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

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Shoulder press Deload/ PR test day

Bombed again , Strength has definitely dropped over the last 7 weeks . It’s to be expected though, sooner or later the leaning out catches up to you.

Shoulder press
Warm up
45x5
55x5
65x5
85x5
105x5
125x5
135> needed 12 for PR

135x8> I hit the rack on the 7th rep , definitely threw things off but I think realistically I would have only got 9 if that didn’t happen . So looks like the most strength was lost on the pressing movement over the last 8 weeks . All and all not terrible all things considered . I have leaned out a lot and I’m still getting use to my body at this weight so maybe the loss in strength is partially do to needing to relearn movement patterns .

Accessories

Off the pins Swiss bar press
145x10 for 3 sets

Hack Squats
315x10 for 3 sets

Weighted chin ups

45 pounds around waist x6 for 3 sets

 

[LeanEngineer]

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.

Nice! 5-10 rep is the sweet spot for me depending on what lift it is.

 

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Nice! 5-10 rep is the sweet spot for me depending on what lift it is.

Yeah I really like the 5-10 range for upper body muscles . The 10-15 range for arms and the 15-20 for leg movements .

 

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Weight seems to of up ticked half a pound over the last week but this morning I woke up lighter than ever . I’m not going to bother cutting calories at this point in time to try and get to the goal weight of 185. Anyone following the log closely will know that I’ve decided to incorporate two 30 minute steady state cardio sessions a week . I don’t want to do anything overly drastic . One small change at a time and go from there . If I wanted to , I could really dash calories and lose that one pound to hit the goal weight but right now I feel really well at the set calorie amount and one pound is really pretty well at goal weight . I am noticing better muscle separation from week to week . Also I can say hands down flash point works . You may not be able to notice the changes it makes at a higher body fat percentage but I can tell you it works. My abdomen is extremely lean and I can see veins across my stomach .

 

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Morning Jog

Last week I decided to see how I would fair on a jog. I set out to run 1km and ended up running 3 before returning to home base . This week I decided to push that up to 5km. Although it was harder than the initial 3km run, I hit my stride about half way through breathing normalized and I got a kick of the “runners high.” I probably could have gone a few more km before calling it quits but don’t want to add too much too fast . Next week and for the duration of the log I will be running on Sunday’s for 5 km. During the week on Wednesday I will be hitting the cycle machine . I will start to upload pictures of the cycle workouts on Wednesdays . Let’s see if the added cardio drops the extra pound.

 

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Above is a pretty average day of eating at this point . Some minor calories are not included in the above tally. I take 6 extra strength omega 3’s a day and am pretty liberal with the G Hughes BBQ sauce . If no one has tried this yet and is cutting, it is an amazing tool to add some flavour to your life . Here’s a pic of some of my favourites

 

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I also eat a cup of Sauerkraut and two fermented pickles with my dinner and take a digestive enzyme with every meal.

 

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The KD shaker I sprinkle on top of my vegetables at dinner time . I eat 1 pound of vegetables with dinner each day . I really like the Kirkland farms Normandy blend . I make these in the air fryer with no added oils for cooking . When they are done I sprinkle them with the KD shaker , it has become a staple for me and I highly enjoy it .

 

[LeanEngineer]

If no one has tried this yet and is cutting, it is an amazing tool to add some flavour to your life . Here’s a pic of some of my favourites

These and the kernel seasonings are my go to! Sweet Chili is pretty tasty!

 

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These and the kernel seasonings are my go to! Sweet Chili is pretty tasty!

Yeah the flavour god ones are really good as well . I love the pizza spice !

 

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God is Beast Anchor

Squat Day Week 1

I accidentally started by running week 3 but then switched the app the the correct week . Luckily all the starting sets were the same between week 1 and 3 except that week 1 had an option to go for a PR on an earlier set . Being that my calories are fairly low, I think I will only be attempting PRs on the final sets anyways .

Squats

Warm up
45x5
135x5
165x3
195x3

Working sets
230x3
260x3
295x3 ( could have gone for PR here but didn’t see it )
260x3
280x3
310x12>>>>> PR SET

Hit the PR but being that it was such high reps not a true PR set . Really left me winded . By rep 8 I was doing breathing squats to finish this set up . I felt this set in my whole body . My forearms and biceps were burning light crazy when I racked the weight from squeezing the bar so hard to keep tension.

Accessory work

Bulgarian Split Squats. Still getting used to these but they really burned well after the squat session .

20 pounds per arm x12 reps for 5 sets

Superset with

Barbell Bench press
165x5 reps for 5 sets . Lowered the bar slow and exploded out of the bottom .

Close grip bench press
135x12 x 4 sets

Double over hand Chin ups
10 reps x 5 sets

 

[LeanEngineer]

Yeah the flavour god ones are really good as well . I love the pizza spice !

Yep I've heard those are good. Dale's seasoning is another good one if you're watching sodium instake. It's salt free.

 

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Yep I've heard those are good. Dale's seasoning is another good one if you're watching sodium instake. It's salt free.

I’ll have to check those out !

 

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God is Beast Week 1 Anchor

Press day

Warm up
45x5
65x5
85x3
95x3

Working sets
95x3
105x3
120x3
100x3
115x3
PR set
125x13 >>> Needed 15 for the PR, not too shabby though

Deadlift accessory sets
265x5 for 5 sets

Super set with :

Safety bar Good Mornings> I haven’t done these in a few years so I went super light just the bar but for 20 reps to really practice form and get the mechanics back down . Still left me winded by the end of the set
20 reps x 5 sets with just the safety bar .

Next I did rack pulls>

These I also haven’t done in forever , went light to practice form. They were still tough at the end of this gruelling workout

225x3
245x3
265x3
245x3
225x3

Super set
Dips x 20 for 5 sets

I threw in 3 sets of hanging leg raises to failure at the end for some core work .

 

[LeanEngineer]

Safety bar Good Mornings

I do these quite often to stretch out the hams and it's a good lower back pump.

 

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I do these quite often to stretch out the hams and it's a good lower back pump.

Yeah I really felt these despite the low weight !

 

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Cardio day,

As I mentioned earlier , I have incorporated 2 steady state cardio days a week . One cycle workout and one jogging work out. Both around 30 minutes at low intensity

 

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[LeanEngineer]

Yeah I really felt these despite the low weight !

I always tell myself it's not about the weight and more about the feel!

 

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God is Beast Week 1 Anchor Bench Day

Pretty solid workout , hit it hard!

Bench Warm up
135x5
155x5
165x3

Working sets
185x3
205x3
230x3
190x3
220x3
245x6>>> this was PR set . Not too bad , about the same as 8/9weeks ago when I believe I singled 295x1 .


Accessories

Squats
Warm up
135x5
185x5
205x5

Sets
215x5 sets for 5 reps

Super set

Lying Tricep EZ bar extensions
85 pounds x15 reps for 5 sets

Hack Squats
315x10 x 5 sets

Super set

EZ curl bicep curls 75x10 for 5 sets

Extras

Hanging leg raises to failure for 3 sets

 

[LeanEngineer]

245x6>>> this was PR set . Not too bad , about the same as 8/9weeks ago when I believe I singled 295x1 .

Nice! Always a good workout when you hit a PR!

 

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Nice! Always a good workout when you hit a PR!

Not a true PR but a haven’t loss any strength in 8 weeks PR!

 

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God is Beast Week 1

Deadlift day

Warm up
135x5
185x5
205x3

Working sets
240x3
280x3
320x3
365x3
300x3
345x3

PR set
385x11!!!! New PR>> I pulled these all hook grip no straps just my trusty lifting belt on. I think all the practice deadlifts have really helped me dial in the form and get the bracing and leg drive down .


Accessories

Swiss bar press
I decided to do the accessory press with a Swiss bar so I could super set

85x5 for 5 sets

Super set

Stiff leg deadlifts

225x10 for 4 sets

Next I did

Bent over rows dead stop
135x10 for 5 sets

Super set

Swiss bar closest handle bench press off the pins

145x5 for 5 sets

Finished up the workout with 3 sets of hammer curls 27 pounds repped out and cable ab crunches to failure .

 

[Airmaniac]

Congrats on the PRs

 

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Congrats on the PRs

Thanks man ! For a long time I pulled all my heaviest sets mixed grip but I decided to stop doing that and I think it really paid off . I find pulling hook grip makes it easier to get into the proper position and really unlock the leg drive . The bar tends to slip a touch but I try to squeeze it as hard as I can .

 

[LeanEngineer]

Not a true PR but a haven’t loss any strength in 8 weeks PR!

That's a PR in my book!

 

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Weekly weigh in update

 

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I did decide to tighten things up a bit last week . I was tired of being stuck at a standstill and so dropped calories by 300-400 hundred a day . This plus the cardio got things moving again . I wanted to get to goal weight and it appears that I have reached it . I am going to cut for 1-2 more weeks and then I will have to figure out how to structure my bulk. Cutting is much easier in my experience than bulking .

 

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God is Beast week 2 Anchor

Squat Day,

Killed it today, the added cardio seems to be helping me feel less winded during the workouts

Squats
Warm up
45x5
135x5
163x3
195x3

Working sets
215x3
245x3
280x3
230x3
265x3

PR set
I took a few seconds between each rep . Not a true PR and way to high in reps to translate to a PR but I breathing squared these out . I told myself I wasn’t going to rack it until I hit the rep amount . It was mostly mental fortitude as my forearms got super sore and I became out of breath .

295x15 reps>>>> PR>>> too high of reps to be a true PR but man did it feel good to hit this.


Accessory work

I jumped right into Bulgarian split squats next to hammer my poor legs .

18 pounds per arm x12 reps for 5 sets. I’m really getting used to these now . I took them nice and slow and really lit up the quads .

Super set

185x5 for bench for 5 sets >> I paused on the chest at the bottom of each rep .


Close grip bench press
135x12 for 5 sets

Super set

Double over hand chins 10 reps for 5 sets

I finished up the workout with hammer curls to failure super setted with cable ab crunches . 3 sets

 

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Press Day Anchor Week 2 God is Beast

Pretty good workout today . Had a lot of energy . Went in and gave’er


Press
Warm up
45x5
65x5
85x3

Sets
95x3
105x3
115x3
95x3
105x3

PR Set
120x15>>> this felt like cardio. Not a pr but a hell of a lot of reps

Accessories
Deadlift
280x5 for 5 sets

Super set

Safety Bar good mornings
95x 20 reps for 5 sets >>>> I’m getting the form down with these now, will continue to increase weight but keep it light enough to maintain a lot of control .

Next up

Rack pulls .

I just did these all back to back. Add weight remove weight pull
225x3
245x3
265x3
245x3
225x3

Dips
20 x 5 sets

Extras

Hanging leg raises to failure x 3 sets
EZ curl bar curls 75 pounds x15 reps for 3 sets

 

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Cardio day.

I’m definitely improving on the cardio front . I was way less winded today than I was last week

 

[LeanEngineer]

Cardio day.

I’m definitely improving on the cardio front . I was way less winded today than I was last week

What distance did you do? It better not be 7.7 miles in 30 minutes or I'm signing you up for the olympics!

 

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What distance did you do? It better not be 7.7 miles in 30 minutes or I'm signing you up for the olympics!

This was LISS cardio . I think the average for a spin class is 10 miles in 30 minutes but for me it was a good workout . Like most gym rats I am definitely guilty of neglecting my cardio but I’m trying to make a change now for the better

 

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Week 2 God is Beast Anchor Bench day .

Really put the pedal to the metal and flew through this workout !

Bench
Warm up
45x5
135x5
165x5

Working sets
185x3
205x3
225x3
195x3
205x3

PR set
230x9>>>> Beat last weeks total


Accessories
Squats
230x5 reps x 5 sets

Super set
Lying Tricep extensions
85x12 reps for 5 sets

Next up

Machine Hack Squats
315x12 reps x5 sets

Super set

hammer curls x 27 pounds per arm x 2 sets x 12 reps

Ez curl bar curls
85x10 reps for 2 sets

Concentration curls
27 pounds x15 reps for 2 sets

Plus

Hanging leg raises to failure x 3 sets

Good workout !!!

 

[LeanEngineer]

Week 2 God is Beast Anchor Bench day .

Really put the pedal to the metal and flew through this workout !

Bench
Warm up
45x5
135x5
165x5

Working sets
185x3
205x3
225x3
195x3
205x3

PR set
230x9>>>> Beat last weeks total


Accessories
Squats
230x5 reps x 5 sets

Super set
Lying Tricep extensions
85x12 reps for 5 sets

Next up

Machine Hack Squats
315x12 reps x5 sets

Super set

hammer curls x 27 pounds per arm x 2 sets x 12 reps

Ez curl bar curls
85x10 reps for 2 sets

Concentration curls
27 pounds x15 reps for 2 sets

Plus

Hanging leg raises to failure x 3 sets

Good workout !!!

Solid workout with some heavy weight in there to!

 

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Deadlift Day!

I have a busy day ahead of me so I got up at 3:30 to hit the gym before heading into work . I usually try my best to push caffeine off til two hours after waking up . So today was a fasted workout with no caffeine/stims.


Deadlifts

Warm up
135x5
165x5
205x3
245x3

Working sets
265x3
300x3
340x3
280x3
320x3

PR set
365x14>>>>> a PR but not really because it’s such high reps


Accessory work

Overhead press
95x5 for 5 sets
Superset
Barbell Rows
135x10 reps for 5 sets

Next I did

Stiff leg deadlifts
225x12x4 sets

Super set

Dipsx20 for 5 sets

I finished up the workout with 3 sets of EZ curl bar curls at 75 pounds for 12 reps and 3 sets of hanging leg raises to failure .

 

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Final weight update

 

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We have come to the end of the log . I finished up the last of the vector yesterday. I will get final progress photos and thoughts up on Tuesday of next week. The addition of cardio and minor cut in calories seems to have moved the scale downward again . I am officially at/ below goal weight . I am ready to progress into the next phase of my journey .

 

[LeanEngineer]

I am ready to progress into the next phase of my journey .

Awesome! Enjoyed following your log and excited to see the next phase!

 

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Final log review:

I started this log at the body weight of 189.4 pounds . Upon finishing up this log my current body weight is : 183.4 pounds. Total weight loss of 5 pounds occurred during the duration of this log . Not too shabby. I am pleased with the results I achieved. I will go over a few points separately to give a break down of how things went:

Recovery:

When I started the log the workouts were really beating me down . I ran the God Is Beast 531 template in a slight deficit. This plan is meant to be run in a surplus but I wanted to push myself and really do my best to hold onto strength . After about two weeks of running the supplement stack/ adaptations to the new workload I was able to handle the workouts . I did go into a few of them sore but I was always careful and held back when I thought it wise to avoid injury . By the end of the log my recovery was on point despite having increased the calorie deficit to around 500 a day .

Strength :
I did not make any gains in strength during the duration of the log .That being said , I lost 5 pounds and feel like I held onto most of the strength that I had going into the log . When you take into account the low body fat levels I started the log at , I would consider this a win . Dropping 5 pounds of mostly fat when already lean is a great feeling .

Hunger :
I didn’t really have any hunger issues during the log. My protein was super high and I followed an IF approach. The IF approach comes naturally to me as I’m not usually hungry in the first half of the day . My diet was very high in fibrous vegetables which helped with satiety .

Vascularity :

Veins were popping out all over the place . This stack will give you that veiny freaky look . Right after I would put on the epichaos the veins would start to pop out .


A side point:

Flash point works!

You may not notice it working if you are at a higher body fat level but it really helped me drop the fat off my lower abs and back . After I applied the flashpoint my abdominals would be covered in veins . It took awhile to work but by the 3-4 week mark I knew something was going on . I love this stuff and just purchased 4 more bottles on their 4th of July bogo. I don’t have any fat left on my lower abs so in the future I will try and just apply it to the little fat I have left on my lower back .

 

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Final progress photos

 

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Sorry the lighting is not the same between the progress photos . I took the last two this morning and the room was much brighter than the previous round of progress photos . I think though that the last progress photos show the abdominal vascularity that has come in and the definition in the back.