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Hyde’s Strength Odyssey

9/9/23 - End of Week 17 of Blast

BW 262.8

BP 133/83, pulse 53 (before my morning dose of 80mg telmisartan)

Gear this week is now blasted up to 600 test e, 550 mast e, 120 dhb - this is split over 2 shots each filled entirely to 3cc. I took 25mg Anadrol specifically preWO Tuesday.

Added L-Carnitine back in this week as well. Getting 100mg preWO in a blend with Choline, and taking 300 on off days. This is specifically for the AR scrubbing, to make my gear unbind faster and “work better” per mg.

Tonight I will be adding 50mg Anadrol/day for 12-14 days (until I have tested all my max lifts). Then I will take a week break from it, before finishing the meet prep with 9-10 days on it. I am not looking forward to the battle eating will become, but I did not come this far only to fall short at the 5 yard line on my benchpress.
 
9/8/23

Miniband Pullaparts
4x25
Cable Tri Pressdown
50 2x25
Miniband Rows
2x15

Band Rotators & Dislocations

Dynamic Bench
45x10
+doubled micros
45,95x5
155 5x5

Floorpress
45,135,185,225x8
255,275,295,315x6 PR

DB Rolling Tri Ext
25,35,45x21

Pec Minor Stretch
DB Eccentric Curls

NG Wide Lat Pulldown
80 2x12 slowwww tempo/squeeze

ART yesterday was 4th session; getting some ROM back in my elbow and things are feeling better again. Took the renewed opportunity to practice my bench technique touching today (where I would recently get pain & do weird things like flare to avoid the flexion). PR strength on Floorpress lets me know things are heading in the right direction! Any lat, tricep & bicep work is being spent with extreme intent to train the most ROM/tightest flexion reasonable to restore some comfort/ability there.
Awesome work and nice PR on the floor press! Glad to see you getting ROM back. Always impressed with your knowledge and training, glad you log it’s a pleasure to be following along!!
 
9/9/23 - End of Week 17 of Blast

BW 262.8

BP 133/83, pulse 53 (before my morning dose of 80mg telmisartan)

Gear this week is now blasted up to 600 test e, 550 mast e, 120 dhb - this is split over 2 shots each filled entirely to 3cc. I took 25mg Anadrol specifically preWO Tuesday.

Added L-Carnitine back in this week as well. Getting 100mg preWO in a blend with Choline, and taking 300 on off days. This is specifically for the AR scrubbing, to make my gear unbind faster and “work better” per mg.

Tonight I will be adding 50mg Anadrol/day for 12-14 days (until I have tested all my max lifts). Then I will take a week break from it, before finishing the meet prep with 9-10 days on it. I am not looking forward to the battle eating will become, but I did not come this far only to fall short at the 5 yard line on my benchpress.
Awesome, dialing in the rocket fuel now …game time.💪🏆
 
9/10/23
BW 262.6 yesterday

5 min walk
Jigsaw lower body
Split Squats
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlifts

Deadlift, Kabuki bar
155x3,2,1
265x2
375x1
+belt
440,485,529,573,600x1

4” Blockpulls
407,440,485x5

GHR
15,13,8

Invalid Link Removed

Sometimes, you have to tell the universe where you belong.
 
9/10/23
BW 262.6 yesterday

5 min walk
Jigsaw lower body
Split Squats
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlifts

Deadlift, Kabuki bar
155x3,2,1
265x2
375x1
+belt
440,485,529,573,600x1

4” Blockpulls
407,440,485x5

GHR
15,13,8

Invalid Link Removed

Sometimes, you have to tell the universe where you belong.

 
9/10/23
BW 262.6 yesterday

5 min walk
Jigsaw lower body
Split Squats
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlifts

Deadlift, Kabuki bar
155x3,2,1
265x2
375x1
+belt
440,485,529,573,600x1

4” Blockpulls
407,440,485x5

GHR
15,13,8

Invalid Link Removed

Sometimes, you have to tell the universe where you belong.
That deadlift is killer. Well done! 💯

Are those your knee sleeves just pulled down over your shins?
 
Thanks everybody! It was a good mental victory. I haven’t pulled 600+ since Sept 11 of last year & it felt great.

That deadlift is killer. Well done!

Are those your knee sleeves just pulled down over your shins?

Yep, some old Rehbands I use for general knee warmth & shinguards for deadlift training. I wear them for all of my pulls except on the platform at comp. Then I just wear red deadlift socks. I only need to make 3 pulls then, so the red hides any blood pretty well if I cut myself.

Nice, 600 lbs pull after all that.

That’s just the pre-flight checklist to clear me for takeoff! I believe if you don’t have time to warm up, you don’t have time to train.
 
Jeebus, your thighs are looking MASSIVE!!!! Great pull!
 
IDK if you're getting enough credit for where the weight is going. As hard as you have worked to GAIN weight/size, you can tell in that picture it's going to the right places. I mean relatively speaking, you're looking crazy lean for how much you've gained this year so far, IMO
 
9/12/23

Miniband Pullaparts 4x25
Cable Tri Pressdown 40,40,50x25
HS CSR 45 3x15

Bench, Texas powerbar & calibrated plates
45 3x5
155x5
198,220,242x3
275,308,341x1
308x7

HS CSR
90 4x15 varying grips

Pec minor stretch
Eccentric curls

This was a deload session in preparation for working up to a max next week. Day 3 of Anadrol, and boy I hope it does some magic soon.
 
9/12/23

Miniband Pullaparts 4x25
Cable Tri Pressdown 40,40,50x25
HS CSR 45 3x15

Bench, Texas powerbar & calibrated plates
45 3x5
155x5
198,220,242x3
275,308,341x1
308x7

HS CSR
90 4x15 varying grips

Pec minor stretch
Eccentric curls

This was a deload session in preparation for working up to a max next week. Day 3 of Anadrol, and boy I hope it does some magic soon.
Yeah Anadrol can zap the appetite pretty quick. Hopefully you’re able to keep your calories up.
 
Yeah Anadrol can zap the appetite pretty quick. Hopefully you’re able to keep your calories up.

Appetite has been so-so at best for a long time already, but no heartburn issues so far and appetite hasn’t gotten worse yet *knock on wood*.

ART went great today; things just seem to keep improving very slightly and I’m very happy with it all. I’ll go back Friday after second bench day, and again Monday afternoon to prepare for Tuesday’s testing.

Donating a pint this Thursday. As red as I’m getting on deadlifts, I’ve definitely got surplus blood volume. This should reduce my bp slightly and give someone in need a good healing boost.
 
Did some gripper work; I closed the #3 genie for a set of 3 per hand today (worked up to a single last week).

Rode out to a farm with the wife & some neighbors to lift & weigh a bunch of big rocks, looking for some for my wife to train with. She has a natural stone loading medley at America’s Strongest Woman in November. We came home with a 127, a 143lber, and one shaped like a shield that’s a bit heavier but should be under 200. We decided to leave the 212 we found when we discovered the shield, but we had already blown our scale out before we got to weigh the shield

We moved some stuff down to the basement for the old couple as payment for the stones! They were very kind & sent us with a bunch of fresh apples too.
 
Did some gripper work; I closed the #3 genie for a set of 3 per hand today (worked up to a single last week).

Rode out to a farm with the wife & some neighbors to lift & weigh a bunch of big rocks, looking for some for my wife to train with. She has a natural stone loading medley at America’s Strongest Woman in November. We came home with a 127, a 143lber, and one shaped like a shield that’s a bit heavier but should be under 200. We decided to leave the 212 we found when we discovered the shield, but we had already blown our scale out before we got to weigh the shield

We moved some stuff down to the basement for the old couple as payment for the stones! They were very kind & sent us with a bunch of fresh apples too.
Sounds like a great time on the farm and got some heavy stones!
 
Did some gripper work; I closed the #3 genie for a set of 3 per hand today (worked up to a single last week).

Rode out to a farm with the wife & some neighbors to lift & weigh a bunch of big rocks, looking for some for my wife to train with. She has a natural stone loading medley at America’s Strongest Woman in November. We came home with a 127, a 143lber, and one shaped like a shield that’s a bit heavier but should be under 200. We decided to leave the 212 we found when we discovered the shield, but we had already blown our scale out before we got to weigh the shield

We moved some stuff down to the basement for the old couple as payment for the stones! They were very kind & sent us with a bunch of fresh apples too.
That’s awesome…..me and my wife go to the beach to collect shells, you and your wife go to the country to collect 200 lbs rocks. I think your adventure sounds more interesting.😎
 
Very cool. How did you even hear they had big rocks out there?
 
Very cool. How did you even hear they had big rocks out there?

Some retired neighbors down the street were asking my wife about her next comp. They mentioned they got all their landscaping stones from friends with a farm that had dug them up from their fields over the years. So they offered to take us out there. It was a great deal; stones these size often sell for $1-200 a boulder from landscaping supply.

I think the older couples got a good kick out of watching us lift them! They’ve never seen anything like that.
 
Some retired neighbors down the street were asking my wife about her next comp. They mentioned they got all their landscaping stones from friends with a farm that had dug them up from their fields over the years. So they offered to take us out there. It was a great deal; stones these size often sell for $1-200 a boulder from landscaping supply.

I think the older couples got a good kick out of watching us lift them! They’ve never seen anything like that.
That gave them something to tell the family at the next get together.😎
 
Some retired neighbors down the street were asking my wife about her next comp. They mentioned they got all their landscaping stones from friends with a farm that had dug them up from their fields over the years. So they offered to take us out there. It was a great deal; stones these size often sell for $1-200 a boulder from landscaping supply.

I think the older couples got a good kick out of watching us lift them! They’ve never seen anything like that.
Talk about a win win for both parties. Yeah I am sure they did.
That gave them something to tell the family at the next get together.😎
Right, this huge guy and one of the most built women I have ever seen came down and picked up our boulders and took them away for fun!
 
You may have said this, do you know about how many calories you’re eating each day?

I believe my average is ~5k. Plenty of times at 5500, but I know there’s been a lot too where I only manage something like 4600 when we’re doing a lot of family stuff and I can’t calculate or plan as well. Those days I just make sure to drink as much soda as possible whenever it’s available - I can pad 6-800 calories with that & often salvage the day.

Or some things I don’t measure. I fill a huge glass with orange juice or whole milk, and after my meal I fill it halfway again if I have room. When I have something like ice cream or chips before bed I just try to eat until I start to get just a little sick.

The main thing is, you have to eat something when it’s time, even though you are not hungry & tired of eating. Macros are for fine tuning, but calorie balance is king. Priority #1 is just keeping logs on the fire.
 
You're obviously building some serious muscle mass with the weight gain. Do you have any theories long term on how much you will hold if and when you decide to cut again? Like if you were 218 last comp, do you think you'd land at 225+ with the same BF%?
 
"All of them!"
I’m not even below below 2,200 calories and it seems as if I was just complaining about trying to get in 3200 but now that I’ve been in a deficit for several weeks, I could scarf down 4,000+ the next 7 days and still be hungry. I can’t imagine 5,000-5,500 for more than a day or two. It’s very impressive and just shows the dedication.

it’s crazy how much your appetite will change throughout the course of a bulk or cutting phase.
 
You're obviously building some serious muscle mass with the weight gain. Do you have any theories long term on how much you will hold if and when you decide to cut again? Like if you were 218 last comp, do you think you'd land at 225+ with the same BF%?

Probably a few lbs heavier, because it’s been another year of consistent training with blasting & cruising. But the things to consider are total androgen & volume exposure over the year. I didn’t reach new peak bodyweights, my total androgen usage is probably similar, so it’s going to come down to how much work I did and any net benefits from better use of tertiary enhancers like HGH & L-Carnitine, and nutrition manipulation.

A pro bodybuilder pushing double the drugs as me, with dialed nutrition, while busting his chops to put on size specifically has a phenomenal year if he could add 10lbs of stageweight.

I’m not even below below 2,200 calories and it seems as if I was just complaining about trying to get in 3200 but now that I’ve been in a deficit for several weeks, I could scarf down 4,000+ the next 7 days and still be hungry. I can’t imagine 5,000-5,500 for more than a day or two. It’s very impressive and just shows the dedication.

it’s crazy how much your appetite will change throughout the course of a bulk or cutting phase.

Yes it is - the body craves homeostasis, so when you need to cut, you become insatiable, and when you are trying to grow you barely appreciate anything you eat.

Sometimes I sit down to a meal occasionally and I do enjoy it - I try to appreciate those moments, because I remember what I would give for them when I am 3 days into a fast. But I still have to keep focused and get it down before I hit the wall. I have been eating a lot of pasta lately, with whole milk and white bread/bagels on the side.
 
Yeah, honestly I feel like it would be harder to force feed than to restrict calories. I mean I can deal with being a little fatigued, and hungry, but having my food try to come back up on me, or be hard to get down just sounds way worse. I have never really had to try to eat a lot to gain weight though. Then again, I have never pushed myself like you are with food either.
 
Yeah, honestly I feel like it would be harder to force feed than to restrict calories. I mean I can deal with being a little fatigued, and hungry, but having my food try to come back up on me, or be hard to get down just sounds way worse. I have never really had to try to eat a lot to gain weight though. Then again, I have never pushed myself like you are with food either.

seems like the answer is always right in the middle. walking around at 16% with mediocre speed or lifts or athletic ability is a great way to be the top 5% of society but getting down sub 8% bf or getting up with that 600+lb deadlift.... those are elite accomplishments with elite work required
 
Did not train last night. My son’s gymnastics class got moved to Wednesdays & it was my turn to take him. By the time I got him home and fed it was 7:45pm already, and I was exhausted - just not ready to put 500lbs on my back.

Just got back from donating a pint.

Hemoglobin was 18.6, so this should be a nice little boost. That should put hematocrit around 55, for reference (HCT often ~3x HGB). Pretty happy with that considering my last drop was 9.5 months ago, and I’ve been on moderately elevated testosterone the lion’s share of that time without using any IP6. But now that test was doubled and Anadrol added, it was especially important to make room for the downstream blood upregulation to come. And just keep things safer right now with everything pushed so high (bodyweight, dosages, lifting intensity).
 
9/14/23
BW 264.2

Split Squat
BW 2x10

KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Squat, Texas squatbar
55 2x5
165,275x3
385x2
+belt & sleeves
441,495,529x2
551x1
385 2x5

Reverse Hyper
360,450,500,540x15 PR

Tonight felt really good. 551 definitely feels like an opener, maybe a little less - like I could rep it. Next week I’ll be maxing out so I wanted to touch ~90% to prepare.

Felt a lot more endurance/faster recovery between sets having donated today. All that bull crap about not lifting when you donate is tailored to gen pop, who A. Can’t stand the thought of being uncomfortable when “working out” & B. Aren’t overloaded with blood prior!
 
All that bull crap about not lifting when you donate is tailored to gen pop, who A. Can’t stand the thought of being uncomfortable when “working out”

reminds me of the 'perceived exertion' discussion I had brought up before. gen pop doesn't really know how to differentiate between productive discomfort and injury.
 
9/15/23

Bird Dogs
Hip Stretch

Circuit:
Miniband Pullaparts 4x25
Cable Tri Pressdown 40,50,50x25
HS CSR 45 2x25

Dynamic Bench
45 3x5
+doubled microbands
45x5
+30 chain
45x5
155 5x5

Floorpress
45,135,225x5
275,305,325,335x3 PR

Elbow definitely has more mobility again since starting ART, and 335x3 was easy - saving the storm for maxing out bench this coming Tuesday.

Had ART about 90 minutes after this and it’s crazy how things just seem to get a bit better every single time. My shoulders are staying looser/less bound, elbow can get into greater ROM of pain-free flexion again, and he loosened up some pec tissue at the sternum to relieve pain/tightness on the outside of my right pec. Feeling good!
 
Killing it as usual! Gotta love when the PR's just keep rolling in!
 
9/17/23

CSR
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift
Split Squats

Deadlift, Kabuki deadlift bar
154,264x3
374x1
+belt
418 5x1 EMOM
485x1

Lat Pulldown
5 light slow easy sets

HS CSR
90 4x12, varying grips

Light Hammercurls

Bit of deadlift practice and pump. Feeling thick as a brick!

Invalid Link Removed
 
Probably a few lbs heavier, because it’s been another year of consistent training with blasting & cruising. But the things to consider are total androgen & volume exposure over the year. I didn’t reach new peak bodyweights, my total androgen usage is probably similar, so it’s going to come down to how much work I did and any net benefits from better use of tertiary enhancers like HGH & L-Carnitine, and nutrition manipulation.

A pro bodybuilder pushing double the drugs as me, with dialed nutrition, while busting his chops to put on size specifically has a phenomenal year if he could add 10lbs of stageweight.



Yes it is - the body craves homeostasis, so when you need to cut, you become insatiable, and when you are trying to grow you barely appreciate anything you eat.

Sometimes I sit down to a meal occasionally and I do enjoy it - I try to appreciate those moments, because I remember what I would give for them when I am 3 days into a fast. But I still have to keep focused and get it down before I hit the wall. I have been eating a lot of pasta lately, with whole milk and white bread/bagels on the side.
Nothing more true than the last part..I'm almost 2 weeks outta the cut and I'm already tired of "off plan" meals bit it's time to grow again and food is priority #1
 
9/17/23

CSR
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift
Split Squats

Deadlift, Kabuki deadlift bar
154,264x3
374x1
+belt
418 5x1 EMOM
485x1

Lat Pulldown
5 light slow easy sets

HS CSR
90 4x12, varying grips

Light Hammercurls

Bit of deadlift practice and pump. Feeling thick as a brick!

Invalid Link Removed
Looking thick and strong…..and looks like this time everything is really dialed in with no big setbacks. Seems like everything is getting loosened up with ART lately and has been the perfect timing, and PRs are always confirmation that everything is working.💪
 
Looking thick with those damn cannonball delts, and tree trunk legs!
 
My stepdaughter asked us last week if we would write her a program to start lifting again (she competed in powerlifting in her very early teenage years). She mainly wants to improve her health and the size of her ass, but she understands she has her mother’s natural strength & will need to build that foundation back up to get a squat booty again.

Got her on a Greyskull Linear Periodization plan, A-B-A full body rotating workouts every time & training 3x/wk or eod. So she can establish a base of strength while we get her form dialed in safely in the garage.

So far she’s done both sessions (squat, bench, inverted rows, rdls / lunges, strictpress, deadlift, bb rows) successfully and everything already looks really solid, besides some over-extension causing buttwink on her squat.

I hope she stays with it! She has a lot of potential. She squat 143, benched 77, & pulled 187lbs when she was 12 years old at 114lbs (she’s currently 119lbs).
 
My stepdaughter asked us last week if we would write her a program to start lifting again (she competed in powerlifting in her very early teenage years). She mainly wants to improve her health and the size of her ass, but she understands she has her mother’s natural strength & will need to build that foundation back up to get a squat booty again.

Got her on a Greyskull Linear Periodization plan, A-B-A full body rotating workouts every time & training 3x/wk or eod. So she can establish a base of strength while we get her form dialed in safely in the garage.

So far she’s done both sessions (squat, bench, inverted rows, rdls / lunges, strictpress, deadlift, bb rows) successfully and everything already looks really solid, besides some over-extension causing buttwink on her squat.

I hope she stays with it! She has a lot of potential. She squat 143, benched 77, & pulled 187lbs when she was 12 years old at 114lbs (she’s currently 119lbs).
Awesome, and impressive numbers for a 12 year old for sure.
 
I hope she stays with it! She has a lot of potential. She squat 143, benched 77, & pulled 187lbs when she was 12 years old at 114lbs (she’s currently 119lbs).

She would have out lifted a lot of the guys I worked with in high school!
 
9/19/23
BW 265.0 yesterday

Hip Stretches

Band Pullaparts, Tris, Rows, Flyes, Dislocations

Bench, Ohio powerbar
44 2x5
154x3
220,275,314,352,380x1
401 MISS

380 moved well, & I’m glad I went for 401 - when it stalled out 3/4 of the way up, I didn’t even really understand what was happening. When I brought it down initially I thought I had pulled it too far to the left & screwed myself, so I panicked & flared my elbows right off the chest instead of keeping them tucked. This left me with no leverage to drive through to lockout when my chest drive finally ran out:

Invalid Link Removed

I am bummed I wasn’t able to complete the lift, but I do believe 402 is on the table for the comp. Plan is to take 380 on my second and 402 for my third if I feel strong that day.
 
Both of those would be a competition PR right?
 
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