Turning into a meathead- mid life crisis

[coachcalande]

Pressed for time this am but still managed 6 PRs out of 27 sets.

Bench
225x18
250x12
260x9
270x7
280x6

Pulldowns
183x15*
198x12
208x8
208x6
208x6

Incline
215x12*
225x12*
235x7
245x5
245x5

NPD
173x16*
183x9
193x7
193x7
193x7

Up row
85x19*
95x11 tie
105x8
115x6

Side laterals
15x25* wow!
15x18
15x15

Out of time

[coachcalande]

The PR binge matches the calories.


Todays food:

Eggs, oatmeal, cheddar, coffee
Chicken breast and American on oatmeal bread
Chicken breast and American on oatmeal bread
Mixed nuts
Whey shake
Ground chicken (8oz), vegetable medley, potato
Ice cream…maybe

Interesting studies I read today discussing impact of sleep on lean gains. Stuff I always suspected in addition to the impact of cortisol.
Looking forward to rest and recovery for a few days as I’m a bit beaten up in the shoulders.

[coachcalande]

I just counted 119 sets that resulted in PR reps in the Month of Jan.

[coachcalande]

Bulking and building muscle with 5-6 meals.

This shows 6 planned, maybe….we will see.

https://youtu.be/dh6Q4pZ_9_w

[coachcalande]

My sons squats 315x4, fronts 175x6

[coachcalande]

Yesterdays meals ended up as…

Eggs, oatmeal, cheddar
2 chicken breast and cheese sandwiches, 12 grain bread
Mixed nuts
Ground chicken and vegetable medley
Chicken and rice (bride said Burgers Saturday)
Ice cream


Today, It’s legs/arms on the schedule however there’s also 18” of snow to deal with….what to do?!

Started off with coffee and whey at 5 am…

[coachcalande]

Killing it!

205x20 easy
235x15!

https://youtu.be/jlDffkm8oV0

More coming!

[coachcalande]

Another one bites the dust!

https://youtu.be/PlGS2j8GDvI

[coachcalande]

Jan has produced 130 sets that were better than before…130 PRS!

Today was simply smashing.

Machine squats
205x20*
235x15*
265x10*
295x8*
325x5*
365x3*

Front squats
195x7*
205x5*
215x4*
225x3*

Supersetted ext with curls, I like it!

Leg ext
125x18*
135x15
145x13
155x12
155x12

Leg curls
125x20*
135x12
145x9
155x8
155x8

[coachcalande]

I was gassed after legs but trained arms anyway and I’m glad I did!

Ez curls
104x13*
114x9*
125x6,6,5

Pushdowns
120x15*
135x9*
138x6,6,6

Alt db curls
45x12*
45x9,7,7

Skull crushers

150x20*
160x11
170x10
180x7

[coachcalande]

Todays food:

Eggs, whites, English muffins
Two cans tuna, potato , cheddar
Two cans tuna, potato, cheddar
Whey shake and mixed nuts
Chicken and rice
Ice cream

[coachcalande]

I’m up, breakfast was ground chicken and eggs, English muffin.

Two chicken n cheese sandwiches for work, mixed nuts

Plan on whey shake after work.

Dinner will be chicken parm and pasta, salad.

[coachcalande]

Jan ends with a bang! 6 exercises, 8 PRs!

Bench
225x20, gained two reps*
245x13
265x8
285x6
305x4

Pulldowns
185x17*
195x11
205x9
215x7
215x6

Incline
215x16*
225x9
235x7
245x6
255x5

Rows
230x16*
250x12*
270x7
280x7
284x6

Up row
90x16*
100x11*
110x7
120x6

Side laterals
Finally added wt t my dbs
18x20*
18x14
18x12
18x12

This is so simple. Eat, add reps, add weight. Grow.

[coachcalande]

Today’s food.

No treats , just five meals.

*last night my gut reacted poorly to ice cream as it did the night before. This is probably a good thing as I’m too fat anyway.

[coachcalande]

I’ve been chomping at the bit to deadlift. I haven’t deadlifted in a very long time but I have increased my squats, rows and other back movements. I’m certain I could pull (at least) 550-575 . I feel stronger than I have in a long time…but I also have a shoulder issue that I have never had before.

Something about a 600 pound pull as a bucket list lift is on my mind.

The Whole “lift with a mask on” thing just doesn’t appeal to me at all so I haven’t wanted to train in any gyms.

[coachcalande]

It’s getting real now…

Rolling…not just because I’m round…

https://youtu.be/36OG14fQRSk

Front squat PRs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caD-RP1YtkI

[coachcalande]

Legs went great.

Smith squats
215x20*
245x12*
275x9*
310x6*
345x4*
370x2*

Smith front squats
215x4
225x4*
235x2*
250x2*

Leg ext
130x19*
145x15*
150x11

Leg curls
130x17*
140x11
150x9

12 PRs

[coachcalande]

Went after the 20 rep PRs on arms.
Ez curls
64x20*
74x18*
84x12
94x10
104x7
114x6

Pushdowns
93x21*
103x14
113x11
123x10
133x6
133x5

Alt db curls (added 3 lbs to dbs)
48x8*
48x7
48x7
48x7

Skull crushers
155x15
165x10
175x9
185x6

Arms were a bit fatigued but still managed a few PRs there.

[coachcalande]

Meals today

Laying off the chips and ice cream all week.

8 hard boiled eggs, two bananas, black coffee
Two chicken breast and cheese sandwiches (wheat bread today) eaten at 9 and noon
Mixed nuts
Whey shake/ PB sandwich
….dinner…pasta with shrimp…felt like a small meal ha ha. The bride can cook though.
Whey shake #2

[coachcalande]

You’d think I’d be burnt out, fatigued, overtrained….nope, sitting here with great anticipation about tomorrow’s lift.
I
Can’t
Wait!

This is a super important thing to note after MONTHS of high volume, high intensity, number busting training. I am super enthusiastic about training. I attribute this to these 100% rest days off both before and after each lift.


What I am able to do on these days off is watch others with their videos, read books and posts and articles…and also prepare food for the next few days. This works for me even though I have to train multiple muscle groups each time I train.

Tomorrow is chest/back/shoulders and if all goes well, I’ll have plenty of time before work to bomb away. Planning 15 sets each for chest/back and 10 for shoulders….but it’s instinctive…we will see.

[coachcalande]

Gains!

Smashing PRs

https://youtu.be/A0_8FZF-HQ0

Bench
235x20*
245x15*
255x13
265x10
275x7
285x6

Wide pulldowns
188x16*
198x12
208x9
215x8
220x7
230x6

Incline
225x13*
235x9
245x7
255x4
265x3
205x10

Row
230x19*
250x12 tie
270x7
280x7
280x6
280x6

Up row
95x10
105x9
115x7
125x6tie
125x5


Side laterals
18x24*
18x13
18x12
18x12
18x12
6 PRs, 2 tie

[coachcalande]

More from this morning.

https://youtu.be/qS4i0iU4Vb4

Seated rows for the win.

[coachcalande]

Todays gains

8eggs, cheese, oatmeal
Half lb turkey burger with cheese on wheat
Half lb turkey burger with cheese on wheat, milk
Whey shake
Chicken thighs and rice, green beans, milk

Looking through my log and beyond pleased with my pyramid system.

[coachcalande]

Rest day. Slept in a bit.

Started the day with a whey shake and banana.
Going to make eggs and oatmeal
Ground chicken cheese burgers x1 double decker
2 cheese burgers on wheat
Chicken thighs and potatoes will probably be tonight’s dinner since I’m cooking. Maybe some green beans or broccoli.

Five-six meals is getting it done for me big time. Thicker and stronger is the goal and I’m making that happen. Feel better since dropping ice cream and chips out…was fun while it lasted. Just going to try and reach my natural peak for strength and size before I wither away…

[coachcalande]

Really obsessed about tomorrows lift.

I’m slated to squat along these lines…

225x20 is the goal. Last workout I reached 215x20…hard to believe it was just 135 on set one a few weeks back
Then I’m planning 30 pound jumps…with goals to break PRs every set…
255x
285x
315x
345x
375x

For front squats I’m using my old time tested “6 fix” to bring up weak front squats. My rule is to get 6 as a goal for my first set so next workout I start heavier. I pyramid however I want after that first set…for example 205x6, 215x5, 225x4, 235x3

I can’t really predict exactly how I’ll perform but I rested all day and ate well.

[coachcalande]

Filmed my sons squats last night, and spotted him on a set.

315x1, said squatting on our v
Carpeted garage floor is much harder than on the platform at school…
315x3 spotted
235x10
235x10

I also gave him full access to my “protein bin”…with 1 law…never leave me with less than a days worth of chicken.lol.

The boy wasted no time in accessing it.

Something new for me, I’m drinking coffee with my whey stirred in, I’ll eat real food in a couple of hours.

[coachcalande]

Wrecked my PR sheet this morning with 11 new PRs on legs.

Smith squats (videos of every set on YouTube)
225x20*
255x13*
285x10*
315x7*
350x4*
375x1 easy*

Front squats were bad..
205x3
185x5
185x4
185x4

Leg ext
130x20*
140x13
150x15*
160x13*
170x10

Leg curls
130x20*
140x12
150x10
160x9*
170x7

Great morning, need some eggs!

Will do arms later today.

[coachcalande]

Today’s nutrition
Coffee with whey (1 scoop each cup)- 2 bananas
Two breakfast burgers (ground beef, egg, cheese)
1 double cheeseburger, tea
1 double ground chicken cheese sandwich
Chicken legs for dinner with ???

[coachcalande]

Started off with heavy cheat curls
https://youtu.be/8sh17C8KoSQ

135x6
135x5
135x3

Then ez curls
108x10*
118x7
118x6

Pushdowns
98x20*
108x16*
118x9
128x6
138x4

Skull cr
160x20*
170x11
180x9
190x7

I’m killing it.

Five more PRs makes 16 on the day.

[coachcalande]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsCzBmisf9o

I have been doing my own systematic 20 rep goal squats pyramids and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. It’s worked so well that I’m now also using the same approach for upper body as well.

I have a few “rules” and this stuff is grueling…

1- first set is 15-20 reps, push as hard as possible to get 20…* the goal is twenty to start 10lbs heavier next workout …so far I have hit 20 for nine consecutive workouts.
2- do 5-6 more sets, each to failure trying to break PRs, add 30 pounds (some flexibility there) per set as a base

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IowO68ULybc

3- pyramid down to a final set of 1-3 reps.

I’m proud to say that my next workout will start with 235 aiming for 20…THATS A FULL 100 POUNDS HIGER THAN WHEN I CREATED THIS PLAN.

I recorded all six sets yesterday.
225x20
255x13
285x10
315x7
350x4
375x1

And all six sets were PRS. I’m getting really used to it. At first the pump in my thighs and Back was crazy, but now I handle it well.


The video below is from when I first started the new plan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jQcdr7Iji4 Look at the change in numbers!


To compare the numbers…it’s staggering. I noticed too that the higher reps has helped my flexibility and it looks like I’m getting deeper breaking through old knee scar tissue. There has to be a “conditioning effect” that is taking place allowing for so many reps and such heavy weight.