A Lifter's Iron Log...

[ExtraMile]

Fair enough man. But if you quit now I wouldnt expect them to just allow you to jump back in with them in the future when you feel like it. Doesnt sound like they would take that well...

I wish I had a serious group like that to train with... But I can see how sometimes it would suck. I wouldnt like to be forced into doing the same program as someone else.

Out of interest, do all the PLers in the team have high levels of bf% ?

 

[the.gladiator1987]

Well I'm a pretty intuitive guy. This group of lifters are extremely competitive, world class lifters. They all seem to expect a certain level of commitment that I just can't commit to right now.

Last night the vibe was pretty lame and it's not just me thinkin that.

All these guys are doing very well in their careers and lifting and you know they got this mentality right now that I can't match.

Most of the time when I train with them I don't feel competitive. Not just because most of them lift alot more weight than me atm, but because I'm just not in a great mind set right now.

I've been unemployed closing in on close to 1 year now and that doesn't make me happy. If it wasn't for my mom I would be fuckin screwed.

Then throw in the fact that every one gets pissed or flips you shit if you don't show up for a session and I just don't feel like putting up with that. Also when a bodypart of mine is aching or sore beyond typical from strain or whatever I'll cut a workout or sets short if it's bugging me. These guys are mega gung ho and look down on that. Of course I'm the only one of them that hasn't been seriously injured in the gym at all, let alone multiple times like all of them have been. There's no reason to get seriously injured in the gym if you listen to your body. There are powerlifters/weightlifters than have lifted for 20 years that have remained relatively injury free that put up big weights. The chance is always there for injury when you are really pushing it to the limit, but ignoring warning signs from your body just seems stupid to me.

I can make gains on my own. I don't plan on having a confrontation with them tonight. I'm just going to let the coach know I don't think I belong training with that group right now. My mind is not on the right level. They all want me to compete and right now I'm not really interested in competing. Also these guys are all natural pl'ers that don't have a fuckin clue about steroids and only the head coach knows I use which eventually is gonna cause issues. It's already awkward when I hear them make assinine comments about roids.

I just feel it would be best for me and the team if I do my own thing for now. Maybe in the future when things are going better for me and if I decide to quit using roids permanently(fat chance) then I might go all out with them.

Sounds like it is time for you to do your own thing ghetto. You know your body, you know what you need to do to get bigger and stronger, and it is not beneficial to be goin into your workouts with ppl that have different goals.

And please dont stop using steroids lol

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

No they don't. I have the highest bodyfat % of them all. I've put on 50lbs in 8 months of lifting which would be impossible to be all lean and likely would be difficult to do without the mild level of testosterone I run atm.

The 3 top male lifters are all fairly lean, even the shortest guy. One of them is fuckin ripped. The coach lifts maybe once a week and rotates squats one week and deads the next and he's a smidge taller than me and weighs 265lbs, but he's a fuckin ginormous 265.

Not all powerlifters are chubby. Usually it's the super heavyweight guys and guys pushin way past their normal bodyweight level that are chubbin it.

I'm not some total fatass, but I don't sugar coat how I look considering how lean I have been in the past. I'm 250lbs at 5'8.5". Regardless whether or not I'm lean that's still pretty fuckin big and if I didn't want to be so anonymous on here I would post a pick in gym clothes to show it. Untrained I sit at a comfortable and healthy looking 195-205lbs.


As for lifting with them. Well my coach just reaffirmed why he is such an awesome guy. I chatted with him privately before working out today and told him how I felt. He wasn't mad at me at all. I've known him off an on for 7+ years. That's the difference though between coming up to a guy and being honest vs guys just not showing up anymore which I have already seen happen since I started lifting with them. He said when my mind is right I can come over and train with them any time.

I was really glad because I know how lucky I am to have a lifting mentor like him especially because he is literally a world class coach AND lifter. The whole competitive mindset is a great thing, but right now I just don't have that to give to him and I don't want to be a drag on the team atmosphere. He understood.


Squat Day

Barbell Squat barx5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 315x1, 365x1 w/belt warmup

405x3 with belt/wrist wraps

Maaybe had 4 reps in me.

Think I'm gonna use a modified progression scheme. Next tuesday I'll do 405x5 then the next week 410-415x3 depending on how I'm feeling. Maybe take a backoff week every 4-5 weeks and drop the weight 50-100lbs and do a double or triple for some deloading.

Hip felt pretty solid tonight. I think it might be 100% by next weeks session.

Leg Press 400x4x18 gooood pump and burn, hip felt great during these

foam rolled my left hip a couple times tonight. Left bicep cramped abit on the last 2 heaviest squat weights, but it was the least painful tonight it has been in weeks. I'm thinking I'm going to roll shoulder presses into monday's for now until my arm is good enough to go back to thursday night pressing.

Forgot to weight myself tonight. Don't really care. At this point I'm more interested in getting stronger with my current bodyweight than gaining any more weight. I'll probably check my weight once a month now or something.


Training with a serious group of lifters can be amazing, but if you aren't there mentally it can be a drag too because you are expected to perform to a certain level most of the time and to do certain things that you may or may not feel up to doing.

And Glad, I don't plan on stopping anabolics any time soon. I've learned too much about them and enjoy using them too much to just jump off atm. I'm not addicted to them and I could stop right now if I wanted, but when a person becomes educated about something and understands the pro's and con's about something well....you know what I mean.

 

[Tblock1]

Wow that's great that you do know your own body that well ghetto. I cant believe all those powerlifters are natural though that makes their lifts all the more impressive! I'm loving your suggestion about the leg press though it feels great and I hope it's keeping my leg strength up

 

[the.gladiator1987]

idk, it depends on who im talking to. One person i have a convo with i might be all about steroids and talk about how we juice, the next guy i talk to will be about how steroids are bad lol. I kinda jus nod my head and say "yea, yea" and let it go thru one ear and out the other

 

[Andalite]

Are you sure those guys are not on steroids? I don't trust people. People who've been doing this for a long time - especially your guys because you said they're at an elite level; wouldn't make stupid statements about roids...they may not know everything but they would know that regardless of roids you still need to work hard. It ian't a magic pill lol..

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Let me put it this way. One lifter is set to possibly break a world record in the next competition.

Another has represented the Usa, abroad.

The 3rd has been training for 2 years straight under my coaches tutelage and is looking at putting up somewhere around 1575-1600lbs total in single ply gear with super strict rules at 230lbs bodyweight.

Another guy can post an +1800lbs total at 198lbs in single ply.


They don't so much make assinine comments as much as typical ignorant comments.

Just because you are an elite lifter doesn't mean you have studied up on steroids. Most lifter's even if they know a little about steroids don't understand what kind of gains you get from them and tend to think that you get bigger gains than the actual reality.

Granted, if I ran 750mg test ew + 20-25mg dbol ed right now instead of 375mg test a week I would probably have a bigass surge in strength and size, but that's not long-term viable and I might retain 25-50% of the initial gain afterwards.

Most guys that haven't actually done steroids think all of the sudden you will get a massive increase. Every one's idea of a big increase is different, but eh. Some day I'll have every thing in place to try a bigger cycle and see what the difference is, but for now I look at it as a way to ensure that I am always anabolic and that my lifting will create gains. 375mg test a week is nothing in cycling terms yet I'm still getting stronger every week. Then again I'm nowhere near my natural limit at least strength-wise so basically what's going on is I am allowing myself to gain at an above average rate over time because let's face it I can recover every week from my workouts np and fatigue buildup is much less and diminishes much quicker on aas.

Anyhow, my coach had np with me using. He didn't so much condone it as just not hold it against me so long as I didn't try to compete in the natural meets. His lifter's are all competing natural with random drug testing. I really don't think these guys are on any thing. With me my coach after a couple months had a pretty good idea I was on something because he's been in the game so long and I got alot of size pretty rapidly.

None of the lifter's look excessively muscled or have that "on" look nor are any of them that big overall except the coach and second most senior lifter who has been powerlifting for 20+ years and you would expect to be fucking yoked just like the coach.

I could be wrong and maybe 1 or 2 of them are on something. I know the coach is not aware of it if they are. Another thing in their favor is that they are all extremely competitive and the group mentality with the overseeing of the coach leads to a very progressive lifting environment. Same deal with the westside guys or team supertraining and how an elite level lifting environment produces a higher percentage of strong lifters and makes that process faster than what you could likely do on your own.

Hard to say really. Would I be shocked to find out 1 to 2 of them were on something. No. Do I think they are? I give them the benefit of the doubt. They have been busting ass under an elite level coach for at least 2 years a piece and several have been competing for 10 years or more.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

2-17-2011

Assistance night

Decline situp, db side bend, lying leg raise performed in circuit fashion.

deline situps 3x10,10,6
Db Sidebends 55lbs, 3x10
Lying Leg Raise 3x15

Seated Strict Alt DB Curls 25's, 3x10 solid pump, left bicep was only a little irritable from these

45 degree Back Extensions bwx10, bw+25lbs behind head 1x8, bwx14 explosive reps

Warmed up on treadmill 3 minutes before workout, I heat up fast, then did 3 minutes on the seated bike for 3 minutes before the back extension, then walked around the gym 3x after the extensions

Foam rolled my left hip twice during the workout and also the right hip/thigh once as well

squat position inner groin stretch, runner's stretch, toe touch, couple of strict bw only lunges to feel the hip

Felt good. I had to get my ass into the gym after pretty much just sitting around all day. Glad I did.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

Only problem with a long cycle like that is recovery if you ever plan on coming off, but you arent running insane doses at all either.

And it sucks getting strong as shit and then losing it after cycle, I hate that and Id rather it be consistent gains.

Either way great work so far ur strength and size has gone up a lot since you started. How many weeks more are u running it?

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

I'm thinking April I will come off. I'm not worried about recovery really. I was on for a similar amount of time a couple years ago running a low dose and had np coming off with some nolva, clomid and needto's sustain or dermacrine.

Thinking this time I'm gonna run hcg, nolva, clomid and needto's tribulis product for pct.

I admit I don't really feel like coming off, but I will because I do want to see where my bodies strength sits when I come off and I need to let the old system sit at normal for 3-4 months. I know I am not at my natural limit in strength or size, but I do expect a small drop in strength and similar to you probably 6-10lbs water loss. At 375mg ew I don't really feel "on". That said I still have enhanced recovery speed and tolerance to intense lifting and since I eat plenty I'm able to make steady gains without any plateau's yet.

I think after I come off for 3-4 months I will run the 750mg ew test cycle for 12-16 weeks.

Before I even consider that I need to get a fucking reasonable job.