[quote]Mina293 wrote:
I think a big road block for me is accepting that I will gain some fat in the process. [/quote]
Bro,
Bulk one week, cut the next bro.
[quote]mbdix wrote:
I’m getting the impression you are looking for some miracle program. It’s not out there. I recomend you do the program you posted and stick with it for at least 3 months.[/quote]
Got it.
[quote]Liam M wrote:
Mina you seem very logical.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over
If you track your cals (actually weighed your food) and you know you are getting 3000 cals then it’s not your diet.
You say you followed the 5x5 protocol and actually applied the deloads etc then you are a far better learner than most.
People are telling you to try different exercise without telling you the form to do it with.
It’s like giving a kid a bike and telling them to ride it and when they fall off you ask them what their diet is like.
All these studies say that fast lifting is better than slow lifting, but if you look at what they call fast (1 second) its actually quite slow. Considering you can move your arm around your torso (over 180 degrees) in a blink of an eye.
I have also been asked what my diet was like and was told to eat more protein, at one stage my brother and I were eating 2kg of meat a day plus shakes etc. well over 500g of protein. We did that for a few months. Have also tried every combination of food in between for periods long enough to calculate results. We are now lucky to get 30-50 g of protein a day. But I digress.
[/quote]
I do understand that you need to filter out the bullshit when you start a thread like this, but most of the responses I got were helpful, thankfully. This thread has fulfilled its purpose. Thanks for sharing your thoughts by the way. 
[quote]Brett620 wrote:
[quote]Mina293 wrote:
I think a big road block for me is accepting that I will gain some fat in the process. [/quote]
Bro,
Bulk one week, cut the next bro.[/quote]
Shut up, bro.
Just my two cents…
For years I never did any set under 6 reps. I felt like I had to leave the gym trashed every day. If I wasn’t very sore the next day, I thought I didn’t work hard enough. I chased the burn, the pump, the drain I felt at the end.
In the past year, I don’t think I’ve done a set OVER 6 reps (extremely rare anyways). I have been following CT’s layer protocol and it has done wonders. In the past, I weighed exactly what I do now (~175lbs). I am leaner now, a hell of a lot stronger, and I think the most distinct difference is in how dense I feel. I may have actually looked a little “bigger” in the past, but there was nothing behind it. No real strength to speak of.
To me, the density work that CT has laid out is the most amazing, fundamental way to maximally train a muscle. If I were to do 4x8 with, say, 70% of my max, resting 2 minutes between sets, that’s fine. But what about doing 30-40 reps with 80-85% of my max in nearly the same amount of time (lower body seems to take a bit longer), but instead just doing small clusters of 1-3 reps performed every 10-30 seconds. My recommendation would be to try that out. No, I’m not trying to get you to program hop, I’m just telling you what has worked for me.
Point being, I ran from the low rep stuff for years because I didn’t “feel” like I worked hard enough at the end of the workout. Now I realize you should feel good at the end, not trashed.
Oh, and that CNS bullshit. That’s just your mind trying to get you to be lazy. Trying to convince you that mediocrity is fine and that it’s better to take a few days off than go train on leg day. I tell my mind to F**K off on a daily basis. If I didn’t, I probably be a fat, lazy, run of the mill guy with no drive or ambition.
[quote]jbalplayr02 wrote:
Just my two cents…
For years I never did any set under 6 reps. I felt like I had to leave the gym trashed every day. If I wasn’t very sore the next day, I thought I didn’t work hard enough. I chased the burn, the pump, the drain I felt at the end.
In the past year, I don’t think I’ve done a set OVER 6 reps (extremely rare anyways). I have been following CT’s layer protocol and it has done wonders. In the past, I weighed exactly what I do now (~175lbs). I am leaner now, a hell of a lot stronger, and I think the most distinct difference is in how dense I feel. I may have actually looked a little “bigger” in the past, but there was nothing behind it. No real strength to speak of.
To me, the density work that CT has laid out is the most amazing, fundamental way to maximally train a muscle. If I were to do 4x8 with, say, 70% of my max, resting 2 minutes between sets, that’s fine. But what about doing 30-40 reps with 80-85% of my max in nearly the same amount of time (lower body seems to take a bit longer), but instead just doing small clusters of 1-3 reps performed every 10-30 seconds. My recommendation would be to try that out. No, I’m not trying to get you to program hop, I’m just telling you what has worked for me.
Point being, I ran from the low rep stuff for years because I didn’t “feel” like I worked hard enough at the end of the workout. Now I realize you should feel good at the end, not trashed.
Oh, and that CNS bullshit. That’s just your mind trying to get you to be lazy. Trying to convince you that mediocrity is fine and that it’s better to take a few days off than go train on leg day. I tell my mind to F**K off on a daily basis. If I didn’t, I probably be a fat, lazy, run of the mill guy with no drive or ambition. [/quote]
I might try CT’s layer protocol when I get a little (a lot) more advanced. I don’t think I’m lifting heavy enough for this kind of program to have a significant effect on my body. I believe that I need to first build up mass/strength/work capacity by doing a lot of sets and reps and focusing on progressive overload, like the program I posted, then move on to a reverse pyramid style of training, where I warm up, do a heavy top set and then do multiple back off sets. Moreover, The layer protocol is more suitable for stocky guys who do better at singles than reps. I’m much better at reps and I’ll build up my weakness after I build strength using reps.
Something to think about: Low reps (1-3) don’t build up your strength as much as they make you better at low reps and maxing. Higher reps (5-12), on the other hand, are more efficient at building mass and strength, which are not mutually exclusive.
Correct me if I’m wrong.
I believe low reps increase strength. Increased strength, in return, gives you the ability to lift heavier weights, therefore creating a greater stimulus on the muscles being worked. A stronger muscle is a bigger muscle. So yes, they aren’t mutually exclusive.
Lower reps may tend to lean a bit more toward pure strength than strength and size, but… If your goal was to build both, would it not make sense to get stronger in the beginning so that your 6-10 rep sets could be used with a heavier weight, therefore increasing muscle recruitment. I’m not saying I’m 100% correct, just giving my opinion of what has worked the best for me.