[JP10]

Originally Posted by ramman434

Weighed in Fri morning at 202.2, had a good shoulder/trap day, but no usual cardio after. Talked the wife into a run to the beach on Sat morning.
Then ate/drank terribly tasty amounts of bad things Sat night and ate like s*** yesterday without exercise. Weighed a healthy 209.4 lol

I'll be down about 10lb. by the end of the week, it's just my normal cycle. I'm contemplating starting to bulk again though. Get back to a standard 210-215 with <10% body fat like I was a couple of years ago. I'm just feeling lazy and don't want to make the effort to get there lol. We'll see what happens.

Today is universal chest day, so I'll have to go secure my bench

This is my life. Weekends always do damage, but by time Friday rolls around I am back down to my fighting (metaphorically) weight. If I was strict with diet through the weekends I'd be skin an bones haha.

[zx10guy]

Been spending about 2 weeks trying to recover from a pinched nerve affecting my left arm strength. Everything is jacked up from doing bi's, shoulders, back, to chest. All the gains I've made has been slipping away. I'm in a more or less maintain mode trying to prevent the downward slide.

The only strange and good news is my tri's seem to be unaffected by this pinched nerve. If anything, they're getting stronger.

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by JP10

Tweaked my upper back yesterday

Perhaps each morning after you wake up - gently hang from a pullup bar if you have one at home. My pullup bar hangs from a door frame so I hold myself up and then slowly lower my body to increase the weight. When my back hurts and it always helps. CBD is what I use if I tweak a muscle and in many cases the next day I'm fine.

Hope you didn't try that Hyphey Mud?

[JP10]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Perhaps each morning after you wake up - gently hang from a pullup bar if you have one at home. My pullup bar hangs from a door frame so I hold myself up and then slowly lower my body to increase the weight. When my back hurts and it always helps. CBD is what I use if I tweak a muscle and in many cases the next day I'm fine.

Hope you didn't try that Hyphey Mud?

Yeah I wish I had a pull-up bar to hang from, might help. Usually the first think I do when I get to the gym in the morning is stretch and roll out my back. Upper back has been very tight for months now, need to go to the chiropractor one of these days.

Haha no way I'll ever try that. Carbonated pepsi instant coffee right before the gym, no thank you. Sounds like instant indigestion lol

[floridaorange]

^Maybe find a door you can use- the hanging has gotten me out of a lot of back pinches. Particularly the upper back.


First day back after a week off due to no gym access in Siesta Key. Felt amazing - did a full body workout just to check in on all the muscle groups - everything feels strong still and i managed to gain weight! Part of me can't help but wonder is 4 sets is overkill. (tonight i did 2-3).

Anyone here have a successful less is more routine they like? And @JP10 - the weight gainer, pumpkin, Peanut Butter smoothies have worked fantastically for gaining quality weight!

[JP10]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

^Maybe find a door you can use- the hanging has gotten me out of a lot of back pinches. Particularly the upper back.


First day back after a week off due to no gym access in Siesta Key. Felt amazing - did a full body workout just to check in on all the muscle groups - everything feels strong still and i managed to gain weight! Part of me can't help but wonder is 4 sets is overkill. (tonight i did 2-3).

Anyone here have a successful less is more routine they like? And @JP10 - the weight gainer, pumpkin, Peanut Butter smoothies have worked fantastically for gaining quality weight!

Nice man, glad this is working for ya. Peanut butter addiction is a real thing so be careful haha.

In regards to the sets it really depends on how you are performing. I never go in there saying im going to do 3 sets of this, this, and this.... Rather it is all about feel, when I feel that I have gotten what I wanted out of a exercise then I move on.

Rough scenario just based off of this mornings workout. I started with machine shoulder presses, really just to get everything nice and warmed up. Started with 2 lighter, high rep sets. Then I got into my working sets, and I usually try to pyramid, thus increasing weight and decreasing reps. I don't set rep counts either, I always work to failure regardless of which set it is. If my first working set was easy and I got 14 reps then I know I can increase the weight substaintially to where I am only getting 8-10 reps in the second working set, then another bump where I'd usually get 5-8 reps. Key is to failure. From there I'd move to an auxiliary movement like lateral raises with the same premise in mind.

Difficult to explain via texts, but no one person is the same. One might benefit by low reps heavy weight, where others (myself) see more gains out of lighter increased volume movements. Just got to find what works best.

[ramman434]

I always hit the gym after work, and have had stuff I had to do every single day this week, including today, so haven't been in at all. It's been kinda nice to have a week off.

I did start trying intermittent fasting as of Wednesday (my wife does it all the time), and overnight between Wed & Thurs. I dropped 7lb. to 202.4lb Ate like I normally do (a shit load) and have weighed exactly 202.4 the last two days. I've never done it before, so maybe this woulda worked better for me when I was cutting. The lowest I got down to was 195lb. a couple years ago for my wedding, not planning to go that low though.

Also, peanut butter is the best! Have you tried it with Nilla Wafers? Ppl don't believe me till they try it. It was an old college favorite reward snack of mine. Absolutely delicious

[UncleWede]

Originally Posted by ramman434

Also, peanut butter is the best! Have you tried it with Nilla Wafers? Ppl don't believe me till they try it.

What could go wrong with this combo? Well, except that you look down, the box is empty, and you have to use a scraper to get the last of the 40oz jar of PB.

[floridaorange]

Nilla wafers in banana pudding is what my grandma always made... I miss her and her pudding sitting in her sewing rooms refrigerator. I'll pick some up.

JP - good explanation of the first set - progression to failure. The first set I often can do like 20, because I always want to start light to warm up the muscle group.

[ramman434]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Nilla wafers in banana pudding is what my grandma always made... I miss her and her pudding sitting in her sewing rooms refrigerator. I'll pick some up.

JP - good explanation of the first set - progression to failure. The first set I often can do like 20, because I always want to start light to warm up the muscle group.

Being from the south, I wasn't aware that you could make banana pudding without Nilla Wafers in it, and on top lol. Such a good combo....I think I'm going to have to make this soon!

[chassis]

1400 yds in the pool today. Good stuff.

[JP10]

Well my knee injury took a turn for the worse. Felt okay Saturday morning, so I went to the gym. As far as cardio goes I cycled and rowed, figured these would be relatively low stress on my knee. Got home and did some chores, once 2pm hit my knee was killing me. Found my old knee sleeve, and have been elevating and icing it. Felt better Sunday, but I can tell there still something wrong. I think I hyperextended it.

Felt okay this morning, so did some light cardio on it this morning. Just been hobbling around trying not to put too much pressure on it. Plan to take it relatively easy on anything cardio or leg related this week until it heals. Hate having injuries, just want to push as hard as I can in the gym but now I am limited...*sigh*.

[floridaorange]

Is that an old recurring injury from sports or lifting?

[UncleWede]

Decided I'm healthy again. But taking it slow. Ran 3.5 yesterday then went in and did chest today, along with my back stretches

Difficult to walk around today, but still did some yard work

[1MOREMOD]

Hit 365 for 2 on squat today.

[JP10]

Originally Posted by floridaorange

Is that an old recurring injury from sports or lifting?

Yeah I think so. Took Tuesday-Friday off. Got back in yesterday and today. It's starting to feel better, but still unstable. Hoping a few more days of taking it easy will be all it needs

[floridaorange]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Hit 365 for 2 on squat today.

sick!

[1MOREMOD]

Bulking slightly was aiming for 1 lb a week for a bit but last week was 4! Fat ass!

[strohw]

Curious what people would replace a traditional squat with if they couldn't load weight onto their shoulders/back.

[JP10]

I don't want to hear it, being out all last week coupled with Thanksgiving and eating throughout the weekend I wouldn't be shocked if I am up 10lbs. Planning to bring it back down this week, we will see what happens.

Lifted shoulders/biceps Saturday, back/triceps yesterday, and chest today. Knee is ready to get back into lifts yet, so will have to get creative with my regimen this week haha.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by strohw

Curious what people would replace a traditional squat with if they couldn't load weight onto their shoulders/back.

Hack squat, leg press, db split squat

[JP10]

Originally Posted by strohw

Curious what people would replace a traditional squat with if they couldn't load weight onto their shoulders/back.

Depends on what your goal is. Gut reaction is leg press. But it really depends if you are looking to build mass, tone, increase flexibility, etc. Tons of other options to keep leg strength - Sissy squats, lunges, DB Squats, etc etc.