JT Mass: Post show rebound and off-season

Rocket3015

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I want all 10lbs to be Muscle đź’Ş
 
Rocket3015

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You’d have better chances getting gasoline for under $3/gallon, and that ain’t ever happening again
A man can dream !
 
Smont

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Lol, my phone won't zoom in enough. You got any close up pictures of your tats
 
jtmass

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Dude, looking good but someone drew all over your back when you weren't looking. I think there's a cobra or a dragon.
That’s a Cobra. See it from a distance.. else, you’ll see all that shitty work on my back.
 
Smont

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That’s a Cobra. See it from a distance.. else, you’ll see all that shitty work on my back.
All good, my boy just opened up a big shop, tattoos in the front and a barber shop in the back. I was getting my haircut yesterday and now I'm thinking about getting some tats done
 
Rocket3015

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All good, my boy just opened up a big shop, tattoos in the front and a barber shop in the back. I was getting my haircut yesterday and now I'm thinking about getting some tats done
Just remember they are forever !!
 
jtmass

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All good, my boy just opened up a big shop, tattoos in the front and a barber shop in the back. I was getting my haircut yesterday and now I'm thinking about getting some tats done
Do you have any ideas in mind?
 
jtmass

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Last week my leg day kinda screwed me up. Increased the weight on all exercises and performed pretty well. But, after 5 days my knee still hurts a bit. Have to start using knee sleeves and belts now. My joints/tendons are not getting stronger.

Compared to last week all lifts are going up. Yesterday was Pull session and I was able to perform at least 2 reps more or increase weight and perform same reps for all the exercises.
Did deadlift beltless 190kgs for 5 on a stiffbar at 81.5kgs bw..
 
Hyde

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Nothing wrong with a belt and knee sleeves! You don’t get points for what you lift or how you lift it; what matters is that you safely build muscle over time. Hard training can bring injury almost inevitably, but it’s our job to be smart as possible calling our shots for when to push and when to modify.

However, if you haven’t had an easy week in a while, it could be time for a deload. Lots of ways to do that, like going a lot lighter on things, or cutting half of your sets out, or skipping your biggest exercises for the week, or skipping some workouts entirely for more rest days. Just an idea - if only the knee feels beat up, just try to work around it, but if everything feels a bit worn out then it may be time.
 
jtmass

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Nothing wrong with a belt and knee sleeves! You don’t get points for what you lift or how you lift it; what matters is that you safely build muscle over time. Hard training can bring injury almost inevitably, but it’s our job to be smart as possible calling our shots for when to push and when to modify.

However, if you haven’t had an easy week in a while, it could be time for a deload. Lots of ways to do that, like going a lot lighter on things, or cutting half of your sets out, or skipping your biggest exercises for the week, or skipping some workouts entirely for more rest days. Just an idea - if only the knee feels beat up, just try to work around it, but if everything feels a bit worn out then it may be time.
Absolutely. I agree. Have been pretty comfortable without knee sleeves or belt till now. But, last week I started pushing weights a bit more and realized I need to be safer.

I’d like to try lifting with sleeves and belt to see if it hurts or not. Is that okay?
 
Rocket3015

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Your joints and tendons will not grow (get stronger) as fast a your muscles, so they may need a little time.
 
Hyde

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Absolutely. I agree. Have been pretty comfortable without knee sleeves or belt till now. But, last week I started pushing weights a bit more and realized I need to be safer.

I’d like to try lifting with sleeves and belt to see if it hurts or not. Is that okay?
Yeah definitely! The decision on when to use them and when/if a deload is necessary aren’t related IMO. The use of a belt will usually be determined by how heavy/intense you are taking compound lifts usually, while a knee sleeve could be for any number of reasons.

So for example I may not use a belt on squats until I get to a certain weight normally, BUT if I was going to do a very intense high rep set I still might use it to help stay tighter at the end when I am fatigued. Some movements like barbell or db rows I put one on almost immediately, while others like pressing on any angle of bench I never wear one. The big thing is not to walk around with it tight. It’s something you only tighten for the sets you need it. You should not be doing the entire training session in a tightened belt.
 
rodefeeh

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Absolutely. I agree. Have been pretty comfortable without knee sleeves or belt till now. But, last week I started pushing weights a bit more and realized I need to be safer.

I’d like to try lifting with sleeves and belt to see if it hurts or not. Is that okay?
I messed up my meniscus a few years ago. Knee sleeves have been a tremendous help with squats. If I don't wear them, my knee will have a pronounced ache. They also just make my knees for more secure. You'll understand once you start wearing them. Go for knee sleeves!
 
MrKleen73

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Those knees can't keep up with your ridiculous quads!
 
jtmass

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Yeah definitely! The decision on when to use them and when/if a deload is necessary aren’t related IMO. The use of a belt will usually be determined by how heavy/intense you are taking compound lifts usually, while a knee sleeve could be for any number of reasons.

So for example I may not use a belt on squats until I get to a certain weight normally, BUT if I was going to do a very intense high rep set I still might use it to help stay tighter at the end when I am fatigued. Some movements like barbell or db rows I put one on almost immediately, while others like pressing on any angle of bench I never wear one. The big thing is not to walk around with it tight. It’s something you only tighten for the sets you need it. You should not be doing the entire training session in a tightened belt.
Understood. I absolutely never used belts or sleeves throughout the training session even in the past. First of all I think that looks stupid and second I wanted my core to be stronger and not depend on belts.
 
jtmass

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I messed up my meniscus a few years ago. Knee sleeves have been a tremendous help with squats. If I don't wear them, my knee will have a pronounced ache. They also just make my knees for more secure. You'll understand once you start wearing them. Go for knee sleeves!
I used to use knee sleeves for my squats for a long time. But, I stopped this year and my knees have got stronger without them. But, there is definitely a point where you have to incorporate knee sleeves and I believe I have reached that point.
I have an Iron Rebel one. Pretty good one I think.
 
Rocket3015

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I never worn knee sleeves till I hit 60, now I need them, still don't wear a belt but I don't go heavy any more !
 
jtmass

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Push Day today.

Oh, I want to thank @Hyde for asking me to hit shoulders first and then chest and triceps at last. This was a really solid session for me. Lifts were much better in terms of pump and overall execution.

So, this is how my training is scheduled from this week onwards

1) Pull- back thickness focused
2) Push- Shoulder focused
3) Legs- Quad focused
4) Off
6) Pull- Back Width focused and hammies
6) Push day- Chest focused
7) Off

Currently playing a little bit with volume to get to the right mix. I am really learning what suits best for me with Hyde's guidance.
 
MrKleen73

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I know.. I wish I had big joints like you guys.. :(
Not as a bodybuilder you don't! The smaller your joints the bigger and fuller the surrounding muscle looks. I also have tiny joints and people often think my arms and legs are bigger than they are. Small joints are the bees knees for aesthetics. Not so much for resilience under heavy load. I do get jealous of the pounding some people can take without breaking down or breaking down very often anyway.

Also that was more of a compliment regarding your quad development being off the charts. :)
 
jtmass

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Not as a bodybuilder you don't! The smaller your joints the bigger and fuller the surrounding muscle looks. I also have tiny joints and people often think my arms and legs are bigger than they are. Small joints are the bees knees for aesthetics. Not so much for resilience under heavy load. I do get jealous of the pounding some people can take without breaking down or breaking down very often anyway.

Also that was more of a compliment regarding your quad development being off the charts. :)
I didn't know that. But, bigger joints=bigger muscles. no? I look at people lifting 500lbs squats I go like.. damn I wish I could..

Thanks for the compliment.. :)
 

johnny412

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I didn't know that. But, bigger joints=bigger muscles. no? I look at people lifting 500lbs squats I go like.. damn I wish I could..

Thanks for the compliment.. :)
back in the day i squated 345x3 natty. i cant imagine doing 345 today much less 500 lol that would drive me straight to the floor
 
Hyde

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I didn't know that. But, bigger joints=bigger muscles. no? I look at people lifting 500lbs squats I go like.. damn I wish I could..

Thanks for the compliment.. :)
Always want small joints for bodybuilding aesthetics, and big joints for performance sports.

I, unfortunately, was born with a wide waist, poor genetics for bodybuilding, AND small joints At 5’10”, my joints are wrists and knees are barely larger than my 5’4” wife (who is an exceptional strongwoman). But I have still squatted 280kg in sleeves in comp, so what your genetics are isn’t a total death sentence. You just aren’t going to be the top of a sport if you aren’t built for it, that’s all.
 
jtmass

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back in the day i squated 345x3 natty. i cant imagine doing 345 today much less 500 lol that would drive me straight to the floor
Squats is unlike any other exercise, right. The weight could definitely burry you and we all know it. But the feeling of squatting heavy like 2.5-3x your body weight is just powerful. More like a sense of accomplishment that I am sure we don’t get even while deadlifting.
 
jtmass

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Always want small joints for bodybuilding aesthetics, and big joints for performance sports.

I, unfortunately, was born with a wide waist, poor genetics for bodybuilding, AND small joints At 5’10”, my joints are wrists and knees are barely larger than my 5’4” wife (who is an exceptional strongwoman). But I have still squatted 280kg in sleeves in comp, so what your genetics are isn’t a total death sentence. You just aren’t going to be the top of a sport if you aren’t built for it, that’s all.
280 is .

And that’s the truth.. You have to be built for it to be on top.
 
Rocket3015

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I used to squat heavy and no dought I felt like the king of the gym ! Now days it light weight for reps!
 
jtmass

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Today was legs. Boy, my knees are not good. I went light today with all my exercises. About 70-80% of my last week's working set load and reps. The pain is right in the center of my knee cap. I used my knee sleeves, but, really didn't help with the pain.

Did front squats today for a change and I didn't feel any tension on my quads. So, will be back to doing my regular squat movements from next week. I just hope my knees are good to go next week.

So, today's workout was just lackluster
 
MrKleen73

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Always want small joints for bodybuilding aesthetics, and big joints for performance sports.

I, unfortunately, was born with a wide waist, poor genetics for bodybuilding, AND small joints
At 5’10”, my joints are wrists and knees are barely larger than my 5’4” wife (who is an exceptional strongwoman). But I have still squatted 280kg in sleeves in comp, so what your genetics are isn’t a total death sentence. You just aren’t going to be the top of a sport if you aren’t built for it, that’s all.
This exactly! My knees and wrists are very close to the size of my wifes. I have like 7 inch wrists and about 13.5 inch knees.

The benefit of bigger joints is more like if you get in an accident in a pick up truck compared to a sedan. The trucks normally come out looking fine and the sedan is crumpled like aluminum. You are just a lot less likely to take on major damage with a much stronger frame.

That being said hypertrophy training does not have to beat the crap out of your joints if done correctly. So joint size should not really be a limiting factor in hypertrophy. The aesthetic benefit is how big the muscle looks relative to the joint. Let's just say it takes you a 27 inch thigh to squat 500lbs that 27 inches will look a lot bigger relative to a 14 inch knee than a 17 inch knee, but the 17 inch knee is far less likely to be pushed to it's limits under the same weight.

Today was legs. Boy, my knees are not good. I went light today with all my exercises. About 70-80% of my last week's working set load and reps. The pain is right in the center of my knee cap. I used my knee sleeves, but, really didn't help with the pain.

Did front squats today for a change and I didn't feel any tension on my quads. So, will be back to doing my regular squat movements from next week. I just hope my knees are good to go next week.

So, today's workout was just lackluster
So both knees are aching and hurting? Are you sure you aren't dealing with some low estrogen issues? Test isn't extremely high and if you are a low aromatase kind of guy already the mast could be competing heavily for the receptors. Just a thought, of course you are in good hands with @Hyde he has far more knowledge than I do on the topic.
 
jtmass

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This exactly! My knees and wrists are very close to the size of my wifes. I have like 7 inch wrists and about 13.5 inch knees.

The benefit of bigger joints is more like if you get in an accident in a pick up truck compared to a sedan. The trucks normally come out looking fine and the sedan is crumpled like aluminum. You are just a lot less likely to take on major damage with a much stronger frame.

That being said hypertrophy training does not have to beat the crap out of your joints if done correctly. So joint size should not really be a limiting factor in hypertrophy. The aesthetic benefit is how big the muscle looks relative to the joint. Let's just say it takes you a 27 inch thigh to squat 500lbs that 27 inches will look a lot bigger relative to a 14 inch knee than a 17 inch knee, but the 17 inch knee is far less likely to be pushed to it's limits under the same weight.


So both knees are aching and hurting? Are you sure you aren't dealing with some low estrogen issues? Test isn't extremely high and if you are a low aromatase kind of guy already the mast could be competing heavily for the receptors. Just a thought, of course you are in good hands with @Hyde he has far more knowledge than I do on the topic.
It’s just one knee and not the joints. I don’t think my estrogen is low (haven’t checked recently) because my libido is great. I am right now on 400 test and 200 mast per week.
 
jtmass

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Ya I know, that's the point lol.
Bro. Just get it done.. calves would be a good place if you wear shorts. I am really interested to know what you have in mind for the tattoo.
 
Smont

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Bro. Just get it done.. calves would be a good place if you wear shorts. I am really interested to know what you have in mind for the tattoo.
Big one for my upper back that Ive been drawing on and off in bits and pieces but I need to give it to my buddy so he can actually turn it into art. It's basically an angel and a demon but it's the skull of an Angel and the skull of a demon kind of budding heads.

Then on my right shoulder I want a big black rose but I want all of the pedals to be playing cards. That one's going to be a while because I've seen people do similar things and they always look crappy to me it's going to take a lot of time for me to figure out a way to make the playing cards look like actual leaves or petals I should say.

Then on my left arm I have that sun and the eyeball tattoo that's from a piece of artwork I did in high school, I actually got that when I was 17 but I need to have somebody find a way to turn it into a short sleeve for me I just don't know what to do with it.

The problem I'm facing right now is my job involves me being filthy dirty and drenched in sweat so I almost have to take a week off of work to get a tattoo done
 
jtmass

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Big one for my upper back that Ive been drawing on and off in bits and pieces but I need to give it to my buddy so he can actually turn it into art. It's basically an angel and a demon but it's the skull of an Angel and the skull of a demon kind of budding heads.

Then on my right shoulder I want a big black rose but I want all of the pedals to be playing cards. That one's going to be a while because I've seen people do similar things and they always look crappy to me it's going to take a lot of time for me to figure out a way to make the playing cards look like actual leaves or petals I should say.

Then on my left arm I have that sun and the eyeball tattoo that's from a piece of artwork I did in high school, I actually got that when I was 17 but I need to have somebody find a way to turn it into a short sleeve for me I just don't know what to do with it.

The problem I'm facing right now is my job involves me being filthy dirty and drenched in sweat so I almost have to take a week off of work to get a tattoo done
Love the angel and demon skull idea. My back was to show both sides of life; good and the bad. One side is the sacred heart and a samurai fighting for his life and the other side is a grim reaper and Medusa. In the middle is the Moses staff (so to say) and the inscription say Codex Gigas Dablova Bible.

Yeah. The work is definitely going to pose a problem since you’re working outdoors.
 
Hyde

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Squats is unlike any other exercise, right. The weight could definitely burry you and we all know it. But the feeling of squatting heavy like 2.5-3x your body weight is just powerful. More like a sense of accomplishment that I am sure we don’t get even while deadlifting.
Yeah pulling a big deadlift can be a triumphant feeling no doubt, but at the end of the day if you can’t cut it or something goes awry, you just drop the bar.

Squatting, I definitely believe the satisfaction comes from overcoming the innate fear of willingly shouldering a tremendous weight for yourself, then making the commitment to own that weight until completion. You must make the lift, or you will be crushed down (hopefully to safety pins or spotters!), defeated. If you fail, there will be a true sense of powerlessness.

It’s just one knee and not the joints. I don’t think my estrogen is low (haven’t checked recently) because my libido is great. I am right now on 400 test and 200 mast per week.
Based on the fact all the other joints haven’t been acting dry or having any aches, that’s the real indicator the stack is sufficiently wet IMO. Your test:DHT derivative is 2:1, you have Mk677+CJC raising IGF1, no AI, so if things don’t feel dry or bad then they shouldn’t be.
 
Smont

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Love the angel and demon skull idea. My back was to show both sides of life; good and the bad. One side is the sacred heart and a samurai fighting for his life and the other side is a grim reaper and Medusa. In the middle is the Moses staff (so to say) and the inscription say Codex Gigas Dablova Bible.

Yeah. The work is definitely going to pose a problem since you’re working outdoors.
Yep, that's basically what it is, the good and the bad, I'm not religious but I had another idea where I wanted an angel and a demon playing tug of war with a set of rosary beads and the rosary beads were bursting in the air but I just never could get it to come out looking right and then I kind of just stopped working on it when I thought about the Angel and the demon skulls
 
MrKleen73

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It’s just one knee and not the joints. I don’t think my estrogen is low (haven’t checked recently) because my libido is great. I am right now on 400 test and 200 mast per week.
Makes sense, I didn't think it was likely but it read like it was both knees which I thought was odd.
Yeah pulling a big deadlift can be a triumphant feeling no doubt, but at the end of the day if you can’t cut it or something goes awry, you just drop the bar.

Squatting, I definitely believe the satisfaction comes from overcoming the innate fear of willingly shouldering a tremendous weight for yourself, then making the commitment to own that weight until completion. You must make the lift, or you will be crushed down (hopefully to safety pins or spotters!), defeated. If you fail, there will be a true sense of powerlessness.



Based on the fact all the other joints haven’t been acting dry or having any aches, that’s the real indicator the stack is sufficiently wet IMO. Your test:DHT derivative is 2:1, you have Mk677+CJC raising IGF1, no AI, so if things don’t feel dry or bad then they shouldn’t be.
Agreed on the squatting, getting crushed under the bar is a true sense of powerlessness and fighting through a sticking point successfully is that much more rewarding because of it. That being said I still like deadlifts better, but that is because like you said I can give all out effort and if it is a nogo just put it down or drop it now minimal risk.

On the bolded, that is exactly why I deferred to you! :)
 

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