Rocsteady wrote:Hime wrote:Rocsteady wrote:Hime wrote:Rocsteady wrote:God I love muscle memory.
Looking swole?
Ye boi.
Not posting numbers anything like you are at present unfortunately though. I was a bit lax over the autumn with consistently going to the gym due to a few different health issues. Even after just a few weeks of running 2/3 times a week and lifting 3 times a week the muscle and strength is starting to pile back on thankfully.
Glad it's coming back. Are you running a programme or just doing your own thing? I started Madcow this year and really enjoying it.
Made the mistake of looking at pictures of last year's cut at around 170-175lbs, feeling like a bit of a fat gooseberry fool at around 200lbs. This is hard in your brain.
You finding it effective for continuing to gain strength? I remember looking at that one a while back, does look as though it would be a fun program to run.
What height are you? I'm at about 195 just now (at 6'1) which is about as heavy as I like to go, can push it up to about 200 max. I find that if I continue to pack on more weight I feel quite sluggish, even if it's muscle that's being added. I'm naturally very skinny so not sure my frame's built to hold too much.
I'm still running an increasingly bastardised version of Layne Norton's PHAT. The base version is too catered towards roid users for my liking. Mine is more of a bodybuilding program than strength which suits me just now. I find it too easy to tweak muscles and put myself out for weeks when I go really heavy nowadays. Building myself back up to about 160kg deadlifts 3x8 just now which shouldn't take long, at which point I'll have to consider where to go from there as I don't have the inclination to try and push myself to extremes as I used to.
Yeah definitely, the three heavy sets on fierce 5 was starting to take it's toll so it's nice to go down to just the one. I talked to the strength and fitness coach at my gym about the assistance exercises and I've got something I really like. To be honest just a change of programme has made things more enjoyable, there are all sorts of things you can adjust in the spreadsheet so I won't be at my previous PR's for a few weeks but the psychological difference of just one top set will make a difference (I hope).
I'm 6 foot but fairly broad, I feel like I look good with a t-shirt on but a bit fluffy without. I'm trying a quick mini cut then back in a surplus until around mid March, I've been bulking since May and an up to 4000 calories so it's nice to have a break from eating all the time. I feel great to be honest, joints feel good, no aches and pains, etc. I think 220lbs and 8% BF is the way to go
That's the sort of programme I'll end up on, the long term plan I set out is Fierce 5 > Madcow > 531. I need the strength stuff just to have a target to hit, pure bodybuilding is so subjective and I'm too paranoid and hard on myself to just judge progress purely on how I look. Could you try looking at an alternative like trap bar or build up RDL's? I do sumo as I feel less like I'll rip the base of my spine out.