Program Advice from Vets?

Training Bodybuilding
1

Hello fellow T-Nationers.

Iâ??m looking for some serious advice regarding split and training program. My biggest problem is that I usually jump from program to program, but right now Iâ??m committed and have been practicing great nutrition for the past month (400g protein, 300-350g carbs and around 160-180g fat).

Iâ??ve been doing upper/lower body split to regain some strength and right now want to focus on fewer body-parts per training.

Iâ??ve been training for too long and am actually ashamed of my numbers. I suck. And Iâ??m willing to do something about it. Unfortunately it took me too many years to release how much work I really need to put into this to see real progress, now that Iâ??m matured Iâ??m asking vets here for advice I can follow for the next 5 months or so, then itâ??s time for re-evaluation.

Iâ??ll provide all the info necessary so that you can give as precise advice as possible. If Iâ??m to make a program myself a). Iâ??ll screw up b). Iâ??ll be more or less ignorant to weak areas. Yes, everything Is weak. But some suck more than the others.

I can train up to 7 days a week if needed. I want to make progress and go from â??looking like I workout sometimesâ?? to â??That dude does workoutâ??. I’ll create a log here and be accountable to every freakin’ skinny ass like me on the planet!

Here are my recent numbers:

Body-stats
Weight: 182 (started at 120 at least 5 years ago)
Height: 5â??9
BF%: 7 points with real caliper 8%, but it looks a lot more on the picture and it is.
Legs: 23.5â??
Arm flexed: 14.9â??Chest: 40â??
Calves: 15â??2

Front Squat: 190, 200, 215, 235 x 6
Sumo Deadlift: 270, 290, 310, 335 x 6
I sometimes have periods when I train legs for few weeks and then I barely do anything for them, so this numbers are from the last several weeks Iâ??ve been putting in effort twice weekly.

Standing Military Presses: 110, 120, 135, 155 x 6
Pull-ups BW + Belt 10, 25, 30, 30 x 6
Dips: BW + 35, 45, 55 x 12. That is as second exercise and Iâ??ve previously done 135 pounds on the belt for 5 reps.
Rows: 200, 210, 225, 245 x 6
Barbell Benchpress: 225, 235, 245, 255 x 6 (worked up to 125 dbs on flat for 5 reps several months ago)
RDL : 280 x 8 on top set.

Biceps and triceps have been trained after upper body for the past few weeks and before that Iâ??ve not done much direct work for them. Very sporadicallyâ?¦as with everything else.
Alternating DB curls 40 x 8,9
Triceps Deadextensions: 80 pounds for 12 reps.
Reverse Grip Benchpress: 160 x 8 reps, ramped over 5 sets.
Seated Dumbbell Press: 80 x 10

2

Pick a good quality program and stick to it.

If you are looking to get your numbers up, start 5/3/1, shieko, west side, est.

Or, if BBing is your focus, start a typical BBing split and track your progression.

Either way just train hard and eat big. The program just isn’t that important.

3

[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:

Either way just train hard and eat big. The program just isn’t that important. [/quote]

Words of wisdom.

4

I’ve always said that any decent basic program will yield results so long as the recovery elements (food, sleep etc) are in order. I’ve had instances where I’ve gone into the gym and just picked one exercise to pound away with for 40 mins and then left. Even Christian always seems to lean towards less different exercises, but selecting ones that you feel work for you.

I know I’ve mentioned this story countless times, but my best gains were on an abbreviated routine when I was in grad school. With all my class work, I had very little time to train (3, maybe 4x a week, 45 mins tops each session). No fancy routine, no fancy supplements, no fancy foods, just focus, determination, intensity, and consistency. There’s your program :slight_smile:

S

5

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
I know I’ve mentioned this story countless times, but my best gains were on an abbreviated routine when I was in grad school. With all my class work, I had very little time to train (3, maybe 4x a week, 45 mins tops each session). No fancy routine, no fancy supplements, no fancy foods, just focus, determination, intensity, and consistency. There’s your program :slight_smile:

S[/quote]
sorry for hijacking

you mind being a little more specific? or was it the one lift for 40 minutes thing?

6

It was usually 2-3 lifts per bodypart (3 for larger ones, ie legs and back), as heavy as I could handle for strict form, shooting for an average of 6-8 reps, maybe 3-4 work sets per exercise for large bodyparts, 2-3 for smaller ones. Seriously nothing fancy at all, just seriously pushing myself until I thought I was gonna pass out.

At risk of sounding like a nut job, I actually had a pic of Yates on the back of my training notebook with the words “how much are you willing to take” written in sharpie under it. I’d position it in front of me while doing my heavy sets.

Oh, and I recall that I listened to nothing else but White Zombie’s ‘Astrocreep 2000’ during every workout for an entire year -lol

S

7

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
It was usually 2-3 lifts per bodypart (3 for larger ones, ie legs and back), as heavy as I could handle for strict form, shooting for an average of 6-8 reps, maybe 3-4 work sets per exercise for large bodyparts, 2-3 for smaller ones. Seriously nothing fancy at all, just seriously pushing myself until I thought I was gonna pass out.

At risk of sounding like a nut job, I actually had a pic of Yates on the back of my training notebook with the words “how much are you willing to take” written in sharpie under it. I’d position it in front of me while doing my heavy sets.

Oh, and I recall that I listened to nothing else but White Zombie’s ‘Astrocreep 2000’ during every workout for an entire year -lol

S[/quote]

Oh man I love that album lol

8

[quote]Quadforce wrote:
Iâ??ve been training for too long and am actually ashamed of my numbers. I suck.
[/quote]

I don’t think your numbers suck at all. Your numbers are respectable, and so is your 60 pound weight gain in 5 years (if I read that right). Find a training schedule that fits in with everything else you have to do (work, family, whatever) and seems to suit you as far as frequency, volume, bodypart pairings, etc. Surely if you’ve jumped from program to program, by now you’ve tried some routines that you’ve liked better than others. Switching routines is overrated IMO; You can make so many other changes to your program that completely changing a workout schedule that you like seems totally unnecessary and even counterproductive. For example, just simply cycling your rep patterns/loads might give you enough variety that you can stay fresh almost indefinitely.

I think switching routines can be useful, but jumping from program to program all the time is not a good idea IMO.

9

Guys, I settled for modified Dorian Yates Split and would like some feed back.

I’m happy with the split, did two of three workouts, the only problem I’ve is that I do not want to lose strength on my sumo deadlift and can not find appropriate place for it in the program.

I was thinking of borrowing 5 3 1 Loading Parameters for it and put it with the legs and reduce volume on the hams.

Day 1 - Chest, Biceps, Triceps.

Low Incline ramping over 3 sets to 5-7 RM and then do a back-off set with 10% less weight for about 10 reps.
Dumbbell Flat Bench - 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Preacher Curls 3 sets of 8-10
DB Alternating Curls 2 sets of 8-10 (I actually felt pretty destroyed after preachers last night, so I’m thinking of maybe removing this one).

Reverse Grip Benchpress 3 sets of 8-10
Deadstop extensions rest paused for 20-25 reps.

DC stretches after each muscle group.

Day 2
Front Squats ramping over 5 sets to 5 RM and then a back-off set with 10-15% less.
Back Squat - my technique is weak and I squatted to a little box today, placed it at the height where my back starts to round. Touch and go, the negative part was pretty slow because I only wanted to slightly touch the box. 3 sets of 10 reps. Weight is REALLY light so I doubt there will be lower back issues just yet, so I can ride with it for few months I think.
RDL - 3 sets of 10-12
Lying Leg Curl - rest paused, one set.
Calves - 6 sets of 10-20 reps.

Day 3 OFF or just go back here, depends on how I feel

Day 4 BACK + DELTS

Seated DB presses 3 sets of 8-12
Lateral Machine 3 sets of 10-12
Pull-ups 4 sets of 8-10
T-bar Rows 3 sets of 8-10
Face-pulls 3 sets of 10-12 reps

maybe some shrugs and exercise for brachioradialis. Shrugs depending on wheter I get Sumo in or not. Feels like I can not generate enough intensity on the quads with few sets that is why I want to go multi set there. I would like a WM there, but I need to learn on how to trash them without WM too.

Day 5 OFF or repeat Day 1

Day 6 REPEAT DAY 1 for sure!