Shadowblaze
Active member
Here are the photos from my lift tracking app.
The Maximus Pact
- Thread starter Shadowblaze
- Start date
akboom87
Well-known member
Heading upwards man! Looking jacked!
Shadowblaze
Active member
Thanks bro!
Shadowblaze
Active member
gphagan1
Legend
Shadowblaze
Active member
Day 99:
It was a good lift today but a bit gruelling lmao. I was pretty tired since I didn’t sleep great.
I did my sprints at the beginning of the lift and I was GASSED by the time my weightlifting even started, but I took some deep breaths and lied back on a bench for like 5 minutes and was chilling after.
It was a good lift today but a bit gruelling lmao. I was pretty tired since I didn’t sleep great.
I did my sprints at the beginning of the lift and I was GASSED by the time my weightlifting even started, but I took some deep breaths and lied back on a bench for like 5 minutes and was chilling after.
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gphagan1
Legend
Shadowblaze
Active member
Thanks bro! I literally make a huge focus on my vastus lateralis (outer quad sweep) when training legs. Biking has given me insane leg growth too, I don’t even train quads anymore at all aside from my compound lifts like squats and split squats because biking gives me better results. Im hoping in a few months my legs will be freaky big like they used to be.Your quads have a nice sweep….good job.
Shadowblaze
Active member
Day 100!
Let’s goo, 100 days of the Maximus pact.
I felt great today, slept great too. I got a full 7.5 hours of sleep. Work was pretty boring but at least not bad.
I’m gonna take a deload soon probably and then hop on my natty stack. Or I may start my natty stack and then take a deload during it, that’s probably smarter.
I only hit 223x3 on incline, I thought I would’ve had the 4th but for some reason it didn’t budge.
My physique is getting a lot better too. And I reached a new high in bodyweight.
Let’s goo, 100 days of the Maximus pact.
I felt great today, slept great too. I got a full 7.5 hours of sleep. Work was pretty boring but at least not bad.
I’m gonna take a deload soon probably and then hop on my natty stack. Or I may start my natty stack and then take a deload during it, that’s probably smarter.
I only hit 223x3 on incline, I thought I would’ve had the 4th but for some reason it didn’t budge.
My physique is getting a lot better too. And I reached a new high in bodyweight.
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Shadowblaze
Active member
Day 101:
I had a hard shift today lol and all the standing on ladders while bending over took a toll in my hips, so I just dropped the weight a bit and did low impact assault bike sprints instead of my regular sprints. I also reduced my volume and weight for most lifts.
I’ve been grinding the past 4 days so I’m gonna take a much needed rest day tomorrow. Just gonna chill and go get a haircut and go to church prayer night. I’m getting rid of my mullet and getting a fade, the mullet is pretty annoying sometimes honestly.
Also, I dropped a 45lb plate on my quad and now it’s pretty bruised lmao.
I had a hard shift today lol and all the standing on ladders while bending over took a toll in my hips, so I just dropped the weight a bit and did low impact assault bike sprints instead of my regular sprints. I also reduced my volume and weight for most lifts.
I’ve been grinding the past 4 days so I’m gonna take a much needed rest day tomorrow. Just gonna chill and go get a haircut and go to church prayer night. I’m getting rid of my mullet and getting a fade, the mullet is pretty annoying sometimes honestly.
Also, I dropped a 45lb plate on my quad and now it’s pretty bruised lmao.
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Shadowblaze
Active member
I’m also hopping on a new treatment for my autoimmune but it’s injectable. Anyone got any tips for injecting? I’ve never done it before and you guys are the ones to ask about it
Dustin07
Legend
hyde, smont, mrkleen, greenmachine, seg, might be your guys
Hyde
Legend
What is the volume you have to inject, and what length and gauge is the needle they give it to you in - or do you get to pick/use your own? Frequency?
Main rules are wash your hands, swab the injection site with alcohol swab/cotton ball thoroughly as well as stopper of vial before drawing it up, and don’t touch the needle to anything besides that stopper or cleaned skin. Aspiration is no longer necessary in modern medical practice.
Shadowblaze
Active member
I’m not sure about the needle size. It’s available in a few forms like pre filled syringes but I’m gonna go with an auto injector (like an epi pen)
It’s a once a month injection.
What’s aspiration?
Dustin07
Legend
Websters dictionary defines aspiration as:
1. hope or ambition in acheiving something
Shadowblaze
Active member
Lmaoooo I don’t think that’s what he meant, but that gave me a good laugh.
Hyde
Legend
Shoot, if you can get pre-filled epi pen that’s super convenient. Just clean your medial delt with some isopropyl alcohol and a cotton ball, let it dry, and pop that thing into the side of your shoulder muscle.
Side delts are very tough/low pain, easy to reach, recover well, and can take 3cc of volume and fairly big needles if necessary (like a 25g 1”). There’s a reason they always use them for vaccines/flu shots etc.
Aspiration is when you pull back the plunger to see if you get blood. Spoiler alert, it’s very difficult to inject into a vein; there’s a lot of pressure to overcome. Much more likely you would push through one as you bear down trying to inject and force the needle tip past it into muscle on the other side. It’s just a non-issue & no longer taught as standard practice.
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Shadowblaze
Active member
I’m pretty sure quads are the standard place to inject biologic drugs. I’ll ask my doctor though. Thanks for the tips!
Shadowblaze
Active member
Day 102:
I’m gonna go to the gym with some church friends today and do a diamond gym style workout. Practically we go ham doing a lot of lifts and push ups with minimal rest. They also don’t drink water during their lifts but I will lmao.
Since I’m doing that workout I won’t track it though.
I know the burnout style sets serve minimal benefit for me and more so get in the way of recovery but I’m doing it just to have fun.
I’m gonna start my supplement stack on Monday and after today will take a deload until Saturday.
I’m gonna go to the gym with some church friends today and do a diamond gym style workout. Practically we go ham doing a lot of lifts and push ups with minimal rest. They also don’t drink water during their lifts but I will lmao.
Since I’m doing that workout I won’t track it though.
I know the burnout style sets serve minimal benefit for me and more so get in the way of recovery but I’m doing it just to have fun.
I’m gonna start my supplement stack on Monday and after today will take a deload until Saturday.
Hyde
Legend
I was going to recommend upper quads for the same reason; very solid easy location to use - I did 2 quad injections this morning (gear on my left, carnitine/choline preWO on the right). But they do get a bit more PIP, or at least you may feel it more not being used to shots yet (virgin muscle can get much worse PIP). And sometimes with quads you can tap a nerve, but that’s more of an issue mid/lower down on them. This isn’t a big deal, did it yesterday actually when I pinned my teardrop, just uncomfortable and kind of makes you jump. Usually you don’t need to move, but if you get a little jolt you can remove and move the needle over slightly for a second stab.
Just stick to upper/outer quads if you go with them and it will be smooth.
Shadowblaze
Active member
I’m taking a deload week so I’m probably not gonna post my workouts this week.
Shadowblaze
Active member
Btw I wanted to show you guys how deep I actually squat. You can see it’s less than parallel but still pretty good, considering my autoimmune spine disorder makes me not able to squat deep.
Peep the legs though, I don’t even have a plate on in this photo, it’s just from my first warm up set.
Peep the legs though, I don’t even have a plate on in this photo, it’s just from my first warm up set.
Hyde
Legend
So what about your spine disorder messes with squatting deep - what happens when you overdo it, and do you know the basic mechanism of how it gets hurt?
I ask because you’re accomplishing a bit more hip flexion on the split squat photo than in the regular squat pattern photo. So it seems like you could do that on squats at least.
I also wonder if you could benefit from a cheap “lifter”-style heeled lifting shoe. Like if the triggering problem was not more hip flexion but rather shear stress on the spine, if squatting deeper but more vertical would be ideal for you, more like a hi bar/frontsquat torso position.
This is higher than the junk they try to pass off as a good squat in Multiply powerlifting. Imagine what kind of thigh development you could get if you could even do half squats with less weight, instead of quarter squats that also force you to expose yourself to a higher load.
I ask because you’re accomplishing a bit more hip flexion on the split squat photo than in the regular squat pattern photo. So it seems like you could do that on squats at least.
I also wonder if you could benefit from a cheap “lifter”-style heeled lifting shoe. Like if the triggering problem was not more hip flexion but rather shear stress on the spine, if squatting deeper but more vertical would be ideal for you, more like a hi bar/frontsquat torso position.
This is higher than the junk they try to pass off as a good squat in Multiply powerlifting. Imagine what kind of thigh development you could get if you could even do half squats with less weight, instead of quarter squats that also force you to expose yourself to a higher load.
gphagan1
Legend
Shadowblaze
Active member
I used to squat very deep, but after I got ankylosing spondylitis I would get crazy flare ups from it and now that I’m working I don’t see a reason to risk a flare up that may make it hard or impossible to work for a bit.
I think just the deep position puts a lot of pressure on the SI joint itself and can pull on certain muscles that attach at the SI joint.
For my split squats I always go ass to ankles on my real sets.
I’ll get some lifting shoes, thanks. That should help me get a bit closer to parallel.
As for the thigh development, my legs have never grown from squats, the only exercises I have ever seen leg growth from is biking and calf raises, maybe leg press too. So I don’t see why I should squat deep for exclusively hypertrophy, I would only want to squat deep for the powerlifting rules.
Dustin07
Legend
are you able to air squat deep, or sit in a low a2g squat comfortably? if you choose not to do it weighted for hypertrophy purposes but can do it unweighted the rom seems like a healthy routine for overall mobility health at least. as far as growth goes, nothing makes my legs grow thicker than front squats.
Hyde
Legend
Then your choices don’t really align with your stated goals.
If you don’t get good leg development from squats, but you can do split squats at full depth (which is much deeper than what you showed in the picture), why would you do these quarter squats? You aren’t getting usefully stronger from them, people don’t care what you can quarter squat (most people don’t actually care what you squat for real, I can tell you), you aren’t stimulating much hypertrophy (more hypertrophy comes from greater ROM and total volume primarily), and they represent an unnecessary stressor to recovery because the partial ROM demands more weight (that you claim is a liability if you go too deep accidentally).
Pete Rubish was a great powerlifter that almost exclusively split squat for his primary leg hypertrophy, only squatting a few times before a competition. Squats hurt his hips and didn’t stimulate much size due to his long femurs anyway. So he just did them when he had to to make a good total. And for bodybuilding, loads of bodybuilders do not even free squat. It’s all machines for many, especially after their early years establishing some base muscle. Smith squats and Hacksquats keep you very upright and take nearly all the load off the low back.
But if you can split squat with no mobility issues, a shoe will not help you squat better. Not nearly as much as just keeping the bar hi bar and keeping your weights modest & not overdoing things for your tolerance.
Shadowblaze
Active member
Yeah front squats are good for growing legs overall for sure. I can do full ROM pretty well but it’s just not worth it for me right now. I can get most of my mobility work from deep split squats too.
My goals aren’t exclusively related to hypertrophy or powerlifting, I’m also training for athletics. And even quarter rep squats help you develop huge strength in the top end Rom which is where you are when you sprint, jump and launch forward during runs. So quarter rep squats are usually better for that goal.
Also they do still strengthen your squat and help me build a foundation so when I feel like I can squat to depth I’ll retain some strength with that rom.
Yeah for my split squats I go much deeper than in the photo, I just included that to show my legs.
I bought some lifting shoes and lifting heel lifts so I can get a bit more deep and upright, hopefully to where my hips will be in line with my knees.
But honestly the main reason I do squats is because I love them.
Are hack squats worth throwing in for hypertrophy? I’m just worried my quads will become stronger than my hamstrings and glutes which could leave me more prone to spinal instability or injury because it’s unbalanced.
Thanks for all the insights though. I’ll try to get a competition depth squat soon, and I’m gonna try that new injection treatment so hopefully it will help.
Dustin07
Legend
wallballs might be a happy medium for explosiveness and deep rom without overloading the spine. quad dominance is incredibly common among north american athletes for whatever reason, but knowing that, you can put more effort into hammy work as well. how are your spine issues through normal deadlift or RDL ROM? are you able to power clean, maybe from a hang position?
I started using heeled shoes years ago back when I was training oly lifts more. I'll still throw on my old school Ristos occasionally for fronts, cleans, etc. but man oh man, once I moved to flats for my back squat it was a game changer for me. I feel so much more planted to the ground (the same way I originally felt when I went to heeled shoes for front squats)
I started using heeled shoes years ago back when I was training oly lifts more. I'll still throw on my old school Ristos occasionally for fronts, cleans, etc. but man oh man, once I moved to flats for my back squat it was a game changer for me. I feel so much more planted to the ground (the same way I originally felt when I went to heeled shoes for front squats)
Hyde
Legend
No, 1/4 squats are not usually better for that goal. I have been reading casually about S&C for nearly 15 years, and I can tell you that NFL strength coaches do not have their players squat that high. Nor do they squat through parallel typically - it’s often something around where a 16-17” box/standard adjustable bench height would get you. Sprinters also do not squat that high, because if you look at where the body is when they explode off the blocks, they benefit from the hamstring development a deeper squat yields to pull the body forward in a sprint. Elite sprinters have very developed hamstrings (as well as quads).
This is the same poor logic as throwing your hips up and off the bench to “lift more”. You need more weight to get less return without accomplishing much besides putting more weight on the bar. If you want to squat 6 inches because you enjoy it, fine. But you will get more out of squatting 10” for hypertrophy, applicable strength, and injury prevention/robustness. You don’t need to go to depth, but go deeper.
And once you pass parallel, the largest increase in muscle recruitment to get out of the hole is from the glutes. So deep hacks will still develop those well. The fact you’re worried about Hacksquats to depth being what causes proportionally week hams to quads but not 1/4 squats with the extra cycling volume seems ironic.
Shadowblaze
Active member
My Rom is pretty good with back extensions but I can’t deadlift at all, I’ll probably never do deadlifting again with my condition.
I’ve never done cleans personally.
Shadowblaze
Active member
So you think I should drop the weight and try to increase Rom for a bit? Then if I don’t get a flare up keep the Rom and build back up in weight?
Are you sure this would help my athleticism more than what I was doing before?
Do you have any other tips for my training when it comes to sprinting and athletics?
What do you think of Anderson squats? That’s what I usually do with my squatting just to make it harder so that I don’t have to load as much weight and risk getting a flare up. Developing that overcoming strength from a dead stop is very important in sports.
Sorry if this a lot of questions, I’m still new to this stuff.
Personally I won’t do hacks since they are bad for athletics.
Dustin07
Legend
dude the thickest legs I ever had were when I couldn't squat 300 for a 1rm but I was squatting backsquatting, front squatting, and overhead squatting 95-135 for 50-100 reps almost every day, running back to back 6 and sub 6 minute miles in the middle of workouts that included ring muscle ups, handstand pushups, box jumps, and an unending string of palm destroying pull-ups.
When I took a break from squats to chase a 500lb deadlift I got hella strong and my legs got smol. I'm still not squatting 405 but my legs are coming back fast with my smolboi squats and accessory work.
Dustin07
Legend
oh and wall balls and airsquats. we would routinly destroy our cardio vascular system with 20-30lb walll balls in a workout which utilizes the same explosive middle portion as a clean and jerk imo. they're soul crushing for a bad squatter like me but those and 1 minute AMRAP airsquats at about 60 reps a minute will make your legs literally cry. then eat and sleep to build and do it again.
Hyde
Legend
Yes, I would try to get a few inches more ROM for sure based on everything you’ve said. It certainly doesn’t have to be even close to parallel, but based on everything you’ve said & shown you will be good for at least a bit more ROM.
This will inevitably mean taking some weight off initially, and that’s totally fine - you really want to start lighter if you are working in an untrained range to give everything a chance to get used to being worked there. You can always put more load back on soon enough if it feels too easy.
Anderson squats coming from a dead stop on safety pins are certainly a fine variant, and they ensure you hit a consistent depth without going lower than you’ve predetermined, so that’s a big plus for you.
Another option would be to squat to a bench if the have them available at the gym. Many benches are 16-17”. If you think that’s too low to chance for now, adding a bumper plate can be a great way to jack the height up some. Squatting to a box can be a great tool to ensure consistent depth to a point, and like Anderson squats you can pause at the bottom (while staying tight) to dissipate kinetic energy, then exploding up to dynamically overcome a static load. One caution I’ll give here though is that you don’t want to plop down; if you have hundreds of pounds on your back and come down way too hard, that impact can definitely flare a back up.
Boxsquatting above parallel is probably the #1 movement I’d employ to train most any athlete, with the rest being determined by their discipline. But you are never going to regret building strong hips and explosive power.
Something else that can help prevent back injury and control depth in a squat pattern is using your hands to hold onto uprights, aka “Hatfield Squats”. This either has to be done with a safety squat bar (SSB) in a power rack or with a Beltsquat. I think you may already be doing this on the Beltsquat, which is ideal in my opinion. Using the lats directly as needed to stabilize the torso lets you handle more weight effectively while also ensuring you don’t get bent over if the leg overload becomes too much. You don’t want to try to pull yourself up, but you can when the set gets near the end and legs are failing.
I agree that Hacks are not a good athletic choice; this is just if you need more quad hypertrophy (and wanted to build stronger knees in deep flexion). But split squats will also accomplish both of those. Hacks are pretty much just bodybuilding/powerbuilding.
Shadowblaze
Active member
How do you guys deal with deep rooted insecurities?
Hyde
Legend
Generally going to come back to a mix of logical rationalization mixed with positive mental training/affirmations/self-acceptance.
Let’s say you feel lacking in X. Whether or not X is something you can actually improve is irrelevant, because insecurities are not logical so it’s likely the issue will scale with your success. You may be concerned you are not attractive enough, or making enough money. While you can usually improve your attractiveness and income to some extent (and self-improvement is ideal!), there’s always going to be more attractive or wealthy individuals. Or smarter, stronger, etc etc. So even making a million dollars per year, you will feel insecure that others make 2, 5,
100 million. People who focus on the grass being greener instead of stopping to smell their roses & appreciate what they have.
Logically, you should realize in all the world, there’s a lot of people less attractive & wealthy than you that end up very happy & successful. So if someone without arms and legs or eyesight can make it each day in this world, you have some huge advantages over them. If they can make it, you will be okay too.
And cultivating a mindset of success and growth, believing that you can achieve new things eventually if you do the hard necessary things to facilitate them. It is so important to keep a positive outlook; it’s everything. The more you live & succeed in hard things, the more you begin to believe in yourself. Success is often falling down 9 times, but getting up 10.
Shadowblaze
Active member
Do you guys know a band called the Offpsring? I’m going to their concert on Saturday with my dad and my sister
akboom87
Well-known member
Yes for sure great band should be a good time.
Dustin07
Legend
probably one of the single biggest highlights of highschool was greenday playing at the Warped Tour
akboom87
Well-known member
At first I was like what who hasn’t heard of the band offspring, then I remembered the age difference
Shadowblaze
Active member
I’m pretty fly for a white guy so I think I’ll be good
Dustin07
Legend
Also, Canada. I went up to Vancouver to see Saving Abel at the Red Room and the locals cracked me up because they called Nickelback a country band. I was like wtf.At first I was like what who hasn’t heard of the band offspring, then I remembered the age difference
Shadowblaze
Active member
With the way my lifts have been going, one might say “you’re gonna go far kid”
Hope you guys enjoy the corny jokes.
I’m on my way to the concert right now. Hopefully it’ll be a good time.
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Dustin07
Legend
most of us are dads, its our duty.