THT 4.0 Volume 3-day split, week #1

What can I say? I went back to a MuscleHack Volume workout after my 10 weeks of THT HIT experimentation. I'm not regretting the flip. Indeed, it's kicking my ass already! Legs and shoulders (but not traps - whoops!) are tonight after work. My expectation? Lots of work and lots of PAIN in 2 days from now. Can't wait to hit it hard this week with Christmas coming soon!

Remember, MuscleHackers... Christmas isn't a time to deny yourself a little enjoyment with family and friends so long as you don't go overboard and you don't let indulging / over-indulging become the new "you". Be smart, eat what seems fair and feel free to "punish" yourself when you're back in the gym with a little extra work if you want.

We all want to be in the best shape that we can be in, ultimately. We want to look good, feel good and be healthy. However, that doesn't mean you need to drink only water and eat lettuce all through the holiday season. Enjoy your holidays and don't lose sight of the fact that fitness isn't a destination - it's a lifestyle choice. You can "splurge" once in a while and be in great shape year-round.

All the best, MuscleHackers! Lift hard and train smart!

Adam

Week #10 thoughts and post-Experiment thoughts

The article is now up on MuscleHacker.com. So happy to be done with the writing side of the project! I do like to write on occasion, but this was quite the 10-week set of exposition for me. It's a break from the ordinary though, so I should be happy about that.

These pics are just after week #10, as of Dec 15th. On the other hand, I'm not really pumped in them so it's a bit of both sides of the coin.

Things I've noticed from the above pics: My abs are really starting to take off - this makes me unbelievably happy. My arms are developing nicely, my chest is building at a wicked pace. I'm sticking around 10% BF - always a good thing when you're telling everyone that you're a MuscleHacker. ;) Oh, and my traps are really coming along - so are my legs. I don't think I have a part of me that isn't coming along. I bet you can guess how that makes me feel. ;)

Lift hard and train smart, MuscleHackers!

Adam

Week #9 wrap-up notes

This was the penultimate week to my THT 4.0 HIT experiment. I hit my first serious walls - biceps and calves. The way around each is complicated. Biceps - I seem to need to alternate between low-pulley single cable curls and mid-pulley single cable curls.This is meeting with slow success as the weight I'm moving might dictate that I ultimately drop a bit of weight and focus on the motion and cadence. I've had to do this before but not for biceps. The important thing to remember here is that the number, or the weight being moved, does not matter.

The second "wall" is my calves. Again, I'll likely need to drop a bit of weight and make sure I get back to a proper Range of Motion (RoM) but they're also getting quite strong and hitting the right balance of weight and RoM is tricky.

I'm really debating writing the remaining 2 weeks of articles for MuscleHacker this weekend. I just think that I might just publish one last article for weeks 8, 9 and 10.

Oh, and a pic from week 9.

Lately I consider myself lucky, as I seem to just be growing everywhere. It's to the point now that I own several pairs of jeans that I simply cannot wear because my quads don't fit in them. Even today I put on one of my favourite t-shirts for work and it was evident that I can't wear it to work for much longer as I'm a lot bigger than I used to be and it hangs off me - and almost above my waist. OK, one more.

So just remember MuscleHackers - lift hard and train smart. You'll hit your goals every time.

All the best for a great weekend!

Adam

THT 4.0 HIT Experiment Week #7 and Week #8 Notes

Well, it seems the further along that I come during this THT 4.0 HIT experiment, the quicker the time seems to fly by! In truth, Week #8 is also done - but we'll get to that. In the meantime, my observations on Week #7:

Lifting was no harder for me than Week #6, but the mental "load" was greater. Not the first of these things was the fact that I managed to hit 300lbs for bench right at the very end of my week. This mental boost was enough to carry me right through the next week. Today is rest day #2 for me and I'm still amped from the gym.

Full details on Week #7 (and soon, Week #8) can be found on MuscleHacker.com.

Now, for the usual suspects - the pics.

First pics was right after training biceps. Peaked, but couldn't fully flex to show striations.

Second pic is obviously post-everything. One of my recent faves of me, and that's saying a lot because I'm still my own harshest critic.

Third pic is an "unusual" pose for me, which is why I took it.

In the second pic,which is also up on the MuscleHack FB page, an interesting question was posed: am I losing bodyfat? The unscientific answer is "No, or at least I'm not trying to right now". If anything, my carb intake is about the same lately. I'm eating more of all of my macros because I am adding what seems to be slabs of muscle during this experiment cycle and I want to keep it around. I'd wager my abs being more "evident" is because I'm finally training them right again and they're literally exploding in size. As always, this is completely without factual measurements or other evidence - just my own observations.

Week #8 observations: I finally ran into a wall training biceps. I've moved from standing single cabled curls with the pulley at the floor (day 1-2) to standing single cabled curls with the pulley at waist height. This allows me to not worry about getting the weight off of the floor and focus on the RoM and PCP of the exercise. Also, my back is moving nicely and no rocking needed with the weight - MUCH safer. Triceps are moving well on their second go-round with 2-handed pressdowns. Overall, everything is on a roll and I'm stoked for the last 2 weeks of the experiment!

Have a great day MuscleHackers! Lift hard and train smart!

Adam

THT 4.0 HIT Experiment vid - pec deck burnouts!

I think I honestly had one more rep "in" me, but my camera-phobia set in and I was left unable to do any more. See what the mental aspect of things can do to you???

I harassed my bud Oscar to take some more vid footage of me doing another burnout set. Eventually, over the next couple of weeks, I hope to video some of the actual components of the experiment. In truth the entire experiment, except for the burnouts, is completely based off of the MuscleHack THT 4.0 HIT cycle.

Also, a bit of news before the vid: I'll be doing up a FB page for the blog that Mark will likely tie into from the MuscleHack FB page. This will make it even easier to share my journey with everyone who has an interest in MuscleHacking - and my journey with it.

Now, the vid:

I make the funniest faces when I work out. :/

So, the usual disclaimers: I might not make it look that way, but that's a lot of weight. Please don't attempt that weight if you're not at that level in your training yet. Doubly so on the narrow-grip pec deck (I move 290 there). Work your way up in your weights and reps safely in your workout - continual gain in smaller steps is infinitely preferable to too much of a "jump" and an injury. If you're new to working out and you haven't been active for some time prior, consult your family doctor for an evaluation before starting a workout plan.

There'll be another MuscleHacker.com update this weekend as time permits. I'm in the middle of Week #8 of my THT 4.0 HIT Experiment. So far, it's awesome! My plans when I'm done are to go to the 3-day THT 4.0 Volume workout.

Have a great weekend, MuscleHackers! Train hard and lift smart!

Adam