Syndr0m's Chesticle Admiration Thread
I'm finally going back to the gym after a ~1 year layoff.
Goals:
1) Strength
2) Size
3) Fun
Old PRs:
Squat 190kg / 420lbs
Here's a vid
Impressive work! Soon you'll be back to the version of yourself in loco's avatar that he thinks about in the shower all too often (I'm assuming).
Lol that was my peak oly time, I remember frontsquatting 140x3 in that vid and feeling high on weightlifting, I had been training with Vasily Polovnikov and Yasha's online club and had just visited Coach Yang for the china oly training week in some olympic center in Qingdao.
I kinda feel sad I never made it to feeling actually proficient (at all) in weightlifting, I loved it so much and I always sucked so bad at it. Coaching myself from the start was such a horrible idea. The only thing I ever got good at was squats, frontsquats and cleans.
Still I think if I had given it 2 more years of similar focus I would've probably made it to Belgian championships (cause almost no one joins)
2025/05/20
bench
8x100 @RPE10
3x8x88 @RPE7-8
2025/05/27
squat
6x140 @RPE6
5x6x123 @RPE5
misloaded all backoff sets it was supposed to be 133, so just did some extra sets
weighted pullups +10kg
4,6,5,4 (total 19)
bicep curls 4x15xbar
2025/06/4
squat
6x150 @RPE8
3x6x137 @RPE7-8
weighted pullups +10kg
3,3,3,3,3,5 (total 20)
nice work on the Squats! what's that gnarly crack at the beginning of each rep?
I have no idea it's pretty impossible for it to be my knees cause I'm pretty sure I'd know about it lol, maybe the shoes? idk
Over the years I’ve had really cracky ankles as well as knees. Don’t any more - not sure why?
I never thought about it but it's actually the same for me, I imagine it's because my squat used to be a lot more of a divebomb+stretch reflex into/out of the hole and nowadays my technique is more refined and I have less imbalances and better rigidity/strength
But no idea how/why it's been for you
2025/06/08
bench
6x85 @RPE6.5
5x6x80 @RPE5-6
My volume is lower than ever (it's literally just squats and bench and pullups once a week each) but I also think I never looked as good as I do now
That being said it's probably because I used to pound beers weekly and now only a couple times a year so my bodyfat is way lower than before
Also being on my back 3 times a week for bjj gave me abs and makes me look more athletic
2025/06/12
squat
5x60
5x60
3x80
2x100
2x120
1x130
1x140
1x150
6x160 possibly a PR
6x136
6x136
6x136
pullups 3,5,5,5,6,6 = 30 total
2025/06/15
bench
6x95 @RPE8.5
4x6x85 @RPE5.5
pullups
3,4,5,6,7,5 = 30
My volume is lower than ever (it's literally just squats and bench and pullups once a week each) but I also think I never looked as good as I do now
That being said it's probably because I used to pound beers weekly and now only a couple times a year so my bodyfat is way lower than before
Also being on my back 3 times a week for bjj gave me abs and makes me look more athletic
Most people do too much overall, or they use too high of intensities for the amount of lifting they want to do. You've really hit a perfect balance for your lifestyle and recovery ability and are now seeing the payoff. Are you still programming with the Juggernaut AI app? That RPE 5-7 work is really where the magic happens and the tissue and strength is being built.
Most people do too much overall, or they use too high of intensities for the amount of lifting they want to do. You've really hit a perfect balance for your lifestyle and recovery ability and are now seeing the payoff. Are you still programming with the Juggernaut AI app? That RPE 5-7 work is really where the magic happens and the tissue and strength is being built.
Yep I've said this elsewhere too I've never felt as good on any program ever as I do on the Juggernaut AI app which is tons of work at RPE5-8 and rarely above except for once a month for 1 set. I always feel good and recovered and never beaten down or cns drained like I did on the "old" stuff like 5/3/1 etc where you constantly max out everything
2025/06/22
deload
squats
3x5x95
weighted pullups 6x3 +10kg
incline shoulder press
15x10
15x12.5
15x15
15x15
2025/06/26
squats
5x60
5x80
3x100
3x120
2x130
1x140
5x150 @RPE7
5x140 @RPE7.5
5x140 @RPE7
5x140 @RPE8
5x140 @RPE8
5x140 @RPE8
Synbro! Looking good in that squatting vid man. I mean it. I am an admirer of the gluteus maximus even in a [insert arbitrary body part or muscle] admiration thread.
Still squatting but haven't been logging, coming up on the end of my training cycle
Hit 180x1 last week @RPE7-8, heaviest since 2017
Gonna try and hit 200 on Friday but it's gonna need a ton of WIM cause the calculators don't quite get me there
I squatted 200kg
Looks very nice!
Pretty quick....I'd guess you have 205 if you can get your head to believe it too.
