To Infinity.... and Beyond!

[Dustin07]

LMAO! I can understand why!

funny thing is I measured out 7oz of beef, made my plate of potatoes and greens. then went back and had seconds as big as the first serving lol.

 

[MrKleen73]

funny thing is I measured out 7oz of beef, made my plate of potatoes and greens. then went back and had seconds as big as the first serving lol.

That tends to happen to me if I don't have a plan.

 

[Dustin07]

Warm up
Leg ext
Leg curls
RDL, press, curls with empty bar

Squats
10 x 135
5 x 175
3 x 205, 235, 265, 295
1 x 315, 325
2 x 5 x 250
15 x 185

RDLs
3 x 10 x 185

Bulgarians
3 sets, no weight added. Just testing groin.

Hammer strength leg press
12 x 300
10 x 350
10 x 390
10 x 440

Leg curls
15 x 160
15 x 200
6 x 240
10 x 200 dropset

Leg ext
15 x 85
12 x 100
12 x 115
15 x 85

 

[SkRaw85]

How’s it feel after the Bulgarian testers?

 

[Hyde]

How’s it feel after the Bulgarian testers?

He pulled his groin…felt so good, he pulled it again

 

[MrKleen73]

When you are going for your singles and what not do you have a set progression, or are you trying to hit a certain RPE on them or just pushing for as much as you think you can get each session?

 

[Dustin07]

How’s it feel after the Bulgarian testers?

He pulled his groin…felt so good, he pulled it again

Ha. I thought groin was fully healed and planned to work my bulgarians up to 2 x's 60lb DB's for sets of 8-10. Left leg (my deficient side) had zero issues. my first set on the right leg though, I could feel it sorta right in the crease of the pelvis a couple inches below the beltline. second and third set were pain free but I may have gone a little slower.

last time I had this injury everyone told me it was a hernia. I was so convinced I went into urgent care and ended up with two nurses checking. I almost expected 70s music to start bowchickawowwow. we determined it back then to be a torn adductor magnus (?) up towards the pelvic bone. this time, I'm just working through it cautiously. I used to have a history of super tight psoas from combing deadlifting with excessive running. lots of 5ks.

When you are going for your singles and what not do you have a set progression, or are you trying to hit a certain RPE on them or just pushing for as much as you think you can get each session?

After years of excessive volume, I've been having a lot of luck with 20-30lb jumps warming up, then testing singles. so far regardless of RPE, the single hasn't left me devastated. sets of 10 do though.. I'm trying to find a poundage increment that "warms me up" without having TOO much volume before I test the singles. last week I singled at 315, so this week going up a little was really important to me. It's basically a 1rm attempt, but I'm not going so hard I'm risking failure..... RPE 9 maybe?

 

[Dustin07]

When you are going for your singles and what not do you have a set progression, or are you trying to hit a certain RPE on them or just pushing for as much as you think you can get each session?

what I'm honestly trying to do is get my ass and hammies to feel thick enough to push some big boy weight. if it feels plump and juicy I go for it, if it doesn't I drop weight and hit more reps while pounding protein at the gym usually. trying to get thick without getting fat is hard...

 

[Hyde]

what I'm honestly trying to do is get my ass and hammies to feel thick enough to push some big boy weight. if it feels plump and juicy I go for it, if it doesn't I drop weight and hit more reps while pounding protein at the gym usually. trying to get thick without getting fat is hard...

Don’t rush the weight/food. Seriously everyone tends to do this. You want to train as long as possible with the slightest surplus possible if you’re not on a clock & strength is the priority.

You can always slap 10lbs of fat on in a month and get a bitter stronger for a special push, but you will not get proportionally as strong as if you just added 5 more quality pounds over 10 weeks. So you’re better controlling your diet for optimal recovery and only pushing a power bulk to break a big plateau.

 

[Dustin07]

Don’t rush the weight/food. Seriously everyone tends to do this. You want to train as long as possible with the slightest surplus possible if you’re not on a clock & strength is the priority.

You can always slap 10lbs of fat on in a month and get a bitter stronger for a special push, but you will not get proportionally as strong as if you just added 5 more quality pounds over 10 weeks. So you’re better controlling your diet for optimal recovery and only pushing a power bulk to break a big plateau.

So far I'm averaging 187-188lbs now which is same as august before I started cutting, but in early Oct I had stalled around 184lbs so nearly three months in I'm only up am avg of 3-4lbs but my daily cals are up 600-700/avg.

Generally .... Generally... I'm feeling good. Arms are thicker, ass is thicker, waist is seemingly unchanged. The biggest difference in the scale on a daily or weekly basis continues to come down to carbs and salt

 

[Dustin07]

Ah found better stats in the app

 

[Hyde]

Good, that’s what you want

 

[RegisterJr]

Wow. Your wife nailed that beef.

 

[Dustin07]

Wow. Your wife nailed that beef.

So good dude. And last night she roasted a whole chicken, but the way she does it is on a cookie sheet with potatoes and veggies so that all the rendered chicken juices and fats soak into the veggies and potatoes while the chicken roasts. It's like candy.... and now I have to figure out how to finish off all these leftovers before we travel this weekend

 

[MrKleen73]

So good dude. And last night she roasted a whole chicken, but the way she does it is on a cookie sheet with potatoes and veggies so that all the rendered chicken juices and fats soak into the veggies and potatoes while the chicken roasts. It's like candy.... and now I have to figure out how to finish off all these leftovers before we travel this weekend

Easy tell her to stop cooking the rest of the week.

 

[Dustin07]

Easy tell her to stop cooking the rest of the week.

LOL She made it clear to me she's done since her boy is house sitting for us while we're gone and doesn't eat leftovers (??). Which I'll never understand her kids. They only eat the boring meats so her daughters used to cut the fat off their steaks and slide all of their leftovers on my plate lol.

Wife is at an event both thursday and friday night before we leave and I technically start xmas break friday so I'll likely be eating steak for breakfast, hit the gym, steak for lunch, then pack the bags.

In other news; I did order that Slingshot so I'm super stoked to start the new year with a new toy at the gym.

 

[MrKleen73]

LOL She made it clear to me she's done since her boy is house sitting for us while we're gone and doesn't eat leftovers (??). Which I'll never understand her kids. They only eat the boring meats so her daughters used to cut the fat off their steaks and slide all of their leftovers on my plate lol.

Wife is at an event both thursday and friday night before we leave and I technically start xmas break friday so I'll likely be eating steak for breakfast, hit the gym, steak for lunch, then pack the bags.

In other news; I did order that Slingshot so I'm super stoked to start the new year with a new toy at the gym.

You are gonna love it man. I used to use mine all the time. Unfortunately the tear in my right shoulder does not like the position it holds me in, or didn't. Going to give it another try here soon. About to start doing a little barbell work to see how everything holds up.

 

[Dustin07]

right on man, throw in those kettlebell armbars for some prehab work!

 

[SkRaw85]

LOL She made it clear to me she's done since her boy is house sitting for us while we're gone and doesn't eat leftovers (??). Which I'll never understand her kids. They only eat the boring meats so her daughters used to cut the fat off their steaks and slide all of their leftovers on my plate lol.

Wife is at an event both thursday and friday night before we leave and I technically start xmas break friday so I'll likely be eating steak for breakfast, hit the gym, steak for lunch, then pack the bags.

In other news; I did order that Slingshot so I'm super stoked to start the new year with a new toy at the gym.

Nice buy! We are twinning, I bought a mad dog slingshot yesterday lol

 

[RegisterJr]

I enjoyed my blue slingshot, and I was sub-225 at the time, I think. Pretty sure. It just has a different feel than reverse bands and it’s somewhat quicker to setup

 

[GreenMachineX]

Good stuff. I am not necessarily a stranger to fasting, I have done it plenty in the past for spiritual purposes. just never for strength, And a 24hr fast generally speaking doesn't actually scare me aside from possibly having to dodge a date night lol. But hell yeah, a Saturday 24hr fast honestly sounds awesome. Maybe I'll attempt that on a Weds as well. lots of good things to tinker with here. At some point I'm going to have to do it, test it, and adjust.

I mean in the past 20 years I've been as high as 242lbs and then down as low as 168 with lowest bf being around 6-8% but healthiest and generally injury free being no less than 12%- to where I am now. even in all those years my mentality was in a pinch, that I'd eat gas station food before I'd starve my gains. so this is a different approach.

What body fat were you at 242?

 

[Dustin07]

Warmup
Lateral raises
Forward raises
DB curls
DB snatch

DB bench
20 x 45s
5 x 65s, 75s
3 x 90s, 100s, 110s,
4 x 110s
3 x 110s (new weight/PR)
12 x 85s
11 x 85s
10 x 85s

Basically last three sets to failure.

Machine curls
5 sets

Single arm
3 sets ea

Hammer strength dips
12 x 200
8 x 250
6 x 300
10 x 230

Concentration curls
3 sets

Vertical chest press
10 x 185
6 x 215
6 x 230

Tri cable push downs
3 sets

Not gonna lie, deadlifting 220lbs in dbs for every bench set is a little heavy lol

 

[Dustin07]

What body fat were you at 242?

I'm guessing somewhere between infinity and diabetes lol

I wrestled in highschool at 148. Gained weight for football and never stopped gaining until I got winded running into the warehouse one day and said wtf

I'm not the before and after kinda guy so I don't share pics of fat me or celebrate it I'm always more focused on what I'm building into vs what I built from

 

[GreenMachineX]

I'm guessing somewhere between infinity and diabetes lol

I wrestled in highschool at 148. Gained weight for football and never stopped gaining until I got winded running into the warehouse one day and said wtf

I'm not the before and after kinda guy so I don't share pics of fat me or celebrate it I'm always more focused on what I'm building into vs what I built from

Lol gotcha

 

[MrKleen73]

I'm guessing somewhere between infinity and diabetes lol

I wrestled in highschool at 148. Gained weight for football and never stopped gaining until I got winded running into the warehouse one day and said wtf

I'm not the before and after kinda guy so I don't share pics of fat me or celebrate it I'm always more focused on what I'm building into vs what I built from

How tall are you?

 

[Dustin07]

How tall are you?

coming in around 5'9 and change.
used to be 5'10" and change, i have a burst disc somewhere under L5, most likely from my racing days. Doc discovered that about the same time I measured under 5'10 for the first time in my late 20s.

to be honest I think that has an effect on the way my stomach looks in that last inch or so around my waistline and might be why I tend to force myself to hold a lower BF because my body just doesn't stand as tall as it used to in the mid section. I'm more squishy there in that I have to be usually like sub 10% bf to get some sculpting a lot of guys have at 15-20%.

I could be wrong but it's a good story

 

[Hyde]

Nice PR!

 

[Dustin07]

Nice PR!

Thanks bro, finally closing in on that 300lb bench. Getting so close I'm actually thinking about 3 plates more than 300# now.

 

[SkRaw85]

3 plates looks cooler any day! I’ll bet you can taste it

 

[MrKleen73]

I still remember the feeling of benching 315 the first time. Got up of the bench feeling like King Kong wanting to pound my chest and let everyone know the king was here!

 

[Dustin07]

I still remember the feeling of benching 315 the first time. Got up of the bench feeling like King Kong wanting to pound my chest and let everyone know the king was here!

ahaha yeah I probably will actually do that.
I already feel like a dbag when I ask someone if I can work in with them and grab twice the weight, and I'm not even strong by AM standards! lol

 

[Dustin07]

I'm really liking the IF method on Wednesdays since it's my rest day.
In fact, generally speaking IF until noon seems to work really well for me going 16/8.

My long term concern to figure out is going to be those days that I get a lunch time gym session in. I guess IF will be 14/10 and I'll eat at 10am. because generally speaking I'm not going to have dinner with my wife till 7pm regardless so that portion isn't an option to change.

 

[MrKleen73]

I'm really liking the IF method on Wednesdays since it's my rest day.
In fact, generally speaking IF until noon seems to work really well for me going 16/8.

My long term concern to figure out is going to be those days that I get a lunch time gym session in. I guess IF will be 14/10 and I'll eat at 10am. because generally speaking I'm not going to have dinner with my wife till 7pm regardless so that portion isn't an option to change.

That or take a carb and protein powder with you and start sipping when you take your preworkout.

 

[dapack]

Been on a tear lately. Keep it up!!!

 

[Dustin07]

That or take a carb and protein powder with you and start sipping when you take your preworkout.

I've decided today oatmeal sucks and rice is a better carb source for me lol. Waited till noon thirty to eat my breakfast and oatmeal was a horribly overfilling decision.

If I was in just cut and sacrifice the gains mode this would be awesome.

I could add dextrose to the pre-workout, that used to work pretty well

 

[Hyde]

Do whatever you can make work. Your training should be sacred, so if you can run well on just the periWO nutrition then do that, but if you feel you really notice the meal prior then stick with that and window be damned.

The big picture is you should be eating as much as you need to maintain good performance and recovery while still cutting out some food far from training when it matters least to optimize hormonal profile, health, and slowly lean out some while building.

 

[Dustin07]

Warm up
DB rows, db RDLs, DB curls, db lateral raises to loosen legs, shoulders, biceps, back, hammies

Deads
135 x 5-10
185 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
425 x 1
450 x 1 (PR tie)
460 x 1 (lifetime PR)

Rack pulls
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 3
430 x 1

Good mornings
135 x 10
155 x 8
185 x 3 x 5

RDLs
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5

Barbell rows
135 x 12
155 x 10
175 x 6
195 x 6
225 x 3 (I just wanted to see if I could)

DB curls
40s x 6
45s x 6
50s x 6

Hammer curls
55s x 6
60s x 6
65s x 6

DB rows
70 x 10
90 x 6
95 x 6

Star Trac leg press
+90 x 12
+180 x 12
+270 x 12
Definitely hits hammies better than hammer strength.


Notes
I really thought breaking a 7year old PR would be more emotional. I was excited for sure, bit changed weight and moved on to the next job. I'm still on cloud 9 though.

I knew RDLs weren't going to be ground breaking but wanted volume today since vacation starts in two days.

Good mornings is probably a PR but they felt like a feather.

Belt is on fourth hole despite weight being a hair up

Weight
187.5

 

[BOSSMAN]

Warm up
DB rows, db RDLs, DB curls, db lateral raises to loosen legs, shoulders, biceps, back, hammies

Deads
135 x 5-10
185 x 3
225 x 1
275 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 1
425 x 1
450 x 1 (PR tie)
460 x 1 (lifetime PR)

Rack pulls
225 x 3
315 x 3
405 x 3
430 x 1

Good mornings
135 x 10
155 x 8
185 x 3 x 5

RDLs
225 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 5

Barbell rows
135 x 12
155 x 10
175 x 6
195 x 6
225 x 3 (I just wanted to see if I could)

DB curls
40s x 6
45s x 6
50s x 6

Hammer curls
55s x 6
60s x 6
65s x 6

DB rows
70 x 10
90 x 6
95 x 6

Star Trac leg press
+90 x 12
+180 x 12
+270 x 12
Definitely hits hammies better than hammer strength.


Notes
I really thought breaking a 7year old PR would be more emotional. I was excited for sure, bit changed weight and moved on to the next job. I'm still on cloud 9 though.

I knew RDLs weren't going to be ground breaking but wanted volume today since vacation starts in two days.

Good mornings is probably a PR but they felt like a feather.

Belt is on fourth hole despite weight being a hair up

Weight
187.5View attachment 226643

Man you wasn't booshittin when you said your last few workouts before you went out of town were gonna be nasty!!!

 

[Segansational]

Congrats on the PR!

 

[Dustin07]

Man you wasn't booshittin when you said your last few workouts before you went out of town were gonna be nasty!!!

I blame Hyde!

 

[BOSSMAN]

I blame Hyde! View attachment 226645

I agree, top notch fella on this forum.

 

[Hyde]

I blame Hyde! View attachment 226645

Man, reading that I’m so glad I didn’t skip my final set of Reverse Hypers or elbow rehab tonight!

Congratulations on the deadlift PR. 7 years is a long drought, and today you overcame it & became stronger than you have ever been.

Let that sink in.

Today, you became greater at something than ever before. You proved to yourself you can do it, even if you haven’t ever done it prior. If you can do this, what else are you capable of? Why not 461lbs eventually? Or 475, or 500?

 

[Dustin07]

Warm up
DB lateral raises
DB snatch
DB rows
DB curls

Bench
95 x 15
135 x 15 (slingshot)
175 x 1
205 x 2
225 x 2
240 x 2
250 x 1
260 x 1
265 x 1
275 x 1 barely
225 x 5

Slingshot
225 x 10
245 x 5
250 x 3 x 5
265 x 1
275 x 1
285 x 1 new weight
185 x 1
185 x 18

Wide grip bench no sling
135 x 20

Machine dips
3 sets

Matrix machine flies
3 sets

Tri cable pull downs
3 sets

Lateral raises
30s x 10
35s x 10
40s x 10 (probably a PR)

Trying to hold myself accountable to raising all weights and not mindlessly throwing in 3x10 accessories.

Nautilus verticle press
3 sets


All time bench PR is 280 so the slingshot will definitely put my training over that.

Notes
Guy who spotted me today told me not to use the slingshot then proceeded to tell me about all the things powerlifters do wrong that open them to injury. Basically he described a perfect bench press form lol. Nice guy, big, and I appreciate the spot but I want my advice to come from powerlifters.

I have no idea what the carryover will be on the slingshot but it's fun repping higher lol

Walked in feeling spent. Yesterday's session felt pretty damn easy but today I can tell I'm exhausted. That 275 was a grind.

Weight
187

Cals yesterday were 3k. Avg has been about 2300-2500.

 

[Dustin07]

Man, reading that I’m so glad I didn’t skip my final set of Reverse Hypers or elbow rehab tonight!

Congratulations on the deadlift PR. 7 years is a long drought, and today you overcame it & became stronger than you have ever been.

Let that sink in.

Today, you became greater at something than ever before. You proved to yourself you can do it, even if you haven’t ever done it prior. If you can do this, what else are you capable of? Why not 461lbs eventually? Or 475, or 500?

I'm pumped man. The training protocol is working, the nutrition is 90% dialed and working. The 10% is my discipline and allowed pleasures, but even learning the IF will help make my 10% a benefit vs a detriment.

I think 500/300 deads and bench by spring is achievable. Squats I have no idea lol. Maybe 400 but even 375 by spring would be solid progress.

 

[Dustin07]

Wife and I are down in Arizona. It's 50 degrees warmer than where we left. We called each other's bluffs and did a 5k+ jog down to the fountain and back. Stopped at park benches and she threw in sets of raised pushups, I did mine inverted (feet up on picnic table, hands down on ground).

Not tracking nutrition, just letting the body rest for a week and planning hardcore for Jan 2 when we get home. If I can find a gym in Vegas I'll hit it.

Merry Christmas everyone, can't wait for 2023!

 

[Segansational]

Enjoy!

 

[SkRaw85]

Congrats on the deadlift PR! This is just the beginning

 

[RegisterJr]

Merry Christmas, and congrats on the deadlift PR!

 

[Hyde]

“You know, I have a terrible benchpress for my bodyweight, competitively speaking, so let me tell you all about optimal benchpress technique so you too can never reach the upper echelon of your potential.” - some bodybuilder

Merry Christmas man!

 

[dapack]

Congrats on the PR!!!! Took us both about 7 years to break it but got it done before the year ended. Race to 500lbs LOL