Offseason in Full Swing!

Hello everyone,

Well now that my contests are over i am slowly transitioning back into bulking. I am taking a much slower approach to fully take advantage of the "post-contest window of growth".

As you all know I recently hurt my shoulder (nerve damage while doing hack squats?). Really weird injury but in the end I believe it helped me train alittle smarter. So i have taken a full week off after my contest and am starting on a 3 week deload period before getting into my old PR's. I want to make sure my shoulder is 100% before anything else!

My main focus while bulking is...
**PROGRESSIVE POUNDAGE INCREASE and STRIVING TO INCREASE MY 1-Maximum Rep ON THE "BIG 3"(Squat, Deadlift, Bench)**
I will be judging the effectiveness of my training by the poundages I am moving in "good form"

For the past 2 years i have been training higher volume in hope of more gains, so my new approach is Reduced Training Volume + Frequency will produce more gains....based on my previous journals lower volume and progressive poundage increase worked the best for me. For a while i was spinning my wheels doing every new routine i read or saw, and i took my eye off the big picture.

Key Points I will be focusing on:
-Riding the notion that more exercises = more growth
-To get bigger I must focus on the body as a whole rather then in "parts"
-Getting stronger in the "Big 3" and increasing my ability in others
-"Milking" each exercise in each Training cycle until i plateau on that exercise then switch it out
-Less training usually means more strength and growth
-Staying relatively lean while making good strength gains

My routine:
Monday: Legs (Squats*)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Push (BB Presses*)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Pull (Deadlifts*)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest
**Main focus exercises

Cardio: 2 HiiT sessions/week, but this will get cut down eventually as i slowly increase my calories back to baseline

I have giving myself plenty of rest days this time around, which is something i missed and overlooked in the past

Basics of my training split:
40 to 60 minutes/session
1 main work set/main focus exercise
2 to 3 work sets/exercise
4 to 15 reps per work set

Nutrition
BULK: 10 week (40/40/20; P/C/F)
CUT: 2 week (-25-35% calories)

Note: I will be gradually raising my calories over the 10 week bulk, whatever is necessary to keep steady and consistent weight gain (>1 lb/2 weeks).

Goals for my first training cycle:
Increase 10lbs to Big 3 by end of cycle
Bodyweight Goal: "Lean" 185lbs by end of cycle

Starting 1RM (I underestimated these big time due to my shoulder, i believe these are good starting points)
Bench: 270
Deadlift: 420
Squat: 400

Starting Weight: 174lbs

Supplements:
Xtend- 1 scoop btwn meals, 2 scoops Post W/O
Creatine
Glutamine
Vasocharge
Animal Cuts
Multi
Fishoil