Maxing out with Massmax XT

[Angrypolak]

I'd like to start by saying to thank you to Performax ( cubsfan815 R1balla) for the logging opportunity and best of luck to my fellow loggers ( FireTitan HokiePride).

I'll be using Massmax as part of a clean bulk. Diet will start at 3000 calories (+250 calories from maintenance). Macros will start at 20P(150g)/40C(300g)/40F(133g). I've had good luck with these calories/macros in the past, but will be adjusted as necessary to support the goal.

On this diet I'd expect to gain roughly 2lbs across 4 weeks. Normally on a +250 cal bulk I'll gain around 60% muscle and 40% fat. Which would give me 1.2lbs of muscle across 4 weeks.

I'll check my weight every Monday before I work out at lunch. I eat the same breakfast M-F and drink exactly a half gallon before I go workout, so I've found this weigh in time is actually more consistent than weighing when I wake up. The gym also has a handheld BF scale (OMRON). I know it isn't terribly accurate, but I've found it IS good at tracking relative progress when I have consistent hydration levels.

My realistic goal for Massmax is to simply help keep my appetite up and help with recovery. My "stretch goal" is that it helps me outperform my typical 60%muscle/40%fat ratio's when on a bulk. I'll reflect on both as I complete this log.

My lifting routine will be Monday-Friday. 3 days upper and 2 days lower. First sets each day will focus on power/strength, the remainder will by hypertrophy focused. I will alternate Chest/Arms and Back/Shoulder every other week as seen below.

 

[Angrypolak]

Summary:

Let's start with "feels". I honestly didn't experience many with Massmax. My hunger was up when I first started, but that seemed to subside a few weeks in. Vascularity was consistent as was "fullness". To be fair, I didn't care much about this stuff and whether they were present or not. I'm only sharing because some people have reported them with Massmax. I was looking to gain LEAN MASS.

On this diet I'd expect to gain roughly 2lbs across 4 weeks. Normally on a +250 cal bulk I'll gain around 60% muscle and 40% fat. Which would give me 1.2lbs of muscle across 4 weeks.

My realistic goal for Massmax is to simply help keep my appetite up and help with recovery. My "stretch goal" is that it helps me outperform my typical 60%muscle/40%fat ratio's when on a bulk. I'll reflect on both as I complete this log.

My first post summed it up. I wanted to gain as much LEAN MASS as possible while minimizing fat gain. My goal starting out was 3000 calories flat. I lost some weight my first week, so I upped the calories by roughly another 200. Below is my daily average across all four weeks:

Calories: 3169
Protein: 164g
Carbs: 362g
Fat: 116g

RESULTS!

My final weigh-in shows I gained 4.7lbs. Omron shows my BF at 15.5%. That puts my lean mass gain at......wait for it....4.7lbs!!!!

Please understand I don't think the Omron is a substitute for more reliable BF measurements, and I honestly doubt I gained 100% lean mass. But the fact is I did put on overall mass that exceeded my goal going in AND it appears the lean mass I gained exceeded the 60/40 split I typically see.

I set myself up for achievable goals and I exceeded them in every way. I'm very thankful the opportunity to perform this log and I hope it proves useful to others in the future.

View attachment 148114

 

[cubsfan815]

In. I can't see the pics on android app for some reason.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 1:

Took my first dose this morning. It may placebo, but hunger is definitely up. I was at -500 calories this time a week ago. When I was chosen to log I quickly transitioned back to maintenance. I got to maint. by the weekend and eating on Saturday was a CHORE! I'm on track for 250 more calories than that today and I'm dying for my afternoon snack!
FireTitan must have some insane willpower to be doing this while still on a cut!

Weigh-in: 180.4lbs (15.9%BG w/ Omron)

Lifting: I started the routine I outlined in my first post last week. That gave me my starting weights and gave me a quick performance baseline. Each exercise has a rep range. If I fall in the rep range for all sets, the next workout I can either up the weight or try to get more reps. If I hit max reps for all three sets, I MUST up the weight next workout.

If my lifts are as good or better than my previous workout, I'll mark them green. If they backslide, they'll be red.

Today was allllll good!

Wide-grip P/U to neck (more reps than last week)
Narrow grip Pulldown to sternum (more reps than last week)
Seated KB Press (same as last week--will increase weight on Friday)
Lateral Raise (more reps than last week)
Plate Raise (more reps than last week)
Band Pulls (more reps than last week)
Low Set Face Pull (same reps as last week--will up weight on Friday)

 

[Angrypolak]

In. I can't see the pics on android app for some reason.

They show up on my computer (where I made the post) but not on my iphone. I've noticed the "broken link" on several other threads too when using my phone. I'm using the attachments option when adding from my desktop. If someone knows another way to do it, let me know and I'll go back and change how they are attached.

 

[JCR97]

Subbed!

 

[FireTitan]

Im in to follow and support brudda!!! And so far my hinger IS up...but Im also taking Radiate twice a day so THATS definitely helping to curb that! But its only been a few days. Cant wait to see what this does for us with 2 different goals!! Good luck

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 2:

I'm currently alternating a stimmed pre (Kraken) and non-stimmed (Elixer+). Today was leg day and Elixer+...and it was a good day. Even without any stims, I went in feeling strong, hit the weights hard, and finished with all lifts matching or exceeding last weeks baseline.

Hunger has been strong again today and my shoulders felt fully recovered when I woke this morning.

LIfting:

Formatting note: When I checked from my phone I realized colored text doesn't show up. So I'll just note when lifts improved or backslid (though I'm hoping for no stalls or backslides!).

Back Squat (More reps than last time)
Hack Squat (Max reps--increase weight next time)
Single Leg Curl (Max reps--increase weight next time)
Standing Calf Raise (Max reps--switch with seated as first exercise)
Seated Calf Raise (Matched reps from last time)
Adductor/Abductor (Max reps--increase weight next time)
Decline situps (Max reps--add weight next time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 3:

Not much to update as far as feels. I'm putting down all my food, getting a good pump in the gym, and staying motivated!

Lifts:

BB Decline (More reps than last time)
DB Incline (Max reps--add weight)
EZ Curls (More reps than last time)
Cable Cross (More reps than last time)
Reverse Fly (Max reps--add weight)
Pec Deck (Max reps--add weight)
Conc. Curls (Max reps--add weight)
Dips (more reps than last time)

 

[JCR97]

How many reps do you consider max reps before you add weight?

 

[Angrypolak]

How many reps do you consider max reps before you add weight?

Each exercise has it's own number of sets and reps. The routine is based on progressive overload. There should be picture of the routine in the first post, but the basis is: If I fall in the range, I can choose to increase the weight or go for more reps the next time. If I hit the high end of the rep range for all sets, I must increase the weight the next time.

Example:

Decline Bench-3 sets of 5-8 reps.

If I hit 8,6,6 (like I did today), I can increase weight OR try for more reps next time.

If I hit 8,8,8, I would have to increase the weight next time.

Either way, the goal is to always improve over the previous workout. Deloads are decided by the first exercise I do each day. If I stall once, I still go for max effort on the rest of my exercises and carry on like I normally would. If I stall twice in a row, I immediately reduce the set count for every exercise by 1 and use it as a deload.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 4:

Did a random weigh-in just to make sure my calories seemed to be on point. I was up 0.2lbs (180.6) and down 0.6% BF (15.3). I don't take these values as absolute since they fall into the realm of day to day fluctuations, but if I'm going to fluctuate...well I'd hope for this over weight down and BF up!

Lifting:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Hacks (Max reps--go up in weight)
Curls (Went up in weight today--all sets in rep range--new baseline set)
Seated (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (First day w/ exercise--new baseline set)

Really pleased with today. Coming off a cut where I was working hard to just maintain strength, I honestly wasn't expecting to outperform my Tuesday lifts, but I did!

The biggest lesson learned today was I need to do my seated calf raises first. My outer calf is less developed than my inner. On Tuesday I did standing first and got max but fell short on seated. Doing seated first let me get more out of both in the superset!

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 5:

Crushed it today. Gym was practically empty, which I love because it allows me to get into a zone and just focus on the lifts. Pumps are insane right now. It's been almost an hour since I got back to my desk and my shoulders still feel like ballons!

Lifting:

Wide-grip P/U to neck (more reps than Monday)
Narrow grip Pulldown to sternum (more reps than Monday)
Seated KB Press (max reps--will increase weight again next week)
Lateral Raise (more reps than Monday)
Plate Raise (same reps as Monday)
Band Pulls (same reps as Monday)
Low Set Face Pull (max reps--will increase weight again next week)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 8:

So it seems today is something out of bizzaro world with unexpected results in both my weigh-in and my lifts!

Weigh-in:

178.6. I lost 1.8lbs!!! However, the Omron put me at 15.0% BF. Based on my current weight, I actually gained 0.1lb in lean mass!

Target calories were 3,000. I averaged 3,080 across the week. During my cut I was only averaging 1.5lbs lost per week (eating 2,500 calories and doing doing LISS every day to burn another 250)!

Strength also went up last week like I'd expect from a bulk.

Needless to say, I don't think my results were from not eating enough. I was trying to wrap my head around this and the only explanation I can come up with is that I was retaining water from the yohimbine I took on my cut. I'd read it can take up to a week to shed. That point would have been last Saturday.

Overall I'm happy with my strength progressions all last week and with the weigh-in today, it just wan't exactly what I was expecting to see!

Lifts:

Today was tough because I had to fit my routine between two meetings. The choice I faced was either not hitting all the exercises or shortening my rest periods. I chose to shorten my rest periods and you'll see below my lifts were kind of all over the place today as a result.

Decline--Less reps than last week
Incline--Went up in weight-new benchmark established
EZ Curls--Went up in weight-new benchmark established
Cable Cross--Less reps than last week
Rev. Fly--Went up in weight-new benchmark established
Pec Dec-Went up in weight-new benchmark established
Concentration Curls--More reps than last week
Dips--Less reps than last week

 

[Angrypolak]

DAY 9:

Really had a great legs day. Hit upper rep range on almost everything. For me Massmax seems to really be helping put down some food, which is turn is allowing me to make "teh gainz".

Lifts:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Hacks (Max reps--go up in weight)
Curls (No change from last time)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Decline Situps (New weight--new baseline set)

 

[cubsfan815]

Looks like lifts are going up too!

 

[Angrypolak]

Looks like lifts are going up too!

Lifts are steadily going up. I mean, I'll add 5-10lbs to a lift, hit max reps, and be ready to up the weight again. It's only my second week, but I haven't progressed like that since doing 5x5 with newbie gains!

It feels a little weird not listing the weight and reps in the log, but I figured with a bunch of numbers it's hard for followers to know if that's better or worse than the last time. So I'm just making those notes instead: better, worse, or no change. So far my lifts have been dominated by BETTER!

 

[FireTitan]

Im seriously digging what I see going in in here!! I cant decide if I want to do back or legs in the morning, wither way will be a test of the knee.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 10:

Another solid day in the gym. The summary of my lifts doesn't quite capture how pleased I am with today. Shoulders have always been my weak point and because I hit my reps last week, I upped my KB press by 5#. Turn around and I hit the full 10x10 again today, so I'll be adding 5# more next week. That's some progress that I'm not used to making!

You'll see in my comments I didn't get as many reps on face pull as I did last week. But that is really a burnout set (1xMax) and since I was moving more total weight than last week on everything else, I'm not upset I got 3 fewer reps on it.

Lifts:

Wide-grip P/U to neck (more reps than last week)
Narrow grip Pulldown to sternum (max reps--will increase weight)
Seated KB Press (max reps--will increase weight)
Lateral Raise (same reps as last week)
Plate Raise (same reps as last week)
Band Pulls (same reps as last week)
Low Set Face Pull (fewer reps than last week)

 

[Angrypolak]

One more note on my shoulder routine. The plate raise and the band pulls are both 1x100 sets. I've gotten 100 reps every time, but they haven't been continuous. Once I get a 100 unbroken, I'll go up in weight. I just want to clarify that because I'll probably be posting "same reps as last time" for while on those two, but it doesn't mean I'm not making progress.

 

[Angrypolak]

DAY 11:

Had to get my wife to the airport early this morning, so I only logged about 5 1/2hr sleep. Didn't have my normal energy, but still managed a solid lifting session. I hit the upper range on a number of exercises and will be adding more weight next week.

Two notes:

1.) I didn't perform the Hacks today because I was on a time crunch. I haven't had any trouble hitting reps on them, so I wasn't too concerned with dropping them. In fact, I felt legs were getting a lot of volume on this routine since I'm always hitting them twice a week, so I may end up dropping the Hacks from one of the days going forward. I'll see if all my other leg exercises keep progressing and decide from there.

2.) I normally perform leg lifts with slow, controlled reps to parallel in the dip station where you rest your elbows and have back support. That equipment was occupied when I needed it, so I moved to the pull up bar and performed them hanging with slow, controlled reps bringing toes to the bar. So my notes say "fewer reps"...but they were MUCH harder!

Lifts:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Hacks (DID NOT PERFORM)
Curls (More reps than last time)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (Fewer reps)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 12:

I've truly entered bizzaro world! I did a random weigh-in before lifting today and hit 176.5. That's -2.1lbs since Monday!!!! BF showed 14%, which, if accurate, means 99.1% of the weight I lost this week is fat. IF accurate, that would at least jive with what I'm feeling in the weight room as my strength is still steadily moving up. The crazy thing is I had added another 100 calories (3100 calories total) to my diet every day since Monday. So I ate more, gained strength, but lost weight????

I'm taking staples I've been on for months/years (multi, creatine, betaine, SL) and I'm taking Massmax for the log. There are no other supplements. If anybody can make heads or tails of what's going on I'm all ears.

Lifting:

Aside from the scale madness, my strength is continuing to improve. Everything was better today than it was Monday and I'll be going up in weight on a few lifts next week. Still loving the progress I'm making!

Decline (More reps than last time)
Incline (More reps than last time)
EZ Curls (More reps than last time)
Cable Cross (More reps than last time)
Rev. Fly (Max reps--add weight next time)
Pec Dec (Max reps--add weight next time)
Concentration Curls (Max reps--add weight next time)
Dips (Same reps as last time)

 

[FireTitan]

Sounds like you and I are experiencing the same results bro! My weight is dropping dramatically since I started and added it to my Radiate. My calories are no more than 1600, 200 protein and <50 carbs, and strength is increasing!!

 

[Asteele08]

Subbed, great log so far

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 15 (Monday):

Didn't weigh in on Monday. I decided to try upping my calories by 200 from Friday-Monday and weigh in on Tuesday. Since my strength has been progressing fine, I figured my protein intake was good, so pretty much all the extra calories have been carbs.

Felt great at the gym. Strong focus and a lot of drive. Hitting all my reps on my behind the neck pull-up gave me the motivation to really push myself.

Lifts:

Wide-grip P/U to neck (max reps--will increase weight)
Narrow grip Pulldown to sternum (max reps--will increase weight)
Seated KB Press (first day with new weight--new benchmark set)
Lateral Raise (more reps than last week)
Plate Raise (same reps as last week)
Band Pulls (same reps as last week)
Low Set Face Pull (same reps as last week)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 16:

Weighed in today and had a nice surprise of 180.4. That meant I was back at my starting weight...but registered 15.2% BF (-0.7%). If even remotely accurate, it would mean I've recomped (something I've never been able to accomplish) and put nearly 1.2lb. of muscle on my frame.

I'm not living and dying by the scale or the Omron, I'm using it as a gauge. But I'm two weeks in now and so far my strength keeps climbing and every weigh in is showing progress...so I'm stoked!

Lifts were strong. Hit max reps on nearly everything and will be putting more weight on the bar when I revisit legs on Thursday!

Lifting:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Curls (More reps than last time)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Decline Situps (Same reps as last time)

 

[Ricky10]

You two are making me want to get back on this stuff! Stop it!

 

[jameschoi]

You two are making me want to get back on this stuff! Stop it!

Not to hijack, how long did you take it and how much mass did you gain.

 

[Ricky10]

Not to hijack, how long did you take it and how much mass did you gain.

Just under a month. I wasn't tracking any progress or weight gain and really did not have a particular goal in mind while taking it. I just wanted to test it out and see if I was able to tolerate it for one thing. Pumps, muscle fullness, and a substantial increase in hunger were definitely noted. I stopped it just because I am now dedicated to a cut, and the increased hunger was a bit problematic at times...even on stims! Looking at all the stellar reviews and reports of fat loss/recomp have me second guessing my choice though..

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 17:

We all know it's easy to make progress when your fresh and motivated, not so much when you feel flat. I got sh#t for sleep last night and I wasn't feeling too motivated to lift, but I went to the gym anyway and...progress I made. I improved on nearly everything again.

If that isn't a testimonial I don't what is!!!

Lifting:

Decline (More reps than last time)
Incline (More reps than last time)
EZ Curls (More reps than last time)
Cable Cross (More reps than last time)
Rev. Fly (Max reps--add weight next time)
Pec Dec (Max reps--add weight next time)
Concentration Curls (first day with new weight--new benchmark set)
Dips (Same reps as last time)

 

[cubsfan815]

Great update. Just over 2 weeks in and your strength is definitely continuing to increase. Can't wait to see where you end up.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 18:

I jumped on the "6-week pull up challenge" extended by HIT4ME

As such, I'll be dropping pull-ups from my back/shoulders day and I'll start doing them daily. The approach I'm going to take is: my first set will be for max reps, each set thereafter will reduce by 1 rep, and I'll perform as many sets as needed to get from from max reps down to one rep. Today I performed 64 pull-ups and legs.

Lifts were strong again. Hit max reps on nearly everything and will be putting more weight on the bar next week!

Lifting:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Curls (Max reps--go up in weight)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (Same reps as last time)

 

[HIT4ME]

Day 18:

I jumped on the "6-week pull up challenge" extended by HIT4ME

As such, I'll be dropping pull-ups from my back/shoulders day and I'll start doing them daily. The approach I'm going to take is: my first set will be for max reps, each set thereafter will reduce by 1 rep, and I'll perform as many sets as needed to get from from max reps down to one rep. Today I performed 64 pull-ups and legs.

Lifts were strong again. Hit max reps on nearly everything and will be putting more weight on the bar next week!

Lifting:

Squats (Max reps--go up in weight)
Curls (Max reps--go up in weight)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (Same reps as last time)

Strong showing. 64 pull ups is a good day in my book! I haven't even hit 50 in a day yet.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 19:

My daughter and I both got Good Friday off, so I worked out from home today. Had to make a few modifications:

-Pull-ups were performed from gymnast rings I have in the garage. It's a bit tougher, and I was sore from yesterday, so I only got 55 today. My total is 119. Only 1,881 to go!
-Lateral raise rack run used a lighter first weight due to a limited selection at home. Second and third weight used were the same as the gym.
-No face pulls since I don't have that equipment, though I think pull-ups on the rings targeted my anterior delts pretty good!

Overall a solid day and I'm happy with what I got out of a makeshift gym session!

Lifts:

Seated KB Press ((max reps--go up in weight)
Lateral Raise (more reps than last time)
Plate Raise (same reps as last time)
Band Pulls (same reps as last time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 20 (Saturday):

-Did 7x7 on my pullups while cooking casseroles for Easter meals! That brought my total up to 168.

Day 21 (Sunday):

-I ate food. Lots of good food. Made quality food sources my priority at each meal and only added desert to the room I had left. I have a big family and had three houses to go to, so I did the best I could without missing out on some home made goodness.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 22:

I weighed-in today, but the results don't match the calories I logged. While Easter meals on Saturday and Sunday certainly made me feel like I stuffed myself, I don't see any way I added 7.2lbs in a week! I'm back on track with my water consumption, so I'll weigh in tomorrow and use those for my results.

Did pretty good in the gym today. Nearly every single weight went up from last week and I was super-setting pull-ups. I got fewer reps on my curls, but I think the pull-ups impacted that. Regardless, I'm happy with where I ended up for the day.

Lifting:

Pull-ups: 11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,3=66. Total is at 234.

Decline (More reps than last time)
Incline (New weight-new benchmark set)
EZ Curls (Less reps than last time)
Cable Cross (New weight-new benchmark set)
Rev. Fly (New weight-new benchmark set)
Pec Dec (New weight-new benchmark set)
Concentration Curls (New weight-new benchmark set)
Dips (Less reps than last time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 23:

Weighed in at 185 flat. BF measured 15.6%. My starting weigh-in was 180.4 and 15.9%. Comparing the two I'm +4.6lbs total mass...and +4.4lbs lean mass at week three!

I think I shared before but when bulking I normally add around 60% muscle. Those number indicate more than 90% of the weight I've added is lean mass!

Lifting:

Did pull-ups during my rest periods and got 60 reps. That puts me at 294 total across 6 days. Leg day was also solid. Didn't hit the max rep range across the board like last Thursday, but made some stong lifts with the new weights. Overall another good day at the gym.

Squats (New weight--new baseline set)
Curls (New weight--new baseline set)
Seated Calf (New weight--new baseline set)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (Same reps as last time)

 

[cubsfan815]

Great updates. Plus 4.4lbs lean in 3 weeks is really solid. Have you thought about extended the run to 8 weeks.

I apologize if you answered that already. I was off for 4 days and am catching up on AM.

 

[Angrypolak]

Great updates. Plus 4.4lbs lean in 3 weeks is really solid. Have you thought about extended the run to 8 weeks.

I apologize if you answered that already. I was off for 4 days and am catching up on AM.

I agree. I'm very happy with the progress I've made.

As for extending the run to 8 weeks, I'd love to, and my bulk is set to last 8 weeks. Unfortunately, we're taking my daughter to Disney at the end of May and I'm looking for every opportunity to save up until then!

I even made the change from PES protein to MyProtein (bought before I heard about the "rat incident"). I got a two month supply for 50% of the cost...at the expense of 50% of the flavor.

EDIT: I'd like to add that I am planning for another bulk this fall and I'm most definitely looking to run 8 weeks of Massmax then. It'll be a better time for me when funds are a little freer.

 

[jameschoi]

How many caps are you taking daily.

 

[Angrypolak]

How many caps are you taking daily.

4. Two AM and two PM. I work out around 11-12 Monday through Friday.

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 24:

I know it's often said that natty anabolics really "kick in" around week three. I don't know if that's what I'm experiencing here but I felt like a beast in the gym today!

Not only did I have a solid shoulder workout, but I got 84 reps on the pull-up challenge! That's my most to date and it puts my total at 378. I'm on pace to hit 2,000 before the 6 weeks is up!

Lifting:

Seated KB Press (max reps--go up in weight)
Lateral Raise (more reps than last time)
Plate Raise (same reps as last time)
Band Pulls (same reps as last time)
Face Pulls (max reps--go up in weight)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 25:

Much like yesterday, I felt like everything was "turned up to 11" when I hit the gym. It makes me sad I'm nearing the end of my run with Massmax because I've really enjoyed the last few week.

Lifting:

Pull-ups. Did 'em between sets and got 84 again. I'm on my 8th day and my total sits at 462.

Day one I got 10 reps on my first set. Yesterday and today's first set were for 12. So I do think my performance is improving. It'd be great to be able to knock out 20 or more on my first set by the end of this challenge!

Squats (More reps than last time)
Curls (Max reps--go up in weight)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Leg Lifts (More reps than last time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 26:

Big updates today!

1.) I did another spot weigh-in. Weight was DOWN from Monday. Seems like a bummer right? Well my BF was down even more! So even though my weight has been all over the place during this whole "lean bulk", one thing is certain, my LEAN MASS (the important part) seems to continually have gone up week over week.

Lean mass is primarily based on the Omron handheld BF metere. I know they aren't 100% accurate, but along side my continued strength gains, I have to believe the progress is real. Which brings me to...

2.) Today was the last time I'll perform my chest routine while on Massmax. It was another solid day (overall results below), and so I decided to compare my bench from my first workout to where it was today. Since my routine progresses with reps AND weights, and I ended with a different weight and rep range, I didn't have a fixed point of comparison. So I decided to plug my first set weight/reps into a 1RM calculator and compare that. The result is that I should be +9lbs! I'm pretty pleased with that sort of progress, especially since I naturally struggle with push exercises compared to pulls (I have long limbs and short torso).

Lifting:

Pull-ups: 10. Only 10 today. I always go for max reps on my first set, and when they fell short of what I got yesterday, I decided it was my body telling me I needed a break.

Decline (New weight-new benchmark set)
Incline (Max reps-go up in weight)
EZ Curls (Max reps-go up in weight)
Cable Cross (More reps than last time)
Rev. Fly (Max reps-go up in weight)
Pec Dec (Max reps-go up in weight)
Concentration Curls (Max reps-go up in weight)
Dips (More reps than last time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 29:

My last shoulder workout on Massmax. I made the most of it and had a great day!

Tomorrow will be day 30. I'll get a final weigh-in and final workout (legs). Full run summary, review, and before/after pictures will be posted by Wednesday!

Lifting:

I got 91 pull-ups today which is the most I've gotten in a single day yet. I got 13 on my first set which is also the most I've gotten on a first set. I'm happy with that kind of progress! Day 12 total is 606.

Seated KB Press (max reps--go up in weight)
Lateral Raise (more reps than last time)
Plate Raise (same reps as last time)
Band Pulls (same reps as last time)
Face Pulls (max reps--go up in weight)

 

[Angrypolak]

Day 30:

I had a solid last day of my Massmax run. Did legs. Kept pushing just like I always did. Also did my final weigh-in. Those results were good, I'll save the actual number for my next post, which will be the overall summary. But let's just say I was pleased!

Lifting:

Pull-ups. Did 'em between sets and got 78. Day 13 and my total is 684.

Squats (More reps than last time)
Curls (New weight--new benchmark set)
Seated Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Standing Calf (Max reps--go up in weight)
Abductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Adductor (Max reps--go up in weight)
Decline situps (Same reps as last time)

 

[Angrypolak]

Summary:

Let's start with "feels". I honestly didn't experience many with Massmax. My hunger was up when I first started, but that seemed to subside a few weeks in. Vascularity was consistent as was "fullness". To be fair, I didn't care much about this stuff and whether they were present or not. I'm only sharing because some people have reported them with Massmax. I was looking to gain LEAN MASS.

On this diet I'd expect to gain roughly 2lbs across 4 weeks. Normally on a +250 cal bulk I'll gain around 60% muscle and 40% fat. Which would give me 1.2lbs of muscle across 4 weeks.

My realistic goal for Massmax is to simply help keep my appetite up and help with recovery. My "stretch goal" is that it helps me outperform my typical 60%muscle/40%fat ratio's when on a bulk. I'll reflect on both as I complete this log.

My first post summed it up. I wanted to gain as much LEAN MASS as possible while minimizing fat gain. My goal starting out was 3000 calories flat. I lost some weight my first week, so I upped the calories by roughly another 200. Below is my daily average across all four weeks:

Calories: 3169
Protein: 164g
Carbs: 362g
Fat: 116g

RESULTS!

My final weigh-in shows I gained 4.7lbs. Omron shows my BF at 15.5%. That puts my lean mass gain at......wait for it....4.7lbs!!!!

Please understand I don't think the Omron is a substitute for more reliable BF measurements, and I honestly doubt I gained 100% lean mass. But the fact is I did put on overall mass that exceeded my goal going in AND it appears the lean mass I gained exceeded the 60/40 split I typically see.

I set myself up for achievable goals and I exceeded them in every way. I'm very thankful the opportunity to perform this log and I hope it proves useful to others in the future.

 

[Angrypolak]

And here is the before (left) and after (right) comparison.

 

[JCR97]

And here is the before (left) and after (right) comparison.

View attachment 148116

Arms including forearms seem to have gained as well as back

 

[Angrypolak]

Arms including forearms seem to have gained as well as back

Thanks. I'm really happy with my results.

I'll admit the pictures really don't look that different. I think my back width shows the most visible change, but again it's very subtle. The scale says I added nearly 5lbs in 4 weeks. The pictures don't say I've made a "beastly transformation", but they DO support that nearly all my gains were solid (i.e. lean mass) and not just a lot of fat! Which is about as much as anybody can hope for with these natural anabolics.