T-Nation: How Do You Train?

Chi_Towns_Finest · September 3, 2009, 2:37pm

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Currently trying to bring up a few weak parts, so I have a 6 day rotation:

1-Upper chest / Gastroc
2-Legs / lower back
3-Delts/Traps/Tris
4-Lower/Mid Chest / Soleus
5-Legs / abs
6-Back / bis

I take rest days as I need, usually 1 or 2 a week, but sometimes none if I feel like all cylinders are firing. I alternate between doing a couple of exercises for a lot of sets with doing multiple exercises for fewer sets. Obviously I also have to keep an eye on the volume I use for chest and legs because of the increased frequency I am utilizing (you can only do so much before it becomes counterproductive).

Lately I have been training with a stop watch, keeping my rest periods to around 2:30 min between sets. I do not always train in this manner, but I feel it is allowing me to push some heavier weight, and hopefully thicken up a bit more this offseason.

Calorie wise, I average about 3000 a day, obviously well going over some days, but 90% of my diet is still clean and geared towards quality gains. If I have one ‘cheat’ meal a day, I make sure it is the only ‘bad’ thing for that day.

S[/quote]

Stu,

I take in 3,200 calories a day fairly consistently, what does your P/C/F ratio look like? I go 30/40/30, which is 200/400/90 – but I’ll go over my protein allotment at times. I’m considering lowering carbs and upping my protein/fat, I’ve read that a 1-2 ratio of prot/carbs is ideal for T-levels though.

The_Mighty_Stu · September 3, 2009, 2:50pm

[quote]Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
Stu,

I take in 3,200 calories a day fairly consistently, what does your P/C/F ratio look like? I go 30/40/30, which is 200/400/90 – but I’ll go over my protein allotment at times. I’m considering lowering carbs and upping my protein/fat, I’ve read that a 1-2 ratio of prot/carbs is ideal for T-levels though.[/quote]

To be honest, I don’t monitor my fat cals, I just try to be conscious of getting ‘good’ fats when I do. Simply by having a lower carb day, I end up with a higher fat intake, which is fine, as my sources are good, and my overall cals are usually a bit lower on those days anyway. As far as protein, I always get a minimum of 200/250g a day, when cutting I stay around 300, and this last prep actually hit 400 on a few rare days (the numbers just came out that way due to some different food choices).

On an average day though, I doubt my carbs go above 175/200g. I actually will have to up them a bit when I start cutting (need the high days to balance the low days!), but unless I’m going to some family dinner, or BBQ where I know I’ll be eating crap, I will still tend to get most carb sources from oatmeal, ezekial bread, or my PWO poptarts

I too have read in many places that higher fat levels assist natural T production (or T levels, or some T-thing), but I figure as long as you’re getting a decent amount of fat in your diet, it’s not something most people need to go out of their way to adjust. I use a lot of Omeaga 3s, but that’s more of a ‘my joints hurt’ kind of thing, and to be a little subjective, I do notice a better overall body comp when I have a high fish oil intake.

S

Typhoon · September 3, 2009, 2:57pm

This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.

Chi_Towns_Finest · September 3, 2009, 3:15pm

[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:
Stu,

I take in 3,200 calories a day fairly consistently, what does your P/C/F ratio look like? I go 30/40/30, which is 200/400/90 – but I’ll go over my protein allotment at times. I’m considering lowering carbs and upping my protein/fat, I’ve read that a 1-2 ratio of prot/carbs is ideal for T-levels though.

To be honest, I don’t monitor my fat cals, I just try to be conscious of getting ‘good’ fats when I do. Simply by having a lower carb day, I end up with a higher fat intake, which is fine, as my sources are good, and my overall cals are usually a bit lower on those days anyway. As far as protein, I always get a minimum of 200/250g a day, when cutting I stay around 300, and this last prep actually hit 400 on a few rare days (the numbers just came out that way due to some different food choices).

On an average day though, I doubt my carbs go above 175/200g. I actually will have to up them a bit when I start cutting (need the high days to balance the low days!), but unless I’m going to some family dinner, or BBQ where I know I’ll be eating crap, I will still tend to get most carb sources from oatmeal, ezekial bread, or my PWO poptarts

I too have read in many places that higher fat levels assist natural T production (or T levels, or some T-thing), but I figure as long as you’re getting a decent amount of fat in your diet, it’s not something most people need to go out of their way to adjust. I use a lot of Omeaga 3s, but that’s more of a ‘my joints hurt’ kind of thing, and to be a little subjective, I do notice a better overall body comp when I have a high fish oil intake.

S
[/quote]

Okay, interesting to note that we have a similar protein intake. I imagine if you’re taking in <200g carbs a large percentage of your diet would consist of healthy fats. Although you were a little vague on your goals, I would imagine you’re aiming to gain lead body mass and stay in the single digit bodyfat neighborhood?

Post-workout pop-tarts sound good… I’m all out of dex, recently I’ve been eating honey-nut cheerios w. whey protein – pop-tarts sound a lot easier, and more delicious.

What brand of fish oil do you use? For a while, I took a lot of a generic brand – recently I’ve been taking one a day of Carlsons.

Professor_X · September 3, 2009, 6:52pm

[quote]Typhoon wrote:
This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.[/quote]

Not even that. It would be a better thread if the people posting routines actually simply looked built. How the hell is that too much to ask on a bodybuilding forum? Why would anyone listen to someone who hasn’t built much muscle as far as what routine they use?

This site is a joke in that regard. Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.

The_Mighty_Stu · September 3, 2009, 5:16pm

[quote]Chi-Towns-Finest wrote:

Okay, interesting to note that we have a similar protein intake. I imagine if you’re taking in <200g carbs a large percentage of your diet would consist of healthy fats. Although you were a little vague on your goals, I would imagine you’re aiming to gain lead body mass and stay in the single digit bodyfat neighborhood?

Post-workout pop-tarts sound good… I’m all out of dex, recently I’ve been eating honey-nut cheerios w. whey protein – pop-tarts sound a lot easier, and more delicious.

What brand of fish oil do you use? For a while, I took a lot of a generic brand – recently I’ve been taking one a day of Carlsons.[/quote]

My present goal, is simple quality lbm gain, while minimizing fat gain. I’m already a good 30 lbs above my competition weight, and to be honest, am probably leaner now at 200 lbs than I was at 190 lbs when I started my last prep (I can’t imagine currently being any more than 10%, I think I put a recent pic up in my countdown thread last week). Obviously I’m not going to do anything that I feel would inhibit quality muscle gains, but I still have one eye on the fact that I’m going to have to diet down again, and certainly have no intention of having to drop more than 40 lbs like some IFBB guys do (or even a few of my NPC buddies -lol).

I’ve actually been eating Banana Nut Cheerios lately, and man are they tastey! Sure nothing will replace the almighty pop tart PWO, but it’s a nice switch simply for variety’s sake. I try to use Flameout, but as they cost a bit much for me to actually pop 12-15 of 'em a day, I will usually take 1 Flameout with 4-5 vitamin shop brand pills usually 5-6 times a day.

S

Goodfellow · September 3, 2009, 6:44pm

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.[/quote]

Speaking of which, I lost my bookmark to that thread in T-cell where CT gives you ideas for food intake.

Do you happen to remember the title of the thread or have a link? I’ve gone through several pages of T-cell and can’t find it…

Professor_X · September 3, 2009, 7:16pm

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.

Speaking of which, I lost my bookmark to that thread in T-cell where CT gives you ideas for food intake.

Do you happen to remember the title of the thread or have a link? I’ve gone through several pages of T-cell and can’t find it…
[/quote]

It was something about dieting being living hell or something. Just look for threads I started. That should help.

trextacy · September 3, 2009, 7:33pm

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
Its pretty obvious that he is trextacy.[/quote]

Uh, I don’t post under multiple names. Like I said before, any mod can call me out or confirm otherwise if I’ve EVER done that in my years here. Just because multiple people have an opinion you don’t like w/ doesn’t mean that it is the same person. And I don’t see any reason why anyone should come in here and post all pissed-off that they weren’t consulted before starting the thread or insisting that minimum levels of “bigness” be required before someone can respond. Ridiculous.

On the thread topic:

I was doing a standard chest/bis, back/tris, shoulders/traps, legs split until I, apparently, avulsed my right shoulder tendon doing military presses last weekend. Getting MRI results soon. I’m hoping there is nothing torn but it hurts like a bitch and the doctor thought they x-ray looked like a tear had occurred. Not sure.

Leg day was pretty light since I’ve been cutting (down about 15 lbs in 8 weeks, trying to take it slowly this time) and using HIIT 2-3 days per week. I was sticking to 2-3 exercises per bodypart. When I reached my bodyfat goal and held it for a bit I was going to do a higher frequency thing using lower reps and higher weight. Oh well.

Even if the RC is not torn, it’s going to be a while before I can do any upper body movements. So, I will have to do legs 3x per week and abs. I can’t front or back squat because of the shoulder. I’m thinking of doing a leg press (heavy) focused day, leg press for time (2-3 minutes straight) day and single leg movement day, with random other stuff thrown in and abs each day. I will do some stuff w/ my left arm because I understand there is some carryover to the right side but I’m not going to train it all out during this period for fear of creating imbalances (or hurting it…can’t afford that). Lemons into lemonade I guess.

Cephalic_Carnage · September 3, 2009, 8:34pm

[quote]trextacy wrote:
Goodfellow wrote:
Its pretty obvious that he is trextacy.

Uh, I don’t post under multiple names. Like I said before, any mod can call me out or confirm otherwise if I’ve EVER done that in my years here. Just because multiple people have an opinion you don’t like w/ doesn’t mean that it is the same person. And I don’t see any reason why anyone should come in here and post all pissed-off that they weren’t consulted before starting the thread or insisting that minimum levels of “bigness” be required before someone can respond. Ridiculous.

On the thread topic:

I was doing a standard chest/bis, back/tris, shoulders/traps, legs split until I, apparently, avulsed my right shoulder tendon doing military presses last weekend. Getting MRI results soon. I’m hoping there is nothing torn but it hurts like a bitch and the doctor thought they x-ray [/quote] Huh? I’m no medical professional, of course, but how are you supposed to see anything muscle/tendon related on an X-ray? Don’t you need an MRI for that? [quote]looked like a tear had occurred. Not sure.

Leg day was pretty light since I’ve been cutting (down about 15 lbs in 8 weeks, trying to take it slowly this time) and using HIIT 2-3 days per week. I was sticking to 2-3 exercises per bodypart. When I reached my bodyfat goal and held it for a bit I was going to do a higher frequency thing using lower reps and higher weight. Oh well.[/quote] If you have tendon issues, then avoid higher frequency and higher volume like the plague… At least for the area that’s injured[quote]

Even if the RC is not torn, it’s going to be a while before I can do any upper body movements[/quote] Was that as standing military that did it? [quote]. So, I will have to do legs 3x per week and abs. I can’t front or back squat because of the shoulder. I’m thinking of doing a leg press (heavy) focused day, leg press for time (2-3 minutes straight) day and single leg movement day, with random other stuff thrown in and abs each day. I will do some stuff w/ my left arm because I understand there is some carryover to the right side but I’m not going to train it all out during this period for fear of creating imbalances (or hurting it…can’t afford that). Lemons into lemonade I guess.[/quote]

trextacy · September 3, 2009, 9:06pm

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
trextacy wrote:
Goodfellow wrote:
Its pretty obvious that he is trextacy.

Uh, I don’t post under multiple names. Like I said before, any mod can call me out or confirm otherwise if I’ve EVER done that in my years here. Just because multiple people have an opinion you don’t like w/ doesn’t mean that it is the same person. And I don’t see any reason why anyone should come in here and post all pissed-off that they weren’t consulted before starting the thread or insisting that minimum levels of “bigness” be required before someone can respond. Ridiculous.

On the thread topic:

I was doing a standard chest/bis, back/tris, shoulders/traps, legs split until I, apparently, avulsed my right shoulder tendon doing military presses last weekend. Getting MRI results soon. I’m hoping there is nothing torn but it hurts like a bitch and the doctor thought they x-ray Huh? I’m no medical professional, of course, but how are you supposed to see anything muscle/tendon related on an X-ray? Don’t you need an MRI for that? looked like a tear had occurred. Not sure.

Leg day was pretty light since I’ve been cutting (down about 15 lbs in 8 weeks, trying to take it slowly this time) and using HIIT 2-3 days per week. I was sticking to 2-3 exercises per bodypart. When I reached my bodyfat goal and held it for a bit I was going to do a higher frequency thing using lower reps and higher weight. Oh well. If you have tendon issues, then avoid higher frequency and higher volume like the plague… At least for the area that’s injured

Even if the RC is not torn, it’s going to be a while before I can do any upper body movements Was that as standing military that did it? . So, I will have to do legs 3x per week and abs. I can’t front or back squat because of the shoulder. I’m thinking of doing a leg press (heavy) focused day, leg press for time (2-3 minutes straight) day and single leg movement day, with random other stuff thrown in and abs each day. I will do some stuff w/ my left arm because I understand there is some carryover to the right side but I’m not going to train it all out during this period for fear of creating imbalances (or hurting it…can’t afford that). Lemons into lemonade I guess.

[/quote]

The x-ray shows some calcification at the end of the tendon, which does not appear to be attached to the bone. It may not be torn, it’s obviously hard to tell from the x-ray, but based on what little he can see from that and the physical exam that’s what he expects the MRI to show. I find out tomorrow. Hopefully no surgery and just rest, ice and PT/rehab for it.

It was standing MP. Also, check your PMs.

Cephalic_Carnage · September 3, 2009, 9:51pm

[quote]trextacy wrote:
The x-ray shows some calcification at the end of the tendon, which does not appear to be attached to the bone. It may not be torn, it’s obviously hard to tell from the x-ray, but based on what little he can see from that and the physical exam that’s what he expects the MRI to show. I find out tomorrow. Hopefully no surgery and just rest, ice and PT/rehab for it.
[/quote] Good luck… Which tendon was that again? [quote]

It was standing MP. Also, check your PMs. [/quote] ← I can’t receive pm’s anymore (except from the mods).
Post in my training thread instead if that’s ok with you.

trextacy · September 3, 2009, 9:59pm

[quote]Cephalic_Carnage wrote:
trextacy wrote:
The x-ray shows some calcification at the end of the tendon, which does not appear to be attached to the bone. It may not be torn, it’s obviously hard to tell from the x-ray, but based on what little he can see from that and the physical exam that’s what he expects the MRI to show. I find out tomorrow. Hopefully no surgery and just rest, ice and PT/rehab for it.
Good luck… Which tendon was that again?

It was standing MP. Also, check your PMs. ← I can’t receive pm’s anymore (except from the mods).
Post in my training thread instead if that’s ok with you.
[/quote]
I will. He just called it the RC tendon-the one that connects at the top of the side delt (the bone is the acromium).

DropShot · September 3, 2009, 11:03pm

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Typhoon wrote:
This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.

Not even that. It would be a better thread if the people posting routines actually simply looked built. How the hell is that too much to ask on a bodybuilding forum? Why would anyone listen to someone who hasn’t built much muscle as far as what routine they use?

This site is a joke in that regard. Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.[/quote]

Generalization. I’m no skinny runt and I posted what I do.

And for that matter, a lot of the philosophies I go by are what I’ve read from you big guys while I lurked here for two years.

Professor_X · September 3, 2009, 11:36pm

[quote]DropShot wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Typhoon wrote:
This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.

Not even that. It would be a better thread if the people posting routines actually simply looked built. How the hell is that too much to ask on a bodybuilding forum? Why would anyone listen to someone who hasn’t built much muscle as far as what routine they use?

This site is a joke in that regard. Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.

Generalization. I’m no skinny runt and I posted what I do.

And for that matter, a lot of the philosophies I go by are what I’ve read from you big guys while I lurked here for two years.
[/quote]

No one said you were a skinny runt. However, this is a BODYBUILDING FORUM. one would assume the goal is to get really big (bigger than the average weekend warrior on this site who trains once or twice a week, if that)…therefore, asking how people train should NOT include people with little to no size on them who never post pictures of themselves.

No one singled you out. You have made decent progress already. As far as you are concerned, keep up the good work.

We already have one thread where people are posting very unimpressive stats talking about what they PLAN to do. We never get that thread where they all come back and blow us away with their progress.

I just don’t get why people who aren’t built love to speak up so much about how they train.

trextacy · September 3, 2009, 11:55pm

[quote]Professor X wrote:
DropShot wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Typhoon wrote:
This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.

Not even that. It would be a better thread if the people posting routines actually simply looked built. How the hell is that too much to ask on a bodybuilding forum? Why would anyone listen to someone who hasn’t built much muscle as far as what routine they use?

This site is a joke in that regard. Go to the T-Cell to find threads done about how big people train. Look up Bauer’s thread or Dathibluline and leave everyone with 14" arms to keep posting about what “works”.

Generalization. I’m no skinny runt and I posted what I do.

And for that matter, a lot of the philosophies I go by are what I’ve read from you big guys while I lurked here for two years.

No one said you were a skinny runt. However, this is a BODYBUILDING FORUM. one would assume the goal is to get really big (bigger than the average weekend warrior on this site who trains once or twice a week, if that)…therefore, asking how people train should NOT include people with little to no size on them who never post pictures of themselves.

No one singled you out. You have made decent progress already. As far as you are concerned, keep up the good work.

We already have one thread where people are posting very unimpressive stats talking about what they PLAN to do. We never get that thread where they all come back and blow us away with their progress.

I just don’t get why people who aren’t built love to speak up so much about how they train. [/quote]

I believe that is officially the 10,000th time you’ve written the word “bodybuilding” in all caps. Congrats.

This is a simple thread asking folks how they train. You don’t have to storm in here like a cocksucker and do your schtick. Seriously, just stfu and don’t post in the thread if you don’t like it. It isn’t hard, and not every thread is a referendum on the “state of things” here at T-Nation or a call for you to grind your tired ax.

And no matter how much you scream and cry, not everyone who doesn’t have pics posted on the internet is a pussy who never trains, and not everyone who is going to belong to this site is going to be huge by your standards. It’s a long process and there are new people getting into lifting every day. People are at different stages, and you should try harder to understand that and not post the same knee-jerk shit every time something you perceive to be worthless is posted.

I would add that, perhaps, some of your frustration w/ seeing the same things over and over again and having to repeat yourself has to do w/ the fact that you’ve been here 7 years, have 30,000 posts, and have a custom-made avatar for yourself. I suspect that having a hobby outside of being hall monitor for an internet forum and e-badass might make you realize that the stakes on a BODYBUILDING FORUM just aren’t really as high as you perceive them to be.

Oh, and there are weight classes in BODYBUILDING, and no one here is bound by your limited conception of the sport.

Sonic06 · September 4, 2009, 4:56am

ROFL!

Professor_X · September 4, 2009, 6:09am

[quote]trextacy wrote:
Professor X wrote:
DropShot wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Typhoon wrote:
This would be a much better thread if people posted a routine then their gains on their routine with their curent stats over the course of a few months or so.