Segansational's Motivation Log

Ended up trying the cold plunge trend yesterday. There's a new place that opened up with personal sauna & cold plunge tubs. Figured the purported benefits of reducing inflammation would be good for my back, plus I just love sweating in a sauna.

I honestly have no idea how anyone sits in one of these cold plunge tubs! I literally lasted 20 seconds, 30 sec max before my shins/legs were painful from the cold. Had no problem with my core/trunk, but man! Did 3 rounds of sauna, rinse off, cold plunge.

Shoulders/Arms
Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs x10,5,3
Lacrosse ball work - still seemingly have a little knot under my right scapula.

DB laterals, 10x3x10
DB front raises, 10x3x10
EZ bar upright rows, +40x3x10
DB shrugs, 60x3x10

Supersets:
EZ bar curls, +40x2x10
x
Dips x 2x12

Ran out of time this AM so cut my WO and bit short.

Foam rolling to finish.

1 hr 1 mins, 172 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Total War, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex
Intra: 1 scoop Klout, 5g creatine mono, 1/2 scoop Karbolyn, 1 scoop R1 Lytes.

Notes
Right forearm and left wrist were really bugging me yesterday. Forearm was from weed whacking the yard. Literally felt like I was gimpy after all day. Still lingering a bit into this morning. Wrist was from the incline benching yesterday without my wrist wraps, my own fault for just being lazy and not putting them on.





20250619_153934.webp
 
Also, random thoughts:

Im actually feeling - OK (wouldn't say good) about my chest/triceps these days. As in, I have grown my chest enough I think to at least make it look like I lift a little. And think it's primarily due to my 2x / wk benching the past several months (year?).

Thinking I could really use the same development now for my back and biceps. I used to have lats as my strong point, but ever since my injury it's not looked nearly as good. I used to do a lot of wide grip pulling & heavier BB rows. Will need to work around injury concerns, but might tey adding in some true lat focus / back hypertrophy - so 2x/week targeting.
 
Cold plunging can potentially have great effects on hormones, they recommend it of course first thing in the morning but I know people who say having a cold plunge at night leads to better sleep. I've read studies that suggest that shouldn't work that way, but Hubberman is really big on "going to sleep cold, waking up warm". Layne I think did a break down on cold plunge vs sauna and IIRC he said if you're only going to do one, he preferred sauna for health benefits. I've never got into cold myself, but I know a lot of guys that do now and they all love it. even if it's a placebo and they walk out feeling good then IMO it's a good thing...


Segansational said:
Im actually feeling - OK (wouldn't say good) about my chest/triceps these days. As in, I have grown my chest enough I think to at least make it look like I lift a little. And think it's primarily due to my 2x / wk benching the past several months (year?).
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that's awesome to see positive growth and change as a long time gym rat. I'm with you on that, I think I saw my best chest development over the last 2 years when I incorporated not just the added volume but more incline work. both barbell and db. that took some time cause it used to make my shoulder pop so it was months of low weight high volume finding the right rom and conditioning the body to be able to but it worked!

same with arms dude, I spent the last year doing more arms work than anymore I know and I felt like an idiot aiming for 20 sets of biceps but I honestly believe it worked!
 
Big thing with cold plunge is it shouldn’t be done close to training - it really shuts off the growth response from the training. So ideally you just do it on an off day, as far as possible from the previous session. It’s a solid restorative tool! Heat from the sauna loosens muscles up, and ice cold crushes inflammation. My ART guy often recommends I ice my low back after a hot shower if I have worked it hard that day in training.

Considerations for plunge use with high level athletes might be that being able to practice and perform is much more important than any extra hypertrophy, and for someone using steroids that protein synthesis is much more dramatic than training & won’t be affected - bodybuilders and strength athletes are still going to get the lion’s share of their muscle growth from the drugs. But being able to lift the weights you need to on schedule is going to matter more for a competitive strongman than getting every bit of training muscle growth.
 
This weekend was a pool weekend. Spent time with the kids at the pool Fri - Sun. Pickleball yesterday in the heat for about an hour and a half had me soaking through my shirt, somewhere just shy of 700 cals burned.

Noting that Sat we spent the day with friends and that normally I would've been drinking. This time around I brought my own NA cans. Ended up drinking 4 of them, so that's 4 real drinks I did not have. Still working through the mental aspect of "missing" it, but remembering all of the positives of foregoing that many beers.

My left wrist and lower back are still not happy, so I'm not operating at full steam, but starting up this focus of 2x/wk bench and 2x/wk back. Think I'll end up doing:

M - Primary Bench
T - Deadlifts
W - Legs
Th - Accessory Chest
F - Accessory Back / Hypertrophy Focus
Sat / Sun - Off

Cardio and/or pickleball on weekends, evenings as I can find time.

But again, as I'm working in a surplus of cals, cardio/fat loss is not my main focus.

Wife travels for work this week, so my focus may be taken away a little handling the kids solo. Wish me luck
 
Primary Bench Day

Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs x10,5,3
Lacrosse ball work
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands 2x12,12

Bench Press:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets,
160x6
160x6
160x6
160x7 - AMRAP set, only got +1.

Wanted to move up, but given I wasn't firing on all cylinders this AM I kept at same weight as last week. Only 1 extra rep this week showed that was the right move.

Machine Chest Press:
8 plates x 3 x 10

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr 2 mins, 193 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Weight: 172.2#
BF: 16.2%
 
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Segansational said:
This weekend was a pool weekend. Spent time with the kids at the pool Fri - Sun. Pickleball yesterday in the heat for about an hour and a half had me soaking through my shirt, somewhere just shy of 700 cals burned.
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dude you're living the life!!

Segansational said:
Noting that Sat we spent the day with friends and that normally I would've been drinking. This time around I brought my own NA cans. Ended up drinking 4 of them, so that's 4 real drinks I did not have. Still working through the mental aspect of "missing" it, but remembering all of the positives of foregoing that many beers.
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what NA's are you liking these days? I'd love to see the nutritional info on them. are they low cal? I usually just reach for a diet coke or an Ice Tea if I'm going that route.

Segansational said:
M - Primary Bench
T - Deadlifts
W - Legs
Th - Accessory Chest
F - Accessory Back / Hypertrophy Focus
Sat / Sun - Off
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this definitely looks like the working man's split lol
I know you're scheduling on work/life balance but if you can get a rest in one day mon/fri and make use of a weekend lifting day, its a life changer. hitting the gym on the weekend for me definitely means I'm not golfing (or playing pickleball) but I love how it sets me up so that mon-fri I have the ability to throw in a rest day. wake up normal, go to work without an extra change of clothes, get home earlier... crushing 100% of my lifting mon-fri definitely wears on me.
 
in fact what I'd really love to do if I can figure out how, is try that pickle ball of yours out and get into a mid week game with my wife. our kids are all grown so little stuff like that is a bit easier now. but it seems like a tuesday or thursday rest day hitting the courts with the wife after work during summer would be a blast.
 
Dustin07 said:
dude you're living the life!!



what NA's are you liking these days? I'd love to see the nutritional info on them. are they low cal? I usually just reach for a diet coke or an Ice Tea if I'm going that route.



this definitely looks like the working man's split lol
I know you're scheduling on work/life balance but if you can get a rest in one day mon/fri and make use of a weekend lifting day, its a life changer. hitting the gym on the weekend for me definitely means I'm not golfing (or playing pickleball) but I love how it sets me up so that mon-fri I have the ability to throw in a rest day. wake up normal, go to work without an extra change of clothes, get home earlier... crushing 100% of my lifting mon-fri definitely wears on me.
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Yeah, was a good weekend. It's the summer life!

NA beers lately I've had are:

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed, 83 cals.
Lagunitas NIPA, 80 cals.
Athletic Lite (essentially an NA Miller lite), 25 cals.

But there are definitely others I know that are in the 10-25 cal range.

Yeah, we'll see how I fare on 5 straight lift days. I could always move my leg day to the weekend, since that's more of a maintenance day.
 
Segansational said:
Primary Bench Day

Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs x10,5,3
Lacrosse ball work
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands 2x12,12

Bench Press:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets,
160x6
160x6
160x6
160x7 - AMRAP set, only got +1.

Wanted to move up, but given I wasn't firing on all cylinders this AM I kept at same weight as last week. Only 1 extra rep this week showed that was the right move.

Machine Chest Press:
8 plates x 3 x 10

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr 2 mins, 193 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Weight: 172.2#
BF: 16.2%
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+1 is progress and a win! Just keep stacking consistently 😎
 
Segansational said:
NA beers lately I've had are:

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed, 83 cals.
Lagunitas NIPA, 80 cals.
Athletic Lite (essentially an NA Miller lite), 25 cals.

But there are definitely others I know that are in the 10-25 cal range.
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solid!

usually if my wife and I take a dry month we binge on sparkling flavored waters (0 calorie). she busts out the tea, but I'm not a tea person myself. I did think about getting one of those soda makers though, that could be fun. you can carbonate anything lol
 
Dustin07 said:
solid!

usually if my wife and I take a dry month we binge on sparkling flavored waters (0 calorie). she busts out the tea, but I'm not a tea person myself. I did think about getting one of those soda makers though, that could be fun. you can carbonate anything lol
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I wish I liked seltzer, but I don't. Just not enough flavor for me. And I don’t really like iced tea/tea either. My go to other carbonated beverage would be a coke zero, or low cal energy drink. But sometimes I don't want any extra caffeine.
 
Segansational said:
I wish I liked seltzer, but I don't. Just not enough flavor for me. And I don’t really like iced tea/tea either. My go to other carbonated beverage would be a coke zero, or low cal energy drink. But sometimes I don't want any extra caffeine.
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I get that, I wish I could remember the name of the sparkling waters my wife bought most recently. maybe waterloo? they seemed to have more flavor. the Ice ones have a ton of flavor. I'm similar if I'm up for caffiene and not an ice tea i'll grab diet coke personally.
 
Dustin07 said:
I get that, I wish I could remember the name of the sparkling waters my wife bought most recently. maybe waterloo? they seemed to have more flavor. the Ice ones have a ton of flavor. I'm similar if I'm up for caffiene and not an ice tea i'll grab diet coke personally.
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Waterloo strawberry. The only one you will ever need!
 
Well, already failed on my new routine! Kids had a tough time at bedtime the other night, plus I also didn't sleep well. So ended up skipping the workout. Total off day yesterday.

Back at it this AM.

Deadlift Day

Foam rolling / Stretching
Scap Push Ups
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs x10,5,3

Neutral grip pull ups, Swissies:
x7,6,5

Deadlifts, Swissies Grip:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets, belted, banded pullaparts prior to each set:

165x6
165x4,2 - had a right side back niggle underneath my lat that felt off after 4 reps. So stopped and restarted.
165x6
165x6

Other than the one issue on set 2, these felt straightforward. So I'll move up next time.

RDLs, 1" bar, x12,10

Foam rolling / stretching.

1 hr 8 mins, 212 cals.

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
Applied my last pumps of Formeron yesterday. Probably going to keep things pretty basic through vacation. Overall I enjoyed the run even at half dose (4 pumps daily). Seemed to help with slight body weight increase and no issues with the carrier in terms of skin irritation.
 
Segansational said:
Well, already failed on my new routine! Kids had a tough time at bedtime the other night, plus I also didn't sleep well. So ended up skipping the workout. Total off day yesterday.

Back at it this AM.

Deadlift Day

Foam rolling / Stretching
Scap Push Ups
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs x10,5,3

Neutral grip pull ups, Swissies:
x7,6,5

Deadlifts, Swissies Grip:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets, belted, banded pullaparts prior to each set:

165x6
165x4,2 - had a right side back niggle underneath my lat that felt off after 4 reps. So stopped and restarted.
165x6
165x6

Other than the one issue on set 2, these felt straightforward. So I'll move up next time.

RDLs, 1" bar, x12,10

Foam rolling / stretching.

1 hr 8 mins, 212 cals.

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
Applied my last pumps of Formeron yesterday. Probably going to keep things pretty basic through vacation. Overall I enjoyed the run even at half dose (4 pumps daily). Seemed to help with slight body weight increase and no issues with the carrier in terms of skin irritation.
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Still getting it done man!
 
akboom87 said:
Still getting it done man!
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Thanks man, doing my best!

Leg Day
Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs x10,5,3

TRX squats x TRX alt lunges, 3x10
TRX calf raises, 3x15
Seated leg ext, 3 plates, 3x10
Goblet (Thor Kettlebell) squats, 3x10
RDLs, 1" bar, 2x10

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr 1 mins, 155 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Total War, 3 caps PrimeXT, 3 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
No BB squatting today since my back was still feeling off. So just threw in a bunch of accessory movements.

Sleep just hasn't been good this week. Too much going on in my brain work-wise, plus added stress of ensuring the household is ready for the day. Wife comes home today, thank goodness!
 
Segansational said:
Wife comes home today, thank goodness!
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One thing I've noticed in our house is I like it when my wife beats me home from work. She is so ADHD it cracks me up. if she beats me home she'll be changed out of work clothes, mopping floors, dogs are already settled etc. if I beat her home I can turn on a baseball game, the dogs totally chill and the second she walks in its insta chaos lol!!
 
Dustin07 said:
One thing I've noticed in our house is I like it when my wife beats me home from work. She is so ADHD it cracks me up. if she beats me home she'll be changed out of work clothes, mopping floors, dogs are already settled etc. if I beat her home I can turn on a baseball game, the dogs totally chill and the second she walks in its insta chaos lol!!
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Oh yeah, my wife and I have a different tolerance for level of cleanliness. As in, she came home and said she was picking up the kids early to help clean up the house. And here I was thinking I had done a good job not making a mess of the place! but yeah, it's usually just that it "bugs" her faster than it does for me. I'll notice/eventually want the same level of straightening up, but it's not quite as "urgent" for me if that makes sense?

Accessory Bench Day

Foam rolling / stretching
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs (I think I did these?)
Lacrosse ball work - underneath my shoulder blades were really knotted this AM.
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands

Low Incline Bench Press:
45x10
95x8
135x6
Working sets,
155x3x5

Floor Press:
45x10
95x10
135x3x8

Machine Flys:
3 plates x 10
4 plates x 10
4 plates x 10

A little posing to finish. Definitely still need more upper pec fullness to round out my chest, see the lack of development / upper shelf when I try to do a side chest pose.

1 hr 8 mins, 274 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
Finished up another bottle of PrimeXT, but bought a 3 pack. So right on to the next.
Also finished up another bottle of Joint XT, but as that's become a staple also rolling right into the next one.
Finished up Shroom. Don't think this did much for my mental focus, so going to skip the mushroom mix moving forward.
And finally finished up my tub of Defiant Unleashed which has been in the freezer for a while now. Will probably switch to Doomsday or Decim8 (also in the freezer) for high stim.

Debating whether to add in BASIS or ATPElite next. Again, focus is both performance and Hypertrophy. I really like the Joint effects I'm hearing about with BASIS. But as I am doing OK with my normal Joint Support, maybe ATPElite is the better option? Thoughts?

Who's used both? I know @Hyde you like ATPElite.
 
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Segansational said:
Also, random thoughts:

Im actually feeling - OK (wouldn't say good) about my chest/triceps these days. As in, I have grown my chest enough I think to at least make it look like I lift a little. And think it's primarily due to my 2x / wk benching the past several months (year?).

Thinking I could really use the same development now for my back and biceps. I used to have lats as my strong point, but ever since my injury it's not looked nearly as good. I used to do a lot of wide grip pulling & heavier BB rows. Will need to work around injury concerns, but might tey adding in some true lat focus / back hypertrophy - so 2x/week targeting.
Click to expand...
Are you lowering volume anywhere to allow for the new back volume? IMHO back training is right up there with leg training for recovery needs. A little below but still the 2nd most recovery intensive muscle group to train. Doubling up on volume there without reducing somewhere else could run you down a bit. Just something to consider.
Segansational said:
This weekend was a pool weekend. Spent time with the kids at the pool Fri - Sun. Pickleball yesterday in the heat for about an hour and a half had me soaking through my shirt, somewhere just shy of 700 cals burned.

Noting that Sat we spent the day with friends and that normally I would've been drinking. This time around I brought my own NA cans. Ended up drinking 4 of them, so that's 4 real drinks I did not have. Still working through the mental aspect of "missing" it, but remembering all of the positives of foregoing that many beers.

My left wrist and lower back are still not happy, so I'm not operating at full steam, but starting up this focus of 2x/wk bench and 2x/wk back. Think I'll end up doing:

M - Primary Bench
T - Deadlifts
W - Legs
Th - Accessory Chest
F - Accessory Back / Hypertrophy Focus
Sat / Sun - Off

Cardio and/or pickleball on weekends, evenings as I can find time.

But again, as I'm working in a surplus of cals, cardio/fat loss is not my main focus.

Wife travels for work this week, so my focus may be taken away a little handling the kids solo. Wish me luck
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Not a bad split at all but also consider if the goal is building the back that deadlifts are not the most effective lat or back builder, especially for how much effort and recovery needs it adds. Also looking at your deadlift day, and your leg day it looks like you will be very posterior chain dominant training. Not much there for quads unless they simply are not a concern at this point you might want to adjust overall volume. The hamstrings often don't need tons of volume for growth, they get so wrecked from direct work. You are already doing a rear intensive training session with the deadlifts, why not focus more on quads for the 2nd day you are hitting legs, since the deadlift day is basically a back and hamstrings day.
Segansational said:
I wish I liked seltzer, but I don't. Just not enough flavor for me. And I don’t really like iced tea/tea either. My go to other carbonated beverage would be a coke zero, or low cal energy drink. But sometimes I don't want any extra caffeine.
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If you like Sprite at all the Sprite Zero is a great zero calorie, zero caffeine option. I actually prefer it over the coke zero for being closer to the real flavor of the full sugar drink. it is what I keep around the house for my carbonated beverages.
 
@MrKleen73 so my current plan is essentially removing arms/shoulders & cardio day to accommodate for the double back focused effort - as I already do two bench/chest days in my current routine. I think that with added back day - particularly more hypertrophy focused (eg, rows, pulldowns, etc) I should be working my biceps enough to not need any extra work.

I will be monitoring recovery though, this is my biggest concern with this routine - fatigue - as I am keeping in deadlifts for my first back session each week. And this is mainly because I am still targeting the Nov powerlifting meet. Bench and deads need more attention.

Leg day usually is BB squats, but I make a judgment call pending how my lower back feels. But yes, right now Squats are taking a backseat in terms of priority. Physiquewise at least, my quads are one of my stronger attributes.
 
Segansational said:
Oh yeah, my wife and I have a different tolerance for level of cleanliness. As in, she came home and said she was picking up the kids early to help clean up the house. And here I was thinking I had done a good job not making a mess of the place! but yeah, it's usually just that it "bugs" her faster than it does for me. I'll notice/eventually want the same level of straightening up, but it's not quite as "urgent" for me if that makes sense?

Accessory Bench Day

Foam rolling / stretching
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs (I think I did these?)
Lacrosse ball work - underneath my shoulder blades were really knotted this AM.
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands

Low Incline Bench Press:
45x10
95x8
135x6
Working sets,
155x3x5

Floor Press:
45x10
95x10
135x3x8

Machine Flys:
3 plates x 10
4 plates x 10
4 plates x 10

A little posing to finish. Definitely still need more upper pec fullness to round out my chest, see the lack of development / upper shelf when I try to do a side chest pose.

1 hr 8 mins, 274 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Defiant Unleashed, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Shroom, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
Finished up another bottle of PrimeXT, but bought a 3 pack. So right on to the next.
Also finished up another bottle of Joint XT, but as that's become a staple also rolling right into the next one.
Finished up Shroom. Don't think this did much for my mental focus, so going to skip the mushroom mix moving forward.
And finally finished up my tub of Defiant Unleashed which has been in the freezer for a while now. Will probably switch to Doomsday or Decim8 (also in the freezer) for high stim.

Debating whether to add in BASIS or ATPElite next. Again, focus is both performance and Hypertrophy. I really like the Joint effects I'm hearing about with BASIS. But as I am doing OK with my normal Joint Support, maybe ATPElite is the better option? Thoughts?

Who's used both? I know @Hyde you like ATPElite.
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I taken both Basis and ATP Elite daily. ATP is definitely the one you’ll notice effects from; I just got BASIS because it does so many good health things I was already interested in, it made sense to add it to my stack.
 
Pickleball session yesterday: 56 mins, 568 cals, 4,372 steps.

This AM's WO to get my full routine for the week in.

Back Hypertrophy Session

Foam rolling/stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs x 10,5,3

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns:
4 plates x10
5 plates x 10
6 plates x10

BB rows, belted:
45x10
95x8
115x3x6 - Swissies grip

Close Grip Cable Rows:
6 plates x 10
7 plates x 10
8 plates x 10

46:08, 122 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Total War, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex, 1 cap Eria Jarensis
Intra: Same as previous.

Beach day ahead!
 
Have fun at the beach!
 
MrKleen73 said:
Have fun at the beach!
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Thanks Kleen, it was a really nice day. Sand was burning hot though. Some pretty heavy waves, so we weren't able to go into the ocean that far, but kids still had a blast. Got some custard on the boardwalk. It was a good day.

Daughter woke up last night complaining about her tooth - she has another one coming in. So this AM was a little slower of a WO session as I was dragging a little.

Primary Bench Day
Foam rolling / stretching
Cat Camels
Bird Dogs x10,5,3
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands 2x12,12

Bench Press:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets,
165x6
165x6
165x6
165x6
These were a little tough this morning. Will stick with this weight for next week. Unsure how much was interrupted sleep vs the routine.

1 hr 3 mins, 164 cals. All I had time for today.

Pre: 3/4 scoop Doomsday, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex.
Intra: Same as previous.

Short week with the holiday coming up!
 
Joshlm69 said:
Didn’t realise you had a log running! In on this
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Yeah, believe it or not I've been running this continuously since I joined AM. 10 years strong!
Joshlm69 said:
What are you currently running? I see Prime, any other goodies?
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Just PrimeXT & Pepti-Plex at the moment. I just finished up the new Formeron for a run at half dosing though.

Pepti-Plex is pretty much a staple at this point, as I've gone through multiple bottles in a row - took a one month of Pepti-bolic substitution instead - but think I'll be sticking with Pepti-Plex.

My other staples right now are:

Joint Support XT
MultiXT
Omega 3s
Vitamin D3 (5000 IU)
Vitamin C (1g/d)
Digestive enzymes
CurcuPrime

And intra-WO:

EAAs
Creatine Mono
Carb Powder (Karbolyn currently at 1/2 scoop, but will also use HBCD depending on what's on sale).
Electrolytes (currently R1 Lytes)
 
Quick weight check, down to 170.8# (-0.4#), 16.0% (-0.1%). So headed in the wrong direction, but wondering if that was water weight drop due to the cessation of Formeron...

Will need to step up food consumption this week. Although with the holiday weekend, who knows what things will look like come Monday!
 
Segansational said:
Quick weight check, down to 170.8# (-0.4#), 16.0% (-0.1%). So headed in the wrong direction, but wondering if that was water weight drop due to the cessation of Formeron...

Will need to step up food consumption this week. Although with the holiday weekend, who knows what things will look like come Monday!
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You’re definitely going to lose water from less estrogen after stopping DHEA. I would not step up food intentionally, not with a holiday coming especially. Just have that extra hot dog at the festivities and you’ll end up right where you need to be.

Unless you just want bodyweight for the sake of it, fast.
 
I agree, no reason to modify intake, just see if it rests at the current level after a few days. Then on the other side of the 4rth's celebration decide if you truly need more calories or not.
 
Hyde said:
You’re definitely going to lose water from less estrogen after stopping DHEA. I would not step up food intentionally, not with a holiday coming especially. Just have that extra hot dog at the festivities and you’ll end up right where you need to be.

Unless you just want bodyweight for the sake of it, fast.
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Yeah, I guess I just wasn't expecting the water weight to be that significant.
MrKleen73 said:
I agree, no reason to modify intake, just see if it rests at the current level after a few days. Then on the other side of the 4rth's celebration decide if you truly need more calories or not.
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Right on. Will keep going as planned and try not to stray too much over the holiday / being away from home.

Well, Sunday was one kid up in the middle of the night. Last night it was both, LOL. Needless to say being up at 3:15 in the morning isn't the best for workout quality, but we can only control what we can control. The morning alarm rings and it's time to get back at it...

Deadlift Day
Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs x10,5,3

Neutral grip pull ups, Swissies Grip x5,4,4
- last set bugged my right shoulder.

Deadlifts, Swissies Grip:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets, belted, banded pull aparts prior to esch set:
170x6
170x6
170x6
170x6

Foam rolling / stretching to finish.

1 hr, 151 cals.

Pre: 3/4 scoop Doomsday, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex, 3 caps VasoforceXT.
Intra: Same as prior.

Not firing on all cylinders, but still did the work and hit the goals for today (+5# for DL reps).

Notes
Was going through my stash and noticed the VasoforceXT in there. As Doomsday is all stims, no pump - I thought these two would pair nicely together. VasoforceXT seems like a decent pump capsule product to stack with, so I'll be adding to my Doomsday pre assuming today goes well.
 
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Segansational said:
Yeah, I guess I just wasn't expecting the water weight to be that significant.Right on. Will keep going as planned and try not to stray too much over the holiday / being away from home.

Well, Sunday was one kid up in the middle of the night. Last night it was both, LOL. Needless to say being up at 3:15 in the morning isn't the best for workout quality, but we can only control what we can control. The morning alarm rings and it's time to get back at it...

Deadlift Day
Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs x10,5,3

Neutral grip pull ups, Swissies Grip x5,4,4
- last set bugged my right shoulder.

Deadlifts, Swissies Grip:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets,
165x

Pre: 3/4 scoop Doomsday, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex, 3 caps VasoforceXT.
Intra: Same as prior.

Notes
Was going through my stash and noticed the VasoforceXT in there. As Doomsday is all stims, no pump - I thought these two would pair nicely together. VasoforceXT seems like a decent pump capsule product to stack with, so I'll be adding to my Doomsday pre assuming today goes well.
Click to expand...
Welcome to my life buddy! I’ve had 9 months of a total of 5 hours sleep max, and normally getting woken up once every 2 hours 🥴
 
Segansational said:
Yeah, I guess I just wasn't expecting the water weight to be that significant.
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what is the total swing you saw? I was going back through your log and it looks like 1-2lbs? FWIW I can swing up and down 5lbs+ in a day or two just off salt alone without trying. more than that if trying. its not unusual for me to weigh somewhere between 3-5lbs (or even 6) more on a Monday morning after a big sodium filled Sunday with my wife.
 
Segansational said:
Ha, but my kids are 5 & 8 - so I've already done my time! They should be out of this stage.
Click to expand...
If it makes you feel any less exhausted, or at least not alone, I woke at 3:25 today to pee (my alarm was set for 3:55). So that was it, just up and on with it; if I did manage to fall back asleep I would have only been more tired I’m sure. My son is 4, and after we put him to bed he came into the room twice between 9:30 & 10:15 last night.

#dadlife
 
Dustin07 said:
what is the total swing you saw? I was going back through your log and it looks like 1-2lbs? FWIW I can swing up and down 5lbs+ in a day or two just off salt alone without trying. more than that if trying. its not unusual for me to weigh somewhere between 3-5lbs (or even 6) more on a Monday morning after a big sodium filled Sunday with my wife.
Click to expand...
Fair point.

So, I started May 5th and went until roughly end of June, so the closest weights to that while using Formeron were:

Start, 5/5: 168.6#
End, 6/23 (last dose was prob 6/25): 172.2# (+3.6#)
1 week post, 6/30: 170.8# (-1.4#)
 
Segansational said:
Start, 5/5: 168.6#
End, 6/23 (last dose was prob 6/25): 172.2# (+3.6#)
1 week post, 6/30: 170.8# (-1.4#)
Click to expand...

if you're tracking macros and stay consistent it will be interesting to see where you are after another week. or even tomorrow tbh. if you don't want to lose anymore might be time to intentionally reverse diet and add some carbs IMO. I can see your concern losing half your gains in a week but you're not a newbie so 4lbs of lean mass in 6 weeks would be an impressive development regardless. losing some water weight if you were to find that you put on even 1-2lbs of legit lean mass with same BF it would be a victory in my humble opinion.

isn't the rule of thumb like .25 to .5lbs of lean mass per month for experienced lifters? so +4lbs in a 6 week window is likely either 75% water or fat or a combination?
 
Dustin07 said:
if you're tracking macros and stay consistent it will be interesting to see where you are after another week. or even tomorrow tbh. if you don't want to lose anymore might be time to intentionally reverse diet and add some carbs IMO. I can see your concern losing half your gains in a week but you're not a newbie so 4lbs of lean mass in 6 weeks would be an impressive development regardless. losing some water weight if you were to find that you put on even 1-2lbs of legit lean mass with same BF it would be a victory in my humble opinion.

isn't the rule of thumb like .25 to .5lbs of lean mass per month for experienced lifters? so +4lbs in a 6 week window is likely either 75% water or fat or a combination?
Click to expand...
So I'm not tracking any macros currently, just consciously adding in extra protein/pre-bed meal, going fuller with AM carbs (post-WO oats) & fats (PB), etc. But maybe I'll start again after the holiday just to offset the mental aspect of the weight drop, even if just water weight.

Well, my kids are sabotaging my gains again! Son was up at 4:15 so... I pushed my alarm back 15 mins, and still got up at 5:30 to do the dam thing!

Legs
Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Cat Camels

Seated leg ext:
2 plates x 10
3 plates x 3 x 10

BB Squats:

Warm ups,
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets:
165x4
165x4
165x4

Started off feeling heavy, but could've done more today. Ended up prioritizing posterior chain movement / stretch in the time I had left, so moved to RDLs.

RDLs, 1" bar:
Empty bar x 10
+5# x 10,10

Foam rolling / stretching.

1 hr 6 mins, 159 cals.

Pre: 1 scoop Total War, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex, 1 cap Eria Jarensis.
Intra: Same as prior.

Almost out of my Karbolyn, maybe about a 1/4 scoop left, but am holding out for a July 4th sale to pick up some more supps I'm running low on...
 
Week 2.

Accessory Bench Day

Foam rolling / stretching
Scap Push Ups
Bird Dogs
Rotator cuff ex, resistance bands

Low Incline Bench Press:
45x10
95x8
135x6

Working sets,
160x5
160x5
160x5

Lift off this AM was a bit more of a struggle than I would've liked. Set 2 felt near top of my strength this AM, but set 3 went much better. Hand placement just felt stronger. But this was +5# this week, will stay at this next week.

Floor Press:
Warm ups,
45x10
95x10

Working sets,
135x7
135x6
135x6

My increase on incline translated into fewer reps on floor press this AM. Last week was 3x8.

Foam rolling & stretching to finish.

52:38, 171 cals.

Pre: 3/4 scoop Doomsday, 3 caps PrimeXT, 2 caps Pepti-Plex, 3 caps VasoforceXT.
Intra: Same as prior.

Finished up Karbolyn, looks like I'll be moving back to SuperCarb next purely due to sales/prices I'm finding.

Happy 4th everyone!
 
Segansational said:
Working sets,
135x7
135x6
135x6
Click to expand...

IMO, without seeing your incline setup I feel like your inclines are proportionately much bettter than mine.
I think I've been hitting 135 x 10's pretty comfortably but like with a 305 1rm bench I don't think I've ever Inclined more than around 205 ish for a single. It seems like you have much better carry over here.

I've grown to like incline a lot in the past year or 18 months. took me about 6 months to do it pain free but I think it was probably my greatest peck builder of the last 10 years.
 
Dustin07 said:
if you're tracking macros and stay consistent it will be interesting to see where you are after another week. or even tomorrow tbh. if you don't want to lose anymore might be time to intentionally reverse diet and add some carbs IMO. I can see your concern losing half your gains in a week but you're not a newbie so 4lbs of lean mass in 6 weeks would be an impressive development regardless. losing some water weight if you were to find that you put on even 1-2lbs of legit lean mass with same BF it would be a victory in my humble opinion.

isn't the rule of thumb like .25 to .5lbs of lean mass per month for experienced lifters? so +4lbs in a 6 week window is likely either 75% water or fat or a combination?
Click to expand...
Yeah something like that if main-gaining, and trying to stay lean. The reality is that for an advanced lifter gaining 5lbs of true LBM in a year is very hard even with gear. More realistic with growth and insulin added but expecting .5 lbs of LBM a month is madness for an advanced lifter, especially if natural. That is more of a hope and what is possible on the end ranges, than an expectation IMHO. Who knows how long things will stay that way now that they are actually really looking at myostatin inhibitors, and other things that take the governors off of muscle growth. I can see that being excellent for any people with diseases that strip muscle off of you. Plus just look at the billions being made by Ozempic and the like. if you don't think others are trying to get on that bandwagon you are nuts. Too much money involved now not to.
Segansational said:
SuperCarb
Click to expand...
@Hyde mentioned a place that would be selling Karbolyn for $40 a bottle for their 4rth of July sale, have you found a better deal than that for SuperCarb? I am planning to grab at least 2, I just have to find that post, or if Hyde would be so kind to share it again in here that would be great.

Dustin07 said:
IMO, without seeing your incline setup I feel like your inclines are proportionately much bettter than mine.
I think I've been hitting 135 x 10's pretty comfortably but like with a 305 1rm bench I don't think I've ever Inclined more than around 205 ish for a single. It seems like you have much better carry over here.

I've grown to like incline a lot in the past year or 18 months. took me about 6 months to do it pain free but I think it was probably my greatest peck builder of the last 10 years.
Click to expand...
Yeah incline seems to grow the whole chest more so than flat or decline. Plus having a meaty upper pec looks bad ass, especially in a good V neck. I try to get V necks whenever they are an option because I hate the collar around my throat feeling like it is going to choke me. Having an 18.5 inch neck can be a real PIA sometimes. Quite often if you hate having things up on your throat like I do, but don't want to look like I am wearing a tent that makes me look like I am built like a refrigerator.
 
MrKleen73 said:
Yeah incline seems to grow the whole chest more so than flat or decline. Plus having a meaty upper pec looks bad ass, especially in a good V neck. I try to get V necks whenever they are an option because I hate the collar around my throat feeling like it is going to choke me. Having an 18.5 inch neck can be a real PIA sometimes. Quite often if you hate having things up on your throat like I do, but don't want to look like I am wearing a tent that makes me look like I am built like a refrigerator.
Click to expand...

my favorite shirts right now are v neck white under shirts from nordstrom rack. I specifically get their brand of shirt and it fits a muscular body perfectly and looks great. I wear a white undershirt pretty much every day since I have to do the slacks/button down for work so I'll hit the rack on occassion, grab one of these $20 3 packs, I'll wear them fresh out of the bag with shorts or jeans and once they get a tiny bit of that armpit yellow delegate them to my undershirt collection until they're trashed, then they become a rag for staining the deck or cars or whatever, lol.

but $20 for 3x classic good fitting high quality white t-shirts beats the hell out of $30 printed T's for me. I prefer the classic white t look
 
Dustin07 said:
my favorite shirts right now are v neck white under shirts from nordstrom rack. I specifically get their brand of shirt and it fits a muscular body perfectly and looks great. I wear a white undershirt pretty much every day since I have to do the slacks/button down for work so I'll hit the rack on occassion, grab one of these $20 3 packs, I'll wear them fresh out of the bag with shorts or jeans and once they get a tiny bit of that armpit yellow delegate them to my undershirt collection until they're trashed, then they become a rag for staining the deck or cars or whatever, lol.

but $20 for 3x classic good fitting high quality white t-shirts beats the hell out of $30 printed T's for me. I prefer the classic white t look
Click to expand...
I am too dang messy for white shirts. I get the hanes V-necks, and normally get the black ones. I might have to look into the Nordstrum ones, but these fit my shoulders, chest, and arms a little snug, but aren't so loose around the waist that I look like a walking fridge. I would still prefer an actual athletic fit. Are the neck holes a little big or just a very small neck hole with a V? I prefer a little larger neck hole. I want the "collar" of the shirt on high on my upper traps, but not touching my neck. So a bit wider hole, that drops a little lower on the chest. I tend to wear mine out as a regular shirt, or just at home for comfort. So I avoid the white ones because it only takes one time dropping food or leaning against something to mess one up.
 
MrKleen73 said:
I am too dang messy for white shirts. I get the hanes V-necks, and normally get the black ones. I might have to look into the Nordstrum ones, but these fit my shoulders, chest, and arms a little snug, but aren't so loose around the waist that I look like a walking fridge. I would still prefer an actual athletic fit. Are the neck holes a little big or just a very small neck hole with a V? I prefer a little larger neck hole. I want the "collar" of the shirt on high on my upper traps, but not touching my neck. So a bit wider hole, that drops a little lower on the chest. I tend to wear mine out as a regular shirt, or just at home for comfort. So I avoid the white ones because it only takes one time dropping food or leaning against something to mess one up.
Click to expand...
my buddy with the big squat wears black or grey for this reason too, he's notorious for spilling his food on himself, lol. what i don't understand is we go to the gym at lunch, he will strip down to his undershirt, lift, then put his dress shirt back on over it. I'm like WTF dude how do you not destroy that thing with sweat? lol

I wear a large in pretty much any brand I ever buy and I find the large v necks from nordstrom rack fit me well, I think your neck is likely thicker so its hard for me to say for certain but I like that they do fit the shoulders, arms, and chest in an athletic/muscular way without being tight in the gut (or fitting like a dresss).

I'm really picky about t shirts actually. I HATE it if they are too tight in the gut, and I double hate it if they're too loose in the arms. I work to hard to make my arms look like they're wearing a dress, lol.
 
Dustin07 said:
my buddy with the big squat wears black or grey for this reason too, he's notorious for spilling his food on himself, lol. what i don't understand is we go to the gym at lunch, he will strip down to his undershirt, lift, then put his dress shirt back on over it. I'm like WTF dude how do you not destroy that thing with sweat? lol

I wear a large in pretty much any brand I ever buy and I find the large v necks from nordstrom rack fit me well, I think your neck is likely thicker so its hard for me to say for certain but I like that they do fit the shoulders, arms, and chest in an athletic/muscular way without being tight in the gut (or fitting like a dresss).

I'm really picky about t shirts actually. I HATE it if they are too tight in the gut, and I double hate it if they're too loose in the arms. I work to hard to make my arms look like they're wearing a dress, lol.
Click to expand...
That is insane wearing the undershirt for a workout then putting your work shirt over it. Occasionally if running short on time I will change for the gym, then strip and wipe myself down then use the body deodorant they have in the gym across the street. That is about as daring as I will be. The idea of smelling bad the rest of the day is just not acceptable to me.

I don't know, this "guy's" biceps are pretty impressive in a dress. LMFAO!!!

BUT, the horizontal lines make his waist look wider... Such a shame!

1751561696018.webp
 
MrKleen73 said:
Yeah something like that if main-gaining, and trying to stay lean. The reality is that for an advanced lifter gaining 5lbs of true LBM in a year is very hard even with gear. More realistic with growth and insulin added but expecting .5 lbs of LBM a month is madness for an advanced lifter, especially if natural. That is more of a hope and what is possible on the end ranges, than an expectation IMHO. Who knows how long things will stay that way now that they are actually really looking at myostatin inhibitors, and other things that take the governors off of muscle growth. I can see that being excellent for any people with diseases that strip muscle off of you. Plus just look at the billions being made by Ozempic and the like. if you don't think others are trying to get on that bandwagon you are nuts. Too much money involved now not to.

@Hyde mentioned a place that would be selling Karbolyn for $40 a bottle for their 4rth of July sale, have you found a better deal than that for SuperCarb? I am planning to grab at least 2, I just have to find that post, or if Hyde would be so kind to share it again in here that would be great.


Yeah incline seems to grow the whole chest more so than flat or decline. Plus having a meaty upper pec looks bad ass, especially in a good V neck. I try to get V necks whenever they are an option because I hate the collar around my throat feeling like it is going to choke me. Having an 18.5 inch neck can be a real PIA sometimes. Quite often if you hate having things up on your throat like I do, but don't want to look like I am wearing a tent that makes me look like I am built like a refrigerator.
Click to expand...
iHerb is the best price on Karbolyn I’ve ever found. They have a pretty low free shipping threshold and will have 20% off sales on some holidays making it $40 per tub, cheaper on Black Friday.

Sales should be going live tomorrow for anywhere having them, so be on the lookout for whatever products you like to use!
 
MrKleen73 said:
That is insane wearing the undershirt for a workout then putting your work shirt over it. Occasionally if running short on time I will change for the gym, then strip and wipe myself down then use the body deodorant they have in the gym across the street. That is about as daring as I will be. The idea of smelling bad the rest of the day is just not acceptable to me.

I don't know, this "guy's" biceps are pretty impressive in a dress. LMFAO!!!

BUT, the horizontal lines make his waist look wider... Such a shame!

View attachment 253321
Click to expand...

well you might have just ruined my wife's favorite dress for me
 
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