Leg Day Update #2
Second leg session (from yesterday but i didnt have time to log it) running the ultra-low volume protocol. Kept intensity locked strictly at true failure while keeping volume capped, sticking to heavy machine work to maximize quad/ham tension without loading up the spine or knees.
Workout Breakdown:
* Hack Squat: 2 heavy working sets to absolute failure (185x6 then 165x8) + partials on final set
* Lying Leg Curl: 2 sets to failure + partials at full stretch
* Leg Press: 2 sets to failure
* Leg Extension: 2 sets to failure + partials
* Standing Calf Raises: 1 set to absolute failure
Total: 9 working sets.
Quads and hamstrings were torched locally, but knees and lower back felt completely untouched with zero systemic fatigue or brain fog afterward. Out the door in under 40 minutes, and recovery between sets stayed noticeably higher throughout the session.
I can now easily walk to my car post workout
Next step: Comparing weights and reps directly against the first rotation baseline to confirm if lower volume translates into logbook pr
ogression.
SUUULLLKKKK Bro!! first of all, I owe you an apology because I somehow overlooked this log update!! Going through it properly now, this is one of those logs that actually deserves attention because you’re documenting the process, not just listing compounds and numbers.
Honestly, What I like most is that you’re willing to change course when recovery tells you to. You started with the classic “more is more” mentality, 7 days, a lot of sets, everything pushed hard, and then you actually reacted to what your body was telling you. Dropping volume, removing movements with a poor fatigue-to-stimulus ratio and watching performance instead of ego is a very good sign.
At this point, I’d really like to see current front, side and back pictures, ideally relaxed and under the same lighting. You’re up several kilos from a very lean starting point, and photos would tell us much more than scale weight about whether that gain is going where you want it to.
The good part is
obvious: your recovery seems better, joints are happier, systemic fatigue is lower and your second rotation already looked cleaner than the first. That’s exactly what you want to see when you reduce volume. The fact that you’re walking out of the gym feeling energized instead of destroyed is not a problem. It may actually be the lesson here.
I’d also like to see a couple of comparison shots from week 1 versus now, especially chest, delts, back and legs. You mention fuller muscle bellies and better density, so it would be useful to see whether that visual change matches the performance data.
The only thing I would caution against is going from one extreme to the other. You may not have discovered that “9 sets is perfect”. You may simply have discovered that 17 to 20 sets to failure with no rest days was more fatigue than you could productively use. That’s a big difference.
Same with failure. If every set is true failure plus partials, forced reps or drop work, you’re still creating a lot of fatigue inside those 9 sets. Low volume only works if the quality is high and recovery improves, not if you turn every set into a small war.
If possible, post leg pictures as well, not just upper body. You’re changing your leg training quite a lot, removing back squats, using hack squats, leg press and machines, and that’s exactly where photos can show whether the lower-fatigue approach is still giving you enough stimulus.
On the cycle side, I would keep the same logic. You’re already in a strong growth environment. I wouldn’t automatically increase doses because the calendar says “Phase 2”. If bodyweight, strength and measurements are still moving and your BP, glucose and bloodwork remain controlled, then the current setup is still earning its place.
And one more thing: don’t chase 92 to 95 kg just because it’s written in the plan. Starting at 80 kg and very lean means the first kilos will include glycogen, water and restored fullness. Judge the phase by how you look, how you perform and how much quality tissue you’re actually adding.
So if you can, give us one proper set of progress photos now, then repeat them every 3 to 4 weeks under the same conditions. That would make this log much more valuable, because we’d be able to connect the training changes, the scale and the visual result instead of guessing.
Overall, this is a very good log and the biggest positive is that you’re learning to manage recovery instead of simply trying to survive your own program. Keep the low-volume experiment long enough to get real data, let the logbook tell you if it’s working, and don’t add work just because a 35-minute session feels too short.
The goal is not to leave the gym destroyed. The goal is to come back stronger.
Keep updating this one, brother. And seriously, get those pictures up.
They would add a lot to the discussion!!
Shark
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