GainzZz For Valhalla

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 197.3 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Deadlift: Beltless/DOH/2 min rests

255x5 x4 sets

Incline Bench: Length partials/paused/2 min rest

155 x11 (@9.5)
155 x9 (@10)

Oly SFP: Length partial/paused/60s rests

60 x10 (@8)
60 x9 (@8.5)
60 x8 (@9)

Oly Narrow Grip Curls: stretch pauses/60s rests

60 x10 (@8.5)
60 x7 (@9)
60 x6 (@9.5)

***43 mins
-this session felt much better. Deadlifts were easy. Incline bench I had a rep and performance PR. Tried some narrow grip RP-style curls which were much tougher. I really milk the negatives and pause in the stretched positions of all these accessory lifts. Lots of DOMS. I forgot to pull back on bench intensity today. Oops. Incline bench lengthened partials feel fantastic in the paused (over collar bone) stretch.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 196.9 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Squat: Beltless/2 min rests

265x3 x5 sets

Bench: Beltless/Control TnG/2 min rests

185x3 x6 sets

EZ SFP: Stretch Pauses/60s rests

60 x14 (@8.5)
60 x12 (@10)
60 x8 (@9)

EZ Arm Curls: Stretch pauses/60s rests

60 x12 (@8)
60 x9 (@9)
60 x7 (@9)


***50 mins total

[JohnHelton]

Maybe think in terms of powerbuilding. Mostly BB stuff while you still have a strength focused day for each of the big three. That is basically what I’m doing. I get bored with BB only as well.

[MattimusMaximus]

@JohnHelton Yes that’s exactly my thoughts. I need to get my strength back up. Being so weak is messing with my head a bit. Glad I’m not the only one who finds BB boring. I think the feedback from it is just too damn slow for my personality.

[DanCR]

@JohnHelton Yes that’s exactly my thoughts. I need to get my strength back up. Being so weak is messing with my head a bit. Glad I’m not the only one who finds BB boring. I think the feedback from it is just too damn slow for my personality.

You might enjoy DoggCrapp for your hypertrophy work. It's briefer and more intense and the idea is to beat the logbook every single session. No boring af sets across and the like.

[MattimusMaximus]

@DanCR I actually used to do Mentzer-style HIT for years (minimal results) and then mixed things up with DC training as well. Back in those training days I’d actually puke after nearly every session lol. I just don’t recover well from high intensity. Never have, especially for lower body.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 197.1 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Press:Beltless/2 min Rests

85x5 x4 sets

Seated BB Press: Paused/Beltless/2 min rest

115 x8 (@9)
115 x6 (@9)

LP Bench: Paused/length partials/2 min rest

165 x10 (@9)
165 x8 (@9.5)

Chins: Cobra Grips/Dead hang pauses/60s rests

BW x9 (@9)
BW x6 (@9.5)
BW x5 (@10)

BB Bent Face Pulls (SS) BB High Upright Rows: Cobras

60 x12+10 (@8.5)

Incline Seated DB Curls:

28’s x9 (@10)
28’s x7 (@10)


***58 mins total
-may have been too much volume today.

[DanCR]

DanCR I actually used to do Mentzer-style HIT for years (minimal results) and then mixed things up with DC training as well. Back in those training days I’d actually puke after nearly every session lol. I just don’t recover well from high intensity. Never have, especially for lower body.

Nevermind.

Seriously, obviously no reason to go back to shit that didn’t work, but your effort on it sounds like it was impressive as hell - what most dudes claim to do on HIT but actually don’t.

I’ve had to gently coax myself out of puking after sets of high rep squats, and have involuntarily taken a knee (or both knees) many times, but never actually hurled.

I’m not gonna take this as a challenge. Really. I swear.

[MattimusMaximus]

@DanCR Yes I was really into Heavy Duty Mentzer from about 2008-2011. I was lucky to find a training partner back then who knew even more than I did and he was a competitive bodybuilder. I didn’t know you could throw up from 1 set of BB curls until then. It was fun but just couldn’t recover and grow. Throwing up after every session got old too. Leg days were actually scary! My training partner was on gear (I wasn’t). Eventually he moved to higher volumes at lower intensities and got much much bigger. I tried DC after that with no results and then started focusing on strength SS/TM around 2013.

I seem to grow relatively well with strength focused training. For some reason hypertrophy focused training just drives me into the ground. Maybe my history of masochist training has warped my RIR perception. I always like to think I have 1 more rep in me when training close to failure. Every couple of years I’ll see some new research come out about hypertrophy and worry I’m leaving gains on the table. Since I just came back from a forced winter layoff, that time is now though I’m already getting fed up. Lol.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 197.0 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Deadlift: Beltless/DOH/2 min rests

295x3 x4 sets

Incline Paused Bench: Length Partials/2 min rest

160 x9 (@8.5)
160 x7 (@8.5)

Oly SFP: Stretch Pauses/60s rests

60 x11 (@8)
60 x10 (@9)
60 x9 (@9)

Oly Narrow Grip Curls: Stretch Pauses/60s rests

60 x10 (@8)
60 x8 (@9)
60 x7 (@9)


***44 mins total
-All accessory were either weight or rep PRs so at least things are trending in the right direction. I think I might be finally seeing some pec growth. I’ve decided to drop the SLDLs and the high bar squats just for a bit. That should help with recovery hopefully. I might have to be in an actual surplus if I target legs for hypertrophy.

[DanCR]

-All accessory were either weight or rep PRs so at least things are trending in the right direction. I think I might be finally seeing some pec growth.

Sweet. Good stuff in the mirror makes bodybuilding work a lot more fun (or tolerable).

I’ve decided to drop the SLDLs and the high bar squats just for a bit. That should help with recovery hopefully. I might have to be in an actual surplus if I target legs for hypertrophy.

For sure. Every “get jacked” program ever that relies on lots of lower body work has a section on stuffing your face. I don’t even think it’s entirely about the surplus for growth, but also about not feeling terrible and wanting to shoot yourself.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 196.0 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Squat: Beltless

275
305
335 @9
335 @8 Belt

315x1 x4 sets (Beltless/60s rests)

Bench: Comp Pauses/Beltless

185
205
225 @7

205x1 x6 sets (Beltless/paused/60s rests)

EZ SFP: Stretched Pauses/60s rest

60 x15 (@8) Rep PR
60 x12 (@8.5)
60 x9 (@8) Rep PR

EZ Arm Curls: Stretched Pauses/60s rest

60 x13 (@8.5) Rep PR
60 x10 (@9) Rep PR
60 x8 (@9.5) Rep PR


***56 mins total
-Squats felt like garbage. I used to be able to do these weights as warmups beltless. I have to eat humble pie and start belting on those closer to max sets now. I swear doing high bar f’d up my low-bar technique.
-Bench felt amazingly easy today. I wanted to push things but decided not to.
-Hypertrophy rep strength is going up for accessories. Yay.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 196.5 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Press: Beltless

95
115
135 @8

115x1 x4 sets

Seated Paused BB Press: Beltless/2 min rest

115 x9 (@9)
115 x7 (@9.5)

LP Paused Bench: Length Partials/2 min rest

165 x10 (@9.5)
165 x9 (@11)

Weighted Chins: Cobras/dead hang pauses/60s rests

BW+25 lbs x6 (@9.5)
BW+25 lbs x4 (@9)
BW+25 lbs x4 (@10)

BB Bent Face Pull (SS) BB High Upright Row: Cobras

45 x14+14 (@8.5)

Incline Seated DB Curls: Stretch Pauses/60s rest

22’s x13 (@9)
22’s x10 (@9.5)


***56 mins total
-never knew I was stronger for reps in seated presses vs standing. I guess the stability on a bench makes sense.
-Idea behind lengthened partials flat bench, after overhead pressing, is because my triceps are fried by then so focusing on the lengthened bottom portion and just milking the negs and pauses kind of ensures my pecs fail at or before tri’s do.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 196.2 lbs (2680 cals maintenance)

Deadlift: Beltless

315
355
385 @9

345x1 x3 sets (Beltless/DOH/60s rests)

SLDL: Cobras/Beltless/2 min rest

185 x8 (@7)
185 x8 (@8)

LP Incline Paused Bench: Length Partial/Beltless/2 min rest

160 x10 (@9.5)
160 x8 (@10)

Oly SFP: Stretch Pauses/60s rests

60 x12 (@8.5)
60 x11 (@9)
60 x10 (@10)

Oly Close Grip Curls: Stretch Pauses/60s rests

60 x11 (@9.5)
60 x8 (@9.5)
60 x7 (@9.5)


***53 mins total
-lower back was feeling fatigued from life stuff before deadlifting today.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 195.7 lbs (2730 cals maintenance)

Squat: Beltless

245
275
305 @7

285x1 x3 sets (60s rests)

High bar ATG Narrow Stance Paused Squats: Beltless/2 min rest

135 x7 (@8)
135 x7 (@8)

Paused Bench: Beltless

195
215 @6.5

200x1 x4 sets (60s rests)

LP Wide Grip Paused Bench: Beltless/2 min rest

165 x8 (@7)
165 x8 (@8)

EZ SFP: Stretched Pauses/60s rests

65 x11 (@7)
65 x9 (@8)
65 x8 (@9)

EZ Arm Curls: Stretched pauses/60s rests

65 x10 (@7)
65 x8 (@8.5)
65 x7 (@9.5)


***58 mins total
-changing things up a little to practice more singles. I think that’s why my strength isn’t coming back. I either need more practice above 80% or I might need to do a linear progression which sucks. Hope this works instead. The fahves were feeling a bit redundant with the hypertrophy work so I’ve dropped them for singles only. Plan on keeping top single around RPE 6-8 with back off singles around 80% of my e1RM. Then hypertrophy volume following singles.
-I increased maintenance cals another 50 yesterday and then I dropped on the scale this morning. I’m only 1 lb heavier right now than I was at the end of my winter cut a few months ago.

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 195.9 lbs (2730 cals maintenance)

Strict Press: Beltless

105
120
135 @8

120x1 x4 sets (Beltless/60s rests)

Seated Paused BB Press: Beltless/2 min rest

115 x9 (@9)
115 x7 (@9)

LP Wide Grip Paused Bench: Beltless/2 min rest

165 x9 (@10)
165 x7 (@10)

Chins: Cobra Grips/dead hang pauses/60 Rests

BW x8 (@8)
BW x5 (@9)
BW x5 (@9)

BB Bent Face Pulls (SS) BB High Upright Row: Cobras/60s rest

45 x14+14 (@8)
45 x12+10 (@8)

Incline Seated DB Curls: Stretched pauses/60s rest

22’s x14 (@9)
22’s x11 (@10)


***56 mins total

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 195.2 lbs (2730 cals maintenance? Lbs are going down)

Deadlift:

355
395 @8

355x1 x2 sets (Beltless/60s rest)

SLDL: Cobra grips/2 min rest

190 x8 (@7)
190 x8 (@8)

LP Incline Paused Bench: Beltless/2 min rest

165 x8 (@8)
165 x7 (@9)

Oly SFP: Stretched Pauses/60s rests

65 x9 (@8.5)
65 x8 (@9)
65 x7 (@10)

Oly Narrow Grip Curls: Stretched pauses/60s rests

60 x10 (@8.5)
60 x9 (@9)
60 x8 (@9.5)


***51 mins total

[MattimusMaximus]

BW: 195.9 lbs (2730 cals maintenance)

Low Bar Squat:

225
285
325 @8

295x1 x3 sets (Beltless/60s rests)

High Bar Narrow Stance Paused Squats: Beltless/2 min rest/ATG

140 x7 (@7)
140 x7 (@8)

Paused Bench: Beltless

195
215
235 @9

205x1 x4 sets (Beltless/Paused/60s rests)

LP Paused Wide Grip Bench: Beltless/2 min rest

165 x9 (@8)
165 x8 (@8)

EZ SFP: Stretched Pauses/60s rests

65 x12 (@7)
65 x10 (@8.5)
65 x9 (@9.5)

EZ Arm Curls: Stretched Pauses/60s rests

65 x11 (@8)
65 x9 (@8.5)
65 x7 (@9.5)


***56 mins total

[cole]

I think I'm gonna try high bar narrows (platz) at some point. It sounds awful

[MattimusMaximus]

I think I'm gonna try high bar narrows (platz) at some point. It sounds awful

lol, I actually think the narrow stance feels better for my biomechanics with high bar. I’ve started light though so I’m sure it’s going to get awful real quick. I’m going as deep as physically possible and pausing during that stretch or lengthened position. Here’s hoping I get some hypertrophy. Quads get pretty pumped even with only 140 lbs.