Building the Bridge

[TheWhiteRhino]

My training partner is AWOL until April. I completed 2 months of a 4 month mass cycle to date. I am looking to bridge the gap between now and April effectively while maintaining the gains I have made. I will lift in the 6-12 rep range while maintaining a clean 5,000 calorie diet. I will be cutting out creatine/NO, ZMA, HMB and myotest from my supplementation but maintaining my Optimal Nutrition Mass gainer shake (3x a day), multi, flax and amino's.

I will re-start creatine/NO and myotest in one month. Additionally, in April I will include halodrol with effective support sups and everything else I have mentioned. Following this cycle I will conduct proper post cycle therapy.

Right now I am on the ropes in regards to training modalities. I worked at a 4-10 rep range the first two months and added significant size (inch wise) while gaining roughly 15 pounds. I utilized drop sets when I went to failure at <6 reps. Every 4 weeks I switched things up.

My diet is clean and totals around 5,000 calories.

Other than moving up to a 6-12 rep range (from 4-10) I plan on hitting about 18 sets for back, 15 for chest, 12 for bi's, 15 for tri's, 15 for shoulders and about 24 for legs. Calves, core and cardio are generally thrown in throughout the week with proper warm-up every day. But, as always, nothing is ever set in stone.

Its gonna be tough for me to move from real heavy *ss lifts (as low as 3 reps) sometimes to a standard 6-12 rep range but I will manage for 2 months. This specially goes to my head because the heavy lifting of 2 months was accompanied by some serious growth.

Planning on highlighting my routine's as they come to me. Back was yesterday and I started with 4 sets of deadlifts up to 415 for an easy 8. I then moved to pulldowns 3 sets 15, 12, 8 finishing at a weight of 250. Barbell rows at 3 sets 12, 10, 8 from 205 to 245 clean. I then moved to close-drip pull-down for 3 sets 12, 10, 8 up to 230. Next was supinated dumbell rows on the incline bench again hitting 3 sets of 12, 10 and 8 moving up to 80's. I finished with three sets of 15 of straight arm pull downs. I felt real full, was gonna try to fly with that lat spread. I stretched with some hanging.

Chest today and cardio/core Wednesday which I will highlight in the next couple of days.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Hit chest on Tuesday. Was feeling intense on my way to the gym. I can always be certain my lift will be a good one if I am ready to go hours in advance. This lift was later than normal at around 5:30. I hit a quick warm-up and started to smash. Up first was flat bench. I had tweeked a minor slap tear on the previous arm day during weighted dips. Due to this fact I was skeptical about going heavy on bench. None the less I got through 4 sets finishing at 315 for 6. I rested 2 minutes between sets. I then proceeded to the pec-deck where I hit three sets of 20 reps with 30-45 second breaks in between. I felt engorged at this point. I then went to Incline Bench where I hit three sets finishing at 315 for only 3 reps. The muscle feeding sets of 20 made this lift more difficult than usual. I then moved to incline dumbbell flies at 3 sets for 20 reps. Again with small rest periods. Next was the hammer strength press machine. I worked my way up to 315 for 4 reps after 3 sets. I then finished with cable crossovers for 3 sets of 20. My peak contractions were so painful that squeezing at the top of every movement was unnerving. I say this because I felt as though I was about to have a superficial hemorhage of within my peck region. Yes the pump was that rediculous.

Upon completion a friend of mine made note that my chest looked much better this week than last. This leads me to believe that this spontaneous change-up in routine is more beneficial at this time. I remember suggesting that I was going to work in the 8-12 rep range and remain pretty standard from there. Looks like that wont be happening. I am going to continue to split my muscle groups the same as I mentioned on Tuesday. However, I am going to hit big lifts for some of the more standard/compound movements for each muscle group (ie bench press for chest or close grip bench for tries etc.) and follow-up those lifts with more isolation and fine-tune movements at 3 sets of 20 reps. Basically I will traumatize the muscle and then flood it with blood when doing the 20 rep sets. If the other body parts feel anything like chest did then I will be sticking with this, at least for the first month.

Wednesday was cardio and core. I completed some interval training on the olyptical and finished up with some basic core work.

Today is shoulders. I'll follow up with today's lift at a later date.

Stay anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Shoulders yesterday. The lack of a lifting partner and supplement stack is having a slight effect on my lifts. Lost a few reps on my mass building movements. One change, however, has been positive. I pride myself on perfect form but I think that lack of a lifting partner has forced me to concentrate on form even more so. Although my lifts are slightly lighter at this point, my form is as close to flawless as possible and my pumps are immense.

First was seated military press. After two warm up sets, I piled on the weight for three sets worth and finished at 265 for 3 reps. I rested 2 minutes between sets. Next was dumbbell lateral raises. I hit three sets of 20 reps at 20 pounds with 40 second rest intervals. Dumbbell Press was next. I got after 3 sets and ended up finishing with 90's for 4 reps. I was really feeling the remnants of those laterals here. I finished with crossing reverse cable flies to hit the posterior delt. 3 sets of 15 reps at 40 pounds (wanted to get 20 reps here).

Next was calves. I started with seated raises and after some warm-up I hit three setts finishing at 5 plates for 6 reps. I then when to the rotary calf machine and hit three sets of 20 reps at 210lbs. I then jumped to standing calve raises for 3 sets and finished at 335 for 6 reps. I finished with another three sets at the rotary calf machine at 20 reps each.

It's looking like I will return to the remainder of my mass cycle the first week of April. Calorie intake will mimics a mass cycle up until and through then but supplement wise I will be using next to nothing until April.

Blasting my arms today and some cardio. Saturday is LEGS.

Stay Anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

So yesterday was arms. I both felt and looked BIG. My triceps pump was decent but I looked extraordinarily full. My biceps pump was immense and I looked full.

Triceps started with close-grip bench. After some warm-up I pushed three sets (225 x 10; 275 x 8) finishing at 315 for 4 reps. This felt good and I had my spotter force an extra rep on me (which I do not count). Next for a nourishing pump I hit push downs with the straight bar. I got after 3 sets at 80 pounds each going for 20, 20 and 15 reps. The tri's were tight after this and I was feeling pumped for weighted dips. I strapped 90 pounds on my dip belt and got 8 deep reps. I then strapped on 115lbs for 6 reps and finished striping a solid three plates around my waist for 4 reps. I went deeper than I ever have on these sets and I was rewarded with bulging tri's. My last nourishing pump set was skull crushers. I hit three sets of 80 pounds for 20, 20 and 15 reps. I was completely burned out after that last pump set.

I then moved on to bi's. It's important to note that after years of training I found that 10-12 sets is best for my body. This is the case only if I hit arms at least 48 hours before and/or after back. If I were to hit bi's any closer to back than this I would consider only 8 sets. I started with standing barbell curls. After three sets (80 x 10; 100 x 7) I ended up finishing at 120lbs for 4 reps. I then hit incline dumbbell curls for three sets at 15 pounds for 20 reps each. The key to this movement, like every bicep movement is holding peak contraction for 2 seconds. My second mass building exercise was preacher curl on the hammer strength machine. I hit three sets (90 x 10; 105 x 8) finishing at 115 for 5 reps. I completed bi's with 3 nourishing pump sets of hammer cable curls at 50 pounds a piece for 20 reps each.

So hitting these pump sets was truly exhausting. I feel like I could get away with only 10 sets on this routine as opposed to 12. Regardless, my pump and size were off the charts after this lift. I finished with a couple of sets of forearms before making a shake and heading home.

Today is legs with Sunday being an off day comprised of 30 minutes of interval cardio. Expect an update by then.

Stay Anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Got after some legs yesterday. I actually hit fewer sets than I typically would because of a prior family engagement. None the less, I have yet to feel as full and pumped as I did on this day.

I started with squats. After some warm-up, I hit three (315 x 10, 405 x 4) sets finishing at 425 for 2 reps. For a pump set I moved to leg extensions. I hit three sets at 180 for 20, 20 and 20 reps. I then moved to leg press. I hit three sets at 870 x 8, 960 x 4, 960 x 4. For my next pump set I moved back to leg extensions. I hit 3 sets; 150 x 20, 150 x 20 and 150 x 18.

I got after some hamstrings with three sets of stiff-leg dead-lifts of 225 x 8, 275 x 6, 315 x 4. My pump set for hamstrings was prone-leg curls. I hit three sets of 120 x 20, 120 x 16, 120 x 14. I was in excruciating pain after this set due to both the stretch from the pump and the lactic acid build-up. When I tell you that the burn would not go away I do not exaggerate.

Normally I will hit three sets of walking lunges followed by a pump set of donkey-kick's on the prone-leg curl machine but my prior engagements prevented me from doing so. Instead, I hit a quick three sets of donkey kicks before heading home.

Although I missed my walking lunges today, I felt like I sparked some serious growth. I was walking like something was seriously wrong with me that's a testament to a great day.

Interval training on the olyptical tomorrow.

Stay Anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Failed to start a log and instead was posting different threads for each day so I copy and pasted them all into this thread and will continue to do so. This should be more consistent an easier to follow.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Yesterday was an off day. I hit some interval training for 30 minutes on the olyptical and then got some abs done.

I have found that the lack of supplementation is definitely improving my sleeping patterns. I am falling asleep fast and staying asleep longer. I figured that without the ZMA I would be worse off but it turned out this isn't the case. However, I am much more drowsy in the morning the the drowsiness lasts a good hour. I am wondering if my protein (caseine) before bed is keeping me anabolic through out the night because it seems as though my body is in dire need of fuel even more than usual first thing in the morning. My calories intake is still intact (refer to my first post) however, I have started adding 1-2 table spoons of macadamia nut oil to my meals. This is adding several hundred more calories to my meals through out the day. This is just another approach I am taking to maintaining my gains up until April for part 2 of my mass cycle. I also hope this will compensate for any weight loss I will experience from coming down from my supplement stack (as seen in log #1). I am staying strong and steady at 238.

Today is back day. I am going to incorporate the technique I have been using since chest day of last week. By this I mean I will hit it heavy and follow it up with a huge pump set. I will alternate like this for roughly 18 sets.

Stay Anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Yesterday was an immense back day. My lats were worked to an intense degree. My pump was decent and at the end of the day flexing my lats proved to be a futile task. There was so much blood in my lats that I could'nt feel if I was properly doing my lat spread. All in all a decent day. The only downside was that in applying this different training method I failed to guess the proper weight for the necessary rep ranges. This wont be an issue for next week.

I started with deadlifts. After some warm-up I moved three sets at 315 x 10; 405 x 6 and 455 x 3. I then moved to lat-pulldowns. I hit three sets of lat pull down at 210 x 8; 230 x 6; 250 x 5. My first pump set was incline supinated dumbell rows. I hit 3 sets of 20 reps at 30 pounds. Next was barbell rows. For this mass builder I hit three sets of 185 x 10; 225 x 8 and 315 x 3. My follow-up to this was a pump set. I completed 3 sets of cable close grip pulldown at 130 x 20. My final mass builder was hammer strength rows. I hit three sets at 180 x 10; 230 x 8 and 280 x 6. My final pump movement was cable straight arm pull-down. I hit three sets of 20 reps at 50 pounds.

Although I felt nice an full after this lift there are a few changes I will make for next week. First of all, my first pump set of incline supinated dbell rows was not as effective as I would have liked. This is a great mass movement but hitting it for three sets of 20 reps puts too much stress on the shoulders which makes peak contraction difficult in sets 2 and 3. Next week I will replace it with a wide-grip seated cable row. Additionally, the weight for barbell rows was all kinds of wrong. My starting weight was far too light and my ending weight was too heavy. Two of my three reps at 315 were fairly sloppy. Other than this its looking and feeling good.

Chest today with some cardio.

Stay Anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Tuesday was meant to be chest day and yesterday was a cardio and core day. When warming up on Tuesday for chest I notice that a rehabilitated slap tear in my left shoulder was acting up. Making the decision not to lift was a no brainer. With the chance of me injuring myself and being out for an estimated 2-4 months I chose to take the day off. Whats interesting about this particular shoulder injury is that although my chest day has caused it to "act up" in the past, my shoulder day is never effected. With that in mind, I will be hitting shoulders today as I would on any Thursday afternoon.

Yesterday's interval training on the olyptical was refreshing. Core work was no different than any other day. I stretched my shoulders out twice through out the day followed by alternating heat and ice. I am feeling strong and ready to go today.

It's better to replace a day of lifting with a day of stretching and therapy. Unless you want to go on a vacation from the gym for several months. I personally would miss the smell of blood, sweat, tears and vomit.

My diet has been consistent to date. Yesterday, my mother in-law had a genius breakthrough in the kitchen. She created a butternut squash chilli with lean ground turkey, kidney beans, kale, onions, garlic, jalopeno pepper and pumpkin puree. On the side was some greek yogart and low fat cheese to mix in. I consumed about 3 cups worth and mixed in about a half a cup of greek yogurt and a half a cup of low-fat cheese. On the side was a spinach and bacon salad with balsamic vinagerette. Although I couldn't be 100% accurate, I was able to determine I consumed a minimum of 1,050 calories with this meal. For those of you tuning in, you can cook up several pounds of this goodness and store it for lunches and dinner. This is the perfect bodybuilding food I have come across thus far and its cheep to make.

Off to the gym in a couple of hours for shoulders.

Stay anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Thursday
After my two rest days I was ready to get back at it on Thursday. I felt revived, my shoulder felt good and I was ready to smash. My tendency for good for added to my confidence when hitting my heavier sets. I would of liked to push out more reps at 275 but the lack of a spot and uncertainty of my shoulder prevented me from doing so. By the end of the workout I felt good and my left shoulder was not irritated in the slightest. Sometimes shoulder pumps are difficult to gauge but I felt blown-up after this one. Looks like this routine will help me hold my ground until April.
Military Press135 x 15)x2; 235 x 8; 255 x 5; 275 x 2
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: (20 x 20) x 3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 75 x 9; 85 x 7; 100 x 3
Cable Reverse Cross-over flies: (40 x 18) x 3

Seated Calf raises: 135 x 10; 180 x 8; 225 x 8
Rotary Calf Machine: (210 x 20) x 3
Standing Calf raises: 315 x 10; 335 x 8; 355 x 8
Rotary Calf Machine: (210 x 20) x 3

Friday
Generally an arm day is not so exciting for me. For some its an opportunity to strut around with a big pump and talk to people while trying to show-off a temporary display. I treat an arm day as a means of determining how good my chest and back day were. Looks aside I'm attempting to fine tune so that next week is a better week. With that being said, my pump came quick and I was pushing through my working sets with a maximal pump following close grip bench for tri's and barbell curls for bi's. Finally getting those 6 reps at 315 for close-grip was rewarding. Better yet my shoulder held up and only felt tight through my warm-up.

Close-Grip Bench Press: (135 x 15) x 2; 275 x 8; 295 x 7; 315 x 6.
Pushdowns: (80 x 20) x 3
Weighted Dips: 90 x 8; 115 x 7; 135 x 6
Skull Crushers: (80 x 20) x 3
Barbell Curl: 80 x 10; 100 x 8; 120 x 5
Dumbbell Hammer Curl: (20 x 20) x 3
Preacher Curl: 115 x 8; 125 x 6
Cable Hammer Curl: (60 x 20) x 2

Excited to get after some LEGS today.

Stay Anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Yesterday I abused my legs. I felt stronger this week than last week. If I didn't go up in weight from last week than I busted out more reps. The highlight of this week was the 1005 pound leg press. This workout seriously jacked up my natural testosterone levels because I was riding high the rest of the day. If I can continue to progress 1 rep a week at this weight for squats that I'm golden. If not, I will have to pick a different starting weight as well as different increments.

Stepping on the scale revealed UP 3 POUNDS! I thought for sure my break from a supplement stack would cause me to loose some weight. If nothing more, the lack of creatine would cause me to drop 2 or 3 pounds. Low and behold my maintenance at 5,000 calories a day is proving to be enough to generate more mass building. We will see if this time next week proves that this gain was for real.

Squat: 315 x 8; 405 x 5; 425 x 3
Leg Extension: (195 x 18) x 3
Leg Press:870 x 6; 960 x 4; 1005 x 3
Leg Extension: (150 x 20) x 3
Stiff-legged deadlift: 245 x 8; 295 x 6; 335 x 4
Leg Curl: (110 x 18) x 3
Donkey kick's: (30 x 8) x 3

Some interval training today on the olyptical and maybe some core. The week starts with back tomorrow.

Stay anabolic!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Yesterday I abused my back at around 3pm. I was not mentally reved up for this lift and it was bothering me during the ride to the gym. This is the first time the lack of any pre-workout supplimentation has bothered me since taking a break a couple of weeks ago. I was looking to get up so I warmed-up and started my deadlifts at a heavier weight and got loud.

Deadlifts (2 minute rest): 365 x 8; 405 x 6; 455 x 3
Pulldown (2 minute rest): 210 x 10; 230 x 8; 250 x 5
Supinated Cable Row (40 second rest): 100 x 20; 100 x 20; 100 x 18.
Barbell Row (2 minute rest): 225 x 8; 255 x 6; 275 x 5
Close grip pulldown (40 second rest): (140 x 18) x 3
Hammer Strength Row (2 minute rest): 230 x 8; 270 x 7; 320 x 6
Straight arm pulldown (40 second rest): (60 x 18) x 3

So I replaced incline supinated dumbell row with supinated cable row this week. This felt a lot better and took the stress off my shoulders making it easy for me to isolate my upper lats. I started with a more reasoable barbell row weight this week which made for a better rep range. My deadlifts started heavier this week. Luckily I was still able to finish at 455 for 3 reps. My first two sets of pulldowns were stronger than last week but I finished at the same weight for the same reps and thos reps werent as clean as I would have liked. Im cosidering different increments fornext week. Once again my pump was great.

Stay anabolic.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I hit chest today. Needless to say I didn't feel 100%. Some of my weights went up but I didn't feel great. My left shoulder was irritated before I even finished my flat bench sets. I'm due for a week off in sometime in the next month. If this doesn't subside then I will have to take the break sooner rather than later. If you review my numbers I did show progress from last chest day but I didn't feel like I have after most of my lifts. With that being said here are my numbers:

Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 275 x 8; 295 x 6; 315 x 5
Pec-Dec (40 second rest): (165 x 20) x 3
Incline Press (2 minute rest): 265 x 8; 285 x 5; 315 x 2
Dumbbell Incline Fly(40 second rest): (30 x 20) x 3
Hammer Strength Press (2 minute rest): 275 x 8; 295 x 6; 315 x 4
Cable Crossover (40 second press): (70 x 15) x 3

This week I felt week on incline and never got into my comfort zone. This could have been because I started heavier on flat bench. No excuses regardless. The jump in cable crossover from last chest day was 10 pounds (60 to 70) but this weight seemed much more than 10 pounds heavier. You can see this because I got nowhere near 20 reps on any set. Tomorrow I will hit some calves and cardio (HIIT). I am going to try and make an effort to stretch my shoulder every day in hopes to avoid this irritation I have been getting on chest day. If nothing more, arm day is an easy day to feel a premium pump. I'm hoping that gets me back on track.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

So it turns out that my chest day couldn't have been that bad after all. On Thursday I was nice and sore throughout by pecs and my shoulder felt fine. I took Thursday off completely and hit arms on Friday. The only change I made was going from close-grip decline press to a regular close-grip press on the flat bench. Other than that nothing changed except the weight.

Close-grip bench press (2 minute rest): 275 x 8; 295 x 5; 315 x 3
Pushdowns (40 second rest): 90 x 18; 90 x 18; 90 x 15
Weighted Dips (2 minute rest): 115 x 8; 135 x 6; 160 x 3
Skull Crushers (40 second rest): 90 x 20; 90 x 20; 90 x 13
Barbell Curls (2 minute rest): 85 x 9; 105 x 7; 125 x 4
Dumbbell hammer curl (40 second rest): (25 x 18) x 3
Preacher Curl (2 minute rest): 115 x 8; 125 x 5
Cable Hammer Curl (40 second rest): (70 x 20) x 2

Arms looked and felt big. This isn't saying much considering its such a small muscle group. Any reasonable volume training will generate pumps. Either way, weights went up and I felt good.

Saturday I did some core and cardio. I completed 30 minutes of HIIT training on the olyptical and circuit trained my abs.

Today I am going to get after some LEGS. Another big day is in store for me.

I have changed my mind, once more, about bridging the gap between my two mass cycles (which was supposed to by one mass cycle of 4 months time). I will continue my current training regimen and caloric intake through the end of February. However, from March to April I am going to substitute my mass gainer shake to a typical hydrolized whey. I will eat clean but I will not over eat. I will train with a higher rep range (8 to 12). I am going to do this in hopes of cutting out any fat I may have acquired and solidifying the gains I have made. This will provide for a better frame to throw mass onto come April and the re-start of the mass cycle.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Sunday was LEG day. After some needed rest on Saturday I felt revived and ready to go. I found myself a little drowsy when arriving at the gym yet excited to hit some heavy weight. It was a strange combination and I knew for this day to go off without a hitch I would have to get the blood pumping before I got started. I accomplishd this by hitting the stair climber for 10 minutes. I then warmed up for two sets on squats. My energy was up and now matched my excitement.

Squat: 315 x 8; 405 x 6; 425 x 3
Leg Extension: (195 x 20) x 3
Leg Press: 870 x 7; 960 x 5; 1005 x 4
Leg Extension: (165 x 20) x 3
Stiff-legged deadlift: 255 x 8; 295 x 7; 335 x 6
Leg Curl: (110 x 20) x 3
Donkey kick's: (30 x 10) x 3

I ripped out more reps for all of the weight that remained the same from last week and imiproved my weights on extensions. This exercise is just to feed my quads so moving up in weight for this is not all that telling. I will have one week left of heavy legs before March rolls around and I start to solidify my gains and cut out any unwanted fat (although minimal) that I gained. 3 weeks of this should do the trick before trying to pack on more muscle come april.

Monday was a cardio and core day. I got after some HIIT on the eliptical for 30 minutes and hit some standard ab movements.

Today is chest.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I hit some chest on Tuesday. My shoulder wasn't feeling too bad. I made an effort to stretch after my warm-up and in between each of my press sets. This helped a great deal. If the week off doesn't cause this to stop I'm certain the lighter weight will help during the 3 weeks in march. After a warm-up I started with Flat Bench press:

Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 275 x 8; 315 x 5; 315 x 4
Pec-Dec (40 second rest): (180 x 20) x 3
Incline Press (2 minute rest): 265 x 8; 285 x 5; 315 x 2
Dumbbell Incline Fly(40 second rest): (35 x 20) x 3
Hammer Strength Press (2 minute rest): 275 x 8; 315 x 6; 345 x 3
Cable Crossover (40 second press): (70 x 18) x 3

I decided to hit 315 on flat for two straight sets instead of going to 295 and then 315. This gave me a better idea of wear I stood with that weight. My weights went up for Pec-Dec, Incline fly, hammer strength press. My reps went up with cable crossover. I am stuck in a rut with my incline fly. I don't know if this is due to the specific routine I'm on or my shoulder. I think it all comes down to weight selection. I would hit this weight for previous routines where Incline was my first movement or was my second. I guess I was wrong in thinking I could maintain the same numbers after hitting it as a third movement behind 3 heavy sets and 3 volume sets. The pump was there yet again but I didn't feel as on top of my game as I normally do.

I hit some HIIT on the the eliptical on Wednesday as well as some core.

I have shoulders today.

Stay anabolic

 

[Jeremy Brown]

really impressive workouts and lifts!! im enjoying following along, keep up the good work man!

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Thursday I got after some shoulders followed by calves. Yesterday I hit some arms. I felt off on shoulders even though my numbers went up. I felt down most of the lift and my pumps weren't as present. I cant complain because my numbers went up so I did spark some growth. Arms, like every week, felt really good. I felt nice and full.

Shoulders:
Smith Military Press: (135 x 15)x2; 235 x 8; 255 x 6; 275 x 3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: (25 x 18) x 3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 80 x 8; 90 x 6; 100 x 3
Cable Reverse Cross-over flies: (40 x 20) x 3

Arms:
Close-grip bench press (2 minute rest): (135 x 15) x 2; 275 x 8; 295 x 5; 315 x 4
Pushdowns (40 second rest): (90 x 18) x 3
Weighted Dips (2 minute rest): 115 x 8; 135 x 6; 160 x 4
Skull Crushers (40 second rest): 90 x 20; 90 x 20; 90 x 17
Barbell Curls (2 minute rest): 85 x 9; 105 x 7; 125 x 5
Dumbbell hammer curl (40 second rest): (25 x 20) x 3
Preacher Curl (2 minute rest): 115 x 8; 125 x 5
Cable Hammer Curl (40 second rest): (80 x 18) x 2

I continue to be stuck at 275 on military press. It's aggravating but I feel like when I come back to mass in April I will be able to bust through that plateau if not next week (Final week before off week and a few weeks of hardening in march). My numbers continue to move up with arms. It will be tough moving away from those heavy close grip presses and weighted dips. Its a great feeling strapping 3 plates and a quarter to your waist and busting your @$$ for a few reps. Luckily my weight will only be a couple of weeks...then back to smashing it heavy.

Today I will hit some LEGS

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Appreciate it...ill keep it coming.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I lifted legs on Saturday. I wanted to try a little something different today so for my strength/mass sets I hit 3 straight sets of weight that I would use for a 6 rep range. So instead of increasing my weight I maintained the same weight through 3 sets for 6 reps each set. My volume/pump sets remained the same but its important to note my weights went up for those sets.

Squat (2 minute rest): (315 x 8) x 3
Leg Extension (40 second rest): (210 x 18) x 3
Leg Press (2 minute rest): (870 x 6) x 3
Leg Extension (40 second rest): (180 x 18) x 3
Stiff-legged deadlift (2 minute rest): (295 x 6) x 3
Leg Curl (40 second rest): (130 x 18) x 3
Donkey kick's (2 minute rest): (30 x 10) x 3

I felt good. My pump was a bit more pronounced and I felt a lot better at the end of the workout. Also, I did feel the same burn at the end of both quads and hamstrings. Come Sunday I was significantly more soar than I remember being the day after legs last week. I am going to consider this type routine when I return to mass in April.

Yesterday was HIIT for 35 minutes on the eliptical and some core work.

Today is back

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Yesterday I waged war on my back. I continued experimenting as I did with legs on saturday by utilizing 6 rep weight for 3 consectutive sets while maintaining my volume/pump sets the way they have been. My lats were more full and pumped at the top (near my arm pit) than I am used to. The lat spread proved this was the case as I noticed a more noticable crest when flexed. I felt stiff and wide for most of the lift whic I contribute to a good pump but a different feeling one at that.

Deadlifts (2 minute rest): (405 x 8) x 3
Pulldown (2 minute rest): (230 x 6) x 3
Supinated Cable Row (40 second rest): (100 x 20) x 3
Barbell Row (2 minute rest): (245 x 6) x 3
Close grip pulldown (40 second rest): (140 x 20) x 3
Hammer Strength Row (2 minute rest): (270 x 8) x 3
Straight arm pulldown (40 second rest): (60 x 20) x 3

I am prepared to finish off this week before a well deserved and needed week off starting Monday. On a different not, my lifting partner has informed me that we need to push back the second half of the mass cycle to the end of April beginning of May. This means that, for a number of reasons, I will have to start the mass cycle on my own in April. Im shopping around for a lifting partner for that month as we speak because Ive found the gains are not nearly as impactful when I hit a mass cycle alone versus with a reliable lifting partner. We will see what happens.

Chest tonight.

Stay anabolic

 

[rantorcha]

Lookin' good, Rhino! Looks like you'll need a week off after the training you've been doing.

Good luck finding a partner.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Thanks rantorcha. I've been so involved in my lifts that I forgot about a well needed rest. Haven't taken time of like this in around 6 months so this is long overdue. Although, if it weren't for traveling for work I can't say I would have taken a break for a few more weeks.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Tuesday was chest and Thursday was shoulders. Wednesday I got after some HIIT for 35 minutes on the eliptical. I continued to utilize 6-8 rep range weight for three straight sets on most mass building exercises. My volume/pump sets remained the same.


Chest:
Flat Bench (2 minute rest): (275 x 8) x 3
Pec-Dec (40 second rest): (195 x 18) x 3
Incline Press (2 minute rest): (265 x 8) x 3
Dumbbell Incline Fly(40 second rest): (40 x 18) x 3
Hammer Strength Press (2 minute rest): (275 x 8) x 3
Cable Crossover (40 second press): (70 x 20) x 3

Shoulders:
Smith Military Press: (235 x 8) x 3
Dumbbell Lateral Raise: (25 x 20) x 3
Dumbbell Shoulder Press: (90 x 6) x 3
Cable Reverse Cross-over flies: (50 x 18) x 3

The reason for experimenting is this: This is my last week leading up to an off week. While still pushing myself, I wanted to try something a little different to see how I feel post workout. With chest the results weren't outstanding but for shoulders I felt good. I will finish up the week utilizing this same approach.

Today is arms and tomorrow is LEGS

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

My lifting partner was able to set aside his obligations for two days and was able to life arms with me yesterday and will hit legs with me today. This had my energy levels peaking before I even got to lifting which meant a good day was in store:

Close-grip bench press (2 minute rest): (275 x 8) x 3
Pushdowns (40 second rest): (90 x 18) x 3
Weighted Dips (2 minute rest): (135 x 6) x 3
Skull Crushers (40 second rest): (90 x 20) x 3
Barbell Curls (2 minute rest): (105 x 8) x 3
Dumbbell hammer curl (40 second rest): (30 x 18) x 3
Preacher Curl (2 minute rest): (115 x 6) x 3
Cable Hammer Curl (40 second rest): (70 x 20) x 2

So my lifts were decent and, as always, I felt good considering it was only arms. More good came from this lift than I expected. My lifting partner informed me that we will start the mass cycle the first week of April! This is a load of my shoulders because it means I will be able to start and finish the cycle with my reliable lifting partner. There will be a 4 days span in the Beginning of may where we wont lift together but I'm not too concerned. Now, hopefully, I will enjoy my week off without an worry.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

My week concluded with legs. My numbers were the same as last week but my reps went up by 2 for each lift. For time sake I wont put my numbers up but you can review them relative to my last post on leg day.

I am entering this week with mixed emotions. I never enjoy taking a full week off from the gym but for rest and recuperation its an absolute must. More importantly, I will be able to go into my last month of lifting prior to my mass cycle revived. After some contemplation, I have decided to cut from the second week of March through the first Week of April. At that time I will consider kicking of f my mass cycle.

Once again I am on the ropes because I may potentially be traveling to Puerto Rico for 5 days at the end of April or beginning of May. I will have no access to a gym so I do not want to be starting my h-drol and that point. This means that mass may be pushed back, once again, to May. This was something I wanted to avoid in an attempt to be done with my h-drol by June 18. I will take the next week to try and figure things out further.

Ill be up an posting again a week from today unless something else comes up.

Stay anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I'm Back! My week off was uneventful but well deserved and taken advantage of. I ate clean, rested well and just relaxed. This week was my return to the iron dungeon. I eased my way back into it this week and was working anywhere from 15 to 8 reps. I will stay on this path till about mid-April when I plan to kick start the mass cycle. Between now and then I hope to slice and dice. We are talking a hybrid maintenance/cutting phase.

My supplements consist of nothing more than whey protein shake 2x a day (between meal 1 and 2 and immediately after lifting; Casein shake prior to bedtime; amino acid blend before every meal and prior to my lifts; ON's Threshold immediately upon awakening in the morning and prior to my lifts. I plan to stay anabolic with my clean diet and steady dosing of protein.

My diet is the same it was for my previous maintenance phase. Refer to (Building the Bridge 1). The only difference is that I have cut out 2,100 calories from my mass protein shake 3x a day. Additionally, the ration of protein, to carbs to fast is 3:2:1. During mass I was hitting closer to a 3:3:1 ration. My salt intake is always low but I am making a stronger effort to keep it below 1500mg where as during the maintenance I was below 2000mg.

I am already down 4 pounds through my off-week and week 1 (this week) of training. My strength is has minimally lessened but fueling down to 3,500 calories does that to me. I will provide the movements I hit for each day with rep's. I am leaving out weight because this first week was a more used to feel out the new rep range and prepare my body.

Monday: LEGS

Squat (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Leg Press (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Leg Extension (1 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Stiff Legged Deadlift (2 minute rest): 5 sets (12, 12, 10, 10, 8)
Seated Leg Curls (1 minute rest): 5 sets (15, 12, 12, 10, 8).

Tuesday: Arms/ Cardio
Close-Grip (2 minute rest): 3 sets (12, 10, 8)
Overhead press (1 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)
Skull Crushers (2 minute rest): 3 sets (12, 10, 8)
Pushdown: (1 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)
Cardio: 35 minutes HIIT.

Wednesday: Shoulders
Smith Press (2 minute rest): 3 sets (12, 10, 8)
Dumbell Lateral Raise (1 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)
Arnold Press (2 minute rest): 3 sets (12, 10,8)
Rear Lateral Raise: (1 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)

Thursday: Cardio/Abs
HIIT: 35 minutes
Abs - Resistance band leg raises, Resistance band crunches

Friday: Back
Pulldown (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Pronated Hammer Row (1 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Barbell Row (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Cable Seated Close-grip row (1 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)

Saturday: Chest
Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Pec-Dec (1 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Incline Dumbbell Bench (2 minute rest): 4 sets (12, 10, 8, 8)
Decline Fly (1 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)

Sunday: Cardio
HIIT: 35 Minutes

This short reprieve from the heavy @ss weight will allow for some joint rejuvenation as well as hardening. If nothing else it will give me a good idea of the true gains I have made over the past months.

Stay Anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Once again I went by feel for this week. This resulted in more adjustment to my routine. First, I increased the rep-range of my main movements to 15-8 and adjusted my pump sets to 18 - 8. My rest was 2 minutes for main movements and 1 minute for pump sets. Furthermore, I moved triceps to chest day and moved biceps to back day. For the last few months I have had arms on their own day (with great results) but I needed to confuse my muscles before returning to mass. Ive noticed that my muscle bellies have minimally (if at all) gotten smaller from the end of mass. However, the cutting has actually reversed this effect and made my look just as big. Now that I have a solid framework for this routine I will begin keeping track of my weights.

Monday: LEGS
Squat (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 9)
Leg Extension: (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)
Leg Press (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Leg Extension (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)
Stiff Legged Deadlift (2 minute rest): 5 sets (15, 12, 10, 8, 8)
Seated Leg Curls (1 minute rest): 5 sets (15, 12, 12, 10, 8).

Tuesday:Cardio
Cardio: 35 minutes HIIT.

Wednesday: Shoulders
Smith Press (2 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)
Dumbell Lateral Raise (1 minute rest): 3 sets (18, 15, 12)
Arnold Press (2 minute rest): 3 sets (15, 12, 10)
Rear Lateral Raise: (1 minute rest): 3 sets (18, 15, 12)

Thursday: Cardio/Abs
HIIT: 35 minutes
Abs - Resistance band leg raises, Resistance band crunches

Friday: Back/Bi's
Pulldown (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Pronated Hammer Row (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)
Barbell Row (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Cable Seated Close-grip row (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 10)
Barbell Curl (2 minute rest): 15, 12, 10, 8
Incline Prone Hammer Curl (1 minute rest) 18, 15, 12, 9

Saturday: Chest/Tri's
Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Pec-Dec (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)
Incline Dumbbell Bench (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Decline Fly (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)
Dips (2 minute rest): 4 sets (15, 12, 10, 8)
Pushdown: (1 minute rest): 4 sets (18, 15, 12, 9)

Sunday: Cardio
HIIT: 35 Minutes


Once again I was getting used to this lighter routine. I felt good all around and all my muscle groups are really starting to "pop" with the effective cutting. Even after only 2 weeks. My sodium intake has dropped to between 1000 and 1250mg. I have until Mid-April to cut-up before packing it back on again.

Stay Anabolic

 

[rantorcha]

Very interesting stuff, Rhino.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Thanks rantorcha. I feel like there is more room for experimenting when cutting then when bulking. I have been and will continue to mess around with varying techniques while pushing the necessary weight and reps for cutting.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

I got some weights recorded for this week. I'm finding myself working hard but really I am looking forward to getting back to mass. Have one more month left of this and thus far cutting up has been really successful. I am down another 2 pounds and my strength which diminished only slightly initially, has stabilized and now I've begun making gains. I will stick with each weight for 2 weeks of ideal form and expected rep range at which time I will move up in weight. This is an attempt to go back to basics and bring my form to close as perfection as possible before i get back to mass.

Monday: LEGS
Hack Squat (2 minute rest): 185 x 15, 205 x 12, 225 x 9
Leg Extension: (1 minute rest): 170 x 18, 180 x 15, 190 x 12.
Leg Press (2 minute rest): 465 x 15, 555 x 12, 645 x 9
Leg Extension (1 minute rest): 3 sets 170 x 18, 180 x 15, 190 x 12.
Stiff Legged Deadlift (2 minute rest): 185 x 15, 205 x 12, 225 x 9, 245 x 8.
Prone Leg Curls (1 minute rest): 100 x 18, 110 x 15, 120 x 12.

Tuesday: Shoulders
Smith Press (2 minute rest): 165 x 15, 185 x 12, 205 x 10.
Dumbell Lateral Raise (1 minute rest): 15 x 18, 20 x 15, 25 x 12.
Arnold Press (2 minute rest): 40 x 15, 45 x 12, 50 x 10)
Cable Rear Lateral Raise: (1 minute rest): 40 x 18, 50 x 15, 60 x 12.

Wednesday: Cardio
Cardio: 35 minutes HIIT.

Thursday: Cardio/Abs
HIIT: 35 minutes
Abs - Resistance band leg raises, Resistance band crunches

Friday: Back/Bi's
Pulldown (2 minute rest): 160 x 15, 170 x 12, 180 x 10, 190 x 8)
Pronated Hammer Row (1 minute rest): 180 x 18, 210 x 15, 230 x 12, 240 x 9.
Supinated Barbell Row (2 minute rest): 135 x 15, 165 x 12, 185 x 10, 195 x 8
Cable Seated Close-grip row (1 minute rest): 100 x 18, 110 x 15, 120 x 12, 130 x 10)
Barbell Curl (2 minute rest): 65 x 15, 75 x 12, 85 x 9.
Incline Prone Hammer Curl (1 minute rest) 15 x 18, 20 x 15, 25 x 12.

Saturday: Chest/Tri's
Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 185 x 15, 205 x 12, 225 x 9, 255 x 6.
Pec-Dec (1 minute rest): 165 x 18, 180 x 15, 195 x 12, 210 x 9.
Incline Dumbbell Bench (2 minute rest): 65 x 15, 70 x 12, 75 x 10, 80 x 8.
Decline Fly (1 minute rest): 25 x 18, 30 x 15, 35 x 12, 40 x 9.
French press (2 minute rest): 65 x 15, 70 x 12, 75 x 10, 80 x 8)
Machine Dip: (1 minute rest): 150 x 18, 160 x 15, 170 x 12, 180 x 9.

Sunday: Cardio
HIIT: 35 Minutes

First time hitting back/bi's chest/tri's in a while. I feel a real good pump but I'm quite fatigued. Additionally, the pump/fatigue combination makes it difficult to feel the exercise. If I wasn't hitting such standard movements I would be concerned that I would lack ideal form and peak contraction efficiency. This is why I am only hitting two movements for arms.

Stay Anabolic

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

This was a mediocre week. I felt strong but obligations elsewhere made it difficult to get my mind in the game. I still upped the weight as planned for those movements that I had already hit for 2 consecutive weeks with identical weight and reps. I will continue this way while cutting. Basically, I will add weight for consecutive sets and hit the rep range described in previous posts. Once I hit the same weight for the alloted reps 2 weeks in a row I will add weight and repeat. For me, this is an effective means of maintaining and building strength during a cutting phase.

Monday: LEGS
Hack Squat (2 minute rest): 205 x 15, 225 x 12, 245 x 9
Leg Extension: (1 minute rest): 170 x 18, 180 x 15, 190 x 12.
Leg Press (2 minute rest): 465 x 15, 555 x 12, 645 x 10
Leg Extension (1 minute rest): 3 sets 170 x 18, 180 x 15, 190 x 12.
Stiff Legged Deadlift (2 minute rest): 185 x 15, 205 x 12, 225 x 10, 245 x 8.
Prone Leg Curls (1 minute rest): 100 x 18, 110 x 15, 120 x 12.

Tuesday: Shoulders/calves
Smith Press (2 minute rest): 165 x 15, 185 x 12, 205 x 10.
Dumbell Lateral Raise (1 minute rest): 15 x 18, 20 x 15, 25 x 12.
Arnold Press (2 minute rest): 40 x 15, 45 x 12, 50 x 10)
Cable Rear Lateral Raise: (1 minute rest): 40 x 18, 50 x 15, 60 x 12.
Seated Calf Raises (2 minute rest): 20, 18, 16, 14, 10
Standing Calf Raises (1 minutes rest): 20, 18, 16, 14, 12

Wednesday: Cardio
Cardio: 35 minutes HIIT.

Thursday: Cardio/Abs
HIIT: 35 minutes
Abs - Resistance band leg raises, Resistance band crunches

Friday: Back/Bi's
Pulldown (2 minute rest): 160 x 15, 170 x 12, 180 x 10, 190 x 8)
Pronated Hammer Row (1 minute rest): 180 x 18, 210 x 15, 230 x 12, 240 x 10.
Supinated Barbell Row (2 minute rest): 135 x 15, 165 x 12, 185 x 10, 195 x 8
Cable Seated Close-grip row (1 minute rest): 110 x 18, 120 x 15, 130 x 12, 140 x 10)
Barbell Curl (2 minute rest): 65 x 15, 75 x 12, 85 x 10.
Incline Prone Hammer Curl (1 minute rest) 15 x 18, 20 x 15, 25 x 12.

Saturday: Chest/Tri's
Flat Bench (2 minute rest): 185 x 15, 205 x 12, 225 x 9, 255 x 7.
Pec-Dec (1 minute rest): 165 x 18, 180 x 15, 195 x 12, 210 x 9.
Incline Dumbbell Bench (2 minute rest): 70 x 15, 75 x 12, 80 x 10, 85 x 8.
Decline Fly (1 minute rest): 25 x 18, 30 x 15, 35 x 12, 40 x 9.
French press (2 minute rest): 65 x 15, 70 x 12, 75 x 10, 80 x 8)
Machine Dip: (1 minute rest): 150 x 18, 160 x 15, 170 x 12, 180 x 9.

Sunday: Cardio
HIIT: 35 Minutes

Down another 2 pounds from last week, totaling 6 now.

So my most recent physical revealed that by blood pressure is high. I was reading anywhere from high 130's to high 140's over 80. This is borderline hypertensive and no one is certain why. Very well could be stress related. However, if I can't get it down by May than I will have to continue to postpone the halodrol cycle do to unlikely but possible effects of increasing blood pressure. Blood work came back normal and a recent echo revealed no abnormalities so we are going to do a full cardiac work-up to rule out anything else. If this is also negative I will likely get my BP down and move foraward with the halodrol.



Stay anabolic