On Wednesday and Thursday, I made it to the gym for my first two training sessions since the show. I tried to stop my work sets one rep before I expected to fail (1 RIR). I’m thinking that I should come out of the show in reverse of the way I went in, with lower intensity than I normally take my work sets to. I plan to ramp it up to my typical intensity level over the next 2 weeks or so. Thursday was also my first day back at work. I don’t even want to look at my step tracker from Friday through Wednesday. I know that those numbers are super low, and for good reason.
It’s also worth noting that I set my diet app to maintenance mode until the end of the month. Starting in June, I’ll set it up for a slow mass gain diet. The maintenance macros, even at my new current weight, feel like a big boost in daily food allowance. I was blessed and fortunate that I was able to continue dropping fat without dropping calories over the last few weeks of the contest prep. But now, my daily fat macros are up 25-35 grams from contest prep, and daily carbs are up by 50-80 grams. Protein is down 15 grams per day to match my new weight, but frankly, I don’t see a difference in outcome if I overshoot my protein number.
Wednesday 5/15/24
LOWER, PLANET FITNESS
I wasn’t sure what this session was going to be when I got to the gym. I had something of a full body workout in mind. But it was 8pm, crowded, and equipment wasn’t easy to come by. So I went with the flow of what was useful and available, and it became a lower body session.
Leg Press
sled/12 reps
90 lbs + sled/10 reps
270+/10 reps
450+/12
Smith Machine Deadlift - I didn’t stand on plates for these, so the bar started about 4 inches higher than it would pulling from the floor.
180 lbs + bar/6 reps
270+/6 - started using Versa Gripps here
320+/5
320+/8 - used a belt for the second set
That 320+ was heavier than I expected. I thought I’d be able to do up to 360+ beltless. Once I felt how tough 320+ felt, I decided that instead of risking the heavier weight, I should repeat that weight but do it with a belt.
Lying Leg Cur
75 lbs/12 reps
105/13
Calf Press - on seated upright leg press
100 lbs/15 reps - done medium tempo
150/15 - slow tempo, slight bend in knees
150/15 - slow tempo, legs straight
Abdominal Crunch Machine - feel planted on the floor, sitting upright, crunch downward from top against armpads
50 lbs/5
100/10
Thursday 5/16/24: 16,319 steps, 7.5 miles, 13 floors climbed
BONUS: ARMS & ABS, PLANET FITNESS
This session wasn’t planned. I thought about it a few stops ahead of delivering to the PF on my route. I just wanted to get back in the gym, and figured this was something I mostly hadn’t touched on Wednesday, and would be recovered in time for my planned upper session on Saturday.
Cable Pressdown - rope attachment
30 lbs/10 reps
50/10
40/10
I normally use a short bar, either straight or the “EZ” bar . I wanted to experiment. I’ll probably stick with the rope for a few weeks.
Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl - bench was set to 1 notch below a vertical back pad; weights listed are per hand
20 lbs/12 reps - rotating arms; neutral grip at bottom, supinated grip at top
25’s/10 - normal, supinated grip throughout whole movement
25’s/8 - neutral grip throughout (hammer curls)
Hammer Strength Ab Crunch Machine - sitting up right, knees rise as upper body crunches down
30 lbs/10 x 3 sets
It felt good to be back in the gym after a more than a week away.
I got feedback from judges at the show. I’ll share that in my next post, as I was waiting for it before deciding how I should plan my training for the next 5 months.