Commanding My Body

[HardCory]

Keep going hard I can't wait to see the finished product.

[Commander]

Originally Posted by HardCory

Keep going hard I can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks, there will finally be pictures, I haven't posted pictures since July of 2009 after my last cut. I am looking forward to comparing them.

[Commander]

Leg Day

Squat
275x10

Ghetto Glute Ham Raise - legs pinned under a heavy bar
BWx5, 4 sets - assisted

Leg Extensions
75 (plus 10) 125x5
100x12 - good squeeze

Tire Hill Sprints
Just tire (27 lbs) x 2
Tire + 10 (37 total lbs) x 5

Tire Backwards Sprint (for quads) - on a level surface
Tire + 35 x 5 sets, 10 second sprints

Superset with

Tire Chest Press
Tire + 35 x 12 reps, 4 sets

[bigbear6708]

Aside from following your great progress, I really enjoy reading your workouts...they seem very fun! What is your "plan"...or do u just do push stuff on push days, etc? Also, how did you come to find all of these tire exercises?

[Commander]

Originally Posted by bigbear6708

Aside from following your great progress, I really enjoy reading your workouts...they seem very fun! What is your "plan"...or do u just do push stuff on push days, etc?

They are very fun! I wouldn't have it any other way.

Believe it or not, I do have a plan!

Split:
Push, Pull, Legs

General guidelines for Push and Pull days:
3 rep for first exercise, 5 rep for second exercise. Back off sets for max reps using typically 80% of whatever my heaviest set was. 3rd exercise is generally arms, so triceps on push day and biceps on pull day. I also try to rotate between horizontal and veritcal. For example, if one Push day is 3 reps of OH press and 5 reps of Dips, then the next Push day might look like 3 reps of Bench Press and 5 reps of OH Dumbbell Press.

I will say that I was following that pattern pretty strictly, but I have taken some liberty with myself and been mixing it up slightly as of late (you will actually see that in the next workout I post, no 5 rep sets for example and no direct arm work)

General guidelines for Leg days:
Lowerbody I am rotating through some of my favorite workouts, Low End Deadlift, Top End Deadlift, Deadlift Volume Day, Squat 10 rep, Squat 20 rep.

Volume Day on deadlift refers to working up to a training max single, then taking roughly 80 to 85% of that and doing 5 sets of 5, then 85% of that and doing 1 set of 10. I typically follow that with power cleans.

Squat days I found I can focus best on 1 hard set, so that is what I have been doing lately. Assistance work for legs varies greatly based on my mood that day, with the exception of my Top and Low End Deadlift, those days are kind of planned out because they are targetting specific parts of the movement. I have been enjoying getting out and doing sprints.

Cardio:
I've been mixing this up as well, I sometimes try to tailor my cardio selection to the workout that day, for example, on Pull day, I might do farmers walks or heavy ropes (they hit the lats and forearms well), on Leg Day, sprints and tire drags. Push Day used to be my jump rope day, but I haven't jumped rope in awhile. I try to get a little cardio with each workout to increase my work capacity and burn some extra calories to assist the cut.

Assessment:
My plan has worked wonders. I have managed fatigue very well on this cut and continued to make gains.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by bigbear6708

Also, how did you come to find all of these tire exercises?

A combination of reading Christian Thibadeau at T-Muscle and my own personal creativity.

[Commander]

Push Day - AM workout - not typical for me, woke up at 5:15am, worked out a 6:00am

OH Press
70 (plus 10) 140x3

Incline Press
120 (plus 10) 190x3

Bench Press
170 (plus 10) 220x3
170x10

On bench, shoulder hurt slightly, so I moved my grip in about 1 inch closer (still about 1 inch from being what I call a close grip) and it really helped, felt much better.

Circuit:
Push ups until failure
Dips until failure
Tire Chest Press (Tire + 25) x 12

Rest

Circuit:
Dips until failure
Push ups until failure
Tire Chest Press (Tire + 25) x 12

Extra sets for fun:
Tire Chest Press (Tire + 25) x 12
Tire OH Tricep Extension (Tire) x 10

[Commander]

Push Day - PM workout

For those who read T-Nation, I took the AM Push (last post) and PM Push (this post) from the new Training Lab going on over there. The exception is the sprints, I threw those in for my own purposes.

Hill Sprint (full hill) 16-17 second sprint x 6

Sprints were supersetted with:

Tire Front Raise - tire + 10 x 12, 3 sets
Tire Chest Press - tire + 25 x 12, 1 set
+35 x 12, 2 sets

Chest circuit:

Pec Deck - 100 x failure
1 Arm Cable Fly - 20 x failure
Wide DB Fly - 22 x failure
Close DB Fly - 22 x failure
Push ups - BW x failure

Shoulder Circuit:

7.5 lb dumbbell on all sets x failure - a little too light, will bump it up if I do this again

Lateral Raise lying on inc bench
Lateral Raise back on inc bench
Front raise on bench
Standing Front raise
Cable External Rotation 20 x failure

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Side note:

My step mother in law in talking with my wife, said that I looked the biggest/most muscular that I ever have! My wife was happy to inform her that in fact I recently lost 23 lbs of fat!

That is precisely what you hope to hear on a cut, that you look big, the illusion of bodybuilding is working, my reduced waist is making me look bigger.

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Weighed in at 177 this morning after my refeed.

Going for an overnight tent camping trip today. Will be the first time my kids have slept out in a tent, should be fun.

Yes, I will be enjoying some S'mores!

[misterjaydubyoo]

I have been looking at some of the training lab stuff myself. Pretty interesting. Lookin really strong man...impressive for a cut.

Have fun on your trip.

[Commander]

Originally Posted by misterjaydubyoo

I have been looking at some of the training lab stuff myself. Pretty interesting. Lookin really strong man...impressive for a cut.

Definitely interesting, the concentric only stuff makes a lot of sense, and it's quite enjoyable.

Originally Posted by misterjaydubyoo

Have fun on your trip.

Thanks! We did. Here are a few pictures:

Here I am ready to start our trek, my pack weighed 50lbs, my traps were on fire after a few minutes.



Our awesome 10x10 pop up. I could put it up by myself in 15 minutes, without rushing, it was so easy.



We got to the state forest about 2pm, hiked for roughly 30 minutes until we found the stream we were looking for based on our map. Then we branched out to find a good place to put the tent. I felt like a burned a million calories between hiking out with the pack, setting up camp, clearing sticks, jaggers, buiding a fire pit/ring and gathering fire wood. I ate way more calories and carbs than normal. Berardi would have been proud, I was in high G-flux.

Once camp was set up, we could finally relax and have some fun, we enjoyed some turkey hot dogs and then I took my boys swimming at a stream while my wife watched the fire. Later we roasted marshmallows for some delicious s'mores. Sleep was almost non-existent even though I was exhausted, just too many cicadas and tree frogs talking to each other. Luckily, my kids slept well. I got up at 6 am and got the fire going again and cooked some pop-tarts over the fire (they were awesome). Did some hiking and more swimming and finally went home at about 4pm. It was a great time. I came back at 175, most likely from slight dehydration, although I drank as much as I could when we had access to a mountain spring (and of course we brought water, it just turned out not to be enough, lesson learned).

Camping was Friday and Saturday, so needless to say, no training occurred, but I sure was getting some GPP.

Sunday - wasn't sure how training would go, because I felt pretty tired still from camping, but I had a good session.

Pull Day

Pull-up
BW, +15, 30, 45, 62,6, 77.5 x 3 - PR

T-Bar
135 (plus 10) 185x5 - PR

Circuit 1:
Pull-up, BW+22.5 x 10
Sled Lat Pull, Tire + 50 x 24
Band Lat Pulldown, 30 reps

Circuit 2:
T-Bar, 130 x 18
Sled Lat Pull, Tire + 50 x 24
Band Row, 30 reps

Circuit 3 - did this circuit 3 times:
Barbell Curl, 60 x 12, 8, 8
Tire Curl, Tire + 50 x 8, 8, 8
Band Curl, 30 reps

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Diet update:

Bodyweight average last week: 178.1
This week: 176.9

Macros will remain unchanged, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Fat continues to come off, my pants are starting to fit so loose because I am even losing butt fat (not shredded glutes yet, but I think I can come close). Chest is coming along nicely, still retaining some annoying fat in my triceps and lower back.

[bigbear6708]

camping looked fun..now throw in a suspenders type rig w/ canteens and water, sling a weapon, put on a helmet and boots..lose the tent and sleep under a poncho..and you're in the army!!! hahaI wish my wife was a little more "out doorsy" she hates being out side..but I grew up in the woods..id love to go camping!i know how you feel trying to workout after a rough couple days. we went to sesame place on saturday...all day, my workout on sunday was just going thru the motions it seemed like