VeganEssentials

Upper back day done with conditioning-style shorter rest periods, shoulder work in there as well - Barbell rows, underhand grip, 45 seconds rest between sets - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 lbs. 8x5 @ 230 lbs. Overhead press with a tiny bit of leg drive (not proper push press), 1 minute rest between sets - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 150 lbs. 8x5 @ 170 lbs. Didn't feel great with these, even though it wasn't heavy I find I need about 2 minutes between sets to not feel burned out early on with overhead pressing. I have realized that the plan for shorter rest periods for shoulders and chest just don't work well for me, so I'm dumping that part of the plan and just keeping with shorter rest on other things for now. Weighted pull-ups, 45 seconds rest between sets again - 5x5 @ shoulder width grip w/ 25 lbs. added on, last set tough due to short rest period catching up with me. Overhead log press in the rack, rolling log out and back into position between each rep, done as drop rep sets as follows: 1x10 @ 125 lbs., rest 90 seconds 1x9 " ", rest 90 seconds 1x8 " ", rest 75 seconds 1x7 " ", rest 75 seconds 1x6 " ", rest 60 seconds 1x5 " ", rest 60 seconds 1x4 " ", rest 30 seconds 1x3 " ", rest 20 seconds 1x2 " ", rest 15 seconds 1x1 @ 125 lbs. 170 lb. concrete block bent over rows - 3x10, 2 minutes rest between sets (needed it with these) Barbell shrugs - 4x25 @ 315 lbs., 60 seconds rest between sets Wrapped up with 3 circuits of trapezius and assistance lifts - Band pull-aparts for 20 reps, move to Dip shrugs - 25 reps @ bodyweight, move to Hanging from pull-up position lat shrugs - 30 reps @ bodyweight, move to Face down on incline bench DB front raises - 15 reps @ 25 lb. DBs Wiped out afterward, will keep altering the conditioning plan to suit how I best work with it, deadlifting tomorrow night and aiming for 3x8 @ 405!

Thanks, Faux! I'm still working my way back up after 7 years of constantly being hurt over and over again (lesson learned as I'm closing in on 40 years old, train smarter and take your time!), I'm getting that itch to possibly get back to trying powerlifting again next year so I'm trying to rebuild everything to the old strength. Goal is to hit the numbers I did at 275 lbs. bodyweight but to do it at around 225 lbs. this time around, got a lot of work ahead of me this year but I think that by next April, I should hopefully be 95% of the way there. Just got to keep from doing anything stupid that will put me out again and I hope to make it happen!

A few extra days off due to late work nights, got back in for squatting tonight. Front squats to warm up, all sets doubles with a two second pause in the hole 1x2 @ 135 lbs 1x2 @ 155 1x2 @ 175 1x2 @ 185 Back Squats as usual - 1x5 @ 135 lbs 1x5 @ 185 1x3 @ 225 1x2 @ 275 1x2 @ 315 3x5 @ 350, all sets easy and felt good for 7+ every set 1x12 @ 275 Front squats again - 1x2 @ 195 1x2 @ 205 1x2 @ 215 1x2 @ 225 Leg presses - 1x20 @ 180 plus red bands (around 100 lbs added tension at lockout) 1x20 @ 270 " " 1x20 @ 360 " " 1x20 @ 450 " " Back to back sets of lying leg curls 3x20 @ 125 lbs. With cable/rope crunches 3x15 @ 120 lbs. And that was it. Upper back and shoulders tomorrow!

Chest and upper back day, more short rest period work for conditioning - Flat bottoms-up bench to warm up using 55 lb. axle, starting on pins just touching chest - 1x5 @ 145 1x2 @ 195 1x1 @ 235 3x1 @ 255 1xfail @ 275, got halfway up then right shoulder lost stability, been sleeping face-down with my arm bent weird again this past month, starting to mess with my mobility again. Right shoulder tight and cocking out a bit near the end, moved to lighter work today. Flat bench w/axle instead of regular bar - 1x5 @ 145 lbs. 1x5 @ 195 5x5 @ 215, just 45 seconds rest between sets Concrete block rows with 170 lb. rectangualr block (used normally for our gym's strongman competitors to do overhead pressing with, this one's the lightest of the bunch!) 8x5 @ 170 lb. block, 45 seconds rest between sets Felt good with these, hit my middle and upper back differently than traditional rows due to having to grip the block with hands about 22" wide (also gives a great fingertip strengthening workout, too), planning to add 10 lbs. to these every other week when I throw them in for a while. Wide grip pull-ups (228 lbs. clothed today) - 6x6 @ bodyweight, 45 seconds rest between sets DB flat bench - 4x8 @ 80 lb. DBs, 45 seconds rest between sets V-handle pulldowns with Elite FTS blue monster band looped over top of tallest power rack, pulling to navel and hard 1 second squeeze each rep, about 130 lbs. tension at start and around 170 lbs. at finish - 4x20, 1 minute rest between sets Dips - 3x12 @ bodyweight, 1 minute rest between sets Wrapped up with some "fun" stuff, first was a shrugged farmer's walk set with 65 lb. handles - not at all heavy, but try walking for a full minute in a shrugged position, that's where the challenge is! 2 walks @ 1 minute each, tough on those last 5-10 seconds! Last thing done was a set of 1-arm shrugs, using orange Elite FTS mini band looped over foot and holding other end of band in fingers, about 70 lbs. tension at bottom position and around 90 lbs. at top - 1x30 each arm, no rest, then drop straight to sets of 25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 all done in a row with no break, and that was it. 105 reps with each arm with good tension done in about 2 minutes = sore traps tomorrow. Taking a walk tomorrow, then it's squat day on Tuesday!

No two people will get the same response from the same macro ratios, it's all going to be up to your genetics, how you train, and what you choose to eat for meeting those macros that will decide where you're going to end up. It doesn't pay to obsess about various macronutrient ratios unless you are going to try them and see how you fare on them - I've gained and gotten up to 283 lbs. and strong on lower protein (about 15% of total caloric intake), but I also got fat as hell at the same time. I've gotten down closer to single-digit bodyfat at 225 lbs. by putting protein @ 35-40% of my total calories and have managed to exchange about 8 lbs. of fat for about 6 lbs. of muscle without any real "dieting" since the start of the year. To me, this shows that my body prefers higher protein and far fewer carbohydrates, but that's just MY system, and won't be the same for everyone else. I envy those people who can eat 60-70% of their calories from carbohydrates and stay lean, but it won't work for me. Tried it off and on, ends up with me making strength and size gains, but plenty of fat along for the ride as well. Basically, you MAY be able to do well for gains on lower protein so long as the calories are still above what you expend every day, but there's no guarantee. You may be better off with more protein, or, it may make little difference - the bodybuilding world would be much better off if the actual science were left as it is and people didn't constantly try to market their theories as universal across all people. It only adds to too much overthinking, it gets confusing, and people end up spending too much time having faith that a big change in macros will suddenly give them something they've always hoped for. Sure, it may well be that a standard bodybuilding macro plan works well for MOST people, but that doesn't mean it works best for everyone, trial-and-error is the only way to know what works best for you. Best solution? Try the lower protein approach for a while, see how it goes as a 3-month test (just don't make it a 3-year run like I did), if you're not happy with the results, then ditch it and change things up. If you like it, keep at it until you're no longer satisfied with what it gives, and then change things up. But, if you don't try it, you'll never know how well you'll fare on it, and crazier stuff has happened as far as what people have gotten for doing something different in the face of bodybuilding "fact" that's often loosely based on actual facts and have been been twisted to meet someone's hypothesis just so they can attach their name to a book or article.

Hey, Mini Forklift! Yeah, some of my training sessions are brutally high volume, but I still get a bit stronger and the fat loss is working well with it, but once I get to summer and things are where I'd like, I'm going to cut the total volume considerably and allow a lot more rest time as I work solely to get stronger again. My strength will definitely go up faster once I cut about 40-50% of the total workload and extend rest periods, it's still a few months away, but I'll get there before long. The way things have been going make me think I'd like to step on the powerlifting plaform again next year, providing I can keep my weight down to compete as a 220, which should be possible. It'll be fun to see where the rest of the year takes me! Weekend is starting off well so far, hope it's the same for you and that the training is also going well these days!

Lower back day! Deadlifts, moderate weight, low reps, lots of sets, 90-120 seconds max rest between sets to improve conditioning - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 1x3 @ 315 10x5 @ 365 Snatch grip deadlifts on lowest pin settings in the rack (about 3" off normal floor height deadlifts) - 3x10 @ 330 lbs. Stone loads to 52" platform, 170 lb. stone, no tacky on hands so it was smooth - 3x5 loads Ab wheel roll-outs from knees to full extension - 2x10 That was it, simple session today, might go back in for some light conditioning work tomorrow, if not, planning on taking a nice long walk, then it's chest and light upper back work on Sunday!

Tried my first new workout today, kicked my ass hard, I'm not used to short rest periods like these! Essentially, two days a week will be moderate weight, lower rep, but LOTS of sets done with 30-60 seconds between them. Squat and Deadlift days will continue to be somewhat normal, but all other days will be adjusted for a while. Here was workout #1 - Upper back and shoulders - Barbell rows - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 8x5 @ 225, but only 45 seconds between sets. Felt pretty easy until the 7th set, then the lungs started to burn a bit and lats were cramping slightly, but polished off all 8 in just 8 minutes for the 40 rep goal. Overhead log presses in the rack, rolling log on pins into collar for setup on each rep - 1x5 @ 75 lb. empty log 1x5 @ 125 lbs. 8x5 @ 150 lbs. - seemed like it should have been easy for how light it was, but after set 5, I'd have to take an extra few breaths beteween the last few reps, it was getting tough! 50 seconds between sets, done in 10 minutes flat. Pull-ups, medium grip - 8x5 @ bodyweight (228 lbs. clothed), 40 seconds between sets Not too bad, tired on the last set but overall, it went well. Push presses with axle - 5x5 @ 155 lbs. Kept it light, shoulders were dying fast, 60 seconds between sets as I was definitely getting tired now. 1-arm row Meadows row with barbell wedged in corner - 5x10 each arm @ 100 lbs. (75 lbs. weight plus about half of barbell), 45 seconds rest between sets, did all sets for one arm then changed to the other. Lats totally pumped and cramped, sucking wind a bit more now, starting to feel like I don't have too much left. Lean-away cable lateral raises - 3x15 @ 20 lbs. each arm, did all sets for one arm then changed to the other. Definitely beat by that time. Wrapped up with quick circuit of upper back assistance, 3 circuit sets before being done, no rest between sets or circuits - Cable face pulls with 2 handled rope - 3x20 @ 130 lbs. Dip shrugs - 3x20 @ bodyweight Face down on incline bench DB front raises - 3x15 @ 20 lb. DBs Almost puked when totally done, called it a day, took 65 minutes to complete everything and was as much a cardio workout as it was anything else. Deadlifts tomorrow!

I would be very happy to exchange your problem of an awesomely effective metabolism for mine that always stays sluggish and puts fat on easily. Have you had your thyroid levels checked to see if you might possibly have hyperthyroidism? Just one possibility, probably a longshot but it would be similar in effect to what you are describing. Easy for any doc to check your T3 and T4 levels with a quick blood test, might want to have it checked someday just to see! But otherwise, you might just be blessed with a metabolism that most people would pay big money for if it were possible. All I can suggest is that, now that you know your "sweet spot" for how much you ca eat to maintain as well as what it takes to gain with a bit of fat added, best thing to do would be to experiment with various foods and macronutient ratios for how you can get those extr calories until you find a way to make it work the way you want without the downside of feeling like crap from constantly eating. Try making some higher calorie "weight gainer" shakes with fruit and protein that you tend to fare well with for being easy to digest, maybe throw in some oil, and swap it out for a more filling solid meal to not feel as stuffed. Or, if you normally make up those extra calories to get above 4000 with carbohydrates, change then out for protein and unsaturated fats for a bit and see if you feel better. Lots of things you can try with tweaking your diet to hopefully find a way to get that balance you're looking for. And, as always, great pics and you've definitely built a good physique over the past year or two. Keep it up, and remember, a fast metabolism is typically a GOOD thing!

Leg day! Safety squat bar squats to 12" box to warm up - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 1x3 @ 225 1x2 @ 250 1x2 @ 275 Squats to just below parallel - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x3 @ 185 1x3 @ 225 1x2 @ 275 1x2 @ 315 1x1 @ 365 1x1 @ 395 5x8 @ 315 All sets pretty easy, felt good for a few more on every set, which was nice. Decided to test things a bit and moved to 3/4 squats in the power rack, pins set at 6" above parallel - 3x5 @ 405 lbs A good way to work on the transition from my weak spot to my lockout that is decent, can really feel the hamstrings fire hard when doing a quick tap to deload on the pins for a split second. Wrapped up with 2x20 lying leg curls @ 130 lbs and that was it. Two days until I start the month long diet plan, curious to see how it goes!

Upper back work last night - Barbell rows, underhand grip - 1x10 @ 135 lbs. 1x8 @ 185 1x5 @ 225 3x10 @ 245 Pull-ups - 3x12, one set wide, one medium, one narrow Overhead shrugs w/ barbell, press out about 6" off pins in rack then shrug - 2x20 @ 225 lbs. 1x20 @ 275 1x50 @ 225 Face down on incline bench DB rows @ about 30 degree incline - 2x15 @ 85 lb. DBs, much harder than normal rows on this one, all reps slow and squeezed Safety squat bar Hise shrugs - 1x10 @ 225 lbs. 1x10 @ 315 1x10 @ 365 2x20 @ 405 Band pull-aparts - 4x20 That was it, leg day tonight, then it's time to change gears for a month!

Busy week, JUST got in to deadlift last night and do a little chest work while there - Deadlifts - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 1x3 @ 315 1x2 @ 365 1x1 @ 405 1x1 @ 425 1x1 @ 450, met goal for now, which was nice. Bar flew up a foot, but of course, my weak point is from about 4-6" below the knee, but once it cleared my knee it locked out fast. Post-cutting, I'll be working on my sticking point so I can get 500 again this year. Flat barbell bench - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 1x5 @ 225 1x5 @ 230 1x5 @ 235 Just not feeling great with benching today, changed it up a bit and added some reverse bands to play around with how that setup felt for reducing weight off the chest but not so much near lockout. Bands took off about 100 lbs. on the chest, and only about 40 lbs. at lockout - 1x10 @ 225 lbs, felt really light on the chest, but got heavier toward lockout but still a bit light 1x10 @ 275 lbs., just made all reps but couldn't have done much more 1x6 @ 285, triceps starting to give out a bit 1x3 @ 295 1x2 @ 310 1x1 @ 335, barely made it Back to deadlifts, did speed pulls with 45-60 seconds between sets, all reps fast - 10x2 @ 300 lbs. Wrapped up with an assistance movement I'd seen somewhere recently, was supposed to be good for both lower back and upper back, basically doing Romanian deaflifts in the rack from mid-shin height about 4" off the floor with a snatch grip - 1x10 @ 225 lbs. 1x10 @ 275 1x10 @ 315 Felt good, that was it, called it a day. Upper back on Satuday, legs on Sunday, then it's time to shed some fat!

To ask, do you have an early weigh-in on the day of competition? A lot of competing powerlifters I've known have been able to get rid of up to 5kg in the last day or two prior to competition and then rehydrate in time for lifting, so the longer the gap between the weigh-in and the start of the competition will make the difference for how to go about it. Some people rely on diuretics (which can be risky), but otherwise, I've known a few people who do extreme sodium restriction at least 2-3 days prior to competing, they take stimulants (or, at least, they'll drink LOTS of caffeinated coffee), and go low carbohydrate until weigh-in. It's not as easy to cut sodium in a hurry sometimes unless you've done plenty of checking on what would fit the bill, but I find that for myself, plenty of strong coffee and keeping carbs really low can easily take off 1.5-3kg over a day for me if I'm strict. Unsalted nuts, plain tofu or seitan, salads with low sodium dressing, a tablespoon of flax seed oil once in a while and distilled water are the sort of things that I find tend to keep the water off in conjunction with the caffeine if I need to take in calories but don't want any water retention to go along with it. Of course, there's also the option of wearing a plastic "sweat" suit underneath your clothing for a day prior to competition or spending a good amount of time in the steam room to speed things up, but always remember, the more you mess with removing large amounts of water QUICKLY, the more you can mess with your health. I'd plan to start working toward the water reduction 3-4 days out so you aren't scrambling to make weight on competition day, but perhaps some of the other bodybuilders from here can offer tips that would help as well!

Give me about 90 minutes and as many sets as needed (those first sets of 10-12 will not last long and quickly become sets of 2-4), and I think I might just pull it off!

Upper back and shoulder work tonight - Axle presses - 1x10 @ empty 55 lb. axle 1x5 @ 145 lbs. 1x3 @ 175 1x2 @ 200 Changed to push presses, need to work on those as my technique has gone to hell from not doing them for 4-5 years now - 3x8 @ 200 lbs. Far from ideal, but I know it just takes time to get technique back to being decent again. Barbell rows - 1x5 @ 135 1x5 @ 185 2x12 @ 235 2x20 @ 185 1x40 @ 135, just wanted to see how many reps I could crank out before I'd be too gassed to keep going V-Handle seated row w/ black EliteFTS monster band, about 160 lbs. tension at start, around 220 or so at finish each rep - 3x20 In between the upper back stuff, I would put in a set of speed triples for push presses @ 150 lbs., just working on being fast and getting it overhead in one snap. All the strict pressing these years has slowed me down, gotta get that fixed, so an extra 30 reps to practice should help! Sled rows with D handle - 2x20 @ 350 lbs. each arm on astroturf area Wrapped up with 3 circuits of assistance work: Face pulls with red mini band looped around squat rack pillar, 20 reps, no rest, then... Safety squat bar Hise shrugs, (sets werr 1x25 @ 315, 365, 415), then... Face down on incline bench DB front raises, 3x20 @ 25 lb. DBs That was it, totally fried afterward, nothing left to give. One more week of normal training, then I'll be attempting the cutting plan that a friend of mine has been working on (he can shed 30 lbs. of fat in 2 months with no problem any time he wants, so he seems to know what he's doing ), he came up with a veganized version, so I'm giving it one last go to try and cut the last 10-15 lbs. of crud weight I've always wanted to get rid of, then it's back to getting strong again this summer. Gonna be weird being below 220 for a bit when it starts since I haven't been below that mark in about 10 years, but if it does what it's supposed to, I'll enjoy having single digit bodyfat numbers for the first time. But, first, gotta deadlift and squat again this week, need to enjoy my time of normal stuff before it's a month of primarily liquid meals and lighter short rest period work!

Quick leg workout today a few days later than expected - better late than never! Squats to about 2 inches below parallel - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 1x3 @ 275 1x2 @ 315 1x1 @ 355 1x1 @ 385 5x3 @ 350 All sets pretty easy, felt good for 5+ every set, starting to finally get my groove again. Safety bar squats to rock bottom- 3x10 @ 225 Bottom-up 1/3 squats in the power rack, bar starting at lower sternum height, about 9" ROM to lockout - 1x1 @ 405 1x1 @ 455 1x1 @ 500 1x1 @ 545 1x1 @ 600 1x20 @ 405 Lying plate loaded leg curl - 1x20 @ 100 lbs. 1x20 @ 120 1x15 @ 140 Than was it, upper back and shoulders tomorrow, then deadlifts Tuesday! 1x20 @ 405

Thanks, Mini Forklift - we'll see this summer how the attempt for 500 goes in a few months, just going to take it slow and steady for a while and see how things work out for it. Quick chest/upper back day last night - Pull-ups - 1x5 on rock climbing grip hand holds 2x8 @ 45 lbs. added on, medium width overhand grip 1x8 @ 45 lbs. added on, rock climbing grip hand holds (very tough on the fingers after a while) Flat bench press, close grip (hands just at torso width) - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 1x3 @ 225 8x2 @ 235, just trying to press them as fast as possible 5x2 @ 225, each with 2 second pause on chest 1-arm seated row - 1x10 @ 150 lbs. each arm 1x15 @ 125 lbs. each arm 1x20 @ 100 lbs. each arm 1-arm barbell shrugs - 1x10 @ 135 lbs. each arm 1x10 @ 185 " " 1x10 @ 235 " " 1x15 @ 185 " " 1x30 @ 135 " " DB Spoon presses - 3x12 @ 70 lb. DBs Cable w/ rope handle face pulls - 2x15 @ full stack Plate loaded close grip flat bench machine - 2x12 @ 200 lbs. That was in, in and out in an hour to the mark, going back in for legs tonight!

Been more info coming out lately that the removal of iodine from processing grains has lead to more people having thyroid issues (even iodized salt apparently is NOT always accurately dosed, and can have far less iodine than stated on the label). There are home tests you can do based on checking your temperature immediately on waking up to help find if there may be a thyroid issue, but truthfully, it could well be that you might just not be eating in the way that your body is asking for macronutrient-wise. I know a LOT of people here shovel down the carbohydrates like mad and never put on fat from it, but I can't do that, and as long as I was basing my meals on carbs first and protein/fats secondary, I couldn't get the scale to budge. It was mostly diet tweaks to cut carbs from being around 60-70% of my calories to 30-40% that made a massive difference, so you never know, it might just be a symptom of getting older and your body wanting a shift in a new direction before things will start working well for fat loss again, the only way to know is to find out if your thyroid is or isn't a factor, and if it isn't, then you've got your work ahead for changing your diet and how you train in order to get what you're looking for!

Thanks, everyone! Was is California for business with one day to relax, got plenty of activity in walking about 6-8 miles every day, but didn't get any lifting in, so it was time to start as soon as I got home! Overhead pressing and deadlifts tonight - Standing strict overhead barbell press - 1x10 @empty bar 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x4 @ 165 1x3 @ 185 1x2 @ 205 1x1 @ 215 1x1 @ 225 2x4 @ 205 1x6 @ 185 1x8 @ 175 Deadlifts - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 1x5 @ 315, put on belt afterward 1x8 @ 375 1x8 @ 385 1x8 @ 395 1x15 @ 315 Rep strength coming along well again, aiming to pull sets of 10 @ 405 this summer and finally pull 500+ again! 1 arm overhead dumbbell press - 2x15 @ 65 lb. db Dimel deadlifts - 2x25 @ 145 lbs. Band pull-a parts - 2x30 That was plenty today, two more weeks until new cutting plan goes into effect, then a month later it will be back to putting on size!

Wish I could have gone and seen Jake Bodi, who trains at our gym, be one of the few people to earn his pro card as a heavyweight after already having won hs lightweight pro status. Only got to see video, but it looked like a great contes for both divisions!

Great work on the 500 raw DL!

Quick upper back workout last night, in and out in 55 minutes total. Pull-ups - 1x5 @ bodyweight (230 lbs. clothed) 1x8 w/ 45 lbs. added on (done as singles with 1 second deload at bottom of each rep) 1x3 w/ 70 lbs. added on (done as singles with 3 seconds between each rep 1x3 w/ 75 lbs. added on " " 1x2 w/ 80 lbs. added on " " Haven't done weighted pull-ups much in a while, need to get my groove back again. Dumbbell rows - 2x15 @ 150 lb. DB each arm Still dreaming of a gym where I can find dumbbells that actually go up to 200 lbs! Wide grip pulldowns to sternum, about 30 degree lean back - 1x10 @ 230 lbs. 1x8 @ 250 1x6 @ 270 1-arm rows with barbell attached to Landmine unit pivot point on one end - 2x20 each arm @ 75 lbs. plus bar weight (around 100 lbs. total) Cable face pulls 2x20 @ full stack alternated with face down on incline bench DB front raises for 2x20 with no rest between and that was it. Going for a nice walk today, will be doing some conditioning work tomorrow and deadlifting on Sunday!

Been a while, need to get back to keeping my log updated again. Just got back from California 2 days ago, got in my first leg / chest session last night - Close-grip barbell bench - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x3 @ 185 10x2 @ 235, trying for "speed" doubles, kept it moving pretty fast but lost my groove a few times but had fun with it Squats - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x3 @ 225 1x3 @ 275 1x2 @ 315 1x1 @ 335 1x1 @ 355 1x1 @ 375 1x1 @ 395 Dropped weight down 3x3 @ 340 10x2 @ 295 speed doubles, 60 sec. rest between sets, all sets with fast reps Hammer Strength plate-loaded incline press - 3x8 @ 250 lbs. Barbell half squats (12" ROM from pins to lockout) 1x3 @ 405 1x3 @ 425 1x3 @ 445 Easy stuff, just trying to put a few lbs. more on my back now that lower back problems seem to be long over with, time to have fun again. Upper back work coming tonight, deadlifting on Saturday!

It would make the most sense, but sadly, the government here in the USA is far from logical in almost all regards Whatever seems to be a clearly better way to do things is the OPPOSITE of what they'll implement - instead of taxing the items at hand since they're not going anywhere (which would also take out the back-alley criminal element and offer a better guarantee of purity of substance for general safety), the government is much more likely to start a new 100-person committee that'll spend 4 years and $50 billion to say "We can't fix the problem" and consider it a roaring success that warrants a follow-up study on the backs of the taxpayers. At least, that has been the trend for as long as I've been walking the earth!

Not true for all brands. Nutra Summa makes a bloat-free pea protein that actually tastes pretty darned good and tends to not give people the same gas issues that some other brands who cut corners on quality often do.