Back to Basics

I'm not sure the exact angle of the incline, roughly 30 - 45 probably

I'm likely going to switch to the plate loaded row machine although it's slightly different angle and everything than the one I've been using. I keep the form super strict and so actually haven't ever pushed for more than 200 on it, I'm sure that if I was fresh, I could do the whole stack for more than 3 reps.

Pulldowns I bring the bar down to about the base of my pecs, wide pronated grip. I have been liking these better than supinated narrow grip pulldowns for the last several months. I haven't maxed out yet, maybe next session.

Biceps, shoulders, entire back except erectors are all real sore today. Feels like I got hit by a truck, snagged onto something underneath the truck and got dragged down the road for several miles. A gravel road.
 
Any calculator worth using is going to be based on more than height. According to both of those, I have surpassed my genetic max. It is worth noting that Steve Reeves would have been significantly over his max too compared to those calculators, as well as a whole slew of other natural bodybuilders. Those guys most likely had awesome genetics. Mine are most likely more average. Ergo, those calculators underestimate potential.
 
All current calculators have a few fatal problems. They don't account for the increased bone density (mass) and volume (mass, size) of intermediate-advanced trainees (using 'advanced' to indicate either/both length of training and increase in muscle mass --> skeletal mass comes with), fat distribution, muscle lengths and surface areas - hell, throw in torso and limb proportions too. They don't account for the growing body of evidence showing hormone levels as an infant and child will influence your growth potential, that food and nutrition intake as infant&child influences those hormone levels ... so on and so forth.

Perhaps the biggest failing is that they're based on calculations that are now outdated; people training 10, 15, 20, 30 years ago didn't have the same understanding re: training itself, nutrition requirements, hydration & salts etc etc. If you do the math, you end up with a calculator that can give an estimate based on THAT subset, that you hope is applicable now. But hope is really only a best case scenario; if you get disappointing 'max' sizes, you hope in the alternate -> that it's off the mark.

IMO, the best thing calculators do is motivation; you either want to smash that stupid small limiting #, or you want to achieve those 19" cannons that the screen says you are capable of.




And those two calculators are pretty bad.
 
Yet in fact many people don't seem to be reaching their maximum potential deviation. Brad for one thing, as he says on the page linked to above:
OK, so now we know that realistically 162 pounds would be a best case scenario for 35 year old me. At 10% body fat that would be a body weight of about 180 pounds, which would be pretty darn impressive on my frame.
However, I’m NOT 180 pounds at 10% body fat. In fact, right now I’m about 176 pounds at 12.5% body fat.
Click to expand...
I told him he might want to try HST, he says he hasn't seen Bryan's stuff. Many experienced lifters have admitted substantial strength increases with it, a guy on another forum went from 385 lbs DL to 440 in just a couple of months with HST.
 
It is a matter of will. There are those who achieve what they want to, who have the will to change themselves. Then there are most people who make excuses for their failures rather than accept the blame for failing to achieve their desires, these people will never surpass or even reach their limits until they realize... there is no "try" - there is only do or do not.
 
Trained in the morning before work today and it was pretty awesome. The gym only had a dozen or so people so I pretty much had freedom to do what I wanted. I am a lot more tired coming home from work than I normally would be, but I felt good through most of the day. I think I will try to get more of these workouts in on days when I don't work until 10 or 11 am, rather than trying to go after work when it is already 8 pm and I'm tired. On days that I work 7 am until 4 or 5 pm, I will still be going after work. 6 am is just way too damn early to be lifting, I just can't do it.
 
Do you try to control your fat gains when you bulk, or do you eat away without caring if body fat reaches 20-25%? In other words, do you take any measures to avoid people calling you fat (not only big) year-round (and I don't mean punching them in the face LOL)?
 
I never have that problem. I've only gotten close to or over 20% a couple times my whole life. See my progress collage for proof. Even in most of my fat pictures I still have visible abs. Controlling fat gain on a bulk is easy. You just count calories and eat the correct amount each day. Assuming macros and calories are set correctly.
 
Last edited:
Totentanz, can you say what the ratio of your height/waist is without sucking in your stomach? It should preferably be measured before breakfast to avoid any discrepancies caused by the food inside. Mine is 56% :mad: I need to get it down to below 50 before even considering a bulk. It's a good idea to never go above 15% or so because then it becomes easier to reach 10-12% when need be.
 
Getting down to 10-12% is easy regardless, it just takes longer if you're fatter. I've never had a problem cutting down, even to sub-10%, it's just a matter of patience and sticking to the plan.

My waist is 35 inches right now, it only shrinks to 33.5 at my leanest as I have a naturally thick waist. I am 73 inches tall. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know the metric conversions off the top of my head. Oh well, blame the United States.
 
You're very good, 35/73 is 47.9%. Luckily we don't need inch->cm conversion just to calculate the ratio.
Thanks for the info, I'm on my way to get down to 10-12%, although I don't count calories, only rough amount of food eaten (like 1 glass of buckwheat per day = 600 kcals, half a pack of pasta another day = 900 kcals, 1 small piece of chicken breast = 100 kcals and 20 gr. protein, etc) and rely on body weight and tape measurements to guide me. Already lost 5 cm on waist circumference that way.
 
Last edited:
Totentanz said:
Getting down to 10-12% is easy regardless, it just takes longer if you're fatter. I've never had a problem cutting down, even to sub-10%, it's just a matter of patience and sticking to the plan.

My waist is 35 inches right now, it only shrinks to 33.5 at my leanest as I have a naturally thick waist. I am 73 inches tall. I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know the metric conversions off the top of my head. Oh well, blame the United States.
Click to expand...

I almost have exactly the same proportions.
We could be twins, except you are more gifted in lower body, and I seem to have natural inclination for large arms.

35" waist at your body weight is awesome, I hope to get there in a couple years.
 
Actually my waist size is kind of annoying me right now as all my pants are getting a little tight. I found a bunch of work pants where the waist fit and the butt and thighs were big enough that I didn't look totally ridiculous, I do have some larger waisted pants but they are too small on my butt and thighs... might have to cut soon.

Nah. Prolly not. My first three kids were at their mother's for the weekend, so I took the girl and the baby out to eat. I had a massive sirloin steak, loaded baked potato, some broccoli, indulged in some soda, ate about six of the "complimentary" muffins they offer, then ate one of those giant 6.8 ounce hershey bars (with almonds) for dessert. I was at 300 grams of protein prior to my dinner, don't feel like entering that meal in to my food log. Probably around 5000 calories today. I'm still hungry, like ravenously so.

I might be trying out Alex's recommendation of a 6 am workout on Monday though. I did another morning workout today and I was dragging for the first 10 minutes then something changed and suddenly my strength kicked in, I went into beast mode or something, the weights started flying up no problem. I am finding that my workouts go a lot faster and I feel like I have a lot left in the tank when leaving the gym this way.
 
Last edited:
Omg, douchebags everywhere. 6am, the gym is busy and all these bastards want to be doing circuit training.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top