Classic Kleen - The Road To Competition Fall 2024

Man nice session!
Yeah the training time can be a hard one. Definitely understand wanting to go back to mornings. That makes my life work and keeps me in the gym, if I was evening only it would be hit or miss. Also my wife would have no break from are daughter, also I would miss the time with her. In the morning every one is sleeping and it makes no difference.

So I can absolutely understand going back to mornings. I also agree I think the bug was wearing you down behind the scenes.
Yeah, I forgot how inconvenient it would be regarding not having any time for anything but the gym and food. I really hate not having time to spend with the wife and kids. Even if a lot of those moments are in passing. We are a close knit, tight, affectionate, teasing and playful family. So a lot of great little moments to miss not being home with them.
 
1/19/21 - Fasting Weight - 211 on the dot. I forgot to mention, the increase in calories is bringing a quick increase in weight. Of course part of this could be me eating 3 hours later now than my last meal so less time for things to digest before weighing in the morning. Either way, weight is going up, and I am still not looking too bad at all.

Going to go do some cardio here shortly, taking my yohimbine, 200g caffeine, and 3g LCLT now to prepare.

I expect cardio to be challenging today because my legs actually have some slight DOMS from yesterday's session. Which is awesome, it tells me the balls to the wall effort last night did the trick to make up for less overall volume for leg work. My quads are a little sore right now. Even my hammies have a touch of DOMS, and I didn't train them directly yesterday.
 
SOunds pretty good when you say wrap them in foil to finish you mean during the cooking process or immediately after you take them out?

so its a little trick I learned from smoking briskets. I started trying it on chicken and was greatly pleased with the results. whether we grill or bake our chicken breasts (it's weather dependent since we cook chicken ever sunday) as soon as it's finished, I wrap it still hot in foil, and let it rest for a while. I think it makes a huge improvement personally. I have also had a lot of luck slicing the breast into half thickness. it's a bit more space on the cooking pan or grill, but it cooks through faster without drying it out so much in my experience.

I didn't get to sleep until about 2:00AM last night, preworkout just wouldn't wear off last night, even with a half dose. I am very inclined to move back to morning training at this point. If all I have done is shifted the hours of available sleep to later but not getting any more sleep, then I am just inconveniencing my life schedule and sacrificing time with my family for no good purpose. I honestly think it was just the illness that ran me down so bad and not the morning schedule at this point. Either way working out in the evening leaves me absolutely no time for anything but lifting and eating. No errands, no family time, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me if my quality of life takes such a big hit here. The stress of that will surely have an additional negative effect on my progress. At most there will be another 6 weeks before doing the shift change so it isn't that much longer to train in the AM.

the first few times I started hitting the gym on weekends, especially sunday, my wife was a little perturbed about me disappearing for a few hours while we finally had "our" time, but with work schedules always a question mark its really nice to get 1 or 2 sessions in on the weekend so if the week gets messy I dont' feel like i'm actually missing scheduled training. also since I'm sorta cutting right now, its easier to eat and lift say on sunday and monday , and fast tuesday since 90% of my waking hours at distracted during the work week.
 
so its a little trick I learned from smoking briskets. I started trying it on chicken and was greatly pleased with the results. whether we grill or bake our chicken breasts (it's weather dependent since we cook chicken ever sunday) as soon as it's finished, I wrap it still hot in foil, and let it rest for a while. I think it makes a huge improvement personally. I have also had a lot of luck slicing the breast into half thickness. it's a bit more space on the cooking pan or grill, but it cooks through faster without drying it out so much in my experience.

Gotta cut the breasts in half, baking or grill - those saline-pumped titties take way too long to cook through otherwise, drying them out like you said. Also lets you add more seasoning to the same quantity of meat overall.
 
so its a little trick I learned from smoking briskets. I started trying it on chicken and was greatly pleased with the results. whether we grill or bake our chicken breasts (it's weather dependent since we cook chicken ever sunday) as soon as it's finished, I wrap it still hot in foil, and let it rest for a while. I think it makes a huge improvement personally. I have also had a lot of luck slicing the breast into half thickness. it's a bit more space on the cooking pan or grill, but it cooks through faster without drying it out so much in my experience.



the first few times I started hitting the gym on weekends, especially sunday, my wife was a little perturbed about me disappearing for a few hours while we finally had "our" time, but with work schedules always a question mark its really nice to get 1 or 2 sessions in on the weekend so if the week gets messy I dont' feel like i'm actually missing scheduled training. also since I'm sorta cutting right now, its easier to eat and lift say on sunday and monday , and fast tuesday since 90% of my waking hours at distracted during the work week.
Nice, I might give it a try sometime soon. Just have to remember to do it.
Gotta cut the breasts in half, baking or grill - those saline-pumped titties take way too long to cook through otherwise, drying them out like you said. Also lets you add more seasoning to the same quantity of meat overall.
Yeah, I don't cut mine in half longways to make it thinner. I cut them across the middle then beat them all down to the same thickness as the thin ends. So it ends up being about the same thickness as being cut in half lengthwise and really tenderizes the chicken and allows more of the seasoning to stick since it become more porous too.

Cardio: Elliptical - 25 minutes + cooldown - Level 15 - Heart Rate 135-150 - 389 calories - Legs took a few minutes to loosen up and work through the DOMS then I was able to push even harder once warmed up. Actually feel better and lower back is more loose now. About to eat my preworkout meal then I will train Hams and Back once I get home and get changed. I am going to test out rack pulls, lower back is a little tight so want to see if I have any issues with them. If so I will do GHR's to get some decompression and hammie work in all at once. Then do some modified low supported rows to focus on upper back and erectors. I found a great method with the Arsenal Low Row to stimulate all the same muscles quite well.

Blood work in the AM so will be fasting until about 11 since the place doesn't open until 10 but I have an ART appointment right by there at 11:30 so I made my appt for 10:30 so I wasn't just waiting around. Once I do my bloodwork I will knock back a shake with some karbolyn in it to start getting nutrients and calories in ASAP.
 
Yeah pounding them helps, my mom will cut them thinner like Hyde and I mentioned, then pound them, then soak them in an oil salt marinade. The macros are gonna be fattier with that particular method but damn it's the best chicken breast you'll eat
 
Thanks, one more day of reprieve, it kicks off Monday. Hopefully it is not as time consuming as I think it might be. I don't expect overtime, or much of it. I just don't often get on in the evenings, or weekends because that is more family time. So I only get on when the wife or kids are busy with something else.
Ughhh, that sucks for trying to find time for the gym, but at least you won't be looking for billable hours at the end of the year. It's your time to shine!

Legs - Thursday, Jan 18, 2024 at 10:04pm - Time incorrect this is just when I entered the workout into the program since I had to complete shoulder and triceps in the app after working legs then fill out the leg work after I got home.

Arsenal Belt Squat
Set 1: 190 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe [Failure] -
up 10lbs and 2 reps

Set 2: 170 lbs x 6 @ 10 rpe [Failure] - up 10 lbs but failed big time on rep 7.
Me flat on my ass in the belt squat after failing. LMAO!
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Leg Press (Machine)
Set 1: 540 lbs x 12 @ 7 rpe - Up 35lbs
Set 2: 540 lbs x 12 @ 8 rpe - Up 25lbs
Set 3: 540 lbs x 12 @ 9.5 rpe - Up 15lbs
- I decided to bump things up a bit and was surprised with what I had in the tank on these. Nice increase in volume on this movement, and will certainly stimulate some growth.

Shoulders & Triceps Thursday, Jan 18, 2024 at 1:46pm
Seated Overhead Press (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 70 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe [Failure] - Up 20lbs
Set 2: 55 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Standing Lateral Raise (Dumbell)
Set 1: 25 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 2: 25 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 25 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 15 lbs x 20 @ 10 rpe [Failure] -
Man these really put the burn on me.

Incline DB Rear Delt Flyes
Set 1: 25 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 20 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 30 lbs x 18 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
+ 2 reps

Upright Row (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lbs x 10 @ 6 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 10 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 3: 30 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 30 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe [Failure] -
Boulder Shoulders!!! Traps blew the F up too!

Triceps Rope Pushdown
Set 1: 50 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 50 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 20 lbs x 16 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
- Someone was on the functional trainer so I had to swap these out. I pointed my elbows out to get a similar type of arm angle and these blew me out. Very lateral head triceps dominant, or felt that way.

Triceps Dip
Set 1: 15 reps
Set 2: 12 reps -
One rep lower than last time in but my triceps were fried from the rope pushdowns. So I totally understand that.

I didn't get to sleep until about 2:00AM last night, preworkout just wouldn't wear off last night, even with a half dose. I am very inclined to move back to morning training at this point. If all I have done is shifted the hours of available sleep to later but not getting any more sleep, then I am just inconveniencing my life schedule and sacrificing time with my family for no good purpose. I honestly think it was just the illness that ran me down so bad and not the morning schedule at this point. Either way working out in the evening leaves me absolutely no time for anything but lifting and eating. No errands, no family time, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me if my quality of life takes such a big hit here. The stress of that will surely have an additional negative effect on my progress. At most there will be another 6 weeks before doing the shift change so it isn't that much longer to train in the AM.

Family/work/life balance is the heaviest weight of all it seems, so many facets changing constantly. Regardless, I know you’ll make it work

I got a wicked shoulder pump just reading that session.
 
Family/work/life balance is the heaviest weight of all it seems, so many facets changing constantly. Regardless, I know you’ll make it work

I got a wicked shoulder pump just reading that session.
No doubt!

Just did my blood work, and am at my ART appointment in the waiting room. Gonna get this lower back worked on today. The shoulder improved a lot from last session. So priority changed and it is time to hit this and get it nipped in the bud.
 
Back & Hamstrings - Friday, Jan 19, 2024 at 9:51pm

Seated Leg Curl (Machine)
Set 1: 65 lbs x 20 @ 6 rpe
Set 2: 85 lbs x 15 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 3: 95 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 4: 70 lbs x 20 @ 10 rpe -
Increased weight on all sets

Glute Ham Raise
Set 1: 13 reps
Set 2: 10 reps

Arsenal Wide grip Pronated Chest Supported Row
Set 1: 80 lbs x 10 @ 7 rpe
Set 2: 80 lbs x 10 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 3: 90 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe -
Increased weight on 1st and 3rd set.

HS Supported Iso-lateral Row
Set 1: 45 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 55 lbs x 14 @ Fail

Arsenal Iso-lateral Lat Pulldown
Set 1: 50 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 4 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 50 lbs x 3 @ 10 rpe


I had a hell of a back pump when I left the gym. Was up late getting my food in. Increase in weight again today, looking big and full, but a little smoother with the water gain.

Here are a some pics from this mornings check in.

1/20/24 - Fasted Weight 213.2Lbs - A total total gain of 18.8lbs so far from my lowest during the cut.


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Looking huge….you definitely look bigger than 213 in the photos. You already had that good
X-Frame look, with the wide lats and big quads with a nice sweep, but as you add mass that X-Frame is becoming even more pronounced.
 
Looking huge….you definitely look bigger than 213 in the photos. You already had that good
X-Frame look, with the wide lats and big quads with a nice sweep, but as you add mass that X-Frame is becoming even more pronounced.
Thanks, I think spreading my feet out a bit more helped with the appearance of that too.

Lower back is tender today, all that work on it yesterday left it a bit sore. I took last night off to let it cool down, and am going to be going to the gym in about an hour. Hoping by Tuesday my lower back will be much less inflamed and I can knock out a solid leg session.

Coach is going to set me back up on the morning exercise plan again this week so I already switched out my breakfast meals, and will just add whatever he says later or add carbs to it for the day to reach my current macro targets if I don't see it in time.
 
Yeah, new stance made a big difference. When you get enough size a lot of it gets hidden behind yourself if you don’t spread out to display it.
 
Dang man those triceps are looking bigger! Looks like more definition coming through also. Looking great!
Thank You Sir!
Damn dude, you are looking awesome!!!
Thanks Man, giving it hell!
Yeah, new stance made a big difference. When you get enough size a lot of it gets hidden behind yourself if you don’t spread out to display it.
Agreed, definitely an improvement, thanks again for the suggestion.

I am going to be heading to the gym here in about an hour, hour and a half. I am just waiting for the meal I just finished to digest a little first. Probably going to the commercial gym just to enjoy the heat there and maybe even get in the sauna for some relaxation time. I really enjoy it for some reason.
 
Just catching up and seeing you've added in yohimbine/caffeine/LCLT pre-cardio. Remind me, how often are you doing cardio? And it's LISS?

Your side chest pose also looking good. Bicep is popping in it!
 
Just catching up and seeing you've added in yohimbine/caffeine/LCLT pre-cardio. Remind me, how often are you doing cardio? And it's LISS?

Your side chest pose also looking good. Bicep is popping in it!
I have actually been doing that combination from the beginning, I mentioned it earlier but haven't posted about it much. I do cardio 25 minutes, 5 times a week, actual cardio not aerobic work so more like MISS than LISS in the 135-150 BPM range.

Make up session -
Arms - Sunday, Jan 21, 2024 at 6:23pm

SA Triceps Rope Extension
Set 1: 20 lbs x 20 @ 6 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 30 lbs x 10 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 4: 20 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Triceps Kickback (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 12 lbs x 20 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 12 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 3: 12 lbs x 18 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

EZ Bar Skullcrusher
Set 1: 65 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 65 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 65 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Diamond Push Up
Set 1: 12 reps
Set 2: 8 reps
Set 3: 6 reps

Single Arm Preacher Curl
Set 1: 30 lbs x 10 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 25 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

EZ Bar Biceps Curl
Set 1: 40 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 40 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


===============================================================================

Chest & Biceps - Monday, Jan 22, 2024 at 4:38am

Incline Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 110 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 95 lbs x 9 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 95 lbs x 3 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 95 lbs x 1 @ 10 rpe [Drop]

Iso-Lateral Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 70 lbs x 10 @ 7 rpe
Set 2: 80 lbs x 10 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 80 lbs x 7 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 60 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Drop]
Set 5: 35 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Bench Press (Cable)
Set 1: 60 lbs x 15 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 60 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 50 lbs x 40 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Chest Fly (Machine)
Set 1: 110 lbs x 21 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 110 lbs x 21 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 110 lbs x 21 @ 9.5 rpe

Spider Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 25 lbs x 14 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 20 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 20 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


I pushed things hard this morning, hard to tell progress here because I was on different machines, and working out in the evening the last session. Plus having had to reschedule some training, I worked arms yesterday. So they were not fresh for today's session, but not sore either so it worked out. Definitely feeling toasty now!!!
 
I have actually been doing that combination from the beginning, I mentioned it earlier but haven't posted about it much. I do cardio 25 minutes, 5 times a week, actual cardio not aerobic work so more like MISS than LISS in the 135-150 BPM range.

Make up session -
Arms - Sunday, Jan 21, 2024 at 6:23pm

SA Triceps Rope Extension
Set 1: 20 lbs x 20 @ 6 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 30 lbs x 10 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 4: 20 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Triceps Kickback (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 12 lbs x 20 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 12 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 3: 12 lbs x 18 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

EZ Bar Skullcrusher
Set 1: 65 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 65 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 65 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Diamond Push Up
Set 1: 12 reps
Set 2: 8 reps
Set 3: 6 reps

Single Arm Preacher Curl
Set 1: 30 lbs x 10 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 25 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

EZ Bar Biceps Curl
Set 1: 40 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 40 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


===============================================================================

Chest & Biceps - Monday, Jan 22, 2024 at 4:38am

Incline Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 110 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 95 lbs x 9 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 95 lbs x 3 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 95 lbs x 1 @ 10 rpe [Drop]

Iso-Lateral Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 70 lbs x 10 @ 7 rpe
Set 2: 80 lbs x 10 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 80 lbs x 7 @ 10 rpe
Set 4: 60 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Drop]
Set 5: 35 lbs x 5 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Bench Press (Cable)
Set 1: 60 lbs x 15 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 60 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 50 lbs x 40 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Chest Fly (Machine)
Set 1: 110 lbs x 21 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 110 lbs x 21 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 110 lbs x 21 @ 9.5 rpe

Spider Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 25 lbs x 14 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 20 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 20 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


I pushed things hard this morning, hard to tell progress here because I was on different machines, and working out in the evening the last session. Plus having had to reschedule some training, I worked arms yesterday. So they were not fresh for today's session, but not sore either so it worked out. Definitely feeling toasty now!!!
I bet they are toasty, lot of arm work! Looks like some fun sessions!
 
I bet they are toasty, lot of arm work! Looks like some fun sessions!
Yeah, definitely!

So this morning I opted to do a nice recovery session. I am going to go light or non existent stress to lower back this week. Try to allow this thing to heal instead of doing a bunch of sub par work that just extends the issue.

Bike 5 minutes

Belt Squats:
4 second negative 2 second pause smooth concentric, no explosiveness.
Empty x20
45x20 x 5 sets -
Goal here was just get blood into the lower body, and get some good movement through lower back with stressing the area enough to cause problems.

Super Set -
Leg Extensions - 60xRPE9 x 5 sets - Reps 10-20
this machine feels ridiculously heavy for the amount of weight is says you are lifting. Just pushed with this movement to get the muscles challenged enough to tell the muscle I still needed it to stick around.
Lying Leg Curls - 50x20, 60x20, 70x15, 80x10, 60x19 - Pushed thes a little once I realized I could do them without causing an issue to my lower back.

Rolled Upper and Lower Back

Abs - 4 sets of crunches until they burned real good.
Got a slight cramp on my last set of abs and had to lay there a second before trying to get up so it didn't reactivate. LOL

Again, this was just a recovery session, so wasn't expecting much out of it, but I came out more loose on the other side so the goal seems to have been achieved. I am about to go eat my post workout meal now.
 
Looks like a good blood moving routine! Have you tried flexion rows before? They seem to be helping my lower back, hard to tell for sure if it’s that or the Romanian deadlifts. Something I think I’m definitely going to keep doing going forward.
 
Looks like a good blood moving routine! Have you tried flexion rows before? They seem to be helping my lower back, hard to tell for sure if it’s that or the Romanian deadlifts. Something I think I’m definitely going to keep doing going forward.
Yes Sir, I have, I have actually been doing them on the low row when I replace the Rack Pull. Most of my pulling movements go into full flexion from a long stretched position, even my regular supported rows end up with flexion due to the Full ROM focus on my movements. I think I just got it nice and tight then pushing on deep leg press some of the reps must have rolled my hops too far. My ART guy said it is just a common thing for people who do deep squats, and leg press even if you aren't doing anything wrong. Speaking of today is an off day other than cardio at lunch. So taking some anti-inflammatories to get some more of the inflammation down.

1/24/24 - Fasted Weight 215.2 - Weight just keeps climbing since starting the new calorie level last week which is surprising considering it was only about a 200 calorie increase. Although i still have my abs, I am definitely softening up right now. I am really curious what my blood work looks like. Should be getting it sometime today. I think bumping gear will allow me to put more of this current increase to use.
 
actual cardio not aerobic work so more like MISS than LISS in the 135-150 BPM range.

I'm curious what you know about max HR, sustained high HR, etc beyond just the normal pop culture norms of "220 - your age". I noticed I was very comfortable with a high HR yesterday when running sprints, but also realized I should probably dig into that further and advance with caution. in theory my max HR would be 179 now, and i had no problem reaching 179-180 without feeling off at all.

Got a slight cramp on my last set of abs and had to lay there a second before trying to get up so it didn't reactivate. LOL

that is the weirdest and craziest sensation when the abs cramp up 😅
I haven't had it in ages, but I think the last time IIRC was when I dropped in at my wifes old xfit box and of course, had to do ab work for the first time in years lol.
 
Max heart rates are just guidelines based on average fitness levels of people of a certain age. I definitely think someone who is in shape and has maintained that shape for a while can train well above the ranges listed. It comes down to cardiovascular health, blood pressure and the like IMHO. When doing HIIT I can maintain a very high average myself without issue, but with LISS I find myself getting tired with the continuous mid-to mid high level effort required to get my heart rate up in that range.
 
Max heart rates are just guidelines based on average fitness levels of people of a certain age. I definitely think someone who is in shape and has maintained that shape for a while can train well above the ranges listed. It comes down to cardiovascular health, blood pressure and the like IMHO. When doing HIIT I can maintain a very high average myself without issue, but with LISS I find myself getting tired with the continuous mid-to mid high level effort required to get my heart rate up in that range.

the only thing that sucks is I have no baseline to compare to because even in my old HIIT / competition days I did not have wearables or ever track my heart rate... I just went. I became comfortable with the cold feeling of puke in my chest on hard pushes and liked it. so I still just go by feel, except now if I'm on a treadmill I have so much more data in front of me, it just.... isn't complete without knowing where I was 3-5-10 years ago... lol
 
the only thing that sucks is I have no baseline to compare to because even in my old HIIT / competition days I did not have wearables or ever track my heart rate... I just went. I became comfortable with the cold feeling of puke in my chest on hard pushes and liked it. so I still just go by feel, except now if I'm on a treadmill I have so much more data in front of me, it just.... isn't complete without knowing where I was 3-5-10 years ago... lol
I can help with that. You are not in as good of cardiovascular shape as when conditioning was your main goal. ;) Other than that I think more than anything it comes down to how high your BP is getting during the efforts moreso than the heart rate. Of course high heart rate means increased BP usually but if the BP is getting extremely high that is where the danger comes in with stroking out. Otherwise if the ticker is healthy then I think it can handle most of what you are able to throw at it within reason.
 
I can help with that. You are not in as good of cardiovascular shape as when conditioning was your main goal. ;) Other than that I think more than anything it comes down to how high your BP is getting during the efforts moreso than the heart rate. Of course high heart rate means increased BP usually but if the BP is getting extremely high that is where the danger comes in with stroking out. Otherwise if the ticker is healthy then I think it can handle most of what you are able to throw at it within reason.

as much as I hate wearable tech for lifting weights (and golf, I never understood how people can enjoy having a golf watch on), the whoop does sorta interest me at least short term for some data like that...

I agree cardio isn't what it was, but man it comes back FAST. strength is a lifetime pursuit, but cardiovascular training, man you see improvements in the first week or two.
 
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as much as I hate wearable tech for lifting weights (and golf, I never understood how people can enjoy having a golf watch on), the whoop does sorta interest me at least short term for some data like that...

I agree cardio isn't what it was, but man it comes back FAST. strength is a lifetime pursuit, but cardiovascular training, man you see improvements in the first week or two.
Oh yeah, absolutely.


So I got my bloods back, have some minor concerns on EGFR rates dropping, and have asked coach to have a look and let me know if we need to change course, move on, just change up gears, or call it. Kidneys don't recover a lot if messed up so I am not willing to put myself in a bad spot here. Anything else that is out of range is not worth worrying about. My lipids look great although I am 1 below on HDL, my LDL and Triglycerides are nice and low. Liver enzymes are up some but again, not even remotely worried about that. I will start adding in some liver supports. I have not been using any since no on an oral.

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Anyway, regarding the EGFR, if he is concerned with the EGFR I imagine at a minimum we will probably lower doses if not go to a TRT dose for a couple months then start prep and focus on Classic again. Worst case he says we need to stop completely and scrap the idea, that I should not push through a contest prep. If that is the case, I am okay with that if it is for my health. I was just thinking that a lot of the difference in EGFR probably has to do with the massive increase in creatine intake during that week I was doing evening workouts. He had me bump my creatine to 10mg in my intra workout drink, so I had basically almost tripled my intake from going from 3g daily to 10g 5/7 days of the week, and 3 on th other 2 days. Then, lifting back and hamstrings the evening before my bloodwork surely increased creatinine levels too. So, I think the bump makes some sense there. My creatinine / BUN ratio still looks good. Like I said though, we are definitely going to discuss this. I have already hit him up but probably won't hear back until my check in which makes sense unless he just happens to see my labs are there waiting for him.
 
Yeah anything to do with kidneys being out of range is definitely worth checking about. How has your blood pressure been while increasing gear?
 
Yeah anything to do with kidneys being out of range is definitely worth checking about. How has your blood pressure been while increasing gear?
It started to go up after the last increase and then I bumped to 120mg Telmisartan and got it back down to like 117-125/74-80. I check it regularly.

My drop in EGFR was actually only 4 points, and I forgot how much I increased creatine that week which is more than likely where the big increase in creatinine came from and likely pushed the EGFR down since creatinine is a big part of that equation. He pretty much agrees that is likely what we are seeing there. He is actually less worried about that, than my elevated liver values which he said doesn't make sense for the gear I am on. He thinks that possibly my masteron or one of the research chems might be the issue. He is trying to figure out what could cause the liver values to go up. So I am going to test my masteron to see if it is legit. He said to get one for Test, and Tren to see if there is any showing in there as well. Said often people toss in some test prop with a little tren-ace to fake mast. I have been holding more water lately so...
 
Spend $40 on Ulta lab tests for a Cystatin C test. It’s like $50 with the draw fee before whatever the current 20% off code of the day is.

UltaHRS23 is the code going on currently.

Don’t rely on creatinine or nitrogen for a guess - get the test that will accurately tell you your real kidney function. Having more muscle mass, training recently, taking creatine will all affect the creatinine levels so it’s not the test to rely on if you are seeing bad results with it - you need to dig deeper to make your decision.
 
Spend $40 on Ulta lab tests for a Cystatin C test. It’s like $50 with the draw fee before whatever the current 20% off code of the day is.

UltaHRS23 is the code going on currently.

Don’t rely on creatinine or nitrogen for a guess - get the test that will accurately tell you your real kidney function. Having more muscle mass, training recently, taking creatine will all affect the creatinine levels so it’s not the test to rely on if you are seeing bad results with it - you need to dig deeper to make your decision.
Will do. Thanks!
 
23 pages already, got a book going on over here. I like it though, hella detailed just how logs should be. Looking solid as well in those pics.

As far as max HR, 220-age is the most commonly accepted form for quick calculations but it’s super generic and I’d say at least half of the population doesn’t fall in to the respective range for their HR. I know mine maxes out at 223 bpm currently which means I should be -3 years old according to that. The only way to really measure your max would be to do a test of some sort but I’d say even then it’s not necessary.

I personally care more about Heart Rate Variability, because this measures the amount of time your heart relaxes between beats. The worse it is the more stress on the heart. It also is affected by environmental factors like stress, sleep, diet (salt intake etc) so it can paint a better picture of how your body is responding to what’s going on.

E.g., my HRV averages in the 50s, I started TRT again and it TANKED down to 18. So I know something is up and even though I feel better, my body is responding physically polar opposite of how I feel. This means I need to evaluate my sleep, diet, water intake and routine to see if those individually play a difference.

I think whoop does calculate HRV for you but I’m not 100% sure. It’s not something you can do on your own sadly you need technology for it since it’s measuring milliseconds between beats
 
I’d just keep in mind HRV and knowing your HR max aren’t really meant to be comparable things. Knowing your HR max can help you with your exercise prescription within, while HRV may help inform you outside of the gym. I’d also caution using it to influence resistance training decisions as it hasn’t reliably been shown to measure performance or predict training outcomes for strength and power movements. Could still be utility for other things mentioned above though, but as with any of these measurement devices or measures best to take individual variances into account as well.

I pay attention to HRV after cardiomyopathy, and it seems to correlate with fatigue.
 
23 pages already, got a book going on over here. I like it though, hella detailed just how logs should be. Looking solid as well in those pics.

As far as max HR, 220-age is the most commonly accepted form for quick calculations but it’s super generic and I’d say at least half of the population doesn’t fall in to the respective range for their HR. I know mine maxes out at 223 bpm currently which means I should be -3 years old according to that. The only way to really measure your max would be to do a test of some sort but I’d say even then it’s not necessary.

I personally care more about Heart Rate Variability, because this measures the amount of time your heart relaxes between beats. The worse it is the more stress on the heart. It also is affected by environmental factors like stress, sleep, diet (salt intake etc) so it can paint a better picture of how your body is responding to what’s going on.

E.g., my HRV averages in the 50s, I started TRT again and it TANKED down to 18. So I know something is up and even though I feel better, my body is responding physically polar opposite of how I feel. This means I need to evaluate my sleep, diet, water intake and routine to see if those individually play a difference.

I think whoop does calculate HRV for you but I’m not 100% sure. It’s not something you can do on your own sadly you need technology for it since it’s measuring milliseconds between beats
Welcome Sir! As mentioned previously very happy to have you back on the board, and now in my log! I don't know too many details on this particular portion. I just kind of go by how the effort feels, and current HR.
I’d just keep in mind HRV and knowing your HR max aren’t really meant to be comparable things. Knowing your HR max can help you with your exercise prescription within, while HRV may help inform you outside of the gym. I’d also caution using it to influence resistance training decisions as it hasn’t reliably been shown to measure performance or predict training outcomes for strength and power movements. Could still be utility for other things mentioned above though, but as with any of these measurement devices or measures best to take individual variances into account as well.
Makes total sense. I know I am working hard enough to push my heart into cardiovascular work. It takes a good amount of effort for me to maintain between 135-150BPM so I assume it is doing the trick of making my heart healthier. I am sure I could get into it much deeper but right now I know I have to work harder to maintain the HR than I did 2 months, or even a month ago. Previously I was starting at level 13, bumping to 15, then back down to 13, now I start at 15 and maintain that throughout. So I know I am making progress there as well.

At 50 well let's call it 51 since my birthday is less than a week away now. My Max HR is estimated at 169, and according to the my training numbers are 80-89% of estimated MHR. I have always just considered the MHR what was considered to be the a guide for the estimated maximum safe to train in zone, and not a true MHR. The only way to find your true MHR is to push it until your heart gives up and that was your max... It would be the end all be all in training, and everything else.
I pay attention to HRV after cardiomyopathy, and it seems to correlate with fatigue.
That makes a lot of sense.

I went to bed Wednesday with some sinus / allergy issues, and woke up with a massive sinus headache / migraine in the middle of the night. Couldn't kick it and was up most of the night with it. So I stayed home and took some meds, and finally got back to sleep around 6:30AM. Slept most of the day and woke up this morning feeling refreshed.

Coach had me pull back on my gear doses until we figure out what is going on with my gear. Need to make sure I have what I ordered, or at least figure out what I do have so we can adjust from there. I will be ordering a Masteron, Test, and Tren roidtest and checking out the gear to see if there is any of that in there. So for now I am back down to 150mg test, 100mg Mast EOD.

1/26/24 - Fasted Weight 211.5 - Decent drop here, I did miss some calories yesterday, not a lot but I didn't have much time to eat after sleeping so much of the day from the headache.

Shoulders & Triceps - Friday, Jan 26, 2024 at 4:46am

Shoulder Press (Machine Plates)
Set 1: 90 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 80 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Standing Lateral Raise
Set 1: 40 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 60 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 4: 40 lbs x 16 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Incline DB Rear Delt Flyes
Set 1: 25 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 20 @ 8 rpe

Upright Row (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 45 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 2: 35 lbs x 15 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 3: 35 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 4: 30 lbs x 15 @ 9.5 rpe

Cross Cable Tricep Extension
Set 1: 50 lbs x 15 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 40 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe

BW Dips
Set 1: 212 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 2: 212 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


Training went well, my numbers were a little down but that is the difference between training while the first meal of the day is trickling in, and after I have already had 350g carbs throughout the day.
 
looks like a solid session post illness!

Training went well, my numbers were a little down but that is the difference between training while the first meal of the day is trickling in, and after I have already had 350g carbs throughout the day.

I don't quite have that balancing act dialed yet....... last year I was convinced I couldn't eat enough on a training day, after a fasting day, to perform well. But then occasionally I had very very good sessions on days where I broke my fast at breakfast, then trained later in the day. This month with my weight being down it's still about 50/50 between how well my training sessions are on feeding days post fast....
 
looks like a solid session post illness!



I don't quite have that balancing act dialed yet....... last year I was convinced I couldn't eat enough on a training day, after a fasting day, to perform well. But then occasionally I had very very good sessions on days where I broke my fast at breakfast, then trained later in the day. This month with my weight being down it's still about 50/50 between how well my training sessions are on feeding days post fast....
Thank you Sir! yeah, it is harder when in a deficit or even maintenance on training days to get yourself totally locked in.
Following along, curious to see what your stage weight is going ot be
Welcome! My current guess snd hope would be somewhere around 185-190 depending on if we can add a little more on my frame before going into prep. Otherwise I would guess I have a solid 25-30lbs to lose before being stage ready.
 
Welcome Sir! As mentioned previously very happy to have you back on the board, and now in my log! I don't know too many details on this particular portion. I just kind of go by how the effort feels, and current HR.
Makes total sense. I know I am working hard enough to push my heart into cardiovascular work. It takes a good amount of effort for me to maintain between 135-150BPM so I assume it is doing the trick of making my heart healthier. I am sure I could get into it much deeper but right now I know I have to work harder to maintain the HR than I did 2 months, or even a month ago. Previously I was starting at level 13, bumping to 15, then back down to 13, now I start at 15 and maintain that throughout. So I know I am making progress there as well.

At 50 well let's call it 51 since my birthday is less than a week away now. My Max HR is estimated at 169, and according to the my training numbers are 80-89% of estimated MHR. I have always just considered the MHR what was considered to be the a guide for the estimated maximum safe to train in zone, and not a true MHR. The only way to find your true MHR is to push it until your heart gives up and that was your max... It would be the end all be all in training, and everything else.

That makes a lot of sense.

I went to bed Wednesday with some sinus / allergy issues, and woke up with a massive sinus headache / migraine in the middle of the night. Couldn't kick it and was up most of the night with it. So I stayed home and took some meds, and finally got back to sleep around 6:30AM. Slept most of the day and woke up this morning feeling refreshed.

Coach had me pull back on my gear doses until we figure out what is going on with my gear. Need to make sure I have what I ordered, or at least figure out what I do have so we can adjust from there. I will be ordering a Masteron, Test, and Tren roidtest and checking out the gear to see if there is any of that in there. So for now I am back down to 150mg test, 100mg Mast EOD.

1/26/24 - Fasted Weight 211.5 - Decent drop here, I did miss some calories yesterday, not a lot but I didn't have much time to eat after sleeping so much of the day from the headache.

Shoulders & Triceps - Friday, Jan 26, 2024 at 4:46am

Shoulder Press (Machine Plates)
Set 1: 90 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 80 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Standing Lateral Raise
Set 1: 40 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 60 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 4: 40 lbs x 16 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Incline DB Rear Delt Flyes
Set 1: 25 lbs x 20 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 20 @ 8 rpe

Upright Row (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 45 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 2: 35 lbs x 15 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 3: 35 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 4: 30 lbs x 15 @ 9.5 rpe

Cross Cable Tricep Extension
Set 1: 50 lbs x 15 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 50 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 40 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe

BW Dips
Set 1: 212 lbs x 20 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 2: 212 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


Training went well, my numbers were a little down but that is the difference between training while the first meal of the day is trickling in, and after I have already had 350g carbs throughout the day.

I’d recommend buying the complete test kit from them to start. You will use it all pretty quickly, then wait for a good sale and buy the bulk refill packs that has 10x each A-D test. Investment.
 
I’d recommend buying the complete test kit from them to start. You will use it all pretty quickly, then wait for a good sale and buy the bulk refill packs that has 10x each A-D test. Investment.
Cool, I will look into it for sure! Planning on ordering today. Thanks!
 
Thought I would post this comparison 16.4 lbs gained so far from the low on my cut. Not too much fat gain for 16.4 lbs.

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HMMMM, I have never tasted oxtail broth, I assume you can just by an oxtail somewhere and boil it down to make the broth?
Yeah, Sage loves the tenderloins, and I am just like look cut a whole chicken breast into strips, we ain't just buying tenderloins... It's a lot of little pieces of meat when you are looking at pounds to clean up.
Absolutely, things were definitely easier with how it was laid out for the mornings. Today my goal for meals is 6:30AM, 12:00, 4:00, 8:00, and 10:00-10:30 which sucks because I should be in bed sleeping or trying to at 10:00PM. Ideally I would prefer 3 hours between solid meals so 6:30, 9:30, 12:30, 3:30, Intra drink starting 5:45-6:00, Final meal 8:30.
Yeah, as amazing as it sounds, I will have to get to where I need to do this in order to resort to it. No way I would entertain the idea of this if it wasn't a major goal with a timeline that needs met.

Speaking of food, yesterday was just a really hard day for me. Mid-afternoon I got one of the worst cases of heartburn I have had in a long time. I was burping acid constantly, tums were helping for like 5-10 minutes at a time and then doing nothing for it. My wife had to give me some prescription acid reflux meds to help out. I didn't even attempt to go to the gym to work legs because the acid just kept creeping up on me and i didn't want to try working legs and end up puking acid through my nose or something. Stomach was just off. I did what I could to get more calories in but still ended up a bit short. Feeling a bit better this morning, after a double dose of wifey's meds last night and another one this morning. I seasoned my chicken with a spicy curry for a change, and think something in that just triggered all hell to break loose. That or just some of the nonsense that has been going around. Either way, it was extremely unpleasant.

I used the old take a bite chew 3-4 times and wash it down with water trick this morning for breakfast and it went down easier. Had to laugh, doing it that way, I cleared my first liter of water in the time it took to eat my chicken and rice.

Now, I am behind the 8 ball with catching up on training. Going to do a makeshift leg session at lunch today, then go to the gym tonight for my shoulders and triceps session. Hopefully that will get me pretty much back on track.
Did you ever change this? The gap from 630 to noon. Im on your side, a meal inbetween to eliminate the 1030pm mral seems like a good idea. Im picturing you sitting in bed with a tv tray shoveling down meal 5 while your falling asleap in your steak lol
 
Epic gains man, all over. Nice work!
Thanks!
Down with the thickness!!!
Did you ever change this? The gap from 630 to noon. Im on your side, a meal inbetween to eliminate the 1030pm mral seems like a good idea. Im picturing you sitting in bed with a tv tray shoveling down meal 5 while your falling asleap in your steak lol
@smont I did, but by going back to mornings. It was just too disruptive to my homelife and with no extra sleep it was 2 big hits that didn't make sense. Have been doing better since going back in the morning. Better digestion, less food volume and the return of a home life. It was a win for me.

Arms - Saturday, Jan 27, 2024 at 8:18pm

SA Triceps Rope Extension
Set 1: 30 lbs x 20 @ 7 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 50 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 4: 40 lbs x 17 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Triceps Kickback (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 15 lbs x 15 @ 8.5 rpe -
Went up from 15 - reps dropped intentionally to allow for weight increase
Set 2: 15 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 15 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe

EZ Bar Skullcrusher
Set 1: 60 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 2: 65 lbs x 12 @ 9.5 rpe
Set 3: 70 lbs x 8 @ 10 rpe -
+5lbs on this set. New high for exercise.

Diamond Push Up
- Up 2 reps total for all 3 sets
Set 1: 11 reps
Set 2: 10 reps
Set 3: 6 reps

Single Arm Preacher Curl
Set 1: 30 lbs x 10 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 2: 30 lbs x 10 @ 9.5 rpe -
+2 reps

EZ Bar Biceps Curl
Set 1: 40 lbs x 15 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 2: 40 lbs x 12 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 40 lbs x 7 [Failure] -
Biceps were toasty after the all out work on previous exercise.

Iso-Lateral High Row (Machine) - Added some back work 3 sets to failure just to stimulate.
Set 1: 70 lbs x 17 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 70 lbs x 14 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 3: 70 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


I was thinking of going to go back in today and hit some back, but kept to the plan to avoid lower back work. Went to complete failure on these to dig in deep and get some good stimulation to upper back. It definitely did the trick, upper back and lats feel worked this morning.

I have been getting a lot of compliments lately on how good I am looking. Sitting in a place I am looking really thick but still plenty lean enough to look pretty damn impressive. When people ask how much I weigh they are always surprised and tell me they thought I was heavier because I look so big. It sure is nice to have smaller joints than most guys my size. Makes a great illusion of being bigger.
 
1/29/24 Fasted Weight 215.2lbs
Chest & Biceps (Monday)

Incline Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 120 lbs x 4 @ 10 rpe [Failure]
Set 2: 95 lbs x 10 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 95 lbs x 1 @ 10 rpe

Iso-Lateral Chest Press (Machine)
Set 1: 80 lbs x 10 @ 7.5 rpe
Set 2: 80 lbs x 10 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 80 lbs x 6 @ 10 rpe
Drop Set 4: 60 lbs x 6 @ 10 rpe [Drop]
Drop Set 5: 35 lbs x 6 @ 10 rpe [Drop]

Bench Press (Cable)
Set 1: 60 lbs x 15 @ 7 rpe
Set 2: 70 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 3: 60 lbs x 11 @ 10 rpe

Chest Fly (Machine)
Set 1: 120 lbs x 21 @ 8 rpe
Set 2: 120 lbs x 21 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 3: 120 lbs x 20 @ 10 rpe [Failure]

Spider Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 30 lbs x 15 @ 10 rpe
Set 2: 20 lbs x 15 @ 8 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 15 @ 9.5 rpe

Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Set 1: 20 lbs x 15 @ 8.5 rpe
Set 2: 20 lbs x 15 @ 9 rpe
Set 3: 20 lbs x 13 @ 10 rpe [Failure]


Don't really have time to post many details, but this was this morning's session.
 
Thought I would post this comparison 16.4 lbs gained so far from the low on my cut. Not too much fat gain for 16.4 lbs.

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looking great dude, sorta crazy how much more pronounced and defined your abs and mid section look at a heavier weight. quads are poppin too!
 
looking great dude, sorta crazy how much more pronounced and defined your abs and mid section look at a heavier weight. quads are poppin too!
Right! I either look big in a hoodie or t-shirt/Long sleeve and not so good w shirt off or I don’t look like a lift when clothed but good in a “wife beater”/ shirt off
 
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