Vector, Alpha-Bulk, Epi-Chaos, Flashpoint , Unsponsored 8 Week Log

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Nice! Pretty much there!

Won’t be long now . I want to surpass the goal by a pound or two then try and hold steady for a minute before deciding how to proceed .

 

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Progress Photos :

We are almost at about the midpoint of the log: A good time for progress photos

 

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[LeanEngineer]

Progress Photos :

We are almost at about the midpoint of the log: A good time for progress photos

Looking shredded and veins are popping!

 

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God is Beast Volume bench day

Felt good again today. Supersetted everything

Bench
Warm up
135x5
155x5
175x5

Working sets
195x6 reps for 10 sets

Supersets
Dumbbell Bench Rows
70 pounds x4 sets at 10 reps

Concentration curls 27 pounds x 12 reps per arm for four sets

Standing calf raises
225x20 reps for four sets

Next I did close grip bench
135x12 reps for four sets

With
Cable ab crunches 60 pounds to failure for 4 sets .

 

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Looking shredded and veins are popping!

I seemed to have leaned out a lot over the course of the log. Especially considering that the scale has only really moved a couple of pounds .

 

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Just ordered 6 bottles of AlphaBuild on the presale on Strong Supplement Shop! Decided to give this a go because things have been going so well for me so far in this log. I’m going to wait til this log is over to try it out but I’m really hoping there are some good logs from other members to follow !

 

[LeanEngineer]

I seemed to have leaned out a lot over the course of the log. Especially considering that the scale has only really moved a couple of pounds .

Agreed! Sometimes the scale doesn't tell the entire picture when it comes to cutting.

 

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Hit a killer Deadlift today. Pumped up all around!

Deadlifts

Warm up
135x5
165x5
205x5
225x5
245x5

Working sets
280x5
320x5
360x5
320x5
360x5
405x3
( Book said 400 x 1-3, I went 405 for a triple instead .)

Next I did Romanian deadlifts

205x 12 for four sets

Supersetted with
4 sets of dips at 20 reps

After that I did 4 sets of barbell Pendley rows .
135x10
Supersetted with
Ez curl bar curls at 75 pounds for 4 sets

I finished up the workout with
3 sets concentration curls at 27 pounds per arm for 12 reps super setted with
3 sets of hanging leg raises to failure .

Really hard hitting workout . It took forever but it was a good one !

 

[Segansational]

Those deads plus the RDLs and pendlay rows?? You've gotta be toasted! Nice work.

 

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God is Beast

VOLUME SHOULDER DAY

I wasn’t too beat today despite the workout yesterday. I actually woke up about an hour before my alarm was set to go off and headed into work to get a jump start on the day . Felt pretty good going through this workout too . Not bad for a Friday , Vascularity is getting a bit insane and I’m noticing that I’m starting to get that horseshoe on my bicep by the elbow joint . I just noticed it last night , having the definition there , was like woah, that’s new .

Volume Shoulders

Press

Warm up
45x5
55x5
75x5
85x5

Working sets
100x5 for 10 sets supersetted with one of the following exercises

( i started supersetting in the warm up sets )

Hack Squats
250x25 for 4 sets

Double overhand Chin ups
5 sets of 10 reps

Concentration curls
12 reps at 27 pounds for 3 sets

Next I did Swiss bar off the pins press

4 sets at 145 pounds for 8 reps

Super setted with cable ab crunches 60 pounds to failure .

Things seem to be moving along well.

 

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Those deads plus the RDLs and pendlay rows?? You've gotta be toasted! Nice work.

Yeah it was a killer workout but I really feel like I’ve been making progress lately so I’ve been highly motivated . I never used to take progress photos , I wish I had started taking them a long time ago , it’s really cool to see the changes that occur after a month. Stuff you don’t notice day by day .

 

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Weekly weigh in report

 

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No weight changes this week. Weight held steady at 186. What I am noticing in the mirror is more separation between muscles . The lines of separation are becoming more visible week by week . Weight holding steady is a good thing at this point . I am going for very slow weight loss at this point . I barely have any fat left on my body. The areas of fat is mostly on my lower back and butt , everywhere else is very lean .

 

[Renew1]

Weekly weigh in report

Hey brother, I apologize .... I know you've probably already said ...
What method are you using to figure your body fat ?

 

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Hey brother, I apologize .... I know you've probably already said ...
What method are you using to figure your body fat ?

Hey brother, I apologize .... I know you've probably already said ...
What method are you using to figure your body fat ?

I used the Jackson Pollock 7 point method using Skinfold Calipers . It’s a good way to track your personal progress overtime but I wouldn’t put any weight into the actual number it gives you as it is inaccurate to +/- 4 percent. It is a good way to track personal progress though. I think taking progress photos is your best way to really see differences . I didn’t really think I looked that different from the start of the log to the one month progress photos until I saw the actual photos side by side .

Calculate - Body Fat %: 7-Site Skinfold (Jackson Pollock) | TrainerMetrics

Measure your Body Fat % with this simple calculator. The 7 Site Skinfold (Jackson & Pollock) assessment can be used to help determine body fat percentages.

www.trainermetrics.com

 

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Squat Volume Day.

This workout was a heavy hitter. I started supersetting off the very first warm up set of squats. By about the 7th working set I was gassed, I pushed through and toasted my legs with some high rep lunges at the end .

Squats

Warm up
Bar x 5
135x5
185x5
225x5

Squat Working sets
245 x 5 reps for 10 sets

Supersetted with squats starting on very first warm up in order

Dips x 20 x 5 sets

Double underhand Chin ups

12 reps x 5 sets, by the fourth set on the 10th rep I was hanging off the bar for a few seconds catching my breath between reps . On the fifth set I was hanging off the bar on rep 8 and slowly banging out a rep every 5 seconds or so until I hit 12 reps . Breathing chins???

Next I took a nice easy superset and did my concentration curls . 3 sets per arm at 27 pounds and 12 reps .

I finished the last set of squats and went straight into my first set of lunges .

Dumbbell lunges 15 reps per leg 27 pounds per arm x 4 sets

Super setted with cable ab crunches, 60 pounds to failure .

This was a killer workout and left me a bit light headed . Got to work hard to keep making progress!

 

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GOD IS BEAST

Heavy Bench Day

I was not feeling bad at all from the squats yesterday . A little sore in the hamstrings but everything else was good to go!

I started super setting in the warm up set

Bench
Warm up
45x5
135x5
175x5

Working sets
185x5
205x5
225x5
205x5
225x5
255x3
( Book said 1-3 , I went with 3)

Super sets exercises

I started with Single Arm Dumbbell Bench Rows
70 pounds x 10 reps for 5 sets a side

Next I did
Standing Calf Raises
4 sets at 250 pounds for 15 reps

After the bench was done I did close grip bench press

135x12 reps for 4 sets

Superset
Hanging leg raises to failure for 4 sets .

I finished up the workout with concentration curls

3 sets per arm for 12 reps at 27 pounds .

 

[Afi140]

Keep it up brother!

 

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Keep it up brother!

Things have been going really well in here! My recovery has been very good between workouts and I’ve been waking up before my alarm everyday despite the brutal workouts . I have definitely been enjoying my run so far and although my deficit is small, it’s still great to be having optimal recovery in a deficit.

 

[Renew1]

Things have been going really well in here! My recovery has been very good between workouts and I’ve been waking up before my alarm everyday despite the brutal workouts . I have definitely been enjoying my run so far and although my deficit is small, it’s still great to be having optimal recovery in a deficit.

Nice!

 

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Got to the gym kinda late today . Really had to motor but I killed it!

God is Beast Volume Dead’s day

Started super sets right off the first warm up to get it done !

Deadlift

Warm up
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5

Working sets
300 x5 for 10 sets

Super sets , 1 set of 1 exercise per deadlift set

Swiss Bar off the pins Bench press
145x10 reps for 5 sets

Hack Squats> These were brutal being super setted with the working sets of Dead’s

250x20 reps for 4 sets

Concentration curls
3 sets per arm at 27 pounds

Double over hand chin ups
2 sets of 10
First set hanging off the bar at rep 8 and pumping out last two

Second set I made it to rep 6 and then slowly repped out the last 4> this was tough

Next I did

Pendley Barbell rows > Dead stop lowering under control
3 sets at 135 pounds for 10 reps

Super set with

Cable ab crunches to failure 60 pounds for 3 sets .

Killer workout , left me dizzy and happy to be heading home to dinner !

 

[akboom87]

Got to the gym kinda late today . Really had to motor but I killed it!

God is Beast Volume Dead’s day

Started super sets right off the first warm up to get it done !

Deadlift

Warm up
135x5
185x5
225x5
275x5

Working sets
300 x5 for 10 sets

Super sets , 1 set of 1 exercise per deadlift set

Swiss Bar off the pins Bench press
145x10 reps for 5 sets

Hack Squats> These were brutal being super setted with the working sets of Dead’s

250x20 reps for 4 sets

Concentration curls
3 sets per arm at 27 pounds

Double over hand chin ups
2 sets of 10
First set hanging off the bar at rep 8 and pumping out last two

Second set I made it to rep 6 and then slowly repped out the last 4> this was tough

Next I did

Pendley Barbell rows > Dead stop lowering under control
3 sets at 135 pounds for 10 reps

Super set with

Cable ab crunches to failure 60 pounds for 3 sets .

Killer workout , left me dizzy and happy to be heading home to dinner !

That is an intense workout!!

 

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That is an intense workout!!

Yeah I am really liking this God is Beast Plan. Next I will probably run a cycle of first set last 5 pros for the anchor cycle then I’m thinking I’ll run coffinworm

 

[akboom87]

Yeah I am really liking this God is Beast Plan. Next I will probably run a cycle of first set last 5 pros for the anchor cycle then I’m thinking I’ll run coffinworm

How much longer are you running the god is beast plan?

 

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How much longer are you running the god is beast plan?

I’m on the final week this week. Next week is a deload week

 

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God is Beast

Heavy Shoulder Press Day

Woke up early today , was at work before 5 am , slipped out of work a bit early and hit the gym . Solid workout today . I really grilled my back at the end with some Romanian Deadlifts . That’s a double down on deadlifts as I did my volume conventional dead’s yesterday . My hamstrings weren’t feeling totally toasted today so I decided to put them back on the fire !

Standing overhead press

Warm up
45x5
55x5
65x5
75x5
85x5

Working sets
95x5
105x5
120x5
105x5
120x5
135x5
(Last set was supposed to be 1-3 but I spaced and did five )

Super sets
I started super setting after the first couple warm up sets

Following exercises 1 set per exercise super set with overhead press above

Standing Calf Raises
250x20 reps for 4 sets

Concentration Curls
27 pounds x15 reps for four sets per arm
(Was 12 reps before but that has gotten very easy so bumped it up to 15 now )


After the shoulder press was done I did :

Romanian Deadlifts
5 sets at 185 pounds for 15 reps
Took these pretty slow >>> Did double overhand grip>>> Really burned my forearms and lats.

Super set

Lay down EZ curl bar Tricep extensions

85 pounds x12 reps for 5 sets

I finished up the workout with 4 sets of hanging leg raises to failure .

 

[LeanEngineer]

God is Beast

Heavy Shoulder Press Day

Woke up early today , was at work before 5 am , slipped out of work a bit early and hit the gym . Solid workout today . I really grilled my back at the end with some Romanian Deadlifts . That’s a double down on deadlifts as I did my volume conventional dead’s yesterday . My hamstrings weren’t feeling totally toasted today so I decided to put them back on the fire !

Standing overhead press

Warm up
45x5
55x5
65x5
75x5
85x5

Working sets
95x5
105x5
120x5
105x5
120x5
135x5
(Last set was supposed to be 1-3 but I spaced and did five )

Super sets
I started super setting after the first couple warm up sets

Following exercises 1 set per exercise super set with overhead press above

Standing Calf Raises
250x20 reps for 4 sets

Concentration Curls
27 pounds x15 reps for four sets per arm
(Was 12 reps before but that has gotten very easy so bumped it up to 15 now )


After the shoulder press was done I did :

Romanian Deadlifts
5 sets at 185 pounds for 15 reps
Took these pretty slow >>> Did double overhand grip>>> Really burned my forearms and lats.

Super set

Lay down EZ curl bar Tricep extensions

85 pounds x12 reps for 5 sets

I finished up the workout with 4 sets of hanging leg raises to failure .

Nice workout with good volume!

 

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Weekly Weigh In Report

 

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Still on track , lost half a pound last week which I feel like is a pretty good deficit at this point. I don’t have much more fat to lose on my body and I don’t have a set deadline to lose it so I’m going to keep going down nice and slow to try and hold onto what I have / maybe even make a bit of progress along the way . Although my weight isn’t changing much I am noticing more definition in the mirror all the time. It’s pretty cool, I can see the separation between pretty much all of my muscles and the lower back fat is 90 percent gone . I’m going to keep calories exactly the same as they have been as I still feel pretty good eating the set amount of calories while still being able to slowly lean down .

( Calories around 2300-2400 a day Macro breakdown 50-55 percent Protein, 25-30 percent Carbs 25-30 percent Fats)

 

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On a side note, I have a cheat meal scheduled for today at noon. I am hitting an all you can eat buffet.
I will be literally dusting off the EvoMuse Defuse for this one. I am going to go to town but stick to mostly meat and vegetables . I think the last cheat meal I had was before this log began and next week is week 7 of this log and a deload week . I will still post the deload workouts but am looking forward to a bit of a break and recuperating

 

[Afi140]

Enjoy that cheat meal brother! Much deserved

 

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Enjoy that cheat meal brother! Much deserved

I did it right , the trick is to stick to mostly meat and vegetables . I would say 80 percent of what I ate was prime rib roast, it was so good I went back for plate after plate . There was also some very good lamb and honey ham. This was served from a a server who cut the meat right off the roast in front of you . On top of this I had egg Benedict maybe about 6 eggs but did not eat the English muffins it was served on. I also had a few pieces of Canadian Back bacon. They had some very good Brussel sprouts/ mixed vegetables I loaded up on for some fibre .For desert I has some very nice cheeses with a few bowls full of pineapple/ blueberries/ strawberries . I didn’t eat anything today that wasn’t a whole food but probably consumed around 5-6 thousand calories . I am still full well into the evening . I had a protein shake to take my second serving of vector/ vitamins with but don’t think I will eat again until tomorrow around lunch time .

 

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Woke up this Morning weighing 185.3. Looks like the cheat meal didn’t bloat me up/ pack a few pounds on

 

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531 Deload week and Some PR tests.

Decided to go with the deload PR test week to see where we are at . I need to get at least 5 reps on each final set to keep my training max the same . I may stop at 5 if I know I won’t PR but if I feel like I might then I’ll go for it , like I did today.

Squat Deload Day/ PR test

Warm up
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
265x5
295x5

PR test
325x10>>>>>PR!

I got to about 5 reps then the rest were more or less breathing squats but I’m still counting it because it’s a personal record and doesn’t amount to anything other than I gave it my all.

Accessories

3 sets of Ez bar curls at 75 pounds for 12 reps

3 sets of cable Pushdowns at 70 pounds for 12 reps

3 sets of hanging leg raises to 10.

Called it a day there , it is a deload week after all .

 

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I went for a jog yesterday before the buffet . I haven’t ran since last year but decided to give it a go . Despite having not ran since last year , I did an easy 3 k, didn’t have to stop at all to catch my breath and got home feeling okay . Next weekend I will try and see if I can still run 5 k or not without hacking up a lung .

 

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I think I’m going to start adding in two real cardio days a week, not just walks . Not for any fat loss purposes as I’m pretty much as lean as I wanted to be, for overall well being and to see if it helps me in the gym with my lifts / super sets . Nothing crazy , maybe one jog a week and one 30 minute session on the cardio bike .

 

[akboom87]

Awesome work and then just casually run a 3k no big deals

 

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Awesome work and then just casually run a 3k no big deals

Honestly, I think it’s just being so light , I remember when I would go for jogs when I was 225-230 and it took me a long time to work up to being able to run a consistent 5 k . Just getting 1 k was hard when I weighed that much .

 

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Bench Deload Day

I knew I wasn’t going to get a PR on bench so I didn’t attempt it . I would have needed 9 reps for the PR and 5 felt awfully heavy as it was . Maybe I could have got 6 , possibly 7 but 9 wasn’t happening so I stopped at 5

Bench Deload day

Warm up
45x5
135x5
155x5
185x5
205x5
230x5

Deload set
255x5

Accessories

Close grip bench press
135x10 3 sets

Pull ups x 10 3 sets

Standing calf raises
225x15 3 sets

Called it there

 

[rowz4broz]

Following

 

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Week 7 Deload / PR test Dead Lift Day

Decided to see if I could PR on this and bombed out . That’s okay, it was going well until the last rep, I couldn’t lock it out , got it up about 90 percent of the way and just at the end failed . Wasn’t going to attempt another rep after that, no sense on trying and hurting myself over doing it .

Dead lift Warm up sets
135x5
185x5
225x5
245x5
275x5
295x5
320x5
360x5

PR attempt>>>> Needed 9 for PR

400x7>>>failed lockout at the top of the 8th rep>>>
Next cycle I will add some Deadlift pulls from the rack or something like that to help build lockout . I have no problem getting it up about 75 percent of the way, it’s the last bit that gets me. Any exercise suggestions for accessory work I’m all ears.

Accessory work

Pendley rows
135x10 for 3 sets

Lay down EZ curl bar Tricep extensions
75x15 reps for 3 sets

Bulgarian split squats

20 pounds per arm for 3 sets of 10>>> these really hit the quads well. It’s been years since I’ve done them but will probably incorporate them into my next cycle instead of lunges because man did they burn at such a light weight . I went super slow on the way down and really felt them . I’m sure once I get used to them and get the form down I’ll be able to add a bit of weight but light and right is always best in my opinion .

So overall in the last 7 weeks I would say my strength has stagnated / declined a bit but I am also very lean at this point and this is to be expected when you get low on the body fat . After this log is complete I am still deciding what I want to do/ supplement to run. I will definitely be running alpha build but am considering possibly running a log on some SNS stuff . Recomp 20 sounds like it may be right up my alley for a very slow lean bulk and I will definitely be ditching my pre workout and trying out Triton from apex alchemy and stacking it with caffeine . Any suggestions on what people want me to try out and log ?

 

[LeanEngineer]

Any suggestions on what people want me to try out and log ?

Alphabuild and recomp 20 would definitely be a nice set up. I would follow a long on that log!

 

[Segansational]

Assuming that rack pulls and maybe something like good mornings might help at the top for additional accessory work?

 

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Assuming that rack pulls and maybe something like good mornings might help at the top for additional accessory work?

This is a good idea . I will do them with a safety squat bar in my next training cycle !

 

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Above is my layout for the anchor cycle that I will be beginning on Monday

 

[LeanEngineer]

Above is my layout for the anchor cycle that I will be beginning on Monday

What's the typical rep range per set?

 

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What's the typical rep range per set?

For the main lifts it will be triples and for the accessory main lift it will be fives . For the leg accessory work, I will be working in the 15-20 rep range and for all the push/ pull accessories I will be sticking around 5-10 reps.