Commanding My Body

[will-work4andro]

Tim, for whatever reason i am unable to see the most up to date pictures...although i did get a chance to look at the video...i'll tell you that you made huge gains from the before pictures...here is my critique of your video

1) you can tell you worked very hard as you are quite lean...i think another 4-6 weeks and you would've been absolutely stage shredded.

2) what sticks out to me the most is your quads and back but your overall balance is good as well.

3) from the side your hamstrings look good but to me it looks like they could still get a lot leaner from the back (it might just be posing). one thing to remember is that everytime you lean down, you will get leaner and leaner everytime...so trust me, after a clean offseason and another cut you will be looking straight scary.

4) you need to remember to pose your legs in all shots...it should be the first thing you pose...some of the front and back shots you can tell you let up a bit on squeezing the legs.

I really hope you take my critique in a positive light as that is how i meant it...honestly, when i saw your avatar it blew me away, which is why i sent you that PM giving you mad props...you my friend are what ABCbodybuilding.com is all about, which is why you are an irreplaceable part of this website...people can definitely come to your thread and see that hard consistent work pays off...great job Tim

[Commander]

Hmmm, lots of people having trouble with the pictures, did you try going to my profile?

Here are the albums;
Pre-contest week October 10th
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum...php?albumid=50
Psuedo Photo shoot at local gym October 10th
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum...php?albumid=51
Post-contest week October 17th
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum...php?albumid=52

1) Thanks, leanest I have ever been, including being the classic ectomorphic teenager. I agree that a few more weeks would have got me more shredded, however, my face looked like I was a POW and I just had to stop it (after 28 weeks!).

2) Wow, I am surprised to hear that my quad stick out, never considered them a strong point although I will say I was pleasantly surprised with the seperation that I acheived towards the end of my cut and the appear decent to me in the pictures and video. Back is most definitely my strong point, it was the 2nd part of me to lean up (first was my deltoids) and probably the most muscular part of my body.

Glad to hear you feel I am balanced, although, I do feel I need to bring my arms up to truly have a bodybuilder physique.

3) I agree totally. I lacked size and definition in my hamstrings. They are going to be a focus of my offseason. In general, I hope that sled dragging will help retain some of my leg leanness (so there isn't so much fat to cut next time) and I am going to be added more exercises targeting the hamstrings. Good tip, I wanted to take it as far as I could because I knew it would be easier to shred up next time.

4) Good tip, I most definitely forgot in some poses. Although there were times when I know my hamstrings were flexed, but they weren't lean enough to really show it in the video.

I definitely take it in a positive light, I really and truly appreciate you taking the time to view the video! Hopefully, the above links will help you see my pictures as well.

If you only have time for a few, check out my rear double bicep (I am proud of that one!) and front most muscular (the avatar shot).

Wow, what kind words Jeremy, thank you so much. I have always felt you were what ABC is all about as well. I am just glad to be a part of it!

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Weight stable at 173.

Yesterday was 3 reps, Flat Bench, 2 inch Rack, 5 inch Rack, 5 inch Rack clusters in the morning, all exercises superset with wide cable rows, Tire Dragging for chest/back at lunch, and 5x5 Flat Bench, 5x5 Rack Press (both chest exercises superset with Ab work and Wide Cable Rows), and 5x8 OH Tricep extension.

Today was an intense leg session; 5 reps Front Squat, Back Squat, half squat off pins, Forward tire sprints, Backward tire drags, chest/back tire drags, Leg Curls 3x8.

Leg day will most likely not be 3 times per day because weekends are not conducive to multiple workouts due to family time which takes precedence. However, on weekdays I will continue to try and hit the gym 3 times per day!

That's all for now.

[WorkoutMchne]

Three training sessions a day...This is why you are awesome. I don't know what else to do but laugh at how awesome that sounds.

[Commander]

Originally Posted by WorkoutMchne

Three training sessions a day...This is why you are awesome. I don't know what else to do but laugh at how awesome that sounds.

Thanks Mike!

I figured increased volume would be a good way to add mass, let's hope I can pull it off smart enough to recover and actually grow!

I think it is going to leave me borderline addicted to training, lol. I feel like I eat, sleep and breathe it currently.

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Sunday - family day - only 2 sessions, lol!

AM

Pull-up
BW (plus 5) BW+40x5, then worked back down BW+30 (minus 10) BW+10x5
BWx10

After church, I spent the afternoon hiking with my children enjoying the fall foliage. We had a great time and my dog enjoyed it as well! Then took my youngest to a skate park. Positively lovely afternoon.

PM

T-Bar
100 (plus 10) 180x5
125x13,12,11
105x8, 3 sets - these 3 sets were one and a quarter reps (hence forth, Q reps), i.e. full rep then down 1/4 and back up, that counts as 1.

Bicep Curl superset with Dec Rev Crunch
60x12, 3 sets with BWx20, 3 sets

Tire Session

Lat Pulldown 50x12, 3 sets with Chest Press 50x12, 2 sets
Row 75x12, 3 sets with Chest Press 50x12, 2 sets

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Weights are slightly lower than normal (for example PR's for pullups is BW+60x5 and for T-Bar is 195x5). Since I am going to try for 3 sessions per day on weekdays, I want to make sure all my reps are quality reps, I don't need to be over taxing my CNS by getting close to failure when I am going for the amount of volume I am striving for.

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Monday - OH Pressing

AM

OH Press
60, 70, 80, 90, 110, 120, 125, 130x3

Push Press
130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160x3

OH Rack Press (pins at eye level)
70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135x3

OH Press and Rack Press were superset with Upright Cable Rows

OH Press
105x8

OH Rack Press
100x8

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Diet update:
Bodyweight average this week: 173.5

Weight stabilized at around 173 after being at 174 for a short while post "contest." Adding in 2/3 cup oats to my diet to see if that will start to push the scale upward.

Macros will be:
Excluding Training - 2268 calories, 72 fat, 235 carbs, 171 protein
Including Training Nutrition - 3108 calories, 80 fat, 347 carbs, 251 protein (assuming 3 workouts)

[Commander]

OH Press Day

Lunch - supposed to be eccentric-less, but raining outside, did my volume session, hope to squeeze in the eccentric-less session tonight

Volume

OH Press
105, 5x5 superset with Upright Cable Rows, 5x6 reps

Push Press
135, 5x5 superset with Ab Bench 50, 5x8

OH Rack Press
100, 5x5 superset with Upright Cable Rows, 5x6 reps

Skull Crusher
60, 3x8 - hoping for 5 sets, ran out of time

This a great session.

[Commander]

Monday

Supposed to be eccentric-less, but didn't have time due to a bible study and playing Yu-Gi-Oh with my son. Time well spent.

Great thing about trying for 3 sessions per day, even if I miss one, I still worked out twice!

Tuesday

AM

T-Bar Row
120 (plus 5) 180x5

Chose 5 lb increments to get in more sets, 13 in total.

Lunch - Eccentric-less

Tire Lat Pulldown, 50 superset with Chest Press, 50 x 3 sets
Tire High Row, 75 superset with Chest Press, 50 x 3 sets
Tire Stiff arm Lat Pulldown, 50 superset with Bicep Curl, 50 x 2 sets

Made a modification, lats were pretty sore from Sunday's workout, I worked them out one extra time this week (3 instead of the 2 I had planned in my split). So I backed off from my volume session and instead did eccentric-less. I believe it was a wise choice. Tonight, visiting with my father-in-law and then CPR/First Aid training, so likely will not fit in a 3rd session tonight. May not get a 3rd session all week actually, Wednesay will be family pumpkin carving, Thursday soccer practice and Friday is a Fall Fun Fest at church. We shall see.

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For anyone interested, here is my tentative layout, it is working so far, although tomorrow and Thursday will be my first time with those sessions.

Sunday - Lats/Biceps, 1 or 2 sessions
Monday - OH Press, 3 sessions
Tuesday - Lats/Biceps, 3 sessions
Wednesday - Inc Press, AM, Deadlift, Lunch, PM Eccentric-less, 3 sessions
Thursday - Neural Charge and/or Eccentric-less, Fasting Day - see T-Nation Training Lab
Friday - Flat Press, 3 sessions, Feasting Day
Saturday - Squat, 1 or 2 sessions

On average, I should get in about 12-16 workouts per week...As Ben would say, Volume and Frequency FTW!

This will be the first time I have followed a weekly format in a long time. I think it may work very well with my schedule, I am hitting legs with Squat on Sunday, Deadlift on Wednesay and tire drags on Monday and Wednesday, so I didn't feel that I needed extra sessions on Saturday. And with back, it is my best bodypart, so I am not going to stress if I don't hit it multiple times on Sunday, thus effectively freeing up my weekend for family. May miss my 3rd session on Tuesday's due to gymnastics practice for my youngest son, but again, no big deal, it's my best bodypart.

[Commander]

Tuesday - Lats/Biceps

PM - ever the opportunist, I found 20 minutes to get down to my gym

Bicep Curl superset with Stiff Arm Lat Pulldown
62.5 x 12, 10, 8, 8, 8 with 50 x 11, 5 sets

Inc DB Curl with Stiff Arm Lat Pulldown
22 x 8, 4 sets with 50x11, 9, 3 sets

Wednesday - Inc Press and Deadlift Day

AM - Inc Press

Close Grip Inc Press
100 (plus 5) 155x3

Inc Press
160 (plus 5) 180x3
145, 5x5

Flat Bench with chains (for bench my chains add about 45 lbs at top....I think, lol!)
120x5 - weight without chains
140x5, 4 sets

Entire AM workout was supersetted with External Rotation with a band and Cable Face Pulls (alternating after each set)

Lunch - Deadlift

SLDL
120x3
170 (plus 20) 250x3

Conventional Deadlift
270 (plus 20) 370x3 - no belt
390x3 with belt
310, 5x5 - no belt

Tonight will be picking out Halloween costumes and pumpkin carving, so no PM workout likely.

[Commander]

Last Night - enjoyed picking out costumes with my boys, then carving pumpkins!

Thursday - my easy day, supposed to coincide with a fast, but I opted not to do the fast today. I am going to wait until I start to get the scale nudging upward. I am too early in the bulk and will likely lose weight this week due to my metabolism adjusting to the increased carbs/calories (it happened last time I switched to bulking as well, I started losing weight!). Basic idea with the fast (followed by feast day) is similar to carb cycling but only on a larger scale. And even Layne Norton 6 week bulk/2 week cut Cycle on a smaller scale. It is to improve insulin sensitivity and encourage fat loss (I would take in whey and BCAA to help prevent muscle catabolism).

AM

Ballistic Pushups, Chins, Vertical Jumps
Dips, Pullups, BW Lunges

Did circuits of this for about 20 minutes. Got the blood flowing, the idea is to just get into the zone but not really fatigue yourself.

Lunch

Tire Dragging - exercises were not performed in this order, did supersets, etc. This is the total work done.

Lat Pulldown 50, 3 sets
Chest Press 50, 3 sets
High Row 75, 3 sets
Tricep Pushdown 25, 2 sets
Bicep Curl 50, 1 set
Foward Sprint 50, 1 set, 75, 2 sets
Backward Drag, 50, 1 set, 75, 2 sets

I was huffing and puffing during this workout, no rest, just moved from set to set. Felt great, good pump.

Since today is supposed to be an easy day, I may take the evening off.

[Mindwerkz]

Ok I'm a little confused. What program are you using that has you doing such extreme volume for mass?

[Commander]

I designed it myself based on concepts I have learned.