The Original Online BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS FORUM. Advanced Techniques. Pro Tips & Insights. The Best Advice!

Yes, you've got most of this right.

If you have a movement in mind based off of 3 reps or even 5 I can help reverse engineer your 1RM. Just specify it for me and I'll get it to you. We can base off of that.

Glad to hear the legs are going well

Today's Workout (Lower GLP #1):

Squat

200x10
215x8
245x8
265x8
290x8
315x8

EDT

Leg Press: 798x6x4, 798x5x2 (Total: 34 reps)
superset w/Seated Ham Curls: 155x6x6 (Total: 36 reps)

Felt very strong all around. Both EDT lifts were increased by ~5% for this session due to surpassing 20% more reps than original session.

With regard to a 3 or 5 rep max on incline DB or decline BB I would essentially have to guess. I don't know that incline DB will work to well, as I had been (prior to shoulder issue) been repping the 120's for 5-6 (the gym's DB weights only go up to 125). I could do incline DB, but would never be able to use a weight at which I could only do 3. The decline BB would be an absolute guess as I have not been comfortable enough with the shoulder to push myself to a weight at which I can only complete 3-5 reps. Should I play with that a bit on Friday (supposed to be Upper GLP #1)and try to get a ballpark number?

I need to say: This program has done more for my legs than ANYTHING else I have tried to date. I can only imagine what it would be doing for my chest as well. That being said, the time spent doing deadlifts was absolutely time well spent as that is a lift I have only been doing for 8-9 mos. and I am excited for where that will go too.

Very happy to hear this! Congrats on your success. Credit is all yours..

And yes, play around Friday with that decline to see if you can get an accurate read. Dips would be another idea and are a FANTASTIC movement!

Just got back from ortho and received some good news: It's just an AC issue. He took some x-rays as well and said that, while there is some slight arthritis, it is nothing to be overly concerned with and the AC strain should resolve itself in time. He gave me the go ahead to work through this and just keep up on icing it when needed. He mentioned NSAIDs, but I have heard they aren't the best to be taking with regard to muscular development, so I likely won't.

All in all I am pleased with this news and plan on setting some of my concerns aside!

After hearing that the shoulder is well enough and I can work through it, I have decided to start taking some test boosting supplements I have on hand. I plan to run:

-Activate Xtreme @ 4 caps/day for 8 weeks
-Stoked @ 4 caps/day for 4 weeks

EDIT: Should I run the bottle of Stoked during the first 4 weeks or the last 4 weeks? I also have a bottle of Lean Xtreme that I could run opposite the Stoked (either the first 4 weeks or the last 4 weeks). That way it would either be 4 weeks AX/Stoked then 4 weeks AX/LX or vice versa. Suggestions please?

Let's see how this little extra nudge moves things along!

Hey Rob - I'm just finishing up my first bottle of KA and I still have two left. How long should I run it for? Throughout GLP and then stop rolling into Cruise or what?

Thanks!

Great questions. Allow me to elaborate..

-Activate Xtreme @ 4 caps/day for 8 weeks
-Stoked @ 4 caps/day for 4 weeks

EDIT: Should I run the bottle of Stoked during the first 4 weeks or the last 4 weeks? I also have a bottle of Lean Xtreme that I could run opposite the Stoked (either the first 4 weeks or the last 4 weeks). That way it would either be 4 weeks AX/Stoked then 4 weeks AX/LX or vice versa. Suggestions please?

A. If it was me, I'd run Activate Xtreme throughout Feast alongside Kre-Anabolyn. Those two will make a nice stack and ensure DNA transcription is maximized (AX) and mRNA translation is humming along (KreAnabolyn). The combination would be real nice.


Let's see how this little extra nudge moves things along!

Hey Rob - I'm just finishing up my first bottle of KA and I still have two left. How long should I run it for? Throughout GLP and then stop rolling into Cruise or what?

A. Now during cruise, you're going to discontinue the AX/KA and switch to the following stack: Stoked/Lean Xtreme. The Stoked will keep test levels optimal while the LX will keep cortisol in check which no doubt will be elevated a bit coming out of the intense Feast peak.

This way, you keep test elevated throughout, have KA positioned exactly where it best works it's magic and have a cortisol control/leaning agent to address any corticoid abnormalities seen coming off of Feast. BONUS: You don't wind up shotgunning everything all at once like most do "hoping" something will work.

Hate that. Hate to see you or anyone waste their money. STRATEGIC use timed optimally gets it done.

Hope that helps!

Sounds like an interesting idea. I also received the suggestion to go Stoked/LX Weeks 1-4 and AX at 6/day Weeks 3-8 from a DS rep. Both options are intriguing to me...Choices, choices! I do like the idea of having LX come cruise time though, so I am thinking that I will follow what you've outlined.

Do you think I should run AX at 4/day as suggested or bump to 6/day for 200+ lbs.?

As usual, thanks for your suggestions.

I'd start at 4 and run that for 2 weeks. Re-evaluate at that point and consider 5 for the next 2 weeks if so inclined. Finally, if you still think there would be benefit to it run 6/day the final 2 weeks if budget/supply allows.

I tend to search for the minimal effective dose rather than blast away as you can tell. Why? Because these things aren't cheap, and it makes little sense to down 6/day out of the gate if 4 will do the job.

As well, your first 2 weeks of Feast are pretty much failsafe insofar as nutrient influx, rebound and so forth. If you do need the extra gas it'll come at the right time.... final two weeks of Feast where you should be peaking your 1RM's.

Those are my thoughts. Your mileage may vary. Quality products cost a lot of money so it just makes sense in my mind to use them in the most intelligent manner...

Great suggestion - Thanks Rob.

My pleasure.

Hell of a run man, hell of a run!

Just finished my Upper GLP #1 and I feel like it was a great workout! Given I was leary about pushing the shoulder prior to my appointment yesterday, it felt good setting some concern aside after receiving assurance that I wouldn't make things worse.

Rob - I could use a little help from you with regard to what you think my decline BP max should be...

Decline BP:
-warm-ups
-265x6
-225x12

On the other site, these calculate out as 308 and 324 1RM respectively...

Upper EDT #1

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press (might switch to DB):
280x6, 280x6, 280x5, 280x2, 280x4, 280x2 (Total reps - 25)

Lat Pulldowns:
190x6, 220x6, 220x6, 220x5, 220x5, 220x5

Upper EDT #2

Skullcrushers:
80x6, 90x6x5

Alternating Incline DB curls:
35x6x6

Static ab holds (ropes): 200x15 sec., 200x20 sec., 200x25 sec.

All in all I feel good. Shoulder is sore, but nothing a little ice and rest can't resolve. Looking forward to legs! Any thoughts on Decline BP max would be great. Thanks!

On the decline decline BP, I'm going to go off of the lower rep set given the higher you go in reps the further off you'll be when estimating your 1RM.

Now usually, I (personally) am good for 10lbs a push up to about 5 reps. I'm going to make a similar assumption here for you but also deliberately scale it back a bit to ensure we don't start you too high out of the gate.

Therefore, 265 x 6 = 325 in my way of doing things. This squares up almost exactly with your 1RM calculator estimation of 324lbs.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION: Base your loading pattern off of 320lbs to play it safe.

That should seal a 10lb PR of 335lbs on the decline and quite likely a bit more if we underestimated by 5lbs going into the loading pattern.

Just my $.02 but having done this before, it's the safe bet

Perfect Rob - Thanks again as usual!

So I weighed in this morning...207.5 lbs. -.4 lbs??? What is going on here!? I am finding it very interesting that I have essentially taken ~3750 calories per day since the first three Feast days ended and I have only had a very small net weight gain. I am hopeful that there is a little recomp going on, because I sure as hell know I am getting stronger. Interesting stuff. The other crazy thing is that I have really only been working out ~2 days per week, yet I am experiencing the aforementioned.

Hey, whatever...I'll take it!

Any suggestions around calories Rob (up/down/cycle)?

No doubt a recomp . After my 1st run my weight only changed like 1lb but measurements on chest and arms went up

As for caloric cycling most people found 90% of maint of off days and 110% on on day had a positive effect on fat loss and muscle gain