Rapz - Getting it in!

[rapz]

been sick as a dog since friday, only just getting over it today, literally could not hold down any food, the smell of any meat made me gag and even protein shakes.

the only food i could eat was fruit and some some other shit foods, i did force down some protein shakes, but in summary the last 5-6 days of eating has utter shit, which doesn't help contest prep at all :x

tried forcing myself to train and do cardio and was no good. trained legs last night, had an awesome intense session, i just feel like ive lost a week of progress which i cant afford at this as im about 9 weeks out. took some progress pics to compare to last week and you can tell im full of water and haven't progressed :evil:

thinking of just using this period as a recomp other than competing, i either want to fully commit to it or just recomp and be a bit more relaxed about at and compete at a later date.

decisions decisions...... :shrug:

anyways here was lastnights workout, was one of the hardest leg sessions to date. i will throw progress pics up later.

Leg extension Superset partial reps

50 rep drop set, begin at heaviest weight then continue to drop until 50 reps are achieved, then supersetted with 25 partial reps with your heaviest weight, done this twice and was ready to go home after that

BB Walking lunges

did 4 sets of 24 paces with really short breaks. 50 x 24 , 70 x 24, 70 x 24, 70 x 24

Leg press Superset smith machine squats

this was a rest pause set in total i had to do 42 reps but broken down into segments. so 7pps for 12 reps pause at the top for 5 seconds then back into it for 10 reps and pause again then 8 reps and so on until you reach 2 reps, superset these with BW squats on the smith machine for 20 reps. every muscle in my legs were screaming and i wanted to give up :oops: did this for 2 sets.

Leg extensions SS seated hamstring curls

back to leg extension this time supersetted with seated hamstring curls. started off with 20 reps, 15, 12 the 10 reps.

Standing hamstring curl

finished off with 3 sets of 12-15 reps increasing the weight every set, good to finish on these, hammies felt fried.

did 40min cardio then home to eat!

i feeling hungry all the time now!, started carb cycling so did a high carb day yesterday had 400g and into no carb today but no matter what day im always hungry!!! calories vary from 3000- 3600 on high carb days.

[jimmybro1]

If I were you compete at a later date, you want to be your best when your on the stage.

There are plenty of competitions throughout the year (mostly in the North Island though).

[Android]

lots of time to go don't throw in the towel just yet.

would say its normal to get sick once in the last 12 weeks, we all have to factor in a week of no gains or fat loss into our prep.

Besides factoring in a sick period, there's also little chance to do cardio in the final week if you do a carb load. Cardio loaded up on carbs is pointless burning carbs that you are trying to load up on.

Use the Novice section as a learning period perhaps?

If you are trying to come in shredded as others have suggested you will likely fail on your first attempt. And if you do manage to come in shredded you've never posed on stage before and felt what it's like. You've also never felt the cramps before coming off stage and wishing you had the experience to manage that, which "shredded" people have to manage.

Hope you do compete and get over the sickness dude :clap: kutgw

[rapz]

shit well i haven't logged in ages, sort of been putting it off while i got my head around things.

thanks for the encouragement JB and Android, 2 guys i look upto in this forum :grin:

i have decided not to compete in august. i definitely will this year, maybe at a later date. i just think i tried doing too much too quickly if that makes sense, and changing diet approaches didn't help. im passionate about wanting to compete, but i think going from several small cutting phases and a couple of small bulks over a year, the fluctuation between dieting and not having a full week off in over a year started to take its toll on my body, and more so started to effect my well-being, social life, relationships and all the other crap in life, i figured as much as i love BBing i had to get my priorities sorted :nod:

Instead i will use this period as a recomp phase, hopefully hold my BF% at around 12% and slowly add some LBM.

as far as compounds go, i have made the decision to carry out the rest of the cycle, then cruise on low dose test until i chose a show at later date, wherever that may be??

have bumped up the cals on my diet eating just above maintanence on lifting days and just under on rest days and will cut out carbs on rest days. keeping the consumption of carbs @ breakfast, pre and post workout. have kept up cardio everyday i lift as well, usually 20 min of HIIT straight after lifiting.

just after one week my workouts are stronger and im feeling a heap better, although holding more water and not looking as dry. my weight this morning i was back up at around 129kg but not nearly as bloofy as i was a couple of months ago.

or maybe the weekend away with my partner i just had, basically diet went out the door, havnt eaten so much chocolate, lollies and junk food in my life actually feel great for doing so and had the best workout yesterday.

couple pictures below is where im sitting at now, sorry about lighting etc, taken with a potato. last time BF was checked sitting at 13% could be slightly more or less now, but getting checked again on thursday.

[jimmybro1]

I think its wise to wait.

By the sounds of things a lot of stuff is going on in your life getting ready for a show in a short period of time will just add to the stress.

Sounds like you have your mind set with what you want to do stick to it and you will do well.

Looking swole in the pictures btw back looks like it has come up a lot.

[rapz]

I think its wise to wait.

By the sounds of things a lot of stuff is going on in your life getting ready for a show in a short period of time will just add to the stress.

Sounds like you have your mind set with what you want to do stick to it and you will do well.

Looking swole in the pictures btw back looks like it has come up a lot.

cheers bro, yes i feel like its the right decision for now.

yes pleased with how my back is progressing, and overall posterior chain has improved a lot imo.

[rapz]

jimmybro1 wrote:

I think its wise to wait.

By the sounds of things a lot of stuff is going on in your life getting ready for a show in a short period of time will just add to the stress.

Sounds like you have your mind set with what you want to do stick to it and you will do well.

Looking swole in the pictures btw back looks like it has come up a lot.

[Leeroid]

Looking good man.

[Leeroid]

Looking good man.

[rapz]

Looking good man.

thanks joocy brah! :grin:

good to see some pages from members on this board popping up :nod:

when will it be my turn :cry:

[rapz]

Leeroid wrote:

Looking good man.

[Leeroid]

Looking good man.

thanks joocy brah! :grin:

good to see some pages from members on this board popping up :nod:

when will it be my turn :cry:

Haha it's not a srs page, just for LOLs

[Leeroid]

rapz wrote:

Leeroid wrote:

Looking good man.

[rapz]

damn i been a lazy mofo on posting!!

 

so an update...

 

bodyweight im sitting at 132.4kgs, so almost at peak bulk weight. except im much leaner than when i was bulking and not full of so much water.  i actually have pics from page 5 of my journal when i was 126.5kgs compared to now, im much leaner at a heavier bodyweight which im happy with.

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the plan is to use this phase as a recomping period, so far its going well.  calories vary from 4000-4600.  havnt had my bodyfat measured in a while, it would be interesting to see how much bodyfat ive lossed and lean mass i have gained,

 

training has been steady, joined cityfitness in town, much bigger gym and better facilities.  met a fellow gymnation/nzbb memeber "terrymundo", dude is a big unit!! *shok* ,  good to meet someone from the forum actually.

 

trained chest, triceps and calves last night

Db incline press

finally a gym that goes over 50kg DBs!! only upto 60s though and they felt pretty easy to be honest did a couple of warm up sets then 3 working.

20x12

30x12

50x12

60x13

60x12

60x10

 

Hammer strength seated press

worked upto 4pps, had a spotter, so did 6 reps by myself then 4 forced reps for 2 sets.

2pps x 12

3pps x 12

4pps x 6 + 4 forced reps for 2 sets

 

Db incline flyes

the bench we used was on a huge incline, alomost a shoulder press, but all the other benches were taken.  worked upto 35kg Dbs for 12 reps.

20x12

30x12

35x12

35x12

 

Pec dec

worked upto the whole stack for 3 worrking sets of 10-12 reps to failure.

whle stack x 10-12 x 3

 

seated pec machine flyes

never seen this type of machine, gave it a go, its a flying movement on a slight decline.  worked upto the whole stack.  did 3 sets all up.

2/3 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 12

stack x 10

 

Tricep dips

just stayed with bodyweight on these

BW x 20

BW x 15

BW x 12

BW x 10

 

Incline french press (EZ bar)

30 x 12

50 x 12

60 x 10

70 x 8

 

cable pushdowns

actually didnt get much from this, the stack was fairly light

whole stack x 15 reps x 3 sets

 

tricep machine pushdown

another new machine im not used to, but i loved it.  got a huge squeeze in the triceps and it felt awesome.  worked up to the whole stack for 10 reps.

3/4 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 12

stack x 10

 

finished off with about 10 sets of setaed and standing calf raises.  bit of volume in this session, so skipped cardio fro the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DCYPL]

*shok*

 

dayum sonnnnnn.

 

132kg AND look like Conan the barbarian.

 

*good*

[rapz]

lol cheers bro, your progress seems to be coming along nicely, sorry if i missed it but do you have your own training log?

[jimmybro1]

Waist has come in a lot *good*

So whats your plans now? 

Must be sitting around 12%. 

[Leeroid]

Looking awesome. Was wondering how you were doing. Great to see you've made vast improvements.

[nate225]

Looking awesome. Was wondering how you were doing. Great to see you've made vast improvements.

THIS!!

Solid improvements to your physique bro. Keep up the hard mahi.

[DCYPL]

lol cheers bro, your progress seems to be coming along nicely, sorry if i missed it but do you have your own training log?

Nah man. My plan at the moment is EAT heaps. Some dude told me to go read the niutrition forum. So I did. Now I eat everything in sight

Thanks for the compliment! and for the advice!

[rapz]

 

Waist has come in a lot

So whats your plans now? 

Must be sitting around 12%. 

 

plan is to continue with recomp bro, getting heavier isnt something i wish to do at this point, i would like to stay at this bodyfat until i decide to cut down at a later time

 

 

Looking awesome. Was wondering how you were doing. Great to see you've made vast improvements.

 

Looking awesome. Was wondering how you were doing. Great to see you've made vast improvements.

THIS!!

Solid improvements to your physique bro. Keep up the hard mahi.

 

 

cheers guys, pretty pleased wih progress at the moment. when i finally decidde to trim down again, i guess that will reveal the goods *biggrin*

 

 

lol cheers bro, your progress seems to be coming along nicely, sorry if i missed it but do you have your own training log?

Nah man. My plan at the moment is EAT heaps. Some dude told me to go read the niutrition forum. So I did. Now I eat everything in sight

Thanks for the compliment! and for the advice!

should start one up bro, good to track progress etc.  hope its all going well, look forward to more pics *wink*

[Pseudonym]

If you're outgrowing the 60kg dumbells, you've got problems, mate! Gyms with heavier dumbells than that are few and far between.

Damn impressive.

[rapz]

If you're outgrowing the 60kg dumbells, you've got problems, mate! Gyms with heavier dumbells than that are few and far between.

Damn impressive.

i think there are only 2 other gyms that have heavier DBs, but the new gym i joined has got more than enough equipment to accomodate at the moment *biggrin*

 

hit a back session last night....

tweaked my lower back a bit while doing bent over rows, actually its been niggly for a few weeks now, usually when i do bent over rows or stiff leg deads.  pretty much ruined my back workout, still did what i could but not the best of workouts.

 

Lat pulldown

1/2 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 12

stack x 6 drop set 1/2 stack x 6 for 2 sets

 

Bent over row

60 x 12

100 x 12

130 x 10

130 x 10 (back started to seize up)

 

Rack pulls

100 x12

140 x 12

180 x 12

220 x 10

260 x 1, back was tight and aching throughout all the sets, think i pushed it too much, did 1 rep then decided to stop.

 

Seated row

1/2 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 10

3/4 stack x 10

full stack x 8

 

Narrow grip pulldowns

1/2 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 12

3/4 stack x 10

 

Hammerstrength row (1 arm)

2pps x 12

3pps x 12

4pps x 10

5pps x 8

 

Stiff arms pull downs

1/2 stack x 12 x 4

 

finished off with 20min light cardio on the crosstrainer.  back got a bit better through the workout, guttered i couldnt go heavier on the rack pulls, think i could have easily got to 300kg+ if back wasnt playing up.  oh well maybe next time.  rest up tonight.

 

[nate225]

Solid volume on back Rapz! *clapping*

[rapz]

Solid volume on back Rapz!

i love high volume in general nate, dont know if its a mind thing but i feel i dont do enough if ive still got plenty of energy left.  on top of that my back is whats lagging, so i make sure i hit it hard.