Hyde's Optimum Alpha Epi(c) Log

This guy can bench.
 
I'm interested in how this treats you.
 
I'll take dips and Skullcrushers for the win!
 
Skullcrushers hurt my damn elbows, kickbacks don't hurt at all, dips i save for the end of my tricep work, they are great to burn out with. I was pretty surprised that about 1.5 months ago I hit a pr on bench two weeks out from a physique comp, I was on 60 grams of carbs a day that week and my buddy egged me on to see what I could do and I did 455 once. I honestly only bench once every three weeks or so, I try and work angles with DBS and machines a lot these days and just care about how i look more than how much I can lift. i have long ass arms and bench was always a struggle, but with enough time and effort on my physique it's gotten up there.
 
booneman77 said:
Are you using the OL gharine?
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Yep the sale prices right now put at em within $50/bottle some places for 1-2months of secratogue. You compare that to the price of probably bunk black market Chinese kits you have to pin vs popping a couple caps before bed, AND it boosts endogenous production safely vs exogenous shutdown, and has 2yr human studies on up to 100mg/night, and I pretty much realized there is no better time or avenue to pursue GH-based recovery increases. If it's junk I'm out $100, and by all accounts it is VERY good stuff, nevermind the crazy low price vs even low end foreign kits.
 
AlphaCommandr said:
Skullcrushers hurt my damn elbows, kickbacks don't hurt at all, dips i save for the end of my tricep work, they are great to burn out with. I was pretty surprised that about 1.5 months ago I hit a pr on bench two weeks out from a physique comp, I was on 60 grams of carbs a day that week and my buddy egged me on to see what I could do and I did 455 once. I honestly only bench once every three weeks or so, I try and work angles with DBS and machines a lot these days and just care about how i look more than how much I can lift. i have long ass arms and bench was always a struggle, but with enough time and effort on my physique it's gotten up there.
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Awesome story right there. Obviously everything at play 2wks out is very good for strength, but that's not going to change the fact that you're truly at your smallest and simply don't have glycogen stores anywhere near optimal. Makes you wonder what you could do in a deep bulk after a strength-bases training cycle.

Kinda goes back to how you almost never see a guy w a big chest that is a terrible bencher. Muscle=strength.
 
Last Night

Warmup of Goblets, Glute Activation, BW BSS, Facepulls, Pec Stretches, More Goblets and Facepulls

Squat (Texas Power Bar tonight)
45x5
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
405x1
+add belt and sleeves
435x1
405x6+2 (racked 30 sec and went, 3+, PR)

Frontsquat
135x5
245x5, 5, 10 (PR)

GHR
BWx11, 10, 8

Pretty good night, really took my time warming up steady through squats and focusing on holding position. 435 is the most I've had on my back since June. Was pissed I only got 6 on 405 so I unracked it after a breath and hit 2 more easy. Forgot I had already done the over-warmup singles of 405 & 435 lol
 
Hyde said:
Yep the sale prices right now put at em within $50/bottle some places for 1-2months of secratogue. You compare that to the price of probably bunk black market Chinese kits you have to pin vs popping a couple caps before bed, AND it boosts endogenous production safely vs exogenous shutdown, and has 2yr human studies on up to 100mg/night, and I pretty much realized there is no better time or avenue to pursue GH-based recovery increases. If it's junk I'm out $100, and by all accounts it is VERY good stuff, nevermind the crazy low price vs even low end foreign kits.
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Awesome. I just ordered some too. Cardarine just made me feel awful so I'm hoping this fits me better. Keep me posted on your feelings on it
 
booneman77 said:
Awesome. I just ordered some too. Cardarine just made me feel awful so I'm hoping this fits me better. Keep me posted on your feelings on it
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Well, sleep is certainly not worse last 2 nights lol.

Trained last 3 days seriously and today was scheduled off but I noticed my knees were really achey while studying so did what needed to be done and went in to roll everything from my lats down and get loosened up. Feeling much more supple and knocked out some upper back work too to decompress my spine and cuz...gainz.

Tonight

Stationary Cycle 10 min
Roll/Mash/Mobility

Weighted Neutral Grip Chins
BW+30 (265) 5x5 PR

Widegrip
BWx6, 5

Underhand
BWx7, 6

Neutral Grip
BWx8
 
Front squats getting strong! Congratulations on the PR!!
 
kenpoengineer said:
Front squats getting strong! Congratulations on the PR!!
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Yeah I can't believe how much squatting solely w the SSB for 2 months helped my lean on squats, and built my fronts inadvertently (which I've never stayed w for long).

Tonight

Strict OHP
45x10, 5
75x5
95x5
115x3
135x3
145x3
+belt, wraps, sleeves
165x8 (PR)

Incline Bench
210 for 5x5 (5lbs up from last week)

Db Floor Press
70s x20
80s x15
90s x12 (PR)
90s x10

5x20 Microband Facepulls

Just keeps getting better. If anyone is wondering I'm not on anything (other than just starting 10mg of the growth secratogue at night) but I was competing for almost a year and a half while working full time so getting to have a true off season as I return to a lot of lifts, meanwhile as a student again being able to put in the time sleeping and preparing my meals and making recovery and training number 1 for 3 months now has been incredible. I keep smashing through old barriers, my upper back size and weight in general is at an all-time high, and natural progress has been incredible.

But the Epicatechin sure ain't hurtin'
 
Wow -Epi is being good to you. I found that my volume skyrocketed when using it. Congratulations on yet more PRs! Those OHP lifts kill me!
 
Friday

Duffin Dynamic Warmup

Conv Deadlift
Hookgrip
135x5
225x5
315x3
365x3
415x3
+Over/under & belt
495x1
+straps, overhand
465x4 (totally awful)

That's it, went home pissed. Pulled 475 for 3x5 couple weeks back and barely pulled my over warmup single, let along 465x4. Deadlift is kicking back HARD so I won't be doing 5/3/1 on it next week. Need to deload it then start again and attack it lighter for more volume work.

Such is the deadlift.
 
Saturday was off, today felt like I needed posterior and core work but heavy squat Tuesday so kept volume to minimum. Caught up on Clint Darden's Vimeo so box squat was easily justified for my ham work and squat technique frequency. But mainly just cuz today was a blast

Warmup 3 rounds each w 20lbs:
Facepulls x20
Pulldown abs x15
Straight-arm lat pressdowns x10

BW squats and BSS, x12 each

SSB Parallel Boxsquat
62x5
+minibands
62x3
152x3
242x2
292x2
+40 chain
292x4x2
+light bands
292x2x2
322x2

Bands choked to barely load in hole, setup with 292 pre & post light bands:
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Neutral Grip BW Chins
3x10
3x8
3x7

Back Extension
BWx12
+60lb db held by face
10, 8, 8
 
BENCHPRESS TONIGHT!!! I have really come to enjoy bench lately despite being awful at it. It's just fun to me.
 
Hyde said:
BENCHPRESS TONIGHT!!! I have really come to enjoy bench lately despite being awful at it. It's just fun to me.
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I also am and have always been awful at bench. At least your numbers are respectable by normal standards even if they're not pro pl numbers ha. Mine are average joe at best
 
booneman77 said:
I also am and have always been awful at bench. At least your numbers are respectable by normal standards even if they're not pro pl numbers ha. Mine are average joe at best
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I've been benching for 7 years now and performing the big 3 religiously for 5 years now this month. Longest off-period in that 5 years is 8 days totally out of the gym. Even for gifted benchers they say it really is a "maturity" lift because the upper muscles like the pecs take so many more years to really fill out compared to the lower muscles. You see very young guys putting up huge squats and deadlifts a lot but all the open Bench WRs are set by guys in their 30s usually.
 
Tonight I was on fire. The shirt was very appropriate:

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Warmup
Microband Facepulls 3x20
BW BSS 1x12
Ohp 45x3x10
BtNp/front raises 45x10 each

Bench
45, 45, 95, 135x5
175x3
205x5
230x3
260x5 (1+) PR
285x4 3bd PR
305x4 4bd
315x5 4bd PR
315x1 3bd
275x3 1bd PR

BW Dips
17
16
15
14

Db Curl
20sx12
30sx12
40sx10, 8

Everything felt so light and easy. Considered going for a heavy single off my chest but I'm in deep offseason and building is more important than testing right now.

Boy is this -Epicatechin bringing the swoll! Nevermind the squat belly, my shoulders were PUMPED:

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Those bench numbers! Congratulations on the PRs! Lol at the brown stuff on your chin! Lol
 
kenpoengineer said:
Those bench numbers! Congratulations on the PRs! Lol at the brown stuff on your chin! Lol
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You know it's funny you mention it. Everywhere I go people feel the need to comment on it. You should have seen my full beard! Some people hate it, some ladies go crazy for it. Me, I just do my thang

Tonight

Duffin Warmup per usual
Micro Pullaparts
Hammers

Squat on bent TSB
55x6
145x5
235x5
340x5
385x3
+belt and sleeves
465 walkout
430x5 (1+, RPE 9) PR

Beltless Fronts
250x5x5 lil pr

BW GHR
11
10
10
9

alt w/
Med Grip Lat Pulldown
100x4x20

Great way to finish this 5/3/1 wave; last comp cycle I hit 435x4 tapping a parallel box at this RPE so great to hit 430x5 free squat so far out from any comp.
 
430x5... Man. I can't wait to see that. I'm a few whole pizzas away from that.
 
RegisterJr said:
430x5... Man. I can't wait to see that. I'm a few whole pizzas away from that.
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This young one is STRONG! Anabolic pizza = FTW! Congratulations Hyde!
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Hyde said:
Baby steps. 1 rep here, 5lbs there. You know how it goes!

Bumped Gharine to 20mg/night. Sleeping 10 hours every day. Nutrition has been very consistent, feeling very good. Weighing 235.0 every morning.
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Lol! When you are already lifting small cars, another 5 lbs is HEAVY!
 
Tonight continued the recent trend of awesome pressing progression. Got an itch after I felt strong on ohp so went for a new pushpress PR. Never had 2 wheels/side over my head til today!

Microband Facepulls
5x20 throughout

Strict OHP
45x15, 5
75x4
105x3
135x5
155x3
175x5 (1+) PR

Pushpress
195x1
205x1
215x1
225x1 PR

Incline Bench
215x5x5 volume PR

BB Curl
45x20
75x12, 10, 10

Ss w/

Floorpess
135x15
165x15
185x12, 10

Wore a tank and owner said he'd never seen me this vascular before. Pretty great pump going on as of late with this -epi!
 
Vascular at 230+ ftw!
 
Damn boy... 2 plates overhead... That's beastly
 
Beast PRs! Atta boy! Another reminder of your alter ego:
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booneman77 said:
Damn boy... 2 plates overhead... That's beastly
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Couple years ago this big guy was strict pressing 225 for sets of 8 at my gym. I watched him bench 500 raw at 242 at my first meet ever, so I knew that wasn't gonna be me anytime soon but I knew I had to at least get 225 over my head before I die!

Yesterday

Quick warmup

Hookgrip Deadlift
Sumo
135x5, 5
Conventional
135x5
1" Deficit
225x5
315x4
+belt
405 4x2
Over/under grip
455x2
495x1

4 round circuit:

Weighted Neutral Grip Chins
BW+35 (270) 4x5

GHR
4x10

Back Ext
Bw x11
60lb db x7, 7
40lb db x8 ds Bw x7

After last week's awful pulling needed to spend some time on technique and take a rest from amraps. Focused on speed and violence, reset every rep, and everything was very light so did a couple at 455 and one at 5 plates. One gal walks by and goes, "Geez, what did that weight ever do to you?" Lol

Think I might switch from 3 lower/back days and 2 pressing a week to 3 pressing and 2 lower next couple weeks to help my deadlift reload. My bench is on the cusp of a breakthrough anyway so a 2nd bench session should be the ticket!
 
Hyde said:
Tonight I was on fire. The shirt was very appropriate:

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Warmup
Microband Facepulls 3x20
BW BSS 1x12
Ohp 45x3x10
BtNp/front raises 45x10 each

Bench
45, 45, 95, 135x5
175x3
205x5
230x3
260x5 (1+) PR
285x4 3bd PR
305x4 4bd
315x5 4bd PR
315x1 3bd
275x3 1bd PR

BW Dips
17
16
15
14

Db Curl
20sx12
30sx12
40sx10, 8

Everything felt so light and easy. Considered going for a heavy single off my chest but I'm in deep offseason and building is more important than testing right now.

Boy is this -Epicatechin bringing the swoll! Nevermind the squat belly, my shoulders were PUMPED:

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Looking super swole! Ummm.... Where can I get that shirt??
 
Pull-ups with a 35 lb plate - FTW! Nice lifting brother Hyde!
 
For some reason I thought you'd be "bigger" lol! Just kidding of course, thought it would be funny...
Love the beard man
 
AlphaCommandr said:
Nice Hyde!!! I actually have a video of me military pressing 315 for 3 but can we even post videos here?
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That would be awesome! You have to post on YouTube or Vimeo etc then insert the code here. It's easier on desktop. My threads are always open for discussions and sharing!
 
puccah8808 said:
Looking super swole! Ummm.... Where can I get that shirt??
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Haha ty check out elitefts.com - they're always having sales of some kind and usually free shipping. They even have a specific women's line on top of the general apparel. Lots of lifter apparel
 
kenpoengineer said:
Pull-ups with a 35 lb plate - FTW! Nice lifting brother Hyde!
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Man I hit 4 sets of 5... When I can do sets of 10 I'll call you

Saturday and Sunday were planned off. Saw family and friends and ate too much crap. 236.8 this am. Like I mentioned not deloading this week just gonna drop deadlift weight down significantly and rotate to more upper days/wk for a few. Bench tonight!
 
Tonight

Warmup 2 rounds of:
Microband Facepulls x25
Strict OHP 45x10
BW BSS X10

Bench
45, 95, 135, 185, 210 x5 each
235x8 (5+) pr?
285x4 3bd PR
305x4 4bd
315x4 4bd
315x2 3bd PR
285x3 2bd PR

Microband Facepulls
2x25

Incline Db Press
70s 3x15

Done. Dead. The intensity of the boards just wiped me out. Was falling asleep on the db press so packed it up. Think my blood sugar was tanking as I was about out of hbcd
 
Nice going on those board presses. Congrats on those PR's
 
Care to share some of those benching PRs?
 
Those board presses are killer hard! Congratulations on those PRs!
 
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