Walking Beast's Journal

[Walking Beast]

This is an example of a very half assed eating day, yesterday:






Big100 met ** protein bar for first meal, (31)(2 cups snack mix)(49)(18 oz skim milk)(76)Big100 metrx bar for second meal,(107)(18 oz skim milk)(134)(2 cups snack mix)(152)(18 oz skim milk)(179)(2 cups snack mix)(199)(bowl of veggies)(18 oz skim milk)(226)(18 oz skim milk)




(253 protein)






Extremely reliant on about 90 oz of fairlife milk. 50 percent more protein than regular milk so it adds up. Only two protein bars and some high calorie snack mix. This is what I did to make up for having zero drive the last week or so.


Regardless the protein was fine for an off day. Calories were in the 3000 plus range. This is a leaning and growth phase so the calories cant be too high right now.


If my appetite is shit than I will atleast make up for it with milk. Milk is the most anabolic food for me anyway. Ive always responded to it better than anything else. If this was a higher calorie phase then id need more solid food, but that isnt the case this time.


I am going to try to grind it out even though my mind isnt in it because Im getting large strength increases weekly and getting bigger while staying leaner. I would like to see this shit through before taking 2 or 3 months completely off, as I think I will do in 6 weeks when Im done with this phase.


Atleast my bad days are still around 250 protein often. Even though 200 is my bare minimum that I allow for now. Basically.




KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

About to hit back and lateral, trap work. No overhead presses today since I did them on wednesday with chest. Not enough recovery time this week to get them in a second time. Once is enough for now anyway. Tommorrow or the next day will likely be chest and overheads again anyway.

Back/chest measurement has been coming in at 55 1/2 when self measuring. Though there was definately some hitching of the tape. Regardless the initial measurements are getting higher so the size is coming up again. I measure the same way always, but for my official measurements I try to avoid hitching of the tape on back/chest. Hard to eliminate completely. It takes more tweaking and fucking with the tape to get it right. I do quick measurements to get a general idea of whats growing. My official measurements for my charts will be stricter since it only makes it unreliable for me when trying to compete against myself. I usually chart measurements about once yearly.


Since recovery was low this week, having to start chest late in the week to heal neck, I will probably not go as heavy for back. Though I cannot say until I start training. Maybe Ill aim for a PR with 32 plus chin ups at my current bodyweight. I am getting gradually heavier with the lower calories and high protein, and starting to reach a limit with bodyweight reps. So that may be a challenge. Had I kept my chain belt I would add some plates to my body.

Aside from that, I may just focus purely on contraction. Id like to hit more reps with the 350 on low cable rows, but I dont know yet. Thats how I pulled out my neck last week. So I could probably do it again for more reps, but then have to train later into next week, or worse.

As far as my pressing work. Luckily I am able to get that adrenaline rush with heavier weights by hitting heavy overhead presses on various machines and with dumbbells, and also now the tricep press im doing with the dumbbells. Should be going up to 135 soon with that I think. I need to get duct tape for 1-3 weeks from now so I can add weight. Ill only tape 5's on the dumbbell initially probably. Just to go up incrementally. Once I get good reps with 125 Ill get it up to 135 with the tape. I may be able to press heavy with chest now, but I dont trust it. Even though Im hitting around 50 reps with the 100s on flat press. My chest can feel fine and then the shit pops. Just like it did when I went for 60 reps with 225 on flat bench press. The week prior hitting 50 with no pain at all. Ill be fine if I can just do super high rep with chest for a while. Get my adrenaline rush from shoulder pressing heavier and the new tricep press. So I dont really need to do heavy chest pressing anymore to get that rush. I can get very strong with shoulder pressing. I was good for 405 for a few reps, I believe on the smith machine military presses. So I will just get fucking strong in other ways, as I always do.

KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

Back




Light and Low volume






Heavier today at 235 lbs. Ate only 2 protein bars, some veggies, several cups of snack mix, and about 90 oz of milk. I tend to retain alot of size from milk, so the scale should be moving back up toward 240 plus. Hopefully the waist will stay down as well. Im eating much cleaner than usual and trying to keep the waist around where its at, at least. In 6 weeks I may take a full break for a few months and just cut my calories and get leaner. Ill implement growth phases every so often to keep things interesting. Though I will be focusing mostly on leaning for now. Every growth phase I hit , I should be slightly leaner than the last one. So this is a different approach for me, but it will take a while. Im not rushing the process. Ill add muscle I just wont weigh as much all the time.




Hit a PR with 32 chin ups at 235 lbs. Which is a record for that bodyweight. I will try to work up to 40 reps as I get up to 240 plus pounds. So that will add an extra challenge. Its really the ONLY back movement I can attempt records on without potentially injuring myself. Since my back is filling back out again, and Im lighter from being a little leaner, this comes easily for now. More muscle and less lower body mass to pull up. Havent really been keeping up with legs either. Though they are still sitting at around 28 inches.


I skipped legs this week since my knees are still real bad. Its also not even part of my goals right now. I just want to add more upper body mass this year and continually break strength records whenever I can. I may hit them a few times during this growth phase for basic maintenance, but its very optional for me at this stage. I will go through phases where I feel like hitting em to add extra body mass, but it will be on and off these days. As will be my training. Ill be continuing to incorporate breaks most years. Allows me to keep training in the way I deem proper and gives my mind a break. I will never enter the gym if I cant train in the way that I deem fit. My standard for intensity , weight and reps is very high. Ive never been a pump trainer. I incorporate that now in my training, but it would bore the fuck out of me to only train for pump.


Also hit 285x25 for a PR on Low Cable Rows. I decided before doing this that I would end this movement here. I did not load it up to 350 today, even though Im sure I couldve broken another record there and with other heavier weights. Pulled out my neck last time when I finished off with 350 so decided to cut it here. I had less recovery this week since I had to start chest and shoulder pressing work on wednesday.


I didnt let my form get too loose on anything, especially the low cable rows. I wanted to leave the gym intact this time. This was mainly a strength day with lower volume. Im going to be doing that for the next 6 weeks on everything I think. Mostly everything. Aim for some strength records on some select movements and keep the volume lower. The strength shit takes more toll on the joints and tendons so I will compensate by hitting less volume overall.


Even though 285 is technically very light for me, its not really light on the connective tissues over the long term. Not with high reps everytime. Its the most dangerous for me to try and hit records with back regularly. Ill try to keep that shit going for the next 6 weeks though. Regardless I should continue to add muscle to the area.


Everything else was all about the contraction and just finishing off with a good pump in the lats. Mostly I wanted to get in KILL THAT SHIT with the lifts and finish it off.


Im looking to set the bar much higher for the next growth phase, strength wise. So I plan to crush alot of lifts for when I come back. Since I will likely take some months off again after this 6 weeks. I will likely be using duct tape to make the 125s heavier for some of my pressing work as well.


Now that I hit 100x20 on dumbbell shoulder presses I may aim for 110x20 next, rather then aiming for 30 plus with the 100s. Then I can crush my old PR of 120x5 which I did at 208 when I incorporated DB presses very briefly, around the time I benched 405 heavily pre exhausted. I think I can easily crush that lift. Im much larger now and stronger overall. I just havent done those in a while, but adapt quickly. I was at 100x17 when I hit 120x5, so I should already be good for it. Ill work up to it though.


I would have done more, however Ive been getting forearm splints in the bones of my forearms. It travels up into the shoulders too. I believe the barbell curls brought it on. Straight bar is always hard on my wrists. Basically theres some pain upon releasing my grip on heavy sets and general pain in the forearm bones. Similiar to the shin splint sensation.




My drive to do this shit has been extremely low during this phase, but seeing my size come up and the nearly daily strength records keeps the fire burning somewhat. So it is important for my mind that I break strength records during this period, consistantly.


The first 3 months of a break is mentally tough, after that I dont really give a fuck. Once I start to shrink, I think about the few months of work I have to do just to get back to where I was, and I can easily hold off. Though the break probably wont be over 3 months, I have no plan as of yet. I will cut the calories though so I lose body mass. The muscle comes back fast enough so I dont care if I deflate during that period. I have taken myself out for 2 years already and have also done a 10 month voluntary break and a few 6 month ones as well. Many 2 and 3 month breaks. I know the entire process of coming back, inside out.


I have also basically mastered manipulating my sets, reps, range of motion to constantly set records. I will switch to holds, regular style reps, limited range, constant tension and also cycle order of exercises, limit reps for certain sets to save energy, etc. This keeps shit mentally fresh for me as I hate to be complacent and merely repeat the same shit every day. I constantly fight against that shit.






235 lbs after mostly milk throughout the previous day (stayed up to train)






Chin Ups (close palms facing grip)


165 lbs assistance x 15 warm up
125 lbs assistance x 10 warm up
32 at 235 lbs bodyweight (PR at this weight, See video)
10 (Long holds at top for this set)




Low Cable Row With Palms facing close grip handle (Cut my reps down on my warm up sets to hit a PR with 285)


150x30 (Warm up, not to failure. Felt weightless)
235x15 (warm up, not to failure)
285x25 (PR I believe, see video)


One Arm Cable Row On Low Cable Apparatus


60x20 (Long holds. Matched on both arms. More of a stretch)




Lat Pulldowns With Palms Facing Close grip handle


190x10 warm
250x8 (Mostly regular reps today. I switched back to that style again)




Strength took a hit after the 285. Forearm splints causing some fatigue. Maybe lack of recovery for joints too this week.




Dual Dumbbell Rows On Incline Bench (bench used as chest support, rowing both dumbbells simultaneously)




80x30
125x12


Hammer Strength Lat Pullover (plate loaded. Lats starting to scrape the elbow pads again. Back filling back out)


no rest til line


90x50
180x20
-----


205x32




Nothing crazy with these either. They irritate hiatal hernia.




Iso Low Row Hammer Strength (super light to finish off. Body pretty beat up)




140x20 (long holds)
230x?? (long holds. Dont remember. This was just bullshit by this point)




KILL THAT SHIT


Videos below

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[CMC191]

Looking bigger, this phase is doing you some good it seems

[Walking Beast]

Yesterdays intake








12 oz shrimp with bag of rice for first meal, (90)


Big100 Metrx protein bar for second meal, (121)


Big100 met ** protein bar for third meal,


(152)(animal crackers)(155)(18 oz skim milk)(182)(animal crackers)(185)(animal crackers)(188)


10 egg whites and 1 cup cheese for fourth meal,(266)(6 slices cheese)(302)(18 oz skim milk)(329)(pumpkin seeds)(352)(animal crackers)(355)(18 oz skim milk)(382)


Big100 met ** protein bar for fifth meal, (413)(18 oz skim milk)




440 grams protein




I will probably conclude eating at this point. Four hours from my cut off point, around 3 am. That is because I will get ready to train in an hour.


Some cheap filler calories with the animal crackers. Dollar store food.


This is only 8 grams away from breaking an all time protein record in my last 21 years of training. I could easily break 500 today but its not really needed.


My intake is pretty random so I didnt have a number in mind today except for getting back on track and hitting 300 grams.


Ive been inconsistant the last week or so. This one day does make my previous 3 days average out to around 300 a day, my target for this leaning/mass phase. I aim more for an average rather than the daily intake, as my digestion is inconsistant, but really Ive just been un fucking motivated with the whole routine, especially the eating. So there is no valid reason. It was just choice, not to push myself as I could have. Much more exhaustion than usual, but I had plenty of opportunity to hit the numbers if I kept ontop of it.


This is still low calorie for me overall. With the focus mostly on protein. Only had 2 real meals to hit the 440. Alot of milk and protein bars. Some cheese and pumpkin seeds.


My acid issues have been much better just from eating a mostly protein diet and not filling in calories with calorie dense foods.


I will try to get back on track with my eating though. Its all psycological.




KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

Looking bigger, this phase is doing you some good it seems

Appreciate that shit brother


My waist is a little smaller than when I carried these measurements previously. So I am almost the same size muscular measurement wise but a little leaner. Its hard to say where exactly my waist is now. I dont allow myself to be on an empty stomach during this phase. Always taking in milk or solid food. Though my bloated gut is still several inches smaller than it was previously around this size.

Regardless of the end result of this phase I will go back to leaning out after I finish in 6 weeks. I will probably wait until I am considerably leaner before starting my next cleaner growth phase. Ill try to have atleast several months of leaning inbetween growth phases. To balance it out a little and keep the leaning out process from being mind numbing. It will take longer this way but I can still build muscle during certain phases.

Ill either get leaner by training 3 times a week on 2000-2500 calories. Or keeping calories in that range but doing no training and taking a full break. Depending on where my mind is at, but either way Ill get it done gradually. Three times a week with the low intake is almost like taking a break, so if I feel like doing that, it would speed up the process. Id keep more muscle as well as burn more calories.

KEEP KILLIN THAT SHIT !!

[Walking Beast]

About to train chest rehab and delts. I may try testing my chest by hitting the 100x50 or more for a PR and then 110s to warm up further and then maybe hit the 125s for 20-30 on flat dumbbell presses. Not sure if I will fuck with my chest to that degree yet. The area can pop unpredictably even when it feels decent. I popped it one time recently with 225x60 attempt on flat bench, with no real signs prior. 125s are 250 lbs of freeweight for reps. Light but dangerous for a strain that may not be healed yet. Most likely isnt. Ill see what risks I feel like taking today with that.

I may just stick to the 100-110s to play it safe. My mental framework doesnt really play well with injuries. I can justify almost anything in the passion of the moment. I will probably aim for some records on the dumbbell shoulder presses too. Maybe aim for 100x25-30 reps. Maybe then go to 110 to warm up. Then maybe Ill try to break my old record of 120x5 back in 2010. Havent really done them much since. I will see. The usual overhead pressing machines too most likely. Maybe some lateral and rear delt work. Though I will probably have a dedicated shoulder day again (non pressing), so maybe Ill focus on laterals on that day.

Should have some videos regardless.

KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

Chest Rehab And Shoulders (all pressing today)






Very low volume and light to moderate weight






Broke some more records today on both dumbbell press movements. 100x50,110x29,125x15 (may be a record, been a long time, rarely use dumbbells for pressing). On the flat bench.


And on shoulder presses, 100x21 (full range reps), 120x7 (full range reps), and maybe 115x11 is a record. Though I am doing my shoulder presses on a very slight incline now. In the past I used the short 90 degree bench, so its more accurate to record these as PRs specific to the angle. I have not kept track of exactly the incline angle Ive been using so there may be slight variance there too, but not much. I feel these all in my delts. Im also pressing straight up as opposed to in front of me, as Id do with inclines, so I dont feel it in my chest. Maybe a little in the area where pec connects to front delt but very slight.


I use the slight incline to take off some spinal pressure. My neck and upper spine still got real tight. I felt with the 590 I was risking straining my neck again, but did it anyway. After that I left though.


I dont usually do full range reps since they take a toll on my elbows over time. I get more size and strength with constant tension style, not locking out. Way less injuries as well. I will throw them in sometimes to switch shit up , but thats it.


I have zero limitation with tricep strength when it comes to what I can press. So I can still get alot of reps with full lockouts or near full lockouts. Just a different rhythym to adjust to, but my triceps dont slow me down. Ive done lockouts with 585 lbs for reps on flat bench, when I was much smaller and weaker in 2004. My triceps are much stronger now, though I mainly do cable work. Just recently added the tricep only db press though, so that should be useful.


Ill throw in a few lockout sets here and there until the elbows flare up again. Today was more of a strength day again. Very low volume. Im looking to crush records in the next 6 weeks to give me something to aim for when I come back from the upcoming break. I always look to raise the bar higher in all areas. Strength is the main thing that motivates me to train. Its good to switch shit up from all the pure high rep work ive been doing as well. My body has adapted to that shit.




The 125s werent bad at all on my chest strains. The area has definately been getting re inforced and rehabbed. I still dont trust that shit though. Maybe I will go up to 130 plus with duct tape soon. Will see. 125 is gym max. I can definately press 130-140 on db shoulder presses now, without a doubt. 120s were fucking light. My big issue is getting them into position. I waste a shitload of energy and that will be the point where I can fail the lift. Just getting them into position. My hands were going numb during the training today. Partially due to the new straps being much tighter. Also the carpal tunnel and nerve damage, neck impingment issues. Hands have had numbness for over 6 years now. They were falling asleep though, which is not good with 125 lbs dumbbells in hand.


I should have no problem repping 130-140 if I can get it on with the duct tape and actually get the shit into a pressing position. I had alot of trouble with the 120s in 2010, on the short shoulder press bench. Hitting myself in the head a few times. Either Im stronger now, or the slight angle makes it easier to kick them up. It shouldnt prevent me from banging them out though.




234 lbs after meal (ate 440 protein yesterday but crashed afterward. Wouldve been much heavier had I trained after all that food and milk)






CHEST REHAB




Flat Barbell Bench Press (warm up and stretch only)




Bar x 150 plus with stretches to each side




Flat Dumbbell Bench Press




60x50 warm
100x50 (PR, see video, since I rarely do db presses, especially flat version.
Havent re introduced any incline work yet, since chest is so tight)


110x29 (PR , see video. This was more of a warm up to test out 125 on the pecs)


125x15 (Possible PR, but havent done flat db in very long. No noticable pec issues with this weight. Should be good to push the reps and maybe add weight with duct tape soon)




No dropsets with dumbbells today. Higher blood pressure, headache, dizziness lately.


Dumbbell Shoulder Press (On a slight incline)


50x50 warm
80x20 warm
100x21 (Full Range Reps for these. PR. See video)
115x11 (PR. Constant tension style again, see video)
120x7 (PR. Full range repetitions again. See video)


Kicking up the 120s wasnt as bad as in the past, but that will be the challenge of going above 130. Strength will be good to hit maybe 135-140 easily I think. Main issue is kicking the shit up and stability.




Nautilus Horizontal Chest Press (Didnt push it here. Just wanted to get some blood in chest)




No rest til line (full lockouts or very close with some holds mostly)




180x35 barbell style grip
180x10-15 Inside grip
--------


No rest til line (same style)




270x15 barbell style grip
270x5 inside grip (gotta be careful with inside grip, tough on chest insertion)
-----


No rest til line


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


No to failure on those.




Nautilus Overhead Press (Was going to go heavy but my upper spine and neck was starting to get extremely tight. I may wake up tommorrow with a neck strain, but cant tell yet)(seat set to line below 9)




180x50 warm
360x10 warm
450x10 warm


No rest til line (Neck was tight as fuck here. Had reservations but did it anyway. Didnt push failure though) Camera collapsed.




590x4
540x4
450x4
360x5 (With negatives)
270x5-10 (with negatives)


------------


Full range reps on those




Videos below




KILL THAT SHIT

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]

[Walking Beast]