IK9's Log

[IK9]

I thought I'd post some comparison pictures

May 1, 2013
187.4 lbs


Today
July 7, 2016
179-180 lbs

Still fat but gonna hold my bodyweight at 179-180 until October when I start cutting

[Bnizzle163]

Progress is visual, which is good. Arms are thicker, shoulders are more pronounced, and gut is much smaller lol. You need to prioritize that chest though, brotha!!

[IK9]

Progress is visual, which is good. Arms are thicker, shoulders are more pronounced, and gut is much smaller lol. You need to prioritize that chest though, brotha!!

Lol I have a bird cage chest where my sternum is convex & sticks way out making it difficult to have chest cavity

Update
Driving up to California right now w/ my girlfriend & staying w/ her family there. Gonna meet up with friends & going to the gym on Sat/Sun.. Then Universal Studios Harry Potter on Monday. Will be back Tuesday night to end my 10-day vacay!

Here is a pic of her to satisfy the interweb before I get negged lawl

[IK9]

Was able to get in a workout w/ my buddy here in La Mirada, California at the 24 Hour Fitness

Highlights of workout include:

BB Bench 295 lbs x 3 reps at 181 lbs

It flew up fast!

Tomorrow driving to downtown LA to get in another workout w/ my buddy but girlfriend will tag along so we can do stuff in LA afterwards. #brb$20daypassftl

[DJaRiHardstyle]

...Yet you bench 295 x 3 easily.

$20 for 1 day of lifting? Did I read that right?

[TGreggors]

Need to see dem legs! looks like you're sticking your gut out intentionally in 2013, but, regardless, looking much better. To add to bnizzle's input, lats are much more pronounced as well.

[IK9]

...Yet you bench 295 x 3 easily.

$20 for 1 day of lifting? Did I read that right?

Yeah, $20 per day.. It's cringe-worthy

Not natty gainz brah #celltech

Need to see dem legs! looks like you're sticking your gut out intentionally in 2013, but, regardless, looking much better. To add to bnizzle's input, lats are much more pronounced as well.

Didn't show legs cuz they veiny/lean all the time #genetics

I wasn't sticking my gut out in that 2013 pic at all. I was legitimately hella fat then.. Dirty bulk went horribly wrong

[IK9]

Update

We drove 40 miles to 24 hour fitness in downtown Los Angeles & 40 miles back.

It took us about 2.5 hours total lol

Met up with my friend & he got me & my girlfriend in free by talking with the guy at the counter so we saved $40

I managed to Leg Press 7 PPS for 6 reps w/o lower back pain whereas in April I couldn't do 2 PPS w/o pain

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Free gym session w/friends + qt3.14 gf, leg press PR, Universal Studios.... life is good my man xD

[IK9]

Free gym session w/friends + qt3.14 gf, leg press PR, Universal Studios.... life is good my man xD

Oops. Not a PR but getting closer to where I used to be!

But yeah #life gainz #vacay gainz

[IK9]

Krusty Burger


Harry Potter


I won a 20 inch Bart doll


I won 2 unicorns by winning this game 4 out of 5 times


World Famous Pink's Hot Dog (tasted horrible)

[absportsandfit]

Looks like a lot of fun man! Always nice to kind of get away from the gym and everything and just enjoy life!

[IK9]

Looks like a lot of fun man! Always nice to kind of get away from the gym and everything and just enjoy life!

Yeah, it was lotsa fun.. don't wanna go back to work now lol

Update
Drove back from California today & thought to myself.. I shoulda just tried 315 on Saturday.. anyhoo.. tried it today and got 2 sets of 1 rep.. in hindsight.. I should have just tried 320 lbs on the 2nd set to get a 5 lb PR lmao

Bench
Bar x 15
Bar x 15
95 lbs x 6
135 lbs x 5 Pause the 1st rep
185 lbs x 3 Pause the 1st rep
225 lbs x 2 Pause the 1st rep
265 lbs x 1 Touch & Go
295 lbs x 1
315 lbs x 1.25
315 lbs x 1
225 lbs x 14 Had more but pump started getting unbearably painful
185 lbs x 22 Had more but pump started getting unbearably painful

315 Bench at 192 lbs on March 2014


315 Bench at 181 lbs today


2nd set of 315 Bench at 181 lbs today

[Bnizzle163]

Probably had 2 on that 315 if you would've grinded. Great job!

[IK9]

Probably had 2 on that 315 if you would've grinded. Great job!

I shoulda tried

Update
Managed to do 17 wide-grip dead-hang no-kip/kick full-stretch rest at the bottom pull ups which is a PR

My low back still feels wrecked from all the benching

Left for California on Friday weighing 181.8 and have been seeing lotsa 182-183's on the scale.

I do not want to be this heavy but will try to keep my weight in the low 180's until October.

[IK9]

Weight dipped back below 180 lbs (which I hate) but

Life time PR leg press today

8 pps x 15 reps

plus more left in the tank.

Not sure why I could only get 2 reps before. Plus no lower back pain #gainzzz

[IK9]

Took my GF out to STK at the Cosmopolitan to celebrate our 1 Year Anniversary.. $200 food bill :[
here is some food pron

The Bread


20 oz steak & a 6 oz steak, brocollini, lobster mac & cheese


This golf driving range has illuminated colored dart boards on the ground and you get points when you hit a ball into the different sections.. each ball has a micro chip to track your points/tell you how far your ball went & same concept as bowling.. we had 20+ people in our group & our little cabana cost us $1400+ #cringe

[TGreggors]

Damn, man. $200 food bill. puts Ruth's Chris steakhouse to shame. Idk what that sauce is on the bread, but I need it. 225x14 with more in the tank. mirin' too hard.

[IK9]

Damn, man. $200 food bill. puts Ruth's Chris steakhouse to shame. Idk what that sauce is on the bread, but I need it. 225x14 with more in the tank. mirin' too hard.

I heard of Ruth's I think.. but never been.. there are a lot of other expensive steak houses in Vegas where the bill can be like $1K lmao

I think the sauce is just garlic butter

You've done pretty well for yourself as a natty.. you ever thought of selling your soul to Darth Vader? 225 x 14 for you in no time ^_^

[Bnizzle163]

I heard of Ruth's I think.. but never been.. there are a lot of other expensive steak houses in Vegas where the bill can be like $1K lmao

I think the sauce is just garlic butter

You've done pretty well for yourself as a natty.. you ever thought of selling your soul to Darth Vader? 225 x 14 for you in no time ^_^

We went to baby stacks the other day. Three people. $27. I'm cheap .

[IK9]

We went to baby stacks the other day. Three people. $27. I'm cheap .

Chelsie don't care if you're cheap. Megan doesn't care if I'm cheap. However, I'm not cheap haha. I'm frugal but I splurge on things that matter lmao

[TGreggors]

I heard of Ruth's I think.. but never been.. there are a lot of other expensive steak houses in Vegas where the bill can be like $1K lmao

I think the sauce is just garlic butter

You've done pretty well for yourself as a natty.. you ever thought of selling your soul to Darth Vader? 225 x 14 for you in no time ^_^

lol forget that you live in Vegas. I stayed at the Bellagio a few years back.
You've got a ton of nice stuff around.

Just cannot :'( not in my foreseeable future at least. Thinking that I'm pretty much sold to the natty thing. The dark side seems too complex for my simpleton jedi mind.

Stilli mirin' at any rate.

[IK9]

lol forget that you live in Vegas. I stayed at the Bellagio a few years back.
You've got a ton of nice stuff around.

Just cannot :'( not in my foreseeable future at least. Thinking that I'm pretty much sold to the natty thing. The dark side seems too complex for my simpleton jedi mind.

Stilli mirin' at any rate.

If you're ever in Vegas again.. hit me up & I'll show you a good time!

[IK9]

Holding my bodyweight at 180 until end of September 2016

Managed to hit DB Shoulder Press 85's x 6 reps for a 1 rep PR
Somehow tho.. my girlfriend said she counted 7.5 reps lol.. but I'll just say 6 reps since that's what I counted/to be safe hahah

[JustBulk]

grats on the PR. enjoy your weekend!

[IK9]

^ thanks brah

Decided to see where my squat & deadlift is at

Haven't squatted/deadlifted heavy since March 2014

No PR's but 335 Squat & 365 Deadlift

New lifting belt. 1st time with it

[absportsandfit]

^ thanks brah

Decided to see where my squat & deadlift is at

Haven't squatted/deadlifted heavy since March 2014

No PR's but 335 Squat & 365 Deadlift

New lifting belt. 1st time with it

Mirin shirt and quad seperation. Good lift brah!

[IK9]

Mirin shirt and quad seperation. Good lift brah!

Thanks brosef

Update
So I'm gonna maintain 180 lbs bodyweight for 8 more weeks then start cutting.

Weighed in at 182.2# this morning

I haven't deloaded in a longggggg time so I started that this week

My personal deload preference is 50-60% weight of working sets of 1RM.. so roughly 155 lbs on squat, bench, and deadlift.. yes I can prolly do that for 25-30 reps but it is really about recovery and saving my joints.. I do feel the heavy lifting really affect my front delts, my bicep, etc.

[TGreggors]

Used to like deloading in that way, too. But here lately, I'm finding that decreasing volume while maintaining/increasing intensity based upon how I'm feeling is most enjoyable for me. May not be as good for connective tissue recovery but it definitely feels great psychologically.

how lean are you planning on getting?

[DJaRiHardstyle]

Agree with T here.. cutting volume works infinitely better IME. Makes sure I don't lose the muscle memory associated w/lifting those numbers and lets me feel like I'm getting something accomplished in the gym. Though I'd imagine reducing intensity might be better long-term in terms of training maturity.

Also interested to see how this cut goes. Remind me again why you're waiting so long to start it?