Hello fellow t-people, I am getting back in the gym after about a 10 month break (I wish I could call it a break, but really I got lazy and fat because of school and have no one to blame but myself). Well since this refreshing break I have gotten fat and weak again. I know it sounds like great fun ,yet for about the past three weeks, I have been eating like a lifter again. I’ve taken some info from articles here and have cleaned up my diet, I have also been to the gym in a consistent manner for the past three weeks and I am back on creatine, Biotest Tribex, multivitamin, vitamin C, and protein powders. I really want to get on a routine that will help me gain some strength and not make me fill like such a bth in the gym, it is quite depressing. I figure with the change in diet and muscle memory I should be able to lose some fat pretty quickly, but of course my main focus is getting the strength up to which the muscle will follow or at least try to follow. What would be a good routine to try and ease back into the swing of things? Maybe the GVT or some Ian King routine? I want to try and adopt a routine and stick with it for about nine weeks and then go from there to more fun and exciting things. Any knowledge or opinions on this matter would be appreciated.
Try OVT by CT in the Lair of the Ice Dog forum. Its a variation of GVT and it is a great routine.
Tony’s right. OVT is probably a better routine than GVT, especially if strength is your goal, but even OVT is geared towards hypertrophy (I’m sure you’d experience strength gains too, especially after a long layoff). Another option is 5x5 training (are you familiar with this?) or anything with low reps (below 6). Let us know if you’ve got any more questions.
If i do the 5x5 what kind of lifts would probably be best suited in order to make sure that I am making the most of my time in the gym? Thanks Mike
Starting off with a high volume program after a long layoff is a mistake, in my opinion. It’s overkill.
Absolutely GVT. I'm currently doing GVT and im telling you - it's brutal. I start with a weight that i could do for 15 reps instead of 20, as Poliquin reccomends. Other than that follow it to the letter, people will start wondering if you have wooden legs because of the way you walk (u know, bouncing from side to side because you hams will scream if you so much as bend your knees). Good luck!
There is a sample 5x5 program in the article “Ripped, Rugged, and Dense” based on a a 3 day split, but basicly the rule of thumb is big compound movements (bench, squats, deads, chins…). There are also numerous threads on 5x5 training that can be found using the forum search engine. I don’t think 5x5 would be too much after you’re long layoff, as long as you ease into it. GVT or OVT probably would be too much.
Try Meltdown 1. I am 200 cals below maintainance and I am both gaining muscle and losing fat. I started it after a 17 day layoff from the gym. It will jumpstart your metabolism and get you feeling like a badas*.
First you need to start tracking your diet. You may want to start with the T-Dawg diet. You can find some information in previous issues. Start with something simple like 5x5 and let you muscles get use to hitting the weights again. Then after 2 weeks try OVT. This program can actually help you trim down and build your muscles up at the same time. When used with the T-Dawg diet that is. OVT can be found in the Lair of the Ice Dog.
Is it better to start off with full blown strength training after a hiatus from the gym? Wouldnt it be better to do a few weeks of endurance type work first in the 10-12 rep range, while doing some cardio to improve your cardiovascular system first, before going on a full blown strength protocol, such as Thibaeudeau’s variation on GVT? Yes - But that’s just my personal opinion. Anyhow, just wanted to make this point - Training is very individual. Every gym is packed with hundreds or a couple thousands of members. How many of these are in GOOD shape?Not many. There are obvious reasons for this, but the one im trying to point out in this post is this: Everyone’s doing someone else’s routines. Unless you have the same fast twitch/slow twitch profile, the same metabolism, the same hormone profile, chances are, there’s probably a better program for you. How else are you gonna explain why the fuck is a skinny bastard with the body of a marathon runner following flex wheeler’s 'magic’workout ‘guaranteed to grow 1 full inch in just 4 weeks’?