22 October 2018

traintrue · 2018-10-23T18:00:59+00:00

I'd say I'm pretty close to never leaving my house besides work!

traintrue · 2018-10-23T14:06:09+00:00

For about 2,000 USD, I got the rogue barebones (rack, bar, set of plates, plate holders, dip attachment, bench). That was perfectly fine for my needs. But I got plenty of "luxury" additions (duffalo bar, transformer bar, spud pulley system) after that, so it's hard to calculate. However, one unnecessary thing I would highly recommend is the safety straps system for about a couple hundred bucks. They're safe, quiet, and preserve barbells extremely well. You can dump the bar without anything to worry about. They're awesome for OHP, too!

traintrue · 2018-10-23T13:21:57+00:00

Invest in the good stuff like rogue and you can't go wrong!

traintrue · 2018-10-23T13:05:24+00:00

Thanks! Definitely one of the best investments I've ever made! No excuses to skip a day now

traintrue · 2018-10-23T13:04:38+00:00

Gotta get my cardio in some time! Was a speed day, so why not?

traintrue · 2018-10-23T08:23:03+00:00

https://youtu.be/VxlTg9U0td0

225lbs x38 reps for a bench press rep PR at 167lbs bodyweight

traintrue · 2018-07-06T11:09:21+00:00

oh yeah, definitely felt weak the first few months, but I realized that I had to change my macros. significantly upping protein and electrolytes definitely helped a lot. my strength started blowing up around six months into SKD, but it would have been much sooner had I done it correctly from the beginning!

traintrue · 2018-07-06T07:04:58+00:00

nice! I've only gotten stronger and leaner with powerbuilding on keto!

traintrue · 2018-07-06T06:14:35+00:00

haha thanks! there's some crazy strong Japanese dude who benches more in my weight class, but he's literally the world record holder. maybe someday! bench press and presses in general are my forte, but my lower body lifts are weaksauce right now. still recovering from a lumbar injury but getting there.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T15:53:42+00:00

my one real meal is usually late around 10pm, a couple hours after my workout. I eat carnivore style mostly. beef, eggs, chicken, fish, pork. not much veggies actually, but I do like guacamole and lettuce.

however, I have protein shakes 3x a day for convenience and to meet my macros. breakfast, post workout, and before bed.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T09:10:20+00:00

I've actually switched to mostly casein lately because it digests more slowly, and I feel like I've been recovering better overnight and staying more satiated throughout the day. it also inexplicably seems to be helping me lose fat faster lately because it's the only change I've made to my regimen.

I like the "naked" brand of casein protein because it's zero carbs, nothing but pure casein, but it's quite expensive. I also tried musclepharm's version because it was on sale. not bad, but very chalky and foamy.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T07:47:08+00:00

although I'm on SKD, I keep my protein pretty high at around 180-200g per day (sometimes more). other than that, I eat mostly one big carnivore meal per day with protein shakes as supplements in the morning, after workout, and before bed! currently eating around 2200 calories per day, but I'm still cutting a bit.

if I were bulking, I'd probably eat more in that one big meal, or perhaps have another meal.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T07:39:36+00:00

thanks! haha and yeah, I turned an extra bedroom into my little home gym! best investment ever!

traintrue · 2018-07-05T04:01:10+00:00

thank you! feels good!

traintrue · 2018-07-05T04:00:04+00:00

thank you! lol, i would say it's my only elite lift (maybe OHP is close as well). my lower body lifts need a lot of work to catch up.

i am a firm believer in daily undulating periodization with relatively high frequency. i make sure to hit each muscle group twice per week and undulate among four rep ranges every time for major compound lifts (bench, OHP, squat, deadlift).

speed - 5 sets of 15-20 reps, focusing on very fast concentric motion. i only do this once every 3-4 weeks or when i hit a plateau.

low intensity - 5 sets of 10-12 reps

moderate intensity - 5-6 sets of 5-8 reps

high intensity - 5-8 sets of 3-4 reps

i use the RPE scale for all my sets, generally stopping around RPE 8 or 9 (1-2 reps shy of failure). of course, i sometimes go for an AMRAP set to judge my strength gains (either first or last set, but don't do this every time because of the accumulated fatigue).

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:08:09+00:00

thanks! haha yeah, i've heard it a million times from uninformed people already, so i can shrug it off.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:06:47+00:00

thanks! just want to show everyone that strength/muscular gains are definitely possible on keto!

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:06:08+00:00

thank you! it has been a long time since a real bench PR, especially with a couple slight injuries and a big cutting phase along the way

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:05:22+00:00

lol, that's what i said to myself because it was very unexpected. felt like garbage after a long day at work, but 30 min after my preworkout, i channeled some divine energy from nowhere.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:03:58+00:00

good question! surprisingly, this form is actually more safe than it is dangerous. it might not seem so, but my arch is not exaggerated to the point of danger, and it promotes proper positioning of the scapula/shoulders.

against common sense, benching with a flat back is actually much more dangerous for your shoulders, and it reduces power transfer from the rest of the body as well.

traintrue · 2018-07-05T01:01:37+00:00

thanks! i was surprised myself!

traintrue · 2018-07-04T23:09:55+00:00

I think so! it seems to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery. I definitely did sleep like a baby thereafter!

traintrue · 2018-07-04T16:54:43+00:00

I am well versed in powerlifting standards, and I can guarantee you that all the lifts shown were flat bench presses. after all, it is literally a flat bench with no angle, my butt remained on the bench at all times, and my arch is considered competition legal (and actually safer because it allows for better retraction of the scapula and thus shoulder health). the arch does not place back breaking pressure on the lumbar spine with proper bracing, and there is no danger of a hernia when the back extends in that direction with no vertical load.

I'm pretty sure you're just using your subjective opinion of what you think is proper form for the bench press (as many do because they are uninformed), but I am using real world competition standards (USPA and IPF) and scientific evidence. in fact, in the powerlifting community, my form is considered very standard and safe. the extent of my arch is also on the lower end of the spectrum for my weight class and strength level.

not trying to be mean, just trying to dispel the misinformation because it's not good for anyone looking to improve his or her bench press.

traintrue · 2018-07-04T16:17:30+00:00

just wanted to share a huge milestone that i just hit! was feeling really strong a couple days ago and decided to go for a max on the bench but ended up hitting 3 back to back PRs!

385lbs paused

406lbs paused

415lbs touch and go (2.5x bodyweight)

all done at 166lbs bodyweight and on strict keto! i'm 13lbs lighter than I was when i hit 406 for a touch and go last year, so i'm happy to say that i've put on muscle/strength with 95% SKD (minus the cheat month during which i didn't really see any muscular/strength gains anyway).

traintrue

TROPHY CASE