[quote]mikex101 wrote:
I disagree to a certain extent. Im up around the 26% mark and bulking. Its a good to take a break from cutting. Mind, if you can cut for long periods of time then good for you.
quote]
Doesn’t sitting at around 26% put you at risk for diabetes? True Im different in that I like to keep my abs while I bulk, but isnt 26% kind of, well, unhealthy?
Btw OP, I havent checked in on your progress since you first started. Really nice job with the strength gains, keep it up.
I hate to be a dick here but…
Getting to a nice 280 lbs for a guy like you is going to take a LONG time or will never happen without some serious drug use! Do you honestly think you are going to reach Lee Priest off season status, the status you are speaking of (nice-280-not fat-not cut-smoothed out-look) without some of the best genetics on this earth and huge amounts of testosterone (1 - 2 grams or more). It will also most likely not happen if you are following a Westside powerlifting routine.
Yes, some of those Westside guys are enormous and not obese per se, but those who gain huge amounts of muscle mass off of low volume powerlifting routines are few and far between. The Kirk Karowskis, Vince Annelos, Sam Byrds, and Doug Youngs of the world are in short order. Most other powerlifters do not have the musculature of a bodybuilder. So it is good that you are changing to a split routine.
Also, there are NOOO tricks. Shit, the bodybuilding advice we will give you here has been around for quite some time and there is not much new. Even the more en vogue style of low volume, beyond failure type of training popularized by Dorian Yates in the late 80s has been around for quite some time so far.
You can only gain about 1/4 to 1/2 lb of DRY muscle per week if you are natural and this is IF you do everything perfectly. I’d say gaining a few GRAMS per week of muscle is a job well done for us all!
You are 235# with a high amount of bodyfat and low numbers on the bench, squat, and deadlift. However, I do not denigrate ANYONE’s accomplishments and I think it is excellent that you are committed to this hobby!
I am just stating it like this because you have aspirations of reaching an ELITE level of muscle mass, something most of us simply cannot do, 280# at 5’9" without being overly fat, just a little smooth! Have you ever seen men with such stature up close, in REAL LIFE?! I do frequently see such men because I work out at a gym that has a lot of them as members. I also go to a good amount of bodybuilding events each year, for naturals, pros, and NPC cometitors.
Top, drug aided NPC amateurs and pros are FUCKING ENORMOUS! Even some top naturals I have met are pretty darn thick too! Marlon Hospidales, a top natural WNBF competitor used to work out at my old gym, and he is one thick guy. After seeing such men, I have realized there are no tricks, no shortcuts! It will take YEARS of effort to reach that level…if it is ever reached before the age of 50 or so!
Another example, I met Dorian once in 1999 when I was 19 years old while he was casually shopping around here in Long Island with Steve Weinberger. He looked the way you want to look: about 290 lbs at 5’11"!!! Think about who I just mentioned and his stats.
I do not think you are going to get to where you want to be without going to a modern day gym. You won’t even be able to develop certain muscle groups to the full extent in my opinion by working out at home, unless you had the space to stuff your living quarters with all kinds of pulley units, calf machines, leg press machines, hack squat machines, various Hammer Strength machines, all kinds of benches, a dip-chinup unit, etc.
Also, I think you are on the right track. Stop doing Westside powerlifting routines and follow a bodybuilding one. Rely on literature for BODYBUILDING, NOT strength training or athletic performance. Follow the writings of people who are involved in bodybuilding on this site, like Clay Hyght, Lonnie Lowery, Christian Thib…(spelling?), and Ron Harris (no longer on here).
Iron Man is a great newsstand magazine only for bodybuilding which is jam packed with great info. Even Flex and M&F has SOME good stuff sometimes, depending on the author you read. Muscular Development is excellent too! If you want to go the drug aided route, look on www.mesomorphosis.com.
Good writers whose work to follow for BB are:
Will Brink
Mick Hart
Daniel Duchaine (REST IN POWER!)
CT
Lonnie Lowery
Ron Harris
Steve Holman (from Iron Man)
Jerry Brainum (from IM too)
Skip La Cour
Tom Venuto (this guy knows his shit!)
Stay away from the strength/functional stuff.
Go for your goals, just make them more realistic. The road to a smooth 280 will be a long one (if never ending) for you and will take huge amounts of dedication and lifestyle adjustment!
Nope. I want to give it at least another few years before I even think of touching gear. Not that I haven’t thought about it. A lot. Might not be a bad idea to get all my ducks in a row for the future, though.
I know. This has always been my biggest problem. Eating clean fucking sucks for me, but it’s pretty much my own damn fault for developing bad habits.
I’m definitely in this for the long haul. This is something I’ve wanted since I was a small child. Hell, the pictures of my setup? I sleep just to the side of the rack itself. Can’t really give myself excuses when it’s staring me in the face.
I just wanted to clarify this; when I wrote 280 “good” pounds, I just meant “not a fat bastard”, not necessarily ripped. I highly doubt I would get anywhere near 280 with anything under 15% bodyfat.
I didn’t (don’t) throw around percentages because, well, that’s not something I know a lot about and I don’t want to seem more clueless than I already do. As long as I don’t have three chins, a huge gut/love handles and still see my penis @ 280, I’m pretty much okay with it. Dunno if that’s realistic or not.
[quote]I hate to be a dick here but…
Getting to a nice 280 lbs for a guy like you is going to take a LONG time or will never happen without some serious drug use! [/quote]
Don’t I know it. Again, I’m in it for the long haul and AAS isn’t totally out of the question. Although I’d like to forbear for as long as I possibly can.
[quote]It will also most likely not happen if you are following a Westside powerlifting routine.
Yes, some of those Westside guys are enormous and not obese per se, but those who gain huge amounts of muscle mass off of low volume powerlifting routines are few and far between. The Kirk Karowskis, Vince Annelos, Sam Byrds, and Doug Youngs of the world are in short order. Most other powerlifters do not have the musculature of a bodybuilder. So it is good that you are changing to a split routine.[/quote]
One thing that I’d like to clarify is that, I only do the Westside routine so that I can gain a reasonable base of strength before I switch to a conventional bodybuilding routine for 6 months to a year, then switch back, switch again, etc.
I think benching 300 for reps or pressing the 100’s for a drop set or squatting 450 ass to grass is going to do a lot more for me, physique wise, than where I’m at now, with sub-par strength levels.
I totally agree. I could definitely use more variety in my training than my current setup allows, but unfortunately, for right now, it’s not really feasible. I had to lend my father my car and I’m left driving an unreliable shitbox with a slipping transmission for most of the week. I don’t live within easy walking or biking distance of a decent gym.
Still, excuses are like assholes, everybody’s got one. Soon as I can get my shit together both financially and strength-wise I’ll sign up at the Y or something. I hear the one in town is pretty decent.
Think I’ll do some grip and forearms tonight before some cardio.
Also, I think I’m pretty much going to eliminate “cheat days”, at least for the next little while. Going overboard on Saturday lead to “fuck it, it’s Sunday”, which led to “shit, forgot my lunch. Guess I better go out” on Monday that led to…well, you get the point.
I like you fella, you seem like a really nice guy, for that alone i hope you achieve your dreams as soon as possible. 280lbs not cut is more achieveable, but maybe try your current weight but at 15% bf as a goal - its tough, but achievable in a couple years…
Joe
GRIP AND FOREARMS
Well…I forget. Bunch of regular ol’ wrist curls and a few sets with the Captains of Crush Trainer and #1.
ME SQUAT
Box @ parallel
135x5
225x5
270x5
290x5
315x5
315x3
315x3 (threw on a belt and knee wraps for the hell of it)
GMs
225x6
225x6
225x6
Stiff leg deads standing on box (more on these later)
135x8
225x8
265x6
290x5
290x5
Curls w/ EZ bar
90x7
95x6
95x6
I had a brainstorm on Saturday; instead of having to muck around with my plates scooting back and forth on the bar while deadlifting, just put it on the pins and stand on a box! JUST LIKE ARNOLD USED TO DO, MIRITE?!
Sounds retarded, I know, but it actually worked out well. More taxing than pin pulls, but still felt fresh enough to get quality work sets.
I seem to do well squatting twice a week. When I stop making gains I’ll dial back the intensity a bit and see how that goes, but for right now I’m really pleased with the way things are going. Around the time I hit 350-400 for a few reps I’ll buy a safety squat bar and play with some loooow box squats, see how that goes.
RE BENCH (today)
BTN military to push press
120x5
130x5
135x5
140x5
140x5
Floor presses
135x10
185x6
200x6
220x4
220x4
Barbell bench press
205x5 (gassed at this point; pathetic, isn’t it?)
215x5
220x4
Rear laterals
40x10
40x10
Just focusing on shoulder & tricep strength right now for bench. And my, how tricep strength is in the shitter.
Also, my traps are sore as hell and I notice that always seems to spell doom for bench day. Oh well. Given that I’ve changed my technique radically these past couple weeks (closer grip, MUCH less arch) things could be worse.
When I get back to going for max singles, I’ll probably have much less of a warmup than I was doing.
Went out for a five-mile bike ride with my brother in law afterward.
Keep it up, you are doing well!
I would suggest more work on the weights though… i only counted a total of 13 sets on leg day… that is how many i do just for thighs, and alot of high volume-ers would say that is low.
I’m not syggesting 35 sets or nuffink, just upto 20 sets a workout, for 2-3 bodyparts would be a good amount of volume, and burn more calories during and with higher intensity for a longer duration, have more metabolic cost in recovery too.
Good to see you focused, motivated and working though - thats the most importan part obviously!
Well done!
I like this guy’s motivation and dedication as well! He is definitely inspirational to me. He has heart and that is more important than any other factor in training after you settle into your own decent and effective training and nutrition systems.
[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
I hate to be a dick here but…
Getting to a nice 280 lbs for a guy like you is going to take a LONG time or will never happen without some serious drug use! Do you honestly think you are going to reach Lee Priest off season status, the status you are speaking of (nice-280-not fat-not cut-smoothed out-look) without some of the best genetics on this earth and huge amounts of testosterone (1 - 2 grams or more). It will also most likely not happen if you are following a Westside powerlifting routine.
Yes, some of those Westside guys are enormous and not obese per se, but those who gain huge amounts of muscle mass off of low volume powerlifting routines are few and far between. The Kirk Karowskis, Vince Annelos, Sam Byrds, and Doug Youngs of the world are in short order. Most other powerlifters do not have the musculature of a bodybuilder. So it is good that you are changing to a split routine.
Also, there are NOOO tricks. Shit, the bodybuilding advice we will give you here has been around for quite some time and there is not much new. Even the more en vogue style of low volume, beyond failure type of training popularized by Dorian Yates in the late 80s has been around for quite some time so far.
You can only gain about 1/4 to 1/2 lb of DRY muscle per week if you are natural and this is IF you do everything perfectly. I’d say gaining a few GRAMS per week of muscle is a job well done for us all!
You are 235# with a high amount of bodyfat and low numbers on the bench, squat, and deadlift. However, I do not denigrate ANYONE’s accomplishments and I think it is excellent that you are committed to this hobby!
I am just stating it like this because you have aspirations of reaching an ELITE level of muscle mass, something most of us simply cannot do, 280# at 5’9" without being overly fat, just a little smooth! Have you ever seen men with such stature up close, in REAL LIFE?! I do frequently see such men because I work out at a gym that has a lot of them as members. I also go to a good amount of bodybuilding events each year, for naturals, pros, and NPC cometitors.
Top, drug aided NPC amateurs and pros are FUCKING ENORMOUS! Even some top naturals I have met are pretty darn thick too! Marlon Hospidales, a top natural WNBF competitor used to work out at my old gym, and he is one thick guy. After seeing such men, I have realized there are no tricks, no shortcuts! It will take YEARS of effort to reach that level…if it is ever reached before the age of 50 or so!
Another example, I met Dorian once in 1999 when I was 19 years old while he was casually shopping around here in Long Island with Steve Weinberger. He looked the way you want to look: about 290 lbs at 5’11"!!! Think about who I just mentioned and his stats.
I do not think you are going to get to where you want to be without going to a modern day gym. You won’t even be able to develop certain muscle groups to the full extent in my opinion by working out at home, unless you had the space to stuff your living quarters with all kinds of pulley units, calf machines, leg press machines, hack squat machines, various Hammer Strength machines, all kinds of benches, a dip-chinup unit, etc.
Also, I think you are on the right track. Stop doing Westside powerlifting routines and follow a bodybuilding one. Rely on literature for BODYBUILDING, NOT strength training or athletic performance. Follow the writings of people who are involved in bodybuilding on this site, like Clay Hyght, Lonnie Lowery, Christian Thib…(spelling?), and Ron Harris (no longer on here).
Iron Man is a great newsstand magazine only for bodybuilding which is jam packed with great info. Even Flex and M&F has SOME good stuff sometimes, depending on the author you read. Muscular Development is excellent too! If you want to go the drug aided route, look on www.mesomorphosis.com.
Good writers whose work to follow for BB are:
Will Brink
Mick Hart
Daniel Duchaine (REST IN POWER!)
CT
Lonnie Lowery
Ron Harris
Steve Holman (from Iron Man)
Jerry Brainum (from IM too)
Skip La Cour
Tom Venuto (this guy knows his shit!)
Stay away from the strength/functional stuff.
Go for your goals, just make them more realistic. The road to a smooth 280 will be a long one (if never ending) for you and will take huge amounts of dedication and lifestyle adjustment!
[/quote]
Excellent post.
ME SQUAT (Wednesday)
Box squat, box @ parallel
135x5
225x5
270x5
290x5
315x5
315x3 (with belt)
315x3 (with belt and knee wraps)
GMs
225x6
230x6
230x6
Deadlifts standing on box
135x10
225x10
265x7-8 (I forget)
295x4 (had to set it down and reset grip.)
EZ bar curls
90x8
95x7
95x6 (forearms were KILLING me)
I remember wishing a few weeks ago that my forearms would grow. You know what they say about getting what you wish for. Fucking things are killing me.
The free squats were fast and smooth, could’ve easily gotten another couple of reps but I always like to leave a little in the tank for next time. For some reason using wraps seems to make me bend over more than normal (though that could just as easily have been fatigue) so I’ll watch that.
I had planned for a bit more volume with the deads and good mornings, but my bro-in-law was waiting to go bike riding, so I just blitzed through it. Probably do a lot more assistance work on Saturday.
Good workout. I’m really pleased with how my squat is coming along, and it looks like my deadlift (grip issues aside) is more or less keeping pace.
NUMBER OF THE BEAST DAY
Squats w/o box
135x6
225x6
275x6
300x6
Bench
135x8
185x8
205x6
215x6
Rows
135x6
205x6
215x6
220x6
Deads
135x10
225x8
265x8
Military press (from the front)
135x4
135x4
135x5 (cheated on the last two reps)
I haven’t had a chance to do shit since Wednesday, in between work and trying to find a decent used car for my dad, so I figured I’d just hit a light session for everything at once.
Not the sort of thing I’d want to do for more than a few weeks at a time, and after the first couple exercises everything else suffers, but I could definitely see how this would be good for someone looking to pack on some mass in jig time.
Hows it going results wise fella?
If you mention that on page 3, apologies, but it is too much work to push the little 3 at the bottom of the page…! 
I hope you are seeing some progresses, i bet you are given your dedication.
I loe it when someone puts their all in, even after a long break and gets the results - it just goes to show… effort is the key.
Joe
I took some pictures from the back recently; decent bit of fat loss (especially around the midsection) but I still need to get my diet in order. I’ve taken up biking at night. We’re still not going out too far, but I’m going to amp up the mileage and/or attack some inclines. Beats endless pedaling at home.
Strength-wise, I’m taking a break from heavy bench for a few weeks to focus on tricep and shoulder strength. Not going to be doing more than 3-6 sets of 6-8 reps a week of benching, and pretty light at that.
Squat’s going up and I’m deadlifting more frequently, which hopefully should help my pulls.
ME SQUAT
Box @ parallel
135x5
225x5
270x5
290x5
320x5
300x3 (Wanted to go for six, but I was shagged out after the 320)
300x3
GMs
225x6
230x6
235x6
235x6
Curls w/ EZ bar
90x6
95x6
95x6
95x6
Shitty session, but my schedule’s been screwed at work this week too.
ME BENCH
Floor press
135x5
185x5
200x5
225x4
225x3
225x3
Pin press, pins just a tad below lockout
225x5
245x4
270x3
Military press
135x5
135x5
135x6 (bit of leg drive on the last two)
Rows
200x6
200x6
200x6
200x6
Rear laterals
40x10
40x8
Good session. I’m starting to wonder if some of my shoulder discomfort comes from not tucking my elbows properly.
I was thinking about pushing the pin presses hard (along with everything else tri-related, of course) until I hit 300-315 for a few reps, then lower the pins an inch or so a week until they’re at my chest. If that works out along with everything else, that should give me a 300+ bench in the middle of summer, or at the very least lockout strength to spare.
RE SQUAT (Saturday)
High bar narrow stance squats
135x6
225x6
275x6
300x6
Had to go to work, but I came back and did;
GMs
135x6
200x6
225x6
235x6
Deadlifts from box
225x4
265x4
290x4
300x4
EZ bar curls
85x6
90x6
95x6
100x6
REALLY pleased with how my pulls went. The weight on these and the narrow squats is nothing spectacular, I realize, but I try to watch my form very carefully. I’ll bring the weight down ten pounds or so on the narrow stance squats and work my way back up, since my hips were popping up too soon on that last set.
do they sell elipticals, treads and rowers there??
Where? The site I bought my rack from? They have rowers and stuff, I think. It’s-
RE BENCH
Military press
115x6
135x6
140x4
150x0
150x0
I was flabbergasted by this. I expected at least two good strict no leg drive reps with 150. Mental thing, I guess.
Overhead tri lockouts, pins at top of head (yes I read the front page articles)
150x8
165x6
185x4
Close grip bench press
200x6
200x6
Barbell row
200x6
210x6
225x6
T-bar row
225x6
225x6
225x6
I really liked the overhead lockouts. I could still feel my shoulders working even with the reduced range of motion and I can be a lot more aggressive with the weight. Plus I don’t have to worry about dropping shit on my head.
ME SQUAT (Wednesday)
Box squat, box @ parallel
135x5
225x5
270x5
290x5
325x5
325x3 (deep, but I need to sit down more)
Went to work, then on a bike ride, THEN-
GMs
135x6
200x6
225x6
235x6
Deadlifts standing on box
225x4
245x4
265x4
290x4
300x4
315x4 (suppose it’s time for me to stop with the baby weights on these)
Curls w/ EZ bar
85x7
90x7
95x6
100x6
Good session. Shoulder was bothering me earlier, as I was experimenting with different places to park the bar. Top of the traps seems to work best, but I’m trying to avoid the chicken wing effect as much as possible.
I need to get pullups back into rotation. I stopped doing them and my joint’s felt achy ever since.