★ Tom's BTK Training Journal and Entertainment Center ★

[viennafat]

Thanks, Dave! I'm feeling good as I slowly transition into a cut.

I will try for some soild weights. Stay tuned for the next few weeks as I plan on strength increasing all around.


Funny kind of side story. I went to this church festival last night with the family.
It was outdoors, music, food, etc. So as I approach the table we selected I notice on the plastic chairs there is a big sticker that said 220lb Max Limit.
I was like oh-oh....
I sat down and the chair was wobbly as hell, but I was very careful so luckily I did not embarass myself. But I had a few close calls.

2nd part of the story, my cousin who I guess hasn't seen me in a t-shirt since last year couldn't get over how "big" I looked. He's used to seeing me all my life more or less thin or skinny so he was all weirded it out. I was like yeah, that's right. BTK b!tch!
Ok, I didn't actually say btch.

[sunchienlee]

2nd part of the story, my cousin who I guess hasn't seen me in a t-shirt since last year couldn't get over how "big" I looked. He's used to seeing me all my life more or less thin or skinny so he was all weirded it out. I was like yeah, that's right. BTK b!tch!
Ok, I didn't actually say btch.

Way to go Tom! Isn't that the best feeling in the world? On the ouside, you are like "o really? I try " but inside you are like "fuk yea! you know how hard I worked?"

[viennafat]

You're spot on, Lawrence. It is a great feeling.
Nothing like hard work paying off.

What I found kind of funny is that a few months back I had a chat with this same cousin about training and how I was trying to add some muscle.
His response: "I would lift weights, but I don't want to add too much mucle and become bulky."

I wasn't in the mood to get into it so I just laughed.
People are so unaware what kind of work is required.

[sunchienlee]

How you were able to bit your tongue, I do not know

When I hear that kind of stuff, I really just wanna be like "do you know how fukin hard it is to get big? do you?"
But yes, not saying anything is usually the high road.

[viennafat]

I totally agree. And it wasn't easy to say nothing.

If it was another person, they would've got a lesson that day. But it would've been a waste on him so I didnt even bother.

[viennafat]

100% serious.
A little off-topic, but this is afterall a training and entertainment journal.

Through total fluke, I ended up getting front row tickets to the Hugh Jackman show which is here in Toronto for a couple of weeks.

*For those unaware: since the filiming of the new Wolverine movie was delayed significantly, Hugh Jackman who is also a singer/dancer/theater performer decided to put together a 1 man show and do a small tour.

Anyway, the wife really likes him and she got an email for some deal on tickets. One thing lead to the other and we ended up getting front row dead center seats. No joke the best seats in the house.

We were literally like 10 feet away from him the entire time.
I was so close that during one part of the show where he's doing this dance routine (he was grinding and doing all kinds of risque moves) he looks at me and goes "You must be sooo jealous, sir."

Then later in the show he came down off the stage and was walking back and forth in front of me so I got to high five him twice. Have not washed my hand since.
(probably homo)

[viennafat]

It was a pretty good show and in between songs he did a lot of talking.
Talked about his career, life, training, current movie news, etc.

He was saying how for the new Wolverine movie he was requested to be even bigger than he was for the last one.
So he was working hard and eating something like 6,000 cals a day (Manu-like numbers there) and was almost there.
Then the disaster happened in Japan (which is where the movie is supposed to film) thus the big delay.


After the show, we walked by the back of the theater where he was coming out.
So I snapped a few pics and got an autograph.

I'm guessing he lost a lot of his gains.





Me handing him my ticket to sign.
Mirin the seats?




So in a few months he has to go from where he is now to this and then some:



Muscle memory FTW!

[TheRagingboxer]

I do remember reading that somewhere, that the director wants him to look even bigger then what he did in Wolverine. 6000 cals, does seem like a decent amount of cals. We will c what type of mass he can stack from now until then. He does look "skinny" in those first few pics compared to what we are used to seeing him in.

[viennafat]

On stage he didn't look quite as skinny as in those pics, but he still looked very lean.
He's 6'3" so I would've put him around 200lbs.

He also mentioned that the Hollywood peeps were all nervous about him doing this tour and how it would affect his physique and image.
The guy was sweating like craaaaazy on stage and it was a 2 hour show.
It's no wonder he was so lean.

[sunchienlee]

Damn, I am jelly!
Even bigger than before? he is like 6'2" right? That is gonna be one BIG guy!

[braggable]

2nd part of the story, my cousin who I guess hasn't seen me in a t-shirt since last year couldn't get over how "big" I looked. He's used to seeing me all my life more or less thin or skinny so he was all weirded it out. I was like yeah, that's right. BTK b!tch!
Ok, I didn't actually say btch.

^ Awesome story bro! Feels good when your progress is seen by others. It really stokes you to keep pushin. Great stuff.

[juicydanglers]

Thanks, Dave! I'm feeling good as I slowly transition into a cut.

I will try for some soild weights. Stay tuned for the next few weeks as I plan on strength increasing all around.


Funny kind of side story. I went to this church festival last night with the family.
It was outdoors, music, food, etc. So as I approach the table we selected I notice on the plastic chairs there is a big sticker that said 220lb Max Limit.
I was like oh-oh....
I sat down and the chair was wobbly as hell, but I was very careful so luckily I did not embarass myself. But I had a few close calls.

2nd part of the story, my cousin who I guess hasn't seen me in a t-shirt since last year couldn't get over how "big" I looked. He's used to seeing me all my life more or less thin or skinny so he was all weirded it out. I was like yeah, that's right. BTK b!tch!
Ok, I didn't actually say btch.

hehe i admit i giggled, so if you didn say bitch does that mean you said BTK?

was he aware?

also i think ive decided to grow epic sideburns like wolverine God dam you for meeting him, now..hang your head in shame

[viennafat]

^ Awesome story bro! Feels good when your progress is seen by others. It really stokes you to keep pushin. Great stuff.

Absolutely!
It'll be even more epic once a good level of shreddedness takes place.
brb showing off six pack and all that.
There will be plenty of mirin going on.

hehe i admit i giggled, so if you didn say bitch does that mean you said BTK?
was he aware?

also i think ive decided to grow epic sideburns like wolverine God dam you for meeting him, now..hang your head in shame

Nah he wasn't aware so the BTK part I just mumbled.

I gotta say, Jackman is one funny dude. I was cracking up the whole time during his show.
He doesn't take himself too serious. He was just having a good time.

[SupaaJ]

DAMN epic story time in here Tom!

Congrats on the added size and family noticing, that's always choice.

I was super stoked to read that Hugh Jackman piece, he is awesome! Looks super massive in that shirtless pic, that's a big dude. Like 215 and shredded if he's our height. I agree he's 190-200 currently. I wonder if he has any 'help' to get to the Wolverine conditioning? That's a close one to call (not saying juice, but GH likely). I can't see any 40+ yr old eating 6K a day without gaining a ton of fat.

But you never know, as these trainers to the stars can be kind of sadistic. I truly believe they train the hell out of these guys, like Manu/TLAB levels of volume + tons of cardio so they turn their bodies into a machine for utilizing calories. Probably one of the best ways to get jacked and lean. We're so scared, as all the ***gybullding rags told us we'd "overtrain," or "you can't gain muscle while doing cardio." Sure you can, and in fact, doing a ton of solid cardio will HELP the body perform better while lifting. Being one-sided=fail. Too bad I've fallen into that tendency tons of times. Gotta be like Manu, big and lean, strong with endurance, etc, etc. High goals=high results.

Anyways, solid day and cool stories!

[viennafat]

Thanks, man! I really appreciate the good words.

And I think you're right on the money!
I agree 100%. I truly believe that gaining muscle and getting lean do not have to be separate activities. We underestimate what the human body is capable of.

I wouldn't be surprised if he uses some "help" to get into that kind of shape.
But I remember a while ago I had read an article on his training and it was pretty crazy.
This was before I even started training seriously. He was doing 90 minute lifting sessions 6 days a week, additional cardio, 8 chicken breasts a day, etc. I was like holy ****!
And it turns out that he had some good strength on him. Benching over 315 and squatting heavy, too. Not crazy strong but for an actor not bad at all.

If he's going to be even bigger for the new Wolverine movie, he's going to be a beast.

[SupaaJ]

Thanks, man! I really appreciate the good words.

And I think you're right on the money!
I agree 100%. I truly believe that gaining muscle and getting lean do not have to be separate activities. We underestimate what the human body is capable of.

I wouldn't be surprised if he uses some "help" to get into that kind of shape.
But I remember a while ago I had read an article on his training and it was pretty crazy.
This was before I even started training seriously. He was doing 90 minute lifting sessions 6 days a week, additional cardio, 8 chicken breasts a day, etc. I was like holy ****!
And it turns out that he had some good strength on him. Benching over 315 and squatting heavy, too. Not crazy strong but for an actor not bad at all.

If he's going to be even bigger for the new Wolverine movie, he's going to be a beast.

Oh there's no doubt in my mind he's repping 315+ in that condition. His chest/delts are massive. He might even be pushing 220 there, but I doubt it, as leanness trumps size and makes everyone look bigger than they are. But for sure 210+

[phal]

What I found kind of funny is that a few months back I had a chat with this same cousin about training and how I was trying to add some muscle.
His response: "I would lift weights, but I don't want to add too much mucle and become bulky."

I wasn't in the mood to get into it so I just laughed.
People are so unaware what kind of work is required.

I have a co-worker like this, he wants me to help in the gym (I will) but he thinks lifting weights is going to make him instantly jacked.

Then later in the show he came down off the stage and was walking back and forth in front of me so I got to high five him twice. Have not washed my hand since.
(probably homo)

lol

Jelly

[viennafat]

July 11

Shoulders & Traps


Seated BB Press
160x7 <- Felt really good with this. Was only expecting around 5 reps. Next week will be a PR.
120x13


Seated DB Press
65x9
65x7
65x7


Seated Lateral Raises - 25lb Plate
12 reps
11 reps
9 reps

Decided to do this after seeing SupaaJ do it.
This felt good for my shoulders, but I had a real problem with the grip. My hand was sweating and the plate kept slipping. Not sure how to deal with that.


BB Shrugs
135x15
185x15
225x15
230x15
195x15 <- drop set

Nice Trap pump.


That's all of it. Now time to go devour some food.

[juicydanglers]

good to hear your feelin better in your sessions now

onwards and upwards!!!

[sunchienlee]

Nice shoulder and traps session Tom.

Are you doing the BB press with back support? I once did it on a flat bench and fuked up my lower back

[braggable]

Great session, T-mac! Strong BB press! 160lbs is money!

RE: Plate grip. Are you holding the plates on the edge, or do you have your fingers through the opening of the plate? When I do lateral plate raises, I have to hold the plate with my fingers through the middle of the plate due to grip issues.

[viennafat]

good to hear your feelin better in your sessions now

onwards and upwards!!!

Thanks juicy Dave.
It's full steam ahead.

Nice shoulder and traps session Tom.

Are you doing the BB press with back support? I once did it on a flat bench and fuked up my lower back

Thanks Law-dog. (I dunno......)

Yes, sir. I do use back support. My bench folds up and it basically turns into a chair. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

Great session, T-mac! Strong BB press! 160lbs is money!

RE: Plate grip. Are you holding the plates on the edge, or do you have your fingers through the opening of the plate? When I do lateral plate raises, I have to hold the plate with my fingers through the middle of the plate due to grip issues.

Thanks, Tommy Gun!
BB Press felt particularly good.

Yeah I was holding it from the edge.
Ok, so you put your fingers through the hole where the bar would go through.
I'll have to try that next time. Cuz I know I can handle 25lbs comfortably in DB form, but this was tough today.

[PBateman2]

Nice shoulder session, Tom!

Nail that PR next week! Seated lateral raises are difficult! No joke.

Like that drop set on shrugs too

Keep it up, man!!!

[viennafat]

Thanks, Manu!
I'm feeling good all around.

PR's are in sight. I plan on nailing quite a few. Even during my cut.

[SupaaJ]

Tom, dood, your delts are strong! That's some sick BB pressing then DB afterwards. Like I told ya man, the 25lb plate side raises are sick on grip and delts. I end the movement concentric with my palms facing floor and the plate a straight extension of my arm/hand. Yes VERY tough to hold without the wrist flopping downward. It's a fukin man maker of an isolation movement. Love them! Will use the 35 for a few sets of 6-8 this week (hopefully).

[cobaltis]

Slowly getting in to all the BTK Logs! Im here and now subbed! Got to keep my eye on the competition j/k

[viennafat]

Thanks J!
I know I can do even better. Stay tuned. The steroids I took are just about to kick in.
I mean, nevermind.......


Those plate raises were brutal. The 25 pounds felt like 50 after the 1st set.
I will have to play around with grips to see what works.

Slowly getting in to all the BTK Logs! Im here and now subbed! Got to keep my eye on the competition j/k

Thanks for stopping by Chad.
Good to have you, bro.
A little friendly competition is a good thing. We're here to motivate each other.
Time to bleed!!

[viennafat]

July 13

Chest and tris

Fuuuuk yes!!
I felt awesome today! Not sure exactly why, but I'll take it.

Had a so-so night of sleep cuz my dog was sick (yes, as if having a 3 year old and 1 year old isnt enough), up by 6:45am, off to work for 8.5 hours, back home and straight to the dungeon to train.

Pre-wo supplements? Nah, i'm good.
When it's time train my blood turns into Nitrous Oxide.
Had crazy energy today. Rest in between sets was short cuz I couldn't wait and I had the craziest muscle pump. Chest and Tris felt like they were going to rip through my skin.

BB Flat Bench
210x5
175x13

I do this exercise mainly as a nice warm-up and I like the low rep first set.
Will increase weight next time.

BB Decline Bench Press
165x11
165x8
165x8

I blew through all these sets.


Dips
Didn't do so well with these. I'll keep at it.
7 reps
7 reps
6 reps


DB Flyes - Flat Bench
45x13
45x13
45x12

Will increase weight on these next week.


Skullcrushers
80x9
80x7
80x7
70x10

Ab Wheel / Push Up Superset
10 reps / 10 reps
8 reps / 9 reps

This was killer! The Ab Wheel was so tough to do.
I literally collapsed on that last push up.

Loved every minute of it today.

[SupaaJ]

Aww yeahhhh @ a fuk yeah session Tom Stomp!

Big fan of the high rep flys and ab wheel/push up superset it a killer! I do that a bit lately and the ab wheel already nails chest and tris a bit from stabilizing, so it makes the push ups that much harder!

Glad to hear you kicked ass today.

[MisSarahC]

Pre-wo supplements? Nah, i'm good.
When it's time train my blood turns into Nitrous Oxide.
Had crazy energy today. Rest in between sets was short cuz I couldn't wait and I had the craziest muscle pump. Chest and Tris felt like they were going to rip through my skin.

HELL-to-YEEEEEYUUUHHH! That's what I'm talkin about! DOIN' WORK!