Mailman Muscle: Story of The Bodybuilding Powerlifter

[K.Diesel]

When I submitted my urinalysis sample after The Conquer, I was told that I would receive an email within 3-4 weeks containing my test results, as well as instructions for how to claim my pro card. As you might imagine, I have been anxiously checking my inbox and junk mail folders multiple times per day for the past 2 weeks. I emailed the promoter last week, as well as the main OCB office/account last night. So far, still no email. But once I saw this post on Instagram a few hours ago, that tells me that OCB must have received confirmation of my natty status from the lab. I take that to mean that I’m officially an OCB pro now, but I still don’t know how to acquire my literal pro card. Hopefully that comes within the next day or so. I’m still taking this post to mean that I’m cleared to enter the pro show in October.

CONQUER - NATURAL BODYBUILDING | Welcome to the OCB pros. @themailmanmuscle - @ocbtheconquer 2024

OCB THE CONQUER
10th Annual - Natural Bodybuilding Competition... | Instagram

Now to catch up…

My schedule this week might be a bit wonky. On one hand, my wife and daughters are gone for the weekend. Our youngest is with younger cousins at my mother-in-law’s. My wife and oldest are with older cousins and my sister-in-law at the beach. It seems like that should free up some time. However, my son and I have the house to ourselves, and we never get to hang out with no girls around. Not to mention that I still have work through Saturday, and he has baseball games each of the next 4 days. But he also started his own strength training program yesterday. So we’ll see what the end of the week brings.

So… the end of the week was rather pleasant in Baltimore. Not so much for my wife and daughter on their beach trip. Their relationships with their counterparts may have been irreparably damaged. Juneteenth has never been a thing in this part of the country for my entire life until it became a convenient political overture, but if anyone I know is having a cookout next week, let’s just say we won’t be attending if they are, or vice versa. However, my son and I had a wonderful bonding time, even though I worked every day through Saturday. We watched Japanese pro wrestling, American pro wrestling, talked over pancakes, and he also had his first trip to Gold’s Gym. Needless to say, he was mesmerized by the place. Being a 14 year old boy, of course he had to take the opportunity to use a legit bench and barbell for the first time (as opposed to the smith machines at Planet Fitness). I’m not mad at him. He topped out at 100 lbs for a set of 5, followed by a set of 3 or 4. I don’t know which of us was more excited. But beyond the weights, I think he liked the boxing/MMA area the most. Between the heavy bag and speed bag, he occupied himself long enough for me to do 2 or 3 different exercises on nearby machines. Good times either way.

My son just turned 14 a few weeks ago. He finally asked me to help him get bigger and stronger over the next few months, to give him his... | Instagram

As for myself, I have trained twice since my last post: Saturday and today (Wednesday). Three days rest isn’t the end of the world.

SATURDAY 6/8/24 - Upper #1, Gold’s Gym

Low Incline Dumbbell Bench Press - I did 2 warmups on flat barbell bench with my son: empty bar and 95 lbs
50’s/6 reps
work set(s?): 70’s/10 hands neutral, 6 hands pronated

I ended up taking about 60 seconds between those 10 and 6 reps. That’s twice as long as my normal rest-pause break, and probably 1-2 minutes less than my rest between two straight sets. So I don’t know if I should count it as a rest-pause or as two sets. But the reps got done.

T-Bar Row
45 lbs/12 reps (6 wide overhand + 6 narrow neutral)
90/12 (6 + 6 again)
work set 1: 135/15 wide overhand
work set 2: 135/12 narrow neutral - wore Versa Gripps for the work sets

Standing Lateral Raise Machine
50 lbs/10 reps
rest-pause work set: 70/11 + 6 + 5 - I definitely didn’t get a full ROM on the last rep of the 2nd and 3rd rounds

Seated Pullover Machine - updated version of the old school Nautilus
95 lbs/11 reps
rest-pause work set: 155/10 + 5

Seated Upright “Super Abs” Machine
165/20 middle + 125/20 left + 125/20 right


WEDNESDAY 6/12/24 - Lower #2, Planet Fitness

Smith Machine Squat - I’ve been having a sharp pain in the front of my left knee all day, so I did these low bar instead of high bar
bar/10 reps
90 lbs + bar/8
140+/6
190+/5
230+/3
work set 1: 270+/7 - put the belt on here; felt harder than it looked, so I resolved to get the same reps on the next set
work set 2: 270+/7 - if set 1 was 2 RIR, this was 1 RIR

Walking Lunge
bodyweight/10 each leg
work set: 50/15 each

I don’t know what possessed me to do these. But I might keep them as part of this day for a while. I used one of the fixed weight barbells on the work set.

Seated Leg Curl
55 lbs/13 reps
100/9
rest-pause-drop work set: 160/12 + 7 + 130/9 - The last rep of each round was a partial. I pushed each round until I proved that I couldn’t do any more full ROM reps.

Adduction Machine
75 lbs/12 reps
rest-pause work set: 130/15 + 8 + 8

Abduction Machine
75 lbs/15 reps
rest-pause work set: 145/20 + 13 + 15 thought I was done after 13 on that last round, but pushed to find out I had 2 more

Leg Extension
100 lbs/12 reps
rest-pause work set: 175/15 + 9 + 6 - The last rep of each round was a partial. I pushed each round until I proved that I couldn’t do any more full ROM reps.

Calf Press - did these on the seated upright leg press machine
100 lbs/12 reps
work set 1: 175/20 - 2 second pause in the stretch at the bottom of each rep
work set 1: 175/20 - 1 second pause in the stretch at the bottom of each rep

Hyperextension - hip hinge only, no knee extension
bodyweight/10 reps
drop work set: 35/6 + 25/6 + 10/6 - There was a 25 lbs and a 10 lbs plate at the base of the hyper apparatus, so I used them.

I pushed hard in this one. I didn’t think I had a good session in my last lower body workout, so I suppose I wanted to make up some lost time. You can’t really do that with strength training (at least I don’t think so). But I’m glad I was able to get this in. Upper body is up next on Friday or Saturday night.

[K.Diesel]

With 17 weeks to go until my planned OCB pro debut, it’s time to put the reins on my affair with sugary carbohydrates (especially breakfast cereal), and high(er) fat foods disguised as carbs (like pizza and cookies). I have gained about 15 pounds in the 5 weeks since the show. I can say that 10 of them have been on purpose. The rest is from too many allowances and late night bingeing.

I hesitate to say that I’m “starting prep”, but I suppose that’s what I’m doing. I plan to be in a caloric deficit from Thursday, June 20 through Saturday, August 17. That’s when we leave for our summer trip to Florida, which I believe will be 10 days this year. I’ll be in maintenance mode for the trip, which won’t let me go crazy, but I won’t have to be as strict with my diet as I would be if I were “cutting”. Then from September 1, I will have 6 full weeks to finish getting ready. There’s another pro show in Rhode Island on November 16, which is 5 weeks after the show here that I’m planning to do. I might add that second show to the calendar, but I’m not sure about that yet.

FRIDAY 6/14/24 - Upper #2, Planet Fitness

Arnold Press - weights are per hand
20’s/12 reps
40’s/7
50’s/5
work set 1: 60’s/11
work set 2: 60’s/9

I was supposed to do these with 65’s, but this PF location only has dumbbells up to 60 lbs. 🤦🏾‍♂️ Most of them go up to 70 or 75 lbs. But it’s probably just as well. I wouldn’t have gotten more than 9 reps on set 1, after getting 65’s/8 on set 1 the last time I did these.

Rear Delt Machine
70 lbs/13 reps
work set: 115/18

Pec Deck - same machine as rear delt, facing forwards
100 lbs/11 reps
drop work set: 145/8 + 130/4 + 115/3

Cable Pulldown
100 lbs/14 reps (7 medium underhand, 7 wide overhand)
150/9 (5 wide overhand, 4 medium underhand)
work set 1: 185/9 - wide overhand, started using Versa Gripps here
work set 2: 165/9 - medium underhand

Dip
work set: bodyweight/20 reps

Pull-up - medium neutral grip
drop work set: bodyweight/8 reps+ 85 assistance/6 reps

Hammer Ab Crunch Machine - seated upright, crunch top and bottom simultaneously
marathon drop rest-pause work set: 50 lbs/10 reps + 30/10 + 5 + 5 + 5 - breaks were 20-30 seconds each

Here are a few clips from this one. Lower body up next tomorrow, hopefully at Gold’s.

It has been 5 weeks since I was blessed to win my masters pro card at @ocbtheconquer - I suppose I should use it. 😁So God willing, I’ll... | Instagram

[K.Diesel]

Before I get to the log entry, here’s an update on where I am 16 weeks (minus 1 day) out from the show. If I haven’t mentioned this before, I’m a hair or two over 5’7” tall.

Weight: 178.6. I have already dropped 3.6 lbs since Thursday, but some of that could be dehydration from working outside, along with reduced salt intake. This happens with me a lot.
Waist: 31.75”
Hips: 38.5”
Neck: 15.75”
Forearm: 12.75”
According to the online calculator I’ve been using, this means I’m 9.6% bodyfat, with 161.5 lbs of lean mass. I don’t think any of this is accurate. But I use the calculator as well as my strength levels as a proxy for how much muscle I’m retaining during show prep.

Part 1

On Friday night, I went to the gym with my wife and son. It has been normal for my wife and I to train together for a few years now, but my son just started training this summer. He’s 14, and wants to get bigger and stronger for wrestling and baseball (I’m sure girls and self confidence are a factor too). I have avoided doing my own workouts when I’m in the gym with him. I’d rather focus on coaching him without spending extra time or mental bandwidth on myself. But this time it was unavoidable.

FRIDAY 6/21/24 - Lower #2, Planet Fitness

Smith Machine Squat
bar/10
90 lbs + bar/7
180+/5
240+/3
work set 1: 275+/6 - first set with belt
work set 2: 230+/8 - I didn’t want to take a chance at falling under 5 reps on these, so I dropped the weight on the 2nd set

Walking Lunge
bodyweight/7 reps each leg
work set 1: 60/15 each - used one of the fixed weight barbells
work set 2: 60/16 each

Seated Leg Curl
80 lbs/10 reps
130/4
rest-pause work set: 150/16 + 8 + 5 - eccentrics were slow, probably a 3+ count

Hyperextension
bodyweight/12 reps
drop work set: 35/6 + 25/6 + 10/6 - I made use of a 25 lbs and 10 lbs plate on the floor next to the hyper apparatus

This IG post has clips of the 275+bar squat set, and the 2nd work set of walking lunges.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8jMD2Wg...Z2YjhwM3ptOTZ3

Part 2

After the Juneteenth holiday, I went back to work and smashed 32 hours in the final 3 days of the week (Thu-Sat). That included 12 hours yesterday. But fortunately for me, I just so happen to be a mailman for a Planet Fitness, and that Black Card membership card scans at all of them. So I spent 20 minutes out of that 12 hour work day doing what I would have done the night before if my son hadn’t been with me.

SATURDAY 6/22/24 - Lower #2 continued, Planet Fitness

Calf Press - on upright seated leg press
100 lbs/12 reps
150/10 - held stretch for 2 count at the bottom of each rep
work set: 175/15 - held stretch for 3 count at the bottom of each rep

Adductor Machine
100 lbs/15 reps
work set: 145/25

Abductor Machine
100 lbs/10 reps
work set: 160/20

Leg Extension
“pump set”: 115 lbs/20 reps - eccentrics were faster than normal, weight was lighter than normal work sets, several reps from failure

Seated Leg Curl
“pump set”: 115 lbs/20 reps - eccentrics were faster than normal, weight was lighter than normal work sets, several reps from failure

That was my first ever 2-day leg day. Looking at the forecast for today, there’s a chance I hit Gold’s for upper body later. I think I mentioned earlier that they don’t have air conditioning, but if it cools off from the mid-90’s high this evening, my asthma and I can be happy in there. That way I can have a complete day of rest tomorrow (no work, no gym), got to the chiropractor, and get back to things on Tuesday.

[K.Diesel]

I has been my practice for years to not schedule deloads, because life will schedule them for me. The past week has reinforced this idea for me. From working 32 mailman hours between Thursday and Saturday, to baseball practices, to an Orioles game on Monday that I forgot we had tickets for, I ended up going 5 days without training. I wish I could say that I felt energized and refreshed, but I’ve been as active if not more so in those days away from the gym. But nothing hurt when I got back to the gym last night, so that’s good. That wasn’t the case this morning, but hopefully no harm was done.

WEDNESDAY 6/26/24 - Upper #2, Planet Fitness

Decline DB Bench Press - first time doing these; used the decline sit-up bench; weights listed are per hand
20’s/16 reps (8 neutral & pronated)
40’s/12 (7 neutral & 5 pronated)
60’s/10 (5 neutral & 5 pronated)
work set 1: 75’s/9 neutral
work set 2: 75’s/8 + 65’s/3.5 pronated - tried for a 4th rep and didn’t get it

Getting into position for these was a little wonky. Maybe a little more practice with it will help. I really like the feel of the movement. My pecs feel like they got hit really hard, but I might have tweaked something in my left shoulder. I took some ibuprofen this afternoon, and it wasn’t bothering me at work. Plus I went to the chiropractor after work. It doesn’t hurt now as I’m typing, so hopefully I’m good to go.

Cable Pulldown - neutral grip, a little wider than shoulder width
85 lbs/10 reps
140/8
work set 1: 180/13 - first set using Versa Gripps
work set 2: 180/10 - last 2 reps were really 1/2 reps

Seated Cable Row - wide pronated grip
120 lbs/8 reps
work set 1: 150/13 - first set using Versa Gripps
work set 2: 150/11 + a 12th “self-forced” negative

Arnold Press - weights are per hand
45’s/9
work set 1: 60’s/10
work set 2: 50’s/10

Upright Sit-Up Machine - feet static on pad, knees slightly bent, crunching towards the floor with elbows locked and hands on bar
drop work set: 130 lbs/6 reps + 110/5 + 90/6 + 70/7 + 70/3

I need to get to Gold’s this weekend for lower body.

[K.Diesel]

I have been rather stressed and scatterbrained lately. Even though I’ve maintained my normal work and training schedule, things have felt off. As a coping mechanism more than anything, I decided to go to the gym yesterday and spend part of my day off doing something fun: powerlifting. Since I have a little over 14 weeks until my next show, I decided to go to Gold’s and see where I am with my squat, bench press, and deadlift.

As fate would have it, my pro debut is the same day as the 2024 Mr. Olympia finals. If Ronnie Coleman could deadlift 800 lbs for a double just a couple of weeks before the Olympia, then surely I could test myself with months before I’m on stage again. I haven’t even done a couple of these lifts lately, let alone trained them for max strength. What’s the worst that could happen? (Note: it almost did)

THURSDAY 7/4/24 - Impromptu Powerlifting Test Day, Gold’s Gym

Bodyweight at wake-up: 180.0 lbs

SQUAT
45 lbs/6 reps
135/5
205/5
265/3
295/2
325/1
360/1 - first set wearing my belt
385/1
405/1

I’m certain I had 10 more pounds in me. I may have had 15-20 more. But I was ecstatic that I can still squat 2 plates, even at this light bodyweight and without training the lift for a long time. I decided to call it quits with squats and move on.

BENCH PRESS
45 lbs/8 reps
95/8
145/6
195/4
225/1 - started pausing these reps since I knew I was doing singles from this point
245/1
255/1
260/1

The 255 was very difficult, but I looked at the video and thought I had a chance to hit one a tad heavier. I knew that in order to get the 260, I would have to be very aggressive off of the chest. Plus I knew that I would have to anticipate the sticking point, and maintain constant force on the bar so it wouldn’t dip. 260 isn’t brag worthy, but I’m happy with myself for being able to execute a clean, max effort bench when I haven’t done anything close to a one rep max recently.

DEADLIFT - for what it’s worth, I was using a deadlift bar
135 lbs/3 reps
225/2
225/1
315/1 - first set using Versa Gripps
365/1 - first set wearing my belt
415/1
455/1

That last deadlift is where things almost went very wrong. It took a moment for the bar to start moving. I don’t know if the bar leaving the floor caused my upper body to tilt forward a bit, or if tilting forward helped the bar to start moving. Either way, before the bar got to my knees I could feel that either the bar or my self was more forward than it should have been. I felt my lower back straining, and I briefly thought about dropping the bar. I managed to recover it and finish the lift. Out of the 3 competition lifts, this one was the one I executed the worst yesterday. I probably shouldn’t have finished that rep, but I don’t think I’m injured. All is well that ends well.

I’m editing a video with footage from yesterday for YouTube. But here is an Instagram reel with the 405 squat, 260 bench and 455 deadlift.

Kaisheem Muhammad | No practicing. No peaking. No prep.
.
I went to the gym yesterday and had an impromptu powerlifting test day. This was more for mental... | Instagram

At the end of the day, I ended up totaling 1,120 at my first “meet” in the 181 lbs weight class. 😁 I had a lot of fun. Neither my wife nor son were with me, and since it was a holiday, the gym was mostly empty. I felt better when I left. From here, I think I’ll take a couple of days off, and get back to my upper/lower rotation starting either Sunday or Monday. I might tweak some things in my training plan, but I don’t expect to make any major changes. I’m sticking with what got me here.

[Bill Anders]

Strong work, Kaisheem! Isn't it great, once in awhile, to see if it's still there? You knew that it was.

re: your deadlift - you started the pull off the floor too far forward. Initially your hip position was good, then you did your test pull and dropped your hips a bit, then dropped them too much as you started your actual pull. Dropping the hips pushes your knees/shins forward, which pushes the bar forward (watch the plates in relation to the chain link fencing in the background and you'll see them move a link or so forward). Then, when your hips got back up to about where they needed to be and you started moving the bar off the floor, the bar was forward of mid-foot, which is harder to pull than if you had left it in position over midfoot. That position also ends up putting more stress on the lower back than if you had not moved the bar forward.

It's a pretty common error when we want to get a limit weight moving off the floor. I even had Rip lean into me after my deadlift set at a Seminar and say "you squatted that last one off the floor", which was true. It was relatively light, but I was gassed at that point in the weekend and wanted to make sure it got off the floor.

Bottom line - you could have pulled a fair bit more than 455 had you kept good form, although I know that's not your focus right now.

Keep at it!

[K.Diesel]

Strong work, Kaisheem! Isn't it great, once in awhile, to see if it's still there? You knew that it was.

re: your deadlift - you started the pull off the floor too far forward. Initially your hip position was good, then you did your test pull and dropped your hips a bit, then dropped them too much as you started your actual pull. Dropping the hips pushes your knees/shins forward, which pushes the bar forward (watch the plates in relation to the chain link fencing in the background and you'll see them move a link or so forward). Then, when your hips got back up to about where they needed to be and you started moving the bar off the floor, the bar was forward of mid-foot, which is harder to pull than if you had left it in position over midfoot. That position also ends up putting more stress on the lower back than if you had not moved the bar forward.

It's a pretty common error when we want to get a limit weight moving off the floor. I even had Rip lean into me after my deadlift set at a Seminar and say "you squatted that last one off the floor", which was true. It was relatively light, but I was gassed at that point in the weekend and wanted to make sure it got off the floor.

Bottom line - you could have pulled a fair bit more than 455 had you kept good form, although I know that's not your focus right now.

Keep at it!

Thank you so much for this feedback Bill. Your deadlift analysis is spot on. Reading it is like reliving it, and I can remember feeling everything you described.

As planned, I took off a few days after the powerlifting test. But I did post a video to YouTube about it while sitting at home. If you have a few minutes (or up to 8 of them), please take a moment to check it out. I was also trying some different editing techniques, so I’d appreciate any feedback you all would be willing to share.



I got back to to the lab on Monday, and then again Wednesday. Here’s a summary of what I did in there.

MONDAY 7/8/24 - Lower #1, Gold’s Gym

Hyperextension - hinging at hips only, knees locked, held plates for added resistance
bodyweight/10 reps
bodyweight/10
drop work set: 45/10 + 25/7 + BW/8

Standing Calf Raise
100 lbs/12 reps
140/12
drop work set: 200/13 + 160/8 + 120/8

Vertical Leg Press - I don’t know how much the sled weighs.
sled/10
100+/9
150+/6
widowmaker work set: 205/11 + 3 + 3 + 3

That’s 5 more pounds on the work set than the last time I did this. The way I’m doing these is hit my max reps or close to it, take a few deep breaths and do some more, and repeat until I hit whatever number I have in mind (it has been 20 the last 2 times I did this). The rests are only about 10-12 seconds long, and I don’t lock my knees, touch my legs, or rack the weight. It sucks. I hope it’s going to pay dividends.

Seated Leg Curl - This is a version of the machine called “The Hamtractor” that just showed up a week ago. Best seated curl I’ve used.
50 lbs/15
100/10
drop work set: 170/10 + 140/11 + 110/17 - The eccentrics on that last round were controlled, but not as slow as I normally do them.

Leg Extension
115/10
rest-pause-drop work set: 170/15 + 6 + 135/8 - I tried a 9th rep on that last round, and the weight barely moved.

Abductor Machine
work set: 155/25

Adductor Machine
work set: 80/25 - My wife did this with the same weight for the same reps. She made fun of me.


WEDNESDAY 7/10/24 - Upper #1, Planet Fitness

Arnold Press - weights are per hand
20’s/12
40’s/6
60’s/4
work set 1: 70’s/8
work set 2: 60’s/9

Behind The Back Upright Row - used a vertical track smith machine
bar/15
50+/12
work set: 100+/16 - used Versa Gripps on this set

I had just heard Lee Haney talking about these, so I decided to give them a shot. It was my first time doing them. I kind of like them. Nothing hurt, and they hit the traps/rhomboids in a way I haven’t felt before. I’ll do them a few more times and reevaluate.

Straight Arm Pullover - did these on the lat pulldown station; short, straight bar; slow eccentric, big stretch at the top
40 lbs/10 reps
rest-pause work set: 70/8 + 5 + 4

Cable Pulldown - same bar to start
100/7, underhand
work set 1: 160/9, underhand - started using Versa Gripps here
work set 2: 140/13, switched to a kind of wide, neutral grip bar; it was probably 12.5 reps

Pec Deck
80/10
110/8
rest-pause work set: 135/11 + 6 + 4 - the last rep of rounds 2 and 3 were probably partials

Rear Delt - I was already there, so why not?
work set: 100/20 - definitely several partials

Seated Triceps Press - the Planet Fitness version of the seated dip; not as good as the Hammer Strength version at Gold’s
drop work set 1: 205/10 + 175/4
work set 2: 175/8

That failure point on the drop really snuck up on me, so I decided to take a slightly longer rest. I wasn’t fully recovered, but it was too long to call it a rest-pause, so I counted it as a second set.

Upright Crunch/Sit-Up Machine - not sure how to describe this one; I’ve used it, but it’s not my default abs machine
drop work set: 110/6 + 90/8 + 70/10 + 10

Calf Press - done on upright leg press before I went back into the locker room
add work set: 60/6 + 85/6 + 115/6 + 145/6 + 175/13 - held the stretch for a 2 count in the bottom of each rep on that final round

[Bill Anders]

Glad to help, Kaisheem. It's what I do now, and it seemed to be a waste not to pass on a bit of knowledge.

Thanks for that video. Good stuff all around, especially the tips for folks who haven't run such a test. Two hours is about right, based on my experience too. And even though they're singles, it's amazing how gassed you get after that session. So good on ya for taking a few days rest!

Keep at it!

[K.Diesel]

Glad to help, Kaisheem. It's what I do now, and it seemed to be a waste not to pass on a bit of knowledge.

Thanks for that video. Good stuff all around, especially the tips for folks who haven't run such a test. Two hours is about right, based on my experience too. And even though they're singles, it's amazing how gassed you get after that session. So good on ya for taking a few days rest!

Keep at it!

Yes sir! And please, continue to pass on as much of what you know as possible.

Early last week, our oldest daughter was sick for a few days with some kind of stomach ailment. We thought she had eaten something that caused food poisoning, because through Wednesday, she was the only one with any symptoms. Starting on Thursday afternoon, my stomach started giving me trouble. By Friday, I was struggling to get through the work day (thank you Pepto and Tums), and went straight to bed when I got home. I felt a little better Saturday, more so on Sunday, and mostly normal today.

Needless to say, I didn’t do my planned lower body session this weekend. But in spite of feeling as bloated as I’ve ever felt, I felt good enough to have what I guess we’ll call an active rest workout. Since my stomach was in turmoil, the idea was to do easy work on the extremities, and don’t put any pressure on the middle.

SATURDAY 7/13/24 - Active Rest, Gold’s Gym

Hammer Seated Dip Machine
90 lbs/13 reps
140/12
180/13

Old School Preacher Curl Machine - plate loaded; never used this before
45 lbs/12
70/7 - tougher than I expected; I think I found a new friend for my biceps.

Seated Calf Machine
90 lbs/11 reps
90/20 - 2 count at the bottom of every rep; had to reset after 10 reps because my feet were sliding

Standing Leg Curl - first time seeing this one and using it
30 lbs/10 left + 10 right
50/12 left, 12 right - I treated these like separate sets with a rest period between sides. I really liked this machine.

OG Nautilus Leg Extension - the kind with the chain running to the weight stack; did these one leg at a time
50 lbs/10 left + 10 right
80/15 left, 15 right

Seated Lateral Raise
70 lbs/15
75/15

This turned out pretty well. I was able to keep some things moving, without slowing down my recovery from whatever bug I had. Plus, I found some new toys to play with.

[K.Diesel]

I’m not going to try catching up the workouts that I missed logging. Suffice it to say, I trained 3 times last week. I am now 11 1/2 weeks from my first pro stage. I’m about 10 pounds from where I think I need to land this time for the stage. We also leave for a 10 day trip to Florida in 3 1/2 weeks. So if I can pick up my fat loss pace just a bit, I’ll have a bit of a buffer for not adhering to my plan to the letter while we’re away from home. I’m not going to go crazy, but I’m sure that I’m going to have a couple of meals that aren’t exactly contest prep friendly. I’m also going to be getting plenty of steps in. As long as I can keep my weight reasonably stable on the road, then I should be okay with 6 1/2 weeks to the show after I get back.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to pull this off, but I want to try a training experiment, at least up until the trip. If it goes well, then I’ll continue it when I return. It’s nothing major: I want to increase my training frequency from 3 times per week to every other day. The net result is 2 extra training days every 4 weeks (month). Will that make a significant difference? I don’t know, which is part of why I want to try it. In this first run with it, I’m going to resist the temptation to do most of the set intensifiers/extenders I frequently do. The game plan is to do 2 straight sets to “failure” for most exercises (typically compound lifts), and 1 to “failure” for some others (typically isolation lifts). I might do some partials at the end, which is why I have “failure” in “” - I have started using “exhaustion” instead. I don’t want to fail. 😁 Calves and abs will probably still get some drop/rest-pause action during this experiment.

I’m still basically doing an upper/lower split, but it may look more like torso/limbs, because I’m planning to move direct arm work to lower days.

TUESDAY 7/23/24

Daily Activity: 15,740 steps, 7.2 miles, 9 floors climbed

Upper/Torso #1, Planet Fitness

For the first time in a while, my wife and I did almost exactly the same workout. It was fun to train together again, not just be at the gym at the same time. She picked most of the exercises and sequence here.

Pulldown Machine - one of the purple Life Fitness ones; I have hardly ever used this machine; used Versa Gripps on work sets
55 lbs/10 reps + 100 lbs/9 reps
160/5
work set 1: 190/13
work set 2: 190/10.5 - thought I might get 11 full reps; I was wrong

Seated Row Machine - has a chest pad, but you’re sitting upright, so it’s not “chest supported”; used Versa Gripps on work sets
145 lbs/8 reps
work set 1: 190/13
work set 2: 190/13 + cheat negative - I got 13 legit reps, then used some body English on one more concentric so I could do a slow negative

I see why my wife uses these machines. Lats were blown up, and I have some room on the stack for progression on these.

Arnold Press - we were going to do pec deck here, but they were in use; my wife did lateral raises while I did these; weights are per hand
30’s/10 reps
50’s/6
work set 1: 70’s/8
work set 2: 60’s/9

I was stoked about this. The last time I did these was on July 10, and I got the same reps with the same weights, but I did this exercise first that day. So matching that on the third exercise this time had me kind of hyped when I checked the logbook.

Pec Deck
70 lbs/13 reps
work set 1: 130/13
work set 2: 130/11 + 2 partials

I don’t know what was up with me and the number 13 on reps yesterday.

Rear Delts - Sitting backwards on the pec deck
work set: 100 lbs/20 reps + 3 partials

Upright Row - grabbed a fixed barbell to kill time while my wife did her first set on the abs machine
work set: 60 lbs/20 reps

Hammer Strength Upright Abs Crunch - move from the top and bottom simultaneously
work set 1, drop: 100 lbs/3 reps + 90/3 + 80/3 + 70/3 + 60/3
work set 2: 25/12


WEDNESDAY 7/24/24


Daily Activity: 11,867 steps, 5.4 miles, 8 floors climbed