looking good bro. definitely keep bulking. you lift your heaviest when your fat stores are sufficiant and with heavy weights comes torn muscles to repair.
Not that I know too much, but was the original point of the thread more about body comp? I mean, sure, the OP derailed it himself, but… well my point is:
So where be the detailing of your diet you promised? “Cleaned up” is a very subjective term.
Just an idea BUT the info on ramping shouldnt be taken like that I dont think. Not saying dont try it but i believe my way will serve you better. The info its_just_me is mostly taken from CTs articles/I,Bodybuilder and I think has confused to many people. You need to perform the number of sets you believe are needed to get you body “ready” to be able to lift to its best, this being to achieve a maximum weight you can do for a specified rep range.
I recommend using a specified rep number, say 5,6,8 whatever, point is to keep performing sets ONLY going to that number of reps (besides the final set). Then you have two options. Increase the loads equally. OR Increase the load increments from small to big. The latter will enable you to decrease the amount of fatigue and will prepare your body for work ahead, and which I believe to be the best.
Below are an example of each, with the concentric portion of the movement always done explosively.
EXAMPLE 1 (ramping up with equal loads)
Stretching (static/dynamic, whichever you prefer)
20xBAR - get the blood flowing
5x60
5x70
5x80
5x90
??x100 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
EXAMPLE 2 (ramping with small increments then larger ones)
20xBAR
5x60
5x65
5x70
5x80
5x95
??x110 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
By using smaller increments at the beginning you are still warming up your body to handle the loads later, but you dont become fatigued from using loads close to your rep max. Doing this I increased my 5-rep max by 5kgs after sitting at 100kgs for 4 weeks.
REMEMBER: if your tired, maybe you lack sleep? wrong time of the day? just woke up but need to get in a quick workout? I seriously recommend just adjusting your working sets accordingly. I can workout an hour after I wake up and still reach PRs every time. If I’m more tired than usual, Ill add in one or two sets, to get my body extra prepared mentally and physically.
For more info on ramping look in the sticky at the top of the ‘bodybuilding forum’. For more info on CTs methods for ramping and I,Bodybuilder, use the search button.
GOOD LUCK
BTW, recommendations on the diet. If your unhappy with what you look like, clean up the diet, reduce some carbs, maybe add some cardio but dont yo-yo around by gaining ten pounds, being scared your getting fat, losing ten pounds etc. Youll just get stuck in a rut like i did for so long.
I learned… said fuck it, i know where i wanna be later, so if it means looking a little softer than i want to be, so be it. A small sacrifice now will pay off later. Eat big, lift big, never look back.
[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:
Just an idea BUT the info on ramping shouldnt be taken like that I dont think. Not saying dont try it but i believe my way will serve you better. The info its_just_me is mostly taken from CTs articles/I,Bodybuilder and I think has confused to many people. You need to perform the number of sets you believe are needed to get you body “ready” to be able to lift to its best, this being to achieve a maximum weight you can do for a specified rep range.
I recommend using a specified rep number, say 5,6,8 whatever, point is to keep performing sets ONLY going to that number of reps (besides the final set). Then you have two options. Increase the loads equally. OR Increase the load increments from small to big. The latter will enable you to decrease the amount of fatigue and will prepare your body for work ahead, and which I believe to be the best.
Below are an example of each, with the concentric portion of the movement always done explosively.
EXAMPLE 1 (ramping up with equal loads)
Stretching (static/dynamic, whichever you prefer)
20xBAR - get the blood flowing
5x60
5x70
5x80
5x90
??x100 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
EXAMPLE 2 (ramping with small increments then larger ones)
20xBAR
5x60
5x65
5x70
5x80
5x95
??x110 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
By using smaller increments at the beginning you are still warming up your body to handle the loads later, but you dont become fatigued from using loads close to your rep max. Doing this I increased my 5-rep max by 5kgs after sitting at 100kgs for 4 weeks.
REMEMBER: if your tired, maybe you lack sleep? wrong time of the day? just woke up but need to get in a quick workout? I seriously recommend just adjusting your working sets accordingly. I can workout an hour after I wake up and still reach PRs every time. If I’m more tired than usual, Ill add in one or two sets, to get my body extra prepared mentally and physically.
For more info on ramping look in the sticky at the top of the ‘bodybuilding forum’. For more info on CTs methods for ramping and I,Bodybuilder, use the search button.
GOOD LUCK[/quote]
Good advice, but I don’t see a world of difference to be honest.
I’m fond of CT’s recommendations…because they work lol. I’m not a stranger to progress due to making adjustments this year/end of last year (and much of it was in line with CT’s advice). Kept hovering around 120kg for bench, now my PB is 145kg. I’ve not got good genetics or anything, and I’m natural. Started off with a body weight of 130lbs/59kg/just over 9 stone (at 6feet, when I was 19 years old), and my bench used to be 60kg lol! In fact, if you include the “training” in my late teens, I started off with 35kg on the bench…how embarrassing hehe.
[quote]A Ninny Mouse wrote:
Not that I know too much, but was the original point of the thread more about body comp? I mean, sure, the OP derailed it himself, but… well my point is:
So where be the detailing of your diet you promised? “Cleaned up” is a very subjective term.
[/quote]
Not saying that you can just eat whatever, and especially not too many carbs, but if the training is good (decent amount of volume/intensity), one can “get away” with things a bit more (especially since the OP is young). The above obviously depends on genetics; if you naturally have a slow metabolism (e.g. was chubby as a child) then you have to exercises more caution with diet and likely do cardio when bulking.
Besides that, the training advice was on top of the previous advice about nutrient timing (e.g. spacing meals out, eating more around workouts), lowering carbs etc.
Thanks, thats good advice about if you feel tired do more sets to warm up, definately helps out. Been feeling ill for the past few days so havnt been eating properly and feeling really tired. When I started bench today even 60kg felt heavy so I did a lot of sets to build up to my max and felt much better. I got 105kg for 4 so I’m up from 95kg for 6 in about 3 weeks.
[quote]its_just_me wrote:
[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:
Just an idea BUT the info on ramping shouldnt be taken like that I dont think. Not saying dont try it but i believe my way will serve you better. The info its_just_me is mostly taken from CTs articles/I,Bodybuilder and I think has confused to many people. You need to perform the number of sets you believe are needed to get you body “ready” to be able to lift to its best, this being to achieve a maximum weight you can do for a specified rep range.
I recommend using a specified rep number, say 5,6,8 whatever, point is to keep performing sets ONLY going to that number of reps (besides the final set). Then you have two options. Increase the loads equally. OR Increase the load increments from small to big. The latter will enable you to decrease the amount of fatigue and will prepare your body for work ahead, and which I believe to be the best.
Below are an example of each, with the concentric portion of the movement always done explosively.
EXAMPLE 1 (ramping up with equal loads)
Stretching (static/dynamic, whichever you prefer)
20xBAR - get the blood flowing
5x60
5x70
5x80
5x90
??x100 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
EXAMPLE 2 (ramping with small increments then larger ones)
20xBAR
5x60
5x65
5x70
5x80
5x95
??x110 **maximal effort trying for 5 or more. If reached increase the weight next time, if not stay there till you get it.
By using smaller increments at the beginning you are still warming up your body to handle the loads later, but you dont become fatigued from using loads close to your rep max. Doing this I increased my 5-rep max by 5kgs after sitting at 100kgs for 4 weeks.
REMEMBER: if your tired, maybe you lack sleep? wrong time of the day? just woke up but need to get in a quick workout? I seriously recommend just adjusting your working sets accordingly. I can workout an hour after I wake up and still reach PRs every time. If I’m more tired than usual, Ill add in one or two sets, to get my body extra prepared mentally and physically.
For more info on ramping look in the sticky at the top of the ‘bodybuilding forum’. For more info on CTs methods for ramping and I,Bodybuilder, use the search button.
GOOD LUCK[/quote]
Good advice, but I don’t see a world of difference to be honest.
I’m fond of CT’s recommendations…because they work lol. I’m not a stranger to progress due to making adjustments this year/end of last year (and much of it was in line with CT’s advice). Kept hovering around 120kg for bench, now my PB is 145kg. I’ve not got good genetics or anything, and I’m natural. Started off with a body weight of 130lbs/59kg/just over 9 stone (at 6feet, when I was 19 years old), and my bench used to be 60kg lol! In fact, if you include the “training” in my late teens, I started off with 35kg on the bench…how embarrassing hehe.[/quote]
true. in all honesty i thought u were a real beginner. nice numbers
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
Thanks, thats good advice about if you feel tired do more sets to warm up, definately helps out. Been feeling ill for the past few days so havnt been eating properly and feeling really tired. When I started bench today even 60kg felt heavy so I did a lot of sets to build up to my max and felt much better. I got 105kg for 4 so I’m up from 95kg for 6 in about 3 weeks.[/quote]
good numbers. keep it up
Thanks
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
6-10 sets! Really? I’m sure I read a thread about ramping where Professor X said that he just does 3 sets also when Ronnie Coleman does bench he does 5 sets and thats with working up to 500lbs! Today when I did chest for bench press I ramped up to 102.5kg for 5 reps by doing-
20 kg for 20
60 kg for 10
60 kg for 12
90 kg for 5
102.5 kg for 5
I thought that would be enough?
I should probably say also that for most exercises I am ramping up to a 10 rep max although on Deadlift, Bench press, Squats and CGBP arms day I am ramping up to a 5-7 rep max.[/quote]
This is fine, and is what is meant when you hear pros say that they “pyramid up” to a top weight. “Ramping up” is basically the same thing, there are just different methods of how to do it (CT has a whole thread in his section about different ramping styles).
Personally though, when doing that style of ramping I wouldn’t do 5 reps with 90kg if my goal was to do 5 with 102.5kg. I’d do something like:
30kg x 12-15 (if it’s my first exercise in my workout and I need to just get some basic warm-up)
50kg x 8-12
70kg x 5-7
90kg x 2-4 (just to get used to using a heavy weight, but you don’t want to fatigue yourself)
102.5kg x amap (hopefully somewhere around 5 in your given example)
On all additional exercises for that body part you won’t need as many (if any) warm-up sets though.
Perhaps the next one (if it’s also fairly heavy, say incline BB/DB bench) maybe you’d need 1-2 warm-ups, just to get the groove of the exercise and acclimate your muscles to using heavy weight in that movement pattern. But for something like cable cross-overs or DB flyes you really wouldn’t need any warm-ups and could basically jump right into your working set(s).
So would you recommend doing just 1 set on the assistance exercises as I’m already warm or do 2-3 sets with the same weight?
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
So would you recommend doing just 1 set on the assistance exercises as I’m already warm or do 2-3 sets with the same weight?[/quote]
Kind of depends on how many assistance exercises that you’re doing, how the program is set up, frequency, etc… I can’t really give you any mandatory rules as far as whether 1 set or 2-3 sets would be better without knowing your program, your individual recovery abilities, and how hard you are pushing it when you do your set(s). And even then, such rules are really more like guidelines to simply point you in the right direction and allow you to figure out for yourself what you can and cannot handle.
If say you only did one assistance exercise, I’d probably go with 2-3 sets. If you were doing 3 assistance exercises, then maybe 2 sets of one and 1 set of the other two. Or maybe one of each would suit you better. Again, it would depend.
[quote]pro-a-ggression wrote:
true. in all honesty i thought u were a real beginner. nice numbers[/quote]
That’s ok, thanks. I guess I get taken the wrong way often because of my enthusiasm and big mouth lol.
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
Thanks, thats good advice about if you feel tired do more sets to warm up, definately helps out. Been feeling ill for the past few days so havnt been eating properly and feeling really tired. When I started bench today even 60kg felt heavy so I did a lot of sets to build up to my max and felt much better. I got 105kg for 4 so I’m up from 95kg for 6 in about 3 weeks.[/quote]
How long is it before you had a break from lifting (or at least, a period where you “took it easier”)? Have you been into new poundage territory for long, or how has your progress been?
[quote]Sentoguy wrote:
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
So would you recommend doing just 1 set on the assistance exercises as I’m already warm or do 2-3 sets with the same weight?[/quote]
Kind of depends on how many assistance exercises that you’re doing, how the program is set up, frequency, etc… I can’t really give you any mandatory rules as far as whether 1 set or 2-3 sets would be better without knowing your program, your individual recovery abilities, and how hard you are pushing it when you do your set(s). And even then, such rules are really more like guidelines to simply point you in the right direction and allow you to figure out for yourself what you can and cannot handle.
If say you only did one assistance exercise, I’d probably go with 2-3 sets. If you were doing 3 assistance exercises, then maybe 2 sets of one and 1 set of the other two. Or maybe one of each would suit you better. Again, it would depend.[/quote]
Alright thanks and my program is posted earlier in the thread.
[quote]its_just_me wrote:
[quote]Getting Closer wrote:
Thanks, thats good advice about if you feel tired do more sets to warm up, definately helps out. Been feeling ill for the past few days so havnt been eating properly and feeling really tired. When I started bench today even 60kg felt heavy so I did a lot of sets to build up to my max and felt much better. I got 105kg for 4 so I’m up from 95kg for 6 in about 3 weeks.[/quote]
How long is it before you had a break from lifting (or at least, a period where you “took it easier”)? Have you been into new poundage territory for long, or how has your progress been?[/quote]
About 6 weeks ago. Progress has been up and down, went through a stage where I seemed to make no progress. I then started making good progress but got ill and lost about 10lbs, started making progress again, gained back the weight I had lost and got ill again, lost 10lbs again and seemed to gain fat. Since the last time I was ill gains have been coming slowly