nice job man, huge difference
Great job Epps! Now you can try adding a set of three reps to each exercise per session for your big exercises. And cut your number of exercises down to those like on your first day: 3-4. Once you reach 10 sets of threes, then add more weight (10-5) and cycle back to sets of 6 x 3’s. You will continually progress.
Also, if you are looking for strength and a big chest, and big forearms, and arms, etc… Develop the strength first. Then do one of these splits listed on here.
Also CT’s new articles on HTMU recruitment are great as contractile and rep guidleines. But you are obviously getting a lot out of your training already… So if you hit another wall, try umping the sets. This is described on the post about Doug Hepburn’s Training posted by the Admin. Hope it keeps workin out for you brother!
*guidelines,& *upping- sorry.
Here’s a link to the Hepburn discussion. I’ve just started that progression and it sounds like a great idea.
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=2268213
Hope this helps.
ya I’m going to go for strength first, I favorited a bunch of articles on specific size builders, like arms, chest, shoulders, legs, abs, etc, most of which are CT’s.
As for the number of lifts, keeping it low (3-4), I’m worried I’ll pick the wrong lifts, and since I’m only doing 3-4, I’d be missing a lot. exp, if I have on my arms day: chin ups, dips, dumbell curls, rope pushdowns, and DB curls aren’t the most bang for my buck, now all I have for bi’s are chinups. To fix this, I’m calling on you T-Men to help me devise a workout.
I think you’ve got a better physique than many of the rest of us who post here. It might just be time for you to start posting in the BB forum.
The ‘shock’ training you’re looking for is from Arthur Jones, I think.
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1363422
Otep you flatter me, but I don’t think I’m far enough yet to post there. someday, someday…
thanks for the link, though. that WAS what I was talking about.
just an update
got back from CA last wednesday (9th) and bench had gone down a little, but that’s all that went down (flat BB and incine DB). oh, and a little on the pullups, but everything else was either same or more. wierd. leg press went up to 630 for 6 sets of 3, wanted to do 600, maybe 610, but someone else left 630 on and I didn’t want to puss out, so I just sat down and did it.
reading the posts in “brotherhood of iron 2.0” and I’m starting to think that either I’m up there in the numbers of strong men on this site, or some people don’t take lifting seriously (or just started recently). obviously I’m hoping the first is true, but it’s probably the second.
going to start bulking a little after my birthday (august 11) to get ready for college life again. got “Uncontrollable Growth” by Mike Roussell favorited, along with “7 habits of highly effective nutritional programs,” “cooking for manly men,” “good sh!t,” “grass-fed beef recipes for a healthy, hard body,” “lean and mean cookin’,” 2 “recipe of the week,”-s, “Shugart’s hammer,” “Superfood super recipes,” “volumize your diet,” and “when gourmet meets nutrition.” going to use animal pack (has done wonders for everyone I know who used it. yes, EVERYONE), Alpha Male, and creatine. obviously protein is going in, and fish oil to prevent joint problems. going to use programs I found on here for lifting once I get back to college (after shocking my CNS with that article Otep gave me), such as the HSS-100 programs and pillars of strength, to name a few. you know, focus on one piece at a time. after I’m done with that, I have a few other articles saved as well, such as the Beast Buildig articles.
Are you still thinking about joining the USMC as an officer? If you value your health and your physique, don’t do it. Its a service commitment and I can guarantee you’ll become a weak beanpole and have to start all over once your initial training is complete.
I know a guy very well who lifted with me, but he was stronger. said getting through USMC basic was easier for him than the other guys mainly because of his strength. as soon as he knew he wanted to be a marine he started running more long distances, but kept up the lifting portion as well. (he never ran much before deciding to join) enlisted maybe 2 months after.
my plan is to get stronger now and in the winter/spring, do crossfit training next summer, lift and run distance next winter/spring, and go to PLC summer after that.
slouching a bit in the first pic, but I promise my posture has improved a lot, I just didn’t realize it when I took the picture and I’m too lazy to take another one. 
I want to thank everyone who suggested using dumbells, it really helped my chest growth a lot. I’m doing Thib’s “12 weeks to war-ready guns” to help the arms, and they’ve already grown noticibly. the girlfriend says her favorite (non-sexual) thing about me is my arms, and I owe it to Thib. however, during every arm workout I’m cursing his name under my breath.
Do you train obliques directly?
Nice improvement.
You’ve got me by only 4lbs and 4%bf, but you look a lot thicker through the chest and a little thicker through the shoulders.
I looked at your routine at the beginning of this thread and now I see why: While our arm training looks similar in weight, you really pound the shit out of your chest and are well above me in weight there. I guess I need to start hitting chest with a few more movements.
You’ve come a long way, I hope to say the same thing about myself in another year.
I was actually around…196? I think, when I took that pic. I’m down to 191, and it’s really wierd, but even though I’m lighter, my bench and everything is up…except my squat. one of the few lifts that add bodyweight to the bar weight, and I’m getting weaker as I get lighter. anyone have any suggestions why? if my bench was going down with it I’d say “eat more” but that’s not the case.
and no, I don’t train obliques directly. until yesterday, I didn’t do abs at all since mid-april. I got kicked a few times in my taekwondo class (need the PE credits ) and realized I need to get them strong again. they’re visible, but I’m betting that’s only because of my low bodyfat.
EDIT: and I’m sure you’ll match me, if not pass me. keep lifting hard, eating right, and don’t give up or let up. 
I’m down to 192 from 200, and I’m finally starting to gain strength again after spinning my wheels for a while. I tried a few programs that I apparently wasn’t ready for.
Now I’m on a volume-based body part split. After I drop down to 185, I’ll lower the reps back down and increase the sets. I hope to surpass where you are now in six months… We’ll see.