Blonde will make you STRONG

[iRaise]

I definitely think that a period of being incredibly strict is crucial for most people. I have just come off 5 months where I was very strict 90-95% of the time. Happy that only 3kg has gone back on and that is probably 1-2 of water weight as I am eating 2-3 times the amount of carbs now. Feel lean still and look fairly lean still. I cannot believe how restrained I am being. Really happy with where my head is at in terms of not binging although I have done 7/7 days in the gym which probably wasn't the best idea so rest day today.

[the sicilian]

Get the pictures up you massive f**king homo!!

This

We know you're a homo, regardless of the pics, Dean

Thought I had some of me from when I started, but only have them from before I went to Tenerife in February, when I was about 18 stone.

Took another last night to compare, and still look like a bag of shit, but only look about 6m pregnant now.

Won't subject Blonde to them, as nobody wants to have to see that on a Friday

HaHaHaHa... your'e not far wrong... prob sort it at some point..tweaked my bloody calf today during sprints... hobbling a bit and sore as hell..sigh

I'll lend you one of my crutches in Vegas

If its attached to a Rhino's stripper you're on

[Marky147]

Get the pictures up you massive f**king homo!!

This

We know you're a homo, regardless of the pics, Dean

Thought I had some of me from when I started, but only have them from before I went to Tenerife in February, when I was about 18 stone.

Took another last night to compare, and still look like a bag of shit, but only look about 6m pregnant now.

Won't subject Blonde to them, as nobody wants to have to see that on a Friday

HaHaHaHa... your'e not far wrong... prob sort it at some point..tweaked my bloody calf today during sprints... hobbling a bit and sore as hell..sigh

I'll lend you one of my crutches in Vegas

If its attached to a Rhino's stripper you're on

Ha!

I've not been there for years, but my mate keeps on about going back to the strippy.

[EvilPie]

Bit more progress on the bench press this morning thanks to be able to grab the assistance of a decent spotter.

100kg x 6
120kg x 4
130kg x 2

All unassisted, just had the spotter there for safety. 3 plates just around the corner......

[the sicilian]

Bit more progress on the bench press this morning thanks to be able to grab the assistance of a decent spotter.

100kg x 6
120kg x 4
130kg x 2

All unassisted, just had the spotter there for safety. 3 plates just around the corner......

Mucho Strongio !

[iRaise]

Bit more progress on the bench press this morning thanks to be able to grab the assistance of a decent spotter.

100kg x 6
120kg x 4
130kg x 2

All unassisted, just had the spotter there for safety. 3 plates just around the corner......

Solid strength. I am sure you have said it before but can't remember what your previous 1rm was?

[EvilPie]

Bit more progress on the bench press this morning thanks to be able to grab the assistance of a decent spotter.

100kg x 6
120kg x 4
130kg x 2

All unassisted, just had the spotter there for safety. 3 plates just around the corner......

Solid strength. I am sure you have said it before but can't remember what your previous 1rm was?

I've never tested 1RM on anything so don't know what it was.

I was always pretty awful at bench press never going above 100kg even when I was really strong although I'd be doing 4 x 10 or more at that. Don't know why but even though 100kg was easy there was something about sticking anything more on that just messed me up. Must've been psychological I guess although I now know my technique was never great.

Most I've ever done is 3 plates so 140kg but that was a one off and I can't remember how many reps I did.

Loving it at the moment as it's something so new to me being able to move decent weight on the bench.

[Eso Kral]

I've had a good couple of weeks on this phase and can see and feel improvements coming in strength and aesthetics which is pleasing.

The giant sets are pretty tough especially with just 1mins rest after the 4 exercises in a row on upper body day and I'm not setting the world alight on the weights front due to rest/fatigue but am doing
Incline DB press 25kg db's 8reps
Into
Upright DB shoulder press 15kg 8reps
Into
Lateral raises 15kg 8 reps
Into
8 Dips

1min rest then repeat 3 more times

Followed by 4 sets of wide grip chins and then 4 sets of uh close grip chins and am managing 4x5 currently on each unassisted with 1 min rest between sets.

I reckon my eating has been at 85% but I'm not beating myself up.

Will post pics from start to end of each phase in a few weeks as gonna smash this 4x a week for another month and hopefully increase weights and reps further.

[kukushkin88]

There's no question you'll collect here imo. I've been obsessive with press ups for many years. Over extended periods of doing more than a thousand a week, I've never got past 70. Being a bit of a dick as a younger man, I'd challenge people (friends and random people) to press up competitions, I've come across one person who can do more than 100 in my whole life.

How do you manage to get the quantity in? Several small sets or just a couple of big ones per night?

Have to say that as a young fella I could do over 100 quite easily but I think my 'wirey' frame helped. There was hardly any weight to move

I've been thinking about aiming for 100 in a single set now but even though I'm doing 800+ per week I have to agree with you it's f**king hard. Do you think your body adapts to doing sets of 40 to 50 and that makes the 100 much tougher? If you had to get to a single set 100 in the next 3 months how would you go about it?

I do 3 sets of 30, 3 times a day. I guess if I was aiming for a dramatic increase in the number, I would just go to failure on the 2nd set and not do a 3rd. I'm unsure whether that's a good strategy. I've been surprised that I've not been able to increase my max by much over all of the time I've been doing it.

[iRaise]

I've had a good couple of weeks on this phase and can see and feel improvements coming in strength and aesthetics which is pleasing.

The giant sets are pretty tough especially with just 1mins rest after the 4 exercises in a row on upper body day and I'm not setting the world alight on the weights front due to rest/fatigue but am doing
Incline DB press 25kg db's 8reps
Into
Upright DB shoulder press 15kg 8reps
Into
Lateral raises 15kg 8 reps
Into
8 Dips

1min rest then repeat 3 more times

Followed by 4 sets of wide grip chins and then 4 sets of uh close grip chins and am managing 4x5 currently on each unassisted with 1 min rest between sets.

I reckon my eating has been at 85% but I'm not beating myself up.

Will post pics from start to end of each phase in a few weeks as gonna smash this 4x a week for another month and hopefully increase weights and reps further.

I think the weights there are pretty good considering the volume and intensity. I would be pretty pleased with that!

[iRaise]

So with my help of friends Ben and Jerry I am trying legs 'three' times a week. Still keeping my normal two leg days in, deadlifts and squats. But also adding in front squats 5x3 on my accessory day, with nordic curls and probably split squats. So it is more like 2 and a half leg days as the 5th day is total body. If for whatever reason I went in 6 times a week I would do total body again and the strength work being 5x5 on the leg press.

Not entirely sure how it will go, but this week fronties were yesterday and back squats are today but I don't feel too stiff. Feels a pretty hectic training program, but will try it and see. Not sure where my back squat will go at all, but looking for 110 on the bench and 175/180 for 3x3 but the end, and hopefully 100 for 5x3 on the fronts. Time will tell.

Going to 'let my diet' go a bit over the next few weeks to get in some extra kcals, but if I creep up to 90kg will tailor that back down. Still trying to be active and will keep some walking in to make sure it doesn't spiral out of control. but looking to hit the 24,500 over the week.

[EvilPie]

Think I might be addicted to press ups.

I decided that as I'm more than a month ahead of schedule I'd have a little rest and take a week off. My triceps have been quite sore so it seems like a good idea to give them a break.

Anyway the cold turkey's killing me!! Just doesn't seem right not doing any and I really don't know if I can last out the full week.

After the rest I'm going to try KKK's plan for volume and have a warm up set of 20-30 then go for absolute max next set. I'm going to have a decent rest after set one and also plan which nights I'll do them so I'm not doing them on consecutive days or days when I've trained chest or shoulders in the morning. I'm also planning on cutting down to 2 or 3 days of doing them per week.

Obviously this is going to drastically cut in to my progress towards 25k but I'm ready for a change. the 5 sets of 40+ 4 times per week is blitzing the target to the point where it becomes a bit too easy and just kind of going through the motions 'til I get there. I think a bit of a change will do me good and make it a challenge again albeit for slightly different reasons.

I'm going to give this a couple of months so does anybody think I can get 100 out in a single set before the end of July? I'm planning on changing my training back from strength to more of a body building split routine so that should be worth a few reps.

Personally I don't think I can. If you'd asked me at the start of the year I'd say yes but knowing what I know now I think it's really tough.

I'm going to give it my all but with a spread of 85 - 95 I'd be betting on the unders.

Hope I'm wrong of course and there will be video evidence to show if I am.

[iRaise]

Think I might be addicted to press ups.

I decided that as I'm more than a month ahead of schedule I'd have a little rest and take a week off. My triceps have been quite sore so it seems like a good idea to give them a break.

Anyway the cold turkey's killing me!! Just doesn't seem right not doing any and I really don't know if I can last out the full week.

After the rest I'm going to try KKK's plan for volume and have a warm up set of 20-30 then go for absolute max next set. I'm going to have a decent rest after set one and also plan which nights I'll do them so I'm not doing them on consecutive days or days when I've trained chest or shoulders in the morning. I'm also planning on cutting down to 2 or 3 days of doing them per week.

Obviously this is going to drastically cut in to my progress towards 25k but I'm ready for a change. the 5 sets of 40+ 4 times per week is blitzing the target to the point where it becomes a bit too easy and just kind of going through the motions 'til I get there. I think a bit of a change will do me good and make it a challenge again albeit for slightly different reasons.

I'm going to give this a couple of months so does anybody think I can get 100 out in a single set before the end of July? I'm planning on changing my training back from strength to more of a body building split routine so that should be worth a few reps.

Personally I don't think I can. If you'd asked me at the start of the year I'd say yes but knowing what I know now I think it's really tough.

I'm going to give it my all but with a spread of 85 - 95 I'd be betting on the unders.

Hope I'm wrong of course and there will be video evidence to show if I am.

Fuck it, lets give it a go. 100 continuous by the end of July seems a challenge. I will try a single set later as I have no idea my max set.

[iRaise]

So squatting seems to be harder when you are lighter. 115 for 3 today, I am pretty sure I am getting lower due to better mobility but seems incredibly tough. I remember blitzing out 130 at the start of the year. But everything else is going good so I am gonna put it down to practice, or lack of.

Plus side, I really like ice cream.

[EvilPie]

What's with the ice cream? Is this some new miracle training aid that I didn't know about?

When I was lumping on the calories it used to be treacle sponge and custard but maybe things have moved on.