Matt C. Cycle Update.

[Primemuscle]

I am currently on a call, on camera, with sr. leadership in my vertical.

I am posting this as I participate in the call.

Dual monitors, keyboard below camera.

No work pauses needed.

Multitasking is the way of the world, for better or for worse.

Easy.

This seems exhausting, but then I am retired, laid back and old so I prefer taking life easy. Do you also multitask for work, meaning handle a couple of work related tasks at the same time? If so, you must be a highly valued employee.

I am gonna take a little break now to check incoming emails. 

[Grape Ape]

This seems exhausting, but then I am retired, laid back and old so I prefer taking life easy. Do you also multitask for work, meaning handle a couple of work related tasks at the same time? If so, you must be a highly valued employee.

I am gonna take a little break now to check incoming emails. 

Yes, unfortunately.  It's the norm to be on one call, while working on something else.

I can't say I'm a fan, but it's the culture.

It's worse for kids though, who had to deal with this stuff while their brains were still developing - they can't concentrate on one thing.

[bhank]

I work remote it’s the best if I want to take a minute an hour to post on Getbig I can

[Palumboism]

Those are good natural pictures of me, including the hair. 

It's also proof flat everything I lifted when on steroids, I have lifted naturally before. Which reminds me of some of the inadvertent compliments I've been getting on here. For example: Walter Sobchak stated that my current strength level is simply a function of steroids, and when I go off, I will lose my strength.  He doesn't even realize that statement is a COMPLIMENT.  He's suggesting I have strength worth even addressing at all. If I didn't post some impressive lifts, the concept of losing strength after my cessation of steroids wouldn't even be in the conversation.

But anyway, to address Walter: NO, I will not lose strength, as I will now be adjusting my training for a strength program.

Regarding those pictures you posted above, Palumboism: that's what I suspect I will look like in 1-3 months. More or less just back to my normal self.  I didn't even take enough juice to get a new pimple, so I suspect I will return to normal without issue.

Back to my previous question,  Palumboism: do you think I might have a touch of Palumboism? Is part of the process of Palumboism simply natural aging? Does one necessarily have to be juiced to have Palumboism?

I will need a bit more time back in the gym...but I feel like I'm getting a touch of Palumboism.

Also, is there a name for what happened to Scott Steiner and Markus Ruhl? How come their pecs started deteriorating despite neither ever tearing a pec?

I'll probably tear a pec trying to prove my strength on Getbig to people who don't believe video and photographic evidence directly in front of them. 

Speaking of which - I couldn't get 700-lb on the machine press today! 

Oh wait - that's because the machine can't FIT 700-lb.

 

No, you don't have Palumboism.  I do believe are aren't close to your bodybuilding potential. 

Your attitude is completely wrong.  You would rather lift heavy weight than build muscle.  Me, I don't give a damn about lifting heavy weight, or how strong people think I am.  I want to build a great physique, Period. 

You are stronger than me, and there are people in my gym that are stronger than me, but my build is better and that's what I care about. 

You have wasted the last ten years from a bodybuilding perspective.  BOTH your training and your diet were way off.  You lifted heavy weight, but you didn't build the body you could have.  That's your decision.

Strength is an asset for a bodybuilder, but only if you use it the right way.

Train smart and train effectively.  For me, the only thing that matter is what I see in the mirror. 

Your eye should be trained. You should be able to look at anybody including yourself and know what they need to do to improve their physique.   

Like another poster said, make the decision, do you want to just lift heavy weight, or do you want the build a physique.

You should already have the tools and knowledge simply from osmosis on Getbig.

[MCWAY]

No, you don't have Palumboism.  I do believe are aren't close to your bodybuilding potential. 

Your attitude is completely wrong.  You would rather lift heavy weight than build muscle.  Me, I don't give a damn about lifting heavy weight, or how strong people think I am.  I want to build a great physique, Period. 

You are stronger than me, and there are people in my gym that are stronger than me, but my build is better and that's what I care about. 

You have wasted the last ten years from a bodybuilding perspective.  BOTH your training and your diet were way off.  You lifted heavy weight, but you didn't build the body you could have.  That's your decision.

Strength is an asset for a bodybuilder, but only if you use it the right way.

Train smart and train effectively.  For me, the only thing that matter is what I see in the mirror. 

Your eye should be trained. You should be able to look at anybody including yourself and know what they need to do to improve their physique.   

Like another poster said, make the decision, do you want to just lift heavy weight, or do you want the build a physique.

You should already have the tools and knowledge simply from osmosis on Getbig.

To me, it isn't an either/or prospect. I'm about getting bigger AND stronger. To do that, it's about lifting the weights with the target muscle getting the stress.

The reason Matt's pecs "suck" (his words) is because he lifts too heavy with too narrow of a grip, a less-than-stellar ROM and his elbows inward. He barely does inclines and when he does, he uses the same haphazard for that he does on the flat bench.

I've had to learn (and am still learning) about lifting heavier weights on curls (particularly with dumbbells) but with my BICEPS getting the stress. If I don't do them correctly, my forearms get sore but my biceps get almost zip.

[Grape Ape]

To me, it isn't an either/or prospect. I'm about getting bigger AND stronger. To do that, it's about lifting the weights with the target muscle getting the stress.

The reason Matt's pecs "suck" (his words) is because he lifts too heavy with too narrow of a grip, a less-than-stellar ROM and his elbows inward. He barely does inclines and when he does, he uses the same haphazard for that he does on the flat bench.

I've had to learn (and am still learning) about lifting heavier weights on curls (particularly with dumbbells) but with my BICEPS getting the stress. If I don't do them correctly, my forearms get sore but my biceps get almost zip.

I too have the shoulder dominant issue, but I don't care.

However, I tried your advice using a 30 degree incline, just to see.  I used DBs with a neutral grip since I'm working around a labrum issue.

I can verify that that angle made me feel the squeeze in the chest way more than the shoulders, so I believe you are correct with you adviceS.

[MCWAY]

I too have the shoulder dominant issue, but I don't care.

However, I tried your advice using a 30 degree incline, just to see.  I used DBs with a neutral grip since I'm working around a labrum issue.

I can verify that that angle made me feel the squeeze in the chest way more than the shoulders, so I believe you are correct with you adviceS.

Glad to be of help!

I am going to take Wes' adviceS and try those Bradford Presses tomorrow.

[Hypertrophy]

Glad to be of help!

I am going to take Wes' adviceS and try those Bradford Presses tomorrow.

Great advices- benching at an incline hits the pecs like no other (sub 45 degrees)

[Titus Pullo]

Glad to be of help!

I am going to take Wes' adviceS and try those Bradford Presses tomorrow.

I worked up to 225 for the Bradford press once.  Then I woke up

Speaking of good incline press variations, before I had my intestinal surgeries and subsequent hernia, I fell in love with something I picked up from, of all people, Charles Glass.  I saw a video of him training Gunter, and they did a Smith incline with the little stopper thingies such that the bar came to rest just a couple of inches from Gunter's pecs.  Every rep was initiated from a dead stop pause from the "stoppers," then rocketed up to lockout, followed by a nice, slow 3-4 count negative.

My pecs have always been a strong point, but no movement filled out my upper pecs like that did, and my chest had never been bigger overall.  I did these a few different ways.  Primarily, I preferred them DC style, with a set of an initial 8ish to failure, followed my two mini-rest pause sets and a static hold that turned into a slow as steam off January dogshit (pun intended ) negative.  Occasionally, I would just do a heavy max set of 5-6 and do drop sets until I only had one PPS, or one very heavy set of 4-6 and a second in the 10-12 range.

I alternated that weekly with either Hammer Inclines or a couple of neat Cybex machines at my other gym as my primary pec builder.  All were good, but I swear, that version of inclines was something else.  I was by no means lean -- honest assessment?  Even at 5'7", 225 and taping my waist at 32", I had to be over 15% -- but just before I got sick, I could actually feel the pull of gravity on my pecs.  It was a curious sensation...I can only imagine what that must've been like for Arnold, Ruhl, Ronnie, Atwood et al.

[Titus Pullo]

And dips.

Full range parallel bar dips, leaning forward, are sorely neglected these days.  Mentzer regarded them as the upper body equivalent of a squat.  In my conversations with him, he spoke glowingly of getting crazy strong on dips.  He said he and Ray would really "psyche themselves up" for sessions which would start with dipping.

Little did I know at the time that he neglected to say they probably amped themselves to the gord with amphetamine pills beforehand , but that's neither here nor there.

He said they'd work up to 180 hanging from their waists for a max set of 8-10.  Then, in his calloused voice, he would remind me, in that imitation of Jones' barking, "WILLIAM!  You don't have to just take my word for it!  Look up Marvin Eder, who came along before the drugs!  He was king of dips, and that son of a bitch had a build that would make most of today's pro knuckleheads cry if they gave up steroids for a month.  And WILLIAM!  Don't forget the gymnasts, William!"



Slight kidding aside, dips are the fucking bomb.  You need to find a ROM that's suited to your shoulders, but I don't think most lifters would have trouble with lowering themselves to the point at which the shoulder and elbow are parallel.

[Primemuscle]

Yes, unfortunately.  It's the norm to be on one call, while working on something else.

I can't say I'm a fan, but it's the culture.

It's worse for kids though, who had to deal with this stuff while their brains were still developing - they can't concentrate on one thing.

My age is showing. LOL! Not only can I not multitask at the level some folks do, but I also cannot speed task with my thumbs on my smart phone. I'm relatively good at keyboarding/typing at a good clip... which compared to Matt’s speed, mine is a 'snail’s pace'.

I wonder how much is lost when folks try to concentrate on one important topic while their mind is going in several different directions at the same time. The advantage kids and younger people have is that today's technology is second nature to them. For example, when texting they don't need to think about the mechanics of doing this. To them, it is just like talking. Of course, there is also speech to text, which I have not tried yet. How does one proof this before sending it out or do they even bother.

One reason why some folks like me go so long when posting is because we don't think in terms of abbreviated texting, which is today's version of 'shorthand'. I am sure my writing style is boringly detailed. What is funny about this is that I am still often misunderstood, no matter how well I try to explain my thinking.

[residue]

My age is showing. LOL! Not only can I not multitask at the level some folks do, but I also cannot speed task with my thumbs on my smart phone. I'm relatively good at keyboarding/typing at a good clip... which compared to Matt’s speed, mine is a 'snail’s pace'.

I wonder how much is lost when folks try to concentrate on one important topic while their mind is going in several different directions at the same time. The advantage kids and younger people have is that today's technology is second nature to them. For example, when texting they don't need to think about the mechanics of doing this. To them, it is just like talking. Of course, there is also speech to text, which I have not tried yet. How does one proof this before sending it out or do they even bother.

One reason why some folks like me go so long when posting is because we don't think in terms of abbreviated texting, which is today's version of 'shorthand'. I am sure my writing style is boringly detailed. What is funny about this is that I am still often misunderstood, no matter how well I try to explain my thinking.

there's are a lot A LOT of new tools tools you can use to keep tabs on things i use are Monday.com, jira, waterfall on top of shared calendars\sheets. A huge change from 10 years ago is now there's incremental delivery, it's not just start to finish anymore

[MCWAY]

And dips.

Full range parallel bar dips, leaning forward, are sorely neglected these days.  Mentzer regarded them as the upper body equivalent of a squat.  In my conversations with him, he spoke glowingly of getting crazy strong on dips.  He said he and Ray would really "psyche themselves up" for sessions which would start with dipping.

Little did I know at the time that he neglected to say they probably amped themselves to the gord with amphetamine pills beforehand , but that's neither here nor there.

He said they'd work up to 180 hanging from their waists for a max set of 8-10.  Then, in his calloused voice, he would remind me, in that imitation of Jones' barking, "WILLIAM!  You don't have to just take my word for it!  Look up Marvin Eder, who came along before the drugs!  He was king of dips, and that son of a bitch had a build that would make most of today's pro knuckleheads cry if they gave up steroids for a month.  And WILLIAM!  Don't forget the gymnasts, William!"



Slight kidding aside, dips are the fucking bomb.  You need to find a ROM that's suited to your shoulders, but I don't think most lifters would have trouble with lowering themselves to the point at which the shoulder and elbow are parallel.

I love dips, too. Either regular dips with a dumbbell or the dipping machine. But, since I can use the entire stack with ease, I add an extra plate to the weight stack.

[ThisisOverload]

Great advices- benching at an incline hits the pecs like no other (sub 45 degrees)

They have to be exactly 27.425 degrees for maximum stimulation.

[AbrahamG]

They have to be exactly 27.425 degrees for maximum stimulation.

Your numbers are ever so slightly off.  Needs to be 26.45.

[ThisisOverload]

Your numbers are ever so slightly off.  Needs to be 26.45.

Rounding error...

[AbrahamG]

Rounding error...

LMFAO. 

[Walter Sobchak]

So where are the full depth 405 lb off the couch squat reps?

TITTY BOY MATT CANNING is a bigger liar than Brian Wood Healy Hankins!

[Titus Pullo]

I love dips, too. Either regular dips with a dumbbell or the dipping machine. But, since I can use the entire stack with ease, I add an extra plate to the weight stack.

What brand of dip machine are you using?

My old Gold's had one with an incredible stack.  I was routinely doing three plates from a belt weighing 230+ for probably *too* deep reps of 8-12, but our dip machine was a guy!  I could barely get a rep with the stack.

You made another great point: there needn't be a dichotomy between training for strength and hypertrophy.  Maximizing either certainly entails some mods, but generally, the two can go hand in hand.

[MCWAY]

What brand of dip machine are you using?

My old Gold's had one with an incredible stack.  I was routinely doing three plates from a belt weighing 230+ for probably *too* deep reps of 8-12, but our dip machine was a guy!  I could barely get a rep with the stack.

You made another great point: there needn't be a dichotomy between training for strength and hypertrophy.  Maximizing either certainly entails some mods, but generally, the two can go hand in hand.

It's the Cyber Prestige VRS Tricep Press.



I use a chain to hang a 35-lb plate to the weight stack; and I can really SQUEEZE the inner pecs that way.

Unfortunately, that has become 24-Hour Fitness' favorite lounge chair; so, if I can't get to that, I do weighted dips.

[Matt]

What brand of dip machine are you using?

My old Gold's had one with an incredible stack.  I was routinely doing three plates from a belt weighing 230+ for probably *too* deep reps of 8-12, but our dip machine was a guy!  I could barely get a rep with the stack.

You made another great point: there needn't be a dichotomy between training for strength and hypertrophy.  Maximizing either certainly entails some mods, but generally, the two can go hand in hand.

Hi Titus,

I'm back to a strength training program now.

It's amazing to me how bodybuilding-style hypertrophy training will make your muscles bigger, but ultimately not make you as strong.

The general public would think bodybuilders would be the strongest, but that's not the case at all.

I was surprised at how much of a weakling I was with respect to my body weight.

Walter Sobchak was 100% right.

So I'm doing a 20-week strength building program right now to get my deadlift back to the 505-525 range.

It shouldn't be too much of a problem, as muscle memory alone will get me over 80% of the way there - but I want to try to hit a personal record. A 550 deadlift would be nice, but I'll be satisfied with 500+. In fact, 495x5 will be fine. Anything beyond that would be a bonus.

Thank you for the support, Titus. If you have a bodybuilding "bro" diet for me, I'm all ears. I'm no longer in a hurry to make gains anymore. I can take my time and do it naturally. I just wanted a little boost for the summer. 

I know I'll get back to the 500-lb range for deadlifts, but 550-lb at <185-lb would be amazing. I think anything around triple body weight for deadlift is a very high standard to hold.

Also Titus - if you happen to have a strength program for me, let me know. Due to the pandemic gym closures, and having spent the past few months training bodybuilding-style for my cycle, I'm a fresh template right to gain my old strength back. If I could get 10% beyond that, I'd be thrilled. But how difficult that will be will depend on whether or not I want to keep my body weight higher. At 170, deadlifting anything over 525 would be hard.

Here is a little deadlift workout I did last night, just to see where I was at. I'll start a refined strength program next week. If you have any advice or tips, let me know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CizRSFrO82N/

[michael arvilla]

This guy Belongs in this thread!!

[Matt]

Check the third picture.

Should I get breast reduction surgery? 

[Grape Ape]

Here is a little deadlift workout I did last night, just to see where I was at. I'll start a refined strength program next week. If you have any advice or tips, let me know.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CizRSFrO82N/

You have a rounded back and are doing bounce reps and no hip hinge.

Why not watch a few videos and get the form right?

If you did things correctly you'd hit personal bests.

[ThisisOverload]

You have a rounded back and are doing bounce reps and no hip hinge.

Why not watch a few videos and get the form right?

If you did things correctly you'd hit personal bests.

He's going to end up in a wheelchair lifting like that.

Hitching is allowed in strongman, but i don't think bouncing deadlifts off the floor is.

You can build more power and strength by resetting each lift at the bottom. Reset the hips down, shoulders back and leaning on the heels.

I've pulled over 700 pounds, training with absolute strict form got me there.