Wow, you're in really great shape. For some reason, I thought you were a much older portly gentleman. I'm recalibrating the mental image when I see your screen name. All the best, Andrew.
I can shake your hand. Covid did the exact same thing to me. I gassed out all the time and lost a ton of strength. Few months down the road and I’m fully recovered (and mutated ;-) )
Are you actually friends with him? I am subscribed to his YouTube channel and enjoy his videos. He really is an inspiration!
The pics with Brian Shaw on an commercial airplane in economy are even more hilarious! Or the picture of Phil Heath surrounded by Strongmen during the Arnold Classic backstage. When asked what they thought of Phil's physique, Zydrunas said "nice guy, but pretty small"!
If you simply want to get stronger I would recommend 5-3-1. In my experience nothing beats it. Seems like too little volume at first but if you strictly follow the program all your lifts will PR: https://www.t-nation.com/workouts/5-3-1-how-to-build-pure-strength/ I do 2x a day three days a week but I lift around lunch and then do a crossfit style metcon around 6pm. The other three days I just do metcons and then one day of rest. I don't think I could work out the same muscle group twice a day. I focus on working 8-12 reps with one minute rest between sets BUT I do every set to exhaustion. Example: if I can do 12+ reps on any set I increase the weight. If I can't get at least 8 reps on any set I decrease the weight. The key is to always focus on repping to fatigue and not just mindlessly repping out numbers. For me it's all about time under tension and those last max effort reps. YMMV
Well.....I would say my #4 would be to look like you do in that photo (ha!). I employ a similar diet and espresso regimen (2 caffeinated/1 decaf) and given your workout seems to fly in the face of every bit of advice I've gleaned, I find it very interesting. How was your physique prior to your routine? How long have you been at it?
