

Hack Squats: 290x8, 320x8, 330x8, 340x8, 340x6
Hip Sled: 450x8, 540x8, 590x8, 590x8
Leg Extension: 185x8, 205x8, 205x7

After all of that, I didn't have the energy for calves. I was done for.

I have seen HUGE improvements in my hack squats. I can't even believe the amount of weight I'm putting on there. One downside to this, though, is that I can definitely feel the difference in my lower back. The increased spinal load does cause some soreness and pain following leg day. I'm hoping this goes away after awhile but I also am planning a rest week coming up. Taking that time to fully recuperate will hopefully recharge my joints and overall well-being.

Hunger is ridiculous. It's the end of the month so our budget is thin and I'm needing to make up calories in any way I can. Not always clean.

 

[Hikeon3]

25

Day 25: 2/26 Rest

What a great day. Sundays are awesome. Went to church, went fishing, drank some beers, and got vomited on by a baby. Finished it off with a couple of movies.

Haven't been sleeping as well. Something I've noticed lately. Especially on days off when I should be sleeping in.

Looking forward to the final weigh-in. Feeling like I'm getting stronger and clothes are fitting tighter in the right spots.

 

[Hikeon3]

26

Day 26: 2/27 Push

Mondays in my business are terrible. I want to forget today. Off to the gym.

Flat BB Bench: 225x7, 230x6, 230x3 -- no spotter today, had to leave one in the tank
Incline DB Press: 55x8, 65x8, 75x8, 75x8 -- going to start doing these more
HS Decline Press: 230x8, 230x6, 230x5
Seated DB Shoulder Press -ss-> Seated Lateral Raises: 45x8 -ss-> 20x8, 45x8 -ss-> 20x8, 45x7 -ss-> 20x8
Static DB Chest Stretch over bench w/ 30# each hand 60 seconds

Workout felt great today. Haven't done a dumbell press in a long time. I think I'll start throwing in those inclines. Can get a really nice stretch and contraction at the bottom of the lift. Plus, all the work I've been putting into the barbell has paid off in strength. Those 75's felt very manageable. Can probably bump to 80 or 85 in the next week or two and see 90-100# dumbells in a matter of a month or so.

Hunger is OUT OF CONTROL. I cannot eat enough.

 

[ryansm]

Ya with the increased strength and hunger I would take advantage of it and bump cals, looks like it is working well for you so keep that in mind in the future if you run it again.

 

[Hikeon3]

27

Day 27: 2/28 Pull

Good old back day. Love it and hate it. Really, REALLY liking how its been looking lately. Time to put the work in.

Seated HS Row: 250x8, 270x8, 270x7 looooooong hold
One-Handed Cable Rows: 100x8, 120x8, 120x8, 120x8
Reverse Grip Pulldown: 185x8, 205x8, 205x7, 205x5 long holds, 210x5 holds
Pronated Grip Pulldown: 210x4 long holds
DB Shrugs: 75x8, 85x8, 95x8, 95x7, 95x6 holding at peak contraction
Long, hard-breathing static lat stretches.

Donesky

Those cable rows felt amazing. I have to keep doing those. We'll see what they do for me.

Calories should've been spot on. I'm really dying for march first when I get my grocery budget back. Hunger has been brutal. I swear every 30-45 minutes I'm back to my tub of coconut oil for another spoonful.

Next few days I won't be lifting. Have night events scheduled. Friday will be Legs with a final weigh-in on day 30. I took before pics. I'll attempt to splice them together and make a before and after. But 30 days might not be too drastic as we all know.

 

[HereToStudy]

Subscribed

 

[Hikeon3]

final

Day Final: Legs plus weigh in

Well my final day was back a few weeks. I weighed in at 180.6 pounds. That's a solid 5. I look leaner, in my opinion too.

Lifts went up pretty well too.


Here's how they progressed:
Hack Squat
Day 1: 280x5
Day 30: 345x5

BB Flat Bench Press
Day 1: 220x6
Day 30: 235x5

Lat Pulldowns
Day 1: 165x8
Day 30: 210x6 --- grown to LOVE this lift close-underhanded grip with straps

I need to see if I can get my wife to take some pictures of me at some point.

 

[HereToStudy]

Day Final: Legs plus weigh in

Well my final day was back a few weeks. I weighed in at 180.6 pounds. That's a solid 5. I look leaner, in my opinion too.

Lifts went up pretty well too.


Here's how they progressed:
Hack Squat
Day 1: 280x5
Day 30: 345x5

BB Flat Bench Press
Day 1: 220x6
Day 30: 235x5

Lat Pulldowns
Day 1: 165x8
Day 30: 210x6 --- grown to LOVE this lift close-underhanded grip with straps

I need to see if I can get my wife to take some pictures of me at some point.

Impressive results, good work!

 

[rulk22]

Impressive work!

 

[ryansm]

Great log and great results bud thank you

 

[HereToStudy]

Hikeon how have things gone for you since?