DYELB: The Gainz Train

Health, fitness, and nutrition freaks, lets see those gainz.
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SAWCE
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Four more weeks until I get back on the sawce. Gains will be :fuckyeah: then after this period of clearing out my receptors.
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coogles
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Bros. My last few weeks in the gym have been weird, but in the best way possible. I've battled a bad back from a bulging L5S1 for more than a decade now, and suddenly it's just...getting better. I've changed up my routine quite a bit, doing more of a dynamic warm-up and some traction work every day, really working a lot on the GHD to strengthen my posterior chain and upper back (with weights), and I even credit some of this to the running I've been doing keeping my hips more loose and open. Also have a real weight belt now. But each of my major lifts is going through the roof. On bench I added 5 pounds to my last set and still went from 6 reps to 8. On deads last week versus the week prior I added another 15 pounds to my last triple. On squats this morning my three rep max from last week felt really light, so I added another 20 pounds and got 3 reps no problem, then added another 20 again and just eeked out a 3rd rep with that. 40 pounds. In a week!

:mindblown:

I know this won't continue, but holy shit I feel like a monster. Maybe Thorne Research snuck some TBOL in my vegan protein. :lolol:

I'm still not quite up to my pre-injury weights on deads or squats, but that set of 8 on bench was my PR (by 3 reps!) with that weight, and I wasn't even fresh. This shit is :ludacris:.

:csb:
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SAWCE
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Nice man!! Hope the back continues to heal up too.
I’m a huge believer that a weak posterior chain is most lifter’s problem. I attribute my recent squat gains to working in hip thrusts every week over the last few months.
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Began and crused cycle 2 of 531 this am. I know i need to be patient but the weigs just dont feel heavy enough to be making gainz.
9 reps on squat at 275
10 on bench at 175. The last set of Bench press was so light i forgot it was my as many as you can so there is about 30 seconds rest between the first 5 and last 5 .
brain go brrrrrr
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coogles
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:43 am Nice man!! Hope the back continues to heal up too.
I’m a huge believer that a weak posterior chain is most lifter’s problem. I attribute my recent squat gains to working in hip thrusts every week over the last few months.
Thanks! Definitely agree on the weak posterior chain problem. It's sort of an "out of sight, out of mind" issue for most people. Plus, people want to work on what they're good at. If you have a weak posterior chain already, training it regularly isn't any fun. It certainly hasn't been for me, and my progress there has been slow, but I definitely feel more stable in just about everything I'm doing.

One test I like to do is take 185 pounds and just hold it in a front squat position to see how long I can stand there. A couple months ago 20-30 seconds felt like an eternity. Today I made it to a minute with room to spare. Progress in that accessory work can be hard to notice sometimes, but that's a BIG difference.
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Dang thats a cool idea with the front squat hold. Probably a nice core challenge there too. One thing I've noticed that really helps my squat is doing a few sets of light laying leg curls to warm my knees up and get my hamstrings tight. I have way more control when I'm deep in the hole of a squat like that.

Hip thrusts, kick backs (yeah I'm an IG bikini girl), heavy SLDL, and then slow controlled reps on curls. My hamstrings visibly lag behind my quad development, so really working to bring them up to snuff and then some. Training legs twice a week has been awesome for me too. Quad day is all compound movements, so my hams are still getting worked, and then I have a ham/glute specific day with the stuff I listed.
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Rant: There are a few older dudes at my gym who just like to talk. One of them comes up to me between sets of my smith front squats yesterday and starts talking. Went for 30 minutes. This was with me interrupting him periodically to do another set. He just doesn't get it. Most days I have my big over-ear headphones to avoid shit like that, but I left them on my treadmill at home yesterday morning after cardio. I spent so long listening to his shit that I had to end my workout early and just go home. I could have easily finished the workout in that 30 minutes he spent talking. Dude doesn't pick up on social cues at all, even me saying "yeah man I got to finish this" and knocking out another set... he just talked while I was doing my set still. Maybe I just need to be more of a dick and tell him and others that I don't have time and I have work to do.
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coogles
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:57 am Dang thats a cool idea with the front squat hold. Probably a nice core challenge there too. One thing I've noticed that really helps my squat is doing a few sets of light laying leg curls to warm my knees up and get my hamstrings tight. I have way more control when I'm deep in the hole of a squat like that.

Hip thrusts, kick backs (yeah I'm an IG bikini girl), heavy SLDL, and then slow controlled reps on curls. My hamstrings visibly lag behind my quad development, so really working to bring them up to snuff and then some. Training legs twice a week has been awesome for me too. Quad day is all compound movements, so my hams are still getting worked, and then I have a ham/glute specific day with the stuff I listed.
I picked up that idea from the Smashwerx youtube channel. Some pretty good mobility hacks, although some of it seems a little cooky. But I've taken several things from his videos and implemented them with positive results. It's a great stress for all those little erectors along the spine and for the lats. I've started doing the hamstring work before squats too. I mix it up, sometimes banded hip thrusts or one legged glute bridges, sometimes banded decel leg swings, or sometimes just extensions on the GHD, I'm not a big fan of lying leg curls. Doing that kind of thing before squats does seem to keep me more stable.
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:01 am Rant: There are a few older dudes at my gym who just like to talk. One of them comes up to me between sets of my smith front squats yesterday and starts talking. Went for 30 minutes. This was with me interrupting him periodically to do another set. He just doesn't get it. Most days I have my big over-ear headphones to avoid shit like that, but I left them on my treadmill at home yesterday morning after cardio. I spent so long listening to his shit that I had to end my workout early and just go home. I could have easily finished the workout in that 30 minutes he spent talking. Dude doesn't pick up on social cues at all, even me saying "yeah man I got to finish this" and knocking out another set... he just talked while I was doing my set still. Maybe I just need to be more of a dick and tell him and others that I don't have time and I have work to do.
I never had too many peole talk to me, but it was super annoying watching the old dudes 'work out' hogging up equipment while they are really shooting the shit for 30+ minutes.
brain go brrrrrr
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coogles wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:14 am
SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:57 am Dang thats a cool idea with the front squat hold. Probably a nice core challenge there too. One thing I've noticed that really helps my squat is doing a few sets of light laying leg curls to warm my knees up and get my hamstrings tight. I have way more control when I'm deep in the hole of a squat like that.

Hip thrusts, kick backs (yeah I'm an IG bikini girl), heavy SLDL, and then slow controlled reps on curls. My hamstrings visibly lag behind my quad development, so really working to bring them up to snuff and then some. Training legs twice a week has been awesome for me too. Quad day is all compound movements, so my hams are still getting worked, and then I have a ham/glute specific day with the stuff I listed.
I picked up that idea from the Smashwerx youtube channel. Some pretty good mobility hacks, although some of it seems a little cooky. But I've taken several things from his videos and implemented them with positive results. It's a great stress for all those little erectors along the spine and for the lats. I've started doing the hamstring work before squats too. I mix it up, sometimes banded hip thrusts or one legged glute bridges, sometimes banded decel leg swings, or sometimes just extensions on the GHD, I'm not a big fan of lying leg curls. Doing that kind of thing before squats does seem to keep me more stable.
I've started using a band on my SLDL. I attach it to something behind me, then have it come across my hips. Reminds me to push my ass back on them and I'm feeling my hams more than I ever have before.
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coogles
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:26 am I've started using a band on my SLDL. I attach it to something behind me, then have it come across my hips. Reminds me to push my ass back on them and I'm feeling my hams more than I ever have before.
Hell yeah. I do that on occasion on my SLDLs and sometimes even to warm up the hip hinge on both legs and do like a goblet/dumbbell deadlift. The hip circle is what I'm all giddy about these days. I've always had trouble activating my glutes, but that hip circle has really helped me out with that.

https://markbellslingshot.com/products/ ... hip-circle
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Big Brain Bradley wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:19 am
SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:01 am Rant: There are a few older dudes at my gym who just like to talk. One of them comes up to me between sets of my smith front squats yesterday and starts talking. Went for 30 minutes. This was with me interrupting him periodically to do another set. He just doesn't get it. Most days I have my big over-ear headphones to avoid shit like that, but I left them on my treadmill at home yesterday morning after cardio. I spent so long listening to his shit that I had to end my workout early and just go home. I could have easily finished the workout in that 30 minutes he spent talking. Dude doesn't pick up on social cues at all, even me saying "yeah man I got to finish this" and knocking out another set... he just talked while I was doing my set still. Maybe I just need to be more of a dick and tell him and others that I don't have time and I have work to do.
I never had too many peole talk to me, but it was super annoying watching the old dudes 'work out' hogging up equipment while they are really shooting the shit for 30+ minutes.
A few of the older dudes at my gym used to compete, and they still work hard, but there's this guy and two others who just like to talk. One of them I'm pretty sure actually has some sort of mental disability, so I let him talk usually and try to be friendly with him, but this guy and the other guy I need to just start telling them that I don't have time and we can talk when I'm done.
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Big Brain Bradley wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 10:47 am Began and crused cycle 2 of 531 this am. I know i need to be patient but the weigs just dont feel heavy enough to be making gainz.
9 reps on squat at 275
10 on bench at 175. The last set of Bench press was so light i forgot it was my as many as you can so there is about 30 seconds rest between the first 5 and last 5 .
Enjoy it while you can. Eventually shit gets real.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:01 am Rant: There are a few older dudes at my gym who just like to talk. One of them comes up to me between sets of my smith front squats yesterday and starts talking. Went for 30 minutes. This was with me interrupting him periodically to do another set. He just doesn't get it. Most days I have my big over-ear headphones to avoid shit like that, but I left them on my treadmill at home yesterday morning after cardio. I spent so long listening to his shit that I had to end my workout early and just go home. I could have easily finished the workout in that 30 minutes he spent talking. Dude doesn't pick up on social cues at all, even me saying "yeah man I got to finish this" and knocking out another set... he just talked while I was doing my set still. Maybe I just need to be more of a dick and tell him and others that I don't have time and I have work to do.
Just remember your headphones.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Desertbreh wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 2:24 pm
SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:01 am Rant: There are a few older dudes at my gym who just like to talk. One of them comes up to me between sets of my smith front squats yesterday and starts talking. Went for 30 minutes. This was with me interrupting him periodically to do another set. He just doesn't get it. Most days I have my big over-ear headphones to avoid shit like that, but I left them on my treadmill at home yesterday morning after cardio. I spent so long listening to his shit that I had to end my workout early and just go home. I could have easily finished the workout in that 30 minutes he spent talking. Dude doesn't pick up on social cues at all, even me saying "yeah man I got to finish this" and knocking out another set... he just talked while I was doing my set still. Maybe I just need to be more of a dick and tell him and others that I don't have time and I have work to do.
Just remember your headphones.
They're a mild deterrent at best for this guy.
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:07 pm
Desertbreh wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 2:24 pm

Just remember your headphones.
They're a mild deterrent at best for this guy.
I'd be interested to see how that works. He keeps interrupting you through headphones? Time for a handgun.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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SAWCE
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Desertbreh wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:19 pm
SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:07 pm

They're a mild deterrent at best for this guy.
I'd be interested to see how that works. He keeps interrupting you through headphones? Time for a handgun.
Yup, even with over ear headphones on he'll walk up and just start talking, nodding at you until you pay attention to him, knuckles out for a brofist.
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SAWCE wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:31 pm
Desertbreh wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 3:19 pm

I'd be interested to see how that works. He keeps interrupting you through headphones? Time for a handgun.
Yup, even with over ear headphones on he'll walk up and just start talking, nodding at you until you pay attention to him, knuckles out for a brofist.
lol
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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coogles
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Shoulder day, so was doing OHP with 531 programming. Week 2, got 10 reps + 3 more push presses on the last 3+ @ 90% set. :wtf: is going on with me right now? :fuckyeah: :massles:
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coogles wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:46 am Shoulder day, so was doing OHP with 531 programming. Week 2, got 10 reps + 3 more push presses on the last 3+ @ 90% set. :wtf: is going on with me right now? :fuckyeah: :massles:
What weight was the working set?
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Apex wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:08 am What weight was the working set?
I programmed this first cycle with 145 as my 1RM. I can do a bit more if I cheat, but that had been a pretty reasonable strict standing OHP 1RM max estimate for me. So 145 * .9 * .9 = 117lbs, I used 115.
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coogles wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:25 am
Apex wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:08 am What weight was the working set?
I programmed this first cycle with 145 as my 1RM. I can do a bit more if I cheat, but that had been a pretty reasonable strict standing OHP 1RM max estimate for me. So 145 * .9 * .9 = 117lbs, I used 115.
Nice coogles! That's some outstanding volume for OHP.
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Apex wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 am Nice coogles! That's some outstanding volume for OHP.
Thanks! Am curious to see how I do on deads on Saturday and if I'll be able to put another 10-20 pounds on the bar.
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did my cycle 2 week 1 day 2 workout finally yesterday after letting my strained back muscle heal a bit. Holy hell, my upper back is sore in that good way today.
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coogles wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:31 am
Apex wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 10:26 am Nice coogles! That's some outstanding volume for OHP.
Thanks! Am curious to see how I do on deads on Saturday and if I'll be able to put another 10-20 pounds on the bar.
With as hit-or-miss as my back has been for the last 10 years I haven't had a chance to train heavy for several weeks at a time. Usually I work my way up to heavy weights, tweak the thing, and I'm back to barely being able to squat 135 without pain. One of my last tweaks I was still warming up and only had 115 on the bar. :dislike:

So, this has been fun.

I've been throwing in some of the Athlean X workouts from his Perfect Workout videos. The back workout starts with:

Deadlift: 1x8, 2 min rest. Weighted chins: 1x4 (using 45lb plate for me)
Deadlift: 1x6, 2 min rest. Weighted chins: 1x8 (25lb plate)
2 rounds of:
Deadlift: 1x4, 30 sec rest. AMAP wide grip pull-ups

2 weeks ago I used 185, 225, 255, 255
Last week - 195, 235, 265, 275
This week - 205, 245, 275, then said fuck it and threw 315 on for the last set after 275 went up without any drama. Got the first rep pretty comfortably, controlled it easily on the way down, tapped and went back up for #2. #2 was slow, but still moved okay, but I didn't have a ton of control on the way down and felt pretty gassed. Stood up and took 3 long, deep breaths and set up for #3, and STRUggled with #3, but made it up. #4 wasn't happnin'.

But still, I am fucking PUMPED. I haven't pulled 315 in probably a year, year and a half. And I got 3 reps yesterday and my back still feels great today. :fuckyeah:

Hockey got moved to tonight from our usual Sunday evening and I can never lift worth a damn the day after hockey, so I decided to try to follow the 531 progression on bench this morning instead of waiting until Wednesday. Finally had a bad workout. Still got 4+2 on the last 1+ @ 95% set, but my lats and middle back are sore AF today, I know I could have done more if my lats were fresh. Ah well.
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