Mind over Macros

[Beef]

Hope the heaviest thing you lift tomorrow is beef!

i'm not that heavy :wink:

awesome lifting guys :clap:

[steak]

Thanks Nessie, TFB, Beef and the cool little clip BJ....sadly mates Im havin trubs with the camera again and feel an investment in a new canon comig on...too much salt water sray, chalk dust, dropped once too many times and the odd splatter of beef and protein shake may have seen its last day yesterday. It's been playing up the last few times but I'll stick on charge and see what happens.

Sheiko 37 2nd cycle (back to back) Round up.

Firstly I'd like to mention that I have stuck 60kgs on my total in 18 weeks! and I have to put that down to 3 things. Im probably going to ramble on a bit here but its for my record so...it is what it is.

1 - The programme and the awesome support I have had with it... Tonka, Old Bull, Viking Power, Matt Perryman, a few gems I gleaned from a short time with Matt Rossiter, all the valuable info learned while training with Jono, Dale, Nick and others at the couple of training days we have had, my patient wife who has the ability to spot more than her own total and my training partner Adam who has put his heart and soul into the training along with bringing up his own bodyweight let alone put up with me! Some long sessions (over 3 hours) have jacked both our totals and for new PLs it's mind boggling the support we have and power of the programme. Fair to say although it lacks some elements of my training that I respond well too and miss, I will be sticking with it.

2. The extra bodyweight. Those of you who know me, know that I become a monster when Im due for food. Ive treated eating every 2.5-3 hours like a job and have pretty much religiously stuck to the plan throughout the last 18 weeks. Its not easy eating so much and there have been days when the body wont accept anymore and forcing it in is pointless but it has paid off.

3. Attitude and Knowledge. 2 things I have learnt a lot about. It comes back to the support really and the things learned have change my approach to the high volume, long sessions, pain, niggles and injuries and it would be fair to say that I've learnt a little more about myself as Ive grown with the programme and my general attitude has changed as I adapt. Sadly some would say Im too critical of my lifting and should "get a life" but for me satisfaction is the death of desire and Im far from done here.

TEST DAY - Ill will hopefully have some footage if the camera survived.

A big thanks to StartinfromScratch and Big John for spotting, loading and the vocal support. An outsider would have been running for the hills with the noise that was coming out of the place. An early morning text from one of my heros and mentor, had me scrawling in chalk above the squat rack....

"What would Tonka say!" Thanks mate ...it helped.

Weighed in at 136kg on the dot. 3 kgs up from lats test day 9 weeks ago.

Squat

I wont go though the warm ups but will add that I had to go outside the programmed warm up protocol as my squat had grown outside the programme.

Opened with 210kg - deep and fast - all good

2. 220kg but with a review of the footage post lift it showed I was a little high so a miss

3. 225kg - really forced it down and man did I feel it. I was sitiing back deep and the drive out of the hole was good but the lift slowed to almost a stall midway up ...this seemed like an eternity and that everything in the world had slowed to slow mo mode but with a Chad Aichs roar it popped up - phew! This lift showed depth(just but there non the less) and was critical to the total as had thought it might be. Blew some blood vessels in the nose and felt a small nose bleed start. Sniffed it up and went on.

Bench - this lift has changed considerable for me with a wider grip, wider footplacement, better set up and getting the mental cues in order. So in reality I have relearnt the lift and was back at square one.

Opened at 140kg - flew up - all good.

2. 145kg - flew up but but came off the bench although i didnt sence it in the lift - video ref showed the butt come up. - no lift - nose bleed started.

3. 145kg - bunged some bog roll up my snout to stop the blood.

Miss.... set up was good but I felt that consciously forcing my butt down with the leg drive detracted from the press it self and the pause felt like forever.

For me and the amount of work I had put in on bench I felt like a bombed right out but Im not beat up over it as the lift is far better technically, grip is wider, as is foot placement and Im sure it will come up now thatI start a new cycle with these things in place. A positive.

Deadlift - the pressure was on for PR in the deadlift to reach the 600kg total. 235kg was needed (previous PR was 230) I had struggled a wee bit with the volume of deads this cycle but this happend last time too and I was more relaxed coming into the deadlift.

Opened with 220kg - flew up

2. 235kg - I just attcked it HARD! and it came up although quite slow through the knees. - good lift.

3. there was no 3rd lift. I had the 600kg I wanted and I may or may not have pulled a 137.5 or 140kg and with the nose threatining to let again I left it there.

Over 5 hours, litres of procarb, bananas and choclote, museli bars, enough chalk to cause a respiratory disorder, some blood, lots of yelling, lots of cheering and back clapping and only a few reds lights - I cant wait for the next one.

Now what

1 week of conditioning, then a swap to 8 week reduced volume.

The reason for the change from high volume to reduced....

I have some injuries... front delts have taken a bit of a walloping, elbow tendonitis is flaring up every now and then and I dont enjoy painful lifting all that much... lesser volume may help - may not too, but Im not stopping lifting.

I've done 2 high volumes back to back with no break.

I am not a robot and although I really love sheiko I would like to have the option of pushing the numbers further when I feel good. this is how I got my squat up this cycle.

I would like to learn a bench shirt. I have one coming. This lesser volume will give the time.

I would like to add in more direct triceps work, A, for the shirt work and B, just generally. This will give me the time.

Another 8 week cycle fits nicley into where I would like to do a novice comp or 2. These will be for technical reasons and I plan to go and lift light at first and get whites all day. Progress will come from that.

I would like to spend a little more time im my squat suit. Bottoms only first, then a few weeks later straps up.

When I learn these new skills I will do a Raw and Equipped cycle and possible do my third novice comp equipped.

Goals complete the next 9 weeks injury free and add 15kg to my total. Keep tidying up the technical issues and hopefully put a on a few more kgs without getting over 100% bodyfat.

Stretching and some recovery work today with a week of conditioning starting monday and then into it.

[Gym rat]

wicked lifts bro

[startinfromscratch]

awesome lifting yesterday brah! blood nose=effort!

i think the reduced volume plan of attack sounds promising bro.

bring out the cuts!

[steak]

Cheers GR ans SFS. Thankies for your help/support too bro. I'll be ripped by Xmas on my reverse-keto diet. Got any tips you want to share with me about refeeding.....

Today was GPP

Complex A:

Rack lockout -5x8x120kg

Seated DB press - 5x20x15kgDBs

Overhead DB extension - 5x12x30kgDB

DB Bicep curl - 5x12x20kgDB

Complex B

Hits to tyre - 3x20

Weighted incline ab crunch - 3x15x20kg

Hanging leg raise - 3x12xBW

YTWL - 3x3x3

Was going to do some trye flips but Bob26 was hogging it and then it rained - phew - off the hook.

Hope the bruises arent so bad this time Bob 8) Good work bro!

Back into Sheiko tomorrow :twisted:

[Big john]

nice but of GPP brother, hell u even squeezed in some bicep curls! :roll:

will need to sus those stretching/exercise charts and what not for when deload week comes up :twisted:

[steak]

will try and PM them to you now G :grin:

[Old Bull]

TEST DAY

Weighed in at 136kg on the dot. 3 kgs up from lats test day 9 weeks ago.

Squat

Opened with 210kg - deep and fast - all good

2. 220kg but with a review of the footage post lift it showed I was a little high so a miss

3. 225kg - really forced it down and man did I feel it. I was sitiing back deep and the drive out of the hole was good but the lift slowed to almost a stall midway up ...this seemed like an eternity and that everything in the world had slowed to slow mo mode but with a Chad Aichs roar it popped up - phew! This lift showed depth(just but there non the less) and was critical to the total as had thought it might be. Blew some blood vessels in the nose and felt a small nose bleed start. Sniffed it up and went on.

Bench - this lift has changed considerable for me with a wider grip, wider footplacement, better set up and getting the mental cues in order. So in reality I have relearnt the lift and was back at square one.

Opened at 140kg - flew up - all good.

2. 145kg - flew up but but came off the bench although i didnt sence it in the lift - video ref showed the butt come up. - no lift - nose bleed started.

3. 145kg - bunged some bog roll up my snout to stop the blood.

Miss.... set up was good but I felt that consciously forcing my butt down with the leg drive detracted from the press it self and the pause felt like forever.

For me and the amount of work I had put in on bench I felt like a bombed right out but Im not beat up over it as the lift is far better technically, grip is wider, as is foot placement and Im sure it will come up now thatI start a new cycle with these things in place. A positive.

Deadlift - the pressure was on for PR in the deadlift to reach the 600kg total. 235kg was needed (previous PR was 230) I had struggled a wee bit with the volume of deads this cycle but this happend last time too and I was more relaxed coming into the deadlift.

Opened with 220kg - flew up

2. 235kg - I just attcked it HARD! and it came up although quite slow through the knees. - good lift.

3. there was no 3rd lift. I had the 600kg I wanted and I may or may not have pulled a 137.5 or 140kg and with the nose threatining to let again I left it there.

I've done 2 high volumes back to back with no break.

Well Done Steak, damm good results bro and a very good summary.

Good end to the back to back cycles:clap:

Back into Sheiko tomorrow :twisted:

What are you doing?

[tinytraps]

Real good effort bro, your numbers are skyrocketing and dam will you be a force to be reckoned with!

The plan sounds good, I think youll gain just fine off the reduced volume and those niggles will get a chance to heal up.

[rimma]

Haha I enjoyed reading that, you know you're giving it your all when blood vessels are bursting!

Sounds like a mean comp and you must be rapt to nail that 600kg :shock:

All the best

[steak]

Well Done Steak, damm good results bro and a very good summary.

Good end to the back to back cycles:clap:

Back into Sheiko tomorrow :twisted:

What are you doing?

thanks mate!

the plan is this...

straight into 37 reduced volume after the conditioning week with a possible entry into some shirted bench and again possibly some suited squats....but the predominant focus still being raw lifting with a novice comp in july and again in august. The july comp purely for technical reasons and progressing from there.

The Spin - if I dont add shirt and suit(depends puerly on delivery date really and to be honest Im not fussed either way) I will use a degree of auto regulartory traing where the equipped lifts would normally be...ie: if I feel good I will push but if not the stick to the programme. In saying this I dont see to much digression from the template anyway as my numbers have climbed.

Conditioning and GPP will become more regular and intense.

rapt to nail that 600kg :shock:

All the best

I am bro and thanks!

[steak]

Sheiko 37 Reduced Volume

Conditioning Week

Bench

5x70kg

4x85

4x85

3x100

3x100

3x100

Squat

5x115kg

4x140

4x140

3x160

3x160

3x160

Flat DB Flyes

3x10x15lbDBs

GMs - standing

3x5x80kg - fast

[Viking Power]

Good stuff brother, how's the body feeling?

[steak]

Good stuff brother, how's the body feeling?

ahh yeah..pretty good...delts still a bit sore but feel em being beaten into submission :wink:

shirts on the way too so will put a bit more time into tricep work, which if done correctly should play all hell with my elbow tendonitis now that thats feeling a bit better :pfft:

[steak]

Sheiko 37 conditioning week - Day2

Trained with TinyTraps, Big John and Adam. TT was doing some bench shirt work, BJ was plowing through his sheiko work and Adam and I were bedding in the cuts

Deadlift - conv

5x120

4x145

4x145

3x165

3x165

3x165

Incl bench

4x115

4x115

4x115

4x115

Close grip bench

5x60kg+20kg chains

5x60+

3x80+

3x80+

2x80+

1x90+

Red band pressdowns

3x50

other little prehab things 8)

Trash talk - 3 sets at 100% :grin:

Good session with some light hearted stuff to finish 8)

[Old Bull]

Trash talk - 3 sets at 100% :grin:

Good session with some light hearted stuff to finish 8)

I like the 3 sets @ 100% always good as the lifts get easier and easier :clap: :clap: :clap:

[Big john]

always good to train and catch up with u and the CBCcrew bro....Loved closed grip benchin with the chains, totally dif feel! :nod:

Dunno what TT was thinking thou mate.....Curling in yr squat rack, thought that was a bannable offence? :grin: :pfft: :pfft: :pfft:

[tinytraps]

CBCcrew bro....Loved closed grip benchin with the chains, totally dif feel! :nod:

Yea the chains were mean!

Dunno what TT was thinking thou mate.....Curling in yr squat rack, thought that was a bannable offence? :grin: :pfft: :pfft: :pfft:

They were actually used as elbow rehab...Not like I was trying to get a pump or anything :crazy:....

[steak]

GPP/Assist today

Dislocations 3 x 10

YTWLs x 3

Rotator work - a few sets

O/head press - 60% 5x5 (60kg)

DB Row

10x30kgDB

10x40

10x50

5x85

5x85

5x85

Med Grip Pulldowns

12x105kg

12x125

12x145

10x145

10x145

Alt DB Curls - seated ( i was ,otivated by Harleys' efforts to do a few sets )

12x25lbDBs

10x20s

10x20s

8x25s

8x25s

8x25s drop set - 20s - 25lbers YIKES

I had forgotten what that feels like

2 sets of 50 with 15lbers :twisted:

Hits to tyre (Sledge Hammer)

3x20 double overhead Conan Grip

getting the 220kg tyre moving down the slope with these now :twisted:

[steak]

some more lifting....

[Grover]

Hits to tyre (Sledge Hammer)

3x20 double overhead Conan Grip

getting the 220kg tyre moving down the slope with these now

Taking out some frustrations???

[steak]

Hits to tyre (Sledge Hammer)

3x20 double overhead Conan Grip

getting the 220kg tyre moving down the slope with these now

Taking out some frustrations???

na mate but if I had any this would be the exercise to do it...they are great for shoulder pre/rehab. I'll post a clip when I get a chance.

[steak]

Conditioning Week - last day

Bench

5x70kg

4x85

4x85

3x100

3x100

3x100

Squat

5x120

4x140

4x140

3x160

3x160

3x160

GMs

5x60kg

5x80

5x80

Close Grip Bench

8x60

8x60

8x60

DB Flyes - 3x10x20lbDBs

Heres a clip of yesterdays assist work...

[ohjoshua]

tyre smashing looks pretty cool. Those db rows are extreme!

[startinfromscratch]

bring out the cuts!