Relentless 2009-2011: Eric Helms forging a physique that leaves no doubt.

[anti-steroids]

Intro

Down to 205.6, started saturday morning at 211.8 lol. But the water is all gone, losses from here will be FAT.
Very light day at work, just a single client, then Barb and I hit the gym and had a very solid ME Bench day. Busy weekend, seeing family, friends, and attending a 3d meeting on saturday!

Nutrition

Target: 50/250/225
Actual: 1,278 16.4 145.9 137.9 (3 meals left)

Training
Periodization Mesocycle: Westside

ME Bench

Bench Press
warm ups
285 x 2

Decline Bench
265 x 8
255 x 8
245 x 8

Overhead DB Tricep Extension
100's x 10 (3 sets)

DB Upright Rows
55's x 8 (3 sets)

Barbell Rows
275 x 8 (4 sets)

Misc

I'll be looking for 300 for a double next week, and I think everything else will go up to

hundos for 10 nice

[ehlisl]

Training


ME Bench
Bench Press
warm ups
285 x 2

Decline Bench
265 x 8
255 x 8
245 x 8

Overhead DB Tricep Extension
100's x 10 (3 sets)

Misc

I'll be looking for 300 for a double next week, and I think everything else will go up to

Great presses E! #'s still going up just perfect! What did you get at your last meet on Bench??

.....in other words "How much ya bench!?"

[Quelly]

How long will you be doing the West Side rotation?

as long as it keeps working

hundos for 10 nice

thanks!

Great presses E! #'s still going up just perfect! What did you get at your last meet on Bench??

.....in other words "How much ya bench!?"

I think 300...scratched on 315. I think I could pause bench 305-310 right now, but its going up nicely...I'd love to break my 320 meet PR this year

[JENerator]

Intro

Down to 205.6, started saturday morning at 211.8 lol. But the water is all gone, losses from here will be FAT.
Very light day at work, just a single client, then Barb and I hit the gym and had a very solid ME Bench day. Busy weekend, seeing family, friends, and attending a 3d meeting on saturday!

Great start on the cut! Weekend sounds fun, enjoy!

[SkNatural]

Yo, when do you think the best time of day(on a training day) to foam roll?

[FATHER FLEX]

300 for sure bro. How is Barb liking this compared to Max-OT?

[Frankdaddy]

Yo, when do you think the best time of day(on a training day) to foam roll?

I have been experimenting with before workouts and it feels awesome. I believe you can never really overstretch before a good, heavy workout. I combine rolling and stretching back to back. I do full body before a workout and then I only foam roll the direct bodypart I hit afterwards.

[stayfit2008]

Hey fellas,...just wanted to throw out a Big ^5 to you all! I think what you are doing with 3Dmuscle is fantastic! I wish the best for you all and the continued success of 3DMJ!

[toddbz]

I have been experimenting with before workouts and it feels awesome. I believe you can never really overstretch before a good, heavy workout. I combine rolling and stretching back to back. I do full body before a workout and then I only foam roll the direct bodypart I hit afterwards.

Same thing I do.
Expect I DO beleive you can over stretch before a workout. The limberness in the muscle should come from warming up. You're not trying to gain any further flexability prior to a session. After...sure.

Now I don't want you guys to take what I'm saying here as "Todd said I don't need to stretch!" when you can't touch your toes cause you're so damn tight. Just gain the flexability when the time is right and that is AFTER the efforts are done. Prior to you're just breaking up any bad shhh that may be in there from just livin.

[Quelly]

Great start on the cut! Weekend sounds fun, enjoy!

thanks jen!

Yo, when do you think the best time of day(on a training day) to foam roll?

I have been experimenting with before workouts and it feels awesome. I believe you can never really overstretch before a good, heavy workout. I combine rolling and stretching back to back. I do full body before a workout and then I only foam roll the direct bodypart I hit afterwards.

Same thing I do.
Expect I DO beleive you can over stretch before a workout. The limberness in the muscle should come from warming up. You're not trying to gain any further flexability prior to a session. After...sure.

Now I don't want you guys to take what I'm saying here as "Todd said I don't need to stretch!" when you can't touch your toes cause you're so damn tight. Just gain the flexability when the time is right and that is AFTER the efforts are done. Prior to you're just breaking up any bad shhh that may be in there from just livin.

Good convo here...latest research combined with common sense on: stretching, specifically its affects on performance when done prior to exercise, myofascial release and foam rolling, dynamic stretching vs static stretching, and proper warm ups pretty much can be summed up as do foam rolling and dynamic stretching/warm up/mobility work before you workout with or without a general warm up, and then static stretching afterwards, with additional foam rolling if/as needed.

Only thing I wouldnt do is static stretching before weight training, although if you do do it because you are tight enough in that your lack of flexibility affects form/function/performance, then just do a dynamic warm up after the static and that should negate any negative effect.

Hey fellas,...just wanted to throw out a Big ^5 to you all! I think what you are doing with 3Dmuscle is fantastic! I wish the best for you all and the continued success of 3DMJ!

Thanks!

300 for sure bro. How is Barb liking this compared to Max-OT?

She likes it, but I think she liked max ot a little more just because it was easier to follow lol

[Quelly]

Intro

Had to work out early today because we had the big Team 3DMJ meeting at Jeff's today, a lot of fun and a lot was accomplished. My workout went great this morning too, developed a lot of strength with max ot and now being able to work with it in a wider spectrum of rep ranges and more frequently is really paying off.

Nutrition

Target: 50/250/225
Actual: 1,776 29.4 240.0 179.0 (1 meal left)

Training
Periodization Mesocycle: Westside

DE Squat/Deadlift

Speed Sumo Deadlifts
275 x 2 (6 sets)

Front Squats
255 x 8 (3 sets) kinda neat...I started max ot (4-6 reps) with 225

Single Leg Reverse Hyper Extension
120 x 8
140 x 8 (2 sets)

Leg Press
7 plates/side x 10 (3 sets)

Standing Cable Rotation
70lbs x 8 each side
80lbs x 8 each side (2 sets)

Misc

Well talked to berto, we decided were just going to wait until the meet in april here in sacramento that will be all raw, its a well ran meet, and we'll be competitive not facing equipped lifters, AND we'll get longer to get even stronger!
Since its going to be in April I've decided to let go of the idea of making the 198's, doing that will be detrimental to my mass gaining phase, so the new goal is 1300 total but in the 220's...definitely not as competitive, but bigger and stronger which is the goal!

[coloBB]

beastly fronts man, how much longer you got on this mini-cut?

[bryce126]

I like the idea of you not having to cut down, to really see your full potential shine through. How did the speed deads feel? I'd love to hit that meet with you guys!

(mind popping in my thread and helping with a few questions?)

[Squizzzer]

She likes it, but I think she liked max ot a little more just because it was easier to follow lol

So she doing the meet in april

[cawiau]

Good lifts and good luck getting ready for the meet in April!

[ehlisl]

Front Squats
255 x 8 (3 sets) kinda neat...I started max ot (4-6 reps) with 225

Really hitting up those fronts Eric! Nice work!!

Thought I would just throw this out there...... again.....

[Quelly]

beastly fronts man, how much longer you got on this mini-cut?

well, now that I am not trying to say just above 200 so I can carb deplete to make the 198's...I couldnt justify to myself why I was continuing it, me at 205 is pretty good offseason lean. Its ~20lbs over contest weight....so we had a big housewarming party for my cousin today...and I ate my face off Back to new bulking macros tomorrow lol

I like the idea of you not having to cut down, to really see your full potential shine through. How did the speed deads feel? I'd love to hit that meet with you guys!

(mind popping in my thread and helping with a few questions?)

I like the idea too, food is good! Speed deads felt LIGHT. I think my max is over 500 right now, because 275 felt like less than 55% honestly

So she doing the meet in april

I'm working on her!

Good lifts and good luck getting ready for the meet in April!

Thanks carl!

Really hitting up those fronts Eric! Nice work!!

Thought I would just throw this out there...... again.....

*gets jiggy

[mivi320]

Back on the bulk train today E?

[J_Bo]

*gets jiggy

nah nah nah nah nunah nah

[toddbz]

And those reverse hypers were legit!

[cawiau]

Really hitting up those fronts Eric! Nice work!!

Thought I would just throw this out there...... again.....

have me dancing at work

[Quelly]

Intro

Back on bulking macros. Trained 4 clients today, and I had a great workout with Barb. Things are moving up very nicely with westside. I got REALLY pissed in the gym today. I went to do my db overhead pressing, thought I grabbed the 85's, I wanted to try to get 3 sets of 6 with them today, and on the first set I got and gut stuck on the fourth rep. I was PISSED. Then I realized I had grabbed 95's lol, so I actually got a pr.

Nutrition

Target: 75/475/225
Actual: 3,457 74.4 480.9 223.6

Training
Periodization Mesocycle: Westside

DE Bench

Speed CGBP
135lbs + Chains (approx 20lbs added at top of ROM) x 3 (6 sets)

3 Board Bench Press
275 x 6 (3 sets)

Seated DB Shoulder Press
95's x 3
85's x 6 (2 sets)

Weighted Chin Ups
+25lbs x 8 (3 sets)
+20lbs x 8

Alternating DB Hammer Curls
50's x 10 (3 sets)

Misc

ME Squat tomorrow, looking to hit 385 for a double

[ehlisl]

I got REALLY pissed in the gym today. I went to do my db overhead pressing, thought I grabbed the 85's, I wanted to try to get 3 sets of 6 with them today, and on the first set I got and gut stuck on the fourth rep. I was PISSED. Then I realized I had grabbed 95's lol, so I actually got a pr.

3 Board Bench Press
275 x 6 (3 sets)

Seated DB Shoulder Press
95's x 3
85's x 6 (2 sets)

Nice work on the Shoulder press's and Bench Eric!

There's the mental aspect of the sport I had the same thing happen to me. If you can't do it mentally firts, your not going to do it.

Enjoy the increase in Kcal's buddy!

[toddbz]

HAHA!!
Pissed...opps I mean PR. Woot woot!

Get that squat!!

[Quelly]

Back on the bulk train today E?

nah nah nah nah nunah nah

have me dancing at work

We all are on the train apparently

And those reverse hypers were legit!

Thank you sir!

HAHA!!
Pissed...opps I mean PR. Woot woot!

Get that squat!!

lol, you know it!

Nice work on the Shoulder press's and Bench Eric!

There's the mental aspect of the sport I had the same thing happen to me. If you can't do it mentally firts, your not going to do it.

Enjoy the increase in Kcal's buddy!

so true, and speaking of the kcals

I've been doing research and reading multiple things...and after looking at my protein intake and quality, reading senior Layne norton's review of optimal protein intake for muscle gains, and assesing where I can improve my offseason game in the kitchen, I've decided I'm going to approach my nutrition a little different.

the .05g of leu per kg of bodyweight per meal suggestion means that unless I start taking in more whey, I'm not realistically getting enough protein/per meal to maximally stimulate MPS...so I'm going to be looking at my protein macros not as a daily total, but on a per meal basis, so were going to see varying protein intakes each day based on the source.
Probably anywhere from 220-260 in order to get the maximal stimulus.

I'm also fortunate enough to be sponsored by controlled labs, and their supplement that I love: Purple Intrain is a mix of some fast carbs, some whey hydrolsolate, and 2.5g of free form leu...which fits the between meal suggestions very nicely...so I'll be adding in that too, and of course counting those calories towards my daily total.

[jked4life]

I'll be interested to read more about how you integrate Layne's suggestions. Before prep, when I was in a nice cal surplus, I was taking in a good amount of whey. I even experimented with it every meal but dinner (cause I wanted a piece of meat at least once a day, lol). Hard to estimate exactly what the result was mass wise, but my lifts certainly were increasing well.

[Squizzzer]

will you be altering your carb and fat intake to make up for the flucuations in your protein intake?

[ehlisl]

the .05g of leu per kg of bodyweight per meal suggestion means that unless I start taking in more whey, I'm not realistically getting enough protein/per meal to maximally stimulate MPS...so I'm going to be looking at my protein macros not as a daily total, but on a per meal basis, so were going to see varying protein intakes each day based on the source.
Probably anywhere from 220-260 in order to get the maximal stimulus.

So how many meals per day to you currently eat?

There is also tons of positive research on supplemental Leucine for Pre, during and post exercise. I have been giving it a try in large doses and I am pretty happy with the outcome.

[healthybodies]

the .05g of leu per kg of bodyweight per meal suggestion means that unless I start taking in more whey, I'm not realistically getting enough protein/per meal to maximally stimulate MPS...so I'm going to be looking at my protein macros not as a daily total, but on a per meal basis, so were going to see varying protein intakes each day based on the source.
Probably anywhere from 220-260 in order to get the maximal stimulus.

I'm also fortunate enough to be sponsored by controlled labs, and their supplement that I love: Purple Intrain is a mix of some fast carbs, some whey hydrolsolate, and 2.5g of free form leu...which fits the between meal suggestions very nicely...so I'll be adding in that too, and of course counting those calories towards my daily total.

So what is this leu you speak of? Leucine?

[bryce126]

So what is this leu you speak of? Leucine?

roger, and MPS being muscle protein synthesis