August Most Improved Competition [ENTRY OPEN until start]

[Charlie67]

Back day! Went to a different gym today! Haven’t been there in a while and I like me some of their equipment!

Cardio intervals 15 mins

Wide pull-ups 3 sets of 8

Supported Tbar rows 4 sets 80x8
Wide grip pulldowns 4 sets 120x8

HS iso lat high row 4 sets 80x10 each arm

Nautilus plate loaded row 4 sets 105x8(Weight per side)

Double cable pulldowns 4 sets 35x12
Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets 42.5x12

Hanging leg raises 4 sets of 12
Cable crunches 4 sets 67.5x12

Damn Kitty, that's a lot of volume, great work!


I was in for legs. I normally do low volume high weight, decided to switch it up a little bit tonight.

Warmup
Squats 10 x 10
Leg Press 6 x 10
Front squats 3 x 10
BB lunge 3 x 10
Stiff leg deadlift 4 x 10
Superset 7 x 12
Extensions
Leg Curls

It's been a long time since I feel like I left all my energy in the gym. I'll be a little bit sore but feel good.

Dinner: chicken, turkey, chili beans, rice. Topped with hot sauce of course.

[Quester]

Back day! Went to a different gym today! Haven’t been there in a while and I like me some of their equipment!

Cardio intervals 15 mins

Wide pull-ups 3 sets of 8

Supported Tbar rows 4 sets 80x8
Wide grip pulldowns 4 sets 120x8

HS iso lat high row 4 sets 80x10 each arm

Nautilus plate loaded row 4 sets 105x8(Weight per side)

Double cable pulldowns 4 sets 35x12
Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets 42.5x12

Hanging leg raises 4 sets of 12
Cable crunches 4 sets 67.5x12

Kitty,
You do a ton of volume. When I do anything like that I get bad insomnia. How do you handle it?

[almostgone]

Back day! Went to a different gym today! Haven’t been there in a while and I like me some of their equipment!

Cardio intervals 15 mins

Wide pull-ups 3 sets of 8

Supported Tbar rows 4 sets 80x8
Wide grip pulldowns 4 sets 120x8

HS iso lat high row 4 sets 80x10 each arm

Nautilus plate loaded row 4 sets 105x8(Weight per side)

Double cable pulldowns 4 sets 35x12
Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets 42.5x12

Hanging leg raises 4 sets of 12
Cable crunches 4 sets 67.5x12

Dang, lots of work! Your upper back and lats must be very strong; nice numbers!

[almostgone]

Kitty,
You do a ton of volume. When I do anything like that I get bad insomnia. How do you handle it?

Same here. I have to lift towards the beginning of my day. If I lift anywhere close to my usual crash time, it takes me more than several hours to spool down, especially if it was a high volume lifting day.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Back day! Went to a different gym today! Haven’t been there in a while and I like me some of their equipment!

Cardio intervals 15 mins

Wide pull-ups 3 sets of 8

Supported Tbar rows 4 sets 80x8
Wide grip pulldowns 4 sets 120x8

HS iso lat high row 4 sets 80x10 each arm

Nautilus plate loaded row 4 sets 105x8(Weight per side)

Double cable pulldowns 4 sets 35x12
Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets 42.5x12

Hanging leg raises 4 sets of 12
Cable crunches 4 sets 67.5x12

That really is high volume. Are you getting the gains you want from training like that? Is it working for you?

[hammerheart]

LOL phoned provider they are gonna fix the internet on 31th this month, Italian efficiency

[Capebuffalo]

Back day! Went to a different gym today! Haven’t been there in a while and I like me some of their equipment!

Cardio intervals 15 mins

Wide pull-ups 3 sets of 8

Supported Tbar rows 4 sets 80x8
Wide grip pulldowns 4 sets 120x8

HS iso lat high row 4 sets 80x10 each arm

Nautilus plate loaded row 4 sets 105x8(Weight per side)

Double cable pulldowns 4 sets 35x12
Straight arm pulldowns 4 sets 42.5x12

Hanging leg raises 4 sets of 12
Cable crunches 4 sets 67.5x12

You have 3 different pull downs and 1 pull-up. That’s a lot imo. What do you think would happen if you picked 2 and went heavier?

[KittyO1]

Damn Kitty, that's a lot of volume, great work!


I was in for legs. I normally do low volume high weight, decided to switch it up a little bit tonight.

Warmup
Squats 10 x 10
Leg Press 6 x 10
Front squats 3 x 10
BB lunge 3 x 10
Stiff leg deadlift 4 x 10
Superset 7 x 12
Extensions
Leg Curls

It's been a long time since I feel like I left all my energy in the gym. I'll be a little bit sore but feel good.

Dinner: chicken, turkey, chili beans, rice. Topped with hot sauce of course.

Thanks! Back at you! That looks like an intense leg session! Food sounds good too!

Kitty,
You do a ton of volume. When I do anything like that I get bad insomnia. How do you handle it?

I train early morning (usually around 5:30am or so) So I have all day to wind down! Lol Not to mention, I’m usually utterly exhausted when I leave anyways so I could go straight back to bed! Lol (I loooooove my sleep)

Dang, lots of work! Your upper back and lats must be very strong; nice numbers!

Thanks! My back is definitely one of my strongest areas.

That really is high volume. Are you getting the gains you want from training like that? Is it working for you?

It’s actually less than in the past. Haha I feel like it is. Despite being in a deficit a good majority or the past 3 years (at maintenance the rest) I have put on over 35lbs. Unfortunately at least 10-12lbs of that is fat but definitely a good bit of muscle. Hopefully I’ll be able to shed this fat so I can see those gains! 🤣[emoji24]

Here’s one of my previous progress pics

[Capebuffalo]

Thanks! Back at you! That looks like an intense leg session! Food sounds good too!




I train early morning (usually around 5:30am or so) So I have all day to wind down! Lol Not to mention, I’m usually utterly exhausted when I leave anyways so I could go straight back to bed! Lol (I loooooove my sleep)




Thanks! My back is definitely one of my strongest areas.




It’s actually less than in the past. Haha I feel like it is. Despite being in a deficit a good majority or the past 3 years (at maintenance the rest) I have put on over 35lbs. Unfortunately at least 10-12lbs of that is fat but definitely a good bit of muscle. Hopefully I’ll be able to shed this fat so I can see those gains! ��[emoji24]

Here’s one of my previous progress pics

Wow. Great work.

[KittyO1]

Wow. Great work.

Thank you! Not too bad considering I’ve never cycled var or anything.

[KittyO1]

Shoulders today

40 mins cardio

Seated Db press 2 wu 4 working 35x10
Banded pull-a-parts 6 sets of 25

Machine lateral raises 4 sets 30x15 & 1 bottom partials burnout
Machine reverse flyes 4 sets 85x12

Face down Db raises(these are something I kinda made up)
15x15, 10x15, 5x15 dropset 3 rounds
Hanging knee raises 3 sets of 15

Rev flyes destroyer set
20x60, 15x30, 10x15, 5x15, no weight/pause x15
**first 2 sets are “hang n swing” last 3 full ROM

[cousinmuscles]

Thank you! Not too bad considering I’ve never cycled var or anything.

Great work kitty!

I second what cape mentioned. I am a firm believer in inducing maximal stress from maximum intensity and low volume. There are even techniques to go beyond your rep max with a weight (dropsets, supersets, forced reps, negatives, rest pause). When training a lot of different systems get exhausted and one can run out of gas before the other, your cardiovascular system, your CNS, mental energy, conditioning etc. The muscle fibers you want to grow are the fast twitch muscle fibers. They exist to lift heavy and hard. With 20+ sets you reduce the weights just to be able to finish the workout, and rely on your endurance.

If you decide to try a good way is to keep track of weights and reps and always aim to hit a PR. You never really know if you hit failure unless someone is holding a gun to your face. Lol! But if you keep increasing weight/reps you either hit a world record pretty soon or hit failure. Then the goal will be to do more than what you were previously capable of. This is called progressive overload. If you manage to increase your performance at the rep ranges we use to target the muscle fibers we want to grow, they will INEVITABLY grow, there is no way around it. For the same reason there are weight classes in power sports, big BBers are so strong they often need pre exhaust techniques so they can use less weight or else their joints get demolished etc.

[hammerheart]

Hooray, no headache today

[hammerheart]

Trying to get in a bit earlier to have my usual chest session, gym then shuts until Monday so I'd fancy to use extra time to include some pulldowns to keep lat warm and perhaps just one shoulder press movement.

[cousinmuscles]

Trying to get in a bit earlier to have my usual chest session, gym then shuts until Monday so I'd fancy to use extra time to include some pulldowns to keep lat warm and perhaps just one shoulder press movement.

Why do they shut down the gym for a week? I'd go nuts, end my membership. I need 24h access.

[Capebuffalo]

Db Bench 1 warm 2 working

B.B. Incline 2 working w/ drop

Db Incline 2 working

Cable crossovers 1 burnout set

[hammerheart]

Why do they shut down the gym for a week? I'd go nuts, end my membership. I need 24h access.

With my internet down I don't know how to cope lol you don't believe the nervousness but actually I needed some days off.

Actually my gym is pretty generous with the opening times - 6:30-23:00, most in Italy run 7-10 and shut a whole month in August lol, no one operates 24h it's not a thing here.

[Charlie67]

Hooray, no headache today

Excellent... Now call that phone guy and get your internet fixed TODAY

Trying to get in a bit earlier to have my usual chest session, gym then shuts until Monday so I'd fancy to use extra time to include some pulldowns to keep lat warm and perhaps just one shoulder press movement.

Why do they shut down the gym for a week? I'd go nuts, end my membership. I need 24h access.

That's exactly what I was thinking???

Db Bench 1 warm 2 working

B.B. Incline 2 working w/ drop

Db Incline 2 working

Cable crossovers 1 burnout set

Damn Cape, you must have a ton of focus and intensity... It'd be challenging for me to get to far with that, I'm totally envious.


Every, have a great day, that's an order.
C-

[hammerheart]

Excellent... Now call that phone guy and get your internet fixed TODAY

I did, they are eventually going to send someone on 31th.

The gal over the phone said she couldn't actually open a report. She said, she needed to know how fast my internet went by testing via some website (speedtest.net) which I couldn't even open lol. Kind of absurd I know, but that's how it rolls in the land of pizza and spaghetti.

[Capebuffalo]

Excellent... Now call that phone guy and get your internet fixed TODAY





That's exactly what I was thinking???




Damn Cape, you must have a ton of focus and intensity... It'd be challenging for me to get to far with that, I'm totally envious.


Every, have a great day, that's an order.
C-

If you get to failure on that 3-5 rep and can do no more you have properly worked that muscle. I’m not trying to build endurance. I’m trying to build size and strength. Ex. on the last set and last rep of the db incline it took at least 5-10 second to get those 85’s pressed out. I knew I wasn’t letting it down till it went up. I fought and fough and shook uncontrollably for that last rep. I couldn’t have done another if there had been a gun to my head. I try to hit that mark on every set.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Thanks! Back at you! That looks like an intense leg session! Food sounds good too!




I train early morning (usually around 5:30am or so) So I have all day to wind down! Lol Not to mention, I’m usually utterly exhausted when I leave anyways so I could go straight back to bed! Lol (I loooooove my sleep)




Thanks! My back is definitely one of my strongest areas.




It’s actually less than in the past. Haha I feel like it is. Despite being in a deficit a good majority or the past 3 years (at maintenance the rest) I have put on over 35lbs. Unfortunately at least 10-12lbs of that is fat but definitely a good bit of muscle. Hopefully I’ll be able to shed this fat so I can see those gains! ��[emoji24]

Here’s one of my previous progress pics

Damn! Nice gains!

[PeanutbutterDC]

Thank you! Not too bad considering I’ve never cycled var or anything.

Very impressive. Didn't realize you weren't running a cycle. Excellent work, lady!

[almostgone]

I did, they are eventually going to send someone on 31th.

The gal over the phone said she couldn't actually open a report. She said, she needed to know how fast my internet went by testing via some website (speedtest.net) which I couldn't even open lol. Kind of absurd I know, but that's how it rolls in the land of pizza and spaghetti.

We have some Italian machinery made by Sipro Italy that we just decommissioned. You can definitely tell y'all have a different approach to things. Not necessarily bad......just... different.

[hammerheart]

Chest -

Flies machine 1 wu

Incline Db presses 2 wu 2 wo
Incline Db flies 2 wo

Decline Db presses 2 wo
Chest press machine 1 wo


Didn't feel like it but went doing some pulldowns, just warm up sets, then some weighted hypers and a couple sets smith shoulders presses, kinda weak but just trying to keep muscles active until next week. Off until Monday.

Left hams still hurting right below glutes, guess the attachments took too much stretch last time I did deads or presses, hope to be good to go next week.


Feeling not well and too "hormonal" lately, getting a bout of acne all over and body odour got stronger, hope to give it a check soon, eating a bit of AI in the meanwhile.

[cousinmuscles]

Todays training

Deficit deadlift 220 x 3
Glute ham raise +25 x 12,10
Barbell row 140 x 14,10
Medicine ball crunches x 25,20,20

[cousinmuscles]

Some comparison pics 2 weeks in. Cut seems to less well than expected. It seems I have lost some fat on my obliques most visible from the back relaxed and my serratus are showing now, showing on the abs and thigh and front double bicep. Oh well either I get more visible abs or at least make for a good prime for the cycle.

[PeanutbutterDC]

Some comparison pics 2 weeks in. Cut seems to less well than expected. It seems I have lost some fat on my obliques most visible from the back relaxed and my serratus are showing now, showing on the abs and thigh and front double bicep. Oh well either I get more visible abs or at least make for a good prime for the cycle.

Nice! Thanks for posting progress pics.

[guitarzan]

Been slack on cardio, starting coughing up some junk from lungs this morning, hopefully whatever that is is about to pass. Workouts and diet still spot on

[Capebuffalo]

Some comparison pics 2 weeks in. Cut seems to less well than expected. It seems I have lost some fat on my obliques most visible from the back relaxed and my serratus are showing now, showing on the abs and thigh and front double bicep. Oh well either I get more visible abs or at least make for a good prime for the cycle.

Losing size. Keep it up and I’ll own you.

[guitarzan]

I'm putting on mass, even though I'm cutting! I love tren

[almostgone]

Been slack on cardio, starting coughing up some junk from lungs this morning, hopefully whatever that is is about to pass. Workouts and diet still spot on

Think some of it is due to the tropical temps and humidity? I usually don't have any issues with chest congestion or inner ear issues until mid to late winter or early spring, but I have crud in my lungs and my good ear is popping/clicking and you can't get it to equalize or clear.

[guitarzan]

Think some of it is due to the tropical temps and humidity? I usually don't have any issues with chest congestion or inner ear issues until mid to late winter or early spring, but I have crud in my lungs and my good ear is popping/clicking and you can't get it to equalize or clear.

Dunno, haven't been sick feeling, except a little last night. Two year daughter recovering from pneumonia, bacterial. Not sure if they are related

[hammerheart]

We have some Italian machinery made by Sipro Italy that we just decommissioned. You can definitely tell y'all have a different approach to things. Not necessarily bad......just... different.

A massive bridge in Northern Italy just collapsed today, found a video link but cannot open it myself - https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/.../312431/313065

31 died, the bridge was deemed "safe" by the authorities. It's not like the first one going down several have in the recent past.

[Obs]

A massive bridge in Northern Italy just collapsed today, found a video link but cannot open it myself - https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/.../312431/313065

31 died, the bridge was deemed "safe" by the authorities. It's not like the first one going down several have in the recent past.

Damn...
Thats terrible

[PeanutbutterDC]

A massive bridge in Northern Italy just collapsed today, found a video link but cannot open it myself - https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/.../312431/313065

31 died, the bridge was deemed "safe" by the authorities. It's not like the first one going down several have in the recent past.

That's tragic. What caused its failure? Just old?

[almostgone]

A massive bridge in Northern Italy just collapsed today, found a video link but cannot open it myself - https://video.repubblica.it/dossier/.../312431/313065

31 died, the bridge was deemed "safe" by the authorities. It's not like the first one going down several have in the recent past.

Yes sir, the one in Genoa. A terrible incident. Thinking of the loss of life and the families/friends of the victims really put a damper on the day.
From what I gather, it will be quite a while before they determine if it was an engineering flaw or infrastructure maintenance issue.

[cousinmuscles]

Losing size. Keep it up and I’ll own you.

Must be the aging huh?

[hammerheart]

That's tragic. What caused its failure? Just old?

It was built in the 60's, it just required maintenance.

Yes sir, the one in Genoa. A terrible incident. Thinking of the loss of life and the families/friends of the victims really put a damper on the day.
From what I gather, it will be quite a while before they determine if it was an engineering flaw or infrastructure maintenance issue.

As it often happens over here there were known issues to it, checks are constant but someone just decided to do nothing and wait, the bridge was critical to transport to Genoa and the whole region of Liguria. Kind of an announced disaster.

[hammerheart]

On a much more lighter note, I'll take chance with my home internet being down to sub it on my smartphone, and install tinder again

[Obs]

On a much more lighter note, I'll take chance with my home internet being down to sub it on my smartphone, and install tinder again

Fuckin A!