ZOO's AHRT Project: Super TRT, Injury, and Recomp Experiment

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 15 December 2019

WEIGHT: 234.4 lbs

I guess I should go ahead and stop commenting on my weight lmao. That **** is going up and down like a cheap hooker. I didn't smoke that much yesterday and took a big death dump this morning so that could be why lol.

Didn't get as much sleep last night because the UFC fights went on long, but they were damn worth it. What a fucking card that was. Not to mention the awesome burgers

Today's workout went very well. This is the best that 6 plates have felt on Rack Pulls. I did, however, drop the sets from 6 to 5 and did 3 sets with 6 plates and 2 sets with 5 plates. I don't want to fall into that trap of excessive volume in a single workout now that I have increased my totally weekly workload. Let's see how this pans out.

Notes:
- Meal 2: meat was 6.5oz Beef (96%) and 3.5oz Bison (96%).

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GYM SESSION: Workout #5 (Rack Pulls) (80 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Rack Pulls
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 8 WU)
315 lbs: 4 (WU)
405 lbs: 3 (WU)
495 lbs: 2 (WU)
585 lbs: 7
585 lbs: 6
585 lbs: 4
495 lbs: 9
495 lbs: 7

Barbell Rows
315 lbs: 8, 8, 7

Lat Pulldowns
253 lbs: 8, 6, 6

Low Rows (close grip)
297 lbs: 6, 6, 6

Lat Pullover
66 lbs: 13, 10, 8

EZ Cable Curl
93.5 lbs: 10, 8, 7

Unilateral DB Curl
40 lbs: 7, 7

Hammer Curl
40 lbs: 7, 7

Seated Cable Curl
185 lbs: 8, 8, 7

Unilateral Cable Curl
105 lbs: 12, 12, 12

 

[CroLifter]

30 sets! I remember doing high volumes as a teenager, had no problem doing it 3x per week.

Now that i am dependant on my own natty production as of 4 weeks ago i am fukking sore for days after a workout, and i only do 10-14 sets!
Been self prescribing 100mg test before that, going from mid-high normal test levels to borderline low makes a big difference in your recovery abilities, i dont care what anyone says!

 

[ZOO]

30 sets! I remember doing high volumes as a teenager, had no problem doing it 3x per week.

Now that i am dependant on my own natty production as of 4 weeks ago i am fukking sore for days after a workout, and i only do 10-14 sets!
Been self prescribing 100mg test before that, going from mid-high normal test levels to borderline low makes a big difference in your recovery abilities, i dont care what anyone says!

Hands down bro! Why not just cruise on TRT? Sounds like you kind of want to,

 

[CroLifter]

Hands down bro! Why not just cruise on TRT? Sounds like you kind of want to,

I would probably regret it as i am "too young", not even 25. And I am actually managing to still progress in the gym by keeping calories high, creatine and cycling mk677 on/off. Mk677 is beautiful, allows me to bulk without putting on fat. Seriously, next best thing to gear.

Will rather do it like that and maybe do one cycle per year max.

Btw i was "cruising" as i couldnt come off without terrible psychological sides! Tried but suffered from depression and paranoia. My dumb ass didnt use hcg.

Then i hopped back on 100mg test per week and decided to use hcg alongside 6 weeks and boom, coming off was a breeze. It just sucks being at my normal natural levels again lol (they were sucky before i even touched gear, 400s and high 300s).

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 17 December 2019

WEIGHT: 236.4 lbs

What up, gents? So today I was back to hitting chest and triceps in the new rotation. Aside from the nuisance of the crowd, the workout was good today. Made some improvements from last week's chest/triceps day and refined some of the exercises based on my notes from the previous session.

I was able to "push" a little harder on my pressing movements and I replaced my incline movement with the smith machine, which I found much more comfortable to use and more effective at hitting my chest. The free weight incline at the gym is very steep and hits a lot more delt. Plus, I don't think my arm is healed enough to be stable under heavier weights without machine support.

Triceps were stronger than last week. Still getting a little crunchy/popping on some motions, but the exercises I picked largely mitigate that. This is particularly so after find the right "path" of movement on the first set. You'll see my reps were increasing in later sets on most of the exercises after getting into the groove. Triceps definitely feel worked

My elbow doesn't feel all too bad. A little tender but nothing to write home about. I'll keep off of it the rest of the day.

Notes:
- Meal 2: potato lowered to 6oz

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GYM SESSION: Workout #1 (Chest/Triceps/Farmers) (65 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Chest Press Machine
345 lbs: 13, 13, 12, 9, 7, 7

Upward Cable Fly
48.4 lbs: 8, 7, 6

Seated Cable Fly
48.4 lbs: 8, 8, 7

Incline Smith Machine
2 Plates + 25s: 7, 6
2 Plates: 10, 8

Pec Dec
220 lbs: 12, 9, 8

Farmers Walks
45 lb Plates: 3 sets of 3 laps

Cable Kickbacks
22 lbs: 12, 13, 13, 14

Cable Pressdowns
60.5 lbs: 11, 12, 12, 10

Cable Underhand
49.5 lbs: 8, 10, 10, 9

 

[_Endure_]

Cable Underhand
49.5 lbs: 8, 10, 10, 9

Love these for tri's as they really hit them in a different fashion and a lot of people do not incorporate. Very underutilized.

 

[Dthcore]

Let me know how that goes, bro!

I will!!!!

 

[Dthcore]

I would probably regret it as i am "too young", not even 25. And I am actually managing to still progress in the gym by keeping calories high, creatine and cycling mk677 on/off. Mk677 is beautiful, allows me to bulk without putting on fat. Seriously, next best thing to gear.

Will rather do it like that and maybe do one cycle per year max.

Btw i was "cruising" as i couldnt come off without terrible psychological sides! Tried but suffered from depression and paranoia. My dumb ass didnt use hcg.

Then i hopped back on 100mg test per week and decided to use hcg alongside 6 weeks and boom, coming off was a breeze. It just sucks being at my normal natural levels again lol (they were sucky before i even touched gear, 400s and high 300s).

What mk are you running?

 

[SkRaw85]

Cable underhanded are money! I’ve incorporated DB “arm wrestlers” as a warmup for any bench related excercise and it helps open up shoulders. Grab a lightweight dumbbell, elbow on preacher pad, squat or kneel down till bicep is 90° from body, forearm straight up and rotate down (arm wrestle) and back up for one rep. 3 sets of this for each arm warms up shoulder accessories for a big press after.

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 18 December 2019

WEIGHT: 234.8 lbs

Mediocre workout today. It took 15 minutes (minimum) before a squat rack opened up. I used the time to do some steady walking on the treadmill at a slight incline. Unfortunately the extra warm up didn't do much to help my left knee which was extra bothersome today and really effected my ability to squat at maximum output. I was trying to experiment on a new squat format but ended up having to wing it to make due with my issues. The 315 and 225 sets felt pretty good and put some nice burn in the legs. Pace was a bit quicker too as I was trying to make up for the initial delay lol

Depending on how leg press goes on Saturday I may take next week off of squats and do some stiff leg or RDLs to give the knees a break and more directly hit the hammies. New gym shoes are in order as the heels are severely warn and could be a contributor to my knee issues lately.

Notes:
- triceps are effectively sore (not as intense as last week) and my arm doesn’t seem much worse for wear.
- chest is decently sore. Particularly near the pec/shoulder insert
- 1/2oz potato added to Meals 3, 4, 5
- 100g riced cauliflower added to Meal 5

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GYM SESSION: Workout #1 (Squats) (75 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Squats
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 5 (WU)
315 lbs: 3 (WU - add knee sleeves)
365 lbs: 1 (WU - add belt)
405 lbs: 1 (WU)
415 lbs: 1, 1, 1
375 lbs: 3, 3
315 lbs: 9, 8
225 lbs: 14, 14

Seated Leg Curl
320 lbs: 12, 9, 6
140 lbs: 10, 8 - unilateral

Lying Leg Curl
160 lbs: 7, 7, 7
70 lbs: 7, 7 - unilateral

Seated Calf Raise
3 Plates: 17, 12, 12, 10, 10

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 19 December 2019

WEIGHT: 237.6 lbs

Recovery day and I'm going to keep it extra chill. I'll just do the walks, or standing steps, and skip any pump circuit training. Left knee is a little bent out of shape so I'll be adding some nice stretching in as well to help loosen things up. Hoping it'll be better for leg press/quads on Saturday. I'm pretty sure next week I will try replacing squats with RDL's to pair with hamstrings. If I like the RDL's I may start rotating squats and leg press every week on quad day, or do them together and split the workload.

Notes:
- Meal 1: 4oz potato replaced with 150g cauliflower
- Meals 4 & 5: added 125g cauliflower

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 20 December 2019

WEIGHT: 238.4 lbs

I woke up feeling light and finally had a good deuce so I was a bit surprised to start the day off fairly heavy. Had an overall good shoulder workout which I made some alterations too. I mixed up the order (partially due to the crowd) and cut back on some sets. I'm trying not to fall into my old habits of excess volume now that I am increasing my training frequency. Plus, it is probably to my benefit in terms of growth. Especially if I am able to put more into the sets that I am doing instead of doing a marathon workout.

My tentative plan for shoulders is to do the following in fairly quick fashion:
- 6 sets lateral movements
- 6 sets rear movements
- 6 sets front movements
- 6 sets pressing movements

Tried out the smith machine for shoulder press and it was absolutely great. I really liked how I was able to hit my delts without putting strain on my elbow. Movement felt solid and smooth. I intended to only do these for my shoulder press movement but I couldn't get on the cables to do front raises at the end of my workout so I added 3 sets of the other shoulder press machine. I'll probably drop this next time and go back to doing the front raises. For certain this was too much pressing for my arm in one session. At least for the moment.

Farmers walks ended up in the middle of my workout since most of the equipment was taken that I needed. These are starting to feel easier to perform in that my endurance during and recovery between sets is increasing. Might add 10's next week

Notes:
- Meal 6: subbed with 7oz beef, 2 eggs, 240g riced cauliflower

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GYM SESSION: Workout #3 (Shoulders/Farmers) (65 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Cable Unilateral Raises - alternating, behind the back
27.5 lbs: 11, 11, 11

DB Lateral Raises
65 lbs: 8, 7, 7

Shoulder Smith Machine
2 plates: 9, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7

Farmers Walks
315 lbs trap bar: 3 sets of 1 lap (long)

Reverse Pec Dec
220 lbs: 9, 7, 7
180 lbs: 10, 8, 8

Shoulder Press Machine
3 plates: 13, 10, 9

 

[booneman77]

LOG UPDATE: 20 December 2019

WEIGHT: 238.4 lbs

I woke up feeling light and finally had a good deuce so I was a bit surprised to start the day off fairly heavy. Had an overall good shoulder workout which I made some alterations too. I mixed up the order (partially due to the crowd) and cut back on some sets. I'm trying not to fall into my old habits of excess volume now that I am increasing my training frequency. Plus, it is probably to my benefit in terms of growth. Especially if I am able to put more into the sets that I am doing instead of doing a marathon workout.

My tentative plan for shoulders is to do the following in fairly quick fashion:
- 6 sets lateral movements
- 6 sets rear movements
- 6 sets front movements
- 6 sets pressing movements

Tried out the smith machine for shoulder press and it was absolutely great. I really liked how I was able to hit my delts without putting strain on my elbow. Movement felt solid and smooth. I intended to only do these for my shoulder press movement but I couldn't get on the cables to do front raises at the end of my workout so I added 3 sets of the other shoulder press machine. I'll probably drop this next time and go back to doing the front raises. For certain this was too much pressing for my arm in one session. At least for the moment.

Farmers walks ended up in the middle of my workout since most of the equipment was taken that I needed. These are starting to feel easier to perform in that my endurance during and recovery between sets is increasing. Might add 10's next week

Notes:
- Meal 6: subbed with 7oz beef, 2 eggs, 240g riced cauliflower

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GYM SESSION: Workout #3 (Shoulders/Farmers) (65 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Cable Unilateral Raises - alternating, behind the back
27.5 lbs: 11, 11, 11

DB Lateral Raises
65 lbs: 8, 7, 7

Shoulder Smith Machine
2 plates: 9, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7

Farmers Walks
315 lbs trap bar: 3 sets of 1 lap (long)

Reverse Pec Dec
220 lbs: 9, 7, 7
180 lbs: 10, 8, 8

Shoulder Press Machine
3 plates: 13, 10, 9

I have the same problem with workout volume even with increasing amount of sessions. I can’t help it, I like being in the gym ha

 

[booneman77]

LOG UPDATE: 20 December 2019

WEIGHT: 238.4 lbs

I woke up feeling light and finally had a good deuce so I was a bit surprised to start the day off fairly heavy. Had an overall good shoulder workout which I made some alterations too. I mixed up the order (partially due to the crowd) and cut back on some sets. I'm trying not to fall into my old habits of excess volume now that I am increasing my training frequency. Plus, it is probably to my benefit in terms of growth. Especially if I am able to put more into the sets that I am doing instead of doing a marathon workout.

My tentative plan for shoulders is to do the following in fairly quick fashion:
- 6 sets lateral movements
- 6 sets rear movements
- 6 sets front movements
- 6 sets pressing movements

Tried out the smith machine for shoulder press and it was absolutely great. I really liked how I was able to hit my delts without putting strain on my elbow. Movement felt solid and smooth. I intended to only do these for my shoulder press movement but I couldn't get on the cables to do front raises at the end of my workout so I added 3 sets of the other shoulder press machine. I'll probably drop this next time and go back to doing the front raises. For certain this was too much pressing for my arm in one session. At least for the moment.

Farmers walks ended up in the middle of my workout since most of the equipment was taken that I needed. These are starting to feel easier to perform in that my endurance during and recovery between sets is increasing. Might add 10's next week

Notes:
- Meal 6: subbed with 7oz beef, 2 eggs, 240g riced cauliflower

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GYM SESSION: Workout #3 (Shoulders/Farmers) (65 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Cable Unilateral Raises - alternating, behind the back
27.5 lbs: 11, 11, 11

DB Lateral Raises
65 lbs: 8, 7, 7

Shoulder Smith Machine
2 plates: 9, 10, 9, 8, 8, 7

Farmers Walks
315 lbs trap bar: 3 sets of 1 lap (long)

Reverse Pec Dec
220 lbs: 9, 7, 7
180 lbs: 10, 8, 8

Shoulder Press Machine
3 plates: 13, 10, 9

I have the same problem with workout volume even with increasing amount of sessions. I can’t help it, I like being in the gym ha

 

[ZOO]

I have the same problem with workout volume even with increasing amount of sessions. I can’t help it, I like being in the gym ha

Haha for sure, man! Plus, it's all I got left now lo

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 21 December 2019

WEIGHT: 239.2 lbs

Left knee is still wiggidy wiggidy wack, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be so I was able to work around it with some careful, subtle adjustments to my workout. I dropped the 8 plate set on leg press for a 12 set total. This seems like a much more appropriate amount and will be my new total going forward. Once my knee feels better I will bump the plates up.

Leg extensions were a bit tougher. I did about 5 warm up sets and kept the weight a bit lower than last week at 200 lbs and focused more on squeezing - I'll lower the working sets from 5 to 4 from now on.

Today was also my family's Christmas party, which I did well to avoid by sitting in the garage and drinking Diet Mt. Dew. Rather than eat any of the honey backed ham and deserts I brought my normal meal with me and ate it. As a reward for being good and for not having my usual Bison Burgers I bolstered Meal 6 (see below).

Notes:
- Meal 6: changed to 8oz beef (96%), 3 whole eggs, 14g almonds, 30g carrots, 240g riced cauliflower

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GYM SESSION: Workout #4 (Leg Press/Quads/Calves) (70 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Leg Press
7 Plates: 7, 10, 10 <- drop to first set of 6 plates
6 Plates: 12, 12, 12 <- drop to first set of 5 plates
5 Plates: 13, 15, 13 <- drop to first set of 4 plates
4 Plates: 15, 16, 15

Leg Extensions
200 lbs: 20, 16, 15, 15, 14

Horizontal Leg Press
380 lbs: 25, 25, 25, 25

Inner Thigh
180 lbs: 18, 15, 11, 8

Standing Calf Raise
4 Plates: 10, 9, 8, 7

Seated Calf Raise
3 Plates: 11, 11, 9, 8

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 23 December 2019

WEIGHT: 246.2 lbs

Weight is dramatically up today from fluid retention after spending my recovery day smoking weed, drinking diet soda, using too much salt, and swimming in sadness. All well, it is the "off season" after all.

Today's workout was good. Not great but not bad. My warm up sets for Rack Pulls felt nice and strong, however, my mental game was really weak; simply could not get psyched up. I tried to shoot for 5x5 with the 6 plates but couldn't quite squeeze them out. Barbell rows were much better probably because I didn't fatigue as much with higher volume on the pull portion.

Been revising my workout program slowly to accommodate a 1 week rotation. That is a 2-on/1-off and 3-on/1-off sort of split. Just a matter of finding the right volume while working around my busted ass body. Hoping I'll be able to fall into the new rotation next week.

Notes:
- Meal 6: I did this for yesterday as well: 8oz beef, 3 whole eggs, 30g carrots, 240g riced cauliflower
- Appetite is up.
- Desire to sleep is high. Feel very tired.

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GYM SESSION: Rack Pulls/Back/Biceps (80 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Rack Pulls
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 8 WU)
315 lbs: 4 (WU)
405 lbs: 3 (WU)
495 lbs: 2 (WU)
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 4
585 lbs: 2

Barbell Rows
315 lbs: 10, 9, 8

Lat Pulldowns
253 lbs: 8, 6, 6

Low Rows (close grip)
297 lbs: 6, 6, 6

Lat Pullover
66 lbs: 14, 10, 8

EZ Cable Curl
93.5 lbs: 10, 8, 7

Unilateral DB Curl
40 lbs: 7, 7, 6

Hammer Curl
40 lbs: 7, 7, 7

EZ Barbell Curl
75 lbs: 9, 8, 7

Seated Cable Curl
185 lbs: 5
165 lbs: 7
145 lbs: 8

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 24 December 2019

WEIGHT: 242 lbs

The gym is closed tomorrow and figured it would be really crowded today for Christmas Eve but surprisingly it was a very reasonable crowd.

I feel like my arm is maxed out as far as how much stress I can put on it. This is especially true after hitting shoulders last week and doing extra pressing motions which was a bit more than I should have taken on as it caused some slight aggravation in the days following. I rearranged the sequence of exercises to pre-exhaust my chest before getting into pressing movements.

I divided my pressing movements into 4 sets of chest press and 4 sets of incline smith. Tricep training wasn't terrible but it is still difficult to accomplish without any popping. I kept to the 3 exercises I feel have the least negative impact on my arm while best targeting the muscle.

Notes:
- Meal 6: 8oz beef, 3 whole eggs, 30g carrots, 240g riced cauliflower

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GYM SESSION: Chest/Triceps/Farmers (60 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Seated Cable Fly
52.8 lbs: 12, 9, 6

Upward Cable Fly
48.4 lbs: 5, 5, 5

Chest Press Machine
345 lbs: 7, 7, 7, 7

Incline Smith Machine
200 lbs: 10, 10, 10, 10

Pec Dec
220 lbs: 13, 9, 8

Farmers Walks
45 lb Plates: 3 sets of 3 laps

Cable Kickbacks
22 lbs: 13, 13, 13, 13

Cable Pressdowns
60.5 lbs: 12, 12, 12, 12

Cable Underhand
49.5 lbs: 9, 9, 9, 9

 

[Hyde]

Don’t sweat a little sodium bloat; it will keep you safer anyway in training. If you are feeling at the limit of the arm, back it off a step. Staying a step ahead of the problem area will let you make the smoothest progress back as it allows.

Merry Christmas brochacho!

 

[ZOO]

Don’t sweat a little sodium bloat; it will keep you safer anyway in training. If you are feeling at the limit of the arm, back it off a step. Staying a step ahead of the problem area will let you make the smoothest progress back as it allows.

Merry Christmas brochacho!

Thanks, Hyde! You have a great Christmas too

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 25 December 2019

WEIGHT: 241.2 lbs

Merry Christmas, everyone! Mandatory recovery day since the gym is closed. Decided to go ahead and enjoy myself just a little bit extra today. Nothing too crazy but I’ll post the meals below throughout the day. I’ve been working on my nutrition plan to better fit with my new training rotation. I will only be eating 5 meals on recovery days from now on and will post the new plan in the next day or so.

Meal 1: 8oz bison (90%), 2 whole eggs, 2 light English muffins, 1 slice American cheese, 2 servings mayonnaise

Meal 2: 8oz beef (96%), 30g carrots, 225g coleslaw, 120g riced cauliflower

Meal 3: 7 whole eggs, 5oz potato, 100g blueberries

Meal 4: 8oz bison (90%), 2 whole eggs, 2 light English muffins

Meal 5: 4oz bison (90%), 5 whole eggs, 30g carrots, 360g riced cauliflower

Notes:
- Chest is decently sore. Especially the upper and outer areas.
- triceps don’t feel all that sore so they’re probably adjusted to basic training again.
- arm doesn’t feel to have been aggravated by training yesterday.

 

[_Endure_]

LOG UPDATE: 25 December 2019

WEIGHT: 241.2 lbs

Merry Christmas, everyone! Mandatory recovery day since the gym is closed. Decided to go ahead and enjoy myself just a little bit extra today. Nothing too crazy but I’ll post the meals below throughout the day. I’ve been working on my nutrition plan to better fit with my new training rotation. I will only be eating 5 meals on recovery days from now on and will post the new plan in the next day or so.

Trying to hit the same macros on recovery days just with one less meal or are you adding/cutting calories?

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 26 December 2019

WEIGHT: 241.2 lbs

Holy back pumps! Went for the RDL's today and boy my lower back got tight, fast lol. The exercise itself felt pretty good and will keep to about this weight range. I'm looking to focus on form and muscle targeting progression rather than upping the weights real fast. Having blown my back out last year I don't want to put myself in a compromising position.

Now that I am able to train relatively effectively I want to try putting on a little lean mass, which was my original goal to begin with. To that end, it seems unlikely I'll be seeing 232 lbs anytime soon with how things have been moving along but hope to still recomp and put on some size. I've redone my nutrition and training to be better suited for bodybuilding purposes - I will be adjusting gear soon. After I complete the training rotation this week I will post up the new plan.

Since I'm not cutting at the moment I went ahead and tossed up a couple of pics I took today. Not sure if I look better, same, or worse, but overall I'm not looking too terrible at this "off season" weight despite training restrictions.

Still have some bison patties left so I'll be eating a round of those today and tomorrow as my post, post-workout meal.

Notes:
- Meal 2: 8oz bison, 2 light english muffins

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GYM SESSION: RDLs/Hamstrings/Calves (65 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

RDLs
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 5 (WU)
315 lbs: 12, 8, 8
335 lbs: 7, 5, 5

Seated Leg Curl
320 lbs: 9, 8, 7
140 lbs: 10, 8, 7 - unilateral

Lying Leg Curl
150 lbs: 8, 7, 6
60 lbs: 8, 8, 8 - unilateral

Seated Calf Raise
3 Plates: 11, 12, 11, 11

Seated Calf Press
205 lbs: 20, 20, 20, 20

 

[trumac]

Damn dude looking hyooge

 

[ZOO]

Trying to hit the same macros on recovery days just with one less meal or are you adding/cutting calories?

It’ll be slightly lower calories but not too much. This will be compensated for with a little more potato and the fact that I’ve been making Meal 6 a little heftier with eggs/meat than a shake and nuts.

 

[Hyde]

Lookin hyooge and solid as a rock. Would expect you’re in a great place to slowly grow. Legs looking a lot wider now since the summer show as well. Must be full of bison patties...

 

[ZOO]

Damn dude looking hyooge

Thanks, bro! I really appreciate hearing that.

Lookin hyooge and solid as a rock. Would expect you’re in a great place to slowly grow. Legs looking a lot wider now since the summer show as well. Must be full of bison patties...

Thanks, Hyde. You know I respect your opinion on things so glad to have your eyes confirming this. No doubt I'm trying to get some fat thunder thighs off this shizzzz lol

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 27 December 2019

WEIGHT: 241.2 lbs

First things first. I took an impossibly big crap this morning. Made a goddam island. Moving on. Shoulder workout went well. Felt stronger than last week and I don't seem to have pissed my elbow off any. Only downside was that the trap bar was occupied by some kid doing a shrug medley with 135 on that and then supersetting with 40 lb dumbbells. Seems like a good use of the equipment *rolls eyes*. So I went ahead and used the 120 lb dumbbells to do my Farmers. This was surprisingly more difficult than the heavier trap bar since the damn things would end up bouncing around off my legs as I walked. Also, it burned my grip out really hard despite using my Versas.

Notes:
- Meal 2: Meat used is 4oz Bison (90%) and 4oz Beef (96%)
- Meal 6: Meat used is 4oz Bison (90%)
- lower back is a bit tight.
- hamstrings have a quality soreness
- sleep last night was very poor

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GYM SESSION: Shoulders/Farmers (60 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Cable Unilateral Raises - alternating, behind the back
27.5 lbs: 12, 12, 12

DB Lateral Raises
65 lbs: 8, 8, 7

Reverse Pec Dec
220 lbs: 10, 9, 7
180 lbs: 10, 10, 10

Shoulder Smith Machine
180 lbs: 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 8

Cable Front Raises
27.5 lbs: 12, 12, 10

Farmers Walks
120 lb Dumbbells: 4 sets of 1 lap (long)

 

[Hyde]

Dbs are definitely harder than heavier frame carries, no doubt.

Sometimes, you just take a poop so impressive you gotta talk about it. That’s a good problem to experience, IMO

 

[CroLifter]

You look good @ZOO , what have been you running before this current project?

 

[ZOO]

Dbs are definitely harder than heavier frame carries, no doubt.

Sometimes, you just take a poop so impressive you gotta talk about it. That’s a good problem to experience, IMO

Haha for real right? I’m not one to talk sh*t (pun intended) but this was ridiculously epic. And a pleasant surprise as well as relief.

 

[ZOO]

You look good @ZOO , what have been you running before this current project?

Well when I first started I was blasting pretty hard as I was hoping for crazy gains this off season. I’d need to go check my old log but it was like 1200mg test, 600mg NPP, 100mg Dbol, 100mg Anadrol.

 

[Hyde]

Well when I first started I was blasting pretty hard as I was hoping for crazy gains this off season. I’d need to go check my old log but it was like 1200mg test, 600mg NPP, 100mg Dbol, 100mg Anadrol.

I would say you indeed made substantial gains based on those pics.

Do you like to run those orals for 4-6weeks or do you find you tolerate them well for longer periods? I have heard of guys who basically never come off orals when blasting, but I don’t think my appetite could ever tolerate that.

 

[ZOO]

I would say you indeed made substantial gains based on those pics.

Do you like to run those orals for 4-6weeks or do you find you tolerate them well for longer periods? I have heard of guys who basically never come off orals when blasting, but I don’t think my appetite could ever tolerate that.

Thanks, bro! When the oral doses are that high I keep them to a normal cycle length of 4-6 weeks. With lower doses how I am using them currently I will stay on for extended periods and rotate different orals in and out. I almost never have an appetite issue as I can pretty much always eat lol.

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 28 December 2019

WEIGHT: 244.0 lbs

Left knee is a bit sketch still but it is much better than it was last week. I was able to work the quads and have very minimal issues while doing it. This is reflected by the reps I was able to complete without triggering the knee as compared to last week.

The exercise weights were kept a bit lower and the reps a bit higher to take tension off the problem area while still getting a solid burn. Plus, according to Flex and Stan, the higher rep range is better for hypertrophy with leg development.

This new format I implemented today is something I really like as it seems more effective at hitting the target area. When my knee is better I will try adding a bit more weight to the exercises and/or possibly do 8 sets of Leg Press instead of 6.

I intended to run 3 sets on the inner thigh machine after the outer thigh machine, but with the amount of women and old people at the gym today it was impossible to get on it.

Fight night tonight and there will be bison burgers. My favorite food and a great muscle builder haha. Of course, I will keep it to appropriate macros and make some compensatory accommodations. Meals will be posted below as I complete them to make it easier to review.

Notes:
- Hamstrings are still quite sore
- Sleep was very hit and miss

Today's Meal Plan:
- Meal 1: 50g Isolate, 50g Oatmeal, 100g Blueberries
- Meal 2: 8oz beef (96%), 6oz potato, 40g carrots, 225g Coleslaw
- Meal 3: 8oz beef (96%), 6oz potato, 40g carrots, 225g Coleslaw, 120g Riced Cauliflower, 3oz OJ
- Meal 4: 10oz bison (90%) patties, 2 whole eggs, 2 light English muffins, 1 serving mayo
- Meal 5: 10oz bison (90%) patties, 2 light English muffins

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GYM SESSION: Leg Press/Squats/Quads/Calves) (70 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Leg Press
7 Plates: 10, 12, 11 <- drop to first set of 6 plates
6 Plates: 13, 13, 14

Squats
225 lbs: 13, 13, 13, 10, 12, 10

Horizontal Leg Press
380 lbs: 25, 25, 25, 25

Outer Thigh
180 lbs: 18, 16, 14

Leg Extensions
220 lbs: 16, 16, 14, 13

Standing Calf Raise
3 Plates: 10, 10, 10, 10

Seated Calf Raise
2 Plates: 16, 16, 16, 16

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 29 December 2019

WEIGHT: 240.8 lbs

Recovery day! I need it too. Left shoulder is super tight and so is the lower back. I'll do some light stretching and walks today to help loosen up some. Sleep was a bit better last night but still not great.

Again, I'll be doing 5 meals on my off days. I have it posted below and it will reflect this part of the new nutrition plan... save the bison in Meal 5 which will be 4oz Beef most days.

- Meal 1: 8oz Beef (96%), 6oz Potato, 40g Carrots, Coleslaw, 3oz OJ
- Meal 2: 8oz Beef (96%), 6oz Potato, 40g Carrots, Coleslaw
- Meal 3: 7 Whole Eggs, 4oz Potato, 100g Blueberries
- Meal 4: 8oz Beef (96%), 6oz Potato, 40g Carrots, Coleslaw
- Meal 5: 5 Whole Eggs, 5oz Bison (90%), 40g Carrots, Rice Cauliflower, 3oz OJ

 

[Hyde]

Now that nutrition is so dialed, have you considered an actual orange instead of 6oz OJ? 4g fiber, 100mg bioavailable vitamin C and 400mg potassium for that 90 calories, and tastes awesome.

Stan uses OJ for bigger guys struggling to eat all the food, but for those who can eat he uses real oranges over juice.

Just a random thought from someone who’s been loving oranges

 

[ZOO]

Now that nutrition is so dialed, have you considered an actual orange instead of 6oz OJ? 4g fiber, 100mg bioavailable vitamin C and 400mg potassium for that 90 calories, and tastes awesome.

Stan uses OJ for bigger guys struggling to eat all the food, but for those who can eat he uses real oranges over juice.

Just a random thought from someone who’s been loving oranges

Haha I've considered it strongly. The only reason why I haven't yet is because the OJ is so convenient and lasts forever.

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 30 December 2019

WEIGHT: 241.4 lbs

I wasn't certain if the tightness in my shoulder and lower back would be an issue, but I had a solid workout this morning. Felt much stronger and more focused than last week and was able to move the weight easier for more reps. Almost hit my 5x5 target with 6 plates but fell just shy on the last set. To be fair, I did end up doing 6 reps on my first set since the weight was moving well (could have gotten 8 or 9 reps I suspect).

Today I will be going in for some ART work on my left delt as well as pec insertion on that side. If time and pain permits I'd like to get my lower back done as well. Will report back later with results haha.

Update: So it wasn't at all an ART session lmao. Actually, it was for breathing and body imbalances, which I am pretty game for as a lot of my issues are likely tied into this as a trigger point. Anyways, I'll giving this a shot and seeing if it can help my back, shoulder, and knee. I'll still go look for some intensive massage therapy and/or chiropractic work.

Notes:
- Sleep is still shaky :/
- Been taking my orals with a cup of heated broth before training. It's nice on cold mornings lol

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GYM SESSION: Rack Pulls/Back/Biceps (75 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Rack Pulls
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 8 WU)
315 lbs: 4 (WU)
405 lbs: 3 (WU)
495 lbs: 2 (WU)
585 lbs: 6
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 5
585 lbs: 3

Barbell Rows
315 lbs: 10, 10, 8

Lat Pulldowns
253 lbs: 8, 7, 6

Low Rows (close grip)
297 lbs: 7, 7, 6

Lat Pullover
66 lbs: 16, 11, 8

EZ Cable Curl
93.5 lbs: 10, 9, 7

Unilateral DB Curl
40 lbs: 7, 7, 7

EZ Barbell Curl
85 lbs: 7, 7, 7

Seated Cable Curl
165 lbs: 7, 7
85 lbs: 12,12 - unilateral

 

[booneman77]

Do you always have trouble getting much/quality sleep or is it more related to your diet/aas you think?

 

[booneman77]

Do you always have trouble getting much/quality sleep or is it more related to your diet/aas you think?

 

[Hyde]

Check out some zen meditation music on YouTube if you can’t sleep. It is so relaxing it really can put me to sleep, especially the ones with water sounds, but honestly even if you don’t sleep you will at least be able to de stress and meditate or let your mind wander while your body rests where it is.

The last 2 weeks of my meet prep I would put that on during my final meal of the night and focus on one thing: finishing all of the food in front of me. I was going to be on the verge of puking after and knowing it would give me anxiety, but I just let the Zen take me and focused on bite at a time. That **** works.

 

[ZOO]

Do you always have trouble getting much/quality sleep or is it more related to your diet/aas you think?

Honestly, I think it's mostly because I'm just depressed/stressed ol.

Check out some zen meditation music on YouTube if you can’t sleep. It is so relaxing it really can put me to sleep, especially the ones with water sounds, but honestly even if you don’t sleep you will at least be able to de stress and meditate or let your mind wander while your body rests where it is.

The last 2 weeks of my meet prep I would put that on during my final meal of the night and focus on one thing: finishing all of the food in front of me. I was going to be on the verge of puking after and knowing it would give me anxiety, but I just let the Zen take me and focused on bite at a time. That **** works.

Good idea, Hyde. I have used similar relaxation/meditation guides on YouTube to help before so maybe I need to revisit them. Kinda just forgot I guess haha

 

[SkRaw85]

Mmmm, that bone broth is special sauce!

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 31 December 2019

WEIGHT: 243.4 lbs

Another good workout and one that is improved from last week. Only issue I had was getting on the smith machine so the preferred order of exercises got skewed. Interestingly, kickbacks, which are normally the easiest exercise for my triceps/elbow, ended up causing some light popping (non-painful). Conversely, the normal elbow popping pressdown exercises did not cause issues and hit the triceps much better. Overall, I'd call it a success in terms of healing and progression as my arms got nicely pumped from the sets I did.

Oh, yeah. Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve, everyone.

Notes:
-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GYM SESSION: Chest/Triceps/Farmers (60 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

Seated Cable Fly
52.8 lbs: 14, 11, 8

Upward Cable Fly
48.4 lbs: 6, 5, 5

Chest Press Machine
345 lbs: 9, 9, 8, 8

Angled Pec Dec
250 lbs: 13, 13, 13

Farmers Walks
45 lb Plates: 2 sets of 3 laps (only did 2 sets since the smith opened up)

Incline Smith Machine
200 lbs: 12, 10, 9, 7

Cable Kickbacks
22 lbs: 14, 14, 13, 13

Cable Pressdowns
60.5 lbs: 16, 16, 16, 16

Cable Underhand
49.5 lbs: 12, 10, 10, 10

Cable Hammer Presses - unilateral, alternating, no-rest
16.5 lbs: 9, 9, 9, 9

 

[ZOO]

Mmmm, that bone broth is special sauce!

Straight up, I could kill a container of that stuff at a time. Love it lol

 

[SkRaw85]

Mmmm, that bone broth is special sauce!its an acquired taste lol. But you can almost feel it feeding on a micro level. Definitely a staple

 

[ZOO]

LOG UPDATE: 2 January 2019

WEIGHT: 242.0 lbs

Back on the RDLs/Hams today and it was top notch. I felt much stronger and more comfortable performing RDLs while also not having nearly as bad lower back pumps as compared to last week. Additionally, I was able to feel much more hamstring activation and contraction. Calves got hit nicely as well. Hoping for some solid soreness tomorrow not that this is a necessary indicator of a successful workout but still lol.

My chest and triceps got incredibly sore from Tuesday's workout. Perhaps just as, or even more so than, the first week I got back into doing a normal chest/triceps routine. It was to the point where contracting my arm would make my triceps hurt a tad just from the stretching haha. Better yet my arm/elbow did not seem to be agitated at all by the training so I think I have found my sweet spots as far as what I can do for chest pressing movements and tricep training at the moment.

Notes:
- Had a difficult time falling asleep last night.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GYM SESSION: RDLs/Hamstrings/Calves (60 minutes; stretching and warm ups [WU] included)

RDLs
45 lbs: 12 (WU)
135 lbs: 10 (WU)
225 lbs: 5 (WU)
335 lbs: 13, 12, 10, 8, 7, 7

Lying Leg Curl
180 lbs: 9, 8, 7
70 lbs: 7, 7, 7 - unilateral

Seated Leg Curl
280 lbs: 10, 10, 8
120 lbs: 14, 12, 12 - unilateral

Seated Calf Raise
3 Plates: 12, 12, 9, 8
2 Plates: 12, 12, 10, 10

 

[Hyde]

Still doing the same hormonal protocol with 10mg Sd nightly?

 

[ZOO]

Still doing the same hormonal protocol with 10mg Sd nightly?

Yes, sir! It's definitely making a big difference too. Now that I've successfully gone through my new workout and nutrition protocol for the last 1-2 weeks I'm going to do an update post (probably Sunday) outlining the regiment. I'll be changing PEDs a bit. Swapping out the old Thrive (Red) with the new Thrive (Green): Test Iso 50mg, NPP 25mg, Mast Prop 25mg, Bold Ace 25mg. I'll be doing a shot of that daily instead starting tomorrow. May replaced SD with Anadrol in the new stack since I'm getting low on SD.