Legendary first cycle thread (with 3J assistance)

[Onk]

Don't mean for this to be my emotional log as well as my cycle log but....I guess it all gets factored in.
Got dumped by the new girl yesterday. She made the right decision as I'm not ready for a relationship and neither is she. Both of us had jumped the gun with only a short break between our previous long term partners...so were both naive so she was right to call it quits. Will probably keep sleeping together though so no problem from my end.

Anywayyyyyy, decided to take some quick pics to gauge my progress.

Standard flex in mirror: http://i.imgur.com/JPYLFIJ.jpg
Single arm bicep curl: http://i.imgur.com/zN0cwvc.jpg
Attempt at a one arm most muscular imgur: the simple image sharer

This is at 91kgs or 200 lbs. Lost a bit of weight since I stopped drinking after xmas

Had trained chest today, shoulder got too sore from me pushing it too hard, so stopped. Next chest day I'll go lighter and for more reps. Got to listen to the body!

Chest + Calves:
4x BB Incline press @ 120kgs
4x BB Decline press @ 140kgs
4x Seated fly machine @ 140kgs (the full stack of weights) // 3rd set I felt a bit of pain and 4th was still there so stopped after a few reps

5x seated calf raises
5x seated calf ext

45 mins done and dusted, now off to the beach to catch some waves!

 

[snowpatrol123]

Guns are looking really good, no homo...another reminder I need to grow mine

 

[Onk]

Can finally update this thread since the forum problems of last night, for those awake to see them....

Did arms today (saturday) as I needed to play catch up.
Bit different from usual, was slower than usual as I caught up with 2 mates between sets, but not much different from usual.

5x Tricep pushdown @85kgs, easyyyyyyy. normally I'd have problems at this weight but I knocked out 10 or more each set
5x Rope overhead extension
4x tricep ext machine
1x super super drop set rope standing extension

>> had such a great pump from this I couldn't straighten my arms, about 15' off straight.

6x wide grip barbell curl
5x hammer curl, curling from my side to my shoulder

 

[Southernfish]

Good stuff Onk!! Next time you do tris try this......its basically an single arm overhead ext. with a cable instead of a DB. Its something I tried a couple weeks back and its very effective.

 

[Onk]

Good stuff Onk!! Next time you do tris try this......its basically an single arm overhead ext. with a cable instead of a DB. Its something I tried a couple weeks back and its very effective.

Will give it a go next Friday on my next arm day. I used to do the double overhead with a rope and found that worked wonders but guess I forgot about it for awhile....
Will do the single arm as my left tricep is def bigger than my right. I should work on getting them symmetrical pronto!

 

[Southernfish]

One arm will always be bigger or look bigger or look diffetent than the other, I dont think theres any way around it really, lol. But, single arm exercises will definitely help the cause.

I like the double arm rope overhead too and bend over pushung it out over your head. I can find it a little stressful on the tris though sometimes as it give me TOO much of a stretch.

 

[Southernfish]

Its weird though, I find the cable version of any tricep exercise almost more effective than the free weight version. The constant tension is what the cable provides, thats what I like.

 

[Onk]

Its weird though, I find the cable version of any tricep exercise almost more effective than the free weight version. The constant tension is what the cable provides, thats what I like.

pretty much this. when I use dumbells and barbells they don't quite push me as hard as cables do...

 

[Onk]

Back into normality again with work starting again so my diet can settle and my workouts can stabilise.

Today was the first day back for 80% of the gym it seems so it was universal chest day.
Thank fuck I'm one of the bigger guys around so dumbells were all there for me
About 15 guys in their early 20's want to get big over summer (it's summer in Australia) so were hanging around for tips....

Chest + Calves:

4x BB Incline press (140kgs/310 lbs x 8)
5x DB flat press (100kgs/220 lbs x 10) // my gym doesn't have heavier dumbells so this is my fall back exercise when I want to rep out
4x Cable fly until fatigue
4x DB fly, no idea on the weight.

15 x Seated calf ext // was feeling this day so kept doing it until I couldn't walk anymore, then did a few more sets.


Lately my simple chest routine has wielded better results than more activities. Two presses and two flys (one always cables) has been profitable. Will keep doing it until it stops working!

 

[Onk]

Back day today:

4x Weighted wide grip pull ups (10, 4, 8, 8 > weight off and rep to failure)
4x Yates row (10,6,8,10)
4x DB row (10, 10, 10, 10)
4x Machine pullover (10,3,6,9)
3x hyperextension until failure

started taking 5mg cialis yesterday and today took my second dose 1 hour before gymming....my good my back was pumped and by the end of my session the hyperextensions were like my lower back was on fire. Crazy stuff. loving it

Happy side note, I posted the same picture as my avatar onto Facebook and compared 2012-2013-2014's progress. I had a lot of positive feedback and even had a few guys AND girls tell me they'd thought of me when touching themselves. Very disturbing but hey....I'm flattered!

 

[Onk]

Shoulder day:

4x Supplinated Press (10/6/8/10) around 80kgs
4x Upright row (10/10/10/10) at 50kgs
5x Single arm cable lat row (4/6/8/10)
4x Reverse fly machine (10/4/6/8) with constant tension, never letting the machine go back to rest, found it much harder
4x DB Shrugs (10/20/10/10)

was quite sun burnt getting to the gym so it was harder than usual. I went and watched India vs Aus in the cricket and it was hottttttt!

 

[Onk]

Catch up day as I'm out by 1...did legs:

10 min walk on the treadmill
5x front squats (10/8/6/8/10)
4x seated leg curl (10/4/6/6/10>20)
4x smith machine lunges (10x4)
4x single leg ext (10/10/6/6/30)

6x Standing calf ext (6x4)
4x seated calf ext (4x20)
listened to ripped's advice in SP's thread and did lower reps for standing calves

Left knee was a bit funny today so didn't over do the weight

 

[snowpatrol123]

I'm doing the same re: calves

How come you're doing smith lunges, vs BB or DB?

 

[Onk]

I'm doing the same re: calves

How come you're doing smith lunges, vs BB or DB?

because my left knee was hurting I wanted to be as controlled as possible. Also because I did do smith lunges with a mirror infront of me, I made sure I was symmetrical when doing them and noticed an error in my technique where I would put my right left too far back when doing that side. I will probably go back to BB lunges soon enough, but this one day allowed me to go a little heavier than I would otherwise and correct my form...so well worth it!

 

[Onk]

last day to catch up on, arms.

Triceps:
5x Angle bar pushdown (PB on this)
4x rope overhead ext (PB here)
4x DB kick back ext
1x super duper drop set rope ext

6x wide grip bar curl (felt like I've gotten much better at this over last 2 weeks, but will still change exercises next week to close grip)
6x db hammer curl

arms coming along nicely, could push heavier with lots of reps and joints/tendons were fine doing so. happy days

 

[arm189]

Subd. You're doing pretty well

 

[Onk]

pinned my last injection of test last night so now it's my near three week wait until I start PCT now.

Of course I'm still as hungry as a she-wolf with 9 cubs so will keep eating and training to the best of my ability even though the testosterone slowly leaves my system!

Sadly no update for tonight as I have a slight fever (probably from the test injection) and my lower back is killing me. Been aching all day and when I ran for the train it hurt worse and my ankles (for some reason) felt all swollen....

So best to take a night off really. Listening to the body is still my #1 rule.

Tomorrow night I'm watching Aus vs Oman in soccer so will miss two nights in a row....

 

[Onk]

Since my last update >>> had severe pain in my lower back that is only starting to dissipate. I was making things worse with certain stretches I was doing at work, that aggravated the inflamed area...
Had my gf walk on my back last night standing slightly below the problematic area and the muslces slowly loosened as she worked her feet in. Woke up this morning and was 10x better.

So hence I went to the gym so here we go:

Chest/Shoulders/Triceps -
4x Incline Bench @ 140kgs
4x Flat bench press @ 120/100/100/100 kgs
5x Cable flys superset with wide arm pushups until fatigue

4x DB front lat raises @ 17.5kgs each hand
4x Single arm cable side raises

4x Rope tri extension (until fatigue each set)
5x Triangle grip pushdown (100/80/80/60 then drop set until completed dead)

Even though I worked more areas than usual, just as heavy as usual with shorter breaks than usual...I came home feeling like a million bucks. Funny what a few days off does for your body!

 

[Onk]

I have been bad and haven't updated here. I'm sure as hell not missing workouts so my badddd

Back: (Saturday)
5x Behind head lat pull down @ full stack of weight on the machine so no idea on weight
4x Palms facing me, close grip pull down @ 130kgs
4x Yates row @ 90kgs
4x Close grip row @ 90kgs

Chest / Rear delts (Sunday):
4x Decline bench @ 140kgs (PB)
4x Seated incline press @ 160kgs (PB and seriously, was like WTF, HEAVY WEIGHT)
4x Pec Deck @ 80kgs
4x Cable flys until fatigue

6x DB rear delt flys @ 17.5kgs
5x BB Upright row @ 50kgs (light but repped it out)
4x Shrugs @ 50kgs/40/40/30

am still incredibly happy about that incline bench...

 

[Onk]

Legs (Monday:

10 min walk on the treadmill

Front squats
10x 60kgs warmup
6x 140kgs
3x 140kgs and failed, moved down to 100kgs and did 4 more reps
8x 100kgs
8x 100kgs
20x 60kgs

leg press machine
10x 130kgs warmup
6x 170kgs testing my strength
6x 250kgs max weight of the machine
6x 250kgs
20x 150kgs

Leg ext
10x 40kgs
4x 100kgs
7x 80kgs
8x 80kgs > 20x 40kgs dropset

leg curl (this was fucking epic today)
moved the max height down a notch so my knees wouldn't stretch quite as much

10x 40kgs
4x 80kgs
6x 60kgs
8x 60kgs toes in
10x 60kgs toes out
** fell on the ground afterwards and then wasn't able to do calves due to the awesome pain in my hamstrings.....

Went and did biceps instead of calves:

Narrow grip BB curl
4x10 20kgs
4x6 30kgs
4x8 25kgs

and that shit is done. Need to work on my squatting though, not doing heavy enough if I can bench as much and sometimes more than I squat.