Serious Critique Wanted for my Training Program

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

Neither my physique, nor my lifts have been improving significantly the last few months and I am trying to find what is holding me up, and have decided to post here to get the advice of all the more experienced and knowledgeable lifters on this sight.

I am seriously interested in bodybuilding and improving my physique as well as strength. I’ll try to make this post thorough but also brief. I�??ll cover my training, nutrition, and supplement program.

I lifted weights for 1 year around three years ago, stopped lifting for two years, then joined the army, finishing my army training 8 months ago, and have been lifting since then.

I�??m 24, 180lbs, probably around 15-16%bf
I just finished a four week strength focused cycle using three total body workouts a week following a Chad Waterburyesque routine of my own making.

I want to do a 8-12 week bodybuilding (and strength somewhat) program I designed using Thibideau�??s �??How to Design a Damn Good Program�??.

I bought the new 11-T and started using it yesterday, I hope that this will kick start my progress.

2 
           TRAINING PROGRAM

  Two week cycle while on 11-T:

Monday: off
Tuesday: Chest, Lats, Biceps, Triceps

    1A: Bench Press �?? 4X6 w/ 170lbs
1B: Chinups �?? 4X7 w/ BW
2A: Incline DB Press �?? 3X10 w/ 50lbs on each arm
2B: One arm DB Row �?? 3X10 w/ 50lbs
3A: Cable Flys �?? 2X12 w/20lbs on each arm
3B: Straight Arm Pulldown �?? 2X12 w/50lbs
4A: BB Curl �?? 4x6 w/65lbs
4B: Close Grip BP �?? 4X6 w/135 lbs.
5A: DB Incline Bench Curl �?? 3X10 w/25lbs
5B: EZbar Triceps Extensions �?? 3X10 w/47lbs
6A: Cable Curl �?? 2X12 w/ 40lbs.
6B: Triceps Pulldown �?? 2X12 w/ 30lbs.

Wednesday: Quads, Hams, Shoulders, Calves

1: Front Squat - 4X6 w/ 175lbs.
2: Stiff-legged DL �?? 4X6 w/ 225
3: Military press �?? 4X6 w/ 115lbs
4: Seated DB Shoulder Press �?? 3X10 w/40lbs.
5A: One legged squats (pistols) �?? 3X10 w/BW
5B: Leg Curls �?? 3X10 w/30lbs each leg
6A: DB squats �?? 2X12 w/ 80lbs
6B: Back Extensions �?? 2X12 w/25lbs 
    7A: Calf Raises �?? 3X10 w/60lbs	
7B: Cable Side Raise �?? 2X12 w/5lbs

Thursday: Off
Fri: Chest and Lats

    1A: Bench Press �?? 5X6 w/ 165lbs
1B: Chinups �?? 5X6 w/ BW
2A: Incline DB Press �?? 4X10 w/ 45lbs on each arm
2B: One arm DB Row �?? 4X10 w/ 45lbs
3A: Cable Flys �?? 3X12 w/20lbs on each arm
3B: Straight Arm Pulldown �?? 3X12 w/50lbs

(you get the idea, it�??s the same as the above days Tuesday and Wednesday, but with an added set and spread out over three days instead of two)

Sat: Quads, Hams, Calves
Sun: Biceps, Triceps, Shoulders

Two week cycle while off 11-T: (same as above layed out routines)

Monday: off
Tuesday: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Biceps
Wednesday: Quads, Hams, Shoulders, Calves
Thursday: off
Friday: off
Saturday: Chest, Lats, Triceps, Biceps
Sunday: Quads, Hams, Shoulders, Calves

I am planning on increasing the weight from one week to the next if possible while keeping the same number of reps. Maybe increasing the volume from one complete 4 week cycle to the next.

I plan on continuing this workout plan for twelve weeks(changing up the exercises every four weeks). I bought two bottles of 11-T.

3

SUPPLEMENTS:

BCAAs between meals, Fish Oil , Superfood, Multivitamin, Creatine, Rhodiola Rosea, Beta-Alanine, Power Drive, Surge (pre and post workout), Rez-V.

Alpha Male during the weeks I�??m not using 11-T

4 
NUTRITION:
300g protein daily including eggs, tuna, chicken, steak, and Metabolic Drive shakes and bars
300g carbs daily including all types of berries, apples, oranges, nectarines, grapes, black beans, organic seven whole grain bread, oatmeal, and all-bran.
60g fat daily including fish oil, extra virgin olive oil, egg yolks, milled flax seed, and mixed nuts
Which adds up to 2940 cals per day give or take.
Of course I will eat most carbs post workout and the first meal of the morning.
I upped the carbs because it was a suggestion of Bill Roberts while mass gaining using 11-T.
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Sorry about all of the funny looking symbols when I posted my training program on here.

Please, if you experienced lifters have any advice, my ears are open.

6

are those all supersets?

7

That might be a bit too much volume for you. If you still don’t gain while on the new supplement I would cut it down a bit.

Your fat intake may be too low for optimum testosterone. If you really want to know you will have to get a blood test.

Keep accurate notes so you can see where you either have success or have a set back.

Good Luck.

Michael

8

A few thoughts,
That is a LOT of volume to be performing in one session! Looking at your program it looks (to me at least) like your are trying to do two things

  1. Mod/ High Volume
  2. Mod / high(er) frequency.

It probably isnt a great idea to perform both simultaneously! Pick one and do it properly. If you want to perform a high volume training then aim to train each muscle group 1 X per week, if you are looking for a greater training frequency then reduce the volume and aim for 2 x per week. A couple of decent splits would be

Volume Dominant
Day 1: Chest + Back
Day 2: Quads + Hams
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Biceps + Triceps
Day 5:Off
Day 6: Shoulders + Calves
Day 7: Off

Frequency Dominant
Day 1: Chest, Shoulders, Tris
Day 2: Legs
Day 3: Off
Day 4: Back + Biceps
Day 5: Chest Shoulders, Tris
Day 6: Legs
Day 7: Off
Day 8: Back + Bis

When training for greater volume, the goal is to promote as much muscle damage as you can, through significant volumes of work, and repeat once full recovery has occured.

The goal of greater frequency programming is to promote some damage, yes, and some neural adaptations too, and then repeat the training once enough recovery has occured.

Depending on your activity levels, you may need to increase your Calories. Monitor your bodyweight at regular intervals and adjust objectively, if you are not gaining weight then add more Calories. However, you cannot force this - you have a limited capacity to gain muscle tissue.

Train progressively. This is essential. Aim to increase either your loads, sets, reps, reduce rest intervals, consistently. By forcing adaptations (by making yourself do more work - no matter how you decide to achieve it!) and providing your body with the nutrients, and rest it needs to recover, your body adapts and gets bigger.

Bodybuilding is a marathon not a sprint.

9

Do you think I could try using higher volume and frequency during the weeks while on 11-T and then back off on the other weeks, using a planned overtraining/overeaching effect? Or would that not be a good idea at my level?

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[quote]hypnotoad wrote:
are those all supersets?

[/quote]

most of them are, whenever there is like:
1A
1B
it is a superset

11

[quote]barbellman wrote:
Do you think I could try using higher volume and frequency during the weeks while on 11-T and then back off on the other weeks, using a planned overtraining/overeaching effect? Or would that not be a good idea at my level?[/quote]

You could try it and see how you respond certainly. There are no real definited when it comes to training. The problem with both high volumes + Frequencies of work, when combined, is that your recovery capacities will become compromised, no matter what supplement you are using.

You know what I think you should do? regardless of supplements, diets, or whatever?

Pick on basic template, use it till you gains begin to diminish, and then make the smallest adjustments you need to - to ensure that you create a stimulus for adaptation again. But be sure to be progressive and make improvements with it. The easiest variables to alter are sets, reps and exercises (selection, order).

12

[quote]Dave Rogerson wrote:
barbellman wrote:
Do you think I could try using higher volume and frequency during the weeks while on 11-T and then back off on the other weeks, using a planned overtraining/overeaching effect? Or would that not be a good idea at my level?

You could try it and see how you respond certainly. There are no real definited when it comes to training. The problem with both high volumes + Frequencies of work, when combined, is that your recovery capacities will become compromised, no matter what supplement you are using.

You know what I think you should do? regardless of supplements, diets, or whatever?

Pick on basic template, use it till you gains begin to diminish, and then make the smallest adjustments you need to - to ensure that you create a stimulus for adaptation again. But be sure to be progressive and make improvements with it. The easiest variables to alter are sets, reps and exercises (selection, order). [/quote]

Thank you for your help Dave.
I want my lifts to go up as well as gain muscle mass, so I think I’ll use a twice per week for each lift format similar to the above but decrease the volume of each workout by maybe 6 or 7 sets, what do you think?