Maybe I should better explain. A muscle-building program, (even a sub optimal one) done consistently, will still produce results. If you paired up two people with two different training methodologies where one had a “optimum” one and the other had a “suboptimum” one. The first person with the “optimum” training system doesn’t follow it consistently. The other person with the “suboptimum” one follows the program to the letter. The person with the “suboptimum” routine will produce superior results because he/she was consistent.
Agreed, as long as the trainee focuses on progression, above all else.
OP, @ecomeaux1, I’d like to tell you something I wish someone had told me when I started out, so that I didn’t waste years stagnating on programs I thought were sound programs. You have to start with something very basic and milk it dry of gains, then eat more and milk it dry again. Then, once you are intermediate level and know more about your body, experiment until you find something:
That consistently produces progressive poundages in compound movements.
You enjoy
Many different training programs will produce results — CrossFit, bro splits, full body, PL programs, powerbuilding programs, and on and on.
But whatever you choose to do over the years, never, ever lose sight of the fact that the single most important factor to remember is that you are getting progressively stronger, or faster, or better, or building overall work capacity, in major compound movements, over time.
There are 1,000,000,000,000 different ways to do that, but just make sure you always keep that #1 no matter what.
Thanks for that good advice and I will definitely be putting those compound movements first! Wouldn’t be able to build that solid foundation without em!
Does anyone have comments on or tried Westside for Skinny Bastards by Joe DeFranco? I am thinking I will get with this program for several months and switching up exercises every 12 weeks in phases. Would have 12 weeks where my focus would be on bench and deadlift then the next 12 would be squat and overhead press and then so on. I know DeFranco does not preach overhead movements but I am a fan and feel like they are a solid compound. Really liked this program because I am athletic and still play sports, and am looking to stay that way as I gain some weight. It looks to me like a program I would enjoy and stick too so a big reason why I am looking towards it.
And just wanted to add that I would be doing WSFSB III Off-season with some conditioning just to keep the ticker pumpin. It’s a little more updated than the first program.
I ran it. I could be totally wrong but I think @mr.v3lv3t and possibly @T3hPwnisher ran it. It’s a hell of a program that you could do for a very long time, provided you switch things up like the program says to do. You won’t be disappointed by it.
Yup. Ran v 1…back when it was just called “Westside Barbell for Skinny Bastards” because there was no other version, haha.
@ecomeaux1 If you’re going to run that program, you’ll be rotating exercises every 1-3 weeks: NOT every 12. The max effort exercises aren’t there to practice your technique: they’re there to teach you how to strain. You owe it to yourself to, at the VERY least, read this from Dave Tate on the method
More than happy to help if you have any questions, but I also know that @FlatsFarmer and @corstijeir would be even more excellent resources on anything related to the conjugate method. @bulldog9899 too for that matter.
I did run it but only got about 6 or 7 weeks into the program before Covid mandated that I shift gears. Could see myself taking another stab at it sometime in the future for sure. I’d also defer to the posters Pwn tagged for advice though because I’m a total conjugate greenie.
Pick a program, run it for 52 weeks, get plenty of sleep, hydrate, eat enough protein and carbs.
The WS4SB is a great program V1 anyhow, i’m sure they are all good. I can’t speak to the specifics of anything other than V1 because it’s all I’ve seen of WS4SB.
As @Professor_Hulk said the end goal is bigger, faster, stronger, so just make sure that’s happening over a period of time. Evaluate every 3-6 months or more as needed.
I decided to do Reg Park 5x5, going to the gym 3x a week. I have started going do body scans at a local supplement store to keep progress and will log as soon as I have some free time! I have been busy with the semester coming to an end and finals this week.
