Adarq.org

Quote from: Joe on May 16, 2024, 11:46:01 am

Quote from: Joe on May 15, 2024, 07:48:12 am

legs remain a strongpoint thanks to prioritising them when I first got into training.

To wit, need new jeans and struggled through several stores today before realising I'll have to either (a) embrace the boot cut life or (b) buy from one of those "jeans for people who squat" brands I see advertised on instagram 

not that you asked, but since this is something i struggled with in my 20s, couple suggestions. (NB: my thighs are not as big around as they were 8-10 years ago but they're still pretty big relative to my waist, and my calves are muscular enough that strangers comment on them when i am out and about and wearing shorts. so still in the "hard to find jeans that fit" club.)

• size up to get the thigh/calf fit you need and find a tailor who can take in the waist. you're limited with jeans by the fact that the butt pockets are external, so if you take the waist in too much they tilt toward each other and look stupid. but even taking an inch or 1.5" off the waist can help you not feel like you're a cartoon character wearing a barrel.
• gustin straight fit is actually pretty roomy in the thighs, i've found their jeans to be comfy and pretty good quality. and some of their fabrics have a little spandex, which helps even if you're not wearing the jeans very tight. they use a campaign model so sometimes you have to wait a bit for the jeans you want. actually just backed a campaign on there for a pair of light-colored jeans, since i don't have any at the moment.
• if you want to spend a little more for a bit better quality, naked & famous (canadian brand that sells through a website called tate and yoko, for some reason. what is up with brands calling themselves "x and y," by the way? especially in europe. there's a italian clothing brand called franklin and marshall, which is the name of a small, unremarkable liberal arts college in pennsylvania. what? anyway.) they're expensive but the "easy guy" fit is better than anything else i've tried on, especially once i get the waist taken in a little.

i am resigned to destroying jeans in about three years of 4-5 days/week wear because my thighs rub together and eventually that just wears a hole. but with both gustin and naked and famous, while they last they're comfortable and look good.

Am aware of all these brands, but hadn't looked at them in this recent search. Tym for recommendations.

Basically I need to put in the effort and find a tailor. As you can imagine I need new suits, and typically when I've bought I've gone to nicer shops and they've done a good job, but it would be handy to have someone to go to for general purposes.

20-05-24

Bench
85 x 8, 6, 5
75 x 7, 5

Dips
BW x 20, 16, 14, 11

Lying Laterals
a bunch

OH EZ Bar Extension
a bunch

Notes

Work trip. At hotel gym for a few days so cba to track workout super precisely.

Legs still sore from Friday lol, so will do them tmrw.

17-05-24

A - Lying Leg Curl
80 x 10, 8, 6
72.5 x 9, 6

B - Leg Extension
115 x 22
125 x 14, 11, 9

Hack Squat
80 x 9, 7

Machine Chest Press
14 x 7, 5
13 x 7
12 x 6
11 x 10

A - Cable Lateral
11 x 10
8 x 12, 10, 8, 8, 7

B - Cable OH Extension
23 x 10
21 x 10, 9, 8
18 x 10

Ab Machine
57.5 x 10
62.5 x 7
52.7 x 7
50 x 9 + 42.5 x 5

Dips
+Chains x 14, 10, 6
BW x 8

Notes

Great workout. Haven't touched any of these movements in like a month and they all felt great. Love both the supersets, feel super efficient and brutal. Hacks after four hard sets of leg extensions is horrible, but it's kind of a relief to use a lower load.

Insane ab cramps between sets on the machine lol.

I tend to rest 0-30 seconds between supsets (i.e. a couple of breaths plus however long it takes to move between machines/change cable attachments), and 45-120 seconds between straight sets (longer for hack squats, shorter for easier movements), so this ~35 set workout only took like an hour.

15-05-24

Assisted OAC
-20 x 1
-12.5 x 1
-6.25 x 1
-12.5 x 1
-22.5 x 3, 3, 3, 2, 1+1+1 [i.e. last was RLRLRL minimal rest]

A - DB Finger Curl
22.5 x 10+5, 7+5
20 x 8+6, 6+5

B - DB Preacher Curl
10 x 10, 9, 8, 7

C - Rear Delt Cable Flye
10 x 14, 12, 11+6

A - Elbow Supported Hammer Curl
10 x 10, 8, 6

B - Lying Lateral Raise
7.5 x 13, 10, 9

C - Standing Ab Wheel [cba to count reps but all to failure, then dropped to kneeling ab wheel after last set]

Notes

Well, that feels a lot better than lifting in a deficit; ~30 hard sets in a one hour workout without flagging at the end seems good density and volume wise. Extremely excited to be back to the prospect of gaining muscle/strength.

Added laterals to this workout. Pretty happy with my lats (unsurprisingly), and pecs, and legs remain a strongpoint thanks to prioritising them when I first got into training. So, main target areas for me this bulk are arms, delts, and traps, though I now realised I forgot to do shrugs this workout, woops..

Realised I didn't note this here, but the reason I have just been doing finger curls and not the other grip stuff is that I sliced my right index finger while cooking, so I'm letting that heal 100% before hanging stuff from my fingertips.

i think that makes sense! sounds like you got very lean anyway - not many people have a visible six pack under any lighting - so it was a success even if you didn't quite make your arbitrary weight goal.

yeah juice not worth the squeeze to go further. probs like 4 or 5kg off bodybuilding stage condition though, which is wild to me. maybe i'll try that one day and do a show

13-05-24

BW - 71.6

DB Incline Bench
30 x 13

DB Flye
15 x 12, 10, 8

Pushdown
30 x 15, 12, 10, 9

Lying Lateral
10 x 7, 6 + 7.5x9
7.5 x 11, 8

Notes

Limited time this morning and legs still sore, so will do leg stuff tmrw.

10-05-24

BW - 72

A - Deficit RDL
125 x 6, 6, 6

B - DB Incline
30 x 12, 11, 10

A - Reverse Nordic
+15 x 7, 6, 5 + BW x 8

B - DB Flye
15 x 10, 9, 8

A - Lying Lateral
10 x 6, 5
7.5 x 12, 11

B - Pushdown
27.5 x 18, 16, 14, 12

C - Finger Curl
22.5 x  7+4, 6+4

Had a terrible week for various reasons and stress led to a pretty extended binge-eating episode. Back to normal today, though, but frustrating. Onwards.