Walking Beast's Journal

[Walking Beast]

Chest Rehab and Shoulder pressing






Very light and very low volume






Pulled my neck out after the previous back session. Thus started chest training later in the week. Neck is not fully healed so I was more cautious today. Just focused on hitting 2 targets which I hit. 100x20 on db shoulder presses and 100x46 on flat db presses (was aiming between 40-50).


Started with flat db presses today to hit my target numbers. Just short of 50 but Ill fix that by next week most likely and be somewhere in the 50s.


Getting bigger without growing the gut it seems. My bodyweight is slowly creeping up as I was 232 lbs after a meal. By the time I get back in the 240s I should be holding larger muscular measurements than before and be a little leaner.


Largest arm hit 19 3/8 cold flexed. One line below peak and Im leaner than before. Chest/back is at 55 cold flexed. An inch down from peak but also a little leaner.


Diet focus is more on higher protein without using much filler foods. Mainly protein. Some extra carbs but not heavy carb. Ive been hitting 300 grams protein pretty consistantly with a few of my off days being 200-250 gram protein range. Those are sometimes on my non training days, so the lower calorie and protein may even be better since Im trying to stay leaner for now.


Elbow sleeves came in but have to pick them up. My old ones are pretty thinned out.


Due to starting chest later in the week I will probably take tommorrow off and not have a dedicated shoulder day this week. The trap training from the laterals will fuck with my neck strain. I also took it easy on overhead presses, though fucking with dumbbell shoulder presses was risky. I do them on a very slight incline, so that atleast takes off some spinal pressure.


I will work toward 100x30 on db shoulder presses. Aslong as I can keep them in routine. Then maybe I will try to break past 120x5 which is an old PR from when I was 208 lbs back in 2010. Rarely did them since. I also did that lift on a short completely upright bench. Slightly different. I was also hitting 100x17. So I should already be stronger than I was then. Especially after a few weeks of hitting them. I gain strength very quickly.


125s is the max here, so maybe I will try hitting them for some reps once I get alot of reps in with the 100s. Im sure I can hit them now, I just want to be over powered by the time I get to them. Higher weight is higher risk for me on that movement. Can be tough on my neck and shoulder joints.


It will depend how long I incorporate that movement in my routine. I switch it up based on how shit feels.


Good session today as far as hitting my numbers and getting the fuck out. I did a little pump work afterwards but very minimal. I will probably take tommorrow off for even more recovery on my neck. The rest of the week I will probably train back and legs, arms , pretty light. Or take rest of week off. See how shit feels.


232 lbs after meal






Flat Barbell Bench Press (Warm up purely)




Bar x 150-200 plus barbell stretches to each side






Flat Bench Dumbbell Presses


no rest til line (warm ups)


45x50
75x30
------


No rest again (see video)




100x46 (PR for flat db presses. Rarely do these. Hit 100x48 before on incline)
80x7
45x15
------


Moreso than muscle fatigue I get very winded during this phase. 6 1/2 more weeks to make the most out of this leaning/growth phase though. Strength should keep moving up and muscle size.


No rest til line (see video)


110x25 (Possible PR by default. Rarely do these)
75x12
-----


Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press on Slight Incline


35x50 warm
75x30 warm
100x20 (3 rep PR I believe. See video. Slight incline this time, as opposed to the last time I hit 17 reps in 2010 using short upright bench)




Stopped it here because I was more about hitting my two targets today and leaving the gym intact. Dont want to fuck up my neck again.




Nautilus Horizontal Chest Press (plate loaded)


Some tightness in chest didnt go crazy with reps and weight. Still rehabbing this area. Ill be doing reps for a long fucking time on chest I think. Should hit alot of records, just high rep shit mostly.


This movement I do purely for pump.


No rest til line


90x40-50 barbell style grip
90x20 inside grip
180x20 barbell
180x5 inside


------- (Not to failure just being safe with chest)


No rest again


230x20 barbell
230x5 inside
-----


No rest til line


270x10 barbell
270x5 inside
180x10 barbell
180x5 inside
--------


Nautilus Overhead Press (plate loaded. Seat set at line below 9. Not to failure)


270x25 warm
360x20 warm


No rest til line


(Full range reps here)


450x11
360x10
270x10
180x20
-------


Decided to leave with my neck still intact. No trap work today either. Will fuck up my neck.


KILL THAT SHIT


videos below

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

I have somewhat of a plan for how Im going to train and eat for a while. Im still looking to always balance the training and eating at this stage. Not the old all consuming style of the past.


I will finish off this 6 and 1/2 weeks of leaning/growth phase. By then I should have either matched my peak measurements with a smaller gut, leaner. Or if things go well I may add some new muscle measurements. Though technically, matching peak measurements while being leaner is adding muscle. Just not in the way I usually measure it. Never leaned before, so this also changes the way I look at measurements.


I will be focusing on leaning for a while I think. Im going to do it very fucking slow though. I dont want to do it quickly and lose alot of muscle, though it does come back fast, but id rather incorporate a routine where I can do it gradually as I have periods of gaining new muscle inbetween.


Basically that means that Im going to finish off this 6 and half week growth/leaning phase, then I may take a break from training and eating completely for 2-3 months. Or I will just maybe train 3 times a week and go into a maintenance phase. During this phase, whether Im training or not, I will cut my calories back down to 2000-2500 range I think. The break is something I look forward to these days. Its for my mind as much as for my joints. Its been massively useful in allowing me to continually get stronger and larger while preserving my tendons, along with the main tactic, constant tension style training for pressing. I take a brief step back, but I gain back my size through muscle memory very quickly. So I always come back stronger and with fresher joints and a renewed fire for this shit.


So I will probably have periods for 2 1/2 to 3 months where I focus on growth/leaning together, or maybe even just growing clean, on cleaner foods, as Ive been doing. Then I will maybe take breaks afterward for a few months and just cut calories. Get leaner. So each time I start my clean growth phases Ill be leaner. I should hold alot more quality mass without all the fat eventually, by doing it like this.


That is my theory anyway. So far its working very well. I am gradually getting heavier as my waist is staying about the same. Muscular measurements are all getting very close to peak as well.


This is the first time Ive been staying pretty consistantly around 300 grams of protein. Im doing this to make up for the much lower calorie and carb intake.


During the full break I wont even be worried about food intake. Only in the sense of not exceeding 2000-2500 calories daily. Protein may not even be that high. Im not worried about that because I just want to get leaner during that period. Then Ill regain it and have periods of clean growth. When I take a break its a break. So Ill mostly consume milk and maybe a meal or 2 a day during that period. This is all just ideas for now.


Ill see where my results finish in late october when this phase ends. And of course I will be pushing strength records continuously every week, sometimes multiple times per week during these growth/leaning phases. Not as ideal as a pure growth heavy eating phase, but Im having no issues whatsoever getting stronger each week.




KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

About to hit arms. May go for a PR on the new tricep presses Ive been doing. Dumbbell Flat Bench but with elbows tucked in, palms facing. Shouldnt fuck with my chest recovery too much, since I feel it all in tricep.


Ill aim for 25-30 reps If I do those, with the 100s.




Still watching out for my neck, so I may not go as wild with volume. Maybe some strict barbell curls again too today. Maybe 135 lbs for 10-15. Nothing crazy today. Will see if I overload the stack on pressdowns, but mainly going for contraction and pump with arms lately. Ive really been focusing on contraction with biceps. Very strict movements and alot of holds. With triceps I have to avoid lockout, for my elbows, so I can only really pump the fuck out of them with constant reps. I can atleast aim for a PR on that one new movement though.


KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

Arms




Light and low volume, Leaning/growth phase.






Hit a PR with 100x30,110x21,120x15 on the tricep only flat dumbbell presses. New movement so its not a problem to break records. I should be hitting high reps with the 125s soon, as Im probably good for 20-25 fresh already with that weight.


Im considering using duct tape soon to add weight to the 125's. Those are the max at this shit gym. With duct tape it may be unweildy but Ill consider trying it. Reps are getting extremely high with everything because Im often limited with equipment or trying to avoid low rep work since it has to be extremely heavy and is more damaging on connective tissue. Though I would like to have the option to work towards 150s on my pressing work. Ill see if I can tape some tens on possibly. For now I can still build up my reps with the 125s and under.




Got my elbow sleeves in today. The XLs will not even fit over my forearm to get to my elbow. Ill have to return those and try XXL. The material seems good though.


The wraps are 36 inches long, 12 inches longer than my other INZER wraps, and should be even better for keeping the wrists stiff.


Stuck with pretty strict barbell curls today, with holds at the top. The other bicep work was very light, and purely focused on contraction.


Its good to have found a freeweight movement I can hit for triceps. I think these will really add size to the area over time. I only feel them in my triceps though Im sure they hit front delts too.


Crippling pump today. I dont need any products at this point to increase pump. Anything more would be extreme. It definately interfered with my sets toward the end. My arms were done earlier than usual.


Straight Bar pressdowns are harder on wrists, so not as many reps as with the curved bar version but hit a 300 lb dropset as well.


Good day considering the lack of recovery time, starting chest and shoulders on wednesday this week.






230 lbs before meals






Flat Dumbbell Tricep Only Press (Palms facing, elbows tucked to sides)




25x100 warm
65x50 warm
100x30 (PR , See video. New movement so PRs will be easy for a while)
110x21 (PR, see video. More of a warm up for the 120s)
120x15 (PR , See video. I should be good for 20 plus reps with 125s fresh. May use duct tape soon since this gym maxes at 125s)




Strict Barbell Curls


65x15 warm
135x10 (See video. Holds at top)
155x5 (Semi strict. See video. Holds at top)






Strict Straight Bar Pressdowns


KILOGRAMS for all pressdowns unless noted




no rest til line


35x100
65x30
95x10
45x10-15 Strict Alternating DB curl (palms facing)
----------------


Straight Bar Pressdowns again


No rest til line (see video)




300 lbs x10
255 lbs x10
210 lbs x20
80 (kilos again) x10
72x10
65x10
45x20 Strict Alt DB curls (video cuts off at 16 or so)
--------


V Bar Pressdowns (same style)




KILOGRAMS for these


no rest til line


65x30
95x10
45x15 strict alt db curl
------


One Arm Pressdowns


KILOGRAMS


30x100 (One arm at a time. 10 reps per arm, alternating arms is the only rest)




Seated Dumbbell Curl (90 degree bench)


20x50 (Holds at the top. Brief rest pauses only)
35x20 (same)
30x20 (same)




Alternating Dumbbell Curls with reverse curl negative (arms pumped as fuck by this point)




no rest til line


45x10
35x10
-----


Dumbbell Hammer Curls


no rest til line


45x15
60x5
-----


No rest again


70x5
60x5
45x10
-----




See videos below


KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

The 300 lb pressdown dropset is 2 parts. This fucking camera splits up the longer recordings for some reason.


Thats the only real drawback so far, but it was 40 bucks. Otherwise its been great. Its also a problem to watch some videos in the display screen. They glitch out when they are too long, or just randomly. They work at home though.




My mind was fucking out of it today. So I didnt eat prior to training. Ill try to get my mind right and get my food in again. Results wise shit is going well for now. I will look forward to a long break possibly after grinding out another 6 weeks of this phase. I just want some new results for this year, size wise.

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]