Hyde’s Strength Odyssey

[Hyde]

I know, I’m always impressed with Hyde’s pull-ups. Hyde, when you get down in that 220 range you’ll probably be able to hit 20 pull-ups.

Yeah I actually thought about that this morning, that if I pushed them I could probably pull that off.

Great minds think alike, as they say

Weight seems to be coming off nice and smooth for you

Yeah no doubt the diet works. I knew adding GH in last week I wasn’t going to see progress in scale weight, but just to tie was a good sign. So moving beyond this week bodes well.

Unfortunately with Elite this weekend and carbing up a day early tomorrow, I’m unlikely to get lower this week missing that extra day of fatloss. But this weekend will be good overall for my powerlifting, so it’s worth it. I don’t just want to lose weight; I want to remain strong!

 

[MrKleen73]

Yeah I actually thought about that this morning, that if I pushed them I could probably pull that off.

Great minds think alike, as they say



Yeah no doubt the diet works. I knew adding GH in last week I wasn’t going to see progress in scale weight, but just to tie was a good sign. So moving beyond this week bodes well.

Unfortunately with Elite this weekend and carbing up a day early tomorrow, I’m unlikely to get lower this week missing that extra day of fatloss. But this weekend will be good overall for my powerlifting, so it’s worth it. I don’t just want to lose weight; I want to remain strong!

In the end we are talking about a couple ounces of extra water loss to do some awesome training at Elite. I think it is definitely worth it.

 

[Hyde]

In the end we are talking about a couple ounces of extra water loss to do some awesome training at Elite. I think it is definitely worth it.

Well I will probably eat more calories overall actually, not just sooner. I want to be locked and loaded for Saturday, and we’ll be eating out all weekend - definitely a bit of a vacay! But if I am mindful Sunday coming home that will help curb it some.

As long as I can break even this week, I’ll be happy.

 

[MrKleen73]

You only have 10.4lbs to lose right? That isn't even a ridiculously hard water cut from here, so you have the room and time for this well fed expedition.

 

[sammpedd88]

Yeah I actually thought about that this morning, that if I pushed them I could probably pull that off.

Great minds think alike, as they say



Yeah no doubt the diet works. I knew adding GH in last week I wasn’t going to see progress in scale weight, but just to tie was a good sign. So moving beyond this week bodes well.

Unfortunately with Elite this weekend and carbing up a day early tomorrow, I’m unlikely to get lower this week missing that extra day of fatloss. But this weekend will be good overall for my powerlifting, so it’s worth it. I don’t just want to lose weight; I want to remain strong!

Good luck at Elite. I’m thinking about going next year

 

[Hyde]

You only have 10.4lbs to lose right? That isn't even a ridiculously hard water cut from here, so you have the room and time for this well fed expedition.

Correct; I can already make weight at any point with some sweating - just want to keep getting leaner before then too!

Good luck at Elite. I’m thinking about going next year

Thanks; maybe they’ll have another one in winter if this goes well. They did last year.

 

[Segansational]

Well I will probably eat more calories overall actually, not just sooner. I want to be locked and loaded for Saturday, and we’ll be eating out all weekend - definitely a bit of a vacay! But if I am mindful Sunday coming home that will help curb it some.

As long as I can break even this week, I’ll be happy.

Enjoy it man! Can't wait to hear about the experience again.

On a similar fitness related excitement note, I'm starting to think about whether I can make it out to the Olympia this year. Same type of deal, I get hyped, eat big, get to train, and be around a bunch of meat heads all weekend. Pretty much my happy place!

 

[Hyde]

6/27/26 - ELITEFTS
BW 230.8 yesterday

1 min Assault Bike
Scap Pushups
Cat Camel
Bird Dogs
KB Suitcase Carries

Squat, Bully Camber Bar
65 2x5
155x5
265x3
355x1
+belt & Ergopros
465,515,555,575x1 PR

RDLs
135,265x8
+belt
309,375,397x8

Inverse Curl
35 2x15

Standing Calves
100 3x12

Standing Unilateral Legcurl
40 3x12

Back Attack
135, +light band x8
180, +light x8
180+ heavy x10

Carb loading Friday over the rainy road trip to London seemed to take really well, based on the mirror Saturday morning before heading to the diner to meet up with some crew members before training at EFS. Everything was feeling great & warmups were easy; I could tell the couple days off & ART plus carb up had all cylinders firing. It was warm and fairly humid out, but the way Elite is laid out their big fans made the temp much nicer than training at home.

Originally planned to straight bar squat with my buddy, but when so many people wanted to as well I jumped over to Dave Tate’s mono to get in with the biggest squatters there on the Westside Bully bar. This bar wants to oscillate badly, swinging back & forth once unracked unless you can get tight enough to make it settle to take a clean squat. It will push you around unless you really fight back! I was the weakest guy in rotation for reference, which meant I got the best coaching possible. 2 of the other 3 guys will be competing at the WPO this fall. One of them did multiple singles with 665+120 chain in briefs, another took 755+120 chain in briefs, and the lightest guy did 805 in a multiply suit with this mean bar. So you know spotting that was intense as well!

I miscalculated the weights, thinking 555 was 535. It was so ridiculously easy, decided to take one more with 20lbs more. 575 WAS very fast & easy, but there was the slightest hipshift upon reversal & felt something pop in my right knee, so had to bag my back off set or any quad-focused leg work. I definitely could have squat 600 after if my body was healthy & ready for the weight, which is really encouraging for the meet in a couple months. I’m already stronger than my goal, so just need to get the knee happy & ready in this time. I was also excited to pull off the biggest squat I’ve ever done at this bodyweight (<231 for 3 days in a row prior).

I was very pleased to find RDLs now cause ZERO back pain again, so I did some of those and got to enjoy some of the fantastic posterior machines Elite makes. I’ve never used the Back Attack before, but it was incredible. I have never found anything to work the erectors so well without also making the spine feel worked - this machine is gold! Need to find a way to get ahold of one

Knee swelled up pretty good Saturday evening; had to limp around but still enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends at the best steakhouse in town. Got it to loosen up decently in training Sunday, and it’s doing much better today (Monday) after some Cissus & a vial of TB500 before bed last night. Began GLOW in it this morning with my HGH.

575:

 

[Hyde]

6/28/26 - ELITEFTS

Reverse Arm Swings
Band Pullaparts
Floorpress Bench
2 min Assault Bike

Bench, EFS Iron Cowboy powerbar
45x10
135,185,225x5
275x3
315,335,355x1

EFS Floorpress Pad Bench
45,135,225x6
275,295x5
315x3

EFS Standing Lever Chest Press
+120,170x10
220x5
170x8

Magnum Converging Cable Chest Press
230x10,4,4

EFS Pulldown
w/ Prime lat saw & RoT8 handles
150,180,180x8
140x15

One-arm EFS Cable Low Row
50 3x12

Internal Shoulder Rotation
Doubled Micro 2x15

Strap Cable Facepulls
30 3x30

Knee loosened up a lot while training thankfully once warmed, and bench was feeling strong as I worked up since it’s the end of this block. Was planning on taking 365 based on the ease of 355, but while waiting to go up noticed a pain in my right bicep tendon toward the shoulder I’ve never had before. Decided discretion as the better part of valor & moved on to something less risky.

Got to use Dave’s awesome bench set up with pads on the side so you can Floorpress without getting down on the floor! Perfect with the grouchy knee. It even has mono jcups, so you just plop down on the bed, lockout to unrack and do your work. Really ingenious stuff. Did not notice any more bicep tendon pain once I warmed back up on Floorpress, by the way. Every machine I got to use after was of course awesome (including my favorite cable chest press ever), with an insane pump in my pecs & lats for hours while I trained between chatting with & learning from other lifters doing the same.

Tom Sheppard noticed my left scap unfolds at the bottom of my bench, shifting up onto my trap and then scooping back into place as soon as I initiate my press. So we worked on really trying to keep it planted better during my machine pressing & loading the lat at the bottom instead of my left trap. Then all my lat work was individual handles to really focus on that activation throughout the entire row. The Prime RoT8 handles & short bar are truly amazing. Trying to decide if I can somehow justify the $275 to order one for myself to bring to the gym - shipping & Tax from Prime is nearly $75 alone! But it is truly a superior contraction.

Another really fun day of lifting, sharing & learning. Like Saturday, some great little golden nuggets along with a terrific experience with some old & new friends. Biggest successful lift this day of the Retreat was 935lb 2-boardpress (1,025 wasn’t to be locked out).

 

[dapack]

Sounds like a lot of fun. Congrats on the PR!!!