TT Eric LBM gain log 2014-15

[steve_d]

I still do not understand how come I'm fatter but lighter then when I finished my diet.

I have always said that one will look leaner at the same bodyweight on the way down than on the way up. It's essentially due to water weight. Ex.

Dieting for a show, say at 10% and 180, you are eating so clean, and doing everything right that your water level (under skin) are pretty low. You then get to 170, get off the diet, and go back up. By the time you get to 180 again, your water under the skin is higher than it was 'on the way down'. What's funny about this, is that your true body fat level would be lower than it was before, but the water under skin is higher. And water can look much worse than fat if stored this way.

That's my semi-theory anyway. There are more factors than that of course, ie - the time it takes to reach that weight again post diet (in your case quite long) as well as other minor changes is metabolism, muscle, etc. But in a nutshell, I always look leaner on the way down than on the way up at a given bodyweight - and that takes months and months to normalize.

[TT Eric]

Thanks Steve.

Eric

[TT Eric]

December update! I am at 184.2lbs, so a gain of 5.4lbs since the last month. I have to say that the 3.4lbs of the last month and those 5.4lbs of this month have, for the most part, occurred between Oct 15 and Nov 15. On Nov 15: I was ~185lbs.

From mid October to mid November I took 3g of D-Aspartic Acid every morning and I've noticed when I take this, my body weight rise insanely fast (it also help with strength and drive), even thought there is probably a little muscle into those 8.8lbs, this is WAY too much fat for my taste, so I've stopped since Nov 15, not sure if I'll continue, I like the muscle but not the fat. Will see...

I've hurt my back many time this month, forcing me to do some changes.

My left wrist is hurting often, also the brachioradialis of the same arm. I cannot supinate my left wrist completely, so if I grab a straight barbell in a curl position, my left hand is pronated like if I was holding a E-Z bar. Right hand/wrist is 100% fine.

My hip is better, but not 100%, sometime when I walk it pinch a nerve and cannot put my feet on the ground, as soon as it touch the ground it hurt (a bit like when you hit your elbow and you feel an electric pulse), I have to wait on one leg until it pass, touching the ground once in a while to see when it's ok to walk again.

The lifts:

Before diet - October 1st - November 1st -December 1st:

Bench press: 275lbs - 225lbs -235lbs -235lbs
Chins: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +85lbs - +85lbs
Dips: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +90lbs - + 100lbs
Curls: 125lbs - 105lbs - 105lbs - 115lbs

Close-grip BP: 235lbs -195lbs - 215lbs - 225lbs
Hammer curls: 60lbs - 50lbs - 55lbs -55lbs
Lying BB extension: 120lbs- 100lbs - 110lbs - 110lbs

Incline Bench press DB : 120lbs - 100lbs - 105lbs - 110lbs
Rowing DBs : 150lbs - 120lbs - 120lbs* had to stop this one due to back problem and wrist, replaced by front pulldowns
Front pulldowns: 0 - 0 - 0 - 220lbs

Leg curls: 185lbs - 160lbs - 165lbs - 170lbs
Front squats 205lbs - 195lbs - 195lbs - 155lbs*
Leg press 45 (V press) : 0 - 0 - 0 - 3 plates*
Leg extension 220lbs - 195lbs - 0 - 100lbs*

* I've changed my leg routine since I've been hurting my back regularly since I'm back from vacation, I now do front squats and walking lunges in supersets, I do front squats first, not all out, 10-15 reps to pre-exhaust the legs and then I blast the with walking lunges. Then I go on the leg press 45 even though I said it was hurting my back too much in the past, I've tried a variation John Meadows proposed: you put your feet in a V-shape, heels joined at the bottom of the pad and you press with the knees out on each side, that way I can only use 3 plates instead of 9 each side and I do high reps (20+). Then I go on the leg extension and only put 100lbs and do the max reps I can, with a squeeze at the top. I do not take long pause between all the sets.

Close-grips and incline DB press have improved, but not the bench press. Bench press and close-grip BP are practically identical 235 vs 225lbs. I have sucked at regular bench press all my life. I remember in 87, I've hit 225lbs on incline bench press before I did on the flat bench.

Is it normal that I do dips (for triceps) with 290lbs (me with clothes + 100lbs) but only 235lbs on the BP ? On dips I stop when shoulders and elbows are at the same height and go squeeze the triceps at top.

That's pretty much it!

Eric

[TT Eric]

January update. I am at 192.6lbs a gain of 8.4lbs. 8lbs f$%? of sh!t been added this month, I did not see this one coming. I admit I ate more during the month, but not crazy more, holidays is not a time to bring your steak & vegetable in your family while they eat meat pie and apple pie. + it's good to have a break from the year round menu.

From from one week to another, I had to switch my regular shorts for my 'fat' shorts, cause even though I fit in, I'm not comfortable into my 32'' anymore.

The message I get from this I should be watching my food year round, if I let my guard down for while, BANG, whale city.

Only good thing with being heavier is that strength is up automatically.

Before diet - October 1st - November 1st -December 1st - January 1st:

Bench press: 275lbs - 225lbs -235lbs -235lbs - 245lbs
Chins: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +85lbs - +85lbs - +75lbs
Dips: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +90lbs - + 100lbs - + 100lbs
Curls: 125lbs - 105lbs - 105lbs - 115lbs - 115lbs

Close-grip BP: 235lbs -195lbs - 215lbs - 225lbs -235lbs
Hammer curls: 60lbs - 50lbs - 55lbs -55lbs - 60lbs
Lying BB extension: 120lbs- 100lbs - 110lbs - 110lbs -110lbs

Incline Bench press DB : 120lbs - 100lbs - 105lbs - 110lbs - 115lbs
Rowing DBs : 150lbs - 120lbs - 120lbs* had to stop this one due to back problem and wrist, replaced by front pulldowns
Front pulldowns: 0 - 0 - 0 - 220lbs - 255lbs

Leg curls: 185lbs - 160lbs - 165lbs - 170lbs - 175lbs
Front squats 205lbs - 195lbs - 195lbs - 155lbs - 175lbs
Leg press 45 (V press) : 0 - 0 - 0 - 3 plates - 4 plates
Leg extension 220lbs - 195lbs - 0 - 100lbs* - stopped doing this one for now (legs are toasted after squats and leg press)

As you can see I had to lower the weight added to me for chins, cause I'm heavier and I'm doing less reps with the same weight as before, I still manage to keep 100lbs added for dips, but it's borderline.

I dunno why my bench is still lagging that much, close grip bench press is back to what is was before I started the diet.

Eric

[TT Eric]

Like I said earlier I dunno why my bench flat lag so much compare to other presses, when I was 17 I was able to bench 225lbs on incline bench press before I was able on the flat bench. Now since I started back to train 4 years ago, I did not went on the incline bench yet so I cannot compare, only did incline DBs, but still I can almost bench press the same weight with DBs incline vs flat with a barbell. And be sure that I'm not sloppy, I use all I can drive.

Flat bench press (barbell) is 245lbs
Incline dumbbells bench press is done with (2x115lbs) 230lbs
Dips are ~300lbs (me +100 lbs + clothes/belt)

Pretty much all in the same rep range.

Eric

[steve_d]

Like I said earlier I dunno why my bench flat lag so much compare to other presses, when I was 17 I was able to bench 225lbs on incline bench press before I was able on the flat bench. Now since I started back to train 4 years ago, I did not went on the incline bench yet so I cannot compare, only did incline DBs, but still I can almost bench press the same weight with DBs incline vs flat with a barbell. And be sure that I'm not sloppy, I use all I can drive.

Flat bench press (barbell) is 245lbs
Incline dumbbells bench press is done with (2x115lbs) 230lbs
Dips are ~300lbs (me +100 lbs + clothes/belt)

Pretty much all in the same rep range.

Eric

Must be technique, with perfect technique on both exercises, you should have a higher flat bench than dumbbell. Other factors could be how low you go on the dumbbell vs. if you go to chest on flat bench. If you don't have perfect technique on the flat bench without a good arch and tight shoulders it could effect it as well. Also depends where you bench down too - some are better bring down to the upper stomach, vs. other people high up on the chest. Also, the order at which you workout... In the past I benched first, and dumbbell press later. So my numbers might not be as different as if I did them in the reverse order. I wouldn't worry about it though.

How about your flat dumbbell? Is that higher than incline dumbbell? At what level of include does its start getting weaker? Essentially it makes most sense to be strongest at flat, and increasingly weaker until you hit perpendicular (ie dumbbell shoulder press).

[TT Eric]

I don't think its technique cause it would show on close grip BP (same technique as flat BP but shoulder wide), I use the technique you can see in Ted's video/Dave Tate's video, arched, elbow tucked in, bench under chest, shoulder tight, drive through the heel, etc.. I go maximum ROM I can on all, pretty close to touch the chest, dips are done with elbows and shoulders at same height, more deep then that would damage the shoulders.

Sunday 1st exercise: Flat BP : 245lbs
Sunday 3rd exercises : dips : ~300lbs
Tuesday 1st exercise : Close grip BP : 235lbs
Thursday 1st exercise : Incline Dbs : 230lbs

Only the dips (for triceps) are not done as 1st exercise and I use heavier weights then the others.

In the 80/90s I was benching the wrong way, elbow flared up, bar at upper chest and I was always stronger at incline.

Now with reformed technique, it's still the same IMO, but I do not do incline bench with a BB, so I can't exactly compare. Sometime I feel like ditching the flat BB press for the incline to see how I can do.

As for Flat DBs press, I do not do them anymore, too hard on the lower back to lie down and get up. But when I was doing them last year (I just checked my notes), they were pretty much equal, might be a little stronger on incline, 4x125 on incline vs 4x120 on flat.

In the 80/90s I was using 45 degree incline bench, now I'm using 30 degree.

Thanks Steve.

Eric

[TT Eric]

February update. I am at a discouraging 197.2lbs so a 4.6lbs gain. It is no more a 'LBM' gain log, it's freaking FBM gain. The thing is I'm hungrier then before (I suspect having carbs during workouts make me more hungry) and even if I hold up on my appetite, I gain weight... what would it be if I ate accordingly to my appetite ?

It seems I'm doing tendinitis repeatedly, left shoulder and left elbow, not much gain strength in the upper body, mostly strength went down due to the pain and missing workouts.

Bench press: 275lbs - 225lbs -235lbs -235lbs - 245lbs- 245lbs
Chins: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +85lbs - +85lbs - +75lbs- +75lbs
Dips: me +75lbs - +75lbs - +90lbs - + 100lbs - + 100lbs- +75lbs
Curls: 125lbs - 105lbs - 105lbs - 115lbs - 115lbs- 105lbs

Close-grip BP: 235lbs -195lbs - 215lbs - 225lbs -235lbs- 235lbs
Hammer curls: 60lbs - 50lbs - 55lbs -55lbs - 60lbs- 55lbs
Lying BB extension: 120lbs- 100lbs - 110lbs - 110lbs -110lbs- 100lbs

Incline Bench press DB : 120lbs - 100lbs - 105lbs - 110lbs - 115lbs- 115lbs
Rowing DBs : 150lbs - 120lbs - 120lbs* had to stop this one due to back problem and wrist, replaced by front pulldowns
Front pulldowns: 0 - 0 - 0 - 220lbs - 255lbs - 250lbs

Leg curls: 185lbs - 160lbs - 165lbs - 170lbs - 175lbs - 185lbs
Front squats 205lbs - 195lbs - 195lbs - 155lbs - 175lbs - 225lbs
Leg extension 220lbs - 195lbs - 0 - 100lbs* - stopped doing this one for now (legs are toasted after squats and leg press)- 130lbs

For the 2 next months I will try 'The chin-up project' : http://www.t-nation.com/workouts/chin-up-project

Also I will change my moderate week, I will perform 3 full body workout on this week, on the hard week I will still do 3 upper body and 2 lower body days.

Eric

[scottlove]

Hey Eric, don't the dips aggravate the tendinitis in your elbow and shoulder? I don't go near dips for the same reason.

[TT Eric]

Hey Eric, don't the dips aggravate the tendinitis in your elbow and shoulder? I don't go near dips for the same reason.

Dips does not hurt my the elbow like flat BB curl do or supinated grip chin-ups, but I agree for the shoulder, I have pain in the shoulder since the last time I did bench & dips, so now I'm off of it and a few other exercises. At least my back seems to be ok for lower exercises, a month without lower back injuries is a great month.

Thanks

Eric