Hyde’s Strength Odyssey

[Hyde]

4/23/24
BW 247.0

Core Rotation against wall
Band Pullaparts, Snatch
Bird Dogs
Psoas/hip stretch
Pallof Press
KB Suitcase Carries
Hip Thrusters on bench
BW Squat

Squat, Duffalo Bar
55,165x5
+2-ply sleeves
275x3
+belt
341x3
385 5x3

SSB Squat, beltless
295 3x8

SSB Hatfield Squat, deadlift stance
245 2x10 w/ 3-sec eccentrics

Reverse Hyper
360 5x10

Quad tendon aching pretty good once I took off the heavy sleeves, but I was able to get some quality work in at depth because of them nonetheless.

 

[Hyde]

Bloodwork results came back. Really happy with things! Been 7.5 weeks since last draw, and this one is 14 weeks off blast. Wish LDL was even lower, but it’s come down another 14 points & back in range at 97. HDL is up from 37 to 43 now, back in range. Trigs had a great drop from 86 down to 74, liver enzymes and billirubin further down yet despite stopping TUDCA and milk thistle temporarily. Between those, my core leaning out, and fasting glucose down to 79 I know my metabolic and cardiac condition has definitely improved as liver has shed some fat undoubtedly during the intermittent fasting.

eGFR values look great as expected despite training lightly the day prior, and most importantly I saw a substantial drop in my blood viscosity without donating. Platelets went from 291 to 253, RBC from 6.29 to 5.96, HGB from 18.9 down to 17.7 and correspondingly HCG from 55.5 to 52.0. Distribution width, WBC et al look fine per usual, but the big thing is with 7 more weeks off blast and ESPECIALLY from the last month using the CPAP my blood no longer needs to be molasses to oxygenate me at night. Being that RBC takes about 60 days to decay on average, I expect the next month to possibly see some further decline yet.

Plan is to begin slowly ramping up my test daily this week, 40mg daily, to start blast next week (18 weeks out). Masteron should be coming in by Sunday.

 

[SkRaw85]

Glad your bloods are looking good and getting cleaner! It’s the long game.

 

[gphagan1]

Bloodwork results came back. Really happy with things! Been 7.5 weeks since last draw, and this one is 14 weeks off blast. Wish LDL was even lower, but it’s come down another 14 points & back in range at 97. HDL is up from 37 to 43 now, back in range. Trigs had a great drop from 86 down to 74, liver enzymes and billirubin further down yet despite stopping TUDCA and milk thistle temporarily. Between those, my core leaning out, and fasting glucose down to 79 I know my metabolic and cardiac condition has definitely improved as liver has shed some fat undoubtedly during the intermittent fasting.

eGFR values look great as expected despite training lightly the day prior, and most importantly I saw a substantial drop in my blood viscosity without donating. Platelets went from 291 to 253, RBC from 6.29 to 5.96, HGB from 18.9 down to 17.7 and correspondingly HCG from 55.5 to 52.0. Distribution width, WBC et al look fine per usual, but the big thing is with 7 more weeks off blast and ESPECIALLY from the last month using the CPAP my blood no longer needs to be molasses to oxygenate me at night. Being that RBC takes about 60 days to decay on average, I expect the next month to possibly see some further decline yet.

Plan is to begin slowly ramping up my test daily this week, 40mg daily, to start blast next week (18 weeks out). Masteron should be coming in by Sunday.

I thought you were probably getting close to doing another blast. With your blood work looking good and as well as you’ve maintained strength, you should be primed to hit some really good numbers this next blast……PR City

 

[Hyde]

4/24/24
BW 247.0

Band Pullaparts
Core Rotation against wall
Band Angels & Lats
Serratus Activations

Bench, power bar
45 3x5
135,201x5
245x3
280,305x1
285 4x3, 1x7

1-Boardpress
210 2x12

Chin-ups
BWx4,14,14 (warmup, NG, V-grip)

DB Hammercurls
25,30x12

ss w/ DB Rear Delt Flyes
25,30x12

Bar Cable Tri Pressdown
60 2x25

Good session last night; no shoulder pain on the back side like I was getting in previous weeks of benching, and ART guy was pleased as well today with how things have improved. Felt stronger on chin-ups and was surprised I could pull off multiple sets of 14 now! Hoping I can keep progressing that too.

 

[Hyde]

4/26/24

Core Rotation against wall
Band Pullaparts
Cat Camel
Bird Dogs
Psoas/hip stretch
Hip Thrusters on bench
Pallof Press
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Deadlift, power bar
155x5 paused
265x4 paused
315x3
375x2
+belt
420x1 back popped on rep #2

Sumo Beltsquat to 17” box
90,180,230,270,320,360,410x10

Beltsquat to 13.5” box
180,230x12

Reverse Hypers
90x25
180 2x25

Everything was feeling good this morning, did a good movement prep, deadlift was grooving well & felt strong. But for whatever reason, 2nd rep on very first set with 420 my back popped very similar to ~6 weeks ago or whenever my L4/L5 went out of alignment. Stabbing pain and I instantly dropped the bar.

Good news is my back wasn’t actually thrown out, so I am standing normally and not in a bunch of pain. Just a dull 1/10 that is a reminder something bad did happen. But the bad news is that this does mean I can’t rely on training conventional & focusing on that the way I wanted to this prep. Nothing really ‘went wrong’ today; my back just suddenly couldn’t tolerate what was asked of it - but there’s nothing obvious I did wrong like last time, and nothing in retrospect today that I should have done better.

So I will have to take a more fluid approach to this prep going forward, working around my knee and back however best I can - we will have to wait & see what kind of total I can make in the end!

 

[gphagan1]

Glad it doesn’t sound too serious, that would suck. Hopefully you don’t notice any pain in the next few days. It may have still been slightly injured from the previous time and you tweaked it. That was still a great workout though.

 

[Resolve10]

Sorry about the back.

 

[Electrake]

Nows my chance to catch up...

 

[Hyde]

Thanks guys. I’m sad that things aren’t going to be as linear as I had hoped to program, and that a big conventional pull seems out the window for now, but there’s also part of me that is excited for the challenge of the unknown!

 

[Electrake]

Thanks guys. I’m sad that things aren’t going to be as linear as I had hoped to program, and that a big conventional pull seems out the window for now, but there’s also part of me that is excited for the challenge of the unknown!

I'm never catching up natty lol. But your attitude towards everything is inspiring. You'll find a way to get to where you want to be.

 

[Hyde]

I'm never catching up natty lol. But your attitude towards everything is inspiring. You'll find a way to get to where you want to be.

Way I figure it, what’s the alternative? Quit? Your girlfriend breaks up with you, you won’t get anywhere sitting around crying about it. Just gotta go out and get yourself a new girlfriend when you are able. And when you are hurt, there’s nothing to do but try to find a way to take a step forward, then the next, and so on.

I really want to lift, so I am going to eat my food, get my sleep, take my drugs, do my prep/rehab work, and try to lift however I can!

 

[Dustin07]

Thanks guys. I’m sad that things aren’t going to be as linear as I had hoped to program, and that a big conventional pull seems out the window for now, but there’s also part of me that is excited for the challenge of the unknown!

I had a stupid ass long post for this but the short of it is we believe in you and your ability to overcome. We won't accept mediocre results!

 

[SkRaw85]

Sorry to hear man, I hate that sound. Hopefully just a lil niggle and it buffs out soon. Otherwise, bench-a-mania!!!!

 

[BennyMagoo79]

4/26/24

Core Rotation against wall
Band Pullaparts
Cat Camel
Bird Dogs
Psoas/hip stretch
Hip Thrusters on bench
Pallof Press
KB Suitcase Carries
KB One-leg Deadlift

Deadlift, power bar
155x5 paused
265x4 paused
315x3
375x2
+belt
420x1 back popped on rep #2

Sumo Beltsquat to 17” box
90,180,230,270,320,360,410x10

Beltsquat to 13.5” box
180,230x12

Reverse Hypers
90x25
180 2x25

Everything was feeling good this morning, did a good movement prep, deadlift was grooving well & felt strong. But for whatever reason, 2nd rep on very first set with 420 my back popped very similar to ~6 weeks ago or whenever my L4/L5 went out of alignment. Stabbing pain and I instantly dropped the bar.

Good news is my back wasn’t actually thrown out, so I am standing normally and not in a bunch of pain. Just a dull 1/10 that is a reminder something bad did happen. But the bad news is that this does mean I can’t rely on training conventional & focusing on that the way I wanted to this prep. Nothing really ‘went wrong’ today; my back just suddenly couldn’t tolerate what was asked of it - but there’s nothing obvious I did wrong like last time, and nothing in retrospect today that I should have done better.

So I will have to take a more fluid approach to this prep going forward, working around my knee and back however best I can - we will have to wait & see what kind of total I can make in the end!

Sounds like you need to give the Anulus Fibrosis tissue time to settle and harden up!

 

[Segansational]

I'm never catching up natty lol. But your attitude towards everything is inspiring. You'll find a way to get to where you want to be.

^ this. You always seem to have a positive mental approach even with these situations. We can all take a page here!

 

[jimbuick]

Way I figure it, what’s the alternative? Quit? Your girlfriend breaks up with you, you won’t get anywhere sitting around crying about it. Just gotta go out and get yourself a new girlfriend when you are able. And when you are hurt, there’s nothing to do but try to find a way to take a step forward, then the next, and so on.

I really want to lift, so I am going to eat my food, get my sleep, take my drugs, do my prep/rehab work, and try to lift however I can!

View attachment 241764

 

[Hyde]

Sorry to hear man, I hate that sound. Hopefully just a lil niggle and it buffs out soon. Otherwise, bench-a-mania!!!!

Yeah I need to remember that just because I’m not gaining weight doesn’t mean I can’t put up my best bench ever at this size!

Sounds like you need to give the Anulus Fibrosis tissue time to settle and harden up!

Well odd thing is last week I did 405x10 at RPE8-8.5. So I don’t know that tissue tolerance is an issue so much as my ability to maintain position under load?

^ this. You always seem to have a positive mental approach even with these situations. We can all take a page here!

Yeah I mean it sucks - I just know it could be way worse. I have things I can still do, and time to do them, so I am going to focus on that.

View attachment 241770

Sometimes you go with the flow, others you paddle upstream, but still others you just need to pivot!

 

[BennyMagoo79]

Yeah I need to remember that just because I’m not gaining weight doesn’t mean I can’t put up my best bench ever at this size!



Well odd thing is last week I did 405x10 at RPE8-8.5. So I don’t know that tissue tolerance is an issue so much as my ability to maintain position under load?



Yeah I mean it sucks - I just know it could be way worse. I have things I can still do, and time to do them, so I am going to focus on that.



Sometimes you go with the flow, others you paddle upstream, but still others you just need to pivot!

Probably both right now. A torn muscle will have a fairly linear recovery profile but disc injuries are a roller coaster in my experience - lots of little flare ups along the way!

How is your spinal mobility right now?

 

[Hyde]

Probably both right now. A torn muscle will have a fairly linear recovery profile but disc injuries are a roller coaster in my experience - lots of little flare ups along the way!

How is your spinal mobility right now?

That’s a fair supposition!


Pretty good, for me. It’s actually something I have been working on in recent time and moreso the last 6 weeks after the initial back injury.

I got a bit stiff yesterday afternoon/evening, but today I am nearly back to normal. I have no pain today and can bend down & over pretty normally.

 

[Hyde]

4/27/24 -Day 30 of “The Clear” capsules
BW 248.8

Ate a lot of food yesterday, including pizza for last meal, hence the weight spike. I have had zero side effects on whatever this is. So whatever is in the works, I have been eating, sleeping, lifting, and feeling fine day in and out the last month.

I started taking 40mg testosterone daily from Tuesday through Friday. Then today, Saturday, I took 100mg Masteron Enanthate. So about 200 test & 100 mast total this week, and will ramp that more next week. So the official testing of this is over, in the sense that my androgen levels will be supraphysiological from today forward. But I did receive a second bottle (baggie ) of The Clear and will be continuing this the next 3 weeks in conjunction with the beginning of this blast.

 

[Hyde]

4/28/24

Psoas/hip stretch
Cat Camel
Core Rotation against wall

Lat Tie-in stretch
Incline Internal/External Rotators
Incline Williams Extensions

Incline NG DB Press
25,45x15
65,70x30

DB Incline CSR
60,70x20

DB Rolling Tri Extensions
25x12
50 3x12

Standing Calf Machine
80 3x10

Widegrip Pushups
3x20

One-arm Cable Tri Pressdown
22.5 4x25/arm

Pec Deck
120 2x20 slow

Reverse Pec Deck
60 3x35

Went swimming with the fam this morning Back was feeling great all morning, then did some cat-camel and suddenly had low back pain the rest of the afternoon. So I think I need to stay away from any lumbar flexion in any capacity right now while things are cooling off.

Saw some performance increases on everything overall, big pump today.