[Marc]

Tuesday 11th Jan ; Week #2 Push

Another solid session. I trained with Rhys today (one of my regular training partners). He’s very strong, so it works well for me to push harder and thats exactly what I did.

18 work sets total

Prime plate loaded incline x 3

(Get spotter from the back and just get them to hold onto the spotting arms to guide you through)

95kg ps (middle) x 9

80kg ps (middle) x 16

60kg ps (top) + 20kg ps (middle) x 14+1

Nautilus seated chest press x 2

(Seat : 3 / back pad : 2)

100kg ps x 8+1

80kg ps x 11+2

Cable d handle costal fly x 4

27.5 x 15

27.5 x 11

25 x 11

20 x 20

Lying cuffed laterals x 4

12.5 x 20

17.5 x 20

20 x 15

20 x 12+1

Cable cross body triceps ext x 3

15 x 20

17.5 x 20

17.5 x 15

Cable overhead triceps ext x 2

15 x 20

15 x 20

This morning my usual routine. 15mins fasted slight incline treadmill walking, followed by 5 rounds of vacuums holding for time, some ab exercises, then stretching and mobility. This lasted around 35mins total.

In the next few days I’ll post up what my food is looking like currently and how I reach my macros for training and non training days.

[Marc]

Hi Daniel

If you are in a position to train then I would definitely say start to increase your calories. The increase in calories will help your recovery and you will be able to regain muscle mass and strength being in a surplus.

If you still find you’re holding bodyfat higher than you want, think about adding in some steps/cardio if you aren’t already.

I’d weigh up what your goal is now. If you want to gain strength and help recovery bodyfat will increase being in a surplus. If you want to drop bodyfat then doing a re-comp and reducing calories will help this.

[Marc]

Week 2 / 10.01.22 – Monday ; quads / tag on hams #1

Later session than planned today, had to sort a few things out before heading over to the gym. Still got a slight cold, but a lot better than yesterday. Cal is away this week in Dubai with Haider, but there’s work to be done so business as usual. Kerry (my Mrs) joined me on a few exercises today as she was training legs too.

14 working sets total

Standing toe press (on tru squat) x 3

75kg per side x 15

85kg per side x 12 – RPE 10

60kg per side x 20 + drop set taking a plate off either side all the way down to 1 plate only / all to failure – 20/12/15 reps

Prime Leg ext x 3

130kg (middle pin) x 17 reps

90kg (middle pin) + 40kg (top pin) x 16

110kg (top pin) x 22

Pivot leg press x 2

500kg + green band x 17

400kg (no band) x 25

Atlantis Pendulum (with foam roller) x 2

120kg x 12-13

100kg x 15 RPE 10

Gym shop adductor x 1
95 x 13 (2 second in contraction)

Cybex VR2 Lying Ham Curl x 3

200 / stack x 10

175 x 12

175 x 10

Session was a bit slower than I wanted, having to wait around for a few machines because the gym was busier with me training later (not ideal). Top set on tru squat standing calf raise and both sets on pendulum were tough. I’ve done 7plates on a pendulum before in my previous training block but that was a lot earlier on in my training session. Today with it being my 4th exercise I had to really find it, but there was no way I was missing the mark today.

First session this week ticked off. Back in tomorrow for push.

[Marc]

So today has been a rest day for me. Felt abit of a cold coming on so I’ve literally not done much other than rest up, get my meals in and keep on top of my daily supps.

Weight this morning was 298.8lbs which is my heaviest weight to date ever in an off season. I use an app called happy scale to log my weight daily and my weights moving average this week has been 1.1kg, so it’s been a solid week for rate of gain.

Check in sent over to Cal this morning. We’re pleased with how this week has gone; new training block, increased food and highest bodyweight to date and it hasn’t affected body composition.

This coming week it’s simply a case of rinse and repeat, with some added sets to my 3 leg sessions across the week. I expect to hit 300lbs by next weekend, but the main goal is to make the necessary improvements in my legs.

[Marc]

My log didn’t upload yesterday- maybe I wrote too much so here it is today lol

Saturday; Pull

18 working sets

Single arm d handle pulldown / lat bias x 3
45 x 12
50 x 9
40 x 14

Watson chest supported t bar row / elevated with 1 block x 2
140 x 7+1
100 x 15

Low cable d handle row / mid band bias x 2
60 x 15
70 x 8

Nautilus machine rear delt fly / seat 2 x 3
60 x 12
70 x 10
50 x 15

Low cable rear delt row x 2
60 x 15
50 x 20

D handle low cable shrug x 2
Stack x 12
75 x 20

Single arm high cable crucifix curl x 2
17.5 x 20 L/R
22.5 x 15 L/R

Single arm low cable d handle curl / facing in x 2
22.5 x 15 L/R
22.15 x 12 L/R

Happy with how this training week has gone. Baseline numbers have been set and I will look to progress this across this training block.

Only thing I have noticed this week is a slight pain behind my knee when I’m bending my leg with hamstring exercises – lying leg curl, seated leg curl and standing leg curl. I could still get the exercises done but I will speak to Mofobodymechanic about this so we can get this pain gone.

Fact 7 – I started weight training at 15 years in my parents garage. 19 years later I am still lifting iron

[Marc]

I agree with Nathan’s reply. I personally find a higher protein diet works better for me.

The best thing to do is increase your protein gradually, see how your body copes with the higher amounts and keep a track of how you feel with higher protein vs lower protein. That way you can have a clearer picture of what works best for you body

[Marc]

Haha No problem ! All good all good, See u bringing some good things this year to stage so gonna watch the topić

I’m trying bro, working hard to move up the placings from 2020 and get that Olympia qualification. How are you doing?

[Marc]

Hey Marc,

happy to see you in the tbJP team?

Could you tell us more about you life in Kuwait and how everything clicked, that they invited? Heared the weirdest shit over the camel crew

Hi Laurenz

Sorry for the late reply, I’ve literally on just seen this message on my log.

Thank you, I’m happy to be part of the tbJP team!

Yeah sure, so I turned pro in 2018 at the Amateur Olympia U.K. A few days later Abdullah from oxygen gym message me on Instagram saying he had seen my pictures and would like to work with me over in Kuwait.

We went back and forth speaking but the timing just wasn’t quite right for me. We still kept in contact on WhatsApp and in December 2019 we spoke again about me working with him and moving out to Kuwait. This time I took the offer up, left my job and went out to Kuwait in February 2020.

From a bodybuilding standpoint I loved being out in Kuwait. Sleep, eat, breathe bodybuilding. All I had to think about was turning up to the gym, getting my meals and recovering as best as I could. I was very well looked after over there. For me I knew I had a job to do so I didn’t feel homesick or anything I just wanted to improve. Having the athlete coach relationship where I trained with my coach and other pros worked very well for me.

[Marc]

Yo bud❤️

How you doing bro? Sorry only just seen this message

[Marc]

Looking like an absolute unit Marc! Excited to see you make massive progress over these 16 weeks and beyond.

I believe you previously trained with the approach of more RIR and escalating set volume aggressively week-to-week. What made you change to a lower-volume, higher intensity approach?

What did you like and dislike about that approach and would you ever consider going back to it?

Thank you – looking forward to learning from you!

Thanks Scott, I’m working hard to make what changes I can in the remainder of this off season.

Yes, that’s right I had been doing RIR and escalating volume each week within the training block. Working with a different coach meant the reason for the change in approach here which is the same for the lower volume of sets, but higher intensity.

The RIR approach was very different to what I have ever done before. I had always been an athlete who gives everything to every set. What I liked about this approach is that the results were clear to see, which helped to keep me on track and following this approach. It also gave my central nervous system a chance to recover because at the time my recover wasn’t great due to external stresses. Like with anything new you have to give it a chance, I’m a great believer in that we can always learn something new, which I did.

What I found hard about this approach is that I didn’t enjoy my training as much as when I was ‘really going for it’. RIR almost made me feel like I wasn’t giving enough and leaving the gym thinking there was more on the tank.

Would I ever go back to this approach? Possibly as the results were great, so I can’t discredit what was achieved. I am in a lower body training block now and if I don’t feel I’m getting the required results, I’m not against putting my feelings to one side with RIR to make the most progress. But for me, enjoyment is a large part of my training and when I enjoy what I do I’m able to bring out the best in myself.[/quote]

Interesting. It’s something I regularly see from guys who have been training to failure the whole time and trying the RIR approach.

That being said, eventually in a RIR approach/ trainingblock you reach a point where you do train to failure with lots of sets no? Usually the week prior to a deload. How did that went? [/quote]
At the time I did the RIR approach it helped my recovery because at the time my sleep wasn’t great.

Yeah that’s right, the last week of the training block I was working to failure and adding in rest pause sets which I really enjoyed as it added in more intensifiers to my workouts

[Marc]

Final leg session of the week, back to quads being loaded as the primary muscle group today. I travelled an extra 15mins for today session (1 hour in total each way) to train with Cal at Gym Unity in Burton specifically to use the Cybex hack for this session. My other half Kerry Sexton also joined us for today’s session.

Calves to start, 3 sets, one higher rep set on the adductor, then 3 sets of quads, then 3 sets of hams.

We will eventually add back in a split squat on this day to work more out of lengthened range for quad but after a little IT band tweak a few weeks ago I’m not ready to load that end range just yet.

Friday; quads / tag on hams #2

9 working sets total

Standing life fitness calf raise x 3

Stack x 15

Stack + 20kg x 15

Stack x 20

Icarian Adductor x 1

Stack + 20 x 20

Cybex hack squat (gen 2) x 2

7 pps x 14

5 pps x 20

Low stance hammer strength horizontal leg press / single leg x 1

60 pps – L x 20 / R x 21 (L side is where IT band strain was so didn’t push for further rep)

Standing hamstring curl x 2

40 x 15

35 x 14

Really happy with how all three leg sessions have gone this week. Working sets will gradually increase as the weeks progress in this block, as will wait. The only thing I’ve noticed this week with lying leg curl, seated ham curl and standing leg curl is a slight pain behind my knees when bending my legs. I was still able to perform my sets, but this is something I will speak with Mofobodymechanic about over the weekend so I’m not feeling this at all.

Fact 6 – in my first year of bodybuilding I competed at the IFBB World Amateur Championships and in my class I came last out of around 20 competitors. Great experience nonetheless and it lit my fire more to return to the stage and move up the placings.

Strong af! was waiting for this one, Marc! really interesting how you guys approach these spec blocks, specially for legs since is a really hard muscle group to recover from![/quote]
Thanks Cesar. A point to remember here is with specialisation training blocks it’s important to pay even more attention to rest and recovery otherwise training say legs 3 times a week will become a lot harder

[Marc]

Final leg session of the week, back to quads being loaded as the primary muscle group today. I travelled an extra 15mins for today session (1 hour in total each way) to train with Cal at Gym Unity in Burton specifically to use the Cybex hack for this session. My other half Kerry Sexton also joined us for today’s session.

Calves to start, 3 sets, one higher rep set on the adductor, then 3 sets of quads, then 3 sets of hams.

We will eventually add back in a split squat on this day to work more out of lengthened range for quad but after a little IT band tweak a few weeks ago I’m not ready to load that end range just yet.

Friday; quads / tag on hams #2

9 working sets total

Standing life fitness calf raise x 3
Stack x 15
Stack + 20kg x 15
Stack x 20

Icarian Adductor x 1
Stack + 20 x 20

Cybex hack squat (gen 2) x 2
7 pps x 14
5 pps x 20

Low stance hammer strength horizontal leg press / single leg x 1
60 pps – L x 20 / R x 21 (L side is where IT band strain was so didn’t push for further rep)

Standing hamstring curl x 2
40 x 15
35 x 14

Really happy with how all three leg sessions have gone this week. Working sets will gradually increase as the weeks progress in this block, as will wait. The only thing I’ve noticed this week with lying leg curl, seated ham curl and standing leg curl is a slight pain behind my knees when bending my legs. I was still able to perform my sets, but this is something I will speak with Mofobodymechanic about over the weekend so I’m not feeling this at all.

Fact 6 – in my first year of bodybuilding I competed at the IFBB World Amateur Championships and in my class I came last out of around 20 competitors. Great experience nonetheless and it lit my fire more to return to the stage and move up the placings.

[Marc]

These seem like the lingering long term effects of covid and you body still recovering from it, rather than just a simple case of over training and needing a Deload because of that. – I’d still run a devolume phase over the next 7-10 days potentially, and make it a priority to get all your recovery tools in check, diet, sleep ect ect. Then gradually increase volume over the coming weeks as your body gets back to full form. By devolume by the way I mean – Reduce number of back off sets and intensifiers, and prioritise top sets, so overall sets per session is reduced

I agree with Max’s points here. You may however, also want to program your deload week earlier than 12-16weeks. Say somewhere between 6-8 weeks before you over reach and your body starts to feel tired.

If appetite is low, depending how you run your nutrition set up, dropping calories down to maintenance calories when you de-load will help to re-set your appetite for post de-load

[Marc]

So today is a rest day for me, so that means non training day calories. My calories were pushed up on Monday, so they’re now at:

TD – P350 / C900 / F125 = 6125
(previously 5900)

NTD – P350 / C700 / F125 = 5325
(Previously 5125)

I’m definitely at the point where eating in a surplus is not fun, but it is inevitable there will come a point in the off-season where eating in a surplus will be more difficult so I’m embracing it and remembering the goal.

Morning weight today was 134.6kg (296.7lbs) which is 0.1kg of my heaviest weight this off-season (I reached my heaviest weight before my de-load over Christmas).

Usually one rest day a week (Thursday) I would have a sports massage but my massage therapist is ill.

I’m in a WhatsApp group with:
Cal – my coach
Mofobodymechanic – helps with injury rehab
Marc England – my sports massage therapist

We all talk regularly in this group and work together to help my progress. Each week I send over my check in video and if anything hasn’t worked well in a session or if I’m feeling a niggle it is shared in the group. This group was set up when I joined Cal and it’s proving very valuable.

Cal and Mofobodymechanic work together with my training programming. I’ve been having some issues with my scapula (scapula dyskinesis) going back a few years which has caused pain when pressing and abducting weight away from my upper body (like a dumbbell lateral raise). I’ve seen various people but never really got a good answer to help rehab the area. This is all changing now and this group is very useful and it’s showing in my training performance.

So no sports massage today, I’ll be instead working through my rehab exercises from Mofobodymechanic.

Fact 5 – my main sport growing up was athletics where I held various different titles in sprinting.

Similarly to athletics, why I like bodybuilding is that it is an individual sport – I step on stage alone so it’s on me to deliver. The support of my coach is key, but really it’s down to me. What I put in, is what I get out and I like that!

[Marc]

Hi rich, I would say legs and arms are both weak points for me!

Appreciate the feedback. I initially chucked the Wednesday in as I didn’t want to take any rest! Naive i know but felt abit better mentally having a light session mid week instead of a day off

I’m not sure whether adding an arm day in is truly necessary for development as honestly I haven’t noticed specific growth from doing an arm day previously

Hi Sam

I agree with Rich. Your body will respond and grow when you sleep, so I would think about adding in a second rest day. If you carry on with this split you run the risk of burning out 6 days in a row. It might be hard mentally to take the rest, but your body will respond better will additional rest.

What I would think about as you say legs and arms are a weaker point. You currently have only 1 leg day in your training split except for tagging calves into your Wednesday workout. Have you thought about adding a second leg session? I would also consider training legs at the start of the week when your body is fresher.

As for arms you can can tag this onto your push and pull sessions. If you haven’t noticed much change in your arms from the extra session currently, it could be down the exercise selection or overtraining and not fully recovering to aid growth