[Marc]

Hi Alan

I am very much in agreement with Rich in regards to cross education, so training the opposite side to the one you knee surgery will help actually speed up the recovery process.

I completely understand your frustration, although not the same as I didn’t need surgery on my knee but I had major inflammation in my knee a few years ago and my knee locked up. I also had a small loose body, but it’s not flared up again. During this time I trained the opposite side of my body, single leg – leg extension, leg press, lying leg curl, adductor. This is something I would encourage still, when I was able to train both sides again my leg size can back pretty fast.

I’d have a chat with your surgeon about doing pre-hab exercises before your surgery. This is a very important part of the process prior to your operation. If your surgeon is unsure, take your information to a physio as this will honestly help the entire process.

Your push and pull workouts can remain as they are, as long as you’re progressing and enjoying this. Alternatively you could do an upper body session choosing different exercises over two sessions. I would still highly recommend doing a lower body workout that includes pre-hab exercises on the side you need surgery and single leg exercises like I mentioned earlier in this reply

[Marc]

Rest day for me. Usual start to me day with a morning walk outside with kerry. I had a shorter window for work / food prep this morning as I had a physio appointment which is 1hr30 mins away but got through what I needed to this morning. Physio today looked as my stability in my shoulder which has improved a lot from what it was. Also look at my ‘good shoulder’ to build in some work for that side to keep that feeling good so I don’t experience the same thing as I am now on the shoulder I had my operations on. En route back home now, deffo could nap – these sessions are like a workout to me

[Marc]

I do remember seeing maybe a year or so ago the university of Liverpool hospital were doing this test and perhaps data shared in research. I’m not sure if there was a cost associated, but I’m sure they will get back to you on this

[Marc]

Marc What was the highest amount of food you ever had in the offseason?

Hi mate, I never actually got sent the actual breakdown of macros from Kuba, I could have worked it out but preferred to just follow the plan. I would say peak push up with Kuba, I was likely around 5500 calories and they were clean calories too. I’m not actually a big eater, but get a good response from this amount

[Marc]

Triceps and lower session today and it was a really good one. Again progress taken across every exercise today which I am very happy about. I’m a fan of the Nytram leg press, it’s so smooth, looking forward to hitting some solid numbers on this.

Exercises today were;

D handle triceps pushdown x3
Single leg lying curl curl x3
Leg ext x2
Leg press x2
Pendulum squat x1
Seated leg curl x2
Walking lunges x1
Calf press x3

[Marc]

To add to what Clare has said which are all good points, likely your hunger will still be high even with adding calories. So look to eat food that give you more volume, for example you might go for white potatoe instead of white rice, prawns instead of whey, keep a nice amount of veggies in your whole meals too.

[Marc]

Trained upper today also, had a good session I’d say the best one I’ve had since doing this rotation. Still no pbs, but stability is improving within my shoulder.

Day 1 of my cut today. New food plan like I mentioned yesterday, so below is my training day food.

Meal 1
100g cor
150g blueberry
90g Whey iso pro

Meal 2
100g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
300g chicken
100g pineapple

Meal 3 – pre workout
125g Jasmine Rice
250 chicken
100g pineapple

Intra
20g performance fuel
20g mps max
5g creatine
5g glutamine

Meal 4 – post workout
90 whey iso pro
125g rice based cereal 100g berries

Meal 5
100g Jasmine rice
50g mixed veg
275g chicken

[Marc]

Can you outline your diet for us to take a look at?

sure. TD looks as follows

m1: 70 oats, 70 berries, 200 egg whites, 10g iso +multi, vitC, probiotic, acv, d3k2, omegas

m2 (pre): 75 cor, 80g chicken

intra: 10 eaas, 10 hbcd

m3(post): 20g rice/cereal/cor, 100g banana, 30g iso +magnesium glyc

m4: same as 2

m5: 37.5g rice, 100g lean beef, sauerkraut + dig enz, omegas

m6 pre bed: 170g 0% greek yoghurt, 10g iso, 15g nut butter + magnesium glyc, omegas, ashwag

water at around 4l

[/quote]

Some see no veg here? A little through sourkraut and some fruit but fibrous veg? So I’d start there – spinach, asparagus etc – doesn’t matter if you don’t like it learn to like it, hydration is key also to get digestion so bump that to 5-6 per day [/quote]

Won’t the oats and fruits got me covered? I don’t want to delay stomach emptying with veg being on six meals per day and wanting to keep stomach somewhat tight and flat. And hydration too, I don’t know how I am going to fit everything in. I am 120lbs and already kinda struggling with 4. [/quote]
The fruits and oats aren’t enough, this is why you are having the problems you are having currently with bowel movements. So I agree with the teams comments on addition of veg. I’d also recommend taking a few servings of glutamine one upon waking and one around your workout window or midday on a rest day as this is a great supplement for helping digestion

[Marc]

Feedback in from Kuba, the deficit starts tomorrow. Time for a reset then assess where I am from there. Looking forward to this primer phase because I’ve been in a calorie surplus for longer than expected due to second shoulder op. I’ll update you guys tomorrow what my food will be, but as off tomorrow steps are 11k instead of 8k and no cardio, which I had been doing 3 days x 20mins stairmaster

[Marc]

If you are recovering really well like you have said then your volume is likely spot on. How are you doing in terms of progress with training 4 times a week? More training days doesn’t mean more progress. It sounds to me like everything is in a good place for you so i wouldn’t advise changing that.

[Marc]

Rest day today… in the gym this morning to train abs, shoulder rehab work and some in person client check ins. My legs have felt smashed today, felt fine this morning but definitely felt heavy my legs as the day went on. Been in a calorie surplus for around 30 weeks now, currently on maintenance but potentially heading into a primer phase from next week, I’ll keep you guys posted

[Marc]

Hey buddy! What do you mean you lost your timing? Whenever I’ve done a deload I’ve had a week of lifting the same weights I always lift but doing much less volume. So then the following week when I have finished the deload and I’m back loading then it’s not a huge difference for my body to adjust to. I don’t allow my rep ranges to drop below 6 reps per set so this allows me to still list heavy during reloads.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. What I meant was that I let the fatigue get too high before doing the deload. I took three days off and then did a few sessions with reduced volume. My question is, should I gradually increase the volume or go back to the full volume before the deload?

[/quote]
Hi bud, it sounds like you have already done the correct thing. You took 3 days off, then did a few sessions reduced volume. By this point how do you feel? If you feel good which I would expect that you would, then I would get back to your normal training volume / intensity

[Marc]

Last session of the week, and it was a hard one. Love ending the week training legs because I know I can go all in. Pushed it, progress all lifts either by weight or reps.

Session today was;
Bicep curl low cable facing machine x3
Seated leg curl x2
Leg ext x2 – last set dropset
Hip leg press x2
Hack squat x2
Lying leg curl x2
Db rdl x2
Calf press x3

Hack squats on the Watson machine don’t feel great. I’ll have a chat with Kuba as may switch this for tru squat, which I tried and felt ok with a heel wedge.

[Marc]

I agree with peters comment on keep things basic. Without knowing more info on what you have been doing with food, expenditure/ cardio, where your current bodyweight is it’s hard to give accurate advice.

I will add though, get peeled 7-10 days before show. From there you can start to get fresher leading into show week with pulling down output and starting to increase food being mindful of making your weight cap. Don’t do anything drastic with cutting water, if you see yourself looking good day to day with water good then continue to roll with water higher. 2l day before comp will likely see you flat. Make weight and adjust food / water based on your look. If using salt just stay consistent daily with that

[Marc]

Usual Thursday morning start to the day, morning work, then to the gym for 20mins stairmaster steady state and abs then into client work. Haircut done, pre workout meal going in soon then I’ll be in the gym for my session upper session of the week that’s more back dominant.