Back to bodybuilding

[bigaldevlin]

So for those who don't know, I've been at the competive end of powerlifting/strongman for the last 10 or so years. Before that I was a (non competive) bodybuilder.

I feel like I have achieved what I wanted in strength, I've got a couple of record lifts and trophies, but now that I'm getting older, the heavy weights are starting to wreck my body.

I still have a passion for strength, but my dirty little secret love has always been Bodybuilding. I have no talent for it, hence why I went into powerlifting. But I enjoy it very much, and feel its more suited to my age and goals now - pursuing more health orientated goals.

With that in mind I have now started to train more like my old Bodybuilding self. And I've started to shape up. I've been shaping up 6months now, with me beginning my Bodybuilding journey 3months prior to my wedding at the end of July. (Cuz everyone wants to look their best on the big day!)

My peak size (my last comp) I weighed in at 308lb (22st) at 6'2". My weight on the wedding (after 3months of bodybuilding) went down to 278lb (19st10lb). This is the smallest I've been in a long time. My waist went down 4inches.

Since then my weight has steadied and started to go back up again, but with my waist staying the same at 40" so I seem to be gaining lean muscle mass, my current weight is 287lb (20st7lb)

My chest over the last 3 months has gone up to 56" and my arms are a steady 20"
Upper thigh have gone down a wee bit in size, as my last comp my legs were measuring 40" but I'm down to 38" now.

Power and strength on the whole are roughly the same as they would be off season.

I'm hoping to try and peak in strength by the end of the year, and I'm hopefully I still put up a good total in spite of me training more for health and aesthetic.

I'm really enjoying training more like a bodybuilder again. Using Mike Mentzer's heavy duty principle. (With my interpretation from experience with my own body)

I'll try and keep you guys up to date, and share progress (and failures). Happy for advice etc

Cheers and thanks for reading my "back to Bodybuilding journal"

Big Al

 

[bigaldevlin]

My current measurements

 

[bigaldevlin]

And finally today was Leg day! My fave, and I opened up with abs and core work and then I did some leg extensions and leg curl to pre-exhaust my legs.

When my legs started to get that wibbly wobbly feeling, I went onto squat.

I have been doing sets of around 12reps for the last 6months, but as mentioned above, im now in my strength/heavy phase of training. So although i am still training for size and development, i am currently doing lower but heavier reps to prep for my pb attemlts in a couple of month. After that ill be back to higher volume work again. For today i started with First warming up on 150kg, then 180kg and finished my 1 rep sets with 200kg. My intention was to do 3 power reps on 200kg but it didn't feel comfortable, so I kept it as a single and moved on to the next part, of 3 HIT reps on 170kg. I was pleased with this set as I wasn't sure if I could do 3 reps under such control, but I felt like I had at least one more left in the tank. Obvs normally I train to failure, but seeming as my left knee didn't feel perfect on previous sets I decided to keep something back.

After this back onto leg extensions and leg curl till exhaustion

 

[genetic freak]

Some of the best bodybuilders started out as powerlifters. You can definitely tell at the amateur level who trained as a powerlifter, as they have more of a 3 dimensional look than the others who look like they disappear when they turn sideways. Keep crushing it brother. If you like Mentzer's HIT then check out Dante Trudel's DC training. It is another high intensity, low volume style of training. It is what I do.

 

[bigaldevlin]

Some of the best bodybuilders started out as powerlifters. You can definitely tell at the amateur level who trained as a powerlifter, as they have more of a 3 dimensional look than the others who look like they disappear when they turn sideways. Keep crushing it brother. If you like Mentzer's HIT then check out Dante Trudel's DC training. It is another high intensity, low volume style of training. It is what I do.

Oh cheers my man,for the advice. I haven't seen that channel yet, so thankyou, I will check that fella out for sure.

 

[jipped genes]

Hey man, do what you want. Do not think that one is better than the other. Many of us have been in your situation. It is hard to give up something you have dedicated yourself to, but if BB is what you wanna do, jump in with both feet! Do not look at your weights going down, look at the mass your are gaining.

I am sure you will find what gives you the most pleasure. Why else would we do this stuff unless it was fun.

 

[bigaldevlin]

Hey man, do what you want. Do not think that one is better than the other. Many of us have been in your situation. It is hard to give up something you have dedicated yourself to, but if BB is what you wanna do, jump in with both feet! Do not look at your weights going down, look at the mass your are gaining.

I am sure you will find what gives you the most pleasure. Why else would we do this stuff unless it was fun.

Wise word my man, totes agree. There is too much pain in this sport without the passion lol appreciate the words bother

 

[bigaldevlin]

Today's workout was biceps, which still remains a relatively novel thing for me, having gone the last ten or so years with probs a dozen arms workouts only to count. But becoming a regular occurance now, since I went back to training like a Bodybuilding roughly 6 months back.

I still need to try and train arms a wee bit more regularly, but I'm averaging a workout once about every 2 weeks, so infinitely more than before when I was still powerlifting.

Today my triceps are very much aching, from my shoulders workout 2 days ago, so just biceps today. Normally I like to open up with a heavier free weight based routine, such as EZ or olympic curls. Followed by preachers, but today I wanted to mix things up a bit. Variety is the spice of life.

So I did some banded curls instead. This was a bit of an improvised routine as I don't have cables in my gym. But I love the feel of bands on movements like this. They dig in real deep into the muscle, and the pump is insane.

I had no idea what weight I could achieve, so played around with an ascending bar, until I reached my sweet spot... which happened to be the heaviest band I have lol so a good thing as I wouldn't have been able to go heavier.

I could feel my bicep tear (from Febuary this year) on my left arm, on the heaviest resistance, but I didn't feel worried. It didn't hurt so I pushed through and felt it did the injury a lot of good, conditioning it towards handling heavier weights.

I then did a movement that I call peakers. Nowt idea their proper name, but it's something I learnt from, watching Markus Rühl IFBB Pro train in the early 2000s. Every time I do them I think of his mahoooosive 24" arms and his words "these are pretty boys who like to look good!" Hahah

Lastly I did some more functional work. Although I'm training with a more Bodybuilding purpose, I still want to maintain strength and function as much as possible. So as a powerful arm wrestler I did a movement I created for said purpose. This helps engage the biceps with a twisting motion that works their pronation capacity, perfect for helping develop each individual head within the biceps muscle. It also begins to engage the forearms. Which I later trained (off camera) to the max. No better feeling than not being able to open your hand due to Forearm cramp!

Cheers and beers lads and lasses for reading my training journal. Big Al

 

[bigaldevlin]

#EverydayShouldBeLegDay Always happy when I'm squatting the bar. Last week was the first time handling heavy(ish) weights on squat, since I last peaked in strength roughly 10 months ago. It's always a shock at first, as even if the body has the strength, the shock of Weight on the structural parts of the body is still hard to overcome. As a result last week I only managed 1 rep on 200kg 440lb.

However it doesn't take long for the body to be re-accustomed with its old iron friend. Today was the first major step in the right direction, with me managing to rep out 200kg for 6reps. This is good early heavy phase prep work - that will lay a good foundation for heavier work in 8-10weeks time.

My hope was to do at most 3reps. So doubling that target was very encouraging, however it does mean next time I deffo need to put the weight up more, as ideally I should be doing sets of 3-4reps at the moment, with the idea of cutting the reps down to doubles and singles within a few weeks.

It's important to note also, that this was done after a small amount of pre-exhaustion work on leg curl and leg extension. On days when I go for a 1 rep max these will be excluded, so that I lift on fresh muscles. But there is nothing quite as good as squatting when your legs already feel like jelly hahah as it's important to train and steel the mind as much as the body, and fear has no place under the bar.

One major advantage of pre-exhaustion work is that, it also acts as a warmup. Minimising the donkey work I have to put in, on the bar.

After squat I then went back onto, firstly leg curl, and then leg extensions. Chasing the pump with some Mike Mentzer style "heavy duty" (hd) work. I've always done leg extensions to the max, ever since I started lifting as a teenager, and I never intend to stop. Growing up idolising Tom Platz as a kid, leaves a long time impression upon you lol

Overall extremely pleased with this workout. Serious progress made, and a clear plan on how to move forwards.

Thanks for reading my training journal. BIG AL

 

[bigaldevlin]

Roughly 3 weeks ago, I tested my strength on bench and I did really well. I did 155kg for a hard single and then tried 160kg, a brave attempt, but to be honest an absolute blowout. The bar touched the chest and then stayed there.

Since then I've done a couple of technical and specialised workouts, focused on building up my strength, especially at the mid point of the press, my weakspot. This part of the lift is where the front delts help the bar transition into the final lockout with the triceps. This hasn't always been a weak spot for me, and the reason it exists is because my cage is too narrow for me to place my hands as wide as I would like. As such, the shoulders are not able to distribute the weight as evenly as they would otherwise be able to, increasing the pressure they have to handle. It also increases the workload of the triceps.

So even though I have very strong front delts, being able to overhead seated press 145kg 320lb, I struggle more than I should. But a good craftsman never blames his tools. To compensate I will simply have to build my front delts up to monster levels. A challenge I'll happily take.

So I've been focusing on training these areas with, as mentioned above, specialised movements. Technical lifts such as cambered bar, close grip bench, weighted dips etc. And I'm happy with my work and progress in these areas, enough so to once again try the 160kg flat bench.

This workout focuses on going up to the target weight as effectively and efficiently as possible. Preserving energy for the big ask. This time I did once again fail the lift, but I managed to get the lift 80% of the way up, struggling to get the triceps to take over from the powerful press off the chest and the transitional element of the delts.

However although a fail, it felt like a success with the lift, being oh so near. So I continued the workout with a mix of overloaded negatives on 170kg, and pin/dead press on 140kg. Causing the areas that let me down, to reach complete exhaustion. Finished with some tricep push Downs to be extra sadistic.

Overall I know what I've been doing has been working, so it's simply more of the same stuff for the next weeks to come, when hopefully I will attempt 160kg again, this time with success.

Thanks for reading my workout journal. "Back to Bodybuilding"

BIG AL

 

[bigaldevlin]

I'm quite proud of this back workout, I started off with deadlift.... and failed completely to achieve what I wanted. But I'm proud with myself for not giving up.

I was hoping to do a few sets of 3reps on 200-220kg, but only just managed the same on 180kg. It may not sound like much, but from my perspective at the time it was terrible.

I tried several times to pull 200kg and it wasn't coming, and to add insult to injury, when I dropped back down to 180kg I only managed a single! Bombing out is always hard to handle. Especially as this has been the story of my deadlift for such a long time now. Only 2 years ago I did 20reps on 200kg in a single set! Perhaps now you can understand why I was upset - especially as I have no real answer, as to why? Yes I'm 30lb lighter than then - but I haven't lost any real strength on any other lift, so why just deadlifts?

I walked out, angry and disappointed in myself, feeling like I'd been banging my head on a wall that just won't budge. But I took 10mins to compose. Talked to the family and took my mind off of it. And with a fresh perspective, walked back into the gym.

To start again. Time to swallow the ego and put in the foundation work I NEED rather than what I expect/want. Who cares what weight is on the bar, its the quality of the lift and the feel afterwards that matters. Improvement follows the hard work, and I need to reset my standards according to my new bodyweight.

So I went onto 120kg. Embarrassing to write that, but swallowing the ego, its all I'm capable of at the moment, for the volume I want to do. And so I did 4 sets of 3 "heavy duty" reps on wide Conventional and a fith set on sumo. Followed by a set of 3reps on 150kg sumo. Hey its light, but the work was real. The pump was great. And I believe in the benefits it will have over time.

I left deadlift there. Enough work done, and then went onto my accessory work. I did 4-5sets on each movement, so what is in my training footage is just a snippet. But this was really the cherry on top. I left the gym pumped and feeling good about the workload.

Having enjoyed the "2nd workout" I have to go forwards now being honest with myself about the weights I need to work with. I'm no longer a competive lifter, with completely different aims and goals. As such if I need to use light weights, so be it, in the long term the benefits will come.

Cheers and beers and thanks for reading my weights journal. Big Al

 

[bigaldevlin]

Alright guys, I'm about to have a shoulder workout focusing on front and side delts.

I was wondering what exercises do you guys know about, that are good for side delt development?

I feel like I just do the same thing everytime. The exercises I use are upright row, and side lateral raises (dumbells and bands/cable) which I typically do as giant sets.

Beyond that I cant think of anything to add for variety?!

So could you help by telling me anything you recommend

Cheers and beers, lads and lasses