Prep for Vacation in Feb

Bigger Stronger Leaner
1

Well, I am going for a cruise with my family in febuary. Long way off eh? Gives me plenty of time to train. Thus the reason for this post. Some background first…

I am a very active guy, and I am even runinig a marathon on sunday. I primarily train for strength and overall athletics/conditining. I do a bit of bodybuilding stuff, but not much. Since training for the marathon I am lighter than normal, but I am a fairly strong guy. I have plenty of stamina too.

Now, basicly I want to look better for the vacation. I dont nesccesarily HAVE to have abs or whatever as long as they are at the very least a bit toned, so bascily I want to be bigger and more toned overall. My normal weight is 190, my weight now is 183 at a hight of 5’9".

I am thinking that if I slowly work my way back up to 190 or a little better from where my weight is now, and use bodybuilding techniques to get there, my overall body would look better. However, I am not sure. So, can anyone with more experience in bodybuilding give me some help? What about high vs low volume? Can I combine my training now with bodybuilding as well? Thx a lot,I will most likely have more questions, and heres a few stats below.

Stats:
Dips @ 190 + 60lbs=250lbs for 7 reps
Pullups @ 190=24 reps
Handstand pushups @ 190 + 10lbs+=200lbs for 5 reps
24in box jump squat @ 190=31reps
Leg press @ 500lbs=15 reps

(These stats are not the entirety of my workout, just the ones I am most proud of.)

2

Thanks for all the replys. I think I will start with a joke…

-If you think that the OJ trial was between sunkist and minite made, you might be a redneck!

Okay, two jokes.

-If you ever brought a six pack 'o beer to a funeral, you might be a redneck!

3

There is hell of a lot of guys on this forum you should listen to on this site before me, but in my opinion just go through the articles and find any basic program and do it.

Some guys that come to mind are christian thibaudeau, john meadows, or jim wendler. Granted only meadows is the boydbuilding guy among the group, but whatever route you take just work the hell out of the program, dont change shit in it. And Eat to grows but still remain in control. Don’t gt fat because you think you need to, but if you get a little sloppy it happens.

Than 3 or so months away from the cruise, than start to worry about the abs.

just my 2 cents.

4

Do you know anything about bodybuilding/weight-lifting? I don’t even know how basic to go.

Like the other poster said there are plenty of options in terms of programming. Easy way to narrow it down: number of days you’ll be in the gym each week. Notice it is in the gym, not thinking about going to the gym… 3/4 days I’d go with westside for skinny bastards, 5 days you could do a classic bodybuilding split, 6 days could be a more unusual bodybuilding split. Unclear what your typical training is currently so IDK how to integrate it.

Beyond that I would eat minimum 1g protein/1 lb of body weight. Nutrition is kind of complicated… but if you want to gain muscle you will probably need to increase the quality and quantity of your current diet. You look a little plump (if that is you in your avatar) so I would suggest really focusing on quality.

Most people gain fat with muscle, so keep in mind you’ll be wanting to lose that fat eventually. You could also dedicate 2 months to an intense diet, then bulk for 5-6 and cut for 2-3. Your weight will go crazy on that sort of approach. I don’t know much about trying to gain when the trainee is a little plump to start, perhaps another poster can enlighten you. My instincts would be to bulk cautiously and then cut gradually.

If you think going from 183 to 190 will be the sort of physique change you are looking for, I’m kinda curious what your endgame is… 183 to 190 is not that substantial IMO… unless that’s a fat 183 to a lean 190. Which might be what you mean?

Once you have established good form on the core lifts (bench, squat, dead-lift variations) you should expect your strength (weight or reps) to increase every week. If it is not, then you could be not eating enough, not getting adequate rest, have terrible form, et cetera.

Also… your “personal bests” are kind of unusual, if you want to increase your musculature expect to do more lifting and less crossfitting. Save the aerobic circuits for conditioning days or leaning out.

Feel free to post some questions your initial post was necessarily vague in a lot of areas. Realize that in the end, you’ll have to put in the work, not only in the gym, but on the internet/library learning about what you want.

5

Thanks for the replies! First of all, that is me in the avatar, but a year ago. A year ago I was a little bit “plump” as you put it, but my diet was not great. I may not have a six pack now, but I am not plump.

In terms of bodybuilding, I dont know that much. In terms of getting stronger/more athletic is where I am more familiar. For example, increasing weight/reps in various excersises is what I know, vs trying to build up my size.

In terms of training, if I really wanted or needed to, I could train 7 days a week, meaning I am flexible. If a split is the best way to go, then I can do that, or if some other style is better, I can do that too. At the moment I do 4 days a week fullbody. In terms of the “personal bests being unusual”, I may be “crossfiting” to some degree or another, but it was working for my end goal, which was to preform better in everday life-ie. sports, work, sports, work…In terms of nutrition, I do need to be careful. On my dads side of the family, the genetics are such that it is easyer to build strength and some muscle, but fat comes relativly easy to. However, I have cleaned up my diet over the last year. I want to put it on the record though that I never have been overweight or anything, workingout at least kept me from turning into a lard ass. I think the problem may be that the only place fat stores on me is the belly, but luckily it has never been too bad or anything.

In terms of going from 183 to 190, I was basicly thinking of “transformations” that I have seen where people only gain a few pounds but they look draticly different. However, if I could go up higher and remain with a flat/toned belly at the very least, that would be fine. No problem there.

(If you need some more info, which you probobly do, let me know)

I am not planing to be a competitive bodybuilder. All I want is to build a better looking body. My body looks okay, but not where I want it. I want to look good, and perform good. I would like to put up pics, but at the moment I dont really have a way to. I think I will put up progress pics as I go later on(and get paid!). But again, thanks for the help so far.

6

Alright well this is a bodybuilding forum but I think I/we can help you anyways.

A word of advice… easy on the functional athleticism talk… for example, if an NFL player trains like a bodybuilder in the weight-room, is bodybuilding training therefore optimum? That is a rhetorical question. Function is nebulous, let us only worry about your goals.

The transformations can be somewhat misleading, as they rarely mention body-fat fluctuations.

Difficult to advise you given IDK what you currently look like. If you are indeed not plump, then I would bulk. If you really enjoy your cardio/circuit days then consider doing westside for skinny bastards 3-4x a week then doing cardio on days when you aren’t in the gym. If you’re motivated you have already googled this program as I mentioned it in a previous post… :wink:

Basics… cruise is in february, it is now mid-May… ~9 months. If it were me I would bulk for 6-7 (depending on how much fat I gain) then cut for 2-3. This is a basic bodybuilding approach, to bulk then cut.

7

The westside one sounds real intresting, but of course I need to do other reserch as well. I do also like the sounds of stronglift 5x5, but again, more reserch!

8

[quote]countrylifter wrote:
The westside one sounds real intresting, but of course I need to do other reserch as well. I do also like the sounds of stronglift 5x5, but again, more reserch![/quote]
Take a look at KingBeef’s “Do This Routine Instead Of That Dumb One”.

9

Interesting, very intresting. Thanks too!