[Marc]

Hi guys,

Last de-volume push session of the week. Myself and Kerry headed over to a gym 20mins away from us today. We trained 1-2 times a week at this gym during our 2020 pro debut season, the gym has really good kit mainly hammer strength and some really good nautilus peices that’s really good for pull. Haider told me about this gym around 4 years ago, great kit weird set up with the kit over different floors, not much atmosphere but as long as you’re locked into your session you won’t leave disappointed.

So anyway, really good session no crazy weight but nice to use some different kit but match the exercises with what I would normally do for pull. The first two exercises using the nautilus kit, I really rate these machines!

Session went as follows:

Single arm Nautilus nitro latpulldown:
2×10

Single arm Nautilus xpload seated row:
1×10

T-bar row:
1×10

Reverse pec deck:
2×12

Shrugs:
2×10

[Marc]

Local session again today. It was my last de-volume leg session of the week, quad dominant. The session went fine, ready to get back to full volume next week ready to close out the end of the off season. Temptation was there today to do my usual volume, but I stuck to the plan and did what was set.

A)Leg press Calf Raise
1 x 20

B) Cybex Leg Extension
2 x 15

C) 45 Degree Cybex Leg Press
2 x 15

D) Cybex Adductor
1 x 20

E) Occluded Walking Lunge
2 x 60 seconds

[Marc]

Life has been very busy. Prep continues and is going well. Still focused on adding tissue. Diet is still one up day, one down day, repeat. To aid recovery, I’m now taking a 10 minute ice bath at least every other day. Otherwise, crushing my workouts, nailing my meal plan and doing all I can to recover. Just over 10 weeks until the show.

It sounds like you’re in a good spot. Keep ticking those boxes daily

[Marc]

You look really good, all the best for your upcoming show

[Marc]

Rest day for me today. Started the day with some mobility/stretching and vacuums. Usual rest day sports massage treatment today too.

Also I’ve been putting some plans in place for posing coaching so I’ve been working on that also today

[Marc]

One of my favourites – Jay z & linkin park
Numb/encore

[Marc]

A few online posing clients this morning. I’ve started helping more guys who plan to compete this year with working on their posing, which I’m really enjoying to see the improvements each week.

Session close to home today with me still running a de-volume training week. Biceps and hamstrings today. With the sessions being much shorter this week, it almost feels like I’m not doing enough but I still have to remember why I’m doing this and it’s setting me up with dropping fatigue ready to push on next week.

Today’s session went as follows;

Single arm standing biceps curl:
1 x 12

Standing single arm high bicep curl:
1 x 12

Seated leg curl:
2 x10

Lying leg curl:
2 x 12

Seated adductor:
1 x 20

RDL:
1 x10

Seated calf raise:
2 x 20

[Marc]

De-volume push session today. So my back off sets are the only sets I did in today’s workout. My exercises all stayed the same as it would if I wasn’t running a de-volume push session but the only difference is that I didn’t to my top sets on exercises as the aim is to reduce fatigue this week before heading into the next training block.

I still did all my feeder sets as usual because I wanted to make sure I was going into my sets warm and ready to work.

I trained a little later today as I picked my daughter up from school and took her to her swimming lesson. But my routine was still good and being a de-volume training session it worked out well as the intensity was a little lower than usual.

Today’s session went like this;

Pec deck:
2 sets x 12

Incline hammer strength press:
2 sets x 10

Nautilus chest press:
2 sets x 12

High incline cable fly:
2 sets x 15

Lying cuffed lateral:
2 sets x 15

Cross body cuffed triceps extension:
1 x 15

Cuffed over shoulder triceps extension:
1 x 12

[Marc]

Hi guys,

who’s looking forward to the Arnold’s this weekend? I’m glued to looking at the updates on IG!

Rest day today, so this is the first day of reduced calories for non training day since my calories were pulled down on Monday slightly. Macro split for rest days are now:

350P 700C 100F / 5100 Kcals (previous 350P 700C 125F / 5325 Kcals)

Food has flew down today, although the only change was 25g pulled from fats food has been easy to get in. I’m still macro tracking for now,

Sources of food are:

Protein:

Steak

Chicken

Lean beef mince

JP whey iso pro

Salmon

Carbs:

Jasmine rice

Oats

Cream of rice

Fats:

Nut butter

Almonds

Micronutrients:

Spinach

Pineapple

Banana

Veggie might

I had 2 online bodybuilding posing clients this morning. Pretty chilled day with Kerry as we’re away so that’s been good.

Food isn’t anywhere as high as I’d expect for someone your size.

Do you find you don’t really need to push the food to make decent gains ?[/quote]

Mate what’re you talking about… Marc was eating 6100kcal+ on TD prior to pulling food back… thats a shit tonne of food even at 300lb, you try eating that day in day out lmao

[/quote]
I definitely was happy to see the food get pulled back lol even though it was by a few hundred calories it made me feel better. But got to eat to grow and like you said eating over 6k calories wasn’t easy but needed to be done

[Marc]

Hi guys,

who’s looking forward to the Arnold’s this weekend? I’m glued to looking at the updates on IG!

Rest day today, so this is the first day of reduced calories for non training day since my calories were pulled down on Monday slightly. Macro split for rest days are now:

350P 700C 100F / 5100 Kcals (previous 350P 700C 125F / 5325 Kcals)

Food has flew down today, although the only change was 25g pulled from fats food has been easy to get in. I’m still macro tracking for now,

Sources of food are:

Protein:

Steak

Chicken

Lean beef mince

JP whey iso pro

Salmon

Carbs:

Jasmine rice

Oats

Cream of rice

Fats:

Nut butter

Almonds

Micronutrients:

Spinach

Pineapple

Banana

Veggie might

I had 2 online bodybuilding posing clients this morning. Pretty chilled day with Kerry as we’re away so that’s been good.

Food isn’t anywhere as high as I’d expect for someone your size.

Do you find you don’t really need to push the food to make decent gains ?[/quote]
For me I would say that my food this off season has been very high. TD calories were 6125 and NTD calories 5325.

I’m not someone who has a big appetite and it takes me a long time to eat meals, so eating in a surplus in my push phases didn’t come easy.

It’s only this past week that food has been pulled back by a few hundred calories on TD and NTD.

[Marc]

I agree with Haider here. I would get my cardio done earlier in the day away from training. If you feel like your legs are going to cramp up it’s likely due to electrolytes. So similar to what Haider said include an electrolyte drink tbJP performance fuel. It’s also worth taking a look at your sodium and potassium intake.

Stretching/massaging your muscles will help but looking at the underlying reasons why it’s happening is just as Important

[Marc]

Hi guys

So this week I am running a de-load after speaking with Cal again today. I will be running 50% volume the whole week, where I will only do my back off sets and not my top sets.

My training week looks as follows:

Daily steps – 6,000

Mon – Rest
Tue – Push (half volume)
Wed – Biceps / Hams (half volume)
Thurs – Rest
Fri – Quads (half volume)
Sat – Pull (half volume)
Sun – Rest

So today has been a rest day, but also check in day. Weight was at 299lbs fasted this morning. I’m happy with how I am looking and also body composition. Cal is really happy with where I am at now with currently 7 weeks left in this off season / pre-prep maintenance phase. I’ve added in some check in pictures from today’s check in for you guys to see also.

[Marc]

Rest day today. I had my daughter since yesterday and also today so that was nice as we’ve had a pretty chilled day and looked around some shops at gifts as it’s her birthday next month.

Caught up on the results from the Arnold this morning. Open bodybuilding, curry taking the win! Definitely got me fired up to be competing later this year.

I’ll be sending over a check in to Cal tomorrow, 1 week reduced in on slightly reduced calories. I’ll keep you guys updated on his feedback tomorrow

[Marc]

Hi Drew

I agree with all the guys comments above.

You basically posting this shows in my opinion that you’re a good guy. People use the gym for different reasons/goals.

You sound like a driven individual who is locked in on pushing forwards to your goals without the distractions and that’s fine.

I say get the job done in the gym that you visualise before you enter the gym and if anything leave the social time for afterwards.

For myself, I speak with people before the gym and after. During training I try to keep conversation to a minimum unless I’m speaking with my training partners.

[Marc]

Hi guys

So today was my first day of a de-load. The aim here is to drop some fatigue and inflammation that has been built up during the last training block. I’ve got a few more training blocks before heading into competition prep, so it’s important for me to listen to my body so I can still have effective sessions.

Today I training pull, reduced volume and lower intensity to normal but still doing the same exercises.

2 x single arm latpulldown
2 x single arm cybex row
2 x panatta t-bar row (as trained closer to home so this t-bar row was my option today)
2 x shrugs

Nothing too taxing exercise wise, which is the way it should be with a de-load.

… looking forward to seeing the results of men’s open bodybuilding at the Arnold. By the looks of pre-judging there’s going to be some surprises with the top 3. This is bodybuilding, it happens!