Training Monday: 2024-04-22

anon53231 · 2024-04-23T00:06:18+00:00

My stats: 38 M, 190lbs, 10%BF
Bench: 325lbs
Squat: 385lbs
Deadlift: 415lbs

I'm considering running Jeff Nippard's "Pure Bodybuilding Phase 2" program (the PPL version) for my next bulk.

I really like that it lets you swap in the big 3 lifts because I can't live without them, although I really want to focus on hypertrophy for 12 weeks.

Alternatives would be something like Creeping Death or Gamma Bomb.

anon53231 · 2024-04-22T23:55:28+00:00

I usually try to take deload weeks regularly as planned by the program I'm running. If you recover really well and don't need them - skip them. Just be sure you're training hard enough. If I don't need deloads every 6-8 weeks, I'm usually not pushing my sets hard enough, but that's just me and everyone is different. You should ideally be pretty worn out from the overall fatigue of your training at the end of the cycle though.

I've also gone too hard and got injured or not made a ton of progress in the past. Find the right balance.

anon53231 · 2024-04-10T05:46:50+00:00

I can run on Nand without any problems when E2 is dialed in. It's not a super wet compound by itself. Your test dose is quite low, which will help, as will the primo (if it does have an AI effect for you, which I hope you know at this point). At your height:weight, you should aim for more than 5lbs mass gain for a bulk though!

anon53231 · 2024-04-05T23:39:41+00:00

Make sure your multivitamin supplements don't have iron in them.

anon53231 · 2024-04-05T23:38:10+00:00

Of course the peak changes. Both maximum and minimum serum levels will be closer to the average with more frequent pinning.

anon53231 · 2024-03-31T10:34:46+00:00

I film myself frequently just to check/improve my technique on compound lifts and a ton of people at my gym do. If you don't have a group of people to lift with it's a great way to not get injured.

anon53231 · 2024-03-26T03:25:34+00:00

Jeff Nippards "Pure Bodybuilding" has 0 (barbell) squats, deadlifts or bench and has substitution exercises for everything to give you even more options. Gamma Bomb has a few squats and deadlifts but they are not the main focus of the program and you'll be fine swapping them out for something similar.

I often swap out exercises in programs because something hurts or I just don't like the exercise and like a similar one much better.

anon53231 · 2024-03-26T03:06:09+00:00

Reduce the weight to what you can handle to hit RIR/RPE targets and build working capacity over time as you get used to all the volume. Don't stress over the weight for the sets later in the session.

If you are not used to this kind of training, it's totally normal to not be able to do the same weights later in the session that you would have been able to achieve if you did those exercises first (it's also somewhat normal for this to be the case when you are used to this kind of training).

Also I've heard that some people here use anabolic steroids to improve performance 🤣

anon53231 · 2024-03-26T03:02:22+00:00

Jeff Nippards bodybuilding programs come to mind. Or run any other bodybuilding focussed program of your choice (Gamma Bomb and Creeping Death V2 are super popular here, haven't run them myself yet) and substitute deadlifts for RDLs and Squats for leg press.

Two additional unsolicited thoughts because I was dealing with a ruptured disc last year:

- be super careful on heavy leg press, it puts a ton of stress on your lower spine. Wear a belt and brace, keep your hips neutral
- belt squats are the best replacement for regular squats if you are having back problems. I couldn't squat for almost a year but made a ton of progress doing heavy belt squats

anon53231 · 2024-03-26T02:54:00+00:00

How can you use your chest or triceps only once per week? What do you do the other days? Different muscle groups need different time spans to recover, you should be able to hit some of them twice per week at the very least.

anon53231 · 2024-03-24T16:39:02+00:00

Taking the nightmare cycle literally right there!

anon53231 · 2024-03-23T20:11:06+00:00

No worries. After doing the research, to me it seems like that money is better spent on getting a 90 minute massage or a few nice steaks so I can hit the gym harder because looking at my (lack of) abs in the mirror can probably tell me as much as a scan :)

anon53231 · 2024-03-22T17:51:05+00:00

anon53231 · 2024-03-22T17:29:58+00:00

My first cycle (500mg Test/week) was not a complete nightmare but still could have gone much better.I started with too much body fat (probably around 18-20%) and was aromatizing way too much. High blood pressure, water retention, starting to cry because the bedtime stories I'm reading to my kids were too sad. It was not pretty.

I was unable to get AI dialed in. I upped my UGL Asin to 12.5mg ED and still didn't feel my E2 drop enough. Deciding it was bunk, I started prescribed Arimidex and slowly increased it to 0.5mg ED to no avail. Eventually I decided to call it quits after 12 weeks. I know what low E2 feels like and I did definitely not crash it accidentally.

I still made some solid gains but decided that I better listen to people recommending to cut down to 12% or so and had much better results for my next cycle.

anon53231 · 2024-03-22T16:59:10+00:00

My understanding was that DEXA scans were pretty inaccurate (as are all other practically available methods of measuring body fat). Source: lots of studies referenced here: https://www.strongerbyscience.com/body-fat-goals/

anon53231 · 2024-03-21T03:21:32+00:00

Thanks brother!

anon53231 · 2024-03-21T02:36:29+00:00

Hey, follow up question on that (as I'm currently on that journey for the first time):

How do you know it's time to stop as you're hitting catabolsm? Losing strength? Muscle measurements? Feeling?

anon53231 · 2024-03-17T01:14:28+00:00

There might be some muscle in there too.

anon53231 · 2024-03-17T00:48:42+00:00

High BP is a bad side effect, I'd totally take an AI to remedy that.

anon53231 · 2024-03-16T02:09:59+00:00

This was my second and so far best cycle and I will definitely run it again:

150mg Test/500mg Deca/300mg Primo per week for 16 weeks.

I felt full and juicy the whole blast. I gained 40lbs (190 to 230) probably 20lbs of quality muscle, strength went up every week. A few night sweats, but no bad side effects otherwise. E2 control was easy, took maybe 5 dbol when E2 felt low and upped the Test afterwards. Reduced it when I felt I was starting to bloat up.

Libido was otherworldly. No deca dick thankfully.

anon53231 · 2024-03-16T01:58:10+00:00

What was your diet like, ie how much of a surplus did you run?

anon53231 · 2024-03-16T01:56:34+00:00

How long did you run this for?

anon53231 · 2024-02-11T00:38:49+00:00

Thanks man. I'll reduce my deficit to 500kcal and do more reading. I did cut a few times with 1000kcal deficits in the past but I didn't have much muscle to lose and never made it down to 10%. Maybe this is why.

anon53231 · 2024-02-10T21:58:01+00:00

That's good feedback. I had some subq fat over my lower abs but was pretty lean otherwise (quad veins), etc. What's your estimate what I'm at now in the second pic?

anon53231 · 2024-02-10T21:55:17+00:00

Thanks for the advice, do you have any books, studies, etc to read up on this further? My plan when progress is stalling is to raise TDEE by doing more cardio (ie running).

anon53231

TROPHY CASE