First cycle log and meet prep

[Perrin Aybara]

Hello again, Meso. This is going to be my log here for my training leading up to my next meet. Here's some stats copied and pasted from my intro in case you missed it.

Age: Soon to be 32
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 228lbs
BF%: No idea, higher than I'd like

Best natty lifts
Squat: 455lbs with wraps, 405 without
Bench: 330lbs
Deadlift: 555lbs (at a meet @220lbs)

Current cycle: 16 weeks 500mg/week test cyp (250mg/2x week)
arimidex 0.5mg daily for about a week or so, 0.5mg/3x weekly for a couple weeks before that.
pct nolvadex and clomid 40/40/20/20 and 50/25/25/25
Was running hcg from weeks two until eight at 250iu/3x week, but after getting bloods at seven weeks with estrogen over 100 I've let it run out and not gotten more. I wasn't using the Arimidex yet at the time of the bloods.

I wasn't 100% on squat or deadlift going into this cycle. The 555 deadlift was almost a year ago and the 455 squat was six months ago. I'd regressed a bit due to cutting a little weight and running a program that didn't go well for me. Bench stayed strong throughout this somehow though.

Current training split is full body, 4x/week. It's based heavily on a DUP template by Dr. Mike Zourdos modified with some elements from other programs I've run and had success with. Squatting and benching three days a week and deadlifting twice. The fourth day is mostly accessories like front squat or leg press, overhead press, chin ups, arm stuff, etc. I also do chins, rows, abs, face pulls and such throughout the week along with fifteen minutes of cardio after each workout.

I normally pull conventional and squat low-bar, but I switched it up for this training cycle. I hurt my knee a few weeks back on high-bar and had to take a week off squatting and I've switched back to low-bar now. I'm unsure about whether to stick with sumo deadlifts or not. I've been hitting all kinds of rep PRs, but I've never attempted anything near max with sumo before.

This week's sessions:

Tuesday 12/8
Low bar squat with belt 345 5x3 and 345x6
Bench press 280 4x7
Sumo deadlift 450 3x7
Incline dumbbells 80's for 3x10

Thursday 12/10
Bench press 320 4x3 (was supposed to be 6x3 with the sixth set being an AMRAP, but it was moving terrible, so I stopped after the fourth set. Disappointing because last week I easily got 315 for 5x3 and got 5 on the AMRAP.)
Low bar squat 325 5x5
Close grip bench 250 3x8
Chins 3x11and finished with neutral-grip lat pull downs, I think 3x10 with like 140
Hammer curls 30's 5x10

Tomorrow is my deadlift focused day. 5x3 with 510, fifth set AMRAP, I'd like to see 6-8 on that. Then 5x5 bench press and 4x7 squats.

Thanks for stopping in and I will be updating regularly.

 

[Seven]

Subb'd

Looks like its gonna be a great log!!

I've heard halo makes Power Lifters Gods....when you're ready.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Thanks! I should've started one before now at eleven weeks, but better late than never.

Yeah, I've been toying with the idea of adding an oral for the last month before the meet. Still not sure on this time, but someday. I've thought about ghrp-6 as well because I'm struggling to eat enough to gain weight. Ideally I'd be as close to 242 as possible at the meet. I'll have a lot of weight to cut after anyway, but that won't be a problem.

 

[Seven]

Thanks! I should've started one before now at eleven weeks, but better late than never.

Yeah, I've been toying with the idea of adding an oral for the last month before the meet. Still not sure on this time, but someday. I've thought about ghrp-6 as well because I'm struggling to eat enough to gain weight. Ideally I'd be as close to 242 as possible at the meet. I'll have a lot of weight to cut after anyway, but that won't be a problem.

Well its still gonna be a great learn experience.

You drink shakes?? You can put a lot calories in 'em....peanut butter is your friend. Lol

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Well its still gonna be a great learn experience.

You drink shakes?? You can put a lot calories in 'em....peanut butter is your friend. Lol

Yeah, I make a monster one every morning that fills three shaker cups. 24oz of milk, a cup of oats, three scoops of whey, various fruits and vegetables, olive oil, etc. I take them to work with me for mid morning and mid afternoon and the third for post-workout or before bed on non-lifting days. Plus four big meals a day. I know I just need to eat more, but it's tough to get massive calories down with reasonably healthy food.

 

[jaymaximus]

I'm in brother. Everything looks good!

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I'm in brother. Everything looks good!

Good to see you here, I told you and doc I'd get a log going. I'll sub to yours, too.

 

[jaymaximus]

Good to see you here, I told you and doc I'd get a log going. I'll sub to yours, too.

Im actually going to be starting a new one here either this week or next. You know what youre doing so any help / motivation is always appreciated. Its how we get down around here.
Im sure Doc will be along soon.

Plus i'll invite some other PL vets.
@insertnamehere @Masters Power @theprodgicalson @weighted chinup @RodgerThat

 

[RodgerThat]

Ya I'm in on this love having a few more guys swinging in the dark corner of meso that is powerlifting. Lifts are huge too brotha right on!

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Im actually going to be starting a new one here either this week or next. You know what youre doing so any help / motivation is always appreciated. Its how we get down around here.
Im sure Doc will be along soon.

Plus i'll invite some other PL vets.
@insertnamehere @Masters Power @theprodgicalson @weighted chinup @RodgerThat

Thanks for the warm welcome, this seems like a cool place here. I'll definitely check out the new log when it's up and provide any help and motivation that I can, too. Maybe some occasional dry humor that doesn't convey well through text. Good times will be had.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Ya I'm in on this love having a few more guys swinging in the dark corner of meso that is powerlifting. Lifts are huge too brotha right on!

Hell yeah, it was the growing powerlifting presence here that lured me out of just occasional lurking. Good to be here and thanks on the lifts, just need to bring my squat out of poverty levels.

 

[RodgerThat]

Hell yeah, it was the growing powerlifting presence here that lured me out of just occasional lurking. Good to be here and thanks on the lifts, just need to bring my squat out of poverty levels.

Hey one mans poverty level is another mans 1rm and in your case most people's 1rm.

Do all your training weeks look the same and you are progressing in a linear fashion or is this just this weeks work?
Interested as its great manipulation with sets and reps although I would lead with squats first everyday if that's the movement your wanting to bring up the most. Currently doing something kinda similar and have out squats first and find I have the energy to push heavier even with the higher rep range (higher reps to me is 6-8)

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Hey one mans poverty level is another mans 1rm and in your case most people's 1rm.

Do all your training weeks look the same and you are progressing in a linear fashion or is this just this weeks work?
Interested as its great manipulation with sets and reps although I would lead with squats first everyday if that's the movement your wanting to bring up the most. Currently doing something kinda similar and have out squats first and find I have the energy to push heavier even with the higher rep range (higher reps to me is 6-8)

I'm on my eighth week like this, I started with higher reps and have been progressively getting lower with increases in weight based on an AMRAP set each week. It's supposed to be a hypertrophy day, a strength day and a power day. The original template actually did start with squats every time, but I did the Texas Method for most of the year previous to this and just needed a change of pace. It did bring my squat up a lot, but my bench and deadlift didn't really go up at all. Really never went over five reps on anything either, so these higher reps were kind of refreshing. Next week I test a 2RM on everything to see where I am.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

If you Google Dr. Mike Zourdos explains DUP on Reddit you can see the original template. I just extended the volume block to eight weeks and added a couple extra reps on the extra weeks. Also gave each lift a day where I started with it and added the fourth accessory day. I added the idea of six upper body slots and six lower body slots like from RTS, so there's a little extra benching through the week and the front squatting and overhead pressing on the fourth day. I forgot where the idea of the weight increases based on AMRAP comes from. There was a formula for it that I don't know, so I've just been going by feel on that.

 

[Trapmonster]

Just realized your avi is from WOT

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Just realized your avi is from WOT

Yeah, I read the whole series when I was locked up. In the books Perrin was described as being a huge dude.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

Just got back from the gym and I'm dead tired. Messed up my deadlift sets a little, but it turned out okay. I hadn't done conventional in the last eight weeks and I decided to warm up and do a set today just to see how it felt. It felt a little awkward, so I went back to sumo and did two more sets before realizing I put ten extra pounds on the bar. I was supposed to do 5x3+ with 510 and I loaded 520. I went ahead and finished my sets with it anyway.

My routine looked like this:
Five minute cardio warm-up
Deadlift warm-up
Conventional deadlift 520x3
Sumo deadlift 520x3, 520x3, 520x3, 520x5
Bench press warm-up
Bench press 5x5 with 300
Squat warm-up
Squat 4x7 with 315
Chest supported rows 3x10, 2 45's and 2 25's
Standing cable crunches 3x10, 110, 130 & 120
Fifteen minutes stationary bicycle

Weight today was 226, which is down a little.

Here's some of today's sets. It's the first set of deadlift, the last sumo set, I believe the second set of bench and the first or second set of squats.

 

[D-Ballin]

I'm in for it man. Glad to see another powerlifting brother around. Nice having a strong presence from both disciplines on one site. You guys always seem to really know your shit.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

I'm in for it man. Glad to see another powerlifting brother around. Nice having a strong presence from both disciplines on one site. You guys always seem to really know your shit.

Thanks for stopping in. I'm wanting to start learning some from the BB side of things, too. Seems like the biggest and strongest guys are the ones that implement both disciplines.

 

[RodgerThat]

Thanks for stopping in. I'm wanting to start learning some from the BB side of things, too. Seems like the biggest and strongest guys are the ones that implement both disciplines.

Just go for some serious old school style power building, that be the only way I could implement anything aesthetic into my workouts