To Infinity.... and Beyond!

Leg ext
4 x 15

Leg curls
3 x 15-20

Power cleans
10 x 95
5 x 135, 165, 195

Deads
5 x 225, 275, 325, 375

BB rows
3 x 10 x 135

SS with
Ez bar curls
3 x 10+

LISS
30 min

Weight 197.6

Notes
First time pulling in roughly two weeks so I again am looking at some GPP with the cleans, working myself back in. I want to cut ten lbs since my bench goal was hit.

Left Weds on the boat, couple small adventures, around 110 nautical miles but made it home yesterday.

Pretty much ran all my supplements to completion only applying some Apex epichaos and ursa today. I still have some Triton and will now go through my lean edge from SNS and my cla during this short cut.
 
Last edited:
You can definitely still get stronger on a slow cut on deadlift too! I mean if you stay fueled before & after deadlift day and take the cals from the rest of the week.
 
Hyde said:
You can definitely still get stronger on a slow cut on deadlift too! I mean if you stay fueled before & after deadlift day and take the cals from the rest of the week.
Click to expand...
That's what I'm planning / hoping for. I knew I needed the weight for bench but I was hoping if I prioritized that I could shift gears a bit. It's been a full year now on this strength cycle with almost pure consistency other than two weeks of ADF in May so I need a brief sanity break and... Man it's miserable getting winded so easy.


On a plus side, saw an ex employee at the gym today who I haven't seen since around January. He said holy **** you got huge lol. Then he backtracked and said, I mean in a good way in the right places



Make than about 15 guys and 0 girls to say that
 
Dustin07 said:
On a plus side, saw an ex employee at the gym today who I haven't seen since around January. He said holy **** you got huge lol. Then he backtracked and said, I mean in a good way in the right places

Make than about 15 guys and 0 girls to say that
Click to expand...

I mean, it's that lift life. We take what we can get. 
 
Bench
10 x 95, 95, 135
3 x 175, 205, 225, 245, 265
18 x 155

Slingshot
5 x 275
12 x 235

Incline
10 x 95
3 x 8 x 135 (close grip)
*Wow*

Tricep pull downs
3 x 15

Superset with
(More) EZ bar curls
3 x 12-15

LISS
25 min

Notes
No spotter today, just aimed for a productive reasonable volume return to routine.
 
Dustin07 said:
Bench
10 x 95, 95, 135
3 x 175, 205, 225, 245, 265
18 x 155

Slingshot
5 x 275
12 x 235

Incline
10 x 95
3 x 8 x 135 (close grip)
*Wow*

Tricep pull downs
3 x 15

Superset with
(More) EZ bar curls
3 x 12-15

LISS
25 min

Notes
No spotter today, just aimed for a productive reasonable volume return to routine.
Click to expand...
What did you think about incline CGBP?
 
Consider putting your raw burnout set AFTER your heavier slanger work. You’ll have more energy left for the lockout work, and it will feel more natural than going down then back up in weight.

Incline closegrip is a great tricep builder.
 
Hyde said:
Consider putting your raw burnout set AFTER your heavier slanger work. You’ll have more energy left for the lockout work, and it will feel more natural than going down then back up in weight.
Click to expand...

it was, actually it always is as I'm stripping weights off the bar. My OCD just forced me to record all the raw lifts together and SS shots together, even though I normally record it the other way.

Hyde said:
Incline closegrip is a great tricep builder.
Click to expand...

The pump was insane. sorta cracking me up that suddenly half my work shirts are too tight in the arms.
 
Dustin07 said:
That's what I'm planning / hoping for. I knew I needed the weight for bench but I was hoping if I prioritized that I could shift gears a bit. It's been a full year now on this strength cycle with almost pure consistency other than two weeks of ADF in May so I need a brief sanity break and... Man it's miserable getting winded so easy.


On a plus side, saw an ex employee at the gym today who I haven't seen since around January. He said holy **** you got huge lol. Then he backtracked and said, I mean in a good way in the right places



Make than about 15 guys and 0 girls to say that
Click to expand...

Guess it’s time to change teams 🤣
 
Looks like a fun session!
 
Leg curls
3 x 20

Leg ext
3 x 20

Leg press
4 x 15

DB RDLs
3 x 10-12

Superset with
DB goblet squats
3 x 10


Squats
5 x 135, 185
3 x 235, 275
1 x 300
10 x 135

LISS
25 min

Notes
Wanted to throw down a legit squat day but couldn't get a rack. One warm up turned into two turned into a light weight day.

Still not a bad day. I don't think I've squatted since June. 300 was easy. I noticed I'm a little unstable but strength was there. Haven't practiced in months.


This weekend tore me up. After filling in the ditch from my new plumbing project I hauled and spread three loads of topsoil, seeded, new peat moss coverage and a late night wedding Saturday. Good to be back at it at some level.
 
Dude, a 300lb squat after toasting your lower back with refilling that trench is more than enough... Good stuff Sir!
 
MrKleen73 said:
Dude, a 300lb squat after toasting your lower back with refilling that trench is more than enough... Good stuff Sir!
Click to expand...
nailed it, lol. my lower back was trashed by Saturday night. I think my best squat is only like 350 but everything felt lighter than usual today, just unstable which is likely due to a lack of progress. going deep on leg squats at 360 I could feel my adductors getting worked so I'd like to spend some time developing those better and maybe widening my squats stance some.

really wanted to bench today, so that's why I squatted 😅
its only been an hour or two and I already have DOMS lol
 
Dustin07 said:
nailed it, lol. my lower back was trashed by Saturday night. I think my best squat is only like 350 but everything felt lighter than usual today, just unstable which is likely due to a lack of progress. going deep on leg squats at 360 I could feel my adductors getting worked so I'd like to spend some time developing those better and maybe widening my squats stance some.

really wanted to bench today, so that's why I squatted 😅
its only been an hour or two and I already have DOMS lol
Click to expand...
I don't know if there is much better to build adductors than wider stance squats. back when I originally learned to football squat they always toasted my adductors. If you felt the deep stretch on them just do more of that and you will likely see some good progress in that regard.
 
MrKleen73 said:
I don't know if there is much better to build adductors than wider stance squats. back when I originally learned to football squat they always toasted my adductors. If you felt the deep stretch on them just do more of that and you will likely see some good progress in that regard.
Click to expand...

I'm thinking like anything else, I'll study it, go light, and work my way into it like I did bench. My bench is a LOT wider than it was a year ago, but that's a year of me moving my width like a nails thickness out each session. a wide grip used to really irritate my shoulders, as did incline, but working at it at low weight and building up has eliminated all pain in those movements. Hopefully I do the same thing with squats.

BUT I've spent the last year studying deadlifts and bench. a wide stance on squats is a little perplexing in my head as I think about knee angles etc. so it will take some practice and probably watching a lot of other's doing it to really understand it.
 
Dustin07 said:
I'm thinking like anything else, I'll study it, go light, and work my way into it like I did bench. My bench is a LOT wider than it was a year ago, but that's a year of me moving my width like a nails thickness out each session. a wide grip used to really irritate my shoulders, as did incline, but working at it at low weight and building up has eliminated all pain in those movements. Hopefully I do the same thing with squats.

BUT I've spent the last year studying deadlifts and bench. a wide stance on squats is a little perplexing in my head as I think about knee angles etc. so it will take some practice and probably watching a lot of other's doing it to really understand it.
Click to expand...

My ART guy said the reason I have been tearing my adductor is I was squatting too deep & too wide - I was buttwinking, and then I would lose all of my glute drive out of the very bottom and shifting it onto my adductors to initially reverse the weight. I moved my stance back in some months ago which has protected things, but the gist is you have to watch your depth the wider you squat.
 
Dustin07 said:
I'm thinking like anything else, I'll study it, go light, and work my way into it like I did bench. My bench is a LOT wider than it was a year ago, but that's a year of me moving my width like a nails thickness out each session. a wide grip used to really irritate my shoulders, as did incline, but working at it at low weight and building up has eliminated all pain in those movements. Hopefully I do the same thing with squats.

BUT I've spent the last year studying deadlifts and bench. a wide stance on squats is a little perplexing in my head as I think about knee angles etc. so it will take some practice and probably watching a lot of other's doing it to really understand it.
Click to expand...
How wide are you benching? To the break or space in the knurling? I used to bench with my index fingeron the space in the knurling which was super wide. Now my pinkies are like an inch inside the knurling.

Edit: I say that to say I was so much stronger with that wide grip.
 
Hyde said:
My ART guy said the reason I have been tearing my adductor is I was squatting too deep & too wide - I was buttwinking, and then I would lose all of my glute drive out of the very bottom and shifting it onto my adductors to initially reverse the weight. I moved my stance back in some months ago which has protected things, but the gist is you have to watch your depth the wider you squat.
Click to expand...

from what I have seen your squat still looks wider than mine and aside from the 60lbs I think we have similar bone structure (I *think*). When I first got into oly lifting I was squatting a2g just out of routine (serious buttwink) from going too deep catching the snatch. Then I started squatting too shallow and collapsing. I think after a year of throwing in good mornings I have enough upper body posture that I'm hitting the right depth without a buttwink finally, BUT, I can tell my adductors are a weak spot and it seems like I'm excluding some muscles that could possibly help join the party.


GreenMachineX said:
How wide are you benching? To the break or space in the knurling? I used to bench with my index fingeron the space in the knurling which was super wide. Now my pinkies are like an inch inside the knurling.

Edit: I say that to say I was so much stronger with that wide grip.
Click to expand...

I used to start with my thumbs in pointed to each other on the edge of the inner knurling to get an even location, then I'd wrap them. I realized that my bench is only a bit wider than a lot of guys CGBP. My pinky back then would have been in between the rings / knurl marks at that point. Now, I have no issue going ring finger on the rings and I can warm up a bit wider than that.
 
GreenMachineX said:
Edit: I say that to say I was so much stronger with that wide grip.
Click to expand...

I can't say that I'm stronger or weaker with the wider grip, but my bench has gone up simultaneously with my grip developing wider. I have definitely noticed the best pec development I've ever had in my life and the only things that have really changed in 20 years is wider grip and adding in more inclines. (well, and heavier bench)
 
Dustin07 said:
I can't say that I'm stronger or weaker with the wider grip, but my bench has gone up simultaneously with my grip developing wider. I have definitely noticed the best pec development I've ever had in my life and the only things that have really changed in 20 years is wider grip and adding in more inclines. (well, and heavier bench)
Click to expand...
Once used to going wider it makes sense that going wider is going to be your better lift unless injured or something. Every inch you move your hands out shortens the distance the bar has to travel to reach lockout by a decent amount.
 
Bench
2 x 10 x 105
10 x 145
5 x 185, 225

Slingshot
3 x 255, 285, 300 (1 assisted)

Raw
2 x 265
7 x 225
20 x 135

Inclines
8 x 105, 135, 155

Tri rope pushdowns
3 x 15

Superset with

Lateral shoulder raises
12 x 30s, 35s, 40s

Dips
3 x 12

LISS
25 min


Notes
Carbed up today but still felt slow, sorta a bizarre sensation like someone turned up the gravity in the gym today, bench felt not...heavy, but like molasses

Got that tingly runners high feeling on the laterals, lol.

Yesterday's DOMs aren't super painful, just feels like my legs won't move

Also realized my middle finger is on the ring for bench now, not ring finger @GreenMachineX
 
DB RDLs
3 x 10-13

SS with DB curls
3 x 15

Ez bar curls
5 x 15

Deads
10 x 205, 205
3 x 245, 285, 325, 365
1 x 395 (honestly the grip was like grease)
10 x 225

T bar rows
3 x 10-12

LISS
15 min


Notes
Got stuck waiting again so joined a gal 1rm'ing there at the 205. Feels douchy to jump in and do ten but needed to warm up

Ran out of chalk and these worn barbells are tough to grip once I start sweating!




Invalid Link Removed
 
Couple of notes on products I've tried recently:

Ursa Major:
I'm not sure I noticed anything, but I'm running a second cycle. the benefits seem positive even if I don't "feel" them.

Flashpoint.
I actually liked the smell of this one but I'm not sure I reacted to it.

Mass Shift
This one I'm a little confused about and thinking of running again. It seemed to have a positive digestive effect on me. I'm still learning more about the product though.

Epichaos + Triton
These two, as of this morning, I didn't really think did anything. But I think applying them 30-60 minutes PreWO is a game changer. today, again, I got a massive runners high during my curls and t bar rows. I got the tingles and it was bizarre. great pump as well.

That said, the one drawback for these unfortunately for me has been the scent and texture. I just can't get the product to dry enough to where it doesn't stick to my shirt some and the scent becomes musty and lingers for a long time. I have a third bottle of Alpha Gel coming in from Steve soon so I'm looking forward to testing the texture on that again. I did give myself 2 pumps of Ultra Hard on my bench day for fun and I noticed that while it was very watery, it dried and dissipated very fast.

It's interesting how the Apex, XPG, and Iconic products all have very different delivery styles and scents. Right now XPG is my favorite.
 
MrKleen73 said:
Once used to going wider it makes sense that going wider is going to be your better lift unless injured or something. Every inch you move your hands out shortens the distance the bar has to travel to reach lockout by a decent amount.
Click to expand...

Was going to say exactly this. Wider=shorter ROM but with the caveat of more potential for injury. It’s a fine line.
 
Dustin07 said:
Couple of notes on products I've tried recently:

Ursa Major:
I'm not sure I noticed anything, but I'm running a second cycle. the benefits seem positive even if I don't "feel" them.

Flashpoint.
I actually liked the smell of this one but I'm not sure I reacted to it.

Mass Shift
This one I'm a little confused about and thinking of running again. It seemed to have a positive digestive effect on me. I'm still learning more about the product though.

Epichaos + Triton
These two, as of this morning, I didn't really think did anything. But I think applying them 30-60 minutes PreWO is a game changer. today, again, I got a massive runners high during my curls and t bar rows. I got the tingles and it was bizarre. great pump as well.

That said, the one drawback for these unfortunately for me has been the scent and texture. I just can't get the product to dry enough to where it doesn't stick to my shirt some and the scent becomes musty and lingers for a long time. I have a third bottle of Alpha Gel coming in from Steve soon so I'm looking forward to testing the texture on that again. I did give myself 2 pumps of Ultra Hard on my bench day for fun and I noticed that while it was very watery, it dried and dissipated very fast.

It's interesting how the Apex, XPG, and Iconic products all have very different delivery styles and scents. Right now XPG is my favorite.
Click to expand...

I’ve recently been a fan of TDs applied to inner thighs so if doesn’t really create the shirt stick effect
 
SkRaw85 said:
Was going to say exactly this. Wider=shorter ROM but with the caveat of more potential for injury. It’s a fine line.
Click to expand...

yeah for sure. I like to test how wide I can go with an empty bar for like 20 reps, then 95lbs or 105lbs been doing 2 x 10 at different grips to find my sweet spot for the day. as the weight goes up I feel like my body naturally finds a spot that feels the most sturdy now, much better than before. but my back has grown a bit wider as well with the extra 15lbs i put on so I think size is playing a huge role

SkRaw85 said:
I’ve recently been a fan of TDs applied to inner thighs so if doesn’t really create the shirt stick effect
Click to expand...

I did that with the Sustain Alpha but I found that to be the one part of my body that gets easily irritated and dried out by the topicals. it would get painfully itchy.
 
My body is beat to holy hell today.
Saturday was a pretty chill day with the wife, up to the boat show to explore (amazing how much they cleaned up Seattle for the all-star game and taylor swift concerts, lol).

Sunday though I took my ball paintballing again to our favorite little outdoor place. they have like a dozen courses, all of them outdoors in the woods with rocks, creeks, trees, structures etc. we played for hours and by the time I got home my legs were killing me from 3hrs of sprints, lunges, and 20 minute squats sitting crouched as 12yr olds buzz my face with a barrage of paint.

Finished the day with a shitload more shoveling, still wrapping up aspects of that plumbing project.

Notes for the experience? I am throwing away my last pair of Reebok nanos. They are pure dogshit shoes, they always were, I always hated them. they had a cultish following and are completely useless garbage pieces of crap with flat soles that absorb every drop of water from the concrete like a sponge. most of my foot and leg pain today is no doubt from those garbage shoes lol.
 
Sounds like a great time!

In defense of the Nanos…they’re not made for anything beyond gym use. That was a bad move wearing them for outdoors! A trail shoe would have probably served you better.
 
Sounds like you had a blast with the boy, those are the best times. Enjoying an activity with one of your kids is just awesome!
 
Resolve10 said:
I mean idk if you can blame the nanos if you wore them for an outdoor activity...

There have been quite a few different iterations with some better for different things than others, but I've hit countless PRs in my nanos. ;)
Click to expand...

I always liked my 7s for frontsquats. Just a taste of a heel, solid sturdy bottom.
 
Squats
10 x bar
2 x 8 x 135
5 x 185, 235, 275
1 x 305 (easy)
8 x 225

Good mornings
3 x 8 x 135

Front squats
95lbs x 6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7,6,5
EMOTM style

Holy **** that blew up the quads


LISS
25min incline walk



Notes
Decided to go for it and see if movement would make things feel good, it did

Slowly widening squat stance. Feels awesome.
 
So you have talked a lot about cutting, what is your current diet set up now?
 
Last night I was able to hit the golf course on the way home to walk 9 holes as a little extra LISS and active recovery. I think I hobbled all the way to the tee box but finished a little sweaty and feeling much better in the legs...

Hyde said:
Sounds like a great time!

In defense of the Nanos…they’re not made for anything beyond gym use. That was a bad move wearing them for outdoors! A trail shoe would have probably served you better.
Click to expand...

Resolve10 said:
I mean idk if you can blame the nanos if you wore them for an outdoor activity...

There have been quite a few different iterations with some better for different things than others, but I've hit countless PRs in my nanos. ;)
Click to expand...

The best nanos I ever had were the nano sprints, but the Sauconys I think are better for actual running. Nanos were of course largely marketed to the xfit demographic and I think the last pair I bought new was nano 8s. I wouldn't even wear those for gym shoes. they're somehow flatter than my Reebok LTRs I use for deadlifts. I have cheapo boat shoes that have more padding so these nanos have lasted me forever cause I just never wear them but am always trying to figure out where they belong. they're more like a remove the shoelace and wear them around the gym as a slipper when you aren't lifting. I mean the xfit world is going to be a mix of jumping, lifting, running etc in a single WOD and that's a horrible shoe for that combo IMO...

Invalid Link Removed

MrKleen73 said:
Sounds like you had a blast with the boy, those are the best times. Enjoying an activity with one of your kids is just awesome!
Click to expand...

man... outdoor paintball in the woods is so much fun. I grew up playing "war" or "army" my entire childhood, we were always at the army surplus getting our "supplies", building forts.... paintball is like the extreme version of the games we played as a kid.

MrKleen73 said:
So you have talked a lot about cutting, what is your current diet set up now?
Click to expand...

very very slow. Biggest difference between now and last month is:

  • slightly lower carbs
  • slightly increased protein
  • decreased alcohol intake (basically zero during the week)
  • added LISS
  • add squats back in, largely for fun but also to reinforce that I'm getting a well rounded training regiment in.
When I get back to 189ish I'll address the scenario and decide what's next!
 
Damn dude, be still my beating heart — some monster gains here over the last year, including 300 lbs bench, most excellent! You put on some weight and most be looking stout!!!

Keep up the great work my brother!
 
jinxie said:
Damn dude, be still my beating heart — some monster gains here over the last year, including 300 lbs bench, most excellent! You put on some weight and most be looking stout!!!

Keep up the great work my brother!
Click to expand...
thanks broski, I'm not hyde big but I knew the weight was going to the right places when I realized my wife was groping my chest as much as I'm groping hers 😅🤘

it was pretty much a straight 1 year cycle of strength and bulking (albeit controlled and slow) with the exception of 2 weeks of ADF in May when I finally tipped the scale at 200lbs (up from 183 starting point). Sitting at 193 now with a very controlled, slow cut that's mostly just intended to give me a sanity break and improve my conditioning. I have a massive appreciation now for the value of increased calories and really on point nutritional timing around big lifts. I was able to really start planning out my 5lb jumps on bench with a 2-4 day feed leading into each session. But my shirts stopped fitting and I found myself getting winded so easily, definitely craving some conditioning improvement.
 
Dustin07 said:
thanks broski, I'm not hyde big but I knew the weight was going to the right places when I realized my wife was groping my chest as much as I'm groping hers

it was pretty much a straight 1 year cycle of strength and bulking (albeit controlled and slow) with the exception of 2 weeks of ADF in May when I finally tipped the scale at 200lbs (up from 183 starting point). Sitting at 193 now with a very controlled, slow cut that's mostly just intended to give me a sanity break and improve my conditioning. I have a massive appreciation now for the value of increased calories and really on point nutritional timing around big lifts. I was able to really start planning out my 5lb jumps on bench with a 2-4 day feed leading into each session. But my shirts stopped fitting and I found myself getting winded so easily, definitely craving some conditioning improvement.
Click to expand...

Haha, that’s really awesome and invigorating, I’m sure.

While I miss being heavier and moving more weight, I feel a helluva lot better now that I’m lighter at 175 lbs (vs 188 lbs last year). (I’m walking/hiking 25 miles per week, which makes it easy for me to eat a good amount while maintaining.) That’s probably about equivalent of you at 185 lbs as I’m only 5’8”.

I’m sure you’ll get there in no time, though I’d recommend taking your time so you can keep ahold of those mad gainz! Whenever I cut aggressively, I lose massive strength. All seems to be going well at first, and then it catches me and I take a big dump — and it takes quite a while to rebuild it, for me at least. At any rate, you know what you’re doing!

Keep it up, my guy!
 
jinxie said:
Damn dude, be still my beating heart — some monster gains here over the last year, including 300 lbs bench, most excellent! You put on some weight and most be looking stout!!!

Keep up the great work my brother!
Click to expand...
@jinxie Dude, great to see you back around!

@Dustin07 So, not fasting or intermittent fasting on this cut, just lower calories a bit and adding in conditioning?
 
MrKleen73 said:
@Dustin07 So, not fasting or intermittent fasting on this cut, just lower calories a bit and adding in conditioning?
Click to expand...

I am will be doing IF on non lifting days, this week for instance Friday will be an IF day and golf (although carting, not walking) so I won't eat until dinner that night with the wife!

I'm also still adding in some preWO carbs.... but not as much as I had been before
 
Great, this sounds like a solid plan, you should take some before and afters to show us what you accomplished.
 
OHP
10 x 95, 115, 135

Laterals
3 x 10 x 32.5s

Bench
10 x 135, 175
5 x 205, 235
3 x 10 x 185
15 x 155, 135

Tri rope pushdowns
4 x 15

Machine flies
4 x 10

LISS
25min incline

Notes
Since I started taking Triton and epichaos started getting runners highs mid workout. Today I dosed about 90 minutes prior and got the shakes during today's session.

I'm fed, carbed preWO, no other changes to my normal approach so all I can figure is those two products, at least combined, might not be a good fit for me.

Killed time on OHP and laterals waiting for a bench. Just an odd day, but I think I'll double preWO carbs next time just to be safe. Crazy winded on sets of 10 though.

Crazy pump today though. Forgot I also threw in some arginine this morning.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top