Slicin' and Dicin'

[Dustin07]

So we just finished up meal prep for the week and it's similar to last week

Breakfasts are eggs and rice
Lunches are a lot of greens and meat (chicken)
Snacks, lots of hard boiled eggs
Dinners aren't prepped but there were some nice tilapia and rockfish fillets on sale today at Freddie's so we will likely have too fish dinners, one red meat, one either pork or chicken and possibly a date night.

I've depleted my Cadbury eggs inventory and replacing them with a large preWO apple (that's old school for me). The macros on them are actually pretty similar except more carbs and less fat on the apples .

Depending on how serious I get about this I could see a scenario where I need to put on some big boy pants and add a meal.

But right now things feel pretty much like cruise control with the hardest adjustment being forcing the cardio.

 

[gphagan1]

So we just finished up meal prep for the week and it's similar to last week

Breakfasts are eggs and rice
Lunches are a lot of greens and meat (chicken)
Snacks, lots of hard boiled eggs
Dinners aren't prepped but there were some nice tilapia and rockfish fillets on sale today at Freddie's so we will likely have too fish dinners, one red meat, one either pork or chicken and possibly a date night.

I've depleted my Cadbury eggs inventory and replacing them with a large preWO apple (that's old school for me). The macros on them are actually pretty similar except more carbs and less fat on the apples .

Depending on how serious I get about this I could see a scenario where I need to put on some big boy pants and add a meal.

But right now things feel pretty much like cruise control with the hardest adjustment being forcing the cardio.

That’s one of the good things about both you and your wife cutting, and have the same mindset on meals. It makes meal prep much easier than if one of you were watching your calories and the other was eating whatever they want.

 

[SkRaw85]

So we just finished up meal prep for the week and it's similar to last week

Breakfasts are eggs and rice
Lunches are a lot of greens and meat (chicken)
Snacks, lots of hard boiled eggs
Dinners aren't prepped but there were some nice tilapia and rockfish fillets on sale today at Freddie's so we will likely have too fish dinners, one red meat, one either pork or chicken and possibly a date night.

I've depleted my Cadbury eggs inventory and replacing them with a large preWO apple (that's old school for me). The macros on them are actually pretty similar except more carbs and less fat on the apples .

Depending on how serious I get about this I could see a scenario where I need to put on some big boy pants and add a meal.

But right now things feel pretty much like cruise control with the hardest adjustment being forcing the cardio.

Team apple pre workout representing!

 

[Dustin07]

Chesticles

Stairs - 10 min

Bench
2 x 12 x 135
12 x 185, 205
5 x 235

• 8 x 185 dropset
• 10 x 155 second drop (no rest)

Widegrip
20 x 135
30 x 95

Low incline DB
3 x 10 x 60s
+ 10 x 40s dropset

Low incline DB flies
10 x 30w, 37.5s, 45s
+ 15 x 25s dropset

Flat DB
10 x 70s
+ 15 x 40s dropset

H/S incline
3 x 12, light weight


Man I was gassed by the time I got to DBs but felt great. Wife made up this deconstructed egg roll bowl with ground turkey that was . Macros were good too! Mostly veggies and ground turkey with a little sesame oil, coconut aminos, and soy.

 

[Hyde]

That bowl sounds awesome. I had forgotten about it, but Chad Wesley Smith had mentioned when cutting he did a lot of ground turkey mixed with broccoli slaw & various salsas. But heating the veggies and/or using a regular slaw mix with coconut aminos & a noodle spice sounds bomb.

 

[Dustin07]

That bowl sounds awesome. I had forgotten about it, but Chad Wesley Smith had mentioned when cutting he did a lot of ground turkey mixed with broccoli slaw & various salsas. But heating the veggies and/or using a regular slaw mix with coconut aminos & a noodle spice sounds bomb.

dude it was dynamite. my wife being on a cut at the same time is huge because she can't eat the same meal 2 days in a row, much less 10 years in a row like I do. so I tend to benefit from her need for variety lol. I just add twice the meat and eat the same food.

sleep might be poor for a few days. the past few mornings have been murderous. the new puppy has to pee at 2am. then poop at 2:30am. then about 3am needs to howl haha. I think we'll get through it fast though, she's crazy smart. after only 3 days she is responding to her name, understands "Come", "sit", and seems to be getting "stay" and "down" so I bet she ends up pretty clever. which might also make her a problem down the road...

 

[Dustin07]

Cardio

Stairs - 25 min
Incline - 10 min

Total for day - 45 min

 

[Dustin07]

How much (if any) lean mass do you guys suspect natty lifters are able to maintain after PED cycles? In 2025 I've only had that brief var run, so I haven't really had any PED's since last fall, but I'm still shocked at how much more lean mass I seem to be holding than ever before while essentially back to a natty lifestyle. I'm just trying to create realistic expecations for myself in 2025. All I know is that whatever I'm doing now "feels" great. I could see switching back to a simpler 2 on 1 off PL style bulk next fall - new years but changing gears to this hypertrophy split (sort mimicking Cutlers) has been a blast and felt both effective, and like something I can recover from pretty well.

 

[Hyde]

How much (if any) lean mass do you guys suspect natty lifters are able to maintain after PED cycles? In 2025 I've only had that brief var run, so I haven't really had any PED's since last fall, but I'm still shocked at how much more lean mass I seem to be holding than ever before while essentially back to a natty lifestyle. I'm just trying to create realistic expecations for myself in 2025. All I know is that whatever I'm doing now "feels" great. I could see switching back to a simpler 2 on 1 off PL style bulk next fall - new years but changing gears to this hypertrophy split (sort mimicking Cutlers) has been a blast and felt both effective, and like something I can recover from pretty well.

That’s going to be based off an intersection of how close you were to your natural limit vs how much muscle your restored endogenous testosterone levels can effectively support, providing food and training stimulus, sleep etc remain stable.

If you were farther from the limit of what your natty test could hold, you will gain and keep a lot. You see this often with rather young guys dabbling in very mild first cycles, especially SARMs. They will take 10-20mg of something like LGD and keep virtually every ounce. So they assume this will continue to play out, which it does not. More cycles will take more total drug exposure over time to provide sufficient stimulus for even more new growth to occur, a bigger gap in peak size vs off-cycle baseline size will manifest, AND more cycles means the HPTA wears down and less endogenous test will be generated in time, lowering the natty ceiling. Eventually requiring HRT in worst case.

This is why competitive bodybuilders do not even do TRT; they must cruise on reduced doses of steroids to help maintain their absurdly unnatural levels of muscle inbetween blasts. I often cruise at 150-180mg/wk, but this isn’t really enough to maintain most of my on-cycle size. I just typically accept the greater swing in favor of potentially better health outcomes/faster bloodwork recovery. I probably should be cruising on 200+ at this point, if muscle was a maximal concern. But I feel better, more optimal, at 150 certainly.

TLDR: What built it will keep it. The further progress you make, the bigger swing you’ll see on vs off. But especially if you start changing the training and food, and hormones are less optimal, expect bigger losses.

 

[gphagan1]

That’s going to be based off an intersection of how close you were to your natural limit vs how much muscle your restored endogenous testosterone levels can effectively support, providing food and training stimulus, sleep etc remain stable.

If you were farther from the limit of what your natty test could hold, you will gain and keep a lot. You see this often with rather young guys dabbling in very mild first cycles, especially SARMs. They will take 10-20mg of something like LGD and keep virtually every ounce. So they assume this will continue to play out, which it does not. More cycles will take more total drug exposure over time to provide sufficient stimulus for even more new growth to occur, a bigger gap in peak size vs off-cycle baseline size will manifest, AND more cycles means the HPTA wears down and less endogenous test will be generated in time, lowering the natty ceiling. Eventually requiring HRT in worst case.

This is why competitive bodybuilders do not even do TRT; they must cruise on reduced doses of steroids to help maintain their absurdly unnatural levels of muscle inbetween blasts. I often cruise at 150-180mg/wk, but this isn’t really enough to maintain most of my on-cycle size. I just typically accept the greater swing in favor of potentially better health outcomes/faster bloodwork recovery. I probably should be cruising on 200+ at this point, if muscle was a maximal concern. But I feel better, more optimal, at 150 certainly.

TLDR: What built it will keep it. The further progress you make, the bigger swing you’ll see on vs off. But especially if you start changing the training and food, and hormones are less optimal, expect bigger losses.

Perfect explanation…..you can’t add anymore to that.

 

[MrKleen73]

That is hard to say, a lot of that depends on hpta recovery. If yours wasn't too bad, the fact when you stop orals they are out of your system. So recovery can start more quickly will help hold on to some of the size too.

Going to a higher volume more hypertrophy targeted program will help maintain gains due to the additional fluid and glycogen stores required for higher volume work.

 

[Dustin07]

If you were farther from the limit of what your natty test could hold, you will gain and keep a lot. You see this often with rather young guys dabbling in very mild first cycles, especially SARMs. They will take 10-20mg of something like LGD and keep virtually every ounce.

That is hard to say, a lot of that depends on hpta recovery. If yours wasn't too bad, the fact when you stop orals they are out of your system. So recovery can start more quickly will help hold on to some of the size too.

Going to a higher volume more hypertrophy targeted program will help maintain gains due to the additional fluid and glycogen stores required for higher volume work.

even though I was essentially a gym rat for 20+ years before dabbling, its hard for me to know if I was truly at genetic limits since I was notoriously underfed with a hyperfocus on being lean. so that is a tough one to know for sure. I just know these past few years I have felt unrecognizable to myself in terms of size. Last night I was thinking the irony is when I was like 174lbs and 8% bodyfat people asked what steroids I was on, but at 190-200lbs with PR deads and bench, etc, feeling the biggest I've ever been, I dn't get that question anymore yet I look in the mirror and think man I finally look like I'm on PED's

 

[MrKleen73]

even though I was essentially a gym rat for 20+ years before dabbling, its hard for me to know if I was truly at genetic limits since I was notoriously underfed with a hyperfocus on being lean. so that is a tough one to know for sure. I just know these past few years I have felt unrecognizable to myself in terms of size. Last night I was thinking the irony is when I was like 174lbs and 8% bodyfat people asked what steroids I was on, but at 190-200lbs with PR deads and bench, etc, feeling the biggest I've ever been, I dn't get that question anymore yet I look in the mirror and think man I finally look like I'm on PED's

Doesn't really matter if you were at your genetic potential. That is something self righteous people say to justify their use while standing over others passing judgement for the doing the same thing.

The other thing is you have what is considered an achievable physique to many because you are not ripped. If you were ripped with your current amount of mass the steroid accusations would be happening for sure. That is just a common thing, anyone with someone's ideal physique when that person hasn't been able to do it yet is almost always going to be asked or at least thought of as being on gear.

 

[gphagan1]

Doesn't really matter if you were at your genetic potential. That is something self righteous people say to justify their use while standing over others passing judgement for the doing the same thing.

The other thing is you have what is considered an achievable physique to many because you are not ripped. If you were ripped with your current amount of mass the steroid accusations would be happening for sure. That is just a common thing, anyone with someone's ideal physique when that person hasn't been able to do it yet is almost always going to be asked or at least thought of as being on gear.

Yep, because they can’t understand the kind of dedication, will power, self control, and just plain old fashion hard work it takes to achieve it…..they pass judgement because of their own laziness.

 

[Dustin07]

Doesn't really matter if you were at your genetic potential. That is something self righteous people say to justify their use while standing over others passing judgement for the doing the same thing.

The other thing is you have what is considered an achievable physique to many because you are not ripped. If you were ripped with your current amount of mass the steroid accusations would be happening for sure. That is just a common thing, anyone with someone's ideal physique when that person hasn't been able to do it yet is almost always going to be asked or at least thought of as being on gear.

Well hell, time to get ripped

 

[Dustin07]

Row - 10 min

Pullups
10 x BW, +10lbs, +20lbs
+ 9 x BW dropset / chinups

BB Rows
10 x 135, 155, 175, 195
+ 15 x 135 drop set

DB rows
10 x 60, 80, 90
+ 20 x 60lbs

Cable rows
4 x 15
+ 20 dropset

Lat pull downs
2 x 15

Reverse grip
2 x 15

Incline treadmill
Walk/jog intervals - 10min

+ Morning walk - 25min

Notes
Rowing seemed like an appropriate warmup today.

 

[Dustin07]

New goal for 2025, be accused of PED use.

 

[Dustin07]

That is just a common thing, anyone with someone's ideal physique

nobody wants to settle for the classic CBum dad bod.

 

[Dustin07]

@Hyde i see you laughing but you damn near have the cbum dad bod look already nailed. the work you've put into building is phenomenal!

 

[Hyde]

Going to a higher volume more hypertrophy targeted program will help maintain gains due to the additional fluid and glycogen stores required for higher volume work.

This last part is tricky - we are saying training with more volume may help offset the reduced neural drive without the steroids, and help you stay more full, but essentially in the same breath we are admitting we’d need the energy intake to support that training adaptation. AKA you need to stay at least at caloric maintenance/need, not cutting right away or going to an even a very low carb/keto maintenance.

Back to the “what built it will keep it”, guys who pull the caloric rug out too soon will undoubtedly lose more lean tissue as well.

@Hyde i see you laughing but you damn near have the cbum dad bod look already nailed. the work you've put into building is phenomenal!

I was just chuckling how ignorant gen pop can be, but I can tell you 99% of us would take a CBum “dad bod” in a heartbeat.

 

[Dustin07]

This last part is tricky - we are saying training with more volume may help offset the reduced neural drive without the steroids, and help you stay more full, but essentially in the same breath we are admitting we’d need the energy intake to support that training adaptation. AKA you need to stay at least at caloric maintenance/need, not cutting right away or going to an even a very low carb/keto maintenance.

Back to the “what built it will keep it”, guys who pull the caloric rug out too soon will undoubtedly lose more lean tissue as well.

damn, I guess just brings us back to synthol then

 

[Hyde]

damn, I guess just brings us back to synthol then

View attachment 251720

Thanks, I hate it

 

[Dustin07]

AKA you need to stay at least at caloric maintenance/need, not cutting right away or going to an even a very low carb/keto maintenance.

realistically though I think a lot of the ground we're covering here is the same thing I keep pointing out about natty bodybuilders. with truly great conditionining the arms, to me, are always that thing that seem to struggle the most. Calves to me seem largely genetic.

I always felt like Layne was one of the guys who did best to preserve arm size, but I don't think there's any question in regards to his natty-status when you take a look at his arms and quads compared to guys we know are enhanced. (yes I know some people argue about his possible gear use)

to me, arms, lats and traps always seem to be the signs on a well conditioned atheletes gear use status. obviously quads and chest benefit too, but there is just no question of how much more success even mild gear users have with the smaller groups. Dorian is an extreme example but its hard to know which generation bodybuilder to even compare to these days. do you go pre-steroid ban and assume guys like Arnold really used hardly anything (haha) or do you go post 1990 ban when they were "harder" to get, and look at guys who turned pro totally natural like Jay Cutler and Ronnie? (hahahaha)

Maybe that's why iron sports are so great, you can never finish building. But the process is always satisfying, the carrot just out of reach but close enough to smell.

 

[gphagan1]

damn, I guess just brings us back to synthol then

View attachment 251720

He better get on antibiotics quick, because those look infected.

 

[AnfoAjax]

damn, I guess just brings us back to synthol then

View attachment 251720

This is the peak male physique

 

[Dustin07]

This is the peak male physique

 

[Dustin07]

I am SORE today.
I'm going to try to get my 10-15 minute walks in here and there but most of my free time today will be a quick lunch with my son. after work, my plan is to carb up and hit a fun arms day.

I was telling my wife how different my buddy is that he is just SO much stronger than me, but a 1rm squat takes him down for literally 2-4 weeks and my hardest best 1rm ever probably didn't really bother me for even a week.

Well here I am and my glutes, hammies, and lower back are just shot AF from last Saturdays leg press marathon lol. I can tell its just doms and everything pulling on everything else. My cardio the past few days I think has actually helped a lot but I'm feeling it today!

 

[Dustin07]

I got a lot more thinking to do. I just stumbled across pics from Aug of 2021 when I was looking for a squat video. fairly cut, but crazy low weight and I went over my lifting logs from the June - July leading into this. I was barely putting up 225-235 bench, apparently chasing 275.

honestly this is probably lean enough for me.

initial observations on my 2021 cut vs today:

back then, calories were lower
back then, cardio was half
back then, training regiment was more PL/Oly split than BB split
back then I was weaker (but lighter) with much smaller personal bests in my resume.

I like finding things like this, holds me accountable, get me back to where I was.

 

[Dustin07]

Been horrible about logging workouts. So hit a ton of PRs on 5/3/1 but started feeling it. Then tested positive for COVID which was a mild case so that had no effect on me, but I was out of state and the whole fiasco turned my 1 week deload into 3+ weeks. Then my wife and I had a weekend trip planned. I usually let myself bulk to 190 before forcing a cut and I weighed in after the trip at 189.8 so I decided it was time to switch gears for a while.

sunday 4/25

cardio
treadmill about 25 minutes
2 miles / 300 calories
.1-.2 mile sprint intervals

bench
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 5
200 x 3 x 5

bicep curls
3 x 10

dips
3 x 10

E2MOTM
10 x hang power snatch 95lbs
1 sled push down and back +70lbs
10 rounds

weight
188

like, WTF is **** ****? LOL holy cow how my training has changed.

 

[MrKleen73]

Well hell, time to get ripped

I would love to see what you ook like around 12%, nice and lean, but not so ripped it should be hurting your lifts outside of possibly on the way down.

This last part is tricky - we are saying training with more volume may help offset the reduced neural drive without the steroids, and help you stay more full, but essentially in the same breath we are admitting we’d need the energy intake to support that training adaptation. AKA you need to stay at least at caloric maintenance/need, not cutting right away or going to an even a very low carb/keto maintenance.

Back to the “what built it will keep it”, guys who pull the caloric rug out too soon will undoubtedly lose more lean tissue as well.


I was just chuckling how ignorant gen pop can be, but I can tell you 99% of us would take a CBum “dad bod” in a heartbeat.

Agreed the last part is tricky, like you said there has to be enough fuel to run the engine so to speak. If you increase volume you will need to slightly increase calories even if just to maintenance if you were on a cut, and just a little bit if not. Anyone trying to maintain what they gained on gear should not be trying to lose any fat until recovered after a cycle if not on TRT. They need maintenance at a minimum, and more if they want to grow more.

damn, I guess just brings us back to synthol then

View attachment 251720

I mean if you want to be sexy like him, that is the only option!

Also, the pictures of the natty BB's they all look pretty symmetrical to me upper body wise. Most BB's who aren't natural look like their arms are too big for the rest of their bodies, but that is the standard in untested bodybuilding even though almost cartoonish. (Not a dig at the look)
You also look like you gain weight pretty equally over your body so when you lose weight your arms might shrink a little more than someone like me whose limbs are much leaner than the rest of my body. So mine shrink a bit less, but you will tend to look better overall at a higher bodyfat that I would because my fat all goes right on the trunk. All belly, lower back, and under my pecs which makes for a somewhat sloppy look at anything over 15% for me. Especially with my shirt off.

 

[Dustin07]

I would love to see what you ook like around 12%, nice and lean, but not so ripped it should be hurting your lifts outside of possibly on the way down.

oh don't worry, I'm printing this and sticking to my mirror, computer screen, and leaving it in my wallet. maybe I'll tape it to a bottle of bourbon, a bag of chips and the fridge door too.

you are not ripped.

 

[Hyde]

I was telling my wife how different my buddy is that he is just SO much stronger than me, but a 1rm squat takes him down for literally 2-4 weeks and my hardest best 1rm ever probably didn't really bother me for even a week.

This is because absolute weight moved is much more impactful than relative strength.

Many lifters who can squat 300 can easily do 240 (80%) for 5x5. Someone who squats 900 attempting the same 80% (720) for 5x5 will almost certainly fail, quite possibly even be injured.

Which is why Chris Duffin squatting 800 every day for a full month was probably one of the greatest strength feats of all time. The recovery & perseverance it required were insane.

 

[Dustin07]

A day at the gun range.


Concentration curls
3 x 12 x 25s

Cable push downs / extensions
15 x 80, 100, 120, 140
12 x 160
+ 20 x 80 dropset

Preacher curls (single arm/DB)
4 x 10 x 30lbs

Cable OH ext
20 x 60, 80
10 x 100, 120
+ 15 x 70 dropset

Ez bar curls
15 x 80
10 x 90, 100
5 x 110
+ 10 x 70 dropset
15 x 70
+ 15 x 50 dropset

H/S dip machine
20 x +180
15 x +230
10 x +270
2 x 20 x +180

DB curls
10 x 40s, 45s
6 x 50s
+ 15 x 30s dropset

SS with DB skull crushers
2 x 15 x 30s
20 x 25s



Notes
Nursed a sample of my mutant protein to do anything I could to feed the pump.

 

[Dustin07]

Oh yeah + 30 minutes walking this morning for some LISS

 

[AnfoAjax]

A day at the gun range.


Concentration curls
3 x 12 x 25s

Cable push downs / extensions
15 x 80, 100, 120, 140
12 x 160
+ 20 x 80 dropset

Preacher curls (single arm/DB)
4 x 10 x 30lbs

Cable OH ext
20 x 60, 80
10 x 100, 120
+ 15 x 70 dropset

Ez bar curls
15 x 80
10 x 90, 100
5 x 110
+ 10 x 70 dropset
15 x 70
+ 15 x 50 dropset

H/S dip machine
20 x +180
15 x +230
10 x +270
2 x 20 x +180

DB curls
10 x 40s, 45s
6 x 50s
+ 15 x 30s dropset

SS with DB skull crushers
2 x 15 x 30s
20 x 25s



Notes
Nursed a sample of my mutant protein to do anything I could to feed the pump.




View attachment 251773View attachment 251774

Fortunate Son was like the first song I learned on guitar. Alot of their music is very simple in structure. Its a testament to how tight they were together. Same thing with Neil Young.

Mutant makes some good stuff. I used to buy their Strawberry Banana Mass Gainer religiously. Sometimes I wasn't even gaining weight it just tasted good. I wish my supp shop still sold Rich Piana's Real Carbs + Protein though. To this day still the best tasting stuff I've ever had. I could order it online but I'm lazy

 

[gphagan1]

A day at the gun range.


Concentration curls
3 x 12 x 25s

Cable push downs / extensions
15 x 80, 100, 120, 140
12 x 160
+ 20 x 80 dropset

Preacher curls (single arm/DB)
4 x 10 x 30lbs

Cable OH ext
20 x 60, 80
10 x 100, 120
+ 15 x 70 dropset

Ez bar curls
15 x 80
10 x 90, 100
5 x 110
+ 10 x 70 dropset
15 x 70
+ 15 x 50 dropset

H/S dip machine
20 x +180
15 x +230
10 x +270
2 x 20 x +180

DB curls
10 x 40s, 45s
6 x 50s
+ 15 x 30s dropset

SS with DB skull crushers
2 x 15 x 30s
20 x 25s



Notes
Nursed a sample of my mutant protein to do anything I could to feed the pump.




View attachment 251773View attachment 251774

That’s a good high volume arm workout…. I like the title….
A day at the gun range

 

[MrKleen73]

A day at the gun range and no gun show? It's a travesty, where are the pics of that bad ass pump?

 

[Segansational]

Fortunate Son was like the first song I learned on guitar. Alot of their music is very simple in structure. Its a testament to how tight they were together. Same thing with Neil Young.

Mutant makes some good stuff. I used to buy their Strawberry Banana Mass Gainer religiously. Sometimes I wasn't even gaining weight it just tasted good. I wish my supp shop still sold Rich Piana's Real Carbs + Protein though. To this day still the best tasting stuff I've ever had. I could order it online but I'm lazy

I haven't tried Mutant's protein, but their gainer is pretty good. I still recall Real Gains from Universal and those giant azz tubs. That was honestly my favorite. But just because it was so freaking sweet from all the maltodextrin! Been meaning to try 5% Real Carbs though. Just can't bring myself to spend the money...

 

[Dustin07]

Fortunate Son was like the first song I learned on guitar.

mine was Glycerine by Bush!

A day at the gun range and no gun show? It's a travesty, where are the pics of that bad ass pump?

dude they have the hammer strength dip machine facing the mirror and delts/tris, everything looked awesome lol. that's probably a big part of the 2 x 20 finisher on that machine

I think it was an old Lee Priest article I was reading about his arms day that sorta had me inspired yesterday on volume, chasing that max potential where I felt I might still be able to recover and see some progress. it was a great session! Had to take a stop to breathe a couple times, and thought I was going to puke briefly in the lockerroom afterwards lol. Every single set felt like an event at a competition, just balls out.

 

[Dustin07]

Rest day, sorta.

Morning walks - 40 min
Stairs - 15 min
Incline treadmill - 10min

Total - 65 min


Using the Kleen hack today and getting in three short walks to accumulate that first 40 minutes. Wanted another 30-40 at the gym but just didn't have time before racing out to my boys track meet.

Weighed in at 188.8 today. That's the lowest I've been since the winter challenge when I hit that at a dehydrated fasted point so it feels good to be seeing a breakthrough from just the cardio and balanced nutrition.

Wife wants a date tonight which I'm not about to object to as much as I'm in the groove and want to light this train on fire so I'm planning on the steak salad they have at our favorite dive. Super clean and I swear the meal cost less than buying the steak at Safeway.

 

[Hyde]

Activity through the day like that is also better for your blood sugar management, overall longevity, and seems to improve recovery more vs concentrated output of comparable time. So it really is ideal if you can make that happen often & enjoy it.

 

[gphagan1]

Enjoy the steak with your wife…..and walk it off tomorrow.

 

[Dustin07]

Yeah I didn't really give myself a fantastic opportunity to recover from the leg day doms last weekend, as I rolled into sprints this week so I had a lot of sorness from pretty much the hips down most of this week. the extra walks I threw in each day definitely seemed to help with recovery.

The steak was we missed happy hour so paid full price but that sirloin at $20 on a good bed of salad cooked to absolute perfection still seems like a pretty good deal. you guys know I'm sorta picky about beef and it always blows me away how this dive bar that we love has the best beef, and actually their salmon is also phenomenal! both beat the nice seafood restaurant we have in town that literally has a boat dock that you can arrive by boat with, lol.

 

[Dustin07]

In other news, my boys shot put season ended last night with a beautiful day to be at the track and they had "congrats to X power lifters, state champs" on the billboard at the highschool when we got there... he's open to the idea of competiting so I reached out to WA State USAPL and started pulling some previous Youth event numbers to see how he might do. I'm not 100% sure where he'd land in terms of weight class. at his age he could bounce 220-240 easily in short order. I think he avgs 225-234 right now. But in bench and squat he looks great. we just need to get his deadlift going.

but the part about it that's exciting is he wants to keep training this summer when school gets out because he has his eyes set on this 450 record in his high school and he has 355 now. in 3 weeks they test 1rm again and he wants a big PR. I said 365? he said idk, maybe 385

honestly its possible. I think he's already built for a 405 squat.

 

[GreenMachineX]

In other news, my boys shot put season ended last night with a beautiful day to be at the track and they had "congrats to X power lifters, state champs" on the billboard at the highschool when we got there... he's open to the idea of competiting so I reached out to WA State USAPL and started pulling some previous Youth event numbers to see how he might do. I'm not 100% sure where he'd land in terms of weight class. at his age he could bounce 220-240 easily in short order. I think he avgs 225-234 right now. But in bench and squat he looks great. we just need to get his deadlift going.

but the part about it that's exciting is he wants to keep training this summer when school gets out because he has his eyes set on this 450 record in his high school and he has 355 now. in 3 weeks they test 1rm again and he wants a big PR. I said 365? he said idk, maybe 385

honestly its possible. I think he's already built for a 405 squat.

Did you mean he weighs between 225-234?

 

[Dustin07]

Did you mean he weighs between 225-234?

yup, his calves are almost double mine in appearance, I should tape mine and his for comparrison. he has some fat in the mid section but his legs are absolutely rock solid and fuggin' huge. I think his arms might already be bigger than mine and he has the stretch marks to show his remarkable growth speed the past 2 years.

 

[MrKleen73]

That is awesome, I bet you are excited!

 

[GreenMachineX]

yup, his calves are almost double mine in appearance, I should tape mine and his for comparrison. he has some fat in the mid section but his legs are absolutely rock solid and fuggin' huge. I think his arms might already be bigger than mine and he has the stretch marks to show his remarkable growth speed the past 2 years.

Dude, that’s a big 15 year old!

 

[Dustin07]

Build Better Back


BB rows - supinated
10 x 95, 135, 175, 205
8 x 225
+ 10 x 185 dropset
10 x 185
+ 15 x 135 droprset

BB rows - pronated
3 x 15 x 135
+ 15 x 95 dropset

H/S iso lat pulldowns - supinated
Weight per side
15 x + 55
2 x 10 x +90
+ 20 x 45s dropset pronated

Seated cable row (the split stack style)
12 x 72.5s, 87.5s
10 x 102.5s
+ 15 x 57.5s dropset

Pull-ups
2 x 10

Chin-ups
1 x 10

Lat pulldowns
3 x 15 x 115
+ 15 x 110lbs dropset




Notes
Threw down my mutant preWO today. This $hit slaps!
Went with heavy supinated rows after seeing a Cutler clip today that inspired me, plus @AnfoAjax 's rows are insane so I'm trying to hold myself accountable to still push some heavy weight will chasing pumps and hypertrophy.

I love how changing things up always has amazing ROI short term. This BB split is crazy enjoyable right now. Going from a long period of staying lean to strength training my body was like a sponge. Going from a couple years of pure strength training to bb style hypertrophy splits has been AWESOME for targeting specific groups with great results and recovery, IMO. Arms looked beastly today. so far so good.

 

[Dustin07]

That is awesome, I bet you are excited!

I am, my biggest fear is him trying to talk me into doing it with him. I have no desire to put it all on the line on the competition stage but I love the idea of going to an event especially if he's in it. There is a strong man comp coming up that I'd love him to at least see if possible. they have a youth class but just seeing it I think would be enough. I think seeing strong man implements would be way cooler to him than normal xfit wod stuff.

Dude, that’s a big 15 year old!

he is, and really I shouldn't be surprised that he's outgrowing me. His mom and I are both the smallest of 3. he has his grandpas giant hands and feet. Both of my little brothers are far bigger than me at like 6'1 and 6'4 and well over 220lbs. I always tell my baby brother he should be bodybuilding cause he has freak genetics. even when he's "fat" he looks like an off season bodybuilder just from basic crossfit work in his garage.

Here he is burying a 315 squat while we were on vacation in AZ this winter. you can see his heels coming up in his training shoes. He has 2 different sets of lifters now and has better heel engagement in them. I'd like to switch him to flats eventually but I'll wait until he starts taking deadlifts serious to worry about it because for now he squats in heels. this was just an off day of he and I F'ing around in a random drop in gym.

But look at his FUGGIN' hamstrings and calves. Kid is BUILT for this.