Comments/Questions After 2nd Blast of FT

[Scott Stevenson]

Since I wrote my thoughts after blast #1 of FT training a while back. I thought I'd do the same after my second blast. I'll do my best to keep this organized

1. First and foremost, the 2nd time around was quite a bit different than the first. I believe this is because I improved my pump sets. What I mean is the first time it was like I went until I just couldn't get past the burn (for lack of a better way of saying it). This time around I was able to treat them much more like working, high rep sets. Probably doesn't make a lot of sense the way I just said that. But if you can read into my wording, it just means my pump sets became much more effective.

2. Another difference is that the first time I went Tier 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3. Quite sure I took it too far and (because of vacation timing) didn't do a proper 2 week cruise. But after a week off for family vacation, I was able to come back feeling fresh for the 2nd blast. This time I did Tiers, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2. Never felt the need to go to tier 3. And by the last half of week 5, I could feel that it was time to take a cruise which started tonight.

3. Strength - the strength gains really came this time around. I notice it most in legs. But honestly upper body is stronger too, just not as much as my leg strength has improved. So upper body strength gains are good, but overshadowed. Example - before FT training I was stuck at squats of 275x5. Last week, I popped off 315x9 Good deep, hamstrings on calves, squats. Very happy about that progression.

4. I had quit cardio all together halfway through the first blast. As a natural fat boy, that didn't go real well for me. So I have been doing 20 minutes of cardio post workout. Keeping my heart rate between 120-125. Seems to be going ok as long as I listen to my body and take the cruises at proper times. And I presume this is also part of why I needed to stay at Tier 2.

So that's it. Still loving it.

Two things I have not worked into FT training yet are deadlifts and shrugs. Does anyone else work these in?

This is is awesome - THANK YOU for sharing.

I literally said, "OH shit" out loud when I read your squat numbers. This was in about 14-15 weeks?...

Were you dieting during this, too - losing fat?... (How much weight lost? Any idea on ∆ in body composition?...)

As far as deads and shrugs:

Deads would mostly likely be included as a rack dead / partial dead for back thickness as a LOADING set (not MR). You could do full deads, of course, too, in which case, I'd def. not precede them with a THighth Loading compound exercise that is low back intensive. (E.g., Day 1, you might use a leg press (deep, feet close together, low on the food plate to focus on quads somewhat) for a compound loading set before you use full deads as a Back thickness exercise on Day 2.

For Tier III, I'd also consider preceding dead with our width exercise to pre-fatigue the lats (lower the weight ab bit).

Shrugs actually can be used as an MR. I have been working in reverse shrugs (BB and smith machine) as an MR a of late for an upper back exercise and really liking them. (I don't have to go nearly as heavy with the bar behind the back and can really focus on tagging all the upper back musculature there in a way that doesn't happen even with doing row in a somewhat upright position.

On a day when someone does shrugs as an MR, another Back thickness exercise might be Pendlay row or a strict T-bar or cable row pulling low into the abdomen (focused on the lats and lower traps to spread the thickness-related work over the whole of the back musculature).



-S