There are gains coming, Mr Wayne.

[BennyC]

Week 5: Reverse Diet

Cals / Carbs (g)

Thursday 2448 / 177
Friday 2968 / 363
Saturday 2962 / 373
Sunday 2489 / 176
Monday 2535 / 178
Tuesday 3131 / 376
Wednesday 2109 / 382

Week 4 average calories: 2757
Week 5 average calories: 2832

Average daily increase: 75
Weekly total carb increase: 24g

Week 4 Bodyweight high/low: 85.5KG / 84.5KG
Week 5 Bodyweight high/low: 85.8KG / 84.5KG

Week 1 starting 7DMA: 85.8KG
Week 5 Reverse Diet 7DMA: 85.3KG
0.5KG/ 1.1lbs average decrease

• Bit of a jump this week in bodyweight having held a kilo above normal. Be interesting to see if it stays or drops off again. Not to concerned at the moment.
• 3000 calorie barrier breached. My average is still on 2850, so hope I don't gain this heavily and the last few days is just an anomaly!
• Massive improvement in recovery from a few weeks ago, to be expected, just saying it's nice
• Still never quite satisfied.
• Off on holiday next week, damage control.

Food

Spoiler

Pasta bake with home made sauce, mushrooms, tuna, broccoli & cauliflower, spinach, kidney beans etc





Greek Yoghurt with meringues, cereal and a scone



Ostrich mince spag bol with a low fat garlic slice



French Toast:



Dairymilk Fruit & Nut 120g bar



Greek yoghurt, strawberries, crunchy nut cereal and half a choka-bloc bar



Home made steak mince burger with ciabatta bun, ostrich burger, spicy homemade wedges



Home mae lasagne 1/3rd with sweet potato, mushroom, spinach, kidney bean and re-fried bean mash, topped with PB.



Banana Protein Flapjacks topped with Frozen Yoghurt & a Ferrero Rocher



No-bake protein cake/mousse (597 cals, 75p, 45c, 14f) Strawberries, Frozen Yoghurt, Hazelnut Wafer

 

[BennyC]

I take it you're on IF. If so how does that work with work lunches? Do you just skip it?

U wot m8? skip it?

I break my fast at midday with between 500-700 cals, circa 50-70g carbs and 30g-ish protein and then the rest of my food is eaten pwo.

 

[BennyC]

Wrote that late so didn't even know what I was talking about. Yea that works better tbh to skip breakfast I guess.

Can't say it doesn't rustle my jimmies when people say 'skip' breakfast, makes it sounds like you're missing a meal or under eating.

The 'eating window' is moved, a calorie surplus is still maintained.

Need more cruciferous veg!!!

Other than that

There's plenty, it's just not shown because it's boring

 

[BennyC]

LOWER POWER 21.07.14

BACK SQUAT

100KG x 5
120KG x 3
140KG x 3
160KG x 1

172.5KG x 3
160KG x 5
140KG x 12

Video overlay is wrong, 172.5KG not 175KG. Derp.

RDL

70KG x some
100KG x 3

132.5KG x 6
122.5KG x 7
112.5KG x 10

LEG EXTENSION – DEAD STOP

100KG x 5 x 5 x 5

GHR

X 8 x 8 x 8

WALKING BB LUNGE

65KG x 12 x 12 x 12

HANGING LEG RAISES

x some

Plank & Side Plank

x some

• Average calories are now 2,850, with 3,200 @ 400g carbs on training days and 2,500 on rest days. Training days are split circa 6-800 pre @ midday and the remainder pwo @ 6:30 - 8PM.
  
• Feels good to be back in to what appears to be a small surplus, due to a small gain in weight but this could be attributable to a large jump in fiber, recovery levels improving and energy finally sufficient.
  
• Felt strong under the bar (partly due to kicking myself up the arse for my core brace) for squats though a few things need adjusting. Stance width as my knees notibly move outwards in the last few inches of descent and track in far too much on the ascent. My glute drive also needs more work as I rely on this for speed out the hole.
  
• That said other than the above these felt comfortable. Probably a few more @ 140 in the tank but this is a power day not a hypertrophy attempt believe it or not...
  
• Making a conscious effort to keep knee tracked out over toes on walking lunges and to step slightly out to the side rather than across myself as I had been for glute activation which has probably not helped the collapse I'm experiencing. Interesting to see how my form has changed since the beginning of the year.

Not much else to report. Final proper lower power session before a weeks holiday. Will get tonight's upper power session written up if I can.

I'll take some bands & mobility bits with me and have a few improvised workouts out there with mostly body weight circuit style stuff to keep me ticking over and sane. Plenty of time for mobility work too

 

[BennyC]

What's your pre-gym food macro wise? I'd really like to try 'proper' CBL with most food post workout but I always find the gym is unbearably busy 1600-2000 ish.

Pls respond.

On holiday recovery time brah.

Ermm off the top of my head, 6-800 cals , 50-80g carbs, 40p, 10-15f @ midday. Remainder in PWO 6:30-8:30 ish.

Will update properly in a bit. Back from holiday and managed to control the damage relatively well. Will give it a few days to level out.

Inb4 any inb4's.

 

[BennyC]

Brief update:

Cliffs:

• Back from Holiday on the 30th weighed in on the 31st + 2KG
• Back to pre holiday weight levels by the Sunday 3rd
  
• Lower Power session on Monday was hindered by my first session back, Lower HT, on the Friday prior. A combination of some new hamstring variants, time off and pushing a little too hard. Still worked up to my usual working weights but adductors/hammies/glutes severely fatigued and causing problems so more or less wrote this session off.
  
• Upper Power, nothing major to report, deloading bench slightly and introducing 1ct pauses while I pinpoint my issue, predominantly my right scapula going for a wonder mid rep
  
• A change in nutritional approach, rather than the On/Off day +20%/-10% I'll be/have been eating at a consistent +6-8% regardless of On/Off days. I average the same calories but will hopefully benefit from some increased carbohydrate metabolism by keeping them consistently moderate/high.
  
• Calories are currently circa 2,900 which puts me in to a 200ish calorie surplus whilst I adjust to the new approach. So I'll track weight and see how I respond.
  
• Protein intake has been reduced to 160-175g, with 'everyday' carbs & fats at 400g & 75g respectively. If I want to flex my fats up to accommodate my food choices I can move to 100/120g fat and make the remainder from carbs, still 300/330g+ this will accommodate any food choice
  
• I still like eating higher fat on my rest days
  
• The more consistent macros will also help provide a bit more structure and also save time. With my exams/studies restarting soon I don't have as much time as I would like to be obsessively planning my meals so some more standard choices will be made. Sweet tooth will be reigned in a bit as the novelty is wearing off, only slightly

That's all for now as I don't really have the time to regularly update this with each and every workout so it'll just be highlights periodically.

 

[BennyC]

11.08.14 - LOWER POWER

RDL - 132.5 x 6, 122.5 x 8, 112.5 x 10

SQUAT - 172.5 x 2, 160 x 3, 140 x 12

LEG CURL (Swiss ball - uwotm8) x some

LEG EXT - 100 x 5 x 5 x 5

WALKING BB LUNGE 60 x 12 x 12 x 12

CORE x hanging leg/knee raise + floor work.

• Strength is there for squats but form is suboptimal at the moment, glutes very disengaged and my hinge has disappeared.
• More frequent boxed work to re-engage glutes & hips imminent
• RDL's felt good, though bruising the bejejsus out of the top of my knees with bar path
• Leg extension backrest is stuck on the furthest setting which actually allows my back to fall to about 45 degrees and give a greater ROM in the quad. I used it this way on my last HT day. However yesterday, perhaps the weight and additional ROM as strained my medialis slightly.
• Felt worse than it is due to the bruising from RDL's so I was expecting it to be severe this morning. Applied a little heat and some gentle stretching before bed so will do the same again a few times this evening.
• Maintaining bodyweight on circa 3k cals so will increase intake slightly.

Edit: missing deadlifting fully so might move RDL's to paused deads next week.

 

[BennyC]

Another brief update:

• Deadlifting regularly again now, RDL's switched out for some paused work
• Squats had been feeling hideous at heavier weight, no power, a lot of quad dominance & forward lean and knee collapse.
• Slowed things down to allow myself to find the optimal position in the hole for glute activation, coupled with some hip thrusts and split squats it's feelling much better.
• Bench is still a little frustrating, some anterior rotation/tightness on my right side which explains some of my issues so will be addressing this with mobility work where possible. Inevitable with the shoulder work I've been doing of late.
• Actually a half kilo average BW loss this last week on 3,150 calorie average so will keep them creeping up, no significant change in training volume or any other conscious variable.
• Protons down to circa 150g with predominantly carbs then fats making up the calorie shortfall.
• Recovery unaffected, unsurprisingly.

Food for h8erz:

Spoiler

Ribs



Assortment of stuff:



Salmon:



Homemade burger:



PBJ Burrito:



Waffles:



White choc & Cherry Bakewell Oatbowls: