Building Back Up

[GreenMachineX]

seems pretty dang reasonable from where you are man. I was about 207-208 at peak, back down to 195 now and work towards 185 ish. I think unless you kick up gear use you're inevitably going to have some lean mass loss but taking your time as you know you're going to yield pretty damn good results overall.

One thing to note…I’m sure your 207 was glycogen full, not depleted like I am currently, so I have 20 pounds of actual tissue to lose lol

But, I did it before many times, and over the past year went from 139 bloated (130 depleted) to this.

 

[Hyde]

You’re not going to lose 20lbs of tissue without losing muscle, short of blasting hard. Normally not even with a big dose of Tren, but for a guy who only uses 50mg/wk test YOU might be able to drug your way to no FFM loss. But normally a pro bodybuilder cannot even, unless they cruise on nothing and go very hard on prep (guys who grow into the show, as they say).

 

[GreenMachineX]

You’re not going to lose 20lbs of tissue without losing muscle, short of blasting hard. Normally not even with a big dose of Tren, but for a guy who only uses 50mg/wk test YOU might be able to drug your way to no FFM loss. But normally a pro bodybuilder cannot even, unless they cruise on nothing and go very hard on prep (guys who grow into the show, as they say).

I realize I’ll lose some, I was just stating what I actually needed to lose of fat to hit my targets.

 

[Dustin07]

One thing to note…I’m sure your 207 was glycogen full, not depleted like I am currently, so I have 20 pounds of actual tissue to lose lol

na man, it was pretty much my avg weight in Nov and Dec 2023 when I hit my last big deadlift pr before the wifes surgery. since then anytime I bounce the tach off 200-205 I force a cut back down. 200 is pretty much my redline right now. My renpho app looks bipolar AF. lol.

Post in thread 'To Infinity.... and Beyond!'

Dec 4, 2023

Deads
8 x 135, 225
1 x 325, 375, 415, 455, 485 (PR)
5 x 365
8 x 315

Bb Rows (supinated)
10 x 135, 165
6 x 185
10 x 135

Tbar rows
4 sets

Superset with EZ bar curls
4 x 10 x 70


Notes
Wife's surgery is tomorrow so we are a bit distracted. House has been full of people since Thanksgiving but I wanted to sneak in and see if I could get my brain back into game mode after a few reps.

IntraWO notes:
I cant believe how fast 415 moved.
Holy crap, just hit 455 so fast like butter.

It killed me to not just reach for 500 in that last rep but I knew TAKE THE PR.

That's how good 455 felt.

Once...

• Dustin07

• 

 

[GreenMachineX]

na man, it was pretty much my avg weight in Nov and Dec 2023 when I hit my last big deadlift pr before the wifes surgery. since then anytime I bounce the tach off 200-205 I force a cut back down. 200 is pretty much my redline right now. My renpho app looks bipolar AF. lol.

Post in thread 'To Infinity.... and Beyond!'

Dec 4, 2023

Deads
8 x 135, 225
1 x 325, 375, 415, 455, 485 (PR)
5 x 365
8 x 315

Bb Rows (supinated)
10 x 135, 165
6 x 185
10 x 135

Tbar rows
4 sets

Superset with EZ bar curls
4 x 10 x 70


Notes
Wife's surgery is tomorrow so we are a bit distracted. House has been full of people since Thanksgiving but I wanted to sneak in and see if I could get my brain back into game mode after a few reps.

IntraWO notes:
I cant believe how fast 415 moved.
Holy crap, just hit 455 so fast like butter.

It killed me to not just reach for 500 in that last rep but I knew TAKE THE PR.

That's how good 455 felt.

Once...

• Dustin07

• 

Oh gotcha. One day I’ll catch up!

 

[GreenMachineX]

na man, it was pretty much my avg weight in Nov and Dec 2023 when I hit my last big deadlift pr before the wifes surgery. since then anytime I bounce the tach off 200-205 I force a cut back down. 200 is pretty much my redline right now. My renpho app looks bipolar AF. lol.

Post in thread 'To Infinity.... and Beyond!'

Dec 4, 2023

Deads
8 x 135, 225
1 x 325, 375, 415, 455, 485 (PR)
5 x 365
8 x 315

Bb Rows (supinated)
10 x 135, 165
6 x 185
10 x 135

Tbar rows
4 sets

Superset with EZ bar curls
4 x 10 x 70


Notes
Wife's surgery is tomorrow so we are a bit distracted. House has been full of people since Thanksgiving but I wanted to sneak in and see if I could get my brain back into game mode after a few reps.

IntraWO notes:
I cant believe how fast 415 moved.
Holy crap, just hit 455 so fast like butter.

It killed me to not just reach for 500 in that last rep but I knew TAKE THE PR.

That's how good 455 felt.

Once...

• Dustin07

• 

What is renpho?

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.6

Head so congested and coughing junk up this morning, didn’t sleep well at all either…taking today off. Lower and arms tomorrow.

 

[Hyde]

Weight: 208.6

Head so congested and coughing junk up this morning, didn’t sleep well at all either…taking today off. Lower and arms tomorrow.

Feel better man

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.5

Squat 5x5x265
Standing Single Leg Curls
Shrug Machine
Sled Push 5 plates - 3 sets
DB Curls
Hammer Curls
Skullcrushers

Rekt after those sled pushes. Probably a bad idea, but I had to motivate my son to finish his. Unsure if I should’ve worked out at all today, but at least I hit a new 5x5 on squat at a lower body weight.

 

[SkRaw85]

Everybody getting rocked right now, feel better!

 

[Hyde]

If you’re not sure if you should or shouldn’t squat, the answer in your heart is usually yes

 

[GreenMachineX]

Everybody getting rocked right now, feel better!

I actually don’t feel too bad most of the Time. There’s really something to small frequent doses of vitamin C (well, large doses every hour too, but I’m just using 100mg every hour) and it reduces symptoms dramatically. If I back off for about 12 hours, symptoms come back full force.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.9

Made a mistake in calculating a recipe/meal I prepared and ate 300-400kcal more than planned. I think I probably was still around maintenance, but still frustrating. Figured I’d sleep better due to that, but no…5.5 hours.

 

[Dustin07]

What is renpho?

wife got us one of these smart scales. most of the info it gives you like bodyfat % etc is useless but every time I step on it it sends the data straight to my phone where it logs my weight, so over time I have trends and graphs to look at from that regard. its actually pretty funny to see over the long term.

Elis 1 Smart Body Scale

RENPHO best-seller Comprehensive measurements DESCRIPTIONS Body Composition Analysis Gain detailed information on 13 essential body measurements (Body Weight, BMI, Body Fat%, Body Water %, Skeletal Muscle, Fat-free Body Weight, Muscle Mass, Bone Mass, Protein, BMR, Subcutaneous Fat, Visceral...

renpho.com

Figured I’d sleep better due to that, but no…5.5 hours.

I feel you big time today bro. wife woke me up gently touching my back around 12:30am and I was like, oh yeah baby, thats nice to which she says "what is that? whats that sound". damn. lol. had a critter get in the ceiling somewhere upstairs so at 12:30 I'm grabbing clothes and flashlight to see if I can find him. I love living in the woods but we are always fighting nature out there

 

[GreenMachineX]

Standing OHP 5x5/5/5/5/6 x 130
NG Pull-up 9/6/4/3
CG Bench 4 x 6 x 145
Horizontal Pull-up 6/5/5/5
DB Lateral Raise 4 x 15/14/13/12 x 12.5’s

 

[Dustin07]

I like that extra credit rep on the last set of OHP.
when you say horizontal pull-ups do you mean like from a barbell in the squat rack?

 

[GreenMachineX]

I like that extra credit rep on the last set of OHP.
when you say horizontal pull-ups do you mean like from a barbell in the squat rack?

Regarding extra credit…yeah, I’m really enjoying last set AMRAP on anything that’s not 0 RIR, particularly if I’ve undershot the 5x5.

Horizontal pull-ups, I use the suspended rings at the same height as my feet on a bench, so starting position is my feet are a little higher then my chest, when I pull up, my entire body is parallel to the floor. Just a different way to get a horizontal pull/row, but I feel it so much more in the rhomboids/middle traps…better scapular retraction.

 

[Dustin07]

oh yeah I get it. I love ring work anyway you can get it. adds a little something to dips too.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.4

Weight dropping. Yay. But, sleep has been bad the past several days…ever since I added blueberries back in. I’ll post a day from last week and last night…same diet, similar activity, same stress level, etc, except the addition of blueberries. I finally feel validated that my insane hypothesis has data to support it. And yeah, I can feel the difference too, same thing I’ve been whining about for 2 years in this thread.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Workout this AM:
Deadlift 5 sets of 3 x 365
Leg Press Top Sets 2 x 6 x 450
Shrug Machine 3 sets
Triceps Pressdowns 3 sets
DB Curls 3 sets

Better than last workout, but feel like garbage from that sleep and multiple days in the 70’s score. At least i stimulated something at a lower body weight.

 

[Dustin07]

thats wild dude, I had read that blueberries actually help sleep because they contain melatonin, serotonin, and reduce cortisol (all things I never knew before).

 

[GreenMachineX]

thats wild dude, I had read that blueberries actually help sleep because they contain melatonin, serotonin, and reduce cortisol (all things I never knew before).

Very weird.

 

[Hyde]

 

[GreenMachineX]

View attachment 258063

Man, I know it’s crazy…

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.9

Meh.

 

[Dustin07]

that was 223 at the beginning of this thread. you're maintainin an avg weight of like 15lbs lower now, that's something.

 

[GreenMachineX]

that was 223 at the beginning of this thread. you're maintainin an avg weight of like 15lbs lower now, that's something.

Yes, true, it only took 3 years! lol

But you’re right. Still a win.

 

[GreenMachineX]

So this is weird…it’s happened a few times now. There’s a “pulling” or “about to crack” sensation deep in my lower pubic area. It does not feel like a hernia as in musculature, but tendon/ligament more so. If I were looking at a skeleton, I’d think it was the pubic symphosis. Same feeling as when you’re almost crack a knuckle or something, but given the location, it’s not something I want to frack intentionally. Also, I can’t figure out exactly what movement I’m doing to make it happen so I can’t replicate it.

 

[Dustin07]

Yes, true, it only took 3 years! lol

LOL I was afraid you'd point that out when I mentioned it but on the other side of that coin you could be 250 and still trying to get down to 200 or less. a trend is a trend and you're not getting fatter-
Look at how many dudes our age wave the white flag then have a heart attack.

So this is weird…it’s happened a few times now. There’s a “pulling” or “about to crack” sensation deep in my lower pubic area. It does not feel like a hernia as in musculature, but tendon/ligament more so. If I were looking at a skeleton, I’d think it was the pubic symphosis. Same feeling as when you’re almost crack a knuckle or something, but given the location, it’s not something I want to frack intentionally. Also, I can’t figure out exactly what movement I’m doing to make it happen so I can’t replicate it.

psoas area? I used to have horrible tightness/pain just inches above the bratwurst around the beltline area when combining a lot of cardio with deadlifts. targeting psoas specific stuff cleared it up.

 

[GreenMachineX]

LOL I was afraid you'd point that out when I mentioned it but on the other side of that coin you could be 250 and still trying to get down to 200 or less. a trend is a trend and you're not getting fatter-
Look at how many dudes our age wave the white flag then have a heart attack.



psoas area? I used to have horrible tightness/pain just inches above the bratwurst around the beltline area when combining a lot of cardio with deadlifts. targeting psoas specific stuff cleared it up.

Probably not psoas, this is perfectly in the center/middle.

 

[GreenMachineX]

LOL I was afraid you'd point that out when I mentioned it but on the other side of that coin you could be 250 and still trying to get down to 200 or less. a trend is a trend and you're not getting fatter-
Look at how many dudes our age wave the white flag then have a heart attack.



psoas area? I used to have horrible tightness/pain just inches above the bratwurst around the beltline area when combining a lot of cardio with deadlifts. targeting psoas specific stuff cleared it up.

Good points on the weight loss trend. Even if it did take another year to get what I want to get with my current strength levels, that’s not so bad.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 207.6
Let’s go!

Flat BB 5x5x225

Hammer Strength OHP
9x180, 8x200, 7x210

Low Incline DB Press 3x6x50’s (Rekt by now)

DB Upright Row 4x12x32.5’s

Triceps Pressdowns 4 sets

Great workout at this new low body weight. I’ve never actually successfully completed that 5x5 anywhere close to this body weight.

Back was still quite fatigued from the previous 2 workouts, so I’ll add it to squats tomorrow.

 

[akboom87]

Weight: 207.6
Let’s go!

Flat BB 5x5x225

Hammer Strength OHP
9x180, 8x200, 7x210

Low Incline DB Press 3x6x50’s (Rekt by now)

DB Upright Row 4x12x32.5’s

Triceps Pressdowns 4 sets

Great workout at this new low body weight. I’ve never actually successfully completed that 5x5 anywhere close to this body weight.

Back was still quite fatigued from the previous 2 workouts, so I’ll add it to squats tomorrow.

Congrats on the new low!

 

[GreenMachineX]

Congrats on the new low!

Thank you sir!

 

[Dustin07]

awesome work on the cutting, keep the fire lit!

Probably not psoas, this is perfectly in the center/middle.

can you point on the doll where the evil feeling is touching you

how is your perineum these days?

does this "osteitis pubis" sound closer? I've never heard of it before:

 

[GreenMachineX]

awesome work on the cutting, keep the fire lit!



can you point on the doll where the evil feeling is touching you

View attachment 258120

how is your perineum these days?

View attachment 258121


does this "osteitis pubis" sound closer? I've never heard of it before:


View attachment 258122

Yea! It likely is osteitis pubis, because it’s always the day after heavy leg press/DL, maybe squat too, but is better today. Let’s see if it kicks back up after squats tomorrow.

Glad I posted it lol thanks for looking into it.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.4

2-1-2-1 Tempo OH Pull-ups 4/4/3/2
Squat 5x5x270
BB Row 8x135, 4x5x155
NG Pull-ups 1 set of 6
OH Deadhang 1:15
Leg Curls

I don’t understand why 90% of my lifts are getting stronger, except pull-ups and rows.
Squats and bench are coming along nicely.

 

[Shadowblaze]

I don’t understand why 90% of my lifts are getting stronger, except pull-ups and rows.
Squats and bench are coming along nicely.

Lol, same here. My pull ups didn’t improve once for a few months, so I took them out of my program. I’m just not great at vertical pulling movements, no matter how hard I try.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Lol, same here. My pull ups didn’t improve once for a few months, so I took them out of my program. I’m just not great at vertical pulling movements, no matter how hard I try.

lol glad I’m not alone, but sorry for you

What’s also weird though, in training, I can only do small counts per set, but when I randomly do pull ups in the middle of the day I can hit 8-10

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.4

2-1-2-1 Tempo OH Pull-ups 4/4/3/2
Squat 5x5x270
BB Row 8x135, 4x5x155
NG Pull-ups 1 set of 6
OH Deadhang 1:15
Leg Curls

I don’t understand why 90% of my lifts are getting stronger, except pull-ups and rows.
Squats and bench are coming along nicely.

I should also mention, this workout appears like any old training day, but my back is REKT.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Weight: 208.4

3800 kcal yesterday of all clean foods with the intent of it sort of like a refeed. My Fitbit says I ended up burning 4290 by the end of the day. Given that I only got 6 hours (on Fitbit) of sleep, I’d say that was kcal total burned was pretty accurate, or at least I was at maintenance for the day. Due to weather, we’re stuck inside for a couple days, so I’ll be closer to maintenance also today. (Safety reasons require better brain function)

 

[Segansational]

lol glad I’m not alone, but sorry for you

What’s also weird though, in training, I can only do small counts per set, but when I randomly do pull ups in the middle of the day I can hit 8-10

This is probably just due to full body / muscles being warmed up from generalized activity all day, plus lack of fatigue from other direct muscle stimulus.

 

[GreenMachineX]

This is probably just due to full body / muscles being warmed up from generalized activity all day, plus lack of fatigue from other direct muscle stimulus.

So, would randomly doing pull-ups separately from a real workout be best? I’m probably not getting quality stimulation then right?

 

[GreenMachineX]

I’m so sore from the last 2 workouts, unlikely I’ll be ready by tomorrow. So, today’s easy workout for a pump at home:

DB Curls
DB Overhead Extensions
DB Lateral Raises

So unmotivated and weak

 

[Segansational]

So, would randomly doing pull-ups separately from a real workout be best? I’m probably not getting quality stimulation then right?

No, I'd just put them first if you're actually trying to prioritize them for numbers/reps, when you're fresh. But if you're using them for hypertrophy having them later is probably OK as long as you're in the 5+ rep range and assuming your other back exercises hit similar muscle groups.

 

[Dustin07]

I honestly think pull-ups is one of those things you can do daily without it negatively effecting recovery for other stuff, especially if we're talking about accumulating total reps over the week in batches of 4-5 at a time. negatives are fantastic for people who have zero pull-ups, i'm not sure if they help for people who already have pull-ups. there is a bit of a conditioning aspect to them, IMO. butterfly and kipping pull-ups would contribute to an overall increased capacity but they're risky for shoulders and they're IMO like using a slingshot, they're overloading. so when I was doing 45-50 butterfly/kipping pull-ups my strict would probably be maxing at sets of 25-27. but again, its a movement that I wouldn't hesitate to do daily. I mean just throwing down 3 amrap sets as a warm-up every day is no big deal IMO.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I honestly think pull-ups is one of those things you can do daily without it negatively effecting recovery for other stuff, especially if we're talking about accumulating total reps over the week in batches of 4-5 at a time. negatives are fantastic for people who have zero pull-ups, i'm not sure if they help for people who already have pull-ups. there is a bit of a conditioning aspect to them, IMO. butterfly and kipping pull-ups would contribute to an overall increased capacity but they're risky for shoulders and they're IMO like using a slingshot, they're overloading. so when I was doing 45-50 butterfly/kipping pull-ups my strict would probably be maxing at sets of 25-27. but again, its a movement that I wouldn't hesitate to do daily. I mean just throwing down 3 amrap sets as a warm-up every day is no big deal IMO.

But why would doing pull-ups every day and not bench every day be ok? If one is doing them for hypertrophy and reps, so strict and controlled every rep, and can only do 5-10 per set, why is that different than benching in the 5-10 rep range every day?

 

[GreenMachineX]

No, I'd just put them first if you're actually trying to prioritize them for numbers/reps, when you're fresh. But if you're using them for hypertrophy having them later is probably OK as long as you're in the 5+ rep range and assuming your other back exercises hit similar muscle groups.

I think partly is when I workout. Morning workouts aren’t great for me, I just don’t have any other option. Randomly doing a set when I’m out and about or with the kids at the gym at night is so much better.

 

[Hyde]

But why would doing pull-ups every day and not bench every day be ok? If one is doing them for hypertrophy and reps, so strict and controlled every rep, and can only do 5-10 per set, why is that different than benching in the 5-10 rep range every day?

Both can work, if you can adapt to the recovery demands.

Best thing you can do initially is spread your volume thin but frequently. So if you do 5 sets per week now, try 2 days of 3 sets. Then 3 days of 2 sets. Then eod with 2 sets. Or whatever until you get the frequency where you desire. Then adjust work sets up or down based on needs and perceived recovery.

There are guys who do manual labor 6-7 days per week, for long days. What you can survive will be different from what you will find to be optimal results. You should also weigh this vs what is sustainable. Something that is a short push is different from a wise longterm plan.

Big Jim Williams was the first 700lb raw bench ever, and he benched 5-7 days per week, in addition to his lower body training to total something like 2400-2500lbs. He was also done competing within a few years.

 

[Dustin07]

barbell work is more taxing than bodyweight work for a lot of reasons but another thought I had is how many total warm up sets does it take for you to get to 225?

Weight: 207.6
Let’s go!

Flat BB 5x5x225

I mean jumping on a pull-up bar for 3 amrap sets right now might be like a set of 8, 7, 7 or 8, 6, 5 or something like that right? like this week I see 19 reps:

2-1-2-1 Tempo OH Pull-ups 4/4/3/2
Squat 5x5x270
BB Row 8x135, 4x5x155
NG Pull-ups 1 set of 6

so thats 19 reps at bodyweight vs the 25 reps of bench you did at OVER bodyweight using a barbell requiring more stability and muscular recruitement that also had I'm guessing quite a few warm-up reps on the way there.

I think that sorta jives with what Hyde said about adaptation as well. But todays monday, like if you got on the pull-up bar and did 5 pullups today and tomorrow did 6, and the next day 7 etc until you got up to 100 a day (even if it was 10 sets of 10 by then, idc) I'm guessing your adaptation would be such that your cns never notices and your pull-ups continue to increase. guys who like to do abs might be sore on day one of doing 25 and then after a couple months they're additively throwing down 1000 situps a night like girls walking around taking sips from their stanley cups.