Brendbro's 'almost too weak to lift' Log

[Ryanmckd]

We'll take things as they come but fat gains really aren't much of an issue as I'm all but done caring about aesthetics, for the time being anyway. Now I just want to get stronger

You can keep aesthetics whilst adding size and strength, no point blowing out your surplus and putting more body fat then what is necessary for optimal muscle growth just to increase your strength at a faster rate. Just means you'll be tempted to diet down sooner rather then having a prolonged period of a slight surplus , in the long run you'll be bigger, stronger and leaner with the latter option IMO.

Up to you though bud, eats are on point and glad to see over your over your cold for the most part

[brendbro]

You can keep aesthetics whilst adding size and strength, no point blowing out your surplus and putting more body fat then necessary for optimal muscle growth just to increase your strength at a faster rate. Just means you'll be tempted to diet down sooner rather then having a prolonged period of a slight surplus , in the long run you'll be bigger, stronger and leaner with the latter option IMO.

Up to you though bud, eats are on point and glad to see over your over your cold for the most part

good catch, i guess I should elaborate; I am not saying I'll be fine with any amount of fat gain, quite the opposite. Rather, the fat gain that will inevitably come with being in a surplus, regardless of how large, doesn't phase me any more.

thanks for the kind words man

forgot to mention - saw some guy doing a LOL ass exercise on a flat bench with a swiss ball today, I managed to get a small video of it so I'll get it uploaded here ASAP

[jzpowahz]

I'll take a look into deficit DL's, when would be an appropriate time to incorporate them? During DL's, perhaps after? Or would on an off day be better you think? I'm in the gym 7 days a week as it is and any excuse to DL is a good enough excuse for me

I'd do them on DL day. Something like 60% of 1rm for a few sets of 5-8

[anuragp122195]

Don't worry about it, man. Just keep working those deads and they will come along.
No more pizza?!!? WHATTT?? You better come up with some other creative food to start making b/c I was rly diggin those variety of pizzas you made. (Possibly epic sandwiches now??)

[prolvr]

In the gym 7days a week strong wdfman?

eat looking good as always should change username to Pizzabro.

[brendbro]

5/3/1 Wave A3

weight - 66.7

OHP
new 1rm - 54.09
75% 40kgx5
80% 42.5kgx5
85% 45kgx7 PR

Accessory Work

higher rep OHP
35kgx10x3

Shrugs
120kgx15
140kgx12x3 PR

Preacher
60ppsx12, 7

BB curls
50x12x3 PR

Cardio
stairmaster - 600 cals

Overall, this was an AWESOME session. Definitely what I needed after the failure that was deadlifts. I'm feeling all but 100% now which is great, and I was extremely ancy to get into the gym and give OHP all I had. My final set happens to be exactly the same as what I got on my 1rm (45 for 7) so technically not a PR but considering the weight pushed leading up to that set were heavier I'd take it as a PR. Did a further few lighter OHP sets afterwards instead of DB press, by now my whole body was dead, but I still had enough in me for some accessory work. Shrugs & curls felt gooooooood. Moved up shrugs and preacher was just downright fcuking insane, epic veinage = achieved Boy fcuking golly am I feeling the wrath of that session today, epic DOMs all over!

Weighed myself this morning, so I'm pretty much right around the same area as I was when I finished cutting. That could either be from the fact that I was sick all last week or just random fluctuations; either way, it means 1 thing - if I'm not moving I'm not going anywhere, and that aint me

Food

Savoury breakfast oats;
ham, bacon, red & yellow peppers, onion, gorgonzola, cream cheese, topped with smokey bbq sauce.


homemade choc caramel pecan mcflurry;
with m&m cookies, crispy m&m's, grapes, banana & chocolate wafer stick

I'd do them on DL day. Something like 60% of 1rm for a few sets of 5-8

awesome, sounds good! Will probably sub them out for seated row in that case

Don't worry about it, man. Just keep working those deads and they will come along.
No more pizza?!!? WHATTT?? You better come up with some other creative food to start making b/c I was rly diggin those variety of pizzas you made. (Possibly epic sandwiches now??)

honestly, that was just a sh!t session that I'm not happy with at all... but I'm well aware that the circumstances just weren't in my favour so it's okay just means I gotta give them everything I got next time... and every time after that

haha I wanted to give pizza's a break because I was finding myself losing all creativity in the kitchen... it was becoming 'what should I have? errr pizza, that's easy enough ' I been missing pasta's, stirfries, curries, etc.

In the gym 7days a week strong wdfman?

eat looking good as always should change username to Pizzabro.

haven't you heard? that's the way to do it if you wanna get HYUUUGE!

lol would change my name to pizzabro with pleasure

[AlwaysTryin]

^^^ I really need to make some sort of savory oats sometime finally

[jzpowahz]

^^^ I really need to make some sort of savory oats sometime finally

do it! You won't be disappointed.

I was very wary of the idea but it's a deadset winner. Pretty much like rice as a filler but IMO heaps easier/quicker to make and less cleaning up too.

[andyboi]

tastes freaking awesome though!

hey mate, they have waffle ones out. Tried those?

[anuragp122195]

aware me on this mcflurry...

[chichinnn]

Dude, your eats always look crazy good! And those PRs keep coming! I''ll be following

[AlwaysTryin]

hey mate, they have waffle ones out. Tried those?

Incredibly bland

[Shazriki]

Glad to see you're still pumping out PRs in this busy time. Shows real mental stamina if anything. How much longer until exam season is over for you?

[brendbro]

^^^ I really need to make some sort of savory oats sometime finally

yeah man I regret not getting onto them sooner! Just like they can take on the flavour of any sweet craving you may have, it works the same with savoury cravings Got an idea for some pizza oats next

do it! You won't be disappointed.

I was very wary of the idea but it's a deadset winner. Pretty much like rice as a filler but IMO heaps easier/quicker to make and less cleaning up too.

exactly this ^^^ lol everyone who's seen me make savoury oats now barfs at the idea, but really it's quite similar to a super simple risotto

hey mate, they have waffle ones out. Tried those?

haven't given them a go yet, I'm honestly too obsessed with the cookies lol. I gave the cinnamon honey hearts a try, wouldn't recommend

aware me on this mcflurry...

left some vanilla ice cream out of the freezer for about 15-20 mins, then I made a muscle milk chocolate caramel pecan shake with a small amount of almond milk (it was a shake consistency, not sludge). Put that on the ice cream and then mashed the sh!t out of it and mixed it all up and it came out at an identical consistency to a mcdonalds soft serve, then just threw some toppings on. Fuarking good.

Dude, your eats always look crazy good! And those PRs keep coming! I''ll be following

cheers brother! Those words mean a lot, and always good to see a new face!

Incredibly bland

Glad to see you're still pumping out PRs in this busy time. Shows real mental stamina if anything. How much longer until exam season is over for you?

Cheers dude, honestly I've never been more motivated to grow some size and increase my strength in my life... something about prolonged dieting that does that

1st of june, but instead of a 3 month break I'll be doing classes over winter term - essentially they cramp an entire semesters worth of work into 3-4 weeks... will probably be the busiest time of my life, NOT looking forward to it...

[brendbro]

5/3/1 Wave B3

Weight - n/a

SQUATS
80% 70kgx3
85% 72.5kgx 3
90% 80kg x 7 PR - actually higher than 90%

Accessory Work

Baby squats
70kgx8, 10, 10

LLC
7ppsx10x3 PR

Standing CR
22ppsx16, 17, 15

This was a bloody awesome squat session. I had been EXTREMELY ancy all week to get into the gym and squat, in fact I'm pretty keen on making it a more than 1x a week thing. Anyway, first couple of sets were piss easy... TOO easy, my final set called for a little under 80 but honestly I knew I easily had 80 in me so I went for it. Busted at 7 on what was higher than my estimated 3rm so I think it's safe to say I'm playing these very slow and safely, BUT holy fukk they felt GOOD. I was having way too much fun in the squat rack to leave so swapped out leg press for some higher rep/lower weight squats. Oh man if I could have I would have stayed there for a lot longer but alas others needed to use it Fuark a duck I had some DOMS today!!


5/3/1 Wave B3

weight - n/a

BENCH
80% 77.5kgx3
85% 80kgx3
90% 87.5kgx2.5 DAMNIT!!

Accessory Work

DB Incline
20kgx15x4

Dips
BWx12, 13, 13, 13

Kneeing tricep extension
6ppsx10, 7

Super planks
0:56
0:45

Cardio
n/a

Fuark, today wasn't as epic as yesterday unfortunately. Form felt pretty damn spot on however, was making sure to get full ROM... though that last rep took just about everything I had and my partner ended up assisting, so counting it as half a rep. I'm not disappointed that I didn't make that rep, as I really gave it absolutely everything and jesus christ was I red and sweaty after, but I am disappointed that it's indicative that I've lost strength since cutting. Not only that, some confidence as well... which kind of stinks because bench used to be what I was most confident in. Though I'm not stressing over it, instead I'll look at it as simply something which I need to make improvements on. And why else would I be doing this if that wasn't my aim. Accessory stuff was not shabby, those super planks were a bastard! Skipped cardio for the first time in ages as well, I'm fcuking keen to gain some weight and have been eating like a monster but I figured this would help kick start some weight gain... honestly 1 day off from cardio a week aint too bad

Food

Three cheese tortelini with beef bolognese & cheddar


Oats with coco pops (thanks to DTrulez for the idea), m&m crispies & nutella


Blue cheese Juicy Lucy on a cheese roll with caramelised onions & homemade Russian dressing




Classic (I couldn't help it) - turkey, ham, beef, blue cheese

[Madone59]

That burger looks epic man. Now im going to have to try and make one for dinner. Nice lifts too, looks like 5/3/1 is getting you some much deserved PRs

[jzpowahz]

cease cardio :P Do it for fun but just means you've got to eat more at the end of the day. Not a bad thing but one day off is no big deal.

Unlucky on the bench MORE FOOD! You'll get it next time.

And what was the process for the cocopops oats? Added after or cooked with them? Echo the above about those burgers! Look so good with a double patty but I generally just do 1 because I can't fit them in my mouth haha.

[anuragp122195]

Almost got that bench!! Awesome, man. Now that is what I call a burger. Stacked tall and jam packed with meaty flavor. & Return of the Pizza!! Such a win..

[snrygo]

i admire your dedication to cheese

[DTrulez616]

Strong lifts and great eats man! Get that ROM down and just build from there. I'm loving the Cocoa Pops Oats.

[brendbro]

5/3/1 Wave B3

weight -n/a

DEADLIFT
1rm - 140kg
80% 110kgx3
85% 120kgx3
90% 125kgx4 PR

Accessory Work

Deficit Deadlift
90kgx5x3

Pullups
BWx10x2
BWx7x2

Cardio
stairmaster - 600 cals

Whew, this was one bloody great session. After last week's DL failure I was extra keen on PRing today, so felt good to hit 4 reps for 125kg. Now that the weight is going up I'm noticing my grip is paying the price, from this I can gather that I'd be better served at lower rep/heavier weight DL's as that would allow me to pull maximal effort without my grip letting out. Gave deficit DL's a try for the first time ever today at 60% 1rm for 3 sets, bloody hell they are a whole new ball game! Tough as fukk getting out of the hole and really felt it in the lower body! Just about hit failure at the end of every set. By the time pull ups came around I was all but dead but still managed out 4 sets and a good 600 cal cardio session afterward. Feeling a ton of CNS fatigue now, but alas must get to studying for exams beginning next week. P.S Thinking about taking on a local food challenge I discovered, 2 large burgers + large fries... seems simple enough except for the fact that it also involves a jug of beer... will most likely give a shot anyway, but more on that later

Food

Kangaroo Cashew Masala

That burger looks epic man. Now im going to have to try and make one for dinner. Nice lifts too, looks like 5/3/1 is getting you some much deserved PRs

Now that I'm getting cozy into 5/3/1 I foresee things will really start to hit off. Those first couple of rounds through were a bit all over the place because I was still getting an idea of my 1rm, so while PR's have been set - they're not real PRs... not in my book anyway; this is mainly concerning OHP and Squats btw, both of which I had been conservative on. From here on out though it's full steam ahead. I'm so fcuking keen on gaining strength & weight Cheers on the burger btw! Give it a shot for sure!!

cease cardio :P Do it for fun but just means you've got to eat more at the end of the day. Not a bad thing but one day off is no big deal.

Unlucky on the bench MORE FOOD! You'll get it next time.

And what was the process for the cocopops oats? Added after or cooked with them? Echo the above about those burgers! Look so good with a double patty but I generally just do 1 because I can't fit them in my mouth haha.

Yeah just made some regular proats with a bit less water than usual, then dumped in some coco pops + almond milk and mixed it up. Wasn't bad.

Defs need more food, been working on that as much as possible recently

Almost got that bench!! Awesome, man. Now that is what I call a burger. Stacked tall and jam packed with meaty flavor. & Return of the Pizza!! Such a win..

I knew you'd enjoy bro Oh man the burger was fcuking awesome And yeah - may need to drop the weight a bit on the bench unfortunately

i admire your dedication to cheese

cheese > everything else (including pb)... I think it's my favourite food of all time

Strong lifts and great eats man! Get that ROM down and just build from there. I'm loving the Cocoa Pops Oats.

Cheers bro! Been focusing on full ROM so much more lately than I ever have so don't worry bout that

[andyboi]

you made a juicy lucy!!! haha awesome work!

[Webber91]

Is that the "London Burger" challenge? Jase has done that I'm pretty sure. If you're doing it let me know! I'll come watch Would love to join in, but yaknow... burgers r 4 *******z.

[brendbro]

I apologise in advance for lack of updates, where have I been? Well I'm going through exam period at the moment so have had to focus practically all my attention on studying, nevertheless gym is going strong. 1rm Squats today -

SQUATS
75% 67.5kg x 5
85% 75kg x 3
95% 82.5kg x 6 PR
extra - 90kg x 1 PR

Accessory

Squats
70kgx10x3

Various core exercises-
Obliques
110x15 (each side)

Dragon flags x 3

Super planks
BWx1:03
10kgx0:37

God I was so bloody keen for squats today, seems like that is becoming a recurring theme. However I may have overreached my capacity. My back was being a biatch, although each set felt progressively better, my 1rm set felt fcuking fantastic that I was in the mood to push things even further. However I feel like I may have been to optimistic as my back was acting up a bit afterwards - I am definitely someone who is guilty of pushing myself beyond my limits which in this case is not something I want to do, so I think I'll be resetting after my deload so as to focus further on form and getting my core stronger, because as it is my legs can relatively easily handle the weight but my core/back is having trouble. After a few extra lighter weight squats, threw down some various core exercises, all felt awesome and also some hip stretching. Back to studying for me Hope everyone's doing good.

Food

Satay chicken sandwich; double kangaroo burger with double brie and bacon


XF lemon cream pie sludge


Double bacon cheeseburger @ Hog's Breath




Double beef & bacon sandwiches; one with gruyere, the other cheddar

you made a juicy lucy!!! haha awesome work!

yeah mate they aint too hard and are pretty fun. Would recommend!

Is that the "London Burger" challenge? Jase has done that I'm pretty sure. If you're doing it let me know! I'll come watch Would love to join in, but yaknow... burgers r 4 *******z.

Yeah dude, went there last night to give the burger a crack to see what I'm up against but it was booked out. It's the beer that's making me apprehensive about it, I don't really drink so not sure how well I could hold down a jug of beer.

[Shazriki]

Good luck with the exams dude, you're nearly there and are still doing great in the gym despite all the stress. Impressive!

Also dragon flags... killer eh?

[brendbro]

5/3/1 Wave C3

weight - n/a

BENCH
75% 72.5kgx5
85% 80kgx3
95% 92.5kgx1.5 PR
extra - 95kgx0

Accessory Work

DB Incline
25kgx12x3

Weighted Dips
10kgx12x3

Dragon flagsx2

Cardio/study
treadmill - 690 cals

Fcuk me this was a great session, energy was through the roof and motivation was high. I was apprehensive as my bench has been lacking but things went better than expected. Form felt spot on and had a ton of power on each rep. My 95% was bloody tough, it was the most I have ever benched so I was happy with even 1 rep. Even so, I went for a 2nd and it was just about the hardest rep I've ever endured, my partner ended up assisting me but I reckon I could have got it had he not; still, I'm not upset, I was crunching that rep for quite some time and it was probably the safest route. I was so pumped afterwards that I pushed it even further to 95kg; unfortunately I didn't get a single rep lol, but had I not already been fatigued from my previous 3 sets I think I could have made it... not too long before double plates !! Fuarking excited for that. I had a crap load of energy so decided to up volume on accessory stuff and it still felt pish posh and I bloody well loved every minute of it - moved incline from 20kg to 25kg and BW dips to weighted 10kg dips. Threw down a couple more dragon flags at the end but jesus christ I've got such bad DOMs from yesterday's session I could only manage a couple. All in all though a bloody terrific session that I'm very happy with - hopefully a sure sign of things to come.

In other news, pretty sure I'm going to start tracking again - albeit I'll keep a somewhat relaxed approach and not be nearly as anal. It is just very tough for me to stay at a consistent daily surplus otherwise, without overshooting which I'm not keen on either - so therefore I think tracking will perhaps do me some good. Not to mention I am literally obsessed right now with gaining strength and so would like to maximise dietary CHO's

Food

'Roo burger with blue cheese crumble

Good luck with the exams dude, you're nearly there and are still doing great in the gym despite all the stress. Impressive!

Also dragon flags... killer eh?

Cheers man! Really helps having a study group - however unfortunately I'm on my own from here on out so gotta tough it out and find creative ways of staying focused!

Got them from your log, they're the greatest ab exercise ever!!! So fcuking hard and painful!

[Ryanmckd]

5/3/1 seems to be working wonders for you mate. I'll be starting 5/3/1 this week as it seems like a solid routine focusing on progressive overload on the main lifts but still allowing freedom to get creative with the accessory lifts to keep things from getting stale and boring.

As for the macro tracking, I went from weighing and tracking everything whilst dieting to using spoon/cup and large/medium/small measurements which was more hassle then weighing out foods as I'd be washing like 3 sets of bloody measuring cups a day lol. Now I am just weighing everything except fruit/veg which I just found the macros for a large piece of whatever fruit or veg I'm after and then even if the size of the fruit/veg I buy varies I'll have accounted for the largest size. I found weighing out fruit/veg to be the most tedious part, especially when your eating lots of different veges per day so this is probably how I'll go about tracking my nutrition from now on.

[jzpowahz]

awesome benching man! Won't be long til you hit the triple figures!

How good are dragon flags!!! The only exercise I've found that is as hard is the front lever. And these are easier on you're neck (no load) so I tend to do them more often. Have a go if you want to mix it up Plus people ask you if you're in the circus or something

[anuragp122195]

damn! great benching. you will be owning it up with double plates in no time.
and that burger...mouth is salivating as we speak

[DTrulez616]

5/3/1 is great for Bench. I know your Bench will keep skyrocketing and double plates will be yours in the very near future.