PhoeniX9369's journey to Classic Physique... In 2018!

[Phoenix9369]

Friday , October 21st

Hypertrophy pull day
Rainy day and it was Uber crap

Alas, I had an amazing workout
Started it off with squats (duh)

And then proceeded to "officially" start the pull day with weighted pull-ups

The pump in my back and biceps was unreal and I finished the workout with some lat pullovers and some windshield wipers.

Went to IHOP and had a little bit of a yolo day
Went over my calories as well but I haven't seen an increase in the scale and while I am not as "shredded" I don't see much fat gain either
I know that can take a couple days to show but I don't want to mess up the bulking season

Some pics, macros, back update and breakfast at IHOP
Enjoy!

[Phoenix9369]

Saturday , October 22nd

Hypertrophy leg day
I've been feeling a little under the weather so it took me a couple extra squat sets to get in the zone
Then I went to do squats, front squats, Bulgarian squats
And by this time my legs had a nice pump going

It is kinda difficult for me to condition my mind and focus more on the reps rather than the weight during these hypertrophy days... but I'm getting better at it

Went off to do sumo deadlifts, leg curls and extensions and finished the day off with calves and abs

Macro wise. Diet has remained consistent this week aside of the tiny cheats I've had

My nose is a little runny so I might grab some hot noodle soup later.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

[Phoenix9369]

Sunday , October 23rd

Off day
Took care of my macros since this week my eating has been a little out of my strict dieting.
Macros will still remain like that, since I feel good and weight has gone up steadily and I haven't gained too much fat since October 2nd

I have been, however, toying with the idea of following a powerlifting focused program, and I found this one, which is 12 week longs and it works around percentages and I haven't been good at planning anything beyond 4 weeks.
I have also added the aqua everyday to keep the trend going since I don't feel any negatives from doing that everyday, and in fact my legs feel solid and strength has gone up if anything.

Starting tomorrow I will follow this program (by Chad Wesley Smith), and here are the first 4 days at a glance:




I will do this for 4 weeks and based on how I feel, I'll decide whether to stick to it or not
Since it's a 4 day vs a 6 day, I'll see how resting days occur

I'm thinking
Day 1
Day 2
Off / snatch practice
Day 3
Day 4
Cardio / snatch practice
Off (Sunday )

Every week the percentages change and some days have different accessory work so I'll do my best to write them down.

Long post is long, but happy Sunday!

[Phoenix9369]

Monday , October 24th

Day 1 of the new 12 week program!

Got a good night sleep and was ready to take Monday (and the new split) by the horns and show them who's boss.

Squats:
Worked nicely all the way to 275.
Got 2 sets of 1 with 275
Total sets: 7

Deadlifts:
Worked the sets of 3 as follows
145-185-225-275-315-365


Didn't use straps or belt and it got me feeling pretty strong

I then did the 6 sets of 4 with 275 and I was feeling worn out during the last set.

Total sets: 12

Then there were the barbell rows, ham curls, shrugs And ab work.

This is only the first day but I really enjoyed the workout.

I like working around a specific percentage so I know what I'm aiming for, since it gives me a goal to set everyday and it's easier to track strength progress as well.
Looking forward for tomorrow's lift.


Happy Monday!

[Phoenix9369]

Tuesday , October 25th

Day 2 of the new 12 week program!


Squats:
Worked nicely all the way to 275.
Got 2 sets of 1 with 275
2 sets of 1 with 295
Total sets: 9

Paused rep bench
Worked the sets of 3 as follows
95-115-135-155-175-195-215

I then proceeded to the accessory work
Elbow didn't feel 100% so I warmed my way to skull crushers with rope push downs

And for abs, windshield wipers and rope crunches

Got a really nice arm pump and as I type this I can feel my chest sore now
I focused my contractions and really started to emphasize that mind muscle connection.

Tomorrow is an off day but I'll throw some Oly lifting and squats, and maybe even some cardio

Today's macros have been a little liberal, was able to squeeze a muffin and a kit kat in there, as well as a Starbucks cookie.

Really excited to practice snatches again

[Phoenix9369]

Wednesday , October 26th

Off day/ cardio

Woke up with an upset stomach and I spent a solid 2 hours back and forth taking care of those dirty business.

I then had a whole box of cereal, some Greek yogurt and some milk for breakfast.
I had to run some errands and didn't make it to the gym at the usual 6am

So I went at around 3pm

Squats:
Worked nicely all the way to 275.
Got 5 sets of 1 with 275
Back off set of 155

I then proceeded to work on some snatches, and was able to work my way to 95lbs
Did a solid 45 minutes of snatches, in sets of 3

Then I did weighted pull-ups, 10 lbs (5reps) / 25 (5reps, 2 sets)/ 45lbs 5 reps

And finished with some ab work

Got a nice feeling and I hope my stomach is good to go for leg day tomorrow.

Have a good evening everyone!

[Phoenix9369]

Thursday , October 27th

Squat day/ cardio

Stomach feels much better so I headed to the gym at the usual time.

10 sets of 2 reps for squats seems easy until the last 2.
At 60% (180lbs), it started to get pretty taxating.

By the time I started the front squats with 125 on the bar, I was barely able to finish the 10 reps.

Then, proceeded to the accessory work and got a solid leg pump which I hope results in an incapacitating soreness

After calves, I did a little ab tri set: hanging leg raises, decline twists, and windshield wipers

Overall this is a pretty intense day, in spite of looking like only a couple exercises, and it all took me 1H30M

I'm starting to feel more solid, if that makes any sense. I may not look bigger than I did October 1st, but I do feel as if my body has tightened up a lot, and the fat gain has been minimal.
I have been able to squeeze in a couple cheat meals while not blowing up my macros for the day.
I'm not feeling tired or weak and close to a month of constant squatting, my lower back, knees or legs experience no pain or uncomfortable feelings.
This time, I might be doing it right!

Sipping on my protein shake as I head home to get on with my day.

[Kushkiss]

Mirin progress OP

[Phoenix9369]

Mirin progress OP

Thanks!

[Phoenix9369]

Friday , October 28th

OHP/ upper body

Squatted all the way to 300!
New PR for now!

I had to spend a good 10 minutes warming up my shoulders before I was able to start pressing
And I'm glad I did, since I was able to push more weight more efficiently instead of burning out fast

Floor pressing is new to me, and at 15 reps, I wasn't able to go beyond 115.
But it's all about linear progression, right?

Then I just got a solid pump all around chest/arms/ shoulders and I SMASHED the rest of the exercises

Finished with ab work and ready to take on the weekend

Have a good one everyone!

[LoganBrown]

Diggin' this log dude. Consider me in!

[Phoenix9369]

Diggin' this log dude. Consider me in!

Thanks brah!
Welcome aboard

[devilbones]

Thanks bro !

MyFitnessPal

What is your mfp name? I will add you as a buddy.

[Phoenix9369]

What is your mfp name? I will add you as a buddy.

Stevebermeo!

[Phoenix9369]

Saturday , October 29th

Off day

Front Squatted all the way to 245
New PR!

I spent a good 40 minutes squatting and front squatting
Was able to back squat 275 for 2 reps

Then I did another 30 minutes of clean and jerk and some snatches sporadically.

Threw in some abs and arms and got a good arms pump
Nothing major to say for today, aside that this morning the scale read 172lbs so it's safe to safe the bulk is going well.

[Phoenix9369]

Saving for tomorrow

[Phoenix9369]

Monday , October 31st

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hope everyone's weekend was fun and relaxing!


First and foremost, one announcement:
I will be logging Isatori's Biogro and Maxon for the next weeks!

Maxon dosage: 4 red pills before working out
Biogro dosage: 2 scoops in the AM, 2 in the PM

Squatted till 300lbs for singles

And the proceeded to deadlifts
Boy were those tiring! 12 sets and I was drenched
The moment I finished the deadlift part of the workout I got a really nice back and arms pump, which stayed throughout the workout

Finished with some back hyperextensions and ab work
Left the gym feeling nice, and onto my day
NYC Halloween parade later today!

[Phoenix9369]

Tuesday , November 1st

Day 2 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Overslept a little bit so I made it to the gym later than usual

Today's workout was a bunch of squats and front squats
The biogro pump is real. I love it
Arms have been looking vascular since yesterday and even though my diet is a little bit all over the place (I have family visiting), the vascularity and shoulder shreds are still noticeable.

For back squats, weight/sets/reps
Bar/2/10, 95/1/10, 135/1/10, 185/2/5, 225/3/3, 275/2/1, 225/2/3 paused

And front squats,
135/5/5, 185/3/5 last set was 3 paused reps

Did some calves, abs, and some weighted pull-ups with 10 and 25lbs

Weight this a.m. 171.8

Have a good one everyone!

[Phoenix9369]

Wednesday , November 2nd

Bench day + accessory work

Day 3 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Squatted my way till 286lbs (bar weights 46)

Then onto paused rep bench up to 195lbs for 3 reps
Spoto press was prettt interesting because it feels light the first few sets but it catches up and bites your butt!

Then there was a bunch of t bar rowing involved, giving me a nice arm and back pump

Proceeded to front raises / hammer curls / skull crushers / face pulls for 3 sets of 15
Kept the weight to one that challenges me towards the 12th rep so the last 3 are a struggle but form isn't compromised

I finished today's workout with hanging leg raises and windshield wipers

Since diet hasn't been 100% spot on due to family visiting and a weird sleeping / eating schedule, it is noticeable I'm holding some fat in my lower back
I need to keep that under control the upcoming weeks

Maxon just makes me vascular and I love it
The veins pop, the pump is intense and once I squeeze my arms after a set my fascia just feels destroyed
And biogro is just great!
I think the creatine/colostrum combo is good for the pump, fullness and roundness.

[Phoenix9369]

Thursday , November 3rd

off day

Day 4 of Maxon / Biogro combo

It was an off day / cardio day
And I usually lift with my buddy, who does not like to squat, so how do I squat and workout with my anti squat friend at the same time?

I do a two a day.

Morning time, I didn't squat as heavy as I've been doing, but instead I went for crazy voulme, and a wider stance.
Felt a really nice stretch
I also got a lot of foam rolling in to relax the muscle fascia and help my mobility.

Then I went on my day and got back for a "free workout" in the PM
It was deadlifts
Worked on increments of 50lbs, from 96 to 246lbs.
Reps of 8, and two back off sets

I also did 3 sets of snatches for singles

Then we proceeded to do some chest work,
Decline, incline and cable cross overs
5 sets of 12 at a light weight

And we closed the workout with some tricep push downs.

Pump is great but there's a slight feeling of discomfort in the left side of the neck and right elbow
Hope it's nothing crazy.
Have a good evening everyone!

[Phoenix9369]

Friday , November 4th

leg day

Day 5 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Paused Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
55/60/65/70/75% for 5 reps
165/180/195/210/225

Pause reps are no joke
By the last set I was already sweaty
And the last rep of 225 was a grinder

Front squats
50/60/70% for 8 reps
125/150/175

Easy reps

Leg press / calf raises superset
1-2-3-4-5PPS 10 reps - 25 reps

Leg extensions / curls
3 sets of 15

Legs were feeling PUMPED after finishing.
I ended the training session with some ab work, and I rewarded myself with a good ole bagel post workout.

Neck doesn't bother me anymore and I'm happy about that.
Probably bad angle while asleep the other night
Elbow is still a bit dry I wanna say, but nothing a proper warm up won't fix.

Weight this a.m. Is 174lbs and I wanna say it's all Maxon's fault. How dare you, isatori .
Strength is steadily going up. For both the 5 and 8 rep ranges and I'm just excited.

Happy Friday!

[Phoenix9369]

Saturday , November 5th

upper body day

Day 6 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
5 reps 95/145/195
3 reps 245/295
1 rep, 2 sets: 301lbs (New PR!)

Shoulder press
3 sets of 8, 60lbs dumbbell

Flor press
3 sets of 12, 95lbs

Lat pull down
3 sets of 15

Side realizes
3 sets of 15, 20lbs dumbbell

Pec dec
3 sets of 15

Tricep push down
1 sets of 40 reps
3 sets of 15

Great pump and vascularity through the workout
Headphones didn't work and instead of being frustrated I felt more motivated and while it was a later that usual workout session, it was a great one.
My diet hasn't been 100% this week but I'll fix it asap this upcoming week

Was able to nap and sleep enough so I don't feel tired, and my macros are not that off the hook.

About to get my PM dose of biogro and call it a day

[Phoenix9369]

Monday , November 7th

deadlift day

Day 8 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
5 reps 95/145/195
3 sets, 1 rep 275

Deadlift, sets of 3
135/185/235/285/335/385

Band deadlift
2 sets, 1 rep
335

Bent over row
5 sets of 12, 135lbs

Leg curls
3 sets of 15

Shrugs
3 sets of 15

Rope crunches and decline side to sides
3 sets of 15

Weight this AM: 173.5lbs
Got my good sleep, made it to the gym early

Strength has gone down a little because I have a soft cold and my neck keeps being a little stiff on the left side
I hope it's nothing major but I wanna say that's what prevented me from going for a 400+lbs band deadlift
Kept focusing on the muscle contraction instead to get a solid pump and to not sacrifice form

[Phoenix9369]

Tuesday , November 8th

"cardio" day

Day 9 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Got exactly 5 hours of sleep
Nonetheless I was ready to take on my workout
Cold is almost gone so that's always good
Stuffy nose is the biggest of my concerns now


Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
2 sets, 5 reps 96/146/196
2 sets, 3 reps 246
2 sets, NEW PR: 306lbs!!
Back off sets
1 rep: 246, 196x2

Pull-ups
6 reps - 5 sets

Snatches
30 minutes, sets of 3 at 95lbs

Bench press
3 sets, 12 reps, 135 lbs

Side raises / bicep curls
3 sets of 12, light weight

Decline twists / weighted crunches
3 sets of 15

Felt really good overall
Energy was through the roof and so was strength in spite of being slightly sick
And let's not even talk about the pump because it sick, it piss.

Have a great one everyone!

[Phoenix9369]

Wednesday , November 9th

Bench day

Day 10 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Worked an early shift so I'm hitting the gym this late at night

Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
1 set, 10 reps 96/136
1 set, 5 reps 186, 226
1 set,2 reps 276
1 set, 1 rep 286, 296
Back off sets
226, 136 5 paused reps

Bench, paused, 3 reps till 220
Bar / 96/116/136/156/186/206/
1 rep 226, 2 sets

Resistance band "slingshot" bench
3 sets, 186, 3 reps

Chest supported row
5 sets of 15

Dumbbell front raises
3 sets of 15

Overhead rope tricep extensions
3 sets of 20

Hammer curls
3 sets of 15

Hanging leg raises
3 sets of 20

I don't like late night workouts because night time is the most crowded time at my gym
But I do like to use most of the food I've consumed through the day as fuel
Got the squats deep, slow and controlled and they got me feeling a nice leg pump
Chest is not my best muscle group but after what I felt my elbows warmed up, all the bench sets were also smooth and controlled
The arm pump is just too great to forget to mention.
Post workout, I've got a nice pumpkin pie Greek yogurt + PM dose of biogro waiting for me

Have a great evening!

[Phoenix9369]

Thursday , November 10th

Off day

Day 11of Maxon / Biogro combo

Worked an early shift so I'm hitting the gym in the afternoon this time

Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
1 set, 10 reps 95/135
1 set, 5 reps 185, 225
1 set,2 reps 275

1 failed 305 attempt lol

They were all superseded with OHP
Bar, 10 reps
55/75/95 10 reps
115/125 5 reps
2 sets of 3 @ 135

Deadlifts
195, 3 sets of 10
235, 5 sets of 5

Side raises, one arm at the time
3 sets of 8

Shrugs
3 sets of 20

Side raise machine
3 sets of 15

Reverse flyes
3 sets of 15

Felt prettt bummed about bombing that squat
But I guess that's what happens when you're sick and when you super set it with OHP.
Didn't let that sadden me, the workout was great.
Good vascularity and form/pump after deadlifts
I even threw in some pull-ups in between sets to build body weight strength

Finished it off feeling fresh and not tired or destroyed, so that's always good.
Gonna go home and sip on my PM dose of biogro and my protein shake.

[Phoenix9369]

Saturday , November 11th

Leg day

Day 13 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Had a busy Friday and a busy Saturday morning so here I am
Gotta get it done later rather than never


Squats:
Warm up: bar 2 sets of 10
1 set, 3 reps 95, 135
3 sets, 3 reps 185, 225
2 sets 1 rep 275

Front squats
5 sets, 5 reps 135

Hack squat
5 sets, 8 reps

Calf raises, back squat
5 sets of 25 reps

Leg curls, single leg at the time
3 sets, 15 reps

Leg extension
3 sets, 15 reps

Rope crunches
3 sets, 20 reps

Decline twists
3 sets, 15 reps

Coming off a cold, and I can notice a slight loss of strength
Was supposed to do 1 set at my 3RM for the squat
But I stalled at 275lbs for singles

The rest of the leg day was successful and once I noticed I'm a little weaker, I focused more on contracting the muscle and let the weight not get to my head instead.
Which worked wel because by the time I was doing leg extensions I was drained
The ab portion was not much of a grind and i did get a nice burn

Even when weak, the vascularity and pump stayed, so that's always a plus!
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

[Phoenix9369]

Sunday , November 13th

Upper body day

Day 14 of Maxon / Biogro combo
Making up for not making it to the gym on Friday


Squat rack is busy, time to use the hack squat

5 sets of 10, 1 PPS, slow and controlled motion
2PPS, 5 reps, 2sets
Squats!
3 reps, 185,225, 275
1 rep, 295

Seated military press (dumbbell)
Warm up, 25lbs, 12 reps
10 reps 35, 8 reps 50, 5 reps 60

Floor press, dumbbell
50lbs, 10 reps, paused, 2 sets
70lbs, 10 reps, paused

Incline bench
135, 5 reps, 2 sets
95, 10 reps, 2 sets

Lat pull down
5 sets, 12 reps

Side raises
3 sets, 15 reps
Front raises
3 sets, 15 reps

Pec dec
5 sets, 15 reps

Rope push downs
3 sets, 25 reps

A couple fruity pebble bowls and the strength is back and the cold almost completely gone!

Felt good to be able to squat close to 300 again,
And warming up with the hack squat machine was definitely interesting

My shoulders and chest have always been a weaker point but today I totally pushed them a little further (without pain of course)

Scale read 173 today, so weight hasn't fluctuated too much in the past couple days.
Really considering whether I should BUMP calories or not....

Stay tuned!

[Phoenix9369]

Monday , November 14th

deadlift day

Day 15 of Maxon / Biogro combo

Feeling super rested and fresh

Squats
Warm up: 5 reps: bar/95/95/135
135x10, 185x5, 225x5,x3
Paused reps: 135x5, 2 sets

Deadlifts
3 sets of 3 @ 245

Bent over rows
3 sets of 10

Barbell shrugs
3 sets of 10

Leg curls
3 sets of 10

Low cable rows
3 sets of 10

Side crunches
3 sets of 15

Workout was less taxing that usual, and I'm gonna blame the decreased load in the deadlifts (I'm obviously being sarcastic here)
I've been a little stressed because of a new job and lots of stuff going on, and I think I'm gonna need to add some stretching and foam rolling on my off days to help my tissue relax and it get so tight while lifting
I did manage to get a good workout, but I didn't feel 100% there as I've been doing.

Hope everyone's Monday went well
Let's kick this week in the butt!

[Phoenix9369]

Tuesday , November 15th

off day

My left knee side is more sore than the right one
This is new

Last night I realized my left shoulder is slightly disaligned so I decided to start mobility work and correctives ASAP

Bunch of foam rolling stretches and shoulder mobility

Hip abductors AND adductors
5 sets of 25, light weight

Squats
10 sets of 10 at 95

Side raises, dumbbell
3 sets of 12

Side raises, machine
3 sets of 12

Single hand lat pull down, pulley
3 sets of 12

Single hand lat pull down, machine
3 sets of 12

Pull-ups
3 sets of 8

Believe it or not this made my abs feel more sore than my usual ab workout
Funny irony

I like to know the reason as to why things happen the way they do rather than to make excuses, so I'll just say that I'm feeling slightly stressed due to a career change, and that's what's making me not perform in the gym the way i should

This week, I'll try to get a lot of correctives and active stretches to improve my posture and my shoulder alignment

It's a bit scary, honestly, but I hope it's not something major.

Hope everyone's evening is going phenomenal