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The Beast's Training Journal!
- Thread starter WalkingBeast
- Start date
As mentioned, my arms have not grown in flexed measurement since 2012. 19 1/2 cold flexed was my max cold measurement then, and now. My relaxed straight arm measurement increased an inch, but that still didnt effect my flexed measurement. It shouldnt be fat because when I hit 19 1/2 the first time , it was at a very sloppy 242. My waist and navel measurements were MUCH larger than now. It may even be related to the fact that I am on HRT and have stayed on consistantly. Hard to say why that occured.
Ive tried 100 sets a week to failure for arms, and my normal routines are 50 sets on average. Ive alternated tris with bis in supersets and dropsets, done heavier straight sets with more rest, etc.
Im thinking of two things I may try to force a new adaption. If anyone has tried these, let me know, Id be interested in your results. The first is this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FIS14...TF8&colid=2Y8EVYOLN1ZA6&coliid=I1K5TY02TJAI99
It makes the bar fatter on just about any movement. I could see this hitting my biceps and forearms in a new way, possibly getting more stimulation out of the weights I use, even with lighter weight during injuries. Something like that long term, I could see forcing adaption over time. Similiar to when I ditched straps and my forearms seemed to get stronger grip wise and possibly larger. Id probably use them mainly for curling movements.
The second thing that looked interesting was occlusion training:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0140B50F...UTF8&colid=2Y8EVYOLN1ZA6&coliid=IZW9M2UXDO2S0
Im always plotting ideas and trying to find different angles. Even when I hit a brick wall with progress (which ive overcome many of these types of plateaus), I dont focus on my lack of progress. Im constantly seeking ideas for what I can do to change the situation.
The occlusion may not do anything, no idea. It sounds interesting on paper, but so does alot of bullshit that doesnt work. Its all about trying shit for yourself. The fat grips actually seem like they would illicit some new response. Either in the forearms or the biceps.
The occlusion training sounded interesting because it allows you to train lighter by trapping blood in the muscle. Which would be great for injury recovery periods (which is basically every training day for me these days).
If anyone wants to share ANY experiences with ANY methods, or just some inspirational shit in general, I welcome all of that
KILL THAT SHIT
Ive tried 100 sets a week to failure for arms, and my normal routines are 50 sets on average. Ive alternated tris with bis in supersets and dropsets, done heavier straight sets with more rest, etc.
Im thinking of two things I may try to force a new adaption. If anyone has tried these, let me know, Id be interested in your results. The first is this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FIS14...TF8&colid=2Y8EVYOLN1ZA6&coliid=I1K5TY02TJAI99
It makes the bar fatter on just about any movement. I could see this hitting my biceps and forearms in a new way, possibly getting more stimulation out of the weights I use, even with lighter weight during injuries. Something like that long term, I could see forcing adaption over time. Similiar to when I ditched straps and my forearms seemed to get stronger grip wise and possibly larger. Id probably use them mainly for curling movements.
The second thing that looked interesting was occlusion training:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0140B50F...UTF8&colid=2Y8EVYOLN1ZA6&coliid=IZW9M2UXDO2S0
Im always plotting ideas and trying to find different angles. Even when I hit a brick wall with progress (which ive overcome many of these types of plateaus), I dont focus on my lack of progress. Im constantly seeking ideas for what I can do to change the situation.
The occlusion may not do anything, no idea. It sounds interesting on paper, but so does alot of bullshit that doesnt work. Its all about trying shit for yourself. The fat grips actually seem like they would illicit some new response. Either in the forearms or the biceps.
The occlusion training sounded interesting because it allows you to train lighter by trapping blood in the muscle. Which would be great for injury recovery periods (which is basically every training day for me these days).
If anyone wants to share ANY experiences with ANY methods, or just some inspirational shit in general, I welcome all of that
KILL THAT SHIT
Legs , Minus calves
Light and low volume.
Started with leg presses again. They are much less damaging to my knees than extentions and more efficient overall. Extentions have been causing alot of knee pain lately, so they are optional at this point. Id need many more reps to get the same result and they dont hit the whole leg.
Ive been going for maximum depth and pausing at the botton briefly on most of my reps now, for leg presses. I can feel the difference in the leg pumps after each set.
The supplements were running through me today and fucked up my routine. I barely made it through the 800 lb set before having issues. I believe I know what the issue was. The Doctor jekyll can do that on an empty stomach, but the creatine I accidentally mixed into my pre workout. Normally I mix it into the pro bcaas that I take intratraining. That way I can dillute it with 60-90 oz of water. I switched over to pure creatine mono powder today because the creatine mix I have left has turned into a solid brick.
The seated leg curl here is fucked up as it doesnt hold my leg in place properly, and the lying version fucks with my hiatal hernia and acid sometimes. I tried leg extentions but didnt feel good on knees. Dont need em at this stage though.
Back in the 240's officially now. Hit 240 today. 242 was my heaviest gym weight on a scale and possibly 243 at home. So Im close to breaking a bodyweight record. Though I dont put alot of emphasis on bodyweight anymore, since my metabolism slowed. Im more interested in muscle mass. I just want to increase my muscular measurements.
Ill try to complete the growth phase while either rehabbing my chest or not training it at all. It wont be optimal but I can still grow everything else. Then maybe itll be time for a 2 or 3 month break. Im not sure if Ill have a choice with these chest strains. If I want to train chest again. Its possible I can rehab my chest with light training, slowly adding more, but its very tender lately. It gets super sore from the 180x35 on the incline hammer strength press. I was doing 540x20 as ONE of my sets , of maybe 30 sets, and not getting this sore. So that shoes how torn up my chest is right now. I would like to complete what I started though. This growth phase. Im making good progress aside from that one area I cant train properly. When my back/chest measurement does increase it will be all back muscle. Im at 56 inches cold now. If my chest was healed and I was training it I would probably have an extra inch or two. I can see that my chest is looking smaller now. Ill resolve it eventually.
240 lbs after 2 meals (Also after milk and taking my GEAR pills, Joint RX pills, Krill oil. Takes about 32 oz fluid to wash those down)
Leg Press (Mostly brief pauses at the bottom of each rep and aiming for maximum depth, much more taxing on the muscle)
180x100 warm
400x100 warm
600x51
700x40
800x40
Supplements were running through me at this point. Felt it bad after the 700 lb set, barely made it through the 800 lb set.
Seated Leg Curl (This machine doesnt hold my upper thigh in place properly and feels awkward)
No rest til line
110x20
145x5
--------------
145x10
145x10
130x15
130x17
Hip Abductor
No rest til line
70x50
130x20
175x10
--------
No rest til line
220x5
175x15
145x25
115x20
-----------------
Hip Adductor
no rest til line
70x50
150x20
225x5
-------
No rest til line
225x10
180x10
150x10
125x10
115x10-20
--------
Weights and reps may not be 100 percent accurate with adductor and abductor exercises since I wasnt focused on the weight and reps
KILL THAT SHIT
Light and low volume.
Started with leg presses again. They are much less damaging to my knees than extentions and more efficient overall. Extentions have been causing alot of knee pain lately, so they are optional at this point. Id need many more reps to get the same result and they dont hit the whole leg.
Ive been going for maximum depth and pausing at the botton briefly on most of my reps now, for leg presses. I can feel the difference in the leg pumps after each set.
The supplements were running through me today and fucked up my routine. I barely made it through the 800 lb set before having issues. I believe I know what the issue was. The Doctor jekyll can do that on an empty stomach, but the creatine I accidentally mixed into my pre workout. Normally I mix it into the pro bcaas that I take intratraining. That way I can dillute it with 60-90 oz of water. I switched over to pure creatine mono powder today because the creatine mix I have left has turned into a solid brick.
The seated leg curl here is fucked up as it doesnt hold my leg in place properly, and the lying version fucks with my hiatal hernia and acid sometimes. I tried leg extentions but didnt feel good on knees. Dont need em at this stage though.
Back in the 240's officially now. Hit 240 today. 242 was my heaviest gym weight on a scale and possibly 243 at home. So Im close to breaking a bodyweight record. Though I dont put alot of emphasis on bodyweight anymore, since my metabolism slowed. Im more interested in muscle mass. I just want to increase my muscular measurements.
Ill try to complete the growth phase while either rehabbing my chest or not training it at all. It wont be optimal but I can still grow everything else. Then maybe itll be time for a 2 or 3 month break. Im not sure if Ill have a choice with these chest strains. If I want to train chest again. Its possible I can rehab my chest with light training, slowly adding more, but its very tender lately. It gets super sore from the 180x35 on the incline hammer strength press. I was doing 540x20 as ONE of my sets , of maybe 30 sets, and not getting this sore. So that shoes how torn up my chest is right now. I would like to complete what I started though. This growth phase. Im making good progress aside from that one area I cant train properly. When my back/chest measurement does increase it will be all back muscle. Im at 56 inches cold now. If my chest was healed and I was training it I would probably have an extra inch or two. I can see that my chest is looking smaller now. Ill resolve it eventually.
240 lbs after 2 meals (Also after milk and taking my GEAR pills, Joint RX pills, Krill oil. Takes about 32 oz fluid to wash those down)
Leg Press (Mostly brief pauses at the bottom of each rep and aiming for maximum depth, much more taxing on the muscle)
180x100 warm
400x100 warm
600x51
700x40
800x40
Supplements were running through me at this point. Felt it bad after the 700 lb set, barely made it through the 800 lb set.
Seated Leg Curl (This machine doesnt hold my upper thigh in place properly and feels awkward)
No rest til line
110x20
145x5
--------------
145x10
145x10
130x15
130x17
Hip Abductor
No rest til line
70x50
130x20
175x10
--------
No rest til line
220x5
175x15
145x25
115x20
-----------------
Hip Adductor
no rest til line
70x50
150x20
225x5
-------
No rest til line
225x10
180x10
150x10
125x10
115x10-20
--------
Weights and reps may not be 100 percent accurate with adductor and abductor exercises since I wasnt focused on the weight and reps
KILL THAT SHIT
Im considering forcing a break for a few weeks. With the weight im moving on overhead presses, my chest will never really have time to recover. Everything puts pressure on those strains, mainly left pec. I never took a break when i popped the left side again on the close grip smith machine inclines with 275.
With some healing time i should be able to press heavy again with chest. Ive already done it twice already with the last two strains. Light presses shouldnt be painful. If anything i should just have decreased power but not pain , since it happened about a month ago. I just never rested the shit.
If i only take 2 weeks off i wont lose much and itll come back fast. Even a few months break doesnt take that long to get back. Its better than a chest tear. It may not be that serious but i have no way to tell until something happens.
My mind was still in a fucking killing mode. Having just got back from my last 6 week break and back at peak strength and size. Even just breaking a few records the other day.
Thats part of adapting and continuing to keep shit rolling though. Patience. It all comes back anyway. Will see what exactly i decide to do.
Kill that shit
With some healing time i should be able to press heavy again with chest. Ive already done it twice already with the last two strains. Light presses shouldnt be painful. If anything i should just have decreased power but not pain , since it happened about a month ago. I just never rested the shit.
If i only take 2 weeks off i wont lose much and itll come back fast. Even a few months break doesnt take that long to get back. Its better than a chest tear. It may not be that serious but i have no way to tell until something happens.
My mind was still in a fucking killing mode. Having just got back from my last 6 week break and back at peak strength and size. Even just breaking a few records the other day.
Thats part of adapting and continuing to keep shit rolling though. Patience. It all comes back anyway. Will see what exactly i decide to do.
Kill that shit
About to hit some back. Still undecided on what my next move will be. Im at peak size now overall and breaking records with my overhead press work. Just cant do any real training for chest yet. I dont have any pain really, when not training it. When I flex it , its just a little tender but its very slight. Around the insertions.
Ill feel shit out and see. Id like to avoid taking a break and see this growth phase through, but in worst case Ill resume it after my chest heals some more. Though the first week I strained it was probably the time to rest it, not a month later. Wouldnt hurt though.
Mostly growth focused today.
KILL THAT SHIT
Ill feel shit out and see. Id like to avoid taking a break and see this growth phase through, but in worst case Ill resume it after my chest heals some more. Though the first week I strained it was probably the time to rest it, not a month later. Wouldnt hurt though.
Mostly growth focused today.
KILL THAT SHIT
Attempted Back training and rear delts
Chest was decent enough during the chin ups. Hit 241 lbs today so I was just about to break into new size territory overall. Strength records already came this week. Unfortunately Ive been putting off a break since the left chest strain a month ago. Trying to train around and through it.
Theres still some tenderness there that is effecting rows now. So I can see its only going to work against me at this point. I will try to stay out of the gym for a few weeks , maybe even a month or more. Itll come back quick. I just got back my size from the 6 week break, but this is part of the process. In the long term I end up larger and stronger each year. Its just part of adapting at this stage. Nothing new
241 lbs after meal and some milk
Chin Ups (Close grip, palms facing)
135 lbs assistance x 20 (warm up)
90 lbs assistance x ?? (warm up)
21 chin ups at bodyweight (PR for this bodyweight. See video)
12 chin ups at bodyweight
At this stage my pec strains were getting more tender. Something felt off and my power wasnt like usual. Everything should return much stronger and larger but its time to force a break I think.
Low Cable Rows (close grip , palms facing handle, narrow)
None of this to failure today
150x20 long holds
225x10
Iso Low Row Hammer Strength (attempted to switch movements to continue training. Didnt work out)
no rest til line
180x30
270x10
------------
No rest til line
320x20 (done one arm at a time, first in a set of 10 reps, then in sets of 5. Only rest being while other arm rows)
270x20 (similiar style)
180x30 (both arms at same time)
-------------------
Dual Dumbbell Rows using incline bench as chest support (another attempt to switch shit up, unsuccessful)
80x20 (long holds)
80x15 (same, didnt push it)
Reverse Machine Flies (didnt push this either)
130x20 (long holds)
130x15 (same)
130x15(same)
130x15(same)
130x15 (same)
Just stayed at warm up weight for these. Was done for today.
Video below
KILL THAT SHIT
Chest was decent enough during the chin ups. Hit 241 lbs today so I was just about to break into new size territory overall. Strength records already came this week. Unfortunately Ive been putting off a break since the left chest strain a month ago. Trying to train around and through it.
Theres still some tenderness there that is effecting rows now. So I can see its only going to work against me at this point. I will try to stay out of the gym for a few weeks , maybe even a month or more. Itll come back quick. I just got back my size from the 6 week break, but this is part of the process. In the long term I end up larger and stronger each year. Its just part of adapting at this stage. Nothing new
241 lbs after meal and some milk
Chin Ups (Close grip, palms facing)
135 lbs assistance x 20 (warm up)
90 lbs assistance x ?? (warm up)
21 chin ups at bodyweight (PR for this bodyweight. See video)
12 chin ups at bodyweight
At this stage my pec strains were getting more tender. Something felt off and my power wasnt like usual. Everything should return much stronger and larger but its time to force a break I think.
Low Cable Rows (close grip , palms facing handle, narrow)
None of this to failure today
150x20 long holds
225x10
Iso Low Row Hammer Strength (attempted to switch movements to continue training. Didnt work out)
no rest til line
180x30
270x10
------------
No rest til line
320x20 (done one arm at a time, first in a set of 10 reps, then in sets of 5. Only rest being while other arm rows)
270x20 (similiar style)
180x30 (both arms at same time)
-------------------
Dual Dumbbell Rows using incline bench as chest support (another attempt to switch shit up, unsuccessful)
80x20 (long holds)
80x15 (same, didnt push it)
Reverse Machine Flies (didnt push this either)
130x20 (long holds)
130x15 (same)
130x15(same)
130x15(same)
130x15 (same)
Just stayed at warm up weight for these. Was done for today.
Video below
KILL THAT SHIT
