[Andy]

Another chilled yet productive day on this week off. Appetite is in a much better spot, (aided by the drop of about around 10% of CHO from my NTD). I’m 3lbs down from my last check-in weight, and visually fresher as well, so clearly a good bit of lingering inflammation was sitting around my physique.

My shoulders and knees feel like they’ve had a good break as well.

It’s nice being able to get multiple naps in through the day, and not be rushed by my training window.

I even went and viewed a flat down the road with the extra time I had (the bathroom is too small)

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[Andy]

There’s not much to report, that’s the first day of the week off completed. That’s been 3 days since my last session, but with the tiring weekend, I don’t feel that much more recovered, as I’m typing this, my eyes are stinging!

I’ve pulled my NTD back by 10% via CHO. It’s enough of a drop to give my gut a bit of a rest.

I’ll be doing 20 minutes of cardio per day, as I usually do 20 minutes on my NTD (so 3x per week).

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[Andy]

Hilly is probably the best man to ask here, but I’ve found that over the years I’ve become intolerant to a lot of your traditional BB sources. I find that when you’re on prep your digestion is much more efficient for a whole variety of reasons, it’s not until you start increasing food and putting a little more demand on the gut that you start to see that your body isn’t liking a particular source(s).

An elimination diet based off of the observations of a digestion diary might help.

I can’t touch chicken, oats, most spices/flavourings, potatoes, some fruits. With your condition as well it might be even more prevalent if you’ve got some kind of intolerance there.

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[Andy]

You can be ready in 7 weeks, no problem at all!

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[Andy]

Touchdown in London for the Scotland/England game. I’m taking today off plan just to enjoy the day and soak it up a bit. This trip is my brother’s 30th birthday present, so I don’t want to make it about me, and have to dive into tupperware every 2 hours.

I’ve got next week off training anyway, so this break from my diet for the day will go down well!

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[Andy]

I checked in at 293.6 today, which is a matched offseason high, but I am absolutely done in. As I mentioned in previous blogs, all of the signs of being fatigued are there, my joints are killing me, shoulders are both giving me bother, tricep tendon is wrecked.

This past offseason, I’ve been having a week off every 7-9 weeks, and that’s worked brilliantly, so Nick and I have agreed to take next week off, and I can’t wait for it!

I’m down to Twickenham to watch the Scotland England game, so a nice break from BB for a day haha!

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[Andy]

Micro-loading, and changing the order would be my choice before swapping a movement out. If you’ve been training for a long time, and perhaps don’t train in the most kitted out gym, you have limited options of exercises that you enjoy and feel (I feel this is a big aspect of exercise selection).

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[Andy]

A few tweaks to today’s shoulder dominant push.

Standing iso-lateral cuffed raises – 2 working sets, 12-15

Cuffed cable rear delt raises – 3 working sets, 15-20

High incline DB shoulder press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

HS flat PL chest press – 1 working set, 8-12, 1 back-off set, 12-15

*HS PL machine side raises – 3 working sets, 12-15 + double drop

Bent over rope triceps extensions – 3 working sets, 12-15

*Overhead rope triceps extensions – 3 working sets, 12-15 (I used to not feel these at all, but I demonstrated them with a client a few weeks ago and they felt incredible. I also can’t jam anymore plates onto the cable stack {I’m not allowed to use a gym pin})

I am feeling a little beat up now. That’s been 7 weeks since my last week off, I think it’s approaching, so I’ll discuss with Nick at my check-in.

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[Andy]

3 days off will do you the world of good. If you’ve been training at full capacity then your body will probably look and perform better after the 3 days off.

Like Nath said, I too prefer just complete days/weeks off from the gym as opposed to deloaded sessions. For example, if I’m pulling 6 plates from the floor and I go with a 50% devolumed session the following week, then that’s still 140kg I’m pulling off the floor, it’s hardly a rest.

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[Andy]

A pretty easy NTD today. I had 2 PT cancellations, so that freed up my day a bit more.

I feel like I’m starting to notice the usual over training markers – constant tiredness, brain fog, digestion being slightly sub-par – it’s been 8 weeks since my last week off, so that does make sense, and I usually take a week off – like my training partner is doing next week. Although I made this a non-negotiable, I still feel I’ve got a bit more to give before I take the week off.

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[Andy]

Agreed, with the guys above, the average intake ranges 3-6L from what I’ve seen, and that’s from all fluids

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[Andy]

I’m a big sweater onstage, always have been and I’ve done it all, here’s what I found works to limit it;

1. Don’t eat a tonne on show day, get full the week (or weeks) before.

2. I feel the sweat can look worse if your tan runs, I find self applicated tan (as opposed to spray) won’t run as much or at all. I had a spray in Spain, but done 11 rounds by the time the overall was done and the top layer was coming off me.

3. Pull any PED that can make you hot, days/weeks prior (clen, thyroid etc)

4. Practice your posing hard. Even in summer I bring a heater into the posing room and do 10 rounds once a week, and about 5 normal rounds every morning in my kitchen.

Some shows I’ve come off bone dry, others I’ve had to reapply tan.

Some will say it’s down to your peak not being bang on, I disagree, if you’re a sweater, you’re going to sweat. . .

Being calm and collected will also stop the nervous sweats

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[Andy]

Legs boxed off and returned to sender today!

Both Chris and I have been mega locked in recently in our leg session. We always are, but it seems to have taken a nice kick up since the new year. Chris is taking a week off next week (we’re currently doing a week off every 8 weeks without question as Chris usually batters himself into the ground), so he was clearly up for just getting in and smashing it.

A nice uptick in all movements again! I did notice during my warm up that my quads weren’t 100% recovered, but nothing so bad that it would have held me back.

Prime PL lying leg curls – 1x 12-15 + a triple drop set

Prime PL leg extensions – 1x 12-15 + Tuor rest pause (I’ve outlined this in previous leg sessions)

HS horizontal leg press – 1x 8-12, 1x 12-15

Pendulum squat – 1x 8-12

Cybex seated leg curls – 1x 12-15, 1x 15-20

Seated calve raises – 3x 20

Decline sit-ups – 3x AMRAP

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[Andy]

Sunday wrapped up with a visit from my folks.

It’s always good seeing them, but my social battery is very short lived so it’s nice to sit back and chill for a bit when everyone is gone.

I was delighted with an impromptu look at my physique in the sunlight in my flat – the sun has only just started making an appearance.

I’m so happy with how round my physique is becoming. I’m just hoping to hold this fullness as I move through my contest prep in summer.

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[Andy]

Agree with the above, 1 off plan meal per week is usually what I do (I’ve done 2 this week though) in the offseason. Occasionally I’ll skip it, but most of the time it’s 1. I like going out to restaurants and have a 3 course meal or something like that while in my offseason, because on prep that’s not possible.

On prep I have 1 off plan per week, but it’s the exact same order from Five Guys every single week. As I move through the prep I could have some weeks where I’m having 2 high days (1000g CHO+) and an off plan, the next no high days, and just the off plan meal. It all depends on the look/progress.

I have clients who do the same, and some who have to do very low food for weeks on end.

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