Road to 165- 20 pounds above stage weight

[MirinMerlin]

Hey Guys,

So this is my first time posting to the forums, so I look forward to meeting you all and following your journeys as well. I will try to be as active as I can with school and work going on and make it a point to post at least every other day about training and diet.

Currently, I have decided to run a mini cut and have been consistently tracking macros again since December 26th. Just recently (January 13th) I decided to go really aggressive with my cut (50/160/200: F/C/P) with one refeed every week at 50/400/200 in order to try and quicken the progress. I realize that this may not be the most optimal for me, however, I want to get in and out and then reverse out properly in order to finish up a successful off season. Since the start of my aggressive cut, I have seen some 185s on the morning weight, which are definitely encouraging.

2013 was my first competitive season and as of now, I have only competed in one show. Overall, I was pleased and very happy with how my prep, however, as I am sure many of you can relate to, this was only the beginning and it made me hungry for more. For prep, I was apart of 3DMJ with my coach being Brad Loomis, whom is an awesome and intelligent person to say the least.

Unfortunately, my reverse did not go as smooth as I thought, since I think I was hit pretty hard both mentally and physically from prepping for 33 weeks. I ended up putting on 40ish pounds from July to December, which was not the smartest thing to do. Sure, I could blame it on the vacations or my trip to Vegas for my 21st birthday, however, it was the lazy and careless days in between those events that caused the most damage. My wake up call came when my clothes that fit me before prep were no longer fitting properly, which caused me to feel uncomfortable and not confident in myself. I take full responsibility for this and am more motivated than ever to fix this. On a more positive note, I am stronger than ever and have finally reached a healthy mental state, something that was absent for the majority of my reverse (post contest blues).

The main reason for making this thread is for accountability. I feel like with a good group of guys on the forums to help keep me on track, I can accomplish my goal and get back to 165. I am also here to follow you guys' journeys and hopefully can inspire and motivate anyone as well.

I will be posting hopefully some training clips or training updates very soon.

[StaticZ]

Glad to see you decided to start a log! Subbing.

[extremenergy3]

Subbed.

[jaredmus]

in goood stuff man 3dmj seems to be the way to go

[MirinMerlin]

Woke up this morning at 185.0 on the dot, so it is definitely reassuring to seeing the scale moving in the right direction. Just one more week of digging before I switch my diet up to a traditional cutting phase. I figured since bf is a bit higher then necessary, I could do without a refeed the first 3 weeks. I am starting to feel flat in the gym, but energy, mood, and motivation are at an all time high. This week is my deload week so this is what I did today; I use the format sets x reps:

*I perform both deadlifts and squats beltless and have really noticed my core has gotten a lot stronger. And I think it is one of the best things to hit the abs.

High Bar Beltless Squat: 315 2x10 225 x10
Leg Press: 270 3x12
Occluded Hamstring Curls: 4 sets of 30, 15, 15, 15 with 30 second rest in between
Calves Press: 90 3x12
DB Military: 50 3x12
Seated Side Lateral Raises: 15 3x12
Rope Face Pulls: 20 3x12

CARDIO: 400 LISS (Cardio is at 1600cals per week of LISS)

Overall, I am noticing progress in the gym each week and getting leaner at the same time. Vascularity is coming back with force and really look forward to reaching that goal weight of 160ish and then taking off from there.

[IK9]

Hey man, I live in Vegas. I'm excited to follow along.

[MirinMerlin]

Hey man, I live in Vegas. I'm excited to follow along.

I went there for my 21st birthday and Vegas is UNREAL. I stayed at Caesars and the food was 10/10.

[IK9]

I went there for my 21st birthday and Vegas is UNREAL. I stayed at Caesars and the food was 10/10.

Lol, next time you're down here, lemme know. I'll show ya how we do it here.. We'll make Hangover part 5

[MirinMerlin]

Today Ive been real busy. Started the day off right weighing in at a new low (184.8) then went to work, trained, and am now typing up today's report. Nothing too out of the ordinary as I trained back, traps, and bis and did my 400cals of LISS

Back Workout:

Regular Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Chest Supported Row
Hammer Strength High Row
DB Shrugs
Occluded Biceps

*I was in a hurry today, so I was not able to right down the sets or reps. Typically, for accessories in general, I just go as they feel and stop when I think they have done the job. However, when I bench, squat, or deadlift I do make it an emphasis as to the numbers I hit so that I can see the progression and improvement.

Do any of you guys else feel the same way about accessories?

[IK9]

Today Ive been real busy. Started the day off right weighing in at a new low (184.8) then went to work, trained, and am now typing up today's report. Nothing too out of the ordinary as I trained back, traps, and bis and did my 400cals of LISS

Back Workout:

Regular Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Chest Supported Row
Hammer Strength High Row
DB Shrugs
Occluded Biceps

*I was in a hurry today, so I was not able to right down the sets or reps. Typically, for accessories in general, I just go as they feel and stop when I think they have done the job. However, when I bench, squat, or deadlift I do make it an emphasis as to the numbers I hit so that I can see the progression and improvement.

Do any of you guys else feel the same way about accessories?

Omar Isuf came out with a video recently about this.. (auto-regulation).. he said sometimes you just gotta go by how your body feels vs what you had planned.. so if you feel that you got enough work done already but it was different from what you had planned on paper.. go by feel and listen to what your body is saying. Hope this helps.

[MirinMerlin]

Omar Isuf came out with a video recently about this.. (auto-regulation).. he said sometimes you just gotta go by how your body feels vs what you had planned.. so if you feel that you got enough work done already but it was different from what you had planned on paper.. go by feel and listen to what your body is saying. Hope this helps.

That definitely helps man. I typically do this for my accessories just because I feel like it is more easier, rather than writing down every single thing I do in the gym

[MirinMerlin]

Looking forward to Superbowl Sunday not only because of The Game but because it will be the start of my refeeds 1x per week. I am just now starting to feel the affects of being at 160g of carbs after 14 days now with no refeed. Almost made it brahs, just one more week of digging.

[MirinMerlin]

Weighed in at 184.2, so I am definitely pleased with how this cut is going. Today, is an off day so nothing too much to log. Tomorrow, is Chest and Tris with a 400Cal LISS session to finish up the weeks cardio goal of 1600. Let the grind continue.

[phillysteak]

I'm in man!

[Rypt1]

Definitely In!

[jpfaherty]

In on this!! You better update regularly or I'm outta here!

[MirinMerlin]

In on this!! You better update regularly or I'm outta here!

On the DAILY brah. Dont you worry about that, you just keep coming to my thread lol

[MirinMerlin]

Awesome start to today. Woke up to a new low of 182.8!!! All time low and couldnt be more pleased. The training and protocol never fails if you put in the work and are consistent day in and day out. I cannot say enough how good it feels to be back in a rhythm and groove. I am feeling 10x better in the gym and my cardiovascular system is improving weekly as cardio is becoming a breeze once again. 165 cannot come soon enough. T

Today's training involved: Chest/Triceps/Abs and it goes as follows (keep in mind this is my deload week)

DB Flat Bench: 105lbs 2x8 75 x3x10
Incline Barbell Bench: 145 4x8 (being really cautious with these since last time I injured my shoulder pretty bad and could not do any pushing movements for several weeks)
One Arm Machine Flies: 75 4x10
Rope Extensions: 30 4x12 (strict form and squeeze hard af at bottom)
Cable Overhead Extensions to hit the long head: 10lbs 4 x10
Occlusion Neutral grip push down: 25 pounds with tempo 30reps 15, 15, 15, 15 with 30 second rest in between
Leg Raises: 3x15
Cardio: 400LISS incline treadmill

As you can see, I keep my program simple and just put in the work day in and day out. I dont like to do all that fancy sh*^. After all, I am a bodybuilder on the outside but deep down, my power lifting roots still shine through.

[extremenergy3]

I wish I could press 105's. Or even 100's. Or even 95's. :'(

[MirinMerlin]

I wish I could press 105's. Or even 100's. Or even 95's. :'(

Keep at it man! I wish I controlled my weight better, like you did! Live and you learn I guess, which makes the journey that much more fun and rewarding

[StaticZ]

Damn dude the weight is FLYING off.

[MirinMerlin]

Damn dude the weight is FLYING off.

Knock on wood, let's keep this train rolling. Yall are helping me stay on track and be accountable. Time, consistency, and faith in the system are musts for this journey.

[jpfaherty]

Nice workout today brotha. I've just recently added occlusion training to my cycles. Really like it for bicep work!

[MirinMerlin]

Nice workout today brotha. I've just recently added occlusion training to my cycles. Really like it for bicep work!

is your occlusion set up similar to mine? Also, what exercises do you usually do with them?

[MirinMerlin]

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Both gym and school are closed, which means I will be in apartment all day. Temptation will be strong tomorrow, but I think I can push through it. Most likely, will take an IF approach and fast as long as possible, not even going to think about food.

[Rypt1]

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Both gym and school are closed, which means I will be in apartment all day. Temptation will be strong tomorrow, but I think I can push through it. Most likely, will take an IF approach and fast as long as possible, not even going to think about food.

I'm the same way. On the weekends when I'm home with the family, temptation always arises. During the week, at work, I'm so busy that hunger never bothers me. I also follow IF, both during prep and off and I really love it.

[MirinMerlin]

I'm the same way. On the weekends when I'm home with the family, temptation always arises. During the week, at work, I'm so busy that hunger never bothers me. I also follow IF, both during prep and off and I really love it.

I agree with all that. When Im at college, if I don't buy it, I wont eat it. However, trouble comes in when I head home and there is all kinds of gains to be made in kitchen. It's only 1140am here and I been awake for 4 hours and have already drank 1 gallon of water and 2 diet sodas, let the fast continue.

You can't go wrong with IF. Before macros and when I was fat, I was big breakfast person since macros were unlimited. Now that I have goals to hit, I realize I can go a majority of the day without even eating as well.

[jpfaherty]

is your occlusion set up similar to mine? Also, what exercises do you usually do with them?

I just do bi/tris..nothing else

[MirinMerlin]

Well bros, I made it today. Stuck to the diet all day while being trapped inside because of weather and gym being closed. Wasn't as bad as I thought. On the bright side, I caught back up in school, which is definitely a good feeling. Tomorrow gym opens again and Ill be right back at it

[Blazed]

In for this!!!