Cohiba's Journey from Skinny Fat

[CohibaRobusto]

If you need to shorten the time, your Pec Flyes and Cable Crossovers are very similar. You could drop one for now, switch between them every so often.

Same with Tricep Pushdowns. Those are covered by doing the Dips.

Good points. I had time today, but I can see this being an issue when I am pressed.

 

[DEADlifter]

200 lbs this morning. 3600 calories yesterday.

35 decline situps
bb flat bench press 45x10, 135x10, 155x7, 6, 135x7
db incline bench press 55'sx12, 10, 9
hammer str pec fly 165x12, 10, 10
cable crossovers high pulleys 25.5x16, 12, 11
35 decline situps
dip assist 40x13, 12, 10
cable tricep pushdown 80x12, 9, 6
30 decline situps
db overhead tricep ext 50x14, 12, 11
bb reverse wrist curls 35x20, 14, 10


Got off creatine this week at the advice of my dermatologist to help manage liver enzymes while on accutane. Lowered calorie goals to 3800 because I am starting to feel a little fluffy and my upper ab definition is going away. Struggled on flat bench today, but did a little better on some other lifts. This workout took 1 hr 40 mins. I don't get it, it doesn't seem like this much stuff should take that long. I think I'm camping too long on the bench press. I will time my rest intervals next week.

Accutane scares the hell out of me.

As for saving time. Look at super setting some things. You could superset your dips with your pushdowns. Are you doing reverse curls with a straight bar? You could SS the reverse curls with the overhead DB extensions.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Yeah you're right good idea.

Accutane is a bitch, but the good thing is if you do a successful run and finish it, your acne problems will be solved for years.

Around mid cycle week 8 I guess I started getting bad acne around shoulders and stomach area (which was a first for me), so I'm hoping this will knock out the issue for good.

I cut an accutane cycle short last year because I didn't know how to manage the sides at the time and injured myself. But it definitely fixed a few problem areas for me, those areas didn't flare up at all this time around.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

200 lbs this morning. 3200 calories yesterday.

bb squats bwx10, 45x10, 135x10, 225x8, 8, 7
bb deadlifts 135x10, 225x8, 8, 7
precor leg extension 130x12, 12, 12, 140x12, 150x10, 170x9, 190x8, 210x5, 230x3
lying leg curl 140x12, 8, 130x8, 120x6
adductor 205x12, 10, 8 (2 sec hold each rep)
hammer str standing calf raise 400x12, 10, 8, 7
isolated calf raises bw x 12, 10, 10, 8

So I flossed knees last night, and what do you know, they felt fine today. So I just need to remember to do that night before leg days. Still trying to push my quads a little harder so I spent a lot more time on them than normal. Had a good workout today.

 

[wilkinkc]

Bro that’s a pretty nice leg extension and calf raise holy shit

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Bro that’s a pretty nice leg extension and calf raise holy shit

Thanks if you saw my calves you'd say no way they can lift that stack of plates LOL. It's a shame there's no calf raise competitions hahaha. I'm all dispraportionate. Need to work more on my squats and deadlifts.

 

[Skullcrusher]

Hey I bought a landmine attachment with v-bar that will fit into my oly plates yesterday. When I was looking up best landmine exercises I came across Landmine Squats and remembered your knees.

Landmine Squats

Benefits:

Builds strength, muscle, and explosiveness in the legs
Helps beginners learn the proper squat pattern, since the arc of the bar naturally travels back, making it easier to sit back and stay upright at the bottom of the squat
Great alternative for those who can't perform regular squats because of injury or mobility issues
Easier on joints than traditional barbell back and front squats
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-5-essential-landmine-exercises.html

Before I was recommending lifts to strengthen your knees but this might work around it when your knees hurt.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Hey I bought a landmine attachment with v-bar that will fit into my oly plates yesterday. When I was looking up best landmine exercises I came across Landmine Squats and remembered your knees.

Landmine Squats

Benefits:

Builds strength, muscle, and explosiveness in the legs
Helps beginners learn the proper squat pattern, since the arc of the bar naturally travels back, making it easier to sit back and stay upright at the bottom of the squat
Great alternative for those who can't perform regular squats because of injury or mobility issues
Easier on joints than traditional barbell back and front squats
https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/the-5-essential-landmine-exercises.html

Before I was recommending lifts to strengthen your knees but this might work around it when your knees hurt.

Thanks, and we actually have a bar attached to a pivot at my gym. A lot of people use it. It seems like my knees are fine when I do that flossing thing the night before though. I just gotta remember to do it. I had forgotten about it a few weeks in a row there.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

200 lbs this morning. 4400 calories yesterday

10 mins treadmill 3.6 mph
wide grip lat pulldown 150x12, 9, 8
hammer strength iso rows 135/s x 12, 10, 8
seated cable low row 165x12, 10, 8
reverse cable croosovers high pulleys 12.5x16, 13, 12
ez bar curl 75x12, 70x10, 8
iso cable curls 22.5x12, 19x20, 20
db wrist curls 35x10, 10, 10

Tired, only slept about 5 hrs last night. Ate over calorie goals yesterday because I knew my legs were gonna need to be fed after yesterday's workout. Legs are moderately sore today. Left bicep is tweaked apparently so I went easy on biceps.

This is gonna be a tough week. I have kickboxing tonight, then have to do shoulders tomorrow. So my 4 day routine will be 4 days straight no rest because I go to the hunting camp this weekend to get everything ready for the season.

 

[Skullcrusher]

After reading this article I am rethinking my big 3:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/big-3-lifts-suck-for-size-gains

I'm in it for mass and could care less about powerlifting.

Will definitely still do some variations on the big 3 though.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

After reading this article I am rethinking my big 3:
https://www.t-nation.com/training/big-3-lifts-suck-for-size-gains

I'm in it for mass and could care less about powerlifting.

Will definitely still do some variations on the big 3 though.

Well, I do those compound lifts, and honestly nothing makes me sweat more in the gym than doing squats and deadlifts one after the other.

But if you notice on my leg days, I always do accesory work as well. One of my trainers used to preach to do the compound lifts first, and then the accessory stuff after which he liked to call the "window dressing."

And for me, I want to get better at squats and deadlifts. I want better form, and I want to move more weight, and the only way I'll get there is through practice.

We have a couple of guys at my gym that are badass at squats. I get jealous watching them perfect form, moving decent weight...GOALS

Maybe one of these days!

 

[HollyWoodCole]

200 lbs this morning. 3200 calories yesterday.

bb squats bwx10, 45x10, 135x10, 225x8, 8, 7
bb deadlifts 135x10, 225x8, 8, 7
precor leg extension 130x12, 12, 12, 140x12, 150x10, 170x9, 190x8, 210x5, 230x3
lying leg curl 140x12, 8, 130x8, 120x6
adductor 205x12, 10, 8 (2 sec hold each rep)
hammer str standing calf raise 400x12, 10, 8, 7
isolated calf raises bw x 12, 10, 10, 8

So I flossed knees last night, and what do you know, they felt fine today. So I just need to remember to do that night before leg days. Still trying to push my quads a little harder so I spent a lot more time on them than normal. Had a good workout today.

Your leg extensions are way too damn high, you're leaving way too much on the table when it comes to your squats.

Your leg extensions should not be more than your squats, period. You need to increase your squat effort considerably, and you shouldn't be able to do that kind of leg extension when you're done. Think of the leg extension as a finishing move to the compound squat that did 90%+ of the work.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Thank you. I do normally do a more balanced routine than that too. I was just trying to hit my quads harder that day, But you're right.

 

[HollyWoodCole]

Thank you. I do normally do a more balanced routine than that too. I was just trying to hit my quads harder that day, But you're right.

Apologies if that was a Johnny-Come-Lately post.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Apologies if that was a Johnny-Come-Lately post.

No, good feedback, man I was glad to see you on my journal!

 

[HollyWoodCole]

No, good feedback, man I was glad to see you on my journal!

Good to catch up with what you've been up to, and I like the record of work you're representing here.

I have very successfully built two things in my time in the gym: 1. Triceps 2. Quads

If I can help, let me know. Along for the ride now.

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Good to catch up with what you've been up to, and I like the record of work you're representing here.

I have very successfully built two things in my time in the gym: 1. Triceps 2. Quads

If I can help, let me know. Along for the ride now.

I definitely need to improve quads. They hadn't been getting sore for a while, which was why I declared war on them yesterday. Feeling some moderate DOMS today, so I think I hit them pretty good. But you're saying I should have hit them more doing squats. I'm open to any other suggestions you might have for quads too.

 

[HollyWoodCole]

IMO, your greatest focus on every workout is the compound movement(s), I leave very little on the table when I'm done with squats, DL's, or bench.

Case in point with the squats here......more sets, higher weight, even introduce some pause reps. PR's are one of my favorite ways to torture those quads. Additionally, Deadlifts need to be done on back day, not leg day. Two heavy compound movement types in a single workout are out unless you know you are going to miss a gym day IMO.

I would try this based on your previous movements:
Squats
Warm Up
STRETCH
Bar x 10
135 x 10

Working Sets
225 x 8
225 x 8
245 x 6
185 x 8 Pause Reps
135 x 8 Pause Reps
135 x 10

Calf Ext
4 sets of 20, any weight you can push

Leg Ext
4 sets - 150 x 12

Leg Curls
4 sets - 140 x 8

Leg Press
4 sets - XXX x 8-10

 

[CohibaRobusto]

Ok, will try this. So for the pause reps, how many seconds? Pause at the bottom of the squat right?

 

[HollyWoodCole]

Ok, will try this. So for the pause reps, how many seconds? Pause at the bottom of the squat right?

Yep. I like to hit the bottom and stop for two seconds.