Synergy93 - Fill Us In

Training
141

Thank you for writing about your training with such detail!

I’m sure you haven’t read the thread I recently posted, but long story short I’m having a lot of trouble activating my muscles – they always feel dead.

When you write about first activating the muscle with heavy sets, and then moving on to a exhaust the muscle with higher reps, this makes a lot of sense to me!

My question is, have you always trained with this principle – ie such an emphasis on activation of the nerves – or did you learn to do this over time due to burning out on other types of training?

Also, I believe I have been overtaxing my nervous system for a long time now (years, even) doing very hard sets, grinding reps, using too much weight, etc. to the point where no matter what I do I can barely activate the muscle at all (only small portion of the motor units actually fire, I’m guessing). Given how much you emphasize restraint (not pushing sets too far, stopping the heavier sets as soon as form begins to break down) compared to most bodybuilders I’ve read about, have you had a similar experience at some point? If so, do you have a recommendation as to how I might get my CNS back on track?

Once again, thank you for this thread. I feel like I have really learned a lot from your detailed posts!

142

1536×2048 1.04 MB

Thanks for the compliments. I’ve been following your method and application of Myo-Reps…interesting approach. I haven’t tried them myself, but can see them as a nice tool to add to a training program.

I have actually been implementing some of CT’s new methods. The ramping and specialization methods are not new to me, as I’ve been using those for as long as I can remember.

However, the Concentrated Spec approach, max rep circuits (the “movement pattern” circuits), and eccentric-less workouts are new. I’ve just begun using some of these methods in the last 5 weeks or so.

I honestly have to say, that I’ve made more visual progress and feel better than I have in a long time. I’ve always auto-regulated my training, so I’ve never really burned myself out too badly, but the addition of the ET and neural circuits (I actually did something very similar to these when I played football) have increased my recovery dramatically. I’ve developed a high level of work capacity and recoverability over the years due to consistent training, and playing high level sports, but some of these methods CT has brought to the table are in my opinion, almost super human. I can’t believe the amount of work I can put in, and still recover. Simply amazing.

I’m weight training upwards of 10 hours per week currently (9 workouts per week…3 consecutive days of back workouts (5 workouts total), 2 neural charge workouts (USUALLY 25-30 minutes each workout, sometimes shorter, depending on my disposition that day), a day for legs, and a push day. I’ve NEVER weight trained this often, especially doing the same body part for 3 consecutive days.

I’ve been astonished at the improvements I’ve been able to make at this point in my “training career”, pretty much across the board…performance, aesthetics, explosiveness, strength, work capacity, recovery and have been having a ton of fun in the process.

What CT said about hypertrophy, being one thing and one thing only…mechanical loading, makes complete sense to me. I’ve always known this, but hadn’t been able to find an optimal way to train hard enough and often enough to elicit the kind of response from my body I knew was possible, but now I feel like I have. I’m still experimenting (that’s the fun of it) with how I set up the workouts, etc, but each week I learn something new about my body and what it’s capable of…so cool.

I’m going to try to attach a couple photos (not great quality…took them with my phone) that illustrate the changes I’ve made with my current concentrated back spec.

My bodyweight in the BEFORE picture was about 242…in the second, it’s at 246, but I’m a bit leaner, with no change in diet…if anything, I ate more.

While not earth shattering, they represent just ONE week of this new concentrated spec approach. I’ve been very happy with the results. I can only imagine what could be possible spending a couple of months with CT, and only focusing on training!!!

[quote]Blade_MyR wrote:
Very impressed by your physique and the results you have achieved. You have put a lot of thought into your programs and diets, and it shows.

It’s been a while since your last update, so I just wanted to know if you’ve implemented some of CT’s latest methods (circuits, eccentric-less workouts, spec splits) and if so, how is it working for you? :)[/quote]

143

1536×2048 1.15 MB

Here’s the BEFORE picture…

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Thanks for the compliments. I’ve been following your method and application of Myo-Reps…interesting approach. I haven’t tried them myself, but can see them as a nice tool to add to a training program.

I have actually been implementing some of CT’s new methods. The ramping and specialization methods are not new to me, as I’ve been using those for as long as I can remember.

However, the Concentrated Spec approach, max rep circuits (the “movement pattern” circuits), and eccentric-less workouts are new. I’ve just begun using some of these methods in the last 5 weeks or so.

I honestly have to say, that I’ve made more visual progress and feel better than I have in a long time. I’ve always auto-regulated my training, so I’ve never really burned myself out too badly, but the addition of the ET and neural circuits (I actually did something very similar to these when I played football) have increased my recovery dramatically. I’ve developed a high level of work capacity and recoverability over the years due to consistent training, and playing high level sports, but some of these methods CT has brought to the table are in my opinion, almost super human. I can’t believe the amount of work I can put in, and still recover. Simply amazing.

I’m weight training upwards of 10 hours per week currently (9 workouts per week…3 consecutive days of back workouts (5 workouts total), 2 neural charge workouts (USUALLY 25-30 minutes each workout, sometimes shorter, depending on my disposition that day), a day for legs, and a push day. I’ve NEVER weight trained this often, especially doing the same body part for 3 consecutive days.

I’ve been astonished at the improvements I’ve been able to make at this point in my “training career”, pretty much across the board…performance, aesthetics, explosiveness, strength, work capacity, recovery and have been having a ton of fun in the process.

What CT said about hypertrophy, being one thing and one thing only…mechanical loading, makes complete sense to me. I’ve always known this, but hadn’t been able to find an optimal way to train hard enough and often enough to elicit the kind of response from my body I knew was possible, but now I feel like I have. I’m still experimenting (that’s the fun of it) with how I set up the workouts, etc, but each week I learn something new about my body and what it’s capable of…so cool.

I’m going to try to attach a couple photos (not great quality…took them with my phone) that illustrate the changes I’ve made with my current concentrated back spec.

My bodyweight in the BEFORE picture was about 242…in the second, it’s at 246, but I’m a bit leaner, with no change in diet…if anything, I ate more.

While not earth shattering, they represent just ONE week of this new concentrated spec approach. I’ve been very happy with the results. I can only imagine what could be possible spending a couple of months with CT, and only focusing on training!!!

[quote]Blade_MyR wrote:
Very impressed by your physique and the results you have achieved. You have put a lot of thought into your programs and diets, and it shows.

It’s been a while since your last update, so I just wanted to know if you’ve implemented some of CT’s latest methods (circuits, eccentric-less workouts, spec splits) and if so, how is it working for you? :)[/quote]
[/quote]

144

Thanks for the message.

I’ve pretty much always trained this way, but for a long time didn’t realize it. I have an extensive background in the olympic lifts, as well as performing the big basic movements in lower rep ranges, since the age of 15. All of these “activate” a tremendous amount of muscle fibers (and CNS). Typically, after we’d perform the big lifts, we’d move on to accessory lifts in slightly higher rep ranges, so we’d cover many different types of contractions, energy systems training, etc.

How do you know you’re not “activating the nervous system?” What are you basing this statement on?

I’d recommend reading, rereading, and reading again, Christain Thibaudeau’s Perfect Rep article. It explains the concept of how to optimally activate the nervous system, without overdoing it. I’d also get into his forums and learn as much as you can. Ask him (and others) your questions. Be polite, and you’ll get responses.

Hope that helps. Good luck and remember to enjoy the “Iron Journey.” It’s a beautiful thing, with many rewards. Try not to overcomplicate things, work your ass off (intelligently…more is hardly ever better), and be consistent. That’s what it basically boils down to.

[quote]somespace wrote:
Thank you for writing about your training with such detail!

I’m sure you haven’t read the thread I recently posted, but long story short I’m having a lot of trouble activating my muscles – they always feel dead.

When you write about first activating the muscle with heavy sets, and then moving on to a exhaust the muscle with higher reps, this makes a lot of sense to me!

My question is, have you always trained with this principle – ie such an emphasis on activation of the nerves – or did you learn to do this over time due to burning out on other types of training?

Also, I believe I have been overtaxing my nervous system for a long time now (years, even) doing very hard sets, grinding reps, using too much weight, etc. to the point where no matter what I do I can barely activate the muscle at all (only small portion of the motor units actually fire, I’m guessing). Given how much you emphasize restraint (not pushing sets too far, stopping the heavier sets as soon as form begins to break down) compared to most bodybuilders I’ve read about, have you had a similar experience at some point? If so, do you have a recommendation as to how I might get my CNS back on track?

Once again, thank you for this thread. I feel like I have really learned a lot from your detailed posts![/quote]

145

Hey man, great physique - ever think of doing a natural BB show? (sorry, i might have missed this question)

146

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Thanks for the compliments. I’ve been following your method and application of Myo-Reps…interesting approach. I haven’t tried them myself, but can see them as a nice tool to add to a training program.

I have actually been implementing some of CT’s new methods. The ramping and specialization methods are not new to me, as I’ve been using those for as long as I can remember.

However, the Concentrated Spec approach, max rep circuits (the “movement pattern” circuits), and eccentric-less workouts are new. I’ve just begun using some of these methods in the last 5 weeks or so.

I honestly have to say, that I’ve made more visual progress and feel better than I have in a long time. I’ve always auto-regulated my training, so I’ve never really burned myself out too badly, but the addition of the ET and neural circuits (I actually did something very similar to these when I played football) have increased my recovery dramatically. I’ve developed a high level of work capacity and recoverability over the years due to consistent training, and playing high level sports, but some of these methods CT has brought to the table are in my opinion, almost super human. I can’t believe the amount of work I can put in, and still recover. Simply amazing.

I’m weight training upwards of 10 hours per week currently (9 workouts per week…3 consecutive days of back workouts (5 workouts total), 2 neural charge workouts (USUALLY 25-30 minutes each workout, sometimes shorter, depending on my disposition that day), a day for legs, and a push day. I’ve NEVER weight trained this often, especially doing the same body part for 3 consecutive days.

I’ve been astonished at the improvements I’ve been able to make at this point in my “training career”, pretty much across the board…performance, aesthetics, explosiveness, strength, work capacity, recovery and have been having a ton of fun in the process.

What CT said about hypertrophy, being one thing and one thing only…mechanical loading, makes complete sense to me. I’ve always known this, but hadn’t been able to find an optimal way to train hard enough and often enough to elicit the kind of response from my body I knew was possible, but now I feel like I have. I’m still experimenting (that’s the fun of it) with how I set up the workouts, etc, but each week I learn something new about my body and what it’s capable of…so cool.

I’m going to try to attach a couple photos (not great quality…took them with my phone) that illustrate the changes I’ve made with my current concentrated back spec.

My bodyweight in the BEFORE picture was about 242…in the second, it’s at 246, but I’m a bit leaner, with no change in diet…if anything, I ate more.

While not earth shattering, they represent just ONE week of this new concentrated spec approach. I’ve been very happy with the results. I can only imagine what could be possible spending a couple of months with CT, and only focusing on training!!!

[quote]Blade_MyR wrote:
Very impressed by your physique and the results you have achieved. You have put a lot of thought into your programs and diets, and it shows.

It’s been a while since your last update, so I just wanted to know if you’ve implemented some of CT’s latest methods (circuits, eccentric-less workouts, spec splits) and if so, how is it working for you? :)[/quote]
[/quote]

So…did that core class advertised get you these results?

147

Those before and after shots are impressive. This feedback on CT’s concepts from the trenches, from someone experienced enough to know the difference, is useful and I think important.

Putting on those pounds of LBM in a week is no joke.

Thanks for being so specific and open about what you are doing.

148

Hey Synergy,

Amazing writeup. Your discipline and progress is really inspiring. Thanks for being so generous with your time in answering questions on here.

How did you structure your 3 day in a row back blitz? I ask because I know that CT has mentioned he doesn’t so much lay out the details of each training session beforehand, but uses a form of auto-regulation with the state of the trainee and what he feels they need that day.

Just curious, seeing how diligent and meticulous you are about your record-keeping, if you lay it out beforehand.

149

[quote]synergy93 wrote:

How do you know you’re not “activating the nervous system?” What are you basing this statement on?
[/quote]

I base this statement on the fact that many times I can’t feel my muscles – they never warm up, get a pump, burn, or anything, even on high rep sets. They just feel very lifeless. Sometimes (particularly in quads) a small portion of the muscle seems to have sensation, while the rest of it remains dead. A reasonable explanation for both of these problems, it seems to me, is that very few motor units are being recruited.

Since this problem has plagued me for a long time, whenever I stumble upon something that does seem to work (a new exercise I rotate in, for example) I jump on it and work very hard, taking sets too far, I think – which probably leads to more nerve fatigue and the cycle starts again.

Since reading your thread and posting, I’ve been much more conservative with my sets and reps, refusing to give in to the temptation to grind reps or attempt weights that I don’t feel up to. I already feel a great benefit, particularly in my shoulders and arms, which lag far behind some of my other body parts.

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Hope that helps. Good luck and remember to enjoy the “Iron Journey.” It’s a beautiful thing, with many rewards. Try not to overcomplicate things, work your ass off (intelligently…more is hardly ever better), and be consistent. That’s what it basically boils down to.
[/quote]

I appreciate how you stress intelligent work over the “more is better” mentality that is so prevalent in bodybuilding. The “more intensity” / “not working hard enough” mindset has caused me some serious problems, I think!

150

Here is my basic set up…

Keep in mind:

  1. I was doing a lot of experimentation
  2. I’m naturally explosive, so the “activation” band work probably wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to max out as much CNS activation and mechanical work as possible
  3. I used A LOT of FINiBARs, Anaconda, MAG-10, and Power Drive
  4. Added and dropped certain movements if I didn’t feel they were leading the the optimal training effect I was going for

I basically had a predetermined template for each day, and adjusted as needed…here it is:

Day 1 (Saturday AM)

Activation warm up circuit…did 3-5 reps of each movement and did 2-3 rounds of the circuit before every strength workout…not going to list exercises done, but basically a 5-8 minute “Mini Neural Charge” Circuit

A1 Straight Arm Pushdowns with band FOR SPEED…stopping when I felt a SLIGHT slow down…didn’t wait until there was a significant drop in speed…these are meant for activating the targeted muscles in the following strength set

A2 (Wish I had access to that sweet pull over machine in the videos, but had to improvise)…Standing Cable Rope Pull/Down Row hybrid
Ramping sets of 6-8 reps…I choose a slightly higher rep range due to technique being an issue, which aloud me to focus on the stretch and squeeze of each rep…hard to do that in 5 reps or less, in my opinion

**Second and now third week, I added in post strength set Blast Straps work…so it became…did this for all pairings and used a different blast strap movement for each pairing (which were…blast strap mid/low pull (reverse fly movement), blast strap high pull with slight external rotation and blast strap “upright row”–focusing on traps and upper back)
A1 Band activation
A2 Strength Set
A3 Blast Strap work for extra volume…minimized eccentric

Auto-regulated number of sets…only did the band work for about the first 2/3 of the ramp…dropped it out when the weight got heavy on the pulldown/rows near the end of the ramp

B1 Overhead Band Pull downs for speed
B2 Wide Grip Lat PUll downs
Ramping sets of 5 reps

C1 BB power Shrugs (with added band resistance)…Ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5 reps, then dropped to 3 reps at some point during the ramp
**didn’t pair anything with these

Max Rep Pulling Circuit
**Aimed for 8 or more reps per set, TRIED not to count reps, fast rep speed, brisk pace between exercises

  1. BB upright rows
  2. Wide Grip Lat Pull downs
  3. Rope row/pull downs
  4. EZ bar seated cable rows
  5. Blast Strap Rear Delts
  6. Blast Strap Inverted Rows

Day 1 (Saturday PM Workout…about 5-7 hours later)
Eccentric-less prowler pull work
Attached a TRX to a prowler sled…did 4-5 pull movements up and down the turf (about 20 yards…down and back was between 15-20 reps total depending on movement)
Low Pull
High Pull
Face Pull (upright row motion)
Standard Rows
**Also did a set of maximum good reps of Blast Strap curls between each set
**this took between 45-60 minutes…did more work on Day 1, then Day 2

Day 2

Mini-Activation Circuit for 5-8 minutes

A1 Medium Grip Overhand Fat Bar Pull Ups…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5’s, worked up to max 3 rep set (not true max…damn close)
A2 Medium Grip Overhand Band Pulldowns…focus was on extra mechanical work…did as many explosive reps as possible, stopping each set when explosiveness and ROM were diminished…not bad reps…all solid and explosive)

B1 Chest Supported (Plate loaded) Machine Rows (Pronated stretch–rotated to neutral grip as I rowed each rep)…ramping sets of 6-8 reps
B2 Explosive Band Rows for extra mechanical work

C1 Standing Rope Row/Pull downs…ramping sets of 8-10 reps
C2 Straight Arm Pull downs…focus was on extra mechanical work

Bicep Strength Circuit
**3 exercises—3-5 reps each…45 seconds between exercises…4-5 times through the circuit
D1 EZ Bar Curls
D2 EZ bar preacher Cable Curls
D3 Incline DB Hammer curls

Max Rep Bicep curl circuit

  1. Fat Bar Curls
  2. EZ bar curls
  3. High Incline DB curls (supinated)
  4. EZ cable curls (standing)
  5. Blast Strap curls

Day 2 (Sunday PM Workout)

Eccentric-less Prowler Pull workout very similar to Saturday’s PM workout

Day 3 (Monday)

A1 BB High Pulls from Hang…ramping sets of 3 reps
A2 Blast Strap High Pull with slight external rotation…as many good reps as possible…stop when speed and quality of contraction slows down…minimal eccentric…also used for more mechanical work

B1 BB Low Pull from hang…ramping sets of 3 reps…started at top A1 weight
B2 Blast strap “upright rows”

C. BB Dead lifts…ramping sets of 3 reps (started where BB Low Pulls ended)…but had some sets of only 1 or 2 reps when technique wasn’t great

D. BB rack pulls just above knee…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started where deads ended

Max Rep Pulling Circuit

  1. Power Upright Rows
  2. Neutral grip pull ups
  3. Wide Grip Pull downs
  4. EZ cable rows
  5. BB shrugs
  6. Blast strap rear delts

Tuesday…Neural Charge workout
Wednesday…Push workout
Thursday…legs
Friday…Neural charge workout
Saturday…start the cycle over

There it is, in a nutshell. I made some modifications along the way, made sure to regulate each workout according to how I was feeling, and was pleased overall with the results. I did this for 3 weeks total and came to the conclusion that 2 weeks is enough!! The third week was good, but performance did start to suffer a bit, as well as motivation. I think 95% of the gains are made in the first two weeks…the third week is more a “mental toughness” week, which is counterproductive for me at this point. I know I can train with super high intensity and passion, so no need to prove anything to myself in this regard.

I really liked this approach, and will definitely be continuing in this manner for a while. I like pounding it hard for 3 days in a row, then backing off for a few days.

I’m going to be doing a concentrated leg spec next. This is going to take some “creativity” on my part for sure. It’s tough doing lower body on consecutive days, and pushing that damn sled every day will be “fun.” I’m sure I’ll have to make some adjustments early, but I’ll attack it with a ton of aggression and will make a lot of progress in my lower body. I’ve never done the sled for the purpose I’ll be using it in this phase, so I’m excited to see how it affects my leg development.

I’ll also post the BEFORE and AFTER photos of the back spec phase. There is some noticeable visual progress, but I just felt thicker, tighter, and wider above the belly button. My chest and delts looked better as well, from the nice improvements to my lat width and thickness, as well as my traps. In fact, one thing I noticed on PUSH day was that my set up felt better…thicker traps and lats as a foundation to press off of on the bench.

[quote]JHollywood wrote:
Hey Synergy,

Amazing writeup. Your discipline and progress is really inspiring. Thanks for being so generous with your time in answering questions on here.

How did you structure your 3 day in a row back blitz? I ask because I know that CT has mentioned he doesn’t so much lay out the details of each training session beforehand, but uses a form of auto-regulation with the state of the trainee and what he feels they need that day.

Just curious, seeing how diligent and meticulous you are about your record-keeping, if you lay it out beforehand.[/quote]

151

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Here is my basic set up…

Keep in mind:

  1. I was doing a lot of experimentation
  2. I’m naturally explosive, so the “activation” band work probably wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to max out as much CNS activation and mechanical work as possible
  3. I used A LOT of Finibars, Anaconda, MAG-10, and Power Drive
  4. Added and dropped certain movements if I didn’t feel they were leading the the optimal training effect I was going for

I basically had a predetermined template for each day, and adjusted as needed…here it is:

Day 1 (Saturday AM)

Activation warm up circuit…did 3-5 reps of each movement and did 2-3 rounds of the circuit before every strength workout…not going to list exercises done, but basically a 5-8 minute “Mini Neural Charge” Circuit

A1 Straight Arm Pushdowns with band FOR SPEED…stopping when I felt a SLIGHT slow down…didn’t wait until there was a significant drop in speed…these are meant for activating the targeted muscles in the following strength set

A2 (Wish I had access to that sweet pull over machine in the videos, but had to improvise)…Standing Cable Rope Pull/Down Row hybrid
Ramping sets of 6-8 reps…I choose a slightly higher rep range due to technique being an issue, which aloud me to focus on the stretch and squeeze of each rep…hard to do that in 5 reps or less, in my opinion

**Second and now third week, I added in post strength set Blast Straps work…so it became…did this for all pairings and used a different blast strap movement for each pairing (which were…blast strap mid/low pull (reverse fly movement), blast strap high pull with slight external rotation and blast strap “upright row”–focusing on traps and upper back)
A1 Band activation
A2 Strength Set
A3 Blast Strap work for extra volume…minimized eccentric

Auto-regulated number of sets…only did the band work for about the first 2/3 of the ramp…dropped it out when the weight got heavy on the pulldown/rows near the end of the ramp

B1 Overhead Band Pull downs for speed
B2 Wide Grip Lat PUll downs
Ramping sets of 5 reps

C1 BB power Shrugs (with added band resistance)…Ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5 reps, then dropped to 3 reps at some point during the ramp
**didn’t pair anything with these

Max Rep Pulling Circuit
**Aimed for 8 or more reps per set, TRIED not to count reps, fast rep speed, brisk pace between exercises

  1. BB upright rows
  2. Wide Grip Lat Pull downs
  3. Rope row/pull downs
  4. EZ bar seated cable rows
  5. Blast Strap Rear Delts
  6. Blast Strap Inverted Rows

Day 1 (Saturday PM Workout…about 5-7 hours later)
Eccentric-less prowler pull work
Attached a TRX to a prowler sled…did 4-5 pull movements up and down the turf (about 20 yards…down and back was between 15-20 reps total depending on movement)
Low Pull
High Pull
Face Pull (upright row motion)
Standard Rows
**Also did a set of maximum good reps of Blast Strap curls between each set
**this took between 45-60 minutes…did more work on Day 1, then Day 2

Day 2

Mini-Activation Circuit for 5-8 minutes

A1 Medium Grip Overhand Fat Bar Pull Ups…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5’s, worked up to max 3 rep set (not true max…damn close)
A2 Medium Grip Overhand Band Pulldowns…focus was on extra mechanical work…did as many explosive reps as possible, stopping each set when explosiveness and ROM were diminished…not bad reps…all solid and explosive)

B1 Chest Supported (Plate loaded) Machine Rows (Pronated stretch–rotated to neutral grip as I rowed each rep)…ramping sets of 6-8 reps
B2 Explosive Band Rows for extra mechanical work

C1 Standing Rope Row/Pull downs…ramping sets of 8-10 reps
C2 Straight Arm Pull downs…focus was on extra mechanical work

Bicep Strength Circuit
**3 exercises—3-5 reps each…45 seconds between exercises…4-5 times through the circuit
D1 EZ Bar Curls
D2 EZ bar preacher Cable Curls
D3 Incline DB Hammer curls

Max Rep Bicep curl circuit

  1. Fat Bar Curls
  2. EZ bar curls
  3. High Incline DB curls (supinated)
  4. EZ cable curls (standing)
  5. Blast Strap curls

Day 2 (Sunday PM Workout)

Eccentric-less Prowler Pull workout very similar to Saturday’s PM workout

Day 3 (Monday)

A1 BB High Pulls from Hang…ramping sets of 3 reps
A2 Blast Strap High Pull with slight external rotation…as many good reps as possible…stop when speed and quality of contraction slows down…minimal eccentric…also used for more mechanical work

B1 BB Low Pull from hang…ramping sets of 3 reps…started at top A1 weight
B2 Blast strap “upright rows”

C. BB Dead lifts…ramping sets of 3 reps (started where BB Low Pulls ended)…but had some sets of only 1 or 2 reps when technique wasn’t great

D. BB rack pulls just above knee…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started where deads ended

Max Rep Pulling Circuit

  1. Power Upright Rows
  2. Neutral grip pull ups
  3. Wide Grip Pull downs
  4. EZ cable rows
  5. BB shrugs
  6. Blast strap rear delts

Tuesday…Neural Charge workout
Wednesday…Push workout
Thursday…legs
Friday…Neural charge workout
Saturday…start the cycle over

There it is, in a nutshell. I made some modifications along the way, made sure to regulate each workout according to how I was feeling, and was pleased overall with the results. I did this for 3 weeks total and came to the conclusion that 2 weeks is enough!! The third week was good, but performance did start to suffer a bit, as well as motivation. I think 95% of the gains are made in the first two weeks…the third week is more a “mental toughness” week, which is counterproductive for me at this point. I know I can train with super high intensity and passion, so no need to prove anything to myself in this regard.

I really liked this approach, and will definitely be continuing in this manner for a while. I like pounding it hard for 3 days in a row, then backing off for a few days.

I’m going to be doing a concentrated leg spec next. This is going to take some “creativity” on my part for sure. It’s tough doing lower body on consecutive days, and pushing that damn sled every day will be “fun.” I’m sure I’ll have to make some adjustments early, but I’ll attack it with a ton of aggression and will make a lot of progress in my lower body. I’ve never done the sled for the purpose I’ll be using it in this phase, so I’m excited to see how it affects my leg development.

I’ll also post the BEFORE and AFTER photos of the back spec phase. There is some noticeable visual progress, but I just felt thicker, tighter, and wider above the belly button. My chest and delts looked better as well, from the nice improvements to my lat width and thickness, as well as my traps. In fact, one thing I noticed on PUSH day was that my set up felt better…thicker traps and lats as a foundation to press off of on the bench.

Back BEFORE Picture

[quote]JHollywood wrote:
Hey Synergy,

Amazing writeup. Your discipline and progress is really inspiring. Thanks for being so generous with your time in answering questions on here.

How did you structure your 3 day in a row back blitz? I ask because I know that CT has mentioned he doesn’t so much lay out the details of each training session beforehand, but uses a form of auto-regulation with the state of the trainee and what he feels they need that day.

Just curious, seeing how diligent and meticulous you are about your record-keeping, if you lay it out beforehand.[/quote]
[/quote]

152

1536×2048 1.23 MB

Back AFTER photo (after 3 weeks of concentrated Back Spec Phase)

[quote]synergy93 wrote:

[quote]synergy93 wrote:
Here is my basic set up…

Keep in mind:

  1. I was doing a lot of experimentation
  2. I’m naturally explosive, so the “activation” band work probably wasn’t necessary, but I wanted to max out as much CNS activation and mechanical work as possible
  3. I used A LOT of Finibars, Anaconda, MAG-10, and Power Drive
  4. Added and dropped certain movements if I didn’t feel they were leading the the optimal training effect I was going for

I basically had a predetermined template for each day, and adjusted as needed…here it is:

Day 1 (Saturday AM)

Activation warm up circuit…did 3-5 reps of each movement and did 2-3 rounds of the circuit before every strength workout…not going to list exercises done, but basically a 5-8 minute “Mini Neural Charge” Circuit

A1 Straight Arm Pushdowns with band FOR SPEED…stopping when I felt a SLIGHT slow down…didn’t wait until there was a significant drop in speed…these are meant for activating the targeted muscles in the following strength set

A2 (Wish I had access to that sweet pull over machine in the videos, but had to improvise)…Standing Cable Rope Pull/Down Row hybrid
Ramping sets of 6-8 reps…I choose a slightly higher rep range due to technique being an issue, which aloud me to focus on the stretch and squeeze of each rep…hard to do that in 5 reps or less, in my opinion

**Second and now third week, I added in post strength set Blast Straps work…so it became…did this for all pairings and used a different blast strap movement for each pairing (which were…blast strap mid/low pull (reverse fly movement), blast strap high pull with slight external rotation and blast strap “upright row”–focusing on traps and upper back)
A1 Band activation
A2 Strength Set
A3 Blast Strap work for extra volume…minimized eccentric

Auto-regulated number of sets…only did the band work for about the first 2/3 of the ramp…dropped it out when the weight got heavy on the pulldown/rows near the end of the ramp

B1 Overhead Band Pull downs for speed
B2 Wide Grip Lat PUll downs
Ramping sets of 5 reps

C1 BB power Shrugs (with added band resistance)…Ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5 reps, then dropped to 3 reps at some point during the ramp
**didn’t pair anything with these

Max Rep Pulling Circuit
**Aimed for 8 or more reps per set, TRIED not to count reps, fast rep speed, brisk pace between exercises

  1. BB upright rows
  2. Wide Grip Lat Pull downs
  3. Rope row/pull downs
  4. EZ bar seated cable rows
  5. Blast Strap Rear Delts
  6. Blast Strap Inverted Rows

Day 1 (Saturday PM Workout…about 5-7 hours later)
Eccentric-less prowler pull work
Attached a TRX to a prowler sled…did 4-5 pull movements up and down the turf (about 20 yards…down and back was between 15-20 reps total depending on movement)
Low Pull
High Pull
Face Pull (upright row motion)
Standard Rows
**Also did a set of maximum good reps of Blast Strap curls between each set
**this took between 45-60 minutes…did more work on Day 1, then Day 2

Day 2

Mini-Activation Circuit for 5-8 minutes

A1 Medium Grip Overhand Fat Bar Pull Ups…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started at 5’s, worked up to max 3 rep set (not true max…damn close)
A2 Medium Grip Overhand Band Pulldowns…focus was on extra mechanical work…did as many explosive reps as possible, stopping each set when explosiveness and ROM were diminished…not bad reps…all solid and explosive)

B1 Chest Supported (Plate loaded) Machine Rows (Pronated stretch–rotated to neutral grip as I rowed each rep)…ramping sets of 6-8 reps
B2 Explosive Band Rows for extra mechanical work

C1 Standing Rope Row/Pull downs…ramping sets of 8-10 reps
C2 Straight Arm Pull downs…focus was on extra mechanical work

Bicep Strength Circuit
**3 exercises—3-5 reps each…45 seconds between exercises…4-5 times through the circuit
D1 EZ Bar Curls
D2 EZ bar preacher Cable Curls
D3 Incline DB Hammer curls

Max Rep Bicep curl circuit

  1. Fat Bar Curls
  2. EZ bar curls
  3. High Incline DB curls (supinated)
  4. EZ cable curls (standing)
  5. Blast Strap curls

Day 2 (Sunday PM Workout)

Eccentric-less Prowler Pull workout very similar to Saturday’s PM workout

Day 3 (Monday)

A1 BB High Pulls from Hang…ramping sets of 3 reps
A2 Blast Strap High Pull with slight external rotation…as many good reps as possible…stop when speed and quality of contraction slows down…minimal eccentric…also used for more mechanical work

B1 BB Low Pull from hang…ramping sets of 3 reps…started at top A1 weight
B2 Blast strap “upright rows”

C. BB Dead lifts…ramping sets of 3 reps (started where BB Low Pulls ended)…but had some sets of only 1 or 2 reps when technique wasn’t great

D. BB rack pulls just above knee…ramping sets of 3-5 reps…started where deads ended

Max Rep Pulling Circuit

  1. Power Upright Rows
  2. Neutral grip pull ups
  3. Wide Grip Pull downs
  4. EZ cable rows
  5. BB shrugs
  6. Blast strap rear delts

Tuesday…Neural Charge workout
Wednesday…Push workout
Thursday…legs
Friday…Neural charge workout
Saturday…start the cycle over

There it is, in a nutshell. I made some modifications along the way, made sure to regulate each workout according to how I was feeling, and was pleased overall with the results. I did this for 3 weeks total and came to the conclusion that 2 weeks is enough!! The third week was good, but performance did start to suffer a bit, as well as motivation. I think 95% of the gains are made in the first two weeks…the third week is more a “mental toughness” week, which is counterproductive for me at this point. I know I can train with super high intensity and passion, so no need to prove anything to myself in this regard.

I really liked this approach, and will definitely be continuing in this manner for a while. I like pounding it hard for 3 days in a row, then backing off for a few days.

I’m going to be doing a concentrated leg spec next. This is going to take some “creativity” on my part for sure. It’s tough doing lower body on consecutive days, and pushing that damn sled every day will be “fun.” I’m sure I’ll have to make some adjustments early, but I’ll attack it with a ton of aggression and will make a lot of progress in my lower body. I’ve never done the sled for the purpose I’ll be using it in this phase, so I’m excited to see how it affects my leg development.

I’ll also post the BEFORE and AFTER photos of the back spec phase. There is some noticeable visual progress, but I just felt thicker, tighter, and wider above the belly button. My chest and delts looked better as well, from the nice improvements to my lat width and thickness, as well as my traps. In fact, one thing I noticed on PUSH day was that my set up felt better…thicker traps and lats as a foundation to press off of on the bench.

Back BEFORE Picture

[quote]JHollywood wrote:
Hey Synergy,

Amazing writeup. Your discipline and progress is really inspiring. Thanks for being so generous with your time in answering questions on here.

How did you structure your 3 day in a row back blitz? I ask because I know that CT has mentioned he doesn’t so much lay out the details of each training session beforehand, but uses a form of auto-regulation with the state of the trainee and what he feels they need that day.

Just curious, seeing how diligent and meticulous you are about your record-keeping, if you lay it out beforehand.[/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]

153

That is some awesome progress…and 3 weeks - that’s crazy. You look leaner, too, in the AFTER pics.

Thanks for the details, man! Look forward to hearing how your leg spec goes. That’s a brutal one for sure, but as someone who likes to squat 3 days a week, that will be pretty interesting.

154

What I’m doing currently…in case anybody cares!!! :slight_smile:

Thought I’d post my latest training split. I’ve gone back to a pull-push-legs set up. I was doing the concentrated loading specialization approach (with great success, in my opinion), but I’ve recently had a number of personal obligations come up, which have prevented me from being able to train multiple times per day.

I’ve always had good success when hitting each movement pattern at least twice per week, which is why I favor this set up. I still hit the gym everyday, but am usually in and out within 70 minutes each time (which includes a mobility and activation warm up). So, I’m spending about 2-3 hours less time training each week, which is a lot with my very busy schedule.

Anyway, here it is…

Monday–PUll (Back Strength Circuit…5 exercises…mix of vertical pull downs and rows) + biceps (biceps consist of mostly eccentric-less circuits and pairings) + One round of Max Rep biceps circuit

Tuesday–Push (Heavy Lifting (with staggered upper back and rear delts blast strap work) + Max Rep Press circuit + Max Rep tricep circuit

Wednesday—legs (Strength Circuit…5 exercises) + Max Rep lower body Circuit + Sled work for lower body, if I feel I have enough left in the tank

Thursday—neural charge workout (focusing mostly on upper body, but always have a full body olympic lift in the mix)

Friday—Pull (Extended Ramping…High Pull then Low pull then deadlifts then rack pulls from above the knee)…staggered with blast strap and band pull movements for extra back volume+ Bicep strength Circuit (3 exercises) + Max Rep Back circuit + max rep bicep circuit (if I feel I have enough left)

Saturday—Push (Pressing strength circuit…3 exercises (performance suffers for me if I do anymore than 3 exercises) + Tricep Strength Circuit (3 exercises…ALL SINGLE JOINT extension exercises) + Shoulder Isolation Circuit + Chest Isolation Circuit (1-2 times through each Isolation circuit)

Sunday—Legs (Heavy Lifting…Squat from pins, Back squat with chains, Trap Bar Deadlifts, Leg Press and Reverse Hypers) + Max Rep Lower body circuit + lower body sled work if I feel I have enough left

Monday—Neural Charge workout (Focus on mostly on full body and lower body to facilitate recovery from the previous day)

Tuesday—start the cycle over

I recover well from this set up (I do everything possible outside of the gym to help with this), and my performance improves in one capacity or another from week to week.

I love the push-pull-legs split. It always works well for me. If I don’t feel I’m recovered enough, I’ll just throw a neural charge workout in there instead of a planned lifting day, but this hasn’t been a problem. I’ve been able to keep to this split as planned.

155

Synergy do not know if it has been answered but, how long do you workouts usually take on a push/pull/legs schedule?

156

About 75 minutes, which includes a 5-8 minute mobility and activation warm up

[quote]Logan24 wrote:
Synergy do not know if it has been answered but, how long do you workouts usually take on a push/pull/legs schedule?[/quote]

157

Hey Synergy, Ive got a few questions.

-would you mind elaborating a little bit more on your strength circuits and what they consist of(reps, exercises, ect…)?

  • is your activation warm-up similar to what it has been previously?

  • and does your mobility work consist of foam rolling?

Sorry for all of the questions, I did a Push/Pull/Legs split this summer and really enjoyed it and made some improvements, and i was just curious about some of the circuits that you have implemented. Thanks!

158

I can’t get to your question right now, but I will as soon as possible…most likely this evening. A couple of others were wondering the same thing.

Thanks for the message.

Be back later

[quote]StraightEdge wrote:
Hey Synergy, Ive got a few questions.

-would you mind elaborating a little bit more on your strength circuits and what they consist of(reps, exercises, ect…)?

  • is your activation warm-up similar to what it has been previously?

  • and does your mobility work consist of foam rolling?

Sorry for all of the questions, I did a Push/Pull/Legs split this summer and really enjoyed it and made some improvements, and i was just curious about some of the circuits that you have implemented. Thanks![/quote]

159

Synergy, have you tried or will you try the MAG-10 Pulse Fast? I ask because I’m about to give it a shot next week, and I remember you saying at one point that you don’t protein pulse because you have a voracious appetite. Hence, if you’ve changed your mind and tried the pulse fast, it would be a good test case for me in terms of being able to handle the lack of food intake (I have the appetite of a male lion).

Also, just wanted to say a general thanks for the thread. It’s been a huge help for me to read at a time when I’ve really been focused on hammering out a strict nutritional guideline for myself and designing a training split. I hope you get picked to train with CT in Colorado, I think you’d get scary big and lean putting your minds together.

160

[quote]scj119 wrote:
Synergy, have you tried or will you try the MAG-10 Pulse Fast? I ask because I’m about to give it a shot next week, and I remember you saying at one point that you don’t protein pulse because you have a voracious appetite. Hence, if you’ve changed your mind and tried the pulse fast, it would be a good test case for me in terms of being able to handle the lack of food intake (I have the appetite of a male lion).

Also, just wanted to say a general thanks for the thread. It’s been a huge help for me to read at a time when I’ve really been focused on hammering out a strict nutritional guideline for myself and designing a training split. I hope you get picked to train with CT in Colorado, I think you’d get scary big and lean putting your minds together.[/quote]

Thanks for the message.

I’ve been debating if I should try the MAG-10 pulse. If I am to do it, it would be during a fat loss focus, although you can do it for both. I’d only do the fast on days I do neural charge workouts. I haven’t tried it, but I’m not sure how well I’d do on a regular lifting day. Seems others are having no problems. So, if I do give it a shot, I’ll start with NC workouts and adjust as I go.

But yes, I love to eat, and my stomach gets really upset and I get cranky as hell if I don’t eat consistently. It seems those who don’t have large appetites have commented on how well it’s worked for them. I may have missed it, but I don’t think I’ve seen much feedback from those who have large appetites.

I’m a former football linemen and can still eat like one…a lot! Plus, I’ve been eating multiple meals per day for years, so that would take some getting used to…we’ll see how it goes.

I can definitely see the benefit physiologically, but I’m wondering if it’s worth the “psychological shift” required in my case…doing it will be the only way to tell.

Yes, I would love the opportunity to go out to Colorado and train with those guys. In fact, I think I’d be a great candidate. I’m used to working with strength coaches, work my ass off, and have pretty much topped out my natural limits in regards to size and strength. It’d be a very convincing documentation of how effective the methods are, since they’ll be able to improve a long time lifters physique and performance vs. someone who hasn’t been training that long.

I’d jump at the opportunity to be a part of the special things they’re doing out there, and I could make it work with my personal and professional life obligations.

Good luck with your training efforts. Keep working hard…that’s what it’s all about…disciplined, consistent effort day after day after day afer day…