Back 13/5/2008 (Low Volume Phase)

Wide grip suppinated lat pulldowns
190lbs x 10
190lbs x 9
180lbs x 9
160lbs x 10

One arm db rows (per hand)
90lbs x 11
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
90lbs x 11

Machine rows (medium grip)
110lbs x 10
110lbs x 10
100lbs x 11
100lbs x 11

Narrow hammer grip pulldowns
100lbs x 10
110lbs x 10
100lbs x 10
100lbs x 10

Comparison to last rotation:-
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=17218147

Comments:-
PRs still made. Strength still good despite cutting phase. I wanted more variety today so i did more exercises and less sets.

Damn. You can maintain mass, get cutt and get stronger at the same time. You've found the holy grail of bodybuilding

I guess I've found the optimum way to balance my macros. I weighed myself today, from 90 kilos to 87.5 in 2 weeks. Not bad i'd say but the moment i find my strength levels start to crash, i'll start upping the cals to compensate. But no matter how intelligently a trainee cuts, his endurance levels are bound to get affected. If you compare any recent workouts with past rotations of the same workout, you'll notice dips in endurance levels, which is why I deliberately reduce my workout volume to 4 sets per exercise insteand of the usual 6-8. Peanut butter is my best friend. People look at me funny when i carry my jar of PB everywhere and don't order rice, just the meat.
It's also a damn good opportunity for me to get in a beautiful cheat meal preworkout. My one and only true carb meal of the day, apart from the morning shake.

wow, really awesome! how did you manage those weights?
how long have you been training? also, with regards to your back surgery, what happened? I just started deadlift and squats after reading rippetoe's "Starting Strength", LOL! my first day yesterday was killing.
Are the lower back muscles normal if sored just like other muscles? did my own weight for 3 sets, 65kg. do advise newbie here!

This post has been edited by lukevin: May 14 2008, 08:39 PM

Hey dark, could you comment on my squat form please? Just want to check. Thanks in advance.

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=17440894

Hey dk, hows it going? I am just wondering during your off days, how is your diet like? The reason I am asking is since that you are cutting bf, you could probably give some pointers. Since there wouldnt be any carb meals, how do you manage?

hey man how's it going? was just wondering, can u help me out? i've been working out for a few months now but i still havent seen significant gains to my body. was wondering if u cud fine tune my diet. my diet mainly consists of this:

breakfast: 4 eggs whites + 3 beef/chicken slices + 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

snack: 30g of almonds / 2 teaspoons of PB / an ounce of low-fat cheese

lunch: fresh vegetables + 2 meat slices + 4 egg whites

snack again

dinner: tonnes of vege and beef/chicken/fish

before sleep: a scoop of whey + 250 ml of HL milk

pre-workout: 250ml of HL milk and a banana/apple

post-workout: 2 scoops of whey + water (immediately) followed by a meal heavy in protein.

so yeah, can u help me fine tune my diet? and also, i noe u hate the use of supplements, but if u noe of any supplements tht cud help me out, please feel free to suggest them to me. am getting a multivitamin this weekend!

oh and i workout 4 times a week, usuali on tues, thurs, sat and sun while i do cardio on the other days.

where's the carbohydrate? lol

i was on a diet like this before this whereby i dint have any carbs except on sundays. now tht i'm trying to gain lean muscular mass without gaining any fat, i'm actuali not too sure wat carbs to eat or how to incorporate it into my diet. kinda confused whether i shud follow the GL index or not.

Take complex carbs. Oats, wholemeal etc

This post has been edited by shanecross: May 23 2008, 11:59 PM

My diet on an off day.

7.30am : As normal breakfast. Refer :-
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=16500668

12.45pm : 3 whole eggs, 2 servings of chicken at my fav chicken rice stall. Quarter serving of chicken rice.

4.30pm : 2 scoops whey + 2 tablespoons peanut butter OR 8-10 eggs + 3 yolks

8.30pm : 2 chicken breasts + 1 scoop PB separately.

Prebedtime : 400ml milk, 1 scoop whey, 1 scoop PB


Breakfast: You got no carbs for breakfast. Where're the oats? Sample of my diet:-
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=16500668

Snack : Seems fine

lunch: Add in 2-3 egg yolks

Dinner seems fine. Define tons. Tons to you may mean something different to me.

Preworkout : I want to kill you. My ex girlfriend eats more than that for her preworkout meal. I still train with her once in a while when i head back to KL and she is squatting more than her bodyweight now. Impressive for a woman. I NEVER stinge on carbs and fat preworkout. =)

Postworkout and post post workout seems fine. Where's your prebedtime meal?


Just tweak it a bit more. I still eat 2 carb meals a day on my cutting phase. Breakfast and preworkout.

Have not been updating. Apologies all. =) Been taking a nice 2 week long week layoff with sometimes just 3 meals a day. Feels nice to eat like a normal person for once.Trained chest yesterday. Going good. Went light and lower volume to get my body back in the groove. Arms tomorrow.

Chest 24/5/2008

Incline db press
Warm up
45lbs x 12
50lbs x 12

Work sets
90lbs x 10
90lbs x 8
80lbs x 7
70lbs x 8

Flat db press
45lbs x 15
50lbs x 12
50lbs x 12
50lbs x 10

Cable crossovers
50lbs x 14
50lbs x 13
50lbs x 12
40lbs x 14

Db pullovers
50lbs x 12
60lbs x 10
60lbs x 10

Dumbell lateral raises
35lbs x 11
35lbs x 10

Seated db lateral raises
25lbs x 12
25lbs x 12

Comments:-
Handled the weights pretty well. I'm not pushing it. Need to get my body reconditioned back to my normal pace. Should be back to normal in 1-2 more workouts. I'm still cutting. Dropped from 90lkg to 86kg. Going good.

This post has been edited by darklight79: May 30 2008, 09:45 PM

How come you took such a long break? There was once I took a week off and I felt like shit the next time I worked out. Lost all my strength and energy levels. But luckily it was temporary

Btw, could you look at my deadlift form? Thanks for the comment on my squat form

http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=17569812

Legs/Calves 27/5/2008

Squats
Warm up
135lbs x 12
200lbs x 10

Work sets
275lbs x 10
295lbs x 9
315lbs x 5
315lbs x 5
315lbs x 5
225lbs x 12

Leg curls
5 plates x 11
5 plates x 10
4 plates x 12
4 plates x 12
4 plates x 12

Leg extensions
180lbs x 15
195lbs x 12
195lbs x 12
195lbs x 12
180lbs x 13

Calf presses
210lbs x 20
240lbs x 20
240lbs x 17
195lbs x 20

Comments:-
Still not up to full strength. Next workout I'll start making PR's again.

Back 28/5/2008

Wide grip suppinated pulldowns
Warm up
110lbs x 12
130lbs x 10

Work sets
190lbs x 9
190lbs x 8
170lbs x 7
150lbs x 8

Close grip cable rows
120lbs x 11
130lbs x 10
130lbs x 10
130lbs x 10
100lbs x 15

Machine medium grip rows
100lbs x 11
110lbs x 10
110lbs x 10
100lbs x 11
100lbs x 11

Comments:-
Still regaining neural efficiency. No PRs attempted yet.

Chest 30/5/2008

Warm up
45lbs x 12
50lbs x 10

Work sets
Incline dumbell press (per hand)
90lbs x 10
100lbs x 9
80lbs x 7
70lbs x 8

Flat dumbell bench press (per hand)
60lbs x 12
70lbs x 10
60lbs x 9
60lbs x 9

Bodyweight dips
BW x 12
BW x 10
BW x 9
BW x 8

Cable crossovers
50lbs x 15
60lbs x 12
50lbs x 13
50lbs x 13

Comments:-
Neural efficiency almost fully regained. Watch me do the 110's again next rotation. Vids will be taken. =)

This post has been edited by darklight79: May 30 2008, 10:03 PM

Dark, while doing dips, how would you target the tension? I notice that when i dip there is a very strong tension on the upper mid chest.

If i'm focusing on my triceps, i stay upright. If I want to hit my chest, i lean forward.

Cool, thanks for the tip.

Hello Darkie, i was wondering what exercises that i can do for my forearms...i have weak forearms and its affecting my other exercises like the bench press, dumbell press and even the EZ bar curls....

I currently finished HST Cycle 2 and in that cycle i was rotating between EZ bar curls and dumbell curls, would it be wise if i substitute the EZ bar curls with some wrist curls in the next cycle?